《The Rise of the Black Plain》


 Authors Opinion

    Hi there! I am the author, and I am here to discuss some relevant points that can affect this story.


    First, I want to say that this chapter can be helpful for any reader who has been interested in the idea of ??the story and wants to know a little more before deciding whether to start this reading.


    So, I''m going to talk about some points that I believe are necessary for a fantasy story like mine. Anyway, let''s get down to business.


    (Don''t mind the order. It''s not necessarily the most important thing or anything. It''s just random.)


    1- Relations / Harem: Like many authors here on this site, I am also a reader. And that kind of relationship, at least in many of the works I read, follows a path that significantly disappoints me.


    I wouldn''t say I like to follow stories where the MC picks up a bunch of random wives along the way, abandoning them almost instantly after a brief contact, leaving, or forgetting them until nearly the end of the story.


    Also, I''m not too fond of that almost all beautiful women in the story fall in love with the MC or that the MC wants to marry nearly every woman he touches. Anyway, don''t expect anything like this in this story.


    Even in a fantasy story, human relationships need to be as close to reality as possible. For example, it''s not realistic that a character doesn''t interact sexually with other people in this work. So, even if an author doesn''t want to detail the MC''s ''achievements, I still believe it''s crucial to say that this character has his desires and tries to satisfy himself in some way.


    Not only that, sex doesn''t require love, in my opinion. Hell! I know people who don''t even like each other and still have fun together... So, having some casual relationships is very positive for the story.


    But like many men, I also like the idea of ??the harem, but nothing too extreme. I believe that each wife of the MC has to have her space and shouldn''t disappear from the chapters for a long time.


    2- Cultivation: I read many stories in which sometimes the established rules seem to follow the needs of the MC. Or even there is no prior explanation of how things work.


    Honestly, I wouldn''t say I like these types of development. For me, each rule created is inviolable. It cannot be circumvented to satisfy the MC''s wishes. Of course, the author can create alternatives, but this must be done from the beginning, leaving a gap that allows this without a hole formed in the story.


    I also believe that differentiating strength at each stage of cultivation is crucial. I''ve seen novels in which the character seems to be very quickly fighting against people of the ''x'' level, but when the MC gets stronger and faces opponents of the same ''x'' level, it seems to be many times more difficult.


    "..."


    I don''t understand such a thing. That is why creating an energy system based on some mathematical law can help bring the story coherence since this can prevent the author from making inevitable mistakes.


    3- Development of the story: another problem in many of the stories I read is in this regard. When you analyze certain ''arcs''/volumes, things go very well within those chapters, but there... Much of that is often thrown away or wasted. Sometimes, these novels seem to have the sole purpose of strengthening the MC, as if they were large pieces of filling.


    I think it''s disappointing when that kind of situation happens. You meet a new character, learn a little about their reality and... Baam... The story forgets them, and all that no longer matters...


    "..."


    I, as a reader, really like to see certain characters. That is why story planning should be done to prevent this type of situation from happening. Sometimes, there is nothing more rewarding than seeing certain characters...


    4- MC development: another issue closely related to the previous one. Sometimes I see MCs saying they care about those related to him, friends, companions, and family. Still, all I see are individuals who don''t seem to have much gratitude or a sense of responsibility.


    The guy enters a sect, gets stronger, and sometimes receives excellent support from those places, and then there comes the point where he leaves and doesn''t look back...


    And look, in many of these stories, talent is almost worthless since the external resources will make the main characters so strong...


    "..."


    So, why not help the one who welcomed you when you were weak? Sometimes they even return, almost at the end of the story, when the authors no longer want to spend a lot of time on these texts... This ends up not being satisfactory when I see it in my readings.


    Anyway, these are some of my opinions about what should be in a novel. I''m just an amateur writer who decided to start writing his own story after reaching his share of disappointments in the texts I read.


    While I write, I will try to avoid making the same mistakes as my predecessors, but you know how it''s, right? I''m just a human... Oh! English isn''t my first language, so there may be some problems with the grammar...

 Chapter 1: The Inheritance

    Boom!


    Several explosions took place in a few seconds, along with the chaos generated by the people who passed in the area and were now fled in despair. Some students left the Spiritual Academy, several vendors, and many passers-by who would typically pass by this place almost any time of day.


    After all, this was the capital of the Brown Kingdom, the City of the Setting Sun. And this was one of the main avenues, but still, some attack was happening right there.


    As the crowd dispersed, five cultivators from the Spiritual King stage were fighting 4 of them were attacking the 5th with clear intention to kill.


    This person was none other than one of the important generals of the Brown Kingdom, Albert Stuart, who was 130-years-old and was already at level 51, Spiritual King stage, with great possibilities in his future.


    However, even for someone talented, fighting four opponents from the same stage was not easy, and soon the general was increasingly at a disadvantage.


    "Albert, you should never have had absurd thoughts of getting a mid-level spiritual region as a reward given by the kingdom. Hahaha, as if a newly created noble family like yours could do so."


    Not long ago, the kingdom was relocating sovereignty over a region particularly rich in spiritual energy, by the standards of this region, of course. Since the former sovereign family in that region had left the Kingdom Brown, leaving several noble families thirsty for this place.


    Finally, due to Albert Stuart''s meritorious service, he received that region, and he had expectations of increasing his family''s strength in a wealthy place like that. However, this was a resource that his small noble family could not own.


    Another attacker added with a smile on his face. "Be happy that we''ll not touch your son when you die, hahaha, and yet we''ll give him the lands of the Black Plain as your inheritance!"


    In question, the region of the Black Plain was an impoverished place, sterile and with a spiritual density considerably low.


    "Miserable, don''t think I''m going to die without even taking any of you with me."


    After saying this, Albert Stuart concentrated all of his spiritual energy presents in his body in a sphere of black energy, while his vitality as Spiritual King that could provide a life expectancy of about 1,600 years was being sucked into an incredible speed, changing his appearance from a young adult to an older man with both feet in the grave in a single instant.


    "Damn, this demented man is going to sacrifice himself. Withdrawal!!!"


    At that moment, a big explosion happened in that place, destroying everything along the way in a radius of 20 meters, when three men staggered out while the 4th was thrown in a half-dead state. There were also several objects flying from the place and reaching the surroundings.


    Meanwhile, a young man with his childlike features, brown hair, 1.3 meters tall, dressed in a green uniform and holding a backpack on his back, was shocked by the surrounding events when a stone of more than 1 meter wide came towards him.


    "AHH!!!"


    Unfortunately, he could not escape in time before he was struck. This was Minos Stuart, 9-years-old and the son of the general who had just sacrificed himself.


    He was coming to meet his father in front of the Spiritual Academy, after his last day of school, before he could finally start his journey in the world of cultivation.


    He then lost consciousness shortly after that. It didn''t take long for the situation to calm down, and soon several guards came to control the situation and assist the victims of this attack.


    "Eh, isn''t that General Stuart''s brat?" One of the guards who helped in the rescue asked in a low voice.


    "Hmm, and it appears that his situation is grave. It''s better to take him straight to General Stuart''s mansion. Butler Dillian is well versed in spiritual healing. If not even he could help him, then we wouldn''t be either help, take him fast." Another guard said while helping an older man beside Minos'' unconscious body.


    While Minos was rescued, a hoarse voice suddenly spoke inside his mind. "Boy, your situation isn''t the best, tsh, although, despite everything, you also received a chance that many would dream of having."


    Minos then began to speak in a fearful voice. "Who are you? Where are you?"


    "Don''t be so scared, despite being on the verge of death, that''s the good part. My name is Henricus Longus, and as for where I am, I am on your mind."


    Then the young man asked in disbelief. "Hen... Henricus Longus, the first God of our world?"


    "Hmm, it looks like my name hasn''t been completely forgotten, but I wasn''t the first God, just the first human to reach this level."


    Soon after, the young man remembered something crucial. "What did you say? Inside my mind? What do you mean?"


    The old voice then answered. "That''s right, you are receiving my inheritance, so this fragment of my soul can communicate directly with your mind. As to why this is happening, it is simply because you have met the requirements for receiving the inheritance."


    "But don''t get too full of yourself. It just happened due to your location and the fact that your near-death state has changed your Physique. And due to certain reasons, I couldn''t just wait for a suitable heir to come to me, so that''s why I came to you."


    Minos then questioned. "Has my Physique changed?"


    "That''s right. You should know that there are five notes for the Physique: Common, Warrior, King, Saint, and Divine; originally, you had one of the King-grade, but due to the incident, it was changed to a mutant Common-grade, which can continually evolve into the Divine-grade. This must-have happened because you had a Physique with somewhat unusual ability, and after the incident, an anomaly was created in your body, generating this rare phenomenon."


    "As for the geographic factor, this region was very rich in spiritual energy in my time. That was one reason I created my Spatial Kingdom close to this place. But I didn''t expect the surrounding energy to become so thin after only a few million years... In my days, this place could create Spiritual Sages, but now... Not even Spiritual Emperors could be created in this region."


    "This ended up making it difficult for me to find a suitable heir since to receive my inheritance, the individual needs to have a Divine-grade Physique. And since people are not born with such a Physique, finding someone like that in a place like this was almost impossible, since no one talented enough would stay here..."


    Meanwhile, the 9-year-old child listened carefully to the words of this historical figure, so the old voice continued. "Boy, my inheritance will give you tremendous potential since your talent will be even higher than the Golden talent. However, you must make a promise."


    The talent in this world was classified into five rows. It was White, Blue, Black, Silver, and Golden. It is said that talent is equal to understanding, which is one of the two requirements to advance through the stages of cultivation. The other was the accumulation of spiritual energy.


    With talent, you can progress without bottlenecks to a particular stage of cultivation, depending on what classification your talent was. For Golden talent, for example, the first bottleneck an individual encounter is at the level of a Spiritual Demigod, and there is a greater than 50% probability that the individual with such a talent will reach this level.


    "About what?" Minos asked curiously. Then he heard. "When I was still alive, I had an innate divination skill, and because of that, I once had a prophetic dream about a very distant future in which this world would face a great external threat."


    "Few know this, but the truth is that we aren''t alone in the universe, and we are lucky that we have never been found by them before. But don''t be so scared, their cultivation is also like ours, it''s limited to level 100. However, they are much more numerous. For example, while we find a lot when we have 3 or 4 Gods at the same time, these forces even have 10 or 15 of them simultaneously."


    "So, after my dream, I started creating my inheritance, since I couldn''t solve the problem in my days, as there wasn''t enough spiritual energy in the environment. Don''t misunderstand. The problem is that this energy is very widespread in the world, and we cannot absorb even 30% of the total. This is also a biological limitation. However, there are still spiritual plants and medicines that can do this, and it is through these resources, we reach level 100."


    "You may not know it, but when you reach level 100, cultivators can double the space and create spatial regions, which we call Spatial Kingdoms. These kingdoms can absorb the energy of heaven and earth and concentrate on the inside, creating true cultivation sanctuaries."


    "To prepare this place, I dedicated the last 1,000 years of my life to doubling space five times and creating a kingdom that could store a tremendous amount of energy after a few million years."


    "Anyway, a few decades ago, the kingdom finally matured completely. So, this is the main part of my inheritance. You must use this space to improve the average level of cultivation on this planet. When it comes to how to do this, after digesting the much information that you will also receive, I believe that you''ll have a good sense of how to accomplish this."


    "This is all boy, don''t let me down, or this whole world can be enslaved. Finally, I think that because of your current state and my inheritance, you may end up being unconscious for a few years, but that will not be such a big disadvantage."


    Minos then responded sincerely. "I will do my best not to waste this chance."


    The old voice then said goodbye. "Good luck. I hope you succeed."


    ...


    Meanwhile, outside Minos'' mind, his body was continually being healed by the efforts of the butler Dillian. However, there was no sign of the young Stuart waking up.


    And so, six years passed in the blink of an eye.

 Chapter 2: Awakening

    In the last six years that Minos was unconscious, the butler Dillian has applied several special medicines to the body of his young master while trying to find outside help to awaken him.


    However, there wasn''t much success. Even Minos'' absent mother, who visited him quite irregularly, also tried to help him as she could, but unfortunately, it seemed that something else was preventing him from waking up.


    During this period, some changes occurred after the attack on General Albert Stuart. For example, the Red Valley region, one of the best places to cultivate within the Brown Kingdom, which should be passed on to the general''s family, was then allocated to one of the largest noble families in this kingdom. The Silva family was a tremendous military force, second only to the royal family.


    The Silva''s pressured the king to change the mandate passed on those lands to the Stuart family since there was no such need since Albert Stuart was already dead and his only son had never made any contributions and was still struggling to survive.


    In this way, the Silva''s obtained the property of the Red Valley after months of talks.


    While for Minos, he was ''graced'' with the poor lands of the Black Plain, which despite the large area, was a place with the lowest spiritual density, the smallest population, and consequently, the worst economy in the entire kingdom.


    And having a sovereign who had been unconscious for years, despite not making the situation worse, those who lived on the Black Plain could still feel a certain dislike for Minos. After all, they couldn''t show discontent with the king''s orders, leaving only the weakest link¡­


    Anyway, now Minos Stuart was 15 years old and had already lost five years of cultivation, since cultivation started at ten years of age, the best time to start cultivating.


    At 15, the most talented youths in this kingdom were already between levels 20 and 29, which was the Spiritual Beginner stage, the third stage of cultivation. In contrast, Minos was only in the first stage, Body Foundation, level 0, the level of an ordinary person who has never cultivated in his life!


    However, this slight delay wasn''t so bad. After all, he received large amounts of knowledge from a level 100 specialist! His talent, which was initially classified as Black, but after receiving all the understanding of a God, surpassed the Golden classification!


    With that, he would only face a bottleneck in cultivation, which would be to reach level 100, having more than a 50% chance of achieving this level.


    So, the only problem now was for Minos to wake up and gather the right amount of energy. Of course, there is a limit for each level and the body, so he couldn''t just absorb the divine medicines of the Spatial Kingdom and become a God.


    If he tried something like that, then his body would explode immediately!


    But even so, with his current understanding, it would only be a matter of time.


    ...


    And so, time passed, and then finally, the now young teenager''s unconscious body began to show signs of awakening, when he finally opened his eyes and began to observe the place where he was.


    This was his room, and it looked the same as he had left it on that fateful day.


    There was a bookcase filled with books ranging from medicines, pills, geopolitics, and much other essential information that he learned when he was at the Spiritual Academy.


    Other than that, it also had a big closet, a study place, and his bed, Minos although noble, he was a very simple person, so his room wasn''t full of useless things.


    At that moment, Minos began to think about everything that happened, from his father''s death to the inheritance of the God Henricus Longus, when he thought with tears in his eyes.


    "My father sacrificed himself after being ambushed... Unfortunately, I can''t do anything now. I must focus on cultivation and start planning how to increase this planet''s average level of this planet... My revenge will naturally happen when I reach the necessary level."


    Minos seemed very calm and severe, in fact, even though he was unconscious for six years and still had to have the mentality of a 9-year-old child, but that wasn''t the case. After inheriting a significant amount of information from the long life of a God, who reached just over 50 thousand years, Minos now had a personality quite mature for his present age.


    "From the knowledge I inherited, there seem to be 11 stages in cultivation, subdivided into ten parts for each stage. It is Body Foundation, Transition, Spiritual Beginner, Spiritual Warrior, Spiritual General, Spiritual King, Spiritual Emperor, Spiritual Saint, Spiritual Sage, Spiritual Demigod, and God."


    "As for vitality, it doubles at every stage from the post of Spiritual Beginner, reaching just over 50,000 years for a God."


    "Not only does vitality increase considerably, the amount of energy in each stage increases in a factorial order, for example, someone at the apex of the 7th stage, level 69, but 7 times more energy than someone at the apex of the 6th stage, level 59, and a level 100, a God, has 11 times more energy than a level 99 demigod!!"


    "In addition, someone could fly by becoming a Spiritual Emperor, live temporarily in the form of a soul, if your body is destroyed, and then someone could rebuild it or possess someone from the rank of Spiritual Saint. A person could travel through space from a Spiritual Sage and finally build spatial kingdoms at level 100."


    "Tsh! And those older men from the Spiritual Academy were full of themselves because there were Spiritual Kings in the kingdom. They are ignorant..."


    "As for my Physique, hahaha, I was fortunate. Although it has regressed from King-grade to Common-grade, it will now be much easier to attain the Divine-grade due to its mutagenic factor. And it looks like it also specializes in energy storage..."


    "Hmm, if I''m not mistaken, I must store up to 5% more energy in each cultivation level, and it will continue to increase, and when my Physique reaches the Divine-grade when I will have up to 40% more energy than someone normally would have."


    "This is great. Although it takes longer to move forward, I will be much stronger than those on the same level as me!"


    At that moment, the door to Minos''s room opened, and a middle-aged man entered the room. This was Dillian, the butler of the late General Stuart. He was 150 years old and was at level 45.


    As soon as he saw the young man sitting on the bed, he immediately ran towards him, as if a miracle had happened. "Young master, did you just wake up? How are you feeling?"


    "I''m fine, grandpa Dillian. I just woke up. I feel as good as after a long night''s sleep." Minos answered sincerely. After all, Dillian had accompanied his father for many decades, even before he was born, and during his life, Dillian was the second person that he could count on while his father was still alive.


    "Good! Young master, after so long, I was afraid that you might never wake up." Said the butler with a severe face.


    "Hmm, how long has it been since the attack on my father?"


    "It was six years, young master. After the master passed away, you were brought here, and during those years, I was doing everything possible to try to help you wake up. Mrs. Maisie also tried very hard to find help."


    "Did my mother do this? As if she cared, in my nine years, if I saw her five times, it was a lot. I thought she would enjoy the relief of not having to come and see me during this period." Minos said with a mocking face as he spoke of his absent mother.


    The middle-aged man then countered. "Don''t say that, young master. Mrs. Maisie has many responsibilities on her shoulders. The power behind her has high expectations for her."


    "Tsh, this is just her excuse. But forget that, tell me about what happened in the last six years."


    Then the butler and the young man started arguing for a few hours about the events that had occurred while he was unconscious.


    "So, this is how it is¡­ For now, we can only accept this situation since we have no way to retaliate. But it isn''t all bad. The Black Plain can perhaps be improved."


    When Minos said this, he immediately thought of visiting the Spatial Kingdom and finding out precisely what he can do. After all, it''s one thing you heard something from someone. It''s another thing to see it right in front of you.


    He thought seriously. "I have to enter the Spatial Kingdom to get to know the situation there before I start dealing with the Black Plain. I must also start cultivating after getting some resources. I want to see exactly the effects of a talent that surpasses Golden."


    As for entering the Spatial Kingdom, he had a strange ring on his index finger, on his right hand, such a ring was left with Minos by the soul fragment during the receipt of the inheritance.


    The ring was invisible to anyone other than Minos, and it was also the means of entering and leaving the Spatial Kingdom regardless of where he was. Almost like a teleportation item.

 Chapter 3: Entering the Spatial Kingdom

    Night fell in the capital of the Brown Kingdom. Meanwhile, a young man in a certain mansion was looking very serious. This was Minos. He was mentally preparing to enter the Spatial Kingdom as soon as butler Dillian left.


    At that time, the middle-aged man was still planning for the trip to the Black Plain, which was supposed to happen in the next few days.


    When Minos finally realized that he could have his privacy, he then activated the ring on his right hand. With just one thought, the young man disappeared from where he was.


    Almost instantly, Minos noticed his entire surroundings change when he began to enjoy the beautiful landscape in front of him.


    It was a huge place, which couldn''t be seen the limits. In fact, even though it was already night in the Brown Kingdom, this place was still clear, as if it were a very distant place. It also had a concentration of spiritual energy that was hundreds, if not thousands of times, greater than the spiritual density of the City of the Setting Sun.


    There were thousands of trees of all types, with some even emanating a certain pressure. However, for someone without cultivation like Minos, there was no way for him to differ exactly the power contained in each plant in this place.


    Anyway, there was also a large lake, which appeared to be near an open area where there was a large house.


    Walking for a few minutes, he saw various types of medicines, which by his knowledge, could even help Spiritual Sages!


    ''Too bad, it will be a long time before I can use these resources...'' Minos thought as he walked the place.


    Finally, he arrived at the house. It looked like a beach house, with a large space between it and the lake, giving the feeling of being an ideal place to cultivate peace.


    Entering the house, the young man saw many rooms. There were at least 20 of them, with several bathrooms spread out, three large meeting rooms, one with a table with more than 10 seats, and the other two with chairs and sofas. Everything was well decorated, but a specific room caught Minos'' attention.


    According to the memories received from the inheritance, there were 3 spatial rings in that room. In these rings, there were weapons, spiritual crystals, techniques specialized in cultivation, moving, attack, soul, healing, etc.


    "Hmm, as far as I know, techniques are classified: White, Blue, Black, Silver, and Golden. And what differs it, are basically the conversion of the user''s spiritual energy into the techniques, which respectively use, 40%, 50%, 70%, 100%, and 200%, of the energy used to activate the technique."


    "That is, while for the same amount of energy, if someone releases an attack technique classified in Blue, and another person releases another attack technique classified in Golden, then the second manages to release a technique 4 times stronger than the first!"


    "The techniques can also be subdivided into phases, according to this, it is better to learn a technique that has the same number of phases, as the number of steps that you still lack for the 11th step, since using such techniques gives an increase in power even greater in the final stages of cultivation."


    In addition, in this world, cultivators were limited by their stages of cultivation, adding only 1 technique to each stage. That way, cultivators had to choose each one well because although there was the possibility of changing the techniques, you would have to choose one with fewer phases, which would be disadvantageous at the highest levels.


    The phases of a technique referred to its characteristics. For example, if a technique were limited to a certain area, that area would only increase if the cultivator raised his mastery phase over that technique. Before that, no matter the cultivator''s level, characteristics like this would be forever limited by the phase that it was in.


    "Finally, the first technique has to be one specialized in cultivation, since a cultivator cannot gather spiritual energy without its. After that, people usually choose an attack in Transition and a defensive in the Spiritual Beginner..."


    "Anyway, it seems that almost all techniques are classified as Golden or Silver. While for these weapons... Unfortunately, I will not be able to use these weapons until I reach at least level 60. Before that, I wouldn''t be able to handle it."


    While checking all the spatial rings, Minos found an 11-phase cultivation technique, classified as Golden, called Solar God Breath. It had a unique special effect, doubling the speed of collecting free spiritual energy in the air during the day, with an exponential increase of such a characteristic in later phases.


    "Hmm, Solar God Breath, huh... You will be my first chosen technique."


    After that, Minos spent more time collecting a few items of the lowest ratings in this place since he couldn''t use nor go around with items so valuable without having the strength to have such a right.


    He also chose a cultivation technique for his butler Dillian since he would certainly not have something as well rated as a Silver-grade or a Golden-grade technique.


    Finally, he decided to spend the next few hours cultivating his newly learned technique until he reached level 1.


    ...


    "At this rate, I should be able to reach level 10, beginning of the Transition, in less than 1 month..."


    "As for these spiritual crystals, there are millions here, but they are all of a high-level, my body wouldn''t be able to withstand the amount of energy it has until I reach, at least, the Spiritual Saint stage."


    The spiritual crystals in question are subdivided into 3 types in the Spiritual World, ranging from low, medium, and high concentration, growing in energy such that the high concentration is 10,000 times richer than the low concentration and 100 times than those of the medium concentration.


    Low-grade crystals are indicated for people between levels 20 to 49, medium-grade for levels 50 to 69, and high-grade for people above level 70, which are levels at which the body can support the energy contained in each type of spiritual crystal.


    As to why those below the Spiritual Beginner stage cannot use crystals in cultivation, this is because, in the Corporal Foundation, cultivation is centered on preparing the body to support the future power of the spirit and in the next stage, the Transition, spiritual development takes place, which can be strengthened from the next step.


    "I''m going to have to find a way to get these low-concentration crystals for when I reach the Spiritual Beginner stage. And even if my father left a decent amount, 6 years have passed, and I still need them to do business in my territory."


    "I think I should go back, or grandpa Dillian may notice that I''m missing. Although I trust him, I will talk about this heritage later in the future. At least I will wait until we move to the Black Plain. As for this region, I think I can try to improve the overall quality of the terrain and increase the spiritual energy of the place with the help of the Spatial Kingdom."


    "Well, I have to ask grandpa Dillian to gather the information that can help me plan what to do."


    After that, Minos went back to his room and slept through the night.


    ...


    When he woke up in the morning, the butler Dillian had already left to settle pending matters. According to the cook, who had prepared Minos'' breakfast, the butler had left the message that everything would be ready for the trip in the afternoon.


    As the Stuart family was a newly promoted gentry, with only the late general and the young Stuart, there were no large numbers of beasts or carriages for long-distance travel, so there was a need to rent this service.


    And despite not having large quantities of things to take, there were still about 20 servants and 10 guards who had remained even after Albert Stuart died. So, Dillian needed time to collect all the necessary carriages.


    ...


    Time passed, and soon the afternoon arrived when 12 carriages were traveling along the south side of the capital, heading towards the Black Plain, which was about 4,000 kilometers away, being very close to the Brown Kingdom border with two other kingdoms of equivalent strength.


    The trip in question was supposed to take less than a week using carriages pushed by spiritual beasts that resembled horses. They were 3rd stage beasts, covering up to 1,000 kilometers a day.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in a Silva family palace, two older men played chess while drinking tea in the City of the Setting Sun. One of them had a calm look on his face, as if there were no worries, while he was dressed in a completely silver robe.


    This older man had white hair and a big beard. His name was Otis Silva, the current patriarch of the Silva family, being in the Spiritual King stage, level 57.


    The other was Willian Silva, level 52, one of those responsible for the death of Albert Stuart, at the behest of the older man in front of him. He was dressed in a black robe and had gray hair, while he expressed a thoughtful face that would make anyone walk away.


    "Patriarch, the brat Stuart left the city a few hours ago, heading towards the inherited territory, the Black Plain, with all the remaining servants and guards. He also seems to have fully recovered a few days ago."


    "Should we attack them while they are traveling?" He asked doubtfully as he drank his spiritual tea.


    "There is no necessity. I heard that the boy had awakened, but he is already 15 years old and hasn''t even started to cultivate. And now he is going to a place that can barely produce Spiritual Warriors."


    After making a move, old Otis then continued. "Even if he has his father''s talent, it would still take decades, or even more than a century, to reach Albert''s cultivation, while we are already above level 50, and continue to strengthen ourselves. And we still have a big family with hundreds of experts."


    "Even if he wants revenge, his chances are very small. Forget him and his followers. Even the butler Dillian would have no hope of harming us."


    After that, the two continued to play until the patriarch won the round of chess. Then the two older men said goodbye, while old Otis remained in the room, looking at the side porch when he thought with a smile on his face. "With the Red Valley in our hands, the Silva family will be able to grow substantially in the coming decades. Hahaha, not even the Miller bastards, with all their financial might, will be able to block us!"

 Chapter 4: Black Plain

    After three days of traveling to the western part of the Brown Kingdom, while twelve carriages carrying Minos Stuart and his subordinates, they were now just over a day away from their destination.


    At that moment, inside the most elegant carriage, there was a middle-aged man and a teenager actively talking.


    They, of course, were Minos and the butler Dillian. The young Stuart was understanding the general situation before he reached the Black Plain. Obviously, they were talking about the broader issues, such as the average strength of the region, the kingdoms near the border, and other relevant information that could already bring the young sovereign closer to understanding the reality of that region.


    Of course, they didn''t have the most accurate data on local problems since a regent appointed by the king governed the region. Thus, they would only get their hands on the crucial data when they took over local command, which could only be done after arriving in the largest city on the Black Plain, the Dry City.


    "Grandpa Dillian, what are the trade options for the Black Plain?"


    "The Black Plain isn''t expected to export almost anything nowadays, since there is no agricultural production, and as for mining, the region consumes what little it has. Also, with the current spiritual concentration, the production of spiritual crystals must be very low. As for imports, they must do business mainly for food."


    "Therefore, the Cromwell Kingdom, which is south of the Brown Kingdom, must be the largest food supplier in the Black Plain region, since this region borders this kingdom."


    "The Cromwell Kingdom also has prosperous agriculture, which supplies some neighboring regions, including ours. They are also the main trading partners for the Stone Island, which lies northwest of where we are going."


    "The Stone Island is very important for all the coastal kingdoms in this region because due to the rich mineral reserves and the great quality of its spiritual blacksmiths, the island has a considerably rich economy. But despite having an excellent economy, they hardly produce food in their territory and are, therefore, dependent on other kingdoms to suppress their food demand. That is why the Cromwell Kingdom is its primary partner."


    "As for the Black Plain, it doesn''t have much contact with the Stone Island since there isn''t a great demand for spiritual equipment in its territory."


    "To the north of the Black Plain is the largest kingdom in territory that borders the Brown Kingdom, the Kingdom of the Waves. This kingdom has many activities because of its large territory, so it is very active in the regional economy."


    "As for contacts with the Black Plain, I have no information about that."


    "So Grandpa Dillian, what is the main activity of the Black Plain?"


    The middle-aged man replied with an uncertain face. "In fact, as far as I know, the region''s sovereign must earn resources mainly from the residents through taxes. If there are other activities, I don''t know."


    The Black Plain region, despite having the smallest population of the Brown Kingdom, still had about 50,000 inhabitants. Most of these people didn''t have an extraordinary talent, usually common White or Blue talent, and so, for them, staying in a region like this was the best.


    This is because, when reversing to take risks in a place where there are individuals 1,000 times stronger than you, it is best to live in an environment where the strongest ones aren''t dozens of levels above you. It was a matter of limitations.


    Thus, a population resided mainly in the Dry City, and this demanded some services provided by the kingdom. That is why the local sovereign could collect taxes from citizens on the grounds that they would need the money to provide the basic conditions for living in that place.


    The Black Plain also didn''t have to transfer funds to the kingdom. This was because the region had very little revenue, and if it still had to send its few spiritual crystals to the king, then there would be no profit. In fact, the situation was bad enough that no nobleman wanted to come to this place.


    Such was the situation that the place wasn''t independent because nobody wanted this burden!


    As for the current regent, he was just a public agent who had received the king''s order to administer the region while the sovereign was absent. But even he wasn''t happy to be sent to a sterile place like this for six years!!


    Hell, his cultivation would be delayed if this continued!


    "When I was at the Spiritual Academy, the teachers said that the average strength of the surrounding kingdoms was 4th stage, while the strongest specialists were in the 6th stage, Spiritual King. Is there anything else, grandpa Dillian?"


    "Hmm, that''s right. In these kingdoms, the sovereign and some ancestors are generally around levels 58 and 59, which are the strongest in the region. These older men are generally over 500-years-old, with some bordering on 1,000-years-old. But despite more than 1,600 years of life expectancy for a Spiritual King, they have little chance of reaching the next stage without having to leave their kingdoms for decades or even more than a century."


    "This is because the spiritual energy of this region is well dispersed, and those most talented families have left this place for thousands of years ago."


    "As you may have heard, talent is often passed on from parents to children through their genes. As such, the talent of the average individual in the north of the Central Continent has waned over time, with only a few thousand with Black talent nowadays. As for Silver talent, it must be very few in number, and these people leave this region quickly, sometimes even before they are ''discovered'' by any power in this areas."


    "And as talent is necessary to avoid bottlenecks in cultivation, which appear between the end of one stage and the beginning of the another, the leaders of the region are stuck at the final levels of the Spiritual King, because they have Black talent, which makes it possible to cultivate without bottlenecks until the 5th stage, with only a 50% chance of reaching the 6th, and still less of reaching the 7th."


    "As a result, without powerful external resources or a higher level of spiritual density, these experts cannot ignore these bottlenecks in cultivation."


    "Therefore, hardly any sovereign will have the cultivation of a Spiritual Emperor in these parts of the Central Continent, since leaving their kingdoms is very dangerous for their families and themselves."


    "As for the Black Plain, since it is a low-level spiritual region, the strongest ones must be at Level 39, Spiritual Warriors. Unless, of course, if there are external forces sent from other regions."


    "But even though I am not specialized in fighting, the safety of the young master shouldn''t be a problem for me since I am at level 45, and there should be no greater threats than that."


    When Minos heard this, he thought of the Golden-grade cultivation technique that he had picked up from the Spatial Kingdom for the butler Dillian. However, he decided to wait until they reached the Black Plain to deliver to him. Since he would certainly have to explain where this technique came from, and he didn''t want to explain it now.


    Soon after, the carriages stopped for them to rest. The sun was already setting on the horizon, and by the distance, they were from the Dry City. If they continued to travel, they would end up arriving at dawn at their destination. Thus, they decided to wait until the next day, improvising a camp near the road.


    Minos hardly had much time to cultivate in these last three days, but he still managed to reach level 2. And as the differences between the initial levels were very small, no one noticed the advance in the strength of the young Stuart since he was also not trying to expose that.


    Finally, night fell, and the next morning Minos would arrive at his new home, where he decided to build his forces. With the knowledge inherited from the God Henricus Longus, Minos knew several ways to strengthen a region. He just needed to investigate the Black Plain situation to finish his planning thoroughly.


    He had already decided to transform his new home into his own kingdom, creating a powerful force that could compete with even the greatest empires in this world!


    ...


    Hours passed when the young Stuart finally saw the Dry City in the distance. It was a place that lived up to its name. Dry!!


    The environment around the city was completely arid, with almost no trees throughout the city.


    It was a small town, with many common houses and some commerce located in the central region. There was also an average mansion, right in the middle of the city. This was the seat of the local government and also the future home of Minos.


    The streets had a good movement, with several people passing by and with few carriages. In fact, besides those of the Minos group, there were only two others in the whole city. Some individuals passed on their spiritual beasts, but they were low-level beasts.


    At that moment, the group of Minos finally arrived at the mansion in the middle of the city.

 Chapter 5: Passing the Command

    When Minos got out of the carriage, he saw some guards lined up beside the mansion''s entrance gate. This place wasn''t as big as his previous mansion in the kingdom''s capital, but it was a good size.


    It had two floors beyond the first floor. It was white, which meant that the place didn''t attract much attention in this region, other than that it was like the city, very simple and very dry, there wasn''t a single plant to decorate the place, just an empty lot in front of the building, along with a big fence and a gate.


    Then, a slightly overweight middle-aged man with some white hair on his head, unshaven and dressed in a white robe, started walking towards the gate, where the ranks of guards were watching the situation in question.


    In fact, in the past two days, most of the officers on duty in the Dry City were already preparing for today. After all, after six years, they would finally meet their sovereign!


    As for what they expected... It didn''t truly matter who was in charge here. With all the problems in this region, there wasn''t much to do, and therefore, many of them didn''t care much about it.


    It was just a person with a different name giving them orders.


    However, there were a few who were concerned. After all, even if they can''t improve, these people, at least, wanted to maintain their current status. But regress... That was the worst. So, a few were concerned whether this sovereign could deal with local affairs or not since he apparently had no experience.


    And to make matters worse, as far as they knew, he hadn''t even started cultivating yet. As far as they knew, he might as well be good for nothing!


    Anyway, the man who was slightly overweight introduced himself. "Welcome to Dry City, my name is Nelson Skinner, and I''ve been taking care of the Black Plain region for the past six years, by the orders from King Brown. I was ordered to wait for the arrival of the sovereign and then pass on the commander of the region to him."


    "Please accompany me to my old office. I will show you the most important things for you." After hearing this, Minos and Dillian followed Regent Skinner into the mansion.


    "Young master Stuart, after I received the news of your recovery, I made all the arrangements to facilitate the change of command. I have already made sure that all-important information is passed on to you today."


    ...


    After a few hours of conversation, Nelson Skinner finally left the mansion with a wide smile on his face.


    He could finally get out of this hole!


    He couldn''t even wait another minute to leave. In fact, since dawn, all his belongings were already properly stored, and his carriage was already on edge to go at any time. As soon as he left the mansion, he left without looking back, hoping he would never have to return to this place.


    ...


    Inside the mansion, Minos was meeting the secretary who worked for the regent during the previous period and the leader of the Dry City guard.


    The secretary was called Mia, she was 27 years old, level 23, Blue talent. She had a beauty that can be considered common, but even so, she pleased the eyes, especially with her well-pronounced curves.


    The commander of the guard was called Pyke, he was 53 years old, level 35, Blue talent. He was tall, over 1.9 meters, and had sharp eyes. There was also a medium scar on the right side of his face.


    Both were born and raised in the Black Plain region. Mia started working for the local government five years ago, while Pyke had already worked in the guard under three regents sent by the king in the past 25 years.


    He was definitely the person who knew this region the most, being someone who could surely help the young Stuart a lot.


    After meeting them and other members of the local administration, Minos stayed in his new office, with only the butler Dillian to discuss some of the information they had received.


    In that time, they obtained some relevant data regarding the reality in which the region of the Black Plain was.


    For example, the current Dry City had about 30,000 inhabitants and, with an annual tax of 1 low-level spiritual crystal, there was an income of about 30,000 crystals per year.


    In addition, the crystal mines in this region produced an amount of about 24,000 low-grade crystals, but the government was left with only 25% of the total since workers and other costs demanded the rest of the amount. Thus, the region yielded about 36,000 low-grade crystals per year.


    But it also cost 12,000 crystals a year, relative to the 30 guards and city management officials, generating a profit of just 24,000 crystals.


    However, in the current city''s safe box, there were only 1,000 crystals!


    Undoubtedly, the former regent had taken everything else, as the tax collection had taken place a few days ago, and therefore the safe box should be full. With that amount, the government could only function for one month!


    Minos also discovered that the region of the Black Plain had about 200,000 km2 of area, which was of no use, despite being a plain that could be almost completely prepared for planting. However, it was completely sterile and wasn''t suitable for agriculture.


    There was also a lake at the eastern end of the territory, which supplied the region. There were some rivers, too, but they didn''t draw much attention until then. They were only used together with the coast to obtain seafood, which was traded within the Dry City, but this didn''t have a large volume of business. It was an activity done only to ensure the survival of the fishermen''s families.


    There was mining in the territory, but it was a very low amount of crystals involved, which wasn''t worth worrying about.


    Finally, Minos asked the butler Dillian a question with a serious face. "Grandpa Dillian, how many crystals do we have left of what the father had left behind?"


    "Young master, after spending the past 6 years and the recent move, there are about 30,000 low-grade and 500 medium-grade crystals left."


    The young man sighed and then said. "Well, although it''s not much, it''s enough to get started. Then I want to take a look at the land around the city, and I want to create a group to help me with agriculture. I think I have a way to improve the soil. I just need to confirm this before I''m sure."


    "I also want them to collect information about array masters. I want to buy a large array to put around the city to increase the concentration of spiritual energy. But for now, I just want information about that since we won''t be able to pay for such a service for now."


    "As well as information about spiritual blacksmiths. I want to know exactly who and where to look when we have enough crystals."


    The arrays in question were formations that could convert spiritual energy into other forms of energy, concentrate spiritual energy in certain areas, create protected regions, etc.


    Although this world didn''t develop technologies, people could still have a comfortable lifestyle if they had enough crystals. For example, there were simpler arrays that emitted light. Others were used to release heat and many other forms that could facilitate daily life in this place.


    As for the array masters, these were individuals who focused on cultivating specific techniques related to the arrays.


    Generally, they weren''t warriors, as they don''t cultivate attack, defense, and moving techniques, focusing most of their maximum 10 techniques on the support of the arrays. However, they were very influential throughout the Spiritual World.


    As blacksmiths, they were almost the same as array masters, with the difference that they specialize in techniques that aid in the production of spiritual equipment.


    So, the butler Dillian was extremely shocked by what he had just heard. "Way to improve? Young master, I want to trust you, but I don''t think this land could be improved."


    "In fact, there is a reason why this place is called the Black Plain. This is related to the fact that in this environment, for a long time, any plant planted will slowly die and turn completely black before finally turning to dust."


    "Many experts have tried to solve this problem, but they all ended up failing." Dillian said with a pity face.


    Minos then decided it was time to tell Dillian about his inheritance. "Grandpa Dillian, there is actually a reason for me to say that."


    "Six years ago, I lost my father and almost died, but I was also given a great opportunity. I was recognized by the God Henricus Longus and received his inheritance."


    "With that, I got a lot of knowledge and also a special place left by him with many items that can help us now and in the future. In fact, when I was unconscious, I was also related to receiving this inheritance." After saying this with a straight face, Minos threw a scroll of gold paper in Dillian''s direction.


    The butler then looked at that when he suddenly thought. "This is... Hmm... It can''t be!!!"

 Chapter 6: Revealing the Inheritance

    "This... This is a Golden-grade cultivation technique!!! Unbelievable, I never thought that something like this would appear in my hands in my entire life! Hell, even King Brown cultivate only one classified in Silver."


    "This is incredible, young master! It would be best if you started cultivating this technique as soon as possible. Even if it has only 6 phases, it''s still much better than the techniques that are with me. With it, the young master will be able to become a Spiritual King in a few decades!"


    While the butler Dillian was very excited about the Pushing the Air technique, he suddenly realized that Minos wasn''t kidding when he said he had received the inheritance of a God.


    After all, in this region of the Central Continent, there would be no techniques so well classified, and the young Stuart''s mother couldn''t have something so good as well. All that remains is the explanation that a great specialist had chosen him. Whether or not this specialist was the god Henricus Longus made no difference to Dillian.


    Minos watched the pleased expression of the middle-aged man in front of him when he continued. "Grandpa Dillian, this is just one of the many techniques I received. I also inherited the knowledge of Senior Longus and the Spatial Kingdom. In this realm, there are many high-level cultivation resources, but for now, it cannot be used since our levels are very low."


    "However, there are still ways for the Spatial Kingdom to help us improve this region. I just need to find out what exactly is the problem with this place."


    "As for the technique Pushing the Air, it''s for you. I''m already cultivating another technique, which is also classified in Golden-grade and has 11 phases."


    Dillian was surprised when he heard this, especially in the part that Minos said he was already cultivating. That''s because he hadn''t noticed. "Is the young master already cultivating? I didn''t even realize it, even traveling with you for more than 3 days. Is the young master already at level 1?" He said with a smile on his face.


    Minos then replied. "I started to cultivate before we left the City of the Setting Sun. I''m already at level 2, and I should be able to reach level 3 in the next two days."


    Dillian looked even happier after hearing that. Minos would be even more talented with such speed than his father, so it wouldn''t be long before the young Stuart had the strength to protect himself, even without outside help.


    "Very well, young master. If the general were still alive, he would certainly be extremely proud of you. Even if he weren''t the type to go to parties, he would definitely throw a banquet in honor of the young master if he knew about it."


    Dillian spoke with great confidence. He had met Albert Stuart more than 80 years ago when the young Albert had helped the future butler in a life and death situation.


    After that, Dillian decided to follow Albert. The two traveled together, going through all kinds of situations that made them become great friends. So, the butler knew him very well.


    Minos then felt a weight in his heart when he heard this. He lost one of the few people he loved right in front of him.


    Because of that, he was determined to obliterate those responsible for this!


    After feeling sad for a moment, he questioned. "Grandpa Dillian, do you know who is responsible for what happened? At that time, even though I saw part of the attack, the attackers were all hiding their identities."


    The middle-aged man then responded with a face of few friends. "During the six years that the young master was unconscious, I did some research, but I didn''t discover the exact identity of those people. All I know is that two killers were hired. As for the remaining two people, I can''t figure out where they were from."


    "But, because the Silva family stole the Red Valley while the young master was disabled, I suspect that they''re involved. Perhaps even the Miller family, since they also disputed the land after the master died."


    "Hmm, for now, we''ll not mess with that matter. We''re very vulnerable now, and if we started to look for the truth, we could end up attracting a disaster. We''ll strengthen ourselves in security for now."


    Minos spoke with extreme calm and common sense. He was committed to his revenge, but that wouldn''t compel him to be an idiot who acts without any care. For him, revenge was a dish that should be eaten cold when he was in control of the situation. He wasn''t going to throw his life away because of something that could be avoided.


    He loved his father, but Albert was already dead. He wanted his justice, but he didn''t need to risk dying for it. He knew that he could have anything he wanted, as long as he had time, so he was in no hurry.


    ''A job well done would definitely pay off.'' That was what he believed.


    Minos then changed the topic, returning to talk about planning to develop the Black Plain. "We''ll keep our focus on the problems of the Black Plain for the time being. Revenge can wait. Grandpa Dillian gives the orders to prepare the things I mentioned. We need an agriculture team as soon as possible. We also need to have information about array masters and blacksmiths so that we can plan how to proceed."


    "Tomorrow, I will start my day by going to the lands next to the city, to study the place. Prepare a team to accompany me."


    Dillian then calmed down and answered. "All right, young master, I''ll get everything ready as soon as possible."


    After that, the butler left to begin the work requested by Minos, while the young Stuart continued studying the Dry City documents.


    ...


    After night fell, Minos had already dined and also visited his new room when he finally entered the Spatial Kingdom to begin another cultivation session.


    He trained for 4 hours before finally stopping. That''s because, at his current level, he still needed to sleep to recover from his daily tiredness.


    But not only that, during the stages of cultivation, there are limits to the amount of spiritual energy that could be absorbed, which required time between each cultivation session.


    Furthermore, as Minos was only at the Body Foundation, he couldn''t use spiritual crystals to cultivate, slowing down his cultivation speed.


    In this world, cultivating with spiritual crystals or cultivating free spiritual energy in nature had only one difference. That was about gathering spiritual energy.


    While a cultivator who cultivates free energy in nature had to gather the spiritual energy around him before absorbing it, a cultivator with spiritual crystals could only absorb it since that energy was already gathered in the crystals.


    This meant that even in regions of high spiritual density, there were disadvantages in cultivation time, depending on how you did it.


    The advantage of being in a high-density region was that, in addition to being faster to gather energy, the production of crystals of the three types was substantial, generating considerable wealth in these areas, which enabled a greater average force.


    To give you an idea, the average strength of the Spiritual World was in the 5th stage of cultivation, which was somewhere between levels 40 to 49. Something that could be considered very good if you were in a place like the North of the Central Continent, which was particularly weaker, generally having the highest level experts in the region being only between levels 50 to 59, which was only slightly better than the world average.


    Thus, Minos couldn''t cultivate all the time, and his speed would be limited until he reached the Spiritual Beginner stage, when he could finally use the low-grade crystals to cultivate.


    Anyway, the young Stuart slept the rest of the night peacefully, as if he were already adapting to his new room.


    ...


    The sun slowly rose on the horizon when the city started to ''live.'' The movement gradually increased. There were already people going back and forth, some with their low-ranking spiritual beasts.


    At that time, six men were roaming the city on beasts that looked a lot like horses. One of them was a young man with brown hair and eyes. He had an appearance that wasn''t exaggerated in any sense.


    Although he couldn''t be considered extremely handsome, he still had a face that was pleasant to look at. The young man wasn''t dressed very flashy. He wore black pants and a blue shirt.


    This was Minos.


    The other men around him were two members of the Dry City guard, one of whom was Commander Pyke, whom Minos had met yesterday. Two personal guards who followed Minos from the kingdom''s capital and finally the butler Dillian.


    They were proceeding to a land on the west side of the city, where the new sovereign wanted to establish the first agricultural land. Of course, they were going there first so that the young ruler could find a way to recover the land.


    A few minutes passed, and they finally arrived at the place.


    It was like everything around them, arid. There was nothing to distinguish this place from any other site on the Black Plain. But according to Commander Pyke, the region''s spiritual root was closer to the ground there.


    That was something he knew, since 20 years ago, one of the last specialists brought to the region to study the problem, said that this place was the closest to the spiritual root, being the best place to check it.

 Chapter 7: Spiritual Roots

    When the group arrived in the area, Minos said calmly. "Grandpa Dillian, try to converge the energy of heaven and earth towards the ground to see what happens."


    Converging energy from heaven and earth was a skill that was gained by reaching the 5th stage of cultivation. As a result, cultivators could strengthen their techniques using free spiritual energy in nature.


    As the butler Dillian was the only one in the group who had reached this stage, Minos had asked him to do so.


    Minos intended to check whether the spiritual root would absorb this energy. This is because if the energy is absorbed, it means that the root is still alive.


    Spiritual roots could be considered living beings, just like plants, but spiritual roots are practically immortals. In fact, their useful life was on par with the planet''s useful life, so usually, a spiritual root doesn''t die. But it can happen if it''s done on purpose by someone very strong or as a remnant of a high-level battle.


    The effects of spiritual roots, on the other hand, were similar to those of arrays that concentrate spiritual energy in certain areas.


    However, the spiritual roots have a much higher capacity, it can enrich a region of up to hundreds of thousands of square kilometers, while the arrays only do this in the space of hundreds of thousands of square meters. Arrays are also not as efficient as a spiritual root.


    As a result, in various parts of the world, where spiritual roots are closer to the surface, regions of high energy concentration are also present and can be considered true cultivation paradises.


    However, in addition to being able to die, spiritual roots can also have a ''malfunction.'' This usually resulted in a decrease in the spiritual density of the nearest region. Therefore, Minos wanted to know if the spiritual root of the Black Plain region was alive or dead.


    After a few seconds, Dillian released a large amount of energy directed to the soil in that region. Immediately the energy was ''swallowed up by the terrain as if something hungry were watching their favorite food pass right in front of their eyes.


    Minos then thought. ''The spiritual root is alive, but it seems to suck up any spiritual energy on the ground. From what grandpa Dillian described, whenever someone plants something on the Black Plain, the plant would wither and turn completely black. Then it would finally turn to dust. As for seeds, would consume it as soon as it hit the ground...''


    He then decided to ask. "Commander Pyke, when the last expert came here, what conclusion did he reach?"


    Pyke then answered sincerely. "According to that expert, the spiritual root seems to be severely weakened, absorbing all the spiritual energy it has to survive."


    Minos thought with a smile on his face. ''Well, he wasn''t wrong about the problem. But he also couldn''t know how to fix it, since it would be extremely expensive for anyone in this world! After all, not everyone would dare to ''waste'' divine medicine to nourish a spiritual root. Because of the cost, such a method would never have much support.''


    As for divine medicines, they were necessary medicines to someone who reaches level 100!!


    Minos broke the silence. "I have a way that can help prevent that spiritual root from absorbing the energy present in the soil. With that, we will be able to plant on the Black Plain."


    "Of course, we still have to increase the amount of nutrients in the soil, but that''s the easy part."


    After hearing this, everyone was shocked, especially the two natives of the Black Plain, who had no expectations of this happening.


    Commander Pyke immediately asked with a solemn face. "And how is the young master going to do this?"


    "Bring a group over here, tell them to dig a hole at least 100 meters deep. After the hole is ready, let me know." Minos answered vaguely. After all, he would never say what he would be putting here for people he had just met.


    "Let''s go back to grandpa Dillian. Our work here has already been done."


    Thus, six men returned to the city, while two of them soon separated to create an excavation group.


    ...


    After arriving at the mansion, Dillian finally asked Minos about the details involved in that resolution. "Young master, what do you intend to do with this hole?"


    Minos replied without hiding anything. "The problem with the spiritual root is the lack of spiritual energy. I don''t know why it happened, but as long as a tremendous amount of energy is deposited, the spiritual root will no longer steal the energy present in the soil. That solves the main point."


    "As for how I am going to do this, I will put divine medicine in that hole. After that, we''ll bury it. With that, the spiritual root will begin to absorb energy only from the divine medicine, allowing living organisms to develop in the soil."


    The 100 meters deep was just to ensure that the spiritual root wouldn''t continue to steal energy from the soil.


    "This will also restore the spiritual root to its glory days, increasing the density of spiritual energy on the Black Plain. But it will take 30 years to happen because it''s a substantial amount of energy."


    "However, in about ten years, the effects should start to show. At that time, the spiritual concentration of the Plain Black must be equal to that of the Red Valley and will continue to grow until it becomes a region of high concentration."


    "What?? Young master, isn''t that too wasteful? Even if the Black Plain recovers, I don''t think it''s worth it." Dillian spoke while looking extremely pale as if he had lost almost half the blood on his body.


    Of course, for him who didn''t know about the total wealth of the Spatial Kingdom, what Minos had just said was no different from wanting to burn money for the sake of strangers!! It didn''t make sense to him.


    "Hehe, grandpa Dillian, don''t worry, I have other divine medicines. Spending just one on this project will be worth it." Minos reassured the middle-aged man in front of him. After all, the Spatial Kingdom had almost 30 divine medicines.


    That''s because each medicine can cause a person of level 99 to reach level 100 after completely absorbing the energy present in it. However, since the first human God, some millions of years have passed, but there were only 42 human Gods in all history!!!


    This wasn''t just for lack of resources. The problem is that most of those who can reach level 100 end up dying before achieving such an achievement. So, Minos had no expectations of helping 28 people reach that level, so spending Divine medicine to build his headquarters would be worthwhile.


    Dillian then sighed after hearing that Minos wouldn''t give up on such an absurd idea. Be worth? Such a thing would never be worth it for Dillian!!


    "Grandpa Dillian, I need you to organize a group to build an artificial lake 30 km from the city. I intend to mix water from the rivers in the region with a large amount of water from the Spatial Kingdom. This water is very rich in nutrients and spiritual energy. This should help when it comes to improving the quality of the soil and the crops that will be planted in the future."


    Dillian then left to settle these and other matters, and Minos, who was alone in his office, decided to go to the Spatial Kingdom and continue to cultivate.


    Within the Spatial Kingdom, the young Stuart was cultivating three whole hours when he finally leveled up to level 3!


    He was pleased with his progress since, in 5 days, he managed to go from level 0 to level 3, which was very fast. If such speed were made public, even the geniuses in the highest level empires would be jealous!


    ...


    After finishing cultivating, Minos decided to harvest the divine medicine that he would use to nourish the spiritual root of this region.


    He then took some equipment from the large house that was next to the lake and went towards a large garden where there were some herbs, some tubers, and fruit trees. It was all Divine medicines.


    Minos then decided to harvest a certain medicine rooted in the soil.


    He then applied a harvesting technique that he had learned from the knowledge obtained from his inheritance. After a few minutes, he held what looked like a big carrot, which looked extremely attractive, incredibly orange, with no imperfections.


    Minos then kept it in his spatial ring and then returned to his mansion.


    ...


    Three days passed quickly, and the 100-meter hole on the west side of the city had already been dug, and as for the artificial lake, it was still being prepared. Finally, one of the most complicated problems in the Black Plain would be solved!!

 Chapter 8: Beginning of Agriculture 1

    Minos has done nothing so important for the Dry City in these three days that have passed. He had only instructed his subordinates to start a census, to discover the most talented people in the city. That''s because it wouldn''t be long before the current number of guards had to be increased.


    In fact, the current number was still small, but the city lacked the capacity to create more vacancies. However, this would be different in the future.


    Finally, Minos reached level 4 last night and was very excited about his future. Today he would finally put his theory to the test and solve the Black Plain problem.


    Finally, he left with the butler Dillian and two more guards to go to the 100-meter hole in the west of the city. The two guards were duly chosen by the butler so that there was no leakage about what they were going to do.


    Of course, the two guards had no way of discovering that a Divine medicine would be buried in that place, but¡­ It wasn''t good to take unnecessary risks. Other than that, there would be no more people present.


    After a few minutes of riding on spiritual beasts, the group reached the area, which had already emptied.


    Minos then removed the Divine medicine that looked like a carrot from his spatial ring and then threw it in the hole. The young man waited for a while and then spoke. "Grandpa Dillian, try to make that one move next door. Let''s see if that spiritual root will absorb your movement again."


    The middle-aged man followed the orders of his young master, carrying out the movement. He converged a great deal of spiritual energy directed to the terrain, a few meters away from the hole.


    But this time, something different happened. Instead of the spiritual energy disappearing after touching the ground, it simply created a hole just over 1 meter deep.


    Clearly, the spiritual root was no longer absorbing free energy in the soil.


    Dillian smiled after seeing that ending and then spoke with a gentle smile. "It looks like it''s resolved. The young master was right about the problem. Now, you two, help me close this hole."


    After seeing this, Minos blew out a sigh of relief and began to wait for the three men in front of him to fill the hole. Now he had a long job ahead of him to build a thriving agricultural city.


    But this wouldn''t be just any agricultural region. No, it would be a region with cultures of high spiritual concentration. At least that was Minos'' goal when ordering the construction of the artificial lake that would receive water from the Spatial Kingdom. With this lake, farmers will be able to irrigate crops planted in the Black Plain, with water rich in spiritual energy and nutrients.


    Minos also intended to collect the fallen leaves in the Spatial Kingdom and mix them with the natural fertilizer found in this region. This would produce a type of super fertilizer for these lands. He couldn''t even consume the items from the Spatial Kingdom. Imagine the effect that the leaves of those trees would have on this environment¡­


    "Grandpa Dillian, let''s go back. We have to define the crops that we''ll plant. Ah! I almost forgot, has the farming group been formed yet?" Minos started the conversation as the group returned to the mansion.


    "It hasn''t yet been fully formed, but it should be ready before the artificial lake."


    "Hmm, this is good. As for the crops, I decided it would be better to start growing wheat, corn, and rice. These three crops are in great demand in the northern region of the continent and have a short harvest time."


    In fact, in the Spiritual World, plantations both had a high yield per hectare and had a short harvest time, certainly in ''other'' places, with different conditions, these values ??would be completely different.


    For example, wheat, corn, and rice, in this world could be harvested 2-3 months after planting. As for yield, it was between 9 and 15 tons per hectare, depending on the crop planted.


    Dillian nodded and said. "This seems to be the best option."


    ¡­


    After returning to the mansion, the butler went about his duties while Minos went to his office. He wanted to ask secretary Mia some questions. He wanted to develop agriculture for export, but he also intended to dominate the local market with his products.


    After all, his products should, in theory, have much more spiritual energy than the food sold in the city. That is why he wanted to divide agriculture into two moments. First, he would prepare a smaller amount of soil to produce the quantity demanded by the Dry City. Second, he would start exporting.


    This had two reasons. First, he wanted to increase the overall strength of his city. Second, he didn''t have enough labor or even land for planting. After all, it would take time for all the soil of the Black Plain to be recovered. And hell! They didn''t have the seeds either!!


    So first, they had to prepare a small plot of land, start planting, sell on the domestic market, generate a profit and then invest back to create a cycle that could provide constant growth until they reached the foreign market, with significant participation, it could take years. That was the plan.


    "Mia, can you tell me who I should talk to so that I can get the food consumption data for the inhabitants of the Dry City?" He asked with a smile on his face.


    "Young master, I can help you. No one in the local government takes care of this matter exclusively."


    "Okay, so I want you to list the average consumption of rice, wheat, and corn in our city as soon as possible."


    Mia responded quickly. "Okay, I''ll finish it as soon as possible."


    After that, Minos went for a walk in the city. He wanted to look more closely at the life of the Dry City and maybe stop by to eat somewhere.


    But he found nothing that caught his eye, even though problems that are typically seen anywhere, he saw nothing but people solving their affairs.


    It seemed that besides surviving, people didn''t do much more than that in this place. Or they had just completely accepted the situation that they stopped caring or taking an interest in anything.


    It was a genuinely bizarre place!


    "Hmm, I better go back and cultivate¡­"


    ¡­


    Two more days passed, and Minos was now at level 5. The lake was also completed and filled to half its volume by the waters found in the region.


    After learning about this, Minos emptied the three spiritual rings that he had obtained in the Spatial Kingdom and filled them with water from that place.


    After repeating this action a few times, the young man finally finished filling the artificial lake. Now they would just have to transform the soil and then produce.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, in the Dry City, a rumor was circulating rapidly. According to this, the sovereign who had recently arrived at the Black Plain was now hiring 200 people to work in local agriculture!!


    A group of people was talking about this subject in a specific place in the city.


    "How absurd. What does this brat think he''s doing? What does he want farmers for? Does he think that he can grow in this region just because he wants to?" Said someone out loud.


    "Hehehe, maybe no one has told him about what is going on here. It''s no wonder that he accepted a place like this." Another person said in disdain.


    "Tsh, I heard that they found a way to recover the soil. My cousin works in the city guard, as you know. He told me that since this Minos Stuart took over local power, the guards had to build an artificial lake and a big hole on the west side of the city."


    "According to the commander, the problem in our region would be solved after these two things were done." Said a young man, who was in the middle of the group.


    "And do you believe in such a thing? In thousands of years of history, no one has been able to figure out how to resolve this situation. How would this young man do it?" Another dubious person questioned.


    "I don''t know how, but it was said that they were going to pay 40 low-grade crystals a month." Said someone who seemed quite interested in that payment.


    ''If it''s true, I''ll surely join the group.'' Some people thought to themselves.


    Others talked like that followed across the city. Most doubted, but some were hopeful that the rumors were true.


    ¡­


    Elsewhere in the city, a young woman in a blue dress, blond hair, and green eyes were sitting on a porch. She was a merchant who was passing through the Dry City. And she was also someone from Stone Island, who was back from a business trip in the Brown Kingdom.


    She was listening to a report of an employee of the hotel that she was in about the actions of the new sovereign of the city while thinking about how this young ruler may solve the problem of the Black Plain.


    "Minos Stuart, huh¡­ Interesting, I want to see what you can do. If that is true, maybe I can start doing business here before the news gets out¡­"


    "Eduard, we''re going to stay in this city for the next month. I want to see if this rumor is indeed true."


    "Are you sure, Miss Elen? This place doesn''t seem to be worth it." Said the man who was the young blonde''s personal guard.


    "Hmph, if the rumor proves to be true, then it''s well worth it. And I''ll not lose anything by staying here just for this time."

 Chapter 9: Beginning of Agriculture 2

    Three more days have passed since the artificial lake was completed, and in that time, the seeds and the farming group were prepared. Minos had also reached level 6.


    Today, the group of 200 farmers who had been selected would start preparing the soil. They were going to work on just 3 hectares initially. This was the current limitation, given the labor they couldn''t afford.


    But in a maximum of 3 months later, when the harvests are made, if everything were sold on the domestic market, then there would be a yield of 55,000 low-grade crystals if the grains were sold at the same price as the competition.


    With that amount, Minos could triple the labor force, pay for the construction of a low-level array to improve the city''s spiritual concentration, and increase the number of local guards.


    Minos would also build an academy for future members of the Black Plain Army in a few more months, who would receive Black-grade and Silver-grade techniques and large amounts of resources.


    However, this would only be the beginning. With a production of 10 tons in the first months, they would reach a small share of the monthly demand in the Black Plain region. It would still take time for this region to have a strong presence in trade in the North of the Central Continent.


    But this was also a time that they needed to strengthen themselves since some economic powers wouldn''t like a new competitor.


    ¡­


    That afternoon Minos went out to meet three people. In fact, they were young students at the Black Star Academy, the local spiritual academy.


    The spiritual academies in question were places where children from 6 to 10 years old could learn basic knowledge about cultivation, existing specializations, and even geopolitics, depending on the place they were.


    Spiritual academies existed in virtually every human city. After all, not everyone could learn the basic information in their families. So, these places were created a long time ago, that even the biggest families sent their children to the best spiritual academies.


    Of course, the Black Star Academy wouldn''t attract attention when compared to the academies present in the capital of the Brown Kingdom. But it was what the citizens of the Dry City could have.


    Anyway, Minos was going to see 3 students who would be graduating soon because the census he had ordered was already finalized. And to Minos'' surprise, 3 youths from the Black Star Academy had Black talent!


    That was incredible! But in spite of being difficult to find in this region, since almost all the residents had talents in White or Blue, it wasn''t completely impossible that some individuals were born with a talent far superior to those of their parents.


    This kind of situation could happen when you were looking at a large population, it was just that the chances of it appearing were small.


    And as to why these individuals weren''t seen more often in this region, this is because their families usually moved after discovering their children''s talent, which was something done before the children turned 10 and started to cultivate.


    So, Minos wanted to bring those 3 to his side. He wanted to make a generous offer for these families to stay and develop in the Dry City.


    He had asked his secretary Mia to prepare for this meeting at the Black Star Academy because two youths entered the academy through a social program that allowed a few young students to avoid paying academy fees.


    This program was like a loan that these students would pay after they graduated if they had a talent of, at least, Blue. Otherwise, they would be exempt from payment.


    This is because all regional forces needed a little weaker people to do certain services. And since most people with Blue talent could reach level 39 easily, there would be a great demand for people with this strength in the North of the Central Continent.


    And of the three, two were boys by names, Ralf and Lee, and one was a girl named Alison. None of them were members of a large family or nobility, so they had no surnames.


    In this world, those with a surname usually did this after establishing their own strength or had it when they were born into a large family.


    After a few minutes of walking, Minos arrived at the entrance to the Black Star Academy. The place wasn''t so far from his mansion, just a few blocks. It was a building that was in good condition, shaped like a star, and just 1 floor beyond the first floor. It was gray and had many windows to the street.


    Today, Minos was accompanied only by two personal guards, who were at levels 35 and 37. Dillian was taking care of agricultural matters and couldn''t come. But for such a negotiation, there was no need for more strength.


    So, the three men were entering the building when they were stopped by a middle-aged woman, who appeared to be slightly overweight and had a large mole on her right cheek.


    "Welcome to the Black Star Academy. Can I know the intention of your group''s visit?" She asked in carefree.


    "Hmm, I''m Minos Stuart. My secretary had set up a meeting with the principal Lionel Gill and the students Ralf and Lee."


    She was then surprised that this young man was the new sovereign of the Black Plain. After all, although the population knew he was young, most people didn''t know that Minos was only 15 years old. And as the rulers are usually much older¡­


    "So, is the young master Stuart. Mr. Lionel is in his office. I''ll take you there." She then started walking towards a room on the 2nd floor of the building.


    Arriving in front of the room, there was a large wooden bench with two boys sitting and talking. These were Ralf and Lee.


    Soon afterward, Minos entered the principal''s office following the middle-aged woman. There were three men in the room talking.


    Two of them were sitting on the same side of the table, while the other was at the end. These were responsible for Ralf and Lee, while the latter was director Gill.


    "Mr. Lionel, this is Minos Stuart."


    Lionel then replied with an expressionless face. "Nice to meet you. I heard from secretary Mia that the young master wanted to meet students Ralf and Lee, is that right?"


    "That''s right, I recently arrived in the Dry City and got some information from the census that was recently done. Through this, I learned about the talents of these two youths." Minos responded politely.


    "Today, I''m here to make an offer that I believe can attract the families of these two. I know very well that you must have already made a lot of plans to leave the Black Plain, but before that, think about my offer."


    One of the two responsible for the boys then said with a mocking face. "Hmph, do you want us to stay in this place with no future? I don''t know what offer you''re going to make, but I doubt you can offer anything better than the Gill family!"


    This was Ralf''s father, Railan. He looked like that simple type of person who doesn''t think much about the more general situation, who values ??only what is in front of him.


    The other man was Gryff. He was Lee''s older brother. Their parents had already died, and he was responsible for his two younger siblings. One was Lee, and the other was a 7-year-old girl, Ayn. Gryff was a more astute person than Railan. He was very curious about this new sovereign who had miraculously solved the problem of the Black Plain. At least, that was what was most talked about today.


    Gryff then asked. "What can young master Stuart offer for us? We also already have an agreement with the Gill family. I don''t know if that can be undone."


    The director then nodded and said. "That''s right, we have invested in Ralf and Lee for almost 4 years. We cannot just give up on them."


    Minos then spoke. "I understand the situation, but I have an offer for both sides. Of course, those responsible for the two young boys are those who have any choice. As for the Gill family, it only paid for basic education. That shouldn''t have cost even 1,000 low-grade crystals for those two''s..."


    Minos then looked at the director and said. "What I offer is something that the Gill family cannot offer. I''m not despising your family, but they''ll be less important if they go there. They''ll receive fewer crystals and lesser techniques than they can earn with me."


    "I''ll pay the Gill family a refund of 4,000 low-grade spiritual crystals for each of the two boys, who decide to stay on the Black Plain. As for the youths'' families, think for a few days about what you can gain from the Gill family and come to talk to me at my mansion. I''ll say exactly my offer at that time. But I can assure you that I can deliver a Black-grade cultivation technique as soon as the youths reach 10-years-old."

 Chapter 10: The Decision

    After saying this, Minos left the room and went to the home of the other student, Alison. She lived 10 minutes from the academy with her family.


    While Minos was leaving, director Lionel tried to convince those responsible for Lee and Ralf not to accept the young Stuart''s offer.


    "Railan, Gryff, the decision is up to you. Our Gill family would never force anyone to join us. But honestly, I don''t see how this brat can be better than us for your families. If he has so much wealth to offer a Black-grade cultivation technique, then what is he doing here?"


    "Honestly, I know a little about that boy''s past. Although his father was a Spiritual King, he was still a subordinate to the royal family. And as far as I know, these subordinates only receive two Black-grade techniques, which are not normally specialized in cultivation."


    "So, if he has the two techniques that his father left behind and a cultivation technique, all of them Black-grade, then why not sell one of these techniques and continue to grow stronger in a region rich in spiritual energy? Why waste his time at this place?"


    "Not to mention that he has no past here in the Black Plain. I don''t know what he wants to do, but I think it''s too risky. I advise you not to hear that boy''s words."


    Lionel said everything he thought and knew in an attempt to prevent his family from losing those two boys. Despite being a developing family in the central region of the Brown Kingdom, the Gill family was not yet as the great noble families in the capital. So, they needed talented members from outside the family to keep its growing.


    They had then started to build and partner with spiritual academies in poorer places in an attempt to get new members for their family. However, they would not force the situation if someone changed their minds and returned the investment. Of course, only for those who haven''t yet entered the family and haven''t received their techniques. Otherwise, it would be impossible.


    They talked for a few more minutes and then left. Of the two, although neither was confident in Minos, Gryff was still very curious about the young man''s complete offer.


    Railan, on the other hand, was convinced it wouldn''t be worth it to stay in this place. He didn''t even want to know what kind of beautiful words Minos could say to him.


    ¡­


    Minos and his two guards finally arrived in front of a small house after walking for a few minutes. It was a house with only the first floor, it was completely blue and had only one window on the side of the street. But it looked well cared for, giving the impression that the owners struggled to maintain a certain quality.


    The young ruler then knocked on the front door.


    Pa! Pa! Pa!


    Then, a girl who looked about 10-years-old, with black hair tied in a ponytail, opened the door and screamed. "Mom, we have a visitor."


    It wasn''t long before a middle-aged woman came running to the door. She had a beauty that could be considered good and a well-developed body, black hair, and a gentle look. She then replied. "May I know the reason for your visit?"


    Minos then replied with a smile on his face. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Tasia. I''m Minos Stuart. I''m here to talk about the future of your daughter, Alison. I believe that Mia had communicated about this before."


    "Ah! So, it''s the young master Stuart. Please come in. My husband is in the room. We can talk about it there." She replied with a smile on her face.


    Soon after, Minos met Pollo, Tasia''s husband, and Alison''s father. He was a tall man, who looked to be in his 40s, and he didn''t even have a hair on his head.


    It wasn''t long before they started arguing about the main subject.


    Pollo then asked. "So, young man, why should I risk my daughter''s future by making her stay here?"


    Minos then started to put all his cards on the table.


    "Well, before I came here, it would be stupid to throw away the chance to go to a better place. But now it''s different. I made it possible to cultivate the lands of the Black Plain, which you will be able to see with your own eyes in less than a month when the plants are big enough for everyone in the city to notice the change, as well as the spiritual energy of the Black Plain, will begin to increase in 10 years."


    "Thus, I have already solved the two main problems in the region. It''s only a matter of time before the region develops."


    Minos then continued. "But this point is not the main point. As long as your daughter is accepted by a noble family, she will become a subordinate and will receive resources. You may not know this, but my father was a subordinate to the Brown Kingdom royal family, which is the most well-developed family in this realm."


    "However, in this family, subordinates like my father would receive at most two Black-grade techniques, which could not be a cultivation technique. They do this to maintain a higher cultivation speed among the original members of the family. And these techniques can also only be acquired after many years of service."


    "In addition, it also provides a salary equivalent to their cultivation stage, which ranges from 20 low-grade crystals to 10 medium-grade crystals per month, respectively for Body Foundation and Spiritual King."


    "And they don''t give anything to their subordinates'' family."


    Then Minos looked seriously at the man and woman in front of him and said. "I offer a Black-grade technique that specializes in cultivation at the moment she reaches the age to start cultivating. I also guarantee that all the techniques she will receive are, at least, Black-grade. And depending on the services she can provide, there is a possibility that she will be rewarded with a higher degree."


    "I will also offer a payment ranging from 50 low-grade spiritual crystals to 50 medium-grade crystals per month, if she reaches the level of a Spiritual King, or higher than that, depending on the stage of cultivation she is in."


    "And there possibilities that the two of you could also be helped in the future. Depending on your daughter''s performance, I may even be able to help you reach level 69 during your lives. But I can''t help you getting pass that, as someone with Blue talent can reach this level at most, using special means."


    In this world, Blue talent meant that if someone had the time, then reaching level 29 was a certainty. From there, that person would have more than 50% to move on to the next step. Within the stages, there were no bottlenecks, so a person who reached a certain stage could reach the peak of it if they continued to cultivate.


    For reaches the 5th stage, the chances were less than 20%, if there was no help from special pills or medicines. And from there, it would be necessary for special resources to be used. But there was also a limit. To get an idea, with the talents White, Blue, Black, Silver, and Golden, with special items someone could reach the stages, respectively, 5th, 7th, 9th, and 11th.


    After finishing speaking, Minos then waited for Alison''s parents to respond.


    "This¡­ Do you really have the ability to do these things? I believe that not even King Brown could promise that!" Pollo said with an incomprehensible face.


    After that, Minos showed him a silver scroll. It was an attack technique classified in Silver-grade!!


    After seeing this, Pollo was incredibly amazed. This young man could take out a legendary technique like that! It was like he was showing something very ordinary.


    Although Pollo has never seen techniques so well classified, in this world, anyone would know the degree of a technique just by looking at it once. This is because the techniques kept a certain spirituality within it.


    After returning the scroll to Minos, Pollo and his family were determined that this young man could definitely do the things he promised.


    It was not long before they agreed to let their daughter join Minos'' forces. Soon after, Minos told them to take their daughter to the mansion as soon as she turns 10, which would happen in the next few weeks. Minos then returned to his home after saying goodbye.


    ...


    And so, an entire week went by. Minos had trained as hard as he could on those days, reaching level 8. In this period, the 3 hectares were prepared, and the crops were already growing in the soil.


    Today, Minos finally received a visit from Gryff, the responsible for Lee. Gryff was very curious to know what Minos'' offer would be, and depending on how good it was, Lee could also end up joining the forces of the young Stuart.

 Chapter 11: The Black Plain Army

    Minos received Gryff into his office with a smile on his face. In fact, he already expected this person to come to know the exact nature of the offer since he had shown a smarter behavior when he met him.


    As for Ralf''s father, there was no chance of him coming here due to his behavior. He was a rash person who could not see the general situation before making his mistakes.


    Minos then sat in his chair and indicated to Gryff. "Sit here, let''s talk. To the point, I know you want to know what I have to offer to your brother, which the Gill family cannot. So, here''s the thing¡­"


    After some time speaking, Minos told Gryff exactly what he had said to Alison''s family. From cultivation techniques to the salary that the young Lee would receive.


    Minos also promised to welcome Gryff and Lee''s younger sister, Ayn, when she was 10-years-old. He could also help Gryff to reach level 69, as well as Alison''s parents.


    After hearing all of this, Gryff also couldn''t believe it all, just like Pollo, but when he saw the Silver-grade technique, he didn''t suspect Minos anymore.


    Finally, they came to an agreement, and young Lee would come to the mansion as soon as he was 10-years-old.


    After resolving this issue, Minos wanted to start doing something about the future Black Plain Army. First, he would merge the Dry City guard and his personal team.


    So, he wanted to record the strength levels of each individual and then create a new hierarchy. It would take into account the level and the potential of each member of the army.


    Minos then met with Commander Pyke and butler Dillian to begin to resolve this matter.


    "You already know that I want to start the Black Plain Army. So, to start, I want to know what our strength is. Grandpa Dillian, what is the level of my personal guards?" Minos said directly without rolling.


    "Of the 10 guards, 1 is at level 33, 1 at 34, 3 at 35, 2 at 36, 1 at 37, and 2 at 38. They all have Blue talent."


    "And yours?" Minos asked as he looked at Commander Pyke.


    "There are 30 men counting on me; 9 are at level 27, 6 at 28, 5 at 29, 3 at 31, 4 at 32, 1 at 33, 1 at 34, and 1 at 35. They all have Blue talent." Said Pyke.


    "Hmm, it''s not too bad for a start."


    After that, Minos decided that he would establish the army in 6 months. At that time, the hierarchy would follow the order, Student lv 0-9, Recruit lv 10-19, Soldier lv 20-29, Corporal lv 30-39, Sergeant lv 40-49, Lieutenant lv 50-59, Captain lv 60-69, Major lv 70-79, Colonel lv 80-89 and General lv 90-99.


    Each position would have a salary equivalent to its level, with one student earning 50 low-grade spiritual crystals and generals, 800 high-grade crystals. There would also be a minimum length of service in each position to reach the next, 6 months to become a Recruit and 25 years to become a General from a Colonel''s position.


    After hearing the hierarchy that Minos wanted to follow, both Dillian and Pyke had their faces completely white. The young man in front of them was already thinking of having demigods in his ranks, while they would already find it very much to have Spiritual Emperors!


    But Minos didn''t care about their reaction. It was just a matter of time for him. In 30 years, when the spiritual root is completely recovered, and this region has a high density of spiritual energy, there will certainly already be some Spiritual Emperors living here.


    "Anyway, in 6 months, I want all this change to be made. I also want to build a headquarters for the army. Once we have the first profit from the current crop, it must be done."


    "In no more than a year, I want to be able to increase the number of members of our forces. As for the current members, we are going to invest in low-level spiritual pills and medicines to help them increase their strength."


    The spiritual pills in question were compounds formed from the fusion of different ingredients, which could be medicines, the blood of beasts, bones, etc. The pills could preserve and even increase the total spirituality contained in the ingredients and were used in a variety of ways, from curing diseases to even increasing the cultivation of those who use them.


    They were prepared by alchemists, who were cultivators specialized in the production of these compounds. Like spiritual blacksmiths and array masters, they focused on techniques focused on their main activity.


    After hearing this, Pyke was overjoyed. Life would improve considerably for the Black Plain. And he was very excited to be able to participate in all of this.


    "Grandpa Dillian, don''t forget to look for information about alchemists too. We have to prepare well to proceed in the best possible way." Minos said with a smile on his face.


    He was also very pleased with how things were going. He had woken up a little less than 3 weeks ago, but he was already doing so many things¡­


    "Hmm, I should get the basics on array masters and blacksmiths nearby in the next few days. I will try to bring all the information as soon as possible." Said the middle-aged man calmly.


    After some more conversation, Dillian and Pyke left Minos alone in his office. A moment later, Mia entered the room.


    "Young master Minos, I have already counted the average consumption data for corn, rice, and wheat." She said with a smile on her face.


    "Oh! And then?"


    "In the previous year, the consumption of those crops was 300, 150, and 200 tons per month, respectively. According to the current projection of planting on the 3 hectares that have been modified, then we could reach less than 2% of the domestic market for these three items."


    "I went ahead and discovered that there is also a great demand for spiritual fruits in the city. So, it could be another type of plantation that could generate profits in the future."


    "Hmm, thanks for the service of Mia." He replied with satisfaction.


    ¡­


    After finishing the day''s affairs, Minos returned to the Spatial Kingdom to cultivate. He was getting closer to level 9, and in a week at most, he would finally reach level 10, the Transition stage!


    When stepping up, some important things would happen to the cultivator. First, there would be a change in the fleshy body, which would qualitatively change all the cells in the body, releasing impurities and increasing the average vitality of the individual.


    The body would also have an energy that would be equivalent to 10% of the spiritual energy that a cultivator would have at the initial level of that stage. For example, on becoming a Spiritual King, the cultivator''s body would undergo a complete transformation, that even if he had his cultivation crippled, only with the strength of the physique would he be able to defeat a level 35 individual who was using all of his cultivation.


    This also meant that even if someone had their cultivation crippled, their vitality would remain the same as before since this characteristic is exclusively related to the person''s body.


    However, this would only happen from the Spiritual Beginner stage due to the amount of spiritual energy being very low before this point. From the Body Foundation to the Transition stage, there would only be an increase in vitality.


    And Minos could also add another technique in this new stage!


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, in a hotel in the Dry City, a young blonde woman was drinking her tea on her porch. This was Elen Nash, a Stone Island merchant. She had been in town for more than a week to see if the rumor that the new local sovereign ''cured'' the Black Plain was really true.


    In these last days, she sent her guard, Eduard, to check the place where about 200 people were working to see if there would be any changes.


    Some time passed, and the guard returned with a smile on his face. He then said. "As expected from Mrs. Elen, you got it right again. The Black Plain appears to have been ''cured'', at least the region where those farmers are working no longer has the old problem. It looks like arable lands, like many others I have seen."


    "Hmph, as expected. Well, now we must try to meet this Minos. This city needs many things that Stone Island has to sell." She then smiled as if she had found a treasure chest.


    After that, she asked a servant at the hotel she was in to schedule a time, so she could meet Minos and then do business. If she could support the Black Plain now, then she could have an important position in this place in the future.

 Chapter 12: The Stone Island Merchant

    Two days passed, and Minos had already reached level 9, and he was preparing to reach the next stage today. But before that, he would have a somewhat unusual meeting today.


    Despite being the local sovereign, Minos had not yet found any local traders because the local governor generally would not have much to negotiate, being only a regulator for a few activities.


    But today, a Stone Island merchant would meet with him. Minos was excited about this, as there was only one possibility for such a thing to happen that she knew that he had solved the Black Plain problem!


    The young Stuart was waiting in his office, along with butler Dillian, when someone knocked on the door and then came in. It was Mia. "Young master, Miss Elen Nash is here to see you."


    "Hmm, tell her to come in. I was already waiting for her." Minos spoke with a satisfied expression.


    After that, a young blonde entered the door. She was gorgeous, with a thin face combined with graceful curves that were neither small nor large. In fact, her measurements were simply the best to ''catch.'' She was also very well-dressed, which made it easy to see that she did not live in the Dry City.


    There was also a man following her. He was tall, muscular, and had a very relaxed look. This must be a guard or a companion for the young blonde.


    At that moment, Dillian whispered to Minos. "Young master, these two are already in the 5th stage of cultivation, Spiritual General. The young woman is at level 42, and the man must be at level 47."


    After hearing this, Minos thought to himself. "As expected¡­"


    After that, they introduced themselves. "Nice to meet you. My name is Elen Nash, and this is my bodyguard, Eduard." Said Elen with a smile.


    "Hmm, nice to meet you, I''m Minos Stuart, and this is butler Dillian."


    "So, Miss Elen, I''m curious to know what a Stone Island merchant expects from my Black Plain." Minos spoke with an expressionless face.


    Elen then began to speak without hiding her intentions. "Well, as a trader, I''m always looking for opportunities. The Black Plain seems to be an excellent chance for me. For the past few weeks, I have been doing business at the Brown Kingdom. When I was finally returning home, I stopped in the Dry City to rest."


    "However, despite always passing through this city when I come to the Brown Kingdom, this time I heard some interesting rumors about a new local sovereign. Of course, that kind of thing happens a lot when you travel as much as a trader, but knowing the news from where you are is very important in our business."


    "But the story I heard was just too unbelievable. But if it were true, it would be something to turn the sky and the earth upside down. So, I decided to stay here for a few more days."


    "And now that I know that the rumor is well-founded, I intend to do business with your territory." Elen said calmly.


    "Hmm, I understand. But there are many problems for a big deal to be made for now. I estimate that it will take a few years before I can do big business with other regions." Minos spoke vaguely.


    After thinking for a while, Elen continued to speak. "I understand that you are just getting started, and any business that is done for now would have to be something small."


    "But I am willing to help you with these smaller things, even if I don''t make a big profit, in the hope that we can form a bigger partnership in the future."


    "And as a gesture of sincerity, I can invest 4 spiritual arrays focused on gathering spiritual energy and classified as grade-1, high-level."


    After hearing this, both Dillian and Minos were impressed with how much this young woman was willing to invest in this relationship.


    To give you an idea, the spiritual arrays are subdivided into 4 degrees, and each degree was divided into low, medium, and high levels. The difference between these classifications was the power of the array.


    The array could be of any type, such as spiritual reunion, battle formations, defensive shields, etc. But the power of each array would be defined by the classification it was in. For example, a grade-1, high-level, array was 50 times more powerful than a grade-1, low-level, array.


    This meant that the grade-1, high-level, spiritual meeting array would be able to create an area of ??spiritual concentration 50 times larger than the area of ??a grade-1, low-level.


    As for the spiritual density that this array would provide in that area, it would depend on the spiritual concentration of the region where it would be, or on the quantity/quality of the spiritual crystals provided and on how well classified the array would be.


    A grade-4, high-level, array would have an efficiency of 100%. It would either concentrate all the spiritual energy in the area or convert all the energy contained in the spiritual crystals supplied to the array into free energy within that area.


    The spiritual array of grade-1, high-level, would have an efficiency of 20%. But the difference in price between each was colossal. For an array with a measly 20% efficiency, the cost would be about 15,000 low-grade spiritual crystals!


    And for an array of the highest quality, you would have to shell out 100,000 high-level spiritual crystals!!


    For this reason, investing in a place that barely started to develop, 4 arrays of grade-1, high-level, was something very high by the standards of the Northern region of the Central Continent.


    Minos then calmed down before speaking. "Oh! It seems that Miss Elen is convinced that the Black Plain will be very successful."


    "But I want to know exactly what you want to get. I don''t want to sign a blank check." Said Minos, with a serious look.


    Elen then responded quickly. "As I said, I only want a place at the table when the Black Plain develops. I would be pleased if I were your only contact within the Stone Islands. That would be enough for me."


    "You are talking about the Black Plain, but what about your side? Will you be able to handle the entire turnover of my region with your Stone Island? Don''t get me wrong. I''m not looking down at you. I just don''t know you." Minos spoke with doubt.


    He wanted to know who he was dealing with. He didn''t want to receive ''small'' help now to have big problems in the future.


    Elen was not angry. She knew that this young man did not know her background, so she simply said. "I understand your side. It is natural that you do not know who I am, considering your past. But I can assure you that when the Black Plain is a major influence, I will not be a hindrance to your relations with the Stone Island."


    "In fact, if you look for the Nash family on Stone Island, you will find that it is one of the largest merchant families in our region."


    "Hmm, ok. Thanks for the honesty, Miss Nash. I will think about your offer and give you a feedback in a week. I guess that''s not much, right?" Minos said as he looked into the young woman''s eyes across the table.


    "Okay, a week is not much. I''m staying at the Four Seasons Hotel. You can send someone to let me know when you''re ready."


    After that, Elen and her guard left, leaving Minos and Dillian alone in the office.


    Soon after, Dillian spoke. "If I''m not mistaken, the Nash family is really a big family on Stone Island. I once heard a rumor that they even had relations with an empire."


    "Oh! So, it looks like there should be no problems. But just in case, research about it, Grandpa Dillian. We have to know if she is not a member with a lot of problems within her family."


    After all, an exclusive business relationship like the one Elen wanted was no different from a wedding. If one of the two sides had a problem, then it would affect both parties because when you marry, the other''s problems become yours too!


    Thus, Minos wanted to know with whom he would be relating, avoiding possible problems.


    ¡­


    Thus, two days passed, and Minos'' group was still researching Elen Nash''s past. But today, Minos had a very important thing to do. He would move to level 10, the start of the Transition stage.


    The young Stuart was very excited about this and had already chosen an attack technique that he would learn at this stage.


    It was a skill classified in Golden, with 10 phases, called Spatial Sword. It demanded that the user use a sword-like spiritual tool. When the technique was activated, the space around the user would be stopped for 1 second, leaving all objects and living beings ''trapped'' during that time, as long as no one exceeds the cultivation level of the user. If that happened, the technique would have a diminished effect on that individual.


    As for the space around the user that would be stopped, this would depend on the phase in which the technique would be. In the first phase, the space within a radius of up to 10 meters from the user would be influenced by the technique. In the following phases, this space would double at each stage, reaching up to just over 5 kilometers around the user when the technique reached maximum performance.


    With this technique, Minos would have a big advantage against those at the same level as him, and even if he faced someone stronger than him, there would still be a slowdown effect if the difference in strength was not too big.

 Chapter 13: Transition

    A few hours had passed since Minos had started to level up when a small cracking sound came from his body. It was very subtle, the kind that you certainly wouldn''t hear if you weren''t in a quiet environment.


    Crack!


    Shortly thereafter, Minos felt a sensation like a sweaty and sticky body suddenly started to repel sweat. But in his case, it was a gooey and dark substance. It looked like the slurry that comes out of the garbage, not only in appearance but also in smell.


    And despite the small amount, Minos still felt like throwing up just feeling it. He then ran to the big house inside the Spatial Kingdom to take a shower right away.


    He didn''t even want to start training his first attack technique. With the current scent of his body, there would be no way for him to focus on any training.


    A few minutes passed, and Minos was clean and in another set of clothes.


    ''Wow, I didn''t think the odor of the impurities in my body was so bad!'' Minos thought, as he still had a queasy expression on his face.


    As for what happened, well, that was the spiritual cleansing that the fleshy body would undergo each time a cultivator moves up the cultivation stage. This process served to remove toxic substances present in the body''s cells.


    These substances came from food, residues of spiritual pills, medicines, and even the functionally normal of the body.


    This is because, under normal conditions, most foods and pills would have impurities, which would accumulate in the body over time, as well as bioaccumulation.


    As for medicines and body metabolism, these two could also generate toxins. The first, when in excess, could create a body reaction that would result in the release of these toxins. Second, the body had natural reactions that would generate these substances, such as aging itself.


    In fact, this transformation had as its main result the increase in the vitality of the cultivator, which is usually the main objective of many people. After all, who would not want to obtain a few more years in this world?


    Finally, Minos picked up a golden parchment as he stopped beside the large house and in front of the lake. He then began to learn the Spatial Sword technique.


    "With a sword in my hand, the fate of millions can be reaped. Do you have numbers? It makes no difference. They will all freeze and then killed in less than 1 second¡­"


    Minos began to think about the meaning present in the technique...


    After a few hours, he performed the movement for the hundredth time. At that moment, he realized that a leaf that was falling stopped temporarily before continuing to fall.


    He learned the basics of the technique and was now in its first phase. In addition to reaching level 20, he would have to complete thousands of moves to reach the second stage.


    This is because, unlike the cultivation technique, that only needed to be activated to strengthen itself, while its dominance over it would increase. With other techniques, the cultivator would have to complete a given number of executions before changing the cultivation stage.


    It would not be enough to increase the energy in your body. You would have to have an equivalent understanding of your techniques. This was also one of the reasons for the speed of cultivation being slower in higher stages.


    In addition to devoting time to cultivating spiritual energy, cultivators would still have to train each of their techniques at an equivalent level.


    Minos then finished this training session and returned to his mansion. He had a great night''s sleep after what he had just been through.


    ¡­


    Another 5 days have passed, Minos was now at level 11, and today he would give the answer to Elen Nash about his possible partnership.


    According to Dillian''s team, there was nothing particularly problematic about Elen within the Nash family. In fact, the only relevant thing they found was that she had a Black talent, 22-years-old and level 42, as Dillian had said. Thus, Minos intended to form a partnership with Elen.


    After sending someone to inform Elen of his decision, just over an hour passed, and then a young blonde woman arrived at Minos'' mansion, followed by her personal guard.


    "You can follow me, Miss Elen. The young master will already receive you." Said Mia with a smile on her face.


    "OK."


    Soon after the meeting began, they discussed some important details and then closed the deal. In it, Elen Nash would have to supply 4 spiritual arrays of grade-1, high-level. Together with services to promote the products produced in the Black Plain within Stone Island and also facilitate the contact of professionals from the island with the region of Minos.


    On the side of Minos, he would have to market his products on Stone Island through Elen. Alone, she would be his exclusive reseller within that region.


    "So it is agreed like this. Will Miss Elen still be in my town longer? Who knows, we might have dinner to celebrate this deal." Minos said with a smile on his face.


    "I appreciate the kindness, but we can do this the next time I come. I''ve been here for a long time, and I have to give a return to my family." Elen spoke with a serious look on her face.


    "Oh, all right, then! Stay for the next time."


    After that, the group said goodbye. Before leaving, Elen said that she would send the spiritual meeting arrays to the Black Plain as soon as she arrived at Stone Island.


    According to her, it should take between 2 and 3 weeks for this to be done. But for Minos, this time would already be excellent. He would not even think about having that amount of arrays in less than a year while cultivating the cultures in this land.


    And although the effect of the arrays at this level was not so great, considering the current spiritual density of the Black Plain, when he had enough spiritual stones, he could significantly improve this issue.


    However, even if the effect were not so great, for a city with no array and low spiritual density, the arrival of 4 of them would be crucial for the whole city.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, in various parts of the city, a topic was being discussed fervently. In fact, it had been 2 weeks since the Black Plain ''cure'' rumor came out. In those days, most people in the Dry City did not believe the rumor.


    But at this point, the situation was completely different. The 200 people who had been hired for agriculture had now spread the word to those closest to them that, in fact, it was now possible to farm on the Black Plain land.


    But not only that, in two weeks, the crops grew to the point of being seen by anyone who passed by the plantation field near the city.


    With that, the subject had spread with even more power than before. And many already said it was a miracle and the heavens had not forgotten them¡­


    ''"He really did it!! Hahaha, I can''t wait for the number of farmers to increase. I will be the first in line." Said a resident of the Dry City while showing an exuberant smile.


    "Hmph, get out!! I am the one in line!!" Some people around laughed at the two. Then someone said. "You old people shouldn''t be worried. Considering the size of the Black Plain, there will be a lot of demand for labor."


    After that, many nodded in agreement. Of course, with 200,000 km2 and a population of just 50,000, there would be no unemployment for the current citizens of the Black Plain.


    "Not only that. My cousin works in the city guard, and he told me that Mr. Stuart wants to increase the strength of the city''s forces. They must release the number of vacancies and remuneration in the next 6 months. There will also be places for our children." Said someone else.


    This was something very relevant for people with Blue talent in the city. They were usually ordinary cultivators who had no specializations. So, working as guards was generally a good option for most of them. The only problem was that the Dry City did not have the resources to maintain a huge number of troops.


    Thus, the competition was great for each new vacancy that appeared in the guard of the city. Because of that, most had to be content with doing random services in the region to survive.


    "It looks like this Minos Stuart is not that bad." That was the thought that many of them had. They were excited about the things that were slowly changing in their city.


    ¡­


    While the city was surrounded by arguments, two incredibly dazzling women were coming towards the Black Plain, from the south of that region, the Cromwell Kingdom. But they were just passing through this realm, as they came from an empire!


    "Master, will we bring your son back from the Black Plain to the sect?" The disciple asked her teacher.


    "I''m not sure, Ruth. He''s a lot like his father, so I don''t know if he''ll want to follow me." The other woman said. Despite being the oldest here, she still looked like a young adult in her early twenties.

 Chapter 14: Unwanted Meeting

    Another week passed after Elen Nash left the Black Plain, but nothing relevant happened meanwhile. Although this region needs many changes, there was no budget for this.


    Due to this limitation, Minos'' plans were frozen. For example, he wanted to create his own spiritual academy for children in the city. He wanted to start recruiting students for the Black Plain Army, just as the Gill family did.


    Even if the average talent in this area were low for now, it wouldn''t be like that after a few decades. That way, he would be laying the foundations for a great future at this time.


    This week, in addition to reaching level 13, Minos also passed a new technique classified in Silver to Dillian. It was a specialized healing technique, called Radiant Healing, with 6 phases, which used beams of light to heal wounds.


    Depending on its stage, the user could range from healing non-lethal wounds in the first stage to saving lives, as long as the patient still had a breath, regardless of his condition.


    However, due to the talent of Dillian, he could never achieve the realization of this technique. But as far as he could go, he would still be able to recover severed limbs from his patients.


    Minos had not delivered this technique to the butler Dillian before, as he was still getting to know each technique, and Dillian still needed to adapt to the new technique he had received a few weeks ago.


    This is because for those who change techniques, they need an adaptation time until they get used to it.


    Minos also asked the butler Dillian to pass on the Black-grade techniques to the 30 guards in the Dry City. In fact, he will leave techniques of this sorting to all future members of the Black Plain Army in the library of the future headquarters.


    But for now, they could only pass it along to the guards. As for Minos'' 10 personal guards, they had already started training these techniques.


    ¡­


    At the entrance to the Dry City, two young women were walking slowly on a large spiritual beast that looked like a tiger. One of them had black hair, a cute face, and sensual curves. The other one, who didn''t look much older, had brown hair and a beautiful body that you would see in some mature women. Both were wearing robes with the same pattern. They looked like members of the same family or sect.


    As they walked towards the central part of the city, the two women were talking when the young woman with black hair spoke. "I never thought that there would be a place as poor in spiritual energy as this. Master, I''m sorry to ask, but did the young Minos lose his mind? Perhaps after recovering, he had not been able to think clearly."


    "Don''t be thinking about this bullshit, Ruth. He must have come here because it was the only place he thought he could go." Said the older woman.


    After a while, they finally stopped in front of the only mansion in the city, that despite its size, looked as good as any decent place in this city.


    "Let''s go in and see if we can talk to him." Said the brown-haired woman as she entered the mansion.


    "Hi, my name is Mia. What can I help you with?" Mia came to them as soon as she saw these strange people entering this place.


    "Hmm, tell Minos that his mother is here to see him."


    "His mother¡­" Mia said in shock.


    Although it was not so strange for a mother to appear like this, she would never think that this woman, who appeared to be younger than she, was the mother of Minos!


    "Ah! Okay, I''ll let him know." She said after recovering from the shock as she headed for Minos''s office.


    At the time, Minos, Dillian, and Pyke were in the office talking about matters relating to the safety of the Dry City when Mia hurried through the door.


    "Young master Stuart, a young woman, is here to see you. She says that she is your mo¡­" But before she could finish, the two young women entered through the door of the room.


    When Minos and Dillian saw this, they soon recognized the brown-haired woman. This was Minos'' mother, Maisie Coleman, who was at level 65, Spiritual Emperor!


    As for the other young woman, neither of them knew her, but Dillian noticed her level. She was at level 43.


    Dillian then broke the momentary silence and said. "Mrs. Maisie is good to see you again."


    "Oh! Good to see you, too, butler Dillian."


    "What are you doing here?" Minos then asked coldly.


    In fact, he was not happy to have to receive his mother. After all, she never paid attention or acted as a mother to him when he needed to, so why should he have respect for her?


    Upon hearing this, the young woman with black hair then replied angrily. "How can you talk to your mother like that? Do you know how far she came just for you?"


    "I don''t know since I don''t know anything about her either. But she might as well have stayed there." Minos replied sarcastically.


    Minos'' mother then intervened. "Ruth, don''t say anything. He has his reasons for saying that you shouldn''t blame him."


    "Minos, my son, today I came to look for you. I intend to take you to the Gray Cloud Sect. And even if you only have a Black talent, it is better to become an external elder of the sect than to be in this backward place." She spoke with a serious look on her face.


    After hearing what Maisie said, everyone in the room, except Ruth, had reactions against this idea. Pyke and Mia, who were pleased with the current way things were developing for the Black Plain, suddenly heard something that made them sweat coldly.


    After all, even if the ''cure'' of the Black Plain was definitive, they didn''t know that Minos was still a great ruler. He wanted to develop the region, admitted when he didn''t know something, and made smart decisions. Thus, they did not want to lose such a leader.


    Meanwhile, Dillian was also opposed. He had already adopted the idea of ??developing the Black Plain slowly, and he was sure that Minos would achieve that. Furthermore, with the Spatial Kingdom, Minos did not need to go to the Gray Cloud Sect, where he would only encounter a lot of obstacles in his path. It would be stupid to do that!!


    For Minos, on the other hand, he only saw one person he had no respect for, asking him to give up his goals. After all, in the Gray Cloud Sect, he would be plastered by the system, he would have a difficult time, and even when he reached the top, it would be by a random force that he has no goodwill.


    As for the Black Plain, despite not being his original home, it''s a place that he would develop from the beginning, something entirely of his own. So, he already had a special cart for these lands.


    After a while of silence, Minos started to laugh. "Hahahaha, I don''t need your good intentions. I''m just fine where I am. Maybe you''re the one who needs to come and ask for my help in the future."


    As soon as he said that, Minos left the office without waiting for an answer and was soon out of sight. He had gone to the Spatial Kingdom to cool his head.


    Meanwhile, Ruth was thinking in her head. ''What an ungrateful bastard. But from the things he said, then he can only be a lunatic to think that we would need him.''


    "Sigh¡­ I''m sorry about that, Mrs. Maisie, but the young master is doing well. This is really the truth, I know you are concerned about his future, but the young master will be fine." Dillian said with an apologetic smile on his face.


    "Okay, Dillian, I already expected him to refuse. But I still wanted to try, at least in the sect, I could protect him."


    "I understand, but maybe the young master doesn''t need to be protected in the end¡­" Dillian said while he was holding his arms behind his back.


    "And why do you say that?" Asked Minos''s mother with curiosity.


    "Didn''t you feel the young master''s level?"


    Maisie spoke without thinking. "He must have been at level 13¡­" When she finally remembered. "That''s right, but he woke up from his unconscious state just 1 month ago¡­"


    When she heard that, Ruth jumped back and thought. "How is this possible? I, with my Silver talent, I took 3 months to reach the same level¡­"


    Maisie then answered before leaving Minos''s office. "I will be here in the Dry City for 2 days, tell my son that."


    After leaving, Maisie and Ruth went to the Four Seasons Hotel, where they would stay.


    Ruth then asked when they were halfway to the hotel. "Master, why don''t we go back? I believe that he will not change his mind."


    "I know that, but I want to look at his situation before we leave."


    "Even if he doesn''t change his mind, I want you to return here in a year and a half. I want you to check his strength at that time, and if he can maintain that good speed in cultivation, then I want you to take him to the competition that will take place in 18 months in the Cromwell Kingdom."


    "That way, he will be able to understand the difference between heaven and earth. Even if he has a good cultivation speed, it doesn''t mean that he will be the strongest. Only by fighting those of the same generation he will understand me and change his mind." Said Minos'' mother confidently.


    "Hmm, but what if he refuses?" Asked Ruth curiously.


    "I don''t think he will refuse, considering how much he looks like his father and the fact that he wants to earn his things with his own effort. So, you shouldn''t have to worry about that." Thereafter, the two of them settled in the hotel to spend the next two days.

 Chapter 15: Spiritual Meeting Array

    Ten days have passed since Minos''s mother visited him. At this point, she was already gone back to the Flaming Empire, where her Gray Cloud Sect was located.


    In those days that passed, Minos reached level 16 and had already trained his technique, Spatial Sword, thousands of times, and in a week or more, he would reach the conclusion of the first phase of the technique.


    He also had already separated a specialized defense technique for his advancement to Spiritual Beginner, which should also happen in the next two weeks.


    It was a technique called Indestructible Body, Golden-grade classification, with 9 phases. When activated, it could render the user''s body indestructible for 10 seconds for those who are up to 100% stronger than the user.


    This meant that if the user of the technique was someone at level 20, then he would have an indestructible body for 10 seconds, that not even someone at level 26 could hurt him within that time.


    But against someone above that level, the defense would be less and less. At the higher levels, this ability to defend against those at the higher level would decrease as the difference in energy gets bigger and bigger through the levels.


    And as for the characteristics of the technique that would improve through the phases, it would start with only the initial 10-second defense and go up to the 9th phase, which in addition to being able to use an impassable defense for that interval, would also allow the user to use their own body as a weapon.


    Finally, Dillian had also managed to advance to level 46 these days!!


    After all, the butler still had a Black talent, and there were no bottlenecks within the steps. And even if they were in a low-density region, he would still advance to at least level 49, as long as he had time.


    Of course, they would not wait that, when there were enough spiritual crystals, the cultivation speed of all Minos'' subordinates would increase consistently.


    ...


    A few kilometers from the Dry City, a merchant carriage with a large volume of items was approaching the region. In that carriage, there was a symbol of a silver ship.


    That was the symbol of the Nash family from Stone Island!


    "Hey, big brother, what are we doing, going to the Dry City? We usually don''t come by when we are going to deliver resources to the Brown Kingdom." A muscular man asked.


    "Hm, in fact, Miss Elen made an agreement with the new local sovereign of the Black Plain. We are going to leave these four spiritual meeting arrays here, before we go on, to continue our service in the Brown Kingdom." Replied an older man, who had a scar on his left eye.


    ...


    A while passed, and soon the carriage reached Dry City.


    "Young Master Minos, the spiritual arrays that Miss Elen had promised have just arrived," Mia spoke after entering Minos''s office.


    "Oh! That was quick. Let''s go get this, grandpa Dillian." Minos said as he had an animated expression on his face.


    Soon after, the young man and the middle-aged man went to receive the arrays.


    There were three people in the delivery group. A young man who didn''t look much older than Minos, a muscular adult man, and a middle-aged man.


    "Hello, friends from the Dry City, I''m Sarek, and these are Firrol and Rex Larson." Said the middle-aged man, who had a scar on his eye.


    Then the young man in the group stepped forward and began to speak. "Nice to meet you, you can call me Rex. I''m here to inform you about some details about the function of these arrays..."


    Thereafter, Minos chose four local guards to learn the basic details of the arrays'' operation from the young array master.


    This was common in this world. Although the arrays work alone most of the time, there was a need to follow certain processes when manipulating it. This was a job that was usually done by array masters, like the young Rex, a beginner. But in the Dry City, there was no one like that.


    So, this young man came with the group to teach the basics. But it wasn''t difficult. It was just something that most people didn''t learn because they either didn''t have crystals to buy an array or they had someone to do these services for them.


    After that, it didn''t take long, and the arrays were installed in 4 points of the city. The arrays would cover just over a third of the city''s area, taking in the entire central area, which was the region with the highest population density.


    From what the young Rex had reported, these arrays could improve the spiritual density of the affected region by 15% if it were supplied only with free spiritual energy from the region of the Black Plain, which was very poor at this time.


    However, if its up to 10,000 low-grade spiritual crystals were supplied each month, then the improvement would be at least 50%. As for if they wanted more than that, they would have to buy a higher level array since these grade-1, high-level arrays only had an efficiency of 20%, which limited any further increase.


    And so, the group said goodbye, going to the east of the Black Plain, heading towards other regions of the Brown Kingdom.


    "For now, we will not be able to supply these four spiritual arrays with crystals since it would cost 40,000 crystals per month, but we are doing just fine with a 15% of improvement." Said the butler Dillian, as he held his hands behind his back.


    "Hmm, it should be at least 6 months before we can start supplying one of them monthly and 1 year for all four," Minos said with a thoughtful countenance.


    Pyke, who was also in the group at the moment, then said with a big smile on his face. "Haha, it doesn''t matter. Even if it were 2 years or more, it wouldn''t make a difference for us. Having any improvement in the spiritual concentration of the region is already beyond our dreams."


    After that, other guards nodded their heads. With a 15% improvement in spiritual concentration, they would already be able to cultivate much faster. This was already very good for them who did not want to take chances in a stronger place.


    ...


    The night quickly fell, and the four arrays were already in full operation. That night, many people noticed a sudden increase in spiritual concentration in some parts of the city.


    Meanwhile, in several places in the city, people who were starting to cultivate realized that the time it took to gather spiritual energy around them was less!!


    "Huh? Why does it seem easier to gather spiritual energy?" An adult man thought while he cultivated.


    Elsewhere in the central parts of the city, a small group of people was talking.


    "I''m saying. The spiritual density is higher. When I cultivated today, it took me 20 minutes less to gather the surrounding energy." Said a young man with a euphoric expression on his face.


    "But that doesn''t make sense. Why would spiritual concentration improve like that all of a sudden?" Asked a middle-aged man in disbelief.


    In this world, feeling the surrounding energy was something that everyone could do, but those who were weaker needed to cultivate to realize that.


    However, when someone reached level 40, cultivators could use free energy in heaven and on earth, and so they could feel the differences in spiritual density even without cultivating. But there weren''t many at that level within the Dry City.


    As a result, a new rumor slowly began to spread throughout the city, saying that the spiritual energy was more concentrated than normal.


    And it didn''t take long for many people to notice this change. They also realized that this was not happening across the city. It was something that was limited to the regions closest to the central part, which covered just over a third of the entire Dry City.


    ...


    A few days passed in the Black Plain, while many people were cultivating even faster than normal, the central region was getting busier and busier. And some people were already struggling to get a place to live in that part of the city.


    Minos had also increased his cultivation these days, reaching level 18. He was almost reaching the Spiritual Beginner!!


    Not only he was getting better, but the young secretary Mia had already risen to level 25 in the nearly two months that Minos had arrived in the Dry City. She, like Minos'' other subordinates, was also training Black-grade techniques. As a result, her cultivation speed has grown considerably.


    In those days, the youths that Minos had brought into his forces also turned 10 and came to the mansion to receive their cultivation techniques.


    Both Lee and Alison received the same cultivation technique of Black-grade that was being passed on among Minos'' subordinates and then began to cultivate. And as individuals with Black talent, they also had a good cultivation speed, having already reached level 2.


    And at that point, the wheat, corn, and rice crops were almost ready to be harvested, which would allow some more of Minos'' plans for the city to be put into practice.

 Chapter 16: Spiritual Beginner

    With the harvest approaching and the beginning of the cultivation of more lands, Minos had already requested that another group, this time of 400 people, be organized to prepare and cultivate another 6 hectares, accounting for 9 hectares for the next harvest.


    Today, Minos was preparing to meet with a local merchant who could sell his products inside a market in the Dry City.


    Minos was walking towards a busy street in the center of the city accompanied by two guards. This was where most stores that sold food were located.


    He then entered a place that was called the Central Market, a 3-story building. The area was quite large and had a good movement since this was one of the few places in the city where the population could find grains, cereals, fruits, and vegetables with spiritual energy.


    For example, the price of a kilo of rice, corn, and spiritual wheat was four low-grade crystals in that place. The exact price that Minos wanted to charge for his products. The difference is that, due to the water of the Spatial Kingdom, the grains and cereals that he would sell would be much richer in spiritual energy than those sold locally.


    "Hello, how can I help you?" A young woman, who was dressed in the uniform of the place, asked towards the group of Minos.


    "Hello, where can I find the manager? I have a business to do with him." Replied Minos with a friendly smile on his face.


    "Oh! Mr. Somir is in his office. I will show you the way."


    ¡­


    Shortly after that, Minos met with Somir. He was a middle-aged man, fat and bald. He was well-dressed and looked very healthy. Apparently, he lived very well, even though he was in the Dry City.


    "Welcome to the Central Market, young master Stuart. How can I help someone as important as you?" The fat man said pleasantly. He had recognized the young man in front of him. That was why he was talking to him so softly.


    "Well, as you may know, I''ve been planting in the Black Plain for a few weeks now, and it''s almost time to harvest. That''s why I want a place that sells my products." Minos spoke sincerely.


    Somir quickly understood and asked a question shortly thereafter. "Can I know what the young master would be selling? The quantity too."


    "2.5 tons of wheat, 3.75 tons of corn, and 3.75 tons of rice, all rich in spiritual energy. I intend to sell them at a price equivalent to the products already sold at this store."


    "Oh! Then that''s it. Well, as there isn''t a lot, we can do business. If it was much more, as I still don''t know the products, I couldn''t go on with that." Said the manager sincerely.


    After all, he was already reselling products from the Cromwell Kingdom, so he couldn''t just throw away the investment he had already made in those products. Even more in something unknown!


    But due to the quantities that Somir heard from Minos, even if the product weren''t good, he would still be able to sell it since the demand for these items was high and the quantity offered by this new local sovereign didn''t even reach 2% of the total demand!


    So, Somir was confident in selling Minos grains and cereals.


    After closing the deal, they agreed that Minos'' men would take these negotiated resources to be sold at the Central Market as soon as the harvest was done. It was also agreed that there would be a 10% fee, which would be paid to the Central Market.


    After that, Minos returned to his daily activities at his mansion.


    ¡­


    A week had passed quickly, and Minos had already reached level 19 three days ago, and today he planned to break up to level 20, Spiritual Beginner!


    He was in the Spatial Kingdom cultivating diligently, sitting, and meditating in front of the lake that was in this place.


    Minos then began to circulate the Solar God Breath technique, which had already reached the end of the 2nd phase and was ready to move forward. Meanwhile, within the body of Minos, the spiritual energy was slowly reaching the limit of level 19.


    At that moment, Minos'' soul''s spirituality finally completed the transition to becoming something with form and visible within the young Stuart''s consciousness.


    Before that, the soul would be just a nebulous cluster that couldn''t be understood as something other than the body. It could be considered only a part of the individual''s metabolism.


    But from the Spiritual Beginner stage, the soul would constantly increase its spirituality, reaching the level of solidifying and becoming something palpable at the level of a Spiritual Saint.


    Minos'' body also received the traditional cleaning of impurities that was had at each stage. This time, the amount of toxins released from his body was about 4 times greater than the previous one. And as for the smell, hehe, Minos felt like something dead was living inside him!


    This advance had an even greater effect than the previous one. This time Minos'' vitality increased by 100 years, reaching 250 years of life expectancy. The energy that Minos needed to go from level 19 to 20 was also 4 times greater than the amount he had previously needed when he went up from the 1st to the 2nd stage.


    After taking a long shower to get the stink out of his body, Minos then started training his new technique, Indestructible Body.


    "With an indestructible body, I will defend the world and crush my enemies."


    Minos began to understand the technique little by little when he finally activated it. If anyone looked, it would seem that nothing happened, but for Minos, it was as if his body was made of pure metal.


    He felt that even if someone with the same strength as he attacked him with a sword and he stood without defending himself, he would still not be hurt!


    However, he was still unable to use the technique to attack. This was something that would come only when he was much stronger. And he could only use this technique for 10 seconds, using 50% of his current spiritual energy.


    This technique also required that the technique be activated for a total of 50 hours to reach the peak of the first phase of the technique. It was no different from the Spatial Sword, which also required a minimum number of activations to move forward.


    After many hours training his techniques and cultivating, Minos left the Spatial Kingdom and decided to take a few hours to rest.


    ¡­


    Time passed, and finally was time for the harvest. For the first time in hundreds of thousands of years, such a thing has been done in this region.


    The initial 200 farmers were pleased with what they''re done, and today the fruits of their work have finally come.


    With the strength of these cultivators, all three hectares were quickly harvested, and the grain and cereal were prepared in a building next to the fields, which had been properly built at the request of the farmers.


    Several carriages were made, especially for the transportation of these items since none of them had spatial rings, and such rings didn''t have such capacity.


    ¡­


    Two days after the harvest, all the items were already in the Central Market and would start to be sold today.


    At the Central Market, a middle-aged woman, Dara, was going to buy the week''s ingredients for her family. She was a housewife, married and with two children, and had to save every crystal that her family earned.


    ''I hope that the rice isn''t of a poor quality today. Last week I had to throw half of what I bought in the trash.'' She thought discontentedly.


    Sometime later, she stopped in front of a stall, where there were the biggest grains of rice that she had ever seen. It also had a white color that almost glowed. Although Dara couldn''t feel the free spiritual energy in heaven and on earth, she knew that these grains had an amount of spiritual energy that was, at least, greater than the other rice sold in this store.


    "Young lady, can you separate 2 kilos of this rice for me?" She spoke to a uniformed girl, who was standing by the balcony.


    "Just a minute."


    "Young lady, can you tell me where this rice came from?" Dara asked curiously.


    The young woman then responded quickly. "It came from here, in the region of the Black Plain. This is the spiritual rice grown by the new local sovereign."


    "Oh! Then that''s it." She was shocked to learn that a culture planted here in these areas could yield such a quality.


    ¡­


    At Dara''s house, it was time for lunch, and only she and her two children were at home. Dara had cooked the rice bought at the market earlier and wanted to know its taste and spirituality.


    It was not long before one of the boys, that had already started to cultivate, praising the food. "This rice is delicious, mom."


    Soon afterward, he let out a cry of surprise.


    "Ahhh!"


    "What happened?" Asked his mother.


    "I just advanced while eating this rice!" Heryd, Dara''s eldest son, who was already at level 5, said in shock. After eating a portion of rice, he went straight up to level 6!


    ...


    While Dara''s family was dazzled by the effects of the new spiritual rice sold at the Central Market, the same thing was happening in other families in the Dry City.


    It didn''t take long, and soon the rumor of spiritual rice that could spur advances after a few spoons spread throughout the city.


    Soon, people start looking for rice and other products planted in the Black Plain as if they were treasures!

 Chapter 17: The First Fight

    Four days passed, and the entire harvest had been sold. After the success of rice, many families sought to know what other crops had been planted in the Black Plain. This made the 10 tons of grains and cereal end up in the blink of an eye!


    This is because these items were so rich in spiritual energy that when someone from the first and second stages of cultivation ate a few spoons, they could achieve a breakthrough in their levels!


    And in these stages of cultivation, spiritual crystals couldn''t be used to cultivate. But it was still possible to use the spiritual energy present in food. And even if the amount of energy in food was much less than that present in crystals, it was still something that could make a big difference.


    Thus, eating this type of energy-rich culture was something with very high demand, and when coupled with the low price of commercialization, then the products of the Black Plain went viral within the Dry City.


    With that, Minos now had 49,500 crystals in his hands. Of this amount, he would leave 32,000 to pay new farmers who would cultivate more six hectares in the next 2-3 months. He would start building the Black Plain Army headquarters from the remaining amount.


    With that, he could start recruiting in 3 months, when the new harvest has been done, and the Dry City had enough money for the new hires. He would also open a spiritual academy at that time.


    As for the purchase of spiritual pills that could help those with talent below the Black rank, he would let these guards reach the peak of their stages first.


    That''s because none of them was at level 39, which was a bottleneck hard to pass without outside help for individuals with Blue talent. And not only were the city guards not at that level, not even Minos'' personal guards reached that level, with the strongest of them being at level 38.


    ¡­


    In the Spatial Kingdom, things were very calm as expected. But there was something different today. Besides Minos, three other people were cultivating in front of the big house, near the lake.


    These three were butler Dillian, Lee, and Alison. As to why they were here, well¡­ That was because, for the butler Dillian, he didn''t have much work lately. This was because the city didn''t have enough funds for the necessary changes. So, he could only concentrate on cultivating and getting stronger for now.


    And training in the Spatial Kingdom would considerably increase the speed of anyone in the North of the Central Continent. As for Lee and Alison, these two had a Black talent and could advance quickly if they trained in a place with a high spiritual concentration, such as the Spatial Kingdom.


    Thus, Minos convinced these two families to let them go through Minos'' ''special training.'' Of course, the young Stuart didn''t elaborate on what would happen since it wasn''t good for others to know.


    As for the two youths, Minos wanted them to get stronger quickly. So, he decided to invest in these two and let them live within the Spatial Kingdom for 1 year, which would be enough time for them to reach the Spiritual Beginner stage.


    After that, they could cultivate outside the Spatial Kingdom using spiritual crystals. Minos also promised the youths a Silver-grade technique so that they wouldn''t tell anyone about the place where they would be during this period of time.


    Finally, he was now at level 21, but he had a problem. He had only cultivated and trained alone until now, so he didn''t know how strong he would be in a real fight. With that, he wanted to start training with his guards.


    And considering the ability of Minos''s Physique, increased energy, coupled with Golden-grade techniques, he was confident that he wouldn''t lose a fight against someone up to level 27 or 28. Although he wasn''t sure if he would win, he assumed that he could have some challenge only from that level. Below that, he would certainly win, and there would be no point in it.


    So, Minos looked for Commander Pyke to talk.


    ¡­


    After talking to Mia, Minos finally received Pyke in his office.


    "I heard from Mia that the young master Stuart was looking for me. How can I help you?"


    "I want to find someone to train with me. Ask some guards between levels 27 and 28 to come and see me in the courtyard behind the mansion." Said Minos excitedly.


    After hearing Minos'' order, Pyke was quite surprised and confused at the same time. First, because this young man didn''t seem like the type to care about that kind of thing, and second, because what he was trying to do should be impractical for most people.


    After all, it wasn''t common to struggle through the cultivation levels in these regions.


    "This¡­ Are you sure that the young master wants to face such a difference in levels? I don''t want to look like I''m despising the young master, but that is a considerable difference." Said the commander while making a serious face.


    Minos replied calmly as he drank a cup of tea from the table. "Don''t worry. I don''t think that fighting through the levels is trivial. But due to my high-grade techniques, I will have no challenge if I fight against people weaker than that."


    Commander Pyke then stopped to think for a while. There was really a big difference between the quality of the techniques of different degrees. And since Minos was distributing Black-grade techniques as if it were tomatoes, that meant he was training techniques at an even higher level.


    After thinking this seriously, he came to the conclusion that there would be no problem. "Okay, I''ll get them together as soon as possible."


    After saying this, they said goodbye and returned to focus on some basic issues of the Dry City.


    ¡­


    A few hours later, Minos was waiting for the group of soldiers with whom he would experience his first fight when Commander Pyke finally arrived with a group of men.


    There were 10 guards, with 6 of them at level 27 and 4 at level 28.


    In fact, there were originally supposed to be 15 guards at that level, but since Minos learned of their numbers, 5 of them had advanced to level 29, while 3 of them at level 27 for level 28.


    "Hello everyone, starting today, I hope that some of you can help me train daily. Of course, you still have your responsibilities, so I''m not going to occupy you at the same time."


    Minos then continued. "Today, I want to fight someone at level 27 to see how I do. As for the others, you can watch if you want, or you can leave too."


    He then asked. "Is anyone willing? And don''t worry, you don''t have to take it easy. You can fight normally."


    However, there wasn''t much reaction of them. But suddenly, Minos thought of something interesting.


    "How about this, we''ll fight here for 3 weeks, I''ll fight 2 different people a day, but someone who once fought with me has to wait for the others to fight too. In that period, whoever can beat me 3 times will win a Silver-grade technique."


    After hearing this, the eyes of the ten people almost popped out of their eye sockets. A Silver-grade technique just to defeat someone who was 6 or 7 levels weaker than them!


    Some of them were already very excited about it while they were thinking. ''This is going to be a piece of cake, hehe.''


    Even Pyke was impressed. In fact, he also wanted to participate in it, but unfortunately, there would be no way for such a thing to happen at his level.


    ''How unlucky!'' He thought.


    "You can choose the order among you, but those at level 28 have to be last in the group," Minos said while holding his hands behind his back. He then thought to himself. ''You suppose it''ll be very easy. Hehe, I just want to see it.''


    After a few minutes of discussing the order, one of them introduced himself to Minos. "I would be the first to try, young master Stuart." Said one of the level 27 guards.


    This guard was Jov. He was 29-years-old, 1.8 meters tall, and with black hair. He had entered the guard 8 years ago when he reached level 20.


    "Very well! Commander Pyke will be the judge of this fight, and the fight will end when either of us is exhausted or when someone surrenders." Minos spoke quickly as he prepared himself.


    After that, everyone agreed with this and other rules. The fight was about to start!


    "Are you ready? So, you can start now." Pyke said excitedly. In fact, for simple people like him, watching such fights was a pleasure. It made his blood heat up!


    At that moment, Minos held a blind sword, and Jov did not use any weapon. This is because the attack technique of the guard in question did not require a weapon.


    At that point, Jov activated his technique with 60% of his power, which he thought would be necessary to win this fight. His technique was a Black-grade one that he had received from Commander Pyke through the butler Dillian.


    The name was Destroyer Fist, which, when activated, created an energy fist, that would attack whatever was in the way.


    ''Hmm, that should be enough, hehe.'' Jov laughed in his mind.


    At the same time, while dodging the fist coming towards him, Minos activated the Spatial Sword, and everything within a radius of 10 meters stopped as if time had frozen, while Jov''s speed was decreased by a small margin.


    That''s because he was way above Minos'' level.


    Then everyone around, including Jov himself, realized something was wrong. And their expressions were slowly beginning to change.

 Chapter 18: Fights

    Minos carried out a smooth sword movement. It looked like he was cutting through the air. Soon after, a wave of energy was created from this movement. It looked like a blade of air, which, although small and somewhat transparent, was something that anyone could see.


    Swooish!


    When Jov saw this, he felt a chill rise up his spine and immediately activated his defensive technique, Transcendent Shield, which created a barrier made of energy in front of him.


    Crack!


    When Minos'' attack finally came into contact with Jov''s defense, cracks immediately began to appear on the guard''s shield and began to break!


    "Ahh!"


    In a fraction of a second, Jov''s defenses were completely broken, and he was sent flying from the spot while letting out a shocked scream.


    Minos had won!


    That is, of course, despite the difference in level, Minos had 5% more energy than someone at his level, but that was not responsible for this victory.


    No, the quality of the techniques was!


    Minos trained Golden-grade techniques that were 200% efficient, while Jov used Black-grade techniques, which allowed him to be only 70% efficient over his energy expenditure.


    This meant that even if Jov had twice as much energy as Minos when he activated his techniques, he couldn''t even use all the power spent, while Minos managed to unleash an attack with the doubling of energy he had spent!


    The quick end of the fight surprised all the spectators around the courtyard. None of them could believe such a thing.


    "Unbelievable. I never thought that someone could be so strong at level 21." Thought one of the level 28 guards.


    "It''s a really great achievement, but I believe that if Jov had attacked with everything from the beginning, without giving the young master a chance to attack, then the result could be different." Said another guard.


    "Hmm, Jov didn''t attack with all his might at first, and that put him in a precarious situation." Said Pyke with a thoughtful face.


    But even if he used everything he had, Pyke thought Jov would still have a tough fight ahead of him, and he couldn''t defend himself from an attack like the one he received. He had to dodge with all he had. Therefore, trying to defend would be too risky.


    After a few seconds, Jov recovered from the shock and the attack. He wasn''t badly hurt. In fact, he only had a few scratches. That''s because, although his shield had broken, he had still absorbed most of the damage.


    "The young master won. Even if I hadn''t made the mistake of underestimating him, it would still be a difficult game." Jov said with a disappointed look.


    Even if it was someone with better techniques and their leader, it was still very embarrassing for many people to lose to someone with lesser cultivation.


    "It doesn''t matter, but it''s good for all of us to improve our behavior in the battle. Underestimating the enemy is often one of the biggest reasons for the death of cultivators." Said Pyke while massaging his chin.


    "Hmm, Commander Pyke is right. Anyway, that''s it for today. Tomorrow we will have two other fights." Said Minos with a smile on his face. He was pleased with this start.


    After a while, they all dispersed. Minos returned to the Spatial Kingdom and concentrated on cultivating and training his techniques. He really liked to fight and wanted to do his best in his next fights!


    ¡­


    The day passed, and Minos was ready to face his first match of the day. Today''s opponent is called Yel, 29 years old, level 27. He was not very tall, with 1.7 meters and a full beard.


    This time, there weren''t many people in the courtyard. Aside from Minos and Yel, there were only three more people, with one of them being Commander Pyke. The other guards, as much as they wanted to watch the fights to prepare themselves better, they still had their responsibilities in the city.


    Minos and Yel faced each other, while one held a sword and the other held a war hammer. Then, Pyke finally started the fight.


    Immediately Minos activated his Spatial Sword because today, his opponent would already be waiting for it. That way, he didn''t want to give him any chance to prepare himself.


    The space at a radius of 10 meters around Minos was then frozen, slightly slowing Yel''s speed.


    Meanwhile, Yel activated his innate ability, Physical Strength, which increased both the defense and the user''s attack. This ability was not a technique but a characteristic of Yel''s Warrior-grade Physique.


    As is known, the Physique in the Spiritual World was classified in 5 degrees, being: Common, Warrior, King, Saint, and Divine. And regardless of the degree of the Physique, all people will have innate abilities.


    In the case of Minos, it was a skill that increased his energy. For Yel, one that increased his physical strength. As for the quality of the skill, depending on the Physique''s rating that the cultivator had.


    Swooish!


    At the same time, Yel tried to deflect the blade of energy coming towards him. But it was too fast, and he was slowing down.


    Then Yel activated his defense technique, Stone Body, which could increase the body''s hardness in many folds.


    Hong!


    An explosion sounded when the blade hit Yel''s shoulder.


    But this time, Minos'' opponent wasn''t defeated in a single move. Yel had felt the blow, but he had both deflected part of the attack, and his defense had dissipated most of the damage.


    He only had discomfort in his shoulder and felt a little worn out from having almost consumed half of his energy just to defend himself!


    ''Ahh, at least now I have my chance to attack. He must be almost out of energy! ''Yel thought as he regretted not being able to dodge the attack.


    Then, Yel activated his attack technique quickly, without leaving much room for Minos to counterattack.


    Hammer of Heaven!


    This was a technique that used a hammer to crush enemy defenses. It could also send a wave of energy when activated from a distance from the enemy.


    Whack!


    When Minos saw the surge of energy coming his way, he immediately burned half his energy and activated his own defense technique.


    Indestructible Body!


    No visual changes appeared, but Minos often felt stronger than usual. He was prepared to receive Yel''s full blow to his chest while he was in a ''vulnerable'' position, ready to strike back!


    And since he was confident in his defense, he was already activating his attack technique simultaneously! He wanted to receive the enemy''s attack and immediately end the fight.


    Puff!


    A hollow sound was heard. It was as if Yel''s attack had completely dissipated when she touched Minos'' body.


    At that moment, Yel''s mouth opened in disbelief. He couldn''t believe it. However, he didn''t have much time to be surprised. In a fraction of milliseconds, a blade of air was almost hitting him!


    Swooish!


    He didn''t have time to activate his defensive technique, and soon a sound was heard.


    Hong!


    After that, Yel''s body was thrown for 6 meters before finally falling to the ground. He was not unconscious, but he was extremely stunned.


    Minos won the fight. However, he was also completely exhausted! Despite being on his feet, if his opponent weren''t exhausted too, then he would have no resistance.


    "Fantastic, young master Stuart won again!" Pyke thought as he analyzed what had happened.


    "It seems that someone at level 27 cannot break the young master''s defense." Said one of the two guards who were watching the fight.


    "Hmmm, it will be much more difficult than we thought to win that Silver-grade technique." The other guard commented.


    ¡­


    After that, Minos continued to fight each of level 27 guards for the next 3 days. In these struggles, only one surprise happened. One of the guards had a Warrior-grade Physique, with an innate ability that increased his speed!


    This made it possible for him to fight Minos and get a victory!


    After that, Minos fought with the 4 guards, who were at level 28, in two more days. This time he had two draws and two defeats.


    But he wasn''t discouraged. After these struggles, he understood his own strength and the difference between the levels. He also learned the importance that Physique had in fights.


    An innate ability that can be used in battles can unbalance a fight in the blink of an eye!


    Anyway, after these six days of fighting, he would rest for a day and return to his fighting routine in the next week.


    ¡­


    Minos was in the Spatial Kingdom cultivating on a lakefront location. A few hundred meters away, it was also possible to see Dillian and the two youths, Lee and Alison.


    Dillian was training in his healing technique while the two youths cultivated. They were already at level 4 and were constantly improving!


    And for Minos, he was also currently at level 22! After a week of fighting and hard cultivation, he had made progress. With that increase in strength, the fights that would come next week would be even more favorable for him.


    He was confident that at least he would beat a level 27 opponents and those two-level 28 opponents with whom he had drawn. As for the other two, he still wasn''t sure, but he wanted to reach a draw at least.

 Chapter 19: One Year

    Two weeks passed, and Minos was now at level 23. In that time, he has fought with all 10 guards who were between levels 27 and 28 two more times. From the matches, before he reached level 23, he beat everyone who was at level 27, two at level 28, drew with another, and lost to the last.


    By the next week, he was already at level 23, and although two of the guards had advanced to level 29, it didn''t help them much. Minos just didn''t win a game, which ended in a draw.


    The opponent in that match was the same one who had already beaten Minos twice. His name was Grym. He was 30 years old and level 29 when they fought the last time. He was a muscular, tall man.


    But what impressed Minos was the fact that this guard had a King-grade physique! This was surprising because, generally, you are not born with a Physique with a rating higher than the person''s talent.


    And since Grym had lived his entire life in the Dry City, it was unlikely that he would have improved his physique with external means.


    In the Spiritual World, although it is not possible to increase a person''s talent, they would still be able to advance through the bottlenecks to a certain extent, as long as that cultivator used special means to achieve this. And for the Physique, a person could increase their rating only once during their life, but for that, special means would also be needed.


    However, there would be a limit. For example, for the Physique, it was only possible to increase the classification by 1 degree. Only a mutant Physique like Minos could continue to improve!


    So, it was unlikely that Grym was born with a Warrior-grade Physique and then evolved into a King. There were no resources in this region for that!


    But despite being a rare thing, it was not impossible for such a thing to happen. Anyway, such an asset enabled Grym to have a good advantage in the battles against Minos.


    He had an innate ability, Mental Chaos, which put the opponent in a state of temporary confusion.


    And since Minos had a much lower level, he was very vulnerable to this ability. However, after reaching level 23, Minos managed to avoid defeat using all his strength.


    ...


    "Mia, call Commander Pyke. Ask him to bring the guard Grym with him too." Minos spoke to Mia as she went to his office.


    "Ok."


    A few hours later, the door to Minos''s office opened, and two men enter the place. It was Pyke and Grym.


    "Young Master Stuart, is there anything we can do for you?" Asked Pyke with a curious face.


    "In fact, I decided to reward the guard Grym for his performance over the past few weeks."


    "Although he did not win the three games that I had conditioned to receive the Silver-grade technique, he has not lost yet."


    Minos then looked at Grym and said. "That''s why I decided to award you with a Silver-grade technique."


    He then took a silver scroll from his spatial ring and tossed it to Grym.


    Grym was completely shocked when he heard and saw this. He wouldn''t even dream of having such a thing. Hell, even Black-grade techniques were too much for him!


    Meanwhile, Commander Pyke''s mouth was wide open. He also had an ambiguous feeling of happiness and envy at the same time. After all, this was his biggest dream, after Minos had let them learn Black-grade techniques!


    The technique that Minos gave to Grym was called DayDream. It placed the target in a hallucination, which would disorient him for 10 seconds, and if used during the day, it would have a double effect.


    "Thank you very much, young master Minos. I will train even harder starting today so as not to disappoint you." Said Grym, full of conviction.


    After that, guard Grym returned to his services while Minos and Pyke discussed matters relating to the administration of the Dry City.


    ...


    Time passed quickly, and it was time for the second harvest!


    A month and a half passed in the blink of an eye, and Minos was now at level 27!


    Within the Spatial Kingdom, the youths, Lee and Alison, also increased their strength during this period and were now at level 8. According to butler Dillian, these two should reach the Transition stage in another month!


    But for butler Dillian, he failed to make any progress. It took much longer for someone at the General Spiritual stage to make progress than at the lower levels.


    To get an idea, while someone with high talent and in a region of high concentration, it could go from level 0 to 10 in 2 or 3 months. And for the same cultivator to go from level 40 to 41, it could take 5 months!


    It wasn''t easy!


    And in addition to gathering an increasing amount of energy, they still needed to have an equivalent domain in each of their techniques. Otherwise, it would be very harmful to continue to move forward in the future.


    And as in higher stages, a higher number of techniques were trained¡­ This really increased the progression time a lot!


    Anyway, today, Minos and the butler Dillian left the Spatial Kingdom to solve the future issues of the Black Plain since a good amount of crystals would arrive for them soon.


    At this moment, Minos and Dillian were talking in the office when the door quickly opened, and Secretary Mia came through.


    "Young master, the manager Somir is here to see you," Mia said after entering Minos''s office.


    "Hehe, I think this guy came to negotiate. Last time we gave him a good profit. " Dillian said as he drank a cup of tea.


    "Hmmm, send him in, Mia."


    After a few seconds, the manager of the Central Market came through the door of Minos''s office. He looked very well, but he had a serious expression on his face.


    In fact, in the last harvest, Minos'' products sold so well that he was concerned that the young Stuart would not do more business with him due to the 10% fee he had charged.


    That is why he had come here after discovering that the current harvest was about to be done.


    "Nice to see you, Mr. Somir," Minos said with a smile on his face.


    "It is good to see you too, young master Minos. Today I came here to renegotiate the Central Market commission for the next harvest. "


    "Last time I charged a higher price because I didn''t know the product and it was a small quantity. But this time, I want to make the best price possible for the young master. "


    Minos then asked with an expressionless face. "Oh? And how much are we talking about? "


    "I thought of a rate of 3% of what is sold, it will be little for the Central Market in the first months of business, but over time we will have a good advantage," Somir spoke honestly.


    "Hmm, I can accept that fee, but we can renegotiate this in the future. How about we form a 5-year partnership? " Minos asked. That rate was good, but when trading yielded very high amounts, the Central Market would receive a considerable share!


    Therefore, Minos would renegotiate this contract in the future.


    "It works, too," Somir replied with relief. This was already expected, so he saw no problem with that. The main thing is that he would continue to sell Minos'' items!


    ...


    A year quickly passed. During that period, the Dry City grew steadily and now had more than 40,000 inhabitants. This is because part of the residents of the Black Plain had migrated to this city, which had been developing a lot in the last months.


    Many changes have occurred in the past period. For example, about 100 hectares, now planted in various crops, employed more than 10,000 people in the city!


    The numbers of the Army of the Black Plain also rose sharply and were now just over 600 members.


    As for the city, the most significant change was the use of spiritual stones in the four matrices. Now, Minos was supplying crystals to all of them every month. This resulted in yet another increase in spiritual density in the central parts of the city, which had made the population even happier!


    After all, with an increase in spiritual concentration, the cultivation speed of the entire population was increasing!


    Regarding Minos, he was now at level 33, while Dillian was at 47. As for the youths, Lee and Alison, they were already in the Spiritual Beginner stage!


    Minos had also undergone the first Physique mutation, going from the Common-grade to the Warrior-grade. As a result, the increase in spiritual energy that the Minos Physique''s innate ability provided went from 5% to 10%.


    During this period, there was also a good development in the strength of army soldiers, and many of them were already at their limit, level 39.


    Because of this, the need for spiritual pills was urgent!


    Minos then decided that since Elen had not returned during this period, he himself would go out towards Stone Island to do business. He also intended to start selling his items in that region, which would also be resolved on this trip.


    After a big meeting with the most important people in the government, it was decided that Dillian would stay to take care of the city in the absence of Minos. Meanwhile, now Cape Pyke and ten other soldiers of the same rank would accompany the young Stuart during the trip.


    This was a trip that could take from weeks to a few months, and as they had to go through several unknown regions, there was a need for such strength. Despite not being strong, the Black Plain still had some regions with the presence of low-level spiritual beasts. This was also a source of income in the region before Minos arrived.


    There could be other problems as well, so the group was made in the best possible way. Except for Minos, everyone was at level 39!

 Chapter 20: Coyotes

    It was dawn in the Dry City, while a group of 3 carriages were heading west of the Black Plain territory. It was very early, and the sun was still rising on the horizon, forming an excellent view to see.


    The group slowly passed through the crops that were planted on this side of the territory, leaving the city behind little by little.


    In the second carriage, Minos was enjoying the early morning while traveling. He really liked the feeling of the wind on his face, which he felt right now outside his carriage. The temperature was very pleasant, there was a beautiful view in front of him, and only the sounds of the beasts pushing the carriages were heard.


    Time slowly passed when Corporal Pyke approached Minos and said. "Young master, it will take us about 2 days to reach Maritime City. Since there is no other city until we get there, we will have to camp overnight."


    "Hmm, I know. Tell me about this Maritime City." Minos said curiously.


    After that, Pyke started to say everything he knew. "The Maritime City is a place within the Black Plain, where all the deals made between the Brown Kingdom and the Stone Island must pass."


    "This is because the Black Plain covers the entire coastline of the kingdom, so the Maritime City was established there, thousands of years ago, to provide a good structure for traders who come from that island, along with their items and also those who leave the kingdom for travel to there."


    "But even though this city is within the Black Plain, it is managed directly by the capital, the City of the Setting Sun."


    After a while, Pyke continued to speak. "Because of this, this city is much stronger than our Dry City. In it, there is always at least one Spiritual King guarding the city for the kingdom!"


    "Hmm, but wouldn''t that be too bad for someone at this level to be in such a poor region?" Asked Minos with a curious look.


    "It would be, but the kingdom gives a lot of importance to this place. That is why the capital made a major investment in arrays to improve the spiritual concentration of that city."


    "And those guardians who stay in the Maritime City are always replaced from time to time. So, it''s not such a bad thing for them."


    After talking for a while, Minos already understood basically about this place that they would have to pass.


    However, this place could certainly disrupt Minos'' plans. If the Brown Kingdom found out about the Black Plain business, then the noble families would try to get a slice.


    But Minos had no intention of letting others reap the rewards of his labor. Therefore, there were two paths to follow: establishing his own port city, and the other was to take the Maritime City.


    However, he would be becoming a rebel within the kingdom for this second alternative. And as a rebel¡­ He would have to fight an entire kingdom!


    He also didn''t have the strength to do that for years to come! Only the guardian in the Maritime City could wipe out all of Minos'' forces!


    ''Hmm, we have to build our own port at a considerable distance from the Maritime City.'' Minos thought as he calculated his next steps. This would at least delay the kingdom from laying its eyes on the Black Plain.


    ...


    Time passed, and the night was finally falling. The ten soldiers had already set up a small camp.


    Minos was cultivating with his spiritual crystals in his tent, as it wouldn''t be good if he disappeared in the middle of nowhere when a shout was suddenly heard from one of the soldiers.


    "Ahhh!"


    Everyone hurried to see what had happened.


    When they saw one of the soldiers with a sword in his hand, as he faced a group of 30 coyotes in front of him!


    Each of these spiritual beasts had incredibly red eyes while a string of drool dripped from their mouths. It seemed that this group of coyotes had found their dinner after a long time without food¡­


    All of them were in the 4th stage of cultivation, with the majority at the lowest levels and some close to the summit.


    Spiritual beasts in the Spiritual World also had the same ranks of cultivation as humans. The difference was that they couldn''t learn techniques. They just had ridiculously high physical strength. But some of them could have strange abilities¡­


    Therefore, beasts from the same cultivation stage as humans were normally stronger. That''s why the soldier shouted before, as seeing such a large group of these beasts scared him a lot!


    "Are you okay, Nedo?" Asked one of the soldiers who had first arrived at the scene.


    "Hmmm, I was just a little scared." He said as he continued to stare at the beasts.


    Minos then arrived at the scene after a few seconds. After seeing the group of coyotes, he smiled and said. "Everyone, calm down. This group may be large, but¡­"


    ''Hehe, this is going to be perfect for testing my new technique.'' Minos thought as he wore a wild smile on his face.


    As for this technique, he was referring to. It was the technique he had chosen when he reached level 30. It was called the Devouring Art, Golden-grade classification, 8 phases.


    When activated, if the enemy''s power is not greater than up to 100% than the user''s power, then the enemy''s energy is continually sucked by this technique within a certain area. This technique would also use some absorbed energy to trigger user attacks.


    This technique was limited to a radius of up to 50 meters from the user and a conversion factor of 20% in lower phases. In the final realization of the technique, the conversion factor would be 100%, and the area would be up to 50 kilometers!


    This meant that, in the initial phase, if 100 spiritual power had been devoured, then 20 would become the power for the user of the technique to use, as long as the technique was activated.


    The only disadvantage of this divine technique was that Minos could not absorb this spiritual power to increase his level!


    Minos then activated the Devouring Art and told the soldiers. "Follow me, let''s kill them all. This is good training."


    A circumference then formed within a radius of 50 meters. It looked like a black ring with a black fog inside. All the soldiers felt as if they had seen a technique coming straight from hell being activated.


    Zumm!


    A noise started as soon as the technique was activated. At this stage, Minos was unable to limit who he would absorb spiritual power from, so if the soldiers were inside the affected area, they would suffer too!


    "All of you, do not enter this space. Use your techniques to send long-range attacks." Said Minos as he prepared to activate his other two techniques.


    After that, each soldier began to release their attack techniques in the direction of the beasts.


    Boom! Boom!


    Explosion noises sounded, and Minos, who had already activated the Spatial Sword and Indestructible Body at the same time, was now sealing the movements of ten beasts.


    The space around these ten coyotes froze, and after another split second, Minos made several sword attacks. Each movement looked like a dance and was performed in a way that seemed excellent to the eye of the beholder.


    Swooish!


    Swooish!


    Sounds of air being cut were heard, and a second later, ten bodies fell to the ground without their heads. Blood then began to spill from the neck of the coyotes killed by Minos, spilling large amounts of blood on the ground.


    It was a magnificent scene to see! Not only were the soldiers amazed at how skillful this young man was in killing, but even the beasts that were defending themselves from the soldiers'' other attacks, were frightened.


    When one of the strongest beasts attacked Minos with a bloody expression!


    Grrr!!


    However, such an attack did not affect Minos, who had his Indestructible Body activated for the next 8 seconds.


    Vuuup!


    Another sword stroke sounded as the beast was hurled away. It was unknown whether it was alive or dead, but it certainly would have no further action in this attack.


    Time passed slowly, and the number of beasts dropped to less than 10. Minos'' soldiers were killing each of them in the meantime, reaching this result.


    Some beasts were trying to escape, but continually losing their energy to Minos and having to dodge the soldiers'' continuous attacks was very exhausting for these beasts.


    Soon they all died!


    "Hmm, very well, guys. You can collect the corpses and sell when we get to Maritime City."


    "As the value is not high, you can divide the crystals earned between you." Said Minos as he headed back to his hut.


    After hearing this, each of the soldiers was pleased. After all, even if they were not very valuable to Minos, they could still yield more than 1,000 spiritual crystals for each of these soldiers. That was more than 200% of what they earned monthly, as Corporals of the Black Plain Army.


    ¡­


    The night quickly passed, and the group prepared to leave this temporary camp as soon as the sun started to rise on the horizon. Tonight they would finally arrive in the Maritime City!

 Chapter 21: Spiritual Tournament

    A few weeks earlier...


    In a city in the Cromwell Kingdom, there was a girl with black hair, fair skin, a beautiful face, and sensual curves. She was eating at a restaurant while thinking about the information she had just gotten.


    Crunch!


    "Hm, it looks like the Spiritual Tournament at the Cromwell Kingdom is going to take place in 7 months. The youths up to 18 years of age will compete for the glory of being the best in the North of the Central Continent."


    "The awards follow the following order: first place will receive a prize of 500 medium-grade crystals and a Silver-grade technique. The second takes 300 crystals of the same level and a Black-grade technique, while the third gets 100 crystals of the same grade."


    The Spiritual Tournament in question was a competition held every 8 years in the North of the Central Continent. It was also a way in which future specialists in the region could get to know and understand the differences in power that could exist between regional geniuses. It was also an opportunity to see stronger places.


    This tournament took place in different kingdoms with each edition. This time, it would be in the Cromwell Kingdom, but the last edition had happened in the Kingdom of the Waves.


    The Spiritual Tournament was organized by the Flaming Empire sects as a selection form. This is because, even if this region was impoverished in spiritual energy, there was still the possibility that talented individuals would appear. Although unusual in these areas, there were always some individuals with Silver talent in previous editions of this tournament.


    And as people with such talent always looked for stronger places to go¡­ So, the Flaming Empire sects were happy to profit from it.


    That was why there was such a generous reward for first place!


    For this competition, due to the age limit and the average talent found in this region, the participants'' strength was largely at the beginning of the 4th stage, with many being in the final parts of the 4th stage. But now and then, there might be some individuals who were already in the 5th stage, above level 40!


    These individuals generally dominated the competition and were in the top three!


    "Hmm, let''s see if that Minos will be at least at the beginning of the 4th stage, which is the minimum cultivation to participate in this competition when the competition starts."


    "Hehe, if he agrees to participate as my master said, I want to see his face when he sees how big the world is." She thought with a mocking smile on her face.


    This girl was Ruth Miles, a disciple of Minos'' mother, Maisie Coleman, and of the Gray Cloud Sect of the Flaming Empire. She was now at level 45, at the age of 18.


    She was someone with Silver talent, as was her teacher and many of the members of the Gray Cloud Sect.


    "Ahh, when I think that now I have to go to the Black Plain and accompany that disgusting Minos for the next few months, I feel so bad."


    After that, she paid her bill at the restaurant and headed north to the Cromwell Kingdom, where the kingdom''s border with the Black Plain was.


    ¡­


    Hours passed when the three carriages of the group of Minos passed by the plains of the Black Plain. The group had recovered well from the battle against coyotes the night before.


    Now they were only a few kilometers away from the Maritime City. The smell of salt in the air could already be felt from where the group was.


    Then a beautiful view was ahead of Minos. An average city, very well-built and preserved. There were palm trees near a beach, not far from the city.


    There was a bay at a point on the far side of the beach, with a considerable building and several ships.


    The city was also quite green, which was in stark contrast to the reality of the Black Plain.


    The group''s carriages then entered the city. They decided to go to the pier and rent a boat to travel to Stone Island.


    "Young master, the Maritime City, despite not being as big as other important cities, you can find many things here. We should definitely look around to see if there is anything." Corporal Pyke said with a smile on his face.


    What he said was really the truth. Even though it was in the Black Plain, this city had many merchants from the Brown Kingdom and Stone Island. So, there was a lot of business there, but not only that, but the big families of these two states also passed through this place when they went from one region to another. So, there were many opportunities here.


    Arriving at the pier, the group of Minos was soon attended to by a uniformed young woman. "Welcome to the pier of the Maritime City. Are you looking for a boat to go to Stone Island?"


    Minos then replied. "Hmm, I would like to rent a boat for Stone Island."


    The young woman then explained. "Well, we have two types of options for this service."


    "First, it is a boat without a crew, which costs 2,000 crystals for a group like yours."


    "The second is to rent a boat with a crew, which would cost 5,000 crystals. I recommend that you choose the second option if it is your first time traveling by boat from here to Stone Island." Said the young woman with a sincere expression on her face.


    "I understand. We will take the second option."


    After paying for the boat''s booking with a crew to travel in two days, Minos and his group proceeded towards the center of the city where they would stay.


    ¡­


    On the street, while Minos went with some of his soldiers to a restaurant near the hotel where they were staying, two people passed by talking loudly.


    "Believe me, Bill, I heard that a grade-2, low-grade, sword is going to be sold at the auction that will take place tomorrow." Said a muscular man with long hair.


    "Mick, even on Stone Island, there are few places that can sell grade-2 weapons, let alone our city..."


    "This must be a rumor that Chief Ryan, from the Ocean Market, dropped to attract people to the monthly auction." Replied a middle-aged man who had a large sword on his back.


    When he heard that, Minos soon became interested in this auction that will take place at the Ocean Market the next day.


    After all, he himself had a high-level sword technique, but he did not have an adequate weapon. His current sword was a grade-1, medium-level, which he had obtained in the Dry City.


    As for the weapons of the inheritance that Minos had received, they were all grade-3 and grade-4! He simply had no power to use a weapon of this level.


    And although Minos is at level 33, and a grade-2 weapon requires their user to be at least level 40, he could use weapons that required up more levels at this point due to the Indestructible Body technique.


    This was because the technique made Minos'' body much stronger and more resilient during the 10 seconds of duration. And in that time, his defense would be impenetrable for those up to 100% stronger than him.


    To give you an idea, level 40 had exactly twice as much energy as someone at level 35. However, due to Minos Physique''s innate ability, he would achieve the equivalent energy of level 35 at level 34!


    That way, the young Stuart had to go up just one more level to be able to use a grade-2, low-grade weapon!


    Of course, he could also only use a weapon of this classification for the time of 10 seconds that the technique gave. And considering his strength, Minos would also need to activate the Devouring Art not to exhaust himself completely. But for him, a grade-2 sword would definitely be worth it, even if he has to fulfill so many requirements.


    ¡­


    On the other side of the city, a group of three people was around a young man with blond hair. On his clothes was the symbol of a silver eagle. These people were members of the Silva family!


    "Young master, are you sure you want to stay here another day just for that rumor?" Asked one of the three men, who seemed doubtful about such a story.


    "Protector Philip, as you know, I will participate in the Spiritual Tournament in 7 months, so if I have a grade-2 weapon, I can have a good advantage in the competition." Said the young man with blond hair.


    This was Darell Silva, the youngest son of the Silva family''s master. He was at level 38, had a Black talent, and was 17 at the present time.


    But even though he was at level 38, Darell was confident that he could reach level 39 during the tournament and also be able to use a grade-2 weapon.


    "This is a great opportunity for me. Even for our Silva family, it is not easy to obtain a weapon of this grade. And even if we did, we would have to spend hundreds of medium-grade spiritual crystals to buy one."


    In the Silva family, weapons of such a degree were given only to those Spiritual Kings and some high-ranking members of the 5th stage of cultivation.


    And despite being the son of the master of the sect, Darell would still take a long time before his father gave him a weapon of that level. After all, his family had a limited number of weapons at that level, just 20!


    "That''s true¡­" Protector Philip sighed in lament.

 Chapter 22: Auction

    A day passed quickly, and a beautiful sunset could be seen in the city while the auction slowly approached.


    Minos was standing with some of his guards in front of a large building in the central part of the Maritime City. It was a massive building with a luxurious decoration that would make anyone think that it was in the capital of the kingdom and not in this desolate region of the Black Plain.


    There was a lot of movement in front of the Ocean Market. Most of them were concentrated at the main entrance of the place. But there was a second entrance a few meters away, where from time to time, very well-dressed and escorted people passed. That was the VIP entrance.


    At that moment, Pyke started to speak with a serious look. "Young master, I just found out that there are two ways to enter this auction."


    "The first is paying a fee of 1,000 low-grade crystals to enter the common section of the auction. That part corresponds to this place." Pyke pointed to the long line while talking to Minos.


    "The second section is generally used by people from large families in the Brown Kingdom or those who intend to do big business in the auction. This is the VIP section. In it, the identity of those inside the room is kept confidential during the entire auction, and each VIP room has an exclusive outlet."


    "To enter it, it is necessary to make a deposit of 200 medium-grade crystals that must be spent during the auction. If the person does not spend the deposited amount, then he will not be able to recover his crystals."


    "Of course, members of the big families in the kingdom do not have to pay this deposit." Pyke finished.


    "Hm, I understand. We will pay that deposit, then. It is better not to take unnecessary risks. If the grade-2 sword is being sold, then I will buy it for sure." Said Minos with a resolute expression.


    Then, Corporal Pyke made the deposit at the Oceanic Market and got the VIP identification. After that, they entered the building through the VIP entrance.


    "Sir, can I see your identification?" Asked a young attendant with a smile on her face.


    After showing the identification to the attendant, she spoke. "Please, I will take you to your room."


    Then, Minos was accommodated in a large room with sofas, drinks, and snacks. There was a large glass that overlooked the auction stage and also a concealment array.


    It didn''t take long before the common area was completely full. It was almost time for the auction to start when the luminous arrays were finally extinguished, leaving only part of the stage illuminated.


    Time passed, and soon a middle-aged man took the stage. He was very well-dressed, with a luxurious suit that matched with his full beard and short hair.


    Minos and his group did not know, but this person was already at level 49, the limit of the General Spiritual stage. But many eyes in the audience recognized the man''s strength and were already shaking with excitement. Such a person as an auctioneer, this could only mean that, in fact, there was a big ''item'' being auctioned at this time!


    "Good night, everyone, and welcome to the Oceanic Market, I think everyone is already impatient to start, so I won''t waste much time."


    "Today, we have some high-level items for our region, so prepare your crystals! Hehehe, as for the number of objects auctioned, today we have only 10."


    He then clapped his hands and said. "I announce that the monthly auction of the Oceanic Market is open!"


    Soon after, lights focused on an ''item'' that was already on stage in a place previously prepared. It was aged black parchment.


    "To begin with, this is a specialized technique in moving, classified as Black-grade and with 4 phases. It is called Floating Steps and can cause the user to triple his speed within a 20-second interval in the initial phase. That value can be increased exponentially in the following phases."


    "The initial bid for the technique is 5,000 low-grade crystals, with a minimum increase of 100 crystals."


    "5,500," said someone at the moment the auctioneer had just finished speaking.


    ''Hm, I don''t have any moving techniques in this classification to make available to the soldiers of the Black Plain Army.'' Minos thought reflexively.


    He did not want to distribute his Silver or Golden-grade techniques to people he did not trust or had not made large contributions to. That is why he had planned to give Black-grade techniques to those who entered his forces.


    Only with their own merit could those soldiers obtain the best techniques. This was a measure to prevent Minos'' future enemies from stealing techniques from him!


    At this point, the bid for the technique had already reached 7,200 when Minos made his bid.


    "8,000"


    After that, there was a momentary silence in the hall. This was a good technique, but paying more than eight thousand was already a lot for a moving technique of this grade.


    "The lord in room 3 made a bid of 8,000, does anyone else?" Asked the auctioneer.


    Finally, the auctioneer sold Floating Steps to Minos. Then, an attendant went to the stage and took the technician to the VIP room where Minos'' group was.


    "Next, we will have a spiritual shield-type armor that can withstand an attack with all the power of someone at level 40. It was produced by an experienced blacksmith from Stone Island who is at the height of grade-1, high-level." The auctioneer pointed to a suit of armor that looked like a large metallic robe.


    "The starting bid is 3,000 low-grade crystals, with a minimum increase of 100."


    "3,200"


    "3,600"


    The bidding continued for a while until the armor was sold for 5,800 crystals. Minos made no move, as he already had his Indestructible Body, which could defend against someone''s attacks at level 39 and would continue to improve in a short time.


    Time passed, and two other items were sold. One was a grade-1, high-level, war hammer, which was sold for 7,000 crystals, and the other was a grade-1, medium-level, spiritual meeting array, which was auctioned for 11,000 low-grade crystals.


    "The next ''item'' is a map that, according to our studies, appears to be from a period of more than 100,000 years ago. From the items represented on the map and the assessment of the highest level expert on the subject within the Cromwell Kingdom, this map refers to a high-level region in the south of the Central Continent."


    "As many of you may know, today, in the southern region of our continent, there is only one empire and one kingdom. However, this is considered to be the strongest region, with several experts who have reached level 100 in the past. So, this map can take you to a precious place if you have the courage to take a chance."


    "Perhaps even you can enter a Spatial Kingdom!"


    After saying that, everyone was absolutely silent. Going to such a strong place was a chance for anyone, but immense dangers would also accompany any opportunity that came.


    "Interesting, maybe I will visit the south of the continent when I am chosen by one of the sects of the Flaming Empire." Said the young master of the Silva family in his private room.


    "Young master, this is very dangerous. Even Spiritual Emperors are common in the south of the continent." Alerted the protector Philip.


    The auctioneer then continued. "As there is a chance that the map will not lead to any great treasure, the Ocean Market has evaluated this'' item ''at 5,000 crystals, with a minimum increase of 500 low-grade crystals."


    Soon after, offers were made.


    "5,500"


    "6,000"


    "6,500"


    "7,000"


    "10,000" The young Darell made a big move at once.


    "10,000, for the gentleman in room 5, does anyone give more?" The auctioneer asked as he looked in the direction of the eight special rooms.


    "Very well! The map will be sold for 10,000 to the lord of room 5."


    The auction continued for a while, but no ''item'' caught the attention of Minos or the young master of the Silva family. The most expensive was sold at 7,000 crystals and the cheapest at 5,000.


    When the ninth ''item'' was finally auctioned off, a sword was slowly lit on the stage. It was about 1 meter long, with a spiral symbol on the snitch and a four-leaf clover-like handguard. The auctioneer continued with his expressionless face when he announced.


    "The last'' item ''of our auction is something that has been generating rumors in our city recently. And in fact, these rumors were true, this is a grade-2, low-level, spiritual sword, which was forged by a great blacksmith from the Kingdom of the Waves, and it will be auctioned now."

 Chapter 23: The End of the Auction

    When the auctioneer started talking, all the spaces in the Oceanic Market were silenced. At that moment, one could even hear a needle fall to the ground. Everyone was so focused on this sword that no one dared to say anything before the auctioneer.


    In room number 5, the young Darell was smiling from ear to ear. He thought to himself. ''Hehehe, this sword will be mine. Nobody in this place can compete with my Silva family!''


    The auctioneer then proceeded with his presentation. "As most people know, grade-2, low-grade, weapon requires a minimum level to use. For this sword, the lowest level you should have is 40. Below that, it would be of no use to you."


    "And even if you have the minimum level required, under normal conditions, it is complicated for someone to get their hands on weapons like this in our kingdom."


    This was a fact for the northern region of the Central Continent, where the powers were at most at level 59. This was a limiter, as for a blacksmith to develop a grade-2 weapon, they would have to be between levels 40 and 59.


    As for the level of the weapon in grade-2, the blacksmith would have to be between levels 40 and 48 to forge one of low-level. For a medium-level, they would have to be between levels 49 and 55. And remaining high-level weapons, which required someone with minimum spiritual energy equivalent to a Spiritual King, from levels 56 to 59.


    This uneven differentiation between these classifications was related to the amount of energy that the blacksmith could handle. Therefore, the higher the level of the weapon, the greater the energy that would be needed during the forging.


    That was why it was difficult to have many grade-2 weapons being sold around, as in this auction made by the Oceanic Market. The number of grade-2, low-level, blacksmiths was not small, but they sold their weapons to a number of hundreds of times higher than theirs!


    And as for those blacksmiths of grade-2, medium-level, they were still fewer numbers. As for the last step¡­ Their number would not exceed 15 in the entire northern region of the Central Continent!


    Because of all this, having a grade-2 weapon was something that most cultivators of the General Spiritual stage could only hope for. Even Spiritual Kings had to be content, in many cases, with a grade-2, low-grade, weapons because there weren''t many better than that on the market.


    As for the big families generally had one or two high-level weapons, while most would be low-level.


    The reason why Minos did not inherit any grade-2 weapons from his father, this was because Albert Stuart was a subordinate of the royal family. And as such, when Albert passed away, the Brown family collected his spiritual weapon.


    "Well, we''re not going to mess around too much. The former owner of this weapon decided to dispose of it for his own reasons. However, we make sure that it is in good condition."


    "As for its minimum bid, the previous owner demanded that trading be done with medium-grade crystals. Therefore, the initial price will be 200 crystals, with a minimum increase of 20 crystals." Said the auctioneer, while he had his arms behind his back, with an expressionless face.


    Soon after, someone made the initial move. "220."


    "240."


    "300." The young master of the Silva family shouted loudly.


    "320." Minos then made his first move.


    "340." Young Darell said while having a nervous expression on his face. He couldn''t believe he had someone with as many medium-grade crystals as he did.


    However, he only had a total of 400 crystals of that level! Minos then said calmly. "360."


    Darell Silva then couldn''t take it anymore when he said it. "380! Friend, I am the young master of the Silva family, so give me a face here."


    Soon after that, many people started to argue in the common area of ??the hall.


    "Wow, I never thought that someone of such status would be here today." Someone said surprisingly.


    "Hmph, what a despicable thing, he uses his family''s status to get the sword." Said another person, disdainful.


    "He is only doing what he can to get such a weapon. If I were in his place, then I would do the same." Said a young man in the middle of the group.


    While everyone was discussing the presence of the young master of the Silva family, Minos was as calm as before while he was thinking. ''Oh! The young master of the Silva family, you say¡­ I don''t give a damn.''


    When many were beginning to think that the auction would end this way, Minos then spoke coolly.


    "400!"


    Everyone in the hall was silent after that.


    "Is he really going to challenge the Silva family?" Someone asked in disbelief.


    "Perhaps he is a member of a power as big as the Silva family..."


    When Darell heard Minos'' bid, he nearly vomited blood. ''Who is this bastard?'' He thought to himself.


    "It seems that this young master doesn''t care about that at all. Can you at least tell me what strength is behind you?" Asked the young master Silva.


    ''Hmph, if you are a nobody, then I will just kill you and take that sword by force.'' He thought with an evil look on his face.


    While everyone was thinking about the possible response of the big shot in room 3, not a word was heard. Minos completely ignored this member of the Silva family.


    ''Tell you where I come from? Do you think I''m stupid? ''Minos thought to himself with a smirk on his face.


    After a while of such silence, the auctioneer ignored the fact that the young Darell was left in a vacuum and then said. "Any other move higher than that of the gentleman in room 3?"


    At this point, Darell Silva was steaming with rage when he said to protector Philip with a grotesque expression. "Find out who that person is as soon as possible!"


    "Well, since there are no more offers, the ''item'' will be sold for 400 medium-grade crystals to the gentleman in room 3." Said the auctioneer with the same empty expression as before.


    After that, a young receptionist at the auction took the sword that was placed in a metal box to Minos'' office.


    "Okay, that''s it for this time. The Ocean Market expects guests to come back whenever possible. In one month, we will have a new round of auctioned items."


    He then sighed and said. "The auction is officially over!"


    Inside room number 3.


    "Young master, disregarding that member of the Silva family can be very problematic for us." He alerted Corporal Pyke with a concerned face.


    "Don''t worry about this now. Even if he finds out who I am, he is likely to think that I spent all my inheritance from my father on that sword. "


    "Therefore, this person should not involve the top echelons of the Silva family. He''ll probably want to act on his own and take the sword after he kills me. This must be the most likely course of action for him. "


    "But with the protection given by the Oceanic Market and the fact that we are going to the Stone Island at dawn, even if he finds out, it will only happen when we are far away from here," Minos said with a smile on his face.


    "And even if he follows us to the Stone Island, I am still confident that we will emerge victoriously."


    After hearing this, the soldiers who were with Minos sighed in relief. They were not like their young master. They did not like fights and exciting things.


    After that, the sword of grade-2 was finally delivered through a special space that was on each door of the VIP rooms. This was a mechanism to avoid the contact of the low-ranking employees of the Ocean Market with the special customers.


    This is because these groups were often more vulnerable to passing on inside information. With measures like this, the Ocean Market would, at least, somewhat hinder the criminal actions that could occur after a valuable ''item'' is sold.


    After checking the sword for a moment, Minos kept it in his spatial ring and led the group out of the large building where the auction was held.


    After leaving the building by an exclusive exit, Minos and his group walked for some time until they reached the hotel where they were staying. They would stay for a few more hours and then begin the maritime part of their journey to Stone Island!


    ¡­


    While the group did this, there were three people in a certain hotel on the other side of the city. There were two protectors and the young master of the Silva family.


    ''Shit, shit, shit.'' Darell was furious at what happened at the auction. He had missed a golden chance of getting an important weapon for his future plans.


    "Young master, don''t worry too much now. Philip will find out about that person''s past soon. When this happens, we can act." Said a strong and tall man, who was dressed in silver armor.

 Chapter 24: Boat Trip

    The sun was shining on the horizon as the day slowly set in. There was a medium-sized boat traveling northwest of the Black Plain region. This boat was very well looked, and although it was not luxurious, it had the basics to accommodate a group of fewer than 15 people and was very clean.


    At that moment, its was sailing calmly, while the sea had a calm and beautiful appearance. The water was crystal, clear to the point of seeing a few meters of depth. Anyone could see several fish coming and going. The noise of some seagulls could also be heard in the distance.


    There were 14 people on the boat. These were the group of Minos, plus the boat crew in question. They had left the Maritime City very early, even before sunrise.


    For this part of the trip to Stone Island, Minos and his group would have to spend 3 days traveling on that boat. This was a long-distance, and they didn''t have the most powerful boat available.


    However, this was not a problem for Minos, but perhaps it was for some of his guards¡­ Some of the group were traveling by boat for the first time and were very sensitive. Even for this small stretch with calm waters, some of them were already feeling sick.


    Of course, if their level had reached the General Spiritual stage, none of this would have happened. That''s because being able to use free energy in nature improved your senses to the point where you could ignore certain sensations around you.


    But it was a pity that none of them reached this level, despite the small distance from the current cultivation of each of them. However, this would be resolved when they arrive at Stone Island.


    Minos planned to buy several spiritual pills, which could help his subordinates to level up. With that, at least on the way back from the trip, they wouldn''t have this problem¡­


    At that moment, a young woman dressed in a cook''s uniform and with a decent appearance was bringing some delicacies and drinks for Minos to try.


    "Young master, try this meal that I prepared." Said the young woman in a lovely voice.


    There were several sliced fruits on the plates placed on a table, some pasta that looked like different types of bread with jars of jam and pasta on the side. There were also two different types of juices.


    "Oh! It looks delicious." Minos exclaimed in surprise.


    Although he paid a good amount of crystals for this trip, he did not expect much from the services offered. So, he was surprised to see such quality.


    Crunch!


    "Hmmm, this is very good. Can I know what you are called?" Minos asked as he savored his meal.


    "This humble one is called Wendi, young master." She answered.


    "So Wendi, do you know where these products come from?" Minos asked curiously.


    He, of course, was interested in knowing where these items came from, which had a decent amount of spiritual energy.


    "I''m not sure, but I believe its came from the Cromwell Kingdom, as its have a great spiritual quality." Replied Wendi.


    "Oh! I understand¡­"


    "By the way, are you from the Maritime City or somewhere on Stone Island?" Minos asked with a smile on his face.


    Anyone who saw how he was talking to this girl would think he was interested in her, but that was not the case. Despite being a young man who had his interests, Minos had many commitments and had not yet been involved with anyone.


    And although he was not against the idea of ??having more than one woman or having casual relationships, he is not yet looking to have relationships with someone he has just met. So, he was not trying to get this girl to bed but trying to learn something from her.


    "I am from Maritime City, young master."


    "Hmm, how is your life over there? Any major problems that ordinary people often face?" Minos asked curiously.


    "Nothing critical, just the usual. Although the city is within the Black Plain, it still has a better spiritual concentration than the surroundings."


    "It is also not easy to go to other places when you don''t have a high talent. But despite paying a higher tax, living in the Maritime City still creates many opportunities for those who are from this region, and there is also nothing much better where we can go here." She said sincerely.


    "I see¡­" Minos said thoughtfully.


    "Why does the young master ask about this?" She asked curiously.


    "Curiosity¡­ I heard that there was a place around here by the Black Plain, which had good opportunities for people with less talent," Minos spoke vaguely.


    "You should be looking for such a place within 1 year. Maybe you have an opportunity to improve your life."


    After hearing this, the young woman returned to the kitchen inside the boat. She did not understand this young master very well.


    There was nowhere like what this young master had said as far as she knew. Apart from the Maritime City, there was nowhere with opportunities within thousands of kilometers.


    ¡­


    While Minos and his group traveled slowly to Stone Island, there were 3 people around a well-dressed young man in a hotel in the Maritime City.


    Three of them were standing on the balcony of the room they were in while the young man was sitting in a chair. The young man was eating calmly while the three people around him were giving him the important information he needed to know.


    "Young master, I discovered the identity of that person who bought the grade-2, low-grade, sword at yesterday''s auction."


    "And to my surprise, he is someone that the young master already knows." Protector Philip said with a smile on his face.


    "Oh! What big family is he from? Maybe from the Miller family?" Asked the young Darell.


    "No, hehe, actually, that someone has no support."


    "He is the brat of former General Albert Stuart!"


    Gulp!


    "How can it be? How could this guy get in my way? Isn''t he afraid of dying for offending someone he can''t?" Darell started to speak as he grew more and more irritated.


    He could hardly believe that the person who made him lose his face the night before was that ant! Such a worm spent an incredible 6 years in an unconscious state while losing the best time for cultivation! The young Darell was increasingly irritated by this.


    "That worm must have spent his father''s entire inheritance on buying that sword. But, why would he do that?" Darell asked out loud.


    "He should hardly have started cultivating. Even if he were a genius at first, it would take a few years before he could use such a sword."


    "Hehe, maybe he is being used by someone. From what I heard, there were 10 other people in his group. But none of them had the profile of the butler Dillian. Maybe he was kidnapped or something."


    "Regardless, I knew that the strongest one is not even at level 40. So, picking up this sword will be like taking candy from a child, hehehe." Said the protector Philip with an evil smile on his face.


    Philip was confident of being able to destroy the group of Minos easily. After all, there were three Spiritual Generals in his group, at levels 41, 42, and 43, counting on him.


    And even if the opponent''s numbers were higher and that gave them an advantage when they combined their power against each of the protectors, there was still the fact that the three protectors of the Silva family had one more technique than the enemies, due to the fact they are in a stage of higher cultivation.


    The number of techniques could be a great advantage in a fight, which could turn the result!


    As for Minos, he did not care for such a person. Even if he had started to cultivate the moment he woke up, he should not have been above level 19...


    "That''s right, haha. It makes things easier for me. Not only did I not spend my precious medium-grade crystals, but I can also get this grade-2 sword, for free and very easily." Darell now had a dazzling smile on his face. "Where is him now?" The young master Silva asked anxiously.


    The protector Philip then said. "He and his group left the Maritime City earlier today. They were going to Stone Island. Tsh, they know how to get away¡­"


    "This is not bad at all. I was already going there. We go immediately. As soon as we get there, we have to hunt and kill that idiot and the group with him."


    "Hehe, now I will have the sword of grade-2, and I can still get a spiritual pill to level up. It seems that I will do very well in the Spiritual Tournament." Darell spoke with great anticipation.


    After saying this, Darell Silva and his three protectors left the hotel and headed towards the port of Maritime City. They would start following in Minos'' footsteps from then on!

 Chapter 25: Shocking Changes

    Two days passed quickly when a young woman was approaching the Dry City. She used a spiritual beast in the 4th stage of cultivation, which looked like a great eagle. It was completely white, over 2 meters high, and had a sharp beak that was completely yellow.


    The young woman had beautiful black hair, a graceful face, and a sensual body, which would make any ordinary person lose their attention for a moment. She was also very well-dressed, with a long green dress and a white hat on her head.


    When she was finally supposed to be seeing the Dry City in front of her, she was slowly beginning to see a strange landscape. There was a large part of the territory covered in green. Clearly, there were many cultures growing in these areas.


    The place of these cultures was not that large in area, but it would be enough for anyone to notice such a thing. This made this young woman doubt for a moment whether she was really on the Black Plain and, specifically, close to the Dry City.


    That''s because when she came to this place just over 13 months ago, there was no such thing! She was very confused by this, but she decided to go ahead and ask the questions that she had in a second moment.


    She slowly descended from the south side of the city, leaving her great eagle in an open place, following her journey on foot through the city. As she walked down the street, she quickly got lost and didn''t know where to go. The place was completely different!


    She hadn''t seen so many buildings in this city when she came here before! ''How can this place have changed so much in such a short time?'' She thought with a shocked expression on her face.


    And really, the change that the Dry City has undergone in the last year has been simply amazing. Now, the area size of the city had decreased by almost two-thirds, but the little more than one-third of the original area remaining was flourishing in the best possible way!


    This was due to the 4 spiritual arrays of grade-1, high-level, installed near the city''s central region. As a result, the regions affected by the arrays soon underwent a major change.


    The empty grounds were filled with new homes, buildings, and those old buildings that were improved and expanded to accommodate a larger number of people. Meanwhile, the rest of the city has been emptied and completely destroyed.


    And all of this was done following Minos'' planning for the city. So, there was a very nice look to the city now. It didn''t look like a huddle that grew uncontrollably, but it seemed well-planned and had a feeling of convenience and comfort.


    If looked from above, the city''s shape would look like 4 large circles that intersected near Minos'' mansion. There were also a considerable amount of trees on the streets that made you forget that you were in the poor lands of the Black Plain.


    ''Ahhh'' The young woman let out a slight cry of surprise, but luckily no one heard her. The reason for such a cry was that she realized that the amount of spiritual energy around the city was at least 50% greater than when she came here last time.


    ''How did this happen? I thought this place had a spiritual root that sucked out a lot of the free energy in heaven and earth. How did they solve this problem?'' She thought to herself as she continued to walk around the city.


    She finally managed to find the mansion in the middle of the city after asking for directions from people on the streets.


    But seeing the mansion also surprised her. The place was at least 3 times bigger than before. There were also a lot of people coming and going, wearing the same type of uniform.


    In front of the mansion, there was a lush garden with a fountain in the middle. In the background, the building with 4 floors and many windows could be seen. Although not overly luxurious, it was well done.


    There weren''t many spiritual arrays in it since Minos still needed to bring array masters to the Dry City, but there were some that belonged to the building before modernization.


    Anyway, the young woman slowly entered the building, while her mouth was open in shock at everything she saw.


    She finally returned to normal after hearing someone speak to her. "Welcome to the local government. How can I help you." Said Secretary Mia, who was at the reception, next to Minos''s office.


    "Hmm, I would like to see Minos Stuart." Said the young woman quickly.


    "I''m sorry to inform you, but the young master is not in the Dry City at this moment," Mia replied sincerely.


    "Isn''t he? And where would he go?"


    Mia then replied nonchalantly. "I can''t report this."


    "You can not? So who''s in charge here? Let me talk to him. I am here at the behest of your young master''s mother." Said the young woman impatiently.


    She was the disciple of Minos'' mother, Ruth Miles, who had come with Maisie the last time. With the time that passed, she was already at level 45, and after leaving her last training, she had decided to come to fulfill the mission that her teacher had passed.


    "Oh! So, it was you. Butler Dillian is in charge now. Come with me."


    A while later, they headed for Minos'' office, where Dillian was at the moment.


    Dillian was dispatching a soldier when the office door opened, and Mia and young Ruth entered.


    "Butler Dillian, this lady is here because of the young master''s mother." Mia said quickly before leaving the room.


    "So you''re here at the behest of Mrs. Maisie. Can you tell me the reason for your visit?" Dillian asked with a smile on his face.


    "My master gave me the mission to come here, after a year and a half from when we last came here, but as I finished my recent training earlier, I decided to come just before this time."


    "She had ordered me to find her son after that time to assess his level. If he had reached the 4th stage of cultivation, I should talk about the Spiritual Tournament, which will take place in 7 months in the Cromwell Kingdom, and then accompany him there if he decided to participate in this competition."


    "Hm, I see, Mrs. Maisie wants the young master to fight with the younger generation to understand a little of the world." Said Dillian as he held his hands behind his back.


    "I really think it might be a good idea, but the young master is on his way to Stone Island. And I don''t know when he comes back. It could take a few weeks."


    "Stone island? Why did he go there?" Ruth asked curiously.


    Butler Dillian said vaguely. "As a leader, the young master has his responsibilities."


    "But if you want to go after him, then you must look for someone named Elen Nash. The young master must meet with her when he arrives at the Stone Island."


    "I understand... In fact, how has this place changed so much in such a short time?" Ruth asked with a curious look on her face.


    "Haha, you must be very curious, huh? I will not go into details, but when the young master said that he did not need Mrs. Maisie''s help, how can I say¡­ He was not kidding." Dillian said as he had a big proud smile on his face.


    Seeing and hearing this, Ruth didn''t know what to say while she was thinking to herself. ''Where does all this confidence come from? Even though this place has improved a lot, it still doesn''t give you the right to say that you don''t need the help of a sect like ours.''


    After a while, she finally spoke. "Hehe, it seems that you are very confident in your young master."


    The butler Dillian just smiled but said nothing. He didn''t need to talk about Minos'' secrets, just because the other side was not an enemy! Even if she were the mother of his young master, he still wouldn''t say anything!


    When she saw that her poll was unsuccessful, Ruth just sighed in disappointment. She was really curious about these people. Not only did butler Dillian seem to trust this Minos Stuart blindly, but so did the other people in this place.


    Even the last time she came here, people looked at Minos as if he were a savior!


    ''Never mind. When I accompany him to the Spiritual Tournament, maybe I will understand this.'' Ruth thought to herself.


    "Well, since my master''s son isn''t here, then I''ll go to Stone Island... Until later." Ruth said goodbye and went quickly towards the south side of the city, where she had left her spiritual beast.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, the boat on which Minos was traveling was rapidly approaching Stone Island. A glimpse of the island could already be seen on the horizon. Minos was enjoying the view of the sea in front of him as he thought with a smile on his face. ''Stone Island, huh. I want to see what you can offer me.''

 Chapter 26: Stone Island

    Quickly the silhouette of Stone Island could be seen on the horizon. However, due to the enormous size of the island, which was about twice as large as the Brown Kingdom, only a part of the territory could be seen.


    Stone Island was a place not only large in area but also in population. Due to its huge mineral reserves, the island had many blacksmiths, which also attracted the attention of the common population, who needed the weapons made by those blacksmiths.


    Allied to this, the island had a spiritual density that was on par with the best places in the north of the Central Continent. For this reason, there was a large population that exceeded 200 million inhabitants.


    And with such a population, even if spiritual plants did not grow on the island, there were still numerous alchemists and array masters due to the high demand. It was worthwhile for them to live on Stone Island, even if they had to import part of the resources necessary for their activities, as there was a great demand for their services.


    However, despite having a good offer for these two types of occupations, the items sold on the island by array masters and alchemists were still limited to grade-2, low-level.


    This is because, for specialists above that level, it would be increasingly disadvantageous to stay on Stone Island, where they would have to import much of what they needed. Thus, those who managed to pass this classification, they preferred to live close to places where they could grow their own medicines.


    These were the cases of kingdoms near the Black Plain, such as the Cromwell Kingdom, Kingdom of the Waves, and even the Brown Kingdom. There was a good supply of resources needed for these two professions in these places.


    As for why Minos was not going to negotiate in one of these places, well¡­ This is because the items sold by him would be more attractive on Stone Island and would also attract fewer problems if the deals were done there.


    Even if he were to become a competitor to the Cromwell Kingdom in the future, it would still take a long time for him to affect that kingdom''s relations with Stone Island. And as for the Brown Kingdom, Minos did not want the noble families to know that the Black Plain had been recovered and could yield large quantities of crystals.


    And he didn''t have to worry about being discovered because someone who passed through the Dry City said something to the kingdom''s noble families.


    This is because, in addition to traders who appreciated information even from poor places, no one of importance would pass through the Dry City, even if they needed to pass through the Black Plain, they would rather camp than enter that city, which could not even offer the same quality that your makeshift camps¡­


    As for traders, most of those who passed through the Dry City were traders from other kingdoms or smaller merchants who had no influence. So, Minos could be sure that, as long as he did not do business within the Brown Kingdom, then it would take a long time for the noble families to notice the change in the Black Plain region.


    Anyway, Stone Island was the best option for Minos, and he had also already made an agreement with the merchant Elen Nash.


    Slowly the boat in which young Stuart''s group was on began to approach a large port. There were dozens of boats moored on a long pier and also a few ships in another location a few kilometers away. It was really a huge place with a lot of people moving.


    At the bottom of the port, a large city could be seen that was at least 5 times larger than the Maritime City, from which Minos had passed.


    This was the city of Portland, one of the four major port cities on Stone Island. The city was the main trade route between the Brown Kingdom and Stone Island due to the shorter distance of this region with the Maritime City.


    Minos'' group said goodbye to the crew that had brought them here and then headed for the port. At that point, there were numerous guards who regulated the entry of people to Stone Island.


    At this moment, Minos'' group was stopped by a guard, and then he started talking. "Welcome to Stone Island. To enter our territory, you have to pay a fee of 500 low-grade crystals per person."


    "Hmm, here it is, 5,500 crystals," Minos said while paying the guard after hearing this.


    "Okay, your group can come in." Replied the guard indifferently.


    After that, the group of Minos left the port and rented 3 carriages. At that moment, the driver of the first carriage said. "Where are we going, gentlemen?"


    "This is our first time here. Take us to a good hotel. " Minos said calmly. He did not know this place, but he would stay in this city for a few days until he went to the Nash family headquarters, where he would meet with Elen Nash.


    The Nash family lived mainly in the capital of Stone Island, which was in the island''s central region. Minos had obtained this information from the butler Dillian before leaving the Dry City.


    However, Minos wanted to know what this port city had to offer before leaving. This is because, despite not being the capital of Stone Island, Portland still had many businesses available. In addition, Minos wanted to find blacksmiths, alchemists, and array masters to bring to the Black Plain. As it would be more difficult to convince someone from the capital, he wanted to start here.


    So, even if he didn''t do big business here, he might still be able to attract some of these professionals.


    As for business in the capital, this would be about selling Minos items through Elen, and it would also be a place that would have a greater offer and better resources for the Black Plain.


    In the little more than a year that he had spent, Minos had collected just over 500,000 crystals, the ones he planned to spend on this visit to Stone Island. That way, he was well-prepared to get items that would leverage the strength of his territory!


    "Oh! So, it''s your group''s first time around here. Are you traders who came to do business on the island?" Asked the coachman, with a curious expression on his face.


    "That''s right. We came to do business on the island." Minos said calmly.


    "I understand. Many people like you arrive here daily. I''m going to give you a hint, although Portland doesn''t have the highest level items on Stone Island, there''s still a lot of good stuff." Said the coachman sincerely.


    Minos then asked. "Can you tell me a little bit about it?"


    "Haha, of course! Although the best specialists from the three professions are in the capital, there are many alchemists and array masters in our city."


    "This is because it is easier and faster to obtain imported resources in port cities. Also, the capital already has its demand met almost entirely by the specialists there."


    "So, many of these professionals are spread out in places like Portland. I venture to say that in addition to the capital, only the port cities have a great offer of the products sold by these specialists." The coachman finished.


    "Hmm, thanks for the information."


    After a while, Minos'' group arrived at a hotel in the central part of the city. It was a large building, with 6 floors and a glass front.


    This was the Hotel Olson, a high-end hotel that belonged to one of the great noble families on Stone Island, the Olson family. The Hotel Olson chain spread across all the island''s major cities and provided one of the best hotel services in the region.


    Minos and his group had slowly entered the hotel. It was excellent. Several types of special arrays improved the atmosphere of the hotel.


    For example, there were many light arrays and others that controlled the environment''s temperature. There were also two large elevators that operated through arrays as well.


    Then, a well-dressed attendant answered them. "Welcome to the Hotel Olson. How long will your group stay at the hotel?"


    "Hello, we are staying for a week," Minos answered the attendant''s question.


    "We have 3 types of rooms in our hotel. The simple type would cost 500 crystals per week each. The intermediary costs 800 crystals per week, and the high-level one would cost 1,200 crystals per week each." Said the young attendant politely.


    "We are going to have five simple rooms and one intermediate." Minos then took the required amount of crystals and gave the attendant.


    After a few minutes, the entire group of Minos was already accommodated in their rooms. As he watched the city landscape through his bedroom window, Minos began to think about what he would do next.


    ''Today, I have to get some pills for these soldiers who are with me to advance, they have already accumulated the amount of energy needed to go up, but because of their blue-level talents, they cannot overcome this bottleneck without outside help. And as for that young master of the Silva family, he must come after me soon¡­''


    ''He should be here in no more than a day. After that, he shouldn''t be long in finding me.'' Minos thought to himself as he calculated his next actions.

 Chapter 27: Guild of Alchemy

    A few hours passed, and Minos decided to go out and see if he could find the grade-1, high-grade, spiritual pills for his ten soldiers.


    Through the Hotel Olson, Minos had discovered that there was an alchemy guild in the city of Portland, where he could get in touch with many alchemists.


    Walking through the streets of Portland, Minos could see many things that were missing in the Dry City. There were many upscale restaurants, stores specializing in the maintenance and sale of spiritual weapons, and a few stores that sold low-level arrays normally used in people''s homes.


    Although it does not require a large amount of resources or high-level professionals, practical arrays that facilitated people''s daily lives generated a good income. However, there were none of these in the Dry City since there were no array masters there. Of course, there were no alchemists or blacksmiths there either.


    The landscape of the city was also magnificent. There were many spiritual trees everywhere. There were some squares too, which gave you a feeling of being close to nature.


    As for spiritual density, Minos couldn''t feel it unless he started cultivating. But he was sure this place was as good as the capital of the Brown Kingdom, the City of the Setting Sun.


    After walking for a few minutes, Minos finally caught sight of a rectangular building, from which an intense medicinal smell emanated. It was the alchemist guild of the city of Portland!


    This was a very busy place. There were a lot of people coming and going. Minos slowly entered the building as he saw a crowd around a counter near the entrance. A young man was selling several bottles of spiritual pills in that place.


    Minos then stopped at the side of the line and asked a young man, who was waiting for his turn. "Friend, can you tell me what this line is for?"


    The young man then looked at Minos and frowned as he said. "You do not know? Maybe you''re new here. This front desk is selling grade-1, medium-level, pills at half the normal price."


    "Half-price? Is this normal around here?" Minos asked in curiosity. It is clear that these pills would not be very useful for him since they could not help people reach the 5th stage of cultivation, but even so, he was curious.


    "It is not normal. It looks like this alchemist is going to take an exam to move to the next level, so he''s collecting crystals." Said the young man with a serious face.


    "Oh! I see¡­ I have a question, where can I find alchemists of grade-1, high-level, here in this place?" Minos asked with a smile on his face.


    The young man looked at him with a surprised expression on his face. He then said. "You can find alchemists at this level upstairs."


    "OK, thanks for the help." Minos then said goodbye and went to the next floor. Once there, the medicinal fragrance in the air was even stronger than in the place where Minos had passed. There were about a little more than ten benches on that floor, with slightly less movement as well. This floor looked like a large square with benches in the middle and a few rooms on the sides.


    Minos then approached a bench where there was less movement and asked the person who was there. "Hello, do you have any spiritual pills to advance to the General Spiritual stage?"


    The person who was there was a middle-aged man who was wearing a big white robe. At the counter, the man looked at Minos for a second and then spoke. "I have two pills to advance to the 5th stage. Each one costs 1,500 crystals. With these pills, as long as the user has already gathered the amount of energy needed to reach the level 40, then that person would only need a few hours to break to the next level after consuming them."


    After saying this, he showed Minos the flasks to find out. In that world, one person could tell the degree of quality of a pill by the fragrance, and the richer it was, the better the pill''s effects would be.


    But not everyone could differ that because it was necessary to know many medicines and pills to be able to differ the quality of two spiritual pills. In the case of Minos, he knew it due to the memories of the God Henricus Longus. Although this God was not an alchemist, he still lived for more than 50,000 years, and so, he knew very well how to differ the quality of spiritual pills.


    As soon as Minos felt the fragrance, he noticed that it had a good quality. After that, he decided to buy them, when he handed over a bag with the crystals. "Here the payment, I''ll take the two."


    "By the way, sir, why aren''t there a lot of people shopping at your counter?" Minos asked with a curious face.


    The middle-aged man then looked at Minos for a moment and said with a smile on his face. "You must be new here to ask such a question. This is due to the guild. It gives support to those alchemists who join the powers behind the guild, while the other alchemists can only use the place to make their negotiations."


    In the Spiritual World, the alchemist guilds and the guilds of array masters and blacksmiths were local organizations where everything related to those professions happened.


    In an alchemist guild, ordinary people could get in touch with alchemists to buy spiritual pills. Young people could learn alchemy from the basics to the level that the guild was at, and perform the necessary tests to become an alchemist and receive their due classification.


    But these organizations were often supported by noble and wealthy families in the region in which they were based. These families were generally specialized in one of those professions and provided subsidies for those young people who joined them. With that, they could either charge less for their products or improve their skills more quickly.


    The middle-aged man then continued to speak. "As I didn''t join any of the big families behind the guild, so I don''t get their support. The consequence of this is that my pills will be more expensive than that of the alchemists subordinate to these families."


    Minos then understood the situation after hearing this middle-aged man. But he was not sorry to have paid a little more for the pills, knowing that information could also help in Minos'' future plans.


    "Sir, what''s your name?"


    "Hmm, my name is Davis. Why the question?" Said the man with a curious look on his face.


    "Nice to meet you, Mr. Davis. My name is Minos Stuart. As an alchemist, you must have your own ambitions. Can you tell me why you refused to join one of the families behind the guild?"


    "Nothing big, I just wanted my own freedom. It wouldn''t help to have power if I can''t do what I want." He said sincerely.


    "Oh! Then that''s it. Well, since you are not against joining an organization as long as your freedom is maintained, then I have an offer for you."


    The man''s eyes lit up when he heard that. Minos then continued. "I am on business here on Stone Island, but I will be returning to my region in a few weeks. If you want to join my forces, you will have your freedom to sell your items however you want. I will only ask you to deliver a minimum amount of pills every month."


    "I will also pay 700 crystals for each grade-1, high-grade, pill that you sell in my territory. Of course, I will supply all the necessary ingredients as well."


    "However, you must know that my region is still in development. I will give you a lot of advantages if you come with me, but the biggest advantage of following me now is that you will be more important when we become big in the future." Minos then finished his offer after letting out a breath.


    Minos then asked the man in front of him after a while as he pointed at the two bottles of pills. "I need another 8 pills like these. How long would it take you to produce its?"


    Davis took a while and then answered. "I''m sorry, but I''m currently without the medicines needed for this type of pill. It could take several days for me to be able to produce it."


    "But it shouldn''t be difficult to get that amount from the other alchemists here on this floor."


    After saying that, Minos and Davis said goodbye. The young Stuart told him that he would be passing by again in a few weeks when he was returning. At that time, the middle-aged man should give him an answer to this offer.


    ...


    Time passed, and Minos got the other 8 pills to advance to the 5th stage. He spent 9,000 crystals on its and had to buy its from 4 different alchemists.


    After that, Minos and the soldiers who had accompanied him returned to the hotel. "Here, each of you takes a pill and start cultivating. I want you all to move up to level 40 by tomorrow."


    Before long, all the soldiers began to cultivate while Minos thought to himself. ''Tomorrow morning, I should try to buy some better weapons for these soldiers¡­''


    ¡­


    While Minos was planning, 4 people just arrived at a hotel not so far from where Minos was. These people were the young master of the Silva family and their three protectors.


    "Protector Philip, go and find out where that wretch went." Darell said as he had a big smile on his face.


    "Okay, young master."

 Chapter 28: Preparing for Battle

    Hours passed, and the sun was already rising on the horizon when the last soldier who was accompanying Minos finally reached level 40, the beginning of the General Spiritual stage!


    As Minos knew that he and his group would soon have to fight with the forces of that young master, he decided to deliver a Silver-grade moving technique to his soldiers, who were accompanying him.


    With this technique, these soldiers would be able to dodge enemy attacks even if the other side were a few levels stronger than themselves. In this way, Minos hoped to win that fight.


    But he wasn''t risking too much here because as someone who had studied at the Spiritual Academy, an academy for nobles in the City of the Setting Sun, he knew that noble families in the Brown Kingdom could not send Spiritual Kings to protect their children around the world.


    Therefore, Minos was sure that the enemy side was limited by the General Spiritual stage. And most likely, they were below level 45, as the trip to Stone Island was not so dangerous for people in that range of strength.


    A good example of this is the case of merchant Elen Nash, who, despite being a noblewoman of one of the largest families on Stone Island, she was still accompanied only by a guard at level 47.


    Therefore, according to Minos'' calculations, Darell Silva''s number of guards should be between 2 and 4. As for spiritual power, they should be below level 45.


    ''Now that they''ve leveled up, I''m going to buy grade-1, high-level, weapons for each of them. Unfortunately, I still can''t pay for anything more than that¡­ But even if I could, it wouldn''t be as if there were so many grade-2, low-grade, weapons being sold around¡­'' Minos thought to himself.


    After a while, Minos met with all his soldiers. He then began to expound his thoughts. "Ehh, good job, everyone. Now that you''ve reached level 40 let''s go out and get weapons for each of you. Those of grade-1, medium-level, will not be good enough for you from now on."


    "Soon, that young master of the Silva family must come after us, so today, after we buy the weapons, we are going to leave the city and wait for them to come to us. That way, we will have an advantage at the start of the fight."


    After saying that, all ten men were a little anxious and happy. That''s because they had reached a level that they would never have dreamed of reaching and being stronger. They wanted to fight to test their new strengths.


    They would also rise to the rank of Sergeant, and soon they would start earning twice what they earned as Corporals, this was 800 low-grade crystals, a small fortune for anyone who has grown accustomed to the poverty of the Dry City.


    "Come on." Sergeant Pyke told the rest of the group while he led the rest of them.


    ¡­


    As they passed through the city''s busy streets, Minos finally found the place where he had been appointed to go. Although the city of Portland also has a smith''s guild, as Stone Island had an abysmal number of specialists in this profession, many of them did not do business inside the guild building.


    So, after looking for information at the Hotel Olson, Minos discovered that there is a good place to buy grade-1, high-grade, spiritual weapons in the city center.


    It was a place called The Wolf''s Den, a store that sold various types of spiritual weapons of grade-1. According to the information that Minos had received, despite being a little more expensive than in other stores, the products of this store in question were of very good quality, and there was also a large amount of weapons in stock, contrary to what could be seen elsewhere.


    Minos and his group then stopped in front of a store that looked like a cave in the middle of the mountain. There was a sign with a big blank name on it, The Wolf''s Den. There were also symbols of spears, swords, bows, arrows, sabers, hammers, etc.


    Minos'' group then entered the scene. As soon as they entered, many weapons could be seen around the room. There was also not much movement. There seemed to be less than 5 people shopping at the place at that very moment.


    "Good morning. I would like to see the weapons of grade-1, high-level, which are available for sale in this store." Minos said politely while holding his hands behind his back.


    As soon as he said that, an older man with a full beard and white hair then looked over at Minos and said. "Grade-1, high-level weapons, there are 17 of its that are on sale right now."


    The older man then started to point to the different weapons that were visible to anyone who entered that place.


    Minos saw that most of them were swords, with a few spears, sabers, and a single war hammer.


    "Choose your weapons," Minos said as he looked at the ten men around him.


    When he heard this, the older man looked at Minos with a surprised expression. He would never expect this young man actually to be buying weapons of this level for his subordinates!


    Although this type of weapon is not suitable for people in the 5th stage of cultivation, it was very common for people in this northern part of the Central Continent to wield weapons of one or two levels lower than what they could use.


    ''This young man must have a great strength behind him to spend so much on his subordinates.'' The older man thought as he scratched his beard.


    After a while, Minos'' soldiers chose their weapons. There were 5 swords, 3 spears, 1 saber, and 1 war hammer among the chosen weapons.


    The older man then spoke with an indifferent expression on his face. "For these ten weapons, the price is 59,000 low-grade crystals."


    After hearing this, Minos immediately paid for the crystals and then asked the older man. "Sir, I will soon be out hunting, and I want to trap my prey. Can you tell me a good place that sells spiritual arrays here in Portland?"


    The older man then replied with a smile on his face. "Oh! Then you will hunt, hehe. I have a friend who is an array master. He has a store 300 meters from here. You just follow that same street. The name of the store is Burton''s Alley."


    After hearing this, Minos thanked the older man and moved on. It didn''t take long for him and his group to arrive at the store that the older man had indicated.


    It was a completely different place from the previous store. This place looked like a square box and completely black. There was a green light with the name Burton''s Alley.


    After a while, Minos bought a grade-1, high-level, spiritual array from this store, specializing in stunning those below level 40 for 30 seconds and slowing down the strength and speed of those above this level. Of course, the stronger the enemy, the lesser the effects.


    Minos spent 22,000 low-grade crystals on this array. And after leaving the store, he and his group left the city and went to a mountainous region a few kilometers away.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, in the hotel where the young master of the Silva family was staying, two men were enjoying the scenery of the city of Portland through the balcony of the room in which they were, while young Darell was having his breakfast quietly.


    At that moment, the protector Philip, who had left the previous night to obtain the location of his targets, entered the room with a smile on his face. "Young master, I already have the location of those people."


    "Oh! That is good. Where is he?"


    "Earlier today, he and his group were staying at the Hotel Olson, but they went out shopping early. They went to a blacksmith''s shop and then to an array master."


    "After that, they left the city on the northwest side. We can follow their trail from there. That way, there are not many ways for them to escape us, hehe." Guard Philip said with a satisfied expression.


    For him, this behavior of the group of Minos did not differ from that they are giving up their own lives. They were basically leaving a safe place, where it would be challenging to kill someone in daylight, and were going to a place where no one would know if they killed or were killed by something or someone...


    "Haha, those guys are making it easier for us. I want to see their faces when they are surprised by our group." Darell said with a smile on his face.


    "Come on. I can''t wait to get my new sword, hehe."

 Chapter 29: The Ambush

    As Darell''s group began their pursuit, Minos and his soldiers were now standing on a mountain.


    The site around the group was a large rock formation with very little vegetation. There were only grasses in the few places where there was soil, with a waterfall not far from there. There was not a large flow of water, but there was a waterfall over 50 meters high.


    Minos and his soldiers were preparing the ground to receive their ''guests'' later. They had chosen this place, as it would be more difficult for their enemies to escape from them.


    After all, Minos could not allow any of them to flee, since if this happened, then the Silva family and other Brown Kingdom families could discover Minos'' current strength and even what has been happening on the Black Plain.


    And that would be terrible for the young Stuart since once others knew, they would definitely put Minos in their sights. Some powers could force him to join their forces, and others, such as those responsible for the death of Albert Stuart, could come after Minos.


    Anyway, the effects of one of those people running away would be terrible for Minos. So, he and his soldiers were preparing the ground near the waterfall in order to make any escape more difficult for their enemies.


    This is because some of them were certainly stronger than the group of Minos. So, if they were not careful, even if the other side couldn''t win, it didn''t mean that these enemies couldn''t escape.


    Therefore, Minos and his group decided to bring the fight close to the waterfall. In that place, even someone from the 5th stage of cultivation would be seriously injured if they fell from a height of 50 meters. They also made some small changes to the surrounding terrain to facilitate the ambush.


    They spread, in part of the terrain opposite the waterfall, a lubricating substance on the rocks, something that would hinder the enemy''s escape.


    This is because someone from the General Spiritual stage cannot fly, and when moving on slippery terrain, although they can use their great strength to move more easily, they would still be severely delayed if they were to run in such a place. This would give the speed advantage to Minos'' soldiers.


    ''This array that I bought can affect a very large area, so I have to leave it to turn it on, only after the enemy group is very close to us.'' Minos thought calmly as he brought up the array of his spatial ring.


    After that, he placed 10,000 low-grade crystals, which was the limit of crystals that a grade-1, high-grade, the array could withstand. He then left it ready to go into operation as soon as he gave the signal to turn it on.


    ''But before starting the fight, I want to try to get some information from these people...'' Minos thought to himself as he hid the array behind a rock formation near the waterfall.


    With the array hidden, as long as it was turned off, 5th-stage cultivators couldn''t discover that there was such a thing hidden nearby. This is because, although they could feel the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, they could not feel an array that was not being used!


    Such a thing would only be possible when a cultivator reached the Spiritual Saint stage, in which it would be possible to perform soul probes through a technique of the soul, which could be learned from this level. This is because, at this stage, cultivators can live without a body, in their soul form, for a limited time.


    However, there was no such person in the entire northern region of the Central Continent, and therefore not a concern for Minos.


    At that moment, Minos, who was the only one in the group who was not wearing any armor or battle clothing, began to speak to the soldiers. "All of you, listen to this. Stay on the sides of this terrain, but don''t hide. The enemy already knows our numbers, and hiding would only make the other side more careful."


    "Set up a small camp, build a fire, and start cooking something. Let''s pretend that we came here to hunt and enjoy the beautiful scenery."


    "Pay close attention to your surroundings, and when the fight starts, try to push the fight to the side of the waterfall. But before that, pretend to be surprised when they arrive and put on an appearance of despair before the fight. I want to see if I can get some information from these people." Minos said with a serious face as he was looking at the group of people in front of him.


    After that, they all agreed with their heads and started to carry out these last orders from Minos. Sergeant Pyke then approached Minos and asked.


    "Young master, how will we fight if the enemy is much stronger than us?"


    "Don''t worry about it too much. I''m pretty sure that the strongest person on the enemy side doesn''t reach level 46. If there are two people at this level and one at level 45, then the strategy would be to gather 3 soldiers to face each of these two stronger, while the rest deal with the last of them."


    "With this, the 4 soldiers would quickly kill the level 45 enemy and then return to deal with the remaining two. After all, at level 46, someone has slightly less than three times as much spiritual energy as someone at level 40, like you. So, 3 soldiers would be enough to hold them, while the other group deals with the weaker side."


    "After that, it would be relatively easy to deal with the two strongest ones that would remain. Another thing is that the enemy side does not have techniques as well classified as ours. This will give us some advantage in the fight."


    "But be careful during the fight. A desperate person can be very dangerous!" Minos finished speaking with a warning look to all of them.


    After hearing this, Pyke and the other soldiers were amazed at their young master. He knew so much about cultivating and fighting. They barely understood how someone so young and who rarely fought could experience so much.


    That alone made them very confused!


    As for why Minos knew so much, well, that was due to the inheritance he had received. With the amount of knowledge from someone who lived for thousands of years, Minos knew many useful things at times like this.


    ¡­


    A few hours passed, and the group of Minos waited patiently for the arrival of the young master Silva and his subordinates near the waterfall.


    At that time, four people were approaching the place where the group of Minos was. These were the young Darell and his three subordinates.


    "It looks like they went in that direction." Protector Philip pointed his finger in the waterfall direction, where Minos'' group was.


    Young Darell then smiled and then said with a look of contempt. "What interesting guys, they must have gone hunting! Hahaha, how can you do such a thing when you have offended someone like me?"


    After hearing this, one of the protectors said, after laughing for a while. "Kekeke, stupid people tend to behave like that, young master."


    "Come on. I want to see the expressions of terror on their faces when they notice us, hahaha." Darell said as he took the lead.


    After that, the group went quickly to the waterfall, where Minos and his group were.


    They had smiles on their faces. After all, the enemy group was composed only of Spiritual Warriors. And as far as they knew, with the inheritance of a Spiritual King, like Albert, Minos should no longer have so many crystals after having bought the grade-2, low-grade, sword.


    With that, these 10 men who were with him, regardless of whether they were subordinated or even profiteers, they had no way to advance to the next stage of cultivation without a large amount of crystals.


    So, for those who were between levels 41 and 43, the General Spiritual stage, this was an easy fight. In fact, maybe their young master was enough to kill the entire enemy group, and they didn''t even have to make a move!


    This is because, even though Darell Silva was still at level 38, as the son of the patriarch of the Silva family, all of his techniques were of the Black-grade. So, fighting those at a higher level was easy for the young Darell, who had techniques with superior energy efficiency.


    ¡­


    It didn''t take long, and the 4 people from the Silva family arrived at the waterfall. They could see that there were 11 people in this place, just as it had been reported to them.


    Minos'' group seemed to be camping in this place. In fact, they were eating right now. There was also a feeling of tranquility in the air that was passed by the beautiful landscape given by the waterfall a few meters away from where they were.


    And while the smell of roast meat spread around the place, the young Darell then stepped forward while smiling from ear to ear and said to the three protectors who were beside him. "Let''s start, hehe."

 Chapter 30: The Beginning of the Fight

    When Minos and his group saw 4 people approaching their group with smiles on their faces, they soon understood that these were their prey, which they had so prepared for.


    ''They''re finally here!'' They thought to themselves.


    Almost immediately after seeing the arrival of these people, the group of Minos began to put on an expression of confusion, as if they did not know what was happening.


    One of the soldiers, who was calmly eating a skewer with meat, took the initiative and carefully asked who these people were. He had an expression that would make anyone feel sorry, that you could even see that he was shitting himself with fear¡­


    ''What a great actor.'' Thought Minos and the other nine people, who knew what was going on.


    While Minos'' forces were trying to do their best, Darell and his three protectors were very happy with the image in front of them. ''That''s right. You must be afraid of us. Hehe.'' One of the protectors thought while holding on to laughter.


    The other two protectors were also very happy with this. They let their guard down so much that they didn''t realize that these enemies, who should have been blurring at this very moment, were already at level 40!


    In fact, in the Spiritual World, from the 5th stage of cultivation, you can feel the energy around you. As long as there is no big difference in cultivation, you will also be able to ascertain someone''s level within a certain distance. However, this is not something automatic that one person would feel as soon as he saw another.


    To be able to distinguish someone''s strength, first, the other cultivator would have to be some distance from you. This perimeter depends exclusively on his level. That is, the stronger someone is, the greater the distance in which he can feel the spiritual energy.


    Second, if the previous condition were met, you would still have to try to discover the strength of that other cultivator on your own. That is, if someone did not take the initiative, then this person would not be able to find out that person''s level of cultivation.


    This almost automatic sense would only appear when someone reached level 70 because, from this level, the person''s soul is strong enough and can realize the sense of the soul, which is able to feel the power of the person''s soul and not the spiritual power.


    Of course, spiritual power and soul power are equivalent. The difference is that the soul''s sense can feel the surroundings as if it were a person''s unconscious reaction, just like breathing in ordinary people. For example, a normal, healthy person does not need to think about breathing. His own body simply does it on its own.


    The same is true for the soul''s sense. A cultivator who is at least in the Spiritual Saint stage immediately knows the level of someone who has entered within the range of his soul''s reach. Of course, during a fight, all this would be left aside because with the spiritual energy being released by techniques, anyone could feel the level of the opponent.


    That way, Darell''s protectors didn''t bother to probe their enemies, as this was a very easy job... That''s why they didn''t notice something so easy to discover!


    Then the soldier, who had a look of fear on his face, asked it out loud. "Eh, who are you? What are you doing here?"


    "Kekeke, do you want to know who we are?" One of the protectors, who was at level 41, asked with a contemptuous smile on his face.


    "Hahaha, Quent, don''t spend too much time scaring these idiots." Said protector Philip, with a calm look on his face.


    "You worms have offended someone that you couldn''t. Hehehe, don''t you remember what happened in Maritime City? Don''t tell me that you are so naive that you didn''t know that you would be persecuted for that?" Said the last protector, who was at level 42. He had a grotesque expression on his face while he had one hand ready to draw his sword.


    At this moment, Darell Silva finally took a step forward and said it majestically. "Tsk, I will give you a chance. Give me the sword of grade-2, low-level, and I will be able to give you a painless death!"


    Minos then feigned a voice full of fear and then said. "Are you the young master of the Silva family? As someone from such a strong family, how can you act like a filthy thief?"


    "Hahaha, filthy thief? You can think what you want, naive boy. This is the world of the strong, and as you dared to have something you cannot protect, then you will die for it." Darell said contemptuously before spitting in the direction of Minos.


    When he heard that, Minos appeared to be completely terrified.


    He then asked. "Since you''re going to kill us, can you answer a question for me?"


    Darell looked back at Minos and was satisfied. ''It seems that he has already accepted his destiny, hehehe.''


    "Okay, as I''m a merciful person, I''ll give you a chance to have one of your questions answered."


    "I want to know if your family was involved in my father''s death," Minos said shyly and weakly.


    When young Darell heard this, he burst out laughing because he really knew about it since his father had been the mastermind. "Hahahaha, so is this what you wanted to know? Okay, you don''t have to wait to get to hell and find out from your dad, hehehe. My father was the mastermind of that ambush, hahaha, satisfied?"


    After hearing this, Minos changed his attitude completely. Now he knew where to get his revenge. Even though it was still a few years away, having this information now would make things easier for him in the future.


    He then revealed a smile on his face and gave the signal for his men to prepare. After that, Minos activated the spiritual array he had previously prepared.


    When Darell''s group saw this, they finally realized that something was wrong with this situation. From Minos'' reaction, it looked like he was just waiting for that information to fight.


    That was when, at that moment, one of the three carried out a probe on the strength of these 11 people in front of them. When he felt the cultivation level of each one, he immediately had a pale expression on his face.


    After all, even though it was very easy to deal with 10 people at level 39, but it was completely different if those people were already at level 40!


    Given the numbers on both sides, this would be a life-and-death struggle!


    At that point, he tried to warn the group by shouting, but it was too late. "This is a trap!!"


    Then, the spiritual array was successfully activated, and a buzzing sound was heard.


    Zumm!


    "Shit!! A fucking spiritual array! Activate the defensive spiritual array in the young master." Protector Philip said with an ugly expression on his face. If something happened to Darell, they would not escape death, even if they left this place alive!


    With the level of cultivation of the three protectors, they would have their speed reduced at most, but Darell¡­ He would be completely helpless for a few seconds. That was enough for him to be killed!!


    Thus, one of them quickly activated a defensive array around Darell, who was already unconscious at the time, while the other two were on guard.


    At the same time, Minos and his group, who were not under the effects of the array since they had taken preventive measures, began to attack the enemy side.


    Wind Palm!


    Demon Court!


    Hammering the World!


    Dragon breath!


    Minos'' soldiers released their attack techniques at about the same time. Meanwhile, the young Stuart activated two of his techniques.


    Devouring Art!


    Spatial Sword!


    When they saw all these attacks coming, the two guards on guard went deathly pale. "Disgrace!! These guys are much stronger than they look." Philip said as he looked shocked.


    "Quent, if you take longer, we''ll run out." Said the other protector, who was already using everything he could to defend himself.


    "Philip, prepare for withdrawal. If we go to fight, we cannot guarantee the safety of the young master. As long as we get out of this damn place, there will be a chance for revenge in the future." The other protector said, but at that moment, he noticed something.


    "Do you think I don''t want to run? But these bastards have already cornered us at this waterfall. We can only fight for our lives now!"


    At this point, the other two protectors finally realized that they were slowly being pushed into the waterfall. ''Shit!'' The two thought about it when they saw the waterfall over 50 meters not far from them.


    One of them looked at Minos'' side and said to the other two protectors with a fearful expression. "That brat is already at level 33!! How did he achieve this? Not only that, his attacks are as strong as those of these other guys!"

 Chapter 31: End of Fight

    "Sergeant Pyke and two more soldiers are going to hold this guy at level 43. Sergeant Nedo and two other soldiers are going to hold this one at level 42. I''m going to support the groups of you two."


    "As for the rest, kill this one at level 41 quickly and return to help us deal with the rest," Minos said decisively.


    He was not a benevolent person. With the experiences that Minos had received from Henricus Longus, he knew very well how problematic a simple situation could become if someone was not willing to root out a problem.


    That way, since Darell''s group, came to kill and steal them, then they could only expect the same from Minos.


    "Damn it!" The protector of the Silva family, who had the least strength in the group, cursed Minos when he heard such a thing.


    "Brat, aren''t you going too far? You don''t think the Silva family will make it cheap if you kill us, do you?" Philip asked with a serious expression on his face. He wanted to appeal to anything that could save their lives. Otherwise...


    While he heard this, Minos'' group entered the formation ordered earlier while focusing their attacks on each of the protectors.


    Minos then replied with a smile on his face. "Do you think I''m an idiot? If I release you, then I would only have to flee, at the risk of being killed by the Silva family at any time. But if I kill you¡­ Maybe this family will take years to find out!"


    "There''s not much to think about, haha." Minos then released another sword attack in Philip''s direction.


    Spatial Sword!


    Of course, with the difference in strength between the two parties, Minos would not be able to prevent Philip from moving. And he was barely slowing down with the Spatial Sword technique. After all, there was a difference of 10 levels between the two of them.


    However, at the same time that Minos attacked, three other level 40 soldiers were doing the same, launching their attack techniques on the protector Philip.


    ''Hell!'' Philip activated his defense as much as he could while trying to dodge attacks.


    Meanwhile, the weaker protector was increasingly at a disadvantage when facing 4 soldiers at the same time. It wouldn''t be long before he fell!


    Boom!


    But before that, the young Darell finally recovered from the stunning effect of the spiritual array that Minos had previously prepared. He could see a series of lights and hear a loud noise in his surroundings.


    ''Damn it, what happened?'' Darell asked himself while feeling great discomfort in his vision.


    He recovered quickly since his subordinates had set up a defensive array as soon as they were ambushed. This lessened the stunning effects and was also protecting the young master Silva from the fight that was taking place right in front of him.


    At this point, Darell was seeing many attacks being launched on the three men in front of him. He could see a lot of light effects and explosions going on around him.


    Boom!!


    Darell then looked up and saw a large black circumference, looking like a ring, with a fog of the same color on the inside. He then felt discomfort when his defensive array started to crack.


    Crack!


    However, before his defense was destroyed, Darell saw a deeply shocking scene. At that time, protector Bayo, the one at level 41, was being brutally murdered!


    ''Damn it! I can''t take it anymore.'' Bayo thought to himself when he felt that his defense would collapse at any moment.


    Wind Palm!


    One of Minos'' soldiers activated his attack technique, releasing a large wind blast in the direction of Bayo.


    Tum!!


    A noise was heard and the Wind Palm technique collided with Bayo''s defenses.


    Crack!


    However, this time Bayo was unable to defend himself. Shortly thereafter, his body was thrown away, while his chest part was completely sunk in his own body.


    He had died!


    Darell saw this with terrified eyes. He couldn''t believe this nightmare that was happening in front of him. ''How did this happen? Guard Bayo, just died?''


    "Damn it! Bayo fell, and now we will be next." Quent thought as a trickle of blood could be seen coming out of his mouth.


    Sergeant Pyke then shouted at the remaining 4 soldiers. "Two of you come to my group, while the other two attack this level 42 guy."


    As the struggles of the two protectors continued, the defensive spiritual array that protected Darell finally collapsed.


    Crack!


    Darell thought to himself as he saw this. ''I have to run. Otherwise, we will all die. If I escape, at least I can get revenge in the future!''


    However, as he prepared to flee, Minos slowly appeared in front of him.


    "Oh! So, now you want to get away? Haha, don''t even think about it since you came, so forget to leave." After saying this, Minos activated his attack technique while absorbing the young Darell''s energy.


    Spatial Sword!


    ''Damn, this wretch is draining my energy.''


    Darell tried to release his defense technique, but shortly after Minos activated his own technique, the surrounding space within a radius of 40 meters was frozen. At the same time, Darell had his speed reduced to a large extent.


    ''Shit! Why is my spiritual energy moving so slowly?'' Darell thought to himself.


    But shortly thereafter, a blade of energy was hurled at the young master Silva''s neck.


    "You can''t kill me, I am¡­"


    Voop!


    Darell could not resist the attack, and his head was separated from his body!


    He could almost see for a split second, his headless body falling slowly.


    He had died!


    The headless corpse fell to the ground as blood poured down young Darell''s neck. His head could be seen rolling on the floor, while he had a terrified look in his eyes.


    At the same time, the two protectors caught a glimpse of this scene and were even more fearful. There was practically no resistance from Darell while Minos killed him.


    The difference in strength was just too big! With such talent, it would not be long before Minos took revenge on the Silva family for his father''s death!


    Shortly thereafter, the disadvantage of the remaining two protectors grew even more, with Quent being almost depleted of spiritual energy.


    A group of 5 people then launched their final attacks in the direction of Quent.


    Hammering the World!


    Demon Court!


    Blood Sword!


    Smashing the Air!


    Iron Fists!


    Whoosh!


    Boom!


    Many noises were heard when Quent''s defenses were completely shattered.


    "AAHHHHHHHH!" a cry of pain was heard when Quent''s nearly dead body fell to the floor.


    "Shit! Since this is the case, I can just take some of you with me." Philip said as he began to condense all of his remaining spiritual energy into a ball of black energy.


    In a single instant, all the vitality of a Spiritual General, who was just over 800 years old, was sucked into the energy ball. At the same time, Philip''s appearance changed completely until he was like an older man, full of white hair, completely malnourished, and as white as a sheet of paper.


    "Get away and release all your remaining spiritual energy in your defense techniques!" Minos said in a concerned voice as he looked at the sacrifice of protector Philip.


    "This guy is really decisive." Sergeant Pyke thought about it as he walked away.


    In fact, in the Spiritual World, any person could sacrifice themselves in a time of desperation, as long as they were cultivators, of course. But not everyone had such tenacity, as this was a process that could be considered worse than dying from enemy attacks!


    It was said that the very soul of the individual who sacrificed himself would be used as an oxidizer for the explosion. This caused pain that could be considered thousands of times worse than the pain caused by physical wounds!


    For this reason, even though there was the possibility of sacrificing themselves to harm their enemies, the vast majority of cultivators did not have the courage to do such a thing!


    These were the cases of the two previously killed protectors. As for young Darell, well, he didn''t even have time to think about doing this!


    That was another requirement, the cultivator who was going to sacrifice needed a certain amount of time to do that. And since protector Philip had the highest level of cultivation, he was able to fulfill this requirement.


    Indestructible Body!


    Impenetrable Shield!


    Steel Skin!


    Air Defense!


    ¡­


    Many defensive techniques were activated at the same time. One could see many pale expressions among Minos'' soldiers, who tried to protect themselves with every drop of energy contained in their bodies.


    And even though protector Philip was almost drained of spiritual energy, sacrifice also burns the cultivator''s vitality and soul strength. And even if it wasn''t as strong as someone''s spiritual power at level 43, everyone except Minos was already exhausted!


    Therefore, such a thing was still quite fearful for everyone who was close to Philip.


    Boom!


    "AAAHHHHH!" Screams of pain were heard from the soldiers.


    A big explosion happened, and then rocks started to fly all over that part of the waterfall. A small crater more than 10 meters in radius was also formed on the ground.


    Soon afterward, five people could still be seen standing, while another six were lying on the floor. Nobody knew if they were alive or dead!

 Chapter 32: Rewards

    Zum!


    ''Ow! Hell, I thought I was going to die.'' Thought one of the soldiers to himself while a trickle of blood dripped from his left ear. He could hear a humming sound while he had a feeling of imbalance and blurred vision.


    "Lathar! Lathar! Hey, look here." Screamed one of the soldiers, who had fewer injuries, to a teammate who was lying on the floor with a stunning look and blood running out of his mouth and ears.


    "Hey man, are you okay?" The soldier asked as he looked at Lathar.


    "Cough, cough. Ah! I''m fine, Kallus. I just need some time to recover from the shock." Lathar said in a weak voice and a pale face.


    After that, the same thing was happening with the other soldiers of Minos. Half of them were fighting protector Philip just before the sacrifice, so they were more exposed to what happened.


    Of the group of 11 people, 5 were completely exhausted, but with few injuries, Minos was one of them. The rest suffered internal injuries, but nothing too serious. They would only need to rest for a few days and would be fully recovered.


    "That guy really scared me a little bit! Even though he was exhausted, he could still do all this damage to us." Said Pyke with a narrow look in his eyes. He had been one of the most injured in the group and was shocked by what had happened.


    ''Hmm, it was really awful. I hope I will not encounter this type of enemy in the future...'' Minos thought to himself. Even his defense technique, Indestructible Body, was unable to withstand the damage caused by the explosion that happened, to the point that several bruises could be seen on his body through his torn clothes.


    "All of you, rest as much as you can. We will stay here until tomorrow. After that, we will return to the city of Portland. I will also give you the due rewards for this fight later." Minos spoke aloud to all the soldiers.


    After hearing this, all ten people were happy to know that they would have time to rest and still receive rewards.


    At that moment, while Minos'' soldiers were gradually recovering, the young Stuart started walking towards the bodies of the three people who had been killed previously.


    He first went to the young Darell''s headless body, which was a few feet away from the crater that had formed there. When Minos looked closely, he saw a silver ring on one of the fingers on Darell''s right hand. It was his spatial ring!


    There were several types of spatial rings in this world, but the main difference between them was the storage volume that each could provide. However, even rings with lower capacities could be considered rare items in this region of the Central Continent.


    Generally, in addition to the children of the great noble families in the region, having such belonging was only commonly seen in cultivators of the 5th stage of cultivation, General Spiritual, or above that. That''s because these rings were not cheap for those of a lower level.


    However, it was not so common to see people who have just entered this phase of cultivation having such an ''item,'' and many of these cultivators took years to be able to buy one.


    Anyway, Minos searched the remaining two bodies, but there was no spatial ring. ''Tsk, as expected¡­ These two are just subordinates to the Silva family and were only at levels 41 and 42.'' Minos thought to himself as he searched them. There were only bags with a few dozen of low-grade crystals, nothing that caught his eye.


    He then walked to the crater that had been formed by Philip''s sacrifice and started looking for remnants. This is because even low-level rings had excellent resistance and would not be destroyed in an explosion like the one that occurred here.


    Minos then saw something shining close to the waterfall. It was a spatial ring! ''Oh, what a good surprise! It is no wonder that he seemed to be the leader of the group!''


    After collecting the two rings that were without owners, Minos sat on a rock next to the waterfall and began to search the rings. This was not a difficult thing to do, as the rings were generally linked to their owners'' spirituality. But once the cultivator was killed, his belongings inside spatial rings could easily be ''recovered'' by others.


    Minos then decided to start checking the protector Philip''s ring because he thought it''s best to leave the ''main course'' last¡­


    ''Hmm, here are 3,000 low-level crystals¡­ Two techniques of Black-grade!''


    ''Wow! This guy should have good contacts within the Silva family to achieve such a thing.'' Minos thought to himself as he searched the inside of Philip''s ring.


    He was surprised by the presence of two techniques of Black-grade because Philip was only at level 43. At this level, even having a technique of this quality could already be considered a lot for someone who was just a subordinate.


    Albert Stuart himself, who was a subordinate to the royal family, had only 3 techniques when he was at level 51! And a person like Philip could take a few decades to reach this level, so his situation was quite unusual.


    After a while, Minos also found three spiritual weapons in Philip''s spatial ring, but they were all grade-1, medium-level...


    ''I will give these weapons and techniques to the Army of the Black Plain. It does not yet have a good variety of techniques or a good amount of weapons...'' Minos thought to himself. After that, he started to check Darell''s spatial ring.


    ''Haha, as expected, this Darell Silva was really rich.'' He burst out laughing when he saw the ring''s contents.


    There were 400 medium-grade crystals, 20,000 low-grade crystals, 4 Black-grade techniques, some grade-1 spiritual pills, and three grade-1, high-level, spiritual weapons. The patriarch of the Silva family was really generous to his son!


    ''Ah! So, that''s why he can''t keep bidding. He didn''t have any more medium-grade crystals...'' Minos thought with a smile on his face.


    After that, he started to analyze the 4 techniques that were with the young Darell. There was one specialized in cultivation, two in attack, and one in defense.


    ''How peculiar, this guy had learned two attack techniques, being only in the 4th stage of cultivation¡­'' Minos was surprised when he noticed this.


    Such a thing was not common, since at the lowest levels, learning techniques for different purposes was much safer than focusing on a single specialization. Only those cultivators who did not focus on battles, such as alchemists, used to have this type of configuration.


    Among the warriors, like Minos and most of the people in this world, the common thing was to have a cultivation technique, an attack technique, a defense technique, and a moving or support technique when the cultivator reached the 4th stage of cultivation.


    ''Hm, this must be because the Silva family is a militaristic force that believes only in force. That must be why¡­'' Minos thought as he snapped his fingers.


    ¡­


    After a while, he turned to the group of soldiers who were gradually recovering.


    He then focused on those who were most hurt and said. "The young master of the Silva family had 5 spiritual pills specialized in recovery. I will give them to you since you were the ones who hurt the most. This will help you to recover more quickly."


    After hearing this, these 5 soldiers quickly rejoiced. Being able to use such a pill would recover most of your injuries!


    "I''m going to give these two spatial rings to Sergeants Pyke and Lathar. But the rest of you will be able to get your rings when the Army of the Black Plain develops a little more and acquires at least an array master and a grade-2 blacksmith."


    "It may take a while, but we will get there," Minos said confidently as he scanned each of the soldiers.


    After saying this, he also gave the soldiers the spiritual crystals that he had plundered from the bodies of the young Darell''s three protectors. There were just over four thousand crystals, which were duly distributed among the ten men.


    It didn''t take long, and the waterfall at which the group was standing fell silent again while the eleven men cultivated peacefully in this place.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, in the Maritime city, a white eagle was standing outside the city. At that moment, a young woman with black hair then approached the beast and rubbed her hands on its neck.


    "Come on, White. Now we are going to travel by sea. I want to see this Stone Island. They say it is a decent place near this northern region of the Central Continent." Ruth said softly as she stroked her huge spiritual beast.


    She had stopped at the Maritime City to rest before finally crossing the sea. This was her first time doing this, so even though she was on a mission, she wanted to make the most of this trip.


    Ruth didn''t like being sent to a place with a spiritual density as low as this, but¡­ Since she couldn''t help it, she would try to enjoy this trip to the fullest.

 Chapter 33: Leaving the City of Portland

    Somewhere in the capital of Stone Island, there was a large mansion with a multicolored garden. At this moment, a young woman with blond hair and green eyes was sitting at one of the tables in this garden, having a cup of tea, calmly.


    ''I haven''t gone out to do business in the Brown Kingdom for over a year¡­ I wonder how far the Black Plain has developed.'' The young woman thought to herself while curling a lock of hair with one hand.


    This was Elen Nash, the merchant with whom Minos had made an exclusive deal.


    At this moment, a beautiful woman was walking towards Elen with a worried face. She had blond hair and wore a green dress, which highlighted her sensual curves to the point of attracting even other women.


    "Elen, I have some bad news. We lost contact with our subordinates in the Kingdom of the Waves¡­" The beautiful woman then began to report the situation to Elen, with a serious look on her face.


    ¡­


    At the same time, in the Brown Kingdom, in the main city of the Red Valley, Otis Silva, the patriarch of the Silva family, was having a meeting with four other Spiritual Kings subordinates of his family.


    They were in a well-lit and luxuriously decorated room. There were some high-end paintings on the walls, a large bookshelf on the left side of the room, a glass table in the center, two large sofas in front of each other, and an armchair at the end of the room, with its back to the balcony from the office.


    At that moment, one of the subordinates, who looked younger and was sitting on one of the two sofas, said with a serious face. "Patriarch recently has been a lot of bandit activity in the region of the border between the Kingdom of the Waves and the Black Plain."


    "Because of this, some of our 4th-stage subordinates disappeared a few weeks ago, along with the items that were being transported. I recommend that we use a different route to get to the Kingdom of the Waves. This is at least in the short term until the situation returns to normal."


    The patriarch frowned and spoke unhappily. "I heard about it, but I didn''t think the situation would reach at this point... Won''t the Kingdom of the Waves do anything about it? If this continues, our business in the kingdom will be delayed!"


    This was an important issue for anyone who did business in the Kingdom of the Waves and was coming from the south of this kingdom. This is because, between the Kingdom of the Waves and the Brown Kingdom, a mountain range divided them until the beginning of the Black Plain. This made it considerably more difficult to travel by land in this region.


    And since most of the trade between the kingdoms was transported by land, passing through the Black Plain region was the way that minimized the distance between the two kingdoms. Because of this, many traders who came from the Brown Kingdom and some from the Cromwell Kingdom used this stretch to reach the Kingdom of the Waves.


    Otherwise, there would be a need to transport these resources across the sea, which would make transportation more expensive. This is because it was very difficult to obtain marine spiritual beasts. Thus, the means of maritime transport were considerably slower and more expensive than land.


    As for the border with the Black Plain, next to the Kingdom of the Waves, there was a place with a large presence of criminal groups.


    This was due to the lower spiritual density of the region, which distanced the interest of noble families in keeping those areas under control. However, this place was still considered better than the Black Plain, which is why there were not many groups of bandits in the territory of Minos.


    As they continued to discuss matters of the utmost importance to the Silva family, an elderly man hurriedly entered the room.


    This was a servant of the Silva family.


    "Patriarch, something terrible has happened." He said while his face was completely pale. In fact, he didn''t want to have to deliver such news, but¡­ Unfortunately, it happened on his shift.


    While the servant was sweating coldly, Otis Silva looked at him with an ugly expression on his face and asked. "Why did you come in here like that? Don''t you see that I have an important meeting?"


    "I''m sorry, patriarch, but this is urgent. The sign of the young master Darell''s soul has disappeared." The older man said as he lowered his head in fear. He was afraid of being killed just for delivering such news!


    "Huh? What did you say?" Patriarch Otis asked in disbelief.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, two days went by quickly, and now Minos and his group had already returned to the city of Portland. Most of them had already recovered much of the superficial injuries and were now training behind closed doors in their rooms.


    Minos had also purchased several spiritual healing pills to help his subordinates recover faster. He had also contacted other alchemists and made offers to attract them to his side.


    However, no one showed great interest after he said that he is the sovereign of the Black Plain. After all, few would risk going to such a poor place.


    But Minos was not unhappy with this, as he had already expected such a thing to happen, and it would not be long before the news that his region had been recovered and now he was doing business here on the Stone Island was spread in this region.


    With that, Minos was confident that, even if these experts did not accept his offer now, it did not mean that they would not change their mind in the future.


    ''It seems that there is nothing else I can do here in Portland.'' Minos thought to himself as he ate an apple and looked at the city''s landscape through the window of the room he was in.


    He didn''t want to do a lot of business around here, as he would be heading to the Stone Island capital, Old Stone, shortly thereafter. Thus, he could buy the items necessary to develop the Black Plain in a place with better-rated products and higher quantities.


    ''I will wait just one more day before we leave. It will be better to give this time for my soldiers to recover fully.'' Minos thought to himself before entering the Spatial Kingdom.


    "I wonder how Miss Elen is doing¡­" He spoke in a low voice as he walked to the house by the lake. He had a smile on his face as he thought of that young trader.


    In fact, as a young teenager of 16-years-old, Minos could not help thinking of beauty as the young Elen. And with his reunion getting closer and closer, he had been thinking more and more about ''interacting'' with the young blonde.


    ''Ahh, I better get rid of those thoughts and start my training¡­'' Minos thought with a sly smile on his face.


    ¡­


    After that, it was not long before Minos began to perform a series of repetitive movements besides the lake.


    Spatial Sword!


    Swooish!


    Swooish!


    The attack technique was activated dozens of times before Minos finally stopped to rest. He was covered in sweat and had spent most of his spiritual energy on this training session.


    Glub! Glub! Glub!


    He drank a jug filled with water while saying irregularly and breathing quickly. "Hu, hu, hu, it''s getting more and more difficult to advance my sword technique. Hu, hu, hu, it''s really hard to have to activate it a thousand times¡­"


    After a while, Minos began to cultivate to replenish his energies. He then started his defensive training after a few hours of cultivation.


    Indestructible Body!


    After activating his defensive technique dozens of times, Minos prepared to take the final blow of the session.


    A blade of energy was launched in the direction of Minos.


    Such an attack came from a grade-1, high-level, spiritual array that Minos had bought in Portland in the past few days. This array emitted a blade attack equivalent to an attack by someone at level 39!


    Swooish!


    "Phew, hu, hu, hu, I''m going to stop here," Minos said aloud as he sat on the floor to rest.


    ...


    Thus, a day quickly passed, and Minos finally decided to leave the Spatial Kingdom. All soldiers were fully recovered and ready to continue traveling at that time.


    Minos left his room and called Sergeant Pyke. "Is everything ready for our trip to the Old Stone city?"


    "Yes, young master. We rented three carriages here in Portland for the trip, and they are already at the entrance in the Olson Hotel." Pyke said calmly.


    "Great, let''s go then. We have nothing else to do in this city." Minos spoke as he walked to one of the elevators on the floor where his room was.


    It didn''t take long, and the entire group of 11 people left Portland, heading towards the central part of Stone Island.

 Chapter 34: Old Stone

    Five days passed in the blink of an eye, and now, Minos and his group were only a few hours away from the capital of Stone Island, Old Stone.


    In those days that passed, Minos counted all the gain of the trip until the present moment and began to make his plans of how to spend his tens of thousands of crystals of low-grade and also the crystals of medium-grade, that he still had.


    By Minos'' accounts, he had about 400,000 low-grade crystals and 500 medium-grade crystals. With this amount, he intended to buy about 300 pills of grade-1, divided into 3 parts containing pills of low-level, medium-level, and high-level.


    As for grade-2 pills, it would take a few years before the forces of the Black Plain Army needed such a resource, not to mention that Minos could not afford to do this now. To give you an idea, pills of this grade are sold in medium-grade crystals, as well as spiritual weapons. The same goes for arrays that are in this grade.


    Minos also planned to buy about 120 grade-1 spiritual weapons, divided into three parts, as well as with the pills. As to why he was buying low-level and medium-level weapons and pills as well, this was because he wanted to arm and increase the cultivation speed of the youths, who had joined the Black Plain Army in recent months.


    This is because there were not many spiritual weapons in the Black Plain, and even the ones that they had were old and defective. As for the pills, it would help 300 soldiers advance further in cultivation.


    With this, Minos planned to spend almost all of his low-grade crystals, leaving only the medium-grade ones, which he wanted to use to buy a grade-2, low-grade, spiritual meeting array.


    Such an array was ten times more powerful than a grade-1, high-grade, array, like the ones that the Dry City had won from merchant Elen Nash. With this grade-2 array, Minos could also cover an area of ??one million square meters, thus increasing the area with more dense spiritual energy within the Dry City!


    This spiritual array also had an efficiency of 26%, which was already much better than the ones that Minos had, which could offer an efficiency of only 20%.


    Minos hoped that the Black Plain would raise an entire step of strength with all these investments.


    He also wanted to start attracting low-level people from other impoverished regions, such as those bordering the Black Plain with the Kingdom of the Waves and the Cromwell Kingdom.


    After all, the current population of the Plain Black was only 50,000 inhabitants, and more than 40,000 of them already lived in the Dry City. With such numbers, it would not be long before Minos faced a problem with labor supply.


    In fact, according to his accounts, in a maximum of 6 months, the entire unemployed adult population of the Black Plain would already be working in agriculture or the Black Plain Army. Therefore, if he did not encourage immigration towards his territories, he could not continue to grow.


    ''This is really a problem. I have to talk to Miss Elen about this. Maybe she can help me with that.'' Minos thought as he watched the horizon through his carriage window.


    In the Spiritual World, it was not uncommon for slaves and businesses specialized in the commercialization of captives to appear. But the numbers of these groups were relatively small, as there had been no major wars in this region of the Central Continent for a long time.


    Of course, there were always some conflicts between noble families and smaller families, but the scale of these events did not reach such alarming numbers that millions of slaves appeared at once.


    However, even if these groups were numerous, Minos would not be very interested in this type of labor. Even if someone bought slaves and then treated them well and even freed them, these former captives would never be happy. Many of them might even be grateful for the gesture, but they would still want to have their own lives, perhaps elsewhere.


    In fact, the number of people who would give up their newly recovered freedom to stay and help their libertarians was very small. After all, individuals who have gone through this type of situation learn to be skeptical and try to recover what they had lost through slavery.


    And Minos was also not in favor of this type of service. Buying a slave and then freeing him is not a way to help fight this system. On the contrary, by buying slaves, you would only be helping to strengthen this type of market!


    That was what Minos believed!


    As for helping these groups¡­ Well¡­ Minos lacked the strength for this, and more importantly, he was not a good person to the point of giving up his own interests to help strangers.


    He could even do something about it, as long as it didn''t harm him¡­


    ¡­


    Time passed, and the silhouette of the Old Stone city began to appear on the horizon for the group of carriages, in which Minos and his group were.


    It was a huge city, and despite the distance, it was from the group of Minos, they could still clearly see how big it was. According to the information that Minos had received, this was a city with more than 6 million inhabitants!


    This was almost twice as large as the capital of the Brown Kingdom, the City of the Setting Sun, which had less than 3.1 million residents.


    This clearly showed the financial difference between the two states. What made Stone Island one of the most influential regions near the north of the Central Continent, while the Brown Kingdom had an influence that was only average.


    However, despite the differences in influence and wealth of any party, the powers in these states were considered equivalent. Not only that, while Stone Island had many of its non-warrior specialists, the Brown Kingdom had many warriors and few support professionals.


    This also explained the relative peace between the region''s top powers. They had equivalent powers and needed each other to continue their affairs.


    Some more time passed, and the group of Minos arrived at the southeast entrance of the Old Stone city. Many other carriages were coming and going through this entrance to the city, with several spiritual beasts pulling the many carriages.


    It was possible to see many 3rd and 4th rank beasts and even some 5th. It was really an image that Minos had not seen even when he lived in the City of the Setting Sun. After all, even if there were beasts of that level in his old city where he lived, it was not common to see them on the streets.


    As Minos'' carriage drove slowly through the streets of the Old Stone town, he could see many multistory buildings in different locations. Not only that, the city had uneven and mountainous terrain, which made some of these buildings stand out even more.


    Such a look would make one think of the beautiful landscape that could be seen from these places.


    At that moment, Sergeant Pyke, who was standing next to Minos, said in a low voice with a thoughtful expression. "The spiritual energy here is much denser than in the city of Portland. Amazing!"


    When he heard that, Minos smiled and said with a smile on his face. "This is normal since in this city there must be some array masters of grade-2. With that, the city certainly has many spiritual meeting arrays in operation."


    "We are going to look for the Hotel Olson, here in the Old Stone city. Ask someone for directions." Minos said to Sergeant Pyke as he enjoyed the view of the city.


    Pyke then got out of the carriage and looked for directions from the Hotel Olson, which was here in the capital of Stone Island.


    It didn''t take long, and the group of Minos arrived at the hotel and checked in. The night was starting when they settled into their rooms. Minos then thought to himself. ''I will leave to look for Miss Elen tomorrow.''


    He threw himself on his bed after taking a nice hot shower. ''Mnn, even though I don''t need to sleep as much as before, I still love doing it¡­''


    ¡­


    While Minos was sleeping peacefully at the Olson Hotel in the Old Stone city, a giant eagle, which was in the 4th stage, was approaching the capital of Stone Island. This was an eagle with completely white feathers and a large yellow beak.


    On top of this huge beast, a young girl with a cute appearance and a bored look on her face. This was Ruth Miles, the young disciple of Minos'' mother. She had traveled quickly from the Maritime City to Portland and then came straight here.


    And despite having stopped to visit some places, she had still arrived here quickly, since her spiritual beast was a 4th stage and one of the flying type, which was faster than terrestrial beasts.


    ''I hope that ungrateful Minos has already arrived here. Otherwise, I will be forced to wait for him...'' Ruth thought as she yawned slowly.


    "White, let''s start going down. I want to find a place for me to rest in this city." She spoke as she rubbed her hands around the eagle''s large neck.

 Chapter 35: Mismatch

    As she arrived in the city, Ruth heard a warning from one of the guards who was patrolling the city''s surroundings. "Miss, spiritual beasts like your eagle are allocated at the western entrance to the city. There, you can rent an area for your beast to rest."


    After that, Ruth passed the city to the specific location on the west side of the Old Stone, which was a place where city visitors could leave their greatest spiritual beasts.


    This is because in the capital of Stone Island, it was not allowed to fly around the city with beasts, and as for terrestrial beasts, they were limited to a certain size. And since White was a flying beast, it wouldn''t be very useful in the city, so Ruth planned to leave her beast there.


    After a while, Ruth left White and went into the city.


    ''Mnn, this place is actually a decent size. I think that walking around here until I find a hotel would be problematic...''


    After thinking about it, Ruth decided to rent a carriage at a location near the western entrance to the city.


    "Good evening, miss. Where do you want to go?" Asked the coachman with a sympathetic expression.


    Then Ruth replied with an indifferent look on her face. "Good night. I don''t know the Old Stone city, so just take me to the best hotel here."


    "Oh! So, this is your first time here. In this case, I will take you to the Hotel Olson. I can''t say if it is the best in town, but it definitely won''t displease you."


    Ruth shook her head and said. "Mnn, Hotel Olson then."


    Soon after, the carriage began to move towards the central part of the city, where the hotel was located. Ruth then began to observe the parts where they passed.


    This was a good city. Despite having a much lower spiritual concentration than large cities located in the Flaming Empire, it was still a good place for less talented cultivators to live. Ruth thought about it as she crossed the city.


    She could see many buildings on the horizon, and because the city was mountainous, she could even see places that were very far away, which could give you a feeling that you were in a real jungle of buildings.


    As for the streets, they had ample space for the passage of up to 4 carriages at the same time, and there was also great afforestation, which left a good impression on anyone who saw it for the first time.


    ''This place is fascinating. It seems to be as big as the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom.'' She thought to herself as she assessed this place.


    It didn''t take long before the carriage arrived at the Hotel Olson in the Old Stone town. This was a building that, to anyone looking, would appear to be covered entirely in glass. It had about 10 floors, with a garden rich in spiritual plants of different types.


    Looking at the building in front of her, Ruth could see several lights from different floors. She then walked into the building and soon went to check-in. She was tired and wanted to take a good shower, then go out to eat.


    After passing a group of 4 men who were leaving the hotel, she entered the building.


    Ruth then looked in the direction of the men and thought to herself. ''Mnn, have I seen them somewhere? Ahh, never mind, I''m all sticky. I want to take my shower soon...''


    ¡­


    A few minutes before¡­


    Minos had just woken up and was planning to go out to dinner. Although he stopped to sleep, it was only for 3 hours, enough for him to rest at his current level.


    After he woke up, Minos decided to find a place to have dinner. After all, although he slept for a few hours, there was still a lot of movement on the street at this moment, so he could choose a good place to eat.


    "Sergeant Pyke, bring two other soldiers to accompany me," Minos spoke shortly after leaving his room and seeing Pyke sitting on a chair in the living room.


    "Okay, young master."


    After a few minutes, the 4 men came down from the apartment that Minos had rented at the Hotel Olson, heading towards a restaurant not far from where they were.


    As they left the hotel, the group passed a young woman with provocative curves and a delicate face. She was wearing a beautiful green dress and had a distant look on her face.


    When he saw this, Pyke thought to himself with a doubtful expression on his face. ''Did I ever see this young woman somewhere?''


    However, Sergeant Pyke did not care much about it. If it were someone important to him and the Black Plain, then he would not be in doubt. In this case, it wouldn''t make a difference not to recognize her.


    Minos and his group then headed for a restaurant called, The Barbecue Temple. This was a location that Hotel Olson indicated to their customers, who were visiting Old Stone city for the first time.


    After some time walking through the beautiful city, Minos arrived at the restaurant, The Barbecue Temple. This was a place with a ''design'' quite different from what you could see in this city. It was a large temple with many columns at least 15 meters high, while it had a triangular roof.


    There was a large red sign with the restaurant''s name on the outside of the building, while a smaller building could be seen below the structure made with the large columns.


    Minos and his group walked slowly, seeing the magnificent beauty of this building. Shortly after, they stopped in front of a young attendant, who directed them to a specific area.


    The restaurant was subdivided into several parts inside the building, with tables of different sizes and fixed benches around the tables. It was a delightful setup for most people who came in groups of different sizes.


    It didn''t take long, and a few dishes with appetizers arrived at Minos'' table while his meal was being prepared. There were portions of 2nd stage spiritual beast wings, breaded with spicy seasoning, served with crispy celery, and a portion with a giant golden onion, accompanied by the sauce.


    After experimenting, Minos and the three men who had been invited to eat enjoyed the peppery flavor of the wings, which warmed the body while enjoying the portion of crunchy onions.


    Crunch!


    "Mnn, the amount of spiritual energy in these onions is not so bad," Minos said while comparing this appetizer with the products planted in his territory.


    "It is true, but despite the loss of spiritual energy for the products from the Black Plain, the taste is really incredible. Worthy of a city as developed like this."


    After that, it wasn''t long before the main meal arrived at Minos'' table. It was a large rib of a 2nd stage spiritual beast, covered with a barbecue sauce, with a portion of rice prepared with almonds, champignons, chives, and red peppers.


    There was also a portion of vegetables with grilled pumpkin, carrots, broccoli, and peas. And to top it off, there were 4 large mugs with a golden draft beer.


    It didn''t take long for the group to get lost in the rich aroma of the food and the distinct taste of each dish.


    Chomp! Nhoc! Nhac! Nhec!


    Minos'' group devoured the food as soon as it arrived, and it wasn''t long before they finished.


    ''Ahh, the food here is delicious. I almost feel like kidnapping the cooks and taking them to the Black Plain, haha...'' Minos thought to himself as he had the corners of his lips pointed up.


    After a while, the 4 men decided to return to the hotel when they were delighted.


    As they walked back to the Olson Hotel, Minos thought. ''Ah! Now that I''ve rested and eaten, when we get to the hotel, I''ll go straight to the Spatial Kingdom.''


    ¡­


    Not long after Minos and his group left the restaurant, The Barbecue Temple, a sensual young woman with black hair was entering that fateful place.


    As she followed the young attendant into the restaurant, Ruth thought to herself. ''After trying the food in this place, I''ll get some sleep, and then I''ll cultivate until dawn. Tomorrow morning I''ll go to that Nash family to see if I can find Minos.''


    ¡­


    Time passed quickly, and the night gave way to the rays of dawn light, and not long afterward, Minos and the beautiful Ruth would head towards the Nash family headquarters on the Stone Island, which was on the southwest side of the Old Stone town.

 Chapter 36: Unexpected Encounter

    Dawn passed quickly, and Minos had already prepared to leave and go to meet the merchant, Elen Nash. He wanted to start doing business with Stone Island as soon as possible, opening doors for even greater growth of his forces on the Black Plain.


    After leaving his room, Minos had breakfast in the living room of the apartment while talking to some soldiers. Some of them were at a table full of dishes, with spiritual fruits, bread, cold cuts, and some morning drinks. The rest were standing while talking to each other.


    At that moment, Minos spoke seriously. "Sergeant Pyke and three others of you will come with me while the rest can stay and train."


    After that, it wasn''t long before Minos'' group left to head towards the Nash family headquarters. However, when they passed through the corridor where their apartment was to go to the elevator, an unexpected encounter happened.


    ¡­


    ''Ahh, this place is not a bad place to sleep¡­'' Ruth thought to herself as she yawned. She had just woken up and was getting ready to leave when she saw a table full of delicacies in her apartment.


    "Oh! Breakfast has already been delivered to my apartment. They are really efficient!" She murmured in a low voice, smelling the great smell that came from the table with the breakfast she had ordered earlier.


    She then looked at the plates with several fruits, sandwiches, and two jugs of orange juice. After that, she started to eat happily while judging each ''item''s spirituality.


    Chomp! Nhoc! Nhac! Nhec!


    ''Mnn, it tastes excellent, but the amount of spiritual energy that is in most foods here is average at best.'' Ruth thought, finishing eating an apple, which was completely red.


    And in fact, when compared to items sold in the Flaming Empire, the spirituality contained in these foods marketed in the northern region of the Central Continent was actually poorer.


    That''s because the Flaming Empire was a territory that had several regions with high spiritual concentration. In this way, the cultures planted in these territories were necessarily richer in spiritual energy. As for food of animal origin, they were also left behind since there were animals of a higher level in places with greater spiritual density.


    As for these animals in question, they are variations of spiritual beasts in this world. Like humans, there are spiritual beasts with different ''talents,'' but no one categorizes this distinction as a talent. This is a classification for humans and elves. For beasts, they are said to have different lineages.


    And how many lineages could be more or less strong, depending on two things. The race of the beast and the purity of the lineage. This means that even the purest of horses could not yet be compared to a dragon with an impure lineage.


    Because of this, spiritual beasts of weaker races, who could not go far in cultivation, were generally referred to as simply animals in the Spiritual World. This is because these beasts were limited to a stage of cultivation, which they would not have developed their intelligence yet.


    To give you an idea, for spiritual beasts to reach the intelligence of a human, this was something that happened as soon as they reached the 5th stage of cultivation, which was equivalent to a human being able to feel and use the power of heaven and earth, in the same stage.


    For a human who has reached level 70, he can live temporarily in the form of a soul and possess another person''s body or even build a new body. As for the spiritual beasts, in this same stage, they would be able to take a humanoid form and even had the ability to conceive children with humans!


    Anyway, spiritual beasts that were limited by their race to level 39, the limit of the 4th stage, can be called animals in this world.


    After a while, Ruth finished her meal and headed for the elevator on the floor where she was staying. However, at that moment, a group of 5 men was coming towards the same elevator.


    When Ruth finally started to think about where she had seen these people from, Minos slowly stepped out from behind one of the soldiers and became visible to the sexy curvy girl in front of the elevator.


    "Ahh, I found you, Minos!" She said, satisfied. It would make her job easier. Now she just had to take this young man to the Cromwell Kingdom, she thought¡­


    At that point, Minos, who had been surprised to be recognized by someone in this place, finally began to assess the young woman in front of him. She had a delicate face, which showed that she was not much older than him and had well-defined curves, which would make any man stop to appreciate them for a few moments. She was truly a beauty in a hundred thousand!


    As he assessed the beauty of black hair in front of him, Minos thought to himself while he had an expressionless face. ''Where do I know this girl from? There should be no way for me to forget someone like that!''


    He then said. "Have we met before?"


    "Don''t you remember? You are really the worst for not being able to recognize someone you met a little over a year ago." Ruth said with a tone of displeasure.


    "Just over a year?"


    At that moment, Pyke stepped forward and spoke to Minos. "Young master, I think this young lady was accompanying Mrs. Maisie for just over a year."


    "Ah! So, it''s you. Why are you looking for me? I didn''t already say that I have no interest in yours, Gray Cloud Sect."


    Ruth then said with a smirk on her face. "Hmph, you''re an ungrateful person who doesn''t know what you''re missing. If it weren''t for my master, you would never be able to join our sect!"


    "But today, I''m here to tell you about the Spiritual Tournament, which will take place in a few months in the Cromwell Kingdom. My master told me to come here and tell you about it and if you were already at least in the 4th stage of cultivation¡­" At that moment she stopped talking because, due to the surprise of meeting Minos at the same hotel where she was staying, Ruth had forgotten to probe Minos'' strength.


    "What? How can that be possible?" She said as she looked at Minos in shock. That''s because she realized that he was already in the 4th stage of cultivation, at level 33!


    This was unbelievable for her because in just over a year, this young man outside level 0 to level 33!


    Due to his previous cultivation speed, she already expected him to reach the 4th stage of cultivation before the Spiritual Tournament. However, he was already at this level now, and it was still months before this competition started!


    So, she was surprised!


    To give you an idea, people with Silver talent, like the young Ruth, took an average of almost 3 years to achieve this. As for those with Black talent, most of them took an average of 4 years to reach this stage.


    ''What a monster this Minos is. Did the master make a mistake in saying that he had Black talent? Such speed is very unbelievable for someone with Black talent!'' Ruth thought to herself.


    Meanwhile, Minos held his hands behind his back while he smiled. He had a good idea of ??why she had been so surprised all of a sudden. So, he had decided to let her take a breath and recover from the shock before continuing their conversation...


    "Let''s talk inside my apartment," Minos said as he headed back to the room from which he had left earlier. After that, he went to his room and settled in an armchair that was there.


    A few seconds later, Minos finally broke the silence and asked in a curious tone. "What is this Spiritual Tournament? And why does my mother want me to participate?"


    Ruth then regained her composure and responded sincerely. "The Spiritual Tournament is a competition made by the sects of the Flaming Empire, in the northern region of the Central Continent."


    "Once every 8 years, this tournament is held in one of the kingdoms of this region, in which the objective is to bring the greatest talents to our empire. This is also a great opportunity for the geniuses of this region."


    "The first three places receive generous rewards, while the first place also gains a Silver-grade technique. This is also a good chance for the geniuses in this region to get to know each other."


    "That''s because even though most of them don''t have the talent to go to other parts of the Central Continent, many of them will still rule important families, sometimes even becoming kings of their kingdoms."


    "Therefore, the Spiritual Tournament is considered one of the events of great importance for the region in which you are. As for why my master wants you to participate, it must be so that you know how big the world can be." She finished with a smile on her face.


    ''Mnn, interesting. Even if I don''t need this technique, I will still be a leader in this region of the Central Continent, and that is why I must meet the future specialists here. This is also a good opportunity for me to fight those of the same generation as me...'' Minos thought to himself as he cracked his fingers with a thoughtful expression on his face.

 Chapter 37: Information

    ''As for this opportunity to join one of the Flaming Empire sects, I have no interest in that. If I could get such a sect as my ally, it would be great, but getting something like that, at this moment, would be impossible. In this case, I will not try to interact with any power outside the northern region of the Central Continent¡­''


    Minos was right. If he joined one of the Flaming Empire sects, he would be just an external member of those forces. That''s because the sects that organized the Spiritual Tournament were all powers with dozens of Spiritual Emperors and even had Spiritual Saints leading them!


    So, if the young Stuart joined one of these sects, it would take him many years to achieve sufficient status so that the doors could be opened for Minos to do his business in that empire. Minos also had no way of providing services to such a distant place.


    Hell, he was barely starting to bring his business out of the Black Plain!


    While Minos was seriously thinking, Ruth waited for his response with a satisfied expression on her delicate face. ''He must be very tempted by the Silver-grade technique!'' Ruth thought to herself.


    After a while, she finally broke the silence and said. "And then? You want to participate, right?"


    Minos finished his conjectures and looked at the beautiful lady in front of him. He smiled and said. "Yes, I am interested in this tournament. It can help me a lot."


    "Haha, I knew you were going to say this. After all, a Silver-grade technique is very valuable."


    "Mnn, really¡­" Minos vaguely agreed while having the tips of his lips slightly pointed upwards.


    "Okay, since you''ve already decided, we''d better go to the Cromwell Kingdom right away," Ruth said as she got up from the couch, she was sitting on.


    "No, I have other matters to attend to before we go."


    "Another matter? What can be more important than this? Just so you know, even on my 4th stage spiritual beast, it takes at least 3 weeks to reach the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom, departing from here, from the Stone Island."


    Minos then asked. "And how much time is left for this competition to happen?"


    "In 6 months from now."


    "Ah! So, we have enough time. The way you said it, I thought it was already close!" Minos said with a satisfied look.


    "I know there is enough time, but it would be better if we went there soon. Many of the Spiritual Tournament participants arrive at the competition site up to 4 months before the scheduled date. That''s because, in doing so, they can better understand the situation they are in."


    "Many of these participants achieve good results in their final training because of the pressure imposed by themselves when meeting other high-level geniuses." Ruth looked at Minos with a disapproving look after saying this.


    She thought he was underestimating the opponents of this important competition by leaving to go to the competition site later. After all, even if he had an insane speed in cultivation, that didn''t mean he would be the strongest participant in this event.


    "I must warn you that, although your cultivation speed is very good, if we consider what happened in the previous tournaments, a cultivator from the beginning of the 4th stage like you can only be considered on average."


    "The strongest in this competition has always been at the beginning of the 5th stage. Since there is always one or other competing that has already reached level 42, or even a little stronger than that!"


    "After all, even though the northern region of the Central Continent is considerably poorer in spiritual energy compared to other parts of our continent, having a few individuals with above-average talent is something you see quite often when you look at such a large population."


    This was really true. Even though it was difficult to happen, people with talent greater than their parents were not so difficult to find. This can be seen clearly in the examples of Lee and Alison, who Minos had brought to his side.


    Ruth then stared into the young man''s eyes in front of her and said. "That''s why you shouldn''t underestimate the Spiritual Tournament, you don''t know that, but some of the great specialists from the Flaming Empire came from here, from this region. Even some ''small'' families from here, on the north of the Central Continent, have completely changed after having a single member going to our Empire."


    "To give you an idea, almost 20 years ago, in the tournament of that time, one of the families of your Brown Kingdom had one of its members with Silver talent, who participated in that competition. They hid this young man wisely, and in the end, that person won the Spiritual Tournament and went to one of the Flaming Empire sects."


    "After that, he grew considerably and gained an important position in the sect he went to, having even reached the stage of Spiritual Emperor under 40s."


    "After that, it wasn''t long before his whole family left the Brown Kingdom to move to a region of high spiritual concentration, which that young man had obtained as a reward for becoming an elder of the sect he was in."


    "My master told me this story a few years ago when I found out about this competition. If I''m not mistaken, that expert in question is called Dennis Red." Ruth finished speaking while watching Minos.


    "Oh! So, that''s why the Red family left the Red Valley in the Brown Kingdom¡­ But don''t worry about it. I''m not underestimating this competition." Minos said with a confident tone.


    He really did not think of himself as an invincible being who acted hastily without making the proper plans. But his priority was the Black Plain. After all, making contacts was important, but if he neglected his responsibilities as sovereign, then having such contacts would only hinder the development of Minos'' forces!


    And Minos understood very well what he could and could not do, so he would never pay more attention to something secondary than his main objective.


    ''Hmph, you don''t know what you''re talking about! But that''s okay, hehe, you''re the one who will go down in the end.'' Ruth thought to herself, as she imagined a future in which Minos would leave this pose and tell her how wrong he was¡­


    "So, why do you want to stay here any longer?"


    "I have a lot of things to do here. I have to buy weapons and spiritual pills for my organization. I also have a business to do with the Stone Island." Minos said sincerely.


    "Ah, business? Regardless of what it is, you could do it all in the Cromwell Kingdom instead of doing it here." Ruth said with a disapproving expression on her face. For her, Minos was doing many things that only made matters difficult for himself.


    Minos then shook his head and said. "It is not that simple. You don''t understand my situation to know where it is better or worse to do my business. Believe me. The Stone Island is the best place of all for the Black Plain to start negotiating."


    "Hmph, if you say so, then I won''t say anything anymore¡­"


    Ruth then asked. "So, you came to see this Elen Nash for this?"


    "That''s right. I made a commercial agreement with her. Anyway, since you''ve said it all, it''s time for me to look for her. Will you come with me?" He asked after getting up from his chair with a smile on his face.


    "As my teacher gave me the mission to accompany you to the Spiritual Tournament, then I will accompany you for that period since it is not worth it for me to return now." She said with a little reluctance in her eyes.


    Ruth did not like to stay in a place with a spiritual density as low as the north of the Central Continent, but she could not return to her sect during this period.


    The Spiritual Tournament was only 6 months away, and just for her to go back and forth between the Flaming Empire and this region, it would take more than 3 months.


    Because of this, it was not worth it for her to try to return to her sect while Minos resolved his final issues.


    "Since this is the case, let''s get going. I want to find Miss Elen as soon as possible."


    After saying this, Minos and Ruth left the room that they were in and headed for the exit of the hotel. The three former guards and Sergeant Pyke also accompanied them.


    They drove in a carriage from the central part of the Old Stone town, where the Hotel Olson was located, to the west of the city, where the Nash family headquarters was located on Stone Island.


    ''I hope Miss Elen is there. Otherwise, it could slow me down a bit.'' Minos thought to himself as he watched the view of this beautiful city as his carriage wandered the streets.

 Chapter 38: Coming to the Nash Family

    Minos, Ruth, and the soldiers began to stroll the beautiful streets of the capital of Stone Island, while they went to the western part of the Old Stone city, where the headquarters of the Nash family was located.


    Minos'' carriage quickly reached the doors of a grand palace, which stood at the entrance to one of the many mountains in this city, making its front completely visible to anyone coming from the street.


    This palace was as big as the one of the Brown Kingdom royal family, and from the external look, it could be said to be even more valuable.


    In it, you could see dozens of windows spread over 4 floors, the first two floors being the same size and the next two were smaller than the other, like a staircase. Other than that, one could see a large garden in front of the palace, with many spiritual plants of different colors and a beautiful fountain in the middle of the garden.


    Outside this property, there was a large wall that surrounded the entire inner region, and there was a beautiful, completely green gate with a silver ship symbol in the middle.


    This was the hallmark of the Nash family!


    ''Incredible, this Nash family must be really rich. Perhaps only the Miller family of the Brown Kingdom can compare to them.'' Minos thought to himself as he saw the beautiful Nash family palace in front of him.


    The Miller family in question was a major economic influence in the Brown Kingdom, being one of the two great noble families in the kingdom, excluding the royal family.


    This family was responsible for most of the business related to the marketing of products made by array masters and alchemists within the Brown Kingdom. They also had a hand in the spiritual weapons business, but they lost to the royal family in this regard.


    They also have deep relations with the Kingdom of the Waves, which is the largest kingdom in the northern region of the Central Continent!


    "Standing there! This is the Nash family''s property. What do you intend to do here?" Said a tall man dressed in great silver armor, with a long war hammer on his back.


    Minos just replied with a gentle smile on his face and said. "Hello, friend of the Nash family, my name is Minos Stuart, I made a commercial partnership with Miss Elen some time ago, and I am here to deal with this matter."


    The man gave Minos a strange look and then said. "Wait next to the gate while I confirm if Miss Elen will receive you."


    ''Hmph, I hope that''s right, it wouldn''t be the first time that any suitor of Miss Elen pretends to be a business partner to try to see her. If that is the case, the young master will not be happy to know about it...''


    ''Hehe, this young man had better be careful¡­'' The guard thought to himself as he headed towards a building next to the entrance gate.


    After a while, the man sent a servant to warn the young Elen about the unexpected visit of this ''alleged'' business partner, named Minos Stuart.


    ¡­


    In one part of the palace, Elen Nash was in a room in her apartment while drinking spiritual tea with a friend and business partner.


    "Elen, we better send some guards to find out what happened on the border between the Kingdom of the Waves and the Black Plain. You don''t have to go there just for that." Said a beautiful young woman with blond hair and sensual curves.


    "No, I will go myself. With that, I can take the opportunity to see how much the Black Plain has improved in the meantime. Even if it is not yet time to start negotiating, it is good to monitor the development of that place closely." Elen said, looking at the beautiful young woman in front of her.


    She was Elena Neel, a friend, and business partner of Elen, for some years. She was also the daughter of one of the great noble families on Stone Island, the Neel family.


    "Ah! So, you want to know about it¡­ But I don''t think this Black Plain is so worth it, so you have to worry about going there. Even if they manage to plant in that dead soil there, I doubt that the crops are better than those of the Cromwell Kingdom, considering how weak the spiritual energy of that region is." Elena said with an expression of displeasure on her face.


    "Well, it really is not a simple thing to start planting in a place with a spiritual density as low as the Black Plain, but this is being done by the same person who made this planting possible. No one has achieved such a feat before him. That''s why I''m giving him this chance." Elen said with a serious expression on her face.


    Elena nodded and said quietly. "That''s true¡­"


    Soon after, a servant who had just entered the room went to Elen and said. "Miss Elen, a man named Minos Stuart says that he is here to speak with you. What do we say to him?"


    When she heard this name, Elen''s pupils contracted, and she smiled slightly. "Oh! What a coincidence that he came here when we were talking about him! Okay, Halia, bring him over here."


    After that, the servant named Halia left quickly and headed for the Nash family palace gate, where Minos was waiting for authorization to enter the property.


    "Hehe, I didn''t expect to meet this young man today. I want to see what someone who did a ''miracle'' looks like¡­ Haha." Elena said with a curious smile on her face.


    "You said that his cultivation was very weak, right?"


    "Mnn, it''s true, but it''s not that simple, I ordered a survey of his past to Eduard, and from what I heard, he almost died when he was 9-years-old. He only recovered just over a year ago, just before I met him."


    "Oh, so he went through such a tragedy, what a pity for him, if he were stronger, maybe he could meet his older sister here¡­" said Elena with an ambiguous expression on her face.


    "Stop it. You are too shameless." Elen said with a flushed face.


    In fact, in the Spiritual World, sexuality was quite liberal, and it is quite common for people to have casual relationships and even have a sex friend.


    It was quite common for people to have a certain amount of ''experience'' before getting married.


    Of course, some people tried to maintain their chastity for someone ''special,'' but not everyone thought so or was unwilling to wait that long until someone suitable appeared.


    ¡­


    Sometime later, the young Ruth was watching the view of the palace, while Minos was sitting next to her without many expressions.


    It was not long before, the servant who had gone out to speak to young Elen returned. "Miss Elen said that I must take the guests to her residence."


    The guard heard this and went to Minos''s carriage with a strange look on his face. "Okay, Miss Elen is going to see you now. Just follow Halia to Miss Elen''s residence."


    After the guard said that, the big gate opened, allowing the group of Minos to pass inside the property.


    They stopped in a large open space, where other carriages stood with their respective spiritual beasts. After that, Minos, Ruth, and the soldiers who accompanied them followed the servant Halia towards the palace''s interior.


    Elen Nash''s apartment was not far. On the south side of the building, it was on the 2nd floor. On the way, Minos and his group passed by some large halls and offices while observing the beautiful decoration of the place.


    There were several pictures and sculptures through the building''s corridors, which would make anyone stop for a second to admire them before going about their business. There were also some spiritual plants, which were used for decorations, present in the places where the group passed.


    It wasn''t long before the group finally arrived at Elen''s residence. At first glance, it looked more like one of the many rooms they passed, but the servant made sure to explain to them how good this part of the building was.


    According to Halia, the Nash spiritual meeting array was on the south side of the complex, making this part more valuable. Of course, the entire building was affected by the array, but the regions closest to it had a much greater amount of energy than other parts.


    When the servant was asked why Miss Elen received such treatment, Halia said that the young Elen is the only daughter of the supreme elder of the Nash family, who lost in strength and influence only to the family patriarch.


    In this way, Elen had great importance within the family, which is why she had received such residency.


    ''Oh! So, she is the daughter of the supreme elder¡­'' Minos thought to himself.


    Shortly thereafter, Minos and his group entered Elen Nash''s residence and saw two beautiful youths blond women sitting on a sofa while they talked and drank spiritual tea.

 Chapter 39: Business on the Stone Island

    One of these two beauties Minos already knew was his commercial ally within Stone Island, Elen Nash. But the other was a beauty that Minos did not know. She had an unrivaled appearance and a breathtaking body from anyone looking at her.


    At that moment, Elen received him and said with a smile on her face. "It is good to see you again, Mr. Minos. Let me introduce you. This is my business partner and friend, Elena Neel."


    Elena then greeted him and said. "Oh! So, you are the young Minos that Elen talks about so much!"


    Minos replied politely. "Mnn, nice to meet you."


    Soon after, Elena tried to check the strength of her friend''s commercial ally. At first glance, he didn''t seem as weak as Elen had said to her.


    ''Ehh? Level 33. This is not weak for someone at his age. Was Elen kidding me?'' Elena thought to herself, after being surprised.


    ''Wait a minute¡­ Didn''t he just start cultivating a year ago? What kind of monster is he?'' She thought while she was more and more shocked by this speed of cultivation!


    At that moment, she asked Elen in a low voice. "Are you sure about the information about this? Look at his current strength. It doesn''t look like anything you said to me."


    "Of course I do. Eduard researched this himself." Elen said in a low voice to her friend.


    Soon afterward, she felt the difference in Minos'' strength in the meantime that they didn''t see each other. ''Unbelievable, level 33, how did he do this?''


    In the meantime, Minos and Ruth had already settled into the room while the soldiers stood outside waiting. Elen then said with a surprised face. "Mr. Minos, you have incredible speed in cultivation. I''ve never seen anyone this fast before!"


    Minos then pretended he didn''t care and started talking. "Mnn, I want to introduce you to Ruth. Although she is not an ally of mine, she will accompany me for a while, due to certain reasons..."


    Minos continued after the three young women said some polite words to each other. "Miss Elen must already know the reason for my visit today. I want to start trading my cultures on Stone Island, starting in the next 3 months."


    "Oh! That was a lot faster than I thought. But how much are we talking about? Considering the time since the plantation started in the Black Plain, there should not be a big harvest." Elen said, looking seriously at Minos.


    "Mnn, it''s true. At the moment, we are only able to plant 100 hectares. As for the numbers, at this point, we can only supply 200 tons, divided into grains, cereals, and spiritual fruits, all that with a high spiritual concentration."


    "What? Cultures with high spiritual concentration, are you kidding?" At that moment, Elena jumped up from the sofa and asked with an incredulous expression.


    This was reasonable since cultures with a high spiritual concentration were planted only in those territories with a high spiritual density. And the Black Plain was not like that. In fact, no place in the north of the Central Continent had such spiritual density.


    Elen was also shocked by what she had just heard from Minos. That would be unbelievable. But if it were true, she would become one of the few people on Stone Island who could provide this type of ''item.'' The quantity that Minos had said was also not small!


    This is because cultures with a high spiritual concentration were imported from other regions of the Central Continent, so there was not a great offer in the square.


    As for Ruth, who was sitting calmly in an armchair while watching the situation, she was also impressed. Although she saw many crops being planted in the Black Plain, she was not curious to probe the spiritual quality of these plants. Therefore, she was surprised by Minos'' statement about this fact.


    Elen then asked Minos with a twinkle in her eyes. "Mr. Minos, is this really true? I don''t want to doubt you, but what you said is very unbelievable for anyone who hears it within our region."


    "Mnn, I understand. But rest assured, I wasn''t kidding when I said that. But I have an order for you. I do not want my items to be sold much higher than the price charged for crops with medium concentration, as must be the case for those items that are imported from other regions."


    "I have my own reasons for this, but I want you to know that I want to sell my items to ordinary people too, not just the wealthiest families."


    "Okay, as the Black Plain is not as far away as the other regions, from where the Stone Island normally imports these resources, the price charged for its items would already be lower anyway."


    "But can you tell me why you demand that? You could earn more if it were sold at a higher cost." Elen asked curiously.


    Minos then replied with an expressionless face. "In fact, my region suffers from a severe lack of labor. This is one of the most urgent problems at the moment. If there is no population increase soon, then within a maximum of 6 months, I will no longer be able to increase our production. So, this is a way to attract some less talented people to my region."


    Elen closed her eyes and thought to herself. ''In fact, with such a low spiritual density, the population of the Black Plain has hardly grown in a long time¡­''


    Elena then remembered something and said with a smile on her face. "Perhaps I know of a quick way to help you increase the population of your territory."


    "In addition to the Black Plain region in the Brown Kingdom, there are two small territories in the Kingdom of the Waves and in the Cromwell Kingdom, specifically on the border with the Black Plain."


    "These two territories are also very weak in spiritual energy because of their proximity to the Black Plain, so their populations are also weaker."


    "With that, you can try to attract them to your territory by hiring some people from those places. After a while, they migrated naturally, as their territories do not offer as many opportunities with the current Black Plain."


    She took a breath for a second and then continued to speak. "I recommend that you start with the territory within the Kingdom of the Waves. There is strong criminal activity in it, so the inhabitants of that place would certainly be willing to leave. You would just have to eliminate these criminal groups, and many people would start to emigrate to other regions. If you know how to attract them, then they can go to the Black Plain."


    ''Oh! So, are there these places close by? As the Dry City hardly interacts with other regions, I did not receive such information.'' Minos thought to himself when his lips slowly curved upwards.


    This was great for him. If it was as Elena said, he could attract these people to the Black Plain without drawing much attention from the powers in the region.


    That''s because if these places were only a little better than the Black Plain, then the biggest families in their respective kingdoms definitely didn''t care about those places, just as they did in the Brown Kingdom.


    Hell, the plight of the Black Plain was so bad within the Brown Kingdom that the big families and even the royal family went years without getting any information from that place!


    In fact, Minos did not know, but the last time King Brown sought to know anything about the Black Plain was more than 7 years ago when the territory was allocated to Minos, after the death of Albert Stuart!


    Elen then gave Minos another offer. "I know this information is tempting to you, but you will still have to face these groups of outlaws to achieve this. However, I can help attract people to the Dry City from other regions within the north of the Central Continent."


    "Okay, facing these bandits can be a good military exercise for my army. As for your suggestion, this also interests me. I doubt that these two territories will be able to suppress my demand for labor for a long time." Minos replied with a smile on his face.


    He then remembered something and said. "Okay, we also can''t use the port of the Maritime City to transport my cultures."


    Elen frowned and asked in confusion. "Why not? And where are we going to transport your items from?"


    Minos smiled and said. "I am going to build a port somewhere else on the Black Plain coast. As to why, well, I don''t want the great forces of the Brown Kingdom to know about the development of my territory."


    Hearing this, Elena frowned when she thought about the consequences of Minos'' actions. She then asked in a serious voice. "Are you thinking of rebelling?"


    When she said that, Elen was scared, such as Ruth. They could not believe that Minos had such ambitions. ''Does he want to create his own kingdom?'' The two thought to themselves.

 Chapter 40: Rebellion?

    "Rebel me? Mn, it was not my initial intention, but when my territory starts to be successful, the problems will come to me, and I will have no choice. These noble families from the Brown Kingdom would probably try to take me away as the sovereign of the Black Plain, or the royal family would want a big chunk of my region''s revenue."


    "And since I am not someone who accepts this type of situation, in which I do all the work, and then someone comes and tries to take it for himself, there is only the option of rebellion. It''s inevitable." Minos said while having an indifferent expression on his face.


    He had no problem saying this to these people. After all, Elen and her Nash family couldn''t reject him. They could not invade the Black Plain, as this would cause a war in the region against them.


    As for doing business with a rebel, well, the Nash family was a merchant power, so they were going to do business, as long as they could win something, they wouldn''t care about their partners'' problems.


    Who didn''t have their own business to do? The Nash family itself had theirs¡­


    ''His thinking is sensible.'' The three beautiful ladies thought at the same time. Of course, as long as the Black Plain was a poor place with no options, no one would want to hold on to that hot potato.


    However, from the moment that agriculture was made possible in these regions, then the Black Plain would become even more important than an area of ??medium-level spiritual density, such as the Red Valley, even though it is only an area of ??low spiritual concentration. That''s because the Black Plain, with its 200,000 square kilometers, had almost 18% of the Brown Kingdom''s territory!


    With such an area, even if cultures were cultivated with a low amount of spiritual energy, for those noble families, this would still be enough to yield a few million low-grade spiritual crystals a year, which would be enough to nourish a colossal amount of subordinates and members of a family.


    Minos then continued to expose his ideas to the young women around him. "But you shouldn''t be worried about that in the short term, Miss Elen. From what I was told by my subordinates, the last time that a nobleman from a large family passed through the Dry City was more than 20 years ago. The king himself must have only bothered to know something about the region seven years ago, when my father died, and the region was passed on to me, as his inheritance."


    "As for the other smaller noble families, only one of them has contact with the Dry City, which is the Gill family. However, even they will not be able to know about the new reality of the Black Plain in the short term."


    Minos was sure about this, as he had consistently polled the director of the Black Stars Academy, Lionel Gill. He found out that Mr. Lionel, despite being the director of this spiritual academy, he only came to the Dry City if someone with Black talent showed up, like the three youths who had previously appeared. Other than that, he stayed in other places almost all the time.


    After the last meeting with Minos, Lionel and young Ralf''s family left the Dry City, and none of them had returned, even after more than a year.


    As for the subordinates of the Black Stars Academy, who could pass on some information to the Gill family, Minos had brought them all to his side!


    He disbursed a good amount of crystals to convince each one of them not pass on any information that could attract someone from the Gill family to the Black Plain region.


    Not only that, the Gill family did not know, but the Black Stars Academy no longer existed within the Black Plain, and now called the Preparatory Academy of the Dry City, which the Black Plain Army directly commanded.


    Such a change had taken place more than a year ago. Not only that, each employee received a salary that was 3 times higher than before this change. Therefore, they were all very happy and had no intention of returning to the old reality.


    Minos then continued. "In fact, no one cares what happens in the Dry City, they would even like the region to become independent, but no one has ever taken the initiative to do so."


    At that moment, Ruth spoke for the first time since Minos, and the two beautiful young women had started to argue. She then asked with a confused expression on her face. "If that''s the case, then why don''t you declare the region''s independence and avoid these problems? This would make your situation much easier."


    Minos smiled at young Ruth''s naive question and answered. "Because it wouldn''t be that easy. If I decreed independence as soon as I got there in the Dry City, a place that I would practically not be able to increase my wealth or strength, what would they think of this action?"


    Elen then responded nonchalantly. "They would ask what gave you the confidence to accept such a burden."


    "That''s right, after that, I would probably be watched for a long time by the spies of the great noble families of the Brown Kingdom. With that, they would either quickly find out what I did, or I could do nothing until I was sure that I would not be watched."


    "For the first option, I would be killed or lose everything in a few weeks after arriving in the Black Plain. As for the second, I would be considerably behind in my plans, and after I started, there would still be a war against me anyway. That would be inevitable. They would not accept that I keep everything to myself. They would simply say that the independence was irregular, or any excuse of that kind to invade us and take everything we produced." Minos spoke resolutely while looking at Ruth.


    ''Speaking like that, there really is no easy way out.'' Ruth thought to herself as Minos'' problems entertained her.


    "Anyway, it should still be a few years before they find out. As long as I don''t do business within the kingdom or in the Maritime City, we will not be threatened by this."


    "And with a maximum of 4 years, my forces will be able to deal with this type of threat," Minos said with a cold sparkle in his eyes.


    "It looks like you already thought of everything¡­" Elen said after letting out a big breath. This ally of hers was really a person who was thinking ahead¡­


    ''This is good. At least the chances of him building an empire and falling overnight will be less.''


    She did not worry that Minos would have such problems in the future since, in the Spiritual World, anyone who has anything of value will have to go through trials. But not everyone thought like Minos. Many of them neglected these problems or even trusted the idea that nothing would go wrong.


    So, it was not uncommon to see someone quickly rise to success, creating their brands or raising the status of their families, only to fall to an even lower level than they were at the beginning of it all when they were not killed¡­


    This was the cruel reality of the Spiritual World.


    ''Did you inherit or get a high-level treasure? Did you deserve it because of your talent or your hard work? Congratulations on reaching such an achievement, but you are weak, give it to me!''


    This was the brutal reality of this world.


    "Well, leave that matter for the future. You said you want to sell your products at a lower price, right? How about we sell your products for 10 low-grade crystals per kilo? That is just 20% of the price charged for items of such quality on the Stone Island." Elen said, looking directly into Minos'' eyes.


    "Mnn, this price is good¡­" Minos said when he had thought of something.


    "I want to know if you have your own place to sell these products yourself, or if you just pass it on to some organization on Stone Island?"


    "I have my own store. Why the question?" Elen said curiously.


    "I have an idea, but I don''t know if it can cause any problems. Anyway, I want to know if there is how your subordinates can advertise the Dry City to their weakest customers?"


    "Say that the price of a kilo of these products in the Dry City is only 4 low-grade crystals," Minos said with a smile on his face.


    Elen then smiled after hearing this. "Haha, so this is what you are thinking. You want to attract the weaker population of Stone Island to your region..."


    "Well, I can do that. It shouldn''t be a problem as it wouldn''t affect the local community that much if some less talented people left Stone Island."


    Minos was pleased when he heard that. Even if he did not attract the attention of many people, this could be enough to attract some less talented alchemists, blacksmiths, and array masters to the Dry City, such as those that Minos had already contacted.


    If these people knew that Minos could keep up with the commercial offer that he had made, then that would be very tempting for many of them. And that was his main objective concerning this advertisement, to attract this type of cultivator!


    As for the possible migrations of ordinary people with White talent to the Black Plain from Stone Island, well, Minos had room for millions of them since their territory had almost 20 million hectares available for planting!


    Of course, he would not receive all these people from one place since that would be problematic. However, the Black Plain would have room for any of them.

 Chapter 41: A Beauty That Brings Problems (*)

    "Well, that was all I had to say to you about our business. I will still be here for a few days in the capital of Stone Island, as I have to buy some products for my region." Minos said after getting up and getting ready to leave.


    At that moment, Elena said with a smile on her face. "If you want, this older sister can accompany you¡­ I know all the best stores in Old Stone city. Certainly, this can make things easier for you."


    After hearing this, Elen looked at Elena strangely, as if she were saying to walk away. "Oh! Since that is the case, I will have to thank Miss Elena for your kindness in advance." Minos gratefully responded to her offer.


    "Hehe, you can just call me Elena. I don''t like being called in such a distant way."


    "Hmm, okay, so call me Minos too..."


    Shortly thereafter, Minos, Ruth, and Elena said goodbye to Elen and headed for the exit of the Nash family palace, heading towards the central part of the city. Elena would show Minos the best places to do business.


    ¡­


    In another part of the Nash family palace, a young man with blond hair and green eyes was lying on his bed with a beautiful young woman lying on him without any clothes. They were both completely sweaty, and a loud breathing sound could be heard from both of them.


    When the beautiful young woman recovered from her recent ''activity,'' she said with a smile on her face. "Young master, as I said before, I have something important to report. It''s about Miss Elen. My brother, who works as a guard at the palace entrance gate, told me that a young man came to meet her earlier today."


    "Oh! Tell me about it." The young man spoke while his eyes flashed chillingly. He then got up and started putting on his clothes, leaving the beautiful lady on his bed.


    She then said. "According to him, that person came here to find Miss Elen, on the pretext that they were business partners. After that, he spent a few hours at her residence before finally leaving with that girl named Elena."


    "Hmph, then another one came along with the same excuse as an ally? Well, it seems that I have to teach this guy a lesson... Does he not know that it is wrong to covet others'' woman?" The young man said with a murderous tone in his voice.


    "And even if he''s just an ally, it''s still good that he knows who he''s messing with. I will make him understand that he must not think funny things about my Elen!"


    After hearing this, the naked young woman lying on the bed smiled kindly. She was one of the servants of this young blond man named Luke Nash.


    He was the youngest son of the patriarch of the Nash family, who had a Black talent, and at the age of 18, he was already at level 40. As for his relationship with young Elen, well¡­ He was in love with her, but this was not reciprocal.


    However, this young master did not care about that and used his influence as a young master of the Nash family to ward off potential loving competitors.


    Elen knew that this young man had the illusion that she would become his wife one day. Also, he used his influence to chase any man who came into contact with her, but she was not too concerned about that since she was much stronger than him.


    And although she didn''t like young Luke''s intrusions, most of the youths who tried to contact her were really individuals with no commercial relationship with her, so Luke''s actions even helped her a little. And that is why she had never done anything against this young master in her family.


    After finishing dressing, young Luke left his room and quickly went to look for some guards to look for Minos. He was very irritated by the constant appearance of people trying to woo his beloved Elen.


    After a while walking around the palace, he came to a large room, where many guards were sitting in different corners, talking actively.


    Luke approached a tall, bald man and said. "Guard Brian, I want you to find someone for me. Talk to Nydia''s brother, who is working at the palace entrance gate, and resolve this as soon as possible. He will describe that person to you."


    "Okay, young master." The man greeted him and then left quickly, heading for the Nash property exit.


    "Well, I can''t wait to meet you." Young Luke said in a low voice, as he sawed his fist tightly and have a look of few friends on his face.


    ¡­


    Time passed quickly, and it had been two days since Minos had met young Elen. In the meantime, he was guided by the beautiful Elena Neel through the capital of Stone Island to do the shopping he had previously planned.


    By that time, he had already bought all the spiritual weapons he could, leaving only the pills and the grade-2, low-grade, array, to finish.


    But it was not easy to buy so many spiritual pills, as had been the case with weapons. This is because Stone Island was not a region specialized in this profession.


    Therefore, Minos had to do his shopping in several places and still order some of these pills. That way, he still had to wait for a few more days before returning to his territory.


    As for the spiritual array of grade-2, low-level, there were few array masters with this classification, even in the capital, Old Stone. So, it was not easy to find these specialists, and they were often busy with other matters, such as cultivating or producing their products.


    So, despite needing only one array, Minos had still not been able to buy it.


    In these two days, Minos also had the opportunity to know the beautiful young Elena better. He found out a little about the big families of Stone Island and, in particular, the Neel family, which was a large family of blacksmiths from this region.


    He also discovered that young Elena was the daughter of one of the elders of this great noble family. However, she had not specialized in this profession since she preferred to become a traditional fighter.


    He learned that she, like Elen, had Black talent, and according to Ruth, she was already at level 44, which could be considered very good since she was only 24-years-old.


    He had also come very close to Elena in the meantime and even got used to the young woman''s libertine way of life, having sometimes accompanied her in her flirtations.


    "I already showed you all the best places for you to buy your spiritual pills in those two days. As for the array master, have one of your guards keep looking for them until one of them appears. This shouldn''t take too long, as a new business can emerge at any time."


    "Mnn, I''m going to do this. Thanks for the help over those two days, Elena." Minos said in gratitude.


    "Hehe, you don''t have to thank me. How about you come to my house for dinner, alone, before you return to the Black Plain? I''m sure you''ll love to taste my ''culinary'' skills." Elena said with a provocative smile on her face.


    ''What a whore on offer.'' Ruth, who was nearby, thought she listened to Minos and Elena''s conversation.


    For her, a young virgin, Elena''s offered behavior was very strange to see up close, even though Ruth knew it was common in the Spiritual World. However, doing this in front of her was somewhat disconcerting.


    "Haha, actually, I was already curious about that. You''ve been talking a lot about your ''culinary'' skills these past few days. Okay, how about we meet in 2 days?" Minos said as he cast an interesting look in the direction of the seductive Elena.


    There was no way a young, single teenager like Minos would refuse such an offer!


    Even if she didn''t invite him, he would still try to bring her even closer to him, inviting her to dinner at the apartment he had rented at the Olson Hotel!


    "Hehe, that''s fine with me. I can''t wait for that." Elena said after biting her lip and winking at Minos. After that, the group broke up, with Minos and Ruth returning to the Hotel Olson and Elena heading towards her family''s mansion on the city''s south side.


    ''Hmph, this Minos is also no better than that bitch...'' Ruth thought to herself while showing a look of discontent directed at Minos.


    ¡­


    In a certain part of the Nash family palace, moans of pleasure could be heard coming from a room on the south side of the building.


    "Aaah ~ Aah ~ Aaaah ~"


    Pah! Pah! Pah!


    "Aah ~ deeper¡­ Mmm ~"


    "Aaah!"


    Amid the sounds of pleasure, two people could be seen wrapped around each other, while the sounds of pounding flesh sounded constantly. The two people were completely naked, while they had beads of sweat all over their bodies.


    One could also notice a strong smell in the air, which was typical of this type of ''activity.''


    Of the two people, the young man under the bed was the young master Luke, who displayed pleasure while enjoying the beautiful young woman with full breasts on top of him.


    This was one of his servants, with whom he entertained himself from time to time...


    "Mmm ~ Aaah ~" The beautiful young woman moaned in an erotic voice as she went up and down on young Master Luke''s rod.


    "Aah ~ I''m coming ~"


    After a few minutes of activity, the couple slowly ended their relationship. The two were completely satisfied as they rested with their bodies still connected to each other.


    Not long after, a noise could be heard by the bedroom door when a hoarse voice came from outside. "Young master, we have already located that person."


    ''Oh! It was about time¡­'' Luke thought to himself, as he felt his servant''s graceful body.

 Chapter 42: Dead End

    After hearing this, Luke took a quick shower and dressed in a high-end outfit that was worthy of his position within the Nash family. He then left his room and went to his living room to hear guard Brian''s report.


    When he entered the room, a tall, bald man, wearing armor with a silver ship symbol, was already waiting for him in readiness. Luke sat in an armchair while holding a bunch of spiritual grapes in one of his hands.


    "And then? What did you find out?" Luke Nash asked with a strange smile on his face before putting one of the grapes in his mouth.


    The guard, who was standing in front of the young man''s armchair, then began to report his findings. "Well, to begin with, the young man in question, he is called Minos Stuart. However, there is no noble family with this name on the Stone Island, which proves that it comes from outside our region."


    "But we don''t know specifically where he is from since we don''t know any large families in the north of the Central Continent with this surname. Therefore, I cannot say whether there is a great power supporting him or not." The guard said calmly as he watched the young Luke''s reaction.


    The young Luke seemed interested as he listened, showing a smile on his face. He thought. ''There is probably no great power with that surname. It must be just from a small family that has recently ascended¡­''


    ''This is great. It means that I can take the risk and do what I want!''


    When guard Brian realized that the young master in front of him had no intention of interrupting him, he continued to speak. "In the meantime, he hasn''t met Miss Elen either again. In fact, for the past two days, that young woman from the Neel family, Elena Neel, was always with him and his group."


    "They stopped by many stores in the city, buying a lot of spiritual weapons, pills, and even looking for a grade-2, array masters. This leads me to think that he really is a business partner of Miss Elen, who came to the Stone Island to do business with her and buy items for his forces."


    "It may also indicate that he does not come from any great strength, as he needs to leave his region to come here on the Stone Island, or that he cannot do that in his region for any reason¡­"


    ''Hmm, that seems to make sense.'' Luke thought as he nodded.


    Guard Brian then continued his report. "I also found out that he is staying at the Hotel Olson, which is in the central part of the Old Stone city. In addition to him, there are also 11 other people in his group, with all of them in the 5th stage of cultivation, General Spiritual. Of these people, 10 of them are at level 40, while there is a young woman who is at level 45."


    When young Luke heard that, he frowned slightly and said. "His escort is somewhat exaggerated! Even though most of them are at level 40, 10 of them would still be able to hold someone at level 48 if they were well-trained to work as a team! And there''s still a person at level 45¡­ Tsk, even I wouldn''t have strength like that when I go on a trip!"


    "But this is somewhat contradictory. He has such strength in escorting him, but does he still need to come to Stone Island to do business? Very strange¡­"


    Brian nodded and then spoke again. "But there is something strange about this young woman in question. I bribed an employee at the Hotel Olson and found out that they did not arrive together. And neither of them looked for the other when they checked into the hotel, almost as if they had met for the first time in the past two days."


    "As for Minos Stuart, he is only in the 4th stage, Spiritual Warrior, at level 33."


    "Oh! He''s pretty weak then. Perhaps he is just an arrogant young master who went out to do business for the first time. But this is good. It will be even easier to teach this guy a lesson." Luke said with a smile on his face.


    Guard Brian agreed and then suggested. "If I may, young master, I think we should try to separate this young Minos from his team, especially this young woman who is with him. After that, the young master can teach him a lesson quickly."


    "Haha, you''re right, guard Brian. I was right to talk to you earlier. So, stay like this, let''s separate these people, and I''ll attack the brat later."


    ...


    One day went by, and a group of 6 people was driving in a carriage to a region with many stores specializing in alchemy close to the central area of ??Old Stone city. They were Minos, Ruth, and 4 more soldiers who were escorting young Stuart today.


    Today Minos would receive part of the pills that he had ordered in the past two days, but he would still have to return to other stores in the next few days to receive all the orders he had placed.


    Ruth then started talking to Minos. "You could have stayed at the hotel and sent one of your subordinates to do this and focus on cultivating for the Spiritual Tournament."


    "Do not worry about that. I train enough, but sometimes relaxing and getting to know new places can become a powerful tonic. When you do something for a long time, your mind starts to make certain mistakes because there is no rest. That way, relaxing from time to time doing different things can help you solve certain problems more quickly." Minos said without many expressions on his face.


    "Oh! You talk like you''re a sage¡­" She said while having a different thought in mind. ''Hmph, you can create any excuse you want.''


    After some more time, the group collected their parcels in some of the stores that they passed and then started to head towards the restaurant, The Barbecue Temple, to have lunch.


    However, halfway through, one of Minos'' soldiers heard a rumor and stopped the carriage immediately.


    "What happened, Sergeant Pyke?"


    "Young master, we heard that a grade-2 array master has left isolated cultivation and is receiving new orders. This specialist has a residence on the south side of the city. Should we go there?"


    Upon hearing this, Minos was pleased with the news and immediately agreed. That would advance his plans a lot!


    The group then made their way towards the southern part of the city, where the array master''s property was located.


    It didn''t take long, and they started approaching a medium-sized building with only two floors. It could not be considered either new or old, but it had a silver symbol with a ship.


    ''Oh! I did not think that the Nash family had an array master of such a level. Why is it that neither Elen nor Elena told me about it?'' Minos thought to himself, seeing that symbol.


    Soon after, the group started to get out of the carriage, heading towards the building''s interior. There was no garden at the entrance. After all, it was just a commercial building. But they noticed that there was very little movement in the place.


    In fact, there were only 5 other people besides the group of Minos in the place. They were all above level 40, as Ruth had warned the young Stuart, as soon as they got there.


    There was a middle-aged man behind a counter just outside the building wearing silver armor. "Hello, visitors, are you here to order an array?"


    Minos then replied with a smile on his face. "Hmm, that''s right. I want to order a grade-2 array. Are you the array master of this place?"


    The bald man then smiled and said. "Oh! No, hehe, the master is in the courtyard on the second floor. He is currently available to receive new orders, but only one person can go up at one time to speak to him."


    Ruth frowned and said. "Just one person? What a strange rule."


    "Haha, I''m sorry about that, but our master doesn''t like to interact with people more than necessary." The tall, bald man said with an apologetic smile on his face.


    "It doesn''t matter. I''m going up while you wait for me down here." Minos said as he headed for the stairs that were not far from the bald man''s counter.


    "Hehe, don''t worry about it too much. You can come up here, young man." The man smiled strangely while pointing to Minos.


    Sometime later, Minos arrived at a large hall on the building''s second floor. In that place, there was no furniture or any other ''item,'' just a young blond man dressed in a luxurious silver robe. He was smiling when he saw Minos enter.


    ''What a strange thing, it doesn''t seem right.'' Minos thought to himself.


    Shortly thereafter, a grade-2, low-level, insulation array was activated. This array prevented people below level 40 from entering or leaving the space around that place. Not only that, but the sound was also completely isolated.


    ''Hmm, an array has been activated. It looks like this guy sealed this area.'' Minos thought calmly as he looked around.


    "Hahaha, now you''re at a dead-end! You will not be able to receive any help for at least 10 minutes."


    "I want you to know that this is just to teach you a lesson for contacting my woman. If you do any grace after that, so I will not be merciful again!" The blond young man said with a crazed gleam in his eyes.

 Chapter 43: An Idiot

    The young blond man looked at Minos with an expression of contempt. At the same time, the young Stuart had a confused expression on his face. ''Did I contact your woman? Who is this guy talking about?''


    Minos was not afraid because although he did not know his opponent''s strength, he was still sure that this blond young man did not pass the beginning of the 5th stage of cultivation, General Spiritual. This is because if it were stronger, then there would be no need for the spiritual array that was previously activated.


    This young man was probably trying to separate Minos from his soldiers, so he shouldn''t be that strong. And even if it were the case that it was someone Minos couldn''t handle, then he could still escape to the Spatial Kingdom.


    Minos looked at the young blond man, wearing a silver robe and seemed to be preparing to attack him. He then started talking while his brows were constricted. "Ehh, did you say you are going to teach me a lesson? Can I know what your name is and who is this woman I contacted?"


    ''Does this guy have any relationship with Elena? But I haven''t even done anything with her yet, and we were accompanied by other people all the time¡­'' Minos thought to himself while waiting for an answer from the young man in front of him.


    When Luke heard Minos''s question, he laughed and said. "Haha, so you mess with other people''s woman and still ask who I am, huh? But that''s okay. I''m going to give you the pleasure of knowing my name!"


    "I am the young master of the Nash family, Luke Nash!"


    "So? Scared of whom you dared to provoke?" Young Luke asked with a smirk on his face.


    ''The young master of the Nash family?'' Minos thought to himself.


    He didn''t have much information about this person, but he had heard from Elena that the Nash family had two young masters. However, she had not gone into detail about anything important about them.


    "Are you not mistaking me for someone? I just arrived in this city, and I haven''t met many people here. Elena was the only woman I spent more time with, but she didn''t tell me that she had a boyfriend. Maybe that''s what you''re talking about?" Minos asked with a trace of curiosity on his face.


    Upon hearing this, Luke felt an even greater urge to hit this guy in front of him.


    He then started to speak with even more anger, to the point of screaming like crazy. "Elena? Don''t play dumb. You know very well that I''m not talking about that woman. Enough talk. If I don''t spank you until you''re half dead, then I won''t be able to have peace."


    ''This guy is an idiot! If it is not Elena, then there is no one else with whom I came into contact...''


    ''Well, he will serve as my fighting partner until that array falls apart. Hitting a lunatic shouldn''t be bad¡­'' Minos thought calmly, shaking his head from side to side while watching Luke''s absurd behavior.


    After that, Luke quickly activated his attack technique, Assassin''s Claws, which created a blade of energy in the user''s hands. This was a Black-grade technique specializing in hand-to-hand fighting.


    Indestructible Body!


    Devouring Art!


    Meanwhile, Minos activated his own defense and support techniques. Almost immediately, a black circumference formed over the area isolated by the spiritual array.


    Luke didn''t know, but using this array was a double mistake for him because Minos was his enemy!


    With the Devouring Art, not only was the spiritual energy of Minos'' enemies sucked but the energy contained in the array would also be sucked in. This was simply because spiritual arrays used spiritual energy to function.


    Thus, although it could not affect the part of the energy of the array that was already in operation, Minos could consume the energy stored in it, reducing the time of operation of the array and weakening it.


    Not long ago, when he was still in the Portland area, the young Darell''s defensive array had been broken both by the attacks it received and by the Devoured Art of Minos, which was draining its reserves.


    Jumping the Mountain!


    Luke activated his movement technique shortly thereafter. He didn''t want to let his enemy last any longer. He wanted to immobilize Minos and then torture him until the spiritual array he had set up stopped working.


    Whoosh!


    Then, Luke quickly jumped in front of Minos and made several blows towards the young man''s belly in front of him.


    When Luke''s blade-filled hands approached his opponent''s ''helpless'' body, he slowly curved his lips upward.


    ''It''s over...'' Luke thought to himself.


    Poof!


    However, to Luke''s surprise, his attack was completely stopped on Minos'' body. It seemed that his enemy''s flesh was as hard as a high-level spiritual weapon!


    Then, Luke''s pupils opened in shock as a thought passed through his mind. ''What the fuck! How can he have such a sturdy body, being only at level 33?''


    At the same time, Minos smiled when he saw the blades of energy touching his abdomen while leaving tears in the clothes he wore. He then removed a sword from his spatial ring and began to attack.


    Spatial Sword!


    Minos did not give Luke time to breathe by activating his own attack technique. The surrounding space quickly started to stop, while Luke had his speed reduced.


    Minos then made a move with his sword, delivering a blow in the direction of Luke''s right arm.


    Swooish!


    When he saw this attack coming towards him, Luke cursed Minos in his mind while activating his defense and movement techniques at the same time. He could not take this blow lightly because this attack was even stronger than his by Luke''s!


    ''Damn it! How can this be? Why is this guy so strong?'' He thought to himself as he tried to escape Minos''s coup.


    The blow passed quickly over the right side of Luke''s body. He had barely avoided it, but it had cost him a lot. After all, activating two techniques for someone at level 40 was still not easy. This certainly required a lot of spiritual energy, something he did not have yet, to be able to fight at high intensity for a long time.


    ''Phew! Ah! I almost got it right! However, this wretch must have spent everything he had on this technique¡­''


    Luke said with a smile on his face. "Haha, this one you didn''t expect, huh? And now, will you be able to launch another one of these?"


    However, while young Luke laughed happily, Minos made another movement with the sword while running towards him.


    Spatial Sword!


    Swooish!


    Minos''s blade quickly started to approach Luke''s straight shoulder.


    ''Disgrace! How can he do that?'' The young master of the Nash family thought to himself while having his speed severely reduced.


    Steel Shield!


    Luke promptly activated his defensive technique with all of his remaining spiritual energy.


    He knew that with his condition, if he used two techniques simultaneously, he would not be successful this time. That way, he could only defend himself against this attack!


    Crash!


    Minos'' sword and Luke''s shield briefly touched, but shortly thereafter, Luke could not hold on to this attack and be thrown backward, hitting his back hard against a wall.


    "Aaaaah!"


    Pow!


    Minos lowered his sword after seeing this. He was almost exhausted and had beads of sweat all over his face. Although he could use his opponent''s energy, it was not easy to fight with such a difference in levels!


    ''It looks like he is completely exhausted.'' When he thought that, Minos looked towards the spiritual array that was beginning to exhibit several lines of cracks in the air.


    Meanwhile, Minos was walking towards the young Luke, who was in a miserable state, with many cuts in his luxurious clothing and blood covering his right shoulder.


    He was in a prone position while spitting out a mouth full of blood. Clearly, the previous blow had caused damage to his internal organs. Luke then thought as he looked at the cracks in the air. ''Good thing the array is ??almost breaking! If it took much longer, who knows what this monster could do to me¡­''


    Minos stopped in front of him and asked with a serious face. "What is the name of the girl you were talking about before?"


    Luke looked at Minos with an expression of fear. "Elen Nash."


    After hearing this, Minos opened his mouth in surprise. ''Eh? It seems that I was not wrong. This guy is stupid!''


    "Well, I don''t have that kind of relationship with Miss Elen, but since you attacked me, I will keep all of your belongings in your spatial ring," Minos said with a smile on his face as he quickly picked up a ring that was on one of the fingers of young Luke''s right hand.


    "What? You can''t do that. These are the Nash family''s belongings!" Luke brandished in an appealing voice.


    "Hmm, I know that. But it''s your fault for challenging someone like me." Minos smiled as he kept the ring inside his own.


    Crack!


    After that, the spiritual array collapsed, and Minos headed towards the stairs to return to the first floor. He was curious to see if those people at the concierge had caused any problems for his group.

 Chapter 44: Lukes Belongings

    As he calmly descended the stairs, Minos decided to take a look at the young Luke''s belongings. ''Considering the Nash family''s economic power, this young master must have considerable wealth...'' He thought to himself before checking Luke''s spatial ring.


    Minos was not concerned that Luke''s subordinates had done something for his soldiers. That''s because the beautiful Ruth was with the group.


    In the past few days, while living with Ruth on a daily basis, Minos had learned a little about the young woman. He knew she was at level 45, just 18-years-old. She also had an enviable Silver-grade talent, which made her an important disciple of the Gray Cloud Sect.


    With that, considering the support she had within this Flaming Empire sect, she certainly had Silver-grade techniques. And even though Ruth didn''t tell Minos about her techniques, he was sure that she had at least 2 techniques at this level.


    That''s because even the Brown Kingdom royal family had one¡­ So, a sect like the one Ruth came from certainly had many of those techniques. That way, an important disciple with her would certainly receive excellent treatment.


    So, Minos was confident that unless a Spiritual King intervened, Ruth could handle any situation. And he knew that, in the north of the Central Continent, no one would put someone on this level to protect a young man within his own city.


    Hell, even if these young masters left their kingdoms, their families still wouldn''t send someone like that to protect them!


    This would only happen if they left the northern region of the Central Continent. But this was not common, and it was far from the current situation of Minos.


    As to why the families did not protect their young masters so much that they sent Spiritual Kings to protect them, well¡­ That is because there were few individuals at this level. Even when analyzing the numbers of an entire kingdom, there would still be no more than 300 people at this level!


    Thus, the chance for a Spiritual King to act against the most privileged descendants of a large family was very small. And these young masters were also educated never to offend someone of this level, especially when they were away from their families.


    So, there was no need to use the few experts at that level to escort young masters. Anyway, Minos finally managed to probe the young Luke''s spatial ring after a few breaths.


    ''Oh! As expected, there is actually a Silver-grade technique! Not only that, it''s a cultivation technique, something that can greatly speed up someone''s cultivation speed...'' Minos thought to himself, looking at the silver parchment in his right hand.


    It also explained why Luke had a higher level than the young master of the Silva family, Darell. Despite being almost the same age, the young master of the Nash family probably trained a Silver-grade cultivation technique since he was 10-years-old. Meanwhile, Darell used only a Black-grade technique to cultivate.


    Minos then looked at the other items inside the ring. There were 50,000 low-grade crystals, 300 medium-grade crystals, 1 grade-2, low-grade, weapon, 3 other grade-1 weapons, 4 Black-grade techniques, and several grade-1 spiritual pills.


    ''It looks like the Nash family is actually a lot richer than the Silva family¡­'' Minos thought as he looked at Luke''s belongings.


    ¡­


    On the first floor of the building where Minos and his group were, there were 4 men beside the stairs he had passed previously. Anyone who looked at it would immediately think they were on guard in that place.


    And indeed, that was the group''s purpose, but their justification was that they were preventing their master from being irritated by contacting more people than he needed.


    Another man was sitting on a chair, who was behind a bench, near the stairs. This man wore silver armor and had no hair on his head.


    These 5 men were the subordinates that the young Luke had brought into this trap.


    At the same time, another 5 people were divided into 2 groups. With 4 men in similar clothes, one of them is waiting by the window, and a beautiful young woman, with long black hair, was sitting in an armchair, not far from the counter of the bald man.


    During the time that Minos had gone up to see the ''array master,'' there was no action on the part of the 10 people who were here at that time.


    On the side of the Minos group, this was just a business, and although unusual, strange behaviors like that of this ''array master'' were not new. Therefore, none of them suspected that this was a plan to separate Minos from them.


    As for Luke''s subordinates, they didn''t want to take any chances because of Ruth. They knew nothing of this young woman, and she showed no discomfort while waiting for Minos.


    What''s more, they probably would not have to act since after their young master returned, they would leave immediately. And the group of Minos could not follow them, since the poor young man would certainly need urgent medical care¡­


    That way, everything was peaceful on the first floor of the building.


    Some time passed, and finally, footsteps could be heard coming from the stairs.


    ''It seems that the young master has already finished playing with that guy...'' One of the 4 subordinates thought to himself, while he had a smile on his face.


    ''Eh? Already? I thought that Minos would last until the spiritual array stopped working, but it hasn''t even lasted half the time¡­'' The bald man thought, with a disappointed look on his face.


    However, when they saw the person who had arrived by the stairs, the 5 men were completely pale in surprise.


    ''What happened? Why was this person here? Shouldn''t he be almost dying? But if he is here, what happened to the young master?'' They all had these questions in their minds.


    At the same time, Minos'' group was confused when they saw the young Stuart''s clothes, with some tears in his belly and the tired look on his face.


    Ruth then got up from the chair where she was sitting and asked. "What happened?"


    "No big deal, that was just an idiot''s joke," Minos replied, without giving many details.


    At that moment, the bald man in silver armor put his thoughts aside and asked aloud while looking at Minos with a murderous look. "What did you do with the young master?"


    "Oh! If you''re talking about that blond idiot, well¡­ You better go and see him. He might be needing your help¡­" Minos said with a strange smile on his face. Although Luke was not hurt so badly that he was at risk of death, he still needed help.


    And even if Minos didn''t want to create an even bigger problem for his newly initiated alliance with Elen, he still wanted to scare these guys.


    "Miserable, if something happened to the young master, I will have no mercy." The bald man said as he placed one of his hands on a sword that was at his waist.


    "Two of you are going to check on the young master''s situation. The rest are here to help me capture this bastard." Guard Brian said as he looked with the other Nash family subordinates.


    Meanwhile, Minos was heading for the building''s exit as if none of this had anything to do with him. He then heard an angry cry from behind. "Little bastard, don''t even think about leaving. Now that you have attacked the young master, you will have to pay for your crimes in the Nash family!"


    While saying this to Minos, Brian quickly turned his gaze to Ruth. If he wanted to capture Minos, he would have to go through this young woman first.


    As for the remaining two guards, they were already prepared to act against Minos'' 4 soldiers.


    Minos then looked at Ruth and said with a smile on his face, teasing the beautiful young woman beside him. "Ruth, you talk so much about the greatness of your sect. Why don''t you show me how capable you are?"


    "Hmph, don''t expect me always to help you in those months that I will be with you!" Ruth warned him with a serious expression on her face.


    Soon after, Ruth activated her techniques and started to fight against the 3 subordinate men of the Nash family. Of these 3, the strongest was guard Brian, who was at level 46, while the other two were at levels 43 and 44.


    Pow!


    Ruth quickly moved forward and started to press the 3 men towards the opposite side of the building while throwing several punches.


    She then approached the weaker guard and punched him in the face.


    Pow!


    "Ahhh!"


    The level 43 man screamed in pain as he fell after being punched in the face.


    His body staggered backward, falling to the ground next, as he tried to hold his face with unfocused eyes. This punch had sunk his nose, making him bleed heavily.


    "Ahhhh!"


    At the same time, a mouthful of blood and a few teeth was spit out by him as he gradually lost consciousness.


    It did not take long and another guard, at level 44, had the same fate, falling to the ground while suffering from the serious damage caused by the beautiful young woman.


    With that, there was only the bald man, Brian, who was struggling with everything he had. ''Shit! Shit! How can she be so strong?''

 Chapter 45: The Nash Family Patriarch

    ''Oh! Until this guy is very tough, he must be almost at level 47 to be able to last so long fighting with me.'' Ruth thought to herself as she pressed guard Brian.


    As to why she was able to fight those of a higher level, this was because of the Silver-grade techniques that the young disciple of the Gray Cloud Sect had. In addition to a specialized cultivation technique, she still had three others that are specialized in attack, defense, and moving.


    The movement technique was called Instant Steps, which increased the user''s movement speed 3 times. As for the attack technique, it had the name of Fists of Pain, which could increase the strength of the user''s punches by 100% and increase body hardness by 50% for each phase in which Ruth was in the technique.


    Fists of Pain!


    She then landed another blow in the direction of guard Brian''s chest while the latter tried to defend himself.


    Bone Blocking!


    Plop!


    "Ahh! You whore!" Brian could not deflect the attack, leaving only to defend himself with his only Black-grade defense technique.


    However, Ruth''s attack was at least more than 30% more efficient than Brian''s defense, so the defense of the bald man could not prevent such an attack from inflicting damage on its user.


    Meanwhile, Minos patiently watched Ruth destroy the defenses of these young Luke''s subordinates. ''As I thought, her attack is certainly Silver grade. Otherwise, she would not be able to break the defenses of someone higher than she is...''


    Ruth and Brian continued this one-sided fight for a few more breaths when guard Brian finally fell to the ground unconscious. He had a pale expression on his face as he fell to the floor with a mouth soaked in blood. His armor had also been damaged, to the point of showing fist marks at the height of the guard''s chest.


    At the same time, Ruth was almost exhausted from these struggles, with a fast breath and many drops of sweat on her beautiful face. After all, despite having Silver-grade techniques, she did not have a Devouring Art like Minos. So, she had spent plenty of her energies to defeat those three guards.


    "Not bad! It seems that you are not just talking. Haha, let''s go back to the hotel and rest for the rest of the day." Minos said as he smiled at Ruth.


    Upon hearing this, she just uttered a "hmph" for that comment from Minos and then followed the group out of the building, where their carriage was standing.


    Soon after, the 6 people left the south side of the city and went to the Hotel Olson, located in the central part of the Old Stone city.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, on the second floor of the building where the young Luke''s trap had failed, two guards were helping their young master to pull himself together. "That wretch was very strong!" Luke exclaimed aloud, looking at the trail of blood that had remained there.


    "Young master, rest assured, Chief Brian is going to hold that group, and we will be able to capture that brat!" One of the guards said as he helped Luke steady himself.


    "Hmm, come on, I can walk alone. You two go ahead and help guard Brian gets this over with. I will make that wretch tell all his secrets later." Luke said angrily.


    He had never been so brutally beaten before, and to make matters worse, the enemy was many levels weaker than he was. If word got out about it, his reputation would be completely thrown away. This would certainly damage his self-confidence!


    "Ah! Shit!"


    As he slowly descended the stairs, Luke heard a shout from the first floor. ''Eh? What happened¡­'' He then increased his speed to find out what had happened.


    When he reached the first floor, Luke was shocked by the image in front of him. The three guards who had stayed to hold Minos'' group were lying unconscious on the floor. Puddles of blood could be seen pouring from the mouths of the three men, while some teeth were still scattered around the site.


    Upon seeing this, Luke felt so frightened that the pains of his previous battle seemed to have grown even greater. His face had gone even paler than before as he tried to understand how it had happened.


    That''s because, from Luke''s point of view, three people who were at levels 43, 44 and 46, should be able to hold a group of four people at level 40 and the young woman at level 45. And even if they couldn''t win, it would still be a tough fight, and certainly, the other side would not be better than his subordinates.


    However, there was no sign of the Minos group, as if they had ended the fight quickly and left.


    ''How did this happen? Is there someone else with the group?'' Luke thought to himself, as he had an ugly expression on his face.


    "Shit! Now I have no choice but to tell my father what happened. I''m screwed when he finds out that I still lost a Silver-grade technique. He''ll want to kill me¡­" Luke said in a low voice.


    "Let''s go back home. When these three wake up, I want a full report of what happened, do you hear?" He said while looking at the two guards helping Ruth''s victims.


    ¡­


    Time passed, and soon an entire day had passed since the groups of Minos and Luke had met. By this time, the news of Luke being beaten by someone had already spread through the Nash family palace, reaching Elen''s ears.


    "Miss Elen, I heard from one of the young master Luke''s subordinates that what happened was related to Mr. Minos, who had visited you three days ago." A servant said while helping young Elen to comb her beautiful blond hair.


    ''Eh? So, that idiot was causing trouble for Mr. Minos... It seems that this time I have to do something about these chases from Luke. I can''t let my business get in the way of him.'' Elen thought to herself.


    "Do you know what Luke did in the meantime?"


    "Miss Elen, it looks like he''s been at his residence all day since the incident happened."


    "Well, keep an eye on him and if he does anything different, come and tell me right away."


    ¡­


    A few hours passed, and at this point, guard Brian was reporting everything that had happened to Luke.


    "That''s right, young master, only that woman had fought. She is much stronger than she looks, and she can fight those at the highest level." Brian said with a serious expression on his face.


    "Shit! Everything was spoiled because of this woman. Now, if I want to recover the Silver-grade cultivation technique that Minos stole from me, I can only appeal to my father." Luke spoke unhappily.


    That was the only alternative for him. After all, if Ruth could do all that, then to defeat her, they would probably need either a large number of subordinates or some specialist from the Spiritual King stage. In both cases, Luke couldn''t just get what he wanted without the Nash family''s prior approval.


    And even though Luke was the son of the family patriarch, he had no contact with many of the family''s Spiritual Kings. The few he knew definitely would not help him before speaking to the family patriarch. So, the young Luke had only one way to go, which was to appeal to his father.


    Shortly thereafter, Luke was walking towards the family patriarch''s office. This was a place with a rustic look, with many books on some shelves and some pictures with images of Stone Island on the walls. There was a large table next to one of the windows in that office, with two chairs on one side and a large leather chair.


    At that moment, there was a middle-aged man with blond hair and well-dressed in the room. He was reading a pile of documents while sitting in his comfortable armchair. This was Marvin Nash, the current patriarch of the Nash family and father of Luke, who had a Black-grade talent, and level 58.


    Shortly after Luke entered his office, the middle-aged man realized that he still hadn''t said anything, so he put the stack of documents aside and asked in a serious voice. "Why did you come here, Luke? I don''t think you just came to visit your old man, right?"


    Luke then lowered his head and began to speak in a low voice. "Dad, I underestimated someone and ended up being beaten by him. If it were just for this reason, I wouldn''t have come here, but the problem is that he stole my spatial ring, which contained one of the copies of the Silver-grade cultivation technique that our family has."

 Chapter 46: Lukes Punishment

    At young Elen''s residence, a young servant had just rushed in. "Miss Elen, the young master Luke went out to speak to the patriarch."


    "Tsh, it looks like it''s time for me to go out and try to avoid a bigger setback¡­" Elen said as she left her apartment to head towards Patriarch Marvin''s office.


    ¡­


    "What? Did you let him take one of the copies of our only Silver-grade technique?" The middle-aged man spoke angrily as he got up from his chair and hit the table hard.


    "I couldn''t do anything, dad. He had completely defeated me, and one of the people who was with him was very strong. I believe that that woman can only be defeated by someone from the Spiritual King stage." Luke said as he lowered his head in shame.


    The patriarch then tried to calm down for a second and then looked at Luke in the eye and said. "Tell me about these people first. Your punishment will come later."


    "I don''t know much about their group, only that they are not from Stone Island. In total, there are 12 people who seem to be led by this person who defeated me."


    "Most of them are at level 40, but there is this woman, who is at level 45. Because of her, the guard Brian who was accompanying me was unable to prevent that guy from running away." Luke said, trying to hide the important ''less'' details from his father.


    "And are they still here in the Old Stone?" While in a thoughtful position, Marvin asked, massaging his forehead with his fingers.


    Luke then said. "Yes, they are still here in the capital. In fact, they are staying at the Hotel Olson, in the central part of the city."


    "Less bad. But tell me how it all happened. Why would you want to deal with that person?"


    Luke looked at his father in front of him, hesitated for a moment, and then said. "He was courting one of my women. Because of that, I couldn''t help myself and ended up acting recklessly against him."


    "Oh! So, this guy is that kind of scum¡­ I understand, if it were me¡­" Marvin was speaking when the door to his office slowly opened, and a middle-aged woman entered.


    She was a mature woman, gorgeous and with curves that could cheer anyone who saw her. And even though she already had some age marks, she was still quite graceful. She was wearing a beautiful blue dress and had short blond hair.


    This was Patriarch Marvin''s secretary.


    She then walked over to the side of the middle-aged man''s chair and said. "Patriarch, the young Elen is here to see you. She says that her subject is urgent and that it has to do with the young master Luke."


    When he heard this, Luke felt a chill down his spine, as if someone was arming him. ''What is it that Elen wants to talk to my father about?'' He thought to himself as he felt an indescribable tension.


    Marvin then replied. "Oh! It is unusual for the young Elen to come looking for me. It must be something significant. Let her in."


    He wasn''t worried that it would mess up his affairs with Luke. After all, taking a few more minutes to clear up this situation wouldn''t make much of a difference anyway.


    It didn''t take long for Elen to come into the office and greet Patriarch Marvin before settling into one of the chairs. She was wearing a red robe, which enhanced her high-standard appearance well.


    After she settled down, Marvin took the initiative and asked with a smile on his face. "How can I help you, little Elen?"


    "Hmm, actually, the subject in question must be the same as what Luke was talking to you about before I got here," Elen said without showing any change in her expression.


    ''Oh! Shit!'' When he heard that, Luke''s expression froze immediately. If someone paid attention to him now, they would probably think he was severely ill.


    Elen then continued. "Perhaps the patriarch has already heard that Luke has feelings for me. But I already made it clear to him that we will never have that kind of relationship. However, he continues to chase all the men I know."


    "Before, I had never done anything about it because none of those people he chased away had any greater relationship with me. They were just acquaintances. But this time, he tried to arm against an ally, so I can''t allow it to continue."


    As he listened to this, Marvin''s brows were furrowed more and more. He already knew that his son liked the daughter of the supreme elder of the Nash family, but that was their business, and he didn''t care about minor things like that.


    Such a reaction was very normal in the Spiritual World. Although some people still try to use the idea of ??arranged marriages to form alliances, most people disapproved of this type of situation or didn''t even care about it.


    This was because, in the Spiritual World, sexuality was quite liberal, and people cared more about having feelings for those they were going to marry. Another reason for this reality was that arranged marriages rarely worked. This is because, in many cases, one side always tried to act dominant.


    And that created many problems that could end up inciting betrayal on one side. So, it was not uncommon to find cases where an arranged relationship ended with one side being slaughtered by the other or, at least, severely damaged.


    Thus, arranged marriages were not very common in the Spiritual World. And that was even more true for a commercial family like the Nash family. This is because, as a group that values ??stability, unpredictable situations that could arise from an agreement like this were not encouraged.


    So, Marvin didn''t give a damn about his son''s love affair.


    Marvin took a considerable look in Luke''s direction and said. "Luke, you said that the person who beat you up had courted one of your women. You wouldn''t be talking about little Elen, would you?"


    "This¡­" Luke ducked his head away from his father''s gaze while he couldn''t answer that simple question.


    "Hmph, I already said that we don''t have a relationship for you to call me your woman. As for the person who fought him, it was a new ally that I made on my last trip. He came to Stone Island just to settle some matters with me and buy items for his region."


    "Oh! So, he is now an ally. Boy, what do you have in your head?" Marvin said, disappointed, looking at the embarrassed Luke.


    He then continued. "But little Elen, your new ally still took the Silver-grade cultivation technique, that was with this irresponsible son of mine. I cannot allow this technique to leave the family."


    Elen nodded and said. "Hmm, I didn''t know that before. But he does have his justification for taking Luke''s things since he was attacked without any justification. However, I think that this can be resolved diplomatically. We just need to reward Mr. Minos for the inconvenience. He''s very sensible, and I''m sure we can reach an agreement."


    "Okay, so I''m going to let you take care of that, little Elen. But contact me as soon as this is resolved. As for you, Luke, you will first apologize to that person and stop disrupting the lives of people who don''t want to be with you. Don''t be immature. You are already 18-years-old!"


    "But that will not be your whole punishment. Before, I would send you to the Western Empire when you turn 19-years-old so that you could get to know this world better and maybe have some good opportunity. But since you don''t seem worthy of the only vacancy that our family receives from the Elemental Sect every 10 years, then I will open a competition for that vacancy."


    "If you want to regain that chance, then you will have to be in the top 10 in the Spiritual Tournament that will take place in the Cromwell Kingdom in a few months. Think about it in this like a second chance for you. If you are unable to complete this requirement, then I will give the vacancy to the member of our family who has the highest-ranking after you." Marvin said with a hard expression on his face.


    This was an opportunity that the Nash family had every 10 years so that it couldn''t be lost on an ungrateful idiot. So, even if Luke were his son, he wouldn''t harm his family by throwing an opportunity like this out with him.


    To give you an idea, each member of the Nash family who used this opportunity grew better and faster. Many of them managed to reach level 50 after going to that empire and helped considerably in the development of the family.


    "I understand¡­" Luke said as he deeply regretted it. ''Shit! I really screwed up. Now I''m going to have to participate in this competition, instead of doing my business¡­''


    He couldn''t miss this incredible opportunity to go to the Western Empire!


    That''s because this was not a place like the Flaming Empire. This was a force that could be at the top of the Central Continent!

 Chapter 47: Classifying a Territory

    Regarding the subdivision of powers in the Spiritual World, the classification of empires and kingdoms depended exclusively on two factors. That was the territorial area and the population.


    So, even if a territory had high-level powers, for example, with the presence of Spiritual Saints, it would still be a kingdom if it had a small population and territory.


    And for the northern region of the Central Continent, in addition to having small territories and low populations, it was also weaker places. This explains why there are no empires in this region and why it is equivalent in power.


    Of course, this was also a consequence of the reality of that region. This is because large territories can only be maintained when a great power can suppress separatist movements.


    And as there was not much difference between the top families in that region, this led to a subdivision of that part of the continent into several smaller areas, which can only be classified as kingdoms.


    As for the empires, it is also not equivalent in power since this factor depends on the size of the territory and the population and not on the strength of the specialists.


    But in general, to withstand the pressures of such a large region, it was generally necessary to have, at least, Spiritual Saint power to prevent these regions from being subdivided into several small kingdoms.


    However, there are empires in the Spiritual World that go beyond this level, with even Spiritual Demigods in their leadership. But how could these regions differ so much in power?


    This is simple, in the Spiritual World, some families are heirs of individuals who have reached level 100, Gods!


    Because of this, the empires or kingdoms that had one of these families in their territories would have Spatial Kingdoms, which enabled a more significant number of highly talented inhabitants and a greater amount of high-level resources for these regions.


    And that was the difference between the Flaming Empire and the Western Empire.


    Despite having territories and populations almost equivalent and even several high-level spiritual regions, these places still had a massive difference in power. That''s because the Flaming Empire has not given birth to any family that has inherited a God in all of history!


    This explained why the Nash family valued this one spot so much that they received from the Elemental Sect. As to why they have such contact, this is because Stone Island is not exactly on the Central Continent. So, it was much easier for them to reach other parts of that continent.


    Like any large territory located on an island, Stone Island had an outstanding maritime strength. For this reason, they developed their ships at a higher level than the kingdoms of the northern region of the Central Continent from an early stage in their history.


    They also had detailed knowledge of the different sea routes and maps of other parts of that great continent. This was something that the kingdoms of the northern region of that continent did not have!


    However, Stone Island could still be considered as part of the northern part of the Central Continent when analyzing some of its characteristics. With the average strength of the population, the spiritual density, the proximity of the island to that part of the continent, etc.


    But due to its location and the advantages of its more advanced knowledge about navigation, the Nash family had long been able to make contact with a power of the Western Empire, obtaining this opportunity to send one of its members there every ten years.


    ¡­


    Anyway, while young Luke mourned his significant loss in this situation, Minos had finally found a grade-2 array master!


    Not only that, he was fortunate that this specialist had a grade-2, low-grade, spiritual meeting array to be sold.


    With that, he spent his 500 medium-grade crystals, having yet to put another 100,000 low-grade crystals in that deal. The problem was that he didn''t have the total amount of crystals from that classification to make the deal. So, he had to exchange some low-grade crystals to buy the spiritual meeting array.


    And with that, he just needed to wait for a few more days until all the grade-1 spiritual pills he had ordered from different stores in the Old Stone town were ready. With that, he will be able to return to his territories and then begin to solve the labor problem of the Black Plain.


    But before that, Minos still had some issues to resolve on Stone Island, such as ''visiting'' beautiful Elena and making certain points with Elen about starting to market his items. However, even before taking the initiative to arrange a meeting with Elen, she had asked to meet with Minos.


    "Young master, Miss Elen has arrived at the hotel, and she is coming here." One of Minos'' soldiers came to inform him.


    After a while, a beautiful young blonde woman, wearing a completely white dress, came through the door of the living room of the apartment where Minos was. But to Minos'' surprise, she was not alone but was also accompanied by a certain young man.


    The blond, green-eyed young man, who was wearing a long silver robe and had a look of discontent on his face. This was Luke, who came under orders from his father, to apologize to Minos.


    ''Oh! So, this guy came with her. This must be about the items I took from this idiot.'' Minos thought to himself, with a smile on his face.


    At that moment, the soldiers in the room left, leaving only Minos, Ruth, Elen, and Luke in the room.


    Ruth didn''t want to leave, as she really enjoyed watching others'' problems. After all, in a place like this, where she had a lot of free time, watching those occasions was a form of entertainment for her.


    Minos also didn''t care that she overheard his conversations, as it certainly wouldn''t be a big deal for someone coming from the Gray Cloud Sect, like Ruth, and he wouldn''t talk about any secrets with Elen¡­


    She was also a disciple of Minos'' mother, so she certainly wouldn''t try to harm him on purpose. At least there was no reason for that. As well, she would be leaving soon after the Spiritual Tournament. So, the young Stuart saw no problem with her here.


    While Ruth was comfortably seated in a large armchair, Elen and Luke settled on a sofa next to Minos''s chair.


    "It is good to see you again, Miss Elen. Can I know the reason for this visit?" Minos asked without making small talk.


    "It''s good to see you too. I came to talk about the Silver-grade technique that was inside the spatial ring that Mr. Minos collected from Luke." She said with a smile on her face.


    ''As expected¡­'' He thought while listening to what Elen said. "But before that, Luke, don''t you want to say anything to Mr. Minos?" Elen said, looking at the young blond man, who had an embarrassed expression on his face.


    While he had a face completely red with shame and anger, Luke tried to calm himself by thinking about the general situation. ''Calm down¡­ Calm down. This is for my own good. The most important thing is for me to be able to regain my father''s confidence and get this spot for the Elemental Sect!''


    ''For a nobleman, waiting even decades to get revenge is not the end of the world. When I get back from the Western Empire, I will be able to settle accounts with this guy¡­'' Luke thought, as he recovered from the embarrassment of this situation.


    At the same time, Minos had the corners of his lips up. He thought. ''Huh, this guy isn''t here to apologize, is he?''


    At that moment, the blond young man took a breath and said. "Mr. Minos, forgive me for what happened. I made a mistake and ended up attacking an ally of our family without reason. I''m really sorry for what happened."


    ''Hehe, this guy really knows how to swallow his pride when he should. At least he''s not a complete waste of our Nash family''s resources.'' Elen thought, watching the way Luke was acting.


    After that, Elen took the initiative and returned to speak. "I know that Mr. Minos deserves to receive retribution for what happened and I dare say that if I were in your place, I would also collect my opponent''s items."


    "But this Silver-grade technique is essential for our family. Although we have several copies of it, letting someone outside the family get one of them could bring a lot of problems for us."


    Cultivators could create the spiritual techniques in question with high understanding and a certain spiritual level. For example, to develop a Golden-grade technique, it would be necessary to be at level 100 to do such a thing. In order to create a White-grade technique, the minimum required level of spiritual power would be equivalent to level 40.


    In order to create copies, this was done from the original parchment of the technique. The only things necessary for this were the materials to store the spirituality of the technique and a cultivator with a certain level.


    For example, to create a copy of a Silver-grade technique, the cultivator needed to be at least level 59. For a Golden-grade technique, the person creating the copy would have to be at least level 79 to succeed!


    Elen then continued. "That way, I would like to negotiate this copy with Mr. Minos. Since it is just a copy, this technique could be sold for at least 2,000 medium-grade crystals. Therefore, we will pay you 3,000 medium-grade crystals for you, as we also offend an ally with Luke''s recent actions."


    Elen then sighed and said. "With that, I hope that our relationship will not be affected."

 Chapter 48: Nine-Tailed Fox

    "Hmm, that''s fine with me, but if there is a second time, don''t wait for any negotiations," Minos said as he stared at young Luke.


    He did not need a Silver-grade technique, as he already had many that Henricus Longus had left. In fact, getting Black-grade techniques was more important to Minos. This is because he had not yet reached a level where he could exhibit Silver-grade techniques as if they were common things by giving them to all his subordinates.


    Thus, Minos needed a good number of Black-grade techniques to make them available to the soldiers of the Black Plain Army. And he didn''t have many techniques like that since his father had only left 3 of these as an inheritance. For this reason, gathering techniques of this degree was a priority in relation to obtaining other techniques of a higher grade.


    In doing so, he would avoid exposing his secrets and would maintain a force well-prepared for the standards of the northern region of the Central Continent. As for the Silver-grade techniques, Minos would only allow the best and most talented soldiers to learn.


    And for the Golden-grade ones, only he and Dillian would have the pleasure of training them. At least, it would take a long time for someone else to have this opportunity.


    ''Oh! He doesn''t seem to care much about a technique like that. Does he already practice any equivalent grade cultivation technique?'' Elen thought to herself as she saw that Minos didn''t even try to negotiate an even higher price.


    ''Huh? That was easier than I thought¡­ Haha, I bet this guy is afraid of losing his alliance with our family. But this is better. It makes things easier for me.'' Luke thought with a small smile on his face.


    "Well, since that is the case, I will give the crystals to you¡­" Elen said as she took a bag out of her spatial ring.


    After that, Minos returned the Silver-grade technique that he had ''collected'' from Luke and handed it to the young Elen.


    They also took advantage of this occasion to settle the final points of the negotiation of the Black Plain with the young trader Elen.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, somewhere near the border between the Black Plain and the Kingdom of the Waves, there was a place with some rock formations, with a river running between the mountains and going on to a cave.


    In that place, there was a spiritual beast about 1.5 meters high, with fur in orange on the back and white on the belly. She had big brown eyes, with an upright pupil and a completely black snout.


    But what would surely catch the eye of anyone who saw it would be the five beautiful tails, which were stretched upward.


    Many people might not recognize this spiritual beast in the north of the Central Continent, but if Minos saw it, he would immediately know that it was a Nine-Tailed Fox!


    Minos knew this due to the inheritance of the God Henricus Longus, of course, who had known every kind of spiritual beast in his long life. As for the Nine-Tailed Foxes, well, they are a breed of beasts from the Continent of the Beast, a place very far from where Minos was at this time.


    And as for the quality of the lineage of this breed, despite not being among the group with the best bloodlines, the Nine-Tailed Foxes could still reach level 89, the limit of the 9th stage!


    This race of spiritual beast also had a unique characteristic in the world of beasts, which was the number of tails. Each tail in a Nine-Tailed Fox represents a stage of cultivation. So, as they are born at level 0, the fox in question was already in the 5th stage of cultivation!


    The fox then walked around the cave and, after a while, stopped to rest beside the place where there was a water passage. She drank some water while closing her eyes and lying there, showing a big bulge in her belly.


    ''This place will serve for me to give birth to my baby¡­''


    She was pregnant, so she had gone to that region, close to the Black Plain. This is because, for both spiritual and human beasts, delivery is a time of great fragility for females who have to go through this.


    That way, if any of them doesn''t have a protected place to give birth, then the last way out would be to find a weaker and less exposed area to spend the first few days with their child.


    As to why she was here on the Central Continent and not on the Continent of the Beast, well, only she knew it herself¡­


    ''Come on, my baby, mommy wants to meet you¡­'' She said in a non-human language.


    ¡­


    Another day passed, and Minos had already collected another round of spiritual pills in the different alchemy stores that he had previously visited. There was not much else for him to do on the Stone Island, so he was already preparing to leave the Old Stone town.


    But before that, he was going to meet the graceful Elena tonight. He was almost ready to leave as he watched himself in a mirror in his room.


    He was wearing gray jeans, a long-sleeved blue shirt, and a comfortable black overcoat. He then left his room and went to the apartment''s living room, heading towards the exit of the place.


    At that moment, Ruth saw that Minos intended to leave, and then she approached and asked him. "Where are we going now?"


    "Hmm? I''m going to Elena''s residence, but I think you better stay here¡­" Minos said with a provocative tone.


    "Huh?" When she heard that, Ruth''s face was completely red with embarrassment. Just by remembering that woman''s way of behaving, she was already uncomfortable.


    She then turned and left, heading for the room she had rented at the Hotel Olson. ''He really will do that with that bitch¡­''


    After that, Minos followed with four more soldiers towards the south side of the capital of Stone Island, the place where the Neel family mansion was. Not long after, Minos''s carriage drove for a few minutes through the Old Stone city until they could see a beautiful mansion on top of a mountain.


    There was a large area covered with trees, with a small road leading to the mansion''s entrance. At that point, a gate over 3 meters high had a beautiful red hammer symbol in its center.


    This was the symbol of the Neel family, a family of blacksmiths!


    Upon arriving at the mansion, Minos soon noticed that this place was completely different from the Nash family palace. While the latter featured a large building, with no other buildings nearby, the Neel family mansion could be seen as a collection of different structures that formed a beautiful mosaic.


    In fact, from a distance, one would think that this was just one building, but getting closer, you would see that they are different buildings. Between these places, there were buildings of different sizes and colors.


    While enjoying the view of the beautiful landscape created by the combination of these buildings, a guard stopped Minos''s carriage.


    "Welcome to the Neel family. Identify yourselves and state your purpose for this visit." The guard said politely.


    One of the soldiers, who were in front of Minos''s carriage, then answered. "Hmm, the young master Minos Stuart is here to visit Miss Elena Neel."


    After hearing this, the guard smiled and said while making some hand gestures to the soldier who had responded. "Oh! I understand. Miss Elena had already left her permission for Mr. Minos to enter. Follow that path."


    After a while, Minos'' carriage stopped at a place close to Elena''s residence, and the group of 4 soldiers stayed in that place, while Minos followed the rest of the path alone.


    It didn''t take long, and he arrived at a building with four floors, which had a fascinating shape. It looked like several squares stacked in two different models. In one, there were glass balconies, and in the other, there were large windows surrounded by a beautiful brick wall.


    Minos then went up to the top floor, where Elena''s residence was.


    Ring!


    The low-level spiritual array that simulated a bell rang, and a beautiful young woman with blond hair answered the door. She was wearing a short white dress that accentuated every detail of the sensual silhouette of the beautiful Elena. She indeed was charming, to the point of attracting even heterosexual women.


    Minos watched her slowly with a smile on his face. Soon he said. "It''s good to see you again, Elena. Soon I will be leaving Stone Island, so I came here to have that special ''dinner'' of yours."


    "Oh! That''s right?" She asked as she approached Minos slowly.


    She brought her mouth close to the young Stuart''s ear and said it sensuously. "I hope you are prepared to taste my meat. It is really spicy. I hope not too much for you¡­"


    "Hmm, although I''ve never tasted this kind of flavor before, I''m sure I can handle it¡­" Minos said, pulling on Elena''s thin waist.


    They then began to kiss passionately while Minos began to explore Elena''s good curves, and she had both hands behind the young man''s neck. It didn''t take long, and the two went into the apartment¡­

 Chapter 49: The First Time (18+)

    Minos and Elena kissed as if they were completely in love with each other, while their excitement gradually increased. One could hear the sound of their hearts beating rapidly, and certain natural reactions began to appear little by little.


    They enjoyed each other''s taste as they slowly went to the young Elena''s room.


    Eventually, Minos and Elena broke their passionate kiss and smiled at each other, breathing heavily. They had arrived at the young blonde''s room when she finally said. "Take my clothes off."


    After hearing this, Minos watched the young woman in front of him for a second, took a breath, and started to remove her dress.


    He was not nervous, even though this was his first time. But this time, it was not because he had the knowledge of the sexual life of the God Henricus Longus. He didn''t receive this kind of knowledge...


    But because the other knowledge that he had received had transformed him into a more calm person. And even in situations like this, he would not lose that way of being.


    Minos slowly pulled on the sexy blonde''s short dress in front of him, gradually revealing Elena''s flawless body. She wore erotic underwear, in black and red, which further sharpened her partner''s instincts.


    Meanwhile, Elena slowly unbuttoned Minos'' shirt with one hand and removed the belt from his pants with the other. It was clear that she had experience in this matter, given the skill with which she did this¡­


    But Elena was not as easy a woman as it may seem. Initially, she had only played with Elen when she said that about Minos. But after accompanying the young Stuart for two days, she had aroused the desire to sleep with him.


    Minos then softly kissed Elena''s neck while finally managing to get her bra off.


    When he calmly pulled away from the girl''s neck and saw the perfect breasts in front of him. It was neither too big nor small, it was just the right size, which felt great when you took them with your hands¡­


    After contemplating the beauty of those pink and medium-sized nipples, he began to massage its. It was delightful to massage breasts like these, which almost fit perfectly in the hands.


    "Mmm ~"


    Elena let out a slight moan as she felt her breasts stimulated by Minos. At the same time, she noticed a considerable increase in the size of the younger brother of the young man in front of her, to the point of almost jumping out of his clothes.


    Minos then released Elena''s breasts for a moment, removing his underwear. In doing so, the beautiful blonde almost made a sound of surprise when she saw Minos'' stick. It wasn''t overly large, but it was still about 7 inches (17.78 cm) long and a suitable thickness. It was definitely a size to be proud of.


    Elena then knelt on the bed, showing Minos her beautiful lower cheeks. He could see the beautiful image of her ass, in front of him, still in her red panties, but with a small piece of pink flesh to sample.


    Looking at this, Minos couldn''t help himself and quickly removed the last piece of cloth from Elene''s body.


    He finally saw the pink, small flower, which was already dripping with the nectar of love. This view was so inviting that Minos slowly approached to prove it.


    He first sniffed it and then started kissing Elena''s beautiful flower.


    "Ahhh ~" She moaned softly when she felt Minos'' tongue touch her intimate part, making her shiver all over her body.


    While enjoying the sweet taste of Elena, Minos also gently caressed her breasts, which were already stiff from the excitement caused by the act.


    "Huh-huh-huh"


    She was breathing erratically when she broke the contact of Minos''s mouth with her little sister. "Come on¡­ Huh¡­ Let''s change the position."


    Soon after, the two were in a ''69'' position. This position was extraordinary. Minos could prepare the ground, increasing the sensitivity of Elena''s flower, while she could lubricate his stick, resulting in a perfect combination.


    "Mmmm ~"


    "Ahhh ~"


    Several sounds could be heard from the couple, who were now tasting each other''s private parts.


    Soon, a few minutes passed, and both youths were already thirsty to begin the most exciting part of their activity.


    It didn''t take long, and the beautiful Elena lay on the bed while Minos came over her, in a position where the two could look at each other.


    Elena then raised her legs to make things easier for Minos while he slowly rubbed his stick on the mottled flower in front of him.


    Minos could feel the heat coming from Elena''s body when he slowly started to penetrate her, squeezing the juices of love all the way.


    When he saw that part of his member had entered it, Minos looked into her eyes as he sank his rod lower and deeper¡­


    "Ahhh ~ Oh my goodness ~"


    Elena let out a loud moan at the moment Minos penetrated her deeply. However, before she could continue, the young Stuart held her head and leaned down to start kissing her again.


    "Mmmm ~"


    The two stayed in that position for a while, while Minos pressed his pelvis to Elena''s clitoris. The couple of lovers would break their kisses and breathe intensely, making even more erotic sounds in the air from time to time.


    "Ahhh ~ Minos ~ Minos ~"


    For some time, Minos'' rod continued to pierce Elena''s cave in a piston motion while the bed slowly became seeped with the couple''s fluids. This was also leaving the room with a dense smell, which was characteristic of this act.


    Minos then said in an uneven voice as he stopped for a moment and looked at the sweaty body of the young blonde beneath him. "Huh, you¡­ are¡­ incredible¡­"


    "Huh, let me help you out a little." She said with a happy smile on her face as she pushed Minos down and climbed on him.


    Elena took Minos'' stick and positioned it at her little sister''s entrance while looking him in the eye. She slowly sat down and started to ride, making sounds of pounding meat in the room.


    Pah! Pah! Pah!


    "Ahhh ~ I can feel it in my belly ~ Mmmm ~" Elena said while having an unholy expression on her beautiful face. She was not used to having partners the size of Minos, so she was making the most of it¡­


    Seeing this, Minos further increased the up and down while gently caressing Elena''s pink nipples, making her moan even louder.


    "Yes ~ make me ~ come!!" She said, trying to breathe and suppress her beautiful sounds, which expressed all the pleasure she felt.


    Meanwhile, Minos'' rod was tightened more and more through Elena''s hole, further increasing the pleasure for the young Stuart. That way, it wouldn''t take long for him to climax as well.


    "Huh, huh, huh, I''m¡­ coming¡­ Huh!" Minos said breathlessly, with a look of complete pleasure in his eyes.


    "Mmm ~ I can''t either ~ Hold on anymore¡­"


    The two quickly reached their climax while she squirted at Minos, with Elena''s beautiful hole contracting even more than usual, creating a perfect moment for both of them.


    After that, the entire white content of Minos'' stick began to fill every space in Elena''s uterus, allowing a surplus part to run down the sides of the inner walls of the young woman''s hole.


    When that happened, Elena slowly started to shake when she finally fell on Minos''s bare chest, breathing heavily. The two then began to hug and kiss while they were still connected to each other.


    "Huh, huh, huh, how was it for you?" Minos asked, with a satisfied look on his face.


    "Huh, huh, very good. You surprised me a lot! I thought it would take you a little longer to get the hang of it, but you were just perfect!" She said, with a sincere smile on her face.


    And she told the truth, even in a libertine world like the Spiritual World, it was not all men who treated their partners so well and gave importance to female pleasure.


    And for a virgin, Minos demonstrated an even greater than average ability in bed. Even some experienced people with whom the beautiful Elena had already had her experiences¡­


    A few minutes passed, and the two youngsters returned to their pleasure activities, leaving the environment increasingly rich in the two youths'' aroma and sounds of pleasure.


    And when they finished their last round, Elena''s beautiful flower was soaked entirely with Minos'' white liquid. However, neither of them would have to worry about an unwanted pregnancy.


    This is because, with the advent of spiritual energy, cultivators could easily prevent this from happening. Men could render the released sperm unusable, and women could destroy the oocytes that were released during their fertile period.


    And of course, there was another way to prevent pregnancy, which was to have sex with people who are often weaker or much stronger than you.


    This is because the body cells carried energy equivalent to the level at which the person was. In other words, the sperm of a God had so much energy that if it were combined with an oocyte from a Spiritual Emperor, even if neither took measures against it, fertilization would still be impracticable.


    But for Minos and Elena, who were just having fun, neither of them would allow that to happen since the energy difference between the two was not so great. That way, they were both careful to prevent something unwanted from happening¡­


    And slowly, the night passed, and the sun started to rise on the horizon when Minos and Elena slept comfortably in the young blonde''s messy bed.

 Chapter 50: Leaving the Old Stone

    Quickly, Elena''s messy room was lit up by the first rays of the day''s sunlight. At that moment, Minos was lying with a beautiful young woman hugging him while resting her head on his chest.


    Minos opened his eyes gradually as he yawned. He then recalled his activities with Elena last night. They spent most of the night ''playing'' with each other, so the young Stuart was still sleepy.


    Shortly afterward, Minos slowly got out of bed, trying not to wake the sleeping beauty, who was hugging him. He then went to the bathroom next to the room and took a nice cold shower to wake up completely.


    After a few minutes, he came out of the bathroom with wet hair and a white towel around his waist. At that moment, the beautiful blonde, who was asleep, woke up and started looking at Minos with a smile on her face.


    "Good morning. Are you leaving?"


    "Good Morning. Yes, I will be leaving soon. I have to resolve some issues before leaving the Old Stone city." Minos said as he started to put on his clothes.


    Elena got up from the bed and approached Minos. After that, she started to help him button his shirt. "Oh? So, you''re leaving today¡­ Well, the next time you come here, don''t forget to come and see me, hehe¡­"


    "Haha, you can go to the Black Plain too. It won''t be long before that place became the best part of the north of the Central Continent!" Minos said with a confident smile on his face.


    "Who knows, maybe in the future I will go with Elen sometime¡­" She said as she brought her red lips closer to Minos''s mouth.


    They kissed for a few seconds and then said goodbye. After that, Minos went towards where his carriage and his soldiers were waiting.


    "Good morning guys, let''s go back to the Hotel Olson."


    ¡­


    It didn''t take long, and Minos''s group arrived at the hotel.


    When they arrived at the apartment that had been rented, the rest of the soldiers were already having breakfast, and Ruth was sitting in a chair while she was drinking a cup of tea.


    "Hmph, I thought you weren''t coming back." She said in a disgruntled manner.


    "Haha, I''m sorry for making you wait for me. But today, we are going back to the Black Plain, so you better get ready soon."


    "Back to the Black Plain? Now that you have settled your affairs, wouldn''t it be better to head towards the Cromwell Kingdom?" She asked, looking into Minos''s eyes.


    "Of course. I will only go to the Cromwell Kingdom when the Spiritual Tournament is 1 or 2 months away. There is no reason to go there anytime soon, and I have a lot of things to do in the meantime."


    Minos did not consider this competition a priority in his plans. It could contribute to his plans for the Black Plain business, but that was just an initial contact with possible allies.


    However, solving the population problem in his territory was the priority for Minos. So, he was not worried about that competition.


    "OK."


    ¡­


    Minos'' group left to collect the last batch of spiritual pills not long after. That was the only thing that kept them from leaving, so they were really looking forward to it.


    "Mrs. Vera, are my pills ready?" Minos asked a middle-aged woman, who was behind a counter in the store where he had just entered.


    "Hmm, they are ready. Young man, wait a minute while I bring them here." Said the lady when entering a room that was next door.


    It didn''t take long, and the middle-aged woman returned with a medium-sized bag in one hand. "Here, if you need anything more, just talk."


    "Hmm, thanks, but that''s all I needed."


    After that, Minos left the building and returned to his carriage. He could finally go back to his territory!


    ...


    While traveling through the city, Minos'' group was suddenly stopped.


    "Sergeant Pyke, what happened?"


    "Young master, there is a Nash family carriage in front of us. I believe they want to talk to us." Pyke responded quickly.


    Shortly afterward, the young Elen got out of her carriage and headed towards Minos and his group. She smiled and said. "Are you going back to Plain Black now?"


    "That''s right." Replied Minos.


    "Well, I have some business to attend to in the Kingdom of the Waves, so I was just thinking of traveling with your group."


    "OK!" Minos said with a smile on his face.


    It didn''t take long and Elen and her bodyguard, Eduard, followed Minos'' group in a different carriage.


    "We have to pass the western exit of the Old Stone city. I left my spiritual beast staying in that place." Ruth said after the group continued on their way to leave the city.


    "Hmm, okay."


    Not long after, the group was heading towards the city of Portland while a great white eagle flew across the skies, chasing the chariots of the Minos group.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, in the Maritime City, three people were revisiting the places where the young Darell had passed before he died. They had just arrived from the Silva family headquarters, where they had received an order to find out what had happened to their young master.


    Of these three, two were at level 48 and one at level 49!


    They would hunt and capture those responsible for Darell''s death in an attempt to alleviate the loss of his family.


    At that moment, they were passing by the hotel where the young Darell had stayed during that trip. The three were in a room, while the strongest person was sitting on a sofa, receiving the report from the other two.


    The only woman in the group, who was relaxed on the sofa, said. "So, Dennis, what did you find out?"


    "Miss Sarah, I heard that the young master had participated in an auction just before leaving this city to go to Stone Island. But at this auction, it seems that he disagreed with one person. He revealed his identity to prevent that person from bidding on a certain ''item'' anymore. But he was unsuccessful." A man with half gray hair, half black, replied.


    At that moment, the blond man said. "I also found out that the young Master Darell''s group tried to chase that person''s footsteps before they left the city. But I was unable to discover the identity of the other group."


    This was normal. The protector Philip had only recognized Minos'' identity because he was the guard who accompanied the young Darell in his time at the Spiritual Academy. And as Minos and Darell were only one year apart, the two ended up attending many occasions simultaneously. And because of these occasions, protector Philip knew Minos''s appearance very well.


    But for other people, it would not be easy to identify the young Stuart. That''s because he wasn''t someone who tried to get a lot of attention when he was young, and stronger people, like these three, certainly didn''t give a damn about the identity of a young man outside their family or the other great noble families. Of the Brown Kingdom!


    Because of this, the number of influential people who could recognize Minos in the three great families of the kingdom, Silva, Brown, and Miller, could be counted on the fingers!


    And as for the people who knew Minos'' name, well, they were all on Stone Island, and the chances of them being questioned would be very low. That''s because the city of Portland was much bigger than the Maritime City!


    With that, the investigation group could only track Minos through Darell''s tracks, but not from its own tracks!


    At least it wouldn''t be easy for them to come up with the young Stuart''s full name. After all, how many Minos could there be in the Spiritual World?


    The woman who was sitting then got up and said. "Since we have achieved nothing here, we are going to Stone Island. But this is going to be problematic¡­"


    She let out a big breath and headed towards the port of the Maritime City, where the Silva family had their boats at their disposal.


    ''Ahh, this job may take months¡­'' Sarah Silva lamented to herself.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, in the border region of the Kingdom of the Waves with the Black Plain, a beautiful fox with five tails was lying on the floor of the cave that she had previously found.


    If someone looked closely, he could see some blood coming out of her bottom, just below her tails.


    There was a pink bubble emerging from the body of this female fox as if it were an egg. But this was not an egg, but the little fox, which she had been preparing to give birth to.


    "That''s right, my baby, it''s time to meet mommy¡­" The fox said in a voice full of love while breathing irregularly.


    Shortly after that, a little fox with one tail, covered by a thin membrane, appeared entirely outside the mother''s body.


    The mother then quickly began to lick her newborn daughter, eating the membrane that protected her and the placenta close to her cub.


    It didn''t take long, and the little fox was nestled with her mother after being cleaned by the big fox.


    ¡­

 Chapter 51: Passing through Portland

    A few days passed since the group of Minos had left the capital of Stone Island.


    At this time, they were arriving in the city of Portland, from where they could return to the continent.


    Minos wanted to see if any of the alchemists and array masters, with whom he had spoken previously, would change their mind and decided to come with him. It would be perfect for the Black Plain if any of these specialists came with them.


    Minos could pay a subsidy for these specialists, and then they could sell their products within the Dry City at a low price. That''s because any pill or spiritual array would be very expensive for ordinary and weak people, as was the majority of the population under the territory of Minos.


    The group then slowly entered the city of Portland, heading straight for the local Alchemy Guild. Of all the people Minos had spoken before, the most promising of them seemed to be the alchemist Davis.


    After a while, the group finally arrived in front of a rectangular building, a strong medicinal smell.


    This was the Alchemy Guild of the city of Portland!


    Minos immediately entered the building and went straight to the second floor, the place where grade-1, high-level, alchemists did their business. He then looked for the alchemist Davis''s bench, in the place where he had seen it before.


    Soon, Minos saw the person he was looking for on a low-traffic bench.


    "Alchemist Davis, it''s good to see you again. Well, I''m here doing what I said earlier. And then? What did you decide?" The young Stuart said, with a smile on his face.


    The middle-aged man at the bench looked at Minos for a second while he tried to remember. Then he finally said. "Ah! So, it''s you. I didn''t think you were really going to be here again."


    He then continued. "Your offer was very good, but I don''t know if I will be able to do business in the Dry City. Ordinary people don''t have that many crystals to buy spiritual pills."


    Minos understood Davis'' doubts and then said. "You are kind of right. Indeed, a common population, such as that of a city like the Dry City, could not buy pills, arrays, or spiritual weapons."


    "And part of the inhabitants of my city, it will really take a long time before they can buy these items. But the soldiers in my army will be able to!" Minos said with a confident face.


    "I will not go into details since you are not yet a member of my forces. But rest assured, the numbers of soldiers who can pay for the services of an alchemist like you are not small. I''m almost sure that you can do more business with them than you do here at the Alchemy Guild."


    What Minos said was really not a lie. If we consider only the soldiers who are in the Corporal hierarchy, each of them receives 400 crystals per month. And with such a salary, if such a soldier saved for about four months, he would certainly have enough crystals to buy a grade-1, high-grade, pill.


    Of course, the same would not apply to arrays or spiritual weapons since these two types of items can be considered durable goods, which can be used several times. Therefore, they are naturally more expensive.


    And for alchemists, most of their business was done from person to person, who usually bought only one or two pills at a time. Big purchases like the ones that Minos had done were very rare, and it was done only by those great nobles and members of wealthy families.


    That way, if what Minos said to Davis was true, then it would be very advantageous for this middle-aged man to accept this deal. Davis thought for a while and said. "I can go with you to your Dry City. If what you said is indeed true, I will see it with my own eyes. Just like that, I will be able to accept this offer."


    Minos smiled and said. "Well! So, this works too. If you don''t like how things are going in the Dry City, then I won''t insist on this deal anymore."


    After that, Minos and his group stayed at the Hotel Olson in Portland. They had to wait for the ship they had rented to be prepared for the travel. Minos also wanted to see other people with whom he had previously spoken. Perhaps some of them would accept to come with them as well.


    ¡­


    One day passed quickly, and the group of Minos was already in a big boat, heading towards the continent, towards the Maritime City. For this trip, they would need almost two days of sailing.


    As for the people Minos had contacted in Portland, besides Davis, no one else had agreed to come to the Black Plain.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, in a city in the border region of the Kingdom of the Waves with the Black Plain, there was a medium-sized mansion in the middle of the city. In that place, a large number of men with grotesque expressions were scattered around that property.


    This was the former place of the local government of the Yellow City, the only city in that region bordering the Black Plain. About 70,000 inhabitants and the local government were replaced by criminals from that region some time ago.


    Unlike the Black Plain, this region had sufficient resources for some criminal groups to develop and try to control the surrounding areas. And since no noble families were ruling the Yellow City, then these criminal groups came together and kidnapped the regent who had been sent to that place, taking the local power for themselves.


    There was a large conference table in the middle of a large room, with several men seated while they were actively talking.


    At that moment, one of the men said it out loud. "Chief Gul, one of the merchants captured by my subordinates, seems to have seen something interesting in our region."


    At that point, everyone in the room stopped their random conversations and concentrated on listening to what that man had to say.


    He then laughed out loud and said. "Haha, we may have a big chance soon. When one of my men was torturing this trader, he opened his mouth about something he had seen not far from here."


    "According to him, he saw a fox-like spiritual beast. But this beast was very different from normal foxes. It had five tails and also seemed to be pregnant!"


    He then drank a large glass of alcohol and said. "I don''t know what race this beast is, but her cub can yield hundreds of thousands of low-grade crystals if we sell her in the kingdom''s capital."


    "Oh! Is there such a beast?" Asked one of the group''s criminals.


    "Hmm, we just have to look around. Since she was pregnant when that merchant saw her, I''m sure she will be in the same place for at least a few weeks."


    "It must also be weakened. This is our chance. The worst that can happen is that the beast is not as valuable as we think. But I believe that it is worth trying." The man called chief Gul said out loud.


    He was the leader of this bandit group, already at level 47!


    As for why someone of that level was living in a place almost as poor as the Black Plain, well, that was because that man is a criminal wanted by one of the great families of the Kingdom of the Waves.


    And he could not escape to other kingdoms, as these large families had relations throughout the northern region of the Central Continent. That way, he could only live a relatively safe life in almost abandoned places.


    And unlike the Black Plain, where the Brown Kingdom still maintained a port city, there was no power belonging to large families of the Kingdom of the Waves in the region of the Yellow City.


    This is because the Kingdom of the Waves had a large coastal territory and did not need a single point to do business with other regions.


    Because of this, many years ago, Gul had created his group of bandits in this region that is close to the Black Plain. But the Yellow City was not as weak as the Dry City.


    No, while in the city controlled by Minos, there were no natives above level 39, in the town commanded by Gul, it was not uncommon to find people with level 40 in the streets!


    "Well, we are going to send two groups to track this fox. When it is found, you definitely cannot attack it. We will leave it up to me and some of the strongest in the group to resolve this." Gul said with a strange smile on his face.


    "That''s it!" Some of the men shouted as they listened to Chief Gul''s orders.


    "As for the subject of these traders who came from outside the kingdom, it is better to reduce our actions for the time being. This can attract the attention of some families in the region."


    "Hmm."


    Many of them agreed, making gestures with their heads.

 Chapter 52: Back to the Dry City

    Another four days went by, and the group of Minos was already arriving in Dry City. They passed quickly in the Maritime City, but since none of them had anything to do there, they continued on their journey without stopping to rest in that city.


    And Minos, who had stayed longer than usual for him at level 33, finally had a breakthrough three days ago. He was now at level 34, which would allow him to finally use the grade-2 sword that he had purchased more than a month ago.


    Of course, to do that, he would have to use all of his techniques in combination, which required a lot on his part, but it would be worth it. With his current level and this sword, he could even defeat someone at level 42!


    Incidentally, spiritual weapons were not just instruments used as a support for techniques. No, if it were the case, they would not be so expensive! The weapons could have different effects, but in general, they could increase the strength or spiritual conversion of the technique that the user was using!


    That is why these weapons were valuable. Otherwise, cultivators could very well use sticks or stones during a fight. This could also be used as a weapon but would have no amplifying effect.


    Some weapons could also have innate attributes, but this only happened in weapons above grade-3¡­


    Anyway, the sword that Minos bought had no attribute, but it could still increase his proficiency in fights.


    Without it, he could fight at most someone at level 41. The difference could be small, but that''s because Minos hasn''t even reached level 40, where he could use the sword without limitations.


    Anyway, during this period when they were on Stone Island, none of Minos'' soldiers made any progress. It wasn''t easy for someone like them to move as fast as Minos!


    To get an idea, even talented people, and with many resources, increasing a single level in the Spiritual General stage could take five months!


    So, it would not be easy for these soldiers who had only Blue talent and did not have large amounts of resources with them.


    Although they had great salaries in the Black Plain Army, there were not many resources like spiritual pills or arrays in the Dry City. And in the period that they were traveling, with the prices charged on the Stone Island, they could at most buy three pills, with all the crystals that each one had.


    So, until Minos managed to attract several alchemists to the Dry City, who would charge more affordable prices, they could not increase their cultivation speeds much.


    ¡­


    Hours passed, and the group of carriages quickly approached the Dry City. They were a few dozen kilometers away, but seeing some details from this distance would not be difficult for cultivators like them.


    Soon, Elen and Eduard, who were in another carriage, spotted a large green patch near the Dry City. There were different types of plants being grown in that place, and not far away, there was a lake almost as big as the city itself, which was not far from there.


    "Wow! This place really grew a lot in just over a year." Eduard said while observing the landscape from a distance.


    "Hmm, really. When we came here, he had just started farming on the Black Plain, but now he has reached that point in such a short time!" The young Elen said as she analyzed the situation.


    It did not take long, and the spiritual beasts that carried the carriages traveled the distance left for the group to reach the eastern entrance to the Dry City.


    This was a place of control created during many of the transformations that the Dry City had undergone. At this point, about 30 soldiers were guarding this entrance to the city, and anyone who had to enter here would have to pass through them.


    "Look, it''s the young master''s carriage. He''s back!" One of the soldiers standing by at the checkpoint spoke loudly.


    "Hehe, it looks like soon the forces of the Black Plain Army will be able to increase!" Another soldier, who was at level 39, said anxiously.


    He was one of several soldiers who had reached the bottleneck in cultivation, with Blue talent and level 39. That way, only with outside aid he could continue to grow stronger.


    Which was exactly what Minos was bringing!


    Upon entering the city, Elen and Eduard had a big surprise. The Dry City was completely different, almost as if they had entered another city!


    Now the place didn''t look as humble as it used to. Now there were some well-organized avenues to facilitate contact between the various parts of the city and space for the passage of many carriages simultaneously.


    And although there are none other than those of the Minos group going through its, in the future, there would be. So, building such infrastructure in advance would certainly make the future development of this place much easier.


    Now, there were also several trees scattered around the city, which gave a much more pleasant feeling when someone looks at this place.


    ''Wow! It seems that Mr. Minos actually spared no effort to improve this place!'' Elen thought to herself as she felt even more secure with her partnership with Minos.


    With so much determination to improve the Black Plain, Minos would certainly succeed. And with that, Elen would also gain a lot by having such a reliable partnership with him.


    And although Minos did this to increase the city''s attraction and, as a result, increasing his strength, he also wanted to create a pleasant place for him to live.


    Some rulers may think of just exploring their territory, investing the least in the place, and taking almost all, or even all the resources to themselves. Minos didn''t think that way. He didn''t want to limit himself to just his mansion. He wanted the whole city to be pleasant to be in.


    He certainly had goals that would compel him to travel throughout the Spiritual World, but in the end, he would still spend most of his life in this city. And when he has accomplished his goals, he would like to not have to travel to other parts of the world to get what he wants. It would be better if he had everything in his territory!


    That is comfort and quality of life when the quality doesn''t change as you leave your mansion and walk through the city. If you can only have comfort in your home, then even if you have millions of crystals, you will still have your life negatively affected by your own corruption.


    The group then arrived at the beautiful mansion redesigned in the meantime that Elen had come here and now. "Miss Elen, now that my residence has been expanded, we have some areas for visitors. You don''t need to stay in a hotel in the city. You are welcome here." Minos said, with a smile on his face.


    Not only was he polite to the beautiful Elen, but it was also because there was no hotel chain like the Olson family in the Dry City. And after the redesign of the city, there was only one hotel left in the entire town!


    Many of the earlier locations have become residential buildings for residents who lived in other parts of the city, unaffected by the spiritual meeting arrays. As a result, the few hotels in the city have decreased to just one, the Four Seasons Hotel.


    And because of that, it could be that there were no vacancies available for Elen and her bodyguard. That is why Minos had to make this polite offer.


    "Hmm, thanks for that," Elen answered sincerely.


    After that, the group split up. Elen and Eduard were guided to the area reserved for visitors, while Minos and Ruth proceeded to the administrative part of the building.


    The soldiers who accompanied Minos on this trip were also released from their services, receiving a few days off.


    ...


    Not long after, Minos spotted Secretary Mia.


    Mia looked even younger and more beautiful than before. That''s because she had reached level 30 in that period that Minos was in Stone Island.


    In the past year, she had reached level 29, and in that little more than a month that Minos was traveling, she finally managed to break through to the beginning of the Spiritual Warrior stage!


    As for why she looked younger, this is because her body had undergone the changes that occurred at each stage of cultivation. With that, her vitality had doubled, resulting in an even younger and more beautiful appearance than before.


    Then the previous one looked like a young adult woman. Now she looked like a teenager. But this was completely normal. Everyone was going through such changes in this world.


    Just to give you an idea, the butler Dillian who looks like a middle-aged man now, if he reaches level 50, his appearance would be considerably rejuvenated!


    "Oh! By changing your appearance, you must have moved on to the next step in cultivation. Congratulations, Mia." Minos said with a smile on his face as he headed towards his office.


    "It is good to see you again, young master. And thanks for that." Mia replied cheerfully.


    She was pleased. Getting stronger was very good, but the change that someone''s body went from one stage to another was delightful. Imagine if you have felt discomfort for years, and suddenly it goes away. This was the feeling of having your cells improved by spiritual energy and the expulsion of toxins.


    It was as if life became much more comfortable!


    In addition, there was also a considerable increase in the life expectancy of the cultivator. And that was the main reason for the people who cultivated, after all, who wouldn''t want to be able to live longer?

 Chapter 53: Improvements in the Black Plain Army

    After greeting Secretary Mia, Minos headed for his office, with the young Ruth right behind him. He wanted to see the butler Dillian again and start arguing about distributing the items he had purchased on Stone Island.


    Minos entered his office not long afterward and found a middle-aged man drinking spiritual tea. He was comfortably seated with his legs crossed on one of the sofas in this room while he had a cup in one hand and some papers in the other.


    At that moment, the butler Dillian noticed that someone had entered the room, and he slowly turned to see who it was. "Oh! Young master, you are already back. Hehe, it looks like things went well on your trip."


    He also noticed a young woman with long black hair behind Minos. "Ah! Miss Ruth is also here. I hope you didn''t take long to meet."


    "Mm, we met shortly after I arrived in the capital of Stone Island, the Old Stone city," Ruth confirmed it, looking at Dillian. She had been here for over a month, so the butler was curious to see if everything had worked out.


    The butler then smiled for a moment and asked Minos with a severe look on his face. "And then? How were things on Stone Island? Did the young master have any setbacks?"


    "Mm, I had some problems along the way¡­" Minos then started to report all the events that had happened since he and his group had left the Dry City.


    He hid almost nothing and talked about everything, from the coyote attack on his way to Maritime City, the auction, the ambush he had set up against the young Darell''s group, and his problems faced with the Nash family. He just didn''t talk about his fun with the beautiful Elena since it wasn''t crucial for Dillian to know that¡­


    While listening to this, Dillian had a complicated expression on his face. He had finally found out who was behind the death of his master and friend, Albert Stuart. "So, it really was those miserable ones from the Silva family¡­" Dillian sighed, understanding the situation.


    At the same time, Ruth was impressed with how many problems were around this young man with whom she was traveling. ''He actually dares to kill people from such important families in this place...''


    Minos and Dillian didn''t care about Ruth''s presence in the room since she was neither of power in the region nor an enemy but a disciple of Minos'' mother.


    So, even if Mrs. Maisie were absent, she wouldn''t try to harm her son on purpose, and Minos and Dillian knew it. That way, they had no reason for them not to speak openly in front of the beautiful Ruth.


    "But that is not all bad. Now we at least know who our enemy is. And the young master shouldn''t be bothered by the Silva family by tracking you down in the short term. This should take a long time before they find the young master''s exact identity."


    Butler Dillian changed the subject and said with a smile on his face. "Haha, but this problem with young master Luke truly benefited us. Who knew the Nash family would be so generous to us?"


    Minos nodded and said. "Mm, because of that, I came back with even more medium-grade crystals than when I left to go to the Stone Island."


    "Anyway, how are the forces of the Black Plain Army? How many of them have already reached the level 39 bottleneck?"


    "Well, not many. At the moment, we only have 15 more soldiers who can step up to level 40 after absorbing the power of the pills that the young master bought."


    "But as for those at level 29, we have many. About 60 soldiers are at this level. If we can help them level up with spiritual pills, they will be able to level up a few months in advance." Dillian said.


    "Mm, well, it''s not that bad since most of our soldiers are in the middle of their respective stages. It also gives us time to acquire more resources. If they were all ready to receive these pills, we would not be able to deliver such demand." Minos spoke while handing a spatial ring to the butler Dillian.


    "Here, Grandpa Dillian, you can distribute these pills and spiritual weapons to the highest-ranking soldiers, who have met the requirements for this."


    "Okay, I''m going to do this as soon as possible... Ah! Okay, in that period that the young master was on Stone Island, our city''s population continued to grow, and we now have 47,583 inhabitants in the city. However, all of these people came from the vicinity of the Dry City." Dillian said, remembering this important fact.


    "Oh! This is good. Almost the entire population of the Black Plain has already migrated to our city. Except for the Maritime City, which cannot be considered as part of our sovereignty area, in a short time, there will be no more people living outside the Dry City in our region." Minos said without many expressions.


    With that, they could continue to increase the plantation area under the control of Minos. Even if it was a slight population increase, it was still enough for the next six months. But after that, if Minos wanted to expand, he would have to attract people elsewhere.


    "But don''t worry about it now, Grandpa Dillian. We have already found a place where we can attract more labor to the Dry City."


    "Oh! And how are we going to do that?" Dillian asked curiously.


    "Well, we''re going to do it like this¡­" Minos started to tell the information he had obtained from Elena and Elen. This was something that Dillian did not know either, since until recently, he was just someone who took care of the affairs of the late General Albert.


    So, he didn''t have as much information about what was going on outside the Brown Kingdom. All he knew was basic knowledge of these territories, as anyone at his age would know. But he did not know the details of what was happening in such an unimportant region, such as the border between the Kingdom of the Waves and the Black Plain.


    "Tsk, this indeed seems to be the best alternative for the young master. With that, at least we are not going to draw the attention of the great powers of the region." Dillian agreed with what he had heard from Minos.


    Minos then sighed and said. "Anyway, changing the subject, how is the progress of those two youths?"


    "Very good! Alison reached level 22 while the young master was away. As for the boy, Lee, he reached level 23. " Dillian replied with a smile on his face. Although these two were not as quick as Minos, they were being nurtured as the priorities of the Dry City forces. For this reason, their cultivation speeds could be considered very good.


    "Mm, this is good. Then bring them back. I will send them to their ''special'' training soon. They''ve had more than a month to stay with their families. Now it''s time for them to train even more. " Minos finished.


    After that, each of the three people went their own way. Dillian went to resolve matters concerning the distribution of the resources he had received from Minos. Minos went to his residence, and Ruth found a place to rest.


    Not long afterward, Minos entered his Spatial Kingdom, which he could not do as much while traveling to Stone Island. After all, besides Dillian and the two youths, no one else knew about it, so he couldn''t just disappear from nowhere and come back. This would create suspicion for those around him.


    ¡­


    A month quickly passed.


    At that time, Minos had given orders for preparations for an attack mission to the border region of the Black Plain with the Kingdom of the Waves to be made. He also wanted to spend that time cultivating so that his risks would be lessened on this expedition.


    Despite hearing from Elen that the strength of that place was only slightly higher than that of the Black Plain, they had better beware.


    And in the meantime, Minos has reached level 35!


    He had spent most of his time within the Spatial Kingdom, and such an improvement was already expected.


    In addition, during that time, all soldiers who had reached bottlenecks in cultivation had already made their advances and learned their new battle techniques. Some of them had also received new spiritual weapons and were already getting used to them.


    Some changes have also occurred for ordinary people in the Dry City. Now there was another spiritual meeting array in operation in the city, which was even better than the other four that had been here for over a year. As a result, the area covered by the arrays increased considerably, increasing the city''s territory.


    But not only that, with the arrival of the alchemist Davis, the ordinary population of the city was now completely excited about the possibility of increasing their cultivation speeds with the help of the spiritual pills sold by this specialist.

 Chapter 54: Devis Decision

    A month earlier...


    The alchemist Davis, who had come from Stone Island with the group of Minos, was getting to know the Dry City. After the group arrived at the mansion in the central part of the city, Davis was accommodated in the local government officials'' visiting area.


    After resting from the trip for a while, Davis finally decided to see the city. He had previously seen the landscape around the town and some fields of culture not far from the here while traveling with the group of Minos.


    The city itself did not attract Davis''s attention. After all, he did not know the Dry City before that. So, he didn''t know if this place was more or less good than it had been before Minos arrived.


    All he knew was that it was not possible to grow any kind of plant on the Black Plain!


    So, he was really impressed with that. Even though Minos said that this problem had already been solved, it was not easy to believe. There are certain things that a person could only believe seeing!


    He had also noticed that the spiritual concentration in the Dry City was actually much less than in the city of Portland. He realized this after he started cultivating in the town since he was only at level 38, and he did not have the ability to feel the free energy in heaven and on earth without him starting to cultivate.


    ''Let me see what life is like in this place.''


    Davis started walking the city streets, watching all the details carefully. He saw that the city''s infrastructure was very well-prepared, with the capacity to receive several dozen carriages simultaneously, but he had seen none after he left Minos'' mansion.


    ''Mm, there aren''t many spiritual beasts either, and the few that I saw were all low-level.'' He thought to himself as he watched the movement of the street that he was on.


    Shortly thereafter, Davis arrived at a very busy place. In that place, there was a plaque with the name Central Market. This was a huge building, with 3 floors and a large entrance. Due to the great movement, Davis decided to enter to see the place.


    However, as soon as he got inside the building, Davis frowned and muttered to himself. "So much movement just to buy apples?"


    In one of the many stalls on the first floor of the Central Market building, the one with the most movement, there was a large pile of apples and a plaque with the price tag. ''20 crystals per kilo.''


    In this tent, several people were huddled together, shouting as much as they wanted to the three attendants.


    "I want 2 kilos."


    "And I, half a kilo."


    While watching this, Davis was perplexed. He has never seen people buying fruit in such a lively way. "I don''t understand, they act as if they are competing for a product on sale, but the price is just a little cheaper than in Portland."


    He then approached a woman who was waiting in line and asked. "Madam, I''m sorry to bother you, but can you tell me why people are so excited to buy these apples?"


    The woman then looked at Davis with a strange look and said. "You do not know? This must be your first time here. I don''t blame you. This is the last batch of apples planted in the Black Plain. The next will only come in 3 months. So, everyone is excited to be able to buy some."


    "If I were you, I wouldn''t miss this opportunity. It won''t be long until it''s over." The woman said before placing her order with one of the attendants.


    After hearing this, Davis was very curious and decided to get in line. He was here to get to know the city, so understanding why the inhabitants of this place valued the region''s products so much could help him a lot at this time.


    ''Is this a way for them to value their own region? It can''t be. This is very exaggerated!'' Davis thought to himself as he waited for his turn.


    After a few minutes, he finally got what he wanted. He bought two large apples that cost him ten low-grade crystals. He then used some of his spiritual energy to clean the apple and then tasted it.


    "Ugh?"


    When he felt the amount of spiritual energy that the apple was providing him, after just one bite, he immediately jumped in surprise.


    "How can this be? This is clearly a fruit with a high spiritual concentration! Something like that would have cost about 60 low-grade crystals on the Stone Island!" He murmured, taking another bite of the apple in his hand.


    ''Ah! So, that''s why those people were in such a hurry to buy these apples¡­'' Davis thought, as he realized how important it was for those people.


    This is because foods with high spirituality could be as good as cultivating low-grade spiritual crystals!


    This might not be a big deal for cultivators over level 50, but it was incredible for the people of the Black Plain.


    Davis did not have much information about this place, but he knew that the inhabitants of the Dry City, a place with low spiritual density, must have talents of, at most, Blue-grade. With rarely someone more talented showing up.


    As a result, for those normally trapped below level 40, the spiritual energy contained in food was very important. But not only that, even people with Golden talent, in the early stages of cultivation, greatly valued the spiritual richness of their meals since no one could use spiritual crystals before level 20.


    "Now I understand¡­" Davis said in a low voice. ''But how did they do that? As far as I know, cultures with a high spiritual concentration only grow in regions with a high spiritual density¡­''


    ...


    Davis continued to walk through the Dry City as he knew the place little by little. He did this for four days until finally, he had made his decision!


    After noting that plants of high spiritual concentration could grow in this region and conversations with different residents of this place, he discovered all the changes that this city had undergone after Minos'' arrival. He was stunned when he found that this place had been almost completely remodeled in just over a year.


    Not only that, he learned that the city''s spiritual energy was even lower earlier.


    When he heard about it, he even tried to cultivate another part of the city, a place where it was unaffected by the spiritual meeting arrays, to know the difference.


    When he did that, he found that this place was even poorer in spiritual energy than he thought. The city was only slightly better due to the various arrays that were ''burning'' low-grade crystals constantly.


    After all that, Davis finally came to the conclusion that Minos could put an end to the offer that he had previously made. With that, this place could certainly be a great opportunity for an alchemist without the support of large families like Davis.


    Anyway, shortly after deciding, Davis met with Minos and worked out the last details, including the location of the alchemy store that Davis would run.


    As for the resources that he would need to produce the spiritual pills, this would be provided by the young Elen, at least until some of these medicines began to be planted here in the Black Plain.


    There were several spiritual medicines, but those from the Spatial Kingdom could not be used by someone as low-level as Davis. So, Davis could only start working only importing these resources from other kingdoms.


    After that, a few days passed, and Davis finally opened his alchemy store. Because of the agreement he had made with Minos, he could charge prices far below the market for pills sold to the people of the Dry City.


    To give you an idea of ??this, grade-1, low-grade, medium-grade, and high-grade, pills generally had priced in the range of 100, 500, and 1,000 low-grade crystals, respectively.


    However, Minos made a deal in which he and Davis would charge only 30, 150 and 300, low-grade crystals for each pill he sold from those ratings.


    This was an effort to increase the strength of the population of the Dry City and the soldiers of the Black Plain Army. This action could also attract less talented people to migrate to this region.


    This was necessary since, for the labor for the fields of cultures, people with low talent were the most suitable for this type of service. After all, it would be a waste to put someone with high talent to grow grains...


    Minos also did not intend to do this for a long time. He planned to give subsidies to some alchemists for 20 years.


    After that time, prices would increase and be closer to the values ??charged in other regions. However, when that happened, the Dry City would already have other factors that could attract and keep cultivators.


    It didn''t take long, and soon the population of the Dry City was very excited about the news, that an alchemist was opening a store in the city!


    The rumor also said that the prices charged would be so low that even farmers could afford to buy spiritual pills!

 Chapter 55: Chance of a Lifetime

    In a very popular restaurant among farmers in the city, there was a group of 4 men actively talking about their daily activities in the plantations of the Black Plain while having lunch. These were ordinary inhabitants in the Dry City, people who had White talent.


    One of the men, who had long gray hair, changed the subject and said. "Old Roy, you''ve reached level 29 a long time ago, right?"


    The man named Roy, who appeared to be the oldest in the group, looked at his friend and replied. "Yes, I reached this level 39 years ago. What''s the point of talking about it now, Errol?"


    "You must have heard the rumor that an alchemist opened a store here, in the Dry City. At first, I still doubted it, but this morning I saw a huge queue coming out of a store, not far from Mr. Minos'' mansion."


    "After I saw this, I waited for a while and asked one of the people who had left the store why those people were in that queue." Old Errol said, looking at the other three men who were eating. He then continued. "I found out from that person that I asked that an alchemist is taking orders for grade-1 spiritual pills!"


    "Oh! So, it''s really true. As expected, Mr. Minos is extraordinarily efficient." Said one of the other two men, who were with the group.


    "What about the prices? I heard it was a lot cheaper than normal, is that right?" The other old man asked.


    Errol then replied with a smile on his face. "Yes, it is a lot cheaper. A grade-1, medium-grade, pill, which can help someone break from level 29 to 30, costs 150 low-grade crystals!"


    Old Roy, who was drinking from a large mug of beer, almost spit out a full mouth after hearing this. He then got up from his chair and asked with a serious face. "What? Are you sure about this?"


    Errol smiled and said. "Hmm, I wouldn''t lie to you."


    Upon hearing this answer, Roy burst out laughing and then said it aloud before leaving the restaurant. "Hahaha, well, you can wait for me in the field. I''m going to visit this store!"


    After that, Roy quickly left the restaurant and headed for the central part of the city. He was very excited by the idea that he could buy a grade-1, medium-level, spiritual pill that would be able to help him break through his bottleneck.


    And although that pill still cost a good deal of his economies, it was still worth a lot. He had collected about 300 crystals during the past year while working as a farmer for the local government.


    And by raising his strength, he could do more at work and even earn a salary increase!


    Of course, that still wasn''t the best part. As someone with White talent, Roy was limited by level 29, and without outside help, he would not be able to advance any further, and he was almost 200-years-old at this point!


    At such an age, he could live at most another 50 years. However, with a 4th stage breakthrough spiritual pill, he could increase his life expectancy to 450 years!


    And that was why he was in such a hurry. Like an old man at the end of his life, any chance of salvation would be pursued with all the will of his being.


    ...


    As Roy headed for Davis''s alchemical store, many other people received the same news as Roy and Errol''s group. This was a chance of a lifetime for hundreds of residents of the Dry City, who had already reached their bottlenecks and were continuing to get old.


    It didn''t take long, and orders for grade-1, medium-level, spiritual pills, specialized in advancing from the 3rd to the 4th stage, surpassed the thousands mark!


    ''As expected, with such a low price, even people who have not yet reached their bottleneck would buy these pills to use them at the right time.'' Davis thought to himself as he saw the number of orders that the secretary he had hired passed on to him.


    ''Hmm, with such demand, even if I have all the resources, it will still take me about four months just to produce these pills...'' Davis sighed internally. He was happy that his business finally took off, but there was a lot of work ahead.


    ...


    At that time, Minos had just left his training within the Spatial Kingdom, where he had broken through to level 35.


    He did not want to remain focused on just cultivating at that time. According to his count, the Spiritual Tournament was less than five months away, and he still had to solve the problem on the north side of the border.


    For this reason, he had decided to settle some more pending matters on the Black Plain before finally leaving to confront these groups of criminals on the border.


    To begin with, he had held a meeting in the presence of the soldiers who had already attained the rank of Sergeant, with butler Dillian and some influential members of the Dry City administration.


    At this meeting, it was decided that the Dry City would establish a port base on the maritime coast of the Black Plain. This base would be controlled initially by the Black Plain Army until a city in that place was constructed.


    For the time being, they had no interest in establishing this city, but this could have negative implications for the Black Plain as a whole. For example, the first problem was that they did not have enough population even for the affairs of the Dry City, let alone a port city...


    They also did not want to risk attracting the attention of the Maritime City by building a city that could compete with its. Thus, for now, this place would be just a branch base of the Black Plain Army, which would have the purpose of receiving and sending products to the merchant Elen Nash from Stone Island.


    It was decided that this place would be built in the remaining two months until the beginning of the next harvest. And at that time, the site would be guarded by a group of 3 Sergeants, 10 Corporals, and 20 Soldiers, who would revert their positions from time to time.


    They also decided to increase the cultivated area for the next harvest. At the moment, the unemployed population of the Dry City could supply a workforce that could add another 100 hectares, resulting in a total of 200.


    As for if they wanted to increase that area, they would have to attract the border populations of the Black Plain first. This is because there would be no more workforce available after that period.


    After the meeting ended, Ruth watched everything curiously, got up from her chair, and asked Minos with a curious face. "And then? Shall we leave for the Kingdom of the Waves? I''m curious to see you in action."


    Ruth wanted to find out what Minos'' real strength was. That''s because she had never seen him fight.


    When they were on Stone Island, she was separated from him in the only fight he had after they had both met. But she didn''t know if Minos had beaten Luke because he had some powerful external means or if it was actually his own power.


    And seeing Minos moving faster and faster only made Ruth''s curiosity grow even more. So, it was a golden chance for her since they could face many criminals during this mission.


    ''I will not leave you in that place. I want to see if you can keep hiding from me!'' Ruth thought as she looked away from Minos, with the corners of her mouth slightly up.


    She also wanted to know what the degree of Minos'' techniques was. That''s because his cultivation speed was very abnormal. As far as she knew, even someone with a Golden talent could not cultivate so fast without a high-level technique.


    So, if Minos had only one Black talent, where had, he found his cultivation technique? It certainly couldn''t come from Albert. As for Minos'' mother, Ruth knew that in the Gray Cloud Sect, there was a single Golden-grade technique, but it was not a cultivation technique!


    So, Minos'' mother couldn''t have helped him with that either. Ruth asked all these questions to herself almost every time she saw Minos increase in strength. So, she was getting more and more interested in him...


    After that, Minos left to meet the beautiful Elen. She had been staying at the mansion this entire time and had decided to wait for Minos to make this trip to the Kingdom of the Waves.


    Despite having her own affairs, she would prefer to wait a little longer and then spend more time with this miraculous ally that she had made. And it wouldn''t be a bad thing to have more people helping with this task.


    Even if her bodyguard was already at level 48, it didn''t hurt to be careful!


    At that moment, Minos entered through the apartment door where Elen was staying. He then greeted the man in silver armor and went towards the blonde woman, who enjoyed the view of the Dry City through a large glass window.


    "It is time for us to leave. My group will be ready in 2 days." Minos said seriously.

 Chapter 56: Traveling to the Yellow City

    "This is good. We will prepare to leave in 2 days then," Elen said with a smile on her face.


    She was already looking forward to resolving this issue and returning to Stone Island. She liked to see the improvements made in the Dry City, but this place still lacked many things in relation to the Old Stone city. So, she didn''t want to stay here for long.


    "In fact, I have a suggestion for you." She said, looking into Minos''s eyes.


    "Oh! Tell me."


    "Have you heard of the Spiritual Tournament? This is a good event for you to meet the future governors of this region of the Central Continent."


    Minos then shook his head and said. "Hmm, I''ve heard of this competition. In fact, after we get back from the Kingdom of the Waves, I will be training for a few weeks, and then I will go to the Cromwell Kingdom to participate in this tournament."


    ''As expected... He must have heard that from that woman who is always with him. I heard that she has a very abnormal strength...'' Elen thought to herself, hearing Minos''s response.


    She had heard from one of her servants that Ruth had beaten three guards escorting the young master Luke. Because of her, Minos had been able to escape the clutches of that arrogant young blond.


    She also started to think about the implications this woman could bring to her business with Minos. ''Is she someone from an empire?'' Elen thought.


    This made sense to her. After all, in addition to Ruth''s unbelievable strength, Minos was a big unknown in her eyes. ''Maybe an empire is helping him out of the shadows?''


    Minos then continued after noticing Elen''s thoughtful expression. "But don''t worry about it. I have no interest in going to the Flaming Empire. I will participate in the Spiritual Tournament to do what you suggested. Meet these future sovereigns of the northern region of the Central Continent."


    Elen relaxed a little and blew out a silent breath upon hearing this. She then said. "Hmm, I understand."


    "Well, since we have solved everything, I am going to go out and make some preparations. See you in 2 days." Minos said before saying goodbye to Elen and her bodyguard, Eduard.


    ...


    After a while, Minos was in his office, along with butler Dillian, Sergeant Pyke, and secretary Mia.


    Pyke then said. "Young master, we are preparing the 24 soldiers, who have already reached level 40, to accompany you on this trip. There will also be another 30 men, who are between levels 35 and 39."


    Of the 25 soldiers who had reached the 5th stage, only Sergeant Pyke would not go on this mission to the Kingdom of the Waves. Minos had decided that this time, Pyke would stay in the Dry City to run this place during his absence.


    "Grandpa Dillian, on this trip, I want you to accompany me. We may need your medical techniques since we do not know exactly the enemy force." Minos said with a serious look on his face.


    Butler Dillian, after all, was not a warrior but someone who focused his techniques on one area, which was medicine. Like him, doctors were much different from alchemists, blacksmiths, and array masters. This is because they did not produce any type of external item.


    What a doctor offered in this world was nothing more than healing techniques. They could also be classified as support professionals, which could be very useful in battles.


    After all, people were always injured in these types of events, but spiritual healing pills could not be used all the time since it was very expensive. For this reason, doctors were very useful in missions, such as the one that the Minos group was preparing to go to.


    Dillian then said with a smile on his face. "Hehe, it''s okay. It was time for this old man to see some action."


    "As for Secretary Mia, at this time, I want you to help Sergeant Pyke manage the city. I know he has to take care of the Black Plain Army, so he will not always be able to solve all the administrative problems here." Minos said, looking at Mia.


    She then responded resolutely. "You can leave it, young master. I will not disappoint you."


    After that, the group split up, leaving only Minos in the office. He then returned to the Spatial Kingdom to observe the two youths who were training there at this time.


    Alison and Lee had already returned to the Spatial Kingdom since Minos had asked Dillian to bring them back. Minos intended to leave them there until he went to the Cromwell Kingdom, which was supposed to happen within the next three months.


    Minos then observed the two training their fighting techniques while eating a spiritual apple next to the large house that was near the lake.


    The two youths then noticed his presence and soon came running towards him.


    "Master, can you give us some tips?" Lee asked in his childish voice.


    "Hmm, what do you want to know?"


    After that, Minos began to advise the two youths while making some gestures to demonstrate to the two how they should act to increase their proficiency in fighting.


    After a while, Lee and Alison continued their fighting training while Minos watched them closely.


    ...


    Time passed, and all preparations for the mission to the Kingdom of the Waves were ready. All 54 soldiers, who were going on this trip, were already in their respective carriages while escorted Minos, Ruth, Dillian, Elen, and Eduard.


    They traveled to the Yellow City, which was about 1,500 kilometers from the Dry City, heading north. According to the information that the group of Minos had obtained with Elen, this city had no noble family and was governed by a regent.


    And just like the Black Plain, hardly any noble family passed through the place or cared about the security and order there. As for the royal family, they were even less interested in that place, which the Brown family was to the region under the command of Minos.


    At least it was like that until a few months ago.


    However, Elen also had no further information about the city since some of the Nash family delivery men, who traveled through this place, did not send any more news from that region and were reported as missing.


    As far as Elen knew, before that time, the Yellow City had many groups of bandits, but they had not yet shown any interest in publicly taking over the government of that region.


    At least, for those who received news of what was happening in that place, the actions of these groups were moderate. And as long as the merchants paid some ''fees,'' they could pass through the region smoothly.


    "Miss Elen, do you have information about the leader of these bandits?" Dillian asked calmly.


    Elen shook her head, denying that. "I do not know. But he is not yet a Spiritual King. I am sure of that."


    "From our information, some of these bandits must be famous fugitives from different parts of the Central Continent. But if any of them had already reached the Spiritual King stage, they certainly wouldn''t be here."


    "I don''t know if you know, but there is a large organization of assassins in the north of the Central Continent. It is called, Scourges of the Devil and only accepts renowned criminals who have already reached level 50!"


    "Because of that, if any of them had reached that level, he would certainly leave this region to join the forces of the Scourges of the Devil. And even if the Yellow City is a little stronger than the Dry City, no Spiritual King would live in a place like this." Elen said with a severe expression.


    ''Scourges of the Devil, huh...'' Dillian thought to himself.


    This was the organization''s name that had dispatched two assassins to help the Silva family kill the former General Albert.


    The Scourges of the Devil, despite being a criminal organization focused on assassinations, they were almost as strong as some of the weakest kingdoms in the region. And that was why any large families did not pursue them in this part of the Central Continent.


    Unless there were a big grudge, no one would want to mess with that organization. After all, although they are not that numerous, all the members were Spiritual Kings!


    And to make matters worse, no one knew where the headquarters of this group was. So, it was complicated for anyone to act openly against the Scourges of the Devil, making this organization a dream for many of the criminals in that region of the continent.


    This was the reason that made Elen so sure that there were no Spiritual Kings in the Yellow City.


    "Hmm, I understand," Minos said while having a thoughtful look on his face. This was an organization on his list of vengeance in the future.


    Butler Dillian had already told Minos about this group and their involvement in the attack that Albert had suffered.


    ...


    After that, two days passed quickly, and the group of Minos had already covered most of the distance to the Yellow City. They could reach their destination within the next few hours, and it was already beginning to prepare to set up camp near the city.


    ...


    In a particular mansion in the Yellow City, a man came running to the office where the bandits'' leader was. "Chief Gul, we found that fox and her cub..."

 Chapter 57: The Beginning of the Mission

    At that time, the leader of the bandits of the Yellow City was in his office accompanied by three other men when the door opened, and a subordinate reported that they had found the whereabouts of the strange fox and its cub.


    "So, where is she?" One of the men in the room asked anxiously. The other two men also showed a lot of interest and began to pay attention to the person who had reported this news.


    "She is in a cave about 500 kilometers from here in the Yellow City. The bosses need not worry. She is very weak and should not be leaving that place anytime soon." The subordinate, who had reported the news, said with a smile on his face.


    "Hahaha, good! We are going to prepare an expedition to capture both the mother and the cub!" Chief Gul said with a smile that went from ear to ear.


    "By the way, what is the stage of cultivation of this beast?" One of the three men asked curiously.


    "The leader of the hunt group said that she should be in the 5th stage of cultivation." The subordinate responded promptly.


    "Hmm, if it were in normal situations, it would be impossible for us to capture such a beast without fighting with the intention of killing. But since she just gave birth to her cub, it won''t be that difficult." Gul said out loud.


    Gul then turned to one of the three men and said. "Lydo, go and make the preparations for our hunt. I believe that 10 people above level 44 will be enough. Call all of our commanders."


    One of the three men, who was named Lydo and was at level 45, nodded and left the office quickly to resolve this matter.


    Of the other two in the room, they were also on the same level as Lydo and were just below Gul in the hierarchy within the Yellow City bandit group.


    Not only that, each of these three had two commanders at level 44 as their subordinates, who, in turn, controlled the rest of the group. This was the power structure that Gul had put in place to control this city.


    Chief Gul then looked at the other two, who were still in the room, and said. "Make the other preparations. When we leave the strongest in the city, it will only be at level 43."


    "Okay, boss, let''s get everything ready as soon as possible." The two responded and then left the room.


    "Hehehe, it looks like I''m finally going to have a great opportunity. It won''t be long, and those who chased me before will all be killed. Hahaha." Gul spoke aloud while laughing maniacally.


    ...


    A few hours later, the Minos group established a temporary camp, 30 kilometers from the Yellow City, where their group would wait to act. They had chosen to stop at that point because here it was not so far from the city, as it also had some plants and rock formations that could hide the group of undesirable eyes.


    "Sergeant Humbert, make a group of 10 Corporals and visit Yellow City to collect information about these criminal groups active in this region," Minos said while looking in the direction of one of the soldiers.


    "But wear clothes that are common and different from each other. You should also divide this team into 5 smaller groups, which do not attract unwanted attention within the city. Do this data collection and return as soon as possible. You will be leading this task."


    "Okay, young master, I will do this as soon as possible." Sergeant Humbert responded promptly.


    Then he quickly gathered the 10 men and headed for the Yellow City.


    At that moment, the young Elen approached where Minos was and said with a smile on her face. "You are very careful, and you seem to have a lot of experience in this. Have you done this kind of thing before?"


    Upon hearing this question, Ruth, who was sitting in a chair that the soldiers had set up, looked at Minos, expecting to know the same.


    Upon hearing and seeing Elen and Ruth''s reactions, Minos laughed gently and said. "More or less that..."


    ...


    A few minutes passed, and the group formed by Sergeant Humbert arrived in Yellow City. As soon as they arrived, three carriages with about 10 men left that city, heading towards the east.


    Seeing this, Humbert, who was the only Spiritual General in the group, frowned and thought to himself. ''10 people, and they''re all at least level 44. The strongest is at level 47!''


    ''Could it be that some great merchant is passing through here? Hmm, never mind, let''s get to know this place soon.'' After that, he stopped paying attention to the group and entered the city.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in one of the carriages, Gul smiled and thought. ''It is just a group of Spiritual Warriors and a person at level 40. They cannot do anything in the Yellow City. Haha, there must be another group of traders who don''t know what''s going on here...''


    ...


    According to different directions upon entering the city, Humbert''s group soon separated. Despite being a much bigger city than the Dry City, they could see that this place was much more disorganized and impoverished.


    Of course, that was only because of what Minos had done during those months when he was running the Dry City. Before this period, the Yellow City would certainly win in all aspects in relation to the old city of these soldiers.


    Humbert also noticed that the spiritual energy of this place was slightly better than that of the Dry City before the spiritual arrays. In fact, even in the current spiritual concentration of his city, it was barely able to beat Yellow City.


    As the group spread out, Humbert was walking around the city calmly, as if he were an ordinary passerby from this place. He was constantly watching people and places, probing whenever he saw something that caught his attention.


    "Interestingly, this place has at least 80 cultivators who have already reached level 40!" He murmured to himself.


    And indeed, the Yellow City was much better than the Dry City before the changes made by Minos. They could even afford to buy some grade-1, high-grade, spiritual pills for people with Blue talent to pass their bottleneck.


    Anyway, when stopping in a large square in the central part of the city, Humbert stopped at a counter that had several fruits and told the merchant that was there. "Buddy, take two apples for me."


    "Here it is, it is 20 low-grade crystals." The merchant said while he had the two apples in a paper bag.


    After that, Humbert talked to the merchant for a while and then went on his way through the city. He wanted to recognize the terrain and the forces of the bandits, but the information gathering service would be a priority for the other men.


    He then cleaned one of the apples and took a big bite out of it. ''Hmm, low spiritual concentration. As poor in spiritual energy as were the fruits sold in the Dry City previously.''


    ...


    At the same time, in different parts of Yellow City, the 5 groups, divided with two soldiers in each of them, were quickly infiltrating the conversation and discussions that took place anywhere.


    All of them had received a good amount of low-level spiritual crystals from Minos to bribe people who indicated any willingness to talk about what was going on in this place.


    "Friend, did I hear that your son is sick and you are doing extra services?" Asked one of Minos'' soldiers, disguised in a certain restaurant in one of the city''s poorest regions.


    The man he had spoken to turned and answered. "That''s right, do you have any services for me?"


    This man was very anxious when he heard that. In the Yellow City, life was very difficult for people with low talent.


    This, of course, was related to the high criminal activity that had been happening recently. That way, many like this man had to work hard to survive in this place.


    The soldier smiled and said, as he indicated a more isolated place in the restaurant. "Come with me to a place where we can have some privacy."


    After they sat down, the soldier then said. "Well, here''s the thing..."


    ...


    Meanwhile, several other soldiers were doing the same in different parts of Yellow City. It was not difficult to find someone complaining about how bad things were recently or to find individuals with family problems who forced them to accept almost any kind of service that could yield them some spiritual crystals.


    Because of this, the group was quick to understand the events in the previous months, learning a little about the group in power in this city.


    ...


    A day quickly passed when the group of 11 soldiers finally returned from their intelligence gathering. They had not encountered any problems within the Yellow City, as they were disguised as ordinary people.


    Not only that, but they had no product with them, so the bandit groups in that place showed no interest in them.


    It didn''t take long, and all the people present at Minos'' camp gathered to discuss the information that Humbert''s group had collected.


    Minos then took the initiative and asked calmly. "And then? What did the group of you manage to discover?"

 Chapter 58: Planning the Attack

    After hearing Minos'' question, Humbert sighed and reported his group''s findings. "Well, from what we''ve found, Yellow City is being controlled by a group of criminals led by someone who calls himself, Gul. He also seems to be the strongest person in the city, but ordinary citizens don''t know what level he is at."


    "Almost all the soldiers in our group ended up hearing the same thing about what happened to the city. According to the people we spoke to, about three months ago, the group led by Gul kidnapped and killed the former conductor of this region."


    "After that, he and his group took control of the local government mansion by arresting all the guards who were under the command of that regent. And from what we heard, this must be something around 50 guards, most of whom are in the 4th stage of cultivation."


    "Not long after they took over the city, they kidnapped and robbed almost all the merchants who passed through the Yellow City. As a result, many of the bandits were able to obtain resources to increase their forces for the 5th stage of cultivation, which further increased the pressure of these criminals on the common population of these areas." Humbert said without hiding anything.


    The butler Dillian who was standing next to Minos, suddenly asked. "And how many criminals are in this group led by this Gul?"


    Humbert then responded with a tone of uncertainty. "We do not have the exact number since it is not possible to know how much these criminals hide from the population. But while I was probing the city, I was able to feel at least 80 cultivators of the 5th stage, the strongest of which was at level 43."


    "As for what we found out with the population, these groups of criminals are expected to have around 200 to 300 members in total."


    At that moment, Elen, who was listening to the report in the corner of the camp, said in disagreement. "There must be something wrong with this research. In my opinion, to cause as many problems as they have caused, this Gul should be a level 45 cultivator, at least."


    Minos nodded and said. "Hmm, it''s true. Didn''t you feel anyone stronger than that in the city?"


    Humbert thought about it and suddenly remembered something. He then said. "Ah! Yes, I felt some people like that, but they were leaving the city. In fact, just as we were entering Yellow City, a group of 10 cultivators passed us, heading east."


    "From that group, I could feel that there were six cultivators at level 44, 3 at level 45, and one that was at level 47. But as they were leaving the city at that time, I thought they were just merchants who were passing through." Humbert said as he remembered what had happened.


    "Well, these people are probably the leaders of that city. And that person at level 47 must be this Gul." Elen said with a serious expression on her face.


    "But why would the strongest people in this city all go out together?" Butler Dillian asked aloud.


    Humbert then replied with an uncertain expression. "The townspeople didn''t say anything about this group, so we''re not sure about that."


    "No matter what the reason, it will be better for us. We will destroy the group that remained in the Yellow City, and then we will find out through one of these bandits." Minos said with a smile on his face.


    He was happy to have arrived at this place just when the strongest people had left. With that, the fight would be much less difficult, which would greatly increase the chances of winning the future battle.


    "Hmm, it is true, with that our work will be immensely facilitated," Eduard said while agreeing with Minos'' words.


    Minos then asked. "What about the places where these criminals are concentrated?"


    Humbert responded shortly after that. "They are usually located in four places in the city. The first and busiest is the mansion in the center of the city. The second is a nightclub on the south side of the city. And the third and fourth are the west and east entrances to the city, respectively."


    "Well! Okay, so let''s do this... We will divide it into four groups. Due to the nature of these bandits, they shouldn''t be too concerned with the entrance to the city, so the strongest ones certainly don''t do this kind of work."


    "In this way, the first and second groups will simultaneously attack the west and east entrances to the Yellow City. Each of these groups will consist of 10 soldiers, with 4 Sergeants and 6 Corporals in each of its."


    "The third group will be formed by 8 Sergeants and 10 Corporals. You will have the mission to attack those bandits in this nightclub on the south side of the city. I am sending a larger group because there may be some strong cultivators in this location, as this is probably the place where these outlaws are entertained."


    "As for the fourth group, this will be formed by the rest of us. We are going to take the local government''s mansion. In this place, there are probably the strongest cultivators that were left in the city, and they are also more numerous, so we need more strength to attack this place."


    "And during fights, support your teammates as much as possible. Some of your enemies may have higher levels than you, but they certainly don''t have techniques as good as yours. So, fight as a team whenever you can." Minos advised everyone.


    Minos then finalized his orders when he said it out loud. "Did you understand?"


    "Yes, sir." The soldiers responded in a single tone.


    After giving these orders, it didn''t take long, and the four teams left separately for the Yellow City. And for the sake of prevention, they also decided to start the attacks at the same time, when the sun completely disappeared on the horizon.


    ...


    Meanwhile, the group of 10 men heading east from Yellow City had already traveled more than half the way to the cavern where the nine-tailed fox was seen. At that moment, they had stopped to spend the night in that place, where they had chosen to camp.


    "You all, pay attention. Tomorrow when we surround that spiritual beast, the two of you will not fight directly with her. Your goal will be to capture her cub, and with that, we will dominate the mother." Chief Gul said while he looked at two of his commanders at level 44.


    "Okay, chief Gul." The two responded quickly.


    "Why do you want to do it this way?" One of the three men who were at level 45 asked curiously.


    Gul smiled and said. "Hehe, because it is better to have two beasts than just one! Think carefully! Even if she is weakened, she will still be a lot of work for us if she gets desperate."


    "But if we have her cub, she will be more lenient. And after giving a good beating, so that she doesn''t cause any more problems, we can sell two spiritual beasts, instead of just one!"


    "Of course, the cub will be worth more in the market since it is more difficult to control a grown beast. But some people like that kind of beast too." Gul said calmly.


    And it was actually easier to sell spiritual beasts that are still young, as they don''t have well-developed intelligence. That is why the children of any spiritual beast would naturally be more valued in any part of the Central Continent.


    As for adult spiritual beasts, such as the mother fox, they had greater intelligence, making them more challenging to tame. However, there was a problem with Gul''s plan, which was how intelligent a 5th-stage beast could be.


    This is because not everyone in the north of the Central Continent knew that a spiritual beast would be as intelligent as an adult human when they reached the 5th stage, even speaking the human language. And a beast with such intelligence was impossible to be tamed!


    As for why not all people knew about this information, well, that was simply because there were not so many spiritual beasts of that level in the north of the Central Continent.


    And the few that existed were almost all belonging to high-level families. And even if these families knew about it, it did not mean that they would disclose that information publicly. That''s because, if ordinary people knew about it, they could decide to create these better-ranked beasts instead of selling them.


    With that, these beasts would feel like part of their families, and even after reaching the 5th stage, they would still be very loyal to their human relatives. And that would undoubtedly diminish the influence of the great noble families since part of their strength is also made up of spiritual beasts.


    ...


    Time passed, and the sun was almost completely gone on the horizon. Finally, it was time for the four groups of Minos to attack the criminals of the Yellow City! All of them had already infiltrated the city and were just waiting for the right moment for them to start the attack!

 Chapter 59: Attacking the Yellow City 1

    The sun completely disappeared on the horizon, and it was time to start the mission against the bandits of the Yellow City!


    In one of the two entrances of the city, about 30 bandits were watching the place while they talked and drank. In that place, there was a two-story building, which served as a checkpoint for those arriving in the city.


    However, the third and fourth group of Minos had not passed through any of the official entrances to the Yellow City. This city had a considerable area, and the bandits could not check all locations in the city. So, Minos and his two teams entered through unattended regions to attract unwanted attention.


    At the same time, the two groups responsible for attacking the bandits located at the west and east entrance were already properly camouflaged in those points.


    Meanwhile, at one of the entrances to the city, the criminals were quietly passing the time, as they usually did on any other day, since they took command of this town.


    "Hey, Don! Don! Wake up, man, you''re always asleep when we''re on duty." One of the bandits complained to a companion sitting on a sofa inside the control building.


    "Haha, Oliver, don''t worry about it. This guy has always been like this, but it won''t make a difference whether he''s awake or not." Another thug, holding a bottle of alcohol, said it out loud, smiling.


    Meanwhile, the ten soldiers of Minos, who were charged with attacking this post, slowly began to move towards the enemy group.


    "Guys, the enemy group has 30 cultivators. Of them, only six are in the 5th stage. They are at levels 40 and 41. The others are all between levels 34 and 38. We will attack them quickly, without giving space for them to join against us." Said one of the soldiers, who was at level 40.


    "Okay, whoever succeeds, help your teammates to finish the enemies faster. This will increase our speed. Let''s start!" Another soldier said he was one of the sergeant ranks in this group.


    It didn''t take long, and the group began the attack on that checkpoint.


    At that moment, about eight bandits were making the rounds of the place outside the building. When they saw the group of 10 people slowly approaching them, a bandit said out loud.


    "You guys, standing there! It is not allowed to enter or leave the Yellow City at night!"


    However, when he expected the group of 10 people to stop their movements, the sharp side of a war hammer quickly approached his head.


    Seeing this, the bandit frowned and tried to defend himself against this sudden attack.


    "Ahh!"


    At the same time, another bandit screamed when he felt a sharp spear going through his belly! ''Damn it! How can this guy be so fast?'' The bandit thought as he started to vomit large amounts of blood.


    Quickly, the sounds of battle could be heard outside the building while Minos'' 10 soldiers massacred their enemies.


    Almost at the same time, one of the bandits who was drinking quietly in one of the rooms in that place abruptly got up from his chair and said it aloud.


    "Did you hear that sound? It looks like there''s something wrong going on out there." He said while having a strange look on his face.


    Another thug in the same room gave a big laugh and said. "Haha, did some fools decide to challenge us? Hmph, but that is a good thing. Since we took this city, we have never had a good fight!"


    "Dexter, go see what''s going on." Another thug said while looking at the man who was smiling.


    "Alright, boss."


    "I will see that too! We haven''t had any entertainment in this place for a while!" Other thugs said as they started to follow in Dexter''s footsteps.


    However, even before they left the building, the group slowly started to look paler. The moment Dexter passed through the exit door, a powerful attack swept over his neck, giving to the unprepared Dexter no time to defend himself!


    Swooish!


    Dexter''s head was quickly separated from the rest of his body. Instantly, blood started pouring down Dexter''s neck while his head spun in the air, toward the ground.


    Dexter didn''t even see what killed him!


    Seeing this, all the men who were about to leave the building took steps back. What had happened shocked them deeply, to the point that someone could hear the heartbeat of some of them loudly!


    Not only that, when they looked more closely at the exit door, they could see several bodies lying on the floor of that street!


    "Enemy attack!!" Someone shouted with all his breath.


    It did not take long, and more than 15 criminals appeared quickly, heading towards the ten soldiers of Minos, who were at the entrance to the building.


    One of these bandits, who had already reached level 40, asked with an ugly expression on his face. "Who are you? Why are you attacking us? Do you think our group cannot handle a small group like yours?"


    "Hmph, dead people don''t need to know anything!" One of the soldiers snorted coldly as he activated his attack technique against the enemy.


    "You wretches, all of you will be killed when our reinforcements come!" Another thug brandished loudly.


    Boom!


    It didn''t take long, and an intense battle broke out at this checkpoint, leaving several mutilated bodies with each passing second. At the same time, all the other bandits that remained in this building came to join the fight.


    Zum!


    "Ahhh!"


    "Use all your strength and kill those bastards!" The bandit leader shouted hoarsely.


    Whoosh!


    However, shortly after that, a blade of air sliced ??towards him. ''Damn it! I won''t be able to dodge.'' He thought while preparing to activate his defensive technique with everything he could.


    Clang!


    "Ahhh!"


    The attack collided with the man''s arms, slicing through his flesh and stopping at his bones.


    He barely managed to defend himself!


    "How can this be? I am obviously stronger than these people!" He murmured while he had a trickle of blood on his lips.


    By that time, Minos'' soldier group had already killed more than 20 bandits when the leader of the enemy band was finally killed on the spot.


    ''It can''t be. The boss died!'' One of the subordinates thought as he defended himself from the attacks that were coming his way.


    "Please don''t kill me. I will surrender!" One of them said in a weak voice.


    "I''m sorry, but for the sake of our force, all of you must die!" A soldier said, cutting towards the bandit''s neck that had asked for mercy.


    He was just following Minos'' orders, not to leave any enemies alive!


    As to why Minos had ordered that to be done, well, it was quite simple. If one of these bandits escaped or were released, he would likely bring problems to the Black Plain sooner or later. And at that point, the region governed by Minos was unable to face certain opponents, and because of that, they would not be taking unnecessary risks.


    As for the alternative ways of keeping these criminals silent, there were only two possibilities beyond death. One was slavery, and the other was the prison. For the first, Minos was completely opposed to enslaving people, even if they were scum from society. As for the second, Minos did not have enough structure or personnel to do so.


    The Black Plain needed all the people it had today to make things work well. So, Minos had no interest in sacrificing part of his people for the sake of criminals. From his perspective, these people should understand that their activities would kill them at some point, so he had no pity.


    After a few more minutes, the entire group of bandits, who were responsible for that entrance, was wiped out. Minos'' soldiers also took the opportunity and taken all the valuables that those people had with themselves.


    Minos had previously said that, apart from the techniques of Black-grade, everything else could be divided among the group of soldiers who were attacking those posts.


    "We are going towards the center of the city. The other groups are likely to be almost done with their attacks. Come on." One of the soldiers at level 40 said after the group finished collecting the enemy''s items.


    ...


    At the same time, when that entrance to the city was being attacked, the same was happening on the other side of the town. At that point, the fight was even more agitated since there were many opponents.


    However, Minos'' group of soldiers still prevailed and defeated the bandits after almost half an hour of fighting.


    Of course, the advantage of the opponents'' numbers did not have much effect against the soldiers of the Black Plain Army. That''s because they all used Black-grade techniques, while the bandits rarely had a single one like that!


    Because of this, even though they had to work harder than the attack group at the other entrance, they still managed to win a good victory!


    After that, it didn''t take long, and the group from this entrance also headed towards the central part of the Yellow City, where the two main battles were taking place.

 Chapter 60: Attacking the Yellow City 2

    In a busy part of Yellow City, there was a large building with three floors and several people entering and leaving it. This was a trendy place among the bandits and some men in this city.


    This was an establishment specializing in providing ''services'' to men... In addition, these individuals could still order food and drink in this place while watching a beautiful ''presentation.''


    Because of these characteristics, this nightclub was widely accepted among the gang members. This was a way for them to release their day-to-day stress and continue to focus on their goals.


    At that moment, while a young girl ''acted'' on the main stage of the nightclub, a group of three men was comfortably seated in the seats closest to the performance while enjoying a lot of food and drink.


    When one of them took the initiative and said. "Brother Dane, you should try beautiful Lynn. She has a way of moving, which can make you go ''crazy''!"


    One of the three men, with long red hair, who was called Dane, smiled and said. "Haha, maybe I will do that today. With chief Gul out of town, I''m off duty until he comes back. So, I will make the most of this time to try new ''flavors''..." He said with a perverted smile on his face.


    "Haha, Brother Dane is really rich. Even if I had free time, I couldn''t pay for more than one girl!" The other man, who was with the group, said with an envious expression on his face.


    ...


    At the same time, the third attack group was properly mixed around that nightclub. They were ready to start at any time.


    "We have already counted the enemies. They are about 40 criminals, who are between levels 40 and 41. Take care during this attack. There are many innocent people in this place!" One of the Sergeants in this group passed the information on to those below the 5th stage in a low voice.


    They subdivided this group into smaller groups, which soldiers led from the Sergeant''s hierarchy. They had decided that using a murder strategy would be more effective, as there would be many problems if they started an open fight here.


    The enemies were also in a more vulnerable situation in this type of environment. They naturally let their guard down more. Not to mention that many of them were on drugs and/or having fun with some girl.


    In this way, the group planned to ''neutralize'' each of the bandits little by little, trying to get as little attention as possible.


    "Come on, pretend to be having fun in that place, but observe your targets. Remember, all these thugs have a tattoo of a human skull with horns on their hands." One of the soldiers, who was at level 40, said seriously.


    They did not want to make any improper impression on the citizens of Yellow City. If that happened, the plan to lure them to the Dry City could fail, and the whole operation would be wasted.


    But not only that, but they would also end up exposing themselves to people who would have no intention of helping them and might even try to harm them.


    In this way, absolutely no one, but the criminals, could be killed for the actions of Minos'' soldiers.


    As for the bandits, they have worsened the quality of life of the ordinary inhabitants of this city to a great extent. Not only that, because of the plundering of these individuals against merchants, the supply of imported items had declined significantly within the Yellow City.


    And even some items of basic necessity, such as food, were in short supply within the city, which increased the prices of these products considerably.


    That way, if someone came and exterminated this group of parasites, no one in the city would be bothered to seek justice. And not only that, the inhabitants of the Yellow City would certainly be very grateful for this good deed.


    ...


    Anyway, it didn''t take long and all the soldiers of the Black Plain Army, who were in the third group, entered the nightclub in question. Each small group entered separately, giving a certain interval between the next.


    By doing this for a few minutes, finally, all the smaller teams managed to enter the building without attracting the attention of curious eyes.


    Upon entering the place, they soon realized how ''different'' this place was. There was a strange smell in the air, which could cause the animalistic instincts of many men to emerge.


    The decor was also extravagant, giving an air of eroticism and lust. But that was not all. The waitresses of this place wore only underwear, which was extremely short, to the point that someone who paid attention could see certain ''details'' of these beauties.


    This was also a strategy of this place to incite customers!


    ''Fuck! In our Dry City, there is nothing like this...'' One of the soldiers sighed inwardly. Many of them were single and young, so...


    Time passed, and each group was divided into different parts of the nightclub, taking into account, of course, the strength of the people present in this place.


    From there, they would begin to identify and observe their targets. As for when to act, it would depend on the vulnerability shown by each bandit and whether the soldiers in question could maintain the privacy of what they were doing.


    "I''m saying, Grace, is so tight that you are going to come in a few minutes! Believe me. She is the best in this club..."


    "Astrid, let''s go to a room..."


    "Mmmm ~"


    While one of the groups observed one of the targets, several comments could occasionally be heard from different customers in that place. The sounds of kisses and fast breathing could also be heard among them.


    "Jake! Pay attention now. Let''s start following this guy who''s taking this red-haired woman." The team leader said while he watched the young Corporal, who seemed much more interested in this place than he should do...


    "I''m sorry, Sergeant. I lost my attention for a minute, but I won''t make this mistake again!" Jake said, with a completely red face.


    "Come on."


    Then the group followed from a safe distance, the bandit accompanied by a red-haired woman. It was not long before the couple arrived in one of the rooms available on the second floor of the building.


    After that, the couple quickly started their activity, while Minos'' soldiers approached the place smoothly, paying attention to each action of those two.


    "Ohh ~"


    Slurp!


    Finally, after a few minutes, when the thug was getting a blowjob from the redhead woman, the group decided to act!


    At that point, the criminal was lying in bed while the beautiful ginger was kneeling beside him, doing her job.


    When the man was almost ''there,'' three men appeared out of nowhere on the spot. One pulled the red-haired woman off the bed, while the other two acted decisively.


    One of the strongest soldiers used a dagger that was about 15 centimeters long directly on the bandit''s chin, which was also intended to prevent him from screaming. And another soldier, the weaker one, used another dagger of the same type as the other to hit the criminal''s heart.


    ''What?''


    The bandit exclaimed when a jet of sperm came out of his rod and, at the same time, he felt the attack approaching him!


    But it was too late for him to do anything. He just realized that he would be killed a split second after having his orgasm...


    At that moment, a strange image could be seen in the room. A jet of white liquid flew upward while two daggers impaled the bandit.


    Upon realizing what was happening, the beautiful young ginger wanted to scream in fright, but her mouth was being sealed by the soldier who had previously removed her. ''Oh! Shit, I hope I''m not involved...'' She thought as she started to get red eyes.


    After all, witnessing a murder like this was not a good thing anywhere!


    The rule for this type of action was precisely to kill all the witnesses! There was no perfect murder, so the best way to kill was not to act cautiously but to act decisively!


    It didn''t take long, and the criminal lying in bed stopped breathing. "He is dead. Take this guy''s items, and let''s get on with our mission." The sergeant in the group said in a low voice.


    He then looked at the beautiful woman who was completely naked and said. "Young lady, don''t worry, we won''t do anything wrong with you, as this murder won''t be a secret anytime soon."


    "But we will have to lock you up in this room until we finish our mission. All right?" He said while avoiding looking at the young ginger''s beautiful pink nipples.


    "Mm, I understand." She said while handing a pair of keys to the soldier who had spoken to her.


    After that, the group locked the beautiful redhead in that room and looked for new targets.


    ...


    Almost an hour had passed since the group of soldiers had started the attack on this nightclub. Most of the groups had faced situations like the previous one, in which they killed their enemies in a very discreet way.


    However, specific bandits have managed to defend themselves from the surprise attack in some cases. Because of this, some small battles broke out in different parts of the club.


    But that was all. None of the 40 criminals managed to escape since being able to defend themselves from the surprise attack was already an outstanding achievement for them.


    After that, even the strongest of these bandits failed to defend themselves from more than five attacks by the soldiers of the Black Plain Army.

 Chapter 61: Attacking the Yellow City 3

    While the three groups were attacking their respective targets, Minos and his team were on hand to do the same at the headquarters of the local government. This was a mansion that was even bigger than the one in the Dry City before the renovations, with a noble look and a good structure.


    Due to its external appearance, this place could certainly host some nobles of lesser rank with some comfort. This in itself demonstrated that, although this is still an unwanted place, this was not a city as unprofitable as the Dry City.


    At the mansion, there were about 100 people at this very moment. But they didn''t look like civil servants on duty, but a bunch of criminals who were just occupying that space.


    Just by the way these individuals acted, it was not difficult to imagine that this city was being managed with no care or zeal. Certainly, these bandits were only exploiting the position of leaders of the Yellow City.


    Right now, inside the mansion, two men were talking while they smoked and drank. One had a muscular appearance, while the other was thin enough to look malnourished.


    The muscular man was lying on a couch while looking out the window. He then said. "Dugal, what do you think of this mission that chief Gul just started?"


    The thin man, whose name was Dugal, was enjoying the city''s landscape while a window supported his arms. He then said. "Well, if that beast is really valuable, then this could be the chance for our group to level up. A 5th stage beast cub can be sold on the black market for more than 1,000 medium-grade crystals. "


    "With that amount, our boss can increase his cultivation speed, and in a few years, he will be able to reach level 50." He stopped for a moment while smoking his cigar.


    "When this happens, our organization could enjoy having our leader as a member of the Scourges of the Devil organization! And I don''t need to tell you what advantages this would bring for us..."


    "Hehe, this is good!" The muscular man exclaimed in joy. He was not very smart to have a good idea of ??the consequences of getting that beast, so he had asked his old friend about it.


    These two had been partners in crime for many decades, and both were at level 43. And as the strongest members of the gang that had been left in the city, they were on call in this place, in case anything happened.


    ...


    Meanwhile, outside the mansion, Minos and his team were preparing to enter the building and destroy their opponents.


    Ruth then said. "I was able to feel about 100 people in this place. Of these, 20 are Spiritual Warriors at levels 38 and 39, 50 are at level 40, 20 at level 41, 8 at level 42, and 2 at level 43."


    The group then looked at Minos and waited for his order. Soon after, the young man began to speak. "Well, the 8 Sergeants and 8 Corporals who are in this group will attack together with me. We will focus on these bandits who are below level 41. As for the rest, I will leave it to Ruth and Eduard to take care of it. Can you two do this?"


    Ruth nodded while Eduard replied. "Hmm, it''s fine with me."


    "Well, as for grandpa Dillian and Miss Elen, you can support someone who needs it. All right?"


    After hearing this, both Dillian and Elen quickly nodded in agreement and prepared to enter the mansion.


    "Come on, as there are no civilians in this place, don''t hold on. We are going to total war. There is no need to kill them little by little." Minos said confidently.


    They did not need to hold back just to kill these bandits gradually, without drawing the attention of the entire enemy group. This is because this team of Minos was much stronger than the opposing group, even though they were less numerous.


    To give you an idea, on the side of Minos, there was Ruth, level 45, Elen, level 44, and Eduard at level 48. With such strength, even if only Eduard and Ruth attacked, they would still win without much effort.


    However, Minos did not want to depend so much on these people. That''s because they were not members of his forces. Therefore, it was not good to depend on their support since they would not always be here to help Minos and his subordinates even if they had a good relationship.


    As for Dillian, although he could defend himself, battling was not his focus. So, the butler''s job was just to help the wounded in the group with his healing-focused techniques.


    But not only that, but this was also training for the soldiers of the Black Plain Army. In the future, they would certainly face many problems, so it would be good if some of the members had experiences of real struggles, in which they would have to face death.


    This is because, even if the common training is good, a fight that involves the life and death of the warriors brings a completely different type of learning.


    The human mind worked to avoid situations that could result in death. Thus, learning from a dangerous or even desperate situation the experience could be much more valuable than normal day-to-day learning.


    Surely, someone would remember far more dangerous moments than trivial things!


    "Ruth, Eduard, don''t kill these two men who are at level 43. I want to interrogate both of them to find out what their boss''s whereabouts and purpose are." Minos said as the group moved to attack the mansion.


    "OK." The two responded quickly.


    ...


    Boom!


    In the open area of ??the mansion, a group of 30 thugs was on guard while they were chatting away. At this moment, an explosion was heard coming from the direction where the entrance of this place was.


    "Hey, did you hear that? It looks like it came from the mansion entrance." One of the criminals said with a strange look.


    "Yeah, come on, maybe someone with balls has shown up in this city. Kekeke." Another man said, giving a strange laugh.


    ...


    Upon arriving at the scene, the group of 30 thugs was immensely shocked. The 15 men who were on duty at the entrance gate of this place were all dead!


    "Shit! Set the alarm!" A man screamed when he saw all this.


    "Attack with me!" Another man screamed as he took a sword from his waist and ran towards Minos'' group of soldiers.


    Seeing this group coming towards him, Minos, who had not yet attacked anyone, took his grade-2, low-level, sword from his spatial ring and prepared to attack.


    ''Hehe, let''s see how it does in my hands!'' Minos thought to himself as he held the beautiful spiritual sword in his hands.


    Devouring Art!


    Indestructible Body!


    Spatial Sword!


    Minos then activated the three techniques that he could use at the same time as soon as the enemy group arrived in his vicinity. He had told no one to help him against this group until he finished using the Devouring Art.


    Minos wanted to test his current power without interference since he had risen twice since his last fight. But not only that, but now he also wanted to use his new sword for the first time!


    According to Minos'' calculations, after activating the three techniques simultaneously and handling the grade-2, low-level sword, he would spend a large part of his energy being able to fight for only about 10 seconds. Other than that, if he wanted to continue fighting, it would be necessary for him to use another sword.


    However, in this situation, Minos would not be bothered by this. His group was powerful, and he didn''t need to fight all his opponents. So, he was confident of using almost everything he had in this attack!


    Zum!


    Instantly, a black ring appeared in the sky as it spun around the area where Minos was. There was a dark fog on the inside of the ring, and whoever saw it for the first time would certainly feel goosebumps on the spine!


    Meanwhile, the 30 bandits who were within the area affected by Minos'' techniques felt their spiritual energies slowly begin to wane. At the same time, it also appeared that their speeds had been reduced to a great extent.


    ''What the fuck is this?'' Some of the bandits thought that while feeling this strange reaction.


    At the same time, Ruth, Elen, and Eduard watched curiously what Minos was doing. They were curious as to why this young man wanted to attack alone.


    After Minos removed the sword from his spatial ring, the three immediately realized the classification of that weapon.


    "Huh? Does he intend to use a grade-2 weapon? But he is still only at level 35. It will not work." Eduard said while looking at the beautiful sword in Minos''s hand. He was not impressed with this. Since Minos was a sovereign, it was obvious that he would have something like this.


    "This should be the case, but..." Elen said, trying to understand Minos'' actions.


    At the same time, Ruth didn''t give a damn about the sword Minos was holding. What had shocked her deeply was this strange technique that formed that black ring in the sky.


    She could feel that this technique sucked the energy of the cultivators within a certain area, but she could not understand how Minos had such a challenging technique.


    This is because even techniques of the same classification were not necessarily of the same level!


    Even if a Spiritual Sage could create Silver-grade techniques, those techniques would still not be as good as a technique of the same grade created by a Spiritual Demigod, or even by a God!


    These techniques would surely have the same energy efficiency since they would all be classified as Silver-grade. But a technique would certainly be more challenging in the heavens if developed by someone of the highest level!


    This was the distinction between techniques of the same classification.


    ''How did he do that?'' Ruth thought to herself as she watched Minos start his attack.

 Chapter 62: Attacking the Yellow City 4

    From Ruth''s point of view, the support technique that Minos was using was so incredible that it certainly had to be at least Silver-grade. And not only this was a first-rate technique, which was probably created by a Spiritual Demigod, or even a God!


    Anyway, while Ruth admired the Devouring Art, Minos started to move towards the group of 30 bandits. He held his sword with both hands and then began to make several movements in the direction of those men.


    Swooish!


    Swooish!


    Several blades of air formed while Minos brandished his sword as if he were drawing a painting. His movements gave the feeling that it was, at the same time, smooth and fast.


    With every fraction of a second that passed, it seemed that Minos changed focus and attacked a new person. At the same time, the bandits who were completely shocked by the proficiency of this young man with brown hair.


    ''Damn it! My speed is very slow. I will not be able to dodge this attack!'' One of the men thought while he saw a blade of air approaching his chest.


    At the same time, many of the other bandits faced a situation almost identical to that man. They could not dodge Minos'' attack, so they could only put everything in their defenses.


    Of this group of 30 thugs, most were only at level 40, with only 2 men already at level 41. And so, the restriction that Minos had imposed on them was much more difficult to resist.


    And even if Minos couldn''t have a long fight with such a large group, he would still be able to attack them decisively by using all his strength during the 10 seconds he had.


    With Devouring Art and the Spatial Sword, the young Stuart had a great advantage fighting at a distance from his enemies, as he was doing now.


    He could keep his enemies at bay with his techniques, creating attacks using their own energy while limiting them with his attack technique!


    Whoosh!


    Whoosh!


    The sound of the air being ripped increased while Minos continued to unleash his sword attacks. At the same time, some of the previous attacks had finally collided with their respective targets!


    Steel Bones!


    Earth Shield!


    Flaming Barrier!


    Several bandits released their defensive techniques with everything they had to defend themselves against Minos'' attacks. They quickly consumed all their spiritual energy reserves to get away from this attack.


    That''s because the strength of each blade was as fearful as an attack by someone at level 42!


    ''Shit! What kind of monster is this guy?'' One of the level 41 thugs thought about it, trying to defend himself.


    Boom!


    Boom!


    "Ahhh!"


    Explosions sounded, spreading a haze of dirt all over the place, while several bandits were sent flown off the perimeter of the Devouring Art. Most of them were severely injured, to the point that those looking at them would not know if they were alive or dead.


    All of this happened in an interval of just 10 seconds!


    Minos had used up all of his energy reserves, along with the power of the Devouring Art. He activated his Spatial Sword 10 times in a row while sending attacks in each bandits'' direction within range.


    He had used all his cards in this attack!


    "Ahhh!"


    Screams of pain were heard from those who were still conscious, while the dust raised by the explosions slowly began to dissipate!


    Upon seeing this, the group finally noticed the grotesque scene where those men were thrown.


    "Ahhh!"


    There were arms and legs separated from the bodies, heads on the floor, and several bandits with wounds at chest height.


    "Ahhh!"


    From some of them, someone could see their entrails coming out from the bottom of their bellies, while some crying sounds could be heard as well.


    It was really a typical war scene! The horror that each of those men had in their eyes was genuinely expressive.


    Anyone looking at this scene would know that those men were scared like never before in their lives!


    Although many people thought that bandits were fearless beings, the truth was that they were terrified of losing their lives. That''s why they ran away and hid!


    Thus, when faced with completely hopeless situations, many of them fall into despair, to the point of even giving up fighting.


    When they saw the scene in front of them, the group that accompanied Minos was shocked beyond measure. Even the soldiers, who already knew the challenger techniques that Minos used, could not handle the emotion of seeing such a feat of struggle.


    As for Elen, Ruth, and Eduard, they barely had words to express their thoughts. From their point of view, at that moment, Minos looked like a devil who ignored any common sense that existed in this world.


    "He can really use that sword..." The bodyguard, Eduard, murmured to himself. If he hadn''t seen it with his own eyes, then he would never have believed that anyone could use a grade-2, low-level, weapon, being only at level 35!


    At the same time, Elen''s mouth was wide open. She couldn''t believe that Minos had such skill, having started cultivating just over a year ago!


    "But this technique that he used to attack bandits is almost as incredible as the other support technique. Unbelievable!" Ruth said as she recalled what had happened.


    After letting out a big sigh, Minos then said, looking at his soldiers. "Finish off the enemies that are still alive."


    After that, Minos kept his sword in his spatial ring and returned to the group.


    They then started to wait on the spot while reinforcements from the enemies arrived.


    ...


    At the same time, inside the mansion, the two men responsible for the Yellow City had already noticed the sounds of battles and were heading towards the mansion''s entrance.


    "Hmph, nobody in this place has the courage to challenge us. Is it someone behind these traders that we kidnapped?" The muscular man asked as he looked at Dugal.


    "Hmm, that must be the only possibility." The thin man said, heading for the mansion''s entrance gate.


    After some time, not only did the two men arrive at the place where Minos and his group were, but all the other bandits who were in the mansion arrived as well. There were just over 50 people in the group, with the weakest being at level 40.


    When the two men at level 43 arrived at the local, they soon noticed the bloody scene in front of them, while a group of 21 people was patiently waiting for them. Dugal, who was the most intelligent, took the initiative and asked.


    "Who are you? Why are you attacking us?" He asked, looking in the direction of Dillian and Eduard. As these two were the strongest in the group, Dugal put more caution on these two.


    Minos, standing next to Dillian, then said it out loud. "It doesn''t matter who we are. As criminals, you should already be prepared for this type of situation."


    Minos then looked at Ruth and Eduard and said. "Remember, don''t kill the two strongest on their side."


    Upon hearing this, both Dugal and the muscular man frowned. The two probes the enemies and felt that the beautiful girl and the man were at levels 45 and 48, respectively. There was no way for them to fight enemies of this level!


    "Shit, they are powerful. No wonder they dared to attack us!" The muscular man said in a furious voice.


    "Hmm, but we are not just going to surrender to him. That young man, who is only at level 35, appears to be the group leader. If we can capture him, we may have a chance." Dugal said while looking in the direction of Minos.


    He then passed the order on to his men to hold Ruth and Eduard while they both attacked Minos! "Let''s go fast. We can''t give this level 48 guy a chance to catch us."


    Boom!


    And the battles quickly happened again, while Ruth and Eduard killed the many bandits that came towards him. At the same time, the muscular man and Dugal were getting closer and closer to Minos while dodging enemy attacks.


    Poisonous Art!


    Dugal activated his attack technique, throwing a green ball of spiritual poison towards Minos'' body!


    This was Dugal''s specialization, and he intended to incapacitate Minos to stop the enemy attack.


    However, when he least expected it, Ruth appeared almost instantly in front of him, giving Dugal a hard punch in his belly.


    "Ahhh!"


    He screamed as he was thrown backward onto the battlefield, in a half-passed-out state.


    Ruth''s punch was so strong that he couldn''t maintain consciousness, rolling his eyes and spitting a mouthful of blood while his body flew up to one of the mansion''s walls.


    Boom!


    At the same time, the muscular man was also stopped by Eduard, while Dillian stopped the poison ball that was coming towards Minos.


    Radiant Healing!


    A beam of golden lights appeared in Dillian''s hand as he positioned himself to receive the poison ball. This technique looked like a small sun, emitting golden threads of light that could be used to heal or defend biological attacks!


    Poof!


    The two techniques came into contact, and almost instantly, the green ball disappeared. There was no other way to happen since Dillian was both much stronger than the opponent who had launched this technique, and Radiant Healing was a Golden-grade technique.


    There was no way to compete with that!


    ...


    A few minutes passed, and finally, all the bandits in the mansion were killed, except for only Dugal and the muscular man, who were unconscious.


    Minos looked at the soldiers and said. "We are going to take these two to different rooms. I want to interrogate them one by one and find out what''s going on here."

 Chapter 63: The Whereabouts of Chief Gul

    After Minos gave his orders, the soldiers arrested the two unconscious men in different rooms and then looted the items left by the bandits.


    Minos'' soldiers also gathered all the bodies of nearly 100 people and built a large fire not far from the mansion''s main building.


    Shortly after that, Minos proceeded to the mansion''s interior, where he intended to rest for a few hours. He was still quite tired from the previous battle, and he wanted to regain his spiritual energy before proceeding with the interrogation of the two men.


    Upon entering the mansion, the group that followed Minos could see a place well done, but that was empty! The bandits had actually removed all valuables, leaving only chairs and sofas where they could rest.


    The group of Minos, Ruth, Dillian, and the others passed by the mansion, while some were looking for a place to rest and others were trying to find out more about that place.


    Minos then found a private place and started cultivating immediately. He removed some low-grade spiritual crystals and then began to absorb the energy contained in its quickly.


    At the same time, groups that had attacked in different parts of the city began to arrive one after another. First came the group that had attacked the city''s east entrance, which had been the group that completed its mission more quickly.


    Then, members of the second group had been responsible for the west entrance. And finally, came the soldiers who attacked the nightclub in the south of Yellow City.


    Due to the way they carried out their mission, the third group took the longest time, arriving almost an hour after the others.


    When they arrived, the entrance to the city government mansion had already been completely cleaned, and the bandits'' bodies had already returned to dust.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Elen and Eduard went to a secluded place at the back of the mansion, where they could feel several faint signs of life. These were some of the traders who the bandits had kidnaped!


    Not all were killed, as they were members of large families, and these bandits could not be at risk of being chased by one of these families. After all, if one of these traders died while traveling through these areas, their families would surely come hunting for them in this place.


    And that would be the end for these bandits. That''s because, even though some of them were sought after by large families from the north of the Central Continent, these families had no information of where they were.


    As a result, as long as they did not abuse the place where they lived, it would be challenging for anyone to identify them as far as the Yellow City. Because of this, they had checked the past of each of the kidnapped traders well, killing only those with small powers.


    Elen then entered a place where a large cell covered an entire 30 square meter room.


    In this place, she looked for someone and then smiled.


    "Ralph, hey! Look over here. It''s me, Elen." She said while trying to get the attention of a man lying in the corner of the cell.


    Ralph was one of the subordinates of the Nash family within the Kingdom of the Waves. He usually came from this kingdom to Stone Island, taking resources back and forth while also sending all sorts of crucial information about this region to the Nash family.


    The Nash family had assigned him to help the young Elen in her business since she was one of the most proactive members of the family that deserved more responsibilities. However, months ago, he stopped returning Elen''s contacts just after leaving his kingdom to solve a problem in the Brown Kingdom.


    Because of this and other information that Elen and Elena had, they concluded that Ralph''s disappearance was related to the instability of the Yellow City, where the crime had developed considerably.


    The man dressed in dirty clothes and had a tired look on his face stood up and looked in Elen''s direction in disbelief. "Ah! Miss Elen!"


    "Yes, it''s me. Come with me, tell me what happened to you." She said after the bodyguard, Eduard, opened the cell door and allowed the people inside to leave.


    ...


    Two hours passed quickly, and in the meantime, the butler Dillian helped several guards who had small wounds to recover. Not only that, he gave primary treatment to the two bandits who Minos'' forces had captured.


    Minos, who had already been adequately recovered from the previous battle, had asked the butler Dillian to do this so that the two bandits would regain consciousness more quickly. He wanted to find out immediately why the leader of this city had left so suddenly, taking much of his strength.


    He then walked to one of the mansion''s rooms, where the muscular man was. When he entered the room, Minos saw a completely pale man looking at him angrily.


    Minos then sat on a chair and said calmly. "If you want to live, you better answer everything I ask. You got it?"


    The muscular man said nothing as he continued to look furiously at Minos. The young Stuart then spoke again after a while. "First, what I want to know is whether that group that left the Yellow City earlier were members of your bandit group. They were?"


    Minos then took a spiritual apple from his spatial ring and began to eat quietly while waiting for the man''s response. "Nothing? Are you sure about that? Your friend is in another room waiting for his turn. I think that he seems to be the most intelligent between the two of you. I''m sure he will answer me..." Minos said while looking at the apple in his right hand.


    But the muscular man showed no change in his face. ''A fool.'' Minos thought to himself. He understood the idea of ??fidelity, but being loyal to a group of bandits was stupid!


    Hell! Some bandits were even able to sell their own families, let alone a companion!


    And even if the chance of him surviving was slight, there was no reason why he would die for such people. So, Minos thought the muscular man was a fool.


    "Why did your boss leave with the strongest people in this place? Where did they go?" Minos asked calmly.


    Time passed, and all the questions that Minos asked the muscular man were answered in the same way. He ignored him and then continued to look hatefully at Minos.


    "OK! I''ll see your mate." Minos said, getting up from the chair he was in and leaving the room. He did not think he needed to resort to torture since this man was well aware of his weak position.


    Seeing the entire group that he thought would soon rise to new heights, being wiped out in a few minutes by Minos''s team, had undoubtedly left the two men in a somewhat fragile state. Therefore, Minos believed that torturing them would not be necessary.


    In certain situations, torture did not help and could even hinder an interrogation...


    A few seconds later, Minos entered the room where the skinny man was being held. He then pulled a chair close to the man and said. "You have a chance to live. You just need to answer me sincerely. The people in your group cannot stop us, so don''t create expectations for this to happen."


    "Anyway, the group that left the city earlier were your superiors?"


    Dugal, sitting on the floor, looked at Minos for a while and then said. "What guarantee do I have that you won''t kill me anyway after knowing what you want?"


    "As expected... Well, there are no guarantees for you. I can only say that I intend to leave you alive in the end... Well, it just depends on you." Minos said, looking into the man''s eyes.


    "Okay, it makes no difference anyway... If there is a chance that I will survive, then I will answer."


    He then said. "You are right. That group that left the city earlier today are the highest level members of our forces."


    "Where did they go? And why did they leave here with their main force?"


    Dugal then said after coughing a little. "Ehh, a few weeks ago, a strange beast was seen inside this region. A merchant informed us about this and also about the fact that she was pregnant, and then our group started looking for her."


    "After weeks of searching for it, some of our subordinates found the beast in a cave, a few hundred kilometers from here in the Yellow City. We also found out that she had already given birth to a cub, and she was in the 5th stage of cultivation."


    "Because of this, the group went out to capture this spiritual beast and her cub while she was still weakened," Dugal said slowly.


    Upon hearing this, Minos understood the situation and then asked curiously. "You said she was a stranger. For what reason?"


    "Cough! Hmm, she was weird because, despite looking like a fox, she had five tails instead of just one."


    Upon hearing this, Minos''s eyes opened in disbelief. He could not believe that a beast of such quality had appeared in this place. ''Why is this nine-tailed fox here?'' He thought as he tried to decipher the presence of this high-level spiritual beast in this impoverished place.

 Chapter 64: A New Sovereign?

    Minos knew that the nine-tailed foxes were native to the Continent of the Beast because of the memories of the God Henricus Longus. And he knew that this breed had great potential, so they had a lot of influence on that continent.


    Thus, a beast with such a background would hardly leave its continent to come to the Central Continent. That''s because, on the continent where Minos was, there were no high-level races that could reach the human form.


    Because of this, humans on the Central Continent did not have an equal relationship with these beasts. They thought they were superior, almost always in the position of master of the beasts they had. As for the weaker beasts, they were just animals that would serve as food.


    And even in those higher-level empires or kingdoms on this continent, they still didn''t see these beasts in the same way as humans. Even those who knew that high-level beasts were very similar to humans still did not treat them in the same way.


    Because of this behavior, the Central Continent has had many problems with the Continent of the Beast, generating a strong sense of rejection of the beasts of this continent.


    As for humans who saw these high-level spiritual beasts in the same way as humans were mainly on the Divine Continent, the strongest place in the Spiritual World!


    For this reason, a beast that can advance through the stages and even takes a human form generally did not come voluntarily to the Central Continent. If they wanted to go out and see new places, these beasts would go to the Divine Continent, not the area where Minos was.


    ''She was probably captured by some human group and then brought here.'' Minos thought about it as he analyzed the situation of this beast.


    He then asked the thin man in front of him. "What exactly is your boss''s plan for these foxes?"


    Dugal then responded promptly. "Ehh, he intended to capture the two beasts and then sell them on the black market."


    Upon hearing this, Minos put his hand on his chin and began to make his plans. ''It will be great if these thugs don''t kill the mother fox...''


    If they captured the two foxes, Minos could return the freedom of the two beasts, earning them immense respect. He wanted to draw them to his side, and the best way to do that was to give them back their freedom, leaving the fox mother with her cub.


    Minos was also going to help them recover from any injuries they had, and then he would make his offer. With the Spatial Kingdom in his hands, Minos definitely had the resources to help the fox mother level up more quickly, which she couldn''t do independently.


    Of course, if she refused, Minos would not force them. Because of the memories, he had received, the young Stuart did not have a bad view of these high-potential spiritual beasts. He knew very well that in the Divine Continent, there were many families with hybrid strains of humans and beasts!


    "All right. Since you answered all these questions, you will be stuck here until I find this boss of you. If what you said is true, I will not kill you, but your spiritual cultivation will still be crippled." After saying that, Minos turned and headed for the room''s exit.


    As for Dugal, he had a pale expression on his face, as if he had lost much of his blood. Although it would not be the end of the world for him to have his cultivating base crippled, it would still be a big setback.


    That''s because, for someone in the General Spiritual stage, level 43, only the strength of his fleshy body was equivalent to a cultivator at the height of level 29. Therefore, he could only live as an ordinary person for the rest of his life!


    But this was not the end of the world for Dugal. No, as someone with Blue talent, reaching level 50 would be very difficult. That''s because the pills for advancing to that level were very expensive. Even if he were part of a large organization or a family, getting sponsorship for one of these pills would be complicated.


    Thus, for Dugal, it would be almost impossible to reach the Spiritual King stage. As a result, its useful life would still be limited by its current stage, 850 years. And since spiritual cultivation was not related to this characteristic, even if he was crippled, he could still live to this age!


    ''Sigh... At least, I won''t die.'' Dugal thought to himself as he remembered the massacre that had happened before.


    At the same time, Minos had let the muscular man live for a few more days. That was because he wanted to make sure that Dugal was telling the truth before killing the last person who could help them besides Dugal. Thus, Minos would only execute the muscular man when he was sure that the information received was true.


    ...


    The night quickly passed, and the first rays of light began to appear in the sky of the Yellow City. Minos and his group had stayed all night in the mansion in the center of the city, while some soldiers collected the little material in this place that could help in the plans of Minos.


    They wanted to know some basic information about this place, such as data from a census, data on the population, the talent of the inhabitants, etc. This could help Minos attract the neediest groups to his side by adjusting his plans to the reality of this city.


    At the same time, all the traders who the bandit group had kidnaped had been released. Many of them sincerely thanked the group of Minos, leaving their identities and even inviting Minos and his group to visit their families.


    Even a trader from the Silva family had long insisted that Minos go to the Red Valley to receive a reward! Little did he know that an enemy had helped him...


    But Minos did not care for that merchant. He did not have the distorted idea that all members of the Silva family were his enemies. He would certainly kill anyone in that family, or other powers, who would challenge him, but he would not do that to those who were not involved in the Silva family''s schemes and did not try to plot against him.


    That was the nature of Minos''s personality!


    In addition, it would be impossible for that merchant to recognize him and say anything that could undermine Minos'' plans.


    Minos was not a well-known person in the Brown Kingdom, and he was just a young man at the beginning of cultivation. Nobody would pay attention to him until he reached the 5th stage of cultivation!


    Anyway, time passed quickly, and the Yellow City was already entirely illuminated by the sun''s rays. It didn''t take long, and the city started to ''come alive,'' with several windows opening, people leaving their houses, and the typical noise of a place like this could be heard.


    There were sounds of birds singing, low-level spiritual beasts emitting their characteristic sounds, the sound of the wind passing through some trees, and some people talking. This gave a pleasant feeling to anyone who came from a big city, like Elen, who was used to the various noises of a very populated place.


    However, as that pleasant morning passed slowly, a rumor began to circulate through the streets of the Yellow City. The news was that a group from outside the city had attacked and exterminated the band of criminals occupying the city!


    It didn''t take long, and the citizens of this place began to discuss this issue actively.


    ...


    In one of the many houses in the Yellow City, a young man ran through the front door, going to the room where his family was having breakfast at the moment. "Father, mother, have you heard the news of what happened yesterday?" The young man said excitedly.


    The middle-aged man who was eating stale bread and drinking a cup of milk turned his head and looked at his eldest son. "Enan, why are you so excited? That bastard Gul left yesterday, but he''ll certainly be back soon." He said calmly.


    The young Enan then shook his head and said, smiling. "You misunderstood me, father. I''m not talking about the news of that guy leaving town yesterday."


    "I''m talking about what happened last night. I just heard that a group attacked and killed all the bandits that were in town yesterday!" He said with a big smile on his face.


    "What? Is that indeed true?" A middle-aged woman asked as she placed a glass full of milk in front of a child.


    Enan then looked at his mother and waved. He then continued. "Hmm, I heard that many people saw one of the attacks that were carried out in that nightclub on the south side of the city."


    "According to what I heard, after seeing what happened yesterday at that nightclub, some curious people went looking for the bandits who were at the city entrances and the mansion. But there were none of them in these places, just different people, whom we have never seen before."


    Enan''s father stopped eating and then said with a slight smile on his face. "Finally, someone did something about these bums. Is this a new sovereign sent by our kingdom?"

 Chapter 65: Yellow City Informations

    While Enan''s family discussed the change that could happen in the Yellow City, several other families had already received the same news.


    In one of the city squares, there was a group of almost 20 people actively talking about the recent events. At that moment, an old man said out loud. "Hmph, regardless of who has done this, does not mean that our situation will change. Did you forget that rascal from Gul? When he and his group return, another fight will take place."


    He stopped for a second and then said. "Can those responsible for this deal with Gul and his group?"


    Upon hearing what the old man had just said, the group quickly stopped their conversations. Indeed, eliminating the group that had stayed in the Yellow City was good, but it was not a definitive solution. Just by killing Gul and his cronies who left the city yesterday, they could solve the problem in the bud.


    A bald man then said. "Well, it never hurts to dream... They''ve done a lot. I don''t believe some fools would take unnecessary risks for a poor place like our city."


    "That is true..."


    While some thought it was just a matter of time to have these bandits stay only in their memories, the discussion continued. Many others were much more skeptical about this and did not want to have false hopes.


    ...


    While people in all parts of the city discussed the new news, Minos was in one of the mansion''s rooms having a big meeting. Ten soldiers from the rank of Sergeants were seated beside a large table, while Dillian was seated on the right side of Minos.


    Elen was sitting on the other side of the room, together with Ruth and Eduard. They were not very interested in Minos'' affairs, but it was still a good opportunity for them to learn about their ally''s future plans. With that, Elen could also make her own plans, considering the actions of Minos.


    As for Ruth, she liked to watch Minos since there were many doubts about him in her mind. So, while she was accompanying him, she would participate in these events.


    Minos, sitting in a large chair, started the meeting when he said. "Good morning everyone, well, first, I want to congratulate all the soldiers for completing the missions I ordered, so when we get back to the Dry City, I will give you a month off."


    "Pass this on to the other soldiers later," Minos said with a smile on his face.


    Upon hearing this, all the soldiers who attended the meeting smiled happily and then continued to pay attention to their young master.


    "Ehh, to start with, tell me about the items looted in yesterday''s attack," Minos said while looking in the direction of the soldiers.


    On hearing Minos'' words, one of several soldiers quickly got up and began to report. "Good morning, young master, I have this information. Of the items left by the bandits, we were able to collect about 48,000 low-grade crystals that were distributed equally among the 54 soldiers who came to Yellow City. There were also 216 copies of Blue-grade techniques, divided between cultivation, attack, defense, and moving techniques."


    "We also collected seven copies of Black-grade techniques, including attack and defense. All the techniques we found were passed on to the butler Dillian. We also collected 11 spatial rings and some grade-1 pills. We split the pills between us and gave the spatial rings to the butler Dillian." The soldier said while reading a paper that was in his hand.


    Although Minos said that the soldiers could share all items except the Black-grade techniques, they still delivered much more than that to the butler Dillian. This is because they did not need Blue-grade techniques since they were all trained with Black-grade techniques provided by Minos.


    Thus, of these techniques, for Dillian was the best option. The butler could put these techniques in a public library so that anyone could learn them. After all, Minos would not distribute Black-grade techniques at this time. He could even do that in the future, when they were strong enough to protect themselves, but not now.


    However, these Blue-grade techniques were still useful for the ordinary population of the Dry City. After all, most of them were not subordinated to Minos, and many had only White talent, so that these techniques would be welcome for these people.


    As for the spatial rings, there were few of them so that it could be divided among more than 50 soldiers. Thus, the soldiers concluded that it would be better if the butler Dillian distributed it on his own, avoiding any disagreement among the soldiers in this group.


    Minos then continued to ask some questions about the previous fights and then went straight to his main subject. "Well, changing the subject, do you already have data on the Yellow City?" He asked in a low voice.


    After that, Sergeant Humbert got up from his chair and started talking. "I have some information, young master. I was able to find some documents about a census that took place eight years ago. According to the data from that census, the Yellow City had around 68,000 inhabitants at that time."


    "Of that number, almost half have White talent, followed by almost all the rest with Blue talent. But at that time, there were four people with Black talent, but they were all youths who just turned 10-years-old. Therefore, they are probably not around anymore, since at that time there was a subordinate of the royal family in this place, who certainly tried to attract these youths to his family''s side." Humbert finished his report and then sat down.


    "Hmm, you must be right about that. But it doesn''t matter. Our main objective here is to attract people with White and Blue talent." Dillian, who was sitting next to Minos, spoke for the first time.


    Minos then said. "Ehh, but let''s send someone to the local spiritual academy to see if we can find someone with Black talent."


    "What about the occupations of these inhabitants? Is there a lot of unemployment around here?" Dillian asked the soldiers.


    Another soldier got up from his chair and said. "I can talk about this. Eh... I also collected some data from documents from the time of the former conductor and found that about 20% of the population had a fixed job at that time, while 30% did various random jobs in the region, and 15% were unemployed. The rest was made up of children and people with disabilities, or sick people."


    "However, although we have no more recent data, I believe that unemployment in the city has increased since the bandits took over the city."


    "According to the people I spoke with, the Yellow City was badly damaged by the kidnappings of the traders. This reduced the supply of certain items, making these products more expensive and decreased the number of workers hired in the region. It also became more difficult to sell items from the region, such as the spiritual beasts that were hunted here, outside these areas." The soldier said while looking in the direction of Minos and Dillian.


    "Hmm, it''s true. I heard that too." Other soldiers nodded when they heard what had just been saying.


    And that was a fact. By kidnapping those traders, the bandits caused the many noble families to deviate from the Yellow City region. And with that, both the export and the import of items, was significantly weakened in this city, increasing unemployment and the local cost of living.


    "There was also an alchemist living here at that time, but I don''t know if he is still around." The soldier said, after recalling this essential data.


    "Oh! I get it. Well, let''s do this..." Minos then began to expound his orders to the soldiers at that meeting.


    It was decided that Minos'' soldiers would spread some information around the city. First, their group did not come to stay and would leave after resolving matters with the still alive bandits. This served to let the population know that they were not taking over the city and avoiding creating a bigger problem with the Kingdom of the Waves.


    This is because the Kingdom of the Waves was still the real sovereign of this place, and even if this region were impoverished, the great noble families would not look with good eyes on someone taking one of their cities. But if they were only here until the bandits were eliminated, even if the noble families found out about it, they wouldn''t care what happened.


    Second, Minos ordered the soldiers to start spreading the rumor that they were recruiting numerous people with White and Blue talents in the Dry City, in the central region of the Black Plain.


    But not only that, he wanted to draw these people''s attention by the pocket. Minos wanted them to know exactly how much they would earn by working in the Dry City, considering, of course, the level of cultivation each of them was on.

 Chapter 66: Is the Dry City Recruiting?

    It did not take long, and the meeting with the soldiers ended, and they left to carry out their missions. Minos wanted the local population to know as soon as possible that they would have good opportunities if they went to the Dry City.


    And it wasn''t long before the news spread through the Yellow City.


    With the 54 soldiers of the Black Plain Army spreading the information that Minos had ordered, quickly many people knew who these people were, who had attacked the group of bandits, and what they offered for this city.


    ...


    In a restaurant in the central area of ??Yellow City, two old men were eating when they suddenly overheard a conversation that caught their attention from another table.


    "Ros, I heard that the group that attacked the bandits in our city comes from the Dry City." A middle-aged woman said to a tall, strong man.


    "Hmm, I heard that too. One of the men in that group came to my store earlier today and spread the word of their boss." The strong man said while he carried a piece of roasted meat in his mouth.


    "Ahh! So, did you hear that personally? I heard about this from my younger brother. And then? What do you think of all this?" The woman asked with an interesting look on her face.


    She was a small local trader who had Blue talent and was at level 30. And although this job offered in the Dry City was not very impressive for her, the consequences of that certainly were.


    That''s because many of her clients were people with White talent who would certainly be interested in this opportunity. With that, the Dry City would certainly have room for her business to grow even more since these people could finally have a fixed income and much better than what they could have here in the Yellow City.


    For this reason, she could both have more customers, and these customers could consume more of her products.


    The man took time to chew his food and then answered. "It really is quite interesting. They offer 40 low-grade crystals to weaker people, who are between levels 19 and 29. As for those from levels 30 to 39, they offer 90 crystals."


    He then drank a large mouthful of beer and then continued. "With this, people with White talent, as well as people with Blue talent, can get jobs that generate a decent income when there is nothing else to do. And this is certainly an opportunity for small stores like ours."


    Minos had increased the remunerations of farmers who reached the Spiritual Warrior stage. That''s because he needed to encourage more people to continue and enter agriculture, even encouraging people with Blue talent to do this job, even if it was a temporary thing.


    After all, the number of vacancies for the Black Plain Army was limited, and the demand for services in the Dry City was not so big that all people with Blue talent had a job. For this reason, agriculture was a good alternative for these people, who could earn a decent salary in this activity, until something better came up.


    "Of course, if all of this is true..." He finished with a smile on his face. After all, you couldn''t trust these people right away, who knows, maybe they were just another group of criminals? And as far as they knew, the Dry City was poorer than the Yellow City...


    "Hmm, it''s true. But it was said that they will leave as soon as they deal with the other bandits left yesterday. If that is true, we can send someone to Dry City to see if this is really true, right after they leave." The woman said confidently.


    "Oh! That''s an excellent idea..." The muscular man agreed with a smile.


    "And it looks like they also have a grade-1, high-level, alchemist over there. This is quite unbelievable. Is the Black Plain really that good? Even our Yellow City has only one alchemist." Ros said as he remembered that crucial piece of news he had heard.


    "Hmm..."


    The two continued to talk about rumors of this group that had arrived in the city the night before. Meanwhile, the two old men were completely shocked by what they just heard.


    "Did you hear what I did, Edric? Is Dry City really recruiting?" One of the old men, who had a long white beard, asked doubtfully.


    He wanted to know if he was hallucinating because hearing that the Dry City could pay for all that, hiring anyone below level 39, was unbelievable.


    These two were actually a merchant from the Kingdom of the Waves and the only alchemist in the Yellow City. Edric, the old alchemist, had lived in this city for a long time and generally obtained medicines through this old merchant from the Kingdom of the Waves, Lance.


    The two had met yesterday to do their business as usual. And today, as the old Lance would be returning to his family in the innermost region of the Kingdom of the Waves, the two took the opportunity to have lunch at this restaurant.


    As to why old Lance, despite being a merchant, managed to get into Yellow City without any major problems, this is because of Edric. As the city''s only alchemist, criminals could not risk Edric stopping producing pills due to a lack of resources. Therefore, Lance was not disturbed by the bandits when he passed through the city.


    Edric, who had long white hair and a full mustache, said with a serious expression. "Hmm, I heard that too, but I can''t believe it."


    They both had a little knowledge of the Black Plain that ordinary people in this city might not have. Both were very aware of how bad the Dry City was. After all, old Lance was a merchant who traveled in the northern region of the Central Continent for a long time!


    "This must not be right, I spent in the Dry City about 3 years ago, and there was no way anyone in that place could pay a salary of 40 low-grade crystals for someone in the 3rd stage of cultivation! Even more for large numbers of people as they are saying." Lance said in disbelief.


    For him, there was no large-scale export activity in the Black Plain, with only the sale of some animals hunted in the region. But that was barely enough to keep the lives of these hunters'' families, so it could not count as an export activity in the eyes of any trader.


    The import of resources was also limited to food, which certainly did not generate many job openings in the region. As for crystal mining... As it is a region poor in spiritual energy, the amount of crystals mined per year should be very low.


    For all these reasons, Lance did not believe that any power within the Dry City could sustain such expenditures.


    Edric then spoke with a smile on his face. "Maybe this is another group of bandits trying to take over this city?"


    "But the suggestion of the young woman behind us was excellent. How about that? Let''s go to the Dry City to see if there''s anything there that makes it possible." The old alchemist said, looking at Lance.


    "But what about your business?" Lance asked doubtfully.


    "There will be no problem. Now that Gul''s band is almost destroyed, I have lost more than half of my clients in Yellow City. I won''t have any problems if I go out for just a week."


    Although he disliked the bandits'' behavior, Edric had no option but to become the supplier of spiritual pills to Gul''s group. If he refused, he would have already been killed, and this was not a world of the just, so he might as well earn something from those people.


    When you can''t do anything about it, just accept it and try to take advantage of it. Edric thought that way.


    "Oh! Since it is like that, come on, I also have nothing to do for now."


    After that, the two paid the bill at the restaurant and then headed towards one of the two exits from the Yellow City, in the old merchant''s carriage.


    ...


    While the Yellow City population was discussing the extermination of the bandit group and the information that the Dry City was recruiting, Gul and his group were arriving at the cave where the nine-tailed fox was seen.


    "Guys, start getting ready. Even if that fox is weakened, I don''t want to risk too much." Gul said with a smile on his face. He was very excited to capture these foxes because that would give him many crystals!


    Gul then looked at two of the commanders and said. "You two, don''t forget, your job is to capture the cub, don''t worry about fighting that beast. We will defend the attacks in your direction."


    After that, the group moved on to enter the cave that was only 100 meters away.

 Chapter 67: Attacking The Fox

    As they approached the cave, where the fox and her cub were, each person in the group had spiritual weapons in their hands, and each of them had a sharp look on their face. At any moment, the spiritual beast that they were hunting could feel them and attack them by surprise.


    Spiritual beasts could not learn battle techniques, but they had extremely strong bodies. And not only that, their senses were much more acute than the senses of humans, which gave them a great advantage in battles and surprise attacks.


    Therefore, spiritual beasts were much stronger than humans on the same level as them!


    ...


    At the same time, inside the cave, a large fox with 5 tails was lying on her back, with a fox with 1 tail lying on her belly. During the time that had passed, the little fox had already grown a little and was now 30 centimeters tall and was quite active for much of the day.


    At this point, the mother fox noticed that some humans were approaching her and her daughter. ''Ten humans are coming here. Am I discovered?'' She thought as she turned her head up, alert.


    After a few seconds of sniffing the approaching group, she suddenly got up and brought her daughter to a narrow part of the cave. "Stay hidden here until mommy comes back." She said in silly language that her daughter could understand.


    "Au! Au! Au!" The little fox answered her mother. She could not speak the human language until she reached the 5th stage, and she also had a very short understanding of the beast language. After all, she was just a newborn. But she understood that her mother wanted to protect her in this place.


    After that, the fox with 5 tails headed towards the place from which the group of bandits had been carefully approaching. ''Miserable humans, I won''t forgive you if you''re here for my daughter.'' She thought as she growled and showed her fangs.


    ...


    Some time passed, and the group of 10 bandits had already entered the cave and were getting closer and closer to where the mother fox was waiting for them.


    "Get ready. She''s not distant." Gul said seriously.


    A few seconds later, a fox with a height of 1.5 meters appeared in front of the group, attacking without mercy one of the bandits. She was very quick and had prepared carefully to attack the bandit group in the best possible way. And in fact, when she appeared, there was no time for the bandits to defend themselves when she ran towards them!


    Pow!


    "Caution!" Gul cried out when he felt she was coming towards one of them.


    However, it was too late. The fox''s fangs tore at one of the level 44''s commanders'' arms while her claws were covered in the blood of another bandit.


    That fox had attacked two of these individuals with everything. With one of them, she had plucked one of his arms, using her sharp fangs, in a single bite!


    With the other, she had made a deep cut on his chest, using her claws!


    "Ahhh! My arm." One of the bandits was deeply sorry.


    "Ahhhh!" The other bandit screamed when he felt the cuts on his belly.


    "Shit! I told you to stay on the alert!" Gul complained loudly. He then thought to himself. ''This beast is already as strong as someone at level 45! If she weren''t weakened by childbirth, we would only face death by challenging her!''


    After this surprise attack, almost all the bandits started to activate their techniques, while two ran towards the deepest part of the cave. They wanted to kidnap the beast''s cub as soon as possible!


    Upon seeing this, the fox mother quickly understood the enemy''s plan and immediately attacked them.


    ''Die, you bastards!'' She thought as she ran towards the two-level 44 thugs.


    However, at this point, the three-level 45 thugs attacked her from different sides, preventing her from moving on.


    Air Blade!


    Poisonous Art!


    Fireball!


    The three activated their techniques with much of their energy, sealing the fox''s path. ''Shit!'' She thought, as she used her physical power to defend herself.


    At the same time, in the three directions that these bandits were in, long-range attacks were forming in the air, illuminating the place where they were in red due to the fireball about 5 meters in diameter!


    Pow!


    Boom!


    One of the fox''s tails was thrown in the fireball direction, while her claws created another blade of air, countering the enemy''s technique.


    Swooish!


    However, she could not dodge the ball of black poison that hit one of her paws.


    At the same time, the two bandits disappeared into the depths of the cave while searching for the fox''s cub. ''No!'' The mother cried internally when she saw that the two men from before were no longer in this place.


    Spiritual Palm!


    Devil''s Court!


    Pow!


    Pow!


    Several attacks were released by the bandits, causing the fox to take many steps back towards the cave''s exit.


    These attacks had been powerful, leaving several wounds on her body. She had one of her legs bleeding, with several black spots spreading over her body.


    She then ran towards the group, attacking everything that had one of the bandits.


    "Roar!"


    "Ahhh!"


    One of the bandits was attacked in full. The fox''s speed was really fast. Although she was at a disadvantage, she could still run and attack before the bandits activated other techniques. Her problem was that the group was too large for her to handle alone.


    Chaotic Fists!


    Chief Gul activated his attack technique and punched towards the fox, just as it had attacked another bandit.


    Pow!


    She was then sent flying backward, shortly thereafter hitting a wall of that place, with even more blood coming out of her body.


    "Roar!"


    This was really an attack that had bewildered the big fox. After all, Gul was already at level 47, and an attack from him would be bad enough for her due to the weakened state she was in.


    ...


    The fight continued for a few more minutes, with both sides suffering a lot. For the fox, she had already lost one of her paws, while she had major injuries all over her body, in which it was even possible to see some of its internal organs!


    As for the group of bandits, 3 of them had died during the short time that had passed. Of these three, they were all at level 44, and one of them was the one who had lost his arm at the start of the fight.


    As for the remaining 5 men, one of them had lost one of his legs, while the other two were almost completely exhausted. Gul was the best of the group, who had no major injuries, just a few scratches.


    "Au! Au! Au!"


    The little fox''s noises sounded when finally the two bandits from before appeared on the spot with the little fox. Upon reaching this point, the two bandits were completely shocked by the scene in front of them, with the bodies of their companions on the ground and the deplorable state of those who were still standing.


    When looking at her mother, the little fox started to cry copiously when she saw how hurt she was. One paw was missing, there were perforations in various parts of her body, and her head was dyed red. Not only that, one of her eyes was completely swollen, while she was barely able to see.


    The mother fox was so hurt that she couldn''t see that her daughter was right in front of her. But she could still smell her and determine that she was being held by one of the bandits.


    ''Damn it! I couldn''t stop them!'' She lamented in her mind. After that, she said in a strange language. "I''m sorry, my child. Mom was unable to protect you."


    "Au! Au!" The little fox replied as she let tears fall from her sad little eyes.


    At the same time, Gul smiled coldly when he saw the fox''s condition and said. "Hehe, you better stop reacting, or else we will kill your daughter."


    Gul did not know those spiritual beasts on the level of this fox were as intelligent as humans, but he knew that she would understand his intentions.


    After that, he took a large cell out of his spatial ring and placed it right in front of the moribund fox. "Hehe, come on, get in here. If you behave well, we can leave your daughter with you until the end of the trip. I''m generous, right? Haha."


    After hearing this, the big fox slowly entered the cell. She knew that these humans would not kill her daughter since she was probably precious to them. But that did not mean that they would not do anything bad, since the important thing was that her cub looked good when she was sold in some black market...


    But she could still be tortured and healed before that happened. And as a mother, she couldn''t take that risk. Since she no longer had the strength to fight, for now, she could only accept this tragic fate of her and her daughter.


    ''Human wretches, if I have the opportunity, I will slowly devour you...'' She thought furiously as she lay in the cell.


    At the same time, Gul took the little fox and got a good look at it. "Haha, you will be the turning point for me!" He said after having a good laugh.


    "Au! Au!" The little fox brandished angrily.


    "Hahaha, how cute." He then turned to the remaining six men and said. "We will rest for a few hours, and then we will return to the Yellow City. We can''t stay here for long, as we don''t know if we were the only ones to find this fox."


    Upon hearing this, the six men nodded their heads and then began to absorb their medicines and spiritual recovery pills.


    Although these few hours were not enough to recover those who suffered the most, it was enough for them to return to the Yellow City. After all, there were not so many dangers in this region, and they could rest properly in their mansion...

 Chapter 68: Back to the Yellow City

    After resting for a few hours, the group of 7 men and two foxes headed back to Yellow City. They were in 3 chariots, pulled by low-level spiritual beasts, while one of the chariots had a large cell attached to it.


    Due to the distance from where they were, they would arrive in Yellow City after a day and a half of travel, which would also serve for some of them to recover a little more from the recent battle.


    But of the seven men, 1 of them was practically crippled and could no longer fight in his life. That''s because he had lost his leg, and that would prevent him from moving normally during a fight. And although he did not have his spiritual cultivation crippled, it was challenging for him to make up for this loss.


    Because of this, that person would certainly have his fighting prowess immensely reduced. As for his hopes of getting the lost limb back, well, that was almost impossible for him.


    There were two ways to recover a lost limb in this world. The first would be to find a high-level doctor who could regenerate lost limbs. For the second, which was also more realistic for most people, it would be reaching level 70...


    At this level, cultivators could even build a whole new body! So, it was very easy to recover a leg or an arm lost.


    However, for someone with Blue talent, like this man, even with the help of high-level pills, he could only reach level 69!


    This is the upper limit of the body of someone with this talent!


    The Blue talent provided an understanding that made it easy for the cultivator to progress to level 29. But from that moment on, a person with this talent would have to face bottlenecks that would be increasingly difficult to overcome.


    And the final bottleneck for these people would be the 7th to 8th stage of cultivation. At that point, even if a level 69 Blue talent cultivator had a grade-3, middle-level pill, he would not be able to break that bottleneck.


    In fact, if someone with these characteristics tried to break the level by using that pill, they would only be committing suicide!


    That''s because that person''s body would not be able to absorb a large amount of energy from the pill, resulting in an explosion from the inside out.


    But not only would the person''s body collapse after receiving a greater amount of energy than it could, but the person''s soul would also explode with the body!


    Even though a cultivator''s soul and body could temporarily separate, at higher stages, spiritual cultivation was directly related to body and soul. These were two complementary parts of life, which could not be separated for long.


    In this case, when someone raises their level, not only does the body get stronger, but so does the soul. But the same would happen if a considerable amount of energy was ingested. The body and soul would be blown up!


    There was no way for a cultivator to survive such an act. Thus, this bandit was doomed since it would be even more difficult for him to find someone with such challenging medical skills.


    After all, there aren''t many high-level doctors, even in places like the Flaming Empire!


    As for the other bandits, none of them had suffered such high damage and were only severely depleted.


    ...


    While Gul''s group traveled to the Yellow City, practically the entire population of this city was already aware that the Dry City was recruiting. Many people did not believe this since it was really very difficult to believe that a city even worse than theirs could do such a thing.


    But some people needed to believe, even in the most absurd rumors. At this time, many people in Yellow City were experiencing financial difficulties, and any chance that appeared could be a lifeline for many families.


    Because of this, many people who were unemployed and struggling to survive in this place were now preparing to visit the Dry City. Some groups had been formed, and they were going to travel to that city to see if the rumor was really true.


    If it were true, these people would return to the Yellow City and prepare to move to the Dry City. There was no reason for them to remain here if there was a better chance elsewhere that was not so different from their hometown.


    People with low talent liked to live in weaker places because there were more opportunities and safer. But between the Yellow City and the Dry City, there was no great difference in strength, so it would be worthwhile for them to move if this other place had better chances of employment.


    As for what these people could lose by traveling to the Dry City, well, most of the people who were going to do that were unemployed and had a lot of free time. The trip would also not last more than a week, so that would not hinder them.


    And not only that, some individuals who had more resources, such as owners of local stores, were financing these trips. They also wanted to know about it without taking the risk of going to that place themselves.


    Therefore, many of these people going to the Dry City would not even have to pay crystals to verify this news. This was a good situation for both parties!


    At the same time, Minos and his group were already preparing to ambush the bandits, who had gone out to hunt the nine-tailed foxes.


    From the information that Minos had received from Dugal, this trip should take around 3 to 4 days, at most. So, as it had been 2 days since Gul''s group began their trip, they certainly should already be returning to the Yellow City.


    And as far as Sergeant Humbert had informed, the group of 10 men was made up of 6 cultivators at level 44, 3 at level 45, and one at level 47.


    With that strength, they could do some work for Minos'' team since there were only 3 people who could fight them.


    But Minos did not want to depend so much on foreign aid. So, apart from the bandit leader, Gul, he wanted to fight the other bandits with the soldiers of the Black Plain Army.


    It would normally be impossible for any of these soldiers to fight such strong cultivators. But they had the numbers to their advantage and could still plan how to proceed during the battle.


    And by the knowledge of Minos, with his 24 Sergeants and 30 Corporal, they should beat these 9 bandits of levels 44 and 45. This is because the soldiers of Minos trained techniques better classified, which made their attacks were more efficient, and they were much more numerous. With that, they could fight and win!


    ...


    At this moment, inside the Yellow City government mansion, another meeting was taking place with the entire group of Minos. At that moment, the young Stuart said out loud. "Ehh, the soldiers of the Black Plain Army will deal with the 9 men of the enemy group. We will position ourselves at the western entrance to the city, where we will position ourselves at four different points."


    "Each group will attack from a different polar coordinate to decrease the escape space of the enemy group. We will attack them with everything we have, leaving no space for them to breathe and counterattack."


    "As for the bandit leader, Gul, I hope you will stop him, Ruth. But don''t kill him. I believe I can still use him in some way..." Minos said, looking at the beautiful young woman with black hair.


    She then shook her head in agreement, for it was not difficult to capture someone at level 47. On Stone Island, she only had to spend a little more energy because she dealt with three enemies and not just 1. And at that time, the guard Brian, with whom she fought, was at the height of level 46, and he certainly had better techniques than this bandit, Gul.


    After all, the Nash family was a large family from the north of the Central Continent, and a guard who was protecting the young master of the family would undoubtedly receive some privileges.


    As for why Minos wanted to capture the bandit chief, well, that was simple. He wanted to make a friendship with the foxes, giving the leader of the enemy group, so that the mother could get her revenge!


    That way, he could increase his chances of getting the two foxes to his side.


    As for the possibility that the mother fox could win the group, this was very unlikely. From the knowledge that Minos had, even if this fox was close to the 6th stage of cultivation, as long as the group was careful and attacked it with all its strength, they should achieve a victory.


    From the memories of the God Henricus Longus, Minos knew that if this fox was at level 49, it would be temporarily weakened after pregnancy and would have a strength equivalent to level 45. So, as it only had five tails, it certainly was, in the maximum, at level 49. And with that strength, she couldn''t beat Gul''s group.


    "Well, that''s it for today. We will all be positioned at the ambush site from tomorrow until the enemy group arrives. So, prepare yourself well for this." Minos said after getting up from his chair.


    ...


    Time passed quickly, and Gul''s group was only a few kilometers from Yellow City. At that moment, it was already possible to see the silhouette of the city from where they were.


    The bandits were talking and smiling as they arrived at ''their base'' while the mother fox traveled in her cell with the little fox beside her.


    ''Ahhh, finally at home!'' One of the bandits thought as he looked at his city...

 Chapter 69: Capturing Gul

    At this time, the four teams of the Black Plain Army were spread in the south, north, west, and east directions, from the east entrance of the Yellow City. They were only a few hundred meters away from each other, but Gul''s group would not have noticed them.


    That''s because Minos'' teams were much weaker than them, so these outlaws would only underestimate them. From their perspective, nobody like that would have the courage to attack them.


    As for the moment, the attack began, Minos and his groups were waiting for the bandits to be surrounded by them. Only then they would attack them with full force.


    At this point, Gul''s group was finally reaching the eastern entrance to the city when they began to slow their carriages. They realized that the gates were closed, which was not normal.


    Lydo, who was in front of one of the carriages, said it out loud. "Ehh, what happened? Dugal would not allow that muscular idiot to do something stupid."


    "Let''s get a little closer and see what happened." Chief Gul said calmly. He wasn''t too worried about it, for him, it must be something small...


    Meanwhile, in the cell that was being carried by the bandits'' last carriage, the mother fox suddenly raised her head for a second and then lay down there again. ''It seems that these humans are surrounded. I hope that you all die...'' She thought about it after realizing the surroundings where they were.


    She had already recovered a bit in that little more than a day of travel. Despite still having many open wounds, she had already stopped bleeding, and the swelling in her eyes had already decreased a lot, to the point of her being able to see again.


    A few seconds passed, and finally, the group of Minos took the initiative to start the attack. A horn sound sounded in the air, and the four groups began to move towards the three carriages.


    Minos, Ruth, and Dillian were in the group that came directly from the Yellow City entrance gate. Meanwhile, Elen and Eduard watched the impending battle from above one of the city walls.


    Although Minos did not ask for their help, as allies, they were here to provide support if the need arose.


    As the four groups of Minos approached to attack, the three carriages suddenly stopped. "Chief Gul, it looks like we''re being ambushed." One of the bandits screamed.


    Upon hearing this, Gul got out of the carriage that came in the middle of the caravan and probed the enemy group. "Hmph, most of them are at most at level 40. How audacious, it looks like we have to teach these insects a lesson."


    "There are only those two, who are at levels 45 and 47, that we need to be careful about. Leave the two of them with me." Gul said, looking at the direction of Ruth and Dillian. He had no way of knowing that Dillian was not a fighter, just because of his level. So, Gul thought he was one of the warriors on the enemy side.


    Soon after, the seven men who were on the side of the bandits all got out of their carriages and prepared to fight.


    Seeing this, Minos couldn''t help looking at the cell where the nine-tailed fox was and smiling.


    "Hahaha, it looks like this fox beat up this group. Three of them must have died, and looked at the rest, I can see that it was an uphill battle. This is good. It makes it easier for us." Minos said out loud.


    And in fact, they had prepared to face ten enemies, but there were only six of them with fighting conditions in practice. The seventh thug didn''t have a leg, so even Minos could handle him alone.


    When all the groups were close to each other, Minos said aloud. "Attack!!"


    Hammering the World!


    Demon Court!


    Blood sword!


    Smashing the Air!


    Iron fists!


    Whoosh!


    Boom!


    The group of dozens of soldiers activated their respective attack techniques, sending many blows in the direction of the bandit group.


    Almost instantly, the local terrain was flooded with many lights and spiritual energy figures of varying colors and shapes running through the air towards the group of bandits!


    At the same time, Gul''s group began to prepare for the fight, activating their defensive techniques with everything they had.


    After all, they could not take lightly all these attacks coming towards them. Even though they were of higher levels, they were only seven people, while the enemy group had 54 cultivators attacking them!


    At this point, Ruth finally started to move, heading towards the bandit boss, who was also coming towards her and Dillian.


    Seeing this, Gul thought with a smile on his face. ''Hahaha, what does this little girl think she''s doing? Does she think she can fight me alone?''


    Instant Steps!


    Fists of Pain!


    Ruth then activated two Silver-grade techniques and attacked with everything she had.


    Seeing this, Gul stopped underestimating the black-haired girl and then activated his own defense while feeling a sense of fear growing in his heart. ''Shit! What kind of technique is this?'' He thought while trying to deviate with all he had.


    However, Ruth''s speed was very fast, and he could not dodge the attack that was coming at him!


    Boom!


    Pow!


    Several sounds of battle rang out in the vicinity of the ambush while another 60 people were actively fighting. Time began to pass, and the bandits were increasingly disadvantaged for Minos'' soldiers.


    Meanwhile, Gul had just been punched in the stomach and sent flying in the opposite direction from where he was. ''Ahh, what the fuck...'' He thought to himself as he tried to hold himself together to not to collapse in front of enemies.


    "AHH!"


    Suddenly someone let out a loud cry and shortly thereafter died. This was the thug who had lost one of his legs. He had defended himself all this time, but his spiritual energy was finally gone. After that, he died after receiving two blows from Minos'' soldiers.


    While the fight was going on, viewers had different reactions. Elen and Eduard were taking the opportunity to see Minos'' military capabilities and observing Ruth''s great power.


    Minos and Dillian, on the other hand, were evaluating the performance of the soldiers of the Black Plain Army.


    The mother fox also enjoyed the enemies that had kidnapped her by being destroyed right in front of her. But she was not completely happy, no, because probably her future would remain the same, in the hands of these other people...


    Time passed, and the fights were slowly ending. The six bandits that Minos'' soldiers were facing had already died, leaving only Chief Gul.


    Chief Gul was still conscious because Ruth had been holding on since he was already badly hurt and with almost no spiritual energy left.


    At this point, Gul said in an irritated voice. "Miserable, kill me soon!" He was furious that the enemy side despised him in the middle of a battle!


    As to why this group had attacked him, well, it didn''t matter. As an experienced thug, Gul had done similar things in the past. As long as you have the power, you can do whatever you want. That''s what Gul believed.


    So, if they wanted the Yellow City and had the strength to take it, there was no need for an argument for Gul. He had already done it himself in that same city. But he could not stand the fact that these enemies were not tempted to kill him, as if he were a harmless worm!


    Minos said out loud at this point, looking at where Ruth was. "Ruth, knock him out."


    Upon hearing this, Ruth quickly made her move, using a small amount of force to bring down the bandit Gul. After that, the battle was finally over, and Gul''s capture had been successfully carried out.


    "Okay, guys, that was a good fight. Collect the items left by these seven thugs and then pass on a report to grandpa Dillian." Minos said with a smile on his face as he walked to the last of the three carriages in this location.


    He wanted to see this nine-tailed fox up close. After all, it was much better to see the whole thing with your own eyes than for a memory. Minos then said. "Grandpa Dillian, come with me. I think that fox will need your help."


    "Hmm, all right, young master." The butler said as he walked side by side with Minos.


    When the two arrived at the side of the cell, where the big fox was, Minos and Dillian saw how injured the poor mother was. She also hadn''t seemed to drink water in days, looking completely dehydrated.


    ''Ah! She lost one of her paws...'' Dillian sighed briefly when he saw the situation of the fox.


    Unlike Minos, he did not know about the magnificent changes made when someone reached level 70. Therefore, seeing that this beast did not have one of her paws was like seeing someone crippled!


    But Minos didn''t care about that. As long as she continued to get stronger, that would naturally be resolved.


    Minos then crouched down and looked into the mother fox''s eyes and said. "I would like to introduce myself, my name is Minos Stuart, but you can only call me Minos. May I know what is the name of this magnificent nine-tailed fox?"


    Upon hearing this, the mother fox looked at Minos with a shocked look in her eyes.

 Chapter 70: Emlyn and Kyla

    She was not too surprised that Minos would come to her and start a conversation. It was not uncommon to know that a 5th stage spiritual beasts could speak the human language.


    She couldn''t believe that someone was able to recognize her race in a place as poor as this. To begin with, her race had not come to the Central Continent for centuries, much less to a place with such a poor spiritual density. So, it was unexpected that someone would recognize her race in these areas.


    At the same time that the mother fox was completely shocked by what Minos had said, Dillian was also quite surprised. He had never heard of such a race, but he already expected Minos to recognize it since he had inherited the expertise of a high-level specialist.


    As the mother fox stared at Minos, Ruth finally approached the group and began to look closely at the beasts in front of her. The little fox looked very normal to her, but her mother was completely unusual. She had never seen a fox with more than one tail.


    And even though some great powers of the Central Continent knew of this race, Ruth was not a part of them. After all, her empire never had a God. It was just a second-tier empire.


    The mother fox then spoke for the first time. "How do you know about my race?"


    "Ehh, I can tell you about it later, but then, won''t you tell me your name?" Minos said with a smile on his face.


    The fox looked at him for a moment and said. "My name is Emlyn. But what difference does it make to you? You will probably only try to sell us, like those humans from before."


    Clang!


    Minos then shook his head in denial and then opened the cell with his sword. He crouched down to the fox''s eye level and said. "You are wrong. I will not do that, as I will still give you medical treatment and let you decide your own destiny."


    "Hmph, do you think I''m a fool?" Emlyn said angrily as she looked at Minos.


    Minos then ignored the fox''s gaze and looked at the butler Dillian and said. "Grandpa Dillian, can you start her treatment?"


    "Hmm, all right, young master," Dillian said before entering the cell. He then started using his healing-focused technique.


    Radiant Healing!


    At the same time, a golden light began to be emitted from Dillian''s hands, gradually healing Emlyn''s wounds. Every time the golden light emitted by Dillian''s technique passed through a wound, the wounded tissues of that fox''s body began to regenerate quickly. At the same time, the dirt and black blood that had dried were degraded, leaving the wound completely clean before it was closed.


    At the same time, Minos took a large bowl from his spatial ring and placed it in front of the two foxes.


    Tchuf!


    After that, Minos began to fill the bowl with water from the Spatial Kingdom. He then said. "Drink. I know you are well dehydrated. There is no poison."


    Seeing this, Emlyn felt a little strange as she looked at Minos and the bowl. She didn''t know if she could trust him, but before she made up her mind, her daughter jumped into the bowl and started drinking the water quickly.


    "Kyla! Wait a minute..." She said in a low voice. However, it was no use. The little fox continued to drink. As a spiritual beast, Kyla had great senses, so she knew that this water was not only not poisoned, and it was still very rich in spiritual energy.


    Kyla''s mom just didn''t realize it before because she was so worried about Minos. His knowledge was not common for anyone in this place, and she was also severely injured. That is why she could not probe the spiritual water before her daughter.


    "See, if it were poisoned, your daughter wouldn''t do that. Drink. It will help your recovery." Minos said.


    After a while, mother and daughter drank all the water that Minos had put there. Soon after, he took out a bag of spiritual apples and placed its there for the two of them to eat.


    Minos then patted the little fox on the head and said. "What''s your daughter''s name? Have you already chosen?"


    "Hmm, her name is Kyla," Emlyn said as she ate several apples at once. She was hungry! Not only did she not eat for two days, but she was also drained of spiritual energy.


    "Oh! Beautiful name. Well, Emlyn, although I assure you that you can do what you want, I will still make you an offer. Please listen to everything before refusing. I''ll also give you plenty of time to decide, so you don''t have to answer now."


    At the same time that Minos was beginning to speak his offer, Elen and Eduard had arrived at the place. They were also curious about this beast that they have never seen before.


    "Oh, what a beautiful fox!" Elen said when she saw Kyla trying to eat an apple.


    Meanwhile, Minos approached Emlyn''s ears and said in a low voice. "If you agree to join my forces, I will not only allow you to personally kill the responsible for what happened to you, but I will also help you and Kyla to reach level 89 in less than 150 years."


    Upon hearing this, Emlyn was even more shocked by Minos'' offer than when she found out that he could recognize her race. This was because it was not easy for a member of any race to reach the limit of their potential.


    No, even in the Emlyn tribe, there were only five foxes with nine tails that reached that level in the last generation! What''s more, they all did it, only after a few thousand years!


    "Hmph, you are saying nonsense. Do you know how difficult it is to reach that level with my potential? It is not easy to find free high-level medicines out there. And for each of its, there is a great massacre for someone to get the right to absorb its." Emlyn said in a mocking tone.


    And it was challenging to find top-notch medicines that didn''t have an owner. Most of these plants were planted within the properties of large families and large tribes. And those powers barely had enough for themselves, so outsiders could forget to buy something like that.


    And even if someone were to sell such medicine, it would be at such a high price that few people in the world could afford it. And as for those free in nature, well, it was easier to find a needle in the haystack. And even if someone found one of these, it doesn''t mean that she, or he, would be the only one...


    Minos then said with a smile on his face. "I know that, but I can guarantee that what I say is the truth. I can prove it, but you will have to agree to join my forces after seeing this."


    "But you don''t have to worry about what I''m going to order from you. In fact, until you reach level 70, I don''t plan to ask you for anything. You only need to help me if I am in danger of dying. Otherwise, I will only ask you to do something after recovering your paw and being able to transform into your humanoid form."


    Minos didn''t want to show a nine-tailed fox around. This was too risky, and sooner or later, she could be recognized. That way, to avoid a disaster, he wouldn''t ask her to do anything until she could transform into her humanoid form. From then on, unless she used her original form, no one would distinguish her from humans.


    According to Minos, it could take 40 to 50 years, but it would be worth waiting for him. A spiritual beast like a nine-tailed fox in his army was like having a human with Silver talent. And at the moment, Minos couldn''t even dream of it!


    After saying this, Minos got up to leave and that. "Don''t worry about it now. I will help you recover from your injuries, and after that, I will let you deal with that bandit."


    "For now, just focus on recovering. But when you decide, if you want to see my evidence, I can show you, but you will have to accept the deal after that."


    He wanted Emlyn to come to his side, but to show her the existence of the Spatial Kingdom without her being compromised would be stupid. So, there was no going back if Emlyn wanted to know if Minos could keep his promises.


    Upon returning to the group that was admiring the big 5-tailed fox, Ruth asked Minos. "What were you talking about? It felt like you didn''t want us to hear." She said with a disappointed look on her face.


    Minos had spoken loudly just so that the fox and he could hear. That way, no one else knew the content of the conversation, making the curious Ruth not take it and ask him.


    Minos laughed and then said. "Nothing, we were just talking about common things, like life on the Continent of the Beast and here on the Central Continent. She seemed very interested in the way of life here, and so, I talked a little about the possibilities that she would have here..."


    Ruth then opened her mouth in disbelief and asked. "Are you saying that she came from that legendary Continent of the Beasts?"


    "Hmm, why? Are you impressed? It seems that your sect is not that incredible after all..." Minos teased her while taking advantage of the appearance of the beautiful Ruth.

 Chapter 71: The Tragic End of Gul

    After hearing Minos'' provocation, Ruth went out towards the town mansion, with her face completely red. ''You rascal!'' She thought to herself.


    At the same time, Elen and Eduard stopped to congratulate Minos on his group''s victory. It was indeed an outstanding achievement that the soldiers of Minos had conquered, killing even level 45 cultivators!


    "Mr. Minos, since the matter in the Yellow City has already been resolved, Eduard and I will return to the Stone Island today."


    "Oh! So, are you already going? Okay, I hope you have a good trip back, and in just over a month, our first dispatch will arrive at that base that we are building on the coast." Minos said.


    "Hmm, I will make the necessary arrangements for the transportation to be done at that time."


    After that, it didn''t take long, and Elen and her bodyguard left the Yellow City, going to the Maritime City, where they would return to the Stone Island. At the same time, Minos'' group returned to the local government mansion, spending the next few days until the fox, Emlyn, recovered.


    After the events that took place at the eastern entrance to the city, the population of the Yellow City was discussing the achievements of the Minos group once again. The group of bandits who had been controlling their town for several months had finally been destroyed!


    Because of this, many of the people who were skeptical about this group of individuals were just beginning to get a glimpse of hope.


    This battle was not enough to confirm that the Dry City rumor was hiring, but it lifted the weight of thousands of citizens from this place. The problem was that that group of bandits did not mind running the city. They charged high taxes, they robbed the merchants who passed by, and some were still quite violent.


    For all these reasons, to be sure that this group of bandits was finished was a relief for the inhabitants of this place.


    At this time, a group of people was celebrating the news while eating and drinking in a city bar. "Hahaha, that bastard Gul finally got what he deserved!" Someone said it out loud.


    "I heard that he was captured. Are they going to do the execution in public?" A young man asked with a twinkle in his eye. Watching executions was an activity that many people enjoyed, especially when a known criminal was caught.


    An old man then smiled and said. "I do not mind. As long as that wretch dies, everything will be resolved."


    At the same time, various parts of the Yellow City were celebrating the news with great joy, as if this was the best time for this population in a long time.


    People were screaming in the streets, men and women of all ages smiling as if there was no tomorrow. That night, it was practically impossible to sleep in this region since the party seemed not to end.


    ...


    And in this festive atmosphere, quickly three days passed in the Yellow City. In the meantime, the butler Dillian had healed most of Emlyn''s wounds, to the point that all the open wounds had been properly recovered.


    She had also received many spiritual fruits from Minos'' soldiers, so she had recovered much of her energy. As for the little fox, Kyla, she was very happy. Seeing her mother recovering after suffering so much was excellent for her.


    But not only that, because she was born while her mother was in a region poor in spiritual energy, Kyla had never eaten any delicacy with a high spiritual concentration in her short life. Because of that fact, she was pleased to eat the fruits of the Black Plain, even to the point that she came alone to Minos to get a little more.


    Right now, Minos was in one of the mansion''s rooms, which looked quite noble. There was a good space and several glass windows, which gave great ventilation. But there was not much furniture, nor decoration in the place, just a big bed, a closet, and an armchair.


    Sniff! Sniff!


    Minos was still asleep when suddenly he felt something move on his sheets. This was Kyla, who came to wake Minos every day to receive her breakfast.


    "Au! Au! Au!"


    Minos then turned from side to side of the bed and opened his eyes slowly. He saw a small fox with orange and white fur, with one tail, looking at him with her little eyes in a hungry expression.


    "Kyla, are you hungry yet? It is not yet time to eat." He said while running his hand over the little fox''s head.


    "Au! Au!" She said with a sad look in her eyes.


    After that, Minos got up and took Kyla in his arms, heading for where Emlyn was. "Okay, let''s see how your mom is doing first."


    After that, Minos walked for a few seconds until he reached a large room, where Emlyn was lying on a long rug on the floor. When sensing that someone was looking at her, the mother fox opened her eyes and saw a man holding her daughter while feeding her.


    In the meantime that Emlyn and Kyla had lost their freedom to Gul''s bandits, Emlyn was unable to feed her daughter due to injuries to her body. And Kyla already had her teeth grown so that she could eat other foods besides her mother''s milk. That is why she had been eating the fruits given by Minos.


    Minos then placed the fox next to her mother and said. "Okay, your treatment is over. That''s a good thing. If you want, I can deliver the bandit chief to you today, will you?"


    The big fox looked at Minos for a second and said in a resentful voice. "Okay, I want him as soon as possible so that I can calm the anger in my heart for what happened."


    "Ehh, and have you made up your mind about what I said before? As you have already recovered, I do not intend to stay here in this city any longer."


    "You said you would show me the proof, but I would be forced to agree with your offer, right? Don''t you think this is too excessive? You say you''re different from those men, but it looks like you want to limit me as much as they do."


    Minos then smiled and said. "It is not excessive, as certain secrets cannot be told in public. But when I said that you would have to accept the deal after seeing my proof, it is partly because you would want to take this chance yourself with everything you have."


    "This is simply the best opportunity for you and Kyla." After saying this, Minos let the mother and daughter eat quietly while he went to have his breakfast. After all, Minos was far from the level where he would no longer need to eat to survive. Not only that, but good food could also bring a lot of satisfaction, even if there were no nutritional needs.


    Hours passed, and finally, Emlyn''s time for revenge came. All of Minos'' soldiers were already gathered in an outer courtyard of the mansion. Minos, Dillian, and Ruth were also sitting on a porch, looking at the three men kneeling on the floor.


    These were Gul, Dugal, and the muscular man. Minos intended to leave Yellow City in the next few hours, so he had to resolve the situation of these three. He then said out loud as he looked at Dugal. "You gave me real information, so I will let you live. Release your spiritual strength and let one of the soldiers here destroy your spiritual cultivation."


    To destroy one''s spiritual cultivation, there would be two ways to do this, first by seriously injuring that person''s soul and second by dissipating the individual''s spiritual energy and then destroying the cultivator''s sensitive organ.


    It was not enough to destroy this organ without the cultivation being dissipated beforehand. This is because the user''s spiritual energy always protected the organ, and it was impossible to destroy spiritual energy. It was not palpable, which made it indestructible, even for a God! The spiritual energy could only take shape from the point where the cultivator used spiritual techniques.


    Dugal then reluctantly released his spiritual energy. Quickly, those at level 40 realized that Dugal''s level had gone from level 43 to level 0 in just a few seconds.


    He looked exhausted. His face was completely pale after doing this. Soon after, one of Minos'' soldiers made a small cut at the height of Dugal''s neck, removing a small transparent gland from that place.


    This was the spiritual gland, the organ responsible for the spiritual manipulation of humans!


    Shortly after seeing this, Minos said out loud while looking at the two remaining men. "Well, there is no mercy for any of you. Sergeant Humbert, behead the muscular man and let the mother fox come here."


    After saying that, Emlyn quickly entered the courtyard with a bloody look in her eyes while she looked at Gul and then made her move!


    Most people in this place didn''t even notice when the muscular man lost his head. The sight of what the mother fox did was too shocking for them to look elsewhere!


    After jumping in Gul''s direction, she immediately started devouring the former bandit boss!


    "AHHH!"

 Chapter 72: Emlyns Story 1

    "Ahhh!"


    Gul cried out in despair as he saw the big fox devouring one of his legs. This was a shocking thing to see and feel. Imagine witnessing a beast devouring you little by little...


    At the same time that he felt enormous physical pain, Gul also had a latent feeling of fear, knowing that this spiritual beast would completely devour him.


    It was a maddening situation. A few days ago, he was excited about what this fox and her cub could do for him. But now... That was the end of the line for Gul.


    And with the physical pain and the fear of imminent death, Gul quickly began to lose his mind, screaming wildly and even laughing. ''Wow... It looks like he went crazy...'' Minos thought, seeing the scene.


    At the same time, all the soldiers who accompanied Minos on this trip were feeling bad about what happened. Seeing a person being gradually devoured by a spiritual beast was not easy to endure.


    Some of them started to vomit on the spot, while others were terrified of Emlyn. ''If she decides to accompany the young master, how can we relax?'' Many soldiers thought while they had expressions of discomfort on their faces.


    Ruth then asked Minos. "Don''t you care that she''s doing this?" She sighed and ended up saying. "Even though he is an enemy, I think it is very wrong to let a spiritual beast devour a human."


    "Eh, I don''t care. He''s getting what he deserves. It doesn''t make any difference if he''s a human and she''s a spiritual beast." Minos said without any change in his expression.


    With all the knowledge that Minos had, his personality could not be pious. He knew that there were far worse destinations than being eaten by a beast. This was very mild compared to the massacre of entire clans and tribes.


    In the Continent of the Beast, even within some tribes, the practice of cannibalism after battles between members of the same race was not uncommon. Thus, devouring human enemies was nothing more than a small action for these spiritual beasts.


    Hearing what Minos had said, Ruth stopped talking and started to think about it. This was a cruel world, where beasts were turned into human food every day, so why would it be weird if a beast did that to humans?


    It didn''t take long, and Emlyn entirely devoured the former bandit chief. After that, she turned and looked at Minos and then returned to the room, where she and her daughter were staying to wait for him.


    Minos had already told her to wait for him in that room if she wanted to see what he had to show her. Minos would not take her to the Spatial Kingdom from an open place full of people, like this courtyard.


    After the big five-tailed fox left the courtyard, the soldiers finally blew out a sigh of relief. It would be a lot less stressful for them if she weren''t around.


    "Ehh, alright guys, that''s all. Make the last preparations as soon as possible to leave the Yellow City." Minos said after letting out a sigh of relief. He had finally sorted everything out on this trip.


    "Okay, I almost forgot. Let the people of the Yellow City know that we are leaving today." He said before getting up and leaving where he was.


    After that, he walked alone to the first floor of the mansion, where Emlyn and Kyla stayed. This was a large room, almost empty and with a large carpet on the floor. Dillian had chosen this location to leave the fox pair, as there were no other places in this mansion available to them.


    Upon entering the room, Emlyn was lovingly licking Kyla''s hair while the little fox turned her belly towards her mother. Minos then said with a smile on his face. "I''m glad you decided to accept my offer. Now I''m going to take you and Kyla to a different place."


    "A different place?" The mother fox questioned.


    "Hmm, I need to touch the two of you for this." He then said as he bent down and picked up the little fox playing with her mother.


    "Au! Au!"


    After that, Minos placed another hand on Emlyn''s neck and then activated his unique ring, which allowed him to enter and leave the Spatial Kingdom.


    Upon noticing Minos'' action, Emlyn found it very strange but said nothing. However, repeatedly the surrounding space quickly changed, from an empty and ample room to a highly lush forest.


    "What?" She exclaimed aloud as she noticed the sudden change of scenery. ''Huh, this... He brought me to a completely different place...'' She stopped thinking about it when she felt her surroundings.


    This was a vibrant place in free spiritual energy in nature, with many plants, herbs, roots, all with a high-level spirituality. It was as if she had entered a treasure of the highest order!


    "How is this possible? Even the dragon tribe does not have such a place!" She exclaimed aloud as she ran from side to side.


    With the well-developed senses of a spiritual beast, she could feel how valuable this place was. But not only the spiritual medicines, the soil itself, the water, and even the air, were all the best possible quality. And the most impressive thing was not that, but the amount of each of the resources.


    "One, two... Twenty-nine... eighty-two... Gods, how can there be so many Saint-grade medicines in one place? And it is all the same type!"


    After sniffing and identifying many plants within the Spatial Kingdom, Emlyn finally returned to Minos with a look of admiration on her face. ''It was not for less! With such a place, he could even feed a dragon up to level 100!''


    She then approached Minos and asked curiously. "Is this a Spatial Kingdom? Why doesn''t he have any other humans or spiritual beasts here? I only managed to probe two humans besides you."


    Like humans, spiritual beasts that reach level 100 could also create Spatial Kingdoms. And like a beast of a high-level race, Emlyn knew a little about these cultivation sanctuaries. Even though her tribe had none of its, they knew about the Spatial Kingdoms of other races, such as dragons.


    But as far as she knew, these sites were used as headquarters, or general headquarters, where the most important members of these forces lived. These places were the best for individuals to cultivate, spiritual medicines to grow, and practically impenetrable for external enemies! So, it would be a significant waste to create such a place and not use it.


    "Ehh, for some reasons, this place was not designed to receive a large number of people. This Spatial Kingdom was made to receive a lot of spiritual medicines, as you can see."


    After saying this, Minos went to the house that was near the lake while holding the little fox, Kyla, and Emlyn following them.


    Upon reaching that place, Minos pulled out a chair and sat outside the house while looking out over the lake. He then said. "Well, now you''ve seen that I can help you both grow to your maximum potential, let''s talk about business."


    "What I want you to do is two things. First, you must concentrate on strengthening yourself in this place, but don''t eat high-level medicines without talking to me first. Second, I want you to run this place when I''m not here. As you can see..." Minos pointed to the two youths, who were training not far from the house.


    He then continued. "I don''t plan to turn this place into a city, as many of the powers of the Spiritual World do with their Spatial Kingdoms, but I still plan to bring some of my soldiers here. For now, it''s just those two, but in the future, there will be more."


    "And that must be your main job, at least until you reach level 70. If I need your help out there, I will also have to rely on your strength." He said sincerely.


    Upon hearing her duties from Minos, Emlyn thought this was too easy for her. Living in a place like this was the dream of any spiritual beast, so Minos did not need to ask for it. She was thinking of begging for it!


    "Since I will be part of your strength, does that mean that you will also help me when I need it?" The fox mother asked in a severe tone.


    "Hmm, that''s right."


    "Well, then you need to know why I came to give birth to my daughter in the north of the Central Continent." She started to speak in a sad voice.


    "About six months ago, my husband and I were kidnapped while traveling to the Divine Continent. After leaving the west of the Continent of the Beast, where our clan is located, we were intercepted by a pirate vessel from one of the powers of the Central Continent."


    "At that time, after we were kidnapped, due to a great storm that happened in that region where we were, the pirate vessel was thrown towards the north of the Central Continent, in the Kingdom of the End..."

 Chapter 73: Emlyns Story 2

    The Kingdom of the End was a kingdom located at the northern end of the Central Continent, being the last piece of land. To give you an idea, if someone traveled always following the north direction on this continent, after passing through the Kingdom of the Waves, that person would arrive at the Kingdom of the End.


    Emlyn continued to tell his story as he sat next to Minos''s chair. "For more than two months, we traveled on that pirate ship. At this point, I discovered that I was pregnant with my daughter."


    "After that, my husband planned our escape for the moment when we arrived here on the Central Continent. He was already in the 6th stage of cultivation, so he wanted to hold on to enemies while I ran away to a distant place. He wanted our daughter to have a chance."


    "In addition to him, other beasts that had been kidnapped joined my husband and decided to attack the pirates when we arrived at the continent. And although the other side was able to kidnap us, many of their men ended up dying during those two months of sailing."


    The route that the pirate ship that kidnapping Emlyn was on was one of the most dangerous in the Spiritual World. Usually, if someone wants to travel between the two continents, this will be done by the southern region of the Central Continent, the safest route.


    The Central Continent was an enormous landmass, which ran from the Spiritual World center to the extreme north of this planet. In comparison, the Continent of the Beast was a landmass between the extreme south and the opposite center of the planet.


    This caused the two continents to be closer to each other, both from the extreme south and north end of each of these continents. However, the sea in the north of the Central Continent was extremely dangerous, while the sea in the south was very calm.


    And because of the storm that the pirates went through, their vessel was thrown into the most dangerous sea, from which they could not simply return. Because in this sea, the sea currents are powerful, to the point of the arrays used in the ships cannot circumvent these natural forces.


    This made it possible to diminish the enemy forces of Emlyn and her husband. She then continued. "But that was still an arduous task. They had many Spiritual Kings and even a Spiritual Emperor on that ship."


    She stopped for a second while remembering what had happened with tears in her eyes. "When we arrived here on this continent, a great fight started, between the dozens of beasts and the pirates. While some of us were running away, I could see from a distance when my husband and other beasts sacrificed themselves to stop that Spiritual Emperor..."


    She stopped for a moment and then said. "After I ran away, I started to run as far as I could. That was until two months ago when I started looking for a safe place to give birth to little Kyla. It was at this point that I came to this region."


    While he heard this, Minos thought of the memories he had inherited from Henricus Longus. From then on, he knew that some of the prominent families in the south of the Central Continent, since that time, have sponsored pirate groups, which brought spiritual beasts from the Continent of the Beast.


    These families usually bought couples of spiritual beasts of the same race, leaving them together to procreate. After that, they killed the parents right after the cubs were born, preventing any ''bad influence'' from being passed on from parents to their cubs... That was the way these families tame these high-level spiritual beasts without them rebelling after reaching the intelligence of an adult human.


    These families did not see them as equal to humans, even for those who had the potential to reach level 70. For them, these beasts were only slightly better than the others and deserved only the position of servants of the great families of the Central Continent...


    Minos then said. "I''m sorry for your loss. But do you know what power is behind the pirate group that attacked them?"


    She shook her head and said. "No, I just saw a red triangular symbol on the clothes of some of them."


    "Okay, let''s do something about it in the future." Minos sighed and said. "But it will take a few decades, do you understand me?"


    "I know."


    Minos knew nothing about this symbol. But that was expected. His knowledge of geopolitics was from millions of years ago, so not knowing about it was expected. But that was a significant lead that he would follow when the time came.


    Minos then got up from his chair and said out loud in the direction of Alison and Lee. "You two, come here!"


    Upon realizing that Minos was here, the two youths ran towards him quickly. But soon, the two noticed two spiritual beasts alongside Minos. A little fox with a tail and a big one with five tails!


    They''ve never seen anything like this before. "Master, what do you want from us?" Lee asked as he looked at the two spiritual beasts.


    At the same time, Alison was about to pick up little Kyla when Minos said. "Lee, Alison, I want to introduce you to Emlyn. She will take care of everything here starting today." He then pointed to the mother fox, who was beside her.


    "Hmm, my name is Emlyn, and I will take care of the Spatial Kingdom."


    After hearing this, Lee almost lost his balance, and Alison stopped halfway before catching Kyla. The two could not believe that this beast could speak the human language!


    This was something they didn''t know since their Dry City was still very humble in that kind of information.


    "As long as you don''t use the medicines, I won''t get involved with any of you." She said as she looked at the two.


    "All right." The two waved in unison, afraid to irritate this new neighbor that they would have.


    Alison recovered from the shock after a while and asked in a low voice. "This is your son? What''s his name?"


    "She is my daughter. She''s called Kyla." Emlyn said calmly. ''These human children could be a good company for Kyla.'' She thought to herself. After all, Kyla had a lot of energy to play with, and there were no other fox cubs around here.


    After that, Minos spent time in the Spatial Kingdom to work out the last details with Emlyn and then return to the Yellow City mansion.


    ''Let''s see if everything is ready.'' Minos thought as he left the room where Emlyn was previously staying. He then headed toward the mansion''s exit, past the entrance garden, to the gate, where he saw young Ruth waiting.


    She was beautiful as always, wearing a dress that was neither too short nor too long, with a decent cleavage around her breasts and her beautiful black hair hanging loose in the air. Minos took a good look at her and then smiled as he approached her.


    Upon noticing the arrival of Minos, Ruth snorted and said. "Hmph, you finally decided to go out. Where are those foxes?"


    "They left. Maybe we''ll see them in the future..."


    She then frowned and looked at Minos''s face and asked. "Why are you smiling?"


    Minos said. "Nothing, I was thinking of something interesting... But never mind, let''s go. I want to go back and cultivate for a while before we go to the Cromwell Kingdom."


    "Oh! You''re finally starting to take this seriously... Maybe you''re excited, aren''t you?" She teased.


    "Hahaha, come on." Minos ignored what Ruth said, heading for the carriage that Dillian was in.


    It did not take long, and several carriages headed towards the exit of the Yellow City, going to the central region of the Black Plain.


    As they passed through the city, several residents noticed Minos'' movement while having different thoughts in their minds. Some of them wanted this person to stay and rule the Yellow City. Others were happy because they now had no arrogant, or violent, or any kind of leader who could harm them.


    They could self-govern themselves until a new administrator came to this place. And in the worst-case scenario, they would at least not be exploited in a short time. This was something to be celebrated by the unlucky people in Yellow City.


    ...


    In a restaurant in that town, a tall, strong man was standing next to a middle-aged woman while talking at the door of that establishment. When one of the two sighed, and that''s it. "He did what he had promised. He dealt with the bandits and then left. Perhaps the rumor spread by this one is true. What do you think, Ros?"


    "Hmm, I also think that way. I see no other reason than trying to attract labor to their city. Otherwise, they would not come to help us and then return without any gain." Ros said as he looked at the carriages of the Minos group moving away.


    "Well, it won''t be long until we''re sure of that. The groups left here must be in the Dry City by now..." The woman said excitedly.

 Chapter 74: Arriving at the Dry City!

    While the group of Minos traveled back to the Dry City, several groups that left the Yellow City were already within the largest city on the Black Plain.


    Since Minos asked for the release of information that there would be jobs here, many unemployed people got together and have moved towards this city to investigate the situation here.


    Upon arriving in the Dry City, they all had the same reaction. That was stupefying!


    They could hardly believe that this was the place that must have been far worse than their city. There was nothing to indicate that. Even the spiritual energy in the town was on par with that of the Yellow City.


    And not only that, seeing the lush fields of crops not far from the city showed them that there was indeed a great demand from farmers in this place. After all, the Dry City had less than 50,000 inhabitants, who certainly couldn''t handle all the work available!


    Because of this, by the time they got close to the city, almost all of these people already knew that the rumor was true.


    However, as they were already here, they wanted to learn a little more about this place.


    After all, just because there are opportunities, it doesn''t mean that the quality of life here is better!


    In certain places, these people could very well be enslaved!


    And at that point, they were even more excited. The city was experiencing steady growth, with several buildings being built in regions further away from the city center, with buildings being remodeled and expanded further to the core of the Dry City.


    It was the reality of a growing place, a land of opportunities!


    But it was not a disorderly and chaotic growth. No, everything seemed planned to have the best infrastructure possible.


    Some streets were extensive and connected several parts of the city, while there were places concentrated in certain activities, such as public buildings, residences, shops, etc.


    The image that the city had was also charming. There were public squares, lots of trees in the streets, clean and well-marked streets. In general, the town gave a very favorable impression to visitors of the Yellow City.


    ...


    Meanwhile, the pair of friends from the Yellow City, the merchant Lance and the alchemist Edric, was also already in the Dry City.


    They had arrived in the town of Minos yesterday morning and had already seen many things that had surprised them to the core of their beings.


    The very fact that it was possible to plant on these lands was something of inverting the sky and the earth.


    They had heard from residents of the Dry City about the ''miraculous'' deeds that Minos had been doing in the town. For both of them, this person was fascinating, maybe even supported by a great power from the Central Continent...


    At this time, the two were drinking tea on a balcony of the Four Seasons Hotel, where they were staying. The place was not luxurious, but it was well maintained and had a fabulous view of the city.


    There was a small table with space for two, a beautiful picture on a wall, and a glass balcony.


    Edric then broke the silence after drinking a cup of spiritual tea. "I''m honestly amazed by everything I''ve seen here. Although many things are missing in this city and the quality of services has not yet reached a high level, it is only a matter of time before this is resolved."


    Lance shook his head in agreement and looked at the view of the city as he said. "Hmm, indeed. But I''m curious as to the background behind this Minos Stuart. Once I was still at the beginning of my career as a trader, I heard an interesting story from a cultivator from the Eastern Empire."


    "Oh! I don''t remember you telling me about it before. How is this story?" The old alchemist asked curiously.


    "Haha, old friend, it happened over 200 years ago, so it''s normal for me not to remember those old things." Lance smiled as he said. "This may also just be a legend that has been augmented."


    "But anyway, the story goes like this. About 10,000 years ago, a revolutionary cultivator from the Eastern Empire emerged. According to the tale I heard, this person came from a humble background. Still, in a few centuries, he raised an entire weak region within that empire to a level equivalent to that of the strongest families in this world!"


    "After that, he became the foremost defender of that empire against its great enemy, the Western Empire. They say that the prominent families of the Western Empire have not yet reunified these empires because of him."


    "Oh! Was there such a character?" Edric asked in awe. It was genuinely admirable that a single person could defend an entire empire!


    This man would certainly deserve a round of applause!


    Lance laughed and said. "That''s what I heard. If I have a memory, this guy was called Vico Trevisani. But anyway, maybe that''s just a made-up story..."


    "And do you think that Minos looks like the cultivator of this story?"


    "Who knows, at least he will raise this place to a level that no one has achieved in hundreds of thousands of years. Even though he can''t compare to the achievements of Vico Trevisani, he could still have his name in the legends. Haha." The old man smiled after saying this.


    "But, changing the subject, you must be excited to do business with this place, right?" The old alchemist asked with a bit of interest.


    "Ehh, I am already very old. Perhaps I will pass this news on to my grandson. He is very talented, and it can help him earn his space within the family." Lance responded calmly.


    "And you? This is certainly a golden opportunity for an alchemist who is just one step away from reaching grade-2, like you."


    "Hmm, even if I didn''t want to, I would still have to come here. With this place developing, the Yellow City is finished for me. Many people from there will come here. Hell, I dare say that with this place, that city may well end up being abandoned..."


    "Hmm, but this is for the best. Even if this place already has another alchemist, he does not have the capacity to supply such demand." Lance said confidently.


    "Ehh. About that..."


    ...


    While the two old friends enjoyed a conversation while drinking tea and enjoying the city landscape, other groups were making discoveries in this new place.


    It didn''t take long, and someone found out about the Dry City alchemist and the super low prices that he was charging the city''s inhabitants!


    The pills were less than a third of the value found in other parts of the North of the Central Continent!


    That in itself was a great advantage for those with low talent who could not afford spiritual pills. Just by residing in this city, they could receive a discount of 700 crystals when purchasing a grade-1, high-grade pill.


    It was like the city was giving them these crystals!


    "Unbelievable, I can barely make 100 crystals a year, but these people get a discount of that size..." One of the Yellow City inhabitants said out loud to a friend who had informed him about it.


    "Hey, Bernard, I heard that they are also going to hire 600 soldiers in the next three months. It seems that the minimum criterion is to have Blue talent and be a resident of the Dry City." A tall man said while speaking to a close friend.


    "Eh? Only that?"


    "Of course not, idiot! Only those with the highest level of each stage of cultivation get the vacancies. But it is only a matter of time before we have our chance."


    "Oh! That''s nice. How about our group coming back soon? What do you think, Greg?" Bernard asked his friend.


    "Hmm, we better move our family here as soon as possible!"


    ...


    Time passed, and the group of Minos was already arriving in the Dry City.


    They quickly approached the entrance to the city, but nothing caught the group''s attention.


    This was a short trip of just over a week, so no significant changes were visible to the group that left for the mission in the Yellow City.


    "Ahh! Home, Sweet Home." One of the soldiers said as he stretched in one of the carriages.


    Not only was this soldier happy, but everyone else was glad too. This mission had paid off for all of them, and they still got a few weeks off because of it!


    It was simply the dream of many of them!


    At the same time, the butler Dillian looked at the city from inside the carriage and said to Minos. "I''m curious to know how many people came from the Yellow City in the past few days..."


    "Hmm, it''s only a matter of time before many of them come here." Minos smiled and continued. "Hehe, I want to see when I get back from the Spiritual Tournament how much the Dry City will improve... But grandpa Dillian will have a lot of work from now on. Haha."

 Chapter 75: Public Library 1

    Upon arriving in the Dry City, the group immediately headed back to Minos'' mansion, in the central part of the city. Once there, the group was received by secretary Mia and Sergeant Pyke, who had remained in charge of the city during these past days.


    When Pyke and Mia saw the group return without losses after just over a week, they knew that the mission had been successful, without significant setbacks. Because of this, they were both smiling while waiting to talk to Minos and Dillian about the things that had happened in the city in the past few days.


    "Welcome back, young master, butler Dillian." The two said in unison.


    At that point, the soldiers who had traveled with Minos returned to their homes, with Minos, Ruth, and Dillian heading towards the mansion''s interior.


    After walking for a few seconds, the group finally arrived at Minos'' office, where they could talk more peacefully.


    Upon arriving at his office, Minos quickly sat down in his chair and blew out a breath before speaking. "Well, how were those last few days here? Did something important happen?"


    Pyke, standing on the right side of Minos''s table, said with a smile on his face. "Haha, nothing problematic has happened, young master. But several people from the Yellow City have arrived in our city in the last few days."


    "Hmm, this is normal. We have already spread the rumor that there are job opportunities here in the Dry City, so many of them must have come to check this information out." Dillian said as he relaxed on one of the office sofas.


    "Ehh, well, this is good. It should not be long before the migration begins, but it will probably happen gradually, as has been happening with the populations that lived in other parts of the Black Plain."


    Minos was serious for a moment and said. "But inform these people, who are already here about the hiring schedule. They should know when the best time to come is."


    "Okay, I''ll do this as soon as I get back to headquarters." Pyke responded quickly.


    Minos did not want a large population to come at once. They could have many opportunities in the Dry City, but anyone interested in working in agriculture should wait to come here when the harvest is close to being done. Thus, it would not be long before they got their jobs in the fields of the Black Plain.


    Of course, if these families decided to come early, the Dry City would still welcome them with open doors, even before the next harvest occurs. Many other opportunities within the city demanded new people. So, those people who came earlier would still have something to do around here


    For example, the city currently had only one hotel. Certainly, some hotel families in Yellow City could take advantage of this fact and increase the number of hotels in the city. This action could create a growth cycle, with hiring employees, hiring builders, purchasing items in stores, food, etc., that could favor the local growth.


    Only adding a new hotel in the city could stimulate the local economy. But that was just something shorter. Many services were still lacking in the Dry City, such as high-end restaurants, blacksmith shops, array shops, medicinal shops, among many other necessary activities needed in a developed city.


    After Pyke gave his answer, secretary Mia then spoke for the first time. "Young master, the public library that you requested has been ready for a few days now."


    "Oh! I almost forgot about it, young master. As requested, I had passed on your order to secretary Mia, but I forgot to probe how this library was doing." Dillian said with an apologetic smile.


    Minos had given the order for this library to be built before he left for Stone Island months ago. He wanted to make Blue-grade techniques available so that anyone in the Dry City could learn its. This was an essential measure for strengthening the city''s population.


    This is because, although Blue-grade techniques do not attract the attention of the big powers in this part of the Central Continent, people with low talent and from outside large families, generally they could only be content with White-grade techniques!


    This was indeed a significant disadvantage for them, and it was challenging to resolve. To give you an idea, subordinates from large families and with Black talent generally had techniques of Blue-grade and one or two of Black-grade classification.


    Those with Blue talent generally had White-grade techniques, mostly, and Blue-grade techniques, in their minority. And those poor White talent people, even having a Blue-grade technique, could be considered a dream!


    And that was also one of the reasons why low-talent people cultivate so slowly.


    This was due to their low-grade cultivation techniques!


    For example, a White-grade technique has 40% efficiency, while a Blue-grade technique has 50%.


    With this, someone using a Blue-grade cultivation technique would be 25% faster in cultivation than someone using a White-grade cultivation technique!


    Such a difference was not slight. If these people cultivated for 100 years, one would gain a 25-year lead over the other!


    Talent could also increase or decrease someone''s cultivation speed, but the more significant effect of cultivation speed still depended more on the quality of the trained techniques.


    Because of that, people with excellent techniques could cultivate up to the 3rd stage of cultivation in a few years, but those individuals with inferior techniques had to work for decades to achieve this!


    Because of this, Minos had decided to release these techniques for the inhabitants of the Dry City to increase their strength more quickly.


    And as to why he didn''t do it before, it was because they didn''t have enough budget or even a high number of techniques of that grade.


    First, their budget was limited and was focused on increasing the cultivated land, increasing the numbers of the Black Plain Army, and buying the necessary resources for the soldiers of this place.


    As for the number of techniques, the Minos group originally had less than 100 of its, which was a too-small number to start a library.


    But as the army was formed, the butler Dillian was collecting Blue-grade techniques from soldiers who were receiving Black-grade techniques until he collected more than 1,500 techniques. This happened about four months ago before Minos gave the order for the public library to be built.


    Minos then smiled and said. "Well, there is no problem. Grandpa Dillian can pass on those Blue-grade techniques to the library. We will open it tomorrow for the population."


    After saying this, the group said goodbye, and each of them went about their business. Pyke went to resolve the issue of future immigrants from Yellow City. Mia continued with her administrative services while Dillian headed towards the library that had been built, not far from the mansion.


    As for Ruth, she went to her room, in the visiting area of ??Minos'' mansion, where she stayed. She wanted to rest from the last days of the trip, taking a good nap.


    After all, even for cultivators like her, it wasn''t comfortable to sleep during multi-day trips.


    As for Minos, he returned to the Spatial Kingdom and decided to rest for a few hours before training. It was better to rest in a place richer in spiritual energy and a quiet place like the Spatial Kingdom.


    This gave a feeling similar to sleeping in a heavenly place, with a pleasant temperature and the sound of the wind in the background.


    ...


    A few hours passed, and the news that the Dry City public library was to be opened had already spread throughout the city. Of course, Minos'' subordinates had done this under his orders. After all, it wouldn''t make sense to open a place like this if people did not know that.


    And because of that, thousands of people were very anxious because, for many of them, they could finally train a Blue-grade technique!


    But not only that, for many people this was also an opportunity to live more!


    After all, many cultivators of this city were already at the end of their lifespan, with only the hope that they would step up before their times were over!


    And with Blue-grade techniques and the living conditions of today''s Dry City, many of them were hopeful of being able to extend their lives for a few more decades or even centuries.


    This was also the goal of the children and grandchildren who watched their parents and grandparents dying little by little.


    These people wanted to work hard to pay for the spiritual pills, which could help their ancestors increase their life expectancy.


    ...


    Somewhere in the city, two women were talking about the recent news.


    "Hey Wanda, how about we go together to the opening of the public library tomorrow?" An adult woman asked a friend after hearing the rumor with her husband.


    Wanda then shook her head and said. "Hm, hm, I think we better wait a day or two. I think that place will be full tomorrow. We should wait to do that later."

 Chapter 76: Public Library 2

    Time quickly passed, and it was the day that the Dry City public library was opened.


    Minos did not plan to make any speeches or anything like that. He was not a populist who needed to appear to the people. No, he was the sovereign of this place, so he was bothered by the local development, but he was not concerned if people would like him more or less because of it.


    Minos just wanted to look at the place up close so that he could understand if everything was following his requests and if this was a place aimed at the citizens of the Dry City.


    That way, after having breakfast with Ruth and the butler Dillian, Minos did not delay and proceeded to the place where the library had been built.


    The place was not far from the mansion of Minos, just about 10 minutes walk.


    In fact, this part of the city had several other public buildings, such as the Preparatory Academy of the Dry City, the Black Plain Army''s headquarters, and the mansion of Minos.


    As they approached the library site, Minos'' group soon came across a masses of hundreds crowded in front of that place.


    ''Wow, this really seems to be important to these people.'' Ruth thought as she saw this.


    This was shocking to her. After all, Ruth had grown up as a disciple of the Gray Cloud Sect, where she never had to worry about the quality of her techniques. And not only that, but Ruth also did not know the reality of those with low-talent people who lived in impoverished regions, like the population of the Dry City.


    For her, this whole trip to accompany Minos to the Spiritual Tournament had been a great lesson in her life.


    She was learning about the difficulties of those at the base of the Central Continent society, who were responsible for doing those services that people like her did not want.


    People like her wanted to eat food rich in spiritual energy and receive their arrays and weapons wherever they were. But it was only after that trip that she began to understand what these people had to do and how they were poorly paid for it. And for these people, even Blue-grade technicians could still make them happy!


    While Ruth had many thoughts about this place, Minos'' group finally arrived in front of the library building.


    In this place, there was a rectangular building, with construction with a large roof showing in the middle. There was also a name at the top of the building that said, Dry City Public Library.


    It was exactly what this place was. Minos didn''t want to put a strange name or even give his own name to a building. That would sound very narcissistic to him. So, he chose to keep things simple and leave a simple name like this.


    Meanwhile, the crowd soon recognized Minos and his group, becoming even more agitated. These people were pleased that this place was being opened and also because of the presence of the person who was changing their lives.


    Upon arriving in front of the building, several soldiers from the Black Plain Army were already at the site. They were here to ensure the safety of the people, preventing a big uproar from forming. They also had to ensure that Minos entered the site before it finally opened to the public.


    Upon entering the building, Minos was attended by one of the people who had been hired to work in that place. He also lengthened all the employees responsible for the site''s security, receptionists, cleaning staff, and those who registered and cataloged all the techniques present in this building.


    Although the number of current techniques was small, it would not be long before this place had tens of thousands of parchments, which would certainly need to be subdivided into certain zones to facilitate citizens'' access.


    At that point, the director chosen for that library stepped forward and said. "Welcome to the Dry City Public Library, young master. My name is Ivy, and I''m responsible for showing you the library''s facilities."


    "Hmm, come on." Minos replied without showing any change in his expression.


    "First, this place where we are in is the library''s entrance hall. This is where citizens will have to pass to access the library, where they will be able to find bathrooms, and identify themselves to access the cultivation techniques of this place."


    "To get the entry permission, the citizens just need to use their citizen identification array, which each inhabitant of the Dry City earns when paying the city''s annual tax for the first time."


    They then left the entrance hall, which was basically a reception, in the shape of an ellipse and with six side aisles on the right and left sides of that place. Each of these corridors led to large spaces with multiple shelves and individual rooms.


    They entered one of the corridors, and Ivy continued her presentation. "The six corridors we saw earlier in the entrance hall lead to places where cultivation techniques are divided into: attack, defense, moving, cultivation, support, soul, just as the young master asked."


    "In this corridor that we are going through, we will arrive at the place where the techniques focused on the attack are."


    Soon after, after leaving a corridor of about 30 meters, which had several plants and windows to the street, the group arrived at a square place, with several side shelves and some tables in the central part of the place.


    There were also some rooms upstairs where cultivators could learn to use these techniques.


    "For now, as we have few copies of each technique, library users will not be able to borrow any of them. Therefore, they will be able to use the rooms on the upper floors to learn the basics of each technique."


    For the techniques in question, cultivators generally only needed to train them for a few hours with the parchment. Then they could follow their training on their own. The technique parchment was used only when a cultivator learned a new technique.


    Ivy then said. "We currently have 100 individual rooms in each section of the building, giving us a capacity of up to 600 people at the same time."


    They then proceeded to the upper floors, where these individual rooms were.


    These rooms were divided into four floors, on which on all floors there was a large quadrangular opening that overlooked the area of ??the tables in the section they were in.


    As in the place where the group of Minos was, the part specialized in techniques focused on attack.


    After seeing the rooms, which had an average size of about 50 square meters, the group ended their visit to the Dry City Public Library.


    As soon as they said goodbye to the staff in that building, Ruth asked with a curious smile on her face. "I don''t know if I understood the reason for the soul-focused techniques section. You know that such a technique could only be learned by a Spiritual Saint, right?"


    "I know that." Minos said dryly.


    "Do you know? So, do you expect many Spiritual Saints to come and learn techniques in this place?" Ruth said as she held her laugh.


    She knew this place would get stronger, but it was still ridiculous that Minos was planning to have Spiritual Saints living in the Dry City!


    Even in her sect, there were not many of these experts...


    But young Ruth did not know an important fact, which was about the fact that the spiritual root of the Black Plain is slowly recovering. With that, in less than 30 years, this place would be as rich in spiritual energy as the headquarters of the Gray Cloud Sect!


    "You don''t have to worry about that. What difference does it make to you?" Minos asked while hiding the truth from Ruth. Their relationship was excellent, and Minos didn''t care that Ruth attended his meetings, but he didn''t need to tell the secrets that could take his life!


    That was just the most reasonable thing to do!


    After that, the group left and welcomed the external public to enjoy the local library.


    ...


    After Minos'' group left the building, one of the soldiers came to the audience and said it aloud. "Welcome to the Dry City Public Library. I ask you to form 5 lines for those who want to enter. One for those who want to learn..."


    The soldier gave all the necessary instructions for safe entry into the building, stressing the limit of people who could enter at once.


    It didn''t take long, and 500 people entered the library with big smiles on their faces. At the same time, the people outside were quite euphoric with the expectation of learning new techniques.


    And of the five lines, obviously the one for the cultivation techniques section, it was the longest of all, easily passing a thousand people. But luckily, the soldiers had prepared a place for these people. Otherwise, the line would pass through several city blocks!

 Chapter 77: Public Library 3

    After the Dry City Public Library opening, two days passed quickly, but the place was still vibrant. In this period, more than 6,000 inhabitants of the city had passed through this building, and there were constantly queues in the region where the library was.


    And while the citizens of the Dry City took advantage of this new service, visitors to the Yellow City were also super excited to move here. With that, they could pay the annual tax of 1 low-grade crystal and get their identification array to access this library.


    Because of this, those visitors who were still getting to know the city, after learning the library''s rules, left with prey to return to their hometown. They no longer wanted to waste time, bringing their families to the Dry City as soon as possible.


    ...


    Meanwhile, the two old friends who came from the Yellow City found out the rumor about this place and were now walking through the Dry City streets while they talked.


    "Ehh, it looks like this Minos is even more impressive than we thought. I''ve never seen anything like this before! Even the royal family of the Kingdom of the Waves, one of the strongest in this region, would never give their Blue-grade techniques to the common population!" Old Lance said with a serious look on his face.


    "Hmm, if before I had no choice, now it got even worse... Hehe, at this rate, it is only a matter of time before the Yellow City is completely abandoned. You can''t compete with that." The old alchemist said with a smile on his face.


    He had nothing against moving to the Dry City, but he was amazed by the ''aggressive'' measures that Minos was taking.


    Did he want to raise the population level without worrying about them being his subordinates? Or was he so confident in his strength that he could do it without fear of the people going against him?


    After all, retaining Blue-grade cultivation techniques was a measure to concentrate power in the hands of the dominant families in the north of the Central Continent. This is because these families had few Black-grade techniques.


    Therefore, what defined regional power was the Blue-grade techniques!


    If numerous cultivators with Blue-grade techniques decided to rebel... Even the most prominent families in this impoverished part of the continent could be completely wiped out!


    A cultivator with better techniques could deal with several enemies. Still, if the number of enemies was too high, it would only be a matter of time before defeat happens. For this reason, noble families generally retained many techniques to avoid civil war.


    "Hmm, I was thinking about letting my grandson take over, but it looks like I''m going to have to make the first contact. Otherwise, another person from the Kingdom of the Waves could partner with him before us." Lance said with a concerned look.


    For the old merchant, this library and agriculture in the Dry City, together, could attract the entire population of the Yellow City in a few months. And not only that, it would not take long, and other places would also start receiving news from here. So, if he didn''t take advantage of this moment to meet Minos, then he could only regret it in the future for missing out on this big chance.


    "Why don''t you come back and make your grandson come here then?" Edric asked curiously. He then continued. "I am sure that the Dry City will still be a few months away from undergoing major changes."


    "I know that, but little Todd is already traveling to the Cromwell Kingdom to participate in the Spiritual Tournament, so he should only be returning in almost seven months." Old Lance said proudly. His grandson had a Black talent, level 38, at 18, and it wouldn''t be long before he passed his grandfather''s level.


    "Oh! I almost forgot about that. I hope he does well in this competition. He can have an even better future with that." Edric said as he massaged his mustache with a smile on his face.


    After talking all the way to Minos'' mansion, the two finally stopped when they entered that busy place. There were currently people coming and going in droves all day in that place. After all, the mansion was the center of operations, which controlled the army, the group of farmers, the library, city administration, and the spiritual academy.


    So, having a few hundred people coming and going at any time of the day was very typical for this place now.


    After asking the soldiers on guard at the mansion for directions, the two old men soon arrived in the area where Minos''s office was located.


    At this point, there was almost no movement, with only a comfortable waiting room, with sofas and a decor that could entertain those who pass by. There was also a reception, where a young woman with a voluptuous body was working.


    That was Mia.


    Upon noticing the two old men in the room, Mia soon put aside what she was doing and came to receive them. "Hello, welcome to the Dry City government mansion. How can I help you?"


    "Hm, hello, young lady. We want to speak with the local sovereign. My name is Lance Cohen, and this is my friend, Edric. We came from the Kingdom of the Waves, and I believe that we can do business with this city." Lance spoke politely, without any arrogance.


    "Oh! So that''s it, I''m going to talk to the young master right now and see if he can meet you." Mia said before leaving for Minos''s office.


    ...


    "Young master, about the development of the base..." A soldier was speaking when Mia suddenly entered the room and went to Minos''s table.


    "Young master, I''m sorry to bother you, but there is a person from the Kingdom of the Waves asking to see you. He says he wants to do business with our city."


    Upon hearing this, the butler Dillian who was also in the office smiled and said. "Haha, that was pretty quick."


    "Oh! Then that''s it..."


    After that, Mia informed Minos about the names of these visitors and then went out to bring them to Minos'' office.


    The young Stuart was always willing to make new allies!


    A few seconds later, Minos dispatched the soldier who was up to date on constructing the base on the coast of the Black Plain while waiting for the two old men.


    Soon after, a man with a white beard and another with a mustache and white hair entered the room.


    Seeing how young Minos was, the two could hardly believe it. They expected to find a young adult or something, but that sovereign was even younger than Lance''s grandson!


    After looking in shock at Minos for a second, Lance finally tried to fix himself by stirring his beard and said.


    "Cough! Nice to meet you, Mr. Minos. We heard about you for the first time in the Yellow City. I just didn''t think you were that young!"


    "Hmm, nice to meet you too. I already expected something like this to happen... But anyway, what business did you come to talk about?" Minos asked in curiosity.


    There were many possibilities for that, considering that these old men probably already got a good look at the Dry City. Still, Minos was not sure what they wanted. So, he was curious about these two.


    "To the point, I like it. There are many possibilities. I can supply items for spiritual arrays, medicines for alchemists, I can sell your cultures in the Kingdom of the Waves, etc."


    "I understand... As for selling my crops in the Kingdom of the Waves, this may take a few years to happen since I am already supplying to another region, and I am not able to assist elsewhere for so soon."


    "But my city certainly needs an array shop, or a blacksmith shop, etc. We need more alchemists too, and of course, the resources for that."


    Lance then smiled and said. "So that''s it, well, we can open a store in your city, where the population or the government itself could buy and order all of these items."


    "As for bringing array masters here, this is not easy. I recommend that you visit the Kingdom of the Waves and negotiate directly with the array masters. Our kingdom has many experts in this area, so you can find someone who agrees to make a deal and come to this region."


    "Oh! That''s good, having a store in our city can make things easier for us. As for visiting the Kingdom of the Waves, I will do so in the future."


    After that, the group chatted for a while, with Lance introducing Edric as an alchemist. Upon learning of this, Minos immediately made the same offer to Edric that he had made to Davis.


    After all, Devis alone would not be able to suppress the demand for pills in this ever-growing city. And when he heard Minos'' offer, Edric immediately accepted it, being very happy to have come with his friend Lance.


    Otherwise, no one in the Dry City would do business with him since the price difference would be truly huge!


    With that, it was agreed that the Cohen family would open a store in the Dry City, where items related to alchemy and arrays would be sold and ordered.

 Chapter 78: Training in the Spatial Kingdom

    A month quickly passed in the Dry City. During this period, practically all the original citizens of the city passed through the local public library, learning at least one cultivation technique of Blue-grade.


    It was a busy month for these people, who had to face long lines just about every day. After all, many of them were already at least in the 3rd stage of cultivation, so they could use up to 3 techniques.


    And even though they needed time to get used to their new techniques, many citizens returned to find defensive or attack techniques in that period. So, there were always many people standing in line, waiting to enter the Dry City Public Library.


    Several families moved from Yellow City to here during this period, further accelerating local growth. According to the Black Plain Army estimates, about 4,000 people had already moved here in the meantime since Minos and his group had returned.


    At this time, Minos was cultivating within the Spatial Kingdom with the young Lee, Alison, and the nine-tailed foxes.


    Lee was resting under a tree while Alison played with little Kyla, who had already grown a few inches since she moved here. The growth rate of this little fox was excellent, and according to Emlyn, she should be able to reach her second tail in another month!


    As for the two youths had increased one level in that period, reaching levels 24 and 23 for Lee and Alison, respectively.


    At the same time, Emlyn was lying on the side of the lake, watching Minos cultivate. She was very happy to have come to this place. Here, she could relax and watch her daughter grow up without being disturbed by the dangers that the Central Continent had for spiritual beasts like them.


    Minos was seated not far from the house while cultivating his specialized cultivation technique, Solar God Breath. He was in a meditative position, breathing slowly as if he were completely unaware of his surroundings.


    All he felt, at that moment, was the spiritual energy around him. Each time he inhaled, a flow of free spiritual energy in nature gathered around him as it was gradually absorbed by Minos'' body.


    It didn''t take long, and the sun''s rays within the Spatial Kingdom passed through Minos, just as he was breaking through to the next level!


    At that moment, the air around the young Stuart began to slightly distort, as if it were one of those mirages on hot days. And a few seconds later, the low popping sound was heard!


    Crack!


    After that, a beam of spiritual energy quickly entered Minos'' body, and he finally reached level 36!


    ''Ahh! It''s really nice to be stronger...'' Minos opened his eyes and blew out a breath. After leveling up, his body was full of energy, to the point where he felt a sense of satisfaction with himself.


    Shortly after that, Minos began his training in battle techniques. First, he trained the Spatial Sword technique until he ran out, executing a few dozen moves.


    After eating some spiritual fruits and absorbing the energy of some low-grade crystals, he activated an array of attacks while beginning to train his defense technique, Indestructible Body. And finally, he eventually trained his support technique, Devouring Art.


    But this technique was somewhat strange to increase the user''s proficiency since he needed to use this technique in living beings or spiritual arrays. He literally had to waste several crystals in an array to train this technique or to battle almost constantly.


    Devouring Art did not devour free spiritual energy in nature, only being effective against the energy stored in living beings or manipulated by spiritual arrays. So, it was not possible for Minos to simply train the technique in other ways.


    As for why Minos was not fighting anyone, this was because he was already much stronger than the soldiers over his power, and he preferred to train within the Spatial Kingdom.


    He also couldn''t use this technique on Emlyn since she had much more than 100% more spiritual energy than Minos, so she could ignore the effect of the technique. After all, she was almost in the 6th stage of cultivation, while Minos was just over half of the 4th.


    Finally, Minos finished his training and returned to his mansion after taking a long shower in the Spatial Kingdom. He wanted to stay a few more weeks in the Dry City before finally leaving for the Cromwell Kingdom, where he would participate in the Spiritual Tournament.


    ...


    As Minos walked from his residence, inside the local government mansion, to the administrative part of the building, he came across a beautiful young woman with long black hair coming towards him. She had sexy curves and a cute expression that would make anyone rethink her age. That was Ruth.


    She looked at Minos for a second and soon noticed that there was a slight change in his spiritual energy. ''Hmm? Did you level up again?'' She thought as she probed young Stuart.


    She then said. "Well, you''re already at level 36. Don''t you think it''s time for us to go to the Cromwell Kingdom?"


    "Ehh, it''s still early. There are still about 4 months to go. We will wait until 3 months to go. Only then will we make this trip." Minos said with a subtle smile.


    "Hmph, you must be wanting to delay my cultivation by making me stay here. Maybe you don''t feel good about being accompanied by a beautiful young woman who is stronger than you..." She complained in a provocative voice.


    "Haha, you shouldn''t have delayed your cultivation, as you must have a lot of spiritual crystals with you. As for the other thing, I don''t even think it''s bad to be protected by a beauty like you..." Minos said while flirting with Ruth.


    Upon hearing this, Ruth blushed and said before leaving. "Hmph, do you think I''m going to fall for your conversation? I''m not like that Stone Island bitch!"


    ''Hehe, this we will find out...'' Young Stuart whispered in a low voice with the corners of his mouth slightly lifted upwards.


    In addition to being the most talented person Minos knew, Ruth was also beautiful! She had a beauty that could move the masses, with her flawless face and a sensual body that could make any man''s blood boil!


    For these reasons and the fact that he was a young man at the beginning of his sex life, Minos had certain desires about Ruth. After all, it was difficult to avoid this. The two had been spending a lot of time together since Stone Island. In these situations, the sexual tension was quite common...


    ...


    After getting the indecent thoughts out of his head, Minos arrived at his office and received some reports from secretary Mia.


    First, according to Mia, the city was growing very fast, and soon the old city walls would be unusable. And with that, the city would be exposed to anyone who wanted to enter here, including possible wild spiritual beasts.


    Second, according to the soldiers sent to the coast, the base of that place was almost complete, being within the deadline to receive the Nash family ships within 1 month.


    "Hm, I see. It is good that this base is already ready. This will avoid any delay in our first export to Stone Island." Minos sighed and then said with a serious look. "As for the city''s wall, make arrangements for a new one to be built."


    "We are going to do this around 10 kilometers from the current city. This will be great for the size of our town at the moment, but it will avoid the need to do it again in a short time. We will also make 4 checkpoints, where there will be small bases of operation for the Black Plain Army."


    Upon hearing all of this, Mia shook her head and said before leaving the room. "Okay, young master. I will prepare for these matters to be resolved as soon as possible."


    ''This will also be an excellent measure to employ these immigrants from the Yellow City. It will still be a few months before they are hired by local agriculture...'' Minos thought as he did the calculations with his fingers.


    It would be good if these people who have already moved to the Dry City would not be unemployed. And with the new wall, these people could have a temporary occupation for the next few months. This would stimulate the local economy, with more people buying and paying for services within the city.


    The Black Plain Army would also hire another round soon, but the number was still too small to make a big difference at the moment.


    ...


    After that, the next few weeks were very quiet in the Dry City, until finally, it was time for another harvest.


    With that, regular trade in the Stone Island would start quickly, and as soon as these items were sold, the Plain Black could reinvest the crystals in more areas within the city.


    It was also time for Minos to begin his journey to the Cromwell Kingdom, which he had been putting aside since he had met Ruth on Stone Island.

 Chapter 79: Leaving for the Spiritual Tournament

    It dawned slowly in the Dry City when Minos and Ruth got ready to leave. This time, only the two would travel to the Cromwell Kingdom since the journey was too long, and Minos'' soldiers would no longer be helpful in protecting him.


    Minos was almost reaching level 37, so if he couldn''t handle something, his soldiers definitely couldn''t either. Of course, a large group could help him, but that would only delay them and even create some problems.


    That way, traveling alone would help the two keep a low profile and be faster. Butler Dillian would be in charge of the Dry City during this period. The two youths, who were in the Spatial Kingdom, have now returned to their families. Both took advantage of the training time and once again managed to increase their level.


    It would not be long before the two reached a relevant role within the Black Plain Army with such speed.


    In the past few weeks, the harvest had been made and sent to the army base on the coast of the Black Plain. Minos hoped that his products would begin to be sold on Stone Island in less than a week.


    And according to his calculations, it would not be long before Elen sent his payment, which would allow the expansion of the actions of the Dry City. Because of this, Minos was very eager to go to and from the Cromwell Kingdom and then seeing all the changes that would take place in his territory.


    After all, Minos'' products would be sold for more than twice what he charged within his territories. So, it was pretty exciting for him to think of all the things that could be resolved with these extra crystals!


    Finally, Minos and Ruth decided to leave the city as soon as the day cleared.


    It would be better for them since the first town after the Dry City was almost a full day of travel, and with that, they could stop to rest in that place.


    ...


    Right now, Minos and Ruth were on the south side of the town, saying goodbye to butler Dillian and a few other members of the Dry City government. There was also a large eagle with white feathers and a yellow beak waiting for them.


    "Have a nice trip, young master. I hope you do well in the Spiritual Tournament." Secretary Mia said with a smile on her face.


    Pyke then laughed out loud and said. "Hehe, considering the strength of the young master, I doubt if anyone is his match!"


    He then continued. "But young master, how long will you be gone?"


    "I think about four months, more or less. The Spiritual Tournament will take place exactly three months from now, and after that, I still have to travel for almost a month to get here." Minos said as he looked around and thought about the trip.


    According to Ruth, it would take them three weeks to get there, but Minos was unsure what the trip would be. After all, he would prefer to go a little slower, taking time to train, than running nonstop to the Cromwell Kingdom''s capital.


    "It''s a long time..." Dillian said with a thoughtful expression. "But this is a good opportunity for the young master."


    After that, Ruth and Minos finished saying goodbye to all of them and finally climbed on the great white eagle. This bird was over 2 meters high and could easily carry up to 3 people in comfort.


    As they climbed on the eagle, Minos realized a type of cell where he and Ruth could sit. The young woman then said with a smile on her face. "You can sit behind me, but don''t try anything funny!"


    "Hmm, it''s okay," Minos replied as he took his seat. Soon after, the bird took a big leap forward and started flying towards the south of the Black Plain.


    When that happened, Minos, who had no experience with flying spiritual beasts, was startled and immediately hugged Ruth''s waist.


    "Hey! What are you doing?" She asked with a red face as she felt Minos''s arms around her. They had already flown a few hundred meters, but young Stuart had never released her.


    "I''m holding on to you. Where else can I do that? Your eagle is very fast, and I''m not used to it." Minos said with a slight smile on his face.


    ''Hmph, just apologies...''


    Minos then changed the subject and asked her curiously. "Ruth, those three weeks of travel, you said, are you traveling slowly or just stopping to rest?"


    "Stopping just to rest, don''t you think we''re already too late?"


    "No, I think we even have too much time. We are going to make the trip little by little. I don''t want to stop training for three weeks just to arrive earlier in the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom."


    Minos had a good reason to do this. His techniques of Golden-grade, in addition to being more efficient, also demanded a more great domain for him to advance to the next phase.


    He needed to train it for longer than other people with lower grade techniques. So, Minos didn''t want to stop training for three whole weeks, just because of a tournament that he didn''t need to win!


    His goal was to make some important contacts, but he did not actively participate in the competition itself. This was secondary to him, which would test his own strength.


    "Hmph, I know that you are powerful, but you are taken very lightly. Look at my case, I am 18-years-old, and I am already at level 45. I will not participate in this competition because I am already a member of a sect of the Flaming Empire. Still, there may be others like me in this place."


    "With Silver talent, or even Black talent, we don''t need outside help to get to the 5th stage, but many people don''t care about that and the fact that pills always leave toxins in our bodies. Some people will use everything they have to raise their level quickly."


    This was a fact in the world of cultivation. Those with high talent generally avoided taking pills or spiritual medicines at the early cultivation levels, as this had a delayed effect at higher levels.


    When someone takes a spiritual pill, for example, some impurities are deposited in that cultivator''s body. But in the initial stages, the cleansing that the body receives from advancing between stages was minimal. It was unable to eliminate all these toxins.


    The most direct result of this was that these impurities would hinder the speed of cultivation and even the strength of these individuals.


    This would be like someone who cannot perform at his maximum in a race because he has the flu or other illness that limits him. That is why intelligent cultivators like Minos and Ruth, who knew that to go further, it was necessary to be calm.


    They did not use pills or spiritual medicines until they reached their first bottlenecks in cultivation!


    But not everyone was aware of or cared about it.


    In a region like the north of the Central Continent, a cultivator with Silver talent could quickly reach the Spiritual King stage before the age of 23 if they used external resources for this.


    And as this was a region dominated by people from that stage, some individuals were in a hurry to reach level 50, using these non-recommended methods.


    "I know that. You don''t have to worry about that, Ruth. I am not going to try to be the champion. Sure, I''m going to fight seriously in the tournament, but I''m not looking for that." Minos said in a solemn voice as he continued to hug Ruth''s waist.


    Ruth had already gotten used to Minos''s arms at this point, or rather, she was ignoring it with praise. She then said. "You have problems with my master, and she thinks that sending you to this tournament is a way for you to learn how big the world is. Don''t you want to prove that she is wrong?"


    Ruth said this provocatively. She wanted to see if Minos would be affected by this and would try harder to win the Spiritual Tournament. After all, Minos was still a 16-year-old, and he must have had his impulsive behaviors...


    He then asked. "And will she watch this competition?"


    "Hmm, I don''t think so. The sect usually sends a Spiritual King to do the enlistment work. Sending someone as my teacher would not be worth it."


    "So if I win, I won''t be able to have the satisfaction of showing her that she was wrong. Hehe, it makes no difference." Minos said provocatively.


    He knew very well what Ruth was trying to do, but it didn''t work for him. He had his problems with his mother, but that wouldn''t make him make stupid mistakes, just to prove something to someone he doesn''t respect!


    "Ah! You are very boring." She complained in a low voice when she saw that Minos would not fall into her trap.


    ...


    Several hours quickly passed. The sun was already setting on the horizon when Minos and Ruth began to approach the first city on their path since they had left the Dry City.

 Chapter 80: The City of Waters

    As Ruth''s eagle descended into the sky, Minos could see the city lights getting closer and closer.


    This was an even bigger city than the Yellow City, with more than 100,000 inhabitants.


    Minos had obtained this information from the butler Dillian before they left Dry City. According to the information he had received, this city had a slightly better spiritual density than the Yellow City and had no problems with criminal groups.


    And this place was not considered a burden by the noble families of the Cromwell Kingdom. After all, with the tax levied by the local sovereign, it was still possible to earn more than half a million crystals a year in this place. And there was local agriculture, which yielded another slice as big. Because of this, the family that was the sovereign of this region had someone managing and even investing in the city.


    Of course, it was nothing impressive, but at least there were investments here, unlike the Yellow City and the old Dry City before Minos arrived.


    But it was not only that. This city had two large regional rivers passing through here, which facilitated access to exports and imports from the region and facilitated people''s lives. This was also very useful for the crops planted here in this city.


    Thus, due to the geographical characteristics of this region, this place was known as the City of Waters, where two great rivers of this part of the continent converged and went together towards the ocean.


    Elena had told Minos to attract the people of this city to his own territory. Still, he realized that she did not know precisely the reality of this place.


    Because even though this was a border region with the Black Plain, there were no problems with the local soil. The population could cultivate the land in the area, and the spiritual density was slightly better than that of the Dry City, even after the spiritual arrays.


    All of this made it more difficult for the Minos region to recruit people from this place. But he would still try this since that was the best alternative that remained after the Yellow City. And if only the unemployed population left the city, perhaps the sovereign family would not go so far with this...


    Finally, Minos and Ruth descended from the north side of the city, where there was one of the entrances to the town. When they arrived at this place, there was almost no movement.


    After all, it was already night, and it was not advisable to travel after that time. Some cultivators wore clothes with the same pattern on this site, which looks like a crown with three teeth. This was the symbol of the royal family of the Cromwell Kingdom.


    ''Oh! The royal family of this kingdom even dispatched soldiers to this place¡­'' Minos thought about it when he saw the guards'' uniforms, who were standing at this entrance to the city.


    Having soldiers of the royal family in border cities was very common.


    After all, this was how the kingdoms had to control the entry and exit of people from their realms. This just didn''t happen in the Yellow City because it was too insignificant for the Kingdom of the Waves. Still, there would certainly be a post with royal guards in the next city.


    "Good night, and welcome to the Cromwell Kingdom. If you are allied merchants in the kingdom, there is no entry fee. Otherwise, you must pay a tax of 400 low-grade spiritual crystals per person." A guard said as he looked at Ruth strangely. It wasn''t every day that he saw such beauty!


    But immediately, the guard''s expression froze when he saw young Ruth takes a red medallion from her spatial ring. This was a very important symbol that any guard in this kingdom would recognize.


    "The flaming medallion?" The guard said in disbelief. He could not believe that he had looked luxuriously at someone who came from the Flaming Empire and had a medallion from one of the prominent sects.


    This was an ''item'' used by members dispatched by the great sects of that empire to observe the Spiritual Tournament. They even had the power to invite someone into the empire!


    Therefore, someone with possession of this ''item'' would be treated in the best possible way in any kingdom in the north of the Central Continent.


    "Sorry, madam, there is no need to pay any fees." He said quickly as he looked at the floor.


    "Hmph, let''s go, Minos." She said coldly as they entered the city. She didn''t want to waste her time teaching that guard a lesson just because he pissed her off a little.


    Minos then said quietly so that Ruth would think he didn''t want her to hear. "That''s the problem with being so pretty..."


    ''Hmm.'' Upon hearing this, she smiled slightly in satisfaction.


    In the meantime, they proceeded to the central part of the city, where Ruth said there was a decent hotel for them to spend the night. As they walk through the streets of the City of Waters, Minos could see how lively this place was.


    Many people came and went on the streets, with several low-level spiritual beasts and even a few carriages!


    The place also had many lighting arrays on the streets, making it more pleasant to walk around this place at night than in the Minos'' city.


    This is because there were not many lighting arrays in the Dry City yet. After all, Minos needed to invest in more urgent matters at the moment. And also, because there was nowhere where these items were sold before the deal he had made with merchant Lance Cohen.


    Because of that, the Dry City was still a bad place to stroll at night since most of the city had to be lit by whale oil lamps!


    But Minos had already planned to change that as soon as possible. With the arrival of the Cohen family store, that could certainly be changed in a few months, when his forces had the budget to do this.


    Finally, after passing through some buildings and public squares, Minos and Ruth finally arrived at the hotel. This place had a large 6-story building, with several terraces and a name written on the top of the building, saying, ''Midnight Hotel.''


    There was no outside or living area, just a place to park carriages before stopping there. Shortly after that, Minos and Ruth entered the reception and were attended to by a middle-aged man.


    "Good night, welcome to the Midnight Hotel. Can I find out if you have a reservation?" The man asked politely while sitting on the opposite side of a long counter.


    Ruth then said. "I don''t have a reservation, but we are only going to spend the night. I think two common rooms are fine for us."


    "Oh! Then that''s it. Let me see how the availability is..." The man said in a low voice as he turned to look at a frame with many numbers and staples. But there was only one key in one of the clamps...


    "Unfortunately, I only have one room left..." He said in disappointment. "Are you going to want this room?"


    Upon hearing this, Ruth blushed and said. "I think we''re going to look for another hotel."


    "I understand, but I really recommend that you keep this room."


    Minos then looked at the man and asked. "Why you say this?"


    "Ehh, well, you must know about the Spiritual Tournament that is going to happen in a few weeks in our kingdom, right? Because of this, many people are passing through the city right now. After all, not only are competitors going to this tournament..." The man said sincerely.


    He was trying to help Minos and Ruth since they might as well be left with no options if they left.


    "OK, I understand. So, let''s keep this room." Minos said quickly.


    Upon hearing this, the man at the front desk turned to get the keys to the room, while Ruth was frozen and completely embarrassed beside Minos.


    Although sexuality in the Spiritual World was quite libertine, Ruth was a lady who was still a virgin and had not been interested in anyone in the past.


    She also lived most of the time within the Gray Cloud Sect, where she was ''protected'' from many of the world''s problems.


    So, it was pretty embarrassing for her to sleep in the same room with a man. And even if she thought a lot about Minos, it was just something related to his achievements and the mysteries involved with this young man ...


    ...


    After receiving the key and directions from the receptionist, Minos pulled Ruth and went to their room on the 3rd floor of the building.


    Upon arriving in the room, the two saw a large double bed, in the middle of the room, with a beautiful red carpet covering the sides of the bed and some decorative furniture, with an armchair near the balcony.


    The room was very cozy, with a bathroom and a small kitchen. After closing the door, Minos said with a smile on his face. "If you want, I can sleep in the armchair..."


    "No, you have a smaller cultivate than mine. You must be more tired from the trip. I sleep in the armchair, and you have the bed." Ruth replied, her face still hot from the situation. Her heart was beating rapidly, and her breathing was gradually increasing.


    "No, if that is the case, we can both sleep in the bed. I can''t let a woman spend the night in an armchair!"


    "But..." She wanted to reject that, but she didn''t know what to say.


    Minos realized that she was very nervous, so he approached Ruth and hugged her while saying in her ear. "Rest assured. I would never force anything. We''re just going to sleep in the same bed. That doesn''t mean that something has to happen."

 Chapter 81: Peculiar Early Morning

    Hearing what Minos had said, Ruth felt better and almost forgot that he was holding her. ''That''s right. There is nothing wrong with spending the night with him in the same bed. I''ve known him for months, and I know I can trust him.'' Ruth began to convince herself that this was an acceptable situation for her...


    She lived with Minos for a long time, and she spent a lot of time thinking about the mysteries that involved the young Stuart and how responsible he was. So, she would have no problem sleeping with him in the same bed. After all, she wouldn''t make much difference sleeping in the bed or the armchair. They would still be in the same room, and if something were to happen, it wouldn''t change much.


    A few seconds passed, and Ruth finally noticed something. ''Heh? Is he hugging me all this time? How did I not notice?'' She thought a little worried as she felt the heat of Minos'' body enveloping her.


    After feeling that Ruth was much calmer, Minos slowly released the hug and looked towards the bathroom before asking. "Do you want to use the bathroom first? I want to cultivate before taking my shower."


    When she heard this, Ruth immediately stopped thinking about Minos and answered while she blushed. "Okay, I''ll go first."


    After that, Minos sat on the ground and cultivated for two hours straight. Ruth had also started to cultivate after taking her bath. After all, the cultivation itself was not very tiring for the cultivators. It was like meditation.


    After Minos finished cultivating, he could feel that his advance to the next level was getting closer and closer and should occur in a week at most.


    As for training the other techniques he used, Minos decided to do that tomorrow. This is because there was practically no single suitable place for this between the Dry City and the City of Waters. It was just a large, desolate plain, almost completely exposed to anyone passing by.


    But after passing through the City of Waters, there were forests and some mountains between the cities that they were going to pass through until they reached the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom. With that, Minos planned to train during this trip, stopping at least once every two days to train his attack, defense, and support techniques.


    After cultivation, Minos immediately went to take his bath.


    It didn''t take long, and both youths had already done their duties and had dinner when the two decided to go to bed.


    At that moment, Ruth, who usually wore clothes that valued her body, was wearing a loose-fitting shirt and trousers so as not to attract Minos'' attention.


    On the other hand, the young Stuart usually slept only in trousers and did not differ this time. He was not a shy person, and if that prompted the beautiful Ruth to do something... Hehe, then he would be delighted.


    Upon seeing Minos sitting on the bed, Ruth immediately grabbed one of the pillows and separated that area. She said. "This side of mine is mine, and this other side is yours. Don''t go over this limit, right?"


    "Haha, okay. Relax, I know that." Minos laughed and said while watching Ruth''s beautiful, flushed face.


    It didn''t take long, and the two lay in silence on the bed. Minos soon fell asleep since he did not expect that something would happen. If Ruth had been easy, then it would have happened long ago...


    As for Ruth, due to the nervousness of sleeping with a man for the first time, she took a long time to fall asleep, while her heart was racing, to the point that she could almost hear the sounds of her own heartbeat.


    ...


    The night passed quickly, and the first rays of the sun could already be seen in the City of Waters.


    The city soon began to come to ''life,'' with some people leaving their homes and starting their respective duties.


    Meanwhile, on the third floor of the Midnight Hotel, in the room where Minos and Ruth were staying, two youths were hugging each other in a big bed while they slept.


    Pillows were scattered on the floor, while the blanket they used was now at the foot of the bed.


    Minos was lying on his back, dressed in the same way he went to sleep, while his right hand was wrapped around Ruth''s back. As for the beautiful young woman, she was without her shirt, hugging Minos with her head resting on his chest and her legs wrapped around the young Stuart''s waist.


    Her long black hair was tousled, and the young woman''s beautiful breasts were clinging to Minos''s body.


    Nothing had happened between the two, but during the night, while sleeping, the beautiful young woman felt a little heat and decided to take off her shirt... And of course, while she was unconscious, she didn''t mind doing this, even though she was in the same bed as Minos!


    As to why she wasn''t wearing a bra, well, that was because it was more comfortable to sleep without wearing it. And as a cultivator, she didn''t have to worry about any problems that this could cause to her body.


    ...


    Time passed, and soon Minos woke up.


    He felt something strange while sleeping as if he were being touched by something. And as soon as he opened his eyes, he saw a beautiful scene in front of him.


    Ruth was sleeping peacefully on his chest, shirtless, and with her breasts, the sample for him. He could even vaguely see the small, pink beak of Ruth''s nipples, which glued to his belly.


    ''Hehe, I didn''t think Ruth was so honest with herself while she slept.'' He thought with a smile on his face as he stroked the young woman''s bare back.


    It didn''t take long, and soon Ruth woke up from her beauty sleep. She had spent one of the best nights of the past few weeks!


    ''Mmm, what a good sleep...'' She then massaged Minos''s chest with one hand and touched something.


    ''Huh? Why is the bed so hot?'' She thought about it just before opening her eyes and realizing what was going on. And she realized not only that but also that she was half-naked while she hugged Minos!


    When he saw that Ruth was awake, Minos smiled at her and just said. "Good morning, Ruth."


    But instead of answering him with a ''good morning,'' Ruth just let out a cry of shock. Her face was flushed as she came out of Minos''s embrace, covering her breasts with the blanket that was at the foot of the bed.


    Minos then said with a provocative smile on his face when looking into her eyes. "Ruth, it looks like your body is pretty honest, so why don''t you just take it? You don''t have to be ashamed..."


    "I... N... This''s not..." She said, stammering, not knowing what to say to Minos. She was so nervous about going to sleep with Minos that she had forgotten that it was not uncommon for her to take off her shirt while she slept.


    As to why she had crossed her partition and came to sleep hugging Minos, not even she was sure, she had been thinking about him a lot lately, but that was just because there were so many mysteries around Minos, it didn''t mean she was interested in him...


    At that moment, Ruth''s heart was beating so fast that it looked like it could leave her body at any moment. ''What a shame... How am I going to look at him now?'' She thought as she looked away from Minos.


    Realizing this, Minos decided to comfort her.


    If that wasn''t resolved, then she might end up starting to behave differently to him, and that wouldn''t be a good thing. He then got up and went towards her slowly.


    "Okay, Ruth, you don''t have to be ashamed of this. You don''t have to worry about me thinking something strange about you." He said softly while taking the young woman''s hands, while she was looking to the side, completely flushed.


    As he got a little closer, Minos brought her hands to him while he pulled her waist to his. He then started to hug her while he said. "You are very beautiful, Ruth. I''m happy to see you that way, but know that if you don''t want anything like that with me, just pretend this didn''t happen. There is no need to be ashamed."


    After hearing this, Ruth stood for a while and then slowly turned her head to look into Minos''s eyes. Her heart was still racing when she slowly brought her lips closer to Minos''.


    Seeing this, Minos celebrated internally and responded in the same way. The two finally kissed, while Ruth dropped the blanket that was covering her body to hold Minos'' neck, and he held her around the waist.


    The two kissed passionately for about 5 minutes while rolling over in bed and touching each other.


    At that point, Ruth was on top of Minos while feeling the young Stuart''s hard stick nudging her when she quickly stopped kissing him and said in a low voice. "I... I''m not ready for that yet."


    "Okay, I can wait." Minos said, looking her in the eye.


    ...


    After this peculiar early morning, the two youths ate their breakfast in silence before changing clothes and leaving the hotel to continue their journey to the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom.

 Chapter 82: I Accept the Challenge

    At this time, Minos and Ruth were ready to leave the City of Waters and continue their journey through the Cromwell Kingdom. Minos had no intention of himself staying here and analyzing this place.


    That would not even be ideal, as he has not yet reached level 40. However, that did not mean that the Black Plain would not begin to check this place.


    Previously, Dillian had obtained only the basic information about this city. However, they still did not know more essential questions, such as what family was governing this city and how strong this place was.


    Thus, the Black Plain Army would send a group of soldiers on a reconnaissance mission in a short time. They would live in the City of Waters for some time until they discovered the most relevant information for the Dry City plan.


    This should happen even before Minos returns from the Spiritual Tournament, within three months from now. At that time, the number of army soldiers would have been considerably more significant than today, making it possible to maintain activities like this.


    ...


    As they left the City of Waters, Minos and Ruth discussed the journey they would take in front of them.


    At that moment, Minos was walking beside Ruth while the two went to fetch the great eagle at the city''s northern exit. "Ruth, as I said before, I want to make this trip little by little, stopping to train along the way."


    "Hmm, I know. There are more than 20 cities between where we are to the kingdom''s capital. There are some forests and mountains on this route that are also useful for you to train." She said with an expression still ashamed. She couldn''t ignore the fact that they had been kissing for just a few minutes...


    "Oh! That is great. Let''s do this. We will travel on your eagle 8 hours a day, and then we will stop to train and rest for the remaining hours." Minos said with a satisfied smile.


    He liked to stay and train in the Dry City and the Spatial Kingdom, but he wanted to see the world like any other youth. So, if he was going to make this trip anyway, then he might as well make the most of it!


    "Okay..." Ruth said as they finally arrived where White was waiting for them, at the city''s northern exit.


    It didn''t take long, and the two climbed on the great eagle and flew through the skies. With Minos hugging tightly to Ruth''s waist while White took off...


    ...


    Meanwhile, on the coast of the Black Plain, there was a medium-sized port in the middle of nowhere, which had the capacity to allocate up to 3 ships at once.


    From this location, not far away, one could see a medium-sized ship slowly approaching the port.


    There was a prominent silver ship symbol on the ship''s bow while two sailors talked just above that place.


    "Oh! So, is this the place where we''re going to pick up that load? How strange, I didn''t know there was a port in this region." A man with blond hair said while covering his eyes from the sun and looking at the port, which was getting closer and closer.


    "Hmm, why don''t they use the Maritime City to do this business? At least there we have something to do while the ship is loaded." A young man complained.


    Shortly after that, a third man wearing a Nash family guard uniform approached the two and said. "Stop the small talk. This business is essential for Miss Elen. You are too soft. It seems that I have to harden your training."


    "Yes, captain." The two responded in unison as they returned to their respective areas.


    It didn''t take long, and the ship docked at the port, where there was a building not far away with a symbol of a golden tree.


    This was the symbol that Minos had chosen to represent his power!


    And that was the base that had been ordered months ago. It was currently in the whole operation, with about 50 soldiers divided between the 4th and 5th stages of cultivation.


    The place had also already received the 200 tons divided into grains, cereals, and spiritual fruits that Minos had promised Elen.


    As they descended from the ship, some men of the Nash family began to help the soldiers of the Black Plain Army to load the ship. At the same time, the captain of the ship watched the place with curiosity.


    ''A golden tree? I''ve never seen this symbol before. Where is that power from?'' He massaged his face as he thought about it. Soon after, he scanned the items that were being shipped and was surprised. ''Huh? All of these foods have a very high spiritual concentration!''


    He then mumbled while having a look of shock in his eyes. "It is not for less. So, Miss Nash ordered me to prioritize these items before we went to the Cromwell Kingdom! How lucky she was to get such good items..."


    After that, it didn''t take long, and all the cargo transfer was done when the ship finally started to return to Stone Island.


    ...


    While the Nash family ship was on its way, Minos and Ruth had been traveling for almost 3 hours continuously, when the two finally decided to go down in a forest.


    White quickly descended from the skies, stopping in an open area in the middle of that forest.


    In that place, there was grass for most of the land, and not far away, oversized trees could be seen. It was not a closed forest, but it was still quite wooded, to the point that someone would get lost if he wasn''t careful.


    "Ruth, do you want to train with me a little? It won''t be bad to match someone as strong as you." Minos said to the young woman after finding an appropriate place to begin his training.


    She then looked at him with a surprised expression and said it firmly. "Are you sure about that? I don''t take it easy, and there is a big difference between our cultivation."


    ''Hmm, considering that I advanced 1 level since I fought the last time, I believe that if I use everything I have, I could defeat an average person at level 43.'' Minos started calculating and then said. "Considering that you have two techniques of Silver-grade and are at level 45, if you fight with less than 50% of your strength, then that can work."


    "Oh! 50%, you say? So, wouldn''t that mean that all of your techniques are Golden-grade?" She said with a smile on her face. She had already seen Minos fight, but she didn''t think he would be that good, to the point of being able to match her, who was nine levels above him.


    Minos smiled and then said as he tried to change the focus of the conversation. "I have an innate ability that allows me to increase the reserved energy."


    "Oh! So, that''s why you are so strong!" She exclaimed in joy. This was the first time she had any information about Minos'' mysteries.


    Minos then approached her with a flirtatious smile and said. "Look, I told you a secret of mine. Do you have any innate abilities that can be used in fights?"


    "No, my innate ability is not for fighting."


    This was not uncommon in the Spiritual World. It was very difficult to be born with a physique that provided an innate ability that could be useful in fights. There were many possibilities, and those battle-related characteristics were just one of many subdivisions.


    There were innate skills of all kinds, which could range from increasing someone''s potential when making spiritual pills to predicting the future and even cooking! Therefore, not many were lucky, like Minos, to have a skill that increased their spiritual energy.


    Minos then asked curiously. "Then? Won''t you tell me what your skill is?"


    Ruth smiled provocatively and said. "Hehe, if, or rather, when you manage to beat me when I''m fighting with everything I have, maybe I''ll tell you."


    She knew that it was only a matter of time before he reached her with his cultivation speed. And at that time, she wouldn''t be able to beat him.


    "Oh! Okay, I accept your challenge. It may take a few months for me to be strong enough, but I will definitely do that." He then took a blind sword from his spatial ring and prepared to fight.


    Ruth then asked in a soft voice. "Are you ready?"


    "Hmm, come on." In saying these words, he immediately activated his three techniques at once.


    Devouring Art!


    Indestructible Body!


    Spatial Sword!


    A black ring then appeared around the sky, above Minos.


    At the same time, Ruth activated her techniques with only half of her usual strength and headed towards where Minos was.


    Fists of Pain!


    Instant Steps!


    But she did not use her defense technique. That''s because there was no need. With her movement technique alone, she would already be able to dodge Minos'' attacks. This would be a battle of resistance for him and not for her!

 Chapter 83: Was I Beaten?

    Entering the range of Minos'' techniques, Ruth felt a slight sense of suppression, but that was all. Even if she used only half of her usual strength, she couldn''t ignore some of her cultivation''s own capabilities.


    As a result, Ruth was able to ignore most of the adverse effects that Minos'' techniques did on her!


    ''Shit! The Devouring Art is hardly having an effect on her!'' Minos reflected on this, feeling the amount of spiritual energy that his support technique was returning to him.


    He concluded that it was hardly worthwhile to activate this technique since its energy expenditure alone consumed almost everything it absorbed!


    And at the same time, while Ruth was moving to attack Minos, she was also a little surprised. Even if it was not significant, her still spiritual power was still gradually decreasing.


    But it was still nothing to make her retreat. With the current absorption rate, even if she stayed here all day, without even counterattacking, she still wouldn''t have her spiritual energy depleted by Minos'' technique.


    Ruth could also sense that her speed was being subtly reduced. This shocked her even more since her technique was a Silver-grade one, and even if she were not using all her strength, she would still have a perfect energy conversion!


    ''This technique that is reducing my speed is excellent. It is definitely superior to my moving technique.'' Ruth thought about it when she approached to attack Minos.


    At the same time, as she was throwing a punch at Minos''s chest, young Stuart made a smooth movement with his sword, attacking his opponent''s shoulder with the sword.


    Minos had no intention of countering Ruth''s attack technique since he was confident in his own defense. So, the only way he could beat the beautiful young woman would be to force her to run out.


    Swooish!


    Pow!


    The sword''s blade ran towards Ruth''s shoulder while a fist-shaped cluster of energy flew towards Minos''s chest.


    Upon understanding what Minos was trying to do, Ruth smiled in satisfaction and used her movement technique to deflect her opponent''s attack successfully.


    Poof!


    At the same time, Minos was hit hard by Ruth''s attack when a hollow sound was heard. The defense of young Stuart almost entirely absorbed the attack!


    Minos then took a few steps back while keeping his balance and not falling. ''Ahh, damn it, she''s very fast!''


    Meanwhile, Ruth smiled at him and said provocatively. "What? Can''t take it anymore?"


    "Haha, how can I not take it anymore?" He said as he started to breathe irregularly. "You can come. I can still last a long time."


    After that, it didn''t take long, and the two continued to exchange blows, with Ruth constantly dodging Minos'' sword attacks and him having to endure her blows while gradually spending his own spiritual energy.


    Pow!


    ...


    Ruth sent out the last of her attacks when Minos was no longer able to counterattack, using all that was left just to defend himself.


    At that point, he was already completely sweaty and a little pale, while his breathing was very irregular.


    "Ahh!"


    He finally let out the first cry of pain from the fight when he was thrown more than 10 meters. The battle had lasted a total of 4 minutes, and Ruth had entirely suppressed young Minos during almost the entire match.


    The beautiful young woman was practically in the same condition as when she started the fight, without a drop of sweat on her beautiful milky skin, and still had her clothes as clean as before.


    For Minos, on the other hand, there were some tears in his clothes, while there were some bloodstains here and there. Even using only half of his usual strength, Ruth''s punches were still strong enough to ignore Minos'' defense!


    By his count, he managed to absorb only about 90% of Ruth''s attack at the beginning of his defense fight. With that, the damage was accumulated, and his defense started to lose efficiency with the constant consumption of spiritual energy, leading to the miserable situation that Minos was in now.


    Upon seeing Minos being thrown yet again by her attack, Ruth ran towards him and said. "Well, your spiritual energy is almost depleted. Let''s stop this for today. Start cultivating. I''ll keep an eye on you." She said sweetly while checking Minos'' condition.


    Minos had no significant injuries, only a few abrasions and great spiritual exhaustion caused by the continuous receiving of blows.


    It was not long before the young Stuart sat down in a meditative position and began to cultivate using some low-grade spiritual crystals. And at the same time, Ruth took some apples out of her spatial ring and started watching the surroundings while she ate and recovered the little energy she had spent in this fight.


    ...


    Two hours later, Minos had fully recovered and was already wearing a different set of clothes. He had used his own spiritual energy to clean himself and was now lying on a rock, not far from where he and Ruth had recently fight.


    Minos then looked at the sky while he was still lying on his back on the rock and said in a low voice. "It looks like it will be a long time before I can defeat you."


    "Haha, it''s good that you know that. You must not forget how I beat you." She said as she laughed happily. She was sitting while waiting for Minos, a few feet from him.


    "Was I beaten?" Upon hearing this, Minos frowned in denial and then stood up. He went over to her, saying. "We will not remember this that way. For me, it was more like a test of endurance, saying that I was beaten is not right here..."


    "Eh? But I will remember it that way." Ruth said with a mischievous smile on her face.


    "That''s right?" Minos moved closer to her and then bent down and pulled Ruth by one of her arms until they were embraced.


    The two looked at each other for a moment when Ruth''s face quickly blushed, and the two began to kiss in the middle of this forest.


    "Mmmm!"


    Strong Ruth, momentarily, looked like a fragile young woman who had fallen into the clutches of a predator. Her body trembled when a soft object slowly entered her mouth, enveloping her tongue and massaging its in several ways.


    At the same time, Minos took the opportunity to touch Ruth''s beautiful curves, stimulating several sensitive parts of the beautiful young woman''s body. They then leaned against a tree and remained kissing pleasantly for a few minutes.


    "Mmmm!"


    The sounds of kisses could be heard in the air, while Minos had his stick as hard as a rock, and Ruth felt some strange feelings on her body.


    She could raise her temperature while her face was flushed and her heart was beating fast. The private parts were considerably more sensitive at that point, and her ''little sister'' seemed to be getting more and more oiled.


    Minos then parted his lips from Ruth''s beautiful pink lips while continuing to gently suck the young girl''s ear lobe, making her feel goosebumps.


    At this point, Ruth finally looked into Minos'' face with cloudy eyes as she felt extremely excited. But she wanted to be strong. She still didn''t think she was ready to give her first time, so once again, she had interrupted her own desire.


    She also didn''t want this to happen in the middle of a forest!


    Sensing this, Minos also stopped his movements slowly, respecting the girl''s desire.


    He was also not against waiting, by the way, as they would still spend a few months together. He wanted to try and make the sexual tension of the two reach a high level. With that, what he would achieve with Ruth would be even better than his experience with Elena.


    With that, he had good expectations for what would happen in the future with him and the beautiful young Ruth. ''Hehe, let''s see how long you will hold on. When the time comes, the feeling repressed for weeks will be explosive, giving us an even better pleasure than regular occasions.'' He thought with satisfaction while looking at Ruth with a burning desire.


    Shortly after that, Minos and Ruth climbed up on the great white eagle, which was watching them only a dozen meters away.


    "Come on, let''s travel for a few more hours before we stop to rest in the next city." Ruth said with a smile on her face.


    "Hmm."


    With that, it didn''t take long, and the young couple took off from this piece of the forest where they had stopped to do their training section.


    ...


    Meanwhile, somewhere in the Cromwell Kingdom, there was a group of 4 people, two of whom were middle-aged men, who appeared to be escorting the other two that they were a young man and a lady, who looked to be no more than 18-years-old.


    "Young master, it looks like they found Warrior-grade medicine in the Peak of the Fog." One of the men said as he looked at the two youths in front of him.

 Chapter 84: Santa Clara

    "Oh! This is interesting." The young man said with a smile on his face. He had long red hair and gray eyes, with a beauty that would easily put him among the top in this part of the continent.


    As for the Warrior-grade medicine, this was a medicine used to refining spiritual pills between grade-1, high-level, and grade-2, low-level. Medicine like this could be helpful to produce spiritual pills for advancing to the 5th stage and for other types of pills for cultivators at the beginning of this stage of cultivation.


    As for the classification it received, the medicines were divided into: Common, Warrior, Real, Saint, and Divine. Each medicine had different uses, considering its classification, with the medicines of Saint-grade being the ones with greater possibilities.


    How much better the pill''s potency depended not only on the ability of medicine but also on the alchemist level. For this reason, a more skilled and higher ranking alchemist could use the ingredients of their pill to the limit and achieve better rankings.


    But each medicine had its limit, and in the case of Warrior-grade medicine, it was grade-2, low-level pills.


    The young woman, who also had red hair and gray eyes, smiled and said. "Big brother, are we going to take this medicine?"


    "For us, medicine at this level is not so relevant. We already have a lot of resources at our disposal. Let''s leave that to our competitors. At least that will animate things in this tournament. Haha." The young man said confidently.


    "Hmm, but it will not be easy for other participants of lesser powers to achieve this. Even if it is only a Warrior-grade medicine, it is not easy to harvest without injuring its spirituality." The other man in the group said, considering the consequences of this.


    It was complicated to harvest a wild medicine like that. There were usually specific techniques that alchemists used to harvest these plants, but there were no alchemists in this competition.


    Therefore, to harvest such a plant without a suitable technique, people who would harvest it had to have enough spiritual energy to handle it without damaging its general structure.


    "That''s right. Suppose none of the people who are going after this don''t have an alchemist in the group. In that case, they need at least one Spiritual King to harvest this plant without it being damaged." The young master said as he rubbed his face.


    The girl then said excitedly. "But forget that for now, I want to get to the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom soon. I heard that some of the greatest geniuses in our region are already there."


    "Hmm, let''s get going then." After saying this, the group left the city where they were going through a large gate with the inscriptions, ''City of flowers.''


    ...


    Meanwhile, Minos and Ruth were almost reaching the city where they would spend the night when White began to descend from the skies slowly. It was already dark at this point, and the city lights nearby could be seen from afar.


    This place seemed to be even bigger than the City of Waters, where they had previously stopped. At the time, Minos was talking to Ruth about ordinary everyday things at the Gray Cloud Sect.


    He then asked. "Ehh, you seem to know a lot about the Cromwell Kingdom. Have you traveled here many times?"


    She shook her head and said. "No, in fact, this is only the second time that I have left the Flaming Empire. The first time was with my master when we visited you in the Dry City a few months ago."


    "Normally, the disciples of the sects in my region can only leave the empire on four occasions." Minos then cut off her speech. He said. "Huh? And why is that?"


    "Let me finish talking!" She then continued. "To leave the territory of the empire, we have to be accompanied by a superior. This is the first possibility. The second is that we have reached the level of a Spiritual King, the third if we have a family urgency outside the confines of the empire. And the fourth, if we receive a mission, as in my case."


    "These conditions are because the Flaming Empire has some external enemies that are dangerous to weaker people. After all, not all disciples receive Silver-grade techniques like me." She said with a proud expression on her face.


    "But even people like me, they still have to follow these rules to preserve the power of the Flaming Empire sects. But at the interior of the empire, we can leave the territories of our sects usually."


    "Hmm, I see..." Minos thought reflexively. He thought of his mother''s case, but that was only a second.


    Considering Minos'' age and Maisie''s cultivation level, then she was certainly already a Spiritual Emperor when she became pregnant with him. In that case, this would not justify her prolonged absence.


    Minos then buried these thoughts in his mind when the great eagle finally landed it in one of the city''s entrances that they were seeing in the distance a few minutes ago.


    This place was called Santa Clara, a city with more than 300,000 inhabitants and a highly well-developed local agriculture. In fact, this was one of the cities that exported grains and cereals to the Dry City before the cultures of Minos started to develop in the territories of the Black Plain.


    These areas had an average spiritual concentration, much like the city of Portland, on Stone Island.


    And as soon as he entered the city, Minos could see how rich this place was.


    It was extremely well lit, with wide streets and avenues, gardens spread over different parts of the city, and many buildings in the gothic style. It was beautiful to see. There were even lighting arrays on the sidewalls of the structures so that it could be displayed, even when it was the night!


    "Wow, what an extravagance, these people did not skimp on spending on lighting arrays..." Minos murmured while enjoying the beautiful view of this city.


    Hearing the comment in a low voice from Minos, Ruth, who was beside him, laughed softly without making a noise. For her, Minos'' behavior was like that of a hick who came out of nowhere and experienced an advanced civilization.


    It was hilarious for her to see that.


    ''How silly, I wanted to see your reaction when you go to the City of Clouds...'' She laughed softly while having one of her hands hiding her lips.


    ...


    After riding around the city in a carriage, that they had hired at the entrance to Santa Clara, Ruth and Minos had dinner at a restaurant recommended by the coachman.


    This was a pleasant place, but for Minos, who had already tried the delicacies of the Barbecue Temple in the capital of Stone Island, this place did not attract the attention of the young Stuart.


    As for the beautiful Ruth, she came from an empire, so her culinary tastes were at an even higher level than Minos''. For her, these occasions were necessary only to supply the nutrition that her body still needed.


    And after eating, the two were taken to a hotel in the downtown area, where the best place to stay in Santa Clara was. At least, that''s what the coachman told them as he made his way to the Viola Hotel.


    Upon arriving at this place, Minos and Ruth studied the stained-glass windows and vaults of the building for an instant. There were also some strange sculptures in several places.


    Upon arriving at the reception, there were two young attendants, with one receiving another guest who had just arrived and the other are free. Minos then approached and heard the girl''s thin voice.


    "Welcome to the Viola Hotel. What service are you looking for?" The young woman asked politely.


    Minos smiled and said. "Give me a double room, preferably one that is medium size."


    Upon hearing Minos'' request, Ruth immediately opened my mouth to say something, but no words had come out. She understood very well what young Stuart was doing. Still, it seemed that her body unconsciously wanted it too, preventing her from going against that decision.


    At the same time that Ruth faced her existential dilemma, the young attendant had already collected the deposit from Minos and handed over the keys to the room in which they would spend the night.


    After that, Minos took one of Ruth''s hands and brought it to the 5th floor, where their room was located.


    ...


    Upon arriving in the room, the two took a good look at the place before they began to cultivate quietly. There was a large double bed in this room, which could easily accommodate four people at once, with a large balcony and a beautiful red curtain.


    There were also some pictures on the walls with paintings from the Santa Clara region, spiritual plants, and several decorative pieces of furniture. There was also a place made specifically for people to cultivate comfortably, with two purple cushions on the floor.


    At that time, Ruth circulated her Silver-grade cultivation technique and spread several spiritual crystals around her. She was much more focused than usual because today, she felt she was going to go up to level 46!

 Chapter 85: Valley of the Beasts

    After cultivating for 4 hours continuously, Ruth finally reached the peak of level 45 and advanced to the next level!


    Crack!


    She quickly felt her spiritual energy rise when she realized that she was already at level 46!


    After that, Ruth slowly opened her eyes, stepping out of her meditative position. In doing so, she saw Minos not far away, looking towards her with a smile on her face.


    "Ehh, it looks like you just leveled up, right? Congratulations on that."


    "Hmm, thanks." She said, pleased with herself. The feeling of leveling up was always very good for any cultivator, making them very happy after getting it.


    It didn''t take long, and the two went to bed to rest for the next day of travel that they would have ahead of them. And, of course, the two exchanged some caresses before going to sleep and stopping while the flame of desire was still controllable.


    ...


    The night passed quickly, and the day had already dawned in the city of Santa Clara, where Minos and Ruth were staying.


    At that moment, on the fifth floor of the Hotel Viola, where the two youths'' rooms were, there were two half-naked people in the big bed of the room, ''playing'' with each other.


    The young man with brown hair was fervently kissing the young woman with full breasts who was lying on top of him. He had one of his hands on one of the young girl''s beautiful breasts, which had a small, pinkish nipple, which was stiff at that moment due to constant stimulation.


    At the same time, Minos''s other hand was on Ruth''s seductive ass, while he occasionally made his fingers follow the path of the long-haired girl''s little sister. She was very wet at that moment, and every time the young Stuart touched her, Ruth let out a sensual moan of pleasure.


    "Mmmm!"


    They continued their wonderful early morning when the young woman suddenly opened her misty eyes and said while she was breathing irregularly. "Ahh... Something is... coming..."


    Upon hearing this, Minos continued his movements, making her moan even louder than usual, as he touched Ruth''s small pink pearl.


    That was when she finally released her sweet juice, wetting her panties entirely and leaving Minos'' fingers completely soaked.


    "Haaa... Haaa..." Ruth lay next to Minos, breathing quickly as she felt her conscience float. She had never felt such a pleasant sensation in her life.


    At that point, she turned to Minos and watched him with a happy look on her face.


    However, Minos''s following action made her a little nervous when he slowly brought his fingers wet with Ruth''s juices to his own mouth and tasted it.


    "No..." She said in a low voice when she saw Minos''s sudden action.


    She did not expect that he would do such a disgusting thing. After all, she was a maiden who had no experience. As for the young Stuart, well, he had learned from the experienced Elena, who had shown him many exciting things...


    "Hmm, you taste fabulous, Ruth." Minos said after experiencing his partner''s taste and looking into her eyes.


    Upon hearing this, Ruth did not understand very well, but unconsciously she was pleased to be praised by Minos.


    After that, the two took a long shower while playing a little more, but nothing more ''in depth'' had happened. They quickly put on different clothes and left the hotel to travel for a few more hours.


    ...


    At that moment, Minos and Ruth were flying on the great white eagle, while they saw from a distance the place where they were going to stop for training.


    This was the Valley of the Beasts, a considerably large region of the Cromwell Kingdom, where there were several races of low-level beasts.


    According to the information that Minos and Ruth had obtained, this place was even bigger than the entire Black Plain, and there was no city in the middle of these areas.


    After the city of Santa Clara, they could fly for just over a day on their 4th stage spiritual beast, arriving at the next town on their way, which was called the City of Flowers.


    But Minos wanted to stop to practice on his trip, so they had to pass through the Valley of the Beasts and go through it, little by little, until they arrived in the City of Flowers in about three days.


    Upon seeing an excellent place to land, Ruth immediately ordered White to descend to that place, where their group could stop to begin their daily training.


    ...


    A few hours passed, and Ruth and Minos had already fought a few times, but the young Stuart had lost even more decisively. After leveling up, Ruth was able to ignore his support technique, Devouring Art, completely, so he was even more vulnerable.


    But this was still decent training for Minos since he could understand better the differences in levels. After all, even though he had the knowledge of the God Henricus Longus, learning from practice was always better!


    There were specific details that only through many battles could he understand.


    At that time, Minos had just cultivated his spiritual energy, which he had previously exhausted by training his battle techniques.


    After fighting with Ruth, Minos still had to devote time to training his support technique since it was not being so well-trained when fighting with his mate.


    So, he took the time to exercise its after repeated defeats.


    "Ruth, come on. We are going to travel for a while and find a place to camp." He said after getting up from the floor and walking over to where Ruth was waiting for him.


    "Hmm."


    The two then walked to the great eagle that was drinking water from a stream that passed close to that place. They climbed on the great spiritual beast and set off towards the south of the Valley of the Beasts.


    ...


    More than 3 hours later, Minos and Ruth had arrived at a place at the foot of a hill. There was a small lake in that place, there was a flat terrain just a few dozen steps from the lake, and there were not many trees.


    It seemed like the best place for them to spend the night. So, the two youths went down with White in that place and set up a temporary camp in a short time.


    They had bought a medium-sized tent and some low-grade spiritual arrays to spend the night in this region when they were in the city of Santa Clara.


    After a while, the sun slowly began to descend on the horizon, making room for the night. Minos and Ruth were sitting in front of a fire while looking at the starry sky and talking about their lives.


    "Oh! So, do you mean you have an older sister? What''s her name?" Minos asked with interest.


    "Hmm, her name is Talia Miles, she is six years older than me, and she is already at level 53."


    "It looks like your family has great talents, huh..." Minos said as he thought about the things Ruth had said to him.


    It seemed that this young woman came from a large family of the Gray Cloud Sect, which greatly influenced the sect with their many talented Silver members.


    "Ehh," When Minos was going to say something, Ruth interrupted him and said in a serious tone. "It looks like a group of spiritual beasts is approaching this place."


    The great eagle that was resting beside their tent raised its head and looked in the direction where the beasts were coming from and then looked at Ruth. She then said that. "There are about 50, 4th stage spiritual beasts, all of which are at the limit of that stage of cultivation."


    ''Well, it''s not that bad. Since it is approaching us, we can only use its for my own training...'' Minos sighed as he reflected on what was going to happen.


    He would not hunt spiritual beasts unless he needed to do so. But it was not because Minos had an equal thought with these beasts but that he would not provoke any struggle of life and death without there being a need for it.


    He liked fights, but he was not a fanatic who is always looking for problems, creating chaos wherever he goes. But if the enemy, whether human or not, came to look for problems with him, then Minos would fight with everything he had.


    That was his personality, and that was what he would do in situations like this.


    "What do you want to do?" Ruth asked.


    She knew this could be suitable training for Minos, as fighting with her was very stressful for him. After all, no one likes to lose repeatedly to the same person.


    With that, this was an excellent opportunity for Minos to vent the ''stress'' accumulated in the last two days!


    "Well, let''s do this. You go up to White and watch me from the sky. I want to fight these beasts alone, but you can come down and help me if there is a need." He said with a slight smile on his face.


    "Hmm, okay." Ruth nodded in agreement and soon went over the area with her eagle.

 Chapter 86: Boars

    While Ruth was observing the area where Minos was from above, he had taken his grade-2, low-grade sword from his spatial ring and prepared for the impending battle.


    It didn''t take long, and a group of 50 wild boars started to appear in Minos'' vision.


    Each had two sharp canine teeth that protruded out of their mouths. These teeth were slightly curved upwards and measuring about 20 centimeters in length.


    Each of these wild boars was 1.5 meters high and certainly weighed more than 400 kilograms each. It also had many brown hairs and small, completely reddish eyes.


    Looking at the boars in front of him, Minos could see that this pack was hungry due to the saliva that was dripping from the mouths of many of these spiritual beasts. It was here to hunt them down and then feed on their meat!


    ''Well, since that is the case, I don''t need to take it easy...'' He thought as he prepared to start fighting.


    Fighting with a group of spiritual beasts was not an easy task.


    Unlike humans, spiritual beasts had a sense of cooperation that was far superior to that of humans. Because of this, even beasts with low intelligence were able to give work to their enemies, hunting in large groups, as in this case.


    The boars began to look at Minos even more sharply as if they were preparing to attack the young man in front of its. But unfortunately for these spiritual beasts, they had not yet reached the 5th stage, when they could better probe the surroundings where they were.


    That''s because, even if Minos couldn''t handle them, there was still Ruth and her eagle, who were just a few feet away, waiting for the fight.


    At that time, the boars finally entered the area that Minos'' techniques would influence. And realizing this, he immediately activated his techniques at once.


    Devouring Art!


    Indestructible Body!


    Spatial Sword!


    In doing so, Minos'' body suddenly increased his strength and hardness, while a dark ring appeared a few meters above where he was.


    Slowly the spiritual energy of the 50 beasts began to be converted into energy for Minos to use when an invisible force quickly blocked the space around a distance of 40 meters from Minos.


    As the spiritual beasts had not yet reached the 5th stage of cultivation, and therefore, they were in the same stage as Minos, so many of them were being affected, to the point that they were barely able to move!


    Of course, as their number was simply enormous, some wild boars were not being restricted like others. But even so, the speed of all of its had been severely reduced.


    And as much as spiritual beasts are stronger than humans at the same level of its, this is only related to their physical strength.


    As they could not use techniques and were under the influence of Minos'' attack technique, it only remained to bear it!


    Meanwhile, Minos quickly began to make his movements with the sword, gracefully and nobly. With that, in a fraction of one second, several blades of air were hurled at those beasts who suffered the most from the influence of the Spatial Sword.


    Swooish!


    Swooish!


    The blades flew towards the great bodies of the boars while these beasts felt a mortal danger approaching its.


    Some of its tried to deflect with everything it had, but it was challenging to move in that place. It was as if something involved its bodies and increased resistance to movement.


    Grrr!


    Grrr!


    Wailing sounds were heard when at last several boars were hit and hurled into the distance. Most of its were still alive, but about ten wild boars died in that single attack.


    Riiinch!


    Seeing the results of the first attack, Minos wasted no time and soon continued to attack while seeing that some beasts were already coming towards him with angry looks.


    ''Well, come! With you, I can at least win!'' Minos thought about it while he fought.


    Having his techniques ignored when he fought Ruth gave him a very suffocating feeling, which stressed Minos a lot.


    Because of that, being able to destroy these spiritual beasts was quite satisfying for the young Minos at the time!


    Spatial Sword!


    Another set of blades was thrown while four wild boars hit Minos with full force!


    Swooish!


    Poof!


    The attack of the four boars only pushed Minos back, while his powerful defense absorbed all the damage from the attack.


    At the same time, yet another group of wild boars were making noises of pain for the last time before they finally stopped breathing.


    ...


    While Minos fought with the group of boars, Ruth was watching and probing the fight the entire time. She knew that the young Stuart was powerful, but she was still worried about him.


    That was 50 spiritual beasts!


    Each of its was stronger than he. And even if it were from the same stage, this was still a difficult fight!


    But when she saw Minos'' performance as he fought, Ruth soon put the worry aside and began to form a beautiful smile on her face.


    She didn''t understand why, but she felt very good about seeing it. It was a feeling that was almost as if she was proud of him...


    ''Hmm, it looks like he will be able to deal with all of its.'' She analyzed the situation calmly. Minos'' techniques really were quite dominating, and Ruth recognized this even more when she saw it were at work against other living beings.


    ''If the difference in our spiritual energy was not so vast, I could never ignore these techniques...'' She thought as she sighed softly. Ruth then murmured to herself. "I have to try harder to increase my cultivation. Otherwise, he will leave me behind."


    ...


    Meanwhile, Minos had already killed more than 40 wild boars in the last 8 seconds, leaving him with only two more seconds before his defensive technique collapsed. And when that happened, Minos would be completely exhausted and would no longer be able to fight.


    After all, he was using a grade-2, low-grade sword, which required a lot of his body these days. Minos then hurried and activated his attack technique once again, making several moves towards the vital points of the remaining enemies.


    Spatial Sword!


    Swooish!


    Swooish!


    The blades ran towards the seven remaining boars, which were now wholly stopped. It, too, had already exhausted most of its reserves and were no longer able to ignore the restriction imposed by Minos'' attack.


    These spiritual beasts were sweating cold when it finally received their respective blows.


    Boom!


    The dead bodies were hurled at a distance while destroying a part of the vegetation in the vicinity where the fight was taking place.


    "Ha... Haa... Ha..." Minos held on to the side of a tree, breathing vigorously, while his clothes were completely wet with sweat and with several tears. His defense technique was excellent, but it only protected the physical body of its user!


    "Phew, it''s finally over!" He exclaimed in a low voice, trying to recover from the tremendous nighttime effort he had just gone through.


    At the same time, seeing that the fight was over, Ruth descended from the sky with her great white eagle beside the land where they were camping.


    Seeing this, Minos smiled at her but said nothing.


    He just sat in a meditative position and began to circulate his cultivation technique, Solar God Breath. At the same time, several spiritual crystals appeared around him, while they shone brightly and had its energies gradually sucked out.


    While Minos was cultivating, Ruth immediately started gathering the bodies of all 50 beasts in one place. After that, she instantly incinerated them so that the smell of blood would not attract other spiritual beasts from this region.


    She and Minos had no interest in collecting the meat from these beasts. First, they both had large quantities of crystals, and second, they did not want to delay their trip to look for a place to sell these beasts. With that, it would make no sense to occupy the small space of their spatial rings with the corpses of beasts as worthless as these!


    ...


    Three hours passed quickly, and Minos had finally fully recovered from the previous battle.


    At that point, he and Ruth decided to alternate while one rested and the other watched the surroundings. After all, they were in a place called The Valley of the Beasts, so it wouldn''t be very good if they both went to sleep at the same time.


    With that, time quickly started to pass when the day''s rays took place at night, while the surroundings gradually became clearer.


    Right now, Ruth was at the top of a tree, looking around this region and waiting for Minos to finish his rest.


    She had taken the second round since Minos had just cultivated after the fight, being full of energy at that moment. With that, after sleeping for a while, Ruth switched places with young Minos, reaching the current situation.


    And after the day cleared, it was not long before Minos had woken up.


    With that, the two ate some spiritual fruits and disarmed their tent when they finally left this place to continue their journey. Soon after, an embraced couple could be seen taking off on a large white eagle from this place, near a lake, at the foot of a hill.

 Chapter 87: Getting to the City of Flowers

    Two days passed, at this moment, Minos and Ruth had already covered almost the entire Valley of the Beasts, which was between the City of Flowers and Santa Clara. At that point in the trip, the two youths had already had some training sessions together. Also, they fought against other groups of spiritual beasts.


    Minos had not even come close to causing problems for Ruth during his struggles. He could only release his stress on the spiritual beasts that attacked them during that time.


    But not all fights were like that against wild boars. On the second day of the trip, Minos and Ruth came across a group of Red Monkeys, a breed native to this region of the continent.


    Anyway, there were two spiritual beasts in this group that had already reached the 5th stage in cultivation, which forced the beautiful young woman to help Minos in his battle against those beasts.


    This fight ended up being very intense, and the two youths chose to stop to rest for longer than usual after dealing with those monkeys. This caused their trip delayed a little, but it didn''t make much difference to them.


    Minos was not in a hurry to reach the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom. After all, it was still more than two months before the start of the Spiritual Tournament. And as for Ruth, although she had a bit of prey to get to that city before, now she didn''t think so anymore.


    After starting to interact with Minos physically, she liked to be able to extend the time of the two together. And being alone was undoubtedly a big bonus for both of them! After the tournament was over, she would most likely be stuck in her sect until she reached level 50, so that was a time when she could relax next to Minos.


    For this reason, neither of them bothered to take longer to reach the kingdom''s capital.


    ...


    At that moment, the sun was overhead, and the winds were blowing hard through the trees, while several birds could be heard.


    In an open place, next to a small river, there were two youths and a big eagle in this place.


    At that position in the Valley of the Beasts, there were no longer many strong spiritual beasts that could threaten Minos and Ruth. This was because this was the region bordering the City of Flowers, which was about 200 kilometers from this place.


    Because of this, most of the spiritual beasts did not stay in this region since hunting was very common in areas bordering human territory. So, Minos and Ruth were standing there quietly while cultivating their spiritual energy.


    As for their safety, well, that was left to the great white-feathered eagle. White was a 4th stage spiritual beast in cultivation, so it could safely watch over them in a place like this.


    Finally, a cracking noise was heard, coming from Minos'' direction.


    Crack!


    It was not as high-pitched as it had been in Ruth''s advance, but it was already audible even a few feet away from Minos''s body. He was cultivating hard for most of his spare time, so he had gotten the chance to break to level 37 today!


    After that happened, Minos opened his eyes and got up from the place where he was meditating with a big smile on his face. After fighting so many times, he realized that his cultivation speed had increased a little!


    And that was indeed one of the possibilities to increase someone''s speed. This is because if we consider that the cultivation of an individual as a reservoir, there would be an increase in the stored volume at each level of that reservoir. But to store more, you couldn''t just cultivate the whole day.


    For example, a person who eats a lot can gradually increase the size of his stomach. But it happens little by little! If it were done in one day, the person would die due to a rupture of the organ!


    The same was valid for cultivation. The reservoir could not withstand significant increases at once!


    The body had its own limits and did not allow a cultivator to cultivate all his time. Even Spiritual Demigods had to stop cultivating from time to time. Of course, they could cultivate for a century without stopping, but more than that would be impossible.


    However, there was a way to shorten that interval between each cultivation session. And that was depleting all of your spiritual energy during a fight and then cultivating to recover. As for doing this in normal training, well, it didn''t work!


    In regular training, cultivators focused on increasing their compression in their techniques. Therefore, they had to take more time to absorb what they had learned before continuing to advance. So, you couldn''t use that to speed up the cultivation speed.


    Or it could, but the cultivator would not be able to improve his understanding of his own techniques... Anyway, this was a choice that no one would make in this world.


    Having a high level would be great, but if your technique is not at the equivalent phase, its power would be severely impaired.


    For example, Minos'' current attack technique is in the 3rd phase and could affect a user''s 40-meter radius. But if he went up to the 5th stage of cultivation before reaching the 4th phase of the technique, then his technique would remain restricted to 40 meters.


    Minos''s strength would be equivalent to the level, but not the restriction. And when he faced stronger enemies, they could certainly escape the small area quickly, making the strength of Minos'' technique unimportant!


    After all, no matter how strong an attack is, if it doesn''t hit the target, then it is just useless!


    For this reason, the cultivator''s mastery over their respective techniques was crucial.


    ...


    After a few minutes, Ruth finally finished her cultivation session, when she opened her eyes and saw Minos waiting for her beside the big eagle. She immediately realized that he was happier than usual and soon probed him.


    "Hmm, you level up again. Congratulations on that. At this speed, you can reach level 38 before the Spiritual Tournament. " She said with the corners of her lips slightly raised. ''It looks like he will give me more trouble in the fights after today...''


    "Hmm, thanks. Now we are going to continue to the this City of Flowers. We have to buy a map when we get there, don''t forget this." He said as he approached Ruth.


    After that, the two kissed warmly while they felt the strong desire for something more in their bodies.


    In those days when they were in the Valley of the Beasts, as they had to sleep separately, the two had no other ''game'' as had happened in Santa Clara. So, their sexual tension was even higher than before.


    "Mmmm!"


    After a while, the two finally broke the kiss when they climbed on the great eagle and took off towards the south of this region.


    ...


    Some time passed, and the two were already a few kilometers from the City of Flowers, already having a view of how big this city was.


    Minos and Ruth had no information about this city, but the population of that place was already over 1.2 million! And although the Cromwell Kingdom is known for agriculture, there were still many well-represented professions within this kingdom.


    And this city was an example of a place developed through the diverse professions that existed in the Spiritual World. This place was in a region with few agricultural lands, but it had still developed since it had a strong local trade.


    There were array masters, blacksmiths, doctors, alchemists, poison masters, beast tamer, seers, cooks, etc. These were the various professions in this city and what made this place so well-developed.


    Upon landing outside the city, Minos and Ruth left White and then began to visit the City of Flowers. And soon, they found out why this place got that name.


    There were a colossal amount of flowers in each city''s gardens and public buildings. It was surely an interesting image to see and also brought a pleasant smell to the city.


    And as it was still day when the two arrived in this place, before looking for a hotel, the two went to a store in the central part of the city, where the coachman of their carriage said that they could find the maps of this region.


    They wanted to know where to make their trip, just as they did in the Valley of the Beasts. And it wasn''t long before Minos and Ruth arrived in front of a relic store, which had a bird symbol looking at what looked like a map!


    ''Hmm, this symbol is interesting.'' Minos thought to himself with a smile on his face as he entered the store''s interior.


    After entering the store, he and Ruth soon saw several ''showcases'' with different maps and prices. There weren''t many people in the store, but there were still six customers and an old man, who seemed to be in charge of the store.


    Seeing that the group was talking, Minos and Ruth decided to take a look at the place before finally looking for the old man''s help. It would not be polite to interrupt them when they entered that place!


    At this point, something that interested Minos was said aloud by the old man!

 Chapter 88: Warrior-Grade Medicine (*)

    "Cough, ehh, yes, you heard that right. You can find this Warrior-grade medicine in the region..." The old man said in a disinterested way.


    "Ahh, I said. See, let''s go to that place right away." A young man with black hair said, looking at the rest of his group.


    They had heard this rumor from a coachman in the City of Flowers, so they came to this store. They wanted to buy accurate information, as he had only heard that medicine was in this region. Still, they did not know where to look.


    After the group heard the old man''s confirmation, they soon left the store, heading towards one of the city''s exits.


    Meanwhile, Minos approached the old man and asked curiously. "Sir, can you tell me a little more about this subject?"


    The old man looked at Minos for a second and thought contemptuously. ''Another poor fellow interested in this news? By his aura, he must have just reached level 37. Why does he want to know about it? Either way, he won''t be able to use it until the Spiritual Tournament.''


    This old man had obtained this information from his subordinate. He had used some of his acquaintances to spread this news to young people passing through the City of Flowers, going to participate in the Spiritual Tournament.


    He couldn''t do anything with that medicine, so he was willing to get some crystals from some competitors who were interested in it. He knew that probably none of these people would be able to harvest this medicine, but that was their problem...


    After being silent for a while, the old man said. "There are 500 low-grade crystals for the information."


    Minos immediately gave a small bag with the crystals, and then the old man continued. "Well, a few days ago, I was notified by a subordinate that there was a Warrior-grade medicine in the region of the Peak of the Fog."


    "It is a medicine called Rainbow Fruit and is already ripe. If you don''t know the region, you can buy a map for 2,000 low-grade crystals."


    "Hmm."


    Minos then paid quickly and collected his map with the old man. After that, he and Ruth went looking for a hotel to spend the night in this city.


    Halfway through, Ruth finally asked a question curiously. "Minos, why are you interested in that information before?"


    She did not understand how a Warrior-grade medicine could move Minos'' interest. First, he didn''t need this to increase his cultivation speed. Second, it was only one medicine and would not be used to help his soldiers. Third, he had enough crystals to buy many of these medicines.


    Minos laughed and said. "Well, just because I don''t need it, I don''t want to say that I can''t be interested. But the main thing here is that it can help me more than you think."


    Ruth frowned and asked. "How?"


    "I''m going to harvest this medicine and plant it on the Black Plain. It may be just one now, but it has valuable seeds."


    In the Spiritual World, spiritual medicine seeds were not easily found in stores. They were precious, so the families that held it collected its before selling the medicines.


    This is because seeds were useless in the production of spiritual pills.


    As a result, these families would not give up their seeds since this would increase the supply of resources in the market, reducing the slice collected by these powers. As a result, it wasn''t easy to buy seeds in the Spiritual World.


    And even if someone were to sell seeds, its price would be considerably high!


    Ruth understood what Minos wanted, but she still had many doubts about it. She then continued to ask. "But I believe that other people must already be competing for this medicine. Do you think it is worth joining this? Perhaps it has even been harvested."


    Minos smiled and massaged Ruth''s face fondly, then he said. "Not necessarily. It is not that easy to harvest medicines."


    "If you want to preserve the spirituality of both the seeds and the rest of the plant, then there are some conditions for this to be done."


    "First, the person who collects must have a specific way of doing this. Each medicine has its characteristics, so even an alchemist who knows how to harvest a certain medicine may not know how to do it with another."


    "And when we are talking about wild plants, like the one in question, it is much more difficult than normal. As you may know, alchemists study a lot about the various medicines available. But most of the plants cataloged by them are those that have been ''domesticated'' a long time ago. Therefore, those that grow naturally in nature are much more complicated."


    "And the second way to harvest such a plant, which is to have a high spiritual sense. For this, in the case of a Warrior-grade medicine, the cultivator must be at least in the 6th stage of cultivation to feel the plant''s spirituality, with such precision that he could harvest it without damaging it."


    "And well, there are certainly some people in this city who meet these requirements. But alchemists who can do that are not interested in a single Warrior-grade plant and the same for Spiritual Kings."


    It was not easy to harvest and reproduce wild spiritual medicines. Certainly, even a grade-2 alchemist could take a long time to achieve this without outside help. All of this made this type of medicine less attractive to those specialists.


    "This leaves only those cultivators that are weaker and with fewer crystals, who are going to keep an eye on this medicine. But it is improbable that one of them will be able to harvest it without damaging it."


    "What if someone did that?" Ruth said, smiling.


    "So, it won''t matter. We continue our journey as if nothing has happened."


    She then replied. "But do you know how to harvest a medicine like that? You are not even an alchemist."


    "Hmm, luckily, I learned a way to collect spiritual medicines. I just need the right tools." He said with a smile on his face.


    Back in the Spatial Kingdom, Minos had inherited a set of tools for collecting medicines. It had been made by an array master and a high-level blacksmith at the request of Henricus Longus. These tools repel spiritual energy, which makes its perfect for collecting medicines.


    With its unique characteristics, it could only be used in the right parts of the medicine, in the parts where there was no flow of spiritual energy!


    Minos then said before they finally reached the hotel. "With that, I can save some crystals from the Black Plain. The cost of spiritual medicines alone covers almost half the price of a pill."


    ...


    They entered a more than 10-stories high building, heading towards the hotel reception. Minos then slapped his hand on the counter and said with a smile on his face. "Receptionist, give me a double room."


    Upon hearing this, this time, Ruth showed no thought against this idea, even showing a beautiful smile on her face.


    In fact, she wanted it herself. Being alone in a room was what she had been wanting for days. Even if she still wasn''t sure of giving herself over to Minos, she was very anxious to be touched intimately by him and to touch him too!


    Staying these almost 4 days in the Valley of the Beasts prevented them from going so far in their ''games'' since, at least, one of them needed to be alert about the risks in their surroundings.


    "Here, sir, your apartment is number 801." A young man said with a smile on his face as he handed the keys to Minos.


    Shortly after receiving its, Minos took one of Ruth''s hands and proceeded to the central part of the entrance hall, where there were four elevators.


    Minos then looked into Ruth''s eyes as they waited for an elevator and smiled. He didn''t want to start cultivating as soon as he got to the room. Today he wanted to reverse the order of things a little.


    Seeing Minos''s longing look, Ruth quickly understood the meaning and smiled slightly. She was happy that he had the same intentions as she did. It was much better to be with someone like that!


    ...


    The two finally arrived in their room, on the 8th floor of the hotel where they were staying. This room was even better than the previous ones that Minos had gone through, even having an air conditioning array that heated and cooled!


    There were lots of lights in the room, with ample space, a place to cultivate, a kitchen, two bathrooms, and a beautiful view of the City of Flowers. The rest was, as usual, a big bed and a decoration according to the place where they were.


    Minos then locked the door and went towards Ruth, who was already sitting on the end of the bed. They began to kiss warmly while they undressed little by little and exchanged caresses.


    Ruth had a misty look in her eyes and a flushed face while she had her hair tied up in a big ponytail.


    For Minos, his expression was quite normal, apart from the lustful look in his eyes. In front of him, the young woman really did have a stunning body, which made him want her as he had never felt before.


    Even though he met many beautiful women and even had a ''session'' with the beautiful Elena, his lust for Ruth was on a whole new level.


    Ruth was then half-naked, while Minos was more daring, being completely naked. Seeing this, Ruth blushed even more, when she noticed the size of Minos''s rod. It seemed even bigger than the volume she was already used to feeling!


    "So big.." She murmured in a low voice.

 Chapter 89: Ruths First Time (18+)

    Seeing Minos''s rod, Ruth felt something deep inside her changing. As if it were a call to her, which freed her from any lingering doubts in her heart.


    At the exact moment, Minos lay down beside Ruth and began to kiss her fervently. The tongues of the two were massaging each other while they tasted the flavor of each other. The two kissed very well, almost as if they were the ideal match.


    "Mmmm ~"


    As they kissed, Minos had one of his hands stimulating Ruth''s graceful left nipple, which was small and pink. At this moment, it was completely stiff and emitted a feeling of pleasure throughout the beautiful young woman''s body, each time Minos stimulated it.


    Minos had learned from Elena to prepare his partner well before putting his seeds on the ground... His woman needed to be stimulated in different ways so that the sensitivity of her body was increased to a certain level, which would improve a lot the rest of the fun.


    For this reason, Minos highly valued these touches on Ruth''s body.


    "Ahh ~ Mmm ~"


    As she felt Minos''s hands travel over her body, Ruth occasionally let out a moan of pleasure, which excited young Stuart even more. It was heavenly to hear the sounds of a beautiful woman, and it would make any man''s blood warm.


    Time passed, and soon Minos'' other hand hit Ruth''s little sister, which was now completely wet.


    Upon feeling this, Minos smiled and looked at his partner''s beautiful face before finally starting his movement.


    "Ahh ~ Ahh ~"


    While kissing his partner, Minos'' hand was inside her panties, massaging the pink pearl of Ruth''s little sister, with rotational movements, making her feel increasingly hot...


    Ruth couldn''t hold back the pleasure, breaking her and Minos''s kiss to let out a loud moan of satisfaction. ''Wow ~ How can this be so good?'' She thought about it while taking a corner look at Minos''s pulsing stick.


    She felt a reluctance for a moment, but she finally moved forward with one hand until she touched Minos'' big member.


    ''It is so hot and hard...'' That thought crossed her mind while she had a lost look on her face.


    It was as if she didn''t know what to do.


    Seeing this, the corners of Minos''s lips went up quickly, and he said. "Why don''t you move it up and down?"


    Ruth then turned and stood on all fours, her face right in front of Minos''s stick. She then started to make the movement advised by her companion, increasing the speed little by little, following the advice of young Stuart.


    "That''s right ~" Minos said in satisfaction when Ruth seemed to get the hang of it finally.


    However, the young woman suddenly stopped her movement.


    Upon feeling this, Minos, who was enjoying her beautiful ass, found it a little strange but soon felt something different.


    He felt something wet and warm start to wrap his rod in a slow, smooth motion.


    That was Ruth''s tongue!


    "Mmm, did you like that?" She asked in a passionate voice. She had felt an enormous desire to put that stick in her mouth, so she had stopped for a second ago.


    "Hmm, this is even better!"


    Upon hearing this, she smiled happily and began to suck on Minos''s stick as if it were a lollipop, lubricating it along its entire length.


    And Minos did not stand still, just watching. He adjusted his body with Ruth''s, in a position of 69, and soon began to taste her little sister.


    In doing so, he removed the last piece of clothing that was left on his companion''s body, catching the first glimpse of Ruth''s beautiful little sister.


    It was neither big nor small. It had medium-sized lips and was completely pink. Minos could see the small pearl highlighted at the top of Ruth''s slit, and there was no hair on that part of her body.


    He could also smell a pleasant smell from its, which made his heart beat faster. Upon feeling this, Minos could no longer hold on and soon began to kiss Ruth''s slit while having one of his hands ''scratched'' her bottom.


    "Ahhh ~ Ahh ~"


    When Minos''s tongue finally hit the pink pearl on top of Ruth''s little sister, she couldn''t help it when she stood up in an electrified position, feeling enormous pleasure.


    She felt as if a shock of pleasure passed through her body the moment Minos touched a particular part of her. After that, she let out a long moan as she looked down and thought. ''Ahh ~ That way, I won''t be able to hold myself ~''


    Soon after, she went back to her previous activity, sucking on the great dragon of Minos. But this time, she went even further. Ruth put the tip of the stick in her mouth while trying to take it as deep as possible.


    Upon feeling this, Minos'' eyes opened with a lust sparkle when he felt his younger brother step into something hot and humid. Ruth was doing better and better and was already figuring out how to do things for herself...


    "Ohh ~ That''s right, do it faster!" He said before returning to enjoy Ruth''s sweet flavors.


    And it wasn''t long before Ruth and Minos reached their climax.


    The two reached their orgasms almost at the same time, with the beautiful young brunette getting there first.


    Squirt!


    Ruth''s sweet juice was thrown from her little sister right in the face of Minos, while part of it went straight to his mouth. At the same time, she trembled softly at the height of pleasure when Minos finally released his liquid into the young woman''s mouth.


    Sensing something was coming, Ruth slowly pulled the Minos stick out of the back of her throat when she finally felt a viscous liquid being released in her mouth.


    ''This... It tastes very good...'' She thought as she tasted the white liquid from Minos.


    But not everything had come out of the beautiful young woman''s mouth, and part had been thrown on the girl''s lips. When she felt this, she immediately erotically used her tongue, licking every drop of the essence thrown on her face.


    "Ohh ~"


    Minos made a muffled sound, but soon afterward, Ruth said. "Let me clean it up." And then she started to lick all the remaining liquid off his stick, with a look of desire on her face.


    ''This girl...''


    After leaving Minos'' rod clean, Ruth''s desire had not decreased in the slightest, and she was experiencing an intense burning sensation between her legs. It seemed that this time, stopping halfway would not do for her.


    No, Ruth''s body seemed to want the whole thing today!


    ''Wow! It seems that I can''t hold myself anymore...'' She thought with a dirty look in her eyes.


    She then turned and looked into Minos'' eyes and said. "I''m ready."


    Seeing the lush expression on her beautiful face and hearing that, Minos just said. "Are you sure?"


    "Hmm."


    She just shook her head and agreed. Ruth didn''t even wait and lay down next to Minos, spreading her legs for him to penetrate her.


    Seeing this, Minos shifted his position, staying on top of Ruth.


    This was a great way to take her virginity, a position where he could have more control over how deep he would go, and he could also look her in the eye while doing this.


    It was just perfect!


    In doing so, Minos, who was also not satisfied with just doing some foreplay, placed his big dragon next to Ruth''s little sister and said. "Ready? This may hurt a little at first, but soon the pain will pass, leaving only pleasure."


    Ruth agreed, shaking her head as she looked at Minos and his dragon passionately. This was an extraordinary moment for her, and she was pleased to do that with someone like Minos.


    It didn''t take long, and Minos began to penetrate his member into Ruth''s cave slowly.


    ''Ahh... This... It hurts a little...'' She thought to herself, at the moment when Minos'' stick had been pushed into it slowly, gradually destroying her hymen.


    It didn''t take long, and Minos''s rod began to pierce Ruth''s cave faster and faster, while a few drops of blood began to stain the sheets on the bed that the couple was on.


    "Ahh ~ Ahh ~ Deeper ~"


    Shortly after Ruth lost her virginity, she began to feel less and less pain and more and more pleasure with Minos'' penetration, moaning and asking him to increase the intensity of the thing.


    ''Our! How good this is!'' Minos thought about it, as he felt Ruth''s inner walls milking his stick when he felt a heavenly sensation passing throughout his body.


    He couldn''t help but compare Ruth to Elena.


    Despite the young blonde having a lot of knowledge and knowing exactly what to do to make her partner reach a climax, the feeling of doing this with Ruth was even better.


    Pah! Pah! Pah!


    The two changed their position, with Ruth sitting on top of Minos while riding the young Stuart''s stick with passion, rubbing herself with the intimate part of her partner at high intensity, making the characteristic sounds sound through the environment.


    "Ahh ~ Mmmm ~"


    While Ruth gave everything to her partner, Minos accompanied her on his leg movements when he had his hands on the girl''s waist, sometimes passing one of his hands in the beautiful ass of her, looking her in the eye with pleasure.


    It didn''t take long, and the two of them had already reached orgasm again while they had beads of sweat putting on all parts of their bodies. At that moment, young Ruth''s second hole pulsed violently. At the same time, the inner walls of her wet cave sucked Minos''s pulsing rod with voracity while she released large amounts of fluids...


    But the two were immersed in a lustful desire that they could not stop their fun, continuing their activities throughout the night...

 Chapter 90: Going to the Peak of the Fog

    Time passed, and it was already dawned in the City of Flowers when Minos and Ruth were still sleeping in their room. Daylight could be seen entering the hotel room where they were standing, illuminating that environment.


    If someone entered this place at the present moment, they would have a reaction of surprise. Although the two had been sleeping for some time, the dense smell characteristic of sex could still be felt in the air. But not only that, there were clothes scattered around the place, sheets and pillows away from the bed, and several sweat marks on the furniture.


    There was clearly a wet stain on the sofa in the bedroom and a few blood stains on the bedsheet. The place was very untidy and contaminated with the fluids of Minos and Ruth.


    The two of them had lost in lust and had done everything last night. It is no exaggeration to say that they used all possible positions while doing this at different points in this room.


    But after more than seven straight hours of pure fun, Minos and Ruth were completely satisfied. They couldn''t take it anymore before finally collapsing in bed, sleeping until the present moment.


    They didn''t even bother to cultivate last night. After all, in the past few days, both Minos and Ruth had leveled up, so they had no intention of ignoring their wishes because of a cultivation session!


    Finally, as the sun''s rays entered the room, the naked bodies of Minos and Ruth were hugging each other tightly while the two slept with smiles on their faces.


    Ruth had her beautiful breasts firmly against Minos''s chest while her legs intertwined with his. She rested her head comfortably on his shoulder, sleeping as if she were having the best dreams possible.


    At the same time, young Stuart was sleeping on his back, with his head facing Ruth''s face. He could smell the pleasant fragrance of the young woman''s hair while he slept peacefully.


    Time passed slowly, and it was not long before the two woke up. They looked at each other for a moment and smiled.


    "Good morning Ruth." He said as he kissed her forehead.


    "Hmm, good morning."


    Minos then smiled and said. "And then? How was the night for you?"


    Ruth smiled sweetly and then answered while she looked Minos in the eye. "It was the best night of my life! I thought I was going to lose my mind with such pleasure..."


    She really felt like she was in heaven right now. For Ruth, who was a pure maiden until recently, this night with Minos had revealed a new world for her. It was as if a black and white world had suddenly gained color!


    "And all this because of you..." She said softly as she looked at Minos. She had a strange feeling in her heart, which she still didn''t quite understand. But she knew that she would never be able to forget that moment and Minos...


    "Hmm, it was also fantastic for me..." He said as he approached to kiss the seductive woman who was in his arms.


    "Really? Better even than that woman?" Ruth said with a provocative smile on her face.


    "Hmm, it was very different from what I had with her, but I can still say that."


    ''Hehe, perfect...'' She thought with a satisfied smile.


    After that, the two took a shower together while exchanging caresses. But they didn''t get too deep into it. The two of them had already had a long sex session, to the point where their private parts needed to rest a little longer...


    ...


    A few minutes later, Minos and Ruth left the hotel where they had spent the night, heading towards the east exit of the City of Flowers.


    They were going to the Peak of the Fog, a place that was east of the city where they were. Minos wanted to take the opportunity to try to harvest the Warrior-grade spiritual medicine that had been grown in that place.


    However, if someone had already harvested it, it would not hinder Minos'' plans. He already had to pass through this region to continue his trip to the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom, so that was already on his and Ruth''s travel schedule.


    It didn''t take long, and Ruth and Minos were already riding the great white-feathered eagle when they took off towards the Peak of the Fog.


    For this trip, they would take about an entire day to cover the distance between this city and that place. As for after that, the two would need to travel for another three days until they reached the next town, where they would rest.


    ...


    While Minos and Ruth traveled through the Cromwell Kingdom, products from the Black Plain had already arrived in the Old Stone, on the Stone Island.


    At this moment, Elen Nash was in her residence, next to her friend and business partner, Elena, when someone entered through the door of the room in which they were. This was a middle-aged woman who took care of Elen''s business in the Old Stone town.


    "Miss Elen, all items from the Black Plain have already arrived in the city and have been distributed in the family markets. They are already being sold in the 6 locations chosen by you." The woman said with a serious look on her face.


    "Oh? That''s nice. I want to see how things go. Hehe." Elen said as she had a dazzling smile on her face. She was pleased to start her operation with Minos and also very anxious to see what would happen in the future.


    "In fact, didn''t you tell me about your trip with the group of Minos? Didn''t you have any forbidden adventures with him? Haha." Elena said teasingly to Elen.


    "Hmph, you really don''t have a way... But about that..."


    After complaining to her friend, Elen began to report the things she had been through with Minos in the Black Plain and Yellow City, including the unusual beast she had met in this place.


    When she heard about it, Elena was very disappointed that she didn''t go on this trip with them. She was very interested in that 5-tailed fox that Elen had spoken to. After all, she had never heard of a fox like that!


    ...


    While Elena and Elen talked about the experiences on the Black Plain, Minos'' items were already being sold at the Nash family markets in the Old Stone town.


    At a certain point in the capital of Stone Island, a decent-looking young woman walked along the south side of the Old Stone city, heading towards a nearby market.


    She was a young housewife who had married and had children early, and today, she was going to buy the ingredients for the coming week.


    She did this weekly, as it was not good to buy in large quantities. At times, some traders would put the lower quality grains or cereals in the bottom of the containers, causing some unlucky people to have to throw away much of what they had bought.


    Therefore, this young woman was cautious with what she bought, avoiding buying large reserves. But she even had a good financial condition since her husband was a guard of the royal family on Stone Island. He was already in the 5th stage of cultivation.


    Passing in front of the Nash family market, the young woman in question entered this place as she always did. Although she did not lack crystals to feed her family, she still did her research work to get the best food for her family.


    It did not take long, and she arrived in front of a place where they had great fruits, with excellent appearances, grains of rice so white that they almost glistened, grapes, leaves of various types, etc. All of these items gave the impression that it was of the best quality.


    And even though the young woman was not yet at level 40, it was only by the appearance of these items that she knew that it was rich in spiritual energy.


    But there was something strange, the price charged for each kilo was equal to the same price as the average quality items sold there.


    She then approached a teenager, who was weighing some beans for another customer, and asked. "Boy, are these prices really right?"


    "Hmm, I''ve been asked that today more than once. The store manager said it was that price, indeed." The young attendant said when doing business with the customer that he was previously serving.


    "Okay, so get it..." The young woman started to place her order, indicating the quantities of each ''item'' she wanted to buy.


    ...


    After doing her weekly shopping at the Nash family market, the young woman returned to her home and went to make her daily lunch.


    She immediately decided to use these items that she had purchased since she usually did not find things as good as what she had achieved today.


    And it wasn''t long before her husband came home talking out loud. "My love, I''m here! Is the food ready yet?"


    "Hmm, come to the kitchen. Luna and Mark are already eating." The young woman shouted at her husband.


    As he sat down to lunch, the moment he saw the appearance of the dishes, the man exclaimed in surprise. "Olivia, why did you buy foods rich in spiritual concentration? Don''t you know that we can''t have these extravagances?"


    "Huh? Rich in spiritual concentration? I paid the same price as always on its." She said, not caring about her husband''s irritation.


    "What?"

 Chapter 91: Products Out of Stock

    Both Olivia and her husband were surprised at each other at the moment. She knew that these were good quality foods and probably had a decent amount of spiritual energy. But she did not realize that it had a high concentration of spiritual energy.


    She had just put the food on the table and was still serving her children when her husband arrived. As for the couple of children, neither of them had started to cultivate, so they only praised the food''s taste for their mother.


    As for Olivia''s husband, he was surprised to learn that his wife had purchased foods of high spiritual concentration for the same price as those of medium concentration, sold in the old stone town.


    He then looked at her and said. "Love, where did you buy this from?" He was very curious since resources like these were, on average, five times more expensive than what they could afford.


    "At the Nash family market, four blocks from here." She said before shoving a spoonful of rice into her mouth.


    She wanted to taste this rice of high spiritual concentration. This was the first time that she could do this in her 30 years of life!


    "Wow! You weren''t lying!" She said excitedly. It was really amazing, she hadn''t even eaten more than a few spoons, and her spiritual energy was already being stimulated!


    Olivia''s husband then started eating too, when he said. "I want you to go back to that place and buy more of these foods. Buy as much as we can, considering the time these products take to spoil. I don''t want to miss this golden chance."


    ...


    While Olivia''s family happily ate their meal of high spiritual concentration, several other people who had purchased the items from the Black Plain were already euphoric about this event.


    Some people even stopped their meals the moment they felt the spiritual concentration of the food, returning to the Nash family stores that were selling these items. This was a unique opportunity for them, so they couldn''t expect other people to take a seat on the subject.


    And quickly, the six Nash family markets that had received the items from Minos in the Old Stone town were completely full, with people who had already bought its and others who heard the rumor from close friends and family.


    "Boy, I want 6 kilos of rice, 3 kilos of apples..." A lady at the head of the line said to one of the clerks at this store she was in.


    At this time, almost all the employees at this store were fulfilling orders for items coming from the Minos region. The place had been entirely packed by customers who did not want to miss this unique opportunity.


    Hell, if a noble family found out about it, their members might as well buy all the stock at those stores at once!


    "Girl, I want four bunches of bananas, 5 kilos of soy..."


    "I want 3 kilos of grapes, 5 kilos of wheat, and..."


    Several orders were being placed, while there were seven different queues at this store, all of them to the countertops with products coming from the Dry City. And in each line, there were at least 50 people, who were nervous and afraid of having nothing left in their turn!


    ...


    After the launch of Minos'' products in the Old Stone town, 9 hours had passed when the last kilo of food had been sold in one of the Nash family stores.


    That''s right, 200 tons of food had been completely depleted in just 9 hours!


    But that was not so strange.


    After all, there were more than 6 million inhabitants in this city. With that, it was enough for about 6 thousand people to buy, on average, 33 kilos, and that whole food would be depleted.


    That day, the rumor ran through the city, but not so fast that other people took advantage of this opportunity.


    People like Olivia, who managed to go back and buy more, were in the minority. So, when the news had been widely spread, there was nothing left to buy!


    ...


    At this moment, Elen and Elena were having dinner when the servant from before entered the dining room with a big smile on her face. "Miss Elen, all the items from the Black Plain have already been sold out, and an amount of 2 million low-grade crystals have been collected!" She said exultantly.


    No one in the Nash family in the past millennia had won so many crystals in such a short time. This would definitely elevate Elen''s position within the family, which would also benefit this woman.


    "Incredible! I didn''t think these foods from the Black Plain were so good!" Elena said in shock.


    She had heard from Elen about what had happened in the Dry City, but she still had some disbelief in her heart. After all, she did not see or feel these changes herself...


    "Hmm, I was already anticipating something like this. But I still thought it would take a day or two." Elen said with a smile on her face.


    With the agreement she had made with Minos, she would keep 10% of the total collected in this first operation because the Black Plain did not have ships to bring the items to Stone Island, which gave her 200 thousand crystals!


    This might seem like a small deal for a 2 million business, but it was actually a very high value!


    Elen''s operating cost had been less than 30,000 crystals, which gave her an enormous profit in this operation.


    Even her family only made a profit of about 15 million low-grade crystals a year! And it was a whole family, with thousands of people!


    Because of this, Elen was pleased to have met Minos while she was passing through the Dry City. She had never thought that the opportunity of her life would arise in that place!


    ''It is no wonder that people say that those who work hard end up finding some lucky opportunities!'' She thought to herself.


    "Aunt Sally, bring bodyguard Eduard here. I want him to personally go to the Dry City to hand over Mr. Minos''s share of this business." Elen said while looking at the woman who had brought the news.


    In that first agreement, as the family did not authorize her to pay Minos in advance, she had agreed with him to make the payment after the sales were made. And, of course, Minos was not worried about being robbed since that would be much worse for Elen than for him.


    ...


    At the same time, in the Nash family patriarch''s office, three men were talking about different matters when a servant came into the room and whispered in the patriarch''s ear.


    "What?" Marvin Nash almost jumped out of his chair when he heard what the servant had said.


    Seeing the reaction of the family patriarch, the two men frowned. One of them was the current supreme elder of the Nash family and Elen''s father, Richard Nash, who was at level 57 at 634-years-old.


    The other was one of the family''s elders, Sigmund Nash, who was 550-years-old, level 55.


    The supreme elder then said with a severe look. "What happened, Marvin? Did the Allen family do anything against us?"


    The Allen family was a power of the Stone Island, a competitor of the Nash family.


    "No, it was little Elen..." He said while letting out a breath.


    Upon hearing this, the two men did not understand when Richard said concerned. "What did my daughter do to me? Did she offend any great power?"


    The patriarch then smiled and said in disbelief. "She made a deal, which in just one day collected 2 million low-grade crystals!"


    "But how is that possible?" Even before Richard said something, Sigmund couldn''t hold his shock and asked in disbelief.


    He couldn''t believe that a young woman like Elen had brought such a family business. Not even they were able to do so much in such a short time!


    "How did little Elen do that?" The old supreme elder asked.


    "I''m not sure, but I think it was..." Marvin then started talking about what he had heard from his subordinates about Elen''s recent activities.


    He also remembered that his stupid son had offended some crucial ally of Elen a few weeks ago.


    "I see. Well, I''m going to talk to my daughter and find out what''s going on, then I''ll give you feedback." The old supreme elder spoke before leaving the patriarch''s office and heading towards his daughter''s residence.


    ...


    At this moment, Eduard was in front of Elen, receiving the mission to take the crystals from Minos to the Black Plain.


    "Then you must travel quickly to resolve this. But take someone with you. The Dry City may want to get some orders from our region." Elen said to Eduard who had already received a spatial ring with all the crystals from Minos.


    After doing this, when Eduard had finally left this place, an old man entered through the front door of Elen''s residence.

 Chapter 92: Mysterious Cultivator

    Upon entering Elen''s residence, the old supreme elder went straight to an armchair in the drawing-room and sat down. Not long after that, a servant came to bring him some food and drink, while Elen finally came to receive him, leaving her friend, Elena, in another room.


    "Dad, what are you doing here? Something happened?" She asked curiously, looking at the old man sitting in this room. Her father had many responsibilities, so since she started cultivating, it was unusual for him to look for her.


    Although he was very present to her before she turned 10, after that, he became less present. This was very normal in families in the Spiritual World, as cultivators need to devote a large part of their lives to cultivating and training their techniques.


    But generally, mothers and fathers paid a lot of attention to their children in the first ten years of life, when they still did not cultivate and needed more family support.


    After that, cultivation would become the main objective of these youths. The time they spent with their family members became less and less. So, it wouldn''t be strange if someone went for months or years without seeing their families.


    Because of this, Elen thought it strange that her father came to visit her, just like that.


    The old man smiled at his daughter and said while massaging his long beard. "Hmm, it looks like you''re almost at level 45, not bad, not bad..."


    He then changed the subject and said. "But as to why I came here today, this is about the deal you did recently. It was huge, and it will certainly run throughout the Old Stone town. So, the family needs to know a little more about this."


    Elen then sat on the sofa, next to the chair where her father was sitting, and said in one breath. "Ehh, about that, the people I did business with come from the Black Plain..."


    Upon hearing this, the old man''s face turned red, his eyebrows furrowed, and then he said angrily. "Girl, do you think you can tell your dad these jokes? Don''t think that I''m not going to give you a beating just because you''re already an adult!"


    Elen then smiled and said. "I''m telling the truth, dad. A few weeks ago, that person even came to settle the last details of our deal here on Stone Island."


    "Are you talking about the young man who beat the brat, Luke?"


    "Hmm, that''s right."


    The old man then said discontentedly. "But that does not prove that these products came from the Black Plain."


    "But it is effortless for you to find out if it is true or not. Eduard just left here to go to the Dry City. If you want, just send someone to go with him to check this out." Elen said with a calm look on her face.


    "Okay, I''m going to do this. But if I find out you''re playing with your father..." He looked at Elen and said with a serious look on his face.


    "I''m telling the truth. But you can''t talk about that to anyone other than Uncle Martin."


    "Why?" The old man frowned again when he heard what his daughter said.


    She then replied with a resolute look. "I have already made an exclusive deal with Mr. Minos, but if he is destroyed because the news has leaked, then our family will lose all the work I had to do to achieve this."


    Elen had already taken several measures to prevent people from knowing where Minos'' items came from. First, the sailors who brought the cargo did not know that these items had been harvested on the Black Plain. As far as they knew, this place was just the port for transferring the goods.


    Second, Elen had already implemented the Dry City promotion, but only those subordinates she trusted would do so. They would also only advertise to people below level 30 and who are already a certain age.


    This was a measure so that only those with low talent would be affected. With this, the people who would receive the propagation would be, for the most part, people with White talent who did not influence the Stone Island forces.


    These people were not part of the families. They were just ''outsourced'' that the region''s powers hired from outside to do smaller jobs, such as mining, hunting weaker animals, serfs, transporting items within the region, etc. Anyway, they did minor jobs in these areas, so they were not members of any power.


    And because of that, Elen would advertise only to those who would not be able to spread this news to the great powers of this region.


    And even if any of those people tried to say something, it would be like a lunatic talking crazy. No one would believe it, and the Nash family would never confirm that information.


    "Hmm, I understand. Rest assured, I will not speak to other people..." The old man said while thinking about this situation. Was his daughter actually telling the truth? That was the doubt in Richard''s heart.


    ...


    While Elen discussed matters relating to the Black Plain products with her father, Minos and Ruth had already covered the entire distance from the City of Flowers and the Peak of the Fog.


    At this time, the two descended from the white eagle, on top of a mountain almost 1,000 meters high, in relation to their surroundings. In that place, there was a white fog at some points of the hill, which reduced the visibility of the flight, making Minos and Ruth descend from their eagle before entering this place.


    "Well, according to that merchant''s information, the Warrior-grade medicine must be in that region that lies between the middle and the top of the mountain." Minos said in a low voice.


    Ruth then shook her head and said. "Hmm, I think that getting there, it won''t be hard to find that. In a short time, I can trace the spirituality of this medicine."


    After she says this, Minos, who was wearing a set of black clothes, and Ruth, who was wearing a beautiful green dress, began to climb the Peak of the Fog.


    ...


    At the same time that the two were doing this, a man with white hair and a short beard appeared flying in the sky, wearing a large golden robe and with brown eyes, stopping as soon as he saw Minos in the distance.


    Even though he was a few dozen kilometers away, he could still see Minos''s face clearly, even though the young man was climbing the Peak of the Fog, in the middle of trees and fog in that region.


    He then thought to himself while having a smile on his face. ''Hmm, I finally found you, Minos Stuart! Haha, I will watch you for a while before appearing to you...''


    ...


    After more than an hour of climbing the great mountain, Ruth had finally felt the spiritual energy of the Warrior-grade spiritual medicine.


    She had also felt the presence of 15 other cultivators, the strongest at level 48.


    "Minos, it seems that your medicine has not yet been harvested, but there are several people around here. What do we do? Even if they can''t harvest it, there will certainly be a battle when someone succeeds." Ruth asked when she felt they were close to the place that they were looking for.


    "Well, if they want a fight to the death, then that''s what they are going to get." He replied with a cold smile.


    According to what Ruth had said to him earlier, of the 15, 9 were only at level 39, while the other six were between levels 45 and 48. These six were supposed to be the bodyguards of the remaining 9.


    Some time passed, and Minos and Ruth finally arrived in front of the place where the medicine was. It was a place without large trees, with a fine fog, and almost no sun rays were reaching this point.


    It was possible to see five groups divided in different places around medicine while observing the surrounding situation.


    Each of them was waiting for someone to step forward and try to harvest the Rainbow Fruit, which was in the middle of the area between the groups.


    When they saw two new competitors arrive, some of them thought it was good since these new people might be able to harvest this medicine, while others frowned in disgust. Each individual who arrived meant less chance for each of them!


    Minos then looked at the 15 people and smiled. He then said. "Friends, I must advise you to give up this medicine if you do not know how to harvest it."


    He didn''t want to make enemies for no reason, so he wanted to give these people a try so that they wouldn''t try anything funny. That was a friendly warning from someone very dangerous. At least that''s what Minos believed...


    He was doing them a big favor!


    Upon hearing this, one of the youths, who had black hair and was dressed like a nobleman, stepped forward and said dismissively. "And can you do that by any chance? Hmph! And even if you can, in the Spiritual World, only the strong can decide who gets treasures like this!"

 Chapter 93: Reaping the Medicine

    ''Hmph, who do you think you are to speak big like that!'' The young man who had spoken earlier thought to himself, while he had a contemptuous smile on his face.


    He had heard from his bodyguard that these two new competitors were only at levels 46 and 37. In his case, he was at level 39 and his bodyguard at level 48. They clearly had the advantage in this place!


    So, the young man with black hair, who was named Tristram Reid, was confident of getting rid of Minos and Ruth with ease.


    At the same time, the other competitors of this medicine were also unhappy with Minos'' behavior. It seemed to them that these newcomers were looking down at them. Obviously, they didn''t see how kind Minos had been...


    ''As much as his attitude is arrogant, at least someone seems to be willing to go against this bastard.'' One of the youths thought to himself as he looked towards Tristram.


    Young Tristram had acted as if the Warrior-grade medicine had been his from the start, so he had created a particular dislike from the other people in this place.


    But since his bodyguard was the strongest on the scene, no one took the initiative to do anything against him. They also didn''t know how to harvest this Rainbow Fruit, so there was no reason for them to try to get together, just to teach the young Tristram a lesson.


    Minos took a look at the people around him and noticed that most of them seemed unhappy with his kindness. He then tried to speak in another way. "Well, I''m going to reap this spiritual medicine, but I hope you don''t covet it. It would not be good if all of their families'' investment were wasted on a mere Rainbow Fruit..."


    Upon hearing this, some youths were even more irritated by Minos'' behavior. In contrast, others were curious about why this competitor was so full of himself. ''This arrogant Tristram will no longer hold back if this guy continues...'' One of them thought about it when he looked at the situation with interest.


    Some of them were already in this area for four days, waiting for someone capable of harvesting medicine to appear in this place. After all, they still had plenty of time before the Spiritual Tournament started. This was a good chance for them to improve their levels before the competition begins.


    Anyway, immediately upon hearing Minos''s phrase, Tristram frowned and said. "Are you threatening us? Hmph! How pathetic, with a strength of the only level 37, still dares to say these great things."


    The bodyguard then approached Tristram and asked in a low voice. "Young master, do you want me to deal with this guy?"


    "No, we are going to let him harvest the medicine. After that, we will kill him and his protector." Tristram said in a low voice that only he and his bodyguard could hear.


    After giving his last warning, Minos approached the Rainbow Flower while noticing that no one seemed interested in stopping him.


    ''Well, I''ve done a lot by alerting them twice. If anyone wants to come and die, I can do nothing but help them...'' Minos thought as he let out a long breath.


    At the same time, Ruth closely watched each of the six bodyguards in this place. She wanted to be ready to defend Minos from them, at the slightest sign of disagreement.


    As for the others, they were insignificant to Minos and could even be killed in a single second. For them, defying Minos would be the biggest mistake of their lives.


    The group then began to pay attention to Minos'' gestures when he finally got close to the Rainbow Fruit, which was right there in the middle of the place, shining dazzlingly in its seven colors.


    Minos then knelt next to the fruit, taking scissors 30 centimeters in length from his spatial ring. But this was no ordinary scissors. No, it was not a spiritual weapon since it could not emit attacks. Still, it was an ''item'' manufactured by an array master and a blacksmith, who were both in grade-4, high-level!


    This was a top-of-the-line tool designed to help low-level people collect medicines of any rating!


    The God Henricus Longus had ordered a set of gardening tools from two of his acquaintances. After beginning planning to build his inheritance, he had done this, as he needed these items to help his future heir collect the medicines from the Spatial Kingdom.


    Otherwise, his heir could be delayed for many years, just because he doesn''t have the strength to harvest the medicines from the Spatial Kingdom!


    And that scissors that Minos had removed from his ring was one of those gardening tools left by Henricus Longus.


    While Minos took the scissors out of his ring, the mysterious man was floating in the skies above the Peak of the Fog while watching the whole situation. He found Minos'' behavior very interesting, but he frowned firmly when he saw the scissors appearing on the spot.


    ''This scissors... I can''t conclude its classification, but it is not simple...'' He thought to himself while scratching his head.


    Meanwhile, Minos finally started using his tool to harvest Warrior-grade medicine. He passed the scissors through the structure of the plant, passing through the stem, leaves, stalk, etc.


    After doing this for a while, he finally felt that the scissors had suddenly eased the tension when it passed through a specific area of ??the plant.


    He then thought. ''If I cut at this point, I will be able to take not only the fruit but also part of the plant to the Spatial Kingdom. Um, I''m going to send this right over there. Emlyn will understand what it means and will help me take care of it over there.''


    At that moment, he finally harvested the plant that the Warrior-grade medicine had borne fruit. Upon seeing this, all 15 people were happily surprised, while Ruth showed no reaction.


    She already absolutely trusted what Minos said he could do, so she was already waiting for it.


    However, in the next second, all of these people were surprised when the plant disappeared from nowhere on the spot. It seemed that Minos was getting ready to run after getting a valuable treasure!


    Upon seeing this, everyone prepared to fight, but most of them wanted to wait for the young Tristram to test the Minos duo first.


    ''Hmph, to be so daring to do this with so many potential enemies, this guy must have a great card up his sleeve!'' One of their most sensible youths thought to himself while waiting to see what would happen.


    He had already signaled his protector not to act and just to watch what was going to happen.


    At this moment, young Tristram stepped forward and said in a dominating voice. "Give me that medicine, and I can think of letting you out of here alive."


    "Hmm? What did you say?" Minos asked in disbelief. For him, this guy was nothing more than a worm. What was he up to with all this bullshit?


    Tristram then started to look more and more ugly when he realized that Minos didn''t give a damn about him. "How can a level 37 bug dare to talk to me like that?" He said angrily.


    Young Tristram had been brought up with many perks, and his family was the strongest in his region. And even though he was part of a group that could be considered to be a top echelon in the north of the Central Continent, his petty personality had still made him come here to dispute this Warrior-grade medicine.


    "Guard Leon, take care of the bitch who is protecting this insect, that I will deal with him." Tristram shouted aloud.


    Upon hearing this, Minos and Ruth frowned. This young man was really arrogant and wanted to bring this matter to a deadly situation!


    Minos then looked at Ruth and nodded. He was not a pious person, so there was no need to insure himself against such scum.


    Seeing this, Ruth smiled and prepared to fight. She was also excited, this would be her first time fighting since she reached level 46, so it was a good training opportunity!


    Minos then took out his grade-2, low-grade sword and prepared to activate his three techniques.


    He then said in a serious voice. "I warned you more than once, but since you don''t want to hear the voice of reason, I don''t mind killing you."


    While saying this to Tristram, all 15 people around this place knew the level of the weapon that Minos had removed from his spatial ring. That''s because this was a weapon dreamed of by almost all of them!


    Even some of the bodyguards in this place did not have a weapon as well-rated as Minos'' sword!


    ''Ehh? A grade-2, low-level weapon. Does he think he can use it?'' One of the youths thought calmly.


    Seeing Minos''s weapon, Tristram laughed. He didn''t even pay attention to what young Stuart was saying. For him, it was a battle won!


    ''Hehehe, it seems that it was a right decision to come to this place. In addition to a Warrior-grade medicine, I will still get a grade-2, low-grade sword.'' Tristram smiled happily when he saw Minos''s weapon.

 Chapter 94: Fighting at the Peak of the Fog

    At the same time, when Minos and young Tristram were almost facing each other, Ruth and that young master''s bodyguard were already having an intense battle.


    Fists of Pain!


    Instant Steps!


    Ruth activated her two main techniques when she headed towards young Tristram''s bodyguard. She wanted to end this fight quickly, to prevent the other 5th stage cultivators in this place from trying to do anything against Minos.


    When he felt the speed and strength of the fist coming towards him, the bodyguard immediately frowned, activating his defense technique with everything he had.


    This young woman was attacking him with such force that he paled a little, just by feeling the power of the technique that she was about to hit him!


    Iron Body!


    Boom!


    ...


    At the same time, Minos activated all three of his techniques and headed towards the young Tristram.


    Devouring Art!


    Indestructible Body!


    Spatial Sword!


    Minos'' body was immediately strengthened, while a black ring rotated around him, a few meters above the sky.


    Upon feeling this, Tristram''s body was almost entirely frowned upon by Minos'' attack technique, making the arrogant young man feel at a dead end.


    ''Shit! What''s happening? Why do I feel so heavy?'' He thought as he tried to move.


    But he could do nothing but move as fast as a turtle.


    After all, Minos was already at level 37. With his innate ability that increases the energy in his body, he had a spiritual strength equivalent to level 38!


    Because of this, the Spatial Sword technique was very effective against enemies with so little difference in cultivation, as in the case of young Tristram. He was only at level 39, so he was very vulnerable to all of Minos'' techniques!


    ...


    When they saw what was happening, all 13 people who were watching the fight from the side in this place began to feel goosebumps of fear. Even the bodyguards were deeply shocked.


    The power that Minos was exhibiting was too terrifying for anyone on his level. He was almost as strong as a level 44 cultivator!


    And even if these bodyguards were stronger than Minos, their masters could be killed by that person in just a fraction of a second!


    That way, if they were careless, even if they managed to escape Minos'' partner, they would still receive punishments worse than the death of their families if one of these youths died!


    As for the eight youngsters at level 39, they were all scared and happy that they hadn''t attacked Minos. This may well have saved their lives!


    ''What a monster! No wonder he was arrogant before. He was giving us a chance not to feel this terror!'' The most sensible young man in the group thought to himself.


    ...


    At the same time, the mysterious man who was floating over this place frowned firmly and murmured in a low voice. "By the power of these techniques and the spiritual energy of Minos, these are three techniques of Golden-grade!"


    ''How did he achieve this?'' He asked himself in shock. Even the power behind him had only 1 of these treasures, but an ordinary young man like Minos had 3 of its!


    ''And considering his cultivation speed, it seems that his technique is also of the same degree!'' He thought while having a look of disbelief on his face.


    ...


    Finally, the young Tristram activated his defense technique with all the spiritual power he had. If he did nothing, it was certain death!


    Iron Body!


    Tristram activated the same technique as his bodyguard. At the same time, his skin changed color, from white skin to a silvery metallic appearance.


    Minos then made a simple gesture with his sword, sending four blades towards Tristram''s body.


    One was pointed at the young man''s neck, another at the belly, and the other two at each of the target''s arms.


    He wanted to mow down Tristram''s life at once!


    ''In the next life, don''t be too hasty!'' Minos thought to himself. It was not worth talking about. The young man in front of him was too terrified to pay attention to in some words...


    Swooish!


    Swooish!


    The noise of the air being cut sounded when Minos'' attacks quickly followed towards the young Tristram.


    Bash!


    In less than 1 second after Minos'' movement, four pieces of meat fell to the place where Tristram was. He hadn''t even had time to be in pain when his arms and head were suddenly separated from his body!


    If anyone paid attention to the eyes of Tristram''s severed head, they would see that he had not noticed that this was the end for him. The young man had a terrified look, but since he had not yet received the blow, there was still a glimmer of hope in his mind.


    But the difference was just too big.


    Even though he used all of his energy in this defense, he was only about 6% stronger than Minos in spiritual power. What''s more, he used a Black-grade defense technique that provided only 70% efficiency!


    With that, as Minos used a Golden-grade attack, with 200% efficiency, even if he used only half of his spiritual energy, it would still be enough to kill Tristram in a single stroke!


    But not only that, his grade-2, low-grade sword also amplified Minos'' attack power, resulting in this tragic ending for young Tristram.


    ''Oh my! That arrogant boy didn''t even have a chance to realize what had happened!'' A young woman thought while she had a hideously pale face. She had thought of attacking Minos before, but after seeing this, she had such a fear in her heart that the only thing she wanted to do at this point was to leave.


    ''I almost died from a Warrior-grade medicine!'' Some of them thought as they slowly moved away from that place.


    ...


    In the meantime, young Tristram''s bodyguard didn''t even have time to worry about his young master''s well-being. At this point, he had his chest completely sunk while Ruth smashed his head on the floor!


    Pow!


    Ruth gave her last punch when that man''s head snapped off like a watermelon, spreading his brains all over the place!


    Those bodyguards who were in this place once again trembled with fear when they saw this. Each of them was weaker than the man with the crushed head, so they knew that if they were them, then the fight would last even less!


    ''But what a diabolical duo! Where did these two come from?'' One of the guards thought as he slowly walked away from that place beside his young mistress.


    ''No wonder they could harvest the Warrior-grade medicine!'' Some of them thought about it carefully.


    In fact, these two had the right to do whatever they wanted in this place. There was nothing to stop them from getting what they wanted with their abilities!


    Seeing that Ruth had finished her fight as well, Minos smiled at her and then looked at the 13 people who had subtly moved away from where they were.


    He then said politely. "Well, I think these friends are going to leave me with that plant, right?"


    Upon hearing this, they all had the same thought in their minds. ''As if we have any choice!''


    After a moment of silence, the sensible young man stepped forward and tried to hide the shock in his voice when he said it. "There is no need for you to say such a thing. Since you managed to harvest the medicine, of course, you are the only one who has the right to own it! We were just watching!"


    "That''s right! We didn''t want that person to get medicine, so we were waiting to deal with him! But since you came, we didn''t have that chance." Another person said firmly.


    "The same for me. Now that this has been resolved, I say goodbye!" A young woman said before turning and hurrying out of this place.


    There was no need to risk irritating that person! Even though it was nice to befriend someone like that, he had just brutally killed someone!


    That way, they could form contacts at a more peaceful time in the future!


    "For me too. I hope to see you at the Spiritual Tournament. I am sure you will be the winner." Another young man said before also leaving that area.


    Seeing this, Minos smiled inwardly while looking at the mass retreat of these competitors from him. ''Hmm, this is better. I don''t want to kill so many people for so little...''


    A few seconds had passed when all 13 people had left this place where the fight had taken place. Minos then looked at Ruth and then went in her direction to go down this place together and continue their journey.


    However, when they were on their way, an old man suddenly appeared in front of them!


    This man looked very strange, he looked like an old man, he had white hair and a beard, but his skin was extremely smooth and without any blemishes.


    It seemed that this person had a minimal amount of toxins in his body, which gave him this good appearance, even at an old age.


    He was also dressed in a golden robe, and if anyone looked right, he would see that his feet were not touching the floor!

 Chapter 95: The Identity of the Mysterious Man

    Seeing the arrival of this old man, both Minos and Ruth was a little scared, mainly because they both realized that this man was floating!


    But their reactions were completely different. While one had thought of urgency and was somewhat fearful, the other was deeply surprised by that person''s arrival here.


    That''s right, Ruth knew this old man, but she didn''t think that such a figure could appear in front of her, in this place in the north of the Central Continent! That was why she had been startled to see him.


    ''That old man is at least level 60!'' Minos thought as he watched every move of this newcomer. After all, in order to fly and consequently also float, a person''s minimum cultivation would have to be at the stage of a Spiritual Emperor!


    And almost instantly realizing how strong this old man was, Minos quickly grabbed Ruth''s wrist and prepared to flee to the Spatial Kingdom at any moment.


    There was no reason to stay and wait to find out who this guy was and what he wanted.


    Seeing Minos'' reaction, Ruth shook her head as if she were telling him there was no danger when she was saying. "Minos, you don''t have to..."


    However, when Ruth tried to say something to Minos, the old man interrupted her and said with a smile on his face. "Cough! Ehh, interesting. I just felt a powerful energy in your body. Did you happen to be trying to escape? This is very rude of you. I came so far to meet you..."


    Seeing that the old man did not want her to tell his identity immediately, Ruth was quiet and began observing the situation. ''Why would he want to meet Minos?'' She asked in her thoughts.


    After hearing the old man''s comment, Minos became even more fearful. Even if this guy couldn''t feel the Spatial Kingdom ring, he could still feel the energy of that place trying to teleport Minos and Ruth!


    This was really impressive and showed that the cultivation of that person must be tremendous!


    ''Perhaps he is a Saint or even a Spiritual Sage!'' Minos thought about it while trying to understand how someone like that had come his way.


    But it was useless to think about it now. Minos had never offended powers with such force, so all he had to do was ask the old man standing in front of him.


    "Who are you? And why do you want to meet me? I certainly don''t know him." Minos said with a little nervousness in his voice.


    Upon hearing this, the old man laughed out loud and said. "Haha, if you had gone to the Gray Cloud Sect with your mother, you would have known who I am."


    He then came over to Minos and patted him on the shoulder gently. "Why didn''t you go with your mom?" The old man asked curiously.


    "Because any sect would be a stone in my path!" Minos brandished sincerely. He didn''t care about the Flaming Empire sects. For him, going to any one of them would not differ from losing his freedom!


    ''Well, after seeing how far you have come alone, I cannot contradict those words...'' The old man thought as he let out a big sigh.


    With Minos'' speed of cultivation and the quality of his fighting techniques, he would really be thrown back into the sects or even oppressed by the system to hand over his own resources to people stronger than himself!


    Meanwhile, Ruth had frighteningly looked at Minos after hearing his last statement. She thought to herself. ''How can you say that in the face of the master of the Gray Cloud Sect? And do you still say that as if it were nothing big?''


    That''s right. This man was the current master of the Gray Cloud Sect, the sect that Maisie and Ruth were part of. The young woman next to Minos did not know the full name of this old man since he was antiquity within the sect, and he was over 4,000 years old!


    Therefore, most disciples like her only knew their sect master''s first name. He was called Oswald, and he was already in the final levels of the Spiritual Saint stage!


    But no one in Ruth''s generation knew exactly what the old man''s level was. After all, few of them had seen it before, while they were unable to know the exact cultivation of someone who was far above them, as in the case of Oswald.


    The old man then asked Minos another question while probing the young man''s body. "Ehh, and when are you going to visit your mother''s sect? I''m sure your family would like to get to know you better..."


    "I don''t know, maybe when I''m stronger than she is." Minos replied dryly.


    He had no interest in traveling so far and when he was still so weak. There was no feeling of longing on the part of Minos for Maisie, so he didn''t mind going to see the place where she grew up.


    He could even do that in the future, as he wanted his territories to be even stronger than the Flaming Empire!


    "Oh? So, it shouldn''t take that long. After all, with this cultivation technique that you are using, it would be a walk to reach your mother''s level." The old man said with satisfaction.


    He knew that Minos had a Black talent, but with a Golden-grade technique, it would be really easy for him to reach level 60, even in the north of the Central Continent.


    "Well, since that is the case, I will be retiring for now. I just wanted to see your performance at the Spiritual Tournament, but I think there is no need for me to do that anymore. I can already imagine how the result will be..."


    He then turned to look at Minos and Ruth, and a thought crossed his mind slightly. ''Hahaha, I can feel the aura of Minos in this girl from the Miles family. It seems that little Maisie sent her disciple to a tiger''s lair...''


    He then smiled softly and said. "Well, until the next young Minos. I hope you don''t take too long to reach your mother''s level!"


    After saying those words, just as he had appeared, he disappeared from that place, in the middle of the Peak of the Fog.


    Seeing the old man disappearing from their sight, Minos sighed with relief as he turned around, asking the beautiful young woman beside him. "Ruth, who was that person? You seemed to know him."


    She nodded and said. "Hmm, he is the current master of the Gray Cloud Sect, and I saw him only once, during a festive occasion of the sect that my master took me, about 2 years ago."


    "I only know that his first name is Oswald and his stage of cultivation is the 8th. As to which family he comes from or his level, only those older in the sect know."


    "Oh? So, this is how it is. But why did this guy come here just to see me?" Minos said curiously. As far as he knew, his mother must have been just an ordinary elder of the sect since she was still only at the level of a Spiritual Emperor.


    Therefore, she should not have an influence with these more powerful individuals of her sect, like the old man he had just met.


    Ruth then said with an uncertain expression. "Ehh, I''m also surprised by this. My master never spoke to me in detail about the sect master. Still, I think she is very close to him, considering how she behaved in front of him during the event when I first saw him. Maybe she is his disciple or a distant relative. I''m not sure."


    "Maybe he heard about you from my master, so he was interested in meeting you."


    "Never mind. We will continue with our trip since he left. I don''t have to worry about that." Minos said before pulling Ruth by the right arm and heading back to the place where White was waiting for them.


    ...


    As Minos and Ruth returned for their journey, old Oswald was flying back to the Flaming Empire while thinking about what he had felt from Minos'' body.


    ''Little Maisie told me that he had a Black talent and a King-grade Physique. But his physique is clearly a Warrior-grade one, as far as his talent is concerned, I can''t feel anything.'' He thought with a thoughtful expression on his face.


    ''Does his cultivation technique hide his talent so that others don''t know his real potential? And his physique, although not well classified, it has a great ability!''


    He had discovered all this about Minos when he put his hand on young Stuart''s shoulder. He wanted to understand the exact situation of the young man''s body, especially where the energy he had felt before was coming from.


    It was such an incredible force that even though Oswald was already at level 78, he couldn''t understand it!


    ''Never mind, I''m sure he''ll tell me in the future... Hahaha.'' The old man laughed out loud, proudly, as he flew thousands of kilometers from where Minos was.

 Chapter 96: Crystals from Stone Island

    A few hours earlier, inside the Spatial Kingdom, two foxes were playing with each other. The great mother fox was entertaining her daughter at that moment, when suddenly a plant appeared out of nowhere, not far from the two of them.


    Seeing this, the little fox showing her belly to her mother suddenly got up and ran towards the medicine that Minos had sent to that place.


    She ran quickly, showing her two tails that dangled as if she were showing off.


    That''s right, Kyla had gone up to the 2nd stage of cultivation since the last time Minos had seen her. During those days, the young man was traveling with the beautiful Ruth and could not enter this place.


    It wasn''t that Minos didn''t trust Ruth, but there was no need to tell him all his secrets just because they were having sex! If he was going to talk to her about it, well, that was something from the future and not now.


    He would only bring her here if they were both in danger of imminent death!


    Upon arriving in front of the plant, the little fox said in a beast tongue. "Mommy, can I eat?"


    Kyla had already learned to speak her native language after increasing her level and improving her intelligence.


    She was almost drooling when she saw this plant and that fruit. Its scent was very good, and it was making Kyla glutton wish for it.


    However, seeing her like this, Emlyn just shook her head and said. "You can not. Minos said that we could only eat the medicines in this place after talking to him."


    "But I want to eat..." Kyla said with tears in her eyes as she held the plant with Rainbow Fruit in both front legs.


    "But you can not. Don''t you like the apples that Minos brings here? Eat its for now. Maybe he''ll let you eat this in the future." The fox mother said lovingly as she got up and went towards the plant that Minos had sent.


    ''If he sent the plant like that, it must be because he wants to plant it in that place...'' She thought while thinking about what to do.


    ...


    Six days passed outside the Spatial Kingdom, 6 days passed quickly when bodyguard Eduard finally arrived in the Dry City.


    At this time, he was being accompanied by two other people, one of whom was one of Elen''s subordinates, who was here to do any business of interest to this city. The other was a subordinate of the supreme elder of the Nash family, who was here to evaluate this place.


    The two men looked very much alike, with tanned skin, black hair, and the shape of their faces. Both were siblings who had worked for the family for a long time, for the Nash''s supreme elder. But one of them had been allocated to help Richard''s daughter when Elen had started her journey as a merchant.


    Upon arriving close to the city, the two men who accompanied Eduard were completely shocked by the changes in this place, which now had several fields of cultures and a much more organized and beautiful city.


    Being members of the Nash family, these two men were born traders who knew very well the problems that this region of the Black Plain had, so they were completely frightened by such a change.


    Upon entering the city, the subordinate of the supreme elder said in shock. "Unbelievable! I never thought the day would come when I would see the Black Plain rise from the bottom of the well!"


    "Comparing this Minos with Vico Trevisani would not be an exaggeration!" He said in a low voice.


    "Don''t you think this is overkill? That guy from the Eastern Empire can protect his nation, alone, against the Western Empire. You''re getting old, brother." Elen''s subordinate said in disagreement.


    "Of course, I know that. But Vico Trevisani also started his legend from below. Who knows how far the Black Plain can go..." The man said in awe of what Minos had done in that place.


    It was not impossible to change a place as Minos had done. In fact, it was not difficult. The problem was that either the rulers did not have the means to improve the place and/or did not have an interest in doing so!


    In most cases, the biggest problem was the second option. Many sovereigns saw their territories as a place where they could do whatever they wanted without bothering to give returns to those regions.


    That is why the subordinate of the supreme elder of the Nash family was so admired by Minos. He had the means and the determination to improve this place and not just suck the crystals of this land for himself!


    And while the pair of brothers admired the changes that the Dry City had undergone, their group finally arrived at the mansion that was in the center of the city.


    At this moment, the sun was overhead in the Dry City.


    There was a lot of movement in front of Minos'' mansion when the group of 3 men finally arrived in this place. Upon entering the internal area of ??this building, the three passed through a garden and then arrived at the administrative area of ??the building, where Minos''s office was located.


    ...


    Right now, Dillian was sitting in Minos''s chair, talking to three soldiers from the Black Plain Army. He looked at the three and said. "Make preparations for the new recruits. In a maximum of 3 months, we will double the current contingent of soldiers."


    "Carl, how many immigrants have arrived in the city these past few days?"


    One of the soldiers then responded promptly. "More than 4,000 people moved to our city in the last week, butler Dillian."


    "Oh! This is good. With that, we will be able to increase the planted area even more..."


    When Dillian was speaking, secretary Mia came through the office door and then went over to the side of the chair where the butler was sitting and said in a low voice. "Butler Dillian, Mr. Eduard is here with the crystals from Stone Island."


    After hearing this, Dillian''s eyes suddenly flashed, and he smiled broadly. That was just what they needed right now!


    "Oh! That was faster than I thought. Let him in, quickly." He said while also saying goodbye to the three soldiers who were handing him some reports.


    Not long after, 3 men entered Minos'' office, while they had smiles on their faces and wore clothes with the Nash family symbol.


    Upon seeing these people, Dillian quickly greeted them and invited them to sit and have a cup of tea.


    Eduard then said while handing a spatial ring to Dillian. "Butler Dillian, as agreed in the previous arrangement, here has 1.8 million low-grade spiritual crystals for the products that were sent to Stone Island."


    "Oh! That is great." Dillian exclaimed in satisfaction.


    Eduard then smiled and said. "We will be staying in the city for a few days, so if you need anything from Stone Island, just talk to us, and we will do everything to help you."


    "Hmm, we will certainly need..."


    The four men talked for a while until finally they separated and left the butler Dillian in that room, alone. He was thinking about the next steps.


    ''With these crystals, we will finally be able to increase the number of hectares planted, from 100 to 200! And we will be able to hire another 10,000 people for agriculture.''


    "With the crystals leftover from the Dry City trade..." He murmured in a low voice as he calculated with his fingers. "We can afford to fund the two alchemists in the city for the next 3 months and still buy 50 more spiritual weapons of grade-1, high-level... and 1 array of grade-2, low-level..."


    The butler Dillian continued to do his accounts while thinking about what he could buy with their values??. But even though there were many crystals, they were responsible for a city with almost 60 thousand inhabitants at this time!


    And unlike other sovereigns, Minos gave a 70% subsidy to the two alchemists in the Dry City. With this alone and with the payment of city officials, counting soldiers and farmers, this was already more than 75% of what they were earning from the sale of their resources.


    Therefore, the surplus of crystals to buy weapons and spiritual arrays was not high at this time. After all, raising the population level with spiritual pills was one of Minos'' main goals for the Black Plain.


    ...


    While Dillian and other members of the Black Plain government tried to do business in the Dry City in the best possible way, Minos and Ruth had stopped to rest in a city in the middle of the Cromwell Kingdom at this very moment.


    "Ruth, let''s go straight to the hotel first, then we look for a restaurant to eat..." Minos looked into his partner''s eyes and said this ambiguously.


    They had spent the past 2 days fighting, traveling through a dangerous region, where they could not ''relax'' together. With that, both wanted their time of fun in the hotel as soon as possible so that they could continue with their other matters in a more peaceful way.


    It was not easy to ignore all the sexual tension between them!


    "Hmm, I''m not hungry either. Let''s do this first..." She said, her face subtly flushed.

 Chapter 97: Red Triangular Symbol (*)

    "Ahh ~ I''m coming ~"


    "Ha... Me too, ha..." Minos said when he finally released his load for the 9th time in Ruth''s hole.


    "Mmmm ~"


    At the same time, the girl shivered softly, letting out an extremely erotic moan, when she managed to release her juices once again!


    Right now, the two were lying on the bed, with Ruth on top of Minos, while their bodies were still connected by each other. Both were utterly sweaty and tired from the last 8 hours of sex in a row when they both reached their last orgasm.


    "Ha... Haa..."


    Ruth fell on Minos''s chest as she breathed quickly and tried to catch a breath after such prolonged amusement. Both were at their limit, with red hickey marks on various parts of their bodies and hair completely wet with sweat.


    There was a thick smell in the room and several sweat stains everywhere. They really couldn''t help themselves when they could have fun together!


    "Ha... I think... I won''t be able to walk... for the next half hour..." Ruth whispered in Minos''s right ear as she breathed quickly.


    After so much ''fun,'' Ruth''s little sister was so sensitive, to the point that if she moved, her whole body would tremble with excitement! So, she had to lie in bed for a few minutes until her body returned to normal.


    Minos then smiled and kissed her on the cheek and then said. "Well, then get some rest. I''m going to take my shower first."


    After that, their bodies were disconnected when Minos finally went to the bathroom of the room they had rented. At the same time, Ruth lay with her legs spread on the bed while white liquid dripped between her beautiful legs.


    When she felt Minos'' seeds coming out of her slit, Ruth used one of her fingers and slid into the white liquid. She then took it to her mouth, licking it seductively.


    If Minos saw this, he might not be able to bear the temptation and go back to his previous amusement with Ruth...


    ''Ahh, I feel so good...'' The young woman thought, just before she closed her eyes and started sleeping peacefully. There was nothing better than sleeping after satisfying her most ardent desires!


    ...


    Time passed, and soon Minos and Ruth were clean and dressed, ready to go out to dinner. The two had been doing this whenever they could during this trip. After all, neither of them knew how to cook, so when they were in the middle of a forest, they basically ate only fruits, cereals, and spiritual leaves.


    But that was not enough to satisfy their ''hunger.'' No, although these items can nourish their bodies, it couldn''t compare to the feeling of eating delicacies in a good restaurant!


    And even if Ruth knew more upscale places, it was still better to eat at these restaurants in the Cromwell Kingdom, than to eat those foods all the time!


    For this reason, the two always took the opportunity to sample the best restaurants in the cities that they visited.


    And it didn''t take long, and Minos and Ruth were already walking through the streets of Picus City.


    This was one of the great cities in the Cromwell Kingdom, which had thousands of hectares of crops planted.


    Because of this, this city was huge, with more than 3 million inhabitants and with many services at its disposal.


    The city was magnificent, with many buildings with classical style architecture, restaurants, shops, and even a large church in the city''s central region!


    In the Spiritual World, people naturally did not believe in the existence of an all-powerful creator, but there were still some faiths.


    For example, on the Central Continent, the Spiritual Church was the most remarkable religious power on this continent, and it defended the idea that Natural Law had created the world as it was, governing the rules of cultivation and life in the universe.


    And as to why people believed that, well, there certainly was an order for how this world worked. Nature protected the world from the imbalance of power, preventing many powerful people from ascending simultaneously.


    And that could be seen in the Divine Tribulation, which Spiritual Demigods had to go through to reach level 100!


    There were also other faiths in this world, as well as different churches on other continents. One of them even believed that talent was nothing more than a mooring placed by the creators of this world so that the natives of this place could not achieve the greatness of theirs!


    They also had very interesting characteristics, but that is not appropriate for the case at this time...


    Anyway, after passing through the beautiful building of the Spiritual Church, Minos and Ruth finally arrived at the restaurant where they were going.


    Upon entering the place, Minos and Ruth were soon taken care of, being taken to a table by a young attendant at this establishment. After that, they soon placed their orders and waited for their plates while drinking a glass of a good spiritual wine.


    And while they talked about their lives, suddenly two men passed by Minos''s table, wearing a similar outfit that had a red triangular symbol!


    Seeing this, Minos quickly paid attention to both of them and asked to his companion. "Ruth, do you know that symbol on the clothes of the two men who just passed us?"


    She then looked back in disguise and then looked back at Minos. "Hmm, I''m not sure of the details, but this is the symbol of identification of a pirate group from the Evergreen Empire, but I don''t know who is behind them, in that place."


    ''Evergreen Empire, huh...'' Minos sighed.


    "Why did you ask about that?" Ruth asked curiously.


    Minos then said without changing her face. "I met someone who had told me about this symbol, but I didn''t know anything about it..."


    After that, Minos soon buried the subject of those two in his mind. His current strength was not sufficient for him to act against subordinate powers of empires. As for the two men from before, Minos couldn''t worry about that right now.


    He was just a little curious about why people of such a distant force were in the extremely weak North of the Central Continent.


    After this quick change in their conversation, they soon returned to their usual conversations while they got to know each other more and more.


    ...


    Time passed, and Ruth and Minos had already dined at the restaurant where they had gone and were already returning to the hotel.


    The meal had been delicious, with meat from 3rd stage spiritual beasts, lots of vegetables and vegetables of high spiritual concentration, and good drinks to cool the heat that it was at this time of the year.


    This was truly the best place that the two youths had stopped to eat since they started this trip.


    There were even items of high spiritual concentration. It showed how good this place was by the standards of the North of the Central Continent.


    Upon arriving at the hotel, Ruth and Minos immediately started their spiritual cultivation session, since they had already fulfilled all their worldly desires before...


    They also wanted to rest well after that, since the two of them would go on a journey of more than a week in a forest, which was between the northern and central parts of the Cromwell Kingdom.


    They had already covered about a quarter of the total distance to the kingdom''s capital, and at this point, they would go through the longest route without cities in their entire trip!


    ...


    At the same time, in the city of Portland, on Stone Island, three people were talking in a hotel room while eating and drinking.


    There was a mature-looking woman who looked to be in her 30s and had short black hair. She was sitting in an armchair in the middle of the room while two men stood in front of her.


    One of them had half gray and half black hair, while the other looked a little younger, with blond hair. These two wore different clothes but carried the same symbol at chest height.


    It was a silver eagle, the symbol of the Silva family!


    One of the two men then broke the silence and said. "Miss Sarah, I discovered a name that could be related to the death of young master Darell, but I still don''t know if that person has a surname and, if he does, what family he comes from."


    The woman then looked at him with interest and said. "Oh? This is the best clue we found in a week. Say what that person''s name is."


    The blond man then said a single word. "Minos."


    The other man then continued. "I also heard that this person went to the capital of Stone Island after leaving the city of Portland. After that, we don''t have a trace of him."


    The woman smiled and said. "Well, at least we have a name. Even though there are many with this name on the continent, it will certainly help us! We are going to the Old Stone city. I want to follow the tracks of this Minos in that place."

 Chapter 98: Arrogance!

    Another five days passed quickly, and at this point, Minos and Ruth had already crossed almost all the forest where they were. This place was one of the last where they would be able to fight and train with wild spiritual beasts.


    After this point, they would reach the most urbanized region of the Cromwell Kingdom, where there were practically no more natural forests.


    Practically all-terrain after the point where the two youths were, it was a great plain. And with that, the population of these areas took advantage of almost all the terrain between the cities to cultivate spiritual plants.


    After all, that was the specialty of the Cromwell Kingdom.


    And because of that, Minos and Ruth would spend less time training and more time traveling on this final part of their trip to the kingdom''s capital.


    At this moment, Minos was sitting in the middle of a mountainous area, in that forest where they were. There were several large trees, not far from where Minos and Ruth were cultivating, at this very moment.


    The two of them had another round of fights just a few minutes ago, in which Minos had once, again, lost...


    This was something the two of them had been doing whenever they didn''t fight spiritual beasts. This was an excellent way to increase the two youngsters'' mastery of their respective techniques since they could understand new ways of fighting with so much experience.


    Minos then finished cultivating and looked for Ruth. She, too, had already finished her cultivation and was massaging her great eagle, which was lying near a tree.


    Seeing Minos looking at her, Ruth smiled and teased him. "Are you just admiring me, or do you want to be beaten up again?"


    "Hmph, if it was a fight worth anything and I could use my sword, these results would not be so one-sided." Minos pouted and said in a playful voice while holding his grade-2, low-grade sword.


    Upon hearing this, Ruth smiled gracefully and said. "Haha! This is just an excuse!"


    The two then started to talk, but soon a voice sounded not far away when someone said. "Oh! A grade-2, low-level sword! I don''t have one, brat. How much do you want for it?"


    Upon hearing this, Minos and Ruth looked in the direction where that voice came. Shortly after a few seconds, a young man with long green hair, wearing noble clothes in white and black colors, appeared in that place.


    There was also a two-meter-tall man beside this young man, wearing blue armor and holding a spear in one of his hands. He had a rustic look, which would surely make people stray from the sight of him.


    When probing these newcomers, Ruth frowned and whispered to Minos. "This young man is at level 42, and the man who appears to be his guard is at level 50."


    "Oh? Can you fight someone like that?" Minos asked carefully.


    "I can hold it for a while. But I can''t beat it." She said seriously.


    If this man were a subordinate to some noble family in this part of the Central Continent, then the probability of him having Silver-grade techniques was almost zero. And even if he were a member of one of these families, he would at most have one of these techniques.


    So, Ruth was very confident in holding someone of that level for a while. But that was the most she could do. After all, the difference between her cultivation and that of the man was huge.


    Just to give you an idea, someone at level 50 had almost twice as much spiritual energy as someone at level 46!


    Meanwhile, the two newcomers got a little closer to Minos and Ruth when the young man said with a smile on his face. "And then? Tell me your price, I, Leroy Chambers, will pay a good price!"


    Minos then said. "It is not for sale."


    After hearing this, Leroy looked at Minos for a second and said with a confident smile on his face. "Brat, you must be going to the Spiritual Tournament, right? Let me tell you, you have no chance of getting a good position in this competition, and you cannot use this weapon either."


    "If you give me your weapon now, I can think of taking you to the Flaming Empire as my subordinate in the future!" Leroy said out loud as if there was no chance he would lose the Spiritual Tournament.


    Upon hearing this, both Minos and Ruth had a strange look on their faces. ''How much arrogance! This guy thinks he is already the winner even before the competition starts!'' The two thought with a mixture of pity and contempt for this young man with green hair.


    Such a person never made it to the top!


    In fact, this young man would probably die prematurely since being arrogant and rash at that level would only cause him to face disaster, sooner or later, by underestimating strangers.


    Minos then said simply. "If I wanted to go to the Flaming Empire, I wouldn''t need your help for this..."


    Meanwhile, Leroy''s bodyguard, Jeff, was getting more and more irritated on hearing Minos refusing his young master''s kindness.


    He then said it out loud while using his cultivation level to pressure Minos and Ruth. "This worm does not seem to understand the situation he is in. Young master, there''s no use talking to ignorant people. Let''s just take what we want!"


    "Hmm, on second thought, this is the best way. In fact, I really liked that girl. After we kill this brat, I will destroy her cultivation and make her my slave!"  The young man said with a luxurious gleam in his eyes.


    Already on the side of Minos, when he heard someone saying such a thing about Ruth, Minos felt hatred for that person. He did not know what could happen between him and Ruth in the future. Their relationship was still very premature.


    But regardless of what happens, she would still be his friend, considering everything they had already been through together.


    And as for Ruth, she had never heard anything so disgusting as what this young man with green hair had just said. She was always a person who valued her sexuality and her freedom.


    In a single comment, Leroy had irritated the beautiful Ruth deeply, to the point that she wanted to take his head off.


    Shortly after that, Minos told her in a low voice. "Try to hold on to this guard. I will deal with this bastard quickly."


    After hearing this, she nodded and prepared to fight. Even if she wasn''t going to deal with Leroy, Minos doing it was enough for her.


    At the same time, on Leroy''s side, he looked at how Minos and Ruth acted, and then a thought crossed his mind before he prepared to attack Minos. ''These two seem to be more than a guard and a young master... I think it would be better to keep this guy alive while I rape his girlfriend! Hahahaha''


    Leroy then said. "Jeff, deal with this beauty quickly, but be careful not to damage her body excessively."


    "Hahaha, alright, young master." Jeff said with a smile on his face.


    Minos then held his sword tightly with both hands and started to move towards Leroy.


    Devouring Art!


    Indestructible Body!


    Spatial Sword!


    His three techniques were activated at the same time when he had come close enough to Leroy.


    Simultaneously, when a black ring began to circulate around Minos a few meters high in the sky, Ruth, who was a few meters far from the young Stuart, activated her techniques and continued to attack the guard Jeff, with much of her strength.


    Instant Steps!


    Fists of Pain!


    And, at the same time that they saw Minos and Ruth coming towards them and activating their techniques, Jeff and Leroy did the same thing. They both used Black-grade techniques for all their techniques, so they were very confident!


    ''Let''s get this over with quickly!'' Leroy thought with a smile as he simultaneously activated his moving and attack technique.


    Jeff did the same, too, as he started running towards Ruth.


    He was attacking directly on the girl''s neck, where he wanted to destroy her cultivation, to resolve this problem quickly.


    Devil''s Claws!


    Black claws appeared in the hands of Jeff and Leroy as they moved quickly.


    At the same time, Minos made some movements with his sword, sending several blades of air towards Leroy, while he used a large part of his energies.


    Swooish!


    Swooish!


    The sound of the air being cut sounded, and a fist over 2 meters long and 1 meter high kept traveling through the skies, going towards Jeff''s chest. This was Ruth''s attack, which she wanted to use to hold this person, while Minos dealt with Leroy!


    Rumble!


    Feeling the power of Minos and Ruth''s techniques, the two enemies had suddenly changed their expressions when they finally began to understand why these youths had disobeyed them!

 Chapter 99: Running away!

    The power displayed by Minos and Ruth''s techniques was so great for their levels that both Leroy and Jeff were in complete disbelief at this.


    And even if the power emitted by Ruth was not so different from that of Jeff, Minos'' blow was much stronger than Leroy''s!


    And not only that, Leroy had realized that by the time he entered that area within the black ring in the sky, his speed had been reduced. And he was gradually losing his spiritual energy!


    ''What the fuck is going on?'' Leroy thought as he tried to understand the changing events.


    He was supposed to win this fight in one stroke, and then he could have fun with beautiful Ruth. However, the reality was quite different. Even before his attacks collided, Leroy was sure he couldn''t beat Minos!


    Green Shield!


    And even before he was attacked, Leroy immediately activated his defensive technique in an attempt to prevent injuries from Minos'' attack.


    ''That wretch! But I doubt that his attack technique alone can destroy my attack and my defense together! Whoever has more spiritual energy will be the winner of this fight!'' He thought confidently.


    And at the same time, bodyguard Jeff looked over at Minos and Leroy and sighed as he thought. ''If we stretch this fight, I can win this girl, as for the young master, I think he can hold it until I finish here...''


    Jeff then turned his attention to Ruth and started to fight her.


    Pow!


    At the same time, when Jeff and Ruth had started to fight each other, Minos and Leroy finally clashed.


    ''Ehh? Why isn''t he using his blow to defend against my attack? ''Leroy thought, seeing Minos not giving a damn about his attack.


    Boom!


    The shield that appeared to be made of several roots, which Leroy was using to defend himself when he was struck by the blades of air created by Minos, was immediately destroyed, emitting an explosion sound in the place.


    Puff!


    The claws of spiritual energy that appeared in Leroy''s hands slowly hit Minos'' chest. Still, it barely scratched young Stuart''s skin before finally breaking!


    "Ahhh!"


    Leroy let out a great cry of pain as he took several steps back, feeling various cuts through his body. The wounds were not enough for him to risk death, but it still hurt a lot and certainly diminished his proficiency in battle.


    "Miserable, I''m going to kill you!" He shouted in an angry voice.


    He, the young master of the Chambers family, a high-ranking power in the northern region of the Central Continent, had never been hurt like that before!


    Leroy was feeling extremely humiliated because of this. He was injured by a person who had not even reached level 40 yet.


    That would be a blemish on his fight records!


    At the same time, Minos did not listen to what Leroy was exclaiming. No, there was no point in them talking during a fight.


    This was just about killing or being killed!


    Spatial Sword!


    Again his attack technique was activated when Leroy felt his body getting heavier and saw Minos starting to launch other attacks towards him.


    ''Shit! Why does this guy have so much spiritual energy?'' He lamented in his mind.


    Leroy did not understand how Minos could continue to launch his techniques as if he was not worried that his spiritual energy would run out!


    For him, only with the previous attack, Minos should be almost exhausted. However, the reality was ruthless for Leroy, who only had Black-grade techniques...


    ...


    While Minos and Leroy exchanged blows, Ruth had already spent half her energies, having several abrasions on her body. It was not easy for her to fight with such a difference, but she was still trying her best to hold on to her opponent.


    Pow!


    Jeff took another punch to the face as he staggered to the side.


    He was as hurt as Ruth, and he, too, had already spent almost half of his own spiritual energy. And with each passing moment, Leroy''s bodyguard became more and more scared.


    ''How can she be so strong, just being at level 46?'' He thought to himself. Jeff was starting to be afraid that these two youths that they attacked were of even stronger power than the Chambers family...


    If that were the case, then if they didn''t eliminate these people today, their lives would certainly be taken another day!


    Boom!


    "Ahhh!"


    It didn''t take long, and Jeff finally realized that his young master was increasingly weakened, to the point that he probably could no longer receive the following three attacks, which Minos had just unleashed.


    While Leroy agonized in pain because of the many cuts in his body, Jeff suddenly ran towards the blades that Minos had thrown, countering its.


    He had no choice. If this continued, even if he could beat Ruth, his young master would still be killed. That way, they could only retreat by the hour and get ready for revenge at another time!


    Upon seeing this, Ruth immediately ran to Minos, standing in front of him to defend against any attack that was sent in his direction.


    Swooish!


    Boom!


    An explosion occurred as soon as Minos and Jeff''s techniques touched, while remnants of the attack spread in all directions, forming strong winds in that place.


    Minos held on to Ruth''s waist while the young girl protected him from being hit by the enemy''s technique.


    Simultaneously, Jeff grabbed Leroy by the waist, running at full speed from this location. If they didn''t run away, a tragedy for him could end up happening.


    "Young master, we can''t go on with this..." He said in a low voice as he moved quickly.


    ''Shit! Shit! Shit!'' Leroy cursed in his mind. ''I''ll remember that, bastards!''


    At the same time, as Leroy was taking his own oath, Minos spoke aloud in an icy tone. "Leroy Chambers, huh? Escape while you can. One day I will rip your head off!"


    "Rascal!" Before Leroy and his bodyguard finally disappeared from Minos'' sight, that was the only word heard.


    Seeing this, Minos blew out a sigh of relief and looked at Ruth.


    She had many abrasions on her body and looked very pale at the moment. He then touched her face and asked in a concerned manner. "Do you have any serious injuries?"


    Ruth shook her head in denial and then said in a tired voice. "No, it''s just external injuries. I will be fine after two days."


    "That''s nice. Don''t worry about those two. One day I will kill that bastard myself." Minos said in a determined voice. For him, the problem with Leroy could already be considered to have crossed the line, where there could still be chances for reconciliation.


    At the moment, Leroy was an enemy that had to be killed!


    He couldn''t let such a scum live, especially after the things he had said he would do to Ruth.


    Ruth might not be Minos''s wife, but at the moment, their relationship was excellent, and he couldn''t bear to offend her. Therefore, he felt an indescribable hatred, perhaps as great as the hatred he had for those responsible for his father''s death!


    "Hmm..." Ruth nodded in agreement. She could handle it herself, but she felt very good about knowing that Minos was on her side. Although it is not good to depend a lot on others, having someone to trust was an excellent thing...


    ...


    While Minos and Ruth rested elsewhere in that forest, their two enemies, Leroy and Jeff, had already covered dozens of kilometers. After some time, they finally stopped to recover, in a place full of trees and with a stream.


    Leroy then snarled as he leaned against a tree. "Shit! We don''t even have the name of that bastard!"


    Upon hearing this, Jeff, who had just taken some spiritual pills out of his spatial ring, said in a confident voice.


    "Take it easy, young master. I''m sure that boy will participate in the Spiritual Tournament. That way, we can discover his identity when the competition starts."


    Leroy calmed down a little upon hearing this and started thinking about what he could do. He then said. "I cannot beat that wretch. Even if I had a weapon like his, it would still be a difficult fight. So, I can only use my intelligence to form a strong ally during the Spiritual Tournament, who can help me take care of that guy."


    Jeff then sat on the ground, and before he started to cultivate, he thought of something terrible, but he said nothing to his young master. ''I just hope that those two are from the North of the Central Continent. Otherwise, we will be dead in a very short time...''


    He hadn''t said anything about his crazy thinking to Leroy because it was doubtful. There was no reason for people from outside this region to come to this place.


    It would be a waste of their precious time!


    However, he still couldn''t help thinking about the challenging strength that Minos and Ruth showed.

 Chapter 100: A High Level Beauty Treatment!

    Quickly, ten days passed, and Minos and Ruth had already fully recovered from the fight against Leroy''s duo.


    Minos has had no injuries in that fight, worse than the ones he constantly receives from fighting Ruth.


    As for his beautiful companion, all her wounds had healed, and none of them had left any scar on his beautiful white skin.


    With Ruth''s grade-2 spiritual pills, even severe injuries could be treated, leaving minimal scars on her body. Therefore, she was not concerned about having her beautiful body stained by scars.


    As in the Spiritual World, even if someone got some scars after the fights, that could still be resolved each time the cultivator went up to the next stage. Not only did the body receive a spiritual cleansing that removed the toxins present in the cells, but it also reduced blemishes, scars, marks, etc.


    The advancement in cultivation could be seen as a top-notch beauty treatment!


    Even an ordinary person could become beautiful after reaching a certain level of cultivation. This was also one of the reasons why people were so happy to increase their strength.


    After all, who doesn''t like to feel good about their own appearance?


    Even the fat in the body could be eliminated by moving from one stage to another!


    Of course, people could still put on weight, but that could be easily resolved by stepping up, and from there, following an appropriate lifestyle to maintain their new appearance!


    However, this was valid only in the lower stages, when the cultivation was very small. At high levels, the cultivator could alter several characteristics at higher levels just using his spiritual energy.


    Of course, miracles couldn''t be done. A person with Oswald couldn''t just ignore his age and look young.


    But someone could still keep his weight under control, reduce wrinkles, blemishes, scars, hair color, etc. All of this through the continuous use of spiritual energy.


    Anyway, Ruth and Minos were very well. They had not encountered any other problem like the previous one at that time.


    At this point, they had already traveled more than two-thirds of the way to the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom, where the Spiritual Tournament was to take place.


    ...


    In the meantime, it had been dawn a few hours ago in the city where Minos and Ruth were. Right now, the two of them were in the hotel room that they had rented while they had their morning fun.


    They have been doing this a lot lately, as there are no more wild and natural areas in their path. With that, every day, Minos and Ruth were sleeping in different cities, having plenty of time for their sexual activities...


    But they were not neglecting their culture or training.


    The two cultivated daily while they stopped to train their fighting techniques every other day. They also continued to have their fighting sessions constantly, as this provided very challenging training for Minos.


    He was used to stealing the spiritual energy of his enemies and limiting their speed, so he could end up believing that he was invincible for having such facilities. That way, fighting someone like Ruth could help him build his character, so he wouldn''t make the common mistake of overestimating himself!


    There were countless high-level cultivators in the Spiritual World and even those who had techniques as good as Minos.


    So, it was an excellent way for the young Stuart to prepare for his future, in which he would undoubtedly face this type of opponent!


    Anyway, at this very moment, Minos and Ruth were ''playing'' on the big bed in the room where they were.


    The sensual young woman was'' riding on Minos'' lap. At the same time, she lifted her beautiful cheeks up and down her ass, making noises of beating meat ringing across the room.


    Pah! Pah! Pah!


    There were many drops of sweat on her back while her straight black hair rose and fell in the air.


    It was a magnificent scene, one that would surely make anyone stop admiring it for a second if they saw it.


    Ruth''s naked body was almost hypnotic. It had proportions that could be described by just one word. Perfect!


    Her full breasts were not so big, but it was still much more significant than average. It was perfectly firm and round, while its pink nipples were so graceful that it would make any man want to suck on them.


    Pah! Pah!


    "Ahn ~ Mmmm ~"


    Ruth''s sweet moans sounded as she and Minos continued their meat-stroking movements when her hole began to squeeze young Stuart''s stick further.


    "Ohh... I''m going to come..." Minos said in a slow voice, looking at Ruth''s beautiful face.


    "Mmm ~ I''m getting there too ~" She replied before bringing her cherry lips to Minos''s mouth and then kissing him passionately.


    "Mmmm ~ I''m coming ~"


    Ruth squirmed as she broke the kiss with Minos to let out a last moan before finally releasing her juices, which soon mixed with young Stuart''s seeds.


    She then threw herself at Minos'' chest and smiled happily.


    For her, whenever she felt that way, she thanked him for having been sent to the Black Plain to accompany Minos. Before that, Ruth would never have thought about how good sex could be!


    ''Ahh! What will my master think after discovering what I''ve been doing with Minos?'' That question crossed Ruth''s mind. ''Did she already expect that this could happen?''


    Ruth knew that Maisie, Minos''s mother, would know what had happened between the two of them the moment she saw her.


    There were several ways to discover this. Among its, two were the simplest, whether it was, first, from the smell, and second, from the person''s aura.


    For the smell, as long as the case happened in a matter of a few hours, it would be effortless to find out, especially if the person knew the natural smell of the two people involved.


    As for the aura, this was more lasting and could take weeks to disappear. And for someone who was in the 7th stage of cultivation, like Maisie, to feel these ''marks'' left in the aura, it would be as easy as breathing!


    After that, Minos and Ruth settled their affairs and then left the hotel to walk around the city.


    They would buy some things before continuing their journeys, such as spiritual pills, maps, simple blueprints, and food.


    After all, it would still be at least another 20 days before they arrived in Capital City, where the competition would occur.


    "Ruth, after the Spiritual Tournament, what are you going to do?" Minos asked as they passed through the city''s streets they were crossing.


    She then looked him in the eye and said. "After the Spiritual Tournament ends, I have up to 3 months to return to the Gray Cloud Sect. If I miss this deadline, I can be punished for it."


    "Because of that, if you want me to accompany you back to the Black Plain, then we will have to travel in a hurry, stopping just to rest."


    Minos then smiled and said. "I sure want you to come back with me."


    Hearing Minos'' flirtatious speech, Ruth smiled contentedly as she displayed a flushed face. She also wanted to enjoy this time with Minos.


    Ruth was a virgin until recently that she had never thought of men in her life. So it was complicated for her to think about doing these things with men other than Minos, at least in a short time.


    And sex with Minos was so good. It made her even less interested in other men. Minos was also very talented, strong, and intelligent. And by putting all this together and all the things she had seen him do, it made her feel even proud to have a relationship like this with him...


    As the two strolled next to each other, suddenly Minos heard a voice not far away, calling for his name.


    "Minos?"


    Upon hearing this, both Minos and Ruth turned to see if this call was for them. And in doing so, the young Stuart soon saw a young woman with blue hair, in a green dress, and an appearance that could be classified as excellent in the North of the Central Continent.


    She was accompanied by three more people, another young woman who did not appear to be older than she, a woman, and a middle-aged man.


    Both the woman and the man wore armor with the same symbol, a blue circumference with a large golden ''M'' in the center.


    This was the symbol of the Miller family, one of the two great noble families in the Brown Kingdom!


    Seeing the young woman, Minos stopped for a second or two and then responded while frowning slightly. "Abby?"


    Abby was the name of one of the few friends that Minos had at the period of the Spiritual Academy, in the City of the Setting Sun, where he studied before his father''s ''accident'' happened.


    They were both from the same classes and got along very well at that time, but since Minos suffered his accident, being unconscious for six years, they had not seen each other for a long time!


    Minos was in a rush, while Abby probably thought she would never see him again.


    But who knew... Fate had put them face to face again!

 Chapter 101: An Old Friend

    Seeing that her old friend knew her, Abby smiled as she came over to give him a hug.


    At the same time, Ruth and Abby''s group were standing there, looking doubtful. It was a situation in which it was extremely common for someone to be ''out of focus'' when an old acquaintance appeared, after all, in these moments other people were often ignored ...


    And while the 4 people looked at each other and waiting for an explanation, Abby said with a touch of joy. "I didn''t know that you had recovered. I am very happy for that, I thought you would never come back! "


    "Hmm, thanks. Let me introduce you, this is my traveling companion, Ruth Miles. " Minos signaled to Ruth that he was beside her and then he continued. "Ruth, this is an old friend from the age of spiritual academy, Abby Miller."


    "Hmm, nice to meet you." Ruth said while acting nice.


    "Oh! The pleasure is mine. Well, those who are with me are, my friend Mona Miller, the protector Eda and the protector Russ. " Abby introduced his group without much ado.


    After greeting each other, Abby finally asked Minos curiously. "Minos, what are you doing in the Cromwell Kingdom?"


    Minos smiled and said. "I think it''s probably the same as you ..."


    "Ehh? Will you participate in the Spiritual Tournament too? But how are you going to do it ... "Abby stopped in half when she finally decided to probe Minos.


    Abby had already reached level 40, so she could feel the free energy in nature. She was 17 years old and had a Black talent. This was a great cultivation speed, but considering that the Miller family was the richest in the Brown Kingdom, such a thing was already expected for one of its members.


    As he scanned Minos'' body, Abby suddenly let out a cry of surprise when she noticed her cultivation.


    "Ahh!"


    Upon hearing this, the three people in her group looked at her in surprise and then the middle-aged woman asked as she took a step forward, beside the young woman. "Miss Abby, are you okay? What happened?"


    Upon realizing that she had attracted a lot of attention, Abby blushed and said. "Nothing, I was just scared a little after remembering something ..." She then thought as she covered her mouth that was slightly open with one of her hands. ''How can this be? As far as I know, he was unconscious for years! How did he get to level 37 so fast? ''


    ''Perhaps the heavens have blessed him after the misfortune?'' Abby thought and silence, trying to understand the speed of cultivation of Minos.


    She then broke the momentary silence and said. "Well, you really grow really fast! I hope you get a good place in this competition, after all, this is a great opportunity for you. "


    Abby thought Minos would have a good chance going to the Flaming Empire, because, from her point of view, he had no family in the north of the Central Continent, so he had no reason to stay in a place like this.


    Thus, it would be much better for him to live humbly in an empire, taking advantage of the opportunities that that place could offer him.


    That would be her strategy if she were in his shoes!


    Perhaps he could, after a few decades, return to the north of the Central Continent, forming his own power in this region.


    However, instead of agreeing, Minos said something that impressed both Abby and her fellow travelers. "It doesn''t matter, I''m just going to the Spiritual Tournament to test my strength and meet some people ..."


    "I really don''t mind going to an empire ..." He said humbly ...


    And of these three people, apart from Abby, they all thought the same thing. ''An excuse! But at least he sees his own limitations, that can already be considered a quality! ''


    But for Abby, who knew about the time Minos was unconscious, his comment was more arrogant than self-conscious. "Ehh? Does he mean that the Flaming Empire doesn''t matter to him? How confident ... "


    After that, the group chatted for a few more minutes, when Abby finally said, making some hand gestures and smiling. "Minos, don''t you want to travel with us? It would be nice to know more about each other, many things have happened in the meantime. "


    Minos then looked at Ruth for a moment and said. "Ehh ... I thank you for the invitation, but I fear it is not appropriate ..."


    "But we can meet before the Spiritual Tournament starts. It''s still over a month away, so we can still talk a lot when we get to Capital City. " Minos politely refused, while he had an apologetic smile on his face.


    He was at a time when he didn''t want to spend his time with other people. He valued friendship, but ... Well, that could wait.


    As for his fun with Ruth, it had a time limit!


    And hell! Only they knew how good this fun was!


    When the Spiritual Tournament was over, Ruth would have to return to the Gray Cloud Sect and they could go years without seeing each other. And although they don''t have a serious relationship, Minos had no other partner for his ''adventures''.


    Elena lived on the Isle of Stone and Ruth in the Flaming Empire, and Minos''s daily life in the Dry City was very monotonous. The only woman he dealt with daily was Secretary Mia, but he would never get involved with her, even though she was quite attractive.


    You know how it is, right? Don''t shit where you eat!


    A lot of problems could happen in a relationship between boss and subordinate, so Minos would avoid that with all his strength.


    Finally, when he saw that Minos was not interested in his proposal, Abby smiled as he disguised his discontent. She really was a good friend of his and would like to talk more to find out what had happened in the meantime when they didn''t see each other.


    She also noticed Minos''s look at Ruth and the slightly flushed face of the young woman with black hair. She then understood what was going on. ''Hmph, so this is why ... You put your old friend aside for the sake of a woman!''


    She sighed, she could vaguely smell Minos coming from Ruth. Even though she was not a high-level cultivator, Minos and Ruth did so much that it was easy to notice, especially considering that Abby had spent several years with him, so she knew the smell of young Stuart well ...


    "Well, since that is the case, we will see you in Capital City. But you better not neglect your cultivation because of lesser things ... "Abby said before saying goodbye to Minos.


    Upon hearing this, Ruth clearly understood Abby''s final words, when she had looked steadily in her direction, as if to say that she knew what was happening here.


    Ruth then blushed and looked away while Minos said goodbye to Abby''s group. ''What a busy woman!'' She thought.


    As they walked away, Minos and Ruth went back to their business in this city, when she asked. "Minos, how close were you to that woman?"


    He then scratched his head and said sincerely. "I think we were as close as a 9 year old boy and girl can be. Why do you ask?"


    "Nothing. I just didn''t like her behavior, I don''t like people who put their noses in the private lives of others ... "She said with a sharp look.


    "Private life? What are you talking about?" He asked with a curious look. Minos hadn''t paid attention to Abby''s final sentence, stop him, she must have been trying to cheer him up, since her cultivation was still lower than hers ...


    Ruth then smiled sweetly, while trying to hide her lips. She said. "Nothing, it''s just my impression ..."


    ...


    While Minos and Ruth strolled through the city they were in, Abby and her group were going to eat at a restaurant, when her friend Mona asked her a question.


    "Abby, don''t tell me that you like that boy?"


    "Ehh? No, why did you ask that? " Abby asked, after being surprised by her friend''s question.


    "You seemed annoyed that those two seemed to be together ..."


    Abby then shook her head in denial and said. "It is not that kind of irritation. Minos didn''t want to travel with us because of that woman, she probably bewitched him! "


    "I don''t care about others'' private lives, but I don''t believe that people of our age should waste time on this. We can live so long, why spend our best years of cultivation on mundane things like sex? " She said with a resolute look.


    In fact, this was also a very common thought among women in the spirit world. Although sexuality is quite liberal in this world, many dedicated their first decades of life to the cultivation and training of battle techniques.


    Someone at Abby''s level could live about 850 years, so why miss out on the best years of cultivation, due to something they can do later? This was a very rational thought, especially for women.


    So it was not uncommon to find some virgins over 300 years old in this world ...


    But this was not so common among men, no ... These individuals were very ''close'' in this type of activity ...


    But Abby didn''t know that Ruth thought almost the same way as she did, it was just that she had met Minos ...


    "Ahh, so that was it ..."


    After that, the two young women continued to talk about Minos, since the young Mona was very interested in learning about his story with her friend.

 Chapter 102: Level 38!

    Time quickly passed, and it had been ten days since Minos and Ruth met the young Abby. At the moment, the two were only a few hundred kilometers from the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom.


    They had traveled quietly during the days that had passed, with no significant incidents in their path. At most, the two of them were stopping to train their techniques and fight each other, day in, day out.


    In some of the cities that Minos and Ruth had passed, there were special buildings where cultivators could get training, cultivation, and even fighting rooms.


    It was something that Minos had liked so much, so that he had written that idea down in his mind, for him to take to the Dry City. This could certainly help its population to further improve their own strength!


    In these places, the cultivation rooms had spiritual arrays that focused its full potential on increasing the energy density of small spaces, where cultivators could pay to use them instead of focusing on large areas.


    The fight and training rooms were prepared to withstand the remaining energy of the battles, without the need for constant maintenance with each fight that happened.


    This is because these buildings were specially invented by designs and array masters so that the remaining energy of the battles did not harm the structures of the place.


    Because of that, these places were very popular, and Minos had liked its a lot too!


    And in this period, Minos was getting closer and closer to breaking to the next level!


    ...


    Right now, in one of the rooms in the Cultivation Tower, in the city where Minos and Ruth were staying, there were two youths cultivating side by side.


    Ruth had her long black hair tied in a ponytail while she cultivated in a meditative position on one of the cultivation pads in that place.


    She was dressed in a slim clothing, which facilitated movement, and had a few drops of sweat on her forehead.


    She had just finished training her battle techniques a few minutes ago and was cultivating to recover her energies spent on this training.


    At the same time, Minos was in a meditative position, while he was shirtless, wearing only long trousers. And unlike Ruth, he had not trained his techniques before this training since he felt his progression getting closer and closer.


    Minos had his technique, Solar God Breath activated, while several low-grade spiritual crystals were shining around him.


    He was slowly sucking up the spiritual energy stored in these crystals while gradually increasing his cultivation.


    Dozens of minutes passed when the spiritual energy within Minos'' body slowly rose to a new level!


    Crack!


    A slight cracking sound was emitted from Minos'' body when his spiritual energy quickly reached level 38!


    When he felt that, the corners of Minos''s mouth slowly rose in an exuberant smile, which showed how happy he was to be even stronger.


    He then thought while he still had his eyes closed. ''In a month or so, I should be able to reach level 39... After that, I should start preparing for my progress towards the 5th stage of cultivation...''


    Minos had not yet chosen the 4th battle technique that he would learn in this new stage that he would reach. But he was almost sure that it would be better for him to learn a movement technique.


    After all, sometimes the best outcome of a fight could be escape!


    ''When I reach 5th stage, my Physique''s degree will be closer to evolving again. I currently have a 10% increase in my spiritual energy, but after that, it will go up to 20% when I move up from the 5th stage to the 6th!'' He opened his eyes and then looked at Ruth''s side while scratching his head.


    ''This will decrease my cultivation speed even more, but I''ll be also more formidable!'' He thought with a self-fulfilling smile on his face.


    It was very pleasant to be much stronger than those on the same level as you. This gave a sense of greatness and made the cultivator even happier with his training.


    After all, when a job paid off, anyone would feel better about what they were doing!


    Minos then got up and started to wait for Ruth while she finished cultivating. It was already night in this city they were in, so he wanted to return to the hotel where they were staying.


    And it wasn''t long before, the beautiful young woman finished her cultivation session.


    Because she was stronger than Minos, Ruth could spend a lot more time than he did, so she usually took longer to do that.


    As for an increase in her cultivation, this was far more difficult for Ruth to achieve this than for Minos.


    She was already at level 46 and to move up to level 47. She needed to absorb an amount of spiritual energy about five times greater than Minos required to move up from level 37 to 38!


    So, even if she had a good talent and an excellent cultivation technique, she still needed at least another six months to reach the next level!


    Ruth then opened her eyes and looked at Minos while she was still sitting on the pillow. She had heard a specific noise during her cultivation session, but she had continued to cultivate without losing focus.


    When looking at Minos, she smiled after feeling that he had leveled up. "Congratulations on increasing your strength again. At this rate, you must reach level 39 during the Spiritual Tournament."


    Minos then shook his head in agreement before approaching Ruth and kissing her softly.


    "Mmm!"


    The kisses sounded for brief moment, when Ruth suddenly pulled away and said with an erotic expression. "Let''s go to the hotel. We can continue this there..."


    "Hmm."


    After that, the two left the Cultivation Tower quickly, going to a place where they could have their privacy guaranteed...


    ...


    While Minos and Ruth were having fun together, in the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom, a young blond man with green eyes had just seen the silhouette of the city, when he and his two bodyguards finally approached to enter that place.


    This was the group of the young master of the Nash family, who had already been traveling to this city for a few days. The young Luke had decided to travel after the rest of his family members, since he wanted to move up to level 41 before that trip.


    And in fact, he had made his way a few weeks ago, when he finally left Stone Island. He was very confident of getting a good place in this competition, recovering his chance to go to the Western Empire!


    Beside him was a person already known to Minos, who was guard Brian, who had been beaten by Ruth in the old stone town. He had grown a lot in the past few months, finally reaching level 47!


    As for the other man in the group, he was also one of the Nash family''s subordinates, being at level 47 as well.


    As they headed towards the entrance to the city, Luke thought. ''With my current level and considering that I must be one of the few participants with a grade-2, low-level spiritual weapon, I believe that only those monsters with Silver talent can beat me...''


    Luke was very hopeful for this tournament since it was not long before one of the subordinates of the Elemental Sect came to his family''s headquarters to pick up the chosen member.


    With that, he wanted to fight and be able to be among the first places in this competition as soon as possible, so that he finally realized the dream he had since his first day of cultivating.


    He wanted to join the Elemental Sect, returning in the future in triumph and then leading his family after his father retired!


    Young Luke then murmured under his breath. "I just hope that there is no bastard like that Minos participating in this competition... That would be very bad!"


    Minos had created a small trauma in Luke''s mind, that even if it did not affect his cultivation, it was still something that made him deeply fear Minos.


    ''That miserable one! One day I will come back from the Western Empire and teach that guy a lesson, so that I can calm my heart...''


    After that, it didn''t take long, and Luke''s group entered the big city in front of them. This was a city almost the same size as the capital of Stone Island, and it had some even better options than that place.


    This is because, among the kingdoms of the northern region of the Central Continent, the Cromwell Kingdom is the southernmost place in this region, being the closest to all of its to the Flaming Empire.


    And the capital of the kingdom was also located in an area closer to that empire, which significantly increased the general quality of Capital City in relation to the Old Stone!


    And although it did not directly border the Flaming Empire, the Cromwell Kingdom was only a few hundred kilometers from this state!


    This was even closer than the distance between the Dry City and the capital of the Brown Kingdom, the City of the Setting Sun!

 Chapter 103: Capital City

    While Minos and Ruth traveled through the Cromwell Kingdom, the group from Stone Island had already left the Dry City after receiving Dillian''s orders on the Black Plain.


    Butler Dillian had ordered 100 grade-1, high-grade spiritual weapons, and also a grade-2, low-grade spiritual meeting array.


    With these requests, he prepared the Black Plain Army with more weapons available to soldiers, which would soon increase in number. As for the spiritual meeting array, it would allow more people to enjoy greater spiritual concentration in the city.


    After all, every day that passed, more families were coming from the Yellow City. As a result, the demand for new homes in the Dry City was on the rise, with the need to build new buildings in places that were not yet affected by the old spiritual arrays.


    Thus, in 2 weeks, when these new items arrived in the territory of Minos, the city could receive the improvements related to this, improving the local quality of life.


    At the same time, since Minos had left for the Cromwell Kingdom, the two alchemists of the Dry City had already started receiving their ingredients regularly, so they were already delivering the pills ordered by the local population!


    Due to the cultivation level of Davis and Edric, who were both at level 39, they were only able to refine 120 pills together per month. But for the time being, there was not much to do, and the population of the Dry City did not care about the delivery rate of these two alchemists.


    After all, until recently, they couldn''t even dream of paying for pills!


    However, by the time that Minos had left for the Spiritual Tournament, the two alchemists had already delivered more than 100 pills, which by this time had already helped many people in the Dry City to break their bottlenecks!


    The people who received these first pills were pleased, and even some of them, who were in their last years of life, was now full of vitality.


    They had even gone back to work!


    As a result, the city''s climate was delightful at the moment. At the same time, almost everyone felt hopeful for an even better future!


    ...


    In the meantime, the butler Dillian had also sent a small group from the Black Plain Army to the City of Waters, where they would do the local survey, infiltrating and living in that place.


    The group''s objective was to discover all the crucial information about the City of Waters, such as, for example, the family that was behind that region.


    This mission would take just over a month when they finally returned home to report their findings.


    With this, the butler Dillian hoped to devise a plan so that when the Black Plain Army recruited more members, they could send a team more to that city to attract workers.


    ...


    Anyway, a few days had passed since Minos, and Ruth found young Abby''s group. At this time, the two youths were arriving in the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom while flying on Ruth''s great white eagle.


    Quickly, the silhouette of Capital City appeared on the horizon when White began to descend slowly. At first glance, this city looked as big as the Old Stone city, the capital of Stone Island.


    However, this city was still a little smaller. There were just over 5.5 million inhabitants, losing to the Old Stone city.


    However, despite having a slightly smaller population, due to its proximity to the Flaming Empire, Capital City was much more developed than the capital of Stone Island.


    After all, even if some of Stone Island''s powers were related to empires, their territory was still a long way from any great power!


    Just to give you an idea, the closest empire to Stone Island was the Flaming Empire itself, which was only a few weeks away. For the inhabitants of that island to reach the Western Empire, the trip would take almost ten months, even in spiritual beasts of the 6th stage of cultivation!


    The Spiritual World was vast, so the distances between the extreme points of the Central Continent were simply absurd!


    Anyway, as they approached the entrance to the city, Ruth said to Minos, with a provocative smile on her face. "Some interesting things are going on here. Maybe you will regret not coming before..."


    Minos then hugged Ruth from behind, while his mouth was at the height of the young woman''s neck. He then asked curiously as he touched Ruth''s sensitive parts. "Oh? Is that so? Why would I do that?"


    Sensing Minos'' movements, Ruth blushed as her heart beat faster. "When the Spiritual Tournament is going to take place in a certain location, a few months before the tests, a group from the empire is sent to build some structures of the competition."


    "For example, for the many competitors who arrive before the tournament, there are ways to strengthen themselves even more, without taking too many risks."


    "There is a structure that they always bring to this competition, which rewards people with the highest cultivation speed. For simplicity, this structure has a high-level array, which can measure the speed of cultivation of the people who are training within it."


    "There is also an almost high-level of spiritual concentration there, so the speed of cultivation there also helps cultivators. Finally, this array sets up a classification of the best cultivation speeds, giving specific prizes for each of the positions."


    "Oh! Interesting. But this is not enough to make me regret it since I have no interest in exposing my cultivation speed to so many strangers." Minos said as he released Ruth''s body.


    Until now, only those very close to Minos knew how good his cultivation speed was. Therefore, this feature had never caused problems for him before. However, suppose so many members of influential families in the north of the Central Continent knew about this fact. In that case, Minos and his forces could be in extreme danger!


    After all, only high-level techniques could increase someone''s cultivation that much!


    Ruth then continued. "But there is more to it. Event organizers also set up a fighting arena in which killing and maiming are prohibited. This can also earn a prize for the best cultivators. And so, those who have talent, but don''t come from large families, can improve their strength and make the competition more interesting."


    "Hmm, I understand. This is a good initiative. Maybe I will copy it to my Dry City." Minos said with a smile on his face.


    This trip was also helping him a lot to understand about things that could be done to strengthen a population. After all, Minos'' knowledge was related to cultivation and essential details of the Spiritual World. But he didn''t know about these ingenious ideas for improving a city!


    "This may be a good idea. Are you thinking about running your own tournament?" Ruth asked with a curious smile on her face. She liked how Minos always cared about his subordinates and his city. And that was also why she had attended almost all of Minos'' meetings in the Dry City.


    "I can do that in the future, yes. But I was referring to building a structure specialized in these events. So, fixedly, the people of the Dry City could compete and improve their cultivation speed." Minos said calmly as he felt the white eagle land on the ground.


    "I get it..."


    After saying this, the two youths left White in a place for tall beasts like its, heading towards the central area of ??Capital City.


    The moment they entered the place, Minos could soon see how excited this place was. Many young people with him and Ruth came and went with smiles on their faces, while some of them had an arrogant look as they passed through the streets.


    Many people were going to participate in the Spiritual Tournament. Still, there were even more people who were here to watch!


    After all, future specialists from the northern region of the Central Continent would be introduced to the world in a few days!


    And for some people, the Spiritual Tournament was a real lottery ticket, where they and their families could rise to a new level!


    As Minos and Ruth moved through the city''s outskirts, they were soon arriving in a region with very tall, glass-clad buildings, where the beautiful young Ruth said there was a good hotel.


    It was almost night now, and the two youths had decided to go out and explore just the next day after they rested and had a lot of fun tonight...


    And it was not long before Minos and Ruth entered the reception of a very fancy hotel, where many people came and went.


    The entrance hall was quite large, with a marble floor and several high-quality paintings on the walls of this place.


    Ruth then took the lead and led Minos straight to the receptionist.


    She had already made a reservation at that place before, and with that, she only needed to check in. And even though she previously booked 2 rooms, that was not a problem. She just needed to cancel the reservation for one of them...

 Chapter 104: The Cultivation Ranking

    Time passed, and the night soon began to make room for the first rays of the day.


    The city that had slowed down during the night quickly began to gain the liveliness of the day when sounds of carriages and people walking on the street started to sound.


    This was a city with a large population, and with the Spiritual Tournament just around the corner, the city was even more agitated than usual.


    It was normal to have a lot of movement in a town like this. However, the day had just dawned, and the venues with the competition structures already had thousands of people nearby.


    And even if only those old enough to participate in the Spiritual Tournament could use these structures, there were still many people who were there, just to await the achievements of this younger generation.


    At the same time, when thousands of people were already excited about another day at this Spiritual Tournament center, Minos and Ruth were still in their room, sharing the ''pleasures of the flesh.''


    As usual, the two youths started the day in the best possible way, having a lot of fun. And as soon as the two were finished with their affairs, Minos and Ruth took a long shower together and then had their breakfast.


    Since this was a high-end hotel, where even some of those responsible for the Spiritual Tournament were staying, the food here was top-notch.


    As soon as the two finished their affairs, they received an authentic feast in their room. There were several different fruits, roots with a high spiritual concentration, meat from beasts from the 4th stage of cultivation, coffee, beast milk from the 3rd stage, etc.


    It was really a luxury hotel within the Cromwell Kingdom. No wonder the daily rate was 20,000 low-grade spiritual crystals!


    And as it was the Gray Cloud Sect that was paying... Minos didn''t bother to stay here!


    While sitting on one of the four chairs next to the dining table in the apartment they were in, Minos was eating the 4th stage beast meat when Ruth asked. "Do you want to go to the cultivation competition this morning? Even if you don''t want to expose yourself, you can still meet the high-level cultivators in this edition of the Spiritual Tournament."


    Nhoc!


    "Hmm... Ehh, yes, come on after we''re done here. I want to see how impressive the greatest geniuses in the north of the Central Continent are." Minos said as he ate with enthusiasm.


    4th stage spiritual beast meat was delicious!


    Even more for Minos, who lived in the Black Plain, where there weren''t options like this.


    ...


    Some time passed, and Minos and Ruth had already finished eating and headed towards the place where the mobile structure from the Flaming Empire was.


    This place was not far from the hotel where the two were, just about a 15 minutes walk away.


    And while Minos enjoyed the scenery of Capital City, he soon realized that the density of people on the street was getting higher and higher!


    ''Our! I doubt that all these people are going to participate in this competition. Why are they not going to do something productive?'' Minos asked in his mind.


    He was not a person who liked to be in a crowd.


    And as soon as Minos and Ruth entered the crowd, they finally got to see a big screen, which changed position names all the time.


    This screen had 1,000 names written on it, ordered from the best cultivation speed to the worst.


    There was little data on the screen other than the name of these cultivators, which were related to the level at which these people were and their rate of spiritual growth within the structure.


    At this point, someone said it out loud. "Look, it''s Ford Carline. He got to level 41 while he was cultivating  there!"


    Upon seeing the young man with red hair leaving the structure, a young woman said aloud. "Wow, he is so handsome! I wanted him to notice me..."


    Another young woman then said while smiling. "Dream! The young Ford is in the 7th position of the Cultivation Ranking. He will certainly be one of the chosen ones to go to the Flaming Empire. He''s so much more than you can have!"


    "Haha."


    While several comments appeared in the crowd, there was occasional laughter and even clapping sounds. This was looking like a circus, in Minos'' opinion.


    But as Minos looked around, Ruth suddenly said coldly. "Look at position number 9."


    He then concentrated and saw a name in red. ''Leroy Chambers.'' The young Stuart then frowned as he remembered what this guy had tried to do just a few days ago.


    "Does he think I won''t go after him?" He said coldly. The Spiritual Tournament was a competition that could be pretty dangerous.


    It was mainly because it had a stage in which the participants were alone in a forest. With that, despite not being allowed to kill in the other phases of the tournament, the second test of the competition allowed this...


    "But it is good that he showed himself. At least I won''t have to hunt him down in the future..."


    After a while, Minos and Ruth paid attention to the other names on the list that was on the big screen. There was a particular name that had caught Minos''s attention. In position number 10, the name ''Luke Nash'' was spelled, with level 41 below his name.


    ''Is this guy also here?'' Minos thought about it with a smile on his face. He had defeated Luke when he was only at level 33. Imagine what would happen now, with him at level 38!


    Minos smiled and said. "I want to see that clown''s face when he sees me around here."


    "Who are you talking about?" Ruth, who was right next to her, asked curiously.


    "Do you remember that idiot who tried to set me up in the Old Stone town? I''m talking about him. He''s here."


    "Oh! I didn''t expect an old ''opponent'' of yours to show up here. Hehe." She said with a smile on her face.


    A few minutes passed when suddenly a beautiful young woman with red hair left the place. Upon seeing this, the crowd almost burst into comments, ranging from loving confessions to pure admiration for the young woman''s talent.


    "Wow! Not only is she extremely talented, but she is also one of the most beautiful girls I''ve ever seen!" A middle-aged man said in the crowd.


    The girl who had just left that structure was called Kara Carline, who was at level 42 and was the younger sister of the young man before, Ford Carline.


    "Incredible! She is only 17-years-old, and she still managed to be in 4th place!"


    "Ahh! That way, I will fall in love with her." A young man shouted in the middle of the audience.


    Seeing this, Minos looked in the young woman''s direction and agreed with some of the comments. ''She is truly amazing! Even though I think Ruth is even more beautiful, this young ginger doesn''t lose out on almost anything!''


    After a few more minutes, Minos and Ruth started to get tired of staying there when they decided to go to the fighting arena, not far from there.


    However, when the two were already leaving, another commotion started on the spot.


    "Look, it''s Mr. Troy Newman, number 1 in the Cultivation Ranking!"


    "Ahh! With the young Troy participating in this tournament, the first place is already decided..." One of the young people who were looking at the place said in dismay.


    Many nodded while someone said. "Yes, the other competitors are very unlucky. It is not common for someone at level 44 to participate in this competition..."


    Upon hearing this, Minos turned and looked in the young man''s direction. He has black hair and just entered the structure that measured the competitors'' cultivation speed.


    "Oh! Not bad. He must have a Silver talent and a Silver-grade cultivation technique too!" Minos murmured in a low voice. The cultivation speed of this young man was really good for the north of the Central Continent.


    Minos then thought. ''I''ve never heard of this Newman family. What region is it?''


    "Ruth, have you heard of any family with that last name?" He asked curiously.


    "No, after all, I know few families in this part of the continent..."


    "Hmm, never mind, I was just curious."


    After that, the two had finally left the place and headed for the fighting arena. But before that, Minos had searched for some surnames on that screen, but he didn''t find them.


    Which were the names of the Silva family and the royal family of the Brown Kingdom. It was not uncommon for a large family to not participate in this competition. After all, there was an age limit!


    Therefore, there was a possibility that these families had no prodigy up to 18-years-old to send here during an edition of the Spiritual Tournament.


    That''s because it was not easy to have many geniuses simultaneously. Take the case of the Miller family, which had sent only two members.


    And the tournament also took place every eight years, which meant that a prodigy who started cultivating, for example, until five years ago, would not have a chance to participate in the tournament, as he would still be very weak!

 Chapter 105: Fight Arena

    Minos and Ruth walked for some time and soon arrived at a square that was as busy as the park on which the Cultivation Ranking was located. This was an open place, with many trees and several kiosks selling food.


    And amid the smell of food that could be felt in the air and the freshness of an open place in the middle of a big city, there was an arena set up in the center of that place.


    This arena had four large stands, with thousands of seats for visitors to come and see the fights. Outside, large screens displayed the results of the most recent battles, featuring the 100 best names in the arena.


    There were also some advertisements that said how much could be gained by entering the ranking, which was more or less the same rules as the Cultivation Ranking.


    First place would receive a grade-2, low-grade pill and weapon if someone managed to stay in that position for at least an entire week.


    For the second position, the competitors would have to follow the same rules. Still, they would only receive a weapon and a grade-1, high-grade pill if they were able to achieve this goal. And the third position could win grade-1, high-grade pill.


    There were other awards for lower ranking, but these awards were less attractive, such as spiritual weapons, arrays, and low-grade crystals. Only the first three positions won good prizes, which could make a big difference for the participants of this competition.


    It didn''t take long, and Minos and Ruth managed to find a place for them to watch some fights in this arena.


    In one corner of one of the stands, Ruth sat down next to Minos. The two then noticed that there were already a pair of cultivators fighting on stage.


    Pow!


    A young man landed a punch in his opponent''s chest when he was taken by surprise to put the enemy counterattack!


    Boom!


    An explosion sounded, and the young man who had been attacked earlier was thrown from a distance while making a wailing sound.


    "Ahh! Damn it!"


    After that, the match judge came and decreed the end of the duel, giving the victory to the young man who was still standing in the center of the arena.


    When they saw this, a group of people who were on Minos'' side got up and left while talking loudly.


    "It looks like today there will be no interesting fight..."


    "Hmm, these young people who have fought so far were very weak. I prefer to go and do other things." One of them said dissatisfied.


    "Well, it was expected. I heard that the first place in the ranking is competing for positions in the Cultivation Ranking this week."


    "Hehe, this is normal, the young Troy fought two days ago, so it must be a while before another high-level fight takes place!" A middle-aged man said with a smile on his face.


    He had watched a fight between the top two in the fighting arena ranking two days ago. For him, this was one of the best fights he had seen in his entire life since it was not easy to witness this type of combat in a region as weak as the North of the Central Continent.


    After all, most life and death battles did not take place publicly.


    Upon hearing this, Ruth turned to Minos with a disappointed look on her face and said. "It looks like we were unlucky. Did you hear that?"


    "Hmm, we will see the next two fights. If it is not better than the last one, we will look for a place to train." Minos said with a resolute look on his face.


    "Ok, let''s see if there are any surprises here..."


    After a few minutes, the fight had started, but the participants were only at levels 35 and 36. Because of that, this fight had not caught the attention of Ruth and Minos, who were used to fighting people from the 5th stage of cultivation.


    And it wasn''t long before the fight was over and, as expected, the level 36 youngster won the battle. After that, two girls went up to the center of the arena and then started the next fight.


    One was at level 37, while the other was at level 39. It wasn''t a bad fight, but it still wasn''t enough for Minos and Ruth to spend more of their time in this place.


    Seeing that there was nothing better in this place, the two youths decided to leave to find a suitable place for training. It would not be reasonable to waste their time on smaller fights.


    However, when Minos and Ruth were getting up to leave this place, the young Abby appeared with her group not far from them.


    Seeing this, Ruth couldn''t help frowning as she thought of Abby''s quirky comment just a few days ago.


    The moment she saw Minos, Abby immediately ran towards him and came over to talk to him. She then said with a smile on her face. "Haha, it looks like our destinies are linked! We found it so easily..."


    "Hmm, it''s really a coincidence." Minos hugged her promptly and then greeted the rest of Abby''s group.


    She then asked while looking at Minos. "Did you just get here too?"


    Ruth then responded with an indifferent look on her face. "Hmm, but there is nothing good here. So, we were already leaving to go and cultivate somewhere."


    Upon hearing this, Abby slowly changed her expression and looked at Ruth, who was beside the young Stuart. ''Will they really cultivate?''


    ''No, I will prevent this woman from further staining Minos'' mind.'' Abby thought for a second and then said. "Minos, since you don''t want to watch the fights, why don''t you fight me? We always talked about it in the past."


    Minos then shook his head and tried to convince her otherwise. "I think this is not a good idea..."


    "You don''t have to be afraid, Abby is your friend, and she''ll take it easy on you." The young Mona immediately said this when she saw Minos'' almost immediate refusal.


    This was very obvious to her. After all, Minos was only at level 38, while Abby was at 40. And getting around that difference in cultivation was very difficult!


    However, before Minos or Abby could say anything, Ruth immediately burst out laughing.


    "Hahaha."


    Upon hearing this, with the exception of Minos, everyone looked at her curiously. Abby then stepped forward and asked. "Why are you laughing?"


    "Nothing..."


    Minos then said. "It would be better if we didn''t fight, Abby..." but before he finished, she took Minos''s hand and started pulling him towards the center of the arena.


    "Stop the bullshit. We will have a friendly match to see how strong we have become. The result will not be important!"


    Seeing what was going on, Ruth started to blush with laughter as she thought about what was going to happen. ''This is good. This woman will learn to stay away from us after being decisively defeated!''


    And it wasn''t long before Minos and Abby went up to the center of the arena. There weren''t that many people to fight today, so they didn''t have any problems.


    Minos tried to change Abby''s thinking, but she seemed determined not to let him go. He then asked her before they started to fight. "Since you want to fight anyway, fight with everything from the beginning. Otherwise, you will lose without having a chance to fight back."


    In saying this, not only Abby but the judge who was close to them were shocked by what Minos had just said.


    That was too arrogant!


    A lower-level person had just said that he would win easily if the other side did not use all her cards!


    ''Ahh... The problem of the younger generation is arrogance...'' The middle-aged man who was there as a judge thought as he shook his head in disappointment.


    He saw this kind of behavior a lot. Still, these young people almost always ended up encountering great tragedies in their lives.


    ''Does he think he''s going to beat me like this?'' Abby doubted in her mind. Even if Minos'' speed was phenomenal, that didn''t mean that his fighting prowess was just as good!


    ''I will use 80% of my strength. This should be enough for him to have a good fight...'' She thought as she prepared to activate her techniques.


    At the same time, Minos let out a long breath. ''Why is she doing this? It makes no sense...''


    The judge then said. "Start the fight!"


    Minos then held a blind sword in his right hand when he activated his attack technique, while there was a look of lament on his face.


    The problem for Minos was that his dominance over his battle techniques was very limited, and he was unable to control its to the point of significantly reducing the damage done.


    Because of this, he was unable to limit the effect of his techniques on his opponents, and even though he did not fight at all, the difference between his and Abby''s levels was very small. Therefore, it would be practically impossible for his friend to resist the limiting effects of his techniques!


    Spatial Sword!


    At the same time, Abby activated her moving and defense technique while she was thinking. ''Let''s see the power of your attack...'' She didn''t want to attack and hurt her old friend by accident...


    However, when Abby least expected it, she suddenly started to feel very heavy, and her speed was reduced by a large margin!


    Minos then quickly approached Abby, gesturing with his sword towards the young woman''s right shoulder. He didn''t want to use an air blade, as it could end up hurting his old friend a lot more.


    And with the blind sword, he was using it. The damage done to your opponent would be, at most, a muscle discomfort that would last for a few minutes.


    Crack!


    Abby''s defense quickly fell apart when her body was suddenly thrown out of the arena, while she had a look of disbelief in her eyes. The fight had only lasted a second, and she had already lost!

 Chapter 106: Strange Feelings

    When they saw what had just happened in the center of the fighting arena, many of the people watching the battle had strange looks on their faces.


    Some people more skeptical felt that Abby had let Minos purposely beat her, perhaps to boost the morale of the young man with brown hair.


    There were already those who thought that Minos indeed was a great fighter and that he could fight stronger opponents. Of course, being underestimated was also a great point that had undoubtedly helped him.


    "That was too fast!" Someone said disappointedly. These people were here to see big fights, but today didn''t seem like a good day for that...


    "Hmph, what a shameless guy! He must have asked his girlfriend to let him win!" A tall young man in the middle of the audience said it out loud.


    "Indeed..."


    And while people were discussing this fight, Abby''s group had shocked expressions on their faces. They knew Abby would take it easy on Minos, but that was just so they could have a good fight!


    There was no point in letting Minos win like that!


    "It looks like he''s stronger than he looks..." Mona said in a low voice while feeling bad that Abby had insisted on fighting Minos.


    And at the same time, besides Ruth, only one other person understood how impressive Minos had been. Who was the judge of the match. He was very close to the fight, so he clearly felt that Minos'' technique was suppressing Abby''s movements, to the point that she lost much of her speed.


    "What a challenging technique!" He murmured to himself. ''It''s just a pity that he hasn''t reached level 40 yet. Otherwise, he could be in the top 3 places in the Spiritual Tournament!'' The judge thought about it while finishing the fight and declared Minos, the winner.


    And while Minos was going in the direction where Abby had been thrown, the blue-haired girl had already risen from the floor and was fixing her spill. She had a look of shame on her face, not because she lost in front of so many people, but because she had acted as if she were stronger than Minos the entire time!


    She didn''t care about the opinion of strangers, but when she remembered what she had said to Minos, she felt ashamed that she thought she was the strongest.


    Minos then approached her and asked. "Are you okay?"


    Abby lowered her head and looked away from him while she answered quietly. "Hm, I''m fine."


    She had not suffered any injuries since Minos had used a blind sword and had not released much power in his attack. His goal was just to end the fight.


    And as the two quickly left the center of the arena, Abby finally asked him. "Why didn''t you tell me you were so strong before?"


    "I tried, but you didn''t leave me..." Minos said that after sighing. He couldn''t understand Abby''s behavior.


    "Why did you want to fight with me so badly?"


    "I wanted to help you focus more on your training than on other things. You and that woman shouldn''t be wasting time on anything other than cultivating, especially now that the Spiritual Tournament is only a few days away." Abby said with a slightly flushed face.


    She didn''t want to have to say this to Minos, but he was friends with her, and she didn''t want him to be dragged down by Ruth.


    Upon hearing what Abby had said, Minos suddenly started laughing as he understood what Ruth had said to him earlier. ''Haha, so that was it!''


    After bursting out laughing, Minos looked at Abby, who was walking beside him and said. "Haha, I think you got it wrong here. I was the one who looked for it in the first place, not her."


    Hearing Minos'' words, Abby was even more embarrassed when she thought about what he had just said. ''Ehh? I can''t believe he''s like that! He was such a centered kid before. How did he become like that?''


    "But Abby, don''t tell me that you were jealous?"


    Abby then looked away from Minos, still quite flushed. She said. "No, I just didn''t want to see you being delayed because of something less."


    "Haha, Abby, you only say that because you never tried it. Otherwise, you would understand our motives very well. You should try it..." Minos said provocatively.


    "Rascal! Aren''t you ashamed to talk to me like that? " She looked at him with a shock on her face. She couldn''t believe what Minos was saying to her! She didn''t even talk about these matters with her best friend, let alone with a man like the young Stuart!


    "Haha, don''t take it the wrong way. If you ever want to talk more about it, you can look for me in the Dry City. I''ll be happy to help you..." He smiled ambiguously when he finally saw Ruth and Abby''s group a few feet away.


    He was dating Ruth at the moment, but they were not married, nor did they have a serious relationship.


    If there were anything else in the future, well would be in the future and not now. Therefore, Minos would not miss the chance to make certain ''contacts'' and go out with other women.


    Of course, he wouldn''t do that while he left with Ruth, but after she returns to the Flaming Empire... Well, let''s just say that Minos doesn''t have to hand his balls over to Ruth and wait until she returns...


    The world was too big, and there might be no real feelings between him and Ruth.


    Maybe Minos would fall in love with another woman, or even Ruth would meet another guy, who knows about tomorrow? So, Minos would take advantage of his opportunities without worrying about what he didn''t have yet!


    Understanding Minos'' words, Abby stopped immediately, while she felt her body suddenly go hard. ''I can not believe this! Did he just say he wants to do this to me?''


    ''But what a shameless person he has become! Even with another woman, does he still look at me that way? Even though I''m one of his best friends?''


    While thinking about these things, Minos and Ruth suddenly said goodbye to the group while Abby stood there. The young Stuart had already hoped that she would be in that state for a while, so he just decided to leave while he had a smile on his face.


    At the same time, as the two youths moved away from the group, Mona ran to where Abby was standing and asked curiously. "What happened? Why did you suddenly stop like that? Can''t you accept defeat?"


    Upon hearing her friend''s words, Abby pushed her thoughts away and said quietly so that only she and Mona could listen. "That bastard of Minos, I thought he considered me a friend, but he even tries to flatter me!"


    "What? And does he still do that while he''s with another woman?" Mona put her hands on her lips as she tried to hide her shocked expression.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Minos and Ruth were going to the Capital City Cultivation Tower, where they intended to return to their training routine. And as they did, the black-haired girl suddenly asked in curiosity.


    "What did you say to your friend before?" Since Abby looked very embarrassed, she wanted to know about it, something excessive just for defeat.


    "We were talking about sex!" Minos said without any change in his expression.


    Upon hearing this, Ruth quickly stopped her steps and took Minos'' arm while she squeezed with some force. "Oh? Try to explain that?"


    "I said that if she wanted to talk to me about it, I would be on hand..." Minos said as he looked deep into Ruth''s eyes.


    "Do you like her?" She asked with a serious face.


    It was not uncommon for a man to have even several wives in the Spiritual World, let alone go out with more than one woman. As long as he respected their space, there wouldn''t be so many problems.


    "She is just a friend, nothing more." He replied dryly.


    "And what am I to you?" Ruth asked with a slight flush on her face. She had a strange feeling for Minos, but only time would tell what that was...


    "You are different from her, but it is still too early to talk about it." He liked Ruth, but he didn''t know if that was just a passing attraction or something else.


    ''Hmm, all right. If she''s just a friend, then I can accept that...'' Ruth thought as she let out a deep breath. She thought about Minos a lot, sometimes even about what could happen in the future if they continued with this relationship.


    Even if she had something more serious involvement with him, she was not wholly opposed to sharing him with others. But she also wouldn''t accept any ''addition'' made by Minos so easily. That would depend on what kind of person the other party would be!


    Anyway, after saying that, the two quickly followed their route, heading towards the large building that was a few blocks away from them.


    In this place, there was a building with more than 15 floors, extremely wide and with many people coming and going. This was the best place to train in the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom, the Cultivation Tower!

 Chapter 107: Training at the Cultivation Tower

    Upon entering the large building, Minos and Ruth immediately looked for the classification of the training rooms in this place. This was information that was on a big screen in the center of the entrance hall.


    When looking in that direction, the two soon saw that there were four types of rooms, which could have a larger or smaller area.


    The first type of room was indicated for those who are in the 2nd stage of cultivation. The second room, for the 3rd stage, the third for the 4th, and the last for the 5th stage of cultivation.


    The amount of crystals that someone needed to pay for each room also depended on its size, which ranged from exclusive rooms to places with space for up to 10 people.


    For the smallest room for 2nd stage cultivators, prices ranged from 50 low-grade crystals to the largest room for 5th stage cultivators, 50,000 crystals per day!


    As for a room for two, for 5th-stage cultivators, which was what Minos and Ruth wanted, it cost 16,000 low-grade crystals a day.


    Smaller rooms really cost more when larger rooms, if the values ??were divided between the people who would use them, of course. This was a measure to lower the cost for those with few spiritual crystals!


    After paying for a day of training, Minos and Ruth went to the 11th floor of the building, where was the room that they had managed to rent.


    Upon arriving at this location, the two passed through a large corridor, going from the elevator to their room, number 1158. But this was not a small place. No, on all floors of this building, there were restaurants and living areas, where the cultivators could talk between one training session and another.


    The place was really well thought out, aiming at the well-being of the users of this service.


    Anyway, Minos and Ruth arrived at the room they had rented.


    This place was about 100 square meters and had a bathroom and a kitchen. Other than that, there was practically no furniture in the place since the most important use of these rooms was for cultivation and training.


    There was only one space reserved for the fights, which took up the largest area of ??the room and an area of about 10 square meters, with two large cultivation cushions.


    There was also a large array on the ceiling of this room, which concentrated the spiritual energy only within the space of this place!


    Ruth then looked at Minos and said with a smile on her face. "How about we start our fight first?"


    "Eh? I thought you would prefer to do that after we cultivate..."


    "I don''t know why, but I wanted to change the order of that for today..." She said ambiguously.


    Minos then shook his head in agreement. There was no difference for him since he would fight her anyway.


    Thus, the two youths changed their clothes quickly since it would not be good for them to train with regular clothes.


    Minos was then only in shorts, while the young Ruth wore light armor, which could also be used as clothing.


    "Are you ready?" She asked with a smile on her face.


    "Hmm, come on!"


    Soon after, the two looked at each other for a split second and then activated their techniques.


    Devouring Art!


    Indestructible Body!


    Spatial Sword!


    The light of the place suddenly dimmed when Minos'' support technique came on, forming a black ring at the top, while a humming noise could be heard as it slowly spun.


    After so many struggles that Minos and Ruth had between themselves, and after the young Stuart had battled many beasts and enemies, his three techniques had already reached the maximum completion of the phases it was in.


    Therefore, it remained only that he accumulated more energy to move on to new phases.


    However, at this point, Minos was already beginning to feel an increasing control over his own power, to the point that he felt that he could reduce the area affected by his techniques if he wanted to.


    Not only that. From what he felt of the Devouring Art, at the end of the next phase, he would probably be able to absorb energy only from those he wanted!


    Instant Steps!


    Fists of Pain!


    She then began to move within the area of ??influence of Minos'' techniques. Still, she hardly felt any effect on her body.


    Even though she lost energy for Minos'' technique again, after he reached level 38, it was still almost insignificant for Ruth.


    As for the Spatial Sword, it could barely affect Ruth''s speed by 5%. Therefore, the fight between the two remained a game of resistance for Minos...


    Swooish!


    Minos made several movements while moving around so as not to receive the punch from Ruth, which was coming towards him!


    Pow!


    However, Minos'' movements were too slow for the young Ruth. She quickly dodged the blades of air created by him while sending several blows in his direction.


    Pow!


    Another blow hit Minos'' chest when he was suddenly thrown aside until his back hit the array, which protected one of that room''s walls!


    "Ahh!"


    He screamed when he felt pain in different parts of his body. He then said. "Ha... Haa... Ruth... You''re using more strength than usual. Take it a little easier with me!"


    "Oh? Sorry, I didn''t notice. Let''s continue!" After saying this, the tips of the girl''s lips suddenly went up when she moved against Minos again.


    Pow!


    "Ahhh!"


    ...


    The fight went on for a few minutes, while Minos basically took a good beating from Ruth, being repeatedly tossed from side to side of this room they were.


    At the end of the ''friendly match'' the two has had, Minos was utterly exhausted, while he had some abrasions and a completely pale face.


    On the other hand, Ruth looked as good as before, without even a single taste of sweat on her beautiful face. But unlike Minos, who was feeling for the fight, she was feeling very well, as if she had released her stress entirely...


    ''Yes, she took it hard today! It seems that I shouldn''t think about other women while I''m with her...'' Minos thought about it as he crawled'' to start regaining his strength.


    Seeing this, Ruth smiled softly and immediately started training her battle techniques.


    She took an array from her spatial ring, which simulated a shield, and then started using it as if it were a punching bag to train her technique, Fists of Pain!


    Pow!


    Pow!


    ...


    Time passed, and both young people had already trained all their techniques, leaving only spiritual cultivation.


    Since Minos had fewer techniques than Ruth and also needed to train them for less time, he was the first to sit in meditation, spreading some crystals around him.


    The room they had rented had great spiritual concentration. Still, it was even better if they combined it with their spiritual crystals!


    So, Minos quickly began to cultivate his technique, Solar God Breath, while feeling how much easier it was to cultivate in a place like this.


    ''I have to make a place like these in the Dry City. This is just incredible! ''


    ''Even using crystals, I think the absorption speed inside such a room is at least twice as much as if it is done in a place without an array like the one here!'' He thought as he felt the spiritual energy around him and in the crystals start to merge with his own energy.


    ...


    After spending their first day almost training in the cultivation room, for the 5th stage cultivators, Minos and Ruth had returned to the hotel and had their daily fun. The young woman had no reason not to do her thing with him since she had already released her stress on him earlier.


    And after that first day, the two decided to follow this training routine at the Cultivation Tower for the next few days until the Spiritual Tournament finally started.


    ...


    With that, soon two weeks passed in Capital City, and Minos and Ruth were training a lot, while they spent rest and had fun most of the time that remained, during the night in the hotel where they were staying.


    But Minos did not only do this during this period.


    He and Ruth always stopped to check on the Cultivation Ranking and the fights in the arena. Most of the time, there was nothing interesting since Minos was not a fan of anyone at his age, so they would not waste their precious time to see other people getting stronger...


    As for the arena fights, the two only watched those involving people above level 41. But this event did not happen enough, with only two fights, one between the 5th and 7th places and the other between 2nd and 3rd place in the Arena Ranking.


    In these fights, there were no surprises, and those in the best position managed to keep theirs after very disputed matches.


    Minos had also met some people who were going to participate in the Spiritual Tournament at the Cultivation Tower.


    Whenever he and Ruth stopped to rest and eat, they saw some regular people on the same floor as theirs, who were a pair of siblings with red hair, the two youths from the Cultivation Ranking, Ford Carline and Kara Carline.

 Chapter 108: The Beginning of the Spiritual Tournament

    Time had passed, and it was finally time for the Spiritual Tournament to begin!


    At this point, all of the participants had already arrived in the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom, along with tens of thousands of other people who were going to watch the tournament.


    After all, this was an event that was still one of the most critical events in this part of the Central Continent. And despite happening every ten years, which was not much in the Spiritual World, it still received the attention of thousands of people.


    Obviously, this was a farewell occasion for some who took a ''winning ticket,'' going on a high-level journey in the Flaming Empire.


    But it was also an event that revealed the future Spiritual Kings of this region, who could unbalance the situation for one power or another.


    And not only that, although almost all participants are already members or subordinates of large families, there were still those young people without any support who showed up here, opening doors for these large families to gain even more members.


    The Spiritual Tournament was highly anticipated for all this, even for people who have lived for a long time, having seen many editions of this competition!


    ...


    And while the sun was rising over the Central City skyline, with many people already strolling the big city streets, Minos and Ruth were in the hotel room that the beautiful young woman had previously booked.


    If someone entered their room at this point, they would see the magnificent scene of the two reaching their climax. At the same time, Ruth gently trembled her sweaty body, and Minos had a smile on his face as he released his load into the young woman''s hole.


    The two, as usual, had ''woken up on the right foot,'' starting the day in the best possible way.


    When they finished their activity, Minos and Ruth went to the bathroom so they could be ready quickly. They could not delay, as they used to do.


    Today the Spiritual Tournament would be starting, so they had to leave the hotel early and head towards the south side of the city, where the first part of the competition would be held.


    The Spiritual Tournament was divided into four parts. The first was the most straightforward and quickest, the physical test. And as the name says, this test determined the characteristics of the competitors'' bodies, such as age, level, talent, and the degree of their Physique.


    As for the latter, there was no way for the test to tell the competitor''s innate ability. It was just the rating that their physique received.


    As for why there was this test, it was because, in the Spiritual World, people could keep their youth for a long time.


    Consider the case of Ruth, at the age of 18, she was already at level 46, and it would not be long before she reached the Spiritual King stage. When that happened, she would keep her youth for at least the next 500 years!


    What''s more, she would only age in the last 400 years of her life expectancy!


    Of course, with her Silver talent, Ruth would not stop at just the Spiritual King stage. As long as she had time, she would go up to much higher levels!


    Anyway, due to this factor, the only way to find out someone''s age was through physical testing, which measured the person''s bone age.


    As for the second test, this was about survival in the jungle for a week. The competitors were taken to a small forest, where there would be spiritual beasts from the 4th and 5th stages of cultivation, who would be their enemies in this test.


    And in addition to surviving for a week in that place, the participants still had to kill three spiritual beasts of the 4th stage, at least, to pass this stage.


    In the third test, this was the official start of the fights. The competitors would be divided into 64 large groups of the same size at this stage. They would participate in big matches in a Battle Royale format!


    And finally, the 64 winners of the third event would qualify for the last phase of the Spiritual Tournament. In this fourth test, the remaining participants would compete for the best places in the competition through individual fights in a key system.


    The 64 final participants were randomly selected to 32 fights, continuing until the last and the third-place dispute.


    And those were all the stages in the tournament. As for the rules, the tournament''s organization did not allow murders in the last two tests. As for survival in the forest, if any competitor died, perhaps in an ''accidental'' way, that would not be the responsibility of the Spiritual Tournament.


    Other than that, there were no other restrictions.


    And as for the individuals who could be chosen to enter one of the Flaming Empire sects, this depended both on each participant''s position and performance.


    However, only those who reached the 4th event had a chance to go to one of these forces. For the top 3 in the final tournament ranking, these would undoubtedly be selected, and they could even choose the sect they wanted to go to!


    ...


    So, some time passed, and Minos and Ruth were almost arriving at the place of the first test.


    This was the Capital City Spiritual Academy, the main teaching center for young people from noble families in the Cromwell Kingdom.


    This place had been chosen due to the large area and favorable structure for this first test. Since this was just a test of physical aptitude, it was not open to the public who were not participating in the competition.


    After all, this was just a confirmation of basic data...


    Upon arriving in front of this spiritual academy, Minos and Ruth went through the large entrance garden. There were already many people arguing and smiling because they were participating in this event.


    People were coming and going, and as soon as the two youths approached one of the great buildings in this academy, someone suddenly called Minos'' name, not too far away.


    "Oh! Minos! Wait for us..." A young woman with red hair said out loud.


    This was Kara, the holder of the 4th position in the Cultivation Ranking, whom Minos had previously met at the Cultivation Tower.


    Beside her was a young man with red hair, wearing a white robe.


    This was Kara''s older brother, Ford. He was also in the top 10 of the Cultivation Ranking, being in the 7th position.


    He and his sister came from the Kingdom of the End, the lands on the northern boundary of the Central Continent. The two came from one of the most prominent noble families in that place, the Carline family.


    Anyway, Minos had made friends with Ford and his sister after several encounters by chance in one of the restaurants on the 11th floor of the Cultivation Tower, where they were training.


    When he turned and saw the two young gingers, Minos smiled and then greeted them. "Haha, I didn''t think we were going to meet you two here. Have you already done the first test?"


    "It is a really good coincidence. But we haven''t auditioned yet, as we just got here." The beautiful young woman said excitedly. She was dressed in a green dress, which demonstrated the high standard of her body.


    And it was not long before many eyes turned to Kara since she was very famous among the participants. After all, in addition to her first-rate beauty, she was also exceptionally talented.


    Minos then smiled and said. "Oh! So let''s go together!"


    "Hmm."


    After agreeing to this, the four people proceeded to the interior of the building that was in front of where they were.


    And as they walked over to a large information board, Kara suddenly remembered something and asked Ruth. "Hey, don''t they say that only participants can enter here?"


    Ruth then took out the flaming medallion and showed it to Kara as she said. "As I have this, I can follow all parts of the competition."


    Upon seeing this, the two suddenly realized for the first time that Ruth came from the Flaming Empire!


    "Did you come from the empire? But if that is true, then why is Minos participating in this competition?" Ford asked doubtfully.


    "I am from one of the sects of the empire, but Minos is not." She said with a smile on her face.


    After hearing this, the two young people still did not understand. Even if that was the case, Ruth could just take him there. There was no need to participate in the competition...


    Minos then decided to speak, seeing the pair of siblings confused. "I have no interest in going to the Flaming Empire. I am just participating in the competition as a form of training. I am also making some contacts."


    ''Don''t you want to go to an empire?'' The two siblings thought about it, almost at the same time.


    The young Kara then smiled and thought. ''What an interesting guy. Is he being arrogant because he doesn''t care about an empire? Or is he being humble for recognizing his own position?''


    "Anyway, I''m still going to take the competition seriously, so don''t give up if you have to fight me..." Minos said with an enthusiastic smile on his face.


    He liked to fight, and soon he could hunt down the fugitive who had run after losing to him!


    ''Hahahaha, wait a minute, Leroy, I''ll cut your head off with my sword!''

 Chapter 109: Physical Examination

    After checking the large information board in the building''s entrance hall, Minos'' group quickly found out where they could go to perform the physical exam. There were many rooms where the test was being carried out. They just needed to follow up on one of these.


    Thus, the four youths soon started looking for one of these places, where there was a shorter waiting line.


    They proceeded to the fourth floor of the building they were actively looking for until they finally found a line that was not so full. There were just over 20 people in this place, which shouldn''t be long before the tests by Minos, Kara, and Ford were done.


    Upon entering the room and the line with the competitors, there was also a large structure in the left corner of the room. This ''object'' was rectangular in shape, about 3 meters high and 2 meters long and wide.


    It had a hollow interior, where there was a space for an adult to stand, while it had a transparent glass door and three large screens on the sides.


    This was the array responsible for this examination. It had been done by the joint work of three professionals from different areas, namely: a blacksmith, a design, and an array master.


    The design had designed the external structure of the ''item,'' while the blacksmith had produced the compounds present in this array. The array master, on the other hand, had the job of making this ''thing'' all work, giving its the ability to ascertain the physical characteristics of the users of this array.


    But although complicated, this was not an expensive ''item'' for the Flaming Empire sects. This array could at most be qualified as a grade-2, high-level item.


    So, there were dozens of these in this building since that was no big deal for sects with Spiritual Saints in their ranks!


    There were also five people in the room in addition to the participants. They were two guards from the Cromwell Kingdom who were here to maintain order. Two examiners were here to register candidates able to continue in the tournament and an array master to operating the large physical evaluation array.


    And while Minos watched this place, an evaluator soon said it aloud. "Next!"


    After hearing this, a young woman at the head of the line went to the examiners. She gave her name and then began to receive guidance from the array master.


    "Young lady, enter the array and stay still. You will feel a little discomfort, and you will lose some of your spiritual energy during the process. Still, after a few minutes, you will fully recover."


    "OK." She replied before entering the array and standing there while waiting for the process.


    Suddenly the array started to work when a slight humming sound sounded to those people who were in this room at this very moment.


    Vuup!


    If someone looked closely, at this moment, a drop of blood could be seen coming out of the neck of the girl who was doing the exam. When she felt this, the young woman felt a slight discomfort when she frowned firmly.


    Soon after, the screens began to display the young woman''s results, one after the other.


    - Age: 18 years, 3 months, and 29 days


    - Level: 39


    - Talent: Black


    - Physical: King


    After seeing the result of the young woman, one of the two examiners spoke to her while his face was expressionless. "Okay, ehh, Carmen Row, you are able to participate in the Spiritual Tournament."


    After saying this, the young woman smiled and immediately left this room, heading towards the exit, where her friends who had already taken the test were waiting for her.


    And it didn''t take long, and other young people started taking the same test as before.


    - Age: 17 years, 4 months, and 11 days


    - Level: 36


    - Talent: Black


    - Physical: King


    "Miles Person, it''s fit."


    - Age: 19 years, 0 months, and 7 days


    - Level: 38


    - Talent: Black


    - Physical: King


    "Scott Menzie, he is not fit."


    - Age: 16 years, 11 months, and 27 days


    - Level: 34


    - Talent: Black


    - Physical: Warrior


    "Wynne Mils, you are fit."


    ...


    "Winona Poul, you are fit."


    The test continued until finally, the Minos group''s turn came. He then said while looking at Ford. "You and your sister can go first."


    "Hmm, it''s okay. I''ll go first then." Ford said with a smile and then went on to do his own test.


    And it didn''t take even a minute until his results appeared on one of the array screens.


    - Age: 18 years, 1 month, and 2 days


    - Level: 41


    - Talent: Black


    - Physical: King


    The examiner then finally showed satisfaction in seeing a worthy competitor when he said it. "Very well! Ford Carline is fit!"


    The people who were in line behind Minos, upon hearing this, soon began to actively talk, seeing that the Carline brothers were taking their test in this room.


    "See there. Miss Kara is so beautiful today."


    "Idiot, stop saying that. I am curious to know precisely the physical result of her examination."


    The conversations continued when Kara finally went on to do her own test.


    - Age: 16 years, 7 months, and 5 days


    - Level: 42


    - Talent: Silver


    - Physical: King


    "Oh! Finally, someone with a Silver talent!" The examiner said in a low voice when he looked at the young Kara with satisfaction.


    "Kara Carline, congratulations on your great talent. You are able to participate in the Spiritual Tournament."


    At the same time, the commotion in the surroundings increased, even more when people discovered that she had a Silver talent!


    "As expected! That''s why she cultivates so fast..."


    "Ahh! I envy her..."


    Several comments rang out when it was finally Minos'' turn to his test. He then gave his name to one of the examiners. Shortly after, he received instructions from the array master who was there beside the array.


    Vuup!


    A buzzing sounded when a small amount of blood came out of the back of Minos''s neck. After that, the array screen quickly started to shine, and then Minos'' result appeared there.


    - Age: 16 years, 4 months, and 23 days


    - Level: 38


    - Talent: ?????


    - Physical: Warrior


    When Minos'' result appeared on the screen, everyone in the room frowned. Not only the competitors but also the two evaluators and the array master.


    They had never seen this happen before!


    This array could even evaluate someone with Golden talent!


    ''How strange, why is there no result for his talent?'' The three people who had come from the Flaming Empire thought about it while trying to figure out why it happened.


    As for Ruth, she was also surprised, but not for the same reason as these people. ''Eh? My master told me that he had a King-grade Physique. How could only a Warrior-grade one appear?''


    She was not shocked by the result of Minos'' talent. After all, if these people knew how fast he was cultivating, no one would be frightened by this result.


    After thinking for a few seconds, the appraiser suddenly said. "Young man, retake the exam."


    "OK..." Minos was saying when suddenly Ruth interrupted and said. "There is no need for that. He has already proven that he is under 19, so he is now able to participate in the Spiritual Tournament."


    Upon hearing someone contradict him, the examinator suddenly frowned as he probed Ruth''s cultivation. ''Oh? Level 46?''


    He then said in an arrogant tone. "Young lady, even if you are talented, you have no voice here. If I told him to take the test, then this is how it has to be."


    "Oh? Do you think that?" Ruth then removed the flaming medallion and tossed it toward the table where the appraiser was standing. She then said. "This gives me as much authority as the elders of the Flaming Empire sects..."


    She stopped for a second and then said. "Do I have a voice now?"


    Seeing the medallion close to where he was, the appraiser suddenly felt a chill down his spine while his face flushed with shame. ''Damn it! Who is this girl? Is she the daughter of some elder of the sects of the empire?''


    He then blew out a defeated sigh as he tried to hide his shame. "I''m sorry about that, young lady. Since that is the case, ehh, the competitor, ehh, Minos is able to participate in the competition."


    Minos had not given his last name to participate in the Spiritual Tournament. After all, if he had a good result, the entire North of the Central Continent would receive that news.


    And at this time, the Silva family would know about his immense cultivation speed. And as enemies, they would definitely try to eliminate Minos before he grew any bigger!


    However, only with the first name, even if the news reached the Silva family, no one would believe that this was the son of General Albert. After all, there were more than 2 billion inhabitants in the North of the Central Continent alone. There were undoubtedly others named with the same name of the young Stuart!


    Upon hearing this, Minos and his group soon left this place, shortly after Ruth took back her flaming medallion.


    And while the four young people left the room, everyone in this place was commenting on the fact that this young woman from one of the Flaming Empire sects was here, accompanying a competitor.


    "Wow, I never thought that this lady was from one of the sects!"


    "Hmm, is that boy the bastard son of someone in your sect?"


    "Who knows, maybe he has a great talent and is already receiving the favor of one sect. You didn''t see it, he''s only 16, and he''s already at level 38. If you think about it, it''s not as bad as Miss Kara''s cultivation speed!" A young woman said this in a low voice so that only her friends would hear it.

 Chapter 110: The Second Test

    After leaving the building where the physical examination was performed, Minos and his group headed towards the Cultivation Tower, in the central region of the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom.


    They had no reason to stay in that spiritual academy since their tests had already been carried out, and it was really not interesting to watch other people''s physical exams.


    Nobody in the Minos group was interested in knowing these details from other competitors. After all, it wouldn''t make any difference to them!


    For this first test of the Spiritual Tournament, the competition organization assumed it would last for two days. Therefore, the second test was scheduled to happen on the third day, counting from today.


    That way, both Minos and the sibling couple wanted to spend their last few hours training before finally starting the competition for real!


    ...


    As Minos'' group leaves the building, suddenly the young Kara, who has been staring at him since his physical exam result was shown, said. "Minos, are you using any artifacts to prevent your talent from being seen by others?"


    There were items in the Spiritual World that could protect this type of information from cultivators. After all, when someone very talented was born, protecting that information was crucial to their families or powers behind that individual.


    So, Kara had this theory that Minos was hiding his true talent.


    Perhaps even the result of his Physique rating was false! She thought about it while trying to discover the mysteries behind it.


    And since Minos was being accompanied by someone from one of the Flaming Empire sects, this hypothesis made more and more sense in Kara''s mind.


    Upon hearing this, both Ford and Ruth also began to pay attention. The two also had their doubts, but the older brother did not dare to ask, while the beautiful young woman with black hair had left to ask about it later.


    Minos then looked at the three people, who seemed interested in this matter and laughed. There was no artifact with him that he was using.


    The spiritual array just failed to ascertain Minos'' talent since he had been mutated through the inheritance of the God Henricus Longus.


    Minos then said vaguely. "Well, not exactly. But seeing it that way is not completely wrong."


    Upon hearing this, the two youths sighed when they understood that Minos was not going to go into details. But this was not strange. This information was usually only given on two types of occasions.


    One was at the time of a spiritual academy, just before the youth turned 10. And the other was at events like this, which demanded this type of information.


    After that, the group continued talking about minor things until they finally arrived in front of the Cultivation Tower. And as usual, there was a lot of movement in this place, since it was the best point to practice within that city.


    After reaching the 11th floor of the large building, Kara suddenly said. "Well, it was nice to talk to you two, Minos and Ruth. My brother and I will train behind closed doors until the competition starts, so until then!"


    "Hmm, until then. We may not meet before the second test, so I wish you luck in advance. But you have to be careful. Some participants may try to unite against people like you..."


    In saying this, Minos was alerted both to the presence of scum as the young Leroy and as to those profiteers, who would hide, while waiting for other competitors to fight and be exhausted. Then they would steal the items of those people later...


    "Hmm, for you too." Ford said before finally heading towards the training room that he and his sister were going to use.


    At the same time, Ruth and Minos did the same, entering one of the rooms, exactly the same as the one they had stayed in the last time.


    And when they were finally alone, Ruth asked Minos with a curious twinkle in her eyes. "Are you going to tell me what your talent and physique rank is? I do not believe that your ability can be as incredible as you claim to be if you have just a Warrior-grade Physique."


    Upon hearing this, Minos smiled and said. "Hehe, who knows... Does it make a difference to you?"


    "Hmph, acting mysterious. Forget it. Sooner or later, I''ll find out." Ruth murmured to herself in a low voice. She then said. "It does not matter. Okay, let''s change clothes and start our fight."


    "Hmm."


    After that, the two quickly repeated the same deeds as their last time here. They started fighting and then trained their fighting techniques, left to cultivate last.


    Minos and Ruth followed this routine for the two days that they had and then left the training tower to go to the hotel and sort out their ''matters'' before the second test of the Spiritual Tournament started.


    After all, this test would last a week, so the two would be without having fun with each other for this entire period...


    Anyway, at this moment, Minos was almost reaching level 39, and that should happen during this second test. These last few weeks of hard training at the Cultivation Tower had brought him close to this level, with just a little more to do.


    ...


    It didn''t take long, and Minos and Ruth were already walking through the streets of Capital City, heading towards the city''s north side.


    In that place, the organization of the Spiritual Tournament had set up a teleportation array, which took the competitors into a forest under the control of the Flaming Empire sects.


    This was a grade-3, low-level array that could displace even 30,000 people at once, taking them over distances in the tens of thousands of kilometers!


    It was really something of a high standard, but that was not the only form of travel in the Spiritual World. There were also ways to travel through wormholes, which allowed for trips much longer than those of teleportation arrays.


    After all, the Spiritual World was incredibly vast, so these arrays could not be used over very long distances!


    As for wormholes, these were space tunnels, where people could travel, ''shortening'' the travel distance from one region to another.


    Upon reaching level 80, cultivators could travel through space. If several cultivators at this level worked together, then they could build a spatial tunnel between two regions!


    But wormholes were very rare, and even the Flaming Empire did not have one!


    It also needed constant maintenance from people in the 9th stage of cultivation so that there were no problems with travel.


    Because of this, empires and kingdoms that had no people at this stage of cultivation certainly would not have a way of traveling like this since they could not constantly pay for people of that level to maintain their wormholes.


    Finally, Minos and Ruth arrived at a large square after touring the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom for some time.


    In this place, thousands of people were scattered while waiting for the guidance of the evaluators of this test.


    Minos didn''t see any of the people he had met in the past few days, so he stood there, next to Ruth, while waiting for the test to start.


    Finally, when the sun was up, a young woman, wearing a red dress, stood on a platform and then started talking about what would happen next.


    "Ehh, welcome to all participants in this edition of the Spiritual Tournament. Well, for those of you who don''t know about the exam details, I''m going to explain how this test will work."


    "Those who want to participate in the test must stay in these areas marked in red." She said as she pointed to large circles drawn on the square''s floor.


    "After that, when we activate the teleportation array, everyone within those spaces will be teleported to the exam site."


    She then stopped for a moment and then continued. "This place is one of the wild regions, which the organization of the event manages. Your mission will be to survive for seven days in this ''habitat'' and to be able to bring at least three 4th stage spiritual beasts as proof that you managed to kill its."


    "These are the only two requirements for this event. As for the rules, there is none in this test. This is a survival test, so if you are unable to survive or reach the minimum requirement, it means that you are not worth the investment of the tournament organization! " She said coldly.


    This was not a kind world. And as much as the organization of the Spiritual Tournament did not want these young people to die so soon, in a survival test, there could be no help or rules that would limit events.


    Since this was a simulation of what could happen in these cultivators'' real lives, this exam simulated the law of the jungle, kill or die, just like what these people could find during their journeys!


    After finishing speaking, the examiner waited for a while, while she saw the crowd start moving.


    Minos then said goodbye to Ruth and asked. "Is that part of the competition broadcast?"


    "Hmm, but not everything. There are some surveillance arrays in the chosen location, which send the images here."


    "OK. Well, see you in a week then." He said before kissing Ruth''s cherry lips.


    After that, the examiner finally saw that there was no more movement in the square when she finally started the second test.


    "The second test is officially initiated!"

 Chapter 111: A Rascal

    When the person responsible for this test officially started the examination, the spiritual teleportation array suddenly made a noise. Finally, a large amount of spiritual energy covered the areas that were marked in red.


    Zum!


    The places where the thousands of people were started to glow softly when suddenly the space around these areas began to vibrate.


    After that, almost in the blink of an eye, all about 30,000 competitors disappeared from that square!


    "Oh! Incredible! I didn''t know that there were such challenging arrays!" Suddenly, several people who were watching this event for the first time started to argue out loud.


    Although this array was ??not as challenging as people thought, it was definitely something that most people who came to watch this competition could not see elsewhere.


    After all, this was the impoverished North of the Central Continent!


    "Look, the transmission is about to start!"


    And not long after, 20 huge screens appeared at various points in that square, displaying different views from the place where the competitors had been sent.


    ...


    As people anxiously began to pay attention to the screens showing some areas of the second test, Minos had felt the space float, and soon after, a completely different landscape appeared in his view.


    This was a mountainous forest with dense jungle, high relative humidity, many insects, and no trail. It looked like land untouched by humans, where spiritual beasts dominated.


    ''With so many trees, this place must be extremely dark at night...'' Minos thought as he saw many leaves blocking the sun''s rays.


    Even though it was daytime, the place already had a gloom that would sometimes make someone feel uncomfortable. So, during the night, when the rays of light that arrived here were less numerous, there would be only absolute darkness!


    Minos then looked around and finally noticed that there was no competitor in this place close to him. ''It seems that we are being sent to different places... But as there were many competitors, it shouldn''t be long before I find someone.''


    Although in situations like it is indicated to form a group, Minos was not worried about that at the moment. If he found someone worth allying with, that would be nice, but that was not his focus. No, he wanted to hunt the young Leroy...


    Minos then climbed one of the tallest trees in the place he was in so that he could try to understand that place.


    He wanted to know if he was closer to the center or the limits of this region. In his opinion, the chances of finding the young Leroy would be more significant in the central parts of the forest.


    That''s because Leroy Chambers was a person with an arrogant personality who certainly wouldn''t be standing in one place. He would certainly try to go to the busiest places, which were generally not in the forest bordering regions.


    Minos then finished climbing the tree and finally got an idea of ??where he was. ''Hmm, considering that there is a mountain right behind me and this valley in front of me, I believe that the central region is...''


    He did some calculations while checking his location when he finally came to the conclusion that his path was the valley in front of where he was.


    It was not long before the young Stuart started to move, while he was also careful all the time. Even though the 4th stage spiritual beasts could no longer hurt him, there were 5th stage beasts in this place. So, he had to be wary of the sneak attacks from these individuals.


    There was also the possibility that other competitors would attack him so that he couldn''t take this place easily!


    Minos also needed to find a safe place for him to spend the night as well as a place where he could cultivate, since he did not dare to go to the Spatial Kingdom, from this place, where he could be being watched!


    ...


    While Minos was traveling to the central region of the forest where the second test of the Spiritual Tournament was taking place, the young Leroy was moving towards the same place as Minos.


    But he was not alone. Leroy had found another competitor shortly after this test began.


    The person who was traveling with him was called Davy Hayes, who was at level 43. He was the person who occupied the 4th position in the Cultivation Ranking that Minos had seen previously.


    "So, you''re saying that this young man, ehh, has two grade-2, low-grade weapons, and you want my collaboration to take that from him while each of us has one?"


    The two had met and formed a temporary partnership as soon as they saw each other. But after they started moving into the forest, Leroy had just made that suggestion to Davy.


    "Hehe, that''s right! I don''t need two weapons... What do you think? This bastard is a wretch who hides behind a woman''s strength and still uses negligible means to fight."


    Leroy stopped for a second while laughing inwardly and then continued. "I know that your Hayes family values ??justice very much. We will teach this bastard a lesson, and we will take his weapons so that he learns the meaning of the word justice!"


    The young Davy, who was not used to dealing with rascals like Leroy, quickly convinced himself that this was a good decision. After all, it would not be wrong if he won a grade-2 weapon after killing someone despicable, like the person Leroy had described.


    "Hm, it''s okay."


    ''Haha, idiot! I will let you fight him alone, and I will finish you both when you are exhausted!'' Leroy thought as he hid his satisfaction, lest Davy believes there was anything strange about this story.


    After that, the two continued traveling towards the central region of the forest, sometimes meeting with other groups and even fighting with various spiritual beasts.


    ...


    After a few hours of moving into the central area of ??the forest, Minos finally found a decent place for him to rest.


    At that point, there was a water source not far from where he was, with a cave on the side of a hill.


    He had searched the place for spiritual beasts, but there were none. In fact, even in the areas where he had passed, there were not many beasts, nor competitors.


    ''It seems that I was sent to a very distant point...'' Minos thought while eating an apple that he had bought at a market this morning.


    All the food he had brought from the Black Plain was gone in the meantime. After all, he had been traveling for about three months!


    Minos then prepared the place with two arrays that he had previously purchased, one for surveillance and the other for protection.


    To rest in a place like this, as he had not yet made any alliances, he needed to be sure that he would be safe when he was sleeping or cultivating.


    This is because, in these two types of situations, cultivators were very vulnerable. Therefore, he would use the surveillance array so that he would be alerted by the arrival of enemies and the protective one to protect him if he did not manage to wake up in time.


    ...


    Time quickly passed, and the night had already arrived. The forest was utterly dark, to the point that almost nothing could be seen!


    At this time, Minos was quietly cultivating inside the cave he had found earlier.


    He had his technique. Solar God Breath activated, while several crystals around him shone while decreasing its intensity little by little.


    ''Because of the feeling I''m sensing, I should reach level 39 in a maximum of 3 days!'' He thought while circulating his cultivation technique.


    However, about 15 minutes later, his surveillance array suddenly started to emit an alert noise.


    Blim! Blim!


    ''Eh?'' Minos then opened his eyes slowly, soon after noticing the noise. ''It looks like some guest is coming.''


    He then left his meditative position and headed towards the exit of his cave while trying not to attract attention.


    Boom!


    Suddenly an explosion sounded when Minos finally saw a battle going on in front of him.


    Two people were fighting a spiritual beast, which was in the 5th stage of cultivation.


    This was a Yellow Monkey, a breed that could reach the 6th stage of cultivation! It was 3 meters tall, extremely muscular, and had a lot of hair on its head.


    As for the two young men who were fighting this monkey, both were at level 39. They were two men who looked terrified, with expressions of those who knew they were going to die.


    Someone couldn''t compare forces with a beast from a step above them! The difference was just too big, and not everyone was as gifted as Minos.


    The two young men were defending themselves as much as they could as they got closer and closer to the cave of Minos while their clothes were torn and many abrasions on their bodies.


    "Ahh! Help us!"


    One of them shouted all his breath when he caught a glimpse of hope when he saw Minos standing in front of the cave entrance.

 Chapter 112: Yellow Monkey

    As soon as Minos had left the cave, he could see a yellow monkey over 3 meters high, beating two young men. It was then that he heard the cry for help from one of them.


    ''Well, this is the first spiritual beast of the 5th stage that I see in this test. It will be a good training...'' Minos, though, as he saw the monkey attacking these two competitors.


    Minos took the sword that was grade-2, low-level, in his spatial ring and soon ran towards the yellow monkey.


    He was not afraid of spiritual beasts because it is stronger physically. That''s because, with his two techniques, attack and support, the only thing that mattered was the opponent''s spiritual level.


    With this, Minos had a significant advantage in fighting with spiritual beasts. The biggest card on the sleeve of this type of individual was his physical strength and not spiritual energy!


    Because of this, this type of individual would be very vulnerable to the restrictive techniques that Minos used!


    Seeing that Minos was willing to help them, the two young men who were trying to escape the yellow monkey hoped to survive this attack. A new glow could be seen in the eyes of these two, who seemed ready to do anything to survive.


    However, while they were trying to catch a breath before finally helping Minos, the young Stuart had already jumped in the direction of the yellow monkey with everything.


    He had a smile on his face, running towards that beast as if he were going to do a hobby or something ordinary, which pleased him greatly.


    "What is he doing? Does he think about fighting alone?" One of them said while looking at Minos''s movement with shock on his face.


    "Hey, this guy must be powerful!" The other exclaimed in joy. After all, it would be great for him to find a strong ally who could not only save their lives but help them with the rest of the exam!


    Devouring Art!


    Indestructible Body!


    Spatial Sword!


    Minos activated all of his battle techniques at once when suddenly the scenery around this part of the forest started to change.


    After a black ring started to spin in the sky, the place got even darker than before.


    However, by forcing the vision, using spiritual energy to stimulate the eyes, it was still possible to see a darkened place like this from a short distance. Even at levels as low as that of the two young men who Minos had saved.


    Zum!


    A buzzing sounded at the scene when Minos'' support technique finally began to absorb the yellow monkey''s spiritual energy slowly.


    And, at the same time, the speed of this spiritual beast had dropped by more than 40%, when Minos finally started to move his sword.


    Swooish!


    Every move that Minos made with his weapon created a blade of air, which went towards different parts of the beast''s body.


    This was a powerful beast, so in order to overcome it, he needed to hurt its a lot, in different parts, on the bridge of its getting more and more tired, just standing up.


    It was challenging to kill an individual so much stronger than yourself in a single blow. So, Minos was attacking its gradually.


    Swooish!


    Grrr!


    The yellow monkey managed to dodge some blades. However, it was still being hit by Minos'' attacks.


    ''Miserable human, I''m going to kill you too!'' It thought about this as it got closer and closer to where Minos was.


    Like all good spiritual beasts, the yellow monkey had excellent senses. For this reason, it knew that Minos was only in the 4th stage of cultivation. And for it, just one punch would be enough to defeat its opponent!


    ''Hehe, you must think that my defense is fragile, huh?'' Minos thought, seeing that the big spiritual beast was trying to approach him.


    Spatial Sword!


    Grr!


    The great monkey was getting closer and closer to Minos, but it also had several wounds on its large body.


    Meanwhile, the young Stuart was attacking and moving, making the situation even more difficult for this spiritual beast.


    ...


    While watching Minos and the yellow monkey fight, the two young men had mouths wide open, while their eyes almost went out of their sockets!


    ''How can this be? How can there be such a monster in this tournament?'' One of them, who had short hair and tanned skin, thought about it when he saw the fight.


    ''Ahh... This must be one of those prodigies that the Flame Empire sects will choose. What jealousy!'' The other young man thought to himself. He had long black hair, pale skin, and brown eyes.


    ...


    Swooish!


    Finally, the last blade hit the big yellow monkey when it finally sent a punch in the direction of Minos!


    ''Die!''


    Upon feeling this, Minos, who still had three more seconds before his defense technique lost its effect, prepared his last attack. He would use the rest of his spiritual energy that he had to finish the enemy.


    Puff!


    The yellow monkey''s punch hit Minos'' shoulder, but almost all of the damage was absorbed by his powerful defense. Even though this beast was in the 5th stage, it had reached that level shortly, so it was not even in the middle part of that stage.


    Thus, the chances of this beast being able to defeat Minos were really slim!


    The attack of that beast still managed to push the young Stuart back two steps, while he prepared to counterattack.


    Swooish!


    Just a thousandth of a second after hitting Minos on the shoulder, suddenly, the arm opposite the shoulder that was hit made an upward movement, coming quickly from side to side, until his sword cut into the throat of the yellow monkey!


    Grr!


    The great monkey uttered a sound of final despair when it finally felt that the enemy''s sword had pierced its neck.


    The blood began to gush quickly as its vision slowly darkened.


    The big beast began to lose all senses when it knelt on the ground and then fell face down, under Minos'' feet.


    Someone could see a pool of blood rapidly forming in that place, while the face of the beast still showed the expression of terror that this monkey had on its face, just before it died.


    "Amazing! I''ve never seen anyone with such a good defense before!" The young man with the long hair said with a smile on his face. He was still shocked by Minos'' strength, but he was much happier than the danger of the beast had passed!


    "And his attack is just as strong! I wonder where he comes..." The other said to his ally in a low voice, trying not to get Minos''s attention.


    They had brought up the problem and had still been saved by that person. Because of this, the two felt a little embarrassed at that moment.


    Meanwhile, Minos immediately checked the surroundings and saw if other spiritual beasts were not around this place.


    But there seemed to be no one else around here.


    Minos then looked at the beast''s body and then placed it in his spatial ring.


    He would use it as evidence for this exam. And as for the blood left on the floor, he immediately burned it since he did not want to bring any more problems to this place.


    The blood of a 5th stage spiritual beast was a necessary resource for other, lower-ranking beasts. So, if Minos didn''t want to be bothered by other 4th stage beasts, he had to eliminate that blood left behind.


    Soon after, he headed towards the entrance to the cave, where the two young men were. "You two better get in. We''ll get less attention in there."


    "Hmm."


    "Thank you for saving us, if it weren''t for you..." One of them said while letting out a long breath. It was truly complicated to see death as closely as these two had seen today.


    This was the kind of situation that would make anyone rethink their decisions.


    At least, that was what happened the first time each person was going through a near-death situation.


    After that... Although it doesn''t become comfortable with the experience, almost everything gets easier...


    Upon arriving at the inner part of the cave, there were some illuminated places, since Minos had placed some lighting arrays in this place.


    After that, each of them sat in a corner, when finally the two young men introduced themselves to Minos, after some time.


    The young man with long hair was the first when he said in a resolute voice. "Thank you for saving my life. I, Maxwell Meyer, will be forever grateful to you."


    After that, the other young man also said something similar. "Me too. If you ever needed help, you can count on me. You can call me Peter."


    Minos then smiled and said while nodding his head. "Hmm, nice to meet you. I am Minos."


    "You two should recover as soon as possible. We can talk after that." Minos also didn''t want to be making small talk right now. He was almost out of spiritual energy, so he wanted to start cultivating as soon as possible.


    And on hearing Minos'' suggestion, the two young men immediately agreed, starting to use their recovery pills and then focusing their time cultivating and absorbing the energy from these items.


    They were severely injured, so their recovery had to start as soon as possible.


    Otherwise, they would not only miss the exam, but they could also lose their own lives in the next few days. After all, they could be attacked by other spiritual beasts at any time!


    After that, time passed very quickly, and the night gave way to sunlight, which could already be seen in the sky for a long time, while the group that was in the cave was resting before finally being able to continue with the second day of this test.

 Chapter 113: Breakthrough

    When the day had wholly dawned, the group that was resting inside the cave was already awake and cultivating.


    The young Peter and Maxwell had been badly injured the night before. Even after the pills and cultivation, the two were still very weak. After all, even with the spiritual energy that they had, they would need at least 2 or 3 days to recover fully.


    On the other hand, after cultivating for a few minutes the night before, Minos was already fully recovered from the energy expenditure he has had to fight with the yellow monkey.


    That morning, while the three were having breakfast, Minos found out a little about the past of the two young men he had saved. Maxwell was a member of a noble family in the Snow Kingdom, a region east of the Kingdom of the Waves.


    As for the young Peter, he was an ordinary person, who had cultivated on his own in his region, in the Kingdom of the Waves, and came to test his skill at the Spiritual Tournament.


    For reasons that Minos did not know, Peter had not joined any noble family in his region, even after discovering his Black talent.


    After having breakfast, Minos then decided to make his move, trying to lure Peter to the Black Plain.


    The young Stuart''s forces did not have many members with such talent. In fact, there were only three people like that, who were the two young men, Lee and Alison, and the butler Dillian. So, Minos had to take the chance to recruit anyone with Black talent who seemed willing to listen to his offer.


    "Peter, you said you were going to help me if I needed to, right?" He asked mysteriously.


    Upon hearing this, the short-haired young man raised his head and said in a resolute voice. "Yes, as long as it is within my capabilities."


    Then Minos said with an expressionless face. "Hmm, you said you didn''t join any noble family in your kingdom. Why don''t you join my forces?"


    "Ehh?" Maxwell almost spit out his drink when he heard Minos''s offer. He had spoken commonly as if to say, ''the coffee is over.''


    So, Maxwell found it a little strange that Minos was trying to get a subordinate. There was no subtlety. He went straight to the point at once...


    "But you don''t know anything about my past, aren''t you afraid of the problems you might have for that?" Peter said with confusion. It would be a great favor for him to join a large family. He just had no luck...


    Anyway, entering the power that had prepared a monster like Minos seemed attractive even to young Maxwell, let alone Peter.


    And, of course, they didn''t know that the force behind Minos was the Black Plain...


    "It doesn''t matter, as long as your problems don''t come to us in a short time, then everything can be solved. But think about it calmly. There are still many days of Spiritual Tournament."


    After saying this, the three finished eating and then cleaned up the cave before finally leaving this place.


    Today, they would continue their journey to the center of this forest, where Minos would hunt the young Leroy.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in Capital City, many people accompanied the recent events and even discussed what had happened the day before.


    Many battles had been captured by the surveillance headquarters in that forest, transmitting these images to the audience in the place where the competitors had traveled to the second test area.


    "Dude, you needed to see Miss Kara''s performance yesterday. She killed a 5th stage spiritual beast on her own!" A young man said to a friend who was at his side.


    "Hmm, I heard that. But although this is very good, it cannot be compared to what Minos did. He is only a Spiritual Warrior, but even so, he can also kill a 5th stage beast!"


    "Are you serious? I heard this rumor, but I didn''t believe it. I can only believe in something like that when I see it with my own eyes!"


    "Hahaha, I understand you. I didn''t believe it myself when I watched the fight!" The young man''s friend said out loud.


    Meanwhile, many other people commented on the performances of the best participants so far.


    The main one was the young Troy, who had fought and won, against two spiritual beasts of the 5th stage of cultivation yesterday!


    He had the most significant cultivation and was also considered to be the most talented of the entire group. And even if there were others with Silver talent, those others were still months younger than him, which was giving Troy the overall advantage.


    As for the partnership between Leroy and Davy, the two kept a low profile while fighting only with beasts from the 4th stage. But this was nothing done on purpose. It was just that, like Minos, the two had been teleported to one of the bordering regions of that forest.


    Therefore, the two had not faced any powerful beast. The same would have happened with Minos had it not been for the sudden appearance of Maxwell and Peter!


    ...


    While the competition was taking place in the forest where Minos was, in the Flaming Empire, there was a piece of land with a few square kilometers of area in the City of Clouds.


    There was a young woman with brown hair and eyes, drinking tea outside her home in a house in the quieter area.


    In this place, there was a garden with many flowers, a white table with four seats, and a magnificent view of the city, which was not far away.


    And this woman who was drinking tea in that place was Maisie Coleman, the mother of the young Stuart. She had just finished cultivating when she received the news that her father was coming here to visit her.


    And as it was nothing unusual to happen, she had decided to wait for him in this place. ''At this moment, little Minos must be participating in the Spiritual Tournament... I wonder how he will do.''


    ''I hope Ruth will return as soon as possible to tell me about her time with him...''


    After that, an old man, with white hair and beard, arrived at the place where she was, with a smile on his face.


    She then asked while finding her father''s expression curious. He seemed very happy with something. "Did something happen to you? Why are you smiling?"


    The old man then laughed and said. "I met a person..."


    ...


    Time quickly passed, and Minos and his group were closer to the central part of the forest. They had fought against some 4th stage beasts and a single one that was already in the 5th.


    Other than that, the only surprise was that Minos and his group came across Abby. But she had already formed her own group and did not want to have to stand by the young Stuart right now.


    The poor girl could not look at him the same way after the previous flirting.


    Because of this, the two groups went in different directions after talking for a while. Minos was not bothered by Abby''s reaction, as he already expected something like this.


    However, the most important thing was that one of the people in Abby''s group had spotted the young Leroy the day before!


    With that, from what Minos had heard, it seems that his theory was, in fact, right. Leroy was going straight to the central region of the forest, where this examination was being carried out.


    And it wasn''t long before Minos, and his two companions found a place to spend the night. This time they found no geological structure that was suitable for them to rest, so they decided to camp near an outdoor stream.


    They decided to divide the shift between them, in which someone would be on the lookout, while the other two could cultivate or rest.


    ...


    Right now, the young Maxwell was watching the surroundings while Peter was sleeping.


    On the other hand, Minos was sitting in a meditative position while his cultivation technique, Solar God Breath, was circulating.


    There were many low-grade spiritual crystals next to Minos when his energy was increasingly at the limit of level 38!


    ''Oh? It looks like I''m going to go a few hours ahead of schedule! ''He celebrated in his mind.


    Crack!


    Suddenly a tiny sound was heard, coming from the direction where Minos was sitting on the floor. The sound was low, but Maxwell was still able to hear. After all, they were in the middle of a forest, and silence was almost always prevalent.


    ''He managed to advance during the competition! This is really good.'' Maxwell silently applauded Minos''s achievement.


    At this point, Minos'' energy had finally crossed the threshold of the previous level, and he was now at level 39!


    ''Hehe, just a little bit, and I''ll be able to reach level 40!''


    Minos was very anxious to get to the 5th stage from this point on.


    He would probe his surroundings much more easily. This was indeed a big differentiator, which could even improve the cultivator''s fighting performance.


    But not only that, at each stage of cultivation, Minos'' techniques would become even more potent, and he could still add one more of its to his repertoire!


    ''With my current speed, I will only be able to reach level 40 when I return to the Black Plain...'' Minos thought about that when looking at the starry sky of this forest where they were.


    ...


    Soon another day had passed when Minos and his two allies were getting closer and closer to Leroy''s trail.


    Minos'' group had already realized that their target had an ally, and those two had already discovered that they were being pursued. With that, they were already preparing to fight!

 Chapter 114: Lunatic

    While resting by a large tree in the middle of the forest, Minos and his two allies were standing, drinking water and eating fruits.


    At this point, Peter decided questions about this enemy that Minos was chasing. "Minos, why are you still looking for that person? So far, you haven''t said anything to us."


    Upon hearing this, Maxwell lifted his head and looked away from Minos. He was also curious about the young Stuart''s dispute with Leroy.


    Minos then looked in the opposite direction to the two young men and said. "He wanted to profane my partner. Consequently, I cannot allow him to live!"


    Upon hearing this, the two young men understood why Minos was going so far following this enemy. But it was not an uncommon thing. After all, there were many people like Leroy in this world, they were arrogant, who thought they were the owners of the world...


    After that, the three rested for a few minutes and then followed their pursuit.


    On the way, the three would typically talk as if they were strolling in the middle of a walk.


    "Minos, you should visit my family in the Snow Kingdom, there you will find the largest concentration of beast tamer in the North of the Central Continent." The young Maxwell said proudly.


    And indeed, the Snow Kingdom was notorious in this region for the trade of spiritual beasts. This kingdom was geographically closer to Elf Island and, because of that, had a very diverse nature.


    Despite having the name ''snow,'' this realm wasn''t quite as arctic as someone might think. There were places close to the coast, which had a temperate climate, and even there was a savannah, close to the border with the Kingdom of the End.


    Because of these geographical characteristics, the Snow Kingdom had an abundant amount of land that was not inhabited by humans but by spiritual beasts!


    Because of this, after hundreds of thousands of years, that kingdom ended up specializing in the taming of spiritual beasts. For this reason, they became known as the best place in the North of the Central Continent to buy low-ranking beasts, such as those used in transport and human food.


    Minos nodded in agreement and said. "Hmm, I will definitely be going there in the future."


    ...


    Some time passed, and finally, Minos and Leroy were about to meet in this forest!


    Minos and his two companions had covered the remaining distance to Leroy and Davy. They had recently stopped by a small lake.


    At this point, the group of three young men was sneaking up closer to the site to see what was going on here.


    When finally, one of them saw two young men standing while they seemed to be resting in this place.


    ...


    A few minutes earlier, Leroy and Davy had decided to stop at this location since the two of them had already realized that they were being chased. They were not meant to set a trap or anything like that.


    It was just that it was very irritating to be chased continuously!


    But since both young men were already Spiritual Generals, they could easily feel the energy of these persecutors. So, they knew there were three people, and they were all only at level 39...


    "Leroy, do you have any other enemies that would chase you like that?" Davy asked curiously. He did not care for these people since the difference to his level was very big!


    "No, the only person who has a disagreement with me in this competition is the one from Minos. But he is only at level 37." Leroy said without worry.


    He also didn''t give a damn about these three poor wretches.


    If they wanted to die coming to disturb him, then he wouldn''t mind doing that favor!


    ''Shit! Where is this Minos? We''ve been looking for him all this time, but it''s like he''s gone. Nobody we talked to seemed to know about him!'' Leroy thought about it angrily...


    Davy then said as he yawned. "Haa... Well, let''s wait and see what these guys want..."


    The path of these two had been very calm. It had been almost four days since the start of the test, but only a beast from the beginning of the 5th stage had attacked them.


    However, for two cultivators like them, dealing with such a beast was just a bit of work.


    Therefore, the two had not had any great emotion in this time of trial.


    ...


    Finally, Minos saw the face of the person who had run away from him earlier.


    The bastard was sitting on a rock, as if he were doing nothing better, with a carefree expression on his face.


    ''Eh? Didn''t this guy recognize me?'' Minos thought when he saw Leroy''s calm. ''Well, it''s only been two months since we met. He must think that I wouldn''t be able to reach level 39 in such a short time... ''


    After thinking about it, Minos called the two companions who were with him and said in a low voice. "I think you two shouldn''t get involved in this fight. Otherwise, it can harm you a little."


    Maxwell then frowned and asked. "Are you going to kill that person?"


    "Hmm."


    "But there are two cultivators on the other side. Do you intend to fight alone?" Shortly after hearing Minos''s dry response, Peter asked in concern.


    He did not want the person who had saved his life to fighting alone, even more so when there was a difference in numbers.


    "Don''t worry. I can handle this."


    After saying those last words, Minos finally started walking towards the area where Leroy and Davy were standing. As for the two young men, Maxwell and Peter, they stopped for a moment and then followed in the young Stuart''s footsteps.


    They would at least stand by the side of the fight, so if there were a need, they would intervene and help Minos.


    ...


    ''Oh? It seems that they finally decided to come...'' Davy thought about it, feeling the group of Minos quickly approaching him and Leroy.


    And seconds later, the figure of Minos came out from behind a tree and finally he was seen by the two young men who were standing by the small lake.


    Seeing this, both Davy and Leroy were surprised. However, they had very different reasons for that...


    While Davy thought about how Minos looked like the target they were hunting, Leroy was already starting to turn pale with fear!


    He couldn''t believe that Minos had increased two levels in just two months!


    ''Shit! If I had known it was him, I would have set a trap here! It wasn''t supposed to be like this!'' He thought about it while putting himself in a defensive position.


    Seeing the reaction of surprise on the faces of the two young men, Minos remained expressionless, standing in the same spot where he had arrived.


    He was dressed in all black clothing, and his level-2, low-grade spiritual sword was already in his right hand.


    When looking at Minos, any of the three young people who did not know all the details of the grudge between him and Leroy could feel the intense intent signs that the young Stuart was issuing.


    He then said when he looked at Davy for a moment and then focused on his vision and Leroy. "I don''t know why you are with this scum, but if you get involved in this fight, don''t blame me for the consequences that will be."


    Upon hearing this, Davy frowned steadily and stared at Minos for a moment. ''Oh! He has a lot of courage to threaten someone stronger than him!''


    The young Davy was unaware of Minos'' strength. After all, Leroy wanted to use him as a sacrifice so that he would erode young Stuart''s strength so that he would have a chance to kill Minos!


    As far as Davy knew, Minos was a person who used external means to fight, as help from other people, traps, etc...


    Davy then said irritably. "So, are you threatening me? A man who hides behind a woman dares to say that... You are truly a lunatic!"


    ''Do he hide behind women?'' The two young men thought about what they had just heard. They then thought. ''How absurd, Minos is a real monster, it seems...''


    At the same time, Minos had finally understood the situation. It looked like Leroy was using this young man. ''Indeed, a worm that must die!''


    ''A scum will always be a scum...'' Minos sighed as he thought about Leroy''s actions.


    The guy really had a twisted mind and was willing to sacrifice people who had nothing to do with his problems!


    "Ehh, I think I understand. Leroy is using you to fight me. I will settle my affairs with this worm, but if you try something, you will still receive severe punishment, even if I don''t kill you." Minos said this calmly as if he were the only person in this place who had the power to say these things.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the square where the Spiritual Tournament was located, many people saw the situation increasingly tense between the group of Minos and Leroy.


    They didn''t have the audio from the venue, so they didn''t know exactly what was going on, but there seemed to be a grudge between the two groups.


    "Hey! Look at that. It looks like the Minos group is going to fight those two young men!" One person said surprisingly.


    Many of these people already knew the name of Minos since he was able to kill 5th stage spiritual beasts, even when fighting alone. Thus, his name had already spread to a large part of the audience of this competition.

 Chapter 115: The Law of the Jungle

    And after a short time, many people were already paying attention to the screen that Minos and Leroy''s groups were appearing.


    "Hehe, there haven''t been many fights between competitors so far, especially with people so strong!" A middle-aged man says that while laughing happily.


    Watching this tournament was very interesting, but many of the participants were still very weak in this part of the competition. Things generally only became interesting after the third test.


    Because of that, many who were here watching this event were very anxious to see that a fight between some of the strongest competitors could end up happening!


    "I wonder who will win..." Many people had this same question in mind.


    And while people were discussing the likely fight, Ruth was not in this place. She had no time to waste watching this tournament. After all, she knew Minos very well and knew that he would have no problem with this exam.


    So, she decided to concentrate on training her techniques and cultivate this week.


    ...


    While people were excited about what might happen in the forest, where the second test was taking place, Davy was facing Minos steadily, preparing to activate his techniques at any moment.


    He grew increasingly irritated by Minos'' authoritarian behavior and was almost jumping to attack him. He just didn''t do it because he wanted to see what kind of dirty trick the young Stuart intended to use.


    After all, it was not easy to defeat people so much stronger than yourself, like what Minos was trying to do.


    On the side of Leroy, the young man from the Chambers family was starting to sweat cold when he saw that his ''ally'' was waiting for something.


    ''Shit! Do something! Otherwise, I will be dead!'' He cursed the young Davy.


    Minos then began to advance slowly forward, gradually approaching where Leroy was. He carried his sword in his right hand and had an expressionless face. This could give a frightening impression to anyone who saw it.


    Minos then activated his defense and support techniques simultaneously, continuing on his way.


    Devouring Art!


    Indestructible Body!


    Suddenly the scene of the place started to get darker, while a black fog appeared in the sky, little by little, taking the form of a big ring, 100 meters in diameter.


    Zuum!


    At the same time, this ring began to spin, making a continuous humming noise.


    Meanwhile, Leroy and Davy began to feel their spiritual energies start to wane. At the same time, the young man in the Chambers family was the most affected, as he was at a lower level.


    ''Shit! But what kind of monster did I piss off?'' Leroy started to lament in his mind, activating his defense and movement techniques so he could get away.


    On Davy''s side, he was utterly shocked by the technique that Minos had activated. He had almost three times more spiritual energy than Minos, but still, his body could not cancel the enemy''s technique!


    ''Ehh?''


    Spatial Sword!


    Seeing that Leroy was going to escape, Minos quickly activated his attack technique.


    In doing so, immediately, the surroundings of Minos froze as if time was standing still.


    As for Leroy, this time, he was feeling even heavier than the last, and he was moving very slowly right now!


    After all, Minos had increased his cultivation by a large margin and therefore had left his most effective techniques against someone at level 42, like Leroy.


    And, at the same time, when the two young men felt their bodies getting heavier, Minos began to make his movements, sending some blades of air in the direction of Leroy.


    Swooish!


    In less than a fraction of a second, the blades started to run towards Leroy''s body. In contrast, this young man started using everything he had to defend himself.


    Green Shield!


    ''Shit, I won''t be able to dodge!''


    Seeing this, Davy started to feel an increasingly intense bad feeling when he activated his techniques to help his ''companion.''


    ''How can this be possible?'' Suddenly Davy felt that even when he activated his moving technique, he was still unable to reach Leroy before Minos'' attack.


    Crash!


    At this point, the shield that looked like a piece of wood, which was the spiritual shield that Leroy used as a support for his technique, suddenly received one of the blades sent by Minos, as cracks began to appear in this item.


    Boom!


    Almost instantly, after being hit by another blade, the shield exploded right in front of Leroy, sending a wave of spiritual energy and its components all over that place!


    "Ahhh!"


    The young Leroy screamed desperately, feeling some cuts on his body, along with some of the components of the shield, which had also wounded him.


    When a spiritual weapon exploded, there was no way to defend! Even more when it was a shield! People usually used this item to protect themselves, so they let their guard down for this type of situation...


    Leroy then staggered backward. At the same time, Davy had finally managed to get to his side.


    "If you are going to continue with this, I will also fight!" He said in a resolute voice.


    Although there were some problems with Leroy''s information, he still thought Minos was a despicable person, just as he had heard...


    So Davy wanted to help his ''ally''!


    "Ehh... Well, don''t regret it later!" The young Stuart said confidently as he started to run towards the two young men.


    Now he would go with everything!


    Before, he wanted to give a reason for this other guy not to fight by showing his strength. But since Davy hadn''t done it, Minos didn''t need to keep spending his time on it!


    Spatial Sword!


    Immediately after that, the young Stuart started to move around where they were while sending long-range blows in the direction of Leroy.


    He would not fight face to face with these two since Minos'' techniques were really useful in long-range fights against opponents of a higher level than his!


    And with that, the young Stuart made horizontal, diagonal, and vertical movements, releasing blades of air less than 50 centimeters in length and sending them towards those of his target.


    Various movements were sent to the bodies of Leroy and Davy, exhibiting tremendous strength, which could kill someone at level 41 with a single blade!


    Swooish!


    Earth Wall!


    Suddenly, the land around Davy began to join the spiritual power released by the young man, forming a wall more than a foot thick in front of the two youths.


    Leroy no longer had his shield and was severely weakened. So, if Davy fell, then that would be the end of him!


    ...


    Meanwhile, thousands of people watched the fight that was taking place in that forest through the screens in the square in Capital City, where the event was being broadcast.


    "Damn! I never thought that Minos was so dominating!"


    "Hmm, he''s continually pressuring those two youths..."


    "I just wonder what happened... It seems to be nothing simple!"


    While the crowd was arguing, the woman responsible for this part of the Spiritual Tournament was also looking at this fight.


    She then murmured in a low voice. "This boy, ehh, Minos, is truly impressive. He will probably be in the top 5..."


    ...


    Maxwell and Peter were watching Minos and Davy''s intense struggle inside the forest, admiring their savior''s impressive fighting prowess.


    "It looks like this Davy won''t be able to take it anymore..." Peter said, after letting out a sigh of pity. Even if Minos decided to spare him, Davy would still lose a lot because of this fight.


    That''s because, at this point, he had only one arm left on his body!


    But worst of all, Davy was just a victim of Leroy, so Peter felt sorry for this guy. However, there was nothing to do. This was the cruel reality of the Spiritual World. If a cultivator becomes the victim of someone else''s actions, he could only regret to himself...


    "Ahhhh!"


    Davy was injured entirely, to the point that he barely looked human. There were open wounds at the chest level, while his face was as white as a sheet of paper due to severe blood loss.


    There were traces of blood coming out of Davy''s mouth and ears, while several purple stains could be seen through this young man''s torn clothes.


    Boom!


    Suddenly Davy''s last defenses crumbled as the young man slowly fell to the floor.


    Minos'' technique hadn''t hit him. It just passed out, just when his defense collapsed!


    ''Finally,'' The young Stuart thought about it when he saw Davy''s unconscious body collapse on the floor.


    He then looked at Leroy, who was extremely injured and pale.


    The young man then tried to appeal for his life, using his family as a shield. "Minos, you can''t kill me! I am an important member of the Chambers family! If something happens to me, you..."


    Swooish!


    However, before he finished his threat, Minos'' sword quickly cut into Leroy''s neck!


    This happened so fast that the young Leroy was still trying to appeal for his life when his head started to turn to the side while falling to the ground.


    Someone could see his confused look at the time of his death. Leroy couldn''t believe that Minos would kill him, even after he quoted the family behind him!


    ...


    Outside the forest, in the square where the event was being shown, in the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom, when the people who were watching this fight saw what had just happened, everyone was shocked by the turn of events.


    They''ve seen a bit of everything in the past few days. Still, even though some of the competitors have died, none of them have fallen into the hands of another participant!


    As for the other fights between participants in the Spiritual Tournament, all of them had ended with one side surrendering and delivering their items. Nobody dared to kill one of these young prodigies, who mostly had prominent families behind them!


    "He really killed that boy..." A young woman said in disbelief.


    "Hmm, these two certainly had a deep grudge!" A middle-aged man said loudly.


    Most of them did not disapprove of Minos'' action. It was much better to kill an enemy than to let him live to cause trouble at another time!


    Human beings were complicated creatures to change, so it would be silly to think of second chances in the Spiritual World.


    That was the law of the jungle, the law that governed the world of the strong.

 Chapter 116: The End of the Second Test

    Among all these people, some felt sorry for Leroy. After all, he was someone talented and had a good chance of entering one of the sects of the Flaming Empire.


    For these people, what had happened to Leroy was a tremendous waste!


    Other people didn''t give a damn about it. If he couldn''t survive in that forest, it meant that he wasn''t prepared to survive outside it too!


    However, there was someone who had a completely different thought on this subject.


    That was Leroy''s bodyguard, Jeff.


    At this point, the man was completely pale!


    Seeing that Minos had gone after his young master... He still hoped that the other young man, Davy, would contribute to Minos'' death...


    But the reality was cruel. Not only was Minos not dead, but Davy lost an arm, and Leroy was beheaded!


    ''Shit! Damn you, Minos!'' He began to curse the young Stuart and all his ancestors while feeling a chill down his spine. ''Shit, I have to get away immediately! If the Chambers family knows that he died because I gave him bad advice...''


    Bodyguard Jeff had seen Minos'' sword. So, the Chambers family would undoubtedly try to blame someone, but Minos was a monster that would probably go to the Flaming Empire...


    That way, only the weakest link remained, poor bodyguard Jeff...


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the forest where the second exam of the Spiritual Tournament was taking place, Maxwell and Peter saw that the fight was over. The two then went to Minos and asked. "Minos, what do you intend to do now?"


    "We will continue the exam as normal."


    "And what are you going to do with this other guy?" Peter asked as he pointed at Davy''s unconscious body.


    "We will stay here until he wakes up. I already cut off one of his arms, so he already received the punishment for not listening to my warnings. But I am not going to let him die to some spiritual beast because he was unconscious."


    "Hmm."


    The two young men agreed with what Minos had said. There really wasn''t a deadly grudge between him and Davy. The young man was just too naive and had been manipulated by Leroy.


    But Minos'' two teammates were truly alerted to Davy''s case. By a stupid mistake, one of the most talented young people in the North of the Central Continent had now lost an arm, and maybe he would never recover from that event...


    None of the three knew, but Davy had a Silver talent... But despite that, it would be much more difficult for him to be able to continue in the Spiritual Tournament after losing his arm.


    First, he would lose a significant fighting proficiency. Second, he might not be able to participate in the third test of the competition!


    That way, Davy might as well not be able to reach level 70 during his life, which would give him very little chance of recovering his lost limb!


    ...


    Time passed quickly, and an entire day had passed since Leroy''s death.


    At that point, they had only two more days to finish the exam, when they could finally return to the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom.


    In the meantime, Minos and the other two young men had stayed at this place, close to the lake where the fight had taken place. The two young men helped Davy with first aid, helping him recover from the previous battle.


    And after several hours, Davy was finally awake, while he was extremely weak and pale. After waking up, he quickly took several spiritual pills to recover the damage he had suffered and the energy expenditure during that fight.


    After a while in that place, Minos finally decided to leave. He had already stayed longer than he wanted in this place, and he didn''t care what happened to Davy after that.


    However, as he left, Davy leaned over where he was lying and suddenly asked in a hoarse voice. "Aren''t you going to kill me?"


    "No. You are not my enemy."


    "No? And why did you cut my arm?" He asked as he gritted his teeth in anger.


    Minos then laughed but did not answer Davy''s question. He had cut Davy''s arm because this man was defending Leroy, getting in the way of the attacks launched by the young Stuart!


    Minos then asked. "Let me ask you something. What had that guy promised to you? You seemed very committed to helping him..."


    Davy then said with a complicated look on his face. "Leroy said that you had two grade-2, low-grade weapons."


    Davy wanted to combine the useful with the pleasant. He had been raised in one of those families that ''preach for justice,'' so he had an intrusive personality that made him try to solve the problems of others...


    With that, Davy wanted to teach Minos a lesson and still earn a high-level reward for it...


    "Hmm, I figured he would say something like that." Minos said as he had an expressionless face. "I know it makes no difference to say that now, but even if I had two weapons of this level, unfortunately, I don''t have, Leroy never saw anything but my sword."


    "That..."


    "I say goodbye now. Be careful in the future. If you don''t mature quickly, sooner or later, the next one who manipulates you may end up leading you to death..." Minos said that before moving on, quickly disappearing from Davy''s sight.


    At the same time, Davy tried to remember everything that had happened. If what Minos said was true, the person who had put him in this situation was Leroy the entire time...


    ''Fuck!''


    ...


    Time passed, and it was finally time for the second exam of the Spiritual Tournament to end!


    In front of the big screens that broadcast the recent events to the population in Capital City, thousands of people were waiting for the competitors to return.


    These people were very excited since, in 3 days from today, the next test would begin!


    This was one of the most awaited exams by the population that had come to accompany this competition. In addition to wars, there were no other occasions when someone could watch a fight in the Battle Royale format!


    Such fights were very popular in competitions like this and made the blood of thousands of people boil!


    And not only that, due to a large number of participants, there were 32 Battle Royale fights, which took place in 8 straight days!


    That way, these people could expect this incredible event 32 times in just over a week. This was one of the best entertainments for much of the population who had come to the Cromwell Kingdom!


    After all, what fan would not like to be able to follow something he likes the longest?


    After those eight days, the remaining competitors would have a week of rest until the last part of the competition was started.


    In this last exam, there would be 32 fights in total, which would also happen in 8 straight days, in which the final ranking would be defined!


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the forest of the second exam, all of the remaining contestants suddenly felt the space around them float. At the same time, a great deal of spiritual energy enveloped them.


    Zum!


    The competitors'' places suddenly started to glow softly when the space around the participants vibrated quickly, teleporting them all back to the square from which they had started.


    Upon reappearing in that place, many people began to look at each other and smile, while even larger groups had disappointed eyes on their faces.


    Many people have seen their friends or temporary allies die within that forest, for spiritual beasts of the most varied types. And even those who did not go through this bad experience, several of them had not been able to kill three beasts of at least the 4th stage!


    With that, even if they had survived, the competition ended here for many of them.


    And it was not long before several examiners came to the groups of competitors to collect the necessary evidence to ensure who had passed the test or not.


    ...


    Sometime later, all the contestants had already been called. Still, of the thousands of contestants, only about 4,000 of them had managed to fulfill the requirement of the second race.


    Among the competitors who had moved on to the next phase, in addition to Minos and the young people who allied with him during this period, there were also others known.


    To begin with, the young Troy had passed the exam easily, while others like Luke, Abby, Mona teamed up with others within their strength range and were able to pass the exam without much difficulty.


    The young Davy had also met the minimum requirement, as he had already obtained the three beasts before the fight with Minos. And in fact, all those competitors above level 40, who survived, had made it through.


    After all, it was not difficult for someone in the 5th stage of cultivation to deal with a 4th stage spiritual beast!


    And just after securing their places in the next part of the exam, the contestants finally returned to their groups.


    Then they found out what had happened during these seven days that had passed!

 Chapter 117: The Third Test (*)

    Mona and Abby were happy to return from this survival test successfully. They had not seen each other during that time, so they immediately started talking about what had happened in that place during the exam.


    Meanwhile, the two of them were heading towards where their bodyguards were waiting for them with smiles on their faces. When they finally got close, the guard Eda smiled and said. "Congratulations on reaching the third test, Miss Abby and Mona!"


    At the same time, Russ also nodded in agreement. It was perfect for the Miller family for these two young women to move forward and, more importantly, for them to return alive.


    Mona was not bothered by any formality and soon asked in curiosity. "Did you watch the other competitors? How were the best candidates?"


    She, of course, was not curious to know how amazing the other participants were, but rather, because she was at level 41, a strength that few participants had!


    So, Mona wanted to know how her competitors had fared in the past. Even though she couldn''t make it into the top 3, she could certainly strive to reach the top 10!


    So, knowing about her competitors was the best way for people like her to prepare!


    "This..." When he was about to say, Guard Russ blew out a deep breath and then continued. "Miss Abby''s friend seems to have stood out the most..."


    Upon hearing this, they were both surprised by this. They couldn''t believe it!


    After all, even though Minos was one of those monsters that could fight against higher-level cultivators, there were people at level 43 in this competition, and even one individual had already reached level 44!


    So, they didn''t understand how Minos could steal the attention of these geniuses!


    Abby then asked curiously. "And what did he do to get so much attention?"


    "Ehh..." Eda closed her eyes for a second and then continued to speak as she remembered the events. "In the final half of the test, Minos crippled a level 43 competitor and killed another level 42..."


    She then narrated the facts that happened, including the beasts of the 5th stage of cultivation that had fallen at the hands of Minos. The young Stuart had really put on a good show for the audience who watched this event...


    And when the two girls heard this, they couldn''t help but open their mouths in absolute shock. If it weren''t for Russ and Eda, who was telling them what happened, neither of them would believe such a story.


    This was simply the most absurd thing they had ever heard!


    And while the two young ladies from the Miller family were dazzled by Minos'' achievements, several other competitors found out about these facts through their respective traveling companions.


    Even the young Troy had been curious about Minos, who seemed to be his only opponent in this edition of the Spiritual Tournament.


    ''Interesting...''


    ...


    At the same time, Minos and Ruth had already met again after the second test was over. The beautiful young woman with black hair was already waiting for him in the same place where they had said goodbye, while she had a satisfied smile on her face.


    "You have reached level 39, congratulations. At this rate, it won''t be long before you beat me!" She said with a beautiful smile on her face.


    Minos nodded and then gave her a quick kiss.


    He was tired of those exam days, so he wanted to return to the hotel to rest as soon as possible. He also had to satisfy his physical ''needs'' with Ruth, so there was no reason for them to be talking in this square.


    And with that, they soon moved to the hotel where they were staying, in the central area of ??Capital City.


    ...


    Upon arriving in his room, Minos immediately went to the shower to take his first hot bath after that week in that forest. And although he could use his own spiritual energy to cleanse himself, that was the kind of thing that met his needs, but he didn''t like it.


    Taking a good hot shower was something that Minos valued and always did. That was a way to relax, without any problem disturbing him...


    And it wasn''t long before he was finished and went straight to bed, where Ruth was lying, with no pieces on her body!


    She was lying on her belly while her breasts tightened on the bed''s mattress, and her beautiful legs were exposed for Minos to see.


    Her fair hair was loose and went up to the young woman''s waist, which looked extremely inviting to the young Stuart.


    Seeing this, Minos smiled and turned around until he came up behind her.


    From there, he had a clear view of the white cheeks on Ruth''s ass, in which a pink slit could be seen between the young woman''s legs.


    She was shining as if she was wishing for what was to come, so she was already properly "greased" to receive the stick of Minos...


    ''Hehe, this is what I needed...'' Minos thought to himself while leaving all his other thoughts aside.


    After that, he threw himself on the bed and started to unload all his desires on the girl, making her climax twice, even before they started the most interesting part of their activity!


    "Mmm ~ Please stick it in me ~"


    Ruth said in a seductive voice as she spread her legs and showed Minos her little sister. She had cloudy eyes, her face flushed, as she looked longingly into the young Stuart''s eyes.


    By this time, his little sister was already very lubricated and was even pulsing with desire for the rod of Minos, which was as firm as a stone at this moment.


    The days away from each other had truly ignited the burning flames of Ruth, who was only thinking about pleasure right now.


    Upon hearing Ruth''s lustful desire, Minos did not wait any longer, and soon he continued his ''fun,'' taking her to greater heights...


    "Ahhh ~ Faster ~ Deeper ~"


    ...


    After spending several hours having fun, Minos and Ruth had a few hours of peaceful sleep before they finally woke up and left to go and train at the Cultivation Tower in the capital of the Kingdom of Cromwell.


    The two planned to do this for the next few days until the next test began. And although there was not much room for improvement for Minos, his purpose was to cultivate and become stronger, not to participate in competitions. But to reach a level where he was strong enough to guaranteed freedom.


    So, even if he weren''t going to get stronger in those remaining days, he would continue to train hard. The Spiritual Tournament was just a complementary thing for Minos. He didn''t even call the first position. The only thing that mattered was the contacts he made.


    And just in that time when he was in Capital City, even though he was not going to waste his time chatting with strangers, he had met many people around here.


    As was the case with youths Maxwell, Peter, Davy, Ford, Kara, and many others that he encountered during the second exam. He had already met people from all the northern kingdoms of the Central Continent with that!


    He had also met a guy named Todd Cohen, the grandson of the Kingdom of the Waves merchant that Minos had met. When he met this young man, Minos and his group were returning from the attack on Leroy when they saved Todd from a group of beasts.


    And on hearing his surname, Minos connected the dots and discovered that Todd was a descendant of Lance.


    Anyway, Minos had met a lot of people in this period. He just wanted to stay in the tournament so that he could continue fighting opponents of the same generation as him as a form of training.


    ...


    With that, time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was time for the third test of the Spiritual Tournament to begin!


    The 4,000 participants who had remained in the competition would start their 32 fights, in the Battle Royale format, with 125 participants fighting simultaneously in each group!


    In each of the fights, only the person left standing would be the winner, who could move on to the final part of the Spiritual Tournament.


    This could also be considered the maximum glory for many of these competitors, who could boast of being among the 32 greatest geniuses in this region of the continent!


    And such a thing was not small. No, even if some of these individuals were not chosen by the sects of the Flaming Empire, they would still be in the focus of their respective families.


    To get an idea of ??this importance, even the King of the Cromwell Kingdom would watch the top three matches!


    And many other families in the region sent their representatives to watch the final fights, hoping that they could find some talented youths who were not yet in a large family in this region!


    ...


    "Come on. I want to see what the order of the fights will be." An adult man said anxiously.


    He wanted to watch the fights that involved the most outstanding youngsters in this edition of the tournament, such as Minos and the young Troy case.


    "I hope that the great competitors will not face each other at this stage of the competition..." An old man commented aloud.


    It was always an exciting thing to see, but this could be the end of the dreams for these competitors.


    After all, fighting in the last stages of the competition gave them the chance to draw the attention of a sect, even if they lost in the first few fights!


    "Hmm, look at that! The fight list is out!"

 Chapter 118: Groups

    When the day started, Minos and Ruth had quickly gone out to find out the order of the fights in this part of the tournament.


    The young Stuart would only have to fight in one of these Battle Royales, so he just needed to know when his fight would be and who would be the participants in his round.


    The groups of this third test were being displayed on the screens of the same square where the competitors had gone to do the second test. Thus, the two youths soon went from the central part of the town to go to the north region of Central City.


    As usual, Ruth was very well dressed, wearing a long blue dress and with her black hair tied in a ponytail. For Minos, on the other hand, he was wearing black trousers and a light green long-sleeved shirt.


    And as the two youths strolled through the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom, they passed more and more groups that were going in the same direction.


    But not only that, at times, someone recognized Minos, and they began to discuss his achievements in the second exam with all emotions.


    All the competitors had already found out about his achievements in those few days that had passed. Many admired him, while others were afraid of facing him in this part of the competition...


    Anyway, Minos and Ruth arrived at that square not long after, where thousands of people were already coming and going.


    After all, even though there were only 4,000 competitors at this stage of the Spiritual Tournament, almost everyone who came to the Cromwell Kingdom wanted to follow this final part of the competition.


    This, of course, was because the final half of the tournament was so much more interesting for the audience than the previous parts!


    Upon arriving at the site, Minos met one of his acquaintances, even before he saw his group from the third test.


    "Minos! What a coincidence, we came here almost simultaneously." The young Peter said out loud.


    He had just arrived at the square when he suddenly saw the silhouette of Minos, not far from him.


    Minos then greeted him and introduced him to Ruth.


    Peter then asked with a smile on his face. "Hmm, have you seen what group you are in?"


    "No, I was going to do that now. Why don''t we go together?"


    The young Stuart then agreed and said while waving at one of the screens. "Come on."


    After passing through the large crowd that crowded in front of the various screens in this square, Minos and Peter finally managed to see the groups on these screens.


    "Look, Maxwell is in the 2nd group." After seeing the first known name he had read on the big screen, Peter said this, which had several names in sequence, subdivided into 32 groups of 125 people.


    Ruth, who was on the left side of Minos, was also checking this list when she suddenly saw another name. "Your friend Abby is in the 7th group that will fight."


    After hearing this, Minos continued to read the list while seeing his acquaintances in the following order:


    - 2nd Group: ***, ..., Maxwell, ..., ***.


    - 7th Group: ***, ..., Abby, ..., ***.


    - 10th Group: ***, ..., Kara, ..., ***.


    - 12th Group: ***, ..., Ford, ..., ***.


    - 15th Group: ***, ..., Peter, ..., ***.


    - 16th Group: ***, ..., Davy, ..., ***.


    - 22nd Group: ***, ..., Luke, ..., ***.


    - 29th Group: ***, ..., Mona, ..., ***.


    As far as Minos could see, the organization of the Spiritual Tournament had separated as many participants above level 40 as possible. This, of course, was a measure to increase the average strength of the participants in the final test since people like Minos were not easy to find...


    Thus, most fighters could not fight people from other stages, so it would be a waste of the most talented competitors if several of them were in the same group!


    As for the young Troy, he was in group 30. As for Minos, he had stayed for the last Battle Royale, group number 32!


    "Hehe, it looks like they left the best for last!" Peter said with a smile on his face.


    It really wouldn''t make sense to put the most exciting fights at the start of the competition!


    This would cause people to ignore the rest of the fights, or it could even diminish the appeal to put the battles of these best competitors into action!


    After all, it was terrific to stimulate spectators while they were increasingly anxious for the most-awaited moments!


    As to why the Spiritual Tournament organization did that, it was to raise funds. In this final part of the competition, whoever wanted to see the fights had to buy a ticket to enter the big fighting arena in Capital City.


    These crystals did not go to the Flaming Empire sects but to the kingdom hosting the event. After all, if there were no gain, then the event''s success would certainly be diminished!


    The evaluators and some experts who led the tournament could come from the Flaming Empire, but the rest of the people involved were from the realm where the competition was held.


    Specifically, the royal family of that place.


    Therefore, there was a need for these powers to receive enough crystals to cover the expenses involved in this competition.


    Even if tourists coming from other places to see the tournament could stimulate the local economy, this was very limited. These resources would go to the families involved in the business, not directly to the royal family...


    And not all sovereigns were like Minos, who was happy with the local development, even if it didn''t return to him...


    Ruth then turned to Minos and asked. "Are you going to watch these fights?"


    "Maybe I will watch this guy, ehh, Troy, fight. As his battle takes place on the same day as mine, I will not lose anything by watching this fight."


    He then sighed and said. "But for the rest of the time, I plan to continue training at the Cultivation Tower. I can learn about the results from other people."


    "Hmm."


    The young Stuart then turned to Peter and said. "Oh, I will be going soon. If you see Maxwell before the fight, wish him a good fight on my behalf."


    "I hope you can make it to the last part of the Spiritual Tournament too!" He spoke with a smile on his face as he said goodbye to Peter.


    Peter then said with a resolute look. "Okay, you can leave it. I will also try my best to do it!"


    There would be 4 Battle Royale fights per day, starting today and continuing for eight days. Minos and Troy would only have their fights on the last day, while Minos'' friends were divided between the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, and 8th days of the exam.


    Anyway, after learning of his group, Minos and Ruth quickly left this place, heading towards the Cultivation Tower of the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom.


    He could cultivate and train for another week before finally having his fight. And he was very excited about that, after all, he would be fighting 124 people!


    This was something that Minos had never done, but he was already making his plans for this match. And even if there was no one above level 41 in the Minos group, it was still a challenging amount of opponents!


    So, this was excellent training for the young Stuart!


    As for those participants who would have to fight him, they were not happy. But at least they could console themselves because, in this test, it was not allowed to kill...


    Many of them were afraid of Minos for not knowing the reasons behind Leroy''s death. After all, everything they knew was passed on by their acquaintances, who had seen or heard about Leroy''s beheading.


    So, they couldn''t know if young Stuart was a bloodthirsty cultivator or something else... Hence the relief of some, who knew that at least their safety would be guaranteed by the organization of the Spiritual Tournament!


    ...


    Hours passed, and quickly the fights had already started!


    In the first group, a young man of level 41 had been the last one standing in the arena at the end of the fight, so he had managed to move on to the final part of the tournament.


    Unfortunately, in the group of the young Maxwell, Minos'' acquaintance had not been the winner. There was a level 42 cultivator in his group, and even though some of the participants came together to face him, he still managed to win the fight!


    This was also the best fight of the day.


    The winning competitor had fought with more than half of his opponents, and they lost! And even though he was utterly exhausted and with many injuries at the end of the fight, he still managed to get through this ordeal on merits!


    This young man was called Roger Aguilar, who had a Black talent and was 18-years-old. He came from the Cromwell Kingdom and was a member of one of the great noble families in this kingdom. Anyway, he had been the second to pass to the final part of the competition and was one of the favorites to reach the top 10.


    "Did you see young Roger''s fight? He is truly phenomenal with his spear! I don''t think I will ever forget how he bravely fought and defeated dozens of cultivators, who had come together against him." A young man who had watched this battle said this in an animated voice while passing through Central City''s streets with his friends.


    "Hmm, I think that, besides that guy named Minos, nobody else has Roger''s ferocity!" Another of them said.


    A short girl then spoke. "Idiots! Did you forget the young master Troy? I bet 100 crystals that he will give an even better show in his fight."


    "This is different! Troy is already at level 44! He can easily beat these 124 opponents. But for Roger, he had to draw strength from where he hadn''t even taken it before!" The young man replied this after letting out a sigh and continuing. "Roger''s fighting proficiency is second only to Minos!"

 Chapter 119: Empire Representatives

    Quickly seven days passed, while the rounds of the third test of the Spiritual Tournament took place!


    In the meantime, on the second day of fights, the young Abby was the only acquaintance of Minos who had fought. Her battle was very balanced since the difference in the young woman''s strength to the other competitors was not so large.


    After all, she was at level 40, while most of her opponents were between levels 37 and 39. Because of that, there was a long battle, in which the winner was only decided after almost 30 minutes of fighting!


    But Abby still had the advantage of having more spiritual techniques than her opponents in this Battle Royale fight. Consequently, she had managed to qualify successfully for the final stage of the competition, even considering all the difficulty of this test!


    On the third day of the fights, the young Kara demonstrated the strength of a person with a Silver talent to everyone who was watching the battle, here in the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom!


    She had managed to move up to level 43, just a few hours before the test, so she had a magnificent time defeating her group, doing it in just 5 minutes!


    In her group, apart from her, no one else was in the 5th stage of cultivation, so the remaining 124 participants could not cause any problems for the young ginger!


    On this day, there was also the fight of Kara''s brother, Ford''s group.


    This young man had been in almost the same situation as Abby. As he was the only one in the 5th stage of cultivation, he had some advantage at the beginning of the fight.


    However, he also had to face the high resistance imposed by the other competitors, who made him spend almost all his energy to beat them!


    He has had a tough fight, just like the young Roger!


    But in the end, having one more technique truly gave a good advantage in this exam. So, in the end, he was still the winner of the last fight on the third day of this event.


    And finally, on the fourth day of matches, Peter also fought.


    He had managed to rise to level 40 in the days that had passed since the end of the second test, so he performed better than Maxwell on this exam.


    And although there is already another level 40 competitor in his group, he still managed to win in his group, moving on to the last round of the competition!


    Competitors who were only in the 4th stage of cultivation had been managing to eliminate their opponents in the 5th stage in almost all fights.


    And precisely because of that, Peter had succeeded in passing this exam. His opponent had suffered more than he did at the hands of these other competitors, so he had been the winner of the 15th group!


    After Peter''s round, the Spiritual Tournament had hosted the last Battle Royale for that day. And this was the most impressive of all!


    The young Davy had fought and won in his group!


    Many who did not see this fight had been quite shocked by this news. After all, in the last few days, almost the whole city knew about the fact that Davy lost one of his arms to Minos!


    However, the young man had not only recovered from Minos'' fight but had also managed to advance to level 44!


    After all, his Silver talent would not be harmed in any way, just because he had lost an arm!


    Because of this increase in strength, even fighting with just one arm was more than enough for Davy to advance to the last part of the competition!


    And finally, on the sixth day, young Luke had left!


    He had reached level 41 just before he arrived in the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom and had still received a low-grade two spiritual weapon from his family.


    Such a thing was a rarity, and he had only been the second in those days of competition, who had taken out a weapon of this caliber! Besides him, only the young Kara had used a weapon of this level.


    With that, he had tried and beat his group after fighting continuously for almost 15 minutes.


    Anyway, on the seventh day, today, no fight drew the attention of the spectators, who were very anxious for the last day of confrontations, in which Minos and Troy would fight in their respective groups!


    ...


    At this time, there were eight people who had just arrived at the place in the royal palace in Central City. They were in a room full of people dressed in red armor, while there was a throne in the middle of that room.


    This was the royal room, where the king of the Cromwell Kingdom received official visits. As for the eight people who were in front of the king''s throne at this time, these were the representatives of the eight largest sects of the Flaming Empire.


    As for the king, he was dressed in a golden suit, had long white hair, and no beard. He was also very tall, over 2 meters tall!


    For each of these eight people, they wore armor of different colors and shapes.


    There were two women in this group, while the rest were men.


    However, what most drew attention to these individuals, was that each one of them had a very young appearance, different from most of the Spiritual Kings found in the north of the Central Continent.


    Anyway, there was a reason for the Flaming Empire to hand this competition over to these eight sects, rather than handing this task over to families, so these eight youths were here today.


    In the Flaming Empire, noble families did not dominate regions as it did in the north of the Central Continent. No, that was done by the sects.


    As to why, well, it was utterly because families were limited!


    It would be challenging for a family to have many talented descendants, and even if there were, it would not be sure whether they would mature to fulfill their responsibilities!


    Thus, a long time ago, several empires of the Spiritual World had witnessed the birth of the first sects.


    It was basically the union of several families under the same power, which did not demand the defection of these members of their respective families!


    However, in these organizations, as long as someone had talent, a person could rise to the top, even if he or she came from a humble background!


    And because of this, the sects, unlike noble families, had gained the power to rule large regions in places as strong as the Flaming Empire.


    But that would not be possible for noble families, such as those in the north of the Central Continent. This is because these families always placed greater importance on the original members, leaving their subordinates in the background.


    And this was a mentality that was being repeated over and over again in these families, so it was hard for them to change that factor.


    Anyway, these eight sects divided 8 out of 9 parts of the Flaming Empire. And each of these domains was even bigger and more populous than the largest kingdom in the northern region of the Central Continent, the Kingdom of the Waves!


    In addition, each of these powers had at least one large region of high spiritual concentration, which provided them with their abundant resources!


    Anyway, these 8 Spiritual Kings who their respective sects had sent, they were here to follow the last event of the Spiritual Tournament, which was scheduled to happen in the next few days.


    The king of the Cromwell Kingdom then rose from his throne and then smiled, welcoming these experts from the empire. "Welcome to my city. I hope that you will get many disciples in this edition of the Spiritual Tournament."


    King Cromwell, even though he had higher cultivation than those sent from the empire, he still had to respect each one of them. This is because not only were there colossal powers behind these people, but also, each of them was better equipped, both in spiritual techniques as well as in armaments and arrays.


    So it was better for King Cromwell not to irritate any of these people, who certainly had their own arrogance...


    After that, they started arguing about the most important details about what had happened so far and about the best candidates in this edition of the tournament.


    When they heard about it, the eight sect''s representatives were very impressed with the performance of Minos, who, despite being only at level 39, he managed to fight until there was even someone at level 43!


    ''This is the same name as miss Maisie''s son. But how could he have gotten that strong? He never received help from our sect!'' One of the women in the group thought about it when she heard Minos'' achievements.


    She knew about Minos'' presence at this tournament and about his identity since Maisie had told her that before she was sent to this place.


    But she had thought that her superior had just said so that she would help him in case something happened. However, he seemed to be very well prepared for someone who had grown up in this impoverished place!


    She then closed her eyes for a second and blew out a breath as she thought. ''I think I''m going to watch this boy''s fight tomorrow. Maybe this king was just trying to get attention because the tournament is taking place in his territory...''


    ...


    Hours passed, and the last day of the third test finally arrived, in which Minos and Troy would have their respective fights. The young Mona would also fight that day, being the first in the order of the three!

 Chapter 120: Troys fight

    The eighth and final day of tests had finally started, and the young Mona had already achieved her position in the final phase of the Spiritual Tournament.


    Like the other competitors at level 41, she has had a lot of difficulty with the opponents gathering against her, but she still managed to stand out!


    It was not easy, but these youths who were already in the 5th stage of cultivation were all the greatest geniuses in this region of the continent. And, counting on that, they also had the best techniques, which gave them a difficult advantage to be reversed.


    Anyway, the first fight was over when Minos finally left the hotel where he and Ruth stayed to head towards the fighting arena, not far from where they were.


    The fights were taking place in the most prominent public arena in this city, where every two hours, a new battle in the format of Battle Royale began.


    Because of this, Minos had not attended the first fight of the day, leaving to go to the place, only when it was time for the battle of the young Troy. And even if the site were packed, with Ruth''s flaming medallion, it would be effortless for them to get a good seat.


    ...


    Time passed, and Minos and Ruth had already accommodated themselves in a VIP room in that arena as a courtesy obtained from the medallion of Minos'' young companion.


    This was a huge room, with a luxurious decoration that would make anyone forget that this was a fighting arena.


    There was a brown carpet, while the walls were beige, with some small reliefs, which looked like weapons, such as swords, daggers, war hammers, etc.


    Some pictures on the walls show the Cromwell Kingdom landscapes and some critical moments in this arena, as one of the pictures showing a man''s head being crushed by a big hammer.


    Anyway, there were some decorative furniture, food, and drinks in the place. But Minos and Ruth were not interested in the comfort that this VIP room could give them, but in the battle that was about to occur.


    The two youths had already sat in their armchairs, which were on a kind of balcony in this VIP room, while they saw the surroundings of the arena.


    It was pretty large, with enough space for more than 50 thousand people to watch the fights comfortably.


    At this point, the group of 125 competitors finally started to climb on the fighting stage, while viewers began to scream in excitement!


    The noise was really intense since this must have been the most anticipated fight for many of these people.


    "Haha, I want to see how quickly the young Troy is going to deal with this." Someone said excitedly.


    "I hope it is not too fast. We have waited so long for this. I want to take some action!!"


    After hearing this, an old man with white hair said aloud in that place of the crowd. "The boy Troy is powerful. This fight will have no emotion. We can only wait for Minos to fight."


    "Indeed..."


    ...


    While the crowd discussed the upcoming fight, the participants finally took the stage when the judge in charge of the battle gave the signal to begin.


    "This game is on!"


    Upon hearing this, almost all 124 contestants turned to where Troy was and started running towards him.


    That was their only hope. Either they eliminated Troy first, or it wouldn''t make sense to fight each other!


    "Attack him with all your might!" One of the most active young men said this as he started to activate his attack technique.


    Hammer of Chaos!


    Fireball!


    Poisonous Thorns!


    ...


    Many attack techniques were released at once, following all of Troy''s escape routes. They had surrounded him since the beginning. After all, these young people had already agreed to do this, even before the fight started!


    Seeing the many attacks coming towards him, Troy smiled and then said in a low voice to himself. "The numbers are useless. Only those who have the true strength can prevail!"


    After saying this, he activated his own moving technique, trying to evade most attacks.


    Even though he was powerful, there was no way for him to defend the attacks of more than 100 people!


    Day Walk!


    He then disappeared from the scene, as if it were a mirage or something, before finally reappearing close to one of the strongest youths in the opposing group.


    Take Down the Sky!


    Rumble!


    Troy punched the air, creating a current of wind and energy, which went towards the young man closest to him. It was as if the very air in the place was collapsing in the direction that Troy had punched!


    ''Ah! Shit...''


    The young man didn''t have time to defend himself, he just knew what was going to happen, but there was no time for that!


    Pow!


    That young man was finally hit while flying backward, already unconscious!


    It was as if he had been knocked out as soon as the wave of energy hit him!


    Seeing this, all the other competitors felt goosebumps. It seemed that this would be the fate of all of them. After all, if they couldn''t even hit the young Troy, there was only defeat waiting for them.


    The fight then continued, while the public praised Troy''s great power, along with the tremendous difference that existed between people with Silver talent, like him, and with Black talent, like his opponents.


    And while watching this, one of the experts sent from the Flaming Empire was already watching this fight in the arena.


    This was the woman who had been sent by the Gray Cloud Sect, Sally Davison. She was at level 53 and had a Silver talent, just like Ruth and Minos'' mother.


    She had come to this arena mainly to see the performance of Minos in his battle that was going to happen later. However, she was now pleasantly surprised to see Troy''s performance.


    ''Oh! This kid is terrific! Maybe his moving technique is Silver-grade?'' She thought about it while watching the fight going on.


    It was not uncommon that some of the strongest and wealthiest families in the north of the Central Continent had one of these techniques, as was the case with the Nash family on Stone Island.


    And since Troy''s speed was really very fast, Sally had considered this possibility.


    Pow!


    After a while, the 80th contestant was thrown from the center of the arena, in the place where the fight was taking place.


    Troy had already eliminated more than half of the participants and neared the end of the fight. This was a brutal difference between him and his opponents, who had lower levels, had similar or even worse technique, and had never fought together.


    Putting all these factors together, there was no way they could beat someone as strong as Troy!


    Time passed, and Troy continued to use his moving technique to destabilize his opponents while eliminating them little by little!


    Pow!


    If someone looked closely, the young Troy could be seen to be sweating and had spent much of his spiritual energy. But the battle was practically decided when there was finally only one competitor left in the match.


    "I surrender!"


    The young man shouted aloud. There was no need for him to receive Troy''s attack. At least he could walk off the stage!


    Upon hearing this, the fight judge went to the center of the stage and then declared the end of the fight out loud.


    "The fight is over. Contestant Troy Newman is the winner of group 30!"


    After saying that, the commotion returned in that arena when people started to comment on what had happened.


    "Haha, it didn''t even last 4 minutes! Very good, I won the bet. You better prepare my crystals!" A man said to one of his friends.


    "It was quite impressive. I never thought that the boy Troy was not going to receive a single attack!" Another voice emerged as many people smiled as they came to witness this young man''s fight.


    Perhaps, in the future, they will be able to say that they saw an expert fighting at the beginning of his journey in the world of cultivation!


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the VIP room of Minos and Ruth, the young man with brown hair was sitting comfortably in his armchair while analyzing the fight.


    ''This guy is very fast! I wonder if my sword technique can hinder his speed, otherwise...'' He then closed his eyes while sighing. ''Well, it doesn''t matter the result. If I can beat him, I will do it one way or the other!"


    Ruth then turned her head to the side and looked at Minos''s face. "Do you want to do something before your fight? We still have at least 4 hours until then..."


    "Hmm. I will not train anymore at this time. I think we better go out and do something."


    After that, the two youths left that place while looking for something to do while waiting for the group of Minos to turn.


    They had no interest in watching the fight that would take place before that of Minos since it didn''t make much difference for them to follow this match. They were also not like the audience in this arena, who liked to see it, as if it were a hobby...

 Chapter 121: End of the Third Test

    Time went by quickly, and it was time for the group of Minos to decide who would move on to that last spot left for the fourth test of the Spiritual Tournament.


    After hanging out with Ruth for a while, Minos had already gone back and gone straight to the place where the participants had to pass in order to proceed to the stage where the fight would take place.


    At this time, Minos was wearing a specific battle outfit, which facilitated his movements. But he wore no armor or support items.


    There was no need for the young Stuart to use accessories other than his weapon at this point. His defensive technique was excellent and protected his body even better than grade-2, low-grade armor!


    Unless Minos'' rivals had techniques as good as his, there really would be no need for him to use such a thing.


    Anyway, Minos slowly walked towards the stage, with several of his competitors watching him. They had mixed feelings about Minos'' strength since all they knew was about what others had said to them.


    So, there was a little fear, but there were also some with doubts in their hearts. ''This guy doesn''t even wear armor...''


    Some of them thought about it and other things while the group finally climbed onto the center stage of the arena where they were. As they appeared to the thousands of people who were here to watch the fight, the commotion rose to new levels when the audience saw Minos calmly getting the stage!


    "Look, Minos is already on the stage! I think the fight is about to start!"


    "I wonder if he will be faster than the young Troy?"


    "Perhaps, but it is difficult to compare the two since they have never fought before..."


    While the dialogues were taking place in all parts of the crowd, Troy was already properly seated in the stands. He wore a big black robe, while he had a large hat on his head.


    He then turned to the direction where Minos was standing and then murmured to himself. "I''m finally going to see this guy''s power!"


    Troy was very curious about Minos'' abilities. After all, it was challenging to believe wholeheartedly in something he had not yet seen with his own eyes.


    There were people everywhere who liked to increase or even make up a whole story. And even though he knew the rumors were probably true, since many people were talking about it, Troy still couldn''t understand what Minos'' fighting proficiency actually was.


    A few seconds later, the match judge stepped forward and checked that everything was right. He then gave a signal for the fight to begin!


    "You can start!"


    In saying this, the middle-aged man moved away from the center of the stage while the 124 youths surrounded the young Stuart. There was no other strategy for them. If Minos was all they had heard, then that was the only thing they could do.


    Seeing this, Minos did not change his expression. He just activated his two defense and support techniques while taking a blind sword out of his spatial ring.


    He would not use the grade-2, low-grade sword for two reasons. First, the use of this sword required a lot of his body, and he would not be able to last that long against so many opponents if he spent all his energy in some attacks.


    Finally, Minos did not want and could not kill in this part of the competition. So, to ensure the best possible result, using a lower level, a blind weapon would be enough for him.


    In the group of Minos, there was only one competitor at level 41, while all the others were between levels 37 and 39. Therefore, if Minos used a high-powered weapon with his current cultivation level, it would be difficult for him to control himself. The number of casualties could be huge.


    Even more so when his techniques would be very effective in these opponents.


    Spatial Sword!


    He then activated his attack technique. At the same time, he saw many competitors running towards him, attacking with a large part of their energies while screaming in emotion...


    "Ahhh!"


    Zuum!


    Suddenly the black ring formed on top of the stage, as it spun and made a strange noise. It alone had covered more than half the stage while dimming the arena.


    At the same time, those young people who were closest to Minos froze completely in their places while feeling powerful oppression from the surroundings.


    They couldn''t do anything, it was as if time had stopped, but they could still see the surroundings!


    Minos then ran towards the young man at level 41, making several gestures with his sword in his direction.


    Swooish!


    Air blades were formed, cutting the distance from Minos to the young man in just a millisecond!


    Seeing this, the young man, who was barely able to move, felt a chill in his spine when the blow approached his chest. ''Shit, how can he affect me so much?''


    And while Minos struggled with the strongest in the cultivation of the group, the entire audience was shocked by the events!


    Many of them had already seen Minos fight in the second round of the Spiritual Tournament, but seeing this in an image was very different from witnessing it!


    Of the 124 youths fighting Minos, almost half of them were stopped entirely, as if they were trapped by something.


    In the meantime, the rest of these participants were either being affected to a lesser extent by Minos'' technique or had hesitated to attack because of this unbelievable vision!


    And even though Minos'' attack technique did not freeze several of them, they could still feel their spiritual energies being continually sucked!


    At such a speed that if this continued for another 5 minutes, they might as well not have the energy to attack, even if Minos did nothing!


    ''What a terrible monster!'' One of the participants thought while he was unable to move and continually lost his spiritual energy.


    Boom!


    At this point, the young man at level 41 was finally hit by Minos'' technique, being sent flying in the opposite direction.


    He was already unconscious, while a trail of blood could be seen in the corners of his mouth.


    The young man''s armor had also cracked at several points, showing how strong Minos''s attack had been.


    ''Phew, now I just need to deal with these other guys...'' Minos thought to himself as he saw that young man from before hitting hard against one of the walls next to the fighting stage.


    The young Stuart had used some of his strength on that young man since he was much stronger than the others and could cause problems if he were left last.


    After finishing dealing with this guy, Minos turned to those who were still standing and then sent a sequence of many blows.


    Swooish!


    Swooish!


    These blows were not so strong, just enough to get these youths out of the fight. And with the energy that Minos was absorbing from these competitors, he hardly needed to spend on his own!


    ...


    As Minos'' opponents were flung off the stage one after the other, the crowd watching this was completely silent at this point. Such was the situation that apart from Minos'' blows, there was a no different sound in the place!


    Minos'' technique was very challenging, and no one in this place, except for Ruth, could understand how this was possible. Even the specialist sent by the Gray Cloud Sect had their mouth open in shock.


    ''But what kind of technique is this boy using? Does miss Maisie have such strong techniques? ''She could only think that Minos was receiving the hidden support of his mother... She had heard that he had never received anything from the sect, but now she could not believe it!


    At the same time, the young Troy also had a glimpse of shock on his face.


    He could understand that Minos was draining his opponents'' energy, but he didn''t know how the young Stuart could do that to so many people!


    ''This is really complicated...'' He thought for a moment while trying to visualize what would happen to him if it were him, whoever was fighting at the moment. ''His technique would surely be very irritating for me!''


    ...


    Boom!


    Another explosion sounded when the defenses of one of the youths finally fell.


    ''Oh shit!''


    Swooish!


    Another blade hit him when he could do nothing but receive the attack and be thrown away from where he was.


    Minos had already eliminated more than 100 competitors at this point in the fight when he finally felt his spiritual energy wane.


    After all, many of Minos'' opponents were now eliminated from the competition and out of the reach of the Devouring Art. Therefore, the energy that was reaching him at this moment was less than what he spent to fight.


    Swooish!


    However, this fight was already won!


    It didn''t take long and the opponents who were still standing surrendered, avoiding receiving these less merciful attacks from Minos!


    Seeing this, the judge who had watched the entire fight with his mouth open finally returned to reality when he went to the center of the stage and decreed the result of the battle.


    "I declare the fight is over. The competitor Minos is the winner and will pass to the last exam of the competition!"


    In saying this, the judge broke the silence that had been established in the arena since the fight had started when the crowd finally regained their senses.


    "Fuck! I never thought he would dominate his group so much!"


    "Hmm, seeing the strength of the young Minos in person is even more fantastic than seeing through a screen..." Said an old man with white hair who was following this fight.


    "Haha, I''m already getting excited to see Minos and Troy''s fight!" A young woman screamed out loud.


    After all, this was the fight that everyone wanted right now!

 Chapter 122: The Fourth Test

    Time flew by, and the fourth exam had already started!


    On the first day of tests, all eight experts sent from the Flaming Empire attended a grand opening ceremony. On this day, the first 16 fights took place for an audience of over 100 thousand people in that arena!


    Before this part of the competition started, a draw was made, and the 32 participants knew who they would fight with in the first round. And of Minos'' acquaintances, most of them would fight against other opponents, while only Kara and Peter would fight against each other.


    And when he found out about it, Peter had been very disappointed, since he could not fight those stronger than he, as the young Stuart did.


    As expected, he lost the fight without much resistance. After all, the young Kara was already at level 43, while he was only at level 40!


    With that, Peter was the first acquaintance of Minos who had fallen in this last part of the Spiritual Tournament.


    In the case of Abby, she was fortunate and was placed against someone who was at level 40, like her. And after a very close fight, the young woman with blue hair had won and passed to the next round!


    As for Abby''s friend, Mona, and the young master of the Nash family, Luke, both were at level 41 and had fought against level 40 opponents. With that, the two managed to get through this phase of the test relatively quickly, moving on to the next part of this exam.


    In Ford''s fight, he faced an opponent of the same level as him, level 41, and after much difficulty, he managed to become the winner of that fight!


    And for the last two youngsters of the highest level in this competition, Troy and Davy, the two were already at level 44, and when they faced their respective opponents, they did not have much difficulty.


    Troy had eliminated a level 41 competitor, while Davy fought a level 40 young woman. And although losing an arm diminished Davy''s fighting prowess, he still had high cultivation, which allowed him to win with some ease his opponent.


    Finally, Minos fought a young man at level 41, but he just used a blow, winning his fight in less than 5 seconds!


    There wasn''t much of a challenge for him in this first round of the competition''s final exam!


    After that first day of tests, another draw was held, and this time, more friends of Minos would face each other on the second day of fights!


    The result of the draw brought Davy and Abby face to face, as well as Mona and Ford. As for the other youths, there were no other fights between Minos'' acquaintances.


    Minos would also face someone at level 42 in the next round, but he did not know his opponent.


    ...


    After that, the second round of tests arrived, and all the viewers had already occupied every space in that arena.


    Envoys from the Flaming Empire sects were also already in place, actively discussing what had happened the day before.


    "Haha, that young Troy and that Minos will definitely make it to the final, but what did you think of the other competitors?" A ginger man asked as he sat in his chair next to these other specialists.


    Then a blond, thin-faced man said with a smile on his face. "I have my eye on that other young man who is at level 44. I heard that he has a Silver talent, and even though he has lost an arm, this could be resolved in the future. If he reaches the semifinals, I will bring him to my Mountain Sect!"


    Upon hearing this, one of the women in the group laughed and said. "Haha, this is not for you to decide! I think he will end up choosing my Holy Sect."


    At this point in the conversation, the young woman from the Gray Cloud Sect suddenly said. "That ginger girl also caught my attention a lot. I think she is the favorite for third place..."


    ...


    While the eight experts were talking, the fights for this round had already started!


    This time Minos was the first to go up on stage, fighting a level 42 young man. With that, due to the young Stuart''s extreme fighting proficiency, after a few exchanges, the fight was over, with him being the first competitor to qualify for the quarterfinals of the Spiritual Tournament!


    After that, the young Davy and Abby took the stage and started their fight. But there was no way for Minos'' friend to ignore the difference in cultivation between her level and that of her opponent.


    Therefore, the young woman with blue hair soon lost the fight, being eliminated from the competition. But she had not been too disappointed by this. After all, she had been the only participant at level 40 to reach the round of 16!


    Not long after, the young Roger, who had passed with a lot of effort in the third test, fought and defeated his opponent, who was at level 42, just like him.


    He did very well when he fought with his opponents due to an innate ability. This ability significantly increased the youngster''s defense, which enabled him to withstand more attacks than most cultivators of the same level as him!


    With that, Roger had gotten his spot in the quarterfinals!


    After that fight, Mona and Ford took the stage and had the most exciting fight of the day!


    They were on the same level, so they had to take every strength they had in this fight. And in the end, the young Mona had become the winner!


    As for the remaining fights of the day, Luke managed to qualify for the quarterfinals after fighting against an opponent of the same level as him. However, by having a grade-2, low-level weapon, the young master of the Nash family had achieved victory.


    Luke was pleased with such a result. Not only was his goal complete, but he was also fortunate and not found with Minos throughout the competition.


    Before the Spiritual Tournament started, Luke had been afraid after seeing that Minos was also around. But fate seemed to be on his side, and the only time he saw the young Stuart up close was at the Capital City Cultivation Tower before the tournament started.


    Finally, Troy faced and beat a level 42 opponent in the last fight of the day. It was a quick fight, but there was no reason for the other young man to give up, just because he had smaller cultivation.


    Even if a competitor was eliminated, they could still attract the attention of envoys from the Flaming Empire sects. So, each youth who went up to the fighting stage used everything they had, even when they faced monsters like Troy!


    Upon seeing the end of the last fight, the eight people soon returned to discuss while recalling what had happened on this day of battles.


    "Ahh, those two youths, ehh, Mona and, ehh, Luke, they weren''t bad. These two managed to advance to the quarterfinals even though they were only at level 41!" One of the men said with an exciting look.


    "Hmm, but what caught my attention the most was that young man who used a spear. He has an innate ability very useful in fights!"


    "Haha, the fights today were even better than yesterday. I''m looking forward to seeing those quarterfinals!" Other said with a smile on his face.


    All of them were in the initial levels of the 6th stage, Spiritual King, so they still enjoyed watching fights at the level that was going on.


    After all, they all came from an empire, so they had incredible cultivation speeds. Thus, most of them were at the level of these young competitors for less than a decade, which made them excited to see fights of this level, even if there was a big difference between their current strength and that of these young people.


    Anyway, after the end of the fights of the second day, another draw was carried out to determine who would fight with whom in the quarterfinals!


    In this draw, the first fight of the third day would be held between Mona and Luke.


    The young master of the Nash family had been pleased with this result. After all, even though he had already secured his name in the top 10, he wanted to go as far as possible in this competition!


    With that, Luke was guaranteed his place to go to the Elemental Sect of the Western Empire!


    The second fight of the day would be between Kara and Roger, followed by Minos'' battle with a level 42 young man that he did not know. Finally, the quarterfinals would end with Troy and Davy''s fight!


    Unfortunately for these youngsters of level 44, only one of them would continue in the semifinals!


    That was the possibility that the draws could have, putting stronger opponents in less advanced stages of the competition...


    Upon hearing this order of fights, the entire audience was in euphoria, as the Spiritual Tournament was finally reaching its climax, with the strongest opponents fighting each other!


    At this point, the people who were following the draw started to argue actively. "Haha, this Minos is very lucky! His fight will be the easiest on the third day!"


    "Hmm, but it is better this way. If he fought the young Troy in the quarterfinals, that would be a real tragedy for one of the two!" Another person said out loud.


    ...

 Chapter 123: Days of Fights

    Soon the third day of fighting came, while people in the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom were in constant euphoria.


    There were many places placing bets on the results of the fights and even the final order of the ranking of the Spiritual Tournament. People really enjoyed watching and betting on fights.


    It was something that could make the blood of many boil!


    And while the public enjoyed each of the fights, experts from the Flaming Empire sects also already had some names that they wanted to bring to their respective powers.


    In every fight, even if someone lost, if he or she had good talent, level, and proficiency in fighting, then there would always be a chance to be chosen by one of these sects.


    Anyway, the fighting arena where the event was taking place was already packed, and some fights had already happened!


    In the first fight of the day, Luke Nash and Mona Miller had an exceptional battle, which lasted almost 40 minutes, in which they used every part of the spiritual energy in their bodies.


    It was a fierce battle, the two maintained a balance almost the entire time, but in the end, the one who had more spiritual energy had won!


    And even though they were both at level 41, the young Luke had reached that level not long ago, while Mona was almost at level 42!


    So, at the end of the fight, the young master of the Nash family ended up losing to Abby''s friend. And even using a grade-2, low-level weapon, he only managed to fight the young Mona on an equal footing!


    Anyway, after this great start to the day, Mona was the first competitor to qualify for the semifinals, which would take place the next day.


    After that first round that had caused high emotions in the audience that was watching the event, the second fight of the day, between Kara and Roger started.


    And as expected by all, the young Kara had won the game. However, this was not an easy victory for her since Roger''s innate ability was actually very useful in fights. This made this match very interesting, even though there was a much more significant difference in levels than in the first fight of the day!


    After that, when the fight of the beautiful young ginger ended, it did not take long, and Minos took the stage to have his own battle.


    When he did this, the whole crowd present at the venue was thrilled with emotion since most of them liked to see Minos'' fights.


    This was because the young Stuart had extraordinary techniques, which made his opponents very vulnerable to almost everything Minos did.


    Therefore, most people wanted to see Minos'' struggles so that they could better understand the young man''s actions. And even if today''s opponent was on the same level as his opponent in the last round, everyone present still wanted to pay attention to this fight.


    And as expected, after the fight started, after a few exchanges of blows, the young opponent of Minos was thrown from the stage in defeat!


    With that, the first three fights of the day ended, with two very competitive fights and an easy match. Finally, it was time for the long-awaited battle of the day between the young Davy and Troy.


    Both were already at level 44 and would undoubtedly be the favorites for this tournament before the competition started. But unfortunately, many things had happened, and now only one of them could continue in this test!


    There was obviously a significant disadvantage for Davy, who had lost his arm to Minos in the second test of the competition.


    Anyway, when the two youths took the stage, the whole arena was silent, and even the pulsating noise of some people''s hearts could be heard...


    ...


    Meanwhile, in one of the main VIP rooms in this arena, the 8 Spiritual Kings were comfortably seated while watching the match.


    "Ahh... It is a pity that this young man lost his arm at the beginning of the competition. Otherwise, he could win this fight." A man with tanned skin and gray hair said with a look of pity.


    Upon hearing this, others of them nodded in agreement. "In fact, if it was in another edition, he could have been in the first place!"


    "It is a shame for him..."


    They regretted that Davy, although he managed to cause some problems for Troy, was continually being pressured and cornered.  And even if he made a good impression and had a good chance of going to one of these sects, his position in the final ranking of the competition would not be good!


    Many participants might not know it, but they didn''t receive a random technique when winning the Spiritual Tournament. No, that was a competitor''s right after entering one of the sects.


    Thus, whoever took first place when he entered one of the sects, he or she would have the right to choose one of the Silver-grade techniques that his sect had at its disposal, even counting cultivation techniques.


    But for the participants who couldn''t make it to the top, even if they entered one of the sects, it could take many years until they got a Silver-grade technique!


    That''s because they had to earn enough merit to receive such a thing!


    Even the young Ruth, who had three techniques of this classification, had obtained it only after winning an internal competition of the Gray Cloud Sect. She was also a member of one of the most prominent families in this sect, so she could also count on this support.


    But these new recruits had no such chance.


    First, they came from other families. Second, they were no longer able to participate in the internal sects competitions since there was no such event for cultivators above the level 50 and 18-years-old in those sects!


    So, the eight experts felt sorry for Davy. This could actually delay the young man''s cultivation speed by many years!


    And it wasn''t long before the fight was finally over.


    As expected, Troy won, getting the last spot in the semifinal!


    This had been quite a struggle, in which the young Davy had spent most of his energy, while Troy had to work hard to achieve this result.


    Anyway, after the match was over, the audience immediately started making noise again while waiting for the semifinals'' draw.


    "Haha, today''s fights were excellent. Will there be a fight between Minos and Troy tomorrow?"


    "Idiot! Don''t say such a thing. I hope that doesn''t happen. These two have to reach the finals!"


    "Hmm, that''s right. Let''s hope it doesn''t happen!"


    And finally, while the people in the arena were discussing what would be the best configuration of the fights in the semifinals, suddenly a large screen in this arena showed the result of the draw.


    On the fourth day of fights in the Spiritual Tournament, Minos and Mona would have the first fight of the day, leaving the final to Troy and Kara!


    Seeing this, many people did not like this result, since for them, it would be effortless for Minos to win his match. However, that was not the majority thought. After all, Mona had already done a lot, reaching the semifinal.


    So, indeed, those who fought with her would have a smoother path until the last day of competition since the forces of Minos, Troy, and Kara were very close to each other!


    So, it made no difference who Mona fought for several of these people in the crowd.


    ...


    "Ehh, I want to see which sects these young people will go..." One of the six men said in a low voice.


    Upon hearing this, someone said. "Haha, it would be amazing if this Minos and Troy came to my sect!"


    "Hehe, you can forget about it. If Minos goes to any sect, it will surely be the Gray Cloud Sect." A woman said that.


    "Oh? Are you that confident?" The other woman in the group asked curiously.


    "Of course, since his mother is an elder of the sect!"


    "What? If that is true, this Minos does not have the right to participate in the Spiritual Tournament." A young man with black hair said with disappointment. If that were true, it was no wonder that the young Stuart was so strong!


    "Calm down. I did not say everything. His father raised him in the northern region of the Central Continent, so he did not receive funds from the Gray Cloud Sect."


    "But his mother may still have given him a lot of resources!"


    "As far as I know, it didn''t happen. Apart from his cultivation techniques, which I don''t know if was given by his mother or not, I''m sure she didn''t nurture him with any resources from the sect."


    "Oh? Interesting, imagine if he chooses one of our sects over yours? Wouldn''t that be a great shame for you? Hahahaha." A young blond man said with a provocative tone.


    It was not uncommon for some children to feel a certain resentment for absent parents. With that, many youths had already done things like this in the past, even joining the enemy forces of their parents!


    Upon hearing that comment, Sally frowned and thought about it. ''I hope this does not  happen...''


    She knew that Minos had refused to go to the sect with her mother since she had asked Maisie about it. And now that she had remembered that, she was starting to think that he might end up doing what the young blonde had said...

 Chapter 124: Excited to return (*)

    Finally, it was time for the last fights to happen!!


    Two fights were scheduled to take place on this day of competition, starting with the battle between Minos and Mona, and lastly, there was the fight between Troy and Kara.


    No one had any doubts about who would win the first fight, but the second would still be a good event. As much as most believed that the beautiful young ginger had no chance against Troy, many thought this would be a great fight.


    And it didn''t take long, and soon the results had already been decided!


    In the first fight of the day, Minos easily defeated the young girl from the Miller family, defeating her in just one move, just as he had done with Abby some time ago.


    It was so fast that many people in the crowd almost regret buying the ticket. But luckily, there was still the second fight between Kara and Troy.


    With that, Minos was the first competitor to qualify for the final of the Spiritual Tournament, while Mona would dispute the third place with the loser of the other fight.


    After that, Troy''s fight soon followed, considerably cheering up the audience who had come to watch these fights.


    When the fight started, Kara and Troy were exceptionally paired. However, over time, the difference in cultivation was present when Kara was almost exhausted, while Troy still had a good amount of energy left.


    With that, Troy Newman won the second fight of the day, qualifying to fight for first place against Minos on the last day of the competition. Meanwhile, Kara Carline was going to fight Mona to decide who would be in third place.


    ...


    "Ahh, and to think that the Spiritual Tournament is going to end tomorrow..." Someone said as he left the arena after the fights were over.


    "Hmm, it surely is a pity! Now we will have to wait eight years for this tournament to happen again..."


    "I wonder if there will be other geniuses like Minos and Troy in the next edition..."


    "Who knows... But I think it is difficult. After all, it is not common for so many geniuses to appear in one edition. There were 4 of them in this tournament, who were Davy, Minos, Kara, and Troy."


    "Hmm, indeed. I don''t remember any previous edition with so many talents at once..."


    "Even that boy, ehh, Dennis Red, when he participated and won the tournament, he was only at level 43. If he was competing in this edition, he might not even have made it to the semifinals!"


    "Hmm, I remember this, that boy from the Brown Kingdom, hehe, I had the honor of seeing some of his fights! I wonder how he is now..."


    ...


    While spectators of the Spiritual Tournament discussed the current and previous editions, Minos and Ruth were already returning to the hotel where they were staying.


    The young Stuart was not tired or anything. After all, he had won his fight without any effort. However, he wanted to cultivate and rest for tomorrow''s fight.


    By his own projections, this would be a very disputed fight between the two, and probably the most likely result would be a draw. But it didn''t matter to Minos. He was here to make contacts, and this he had already done.


    Continuing in the competition was just a physical test for him!


    And since he had already started to do this, then it would be better to go all the way!


    Abandoning something in the middle of the road was not part of Minos'' customs.


    But he didn''t care if the result was him coming in second. No, that was the smallest part, even staying in other positions would not bother Minos.


    Anyway, Minos and Ruth were also getting ready to make their trip back to the Black Plain tomorrow!


    The young Ruth would only have three months to return to the Gray Cloud Sect, so they had to run back to the Dry City. The trip at full speed would take three weeks, and after that, she could stay a maximum of about two days in the city of Minos.


    After that time, she would return all the way to the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom and then proceed to her City of Clouds, in the Flaming Empire.


    ...


    After finishing cultivating, Minos opened his eyes and stepped out of his meditative position as he saw Ruth watching him. She then said. "It looks like it won''t be long before you reach level 40..."


    "Hmm, I think this will happen when we arrive at the Black Plain." He replied with a smile on his face.


    This was a significant advance for him. After reaching level 40, he could finally probe his opponents'' strength without having to worry about depending on others for that.


    His spiritual power would also increase in several folds since level 40 had 40% more spiritual energy than level 39.


    But not only that, by being able to use the energy of heaven and earth, Minos would also increase the strength by a large margin of his attacks since he could add free energy to his techniques after reached this level!


    Of course, that last characteristic was not so significant at level 40. After all, a person at that level had a very small amount of spiritual energy and was unable to use free energy in nature in large quantities!


    Also, the region''s strength where the cultivators were, influencing the amount of free energy that could be used. After all, the energy was not concentrated in some places, but rather spread over nature unevenly!


    This meant that fights in regions of greater spiritual concentration were even more devastating than those in other regions since users above level 40 always used that free energy in their battles!


    This effect was no notable for where Minos was. This north of the Central Continent barely had decent regions with medium spiritual concentration, with a low spiritual density in most of this territory!


    Minos then said. "Tomorrow after the fight, we will immediately leave the city. I don''t want to stay here and be harassed by those sects from your empire..."


    "Hmm, this is going to be better. But the award ceremony will not take place until the next day. Aren''t you interested in spiritual crystals?"


    "No, even if I take first place, there are only 500 medium-grade crystals. That amount can do almost nothing for me these days. And even if it''s not bad to receive that amount, it can cause me more problems than benefits..."


    "OK."


    After saying this, Minos went to Ruth and started kissing her while he took the girl''s dress with his hands.


    They kissed for a while until the two were completely naked and the beautiful sensual body of the young woman could be seen.


    Two peaks of her were utterly erect, while her big bottom was there invitingly for Minos, while her little sister was shining, with the fluids released by the young woman''s body.


    She was already so used to the whole of Minos that even though they had just started their activity, she was already properly wet for him...


    Minos then placed his partner in an ideal position in which the two could please each other. In doing so, his hard stick was in front of Ruth''s face, while Ruth''s pretty little sister was in the perfect place to be kissed by young Stuart.


    "Ahhh ~"


    Ruth let out a groan of pleasure as soon as Minos''s tongue touched the inside of her. She could feel a flow of pleasure traveling through her body while she trembled softly. This was indeed a heavenly sensation for her!


    After that, she wasted no time and soon began to suck on Minos'' stick, making it go in and out of her throat, reverberating the characteristic sounds of this act.


    Slurp!


    Slurp!


    The two stayed in that position until they both reached their first orgasm. With that, Minos and Ruth could not wait any longer, and soon the young woman turned around, sitting on young Stuart''s erect mast.


    This was a position that Ruth liked a lot since she could control how deep Minos''s member went into her body...


    "Mmmm ~ Mmmm ~"


    Pah!


    Pah!


    The two kissed, and sounds of pounding meat could be heard  in their room while Minos''s rod entered and exited Ruth''s hole, as if in a piston motion.


    Ruth happily rubbed her waist in Minos''s intimate area, moaning heavenly as she felt her body heat rise.


    She could feel her little sister throbbing in pleasure, squeezing young Stuart''s stick harder and harder as if she were trying to ''milk'' him.


    And the two made these movements with as much intensity as they could, leaving sounds of breathing in the air, creating a sexual symphony, which had moans, breathing, beating flesh, and the sound of liquids coming out of the young woman''s cavity, each time the member of Minos came and went...


    The beautiful back of Ruth already exuded several drops of sweat, giving a shine that further embellished the almost perfect silhouette of Minos'' partner.


    Her butt glowed as if she were happy for what she was doing, at the same time, when the girl''s fragrance was beginning to enrich the air in that room...


    "Ahhh ~ I''m coming ~"


    After a few minutes, Ruth climaxed again, while her little sister let out more juices and squeezed Minos'' stick even tighter.


    "Ohhh ~"


    Almost as a reflex, Minos also reached the orgasm, releasing a large amount of his fluids into the young woman''s uterus, who was still happily riding on him.


    ...


    The two continued this for hours and then fell asleep together, sleeping peacefully for the rest of the night. After that, the day started to clear, and today he would finally finish his affairs in the Cromwell Kingdom!


    Minos was excited to return to his territories and see the changes that would undoubtedly have occurred. From the time he was away, the next harvest was due to happen, and that would allow many things to be done in the Dry City!


    Anyway, today he was ready to have the biggest fight of his life against a level 44 cultivator!

 Chapter 125: The Grand Final

    The day dawned sunny in Capital City, and early in the morning, this large city already had hundreds of thousands of people in the streets and squares.


    This was the most important day of the Spiritual Tournament, the grand final!


    For this reason, the entire event would be broadcast on giant screens in the squares of this city so that the population could see an event as important as this one.


    At this point, tickets to watch the fight in the arena were over, and thousands of people were already heading towards that place. The dispute for third place was scheduled to happen just before the sun was up, and soon after that, the final would happen!


    And for these last fights, even the king of the Cromwell Kingdom would come to watch, in addition to the many Spiritual Kings who were in the city at this time. After all, many families from the north of the Central Continent were watching this event.


    And so, the morning of this day started to pass while Minos was in the room where he and Ruth were staying, preparing for his last fight in the Spiritual Tournament.


    The two were finishing dressing up at this point while also preparing to get everything ready for their departure later.


    He then looked at the beautiful young woman beside him and said. "Come on, Ruth."


    "Hmm."


    After that, the two left towards the arena where the fight would occur.


    ...


    As they entered the entrance to the participants, Minos and Ruth suddenly came across some of the youths that they had met during these days of competition.


    There were Abby, Mona, Peter, Maxwell, and the two Carline siblings.


    Luke was not here since he was not close to Minos, and he too had already left this city. After all, the young master of the Nash family was only here to make it into the top 10.


    And since he had made it to the quarterfinals, his placement would undoubtedly be within the requirement passed by his father. With that, there was no longer any need for the young Luke to stay in the Cromwell Kingdom, as he had no interest in the Flaming Empire.


    Anyway, Minos then looked at the people in front of him and greeted them.


    "Good fight for you. I hope you win that guy." The beautiful young ginger said with a smile on her face. She had lost to Troy just yesterday, so she still had some resentment against him.


    "Well, I also came to wish you luck..."


    After that, everyone else spoke to Minos for a while before finally allowing him to enter the participants'' area.


    Mona and Kara also followed along with him since their fight would be the first of the day. But neither of them cared about the dispute for third place.


    Mona had much smaller cultivation than Kara, so the result was inevitable. She would only fight to show her resolve as a cultivator.


    As for Kara, this was just a formality before she was finally accepted by one of the sects.


    Anyway, the time has passed, and it was almost time for the fights to begin.


    However, this time the king had come to watch the match in person, so there was a whole official ceremony for the competition to begin.


    At this point, an old man about 2 meters tall, wearing a golden tunic, appeared on the balcony of the main VIP room of this arena. He had long white hair and no beard on his face.


    This was the current king of the Cromwell Kingdom, James Cromwell, who had a Black talent, level 59 and over 700-years-old!


    This was one of the 20 strongest men in the north of the Central Continent, being one of the few who had reached the peak of the Spiritual King stage!


    Next to this old man, four other figures appeared.


    The weakest of them was at level 55. These were the most prestigious generals in this kingdom and were here to accompany the king in this event.


    Meanwhile, the eight experts from the Flaming Empire were already on the terrace next door, greeting the king and his generals.


    "Your majesty, today you will see a great fight." Said one of them, with a friendly smile on his face.


    Although they were much more talented than this king, that was no reason for them to despise that person. In addition to being at a very high level for the region, he still opened the doors of his kingdom to receive them.


    Of course, both sides had their benefits, but there was no reason for these experts from the sects to be disrespectful to the inhabitants of this place, especially someone stronger than them.


    "Hahaha, I hope so. It''s been a few decades since I attended the last Spiritual Tournament, so I''m curious to see how this new generation will fare!" The king said as he smiled.


    The last edition of this competition that he had attended was more than 40 years ago when the tournament of that time was hosted in his kingdom.


    "I heard about these two young men who are going to fight in the final..." One of the generals started to speak while curiously looking at these specialists. He wanted to know if the rumors he had heard were really true.


    And so, soon they began to talk actively, while envoys from the empire praised the young people who had participated in this edition of the tournament.


    They were genuinely impressed. In this edition, there were so many good competitors that none of these people could stop talking about it.


    It must be said that such competition was not typical in previous editions of the Spiritual Tournament!


    "By the way, do you know where this Minos comes from?" Some of them asked. It was uncommon for someone without a last name to reach the final of this competition. So, they thought that Minos might have hidden his surname on purpose.


    Upon hearing this, all seven people looked in the direction of Sally, who was the only one who could know the answer.


    "I do not know either." She said quickly.


    And indeed, this was a fact. She didn''t even know that Minos had started cultivating less than two years ago...


    After all, his mother did not need to hand over all of her son''s information to this young woman, who had just received a mission to come and examine the final test of this edition of the Spiritual Tournament.


    So, Sally knew only some basic information, like the fact that Minos was raised by his father without help from the sect.


    "Oh! What a pity, then. But it doesn''t matter. With such talent, he will not waste his time in a backward place like ours..." The king sighed deeply.


    If this young man did not have a family, it would be worthwhile for the Cromwell family to nurture him. However, he would undoubtedly go to the Flaming Empire in the next few days...


    ''What a pity...'' One of the generals thought. Any family that had nourished young Stuart would have gained immensely with his going to the empire...


    ...


    Time passed quickly, and finally, the two girls had already taken the stage to decide the third place.


    Mona was wearing blue armor, which resembled a dress, while she had her beautiful hair tied in a ponytail.


    The beautiful young ginger was already wearing black armor, which greatly accentuated the beautiful body of Kara.


    And it wasn''t long before the fight was decided. The cultivation of the two was very different, so Kara had dominated her opponent from the beginning, winning her after a few exchanges.


    In the end, Kara won third place in this edition of the Spiritual Tournament, while Mona had to settle for fourth place.


    Anyway, this was the result that everyone expected. But what really mattered was that now it was the turn of the long-awaited confrontation between Minos and Troy.


    On the one hand was the competitor with the most extraordinary cultivation in the competition since the beginning, having dominated his opponents for all previous parts. On the other was the indecipherable monster, which no one understood where all his strength came from.


    And as they took the stage, the two stopped in front of each other and then waited for the match to start. Minos wore his traditional set of fighting clothes, without any armor and holding his elegant grade-2, low-level spiritual sword.


    On the other side was Troy, who wore light armor in black, which covered only the torso of the young man''s body. Other than that, he had no weapon in his hands since he did not use techniques that required the use of spiritual weapons.


    When they saw this, the whole audience stopped their conversations while waiting anxiously for the referee''s signal. This would probably be a fight to keep in mind, which could mark the beginning of the journey of these future specialists from the Central Continent!


    Therefore, no one wanted to miss any movement of these two youths. Who knows how long it could take before they had a chance to see geniuses of that level fighting? Nobody could answer that...


    ''Oh! So, it''s these two. This young man from the Newman family is amazing to reach that level so soon...'' King James Cromwell thought about it while seeing the young Troy.


    He still wasn''t paying attention to Minos. After all, this young man was only at level 39. And even though it was incredible for him to reach the final and the rumors that the king had heard, he still couldn''t see Minos in the same way that he saw to Troy!


    Finally, the judge finally approached the two young men and then asked. "Are you ready?"


    The two nodded their heads in agreement while making a similar noise. "Hmm."


    "Well, if that''s the case, you can start!"

 Chapter 126: The End of the Spiritual Tournament 1

    When permitting the fight to begin, the referee responsible for this fight soon ran towards the side of the stage, giving space for the two young men to fight.


    And upon hearing the referee''s permission, both Minos and the young Troy began to activate their battle techniques!


    Devouring Art!


    Indestructible Body!


    Spatial Sword!


    Minos immediately activated his only three fighting techniques, sparing no effort for this fight. The young Troy was at level 44, so this would be a very competitive fight, which he could lose if he didn''t use everything he had.


    Immediately after activating his techniques, the characteristic black ring appeared in the sky while already beginning to absorb Troy''s energies!


    However, due to the high difference in cultivation between the two, the absorption rate was not as high as it had been with the other opponents of Minos. But it was also not as bad as when he fought Ruth.


    Anyway, although this in itself does not affect Troy largely, it was still something that had an effect and helped Minos in this battle!


    Day Walk!


    At the same time, in which Minos activated his three techniques, the young Troy immediately activated his moving technique, moving towards the place where his opponent was.


    However, on entering the area around Minos, from up to 40 meters away, Troy immediately noticed that his body was suddenly getting heavier, with his speed dropping by more than 30%!


    ''This is truly incredible! He managed to affect me in such a way!'' Troy thought as he frowned. He was a little scared to see how effective Minos'' techniques were.


    Before the fight, he knew that his opponent was very strange, but it was always different to try something on your own...


    And now he could feel it on his skin. Not only had his speed been reduced, but he was also continually losing his energy, at a rate that, although not so great, certainly bothered him!


    As Minos saw Troy approaching him, he immediately began to perform his sword movements, sending it in several directions.


    Minos knew that Troy would be able to deflect many of his movements, since his speed technique was excellent, and he would not be so affected by the Spatial Sword.


    So, he had to corner his opponent, forcing him to have no choice but to defend himself!


    Swooish!


    Swooish!


    Several blades of air were created, cutting the path from Minos to the surroundings of Troy.


    Seeing this, Troy furrowed his brow, even more, feeling a chill in his spine. ''This can only be a joke... This attack is even stronger than mine!''


    He was shocked to feel that. Troy had only one Silver-grade technique, and it was focused on moving. For this reason, his defense and attack techniques were simply of the Black-grade, which provided him with only 70% of use.


    With that, even if he had more than twice as much spiritual energy as Minos, on each charge, he would have to spend more energy than his opponent, and yet, his moves would be a little weaker!


    Therefore, he could not spend his strength defending Minos'' attacks. He had to deflect and attack the young Stuart as soon as possible!


    Troy then put even more spiritual energy into his moving technique, deflecting all attacks that came towards him. At the same time, he was getting closer and closer to Minos as he prepared to activate his attack technique and deal severe damage to his opponent.


    Take down the sky!


    When he was only seven meters away from Minos, Troy punched the air, creating a powerful wind current towards the young Stuart''s chest, making the air of that place collapse.


    Rumble!


    Suddenly, the air seemed to collapse in that place as Minos slowly approached this attack. He didn''t want to deflect since his defense could absorb most of the damage.


    That way, just by receiving the attack of Troy, Minos could get closer to his opponent, managing to press him even more!


    To win this fight, he needed to make his opponent spend his energies defending himself from Minos'' attacks. Otherwise, it would be challenging for the young Stuart to achieve victory!


    Spatial Sword!


    Minos then activated his attack technique again, making smooth movements with his magnificent sword, totally ignoring Troy''s attack.


    ''Huh, you''re underestimating my attack, huh...'' Troy thought about it as he saw that Minos had no intention of deflecting or even defending himself.


    Swooish!


    Swooish!


    Quickly, Minos and Troy were very close to each other when the two would no longer be able to dodge the attacks that were coming their way.


    ''This guy is completely crazy! He''s not even wearing armor!''


    Iron Body!


    He immediately used his defense technique to coat his body with an iron-like layer, protecting him from physical attacks.


    Boom!


    Finally, the two young men received each other''s attacks!


    A slight noise sounded as a few cracks began to appear in Troy''s chest armor, as he took a few steps back. This attack had affected him a lot, and he had to spend a good part of his spiritual energy to defend himself.


    ''Shit, I can''t let this go on!''


    Simultaneously, Minos was pushed back while actively coughing, with a bloodstain on the left side of his mouth.


    ''Cough, ehh, that attack was powerful, huh... But now he must have spent a lot of his reserves...'' Minos thought about it while trying to stabilize himself. He then sighed and murmured to himself. "Let''s see who gets exhausted first!"


    Rumble!


    ...


    Time started to pass, and each spectator of this fight had eyes and mouths wide open in shock and excitement. This was truly a fight of the best quality!


    Many of them even thought that this could be a story to tell their future grandchildren...


    "Unbelievable! I knew they would have a great fight, but not to that extent!"


    "Hmm, but this Minos really deserves praise. Imagine if he was already at level 40... Not even the young Troy could stop him!"


    While the general public made some comments with each other, watching this disputed fight, in the VIP seats of this arena, the Spiritual Kings were all dazzled by what was happening there on that stage.


    King James then thought to himself as he admired the dazzled fight. ''But what an incredible strength this Minos has! Is this an innate skill?'' He thought about it, trying to answer the mystery of the young Stuart''s power.


    No one in this place would ever think of the chance that Minos would have a Golden-grade technique. This was simply absurd. After all, even Silver-grade techniques were very rare in this northern part of the Central Continent...


    There was also no way for them to recognize the degree of a technique in their cultivation levels.


    The old Oswald had only been able to understand this because he trained a technique of the Golden-grade classification, and he was already in the 8th stage of cultivation. With that, he not only knew the effects of this type of technique, but he could also use the sense of his soul to feel the fluctuations emitted by the techniques that Minos had used at the Peak of the Fog.


    Therefore, he had been able to feel that the young Stuart had an efficiency of about 200% over the energy he expended.


    However, it was impossible to feel this, below level 70, when people''s souls had not yet grown strong enough, so these Spiritual Kings could not identify it!


    In this way, King James could only think that Minos had some defiant innate ability, making it possible for him to be so strong.


    "Haha, this fight is excellent, but the young Minos will soon run out of energy..." One of the eight experts commented in a low voice while feeling the remaining energies of the two competitors.


    One of the two women in the group said in disagreement upon hearing this. "Don''t be so sure. Minos has been spending a lot less energy than Troy. The problem is that his reserves are less than his opponent, but that doesn''t mean that Troy will not run out before him."


    "Hmm."


    Several of them agreed with this while continuing to pay attention to any movements that the two young men made.


    Ruth was also watching this fight from one of the VIP lounges. She was very calm as she watched the fight. ''Hmm, soon this will end...''


    Unlike the other people around here, she was the only one who was not interested in the outcome of this confrontation. After all, she knew very well that it didn''t matter to Minos. And as for winning, well, that was just training for him. It wouldn''t be that different from what he did with her.


    The difference is that here he had a chance... But Ruth didn''t care about young Stuart losing. He had lost dozens of times to her, so what would be another defeat?


    Anyway, she was just looking forward to the two of them continuing their journey back to the Black Plain. She wanted to return to her sect as soon as possible so that she could go into seclusion. She wanted to do this until she reached level 50, when she could travel outside the empire whenever she wanted...


    ...


    At this point, the last blow of the fight was finally given!

 Chapter 127: The End of the Spiritual Tournament 2

    The last blade of air created by Minos was thrown, while the young man had a completely pale face. He had spent what he had on this attack, and there was no way for him to continue this fight.


    Swooish!


    At the same time, Troy tried to punch the air again, but he too was almost exhausted. He had received many blows from Minos in this fight, and as his defense was not as effective as that of his enemy, he had suffered much more physical damage!


    "Ahh!"


    Before the blade even hit him, the young Troy collapsed, letting out a wailing sound, while his vision blurred, and he plummeted slowly to the floor, hitting his face on the ground of the fight stage.


    He had lost consciousness after trying to create a new attack, but that was too much for him.


    However, that was also fortunate for Troy. Because he passed out and fell to the ground, he managed to dodge the tiny blade of air that was coming towards him!


    Seeing the result in front of him, Minos was pleased, but it did not last even a fraction of a second. Soon the young Stuart''s vision began to darken, causing him to pass out in that place where he was.


    For those who saw this scene, Minos seemed to want to say, ''I won,'' but while trying to do that, the young man who had some bloodstains on his body slowly fell backward, still with his eyes open.


    At this moment, when everyone was silent, a young woman screamed in surprise so that the whole arena could hear. "Both passed out!"


    "It seems that this is the case... But who will be the winner?"


    "Of course, it will be Minos. He still managed to send one last attack before he fell!"


    "That''s right! He was also the last to pass out!"


    "There is no such thing as the last to pass out! For me, the young Troy was better!"


    "What nonsense are you saying? In what world was Troy better? Of course, the young Minos won..."


    Soon the public began to discuss who should be the winner of this fight, taking into account only the opinion of each one...


    Some people supported the young Troy more, as there were many mysteries around Minos, and many did not like it. There were also those who did not know which side to stand on. After all, this was a great fight, which remained in balance most of the time.


    As for the argument that Minos was at a lower level, so he deserved to win, that was just nonsense. In the world of the strong, justifications like these were just bad excuses.


    If your cultivation is low, then you can only blame yourself and your own luck!


    At the end of the day, what really mattered was who won.


    The winner could tell what he wanted, and no one would remember the losers. That was the privilege of power, which could even make a bandit look like a godly hero, as long as he was successful!


    After all, the story was written by the winners, who could manipulate the truth in the most convenient way...


    Anyway, seeing this result, the eight experts from the Flaming Empire looked at each other and then started to argue.


    "I think the young Minos should be the winner."


    "No, that would be an injustice to the boy named Troy!"


    "But..."


    At this moment, the king, who was nearby, made a suggestion. "Why don''t we consider this to be a draw? This will certainly be good for the sects that receive these youths..."


    "This... It might be a good idea!"


    "Hmm, unless the two decide to go to the same sect, we can only tell our bosses that the competitor we took was the winner..." A young Spiritual King with blond hair said with a smile on his face.


    Some old men in the sects could cause problems if they saw two champions coming. But if the two competitors went to different places, these surly elders would not mind knowing what happened in a simple sieve like this...


    "Hmm, I think this can work."


    After deliberating for a few minutes, they finally communicated the result to the match referee. Upon hearing this, he immediately ran to the center of the stage and announced the result, while Minos and Troy were still lying in that area.


    "Ehh, ladies and gentlemen, the announcement that the Spiritual Tournament is over!" He sighed and then said it out loud. "Announcement that the result of this match is a draw!"


    "What?"


    "A DRAW?"


    Screams of surprise were heard, with many people unhappy with this result. Many of them had bet on the outcome of this fight, but now...


    "Shit! That bookmaker is going to have to return our money!"


    "Hahaha! It looks like the big winner here was the bookmaker!"


    "But this is also surprising. There has never been a tie in the Spiritual Tournament before!"


    "How will the ranking look now?"


    "Don''t worry. It will be announced soon." Someone was saying that when suddenly he said it. "Look there. The ranking screen is already working. It shouldn''t be long before it is announced!"


    ...


    While the audience was actively discussing the unexpected end of this event, Ruth was already running up to the stage to pick up Minos.


    She was also a little surprised by this result, as she knew that these sects would not give the privilege of a newcomer to learn a Silver-grade technique without having truly won this competition...


    ''Well, but that will not be a big problem since Minos will not go to any of these sects...'' She thought about it as she went up on stage and approached the unconscious body of the young man with brown hair.


    He was very sweaty and had minor injuries, but nothing serious.


    The worst was the depletion of spiritual energy, but that could be resolved in a few minutes. After he woke up, she could quickly deliver him some spiritual fruit, and he would have enough energy for them to continue their journey.


    The beginning of their journey did not have such dangerous regions, and they would fly most of the time. Thus, Minos did not need to be 100% prepared, as he had on the trip that the two had previously made.


    After that, it didn''t take long, and the final ranking of the competition started to appear on the arena screens.


    - 1st: Minos and Troy Newman


    - 3rd: Kara Carline


    - 4th: Mona Miller


    - 5th: Davy Hayes


    - 6th: Roger Aguilar


    - 7th: Luke Nash


    ...


    - 10th: Ford Carline


    ...


    - 12th: Peter


    ...


    - 16th: Abby Miller


    ...


    - 19th: Maxwell Meyer


    ...


    - 32nd: Todd Cohen


    When they saw this, everyone started debating the ranking order, while some checked their bets to see if they had matched the positions...


    "Haha, who is this Todd Cohen? I don''t remember this guy."


    "Hehehehe, he was one of the three brats who made it to the fourth test of the tournament before reaching level 40..."


    "Oh? Now that you said that, really, not all Battle Royale groups had level 40 participants!"


    ...


    Meanwhile, King James was currently debating with his generals when suddenly the eight young Spiritual Kings entered the VIP room in which the king was accommodated.


    One of them said. "Your majesty, after we choose the participants later, we will leave the Cromwell Kingdom."


    After saying this, one of them handed a medallion to the king and said. "As promised, the royal family will be able to send a talented youth at any time to one of the Flaming Empire sects. All he needs to do is show this."


    This was a common practice since the beginning of the competition. Whenever a kingdom hosted the event, the organization gave a spot directly to the royal family of that place.


    This was a form of incentive for these kingdoms to host this event and even give chances to the young people from other families. After all, the royal families in this part of the continent were both the richest and the strongest.


    Thousands of years old, these families had more techniques and resources than others. Therefore, the organization of the Spiritual Tournament came with this proposal to reduce the number of competitors coming from a royal family.


    Of course, some young people came from these powers, but they weren''t many. Also, families did not always have suitable members to participate in the tournament within the previous requirements...


    Anyway, after seeing this, King James smiled and thanked him. He was already waiting for this since this was not his first time hosting this tournament!


    With this opportunity given by the sects of the empire, royal families in the north of the Central Continent could maintain their dominance, remaining as the strongest in the region!


    ...


    At the same time, Minos and Ruth had already left the arena and were heading towards the city''s exit.


    At this point, the young Stuart had already recovered a little, and he didn''t look as bad as he used to. ''Ahh, I''ve never had such a close fight before...'' He thought to himself as he remembered what had happened.


    He did not count at times when he fought Ruth in his battle record. No, that was just training...


    Anyway, as they were heading out of this great city, suddenly two young men appeared in front of Minos and Ruth. They were accompanied by a middle-aged man, who was wearing black armor.


    One of the young men had long black hair, while the other had a strong body and short hair.


    These were the two young men that Minos had saved in the second test, Peter and Maxwell, precisely with the bodyguard of the second youth.

 Chapter 128: Returning to the Black Plain

    Upon seeing the three people in front of him, Minos soon understood what was about to happen. He had made an offer to the young Peter, and he had probably convinced himself to follow him.


    After all, it would be challenging for him to be chosen by one of the eight sects of the Flaming Empire.


    As for Maxwell, he too had not achieved a great ranking, so going to the empire with one of these sects was impossible for him. So, he should be returning to the Snow Kingdom, where his family was.


    The two young men already knew that Minos would not join one of these sects, so they were already prepared to come to him when it was time to leave.


    Minos then smiled and said. "Oh? Did you come to say goodbye?"


    "No. As you had previously proposed, I decided to follow you back to your territories." Peter said resolutely.


    And soon after, Maxwell also gave his answer. "I will accompany you for a while, and then I will make my way back to the Snow Kingdom."


    The Snow Kingdom was a long way from where they were. The young Maxwell and his guard had to ''skip'' the Brown Kingdom, following another state that bordered the Kingdom of Cromwell and the Flaming Empire.


    After crossing that kingdom, they would finally reach the Snow Kingdom.


    And although this kingdom is not located in the northern region of the Central Continent, as long as they kept their profile low, the trip would not be dangerous, with them traveling near the north limit of that state...


    "Hm, I see. Okay, but we''re going back as fast as we can go. I just intend to stop to rest on this route. Is it okay for you?"


    "Yeah." The two responded, nodding their heads.


    Of the two young men, Maxwell also had a 4th stage spiritual beast, as was the case with Ruth''s eagle. On the other hand, Peter had no spiritual beast since he had no family financing his expenses.


    With that, Maxwell and his bodyguard followed in their beast, while Peter went along with Minos and Ruth on the back of the great white eagle. And that would not hinder their journey since there was room for up to 3 people in the eagle''s seat.


    After that, the group quickly began to move, leaving the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom behind.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in Capital City, it had been a few hours since the end of the last event of the Spiritual Tournament. At this time, the group that had been classified was already lined up in the middle of a large hall, inside the arena where the competition had taken place.


    In this room, eight people were sitting side by side in large armchairs while talking to each other.


    In front of them were about 25 youths, who had managed to reach the fourth test of the competition. Among them were Minos'' acquaintances, Abby, Mona, Troy, Davy, Kara, Ford, Roger, and others from the various competitors ranked in the ranking.


    As they waited for their names to be summoned, suddenly someone asked in a low voice. "Hey! Where''s that Minos? Did he forget the time to come here?"


    "Hmm, that''s right, we''ve been here for 15 minutes already. I suspect these gentlemen are just waiting for him."


    "What an arrogant guy, just a little bit of strength, and he already acts like this!"


    Upon hearing this, Mona and Abby looked at each other and smiled. It seemed that Minos didn''t really care about it, just as he had said to them.


    As for Kara and her brother, they immediately responded when they heard this." Minos told us that he had no interest in going to the empire."


    After finishing saying this, all eight experts of the sect looked in the direction of the two siblings in surprise. Then one of them said. "Oh? Can you talk a little more about that?"


    Kara then took a step forward and then said it politely. "Minos told us that he didn''t want to join any sect. He was only here to improve his contacts and test his strength."


    ''What?'' Troy questioned in his mind.


    ''And me thinking that this guy could become my rival... But he is just someone with no ambition!''


    Troy was a little disappointed to hear this news. After all, this had been the first time he had met someone as talented as Minos. He even thought that if the two went to the Flaming Empire sects, then they would undoubtedly have a great rivalry for a long time...


    And that was actually something that Troy appreciated a lot. After all, rivals could boost each other, reaching even greater heights than they could generally achieve if they didn''t know each other!


    But it was a pity that Minos didn''t seem to think that way...


    Anyway, on hearing what Kara had said, of the eight experts, only Sally was not so shocked. After all, she already knew that Minos had refused to go to the Gray Cloud Sect with his mother, Maisie Coleman.


    She only had doubts about whether Minos would come to join a rival sect of the Gray Cloud Sect. But luckily, he seemed to despise them all and not just the sect behind Sally...


    ''Good thing... It wouldn''t look good if he went to a rival power!'' She thought as she let out a sigh of relief.


    At the same time, the seven Spiritual Kings were completely frightened by this. ''Who in their right mind would do that? Missing an opportunity that might not come back?'' They thought about it, trying to understand Minos''s mind.


    Going to an empire was not difficult. But it was very dangerous to go to such a place without the help or support of great powers.


    Just to give you an idea, in the Flaming Empire, there were as many people with Black talent as there were people with Blue talent in the north of the Central Continent!


    And not only that, while in the north of the Central Continent, it was not uncommon to find natural regions with spiritual beasts from the 5th stage, in the Flaming Empire, something similar happened. But in the case of this empire, 6th stage spiritual beasts were common!


    And this was obviously a severe problem. Even the strongest in the north of the Central Continent, they were only in the 6th stage of cultivation... If they traveled through the Flaming Empire, they would constantly be in danger!


    As for the number of people with Silver talent, these were almost as numerous as the people with Black talent in the north of the Central Continent.


    In fact, people with Silver talent were at the top of the power pyramid, not only on the central continent but on all human continents. After all, people with Golden talent were rare.


    Even in 100 million people, having someone like that would be incredible!


    Thus, the Spiritual World was generally dominated by individuals with Silver talent and ruled from the shadows by those with Golden talent, who managed to live long enough to reach high cultivation levels.


    Because of this reality, going to an empire where there were so many stronger and even more talented people was an absolute danger for someone from the impoverished north of the Central Continent.


    Therefore, few people tried to venture alone, leaving to seize the opportunity given by the sects of the Flaming Empire through the Spiritual Tournament. With that, if a single member of a family was successful, one day they could be taken to these regions safely, as had happened with the Red family of the Brown Kingdom.


    And it was for these reasons, the seven Spiritual Kings did not understand Minos'' decision. ''Does he have no bigger ambitions and just wants to live peacefully in this place?'' They had that thought in their minds.


    Anyway, one of them finally decided to speak. "Well, since that is the case, let''s get on with our business."


    "First, to the three youths who stayed in the top three positions, we are going to give them the right to choose any of the eight sects of the empire. Ehh, and even if Minos gave up, his position would not change..."


    The blonde man then looked at Troy and Kara and said. "Make your choices!"


    And it was not long before the two gave their answers. Kara had decided to go to Minos'' mother sect, the Gray Cloud Sect, while Troy chose the Holy Sect.


    After the two had finished speaking, the other woman in the group said. "Now, we are going to call the names of some of you who were chosen by one of the eight sects, and you must come to the person who calls your name. This will be your sect in the future..."


    She then sighed and said, remembering Minos''s case. "Of course you can refuse..."


    And shortly after that, those selected began to be called.


    "Davy Hayes."


    "Mona Miller."


    ...


    "Roger Aguilar."


    "And lastly, Ford Carline."


    After calling the names of 11 people, each of them was allocated to different sects, with Mona being in the same sect as Kara, the Gray Cloud Sect.


    The eight experts also called Luke''s name, but he was long gone...


    Anyway, after that, each of these competitors said goodbye to their groups that had come to the Cromwell Kingdom and then followed the eight young specialists to go to the Flaming Empire.


    They were all very excited about the idea of ??going to such a strong place and couldn''t wait to get to their new homes...


    As for Minos'' beautiful friend, Abby, unfortunately, she had not been summoned by any sects. And after saying goodbye to Mona, she and the bodyguards who came to the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom headed back to the Brown Kingdom, where the Miller family was based.


    ''Ahh! I''m happy for Mona, but now I''ve lost my best friend... Who knows how long it will take to see each other again...'' Abby thought to herself while she had a downcast look on her face.


    ''Who knows, I might end up visiting that disgusting Minos in the future...''

 Chapter 129: Arriving in the Dry City

    While Minos and his group traveled back to the Black Plain, another harvest had been carried out in the Dry City and sent to the Black Plain Army base on the coast of this territory.


    This time, the territory of Minos had planted about 200 hectares of land, which would yield approximately 800 tons of food, of which about 500 tons would be sent to Stone Island, where Elen Nash would sell them in his family''s markets.


    That was about 250% of the Black Plain''s initial amount sent to Stone Island in that first deal. With this, the butler Dillian hoped to collect about 5 million low-grade spiritual crystals, which would allow massive changes to take place in the territory of Minos.


    But they still had to wait a few days until the goods were delivered to the Nash family and they received the payment. However, Dillian was sure that he would already be with the crystals in hand as soon as Minos reached Dry City.


    However, for now, he would only invest in local agriculture, which could generate even more wealth in the future, and in the Black Plain Army, which was the only force that protected these businesses.


    As for the remaining crystals, the butler Dillian wanted to wait until Minos returned.


    After all, this was not far away, and he could have his own plans after traveling for so long!


    And as for the result of the Spiritual Tournament, well, although there are several newspapers in the Spiritual World, it would take a while for the news of this event to spread.


    The press in this world was not developed, so it took some time for the most relevant information to reach the entire northern region of the Central Continent.


    As for how these newspapers were, it was simple. It was like large leaflets, with texts on some subjects relevant to the general population, and were sometimes accompanied by drawings of the individuals mentioned.


    But that was not at all advanced. Someone could easily confuse the drawing with other people. After all, this was not a perfect image of the person portrayed...


    Anyway, but even if the news had already spread, it would undoubtedly take longer to reach the Black Plain since this region did not receive these journals frequently.


    But Minos'' subordinates were already sure what the result of their young master would be. After all, this was a competition for the younger generation, and it used to be not so dangerous...


    Anyway, things were going very well for the Dry City, which was growing every day and had already opened the Cohen family store in the city. With that, several soldiers, who had better salaries, had already placed orders in this new store.


    The most common sales were grade-1, low-level arrays, which could improve people''s quality of life. For example, the lighting array had been the most popular of all, as there were still many homes without these items.


    After all, even if the quality of life of the inhabitants of the Dry City has increased, the overwhelming majority of them could not afford to pay for such arrays. To give you an idea, a lighting set that could illuminate ten rooms cost 5,000 crystals!


    So, it would still be a while before the most humble families were able to collect the necessary crystals. As for the soldiers, they were dividing the account among themselves, as these items were sold in sets.


    But for soldiers who were in the rank of Sergeants, who earn 800 crystals a month, this was not such a vast expense, as it would considerably improve their quality of life.


    Anyway, the city was getting more and more illuminated in these last weeks, while the population''s spirits also increased almost to the same extent.


    ...


    A few weeks before...


    In one place in the Cromwell Kingdom, there was a large city with a few thousand people with a particular mark on their foreheads.


    This mark looked like a star, with most of it black and a skin-colored circumference in the middle of this symbol.


    This was a mark given to slaves from a particular family in the Cromwell Kingdom!


    At times, in this city, someone could hear the screams of men and women who were being beaten, for reasons that no one knew...


    These slaves worked in the various cultures planted in this region without receiving anything other than water and food.


    This was the real purgatory for many of these people, who, after working as animals, could still be unlucky enough to be beaten or even to see their daughters and women being raped by the lords of this land.


    This was the cruel reality of those who lived in this condition, not only in that place but in any part of the Spiritual World!


    Anyway, in a palace in the middle of the city, there was a room with dozens of lighted lamps while two elderly men were watching the place.


    This place was huge and almost looked like an extensive library.


    But all that was here were these lamps. If someone passed by this room, they would see the name above the entrance door: ''Soul Room.''


    As to what that meant, this was where the soul signs of all the relevant members of this family were. Each of those lamps means a life. That is, if one of these lamps went out, it meant that the people who owned that sign had died!


    At this moment, one of the lamps that were in one of the best positions in this place suddenly went out.


    Seeing this, the old man who was watching this side of the room suddenly got up and went to the place where the lamp had gone out. ''It looks like someone important died...'' The old man sighed as he walked over to the shelf.


    On this first shelf were the signs of the soul of the most important members of this family, who were either Spiritual Kings, or were children and close relatives of these individuals.


    Upon arriving in front of the place where the lamp had gone out, the old man took a token that was below the lamp, which had the information of the owner of that sign of the soul.


    Looking at the token, the old man suddenly paled, feeling a cold running down his spine. He accidentally dropped the plug on the floor while he had a bleak look on his face. ''Shit, the son of the supreme elder died!''


    ''Why did this happen right on my shift? I hope that old devil doesn''t kill me in the heat of the moment...'' The old man then started to leave the room with a terrified look on his face.


    At this point, there was not much to do. If he tried to delay the news, it could be even worse for him.


    The old man could only pray that the supreme elder was not on a bad day, or else...


    Meanwhile, on seeing that his colleague on duty had left the place, the other old man suddenly turned his head and looked in the direction of where there was a token on the floor.


    He then got up and went to the place while murmuring. "Eh? What happened to old Glen? Does he became senile, and he could not even keep things in order here?"


    He then came to the side of the spot where there was a light out, with no token. The token that was missing was just a few steps away, on the floor, and turned upside down.


    ''Who is it that made old Glen so nervous not even to return the token to the place?'' The old man wondered.


    However, seeing the name that was written on that file, the old man suddenly shuddered while he thought. ''Ahh, how lucky I wasn''t the one who saw this... I hope old Glen won''t be killed just for telling the bad news...''


    After saying this, the old man put the token in place and went back to observing the area.


    If someone came into this room right now and looked at that token, then he or she would see the name written in red.


    "Leroy Chambers."


    ...


    Time quickly passed, and Minos and his group had already left the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom about three weeks ago. During this time, in the first week of the trip, Maxwell had said goodbye to them and followed the rest of his journey to the Snow Kingdom.


    After that, Minos, Ruth, and Peter headed towards the Black Plain, flying quickly, stopping only to rest in the cities where they passed.


    On certain days he did not have a chance to sleep in a city, as there were some vast forest regions in the northern part of the Cromwell Kingdom. Thus, they slept in shifts and returned to travel as soon as the morning.


    In the meantime, Minos also learned a little about the young Peter''s past. He had been born with a Black talent, even though he was the son of a father and mother with a blue talent. But he, for some reason that he did not say, had not joined by any noble family in the Kingdom of the Waves.


    However, Peter had met an old man in his city, who decided to support the young man, letting him learn two techniques of Black-grade, one cultivation and the other of attack techniques. And because of that, the young Peter had managed to advance to his current level, even without the support of large families.


    He had also trained hard to fight spiritual beasts. He went alone to the Cromwell Kingdom to participate in the Spiritual Tournament, traveling for months while constantly fighting, improving his cultivation speed!!


    Anyway, time ran out, and the three of them had finally arrived at the Black Plain!

 Chapter 130: Changes in the City

    Upon arriving near the Dry City, the three youths on the great white eagle began to admire the view from above.


    There were four times more cultivated fields at this time than when Minos left this city. The green was much more abundant, while many people could be seen working in these areas.


    Today this field of culture is located a few kilometers from the city, close to a large artificial lake, which can also be seen from afar.


    Looking from the top where they were, they could see the cultivated land that looked like a grid, with different shades of green and some colored spots.


    When added to the lake that was nearby, these squares formed a mosaic, created a beautiful image to be seen.


    Seeing this, the young Peter was amazed.


    Peter had heard that the territory of Minos was the Black Plain, but he did not believe that until now. For him, the young Stuart was trying to play a trick on him, telling a joke like this...


    However, seeing the changes in this place, the young man cannot help but sigh in surprise.


    He knew the Black Plain and the Dry City. After all, he was a young man without the support of large families. To reach the Cromwell Kingdom, he spent almost two years traveling alone while hitchhiking with some merchants along the way.


    So, he knew what this place was like before Minos arrived since he had spent a few weeks here until he managed to continue his journey.


    ''Unbelievable! It seems that Minos indeed has his means!'' He thought in awe. He didn''t care if the power of Minos'' forces was much less than he thought. For him, who had no support, joining the Black Plain Army was already a significant advance.


    Not to mention that he had heard some of Minos'' plans for this place, which had made him yearn to see it. And it was truly a wonderful feeling to be part of creating something.


    So, he was starting to get more and more excited to see that this place actually was like what the young Stuart had said.


    Meanwhile, the bird began to descend when the silhouette of the entire city could finally be seen. Seeing this, Minos smiled with satisfaction because it seemed that the Dry City had absorbed almost all of the Yellow City!


    Just for the current construction area, Minos could see that it was at least twice as much as when he left!


    That meant that the Yellow City should be almost empty now, which was part of his plans for that place.


    Seeing all these changes, Ruth was no longer as surprised as she had been the other time, but she still couldn''t help but admire what was going on here. This place kept growing and seemed to be getting more and more like a big city.


    ''I wonder how this place will be the next time I come here...'' She thought with a smile on her face.


    Due to her current cultivation speed, it could take 2 to 3 years to reach level 50, which would be when she could leave the Flaming Empire on her own.


    With that, she could not help but imagine the size of the change of this place in this period.


    Anyway, it didn''t take long, and the great white eagle landed on the city''s south side. Soon after, the three went to the central region, where Minos'' mansion was located.


    In doing so, the three passed some guards at the city entrance, who immediately recognized Minos. They greeted him with big smiles on their faces, as if their savior had arrived.


    It didn''t take long, and the group of Minos was already walking through the new streets of the Dry City. But they were not lost. No, the growth of this place followed the planning of the young Stuart, so even if the city had gotten ten times bigger, he could still easily arrive at his mansion.


    Meanwhile, Peter admired every new construction and landscape in this city. It seemed to him that this place had been destroyed and rebuilt.


    Everything was different. The streets were wider. There were many lampposts, trees, squares, buildings with more than five floors, etc.


    And after some time walking, the three finally arrived at Minos'' mansion. The place was even busier than usual, and whenever someone passed the trio of visitors, they would soon recognize their boss and greet him.


    While talking to these people, the three finally came near Minos'' office, where secretary Mia was sitting behind a desk, reading a pile of papers.


    Mia had been receiving an excellent salary recently since she played a crucial role in managing the city. And with that, she had invested a lot in her cultivation, which has now reached level 33!


    But Minos didn''t know that, as he still couldn''t feel someone''s level on his own. Finally, when she saw the visitors who had arrived, Mia quickly got up to receive them, when she finally saw who she was.


    "Young master! You are finally back!" She said with a sincere smile on her face.


    "Hmm, it''s good to see you again. But tell me, is grandpa Dillian here?"


    "Yes, young master. He''s in your office right now."


    After hearing this, Minos immediately went to his office to find the butler Dillian after so much time away. He was the closest Minos had to a family, so young Stuart missed him a little after being away for such a long time.


    Upon entering his office, Minos immediately saw a middle-aged man drinking a cup of spiritual tea while sitting comfortably in an armchair.


    He had some papers in his left hand, and he seemed pretty focused.


    However, upon hearing the door being opened, he suddenly turned and saw Minos and Ruth in that place.


    At this time, the young Peter had been taken by secretary Mia to visit the place where he was going to live. It was too early for him to get involved in the daily affairs of this city.


    Finally, when he saw that Minos had finally returned, Dillian let out a sigh of happiness and quickly started talking about what had happened at the Spiritual Tournament.


    Minos hid almost nothing from his trip, except for his moments of fun with Ruth, as that would have made no difference to the butler. He was also not the type to boast of his achievements in these matters, so there was really no point in talking about it.


    Anyway, it was a very long story, which made the group stay a few hours just because of the events that happened on this journey that he and Ruth had done.


    Anyway, Dillian now knew about the young Peter''s coming to the Black Plain Army, about Leroy''s death, which could cause some problems for them since many people knew about it.


    And when he finished listening, the butler just let out a big breath.


    He could remember when he was traveling across the north of the Central Continent with his friend, Albert. Time had passed, and today, he couldn''t see himself doing it again.


    After that, Minos finally asked. "And then? What happened here during this time that I was away?"


    The butler smiled and then started talking about the most relevant things. "To begin with, the Black Plain Army now has about 1,200 soldiers. This was done a few days ago, so many of the new members are still getting used to their new techniques."


    "As for agriculture, now, in the production that started a few days ago, we have a total of 400 hectares planted, which provide labor for 40,000 inhabitants in our city."


    "As for the population of the Dry City, we currently have just over 100,000 inhabitants!" He then smiled and said. "The migration from the Yellow City here is almost completely done, and it should not be long before all the former inhabitants of that place are living here."


    "And after making all the recent investment, we have a total of just over 2.3 million low-grade crystals to invest. I did not touch those values so that the young master could better choose how to invest it." The butler finished with a smile on his face.


    He was delighted with the way things were going in this city. Seeing a place develop was like watching a child that you nurtured to grow up and conquer the world. So, he was happy with his current job.


    Minos was delighted with what he had heard, and then he changed the subject, saying. "What about the City of Waters? Do we already know who is behind that place?"


    This was an essential issue for Minos.


    After all, after completely absorbing the population of the Yellow City, it would not be long before the Dry City began to run out of labor.


    For this reason, they needed to attract people from other regions, and preferably, from more distant places, such as the City of Waters.


    "Hmm, we already have the results of weeks of research..."

 Chapter 131: Farewell (18+)

    "Oh? So, what was the result?" Minos asked in curiosity.


    The butler then began to report the findings of the soldiers who had infiltrated that place. "Well, to start with, we found out about the family that has sovereignty over that place."


    "This is the Stokes family, a noble force in the Cromwell Kingdom. But it is not as prominent in that realm as the big families there. To make a simple comparison, the average power of this group must be equivalent to that of the Gill family, of our Brown Kingdom."


    Dillian paused for a moment, drank some tea, and continued to speak. "From what we have discovered, this family also has another region under its domain, which is on the northern coast of the Cromwell Kingdom, which is where their headquarters are. As for the City of Waters, this place is managed by the subordinates of the Stokes family."


    "Hmm, I see... So, this must be a force with some Spiritual Kings. It seems that we cannot act openly this time..." Minos said, massaging his face in a thoughtful expression.


    Dillian then smiled and spoke his plan. "But I think we can still get something out of this place. Noble families only care about the amount of crystals that it can take from its domains, so I think that if we pay some amount to that family, we can get the unemployed population out of that place."


    The butler had already been thinking about this issue for several days and concluded that this problem could be resolved with spiritual crystals and not battles!


    After all, they were still far from being able to fight families with Spiritual Kings!


    Thus, considering what the soldiers had reported, Dillian had thought of a way to reach an agreement with that place. He knew that the people of that place had to pay an annual tax of 10 low-grade spiritual crystals per person.


    But the unemployed population, in addition to paying this tax, did not generate any other income for the City of Waters.


    That being the case, Dillian believed that if the Black Plain paid a certain amount for every unoccupied person who left that city, then the sovereign family there could gladly accept it!


    "Oh? This really seems like a good idea... This is good, let''s leave it that way for now, and when our workforce is closer to not supply our demand, then I will take a trip to that place to deal with it."


    After saying this, Minos said goodbye to Dillian and went to his room, together with the beautiful Ruth.


    They had just arrived in Dry City, so they both needed to rest for a while.


    They still needed to sleep and eat regularly, as their levels were still very low. Only after reaching level 50, these needs would start to diminish more and more.


    This was also related to the amount of spiritual energy in their bodies. From that level, cultivators had to start using medium-grade crystals for cultivation, as there was a big difference in spiritual energy between Spiritual Kings and Spiritual Generals.


    As a result, the amount of energy from low-grade crystals would no longer be sufficient for cultivation. There would be a need for the use of higher-grade crystals.


    As for only the fleshy body of the cultivators, without the use of spiritual cultivation, in this stage, they would already be as strong as people with cultivation in the 5th stage!


    For this reason, cultivators were finally able to sleep less and even go longer without eating. Of course, most people continued to eat and sleep regularly, as these were activities enjoyed by most people.


    However, the need to do this was no longer so great, even after long trips like the one Ruth and Minos had made.


    Soon, the two took a long hot shower and went to sleep together.


    ...


    After spending a few hours sleeping, the two youths had woken up and were hugging each other right now.


    Despite being covered by a large blanket, Ruth was wearing only her underwear, while Minos wore only short shorts.


    When they woke up, the two kissed for a while until Minos finally asked. "How many days will you be here?"


    "I think I''ll be leaving the day after tomorrow. Otherwise, I won''t be able to arrive within the deadline given by the sect..." She said in a low voice as she followed her lips to Minos'' ear.


    Hearing this and feeling what the young woman was beginning to do, Minos smiled and said. "Well, then, we can''t waste that remaining time..."


    After that, they started playing with each other while they kissed and touched each other''s sensitive parts.


    Minos soon threw the blanket that was covering their bodies away while enjoying the beautiful body of the young woman. She was definitely perfect, with a slim waist, big butt, and full breasts.


    The two kissed while one took off the remaining pieces of clothing that the other wore, occasionally playing with each other''s sensitive points.


    And quickly Ruth''s pink slit was exposed, already wet and glistening with her love liquids. Minos then slowly turned his young companion, placing her little sister right in front of his face while his rod was left for Ruth.


    "Ahh ~"


    Soon after that, Ruth began to moan sensuously, feeling involuntary spasms all over her body. Minos already knew exactly what to do to make the girl''s body in the best conditions, making it even more sensitive and hot. Even when he had just started kissing her hole, Ruth could barely hold her voice.


    And while she felt the heavenly pleasure given by Minos'' tongue and fingers, Ruth did not stand still and soon began to do a fine job of mouthing to the young man''s stick.


    Slurp!


    Slurp!


    The characteristic sounds were heard when Ruth began to swallow Minos''s rod ravenously, placing almost half of the young Stuart''s member in her mouth. And even though she didn''t get to the bottom of it, her mate''s stick was gradually going deeper and deeper into her throat.


    "Mmmm ~"


    At the same time, while she was joyfully sucking the stick of Minos, Ruth massaged the balls of her companion while feeling, at the same time, her body heating up.


    They were getting better and better at pleasing each other, to the point that after just a few minutes, the two had already reached their orgasms.


    Squirt!


    "Ahn ~"


    The juices of Ruth''s love were poured into Minos''s face, while at the same time, the young girl swallowed every drop released by the young Stuart''s stick.


    After tasting each other''s flavor, it didn''t take long, and the two began to have sex like animals, while various sounds were emitted from this place.


    Pah! Pah!


    "Mmmm ~ Faster ~"


    Sounds of flesh sounded in the room while Minos'' rod pierced Ruth''s cave repeatedly and the fluids of the two streaked, spying on their still-connected bodies.


    Ruth''s excited little sister could no longer hold on for a long time and soon began to contract further, massaging her partner''s limb and releasing more lubricating fluids.


    She wished for more, even if she had already had multiple orgasms. That was the feeling that Ruth could go a long time without having... So, her little sister seemed even more sensitive today.


    Pah! Pah!


    Minos then placed the sensual young woman leaning against one of the walls of this room, holding her breasts with one hand and massaging the pink pearl in the middle of the young woman''s legs.


    While doing this, he pushed his rod into Ruth''s naughty hole, making the young woman moan in ever-higher tones while her hard nipples rose and fell.


    "Ahh ~ If you do it like this ~ I won''t be able to hold myself ~" She said as she breathed fast, feeling the pleasures of the flesh as much as she could.


    "Ohh ~"


    Time passed, and soon the night was moving away from the horizon when the two youths were still having wild sex with each other.


    The two looked like two animals in heat, who could barely stand close to each other.


    The pungent smell of fluids permeated the young Stuart''s room while the two slowly slowed down their ''activity.'' They were utterly sweaty as if they had stayed in a sauna while breathing quickly due to the great exhaustion of doing this for so long in a row.


    Their bodies had several red marks, and their fluids could still be seen in each other''s private parts when the two began to fall asleep.


    After a wild sex session, it was really nice to take a nap...


    ...


    Anyway, two days passed in the blink of an eye, and after spending most of the time in the room, it was finally time for Ruth to return to her sect in the Flaming Empire.


    She had left the Dry City as soon as the day had cleared, after saying goodbye to Minos with several hours of carnal pleasure.


    After that, she quickly followed the path back to her sect with her great eagle.

 Chapter 132: Spiritual General!

    After Ruth''s departure, Minos immediately went to the Spatial Kingdom, which he hadn''t done for several weeks!


    Shortly after arriving at a private location, he activated his ring and was teleported to a place near the large house beside the lake.


    When he felt the scenery changing around him, Minos immediately saw a big fox 2 meters high with five tails lying in a corner near the lake, while a little fox with two tails ran from side to side, playing with a stone.


    These were the pair of mother and daughter, who had not seen Minos for a long time. And when she saw that someone was arriving at this place, Kyla immediately ran to Minos while making sounds in her beast language.


    "Au! Au! Au!"


    Two of her fangs swung ferociously while the little fox jumped on Minos'' legs, climbing up to his shoulder. In doing so, she soon began to lick the young man''s right cheek while letting out sounds of joy, actively waving her two little tails.


    Kyla was very monotonous these last few days, as there is not much to do here.


    There was no one else but her mother, and she had already run all over this place in the meantime. So, she was delighted to see Minos arriving at this place.


    "Look at you. It''s getting bigger!" Minos said with a smile on his face as he took the little fox and massaged her little head.


    At the same time, Emlyn got up, coming over to Minos''s place, and said. "Oh? You finally came back... I thought you forgot about this place!"


    Minos then nodded and said as he looked at the big fox in front of him. "Hmm, I was traveling, and I couldn''t come here. But now I am back in my city."


    "By the way, what did you do with that medicine that I sent here?"


    "I tried to put it on the ground. But luckily, this place is vibrant, and the plants do not need meticulous care. Otherwise, you would have lost that medicine." She then laughed and said. "You were lucky. Little Kyla almost ate your plant when it appeared here..."


    Minos then raised the little fox with both hands, leaving it at eye level, and then asked. "Oh? That''s right?"


    But tiny Kyla couldn''t understand human language. She just showed a happy look in her big eyes.


    "Au! Au!"


    After that, Minos just laughed and then put her down.


    He intended to talk to Emlyn about what he had found out about that organization that had kidnapped the fox couple earlier.


    Minos had seen a person in clothing marked by the symbol that Emlyn had described in the Cromwell Kingdom. Also, Ruth had told him what empire that group came from. With that, even though he couldn''t do anything about it, at this point, he still wanted to update the great mother fox.


    ...


    Time passed, and after talking with Emlyn for a while, Minos finally got ready to cultivate. He was already at the limit of cultivation in the 4th stage, so he was prepared to move on!


    It didn''t take long, and he sat in a meditative position, in front of the lake that was in this place.


    Minos had already taken off almost all of his clothes, being dressed only in short shorts. After all, the advance of stages eliminated many impurities from the cultivators'' bodies. For that reason, Minos wanted to be wearing as few clothes as possible!


    He soon began to circulate his cultivation technique, Solar God Breath, while feeling the sun rays of the Spatial Kingdom reach his body, further stimulating his cultivation speed.


    There was also a certain amount of low-grade spiritual crystals scattered on the floor where he was, as it shone and gradually lost its energy.


    Using crystals was the fastest way to obtain spiritual energy, and doing so in an area of ??high spiritual concentration, made cultivation even better. This was as if the natural spiritual concentration of the environment was pressing the spiritual power of these crystals towards people who were cultivating.


    Because of that, cultivation with spiritual crystals was even better in regions like the Spatial Kingdom, which was very saturated with free spiritual energy in nature!


    Anyway, Minos began to absorb the energies of those crystals quickly, while his cells slowly began to change.


    This was not a small or fast change.


    The change in the physical body happened little by little while he was breaking for the next step, improving the natural energy present in the cells, removing toxins, and stimulating vitality.


    It was as if at this moment, the young Minos'' body was being repaired from the many problems, errors, scars, aging, etc. This was the effect of spiritual cleansing that happened from one stage to the next!


    Time passed, and the young Stuart''s body had already expelled several toxins, which were now scattered around him. A considerable amount of a black, gooey substance could be seen, continuously leaving Minos''s body.


    The smell was so strong that even the two foxes, who were hundreds of meters away, could smell it.


    "What a horrible smell!" Emlyn thought while she had a disgusted look on her face.


    For spiritual beasts, it even had a spiritual cleansing similar to that of humans. Still, its toxins were far less numerous in quantity. In addition, spiritual beasts were more compatible than humans with spiritual energy, so it had even less rejection of the medicines it ate.


    For this reason, it did not release a very small amount of impurities during its advances...


    That was why Emlyn was disgusted by what was happening to Minos. Tiny Kyla was also looking disgusted as she tried to hide her snout in her mother''s body.


    Crack!


    Not long after, Minos'' spiritual energy finally reached the beginning of level 40, releasing a cracking sound from his body!


    Quickly Minos felt all the changes in his body while opening his eyes and felt that his techniques had also moved up, having become even stronger after this advance.


    But immediately, he stopped thinking about it and went straight to the big house so that he could get the stink out of his body.


    This time the spiritual cleansing went much deeper than before, so there were more impurities that had been expelled from his body.


    And as soon as he cleaned himself up, Minos stopped in front of a mirror in the room where he had entered and then stopped to observe his appearance.


    He had improved a lot, and now he looked much more handsome than before, with many apparent muscles all over his body, muscles he never realized that he had...


    ''Incredible! It is no wonder that the majority of the young people who are at this level look much more dazzling!'' Minos thought about it with a glorious smile.


    Ruth herself had a body that was already almost perfect... Minos couldn''t help but think about what she would look like at higher levels. ''Hahaha, I''m going to put that thought aside for now...''


    Anyway, his appearance had evolved as a whole, and now he was finally able to feel the energy of heaven and earth!


    This was a wish that all people below the 5th stage had since it could make their lives much easier!


    This could be used to feel the spiritual energy of living beings, but it also helped to probe the surroundings, increase the amount of energy absorbed during the cultivation, better understand their own techniques and those of enemies, etc.


    That was why most of Minos'' opponents in the Spiritual Tournament knew about how his techniques worked, just from watching him fight.


    Of course, this was not the same as being affected by these techniques, but it was enough for them to know that, for example, when entering the area surrounded by the black ring, their spiritual energies would be absorbed.


    So, this was a very useful ability in fights!


    After feeling his surroundings for the first time, Minos put on a piece of clothing and then left the house to go and train his spiritual techniques. He would also learn a new technique today, which would be specialized in movement!


    This was the technique that Minos lacked at this moment since he had none of this type. And because of that, he hadn''t been able to beat the young Troy in that Spiritual Tournament final!


    The young Troy had an excellent moving technique, which allowed him to avoid many of Minos'' attacks. But that only worked because his opponent did not have such a technique yet. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to be able to pull a tie from Minos!


    Anyway, before he started doing that, he quickly probed the strength of the two foxes and found that they were already at levels 49 and 12. ''Oh? As I expected, she was at the peak of the General Spiritual stage when I met her...''

 Chapter 133: Improvement

    After passing by the two foxes, Minos went to the open ground in front of the lake house and then took a golden scroll from his spatial ring. This was the technique he had chosen to learn at this stage of cultivation that he had achieved.


    The technique was called Explosive Steps, Golden-grade, 6 phases. The first phase of the technique could make the user reach a speed of 50 meters per second, reaching 1,600 meters per second in the final phase!


    It could also increase average flight speed by three times! But for that, the user would have already reached the level of a Spiritual Emperor since this was the minimum level for someone to fly.


    Other than that, there was no time restriction for this technique. As long as the user could continue to supply spiritual energy, he could travel vast distances, even on foot!


    "Mounts? I don''t need one! With my own legs, I can go around the world in a few days!"


    When reading this, Minos almost wanted to laugh at whoever had left such a technique behind... But it really was very effective. After all, high-level spiritual beasts would not turn into mounts in this world.


    So, even if someone was at a high level, having 6th stage mounts could already be considered the maximum. Above that, these beasts were already seen as specialists, even in human forces from the Central Continent.


    After all, even if there was a particular bias from the humans of this continent, the forces of this place were not yet stupid to waste such beasts, treating them as mounts.


    In general, the powers that had beasts above the 6th stage allocated them as protectors. In a few cases, they could even govern certain places.


    Anyway, if someone wanted to travel long distances, that person would probably need to adjust to the speed of weaker beasts or should walk their paths on their own. Consequently, this technique that Minos had chosen seemed very interesting to him.


    Minos soon started training in the technique while occasionally running around the Spatial Kingdom.


    He ran from side to side while activating the technique and suddenly increasing his speed. This was creating a funny image to see, so much so that the two foxes were around, laughing at the constant falls of Minos.


    After all, it was pretty challenging to get used to such a brutal speed change. Before this technique, he could barely move at half the speed that this new technique enabled!


    So, while learning the basics of the technique, Minos had fallen many times, sometimes rolling across the floor of that place for several meters.


    "Au! Au!" Tiny Kyla commented to her mother as she rolled over on the floor.


    Emlyn then laughed and said. "He''s not throwing himself on the floor on purpose!"


    After doing this until he reached the ten kilometers mark, Minos finally stopped after activating the technique for the last time.


    It was indeed a speedy technique. To give you an idea, the technique used by the young Troy was classified as Silver-grade, but it only made his speed reach 40 meters per second. And although the difference is not so significant, this is because Minos'' technique was only in the first stage...


    So, after getting used to his new technique, the young Stuart rested for a while and then began his training on his old techniques.


    He wanted to feel how much it had changed after he leveled up!


    Minos started with his support technique when he suddenly used some of his spiritual energy and activated it.


    Devouring Art!


    Simultaneously, the characteristic black ring rose to the sky from the body of Minos while slowly expanding the range. The black fog inside it was even more concentrated, and the noise emitted was more noticeable.


    The ring quickly reached the surroundings up to 100 meters away from Minos while absorbing the spiritual energy of an array that the young man had previously set up.


    ''Hmm, the conversion factor has increased to 30% of the energy absorbed!'' He celebrated with himself. Each increase in this conversion factor meant that he could use his techniques even more in battle!


    With this, he could spend even less of his own energy, increasing his fighting proficiency!


    After that, Minos started to train his attack technique.


    Upon activating it, the space around 80 meters from him suddenly froze as if time had stopped. In doing so, he took a moment to enjoy the sight of many leaves standing in the air.


    If the restrictive characteristic of his technique increased, it meant that he could affect even more enemies and was also more likely to prevent breakouts from happening!


    He also realized that both the attack and defensive techniques approached a domain in which he could freely choose who to use its effects. He could prevent his technique from stealing spiritual energy from his allies and that his companions were not affected by the Spatial Sword''s restraint!


    But he felt he could only do these things in the next phase when he also reached level 50. But that was a long way off, so Minos had put that idea aside.


    Minos also trained his defensive technique, but this was the one that showed the slightest improvement.


    It had only further increased the resistance that its user''s body would receive upon activating it, but it had not yet reached the point where the young Stuart could use it to attack. No, that was something it would still take for him to achieve...


    After that, he sat down with the two foxes, resting from his tough training session.


    "Emlyn, how long will it take you to reach the 6th stage?" Minos asked curiously as he held tiny Kyla in his hands.


    "I think in less than two months..."


    Spiritual beasts had outstanding cultivation speeds since they were more compatible with spiritual energy.


    Nine-tailed foxes cultivate almost as fast as Silver-talented humans that used Silver-grade cultivation techniques.


    But that didn''t apply to all beast races. The nine-tailed foxes were very well classified, and that is why they had such good cultivation speeds. But even though they have more aptitude for spiritual energy, it didn''t mean that these beasts were stronger than humans, in general.


    That''s because, billions of years ago, when this world was still young and did not have an established cultivation system, one of the first humans to cultivate managed to create what would be the first cultivation technique!


    Before that, humans cultivated without techniques, but that was thousands of times more difficult since humanity''s natural aptitude was not great for this type of activity.


    In increasing aptitude, it was: humans, spiritual beasts, and elves.


    Elves had innate abilities, spiritual beasts had monstrous physical strengths, and some of them also had unique skills. As for humans, on the other hand, they were the least proficient in cultivating.


    However, before there was contact between the three main races of this world, the first human techniques had been circulating for a long time on the Central Continent!


    This allowed humanity to continue to exist, even though it did not have as much aptitude as its fellow elves and beasts. Anyway, humanity had dealt with this problem by creating cultivation techniques.


    The first one was classified as White-grade, and through countless years, these techniques were getting better and better, having reached the peak with the first God of humanity, Henricus Longus!


    Anyway, all this effort had made up for the tremendous initial difference that existed between the three dominant races of this world. But still, beasts and elves are naturally more blessed by the skies and don''t even need techniques to be as fast as humans!


    Anyway, after spending time talking to the foxes, Minos left the Spatial Kingdom, promising little Kyla that he would bring her friend here.


    The little fox had made friends with the young Alison, so she missed playing with that young girl.


    Emlyn had translated everything for her daughter so that she would understand what he had said.


    ''Ah, now that I''ve increased my level, I have to worry about dealing with some bureaucratic issues...'' Minos thought about it, walking towards his office.


    He had a good amount of crystals in hand, so he wanted to start some projects for the Dry City. On this trip to the Cromwell Kingdom, he had seen many things that he wanted to bring here.


    He intended to build a cultivation tower and a fighting arena. With this, Minos hoped to increase its citizens'' speed while also stimulating battles.


    Fights could improve the speed of cultivation as well, and even if it did not, cultivators could still improve their understanding of their respective techniques. With that, Minos would reward the best fighters in the arena, making these people learn to appreciate and participate in the fights in the city''s arena!


    He also had other plans for the city, but it would still need time and more resources for these other things. So, at this point, he wanted to focus only on these two projects until he could do more for this place.


    And among some of the things that Minos wanted to do as soon as possible was to increase the number of alchemists in the city. There were only two of them, and the two of them were barely able to breathe lately...


    There was still no array master or a blacksmith in the Dry City. This needed to be resolved as soon as possible since this place was already big enough to have nothing like this...

 Chapter 134: An Opportunity

    After arriving at his office and starting to analyze the day''s affairs, Minos soon received a brief report from secretary Mia.


    "Young master, I have an update on the construction of the city''s wall."


    "Oh? How is it doing?" Minos asked curiously.


    He had authorized the construction of this wall around the Dry City shortly before leaving for the Cromwell Kingdom.


    This wall served the vital purpose of protecting and hiding some secrets from unwanted visitors.


    It had been designed to be about 15 meters high and 6 meters wide, going around the entire city. This wall had also been planned to leave an internal area of ??the town, which could accommodate up to 500 thousand people.


    So, with this work, Minos planned to protect his territory for the next few years, while this place was not yet strong enough.


    And even though there was not much movement of people arriving in the Dry City, which was less than 5,000 visitors a year, Minos still wanted to take certain precautions.


    The city had grown very fast and could end up attracting the attention of even those who had no interest in coming to these areas. With that, the wall served to hide the city''s new appearance. After all, it was not uncommon for smaller towns to have walls like these!


    That way, no one would find it strange if Minos decided to do that on the spot. Since he had come to live in this region, it was not just someone coming to manage the place for a while!


    And as for the culture fields, unless someone got close enough to the city perimeter, they wouldn''t be able to see it from afar.


    Unless, of course, someone came on a spiritual flying beast, as was the case with the young Ruth and her great eagle. But as for that, Minos could not do anything.


    However, luckily for him, most of the spiritual beasts were not of the flying type.


    Anyway, Mia continued to talk about the progress of the work. "The wall has already reached about 50% completion and should be completed in the next two months."


    "The west and east part of the wall was the first to be built, since the movement of people who are coming and going from the Brown Kingdom is greater than the movement of travelers who pass through here, coming and going from the Cromwell Kingdom and the Kingdom of the Waves."


    "Hmm, this is good." Minos said in satisfaction. Although the work was taking longer than he expected, this was not wholly unforeseen. And such a speed of construction was not so bad.


    "Okay, changing the subject, I want to organize the construction of two public buildings in the central region of the city. One will be a cultivation tower, and the other will be a large arena, with at least 30,000 seats for people to watch the fights."


    "I want you to make arrangements for this, with the Nash family and the Cohen family store. They can help us find the right professionals for designing the cultivation tower and arena."


    Dry City could not construct such buildings, as there was a need for specialists to project these sites. After all, these buildings had to be prepared to receive attacks from cultivators, struggles, and training.


    So, if it were ordinary-buildings, these structures would not resist after a few struggles!


    To design them, array masters, blacksmiths, and designs needed to participate in the plan of the building. The first provided the arrays that increased the spiritual concentration of the cultivation rooms, protected some structures that allowed the functionality of essential items of the place.


    For blacksmiths, they produced high-strength items that could increase protection against the building''s damage. Finally, the designs were like the engineers of the Spiritual World. They combined the array masters and blacksmiths'' items in the best possible way, designing unique buildings, such as the cultivation towers.


    But in the Black Plain, there were none of these professionals, so Minos wanted Mia to use his contacts to be able to move forward with this project.


    Mia then replied with a smile on her face. "Okay, young master. I will start doing this as soon as possible."


    ...


    While Minos dealt with the affairs of the Black Plain, on Stone Island, a new cargo had already arrived, coming from the lands of the young Stuart.


    This time, the merchant Elen Nash had decided to sell the food planted on the Black Plain in several different cities on Stone Island. This was a measure she had taken to lessen the attention she could receive.


    That''s because, after selling Minos'' items last time, many families had been on the alert with the volume of business done by Elen. With that, she wanted to share her offer in many different cities so that these families would think that it had been a stroke of unique luck.


    It would be effortless to find out about her business if she was doing it in just one city, as it had been previously. However, those powers would not pay so much attention to her if her businesses were fragmented in many different places!


    At least in a short time...


    And so, Minos'' items were now being sold in about 30 towns on Stone Island, including the city of Portland.


    ...


    In the civil port of the city of Portland, a vessel had recently arrived at this place, leaving several passengers who had come from the Maritime City.


    After finishing their work, the crew of that vessel would have a day of rest in the city of Portland until they finally returned to the Maritime City.


    At the moment, a good-looking young woman dressed as a cook suddenly took off her apron and left the boat to take a stroll through this city.


    Upon seeing this, one of the crewmates jumped up from where she was and said, as she handed over a bag with low-crane spiritual crystals. "Hey! Wendi! If you''re going out, buy us some fruits."


    "Hmm, it''s okay..." She replied.


    This was Wendi, a woman that Minos had met on his journey to Stone Island. She was a cook for a Maritime City travel company.


    Anyway, Wendi walked around the elegant city of Portland for a while until she finally found an excellent market to shop for her fellow travelers.


    After spending time walking around the city, she finally stopped in front of a local. ''Hmm, Nash family market ... Let''s see if I can find something good here.''


    She entered that place, and after taking a few walks around the building, she finally found good fruits.


    There were apples, grapes, and mango in that part where she had stopped. Each one looked outstanding, to the point that Wendi even felt a little hungry just by seeing them and smelling the fragrance released.


    "Ahh! These fruits look very good... The price is also low!" She murmured in a deep voice.


    After a while, she finally asked an attendant to weigh her some fruits. The young man then smiled and said. "Haha, you are lucky, miss. These items just arrived here. Otherwise, you wouldn''t find them at this price for long!"


    "Hmm, can you tell me from where it comes? I''ve never seen anything like this and at this price!" She asked curiously.


    "Well, I''m not sure. Let me speak to my supervisor..."


    After saying this, the young man went to the other side of the building while Wendi waited, eating an apple.


    Chomp!


    "Ehh?" She was startled the moment she bit the first piece of the apple. ''How can it have so much spiritual energy? Is this a fruit with a high spiritual concentration?'' She asked herself with a surprised look.


    The young Wendi did not know foods of this quality, as it was costly for her. But it was hard not to notice how rich the energy in this apple that she was eating was.


    ''Did they get the price wrong?''


    While she was wondering about it, a middle-aged man approached her, while the young attendant had been dispatched to attend to another customer.


    This was the supervisor of this Nash family store. He had been instructed not to say about the origin of these Minos items unless customers were weaker and less talented.


    And it wasn''t hard to get a good idea of a person''s talent, just by looking at their level of cultivation.


    For example, in the 20s to 30s, as in the case of Wendi, if she had a Black talent, she should already be at least in the 4th stage of cultivation, even if he used a Blue-grade technique.


    But if she was below that, and that was the case for Wendi, it meant that she most likely had less talent than the Black and probably had no contacts with any big family!


    So, as soon as he saw Wendi, the old man probed the girl''s strength and then said. "Young girl, did you want to know where these items came from?"


    "Hmm."


    "Well, if that''s the case, I can tell you that it comes from the Dry City." The middle-aged man said without changing his expression. He then continued. "I heard that these products were even cheaper within that city..."


    "What?"


    Wendi was utterly shocked to hear that answer. After all, she knew the reality of that place. ''How can this be? I thought...''


    She was thinking about it when suddenly she remembered something. A few months ago, a young client had made a strange comment to her, which seemed to make no sense.


    ''Is that what he was talking about?'' She asked herself out of curiosity. If that were true, it would definitely be worth living in the Dry City. After all, with such good food, even if she had a low talent, her cultivation speed would surely increase considerably!


    ''Hm, when we get back to the continent, I''ll see if I can verify this...''

 Chapter 135: Back to the Sect

    A month quickly passed when the young Ruth had finally arrived back in the Flaming Empire.


    She was on her eagle as she flew towards the entrance to the Gray Cloud Sect, in a part of the city, next to the Cloud City. This was a massive place as if it were a big neighborhood, but many trees and several different fields surrounded it.


    The headquarters of the Gray Cloud Sect had a substantial piece of land, which was at least six times the size of the current Dry City. But that was just the main buildings of the sect, where most of the low-ranking disciples and elders lived.


    There were also some small villages, where high-end houses and mansions existed, in part farther from the sect. These were the places where the strongest people in this power lived and where some of the central disciples like Ruth had the opportunity to live.


    And, of course, there was an exclusive voucher for these disciples. After all, they were still a long way from living equally with the leaders of this sect.


    This is because, in order to live in the villages of the elders, an individual had to be at least in the Spiritual Emperor stage!


    Anyway, after a while, Ruth went through the sect''s entrance and promptly identified herself in the mission hall, where she had to notify it of her return and the fulfillment of his mission.


    After all, this was a vast place, and it would not be enough for her to speak to her master before do this.


    There was strict control over the entry and exit of the disciples, so they all had to notify one of the specific halls of the sect. In the case of Ruth, as she had been given a mission, so it was in the mission hall that she had to introduce herself.


    After doing so, she immediately headed towards the village where her master lived to report what had happened.


    Anyway, she quickly left the central region of the sect, where she had performed, and went to a small village on the west side of that place.


    After a few minutes of walking, she finally arrived in front of a large house with a beautiful garden and many flowers next to this residence.


    This was the home of Maisie Coleman, the mother of the young Stuart.


    Upon entering the place, Ruth realized that her master already seemed to be waiting for her while sitting in the garden, drinking a cup of spiritual tea.


    As soon as she approached, Maisie said in a tender voice while she smiled kindly. "Ah! I never thought that my son would do such things with my disciple..."


    Upon hearing this, Ruth immediately blushed in embarrassment.


    She had forgotten that her master would notice this immediately when she saw her, even though she knew it would happen from the beginning... And because of this forgetfulness, she had not prepared herself mentally for this type of situation.


    "I..."


    "Don''t worry about it, Ruth. I went through the same thing with his father. You don''t need to be ashamed. I know that he probably must have conquered you little by little. After all, his father also had this personality..."Maisie said with a smile on her face, as she remembered the time when she had met Albert.


    The two of them had met after she was sent on a mission to the north of the Central Continent. At that time, Maisie and Albert had met and traveled together since she and he had almost the same strength, which was around the 5th stage of cultivation.


    Anyway, it was at that time when they were traveling together that the young Albert Stuart managed to win over the young Maisie. After that, the intermittent relationship between the two lasted for many years until the young Minos was finally born.


    Hearing her master''s words, Ruth still couldn''t help being ashamed. After all, a teacher was almost like a mother/father to many disciples in this world. As a result, being with a relative of her master''s was very embarrassing for her.


    However, after talking about it for a while, Ruth suddenly started talking about the Spiritual Tournament. "Master, about the competition that took place in the Cromwell Kingdom..."


    However, it was suddenly cut off when Maisie said. "Don''t worry. I already know what happened. The girl who was sent as a representative of our sect has already given me an account of everything that happened..."


    She then looked curiously at Ruth and asked. "My son said something about where does his unusual strength come from?"


    Ruth shook her head and said. "He just told me that his innate ability was related to increased spiritual energy."


    "Oh? This looks very good... If he manages to evolve his Physique to the Saint-grade, it will be perfect for him."


    "But master, during the competition, the result of Minos'' physical test gave only a classification of Warrior-grade for his Physique..."


    "What? This cannot be right. When he took his talent test at the Spiritual Academy, I was there, and I saw clearly that it was a King-grade." Maisie said in disbelief.


    Physique did not change naturally and certainly did not regress. So, she couldn''t believe this point. "He was probably using some item that prevented the physical examination array from being accurate. This kind of thing can happen."


    Ruth then said with resolved eyes. "His talent didn''t show up either... I don''t think he has just Black talent!"


    After that, the two of them talked for a while about what had happened during this time that Ruth traveled with Minos, and then the young disciple returned to her own home in another village.


    She had traveled all the way without stopping for a long time to rest, so she needed a break.


    Ruth also planned to go into seclusion after that rest so that she could increase her cultivation as soon as possible. Seeing how Minos advanced without difficulty had encouraged the young woman not to be left behind and to be overtaken by him.


    ''I wonder what level Minos will be in the next time we see each other...''


    ...


    While Ruth was preparing to rest before her future training, news of the outcome of the Spiritual Tournament had already spread to the north of the Central Continent!


    More than a month after the end of this competition, the newspapers in that region had finally spread the news to all the kingdoms.


    At the top of the front page of the newspapers was a large drawing of three youths on a podium.


    There was an empty space in the second place, with a young ginger occupying the third place. Finally, two young men faced each other in the highest position that they could!


    This was the representation that had been most successful and showed how the competition ended.


    ''For the first time in history, we have a tie in the final of the Spiritual Tournament!'' That was the sentence that started the report, which described the main events that had happened in this period of competition in the Cromwell Kingdom.


    However, this news did not mention the fact that Minos did not go to the Flaming Empire. After all, none of the participants who had stayed for that meeting after the final were members of journalist families.


    They also had their own affairs and had to return to their respective regions. So, besides those few youths, nobody else knew about what happened...


    At the same time, when this was reported, this whole part of the continent was shocked by the events, and many people were immensely envious of those who had attended this edition of the Spiritual Tournament.


    "Damn it! I went to the last three editions, but when I finally decide not to go, something epic happens!" One person wailed aloud while holding the newspaper in front of him.


    "Haha, old Chase, don''t feel too bad. I can tell you the details of what happened..."


    ...


    In another kingdom in the north of the Central Continent.


    "Eh? What a coincidence, this young man has the same name and age as the brat of the late General Stuart!"


    A man dressed in silver armor and with a mocking look on his face then said. "Hahaha, your majesty is right. But it would be impossible for that boy to achieve such an achievement in his entire life!"


    "Indeed, General Silva is right. That guy must be struggling to survive on that desolate Black Plain..."An old man with blue and white hair said without many expressions on his face.


    "Hmm, you two are right... But anyway, congratulations on your granddaughter being chosen by one of the sects of the empire, old Miller."


    "Haha, thanks for that, your majesty."


    ...


    At the same time, in a particular part of the Cromwell Kingdom, a man wearing green armor, with the symbol of a black star with a circle in the middle, suddenly kneeled in front of an old man with white hair, who was over 2 meters in height.


    They were both at the peak of a mountain while the old man looked at the cloudy sky, feeling the breeze of the wind while his eyes were closed.


    The old man then asked in a calm, cold voice, not even bothering to look at the man on his knees. "And then? Who killed my little Leroy?"


    The man lowered his head and slowly began to narrate the facts he had discovered in the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom, where the competition had taken place.


    "Well..."

 Chapter 136: Plots

    "After arriving in the capital of the kingdom, I discovered that young Leroy was killed during the second test of the Spiritual Tournament. And it was not difficult to find out who was responsible for this since thousands of people watched this..." The man said without changing his voice at any time.


    The old man then frowned and asked in a cold tone. "Oh? And who is this person? To have the courage to kill my son, he must be very confident!"


    Upon hearing the question from the supreme elder of the Chambers family, the man in question sighed and said. "Nobody knows what family he came from, as he didn''t use any surnames during the competition. But, I believe it will be impossible to take revenge on young Leroy..."


    "Hmph, there is no one we cannot deal with. Tell me the whole truth right away!"


    "This... This young man is called Minos, and he was the finalist of the Spiritual Tournament..."


    Upon hearing these words, the old supreme elder almost wanted to spit out a mouth full of blood. That was one of the few powers that they couldn''t handle!


    Although the Chambers family was not among the ten strongest in the north of the Central Continent, it had contacts with the group of killers, Scourges of the Devil. Because of this, it could easily hire assassins from this organization, who could even deal with some royal families in this part of the continent.


    Because of this, the supreme elder of the Chambers family was very confident in avenging his son''s death. And depending on the power behind Minos, he would not only kill the person responsible for Leroy''s death, but he would also enslave the rest of the family!


    This was the only way for Wallace Chambers, Leroy''s father, to calm the hatred in his heart. He was already at level 55, over 600-years-old, but Leroy was his only child. Therefore, the old supreme elder was irritated entirely by what had happened.


    But if Minos had gone to the Flaming Empire, not only could he forget to avenge himself, but he would also have to hope that this young man did not remember any offense that a Chambers may have done to him, otherwise...


    ''I do not believe that! How did little Leroy irritate a person of this caliber '' The old man wondered while he had a desolate look on his face. He never thought he would have to deal with his son''s death and to make matters worse. He couldn''t even avenge him!


    He then put his thoughts aside and asked in an even colder tone. "And why is bodyguard Jeff not here? Was he also killed?"


    "As for that... Well, he certainly didn''t die since his soul signal is as stable as ever. But I didn''t get any information about his whereabouts."


    "The last time he was seen in Capital City was when young Leroy was killed. After that, he seems to have run away..."


    "That bastard! He doesn''t want to take responsibility for what happened!" The old man snorted in anger. "Put a reward on his head. I want that coward to pay with his life for the death of my son!"


    "OK."


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the capital of Stone Island, the Old Stone city, three people were chatting in a living room. At the same time, they had a newspaper thrown in the middle of a table.


    The woman in the group finally said in an uncertain tone. "Due to the retraction of the newspaper and also the person''s name, I believe that there is a great probability that this finalist of the Spiritual Tournament was responsible for the death of the young master Darell..."


    Upon hearing this, the two men who were with her sighed in defeat. If this was the case, there was nothing else for them to do. It would be impossible to deal with that person...


    At this point, one of them finally broke the silence and said. "Ehh, I think we''d better go back and report this to the patriarch. Let''s take the opportunity to check the condition of that Minos Stuart too. Since we have to go through the Black Plain, it won''t hurt to take a look."


    "Hmm, it''s not a bad idea!" The other man said with a sly smile. "On second thought, why don''t we turn the patriarch''s anger on this young man? He has the same name as this suspect that we were chasing, and he is also the son of someone that our family has eliminated!"


    "With that, we finished our work, and we still prevent the patriarch from punishing us in the place of the real killer. And as for that brat, he being eliminated is the best for everyone!" The blond man finished speaking his suggestion, with a proud smile on his face.


    In his opinion, Austin Silva, Minos was just an excellent sacrifice to avoid the worst for the three of them!


    This was a genius move, using a probable enemy as a scapegoat, to avoid problems within their family!


    The other man, who had suggested going to the Black Plain before, Dennis, finally said in agreement. "That''s right. Miss Sarah, we have no reason not to do what the young Austin said! That would be like killing two birds with one stone!"


    The woman who heard these offers then suddenly smiled. "Hmm, that sounds like a good idea. We will be leaving in two days, and then we will deal with this guy."


    ...


    Anyway, while several plots unfold behind the curtains, things on the Black Plain went from wind to pulp in the past weeks that had passed.


    By this time, secretary Mia had already made all the necessary arrangements with the Nash and Cohen families, who promptly helped Minos'' territory obtain the professionals required for the construction of the cultivation tower and the arena.


    At this time, two people that Minos had met in Portland came to the Dry City. Of these two, one was a blacksmith, while the other was an array master.


    The two had heard Minos'' offers at that time, but they had refused since there was no guarantee in the words that the young Stuart had said to them.


    However, the two ended up getting very curious when some of their less talented relatives came to tell them that they were interested in moving to the Black Plain.


    And hearing this, obviously, the two were very shocked and tried to understand what had made their relatives think of such nonsense.


    Anyway, the two found out about the quality of the food that was being sold on Stone Island, and that supposedly came from the Black Plain. With that, the two had decided to go with these relatives of them, to check if this and other information that they already heard from Minos were really true!


    And when they arrived in the city, they were all very shocked by this place and decided to stay right after talking to the young Stuart for a few hours.


    Anyway, although they are both specialists in missing professions in the Dry City, they were still only in the grade-1, high-level in their professions rankings. Therefore, the support they could provide was not so great at the time, to the extent that they could help Minos'' forces to a great extent.


    But that would differ for the average population of the Dry City. Currently, there were already many people who could buy weapons and low-level spiritual arrays in this region, so having these professionals could significantly improve the quality of life of these inhabitants.


    It was also excellent for them not to import everything they wanted to buy!


    After all, these products were slow to arrive and were undoubtedly more expensive, even with Minos'' subsidies!


    Anyway, in addition to the two specialists, Wendi had also moved to the city of Minos!


    She had traveled here shortly after returning to the Maritime City to resolve the many doubts that she had on her mind.


    And to Wendi''s surprise, the Dry City already looked almost as good as the Maritime City and still had better opportunities, as in city government, local agriculture, in the army, a public library for any citizen to use, high-concentration spiritual foods and spiritual pills at low prices!


    With all of this, even though there was still no better product offer than that of Maritime City, this place already had many advantages in relation to the place where Wendi came from!


    And not only that, in the Dry City, the inhabitants only paid an annual tax of 1 low-grade crystal! That was 20 times cheaper than what she had to pay in her old city!


    This value was not much when looking at just one individual. Even if he/she was low-level or even unemployed, 20 crystals per year were not much.


    However, there were ten people in Wendi''s family, and only 2 of them worked. And 200 crystals was already a considerable weight for people like Wendi!


    With that, after seeing the changes in the Dry City, she was told not to talk to anyone about it and was welcome to bring her family here.


    This was a measure to prevent rumors from spreading in the Maritime City, where there were people related to the great noble families of the Brown Kingdom.


    Finally, Wendi understood very well what was to be done and soon brought her relatives here, just telling them that she had found a better place. She hadn''t even told them that this place was the Dry City...

 Chapter 137: Peters Story 1

    After arriving in Dry City, Peter has been living very well lately. He was a young man from an ordinary family who had failed to be in any of the noble families in his kingdom.


    Therefore, he had gone through many problems to reach his current level.


    Until he met Minos, the young Peter had been traveling for many months while training and doing various mercenary services during that time. For all these reasons, he enjoyed his short time in the Black Plain Army even more.


    He had been assigned to Minos'' forces as soon as he arrived in the Dry City, receiving Sergeant''s position immediately. As a result, he had already received his first salary of 800 low-grade spiritual crystals!


    He had never gained so many crystals so quickly in his life before. But that was not the best part. No, when entering the Black Plain Army, Peter now had the right to learn any Black-grade technique from this force''s exclusive library.


    And, of course, he had to leave his techniques behind to increase the availability of techniques of that degree to future army members. He also handed over his Blue-grade techniques to the Dry City administration, making them available to ordinary citizens.


    This was the system that Minos had implemented for the soldiers. In exchange for receiving Black-grade techniques, from the most varied specializations, they only had to deliver their previous Black-grade and Blue-grade techniques.


    This was a good exchange for both sides since most of these people didn''t even have any Black-grade technique, but now dozens of them were at their disposal!


    As for the Blue-grade techniques, none of them would look at them again after learning better-classified techniques. So, neither Peter nor any other soldier had complained about this system, in which each party gave something and received something else in return!


    But Peter was also very excited about the prices of items sold within the city. It was all a lot cheaper than in the places he had already been. Because of this, in the period of just over a month, since he arrived here, Peter had already decided to return to his hometown, in the Kingdom of the Waves, and bring his family here!


    He hadn''t seen them in about two years, so he had to do it as soon as possible. His family did not know if he was alive or dead, and he was also unaware of the situation in which they were.


    After all, there would always be unknown risks in this vast world.


    If he had joined one of the Flaming Empire sects, he would have managed to inform his family. However, this was not the case. Therefore, he was already preparing to speak with Minos about his trip to the Kingdom of the Waves.


    He was now a subordinate of the young Stuart, so he couldn''t leave without permission.


    So, he woke up this morning and then went straight to Minos'' office, in the mansion in the center of the city. Peter was not living in the visiting area of ??that place, as he had already found a small apartment on the west side of the town.


    And with the salary of a Sergeant, he had managed to get this apartment in one of the areas affected by one of the grade 2, low-level meeting array, which was in operation in the city.


    So, it was one of the best places to live in the Dry City, and Peter would not have to live as a guest at Minos'' mansion.


    After some time walking, Peter passed many people who came and went, going most of his route along the city''s main avenue, which connected his region to the central part, where most of the public buildings were.


    The Dry City already had more than 100 thousand inhabitants, so the movement of people on the streets was increasing. But not only that, the city still had a reduced area due to the fact that almost everyone wanted to live in the areas of influence of the spiritual reunion array, so it had a considerable population movement and concentration.


    To give you an idea, even after reaching the 100 thousand inhabitants mark, the Dry City had barely recovered all its previous area from before the arrival of Minos.


    So, the place had a flow of people and spiritual beasts, very big at the moment, which gave a feeling of being much bigger than it really was!


    Grrr!


    Beasts'' sounds could be heard while some carriages passed the street at a good speed. That''s right, now not only did Minos have this means of transport, but several citizens also had it!


    This had happened after the population of the Yellow City was absorbed by the Cry City, which brought the wealthiest people there. And although they were not so extravagant, several merchants in that city had simpler carriages.


    Anyway, after walking through this bustling city, Peter finally arrived in front of Minos'' mansion.


    There were already many soldiers coming and going on the scene, even if it was early in the morning.


    The sky was clear at the time, and there was a medicinal smell in the air, which was not strange since the stores of the two alchemists in this city were a short distance from Minos'' mansion.


    Anyway, the weather was perfect today, neither cold nor hot, as if it were a spring morning.


    Finally, Peter went through the mansion''s garden and went straight to the administrative area.


    Shortly after that, he finally arrived in front of Minos'' office, where secretary Mia was already answering. She was wearing a red dress, while her hair was tied up in a ponytail.


    Mia was getting more and more beautiful, highlighting her sensual body even more. ''Ahh! It''s always good to see Miss Mia...''


    Sensing that someone had arrived, Mia quickly turned her head forward and then saw the young Peter, who was wearing the typical outfit provided to Sergeants.


    It had a golden tree symbol on its left shoulder, while some bands indicated the rank within the army on the part that was close to its right shoulder. There was also the name that the soldier preferred to be called at the height of the right chest, entirely in black.


    Mia then looked at him asked with a friendly smile on her face. "Ehh, Sergeant Peter, what do you need?"


    "Hello, secretary Mia, I am here to speak to Mr. Minos." He said formally. Although he only called Minos by name before, he was now his subordinate, so he should use a more formal way when referring to him.


    Of course, if they were alone, Peter would not care much about it since the two were almost the same age, and Minos did not seem to care about this.


    "Oh? Well, wait for a moment. I''ll see if he''s available." After saying this, Mia immediately entered Minos''s office while Peter waited outside, at the reception.


    After some time, he was finally released and soon went on his way to meet the young Stuart.


    Minos, who was sitting in his chair while reading some papers on his desk, looked at the young man who had entered his office and simply pointed to a chair and said. "Sit here."


    "I heard you wanted to speak to me. Did some problem occur?"


    After sitting down and listening to this question, Peter shook his head in denial and started to speak. "No, on the contrary, everything is going very well for me here."


    "And because of that, I wanted to travel to my hometown, to bring my family here." He said with a smile on his face. This was a place that was perhaps even better for him and his family than one of the sects of the Flaming Empire.


    After all, he had only a Black talent, which would be something common when he got anywhere in that empire. But this was completely different in the Black Plain, where he was one of the few with such talent. He had a treatment that could even be better than if he went to one of those sects that organize the Spiritual Tournament!


    More importantly, his family had only Blue talent, so it would be very dangerous for them to live in an empire. But living in the Dry City would be different, here they would be free to live their lives in the best way, having all kinds of support from the government of Minos!


    "Oh... It''s fine. I will tell Mia to prepare a notice for the Black Plain Army headquarters, allowing you to leave for four months. Is it okay for you?" Minos asked with a smile on his face.


    That was the kind of thing he wanted. If each new inhabitant of the Dry City endeavored to bring their families here, without drawing much attention, of course, it would be perfect for Minos.


    After all, his territory was quite large, and he would certainly need millions of people in the future!

 Chapter 138: Peters Story 2

    While smiling at Peter, Minos suddenly noticed that the young man sitting in front of him had a severe expression on his face. He then watched him for a moment and then asked. "If you want to say something, just say it."


    "About that..." Peter was saying when he blew out a breath and then continued. "Actually, I wanted to talk about why I was not in any noble family in the Kingdom of the Waves..."


    "Oh?" Minos exclaimed in surprise. He had known Peter for more than two months, but Peter had never explained that part of his past.


    Minos even had a little curiosity to know about it. After all, which families in the north of the Central Continent were not search talented young people like him?


    But he hadn''t asked anything. Each had their own affairs, and it was not Minos'' right to talk about something that had nothing to do with him. If Peter wanted to speak, he would make that decision himself!


    "Well, it all started when I was still in the spiritual academy. At that time, I had a very close friend. However, when we did our talent tests, everything changed..."


    "We both had Black talent and were soon contacted by large noble families who wanted to support us, but unfortunately, a certain person appeared that day." Peter stopped for a moment while squeezing his right hand tightly.


    He then continued. "That person was one of the princes of the Kingdom of the Waves, Charles Walker. Although he is the youngest of the three princes in the kingdom, he can be considered the most talented. Because of this, since his early years of cultivating, he got everything he wanted in the kingdom..."


    "And at this point, he wanted us to go to his side. He searched for more power, so bringing two youths with a Black talent to his side seemed like a good idea. And we both went to his side. However, it only lasted two years..." Peter said in a calm voice while closing his eyes and remembering what had happened.


    "That was when Ava started showing her feminine skills... She was getting more and more beautiful and could even be considered a rare beauty after a few years. And it was at this point that the prince fell in love with her..."


    "The prince is four years older than us, and he already had his ''amorous'' experiences at that time. When he saw that the young Ava was getting more and more graceful, he wanted her to stay by his side. When she turned 15 and became an adult, he could finally get what he wanted..."


    Human beings reached maturity at 15 years of age in the Spiritual World. By this time, they would already be considered adults by most people and would have their own responsibilities.


    "It was at this point that the problems started. We made great friends, and the prince didn''t want another man around her." He stopped for a moment and then continued. "As far as I know, Ava didn''t have that kind of feeling for me, but because of the prince''s excessive jealousy, he thought there was something more between us. He started to think that I was the stone in his path."


    "And like many spoiled young people in this world, he already saw the person he was in love with as his wife... But to earn Ava''s dowry, he, at the same time, had to get rid of me, his biggest ''competitor'', while avoiding being hated by her. With that, he set up a scheme against me. He used an excuse to expel me from the royal family while prohibiting any other power from the Kingdom of the Waves from accepting me."


    "Not only that, he threatened to kill my whole family if I contacted Ava again in the future... It was after that that I met the old man who helped me with some techniques." Peter finished speaking while looking closely at Minos. He wanted to know if this was a problem for the young Stuart.


    After all, who was the young Charles? A prince with a good chance of becoming a king!


    As a result, enmity with a possible future king would be very dangerous, especially for someone Minos had just met. For Peter, the young Stuart was incredible for being able to fight with those of higher level and was very ''cool'' for giving up the chance to go to an empire.


    But he did not think that Minos did this because he did not need the help of an empire. For him, the young Stuart probably just wanted to live in peace while ruling his own land.


    He had an excellent proficiency in fighting. By the time he reached the Spiritual King stage, he would probably be one of the strongest in northern Central Continent. With that, Minos could dominate this place for a long time without worrying about the dangers that he could have going to an empire.


    He then said calmly. "This could be a problem for the Black Plain since I came here..."


    Minos smiled. "Well, it''s good to know, but it won''t make any difference to me whether he''s a prince or a king. As for problems, this guy is nothing, considering my current enemies..."


    Minos had to worry every day about strengthening his forces because sooner or later, he would have to deal with the Silva family and even the entire Brown Kingdom.


    It was only a matter of time before news of what happened on the Black Plain spread. At this time, fighting a war would be inevitable.


    Minos was not the type of person who worked hard, just for someone else to reap his rewards!


    For this reason, he had been counting on a widespread war for the dominance of the Black Plain since he started his plans. Hell, even other kingdoms in the region might want a slice!


    After all, until recently, the lands of the Black Plain were thrown back and forth within the Brown Kingdom, without anyone wanting this place. Thus, invading this place could be an attractive idea for the two adjacent kingdoms...


    Anyway, Minos had to deal with the imminent danger of dozens of Spiritual Kings. Therefore, someone of the caliber of the third prince of the Kingdom of the Waves did not enter his eyes.


    After hearing Minos'' response, Peter was surprised. He did not think that this young man in front of him had worse enemies than his own!


    ''Did Minos irritate some noble families halfway to the Cromwell Kingdom?'' Peter thought to himself. He remembered how the young Stuart had killed Leroy without any mercy. ''Maybe he''s talking about the Chambers family? But this power is no stronger than the royal family of the Kingdom of the Waves...''


    "You don''t have to worry about that. You can travel and bring your family here. And it won''t be long, and you can get over this guy yourself, hehehe." Minos said, laughing.


    After that, the two said goodbye. Peter wanted to leave today, as the trip to his city would take almost two months just to go!


    The Kingdom of the Waves was the largest kingdom in the area in the entire northern region of the Central Continent, and Peter''s hometown was almost at the north end of that place. With that, the sooner he left, the better it would be for his family.


    ...


    A few days passed in the Black Plain, and today the wall of the Dry City was finally finished!


    It surrounded the city''s entire area, hiding much of this land behind its 15-meter high walls. In this wall, there were four checkpoints, where the soldiers of the Black Plain Army would regulate the entry and exit of people and goods from this city.


    At the top of the wall, there was also an ample space where soldiers could patrol the city''s surroundings. This was something that needed to be done since some invaders could try to enter the city through different parts of this great wall!


    Anyway, when this project was completed, Minos, the butler Dillian, and several other names in charge of the city came to the inauguration of this place.


    During the opening, not only were these people celebrating this achievement for the city, but Minos'' subordinates were also very happy that the butler Dillian had gone up to level 48!


    This was great news for all of them since Dillian was very close to becoming a Spiritual King. This would be a milestone for any territory since it demonstrated the power of a place in this part of the continent.


    ...


    While the people in the Dry City celebrated the conclusion of the construction of the city''s wall, the three investigators of the Silva family were already back in the Maritime City!


    "You two, let''s rest for a day and leave tomorrow. Hopefully, we will get to the Dry City in two more days..." The woman who led the group said with a smile on her face.

 Chapter 139: Problems on the Way!

    Meanwhile, in the Dry City.


    Minos was finally going to meet the two alchemists in his territory today. He had a Warrior-grade spiritual medicine and wanted these two to learn how to crop the Rainbow Fruit.


    He hadn''t done this before because it was a wild plant, and the two alchemists would need to study this plant for a while. And as such, Minos could not let them make a mistake during their studies, which would result in the loss of that medicine!


    For this reason, he had planted that medicine in his Spatial Kingdom, using the spiritual tools left by Henricus Longus. So, now that more than one plant was already growing, Minos could let the two alchemists develop a method of growing this medicine.


    He couldn''t just plant each medicine, so he would only do it this time. After all, Minos was not an alchemist, and he didn''t have time to do that. As for letting one of those two use these tools, that was out of the question at the moment.


    They were the only ways for Minos to harvest the high-level medicines that were within the Spatial Kingdom, so he would not risk taking these tools for something so insignificant. And as for letting these two enter the Spatial Kingdom, that would be another absurd.


    The two had recently arrived in the forces of Minos, and the young Stuart was not yet strong enough to protect himself against the forces of northern Central Continent. Only as soon as he could do that would he let many of his subordinates enter the Spatial Kingdom. Before that, they would be just a few, more trustworthy, and more talented.


    Finally, Minos walked towards a large store not far from where his mansion was located.


    In this place, there were many commercial buildings, with restaurants, clothing stores, markets, and there was also the Cohen family store.


    Anyway, the building where Minos went had four floors and was completely green. There were several herbal symbols and a large shield with a golden tree on the building''s facade.


    This place was called the Alchemist Guild of the Dry City!


    Minos had ordered this place to be built to receive the various alchemists who would come here in the future. Thus, this place could kick-start this profession in the Black Plain, in a place where citizens could buy pills at low prices and youths could learn this specialization.


    After all, alchemy was the second most lucrative profession in the Spiritual World, second only to array masters business. These professionals were needed in practically all areas. They produced large quantities of simpler arrays, which improved people''s quality of life.


    And since most of the human population in this world had a talent of up to a Black degree, there was a massive demand for the items produced by the array masters.


    For alchemy, everyone needed these experts sooner or later. After all, even the Golden talent did not prevent all bottlenecks in cultivation. But spiritual pills are single-use items and are generally not advisable.


    It leaves toxins in cultivators'' bodies, which could negatively affect cultivation speed at higher levels. Therefore, it is advisable to use spiritual pills only when there is an extreme need, such as when cultivators break a bottleneck or heal wounds.


    Just because of this, alchemy was not the most profitable profession in the Spiritual World!


    Anyway, even so, the number of people who wanted to become alchemists was not small, and there would undoubtedly be some in the Dry City in a short time. So, having a place like this could help Minos complete part of its goal of making this place more attractive.


    Finally, Minos entered the building, going directly to the top floor, where the refining rooms were located.


    On this floor, in addition to more than ten rooms prepared to receive alchemists, there was the main hall, where alchemists could rest between the production of a batch of pills and another.


    There were sofas, armchairs, some tables here and there, and also cultivation cushions. It was like a small cafeteria, with a large living room beside it.


    It also had bathrooms and a kitchen, but this was still not working.


    It was a simple place, but it had a basic structure to receive several professionals in this department. This place was also suitable for conversations about alchemy, in which these professionals could answer each other''s doubts and share their knowledge with the juniors of this profession.


    Anyway, when arriving at this place, Minos could see that the two alchemists were producing their pills at this very moment. Because of this, the young Stuart decided to wait until the two were done.


    Despite being the local sovereign, Minos did not have the arrogance to think that people had to go to him, or do things in the best way for him, regardless of the general situation.


    The two alchemists could not supply the great demand for spiritual pills in the present Dry City, so the young Stuart would not be taking up the time of these two, making them go to him.


    Thus, Minos himself decided to come to the two of them to talk about this subject of Warrior-grade medicine, saving as much time as possible for these two alchemists.


    ...


    Finally, after waiting for almost half an hour, the two alchemists finish producing those pills from before.


    The two had already left their rooms and looked extremely tired, with several sweat stains on their clothes and an exhausted look on their faces. After all, alchemy depended on spiritual strength, which meant that producing pills was no different than spending energy training in battle techniques or even fighting!


    Upon leaving their refining rooms, the two alchemists carried a medicinal odor on their bodies, which was already permeating the space of that place.


    When they went to sit down to rest, they soon saw that there was someone else there, waiting for them.


    "Mister Minos, we didn''t know you were going to come here. If we knew, we would have programmed it in advance." Old Edric said it apologetically.


    "Hmm."


    Minos then smiled and shook his head as he said. "Don''t worry about it." He then took a plant with a seven-colored fruit from his spatial ring and then placed it on the table there on the side where he was sitting.


    "This is a Warrior-grade wild medicine that I found during my trip to the Cromwell Kingdom. I want you both to take part of your time to study it and develop a culture method for it."


    Seeing this, the two men immediately approached the plant and began to look at it with shining eyes. This was a medicine with fruit, seeds, and the entire plant itself!


    Neither of them had ever seen medicine of this degree like that before!


    Seeing this, Davis finally said with a smile on his face. "I think I will only be able to do this after I reach level 40, but that is not distant."


    "Hehe, that''s right. For now, only I can play with this beauty!" Old Edric said with a smile on his face.


    He had already reached level 40, so he could feel the spiritual energy of the plant. And as a good alchemist, he had a much sharper sense of manipulating this plant than other cultivators.


    Thus, he could certainly develop a cultivation method for the Rainbow Fruit that Minos had brought to them.


    Minos then smiled and said. "Well, if that is the case, I will say goodbye. I don''t want to disturb the refining of you two too much."


    After saying a few words, Minos and the two alchemists took their leave. The two stared at the plant and the fruit that was on the table for a while before Davis finally left, leaving only Edric to analyze it.


    Davis would still need some time to reach level 40, so he wouldn''t help at this point. He could only continue to produce his spiritual pills and cultivate his energy so that he could reach that level as soon as possible.


    ...


    While the alchemists, Devis and Edric, settled their affairs in the Alchemy Guild of the Dry City, a few dozen kilometers from that city, there was a carriage coming while being pulled by spiritual beasts from the 3rd stage of cultivation.


    In this carriage, there was a symbol of a silver eagle. The symbol of the Silva family!


    "We are almost there in the Dry City, Miss Sarah." One of the two men said happily.


    After months of researching Darell''s death, they came to a dead end. But they finally had the ''ingenious'' idea of ??how to fix it, in a way that ''everyone'' would win!


    "Hmm, let''s see how that brat is living... Hahaha, we will do the favor to end the suffering he must be going through." The blond man said ridiculously.


    "Let''s advance this. I want to return to the Red Valley as soon as possible. We''ve been gone too long..."


    And in that way, the group of three people quickly approached the newly built wall on the outskirts of the Dry City...

 Chapter 140: On Alert!

    As they approached the Dry City, the three members of the Silva family immediately saw a wall closer and closer to them. It was very tall and surrounded the entire region of the city.


    In fact, they couldn''t even see where it started or ended!


    The great wall completely hid the interior of the city of Minos, to the point that the trio only saw one of the entrances to that place. There was a big steel gate there, with a cylindrical building, where some soldiers were patrolling at this very moment.


    "Huh?" One of them made a surprised sound when he saw this.


    The blond man then looked at the oldest in the group and asked in a shocked manner. "Dennis, did the Dry City have a wall like that in the past? I''ve never been inside this city, so I''m in doubt..."


    "This... No, there was definitely no such thing before. And even if there were, it would be something tiny. It would not reach this level!" Dennis said as he had a look of shock on his face.


    He had already passed through this city 30 years ago, on one of his trips through this region. ''Did the king order a wall to be built here in this place, during this time that has passed?'' He questioned himself doubtfully.


    ''No, it cannot be. He would not do such a thing in this place.'' He then probed the spiritual energy of the region and realized that it was almost as weak as before.


    "What has happened here in these 30 years?"


    "30 years? Pay attention. This wall seems to be quite new!" The woman who led the group said as the carriage of the three approached more and more from there. "This must be something related to that Minos! He must have done this to protect himself!"


    Upon hearing this, the blond man in the group suddenly started laughing. "Hahaha, what an idiot! This guy is really wasting his few crystals in this shitty place!"


    "Interesting... I want to see what he wants to hide behind such a high wall!" Sarah said with a small smile on her face.


    As the group approached, they could not see the plantations made in the Black Plain, as the terrain of this region hid these areas.


    The place where the crops were growing was at a point where the altitude of the terrain compromised visibility.


    After all, a plain is never completely flat!


    Finally, in addition to being able to be seen from the sky, the fields of cultures were only visible from a long distance, if people were coming from a specific direction, coming from the city.


    Otherwise, to see these fields from the ground, someone would have to be very close to them, which was not the case for the three investigators of the Silva family.


    And as the group belonging to the Silva family did not come in that direction and were not close enough to that place, they could not see this crucial place...


    Meanwhile, at the checkpoint at that entrance, the soldiers who were prowling this place, finally saw a carriage approaching from the west.


    And when the soldiers saw the symbol of a silver eagle on the carriage, several of them had already understood who these people were!


    "Quickly, activate the sound array and send a warning signal to the mansion and headquarters. Silva family members are coming!" One of the soldiers, who was leading this post, shouted out loud for this to be done urgently.


    Minos had already made it clear to his soldiers that the Silva family was an enemy of the Black Plain Army. Because of this, all soldiers in the army already knew this and how to identify the members of this enemy force!


    And as for the sound array in question, this was a low-level array, which could emit audible warnings from a distance. It always worked in conjunction with other arrays of the same type, where one side could alert the others.


    The Black Plain Army had bought these arrays from the Cohen family store, even before this wall was ready. After all, it would be useless to have a checkpoint if it could not receive reinforcements or warn about specific dangers.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the central part of the Dry City, suddenly in two buildings not far from each other, an alarm began to ring at high volume.


    Woop!


    Woop!


    The warning sounds rang out when suddenly everyone in Minos'' headquarters and mansion stopped what they were doing and raised their heads as they looked from side to side.


    Many of them knew what that sign meant.


    This could be an imminent danger for the city, so all soldiers available at this time should immediately gather in front of the mansion to take their orders from Minos or whoever was in charge of the city!


    While the civilian members of Minos'' forces had confused looks on their faces, many of them did not know what could be happening. Quickly a crowd began to form on the freeway avenue to the headquarters of the local government.


    At the same time, at Minos'' office, he was alone at this moment while making some plans for the city. When he suddenly heard the alarm sounds in the air.


    He turned to the side of his office window and looked at the view of the city. ''Is it one of the noble families of the kingdom?'' He thought to himself.


    In addition to the Silva family, which was already their sworn enemy, the other noble families of the Brown Kingdom also had a warning notice. After all, if any of them found out what was going on here, it would be almost impossible to avoid a confrontation.


    And as soon as that happened, it would be a matter of time before this whole region becomes a battlefield!


    There were no noble families benevolent or who did not care about power. Some of them could even live peacefully, without interfering in the affairs of others, but that was something that happened only among equals!


    The Black Plain could not be considered a force not even average in this region. So, even a ''peaceful'' power would see this place with greed!


    That was human nature. The strong can have everything. The weak have no right to anything!


    ''Hmm, I better take certain precautions... Whoever it is, now that you''re here, you can give up leaving this city alive!'' Minos thought about it with a cold look.


    For his own sake, the young Stuart was prepared to exterminate any group that threatened the stability of the Black Plain!


    He did not like to kill without good reason. Still, a leader must protect his domain with an iron fist, eliminating any threat. And Minos wasn''t naive. There were no such things as ''repent'' and ''we''re not going to say anything,'' any witnesses had to be eliminated, or terrible things could happen!


    Zum!


    The space around Minos trembled slightly when he was suddenly teleported to the Spatial Kingdom. He wanted to leave the mother fox, Emlyn, in place if the enemy force was much stronger than the army could handle.


    Anyway, when she felt someone approaching, Emlyn, who was lying quietly next to the big house, suddenly opened her eyes and saw her daughter playing with Alison while the young Lee was cultivating elsewhere.


    The two youths had returned to their training shortly after Minos returned from the Cromwell Kingdom.


    Anyway, the butler Dillian was also in this place in addition to these two. He was cultivating as much as he could as he was getting closer and closer to level 50.


    Finally, Emlyn saw Minos approaching her when she flapped her six tails quickly and walked towards him. She had found it strange that this young man should come back here, just after finishing his training just a few minutes ago.


    And yes, she had already reached the 6th stage of cultivation, something that had happened only two days ago!


    With her remarkable potential, Emlyn had managed to reach her current level after eating many medicines given by Minos.


    Spiritual beasts could not use spiritual crystals like humans, so they were more dependent on spiritual medicines and energy-rich foods to level up.


    Of course, with their greater compatibility with spiritual energy, beasts could be much more efficient at absorbing these resources than humans and not having to deal with many impurities left by these resources since their bodies had much more affinity with these items.


    Finally, Minos arrived in front of the butler Dillian, who was sitting in a chair in front of the house, while the big two-meters fox stood over there, waiting to hear the reason for this irregular visit.


    "We have an emergency in the city. You two need to come with me now if we can''t handle this alone." The young Stuart said worriedly, looking at the two in front of him.


    It could be that the unwanted visitors were just weaker people, like the young Darell''s group at that time. If so, Minos alone would be enough to stop them.


    However, the young Stuart did not want to take any chances. The enemy group could be much stronger than that, and they could end up in a terrible situation. In this case, he would need the butler Dillian to be prepared to heal the wounded suffered by the soldiers, while Emlyn could save the day if this were necessary.


    After saying this, he did not wait for the answer of the two in front of him when he just stepped forward and held one of the big fox''s paws while having his other hand on Dillian''s left shoulder.


    Zum!

 Chapter 141: Impending Battle

    The space around the three quickly vibrated when they were back at the mansion in the Dry City, where Minos had left previously.


    Upon noticing the different place that she was, Emlyn immediately probed her surroundings while seeing that place for the first time. Minos had left his own private courtyard, where there was no one else.


    The fox asked with a doubtful tone. "Eh? I don''t know this place. Where are we?"


    She had never left the Spatial Kingdom since the events of the Yellow City had happened. Minos did not want her to expose herself since she would undoubtedly draw a lot of attention wherever she went. She also didn''t mind staying in one place for that long since that place was really what she wanted for herself.


    Besides, the Dry City was not that interesting to make a nine-tailed fox eager to get out. Anyway, she had never seen the young Stuart''s territory for all this time.


    The butler Dillian looked at her and replied with a smile on his face. "This is the young master''s courtyard, within his territory."


    "Hmm, you can talk later, but now we have to hurry up. First, Emlyn, I want you to keep yourself hidden. If we need to, help us. Otherwise, you don''t have to do anything. When we''re done, I''ll take you back to the Spatial Kingdom."


    "Grandpa Dillian is coming with me. Maybe some soldiers need medical help." Minos said in a serious tone.


    This was the first test of its kind for the Dry City.


    Today, they would have the first time of many to defend this territory. It was inevitable that other situations like this would happen in the future.


    So, they had to do very well today. After all, this can be excellent military training for the soldiers of the Black Plain Army. Getting used to the possibility of an invasion and being prepared to respond to it quickly and decisively was what could give them the advantage.


    With that, the young Stuart took this moment very seriously!


    After this, the two men proceeded to the front of the mansion. There were already hundreds of men and women in uniforms with a similar model.


    At the same time, the big fox was moving fast while she tried to keep herself hidden as much as possible. She was finding this very amusing since there was not much to do in the Spatial Kingdom.


    Finally, Minos and Dillian arrived in front of the mansion. The two soon moved on, seeing the crowd outside when the young sovereign said. "We don''t know what the level of the threat is, but in any case, those who are below level 40 should return to their services."


    "The rest will follow with the butler Dillian and me, towards where the warning sign came from!" Minos said in a loud and resolute voice.


    Currently, there were already about 140 soldiers who had reached the 5th stage of cultivation, some of whom were even at level 41!


    Regardless of what the enemy force was, if this group were not enough, it wouldn''t make any difference to take the other soldiers below level 40.


    Upon hearing Minos'' orders, more than two-thirds of the people who were there left the site, leaving only those with the rank of Sergeant behind.


    "You heard the young master! Come on! Death to our enemies!" Soon, some of the most influential soldiers began to motivate the other army members while already following Minos and Dillian''s footsteps towards the exit of the city, from where the audible warning had come.


    ...


    As they ran towards their destination, several people on the Dry City streets were already commenting on what could be happening.


    "Eh? Why are so many soldiers following the young master?"


    "Maybe it''s some training." Someone responded without caring much about it.


    "No, I have lived here since the young master took over the city, but I''ve never seen anything like this before! I think something has happened."


    "Hehe, old man, shall we take a look?"


    The man just turned his head in denial, going back to his duties. The current strength of the Black Plain Army was quite formidable. He didn''t think it was worth going to see this fight...


    ''I have a lot of bills to pay. I won''t waste my time seeing some idiot defying Mister Minos!'' He thought as he went back to his business.


    ...


    At the same time, at the spot where the soldiers had sent the beep earlier, the carriage of the three members of the Silva family finally arrived at the identification stop.


    Upon seeing this, the person responsible for that place, a soldier who had already reached level 40, immediately realized the strength of these people. ''Hell! Two at level 48, and this woman is already at level 49!''


    This soldier had never seen such strong people in his life!


    ''Shit! With that, all I can do is try to wrap them up a little...''


    The carriage suddenly stopped at the side of the control building next to the entrance gate, and one of the three asked. "Hey! What happened in that place?"


    "Welcome to the Dry City, miss, gentlemen. Eh, if you want to know, I''m afraid it''s a long story if you don''t mind me..."


    While trying to start the conversation, the soldier was suddenly interrupted when the woman in the group said nonchalantly. "Stop asking unnecessary questions, Austin. That person clearly wants to hold us here."


    "It makes no difference. Even if they have help, there is no way this place can threaten us..." The blond-haired man smiled and then continued. "But since Miss Sarah wants to get this over with quickly, then let''s go!"


    After saying this, Austin forced his spiritual pressure on the soldiers around them. He then ordered the spiritual beasts to continue moving forward.


    There was no need for them to worry about this patrol group. There was only one person at level 40 in that place, while everyone else was only between levels 35 and 39.


    "Ahh!"


    At the same time, shouts sounded as the carriage was beginning to enter the inner area. Most of the soldiers had passed out, while some were panting. The previous pressure was often greater than they could handle, so most of them couldn''t take it.


    ''Shit, the pressure of someone at level 48 is terrible!''


    After all, this level had more than three times the amount of energy of someone at level 40, like this soldier supervising this place.


    ...


    Finally, while going to the part protected by the walls, shortly after passing through the entrance, the three members of the Silva family saw the silhouette of the Dry City.


    "I do not believe that!" The oldest man in the group said in astonishment.


    He couldn''t believe what he was seeing. There were things in life that someone would only believe in selling. However, even seeing certain actions, many people could still refuse to accept them!


    This happened when an event was just too absurd!


    And what the trio was seeing at the moment was precisely the definition of absurdity. The Dry City looked nothing like what it should be. Despite its small area, the place appeared to be very well developed, with many tall buildings, many trees in the streets, and several notable buildings.


    And even though the group was still seeing it from a distance, it was something that they could very easily notice, given the level at which they were.


    As the level increased, the cultivators'' senses also improved. As a result, sight, smell, touch, hearing, and taste improved with an individual''s level of cultivation. And with the strength that the three had already achieved, they could easily see the details of the Dry City from a distance!


    "This... This can''t be! How did this place grow to this level? " Sarah asked in an incredulous tone as she got out of her carriage and looked at the city in front of them.


    They could already feel that there were several arrays in operation in that place. Clearly, this town was in bloom, and nothing they knew about the Black Plain was right!


    While they were shocked by the place in front of them, a group of dozens of people finally appeared, running towards where the three were.


    "It looks like they already know we''re here..." Dennis said in a low voice. He had not yet recovered from the previous shock.


    "Miss Sarah, we''d better be careful. The middle-aged man who leads the way is already at level 48!"


    Sarah then shook her head in denial, putting her confused thoughts aside. "Don''t worry. I know that man. He is not a warrior. He is just a doctor."


    "Hehehe, it looks like the butler Dillian has improved his level a lot..." Austin said with a smile on his face. "We will torture him until we find out what happened in this place."


    At this point, the two groups finally stopped in front of each other when Minos finally took a step forward. "Members of the Silva family, huh..."

 Chapter 142: Die!

    ''These two men are at level 48, while the woman is at level 49...'' Minos thought about it, looking at the three people of the Silva family.


    For him, by the time he saw that these people belonged to the Silva family, Minos had already decided their fate. He was not someone who would kill an entire family, but those who came after him or who provoked him in some way could expect the worst!


    But even though he was already decided on how to deal with these unwanted visitors, Minos still wanted to know what they were doing here.


    "Ehh, can I know what the three of you are doing in my city?" He asked politely. There was no need for him to insult the other side...


    "Hmph, if we want to get in, we''ll do it. We don''t need to justify it!" Austin said sharply. To him, Minos was acting like he was someone important, but he was just a worm in his eyes.


    Soon after, Sarah Silva said curiously. "Oh! It seems that the young Minos is even more talented than his father. Only 17-years-old and has already reached level 40!" She stopped for a second, laughing strangely, and then said. "I imagine it has to do with how this place has improved so much..."


    "Why don''t you tell us about it? We can give you a chance..." She said, smiling at the young Stuart. "I see that the butler Dillian is also doing very well... I wonder how someone at his age can cultivate so fast..."


    Dillian just smiled at her and said. "Hahaha, Sarah Silva, I haven''t seen you in a long time. I don''t know why you came here, but unfortunately for you, this was the biggest mistake of your life!"


    "Hmph, these people are hilarious..." The oldest man in the trio from the Silva family said this with contempt. For him, the numbers were useless. Only true strength dictated the result. That was what he and many of the Silva family believed!


    "Hahaha, you are very confident... But I must say that the only ones who need a chance here today are you!"


    After this, Minos gave the signal for his soldiers to act. There were about 100 of them there, and each had already heard their young master''s plans when they saw these three from a distance.


    They would split into three groups, one with 50 soldiers who would face the strongest person among the enemies, the woman named Sarah. While the other two groups, with about 25 soldiers each, would deal with the other two.


    Minos wanted to take care of this woman since there was a big difference in levels between his soldiers and her. Thus, many of these soldiers could die at her hands if they were not careful.


    Regarding the other two, Minos was confident that these two groups, together with his support, could beat them without any significant problems. After all, even if they were at a high level, they were still only members of noble families from the north of the Central Continent.


    With that, none of them could compare to the young Ruth, who had several techniques of Silver-grade. Minos alone could already defeat one of these two!


    Sure, he couldn''t defeat Ruth at level 46 with her Silver-grade techniques, but he would definitely be a match for ordinary cultivators with Level 48 and Black-grade techniques!


    But it would undoubtedly be as challenging a fight as the one he had with the young Troy in the Spiritual Tournament. And since the goal here was just to kill, the young Stuart would not fight directly with these people.


    No, facing one of these opponents alone would be stupid. The right thing to do in such a situation would be to take advantage of the numerical advantage that the group of Minos had and annihilate the enemy group!


    There was no point in taking risks, just to give these people an exciting fight. No, this was not a joke. If they didn''t fight with everything they had, from the beginning, even if they won, there would undoubtedly be casualties!


    And that was unacceptable for Minos since he had the numerical advantage in this situation.


    Anyway, quickly, the dozens of people who were here with Minos separated into the three groups, preparing to attack their targets.


    "Haha, it looks like these insects think they can go against us, just because of their numbers!" Dennis said that with a ridiculous smile on his face. He found all this resistance meaningless...


    For Dennis, it was ridiculous that these people thought they could fight the three of them, who were already at level 48, while their opponents were barely at level 41!


    Didn''t they understand the difference between the levels? Unless they had higher-level techniques, it would be impossible to fight people of higher levels!


    But for this bunch of hillbilly, it would be impossible for them to have better techniques than the ones that the Silva family provided...


    After hearing this, Austin prepared to fight, as he said. "We are going to teach these hillbilly people how a big family fight!"


    "Hmm, if you have a lot of work with these worms, we just put that brat first. The rest of them will lose hope of fighting after this happens!" Sarah then turned to the group of 50 and moved her neck from side to side, while sounds of strangers could be heard. "This will be a good fight, haha!"


    At this point, finally, the dozens of Minos'' soldiers began to activate their techniques one after the other.


    Wind Palm!


    ...


    Hammering the World!


    Rumble!


    Suddenly the place became a chaotic field of battle, with several blades, fists, projectiles, and many other forms of attacks were sent from side to side, cutting the air and creating small marks of battles in this place.


    Boom!


    As the chaotic conflict began, Minos immediately activated his techniques while unleashing sword blows in the direction of the two men.


    Indestructible Body!


    Explosive Steps!


    Spatial Sword!


    He did not want to use his support technique due to the fact that many allies were fighting in this place. And since he still couldn''t control his Devouring Art, to the degree that it didn''t affect his allies, so using it here would be a mistake.


    Not to mention that the difference in cultivation between him and his enemies was huge. In this case, even if he could ignore his allies, he would still have almost no real gain from activating his support technique.


    Minos then began to move quickly across the battlefield while delivering vertical and horizontal blows with his sword.


    Swooish!


    Swooish!


    Blades more than 70 centimeters long appeared, cutting through the air, traveling at high speeds towards the two men in the enemy group!


    "Hehe, does this brat still want to get involved in the fight? He..." While Austin wanted to speak, he suddenly realized the incredible strength contained in the blades created by Minos.


    Each of them was almost as strong as his own attacks!


    ''Ah, shit!''


    He wanted to shout at himself, but now it was too late, he had to defend himself from this attack!


    Earth Shield!


    Austin immediately circulated his defense technique, while almost simultaneously, a large round shield appeared in front of him. It had the appearance of a piece of concrete, which covered a large part of its user''s body.


    Boom!


    An explosion sounded when the blow finally collided with Austin''s defense. Immediately after that, the blonde man''s body was thrown into the distance, hitting his back against a rock that was there.


    "Ahhh!"


    But Austin had no chance to regret what had happened since many blows were already coming towards him. After all, he might have managed to dodge attacks by Minos'' soldiers before, but now it was different...


    After receiving the blow from Minos, Austin had lost some of the focus of the fight and was now at a disadvantage, showing vulnerability to the many opponents who wanted to kill him!


    Meanwhile, Dannis had managed to cope with Minos'' attack while deflecting quickly.


    He had been different from Austin and had not underestimated the young Stuart. He had immediately felt the force of the blades thrown at him, so he had done everything to prevent this attack from hitting his body.


    ''Unbelievable! This young man is a true monster!'' He thought about it, passing on what had just happened. And not only were Minos'' blows powerful, but those of his subordinates were also quite decent.


    "It seems that this Minos is training all his subordinates with Black-grade techniques!" The one who was better off among the three shouted at his two companions.


    He was very shocked by this. After all, not even the noble families, which had many specialists, had the audacity to do this!


    ''Is he not afraid of being betrayed by these subordinates?'' He thought to himself while avoiding and sometimes defending himself from the attacks that came to him.


    In the Spiritual World, families almost always tried to protect their most valuable techniques, preventing their power from draining over strangers! Because of that, what Minos was doing sounded very dangerous to these people...


    Anyway, the fight was going on, but for now, no one had died. The trio had barely managed to attack, as they had to worry about defending themselves and avoiding many attacks!


    As a result, this was a very disputed battle, in which the two sides seemed to be in balance.


    At this point, the group leader finally made up her mind when she thought. ''I have to kill this Minos, anyway! Otherwise, he will end up destroying my Silva family in the future!''


    She was extremely shocked by the power that the young Stuart unleashed during this battle. So, she had finally moved quickly towards where Minos was.


    She felt that he was running out of energy, and even though he was almost as strong as level 48 cultivators, she was a lot stronger than him.


    "Die!"


    Cutting Wires!


    Suddenly, many wires cut towards Minos'' neck, passing through the air at high speed!


    Zum!


    She wanted to kill him with this blow, ending any threat to her family.

 Chapter 143: Losing an Arm!

    While the almost transparent strands followed Minos'' neck path, everyone fighting in the vicinity saw this scene. The two men of the Silva family already had smiles on their faces, seeing that the end of the young Stuart was near.


    At the same time, the 100 or so soldiers had expressions of fear for what was about to happen. The wires thrown by Sarah were getting closer and closer to Minos'' neck, and it was almost impossible for him to deflect!


    "No!"


    Many of them screamed in despair.


    Minos was the hope of this place, so if he died, it could all be over! ''Damn it! We cannot let the young master die!'' That was the thought in the minds of almost all of them...


    Seeing her blow almost coming in contact with her target, Sarah smiled for a moment and thought to herself. ''Fool! Now you will die, and all of this will belong to our Silva family!''


    She was convinced that the fight would end at this point, feeling as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She smiled happily as she felt the breeze of the wind spread her hair in the air.


    Vuup!


    Pow!


    Suddenly something shocking happens, when an arm flew over the place!


    When the wires were about to sever Minos'' head, a spiritual beast over 2 meters high appeared in front of him, preventing the attack!


    "AHHHH!"


    But not only that, in a fraction of a second, the big fox with six tails ran at full speed to where that woman was, using her claws to try to kill this enemy!


    However, despite being at the lower level, Sarah still managed to control her forces in time, and instead of being killed by Emlyn''s potent attack, only one of her arms had been lost.


    Sarah was thrown away, hitting her back hard on a rock, while her arm was already dropped where she was previously.


    "Hells! Where did that miserable beast come?" She cried out, trying to suppress the pain of losing one of her limbs.


    The blood was flowing uncontrollably from her shoulder as she grew paler and paler. And although she could use her spiritual energy to seal the wound, in the short time she was in shock from the attack, she still lost a good deal of her blood!


    When they saw this shocking change of ways, only the butler Dillian was in peace. He already knew that Emlyn was hiding in that place, so he was sure that nothing would happen to Minos.


    But for the Black Plain Army soldiers and the two men of the Silva family, this was very unexpected!


    Not only had Minos been saved from losing his head, but his aggressor, Sarah, had been the one who fell apart in this exchange!


    "Shit! What spiritual beast is this?" Austin asked angrily.


    But Dennis only responded with an even more fearful statement. "Forget it. The most important thing is that this beast is already in the 6th stage!"


    At the same time, when the two men were talking about the appearance of this spiritual beast, which had six tails and only three legs, Minos'' soldiers were also already exclaiming in shock.


    "But what is this? Where did this beast come?"


    "Hey! Isn''t that fox that was in the Yellow City?"


    "Idiot! The one from before had only five tails. How can she create a new member like that out of the blue?"


    "No, it sure is the same fox. See, it doesn''t have one leg, and it''s also very similar to that other one!" Sergeant Humbert said that firmly.


    He had seen it when Emlyn ate the bandit Gul, and it had deeply shocked Humbert. So, he would never forget Emlyn''s appearance!


    After exclaiming in shock, they all turned their attention to the battles they were fighting.


    Boom!


    Explosions came again, at the same time when Sarah felt many attacks coming towards her. This was a good chance for the 50 soldiers who were fighting it!


    She had lost much of her spiritual energy and also one of her arms. As a result, Sarah Silva''s vulnerability had appeared to these soldiers, who were shaking with anger at this enemy.


    Not only had she avoided almost all the blows of these people before, but she had also almost taken the life of the young master from these soldiers. "Die your bitch!"


    Various techniques were released, creating many forms of energy, which went through the air towards weakened Sarah!


    Rumble!


    ''Bastards! If it weren''t for that damn beast...'' She was cursing all these people simultaneously, in which she used all her remaining energies to defend herself.


    She could not take the attacks launched by 50 people lightly. No, that would be absurd. After all, her level was not yet high enough for her to do such a thing. The difference in energy between the levels was not so significant until reaching the Spiritual King stage.


    Therefore, fighting many opponents of various lower levels in the 5th stage of cultivation would still be an arduous task!


    Anyway, while Sarah wielded her strength to defend herself from the group that attacked her, Emlyn had sat in the middle of the battlefield, looking at what was happening. She would do exactly as Minos had recommended, only to interfere if the life of one of the members of the Black Plain Army was in danger.


    Swooish!


    Minos ran towards where the blond man was while already releasing his attack technique, making a movement to and fro with his sword.


    He had not been surprised by the previous danger and was just focusing on ending this fight.


    Dying during a battle was very likely, and going through a near-death situation could immobilize some individuals. But Minos knew it was stupid. Thinking about what might have happened would be crazy. After all, you can''t change what has already happened!


    In this way, he had left what had happened in the past and immediately went on with his battle.


    Minos then quickly appeared next to Austin, cutting the air with his sword in the horizontal direction!


    Swooish!


    "Ahhhh!"


    The blond man was running out of energy, and it was complicated for him to defend himself from so many attacks at the same time. At this point, he finally found that Minos had appeared next to him, but it was too late to dodge.


    While he let out a sad cry, the blade created by Minos had cut off one of Austin''s legs, causing him to fall off balance and fall to the ground!


    "Ahhh! Miserable, I''m going to kill you!"


    However, while Austin screamed wildly, still lying on his back on the ground, the obliterated part of a war hammer suddenly descended from the sky, heading towards the head of the Silva family member!


    One of the soldiers who were at level 41 took this chance, using all his remaining energy to carry out that last blow.


    He lifted his big war hammer over his head while using all the strength in his body to hammer Austin''s head!


    Thud!


    A dull thud came from that place when Austin''s brains finally began to spread around!


    It was as if a watermelon had been crushed!


    Blood and pieces of gray mass flew around while the rest of Austin''s body trembled.


    This was a horrible scene to see!!


    As he lifted his hammer from the ground, Austin''s crushed head came into view. It was completely unrecognizable, as if it were a mixture of that man''s white skin, with blond hair, white bones, brains, and blood everywhere.


    One of his eyes had been completely crushed, while the eyeball could still be seen stuck in the middle of that crushed flesh!


    Austin had died!


    He was still thinking about his missing leg when the hammer of one of Minos'' soldiers had descended on his head. He was almost out of energy, and having lost a leg had destabilized him, to the point that he was very vulnerable!


    Minos then shouted aloud, looking at the 25 soldiers in his vicinity. "Of the rest of you, ten help kill that level 49 woman, and the rest will deal with that other guy!"


    "Yes, young master!"


    As they saw this, the two remaining members of the Silva family were increasingly fearful. They had underestimated the strength of their enemies!


    ''Damn it! We should never have tried to blame the young Darell''s death on that person!'' Dennis deeply regretted it.


    He was still slightly better than the leader of his group, Sarah, since he had not been so hurt by the soldiers who were attacking him.


    However, the situation was getting worse and worse for him. And when he saw his partner Austin die, Dennis was sure that his end was near. Trying to escape was stupid. After all, there was a 6th stage beast in this place.


    And as for the sacrifice, well, he didn''t have what it took to do that. And even if he did, that spiritual beast could still protect Minos, so his suffering would be meaningless...

 Chapter 144: The End of the Battle!

    The battle continued for some time, with Sarah facing 60 soldiers and Dennis 40. Minos was also helping to deal with Dennis, sending in his attacks whenever there was an opening.


    When the two remaining members of the Silva family were almost at the end of their energy, the woman screamed in a threatening voice. "You are going to regret this day! The Silva family will not make our deaths cheap!"


    "Hahaha, the Silva family is already my enemy. What difference does it make if I killed some more members of your forces?" Minos asked with a mocking expression on his face.


    For him, threats like this would not make sense. The grudge had been created a long time ago. Even if there was not, they could only expect something even worse from Minos since they came with malicious intentions!


    He was not naive to believe empty promises or that a person could change her nature. Nonsense, a scum remains a scum, no matter how well behaved it looks!


    And although the common saying says that there are no eternal enemies, well, that was only valid for those with equivalent powers. Otherwise, the strongest would undoubtedly crush the weakest, doing whatever he wanted!


    The Silva family would certainly destroy Minos'' forces if they knew the truth about the current Black Plain. But the same was true for the young Stuart. If he had the power, he would certainly kill the leaders of the Silva family.


    But he couldn''t do that now because he was the weakest!


    But one side would surely try to destroy the other, sooner or later. However, Minos did not have to harm himself, helping the other side...


    Explosive Steps!


    After finishing saying that, Minos ran towards Dennis''s side while using all his remaining energy to launch one last attack.


    By this time, Dennis was already wholly depleted of energy, to the point that he could pass out from fatigue at any time. Adding to that, Minos'' technique was high-speed and could surprise this man!


    Spatial Sword!


    The young Stuart appeared six meters behind Dennis while he wielded his elegant sword. He made a smooth horizontal motion, holding his sword with both hands, when a blade of energy more than 70 centimeters flew towards Dennis!


    Swooish!


    ''Oh! Shit...'' Dennis just thought about it when he looked at the blade approaching his body. He couldn''t do anything else without energy, and so close to Minos'' blow, that was the end of the line for him.


    Swooish!


    The blade quickly cut through Dennis''s head, making it roll a few times in the sky before starting to fall to the ground. In this fraction of a second that this had happened, the man who had just arrived at his tragic end could still see the moment when his body was separated from his head.


    ''This is the end...'' Dennis thought about it as views of him quickly darkened. Having his head cut off from the rest of his body was an injury with no return. But for a millisecond, a powerful cultivator could still have his last thought before he fell into the darkness of death.


    At the same time, the rest of Dennis''s body fell to the floor, with a stream of blood coming out of his head.


    ''Ha, ha, ha, ha, it''s finally over!'' One of the soldiers thought about it when he saw Dennis''s death. Most of the soldiers were already very tired, and a few seconds ago, even the big fox had to protect some of them.


    But with that man''s death, dealing with Sarah was a simple job!


    ''Shit! All of this because of a bad idea! If only we hadn''t come to this damn city...'' When thinking about it, Sarah suddenly remembered what Minos had said earlier. ''Did he say that we are already enemies? Does he know about what happened to his father?''


    She hadn''t noticed the flaw in Minos'' speech. After all, they really were enemies, and she was also swamped, trying to survive the constant attacks by the soldiers of the Black Plain Army.


    She then dodged a fireball that came towards her and looked at Minos. "Do you know who was behind your father''s death?"


    Hearing this, Minos made a hand gesture that his soldiers would not attack. She was already in her last breath, and he could feel that there was almost no spiritual energy left in Sarah''s body. He then said. "Of course I know, your young master told me!"


    "Did you meet the young master Darell? You can''t be..." She finally realized the truth. All this time, they were after Minos Stuart, but they had never even thought about this possibility.


    ''It''s no wonder that the young master Darell died. He dared to challenge this monster!'' At this point, Sarah finally couldn''t stand it anymore and passed out right there where she was.


    She was severely injured, without one of her arms, with big wounds on her back and belly, to the point that it was even possible to see her interiors. That was the end of it. Even if no one finished it, she still couldn''t survive with such injuries.


    After seeing this, one of Minos'' soldiers approached Sarah''s unconscious body and took a dagger from his bag. ''Ahh, it is a pity that a beauty has to die...'' He thought to himself, making a quick movement, cutting her neck.


    There was no reason for them to have compassion for an enemy who was already unconscious. No one here would risk that person surviving in some miraculous way. All of these soldiers here had families, and as a result, they couldn''t take any chances.


    Having compassion for an enemy was no different than being cruel to yourself!


    ''It seems that this young man has increasingly stronger enemies...'' Emlyn sighed. She had heard some of Minos'' stories during that time since the Spiritual Tournament.


    As a result, she knew that Minos had faced increasingly strong opponents. But for her, although the Continent of the Beast was very violent, generally not even the spiritual beasts of that place seemed to fight so hard in such a short time.


    It seemed that the figure of Minos attracted problems...


    While the fox admired the young Stuart''s bravery, who didn''t mind offending those powers stronger than his, Minos finally let out a sigh of relief.


    Today, he had confirmed the obstacles could come at any time. So, they needed to take even more care starting today. Who would know when an enemy they couldn''t deal with would arrive?


    He then walked to the bodies of the three members of the Silva family, collecting their spatial rings. After all, they were all very close to the Spiritual King stage, so they had to have this type of item.


    ''Ten techniques of Black-grade, seven of Blue-grade, 100,000 low-grade crystals, some grade-1 pills, and two grade-1, high-level weapons... Not bad, it seems that some of them were not subordinates, but members of the Silva family...'' Minos reflected while inspecting these rings.


    He didn''t know those people, so he didn''t know about their positions within the Silva family. But from what he had seen, they certainly had significant positions in that force.


    Minos then started walking towards the butler and the fox, saying. "Grandpa Dillian, take the Black-grade techniques to the army library and the Blue-grade techniques to the Dry City Public Library. As for the rest of the items, distribute them among the soldiers who participated in this battle."


    "Hmm, okay, hehe, these guys are going to be very happy about it." He replied with a gentle smile on his face. Three more soldiers could receive these spatial rings, and each of the 100 would receive a thousand low-grade crystals!


    That was more than a month''s wages for them!


    At the same time, when Minos, Dillian, and the big fox were talking, most of these soldiers were already silent in this place while recovering part of their strength. They had come running here without even making use of spiritual beasts.


    So, they all needed some time before they returned to the city.


    Minos then looked towards the wall, thinking about what he should do. ''We have to increase the strength of the patrols. I think it will be better if we leave half of our Spiritual Generals, divided into the four entrances of the city...''


    ...


    After a few minutes of resting in that place where the battle had taken place, the group finally returned to the Dry City. Of course, they burned the bodies and the remains of the three members of the Silva family.


    This was the first test for the Black Plain Army forces, and they had managed to overcome it in a tough victory. All the soldiers were even more motivated, while many were already thinking about investing their newly won crystals.


    This city was their home, and there was nothing worse than being afraid in their own home. In this case, they could only do their best to become stronger!

 Chapter 145: Six Months

    Another day came when the sun slowly took over the night. The sun''s rays were illuminating the lands of the Black Plain, while someone could feel that characteristic morning freshness in this place.


    The temperature was enjoyable, and the characteristic silence of the mornings could certainly be enjoyed at this time. That was undoubtedly one of the best ways to start a good day at work...


    Looking closer, the crop fields were flourishing in a space that grew exponentially with each harvest season. At this time, several farmers were already working in the fields, smelling the pleasant fragrance coming from the plants planted in this place.


    There were mango trees on one side, an area with several strawberry trees on the other, with carambola trees not far away. Men and women were taking care of these plants, as they did almost every day.


    Six months had passed since the attack by the members of the Silva family. The Dry City had continued its many improvements in this period, and no attacks had taken place in the past few months.


    Anyway, at this moment, a man of thin stature and wearing simple clothes was carrying a large basket with many sleeves while he was walking from the field of culture to the warehouse closest to that place.


    As he walked quietly, another man approached him, carrying another basket filled with many grape bunches. "Ahhh, the weather is delightful today, don''t you think, old Dugal?"


    "Hmm, but don''t be too soft. We have to harvest this quickly..." Dugal started talking to his friend while they were doing their work.


    The old man who was a criminal in the Yellow City had been through many things after being crippled by one of Minos'' soldiers. And after walking through many weaker places, he finally stopped in the Dry City.


    He could still live for a long time, so even though he couldn''t cultivate and grow strong, Dugal still needs crystals to survive.


    And in a way, without spending spiritual crystals on cultivation, the salary he had been receiving as a farmer could provide excellent quality of life in this place. He was living even better in the Dry City than when he was still a cultivator in the Yellow City.


    Dugal had left the life of a bandit. But that was not because he was a good person or because he had noticed his mistakes. No, he just had no choice.


    With his crippled cultivation, Dugal could no longer be a criminal, leaving only the life of an ordinary man to him. But Dugal was not resentful of what happened. The past could not be changed, and now he had other plans for his life.


    Who knows, he could have a family and live peacefully in this place...


    With his crippled spiritual cultivation, his physical strength was at most equal to the strength of someone at level 29, so he could only do more straightforward jobs to survive. Thus, Dugal had found this to be the best place for him to live his last centuries of life...


    But previously, he did not know that this place was governed by the man responsible for what happened to him...


    Anyway, Dugal was now just a farmer who worked in the fields of the culture of the Black Plain.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in a specific place in the Red Valley, an old man with a white beard and hair was sitting on a rock in the middle of a forest while he cultivated calmly. There were 3 Spiritual Kings not far from him, waiting for the right moment to come to him.


    This was the patriarch of the Silva family, Otis Silva, who was cultivating in the middle of a forest, close to the largest city in the Red Valley.


    Time passed, and soon the old man finished his cultivation session.


    He felt the cold around him, while the cloudy sky could be seen when he opened his eyes. This place was very peaceful, but neither the weather nor the temperament of the old patriarch was good.


    Otis Silva lost his son and six other subordinates from the 5th stage of cultivation in the past year. Still, those responsible for this had not paid for his crimes until now!


    He had many problems to solve. After all, he was the leader of one of the great families of the Brown Kingdom. But every time he had time off, he couldn''t help but feel a burden on his conscience. Not knowing who was acting against his family gave him an impression that it was an itch that he couldn''t scratch.


    That was a very annoying feeling for him!


    As soon as he turned his vision to the three men, he said. "If you still don''t have those responsible for that, don''t even think about appearing in front of me again. Did you hear?"


    "From now on, none of the three will be allowed to enter the Red Valley until you find those responsible for the deaths of my son and the other 6 Spiritual Generals!" The old man shouted in an irritated manner.


    He had asked these three Spiritual Kings to resolve this matter finally, but even they were failing. Of the three, two were at level 51 and one at level 52. The three had been coming and going from Stone Island for the past six months, but old Otis had not yet received any information from the three.


    Because of that, he was furious!


    "Yes, patriarch, we understand!" The three men answered in a low voice, leaving the place shortly after that.


    After a few minutes, after starting to travel in a carriage, a tall, strong man said in an uncertain tone. "Scott, Urban, what are we going to do? If we tell the patriarch that the person responsible for the death of the young Darell went to the Flaming Empire, I fear that for what he can do..."


    A man with a thin face and red hair nodded and complemented upon hearing this. "Hmm, but not only that. We have no idea how Sarah''s group died... All we know is that they had returned to the mainland, after leaving Stone Island..."


    Upon hearing his two teammates express their doubts, Urban, the group''s leader, who was at level 52, closed his eyes for a moment and said. "We have to put the issue of this Minos aside. Sarah would never try to go against an empire force. In this case, we can be sure that this Minos has nothing to do with the death of the three..."


    "We will try to solve the mystery behind this first. If we find out what happened, maybe we can tell the patriarch everything we find out." Urban said in a low voice. He sighed for a moment while thinking. ''But we definitely cannot tell the patriarch about what happened to the young Darell without first having anything else, otherwise...''


    Urban had been in the Silva family for over 100 years, so he knew the issues of this power well. As to why he was afraid to tell his patriarch what he had discovered, well... That was because Otis Silva really loved his son very much.


    Darell was his only son, and the great love of life for Otis, the young Darell''s mother, had died shortly after the young man''s birth.


    He and she had tried to conceive for decades, but they had always failed. However, not only his wife, but he also wanted to have an heir. But when they finally got what they wanted, Otis''s wife ended up dying during delivery...


    Because of this, the old patriarch of the Silva family had only the young Darell as blood from his blood and loved him deeply. He did not blame him for the death of his beloved wife since a child was not to blame for such a tragedy!


    In this way, he always treated him with priority. He had even created big problems with other families when the young Darell made his ''mischief,'' characteristic of young people...


    Anyway, Urban was afraid that the old patriarch would send him to the Flaming Empire. He did not want to take such risks, and even if he was not the warrant, there was still the possibility that Patriarch Otis would try to hire an assassin from that place.


    But that was just too dangerous. After all, Minos was now a member of a colossal power that could flatten the entire Silva family.


    ''What a problem...''


    ...


    While the three Spiritual Kings of the Silva family returned to their investigative work, Minos was training quietly in the Spatial Kingdom.


    He had reached level 42 about two days ago. He was living his life comfortably, between training sessions in this place and the administration of the Dry City.


    His city now had 125,000 inhabitants, and about three-quarters of that population were working either in local agriculture or in the army.


    The Minos region now had 800 hectares planted and had a contingent of 2,400 soldiers in the Black Plain Army. With these numbers, the young Stuart and company were managing to do more and more for this place.


    In the past six months, the arena and the cultivation tower that Minos had ordered from secretary Mia were almost ready and would be inaugurated in the next few days!


    With that, this place would be even better, with competitions that could reward the best fighters and public attractions for the inhabitants of this city.


    After all, the population needed to be entertained in some way. Many empires and kingdoms used the bread and circus policy, just for that!


    The ordinary population, in most places, was responsible for the functioning of towns. Thus, government officials needed to give something in return for their services, in addition to their salaries!


    A depressed person could end up yielding and damaging business in a certain place!


    Anyway, with the construction of these two places, the population would have new ways to increase their cultivation speed and still enjoy other people''s struggles in the arena, even learning essential lessons from it!


    Some changes had also been made to the city wall in this period. After all, the threats had to be stopped before entering this place.

 Chapter 146: Dry City Cultivation Tower 1

    Currently, the city wall had 80 cultivators in the 5th stage and 160 in the 4th stage of cultivation.


    They were subdivided into four different entrances of the Dry City and were intended to stop possible threats to the territory before it reached the interior area of ??the wall.


    Anyway, now the number of soldiers of the Black Plain Army was quite large, being able to maintain these numbers in the surveillance of the city wall.


    With the time that had passed, the number of soldiers in the Sergeant''s rank had increased to about 200. And there were even some of them already at level 42.


    With that, these soldiers could fulfill their obligations by protecting the city with some ease, unless, of course, individuals close to the 6th stage would cause problems...


    ...


    Minos had finished his cultivation session within the Spatial Kingdom, and now he was resting beside a tree not far from the lake.


    He could feel the heat of the sun''s rays on his skin, while the strong smell of plants could be felt. There was also a light breeze, which gave him an enjoyable feeling.


    It was delightful to lie on the grass and feel the nature around you!


    And not far from Minos, two youths and two foxes were there. Those, of course, were Emlyn, Kyla, Lee, and Alison.


    After all these months that passed, Lee and Alison had managed to reach the 4th stage of cultivation. He was at level 31, while she was at level 30.


    The two were growing more and more. It would not be long before the two left behind the childish characteristics of their appearances. Minos also hoped that these two could finally take on greater responsibilities soon.


    Due to the talent of the two youngsters and the degree of their cultivation techniques, the young Stuart stipulated that they would reach level 40 around the 15 to 16-year-old.


    With that, they would soon be among the strongest of their forces since the two had cultivation speeds far superior to those of the young Stuart''s soldiers.


    As to why these two were so fast-cultivating, that was due to the investment made by Minos.


    The cultivation speed in the Spiritual World could be affected by two factors mainly. That was the talent and the quality of the cultivation technique.


    Obviously, constant struggles could slightly improve a person''s cultivation speed, but that was not as significant as the quality of cultivation techniques.


    Anyway, the most influential was the degree of the cultivation technique. So, even if they only had Black talent, the two youths would undoubtedly be as quick as those young people with Silver talent!


    But it was not only that. The two trained whenever possible in the Spatial Kingdom. Because of that, the time of spiritual gathering that the two took was much less. In addition, the pressure given by a zone of high spiritual concentration, at the level of that of the Spatial Kingdom, made cultivation even easier!


    It was no wonder that only the Spatial Kingdoms were called sanctuaries of cultivation!


    Regions of high spiritual concentration had a lot of spiritual energy, but that energy was spread over vast terrains. In Spatial Kingdoms, the energy was almost wholly concentrated in a ''small'' space.


    That is why Minos expected them to move forward so fast!


    And soon, the battle arena of the Dry City would open, and the two youths could finally train with other young people. Of course, it would take a while for someone who could challenge them to show up in these areas...


    Anyway, as for the two foxes, Emlyn had not increased her level in this period since it took much longer to achieve this in the 6th stage of cultivation. For a beast from one of the best species like her, even increasing 1 level at this stage she was in, it could take about three years!


    For this reason, the six months that passed were not enough for the mother fox to increase her strength, even though she was in a cultivation sanctuary. She also still couldn''t eat the Spatial Kingdom''s special medicines since it all had higher amounts of energy than Emlyn''s body could handle.


    In this case, Emlyn could only continue to strengthen slowly until she could absorb one of these medicines.


    As for tiny Kyla, she was now almost twice the size of before and was becoming more and more graceful. She now has three orange tails that were indeed charming, and the young fox''s intelligence increased more and more.


    She still couldn''t understand human language, but she improved her way of behaving constantly. Until recently, she was still deceived by Minos when he used food to attract the attention of the little fox.


    But after reaching the 3rd stage, Kyla was no longer easily deceived and even devised strategies to steal apples from the big house beside the lake. That was her favorite food, but she only got a few a day...


    Therefore, whenever Minos was not around, she tried to get more, ''robbing'' the cabinets of that house!


    Finally, the butler Dillian, who was in the Dry City at the moment, taking care of his daily responsibilities, and had already reached level 49!


    He was getting closer and closer to reaching the 6th stage of cultivation, Spiritual King!


    And even if he wasn''t a warrior-type cultivator, having someone of that level in the Dry City was still significant. After all, in the north of the Central Continent, the sign of a force''s strength was precisely the number of Spiritual Kings!


    Thus, reaching the first member of this stage of cultivation was an important achievement for the Black PlainArmy!


    Finally, after staying in the Spatial Kingdom enjoying this peaceful time of rest, Minos decided to return to the Dry City. It was time for him to deal with his daily responsibilities as the sovereign of this place.


    He disappeared from where he was, while his surroundings changed suddenly.


    Minos had appeared inside a courtyard, inside his residence. There weren''t many things in this place, just a space for training and a table not far from the door to his apartment.


    Upon noticing where he was, the young Stuart quickly headed towards the administrative part of the mansion, where he worked out his daily affairs.


    Not long after, he finally spotted his office, where secretary Mia was sitting behind her desk. She was already at level 35 and was getting more and more beautiful. Mia was also dressing very well, in a beautiful green silk dress, which neither showed too much nor showed too little.


    It was just the right proportion for the occasion.


    The young secretary had greatly improved her quality of life, and today she was able to have a comfortable lifestyle, which would enable her to have expensive clothes, like the young women from large noble families.


    Finally, Minos greeted her and went quickly to his office.


    He then saw a middle-aged man sitting comfortably on one of the couches in that place, drinking spiritual tea while reading some reports. He wore a beige suit and had a full mustache, completely black.


    This was butler Dillian, who was already handling his daily business at this point.


    Upon realizing that someone had arrived, Dillian stopped what he was doing and looked in the direction of the door where Minos was passing.


    He smiled and said. "Young master, I have good news."


    "Oh?"


    "The cultivation tower that the young master ordered is already ready! We can open it at any time." He said with a smile on his face.


    That was a very important thing for this city. After all, such a tower could be considered standard for the inhabitants of a big city, but this was only seen in those largest urban agglomerations, with more than 1 million inhabitants!


    Such a building was costly, and sovereign families were usually unwilling to invest considerable funds in a project for the common public... With this, in addition to the large cities, which yielded many crystals with taxes, there were practically no cultivation towers in other places!


    Just to give you an idea, Minos had disbursed 9 million low-grade crystals to pay for the construction of this tower alone!


    Any other noble family would not have done such a thing since the tax revenue of the Dry City barely exceeded 100,000 crystals a year!


    But for Minos, it was definitely worth it.


    With this investment, the cultivation tower would have 400 rooms for 2nd stage cultivators, 200 rooms for the 3rd stage, 100 rooms for the 4th, and 20 rooms for the 5th stage cultivators.


    With such numbers, they could significantly increase the cultivation speed of their citizens, increasing the strength of their army and future members as well. After all, the Black Plain Army made selections. Only those of more significant cultivation were left with the vacancies offered.


    There were many people who wanted to reach the army of Minos, but the competition was just too great.


    With that, those who had not yet got their place could train hard in this new option so that from the next selection, they could accomplish this small goal...

 Chapter 147: Dry City Cultivation Tower 2

    "What about the arena? How much longer will it take to be ready?"


    "Ehh, it is also almost finished and should be ready in the next ten days." Dillian responded promptly.


    "This is good... We are going to inaugurate the cultivation tower in 2 days, so, in the meantime, we will let the population know about it."


    "Hmm."


    Dillian nodded and then changed the subject. "Young master, I think it is almost time for us to make contact with the government of the City of Waters."


    This was a top priority on Dillian''s agenda. The population of the Cry City was already working at its limit, and there was almost no room for improvement in the area of ??agriculture. Currently, there were practically no unemployed in this region.


    Only the young people under the age of 15 were ''unemployed.'' And even those people who wanted to join the Black Plain Army, they were working in agriculture too. After all, this was a form of guaranteed income in the Dry City!


    Therefore, the city urgently needed to receive immigrants. And even though some families came from Stone Island, that number was minimal.


    Elen could not risk spreading the propaganda of the Black Plain, and there were also not so many people willing to take risks in a new place. For this reason, attracting people from Stone Island was not effective in supplying labor in the fields.


    Minos had asked Elen to do this propaganda, mainly to attract lesser-level array masters, blacksmiths, and alchemists. He didn''t have the crazy thought that tens of thousands of people from that place would come here, just like that.


    Anyway, that was an issue that would occasionally cause problems in this place. They could not draw much attention, so it was quite problematic to keep the growth of this place to the maximum.


    The fame of the Black Plain was not good in any part of the north of the Central Continent, so people would not come here just like that. Allied to this, with a territory with a small population, Minos would have to face problems related to the labor offered for a long time.


    Finally, not being able to open the doors of the Black Plain to the world, showing what they had best, only made it difficult to solve this problem.


    "Hmm, I think we have to do this in the next few weeks..." Minos said as he relaxed in his chair and blew out a breath. ''It looks like I have to go on a trip soon... ''


    ...


    After that, a day passed, and the news about the inauguration of the cultivation tower had already spread through the Dry City.


    Many already saw the large building that was being built in the central region of the city gradually taking shape, so they were very curious to know what it would be.


    At this moment, in front of the Public Library of the Dry City, a group was leaving that place, talking animatedly.


    "Did you hear the rumor? That building is going to start operating tomorrow." A young man said, pointing in the direction of a large building that was shaped like a pyramid trunk.


    "Ehh? And do you know what it will be used for?"


    "Hmm, more or less. I heard that this building is for cultivating and training."


    "Huh? And what is the difference in doing this in our homes?" Other people asked in doubt. Most of the city''s inhabitants did not know the idea behind the cultivation towers.


    In fact, millions of people in the north of the Central Continent did not know about this. After all, few cities had buildings like this. And even in the towns that had, the majority of the population could not afford to train in such places!


    Thus, many did not understand the difference between cultivating in a special place and doing it in their homes.


    And even though some learned about this type of thing in spiritual academies, not all of these places taught such specific things. In places like the capital of a kingdom, children would certainly know about it. But in a poor place like the Dry City, there was no need to talk about such a thing, which many would not even see that in their lives...


    "Idiot, I heard from my grandfather that the cultivation towers are special constructions, which further increase the spiritual concentration of where we cultivate!"


    "What? Can such a thing be done? I thought that the most that could be done was to improve the spiritual concentration of the city..."


    "Hmm, I thought so too before, but after I found out a little bit more about the array masters profession, I understood that it is not that simple." A young man said proudly.


    He had started to learn about arrays from an old man that came from Stone Island to the Dry City. So, he knew a little about this area...


    "A spiritual meeting array can act in a large area or do this in a small space. This is decided at the time that an array master is finalizing the framing of these items."


    "By doing this, the array loses much of its reach, but in return, it gains in efficiency! For this reason, a room with an array of grade-1, high-level, will have a spiritual concentration much more significant than in a large area, which is affected by an array of the same degree, however, focused on large spaces."


    Spiritual meeting arrays work like an atom. The array was the nucleus that attracted free spiritual energy, electrons, to its surroundings. And the shorter the distance from its core, the more the force of attraction.


    Consequently, any array of this type would necessarily have greater effects in the vicinity of the array, while it would have lesser effects in more distant places.


    However, when the array was focused on serving an ample space, it had to give up its efficiency in order to keep the difference between the spiritual energy concentration of the parties as little as possible.


    Of course, it was impossible to end all the difference in quality. Still, the array masters managed to reduce this to an acceptable value at the cost of the array''s efficiency.


    However, when focusing on small spaces, these arrays did not need to sacrifice their efficiency, so it had great results in places where it focused on increasing spiritual concentration for small areas, as in the case of these rooms present in cultivation towers.


    "Oh! So, this is how it works! Incredible!"


    "Hmm, it is quite interesting what the array masters can do..." He said with a satisfied smile. "But in these cultivation towers, you can also train your battle techniques at a high level."


    "I heard that too. It seems that people can train without fear of destroying the place, and there is still a way to rent spiritual arrays that will help you in your training!" A young man said excitedly.


    Training alone was challenging. After all, some techniques required their users to complete some ''unique'' requirements.


    For example, the Minos support technique, Devouring Art, its user had to train it by absorbing the spiritual energy of living beings or spiritual arrays. It was unable to absorb free energy in nature or of spiritual plants.


    But unlike Minos, the ordinary population could not have spiritual arrays for training. And it was not easy to work out specific techniques without the aid of these items.


    In this way, this cultivation tower could help many people who were training a technique with special requirements.


    Anyway, other conversations like these were taking place throughout the Dry City, which would once again have a new service being made available soon.


    "Hahaha, it seems that the decision to come here was not wrong!" A tall man said out loud, looking at a woman who was having her meal with him in one of the restaurants in town.


    These two had received Minos'' offer when he had passed through the city of Portland. At the time, they had obviously refused. Still, after a friend of them left Stone Island, they could not leave their curiosity and ended up in the Dry City.


    The two had no idea where this friend had gone, but after watching his family for a while, they finally arrived at this place. And to their surprise, this was precisely where Minos had said he came from, at the time he had made that commercial offer several months ago...


    "Hmm, this place really has a lot of opportunities for blacksmiths like us. But I wanted to see the face of those old Portland blacksmiths when they find out what they''re missing." The woman said with a satisfied expression.


    They had invited others to find out the whereabouts of their friend. After all, he could be in trouble since he had left without giving any warning.


    This was not normal, and as longtime friends, they had been worried!


    But who knew that their goodwill had led them to a real treasure...


    Not only did they find out that their friend was doing very well in this place, but they were also now following the same path themselves. This was a land of opportunities, and whoever arrived first could enjoy it for longer!


    The man laughed and then said with an exciting look. "I want to see this cultivation tower... Not even the city of Portland has one of these!"


    "Hmm, but I heard that it will be excellent, losing only in the capacity for those in big cities. I heard that it will only have four floors for now, not even having a thousand rooms..." The woman said in a low voice.


    "But that is understandable. After all, this place is still very small..."

 Chapter 148: Dry City Cultivation Tower 3

    Another day passed in the Black Plain, and today was finally the moment of the inauguration of the cultivation tower!


    The day had come slowly in the Dry City, while the city was slowly coming to life. This was still a small town, and during the night, there was almost no movement on the streets here.


    Except for the Black Plain Army soldiers, the streets and avenues of this town were utterly deserted during the night.


    Anyway, the day dawned with a subtle haze over the city and a cold temperature that would undoubtedly make someone want to sleep for a few more minutes...


    However, today was the date marked for the inauguration of the cultivation tower, so many people did not want to miss this opportunity. Many wanted to take the chance to be the first to use this new service in the city, so they had to get up early in the morning to secure their places.


    And it wasn''t long before the streets of the Dry City started to come to ''life.'' Some people were going to the culture fields, while others were going to the city''s central region.


    And amid the smell of bread that came from many houses, several soldiers changed their shift. Some were just waking up and were already going to their jobs, while others were returning from their jobs.


    Army soldiers worked 8-hour shifts, in which they worked around the city, rested, and finally, last but not least, they trained and cultivated their techniques.


    This was a measure to give these soldiers time to train and get enough rest. After all, they could not sacrifice their cultivation speed because of their responsibilities.


    The stronger they were, the better it would be for the Black Plain.


    Ultimately, resting and having your own time was essential to these people. Everyone needed time to have fun, eat, be entertained, etc. It was complicated to stay in the same routine, without any time for yourself.


    What was the point of working like crazy and having nothing more than that?


    A man could be the strongest in the world, but without a family to return to, without something to protect, without something to entertain, what was the meaning of life?


    Some could live without worrying about it, but most people needed time for their private lives. In this way, the Black Plain Army had created this cycle of work in shifts once the number of soldiers reached the minimum necessary to do this.


    This was a necessary measure, aimed at improving the living conditions of Minos'' soldiers as much as possible!


    Finally, the movement in the streets increased, and it was already possible to hear the typical noise of busy places. People talked as they walked, noises of spiritual beasts coming and going, sounds of construction around the city, etc.


    This was a lively morning.


    And as soon as time passed, it didn''t take long, and a crowd had already formed in front of a building that looked like a pyramid trunk. This building occupied a space of more than 40 thousand square meters, with only four floors, without a single window in sight.


    It was like a pyramid-shaped box, completely closed to the world. And right in the middle of this building, there was the name written in gold, ''Dry City Cultivation Tower''!


    Other than that, there was nothing else that was visible externally. There was only one large entrance on the first floor, with a large glass door, giving a glimpse of what was inside the building.


    And while the crowd started to be organized in lines by the soldiers who were in this place, soon Minos and some government members arrived at the site.


    "Hehehe, Mister Minos is already here! I can''t wait to get in there!" Someone in the crowd said excitedly.


    "Hmm, I am also very excited. I have been collecting crystals since this place started to be built. Today I will finally be able to cultivate here!"


    Many other conversations took place while Minos and his entourage got to know the cultivation tower.


    They were being guided by the people who would be responsible for this place, finding out about the details of the building and how things were going to work.


    According to the director chosen for the Dry City Cultivation Tower, the building had been designed to withstand expansions in the future. For example, despite having only four floors at the moment, the building would have the capacity to support up to 9 levels in the future!


    With that, when the need arose, the administration of that place would only need to follow the original project, and that place would naturally be expanded. This was a measure that Minos had demanded since this place would certainly not be enough for the constantly growing population of the Dry City.


    But they did not need and did not have enough resources to have a large cultivation tower at this time. In this case, leaving the place prepared for future expansions was the best thing to do.


    In addition, the four floors of the building were not working to the maximum of their capacity, since it was really quite expensive to have even more rooms.


    Each cultivation room had to have several spiritual arrays, so there was no way that the Black Plain could pay for an even more significant number than the current one.


    That way, when the building started to function, there would undoubtedly be improvements in the future.


    Other than that, the structure of the place was very similar to the cultivation towers that Minos had known in the Cromwell Kingdom. There were restaurants and shops related to spiritual cultivation on all floors of the building, divided, of course, according to the floor level.


    There were many bathrooms and places for people to get to know each other, while on the first floor, there was a large reception, with more than 40 attendants.


    In the entrance hall, in addition to the reception, where cultivators could rent the rooms, there was a large screen with prices for each niche and other relevant information.


    Other than that, besides the ten elevators and the stairs, there was not much in this place. There was little decoration, which only had natural images of the Black Plain, nothing so shocking.


    Anyway, the Minos group finally left the place, allowing the cultivation tower to finally be opened to the public!


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the four lines outside the cultivation tower, a young woman with black hair was waiting at the top of her line.


    This was Alina, 27-years-old, Blue talent, level 27.


    She had been born and raised all her life in the Dry City. Life here was not good, but it was something she knew, and she didn''t want to take chances in unfamiliar places.


    Alina also had a living father and mother, who certainly had no intention of leaving this place. For this reason, the young Alina had already resigned herself to not having expectations for her life. She just took it day after day, enduring this empty life as she could.


    However, everything changed for Alina after Minos arrived in the Dry City. She, like many, had finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel and now had her own dreams and goals in this place.


    There was an exciting feeling that Alina could feel. Before Minos came here, she was completely resigned to her destiny, but after that happened, now she felt a warmth in her heart every time she saw this place improving.


    It was a gratifying feeling to be able to see her homeland, a practically abandoned place, receiving so many opportunities and changing for the better.


    Before, the inhabitants of the Dry City could not do anything for this place, and they were okay with that. But that didn''t mean they didn''t care!


    If something could be done, then these people would be very enthusiastic about it.


    And because of that, Alina was living her best years since she was born. She had been working hard in the agricultural fields of the Black Plain and had the dream of joining the Black Plain Army.


    And for that, she was putting together everything she could to improve her cultivation and get one of the vacancies in the next selection, which would happen in 3 months.


    According to what she knew, only those who were at the height of their cultivation stage had a chance of being accepted into the local army. As such, she had to battle to reach level 29 in those months that were left so that she could finally complete her goal!


    ''I have 400 crystals with me. I hope that''s enough!'' She thought to herself when she saw that the place would finally be opened.


    At this moment, one of the soldiers who were in this place spoke out loud. "Attention to all, the Dry City Cultivation Tower is officially open! Proceed in order, without causing turmoil!"


    Upon hearing this, Alina''s heart accelerated even more while her face was flushed with emotion. She then moved on and entered the building that was only a few meters from where she was previously.


    Entering the place, Alina saw a rectangular entrance hall, with several reception benches on both sides, while there was a large screen with prices on the side opposite the entrance to this place.

 Chapter 149: Dry City Cultivation Tower 4

    Seeing the big blue screen opposite the entrance to the cultivation tower, Alina sighed with relief, smiling happily.


    There were room prices on the screen, starting from people''s rooms in the 2nd stage of cultivation, for 20 low-grade crystals per day. For 3rd stage cultivators, as in the case of Alina, the room costs 40 crystals per day.


    As for those in the 4th and 5th stages, they would have to pay 100 and 250 low-grade crystals per day, respectively.


    And as the prices that this place was charging were meager, there were no individual cultivation and training rooms for now. This was a way to lower costs. After all, a place like this was really too expensive to build and do the proper maintenance!


    Because of this, the individual rooms would still take a while to be made available to the public.


    Finally, Alina arrived in front of one of the receptionists at this place and listened. "Welcome to the Dry City Cultivation Tower. Have you already chosen what kind of room you will rent?"


    Alina nodded in agreement and said. "I want a room for 3rd stage cultivators for two days."


    Upon hearing this, the young attendant, who was wearing a green dress with a golden tree-shaped symbol on her chest, said. "Hmm, I''m sorry. But for now, we can only rent the rooms for one day for each person, and these rooms will also be shared with five other people."


    "Therefore, we recommend that you come with friends or acquaintances next time."


    "OK, it can be that way." She said in still excited. Although it was not what she had planned, Alina still had to work, so spending two days in a row, or returning here at another time, would not be so problematic for her.


    After that, Alina paid the receptionist the 40 crystals and received a key with the number 2124, which was in a room on the second floor of this building where she was.


    And it wasn''t long before she climbed the stairs to the building, which was close to where the large price screen was.


    ...


    After walking down a long corridor, Alina finally spotted her room, not far from the food court on the floor she was on.


    Arriving at the site, there was no one else. After all, she had been one of the first to enter the cultivation tower.


    She then opened the door to her room and saw a space of about 80 square meters, which was subdivided into a large area that looked like a dojo, a small kitchen, a bathroom, and a small space with six cultivation cushions.


    ''Hmm, these must be the places for cultivation and training the battle techniques...'' She thought as she analyzed the place.


    And it wasn''t long before she sat down on one of the cultivation cushions and started her session.


    ''Let''s see what it''s like to cultivate in this place!''


    When thinking about it, Alina immediately circulated her cultivation technique, of Blue-grade, while beginning to feel the spiritual energy in her surroundings.


    She felt as if her surroundings were as saturated as she had never felt in her life.


    The spiritual energy seemed so concentrated in this place that it was like a dense fog that prevents someone from seeing through a few meters away.


    ''Wow! This must be twice the spiritual concentration of the current Dry City! ''She thought with a slight smile on her face.


    For Alina, who had never left this city, the spiritual quantity of this room in which she was already was very impressive. However, she barely knew that she was looking at the world from the bottom of a well...


    Anyway, Alina continued to cultivate, enjoying the benefits of this place to the fullest. At the same time, she felt closer and closer to her progress.


    And it didn''t take long before five other strange people arrived in this room and started to cultivate, just like Alina.


    ...


    As Alina advanced to level 28, many people had already managed to enter the Dry City Cultivation Tower.


    The vast majority of them had the same feeling as Alina and were already cultivating happily in their respective rooms.


    For these people, this was a new way to cultivate, and they were all thrilled to be able to cultivate in such a place. This was a chance for them to get stronger and have more significant goals in their lives!


    Anyway, less than an hour after the place was opened, a man dressed in the uniform of the cultivation tower came out of the building. He then said it out loud to all the crowd who were waiting at the place.


    "Today''s rooms are sold out! Anyone who wants to enter and see our price list will be welcome. But anyone who is not interested in that, we recommend that you come back early tomorrow!"


    Upon hearing this, many in the crowd made gestures of displeasure, profoundly regretting that they had not arrived a few minutes earlier...


    ''Damn it! I will have to wait for another day!'' An old man thought to himself.


    "As expected! But no problem, tomorrow when the sun comes up, I''ll be here already!" Another person said in a low voice.


    "Hey! Daisy, shall we take a look at the prices? Even if we can''t do anything today, we can come well prepared tomorrow!"


    "Hmm, come on!"


    ...


    And soon, two days passed in the Dry City when the rumor of the cultivation tower had already spread throughout the city.


    In the past few days, the people who had managed to get into that place were all pleased with this experience, which in the opinion of almost everyone, was the best thing they had ever done!


    Cultivation was the main activity in people''s lives in the Spiritual World. And because of this, increasing the speed of cultivation was the happiest thing that could happen in someone''s life.


    After all, regardless of what someone''s goals were, having a higher level would help them to achieve it.


    You want to protect your family, get stronger! Want to have lots of crystals? With a higher level, you will get jobs that pay better. Perhaps some want to live in peace... But even for that, having a high level was significant.


    Problems often came to people. Even if they didn''t want to or didn''t provoke them, there would still be problems to get you out of your peace!


    Anyway, the fate of most people was not decided by themselves. Almost nobody wants to die during their youth. Still, when faced with certain situations, weaker people would naturally be eliminated, even if they were totally peaceful and kind.


    And even if they didn''t die, it could be thrown into the gutter.


    Considering Peter''s case, because of his bad luck, in having met the third prince of the Kingdom of the Waves, the young subordinate of Minos almost lost all the good luck he had for being born with a Black talent!


    If it weren''t for a stroke of luck, having met someone who liked him and taught him some quality techniques, Peter would have had an utterly mediocre life, even though he had a great talent for the standards of northern Central Continent.


    Because of this kind of thing, cultivation was seen as the focus of almost everyone in this world. Even if someone did not have high expectations, they would still strive to reach their maximum level.


    This happened so long ago that it had already become a human habit!


    They did not need to cultivate to survive, but their instincts told them to do so. This was a chance to live longer and live better!


    ...


    Meanwhile, in a particular part of the Kingdom of the Waves, near the Brown Kingdom, a family was traveling together in two carriages, quickly following the direction of the Black Plain.


    At this point, a tall, strong man looked at his son and asked. "Boy, aren''t you going to tell us where we''re going? We''ve been traveling for almost two months now, but you haven''t told us anything."


    Hearing this, a middle-aged woman who was standing next to the tall man smiled and said. "That''s right, why don''t you tell us that? Is this place dangerous?"


    "No, mom, it''s not dangerous. It is the best place for our family to live. There, our family will certainly be able to flourish. Even people with Blue talent are valued in that place."


    "But since we are already very close, I don''t think it''s a problem for me to say. We are going to the Dry City, on the Black Plain." The young man said with a smile on his face. He had been keeping this information for two reasons.


    First, his parents might not agree to come to this place, which was famous for poverty. Second, he did not want to risk this news leaking since Minos did not want this to happen.


    This was the young Peter, who had gone out to bring his family from the Kingdom of the Waves several months ago.


    As he continued talking to his family, suddenly, the carriage in which they were standing stopped.


    Peter then decided to go out and see what had happened since they were traveling in the middle of nowhere, outside of the previously agreed travel schedule.


    But when he put his head out of the carriage, the first thing that the young Peter saw was a group of five people, dressed in savages and with grotesque smiles on their faces.


    It was then that the driver shouted out loud. "Mountain bandits!"

 Chapter 150: Fleeing in a Hurry!

    Seeing the group of 5 people surrounding his carriage, Peter frowned and probed the strength of these people.


    They were between levels 42 and 44, something that Peter could not overcome alone, even though he had a set of Black-grade techniques, which he had learned in the Black Plain Army library.


    Upon realizing this, Peter asked his family to wait in the carriage while he got out and stopped beside the coachman.


    "Sir, if something happens, take my family to the Dry City." He said in a low voice so that only that old man who drove the carriage would hear.


    "What?" The coachman exclaimed in surprise. He could understand what this young man was trying to do. ''Will he sacrifice himself to let his family escape?''


    After thinking about it for a short moment, the coachman nodded and said. "Okay, I will do my best!"


    He also did not want to stay in this place and risk losing his life to these five men. In this case, if Peter wanted to sacrifice himself for the good of all, he would at least do his best to fulfill this request made by this young man...


    After that, Peter looked at the five men and asked seriously. "Who are you? Why are you preventing us from going through?"


    "Hahaha, Chief Del, it looks like we got lucky today!" A thug with a triangular tattoo on his left arm said while laughing.


    "Hmm, it''s not every day that we find such a young and strong target! We will definitely earn a lot by selling him on the black market!" Another of the bandits said with a satisfied expression on his face.


    This group acted in the north of the Central Continent, kidnapping and selling their victims in the slave markets that existed in that region.


    "Jack, John, take care of this brat quickly. We already have a huge group of captives. I am in a hurry to go to the Cromwell Kingdom." A tall, strong man with a long black beard said resolutely.


    This was the leader of that bandit group, Del, level 44.


    Upon hearing this, two men who looked like the oldest in the group stepped forward, smiling strangely. "Haha, boy, you should have been careful. Don''t you know that traveling with such weak groups is a danger?"


    "Kekekeke, brother, don''t play with our prey." The other said while already wielding a weapon that looked like a double ax.


    ''It looks like I can''t escape these guys...'' Peter sighed for a moment as he prepared to fight. ''Well, if they are going to underestimate me, I can at least kill one of them before I am defeated!''


    Peter was not a person who went into despair in the face of hopeless situations. For him, if he couldn''t run away from these individuals, he would at least try to harm them as much as possible!


    And from the time that had passed, Peter had already reached level 41 and had even obtained a weapon of grade-1, high-level, something that he did not have previously.


    All of this, thanks to his work as Sergeant of the Black Plain Army!


    The young Peter then took a gun from his spatial ring, which looked like Khopesh, about a meter long, from the dagger to the tip of the curved blade, weighing more than 40 kilos.


    This was the weapon chosen by Peter, and it matched one of the Black-grade techniques he had learned in the Dry City.


    This was a technique that Minos had achieved through the spatial ring left by the young Tristram and his personal guard at that time when they were killed at the Peak of the Fog.


    It was called the Fast Cut, and it was a technique focused on murders. It could increase the user''s speed and also required the use of sword-like blades to be used.


    With this, when arriving in the Black Plain Army, Peter changed his technique that he had learned at level 40 since this previous one was only one of Blue-grade.


    Anyway, the two bandits, who were wearing leather armor, quickly approached Peter, with smiles on their faces. Those who were at level 42 think it would be straightforward to capture this young man at level 41...


    ''Let''s get this over with...'' One of them thought as he swung his ax towards Peter''s shoulder.


    Upon seeing this, Peter immediately waved to the driver and started running towards the two bandits.


    There was no time to lose. He had to hold this group at least until his family was away from this place!


    ...


    "Eh? Where''s little Peter? Why didn''t he come back?" The young man''s mother asked while she was still in the carriage as she saw her husband watching the situation.


    "Old man, why did you leave our son behind? We have to help him!"


    "Sir, if we stay behind, we will all be kidnapped by those bandits. Your son will hold them so we can escape!" The coachman said it out loud.


    Upon hearing this, the face of Peter''s mother becomes paled as she tried to get out of the carriage. "No! Let me out! Let''s go back! Wade, why are you holding me?"


    At the same time, a little girl who was there in the carriage started to cry while asking her father to help her older brother.


    "Buow!"


    "Uh! Let''s help the big brother, daddy! Buow! "


    The man then bowed his head and said of a resolute miner, squeezing his fist tightly. "We can not! If we go back, we would just be putting more pressure on little Peter''s back!"


    "We would just be burdens for him, and he is trying to protect us!" He closed his eyes and then said. "Let''s trust little Peter, maybe he can beat them, or we can get help from this place that he wants us to know!"


    ...


    As the two carriages began to distance the fight site, the bandit group did not have time to chase them since something unbelievable was happening.


    In the few seconds that had passed, Peter had quickly dodged the blows of the two bandits who were attacking him while making his sword moves.


    He had rotated his Khopesh as if it were an extension of his arm, cutting off an arm and a leg from his two enemies!


    These men had been unfortunate to underestimate the young Peter because of his level!


    Under normal conditions, two people at level 42 could undoubtedly handle one at level 41. However, Peter had Black-grade techniques, while these thugs only had Blue-grade techniques!


    And by underestimating their target, they fell into an even more vulnerable situation!


    "Miserable! This bastard is much stronger than we thought!" Another thug shouted out loud as he saw what had happened to Jack and John. They hadn''t even had time to help them when the outcome of that fight was almost decided.


    The head of the group then frowned and said. "Let''s help Jack and John. This kid can''t beat us all. He only managed to do that with these two because he was underestimated!"


    "Hmm!"


    After that, they all agreed to this and quickly defeated the young Peter.


    Peter was lying on the floor, unconscious and covered with blood from his many wounds. Other than that, he hadn''t lost any members, and he hadn''t even been crippled.


    After all, these people wanted to sell him, and it wouldn''t be good if their ''product'' were defective...


    As for Jack and John, the two had been killed during the fight. Peter knew he couldn''t beat a group like that. He wasn''t like Minos!


    So, he tried as hard as he could to diminish enemy forces, killing the two who were most vulnerable.


    Anyway, the fight was over. The remaining three bandits were standing in the middle of that region while they were resting from the battle. There was not much in this place, but there were enough trees for them to camouflage themselves.


    At this point, one of them finally broke the silence and said. "This bastard is powerful! I hope this is worth it. Losing John and Jack was really bad for us..."


    "Hmm, but don''t worry about it, the stronger the slave, the more expensive it can be sold on the black market!"


    At this point, the gang leader, who was searching Peter''s spatial ring, said in disappointment. "Ahh! There was not a single technique in this bastard''s spatial ring!"


    Del was very interested in getting techniques as good as the ones Peter had used, so he was very eager to get his hands on young Peter''s spatial ring...


    But for his bad luck, the Black Plain Army did not allow soldiers to keep copies of the techniques from the library. This was simply because there were not many of them, and only the butler Dillian had reached the level necessary to be able to make copies of these techniques.


    And hell! Even if there were, none of these techniques was the original version!


    In this case, there would be no way to make copies, so Minos did not allow his Black-grade techniques to leave the library of the Black Plain Army!


    ''We better get out of here quickly. If that group brings help, we can get problems.'' Del thought to himself, lamenting the escape of Peter''s group. "You two, bring this brat. Let''s leave this place and go to the coastal region. Our boat is already completely full of captives, hehehe."


    "Zhahaha, we can finally get paid for months of work!"


    As they left, if Minos saw this man named Del, he would immediately recognize which group they were subordinate to, since there was a big red triangle tattoo on the back of the leader, the man named Del...

 Chapter 151: Routines 1

    Meanwhile, in the Dry City, another day had arrived.


    The children of the city were already leaving their homes to go to the Preparatory Academy of the Dry City, at the same time when the city was coming to ''life.''


    It was another day of great weather in the city, with a pleasant temperature around 18 degrees Celsius (64.4oF) and a light breeze that could be felt from time to time through the city''s streets.


    The smell of food was in the air, while the movement in the streets was already notable for the mornings in this place.


    Right now, in a house on the south side of the Dry City, three people were leaving a 7-story building, smiling and talking.


    Of the three, one was a little girl who looked to be no more than 8-years-old, wearing a pink cotton dress while carrying a bag on her back. Another was a young teenager, who was about 1.4 meters tall and dressed in a typical uniform of the city''s army.


    Finally, there was an adult man who looked to be around 30-years-old and dressed casually, wearing a large straw hat.


    These three were the young Lee, his brother, and his little sister.


    Lee''s older brother, Gryff, was currently at level 36, and he worked two jobs. In the morning, he went to the agricultural fields of the city, and in the afternoon, he worked in a dry wood store.


    He was not doing this because he needed more crystals. No, after the young Lee joined the Black Plain Army, his family was doing very well. However, Gryff himself wanted to join Minos'' forces.


    Because of this, he was struggling to get more crystals to increase his cultivation speed. So, when he reached level 39, he would almost certainly be recruited into the young Stuart''s forces!


    Anyway, Lee was going to take his sister to the city''s spiritual academy, which he did routinely when he wasn''t in the Spatial Kingdom. After that, he always went to the army headquarters or Minos'' mansion.


    After some time walking together, Gryff finally turned in a specific direction and said goodbye to the two before taking his way. "Lee, little Ayn, have a good day. I will part with you here!"


    "Hmm."


    "Bye, big brother! Bring sweets when you get back!" A little girl said this, waving one of her tiny hands to Gryff.


    "Okay, little Ayn, I''ll see if I can get this."


    After that, it didn''t take long, and the couple of siblings arrived in front of a pentagonal building, which had five floors and several windows all over the place.


    This was the building of the Preparatory Academy of the Dry City, which had been built in parts of the former Black Stars Academy.


    The place had been completely redesigned many months ago, having lost the star shape it had previously. Now the building was much more extensive. After all, there were a number of students that was about four times what it was before.


    For this reason, Minos had wisely commissioned the restructuring of this place so that more people could study here.


    Anyway, when they got closer to the big fence surrounding the building, Lee finally said goodbye to his sister. "Ayn, see you later, pay attention in class!"


    "Hmm, bye, Brother Lee!" She said with a smile on her face as she waved her red bangs and headed towards the interior of the building.


    And it wasn''t long before the young Ayn''s class started.


    In her room, a middle-aged woman was talking about local geopolitics when she asked the class. "Does any of you know what the options are for a youth who graduates from our academy?"


    Upon hearing this, several students raised their hands, while others were quiet in their desks. Some young people had been here since the beginning of the administration of Minos, while others had been here for just a few weeks.


    The teacher then pointed to a thin boy and then said. "Elliot, you can answer."


    "Yes, teacher. Ehh, for the students who graduate from the Preparatory Academy of the Dry City, they will go to Mr. Minos''s army!" He said with conviction. The young Elliot''s father was a Sergeant, and he naturally dreamed of one day being in the same position as his father.


    Upon hearing this, the teacher smiled. "Well, you are not entirely wrong, but that is not the only option. And only those, at least, at Blue talent can be recruited by the army. Someone else?"


    "I teacher! Whoever has White talent can go to local agriculture." A young girl said out loud.


    "Hmm, that''s right. But these are not the only options, and you are not required to enter these areas. Each of you must talk to your parents and choose what you want to do." The teacher said calmly.


    "There are other options. You can become an array master, blacksmith, and alchemist too. These three professions are already present in our city, and when you graduate in 2 years, these areas will certainly be much better than it is today!"


    "But that is not all. Other informal jobs are also very worthy and certainly, have a place in our economy too..." The teacher continued to talk about the current situation of the Black Plain and the options that these children could have when they left this academy.


    The city needed specialists from all professions, but it would be more interesting if these individuals were from the Dry City itself. Having immigrants was great, but the city couldn''t depend all the time on people coming in from outside!


    Thus, making these children understand that there were many options in the Dry City seemed to be the best for this place. At least, that''s what Minos believed in when he passed the local geopolitics program.


    ...


    Anyway, while Ayn was studying at the spiritual academy of this city, Lee was arriving at the headquarters of the Black Plain Army. This was a place that occupied almost half of the city''s central area, with many buildings inside that place.


    This area was entirely surrounded by walls, while there was only a single entrance, which was highly guarded.


    This was the most critical place in the Dry City, where the defense forces were concentrated and where the valuable Black-grade techniques were!


    Therefore, the security of this place was very strong, with more than 400 soldiers watching the limits of this place. Anyway, behind the headquarters walls, there were two bustling buildings in this place.


    One was the library, where soldiers stopped to learn their cultivate and battle techniques. The other was like a smaller scale copy of the Dry City Cultivation Tower.


    There was no way for Minos to let his soldiers compete for rooms in the cultivation tower, which was a place that would definitely have lines at any time of the day. So, even before that place was ready, a lesser version had already been built inside the army headquarters.


    ''I hope the 4th stage room is not crowded...'' The young Lee thought to himself as he headed towards the soldiers'' cultivation tower.


    There were only 20 cultivation rooms in this place, which could receive up to 30 people at the same time. Here the soldiers could train for free, changing in 3 shifts so that the maximum number of people could use these rooms.


    But there was no room for everyone since the current number of soldiers was above the total capacity of this building...


    Anyway, Minos couldn''t do much about it since it was costly to build each of these rooms, and he had already invested in the arena and the city''s public cultivation tower.


    However, the soldiers were not unhappy. This was already very good for them. After all, it was free!


    And most of them had never tried places like this before, so they weren''t in such a hurry for the number of rooms to increase.


    Anyway, It was not long before Lee arrived at the entrance hall of the place and ran to introduce himself at the identification counter.


    "Lee, 11-years-old, level 31, Corporal." A short, thin man read Lee''s identification while taking a key from the wall behind the counter. "Hahaha, young Lee, today you almost fell apart. That was the last key to the 4th stage room!"


    Upon hearing this, Lee sighed in relief and headed for his cultivation room, just after saying goodbye to that man.


    ...


    While the two siblings were doing their thing, at army headquarters or the spiritual academy, Gryff had already arrived at the culture field, where he was going to work today.


    Gryff''s work was simple, besides when there was a need to harvest, which required the individual mechanical work of all farmers, he only had to check the plants in a specific area.


    There was a simple irrigation system, but farmers always had to check that everything was right to avoid the lack or excess of water.


    They also had to avoid the plagues that could appear on any plantation. But it was very simple, and anyone could do it in this world. It was enough to observe the plants daily and use your own spiritual energy to eliminate any plague that might appear.


    This, of course, also included wild beasts, which could reach the fields of culture. But this was also great for these farmers since Minos did not require dead beasts to be handed over to the local government.


    Thus, some hunters work in agriculture, waiting for some of these spiritual beasts. This was a source of additional income for several of these people who worked in the fields.


    ''Ahh! This feeling feels really good...'' Gryff thought about it while the sun''s rays hit his arms.


    Feeling the warmth of the sun was truly a very pleasant thing and was something that Gryff, whenever he could, took advantage of it...

 Chapter 152: Routines 2

    While the three siblings were doing their routine activities, the same was happening for the young Alison.


    Unlike Lee, who started the day with training at the Black Plain Army headquarters, Alison had her activities this shift. And as someone who was only in the 4th stage of cultivation, her activities, in general, involved patrolling the city and resolving any conflicts that happened.


    Only in the afternoon, Alison would train at the headquarter.


    Each hierarchy in the Black Plain Army had its functions. For example, starting with students, these soldiers were young people under 11 years of age, so they had no relevant roles in the army.


    At most, they would be training inside the headquarter, where they would also have classes on regional geopolitics. The difference between these classes and those at the Preparatory Academy of the Dry City was that they talked about enemies, potential competitors, and how to act against threats.


    This type of subject was not discussed at the time of the spiritual academy for two reasons. First, this was a matter of state security, which could not be discussed with ordinary citizens. Second, because children under 10 were more immature and did not think carefully as cultivators.


    As for the difference between a 9-year-old ordinary person and a 10-year-old who has already started cultivating, well, that was really tremendous!


    The sensitive organ that allowed humans to cultivate was close to the human brain. And when a child started to cultivate, it would not only change his physical strength qualitatively but his whole body, including the brain!


    And while it didn''t make people smarter, it still had some effects on the personality of these kids who were starting to cultivate.


    These effects were very similar to when an ordinary human matures.


    Maturing could normally happen with age or even with specific experiences, sometimes traumatic. And when that happened, the tastes and opinions of these individuals could end up changing!


    As in the example of sounds and flavors. When the eardrums age, taste buds develop and change. With that, most people can gain new personal tastes, and may even leave other things behind, which were once pleasant, but which are no longer!


    Something similar happened to the cultivators'' brains. Even though they were not getting smarter, cultivators could understand certain situations much more quickly, were more skeptical, and even had a greater propensity for cultivation.


    Cultivating made their bodies develop, so the bodies of these individuals almost made them addicted to it!


    This was a mechanism for people to take cultivation seriously as a biological necessity, like sex. Sex was necessary only for reproduction. Still, as a mechanism to ensure that this happened, the bodies of certain living beings functioned in a way that this activity was very pleasant.


    That way, reproduction would be guaranteed!


    The same was valid with cultivation. It was not necessary to cultivate, but everyone did it because their bodies told them that doing it was good.


    Anyway, because of all these changes, a child could quickly understand the implications of issues related to enemies. Upon hearing from someone trustworthy that the Silva family was an enemy, a 9-year-old could not take it seriously. Without seeing the consequences of not dealing with an enemy, they could not see the implications of this.


    Naive children saw rivals as synonymous of enemies! They were unstable, and in a moment, a person could see that a child hated another, and shortly afterward, they could end up playing happily with each other...


    But for someone 10-years-old, who has already started his journey in the cultivation, the situation would be quite different. Upon hearing from a trusted person, that a specific power was an enemy, these children would really take this very seriously. They understood the dangers of the world of cultivation, which did not spare even children.


    They could easily relate the consequences of letting an enemy loose or even alive. Even though their thinking was not over-developed, they understood well that an enemy was someone who wanted to destroy them, kill them, enslave them, etc.


    There was no space for friendships. It was killing or dying. Protecting their families was the priority!


    For this reason, certain subjects were not dealt with in the spiritual academy.


    After the Students, the Recruits came. This patent was usually inside the barracks, training and organizing the place. They had to clean the outside areas and take the different materials from one place to another.


    They had a similar function to the caretakers of public buildings in the Dry City.


    After that came the rank of Soldier and Corporal. The individuals of these two hierarchies had the role of patrolling the city. The Corporals led some groups of Soldiers, while the latter also served as messengers.


    Sometimes something happened, and a stronger cultivator was needed or needed to be informed of something. Thus, these young Soldiers had the important role of delivering certain news of less relevance...


    Then there were Corporals and Sergeants. Soldiers of the Corporal hierarchy, who were at more advanced levels, were generally commanded by some Sergeants on possible missions, patrolling the city wall and at posts outside the Dry City.


    Currently, there was only one external post, which was the army''s marine base, on the coast of the Black Plain.


    Anyway, these were the most significant obligations of each patent at the present time. But it was not only that, of course, there were responsibilities of a different nature, but it involved a small portion of the army.


    Generally, these individuals who had different services were older or had a good experience with administration or even training. Therefore, some gave classes, others managed certain activities, things necessary for people to live together in an orderly way...


    Anyway, while Alison was patrolling the streets of the central region of the Dry City, she and her four subordinates were passing in front of the cultivation tower.


    As had been happening since the inauguration, there were many people outside, waiting for new vacancies. And looking closely at these people, they were not upset that they had to wait. No, some even looked excited.


    But that was not because they were happy that the cultivation tower existed, but because another location had been opened to the public right next to the line where dozens of people were standing.


    There was a small building, only about 8 meters high, on the side of the cultivation tower. There was a huge blue screen in it, which displayed two classifications, with a name at the top, ''Dry City Cultivation Ranking.''


    That''s right, Minos had also been inspired by what the Spiritual Tournament did. He thought that this was another way to stimulate the local inhabitants, giving some prizes to the top-ranked cultivators in this ranking.


    But he was being very fair here. For each degree of talent, there was a different classification. This ranking is also permanent, different from what happened in that competition.


    "Ahh, when I see this ranking, I even feel like competing..." One of Alison''s subordinates said when he saw the big blue screen.


    The soldiers of the Black Plain Army were forbidden to compete in this ranking, since they had far better cultivation techniques than the inhabitants of the city. They also already received many advantages, so it would not be fair to take this opportunity away from the citizens.


    "Hmm, it''s fascinating. For the blue classification, whoever is in first place for one month in a row, in addition to having his place almost guaranteed in the next army selection, he can still receive 500 low-grade crystals per month in which he stays in this position!" A girl said in awe.


    She earned 200 crystals a month but making another 500 crystals just to cultivate... That was just too good for her. But unfortunately, she couldn''t compete for this...


    As for the vacancy in the army, as long as there was no problem with the background of the person who came in first, then he was guaranteed his place in the army.


    In addition, the other top 49 in the blue ranking could receive crystals for each month that they were in a specific position. It started from the 50th position, which could receive ten crystals per month, increasing from 10 in 10 until the 1st position.


    Alison smiled at them and said. "But this white ranking is also not bad. It has the same crystal awards as those in the blue ranking. There''s just no chance of first place getting a spot in the army."


    And that was really great for people with White talent, since most of them earned less than 100 crystals a month!


    Anyway, giving these awards to 100 people monthly was no problem for Minos, but it was perfect for these people. This was a chance for them to get a few more crystals and increase their cultivation speeds!


    With this, Minos hoped to increase the average strength of the Dry City''s population, which was able to reach level 49. As stated earlier, each person with White talent was limited to this level, even with outside help.


    With this, in the future, Minos could create a police organization within the Black Plain to take care of the less important matters, as much of what was done by his army today.


    The Black Plain Army was just getting started, so it had these humbler services. In the future, it would certainly be an elite force to deal with major threats and not those minor issues!

 Chapter 153: Visitors

    Another day passed, and the population of the Dry City was making the most of the city''s cultivation tower. The place had been operating 24 hours a day, and it was practically crowded at all times.


    Some people were already planning to train in this place at night, so even at dawn, there were lines in this place.


    And those who couldn''t find a room in the cultivation tower also tried to cultivate in the unique building, which was right next door. First place could win the generous 500 crystals prize, so that place was also becoming very popular these past few days.


    Anyway, things were going well for the citizens of this city.


    Right now, it was already night in the city when two carriages were approaching the north entrance of the wall of the Dry City. One seemed to carry a large number of items, while the other was a regular carriage for transporting people.


    When they saw these carriages approaching the northern entrance to the Dry City, the soldiers of those posts were immediately on standby.


    "Visitors!" Some soldier shouted as he spotted the two carriages.


    Every time someone arrived in the city, all the soldiers were prepared to act if these visitors were enemies of the Black Plain Army. They did not want to allow another enemy group to pass through the city gates, as they had before, so they were much more careful than before.


    Upon hearing this, the Sergeants who were on standby at this post soon left their rooms and prepared to check on this coming group. It was not common for people to arrive at night, so they were even more anxious than usual.


    "Calvin, Toby, Joan, you three are coming with me. We will monitor the arrival of this group." A tall, thin man said in a calm voice as he took an ax from one of the tables in the room where they were standing.


    The man who spoke was the leader this turn, being at level 42. The other three were at level 41 and were the strongest in this place. Aside from those 4, there was still 16 other level 40 soldiers in this place, all armed and wearing spiritual armor under their military uniforms.


    Each of them had a grade-1, high-level weapon and armor so that the group''s fighting proficiency was increased to the maximum that could!


    Of course, the Black Plain could not yet afford grade-2, low-grade weapons for soldiers. Each of these cost a lot and was not easy to find in the markets. After all, many people were willing to buy these items.


    Upon hearing what this man had said, the two men and the woman he had called by name rose from their posts and looked at the horizon, from where the carriages were coming.


    They were in a room at the top of the wall, where the highest-ranking soldiers commanded the place.


    Due to the wall being very high and wide, in each of the four entrances, there were small buildings inside the wall!


    These were the places where soldiers stood. Anyway, the wall was 6 meters wide, and between that space, there were two gates at each end and a checkpoint in the middle of the two.


    At this time, the two gates were closed, as it was night and a period when there was not much movement in this place.


    However, only one of the gates remained open during the day, while the other was only opened when the soldiers confirmed that the visitors did not come from any enemy families.


    "We will wait until they get closer. We will probe the strength of the group before we open the first gate." The leader of the post said out loud as he left the stairs behind, reaching the point where visitors were received.


    After a few seconds, the two carriages finally stopped in front of the closed gate, from which several lights from inside could be seen.


    Seeing this, the coachman in the front carriage frowned. ''Ehh? Has that been here before?'' He wondered in curiosity.


    This man had worked with carriage hire in the Kingdom of the Waves for decades, so he knew much of northern Central Continent, including the Dry City.


    At the same time, as the two carriages stopped in front of the large entrance gate, one of the soldiers finally spoke in a low voice. "Ahh, the strongest one is only at level 40. There is no danger!"


    "Hmm, open the first gate, let''s meet these visitors..." One of the three who were on level 41 said out loud. If it was someone just that level, they could deal quickly if they were enemies...


    And it didn''t take long for the outer gate to rise slowly. Seeing this, the old coachman frowned, seeing a large group in front of him.


    Only in large cities and in border regions did it have checkpoints like this!


    So, he was very impressed with this place. ''Wait a moment...'' He suddenly remembered something and decided to probe the strength of these people.


    He was not a warrior, but he could still probe someone''s strength since he was at level 40.


    ''What? There are at least 20 Spiritual Generals in this place!'' He thought about it while he had a look of shock on his face. ''Am I in the right place? Well... if this isn''t the Dry City, then it''s time for me to retire...''


    Soon after that, the first carriage finally stopped inside the wall when one of the soldiers approached the group and said it out loud and proud.


    "Welcome to the Dry City." He stopped for a moment and then continued. "Identify yourselves and say what your purpose is when you come here!"


    At the same time, when these words were being spoken, the three people who were in the front carriage finally got out of there and came face to face with this group of soldiers.


    They were a girl with light skin and curly hair, an adult woman who looked to be in her 40s and had a tired expression on her face, and a tall, strong man who had deep dark circles on his face.


    This was Peter''s family, who he had sent to this place.


    His father then stepped forward and said. "Hi, these are my daughter Lizzie and my wife, Rita. My name is Wade, and we came here from the Kingdom of the Waves at the encouragement of our son, Peter."


    "Kingdom of the Waves?" One of the soldiers frowned.


    Not many people in this realm knew about the Black Plain. The Yellow City people had already fully migrated to the Dry City, while the Cohen family would not go out talking about their business partner without Minos asking for it.


    At that moment, the leader of the post suddenly asked seriously. "How does your son, ehh, Peter, know about this place? What is his relationship with the Dry City?"


    Upon hearing this, Wade tried to hide his dejected expression when he said it. "I don''t know about all the details, but before we came here, our son told us that he had joined an army. We just found out that this place he was talking about was the Dry City about four days ago when he told us."


    Upon hearing this, the woman named Joan stepped forward and asked. "Did your son participate in the Spiritual Tournament by any chance?"


    "Yes, he did."


    "Chief Drogo, I think this is Sergeant Peter''s family." The woman said in a low voice. She didn''t know Peter, but she had heard about him.


    After all, Peter was someone with Black talent, recruited by Minos in the Spiritual Tournament. As a result, many soldiers already knew about this young man who had joined the army a few months ago.


    "Oh? If so, where is Sergeant Peter?" Drogo asked curiously.


    Upon hearing this, both Peter''s family and the two coachmen who drove the carriages bowed their heads, regretting what had happened. None of them knew what Peter''s situation was.


    Was he alive? Had he managed to escape?


    Anyway, while Peter''s mother and the little girl started to cry again, Wade took a deep breath and began to tell what had happened during their trip.


    "That was what happened..."


    "Ah... I''m sorry about that... But rest assured, the young master would never abandon one of his. If Sergeant Peter is doing well, we will certainly bring him back!" Calvin said while he had a convinced expression on his face.


    Minos had been spreading his way of thinking to the soldiers of the Black Plain Army for a long time. He believed that one would still be weak regardless of a person''s level if one were alone.


    With that, only a strong and united group could survive in this violent Spiritual World.


    And for that, Minos certainly would not treat badly, nor would he abandon any of his subordinates!


    "Open the entrance for this group and let the headquarters know about what happened to Sergeant Peter. Let''s send out a search group!" The group leader spoke as he directed Peter''s family to the area protected by the wall.

 Chapter 154: News

    Shortly after that, the two carriages headed towards the area surrounded by the great wall. The whole group then saw the city lights from afar.


    Currently, the Dry City was very bright and no longer had whale oil lamps!


    All streets and avenues in the city now had lighting arrays, which made nightlife in the town safe and with quality.


    Before, the inhabitants of this city had to endure the smell of whale oil, the adverse effects of smoke, and poor lighting. After all, it was not possible to compare the illumination of this archaic method with the illumination provided by the spiritual arrays.


    Finally, the city was very well lit today and could be seen from a distance for those who had just entered the perimeter protected by the wall.


    "Huh?" The old coachman was even more surprised to see this. Despite not having passed through this city in a long time, the memory of a Spiritual General was excellent. And he knew that this city was not good at all...


    "Ahh, times are changing... Even a place like this receives investments now..." The old man thought as he was dazzled to see the silhouette of the new Dry City.


    At the same time, Peter''s family was watching the town lights from inside the carriage, surprised by the city''s appearance. As a family from the north of the Kingdom of the Waves, they knew nothing about the Dry City, except that it was on the Black Plain, a desolate place in the north of the Central Continent.


    So, it was to be expected that this was not very good... But from what they were seeing, it looked like a pretty decent city. After all, there were no small towns like this one, so well lit!


    "It looks like Peter found a good place for us..." Wade commented in a low voice, letting out a sigh of regret.


    And it wasn''t long before the group entered the city.


    Even though it was already night, the movement was good, and some groups were coming and going from the central region of the city. In fact, there were many stores specializing in food, fully crowded with people.


    It was a place that seemed to be flourishing, and one could even see the happiness in the eyes of these inhabitants that they saw on the streets.


    Anyway, soon the group of carriages passed in front of some public buildings, which had several lines outside.


    "Our! I didn''t think that a small place like this would have so much movement!" The old coachman exclaimed in a low voice.


    He also wanted to know why so many queues in the buildings they had passed, one of them were even a library, but he did not understand that it was not normal for people to queue up to go to the library...


    ...


    Anyway, while Peter''s family group knew the Dry City and was looking for a place to stay, Minos was in his office solving some problems before finishing another day of work.


    Although Minos was not a disorganized person, his working hours were quite irregular. He usually worked between training sessions.


    A cultivator always had to take a few breaks, so he left it up to do his job as a leader at those times. Sometimes he works at night, sometimes only in the morning or in the afternoon. Anyway, he made his own schedule.


    At this time, Minos was in his office receiving weekly reports from some government members. Four people stood in front of his table, talking about different subjects.


    "Young master, in the past few days, many farmers have managed to level up to the next stage. This means that they will be able to have a better performance at work, alleviating our lack of workforce a little."


    "Oh? That''s nice!"


    Then, someone else took the turn and said. "The physical test array of the Preparatory Academy of the Dry City is no longer matching the demand. There are many children in the city now, and the array is already very old, in need of constant maintenance."


    "I recommend that we buy new arrays and to a superior degree. Ours can only measure children''s talent, failing to ascertain the degree of the physique."


    "Hmm, I had forgotten about that... Well, secretary Mia, make contact with the Cohen and Nash families. We are going to study what our best option is, and we will buy three grade-2, low-grade physical test arrays in the coming months."


    Upon hearing this, secretary Mia, who was also in the room, wrote this down on paper, waving to Minos. "OK."


    After talking for a while, an old man who was in the group finally took the turn and said. "Young master, the city arena can now be opened at any time."


    "Haha, it was time! Okay, spread the information around the city. We will open it in 2 days." Minos then looked at a representative of the Black Plain Army and said. "Gather some men for the arena''s opening fight. We will do a small one-day tournament for the people of the city. We will also give a thousand low-grade crystals to the winner. Make this clear to them."


    "Hehe, all right, young master."


    And while they were talking about these and other matters, Sergeant Humbert suddenly came into the room and said. "Young master, I''m sorry to interrupt the meeting, but we have a problem with one of our Sergeants." He had a concerned look when he said that.


    Upon seeing this, Minos and everyone in the room was intrigued by this. He then said. "Well, that''s it for today, people. Sergeant Humbert and Pyke stay in the room. The others can go."


    "Yes, young master." The two responded promptly.


    Pyke was already at the meeting, and he was one of the army leaders, in which case, he had to be involved in this matter as well. As for the others, although it didn''t hurt to let them know about one thing or another, that was not their responsibility.


    And right after that, everyone who was present at the previous meeting left the room, leaving only Minos and the two soldiers. He then asked with a serious look, paying attention to Humbert. "And then? What happened?"


    Pyke was also curious, when he left headquarters a few hours ago, nothing unusual had happened, and this was the first time he heard that there was a problem with one of the soldiers. ''Did enemies appear again?'' He questioned himself doubtfully, looking carefully at Humbert.


    "Well, something happened to Sergeant Peter during his leave." Humbert went straight to the point. He sighed for a moment and then continued. "His family arrived in the city tonight, but they reported that they were ambushed during their trip here, and Sergeant Peter stayed behind to allow them to escape."


    "After that, they don''t know what might have happened."


    Hearing this, both Minos and Pyke frowned, surprised by the news. This was the first time one of the soldiers had been attacked, and Peter was one of the most talented soldiers.


    That being the case, there could be more problems behind it...


    ''Was it that prince of the Kingdom of the Waves?'' This question appeared in Minos'' mind. But he soon put that aside, asking. "But is he alive?"


    "Yes, I checked in the headquarters'' soul room. His soul signal is still working."


    The Black Plain Army had purchased these items a few months ago. It wasn''t exactly a premium item, but it was still expensive for a place like Dry City, which needed to solve many problems.


    However, knowing the condition of his soldiers was of paramount interest to any force. So, Dillian had ordered some of these items so that, at least, the highest-ranking soldiers would have their vital status stored in the army headquarters.


    "Oh? This is good to hear!" Pyke said as he relaxed a little.


    Peter was a young with a Black talent in the Spiritual General stage, so he was very important to the Black Plain. After all, he could reach level 50 in a few years!


    Peter would probably be the first soldier from Minos to reach that level, thus becoming the leader of these men in the future. Because of this, Pyke was very concerned about losing someone so important to the young Stuart''s plans!


    As for Dillian, he was not a warrior, so he certainly would not be an army leader in the future. Of course, he still had great importance in the vision of Pyke and the entire Dry City government, but his role was more administrative.


    Anyway, Minos finally said with a severe look. "Prepare a group of 20 Sergeants and go out and investigate what happened. When we find out, don''t act immediately. Keep watching the situation and send someone to report it to me."


    He then got up from his chair and looked at the window of his office, clenching his fist firmly while saying in a cold voice that could even give goosebumps to the others. "Whoever it is, whoever messes with one of mine, will be completely obliterated, no matter how long it takes or wherever you are!"


    Minos was even a peaceful person, but he understood that in the Spiritual World, to be respected, it was also important to be feared.


    If he didn''t show the consequences of messing with one of the soldiers in his army, problems like that could constantly happen.


    So, little by little, he wanted to build an image of a vengeful organization, which would chase retribution for any situation like this!

 Chapter 155: Intimate Friends (*)

    The night quickly passed in the Dry City, and the day was already coming.


    In those hours that had passed, Peter''s family received a statement from the Black Plain Army of the young man''s vital status. And when they found out, they were pleased to know that there was still hope.


    The soldier who had informed them also informed that the army would investigate what had happened and do everything possible to bring him back, no matter what had happened.


    After learning this, Peter''s parents were a little more relaxed, knowing that their son had someone''s help and was not entirely alone in this world...


    Of course, like any parents, they were still very concerned, but there was nothing they could do. The two were just Spiritual Warriors, and they still had to take care of the little Lizzie, who hadn''t even started cultivating yet.


    This was the difficult life of the parents, suffering from the problems of one of the children, but having to protect the weaker side of the family, even if one side needs help...


    Anyway, life was not easy for weaker people in the Spiritual World. Therefore, the two could only hope that the army of Minos did a good job and that Peter returned safe and healthy to them.


    In the meantime, they could try to get stronger in the Dry City, where there were many opportunities for them.


    ...


    While the population of the Dry City lived the benefits brought by Minos, things were starting to get complicated on Stone Island...


    In the past few months, the young Elen has collected 3 million low-grade crystals, with just her share of the Minos business!


    Such an amount was not normal, and many families could no longer ignore this fact. And even though Elen was distributing her trade in various parts of Stone Island, it only delayed the arrival of problems for a few months.


    Many families had thought that the initial supply of foods with a high spiritual concentration was only seasonal. Still, the supply of these products to Stone Island was becoming more and more stable and constant!


    As a result, the merchant families of the island and other noble families were agitated by this. Some wanted to know where Elen was getting it from so that they could take over her business themselves, while others wanted to get into this Elen deal.


    And for all of that, the young Elen''s peaceful life was increasingly hectic...


    ...


    In one residence inside the Nash family palace, there was a specific room on the south side of that place, where moans of pleasure could be heard if someone was nearby.


    In this room, two young blond women were lying on a bed while licking each other''s private parts, wholly lost in pleasure.


    This was a magnificent scene that would make any man observe for a moment, if one had the chance, of course... Anyway, the two girls had defined bodies, with light and soft skins, which at the moment were full of beads of sweat.


    One was on top, while the other was on the bottom, simultaneously satisfying themselves, enjoying each other''s bodies.


    "Mmm ~"


    Occasionally, in the midst of the celestial moans of one of the two, their bodies trembled gently, releasing juices of pleasure, while the breasts of the young woman who was on top sway from side to side, with her tiny nipples completely firm.


    If Minos were here, he would certainly recognize these two. They were none other than their business partners and ''friend,'' Elen Nash and Elena Neel.


    These two were not just friends. No, their relationship was much deeper than that... The young Elena had libertine sexuality, while the young Elen had not yet been interested in any man.


    And as good friends, they had started this intimate relationship a few years ago. After all, many women were ''curious'' about it, and doing it with a friend wasn''t uncommon in the Spiritual World...


    "Aahhn ~ I''m coming ~"


    Elen moaned in her lovely voice as she pulled Elena''s hips from her face, breathing quickly and looking at her friend''s little sister with cloudy eyes. Elena was wonderful, and even a woman like Elen couldn''t help but admire her and enjoy her heavenly appearance...


    Her body shook for a moment while another load of her juices was splashed on Elena''s face, who had her tongue coming and going on Elen''s lower lips. At the same time, one of her hands plucked her friend''s second hole, making her tremble vigorously amid pleasure...


    Squirt!


    "Aahhn ~"


    "Ha, ha, ha, that was amazing ~" Elena had also released her last load, just before turning around and lying down next to Elen.


    The two stood beside each other while their almost perfect bodies were exposed, completely sweaty, and with reddish marks in several places. They both breathed quickly, with their hearts beating at a high rate.


    "Ha, ha, ha."


    While the two of them rested from their high-intensity activity, their breasts swayed from top to bottom, creating a genuinely hypnotic scene in that place...


    Elen''s breasts weren''t as big as Elena''s, but it was still a good size and would certainly please any man who slept with her. As for her little sister, it was gorgeous, looking like a pink flower, with a little pearl on top.


    At this moment, Elena turned to Elen''s face, giving her friend a passionate kiss, exchanging each other''s flavors. They did this whenever they had free time and also when they were stressed with a problem...


    In the time since Minos last saw them, both Elen and Elena had leveled up.  With the large amount of crystals they were earning, Elen was now at level 47, while Elena had already reached level 46.


    Anyway, after some time, the two finally broke the kiss, while Elena was on top of Elen, with her breasts glued to her friend''s, at the same time when one could feel the other''s breath due to the proximity of their faces. "Elen, one of these days, you should try a threesome with me. You don''t know what you''re missing..."


    Upon hearing her friend''s suggestion, she laughed and said. "Hehe, I have no interest in losing my virginity to these people you go out with..."


    "Really? What do you think of that business partner of yours?" She asked with a luscious smile on her face and then said. "You should know that he is truly good at what he does... Even though he had his first time with me, he did very well!"


    She praised Minos while making a gesture with both hands, indicating the size of his member.


    Seeing this, Elen blushed in embarrassment and said. "You are very naughty. He is my ally. It would not be good for us..."


    "I don''t think that way. I think we can have a good time together..." She said as she got up from the bed and went straight to the bathroom. "Anyway, think about it, the next time you go to the Black Plain, I will go too. I am very bored to stay here in the Stone Island."


    "Hmm, it won''t be long before this happens..." Elen sighed helplessly.


    With each passing day, more families came into contact with her.


    Just yesterday, a member of the Olson family had come to see Elen in an attempt to discover the force behind her business.


    The Olson Hotel already bought resources from the Cromwell Kingdom, and some items of high spiritual concentration imported from other regions. However, the latter was still in lesser quantity. After all, there was not much on offer in the square, and these foods were costly.


    But with the arrival of Minos'' products, the Olson family wanted to improve their services, making a deal with Elen for the items coming from the Black Plain. This was the chance for the Hotel Olson to reach a new level!


    Anyway, Elen hadn''t said anything about Minos or the Black Plain to the Olson family representative. She just said that she would quote that to her ally. If the young Stuart wanted to, they could start doing business in the future.


    And it was not just the Olson family who tried to contact her, but several other noble families from Stone Island who wanted to buy these items. That''s because the Nash family stores were not reselling Minos'' items to large noble families, as they usually did in situations like these.


    They did not understand what the problem was here. It was as if Elen and her ally were just trying to earn crumbs, selling their products to the standard population.


    But those were the contacts that could still be considered positive. Not everyone was happy with the change brought by Elen, and they wanted a slice of the business.


    This was the case with the Allen family, a rival power of the Nash family.


    The Allen family was responsible for most of the food trade with a high spiritual concentration on Stone Island. And because of that, they were not happy with the appearance of these low-cost items, sold by the Nash family.


    They couldn''t understand where Elen was getting these items from and charging such a small price. Therefore, they had already started to investigate this matter. Their objective was to steal this ally from her, making a better and more attractive deal for this ally of Elen...


    ''We will have to be very careful when we go to Dry City. The Allen family spies will certainly try to follow me...'' Elen thought to herself before heading to the bathroom with her friend.

 Chapter 156: Lukes Departure

    Meanwhile, the young Luke was in his father''s office, patriarch Marvin, sitting in a corner, watching his father and a gray-haired young man talk actively.


    Luke was quite anxious, which could be easily seen by the expression on his face. At the same time, he was delighted and nervous about what would happen next. After all, this was the day that this young master''s dream would come true.


    The man who was talking to the patriarch Marvin was none other than an envoy of the Elemental Sect of the Western Empire!


    Today, Luke would finally be leaving Stone Island, which he has been looking forward to since the end of the Spiritual Tournament!


    As a matter of fact, Luke didn''t even call much attention in that tournament since he only wanted to reach the top 10 to fulfill his father''s requirement.


    He, like any young master, had his own arrogance. Still, for him, even if some of those people were stronger than him, as he was going to a much stronger empire, in the end, he would still be in the highest position.


    Therefore, he only kept his profile low in that competition, departing from the Cromwell Kingdom as soon as he completed his goal. Finally, he spent the past few months looking forward to this day while training with even more vigor.


    Upon arriving in the Western Empire, he would fall from his position as a young genius to a mediocre individual! So, he was struggling to get stronger and had already reached level 42.


    ''Hehe, the next time I come here, I will look for that bastard Minos! Even though he is a valuable ally of my family, it doesn''t mean I''ll forget what he did!'' Luke thought to himself, with a proud smile on his face.


    He did not know whether Minos had gone to the Flaming Empire or not. Still, he was sure that this young man would be left behind since the Western Empire was one of the strongest on the continent and with more opportunities.


    In this case, Luke could already imagine in his mind the day when he would meet the young Stuart again.


    While Luke fantasized, Marvin and the Elemental Sect representative were ending their conversation.


    "Marvin, are you sure you want to send your son over there? Life is not easy in a place as crowded as the Western Empire. You know, there are always conflicts with the Eastern Empire. It is not a place for ordinary people." The gray-haired man said calmly.


    He was called Oriel Holt, level 61, with a Black talent.


    He was responsible for bringing some future subordinates of the Elemental Sect to the Western Empire. In particular, Oriel was accountable for recruiting on Stone Island and some smaller kingdoms in the north-central part of the Central Continent, where the Flaming Empire was.


    In this region, there were three smaller kingdoms, which were enemies of the Flaming Empire, so these states had relations with other areas of the Central Continent.


    Anyway, Marvin then laughed awkwardly and said. "Hmm, I know he is a little stupid at times, but he takes this opportunity very seriously. Not to mention that he is still one of the most talented in our family at the moment, so if that''s what he wants, I can only support him."


    Upon hearing this, the gray-haired man closed his eyes for a second and sighed. "Okay, I''ll see if I can help him a little during his first months there, but that''s all. After that, if he fails to adapt, he will have to manage on his own."


    This man saw the Nash family with good eyes, which is why he talked so lightly with old Marvin. As to why someone of such strength and coming from such a better place treated these people that way, well, this was related to that man''s ancestor.


    More than 3,000 years ago, a Nash family vessel had saved the life of one of Oriel''s ancestors.


    After that, that person returned to the Western Empire, grew strongly until he became a Spiritual Saint, and then got a position in the Elemental Sect. With this, he gained the right to bring a certain number of people to the sect every ten years.


    With that, he did not forget what the Nash family had done for him and presented this family from Stone Island with such an opportunity.


    And as a descendant of that person, Oriel''s very existence had been graced by the Nash family''s gesture on that fateful day!


    Anyway, he then got up from his chair and looked at Luke''s side. "Young man, are you ready?"


    Hearing this, Luke stood up quickly and said animatedly. "Yea!"


    "Okay, well, then we are going to go. Say goodbye to your father. We won''t be here any longer." He said, heading toward the exit from Marvin''s office.


    After that, it didn''t take long, and Luke said goodbye to his father, following behind Oriel, with a happy smile on his face. ''Hehe, I wonder what level I will be on when I get back here...''


    ...


    Meanwhile, in another part of the city of Stone Island, in a large mansion, two old men were talking while playing a game of chess.


    One of them had a beard and long hair, to the point of not knowing where one started and the other ended. The hair was also wholly white, as if that person was already at the end of his life.


    As for the other, he was the complete opposite. He had neither beard nor hair. Hell, he didn''t have eyebrows either!


    But although they looked old, neither of them was nearing the end of their useful lives. Both were already Spiritual Kings and still had a few centuries to live, even if one of them was almost a thousand years old.


    At this point, the bald man said. "Patriarch, have we made any progress on the subject of that Nash child yet?"


    This was the supreme elder of the Allen family, Rolf Allen, level 57, with a Black talent. He had just come out of a cultivation session, which had lasted a few months. So, he didn''t know all the details that had happened in the meantime.


    As for the white-haired, bearded old man, he was the current Allen family patriarch, Duncan Allen, level 58, with a Black talent too.


    "Well, that young lady is taking great care. So, we still haven''t been able to find out where her resources are coming from." The patriarch said before making his move in the game.


    "So, this is how it is... Well, sooner or later, she won''t be able to hide anymore. She can''t hide for long." The bald old man commented, frowning as he watched the game.


    They had put a spy behind Elen and her men to find out from where the selling items came. But they were not very successful at that.


    Elen already knew this would happen, so she was using an ''emergency'' strategy. The Nash family was using a ship that would take the items from the Black Plain to a particular island, south of the Stone Island. After this, the items were being transported from there to one of the coastal towns on Stone Island.


    This was the strategy she had been using and which had been working until the present moment. But Elen knew it was going to be figured out sooner or later. After all, that was not an infallible way to act. This was only a temporary measure so that she and Minos could buy time.


    "Checkmate!" The patriarch said calmly as he took a cup of tea from the table and drank it slowly.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the Dry City, the news about the inauguration of the city''s fighting arena had already spread. Many people were excited about this, as this would be another way to earn crystals in the city.


    As with the ranking of cultivation, there would be the ranking of the fighting arena, which would give similar prizes. Not only that, but the city''s arena would also be a good way for citizens to entertain themselves and even learn from the struggles of other cultivators.


    After all, there weren''t many entertainment services in Dry City yet!


    Anyway, the city arena would be inaugurated in one day and whoever wanted to enter would have to arrive early! The arena had only 30,000 seats, so there was no room for everyone.


    Regarding the price, for those who would watch, admission was free for the next ten years, and only the fighters had to pay a fee to sign up for the ranking. But not everyone could fight in the arena. Only those who have already reached the 4th stage of cultivation could do so.


    Because of this, each competitor who wanted to compete had to pay 100 spiritual crystals to enroll in the ranking and had to pay a fee of 30 crystals per fight. That was the operating cost of the place, so the fighters had to pay that minimum amount!


    Anyway, the sun quickly set on the Black Plain, and in a few hours, the Arena of the Dry City would be open to the public!

 Chapter 157: Arena of the Dry City 1

    The day dawned in the Dry City while the birds sang and the cold morning wind blew. There was no cloud in the sky, just a beautiful bluish view, which gave a feeling of satisfaction to anyone who took the time to observe.


    If a cloudy day made us more withdrawn, homely, a beautiful sunny morning could liven up anyone! And even if it was a little cold at the moment, it was nothing excessive. Certainly, no one would lose their vigor for it.


    Anyway, the city soon started to get agitated, with many people moving towards the southern region of the Dry City.


    Because few areas were remaining in the city''s central district, here was where the arena was constructed.


    Not only that, the arena was massive and needed a wide-open area. With that, it was not interesting to build such a building in a part of the city that was already so tight...


    The central part of the town still had some open spaces, but that was for smaller services, which could be built in the future. After all, this was the heart of the city, where the population could go to find almost everything people needed.


    Anyway, there were not only people going to this part of the city but also to other places. There was a considerable population in the Dry City at the moment, and not everyone could be at the arena''s opening.


    Therefore, many would do their daily affairs, like going to work in the fields, going out to hunt, training in the cultivation tower, etc.


    Children went to the city''s spiritual academy while soldiers patrolled the streets in small groups. There was a lively climate in the Dry City, very different from what it was when Minos arrived at this place.


    ...


    Right now, while the inhabitants of the Dry City started another day, Minos was in the Spatial Kingdom. He came to train here every morning before finally leaving to take care of the Black Plain matters.


    In addition, he currently did three training sessions a day, one of which, in the middle of the day, he just trained his battle techniques.


    In the 5th stage of cultivation, his techniques needed even more training than before. For example, his attack technique now demanded that he activate it almost 100 thousand times before moving on to the next phase!


    It was arduous work to get ahead in his techniques, but that was an important point for him. When he reached the 6th stage of cultivation and his techniques advanced to another phase, he would finally achieve some essential things he had been looking for since he learned some of these techniques.


    For example, the two techniques that affected a particular region of the space around him would finally be used on specific individuals.


    Until now, Minos had been unable to control his techniques to the extent that he did not affect his allies, but that was getting closer and closer to being changed.


    And with that, he could finally use his subordinates in the best possible way during group battles. After all, long-range strikes were not yet as effective as short-range strikes.


    Anyway, Minos finished his cultivation session and sat in a chair outside the big house in the Spatial Kingdom, near the lake, while eating some spiritual fruits.


    He then took the 3-tailed fox, which was no longer so small, and placed it on his lap while running his hands over her back. She was a lot smarter than before, but she was still a glutton who loved to eat.


    "Au! Au! Au!"


    While watching this, Emlyn smiled inwardly, seeing how her daughter got along with Minos. In fact, for tiny Kyla, the young Stuart was like her father figure. Even if her mother said no, it was still complicated for a young spiritual beast to set aside certain relationships.


    For low-level spiritual beasts, someone who feeds them was generally seen positively by them. So, Kyla really liked Minos and trusted him profoundly, to the point of even lying on his lap and sleeping.


    At present, apart from the three, there was no one else in the Spatial Kingdom. The two youths were with their families, and Dillian was working on his own business.


    Minos then looked at Emlyn and asked. "Do you feel bored staying here all the time?"


    Upon hearing this, she shook her big head and said. "Well, a little, but this is the best for my daughter and me. Any spiritual beast would sacrifice centuries of its life if it could live in a place like this."


    After all, it would be better to endure a time without much emotion while enjoying this great opportunity! After that, she would still have thousands of years to enjoy herself, so she didn''t mind staying in this place all the time.


    "Hmm, it''s true. But when you reach the middle of the 6th stage, if you want to go out during my travels in the north of the Central Continent, it won''t be much of a problem to us." He said while massaging Kyla''s belly.


    "OK, I''ll keep this in mind..."


    ...


    A few hours passed, and it was time to open the Arena of the Dry City!


    Minos had already returned to his mansion and was ready to head towards the city''s southern region. He was also happy with yet another goal being accomplished.


    Not long after this, he was already planning to visit the City of Waters.


    The Black Plain was already working almost to the limit, and it would not be long before there was no more room for improvement in the plantation area of ??the territory of Minos.


    So, this was a matter that had to be dealt with once again.


    But in the meantime, he would take advantage of today to watch the opening of this arena. This was not just an opportunity for the inhabitants of the Dry City, but it could be considered a test for some of Minos'' soldiers.


    The opening of the arena would be done through a small competition between the soldiers, which would be suitable for Minos to keep up with the strength of his subordinates.


    Anyway, Minos did not take long to prepare and soon left his residence, following in a carriage towards the city''s south side. In addition to him, the butler Dillian was there, too, along with the young secretary Mia.


    And it was not long before Minos'' carriage arrived in front of the City''s arena. The place was packed with people outside, crowding into one of the many entrances to that place.


    Other than that, the arena was shaped like a coliseum, with several arches divided into four floors.


    It was indeed a magnificent building, in red color and with four entrances, at each cardinal point of the building.


    Anyway, Minos'' carriage finally stopped at its exclusive entrance, and he and his group went inside the building quickly, without worrying about any queue.


    And in doing so, Minos'' group saw some items that were inside this building.


    This was a huge place, and on each floor, there were many bathrooms, food courts, with the presence of spaces for restaurants and other stores that could be found in a place like this.


    The place was also very well lit, with many glass arches that gave a view to a part of the city with an excellent space to stop and talk with friends in this place.


    There were also large screens at several of these points, where the fights could be broadcast to anyone in those areas, while there were screens with the rankings of that place.


    But unlike the ranking of cultivation, the ranking of the fighting arena was not divided by talent but by the stage of cultivation. And as only cultivators above the 4th stage of cultivation could fight, so at the moment, there were only two rankings in that place, for the 4th and 5th stage.


    Anyway, the prizes would also be similar to that of the other ranking, with the possibility of obtaining a place in the army for those who stayed at least one month in the first place of each ranking and, of course, the same reward crystals.


    There were also possibilities for special prizes in the future, such as spiritual weapons, but that would not be done for the time being.


    On the other hand, there were also rules that prevented an arena fighter from refusing a match. After all, it would be very convenient to take the first place and then not accept any more fights...


    Anyway, after some time walking around the place, Minos, Mia, and Dillian finally arrived at a VIP room not far from the fighting stage.


    This room was like some of the ones that Minos had already been in the Cromwell Kingdom, but it was not so exaggerated. After all, Dry City didn''t have so many resources yet, that it could overspend on unnecessary luxuries.


    But the place was in good taste. There was a good space with a living room, kitchen, two private bathrooms, and several decorative pieces of furniture.


    There were also various delicacies arranged on a table, while a few leather seats could be seen on the balcony of this VIP area.

 Chapter 158: Arena of the Dry City 2

    And it didn''t take long, and about 30 thousand people had occupied the entire space of the arena!


    "Ah... This place is fascinating. I think I will come here a lot in the future!" Someone said in the middle of the crowd.


    "Hmm, even if I can''t fight here, for now, there will be a lot of fights here in the future!"


    "I wonder what will happen today..."


    "Haha, rest assured, your older brother here will tell you ..."


    "I heard from a friend of mine that a small competition is going to happen here today!"


    "A competition, huh? This will be my first time seeing this, I just watch the professors at the former Black Star Academy activating their techniques, but I never witnessed a real fight." A young woman said, with a smile of anticipation on her face.


    "See there! It looks like it''s about to start!"


    And as soon as someone said that, Sergeant Pyke went up to the stage in the center of the arena and used a sound array to welcome everyone.


    "Ehh, welcome to the opening of the Arena of the Dry City!"


    "Today, we are opening this building for the first time, so the Black Plain Army will be holding a small competition for the audience present."


    He then started talking about what would happen next, including the rules of this small tournament.


    According to Pyke, eight army soldiers would fight in a key tournament, with seven matches in total. There would be no dispute for the third place since only that soldier who took first place could win the prize of a thousand low-grade crystals.


    Anyway, among the soldiers were the strongest in the army, at level 42. As for Sergeant Pyke, he usually had a leadership role in the group, even though he was on the same level as them, so he was not competing but just acting as a match referee.


    And it didn''t take long, and all the soldiers who were going to participate in this inaugural competition had already arrived at the place.


    "Well, if everyone is ready, let''s start the first fight!" Pyke said excitedly, looking at the two men who would make the first match.


    These were two soldiers who had come from the group of guards of Minos, who had accompanied him from the City of the Setting Sun, until here, in the Dry City.


    One of them had a broad and robust body, with hair shaved from the sides, and he held a blind sword in his right hand. The other was a man with ''a few extra pounds,'' with a round face and a metal shield resting on his left arm.


    As they positioned themselves on the stage, the two looked at Pyke, waiting for authorization to fight.


    "Start!"


    Upon hearing this, neither of them was late. Both were already running towards each other, activating their respective battle techniques.


    Crash!


    Quickly, the strong man cut his way towards his opponent''s fat body, while making a quick move with his sword.


    However, despite appearing vulnerable, the fat man managed to defend himself with his shield while heading towards his opponent, ignoring this attack and delivering a strong punch to that soldier''s right chest.


    Pow!


    "Ahh!"


    Upon receiving this unexpected attack, the strong soldier took a few steps back, expressing pain at the blow he had just taken. ''This fat man is truly good at hiding behind a shield!'' He complained in his mind.


    And it didn''t take long for their fight to become more intense.


    ...


    Pow!


    "Ahh!"


    Soon the strong man could no longer stand the constant attacks of his rival when he was finally thrown off the stage after being hit in the face.


    It was a beautiful sight to see!


    By the time he received the blow, the man with the sturdy body was already exhausted when he started to fall towards the ground.


    But unfortunately for him, the opponent''s punch was already close enough to his face when the collision had finally happened.


    That muscular man''s face was beaten as his cheeks shook from side to side, and he was thrown away the combat platform, like a sack of potatoes!


    The fat soldier really knew how to use his defense, protecting himself from the enemy and attacking in moments of vulnerability. This ensured his victory, even though he seemed to have some disadvantage in some fight moments.


    "Okay, let''s go to the next fight!"


    ...


    "Hmm, very interesting how that soldier used his shield. I didn''t think you could use a shield that way!"


    "Ehh, the shield is not just any item. It can be decisive in a fight. The problem is that most people prefer to use weapons such as swords, spears, etc..."


    "Look, one more fight is going to start. Let''s see what will happen now!"


    ...


    After a while, finally, the fourth fight of the day, the last of that first phase of the arena''s opening competition, was about to happen.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, get ready for another fight. After this match, we will stop for 1 hour so that the competitors can recover their energy."


    Pyke then looked at the man and woman who were on the stage and said. "Well, get started!"


    Hearing this, the two took no longer and began to fight.


    The woman was a former resident of the Yellow City, and she had joined the army just over seven months ago. As for the man, he had come from Stone Island and had been with Minos'' forces for four months.


    Anyway, the two were very happy with their current reality and, even more, were very motivated to win those thousand crystals offered to the winner of this small tournament...


    The woman then used her moving technique, deflecting the flames created by her opponent while she attacked him, punching her opponent''s back.


    Pow!


    Sssss!


    However, when her fist was about to touch the defenseless back of that man, a fire barrier appeared in her path, burning towards the woman''s arm.


    ''Ah! Shit!''


    She mourned inwardly, seeing that this had been a trap of her opponent.


    "Ahh!"


    And then a cry of wail sounded in the air as the woman was thrown on the floor with part of her clothes on fire.


    Seeing this, the man who comes from Stone Island quickly took this chance, attacking her.


    Flame Fists!


    Sssss!


    But to his surprise, the woman from the Yellow City had her own plans for this competition, so she was putting everything into this fight.


    She then jumped towards where her opponent was, using most of her remaining spiritual energy in her moving technique, and then attacked him as a last-ditch attempt!


    ''Damn it! That woman tricked me! ''


    Pow!


    Quickly, the woman used all of her strength, punching her opponent in the face with force, hurling him into the distance.


    "Ahhh!"


    He hit his back hard on the floor while turning from side to side in pain, with an ugly expression on his face, making sounds of non-local wailing.


    She had nailed him the moment he had hesitated.


    Upon seeing this turnaround at the events, the general public in the arena went into a commotion, seeing how decisive that competitor had been.


    At a crucial moment, she had counteracted her opponent''s trap while still suffering from the damage of his previous attack. However, she had managed to land a critical blow with her strong perseverance, recovering the last obstacle.


    "Haha, what a woman with personality!" A man said out loud.


    "Hmm, she really wasn''t affected by what happened before. I thought the fight was going to end at that moment."


    "Hehehe, I feel sorry for that guy. Look, he seems to have lost some teeth..." A young woman said while pointing at the man who was trying to get up, spitting a mouth of blood, with some teeth mixed in the middle.


    After that, he couldn''t bear to continue fighting, and the woman was finally declared the winner of the last round of the quarterfinals!


    "Well, the fight is over!" Pyke said excitedly while sighing for a moment. These guards were truly taking this event very seriously, but he could understand their motivation...


    "Okay, guys, let''s stop for an hour, and then we''ll be back with the semifinals!"


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the VIP room of Minos, the young sovereign was watching everything from the deck of that place while Dillian and Mia were there with him.


    Mia then commented surprisingly. "Hey, I never thought these things were so exciting!"


    She was not a warrior. She was just an ordinary cultivator who did this to live more and better. And living in a place like the Dry City, Mia hadn''t seen many fights in her life.


    So, she was amazed by this type of event.


    Butler Dillian then smiled gently and spoke. "Ahh, I remember the time when I was still young, and I saw the Spiritual Tournament. It is not bad to watch some friendly matches..."


    "Hmm, who knows, in the future, we may have our own Spiritual Tournament..." Minos commented with a smile on his face.


    This would be a good way for them to attract people to the Black Plain in the future. After all, this was the most effective way to attract the region''s talents.


    But that would only be in the future when Minos'' forces were strong enough to be able to do this.


    "Hmm, it would be interesting to do this here. Many would certainly come after the awards." Dillian agreed, shaking his head in approval.


    Most of the Spiritual Tournament competitors didn''t even have a chance to make it to the 3rd test, so they would undoubtedly be interested in other opportunities.


    And doing something like that in the region would also not be a bad idea, since these youths would not have to take any chances, going to an empire, where they would be just ordinary people...

 Chapter 159: Arena of the Dry City 3

    Time passed, and finally, the final match of that opening tournament for the Arena of the Dry City had arrived.


    Of the final participants, one was a woman, who had narrowly won the fight in the quarterfinals, named Teri. As for her opponent, this was one of Minos'' former guards, whose name was Elmer.


    The two had managed to pass the semifinals with some difficulty, having had fights that impressed the audience present in this place.


    Anyway, finally, the two went up to the arena stage while the audience returned their attention to that place. These thousands of people were already here for about 4 hours, and most of them had seen fights like never before.


    Some of them even had a growing desire to fight in this place in the future...


    "Finally, the concluding has arrived!"


    "Hmm, I''m cheering for Miss Teri. She really worked hard to get here."


    "It''s true, but the soldier Elmer has an innate battle ability. I doubt he will lose to her!"


    "Huh, it''s going to be a struggle for her. After all, innate skills expend less spiritual energy than spiritual techniques..."


    This was the main advantage of innate skill. Because it is something of the cultivator himself and not an external technique learned, the consumption of spiritual energy for innate abilities was small.


    Aside from these battle abilities, the characteristics of each innate ability were quite unique, and there was no general rule about them. Of course, any innate ability that releases energy would obviously have a consumption.


    But for skills that don''t release energy, it could be different. In the case of Minos, his own body was continually affected by it, and there was no way to activate or deactivate it.


    It was like physical property.


    Anyway, the world of innate skills was infinite, and almost anything was possible...


    At this point, finally, Sergeant Pyke positioned himself in the corner of the stage, looked at Teri, who was wearing black female armor, already placed for the fight.


    She did not use any weapons since she practiced an attack technique aimed at hand-to-hand combat.


    After that, Pyle looked at Elmer, who had an open armor, which basically only protected some points on his body, such as his shoulders, parts of his arms, and legs.


    This was the type of armor aimed at increasing the warrior''s speed, who could use these few pieces of protection as a shield during the fight.


    Finally, he also did not use any weapons since his own innate ability focused on close combat, typical of boxers like him. And due to his skill, Elmer had chosen to follow this path with his techniques since he was more apt for this.


    "Well, get started!"


    Hidden Path!


    After hearing the start of the fight, Teri immediately ran towards her opponent, activating her moving technique without second thoughts.


    She was very clear about her opponent''s strength, so she knew she was at a disadvantage in this match. Thus, she only had the initiative to do something to change this situation!


    At the same time, Elmer smiled at his opponent''s behavior and then started his own movement.


    He suddenly activated his innate ability when his two fists were covered, almost instantly, with red energy.


    It was as if he had a red steel glove coated in his hands!


    "Is there! He''s going to use it from the beginning!" Someone shouted in the middle of the arena bleachers.


    That was Elmer''s innate ability, which made his fists as hard as a grade-2, high-grade weapon because of the Warrior-grade classification, which his Physique provided for him!


    This was a fantastic skill, which could destroy enemy defenses very quickly. For this reason, Tori had used her moving technique since the beginning of the fight.


    If she were hit, even if she weren''t immediately defeated, she wouldn''t be able to fight for long!


    ''Shit! I''ll have to appeal and fight at a distance. I can''t take any chances and get close to him...''


    Meanwhile, Elmer finally started his move, trying to get closer to Tori. "Hehe, Sergeant Tori, don''t take this seriously. I''m only interested in the prize of a thousand crystals!"


    Pow!


    After hearing these words, Tori wasted no more time and soon punched the air, sending a fist of energy in the direction from where Elmer was coming.


    Boom!


    And contrary to what could be expected, Elmer did not deviate so much but also punched the fist created by Tori directly, using only his hands!


    "If you don''t take the chance to attack me, I will still beat you because you will run out of energy first!" Shortly after receiving the first attack, he said with a smile, being pushed two steps back.


    ...


    As the fight continued, Minos and his group comfortably enjoyed this fight from their VIP lounge.


    "This skill is excellent. I fear that this young Teri cannot win..." Butler Dillian commented to the group.


    Minos nodded in agreement when he heard this and started to speak. "Hmm, for someone with Black-grade battle techniques and with an attack focused on hand-to-hand fighting, like Teri, Elmer is the worst type of opponent for her."


    "I dare to say that, in addition to opponents with support and long-distance battle skills or techniques, it would be challenging for someone on the same level as Elmer to beat him!"


    For Minos, beating Elmer would not be difficult since he had two techniques that could prevent Elmer from hitting him and that could finish his opponent. But there were other methods to achieve this.


    For example, at the time when Minos had had his first fights, he had had a hard time beating one of his opponents in those three weeks of battles.


    That man, Grym, had an innate support-type ability, called Mental Caos, that could put his user''s opponent in a state of temporary confusion.


    Anyway, this was another way to beat an opponent like Elmer. But to Tori''s bad luck, she had none of these kinds of techniques or innate ability...


    "Hehehe, this young man will be even more interesting when he reaches the Spiritual King stage!" Dillian said with a smile. Obviously, having a soldier with such a skill would make the Black Plain Army even stronger.


    And when he reached the 6th stage of cultivation, there would undoubtedly be few opponents for someone like that in the future...


    ...


    And while Minos and Dillian talked on the balcony of the VIP room that they were, the fight was already coming to an end.


    Until, that was not a quick fight, but from beginning to end, the confrontation was dominated by Sergeant Elmer''s side. He had defended himself from Tori''s various attacks, countering with his own innate ability.


    At the same time, Tori was running back and forth on the stage, always trying to keep some distance from her opponent. However, her strategy didn''t work...


    As Elmer had said before, if she didn''t take a chance, her possibility of winning would be nil since innate skills were far more effective than spiritual techniques. So, while she was draining from her spiritual reserves, her opponent was there very well, even after a few dozen blows.


    And finally, Tori was unable to maintain her previous speed when Elmer managed to get closer and land a blow on his opponent.


    That was the beginning of the end of this fight. After receiving the first blow, Tori could no longer dodge Elmer''s attacks. All she could do was defend herself or counterattack!


    Pow!


    "Ahhh!"


    Suddenly, another blow hit Tori''s armor, spreading all the damage across her ribs, causing her to scream in pain at the spot. She took two steps back while her knees wobbled and made her fall to the floor slowly.


    She was not seriously injured, as this was a friendly match, but there were still strands of blood coming out of her mouth.


    ''Ahh! This will definitely leave a mark...'' She lamented to herself as she looked at the crumpled armor on her body.


    She could feel the part of her body that had received the blow. It was already starting to turn blue due to the intense pain she felt in that part...


    "I quit!" She said it out loud.


    There was no point in continuing. She was almost out of spiritual energy, and the pain she felt now was enough to make her lose focus on the battle.


    With that, the fight has finally come to an end!


    "Well, as competitor Teri has given up on the fight, Elmer will be the winner of this competition!" Pyke said excitedly.


    ...


    And it didn''t take long, and the audience was already discussing what had happened in this place.


    "Ahh, that was one of the best afternoons of my life!" A young man in the middle of the crowd said to his friends.


    "The same for me. After the opening of the cultivation tower, I never thought I would see anything that would make me so happy!"


    "Hehe, when I reach the 4th stage of cultivation, I will compete in this place. I heard that the ranking here would pay as well as the ranking of cultivation..."


    After that, little by little, the people of that place left, heading back to their homes, work, or whatever it was.


    ...


    In the room they were in, Minos looked at the young woman who was with him and Dillian and said. "Secretary Mia, arrange for Sergeant Elmer to receive his award."


    "Alright, young master!"


    "Soon, I will be leaving to go to the City of Waters, then separate a group of five soldiers to go with me, grandpa Dillian."


    "Hmm, okay."


    ...

 Chapter 160: Going to the Black Plain

    Clang!


    Suddenly, in a specific place on the Black Plain, sounds of metallic objects hitting each other could be heard. In this place, almost 50 people were working while holding axes and other tools, which were used to break stones.


    It was a little dark in the place, with a few scattered lighting array, and from time to time, someone passed by pushing a pile of resources that had been mined, leading out of this cave.


    This place was a little warm due to being underground, so many of the workers were breathing quickly while their clothes were completely soaked with sweat.


    At that moment, a loud voice rang out in the middle of the metallic beats of this place. "Huuh, Dyso, did you notice that the amount of crystals is increasing every day?" A short man, but with protruding muscles, spoke to his shiftmate, who was standing next to him.


    Upon hearing this, Dyso continued hammering the crystal wall in front of him and said. "Yes, huh, I think the production of crystals must have doubled in the past two years, huh."


    Clang!


    Banging sounds continued in that place, and soon another pile of spiritual crystals was formed there and once again carried out of this cave.


    This was one of the few low-grade crystal mines on the Black Plain, which was only a few kilometers from the Dry City.


    And as for what these two miners were talking about, this was due to the spiritual concentration of the Black Plain, which had been increasing since the spiritual root of this place was healed by the young Stuart.


    This was a very complex effect, but to put it simply, the spiritual root of this region, not only was it not acting normally, which would increase the spiritual concentration in its vicinity, but it is also stealing free energy from these nearby areas.


    So, by solving the problem of this spiritual root, Minos caused the root to heal and gradually increased the spiritual concentration of the region, and prevented the free energy of these areas from being stolen by that root!


    Thus, even though the spiritual root of this place still needed several years to absorb the energy of the Divine-grade medicine, the spiritual concentration of the region was already increasing little by little.


    And with that, the quantity of low-grade spiritual crystals produced in the region has been increasing since Minos arrived in these areas.


    Spiritual crystals were special ores, which could store spiritual energy and developed underground naturally. But make no mistake, this was a completely renewable resource.


    As long as living beings did not explore beyond a specific limit, from time to time, new crystals would form in places that had been mined before. Therefore, the production of crystals was not a problem in the Spiritual World.


    Of course, if the region suffered problems like what happened in the Black Plain, then production would decrease, but the ore would still exist. It just would not have completed its transformation to become a spiritual crystal due to the low amount of energy for them to be formed.


    Anyway, currently, the Black Plain''s crystal mines could produce about 48 thousand crystals per year, which employed about 100 people in the Dry City.


    This was still a very small number, but only because the region was still a long way from an area with a medium spiritual concentration, such as places like the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom, the Red Valley, the capital of the Stone Island, etc.


    ...


    While the miners of the Dry City did their daily work in one of the mines of the Black Plain, in the northeast of the Brown Kingdom, a young woman and a middle-aged woman were leaving a large city.


    If Minos saw this place, he would certainly understand that this was a prosperous region, probably dominated by a prominent noble family.


    There was a vast population, many alchemy shops, array shops, and other services related to other professions in the Spiritual World.


    Finally, the two women left this great city behind when the older woman asked. "Miss Abby, where are we going?"


    The one she had asked was Abby''s protector, who Minos had met during his trip to the Spiritual Tournament, Eda. She wore blue armor, which looked almost like a dress, which valued her mature body.


    Finally, beside Eda, Abby was sitting and watching the landscape while enjoying the journey over a spiritual beast, which looked like a big tiger. She then said. "We are going to visit my friend, Minos, in the Black Plain."


    "Oh? Do you speak of that young man who was in the final of the Spiritual Tournament?"


    "Hmm."


    "I thought you were mad at him..." Eda teased her young lady.


    She was a subordinate of the Miller family for many years, and since Abby started at the Spiritual Academy, she had been given the role of her bodyguard.


    But both were not treated as a subordinate and young lady. Abby saw Eda as her older sister, with whom she could talk and ask for advice, while Eda looked after Abby as if she were her little sister.


    So, Eda knew about the indecent offer that Minos had made to Abby when they were in the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom.


    "Hmm, I already left that behind. Minos has been a friend of mine for a long time, and after Mona went to the Flaming Empire, I don''t have much to do around here..."


    Abby and Mona could be considered best friends, so she had lost a fun companion, which she had in her spare time. And after returning to the Miller family territories, Abby had only focused on training and was now at level 42.


    Her advance might not be as fast as Minos''. However, she was still very well, considering that she had a Black-grade talent and was a young woman from a prominent noble family. For this reason, she could undoubtedly reach the 6th stage of cultivation before the age of 26.


    But this was quite normal in the north of the Central Continent. The cultivation problem in this region started when someone reached that stage of cultivation.


    This is because, in this stage of cultivation, the amount of spiritual energy that someone needs to rise from each level was many times greater than in the previous steps.


    To give you an idea, just the difference in spiritual energy that a cultivator had from level 50 to 51, that was equivalent to all the power of someone at level 43!


    So, unless a cultivator used medium-grade spiritual crystals, it would take a long time to level up each level, using only low-grade crystals, or worse, cultivating without the presence of these items...


    And there were not many medium-grade crystals in this region of the Central Continent...


    Because of this, when they reached this stage of cultivation, the inhabitants of this region faced a tremendous decrease in their cultivation speed, which made the stronger Spiritual Kings, people with their 500, 600 years of age...


    To make matters worse, there were not many pills in this region that could help these people since the demand was dozens of times greater than the supply. There were also not many struggles between people at this level, which could boost the speed of cultivation of these people.


    Anyway, getting to the Spiritual King stage, in the north of the Central Continent, was not so difficult if someone had a Black talent, supported with many resources, and at least had a Black-grade cultivation technique.


    But after that, the situation was challenging. There were not many resources, and they had to be divided into many parts...


    And as for those subordinates from noble families with Black talent, like Albert, they received a minimal amount of resources from these families. As a result, their cultivation speed was immensely slower than that of members of these noble families, as in the example of the young Abby.


    Albert had taken almost 80 years to reach level 50, while Abby could do that before she was 30...


    That was a reflection of the reality of this region!


    "I want to see what that place can have, to make him give up to going to the Flaming Empire..." Eda said with a curious expression on her face. She didn''t know how anyone could do something as crazy as what Minos had done...


    Abby laughed for a moment and said. "I don''t know if that place needs to have something important for him, but I''m also curious..."


    She knew that Minos did not get along with his mother, but that only meant that he would not go to her sect. He could still go to one of the other seven sects of the Flaming Empire, so Abby didn''t fully understand what he was doing.


    There was also the doubt that Abby had about Minos''s absurd strength. ''Does he have some absurd innate ability?'' She wondered that every time she remembered his performances.


    She had witnessed Minos'' physical test at the time of the Spiritual Academy. So, she thought that he had a King-sized Physique. Then, she suspected that this could only explain the young Stuart''s strength!


    After all, she couldn''t feel how efficient a technique was, before reaching level 70, when a cultivator could probe the soul.


    And knowing the efficiency of the technique was the only way to distinguish quality without much uncertainty.


    Anyway, it didn''t take long, and the two women on top of that spiritual beast disappeared on the horizon, following towards the west of the Brown Kingdom.

 Chapter 161: Investigations

    While Abby and her bodyguard traveled to the Black Plain, another day had passed in the Dry City.


    At that moment, after leaving his cultivation session in the Spatial Kingdom, as he usually did, Minos was already preparing to travel to the City of Waters, where he would try to make a deal with the ruler of that place.


    He then walked to his office through his mansion, greeting some people wherever he went, including soldiers, city officials, and subordinates who had come with him to the Dry City.


    Some of them cooked and took care of the maintenance of this mansion and other matters.


    Finally, Minos spotted his young secretary.


    She looked very well. After all, the advance in cultivation was a powerful tonic for the appearance of the cultivators. And with her curves that were originally already extremely attractive, she was getting better and better...


    Too bad Minos had no interest in having sex with a subordinate...


    "Young master, good morning. The team you asked for is already waiting outside the building." She said with a smile on her face.


    She had already prepared the five soldiers who would accompany Minos on this trip. All that was missing was for him to show up for them to leave the Dry City.


    "Oh? This is good. I was just coming to know about it..." He then turned to the side and saw that two youths were sitting in silence on a sofa that was in the reception of his office.


    These were Lee and Alison, who had come here at the behest of Minos.


    "Hmm, I''m glad you weren''t late. Well, I called you because I want the two of you to accompany me on this trip. With the talent of both, in the future, you will certainly have a leadership role in the army, and you may even be able to achieve the position of rulers of some cities..." Minos said while thinking about the possibilities for the future.


    The Black Plain had a decent territory, and there was no way for the population of the Dry City to take care of this whole area. And the problem was not the population but the fact that, with low-level spiritual beasts, it could take a few days for them to reach most of the Black Plain area.


    As a result, there was no way for the ordinary population of this region, take care of all this territory, living in only one city. In this case, there would undoubtedly be other urban agglomerations in the Black Plain in the future, just as it happened in any influential region or kingdoms in this world...


    Thus, these other cities would need leaders to govern them. And just as noble families did in their territories, Minos would also send his best subordinates to manage these places.


    And there was no one better than subordinates with Black talent, who could reach the Spiritual King stage without much delay! Therefore, these two youths were certainly among the possibilities of Minos at this moment.


    Not to mention that they were also from the beginning of their cultivation lives within the Black Plain Army. In this case, they were very loyal to Minos and that organization that nurtures them!


    The young Stuart then sighed and said. "So, I want you to see how I will act in these negotiation days that will come."


    Upon hearing this, the eyes of the two youths shone. What youths did not have their own dreams and ambitions?


    What Minos was saying, from their point of view, was basically that they would earn much more... And as humble young people, raised in a poor place like the ancient Dry City, spiritual crystals were really very important to them.


    After saying this, Minos said goodbye to secretary Mia and the butler Dillian who was inside his office before finally leaving this place, and the two youths followed in his footsteps.


    Dillian, once again, would be responsible for the Dry City.


    He was very close to reaching level 50, so he couldn''t waste a lot of time on trips like these. And besides, he was the person who knew Minos best and who could deal with the problems in the most appropriate way, considering the plans of his young master.


    Besides, the young Stuart was already getting used to these negotiations. He didn''t need a tutor to accompany him all the time.


    Even his soldiers who were going to accompany him, this was just to show that he had a strength behind him. Only Spiritual Kings could threaten Minos'' lives at his current level, so he was no longer in such need of protection from his soldiers.


    But, it wouldn''t be bad to have a group accompanying him if something happened. After all, he still couldn''t protect the two young people with him without the help of other people.


    Finally, after a few minutes, at the two carriages of Minos'' entourage, they left the Dry City, passing through the wall''s south gate and proceeding to the Cromwell Kingdom.


    ...


    While Minos and his soldiers traveled to the City of Waters, a group of more than 20 men was scattered over an area, in a particular part of the Kingdom of the Waves, near the Brown Kingdom.


    "It was right here that it happened. Look over there! See? That''s where the bandits came from..." An old man said.


    This was the investigation group that the Black Plain Army had dispatched to discover the whereabouts of the young Peter.


    They had left the Dry City as soon as Minos'' order came out, and they had taken advantage of the fact that the coachman who had brought Peter''s family was still in the city.


    With that, they traveled together to that point since this coachman would have to return to his city anyway... But, in fact, this old man was thinking of moving to the Minos region. After all, there were many opportunities for his family in that place.


    So, he was doing everything these soldiers asked, from accompanying them here and talking about everything that had happened that night.


    At this point, one of the soldiers suddenly said. "Chief Dumas, I found some human limbs over there, close to that rock." He pointed to a place.


    "And these limbs appear to be from a human leg and arm. It must not have been long since they were left here." He said as he headed towards the place where these traces were left.


    It turns out that the bandits who attacked Peter, after all, were still careless criminals. They had gotten rid of the bodies of John and Jack, but they had forgotten their arm and leg, which had been ripped off by Peter during the fight that day...


    "Hmm, indeed, those limbs shouldn''t be here for more than a week..." Dumas said in contemplation.


    He had been the soldier assigned to lead this investigation, being at level 42. Other than that, the group was made up of a few other Sergeants at level 42 and most of them at level 41.


    Finally, the group stopped at this location for a few hours until they eventually managed to find the direction where the group of bandits had left.


    "It looks like they lined up for the coast..." The old coachman said in a low voice, letting out a sigh of regret. ''It looks like that young man was taken by a human trafficker...'' He thought.


    "Ehh, I think a group of human traffickers took that boy." He finally said that to the soldiers.


    "Why do you think that?"


    "Well, the Black Market is present in several parts of the northern part of the Central Continent. And as someone who has been traveling for many years, I already had the displeasure of seeing certain things..."


    "Anyway, but on the coast of this region where we are, there are some smaller pirate groups, which act as human traffickers. This is common knowledge among people who are well acquainted with the Kingdom of the Waves region."


    "You should take this into account in your investigation..." He said this with sorrow, lamenting the fate of that young man.


    For him, Peter was in a terrible situation and with almost no return. If he were sold to one of these great noble families, that could be the end for that youth.


    After all, even if the Dry City was doing well, that did not mean that the place could act against a prominent noble family. So, this coachman didn''t think Minos would invest a lot in saving the young Peter''s life...


    "OK. Old man, thank you for helping us here. When you arrive in your city, don''t forget, do not go out and talk about the Dry City around. Just bring your family there in secret!" Dumas replied with a smile on his face as he said goodbye to the old driver.


    "Haha, okay. I hope you can save that young man, he not only saved his family, but he saved my life too..."


    After the two sides said goodbye, the old man and his companion in the other carriage headed north, from where they had previously come, along with Peter''s family.


    At the same time, five chariots of the Black Plain Army headed towards the west from where they were, heading towards the coast of the Kingdom of the Waves.

 Chapter 162: In the City of Waters Again

    Quickly three days passed, and Minos and his group had already reached the City of Waters.


    And when they arrived at that place, this time Minos had to pay the local tax. After all, it just didn''t happen last time because Ruth had the flaming medallion, which allowed free passage.


    Anyway, he paid the fee of 3,200 crystals for him and his group to enter the Cromwell Kingdom officially. And shortly after that, they proceeded to the central part of the city, where the hotels were located.


    The group had arrived in the middle of the night, so they couldn''t start doing business today. But even if it was another time, they couldn''t just come without making an appointment. So, it would be a few days trip for their group.


    And right after finding a place to stay, they didn''t take long and went looking for a place to eat. After all, in a smaller city like this, it was tough to find something decent in hotels...


    And during the group''s journey through the town, Lee and Alisson were dazzled by what they saw. Although the current Dry City is not much worse than the City of Waters, there was a distinct difference in favor of this place to that they were traveling.


    Not only that, this was the first time that the two had known a different place than the Dry City. All they knew was this place and even though they had already heard from the old residents of the Yellow City what life was like in their old region, seeing a new place with their own eyes was a completely different experience.


    Anyway, the group quickly found a place to eat.


    ...


    While enjoying their meal peacefully, Lee and Alison argued about the things they had seen in this place.


    "This city is so beautiful! It doesn''t look like a place near the Black Plain!" Alison said with a twinkle in her eye.


    "Hmm, and there are a lot of shops and restaurants here. Even in hotels, we saw about three, just on the street where we were earlier!" Lee agreed.


    They were used to the Dry City, which had only two hotels at the time, and there was still no restaurant of the same quality as the one they were eating.


    Of course, in the restaurants in of the Dry City, it had meals with a high spiritual concentration, but when comparing flavors... Their city needed more high-end cooks.


    And that was one of the famous professions in the Spiritual World.


    Like alchemists, cooks used their skills to ''refine'' edible substances. Of course, while the alchemist focused on creating a pill that recovers or helps in advancing, cooks concentrate on maintaining and even improving the spirituality of meals, enhancing the taste of the food.


    But it was not as easy to become a cook as an alchemist.


    After all, the number of people in this profession was much less than in that one. For this reason, good cooking techniques were generally a long way from ordinary people, such as what one could see in the Dry City.


    Because of that, it was so difficult to have good restaurants in a place like the city of the two young people. Even though the cooks there were improving their level, their techniques were still of the White-grade classification. After all, Minos had no technique of this specialization to place in the library of the Dry City.


    And that didn''t just happen with cooks, but with any other profession. There were no people of all specializations in the city of Minos. Even those few areas with professionals there had only people with techniques of the lowest classifications...


    Anyway, time passed, and the group of 8 people was having their meal in that restaurant when Lee asked. "Master, do you already know who we are going to talk to here in this place?"


    "Hmm, I heard about it from grandpa Dillian. He told me that this place is ruled by a woman named Mirya. It looks like she''s at level 51, Spiritual King stage."


    Alison''s pupils opened in surprise, and she said. "Is she that strong?"


    "That''s what we found..."


    While she was talking, suddenly, a young woman with green hair passed by the table of Minos and his group, and overheard their conversation. She smiled and asked. "You are here to find that person, huh?"


    When Minos noticed the intrusion of this stranger, he frowned and said nothing for a moment as he watched the young woman in front of him. She was about 1.6 meters tall, an incredible figure, with wide hips and full breasts, while her beauty could be considered top-notch.


    Other than that, her green hair drew attention, but not in the wrong way. It indeed looked great on her. In addition to these superficial details, Minos could also feel the level of cultivation of this woman, who was in the General Spiritual stage, level 44.


    He then finally answered. "May I know this lady''s name?"


    "Oh... It seems that I meddled without even introducing myself... Sorry for this, my name is Viola." She said with a sensual smile on her face.


    ''It seems that this girl has the same personality as Elena...'' Minos thought for a moment, with a smile on his face. "So, it''s Miss Viola. And yes, we are here to try to find this ruler. Why? Can you help us?"


    She then sat down in a free chair next to Minos and then started to speak. "It is not so easy to contact that woman. She is always in training. But why do you want to meet her?"


    "I may have an offer that interests her or the Stokes family..."


    "An offer, huh? And where are you from?"


    "I come from the north..." Minos said vaguely.


    She looked Minos up and down and smiled. She could see that he was young, but he already had a high cultivation level. With that, she was already sure that there was a powerful force behind him.


    In this case, he probably really had a good plan in hand.


    "Well, if you go to the government mansion, you can say that I recommended you. Maybe you will be luckier to meet that woman." She said with a smile.


    After saying this, Viola got up and said goodbye to the group of Minos, heading towards the interior of that place.


    Alison then spoke. "What a rude woman, she interrupted our conversation out of nowhere!"


    "But maybe her name is valuable to us..." Lee said in a low voice, upsetting his friend. He was more dedicated and smarter than Alison. He certainly fits the profile that Minos wanted for his future leaders.


    "Hmm, Lee is right, Alison. You need to think about the hidden implications that each action has. Maybe she is just a strange person, but maybe her name does have some value..."


    They continued to talk about this and other things when they finally left the restaurant and returned to the hotel where they had booked their rooms.


    And while they were back, Minos went over the information he had from that place in his head.


    From what the Black Plain Army soldiers had reported, this city should have somewhere between 140 thousand and 160 thousand inhabitants. As for the numbers of unemployed, this was certainly no more than 15,000, which could be considered a standard rate in this part of the Central Continent.


    After all, not all services performed in a region would be adequately contracted. There were many informal services in which workers would do several different things, such as hunting, helping to harvest fields when labor was lacking, transporting resources from one place to another, etc.


    As a result, have a rate of up to 15% unemployment in the population over ten years of age would be considered acceptable in these regions. Consequently, the City of Waters was as expected.


    But this was an opportunity for the Dry City. Even though these inhabitants still had their seasonal activities in this place where Minos was, it didn''t mean they were doing well...


    To take an example, the current Dry City had no unemployment. Everyone at the minimum age was already working. But even so, there was no shortage of people to do these random services.


    Some people worked in agriculture in the morning while hunting in the afternoon. Or they did it in shifts, and half the week did something, and in the other half did another activity.


    Anyway, even if there was no unemployment, there was no shortage of people willing to do these seasonal services.


    Therefore, even if Minos took the entire unemployed population of the City of Waters, this would not negatively affect this place. The young Stuart was sure that he would not be refused if he brings a good offer.


    ''I wonder who that young woman is... Is she a local government official?'' He questioned himself with a smile at the corner of his mouth.


    Anyway, soon the group of 8 people arrived at the hotel where they had booked their rooms, and each went to their respective place to cultivate and rest for a few hours.


    Their trip here had been a little tiring since sleeping in temporary camps was never comfortable.


    And as to why they needed it, well, the Black Plain Army did not have a spiritual beast like Ruth''s great eagle. So, their journey took much longer...


    As for Emlyn, serving as a transport was not in her agreement with Minos...

 Chapter 163: The Reality of the City of Waters 1

    Hours passed, and by this time, the sun had already risen over the horizon, while the City of Waters was slowly beginning another day.


    The city had a different movement of places with its population. After all, there was a port in this city. And with that, some regions of the interior of the Kingdom Cromwell sent their resources here, from where sea routes could send them to their respective destinations.


    Therefore, the city had an unusual movement for its size.


    The sound of the ships could be heard from time to time, as several people came and went from the port, with many cargo carriages coming overland.


    This was a city where there was a transition from one mode of transport to another, so there was movement throughout the day.


    Anyway, the City of Waters started its day with a lot of movement, as the people there began to wake up and go to do their respective services.


    For Minos and his group, they had already woken up and were having their rich breakfast.


    "I''ve never seen so many carriages before!" Alison spoke to Lee while holding a toast in one of her hands, watching from the window the movement of the street in front of the hotel where they were.


    The young Lee then replied, making hand gestures. "Me too, but look, you can see the ships if you look in this direction!"


    At the same time, when the two watched the city''s movement through the window of the room where they were, Minos got up and prepared to leave when he said. "Come on, time to try to make an appointment with the local governor."


    After saying this, the group quickly hurried to leave the hotel, following in the footsteps of the young Stuart.


    They were in a hotel in the western part of the City of Waters and had to go to the central part of this town, where the local government mansion was located.


    And it was not such a short way there. After all, this city was quite different from the Dry City.


    While the Dry City had a population not so much smaller than that of the city they were in, the built area was very different. The town of Minos had been concentrated in a very small space since the inhabitants wanted to live under the influence of the spiritual arrays.


    For this reason, the density of people per square meter in the Dry City was very high, and there were already many buildings, even if that place had only a few thousand inhabitants.


    With that, if someone were thrown in the middle of the city of Minos, that person would think that he was in a big metropolis since there were really many tall buildings there.


    But in the City of Waters, this was different.


    This was a town that followed the model of what one would expect from a place of this pattern. There were many buildings with less than three floors, with many houses and smaller businesses.


    There were only a few buildings that were more than four stories high. It was really what someone would saw in other cities of the same size in the north of the Central Continent.


    Someone would certainly feel as if he were in the countryside if he came here.


    Because of this, the built area of ??the City of Waters was quite large, almost four times larger than that of the Dry City.


    Anyway, the group had to walk for a few minutes until they reached the central part of the town, where they were supposed to go. And while passing through the streets and avenues of this place, Minos and company were able to see a little more of life in these areas.


    There were already many open restaurants, stores specializing in food, such as bakeries, small markets, etc. There was a considerable movement of people, even in the early morning.


    And now and then, some groups of men from the port of the city passed from side to side, eating and drinking in the streets.


    ''It seems that this place truly receives many resources from other regions...'' Minos thought to himself, seeing these people.


    This was something very interesting. Some cities had nothing special, but due to their location, sometimes in the middle of a route or at the intersection of several paths, these places grew and developed.


    People who were traveling needed services and a place to stay, so places like this developed. And over time, a place that served only as a stop, a transition, became something more, with services and a population of its own, who lived only in the region, without depending on visitors.


    And that is what happened in this place, that is why it was so different from the Yellow City!


    Anyway, after walking for several minutes while observing life in this place, the group of Minos finally arrived in front of a mansion.


    This place was slightly larger than Minos'' mansion before the renovations. But it looked much better than that in the Dry City. There were large lawns around that place, with a beautiful fountain and a stylized fence surrounding the building from other sites.


    It was fascinating. The fence had sharp points at different heights, as if they were waves, while there were the same symbols every few meters.


    These symbols were large orange flowers with what looked like a pin in the middle of the drawing.


    This was the symbol of the Stokes family, the ruler of this city!


    In addition, in this place, there was a guardhouse beside the entrance gate of this mansion, which was entirely covered by dark glass. There were also some guards around the area, patrolling and watching the movement around.


    The group of Minos finally started to enter that place while being watched by the guards.


    This was the local government mansion, but it was not a headquarters or the headquarters of a large family. This was a public administration building, and because of that, anybody could enter here without worrying about having a permit for this.


    Just as it happened in the mansion of Minos, in the Dry City.


    Finally, they walked along a stone path on the beautiful lawn of that area when they finally arrived inside the entrance hall.


    The place was not that big.


    There was only one reception with two young attendants, while two guards were standing by at the entrance to the place. There were also some chairs and pictures on the walls.


    Minos then followed one of those girls while the rest of the group waited behind him.


    One of the attendants asked with a smile on her face. "Hello visitors, welcome to the local administration. Can I know what you are looking for?"


    "Hello, well, I am looking for a business with the local ruler, Miss Mirya. I believe I have a good trade offer for her..." He said without going into too much detail.


    "Oh... I understand. Usually, Miss Mirya doesn''t directly serve this type of visitor. We have a person responsible for the city''s trade agreements. Would you like to make an appointment with him?" She asked politely.


    Minos then shook his head in denial. "No, this is not going to work. This is an agreement that only a subordinate of the Stokes family could directly agree with it. I certainly need to talk to her..."


    "Well, I''m not sure if I''m going to get you an appointment. After all, Miss Mirya is a high-level cultivator who spends much of her time in training." She said with an apologetic smile.


    She wasn''t making it difficult for Minos.


    It was just that Mirya wasn''t precisely an administrator. She was only here to mark territory, protecting the Stokes family''s interests. For this reason, she was generally not involved in ordinary matters of public management.


    "Huh..." Minos sighed for a moment and then asked. "Well, is there anyone here with the name Viola?"


    "Viola?" She said in surprise. The young attendant did not expect Minos to use that name as a last resort.


    "There are many people with this name in the Spiritual World. Can you go into details about it?"


    "Green hair, 1.6 meters tall, well-developed, beautiful body, with an ''active'' personality..." Minos began to describe what he had seen of this woman.


    ''Hmm, it''s definitely her...'' The young attendant thought to herself with a smile on her face. "Indeed, there is someone like that here. Why do you ask?"


    "This woman named Viola told me that I could use her name to be able to find Miss Mirya."


    ''Could it be that this is another one of Miss Viola''s lovers?'' She thought to herself while having a slight rub on her cheeks. "Well, I will try to contact Miss Mirya. May I know what your name is, sir?"


    "Minos, no last name..." He replied, with no expression on his face.


    She then wrote something on paper while she said it. "OK, Mr. Minos. I will try to schedule a time for you. You can send one of your subordinates here later to find out when Miss Mirya will be able to receive you."


    After that, Minos and his group left this place with the objective of taking a walk around the city and getting to know a little more about the area. After all, he had not been in the City of Waters for long when he passed here months ago.


    ''That young woman really helped me, huh...'' He thought about it with satisfaction. He really had a bit of luck this time. Maybe that was a good sign?


    Who knows...

 Chapter 164: The Reality of the City of Waters 2

    After leaving the government mansion, Minos and his group began to stroll through that region in the central part of the city.


    They soon passed an avenue with well-developed trade, with stores in several different areas. There were even blacksmiths, alchemists, and array masters on this street.


    And that was in line with what Minos had read in the report made by the soldiers of the Black Plain Army, who had come here previously.


    There were two alchemists in the City of Waters, one array master, and one blacksmith, all of them grade-2, low-level. Of course, these professionals had their disciples and helpers, who also supported the production of items from those professions sold around here.


    So, there was a good supply of grade-1 items in this city!


    And that was already very good for a place with less than 200 thousand inhabitants and without much prosperity. After all, although this place was already worthwhile for the Stokes family to worry about, this was still not a prosperous place.


    For comparison, the current Dry City has only two alchemists of grade-2, low-level, while there is no array master or blacksmiths in this same classification.


    And of course, as for the other professions... Well... The Dry City was a long way from having someone well ranked in the other areas.


    Anyway, there was a good supply of items in this town, even considering that this place was not yet well developed as large cities...


    While walking through the streets, Lee suddenly saw a sign with prices from an alchemical shop. There it said. ''Spiritual recovery pill - grade-1, high-level - 989 low-grade crystals.''


    "Wow, what a high price!" He exclaimed in surprise while showing it to Alison.


    "With our salary, if we added the crystals of 6 months of work, we could only buy one of these!" The young woman exclaimed.


    Seeing the two youths arguing about it, Minos smiled and said. "Well, it''s not exactly right to say that the price is high. In fact, it is even low since the average charged for a pill of this level is above a thousand low-grade crystals."


    "It can not be!" Alison exclaimed unhappily. She didn''t understand how people could buy pills that expensive!


    "So, how do ordinary people buy spiritual pills?" Lee asked doubtfully.


    He and Alison did not know the reality outside the Dry City. For them, the alchemists there were the first they met...


    Some soldiers then smiled at the young man''s naive question upon hearing this.


    The two might not have known about these things because they were very young and had studied at the Black Star Academy, which did not have the same ''programming'' as the Preparatory Academy of the Dry City.


    And like many young people from the old Dry City, if Minos hadn''t shown up there, they would only learn about this and other things after starting their adult life, when they were going to worry about the livelihood of their families.


    There were also no alchemists in their city before. Even their parents might not know the prices usually charged for these items.


    So, it was very common for young people like them not to know about this type of information!


    Minos then replied. "Ordinary people do not buy spiritual pills of this classification. At least this is very unusual. Most can only buy up to grade-1, medium-level pills, and with a lot of effort to achieve this."


    After that, one of the soldiers approached them and spoke to the two youths in a low voice. "In the Dry City, prices are only lower because the young master is paying most of the cost of production in our place."


    Upon hearing this, the two young people were amazed. This was not information that everyone in the Dry City knew!


    Only those more experienced people in the army and those citizens who already knew about the average price of these items knew that Minos was paying for it. But young people like Lee and Alison might not know...


    ''So, this is how it is!'' The two thought.


    ''It is no wonder that the older people in the city admire the master so much, even without knowing anything about him!'' Lee thought to himself.


    He admired Minos for several reasons, but that was because he knew some of the young Stuart''s secrets. Like the Spatial Kingdom, the high-level techniques, the foxes that certainly could protect the territory in the future, and also for the unique opportunity that he had received.


    If he had gone to the Gill family, this would probably be his biggest mistake in his life!


    But he did not know these details, so he did not previously understand why older people in the Dry City admired Minos so much. After all, he was a good ruler, but they didn''t need to worship so much him, just for that.


    They didn''t have Lee''s reasons for doing that!


    Anyway, soon the group continued to know the City of Waters while talking about many things they saw.


    In this city, some exciting things caught the attention of the two young people. For example, there were two battalions in this place, one from the Stokes family and the other from the royal family of the Cromwell Kingdom.


    And when asked why, the two youths found that this was very common in border towns.


    The City of Waters could be considered the first urban region of importance for anyone coming from the north of the kingdom, so this was a place that needed to have a post of the Royal Army of the Cromwell Kingdom.


    Kingdoms and empires in the Spiritual World generally charged taxes for the entry of visitors to posts in the border cities. This was a considerable resource since thousands of people often came and went from one region to another.


    After all, there were businesses. People moved in. Some wanted to see the world, etc. But in addition to the financial gain, this was also a measure for the kingdom to know who was entering its territories.


    Of course, it was not possible to know the origin of each person in detail, but knowing the strength of the visitors was already very important.


    For example, imagine if many Spiritual Kings arrived in a kingdom at a specific time... Well, it would be crucial for the king of that place to know this kind of information. It could significantly influence the local political balance and even cause many problems!


    As a result, the kingdom could not simply wait for vassal families to report on these crucial matters.


    Betrayals happened, and the worst type of enemy was the intern. In this case, having outposts in the border regions was a common practice for royal families in the Spiritual World.


    Anyway, there were also the Stokes family troops in this city.


    This family was the sovereign of this place, and it was their responsibility to protect and manage that area. They could not expect the royal forces to do this for them.


    That is why, in each border town, there were also the forces of the sovereign family of that region.


    ''Hmm, there is a lot of strength in this place...'' Minos thought to himself. The number of soldiers in this city was not as numerous as the forces of the Dry City, but they were much stronger!


    From what Minos could see and feel, this city must have at least four times more strength than the old Yellow City.


    And unlike bandits, who might not have adequate training and good techniques, these soldiers were undoubtedly better equipped than those bandits, who the young Stuart''s forces had wiped out.


    Seeing this, he was even more confident that it would be impossible for him to use a more ''violent'' strategy in this place.


    He had to reach an agreement with the governor here. Otherwise, he would certainly have to give up on getting the unemployed here.


    There were many negative implications for fighting this place.


    This could attract the attention of the royal family of the Cromwell Kingdom, of the Stokes family, and could even alienate the population of this city from the forces of Minos.


    After all, who would put their future in the hands of people who took their territory by force? The City of Waters was not being occupied by groups of bandits, as had happened in the Yellow City. In this case, Minos could not act as before!


    ...


    Meanwhile, in a place in the mansion, in the center of the City of Waters, there was a large training room, which at the moment had a mature woman sitting on a cushion on the floor, cultivating peacefully.


    There was a vast spiritual array over the place where she was, which seemed even more potent than all those that were in the Dry City together!


    In addition, some medium-grade crystals were scattered around this woman while shining and decreasing their intensity little by little.


    This woman had long green hair, about 1.7 meters tall, with a voluptuous body, characteristic of mature women like her...


    If Minos could see her, he would realize how similar this woman was to the young woman he had previously met.


    Anyway, besides having excellent measurements, she could also be considered very beautiful, having a different charm than that of the young Viola.


    At this point, she finished her cultivation session when she realized that someone was standing at the door of this place, waiting for her.


    "What is the problem?" She asked as she opened her eyes and looked in the direction of the person who was there waiting for her.


    "Madam Mirya, earlier today..."

 Chapter 165: Getting a Date

    Upon hearing what her secretary had informed her, Mirya remained sitting there on the floor while she had a doubtful look on her face. ''What does this person want with me? Is this one of Viola''s lovers, who is confusing things a bit?''


    Viola was Mirya''s only daughter, and she had inherited her libertine side from her dear mother. But sometimes, some of Viola''s lovers thought they had something more than they actually had and started to act like they were her boyfriends.


    But that was only they thought like that, since Viola really had no thoughts of being alone with one person... Anyway, sometimes some of these young people acted strangely, even trying to meet Viola''s mother, ''their mother-in-law''...


    "Did this Minos say why he wants to talk to me? I don''t want to waste my time with another idiot bewitched by Viola." She said with a serious face.


    She despised men who could not understand their place in a casual relationship. There was no need for the two sides to come together or find out more about other people''s problems. That was just sex. There was no need to complicate a relationship like this!


    That was what Mirya thought, and that Viola had followed too...


    "He said he wanted to do business, but that could only be decided by a person directly subordinate to the Stokes family, who would be you, madam."


    "Huh?" She exclaimed in surprise.


    ''Now I am curious... Ahh, let''s see what this young man wants. If he is just another pathetic man, I can just send him away without wasting my precious time!'' She thought to herself.


    "Okay, make an appointment the day after tomorrow, in the afternoon."


    After saying this, she returned to her training while the woman left this place, going back to her chores.


    ...


    Meanwhile, quickly a day passed, and one of Minos'' subordinates had already gone to that mansion to find out about the meeting that the young Stuart had requested.


    Minos was pleased to know that his request had been accepted and that he could resolve it quickly. He didn''t know what ambitions that ruler had, but he was prepared to make a very tempting offer.


    After all, he knew how noble families functioned and about the needs of these subordinates...


    The deal he wanted to make would certainly not affect the Stokes family''s profit in this city. But it could help Mirya''s funds a lot...


    She was just a subordinate and not a member of the Stokes family, so she was certainly not someone with many resources, just like Minos'' father.


    In this case, Minos'' deal could be Mirya''s golden chance. That would be a private agreement between the two, and she could do whatever she wanted, even getting a good slice for herself...


    Anyway, the young Stuart was also truly grateful to Viola.


    She had facilitated this contact tremendously, which could save him several days of travel. For that, he had asked some of his soldiers to look for her so that he could thank her personally.


    And after a while, Minos was finally leaving to meet Viola.


    He had discovered that she taught at the spiritual academy of this town on the city''s south side.


    Viola had accompanied her mother to the City of Waters, and since they were going to live here for several years, she had decided to work in her spare time. After all, they were only subordinates to a noble family, which could not even be considered the highest rank within the Cromwell Kingdom.


    With that, the young Viola couldn''t help but finding a job for herself. And it was very appropriate for her to be a teacher. She had a high level of cultivation by the standards of the City of Waters, while she had been educated in a more developed region and was therefore very apt for this.


    She also didn''t like to fight, so working on something that involved her strength was not in her interests.


    ...


    After walking for some time, Minos finally arrived in front of a standard building with four floors. There was nothing extraordinary about this place other than the almost constant noise of children.


    Upon arriving here, Minos quickly entered the building and looked for information from Viola at the reception of that place. And soon, he was told where he could find her.


    Anyway, Minos went up to the top floor of the building and went to one of the teachers'' rooms, where Viola typically stayed.


    Once there, he could see that this was not a classroom but an office. It wasn''t huge. There were just a few cupboards on one side, with a table in the center of the room and three chairs.


    Viola was sitting there, reading some papers, and seemed very focused. She had her hair tied up, but a strand was loose and made her look perfect at this point.


    Seeing Viola through the glass door, Minos admired her for a moment when he finally knocked on the door, drawing her attention.


    Pa! Pa!


    Hearing this, Viola quickly stopped what she was doing, turning her head to the side, so she could see who it was. She had a serious expression on her face since it was usually her students or professional collaborators who came here.


    But when she saw the 1.8 meters tall young man, with brown hair and eyes, outside her office, she was surprised for a moment. It was unusual for men to come looking for her here since she always made it clear not to interfere with her work.


    And seeing that this attractive young man, whom she barely knew, had come here, she was pleasantly surprised. He wasn''t one of those pathetic stalkers, so she wasn''t upset that he came here. And Minos'' appearance was really in her taste...


    Viola then got up and went to see the young Stuart with a smile on her face. "Huh, I didn''t expect to see you again so soon!"


    "Hmm, I came here because I want to thank you for helping me before."


    "Helped you?" Viola said as she motioned for Minos to sit on one of the chairs in that place.


    She sat down next to him and then listened. "Yes, I used your name to arrange a meeting with the governor of this city, so that was really a big help for me."


    "Oh?" She said, surprised.


    Viola did not expect her mother to respond to Minos'' request so quickly. She knew it would probably make his contact with Mirya easier, but she believed her mother would wrap him up first.


    After all, some of her lovers had already made the beautiful Mirya waste her time before, with useless matters...


    "So, I wanted to invite you to dinner with me." He said calmly, looking into Viola''s eyes.


    "Huh? So, you feel the need to thank me, huh?" She said with a provocative smile on her face. For a predator like Viola, this invitation from Minos was no different from an intimate invitation, and she was even interested in him...


    The two looked at each other for a moment, seeming to have a mutual understanding as they did so. She then said ambiguously. "If you want to thank me, I have something else in mind... I doubt that a dinner in this city can thank me more than that."


    "Hahaha, and what exactly are we talking about?" He asked with a smile on his face while playing the fool.


    "You will know when the time comes..." After approaching the young Stuart''s ear, she said it in a low voice, making him shiver.


    ''This woman knows how to tease someone!'' Minos thought about it and then spoke. "In that case, I''m ready for it whenever you want."


    "OK, we are meeting tonight. Where are you staying?"


    "At the Hotel Dixon."


    "Hmm, well, I will meet you tonight." She said this while she had expectations for what was to come.


    Viola was not used to being with people of the age of Minos since there were no people as talented as the young Stuart in a place like the City of Waters. For this reason, most of the partners she had were either weaker than her or much older.


    In both cases, this was not ideal for her. Either they no longer looked so young and pleasant, like Minos, or they were weak and could not last long... After all, sex is an intense activity, which demands a lot of energy on both sides.


    And if one side could do it for much longer than the other...


    So, Viola was very interested in this encounter with Minos. A strong and virile young man like him, perhaps he could calm the blazing fire in her body...


    "Haha, okay. I''m looking forward to it."


    After that, the two parted ways. Minos headed back to the hotel while Viola continued her business at the spiritual academy she worked.

 Chapter 166: Viola 1 (18+)

    Time quickly passed, and it was already night in the City of Waters.


    The sky was clear, with many stars visible to anyone in the city, and the weather was delightful.


    The city had almost the same movement as at any other time of the day, with many people coming and going through the streets. Most of this movement, of course, was from visitors who passed through this place, either to deliver or receive items from the local port.


    At this time, many restaurants were already open for the night shift, and in some parts of the town, one could even smell the pleasant aroma of the local cuisine.


    It wasn''t extravagant, but there were decent cooks in this place. And when a grade-2, low-level cook was cooking, well, the aroma of the dishes would be almost as strong as the medicinal fragrance released after a pill was formed.


    With that, those who passed close to the central area of ??the city, where the best restaurants in this place were, would undoubtedly smell the pleasant fragrance coming from these stores.


    Finally, the town lights were already illuminating the streets when finally a young woman with green hair went to a building in the west region of the City of Waters.


    She was dressed in a black dress. Her green hair was loose, which was pushed by the wind from time to time while walking with a smile on her cherry lips. She then proceeded towards the interior of the building in front of her.


    There was a sign made with lighting arrays in this place, with the words. ''Hotel Dixon.''


    This was Viola, who was coming here to receive Minos'' ''thanks''...


    After finishing her affairs, Viola went to her residence, inside the government mansion of the City of Waters, and took a hot shower to relax before finally leaving to come here.


    She was a little excited about what was coming next since she moved here. She no longer had as many good ''options'' as she had when she was at the Stokes headquarters.


    An experienced and libertine young woman like her had her own standards, but it was difficult to reach them in a smaller place like this where she was living now. There weren''t many talented people around here, and that was a big problem for someone who could be considered addicted to sex, like her...


    And in relation to that, sex had nothing to do with someone''s talent, but it was undeniable that more talented people had more energy, a better appearance, and even more taste for the thing... And all of that could contribute to the ''performance'' during the activity.


    Anyway, Viola quickly went to the floor where Minos'' room was.


    Pa! Pa! Pa!


    After arriving at the site, she knocked on the door of Minos'' room three times when the young Stuart finally came to see her.


    When opening the door of his room, Minos was just wearing his trousers, leaving his chest well-defined exposed for the beautiful Viola to admire him. He had finished his bath just before she arrived, so he was not finished dressing yet...


    "Hehe, if you had arrived 1 minute earlier, I would still be in the shower..." He said with a smile while drying his brown hair with a white towel.


    When she saw the young man in front of her, Viola felt a warmth between her legs, and her heart rate quickly rose. She truly wanted to jump on Minos right now, but she wanted to be calm.


    Before sex, exhibiting certain behaviors could end up scaring the other person, and she didn''t know how he would react to her intense desire.


    However, even though she did not jump at Minos, like a wild animal thirsty for sex, Viola still approached him slowly.


    She touched the young man''s abdomen in front of her with one of her hands while holding his neck with the other, saying in his ear. "Then it looks like I arrived on time! We now have fewer clothes to take from our bodies..."


    After saying this, she advanced towards Minos'' lips as the two entered the room and the door of that place was closed.


    ''But what a naughty girl!'' Minos thought to himself as he tasted Viola''s tongue.


    And, while doing that, his hands were already exploring the ''territory'' of the sensual Viola, as the young Stuart''s fingers were already starting to remove some pieces of clothing from this ardent woman.


    "Mmm ~"


    As they kissed fervently, Minos finally ran the fingers of one of his hands on Viola''s little sister. It was completely soaked, and each time he touched her, the young woman made sweet sounds, still kissing his mouth.


    ''Huh? Is she like this already?'' He opened his eyes in surprise, feeling how excited Viola was.


    At the same time, the beauty of green hair had already felt the volume grow in Minos'' trousers when she finally put one of her hands inside his clothes.


    "Oh!"


    She broke the kiss with Minos and made a surprised sound when she felt his rod. ''It is big! It seems that I got lucky this time...'' She thought while having a perverted smile on her beautiful face.


    And without any conversation, Viola knelt on the floor, pulling Minos'' trousers down quickly.


    In doing so, Minos'' 7-inch rod swung from side to side, right in front of Viola''s impressed face. Seeing this, she placed one of her hands over her mouth as she took the young Stuart''s long, thick rod firmly.


    "But... This is really a treasure!" She exclaimed.


    "Huh?" Minos made a sound of surprise. He had never heard such a ''compliment'' from the two women he slept with before.


    But Viola was delighted with what she saw. She was used to going out with men who couldn''t compare to Minos in this regard!


    Hell, most of them were barely half the size of the young Stuart''s rod!


    And after observing this ''treasure'' for a moment, Viola first placed it right in front of her mouth while letting her tongue pass through it, going from the base to the head until she started to  suck it fervently while her little sister dripped in desire.


    "Ohh ~ My ~" Minos then made a noise of satisfaction while receiving a nice blowjob from Viola.


    She was especially good at it, and even though Minos''s stick was more extensive than she was used to dealing with, she still managed to shove much of it down her throat!


    ''Ahh, this is the advantage of going out with an experienced woman! She truly knows things. Ohh ~''


    And it wasn''t long before the young Stuart released his first load while Viola was still sucking on him fervently.


    "Ohh ~"


    When she felt this, she pulled his stick out of her mouth while using her pink tongue to lick all the white liquid from her lips, making a vulgar expression for Minos.


    Seeing this, Minos pulled her from side to side, throwing the beautiful Viola on the bed, leaving her on all fours in that place. He then tore the clothes still there, exposing her gorgeous legs to him, which had traces of the juice of love, which had already been expelled, even before Minos touched her.


    Seeing this, the young Stuart was even more eager to taste Viola''s meat, almost to the point of losing his reason and starting to act savagely with it.


    Viola had a stunning body, with a big ass and an intimate part that looked like a flower, a little bigger than the girls with that Minos had already slept.


    Viola''s lower lips were a little fuller than Minos had ever seen, while it was utterly pink on the inside. It was sparkling with the juices released by the young woman, and she had a very inviting appearance for the young Stuart...


    ''That smell...'' He thought in his mind as he felt his desire rise to a new level. Viola''s little sister''s smell was rich and made the young man even more dazzled.


    And at this moment, Minos could not wait any longer and advanced with his mouth there.


    "Ahhhn ~"


    The moment his tongue touched Viola''s little sister, she felt as if an electric current had traveled throughout her body. She had trembled softly as her nipples rose and fell, and she let out a heavenly moan.


    ''I''m very excited!'' She thought about it as she felt Minos'' tongue exploring her intimate part. She wasn''t used to coming so fast, but she was almost there.


    "Mmm ~ Ahhn ~ I can''t hold myself anymore ~" She said this in a low voice, as her hips swayed from side to side in Minos''s face, and she released a stream of love juice at him.


    Squirt!


    "Hah! Hah! Hah ~ I can''t take this desire anymore!" She said it out loud when she stood up and looked at Minos'' rod in desire. She wanted that big rod to penetrate her immediately!


    Minos then smiled when he saw the girl''s cloudy eyes, which were firmly focused on his intimate part.


    And after that, it didn''t take long before he lay down on the bed and the young woman climbed on top of him.

 Chapter 167: Viola 2 (18+)

    When they lie down on the bed, Viola could no longer contain the burning desire in her body, climbing on top of the young Stuart''s body.


    "Hah ~ Hah ~"


    Her rapid breathing could be heard when she finally placed Minos'' long rod in contact with her little sister. ''Hehe, I can finally feel you inside me!'' She thought with a smile on her face.


    In the fraction of a second, she was getting ready to lower her pelvis over Minos'' body.


    "Ahhhn ~"


    The moment Minos'' stick penetrated Viola''s hole, she couldn''t hold her voice, letting out a loud moan of satisfaction. ''How big it is! It looks even bigger inside me...'' She thought about it, swinging her hips around Minos.


    At the same time, as Viola descended her body on the stick of Minos, the young man could feel a heavenly sensation provoked by Viola''s intimate part.


    It was very wet and hot, and even though Viola was very experienced, her little sister was very tight, to the point that he felt his stick being massaged harder and harder, even when they weren''t moving fast.


    "Ahh ~ I''ve never had anyone this big before ~" Viola said that, while her face was flushed and her eyes were completely dilated. She was feeling pretty good right now.


    The feeling of being filled by Minos was something heavenly for Viola, and she hadn''t experienced it before. To say that the young Stuart was the greatest one she had ever dated was not an exaggeration!


    And it was not long before the two began to move fervently while Viola''s hole tightened the young Minos'' rod more and more!


    "Mmmm ~ Ahh, stronger ~"


    Pah! Pah!


    The two quickly accelerated their movements, and sounds of pounding flesh sounded throughout the young Stuart''s room. By now, they were both completely sweaty, and the strong smell of their fluids could be felt in the room.


    "Ahh ~ Cumming ~"


    Squirt!


    And while the two of them made their piston movements, Viola reached the third orgasm of the night when her juice of love was spying on the stick of Minos once again.


    At the same time, the young man was also sending yet another heavy load, filling the uterus of the sensual young woman, who was still riding on top of him.


    "Hah, hah, wow! I think this was the best cumshot I''ve ever had!" Minos exclaimed. Viola surely knew how to use her body to please a man. The way she moved, the passion she had when making each move, all aimed at pleasure!


    And because of the young woman''s burning desire for it, not only did she feel better, but even her sexual partners. And it was no different for Minos.


    At that point, Minos stood up and passionately kissed Viola''s cherry lips, running his hands over her full breasts. It was wholly chilled at the moment, and each time he touches these two hills, the young woman trembled softly.


    After all, all the erogenous parts of Viola''s body were stimulated at this moment, and the minimum stimulus could make her feel even more pleasure.


    And meanwhile, the stick of Minos was still in the depths of Viola''s cave, showing no tiredness or laziness...


    "Mmm ~"


    Squirt!


    The two then finally broke the passionate kiss when Viola rose from Minos, and various fluids began to descend between her perfect legs.


    "See how you left me! I am completely soaked!" She said this and then bit her lip sensually for Minos.


    "This is your fault for being so good at it..."


    While Minos said that, Viola didn''t wait any longer and started sucking his rod again, wiping away every drop of sperm and her own juices of love...


    Slurp! Slurp!


    "Ohh ~"


    Viola did this for some time when she finally finished cleaning Minos'' mast. She then stood on all fours beside him when she used both her hands to open her ass, aiming for her second hole. She said. "I want you to put it here."


    Seeing this, Minos couldn''t help but swallow his saliva, feeling a desire almost as great as before.


    He didn''t know the pleasures he could feel doing this in that place, but the way this woman invited him was already so erotic that he didn''t even want to imagine anything at this point.


    He then approached Viola from behind while he positioned his mast with one of his hands, massaging one of the cheeks of the young woman''s ass in front of him with the other.


    "You''re ready?" He asked, rubbing the head of his stick into Viola''s second hole.


    Upon hearing and feeling this, the young woman took a deep breath when she finally looked back and nodded. She was intoxicated with pleasure, and just thinking about what was coming next, Viola couldn''t help but sigh in anticipation.


    Seeing a look of desire in his partner''s eyes, Minos couldn''t wait and slowly began to pierce Viola''s ass.


    "Ahhhh ~ Ahhhh ~"


    Pah! Pah!


    When she felt Minos'' stick advance all the way to the bottom of her ass, Viola almost rolled her eyes, letting out a heavenly moan, which, if it weren''t for the isolation array the young man had set up earlier, then the entire hotel could end up hearing this...


    Time quickly passed, and Minos and Viola had already changed positions a few dozen times. The two continued into the night, having sex like animals while satisfying their most primitive desires.


    When they finished their activity, both were utterly exhausted, with tired and satisfied expressions, as if they were drunk with pleasure.


    Viola had her two holes filled with Minos'' sperm while her body was totally sweaty, with some hickey marks on her breasts and neck, and palm marks on her beautiful white buttocks.


    As for the young Stuart, he was also drenched in sweat, as if he had just run an intense race.


    When they reached their climax for the last time, the first rays of the sun were already hovering in the City of Waters when the two finally fell asleep.


    They didn''t even bother to clean themselves since they were too tired to do anything. They just fell asleep there, hugging each other.


    Other than that, the room was a zone! The bed was completely wet as if someone had thrown a bucket of water over there, with pillows thrown at different points and various clothes along the way.


    The dense smell in the air also made it clear how wild they were in bed...


    ...


    Anyway, after a long night of pleasure with Viola, Minos slept peacefully for a few hours, feeling as if a weight had been lifted from him.


    He no longer had any activity since the beautiful Ruth had returned to the Empire. So, the night before, he had released months of pent-up sexual tension while receiving the ''magic'' touches from the experienced Viola.


    It was truly a fantastic experience for Minos!


    Finally, the two awoke from their peaceful dreams. They hadn''t woken up at the same time, but they had both woken up in the same way, with a satisfied smile on their faces.


    After all, there was nothing better than a good night''s sleep after sex!


    And when he felt that Viola was awake, Minos suddenly said. "Good morning, Viola!"


    "Good Morning! Ahh, that was the best night I have had since I came to this city!" She exclaimed with a smile on her face while having her head resting on Minos''s left chest.


    "Hehe, good to know... But who knew, I wanted to thank you for helping me, but it looks like I was rewarded for it!" He said provocatively. "It seems that there really is this retribution thing..."


    "Hahaha." Upon hearing Minos''s joke, Viola laughed and said. "But seriously, it was perfect. How long will you stay here? I want to do this again..."


    She said that when she turned her head and looked into Minos'' eyes.


    "Hmm, I''m not sure. But I think I will still be here for a few days, maybe a week or two."


    "Oh? That''s nice..."


    After that, Minos jumped out of bed and went straight to the shower, leaving the beautiful Viola lying on the bed. She then felt the pleasant sensation that was still present in her body as she looked up and took one of her hands to her little sister.


    Viola then took a white, viscous liquid that was there in her intimate part, leading up to the front of her eyes. ''I can''t waste something as good as this...''


    She thought about it with an obscene smile on her face when she finally sniffed that liquid and started sucking it sensually...


    After a few minutes, Viola finally made her way to the bathroom in that room to take a nice hot shower. She had to leave for work soon, so she couldn''t stay with Minos for another session...


    And it wasn''t long before Viola left the hotel where Minos was staying. As for the young Stuart, he stayed here, thinking about what would come next.


    ''Later, I''ll meet Miss Mirya... I hope she isn''t a very closed person...''

 Chapter 168: Meeting the Ruler Mirya

    After Viola left the hotel, Minos spent some time on the balcony of his room, watching the view of the City of Waters that could be seen from that place.


    It was already ten o''clock in the morning, but he still had plenty of time to meet the city governor. So, he was enjoying the view while relaxing.


    The climate was pleasant at that time, with 17 degrees Celsius (62.6oF) of temperature, and a nice wind, which passed from time to time.


    In front of the balcony of the room where Minos was, there was a broad view of the city, with a piece of the port being visible from there, the mansion in the city center, and some close squares.


    He could see that the city''s movement was already very active, with many people coming and going through the town.


    After observing this for a few minutes, Minos finally decided to enter the Spatial Kingdom and train until it was time for him to leave.


    ...


    Hours passed quickly, and by this time, the sun had already moved away from its pin position.


    Minos had already finished his cultivation session, and it was time for him to leave to meet the ruler Mirya.


    He took a quick shower and dressed in a black suit, with a white silk shirt underneath, getting ready to leave. He wanted to look good. After all, the first impression was what was left.


    And this would also be Minos'' first time negotiating directly with someone in the Spiritual King stage. So, the young Stuart had to behave appropriately when meeting someone at this level.


    Ruler Mirya was already a mature woman who might also be older than his mother. Therefore, he would not behave in front of her in the same way he acted with Elen. Despite being business, an experienced lady like Mirya could behave quite differently from the young Elen...


    Finally, when Minos left his room, he saw the two youths ready to go while the soldiers were talking.


    "Guys, the time has come for us to go. Come on."


    After saying this, the group left the hotel quickly, heading towards the mansion in the center of the City of Waters.


    ...


    A few minutes later, the group finally arrived at the mansion''s reception, where there were two young attendants.


    There were some people in this place, sitting in different places at this reception, while conversations could be heard from side to side.


    "Ahh, my payment was late again..."


    "Things are difficult, the way I am now. I will probably have to close my business soon..."


    "Did you hear the latest news? In this northwestern region of the kingdom, the Chambers family opened a new branch..."


    And finally, Minos approached one of the receptionists and said. "Hello, my name is Minos. I have an appointment with Madam  Mirya."


    "Oh?" The girl made a sound of surprise. It was unusual for her to see people coming to meet the local governor. "Ehh, give me a minute..."


    And right after that, she pulled a book out of a drawer and then looked for something, when she finally smiled and looked at Minos. "Mister Minos, come with me. Madam Mirya is already waiting for you..."


    After confirming that Minos did have an appointment with Mirya, she headed towards the room where the ruler usually received visitors, in part farther from the mansion''s entrance.


    The group followed the young receptionist, and after a few minutes, they finally arrived at the place where Mirya was.


    They were in a corridor with several sofas spread out, while there were many doors in that place. And one of them, the biggest of them all, gave entrance to the room where Mirya was waiting for Minos.


    "Madam Mirya, Mr. Minos is already here." The receptionist said so after entering the room alone.


    Mirya, who was sitting in a leather chair, took her attention off the book she was reading and then said. "Let him in."


    After that, the receptionist left the room and went to the corridor, where Minos and company waited. "Mister Minos, madam Mirya invited you to come in."


    "Hmm. Lee, Alison, come with me. The rest can wait outside."


    After that, the three entered that place.


    Arriving inside that room, they were able to see a charming place, with some decorative plants, beautiful pictures that depicted the City of Waters, and some decorative furniture, with several books on a shelf.


    And in the middle of the room, a mature woman was sitting in a leather chair. She had green hair and a captivating appearance, which could undoubtedly attract young people like Minos. And she was dressed provocatively, in a red dress, which showed how well her body was...


    Seeing this, Minos smiled and thought of something. ''She is very similar to Viola. Hmm, they must be a mother and daughter...''


    At the same time, the two youths who accompanied Minos sat on a sofa there and watched the woman closely. This was the first time that the two saw someone in the Spiritual King stage, so they could not help but feeling certain respect for her.


    Currently, reaching that stage was the goal of the two young people, so they were pleased to meet someone like that.


    At the same time that Minos'' group was settling in, Mirya was watching them closely.


    She immediately probed the strength of the three, discovering that they were at levels 42, 31, and 30. After feeling this, she was shocked at the power of the three, because she could see that they were all very young!


    In addition, she could scent a strong smell coming from Minos, a fragrance that she knew well... That was the natural smell of her daughter, Viola!


    ''As expected...'' She thought to herself, thinking about how her daughter did not miss the opportunity to get her hands on a virile young man like Minos.


    He then said. "It''s nice to meet you, madam Mirya." He then made a gesture with his hands, directed at the two youths, and continued. "These are Lee and Alison, and I am training them both. So, I hope you don''t mind the two of them here."


    "Oh? Well, it''s good for young people to learn from an early age..." She commented with a friendly smile on her face. "But I must congratulate the young Minos. I have never seen people as young as these two, already in the 4th stage of cultivation!"


    "The young Minos must represent a powerful force in our region... Maybe you are hiding your surname?" She asked, with one of her fingers touching her cherry lips.


    ''It seems that Viola''s seductive skills did not come out of anywhere...'' The young Stuart thought to himself, seeing Mirya''s way of acting. She really was a lioness, who was always ready to go out and ''hunt''...


    "Haha, Madam Mirya is very smart. But it would be better for everyone if I didn''t talk about it... Anyway, I have a great offer for you."


    "Oh? That''s right?"


    "Hmm. Well, as I don''t know Madam Mirya well enough, I won''t go into all the details. But I want to make an agreement with the City of Waters regarding the unemployed population of this place."


    "So, that''s what this is about... Well, I can''t make a deal where only my side loses something. If some of our inhabitants leave, even if they are unemployed, we will lose a lot of crystals with that." She said in a disgruntled manner.


    "I know that. So, I will pay you 100 low-grade crystals for every unemployed person who agrees to leave this place and come with me to another region." Minos said that while he looked Mirya in the eye.


    "What?" She exclaimed as she quickly got up from her chair.


    Mirya couldn''t help being frightened by this offer made by Minos. Because it actually was unbelievable!


    By Mirya''s calculations, this could generate 1.5 million to 2.2 million low-grade crystals!


    After all, in addition to the unemployed, there were still family members with them, which totaled more than 20,000 people who could be in the group for which Minos was looking. Of course, these people would not leave their families behind, so he would have to pay for them too!


    And for Mirya, this was an immense amount of spiritual crystals, which this city would take a long time to gather!


    For the tax currently charged, minus the operating costs of maintaining this region of the City of Waters, this place would take 3 to 4 years to profit more than 1.5 million crystals!


    With that, this was a considerable amount of crystals, and all this to remove people who barely generated local income!


    After all, unemployed people paid the local tax of 4 low-grade crystals a year and hardly spent in the city. That''s because they didn''t have many crystals left, and the City of Waters was not like the Dry City.


    In the Dry City, the local sovereign was, in fact, the owner of all the lands, except for the buildings within the city. But that was only because it was not worth it for anyone to buy lands in the Black Plain.


    Therefore, all that territory belonged to the local sovereign!


    But the City of Waters was different. There were many private properties in the region, which were large enough for the poorest people to grow their own food.


    Thus, these unemployed people in this city did not need to spend many crystals inside the City of Waters. Some planted at home, while others had animals. Thus, the two sides exchanged their items and ordinarily lived here.


    But this did not generate almost any profit for the sovereign family of this place since it did not generate jobs. Consequently, it did not stimulate the local economy.


    Therefore, these unemployed people hardly generated any profit for the Stokes family, apart from the annual tax they had to pay!

 Chapter 169: Making a Deal

    Meanwhile, Mirya had many thoughts on her mind. That was a number of crystals that she couldn''t dream of putting her hands on before.


    After all, as a subordinate of the Stokes family in the 6th stage of cultivation, Mirya received only ten medium-grade crystals per month.


    That was more than 1,500 times less than what Minos offered to her!


    ''With this agreement, as no one else will know about it, I can set aside a portion to cover the taxes of those people who leave the city for the next few years that I still have to stay here... As for the rest, I can stay with them for myself!'' she thought to herself.


    If 20,000 people left the City of Waters, that would be just 80,000 low-grade crystals a year in taxes. Let''s suppose they still yield about 20,000 more crystals a year, so in 10 years, it would be about a million crystals.


    ''Hmm, if I keep the difference, I''ll still get a number of crystals equivalent to decades of hard work!''


    She was not concerned with deceiving the Stokes family. After all, the population could get sick, die, move, etc. There were many possibilities, and Mirya had only been sent here to take care of the territory.


    If the population declined slightly during her shift, no one could blame Mirya directly. Not to mention, there really would be no evidence that she did anything. After all, this was just a verbal agreement that could be made between her and Minos.


    After much contemplation, Mirya finally said to Minos. "Ehh, I am interested in following through with this agreement. But how do you want to do this?"


    Upon hearing this from Mirya, Minos smiled. He was already waiting for this. Not many people could ignore such a large amount of crystals. Hell, maybe this woman in front of him has never seen as many crystals as he was offering!


    "Well, first, it will be better if you can address me to these unemployed people in the city. I will use my soldiers to attract some of them to my region. After that, it should not be long before some of them take the initiative to move to my city."


    "In the meantime, I will stay here in the City of Waters until the first families start to move." Minos said calmly.


    He wouldn''t stop here until all the unemployed in the City of Waters moved out. This could take several weeks, and he really didn''t have much to do around here.


    Anyway, after hearing what Minos said, Mirya then questioned in doubt. "What about payment?"


    "I will pay a portion in advance as soon as the first families move." He closed his eyes for a second and then made a gesture with his hands as he said. "How about that, I will pay an advance fee for every thousand people who agree to come to my territory."


    "This means that each time we reach the number of one thousand people, I will pay the amount in advance for the next thousand. I will send someone from my city with the low-grade crystals every time this payment has to be made."


    "Hmm, well, this can work..." She agreed.


    That was the best way that Minos had thought. After all, it would be a lot of work to have to pay from person to person. Nor would it be good to make the payment all in advance...


    Anyway, even if it were to be done gradually, it would not be long before the agreement was finalized since the current Dry City would undoubtedly be very attractive to these people.


    And while Minos and Mirya argued, Lee and Alison were sitting there, watching everything the two were talking about.


    After learning that they could become future leaders, the two were very committed to improving their management skills. So, looking closely at how Minos acted, it seemed like an excellent plan for the two youths.


    After a while of talking, Mirya remembered something and said. "But we have to be careful with the flow of inhabitants. If too many people leave the kingdom in a short time, it can alert the royal guards who are stationed in this city."


    Hearing this, the young Stuart nodded in agreement as he said. "Yes, I know that. I will guide the individuals who come to my city so that they do not return immediately and leave in groups that we will share."


    He wanted to do what he was already doing in the Dry City for people from outside. The soldiers of the Black Plain Army would do the orientation operation on the city wall, telling these people interested in moving there, not to attract attention when they made their move.


    In addition, he had already prepared for the soldiers to plan the migration of the people of the City of Waters as a group.


    The plan was as follows: each person who came from the City of Waters, when they met the Dry City and decided to return to fetch their families from this city where Minos was, the soldiers would divide them into groups.


    Each group would have a specific week to travel to the Black Plain, and each family would have a different time to make their trip.


    This was an easy thing to do since the army of Minos already had complete control over who entered whoever left the Dry City. And with that, they could give a ''ticket'' to each of these people who decided to bring their families, doing so at a time previously chosen.


    And in doing so, the young Stuart would be preventing many families from leaving the City of Waters at the same time, drawing the attention of the royal guards stationed in this region.


    As for those who disobeyed that order, they would only be prevented from entering the Dry City and would lose the right to live there!


    "Oh! So, have you thought about how to solve this..." She expressed in surprise.


    Mirya was pleasantly surprised at how detailed Minos''s plan was. It is not that this was incredible for her, a person over 100-years-old, but it is that the young man in front of her was surely very young!


    So, she was surprised by Minos''s careful personality.


    In youth, it was very common for talented young people like him to make many mistakes due to arrogance, carelessness, ingenuity, and many other problems common to inexperienced young people...


    But Minos did not behave in such a manner. It seemed that he was fully aware that carelessness could quickly kill him.


    ''Ahh, such a talented and attractive young man...'' She sighed internally. Doing a deal as good as this was making her excited. And she couldn''t help but see Minos in awe...


    After saying a few more words, Minos finally got up from where he was sitting and said with a smile on his face. "Well, if that''s all, let''s end here!"


    "I hope young Minos will come to see me before leaves the City of Waters. After all, we have to conclude this agreement somehow..." She said that while running her tongue over her cherry lips.


    Seeing this, the two youths who accompanied Minos had different thoughts in their minds as they blushed.


    Lee just thought that this woman was beautiful, but Alison already had some understanding of what Mirya was implying.


    The two were already over 12-years-old, and the ''signs'' of maturity were already beginning to show in both. Furthermore, Alison was a girl, and as such, she had a far more advanced emotional intelligence than Lee.


    So, she knew that this woman was somehow courting the young Stuart...


    At the same time, Minos smiled when he heard Mirya''s words, feeling a certain deja vu... ''They are really similar! As in the case of Viola, I thought that a daughter would want to be different from her mother, but who would say they are exactly the same!''


    In the middle of the conversation they had had, Mirya had confirmed to Minos that Viola was her biological daughter. So, young Stuart was sure of their relationship.


    He then said. "Hehe, of course! We will meet later..."


    "I will wait for this..."


    After that, Minos and his group left the City of Waters government mansion, returning to the Hotel Dixon, where they were staying.


    Minos had already asked for two of his soldiers to stay behind and collect information with Mirya''s team so that they could start their hiring work as soon as possible.


    As for the rest of them, they would train at the hotel while waiting for all of this to be done.


    ''I wonder if there is a chance that I can sleep with mother and daughter at the same time...'' Minos thought about it as he returned to the hotel.


    That simple thought had provoked a profane smile on the young man''s face, who was thinking about what it would be like to do such a heavenly act.


    ''Hahaha, never mind! Let''s see what happens...''

 Chapter 170: Recruiting Workers

    A few hours have passed since Minos left the City of Waters government mansion after settling his deal with Mirya.


    In that time, the army soldiers, who had stayed behind to collect information, had already returned to the Hotel Dixon. They received a pile of data from Mirya''s team that could help Minos'' group.


    The City of Waters government couldn''t record what each inhabitant was doing, as it only censored every 20 years. So, knowing exactly which people were unemployed right now would be very difficult.


    However, the local government still had data related to the average talent of the inhabitants, where these people lived, and which parts of the city were more or less developed.


    With that, Minos'' soldiers would have a good idea of ??where to look for these unemployed inhabitants!


    Anyway, according to the information obtained, there was a less developed neighborhood on the north side of the city in which many inhabitants with white talent were living.


    Because of this, Minos had decided to send his soldiers over there so that they could begin to advertise the Dry City.


    After all, their chances would be greater by going to a place like this, which seemed to be the most backward in the town, where people were probably looking for services to work.


    ...


    While Minos and the two youths trained in the Spatial Kingdom, the five soldiers who were traveling with them were already arriving on the north side of the City of Waters.


    As soon as Minos obtained the information from that place, he did not delay and immediately ordered these five Sergeants to begin this service. After all, even though this place isn''t big, they didn''t just want to advertise to the whole city to know that they were recruiting.


    This was a service that should be done discreetly so that only those ordinary people, Minos'' targets, knew what was going on.


    Of course, Minos was under no illusion that he could keep this a secret. Still, as long as it didn''t reach the ears of the soldiers of the Cromwell Kingdom, then everything would be acceptable to him.


    With that, this service could take many days, and because of that, the soldiers should start conversations with the targets as soon as possible!


    And it didn''t take long, and the five soldiers split up, leaving for different points in that part of the city.


    ...


    In a busy street on the north side of the City of Waters, many properties occupied large areas, each other. It was not as large as the Dry City Cultivation Tower area, but each should still be over 200 square meters.


    From several of these properties, there were wooden fences that separated these places from the street without hiding what was inside these spaces.


    Many humble houses could still be seen from the street, while from some locations, those who passed through this place could see small plantations in some houses, while in others, there were animals.


    But not only that, the soldier Eden, who was passing by this place, at this very moment, could see that there were also some of these places with carpentry workshops, butcher shops in the backyard of some sites, and areas where food was sold, similar to undersized bars.


    ''This place looks very humble...'' Eden thought to himself. He was one of the soldiers who had joined Minos'' forces after moving from Yellow City to Dry City.


    And as such, he could understand the reality of this place. After all, he was unemployed when he still lived in the Yellow City. So, Eden understood very well how a place like this worked.


    From his experiences, these residents here probably exchanged their services so that they could all continue to live, even though many of them did not have a steady job.


    The people of that place were supposed to raise animals and plant simpler crops in their homes. At the same time, some residents would go hunting outside the city, bringing their resources to the local butcher shop.


    With that, they could sell the meat and parts of the hunted animals, such as leather, bones, feathers, etc. And with that, there was a small supply of resources within communities like these, which allowed unemployed people to continue living.


    However, that was all.


    There were no resources reserves, and these people could be in serious need in difficult times.


    Without reserves of crystals and without a job that would guarantee the income of these people, one day, they could suffer an injury or even an illness that would prevent them from doing these random jobs.


    And without that, they would be lost!


    Many had to watch their loved ones die slowly because they did not have enough crystals to pay for a doctor or a spiritual pill when the need arose.


    This was the difficult life that many had to go through. Eden himself was desperate before Minos arrived in the Yellow City...


    He then proceeded to a house that appeared to have a small establishment. There were some tables outside in that place, in an area covered by a simple roof.


    This looked like a small bar, where drinks and simpler food were served in impoverished places like this.


    Anyway, Eden entered that place and saw that there were some people there.


    Some seemed to be having lunch, while others drank and chatted near the entrance to this bar.


    He then went to the counter, where there were several drinks on a shelf and also a menu on the wall. A middle-aged man was serving two people in that place while wearing a long apron and hat on his head.


    "Young man, wait a minute, and I''ll see you soon." He said this to Eden while filling a mug with beer.


    Eden sat on a high bench and waited there until the man came to him. And it didn''t take long, and the old man came to him.


    "Cough, ehh, young man, you look new here. Where are you from?" He asked, looking into Eden''s eyes, with a smile on his face.


    "Hmm, I''m from the Kingdom of the Waves."


    "Kingdom of the Waves, huh... I was there a long time ago. Anyway, have you decided what you want?"


    "In fact, I''m after people who are willing to do a certain job."


    Upon hearing this, the old man became interested in Eden''s conversation and continued the conversation. "A certain job? I don''t know what it is about, but I know many people who are willing to do almost anything. It won''t be difficult to get a group together as long as it''s not immoral." He laughed and then asked. "But how many do you need?"


    "Well, I believe 50 people will work..." He said vaguely. It would be strange if many people left the City of Waters at once, so Minos wanted to take these people to the Dry City little by little.


    Upon hearing this, the old man and several people in that bar began to pay attention. After all, some of them were without a steady job, while others knew people who were looking for extra services.


    At that moment, a man who was holding a large chicken leg in one hand got up from his chair and spoke loudly. "I am interested in this service! Can you give me any details about this?"


    Hearing this, Eden smiled and said. "Hmm, the job really is very simple, and it will take less than a week. I had a problem during my trip, so I need people to go with me from here to the place where I left my items..."


    "And where is this place?" One of the men asked interestedly.


    "In the Dry City."


    Upon hearing this, the owner of this bar frowned and asked. "Oh? And why don''t you hire people from the Dry City? That place certainly has a lot of people willing to help you."


    And after hearing this, several of them shook their heads in agreement. The Dry City must have been a place with even more unemployed people than here, so surely there would be no problem for Eden to be able to work it out with the people there.


    "Normally it would be, but there were some changes in that city, so it is not so easy to get this type of service. Anyway, whoever is with me, will understand what I''m talking about..." He said that, trying to change the subject.


    "As for the payment, I will give 50 crystals to whoever comes with me there. As for the rest, it will depend on you..."


    ''50 crystals? This is more than I earned in the last three months!'' One of the men there thought about it while watching the soldier Eden.


    And several of these people were in the same situation. After all, for someone with White talent and below level 30, like them, even earning 200 crystals a year would be an outstanding achievement!


    Only in the Dry City would people of low level and talent win so well!


    And after Eden said the amount to be paid, it didn''t take long, and some of these men who were in this bar got up and came to talk to him. This was a chance that they might not have for the next few months, so they were very interested in getting this service.


    As for the doubts they might have about this service, well, desperate people needed to take certain risks. Otherwise, they would live forever in darkness...


    After all, having a light at the end of the tunnel was good, but if you are not willing to do something about it and change your behavior, all of that would just be useless!

 Chapter 171: Farmland

    After talking for a while with the people in that bar, Eden had already completed his mission and was just waiting for these men to prepare to travel with him.


    There were not 50 people there in that establishment. Still, all those who were there either needed an opportunity like Eden brought or knew someone who needed it.


    As a result, he no longer had to worry about attracting more people to the Dry City. Only those who were at the bar would be enough to spread this information to as many people as he wanted.


    And that happened with the other four soldiers of the Black Plain Army who was fulfilling this mission, passed by Minos.


    It was not difficult to attract the interest of humble people, who needed to run after every spiritual crystal they could get. Life for people with White talent was difficult anywhere, so it wouldn''t be bad for these people to get some extra crystals.


    Anyway, after the five soldiers of Minos carried out this mission, they had to wait until they could leave this town and go to the Dry City.


    Each group would leave through a different exit from the City of Waters and on different days. This was a measure to lessen the chances that they would attract the attention of Cromwell Kingdom army soldiers, who watched the entrances to that place.


    A force couldn''t inspect the entire border of a territory. Therefore, the inspection was carried out in the border cities, where most people passed when entering a domain.


    And as for the possibility of people entering the kingdom, without going through these cities, well, there was not much to be done about it. The borders were extensive, and there were not enough soldiers for every meter of the border to be inspected.


    And even if there were enough people for that, there were still possibilities to ignore this type of barrier. After all, someone could enter a kingdom across the sea or fly with spiritual beasts.


    It would be even more challenging to carry out this type of inspection in such cases.


    For all this, if someone really wanted to enter a kingdom without being noticed immediately, it would be impossible to prevent it. Thus, there was no reason why royal families should invest more in this aspect, leaving only checkpoints in border cities of more importance.


    Anyway, the five groups that were going to the Dry City just had to be taken care of when leaving the City of Waters. After that, they were able to proceed quickly to the territory of Minos without having to face many problems.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in a town near the northwest coast of the Cromwell Kingdom, there was a sizeable agricultural territory that spanned thousands of hectares, with many types of crops growing there.


    If someone saw this region from above, they would see several circles of different colors, as if it were a beautiful painting.


    But in the middle of these circumferences, several smaller cities occupied the adjacent spaces between each of these agricultural fields, which have circumferences forms.


    This place really looked terrific when looked at from above. It was as if the sovereigns of that region had subdivided the cities into these areas so that the population was as close as possible to each field of culture.


    And when looked at more closely, one could see that most of these places were predominantly residential, while some scattered cities had many buildings, as if it was shopping centers.


    Anyway, in one of these commercial cities, in a room in a building in the central region of that place, some people were discussing administrative matters of that region.


    This was the main town of that place, Farmland, one of several agricultural barns in the Cromwell Kingdom. This place had such a large production that it was about 100 times larger than what the Black Plain currently had!


    Anyway, while talking about the deals made in the last year, someone finally said. "Ehh, to finish my report on the deals made in the previous year, for the northern area of ??Farmland, I noticed that the Plain Black didn''t buy a single kilo of grains from our region in this period."


    "Oh?" A woman who was sitting at the end of the conference table in that place exclaimed in surprise. "Maybe they started doing business with the Kingdom of the Waves?"


    Upon hearing this, an old man in the meeting room nodded and said. "It wouldn''t be strange. That place is impoverished, and it is always looking for lower prices. Perhaps a merchant made a good price for them in the previous year."


    "Hmm." Other people agreed. Although strange, it was not entirely uncommon for them to encounter situations like this.


    Although the Cromwell Kingdom was specialized in agriculture, this did not mean that there were no other options in this region of the Central Continent. And the Kingdom of the Waves was the largest in area of this region.


    Therefore, there was undoubtedly a good supply of food items in this other state in the northern region of the Central Continent.


    "Hm, this has happened in the past..." Someone commented. "Anyway, business with the Black Plain is not significant for us. Let''s talk about Stone Island. I heard a worrying rumor coming from that place..."


    "It''s true. I never thought that the day would come when someone would start selling items of high spiritual concentration at such low prices..."


    ...


    Quickly eight days passed, and all five groups that the soldiers of Minos had organized had already left the City of Waters. And even the last one, it was almost reaching Dry City, being only a few kilometers away.


    At this time, four carriages were approaching the southern entrance to the Dry City wall, with the group that came with Sergeant Eden.


    He had stayed last, but finally, he was arriving at his destination, after three days of traveling, stopping just for the group to rest.


    And it didn''t take long, and they were all allowed to enter the internal territory, protected by this great wall. These 50 people found it a little strange that such a construction was here, but they did not take it too seriously.


    None of them knew the Dry City, so there was no way for them to know if there was always something like this here. Nor was the idea of ??walls in the Spiritual World strange, so none of them paid more attention than they should in that place.


    Another essential thing, none of them could feel the spiritual strength of those soldiers who were protecting that place, so there was no way they could be surprised at how strong the guards in that place were...


    Anyway, after a few minutes, the group finally arrived at the Dry City, with each one showing great surprise. The appearance of this place was completely different from what they imagined and even looked better than the town from they came!


    "Incredible! It seems that everything I know about this place was wrong!" Someone said, from inside one of the carriages.


    And while these 50 people were actively talking about what they saw in the city, they finally arrived at their destination.


    When they realized this, they all got out of their carriages while watching the surroundings from where they were.


    This was an avenue in the center of the Dry City, where the headquarters of the Black Plain Army was.


    There were many public buildings in this area, from where they could see many people coming and going, with smiles on their faces.


    Seeing this, some of them had the following thought. ''I''ve never seen people so happy leaving a library!''


    But as they watched the surroundings, Eden suddenly said. "Well, follow me. I will take you to the place where you found out about the details of this service..."


    After saying that, it was not long before Eden headed for a part of the headquarters of the local army, where the entrance exams for new soldiers were usually carried out.


    This was the place where these people would understand what this ''service'' was, that they had to do... After all, they couldn''t talk about it in the middle of the street. This would disturb the citizens, who were doing their affairs, and would also take the attention of these people from the City of Waters.


    Anyway, after 3 minutes of walking, the whole group arrived at an open area, where there was a small bleacher and a fighting stage in the middle of that place.


    "Please, have a seat somewhere. We will already talk about the service..."


    Upon hearing this, they all sat in different places in that place while talking to each other.


    "Will the service be done elsewhere?"


    "Hmm, maybe he wants to do some planning before we start..."


    "But this is strange, didn''t you see this place we entered? There were a lot of people wearing the same type of clothes."


    "Yes, this looks like a battalion, just like the Stokes family in the City of Waters..."


    And while the conversations continued, suddenly a woman came on the stage that was there, in front of all these 50 people.


    She then said. "Welcome to the Dry City. To begin, we will pay the 50 crystals promised, and then we will start talking about the most important issue here..."

 Chapter 172: Humble People

    After that woman said that, some low-ranking soldiers nearby came to the stands and distributed the spiritual crystals to each of those 50 people.


    "Hehehe, this is what I like!" One man said out loud, smiling with satisfaction.


    Gaining spiritual crystals that easy was enjoyable for him. However, not all were like that. Some had their doubts about this. After all, there were no free lunches in this world!


    ''Very strange, I have never seen such a thing as payment in advance...'' Some thought about it while looking at the small bags with spiritual crystals delivered by those low-ranking soldiers.


    Finally, when she saw that all 50 people had received their crystals, the woman then returned to speak. "Well, now that the payment has been made, let''s get down to business..."


    "You are here today for an opportunity. The Dry City is paying for each one of you to stay here for two days and get to know the services offered by our city and the advantages of becoming a citizen of this place."


    ''Huh?'' An old man who was sitting in the stands almost let out a cry of surprise. ''Are they paying 50 crystals just to lure us here?''


    And not only was he finding this strange, but many of them had strange expressions on their faces. That was just too good to be true!


    At the same time, that woman continued her speech. "I know that you must be surprised by this, thinking that all of this is too easy for you to be paid with these 50 crystals."


    "But don''t get it wrong, it is not only for this that we are paying you. We also need you to talk about your experiences here in the Dry City, of the two days to come, to your friends and acquaintances in the City of Waters."


    "So, we''re not just giving you crystals, but paying you to advertise in your city."


    Upon hearing this, several of them began to relax. Even though it was still effortless for them to do, and 50 crystals was just too much for this type of job, at least they could see that there was work here.


    The human mindset was an extraordinary thing. Someone could be very suspicious of something if he received effortless, undeserved money. However, if there were any exchange, even the most absurd, this would not be seen with such uncertainty.


    It was as if unconsciously, the human mind was trying to convince itself that a prize was deserved, as long as there was some exchange. Even if this exchange involved something simple, with an absurd payment!


    Anyway, many of them were more open after hearing that they were receiving to advertise this place, not just because they came here.


    The woman then continued. "However, I must say that you cannot speak to anyone else about this. We want you to speak with only five people who are in the same situation as you. People with White talent, below level 30, unemployed, or in economic difficulty."


    "And it must be said that the opportunities in this place will only be valid for those who follow some instructions..." She then started talking about it.


    The job of these people was to contact five other people with the characteristics described by that woman, without talking to anyone else, not even their families. They also had to ask the same for those people they spoke not to spread this to anyone else.


    After that, all these five people would have to go to one of Minos'' soldiers, who were in the City of Waters, to receive further instructions. Like, for example, when they could travel to the Dry City.


    Anyway, she finally continued. "Now I''m going to talk about some job opportunities in the Dry City. Well, for starters, the main current occupation here is agriculture. It is straightforward to get a job as a farmer, and the starting salary is 50 low-grade crystals per month."


    "But there are other areas as well, such as crystal mining, public cleaning services, civil construction, local commerce, and various informal activities that are also in great demand here. Anyway, our city is constantly growing, so there will be more possibilities in the future."


    While listening to this, all of these people were surprised. A salary of 50 crystals a month was a dream for them, but that was very easy to achieve here!


    ''If it''s really like that, then I have to move here!'' That was the prevailing thought among them.


    "Finally, there are several services in the Dry City for residents, which you will be able to see in these two days. To mention an example, we have the local public library, where any regular citizen of the town can learn techniques of Blue-grade, from cultivation techniques to defense, attack, etc."


    "What? Is that really true?" A middle-aged woman who was in the group screamed in surprise.


    Upon hearing this, that woman smiled and said. "Hmm, you can ask anybody on the streets of our city about it. Even the kids know about this. There are other attractive services here as well, so try to look for them in the next two days!"


    "And to finish, after those two days, when you are going to leave our town, to return to the City of Waters, you will receive some instructions at the south exit of the Dry City."


    "In case you want to come back, there will be a day and time for that. Do not disrespect this. Otherwise, we will not receive you!" She finished while she had a severe expression on her face.


    After that, those 50 people were very impressed with everything they heard and did not want to wait any longer to get to know the Dry City.


    Many of them had doubts if this place really was as good as that woman said, or if it was all just talk...


    Therefore, they soon began to explore the bustling central region of Dry City.


    There were many services around here, and it wouldn''t be difficult for them to find out a bit of the truth of this place. After all, there were people everywhere to talk about these things.


    But some of them were interested in that library. People with White talent generally could only dream of having Blue-grade techniques, so this was indeed a fantastic thing for them.


    Not only that, a cultivation technique was even more valuable, since it was crucial for people interested in just increasing their life expectancy!


    People with White talent generally did not participate in fights since they did not go very far in cultivation. For this reason, specialized battle techniques were not very popular with them.


    What could draw the most attention from someone like that were the cultivation techniques.


    After all, most people just wanted to live longer, even if they didn''t become famous or rich!


    Anyway, it didn''t take long, and they all spread across the Dry City.


    ...


    While the 50 people in Eden''s group knew the reality of the Dry City, the people from the City of Waters in the previous groups had already gone through the same experiences as Eden''s group. Some had even left this place to return to their own territory.


    Almost all the groups had the same reactions and doubts, but after two days of getting to know the city of Minos, they were all convinced that this was the best place for them.


    In Dry City, there were not only jobs for these unemployed people from the City of Waters, but there were also services that they had never heard about in their lives.


    Forget about jobs. Just the chance to learn Blue-grade cultivation techniques was enough for many of them to convince themselves to come here. After all, if they were to be unemployed, it would be better if they did it in a place that would give them this kind of opportunity!


    Anyway, there were already many attractive things in the current Dry City, such as the fighting arena, the cultivation tower, the rankings that could give a good increase in the income of these people, and the job offers.


    Some of them went several weeks without getting a single spiritual crystal in their city, so having so many opportunities here was convincing for them.


    And in relation to the fact that other services here are still not as good as those from the place where they came from, as, for example, about the quality of the local cuisine and the offer of products made by specialists, well, it didn''t matter for them.


    People with White talent generally could not afford to pay for these services, so there was no reason why this would bother them...


    These were humble people who did not demand much. Receiving a decent technique and a regular salary already satisfied them completely!


    Finally, these people returned to the City of Waters after receiving guidance on when they could move here, at the southern exit of the wall. Each of them was excited about the idea of ??moving here. Still, they had understood the risks of missing out on this opportunity.


    So, they were all more than good at waiting for a while until they did it!

 Chapter 173: Meeting Mirya again

    While the 250 unemployed inhabitants of the City of Waters traveled between this town and the Dry City, visiting the territory of Minos and then returning, the young Stuart was waiting quietly in the Cromwell Kingdom.


    During the days that had passed, Minos had sent the two youths who were with him to the Spatial Kingdom while they waited for the soldiers to return from their missions. They had already known everything that was in the City of Waters, and at the moment, they were just waiting for those soldiers to finish their trip.


    Minos believed that after this initial contact with those 250 people, the Black Plain would succeed in recruiting the first group for the Dry City. They would be sufficient to create an interest in another 1,250 people, who would most likely try to contact Minos'' forces.


    With that, there was no need for him to stay in this city for much longer. Things would develop on their own after this initial contact. He would only need to make the initial payment to the ruler of this place, Mirya, and then leave a few soldiers from the Black Plain Army here to settle matters concerning the future immigrants.


    And in the days that had passed, the young Minos had met Viola a few more times during sessions of wild sex.


    Viola was a woman of many desires, and Minos was a vigorous young man who did not deny good fun with beauties. He had no reason not to be with her during this time that he was here in the City of Waters, so he was enjoying his time with her!


    The Dry City could be monotonous at times since the young Stuart had no interest in relating to his subordinates. In this case, there weren''t many people suitable for him in that place, since the highest level women there were already working for him...


    Anyway, today was Minos'' twelfth day in the City of Waters, and some of the soldiers had already returned from the Dry City with their respective groups.


    According to the report made by those soldiers, everything had gone well during the whole process, and in the next week, the first families would already move from here to Minos'' territory!


    About a thousand people could leave the City of Waters a week, heading towards the territories of Minos. That was how they thought best to avoid drawing too much attention from the royal army of the Cromwell Kingdom, which was stationed in this place.


    Anyway, Minos wanted to leave this place for the next two days, so today, he was going to the local government mansion to meet the governor of this city.


    He wanted to make the first payment for her, working out some details of how things would be after leaving this place.


    ...


    Minos was walking alone through the streets of the City of Waters, calmly watching the local movement as he headed towards his destination.


    The day was hot, and sometimes strong air currents passed, leaving that feeling of temporary freshness. But still, it did not solve the problem. Such was the situation that the young Stuart could see many people with sweat stains on their clothes, while several drops could be seen crowding the foreheads of many passersby.


    ''Ahh, the day is sweltering today...'' The young Stuart thought about that for a moment. But it was not uncomfortable for him. After all, as someone in the 5th stage of cultivation, Minos could ignore certain sensations around him!


    That was one of the advantages of being able to use free spiritual energy in heaven and on earth!


    But for those below that level, like most people in this city... Well, there was not much to do. They could only stand the heat steadily!


    Anyway, after a few minutes of walking through the City of Waters, Minos finally arrived at the local government mansion.


    This place was exactly like the last time he came here, with some movement in the lobby, with several people talking about local and regional problems.


    However, this time he did not have to stay at the reception, being soon escorted to the place where Mirya was.


    That woman had already ordered that if Minos came here, her subordinates should just take him to where she was, without much delay.


    And that is exactly what happened. After walking inside the building for a while, the young Stuart finally arrived in the room where Mirya was.


    This was a place that looked like an ordinary training room, just like those seen in cultivation towers. There was a place for users of this type of environment to train their battle techniques, a kitchen, bathroom, and a cultivation site, where there were two cultivation cushions and an enormous spiritual array above that space.


    And Mirya was sitting on one of those cushions while she meditated and circulated her cultivation technique. Seeing this, Minos watched her for a moment, thinking how strong a Spiritual King was. ''She is at level 51, but she can absorb about three times more spiritual energy than me...''


    By stepping up, a cultivator could control more spiritual energy, increasing more and more the amount he or she could absorb at once. In addition, the time that someone could spend cultivating was also increased since the need for rest, such as sleeping, would decrease after each stage of cultivation.


    Of course, a cultivator would still have to rest from a fight or a regular training session and after a long meditation period. But the need to do this after cultivation would decrease more and more, giving the possibility that, at a certain point, the cultivator would spend several days cultivating nonstop until he reached his limit.


    With that, instead of having to stop every day to sleep and rest, from the 7th stage of cultivation, a cultivator could take days for his body to ask for a rest.


    However, contrary to what one might think, increasing the amount of spiritual energy that can be absorbed would not raise a cultivator''s cultivation speed.


    After all, the increase in the amount of energy that a cultivator can handle was much less than the increase in energy needed to increase from one level to another at different stages.


    For comparison, someone like Mirya, from the 6th stage of cultivation, could manipulate about three times more spiritual energy during a cultivation session than someone like Minos, from the 5th stage.


    However, the difference between the levels of the 6th stage was about more than five times, compared to the difference between the levels of the 5th stage of cultivation!


    Because of this, the speed of advance in the cultivation levels would be significantly reduced the higher the stage of a cultivator.


    Anyway, Minos didn''t have to wait long, and soon Mirya finished her cultivation session. During that time, the young Stuart had watched her from across the room, sitting on a couch there.


    Mirya had allowed him to wait for her here if he came during her training. And that was not so strange in the Spiritual World, since many unknown people even cultivated together in rooms of cultivation towers scattered throughout this world...


    And when she finished her meditation, upon opening her eyes, she immediately saw a young man with brown hair sitting not far from her. ''Hehe, it looks like today I''m going to get some crystals...'' She thought that while her cherry lips arched upwards.


    At the same time, Minos was also watching her. In addition to admiring for a few moments the cultivation of a Spiritual King, he also could not fail to observe Mirya''s beautiful body.


    She was very much like Viola, almost as if she were the mature version of that girl. But every corner of her body looked even more erotic than that of the young woman Minos had enjoyed.


    She had none of those negative marks that age could bring, such as blemishes and wrinkles. No, her skin could be considered perfect for anyone who saw her, and she certainly must be very ''firm''...


    But there was an inherent charm that could only be seen in some mature women... Her curves were also somewhat larger than Viola''s, and the way she dressed seemed to put her at an even higher level.


    She was wearing a dress that covered her private parts. In contrast, a translucent fabric covered the rest of her body, with a nice cleavage at the height of her breasts and with her beautiful white legs visible through her clothing.


    ''Ahh, even when she is cultivating, this woman is still so sensual...'' Minos thought about it, trying to repress the primal instincts that were growing deep inside him.


    Seeing the way Minos was looking at her, Mirya bit her bottom lip and then said. "It''s good to see you again, young Minos..."

 Chapter 174: Mature Woman 1 (18+)

    After greeting each other, the two sat side by side on the same sofa and started to argue.


    "And then? You shouldn''t have come here just to see me, right?" She teased him with a curious expression on her face.


    "Hmm, I came to talk about our business. I have already contacted some of the residents of the City of Waters, and soon, we will start the immigration for these families."


    "Oh? That was really fast. In just over a week, you have already achieved this!" She exclaimed in surprise.


    By the time that passed, if Minos had already managed to attract these people to his side, it meant that he must have an outstanding offer for these people, and his territory should not be too distant!


    Obviously, Mirya was curious about where Minos came from, but she was not concerned with trying to chase him or anything like that. But, anyway, it was hard for her not to think about it...


    Minos then said. "Well, as we agreed earlier, I will make the payment in advance for the first thousand people who will leave your city."


    After saying this, the young Stuart took out a spatial ring from his own, handing it to the woman in front of him.


    Seeing this, Mirya smiled softly. This was an essential resource for her, which could help her reach an even higher position within the Stokes family.


    With this payment today, she was already receiving a number of spiritual crystals many times greater than she earned annually! With this, she could significantly accelerate her cultivation speed since she usually did not have enough crystals for that.


    And immediately upon receiving Minos'' spatial ring, she felt the 100,000 crystals that were there, transferring them without delay to her own spatial ring.


    After that, she returned the ring to Minos and said. "Haha, it''s wonderful to do business with a young man like you, who even pays in advance..."


    She was feeling perfect about getting so many crystals at once. After all, Mirya was just a subordinate who was used to the lean cows that someone in her condition had to accept...


    So, she truly felt very excited right now.


    Minos looked into her eyes and smiled. "Eh, I''m just doing what I promise before, nothing more."


    "Hmm, I know that, but I think we should celebrate it somehow..." She said with an erotic smile on her face.


    Mirya was like Viola, or rather, Viola was like Mirya...


    She was a ''hunter'' who loved to venture out into the world. But as a conductor of the Stokes family in that place, Mirya didn''t have many opportunities to have fun these days...


    In fact, there were not many men in the City of Waters who could accompany the mature Mirya. After all, as someone from the 6th stage of cultivation, she had a lot of energy and a higher standard, which was common among powerful women...


    And when making a big deal with an attractive young man like Minos, she couldn''t help but feeling quite willing and attracted...


    She then approached Minos, leaving the two bodies almost glued to each other while she stood with her face right next to Minos''s left ear.


    And while he felt Mirya''s breaths in his ear, Minos suddenly turned to face her and enjoyed for a moment. With the transparent clothes she wore, he could see the entire contour of her body, which, to be fair, had the best measurements that the young Stuart had ever seen in his life!


    Minos was very fond of women with big buttocks, and Mirya was just the right size for him. Other than that, this woman''s slim waist and large breasts formed a perfect match, which was rapidly increasing the young Stuart''s desire.


    "Ahh, you seem to be having a great time with my daughter. You must have something special... I think it''s time for you to try someone more experienced." She said that just before gently biting the ear of the youth who was there, almost as if she were a predator taking her prey...


    "Oh ~"


    Upon feeling this, Minos cannot help but make a sound of surprise. ''Let''s see what the ''taste'' of someone from the 6th stage of cultivation is like...'' Minos thought about it with a naughty smile on his face when he finally started'' counterattacking.


    His arms quickly reached Mirya''s waist, pulling her mature body onto his lap. And in doing so, Minos observed this woman''s beautiful face for a moment before finally starting to kiss her fervently.


    Mirya had an erotic feeling that was almost intoxicating for Minos, to the point that he could think of nothing more than enjoying the body of this gorgeous woman.


    "Mmm ~"


    Their kiss continued while the young Stuart''s heart rate increased considerably, and his breathing grew louder and louder. And at the same time, his hands were already going through Mirya''s curves, and now and then, it removed some pieces of clothing from her.


    And just as Minos was feeling Mirya''s mature body, she was doing the same to him. First, she had helped him unbutton the buttons on the shirt he wore, and it was not long before she felt the ''excitement'' of his little brother pressing her legs.


    "Oh!" She made a sound of surprise when she felt the size of Minos''s rod, breaking their kiss and opening her eyes to look at him intently. ''It is not for less! With such a good tool, that girl would undoubtedly make the most of it...'' She thought to herself, with a longing look on her face.


    "Ahh, you are really well endowed, huh..." She whispered in Minos'' ear before finally sucking on the young man''s neck.


    After doing that, it didn''t take long, and the two had already removed all the pieces of clothing from their bodies amid kisses and caresses.


    At that point, Minos'' rod was in its best condition, while Mirya couldn''t help but feeling an increasingly intense desire to taste it. ''Hehe, I haven''t slept with a young man like this for so long...''


    And right after that, she pushed Minos on the sofa there, making him sit, while she knelt on the floor, keeping her face precisely at the height of the young Stuart''s rod.


    In doing so, she looked with cloudy eyes of expectation at Minos'' large, thick stick while holding it with both hands. And it wasn''t long before she finally started giving him a blowjob.


    "Ohh ~"


    At first, Mirya did not put it directly in her mouth. No, she wanted to taste the stick of Minos, preparing it for her mouth techniques...


    She started by running the pink tip of her tongue over the head of Minos''s rod, making the young man shiver with pleasure.


    Slurp!


    Slurp!


    Anyway, after doing this for a while, Mirya finally began to suck Minos''s stick fervently, making the characteristic sounds of that act sound through the room where the two were.


    ''Ohhh, Mirya has a heavenly throat!'' Minos thought about it as he felt more than half of his rod being swallowed by this woman. She showed her experience in doing this since the other women he slept with could barely do half of what she was doing...


    And while she was doing a blowjob for Minos, Mirya had already lowered one of her hands to her private part. She genuinely liked to suck on a long rod, like Minos''. This made her even more excited than usual, so she was already rubbing her fingers on her little sister.


    Slurp!


    "Mmm ~"


    And while she did that, her legs were quickly getting wetter and brighter, with several bright spots coming down from her pink cave.


    "Ohh ~ I''m coming ~"


    After some time, Minos had finally reached his first orgasm when his rod poured a large amount of liquid into Mirya''s throat.


    And when she felt that, she quickly pulled Minos''s rod out of her throat, just leaving the head of his member in her mouth, using her tongue to support him.


    Even though much of Minos'' fluids went straight to Mirya''s stomach, there was still a decent amount coming out of his stick, leaving traces in her mouth and face...


    "Huh ~ Huh ~"


    Minos breathed hurriedly as Mirya grabbed his rod with one of her hands, pulling it out of her mouth while tasting every drop it had spying on her.


    She used her other hand to run her fingers over the white marks on her cheek and then sucked on each of her five fingers erotically, making the young Stuart''s rod shake vigorously.


    And when she finished wiping her face, Mirya saw that there was a trail of white liquid on the tip of the head of Minos''s stick. "Hmm, I better not waste a drop, right?"


    She said this with a smile while looking into Minos''s eyes. And after the young man shook his head in agreement, she quickly opened her mouth and stuck out her red tongue, passing it from Minos'' balls, until finally reached the head of his stick.


    ''Fuck!''

 Chapter 175: Mature Woman 2 (18+)

    When he felt Mirya''s tongue sliding down his stick, Minos couldn''t help but feel a strong shiver in his body.


    The erotic way Mirya acted and tongue skills were really of the first rates, making the young Stuart want her even more.


    And it wasn''t long before he took action. Amid Mirya''s lustful desire, Minos rose from the couch where he was sitting and immediately pulled Mirya''s voluptuous body onto the sofa, making her kneel there.


    "Ahh!"


    While Mirya let out a soft cry of surprise, the young Stuart wasted no time and knelt on the floor, with his face facing her round ass. He was thirsty to taste his partner''s little sister and immediately brought his face close to her intimate part.


    "Hah ~"


    After sniffing it, he let out a long breath while having a smile on his face. Mirya truly smelled good, which was very inviting for Minos.


    And shortly after smelling the natural scent of the glorious Mirya, Minos soon began to kiss the pink flower in front of him, tasting the nectars of love, which had already started to leak from Mirya''s body since the two began to have fun.


    "Ahhh ~"


    When she felt something warm and soft touch her intimate part, Mirya let out an erotic moan, exposing her feelings of pleasure to her partner.


    And while he ran his tongue in several different directions, tasting every inch of Mirya''s flower, the young Stuart quickly took a moment and put one of his hands in the middle of her legs, starting to rub Mirya''s pink pearl while making movements to come and go, that it made her body tremble with pleasure, spreading fluids all over that part of the couch where they were.


    At the same time, Minos'' other hand was playing with Mirya''s left nipple, which was utterly goosebumps and stiff. Her large breasts swayed from side to side when, from time to time, her body trembled smoothly due to the constant stimulus that her body was receiving.


    "Mmm, ~ Cumming ~"


    Squirt!


    Mirya bit her lip softly when she finally couldn''t help herself, squirting her love liquids on the young Stuart''s face.


    Upon feeling that, Minos smiled and pulled his face away from Mirya''s graceful ass while feeling his face completely wet. He ran his tongue over his lips and looked at the cave in front of him with desire.


    The young Stuart''s rod was already quite ready for what was to come, trembling in anticipation.


    At this point, Mirya looked back and then used both of her hands to grab the cheeks of her buttocks, opening it to Minos. "Hah ~ Hah ~ I want you to fuck me hard ~"


    She said it with a dirty look, lost in pleasure and anticipation.


    Mirya hadn''t had any activity in a few months, and being able to do it with someone the size of Minos was the best for her.


    Her body was burning with blazing passion, and she didn''t want just to make love. She wanted to be fucked hard, having multiple orgasms and reaching the point of almost losing consciousness amid pleasure.


    That was Mirya''s taste. Wild sex was what she wanted!


    And when he saw the lustful look in Mirya''s eyes, Minos smiled at her and then stood up from where he was. He held her waist with one of his hands while placing his stick in front of Mirya''s pink flower.


    Looking down, Minos could see Mirya''s second hole contracting as if it was winking at him. Seeing this, he released her waist for a moment while patting the cheek of her left buttock.


    Pah!


    "Ahh ~"


    After that, he held it tightly and then started drilling into Mirya''s wet cave.


    ''Havens! How big he is!'' She thought about it as she felt the inner walls of her cave expand to the passage of Minos'' rod.


    "Ahh ~ Hah ~ Hah ~"


    At the same time, the stick of Minos finally went all the way, completely entering Mirya. And she couldn''t hold her voice, making loud sounds around the place.


    While he felt his rod being squeezed by the inner walls of Mirya''s cave, he couldn''t help but compare. ''Incredible! Even though she''s a mother, she''s still as tight as a virgin!''


    And that was indeed a fair comparison. A cultivator''s body transformations at higher stages were getting bigger and bigger!


    With that, even if a woman had as much experience as Mirya in ''bed stuff,'' she would still be as good as a virgin maiden!


    Pah! Pah! Pah!


    "Ahh ~ Ahhhh ~"


    And it was not long before young Minos began to make a piston movement, pushing his rod to go in and out of Mirya''s cave, just as she had requested previously.


    As he did so, sounds of pounding meat sounded through this room in which they were amidst the louder and louder moans of this local ruler.


    She was in complete ecstasy, feeling every part of her body gaining an abnormal sensitivity, while she stood there on all fours, with her breasts swaying from side to side and her little sister milking Minos'' stick.


    "Ahhh ~ That way ~ Stronger ~"


    Some time passed, and the two continued to have sex like animals in heat, with their bodies completely sweaty.


    At this point, Mirya had already had three orgasms in a row when she finally stopped. Her back glistened with her body sweat, while some red marks could be seen on the cheeks of her big buttocks.


    Slurp!


    She then got up from the couch, allowing Minos''s wet rod to slide out of her cave.


    "Hah ~ Hah ~ Let''s change position..." She said that while looking lovingly at Minos'' shiny mast.


    And right after that, Minos lay down on the sofa when she finally knelt there, wiping his rod with her tongue quickly.


    She then climbed on top of the young Stuart, putting her hips with his waist, and then positioned Minos''s pulsing rod in her cave.


    At the same time, when Mirya was doing this, Minos watched and played with the full breasts of this mature woman who was about to ride on him.


    Pah!


    "Ahhh ~"


    At that moment, Mirya finally descended all the way, feeling the stick of Minos hitting her womb strongly. She then looked at her partner''s youthful face and smiled happily, beginning her up and down movement.


    In doing so, Mirya''s beautiful green hair rose and fell, while Minos admired the beauty of this woman on top of him. He then pulled her down, starting to suck on one of her nipples while punching his stick even harder inside her.


    "Ahhh ~ Ahhh ~"


    Squirt!


    Amid the active movements of the two, white liquids flowed from between the couple''s legs, leaving several stains behind in the place where the two were having sex.


    Minos and Mirya did this for the next 5 hours in a row, changing positions several times during that time. She had a very long breath, and the young Stuart did what he could to get to that point.


    However, after so much wild sex, Minos was almost out of energy when he finally unloaded his last load of liquids inside Mirya.


    "Ahhh ~ Ahhh ~"


    When feeling this, that beautiful woman could not fail to come in sync with her partner, rolling her eyes in pleasure.


    "Hah, hah, hah..."


    Slurp!


    At that point, the two of them were breathing quickly when their bodies finally disconnected. If anyone looked, one could see that Mirya''s two holes were filled with Minos''s cum. At the same time, there were some involuntary spasms all over that green-haired woman''s body.


    As for Minos, after dumping his last load, it didn''t take even a minute, and he fell asleep, completely exhausted. This had been the best sex session in the young Stuart''s life, and he was both exhausted and satisfied.


    After all, Mirya had an amazing body, with a top-notch beauty and the best movements that the young Stuart had ever seen!


    And coupled with the tremendous spiritual power of this woman, it would really be difficult for the other partners that Minos had to compare with her!


    Anyway, after a few seconds of breathing hurriedly, Mirya looked at the young man next to her, who at that moment had already fallen asleep. She smiled contentedly, remembering everything they had done.


    She was delighted at the time. In addition to having done a great deal, she had also had a great experience with Minos, who could even be among the top 10 sexes of her life!


    ''Ahh, this young man trully did well...'' She thought about it with an erotic smile on her face as she rested her face on Minos'' shoulder, watching him and running her hand through his brown hair.


    Soon after, Mirya also fell asleep while hugging Minos'' body...

 Chapter 176: Forbidden Relationship (18+)

    [Warning: Inc*st; if you don''t want to read something like this, go to chapter 178. Read at your own risk!]


    Some time passed, and Minos and Mirya were still sleeping in the same place, where they had fun for several hours continuously.


    At this moment, someone was approaching this room where the two were while whistling and spreading her fingers.


    However, when she got close to that place, this woman with green hair suddenly stopped her movements when she smelled a strange aroma coming from that place. This was a characteristic smell, which anyone who knew the pleasures of the flesh would easily recognize...


    ''What a strong fragrance!'' She thought. The smell left by sex in a specific environment was related to the pleasure that the two, or more, lovers felt. And with such a thick odor, this woman couldn''t help but exclaim in shock.


    After standing still for a while, this green-haired woman slowly began to advance towards that room. Her heart was beating faster and faster while her breathing increased in frequency.


    And finally, when she stopped in front of that room, she slowly opened the door of that place while spying on what was happening there.


    ''Who is that old woman with?'' She thought to herself. This, of course, was Mirya''s daughter, Viola.


    Upon entering that location, Viola finally saw two people lying on a large sofa that was there. Minos was still asleep, with his body completely exposed to anyone who came in here.


    And beside him, Mirya was lying in his arms. At the same time, her beautifully round buttocks were turned upwards so that anyone who entered this place could see her.


    But not only that, from the angle that Viola was at, she could clearly see her mother''s flower, which still shone from the fluids expelled during her and Minos'' involvement, with some white spots left by the young Stuart''s sperm.


    Upon seeing this, Viola felt a steaming heat in her body as she blushed. Her body began to release hormones related to desire. This was a fascinating scene for anyone who saw it, and it was no different for Viola.


    Minos'' well-defined body and the beautiful view from Mirya''s buttocks would surely make anyone stop for a moment to admire them. And for a young woman full of desires, as was the case with Viola, it was difficult to hold the growing desires in her body...


    ''This old woman took another of my partners...'' She thought to herself while looking at her mother''s flower.


    And in fact, Mirya had already slept with one of her daughter''s partners. But not only that, after being caught in the act, Viola ended up joining the two in what was one of the best sex nights for her.


    The forbidden act, a taboo, created the circumstances for an overwhelming pleasure, which caused the three to lose their senses and act like animals for many hours in a row.


    After that, Viola and her mother had some experiences like this, where they got together on pleasure nights with some men. But not only that, they once even did it alone, to kill boredom, after having been without a partner for several weeks, while traveling together...


    Anyway, after approaching the sofa, Viola immediately leaned against Minos and Mirya while using one of her hands to rub her little sister.


    She was really getting excited about the smell and sight of these two.


    She then bent down, keeping her face right in front of her mother''s buttocks, when she sniffed it heavily.


    ''Haa, what a good perfume...'' She thought about it briefly.


    And it didn''t take long before she stuck out her tongue and started sucking on her mother''s flower while she used her two hands to massage the cheeks on Mirya''s buttocks.


    "Mmmm ~"


    It wasn''t long before Mirya finally started making some erotic sounds, still a little sleepy. Her body was beginning to warm up, and her heart rate was slowly increasing, at the same time, as her body heat gradually increased.


    While Mirya''s body started to get into the mood, Viola had already removed all the clothes that covered her sensual body. She had one hand massaging her mother''s pink pearl while the other was stimulating her own private part.


    "Mmmm ~"


    After doing this for some time, Mirya finally started to wake up amid an intense pleasure. She first looked at the side where Minos was still sleeping and then turned her head back, where she could finally see her daughter kneeling on the floor, completely naked, licking her cave with relish.


    "What a naughty girl! Sucking your own mother while she is sleeping!" Mirya whispered, an erotic smile on her face. She saw no problem doing this with her daughter.


    This was not a mother''s dream, but after they had sex with the same man simultaneously, more than once, there was a certain sexual tension between the two. After a relationship as it is, it was impossible for them to look at each other in the same way as before.


    And to make matters worse, they were beautiful women with much desire, willing to do almost anything to calm the burning fire in their bodies!


    Allied to this, Mirya''s ''adventurous'' personality and the fact that Viola pulled this side of her mother made things easier for the two of them to have this type of relationship.


    Finally, the carnal pleasures that they could experience together were highly overwhelming, even being among the best moments of this experienced woman.


    Squirt!


    Anyway, after some more time, Mirya finally reached her orgasm, when a transparent jet of love juices was thrown from her intimate part, directly in Viola''s face.


    "Mmm ~"


    When she felt the heat in her body, Mirya let out low moaning sounds, biting her lips with a lascivious expression on her face.


    She then sat down where she was, pulling her daughter''s arms tightly, bringing Viola to her chest. In doing so, the two came face to face when Mirya approached her daughter and began to kiss Viola''s lips fervently.


    "Mmm ~"


    While kissing sounds could be heard in this room, Mirya quickly started using her hands on her daughter''s body. First, she passed by Viola''s breasts, massaging her nipples gently, as she followed with her other hand to Viola''s wet cave.


    "Ahhh ~"


    Feeling her mother''s heavenly fingers, Viola let out a groan of pleasure, breaking her and her mother''s kiss.


    "What a sensitive girl... Or am I the one who knows your weaknesses too much?" She whispered to Viola''s ear softly.


    Upon hearing this, Viola shivered for a moment, but she said nothing. She knew her mother''s tactics very well, so she preferred just to take advantage of her sexual skills.


    When the two of them did this alone, Viola had a series of multiple orgasms, and it was a great experience for her. She had also learned many things from Mirya about how to please and satisfy herself when she was with a man.


    Despite their youthful appearance, Viola was already over 40, while Mirya was over 120!


    They had shared the same man for the first time more than ten years ago, so they had sex several times already...


    And it wasn''t long before Viola was on all fours on that couch while her mother started sucking on her little sister.


    While Mirya was doing a great licking job to her daughter, Viola was right in front of Minos'' rod, which was still a good size even though it was soft.


    "Mmm ~"


    She then began to watch him with more and more desire while feeling her body trembling with pleasure for her mother''s services. Mirya knew exactly which parts to touch on Viola''s body and how to do this in the best possible combination.


    She was vigorously kissing her daughter''s lower lips while having one of her fingers playing with Viola''s second hole, which constantly winked at her.


    "Ahh ~"


    As she let out another moan of pleasure, Viola finally pulled Minos''s stick to her side and began to suck it vigorously.


    In doing so, she had her other hand massaging the young Stuart''s balls in an attempt to increase the stimulation given to this young man...


    And it wasn''t long before Minos'' sleeping dragon started to rise, making Viola''s mouth full...


    Slurp! Slurp!


    "Mmmm ~"


    Finally, amid the characteristic sounds that sounded in this place, Minos started to wake up from his sleep. When he opened his eyes, the young Stuart could see the most erotic scene of his entire life happening right in front of him.


    His rod was fully awake while Viola sucked it happily with a cloudy look in her eyes. At the same time, Mirya was kneeling beside Viola, licking and fingering her daughter fervently.


    And not only that, Mirya''s big buttocks'' cheeks were turned towards Minos''s face, showing her medium-sized slit to him.


    He could see that Mirya''s flower was red and already had several fluids flowing through it when the desire inside his, finally overcoming the drowsiness that could be felt by those who had just woken up.

 Chapter 177: Threesome (18+)

    [Warning: Inc*st; if you don''t want to read something like this, go to chapter 178. Read at your own risk!]


    Seeing this forbidden scene happening right in front of him, Minos stopped for a moment to admire, in an attempt to keep this image in his memory...


    Minos was not completely surprised by this. He had already expected something like that, but  he still needed a short moment to analyze all of it.


    ''Ahh! How lucky I was to come here...'' He exclaimed in a celebratory way in his mind. Many men had a certain fetish about being with two women at the same time, and if the women were from the same family, then that would be even more interesting!


    In fact, it was not entirely impossible for a man to be able to have fun with two sisters, simultaneously, in the Spiritual World. After all, many of them were used to training and living together, so it was not such a distant step to sleep with the same man. But the situation would be completely different when it came to a mother and a daughter.


    The problem was not only taboo but also the natural distance that existed between mothers and daughters. In the world of cultivation, parents generally did not take an active part in their children''s lives. So, it was not common for these people to have close relationships.


    In most cases, there was a distance, or respect, that prevented cases like this from happening. But luckily for the young Stuart, he had met a mother and daughter couple who were running away from this custom!


    Anyway, when Minos finally woke up, Mirya and Viola looked at him with apprehension while they stopped what they were doing.


    What they were doing was taboo, and several people could have many problems with it...


    And even if the Spiritual World had a bit of everything... They couldn''t know if Minos would agree with that. Some men might not see a problem with this happening if it was something they encouraged, but if it was something the women did for themselves, then some men might not like it...


    Seeing this, Minos smiled and said. "Why did you stop?"


    "Don''t you care that we started without you?" Viola asked as she held Minos''s stick just inches from her face.


    Pah!


    "I think this is the best way to wake someone up..." He said so while beating Mirya on the right buttock.


    "Ahh ~"


    After making a sound of surprise, the two went back to their activities without more conversations. There was no need to discuss anything in a situation like this. The three wanted pleasure, and for that, they just needed to talk with their bodies!


    And while Mirya went back to licking her daughter''s cave, Minos used one of his hands to go up to the middle of the legs of that mature woman, who was wholly exposed to him, invitingly.


    "Mmm ~"


    When she felt Minos'' fingers touching her flower, Mirya couldn''t help but make some sounds of pleasure while she still struggled to make her daughter come.


    Slurp!


    And Viola wasn''t wasting her time either. She was sucking on Minos''s thick rod with gusto while feeling her orgasm getting closer and closer.


    Squirt!


    At that moment, finally, a splash of liquids hit Mirya''s mature face while she tasted her daughter''s sweet flavor. Seeing this, Minos could not hold on to his desires when he quickly pulled that woman into his arms, kissing her with taste.


    "Mmm ~"


    After her orgasm, Viola was not completely satisfied and jumped on Minos'' stick, fitting it perfectly to her flower.


    "Ahhh ~"


    She let out a loud moan of pleasure, enjoying the pleasures of Minos'' thick rod, which completely filled her cave.


    "Mmm ~"


    "Ahhh ~"


    And amid the sounds of kisses and moans, after a few minutes in this ''formation,'' Mirya and Minos finally broke their passionate kiss when this mature woman climbed on top of his face, leaving her flower right on the young Stuart''s mouth.


    Seeing this, Minos quickly began to lick it while rubbing Mirya''s pearl and making it more and more sensitive.


    Pah! Pah! Pah!


    At the same time, when the young Stuart was licking on Mirya''s lower lips, Viola was riding with pleasure on his stick, while sounds of pounding meat sounded all over the place where they were.


    "Ahhh ~ Yes, like that ~"


    "Ahhh ~"


    At this moment, Viola and her mother were facing each other, moaning delightfully because of the skills of the young Stuart. The piston movements of the 7-inch rod and Minos'' skillful tongue were satisfying both women at the same time.


    And as they were doing this, mother and daughter watched each other with a lustful look in their eyes, watching each other''s body movements.


    Viola had good-sized breasts, but it was still half the size of her mother''s. But it was really perfect for her size, with small, pink nipples. Anyway, the two were jumping from top to bottom, following the movement of up and down that Viola''s body did.


    "Ahhh ~"


    As for Mirya, her full breasts were not moving much, but now and then, it trembled softly, while her medium-sized nipples were completely prickly due to the excitement she was feeling.


    At that moment, the two of them slowly approached each other when finally their cherry lips touched. They began to kiss with love while their hands reached each other''s bodies, at the level of their breasts.


    "Mmm ~"


    Pah! Pah! Pah!


    ''This is incredible!'' Minos exclaimed to himself while feeling an indescribable sensation.


    And finally, after being in this way for a few minutes, the trio reached the climax, when the young Stuart filled Viola''s little sister with his seeds while he tasted the nectar of Mirya''s flower.


    Squirt!


    Upon reaching their respective orgasms, the trio immediately shifted their position. First, Viola got off Minos and lay down with her legs up in one corner of the sofa.


    After that, Mirya knelt in front of her daughter''s spread legs while she pranced her big buttocks to the young Stuart. And finally, Minos got up from where he was, standing behind Viola''s mother.


    In this ''formation,'' the three could be satisfied simultaneously!


    And it was not long before the group returned to their activities.


    "Ahhh ~"


    Pah! Pah!


    Quickly Minos started to penetrate hard Mirya''s flower, just how she liked it...


    At the same time, Mirya was already licking on her daughter, who had her division filled with the young Stuart''s liquids.


    ''Hmm, you stole your mother''s seeds before. Now it''s my turn to get them back...'' Mirya thought to herself, with a lascivious expression on her face, as she licked Viola''s flower.


    "Ahhh ~"


    Feeling her mother''s skillful tongue passing through her private parts, Viola moaned heavenly, feeling her body heat rising to new heights.


    Time passed, and the three continued to do this for 4 hours straight when they finally finished this unforgettable experience!


    "Hah, hah, hah..."


    When they reached the end, again, the three bodies were utterly sweaty, with red marks on the buttocks and breasts of the two women and the necks of the three.


    Their bodies were sticky, and the two weakest, Minos and Viola, were breathing quickly, exhaling a loud sound in the room.


    The three were lying together at this time, with the mother and daughter pair lying on either side of Minos. The three were very tired, especially the young Stuart, who had not had much time to rest, and it was not long before they fell asleep.


    A threesome could be very bad if one side were left out. But that didn''t happen at any time in this case. Viola and Mirya were very experienced in this matter, and Minos left nothing to be desired when it came to skills in bed and his ''natural gifts''...


    With that, both sides tried to please each other as much as possible while enjoying this wild sex session. And although Mirya and Viola felt very good about doing this with each other, they still liked men more than women at the end of the day.


    Because of this, they would certainly prefer to pay attention to the threesome partner than to just be with each other. If they wanted to do something on their own, they could do it at any other time...


    Anyway, the two of them were completely satisfied and filled with the seeds of Minos. At the same time, the young Stuart could almost feel a burning sensation in his younger brother due to the almost constant friction...


    And so, time passed for the three while they slept and recovered their strength.


    ...


    Outside that mansion, at this moment, it was already dark in the City of Waters.


    The city''s movement had already slowed down considerably, while several of the targets of Minos'' soldiers were already carrying out their missions of spreading what they had seen in the Dry City to five different people.

 Chapter 178: Advertising

    While the trio slept with happy smiles on their faces, in that room inside the government mansion of the City of Waters, the plans of the Black Plain Army were beginning to develop in this region.


    Three of the four groups of unemployed people who had gone to the Dry City had already returned to their families. They were already preparing to leave this place where they lived as soon as the specific day of their respective trips arrived.


    But in the meantime, several of them were already fulfilling their mission to spread the propaganda of the Dry City to five, and only, other people. This was not a difficult job for any of them, who knew many who were in the same situation.


    Of course, they had to be careful that this information didn''t reach those who shouldn''t, but that wasn''t too complicated either. As people of lesser talent and therefore lesser level, this portion of the population did not frequent the same types of places as the soldiers of the Cromwell Kingdom royal army.


    In fact, there would be a social division in any human society, which could be easily seen. Highly talented people moved faster in cultivation and consequently had better jobs, that is, more spiritual crystals.


    With more crystals, these people could attend higher-level environments, such as better restaurants, better cultivating rooms, better hotels, etc. And that resulted in a distance between people with different talents!


    Therefore, even if the information from the Dry City were spread among these groups of individuals with White talent, it would be complicated to reach people with Blue and Black talent, subordinates from large families.


    Even if someone did not respect the request made by Minos'' subordinates, not to talk about the Dry City with other people, besides those who already knew, it would still not be so easy for this information to reach the ears of influential people!


    But even that would not happen easily. These unemployed people, left behind by large families, would hardly miss such a chance.


    And those people had heard clearly about how to deal with it. In addition to their five specific targets, they couldn''t talk about the Dry City to anyone else. These five people would also receive the message about the first rule of this offer.


    The first rule of the Dry City is that you don''t talk about the Dry City...


    At least not with someone who doesn''t already know about it beforehand.


    ...


    Anyway, on the north side of the City of Waters, six people were talking at the back of a house. There was a small land with some trees in that place, while a fire lit the ground.


    These six people were sitting on chairs distributed around that fire. Some had large mugs of golden liquid, others ate roasted meat, while two people smoked cigars.


    This was a group of old friends who had known each other for more than 50 years and who occasionally met to talk about their lives. And that was the occasion today.


    "Pavel, you brought our group together today. Did something happen?" A man who was smoking a big cigar asked as he released a large amount of smoke from his mouth.


    Upon hearing this, a tall, strong, middle-aged man drank some of his beer and then looked in the direction of the person who asked that question. "Hmm, something indeed happened."


    After saying this, the other five men there looked at him and stopped their random conversations. Usually, they meet only to talk about the common problems in their daily lives.


    It was not often that something very unusual happened. So, they were all paying attention to what Pavel was going to say.


    He then continued. "But it is good news, or rather, it is an opportunity!"


    "Oh?"


    "But first, I have to tell you that this information cannot leave our group!" He said firmly.


    Upon hearing this, one of them frowned and said. "Do not worry about it. If it''s an opportunity, we won''t spread the word and miss this chance for others!"


    The others nodded in agreement after hearing this.


    "Well, but you also can''t talk about it with your families. Anyway, there is a group of people in the City of Waters who are here for a limited time. These people will tell you how to act on this opportunity."


    "Okay, Pavel, we already understand that this is a serious matter, and we shouldn''t talk about it with anyone but ourselves. But what is this opportunity about?" One of them asked.


    "Well, have you heard about the Dry City? I recently went out to do..."


    After that question, Pavel started talking about his experiences in the last week, talking from the time he left the City of Waters to what he had seen in the Dry City. He hid nothing, talking about the public library, the army, agriculture, and obviously the wages they could receive.


    His five friends were shocked by everything they had heard from Pavel, but they did not doubt him. This group had known each other for a long time, so they knew that none of them would play with something like that.


    And they were delighted to hear about the opportunities that the Dry City offered to ordinary people like them. Just the possibility of being able to learn Blue-grade techniques had already made these men almost drool...


    And in the end, Pavel once again reminded them of not talking to other people in the City of Waters before they contacted the soldiers of Minos who were around. With these soldiers, they could receive the date when they could travel to the Black Plain and also whether they could talk about it with other people.


    After all, Minos hoped to attract many more people than these from that first contact.


    And when that meeting ended, Pavel''s five friends were excited about it, having returned home with smiles on their faces. They already knew where to find Minos'' soldiers, and none of them wanted to miss this chance.


    In any case, this had also happened in many other humble houses in the City of Waters. People who had already returned from the Dry City had no reason to wait, so they had already started to advertise for the city of Minos.


    The people''s reactions were more or less the same as those of Pavel''s group, of a bit of shock and surprise, with a lot of anxiety about this chance!


    ...


    While the plans of the Black Plain Army were developing, hours had passed.


    At this moment, Minos, Mirya, and Viola were still sleeping peacefully in that place before. The two women were naked and with their breasts supported by the young Stuart while his arms hugged the waists of the two.


    The intense smell that was in this room had passed, and some of the marks left by the group had already dried, leaving one or the other stain on the furniture in that room.


    The clothes of the three could be seen scattered around the place, while some arrays of low classification partially illuminated the environment.


    At this point, the young Stuart began to wake up from his sleep. His heart rate increased slightly when he took a deep breath. He could feel the mother and daughter pair in his arms, just as they were before he fell asleep.


    ''Ahh, what a great way to wake up...'' He thought to himself, looking at the two pairs of breasts glued to him. He could feel a very satisfying sensation deep within him...


    And it didn''t take long and soon at two they also woke up. They had smiles on their faces as they ran their hands over the young Stuart''s well-defined abdomen.


    They were both delighted with what had happened previously.


    For Viola, who was still much weaker than her mother, she could still feel a burning sensation in her little sister. After all, she had been very stimulated previously and would still need time to recover fully...


    Minos then looked at two and asked. "Where is there a bathroom here? I want to take a hot shower."


    Upon hearing this, Mirya took the initiative and said. "Let''s go to my room. There''s a bathroom big enough for us there..."


    After saying this, she got up and took one of the young Stuart''s hands, pulling him towards her room, a few meters from where they were.


    It was the middle of the night, so Minos wouldn''t be going back to his hotel now...


    Even though there were no dangers for him in this city, he had no reason not to be around for a few more hours.


    And who knows, maybe it would be a few more months before he had partners like these two... So, he would just enjoy it for the next few hours.


    When down in the City of Waters, Minos and his group would finally return to the Dry City in a few hours.


    Only three soldiers would stay here to take care of matters related to the migration of those unemployed inhabitants of this city.


    Anyway, it wasn''t long before the three were already in Mirya''s room, taking advantage of the hot bath, to relax and recover their dispositions...

 Chapter 179: Leaving the City of Waters

    Quickly the sun began to appear on the horizon of the City of Waters when the day was about to start.


    At this moment, some sunlight increased the illumination of this city little by little.


    It was another day like any other in this place, with a good climate and a characteristic freshness in the mornings. Other than that, silence still prevailed on the streets of the city ruled by Mirya since the movement at this time was not so great.


    Of the people who were on the streets of the City of Waters at this time, most of them had either just woken up or were returning from a night of work. As such, both sides were not thoroughly disposed, as they calmly circulated there without much fuss.


    And among these people, tired and sleepy, Minos was leaving the government mansion in this region, accompanied by two beautiful women with green hair.


    After showering together, the three of them took advantage of yet another fun session before the young Stuart finally left this city. After all, this was not a good place for ''hunters,'' as was the case with the mother and daughter pair...


    So, for two, the best was to take the chances that appeared!


    At this moment, the three were in front of the mansion''s exit gate, where only four guards were watching the place from inside a guardhouse. Minos then looked at the Viola e Mirya and said. "Well, I will leave some subordinates here in this city to do our business. If you have any messages for me over the next few weeks, just send them to one of these men."


    "Oh? Well, I will keep this in mind... Ehh, I will not insist that you stay here for a few more days since you must have your own responsibilities..." Mirya said this, stopping to let out a breath. "But, if you are going to visit this city in the future, don''t forget to visit us."


    Mirya handed a medallion from her spatial ring and gave it to Minos. "With this item, you will be able to enter this mansion without my permission."


    Upon hearing this, Minos looked at the medallion in his hand, which had the image of a flower, and then smiled. "Haha, okay. I will not forget this!"


    After saying these words, the trio said goodbye. Minos set off through the still little busy streets while mother and daughter returned to the mansion''s interior.


    "Hahh, I wonder where Minos comes from..." Viola commented to her mother after yawning. She was still tired of the evening activity she had spent with the young Stuart and her mother. So, she was still a little sleepy and tired.


    "Hmm, I also have my doubts, but I believe that we will discover this soon..." Mirya was not trying to discover Minos'' past. This was a secret agreement between her and him, and she did not want to get the Stokes family''s attention.


    But she was sure that Minos''s identity would not be hidden for long. With the young Stuart''s talent, he would certainly go far in cultivation, and sooner or later, he would make a name for himself in the north of the Central Continent.


    Because of this, Mirya knew that even without researching his past, she would still find out from where he comes.


    ...


    After that, some time passed, and Minos and his group were already leaving the City of Waters, traveling in a carriage.


    They had left three soldiers of the Black Plain Army in that city so that payments would be made to Mirya, in addition to regularizing immigration between that town and the Dry City.


    With that, two soldiers were accompanying Minos back to the Black Plain territory, while Lee and Alison were also present.


    The two had left the Spatial Kingdom on the same day that the first of the soldiers returned from the Dry City, after settling matters with the group of 50 people they had taken there.


    But in that time, neither of them made any progress. Both were already in the 4th stage of cultivation, and currently, they needed more than ten weeks of hard cultivation to achieve a breakthrough.


    Anyway, the group was happy to return to their territory, where their families and friends were.


    ...


    As Minos and his subordinates made their way north from the Cromwell Kingdom, leaving behind the territory ruled by the Stokes family and going to the Black Plain, Abby and her bodyguards were arriving in the Dry City!


    They had traveled for several days, stopping only to spend the night in a few cities they passed through and, of course, to cultivate. There was no reason for them to travel slowly. After all, Abby had grown up in the Brown Kingdom and knew most of that state.


    For this reason, they did not stop to visit new places or even explore unknown regions. In fact, this was not a training trip for Abby. She wanted to see how her friend was doing and spend a few days with him.


    In other words, a vacation trip!


    Before seeing Minos in the Cromwell Kingdom, Abby had not had much information about this friend of hers. First, he had stayed for years without any development in that previous condition, unconscious, at the same time, when Abby was starting her journey in the world of cultivation, not having so much time for her friend.


    Other than that, after turning 10, Abby left the City of the Setting Sun, where she had lived and studied at the Spiritual Academy. With that, knowing about news from her friend had become increasingly difficult for her.


    Because of this, she had not heard from Minos recovering. Otherwise, she would undoubtedly have gone to visit him. When the young Stuart regained consciousness, six years passed, and Abby no longer thought she could see her friend awake.


    She was also already preparing to participate in the Spiritual Tournament by the time Minos woke up, so that prevented her from obtaining information about him.


    Anyway, Abby was someone who valued human relationships and who enjoyed being with her friends.


    After all, it made no sense to have a long and lonely journey...


    And since she had lost her best friend to one of the Flaming Empire sects, she wanted to spend time with Minos, whom she had several doubts in her mind.


    She still didn''t quite understand why he didn''t go to the Flaming Empire. Even if he didn''t go to the sect where his mother came from, there were still many options for him in that place. Not to mention that the Black Plain was not precisely the best place in this world...


    Finally, at last, she and the bodyguard, Eda, reached a point where they could both see a great wall. They were on top of a terrestrial spiritual beast when Eda gave the signal for it to stop walking.


    "What''s it? Why are we stopping?" Abby asked curiously.


    "Ehh, I''m sorry about that, Miss Abby. I was a little surprised and ended up reacting without thinking." She smiled and said. "It seems that the lady''s friend made some renovations in this place..."


    "Wasn''t there this wall before?"


    "No, at least seven years ago when I passed by, there was no wall as it is in front of us." Eda replied while she looked at this construction.


    This wall was quite large by the standards of a place like the Dry City, and it still looked much higher than you usually saw in other cities, almost as if it were hiding something...


    "Come on. It looks like there is an entrance a few kilometers from where we are." She said that before the spiritual beast began to run towards the eastern entrance of the Dry City.


    ...


    Anyway, after some time, they finally got close to the entrance gate of that place. And in doing so, several soldiers from Minos'' force had already felt the strength of these visitors, which was much more significant than they were used to seeing here.


    "Boss, two powerful women are arriving at our gate!" A level 40 soldier came running to talk to the head of that place.


    "Hmm?" Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man got up from the chair where he was, trying to probe people''s strength within reach of his spiritual sense.


    ''One of them is at level 42, while the other is at level 48!'' He thought about it with a strained look on his face.


    "Send the signal to headquarters. They may be enemies!"


    After saying that, the man who led this place put on a black overcoat and quickly left the room that he was. He then saw that some soldiers from the rank of Sergeant had already heard about it when he said it out loud.


    "Be prepared, we don''t know who these people are, but we have to be ready to attack them with everything!"


    "Yea!"


    After that, they all proceeded to the lower floor of the checking building, which was between the inner and outer walls of the wall.


    ...


    ''Ehh? A checkpoint, huh...'' Abby thought with a smile on her face, forgetting to probe this place. After all, this was the Black Plain, an impoverished and weak area, in addition to being her friend''s territory. So, there was no reason for her to worry about her safety...


    However, Eda was different. The moment she saw this entrance and the group of men there, she immediately probed their strength.


    "Miss Abby, we are surrounded!" She said this with a concerned expression, already putting one of her hands in a defensive position.


    "What?" Upon hearing this, Minos'' friend finally realized that 30 men had surrounded them, with the weakest of them at level 40!


    As she was taken aback by the local reception, a loud and vigorous voice sounded in front of them. "You two, say your names, where does you come from, and what is the purpose of your trip to the Dry City!"

 Chapter 180: Surrender

    At this point, the two women from the Miller family were standing atop a spirit beast, right in the middle of the passageway to enter the territory protected by the wall.


    Abby was wearing a blue dress, which matched her long flowing hair, and with a worried expression on her face. As for Eda, she was wearing female armor, which resembled a short dress. Eda was on guard and ready to act at any moment, being solemn about this situation.


    And it was not for less. Around them, there were two gates on each side, one leading into the city and the other through which they had passed. But at that moment, both gates were already closed!


    As for the sides, this was the wall''s interior, so there was not much space left. There was only the area between the gates, where people and spiritual beasts could pass. Other than that, there were two buildings on each side, with a large guardhouse and an immigration building.


    At least that was the name on one of those buildings that were painted on the surfaces.


    This was the typical structure of the four entrances of the Dry City, where the strongest soldiers of the Black Plain Army were protecting the city''s gates in the guardhouse. In contrast, other weaker soldiers took care of the administrative process of these places as the immigration issues.


    Anyway, there were stairs on the side of the administrative building, while on the other side, in the guardhouse, there were many balconies, from which several Spiritual Generals were in strategic positions.


    In addition, there was a group surrounding them from behind, where was the gate they had passed, and another in the front, to the entrance that gave access to the city.


    Thirty people surrounded these two women, each wearing similar uniforms, already holding their spiritual weapons in their hands!


    At that point, a middle-aged man with gray hair was standing in front of the two women, wearing an overcoat.


    This was responsible for that entry, Walter, a level 43 Sergeant!


    There weren''t many levels 43 soldiers today in the city, so these people at this level were working almost exclusively as the heads of city entrances. After all, the wall was the first defense of the Minos'' territory, having to be able to stop most threats to this town!


    After saying those words, Walter looked closely at the two women, trying to see if he recognized the power behind them. However, before reaching any conclusions, Abby started to speak.


    "My name is Abby Miller, and I''m here to see Minos."


    "Miller?" Some soldiers commented in a low voice. ''The Miller family is a potential enemy of the Black Plain!'' Many of them thought about it.


    After all, they all had the information that the noble families of the Brown Kingdom were all potential enemies of the Black Plain. And that was not an exaggeration. If someone of sufficient importance knew about this place, it would be too quick until real troops came, or even an invasion happened in the Dry City.


    The truth is that few people in this world didn''t seize an opportunity to use force against the weakest. If a person got a valuable treasure on his own merit, it could be considered more of a curse than luck!


    At least that was the truth if other people knew about it.


    And in this case, it would be impossible for just one person to keep the property on something as valuable as the current Black Plain was!


    Therefore, any family with power within the Brown Kingdom could be considered a threat to Minos!


    A few seconds passed, and all the soldiers in this place were even tenser. It looked like they had a tough fight ahead of them...


    As for the two women, Eda was very concerned at the moment. She had many years of experience and could feel that things would not be peaceful in this place. The expression of each of these soldiers was cautious, and one of them could attack at any moment.


    ''Who are these people? Why are they in the Dry City?'' Eda wondered, trying to figure out what power could send all that strength to this place.


    At this point, Abby looked at the tense people around her and also at her bodyguard, who had a trickle of sweat running down her forehead due to the tension.


    She then said, with some nervousness in her voice. "Why are you treating us like enemies? Minos is my friend, and he is the one who invited me to come here!"


    "Friend?" Walter exclaimed in a low voice.


    None of them were close enough to the young Stuart to know about these details of his private life. Minos had been unconscious for six years, so there were not many records about him for these soldiers.


    Aside from the attack on Minos'' father, these soldiers did not know of the time when he was in the Spiritual Academy. Back then, he was just a child, and nothing relevant to the Black Plain had happened, so they had no way of knowing if Abby was really a friend or an enemy.


    "If you are friends with the young master, order your bodyguard to surrender. We will not hurt you, but you will be arrested until this is resolved." Walter said firmly.


    He couldn''t just take Abby''s word. She could be an enemy trying to infiltrate Minos'' territory to steal information about this place!


    On the other hand, if she were really a friend of Minos, they couldn''t just hurt or kill her. In this case, the only alternative was for them to arrest these women until the information was checked.


    "Miss Abby, we are not going to do that! If we surrender, we will be completely vulnerable!" Eda exclaimed, trying to convince Minos'' friend not to do this.


    Abby frowned, trying to come up with the best decision possible. She then asked. "How do I know you guys are Minos''s subordinates? If we surrender and you are just a group of bandits, we would be finished."


    She sighed and then continued. "Why don''t you tell Minos that I''m here? He will undoubtedly authorize my entry into the city."


    Walter then replied. "The young master is not available at the moment."


    "Is not? And who is in charge of the city?"


    Upon hearing this, Walter just remained silent for a while, pondering if there was a problem if he talked about it. He then brought one of his hands to his face, massaging his chin, as he pondered.


    "Butler Dillian is in charge of the Dry City right now." He said it calmly. Those who knew Minos certainly knew about Dillian, so it wouldn''t make a difference whether Walter confirmed it or not.


    This was just the expected thing. After all, Dillian was a person of absolute confidence for Minos, having accompanied him even after the young Stuart was unconscious for six years, after the death of general Albert.


    So, to stay in charge of the city in the absence of Minos would be something that anyone who knew him would think.


    And finally, hearing the confirmation that Dillian was in this place, Abby felt a little relieved. ''It seems that they are, in fact, Minos'' subordinates...''


    She then said. " Sister Eda, let''s surrender."


    "What? Miss Abby, reconsider this! I fear that this is not a good idea!" Eda looked into Abby''s eyes and said this apprehensively.


    "No, we are going to trust that. We are already surrounded anyway. We are not going to make things worse for us!"


    And while they were talking about it, the help previously requested by the soldiers at this checkpoint has finally arrived!


    There were 15 more Spiritual Generals in the group, including 40 other levels 39 cultivators.


    But when they arrived at the scene, the reinforcement group found a situation very different from what they expected. Instead of a battle, with several injured, people were just staring at each other...


    "Sergeant Walter, what''s going on?" Sergeant Pyke, who was with the support group, asked dubiously.


    At the same time, as Walter headed towards Pyke, Eda and Abby handed their weapons and spatial rings to the soldiers who were there while they were handcuffed by a silver necklace placed around their necks.


    This was a grade-1, high-grade spiritual array that could seal a cultivator''s spiritual cultivation below the Spiritual King stage.


    Such an item was very efficient since a cultivator without spiritual energy became very weak and certainly could not break that restriction with his/her own physical strength.


    In fact, even a cultivator in the 6th stage of cultivation would have his spiritual energy completely sealed by this array. However, given the physical strength of an individual of this level, breaking this array was not a difficult job...


    And that array had an advantage and a disadvantage. The advantage is that even though it is only a grade-1 array, it could affect cultivators up to level 49!


    However, it would be essential for the cultivators to surrender in order to use it. Otherwise, it would be proactively impossible to activate it correctly!


    So, although this array has an incredible effect, it was not useful in battles and could only be used on occasions when one side surrendered to the other.


    Anyway, Walter finally said. "Sergeant Pyke, these two came from the Miller family. The girl, Abby, surrendered to us, claiming to be friends with the young master."

 Chapter 181: Edas Surprise

    Upon hearing Walter''s report of what had happened, Pyke understood the situation and then said. "Well, that decision is the best one. I will find out from the butler Dillian if this young woman is really a friend of the young master. But for now, keep an eye on these two..."


    The two talked some more when Pyke finally returned to the Dry City, while the other men who had come with him stayed to help on the city wall.


    With that, in case something strange happened, they could more easily neutralize these situations!


    Anyway, when Pyke was running back to the city, Abby and Eda were sitting on the stairs of that place, in front of the administrative building.


    Several soldiers were on their outskirts, watching them closely, while the two gates were closed. The army soldiers were cautious, considering the danger that could be if there was an information leak.


    "More than 40 Spiritual Generals, just to keep an eye on us!" Eda exclaimed in a low voice, just for her and Abby to hear.


    "Hmm, I''m also surprised! I didn''t think Minos'' forces were doing so well." Abby replied with a smile on her face.


    She was not angry at being stopped and even handcuffed in this place. These soldiers were probably only doing their job on orders from Minos himself. And she was happy to see that things were going well for her friend.


    She and Minos had known each other since they were 6-years-old, so there was a particular affection she had for him, especially after everything that had happened with him.


    And seeing that her friend got even more followers than the late General Albert, even without the support of large noble families in the region, made Abby proud of him.


    She truly was happy to see this. Minos was someone who would have an average future but who was thrown over a precipice all of a sudden. But in the end, he managed to get out of that hole and was climbing to higher and higher positions!


    ''Where is he at?'' She asked herself, looking up at the blue sky, which could be seen through the bars of one of the gates in that place.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Pyke had already returned to the Dry City.


    The distance from the wall to the urban part of this city was not great, and with the cultivation of Pyke, after a few minutes of running, he was already in front of the local government mansion.


    Right now, in Minos'' office, the butler Dillian was talking to two people while eating some cookies.


    "Ehh, we are going to build this building in the southern part of the city, where we have a region focused on the residential side. But it shouldn''t be too big, nor too small, 200 square meters of the area should work." The butler said, looking at one of the two in front of him.


    "Hmm, well, I think that a service like this doesn''t require a large useful area. This initial area should be useful until we reach the population of 400 thousand inhabitants." The man said, agreeing to Dillian''s order.


    "But, butler Dillian, how many floors should we build in the hos..." When the other person was asking a question, Pyke suddenly came running into the room.


    This was serious business, and he could not act formally. If Abby were a friend of Minos, it would affect almost nothing in the daily life of this city, but if she were not, then it would have serious consequences.


    Because of that, Pyke was eager to solve this!


    "Butler Dillian, we have a situation at the eastern entrance gate of the wall!" Pyke said without elaborating about it.


    Upon hearing this, Dillian frowned and then gestured to the two men who were talking to him. "We will finish talking about this at another time."


    "OK." The two nodded in agreement, walking out of the office without delay.


    After those two people left, Dillian finally asked Pyke. "What happened? Is it a Spiritual King?"


    Pyke shook his head in disagreement and replied. "In fact, two women from the Miller family at levels 42 and 48 arrived at the wall a few minutes ago, and one of them claims to be a friend of the young master."


    "Oh? Is her name Abby Miller by any chance?" Dillian asked after heaving a sigh of relief. If that was the case, then there was no big problem, which was best for everyone.


    "That''s right. She claims to be Abby Miller..." Pyke confirmed. He then began to describe Abby and Eda''s appearance so that Dillian could verify their identities.


    "Well, the last time I saw this Miller girl, she was only 9-years-old, so she must be very different. But from what you said, the level 48 woman is definitely Abby''s bodyguard, Eda. So, there must be no mistakes. Bring them here. I want to receive them in person." Dillian finished with a wide smile on her face.


    He liked the young Abby as a friend of Minos, as he knew the girl''s past and personality very well. Hence, Dillian knew that Abby was good company and would not harm the young Stuart on purpose.


    But it wasn''t just that. After all, Dillian was a man... And as a man, he had his interests...


    And due to the fact that he accompanied the young Minos on many occasions during the time of the Spiritual Academy, he had become quite used to that bodyguard of Abby, Eda...


    The two had similar positions, close cultivation levels, and followed the pair of friends, Minos and Abby, for some time. With that, it was impossible for them not to get a little closer...


    ''Haha, I want to see how Eda will react to my new level of cultivation. Hahaha.'' The middle-aged man laughed internally, warmed up as he saw Sergeant Pyke leaving Minos''s office.


    ...


    A few minutes passed, and finally, Sergeant Pyke appeared, coming from the west direction of that place where Abby and Eda were standing.


    "Looks like it''s been resolved¡­" Abby thought about it to herself, seeing Pyke''s calm expression.


    And it didn''t take long for Pyke to arrive at the scene and give orders from the butler Dillian. "Take off their handcuffs. Butler Dillian has confirmed their identities and asked me to escort them into town."


    "Oh?" Walter exclaimed, happy that it had ended well. Even if they were both enemies, and they had already surrendered, he was not very happy to have to ''deal'' with beautiful women like them, especially like Abby. So, he was relieved by this outcome.


    "Miss Abby, I''m sorry about this. It wasn''t personal. Our team was just doing our regular work." Sergeant Walter personally came to release the handcuffs for the two, returning the pair''s spatial rings and apologizing for what had happened.


    After all, it was not uncommon for young nobles to act like owners of the world and try to target any people who got in the way, even if minimally. For this reason, Walter was apologizing in an attempt to lessen the chances of this happening.


    Like Walter and company, low-skilled people had learned from an early age to bow their heads to high-natured individuals since they could never risk challenging them.


    At least that was the case when there was no support to protect them...


    "Hmm, I understand, don''t worry about it."


    After saying these words, Abby and Eda retrieved their belongings. They went straight to the Dry City, accompanied by Pyke and some soldiers.


    And while they were riding that spiritual beast that they traveled on, the two of them finally understood why the wall was so high.


    That was because there was really something incredible to hide in this place!


    "Unbelievable! And to think that a city could change so much and so fast!" Eda said in a surprised voice. The difference between before and after Minos was not only in size but also in quality.


    Eda could see that the buildings in this city were new and well-kept, the streets well planned, looking even like those that someone might see in capitals like the City of the Setting Sun.


    The Dry City seemed to have ''life,'' something Eda hadn''t seen the last time she came here. And this was both in the absence of green, which brought a certain feeling of desolation, as well as the despondency that could be seen on people''s faces.


    But that was no longer seen here. There was green everywhere, with some colorful gardens and lots of trees in the streets. People seemed happy and content with what they had, with expressions that could easily indicate that things were going well here.


    A people did not have to smile to show their joy. By just looking into someone''s eyes, experienced people like Eda could easily understand someone''s feelings!


    Because of all this, she knew that these people she saw on the streets of the Cry City were even happier than those she had already seen, even in the City of the Setting Sun!


    ''What happened in this place?'' She wondered as she looked from side to side, seeing the shops in the city, public services, and passers-by moving on those streets.

 Chapter 182: The Return of Minos

    At this point, the sun was already beginning to set on the horizon when Abby and Eda were escorted to Minos'' mansion in the central part of the Dry City.


    The street lights were already on, and many people could still be seen coming and going through the essential parts of the town. After all, with more than 100 thousand inhabitants, this place would only slow down the movement a little later at night, when many people went to sleep or cultivate.


    The Dry City could still be considered small by the standards of the Spiritual World. For this reason, the typical activity of the city was concentrated during the day and not at night. This effect was quite common in places with weaker populations, who needed to rest for a longer time and could not ignore the effects of the night.


    Anyway, while the two unexpected visitors from Minos passed through the city''s streets, they both could reach the various services available in this place.


    The Cultivation Tower, the local academy, the library, and several stores that didn''t exist in the Dry City before. Upon seeing this, both women from the Miller family were shocked, considering how expensive it must be for this city to maintain such services!


    But the two of them also saw other exciting things about this place. Like, for example, the groups of soldiers that could be seen from time to time, as well as people from the public cleaning of the city!


    For any city, even in places where the population is particularly hygienic, there was no way to avoid the dirt if no one did the public cleaning. For this reason, the government of Dry City had already set up a local public cleaning service, which hired people to maintain the good condition of public places in this city.


    The city''s ''caretakers'' took care of simple services daily, such as cleaning the streets, avenues, public restrooms, parks, public squares, etc. After all, the climatic conditions, as well as the inhabitants and their spiritual beasts, brought dirt to the city, which could attract insects and diseases, as well as worsen the structural beauty of the current Dry City.


    As a result, this was an essential service in any city, and Minos and his subordinates had not forgotten that.


    Each caretaker received a salary of 40 low-grade spiritual crystals per month and had flexible working hours. Because of this, many people who worked in other areas, such as agriculture, also made themselves available to do these complementary services, which could help these families get more resources!


    In fact, there was a lot of employment in the current Dry City and few people to hire! Because of this, many people had two or even three jobs!


    And it was not difficult to do that.


    In agriculture, there was generally not much work to do during the planting months, with only more work during the harvest and planting seasons. Of course, during planting, there was a need to take care of the crops, but cultivators could quickly do this.


    And with the time that was left, some people went hunting, others did public services, such as janitors, bricklayers, carpenters, etc. There was a constant supply in the construction sites of the Dry City, which increasingly progressed in number.


    And with that, people like Lee''s older brother worked in more than one area, earning more spiritual crystals for their families to reach an even higher level!


    As for the soldiers patrolling the city, this was one of the temporary functions of low-ranking soldiers. An army could not cope with trivial activities like this. However, the Black Plain Army was just beginning to develop, and there was still no territory other than the Dry City for it to defend.


    Because of that, it didn''t make sense for Minos to create a police force at this point, as long as the army was not strong enough and doesn''t have much to do!


    For this reason, low-ranking soldiers were playing the role of local police temporarily.


    ''Not bad!'' Abby thought to herself, looking at all these details of the Dry City. She was happy for Minos and even felt relief for him.


    She was not sure why Minos wanted to stay here, and because of that, before visiting the Dry City, Abby was a little worried about her friend. She thought that perhaps the young Stuart did not want to go to the Flaming Empire because of Maisie!


    But if it were just for that, then for Abby, Minos would just be throwing his life away because of childishness!


    However, seeing how well the Dry City was doing, she was convinced that Minos wanted to develop with this place.


    He was not a disillusioned madman, due to a remnant of immaturity, but a man with a realizable project!


    Abby didn''t know how, but she felt Minos had found a way to improve this place and was relying on it by turning down the chance to go to an empire. And as much as she thought it was a waste, at least she knew that her friend was down to earth!


    Anyway, after a while, the group finally arrived at Minos'' mansion.


    That place was well lit, with the garden visible to everyone passing by the avenue in front of it, as the building was left without external lighting. Only the lights coming from inside the building could be seen.


    However, there was a golden lighting, with the symbol of a tree, on one side of the mansion, facing the side of the avenue.


    This was the symbol of the Black Plain!


    And soon, the two women entered that building, accompanied by Sergeant Pyke.


    They proceeded through the mansion''s lobby, where various people were arriving and departing. They then continued until they were in front of Minos''s office, where Secretary Mia was seated in reception.


    As he passed her, Pyke greeted her quickly and headed for the office where Dillian was waiting for them.


    At that moment, the middle-aged man was sitting on one of the sofas in that room while he waited patiently. He had already finished the day''s affairs and had no more service for today.


    It was at this moment that the two women entered the room.


    "Hahaha, young Abby, you really grew up!" Dillian said as he got up from his seat and went to greet the two women. He smiled when he saw how beautiful Minos''s friend had looked in just eight years.


    The last time he saw her, Abby was just a child, but now she was a complete woman!


    "Hmm, Miss Abby certainly grew up well, haha." Eda added, even before the young woman with blue hair said something.


    Abby then smiled and said. "It''s good to see you, butler Dillian."


    "Hmm, it was eight years, huh..." He commented, looking at Eda while waving his arms, showing the two of them where to sit.


    After settling in, Dillian sat across from them and then started talking again. "The young master told me about the meeting of the two of you at the Cromwell Kingdom and also about the invitation for you to come to the Dry City."


    "Cough, ehhh, that must be the reason for the visit, right?"


    "That''s right. I wanted to see how he was doing after the Spiritual Tournament. Before that, I didn''t have the opportunity to do that because of how things developed..."


    "I understand. It really wouldn''t have been easy for you to see each other before the Spiritual Tournament."


    They chatted some more when Abby finally hit the main point. "But, butler Dillian, where did Minos go? Will he be back soon?"


    "Ehh, about that, he should be back soon. He went to do some business and is expected to return in the next few days." Dillian said without going into details.


    "Oh? This is good to know. I will wait for him." She replied with a smile on her face.


    "Dillian, changing the subject, how did this place change so much?" Eda asked, without hiding her curiosity about what was going on here.


    And on hearing this, Abby also looked closely at Dillian, hoping to discover the mysteries of this place. After all, they had both arrived at the end of the day and had not yet seen the Dry City plantation fields.


    "Hahaha, you are curious, huh?" He laughed and said. "Well, if you stay here for a while, naturally, you will find out..."


    "All mysterious, huh..." Eda whispered softly, seeing that Dillian wasn''t going to say much to them.


    And after that, they ended their conversation.


    Abby went to the guest part of Minos'' mansion, while Eda and Dillian went to the butler''s residence to talk some more. After all, these two were old close friends who hadn''t seen each other in years...


    "Dillian, aren''t you going to tell me about what happened here? I thought we had a relationship of mutual trust!" She complained while drinking a glass of wine next to that middle-aged man.


    "Hehe, I trust you, but I can only tell you about my own affairs. But maybe you''ll discover something. After all, the young master and that little girl were always good friends..."


    After saying these and other words, the two approached each other, starting a soft but long kiss while feeling each other''s warmth.


    ...


    At the same time, Minos'' chariot was arriving in the Dry City, being only a few kilometers away from the south gate of the wall.

 Chapter 183: A Pleasant Surprise

    After a few minutes, Minos'' carriage finally passed through the wall''s south gate, heading for the central part of the Dry City.


    There was no longer much movement on the city streets. After all, it had been a few hours since the sun had disappeared over the horizon.


    At this moment, it was cold in the city and windy considerably, to the point the noise of the wind was easily heard. And in an environment full of buildings, as was the case of this town, this further elevated the sound effects caused by winds.


    Vuum!


    And finally, the group''s carriage arrived at the town mansion, where several soldiers were scattered, patrolling the surroundings of that building.


    "Ahh! How good it is to be back!" Alison said that with a smile as she got out of the carriage quickly.


    Traveling was good, but there was nothing better than her own home!


    "Hmm, you two should get back to your homes without delay. It looks like we are going to have a storm soon..." Minos advised the two youths who had accompanied him while looking at the cloudy sky, full of heavy clouds.


    "All right, master!" Lee responded promptly, preparing to leave this place. "Come on, Alison, our houses aren''t too far away..."


    "OK."


    And shortly after that, the two youths ran off through the desert streets of the Dry City, at the same time as the soldiers who had traveled with them, took the carriage to a place at the back of the mansion.


    One of them then said. "The weather is very muggy... It looks like it will start to rain soon."


    "Ehh, I hope it stops raining before dawn... With the days off I got, I wanted to go fishing with my son..." The other complained while feeling the saturated air of the Dry City.


    "Ehh, I remembered something, you..."


    While the two soldiers who had brought Minos and those two youths back from the City of Waters were talking, the young Stuart had already moved all the way to his residence inside the mansion.


    Upon arriving at his room, he immediately went to take a hot bath to relax from the tiredness of the trip. After all, two days of traveling in a carriage still made one feel tired, even for people like the young Stuart.


    "Ah! It''s terrific to be back..." He exclaimed in a low voice, going to lie down on the big bed in his room. ''I''m going to sleep for a while, and then I will visit little Kyla and her mother...''


    After that, the young Stuart slept while it rained heavily outside the mansion.


    ...


    A few hours later, Abby was in the guest apartment she had received while quietly cultivating there.


    The apartment she had received was a good size, divided into two rooms. There was a simple room with a double bed, some decorative furniture for this type of environment, and a suite.


    As for the other niche, it was a room with an open kitchen, where there was a bench with four high stools, a dining table with six seats, and a leisure area.


    Abby was sitting on the floor of that leisure area right now, right in front of a glass balcony, which looked out over the south side of the Dry City.


    She then opened her eyes, finished her cultivation session. ''Oh? Began to rain...''


    "It is a pity. I wanted to go out and see this place, but I think I will leave it to do it tomorrow... No problem, sleeping in the rain is also excellent!"


    ...


    And while the young Abby was getting ready for bed, the young Stuart had finished his rest and was getting ready to eat something and go to the Spatial Kingdom.


    Ding!


    The doorbell of Minos'' residence rang, and a middle-aged woman entered the place right after while pushing a cart with various food and drinks.


    "Oh! Madam Renata, thank you for preparing my meal." He thanked her at the same time when he took a slice of cake and started eating.


    "No need to thank, young master, this is my job." She laughed and said. Renata had been Minos'' cook since he lived in the capital of the Brown Kingdom. And even though she wasn''t a culinary expert, she was still the most skillful cook in the Dry City.


    Other than that, Renata had increased her level a lot during the past period, so her meals were getting better and better.


    But it was not easy for her to improve.


    After all, even if she had a better-classified cultivation technique, Minos did not have any specialized cooking techniques! Therefore, Renata and other cooks in the Dry City could not improve their skills quickly...


    ''Hmm, madam Renata''s cultivation level is already at level 34. Well, sooner or later, I will have to go after specialized support techniques, such as cooking, alchemy, etc...'' He thought, savoring his snacks.


    "Young master, I think I have news for you." Renata spoke, standing next to the dining table where Minos was eating.


    The young man then turned his head towards her, with a glass of orange juice in his left hand, and then said. "Oh? What it is?"


    "A young woman who claims to be your friend is staying here at the mansion."


    Renata knew this because she was the cook of this place. So, she had already prepared Abby''s meal, having discovered the young woman''s identity in this way.


    "A friend?" He said while having a thoughtful look on his face.


    "She is called Abby Miller."


    And hearing that, Minos couldn''t help but smile at this pleasant surprise. ''Hehe, it seems that she has already forgiven me for that offer that I made... Or is she here for this?''


    The young Stuart couldn''t help but have these ideas running through his mind, smiling in rejoicing. He was a manly young man, and even though Abby was his friend, there was nothing wrong with them both going deeper into this relationship.


    After all, what was wrong with friends if they ''have fun'' intimately?


    Sex didn''t require commitment, and it certainly wouldn''t derail their friendship. And as two single people, there was really nothing to indicate that this was a wrong decision.


    For this reason, Minos thought of his old friend from the times of the Spiritual Academy in a somewhat different way. And Abby honestly did look excellent, perfectly matching the young woman''s beautiful blue hair and eyes.


    And after thinking about it for a while, he finally asked Renata. "Where is she?"


    "She is in apartment 21, young master."


    ...


    After that, Minos finished his meal after a few minutes while talking about the day-to-day things with cook Renata. He had promised her that the next time he traveled on business outside of the Dry City, he would try to get some specialized cooking techniques.


    This was not just an essential thing for Renata but the entire Dry City. After all, each service offered in the city could increase the influence of this place, making the territory of Minos more attractive to people from outside.


    It was good to attract people with White talent, but these people would work mainly in agriculture. Minos'' forces could not depend on these people alone! So, it would be better for the Black Plain to have high-quality services, which could attract more talented people and increase the local strength!


    And specialized techniques were just one of the things that were missing at the moment. Alchemists and other professionals living in the Dry City could not count on Blue-grade techniques from the public library, as was the case for the population trained in combat techniques.


    Therefore, the improvement of these individuals was slower, not ideal for the young Stuart''s plans.


    Anyway, after he finished eating, Minos went to the apartment where Abby was staying, thinking about this and other matters he had to take care of in the future.


    Ding!


    The sound array of apartment 21 sounded.


    Inside that place, a young woman with blue hair was dressed in silk pajamas, which consisted of long, loose trousers, and a long-sleeved shirt, both gray.


    ''Eh? Is it the older sister Eda?'' Abby wondered as she got up from the bed that she had just gone to sleep. She wasn''t too tired, but there was nothing else to do, so she was already getting ready for bed.


    She then got up and went to the door of that apartment to see who was visiting her in the middle of the night.


    And opening the door, Abby saw a young man with brown hair and eyes, standing at her door, wearing a white T-shirt and black trousers.


    "Minos!" She exclaimed in surprise.


    Abby thought that she would have to wait for a few days to see him, but for her happiness, he had returned from travel the same day that she had arrived.


    "Hehehe, it''s good to see you again!" He said before finally entering the young Abby''s apartment.

 Chapter 184: Night Talk

    Upon entering the apartment where Abby was staying, Minos gave her a friendly hug for a moment. Then the two went to the bench there, just after the young woman with blue hair closed the door.


    "Well, let''s sit and talk." She said, indicating to the side that there was that bench.


    The two sat side by side on two wooden benches that were there in that open kitchen. Minos watched her for a moment, seeing the way Abby dressed for sleeping.


    Of all the women Minos had had intimate relationships with, Abby seemed to have a closer personality with Ruth. However, there was still a big difference between them.


    Before associating with Minos, Ruth was a virgin who did not care about the affairs of others, as long as it did not affect her. As for Abby, she was a devout virgin who could even try to interfere in the lives of others, as if she had the right to express an opinion...


    And she showed her way of thinking about her clothes well. While Ruth was more ''accessible,'' even sleeping without a bra, Abby seemed to be totally closed off to the outside ''world,'' covering every bit of her body that could attract attention.


    As for the other lovers that Minos had, they couldn''t be compared with Abby... Elena was not as ''wild'' as the mother and daughter duo of the City of Waters, but she could be following those two paths. After all, Elen''s friend was still very young and had a lot to ''give''...


    Anyway, Minos could not leave this impression that Abby gave him. It may seem small to use the way a person dresses to judge her, but the truth is, that was an important detail.


    After all, how a person acts when is alone is what really defines her as a person!


    So, the way Abby dressed to go to sleep was making the young Stuart understand a little more of his friend. Even if that in itself did not give him all the details about her, that was relevant information for him.


    ''Hmm, this will be interesting...'' He thought about it while having the tips of his lips slightly pointed upwards. Minos was not someone who would try to get along with all the women involved with him, but that didn''t stop him from wanting his friend.


    Abby and Minos were very close at the time of the Spiritual Academy. Still, fate separated them for several years, and now that young child had grown up to become an attractive woman. And hell, the young Stuart truly liked how Abby had ''grown up''...


    In addition to that, Abby gave him the feeling that it might not be so easy for him, and that made the young Stuart even more determined to flirt with her...


    At this point, Minos finally put his thoughts aside and said. "I''m surprised to see you here. I thought you were a little angry at me."


    Hearing that, she looked at him sideways while she had a thoughtful expression in her eyes. "Your previous invitation was very shameless, but I decided to forget about it." She then stopped to think for a moment, probing Minos'' spiritual power.


    ''Hm? Level 42! As expected, your cultivation speed looks as good as it did before the Spiritual Tournament...'' She thought about it. Abby knew that Minos had grown very fast since he had been unconscious until he was 15-years-old.


    She then said. "Anyway, if I were stronger than you, I would give you a beating for what happened, but since I couldn''t even beat you before, I''ll just forget about that nonsense."


    Minos then laughed and said. "Oh? That''s right?"


    "Hmph, but don''t think you can do what you want just because you''re stronger than me!" She complained but without showing any irritation. She was just playing with Minos. Of course, she wouldn''t want to be treated like someone weaker, but that was just a conversation between friends and not a disagreement.


    "Then? It looks like you didn''t come here for your old friend to show you the pleasures of life, right?" Minos teased her with a smile on his face.


    Abby immediately blushed at Minos''s words, looking away from the direction of the young Stuart''s eyes. "I wanted to see how you were doing and maybe spend time here with you, like at the time of the Spiritual Academy."


    "Hahaha, I understand. Well, leaving the jokes aside, you are always welcome in my house, but don''t cause too many problems, OK?" He said, taking one of Abby''s hands and holding it.


    "What problems can I cause?" She asked curiously.


    "Well, I don''t want you to talk about this place with other people after you get out of here, okay?" Minos said seriously.


    He, in fact, already had his own plans for Abby, but he didn''t think attracting this young woman to his side would be like the other people he has dealt with so far.


    Abby was her good childhood friend, but she was a young girl from the Miller family. So, it would not be easy to convince her to join his side, using only Black-grade techniques and spiritual crystals. That she certainly already had!


    Because of this, the young Stuart wanted to take it naturally with her.


    Abby then replied, looking Minos in the eye seriously. "I can do this, but why do you want to hide this place? If more people know about how much this city has improved, you can get a lot of investments."


    "It is not the time for you to know my motivations, but spreading the news from this place would be very damaging to me. You understood?" He said, shaking the girl''s hand a little.


    ''Why does he say it would be harmful to him?'' Abby asked, trying to understand her friend''s words. But she did not conclude anything. After all, Minos had not been open about his own goals for her, as he had been with Elena and Elen.


    "Okay, well, I''m going to keep the information from this place to myself. But I have another question. Why are you investing in this place? I''m sure you could do better in another region."


    Abby was very curious about how Minos could make a place like this go through such a transformation, but she thought it futile to ask him. That certainly should be the young Stuart''s secret, and he wouldn''t go out and talk about it with outsiders, as was the case with her.


    Even though they were childhood friends, the two had already started cultivating years ago. And they understood the dangers of the Spiritual World. So, Abby would not ask such a naive question about the origin of Minos'' resources.


    With that, Abby put that curiosity aside, at least for now. But what could not help bothering her a little was the fact that Minos was investing his resources in a sterile place, such as the Black Plain.


    Considering that he could improve even a place like Dry City, he certainly could do very well in other areas. And instead of investing in a population with a majority of White talent, he might get a place with average Blue talent!


    That would certainly be more consistent. That was what Abby believed!


    "Haha, you are curious about this, huh?" He smiled at her, letting go of the girl''s tiny hand. "Well, it has to do with what I said before, but this is not the time for you to know about it. However, you are wrong to think that it is a waste to invest in this place."


    "Oh? And why do you say that?" She asked with a playful look on her face. She knew that even if many resources were invested in someone with low talent, it would just be a waste. After all, someone with White talent could, at most, reach level 49 using external resources. But even this would not be simple to achieve in this region of the continent.


    And how it would be almost impossible to change someone''s talent... So, investing in people like that would not pay off, even in a weakened place, as was the case of the north of the Central Continent.


    It was impossible to change someone''s talent unless something like what happened to the young Stuart was repeated. But even that was very difficult to happen. After all, Minos had absorbed a fragment of the soul left by a God!


    There weren''t many Gods, even looking at all of human history, and leaving a soul fragment was very costly, even for people who reached level 100!


    So, what happened to Minos was certainly something unique, which might never happen again...


    Minos then looked at Abby''s smiling face and began to speak. "Abby, I wasn''t kidding when I said it wasn''t a waste to invest in this place."


    He stopped for a moment and then thought. ''It may not be the best investment, given that it would really be better to do it elsewhere, but I don''t have that option. If it weren''t for this place being delayed, my inexplicable resources could attract a lot of danger to my side!''


    "Let me ask you a simple question."


    "Say it."


    "Do you know what humanity''s average talent was like 10 million years ago? How about 30 million? 80 million years?" He asked, showing no change in his expression as he looked deep into Abby''s eyes.

 Chapter 185: Evolution

    Hearing Minos'' strange question, Abby furrowed her brows and looked closely at him. She didn''t even know about the history of 100,000 years ago, let alone millions of years...


    And that was to be expected in a weak place like the north of the Central Continent where there were no ancient powers that had information from such distant times.


    With the weakening of the spiritual concentration of this region, those families originating from this place, who had high-level talents, had already left here a long time ago.


    With that, the information that these families had left this region with those power, leaving these areas without many people who knew about the past of the Spiritual World.


    And even if there could be some people who knew something, through orality, with the weakening of the region, cultivation became more complex. Consequently, people started to live less and less, decreasing the chances of the information passed on being passed on with success.


    Even if there were ways to keep the information from the past, it still depended a lot on the people who knew that knowledge. And in the interminable passage of time, data like this had already been completely lost in this region where Abby and Minos lived.


    "I don''t know. I think it should be the same as it is today." She replied uncertainly. "But why do you ask that? What information does such a primordial time have in relation to the Black Plain?"


    Minos smiled at her and then began to speak. "Well, it''s expected that you don''t know. So, let me teach you."


    Minos then got up from the wooden bench he was sitting on, starting to tell Abby what he knew, as he gestured and walked around the room in which they were.


    "Just as Silver-grade techniques came before Golden-grade techniques, White-grade techniques came before Blue-grade techniques. The same goes for people''s talent."


    "There are no data from the beginnings of the time when humanity was not yet able to cultivate. The oldest data left behind dates from about 80 million years ago, a time when humankind had already started to cultivate!"


    "However, contrary to what you think, the average talent of the human population at that time was much worse than the current one." He then looked the young Abby in the eye and said seriously. "Be sure, those with Blue talent were the strongest at that time!"


    "What? This cannot be true. If there were no people with Black talent, how can there be so many today?" She tried to refute Minos'' words, bringing up contemporary reality.


    The young Stuart laughed and said. "Abby, you could say it''s impossible to change someone''s talent..." He closed his eyes for a moment and then continued. "But what about that someone''s children?"


    "What do you mean? The chances of a child having a talent more remarkable than that of his parents are very small. Even in 1 million children, there may be none with a talent superior to that of his biological parents!"


    "Hmm, you are kind of right. I''ll give you an example, if two people with White talent cultivate, they can reach the maximum, with external help, at level 49."


    "But level 49 is the maximum that someone with Blue talent, without external resources, can reach cultivating. In other words¡­" Minos was talking when Abby suddenly interrupted him.


    "Are you saying that someone with White talent, but at level 49, can be compared to someone with Blue talent?" She asked in shock.


    "More or less. For the person who was born with a talent, it is practically impossible to change it. But if that person managed to go to the limit of his cultivation, then with the spiritual cleansing that their bodies undergo in each stage reached, the genetic quality of someone with White talent, level 49, is almost as good as someone born with Blue talent."


    "In this case, for a couple with White talent, both of whom are in the 5th stage of cultivation, the chances of their first-generation descendant having a Blue talent is over 50%."


    He watched Abby''s expression for a moment and then continued. "Going back to the remote past, at that time, there were no people with a Silver or Golden talent. But there were some with Blue talent since even when a person does not reach his limits, there is a small chance that the child will have a higher talent than the parents."


    "Because of these individuals, through those who went on to specializations, such as alchemy, human hereditary improvement was made possible."


    "From then on, those who managed to exceed their natural limits developed average talent within their families, using the resources that those professionals have brought to this world, moving from White talent to Blue talent, enabling the emergence of the first individuals with Black talent!"


    "After millions of years, we have finally come to the present, where we even have people with Golden talent." He finished his speech, returning to sit next to Abby.


    This genetic improvement that Minos was talking about was possible because the spiritual cleansing that a cultivator''s body received in each advance to the next stage acted differently in each type of cell.


    In addition to expelling the impurities present in the cells of the whole body, there was also an increase in the spiritual energy that these parts of the cultivator''s body could have and a qualitative change, which allowed greater vitality for that organism.


    And that improved the specific functions of the different types of cells in a cultivator''s body. As a result, as the reproductive cells were not forgotten in this process, their quality was improved. Their reproductive characteristics were evolved, enhancing these individuals'' offspring''s chances of having a natural talent greater than that of their parents!


    As to why a cultivator''s talent could not be improved from this spiritual cleansing, it was related to the soul. Talent was related to the body, concerning genetics, and the soul, the center of the individual.


    With that, even if the quality of a cultivator''s cells could be improved, the quality of the soul could not do that unless someone''s soul absorbed a soul fragment left by someone else!


    But this was very difficult to happen since only those specialists at level 100 could separate a soul fragment, at the cost of their own life, leaving it behind...


    With only cultivation, one''s soul strength would be continually improved, up to one''s original limit. Still, the characteristic related to quality couldn''t be improved by leveling up!


    Anyway, due to these factors, increasing a person''s talent was almost impossible, but it was not so difficult to improve a family''s talent. That is why humanity, like the other races, had managed to reach the current point in history, where there was even the possibility of someone getting at level 100.


    As for spiritual beasts and elves, even though they are more compatible with spiritual energy than humans, they have also evolved their ''talents/lineages'' through the endless passage of time.


    But that was not the only factor that allowed humanity to continue to exist. No, there were other limitations related to this subject...


    Finally, Abby had been silent for almost a full minute, trying to get her mind in order. What she had heard from Minos actually made some sense. After all, any cultivator who has broken a stage a few times would know how fantastic the change brought with the spiritual cleansing was.


    It was not only a quantitative increase but also a qualitative improvement. Comparing a person before and after spiritual cleansing was like comparing an opaque glass with impurities produced in an archaic way, with the transparent, crystalline glass made in the best possible way, taking full advantage of the material''s potential.


    Because of that, even though she had no proof of what Minos was telling the truth, Abby thought it was really reasonable, considering all of this. She then put her thoughts aside and asked. "So, you want to improve the talent of the families in this place?"


    "Hmm, more or less. But for everyday work, there is no need for these people to be very talented, so it''s not a waste of me to invest in this place."


    "And these families can have their average talent improved quickly, so I can still have great harvests in the future, without depending on people from outside." He finished while he got up again and went to the kitchen of that apartment.


    While Abby sat there in that place, thinking about everything she had heard from him, Minos quickly made iced tea, bringing the cups to the kitchen counter.


    "Try this tea. You will feel great when you taste it." He said, indicating with his finger a blue cup filled with red liquid.


    "Ehh, thanks."


    "But Abby, let''s stop talking about my business... I want to know about you. How has your life in the Miller family been?"


    "OK, I have a lot of things to talk to you..." She said with a smile on her face as she started talking about her things with Minos.


    They were friends, and Minos and Abby hadn''t had much time to talk about it during the Spiritual Tournament. As a result, this was the perfect opportunity for the two to get to know a little more about the time when they were apart...


    The two talked for several hours, sometimes laughing, and at other times they had serious expressions on their faces, discovering each other''s personal experiences. And of course, Minos didn''t say anything about his biggest secret, the inheritance left by the God Henricus Longus...

 Chapter 186: What Happened to Her?

    Time passed quickly, and it had already dawned in the Dry City.


    After talking for several hours the night before, Minos had gone to the Spatial Kingdom to have a training session while the young Abby was resting in that same apartment as before.


    She took advantage of the rainy weather and slept peacefully until dawn.


    After that, Abby left to meet Eda right after eating to get out in the city and get to know the place better.


    Previously, they had arrived in the city of Minos and came directly to the mansion without having a chance to get to know this place better.


    Both were very curious about how much better this region was after the arrival of the young Stuart, so they both wanted to understand what had happened here.


    Anyway, after leaving the apartment where she was staying, Abby soon located her bodyguard through her own spiritual sense.


    Eda was wearing a simple green dress, different from the usual Miller family armor. After all, there were no immediate dangers in the place where they were.


    Anyway, she was sitting in front of a small fountain that was in the guest area of ??Minos'' mansion while her hair was loose in the air.


    As she approached her bodyguard, Abby could feel something different from Eda, as if she were less ''stressed'' or something... There was a smile on her face and a unique sparkle in the eyes of the young woman''s bodyguard.


    ''What happened to her?'' Abby asked herself. However, she soon put that thought aside when suddenly she heard Eda''s voice.


    "Miss Abby, do you want to go out and see this place? I''m curious to understand what happened here." She said as she got up, as soon as she saw the arrival of the young woman with blue hair.


    "Yes, let''s take a walk around the city."


    After that, they left the Dry City government mansion, following the streets of the central region of this town.


    They saw the public buildings they had noticed the day before during that brief passage through the city streets. At these establishments, they stopped to talk to some inhabitants and observe the movement in some places.


    But they found nothing crucial.


    After all, the average population of the Dry City did not know how Minos made possible all the changes that happened here. What they knew was that the changes were happening in the city, starting with agriculture and going on from there.


    After a while, they finally stopped in a public garden, where several trees were scattered, a water mirror in the middle of that place, with a small waterfall at the west end of that garden.


    A lawn stretched over almost half the land, with some paths made of stones of different types, where people could walk.


    They sat down on a wooden bench near the water mirror and began to talk.


    Eda sighed in astonishment and then began to speak. "I never thought that one day there would be cultures growing in these lands of the Black Plain..."


    "Hmm, it''s truly unbelievable. If I didn''t see all of this with my own eyes, I would never believe it at all!" Abby exclaimed.


    She had tasted the fruits sold in the Central Market and felt for herself the spiritual richness of the foods sold in the Dry City.


    She had even eaten the food produced in the Black Plain in the early morning, but she would never have thought it was a local product!


    She had found it strange that Minos would offer this kind of luxury to her since even in the Miller family, it was not common for people to have this type of daily food!


    But she thought it was just a polite gesture from one friend to the other. Not in Abby''s wildest dreams would she think that was standard in the Dry City!


    As a result, discovering this reality had deeply shocked Minos''s young friend, who at this moment did not understand how all this was possible.


    "But that is not all, miss Abby. Butler Dillian has also had his cultivation speed significantly increased!" Eda remembered this and promptly started reporting this information.


    She hadn''t immediately felt Dillian''s level. Still, after spending time together, she had finally had the curiosity to probe the butler''s spiritual power. And in doing so, Eda had been entirely shocked!


    Previously, the last time she had been with Dillian, he was only at level 44, while she was already at level 48 at that time. But surprisingly for Eda, Minos'' butler had already passed her and was already approaching level 50!


    This cultivation speed was particularly remarkable even for members of wealthy families in the north of the Central Continent. However, for just one subordinate, as was the case with Dillian, this was a ridiculous speed!


    With so few resources, lower-ranking techniques, and with so many responsibilities, subordinates of large families, like Eda, had a much harder time reaching the 6th stage of cultivation, Spiritual King.


    Abby then asked in surprise. "What? Did the butler Dillian also improve his cultivation speed?"


    She didn''t know about Dillian''s previous cultivation level, so she hadn''t realized it before. Because of this, Abby was increasingly surprised.


    ''Has Not only Minos'' speed improved but also that of his subordinates!'' She thought about it for a brief moment, coming to the following conclusion. "I think they must have gotten a Silver-grade cultivation technique!"


    "This... Is it even possible?" Eda asked in disbelief. Such a thing was precious, and even wealthy families with whom Abby came could not afford to have more than one of these Silver-grade techniques!


    But it seemed that this was not the case for Minos.


    And for an instant, Eda was envious of Dillian. ''Ahh, how lucky he is!'' She thought about it briefly.


    Abby then started to speak seriously. "Eda, you can''t talk about this place or anything related to Minos to anyone, okay?"


    "Why is that, Miss Abby? The Miller family would undoubtedly be happy to do business with the young Minos."


    "Hmm, but Minos doesn''t want that to happen, at least not for now." She said as she looked in the direction in which some children were playing and running in this garden where they were.


    "We''re going to be here for a while, so we''d better send word to my family that I''ll be in training for the next few months. But don''t mention anything about this place or about Minos, do you understand?"


    Eda then nodded in agreement and said. "Okay, Miss Abby. I will send a message that you will be training as we travel through the Kingdom of the Waves for the next few months."


    "Hmm, this is going to work." She agreed in satisfaction. Abby initially didn''t plan on staying in the Dry City for long, maybe just a few weeks.


    But after seeing the improvements that this place had undergone and the mystery involved in Minos'' achievements, she was now very interested in staying longer.


    But not only that, there were several services in the current Dry City that could improve her stay in this place a little while she could find out more about her old friend.


    And even though the city was still way behind where she came from, it wasn''t as much of a disadvantage for her to stay here longer than usual.


    As a young lady from a wealthy family, Abby had many crystals and good techniques, which allowed her to have a comfortable lifestyle, even here on the Black Plain. If she needed something, it would be enough for her to buy it at the Cohen family store.


    Abby was also a girl who liked to be with her friends, going out to dinner, and things like that. So, staying in a place with an old friend like Minos seemed pretty good to her.


    She was not yet at a point in cultivation where she could stay training for a long time without stopping. Because of this, she liked to enjoy her free time in the best possible way, having fun with a friend.


    But since Mona had gone to the Flaming Empire, Abby had lost her closest companion, with whom she went out to have fun.


    "Let''s take a look at these fields of culture. I heard that they are on the west side of the city." Abby said that just before getting up from the wooden bench she was sitting on.


    ...


    While Abby and Eda were gradually getting to know the Dry City, a group of men were sneaking around at different points of what appeared to be a seaport.


    There were some old boats moored on a wooden pier from which not far from there was a pier, with a small lighthouse.


    Other than that, there were several aged buildings on the opposite side of the coast from that place, as if it were a place abandoned by humanity.


    However, many people were passing through this place, dressed in old clothes, dirty to the point of driving people away with only the stench of sweat.


    But this was not commonplace at all. Screaming sounds could be heard from time to time, as well as strange laughter.


    And at this point, one of the people who were sneaking around in that place finally said. "Come on, that person has information about Sergeant Peter''s whereabouts!"

 Chapter 187: Peters News 1

    Currently, the sun had already set on the horizon, and the darkness of the night had already dominated the skies of the southwest coast of the Kingdom of the Waves.


    At this moment, in the small town where the 20 soldiers of the Black Plain Army were, the gloom of the night extended over a large part of that place.


    This was an extremely precarious environment, without any lighting array, with only a few fires on the streets of that town.


    In addition, the streets were narrow, dirty, and with several animals that live in precarious places like this.


    And coupled with the smell of garbage, the smoke from the fires, there was a noise in most of that place, which was basically a mixture of screams of pain, crying, and sometimes, strange laughter.


    Two days ago, Minos'' soldiers had arrived in this city following the trail left by the pirates who had kidnapped Sergeant Peter.


    It was not difficult to track these people since, unlike Minos, these men had no concern with hiding their movements...


    With that, after several days of investigation, the group of Sergeants had finally arrived in this coastal city, where several groups of bandits and pirates were congregating.


    And in these two days, the group had calmly observed this place, checking the strength of the people around here and getting to know the area little by little.


    This was a city without a name, which had been abandoned long ago. However, at some point in the more recent history of the north of the Central Continent, this place had become a crossing point for those related to the Black Market in this region.


    There were some cities as it is all over the region, where criminals could sell, exchange, transfer, and get transportation for their ''items.''


    Anyway, it didn''t take long until the soldiers coming from the Dry City finally got a trail left by those pirates who kidnapped Peter.


    They had discovered one person who knows that pirate gang in this city, and they were preparing at this moment to ''meet'' this person.


    The soldiers had snuck for several hours in the coastal part of this small town while waiting for the right moment to ambush their prey.


    The group could not simply act hastily since the number of marginals in the 5th stage of cultivation in this place was not something they could handle alone.


    Because of this, after knowing that this person could have crucial information about Peter''s whereabouts, the groups coming from the Black Plain had started to prepare themselves to act decisively, attacking quickly and silently.


    At this moment, while the 20 soldiers were lurking in the darkness of that seaport, a man was walking along the coast, carrying a bottle in his left hand, wearing only shorts.


    When they saw this, one of the soldiers suddenly gave a signal, while someone said in a low voice. "Come on, let''s act quickly. We''ll leave the interrogation for later!"


    After that was said, half the group stood by in the same places they were, as they looked around, ensuring that there was no one else in this place.


    On the other hand, the other half was advancing silently through that seaport, gradually closing in on their target.


    This man in question was at level 45 and appeared to be one of the few permanent inhabitants of this nameless city. Maybe that''s why he dared to walk around alone, even in a place full of outcasts, as was the case in this city...


    But even though he was powerful by the standards of this place, Minos'' soldiers were confident of beating him. Unlike people who at most had Blue-grade techniques, as was the case with bandits and minor pirates, the young Stuart''s subordinates had access to Black-grade techniques!


    Such a thing was only seen in members of great noble families in this part of the Central Continent!


    Combined with superior technique, the group of soldiers was also in more significant numbers, so they had the best chances here!


    Anyway, the group gradually managed to surround the target, when suddenly that man stopped in the middle of that coast, feeling that he was being ambushed.


    "Oh? Who are you?" He suddenly looked at one of the silhouettes in the darkness of that place while he had an expression of interest on his face.


    As someone at level 45, there weren''t many people in this city who could challenge him. And when he perceives that a group of 10 people, who were only at level 42,  gathered around him, made this man very curious about the origin of these individuals.


    However, this man made a mistake in underestimating his opponents and letting his guard down for them, asking unnecessary questions.


    Before he could continue to ask further issues, the ten soldiers who had surrounded him used all the spiritual cultivation they had to oppress their opponent.


    They did not want to attract the attention of the bandits and pirates who were in that city, making a noisy fight. Therefore, they had chosen to pursue this subject with a different approach.


    Any cultivator could use his spiritual power to pressure something or someone. This was like a cultivation battle, in which the more abundant side oppressed the other. The consequence of this was spiritual consumption on both sides, and whoever reached his limit first would be knocked out by the opposing spiritual force.


    But this was not useful in fights, where one side had to have the best possible performance. Using spiritual energy to pressure an opponent was considered a waste since it did not pose a risk of death to the opponent, causing only extreme exhaustion.


    Anyway, at that moment, the ten levels 42 cultivators poured out their entire energy to pressure their target, creating what looked like a set of colorful hands that floated over that man, making him look like he was under the influence of gravity much higher than usual.


    Upon feeling this, the man immediately understood what was happening and used his own cultivation to counter the opponents. ''Miserable cowards, using a stupid tactic like that with me!''


    It''s not that he didn''t want to attack Minos'' soldiers with his battle techniques, but it would be even worse for him if he did that. The group that was attacking had already pressed him with everything they had. If this man didn''t defend himself in the same way, he would be knocked out without a chance to fight!


    All this because he had let his guard down for these enemies.


    And as he did, a big black palm appeared coming from the man''s direction, trying to push the set of hands that were trying to press him.


    But that was futile. With such a numerical disadvantage, it was a matter of just a few seconds until drops of sweat appeared on the man''s forehead while his face was tremendously pale.


    ''Shit!''


    Puff!


    At that moment, the spiritual confrontation had finally come to an end, when the set of colored palms had destroyed the black hand that attacked them.


    "Ahh!"


    That man let out a brief cry of pain when he finally lost his consciousness in the middle of that place.


    "Let''s go quickly, get this guy and let''s head into the woods east of this place!" One of the soldiers spoke in a low voice so that only the people in this place could hear him.


    ...


    Sometime later, a group of 21 men was in the middle of a dense forest, while a fire lit the surroundings of where they were.


    The night was cold, and the sound of the wind passing through the trees could be heard clearly.


    In that place, the group was spread around that fire. Some of them watched the surroundings, others sitting and eating while resting from the previous dispute.


    Finally, a middle-aged man was lying on the ground in that place, next to the fire. He was still unconscious and had a chain around his neck, which was sealing his cultivation.


    This was the man ambushed earlier, and the 20 others around this place were Minos'' soldiers.


    And after a while, finally, one of the soldiers said something, breaking the silence of that place. "Look, he''s waking up!"


    Hearing this, other soldiers sitting and resting there shifted their attention and prepared for what was to come.


    The man then blinked his eyes quickly, trying to understand what had happened, as he turned from side to side.


    ''Shit, my cultivation is sealed!'' He deeply regretted feeling the leash around his neck.


    At that moment, one of the Sergeants in the group sat in front of that man and began to speak. "If you want to live to see tomorrow, you better not hide anything from us!"


    "Hide something from you? Who are you? Why did you attack me out of nowhere?" he asked angrily.


    Pow!


    "Ahh!"


    However, the answer he got was a kick in the stomach, which made him cough up a mouthful of blood.


    "You don''t ask the questions here!" The soldier who had attacked him said with a menacing expression on his face.


    Soon after that, Dumas, the leader of these soldiers, spoke again. "One of our comrades was kidnapped by a pirate group that passed through this city a few days ago."

 Chapter 188: Peters News 2

    "A group of pirates? There are several around here!" The man brandished.


    "Hmm, we know that. But this specific group, its members had tattoos like this..." Dumas then showed a paper with a design that had a red triangle.


    The group of soldiers who had been dispatched for this mission had discovered this through the lost limb of one of the two pirates who had died in the fight against Peter.


    There was a tattoo like the one Dumas had shown the man in front of them on the arm left behind on the battlefield.


    And when talking to the coachman who had accompanied the group of soldiers in the investigation of the place of the fight, that old man had said that he knew about this pirate group.


    According to that old man, the group that kidnapped Peter operated in various parts of the north of the Central Continent for a long time. But what could easily distinguish them from others was precisely the tattoos that their members displayed, almost as if it were a badge of pride.


    Some had more than one of these tattoos, sometimes on their backs, arms and some more exaggerated ones did it on their own foreheads!


    So, Dumas was sure that this man, who appeared to be one of the managers of this seaport town, had to know something about the passage of those people that through here with Peter.


    Finally, seeing the image drawn on an old sheet of paper, that man made a serious face for a moment, recognizing the pirate group which these people were talking about.


    He actually knew about these individuals. After all, he hated them deeply.


    Even for thugs, complete chaos was not good for their business and everyday life. And this man, as one of the local managers, didn''t want to have to solve problems all the time, on account of hot-blooded people, who cause trouble at the slightest sign of misunderstanding.


    And the pirates of the group in question, well, they could be considered the most arrogant in the business!


    Although this pirate group from the north of the Central Continent was only a branch of the original group, its members were still very proud to be part of an organization from one of the strongest places on the Central Continent!


    It made them feel a sense of invincibility, that nothing could go wrong for them...


    And as a result, common bandits who wanted to live with a minimum of order, as was the case with this man who Minos'' soldiers had kidnaped, had to endure the unbridled attitudes of those pirates!


    After a while of thinking, the man on the floor of that dark forest suddenly burst out laughing and then started to speak. "Hahaha, so is it one of those pests you''re talking about? Don''t worry. I''ll tell you everything I know!"


    "Two weeks ago, this group that you are following arrived in this city where we were."


    "But the group wasn''t complete. Two of the pirates who normally traveled with them weren''t with the group." The man said as he sat on the floor of that place, sometimes looking at the fire, sometimes watching Sergeant Dumas who was near him.


    "What did they do around here?" Another soldier asked doubtfully.


    "Cough, ehh, they were gathering captives and transporting them to their ship, which was docked in this town. However, after they arrived two weeks ago, they had finally completed all the spaces on the ship and then no longer hung around."


    "And where did they go? Do you know?" Dumas asked.


    He then replied sincerely. "Hehehe, I can''t say where they are at this moment, but I know they went to the Black Market in the Cromwell Kingdom."


    "Why do you think that?"


    "Because thee told me."


    The Cromwell Kingdom had numerous transactions with pirates and bandits from the Black Market, which were usually on the coast of these territories.


    And the slave trade was one of the main activities in those places!


    The Cromwell Kingdom had several families willing to buy captives in the slave markets. The main commercial activity of this state was agriculture, one of the areas that had the most potential for forced labor!


    It was not difficult to get the captives to cultivate the fields. After all, it didn''t require a great deal of knowledge, nor a good foundation for cultivation!


    With that, the slaves could be controlled almost perfectly, with no chance to escape, since they were usually much weaker than their ''owners,'' just as they were a cheap labor force!


    With that, the Cromwell Kingdom ended up following the path of development through the enslavement of thousands of people throughout its history.


    However, in recent history, slavery has not been so alarming since there has been no significant conflict on a regional scale in this part of the Central Continent.


    Anyway, after hearing that man''s answer, Dumas stopped to think for a moment while closing his eyes and feeling the light breeze of the night. ''Well, by now, these outlaws should be almost on the slave market in the Cromwell Kingdom...''


    He then asked with a grim expression. "And what happens to those captives with Black talent?"


    "Black talent, huh? Well, cough, they''re sold directly to the big local noble families. After that, anything can happen. Sometimes one of these talented captives ends up becoming an attraction to the nobles, fighting for their lives in arenas, as a form of entertainment, or even becoming human cauldrons, there are many possibilities..."


    Hearing this, all 20 soldiers looked at that man with strange faces, thinking about what he had just said.


    Turning over a human cauldron was the term used for those individuals who were used by dual cultivators, having their cultivation bases slowly sucked up and transformed into spiritual strength for dual cultivators.


    In the Spiritual World, dual cultivation was frowned upon in practice. It focused on stealing the other party''s spiritual energy during sex through cultivation techniques focused on this aspect.


    Thus, noble families focused on this type of practice often used talented slaves or captives for this. First, victims were forced to take pills and spiritual medicines, increasing their cultivation quickly, if they were much weaker than the dual cultivator that bought them.


    Lastly, they would finally be used to strengthen those members of that family of double cultivators until all the cultivation of them was sucked away!


    "What a terrible thing!" One of the soldiers muttered under his breath.


    "Ah, there is also the possibility that they will use your friend to reproduce with other slaves. This should be the better for him..." The man said, not showing much feeling on his face.


    This was another practice of those families. In fact, this was similar to what happened with high-potential spiritual beasts, as in the case of Emlyn.


    Some noble families kidnapped couples of spiritual beasts and waited until the offsprings were born. After that, they would kill the parents and raise the newborn, making him believe he never had a family before...


    With talented slaves, the same happened. Captive men and women were drugged with stimulants and ended up ''breeding.'' And by doing this for a certain amount of time, there was a high possibility that a pregnancy would happen.


    And with this, the parents would be killed, while the children would be raised within those families, not knowing anything about what had happened...


    With that, both spiritual beasts, as humans, when being created by these families, would be entirely loyal to them and worth much more than slaves or intelligent beasts that could rebel!


    "Hmm, do you know which noble families usually get involved in slavery?"


    "Not exactly, but I know that the Reid family of Kingdom of the Waves, which is one of the slave families in our region, has strong ties to the Chambers family of the Cromwell Kingdom. So, I believe that the Chambers family must be involved in this, too. "


    "OK." After saying this, Dumas walked away from that man and met with other Black Plains Army soldiers to discuss the matter.


    "So, what do we do next, boss? Can we trust this man?" one of the Sergeants asked.


    However, before Dumas could say anything, someone else in the group took the initiative and said. "Chief Dumas, I believe that man was telling the truth. I used my innate ability, Soul Noises, the entire time, but I didn''t feel any bad intentions from him."


    This soldier who had spoken had an innate support-type ability that could check variations that could occur in a person''s soul.


    "Oh? Well, that''s good."


    Dumas then continued. "We will start by sending four soldiers back to headquarters to inform the young master. At the same time, the rest of us will travel to the Cromwell Kingdom, towards the Black Market on the coast of that state."


    Dumas wanted to start tracking Peter''s whereabouts in that place as soon as possible, as he didn''t want to take too much risk of that young man ending up being turned into a cauldron before they could save him!


    "As for this man we kidnapped, we''re going to knock him out and drop him off in one of the towns we pass so he can''t track us." He finished while looking sideways at that man.


    Despite being a criminal, that person hadn''t really done anything against them and had even responded willingly. So, Dumas didn''t want to kill someone without good reason, as there wasn''t much of a chance this guy would cause trouble for the Black Plain!

 Chapter 189: A Good Brother

    While most of the Minos troops were traveling south from where they were to the coast of Cromwell Kingdom, the other four members of the party were already returning to the Dry City.


    They will deliver the information they had gathered thus far, so Minos could make his decisions.


    Meanwhile, in a specific region of the Kingdom of the Waves, near the capital of this state, there was a great metropolis that was almost as brilliant as the Capital City, which Minos had gone through during the Spiritual Tournament.


    In this region, in the noblest section of the city, there was a vast land surrounded by numerous towering trees, some of which reached 50 meters in height and that could hide everything that happens there from the rest of the city.


    This was a place with lots of people, buildings of different styles, and a lawn with a significant symbol drawn, looking like a deer.


    Anyway, at one point on this property, a half-naked woman was lying beside a large swimming pool with her back turned upside down. At the same time, her perky buttocks were exposed to the world as if it were a flawless work of art.


    The only piece of clothing that covered her body was her red panties, tiny, to the point of only protecting her little sister, leaving everything else visible to whoever was there...


    On the young woman''s side, there was a small table with some drinks and the young woman''s bra, while a man who didn''t look more than 20-years-old stood beside that woman, rubbing his hands in a creamy substance.


    "Mmm~"


    He then quickly used his hands to rub that substance on the woman''s back while massaging her smooth skin, making her produce some pleasant noises.


    For a while, the man did this until he finally began to massage her perfect buttocks, occasionally running one of his fingers under her panties.


    "Mmm~"


    However, before the thing evolved to a new level, the woman regained her thoughts and got up from there, pulling away from the man''s hands.


    "Christian, I already said that I would not do this to you until my husband''s death is avenged!" She said with a resolute look on her face.


    It had been nearly a year since her husband''s death, but no relevant information had been discovered. And like a good wife, this woman wanted revenge. After all, she loved him...


    The man then lost the longing look he had on his face a moment ago and looked at this beautiful woman in front of him. "Misty, do you think I don''t want to avenge my brother''s death? Father is already doing everything he can to find out what happened. Still, little Tristram was murdered in the middle of a mountain! It is not easy, nor fast, to solve a crime with this characteristic!"


    This was Tristram''s older brother, Christian Reid, level 45, Black talent, 23-years-old.


    As a ''good'' older brother, Christian had decided to take care of his late brother''s wife the moment he found out what had happened. In fact, he had weighed on it a little before, but fate happened to surprise him, leaving a young, beautiful, and ''needs'' woman behind, a widow, in need of a friendly shoulder...


    But Misty, despite never refusing Christian''s advances as long as he didn''t go overboard, seemed to have had feelings for Tristram and wanted revenge!


    But unfortunately for Christian, it was challenging to unravel the mysteries behind what had happened at the Peak of the Fog. After all, at that time, there were only 18 people in that place, including Minos, Ruth, Oswald, and the two murdered individuals.


    But although witnesses were not few, they were all difficult to access.


    Minos and Ruth were the killers, so they obviously weren''t going to go around spreading the word.


    Oswald, the master of the Gray Cloud Sect, didn''t give a damn what happened in the north of the Central Continent.


    And as for the others, they were all members of noble families from different parts of this region. And even if one of them wanted to talk, it would still be tough to track them down, as there really wasn''t much evidence left behind!


    Because of all this, even though the Reid family struggled to avenge the death of one of their most talented members, they hadn''t discovered much.


    All they discovered was that at that time, the event that resulted in the young Tristram''s death was a competition for Warrior-grade medicine.


    But even though they got to that old man who sold the Rainbow Fruit information, no one had left any names behind...


    And just with the appearance of the suspects, that wasn''t enough for the Reid family to find those responsible.


    Hell, even if they decided to kill everyone involved, they would still have to look for 16 people out of over 2 billion people!


    Anyway, after hearing Christian''s justification, Misty turned to him and then bit her full lips while using her right hand to feel her left nipple, using her remaining hand to rub her little sister, who was covered by the girl''s tiny panties.


    Seeing Misty''s devilish form, Christian was dazzled for a moment, enjoying this beautiful image. Desire was building deep in his being, and he was eager to be able to touch his dead brother''s woman.


    This wasn''t something new to him. No, even before Misty and Tristram''s marriage, Christian had always had the fetish of taking this woman and fucking her wildly.


    So, he couldn''t wait to fulfill his every wish with her!


    However, when Christian started to approach the seductive Misty, she threw a bucket of cold water at the young man''s desire. "You want to fuck me, right? But that will never happen unless Tristram''s death is avenged!"


    She then took her right hand away from her little sister and passed it in front of Christian''s nose, leaving right after that. "When this wish of mine is fulfilled, I will do whatever you want."


    At the same time, Christian was inebriated by the fragrance he had felt from Misty''s fingers, feeling a fiery glow deep within his being.


    "Damn it. I have to solve this problem!" He thought about it as he stared at Misty''s flawless body as she walked away from that spot.


    ...


    While Christian had his ambition further motivating him, a few days had passed since Abby''s arrival in the Dry City.


    At this point, the immigration from the City of Waters had already started, and soon, the first batch of a thousand people coming from that place would finally be complete!


    This was an essential fact for the territory of Minos, as before this period, in the six months that had passed previously, the number of people who moved to the Dry City had been minimal!


    And this had created a labor shortage in the region, with many people working two, three, and even four jobs!


    Of course, it wasn''t bad for some people to have so many occupations, but that wasn''t ideal for the city as a whole. Because of this, the massive arrival of new inhabitants would give vent to the stress caused by local growth, at least in the short term.


    And meanwhile, Minos'' guests, Abby and Eda, were very well accommodated here. They had already known the entire city and the services offered here, as well as getting used to the local rhythm.


    It wasn''t so bad for them to live around here. After all, there was already a cultivation room for visitors to the Minos mansion, which was equivalent to a 5th stage cultivation room, present in Cultivation Towers spread across the north of the Central Continent.


    Anyway, in Abby''s and Minos'' free time, the two always ate together or went out to talk. They really got along great and were excellent friends.


    But the young Stuart has made no progress with her at this time in his plans to ''evolve'' their relationship. There were no feelings of love or passion between the two, but Minos felt he could have a colorful friendship with Abby.


    And that would be really interesting for him. After all, Abby was charming, and she was someone he got along with and even felt he could trust.


    However, the young girl from the Milles family seemed to be much more complicated than he had previously anticipated...


    And as for Eda, well, she was getting along very well with the butler Dillian, just as they did at the time of those two youngsters'' Spiritual Academy...


    Anyway, nothing very relevant had happened since Abby and Eda had arrived in the Dry City. Just the usual thing about managing a growing territory.


    ...


    On the west side of the Dry City wall, there was a chariot racing through the decrepit terrain in the unregenerated part of the common ground of the Black Plain.


    The four Sergeants who had been ordered to return to the Dry City and report what they had learned about the young Peter''s case were finally arriving back in Minos-controlled territory!


    They had gone all the way from the southwest coast of the Kingdom of the Waves to the Dry City, stopping only to rest.


    And finally, days after starting this urgent return, the group was about to enter the gates of the Dry City wall!

 Chapter 190: Rescue Mission

    At this time, the day was sunny in the Dry City, around 30o Celsius (86oF), with winds that came and went, alleviating the thermal sensation of people passing through the city''s streets.


    And even though it was much warmer than usual, the movement in Minos town was quite hectic, as it had been since this place began to receive investments from the young Stuart.


    Many people in the city had at least two jobs, so a large part of the population spent little time at home, with nothing to do.


    Because of this, the approximately 130 thousand local inhabitants spent most of the day in the vicinity of the Dry City, generating an unusual vivacity for a small place like this one.


    And while the ordinary population of this town went about their daily business, Minos was in his office in the mansion in the center of the city.


    He was sitting in the armchair behind a large table as he looked at the three people in front of him.


    In addition to the butler Dillian, who was present at this place, there was a man and a woman, both middle-aged, seated on the opposite side of Minos'' table.


    The man looked ordinary and had an unflattering outfit that would certainly allow him to blend in with the Dry City crowd.


    As for the woman, despite her unremarkable beauty, she still had a sense of nobility, not only because of the gray silk dress she wore but also because of the way she carried herself.


    Anyway, these two were working together on the construction of a new building in the Dry City. The man was the head of the group of masons that would develop the building, while the woman was the designer responsible for the project.


    At Elen''s request, this lady came from Stone Island to develop public buildings in the Dry City. She had been living in this location for almost four months and had already participated in several local projects.


    At this moment, Dillian, who was sitting in a chair next to those two people, suddenly said. "Miss Judy, how is the development of the Dry City Tower going?"


    "So far, I''ve prepared about 50% of the project, but I still need two more months to finish it. This is extensive work, which needs a lot of planning time." She responded without showing any change in her composure.


    The building Dillian was talking about was a construction needed to house a set of defensive arrays in the Dry City. However, for this type of array, it was not enough to just put it into operation. No, defensive arrays needed to have a support structure so that they could act!


    Therefore, there was a need to build a tower in the middle of the protected area and several other parts within the limits that the arrays would work.


    Only with that, this type of spiritual item could work correctly.


    And precisely because of all these requirements, there was a need for a design to planning this type of building.


    Right after she spoke, Minos nodded, saying. "Well, there''s no rush for now. We still don''t have all the crystals to buy this defensive array... Anyway, Mr. Randall, after the project is ready, how long will it take for this tower to be built?"


    "Two years, young master. Even if we increase the workforce offered in the city, this deadline should not change. There are many parts of the construction of this tower, which need to be done little by little for the structure to be functional." He said while scratching his black beard.


    "Hmm, two years is good enough."


    And in fact, two years was not a long time for the Dry City to gain protection. After all, the protective array set, like the one the young Stuart wanted to buy, cost 40 million low-grade spiritual crystals!


    Because of this price, considering Dry City''s operating costs, it would take some time before Minos'' forces could afford that cost at once!


    Time passed, and the group chatted about various other topics when Dillian finally asked about something that interested him. "Eh, to finish, I want to know how the hos..."


    However, as he was speaking, Secretary Mia rushed into the room, making Dillian stop talking before he even finished his question.


    She then ran to Minos'' side and said in a low voice. "Young Master, 4 of the 20 Sergeants, who went out to investigate the kidnapping of Sergeant Peter, are outside the room, waiting to report their findings to you."


    Hearing this, Minos frowned, realizing why Mia seemed so agitated when she walked into his office. He then said. "Ehh, Miss Judy, Mr. Randall, let''s finish talking about this another time. Sorry, but I''ll have to deal with another matter now."


    "Haha, no problem, young master, we are at your disposal." Randall replied, quickly getting up and saying goodbye to the group.


    As for that lady of noble attitude, she too quickly left Minos''s office, soon after saying goodbye politely.


    Dillian then asked in curiosity as he looked at Mia. "What happened?"


    But instead of saying something, Minos himself intervened. "Mia, have them come here." He then looked at Dillian and said, at the same time, that the secretary would leave that place. "Grandpa Dillian looks like we''ll have some news from Peter."


    "Oh? That''s nice! Our forces cannot lose a young talent like him."


    And it wasn''t long before the four men who had returned to the Dry City, after weeks of investigation, entered that place.


    Immediately, they greeted Minos and Dillian as they stood opposite the young Stuart''s table.


    Minos then said. "One of you, tell me what happened."


    Hearing this, the man who appeared to be the oldest of the group took a step forward and then began to speak. "Young master, after we left the Dry City, just over a month ago..."


    That man then began to report everything that had happened since their group had left the Dry City. He talked about the fight''s location, where Peter had killed two pirates and was eventually kidnapped.


    Obviously, the soldier talked about the tattoo on the arm left by one of the pirates, which was precisely the same as the symbol Emlyn had described to Minos.


    ''These pirates again?'' He thought about it right after hearing such information. But Minos did not interrupt that Sergeant''s speech and continued to listen to the report.


    And not long after, that man had finally talked about the most recent events, which had taken place in the vicinity of that seaside town, route of pirates and bandits in the region.


    "So, Peter was taken to the Cromwell Kingdom, huh?"


    "Yes, young master. According to the man we interrogated, that group went to the Cromwell Kingdom Black Market, which is on the northwest coast of that place." The soldier confirmed it.


    "Ahh, what a disgrace to Peter!" Dillian finally said something, regretting what might have happened to Peter in the meantime.


    Who knows what Peter had already been through... As a slave, most likely, he was being beaten daily, eating the pirates'' food scraps, and living in degrading conditions...


    That''s, of course, if he hadn''t already been sold. If that were the case, then his situation could be even more dangerous.


    While life in captivity on slave ships was hard, at least there was a guarantee that they would live for tomorrow. After all, a dead slave was of no value to those pirates!


    However, after being sold, there was no guarantee of survival. A captive could either be killed on the same day they were bought, if he got unlucky with his buyer, as he could live for decades if he were lucky...


    Who knows if it would be lucky, some would undoubtedly prefer to be dead...


    After hearing everything that soldier had to report, Minos had a severe expression on his face as he thought about what he should do next. ''If I send a group to the Cromwell Kingdom, the force wouldn''t be an issue unless a Spiritual King was involved... But any decision they''d have to have my approval...''


    ''Although I have passed on many ideas to these soldiers, through the army''s geopolitics classes, I doubt that they would act against large noble families, without my ordering... In this case, I just have to go along on this rescue mission!''


    ''Besides, if a Spiritual King gets involved, with me there, the party can still fight and win¡­'' He said nothing for a full minute as he counted on his fingers and thought about what he should do.


    With Minos'' current strength and also the possibility for Emlyn to help him unless someone above level 54 showed up, he and the fox could combine forces to deal with individuals below that level!


    Therefore, Minos thought that going with his soldiers was the best alternative, aiming to increase the mission''s success rate and lessen the possibility of losses by the Black Plain Army.


    He then finally said. "Okay, let''s form a group to go on a rescue mission. I will command them, and we will be out in a week."

 Chapter 191: A Sudden Offer

    After finishing talking with the four soldiers who had come to report the matter, Minos and Dillian continued there in the office, talking about how to proceed with it.


    The butler was sitting on one of the sofas in that room while he had a worried look on his face. After all, this was no small matter!


    The problem was related to the Black Market and the slave trade in the north of the Central Continent!


    This involved several powers in the region, which used the services provided by these means on their properties and financed some groups of pirates and criminals.


    Therefore, Minos would directly act against the interests of many people by trying to regain Peter''s freedom!


    "Young master, how many soldiers do you want to take on this mission?"


    Minos, who was standing on the side of the balcony in that room, looking out over the city, then answered. "I think 40 Sergeants will be enough, considering that another 16 are already heading to the coast of the Cromwell Kingdom."


    Considering that every soldier in the Black Plains Army had Black-grade techniques, each level 42 Sergeant would be a little stronger than an ordinary cultivator, with level 45 Blue-grade techniques.


    Because of that, considering Minos'' numbers, unless there were many Spiritual Generals above level 46 in their path, it shouldn''t be much of a problem for the Minos party to deal with this situation.


    After all, people with equivalent techniques and higher levels than Minos'' army Sergeants weren''t such numbers. Obviously, there were many across the north of the Central Continent. But, he wasn''t going to fight the entire continent in this journey, only the power that was with Peter.


    Because of this, Minos thought that using an assault strategy, with these numbers, their group could regain Peter''s freedom.


    Of course, problems could happen, and that was why he was going with them on this trip. After reaching level 42, Minos was confident of fighting and defeating a level 49 cultivator alone and even holding a level 50 Spiritual King!


    This, of course, considering that these individuals had, at most, Black-grade techniques.


    "Hmm, I see..." Dillian commented in a low voice while doing some calculations on his fingers. That was a significant force for the Dry City, but it shouldn''t be a problem if they were away for a few weeks.


    A new enlistment of soldiers for the Black Plains Army would soon occur, further increasing the current contingent.


    Even although the army only had a little more than 200 Spiritual Generals at this time, with the improvements done in the Dry City, the continual arrival of new residents, and the army''s Corporals actively cultivating, it wouldn''t be long until that number doubled.


    And after thinking about it calmly for a few moments, Dillian finally sighed and then said. "If there was more time, we could send an even stronger group in 1 month..."


    "Hmm, but we can''t wait, unfortunately..."


    After that, Dillian went about his daily chores while Minos went to the Spatial Kingdom. He wanted to talk to Emlyn about the possibility that he might need her help soon, making her prepared if this happened.


    But he wasn''t just making this visit to talk about serious matters. Tiny Kyla was very attached to the young Stuart and treated him like a real big brother. So, whenever he had time, Minos would see her, feed her, and sometimes even play with Kyla.


    The two youths, Lee and Alison, were not always in the Spatial Kingdom, and Kyla felt a little depressed. She wasn''t like her mother, who knew that this place, while tedious, was perfect for them.


    Sure, she had that instinct, but she also wanted to do other things, like go out and explore unknown territories.


    ...


    After training in the Spatial Kingdom, Minos took some time to rest in this place, and at that moment, he was lying on the grass beside the big house near the lake, which was in that place.


    As he looked up at the blue sky of the Spatial Kingdom, breathing in the natural air there, there was a small fox with him, resting his head on the young Stuart''s belly.


    "Au! Au!"


    Kyla then brandished something in her beast language as she looked at Minos with her little twinkling eyes.


    Hearing his little friend brandishing something, Minos ran his right hand over Kyla''s head and then looked over to Emlyn''s side and asked. "What is she saying?"


    "She said she wants to go out and see the outside."


    "Oh?" he exclaimed as he lifted his body from that place and sat there. He then took the furry body of the little fox and placed it in his lap at the same time as he began to massage Kyla''s belly.


    "So, you''re growing up and want to go out, huh?" He said, seeing Kyla closing her little eyes as if she was enjoying Minos''s massage.


    "But it''s not time yet. You''re only level 27. But since you want to hang out so much, I''ll let you hang out around Dry City for a bit when you get to level 40 and can communicate in human language." He said as he continued to rub Kyla''s fur.


    The entry of people into the Dry City was controlled, so it would be relatively safe for her, as long as Kyla didn''t go out too long and didn''t leave the city limits.


    With that, she could kill some of her desire to see different places.


    "As for other places, when we are traveling in isolated places, I can let you and your mother accompany me. All right?" He asked as he turned the fox in his arms and looked into her small eyes.


    After hearing her mother''s translation, Kyla wailed in bliss while vigorously swaying her three tails.


    "Au! Au! Au!"


    ...


    A few hours passed, and Minos had already left the Spatial Kingdom.


    At this time, the young Stuart was having dinner with his friend Abby in a large dining room. But the two weren''t alone. Besides them, Dillian and Eda were also here, sitting on opposite sides, side by side with Minos and Abby, respectively.


    There were many delicacies on the table, with some plates of pasta, several leaves, and different types of salads, besides, of course, the meat of spiritual beast.


    But not only that, there was a grilled fish file on the table, with an orange color that was very inviting and would undoubtedly make anyone salivate and want to try it.


    Fishing was not a very developed activity in the Minos region. However, some fishermen in the Dry City still occasionally managed to sell 2nd stage aquatic spiritual beasts!


    And as a big fan of meat from this type of beast, whenever he could, Minos had this option on his personal menu...


    Anyway, the four of them were there eating and drinking, dressed casually but still nobly. After all, it was difficult for people brought up by the nobility to ignore some customs.


    And as for this occasion in question, since the arrival of the two women of the Miller family in the Dry City, even though they didn''t meet at every meal, the group had always dined together, talking about everyday things and cultivating.


    And at that moment, Minos decided to talk about something that had been on his mind for the past few days. "Abby, why don''t you join the Black Plains Army?"


    After those words were said, silence hung over that dining room while the other three people there had strange reactions on their faces. Even Dillian couldn''t help but finding Minos''s sudden offer odd.


    ''Ahh! Like his father, the young master always gets straight to the point in these matters¡­" The butler thought about it, remembering the time he''d followed the late General Albert.


    Like Minos, Albert was also very dry in his offers. If he liked someone and saw that it would be good to attract that person to his side, he wouldn''t waste a lot of time with small talk. He would simply make his offers, just like Minos.


    Or rather, Minos did as his father did...


    Anyway, as Dillian reminisced about the past, Abby and Eda were shocked by the young Stuart''s proposition. In addition to being sudden, it was utterly incoherent. ''Had he forgotten about the Miller family?'' They both thought about it.


    And after a while of silence, Eda finally took the initiative and spoke with a stern expression. "Young Minos, are you aware of what you have just proposed?"


    "I invited her to my army." He said without any change in his expression as if this was something completely normal for him...


    At this point, Eda was quite red, feeling irritated, as if Minos was playing with her. "What you''re asking Miss Abby is something that goes against all Miller family rules!"


    At the same time, as Eda tried to show how absurd Minos''s offer was, Abby was looking at him with wide eyes. ''You ask me to betray my family with this cocky face? Aren''t you ashamed?''

 Chapter 192: Betraying the Family and Spitting on the Ancestors

    While Eda stood there in her place with an angry face and Abby looked confused by Minos''s offer, the young Stuart was quietly in his place, eating as if nothing much was happening.


    He then took a piece of the fish to his mouth, at the same time as he watched the two women from the opposite side of the table where they were.


    After a while, he finally broke the silence and said, looking at Eda. "You talk like I''m asking her to betray her family and spit on her ancestors..."


    "And isn''t that basically what you asked for?" She snapped.


    "Of course it is not. A few months ago, ehh, that other girl from the Miller family, what was her name again?" He looked at Abby and asked.


    "Mona."


    "That''s right, Mona. Didn''t she go to the Flaming Empire to join one of the sects?"


    Hearing this, Abby gave Minos a strange look, as if she were asking him to stop joking.


    How ridiculous, he was now comparing the Black Plains Army to the sects of the Flaming Empire!


    "You weren''t arrogant before¡­" She sighed inwardly, regretting the personality the young Stuart had acquired¡­ Not only did he want to court his own friend, but he also had delusions of grandeur.


    At least that''s what Abby saw...


    She then decided to speak, trying to suppress her displeasure. "It''s completely different. The sects of the Flaming Empire are high-level powers and do not require their members to abandon their families!"


    Soon after, Eda completed Abby''s speech. "Not to mention that they are much stronger than the families in our region! It is an honor for any power in these areas to have one of its members join one of the sects of that empire!"


    Meanwhile, Dillian stood there sipping a glass of wine, intently watching the three of them talk. In a way, he was even having fun with it.


    After the initial surprise caused by Minos''s sudden offer, the butler had regained his bearings. After all, as he knew of the young Stuart''s potential and how far the Black Plain could go in the future, that proposal really wasn''t arrogant.


    In fact, the sects of the Flaming Empire could be proud that Minos was comparing them to him!


    But Dillian understood that these two women from the Miller family wouldn''t see it that way and would even think Minos was too arrogant.


    After all, they were in the impoverished north of the Central Continent!


    Even if the Black Plain was improving and even though Minos'' cultivation speed was excellent, it would certainly be limited at some point.


    For them, when Minos reached the 6th cultivation stage, Spiritual King, his cultivation speed would be significantly reduced, and he probably wouldn''t make it to level 60 unless he left the region and went to an empire!


    This is because there were no regions of high spiritual concentration in the area where they were. Therefore, there were no natural resources in the region that was capable of helping Spiritual Kings to break through to the next stage of cultivation.


    That''s why, for them, Minos would stop being so impressive in the future!


    And as for the Black Plain, however, good things were going, this region would still be limited by the level of this part of the Central Continent. Since, typically, places like this didn''t increase spiritual concentration overtime for no reason...


    Anyway, Minos then looked at Abby and spoke again. "It''s not as different as you think. I''ll give you the same rights you would have in one of the Flaming Empire sects..."


    He stopped for a moment and smiled. "No, not really. If you went to one of the sects, you would be one of tens of thousands of young people with Black talent. You would receive attention from these sects that would be even lower than what people with Blue talent find in families in our region."


    Hearing this, the two of them could not put their thoughts of discontent aside, as they agreed with that thought.


    People with Black talent in the rest of the Central Continent had as much influence as people with Blue talent in the north of this continent!


    Because of this, young people with this kind of talent who went to the sects of the Flaming Empire would probably have a lot of difficulties there and would live an intense competition for resources.


    Obviously, this was worth it, just as it was worth it for people with Blue talent to join noble families in the Minos and Abby region. It was challenging to get good spiritual techniques outside the prominent families here or the sects of the empire there.


    So, even if these chosen youth were going to have many difficulties, as long as they persevered and survived, they might even make it to the 7th stage of cultivation someday!


    Meanwhile, Abby and Eda looked thoughtful, but Minos didn''t give them much time to think and soon continued his speech.


    "But that would be different in my army. Here, in addition to receiving the same perks you might find in the sects, you would be completely valued, as we don''t have many Black talented members at the moment."


    "Hmph, even if the last part is true, what exactly are you talking about?" Eda questioned with an uncertain expression and still a hint of disapproval.


    "I talk about resources, opportunities, and rules. Even at present, it''s not difficult for Plain Black to nurture several people with Black talent up to level 59."


    This was something Abby and Eda were already well aware of. They already knew about the fields of crops of high spiritual concentration that were being planted in the region of Minos.


    With that, as long as they had enough workforce, the resources would undoubtedly be abundant around here!


    Minos didn''t even have to risk telling them about his Silver-grade cultivation techniques. With just the amount of crystals he could earn in this place, it would be enough to buy pills, arrays, weapons, etc., all sorts of items that could improve one''s cultivation!


    "And as for the rules, you could stay in your family as well as happens in those sects. Of course, as long as their family doesn''t turn against us, we''ll never act against them either, and we might even have a good relationship in the future."


    "Oh right, I almost forgot, you won''t be able to leave the Black Plain either until you reach level 50 either." He finished with a smile on his face. This would also help him prevent Abby from accidentally leaking information from this place, at least in the short term.


    And even if her bodyguard joined the army with Abby, even if she wasn''t far from level 50, she could never go back to the Miller family without being with her mistress, whom she was supposed to protect!


    Anyway, after he finished talking about it, Minos bit into another piece of fish, tasting the sharp taste of the meat and fat of that soft, succulent meat.


    At the same time, Eda and Abby were standing there, not knowing what to say. They weren''t impressed that Minos could make this kind of investment in people with Black talent, but he even wanted to follow the same limiting rules the sects used!


    Eda then looked at Abby but said nothing. She had a thoughtful expression as if to say that doing what Minos proposed was a bet. ''At best, his forces will be on a par with our Miller family!'' Eda thought about it.


    And if that were the case, it wouldn''t make sense to her that Abby would ''betray'' her family for equal power. After all, her family leaders would never look kindly on it unless Minos'' forces were more powerful than the Miller family.


    Dillian then took the initiative and said. "Young Abby, you don''t need to answer that right now. Won''t you stay around any longer? Think about it during this period." He then chuckled and massaged his chin. "But if you don''t want to fall behind your friend Mona, then joining our army will be the best thing for you, hehe."


    Hearing this, Eda immediately understood Dillian''s ploy, looking at him a little angrily, as if she was saying she would settle down with him later...


    Abby was just a young girl and didn''t have Minos'' maturity. With that, Eda knew she could end up being influenced by Dillian''s earlier words. After all, no one would want to be left behind!


    After that, the group dinner continued quietly, with them changing the subject and talking about trivial and unimportant things.


    However, before they said goodbye and went back to their respective areas, Minos suddenly had an idea and said. "Abby, I will soon be going on a mission with the Black Plain Army. Although it involves certain risks, if you follow me, it could be good training for you, we will be fighting some 5th stage cultivator groups on this mission, and that can help you a lot."


    "Oh?" Upon hearing this other offer from Minos, Eda, this time, she didn''t think what he had said so bad. After Mona left for the empire, Abby had no real fights, just regular training.


    But for high-level cultivators, risk-free matches weren''t enough to improve one''s proficiency. Only a bloodbath, with a real risk of death, could make one reach high levels in the cruel journey of cultivation!


    "Huh?" On Abby''s side, she also ended up enjoying this suggestion a lot. Going out and training with a friend was very satisfying for her, so she was much more comfortable with this suggestion from Minos.

 Chapter 193: Curiosity

    "Can you talk a little more about this?" Abby asked, with a fascinating look on her face.


    "One of my soldiers, ehh, had the misfortune to come across certain individuals. We are going to rescue him in the Cromwell Kingdom."


    "Cromwell Kingdom?"


    "Hmm. Why? Don''t you want to go to a place you went to a little while ago?" He asked, smiling at the blue-haired young woman in front of him.


    Hearing Minos'' tease, Abby just ignored him and asked. "What part of Cromwell Kingdom are you going to?"


    "On the northwest coast."


    ''Northwest coast, huh... That must be where the Cromwell Kingdom''s Black Market is.'' Eda thought to herself as she understood this rescue mission.


    Eda then said calmly. "I understand, your soldier probably has his life at risk, and he may or may not have already been sold into slavery. Am I right?"


    "Hmm, Ms. Eda is truly an experienced woman." Minos praised her when he heard Eda hitting the nail on what had happened. He then turned to his friend and asked, looking into her eyes. "And then? Will you go with me?"


    ''With Eda by my side, it shouldn''t be much of a danger... These Black Market thugs will hardly have reached the 6th stage of cultivation, so there shouldn''t be too many problems...'' She thought about it for a moment, deciding if she would go or not.


    ''Not to mention Minos is now level 42! He could already fight level 44 people when he was only level 39¡­I presume he can fight level 48 now!" She watched the brown-haired young man for a moment, feeling even more interest in this trip.


    Just for comparison, level 42 had about 220% of the amount of spiritual energy as a level 39 cultivator. Because of this, Abby thought Minos could fight level 48 cultivators, who were individuals with little more than double the energy of someone at level 42.


    "Maybe he can even fight someone level 49!" She thought anxiously.


    Abby had a curious nature, especially with someone close to her, as was the case with the young Stuart. Because of this, there was a particular interest deep in her being about how strong Minos already was.


    And this was just one way for her to find out about it!


    After a while of thinking, she finally made up her mind and said. "Alright, I''ll go with you. When do we leave?"


    He then laughed and said. "Haha, this is great. We''re leaving in 5 days from today. So, prepare properly until then."


    Minos was pleased with this addition to his group for two reasons. First, with the addition of Abby, bodyguard Eda would also go with them on this trip, which would be a significant addition to the strength of the Black Plains Army group.


    After all, Eda was a subordinate of one of the Brown Kingdom''s noble families and certainly had one or two Black-grade battle techniques. And at level 48, she could undoubtedly fight even ordinary level 49 thugs!


    Second, this was a way for Minos to show these two that joining his army was wise. After all, they only knew how strong the young Stuart was, but not the power he was building.


    When they saw the strength of the army Sergeants in action, they would certainly understand more about Minos'' capabilities. And with that, they could glimpse a more ''colorful'' future by becoming members of his forces.


    By the way, the young Stuart wasn''t going to stop recruiting just Abby. No, with the Black talent and level 48, Eda was also fascinating to him. He just hadn''t proposed anything to her because it would be even more difficult for this lady to accept the invitation.


    Eda was a subordinate of the Miller family, not a member, as in Abby''s case. And this brought even greater limits for Eda and, consequently, stricter punishments if she broke any of her family''s rules.


    There was no equality between subordinates and members of a noble family. Subordinates were just members'' employees, and that''s all!


    They had many duties but few rights...


    Anyway, Minos hoped to pull Abby to his side, and then it wouldn''t be long before bodyguard Eda gave in too!


    Anyway, after that, the group said their goodbyes, with Dillian accompanying Eda back to her room. At the same time, Abby went to her room to cultivate, and Minos went to his residence to rest for a while before starting another day''s training session.


    ...


    Quickly five days had passed since the young Stuart had invited Abby to join Peter''s rescue group.


    Today they would finally head out to the northwest coast of the Cromwell Kingdom, where that region slave market was, where Peter was likely to be.


    This was a difficult mission, which could take from weeks to a few months, so many preparations had been made in this past period, counting from the arrival of those four soldiers from before.


    To start with, in the group of 40 Sergeants that had been formed, all of them being at level 42.


    Currently, the Black Plains Army had more than 220 soldiers of that rank, and several of them had already reached level 42. Because of this, it would not be a significant obstacle for the security of the Dry City to be without these troops for a few weeks.


    However, level 43 soldiers would stay in the Dry City, as they were the strongest and had to protect Minos territory. Not to mention that they were not very numerous, being less than 20 individuals at this level.


    And as for the soldiers who would go with Minos on this trip, they were all adequately equipped with grade-1, high-level spiritual weapons, as well as armors of the same rank!


    This was an excellent set of equipment, as there weren''t many grade-2 spiritual types of equipment on offer in the regional market.


    As for this type of item, the current Black Plains Army had managed to purchase only one more grade-2, low-level weapon in the months that had passed since the Spiritual Tournament.


    But this weapon was being used by Sergeants Pyke, who was generally responsible for the security of the Dry City in Minos''s absence.


    Along with this, all the soldiers had already received some spiritual pills focused on healing wounds and restoring spiritual energy. As Minos did not want to risk losing his subordinates due to the lack of such common items, this was necessary.


    And the army had been accumulating pills of this type since the arrival of the two alchemists in the city, precisely so that in times like this one, they would be prepared!


    As for the means of transport they would use, it would have to be the traditional carriages. The Black Plain still didn''t have the means to have several 4th stages beasts or above, so they couldn''t travel individually, as Abby and Ruth usually did.


    Minos'' forces had to utilize various 3rd stage cultivation beasts to pull carriages where they could travel.


    In fact, there were already several carriages in the army, which had been built by carpenters from the Dry City. However, they were only used to transport resources from this place to the port at the Black Plain''s coast base or when soldiers needed to travel.


    At other times, it was not common for these carriages to be seen on the Dry City streets.


    And as for spiritual beasts, well, it wasn''t as easy or cheap to buy beasts like Ruth''s great eagle in the north of the Central Continent.


    At least not if the buyer was trying to be discreet, as was the case with the young Stuart.


    Aside from the Snow Kingdom, in the other states of this region, finding spiritual beasts from the 4th stage onwards for sale was not easy! Even across the Brown Kingdom, there was only one spot where there were beasts of that level ahead for purchase!


    But Minos wouldn''t risk going to the City of the Setting Sun just to buy spiritual beasts...


    And as for the other capitals of the other kingdoms, which was where someone could find beasts of this rank outside the Snow Kingdom, well, they were very far from the Dry City, and transporting these beasts was really expensive!


    Unless one went to these places to pick up the spiritual beasts on his own, the cost of transportation could be as high as the cost of the beasts themselves!


    After all, sellers would not risk damaging a ''product'' sold...


    Anyway, Minos also had to divide the Black Plain''s crystals into many different areas. And the purchase of better-qualified spiritual beasts really didn''t seem to be urgent for him.


    In any case, for now, the army''s current mode of transport had to be enough for them.


    And at this moment, there were nine carriages with the same shape and finish, which looked like a wooden box, with smooth lines and no edges. In addition, four spiritual beasts looked like horses in front of each of them, while several soldiers were nearby, waiting for the moment of departure.

 Chapter 194: Going to the Rescue

    The day had just dawned in the Dry City when the nine carriages were already lined up in front of the mansion in the central part of that city.


    At this point, there was a thin layer of dew on the grass in the garden of Minos'' mansion, while the daylight was dimmed by the cloudy sky that hung over the Dry City at this time.


    It was 12 degrees celsius (53.6oF), and there was a delightful light wind at this moment, at the same time, in which the morning silence prevailed in that place.


    The young Stuart''s town wasn''t big yet, so there was that tranquility typical of small towns and the countryside at certain times of the day.


    And, at the same time, in which this smooth start of the day passed little by little, the 40 soldiers chosen for this rescue mission were already in front of their respective carriages.


    Some of them were sitting on some stone benches in front of Minos'' mansion. Others were congregating in several small groups, talking without causing any disturbance.


    If anyone were to pass by this place right now, one would occasionally hear the sound of some of these soldiers yawning as they talked in low tones about ordinary everyday things.


    One could even smell coffee in the air, coming from the various mugs that could be seen in the hands of some of these people.


    Coffee was a culture that Minos had introduced to the Black Plain almost half a year ago. This was a plant native to a kingdom in the eastern part of the Central Continent that he had the opportunity to bring here through the Cohen family store.


    This culture was perfect for making spiritual drinks and had great potential for stimulating energy in the cultivators'' bodies.


    ...


    Anyway, while Minos soldiers were drinking coffee to wake up, the young Stuart was already ready for this trip, being at this moment in the Spatial Kingdom.


    He was sitting in a chair outside the house in that place, in front of two foxes.


    Kyla was licking one of her tails while she was on her back, moving from side to side. She was still very young, so she still behaved naturally, even though she was already in the third stage of cultivation.


    But this was common for spiritual beasts. Only when they reached the 5th stage would they develop their intelligence more and behave much more like humans.


    Obviously, each species has its own peculiarities, but certain behaviors are somehow related to an individual''s intellectual level.


    Because of that, even though it was widespread for beasts like foxes to lick themselves, after reaching the 5th stage of cultivation, they wouldn''t do it anyway like Kyla...


    There was a sense of shame or rather integrity that came with intelligence. So, even if Minos had seen Emlyn licking herself before, he would never be as childish and flashy as tiny Kyla did.


    Finally, as he watched the young fox, Minos looked at Emlyn, who was lying on the ground there in front of him, eyes closed.


    Emlyn looked pretty good, with her orange and white fur that even glowed as she''d never come in contact with dirt.


    She was full-bodied, with a firm, strong body. And apart from the absence of one of the paws, the mother fox looked very healthy.


    The young Stuart then said. "It''s time for me to leave. As I said before, during this trip I''m going to, I may need your help, so be ready for that, in case I suddenly show up around here."


    He had already discussed this with Emlyn. In fact, Minos trained every day in the Spatial Kingdom, at least when he was in the Dry City, so he and Emlyn always talked.


    Aside from Dillian, the mother fox could be regarded as the only individual Minos could speak to openly, hiding nothing.


    Consequently, they had already formed a particular friendship, in which they talked about their affairs to the other.


    Of course, Emlyn didn''t have current things to talk about, as the Spatial Kingdom didn''t have much action... But she always talked about her life on the Continent of the Beast, specifically about the tribe of the nine-tailed foxes.


    Minos had already discovered a lot about the origin of this fox, but that is not convenient at the moment...


    She opened her eyes and then looked up to see the young Stuart''s face. "All right. I hope you don''t have to face any Spiritual Kings, but I''ll be ready to help you."


    "Hmm, thanks for understanding." Minos then reached down and rubbed his hand over tiny Kyla''s head before finally activating the special ring and heading back to the Dry City mansion.


    ...


    Finally, after a few minutes, Minos made his way from his residence to the mansion''s entrance hall, where Abby and Eda were already waiting for him.


    Halfway there, he had met Dillian, who would stay in the Dry City this time, commanding in Minos''s absence.


    Finally, arriving at the entrance to his mansion, the young Stuart soon saw the two Miller women standing by a glass door, dressed in woolen coats over their armor.


    Abby then looked at him and pouted, saying. "Finally, you are here!"


    "Hehe, I''m sorry to keep them waiting. Then? If you are ready, we can leave now."


    "OK, let''s go!"


    After that, the group of four went to the row of carriages that were parked in front of that building.


    In addition to the soldiers, Pyke and Mia were also standing by the mansion''s entrance gate, waiting to say goodbye to Minos.


    "Well, guys, I hope you take care of the Dry City with love, as you''ve been doing for the past two years. A lot of things can happen while I''m away, so I hope to find a lot of improvements when I get back." He smiled as he said goodbye to his people.


    The Dry City had already received 2,000 immigrants from the City of Waters, and this migration should continue for five months. Therefore, during this period there would be a good increase in the local business.


    Other than that, many buildings were under development in the city, just as recruitment for new Black Plains Army soldiers was approaching.


    This was an event desired by a large part of the current population of the city of Minos, who yearned for the opportunity to serve the local force, improving their families'' budgets, as well as their own speed of cultivation!


    After hearing Minos'' words, they nodded in understanding. They exchanged a few words before he and the two women got into one of the carriages on that convoy.


    As they got into that carriage, Abby suddenly asked the question that wouldn''t leave her mind. "Minos, don''t you think we''re going with a few people? We are talking about the Black Market, an organization with many members!"


    "Hehehe, my soldiers are much stronger than you think... But even if the enemy side is very numerous, it doesn''t mean that we have to fight them all at once."


    "And I also don''t believe there are many cultivators above level 47 in this organization."


    After all, every cultivator near the peak of a given stage was someone with the potential to rise to new heights. But if there were so many individuals of this level in average organizations like the Black Market, there would soon be many Spiritual Kings out there...


    It wasn''t easy to get to level 47 or above for ordinary people without the support of large families!


    Young nobles like Abby, Troy, Kara could only do this because they were showered with resources from the beginning of their cultivation journeys, enjoying the best years of their lives!


    But for ordinary people, as was the case with criminals who got involved in the Black Market, they missed their best cultivation years due to lower-rank cultivation techniques that slowed their cultivation speeds. Also, they didn''t have spiritual crystals to cultivate!


    It was a real challenge to be humble in the Spiritual World!


    Therefore, those who came close to the Spiritual King stage were not numerous outside the large families. And that was what gave the young Stuart confidence.


    But they didn''t even know if they would need to attack the Black Market. That was just the first chance the Minos group had. After all, there was no way for them to know whether or not Peter had already been sold to one of the noble families in that region.


    Obviously, they would prefer to fight the Black Market before Peter was sold. Still, the reality could be different from what they wanted...


    "Oh?" Abby then let out a sound before ducking her head and thinking about what Minos planned to do.


    Shortly after that, the convoy continued through the Dry City streets, leaving Minos'' mansion behind as it approached the southern gate of the city''s wall.


    There were two ways to get to the Cromwell Kingdom''s northwest coast from the Dry City. One option was to run right from Minos town to the coast, west, and then drop south, following the coastal strip all the way.


    But this was not a good way. There were no towns on the coastal side of the Black Plain to the Cromwell Kingdom, and there were no good places to camp in that region either.


    The other way was the best, which went south from the Dry City, past the City of Waters, and then west to the Cromwell Kingdom until they passed the Farmland region, which was not far from the town where the Black Market was located.


    Minos then laughed for a second as he watched the arid horizon of the Black Plain''s terrain as he thought something. ''Unfortunately, I won''t be able to stop at the City of Waters... Maybe on the way back, hehe...''

 Chapter 195: Sadists

    A few weeks ago...


    A group of four men took the first steps to enter a location, which seemed abandoned by humankind, in a small town on the southwest coast of the Kingdom of the Waves.


    The few streets there were all disgusting, with garbage piled up in some places, and a stinky stream could be seen passing under some minor crossings.


    If one followed the path of this muddy stream, one would notice that it proceeded until it reached a beach near that location, where it discharged its dirty water, polluting the sea.


    Instead of an attractive seascape with golden sand and greenish, crystalline water, if you were here, you would witness a dirty beach with brown stains all over the sand and black water.


    And coming back to the city, there weren''t many buildings around.


    There was just enough for a few dozen criminals to settle in, plus enough space for a few hundred captives.


    Anyway, amid this precarious place, where there were animals and incest everywhere, the four men continued walking, heading towards the central part of that place.


    Of these four men, three of them dressed poorly, with clothes that were undoubtedly a few years old that weren''t washed...


    But despite being sloppy, the three looked relatively healthy, with tanned skin and well-defined muscles.


    As for the remaining man, he didn''t look as good as the rest¡­ Not just for the set of handcuffs he wore on his feet, hands, and neck, but also for the appearance he displayed.


    He had short hair and tanned skin, but he had a pitiful appearance. His lips were parched as if he hadn''t seen water in days, while his face was ashen.


    The young Peter, who had looked fine before, now looked considerably weaker, thinner, and weak.


    It indeed was a pitiful situation.


    Even though he was only a few months older than Minos, if someone tried to guess his age right now, it wouldn''t be weird if someone assumed he was over 200...


    But this was not strange. Peter had used everything he had in the battle a few days ago to ensure his family''s escape. And coupled with the fact that he couldn''t cultivate in the current state where he had an array that sealed off his spiritual energy, the young Sergeant really couldn''t look healthy right now.


    But not only that, sometimes the pirates who kidnapped him took time to torture Peter while having fun seeing the pained expression that he made.


    These people were utterly sadistic, who loved to see the terror in the eyes of their victims. Rapists who didn''t care about things like age, being willing to do it with both old women and little girls.


    But Peter was lucky. At least these guys had no interest in men, otherwise...


    And in a way, Peter was very pleased with himself for giving his family the chance to run away. After having to accompany these men for a few days, the young Sergeant did not know what could have happened to his mother and his little sister if things were different...


    Halfway to this seaside town, the group had passed other human settlements, where Peter had the displeasure of seeing these men raping a mother and daughter, a 10-year-old girl while forcing the father to see all this.


    After finishing this perverse act, the trio tortured and killed the entire family, dismembering each of those victims while trying to keep them conscious for as long as possible.


    For them, it wasn''t worth enslaving people with White talent, so they just indulged their own weird desires with this kind of victim...


    In Peter''s mind, after seeing all that, he couldn''t stop thinking about slowly destroying these people. The hatred he felt for this trio only increased as he was forced to know their sick personality.


    And in a way, part of the miserable appearance he had right now was due to this hatred that just built up. In certain situations, if the psychological wasn''t right, it could affect the rest of a person''s body!


    Unfortunately, Peter had no glimmer of hope at this point. Without being able to cultivate, he was much weaker than these people and could only wait until the light at the end of the tunnel appeared to him.


    Anyway, after some time walking around that place, the man at the front of the group, dressed in black trousers and no shirt, exposing a large tattoo of a red triangle on his back, as if it were a medal he was proud of, suddenly stopped in front of a specific establishment.


    This was a place where one could hear screams of pain from time to time, where there were large numbers of people trapped in small cells.


    The group leader finally saw who he was looking for and said. "Nox, is my ship ready to depart? You said the repairs would only take a month, but it''s been six weeks since I ordered the service!"


    Hearing this, a middle-aged man with a skinny body looked at Del and then laughed. "Kekeke, Del, why are you complaining? Your ship was ready ten days ago, you who have not come to me before."


    ''Oh? This must be the first time this old demon has done a job on time¡­." The pirate leader, Del, thought about this as he watched the movement in this establishment.


    "Well! If that is the case, I will no longer need to leave my slaves in your warehouse. I''m leaving tomorrow!"


    Nox then went to a wooden chair behind a counter and sat down. He picked up a list and started reading what was there until he finally says it. "There are 439 slaves, who were ''hosted'' here for 43 days... That''s... With your ship repaired... 6,580 crystals. Since you''re a frequent customer, I''ll do it for 6,500."


    After hearing this, one of the thugs who was with Del placed a bag full of crystals on the table, making the payment to that skinny man.


    Meanwhile, suddenly a muscular man entered the room, but he stopped when he saw the tattoo on Del''s back almost as he did so.


    ''Are these pests around here?'' He thought. This man was one of the local managers, one of the few people who lived permanently in this nameless town.


    His name was Akar, and he was one of the strongest in this city, being at level 45!


    At the same time, Del turned to the front door of that establishment and saw a familiar face. "Look, if it''s not manager Akar! Hahaha, it''s been a long time since we''ve seen each other, huh!"


    Naturally, Akar had the displeasure of meeting Del. After all, Akar was one of the few people who tried to make this place work. And for that, there was undoubtedly a need for people to impose certain rules...


    The problem was that there were always those who didn''t like rules and acted as they wanted, bringing chaos wherever they were...


    That was the case with pirates like Del, members of a large organization. And for Akar, such individuals were absolute nightmares. He hated them, but he couldn''t do anything to stop these individuals'' actions.


    And because of that, he already knew Del from some of the problems that had happened in this unnamed town.


    Akar then forced a smile and tried to look friendly. "Oh? Are you Del? I thought you were sailing. It''s a surprise to see you here..."


    "Hahaha, I was lucky to receive a ship left behind by my superiors, but this ship needed some repairs before we could continue sailing." He said this with a smile, exposing his good fortune to these old acquaintances.


    "Oh? Good for you! But tell me, how did you manage to impress these guys?" Nox asked, with a curious gleam in his eyes.


    It was not common for these pirates to receive this kind of perk, even if they were a branch of a large organization.


    Del then smiled and said. "I don''t know all the details either, but it seems that a few months ago, a group that had left the headquarters had an incident and ended up being thrown towards the Kingdom of the End''s north sea."


    "Oh? So, they were unlucky enough to go through that chaotic region?" The old man exclaimed in surprise.


    It was no secret that the North Sea of ??the Central Continent was extremely dangerous.


    "Hmm, I heard that several Spiritual Kings died at that time, and even the Spiritual Emperor who was in the group couldn''t survive!"


    Hearing this, they all fell silent as they felt goosebumps pass through their bodies. Even Peter couldn''t help but be shocked by this information.


    Spiritual Emperors were people who could even fly!


    This was the dream of billions of people, but only a few had the potential to achieve it, coming from the region where they were.


    But even so, a cultivator of this level had died in the North Sea!


    After a few moments of silence, Del burst out laughing and then continued. "Hahaha, but it benefited me tremendously! Without this disaster, I would never get my new ship!"

 Chapter 196: Traveling to the Cromwell Kingdom

    After hearing what Del had said, Akar and Nox commented about the dangers of the North Sea for some minutes. At the same time, Peter stood there, watching and listening to these individuals.


    Peter was unaware of the existence of the group of pirates who had kidnapped Emlyn or that those who captured him were members of an organization that even possessed Spiritual Emperors!


    "Why would an organization of such strength care about the north of the Central Continent?" He wondered, trying to understand why this intrusion of such a foreign power into this weakened place.


    Such a thing was not common to see!


    This was very different from what the sects of the Flaming Empire did. After all, while the sects of this empire were looking for young talents, organizing the Spiritual Tournament for thousands of years, this group of pirates was operating in the shadows, rarely exposing themselves.


    In fact, in the northern part of the Central Continent, the ordinary people were not even aware of this power, which was marked by a red triangle. This could be seen from the fact that the young Stuart did not recognize this symbol when Emlyn told her story to him!


    Only a few people from the criminal underworld and a few noble families in the region were aware of a part of the might of this pirate organization, which was unquestionably as strong as the Flaming Empire''s sects.


    But obviously, none of these people knew how powerful this mysterious organization was, that neither one of them knew where it came from, nor why it was here.


    They just seemed to finance a few groups of pirates and bandits without interfering further in these areas...


    Anyway, after talking for a while, before saying goodbye and going back to his own business, Akar suddenly looked at Del and asked. "Del, are you guys going to hang around any longer?"


    "Fortunately, no, haha. I''m leaving this shitty town in a few hours. I will go to the Cromwell Kingdom to do business."


    Hearing this, Akar felt much better knowing that these guys were leaving soon. ''That''s great. Hopefully, I won''t have any more problems with these insects for a few months...''


    After that, the groups soon split up, with Akar leaving that place with a slight smile on his face, while the three pirates who had kidnapped Peter leave for a walk in this nameless town.


    Peter, on the other hand, was taken into that establishment, which that skinny man managed.


    Soon, after his kidnappers gone, old Nox pulled Peter to the innermost part of that place, where many steel cages were full of people.


    The place was dimly lit, owing to the lack of windows there, and there was a muddy ground on the floor, where one could see some brown puddles, not far from the many cells that were there.


    But not only that, in addition to this degrading look, the smell of feces and urine was intense, to the point of making the young Peter feel bad at the moment he entered that place.


    "What the fuck is this place?" he wondered, as he had a look of disgust on his face.


    At the same time, as he questioned himself, he could better see the people standing there as he was pulled on a chain by old Nox.


    There were men and women inside those cages, filthy and looking miserable. Some of them looked malnourished and dehydrated, looking even worse off than Peter.


    In fact, some of them were shirtless, leaving their backs extremely bruised, full of marks that looked like a whip had made them. Some seemed to shiver in pain and hunger, while others just stood there, sitting on the floor with desolate looks on their faces.


    Peter didn''t know it, but all these people he saw in this place were individuals like him who had lost their freedoms a short time ago. Some even had Black talent, while most were Blue talented.


    Below that, there was no demand.


    That''s why Del and his associates didn''t bother to spare the lives of victims who possessed the humble White talent, as was the case with the innocent family they had slaughtered on their way to this city...


    But that was nothing to them. People like Del loved the chaos, the image of despair that some people made in front of dead ends, the sounds of terror they made when they were tortured.


    And no wonder individuals like him became criminals in this world. The killing was common in the Spiritual World, where people had to compete for resources, land, business, etc.


    But the difference was that ordinary people only did that when it was necessary. On the other hand, sadists like Del, when they did this, they felt an indescribable pleasure, which gave them fun and joy...


    Because of that, they didn''t stop at just necessary killings. Sooner or later, they ended up killing completely innocent people. And from then on, it was downhill...


    Doing something for the first time is always the hardest... After that, everything gets easier.


    Anyway, after being pulled by that skinny man, Peter was finally thrown into one of the cells. The old man came out and said aloud to another man in that place. "Start taking these cells to Del''s ship. Make it quick. He''ll be out in a few hours."


    After that, some time passed, and soon those iron structures began to be emptied. Some of these captives were taken in smaller cells outside this establishment from time to time while wailing sounds could be heard.


    Peter then sat inside the cell he had been thrown in, observing his surroundings.


    There were nine other people along with him, three women and six men. Still, it was challenging to guess the age of these people considering how badly treated they were.


    Peter might be in a sorry state, but these people here had been living the reality of captivity for months, and it was only getting worse with time.


    Because of that, they looked even more miserable than the young Sergeant, who was a novice in this slave life...


    Suddenly a husky voice came from behind Peter. "Boy, where did you come from?" A malnourished man, but more than 2 meters tall, asked while he was squatting there in that place.


    Hearing this, Peter turned and looked at the man who looked like an elder in his last moments, and then he answered. "I came from the Kingdom of the Waves."


    "Oh? Another one from the Kingdom of the Waves, huh¡­" The man said before heaving a sigh. This old man had been enslaved months ago, so he was used to seeing new captives arriving.


    Originally he came from the Kingdom of the End. Still, from the origins of the last slaves who had arrived, it seemed that they were moving further and further away from where this old man came.


    "Ah... It looks like we''re heading to the Cromwell Kingdom..." He muttered to himself before finally introducing himself. "You can call me Joey. What''s your name, boy?"


    "My name is Peter."


    "Hmm, fine, Peter. I''ll give you a hint, maybe you already know this, but it''s better to hear the same advice twice than never be advised... Anyway, don''t get your hopes up in your heart. The moment we get to the slave market, our future will be determined."


    "So, try not to draw unnecessary attention. Some more violent people may try to buy you just to satisfy their filthy cravings."


    After that, he looked at Peter for a moment and then pointed to a cell not far away. There, where Joey pointed, a man was lying on the floor in an awkward position.


    One of his arms was missing, one leg seemed to be longer than the other, and finally, his face was utterly deformed, as if someone had used a knife to cut him from side to side.


    "Do you see that boy? He was a nobleman from the Kingdom of the Waves. Still, the impulsive and childish character he had, made him think he could run away after being sold in some slave market... Anyway, he caught someone''s attention and ended up in that state. Now he''s been living in this situation at the behest of the person who did that to him..."


    Joey then sighed with a pitying look on his face and said. "Dying is not the worst thing that can happen to you. Remember that."


    "I understand." Peter said in a low voice as he watched the desolate look that guy had in his eyes as if he had lost his own soul.


    ...


    Hours had passed since Peter had met old Joey when the entire group of captives had already been transferred inside the pirate ship, where they would come to live during the journey to the Cromwell Kingdom.


    According to what Peter had heard from old Joey, the trip to the city where there was the Black Market of that kingdom was about ten days of travel, starting from the place where Peter had told him.


    Joey was an old man over 400-years-old who knew the north of the Central Continent like the back of his hand. And even though he rarely saw sunlight during the months that he''d lost his freedom, he could still guess where he was, considering what Peter had told him.


    Anyway, the next day, a large pirate ship left that nameless city, sailing to the south side of where they were.

 Chapter 197: Boat Trip

    Three days passed quickly, and the boat of the group of pirates led by Del had already left the region sea of ??the Kingdom of the Waves.


    This was a peaceful maritime region, both in terms of climatic dynamics and the absence of high-level sea beasts, as well as in vessel traffic.


    First, the climate of regions in the Spiritual World could vary depending on the natural wealth present in a given region.


    And it was undeniable, after all, if a large forest can change the climate of an entire continental region, for example, by increasing the relative humidity due to plant transpiration, something similar could happen when the spiritual energy was involved.


    And in general, little free spiritual energy in a given area meant that climatic stability would also be higher!


    Because of this, the seas near the north of the Central Continent were places with a relatively peaceful climate. Not only that, in fact, the entire region in which Minos lived did not face significant effects of the environment, such as, for example, the existence of floating islands!


    But that''s not convenient at the moment...


    Second, like living things, water could also contain some of the natural spiritual energy, as in the case of the Spatial Kingdom water, which Minos had been using to enrich the spirituality of the cultures planted in the Black Plain.


    And the spiritual wealth present in the seas, in the seawater, was what qualified the maritime regions as having a low, medium, or high degree of spiritual concentration!


    Thus, there were also no high-level sea beasts in the vicinity of this region where Del''s pirate ship was traveling, as this was a region of low to medium, spiritual concentration!


    And lastly, the population of the northern region of the Central Continent was the smallest of all compared to other parts of the Spiritual World, and it was also the one with the least purchasing power.


    Because of this, the number of vessels traveling through these seas that covered this region was significantly lower than in other parts of the Spiritual World, and there was not much movement around here...


    The day was clear, and the emerald waters of the Brown Kingdom''s regional sea, where the group was at the time, could be seen beyond the horizon as if it were the only piece of the world.


    The day was hot, over 40 degrees Celsius (104oF), as they traveled at the cruising speed that the spiritual arrays present on that ship could handle.


    The ship was about 80 meters long, 20 meters wide, and about three stories high. It was utterly black, with only a large white flag on the mast of that vessel, on which there was a symbol of a red triangle.


    Other than that, nothing else attracted attention to this ship.


    As with any means of transport like this, many people were going back and forth, fulfilling their respective responsibilities.


    The crew was not large, but about 50 pirates under Del''s command operated this newly obtained ship.


    Anyway, meanwhile, on the lowest floor of that ship, there was ample space with many cells spread out, from where the captives, who were in that nameless city before, were ''hosted'' at this time.


    And just as it had been in that warehouse, the place was quite dark and had remnants of excrement all over the place, while the heat of the day made the stench of this closed place even worse...


    The pirates didn''t give a damn about the hygienic conditions of these captives. After all, they were just merchandise for them, and there was no need to provide anything in return.


    In fact, these individuals could be considered lucky to be fed and watered every three days...


    Thus, with nothing to do, the more than 400 people there had to relieve themselves in that place since none of them was strong enough to suppress these natural reactions from their bodies.


    And that only made the trip even more degrading and desperate for each of them.


    ...


    Anyway, Peter was now in a cell with four other captives, sitting on the metal floor of that place, which seemed as hot as a freshly used frying pan.


    He had a few beads of sweat on his face and a tired look in his eyes.


    If anyone looked closely into his eyes, they would see that Peter was barely conscious. And, now and then, he could narrowly focus his vision, sometimes passing out due to dehydration, which was made worse by the heat, sometimes keeping his consciousness hardly...


    This had been happening the last few days of the trip, in almost the same way. But even though it was terrible to travel under these conditions, Peter had been hanging on tightly. Even as Joey advised him to accept this new reality, he couldn''t help but think about his family and how he wanted to return to them.


    Peter didn''t know what had happened to his family after that day. But he was hopeful that they had arrived safely in the Dry City.


    And with that, at least he was sure his parents and sister could have a comfortable life. As a responsible son, he had protected them when necessary and given them a chance to survive.


    Because of that, Peter was still able to remain calm and bear it. If he wanted to see them again, just by enduring all these challenges, could he have a chance to return to his family.


    And as for the possibility of Minos coming to his rescue, Peter had no expectations about it.


    It wasn''t that he didn''t trust Minos and what the Black Plains Army claimed to do in situations like this. But given the condition he was in, they could never find his exact whereabouts.


    The pirates were heading to the Cromwell Kingdom, but who knows where Peter would be sent after that...


    And even if the army found his whereabouts, Peter could end up being sold to a prominent noble family. With that, Minos'' forces might not have what it took to save him!


    Given all of this, Sergeant Peter had no hope of a rescue taking place in the short term.


    He just didn''t give up because he had no sense in giving up.


    Giving up on getting his freedom back would be like giving up his own life, and if that were the case, there was simply no need to endure anything. He could just kill himself by sacrificing himself.


    But even if there wasn''t much hope at the moment, Peter wanted to at least keep his thoughts, in the hope that one day the light at the end of the tunnel would appear.


    Even if he didn''t know how he could escape this cruel fate of slavery, he would keep his mindset intact and endure whatever came next.


    Peter didn''t want to die. He wanted to prevail and go back to his family!


    At this moment, suddenly, a woman began to shiver on the floor of one of those cells while white foam started to come out of her mouth.


    "Help her! She''s feeling sick!" A person screamed before another captive nearby tried to approach that woman who was convulsing on the floor of that place.


    Joey, who was in a cell next to Peter''s, then spoke in a low voice. "Ah, how long are we in this hell? It looks like we''ve been here for a whole month!"


    Not seeing the light of day and having their senses affected by heat, lack of water and food, had been disorienting them all. Because of this, the terror of this boat trip seemed to be continually being prolonged for them...


    "I think it took 2 to 4 days." Peter said in a husky, weakened voice.


    "It can not be! If we have to continue this torture any longer, we will die here!" Another person standing nearby exclaimed in denial.


    If only 2 to 4 days had passed, then they weren''t even halfway through this trip... But even now, many of them were barely able to cope with the current situation.


    It was challenging to be without food, water, rest, especially when they were not allowed to cultivate. With spiritual energy, the adverse effects they felt would quickly diminish, but... Unfortunately for them, the spiritual necklaces were there to stop them from doing such a thing.


    "He''s right. It took 2 to 4 days. They''ve only fed us once since the trip started, and that was on the first day of the trip. But we were always fed every three days, on previous trips." A woman that was lying in the same cell as Peter commented as she spoke slowly, trying to minimize any energy expenditure.


    She then continued. "If it had been longer than that, then we would have already received more food and water. After all, we are worthless if we come dead in the black market."


    After that, silence hung over that place.


    The degrading conditions of this boat trip were beginning to generate disorientation in many of them, especially those weaker psychologically.


    The body certainly had its limits, where it could start acting strangely. But if one''s mindset were firm, persistent, then the effects of something like what was happening would be minor on people with this quality.


    Peter then said. "Let''s not spend too much of our energies arguing. Just cling to whatever''s left in your life. If we are mentally strong, we can survive."

 Chapter 198: Arriving in the Cromwell Kingdom

    Quickly days passed, and the pirate ship of Del''s group had already traveled almost all the way to the Cromwell Kingdom.


    In the days that had passed, the group of more than 400 captives had endured the same conditions at the beginning of this trip. The intense heat made them feel sick most of the time, and even at night, it had almost no effect on diminishing that effect.


    There wasn''t much variation in temperature in maritime regions after all.


    Allied to this, being in the dark most of the time on this trip had made many of them lose track of the temporal and even space. Even though some of them knew they were going to the Cromwell Kingdom, they had no idea where in the world they were.


    And as for the temporal sensation they had, it was just absurd. For many of them, this had been an endless hell, and they wouldn''t find it strange if it had been years since the start of the trip...


    Perhaps not eating or drinking water most of the time also contributed to this disorientation. After all, each day, their bodies seemed to age a few more years, leaving them more and more unrecognizable.


    But of course, some still had a sense of time and space, knowing they were in the vicinity of Cromwell Kingdom and near the end of this journey by ship.


    This was the case with the young Peter, Joey, and that woman from before. These three had exceptional mental strength, which enabled them to get through this trial without losing their clarity.


    As to why that was, well, each of them had their reasons to go on living, maybe revenge, maybe get something back, or someone.


    Anyway, this woman in question was called Barbara. In the days that had passed, she was the person closest to where Peter and Joey were, and she was also one of the few people who had her lucidity in good shape.


    Because of this, they had naturally come together and exchanged some basic information. With that, Peter had discovered that Barbara was at level 43, having a Black talent just like he had.


    She was 31-years-old and a subordinate of a medium-sized noble family in the Kingdom of the End. However, from what Peter had heard from her, the family she belonged, had been decimated several months ago, which was why she was here today.


    Unlike other northern parts of the Central Continent, the Kingdom of the End did not allow slavery within its territories. As a result, the winning side of that conflict had sold the survivors to pirates like Del, taking some advantage of their lives.


    A slave wasn''t overly valuable in these regions. However, someone from the 5th stage of cultivation and with a Black talent, like Barbara, could still yield a few tens of thousands of low-grade crystals.


    After all, these slaves could ''produce'' future subordinates for the noble families who bought them!


    That was no small thing. Every person with Black talent had a high chance of reaching stage 6 of cultivation, Spiritual King. And as everybody already knows, this was precisely the band of power in which the regional leaders were!


    Even if a Spiritual King were a subordinate of a family, not a member, he could still gain his own territory, a chance to start his own family, and perhaps one day become the ancestor of an influential power in this region!


    Therefore, every person with Black talent had great potential in this part of the continent, and regional slave families highly valued captives with this characteristic.


    Anyway, the trip was about to end, but not before some casualties...


    This was a very degrading trip physically and mentally. As a result, not all people could withstand critical and increasingly desperate situations like these, losing the strength to continue resisting.


    And that''s what happened. Of the more than 400 people, 26 had died from the conditions of the trip, whether from dehydration or malnutrition.


    Not everyone there had just been kidnapped, as was the case with the young Peter. Some slaves had been living in this situation for more than a year, and naturally, people like that were more vulnerable...


    As for the young nobleman who had been mutilated, who Joey had shown Peter, he was still alive. His owner had paid these pirates to keep him alive and ensure that he lived as long as possible in this state.


    This was part of the punishment he was receiving...


    Other than that, there were no more casualties or attempted escapes. There was no way these people could run away at this time or even where to run. So, the trip was very smooth for the pirates led by Del.


    ...


    It was night in the Cromwell Kingdom, and some scattered lights could be seen on the horizon of the northwest coast of the kingdom.


    On one side was the regional sea of ??the Cromwell Kingdom, while on the other was a medium-sized city, with many commercial and residential buildings.


    A part of the city was very well built, with many new and newly constructed buildings, which made the town very pleasant to look at.


    However, about a quarter of the city was quite rustic in style, with old, abandoned buildings closer to the coastal region of that urban region.


    If someone came to this place from above, one would surely see the brutal contrast between a place that looked developed and clean and one that looked retrograde, old and dirty.


    Anyway, this place was hectic, but what truly caught attention was the number of ships docked in the local port. There were several docks at different points, piers, and various docking places for vessels and boats of different sizes.


    And if someone looked closely, one would see that more than 100 ships stopped in those places right now.


    Many ships looked aged, full of battle marks, shoddy repairs, rust, and many other marks present on more ''humble'' boats.


    But there were also a few very well-maintained, clean ships that could even be considered luxurious.


    And this was normal for this city. This was the city where the Black Barket of the Cromwell Kingdom was, the city of Hadria, which lay in the northwest of the kingdom, just a few hundred miles from Farmland.


    The city of Hadria had a strong economy, which was directly related to the presence of the Black Market and the proximity to farmland.


    But, in addition, more than 400 thousand inhabitants were living in this city, which generated its own local economic dynamic.


    Obviously, there were all kinds of services available in Hadria, as thousands of nobles passed through here annually.


    The Black Market sold many things besides captives to these noble families. Of course, slavery was the flagship of this organization. Still, one could find information, relics, spiritual techniques, arrays, spiritual beasts, and more, all stolen by bandits and pirates who sold these items in this organization.


    And, in general, nobles were very fond of obtaining resources ''recovered'' by those criminals, sometimes even buying items from rival families. Of course, it wasn''t exciting when one of these nobles saw one of his family''s items in places like these, but that didn''t happen very often...


    Families that got involved with the Black Market usually didn''t suffer much from the action of bandits and pirates. After all, they used to be robust and violent organizations.


    Anyway, many people from all over the Cromwell Kingdom visited the city of Hadria annually, making this place develop even though it was so close to the well-developed Farmland.


    And after a while, one of the lights that could be seen in the distance on the horizon of Hadia was getting closer and closer to the port region of this city.


    Finally, a black ship with a large flag on the mast with a red triangle symbol could be seen.


    This was the ship on which Del and his pirate group traveled with the captives they had transported from the nameless city in the Kingdom of the Waves to here, the city of Hadia.


    And as the pirate ship approached one of the docks at the tremendous local port, Del was already at the bow of the ship, looking out over the city in front of him with a smile on his face.


    He was pleased to be in this place. This was his home, where the group led by Del lived when they weren''t sailing in the north of the Central Continent.


    But not only that, after several months of traveling and kidnapping many people, he could finally get a good amount of crystals, which would allow him to enjoy a few weeks in this place.


    Del then looked at the aging part of the city, which could be seen from where they stood.


    "Hahaha, as soon as we get here, I''m going to Dirce''s Brothel. Do you two want to go with me? I think that old devil must have added other little girls this time we were gone." He said perversely while talking to his two associates, who had participated in Peter''s kidnapping.


    "Kekeke, But of course, boss Del. These little whores we''ve had fun with these past months aren''t enough for us." One of them responded strangely.


    After that, the ship quickly docked at the local port, and the three compasses promptly proceeded to the interior of the city of Hadia while the other pirates took care of the ship.

 Chapter 199: Coincidence

    After descending from the ship at one of the docks in the local port, Del and his two associates headed towards Hadia''s old town, where they could have fun until dawn.


    The pirate group commanded by Del had arrived in the early evening, so it would be a few hours before they could start doing business around here.


    With that, those three pirates would satisfy some carnal desires while killing time.


    Anyway, it didn''t take long, and the three were already passing through the busy streets of this city...


    If Peter were here, he would see how different the people in this place were compared to the Dry City. While there was not much social difference between the ordinary people on the streets in Minos city, in Hadia, it was completely different.


    In Dry City, if a stranger tried to guess someone''s origin just by showing up, he probably wouldn''t be right. Apart from the army soldiers, who dressed alike, the inhabitants, for the most part, dressed and behaved very similarly, as if they were of the same class.


    In contrast, in the city of Hadia, one could easily tell the social status of people passing through the streets of this place. There was a first group that was easily recognizable, having a characteristic metallic collar at the neck. These were the slaves.


    Another group that could be easily identified was the nobles. They weren''t seen much around here, as the proportion of people with that background in this place was really limited. After all, while a few dozen nobles passed through Hadia every day, thousands of more people of different origins passed and lived here.


    The nobles dressed very well, had an arrogant and authoritarian demeanor, in many cases even looked up as if they were the chosen ones from heaven.


    But perhaps what attracted the most attention about these individuals was that they were constantly being accompanied by many slaves, in many cases women...


    As for other social groups, pirates and bandits could often be confused with one another. They behaved very similarly and came to this city for precisely the same purposes.


    And they usually looked the same kind of dirty, wearing aged, dirty clothes, sometimes with some of these individuals walking the streets shirtless, showing chest and back scarred and tattooed.


    Lastly, there was the business class of this place. They were the individuals who actually made the Black Market work. Such a group facilitated the exchange of financial resources of the nobles, with the ''items'' collected by bandits and pirates.


    It was easy to recognize them. If one saw a well-dressed person, but without a crowd of slaves, plus bodyguards, then only Black Market traders were left.


    Anyway, this was a city where social classes were well defined, which could be very good for some people, of a high standard, but very bad for those with lower expectations of this population...


    ...


    Anyway, while Del and his cronies were having fun at Dirce''s Brothel, the group of captives had already noticed that they had been stopped for a few hours.


    At this point, after approaching the mainland, the temperature was not so high, having become much more comfortable for those people who were trapped inside that ship.


    Allied to this, today, the group of more than 400 captives had been fed and watered in larger quantities. After all, they would soon be sold at the slave auction, so they needed to look a little better.


    Because of this, Del had authorized all slaves to receive food and water more regularly until they were passed to the Black Market in the city of Hadia.


    The slave auction was a biweekly event in Hadia, where many slaves were auctioned.


    Usually, some lots were divided between the talent of the slaves, with lot 1, with captives with Blue talent, who were generally used in manual service, in crop fields, mines, etc.


    And then there was lot 2, which contained captives with Black talent that were commonly used in human reproduction or as human cauldrons.


    As for numbers, generally, lot 1 had a quantity of 30 to 50 captives, while lot 2 had 3 to 6 slaves. It wasn''t easy to get people with Black talent. After all, there weren''t even many people like that in noble families...


    But there were always one or two options at the auction for people who wanted to buy captives of the lot 2. Although the north of the Central Continent hadn''t had any major battles in the last few thousand years, this was not a peaceful place!


    Problems were coming and going constantly, and the rise and fall of families were not uncommon here. Hence, the supply of slaves with Black talent was almost constant.


    Of course, there weren''t usually many of them being auctioned, but it wouldn''t be hard for a noble family to get even ten slaves like that in a year!


    Anyway, right now, Peter and Joey were sitting in their cells inside that ship, talking in low voices.


    Suddenly Barbara, who was in the same cell as Peter, approached them and said. "It looks like we''ve arrived at the place where we will be sold."


    "Hmm, we''ve been out of action for some time now, and they even gave us more water and food... That must be because we''re close to meeting their expectations." The older man said this while sighing inwardly. What would happen next was uncertain and extremely dangerous.


    If they were lucky, they would live for a few years while they were used for human reproduction. But if they were unlucky, they would probably have their cultivation sucked out in a short time, and then they would be sacrificed...


    Reproduction was not as simple as it might seem at first glance, so they could gain several years with a situation like this.


    The more significant the difference in level, the lower the chances of fertilization occurring. This was the biggest obstacle to this. But not only that, but a difference in the rank of the Physique also somewhat lessened the chance of a child being fathered.


    For example, if a person with a Common-grade Physique had relations with someone of a Divine-grade Physique, the chance of fertilization occurring would be zero. This is because, while talent was related to the soul, the Physique was associated with the fleshy body.


    Thus, a considerable distinction in the quality of the cells involved in the process would make fertilization unfeasible!


    But even if they had similar levels and Physique of the same degree, it was not easy to conceive in the Spiritual World. The higher the level and the higher the rank of the Physique of the two, the chances of successful fertilization would decrease.


    This was a way for nature to protect the balance in the world.


    Otherwise, in a short time, the average force of the planet could jump without there being sufficient resources for it beforehand.


    Thus, people with high levels and good ratings in their Physiques had to ''work'' to conceive. In contrast, weaker people and with lesser Physiques were more suitable for reproduction...


    So, if they were a little lucky, maybe they could earn a few years of life...


    Peter then looked at the two of them and said. "Where do you think we''ll be sent?"


    "I don''t know either. Until a few months ago, I never had left my kingdom..." Barbara replied sadly, as she remembered everything that had happened in the meantime.


    After that, Joey then said in a hoarse voice. "There are some families in the Cromwell Kingdom that are notable for their use of slave labor. Perhaps we end up in the hands of one of them."


    "I know two of them, one is the Chambers family, and the other is the Bowen family. Although they are not top-tier families in the Cromwell Kingdom, they are still quite powerful and influential."


    Hearing this, Peter felt that he had already listened to one of those names somewhere when his eyebrows began to pull together tightly. He then remembered something. "What was that guy''s last name again?"


    "Chambers? Leroy Chambers!" He muttered under his breath, recalling what Minos had told him and Maxwell during the second test of the Spiritual Tournament when the young Stuart was hunting that guy.


    "What a coincidence!" He spoke in a low voice while still having a look of surprise and shock on his face.


    Seeing this, both Joey and Barbara were curious to know why Peter reacted this way to these names. She then asked. "Peter, do you know someone of these powers?"


    "More or less, but he''s already dead..." He replied without giving too much detail. Even if he were in this terrible situation, Peter wouldn''t cause trouble to Minos by him telling things that he shouldn''t.


    After all, Peter was one of the few people who had participated in the Spiritual Tournament who knew about Minos'' origins and the fact that he hadn''t gone to the Flaming Empire.


    If word got out that he was left behind in the north of the Central Continent, there would surely be a storm over the Dry City not before long!


    So, Peter wouldn''t say anything to anyone about these critical matters, both because he had his loyalty to the man who saved his life and he wanted to protect his family, who would probably be living in that place!


    He then looked down and thought. ''No wonder that guy was so disturbed... Growing up in a family like that... It''s like the saying goes, the apple doesn''t fall far from the tree!''

 Chapter 200: Going to the Black Market

    Peter then put his thoughts aside and then asked Joey. "You said you had heard of the Black Market before. What will happen to us? Are we going to be sold separately, like objects arranged in a store?"


    The old man then shook his head from side to side in denial and coughed. "Cough, ehh, the Black Market sells slaves at auction. They divide the slaves by talent and then place them in different lots to be auctioned together."


    "Oh? Besides the three of us, how many here have Black talent?" Peter asked curiously.


    Hearing this, Barbara was the first to respond as she looked around and tried to remember who she had been talking to since she had her freedom stolen. "I know four people besides the three of us. But maybe others will act."


    "There''s more. I know five with Black talent besides us. But I believe it doesn''t reach 15 people in all, with this talent rating." The old man said as he looked at the two youths standing there near him.


    "Hmm, I understand. Let''s hope they put us in the same group¡­" Peter sighed then, taking a good look at the shadows of those other captives who were there in that dark place on the ship.


    He thought that his chances of survival would be better if he were with psychologically stronger people. After all, people like that were more resistant and had fewer vulnerabilities that could make them give up.


    And it wasn''t wise to think he could survive on his own. Peter understood that he alone was not enough. Even if only someone to talk to, having support could already be what would keep him persevering.


    There was no telling how long he had to wait until a light at the end of the tunnel appeared, and his motivation might not be strong enough. Who knows, living could turn out to be very complicated as the situation got worse.


    Many people gave up because they didn''t have a strong enough mental strength and ended up getting carried away by the situation, sometimes even going crazy!


    For all that, he wanted to be prepared, having as allies people like Barbara and Joey.


    "I hope so too..." Barbara said, closing her eyes for a moment and remembering what she had seen these past few months as a captive.


    She had met several other people, most of them were on that ship, but they had completely given up hope. They just didn''t kill each other because they were too cowardly to do it. After all, a sacrifice wasn''t something that anyone could do!


    But there was one person during all this time who acted more decisively¡­ Barbara had witnessed a sacrifice months ago when they passed through the midwest coastal region of the Kingdom of the Waves.


    She knew the man who had done this. They could even be considered allies in this period of captivity, but the man had gone mad after a few weeks in the darkness where they were held.


    After that, Barbara had been much more careful with who she interacted with. That man seemed very focused at first, but in the end, he couldn''t stand it, and even other people she knew had died in that guy''s suicidal act.


    She just hadn''t died, as a matter of pure luck, because she had been changed from her cell the day before the event!


    Anyway, the three continued talking for a while, talking in low, leisurely voices so that they spent as little energy as possible.


    ...


    While the group of captives was trapped on that ship, the three associates had already satisfied their animalistic desires in that brothel they had gone to earlier.


    Hours had passed, and the day had already raged in the city of Hadia.


    The sky was blue, not even a single cloud in the sky. It was like a spring day, with a pleasant temperature and the typical winds present in any seaside town.


    The leaves of the palm trees swayed with the wind currents, while the smoke from the chimneys of some buildings began to release the smoke of countless kitchens that existed in this region.


    It was breakfast time, and the smell of bread could be easily smelled in the air, along with the first sounds of movement reverberating through that city.


    Windows and doors slammed, people began to talk in the streets while some small birds sang over the roofs of houses and buildings.


    And in between, the three men walked through the streets of the aging part of Hadia City, dressed more formally than before, in decent trousers and shirts that covered their scars and tattoos.


    Even if they were arrogant and ''rebel'' individuals, Del and his associates wouldn''t risk getting kicked out of the Black Market auction just for being poorly dressed.


    The guys who organized the Black Market weren''t very picky, but they still had some ground rules that had to be followed!


    Because of that, Del and his two comrades wouldn''t risk it. They just wanted to sell those captives and earn their ''deserved'' spiritual crystals.


    After that, the pirate group could enjoy it for a few weeks, going to brothels and even buying spiritual weapons!


    As outlaws, they needed new equipment, without defects, that could work well in the fights...


    Finally, the three arrived at a particular place, after about 30 minutes of walking.


    The three of them had left early in the morning to come here to Hadia''s Black Market headquarters, where the biweekly auction took place!


    In that place where they were, there was a large 6-story building, which from the outside could even be compared to an arena due to the unusual shape it exhibited on the outside.


    But this wasn''t an arena. No, inside, there was a big bleacher, and opposite the customer seats, there was a stage where the auctioned ''objects'' were displayed.


    Other than that, the building had several rooms on six floors, where different items were sold and exchanged in that place.


    Anyway, the three of them didn''t admire the beauty of that building and soon entered there, following the flow of people that came and went from that place.


    Upon entering, they immediately proceeded to a specific part of the Black Market, where pirates and bandits could do business with the organization behind this place.


    Del had done this many times before, so he knew this place as well as the palms of his hands. Then, he had gone straight to where he had to go.


    And it wasn''t long before they reached a large corridor, where there were many doors, on both sides of that place. A woman was sitting in a chair behind a table, while several guards could be seen every 20 meters in that part of the building.


    There was also one person being attended by that woman at the time Del had arrived there.


    Time passed, and other people had already entered one of the rooms in that corridor when the woman suddenly said. "The next one can come."


    After that, the three approached him, and then they heard a question. "What product will be sold?"


    "Slaves."


    "Oh?" She then looked at a card for a moment and continued. "Well, you can wait in room 27. In a few moments, the person in charge will come to your room to sort this out."


    Soon after that, Del and his associates made their way to the said room, waiting for the negotiator to come to talk to them.


    ...


    After a few minutes, a middle-aged man finally entered room number 27.


    He was very well dressed, wearing a black suit and hat that would set this man apart from any other in this city.


    He then looked at the trio of pirates and put a fake smile on his face as he took a seat on the opposite side of the sofa where those three were sitting.


    "Ehh, Mr. Del, an old collaborator of our organization, hehe, looks like you''re coming back from a trip, huh?" The man said as he read a sheet of paper that was in his hand.


    Obviously, the woman from before had received the ID from Del and his mates and passed it on to this negotiator.


    "Hmm, Lord William is right. I just got back from my trip, and I have many captives to sell to Hadia''s Black Market." He replied politely.


    This man who had entered the room was one of the four managers who conducted this branch of the Black Market, which was located in the Cromwell Kingdom. He was the second strongest in this place, being at level 47.


    The man then smiled and said. "Well, let''s talk business then! How many captives are we talking about?"


    "414. 13 with Black talent and the rest with Blue talent." One of Del''s comrades responded.


    "Oh? Many individuals with Black talent!"


    "Hahaha, we got lucky this time." Del smiled as if that was true merit of honor for him...


    After that, William was silent for a moment, and then he spoke. "Bring them here, the monthly auction will take place in a week, so I want my subordinates to take a look at the condition of these captives."


    "As for the value of each one of them, it will depend on the level of cultivation that each one is in, on their age, gender, and state of health. As you already know, the price can range from 800 to 2,000 low-grade spiritual crystals per captive with Blue talent and from 4,000 to 9,000 crystals for each individual with Black talent."

 Chapter 201: Payment

    After talking to the manager, William, Del, and his associates quickly left that place, heading towards the place where their ship was docked.


    Del wanted to bring in his ''products'' as soon as possible so he could receive the spiritual crystals involved in this business.


    And as for why he was selling these slaves directly to the Black Market, it was because that way he could get his hands on the crystals in less time.


    Like pirates, Del''s group didn''t have much patience or great intelligence to maximize profits by selling slaves directly at auction. Because of this, it was common for people like them to pass this service on to others.


    Of course, that was just one of the reasons this happened. There were also dangers involved in any negotiation. And in this case, generally, the side of the pirates and bandits was the weakest.


    Apart from them, noble families and the Black Market itself were the ones who most participated in these negotiations. And organizations like these had great power, enough to exterminate poor fellows like Del and his companions!


    They could do an auction on their own, but things would be a little more complicated...


    Humans tend to look for rights, regardless of responsibilities, and in this case, such a thing would be fatal.


    They could earn more by selling slaves, or stolen items, directly to their customers. However, they would also have to have the necessary strength. Otherwise, the risk of them being tricked, ambushed, killed would be high.


    Why pay for something if I can only take it by force?


    This was a common thought in the Spiritual World!


    Because of this, pirates and bandits would typically prefer to take less risk in selling their ''items,'' not getting involved directly with these colossal powers that could quickly crush them.


    And as for the power behind Del and his henchmen, well, that wasn''t precisely an allied relationship.


    The right way to look at this situation was to see Del''s group as an ''outsourced force.'' They received strategic support, such as ships, simpler weapons, crystals, etc. They could use the influence of the Blood Triangle Pirates group occasionally.


    But they weren''t actually members of the Blood Triangle Pirates. This organization would never worry about the lives of low-level people like Del or even take revenge if they died!


    They were just giving individuals like Del a chance because they needed people from the northern part of the Central Continent to search for a specific item for them...


    And that was all.


    Del and other pirates could pride themselves on being chess pieces in that organization''s plans, boasting of this achievement, but there was no way they could get any further.


    Of course, for them, Blue talented people from the 5th stage of cultivation, being a chess piece of such power as the Blood Triangle Pirates was already amazing to them.


    See the example of how they were ''respected'' by other bandits, like that man, in the nameless city in the Kingdom of the Waves.


    But anyway, Del and his comrades knew they couldn''t overdo it. They could use the influence of that great pirate group with bandits and individuals of humble origins. Still, against noble families or the Black Market, they would respect them whenever possible, lessening the chances of disaster happening on their side.


    ...


    And so, time quickly passed...


    The sun had risen and fallen in the sky, giving space from daylight to night darkness.


    The bustling city of Hadia had gradually lost the usual bustle of the streets when night had fully settled.


    At this time, all the more than 400 captives who were on Del''s ship had already been transferred to a warehouse in the Black Market of the city of Hadia, where they began to be evaluated little by little.


    As an institution that catered to the nobility, the Black Market would not sell defective slaves, not even without knowing the slightest information about these individuals. Like age, cultivation level, and obviously checking their talent.


    After all, some funny pirates had tried to trick them before, thinking that such a thing would go unnoticed...


    And it didn''t take long, and even before the sun came up, the group of captives had already passed the primary evaluation of the Black Market.


    As Del had said before, there were 414 captives, with 13 of them having the Black talent and the rest having the Blue talent.


    Del didn''t have the guts to deceive the Black Market, so he had passed on the information without any trickery...


    As for the other characteristics, most of the captives were in the 3rd stage of cultivation, with a few in the 4th stage and only those 13 Black talented individuals being in the 5th stage, Spiritual General.


    As for ages, this ranged from the youngest, aged 18, to the oldest, who was 412-years-old.


    Anyway, after this check was over, the captives were placed in ''more comfortable'' places, where they could regain some of their original appearances, making them more attractive to the nobles who would buy them in a few days, at the biweekly auction.


    They would have the right to eat once a day, drink water more often, and even see the light of day...


    Before the storm of becoming a slave to a noble family, this was a slight improvement for them. Unlike pirates, bandits, and ''businessmen,'' members of noble families saw them differently.


    While people like Del and William saw captives like Barbara as an item that could generate spiritual crystals, which was better not to be ''broken'' before being sold, nobles could act more decisively...


    If they killed one of these slaves, it was no big deal. They could just buy another one!


    If an object didn''t please, then they just destroyed it.


    ...


    Time continued to pass, and another morning had begun in the city of Hadia.


    By this time, Del and his three cronies were already seated in one of the rooms in the Black Market, where they eagerly awaited payment for the deal.


    The place where they were was not exaggerating in any aspect, as this was a place mostly visited by pirates and bandits, but it had its quality.


    There was a leather sofa in the middle of the room, with a few chairs at a table not far away and some decorative furniture.


    Other than that, the only thing that caught attention were the paintings on the walls, which had some images that portrayed slavery in the Spiritual World.


    It was not possible to know whether or not these paintings were really apologies for this horrific practice. Still, the Black Market used them as actual medals...


    And suddenly, the door to that room suddenly opened when a middle-aged and very well-dressed man entered the room.


    He was smiling like he''d woken up well, and it wasn''t long before he quickly greeted each of these pirates.


    "Mr. Del, as always, you are sincere. Haha, but no kidding. It looks like you''ve harvested a good result this time, huh!" William said, smiling contentedly at the three cronies.


    "Hehe, Lord William, we just got lucky this time."


    "Don''t be modest. It''s not easy to see so many Black talented individuals being sold at once! But let''s leave the compliments aside..."


    "Ehh, we counted 401 individuals with Blue talent. Most of them are under 100-years- old... Of the rest, the 13 with Black talent, only three were over 200 years old, while the others are very young, with less 100-years-old, mostly..."


    "With this, we will pay an amount of 504,859 low-grade crystals for the 401 Blue talent captives and 89,566 crystals for the Black talent ones... As a bonus for a great deal, we will round up the value to the 600,000 low-grade crystals!"


    Hearing this, the three comrades smiled at each other in anticipation of getting their hands on that amount of crystals.


    With such revenue, they could pay for Del''s group''s pirate operations for the next two years. They could even buy various resources for the crew, along with a few weeks of rest!


    On the side of the Black Market, with the auction of these individuals, this organization could earn up to 10 times this amount, so Willian was delighted with such negotiation...


    And quickly, William handed a bag with the respective crystals to Del before finally saying goodbye to the three of them and getting back to doing his business in that part of the Black Market building.


    Meanwhile, the three associates quickly split the crystals and headed towards where their ship was moored to settle their affairs with their subordinates.


    It was time for the pirate group led by Del to take some time off, to take advantage of the perks that a mountain of spiritual crystals could give...


    ''Hehehehe, I''ll rest for a few weeks, and then we''ll return to look for that item... It''s not worth spending the whole time trying to find a fucking old piece of paper that nobody knows where it is!''

 Chapter 202: A Lost Item

    After the sale of the captives to the Black Market, Del had left the memory of those individuals behind and went to celebrate!


    With so many spiritual crystals on hand, his group could enjoy a ''vacation'' for a few weeks, partying, drinking, and having fun somewhere in the city of Hadia.


    After all, they only received essential economic support from the Blood Triangle Pirates. It wasn''t something that gave them a qualitative improvement in their lives.


    At least not if they couldn''t find the item that the organization was looking for. If that were done, they would receive an exorbitant reward, which might even change the fate of each of them.


    The chance given by the pirate group of the Evergreen Empire was like changing from water to wine. If they were successful, even becoming Spiritual Emperors during their lifetime, it wouldn''t be impossible for them!


    But, on the other hand, the work carried out by that pirate group was far from simple. Del''s group and other associations in this region had to find an item lost one million years ago in this part of the Central Continent!


    And as to why that organization was after this item, none of the ''outsourced'' pirates knew the reason. It was not something that individuals of inferior strength could know.


    Lastly, the Blood Triangle Pirates group didn''t look for that item on their own because they actually didn''t have much information about this item''s location, which literally could be almost anywhere in the north of the Central Continent.


    The information they had was that the item had been left behind in these areas of the continent. But finding a single thing in such a large piece of land was a laborious and time-consuming task.


    It made no sense to send the top experts from that organization to come after this item. In fact, they had already rummaged through some relics in this area, where lost objects were usually more easily found. Still, there weren''t any traces left behind.


    After that, the Evergreen Empire''s group resolved to ''outsource'' the situation. The most likely scenario was that the object had been discovered by local families and had already passed through multiple hands, possibly even being buried with one of them.


    That''s why the third-party pirates were doing research work on this subject, as they always got involved when some noble family fell. After all, these were golden chances for people like Del.


    At the same time, whenever a noble family falls, some secrets could end up being exposed, things that could be very important to vultures, like pirates and bandits, or even the noble families of some regions.


    After all, every great noble family had its history and, therefore, its secrets, hidden in the depths.


    And with that, the Blood Triangle Pirates hoped to discover something about the item in question. But they were in no hurry, those individuals behind this group could live thousands of years, and the discovery about this item left behind had only emerged 300 years ago.


    Anyway, Del already had been working on it for over 30 years, but not even a hint of the item had surfaced. So, even though he had been motivated to look for it in the beginning, now he continued that search because he wanted to take advantage of being a piece in that organization''s chess game.


    Finding this item seemed to be more challenging than winning in the lottery!


    So, whenever he had enough resources, Del would take time out to party, drinking heavily, having lots of women, living on the edge...


    And so, several days have passed in the city of Hadia, while Del''s group celebrates in a spot in the old part of this city.


    None of them were concerned about the slave auction or looking for the lost item right now. Life was short, and as pirates, they understood this very well.


    ...


    At this time, the sun was at the top of the city of Hadia. It was hot and bustling in the streets of this city, where several carriages with noble emblems could be seen passing by.


    The city was in an almost festive mood, with more movement than usual, as if it were about to host a festival.


    However, it wasn''t a festival that was causing this change, but the proximity of the fortnightly auction of the Black Market!


    Even though it was an event that happened frequently, it still had the power to change the entire dynamic of this city. There was always a decent supply of resources, as well as slave labor and even unusual information and items.


    Because of this, and because the Cromwell Kingdom is one of the largest in the north of the Central Continent, many nobles always came to this town, hoping they might find what they were looking for.


    There was only one Black Market in this realm, so everyone who felt good about doing business with this organization paid attention to the biweekly auctions.


    At the very least, there would be a few representatives from various noble families who were here to do business.


    And being close to Farmland helped even more business in Hadia since there were three noble families in that place!


    Finally, as the midday sun hovered over the city, two noble carriages, with different symbols, were slowly passing along a street in opposite directions. One of them displayed a star symbol with most of it black and a flesh-colored circumference in the middle of this symbol.


    While in the other one, if someone looked, they would see a silver circumference, with what appeared to be an ''X,'' right in the middle, in a golden color.


    And as they circled around that place, suddenly the two carriages stopped, just as they were side by side, in the middle of that street.


    At this point, inside the carriage with the silver and gold symbol, there was a middle-aged man, wearing silver armor, and a young woman with a well-developed body, brown hair, and a noble dress, which demonstrated the ''superior'' status that this young woman certainly had.


    On the other hand, inside the other carriage, in addition to another middle-aged man, there was a young man with a sharp look, which could easily be interpreted as an expression of contempt and arrogance that this young man had...


    At that moment, the young man then approached the window of his carriage and looked at that girl with curious eyes. "Haha, Miss Vivian! I didn''t expect to find a young lady from the Hayes family in the city of Hadia."


    The girl then looked at him with anger in her eyes and said. "Kevin, don''t confuse me with trash like you Chambers, I''m not here to buy slaves."


    "But now I see you''re not with your beloved cousin... Hehe, I almost forgot he was killed during the Spiritual Tournament." She said with a sneer on her face like she was looking at an insect.


    This girl was the older sister of the young Davy, who had lost one of his arms to Minos due to Leroy''s schemes.


    Obviously, as soon as the Spiritual Tournament was over, the entire Hayes family had found out about the events through the bodyguard who had accompanied Davy.


    Davy hadn''t blamed the young Stuart from the bottom of his heart, as he understood that Leroy''s side had manipulated him. Seeing the monstrous strength that Minos had displayed had made young Davy see it clearly!


    With that, he had already asked his bodyguard to emphasize that everything had happened because of Leroy and not Minos. He had been concerned about doing that because he really didn''t want the young Stuart to be stalked by the Hayes family, for that matter.


    There was even some resentment over what had happened, but that wasn''t something that involved life and death for either of them. Davy even wanted to come back stronger from the Flaming Empire and fight Minos, but that was more like a desire to defeat a rival, not kill an enemy.


    Anyway, Vivian had been furious when she found out about it, as well as Davy''s parents. But they understood that Minos had nothing against Davy, with everything that happened has been the responsibility of the young Chambers.


    For this, they had completely cut off relationships with that family after finding out about everything! They already had many differences, and after such a scheme, there was no more room for conversation between the two sides!


    Hearing Vivian''s last comment, Kevin frowned and felt angry at her words. "Looks like you''re wilder than usual. Be careful, I can be nice to you, but you better be careful with that mouth of yours!"


    "Hmph, do you think we''re afraid of you? If it weren''t for that slag having already died at the hands of that competitor, I would have taken Leroy''s life myself!"


    After those last words were said, the two sides looked at each other for a while as they released the pressure of their cultivation base, still from inside their carriages.


    To the people passing by on that street at this moment, it seemed that the weight of their bodies had suddenly increased while discomfort rose in the depths of their hearts.


    "What''s going on?" Someone wondered as he felt his eyes slowly darken.


    Of course, that was the effect of the spiritual clash, which happened when two cultivators released their pressures on each other. For weaker cultivators, if they were around, it would be like something was blocking them, trying to knock them out.


    And in this case, four cultivators were doing this. Two were at level 46, and the other two at level 49!


    Even if this was not an impoverished place like the old Dry City, such a force was still quite significant in the north of the Central Continent.


    For ordinary people passing on the streets of cities like Hadia, the spiritual pressure generated by the auras of these four people was enough to knock them out!

 Chapter 203: Impotence

    If anyone looked at that street where the two young people from the Chambers and Hayes families were standing, they would see a peculiar scene at this moment.


    There were two carriages parked side by side, in opposite directions, while within a radius of 20 meters away from those two means of transport, several people were lying on the ground, passed out.


    However, there was no sign of a struggle or even of people who were intent on fighting. Or rather, no people intended to fight outside the carriages...


    The four individuals in those two carriages were still sitting comfortably in their respective positions as they faced each other through the glass windows of their carriages.


    And while the ordinary citizens of Hadia were nearby fainted, no physical damage had appeared to the two carriages or knocked out their coachmen.


    Of course, the coachmen were strong enough to withstand the spiritual pressure generated by these people. As for the carriages, the pressure of Spiritual Generals was not enough to damage the structure of these objects.


    Anyway, after a few seconds in this confrontation, there was no significant imbalance since the difference in the spiritual energy of those involved was not great.


    And right then, one of the middle-aged men said in a firm voice. "Let''s stop here. There''s no point in a confrontation like this, young master. Let''s get on with our business!"


    That was Kevin''s bodyguard, Clive.


    As for why he had called Kevin as a young master, that was simply because that young man was the son of the current patriarch of the Chambers family!


    At the same time as Clive was convincing Kevin to drop this issue, on Vivian''s side, her bodyguard was trying to do the same.


    "Miss, we don''t have enough strength to beat these two. At the most, we would waste our time to pull off just a draw."


    Hearing this, Vivian felt helpless for a moment since there really wasn''t much difference in their strength. And inwardly, she felt an overwhelming urge to kill every member of the Chambers family because of what Leroy had done to her younger brother.


    But unfortunately for her, these two people in the next carriage were strong enough to protect themselves from her and her bodyguard.


    And soon, she began to regain her calm.


    She wasn''t a hotheaded person, but her grudge against the Chambers family had already been established, and seeing Kevin in this place had heated Vivian''s blood.


    After a few seconds, she then turned to the coachman''s side and said. "Let''s continue our journey."


    She then sighed for a moment and then continued. "Hah, but I don''t like coming to a ''dirty'' place like this town... If it weren''t for the fact that we''re looking for a resource sold in the Black Market, I would never set foot in this place!"


    The Hayes family was a very decent family that valued justice... And as a member of this organization, Vivian also had a strong sense of justice, which made her despise those who used slavery or dubious means.


    So, she was not in Hadia to participate in the slave auction but to find out if she could buy a specific item in the Black Market.


    She didn''t like doing that, but when this was the only place she could trade what she needed, there wasn''t much to do. Vivian would swallow her ideas and try to get her business done as soon as possible, leaving this place without delay after that.


    It was hard for someone like her to ignore all this around her, but she was too weak to do anything about it. In fact, even if the entire Hayes family tried to go against slavery in the Cromwell Kingdom, they would only be ostracized.


    After all, many families in this region were agricultural powers, which were very useful for captive labor.


    As for why the Hayes family was different from the others, that was simply because they had developed differently from the other powers in the realm.


    Rather than being an agriculturally focused power, the Hayes family was an economic power that understood slavery was not profitable for their businesses. After all, slaves didn''t shop!


    Perhaps, for this reason, the family of Davy and Vivian had followed a path of development different from many other families in the Cromwell Kingdom.


    ...


    When they saw that the opposite carriage was moving again, on Kevin''s side, the young man was sitting beside one of his carriage windows while having one of his fists clenched tightly. "Bitch, if I were a little stronger, I''d make you my slave!"


    He had been angry at Vivian''s earlier comment. The truth was that Kevin and Leroy were cousins, as their parents, the master of the Chambers family, and the supreme elder were biological brothers.


    But they weren''t just cousins. The two could be considered best friends. Because of that, when hearing about Leroy''s tragic death, Kevin had been furious inside.


    He felt terrible about not being able to avenge his cousin. Kevin knew about the fact that Minos had killed Leroy. Still, the Chambers family couldn''t take revenge on someone who was in one of the sects of the Flaming Empire...


    And that made him, as well as other family members, feel uncomfortable with this situation even more than usual. After all, the Chambers family was an arrogant, dominant power that enslaved thousands of people.


    So, it was even more challenging for them to feel this sense of inferiority!


    "Let''s go. The biweekly auction will start in a few hours. See if there''s any information about the lots that will be auctioned today..."


    After that, Kevin dropped the subject and continued talking about his goal, which brought him to Hadia today.


    This time Kevin was the Chambers family representative sent to participate in the biweekly auction. Or rather, he had decided to come here and fulfill this role.


    As the only son of the Chambers family''s patriarch, Kevin wanted to start preparing for when he would become a Spiritual King. He wanted to have great deeds and influence within the family, than just being the son of the family master.


    With this, Kevin hoped to become the next patriarch of the Chambers family in a few decades!


    And for that to happen, he wanted to create his own strength within the family, with subordinates nurtured by himself. After all, it wasn''t because he was the son of the current patriarch that he would be the ultimate successor.


    And as a good member of the Chambers family, Kevin felt that using talented slaves was the best way to strengthen himself. He had a dual cultivation technique, which used his partner''s cultivation to increase his own.


    With this, he hoped to find a suitable slave who had Black talent that could cultivate up to the Spiritual King stage with relative ease so that he could use her as a cauldron.


    But not only that, but Kevin also wanted to have some slaves for human reproduction. After all, even if these children were going to take decades to reach the Spiritual King stage, it would be worth it.


    Kevin''s own bodyguard was a product of this system, having been the son of two slaves in the Chambers family. He had been raised as a servant by Kevin''s father as if he were a bastard son of the master of this family...


    And obviously, Clive didn''t know the truth about his own origins. As far as he knew, he was the bastard of the Chambers family''s patriarch!


    This system worked because there weren''t many people like Clive. After all, there were many difficulties in having children with Black talent. Such a thing could take centuries to happen if the couple did not have the grace to get pregnant before!


    This was the main reason why Spiritual Kings did not have many children, even though most of them in this region had a few centuries of life!


    And because of that, victims like Clive would have a hard time figuring out the scheme behind what had happened to them.


    They knew the Chambers family had these methods, but they were indoctrinated in a way that made them believe that in their case, it was different...


    It wasn''t difficult to manipulate a child, after all...


    Anyway, someone like Kevin could take decades to make each breakthrough in the 6th stage of cultivation. With that, having subordinates with Black talents, like the children generated by that system, was really very attractive to people like him.


    Suppose he could get a newborn right now, considering Kevin''s cultivation level and the resources given these subordinates of the Chambers family. In this case, he could get this individual to level 50 when he was around level 54!


    And for someone of level 54, having a level 50 servant was indeed something exciting in the north of the Central Continent!


    And for all that, Kevin had decided to come to the city of Hadia for this biweekly auction, taking over as his family''s envoy.


    ...


    After that, time passed, and in the blink of an eye, it was nightfall.


    It was time for the slave auction to be held!

 Chapter 204: The Beginning of the Auction

    Daylight had already given way to the darkness of night in the city of Hadia.


    But even so, the city was bustling at the moment, specifically in a particular part of the old part of the city.


    There was a large building with six floors in that place, having a facade that looked a lot like the facade of a fighting arena. Several lights illuminated the high walls of that structure in different colors, giving a feeling of nobility to anyone passing by.


    Aside from the different look that the Black Market in Hadia looked like, many people were around this place right now.


    There were people of varied backgrounds present at the scene. At the same time, there was a significant line on one side of the building and a red carpet on the other, where well-dressed guests walked by, coming in their private carriages from time to time.


    In the standard line, there were those people who came to observe and try to get one or another item of lesser value, while at the other entrance, the nobles and representatives of prominent families passed by, people who came here to make big deals.


    Some unaffiliated merchants and cultivators were not here for the slave auction but for what happened after this event.


    The Black Market not only sold slaves at its biweekly auction. After all, the number of slaves in the market was not significant, and it was not enough for them to organize this entire event just for that.


    Of course, the slave auction was still the main point of these events, and that''s why it had its name. However, once the slaves were auctioned off, there were usually some auctioned objects such as spiritual weapons, unique arrays, medicines, and other stuff stolen by pirates from noble families in the north of the Central Continent.


    As for the interest of nobles in these items, in general, it was not very high, which gave the common public the chance to buy some things.


    However, sometimes when important objects from great noble families appeared around here, then nobles would waste no time and take these items to their respective families.


    After all, great noble families always had some items of significant value by regional standards.


    With that, when a group of pirates or bandits looted the headquarters of a noble family, which was overthrown by others, there were always some items, information that arrived in places like the Black Market, where other powers struggled to get these things.


    Anyway, as people gathered in front of the Black Market''s building, actively talking, a carriage with a symbol of a black star, with a skin-colored circumference in the middle of this figure, stopped beside the red carpet that was there in the second entry.


    Obviously, this was the carriage of the Chambers family''s young meter, Kevin Chambers.


    As he climbed out of his transport, Kevin had a confident look on his face. He wore a silver robe and had a black hat on his head.


    Beside him was bodyguard Clive, who wore the same armor as before, with a disinterested look on his face.


    There weren''t many dangers in a circumstance like the one Kevin was in at the moment, but as a bodyguard, Clive had to keep an eye out at all times.


    Therefore, this man did not care about the event that would happen soon, as it would make no difference to him. His job would continue to be to protect the young Kevin, regardless of the circumstances.


    And it didn''t take long for the two to go inside the Black Market''s building, which by now was almost full.


    ...


    Inside the building, in the part where the auction was going to occur, there was a large grandstand that occupied the first four floors of that place, leaving the last two floors where the VIP rooms of this place were.


    In the bleachers of this place, there was space for around 8,000 people to sit, while 20 VIP rooms were allocated on the top two floors of that building.


    On the opposite side of the bleachers and the VIP rooms, there was a stage with more than a thousand square meters of the area where the products of the auction would be displayed.


    And at this point, almost all the seats in the stands were already taken. At the same time, most VIP rooms already had properly allocated nobles, eagerly waiting for the auction to start.


    Anyway, in a room on the 6th floor, which had enough space for 20 people and was decorated to a very high standard, two people were there. A young woman was sitting on one of the sofas inside that VIP room, while a middle-aged man was standing on the side of the balcony of that place.


    The young woman had brown hair and was wearing a green dress this time, giving a noble and refined appearance that would catch the attention of anyone who looks at her.


    She then looked to the side of the balcony and thought. ''I didn''t think so many people came to a place like this...''


    And indeed, the Black Market was a viral organization in the north of the Central Continent, particularly in the Cromwell Kingdom.


    Several features that could be very difficult to find in ordinary stores could be seen around here. The only thing someone needed was to have large amounts of crystals because the prices charged by the Black Market were really salty...


    But overall, it was worth it. For example, seeds of spiritual plants that large families typically held were not impossible to find in places like this branch of the Black Market.


    It was not uncommon for some smuggling to take place...


    After all, most subordinates of large families were very underpaid, with humble origins, who lived with the rope around their necks.


    Sometimes the people involved weren''t even dishonest. Still, when a desperate situation came before these individuals, few decided to remain honest, sacrificing themselves, sometimes their loved ones.


    Because of things like this, the trafficking of spiritual seeds existed, making it possible to sell these items in places like the Black Market in the city of Hadia.


    Obviously, if someone wanted to buy something like that, of high value and rarity, that person would have to make a big sacrifice. However, as long as one had the crystals, buying unique items like seeds was something possible.


    Because of items like these, even ordinary people, who did not want to buy slaves, nor could do such a thing, were still interested in this place where Vivian was.


    Minos''s own father, the late General Albert, had obtained a copy of a Black-grade cultivation technique from the Black Market in the Brown Kingdom.


    Hence the origin of that cultivation technique that Minos had inherited and passed on to his soldiers in the Black Plains Army!


    Finally, a few minutes passed, and it was almost time for the fortnightly auction of the Black Market in the city of Hadia to begin.


    At that moment, both Vivian and Kevin were already sitting in their armchairs, on the platforms of their respective VIP rooms, awaiting the start of the auction.


    The entire space inside the building they were in was already darkened, with only moderate lighting on the side of the bleachers and VIP rooms. In contrast, the lighting arrays were concentrated in one area of ??the stage, leaving most of that place in darkness.


    The thousands of people there in the stands were actively talking, covering up the metallic sounds that could have been heard behind the stage if not for the noise of the audience''s conversations...


    In that place, there was a big red curtain separating the back of the stage from the front that was in direct contact with the stands.


    Behind that curtain, many employees of the Black Market were now transporting several captives to that place, which had several silver cells fixed there, new and flashy, worthy of an auction like this one.


    Each of them had four large metal wheels on top of a pair of rails that ran towards the opposite side of the curtain at the front of the auction stage.


    The captives had been transported from where they were being stored to here a few minutes ago. And at this point, almost everyone was already subdivided into several cells, with groups of different numbers of people.


    The larger groups had 30 to 50 captives inside the most significant cells there. In comparison, the smaller groups had 4 to 5 individuals who were in the smaller cells.


    Each of them had handcuffs around their necks while wearing a gray jumpsuit, which didn''t draw attention and was relatively neutral.


    In this group of slaves, most of them had been those who Del had sold, but there were also others of different origins.


    However, they all had an appearance that, while not good, was considerably better than what the captives had when they were with Del.


    They didn''t look dehydrated or hungry and had no apparent injuries on their bodies.


    But that wasn''t because the Black Market cared about their welfare, but because they were interested in selling them for the highest possible price!

 Chapter 205: Lots

    While the public present in the Black Market building of Hadia waited for the auction to start, all the captives were already duly allocated to their positions behind the stage curtains.


    There were almost 600 captives trapped in that place, inside those cells that were on top of rails that led to the same place, on the opposite side of the curtain.


    And in one of the smallest cells, which was about 4 square meters, five people stood in silence. There were three men and two women who looked relatively young, except for one of the men who already looked like an old man.


    Of course, considering that all of them were already in the 5th stage of cultivation, it wouldn''t be a surprise if each of them were already over 100-years-old, since the life expectancy of a Spiritual General is 850 years.


    In any case, the five were dressed in clothes of the same type, like the rest of the captives, while each of them was leaning against the side of the cell bars, looking around apprehensively.


    From that group, of course, Peter was there, along with Joey and Barbara, the people he had approached in the past period. In addition to them, there were two people that Peter had only recently met, as they had been victims of thugs from the region they came from, rather than Del''s organization.


    The young man had blond hair and a decent appearance, level 43, obviously had a Black talent, and his name was Milton. As for the girl, she was Robin, level 42, same talent as the other four people in this cell. She also was blond, but her particularity that caught the most attention was her petite body, with some parts still undeveloped...


    Anyway, Peter and his two traveling companions had only met these two today when the Black Market separated them into groups to make the lots that would be offered off at the auction.


    As for what had happened before that, well, nothing huge had occurred.


    In the days that have passed since Del sold them to the Black Market, Peter and the other captives have been ''stayed'' in a warehouse of this organization. There, they could rest from the terror days they had spent on that boat trip while slowly recovering, improving their appearance for today''s auction.


    But each one of them still looked miserable. After all, as cultivators, they needed great spiritual energy to recover fully. However, none of them had been allowed to cultivate, having been wearing those collars the entire time, preventing them from gathering and absorbing spiritual energy.


    With that, it would be impossible for them to regain their original appearances during this past period.


    However, they still had the ''luxury'' of eating, drinking water, sleep, and even sunbathe once a day!


    They also didn''t have to go through the occasional beating they received while in the hands of Del''s pirates, which was also an essential factor in improving each of their appearances.


    Anyway, some time had passed since they had been allocated to that place when the five started talking in low voices, introducing themselves to each other.


    "Where do you come from?" Barbara asked without showing much emotion.


    The young woman with the ''small'' body then responded with sad eyes. "I come from Stone Island. I was traveling alone when I ended up running into a group of thugs from that place. After that, I think you can already imagine what happened..."


    After that, the young man then did the same as Robin. "In my case, I''m from here, from the Cromwell Kingdom. I ended up pissing off people I couldn''t, so I ended up here after that nobleman handed me over to a pirate."


    After listening to the two, Peter, Barbara, and Joey also talked about their origins, saying how they ended up in this situation.


    They continued to talk for a while, waiting for what would happen next.


    ...


    On the opposite side of the curtain, the thousands of people were already more and more eager for the auction to start, actively talking.


    However, it wasn''t long before the gong sound sounded in the air, when suddenly a tall, strong man, wearing an all-black suit, came from behind the stage, positioning himself in that spot that was being lit up by the arrays.


    He then smiled and swept his eyes across the crowd from right to left, eventually giving a sharp look towards the VIP rooms.


    As soon as they saw this, all the people who had been actively speaking a second ago stopped their voices and started paying attention to this man who had appeared on the stage.


    This was one of the local Black Market managers, someone at level 49, the apex of the Spiritual General stage!


    He finished looking at the audience and then began to speak. "Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the fortnightly auction of the Black Market of the city of Hadia!"


    "Today, we have many lots to be sold, including three lots with Black talent''s captives, with five individuals on each lot. Anyway, there will be some interesting items after the slave auction, so prepare your crystals, hehehe."


    He then stopped for a moment and clapped his hands.


    Pa!


    "I declare that today''s auction has started!"


    After saying that, he positioned himself at that spot on the stage, standing in the left corner of that spot, turning into a position where he could see the item and the thousands of people present.


    Right after that, a metallic sound could be heard by the audience before the lighting changes, illuminating, beyond the auctioneer, another place on the stage, where there was a large cell with more than 30 people inside.


    "To start today''s auction, I have here a group of 33 captives, from lot 1, the weakest of which is at level 22 and the strongest at level 34."


    "Most of them are under the age of 100, so this group can serve for a long time to whoever buys them."


    "The initial value of this lot is 70,000 low-grade crystals, with a minimum increase of 1,000 crystals per bid."


    And as soon as he finished speaking, voices originated from the VIP rooms as bids were taken.


    "71,000"


    "72,000"


    "73,000"


    ...


    "88,000"


    As the bids were placed on this first batch of Blue talent''s captives, Kevin was quietly sitting on the porch of his VIP room.


    He wasn''t all that interested in these less talented groups of slaves. Of course, he still had to buy at least one group of slaves like that, as that was the order given by his father.


    But Kevin had left that job to bodyguard Clive. He was only here today because he wanted to strengthen his forces, obtain future subordinates from the most talented slaves, and acquire a decent cauldron.


    "151,000 for the gentleman in room 6, anyone else?" The auctioneer asked, but no one answered. This was already a high value for Blue talent''s slaves, and there were still other lots to be sold at this auction.


    "Okay, the first batch of slaves is sold for 151,000 crystals to the gentleman in room 6!"


    "Let''s go to the next batch..."


    ...


    "163,000"


    ...


    "179,000"


    ...


    "Finally, the last batch, the 15th batch, was sold to the lord of room 19 for 149,000 crystals." After he says that, the last large cell that had appeared on the stage disappeared into the darkness as the auctioneer prepared to proceed to the apex of the slave auction.


    He paused for a moment and looked in the direction of the VIP rooms, and then said with a smile on his face. "Now we will open the bids for the 2nd type of lots, containing the captives with Black talent!"


    "Each of the slaves present in the three lots that will be sold are already in the 5th stage of cultivation and are mostly considered young!"


    "We also don''t have a big difference between the genres in the respective groups, with six women and nine men. It''s not easy to get so many slave couples with this talent, hehe..."


    He continued to present the ''product'' when he finally got to the part that most interested those nobles present at today''s auction.


    "The starting bid for each lot is 100,000 low-grade crystals, with a minimum increase of 10,000 crystals!" The auctioneer spoke as he looked at the VIP rooms and waved towards the three cells, measuring 4 square meters each, already there in the middle of the stage.


    Right after hearing this, Kevin immediately spoke out loud. "150 thousand!"


    "160 thousand." Another voice sounded from one of the other VIP rooms.


    "180 thousand."


    ...


    "250,000!" The young Kevin made his bid, feeling a burden on his conscience for having to spend so much.


    After that, the auctioneer asked if anyone else was willing to bid higher, but this time no response was heard. He then said. "OK, the first batch of this round will go to the young man in room 5."


    Hearing that, Kevin smiled, satisfied. He looked at the cell with three men and two women, one of them being ''small,'' and the other had a pretty body, considering her current situation.


    As for the men, Kevin hadn''t paid attention to the young Peter and the other two. These were just individuals he wouldn''t even remember in the future after their children were born and they were killed...

 Chapter 206: Spring of Life

    After the lot Peter was on was sold, the auctioneer immediately continued with the remaining two lots. The second was sold for 240,000 low-grade crystals, while the third was auctioned for 220,000.


    The young Kevin had not participated in the bidding of these last two lots, as he had already gotten one, and it was really too expensive for him to buy more.


    After all, even a noble family with great power, as was the case with the Chambers family, couldn''t afford so many expenses at once.


    Not all powers had a revenue as significant as the Black Plain. Therefore, it could be considered quite impressive for just one of the descendants to spend so many crystals in one night!


    Peter had also already spent a good amount of money buying slaves from Lot 1, which his father had ordered him and his bodyguard to do.


    And not only that, the auction would still have more items to be auctioned off, and there might be something that catches Kevin''s eye.


    Kevin wasn''t dumb, he knew Vivian was in the Black Market building right now, and he knew this wasn''t by coincidence.


    As a descendant of the Hayes family, Vivian had a powerful sense of justice and would not be involved in slavery. Hell, her agreeing to stay in a place like the Black Market should already be very against her principles.


    But even though she didn''t like the business done in this place, she was still here, patiently waiting.


    Because of that, Kevin was sure there would be something important to be auctioned off. Even if it was valueless to him, he could still cause an inconvenience to the young woman, who had angered him earlier that day.


    Anyway, after a few minutes since the last bid was placed, the stage was darkened while the auction organizers removed the cells there and began to bring in the new items that would be auctioned.


    And then the lights came back on amidst the arguments that had been going on during the short break that had taken place. At that moment, chest and shoulder armor could be seen on a mannequin, in that place that had been lit up.


    It was red, appearing to be made of some metallic alloy, while a relief could be seen if someone looked closely at it.


    But this armor didn''t look new. It had some scratches on its surface. But that was to be expected. After all, this auction was held by an organization that worked mainly with ''recovered'' resources...


    And most of these items came from warriors killed in fights, not from a blacksmith''s workshop.


    At that moment, the auctioneer then clapped his hands twice as the audience calmed down from their conversations. "Well, as the first item in this second part of the auction, we have a grade-2, low-level spiritual armor."


    "This is armor that, despite having some fight marks, is in perfect condition and can provide a defense strong enough for its wearer to defend against cultivators up to level 46 safely!"


    "With that, the starting bid for this armor is 400 medium-grade crystals, with a minimum increase of 20 crystals of the same rank."


    And as soon as the auctioneer finished talking, bids for that item started, with many people showing up to try and purchase that item.


    "480"


    "500"


    "520"


    ...


    "680!"


    After a while, that armor was finally sold for 680 medium-grade crystals to one of the representatives of the noble families of the Cromwell Kingdom.


    But neither the young Kevin nor Vivian had tried to buy that armor. Not because they didn''t want to, but because, personally, they didn''t have that many medium-grade crystals...


    It was difficult for young people who were still in the Spiritual General stage to walk around with so many medium-grade crystals. Even though these youths were the children of patriarchs of great noble families, they still couldn''t do much about it.


    There were no zones of high spiritual concentration in the north of the Central Continent, just a few with medium concentrations. Thus, the production of this type of crystal was not high, being only in the range of a few million in the entire region.


    In contrast, many Spiritual Kings needed these resources to cultivate and buy grade-2 items, such as weapons, pills, arrays, etc.


    Consequently, there weren''t many medium-grade crystals left for young people who haven''t even reached the 6th stage of cultivation, as was the case with these two who were here participating in this auction.


    They even had the equivalent amount in low-grade crystals. Still, people who sold grade-2 items generally didn''t accept payment in low-grade crystals!


    So, Vivian and Kevin could only accept this situation, as they weren''t lucky enough to have medium-grade crystals sufficient to bid.


    As for the person who bought it, he was a representative of a noble family from the Farmland region, someone who, despite not being in stage 6 of cultivation, had been collecting medium-grade crystals for many years...


    ...


    Time passed, and a few more items had been auctioned.


    After that armor, other spiritual items produced by blacksmiths appeared, but they were all grade-1, high-level items.


    It wasn''t easy to find grade-2 spiritual weapons at auction! After all, there wasn''t much supply for these things, and those that had grade-2 items were usually pretty strong and were hardly killed.


    That armor from before could already be considered lucky for people who had had the opportunity to buy it earlier.


    Anyway, the grade-1, high-level items were all sold to ordinary people in the stands at that place.


    It was not interesting for any of those representatives and nobles who were here in the Black Market to bid on these items. They all already had at least one grade-2, low-level item in their spatial rings.


    After all, all of these people were at least halfway through the 5th stage of cultivation and could no longer continue using grade-1, high-level items that could even be damaged by their own power!


    The strength of a spiritual item was usually a few levels higher than the professional who produced it. This, of course, had to do with the quality of the materials as well. Still, if an expert didn''t have a certain level of mastery, spiritual weapons wouldn''t be strong enough in combat.


    A grade-1, high-level blacksmith, could produce objects that supported power up to about level 44. Above that, the item would not withstand counterattacks from stronger cultivators, not even its wearer''s own attacks!


    If a Spiritual King tried to use a grade-1, high-level weapon to attack, the armament would break immediately, as soon as he activated his own attack technique!


    And even if a level 45 cultivator, for example, couldn''t break such a weapon in just one blow, it wouldn''t be long before it became useless.


    As for the young Kevin and Vivian, this type of item was no longer valuable for both of them, as they were already at level 46.


    With such strength, even if they couldn''t destroy a grade-1, high-level weapon in just one attack, these items could not withstand without being damaged continually if they were used by them.


    And not only that, as noble members of large families, the two already had several grade-1, high-level items in their possessions. With that, there was no need for them to lose their crystals with such resources.


    ...


    Anyway, the auction was almost over when it was finally time for the last item to be presented.


    At that moment, everyone present was already seated in their chairs, in complete silence, as they watched the stage lighting gradually change.


    In the middle of the stage, red, green, white, blue lights illuminated a black box that was on top of a high table, with space only for that box.


    The auctioneer then approached that item and then positioned himself behind it as he began to make his presentation.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, the next item, or rather, the last item auctioned tonight, will certainly attract everyone''s attention here, hehehe."


    "In fact, it''s only being sold because it has a short shelf life, and we, the Black Market, don''t need this item right now. Otherwise, we would never sell such a thing."


    He then pulled a strand of string, causing the four walls of that box to decay as the item was gradually exposed to the thousands of people who had come to this edition of the biweekly auction.


    What was being hidden inside that box was what appeared to be a drink contained in a transparent pitcher. It glowed green, while tiny diamond-like bubbles seemed to float in various points of that liquid, like a suspension.


    The auctioneer then looked in the direction of the 20 VIP rooms in that building, with a curious look on his face. He almost seemed to be amused to see each of them react.


    "Hehehe, as you can see, this is the Spring of Life, a gem that only exists on the Elves Island!"

 Chapter 207: The End of the Auction

    The Spring of Life!


    All those inside the VIP rooms were, at this moment, with their mouths open in shock. Some had even risen from their seats, just as the walls of the box that hid that bottle had fallen.


    This was a heavenly item, which, even if sold in empires, would still be in very high demand!


    Several legends about the Spring of Life made this item practically legendary and a myth to most people in this northern part of the Central Continent.


    And while all those nobles and representatives of prominent families stood there, standing in shock, the auctioneer continued with his presentation.


    "If anyone doesn''t know the effects of Spring of Life, I will tell you." He then came out from behind that table and stood side by side with the bottle that contained that liquid, pointing with one of his arms.


    "The Spring of Life is a liquid that appears only and exclusively on the Elves Island. This item has the miraculous effect of regenerating the vitality of the person who consumes it, regardless of the reason for the person''s loss of vitality."


    "According to the information we have, even if a person is in his last breath, as long as the problem is only related to vitality, then this drink can save even someone in this condition!"


    Hearing this, those in the stands and who didn''t know about the Spring of Life were shocked. This was an item that could prevent someone from near death!


    Just to be said, there weren''t many items that could heal a cultivator''s vitality in the Spiritual World.


    And afflictions that diminished an individual''s vitality were not uncommon. There were even spiritual techniques, as well as innate abilities, that could cause loss of vitality.


    Techniques and skills like these were seen as sacrificial. In exchange for, sometimes vitality, or a few levels in cultivation, someone could release a power far above their level!


    And despite the downside of these techniques, those who used them were more concerned with saving their lives than coming back whole from a desperate situation. And times like that were not uncommon. After all, cultivation could be seen as a difficult journey, in which even children kill each other...


    Because of this, there were not a few who had sacrificial techniques, while there were those who had no choice, as innate abilities were decided at birth!


    Thus, an item like the Spring of Life was highly valued. Even many high-level people went to Elves Island in an attempt to get some of this liquid for their loved ones, afflicted by lack of vitality.


    The auctioneer then continued talking. "As I said before, this is an item that has an expiration date. But we can assure you that it still has a powerful enough effect to restore the vitality of even a Spiritual Kings."


    The Spring of Life had validity outside the Elves Island. When someone removed this item from that location, it would start to lose its functionality, turning into several tiny crystals that looked like diamonds, along with spiritual water.


    The rest of the item evaporated once this entire process was completed.


    However, this did not happen within the territory of the Elves Island. These people from the north of the Central Continent did not know it, but the main spiritual root of the Spiritual World was located on that place, just below the source of the Spring of Life!


    In addition, that region had a strong presence of living organisms of high vitality and compatibility with spiritual energy, which made the entire island a paradise for living beings.


    No wonder the natives of that place, the elves, could live six times longer than humans...


    And because of that, the Spring of Life did not decompose on that island, being used by elves frequently in their staple diet.


    However, upon exiting the Elves Island, the liquid that could restore even Spiritual Demigods'' vitality would gradually lose its effect until it was no longer helpful.


    As for why Hadia City''s Black Market had such an item for auction, well, that was just their luck.


    A few weeks ago, a pirate group from the Cromwell Kingdom had found the remnants of an elven ship near the Kingdom of the End.


    Apparently, the ship from the Elves Island had been thrown towards the north sea of ??the Central Continent, the most dangerous maritime region in the Spiritual World!


    With that, the entire crew and a large part of that ship had been destroyed, and the remnants were thrown towards the Kingdom of the End.


    With that, an ignorant group of pirates looted what was left of the ship. After returning to the Cromwell Kingdom, they sold this item to the local Black Market, not knowing what they had collected...


    "We got this portion of the Spring of Life a few days ago from a group that had collected this item from the remnants of an elven ship that passed through the northern sea."


    "Anyway, as you can see, the Spring of Life hasn''t decayed to a great extent yet, having formed only a few crystals."


    "With that, we will start the bids for this item. The initial value will be 500,000 low-grade crystals, with a minimum increase of 50,000."


    After he finished saying that, the offers soon started to sound as if those nobles were desperate for this item.


    "600,000"


    "650,000"


    "750,000"


    ...


    "950,000"


    At that moment, after making this last bid, the young Vivian was already starting to break out in a cold sweat, thinking about how much she would have to spend to get this item.


    She had gotten the information that an item that could heal a person''s vitality would be being auctioned off in this auction. This was precisely why she had come to this place, even though she found the local practices extremely repulsive.


    The truth was, Vivian had a friend, very close, intimately speaking... Who had fallen victim to a peak spiritual beast from the 5th stage of cultivation when the two were training in one of the strongest forests in the Cromwell Kingdom.


    Unintentionally, the two made the mistake of entering that beast''s nest, irritating it deeply. And while they were trying to escape for their lives, Vivian''s friend had protected her at a crucial moment, when Davy''s sister could have died in the clutches of that beast!


    With that, Vivian''s lover had been seriously injured, losing much of her vitality at that time...


    Anyway, that was the reason Vivian was trying so hard to get this item.


    A person she loved was slowly dying because of herself!


    ...


    As Vivian constantly bid on Spring of Life, the young Kevin, who was quietly sitting in his armchair, looked to the side of his VIP room and laughed.


    He had no interest in the Spring of Life. Still, there was always the occasional old man within large noble families who needed items like this. So, if he bought this item, he would have a good excuse and could even improve his morale within the family.


    But not only that, for Kevin, the main thing was that he could prevent Vivian from getting what she wanted!


    ''Let''s see if you came prepared, bitch!''


    He then said in a confident tone. "1.5 million!"


    Hearing this, everyone in the place stopped for a moment as they felt shocked by Kevin''s sudden offer.


    The last bid was only 1.1 million low-grade crystals, but he raised 400,000 at once!


    So far, many interested in the Spring of Life had already given up on it, but then suddenly, another competitor had entered the dispute. This had surprised many of those present.


    And upon hearing Kevin''s "indecent" offer, Vivian quickly realized what he was doing. She frowned as she felt incredibly irritated at this young man''s petty attitude.


    "Is this bastard going to compete for the Spring of Life just because of what happened earlier?" she wondered angrily, feeling her blood heat.


    Her friend could die soon, but now that she had found a light at the end of the tunnel, a wretch like Kevin had shown up in her way, just to annoy her!


    She then said. "1.6 million!"


    "2.0 million," Kevin said with a smile on his face as he looked towards where Vivian was.


    However, this time no new offer came, as Vivian didn''t have more crystals than that to increase the bid. She was just standing in her chair, with a look of hate on her face.


    She couldn''t ignore where she was and jump towards Kevin. After all, there were people stronger than them in the local Black Market.


    Not to mention that she alone was not enough to defeat Kevin and his subordinates either!


    She then slammed one of her hands down hard on one of the armrests of the chair she was sitting on. At this point, she was completely enraged, looking in the direction Kevin''s voice was coming from as if she were looking at him and witnessing him murder her beloved friend.


    ''Miserable!''


    ...


    Finally, the auctioneer then asked if anyone was willing to make a higher bid for the Spring of Life, but no one in that place had done that.


    More than 2 million was a lot for almost all those representatives, who didn''t know how effective that liquid would be on their older elders, those who needed items like that.


    The auctioneer then said. "Well, if that''s the case, the Spring of Life is sold to the gentleman in room number 5."


    "Hehe, with the last item auctioned, we''ve come to the end of this biweekly auction!"

 Chapter 208: Do You Recognize That Symbol?

    As soon as the auction was over, the crowd that was starting to move out of that building soon began to fill the place with various voices and commentary.


    "Ahh! What an awesome night! I''ve never seen so many high-end items before!"


    "Hehe, how jealous of that young man, he bought an item as miraculous as the Spring of Life! I wonder what the effects of this item must be like!"


    "Hm, but he''s wealthy! Two million crystals is a very high bid, even for the great families of our realm..."


    "But it''s worth it, even if he''s played a sizable portion of his family''s annual profit, if that item is used in the right way, it''ll certainly be worth it to them."


    "Ahh, what envy! My ancestor is almost with both feet in the grave, if I had that many crystals..."


    And while the common public that had come to the auction actively discussed the auctioned items and left that place, the young Vivian was enraged at this point, still inside the previous VIP room.


    In that place, Vivian was leaning with her arms against a wall, where there was a fist imprint stuck in the area where one of her hands was.


    A few drops of blood dripped from the cut that had appeared on her right hand, while Vivian felt like she was at a dead end.


    It was a helpless feeling that was making her feel guilty, vulnerable, and anxious for what might happen.


    If she didn''t get the Spring of Life, who knows if she could find a similar item in the short time her friend had left...


    Allied to that, the fact that the buyer of that item was a scum, as was the case with Kevin, someone who was capable of enslaving, raping, and doing many other atrocities, only worsened the negative feeling deep in Vivian''s being.


    ''What the hell! Why did this bastard have to show up here today?'' She couldn''t stop thinking about how unlucky she was.


    People like Kevin could buy slaves at any time, as it wasn''t hard to find and get this, even if there weren''t extremely high numbers of these individuals for sale.


    But contrary to what usually happened, Kevin, someone of high rank within the Chambers family, had come shopping at the Black Market, which was typically done by lesser nobles and representatives.


    This had made the young Vivian regret deeply.


    If he were a regular representative, even if more recently there had been an issue between the Chambers and Hayes families, he probably wouldn''t have bought an item just to mess up her life.


    And as she stood there, leaning against the wall as she complained internally, her bodyguard approached the young woman and then said with a straight face. "Miss, what are we going to do now?"


    This man knew about Vivian''s feelings for that friend of hers, and consequently, about how important it was to buy the Spring of Life.


    He felt terrible about it all, but even he didn''t know how to get around it. It was difficult for them to act against Kevin, as the strength of both sides was equal. So, the bodyguard was worried about how Vivian might want to act, given the consequences of not having the Spring of Life.


    She then took a deep breath and said. "Let''s follow him for a while. A lot of people know he bought the Spring of Life, so it wouldn''t be weird if someone tried to steal it before he went back to one of the Chambers family properties."


    The Chambers family was a power that had its headquarters in the central part of the Cromwell Kingdom, more than two weeks traveling from the city of Hadia.


    And because of this distance, the young Kevin''s family had a post near the northwestern region of the kingdom, which served as a stopping point for family representatives who were returning from shopping at the Black Market.


    The Chambers family was a frequent consumer of Black Market products, so it couldn''t fail to invest in a place like this.


    After all, it wasn''t uncommon for powers to have bases in other places beyond their territories. This was the kind of measure that served to facilitate the contacts of two regions or powers, even if they were thousands of kilometers from each other.


    It was also something to provide comfort and convenience for family members when they were traveling to distant regions.


    And this not only happened within a single kingdom but throughout the north of the Central Continent.


    As in the case of the various royal families in the region, the strongest and wealthiest powers in the area had operations close to the most critical cities in those other states. After all, they were the rulers of this region and also the ones who made the biggest deals.


    Consequently, there was a need for external posts to facilitate regional contact.


    Anyway, after exposing her thoughts to that bodyguard, it didn''t take long, and they both left that VIP room, heading to a place where they would follow in the footsteps of Kevin and his subordinates.


    ...


    While Vivian left the Black Market building, Kevin was no longer in that VIP room before but in the back of that building.


    Kevin and his bodyguard, Clive, had bought many slaves, so they couldn''t just get a spatial ring and walk out as nothing had happened...


    Spatial rings couldn''t store living things, so one couldn''t conveniently carry a group of people inside one of them. Because of this, Clive had already brought a group of carriages through which the captives'' cells could be attached.


    There were several guards from the Chambers family at the back of the Black Market as they waited beside the various carriages there.


    Also, many other people, coming from other powers of the Cromwell Kingdom, were there as they waited their turn to take their respective slaves.


    Kevin hadn''t been the only one to be able to buy the lots. In fact, he had only bought two lots with Blue talent slaves and one with Black talent captives.


    With that, most of the hundreds of captives sold tonight were going to other families in this realm.


    At that moment, Kevin was standing beside that carriage from before, while holding a clear glass bottle, which had a bright green liquid inside.


    This was the Spring of Life, which he had just received!


    ''Ahh, this was pretty expensive, huh... But this was not only a great way to mess up that Hayes bitch''s plans, but I can also still get the favor of the elder who will use this!" He thought to himself as he made his own predictions for what would happen when he returned to the family headquarters.


    With the Spring of Life, he would undoubtedly gain a lot of points from the person who used it, as well as being more favorably viewed by the other elders of the Chambers family.


    This was a very beneficial thing for Kevin, who did not yet have the position of successor to the patriarch of the Chambers family!


    In addition to power, a person needed to have the support of the elders to rise to such a position. After all, individual power alone wasn''t enough to climb to the top!


    Sooner or later, every living being died. Still, collective achievements and deeds were left behind and could even expose to future generations that one day, some individual did this and that.


    But that would only happen if the power behind that individual was consistent. If not, even if someone reached level 100, when he died, that power could weaken and even disappear from history, burying that individual''s existence in the past.


    As for noble families, a leader had to be the strongest, but this would not be enough to solve everything all the time. The worst enemy was not external but internal. Because of this, an organization needed to work in a hormonal way, in such a form that the figure of the leader was trusted by the majority of the family''s subordinates.


    Only then could an organization prosper and perhaps even be remembered by future generations!


    Finally, time passed, and soon some carriages that were there began to leave while pulling large metal cells containing many captives.


    Kevin and his group also left after a few minutes, heading towards the exit of Hadia City.


    There was no reason for them to stay here, so he and his caravan were moving directly to the base the Chambers family had in this region, 500 kilometers from here.


    And in one of the carriages that followed behind the young Kevin''s, there were about ten people there, among them, Peter and those other four individuals from before.


    All of them had spent the rest of the auction time inside a cell at the back of the Black Market building as they waited to receive the transport of the power that had bought them.


    And as they began to leave the lighted streets of the city of Hadia behind, heading into the darkness of night on a soil road, Peter finally asked the question that several of the captives had in their minds.


    "Joey, do you recognize that symbol on the carriage that is going in front of us?" He spoke as he sat on the metal floor of the cell, with his body swaying from side to side due to the movement of that transport.

 Chapter 209: The Arrival of the Group of Dumas

    Upon hearing Peter''s sudden question, the other slaves who were there immediately turned to look in Joey''s direction while paying attention to what he would say.


    After all, except for Milton, none of them were from the Cromwell Kingdom. Therefore they knew nothing about the local families.


    As for Milton, although he was from the Cromwell Kingdom, he did not know the symbol of the family that had bought them. The kingdom had a large population as well as a territory of millions of square kilometers.


    Because of that, even though he knew the names of the great families of this state, knowing how to distinguish the respective symbols of those families was something he didn''t know how to do.


    Milton was not a prominent noble family member. He was not an ambitious person but someone who valued life and peace. So, even as a child, he had decided to enter a small family, where he could have some support while not taking significant risks...


    But, well, it hadn''t worked for him...


    Anyway, as a minor family member with no influence and no dealings with significant houses, Milton was unsure how to distinguish the symbol from most families in the Cromwell Kingdom.


    And he certainly didn''t know this one, which could be seen on the sides of the carriages that carried them. So, even a native of this state like him was also curious to know where he was being taken.


    And while all those captives looked at him, Joey then closed his eyes and shook his head as if regretting it.


    "We were very unlucky." He said in a husky voice, with his eyes still closed.


    As an old man who traveled across the north of the Central Continent, Joey knew virtually every noble family in this region. And that symbol of a black star, with a circumference in the middle of it, the color of skin, was something he knew.


    And knowing this brand, Joey was not at all happy!


    In fact, he was lamenting the cruel fate that was left for them!


    This old man knew the Chambers family. This was a family without any moral principle, which had adopted the practice of slavery for thousands of years, using thousands of captives as a sacrifice for its success.


    They used those most talented captives to reproduce, used dual cultivation techniques to increase the personal power of their members, and then killed their victims when they ceased to be useful.


    For the less talented slaves, they were left to work in the fields until they died, sometimes being tortured, watching their loved ones raped, slowly killed by constant abuses, etc.


    It was a family full of members like Leroy. Many of them were arrogant, saw themselves as the best, and always acted wildly against those who were weaker. But, on the other hand, when they had to face powerful people, they used despicable means, such as the manipulation used by Leroy in Davy, blackmail, the use of assassins, etc.


    And knowing all this, Joey was sorry for all of them. If they had gone to any other noble family in the Cromwell Kingdom, there was still hope that they could get out of this reality. But in the Chambers family, it would be just a delusion to think of freedom.


    He then said in a low voice so that only the captives in that cell would hear. "This is the symbol of the Chambers family!"


    Hearing that, half the people there didn''t know what it could mean, as they didn''t understand how bad it could be to go to this family.


    However, the other half was utterly frustrated to hear this, with many of them pale with terror. Milton was one of them.


    He might not know the symbol of that family, but he knew of the Chambers'' fame. In the Cromwell Kingdom, some families had some notoriety among the ordinary people.


    For example, the royal family was said to be one of the three strongest in the north of the Central Continent, perhaps even being the strongest. The Hayes family was said to be the ''fairness'' of the kingdom. They were known for their selfless and heroic deeds...


    But as for the Chambers, they were real devils. It was said that if you were unlucky enough to meet someone from this family, the best thing to do was to try not to draw attention, not to look them in the eye, not to speak, to act in a subordinate way.


    Otherwise, a sea of ??misfortune could be very close to you...


    "Damn it! Did it have to be them?" Milton commented, a bit irritated.


    Peter then lowered his head as he reflected. ''Ahh... Given the personality Leroy had, this family must be complicated...''


    And seeing the reaction of her two traveling companions, Barbara, who knew nothing about the Chambers family, then asked Joey. "Is it that bad?"


    "Hmm, it''s not good for us. If you believe in a greater existence, then pray for something to happen before we reach Chambers family headquarters. After that, we''ll already be in hell..."


    ...


    While the carriages of Kevin''s group were heading towards the Chambers family base in that region, some groups were leaving the city of Hadia while chasing them from some distance.


    At least four different groups were doing this, whereas Vivian and her bodyguard were one of those.


    As predicted by her, some of the other representatives of the realm''s noble families could not ignore the value of the item Kevin was carrying and were already chasing him.


    And even if they hadn''t acted thus far, Kevin''s group would still be a few days away from the Chambers family base, where it would be nearly impossible for these people to act...


    For now, they were just following Kevin''s trail to secure the Spring of Life''s location while waiting for the right moment to act.


    After all, most of them were weaker than Kevin''s group or were in the same general power range. So with that, even if they attacked now, it probably wouldn''t result in a good ending for them!


    Anyway, Vivian''s bodyguard then said at the same time that he had a serious look on his face. "Miss, if we are going to act, it has to happen before that boy arrives at the Chambers family base in this region. A Spiritual King is guarding that place, so I fear it will be impossible for us to reverse this problem if we take too long!"


    "Hmm, I know."


    ...


    At the same time that this pursuit was taking place, a few dozen kilometers from where Kevin was traveling, there was a group of three carriages running towards the city of Hadia.


    Spiritual beasts that looked like horses pulled each of those carriages, while some men traveled with tired expressions on their faces.


    There were 16 people in that group, all of them Spiritual Generals.


    This was the Black Plain Army''s group that had been dispatched by Minos a few weeks ago. They had traveled all the way from the southwest coast of the Kingdom of the Waves to the northwest coast of Cromwell Kingdom in just over a week.


    From that moment when Dumas'' group had interrogated the bandit Akar, whom they had kidnapped from the nameless city, they had immediately run to the place they were about to arrive, soon after dispatching those four soldiers who had returned to the Dry City to report the group''s findings.


    As for Akar, as he was not an enemy of the Black Plain, nor did he know the origin of Dumas'' group, and as he had even helped them in this mission, he had been released after a few days of travel.


    Dumas had kept this man unconscious for several days, having abandoned him in a town near the Cromwell Kingdom, on the coast, near the border with the Black Plain.


    After that, they quickly continued their journey, having finally approached the city of Hadia this night, on the spot where the Cromwell Kingdom''s Black Market was located!


    It had been over one month since Peter was kidnapped. So, at this point, the Sergeants who were in this investigation group were sure that now that young man would have been sold to some noble family in the region.


    Though terrestrial spiritual beasts were faster than ships, which didn''t use the strength of beasts to move, the pirates of Del''s group had had the advantage of time on their side.


    Because of this, it would be challenging for Dumas'' group to prevent Peter from falling into the hands of the Black Market!


    That way, they had no hope of finding Peter around here.


    Their job was to investigate what had happened so that when Minos sent in reinforcements, they could act decisively, without delay!


    And after a while, the group of carriages finally arrived near the city of Hadia, from a point where they could all see the lights of that place gradually illuminating the darkened ground from which they came.


    The group then stopped in the middle of the night darkness on the outskirts of the city, where there was vegetation not so dense as to impede their view of the city but enough for someone to hide in that place of passersby.


    The group then gathered around Dumas when he finally started giving his orders. "We''re going to split into four groups to enter the city, so we don''t attract attention. Let''s find out what happened to Sergeant Peter!"


    ...

 Chapter 210: The Arrival of the Minos Group

    After Sergeant Dumas gave his order, the group of 16 people soon split into 4, preparing to go separately to the city of Hadia.


    None of them wore the typical uniform of the Black Plain Army. Still, if they walked into town together, they could end up drawing unnecessary attention.


    As strange as it was for a group of 16 people to come and go from the city, these soldiers were not ordinary at all. Each of them was somebody who had already reached the 5th stage of cultivation, and even though they could not yet be considered experts in this region, they were already halfway there.


    Spiritual generals were usually members of one of the many organizations that existed in the region. It wasn''t widespread for people above level 40 not to work for any power. After all, with these forces, there were already many services for people like that.


    Even though many individuals in this cultivation range were not members of large noble families, they were usually members of lesser families, mercenary guilds, alchemists, array masters organizations, and so on.


    There were many different types of organizations in the Spiritual World. Noble families were just those with which, in addition to having some essential activity, like commerce for the Nash family, they had great strength.


    Because of this, the noble families were usually the most relevant. But there were many other organizations, which could affect ordinary life if they wanted to do that.


    And precisely because of the many forces that existed, most people above level 40 were already involved with one of these powers.


    And that made sense. The closer one got to the Spiritual King stage, the harder it was to advance in the cultivation with the low-grade crystals.


    Therefore, cultivators needed some support, guaranteeing them a good supply of crystals, or better yet, ensuring they had the opportunities to get enough crystals.


    And only by being in one of these organizations would anyone be able to do that!


    As a result of all of this, if the 16 soldiers from Minos'' forces entered Hadia together, as people above level 40, they risk attracting unwanted attention and possibly causing a problem that would impede their operations within this city.


    Anyway, it didn''t take long, and everyone left that place, entering the city through the two different entrances there.


    At the moment, it was still night, but the group could not leave the investigation for later. Peter''s life was at risk, and the longer they took, the less likely that the young man would return to the Black Plain.


    ...


    Quickly two days passed, and in this period, many things had happened in the city of Hadia in this northwest region of the Cromwell Kingdom.


    In the past few days, the young Kevin still had not arrived at the Chambers family''s base, a few hundred kilometers from Hadia.


    But the problem wasn''t the distance nor the potency of the spiritual beasts pushing the carriages of Kevin''s group. No, the problem was that they constantly had to fight against various groups of cultivators!


    Initially, four groups were chasing Kevin, but another six different groups had joined the chase after just over a day.


    Not all of them were from noble families, but most were members of wealthy families, organizations with some influence.


    And even if none of them liked having to piss off the Chambers family, this was a golden chance for them!


    Kevin was in a group with no Spiritual Kings and was far from the nearest stronghold of the Chambers family. If any of them got the Spring of Life, then even if they had to flee or face the raging power behind Kevin, it would be worth it!


    Virtually every organization had one or two dying old men who needed items that could restore lost vitality. And such figures were significant to their respective powers, as they had a lot of power and influence.


    So, given this unique opportunity, these people hadn''t cared what the Chambers family would think of it and had rushed in trying to steal the item Kevin had bought!


    Anyway, due to this pursuit, Kevin''s group had to make some detours, increasing the travel time to the Chambers family base in this region.


    It wasn''t that they thought spending more time off base would be safe¡­ It was that they didn''t have the option to travel faster and safer.


    Or they would go through the terrain that carriages usually passed and could run at full speed, where they would be vulnerable to attacks from all who were chasing them. Or they would have to travel through forests, places with rugged terrain, and the presence of many spiritual beasts, where they could lessen their vulnerability.


    And Kevin''s decision was obvious. Despite being an arrogant person, he was not stupid. He wouldn''t face all these pursuers at once!


    Going over rough terrain and danger would make the pursuers slow down their respective speeds, as well as the intention to attack his group.


    There were also the spiritual beasts, which made those people more afraid to attack. That''s because they could be attacked at any time, and it wouldn''t be interesting if that happened after they''ve been fighting each other and getting drained of energy!


    Kevin''s group was also more numerous, so even if the stalker side were to come together, the difference in powers wouldn''t be that big!


    But even so, some fights had taken place in that past time. A more hurried and greedy group had attacked the young Kevin''s party during this period...


    And as expected, Kevin and his subordinates won.


    Anyway, while Kevin''s group was being chased through the northwest region of the Cromwell Kingdom, in the city of Hadia, the Black Plain Army''s soldiers had already started their investigation. They were close to discovering what had happened to Peter!


    ...


    At this moment, in a popular restaurant in the city of Hadia, four men were sitting around a table. At the same time, several transparent glasses could be seen on that table, with a golden liquid inside them.


    The cups had water droplets on the outer surface, as if it was sweating, making it look nice for who looks this.


    There was also a basket with snacks in that place, which appeared to be some kind of fried snacks, from which those men picked up from time to time, with toothpicks.


    Anyway, the four seemed completely common in the middle of that place. There were many other people, at their respective tables, happily eating and drinking while talking in loud voices.


    At that moment, the group that seemed utterly mixed with the place suddenly began to speak in low voices. From time to time, they changed the subject and talked about everyday things, like the rest of the customers of that establishment.


    Then one of them, a strong bald man, said. "Chief Dumas, I found out that there was a slave auction in this town a few days ago, and about 15 people with Black talent were sold on that occasion."


    "Hmm, I heard the same too. I believe Sergeant Peter was sold with this group. Ehh, it looks like three different powers bought these 15 people." Another soldier added the speech of the previous one.


    Dumas then put a snack in his mouth and, after a while, said. "Well, let''s try to bribe someone from the Black Market to find out exactly to which family Peter was sold. There must be some people from that place willing to speak."


    "OK."


    After that, they talked for a while longer until the last soldier who had not yet reported back to Dumas said. "Sir, my group has already found out about those responsible for the kidnapping of Sergeant Peter."


    "Oh? Where did they go?"


    "They are here in the city of Hadia. It seems that there is a place a few kilometers from the city''s port, which has a famous place among the pirates who come to this city..."


    ...


    And while the four soldiers were talking about their discoveries and planning what to do next, a few dozen kilometers from Hadia, a group of 9 carriages were rapidly approaching that place.


    From that group of carriages, several beasts that looked a lot like horses pulled those means of transport, leaving a trail of dust wherever they passed.


    There were more than 40 people in that group, with the weakest of them at level 42 and the strongest at level 48.


    This group left the Dry City a few days ago, traveling to regain young Peter''s freedom.


    During this period, when Minos and his party were traveling, they had passed through the City of Waters without stopping, running as far as possible towards the northwest coast of the Cromwell Kingdom.


    They had even passed through Farmland, but the young Stuart had no way of staying and seeing this place, which was undoubtedly one of the rivals of the Black Plain.


    Of course, Farmland did not produce items of high spiritual concentration, as did any other agricultural region in the north of the Central Continent, except for the Black Plain. But given the turnover of this place, it deserved to figure as a rival for Minos territory, at least for the time being...


    Anyway, the group of Minos didn''t stay in that place any longer than they should have and soon continued their journey to the city of Hadia, where they were about to arrive at this exact moment.

 Chapter 211: Miserables

    It was sunny in the city of Hadia right now. Not a single cloud was in the sky above this place.


    It was a little hot at the moment, but not uncomfortable. Just that heat that makes you feel energized at the start of the day.


    And while the population of the city of Hadia continued their daily affairs, in the midst of this common climate of this region, on the east side of the town, at one of the entrances, there was a group of carriages approaching from there.


    Seeing a group of two carriages arriving in the city together, the local guards who guarded that place were not even interested in it, as they saw part of the group of Minos entering the town.


    Not all cities in the Spiritual World had an entry/exit post, as in the Dry City. After all, not all rulers were interested in knowing exactly who enters and leaves their territories.


    As in the case of Hadia, many criminals came and went through the streets of this town, so it would make no sense to have a barrier of entry, which checks the background of each visitor...


    If even criminals could come and go, who would they prevent from entering the city?


    One would think that the defenders of order and justice would come to destroy places like this. But that would be naive. There were no heroes in the Spiritual World. And surely, no one would dedicate his life just to help others without receiving anything in return.


    Even families like that of the young Davy even helped the standard population, as long as it didn''t harm them in any way...


    Minos was like that too, he was against slavery, but would he fight this system without gaining anything in return? No.


    And with such a reality, cities where there  housed Black Market branches generally did not limit people''s entry into those territories. There was no need. It would be a waste of resources!


    But of course, there was surveillance and local forces that protected this place. But this only served to maintain order and keep a minimum level of information about what was happening locally.


    Those local guards who were there, at the most, would take note of the strength and the amount of people who were entering and leaving that city. And precisely because of that, Minos had divided his group so that they wouldn''t attract too much attention when entering this place.


    If he entered the city with too many people at once, as Kevin had done when leaving this place, he would end up attracting the attention of the local leaders. And that would be dangerous for him, who wanted to hide his strength for the time being!


    And as for groups of small ones, like those that formed with the subdivision done by the young Stuart, it was widespread for groups like that to enter and leave Hadia.


    Because of this, Minos had quietly entered this city, without drawing any attention from the local forces who watched and the entrances to this place, where the Black Market was located.


    After this, he immediately gave his orders to what soldiers had to do here. All of them had to go out through the city of Hadia and find the 16 Sergeants who should have been around by now so that they would receive whatever information had been gathered in the meantime.


    They had a deadline to do this until tomorrow when they could meet at a pre-arranged location on a secluded side of Hadia.


    Minos didn''t know this place, but luckily his friend Abby''s bodyguard had come along with the group. Eda had been through this town before, so she knew how best the young Stuart should behave around here.


    In the old part of town, where most of the criminals were, was the best place for them to gather without attracting attention. After all, entire bands of pirates and bandits passed through those places, so it wouldn''t be so strange if more than 40 people did the same there.


    Anyway, the blue sky of the city of Hadia was starting to lose its splendor as night slowly began to fall.


    The movement of the city continued at full steam, at the same time in which the soldiers of Minos spread there, starting the missions passed by the young Stuart.


    At this time, Minos had only stayed with the two women of the Miller family while they were looking for a hotel to spend the night in this city.


    Traveling by carriage was not pleasant, especially when one had to do it in a hurry, without much time to stop and rest during the journey.


    And as much as they didn''t get so tired, the physical tiredness wasn''t the only one that existed on their respective levels. The mind played as important a role as the body, needing rest from time to time.


    Hence, even powerful cultivators didn''t stop doing things like sleeping, having fun, eating, having sex, etc., whenever they had time to spare. All of this could relax everyday stress and help people on their cultivation journeys.


    As they walked towards the place where they would be staying, Minos then looked at the blue-haired girl who was beside him and then said, looking into her eyes. "Abby, when we go to attack the pirate group that kidnapped Peter, I want you and madam Eda not to get involved and just watch."


    He had already talked about many things regarding this rescue mission with Abby, including the fact that he believed Peter would no longer be around.


    And because of that, Minos believed that when he arrived here in Hadia, the first thing to do would be to eliminate those individuals from Del''s group.


    It would certainly be easier to find information about a pirate group than the noble family who might have bought the young Peter.


    Therefore, while solving the mystery of the young Sergeant''s location, Minos intended to take care of that other matter.


    Abby then looked at Minos with interest and nodded. She knew that this friend of hers probably wanted to demonstrate his power to the two of them since he had already made that offer before.


    And as much as Abby was curious about the strength of Minos'' soldiers and wanted to see it, she didn''t have high expectations. She had already said that she wanted to help before, but since he was asking her not to do this, the Miller girl could stop Eda from acting, at least until the army soldiers had problems...


    ...


    While things were developing in the city of Hadia, in another part of the Cromwell Kingdom, Kevin''s group was almost reaching the base of the Chambers family, which was in this region.


    If anyone looked at the state of the young Kevin''s group right now, they would have an impression on their minds, which was misery.


    When examined closely, the guards escorting that young man''s group''s carriages were dressed in mud-stained clothes, had pale faces, bruises of varying severity, and dark circles under their eyes.


    They had constantly been fighting in recent days, either with spiritual beasts who had caused them problems or with some of their previous persecutors.


    Because of this, these people had barely had time to rest, having run as fast as they could when they weren''t fighting, so they could get to that base as soon as possible.


    As for the captives being carried in those cells attached to the carriages, they were the same as before.


    In these past days, they hadn''t faced anything problematic other than not being fed. But that each one of them had already got used to, from the time when they had been in the hands of pirates or bandits, before being transferred to the Black Market.


    As for the beatings they got from time to time, well, Kevin and his group didn''t have time to think about doing such a thing. They were on the run to get to the Chambers family''s base, so there was no time to make life miserable for these captives.


    And for these people, they had been delighted to see Kevin''s team having so much trouble. Even if they didn''t have much hope of being saved, it was nice to see a damn person like Kevin not having peace, not even to rest!


    Anyway, at that moment, Kevin was sitting inside his carriage, with an unfriendly appearance on his face. He hadn''t thought it would be so challenging to have something like the Spring of Life in his hands.


    In fact, he almost regretted buying it, as he didn''t really care how long the old man''s life would be if he drank this liquid.


    Could this be beneficial to Kevin''s morale? Yes, but was that crucial, to the point where Kevin had to go through all this trouble? Nope!


    Because of this, the young master of the Chambers family felt quite uncomfortable at this point.


    ''That bitch even attacked me twice!'' He thought to himself as he ran a hand over a scar on his face.


    Vivian had attacked him by surprise during one of the fights, leaving a notable mark on this young man''s face. In fact, he had almost died from it, but luckily for him, that young woman''s attack had missed!


    "One day, I will enslave that bitch!" He muttered, feeling intense anger towards Vivian. Unfortunately, the scar she had left on him could not be undone with standard resources. Most likely, Kevin would only regain his noble appearance after reaching level 50!


    But that would still take years for him, and for someone as full of himself as Kevin, it would be tough to have to live with part of his face disfigured...

 Chapter 212: Reaching the Base

    As Kevin''s group continued their journey, the night slowly took over from the day, gradually darkening that region at the same time as a drizzle fell wherever they passed.


    The noise of wild animals could be heard, along with the sounds of what appeared to be cicadas.


    However, from where Kevin was standing, he and his group could already see a large fort a few kilometers ahead of them!


    That place was completely red, with watchtowers at five different points, with a great wall connecting all these points, forming something like a pentagon.


    And if people looked closer, they would see that every few meters on the outer walls of that place, there was a symbol of a black star, with a circumference in the middle.


    This was the Chambers family''s base in this region. The place towards Kevin was running!


    At the same time that Kevin''s group saw that place in front of them, their stalker groups could already see the same.


    They were a few dozen kilometers from the convoy of carriages carrying the slaves, as many of them had had problems en route here.


    The irregular terrain of the forests, the fact that they hadn''t left at the same time as Kevin''s group from Hadia, and the fights with spiritual beasts, some of those pursuers had lingered a bit behind.


    Not to mention that small groups like the persecutors were generally more targeted by bands of spiritual beasts than larger groups like Kevin''s party. After all, beasts had great senses, and because of that, they knew it wasn''t interesting to fight too many enemies!


    Consequently, Kevin''s pursuers had had more trouble with the spiritual beasts of the forest they''d passed than the young master of the Chambers family.


    Anyway, among one of these groups of pursuers was a young woman with brown hair, wearing an armor that looked like a dress but that had some battle marks.


    There were some mud stains on the young woman''s clothes, while beads of sweat could be seen running down the woman''s forehead.


    She then jumped from the spiritual beast that she had used in this pursuit, climbing to the top of one of the trees in that place.


    As she did this, a middle-aged man accompanied her, standing beside that young woman in silence. This man was tall, robust, and dressed in metallic armor, which had some of the same symbols that were on the armor of the young woman he was accompanying.


    These two, of course, were Vivian and her bodyguard.


    They had chased Kevin''s group these days of travel and had tried to attack the young Kevin on two occasions when other groups did the same.


    However, they hadn''t managed to defeat Kevin and take the Spring of Life, which Vivian so badly needed right now. It was challenging to fight the young master Chambers''s group, as there were many subordinates of the family accompanying him.


    After all, unlike Vivian, who had gone to the city of Hadia on her own, Kevin was in that place also as a representative of his family. As a result, he had a much larger group, which was also needed to transport the purchased slaves.


    As for the other persecutors, they faced the same problem. Even though some of them were representatives of noble families and had gone to the city of Hadia with more subordinates, these other people were already transporting their captives. So, they could not come here to help in the pursuit.


    As for possible backup, they all, including Kevin, faced the same problem. They were far from their respective family headquarters, so it would take a few days to get help in this matter.


    Finally, Vivian felt the raindrops fall on her delicate face, looking at that red building, just a few kilometers in front of where they were.


    She then sighed and said. "That wretch has successfully arrived at the base of the Chambers family..."


    From where she was standing, she could see the moment Kevin''s carriages entered that place.


    Seeing that and hearing Vivian''s comment, her bodyguard then asked. "What are we going to do now, miss? In that place, there is a Spiritual King. I''m afraid we can''t..."


    However, as he was talking, Vivian suddenly interrupted him. "I know. Let''s wait a few days here. I want to see exactly what happens."


    Vivan knew she couldn''t walk into that place and get what she wanted. However, Kevin could not leave that place either. Otherwise, he could be attacked from all directions.


    And the Hayes girl knew that the Spiritual King of that place couldn''t just leave his post to accompany Kevin back to the family headquarters.


    In this case, Vivian wanted to bet on the possibility that something would go wrong for Kevin, waiting for the right moment for her to get the item that could save her friend and lover''s life.


    ''Ahh, Grace, don''t let me lose hope¡­'' She thought, as she closed her eyes and thought of a young woman with black hair.


    ...


    As Vivian watched the Chambers family fort from a distance, Kevin had just stepped out of his carriage inside that place surrounded by red walls, with a relieved look on his face.


    Arriving at this place, even if he couldn''t get out of here for a while, it wouldn''t be long before an escort group was dispatched from the Chambers family to here. At most, he would have to wait 7 to 15 days, and then everything would be fine.


    He then walked to the entrance of a large building where some men were on guard and said. "Allocate my slaves somewhere appropriate and begin the ''disciplinary work.'' But don''t leave marks on those two women who are in the 5th stage of cultivation, got it?"


    "Yes, young master!" They responded in sound alone.


    Kevin didn''t want to spoil the bodies of women who could become his cauldrons. After all, it wouldn''t be nice for him to cultivate with a mutilated person...


    And after hearing that, Kevin smiled and headed towards the interior of that place. At the same time, the captives were taken out of their cells to receive the treatment given by the Chambers family.


    The Chambers did not believe that these captives would just accept their new reality without truly fearing them. Hence, as an ''award'' for becoming slaves of the Chambers family, the new captives were always beaten and tortured, marked with the family sign on their foreheads, before finally beginning their journeys into subjugation.


    This was practically a tradition among people of that power, who even yearned for the time when they could do the ''disciplinary work''...


    Many members of the Chambers family were not dissimilar to the associates, led by Del, due to their extensive experience in the matter. The distinction was that the Chambers were not common sadists but nobles endowed with considerable wealth and influence.


    Because of that, instead of having fun destroying small families of people with White talent, they preferred to make the lives of more talented people difficult, as was the case with Peter, and what Leroy wanted to do with Ruth.


    After all, it would be a shame for high-end people like them to get their hands dirty with people of lesser talent...


    At least, that''s what many of them believed.


    Anyway, after a while, Kevin finally entered an office, on the highest floor of the building he had entered, before talking to those subordinates from before.


    The place had a rustic look, with a wooden table in one corner, a cabinet full of old books to one side, and a leather sofa in the center of the room.


    Other than that, some strange equipment was lying around while a muscular man was sitting in a meditative position on the floor of that room.


    This person looked like a young woman in his thirties, but he was undoubtedly much older than this. After all, this one was responsible for this base of the Chambers family, someone who had already reached level 51!


    Anyway, the man who had his eyes closed, feeling Kevin''s presence, didn''t take long and stopped his meditation session. He looks towards the young man that was already in the middle of the room, sitting on the sofa and sighing.


    The man smiled at this and said. "Looks like you haven''t been doing well, young master."


    "Ahh, don''t even tell me about it... I ended up going through more trouble than I thought, Mr. Jamie."


    "What happened?"


    "That happened!" Kevin said, at the same time, taking out a glass bottle, which had a green liquid inside.


    Seeing this, Jamie''s previously interested expression completely changed when he finally understood why Kevin had run into trouble on this trip. This mighty Spiritual King''s pupils quickly contracted as he leaped that bottle.


    "How can it be? This... This is the Spring of Life!"


    Jamie was genuinely surprised to see such an item in Kevin''s hands. Even this young man''s father, the patriarch of the Chambers family, might never have had the opportunity to get such an item!


    But here is Kevin, with this heavenly resource.


    "This is amazing, young master!"

 Chapter 213: Enemies Crossing Paths

    While that man held the bottle containing the Spring of Life, and with incredulous eyes in his face, Kevin was sitting there on the sofa, with eyes closed, waiting for this Spiritual King to recover from the shock.


    And sometime later, he then began to narrate what had happened in the days that had passed since the fortnightly auction of the Black Market in the city of Hadia.


    Kevin left nothing out, including all the details of the people who had attacked him and his group in those difficult days he had gone through.


    After a while talking about it, Jamie then sat in an armchair next to where Kevin was and said, looking into the eyes of this young master. "We will ask the family to dispatch a Spiritual King to accompany you back to our headquarters."


    "During this period, until someone comes here to escort you, the young master better not leave this base. It would be very troublesome to travel all the way to the headquarters without the protection of a Spiritual King."


    And in fact, the Chambers family''s headquarters was far away from where they were, which would make a trip there hazardous, given the number of days it would take for Kevin''s group to travel all the way.


    Hearing this, Kevin nodded in agreement but said nothing. He knew he wouldn''t be able to return to his region right away, but that wouldn''t be a big deal for him.


    The young master of the Chambers family was quite tired from the traveling days, with a few injuries here and there, so having a few days of forced rest in this place wouldn''t be all bad for him.


    He had also bought some slaves at the fortnightly auction at the Black Market, so he could also start preparing one of them for what came next...


    The two captives who had the potential to become Kevin''s cauldrons didn''t have the physical conditions for this type of activity, so he would have to give them a little time to recover.


    And that wasn''t just because of how the two of them looked right now. But, of course, Kevin wouldn''t want to have an unattractive cauldron. He would undoubtedly demand that they satisfy him with their appearance as well, not just the spiritual energy that would be sucked into the young man''s cultivation.


    But what was more important than appearance was cultivation. In dual cultivation, the side of the cauldron would need to have a lot of spiritual energy in their body for the other side to be able to steal that energy.


    If the cauldron were depleted, dual cultivation would not do much for the person who was using this type of practice.


    That way, if Kevin wanted to practice with one of these two women, he would first have to allow them to cultivate again, to at least replenish their respective energies.


    After that, he could gradually begin sucking the cultivation from one of these women, which would cause him to increase his strength while simultaneously weakening the other side continuously.


    Naturally, as the cauldrons continued to cultivate, delaying the adverse effects of dual cultivation, it may take several years for one person''s cultivation to be entirely absorbed by another, returning to level 0.


    Anyway, after a brief conversation with Jamie, Kevin left for a section of the base where there were residences, where he could rest.


    He wanted to cultivate for a while and then sleep so that he would recover from the psychological fatigue he had been having the past few days.


    ...


    And while Kevin was on his way to begin his recovery, the slaves who had come with him earlier had all been transported to their proper locations within that Chambers family''s base.


    There was a section of the base''s basement with numerous cells and little lighting. The only illumination was coming from a large door at the back of the building Kevin had entered.


    But besides being dark, that place had several cells organized in four different points, while two corridors separated them, crossing in a place where there was a big wooden trunk in the middle.


    Several handcuffs attached to the ground could be seen in that place, while the other ends of this item predicate a man''s arms and legs.


    He was hugging the torso, knees on the floor, and a pained look on his face, biting his lip as he tried not to cry out in pain.


    At the same time, there was a man in the Chambers family''s guard clothes, a few yards away from that captive tied to change, holding a large whip, which had many metal spikes on one end.


    "Ahhh!"


    After taking another lash on his back, that black-haired captive who was trapped in that place could no longer hold his voice as he let out a sharp cry of pain. This resonated in the minds of more than 50 slaves who were in that place, watching this torture, while they waited for their respective turns.


    While some were trembling with fear, at this moment, Joey was beside Peter''s unconscious body, waiting for his turn.


    Peter had already gone through the torture of the whip, lying there unconscious, exposing his mangled back to anyone who wanted to see. His appearance was horrible. His back was bleeding, while there seemed to be a loaf of ground beef in there, not even looking like a piece of a human body.


    His face was ashen, with a trickle of blood running from the young Peter''s mouth.


    The spanking was not easy, and the stronger the cultivation level of one of these captives, the more ''education'' time they would have to endure.


    "Ahhh!"


    Another scream sounded as one more person had reached that trunk, barely withstanding the second lash he had received.


    ...


    Quickly time passed, and a new day had arrived in the city of Hadia.


    And while Peter and several other captives were suffering at the hands of the guards of the Chambers family, from that base where Kevin had gone, Minos and company were already preparing to have their meeting with Dumas''s group.


    The deadline given to the soldiers who had come with Minos to this place had already passed. By this time, many of them were already in an abandoned building in the old part of the city of Hadia.


    There was what appeared to be a large hangar in that place, which perhaps had already been used to construct boats and ships. However, this place was now just an empty, dirty, flawed building that was probably only used by bandits and pirates.


    This had been the place chosen by Eda, where she said it was an excellent place to talk in this city, without attracting the attention of the powers of this region. After all, this was a place frequented by bandits and pirates. It was pretty typical for bands of these types of individuals to gather in these areas.


    And so, they had decided to gather around here, even though this place was very precarious.


    Anyway, several soldiers were already in that place, talking in various circles, while Minos and the two women of the Miller family were sitting in some simple chairs that they had brought.


    At that moment, the last remaining group of soldiers finally arrived, when Dumas walked to where Minos was standing with a serious look on his face.


    He still didn''t know precisely where Peter had been taken. Still, his group was almost there, having even discovered which family had bought the young Seargent.


    Minos then commanded the soldiers to be silent when he finally asked. "Sergeant Dumas, what results have your group found so far?"


    Hearing this, that man immediately responded, narrating all that they had discovered. "Young master, we still don''t know where Sergeant Peter was taken, but we do know about the family who bought him at the Black Market auction."


    "Oh?"


    "It was a noble family from the Cromwell Kingdom, the Chambers family."


    Hearing this, not only was Minos surprised by this outcome but also by the two women who were accompanying him.


    Both Abby and Eda knew about what had happened to Minos and Leroy during the Spiritual Tournament, so they were pretty surprised that this family had now reappeared in the young Stuart''s path.


    It seems like the saying went, enemies indeed are always crossing their paths...


    The Chambers family was not supposed to know anything about what had happened to Minos, and this young man was not supposed to go after them either. However, still, here they were, again on opposite sides.


    Fate had put them back into disagreement as if it was something predestined, or something like that... It was really curious for both of them to see this happening up close.


    As for Minos, he was a little surprised, but only because of the coincidence that he had to face another Chambers. But for him, something like this was not wholly unexpected.


    Like a scum, Leroy shouldn''t have turned like that overnight, without outside influences. Of course, a person could go downhill and become a person without decency or principle, but that would take a long time.


    The only way someone Leroy''s age could have turned out like that was if, as a child, that guy was influenced by people who had that twisted personality he had. That is if his family members were like him.


    And, as an apple does not fall far from the tree, Minos was confident that the power behind Leroy would be capable of enslaving people, as he was now learning.


    ''How intriguing, it appears that even if I didn''t know that guy, he would almost certainly die at the hands of my forces, as this Chambers family will almost certainly fight me in the future...'' Minos thought for a moment, feeling the implications of this matter.

 Chapter 214: Meeting

    After hearing Leroy''s family name, the two women from the Miller family looked at each other for a while when Minos finally started talking. "It''s good to know we already have this information. It shouldn''t be hard to find out about nearby Chambers family influences."


    "It''s also a short time since the Black Market auction was held, so Peter shouldn''t be too far away. Try to keep talking to people who participated in this last edition of the auction. Maybe we will find something else that will help us."


    "Yes, young master!" Several soldiers responded at once, just after Minos finished speaking. Then he looked back at Sergeant Dumas with a severe face. "And the group that captured Peter in the Kingdom of the Waves, do we have their location?"


    Hearing this, Dumas nodded in agreement. "Yes, young master. The group that captured Sergeant Petar is in the city of Hadia."


    "Oh? That''s good. It makes our job easier. Where exactly are they?"


    "The group is at a certain location, a few kilometers south of where we are. It''s a place where usually many pirates gather to celebrate, drinking, eating and satisfying their cravings¡­" Dumas then started talking about the location of Del and company.


    Del was in a sort of club, which in a way was a brothel, which used slaves of all ages to satisfy the wishes of its customers.


    Some criminals liked to kill after sex. There was no problem in places like that, this type of service was also offered. In fact, as long as someone paid, anything could be done there.


    After all, whoever was behind that club didn''t give a damn about the life of slaves. Captives were only valuable assets to generate income for their respective owners. And so, dying or being tortured was also a ''duty'' of people who had to go through this harsh reality.


    And after hearing that, not only Minos but Abby too had looks of disgust on their faces as they figured out where and what Del''s group was doing.


    For Minos, even though he had many memories about the life of Henricus Longus, it was difficult for him to feel moved by the memories of someone who had died millions of years ago.


    Of course, that information was extremely useful in preventing him from making specific errors. Still, it didn''t stop him from feeling bad about knowing similar things that were happening around him, rather than in memory.


    After all, experiencing something would always be more valuable than knowing what someone else saw and felt. Consequently, even though Minos knew about similar things, he still felt disgusted by this kind of scum.


    As for Abby, unlike her bodyguard, who knew very well about the reality of this place, the young woman from the Miller family was still inexperienced in this matter. She was aware of slavery''s existence and the consequences for the captives'' lives, but that was a problem far away from her, one over which she had no control regardless of her mood.


    And that was normal. Until they saw up close or felt for themselves the harsh reality that some people had to live with, most people wouldn''t feel bad, in many cases not even caring.


    Did slavery exist, and was it terrible? Yes, but this has nothing to do with me. Unconsciously, many thought this way...


    And due to her inexperience, from knowing only superficial and distant things about it, Abby honestly didn''t expect such a terrible and repulsive act, happening only a few miles away from her.


    This made her feel bad about this system, even wondering what would happen if she were in Peter''s place? And that was a terrible thought for her, who had never had any problems in her life.


    And while Abby felt her back go cold after Sergeant Dumas had finished speaking, Minos then said. "Since we already have the location of the enemy group, let''s act tonight!"


    "We still have more than 10 hours until sunset, so I hope you all try to find people in this town who participated in the biweekly Black Market auction."


    "Talk to these people and find out about the likely places that Chambers family person might have gone after the auction. Ask about the items purchased by that person, is there anything that may have led to an outside dispute? Anyway, solve this in these remaining hours. I don''t want to stay in this place for a long time."


    Minos knew that there could always be some external dispute after an auction, depending on the quality of the auctioned items. And he had gone through this kind of experience himself, back when Darell had chased him for the grade-2, low-level sword that he had bought in the Maritime City.


    Hence, if something like that had happened to the buyer of the lot of slaves that Peter was on, it might have made the search for the young Sergeant''s whereabouts even easier.


    Minos then closed his eyes for a moment and finished. "Finally, when the sun goes down, I want you all to head towards the location that Sergeant Dumas reported earlier. We will start the attack as soon as this happened."


    "We''re going to attack that place and make sure all the people with red triangle tattoos are killed. As for the others, kill them all!"


    "Yes, young master!"


    After that, the group quickly dispersed, with more than 50 Sergeants from the Black Plain Army, leaving to fulfill the mission given by Minos.


    It wasn''t that difficult to track Peter''s whereabouts. Still, they had to hurry so they wouldn''t miss the freshest clues, making this mission difficult.


    Compared to the investigations into the deaths of Darell and the three Silva family investigators who were killed in the Dry City, Peter''s whereabouts were much easier to find.


    After all, while Minos always tried to cover his tracks, due to the fact that he didn''t want to draw attention to the Black Plain, this was entirely different for Kevin.


    Everyone knew that the Chambers family was a power that used slaves and was also one of the influential noble organizations of the Cromwell Kingdom. With that, there was no need for people from this family to hide their tracks after only participating in the fortnightly auction of the Slave Market.


    Consequently, without them hiding their movements, finding someone with helpful information for Minos'' group wasn''t that complicated.


    Anyway, as he saw his soldiers leaving to carry out these orders, Minos looked at the only two people left there and then asked. "Madam Eda, is there anything interesting to do in this place while we wait for the sunset?"


    The middle-aged woman then shook her head and responded. "The only thing that could catch your attention would be the Black Market. There are a lot of items being sold there, but I doubt you can find many things that interest you there."


    "Oh? And why is that?" He asked curiously.


    "Well, as a sovereign, you shouldn''t be interested in low-grade and used or defective items sold through the Black Market. These are the top-selling item types by this organization. Other than that, any good, valuable item above grade-2 ends up being sold at fortnightly auctions."


    In fact, the items usually sold on the Black Market were grade-1 spiritual artifacts, arrays, and some resources such as Common-grade medicines. And that was very useful for people below level 40, but it wasn''t the case for someone like Minos.


    For the young Stuart, medicine alone would not be helpful. He would want the seeds too. Grade-1 artifacts, which could be faulty, would not please him either, as he wanted to arm his army with good items.


    So, what might interest Minos would be grade-2 items, used or not, like the armor that had been sold previously. The same for something like the Spring of Life.


    Of course, he certainly wouldn''t buy something like this right now because the Spring of Life had a short lifespan outside of the Elves Island, so it wouldn''t make sense to go after this resource without having someone to use this liquid.


    But he would be interested in items of the same value as the Spring of Life. However, any such thing would be sold at auction to maximize earnings for the Black Market.


    Anyway, after hearing Eda''s response, Minos thought that the chances of him getting something from that place would be short. Then, he and his two companions just headed back to the hotel they were staying to cultivate for the next few hours.

 Chapter 215: Surveys

    While Minos was quietly cultivating in the hotel room where he was staying, his soldiers had already spread across the city of Hadia by this time.


    Each of them had gone to different places, at points where they could hear specifics conversations and news from the region, something that happened anywhere.


    The cultivator''s life could go far, so there were always those who liked to be entertained, looking forward to other people''s affairs. Consequently, it was not difficult to hear certain news if one went to popular places in any urbanization.


    But the soldiers weren''t just going to popular places. They were also looking for people who had participated in the auction a few days ago, which they already had a bit of information.


    After all, Dumas and his crowd had arrived longer in the city of Hadia than Minos'' group, so they already knew where to find some of the wealthier people in this place.


    ...


    In an aging part of Hadia, there was a commercial establishment with some people talking. At the same time, they ate and drank at tables distributed along the side of that street.


    "Ahh, old Phil, how are you doing?"


    "I''m fine. I mean, I''m neither worse nor better." An old man said to the person who had asked him the question.


    "Oh? Well, I guess that''s for the best. At least you''re not getting worse... If you were lucky enough to have an item like the one that was sold a few days ago at the biweekly auction..." The person who had asked earlier regretted recalling the news he had heard a few hours ago when he returned from a week of work outside that region.


    "Don''t even talk about it, kid. This kind of thing is not for ordinary people like me. I''m already resigned to being able to live for just another 50 years." The old man said, with a serene look on his face.


    "I understand, but..."


    And while the group continued to talk, suddenly a person approached them little by little, until he finally asked politely. "Sir, could you tell me about this item that was sold at auction? I just arrived in town, and I was curious to hear your conversation..."


    "Oh? A visitor, huh? It''s not a problem to talk about it, a few days ago..."


    ...


    Meanwhile, in another part of town, a group of three men was wearing armors of the same type, which carried the symbol of one of the noble families of the Cromwell Kingdom.


    That place they were in looked like a blacksmith''s shop, where you could buy and repair spiritual artifacts.


    The three men talked beside a glass shelf, which contained various weapons of different types, such as knives, axes, bows, etc.


    They seemed preoccupied with some problem, talking as if a big issue had just come up.


    "Brothers, what are we going to do? Even if that young man in the Chambers family is with the Spring of Life, he''s probably already at his family''s regional base! It won''t do us any good to go there!" The one who appeared to be the youngest of the three said this, watching the others.


    Upon hearing this man''s question, another of them agreed. "It''s true, at that point, unless Kevin is an idiot and leaves the northwest base of the Chambers family, no one is going to be able to take that item from him!"


    "True, if only we had stayed at the auction until the end¡­" The other one, who still hadn''t said anything, lamented. They had left the auction earlier that day, so it was only after two days that they had found out about Spring of Life being sold to Kevin.


    And while they were talking there, a man approached them and said. "Friends, I''m new here in the Cromwell Kingdom. Can you help me take some directions?"


    Hearing this, one of them asked. "Maybe, we don''t know the entire kingdom, but I''m confident in talking about the region where we''re. Where are you going?"


    "A business partner of mine had a problem during his trip, and he is near a Chambers family base in this region. Do you know where this is?"


    "Oh? It''s not distant. You just need to..."


    ...


    Time passed quickly, and the sun promptly crossed the entire horizon, gradually giving way to the night and leaving behind a lovely image of an orange sky for anyone in Hadia to see this.


    Minos''s soldiers had gathered the missing information in the hours that had passed, and they now had nothing else to do in Hadia except deal with Del''s group.


    Because of this, as soon as the sun began to set, many of Minos'' soldiers had already gathered at the southern end of the city, where Del and his associates had gone.


    That wasn''t exactly the busiest place in town, as it was a place where most of the passersby were bandits or pirates, but there was a good deal of movement in the streets there.


    The place wasn''t far from the beach, where some smaller boats were moored, and it wasn''t fully dark either. Consequently, there was still a specific movement in that region, enough for the group of Minos to go unnoticed.


    Of course, the soldiers weren''t all gathered, being scattered in smaller groups, which were at different points around a large area surrounded by a wall while talking as if they were just passing through.


    They already knew how to proceed during this operation, so the group was just waiting for the right moment to invade that place after Minos'' signal.


    As for when that would be, well, the young Stuart was just waiting for it to completely darken, lessening the chances of unwanted spectators showing up.


    After all, even if cultivators could use spiritual energy to see better in the dark, that would only happen if a person made an effort to do so.


    Then, if someone weren''t paying attention to them, identifying their group or observing Minos'' actions would be much more challenging at night than during the day.


    ...


    Anyway, while more than 50 soldiers were preparing to attack that place that was surrounded by a wall, on the south side of the city of Hadia, inside that place, Del''s group was enjoying life, the way they wanted...


    That place where they were, was a property with a big house in the back, which was so big that it could certainly accommodate more than 200 people. At the same time, outside, a large plot of land was surrounded by the wall, with some plants on the sides and a space with tables and chairs.


    Also, several frames outside that house looked a lot like beds, scattered here and there without any order.


    And if someone looked closer, they could see that there were women of different sizes and ages in some of those beds. Many of them appeared to be unconscious, while many bruises on their bodies could be seen, along with smears of bodily fluid scattered everywhere.


    But there weren''t many girls. At least not for everyone...


    In that place should be at this moment, about more than 150 men. At the same time, there were only 40 women who were there to satisfy the fetishes of those men, customers of this establishment.


    Finally, besides the tables, several men could be seen eating and drinking at the same time. There, close to where they were, there was a big fire roasting a piece of meat, giving off its characteristic odor amidst the white smoke of the embers.


    Occasionally, some screams could be heard, but in general, the noise of conversations could drown out almost all the sounds typical of an establishment like this.


    And while most of the men in that place were having fun outside the house, Del was at this moment, inside that residence, leaning in his arms on a balcony on the second floor of that place.


    He had a four-inch cigar in his mouth, being shirtless and laughing as he watched the movement outside the house.


    Del''s group only had 40 people, but even though they had to share this place with other people, they were OK with it.


    There was a lot of affinity between these individuals who frequented this establishment. Some even enjoyed watching other people''s animal acts... It was like watching a fight. Even if you weren''t doing anything, it could still be exciting just watching...


    And as for Del, he was enjoying this time off he''d allowed himself to have. With a ''new'' ship and the hundreds of thousands of low-grade crystals, there weren''t too many issues on Del''s mind at the moment.


    All he saw was the weeks of drinking, bingeing, and sex that he could have around here without having to worry about looking for the Blood Triangle Pirates'' item of interest.


    After all, it was no fun looking around for an old piece of fabric that they didn''t even know where it was. It might be interesting to go after a relic that was in a limited region, but doing that with something that could be anywhere, in millions of square kilometers, was completely different...

 Chapter 216: Starting the Attack

    Gradually, time passed, and the dark of the night had already covered the entire horizon, leaving not a single trace of daylight that could be seen a few minutes ago.


    Simultaneously, in the old area of Hadia, many whale oil lamps were already burning, illuminating the narrow streets of that place, each 50 meters apart.


    And while the smoke from those lamps was stinking the air in that part of the city, the movement in the streets through that region was already diminishing, with fewer and fewer criminals and bandits coming and going.


    The sounds of conversations typical of places like this had also migrated from the previously busy streets to a few places, where there were more significant gatherings of people.


    And amid this change in local dynamics, which took place between day and night, inside that establishment where Del and company were, a group of pirates was talking and drinking beside a fire.


    They laughed as if they had no worries, while some looked a bit beside themselves, with red eyes and dilated pupils...


    "Ah, Revon, your pirate group was fortunate to find that item, ehh, what was the name?" One of Del''s cronies asked as he looked at a short, muscular man.


    "Spring of Life. Hehehe, luckily, our group found that sunken elven ship." The man replied, at the same time, holding a large glass of drink.


    "But, tell me something..." While simultaneously, the two continued to talk, the sounds of other groups talking, occasional screams of pain coming from the places where those beds were sounded across the land, creating a strange symphony of sounds.


    ...


    However, amidst the drunkenness and amusement of those many men who were there, on the outskirts of the great wall that surrounded them, the group of Minos was already lurking, preparing to invade.


    They all wore black clothes that hid their appearance, cloaks covering their bodies and heads, while leather masks hid their faces, leaving only their eyes visible.


    And despite having been ready to act for some time, Minos''s group hadn''t made any moves so far.


    This happened for two reasons. First, they were waiting for the movement on the street to slow down. Second, a grade-2, low-level defensive array was being used to defend the inner territory from random invasion at that location.


    For the first reason, Minos and the company could act at any time. But concerning the second, unless they destroyed that array, it would not be possible to enter that place.


    After all, this was a property where criminals and pirates could indulge their desires, leaving them vulnerable. This way, those owners of this place wouldn''t risk their business because their customers were killed when they were helpless!


    And considering this possibility, that place that the group of Minos was about to invade had already invested in a defensive array of grade-2, low-level, which could prevent the entry of individuals below level 50!


    Only someone with equivalent strength beyond this level could break the array and invade that place. But that wasn''t all. A small group of Spiritual Generals still guarding that property within the array''s space of influence.


    They were there to protect the place and avoid conflicts between customers, who usually had very volatile personalities...


    Because of all this, Minos''s group hadn''t taken any action yet, as when they started, they would have to go all the way.


    But the young Stuart liked to be in control of the situation. He wanted the battle to begin at best possible time for them. Only then would they take action that would surely alert those guards and result in the inevitable confrontation.


    Also, if they broke the array before the surrounding fully dark, it would be easier for outside forces to get involved in this event, which could harm the interests of the Black Plain Army.


    But of the two conditions that were missing, one was already complete, which was the arrival of night and the decrease in the circulation of passersby near that place. As for the other, to the misfortune of the people inside that establishment, Minos could break that array.


    Due to the quality of the young Stuart''s techniques, united with the energy boost that his innate ability provided, Minos had strength equivalent to an ordinary level 50 cultivator!


    Of course, he had to struggle for a few minutes to get it, but that wouldn''t be too much of a problem. From what the group of soldiers had discovered, there was no Spiritual King in that place, the strongest being only at level 46.


    Thus, even if Minos had to work hard to break the defensive array of this establishment, he wouldn''t have to worry about fighting all these enemies.


    Minos'' group was powerful, and they were all very well equipped, either with good quality spiritual techniques or spiritual artifacts.


    And as soon as he felt ready to begin, Minos nodded to the soldiers standing next to him, indicating that it was time to start.


    Beside him were Abby and Eda, who, upon seeing Minos''s move, soon prepared themselves, along with the soldiers. Even if they weren''t going to fight, they had to pay attention to their surroundings and be ready to defend themselves at any time.


    After all, just because Minos had decided they wouldn''t fight doesn''t mean the enemy side couldn''t attack them!


    The group of nearly 60 people then moved a little away from the boundaries of that place, giving Minos room to act.


    The young Stuart intended to use his support technique, Devourer Art, allied with the Spatial Sword, to destroy that array.


    Because of this, the group of people that accompanied him had to distance themselves a little from that place so that they didn''t have their respective energies sucked by the technique of Minos.


    He then withdrew his grade-2, low-level sword from his spatial ring, positioning himself in front of the entrance of that place, when he finally began to circulate his energy to attack!


    ...


    Meanwhile, inside that property, three guards were talking near the entrance/exit while watching the surroundings.


    "Then he said: Dude. The doctor said you''re going to die..."


    But suddenly, while one of them was telling a joke, something strange started to happen, drawing the attention of the three men, who still had smiles on their faces due to what they were listening to early.


    And when they saw this, soon another person appeared in that place and said, while looking at the sky. "What the fuck is this?"


    What they were seeing was strange to these people. Suddenly a black circumference had appeared on top of that property, diminishing the natural luminosity coming from the starry sky.


    There was also a black mist around that circumference, which also seemed to spin and make a sharp noise.


    Zum!


    And shortly after the appearance of that circumference in the sky, almost as a counter-response, the defensive array of that place activated a shield around the walls, which looked like a thin layer of a blue liquid, which glowed and seemed to be very resistant.


    "Someone is attacking us!" At this point, one of them finally shouted this with all his breath after seeing that the defensive array was already acting.


    "Shit! What''s happening? Why are they attacking us?" Another of them asked as he hurried to a room off the entrance to that property.


    Ding!


    Ding!


    Shortly after that, a sound of bells began to ring in that place, indicating to everyone who was there that an external enemy was targeting them.


    And at that moment, almost simultaneously with the alarm that the man before had triggered, several blades of energy cut the air outside that place, heading towards different points of that barrier.


    Swooish!


    Swooish!


    Puff!


    The attacks sent by Minos collided with the blue barrier, releasing a muffled sound as the young Stuart continued to draw energy from that array, using that power to create even more sword attacks.


    Swooish!


    And while inside that establishment, many people were getting ready to fight. Others were just confused, finding it all very strange.


    Outside, there was a group of almost 60 people positioned at different points around there, ready to enter as soon as Minos destroyed the defensive barrier.


    They were in this formation so that individuals who were on the limits of that property would not flee, making the work of these soldiers more difficult.


    Thus, by the time the young Stuart had started attacking the defensive barrier, all 56 Sergeants were ready to act, without delay and without leaving room for escape.


    And as for Minos, he was in front of the entrance gate of that place, making vertical and diagonal gestures with his sword while creating several blades of energy every few seconds.


    Swooish!


    Puff!


    ''Ehh, it looks like it will take another 2 minutes...'' The young Stuart thought to himself, feeling the strength of the defensive array gradually diminishing, at the same time that part of this energy was converted for him to use to attack it.

 Chapter 217: Barrier Destroyed

    Several seconds had passed since Minos started his attack. At this point, many cracks could be seen appearing in the barrier that protected that property.


    Crack!


    The surface that once looked like a blue liquid, which molded itself into a rounded barrier with a smooth surface, now seemed to be at its limits.


    The blue color was no longer so intense, becoming more and more transparent. At the same time, the thickness also diminished with each passing second.


    The black ring in the sky revolved around that area, about 100 meters from where Minos was standing, while the spiritual energy of that defensive array was continually sucked away, leaving a characteristic noise in the air.


    At the same time, the young Stuart made several sword moves while remaining in the same position he was in before.


    He had both hands gripping the grade-2 sword, which at about 1 meter long, that left ''vuup'' sounds with every movement, before finally air blades flying towards that barrier.


    Swooish!


    Swooish!


    The young Stuart''s forehead had several drops of sweat running down at this moment. At the same time, his breathing began to increase as he felt the weariness overtake his body gradually.


    Although he could destroy that barrier, he had to activate the attack technique many times, which created fatigue that could not be ignored.


    In fact, even absorbing part of the energy of that defensive array, this was still less than the energy expenditure that Minos had to break that barrier. After all, his support technique hadn''t yet reached the domain where he could use whatever the Devourer Art absorbed.


    And he also had to do it quickly!


    With that, the young Stuart''s power was diminishing, while the signs of tiredness started to appear little by little.


    As for why he just didn''t just absorb the energy from that array without attacking it, well, he couldn''t do that. With Minos'' current mastery of the Devourer Art, he couldn''t just use it to dry up the energy of his enemies.


    He had to absorb some of the energy and use it in the form of attacks. The young Stuart would only reach a level where he could ignore this factor when he ascends to the next stage of cultivation, Spiritual King!


    But it was not just that. Minos also didn''t want to linger outside this property for too long, breaking that barrier. Even if he already had a high grip on the Devourer Art, he still wouldn''t use it alone.


    Within that property, they could fight without committing themselves. However, outside, in the middle of one of the city streets, who knows who could show up here? Maybe some ally of those people, or perhaps someone who was going to chase them...


    Someone couldn''t have much security exposing yourself in the middle of this public place. Hence, Minos wanted to destroy that barrier quickly, to put an end to entering that place and settle his affairs more discreetly!


    Then, the young Stuart was sparing no effort to fulfill this small part of this mission!


    Crack!


    ...


    And as the cracks grew from different points of the great barrier covering that place, the people inside that area were already tenser and tenser with what was happening.


    It had all started all of a sudden. Now the grade-2, low-level defensive array, which should have been able to stop even a level 49 person from destroying it, was about to fall apart!


    Crack!


    Every time the blades sent by Minos touched that bluish barrier, the hearts of the guards on this property trembled in fear.


    All they could think at this point was that a Spiritual King was attacking them!


    Because of that, those people couldn''t help but tremble with fear. How could they fight someone of that level? Would they beg for their lives, would they be spared?


    They all had these questions deep in their hearts.


    "But who will this person be?" The man in charge of security tonight asked aloud, looking shocked and extremely pale.


    "We''re mere cultivators at levels 45 and 46. So why is such a monster here?" He wondered, feeling shivers down his spine.


    And while the local guards were there exclaiming their doubts in fear, many of the outlaws in this place had already begun to pay attention to the situation.


    Some of them were still under the effects of the drugs available in this location, while some were even asleep. But most of these men were people who were used to having to sleep with one eye open to avoid surprises.


    As a result, even though they were celebrating in this establishment, several of them retained their compulsions of suspicion. They immediately started preparing themselves when they noticed they were being attacked.


    "What is the situation? Why would anyone attack this place like that?" One of the more concerned thugs yelled in doubt as he already wielded a large rusty ax.


    "I don''t know either, but I think someone here must be being chased by the people who are attacking us!" An old pirate muttered, just for him and his crew to hear.


    ''Shit, the way they''re attacking us, we''re going to have to fight for our lives, no chance of conversation...'' Someone thought about it, already feeling regretful for having come to this place, just at a time like this.


    As for Del and his cronies, they too were already gathered in one corner of that place. They were watching the barrier getting thinner, full of cracks, almost as if it would shatter at any moment.


    "Let''s get ready to flee this place the moment this barrier is destroyed!" Del exclaimed in a low voice, looking into the eyes of his two associates.


    For him, there was no point in staying and fighting someone so strong. The only chance they would have was to flee as fast as they could, hoping these other criminals would take the time of these attackers.


    Maybe they would get lucky and be left out!


    "Hmm, that person is terrifying. You can''t fight monsters like that!" One of the cronies replied as he looked towards Minos, who wore a black cloak and a mask, which covered his appearance.


    And since the defensive array was still functioning, none of these Spiritual Generals could sense the spiritual energy of Minos and the soldiers on the other side of the barrier.


    This was a kind of field effect, which created spiritual isolation in that area for as long as the array was fully functioning, as it was right now.


    This prevented one from probing the strength of living beings outside the boundaries of the barrier, as well as the opposite side.


    But this was an effect brought about only by arrays that created fields, as were the case of defensive ones, which generated an area covered by a spiritual membrane.


    However, this did not happen with other types of arrays, such as, for example, those of spiritual gathering present in many locations. This different type of array only altered the spiritual concentration in a particular area without changing other natural characteristics of the region of influence.


    Consequently, neither side could feel the strength of the other side''s cultivation until the defensive barrier collapsed utterly!


    Crack!


    ...


    Abby and Eda had been watching Minos'' entire movement outside the barrier from the beginning with their mouths wide open.


    They knew the absurd proficiency the young Stuart had, as they had both seen him fight Troy during the final of the Spiritual Tournament. However, what they were seeing here today was completely different from then.


    Before, he could fight someone well equipped in spiritual techniques and level 44 while he was only at level 39. That was awesome!


    However, he now achieved a fighting proficiency similar to that of a level 50, Spiritual King, being only at level 42!


    Because of this, the two women from the Miller family could hardly believe what they were seeing! "Minos''s fighting proficiency seems to increase with whatever cultivation stage he''s in." They thought.


    And to Abby''s bodyguard, she was even more shocked than her mistress. Just a few months ago, Minos was much weaker than she was, and it could very well take a few years to reach a level that he could ultimately surpass this woman.


    That''s even if he went to the Flaming Empire!


    But in just over seven months, here was Minos, displaying power that was more than 40% of what Eda could ever exhibit!


    "He must have an innate ability to turn the heavens and the earth!" That thought crossed the mind of this middle-aged woman.


    And while Abby and Eda were both impressed with how strong Minos was becoming, a few seconds passed. Then, finally, Minos made his last move while he had a discreet smile at the corners of his lips.


    "Whew, you''re finally out of energy!"


    Swooish!


    Crack!


    And at that very moment, after the last blade touched that barrier, it was wholly destroyed, turning the thousands of now transparent pieces into dust. At the same time, the area protected by that array was finally exposed!

 Chapter 218: The Beginning of Slaughter

    At the moment the barrier exploded, a sound of glass being broken sounded in that region, at the same time, in which a strong wind passed through there, carrying some of the dust raised by that debris, as well as a light curtain of fog.


    The defensive spiritual array used a great deal of spiritual energy to mold a barrier made from the water and minerals present in this resource.


    Because of this, when it ran out of energy to maintain the barrier, that protective blue membrane that had appeared earlier did not simply disappear but turned into something that looked like sand, along with a mist.


    The water had evaporated entirely, while what was in the water had been left behind in the form of solids.


    Anyway, the moment that barrier was destroyed, more than 50 soldiers of the Black Plain Army immediately began to jump over that wall that circled the property they were attacking.


    Some of them carried weapons in their hands, already preparing to attack at any moment, while others ran with bare hands.


    Not every cultivator specialized in battle used techniques that required items, such as swords, bows, war hammers, etc.


    But even though some of them didn''t use spiritual weapons, each of these Sergeants wore grade 1, high-level spiritual armors, which could safely protect them against individuals below level 44.


    And while his men were already jumping over that wall, Minos followed them from behind, without much hurry.


    He had spent a good part of his energies destroying that barrier, so he wanted to let the soldiers deal with those people. In case something happened, he still had a little more than half of his spiritual reserves to fight, so he could quickly help them.


    Besides, Abby and Eda followed along with Minos, already curious to see how the soldiers would fare.


    The two of them naturally had no high expectations of Minos soldiers, as it was tough to see people like young Stuart who have a fighting proficiency well above their level. With that, they didn''t believe they could be that impressive.


    However, that didn''t stop them from being curious. Minos spoke highly of his troops and seemed to take some pride in that too. And so, they couldn''t help but wonder how those soldiers would perform.


    ...


    Inside that property.


    Seeing the barrier generated by the array of grade-2, low-level, be destroyed right in front of their eyes, the dozens of people in that place were very scared.


    Just to destroy such a barrier in less than five minutes was impressive, which proved the strength of the opposite side.


    As a result, those men who typically acted dominantly were now quite repressed, with tense expressions on their faces.


    Amidst this fear, some of the few women in this environment had exciting expressions on their faces. Unfortunately, some of them had already been beaten a lot in the last few days. They could even end up dying if this continued.


    Not all of them were aware at this time, as some of them were passed out in some spots in that place, sometimes naked, full of bruises all over their bodies and some white areas here and there.


    These women were the slaves of this establishment, who had to put up with all kinds of fetishes from these criminal groups that frequented this place.


    Anyway, of these women who were awake, they all had an exuberant sparkle in their eyes, as if they were longing for something...


    ''I hope these bastards all die!'' Each of them had that thought in their minds as they saw that a battle was about to begin.


    These women had no hope of being saved. After all, this was the city of Hadia, a place full of scums. Hence, it would be naive for them to think they would be rescued. This was probably someone''s revenge, unrelated to them.


    Thus, for those women, they would probably remain slaves of this place, or they would become someone else''s captive!


    With that, they didn''t think about freedom, but rather to have a little personal satisfaction, if they could see these bandits who violated them, being all killed!


    And while some of the captives of this place were hoping to have a good show, suddenly several cultivators wearing black cloaks, with masks that covered their identities, appeared on top of that wall, coming from different points.


    They were running towards that open area of ??that place, already brandishing their respective weapons.


    ...


    And at that moment, when Minos'' group appeared to those bandits, both sides could finally check their opponents'' strength.


    Before, the defensive spiritual array prevented them from doing so, so neither party knew precisely how many and how strong their respective opponents were.


    And feeling the force of the invaders, the leader of the guards of that place finally said it aloud. "These people are only at level 42 for the most part, and the strongest one is only at level 48! How did they destroy our barrier?"


    "Maybe some expert is hiding in the shadows?" Another guard said in a low voice.


    Another man then said. "It doesn''t matter, since the person who broke the barrier won''t deal with us, we''re going to destroy those enemies!"


    "Attack!"


    Finally, the various guards there began to run towards Minos'' soldiers, while some pirates did the same.


    But obviously, not all those customers wanted to participate in a fight with this strange force, which had forced them all the way here. Some might feel that it wouldn''t be good to stay and see, so they were already getting ready to run away at speed!


    ...


    And while some of the soldiers of Minos ran inside that place to start fighting those criminals, others of the Sergeants had stayed on top of the walls, watching the site.


    They knew that some of the outlaws might try to escape, so in order not to have to run after these people, who were more numerous and might scatter, the young Stuart''s subordinates were ready to stop them from running from this establishment.


    They, too, had felt the strength of their opponents at the exact moment as the enemy side, therefore already knowing the general power of this place.


    Most of the people there were below level 43, being the customers of that place. The strongest ones were only between levels 44 and 46, which wasn''t that much of a problem for these soldiers.


    Of course, fighting someone at level 46 was pretty hard for these level 42 soldiers. Still, there was only one person like that in that place, while the young Stuart was supporting the 56 soldiers.


    Therefore, aside from the few individuals who could cause them any trouble, most here could not even serve as training for Minos'' army''s Sergeants. They were just a bit of a problem due to the difference in numbers.


    Overcoming Minos'' forces would be impossible, but escape was still a viable alternative, which could greatly hamper these soldiers'' mission. Consequently, they were cautiously guarding the perimeter of this place.


    ...


    Boom!


    Wow!


    Sounds of battle sounded from the outskirts of that property when finally fighting on both sides began.


    Many attack and defense techniques were released simultaneously, creating a magnificent image to behold for those who were following it closely.


    Semi-transparent blades slashed through the air. Fireballs flew around from side to side as other long-range techniques were unleashed, hitting the respective opponents'' defenses.


    There were shields made of earth appearing in front of some cultivators. In contrast, others had visual, physical changes on their bodies as if their own skin were made of highly resistant metallic materials.


    Wow!


    "Ahhh!"


    Each movement generated damage in the surroundings of that property, with holes in the ground, furniture destroyed and scattered on the ground, amidst the first screams of pain.


    The difference in strength between the two sides was huge, and the only thing that had maintained any balance so far was the numbers that each had.


    But every time a soldier from the young Stuart''s army attacked a bandit, they were quickly massacred, being hurled back and forth while having their defenses destroyed by their opponents.


    As for the guards at that establishment, they were having a tight fight, hitting as much as they were getting beaten. They hadn''t gained any obvious advantage from the start, despite being stronger at cultivation levels.


    "Ahhh!"


    And after a few seconds of battle, finally, the first person to die emerged, letting out one last wail before falling to the ground and losing his light.


    That was a pirate from a crew other than Del, who was partying in this place today. Unfortunately for him, he had not supported the difference in strength to his enemies and had ended up falling.


    Minos'' soldier had used only five blows to finish this pirate, using a big war hammer to crush his opponent''s chest.


    And while many were fighting for their lives in that place, Del and his group still hadn''t gotten involved. They were looking for the best time to go out when other individuals did the same.

 Chapter 219: Trying to Escape

    Since the beginning of the invasion, Del and his two associates had already gathered in one of the corners of the place, preparing to leave as soon as possible.


    However, they knew that if they were the first to run, they would probably also be the first to be chased by the enemy side.


    With that, Del and his cronies wanted to flee the moment someone else made the same move so that the enemies couldn''t go after them all!


    It was easy for them to see that not all Minos soldiers were fighting inside that property. Some were in positions to stop those like Del, who wanted to flee.


    Consequently, to keep from standing out, Del had held himself back from running the moment those men had appeared. Before, he even thought about fleeing the moment the barrier fell. Still, the enemy side was faster, and they were already surrounding the place at that moment...


    Anyway, besides the two cronies who accompanied Del, there was also another crew with them. However, these people were weaker than them, and in an escape, they would surely turn the sacrifices of the three stronger pirates...


    ...


    "Ahhh!"


    Boom!


    A few more seconds passed, and amidst the typical sounds of battles, finally, someone took the initiative and tried to flee that establishment.


    The scenery in that place was getting more and more terrifying with each passing second, with Minos'' soldiers slaughtering many of those criminals.


    Each soldier seemed to be as strong as someone at level 45, and there were many of them attacking at this point. With this, despair was reaching the minds of those outlaws who had not yet entered the fight, fearful of being killed on the spot.


    ''Ahh, screw it! Fighting is meaningless!'' A tall, strong man with short hair, thought to himself as he ran toward one of the place''s walls.


    And seeing this, not only Del''s associates but other individuals, who were there at this time, started to move simultaneously while having an exceptional sparkle in the back of their eyes.


    This was the opportunity many of them had been waiting for, the chance to use a sacrifice to escape from this place successfully!


    ...


    At the same time, with more than 40 soldiers from the Black Plain Army fighting inside that area surrounded by walls, Minos, Abby, and Eda were standing on the roof of that house from before, calmly watching the fight.


    For Eda and Abby, so far, this fight had been genuinely revealing. They were surprised to see such fighting proficiency from each of those soldiers that despite not being as good as Minos, they could still be among the best of their levels, even within the region''s noble families!


    "Looks like they''re all equipped with Black-grade techniques¡­ But that was to be expected." Eda thought to herself, remembering the Dry City Public Library.


    If there was a place like that in Minos'' city, where any citizen could get Blue-grade techniques, then Minos was certainly handing out Black-grade techniques to his soldiers!


    And even though within the noble families of the region, the best cultivators trained techniques of the same rank, this was only among those who were original members of those families, not subordinates, as in the case of Eda.


    So, Eda was very interested in this truth about Minos'' forces...


    As for Abby, she felt that these Blue talent soldiers could be as strong as her!


    Maybe fighting individually, she would have more chances of winning against these people, but that was only because she had trained from an early age with techniques of that degree. Nevertheless, Abby was someone who had considerable resources at her disposal and the best training partners.


    With that, she felt a little thrilled to see these low-talented people performing so well.


    And finally, the young Stuart was watching everything that happened as he calmly ate a spiritual apple to replenish some of his energy.


    Of course, the effect wasn''t that significant now that he was in the 5th stage of cultivation, but that was better than nothing.


    He couldn''t cultivate in a situation like this, and Minos didn''t like having to use spiritual pills. He knew very well that pills could greatly slow a person''s cultivation speed, especially when looking at the higher levels, which were much more demanding for cultivators.


    Consequently, even if he could recover spiritual energy with recovery pills, the young Stuart would not do such a thing under any circumstances. The pills he was willing to take were just regeneration and promotion pills, which would be unavoidable under certain circumstances.


    Anyway, while evaluating his soldiers'' performance, Minos finally saw that a group of outlaws was trying to flee.


    ''Oh? As expected, they only acted after others risked first¡­ But that won''t make a difference!'' Minos thought as he had the corners of his lips turned up slightly.


    ...


    Finally, the criminals were about to leave that property when four Sergeants appeared from the side where several were trying to flee, blocking their way.


    "Trying to run away, huh?" A soldier said, while already activating his assassin technique, running towards one of those fleeing men.


    Quick Cut!


    As soon as he activated his sword technique, the Minos'' soldier quickly followed to the place where that man was trying to escape, turning his sword in the direction of that individual''s body, cutting him with the blade of that weapon.


    For swordsmen, fighting by sending blades or using the sword''s ''body'' was something that depended on the enemy''s objectives and strength.


    As in the example of the young Stuart, he often fought by creating ranged attacks because he either wanted to avoid proximity to higher-level enemies when that was the case, or he wanted to decrease attack damage when fighting weaker opponents.


    That''s because the sword''s ''body'' would always be harder to stop than a blade of air created by a swordsman. This was easy to notice, paying attention to the fact that air blades could be destroyed with opposite techniques of the same power. Still, spiritual weapons needed to take much more severe damage to be destroyed!


    Of course, if it were a blunt sword, for example, that wouldn''t be valid. But a blunt sword was a regular item, which did not amplify the powers of spiritual techniques. Then, in this case, there was no need for a fighter to worry about excessive wounds when using the sword''s ''body'' to attack an opponent.


    Anyway, because of all that, this soldier had used the ''body'' of his grade-1, high-level sword, directly on that enemy, trying to do as much damage as possible!


    "Ahhh!"


    And just after a cry of pain was heard from the direction of that criminal, one of his arms could be seen falling to the ground as the man was sent flying back to the middle of that property.


    But even after that happened, none of those thugs slowed down, continuing to try to escape from this place.


    If they stayed, they would surely die, and in this case, the best thing to do was to bet on luck that the other fugitives would have more bad luck and receive more attention...


    Boom!


    Soon after, the other soldiers who guarded that place started to fight against those who tried to flee, increasing the escalation of effects and visible damage.


    Chaos had already set in there, with several bodies already lying on the ground. At the same time, limbs could be seen here and there, creating a scene of carnage that could make those with sensitive stomachs vomit just by seeing and smelling the scents...


    The odor released by shattered bodies was not pleasant, which looked like heaps of flesh, with brown, black, white spots, as if it were a mixture...


    "Ahhh!"


    And amid this chaos, all the soldiers were finally occupied, while the differences in numbers began to narrow a little.


    At that moment, that pirate who had a red triangle tattoo on his back, Del, was almost making it out of the perimeter of that place.


    Del saw that there was already a soldier coming towards him. However, he quickly used one of his associates as a shield, ready to flee, in the meantime, that the enemy soldier had to switch from one technique to the other.


    After all, even if one could use several techniques simultaneously, a cultivator would undoubtedly have some delay when the technique''s time was up. It wasn''t instantaneous, so Del could try to use that moment to flee!


    "Hahaha, Kage, it was bad for that, but my life is more valuable than yours." Del said as he started to leave that place with a smile on his face, right after throwing his partner''s body to the ground.


    But just when Del thought he could run away, suddenly something extremely terrifying for him happened, when he quickly stopped moving!

 Chapter 220: The Tragic End of Del

    Just as Del thought he had gotten the upper hand to escape that place, he suddenly felt his body stop midway, like he was being held by something.


    This was tremendously slowing him down, to the point where he could barely move.


    And while Del felt a great weight in his body, trying to move with all his strength, the other outlaws who were in that place, along with some soldiers of Minos, they all felt their bodies stopping, in a measure far superior to what Del felt.


    They could clearly see the fights taking place a few meters from where they stood as if nothing unusual was happening in those places.


    And that was terrifying. Being able to see your surroundings but not being able to move was a horrible thing to feel, especially for people who were being chased, right now!


    ''Shit, why can''t I move all of a sudden?'' This question ran through the minds of several of these individuals, who didn''t know Minos'' technique.


    While soldiers and outlaws were under the effect of the Spatial Sword, the two women who accompanied the young Stuart on this trip were also within that area of ??influence.


    Eda felt almost no effects on her body, but she could still feel a tiny sense of suppression. This wasn''t enough for her to slow down, but it had already shocked this experienced woman tremendously.


    After all, feeling something on your own skin was often more effective than just observing from afar without being affected. And because of this, even though Eda already knew about the effect of Minos'' attack technique, she was still surprised at how effective this technique could be.


    ''Even though I''m already at level 48, my cultivation still cannot completely ignore this technique!'' She thought to herself as she looked around.


    As for the young Abby, she was utterly motionless in that place, unable to move even an inch. Being only at level 42, the young Miller girl was entirely vulnerable to the suppression emitted by Minos'' technique!


    The last time she felt Minos'' attack technique, Abby could barely move, but she still hadn''t gone entirely motionless. Only her speed had been severely reduced.


    However, in such a short period, the young Stuart had utterly distanced himself from Abby, already possessing the abilities of a Spiritual King, something she had always desired!


    ''Unbelievable! Could it be that if I join his forces, will I be able to become like this?''


    Explosive Steps!


    And while the people who were being affected by the Spatial Sword had different thoughts in their minds, in a split second, Minos sprinted from where he was until he finally got close to Del.


    At that moment, Del was still trying to get away, moving at an idle speed, which could be even less than the speed of a tortoise. And suddenly Minos appeared in front of him.


    ''Who is this person?'' Del wondered.


    The young Stuart then immediately approached Del''s neck, holding it with one of his hands while engaging the grade-2, low-level sword with the other.


    He squeezed that individual''s neck as he surveyed the situation in his surroundings and looked into Del''s trembling face. ''This must be the person who kidnapped Peter¡­''


    Minos had already seen the tattoo on Del''s back, and that was one of the reasons he acted on his own against this individual. He was confident the Black Plain Army''s Sergeants could handle it, but it wouldn''t hurt to get rid of this guy himself.


    And as Minos watched Del shiver as he desperately tried to move, the young Stuart looked around and sighed. ''I will take care of those other people who are trying to get away first.''


    He then held Del with one of his hands, making this pirate stay on his left side. At the same time, he used the sword in his right hand to create several air blades, sending them in the other outlaws'' directions.


    There weren''t many, but because they were already under the influence of the Spatial Sword, Minos could quickly eliminate them all at once, simplifying the mission for everyone.


    Swooish!


    Swooish!


    After the young Stuart waved his sword a few times as if drawing a painting with his weapon, several diagonal and horizontal blades sliced ??through the air, going to different points.


    Every one of those outlaws who were under the effects of Minos'' technique could see these attacks approaching them faster and faster as they despaired.


    The feeling of helplessness could be felt by all of them, something they had already done to many of their victims, who could not even ask for mercy.


    ''I''m going to d...''


    But there was nothing to be done. They couldn''t even finish thinking when the blades hit their bodies, ripping the heads off of one, splitting the bodies of others in different ways.


    Viewers could see several people''s bodies collide with the ground while jets of blood come out of these corpses'' necks. At the same time, pools of blood and internal organs began to appear from those who had been cut in half.


    There wasn''t a single cry of pain. It was all over for those people in just a split second when they were slain by Minos'' blades, which were explicitly sent in the directions of his targets'' vitals points.


    And even though the very terror of knowing they would be killed, while being wholly suppressed, those outlaws could not speak.


    Being completely under the effects of the Spatial Sword, they couldn''t even open their mouths to scream or plead for mercy. After all, the space around them was being suppressed, so there was no way these people could move their jaws.


    In fact, Minos'' technique was lethal because it limited the space around the targets. But it couldn''t affect the insides of those cultivators'' bodies!


    What it allowed was not control over time but over empty spaces. Therefore, a leaf could stop in the air when the Spatial Sword technique was activated. At the same time, a person could remain motionless but still be aware of everything that happened in their surroundings.


    Even though the inside of the technique targets'' bodies was not affected, as there was a strong suppression on the outside, they felt their breathing become heavy, along with their body becoming heavier as if gravity had increased.


    But these effects were not lethal to cultivators, who had very rigid bodies and could even stay several minutes without breathing.


    Anyway, after just over a second, Minos had killed all those outlaws who were within that space of his technique influence, leaving only Del.


    Abd fir Del, who was being held by Minos'' left hand, didn''t know what had happened. He had his back to those other criminals, as he was the most advanced in the previous escape attempt.


    However, this pirate could sense that something had gone wrong. Suddenly the young man who had restrained him had launched so many attacks that Del could feel its power all too well.


    Even though he was under the suppressive effects of the Spatial Sword, this didn''t stop him from feeling the energy fluctuations around him. Hence, he had immediately felt the tremendous strength of each blade, which could even kill level 48 cultivators instantly!


    ''Shit! Was this person who destroyed the barrier?'' He shivered in fear, thinking of the strength of the young Minos, who still held him, clutching his neck tightly.


    And finally, after clearing that part of the property, eliminating all the runaways, Minos turned his attention to Del with a severe look on his face.


    "So, you''re the one who kidnapped my subordinate, huh?"


    Hearing this, Del felt the weight on his body slip away for a moment, when Minos had finally stopped suppressing him with the Spatial Sword.


    There was no need for the young Stuart to fear this man, who was only at level 44, utterly helpless at the moment.


    "Subordinate?" Del questioned himself, fearing even more for his life right now.


    Finally, he realized that this was all his fault and these invaders of this property were behind his head!


    As for who this subordinate was, Del didn''t care. There were so many people they''d enslaved over the past few months. He couldn''t even remember what most of them looked like.


    But this outlaw couldn''t do anything to get away right now. Minos held Del tightly by the neck while having a sword in his other hand, ready to cut him.


    And as he struggled against Minos''s left arm, Del could barely make it move, as if the young Stuart''s body were indestructible, too strong to be affected by him...


    "Ahhh!"


    At that instant, Minos slowly began to tear that guy apart, cutting limb from limb, making him feel all the pain of each cut before moving on to the next.


    "Ahhhh!"


    The screams of pain rang through the air, almost so loud that they could have overtaken the sounds of the other fights taking place in that place, making several of those people look in Del''s direction.


    "Kill me! Kill me!"


    Amidst the screams of excruciating pain Del felt, he madly asked Minos to kill him at once, eagerly wishing for an end to this torture.

 Chapter 221: The End of Slaughter

    After torturing that pirate for about two minutes, Minos finally cut off Del''s head, ending his suffering.


    However, at the end of the torture, Del was utterly disfigured, with none of his arms, both legs were missing, his eyes had been crushed, and the man''s private part had been cut in half.


    Del''s two balls could be seen right beside where the most significant part of his body was, while his other limbs were spread out over several meters of that place.


    If anyone looked at Del''s head right now, it would be impossible to recognize him. There were many cuts, and his face was completely red, both from the blood and part of the skin that had been forcibly removed.


    Del had lived a life of crime, terrorizing thousands of families across the north of the Central Continent, raping, robbing, enslaving, and killing, all during the decades of his life.


    However, today he had reached the end of the line, leaving in a way that was on par with what he had done in his life. As a sadist who had brutalized so many, Del had died in a way that no one who knew him would say was unfair.


    This was the life of many like him, outlaws who took the peace of many people but almost always ended up in a dead-end, cruelly dying most of the time.


    It was unusual for human beings to change their attitudes. Cases like that of the former bandit, Dugal, whom Minos had crippled in the Yellow City, were rare.


    And even in these cases, much of the behavioral change was related to the lack of alternatives, as it had been with this man, who was now working in the fields of the Dry City.


    But the truth was, most of these people didn''t want to change and wouldn''t be changed. Because of this, a dark fate awaited each person who followed this path, with dangers that could lead to their deaths at any time.


    Anyway, during the minutes of torture before Del''s death, several people on that property had watched it closely, and some even had their mouths open in shock.


    The bandits and most of Minos'' soldiers were fighting, but some people could stop and look around.


    Among them, the captives who served this place had a strange feeling about what they had just seen. They were happy to see someone like Del die like that, but it was hard to ignore the fear of the person who had killed him!


    After all, they didn''t know if that cruel person would do something similar to them right after he finished this attack...


    As for Abby and Eda, the two of them didn''t care much about the way Del had died.


    Eda was already an experienced lady who had seen a little of everything. Thus, the torture Minos had performed wasn''t that cruel to her. It was just adequate.


    On the other hand, Abby had been a little impressed at first, but she thought this pirate deserved such a thing. She had already learned a little more about the reality of the captives in the north of the Central Continent, so she had already created a feeling of disgust and contempt towards people like Del.


    ...


    Finally, Minos soldiers'' battles continued, increasing the number of corpses inside that property.


    If there were more than 150 opponents in the beginning, just over a third of them remained.


    At the same time, none of Minos'' soldiers had died, with only a few of them having sustained minor injuries. And that was to be expected, these soldiers had known each other for a long time, and several of them even trained the same types of techniques.


    With that, fighting as a team was getting easier and easier for these Sergeants, which increased, even more, the proficiency of each one when they gathered against the same opponents.


    On the other hand, most of those enemies had never fought side by side and were fighting wildly, without any teamwork. And this wasn''t good for them.


    In addition to having worse techniques, which used more spiritual energy to release less power, they still used them in the wrong ways, further decreasing their respective efficiencies.


    As for the guards on that property, half of them had already died, leaving for the moment only the strongest ones, those above level 44.


    For these individuals, even if the soldiers of the Black Plain Army managed to fight them, it was a competitive match, one that they had to work hard to get the other side down.


    And since there were still some outlaws alive, Minos'' soldiers could not rally to defeat these stronger individuals.


    ...


    As soon as Del was killed and his screams ceased to be heard in that area, the leader of the property''s guard was engaged in a fight with one of the soldiers when he abruptly dodged and began running towards Minos.


    "Let''s stop this madness! You were here to kill that person, right?" He yelled as he had a look of exhaustion and fear on his face.


    He was the opponent who was in the best condition at the moment, but things were starting to get complicated for this chief of the guard.


    Because of that, and given how Minos had tortured Del, this man was hoping to end this battle, guaranteeing his own life.


    However, this man had been very unlucky.


    Minos was someone who despised slavery and those who exploited that system. To him, someone like this man, the guard leader of this place, was as bad as Del.


    People like this person made this system work. They were willing to provide security for unscrupulous individuals to do whatever they wanted in places like this.


    Minos would never think Del was a victim. Still, he understood that if there were no men like this leader of the guard and those who buy captives, there would be no slave trade and, therefore, slavery.


    For all this, he despised these people and had no intention of stopping what had already started.


    He might not even go after those types of people or organizations, as he wasn''t someone who sacrificed his desires to help others. However, he was already here, and it wouldn''t hurt to do the whole job.


    Not only that, killing these people was the best way to hide what had happened here, lessening the chances of trouble haunting him because of this occasion.


    Explosive Steps!


    And while that man waited for Minos to discuss the matter with him, the young Stuart quickly disappeared from his sight.


    Devouring Art!


    Spatial Sword!


    Minos activated three of his four combat techniques simultaneously, creating a black ring in the sky above that property and appearing a few meters away from that man already wielding his sword.


    Zum!


    He didn''t even try to create an air blade, as he had become accustomed to doing. For him, right now, attacking that man with his sword would be safe and enough for Minos.


    And as the young Stuart approached that leader of the guard, the man was already under the influence of the two Minos techniques, beginning to lose the spiritual energy he had while, at the same time, having his speed significantly reduced.


    ''Shit!'' he cursed in his mind as he prepared to defend himself.


    But before he had to face Minos'' sword, he finally heard a phrase. "You got something wrong. This isn''t just a murder. It''s a massacre!"


    Whoosh!


    After saying that, the young Stuart once again used his movement technique, moving even closer to his target, swinging his sword horizontally, towards the man''s neck.


    Crash!


    Finally, the two collided when Minos used his sword to cut through the man''s shield, which simply snapped like a piece of cheese being cut by a knife, leaving the man''s neck completely defenseless.


    "Ahhh!"


    Unfortunately for him, that was the end of the line. His neck had been cut, and he knelt on the floor as he tried to stop the bleeding that was already soaking his hands.


    He was coughing up blood, holding the part of his neck that had been cut in both hands, while his eyes bulged as if he were slowly losing the light.


    After that, in a few seconds, that leader of the guards of this property had died. His body fell to the ground, slowly forming a pool of blood at the height of his neck.


    The strongest person in this place had died, and that had affected the trust of the remnants of this battle. None of them could have any hope of survival when this slaughter finally came to an end.


    All the outlaws and guards in this place had died, leaving only the slaves attached to chains near the various beds in that space.

 Chapter 222: You Are Free

    The battle was over.


    From the beginning to the end of the invasion, 10 minutes had passed, and all the enemies of the battalion that accompanied Minos had been brutally killed.


    Bodies without heads, limbs of different people tossed about, could be seen in that place, which was now dyed red with the blood of those many people who had died there.


    The scenery was like that of a war, holes in the floors, destroyed walls, and a dense smell that would make any more sensitive person feel nauseous and anxious.


    And in this devastated environment, the soldiers of Minos were already beginning to gather, as they sighed wearily, after trying so hard to defeat their enemies.


    They were genuinely tired. After all, even though their battle techniques were better than those of their enemies, these Sergeants were still outnumbered. Therefore, each of them needed to rest for a while as they regained their energy.


    At the same time, those women who the owners of this establishment had enslaved were already awake, even if before, some of them had passed out.


    Even though Abby and Eda used an array of concealment to seal off the sound of this place, this only prevented such information from leaking outside the walls of this place.


    Consequently, with the noise of battles inside that place, those women who were unconscious had already awakened and were at this moment in silence, afraid that something terrible could happen to them.


    In a situation like this, it would be expected that they would become slaves to these invaders, so none of them would have the naive thought that these people would set them free.


    It was a dream for all of them, but in a place like this, it would be a delight to believe that something like this would happen. The world was cruel, and hardly anyone did anything about it against slavery, especially in places like the Cromwell Kingdom.


    Anyway, while the soldiers began to recover from what had happened and those captives watched the invaders, Minos was already walking through that place, accompanied by the two women of the Miller family.


    Abby and Eda were pleased with the Black Plain Army''s soldiers'' performance and how Minos handled this situation.


    The young Stuart was no fool to think of acting alone, and he knew very well how to use the collective strength of the Black Plain. After all, he had created this power precisely for that and not just to show...


    Anyway, Minos knew how to fight in a group very well, giving support to those soldiers who needed it most, as he didn''t interfere in the fights of those who were doing well.


    It was essential to let these soldiers fight as much as possible so that they would further improve their understanding of their respective battle techniques. But not only that, but this was also a way for those people to push their bodies to the limit and even increase their cultivation speed.


    Cultivation depended a lot on the quality of cultivation technique, followed by talent, resources, and finally, battles. All of this could ignite a person''s cultivation speed, so Minos wanted these soldiers to have lots of experience and even take a liking to it.


    And as he moved through that destroyed, blood-soaked land, Minos finally came close to the corpse of the leader of the guard of this establishment that had been invaded.


    He was curious to see the spatial rings of this man and the pirate Del, who had kidnapped Peter. As for the other dead, Minos would leave it to his soldiers to collect their items. There were a lot of people there, and probably many didn''t even have spatial rings.


    Anyway, it didn''t take long, and some of the soldiers, who were less worn out from the previous fight, began to do the looting work, at the same time that Minos had already collected the rings of those two men.


    And noticing what the young Stuart was doing, Abby smiled slightly and asked. "With all the resources you have, do you still need to loot your enemies?"


    The practice of looting was not uncommon after a fight, but neither was it a rule. Some people didn''t steal items from other cultivators, not even if the other side was already dead.


    This was like an honor for some, while it was a pride for others. After all, young nobles like Abby would hardly find anything to get their eyes on in the spatial rings of people like Del and that man who was the guard''s leader of this place.


    Because of this and the fact that the Black Plain already collects millions of crystals monthly, Abby had found what Minos was doing a little funny.


    Minos then looked at her for a moment and explained. "For me, this may be of no value, but for the citizens of the Dry City, who attend the public library, this is extremely valuable."


    "In fact." Eda muttered as she nodded.


    She would also do what Minos was doing. After all, there was no point leaving those items behind. The former owners were already dead, and it wasn''t like Eda could have Abby''s luxuries either...


    "Ugh... It''s true. I didn''t think about it."


    And after some more time, Minos finally managed to find out what was in those spatial rings. He was hoping to find decent techniques, and lucky for him, he had managed to do that.


    The thing he needed most was Blue-grade techniques for the public library and Black-grade techniques for the headquarters library. With that, the soldiers and inhabitants of the Dry City could have more possibilities than they had at present.


    Those two enemies had rings with the respective items: 5 Black-grade techniques on Del''s ring and 2 on the Chief Guardsman''s ring, plus 21 Blue-grade techniques adding those of them.


    Other than that, there were about 300,000 low-grade crystals in Del''s spatial ring and 23,000 in the other man''s ring. ''As expected, after selling the captives at auction, that pirate had gained a lot of resources.''


    There were also some pills, weapons, and spiritual array in the two men''s things, but that didn''t catch Minos'' attention.


    And just five minutes after the end of the fight, a soldier came to Minos to report what had been collected.


    "Young master, of the more than 150 individuals that were killed, there were only 32 spatial rings, which had 7 techniques of Black-grade classification, 353 of Blue-grade, about 151,000 low-grade crystals..."


    He continued to talk for a while longer, specifying each quantity and the respective classifications of the items found.


    And after hearing that soldier''s report, Minos had kept the rings and techniques collected so that these items could be distributed either at headquarters or at the public library.


    As for the crystals and spiritual artifacts, the young Stuart had given them to the Sergeants to share equally, along with a few pills.


    But not everything had been given to his soldiers. Minos had left ten thousand crystals and some pills to give to those women who were in this place, so they could at least live after fleeing here, at least in the short term.


    Minos wasn''t someone who sacrificed himself for a stranger, but he wasn''t a cold person either, without any empathy. He had already destroyed this place, so it really wouldn''t do them any harm to free those women, leaving some items behind with them.


    Even though they were all aware at this point, some were significantly weakened, to the point that they needed help as soon as possible to avoid dying.


    For this very reason, the young Stuart had reserved cure-type pills for these captives.


    Anyway, after doing this basic accounting on the harvest of that attack, Minos had ordered the soldiers to clean this place, destroying all the bodies and limbs that were lying in that land.


    Even though it was difficult to track them through these corpses, it was not entirely uncommon for people to hide among the dead in an attempt to escape. With this, in addition to decreasing the chances of any persecution, it also avoided unwanted survivors.


    And finally, as the land began to be cleared, Minos walked to one of the open beds there, where a captive was sitting, with a leash around her neck.


    Seeing this, that woman trembled in fear for a moment, covering her naked body with her arms as she stared at the ground, trying not to draw attention from that person in the black cloak, whose face was completely hidden.


    Beside him were two other people dressed in the same way he was, but this captive could see that they both had very feminine bodies.


    Minos and his two traveling companions stopped beside that woman on the bed when Abby asked. "You''re going to release them, right?"


    "It''s obvious. What do you think I am?"


    And after saying those words, Minos used the key he had found in that guard''s leader''s spatial ring from before, disarming the array that suppressed that woman''s cultivation.


    Clang!


    Soon after, the necklace attached to that woman''s neck fell on the ground, making a metallic noise sound through that area while all the other women looked at it.


    "You are free. Help release these other captives." Minos said at the same time that he was handing the key to those suppression necklaces to this woman he had freed.

 Chapter 223: The Man Who Can Stop Space

    As she felt the suppressor collar fall from her neck, that woman felt as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders.


    Having their cultivation sealed was a very unpleasant thing for cultivators, as it made them feel immensely weak and vulnerable.


    Obviously, she would need to cultivate and repair the damage on her body to regain her former strength, but simply not having that suppression item in her neck made her feel significantly better.


    And, while she felt weightlessness in her body, she had an emotional look on her face. Tears were forming in her eyes as she suddenly put one of her hands over her mouth.


    "I¡­I¡­" She tried to mumble something, but the sobs couldn''t let her go on.


    For over a year, this woman had lived the reality of slavery, having been raped countless times, before finally becoming an ''object'' of pleasure in this establishment.


    With each passing day, she didn''t know how much longer she could go on living. Life as a captive in this place was more dangerous than it might seem. Some clients didn''t just like to have fun raping these women.


    No, they also liked to torture them and sometimes even killed them!


    This captive who Minos had freed had seen several girls being killed by people like Del, so she had a constant fear of something like this happening to her.


    And having spent several months in this place, she felt that the day when she would be unlucky enough to come across someone more extreme was getting closer.


    It was difficult for captives like her to live long lives, often dying after a few years of becoming slaves.


    That was the fate of women who ended up in places like this, where unscrupulous men went to indulge their dark desires!


    But it didn''t take long for her to pull herself together and thank Minos from the bottom of her heart. She didn''t know these saviors'' names or appearances, but this woman would never forget this day and who saved them.


    ''The man who can stop space saved me!'' She kept this thought to her memory, associating Minos'' figure with his sword technique...


    After that, she didn''t take long and soon went towards the other women in that establishment, freeing them.


    Many of them wept in joy, already anxious about what they could do after leaving this place. Were their families still alive? Was there a place to return? These and other questions ran through their minds.


    Some of them had had their families destroyed, but many did not know about the current condition of their relatives. After all, not all captives entered this condition after the destruction of power, as had happened with the captive Barbara, who had been enslaved by Del and was together with Peter and Joey.


    People who ended up in this situation in which these women were, were generally not original members of any powerful family, as it would be a waste to leave them in a place like this.


    People who were enslaved but who had talent, such as subordinates and family members, were usually sold in the same way as Peter''s group.


    For people who end up in the situation of those women who Minos freed, they were usually people with Blue talent, who at best were either member of small families or were part of the outsourced service of large families.


    In any case, none of them had any relevance. Because of this, they were usually just taken from their homes, sometimes because of debts, disagreements with outlaws, ambushes, etc.


    As long as there was a slave auction, there would be people who would take the freedom of others, either for existing reasons or for a random act, as had happened with Peter.


    Spiritual crystals moved the world, and there would always be someone willing to do specific jobs, as long as they were paid for it!


    Anyway, after the group of women was freed from the suppression array, they all went towards Minos to thank him.


    Seeing that some of them were even starting to kneel in front of him, Minos raised his right hand, motioning for them to stop. "Ladies, there''s no need to thank me, I didn''t do it for your sake..."


    "Anyway, my group will be leaving here in no time, and I recommend that you do the same. Preferably get out of this city as soon as possible. This place is not suitable for people like you."


    After that, Minos sighed and then threw three bags of fabric towards those women and said. "In these bags, you can find some spiritual pills and 10,000 low-grade crystals to share with each of you. It''s not much, but it will help you get out of here."


    Hearing this, they all had sparkles in their eyes as they were grateful for Minos'' gesture. He had not only freed them, but he was also helping to ensure their short-term survival.


    Finally, they divided the items quickly, when some of them had even left that property as if they were running away for their lives.


    However, others had begun to leave that place slowly, as they sometimes looked back, observing those three people who had their appearance hidden but who seemed to lead the group.


    They hadn''t asked silly questions like their names or from where they came. As much as they wanted to know things like this about their saviors, it was pretty evident that those kinds of questions wouldn''t be answered.


    After all, they all hid their identities very well!


    ''Thank you for that! I will never forget this!" Some of them had this idea imprinted on their minds.


    ...


    Finally, since the end of the fight that had taken place on that property, 20 minutes had passed, when shortly after those women left, Minos'' group was doing the same.


    The time passed was not enough for all the soldiers to rest, but they couldn''t waste time in that area. They didn''t know if more people could get there at any time, so they wanted to spend a minimum of time in such a place.


    However, because there were no seriously injured soldiers and most of them had just depleted their energy reserves, making a primary recovery during that period was not a bad thing.


    They couldn''t fight after that time, but they were able to travel while recovering slowly.


    Anyway, Minos also didn''t want to stay any longer in Hadia, as this could hinder this rescue mission. They had already accomplished part of the revenge on Peter''s situation, as well as knowing where to look for new clues about this young soldier.


    Even if Peter wasn''t at the base of the Chambers family in this region, this place was still the best place for the young Stuart''s group to search for information.


    Thus, Minos and company would leave this city today!


    ...


    Quickly, almost 60 people left that property separately, following in small groups, with less than six individuals each.


    There was no reason for the Minos group to walk together through unknown territory, where trouble could arise if they showed too much strength.


    Hence, to lessen the chances of any problems arising, fractionally leaving the town was the best thing to do at the moment.


    After that, they could meet a few kilometers away from this urban area, following their path together to the Chambers family base in this region.


    While driving separately from the south side of Hadia to one of the exits, Minos, Abby, and Eda traveled in a carriage with only two soldiers leading it.


    The three of them were inside that means of transport, sitting on opposite sides of two leather seats. Minos was eating a plum while holding a basket with several of these fruits, enjoying the juiciness and sweet flavor of this food.


    Seeing this, Abby suddenly asked. "Minos, why don''t you take spiritual pills to recover from your previous energy expenditure?"


    Unlike advancement pills, pills that were only meant to recover spiritual energy didn''t have many impurities, which could hinder cultivation at the higher stages. Of course, it was impossible to eliminate all impurities through alchemy. Still, the standard for spiritual recovery pills was quite acceptable...


    "That''s simple. Fruits of high spiritual concentration have even fewer impurities than those pills sold in our region."


    "But they''re much more effective. At least you don''t need to use so many of them..." She said with a smile, pointing with one of her fingers to the plum-filled basket that Minos was holding.


    Hearing this, the young Stuart smiled. "You''re wrong. For people who go at most, at best, to the 7th stage of cultivation, actually using these pills has negligible effects."


    That was the reality for the overwhelming majority of cultivators with Black talent. If they were in a wealthy region, with lots of resources, people like this could reach the 7th stage of cultivation without significant problems.


    But for the northern region of the Central Continent, due to spiritual poverty and consequently lack of resources, even reaching the level of a Spiritual Emperor would be practically impossible!


    "However, after this step, if a person has become accustomed to using spiritual recovery pills whenever he struggled to the limit, then the negative effects will start to show up at this time."

 Chapter 224: Night Travel

    Hearing Minos'' comment, the two women on the opposite side of him in that carriage stopped talking for a moment as they reflected.


    Someone really could not get all the impurities out of a spiritual pill, even if they were specially made for it.


    Pills were combinations of different types of resources, such as medicines, the blood of spiritual beasts, some natural resources, such as the Spring of Life, which could also be used to produce pills.


    And by merging each ingredient into a recipe, the alchemist would raise the potential set of those items, reaching a new level. If the ingredients separately could not make an individual, for example, jump from one step to another, this would become possible after refining done by that expert.


    However, when mixing all these items, there was a cumulative effect of the toxins present in each of them, together with possible errors or imperfections made by the alchemist during the refining. Consequently, from a general perspective, there were always more impurities in spiritual pills than in fresh resources.


    Of course, alchemists also removed toxins during refining. Still, it was tough to achieve the same degree of purity that could naturally be seen in fruits.


    In the Spiritual World, the species most compatible with spiritual energy were the vegetable type, which was almost 100% compatible with it. And that was also the justification why there is natural Divine-grade medicine. In contrast, it is impossible, even for an elf, to reach level 100 without outside help!


    Hence, when a living being tried to manipulate these items, these spiritual highly compatible resources could not be combined into an even higher quality product, concerning the impurities!


    The only way to do anything close to that was if the alchemist was at a very high degree and wasn''t producing pills of the highest level. Thus, for example, if a grade-4, high-level alchemist refined a pill that ranks in grade-3, high-grade, or below this, then he could come close to that.


    But there were few people so highly ranked in the world of alchemy, while someone so well rated would hardly produce items far below their level.


    There were other possibilities for this, but it was not everyday things and could be called exceptions. Thus, having such alternatives was not a reality for a place like the northern region of the Central Continent.


    And as for why the pills were so successful, even though they had impurities that could affect a person''s cultivation speed and even vitality. Well, that was due to the great potential of these items.


    For example, the Spring of Life could restore its user''s lost vitality. However, if it were used in combination with other resources in the production of a life recovery pill, then it would have its effect enhanced!


    Medicines that could be poisonous in nature could be used in pills to treat illnesses, wounds, etc. In short, alchemy was the way for living things to create items with effects never seen before by combining different ingredients!


    Because of all this, in general, when someone used a pill, the effect would be more positive than negative.


    Anyway, the two women were thinking about the common knowledge about pills they had as they stood there in silence.


    ''It makes sense, but since there are no Spiritual Emperors in our region, it''s hard to figure out how troublesome that would be¡­'' Eda thought to herself as she snapped her fingers.


    On the other hand, Abby had a different thought in her mind. ''He thinks about passing the 7th stage of cultivation. Is that what he meant? How would he do something like this?


    After that, she laughed and said. "So, are you preparing to become a Spiritual Saint?"


    "No, obviously not..." Minos just said this with a mysterious look on his face.


    Of course, he wouldn''t stop there. With the highest level of talent and the best techniques one could have, Minos aimed for level 100, a God, not just a mere Spiritual Saint!


    "Hmph, that''s what I thought." Abby muttered as she stared out the glass window of the carriage they were traveling in.


    They had already left the city of Hadia behind, with no problem in the exit. The 11 carriages of Minos'' group had departed separately, followed by a gap of a few minutes each, to attract as little attention as possible.


    And as expected, none of those guards messed with these groups leaving Hadia in the same night. This was very common in this city, as many nobles passed through here every day. At the same time, criminals from the region also came and went.


    This way, there was a lot more movement in the entrances of Hadia, which allowed that the departure of 11 carriages in a single night was not something strange.


    And it wasn''t long before Minos''s entire group of carriages found themselves a few kilometers away from Hadia, where they had previously arranged to meet,


    After they did, the entire convoy headed towards the Chambers family''s base in the northwestern region of the Cromwell Kingdom, where they would look for more clues as to Peter''s whereabouts.


    ...


    "Minos, what are you going to do if your soldier is in that place?" Abby asked shortly after the groups of carriages began to travel together.


    It was almost midnight by this time, and the convoy of the young Stuart''s group was running through the darkness of night as they traveled the dirt roads of the Cromwell Kingdom.


    Hearing his friend''s question, Minos looked at her for a moment, understanding the implications of her doubt. Abby seemed to be concerned that he might decide to attack a noble family base.


    And as a noblewoman, a member of the wealthy Miller family, Abby knew a thing or two about the Chambers. While this family was not as strong as the royal families of the north of the Central Continent, they still had excellent strength.


    So, if Minos attacked such a place, huge trouble could follow this young friend of Abby''s. That was her concern.


    "If he''s there and we have the ability to save him, then this is specifically what we''re going to do." He responded firmly.


    Peter was his subordinate, and as such, Minos would support him. But obviously, he would not do anything if he did not have the capacity for it.


    After all, it would not do any good if many of them died, or even Minos himself was put at risk by just one person.


    Consequently, if the difference in strength were too significant, Peter would have to wait until Minos and the Black Plain Army got stronger.


    The young Stuart would never abandon one of his own if he had power, so even in the event they could not save that Seargent now, Minos would still come after Peter when he had all the strength he needed.


    And if the young Sergeant were unlucky and died before then, Minos would at least smash the entire Chambers family in revenge!


    Minos'' forces might appear peaceful at this point, but that was not its goal. Instead, the young Stuart was building his own power, which in his view, had to be feared by enemies and even allies.


    These Spiritual World''s powers had to know the consequences of messing with one of Minos''s army soldiers!


    That was his goal and the way he was educating his soldiers. And Peter knew it. He might even have no hope of surviving, as that would be another problem. But he knew that even if he died, those responsible would pay for it, sooner or later.


    As for the fact that revenge doesn''t bring the dead back to life, that was bullshit. No one takes revenge to raise the dead. Instead, this is done to hurt enemies and punish them for their actions, for the well-being of deceased''s relatives, among many other reasons for the constant pursuit of revenge.


    Anyway, hearing Minos''s answer, Abby felt reassured, seeing that her friend was not a fool who would let his emotions get carried away in the heat of the moment. ''I''m glad he thinks so...''


    And quickly, time began to pass, while Minos had already eaten all the plums from before and started to cultivate to restore his energy.


    So had the young Stuart''s many soldiers, who were traveling in shifts, with some resting, some cultivating, and the latter leading the carriages.


    Despite the dangers of night journeys, most of the time, nothing happened, and that was exactly what had happened to Minos''s group convoy.


    ...

 Chapter 225: Planning to Travel

    While the group of 11 carriages traveled quickly through the Cromwell Kingdom, covering the distance between Hadia and the Chambers base in that region, other complications were happening on a small island south of Stone Island.


    This was an island that was a few hundred kilometers from the nearest coastal town on Stone Island. The land there was small in area, with space only for a small village and a medium-sized port.


    In that place, there were some ships moored in the local port. At the same time, some items were left in the warehouses of that place, and others were transferred to other ships, which occasionally returned to Stone Island.


    If Minos were here, he would quickly realize the power behind this place due to the symbol on some ships that docked there.


    This was a symbol of a silver ship!


    This island was the Nash family''s transfer port, where this power had an outpost, which the young Elen was using to receive items from the Black Plain.


    She had been bothered by the noble and wealthy families of Stone Island constantly. Some of those powers even had already begun to spy on the routes used by the ships of the Nash family.


    Because of that, to protect the information of the products being sold in her family''s markets, Elen had started to use this island to delay the discovery by those Stone Island powers about the present Black Plain.


    Elen had arranged for an unmarked ship to travel between the Black Plain and this island, as was customary when the Nash family placed orders for goods from kingdoms south of Stone Island.


    Following that, the resources transferred to that island would be transported in a few days to the Nash family''s traditional ships, transporting the Black Plain''s products to be sold on the Stone Island.


    This wasn''t an infallible plan, Elen knew, but it was what she could do for now. She and Minos wanted to earn crystals together, so they had no choice but to take certain risks.


    In addition to delaying investigations into the origins of her items, Elen dispersed the resources sent from young Stuart''s territories to several different locations on Stone Island, attempting to avoid attracting more attention.


    However, with each passing month, the resources sent by the Black Plain increased in quantity, leaving Elen''s actions less and less efficient.


    It was tough to hide such a massive deal!


    Anyway, today was another typical day on this island, receiving and sending items from different parts of the northern region of the Central Continent, including the Black Plain.


    Given the current development of agriculture in the Minos'' territories, new shipments were dispatched each month, as the different cultures had unique ripening times.


    So, instead of only sending resources to Stone Island every 2 or 3 months, now the offer was becoming more regular, with monthly shipments.


    And while that place had a typical day, a few kilometers away from that island, there was an unmarked boat, which seemed to be stopped in the middle of the sea.


    There wasn''t many crew around there, as this was not a cargo boat, just something used to transport people.


    And in the bow of the ship, two men were standing there, dressed in light clothing, as they watched the island used by the Nash family from a distance, with severe expressions on their faces.


    "Looks like we finally figured out what you''re up to, huh, Elen Nash..." One of them muttered as he noticed the cargo ship transferring items to that place right now.


    "Looks like the Nash girl is using this place as a transfer port to delay our investigations into her partner." He commented to his partner, who was also paying attention to that place.


    The man he had spoken to was quiet for a while until he finally said. "Now that we''ve found the transfer location, we have to create a group to chase the ships that arrive on this island. Then, we can finally find out where those products are coming from!"


    Hearing this, the other man finally yelled aloud as he looked at a young man who was cleaning the bow of the ship. "Boy, send a message to the Allen family headquarters. We need 20 small ships to pursue the clues..."


    He then gave his orders so that the family headquarters would authorize reinforcements to this mission, which could finally yield some result.


    ...


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    ...


    Meanwhile, in the capital of Stone Island, Elen Nash and her friend, Elena, were quietly resting while drinking spiritual tea in one of the Nash family''s palace gardens.


    At two o''clock, they were around a wooden table on a lawn in that place, not far from a small artificial lake.


    There was a tree shading where they were sitting, along with a nice breeze that passed every few minutes.


    The sun was at the top right now, and the two young blondes were chatting calmly in that spot as they rested from the training session they had just finished.


    In addition to being close friends and business partners, Elen and Elena also had training matches every few days since the two of them had started their journeys in the cultivation world.


    They had attended the spiritual academy together and had been close friends ever since. After this, they continued their friendship, training many times together and comparing their respective strengths.


    Despite being from a family of blacksmiths, Elena had become a warrior and was only one level lower than Elen. Consequently, the two were very compatible with training together, supporting each other, and providing healthy competition that stimulated both sides.


    Anyway, as they talked about everyday matters, without much importance, Elena suddenly changed the subject while getting a dubious expression on her face.


    "Elen, you said you wanted to visit Minos in the Black Plain. When do you plan on doing this?"


    Hearing and seeing her friend''s expression, Elen laughed and asked. "In the next few days, why? Are you by any chance wanting to go to bed with him again?"


    "Hehehe, but of course. Did I ever tell you how vigorous he is? Back then, even though he was several levels below me, he still managed to keep up with me pretty well¡­" She commented, recalling the excellent night of fun she and Minos had months ago.


    "You have so many other contacts around here. Are you sure you want to travel to such a faraway place just for this?"


    "Hmm, it''s not exactly just that. The way you say it, it seems like I only think about sex!"


    "And that''s not true?"


    "Of course not!" She snapped, feeling a little miserable.


    "Unlike you, I''ve never traveled outside of Stone Island, and lately, I''ve been thinking a lot about seeing the Dry City."


    "Oh? It''s nice to travel and see new places. Still, you usually prefer to stay around doing business for your family with me. Why this change now?"


    Hearing this, Elena looked up at the blue sky in that region for a moment and then answered her friend. "I''m a warrior, but I rarely have real opponents, especially since I come from a family of blacksmiths, who have virtually no enemies on Stone Island."


    "But you can still fight Stone Island''s people. There are certainly outlaws who don''t care where you come from." Elen teased her. Elen wanted to make her friend by saying that she wanted to go to the Black Plain just to meet an old lover...


    "Hmm, it''s true. But going to the Black Plain, I can combine business with pleasure. I bet Minos must be a lot stronger now, so I''m looking forward to seeing him again. Usually, I don''t get the opportunity to hang out with young men like him, who are more talented than me..."


    For the women of the Spiritual World, there was a certain self-pride that came with more outstanding talents and levels of cultivation. Many of them did not get involved with men of lesser power/talent. These women had their own arrogance and felt better when ''interacting'' with more talented or powerful men.


    Of course, not all of them took that pride very seriously and ''interacted'' without taking these factors into account. However, it was undeniable that more talented people had more energy and better looks.


    This was related to cultivation speed. If someone reached the 6th stage of cultivation at age 100, while another reached it at age 30, there would be a noticeable difference in their appearance!


    And for people who wanted casual relationships, as in the case of Elena, this was something relevant to take into account.


    "Anyway, I''m also curious to see that place. You had already told me several things about the Dry City that made me anxious to travel there. Not to mention that Minos must constantly have to fight to solve the problems in that region. This can help me in my training as well." Elena finished, looking into her friend''s eyes.


    "Well, you have your point. I''m also curious to see Minos. It''s been over ten months since I''ve seen him... But we''ll have to take a long detour to do that."


    "Is the Allen family very close to discovering us?"


    "So-so. But it will still take a few months for them to reach the Black Plain. As long as we''re careful, we still have some time." She said before letting out a worried sigh.


    This had been troubling her more and more, and she wanted to discuss this and other matters with Minos. Many Stone Island''s powers wished to have connections with him, so she could not delay this meeting any longer!

 Chapter 226: Elite Squad

    "Hmm, I understand. So many families are considering this issue as a turning point that could completely change the Stone Island." Elena commented while she had a resolute look in her eyes.


    The merchant families of Stone Island were interested in Minos and Elen''s business, as well as the powerful families of blacksmiths, array masters, and alchemists.


    The Neel family, which Elena was a part of, was also interested in this subject. Moreover, the family''s patriarch had already asked her father, an elder of that power, to convince Elen''s young friend to talk about this matter.


    It was common knowledge in her family that Elena was Elen''s business partner. Because of this, they wanted to use this connection to find out more about this partnership that Elen had recently made.


    However, young Elena was an intelligent woman and knew when she could or could not say something. Therefore, even though they were her family, trusted individuals who had inquired about this matter, she had ignored them, leaving them in the dark about the Black Plain.


    As to why powers like the Neel family wanted to contact Elen''s business partner without even being trading organizations, that was simple. All noble and wealthy families knew the value that highly concentrated spiritual foods had for cultivators at the beginning of their respective journeys.


    However, even though all these powers wanted to buy this type of resource, two problems prevented them from doing so.


    First, given Stone Island''s location and geographic characteristics, any food would have to be brought in from outside this place.


    Of course, there was little agricultural production on Stone Island. Still, it was almost insignificant compared to the more than 200 million inhabitants of this place, which created a great food demand.


    Consequently, the state in which the two acquaintances of Minos lived had to import most food resources from outside the island.


    But that was a problem. There were no empires or high-level kingdoms in Stone Island''s vicinity, making it difficult for high-quality resources to reach this state.


    The trip would be too long, generating high costs due to transport! Thus, there was not an ample supply of items rich in spiritual energy in this place.


    And this factor implied the second problem for these families, which was the price charged for items of high spiritual concentration.


    In addition to the expenses related to long-distance transport, there was still a great demand for these items internally in Stone Island. As a result, the price charged was high, and few organizations could buy large quantities of these foods!


    Thus, even families that were not involved in the food business, such as the Neel family, which specialized in producing spiritual artifacts, were interested in doing business directly with the power behind Elen''s resources.


    These Stone Island''s families had already tried to do this by contacting Elen. Still, she had refused to sell these foods directly to them. Consequently, it only remained for them to try to do business directly with Minos!


    And so, several of these organizations, like the Olson family, had already asked Elen to indicate them in an attempt to get a share of Minos'' items.


    Anyway, hearing her friend, Elen nodded and said. "I don''t mind talking to Minos about business with your family or the Olson family, as I know they won''t try to sell these items on the market. But I can''t allow my competitors to steal my business!"


    Powers like the family behind the Hotel Olson and the Neel family would not sell such gems. Instead, these items would be used to nourish its younger members, those who are in the early stages of cultivation and who could experience more of the effects of those resources.


    Or they would use it to elevate their brands, improving the quality of services offered as the Olson family intended to do. If they could get a deal with Minos, then even becoming the biggest hotel chain in the north of the Central Continent would not be that far off their chances!


    After all, each customer places a higher value on the overall quality offered, such as luxury accommodation, top-notch cuisine, personalized service, spiritual concentration, etc.


    And what any power like the Olson family could do, without much effort with this new possibility, would be to increase the quality of the meals served in their hotels.


    It was difficult to improve on the other aspects, as it would take years to have the necessary resources. But with the prices charged for Minos items, this was different!


    Anyway, Elen wouldn''t be harmed if powers like these made contact with Minos. In fact, this could still benefit her, as she would be the one responsible for this contact!


    Hence, she wouldn''t mind gaining favor with these families, to speak to the young Stuart!


    "Well, make your preparations. This trip may take a lot longer than it would. Let''s go to the Kingdom of the Waves as if we were going to do business in the capital of this place, and then from there, we''ll leave for the Black Plain." Elen explained to her friend as she prepared to head back to the building where her residence was.


    "Hmm, I understand." Elena then kissed her on the cheek and asked with a teasing look as she bit her lower lip. "Tonight, I don''t have any commitments. Do you want to spend the night at my house, or do I come here?"


    Elen then looked into her friend''s eyes with a slight redness in her cheeks and answered. "I''m going there. You came here last week, so it''s my turn to come to you..."


    ...


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    ...


    And while Elen and Elena were arranging what they would do for the night, there was a commotion at the headquarters of the Black Plain Army at this very moment in the Dry City.


    In one of the training camps in that place, there was a large mural with notices about the functioning of that place.


    One would typically see notices about the soldiers'' pay dates and the various shifts required to work if he looked at this point. In addition, they may occasionally swap shifts with other colleagues through the contacts that were there.


    Additionally, there was information about how a soldier could advance his rank, the Rewards'' Hall, and a map of the building.


    There was an entire order in the Black Plain Army''s headquarters, which needed to be informed in places like this to make life easier for new soldiers that enter this institution.


    All of them had to register themselves upon joining the army, which would allow them to earn merit points, which could give them benefits within this organization.


    Merit points were simple to get. It was enough for a soldier to fulfill his regular activities, receive a small number of points per month, or perform missions, which earned them many more.


    These points both served for them to increase their hierarchies, as to buy items inside the headquarters.


    First, there was a need for a minimum amount of points for each promotion. Of course, they also had to spend a minimal amount of time at each hierarchy, but generally, this would not be a problem.


    Most of them would not have a fast enough cultivation speed to spend less time in their respective hierarchies. Anyway, this was just to prevent a soldier who just joined the army, gain a lot of power in a short time.


    Soldiers would even receive a salary and designation equivalent to their levels. Still, they would not have the same rights as others.


    For example, Peter was a Sergeant and was paid the equivalent salary. However, he was still below all other Sergeants in the army, having a notice on his identification that he did not yet have the right to lead other soldiers.


    But that was not a problem. Even if he were in a position without leadership rights, it would not be long before this change. By the time he reached level 50, Peter''s minimum time to stay in each position would have passed. So he would naturally be a Lieutenant, with all benefits, once he reached the 6th stage of cultivation.


    Second, merit points were not just used for rank-up. A soldier could also exchange his points for items from the Rewards'' Hall.


    For example, spiritual artifacts such as armaments and armors, arrays such as spatial rings, and even Silver-grade techniques could be learned by having sufficient points for exchange for these items.


    Of course, for these techniques, soldiers could not keep them. They could only learn them. They were also very expensive, and even the soldier with the most merit points still did not have 5% of the amount needed for this...


    Anyway, some items could also be picked up for free, as was the case with grade-1 items from the three classifications. A soldier could borrow items from this level when he went to work or perform missions.


    As for higher-level items, any of them would have to be purchased with merit points.


    Anyway, today there was something different on that mural, which had made all the soldiers who saw it get anxious and motivated to practice even more than usual!


    On each of the murals in the headquarters, groups of soldiers huddled together as they chatted actively, almost as if they were at a fair.


    At this point, a woman who wore a typical army uniform and had the Sergeant hierarchy symbol on one of her shoulders saw it and laughed before speaking out loud. "That is great! I may have missed the city arena''s opening tournament, but now I won''t miss this opportunity!"


    Upon hearing this, another woman with black hair and an athletic body that was standing next to her said. "You''re right, Teri. Unlike the final of that tournament, that shameless Elmer can''t take all the spots!"


    This woman who had spoken first was the finalist in that small tournament held at the opening of the town''s fighting arena, Teri. She had lost back then, having missed that grand prize...


    However, she was now re-motivated, discovering that there would be something even more remarkable, a chance that could significantly improve her life!


    The notice on that mural advertised a selection among the Sergeants that would occur in a year or so.


    At that time, 20 soldiers from that hierarchy would have the chance to participate in something totally new, something that was about to happen for the first time in this organization led by Minos!


    And it wasn''t long before Teri, and her friend left that place, going back to their respective routines.


    However, when leaving, they left an empty space, which allowed another soldier to see the new banner posted on the mural.


    At the bottom of the page, the banner featured a small text with some basic information, while bold letters announced: "Army Sergeants, join the selection that will take place in one year and become a member of the Elite Squad!"

 Chapter 227: Bad Weather

    After seeing this flashy advertisement, the soldier who had just taken Teri''s empty space in front of that mural and quickly read the information.


    According to what was written in that announcement, a selection would be made among soldiers who were already in the 5th stage of cultivation in about a year.


    In this selection, 20 Sergeants would become the first members of the elite group of the Black Plain Army, which in addition to having more responsibilities in the future, would also have even better salaries, as well as techniques and weapons!


    Those selected would receive a three-year training in a specific location, where they could not leave before completing this period, not even to see their families.


    But in this period, they would have the chance to cultivate in a much better location than the army headquarters'' cultivation tower while receiving new techniques.


    The salary paid would be 50% higher for each hierarchy these soldiers were in, and they would receive grade-2, medium-level weapons before they ''graduated.''


    Seeing this information on the paper, that soldier almost let out a cry of shock as he felt an urgency growing in his heart. ''Shit! I''m still at level 35. If I don''t make it to level 40 by the time of this selection, I''ll miss an amazing opportunity!''


    This was the soldier who had fought Minos, right back then when the young Stuart had fought against several soldiers, betting on a Silver-grade technique with them.


    And, he, Grym, had managed to do well against Minos at that time and earned the right to learn a Silver-grade technique. Now, Grym was at level 35 and had been cultivating diligently, working as a Corporal in the army of Minos.


    And as someone who had learned a Silver-grade technique, Grym knew all too well the value of such a thing. Therefore, he felt that he would be left behind by missing this precious chance to learn new techniques from that rank!


    ''I''m going back to my training!'' He thought as he pressed his right fist tightly, leaving that place behind.


    Meanwhile, other people also found out about the news that would happen within a year, causing a huge commotion inside the headquarters buildings.


    This was information that Minos had asked Dillian to release in the period that he would be traveling to rescue Peter.


    They had already discussed when would be the best time to send people to the Spatial Kingdom. Minos decided that this would happen almost a year from now when he would be even stronger, just as there would be a more significant number of soldiers in the army.


    With that, combined with the three years that the 20 soldiers would spend training in that place, this would give the young Stuart enough time to reach the Spiritual King stage, as well as he could count on a mighty, proficient squad.


    Minos and Dillian knew it wouldn''t be that long before news of the Black Plain''s recovering spread. And at this time, they would have to be prepared to fight and protect this place against countless enemies.


    In this case, just increasing his soldiers'' cultivation speed could allow Minos to succeed in this task.


    Of course, he was not going to let any soldiers know about the Spatial Kingdom. The selection would choose the most reliable and talented ones. They would be kept long enough in that place that they would be closely monitored and observed so that there were no leaks.


    Thus, Minos and Dillian hoped that these 20 soldiers would become crucial members of the Dry City in the short term, which could more substantially increase the power of the organization created by the young Stuart.


    The Black Plain Army was also unable to arm all soldiers in the 5th stage of cultivation with grade-2, low-level weapons. Consequently, this was also a measure to select those who would have the preference over this type of item!


    Finally, the Elite Squad would be a special unit responsible for dealing with assassinating enemies and defending territory and army bases, such as the port that Minos had already constructed on the Black Plain''s coast.


    But they were not going to become rulers under any circumstances. Their work would be related only to strength and quick responses when the need arises. Otherwise, soldiers trained for leadership would be responsible for this kind of responsibility in the future.


    There was not yet a division within the army to train the future rulers, as a few people were suitable for this type of work. Minos wanted the future Black Plain''s rulers to be, at least, people with Black talent and have been fully nurtured by the army since their earliest days on the cultivation journey.


    This would enable them to go much further, while people''s loyalty would be even higher!


    But there were few people like that in Minos'' forces. In fact, only Lee and Alison met these requirements. And for that very reason, the young Stuart had not yet created a division for future leaders within the army.


    It didn''t make sense to do something like that, to train only two people!


    He could prepare Lee and Alison himself, the way he had already started to do it. But he intended to do something like a management school within the army when there were other qualified youths.


    As for the Elite Squad soldiers, initially, it would have been better if only people with Black talent were part of this force. Still, they could not afford such a luxury right now.


    There were not many people with this degree of talent within the army''s ranks. At the same time, their enemies were powerful and could not be neglected.


    The growth of the Dry City had been impressive, and when it leaked out, Minos territory would need all kinds of strength to resist external threats.


    Then, Minos and Dillian could not just wait to have more talented people to send to the Spatial Kingdom. They had to work with the ''resources'' they had on hand to be prepared for the chaotic future!


    However, as more soldiers with Black talent join his forces in the future, the Elite Squad''s current rules will be changed to accept only new members with this degree of talent!


    ...


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    ...


    While the Black Plain Army''s soldiers were agitated by this chance that would come in a year or so, in another part of the Central Continent, the mood of certain people was not so good...


    In the Cromwell Kingdom, in the northwest region, near the branch base of the Chambers family, the sky was completely overcast, with gray clouds darkening the place. At the same time, the occasional sounds of thunder rang in the air.


    The atmosphere in that part seemed to be in a bad mood, as well as many people in that region.


    On the one hand, there were the captives who had been receiving the standard treatment for people in this condition: daily beatings, lack of primary hygiene conditions, poor food, confinement.


    On the other hand, several Kevin''s pursuers were still in that region as they camped around that base, waiting for a chance.


    The Spring of Life was too valuable for those people to give up right away, so they were still insisting on staying in those areas. Who knows, Kevin would be an idiot and leave the protection of that place...


    But waiting here was not easy. Each of these pursuers had to be aware not only of the entry and exit of people from that Chambers base but also of their competitors.


    Even if Kevin put himself at risk and missed the Spring of Life, these stalkers would still try to get this item from whoever might have managed to take it!


    So, the mood of those people was not at all good as they waited to see what would happen.


    Anyway, in one of the camps established around that base, two people were talking right now.


    One was a middle-aged man, who wore noble armor, was watching the region he was in, along with the only visible entrance to that base.


    The other was a young woman with brown hair, dressed casually, how a lady would dress if she were camping. She was sitting in a wooden chair while having her midday meal.


    And at that moment, she finally muttered something when she had finished eating the last part of her meal. "If only we had a Spiritual King around here, we could destroy that grade-2, low-level array and invade that place..."


    The Chambers family base in this region had a defensive item to protect that place from invaders. Of course, this was not a base with great relevance to that power, as this place had been built a short time ago and was only being used as a stopping point.


    It was not cheap to buy grade-2, medium-level array either, and that''s why the Chambers family only used this type of item in their headquarters and places of extreme importance, not a newly established place, without a great use at the moment!

 Chapter 228: A New Group Joins

    Just to give you an idea, a single grade-2, high-grade array could cost over 30,000 medium-grade crystals, an excessive amount for the most prominent families in the north of the Central Continent.


    The main problem was the fact that to buy and activate an array of this degree, only medium-grade crystals would be involved!


    The array masters who could develop items like this were all high-level Spiritual Kings, who didn''t bother with low-grade crystals, which were no longer so helpful to them.


    On the other hand, the consumption of these arrays required a large amount of medium-grade crystals for these items to work perfectly.


    However, the reserves of medium-grade crystals in this region were not large enough, and most of the income of the noble and wealthy families was in low-grade crystals!


    These families could even earn an equivalent amount in low-grade crystals that they could pay for these items. Still, no one would accept payment in this form, as few medium-grade crystals were to be exchanged!


    They could even travel to an empire or some kingdom outside the north of the Central Continent to make this kind of exchange, but that would be too dangerous. Not only were there much stronger people in those places, but the journey was also complex.


    There would always be parts of the journey where people would have to go through forests, regions ruled by spiritual beasts. And in a stronger place, outside the northern part of the Central Continent, there would undoubtedly be several 6th stage beasts.


    If travelers were unlucky, even a 7th stage beast could end up appearing!


    Consequently, traveling outside the region just to exchange crystals was by no means a good idea. The dangers far exceeded the advantages that one could have.


    There were even banks that exchanged spiritual crystals in the north of the Central Continent. But the fees were not cheap, which prevented large ''exchanges'' be made.


    And because of all this, having many medium-grade crystals was a rarity in this region. Only those families that have existed for tens of thousands of years that have gathered resources for a long time, or those with members in the Flaming Empire''s sects, could afford items of that quality.


    For the latter case, generally, the advantages of having a family member in one of the sects of the Flaming Empire were precisely related to resources.


    Most of the young people who left this region to go to the Blazing Empire weren''t as talented as Kara and Troy. Because of that, most of them would not have high expectations of something like what happened to Dennis Red to occur to them.


    However, even if they weren''t going to gain influence in the empire, those youths still had more chances of getting medium-grade crystals, higher-ranking weapons, as well as arrays, pills, and spiritual techniques.


    Because of the large supply of these items in places like the Flaming Empire, when those youths visited their families in the north of the Central Continent, they could bring many valuable things to their relatives, which would give these families a more significant influence in these areas.


    This was how the Spiritual Tournament influenced the balance of power in the Minos'' region!


    However, there were not many forces like these around here, and the Chambers family was certainly not one of them.


    Anyway, Vivian climbed a tree and then went back to watching the base of the Chambers family that was in front of her. At the same time, she also checked out the other pursuers that were there.


    This region was predominantly crowded with vegetation, with only one soil road passing in front of the pentagonal base of the Chambers family.


    And as she watched that building, surrounded by high red walls, Vivian commented to her bodyguard in a low voice. "Uncle Samuel, do you think it will take how long for that bastard''s escort to get here?"


    Hearing this, the man standing nearby, dressed in armor and on guard, was silent for a moment when he said. "I think in 6 days at most. The Chambers family headquarters isn''t close, so it''s unlikely they''ll get any help before then."


    "Unless, of course, a Spiritual King from this family happens to pass by here by coincidence..."


    ...


    And while Vivian and Samuel were talking about what to do, inside that base, there were several cells full of people in the basement of one of the buildings, from where a dense unpleasant smell came.


    At the same time, the sounds of whining could be ears constantly there.


    That place was predominantly dark, having only one light source, which was in the middle of that place, where there was a wooden trunk with several chains on the floor.


    This was the place where the dozens of slaves purchased by Kevin and his bodyguard in the city of Hadia were. Usually, the Chambers family did not use this place to ''educate'' their captives. This base was only used for local logistical support for family members who passed through here.


    However, since he would have to stay around for a few more days, Kevin had ordered the ''educational work'' to started right here. Members of the Chambers family did not like the captives to have dangerous thoughts, such as freedom and the possibility of escape.


    Hence, whenever they bought new captives, the Chambers tried to break the mentality of these people, torturing them, trying to imprint a new disposition on the conscience of those slaves.


    Humans were creatures with very different mentalities. Some could be extremely resolute, firm in their beliefs and wills. But most were not like that. Many lost hope and accepted the new reality after a certain amount of torture and indoctrination, becoming beings vulnerable to the existence of slavery.


    Some might even see their existence as a slave as a blessing, which they would not try to end...


    But for this, slave families like the Chambers had meticulous work with new captives, ''educating'' them harshly, showing that they are inferior to their masters and that it is an honor to serve them...


    Such was the distortion of these people''s minds!


    Anyway, there was no guard of this base in that place at this moment, leaving only the captives inside the cells.


    Almost all of them had open wounds on their backs, while bruises could be seen on virtually any part of these people''s bodies.


    Some of them had had parts of their bodies skinned in regions like the stomach, face, and arms. The pale red of the lower layer of the skin of those people was exposed, while insects gathered around them as if they were circulating food debris...


    Anyway, among these people, Peter and the other captives with Black talent were all sitting next to each other, trying to stay firm.


    The physical pain they felt was great, but because they were stronger, more talented, each one of them had a greater resilience than the other captives.


    "Joey! Joey, how are you doing?" Peter asked in a husky voice as he crouched in the corner of his cell, not far from Joey.


    Hearing this, that aged-looking man opened his eyes slowly, trying to see Peter. He had been one of the last to be ''educated'' today, so he seemed to be in pretty bad shape right now.


    He then said, taking a quick breath. "Hah, hah, don''t worry, hah, I''m not as bad as I look... It''s just that that bastard who tortured me, ripped out every one of my nails..."


    Peter then looked at Joey''s feet and hands, seeing the exposed flesh of this old man amid the blood that still came out of the previous torture.


    "These damn sadists! Some of them want continuing to torture us in the same parts of the body, without even allowing ourselves to recover!" Another man who was standing next to Peter and Joey yelled angrily shortly after hearing their conversation.


    "Dude, keep it down! Aren''t you afraid they''ll come here just because of you?" Someone said in a low voice that could barely be heard.


    "I want those bastards to be damned!" The man continued to scream, cursing those Chambers family guards...


    And it wasn''t long before that basement door opened, and three men entered that place.


    "Shut up now, or you will all go to the trunk for one more round!" One of them brandished.


    "Fuck you, you sons of bitc¡­" And while that old man continued to scream, quickly one of those guards got into that cell, pulling him out and taking that captive to the trunk.


    "You can thank this guy. You got it! Let''s have a second-round!"


    Pa!


    "Ahhhh!"


    And soon after, the sharp cries of pain came back to sound in that place, with that man began to be slowly tortured by one of those guards.


    ...


    Quickly an entire day had passed, and the sky in that region was gradually losing its light, with some orange streaks visible on the horizon, where the sun was setting.


    At that moment, a group with several carriages was approaching that base of the Chambers family. At the same time, the pursuers who guarded this place observed this from afar, with different reactions.


    One of them, who had seen the arrival of these carriages first, then commented to his companions. "A new competitor?"

 Chapter 229: Rescue a Subordinate?

    "I''m not sure, but it''s certainly not a Chambers family carriage, see, there''s no symbol on them." Another person commented as he watched the group of 11 carriages approaching that place.


    At this time, there were about 30 pursuers in the vicinity of Chambers'' base in this region, waiting for an opportunity to take the Spring of Life from Kevin.


    And of all these people, none of them had missed this convoy of carriages, which seemed to be coming to participate in the competition.


    Because of that, there were many different reactions among those pursuers, who mainly were separated into small groups in that place.


    Some saw it as an excellent opportunity for them, as the arrival of a large group would facilitate an invasion of that location. There was no point in competing with each other unless the enemy side, represented by young Kevin, lost the Spring of Life first.


    Consequently, one more joining the party would increase the chances of success for these people.


    However, not everyone thought so.


    Some saw further ahead and knew that even if it facilitated a possible invasion, they would still have to fight each other in the end. And with such a vast group arriving, it was undeniable that this party would have the numerical advantage in the event of a contest for the Spring of Life!


    At the same time, Vivian, who was in a temporary camp not far from the road, watched the arrival of this group with satisfaction.


    She had been waiting all these days for some more significant force to come to this place and allow her another chance to get the Spring of Life.


    Vivian was very apprehensive about waiting all this time and only had not left yet because she was afraid to leave right before her golden chance appeared!


    Therefore, for the sake of her beloved, Vivian was betting on getting the Spring of Life in this place.


    Finally, after a few minutes, Minos'' group of carriages reached the spot where those people were, just a few kilometers from the Chambers'' base.


    At that point, the group of Minos began to slow down the spiritual beasts pulling those carriages. At the same time, the various soldiers traveling inside these vehicles started to observe these people who were camping in that part of the forest.


    "Are these people from the enemy forces?" One soldier asked another, seeing the different groups of people that were in that region.


    Upon hearing this, another man then said. "I doubt it. See, their clothes are completely different. If they were soldiers from the same family, being so close to their base, I doubt they wouldn''t wear uniforms!"


    "This makes sense..."


    While the Minos'' soldiers discussed the surroundings of the place they had just arrived in, in the carriage where the young Stuart and the two women of the Miller family were traveling, they had already begun to discuss the matter.


    Eda then commented in a low voice as she watched through the carriage window. "Looks like these people aren''t from the Chambers family."


    "Hmm, from their placement, it looks like they''re waiting for something..." Abby commented, noticing that most of those people were separated into small groups, wearing very different patterned armors and several meters apart.


    Because of this, the young woman from the Miller family concluded that these people came from different organizations.


    After listening to their comments, Minos nodded in agreement. "Maybe they''re looking for that item sold at the Black Market''s auction, the Spring of Life."


    Minos and his two companions had already heard from some soldiers about this item. During the investigation of where Peter had been taken, several soldiers had overheard conversations about this item and even the fact that Kevin had won the auction for this resource.


    Many people felt disappointed that they had not had the opportunity to attack Kevin in time, with many of them commenting on this matter, even a few days after the auction.


    Because of these comments, the Black Plain Army''s soldiers had easily obtained this information. After this, they had warned the young Stuart even before the attack on the establishment where Del was staying.


    "Oh?" Abby exclaimed in surprise for a moment when she finally scratched her forehead and completed. "This makes sense! With the rarity that this item has, even I feel tempted to participate in this dispute."


    As a noblewoman from one of the wealthiest families in the north of the Central Continent, Abby knew very well about the Spring of Life. Hence, she well understood the value of a resource like this, which could recover the lost vitality of an ancestor of one of those families who could obtain such a resource.


    The Spiritual World was not peaceful. There were always one or two dying old men who needed resources like that, even in the most powerful families. Because of this, the demand for the Spring of Life, items in the same category, was very high!


    ''Hmm, too bad I can''t store this item. Otherwise, I''d take it for myself¡­'' Minos thought to himself, right after hearing Abby''s speech.


    He did not have any army members who needed to regain vitality, so it was not worth it for him to go after the Spring of Life. Minos knew this item very well, knowing that it could only be safely stored inside the Elves Island.


    Even the Spatial Kingdom would be unable to change this trait, as the existence of this item was related to another type of influence, not just spiritual energy.


    And at this moment, the carriages finally stopped, just after the young Stuart gave the signal that he wanted to stop here.


    Minos intended to talk to these people, who probably had more information about this place than his group did. It did not hurt to make some temporary allies, and he had very different interests from those people.


    Thus, without having conflicting interests, the two sides could cooperate, hoping for a positive end for all.


    The fall of that Chambers'' base!


    Anyway, as he got out of his carriage, the young Stuart soon noticed that about 10 people were watching them on their left side. On the other side, with some individuals on top of trees, there were another 20.


    And before he even tried to talk to anyone, a more active young man soon asked aloud as he looked at the group of people who had just exited those carriages. "Who are you? Why are you hiding your identities?"


    Just as had happened during the raid on the establishment where Del and his cronies were, Minos and his group were wearing black cloaks with masks covering their faces.


    They hadn''t traveled that way, of course. But, still, upon realizing that they were close to where they were going and seeing these 30 people nearby, they immediately put on their clothes to hide their appearance.


    And as soon as the young man asked the question, everyone else in that place fell silent, waiting for Eda''s answer. They had already felt that she was the strongest, so they looked in her direction and not someone else...


    On the other hand, just as those pursuers had already probed the group of Minos, the latter had already done the same with those 30 people.


    ''Of these 30 people, the strongest is at level 49, there are 4 of them, and the weakest is at level 45, and there are 7 of that level...'' Minos thought for a moment as all those people waited for an answer.


    And finally, he answered. "Who we are doesn''t matter. I''m following a subordinate who was bought by Kevin Chambers, the person you seem to be chasing. But don''t worry, I''m just here to rescue my subordinate. I''m not interested in the Spring of Life."


    Hearing this, the people of this place became even more cautious with the Minos'' group. Rescue a subordinate? Who would do such a stupid thing as risk pissing off the Chambers family for a mere subordinate? If he were at least an original member of a family...


    Those people did not understand Minos'' motivation. After all, in the north of the Central Continent, subordinates were just pieces used for cannon fodder and were not all that valuable for a family ordered a rescue mission, like the one the young Stuart was doing.


    Only those subordinates who have already reached level 50, Spiritual Kings, would have any relevance within families in this region. Before this, they were utterly neglected, so much so that most of them became bodyguards, at least until they reached the 6th stage of cultivation!


    This was the reality of the noble families of the north of the Central Continent!


    For example, when Minos met Leroy, that young man was being escorted by a level 50 Spiritual King.


    However, that was an exception, as guard Jeff had just reached that level during the trip to the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom when he was accompanying that guy who Minos had killed.


    Because of this, Jeff had to wait until his mission with Leroy ended, and only then would his status within the Chambers family change, giving him a better position with more perks and better opportunities.

 Chapter 230: Common Enemy

    After hearing Minos'' comment, silence settled there, while those people had their own doubts about these newcomers.


    ''Is he earnest, or is he just trying to deceive us?'' Some of them had this thought. After all, skepticism was pretty common among cultivators.


    In a world where only the strong had a turn, many individuals behaved in a ''peaceful'' way, like unambitious individuals, as they took the lead and gradually took it all for themselves.


    In fact, many noble families rose in this way, with the opportunism of some individuals.


    Consequently, it wasn''t unusual for people to be suspicious of cultivators who brandished strange and disinterested conversations, like what Minos had just said.


    As for why the young Stuart had said he wanted to rescue someone from that place, that was because he was pretty sure Peter was there. At first, he and his group only knew that Peter''s clues would be around this place.


    However, upon discovering that the people who had bought the slave set that Sergeant Peter was on had been chased to this place, Minos now knew that the chances of that young man not being here would be slim!


    He had information that Kevin''s group had not broken up when leaving Hadia. Besides, with these pursuers waiting outside Chambers'' base, he could confidently assert that those captives purchased at the Black Market slave auction would be here!


    Anyway, as for Vivian, she was curious about this group. If it was true what Minos had just said, then how would they do this rescue? Even the strongest of them was only at level 48!


    That was not even enough to threaten the base''s defensive barrier.


    And even if they all used up their energy to destroy that array, how would they deal with the powerful soldiers stationed inside that base?


    Thinking about these things, she finally decided to explore Minos'' conversation and see how far this strange group wanted to go. "You said you want to rescue a subordinate. And how do you intend to do this? Do you know that there is a grade-2, low-level defensive array on this base?"


    As she said that, everyone turned their attention back towards Minos, hoping what kind of nonsense this level 42 young man would say.


    For these people, the young Stuart''s group was pretty decent, considering the number of people. However, this was not enough. There were many powerful cultivators within that base. They had no hope that these level 42 soldiers would perform a miracle.


    Minos then looked in the direction of the brown-haired girl and said resolutely. "There''s not much secret about it. Either they release my subordinate, or we''ll smash this place before night!"


    "As for the grade-2, low-level array, don''t worry about it. We can break it!" He finished, looking from side to side as he watched those people.


    Hearing Minos'' answer, a young man who was not far away began to laugh as he said. "Hahahaha, how funny. Do you think you can destroy a barrier produced by a grade-2 array? No, haha, let''s take a step back. Let''s say you manage to break through the barrier in that place. How are you going to deal with the Spiritual King who is guarding that base?"


    ''It is true. It''s no use destroying that barrier if we don''t deal with the damn Spiritual King¡­" Other people thought about it while feeling an inevitable disappointment.


    "Why don''t we ally?" Abby decided to speak for the first time, trying to come to a consensus with these people.


    She was a noblewoman from an extremely wealthy family. She knew very well how to do business and analyze the pros and cons of a situation. She then decided to help Minos to solve this matter, using her diplomatic skills.


    Abby knew how strong the Minos'' group was, but since these people were already aiming for something the Chambers family had achieved, then having them as allies might increase the chance of success for the group of soldiers coming from the Dry City!


    She then continued to speak, even before hearing the response from those people. "Think about it, you''re only here for the Spring of Life, but there''s no way your groups can obtain it alone."


    "I believe some of you may be waiting for reinforcements from your families. However, certainly, the people who have this item are expecting the same!"


    Upon hearing this comment, several of them frowned as Abby exposed what they were doing. It was not exactly a secret, but the implications of what the young woman from the Miller family had said were clear. Whichever side the reinforcements arrived first would be the winner!


    Hence, keeping waiting might not be the best opportunity for most of them!


    Only one could win this ''race,'' but at the moment, there was still a balance between them.


    But this could be different if they waited!


    Abby then continued. "Let''s forget the fact that my group is not here for the Spring of Life. Even if we were all competitors, this would only be true after that item leaves the Chambers'' hands!"


    "Then, I think it''s worth getting together to destroy this place while we still have the chance!"


    After Abby finished speaking, these people wore thoughtful expressions as they chatted to each other in their respective groups.


    On Minos'' side, he placed his hand on the young woman''s right shoulder and then massaged her, saying. "Good job, looks like you will become a good leader of my forces in the future!"


    "Who will become a leader of your forces?" She replied to him in a slightly irritating way while stepping on Minos'' left foot lightly.


    "Haha, I was just teasing you..."


    And at that moment, as Minos teased her, Vivian was the first to make up her mind when she took a few steps forward and said. "Fine for me, my bodyguard, and I will ally with you until the Spring of Life is taken away from Kevin..."


    "After that, it will be each one for himself!" She spoke seriously as she clenched one of her fists tightly. ''I have to be able to take advantage of this opportunity!''


    "We''re also going to..."


    "My group too..."


    "Well, I''ll take the Spring of Life anyway, but I don''t mind us getting together for now!" The young man from before responded last, ending this temporary agreement between them.


    Soon after that, those people started talking about their own information from that place, while one of Minos'' soldiers headed towards the entrance gate of that base, carrying a message...


    ...


    As this soldier moved around, Vivian spoke again, right after Minos asked a question about that place. "There is only one Spiritual King on this base, with more than 50 cultivators from the 5th stage of cultivation. The rest of the people who are there don''t matter. They are just individuals from the 4th stage, who take care of the basic services there..."


    "The Chambers family slaves!"


    "Oh? So, we just have to fight these little over 50 individuals?" Abby asked.


    This time, Vivian''s bodyguard, Samuel, responded. "Yes, but this in itself will be very difficult. I don''t exactly know the people on this base. Still, in other places like this, the Chambers family usually has 5th stage cultivators above level 45 and one newly promoted Spiritual King."


    "The rest are just like Miss Vivian said. They''re just captives. Even though some of them can fight, they certainly didn''t cause much of a problem, as they are not well equipped nor of high level."


    Hearing this, Minos scratched his eyebrows, trying to imagine what the fight would be like. "This will be an uphill battle. I''ll have to bring Emlyn here..."


    He didn''t count that these people who were here would simply help him fight the Spiritual King!


    More likely, once they realized that Minos could fight a level 50 opponent, they would just deal with Kevin and then run away from that place with the item they wanted so badly!


    ''Well, at least these people can kill some of the opposing guards before one of them tries to run away with the Spring of Life...'' He thought to himself, concluding that he still had a high chance of succeeding.


    After that, Minos met with his soldiers, giving his orders for them to fight in groups, supporting each other, but not trying to help those other people.


    They were just going to fight the same enemy, but that didn''t mean they cared about the life and death of those people!


    If one of these allies fell and created a chance for a Minos soldier to eliminate an enemy, then that would be perfect!


    ...


    After some time, the soldier finally left the message from before with the guards at that base, quickly returning to where Minos and company were.


    ''What is it? It doesn''t have a beneficiary''s name...'' A guard at the entrance gate of that base had a paper in his hand while trying to know he had to deliver it.


    The Minos soldier had just left this information here and left without a word. ''Let me see what is written here...''

 Chapter 231: Threat

    As he began to read what was written, that guard''s face was getting redder and redder with anger, as he understood why the soldier from before had just left it here and left.


    ''Bastards! They think they''re too powerful to threaten us!'' The guard thought angrily.


    And while he was standing there, another man approached him with a horrible look on his face and said. "What is the problem? Why are you so angry?"


    He then took a moment and made a gesture with his hand, waving the piece of paper. "Read this here. They just delivered this message."


    "Oh?"


    ''Let me see what we have here...'' He thought for a moment, then began to read aloud as the other guards who were in that place approached the two of them.


    "Free the captive named Peter and deliver the Spring of Life in 1 hour, or we will destroy this base. If he is in any way crippled, be prepared for the consequences!"


    Upon hearing this, all those men were thoroughly enraged, ready to draw their weapons and run after the person who had sent this message.


    "But who in the world dares to send a message like this?"


    "These wretches! Come on guys, let''s inform Chief Jamie, we have to show that these insects cannot challenge the Chambers family!"


    "That''s right, let''s take this to Chief Jamie!"


    ...


    Meanwhile, inside a building on that base, Kevin was quietly sitting on a cultivate cushion while he meditated.


    He had already fully recovered from the struggles he had gone through to get here and was now just waiting for his escort to arrive, for him to return to the Chambers family''s headquarters.


    ''I think the escort group will arrive in less than a week¡­'' He thought about it right after finishing his cultivation session and opening his eyes to observe his surroundings.


    There were not many decorative items there. It was just a training place, where there was an ample empty space that looked like a circle and an area with cushions below a large spiritual array.


    This was the base''s training room, where the guards who stayed at this post could train and strengthen themselves.


    Anyway, right after finishing his meditation, Kevin got up. He walked to the exit of this place, where a middle-aged woman was kneeling on the floor, silently waiting for him.


    "Young master, your spa is ready for you to use." She informed him, looking down, not moving a single muscle.


    He didn''t even look at that woman as he walked past her into another room in that building, saying calmly. "Prepare those two female captives for me. I want the two to be in my bed after my dinner. You heard me?"


    "Yes, young master. I will ensure that both are clean and presentable to you."


    After that, that woman got up from where she was and went towards the place that the two women with Black talents, who Kevin had bought in the previous auction, were housed.


    Meanwhile, Kevin was going to take a hot shower to take the tiredness out of his body that the routine training brought.


    ''Since I''m going to have to stay here a few more days, I''m going to taste these new ''flavors'' at once¡­'' He thought about it with a dirty look on his face, with his lips arching while he had a sharp look in his eyes.


    ...


    In another part of that building, there was a rustic-looking room with some decorative furniture. At the same time, a muscular man sat on a sofa, reading a pile of documents.


    He held the papers with one hand while using the other to occasionally remove the large cigar that was in his mouth, releasing a white smoke in that place, which had a rather distinct smell.


    ''It seems that Farmland has had some setbacks in the last year... Its exports fall 2.9%, it seems that the main cause was a drop in consumption on Stone Island...''


    He then continued to read some more when he finally got to a part that seemed to be very important. ''Will the Kingdom of the Waves'' royal family choose an heir to the throne in 2 years? How suddenly, why are they doing this so soon? Does...''


    Pa! Pa!


    As Jamie thought about the news he had just read, suddenly knocking sounds came from the door of that room, interrupting this Spiritual King''s train of thought.


    Shortly after that, two men entered that place in an agitated manner. At the same time, one of them carried a paper in his hands, already making a gesture to give it to Jamie.


    Jamie then put the papers he was reading aside as he crossed his arms over his chest and inhaled a large amount of cigar smoke. "What are you doing? Why did you come here like this? Don''t you know I''m busy?"


    Upon hearing the reprimand that they were about to take, one of them immediately said. "Chief Jamie, read this letter! They''re threatening our family. We can''t let them do such a thing and get away with it!"


    Hearing this and receiving the message that the soldier had just given to him, Jamie glanced sideways at that paper and muttered. "Threatened us? Now I''m curious..."


    After a while, he finally read the letter with the message from Minos and the rest and understood what was going on.


    "And then? Are we going to destroy those people?" One of the two men asked, already in a fighting stance, as if he was ready to do it the moment Jamie gave the order.


    "No. You two are idiots for bothering with such nonsense." Jamie said, not bothering to look at those two guards.


    "But boss, they said..."


    "It doesn''t matter what is written there. These people are after the Spring of Life, so they''re trying to lure us off the base, where they could try their luck in a fight."


    "This means?" one of them asked.


    Jamie then completed saying. "This is bait. They don''t have the ability to destroy the grade-2, low-level array, so they tried to threaten us to change our position."


    "Ahh, we almost fell into the enemy''s trap!" The more agitated of the two guards grunted, feeling ashamed.


    However, the other man still thought there was more to this story and asked. "But boss Jamie, what about this guy mentioned in the message? Is he also a bait?"


    Jamie then took the cigar out of his mouth, releasing a ball of white smoke into that room, and said. "Probably. Who would care to save a captive? Even the Hayes'' imbeciles aren''t stupid enough to go against slavery!"


    The Hayes family could be seen as fair and against nefarious practices, and they actually acted in a way that, and for the most times, would be considered moral by the majority public. However, even the Hayes would not rescue a subordinate who had the misfortune of being enslaved.


    It was problematic to deal with a system that had been working for so long and had many influential supporters. With that, if any event like this happened in the Hayes family, they would just turn their eyes in another direction, burying the subject in the past...


    "Don''t worry about it. At least for now, I doubt that we''ll be attacked. The noble family closest to us is in Farmland, but we have alliances with the powers of that city. Thus, excluding this region, any other power would take at least a week to receive news and finally send reinforcements to where we are."


    After that, the two guards returned to their activities, while Jamie went back to reading the news from the northern part of the Central Continent.


    As a Spiritual King of a large family, he was responsible for being on top of the most critical issues in the region, which could undoubtedly influence the Chambers family''s policy.


    ''In the Kingdom of the End, another group of ships was found filled with the bodies of Spiritual Emperors... Ahh, as always, the North Sea does not forgive anyone...''


    ...


    And while Minos'' warning was despised by the people of that base of the Chambers family, the young Stuart and the 90 or so people around that base were talking about the last details before finally starting the attack.


    They had already shared what information they had about the strength of the individuals within that place surrounded by the red wall. At the same time, Minos had assured them that they wouldn''t have to worry about the defensive barrier.


    And with only a few minutes to go before the hour''s deadline ended, the young Stuart broke away from the group. He activated his movement technique until he finally arrived at an isolated spot.


    He had left those people around that place from before on the pretext that he needed them to be in position when he started.


    The young Stuart wanted to be outside those cultivators'' probe perimeter, where he could make sure he did not draw attention to his next move.


    "I''m not feeling anyone else..." As he scanned his surroundings, the space around Minos vibrated as he suddenly disappeared from that place!

 Chapter 232: Start of Attack

    Upon disappearing from that forest near the Chambers family''s base, Minos immediately teleported into the Spatial Kingdom.


    The space near the house of that realm vibrated as Minos quickly appeared nearby. He looked solemn, and as soon as he got there, he ran towards the spot where he felt Emlyn was.


    At the same time, the big fox was beside her daughter, near the lake in that place. Both were drinking water, cooling off from the heat it was making inside the Spatial Kingdom.


    "Hah, how refreshing!" Tiny Kyla commented to her mother, speaking her characteristic beast language.


    Although the heat was not excessive, it was still enough to make a person sweat when one made some more sudden movements. This was caused by the spatial distortion present in places like this, where several light beams were concentrated in a small area.


    Consequently, Spatial Kingdoms used to be much warmer than the rest of the Spiritual World, having a climate that would be close to tropical.


    Anyway, soon the big six-tailed fox noticed the arrival of Minos, who was currently running towards her. He wore the black cloak from before, along with the mask that covered part of his face.


    "Looks like the time has come¡­ It was quick. Apparently, he didn''t have too many problems." Emlyn thought to herself as she finished drinking a large amount of the spiritual water from that lake.


    She then started walking with her fox footsteps while several drops of water could be seen falling from the sides of her mouth, with her black muzzle glistening due to moisture.


    "Au! Au!"


    And quickly, Kyla started running towards Minos, barking at him as if she were welcoming him. He hadn''t been here for a few days, so tiny Kyla could already miss being fed by the young Stuart.


    Seeing this, Minos quickly massaged the smaller fox''s head as he spoke to Emlyn. "It''s time to go. I think I''ll need your help."


    "Oh? Okay, come on." She quickly agreed when she promptly warned her daughter, speaking in a language that Kyla could understand. "Little Kyla, mom is going out with Minos for a while, but don''t make a mess, OK?"


    "Can I go too?"


    "No." After that, little Kyla ran towards the house while her three little tails swung, leaving a small space where one could see that a new tail was about to form!


    Anyway, soon Minos and Emlyn departed the Spatial Kingdom, returning to where young Stuart had left earlier.


    With that, upon appearing in that forest that was already darkened by this time, Emlyn promptly began to probe the surroundings while trying to know the terrain. "Where are we going? And where is your group?" She asked, still turning her head from side to side, sometimes sniffing out certain scents that came from there.


    Hearing this question, Minos started to go back to where those nearly 90 people were as he began to explain to Emlyn. "The place we are going to attack is just ahead, about 10 kilometers from where we are. As for my group, they are on standby near that place."


    "Oh? And this time, how will we act? Do you want me to hide and sneak attack?"


    Minos nodded his head in agreement and said. "That''s right. There''s no reason for us to give our full strength right away. I will destroy the defensive barrier of that place. When that happens, the Spiritual King of that base must come out to attack the one responsible for it."


    "At this point, when he comes to fight me, wait until he lets his guard down while he fights me and then attacks him by surprise."


    "OK. Are you sure you can handle a Spiritual King?" The mother fox asked doubtfully.


    She trusted Minos and knew how strong his techniques were. Still, in a battle, there were always too many variables, and the unexpected could happen. Because of this, she was worried that he wanted to stay in this bait position so she could take out the enemy more easily.


    He then said confidently. "Don''t worry, I know I can defend myself. The problem is that we can''t let these people getaway. Since we''re going to attack this place, everyone on that base must die!"


    Eliminating enemies was always the best way to act in situations like this. If any member of the Chambers family survived, even if it were still difficult for them to be traced, that possibility would be even greater with survivors.


    In this case, to avoid the worst chances, stopping fugitives from that base was the best thing for Minos and his territory.


    As for the allies he had just gathered, well, he had no choice but to do with this. First, these people had their own problems, like having to flee after attacking a Chambers family''s base.


    Hence, they certainly couldn''t chase young Stuart''s group!


    The safest course of action for these people was to flee immediately if one of them obtained the Spring of Life, proceeding directly to their respective family headquarters, where they would be safe from retaliation by the Chambers.


    As for the rest, the losers, or they would continue chasing the Spring of Life, or they would have to flee too. Reinforcements from the Chambers family were already on their way, and staying here too long could be very dangerous!


    Second, even if these people wanted to cause Minos and his subordinates trouble, young Stuart still couldn''t do anything about it. These persecutors were here even before he arrived. Unless he eliminated them, these people would still see everything that was going to happen here...


    As for eliminating them, that would also be tricky. Minos'' forces could barely handle those at that base, so he could forget about ending the lives of these viewers/allies.


    Anyway, Minos was putting himself in a bait position just to lessen that Spiritual King''s chances of getting away since he was the only one on that base who could do so.


    Emlyn couldn''t run at full speed, given the absence of one of her paws. At the same time, Minos was still only a Spiritual General. Therefore, his speed was less than that of a Spiritual King, even considering the difference in the degrees of his technique and that of his opponent.


    With that, taking that Spiritual King by surprise, Minos wanted to finish with any chance of escape!


    "I see¡­ It''s okay. I''m going to hide in the neighborhood, so he doesn''t feel me the moment the barrier is broken. It''s also good that you make it clear that you broke that array by yourself. Otherwise, he''ll try to find another culprit... Me."


    "Hmm, I know that. If he comes looking for you, our plan won''t work." Minos nodded just before the two separated.


    He went straight to the front of that base, surrounded by red walls with black star symbols, while the big fox began to circle the adjacent terrain.


    And when appearing in front of that place, simultaneously all the people in the attack group noticed it and started to pay attention to Minos.


    The Spring of Life''s 30 or so pursuers had different thoughts in mind, with some questioning why Minos left for a while and then came back as if nothing had happened. And others were curious about what he was doing in front of that base''s gate.


    "Why did he leave just now? Is he trying to hide something?" Vivian murmured to herself, looking steadily at the man in the black cloak, who was alone in front of that entrance gate.


    At the same time, the young man who had commented that he would be the one with the Spring of Life then commented in mockery. "Oh? It looks like this guy thinks he can destroy a barrier produced by a grade-2, low-level array, hehehe. What gives him all this confidence?"


    "Hah, now the youths are getting more and more arrogant¡­" One of the level 49 bodyguards there commented in a low and disappointed voice as he watched the young Stuart.


    At the same time, when the 30 or so pursuers had doubts about what would happen, Minos'' subordinates and traveling companions had their questions too.


    They knew that Minos could break through a barrier like the one in this place with relative ease, as they had all seen it happen in the city of Hadia. However, they didn''t understand why young Stuart had walked away from them earlier, to some point where they couldn''t examine where he was!


    "What''s he planning?" Abby wondered dubiously, trying to decipher Minos'' figure.

 Chapter 233: Enemy Attack!

    As Abby wondered what Minos was planning to do differently from the attack a few days ago, he began to make his move.


    Minos withdrew his grade-2, low-level sword from his spatial ring, displaying its meter-long blade, which glowed a silvery color. He held it with both hands, getting into a fighting stance before activating his techniques.


    Seeing this, some individuals who were there began to feel agitated, while the apprehension of what was to come did not fail to worry them.


    "He''s not using any other items besides the sword... Is he really serious?" Another young man who was among the pursuers, who had a thin body and black hair, questioned himself doubtfully.


    Until now, many of them thought that the young Stuart would have some external means for them to get through the barrier of the grade-2, low-level array. However, contrary to their expectations, it looked like Minos would use his own abilities to break through that defense!


    At least that''s what he seemed to be doing...


    At the same time, when Minos began to prepare to release his techniques, on the side of the guards at that base, the guards at the entrance gate there were also observing him.


    They had known about these persecutors for days, as just like those people who wanted the Spring of Life, they were also doing a surveillance job.


    As guards at a Chambers family''s base, it was their duty to watch over people in the vicinity of this property. After all, it would be weird if people did not worry about strangers next to their house!


    And because of that, those guards responsible for taking care of the entrance to this base understood that there was no Spiritual King in that group of persecutors.


    Unless a huge coincidence occurred that a Spiritual King was passing through these areas, it would be improbable that nearby families would send forces so quickly.


    In this case, none of them believed that there were powerful enemies among the ranks of those people who seemed to be trying to invade this property!


    Finally, seeing that Minos was about to attack, the soldier who had received the message from earlier observed him for a moment, thinking of something. ''Exactly an hour ago...''


    "Don''t tell me they intend to attack us anyway?" He muttered under his breath, then immediately shook his head from side to side in denial, a slight smile on his face. "It can''t be. This should just be an empty threat!"


    And at that moment, little by little, a black ring began to ascend to the skies of that place, expanding until it reached the mark of 100 meters in radius, from the site where the young Stuart was.


    Zum!


    The ring seemed to carry a piece of the night with it, dimming even more luminosity in that place. At the same time, a strange noise began to vibrate, giving shivers to people who were close to that place, outside the area protected by the defensive array.


    The ring circled at low speed in the sky in that region, as if it were trying to pull something...


    And at that moment, the defensive array of that base finally went into full operation, making visible a barrier that looked like a dense, gray liquid.


    Defensive spiritual arrays, as was the case of this one and that of the city of Hadia, worked all the time, as if it were a standard array of spiritual gathering, like those that existed in the city of Minos.


    However, the defensive spiritual array would do nothing until something or someone started to attack the region protected by it. It worked as if it were in a standby mode. If large amounts of energy were released against the protected location, the array would sense it and fully activate, causing a barrier like the one before to appear!


    This was also true for cultivators trying to break into the site for a different location than they could. In this case, it was common for array masters to prepare these items to work under the inputs of a given area. Only through those points could people circulate without being stopped by the array.


    And obviously, there was another way to activate such a barrier, which was to do it manually with the array. And because of that, the group of Minos and those pursuers could not just sneak into that base to do whatever they wanted.


    If they wanted to get into that place, there were only two ways. One was to invade the force, destroying the defensive array, and the other was to have the passage allowed by the guards of that place.


    As the second was impossible for them, only the drastic way remained!


    Zum!


    Soon after activating the Devourer Art, young Stuart used both arms to deliver a vertical blow while slightly bending his knees and attempting to expend the least amount of spiritual energy possible.


    He did not want to spend too much of his own energy to destroy that barrier. To do that, he wanted to make the most of the energy converted for his use through the Devourer Art!


    This time, Minos was in the middle of an isolated region, where there were only the enemies he wanted to destroy and people joining the fight. With such a scenario, there was no reason for the young Stuart to want to rush things, as he had done in the city of Hadia.


    And by doing that, he could save as much of his energy as possible so that he could fight to his fullest against the Spiritual King of that base!


    Swooish!


    Swooish!


    Blades of air formed as the young Stuart made his sword moves, which were simultaneously quick and precise, demonstrating the prowess with the sword he had.


    And quickly, the transparent blades cut the skies of that place, running towards the various parts of the defensive barrier.


    Puff!


    Puff!


    Every time one of the blades sent by Minos touched that gray barrier, they fell apart completely, soon after leaving small marks behind.


    ...


    Upon seeing the start of Minos'' attack, his allies were utterly shocked at how the situation had unfolded.


    Few of them would believe that Minos would be able to break through that barrier on his own before they saw what was happening. However, the reality showed something other than what they believed, and they were all perplexed by it.


    "What a diabolical technique! It can absorb the spiritual energy of that grade-2 array!" One of the bodyguards who were in that place commented while he had his pupils wholly contracted.


    It was not difficult for people who were already in the 5th stage of cultivation to understand the effects of an activated technique in their vicinity. With this, even if those people were not under the influence of the Devourer Art, they could feel the energy of the barrier decreasing much faster than it should!


    As for the blades launched by Minos, they were not so impressed with it. They were just ordinary sword attacks without Spatial Sword support. This technique, in addition to its restrictive quality, also considerably increased the strength of sword attacks.


    Anyway, the young Stuart was doing this to save himself while slowly destroying this barrier...


    As to whether enemies would leave this base just because Minos was attacking them, well, this did not matter. They would fight anyhow, so if the guards at that place left, it would be even better...


    ...


    Simultaneously, inside that area protected by the barrier, two girls, one of short stature and blond hair, and the other with a well-developed body and black hair, were attached to chains in a room. At the same time, they had only pieces of underwear covering their bodies...


    They were lying on a bed while one of them was crying, and the other had a hateful look on her face. They had been ''washed and prepared'' a few minutes ago, having been forced to dress in the shameful way they were in now.


    They were both trembling in fear of what would happen next when they discovered that their ''owner,'' Kevin, intended to start using them as cauldrons!


    These were the two women that Peter had met on this journey from slavery that he, unfortunately, had to go through. One was Barbara, with whom he traveled for several days on Del''s ship. The other was Robin, someone he had known better recently in Hadia.


    And while the two of them were imprisoned in that room''s chains, Kevin walked through the door with a wicked smile on his face, with a whip in one of his hands, ready for action.


    "No! Please don''t do this to us!" Robin screamed in despair as she saw that disgusting person approaching them.


    Pa!


    Hearing this, Kevin just ignored her when he used the whip in his hand to make a mark on Robin''s left buttock!


    "Ahh!"


    And as he saw that young woman with an underdeveloped body scream in pain, Kevin smiled and then looked at Barbara, ready to start satisfying his desires. He liked first to show these women with whom he cultivated that they were just objects to him and had no rights...


    That''s what he intended to do with the two of them today, ''disciplining'' them in a way they would never forget!


    Woop! Woop!


    Suddenly, just as the young Kevin was about to begin his actions, alarm sounds began to ring through that base, at the same time that a loud warning voice sounded in that place.


    "Enemy attack!"

 Chapter 234: Fallen Defenses

    Suddenly the entire base started to become tumultuous, with alarm sounds blaring, while several of the guards in that place were already beginning to run around.


    The gray barrier was now utterly visible, hiding the entire interior of that property, as it received the attacks sent by Minos.


    At this point, the defensive array was fully operational, emitting a noise that could be heard as it burned several medium-grade crystals to maintain its operation!


    ...


    While that place was becoming more tumultuous, Kevin was inches away from violating the poor captive Barbara as he held her arms behind her back, putting her in a vulnerable position in the bed.


    Robin was lying next to Barbara while her buttocks were turned up, completely red from the lashes she had received from Kevin.


    She was crying profusely as she asked in her most profound thoughts for something to stop what was about to happen.


    As for Barbara, she had tears in her eyes as she tried to break free of Kevin, using every bit of strength she had left. However, it was challenging for her to do something against him since he was stronger than her...


    And although Barbara and Robin had been allowed to cultivate before being brought into this room, they had both returned to using their old collar, which prevented them from using their strength.


    Dual cultivation did not depend on cultivators being able to use their strengths but on having their bodies modified by spiritual energy. And for this to work, it was enough that the ''cauldrons'' were full of energy.


    And even if they could not use that energy, given the array around their necks sealing their respective cultivation, it would not hinder such action!


    This was something that dual cultivators had discovered a long time ago when cauldrons were starting to be used widely. Before this, there was a certain ignorance about how to proceed with this practice.


    Anyway, just as Kevin was about to rip off the last piece of clothing on Barbara''s body, they heard the sounds of alarm from that place and the screams of some soldiers.


    "Eh?" Realizing that something was wrong, Kevin, who was on top of Barbara, ready to cultivate, stopped halfway and looked at the window of that room with a look of doubt.


    ''Shit, what''s going on? Who dared to launch an attack on my base?" He asked himself as he walked away from Barbara and went to that window to see the situation from the outside.


    Meanwhile, Barbara quickly climbed out of the vulnerable position she had been in and went to hug with little Robin in the corner of that place, a little relieved that something had happened at just the right time.


    ...


    Simultaneously, Jamie was still in his office reading up on information from the northern part of the Central Continent before the alarms went off on that property.


    He was reading some inside information about the Chambers family, while his face was blank, thinking about that news. "Looks like Jeff got bad... Going to the Scourge of the Devil''s headquarters for help was really stupid."


    He then closed his eyes for a moment as he shook his head from side to side, as if in regret. "If you had changed your status within the family before the Spiritual Tournament, you would have discovered our relationship with the Scourges of the Devil... It''s a shame it''s too late now."


    Jamie mourned the death of his old friend, Leroy''s bodyguard. Jeff had thought he would get support from that organization of assassins, but all he found was death!


    The Scourges of the Devil were close to the Chambers family. However, unfortunately for Jeff, only those Spiritual Kings and a few crucial family members knew about this matter...


    And as he mourned his friend''s death, Jamie finally heard the sounds of alarms ringing in that place, just as the riot started!


    "What''s going on?" He then got up from where he''d been sitting earlier, running fast to the porch of his living room.


    Upon doing so, he immediately saw the gray barrier, fully activated, while several guards discussed with each other, trying to understand what was going on.


    And watching the situation for a moment, he remembered the warning from earlier, already frowning as he muttered under his breath. "It''s been an hour since the warning¡­ Can''t they be serious? Is there a Spiritual King on the other side?"


    He could not believe the people chasing Kevin would attack this base without someone of that level. After all, attacking a base of any power whatsoever was like a declaration of war, which would only end after many fights and deaths.


    Hence, Jamie did not believe that those people would attack this place without having a chance to defeat the forces of this place, collecting the item they wanted.


    But not only that, destroying that barrier meant he would act against enemies, along with the guards of this place. After all, they were the protectors of this Chambers family''s post!


    With that, if they only had the strength to destroy that barrier, then death would be unavoidable.


    At the thought of this possibility, Jamie felt a chill run down his spine as he jumped toward the outside of the building he was in, to the side of a guard who was near the entrance to the base.


    "All of you, prepare to fight! We don''t know the strength of the opposing group, but they are possibly strong enough to challenge us. You are allowed to kill. We can identify these people after they die!"


    "Yea!" Several of them yelled just as Kevin descended the stairs of one of the buildings in that place, heading towards Jamie.


    He had an unfriendly look on his face, wearing baggy trousers, and still used a red silk shirt while walking in that place.


    "Uncle Jamie, what''s going on?"


    "It doesn''t matter. I want you to listen to me now. Listen, if there is more than one Spiritual King on the other side, give up on the Spring of Life and escape with your bodyguard from this place as soon as possible. I will hold back the enemy forces if that happens."


    "Two Spiritual Kings?" Kevin exclaimed in contradiction, thinking how unlikely that would be to happen. There were not many of them in the area, and most certainly knew what would happen if they invaded this place.


    Then, Kevin doubted that such people, who had cultivated for so long, would make the foolish mistake of pissing off the Chambers family!


    What was happening was probably due to the youth of most of those Kevin''s persecutors, who still did not know how deep the Chambers family''s roots were...


    They might not be the strongest, but they had many ways to deal with people from this part of the continent.


    ...


    Within less than ten minutes, the barrier had already lost half its thickness. It was becoming increasingly transparent, indicating that it was on the verge of collapsing!


    The medium-grade crystals that supplied the defensive array of that location were scarce, and it could not absorb more energy from them than Minos was stealing from its.


    With this, with each passing moment, the defensive array of grade-2, low-level, was getting closer and closer to exhaustion, which would allow the defenses of that area to be breached!


    Minos was still standing at the same spot as before, while not even a single drop of sweat on his face. This time he had barely expended his energies to deplete the defensive array, only having used its own power to weaken it.


    At the same time, the black ring with a radius of 100 meters rotated in the sky of that region, continually drawing spiritual power from that array.


    Seeing that the barrier that had previously seemed impenetrable, gradually being weakened by a single person, the approximately 30 pursuers were all anxious for what would happen next.


    There were several bodyguards at level 49 around here, so they thought they could hold the Spiritual King from that base while the rest would fight to take Kevin''s item.


    The large group of Minos gave them even more chances, as they could fight with fewer guards, allowing them to pursue their target!


    Crack!


    And in that instant, the barrier broke, completely exposing that area!

 Chapter 235: Ambushing a Spiritual King

    As soon as the barrier collapsed, a sound of breaking glass could be heard in that area, instantly reducing the thin barrier that had remained only seconds ago to dust.


    When the defensive array of that base finally stopped working, all those people who were outside that place were already properly prepared to invade that property while they had satisfied expressions.


    What had just happened in front of them was something incredible, a chance they did not want to miss!


    They could fight for the miraculous item that could cure loss of vitality without having to wait for reinforcements from their families!


    This could significantly enhance each one''s merit, which would help them to improve their respective positions within the powers they were part of!


    And obviously, many of these people were impressed by the prowess demonstrated by Minos in destroying that barrier. They felt he was no weaker than a Spiritual King. Still, even though that was impressive, at present, none of them had much time to continue questioning the young Stuart''s origins.


    They would undoubtedly try to find that out later, but not right now. At this moment, the focus was on the Spring of Life, the item they wanted so badly.


    Then, shortly after the barrier collapsed, the first to move was Kevin''s pursuers, among them, of course, Vivian.


    Vivian was very impressed with Minos'' strength, but not only that, she felt there was something unusual about him, something that reminded her of a conversation she had with her younger brother, Davy...


    As she moved to jump over the high walls of that base, Vivian, who had her bodyguard running beside her, said to him doubtfully. "Uncle Samuel, don''t you think that skill that guy used was a little similar to what Davy told us? About that guy who participated in the Spiritual Tournament?"


    "Ehh? I hadn''t thought of it, but it looks like it''s really similar... Do you think he''s that young man?"


    "No, it would be impossible! He could barely fight level 44, Spiritual Generals, a few months ago. Such an improvement would be impracticable!" She said without even considering such a possibility.


    Such a thing was genuinely reasonable to think about this. Minos was only a level 39 cultivator at the end of the Spiritual Tournament.


    As far as Vivian knew, he had not gone to any sect in the empire.


    And, as one might expect, none of those, who were aware that Minos had opted not to go to the empire, assumed that he did so because he believed he would be better off here, in the northern part of the Central Continent.


    There was not a single person who considered this possibility.


    To them, Minos was probably not someone with great ambitions. Maybe he would be content just to be a leader in this region in the future. And that made sense since he would undoubtedly be incomparable when he reached the 6th stage of cultivation, and he could live quietly around here.


    So, like the others who knew Minos had not gone to the Flaming Empire, Vivian would not think this young man would be better off staying here...


    With that, for the time that has passed since the Spiritual Tournament, he should be at most at level 41 if he had a Silver-grade cultivation technique!


    Consequently, Vivian did not think it would be possible for the young Stuart to cultivate so quickly in the time that had passed. At the same time, his fighting prowess was not that great before, which made things even harder to believe.


    She then finished before finally entering that property. "He''s probably a member of the same family as that guy... But let''s forget about this for now."


    Such a thought would not be unusual either. Members of the same family generally shared the same techniques, especially those that were better ranked. There were not many good classification techniques in this region, so there were not many options within the families in this part of the continent either.


    Consequently, the best techniques were generally learned by most members of these families!


    Finally, the group of pursuers was inside that place, simultaneously, in which the almost 60 traveling companions of Minos climbed those walls.


    Minos and the two women of the Miller family were side by side, at this point, when the young Stuart finally warned them of something before the fight started. "You two, if you can, don''t let any of the Chambers family escape this place. I don''t want to have to start a chase because of a few individuals... Is that okay with you?"


    "Hmm, leave it to us. We''ll keep an eye out for possible escapes!" Abby commented excitedly, making a gesture with her left fist.


    Right then, Eda looked at Minos for a moment and then said. "What do you intend to do?"


    "Hehehe, I''m going to ambush a Spiritual King... But I better not go into details. Otherwise, the surprise will be spoiled." He said in a relaxed way as he walked down the wall of that property.


    He then moved away from the two, using his movement technique while approaching that Spiritual King, already releasing his technique, Spatial Sword!


    Minos wanted that person to know that he was responsible for destroying that defensive barrier so that he would lock him in as a target. That was the young Stuart''s objective: to serve as bait for this Spiritual King of the Chambers family and have his adversary suffer the consequences of Emlyn''s surprise move!


    ...


    Meanwhile, on the Chambers family guards'' side, they were already placed in their assigned positions inside that base as they watched their adversaries approach, jumping over that wall one by one.


    The barrier had just been destroyed, and at that moment, the more than 60 guards who were at this base eagerly awaited the coming battle. They felt humiliated at being attacked at their own post, something that had never happened in thousands of years of the existence of the Chambers family!


    At the same time, with the various guards in that place holding their weapons tightly, waiting for the fight to start, Jamie was probing the forces of those opponents, searching for the Spiritual King who had destroyed the defensive array.


    He could feel that each of those people who entered this place was full of energy, so that could only mean they had not destroyed the barrier together!


    That is, there was someone in the enemy group who could destroy something that only someone above level 50 could!


    "Where are you?" He wondered as he tried to find the energetic fluctuations that Spiritual Kings released.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Kevin was not far from Jamie, grinding his teeth in anger at these people. He could see the many faces he had encountered during the days of travel between Hadia and here.


    Once again, they had ''broken'' the good mood of the young man of the Chambers family.


    ''That bitch is here! This time if I don''t destroy her, I won''t be able to calm my anger!'' He thought about it as he looked in the direction that Vivian had just entered this base.


    ...


    Anyway, after a few more moments, Jamie slowly began to feel a force almost as strong as his, rapidly approaching him!


    "I found you!" He muttered, just as he felt the force released by the Spatial Sword, which Minos had purposely activated earlier.


    At that point, the two sides were about to face each other when Jamie looked at the individual in the black cloak and mask in disbelief. He felt perplexed right now, not understanding how this person could be the one who had just released such suppressive power!


    Minos'' technique had not restrained him until he could not move, but Jamie could feel a restriction over his body that tried to keep him from moving. But he could hardly believe such a thing was being generated by someone only at level 42!


    "How can this be?" He muttered, looking steadily at Minos.


    But instead of starting to battle right away, Jamie suddenly asked. "Who are you? Why are you attacking us?"


    "You do not know? I warned you that I would smash this place if my demands weren''t met. I''m just keeping my promise!" Minos said solemnly.


    Jamie then glared at the young Stuart as he clenched his fists and started to release his cultivation power. "You smashing us? I don''t know how you can be so strong at your level, but you need a lot more strength than that to destroy us!"


    At that moment, right after he finished saying that, Jamie jumped towards Minos, as he started to activate his spiritual techniques, ready to have a serious fight with this enemy!

 Chapter 236: Tough Battle

    Quickly the two opposing sides began to face each other as several spiritual projections appeared on that terrain of the Chambers'' base, illuminating the majority darkness of the night.


    Some of the bodyguards were protecting their respective leaders simultaneously as they dealt with those guards who got in their way.


    Others defended their positions as they kept a close eye on Jamie, ready to strike at any time if this Spiritual King attempted to fight their respective groups.


    At first several of them planned to gather to defeat this Spiritual King who guarded this base. However, seeing that he had Minos in his sights, the various level 49 Spiritual Generals who were there decided to wait and see what would happen.


    It made no sense for them to expose themselves if the enemy was not interested in them!


    They would just stand by, ensuring the safety of their respective prot¨¦g¨¦s. If something changed and Jamie switched targets, targeting the pursuers'' groups, then they could go back to the previous plane and deal with this individual together!


    These people did not care a bit about the young Stuart''s well-being either. They were temporary allies, but their death and life did not matter to each other. As long as they could help each other out for a little while, by taking out some of these guards from the Chambers family, it would be well worth it.


    Not to mention that they had all seen how capable Minos was. Hence, letting him deal with the Spiritual King of this place was the best thing to do.


    On the other hand, the 56 soldiers of the Black Plain Army had already been subdivided into groups of 3 people each, principally, to face different guards from that place.


    They had lower cultivation levels than these people, so they had no reason to act proudly and fight one by one. Teamwork was what they had all learned at Minos army headquarters, and that was what they knew how to do.


    Having a good fight with an enemy was exciting and memorable. It could stay in the memory of a cultivator with something meaningful, even after centuries. However, living and ensuring their families'' success was their priority, and there was no room for pride at this point.


    If the Black Plain did well, these people would have even more opportunities, as would their families. Thus, for this to happen, eliminating these enemies without taking risks was the best way to act!


    ...


    Anyway, while the soldiers were already starting their battles in groups, Abby and Eda were on the wall of that place, not far from the entrance gate of that base.


    Both were keeping an eye on the battles that were taking place, as they were careful not to let any of those individuals escape.


    However, because the battle had only just begun and the two sides appeared to be equally matched, there had been not a single attempt to flee this location in the few seconds since the invasion began.


    But amidst the flying earth, the sounds of explosions and cuts in the air, it was not long before two individuals appeared near them both, with lustful looks on their faces.


    These people were not trying to run away but on the contrary. They wanted to defeat these two women and maybe enslave them. Some women in this group were attacking this base, so these men brought up by the Chambers family could not help but wonder what would happen after these invaders were eliminated...


    "If you behave well, you can have a decent life as my slave! Hahaha." One of them said, watching the young Abby''s well-developed body with lusty eyes, which showed the obscenities he must have been thinking about right now.


    Although Abby and Eda wore cloaks and masks, it was not difficult to see these two female silhouettes.


    And hearing that, Eda could not help but furrowing her brows as she made a solemn expression. She could not let two random worms make fun of her young lady, a high-status noblewoman of the Miller family!


    It must be said that the Miller family was a far more influential power than the Chambers family in the north of the Central Continent!


    Therefore, such an insult to Abby, in a way, it was as if those people were making fun of the Miller story, even though they were in an inferior position!


    ''By what right does the wolf judge the lion?'' She asked herself angrily in her mind as she formed a strong wave of air toward those two.


    Boom!


    Quickly, the battle began in that part of the base, while Eda took a more active role against those two, and Abby helped her at specific times.


    Abby was not like Minos, but she still had good Black-grade techniques, unlike those subordinates of the Chambers family, who were just ordinary individuals, supported by primarily Blue-grade techniques.


    Because of that, Abby still had a proficiency higher than her cultivation level and could withstand a good fight with those cultivators 2-3 levels above hers!


    ...


    Meanwhile, on Kevin''s side, this young master had not tried to flee after Minos'' group''s attack began. He had not sensed any Spiritual Kings in this region, and as strange as he found the unusual strength the young Stuart displayed, for him, it was well within what Jamie could handle.


    Even if Jamie could not kill Minos, the opposite would also be true. The two sides seemed to be very close in combat proficiency, so Kevin was not afraid of having to lose the only person who could protect him in this place.


    Then, he had decided to stay around and help these subordinates eliminate these invaders. He felt a wave of rising anger in his heart due to the repeated struggles during the previous trip.


    Other than that, having his dual cultivation session messed up by the same people as before, these annoying pursuers had pissed him off even more. That''s why he wanted to participate in this battle and maybe eliminate some of these people!


    And at that moment, Vivian finally managed to get closer to Kevin while having a complicated look on her face. She wanted to kill this guy for several reasons, but she did not feel able to do it alone.


    However, today she was not alone in this matter!


    At the same time that she had reached Kevin''s position, two other young pursuers were also around, ready to fight and steal the Spring of Life.


    They all wanted the same item and were competitors. But they understood that the Chambers had great strength in this place. It would not make sense to compete with each other before Kevin and his subordinates were defeated.


    Then, they all quickly looked at each other while nodding their heads in agreement, as if they were ready to fight as a team against Kevin''s group.


    Seeing this, Kevin snapped his fingers as he looked at these people, telling his subordinates. "This time, no one can hold back. Use everything you can! We don''t need to save our energies. Kill these wretches, and I will reward you later!"


    Upon hearing this, the subordinates who had traveled with Kevin in those days, along with the bodyguard Clive, who was right beside this young master, nodded in agreement, already releasing their spiritual forces, starting another battle in that place.


    "Forward! Kill these intruders!"


    Boom!


    ...


    Indestructible Body!


    Explosive Steps!


    Spatial Sword!


    Devouring Art!


    Quickly, the young Stuart activated all four combat techniques while dodging and trying to counter the attacks that Jaime was launching towards him.


    As much as the Devourer Art had little effect on Jaime, Minos could not help but support himself using this technique. And even if he could end up stealing the energy of some of his soldiers by using it in this small space, where fighting took place, overall, the effect would be worse for the side of Minos'' enemies.


    The young Stuart''s soldiers already knew his way of fighting very well. They were fighting in groups against opponents in this place. With that, they were already trying to take their respective fights away from where Minos was while allowing their enemies to be influenced more significantly by the Devourer Art!


    Consequently, even though it affected even his allies, Minos thought he would have the upper hand in this situation, so he used such a strategy.


    Fighting a level 51, Spiritual King, was not easy for him at his current level, so he had to use all of his trump cards to keep this fight with Jamie going for a while until this man opened his guard!


    Swooish!


    Puff!


    And so, the tough battle of this base of the Chambers family continued, as Minos and Jamie put pressure on each other, with the Spiritual King''s attacks harassing the young Stuart at times, but with Jaime having the upper hand in the general context...

 Chapter 237: A Better Way to Die

    While the battle between those over 150 people raged inside Chambers base, in the main building of that location, in a specific room, two half-naked young women hugged in one of the corners, with tears streaming down their faces.


    One had blond hair and small stature, while the other had a well-developed body and straight black hair.


    In addition to having almost no clothing covering their bodies, both had necklaces at the height of their necks, sealing their respective cultivations.


    These were the captives that Kevin was about to ''deflower,'' using them as cauldrons to boost his cultivation speed!


    And as soon as he had left, these two women had stayed in the same room as before while having confused thoughts in their minds.


    They did not know if they should be happy that this individual had to leave suddenly or be apprehensive because he would surely come back...


    There was no way either of them knew the scale of this threat to that base, and that warning from earlier could very well have been about something small, which might not be enough to give these two hope.


    However, there was not much time to waste here. For this, Barbara, the more experienced of the two, knew very well that standing still and doing nothing would not be the answer either.


    People who depend on the actions of others are always the ones who suffer the most. Hence, she knew that acting passively would not change their situation.


    She then stopped crying after a few minutes and then looked at the blonde girl in her arms. "Robin, we have to try to get out of this place! If we don''t do anything, we''ll still have the same fate we just got rid of!"


    And hearing this, the young blonde looked at her bondage mate for a moment as she tried to compose herself. She then turned her face to the veranda of that place and said. "But we have our cultivation sealed. So how are we going to escape? From the sounds we''re hearing, there''s a battle going on outside. If a single blow hits us, I''m afraid¡­"


    But before she finished articulating, Barbara interrupted and said firmly. "It''s better to die that way, trying to get our freedoms back, than to die after being raped dozens of times by that man!"


    Hearing this, Robin had nothing to say. She was not as strong and resolute as Barbara, but she knew very well the fate of those who were used as a cauldron. They would gradually wither away, like a plant dying from parasites that steal its nutrients!


    In addition to being a slow and miserable death, it would also be traumatizing for anyone who went through it. Being raped would already be horrible, but they would still have to see themselves withering away, seeing their beauties being taken from one hour to another and in a few years facing death...


    Such a thing was difficult to deal with. The terror of knowing you are going to die is not something simple!


    Finally, Robin clenched her fists tightly and then rose from where she was. "All right. But what are we going to do?"


    "First, let''s find some clothes in this place, and then we''ll try to get out of this building without attracting attention..."


    They then began to discuss precisely what they would do in this situation while searching through the furniture in that room for clothes.


    They were not being watched by anyone, as all the guards at this base were already fighting outside the building. And as for the other people around here, they were all slaves who had been ''disciplined'' long ago by the Chambers family.


    Of course, they were submissive to the individuals in that family, but they would not join fights in this place first because they were much weaker than the opponents out there. Second, they might even be submissive to those people, but they would not kill themselves for them.


    They had already given up any hope of being rescued and had already had their share of punishments. Consequently, they obeyed the orders of the Chambers.


    But dying was different. Most of these people did not have the mentality of someone like Barbara, who would rather die.


    For them, cowardice prevented them from killing themselves!


    Anyway, that was the limit of these captives who took care of this base. They would not kill themselves for their masters!


    And amid an invasion, which was scaring them to their very souls, those people did not mind watching two captives who had been with Kevin previously. To risk watching these two was a foolish that could endanger the lives that these people were so afraid of losing!


    Each of them was already hiding at some point, waiting for the battle to end before they resumed their activities.


    ...


    After a few minutes walking through the interior of that building, Barbara and Robin had not passed anyone, as that place was empty.


    ''Looks like people in this place are either fighting, or they''re hiding¡­'' Barbara thought to herself as she moved slowly through that place, trying to make as little noise as possible.


    And soon, they were both at the back of the building, where several battles were taking place.


    Boom!


    Swooish!


    Sounds of explosions and air being cut rang in the ears of these two women, who now wore loose men''s shirts and trousers.


    They moved carefully in that place, as they passed from one side to another, behind some small buildings there, like a large water reservoir.


    They knelt in that spot, using the building as protection, with their bare feet dirty with soil, slowly moving away from there, attempting to get as far away from the building as possible.


    However, the luck of people like them was never good, and at that moment, someone was hurled right beside them, slamming their back firmly into that reservoir made of rocks.


    "Ahh, you got me this time, huh..." The man who had been thrown there commented in a low voice as those two women looked at him with terror on their faces.


    They did not know these people. In fact, it would not be possible to know someone who was hiding his own identity. But that man had slapped his back so hard in that place, the two of them could hardly believe he was okay after that.


    The place where he had hit had been destroyed, and the water stored in that reservoir was already beginning to spread through that place as soon as this person got up from that place.


    He then looked for a moment at these two and then turned his gaze to an opponent who was a few meters away from him. He then held a 1-meter long sword in both hands as he started to run towards that other man.


    Seeing this, the two women felt a little better for seeing that individual walking away from them. They then looked at it again, noticing a large black ring that revolves around them, covering the area they were in, as it circled the sky and made an irritating noise.


    Zum!


    "Eh?" Barbara felt a strange sensation pass through her body shortly after seeing that person return to his fight, as well as the peculiar ring with him in the center, as her cultivation gradually returned to her control.


    She then muttered to herself in disbelief. "Is the sealing array losing its effect?"


    Crack!


    After a few more moments, the two necklaces that were around their necks had cracked and locked, as if they had lost their functionality.


    These could be outstanding items to seal the power of cultivators. Still, if a cultivator free from such restrictions used his forces against these items, it would not be difficult to destroy them!


    These necklaces that Barbara and Robin were wearing were only grade-1, high-level items. Consequently, they could in no way withstand the effects of the young Stuart''s Devourer Art for more than a few seconds!


    Every array worked with spiritual energy and could have its energies devoured by Minos'' support technique!

 Chapter 238: Surprise Attack

    Feeling their respective cultivation returning to their control, Barbara and Robin felt confused and happy at this point.


    Due to the fact that their cultivations had previously been sealed, they both could not feel the spiritual fluctuations that Minos'' technique emitted. Therefore, they did not know that he was responsible for what happened to their necklaces.


    At the same time, they were both unaware of the strength of any of those people who were there, fighting like mad, with some bodies already scattered here and there.


    After a moment, Robin finally looked at Barbara and asked seriously. "Do you know how this happened?"


    "No. But we had better take this chance. Let''s release all the other captives!" Barbara said firmly.


    She was not suggesting it because she had a good heart or wanted to save the people she lived with these past few weeks.


    This was a harsh situation, and Barbara experienced enough to know that there was no glory in selfless acts. If not for the fact that she had her cultivation released from the earlier suppression by Minos, she would have tried to run away without looking back!


    However, the situation had changed entirely. She was not strong enough to participate in these fights taking place on this base, but now she could at least protect herself.


    Before, she was completely vulnerable, with no chance of causing any change in this event.


    But now, she could further increase the turmoil and improve her chances of escape. By releasing the other slaves, even if they could not and would not fight, it would make it difficult for the winner of this battle to chase them all!


    Running away separately, with as many people as there were in this place, was the best way to make the captors'' work difficult!


    Hence, Barbara wanted to use those other people to improve her chances of escape.


    Finally, upon hearing her companion''s suggestion, Robin soon understood what this woman''s purpose was. And it indeed seemed like the best way out.


    As much as they could get away now, if any of those Chambers family''s guards went after them, then they''d both be in serious trouble. They could only defend for a short time but not defeat these enemies!


    And so, Robin nodded to Barbara in agreement, still in the same spot as before, besides where the young Stuart had fallen earlier.


    ...


    As the two newly freed women made their way to that building from which the other captives were being ''hosted,'' Minos and Jamie had an uphill battle right now.


    Neither of them was seriously injured, but the battle they were fighting was well balanced. Jamie had a slight advantage, but he had not been able to ignore young Stuart''s incredible defense.


    The Indestructible Body of Minos was already powerful enough to withstand a few blows from a level 51 cultivator without causing severe injuries to its user. For the rest, the young ruler of the Black Plain had only a few minor injuries, nothing that would not improve with two days'' rest.


    But what had made Minos'' fight so well against someone of Jamie''s level was not just his strong defense but his speed!


    The young Stuart had an excellent movement technique that allowed him to dodge most of that Spiritual King''s attacks. And, at the same time, he counterattacked as best as he could.


    On the other hand, Jamie demonstrated his superior cultivation by surviving the majority of Minos'' attacks with only a few scratches throughout his body.


    But this Spiritual King of the Chambers family was starting to get annoyed by what was going on. Minos seemed to be doing almost as well as he was, and there was no sign of this intruder wanting to flee.


    Jamie was paying close attention to his fight, but he could still clearly feel that there was a balance to the other battles being fought in this place as well. Consequently, he thought that an enemy like Minos should already be showing some anxiety in a situation like this!


    ''I have to get this over with soon. Otherwise, something unexpected might happen!'' He thought this as he saw Minos coming towards him, already unleashing several sword attacks and moving at high speed.


    Devil''s Claws!


    Jamie quickly activated his attack technique, which resulted in the formation of several sharp purple claws in his hands that were as powerful as a grade-2, medium-level weapon!


    Spatial Sword!


    Swooish!


    Soon after, several blades of air cut the space of the place where the two were fighting while Jamie ran from side to side, sometimes jumping and dodging the long-range attacks sent by Minos.


    It was not easy to fight an opponent who fought so well at a long distance and could still move quickly...


    ''What an annoying guy!''


    But this Spiritual King was also able to cause trouble for Minos. Though he was not as fast as this young intruder, the difference was not so brutal that Jamie could not do anything.


    And with that, in a few seconds dodging some of the attacks and running through that spot, Jamie was getting closer and closer to Minos!


    ''Looks like you''re in a hurry to get this over with, huh?'' Minos thought to himself as he watched the leader of this base begin to demonstrate an even higher level of fighting proficiency.


    Previously, it looked like Jamie was trying to get the Minos'' group to give up and flee. But he had not been successful. Both the group coming from the Black Plain and those pursuers would not leave this place until they reached their respective goals.


    Jamie was powerful, but he knew he could not eliminate that group without many losses on his side. Then, he wanted to scare these people and make them run away.


    This was the best way out at the time!


    But seeing that all this was just bullshit and that these people were committed to their goals, Jamie no longer wanted to use the previous strategy and was ready to use everything he had, even if it meant sacrificing many of these guards present here!


    He then yelled, still running towards Minos. "Use everything you have! Kill these enemies anyway!"


    And at that moment, he finally got close enough to the young Stuart, as he moved his two arms diagonally, with both coming from the bottom up, one after the other.


    It was as if he was trying to rip Minos'' guts out, using the sharp claws of his hand to open the young man''s chest with all the brutality he could muster.


    "Die!"


    Whoop!


    However, contrary to his expectations, Minos was not harmed by this attack but deftly evaded it by leaning his body back more than 45 degrees, creating a magnificent sight to behold.


    He appeared to be falling in slow motion as he held his grade-2 sword in a position that protected his body right in front of his belly.


    Crack!


    After that, Minos did two backward somersaults, quickly trying to get back to his balanced position while attempting to dodge long-range attacks sent by Jamie after the previous failure.


    ''Wow! That was a close¡­" He commented to himself as he had a discreet smile under the mask he wore.


    Minos was a little excited about this fight, but that was not the reason he smiled. No, the reason was that Jamie had finally started to fight recklessly, trying to end the battle quickly!


    ''It''s almost time for you to show yourself, Emlyn!'' He then ran around that spot again, dodging and attacking Jamie evasively.


    Spatial Sword!


    Swooish!


    Clang!


    Metallic sounds filled the air as Jamie''s purple claws collided with the ''body'' of Minos'' sword, which had already developed small cracks at the points of contact with the Spiritual King''s technique.


    Crack!


    "This is your end!" Jamie spoke aloud, seeing that his opponent''s spiritual weapon was about to break from the constant clashes with his claws.


    "We''ll see!" Minos said in an ominous tone, just as he could see an orange trail fast approaching behind Jamie''s back...

 Chapter 239: Desperate Situation

    A few moments before...


    A large fox was circling the outskirts of that base as she used her spiritual sense to follow the fight of Minos and that Spiritual King.


    Unlike humans, all the senses of spiritual beasts were much sharper, so Emlyn could sense the fight of these two without Jamie discovering her.


    She was a distance away from where she could feel those two combat, but the opposite was not true for them!


    Even though Jamie was 1 level higher than Emlyn, this slight difference was not enough to surpass the physical characteristics of a Nine-tailed Fox!


    Because of this, Emlyn was confident in what she was doing, following Minos'' plan to the letter while waiting for the right moment to act.


    Despite having lost one of her legs, she could still run at speed as good as the young Stuart''s for short periods. Then, even if she was a reasonable distance away from where those two were fighting, she could get there in a few seconds.


    And with Jamie starting to lose his calm, trying to win the fight quickly, Emlyn could still get close to them without getting this individual''s attention!


    "Looks like it''s time for me to act... I wonder what that guy''s reaction will be when the situation turns against him..." She thought for a moment as she began to run full speed towards it.


    ...


    Upon reaching that spot, in part protected by the red walls, Emlyn immediately saw the back of her target. At the same time, Jamie had the claws of both his hands firmly against the blade of Minos'' sword.


    The young Stuart held his weapon in both hands while his knees were bent and in different positions, which gave him the necessary support for him to continue holding his opponent.


    The two had just clashed again when the cracks in the ''body'' of the young Stuart''s grade-2 sword began to appear, growing larger with each passing moment.


    Such a grade-2, low-level, spiritual weapon could at most withstand the full power of a level 50 cultivator. Thus, when used in a high-intensity fight against Jamie, a level 51 cultivator, the young Stuart''s sword could not endure long.


    Each blow was affecting the blade structure, so if the fight were not stopped soon, that item would be destroyed by the claws of Jamie''s hands!


    "This is the end of you!"


    And as he felt himself being pressed more and more, taking a few steps back, Minos finally saw the trail of his ally coming up behind Jamie.


    "We''ll see!"


    After saying that, Minos used most of his strength to take a long leap backward, just as Emlyn was close enough that Jamie could not dodge!


    ''There''s something wrong!''


    Seeing this, the experienced Spiritual King felt a shiver down his spine as he decided to turn around to see if something was wrong. However, as he did so, he saw something terrible coming towards him, which took away the courage he had had before when he thought that he was about to defeat Minos.


    It was really frustrating, this feeling, almost like a cold shower at an unexpected moment!


    "Oh shit!" He muttered under his breath, but it was too late.


    Emlyn had leaped towards him, while her wide mouth was already open, showing sharp teeth and fangs, quickly approaching the man''s body.


    He could feel for a brief moment the cultivation of this spiritual beast as he regretted his previous strategy. There was nothing to do at the moment, she was too close to him, and he would not be able to defend himself or dodge before her attack hit him.


    And as a spiritual beast, Emlyn''s physical strength was far greater than Jamie''s, something fatal to this Spiritual King.


    "Ahhhhh!"


    Finally, the attack was completed when Emlyn bit down hard on one of the Spiritual King''s arms, shaking it from side to side until the arm was snatched off at shoulder level.


    This had left Jamie''s bones exposed as he was hurled over the side of that spot, leaving a trail of blood across the ground.


    "Ahhhh!"


    Thud!


    She then spat out Jamie''s arm right after finishing this surprise attack, as this man flew in the opposite direction from which Emlyn had come.


    The blood trail had formed where Jamie passed due to the severe wound he had sustained. The injury was not superficial, and blood was spurting from one side to the other. At the same time, this subordinate of the Chambers family was already completely pale.


    "Ahhh!"


    He was screaming in pain when finally his body slammed into one of the walls of that place. "Where did that damn beast come from?" he asked himself, trying not to lose his reason for the pain.


    However, while trying to re-establish himself, Jamie made his second mistake of the night, opening an unacceptable gap for the young Stuart...


    Minos wasted no time and had been following Jamie''s body in flight from the moment this enemy was thrown, holding his sword in both hands tightly as he used all his strength in his movement and attack techniques.


    Spatial Sword!


    Just as Jamie had crashed into the wall of that place, Minos appeared in front of him, slashing with his sword towards the remaining arm of his enemy!


    "You should not let your guard down!" Minos spoke in a low voice, looking at Jamie coldly.


    Swooish!


    The already cracked blade from Minos''s sword quickly sliced ??through the air vertically, approaching Jamie''s left shoulder, where his remaining arm was.


    Noticing this, the Spiritual King nearly spat a mouthful of blood at the sight of Minos'' vicious attack, which was not even leaving him an opening to dodge.


    ''Miserable! You fooled me this whole time!'' That thought crossed his mind as he tried to defend himself with the claws of his left hand against Minoss attack.


    Clang!


    "Ahhhh!"


    But this time, the result for Jamie had been different from the previous confrontation with Minos. At the moment, he was significantly weakened, and much of his spiritual energy had been expended on suppressing the losses generated by Emlyn''s surprise attack.


    With that, just as the attacks collided, Jamie''s claws barely lasted a second as the young Stuart''s sword pierced the left forearm of this subordinate of the Chambers family.


    "Ahhh!"


    ...


    And while the Spiritual King of this base was in a desperate situation, something similar was happening to those other individuals in this location.


    The fight was balanced for a long time, but Minos'' soldiers slowly turned this tide in their favor. The advantage of having better-ranked techniques than those subordinates of the Chambers family and being used to fighting as a team was helping these soldiers gradually defeat their enemies.


    But it was not just the standard guards at this base who were suffering. By now, several of the pursuers were already fighting directly against Kevin''s team, putting more and more pressure on them.


    Some of the initial pursuers had already died, along with some of Kevin''s supporters. This battle had been difficult for both sides from the start, with a slight advantage for the invaders of this place.


    With Minos'' troops slowly advancing, these other individuals had also started to have less fierce fights, being able to focus on fewer enemies at the same time.


    ''Shit! This is getting worse for me. Where is Jamie? Why doesn''t he come to help us?'' Kevin thought to himself as he was surrounded by three youths who were here for the Spring of Life.


    One was Vivian, while another was the young man who had said he would keep this item, plus another person who had chased Kevin since Hadia.


    The three had finally managed to eliminate some of Kevin''s guards and were now facing him.


    And in that moment of despair, the young master of the Chambers family finally saw the Spiritual King of that base...


    But it was not the sight he wanted to see... At this point, Jamie was unrecognizable, with his right arm wholly torn off while his left arm was in half.


    He looked very miserable right now, much worse than Kevin was!


    In addition, all those people who were still alive had already noticed the big 6-tailed fox that was next to Minos, helping him finish that opponent.


    "What the fuck is this?" Kevin wondered, with his face already completely pale as he saw that he could not get Jamie''s help...

 Chapter 240: The Liberation of Slaves

    At this point, while Jamie was brutally beaten by Minos, sometimes having to endure Emlyn''s sneak attacks, Kevin and some of his subordinates were surrounded by ten people.


    On one side was Kevin, along with his bodyguard Jeff, as well as other individuals who had traveled with this young master from the city of Hadia to here. Altogether, there were eight people in this group, which was facing the opposite party.


    As for the other side, Vivian and her bodyguard, as well as the cocky young man from before, were gathered at the same time that more people who had chased Kevin were there too.


    And while the two sides were facing each other, Kevin was surrounded by 3 of these enemies, who were here for the Spring of Life. He was in a worse and worse situation and noticing that his last hope, Jamie, was even worse than he was only made things worse for this young man.


    At the moment, Kevin could no longer attack those individuals, as he was using all his strength to defend against each of the attacks released by those three.


    ''Shit, Jamie won''t be able to help me, and I won''t be able to beat these three¡­'' He thought for a moment as he held up a tree bark shield to defend himself from his opponents'' attacks.


    And as he took a few steps back, Kevin finally made up his mind and said resolutely. "Let''s stop with it! We don''t need to fight to the death for the Spring of Life. I''d rather keep my life than this item!"


    Hearing this, the three attacking him did not let their guard down a bit, but two of them were interested in what Kevin had to say. Then, both of them lessened the intensity of their attacks but still putting pressure on this young master so that he would not try to deceive them.


    The other person who did not diminish her strength in the attacks was Vivian.


    She desired to eliminate Kevin for his actions in Hadia, just as she wanted to destroy him for being a Chambers, a member of this heinous family that had crippled her younger brother!


    "Don''t listen to him. Let''s kill him, and then we''ll decide between us!" She yelled at the other two with a bit of anxiety in her voice.


    And seeing that the two others who were attacking him seemed interested in his offer, Kevin felt a certain relief in his heart.


    "Rep Patrick and young Ross, you two don''t want to see this thing through to the end, right? Even though the Spring of Life is precious, it will be much better if you don''t have to kill me, the young master of the Chambers family! This will save you two a lot of trouble!"


    Upon hearing this, the young man who had said he would take the Spring of Life earlier, Ross, looked at Kevin for a moment and said. "In fact, besides, my Willis family has never had a problem with you, Chambers. If I can avoid this setback, I''m willing!"


    After Ross showed his interest, the representative of one of the Cromwell Kingdom''s noble families who was at that auction, Patrick, then started saying while looking at Kevin and Ross. "Your suggestion interests me, but who will keep the Spring of Life? We have two of us willing to make a deal with you..."


    After hearing these two, Kevin smiled inwardly and then said, at the same time, pointing to Minos'' soldiers. "Well, I think it will depend on your own strength. If you two switch to my side, we might be able to turn things around and eliminate this other group."


    "Or do you think they''ll let you out of here with the Spring of Life?" He inquired provocatively, attempting to destabilize Minos'' temporary allies.


    Hearing that, Vivian could not help but feel a shiver down her spine. "Don''t listen to him. This other group is not here for the Spring of Life!"


    And at that moment, one of the bodyguards standing around said it out loud. "It''s very suspicious that they''re only here for one person. Mr. Willis, let''s do it! I''m afraid Kevin might be right."


    "And look, that individual who destroyed the barrier now has a 6th stage beast with him!" Another man said aloud, with a certain astonishment in his tone.


    It was hard for him not to feel threatened by Emlyn''s arrival. Not all of them had seen her right away, due to the fact that they were too busy killing and not getting killed!


    And after he said that, several of them looked that way, where Minos was beating up the Spiritual King, Jamie, right now.


    "When did this damn fox show up here?" Ross wondered in shock, trying to make sense of the unfolding situation just a few meters away from him.


    After those groups around Kevin noticed Emlyn''s presence, someone else finally made the most relevant comment this time. "If we''re going to fight that group, how are we going to defeat those two? I know that man must no longer be 100%, but before we defeat him, many of us would die!"


    "That''s right, folks, don''t fall for this bastard''s ideas. He just wants to use us to die for him, and in the end, he gets the Spring of Life!" Vivian screamed, trying to make these people not lose their sense and change sides in the middle of the battle.


    ...


    While Kevin destabilized Minos'' alliance, in the basement of that more prominent building on this base, the place where the captives were held in detention was vivacious.


    That dark and degrading place, where those people suffered from the regular tortures of the guards of that base, had been in a very different mood for a few minutes.


    Since the beginning of the battle outside this place, the sounds of explosions, screams, typical sounds of fighting were reaching this place, where the slaves were temporarily living.


    And when they noticed the noise generated by the turmoil at this base, they immediately realized that this place was being invaded, or at the very least was undergoing a great tribulation!


    They were at an outpost of a noble family, in the middle of a forest, where there certainly would not be any extensive reenactments for no reason. Then, from the sounds, sometimes even the tremors of that building around them, these captives knew something terrible for the Chambers was going on.


    And in the midst of this, several of these captives were satisfied with this event. Even though most of them had no hope of saving themselves from the fate of slavery, it was still nice to know their ''owners'' were not having a good time.


    They could feel that this ordeal at this base was quite balanced, given the time the fights had started. Hence, they felt that several of those guards, maybe someone who had tortured them, could end up dying in the middle of the fights!


    This did not pay for the disgrace that these people had gone through, as they would have liked to eliminate those guards themselves. Still, it already brought satisfaction to these victims...


    Anyway, in that location, in one of the cells, Peter and Joey were conversing side by side as they stood at one end of the cell, facing the entrance to that location.


    "What do you think is happening?" Peter asked in a weak voice, still with his gaze fixed on that door.


    Hearing this, Joey shook his head and said. "Ahh, it''s hard to say. There are many possibilities, but not very likely. An arrogant young man with power can generate great confusion, even for the smallest things..."


    "It''s true¡­ Ahh, I wish I could see this battle! To see that bastard who tortured me yesterday die would be great!" Another captive commented to them, being seated next to Joey and Peter.


    And while several conversations were taking place in that area, suddenly the entrance door opened, allowing light to enter that environment, illuminating that degrading place full of slaves.


    Then two women wearing torn men''s clothing walked in, carrying weapons in their hands, with various battle marks all over their bodies.


    The one with a less developed body carried a hammer almost as big as herself in her two hands, while the other had an ordinary sword and several keys in her hands.


    "Barbara! Robin!" Peter quickly recognized them while shouting in an astonished and confused tone to see them that way.


    And immediately after entering that place, the two began to release all those captives from their cells, allowing them to flee for their freedoms.


    "It''s time to run away!"

 Chapter 241: This Was a Good Fight

    Upon hearing what Barbara had just said, quickly, each of those people had new sparkles in their eyes, hoping to escape this hell.


    Most of them did not even want to know how it happened. It did not matter how these two women had managed to escape and why they were trying to help them.


    The only thing that mattered was that this was the light at the end of the tunnel that some of them were asking!


    Those with Black talent, who were already in the 5th stage of cultivation, were also thrilled. Still, their curiosity could not be ignored, as it was with these other individuals.


    They were wondering how these two women, who were supposed to be having a terrible time, becoming human cauldrons, could be free and well!


    And it was at the moment when the two women had already released most of them from the arrays around their necks that Milton asked. "Robin, how did you two manage to escape?"


    "We don''t even know how it happened, but our collars that sealed our cultivation just broke. After that, we come here." The young blonde with a small body responded promptly at the same time as she freed a few more people.


    As for Peter and Joey, both were also there beside Milton, listening carefully to everything Robin said. They were also curious about the unexpected escape of these two, but also how the situation was out there.


    They could guess the situation was pretty chaotic from the noises they could hear, and they did not know how dangerous it would be to flee this place.


    Unlike Barbara and Robin, who needed to be full of energy to cultivate with Kevin,  these less talented men and women are at their worst.


    Various of them sustained severe injuries due to an ''educational'' session held just a few hours earlier. And not only that but they also were denied the opportunity to cultivate, which was something critical for their recovery...


    And in a setting like this, in an enemy base and in a place that was being invaded by foreign forces, they could not just stop to rest and cultivate in this place.


    That would be dangerous, and these people were not willing to sit back and wait for the situation to resolve itself!


    Who knows, maybe they would never have another chance to escape the miserable fate of slavery!


    Barbara then made a quick comment, trying to synthesize how the situation was outside that building. "The battle outside was very balanced at first, but it looks like the invaders will win. We also didn''t have to fight any of them to get here, but some of the invaders even helped us defeat guards of this base."


    "Maybe they want to increase the turmoil?" Joey muttered under his breath, trying to make sense of the situation.


    It would not be uncommon for an invader not to act against enslaved people of the power into what they were invading, and this could create some chances for them.


    But it also did not mean the invaders would help them.


    Finally, the dozens of people in that place were all freed, quickly leaving that area and heading out of the building.


    ...


    While those people began to leave that main building of this base, at the back of that place, at this moment, there were two men and a fox standing there, at the same time, in which several battles were taking place in the vicinity.


    Several of Minos'' soldiers had already eliminated those standard guards from this place and were now banding together in larger groups to face those powerful subordinates of the Chambers family.


    And while his soldiers did their teamwork successfully, the battle of Minos and Jamie was finally over.


    Right now, Emlyn was sitting just a few meters away from them as she watched the young Stuart standing on top of that man, with his right foot pressing into the man''s throat.


    Jamie was now completely disfigured, with one arm missing and the remaining half halfway through. One of his legs had also been amputated. Several cuts were visible in this Spiritual King''s armor, specifically on his chest.


    Minos'' sword had been wholly lost, but Emlyn had helped him in the fight, using her sharp spiritual beast''s claws to cut the man''s chest several times.


    And after so many injuries, Jamie was entirely weakened, with no more reserves of spiritual energy and as pale as a white sheet, due to the excessive blood loss.


    Finally, Minos looked into this man''s eyes one last time before saying something and using another sword to cut off Jamie''s head.


    "It was a good fight. You gave us a lot of work..."


    After that, Minos looked across the battlefield and saw that most of the guards in this place had already died, but some of his allies had turned against him.


    ''Well, you can''t expect anything different from people like these. They''re just after the Spring of Life after all¡­'' He thought for a moment as he walked to that spot beside Emlyn.


    "Emlyn, save my soldiers who are in danger. You can do it?"


    "Okay, since I''m already out here, I don''t mind taking care of these humans." She said this as she was walking and swinging her six tails.


    She was happy to be able to go out and fight in this place. It was very monotonous to be all the time in the Spatial Kingdom, with her strength increasing, but without her being able to go out and test it in a real fight...


    And like many spiritual beasts, Emlyn could not ignore that feeling, the passion for fights. She was not a maniac who would lose her consciousness to these extinct, these primal needs of her being, as she had very high rationality.


    But she could not deny that she liked to fight...


    And because of that, she was more than happy to resolve the situation that Minos and his soldiers were in right now.


    As for those people who turned against Minos'' forces, these were just over half of the 30 people who had pursued Kevin previously.


    Not all of them had agreed with the suggestion of the young master of the Chambers family, as they thought the risk would be much more significant for them if they did.


    Minos and his group might be unknown, and these people did not know if they were sincere, but Kevin was still much more dangerous from their point of view.


    They knew how dangerous the Chambers family was and how they handled this kind of situation. If Kevin survived, these people did not doubt that their lives would be at risk!


    As a result, some, like Davy''s sister, Vivian, had not switched sides in the middle of the battle and continued to press Kevin''s side.


    ...


    While Minos was walking through that area, eating some spiritual grapes, at this moment, Kevin and Vivian were facing each other.


    The other people who had previously been on Vivian''s side were now fighting Minos'' soldiers and those other pursuers who had not yet changed sides.


    As for these two bodyguards, Clive and Samuel, they were also battling at this time, not far from where those two youths fought.


    Anyway, Kevin was very pale at this point, but he did not have any severe injuries on his body. He was just excessively tired due to the various high-level fights he''d had so far.


    On the other hand, Vivan looked much worse than he did, having a few cuts here and there that would make a viewer of this fight question whether or not she could continue.


    "That day, you almost killed me, bitch!" Kevin brandished at her, pointing his gun in her direction, already preparing to deliver the final blow to this fight.


    He did not intend to kill her, as he had other plans for Vivian...


    And seeing and hearing this, the young woman from the Hayes family had a look of disgust on her face for not being able to beat this despicable person in front of her.


    For her, worst of all was not what someone like Kevin could do to her if she lost, but the fact that her beloved friend would probably die without the Spring of Life!


    ''Damn it!''


    And when Kevin jumped towards her, trying to land his last blow on that girl''s chest, suddenly something strange happened in that place.


    When he was inches away from touching Vivian''s body, the entire area around Kevin and this young woman stopped. Simultaneously, a person dressed in a black cloak appeared in that space between them.


    A black ring circled right above those people, while the suppression in their bodies prevented them from making any movement.


    At this point in the fight, when the opponents were almost exhausted from the long battle that had taken place, Minos was finally showing the terrifying thing about the Devourer Art.


    The main point of this technique was not that it just stole energy from living beings and spiritual arrays in a given area.


    No, this was not the point. The main thing was that as long as its user did not run out of power, it could be activated at any time, allowing its user to fight for as long as there were targets to have their energy swallowed!

 Chapter 242: The End of the Invasion

    Simultaneously with Minos'' action against Kevin, the various captives fleeing had finally exited the building they were in, precisely in range of the young Stuart''s techniques.


    Shortly after almost all of them appeared at that point, they all stopped under the effects of the Spatial Sword, including the two women who were full of energy.


    Most of these people were much weaker than Minos, and with the fact that the Devourer Art was supplying the Spatial Sword''s consumption, none of these captives could ignore the restrictive effects of this last technique!


    ''Why can''t I move?'' Joey wondered inwardly as beads of cold sweat began to trickle down this old man''s forehead.


    This was the worst that could happen to them!


    These poor captives had just found a light at the end of the tunnel, but when they tried to take advantage of this chance, they fell into this situation...


    ''Damn it! All these people who are in this place fighting can see us! We''re finished!'' Another one thought, already teary-eyed with disappointment at not being able to escape.


    ''Was this an enemy trap? Let us have a glimmer of hope and then rip it all out of us again? But how cruel!''


    ''I knew it. It was too good to be true! And me, this fool here believing he could get away! Hahaha, what an idiot I am!''


    While several of the captives had several thoughts, Peter was shocked at what was happening, but for different reasons than those other people.


    In addition to remembering the effects of Minos'' technique, Peter could clearly see the giant ring in the sky, stealing the spiritual energies of the people in that area.


    Obviously, there was no energy to be stolen from these captives with Peter. However, they were still under the effects of young Stuart''s Spatial Sword.


    "Is Minos here?" He wondered dubiously. He honestly did not expect to be rescued by the Black Plain Army. He even knew the guidelines of this force, but he did not count on it happening so fast!


    And he quickly identified Minos, realizing that the man standing between the two youths, Kevin and Vivian, was the only one in the center of the rotating ring in the sky.


    ''There he is!''


    ...


    Across the battlefield, Abby and Eda had already finished off all the guards who had tried to fight them before, as well as those few who had tried to flee this base.


    Both watched from afar the battle Minos had had with Jamie and were now watching that end of the invasion, as the young Stuart seemed intent on getting things over.


    But even though they had accompanied Minos on other occasions, the two of them could not help but be impressed by this young man''s prowess. To have struggled so hard with a Spiritual King and now affect so many cultivators using just two techniques, that was really amazing to see!


    "Impressive, even with so little spiritual energy left, it''s still enough for him to deal with those people!" Eda commented in a low voice as she stayed behind Abby.


    "Hmm, but what about that fox? Where did it come from?" Abby brought an even more relevant point. It looked like that fox was allied with Minos, but at no time had this girl and her bodyguard felt any spiritual beast chasing them...


    "Did she chase us out of reach of our spiritual probe?" Abby wondered one last time before putting this subject aside and turning her attention back to where Minos stood.


    ...


    And at that moment, Vivian was entirely motionless, in the same place as before, watching Kevin''s spiritual weapon just inches from her chest.


    She did not understand what was happening, but she was grateful that she had not been knocked down by this blow, even though she could not even move a finger from her body.


    On the other hand, Kevin felt a feeling of despair rising in his heart while his spine was sweating coldly. Unlike Vivian, the young master of the Chambers family was seeing Minos standing there between them, looking steadily at him.


    Kevin could not help but remember that this man had been fighting the Spiritual King of this base for a little while, but now he suddenly appeared here.


    The young master of the Chambers family then lamented, understanding what had happened. "Damn, Jamie ended up dying too soon!"


    Kevin wanted to use his enemies to fight each other, so he would have a chance to escape. As long as Jamie managed to hold Minos and that fox for a few more minutes, this young man was certain he could carry out this plan and escape this place alive.


    But fate was cruel, and things rarely went as planned...


    Minos then used a grade-1, high-level sword to take out Kevin''s weapon, making it fly in the opposite direction of the movement he had made.


    After that, the Spatial Sword technique stopped working, when finally, all those who had been restricted could regain their movements.


    "Ahhh!"


    After that, Minos quickly overpowered Kevin, making him lie down on the ground. In doing so, the young Stuart suddenly took a dagger from his spatial ring. He then cut off his enemy''s spiritual gland without even a second thought.


    "No!"


    At that point, all fighting ceased when the people of that area witnessed Minos destroy this young man''s cultivation in a matter of seconds, rendering the entire area silent except for Kevin''s laments.


    In addition, the sounds of swallowing could be heard there amidst the light wind characteristic of the nights in this region.


    ''He crippled Kevin!'' Several of them thought about it.


    But before anyone could say anything and break the momentary silence, Minos finally began to speak. "You''re Kevin Chambers, huh... Originally I wouldn''t have bothered with a worm similar to you. Still, by defying me and enslaving one of my subordinates, you''ve assured yourself of this horrible fate."


    He then looked at the various slaves who were still standing in front of that building and saw Peter among them. This young man did not look good, but he was whole. Minos could see that no limbs had been amputated, just as he could sense that his Sergeant retained the ability to manipulate spiritual energy.


    He then passed the look of other people in that place and said. "People like this worm that is now at my feet are the cause of slavery in our world. You can blame the pirates and thugs who kidnapped you, but it''s the scums like Kevin who sustains this system."


    Minos stopped to breathe for a moment and then said. "Those of you who are willing, I will allow you to do what you want with this person. Today I will ensure your justice against him!"


    When those people heard this, they were still recovering from what had just occurred when one of those now-former slaves, a middle-aged man, began running toward Kevin, already holding a large chunk of stone in his right hand.


    "Miserable, because of you, I lost my whole family!" He screamed in a fury.


    And it was not long before others joined that man, as the young Stuart finally made room for them to beat the helpless Kevin...


    "You worm, do you know how much your subordinates have tortured me? Now it''s your turn to feel the pain of being skinned!"


    ...


    "Your family destroyed my old city! Now I can finally ease the hatred in my heart!"


    ...


    "Ahhh! Help me!"


    ...


    "Help! Please mercy!"


    After a few seconds of being brutally beaten, Kevin was already screaming in pain while crying and asking for mercy, looking towards Minos. He knew that none of these people would forgive him, then it was just up to him to appeal to the only one who could stop this situation...


    But Minos did not give a damn about Kevin.


    He felt a profound contempt for people like Leroy, who used their strength and influence to oppress the weakest and most vulnerable in society. And, ultimately, Kevin was an enemy who must die so that the Black Plain Army could prosper and begin its notoriety in the Spiritual World.


    It might take time, but the day when every person in this world would have to respect or tremble with fear of this organization would come!

 Chapter 243: Escape!

    While Kevin yelled in pain, being beaten by a mob of slaves, every guard of the Chambers family had already perished in that place.


    Fighting against the Black Plain Army''s soldiers, who had better techniques and knew how to fight as a team, was undoubtedly a challenge for those people.


    It must be said that the Spiritual World was heavily influenced by individualism.


    The people of this world highly valued their individual strength and, in many cases, neglected their collective potential. After all, this was the world of the strong and the one with the most significant power led!


    That''s why ordinary people who had that mentality ended up having a difficult time when they had to face well-connected groups, as was the case with the young Stuart''s subordinates.


    And with the assistance of the Nine-tailed Fox that Minos had brought in at the end of the fight, the situation of those people had only worsened...


    Thus, even though it had been a balanced battle for those soldiers, the Chambers family''s guards had still fallen in the end!


    The only person left besides Kevin was his bodyguard, Clive, who was now kneeling on the floor of that place, calmly looking in the direction of his young master. There was nothing to do, the enemies were powerful, and he was about to be killed by Samuel, Vivian''s bodyguard.


    Clive had utterly run out of spiritual energy due to the fact that he had protected Kevin at the start of the fight when they had not yet attracted the attention of some of those pursuers.


    Hence, when fighting Samuel, someone who had the same proficiency as him, Clive could not hold the tie due to his initial disadvantage.


    "Ahhh!"


    As he looked out over the crowd that was mutilating the now crippled Kevin, who screamed in pain in these final moments of life, Clive sighed briefly, looking up at the starry sky. "Ahh, this is the end of me... I can finally rest."


    Clive then closed his eyes and felt the last breath of air on his face as Samuel finally decapitated him. The man''s headless body then slowly fell to the ground while blood gushed from the bodyguard''s neck.


    A moment later, the head that had spun in the air twice dropped to the ground not far from the rest of the body, with a calm countenance, as if Clive had not cared at all about his end.


    ''Looks like you died in peace... What a different guy.'' Samuel thought to himself as he saw his enemy''s face.


    Anyway, after Clive''s death, there was no longer anyone else who had accompanied Kevin on this trip, not even the guards at this base. Only Minos'' soldiers and the pursuers of the Spring of Life were in that place, along with those slaves, of course.


    And those individuals who had switched sides in the middle of the fight were now all terrified of the outcome of this situation. Many of them had not realized Jamie''s death in time.


    When they least expected it, Minos was already on top of Kevin, destroying this young man''s cultivation.


    And no wonder, from Jamie''s death to the moment Minos had destroyed Kevin''s cultivation base, only a few seconds had passed, not even a full minute.


    These people were engaged in high-level struggles and were unable to divert their attention for even a moment, which meant that most of them were unaware of the change in their situation.


    However, even those who were still uneasy about the abrupt change in their circumstance immediately began fleeing from this location, using whatever strength they had left.


    ''Shit! I shouldn''t have trusted that bastard! What a fool I was!'' A representative of one of the noble families of the Cromwell Kingdom departed from that place, with his face red in shame, as he ran without looking back, as fast as he could.


    "Hell! I missed my precious Spring of Life! Damn that person!" Ross muttered under his breath as he headed in a completely different direction from the other people who were fleeing this time.


    ...


    And when noticing the escape of those more than ten people from that place, Abby, who was on top of one of the walls of that base, looked at Eda and asked. "Should we chase them?"


    The experienced woman then shook her head in denial and said. "No, even though it''s not good for these people to flee, we can''t risk chasing them in our current conditions."


    Eda was an experienced warrior who knew very well how difficult it would be to stop these people from fleeing. These individuals were all native to this region, which meant they had better knowledge of regional geography than the Minos'' group.


    On the other hand, those people were not stupid, as they went to different places, so they would not run away together, making things difficult for those who could chase them!


    But not only that but Minos'' team was also exhausted and certainly in no condition to start a chase right now. This would only put them more at risk, as there are spiritual beasts in this region that could get in their way and end up destroying them!


    As for Emlyn, Eda was unsure of this fox''s relationship with Minos, but she knew it would be impossible for this big fox to eliminate all the fleeing groups.


    Surely Emlyn could take care of some of those people, but not all of them. With Emlyn being less than 100% and missing one of her paws, Kyla''s mother could not possibly run fast enough to kill everyone before they escaped the perimeter where her sense could reach them.


    For all that, Eda knew it was futile to pursue those people.


    And even if they were not friends with Minos, who might even have bad intentions, it would also be very problematic for them to cause trouble for the Black Plain.


    The entire group of Minos had hidden their identities all along, leaving no clues for these people. And even though Vivian could recognize the young Stuart''s technique, many people often used techniques within the same family.


    Consequently, with this information alone, they could not make a correlation between the Spiritual Tournament finalist and the person who commanded the invasion of this Chambers family''s base!


    Finally, after hearing Eda''s opinion on the matter, Abby put aside her intention to chase those people when she returned her attention to where Minos was standing.


    ...


    At this point, the group of pursuers that had changed sides during the fight had just disappeared over the horizon of that region when Kevin finally stopped breathing.


    The young master of the Chambers family had died tragically, with several of his limbs mutilated, his male organ cut and stuffed into his own anus, while those people from before had skinned him.


    And as they were about to leave those locations after killing that young man, the captives who had taken part in the lynching stopped beside one of Minos'' soldiers and inquired. "Brother, where does your team come from?"


    "I''m sorry we can''t talk." the soldier replied calmly.


    "But do you accept people like us into your ranks?" They insisted.


    Several of these people could see that Minos'' group did not intend to enslave them, as they had even been allowed to kill Kevin.


    Not to mention the comment Minos had made earlier, which clearly demonstrated that he was against slavery. Then, some of these people were curious to know more about these people, who had given them another chance to live.


    Some of them had nowhere to go, as they had already lost everything they had, family, friends, honor... Or they were too weak to take revenge on those who had destroyed their lives. Consequently, some of them had nowhere to go, not even a purpose of continuing living.


    On the other hand, not all of them were willing to know the force behind this invasion. These wanted to live in freedom without being related to any power. Hence, some of them did not stay to hear more from Minos'' group and were already running through the gate of that base.


    The soldier then responded. "Hmm, that''s possible. But you need to be a citizen of our city to apply for a position."


    ...


    While those individuals, along with a few others who had regained their freedom, wanted information about the Dry City''s group of soldiers, only five of the pursuers remained in this location.

 Chapter 244: Pillaging The Chambers Base

    There were Vivian and her bodyguard, a representative of another family of that kingdom, and two bodyguards who had nothing to do with these other people.


    Several people had died, and now these two bodyguards were without their respective leaders. As for the representative who was still alive, he had lost his subordinates during this battle...


    Anyway, the five of them were still around as they watched the outcome of this situation. Everything had happened so fast, and they were still digesting the end of this invasion.


    Vivian was sitting on the floor, in the same place she had been before, when Minos had stopped her from receiving Kevin''s attack. Her brown hair was loose in the air and she was there, waiting for this matter to be concluded.


    She had several bruises across her thin body and was also completely exhausted. At this point, Samuel, who was finally at her side, said in a low voice. "Miss Vivian, what do we do now? Are we leaving, or are you going to appeal for the Spring of Life?"


    "Let''s stay a little longer and see if that person intends to fulfil what he said earlier..." She commented briefly as she already stuffed a spiritual pill into her mouth.


    ...


    At the same time, when Vivian was beginning to recover from her injuries, Peter was beside Joey, Barbara, Robin, and Milton, in the same place as before, where they had left that building.


    It had been a short time since they had been released, but those four people who were with Peter were all shocked at the outcome of things in this place.


    That''s why they had not run yet, looking for their long-awaited freedom. But at that moment, Milton finally turned to leave and said. "Guys, we should run away too. It won''t be long before this place is filled with experts from the Chambers family!"


    But just as he was about to leave, Minos approached where they were, looking in Peter''s direction. This young man was in horrible shape and looked about 300 years older than he should have been.


    His skin was dry. There were black marks under Peter''s eyes, while several scars could be seen on the exposed parts of this young man''s body.


    Minos then stopped beside Peter and spoke, as he placed one of his hands on Peter''s shoulder. "It''s been hard for you... But you managed to save your family, and now you can see them in a few days."


    Hearing this, Peter was emotional for a moment, remembering the anguish of not knowing if he could see his parents and his little sister again. This young man had not fallen in love with anyone yet and just had his own family, for which he had great feelings.


    From the moment Peter left the spiritual academy and became a cultivator, a large part of what he did was to improve the living conditions of his family, which had humble origins.


    For all that, he was very moved to know that in the end, things had worked out for them!


    As they saw this, Peter''s four ''fellow slaves'' were there watching everything apprehensively. At the same time, they felt a certain sort of fear for Minos.


    This guy had easily destroyed a level 46 cultivator in front of all these people while using his level 42, defeating Kevin and still sealing the movements of dozens of people!


    With such a difference in power, these four people could not feel comfortable being close to this ''monster.''


    Minos then looked at the four of them and then smiled inwardly. "Why don''t you join me? Given the level of the four of you, you''re probably the captives who had Black talent and were sold along with Peter, right?"


    Minos knew that Peter had been sold with four other people in a lot of captives with Black talent. Then, it was not difficult to imagine that these were the other people with the young Sergeant, as they were the strongest among the freed slaves.


    Hearing this, the four took steps back as they tried to take their eyes off Minos. They did not want to refuse someone that strong directly, but neither would they simply accept this suggestion easily.


    Seeing this, Peter finally got over his emotions and said with a smile on his face. "Guys, this is my boss, I''m not going to say his name right now because it''s not convenient, but he''s a very reliable and honest person. So, accept this offer, and you will have many opportunities in the future!"


    And seeing how Peter seemed to be trying to help them, like a friend who gives a good advice before an important decision, each of those people had different thoughts in their minds.


    Barbara did not want to join any organization that would stop her from seeking revenge for what happened to her.


    Milton wanted his freedom to try to start a new life elsewhere.


    As for Joey and Robin, these two did not quite know what to do. The old man who had met Peter on that pirate ship from Del was no longer a rookie and had seen more than he would have wanted.


    Hence, he wanted to go to a place where he could settle down and maybe have a calmer life. But he had gotten along well with Peter, and he had a feeling that this young man would not put them in a dangerous situation on purpose.


    As for Robin, she had left Stone Island to see the world, but everything had gone wrong... She could not decide if she still wanted to try her luck and see the north of the Central Continent or if she should return to her region.


    Seeing that none of them had responded to his offer, Minos laughed and said, just before turning away from that place and continuing his business. "You don''t need to pledge your lives to me and take an oath here and now. Come with us and decide for yourselves when we arrive in my territory."


    After hearing this, their reaction improved a little, but the three of them still had doubts, except for Joey, who seemed to be more willing.


    And as soon as Minos walked away, they began to discuss the matter with each other.


    "Peter, I know you sound well-meaning, as does your boss, but I''m out of it. I want to have my freedom and find a place for myself on my own." Milton exposed his thoughts, already decided on what he wanted to do.


    Robin then took her turn and said. "I don''t know if I''ll join your boss'' organization, but I don''t mind going to meet his territory..."


    "Cough, ehh, this old man here has nothing else to do, so I''ll go with you, boy. I''m curious to see this organization behind you." Old Joey said in a low voice, still weakened from his previous condition.


    "Where are we going?" Barbara asked, right after old Joey.


    "In the north, I can only say this."


    "Okay, since it''s on my way back to the Kingdom of the End, I don''t mind accompanying you."


    ...


    And while the group was talking to Peter about what each part wanted to do, Minos had come to the side of a group of people kneeling on the ground while Black Plain Army''s soldiers gathered around them.


    "Young master, these people were servants on this place, slaves of the Chambers family." A soldier came and informed him.


    "Oh? And why didn''t they leave this place after we finished the fight?"


    "They say that if they flee the place from which they were assigned, the Chambers family''s punishment would be extremely severe." The sergeant said while having a pitying look under the mask he wore.


    These people were so traumatized that they did not dare to flee!


    ''It seems the Chambers must have ruthless torture practices to circumvent so many people''s thoughts of escape¡­'' Minos thought for a moment, seeing this group of captives who were kneeling, staring at the ground.


    He then turned his gaze to the soldier who had informed him of this matter and then said. "Get a group and loot everything you find in this place. Anything, even furniture and crumpled paper that are on the floor or in the trash."


    "OK, young master!"


    And quickly, that soldier left to carry out the mission given by Minos, soon after gathering a group of 20 Sergeants and proceeding to search this base.


    Minos then looked for someone else and said. "Burn all the bodies and gather the objects left by these people. I want a report on this before we leave this base."


    "Yes, young master!"


    And finally, he stopped in front of those servants, being silent for a moment. ''What will I do with you?

 Chapter 245: The Scariest Enemy!

    Looking at the people in front of him, Minos was trying to figure out what to do with these captives.


    He could not simply leave these people here. They had witnessed the whole event, and it would be better if the Chambers family members who came by later knew as little as possible about what had occurred.


    The Black Plain Army''s soldiers were hiding their identities, but it was impossible to hide the techniques they had used. And with that alone, there would be a small clue, which Kevin''s family could use.


    As for the other people, who had either fled this place or those still around, Minos was not worried about them. They were captives who wanted to distance themselves from the Chambers or were members/subordinates of other noble families in the region.


    But this last group had attacked a base of the Chambers family, and they had not gotten the Spring of Life. If only they could do this, maybe they would have all the protection of their respective families, but... Unfortunately, that was not the case.


    With that, if these individuals wanted to live, it would be better for them not to be involved with the Chambers family for a long time. Even though some wanted to cause trouble for Minos, the amount of information they had was small and not worth the risk.


    Because of all this, Minos was not worried about those pursuers going around talking about this subject. And with that, there were only those slaves who worked as servants on this base.


    They would not fight enemies as they had, but they did not dare to flee this place. With that, if they stayed behind, they would surely be interrogated about what happened here and would have no reason to hide anything!


    Minos then closed his eyes for a moment when he finally started talking to those people in front of him. "You are free, but you don''t have the guts to run away. I understand. You''ve probably been tortured many times, and fear has already made you submit completely to your captors."


    "But you cannot be left behind. If this happens, not only could my group have certain problems, but you would be tortured anyway."


    "What do you think the person who gets to this place first will do? Treat you well and ask questions?" He said, watching the expressions of those captives.


    ''We''ll probably pay the price in your place!'' One of them thought to himself as he felt a shiver down his spine.


    And that was most likely. The Chambers family was known for their violence, so it would not be now that they would change and stop torturing these captives.


    No, most likely, when they arrived at this place, the reinforcements would vent their rage on these helpless captives, who would have to pay the price of being the only survivors...


    Minos then continued. "I wouldn''t mind if you guys had run away before, but now that I''ve seen your submissive behavior to the Chambers family, I''m afraid I can''t leave you in this place..."


    "You have two options here. Come with me and be my guests in my territory. Obviously, I don''t trust you, so none of you will be allowed to leave there for the next five years. But your freedoms will still be guaranteed within my territory, and you will be able to live normally."


    He then stopped and said nothing more as he watched those people.


    And after a moment of silence, a woman finally lifted her head and looked at Minos. "You didn''t say what the other option is."


    "True, ehh, I better not talk about the other option. It''s not good for anyone..." The young Stuart said vaguely.


    He did not want to have to kill these people in cold blood since he did not feel any advantage about doing such a thing. Moreover, these were people who, regardless of origins, were victims of the Spiritual World''s cruel reality and had no prior feud with him.


    But Minos would do whatever was necessary to protect his territory, even if it meant massacring unarmed, surrendered, and weak individuals!


    At present, Minos and his forces were not strong enough yet, so there was no room for them to risk that much. But, obviously, it was impossible to act without any risk. Still, he would try to avoid problems as much as possible, minimizing possible losses when he could, as was the case today.


    As for the fact that he was not giving many choices here, this was not a kidnapping or a different way to enslave these people. On the contrary, he would allow them to live freely within the walls of the Dry City, working or not, following their wishes in that place.


    He just would not allow them to leave his territory because he was afraid that one of those captives would try to return to the Chambers family!


    And such a thing would be terrible!


    But in 5 years, Minos would be capable of handle any problem in this part of the Central Continent, but he still had to be discreet for now. Hence, just preventing these people from leaving his territory for that period was the most that young Stuart could do for these people, without compromising or making their situation worse.


    After hearing Minos''s response, swallowing sounds sounded around the place as those captives made their decisions.


    They were afraid of the Chambers family, very afraid, so much that they did not dare to flee this place. But they were also cowards, each of them was more afraid of dying than anything in their lives...


    ''If I stay here, I''ll suffer anyway, and maybe I''m unlucky enough to die during torture!'' Some of them had such a thought in their minds.


    ''I better become a prisoner than a corpse!''


    "I''m willing!"


    "Me too."


    ...


    And so, quickly, they all made their decisions.


    None of them had chosen to stay... They still felt a shiver down their spine as they were about to flee this place, along with Minos'' group, but...


    Well, the enemy in front of them was scarier than the one they did not see!


    Consequently, there was not much to do here. For people like these captives, as long as there was a chance of survival, they would take it without much fuss.


    Finally, after solving this problem with the captives who served this base, a few minutes passed when all the corpses were already burning in different points of that place.


    Smoke rose from the sky while the characteristic smell of burning bodies spread around.


    At this point, a soldier was already at Minos''s side, reporting on the looting of people who had died during the previous attack.


    "Young master, this time we had a huge harvest!" He said excitedly, leaving aside how many deaths had taken place in that place. After all, that was the reality of the cultivation world.


    Kill or die!


    They had killed, so they deserved the items left by their enemies.


    "We counted 32 copies of Black-grade and 827 Blue-grade techniques. There were also 100 medium-grade crystals, 3.8 million low-grade crystals¡­" He continued to report, talking from the spiritual pills left behind, as well as weapons and arrays.


    There were also about 70 spatial rings left behind, as well as a clear bottle with a green liquid inside. The Spring of Life that was in Kevin''s spatial ring was now in Minos'' hands!


    ''Oh! So, here you are¡­'' He eyed the bottle in his hand, seeing several bright spots inside the liquid that looked like tiny diamonds. "It''s a shame it''s already lost most of its effect. At most, it can heal a Spiritual King¡­" He said in a low voice, remembering the information he had about this item.


    It was not difficult to find about this. The more small ''diamond crystals'' that appeared in the liquid, the less beneficial the Spring of Life would be.


    Consequently, Minos could easily know this.


    And while holding the bottle in his right hand, Minos finally looked at the people who had allied with him and were still there.


    "Looks like they want to know if I''m going to keep my previous words, hehehe." He laughed as he walked towards those people who were not that far from him.

 Chapter 246: Returning Home

    Seeing Minos coming towards them, the five pursuers left in this place were afraid of what might happen.


    They were not afraid that this group of people would suddenly attack them as if they wanted to do something like that, then the five of them would already be trapped or dead by now.


    The young Stuart''s group was also quite tired from previous battles, so it would be no use fighting these pursuers.


    Lastly, if the group coming from Dry City were not even chasing those who had betrayed the previous alliance, then the lives of these last pursuers would not be in danger.


    It would not make sense. They had the same enemies and certainly would not want to draw the Chambers family''s attention to their sides. So, it was in everyone''s interest to keep the events of this place a secret.


    However, that did not mean the Minos group would simply deliver the Spring of Life... They could still decide to keep this item, and so those five people could not do anything about it at this point.


    And rightfully so, they had a feeling of nervousness deep in their beings!


    Minos then stopped in front of the five people and watched them for a moment.


    Vivian was severely hurt, but it did not look like anything serious that could put this young woman''s life at risk. Her brown hair was awkwardly loose, almost making her lose the air of nobility that a lady like her usually had.


    Her white skin was paled at this point, while her pretty beautiful face, with its thin curves, seemed to have been overshadowed by bloodstains and dirt.


    On the other hand, for the four men who were there, Samuel was the one who seemed to be in the best condition, with only a few bruises on his arms and scratches on his armor.


    As for the other three, the representative was the worst off, having lost a hand during the previous fight. In fact, he just had not died due to the fact that his own bodyguard had sacrificed himself for this representative...


    Minos then noticed that those three men had symbols on their armor, distinct from each other. ''They must be from different families...''


    And indeed, it was not uncommon for armor and even, in some instances, spiritual weapons to carry the symbol of some families. This was a tradition in the Spiritual World, in which people associated these powers with their official marks.


    It was a pride for people who were part of these powers to carry the symbols of their families, which demonstrated the origins of that cultivator and his beliefs. Because of this, even though they were not required, still, many cultivators paid to put their respective family symbols on their spiritual items!


    Minos then saw that Vivian and Samuel, whom he had previously met, had survived and were the largest single-family group in this place.


    He then coughed a little and started talking as he had the bottle of Spring of Life in his right hand. "Cough, ehh, as I said before, I''m not interested in this item."


    Upon hearing this, the pupils of those five people abruptly contracted as they paid even more attention towards this person in the black blanket and mask.


    "I can see that the five of you represent four different powers... In that case, I think the best thing to do here is to deliver the item to this young woman." He said as he waved in Vivian''s direction.


    Hearing this, the three men frowned and felt as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown on their backs. Minos had just pointed at Vivian, and now all their work was in vain.


    Then, quickly, one of those men stepped forward and spoke in a protest while looking at Vivian. "Lord, I''m afraid this isn''t fair. We all fight for it!"


    "It''s true. We should decide this otherwise!" Another level 49 cultivator said, trying to support the previous one''s line.


    And hearing that, Vivian, who had been happy for a moment, then turned to those people, looking at them as if they were her mortal enemies.


    How could she not be angry? Everything she had done was to save her friend''s life, and now that she had it, these people were trying to bring her down!


    However, before they could speak further, Minos explained his decision. "Calm down, observe the situation in that you are. Each of you three belongs to different powers, while this young woman still has her bodyguard with her."


    "If I give this item to one of you three, then I would bet that by dawn, at least two of you would be dead. And in the end, I think Miss Vivian would still get the Spring of Life!"


    That was a fact. These people had fought so hard for this item that they would not stop here. So, as Vivian had the biggest ''group'', she was the one with the best chance of getting this resource among those people!


    "You competed for Spring of Life, but you lost! Your leaders or bodyguards died, and now you are alone. There is no alliance between the three of you that can work. So, in the end, only one can have this item." Minos said this as he shook his head from side to side. "I ask you, is it worth it?"


    After Minos finished speaking, the three men could not contradict what he had said. It indeed was a disadvantageous situation for each of them. Even if they got together, they would probably just end up killing each other, and at most, only one of them would survive...


    But they valued their lives very highly and did not want to die because of an item that other people would use. Of course, as long as they had a chance, they would try, but they had missed it the moment their respective fellow travelers had died.


    Other than that, while Vivian was a nobleman with Black-grade techniques, these other people were just subordinates, who mostly had Blue-grade techniques.


    Even if they were in greater numbers, when they took into account the quality of their techniques that each one had, there was a balance of strength between them!


    ''Ahh, it seems there is nothing to do. If only our reinforcements could arrive in time¡­'' The rep thought to himself.


    With Minos'' attack tonight, it was virtually impossible for any reinforcements to arrive in time. If this had happened two days later, maybe they could have changed this end, but there was nothing to be done now.


    Things had already developed up to this point, and it was foolish to even think about how things would have been if it had happened differently!


    And as soon as they thought about it for a moment, one of those men finally looked at Vivian and then at Minos and said. "Ahh, there''s nothing to do... Well, if that''s the case, I''ll say goodbye. I don''t want to stay on this base any longer and risk the Chambers family''s reinforcements arriving!"


    "Cough, I''ll do the same. Good luck to you, young Vivian, you got a good item!" the representative said before finally turning around and leaving the place.


    Each of them had to flee as far away as possible, as the Chambers family would surely hunt them down as soon as this invasion was discovered.


    On the other hand, Vivian was still around, now with a satisfied expression, even though she was still tired and dirty from the previous battle.


    Minos then handed the bottle with that green liquid to Vivian and advised her. "I recommend that you use this liquid as soon as possible. In less than a month, the effects of this portion will decay to half of what it is now."


    Hearing this, Vivian was serious for a moment as she looked closely at this valuable resource. "Thanks for the tip, sir."


    After that, she said goodbye to Minos briefly, even invited him to visit the Hayes family headquarters in the future. Anyway, she left that place with her bodyguard, following quickly out of this base.


    And not long after that, while Minos and Abby were talking in the middle of that place where the fights had taken place, a soldier approached them and said. "Young master, all items that could be carried from this place have already been properly stored in spatial rings!"


    "Hmm, that''s good... Guys, it''s time to go home!"

 Chapter 247: Traveling

    After saying those words, Minos'' group quickly left that place, heading in more than 20 carriages towards the Black Plain.


    The group returning to the Dry City contained slightly more than double the number of persons that had arrived. So, they took several of the carriages from that place before departing.


    Minos had already ordered some soldiers to destroy the identification items on these carriages so that no one would recognize them for walking around with the Chambers symbol.


    Thus, in just a few minutes, more than ten carriages had their symbols torn off or were painted over, making them devoid of identification.


    Then, Minos had enough transport to carry all those people to the Black Plain, where they could live from now on.


    And among the people who were traveling on the Minos'' convoy, Barbara, Robin, and Joey traveled in the same carriage as Peter. The only one who had not continued the trip with the group was Milton, who had left even before Vivian left that base.


    As for the slaves who were ''disciplined'' with Peter''s group, they all received grade-1, medium-grade pills to recover themselves.


    These items were obtained from that Chambers'' base, and as many of these people were severely injured, Minos had decided to hand over these resources to these individuals.


    They would soon become citizens of Dry City, and these pills held little value in the eyes of the soldiers who took part in this rescue mission.


    Anyway, that place had been left behind as the carriages disappeared over the horizon.


    The Chambers family base had been completely emptied, with not a single piece of furniture left behind, as well as essential papers and documents from this place!


    Minos knew that on a place like that, it might have some information or two. And even if it wasn''t anything very significant, anything could help them.


    Even the smallest of information could become significant at a critical time!


    When they arrived in the Dry City, all documents from that location would be directed to the Black Plain Army''s headquarters, where administrative soldiers would handle the analysis service.


    Anyway, from where the Minos group was, they would need about a week of travel to reach the City of Waters, from where they could continue traveling to the Dry City.


    This was the shortest route and also the safest, as there was not much movement on this side of Cromwell Kingdom.


    ...


    While Minos'' team was returning to this young man''s territory, somewhere in Stone Island''s north sea, a small ship sailed at cruising speed towards the Kingdom of the Waves.


    That ship had no external markings that could identify the power behind it. Still, it was a noble ship with a certain refinement and quality for the people who used it.


    In one of the four rooms on that ship, the most refined and spacious one, two young blondes were sitting on both sides of a table while talking and playing a chess game.


    One of them had a burning beauty, sensual curves that would make even other women desire her... She had her beautiful hair loose while a beautiful fringe covered part of her forehead.


    Her blue eyes were focused on the game in front of her when she finally made her move.


    While the second young woman was not as stunning as the first, she was gorgeous and could be called a rarity in the northern part of the Central Continent.


    Her thin face and well-proportioned but not exaggerated body measurements could please almost any man who saw her. Her skin was soft as silk, with a white hue that made her green eyes even more dazzling.


    These, of course, were the two Minos'' acquaintances on Stone Island, Elen, and Elena. The two of them had traveled for days, across the territory of that island, out of the central part until they reached the north coast of that state.


    They were starting this trip to visit the Black Plain, where they wanted to settle matters of prime importance with young Stuart.


    However, with the constant persecution of spies from other prominent Stone Island families, the two young women could not simply go directly to Minos'' territory.


    To safeguard this information, the two intended to travel to the Kingdom of the Waves and settle some matters there, thereby deceiving their pursuers. They hoped that by doing so, they would be able to proceed unnoticed towards the Dry City.


    This was neither easy nor quick to do, but the two would do anything to make this trip to the Kingdom of the Waves as authentic as possible. It wasn''t unusual for Elen to travel to this state. Therefore, this could help cover the two women''s interests.


    Anyway, at that moment, while the two of them were still playing that chess game, Elena suddenly asked her friend. "Elen, how are we going to make our pursuers lose our trail?"


    Hearing this, Elen closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them after some time, looking at the window of that room, which overlooked the blue, north sea. "Well, escape of them by boat is impossible, as there isn''t much difference between the boats'' speeds on our island. Consequently, we can only do this after we have spent a few days in the Kingdom of the Waves."


    It would be very suspicious if they arrived at that place and immediately tried to flee. This would only increase the motivation of the spies chasing them, which would make everything difficult for them.


    They could also clearly see that the pursuers'' ship was not that far from theirs, and they would certainly have enough time to pursue them once they reached the mainland. So, Elen would first do some business in that place to lessen the focus of these pursuers.


    "After that, we will use a spiritual flying beast to flee to the Black Plain when our pursuers are most vulnerable!" She finished with a smile on her face.


    Elen had ordered one of her subordinates in the Kingdom of the Waves to buy a beast of this type that could fly and carry at least two people.


    As for why she wanted to use it, it was because it would be challenging to chase a flying beast. Flying beasts could fly in any direction for thousands of kilometers a day without stopping, depending on their level, creating a big problem for spies.


    It was difficult to follow the tracks of such a beast because it only left tracks when it stopped in urban agglomerations. Other than that, there weren''t any traces left behind during the flight. Therefore, even if they stopped in a forest, it would be difficult for pursuers to reach these random locations.


    Because of this, following a spiritual flying beast was an arduous task, especially if there was a long delay between the departure of one side and the beginning of the pursuit of the other.


    After hearing her friend''s explanation, Elena smiled, pleased that her friend had already thought of everything they would do next. This trip was Elena''s first tour outside Stone Island, and she was very eager to see this vast world.


    The Stone Island had a territory that didn''t even amount to 5% of the total area of ??the north of the Central Continent, so Elena felt like she was about to change worlds. There were many cultures and stories that she only knew about in books, but now she could enjoy and get to know some of that in practice.


    "Hehe, I''m looking forward to getting to the Dry City. You said Minos built a cultivation tower in that place, right?"


    Elen then made another move in the chess game the two of them were playing when she nodded in agreement and said. "That''s right. It seems he has made a lot of changes in that place since the end of the Spiritual Tournament."


    "That''s great. Even if we travel there, we shouldn''t be harmed with our cultivation speed slowing!" Elena commented in happiness. However, that didn''t last long when her friend finally defeated her in that game.


    "Elena, you should pay more attention... Hehehe."


    And so, the boat trip of the two young blondes continued when the two finally went to bed, ''playing'' with each other...

 Chapter 248: Investigations in Hadia

    As Minos'' group traveled to the Black Plain, four men conversed near a table in one of the rooms on the top floor of the Black Market of Hadia.


    These four people looked worried, given the bulging veins on their foreheads and necks. At the same time, each of them had a sharp glance in their eyes that could frighten ordinary people.


    One of them was sitting with his elbows on his knees as he crossed his hands over his nose. He was dressed in a black silk suit and was the quietest of this group of men.


    As for the other three, each was seated in a different armchair, which sat at the four corners of the table, all of them very well dressed and actively conversing.


    These were the four local managers of this branch of the Black Market, the people who managed and protected this place.


    Anyway, at that moment, one of them finally said something crucial. "As Willian reported, Mr. Curtis''s property was attacked and destroyed a few nights ago. Unfortunately, not a single survivor has been found to help us with the investigation..."


    At this point, Willian, the man who had previously done business with Del, finally took his turn and said. "Cough, that night I went to that location as soon as we got the notices from our subordinates, but there wasn''t any trace left in that area."


    "The slaves fled or were taken by the invaders, and all the people who were in that place are reported missing. Therefore, we are considering that most, if not all, are dead."


    And as soon as he finished speaking, the other man, besides the one who was silently watching the three, said. "Boss Russell, what are we going to do? Mr. Curtis will not accept something like, ''there were no clues.'' He will certainly demand an answer when he finds out the news."


    Hearing this question, the man who was still silent and with his hands clasped in front of his face then closed his eyes for a moment and thought to himself. ''As a member of the Scourges of the Devil, that guy won''t take an attack on one of his properties lightly...''


    And finally, after a few seconds of silence in that room, Russell opened his eyes and looked at the three around him. "Mr. Curtis is one of the senior partners in the Black Market, and he is a level 55, Spiritual King."


    The three men then continued to listen, at the same time, to what sounds of swallowing could be heard there.


    Of the four managers, Russell was the only one close to the 6th stage of cultivation. The other three were respectively at levels 45, 46, and 47.


    Because of that, for any of them, who were so far beyond level 50, Curtis'' strength was unparalleled, something they could perhaps only dream of having!


    Thus, they simultaneously had a feeling of awe and respect for the person who had had his property invaded a few days ago by the group of Minos.


    Russell then continued. "We are going to do an exhaustive search. First, let''s find out who left town that day, considering only those from the 5th stage of the cultivation. As there was a defensive array of grade-2, low-level, in that place, there are only two hypotheses about the strength of this group."


    "One was that they were too numerous, and so they managed to destroy the barrier that protected Mr. Curtis''s property. The other was that there was a Spiritual King in the group."


    "So, I want you to see these two possibilities and then keep going after these people. Most likely, they must have left town soon after the incident, so look for information about the groups that left town at that time."


    "See if anyone has been asking questions in the days before the attack that might lead to that establishment¡­" Russell then continued to give his orders as to how they should investigate this matter.


    This was an unusual incident to happen and had hit the interests of someone powerful.


    Finally, as members of the Black Market, an organization financed by the Scourges of the Devil, these managers of this branch could not take this matter lightly.


    Even if they weren''t responsible for the security of that place, they still had to help stop threats in case something happened. But unfortunately for them, when they arrived at that property on the south side of the city, Minos and his group had already left...


    Then, now they could only try to figure out who was responsible for it, so Curtis could have the necessary information to go after this matter.


    This man was among that organization''s ten strongest assassins. Hence, he couldn''t be challenged that way. He was a person who took threats to his organizations very seriously as he had many enemies who wanted him dead.


    In this case, even an attack on a property of minor importance to him could mean a risk to his investments and his own life.


    Because of this, these four local managers of the Hadia''s Black Market were worried about what had happened and that they had no leads at the moment.


    On the day of the attack, all the pirates and bandits in that place, including the guards who protected the establishment, had all been killed. As for the survivors, apart from the group of Minos, only the captives of that place were left.


    However, Minos had followed with his mission to rescue Peter, and the captives of that place had fled that region, already being hundreds of kilometers away from that place, right now.


    Each of them knew how dirty and dangerous the city of Hadia was, plus that this property was not as simple as it looked. It wasn''t unusual for guards of lower ranks to talk a little too much about their bosses as if they were showing off for working for such people.


    And because of that, all those women knew very well about the strength of the owner of that place. So, they had run without looking back, leaving Hadia with no intention of returning!


    Anyway, all this made the investigation work of those men difficult, but there was nothing to do. Or they discovered something, or they could lose positions within the Black Market.


    Even if their lives were not at risk, as the people who led this organization were not rash to killing their own subordinates in the heat of the moment, these four men could still lose influence.


    Every organization had its own hierarchy, and to some degree, there was the possibility of advancing through the ranks through good contacts. Thus, having good morale and not disappointing those superior to them would make these people have better chances and resources.


    But the opposite could destroy the selfish dreams that each of them had...


    ...


    Simultaneously, a few hundred kilometers from the location of the Chambers family''s base, which had been attacked previously, a group of three spiritual flying beasts flew toward that location.


    Each of them looked like giant winged lizards, with greenish scales and about ten feet tall. In addition to the exotic appearance, there were prominent star symbols on their heads, marked directly on their scales.


    This was the group that had left the Chambers family''s headquarters and was heading towards the base attacked by Minos to escort the young master Kevin...


    The patriarch of that family had prioritized this mission and had dispatched three Spiritual Kings at level 52, along with a few other subordinates, who would take care of other matters there.


    Not only was Kevin the son of the patriarch of the family, but he had also done a commendable service by managing to buy the Spring of Life!


    Such an item was essential to any power in the region, which certainly had at least one among their elders who needed such a resource.


    Battles were widespread in the Spiritual World, so any power that had existed for thousands of years, like the Chambers, would have people who need such a resource.


    And specifically speaking, one of the elders in this family, the former patriarch, was still alive but was at the end of his life due to the lack of vitality in his body.


    Even though he was a level 57, Spiritual King, that man had at most a few more decades to die, despite being only 952-years-old.


    But everything would be different for him if the Spring of Life returned with Kevin. He could live a few hundred more years and help make the Chambers family even stronger!


    For all that, Kevin''s father had sent such power, allied with the only three flying beasts of the family!

 Chapter 249: One Goes, Another Comes

    It was dawn in the Cromwell Kingdom, and amidst the darkness of night, the three spirit beasts of the Chambers family traveled towards the base where Kevin had previously been.


    They were over 300 meters in altitude as they traveled at the maximum speed of these beasts. Other than that, about 20 people were traveling on the backs of these creatures, in what looked like seats, which were attached to the backs of these winged lizards.


    Most of these people were just Spiritual Generals, while the three Spiritual Kings traveled separately, one on each beast.


    They had left the Chambers family''s headquarters by the time the news of Kevin managing to buy the Spring of Life had arrived, which was about two days ago. So with that, considering they were traveling on the fastest beasts that family had, they had covered most of the way, and now there were only a few hundred kilometers left for them to reach the base attacked by Minos.


    Anyway, while traveling through the cold, starry sky, one of the three Spiritual Kings struck up a conversation with the other two, speaking in a tone that could only be heard by those above level 50. "You two, what do you think will happen if the old patriarch returns? Will he try to regain his former position?"


    "Good question. I heard he was even more decisive than Mr. Dean." One of the other two said while he had a curious look on his face.


    Dean Chambers is the current patriarch of the Chambers family. At level 56, he is the strongest person in that power, aside from the previous patriarch, who could not fight due to his terminal disorder.


    As for the old patriarch, he was the person in charge of Kevin''s family a little over 100 years ago when Dean finally took over the patriarch''s position.


    But the two were not close relatives. In fact, the Chambers family generally followed the patriarch''s lineage when there was not great disapproval by the family''s elders with the young master. However, in this family, women could not assume this position.


    And the former patriarch had only one daughter in all his years...


    Thus, by the time the old patriarch had stepped down, Kevin''s father had taken over the family. He was the strongest among the competitors and the most popular among the elders.


    Anyway, after a high-level battle at that time, the former patriarch had been seriously wounded. Following that, that man''s vitality continued to deteriorate, to the point where he could barely train his techniques, in an attempt to keep his already short life expectancy from dwindling further.


    The Chambers family, of course, looked for resources everywhere they could. Still, it was tough to find items with the qualities of Spring of Life. Not only that, even the information on these items was not easy to get.


    The Chambers family itself did not know about this item Kevin purchased until they received such news!


    For all that, after this information arrives, all the Spiritual Kings who had obtained the information are agitated by what could happen with the recovery of the old patriarch!


    Finally, the other man, who still hadn''t said anything, looked in the direction of the two companions and said. "Well, it looks like a fight will be inevitable, but the old patriarch is one level above Mr. Dean..."


    "Unless Mr. Dean breaks to the next level, I don''t see how he can beat the old patriarch!" He finished with a resolute look in his eyes.


    Among the Chambers, only the strongest could lead!


    "Well, the beneficiary of all this will be young Kevin in the end. Even if Mr. Dean loses his position, the old patriarch has already lived more than half of his life. In 200 or 300 years, the young master can be as strong as he is, and he will also have the favor of the old patriarch on his account."


    "In fact! The young master will likely become the next patriarch!" The other two exclaimed in agreement.


    After that, the three continued to talk about the internal matters of the Chambers family, things that only essential and powerful people like them could know.


    Of course, all of this was done without drawing the attention of those Spiritual Generals who traveled with them, as these people were too weak to hear them.


    And finally, after talking, the three decided to stop for an hour so that the spiritual beasts could rest.


    They were in a great hurry to get to the base that Minos had invaded, but there was nothing to be done. Beasts need to stop from time to time, as well as to eat and drinking water.


    While doing this in the middle of a forest, one of the three looked up at the starry sky while doing some math on his fingers. ''From where we are, it should take another day to get there...''


    ...


    Simultaneously with the Chambers family''s group of Spiritual Kings resting, Vivian and her bodyguard traveled within a forest a few dozen kilometers from that base in two 4th stage''s spiritual beasts.


    Their beasts looked like tigers and ran as if they were full of energy, passing through dense woods, never using the common soil roads across the Cromwell Kingdom.


    Vivian and Samuel had not paused for a moment after leaving that base. Instead, they had taken their spiritual beasts from that base''s vicinity and then started their journey back to the residence of Davy''s sister.


    Vivian didn''t want to delay, as she was with the precious Spring of Life that could save her beloved friend.


    However, even though she was unable to rest, this young woman had taken some pills during the time that had passed and was already looking much better than she had previously.


    She had regained the natural flush to her cheeks, as well as some wounds already had stopped bleeding. Of course, after leaving that base and recovering some of her energy, Vivian had quickly cleaned up and changed her clothes, at the same time being carried by her spiritual beast.


    ''Lucky for me, that guy didn''t need this item. Otherwise, I''d have done pretty bad!'' The brown-haired girl thought to herself as she had a look of happiness on her face.


    She wasn''t near her friend''s residence, but she had enough time to get there before the Spring of Life wore off even more.


    "It should take me a week to get to you... This shouldn''t interfere so much with the treatment." She muttered under her breath, remembering Minos'' words.


    She was not an expert on the subject, nor did she know if young Stuart''s words were coherent. However, it was common knowledge that this was a perishable item outside the Elves Island, so Vivian didn''t want to risk it!


    ''I hope he is right! A month is more than enough for me.''


    On the other hand, Vivian''s bodyguard, Samuel, had other thoughts on his mind. After witnessing Minos'' prowess and hearing his young lady compare the techniques of the Spiritual Tournament''s finalist and the invader, this man couldn''t stop himself from having several thoughts.


    ''I wonder what power is behind those two... So much fighting prowess... Ahh, if we weren''t with prey to meet Ms. Vivian''s friend, we could chase them and find out from where these freaks come!''


    He then shook his head from left to right as a small smile played across his lips. ''But it does not matter. Both Mr. Davy and Ms. Vivian have gone through people of that power. I''m sure the fates of these two sides will not end here!''


    "When we get to the family headquarters, maybe we should stop by one of the town''s seer?" He asked in a low voice to Vivian.


    This was a common practice in the Spiritual World. Many people tried to discover information about friends and enemies through predictions made by seers.


    Of course, it was far from simple to do this, with several variables that could prevent someone''s fate from being monitored. But not only that, the predictions were like dreams, which could be confused and mixed, sometimes being difficult to analyze!


    Consequently, unless someone had a very high level of skill and was very strong, as was the case with Henricus Longus, it was impossible to have a perfect prediction.

 Chapter 250: Running Away

    Upon hearing Samuel''s question, Vivian was also curious to know about the origin of that person. Such power was not standard, and her brother had already come across ''another'' person who used similar techniques, which she had seen a few hours ago.


    Such a coincidence was not small, and this young woman could not help but imagine the colossus that lay behind those two young men.


    Maybe she could start a mutually beneficial relationship, allying the Hayes family with this mysterious organization...


    She then shook her head vertically and said. "This might be a good idea, but let''s wait until Grace''s problem is resolved."


    "OK."


    ...


    As Vivian and Samuel crossed that forest they were passing through, in another part of the Cromwell Kingdom, another group of people was quickly moving away from that Chambers'' base as they traveled east.


    In this group, there were three people, and one of them was the young man who had changed sides in the middle of the battle, Ross Willis, a nobleman from the Cromwell Kingdom, a level 45 cultivator.


    Besides him, the other two people who were at his side, one was his bodyguard, who had survived the previous battle, and the other was a representative of another family, who had participated in the slave auction.


    This person had lost his bodyguard at the start of the fight against young Kevin''s forces, but he had changed sides in the end, as he didn''t think he had better chances.


    In the end, he survived, and as he knew young Ross well, they had teamed up shortly after realizing Minos'' forces were not pursuing them.


    Anyway, the three had horrible looks, either because of the wounds and bloodstains on their bodies or because the three were utterly frustrated by what had happened.


    These three people had worked so hard, but in the end, they not only didn''t gain anything, but they also ended up losing.


    To begin with, this representative had lost his bodyguard and a grade-2, low-level spiritual weapon. And finally, after taking all the risk, by breaking into a base of a vengeful power like the Chambers family, he had had no gain!


    Even if they had switched sides in the middle of the battle, no one would have cared about it. The Chambers would see them as enemies anyway, even more so after Kevin had died at the enemy''s hands.


    Of course, they knew they would be chased by the Chambers when they entered that base, even though they changed sides towards the end. However, if they had gotten the Spring of Life that Vivian now had, and Kevin was still alive, everything would be different.


    Obviously, they would still be hated by the Chambers, but they might have the opportunity to win the favor of the ancestor who drank the Spring of Life!


    And it was worth all the risk, or rather, they had done it because of this chance!


    Anyway, Ross and the other two were walking through a forest when suddenly this young man punched a tree hard, making it shake vigorously. "Shit!"


    ''That bastard screwed it up!'' He thought to himself, remembering Minos'' strength. "Cade, we''re going to order an investigation into that group when we get to our family headquarters. One day I''ll get revenge on that bastard!"


    "OK. Surely there must be some record of an organization with such strong individuals, even if it''s just some basic information!" Ross'' bodyguard said confidently.


    And listening to these two conversations, the other man had similar thoughts, but he didn''t think it would be easy to find those people. ''None of them carried any identifying items, such as symbols or typical clothing. They hid very well...''


    "Aside from that person who destroyed the defensive barrier, all the other people only used techniques commonly seen in our region... It won''t be easy to find information on the techniques of a single person!" He muttered to himself at the same time as he saw the dense woods in front of him.


    Some techniques were widespread in the north of the Central Continent. That''s because each technique had multiple copies, so there were many different people with those copies.


    But not only that, when dying after a battle, the loser''s items were often picked up by the winner. With that, those copies of techniques from noble families had already spread across the continent a long time ago, as deaths were common in the cultivation world, and there was a very long history for these powers.


    In this way, it was effortless for this man to see that the Minos'' soldiers'' techniques were not uncommon in this region.


    However, Minos'' techniques were unique, and perhaps there were not many records of them. "Ahh, never mind, if there''s anything, Ross will certainly cause trouble for that guy. I don''t need to worry about such a thing!"


    After a while, Ross finally told the other two men. "Well, now we have to hide inside our families. Try not to interact with the Chambers in the short term, nor should we leave our territories!"


    "Hmm, that seems to be the only option... At least in our families, it will be harder for the Chambers to hit us!" The representative immediately agreed.


    ...


    At the same time, as Ross''s group was thinking about how to find out information about the origin of Minos and his soldiers, the young Stuart''s group had already crossed more than 200 kilometers, having passed a few hours since the end of the attack.


    The more than 20 carriages were filled with people, except for Minos'' one, as the group traveled moderately to the Black Plain.


    The beasts that pulled those carriages were only at 3rd stage of cultivation, having no breath to withstand a long trip at high speed. Then, from time to time, they had to stop, or at least slowdown, so they could keep traveling.


    As for Emlyn, even before leaving that base, Minos had already sent her to the Spatial Kingdom so that the group would not draw too much attention wherever they went.


    As much as they were not in the middle of urbanization or a busy road, it was not good to take risks when there was no need for it.


    There was always the possibility that someone could feel something through the spiritual sense, which could cause problems. After all, it was unusual for Spiritual Kings to travel in groups like young Stuart''s!


    Anyway, Minos was talking to Abby right now while she had a glass of red wine in her hand. This was a wine made in the Dry City, and even though it wasn''t the most pleasant of drinks, due to the low level of local cuisine, it was still rich in spiritual energy.


    Abby then asked her friend. "Do you think the Chambers family will find out what happened quickly?"


    Minos then shook his head and responded. "No, we destroyed all the clues in that place. So, the only way for them to find out is through the people who fled there. But these people are in the same situation as us. They don''t want to be found out!"


    "Young Minos is right, Ms. Abby. It may take years for them to understand what happened there, even if they manage to capture one of the people who saw what happened¡­" Eda supported Minos'' speech.


    "Hmm, it seems so... But anyway, you did really well back there, you even managed to fight someone at level 51, even before that fox showed up, impressive!" Abby praised him, looking into Minos'' eyes, a little embarrassed.


    She had fought some of the guards at that base, but nothing as significant as Minos and Jamie''s fight. She had only defeated three guards that were at level 45, which was what she could handle at the moment.


    As for Eda, she had fought a lot more than Abby, as there were several cultivators above level 47 in that place, even more so after the turnaround that happened at the end of the fight!


    But she had been fine, having just expended a lot of her spiritual energy. The fight had been focused between the people who wanted the Spring of Life, the forces of Kevin and Minos.


    Because of this, the two women of the Miller family hadn''t gone through as much trouble as everyone else in the place.


    "Haha, when you join my force, you will have opportunities to improve your fighting proficiency too¡­" He said with a smile on his face.


    Hearing this, Abby just ignored him and asked. "By the way, what about that spiritual beast? Where did it come from? Where is it now?"

 Chapter 251: Talking While Traveling

    Hearing Abby''s curious question, Minos smiled but said nothing. Of course, he wasn''t going to tell this friend of his that Emlyn was now in the Spatial Kingdom, but there was also no need for him to create a lie in an attempt to hide the fact that that fox was on his side.


    Such a thing would be ridiculous to anyone listening.


    They could all feel Emlyn''s strength before, so they knew she was a 6th stage spiritual beast. And there was no way such a being would go around helping the unfortunate and still listening to his requests...


    Emlyn was clearly in that place to help Minos and his forces, so the excuse that she had nothing to do with him wouldn''t work here.


    So, Minos paused to think about what to say, not to lie but also not telling the whole truth.


    While young Stuart was silent, Eda was also curious about the subject of this beast. She was much more experienced than Abby and knew how rare the beasts of the 6th stage of cultivation were in the north of the Central Continent.


    In this region, few powers had beasts from this stage of cultivation in their ranks. Still, even those few organizations could not make such beasts work as escorts.


    As spiritual beasts, these beings were far stronger than those humans on their level. Thus, these beasts would not be treated as mere escorts through this region.


    As can be seen from the people Minos came into contact with, even young masters from large families usually had only Spiritual Generals as escorts.


    Leroy was the only exception, but that was only because his guard, Jeff, had reached level 50 during this young man''s escort mission to the Spiritual Tournament...


    Thus, no family would put a 6th stage specialist to accompany a youth. Instead, they would pass some territory for them to defend, like was with the ruler of the City of Waters, Mirya.


    That was the principal role of high-level specialists, humans or beasts, not just in the north of the Central Continent but across the continent. They were the protectors of many families and cities spread across this domain!


    However, it was not easy to have a beast of this level.


    The first problem was that there weren''t many breeds that had the potential to reach the 6th stage. Ultimately, most of these higher-ranked beasts crowded into tribes and were much harder to find for trade.


    Another problem was that they used to be more intelligent and harder to tame. After all, spiritual beasts could cultivate faster than humans, meaning they could reach the 5th stage in less time.


    Obviously, some humans with high talents and high-level techniques could be faster in cultivation. Still, when compared to humans of the same potential range as beasts, beasts would win at cultivation speed!


    As a result, powers such as those responsible for the kidnapping of Emlyn and her late husband attempted to deprive these beasts of their freedom, not only on the Continent of the Beast but also on the Central Continent.


    Anyway, there weren''t many beast powers of Emlyn''s strength level in the Minos region for all that. Most of these beasts would only be found in other parts of the continent, where organizations like the Blood Triangle Pirates sold them!


    The Miller family itself had none, and the strongest beast of this power was only in the 5th stage. In fact, apart from the royal families of this region, there were almost no organizations with 6th stage spiritual beasts in these areas!


    And after a few seconds of not answering Abby''s question, Minos finally started talking. "I helped her in the past, or rather I''m still helping her. So, therefore, she has become a member of my forces, but she is not my subordinate..."


    He answered, not giving much information or saying where Emlyn was. Abby could only consider the mother fox to be nearby, outside the group''s spiritual sense space.


    Hearing this, the two women of the Miller family said nothing at once as they considered Minos'' vague response. There wasn''t much they could discover, but it seemed that the young Stuart wanted to clarify that Emlyn had a different status within his organization.


    ''What do you mean she is not your subordinate? Doesn''t she have to do everything you say?'' Abby wondered, trying to make sense of the situation.


    In this region, all the noble families treated their spiritual beasts as underlings, even if they were intelligent and could even speak the human language.


    Of course, some people treated them as part of their families, but this was much more like a parent who wants to choose their child''s fate than parents who give their children the freedom to follow their fates on their own.


    As for Abby''s bodyguard, Eda thought similarly. However, as a woman who spent most of her life as a subordinate of the Miller family, she almost felt a particular appreciation for Minos'' attitude.


    In a way, subordinates or spiritual beasts were just pieces in the regional political schemes, which could be replaced and forgotten. Consequently, she felt a little better listening to what Minos said, even though she still found the behavior a little odd.


    It was difficult to ignore certain ingrained habits...


    Because of that culture, mindset, Abby was curious that Minos behaved so differently. She then thought of something and asked. "So, what is she?"


    Minos then looked into his friend''s eyes and then spoke while massaging his chin. "Good question. I guess I can say she''s a friend. Even though I give her something, and she gives me something in return, I don''t see her as a subordinate, nor does she see me as her boss."


    "And if I get into your force, what will I be?" The young woman with blue hair and eyes asked, looking steadily at Minos.


    "Hehehe, of course, you will continue to be my friend! Nor would it suit me if you were a subordinate of mine¡­" He responded with a flirtatious smile at Abby.


    Minos would never have sex with a woman who was his subordinate. But he had been friends with Abby for years, and even if she did step into his organization, he would still see her more as a friend than a subordinate.


    Obviously, there was a big difference between Abby and Mia, for example. While Minos met his secretary as a boss and subordinate, it differed with the young woman of the Miller family. The two already knew each other before and already had an established relationship.


    That''s why he couldn''t see the two women alike, no matter how attractive secretary Mia was!


    Anyway, after hearing Minos'' sincere response, along with the glorious sight of this young man''s face, who was smiling slightly and pleasantly, Abby felt a little warm at this point.


    She wasn''t completely naive about the things in life and could easily see Minos flirting. After all, even if she is a maiden, many young men at the Miller family headquarters courted her and tried to gain her favor...


    On the other hand, while Abby blushed slightly, Eda was a little embarrassed by Minos'' attitude, but that was more because she was still there... As an experienced woman, Eda had her adventures, and despite not being a ''hunter,'' she wasn''t against occasional flirting...


    And that was how her and Dillian''s relationship had started, back when Minos and Abby were studying at the Spiritual Academy in the City of the Setting Sun.


    ''Ahh, the youth¡­'' She thought to herself as she looked out of that carriage, trying not to notice the two youths standing there with her.


    ''But this young Minos is very dangerous for Ms. Abby. She always wanted to protect herself. I don''t know if he is still a good influence on her¡­''


    And quickly, time continued to pass. Then, Minos and Abby extended talking about various things in their lives, information not relevant to their cultivation and position, but that could bring a relationship between the two.


    Getting to know how someone really is was what made a relationship evolve into something more meaningful!


    And so the two were sometimes laughing, sometimes with grave expressions, as they enjoyed the calm night of travel. They still had a long way to go, but there was no shortage of things to talk about.


    Life in the Spiritual World was not easy, but it would hardly be monotonous or would allow someone to have nothing to talk about. There were myths, stories from a remote past, and even some living legends...


    Strange phenoms, forbidden regions, historical individuals, information that could teach or frighten young people.


    And as they conversed, the darkness of night gave way to the first rays of daylight, as dawn approached that region of the Cromwell Kingdom, just a few hundred kilometers from Chambers'' base...

 Chapter 252: Stopping to Rest

    The first rays of light could already be seen on the horizon when the group of more than 20 carriages finally stopped.


    The 3rd stage, spirituals beasts, needed to stop to rest after the hundreds of kilometers they had covered, besides, of course, eating and drinking water.


    At this stage, both spiritual beasts, and any other living being, had several limitations that were not so different from those of ordinary living beings. In fact, the big difference was the strength that individuals from such stage had, which was many times higher than that of normal individuals.


    But sleeping, drinking water, eating, etc., were crucial activities for living beings at this stage of cultivation.


    However, it wasn''t just the spiritual beasts pulling the carriages that had to stop and rest for a while. The many people who were traveling in that group also needed to do the same.


    More than half of the people there were cultivators of the 3rd and 4th stage of cultivation, the former slaves of that previous base. A part of them were those who served that place, while the rest were the captives that Kevin had bought at the auction that had taken place in Hadia.


    A part of these people had decided to follow Minos'' group, as they no longer had anywhere to go back to, as well as they weren''t strong enough to take revenge... So, after talking to some of the Black Plain Army''s soldiers, a small group of 15 slaves had decided to accompany young Stuart''s group.


    As for Minos'' side, he had no problem taking these people into his territory. Each new resident of the Dry City received a simple array, an identification, that contained that person''s registration information in the city.


    This was used in various ways there.


    For example, when leaving the territory protected by the wall, a person needed to show their identification so that the city''s border had control over entrances and exits.


    As for visitors, as was the case with people passing through the city, there was also a unique registration. But there weren''t many people like that. Most of the people passing by were just the delivery fellows from the Cohen family store.


    Other than that, people rarely visited Dry City. Even business with the Nash family was now entirely done on the base the army had established on the coast.


    Anyway, because of all this, it was already relatively easy for Minos'' forces to determine who enters and who leaves the city, maintaining a reasonable border control. Consequently, if any of these individuals attempted to leave Dry City territory to transport information to other locations, it would not be difficult to prevent them from doing so.


    And even if there were an information leak, it would be easy to identify the person responsible through the city''s registry!


    So, Minos was happy to take these people with him, both the captives Kevin bought at Hadia''s Black Market and those who served that Chambers'' base.


    But not only that, with the opportunities they would have in the Dry City unless they were stupid, none of them would want to spoil it or even return to slavery...


    Anyway, a large part of the group that traveled with Minos was composed of weaker people who needed to stop and fulfill their biological needs more often. Furthermore, those who had been sold at the slave auction a few days ago had not yet recovered and needed a good rest.


    And the group of Peter, Barbara, Robin, and Joey, also faced the same situation. Aside from the two women, who had had the opportunity to cultivate and recover a little before the Minos'' invasion, the other two were pretty bad.


    Peter and Joey had been tortured for a few days by the guards at that base, and they hadn''t had any rest since they entered the captive''s life... So, with that, even if the two had been released a few hours ago, both would still need to cultivate and rest.


    Recovery wasn''t something that happened quickly, and cultivating during a carriage trip isn''t that interesting. To do this, cultivators need to be in a quiet place where they can calmly meditate.


    Finally, Minos'' soldiers also needed a short break. Although they were not as bad as the captives freed by Barbara during the invasion of that base, they still had a great fight, which made them give their all in that battle!


    But even though they were higher-level cultivators than the captives and could ignore some needs longer, they also needed time to recover!


    Finally, the group quickly got out of their respective carriages, near a pond, where there were dense woods on one side and the foot of a mountain on the other.


    They weren''t worried about whether or not the place was suitable for camping, as this was just a rest stop, and soon they would be back on the road.


    ...


    The more than 20 carriages of Minos'' group were stopped on a flat piece of land, where there were some mosses and small plants, not far from the lake in that place.


    A group of over 60 people was sitting at different points near those carriages, while some fires could be seen here and there.


    Some people were talking. Others were eating calmly and observing the natural landscape of that place, while some cultivated at the foot of the mountain, not far from the rest of the group.


    Minos was beside his carriage, along with the two women who had accompanied him on this trip, as they ate spiritual fruits planted on the Black Plain.


    On the other hand, the four former captives with Black talent were all together at this time, in another spot of that place, as they ate and drank.


    At this point, Joey looked at Peter with an expression of curiosity when he finally asked. "Boy, where are we going? I can''t imagine seeing the power that lies behind a monster like that lord who set us free!"


    "That''s right, Peter, you haven''t said anything about this place since we left that base. Why don''t you say something? We''re already going there anyway. Sooner or later, we''ll know!" The small-bodied, blond-haired young woman said as she glanced sideways at Peter.


    On the other hand, Barbara said nothing about it, standing there watching them closely. She was curious, of course, but for now, she preferred just to observe the situation.


    And then Peter observed them for a moment and smiled. "Can''t talk until we get closer to there. But it''s a great place for all of you." He then focused on the two women and continued. "I know you two are either uncertain or not even interested in joining the force to which I belong, but that place will surprise you."


    "There are so many opportunities, things none of you can find, not even if you joined a royal family in our region!"


    "Oh? You seem confident about it. Can you give us a reason for this?" Barbara finally said something right after hearing this exuberant statement from Peter.


    Such a thing was not small. There weren''t many powers that could compete with the royal families in this region. After all, these families were often among the oldest, having the most resources and the best talent among their ranks!


    ''Is the power behind that man one of those organizations that live in seclusion in the mountains?'' Barbara wondered dubiously.


    Such organizations existed, but they rarely showed up in public. Barbara had even known such a power in the north of the Central Continent before. Still, she knew these organizations weren''t much better than the great regional noble families.


    Consequently, she had questioned the young Peter!


    And while the three of them paid attention towards him, Peter''s lips slowly rose to form an arc when he said. "Those who manage to enter the army can learn Black-grade techniques!"


    "You mean we can learn some techniques after completing missions, right?" Joey asked, trying to take the uncertainty out of his mind.


    There was no way mere subordinates could learn techniques of this degree without even having contributed before! Hence, he couldn''t help but think that Peter had made a mistake in his speech.


    "No, as long as you''re a soldier, it doesn''t matter if you''ve already made contributions or not. You can learn any Black-grade technique from the headquarters library!"

 Chapter 253: Balance of Power

    Upon hearing Peter''s words, the three people besides the young Sergeant stood there petrified, with their mouths open in disbelief at what they had just heard.


    Such a thing was complicated to happen in this part of the Central Continent. After all, families often depended on these Black-grade techniques to maintain their control.


    In fact, noble families did this to avoid the appearance of even more competitors!


    This is because some lesser-scale noble families, the more recent ones, were in part powers originating from subordinates of others, more prominent, older noble houses.


    Such a phenomenon was not new. Someone from this region could easily cite some regional powers that arose in this way.


    Individuals like Minos'' father first entered a noble family, developed slowly, and then gained their own territories after reaching the 6th stage of cultivation and achieving some merits.


    Hence, starting a noble family, as Albert had started the Stuart family, was the first step in building an organization. After that, things could develop slowly, and in thousands of years, a new noble family of influence could emerge!


    Obviously, many failed in this task, just as the former general had, having just begun his own ambition...


    Anyway, the story was not short, and in a few thousand years, new powers ascended to compete with the old ones. But, on the other hand, other families decay, as had happened with the organization behind Barbara.


    This brought a certain balance of power to the region. However, if this were not limited in some way, at some point, there could be more powers than the region can sustain. From then on, there was only one possibility.


    War, madness, and stupidity!


    Rising powers would look for more, more territories, more subordinates. But what they were looking for and what didn''t already have an ''owner'' was limited, as much of the northern part of the Central Continent was already ruled by many different families.


    With that, unless a power ''ceded'' its assets/territories to others, there would be no peace in situations like this.


    However, no one would give up what was already theirs for some power that had just risen...


    From there, there was no turning back. The struggle for resources would select the fittest, while the losers would disappear into the river of history!


    It was precisely for these reasons that noble families prevented their subordinates from learning many Black-grade techniques!


    There was no problem with the ascension of one or another individual, as that was part of the balance, but they wouldn''t encourage this phenomenon!


    Even if most failed, as Albert had done, it was only manageable because only a small number of individuals managed to achieve the minimum necessary for it. If not, a lack of control could arise and threaten the traditional forces of the region!


    As for why these families didn''t wholly seal these Black-grade techniques from their subordinates, that was because such a thing wasn''t positive either. Any person with Black talent would want to go as far as possible given the parameters of the region.


    However, with only Blue-grade techniques, these individuals would be discouraged from joining these families. This is because there would be no significant benefit to them in ceding their liberties.


    But that would be a terrible problem too!


    Without these subordinates, more than half of each family''s power would go down the drain. Who knows where these people would go if these powers were too strict?


    Because of this, they had to maintain the possibility of Black-grade techniques being released for these subordinates to learn!


    Anyway, the three people in front of Peter were still disbelieving in what they had heard, while this young man smiled and thought to himself. ''This is just the tip of the iceberg, hehe.''


    The young Peter knew that there were even better things available to the Black Plain Army. After all, he knew a soldier who was training a Silver-grade technique in the army!


    But such a thing Peter would not say to his three ''slavery fellows.'' This is because such knowledge was not so common on the Dry City streets, as it was in the case of the Black-grade techniques.


    Everyone in that town knew about these Black-grade techniques, so there was no reason to hide such information from these three. They were already going there, so sooner or later, they would know.


    However, with Silver-grade techniques, only a handful of soldiers who knew Grym, one of those who used a technique of this degree, knew about this matter. Other than that, hardly any people were aware of this matter, as soldiers were not allowed to speak about it in public.


    With that, it would not be suitable to talk about such a subject to these three, unless they were already soldiers of the army!


    ''Unbelievable! Well, if I join this organization that this kid is a part of, maybe I can make it to the 6th stage of cultivation before my old bones decay¡­'' Joey thought to himself as there was a glimmer of hope in his eyes.


    Being only level 42 and over 400-years-old, Joey no longer had any expectations of reaching the level of a Spiritual King in his life. Cultivation only became more complicated with age.


    He was already much older than most people who reached the 6th stage of cultivation.


    Consequently, this old man no longer hoped to fulfill the dream of any cultivator in this part of the continent. In fact, he had long since resigned himself and was just living through his last years without worrying too much about such matters.


    But it would be different if he had all the support Peter had said. Anyone would be excited by the possibility of getting stronger and, most importantly, living longer!


    On the other hand, Robin was also interested in this point that Peter had just made. She even had a Black-grade cultivation technique, which the small family she came from had luckily found, but that was all.


    All of this young woman''s other techniques were Blue-grade. So, there was some interest on Robin''s part in this possibility.


    And the same was true for Barbara. As a subordinate of a noble family, she faced the same situation as other people in the same condition. She had only one Black-grade technique, which was not even focused on cultivation.


    Thus, for her, it was also intriguing! ''Maybe that''s why those men could fight so well against the guards at that base!'' Barbara thought to herself, remembering the moments of the fights in that Chambers'' base, which she had witnessed.


    And soon, the three continued talking.


    "There are other interesting things in the city we are going to that are available to any citizen."


    "It is true?"


    "Hmm, I even took my family there as soon as I settled down and got permission to do so."


    Joey then looked at him and said. "It must be quite tempting for you to do this! I know many individuals who are subordinates of large families but who do not do such a thing..."


    Hearing this, Barbara couldn''t help but nodding her head in agreement. "I also didn''t do such a thing when I joined the old family to which I belonged."


    "Haha, you''ll understand once we get there..."


    And after some time of rest in that place, finally, one of Minos'' soldiers gave the signal that it was time to get back on the road.


    They couldn''t just camp in this place, as it''s better not to take unnecessary risks and stay in this region longer!


    Who knows what the Chambers'' search power would be...


    ...


    Hours passed quickly, and now the sun was setting over the horizon of the Cromwell Kingdom, near the base that Minos and company had attacked.


    At that moment, that base was utterly desolate as the wind passed through the buildings of that place and made the doors and windows open and close, leaving only a few characteristic sounds behind.


    The large entrance gate that was between the high red walls of that place was completely open. At the same time, just a few hundred kilometers away, a group from the sky was approaching...


    Three flying beasts, which looked like winged lizards, were decreasing their respective altitudes. At the same time, gradually, the people sitting on their backs began to see the high red walls of that base.


    At this point, the Spiritual King who rode the beast at the front of the group finally sighed and muttered something. "We''re finally here. Let''s see how the young master is..."

 Chapter 254: Discovering the Invasion

    The three spiritual flying beasts descended from the skies, and their respective speeds were gradually decreasing. Thus, the group of people traveling on them gained a better view of the base''s strange situation.


    They could all see that the front gate of that place was completely open, not even a guard around as if someone had forgotten to do his job.


    But that wasn''t all. No, anyone who got close enough to that place should feel the spiritual fluctuations coming from the defensive array at that base.


    And by the distance they were at this very moment, at least the three Spiritual Kings who were in the group should already feel the effects of the defensive barrier in that place.


    However, they felt nothing, even probing their surroundings several times, as they found out if they had made a mistake.


    "There is something wrong here. Why is the defensive array not working? And why isn''t anyone at the entrance to that base?" One of the three said aloud, as his beast was the first to land beside that place.


    And upon hearing this, the other two Spiritual Kings said nothing, as they had the same questions in their minds. ''It can''t be... Has... Has the base been invaded?''


    "Impossible! From the information we received from young master Kevin, those pursuing him were all members of powers farther from this place than ours. So, how can their reinforcements get here before us?"


    "The only power nearby is Farmland. But that place has been our ally for over a thousand years. They wouldn''t break it for a mere Spring of Life!" Another of them commented, as they quickly entered that place, to see what had happened.


    As they did this, they soon saw the terrain where the battle had taken place. There were several upturned terrain marks, partially destroyed buildings, and something that was making them shiver down their spines.


    There was a big black and gray stain on the floor, between the entrance gate of that place and the main building. It looked like the ashes of ''something'' on a large scale that had been cremated there, along with the burned soil and structures.


    The wind passed through there, amid the sepulchral silence that these people were making at this moment, lifting the human ashes into the air and throwing them at the observers.


    "That¡­ Don''t tell me¡­" One of the guards accompanying this group of Spiritual Kings took two steps back, wondering whose ashes were.


    "Shit!" Finally, the individual who led this group muttered this under his breath as he came to the conclusion that made the most sense here. ''Kevin is probably dead, and the Spring of Life is lost!


    At that point, one of them had already tried to find signs of life in that place, but unfortunately, nothing was left. There was no one, not even a single body left behind.


    "As far as we know, the young master is probably dead, as is everyone else who was here." A tall, muscular man who looked like a mountain said this, while his face expressed an angry look.


    In an invasion such as the one that occurred in this location, leaving survivors would be almost unthinkable, even more so if the person knew the Chambers family.  So, this Spiritual King didn''t think that Kevin had been kidnapped or anything like that.


    However, another Spiritual King, who looked somewhat effeminate, with his face made up and his blond hair hanging in the air, suddenly disagreed with his partner. "Maybe, maybe not, Ray. The young master may have managed to getaway. Jamie certainly wouldn''t allow Kevin to stay in this place while one or more Spiritual Kings invaded."


    And at that moment, the leader of this team was crouched near the ash-filled place. As he ran his hand across the floor, he then looked at the other two men and said. "Chase is right, Roy. But if Kevin hasn''t survived, we''ll probably get a family crow in less than two days."


    The means of communication used in this part of the Central Continent were spiritual crows, which were helpful creatures in delivering correspondence. They were much faster than other spiritual beasts, as they were small and had their attributes all adjusted to increase their speed.


    But it wasn''t like that everywhere. Spiritual arrays could also do something similar, like the monitoring array present at the Spiritual Tournament. These items could send images long-distance, shortening the contact time between two sides.


    However, the families in the north of the Central Continent did not have the means to do this. It wasn''t cheap to have more than one of these, just as it was costly to make such items work. Furthermore, these were grade-2 arrays, which required crystals with medium concentration to function.


    Therefore, such items were costly for families in this region to have such a thing as a means of communication. And not only that, compared to the rest of the continent, this region was much smaller than the others, and the crows managed to fulfill their role well!


    Finally, while the three men were talking, one of those guards who had come on this trip approached them and began to make a report. "Sirs, we searched the whole place and found nothing inside the buildings. Not even a single sheet of paper was left behind."


    "What? Did they completely clean the place?" Roy asked with a worried face. This place was not an essential base for the family, but some communications still reached here...


    "Looks like the invaders weren''t just after the Spring of Life... Maybe they''re members of some enemy power?" The blond man said to the other two, realizing that this situation was not that simple.


    Chad, the leader of this escort mission, then frowned and said in a grave tone. "Hmm, looks like the person behind this invasion is very careful and wants to take a few steps ahead of us... This was not the work of those brats who were chasing Kevin!"


    Kevin had already described those chasing him when he had sent the request for an escort to Chambers family''s headquarters. So, these three knew that the Spring of Life''s persecutors were not overly powerful people or that they could make serious decisions like these.


    Even if they could get support from their families to get the Spring of Life, they probably wouldn''t do things the way they did in this place.


    Disputes over an item happened every day, but a massacre at a noble family base... That was a declaration of war!


    None of those people would have the balls for it!


    "Someone who hasn''t chased young Kevin before must have arrived at this location after we received the young master''s message. That must have been the cause of what happened here." Chad said as he reflected and saw the ashes spreading through his fingers.


    Hearing that, Chase nodded in agreement. "You''re probably right... So, what do we do next?"


    Chad then got up from that spot and closed his eyes for a second, trying to process everything that had happened here. ''What a problem, we have several enemies, but few of them would attack us like this... I hope Kevin managed to escape. Otherwise, it will be two young geniuses killed in the same year...''


    "Well, let''s split up. We''ll leave these guards in charge of this base, and we''ll start investigating the matter nearby. This doesn''t seem to have happened a long time ago, so we can still try to find those responsible for this."


    He then looked at the tall, muscular man and said. "Roy, you will follow in the track of the people who chased Kevin and who have families located on the west side of this region. They must certainly know something about what happened here, so that''s our best lead."


    After that, Chad turned to the effeminate blond man and continued. "You, Chase, follow the rest of the people and who have families based in the region east of where we are. It shouldn''t be hard to find their tracks unless, of course, they were killed..."


    "As for me, I will go north from where we are. There is no strong power in this region. Still, perhaps the one responsible for this is fleeing to another state or even came from another kingdom!" He stopped talking for a moment as he sighed and felt like weights were being placed on his shoulder.


    "I''ll also stop by Farmland. If Kevin managed to escape and is still alive, then this is the closest place where he could find refuge."


    "OK."


    "Well, let''s meet here in a week. If Kevin has been killed, the family will have already sent another investigative group by this time. Thus, we must be prepared to report any findings."


    And quickly, the three climbed on their beasts, flying at low altitude and speed, checking the terrain adjacent to that base...

 Chapter 255: Secret Toasts

    In the central region of the Cromwell Kingdom, where the Chambers family headquarters were located...


    While the three Spiritual Kings left to investigate the surroundings of that base from before, Kevin''s situation had already turned the entire Chambers family upside down!


    In fact, several people were talking about Kevin''s death all over the city ruled by the Chambers family, creating a rumor that had already reached thousands of people in a short time!


    A day ago, when the lamp containing the sign of Kevin''s soul went out, the entire headquarters of this young man''s family was shaken by the patriarch''s violent reaction.


    He, a level 56, Spiritual King, had unleashed all the anger generated by this news, destroying a cultivation room made for the 6th stage cultivators!


    Such action had generated tremors throughout the city, and even the various experts of that power had thought this was an enemy attack.


    In the end, even the old patriarch had shown up and found out what had happened right after he had stop Kevin''s father.


    The former patriarch was disappointed to learn what had occurred because he would likely be unable to obtain the item that would have extended his own life. However, as an old man who had already accepted death, he didn''t react in the same way as Dean.


    Anyway, due to the commotion generated in the middle of the night, many people already knew the reason for that incident the next day''s morning.


    Some people liked to talk in every community, and it was no different in this town. Captives spoke to each other, listened to conversations, and then talked about it with their masters. But, not only this, the subordinates and direct family members did this as well.


    One would inform another, sometimes a close relative, a wife, a husband, or other close family members. The latter would tell others, eventually creating a cycle that grew to thousands in a matter of hours.


    And the population of the city ruled by the Chambers family was shocked!


    In just one year, the two foremost geniuses of this family had been killed, one the son of the supreme elder, the other the son of the patriarch!


    Such reality made some people secretly laugh.


    Seeing these talented, proud youths, who lived as if this city were their backyard, where they could do whatever they wanted, getting killed one after the other...


    It was gratifying for the standard population, who were generally oppressed by the rulers of this place, to have such news.


    In fact, some even secretly toasted the ''respective'' responsible for the deaths of Kevin and Leroy...


    But not everyone was happy about these deaths. Some people didn''t have the displeasure of being the Chambers'' actions'' targets, so they didn''t completely hate them.


    Therefore, some even felt sorry for what had happened.


    Of course, no one felt sorry that Leroy or Kevin would be missed in this world. No, that was definitely not the reason behind the feeling of pity that some had. What made them feel bad about these deaths was the fact that two talented young men, who were likely to reach the apex of regional power, had died so prematurely!


    It was really a huge loss when individuals with everything to become Spiritual Kings in a few years die like that, suddenly, still in their youth, without having had the chance to accomplish anything.


    And while the population that had no direct relation to this sovereign family of this place, secretly celebrated, or lamented, the atmosphere was quite heavy among the Chambers.


    The Supreme Elder had been in a bad mood for some time now because he could not avenge Leroy''s true murderer. Even the death of the bodyguard, Jeff, who had previously fled, hadn''t eased Wallace Chambers'' bad temper.


    And now, with Kevin''s death, the entire family was in a state of mourning. This was evidenced by any direct member of that power, who had dark, sharp expressions as if they were capable of murdering anyone who made the slightest error...


    Anyway, amid this heavy atmosphere, several conversations were taking place in the corridors of Chambers headquarters.


    "Ah, what a tragedy! I heard that young Kevin had gotten such a precious item... But what a twist of fate." An elder said in a low voice while he had a sad look on his face.


    Beside this old man, there were some young men following him when one of them asked. "Grandpa, what do you think will happen now? Young master Kevin was the main member of the family in the competition for the patriarchal position, but now..."


    "Who knows, Patriarch Dean still has a long way to go, so there''s no need for a candidate to come up right away... But it''s unfortunate. It will set our family back for many decades..."


    ...


    Elsewhere in Chambers Headquarters, seven men were sitting around a long wooden table, while one of them was at the end of that place, with a beautiful woman sitting beside him.


    The woman had deep dark circles in her eyes, which still showed that she had a high-level beauty even though she looked exasperated.


    On the other hand, the man beside her had a sharp eye and a dark expression, with his brows tightly drawn together.


    This man is the current patriarch of the Chambers family, the father of the late Kevin.


    On his side was his first wife, Kevin''s mother, Eleanor Chambers, level 53.


    As for the other people in the room, they were all members of the Chambers family, Spiritual Kings who led this entire organization.


    In addition to some critical elders from this family, there was also the supreme elder, Wallace Chambers, level 55, and the former patriarch, Vergil Chambers, level 57.


    They had all talked about Kevin''s death as soon as the news had arrived, and the elders had to leave to calm the family patriarch.


    However, there were so many possibilities in a situation like this that they couldn''t help but come together again, at a time when everyone was calmer.


    And at that moment, the former patriarch, who was on Dean''s left side, across from Wallace, he then said in a deep voice. "Dean, I know you''re mad at losing little Kevin, but let''s take this situation calmly. I''m also very upset about what happened, but we have to put the family first. Our revenge will naturally come if we do this calmly!"


    Hearing this, Wallace immediately agreed. "The old patriarch is right, Dean. I know what you''re through, as I lost my beloved son a short time ago, but let''s investigate this murder of little Kevin and bring justice to our family!"


    "That''s right!" The others Spiritual Kings in the room commented in one sound.


    Finally, young Kevin''s mother decided to intrude on the conversation when she said painfully. "I know family comes first, but he is my son! They killed my baby when he should have been inside one of our posts! How do you explain this to me? Now, does our family allow murderers into our homes?"


    "Eleanor, calm down. Let''s talk calmly." The patriarch said, holding his wife''s hand. "First, Elder Alvin, we sent a group of them to that base. Where were they when this happened?" He said while looking at one of those people who were in that place.


    Hearing the question, a white-haired man coughed a little and then looked in the direction of Dean and Eleanor. "Patriarch, the group we sent could not have arrived at that post before the death of the young master Kevin."


    "Oh? So the base was raided even before that¡­" Another person commented in a low voice.


    "But where did this group come from, who could even break down a barrier and kill that young man, ehhh, Jamie? There shouldn''t be any power capable of doing that so fast in that region!" A level 54 elder made this comment, trying to understand this story.


    "It''s really weird. We used the fastest beasts of our family, and yet someone even arrived before us... Could it be that a Spiritual King was passing by, by coincidence, in the city of Hadia and heard the information about the Spring of Life?"


    "It''s possible. We''ll send an investigator to look into this in Hadia..."


    ...


    "We''ll send another one to Farmland. This is a place our enemy may have passed too..."


    ...


    "Finally, send another group to that post. The three Spiritual Kings we sent out earlier must have already started their investigations, so I want to know as soon as possible what they find out!" The patriarch finished speaking after listing everything he hoped would be done to resolve this matter.


    ''Whoever it is, I will completely destroy them!'' He thought as he held his wife''s hands and looked at the people in front of him.

 Chapter 256: Release Us From This Burden

    While the most influential people in the Chambers family discussed how to proceed with the investigation into Kevin''s death, outside that mansion, the townspeople discussed this news in various ways.


    On a specific property, on the impoverished side of this Chambers-ruled town, two elderly people, a man and a woman, were talking to some customers of that establishment.


    The people who frequented this place were all humble cultivators who have White talent, not worth enslaving, but still needed to do the ''minor'' activities.


    Therefore, people like that existed in all parts of the North of the Central Continent, even in a city where the sovereign family used the slave policy.


    Anyway, as people from the lowest social strata of this place, all those people had their own stories and tragedies, as well as their opinion on the latest news in the city.


    When starting another day of work, the couple who own this establishment was attending their regular customers, when suddenly, people there began to smile and raise their cups in the air.


    "Old Keith, I know your daughter can''t come back to life, but knowing her captor and murderer has been killed must be truly excellent, huh?" A tall, strong man spoke as he looked towards the owner of this establishment.


    Unfortunately for this family, Kevin had gotten in their way after liking the look of Keith''s daughter. But like many young women in this world, her above-average beauty had been a tragedy for this man''s daughter.


    She didn''t have high talent, so she was just a toy in the eyes of Kevin, who, after getting tired, just threw her away, dead...


    Anyway, on hearing this, the old man who owned this property nodded, but he didn''t change his expression, not even a bit. Knowing that Kevin had been killed had taken some of the weight off this man''s conscience, but it didn''t alleviate the longing he felt for his daughter.


    The same could be said of his wife, who still mourned the death of her only child. She then answered in her husband''s place. "It''s good to know that that degenerate is dead. I hope it was terrifying for him!"


    "Mrs. Ursula, I expect the same! That bastard also killed my cousin, but unfortunately, I could never do anything... But he got what he deserved!" Another customer said in a low voice, so only the people in that place could hear.


    "Don''t celebrate too loud. Only one of them was eliminated. There are several others like Kevin in this damn place."


    "Hmm, true. If my family hadn''t lived here for so long, I would have moved away from this place. The Chambers are a pest. You can''t expect anything good while they''re here."


    "Oh? And why don''t you move?"


    "I can''t, I can''t make my elderly parents go through this, nor can I leave them... Ahh, I hope that one day someone will release us from this burden!"


    And so, conversations of this type continued to take place in several different parts of the city. At the same time, many people secretly celebrated Kevin''s death.


    ...


    Elsewhere in the northern part of the Central Continent, in the Dry City, little change had taken place in the city since Minos left to rescue Peter.


    However, a few thousand more people had arrived in young Stuart''s territory from the City of Waters. With that, the many job vacancies in this place were gradually being filled, making possible a slight improvement in the internal economy.


    The agricultural fields were increasing in area and had already surpassed the mark of one thousand hectares, which employed more than 70 thousand people from the Dry City.


    But that was not all, with the constant development of the city, the construction sector was one of the busiest in this place. It was the second most active area in that place!


    More than 20,000 people were constructing new buildings in the city of Minos, such as new public services, more avenues, residential structures, water supply systems, sewer systems, etc. Therefore, half of the city could be considered a construction site, which welcomed people of all cultivation levels to work!


    As with agriculture, construction did not require workers to use spiritual techniques to do so. But, of course, there was a need for an alchemist in agriculture to develop a means of growing plants, just as in the construction, a design projected the buildings.


    But for those who would do the building work, just the strength and energy given by their respective cultivation levels would be enough. Farmers and workers would just follow the ''recipe'' given by those experts, developing buildings and crops!


    Anyway, the people who came from the City of Waters were delighted with all this, especially with the possibility of using the Dry City Public Library.


    In fact, many of them had already gone to this place and had even changed their cultivation techniques. After all, living longer was what they were after, and for that, they needed to cultivate faster!


    But lately, it wasn''t just living longer that motivated them. No, by the time they arrived in this town, they had all learned about the excellent conditions that Black Plain Army''s soldiers received, and that was the new ambition of these people!


    At this time, the city was experiencing a condition that stimulated this feeling, this dedication to improving that these newcomers had gained. That''s because, in just a week, another selection for new army soldiers would happen!


    Because of this, the entire city of Minos was excited, and conversations about this new selection were present in every corner of the town, with young and old talking about the subject.


    ...


    In a public square in the Dry City, a group of people was looking at a large mural that was there, which had some helpful information for citizens.


    A medium-sized map took up about a third of that mural, where newcomers to the city could quickly locate themselves and find where they were going.


    It also had information about some jobs and services, the government advertisements. Such structure was present in every residential neighborhood of the city, in some of the squares in these places.


    Finally, a group of 5 people was talking in front of that mural at this very moment, when a newcomer finally said eagerly. "Hehehe, I''m already at level 39. So, I think I can easily get a position in this selection!"


    "It''s not that easy, idiot! There must be many others at this level, but there are only 400 vacancies for people at this level!" A friend of the person from before, who also came from the City of Waters, complained to his friend.


    The two had heard that the army of this place only recruited people who were at the end of each stage of cultivation, in groups. The largest batch were cultivators from the 1st stage of cultivation, following through the 2nd stage and going to the 5th stage. The latter having the smallest number of vacancies.


    As for why it was that way, it was pretty simple. Each cultivator can change techniques, but there is a significant limitation to this, making people who do this weaker, or better, less proficient in fighting.


    That''s because the characteristics of the techniques depend on the phase of mastery a cultivator has over it. But when changing technique, an individual would already be losing. First, he would lose all accumulated understanding of the replaced technique.


    Second, as a result of the spiritual incompatibility created by this change, this individual would be permanently limited, as he would have to learn techniques with fewer phases, with less potential!


    Because of this, the substitute techniques, even if they were more efficient and ranked better, would still be more limited. And in a high-level fight, such a thing would be terrible!


    Imagine if the young Stuart fought someone much faster than he. Suppose Minos'' domain on the Spatial Sword was not excessively high. In that case, he could not affect someone capable of leaving his area of influence easily!


    And such kind of characteristic was precisely related to the number of phases a cultivator can master over a technique!


    In the case of the Spatial Sword, this mainly affected the space around Minos that was affected by this technique... With each phase that he mastered, the greater the space influenced by this technique.


    And precisely because of this, Minos wanted to hire people who had at the end of each stage, giving greater importance to those who have not yet learned many techniques. That is, those youths from the lower stages.


    This served for these soldiers to develop better, losing as little as possible, considering the standards of this region. They could have better techniques right from the start, being less negatively influenced by changes!


    But on the other hand, Minos needed strong people on his side as soon as possible! He couldn''t just hope that young people like Lee and Alison would grow up and be able to help him.


    No, he needed more subordinates who were at least in the 4th stage of cultivation, people who could reach the 6th stage in a few years with Minos'' resources!


    Only then could he protect this place in the short term!

 Chapter 257: More Requirements

    To achieve this goal of having subordinates capable of reaching the 6th stage of cultivation in the short term, Minos was investing in people who had already reached the 4th and 5th stages.


    Even if these people had already learned several techniques and were going to suffer from the adverse effects of changing techniques, it was still worth hiring them.


    They would serve as the first-generation leaders of the Black Plain Army, who would lay the foundations for the future of this territory. Furthermore, at least in the short term, they would protect this place from external threats in this northern region of the Central Continent.


    However, Minos'' focus was on those lower-level cultivators.


    That''s because they could already have Black-grade techniques from the start, can develop faster, and even reach higher levels of fighting proficiency in the future.


    People who have never changed their techniques, who are at an ''x'' level, would be stronger than someone at the same level ''x'' who has already shifted techniques!


    The difference would be so much more significant, as the level they were both at increase. For example, the difference if this level ''x'' were level 30 would not be substantial and could even be insignificant. However, if that level ''x'' were level 80, the difference would be as heaven and earth!


    And Minos knew this very well. For this reason, he wanted to invest as much as possible in these young people who have not yet learned many techniques.


    However, the reality was not just that. There would come a time when some of these soldiers would have the opportunity to learn Silver-grade techniques and would end up facing this problem sooner or later...


    But concerning this, he didn''t have much to do. He would not just allow his soldiers to learn these techniques quickly without making significant contributions before then.


    Hell, there was no need for that either.


    At this time, the dangers they faced were relative to the north of the Central Continent, a place where the strongest had Black-grade technique sets, with a few having one of the Silver-grade. So, there was no need for Minos to invest these most valuable techniques in soldiers who have Blue talent.


    As for the loss some of these individuals would have when switching techniques, well, that would be worth it because of the Silver-grade ones. The difference in spiritual use that each classification had was huge, and every cultivator would be willing to switch techniques.


    There weren''t even second thoughts. They might lose proficiency, but they could still handle a lot more energy than before switching techniques!


    Anyway, after those two friends talked to each other about the selection that the local army would make in a week, suddenly a young native of the Dry City laughed and said. "Hehehe, you two must be new around here, right?"


    Hearing this young stranger talking to them, the two turned to him and then nodded. "Yes, we came from the City of Waters. Why do you ask?"


    And even before the young man from before said anything, a young woman who was also there began to explain the reason for the previous young man''s question. "You were a little unlucky, friends from the City of Waters. Suppose it was the last selection of the army. In that case, you could indeed participate in it and have chances to get a position, but that has changed for this new edition."


    "What? But that''s what our families told us!" The young man who was confident earlier refuted a little anxiously.


    And so the young man from before spoke again. "It''s like Trina said, you were unlucky. From this edition onwards, candidates must have lived in the Dry City for at least six months to be able to compete for the vacancies!"


    "It can not be!"


    "Hehe, but it''s the truth. Think about it, this place is growing every day, with more and more people arriving from different places. In other words, the number of people able to compete for these vacancies is getting bigger, and now the army can impose more severe restrictions."


    The girl from before then spoke again, right after her friend said that last comment. "Such a thing was expected. Before, the Black Plain Army had few soldiers and few people in the city with the capacity to compete for positions. But now, after this new selection, there will be more than 4,000 soldiers in our city!"


    "For this reason, the selection will be increasingly cautious in the future. I think the next selection might even increase that time to a few years!"


    And indeed, the army was getting stricter in its selections. For now, anyone who has lived in the Dry City for at least six months could participate in the competition for the vacancies in this organization.


    That was not the case before, as young people from the City of Waters had been warned by their families. That was because, at the time, Minos'' forces were small, and there were not enough people in the Dry City to satisfy the requirements for new soldiers.


    For this reason, Minos allowed newcomers to the city to dispute the army''s vacancies. But that was only a temporary measure. As time went on, the population increase and the strength of the original inhabitants of this place developed!


    That allowed the competition to be more disputed, making room for Minos'' group to tighten the restrictions on entry into the young Stuart''s army.


    With that, they could hire even more trustworthy people, who they could research the background of these possible new soldiers, preventing potential spies from entering Minos'' organization.


    It was tough to investigate the past of thousands of people who came from many different cities. However, if these people''s history within the Dry City were analyzed, this would become much simpler.


    For most people, hiding their true selves was not an easy task. Most ended up demonstrating what they were capable of in their day-to-day activities. With that, if these people had been living for some time in Minos'' city, then the army investigators could get more reliable information from these people!


    That was the primary purpose of adding this condition to selecting new soldiers for the local army.


    But I wasn''t going to stay in just six months of living in the Dry City. No, in the future, with a few exceptions, only those who were already born in the Black Plains territory could join Minos'' forces!


    Of course, the exception would be for special tournaments, along the lines of the Spiritual Tournament and invitations made directly by Minos. In these two cases, what would be taken into account would be just talent and strength, so the young Stuart would not limit the options for these events so much...


    After all, even if this place improved in the future, talents from the Silver classification would still take a while to be born in this region ruled by the young Stuart...


    Minos'' army would gradually increase this minimum period of residence in this territory until, within a few years, only the native people of the Black Plain would join this force via traditional selection.


    For now, the boundary was related to Dry City, but that was because there were no other cities under Minos'' domain. Yet, when there was, it would extend across the entire Black Plain!


    However, that wasn''t just for that investigative reason. No, another reason was that the native population of the Dry City was cultivating faster and faster due to the offer of the new services that Minos had brought to the city.


    Just to give you an idea, the average level of the local population of Dry City had increased by more than ten levels since Minos'' arrival!


    Thus, valuing the native population, who had been here since the beginning, was something that Minos considered. After all, they lag behind the immigrants coming to the Dry City because this place was one of the worst, if not the worst, in the north of the Central Continent.


    So, this was young Stuart''s way of bringing more equality to the competition and not leaving these Dry City natives behind. In fact, with a more balanced competition, there would be even more options for the army to choose from!


    Finally, after hearing the explanation from the boy and the girl who was there in that square, the two youths from the City of Waters understood the situation. Obviously, they weren''t happy with this information, but there was nothing to be done.


    There were many good options in the Dry City today, and they would continue to strive to reach the Black Plain Army in the future!

 Chapter 258: Selection Information

    While the two young men from the City of Waters returned to their activities, lamenting that they could not participate in this selection, similar scenes were taking place in other parts of the city.


    People new in the Dry City and some inhabitants who had lived here for months were slowly discovering the details of this edition of the selection for new army soldiers.


    Many of them were surprised to learn that there were now more limitations regarding the period of residence in the Dry City. But that was just for a moment when they received news that was different from what they expected.


    But as such a change was expected, most people didn''t keep this question on their minds for very long. Every organization would try to improve its control over its members, and that''s what Minos was doing.


    Even though some of the new residents were disappointed, they understood the motivations of this new rule very well and were okay with it. If they were being ''deleted'' now, it would be different next time.


    That was a system that favored those who were already in the Dry City, and these newcomers would be privileged for it in the future. So, they understood that this ''exclusion'' was temporary. They had to take this time to enjoy the services of this place, increasing their strength for the following selection!


    Anyway, the mood in the city was festive. Many people focused on the cultivation and arena rankings in the city in the last few days, as several of the people in the best positions could get one of the positions in the army.


    And although the selection for new soldiers was not open to the public, many people had friends and/or relatives who would participate in this edition, so this was a matter of prime importance in the city.


    The conditions the soldiers received were excellent. Even if a single person in a family got a place, it would change the whole fate of their parents, siblings, children, etc.


    Because of this, even if they couldn''t have fun watching a kind of tournament, the population of the city of Minos awaited this selection with full enthusiasm.


    ...


    In a residential part of the Dry City, there was a street with several buildings of different shapes and sizes. Each of them had at least ten floors, forming a beautiful sight to behold.


    There was a wide street in that place, with trees scattered every few meters and a specific lane for people who were in a hurry. After all, cultivators could run at high speeds, sometimes even faster than typical carriage speeds.


    Such a thing was widespread in any city of the Spiritual World, as not everyone had spiritual beasts or vehicles to move them. Carriages were expensive, superfluous items, which practically only served in long-range journeys, or when people intended to increase their quality of movement within the same city.


    Running was something most people could do, but using a carriage was always more comfortable for those who could. Therefore, noble and wealthy people always used this means of transport, even though they had another option.


    There were also the beast''s trips. This type of transport is already more suitable for transporting few people, preferably only one.


    That was a faster transport than vehicles, and depending on the strength of the beast, it could be faster than human speed as well.


    Because of this, people like Abby and Ruth, who traveled in small groups, or even alone, favored the use of spiritual beasts. But, of course, it was partly because they both had too many crystals to buy good beasts...


    For example, a single 4th stage spiritual beast is at least five times more expensive than a set of 3rd stage beasts and still adding the carriage!


    That''s why most people in the north of the Central Continent, ordinary people, couldn''t afford any of these alternatives, that''s why they moved in the traditional style, on foot.


    Hence, there are exclusive lanes on the streets of a large city, where cultivators could run without disturbing the typical movement of other people.


    As to why this already existed in the Dry City, it was because the young Stuart had ordered it to be done. He knew this place would be home to millions in the future, so there was no reason not to plan now!


    Anyway, in the middle of this residential neighborhood, a young woman with black hair, with little flashy clothes, but well cared for, was coming out of one of the buildings accompanied by a middle-aged woman, who already had some white hair among the black ones.


    They were on their way to do their week''s markets while they chatted about the important topic of the moment.


    "Alina, are you going to participate in this selection that will take place in a few days?" the older woman asked as the two walked calmly down that long street.


    "Hmm, I will. I reached level 29 this week, so I have a chance of getting one of the 3rd stage soldiers'' groups spots." Alina responded while she had a determined look on her face.


    She had taken the opportunity to train in the town''s Cultivation Tower a few times since the opening of this place. After a lot of work, she had managed to level up two times since the inauguration of that place!


    Anyway, upon hearing her daughter''s answer, that middle-aged woman smiled and then asked. "And do you already know how this selection will be?"


    "Yes, mom. First, they will collect our IDs, and only those who have lived in the Dry City for at least six months will pass."


    "After that, there is a background check. If the person has been involved in any confusion in the past six months, he will be eliminated from the exam. This part takes about a week. After the result of this preliminary part comes out, we finally get to the important part."


    "This part seems pretty simple. What''s next?"


    "After that, there is a physical test to measure our level and our aptitudes, such as talent and Physique classification."


    "Oh?"


    "They will then analyze each of our innate abilities, with the possibility of immediate approval if someone possesses a skill that is compatible with combat or something the army seeks."


    "Finally, the final selection phase is made up of several fights. First, we fight other competitors, and lastly, those who pass this part will have to face soldiers of rank equivalent to our level!" She finished excitedly.


    Even though this last part was quite tricky, Alina was excited about this selection. For this moment, she had been training for over two years since Minos arrived in this place.


    After hearing her daughter finish speaking, the mother was surprised for a moment as she had her mouth open in shock. "But daughter, how can ordinary citizens defeat an army soldier? This last part is very excessive!"


    "No, I heard that we wouldn''t have to face soldiers of the same level as us. But it will still be complicated, as they have fighting techniques far superior to ours." Alina replied, looking into her mother''s face.


    In fact, even if people like Alina had to face soldiers of a lower level than theirs, that doesn''t mean the fight would be any easier or more balanced. This measure was just the bare minimum for these citizens to have a chance to do more than just lose to Minos'' soldiers, who could rely on Black-grade techniques.


    That''s because, even if there were an equivalence in the energy involved in the techniques, it wouldn''t mean a balance in the fight!


    The quality of spiritual techniques affected not only energy efficiency but also their quality!


    With that, even if these people like Alina had to face someone of equal spiritual strength, they would still be at a bit of a disadvantage.


    But that''s what Minos wanted. By doing such a thing, he could force these people to try different things, strategies, use innate abilities, etc. A cultivator''s level or technique didn''t just define a fight. There were other variables involved in the process.


    Of course, having good techniques and a high level was a good thing. But there were ways other paths that could unbalance a fight. As long as the difference wasn''t brutal, there was always the possibility that someone at a disadvantage would win!


    That''s what Minos was looking for, warriors who can solve problems like this and become winners!

 Chapter 259: Old Acquaintances

    After hearing Alina, the mother of this young woman that Minos had met when he was leaving the Dry City for the first time, understood what her daughter had to do.


    "I see. Well, I hope you perform excellently. But my daughter, don''t try more than you can. Our life is already good here in the Dry City."


    "Hmm, it''s okay, Mom. But I will try my best! I think I have a good chance of passing the selection."


    And so, the pair of mother and daughter followed that long street, full of residential buildings, until they reached a place where there was a food market.


    The two continued to talk about other things, minor information typical in everyday life in this city.


    ...


    And so, time passed quickly, and six days had passed since the Minos group''s invasion of the Chambers family base.


    In the time that had passed, the three Spiritual Kings had begun to make their investigations in that region of the Cromwell Kingdom, following the clues left by those persecutors from before.


    Several of them had left that base alive, but most had gone their separate ways.


    That ended up making difficult the action of those Spiritual Kings. And even after days running after these people, they had not managed to achieve any results.


    But that wasn''t weird. As much as they were stronger than Kevin''s pursuers, those individuals already knew they would be tracked unless they did something about it.


    And that''s what happened. Most had left as few clues as possible and followed escapes routes that would make it difficult to track every one of them.


    They would not immediately go to their territories, as this was already the expected attitude. As a result, even though they intended to return to their respective bases, most of them sought refuge elsewhere until the dust settled and they could return home.


    However, not all of them thought that way...


    One of these people was heading straight for her own territory, not careful to make detours and stop to hide...


    And such a thing had not gone unnoticed!


    One of the Spiritual Kings was already on the trail left by that person, being the first good clue he had found since the beginning of this investigation.


    "Looks like someone''s got a lot of hurry, huh..." A tall, muscular man, thought to himself as he studied a clue left in the middle of the forest he was.


    Roy, who had been left in charge of investigating Kevin''s pursuers who had fled the west, was now getting close to one of them for the first time.


    After days of investigation, he had only gotten superficial things, which led nowhere. However, following a specific clue he had found one day ago, he was finally ''sniffing out'' something!


    "Looks like I''m not far from you!" He muttered in a low voice just before he got up and climbed into that great spiritual beast that was with him there.


    ''Let''s find out what happened in that place...''


    ...


    As things slowly developed for Roy, in another part of the Cromwell Kingdom, not far from the City of Waters, Minos'' group was slowly arriving at this place.


    They had traveled swiftly across the long north of the Cromwell Kingdom and were now close to the border, from where they could finally reach the Black Plain territory.


    However, they could not continue their journey much longer. At this point, the group had already covered hundreds of kilometers without rest, and it was time for them to stop.


    But not only that, by now, it had wholly darkened in the vicinity of the City of Waters, from where they were just a few minutes away.


    The weather was cold, windy, and at some points on the horizon, someone could even see the snow slowly forming on the peaks of mountains near that place.


    And as he watched this from inside his carriage, Minos smiled slightly and thought to himself. ''Good thing the Black Plain is at low altitudes, unlike this place... It would be a problem if we had to deal with the snow.''


    That was a fact. There was practically no snow in the Black Plain at any time of year, even in winter, when temperatures were lower. Of course, the altitude of the terrain partly helped that factor, but that wasn''t all.


    With the proximity of the spiritual root of its territory, the city of Minos had a specific ''protection'' generated by this being. And even though it had been functioning abnormally for a very long time, the spiritual root still managed to affect the region''s climate.


    There was an interesting effect that was caused by spiritual roots. That''s because, in most of this world, places with more significant amounts of energy used to have more unstable climatic and geological dynamics.


    However, in areas close to spiritual roots, as in the case of the Dry City, a particular effect on the climate was generally not seen, which were low temperatures.


    It was almost as if the root was trying to regulate the surrounding atmospheric temperature, exchanging heat with the environment.


    ''Spiritual roots can release heat to the environment. After all, they are practically rivers of magma...'' Minos thought about it as he remembered the information inherited from the memories of Henricus Longus.


    In fact, these beings that are so crucial to the world, if looked at with the naked eye, would look like entirely red roots, as if they were living magma itself!


    Anyway, while Minos was thinking how the spiritual root of that region kept Dry City temperatures near an ideal level for agriculture, Abby, who was standing in front of him, said something. "We are getting close to the City of Waters. What do you want to do? Are we going to camp here nearby, or are we going to spend the night there?"


    Hearing this, Minos put his thoughts aside and answered her. "Well, it''s not convenient for so many people to pass through that place. So, even if we were separated, it still wouldn''t be good."


    He closed his eyes for a second and then said. "Most of our group should stay here and set up camp until dawn. But if you two want, we can go find a hotel in this town."


    "Hmm, this is good. I need a nice hot shower. I haven''t slept in a proper bed for days!" The beautiful blue-haired young woman said this wearily as she looked at Minos and Eda.


    Eda just smiled at that. It was usual for a young noblewoman like Abby not to like this stressful travel routine that Minos and company had been doing.


    After all, they weren''t just traveling. They were running away from whoever was going to investigate that previous matter!


    As for Minos'' suggestion to spend the night in this town in front of where they were, that was something that wouldn''t hurt, as long as it was done only by them.


    Minos'' group had many people, and many of them still looked pretty bad, even though they''d had almost a week of rest and good condition. However, each of them still sported a pitiful appearance.


    And given the number they were in, it could draw unnecessary attention if they entered the City of Waters.


    As for the army soldiers coming from the Dry City, they were all used to camping during trips, unlike Abby...


    So, to avoid trouble, Minos soon ordered everyone to stop at a sheltered place in the woods, not far from the city ruled by Mirya.


    They soon set up a temporary camp to rest and cultivate for the next few hours before finally leaving the Cromwell Kingdom.


    As they had no intention of entering the City of Waters, there was no need to pass through the border checkpoint of that place. When they were ready to leave, they could just bypass this city ahead!


    And soon, a carriage with Minos, Abby, and Eda followed the path to the southern entrance to that town while a soldier did the work of coachman.


    "Where do you two want to stay? Maybe you want to stop and eat or something?" Minos asked both of them as he looked at the lights of that city through the glass window of his carriage.


    "I don''t want to go out to eat. Let''s just find a hotel." Abby replied, opening her mouth slightly as she yawned.


    ''Hehe, alright. It''s time for me to see an old acquaintance...''

 Chapter 260: Failing to Seduce

    After a few minutes of traveling in their carriage, Minos and the two women from the Miller family finally arrived in the City of Waters.


    The city was still bustling, and by the time they entered that urban area, a few other carriages were passing from one side of the town to the other.


    And as they moved, Abby couldn''t help but notice that the young Stuart seemed to be in a slightly better mood. After all, many women could easily perceive these subtle changes in the people around them...


    "Why does it look like you''re not coming here just for the night?" The blue-haired young woman asked, looking at Minos'' relaxed face, which had his lips and eyes slightly positioned in a manner commonly seen in satisfied people...


    She then thought of something while still facing her friend, standing right in front of her, with his face slightly turned towards the carriage window. ''This rascal! What is he thinking? I bet it must be something shameless...''


    And after hearing Abby''s question, Minos gave a gentle smile, realizing that his friend had noticed something. "Hehe, Abby, I did some business here in this town a while ago, so it''s a good opportunity for me to see the progress of this..."


    "Oh? A business, you say? But at this time of night, I''m afraid it''s not appropriate for you to visit. Why don''t you let to do this tomorrow morning? I''ll go with you." She questioned him. ''You may have changed in many ways, but I can still tell when you don''t tell the truth!''


    Even though the young Stuart had absorbed much of Henricus Longus'' knowledge, he couldn''t eliminate all of his natural reactions from his body.


    Just over two years had passed for Minos since he woke up!


    And someone who had spent so much time with him before, as in Abby''s case, noticing certain signs wasn''t that difficult.


    And realizing that Abby didn''t want to let this matter drop, Minos couldn''t help but be entertained by the situation. ''In addition to ''doing nothing,'' you also want other people to follow your ''options''... You''re so cute, Abby!''


    "I don''t think you want to go with me. It''s not the kind of ''thing'' you''re used to doing." He said, trying to keep his expression unchanged like he was talking about something critical.


    And while he was saying this, the carriage that their group was in finally arrived at the hotel, where they would spend the night.


    Abby had blushed slightly at hearing what Minos had said, but she didn''t respond. Instead, she simply followed him and Eda to that place, where they quickly checked into the hotel and took the keys to their respective rooms.


    This place had plenty of places available, as this was not the time for anything special to happen in the Cromwell Kingdom, as it had been during Minos and Ruth''s trip. So, there was no hindrance for them in this place, and quickly the group went to their rooms.


    After reaching the floor where they were supposed to spend the night, Eda quickly went to her room, where she could have a few hours of rest. On the other hand, Abby was in no hurry, and she followed the young Stuart to his room while they were still talking.


    Minos wanted to take a hot shower before he went out to see his acquaintances, but he didn''t mind hanging out with his friend for a while. There were still many hours until dawn, so he had plenty of time...


    "How is your family, Abby? I remember your mother was almost into the 6th stage of cultivation at the time we were at the Spiritual Academy." He said a few minutes after they were both there, sitting on a big red sofa in the middle of the living room of the apartment he had rented.


    Hearing this, Abby smiled and said. "She already advanced to level 50, five years ago. My dad also got a breakthrough and is now at level 54."


    Abby''s father is an elder in the Miller family, of the group that controlled this power.


    "Hmm, good to know. In the future, if you join my organization, you will need their help to avoid certain problems¡­" Minos said vaguely.


    "What do you mean?"


    However, young Stuart did not answer her question. He then got up from where he was and took off his shirt, showing his defined abs to Abby without any shame.


    Seeing this, the young woman from the Miller family couldn''t help but blush in embarrassment. Still, she also couldn''t look away from Minos'' well-built body.


    At this point, the young Stuart was already about 1.9 meters tall, with a body proportional to his size, without being exaggerated in measurements but very well defined. Surely, he was the type that would make many women interested in looking at him or even touching his body.


    And it was no different for Abby. Even as an ''untouched'' young woman, it was difficult to ignore the natural senses of her body in response to the visual stimulation of this young man in front of her.


    She then got up, alarmed. "What are you doing?"


    "Hehe, you were surprised, huh? No biggie, I''m just going to take my shower." He said with a poker face.


    "You can wait for me here. I''m not in the mood to go out yet. My business can be done a little later." He said that as he left that place and went straight to the bathroom of that apartment.


    Minos didn''t expect him to get anything out of Abby just for trying to seduce her with his body, but it didn''t hurt to provoke her. She already knew pretty well what kind of business he would be doing later, so there was no reason for him to lie to her and pretend to be something he''s not.


    And while Minos took his shower, Abby had stayed there all this time, processing her friend''s boldness. "He hasn''t forgotten that idea... But if he thinks I''ll fall into his arms easily, he''s so wrong!"


    "It''s not just one body that will move my conviction!" She muttered while going back and forth in front of the bathroom door where Minos was.


    And as she felt the heat on her face slowly decrease, Abby finally noticed that she had remained there when Minos had already finished his shower.


    She then stopped pacing when she inadvertently caught a glimpse of the young man who had just gotten out of the shower and was drying himself inside that bathroom.


    The door there had been left slightly open.


    Abby saw the young Stuart drying his hair with a white towel when she suddenly looked down at his lower region. "Ah!" She made a slight sound of surprise, which was almost immediately suppressed by one of her hands.


    ''Oh my! Are all men like that?'' She wondered, frozen in front of that place, seeing Minos'' younger brother.


    And it wasn''t long before he got into his underwear and walked out of that bathroom. ''Looks like you''re shocked, huh¡­'' He chuckled inwardly.


    "What''s wrong, Abby? You seem to have a fever. Let me check your temperature." He approached her and placed his hand on her forehead gently.


    She stayed there when she lost her balance a little and used her hands to brace herself on Minos'' chest. "I''m¡­Hah¡­I''m fine. I think I better go to my own room now."


    However, the young Stuart didn''t feel the young woman move as he hugged Abby''s thin waist, leaning close to her ear and whispering something. "Are you sure about this? I can leave my business for another time..."


    Meanwhile, the young woman''s heart leaped at full speed, making her feel warm and slightly agitated. She could feel Minos'' body heat enveloping her when the young man''s face was right next to hers, in a position where she felt his breath.


    Finally, Minos lightly bit Abby''s earlobe, making her feel shivers all over her beautiful body.


    However, rather than succumbing to temptation and letting things roll, Abby suddenly pulled away from Minos, agitatedly, as she said ''good night'' and stalked out of that place.


    Minos then muttered under his breath, looking at the place she had left and smiling. "As expected... Well, it''s not like I was waiting for something to happen, haha."

 Chapter 261: A Night of Fun (*)

    Shortly after Abby left, Minos dressed quickly, wearing a pale blue long-sleeved button-down shirt and a black overcoat. After that, he left that hotel and went towards the government mansion of this place.


    At this time, it was still a few hours until midnight, but the City of Waters had already lost part of its movement. But, of course, people were coming and going through the streets, as there were at any time of day.


    After all, a city with ports always had movement. Goods and travelers could arrive at any time of the day, and because of this, there was always a flow of people coming and going from ships anchored in these places.


    Consequently, there were people and businesses in the City of Waters that were willing to attend to these visitors at all times of the day. Where there was demand, it certainly wouldn''t be long before there was supply!


    Finally, in a few minutes, Minos crossed part of the city, admiring the local movement, until finally reaching his destination.


    That place was as before, with some guards talking outside a guardhouse, next to the entrance to that place. The only difference was that at this time, the entrance gate to this mansion was closed.


    Obviously, the working hours of the employees of this place were already over. Therefore, at this moment of the day, this place did not receive the entrance of local citizens.


    Finally, Minos stopped by that entrance gate when a guard approached him.


    "Friend, work ended 2 hours ago. Come back tomorrow after 8 am!"


    Hearing that, Minos smiled and pulled out a medallion from his spatial ring. Mirya had given it to him before, in case he came by this place and wanted to see her.


    And seeing the symbol of the Stokes family, the guard who had spoken to Minos quickly got into a formal position and gave the order for the gate to be opened.


    "Open the gate!" He then looked at Minos and said. "Sir, I''m sorry I barred you earlier. You can come in now."


    "Hmm, good evening to you guys."


    After that, the young Stuart went to that mansion a few meters from the entrance of this place. The place was silent, unlike what he had seen earlier, during his last visit to this place.


    After all, he had come here during working hours from this place last time, when citizens and many other guards and officials came and went from this property.


    Finally, entering through the entrance hall, where the reception was, Minos soon found his way to Mirya''s room, where he had come earlier.


    When he came here, Minos had first had his experience with Mirya in this woman''s training area. However, after the session with the mother-daughter pair, they had gone to the Stokes family representative''s room and continued their activities.


    Therefore, Minos already had a better knowledge of the different parts of this building, not having been lost at any time.


    ...


    Minos quickly sensed the spiritual fluctuations emanating from the two people he already knew, along with one he didn''t, coming from a single room.


    ''Oh? Are the two of you with another man right now?'' Minos thought with a curious look. They didn''t have any commitment, so he wouldn''t be offended to see women he intended to ''play'' with someone else.


    But there was a certain feeling of disappointment. He wasn''t jealous, but it would be a waste of time if Mirya and Viola were with another man.


    At the end of the day, the young Stuart didn''t like the idea of ??sharing one woman, or even more than one, with another man. Even though such occasions were not uncommon in the Spiritual World, this was not something to his liking!


    "Let''s see what''s going on..." He muttered under his breath as he approached a wooden door, which had a bright red color.


    And when he did, he could gradually see three silhouettes on top of the big bed in that room. The door was unclosed, so there was no problem for him to come over and see what was going on inside.


    After all, this was the residential area of ??the mansion, where only those authorized by Mirya could enter. Consequently, there was no need for precautions, like locking the door or something like that...


    "Oh?"


    However, in doing so, Minos was pleasantly surprised!


    What he had seen was not the disappointing scene of a mother-daughter couple with another man, but the two women he already knew with another!


    The three women were wholly surrendered to each other, with one of them lying on her back on the bed while she was liking Viola''s little sister. As for the latter, she was on top of the unknown woman, facing the side where Minos was standing.


    "Mmm~"


    The young woman that Minos had previously slept with had her eyes slightly closed as she used one of her hands to cup one of her beautiful breasts.


    "Ahhh~"


    Meanwhile, Mirya was kneeling on the bed in front of Viola as she fiercely ''devoured'' the slit of the woman who lay there. Mirya also had one of her hands quickly rubbing her private part while flesh rubbing sounds sounded throughout.


    "Ahh~ Ahh~"


    Amidst the typical sounds of this type of occasion, Minos stood there for a moment, mesmerized by this immortal scene... Such a thing was amazing to see and hear, and this had made this young man stop to enjoy the sight.


    He was positively surprised this time.


    That was a far better situation than he had anticipated, something that was rousing young Stuart''s primal instincts.


    "Not bad... A woman who doesn''t disappoint, huh..." He muttered as he looked at Mirya''s beautiful buttocks, who was now in front of him, allowing Minos to see the slit of this powerful woman from a vantage point.


    Squirt!


    "Ahhh~ Coming~" And it wasn''t long before that woman who was lying on the bed reached an orgasm, throwing her love juices in Mirya''s face.


    Minos hadn''t interrupted them at any time, as it would be rude to disturb these women''s night of fun!


    He even wanted to participate in this activity, and he was going to do it. But there was no need for him to break the mood and get in the way of other people''s ''play''!


    Squirt!


    And right after the strange woman reached her orgasm, it wasn''t long before Viola was there too, just as she opened her eyes and saw Minos watching them.


    "Ahh ~ Mi ~ Ahhh ~" She tried to speak his name, but her body was shaking vigorously, even as her fluids gushed like an open dam...


    After she had finished spouting her love juice, Viola pointed with her hand towards the door as she dropped onto the bed beside that woman.


    "Hah... Hah... Minos..." She said in a low voice through her quickened breathing.


    Hearing this, the other two women turned to the door quickly, finally noticing the presence of someone who had not been invited.


    And of the two women had a surprised but happy look on her face, while the other one seemed to be a little upset at this point. After all, being spied on by a stranger was not a pleasant thing!


    "Who..." And as she was asking about Minos'' identity, she was suddenly interrupted by Mirya, who jumped from where she was kneeling earlier, heading towards that young man.


    Mirya was completely naked, with parts of her beautiful body sweating from the high intensity of her activity. At the same time, the fluids of that strange woman still oozed from Viola''s mother''s face.


    Her full breasts swayed from side to side, amidst this mature woman''s breath above normal. She then approached Minos and immediately kissed him on the mouth, as if there was no need for them to talk.


    "Mmmm~"


    Sounds of kisses filled that place, at the same time when Minos ran his hands over Mirya''s stunning body, and this experienced woman was already removing his clothes.


    "What''s she doing?" The person that Minos didn''t know wondered, seeing the lusty way Mirya kissed Minos.


    Not long after this kiss began, he was completely naked when Mirya suddenly ended the warm kiss of welcome she had given him.


    She then took one of Minos'' hands and brought him closer to the bed as they faced that woman, and Mirya waved one of her hands at the young Stuart''s body.


    "Mendy, this young man is called Minos, and it''s your luck that he''s here today!"

 Chapter 262: Mendy Stokes (18+)

    Upon hearing Mirya''s confident comment, the young woman named Mendy had an uncertain look on her face, as if she wanted to refuse such an idea.


    She was flushed with embarrassment at this point, as this was the first time a man had seen her without clothes! And to make matters worse, it was someone she didn''t even know, a stranger who had come out of nowhere...


    But that wasn''t just why she felt ashamed, but also because Minos himself was in front of her, just as he came into the world.


    Completely naked!


    The young Stuart''s rod was ready for battle, and Mendy couldn''t help but see it, especially with Mirya pointing at it like a treasure...


    She was already sitting on the bed, beside Viola, while she had one of her arms covering her breasts and the other her little sister. Her straight black hair was down this time, while her fluffy cheeks flushed, making her look even more provocative.


    Her body didn''t have ''rich'' measurements like Mirya''s, but she was beautiful. She was proportionate to her 1.6 meters tall, medium-sized, firm breasts with pink nipples that matched her pale skin well.


    Her face had a charming shape, making her look young, like she was just entering adulthood. And allied to that, her red eyes were what drew the most attention from this beauty.


    And finally, Mirya introduced her to the young Stuart. "Minos, this is the daughter of the Stokes family''s patriarch, Mendy Stokes."


    Mendy was the only child of the current patriarch of that family, currently at level 48, at age 34, and with a Black talent.


    Minos then smiled at the embarrassed young woman as he took a good look at her body. "Oh? Hehe, nice to meet you, Ms. Mendy!"


    "Hmm, Aunt Mirya, what''s going on? Did you happen to plan this?" She asked doubtfully, trying to understand the situation.


    As for why she called Mirya her aunt, it wasn''t because they had blood relations. They didn''t. But it was because Viola''s mother was this young woman''s bodyguard about 20 years ago.


    As for why their relationship had come to this, well, Viola was the culprit. This young woman was not much older than Mendy, and just as for an extended period, she had levels close to the young lady of the Stokes family.


    Because of this, the two had formed a friendship a long time ago, back when Mirya was still working as a bodyguard for this young lady of the Stokes family.


    Things developed, and first, Mendy ended up in Viola''s bed, who, as a ''good friend,'' helped her experience the pleasures of the female sex...


    After that, years passed, and finally, things developed until this young woman lay down with her former bodyguard and started this occasional relationship.


    Mendy had taken a liking to the thing when she''d first experimented with Viola. Since then, she''d never been curious to know what it would be like to sleep with a man.


    Consequently, this was her first time being watched by a man in a situation like this.


    Mendy had tried many other women, but occasionally she would still go wherever this mother-daughter pair was, for threesome nights. And that was why she was here today, a visit!


    Finally, seeing Mendy''s confused face, Mirya smiled and then began to explain. "I didn''t plan this. Although it''s something I''ve always wanted you to do, Minos didn''t come here because I asked him to. This young man is a ''friend'' of Viola and me, and I didn''t expect this visit today."


    Simultaneously, as she explained to Mendy, Minos had ignored their conversation and was already hugging Mirya from behind while gently sucking on her mature ear and exploring her seductive body with his hands.


    And Mirya didn''t mind Minos'' actions, continuing their conversation while Mendy questioned her. "I understand you guys already know him, but I don''t know if I want to have my first time with a stranger!"


    Mendy hadn''t really come to that point, as she had lost interest in men even before she had her first time...


    "Mmmm~ I know you''re confused, but trust me. Minos is a great lover, and this will be amazing for all of us¡­ Ahh~" She said, feeling a hand that wasn''t hers, rubbing her little sister while her neck was sucked.


    Mirya then took one of her hands and held the young Stuart''s rod in front of Mendy as she knelt and prepared to suck it. "Have I ever let you down?" She asked, looking to the side of that young woman, with Minos'' stick almost touching her face.


    Hearing that question, Mendy excited for a moment and then said. "No."


    "Then allow yourself to do this. You won''t regret it. Minos is certainly worthy of someone like you!" She finished her line when she finally licked the young man''s stick that was in front of her, from the base to the head, taking it into her mouth after that.


    ''Ah! This will be interesting¡­'' He thought about it briefly, already holding Mirya''s head her green hair.


    While Mirya was giving Minos a blowjob, Viola was still in the same spot as before, where she watched the situation unfold. She looked at her friend and then encouraged her.


    "Mendy, why don''t you get up and kiss our unexpected guest welcome? Don''t miss this opportunity. I''m just not on top of him yet, because I need a moment of rest..."


    Upon hearing this, Mendy was silent for a moment as she watched Mirya voraciously devour the young Stuart''s rod, making saliva enveloping ''flesh'' sounds permeate that room.


    She felt dubious about it, but both these women, Viola and Mirya, had taught her a lot. Therefore, this young woman had some confidence in their advice, even if she had never done anything like this.


    She then stood up, standing right next to Minos and Mirya, close enough for him to do as he wished with her.


    Seeing this, Minos quickly threw one of his arms around this young woman''s waist, drawing her into his embrace as he looked deep into her eyes. "It will be my pleasure to be your first male partner." He said before finally kissing her.


    "Mmmm~"


    Amid that first contact, things developed little by little until these three were in bed together.


    At this point, Mirya was already intensely riding the young Stuart''s little brother. At the same time, Mendy had positioned her hips over the young man''s face so that he could taste her...


    "Ahhh~"


    During this action, Viola had fully recovered from her last orgasm and had finally joined the group. She was kissing Mendy''s cherry lips while this young woman felt the pleasures produced by Minos'' tongue.


    "Ahhh~ Ahhh~"


    "Mmmm~"


    Pah! Pah! Pah!


    Several sounds reverberated through the room as the four people enjoyed animalistic sexuality when Mendy and Mirya finally reached their first climaxes, generated by the young Stuart.


    Squirt!


    Squirt!


    "Hah, hah, Mendy, hah, it''s your time to enjoy Minos'' rod..." Mirya said this with cloudy eyes, full of lust.


    When she heard this, the young woman, who had already forgotten that this was her first encounter with a man, abruptly stepped off young Stuart while her younger sister dripped, dripping the liquids of love that had been expelled earlier.


    "Hah¡­ Isn''t it better if I wait a bit? I''m pretty sensitive right now." She said as she had a sideways glance towards Minos'' rod.


    And hearing that question, Mirya smiled and said. "No, it will be better this way. You''re more sensitive now, and you can enjoy it to the full!"


    After having this answer, Mendy said nothing more and then lay down beside Minos. He had pointed this out to her right after Mirya had finished speaking, as it would be better if they started that way.


    Mendy was a virgin, so it would be better if Minos had better control over penetration at the start of the thing. Therefore, this position in which he would go on top was the best in this situation...


    "It might hurt a little at first, but it will soon go away, OK?"


    "OK."


    And quickly, the young Stuart had his little brother leaning against Mendy''s slit when he began to move, slowly destroying the young woman''s hymen.


    "Ahhh~"


    "Mmm~"


    Again moans echoed through the room as Mendy had her first time with a man. She had quickly gotten used to the young Stuart flesh inside her body. She was slowly screaming in delight, thanking Mirya for the earlier advice.


    On the other hand, Viola and Mirya did not stand still and began to indulge while Minos took Mendy''s virginity. This was the young woman''s first time, so until she finished her first round, the mother and daughter pair did not intend to participate in the act...


    But that wasn''t an inconvenience to them, they both didn''t mind doing that to each other, and it wouldn''t be long before Minos and Mendy rejoined them.

 Chapter 263: Have We Been Persecuted? (*)

    Minutes quickly passed, and at that moment, Mendy was on top of the young Stuart, riding him with enthusiasm. At the same time, her hips moved vigorously, rubbing her little sister against Minos'' groin.


    She had already had a series of multiple orgasms. However, the two were continuing their activity, as Minos was not there yet. But the two were very satisfied with their ''action,'' especially the beauty on top of this young man.


    Her entire body was soaked in beads of sweat, and her lovely pink nipples were rhythmically undulating with her movements.


    The look on this young woman''s face looked completely different from before when she was still unsure of such decision. At this moment, only the burning flame of desire could be seen in this young lady of the Stokes family, who seemed wholly given over to Minos.


    "Mmm~"


    As the inner walls of Mendy''s cavity ''milked'' Minos''s rod, she bent down and then began a warm kiss with him.


    Their tongues ''embraced'' as if in a dance, with the two of them exchanging their bodily fluids and feeling each other.


    "Ahhh~" She broke the kiss for a moment and then let out a heavenly moan, feeling her next climax coming.


    And feeling his partner''s natural reactions, Minos almost instantly lowered his mouth to her neck, starting to suckle it.


    "Ahhh~"


    Simultaneously, the skillful hands of this young man stimulated other erogenous zones of this beautiful young woman''s body. He used one of his hands to lightly squeeze one of Mendy''s nipples simultaneously as the fingers of the other hand massaged her sexy buttocks.


    "Ahh~ I''m getting there again~"


    "Hah~ Me~ Either~"


    And finally, the two of them got there at the same time, this time when Mendy shivered vigorously, collapsing into Minos'' chest.


    The previous action had significantly stimulated her body, and now she could barely support herself.


    Slurp!


    Their bodies were still connected when little by little, Minos'' rod slipped past Mendy''s little sister, leaving a white trail behind.


    "Hah, that was amazing!" She said in a low voice as she closed her eyes for a moment and smiled contentedly. Mirya indeed hadn''t been mistaken! She then completed as she ran her small hands over Minos'' chest. "Give me a break, and I''ll join you again..."


    Hearing this, Minos didn''t say anything, just kissing her forehead and pushing her aside, when he finally turned to the side of the bed where Mirya and Viola were standing.


    "Mmmm~"


    At this point, the mother and daughter pair were in the ''69'' position, sucking and massaging each other''s privates. At two, they had started their activity simultaneously with Minos and Mendy and had already reached their climaxes sometimes.


    However, the night was just beginning, and the two still had energy for much more...


    And seeing these two women right by his side, Minos couldn''t help but lick his lips, soon engaging in their ''fun.'' Viola had her hot ass turned toward him, with her mother sucking her. In contrast, this young woman''s second hole twitched as if she were asking for something...


    ''Hehe, here I come!''


    ...


    While the group of four had fun exploring each other''s sexuality, elsewhere in the Cromwell Kingdom, Vivian was almost on the Hayes family territory.


    She had traveled all the way to that place, only stopping when her spiritual beast needed rest. She was in a hurry, and with each passing day, Vivian became more and more anxious for the recovery of her friend, Grace.


    Anyway, in the time that had passed, she and her bodyguard had crossed nearly a thousand kilometers and were now only a few dozen from the town where Grace was.


    The family of the young lover of Vivian lived within the territory of the Hayes family, where the headquarters of that power was. But this was not related to the relationship of these two, but to the fact of the noble family that Grace came from this region.


    Grace had been born into the third generation of this organization, which had been created by a former subordinate of the Hayes family. However, they had not yet received the merit of ruling their own territory, having only a few areas within the domain of Vivian''s family.


    Anyway, that was one of the reasons these two young women had met, and now Vivian was on her way to that location, where her friend and lover lived.


    She and Samuel could already see the city skyline, where buildings with more than 20 floors appeared at various points, giving the impression of a prosperous place.


    This city in front of them was called Primrose, where more than 3 million people lived. That was the Hayes family''s headquarters, the home of Davy and Vivian.


    Anyway, they mounted their spiritual beasts, chasing the soil path from where they were to that place. The two were finally approaching a small village when suddenly someone appeared descending from the skies in a winged spiritual beast.


    The beast descended at that point, where there were several tall trees, a few dozen meters in front of a small village that was between the city of Primrose and the place where Vivian was.


    The beating of the beast''s wings lifted a layer of earth from the ground, along with several leaves that had fallen in that place.


    Finally, a tall, muscular man, wearing armor bearing the Chambers family''s symbol, climbed down from the back of that beast, looking deeply at Vivian and Samuel.


    At the same time, as they saw that, these two people had been frightened by the arrival of that person, while their beasts seemed to be anxious too.


    Vivian, who had seemed a little anxious to get to her town earlier, now had a perplexed look on her face, feeling a chill in her spine.


    "Shit, was this person following us?" She asked, looking at her bodyguard.


    "It''s likely. We traveled in a lot of hurry. It wouldn''t be impossible to track us..." Samuel replied.


    He knew this could happen, but he had nothing to do with it. Vivian did not want to waste more time than necessary to return to Primrose due to the fear of not arriving in time.


    Anyway, at that moment, the Spiritual King who had been chasing Vivian''s tracks, Roy, finally stopped about 50 meters away from where Vivian and Samuel were and smiled. "Vivian Hayes, I didn''t think it was you who left so many clues behind. But, hahaha, apparently even people famous for their intelligence can still act like idiots under certain circumstances..."


    Hearing this, both Vivian and Samuel furrowed their eyebrows as beads of sweat were already beginning to form on their respective foreheads. The bodyguard then took a few steps forward and asked. "Mr. Roy, may I know the reason for your intrusion? Here is Hayes family territory. Remember where you are!"


    "Hahahaha, do you take me for a fool? Asking me about something so obvious¡­" He said condescendingly. However, shortly after saying this, he changed his expression, becoming quite serious as he said it. "Ms. Vivian will accompany me back to the Chambers family headquarters to pay for her crimes! Breaking into one of our bases is a severe crime!"


    "Invade one of your bases? What proof do you have that we did this? How can Spiritual Generals break into a base like that?" Vivian asked, trying to call out the man''s reason.


    "I don''t know, but I think Ms. Vivian knows the answer." He then started walking towards those two while saying. "Make your choices, surrender without resistance, or suffer the consequences for antagonizing me!"


    And at that, Samuel''s expression grew even darker as he turned to Vivian and said in a low voice. "Ms. Vivian, run quickly. I''ll hold him. You just have to run a little more until you get to the entrance of the city!"


    Vivian then shook her head, indicating that she understood her bodyguard''s plan. As long as she was within that city, it would be impossible for Roy to kidnap her!

 Chapter 264: A Death!

    As soon as Samuel finished speaking, Vivian and her spiritual beast started running from that place as fast as they could!


    Roy was already a level 52 Spiritual King, which Vivian and her bodyguard couldn''t dream of antagonizing. The two of them weren''t like those people they''d met recently, who could fight people much stronger than they were.


    In this case, there was no hesitation on either side. Vivian had started to run away with everything she had while Samuel ran towards Roy.


    As a subordinate of the Hayes family, as well as Vivian''s bodyguard, Samuel had sworn to protect her, even if he had to sacrifice himself to do so. And in this case, just standing back and holding this opponent, would she have a chance to escape!


    Samuel had been nurtured from a young age by the Hayes, but not only in resources but also in principles!


    And as such, there was nowhere to run. He would never abandon his duties. In this situation, the only way ahead of him was to fight to fulfill his responsibilities to the end!


    Anyway, seeing what the two were trying to do, Roy smiled and increased his speed, already heading towards the place where Vivian was trying to escape.


    He understood what these two were trying to do, but he didn''t intend to make it easy for them. ''If you want to hold me, you''ll have to do better than that!'' So, Roy thought to himself as he moved.


    At the same time, the winged beast that had brought Roy to this place was now chasing the beast that had transported Samuel.


    Although these beasts were mainly used as a means of transport, they were also born fighters. In fact, even unintelligent beasts would know when to fight. After all, these beings lived a long time among humans, and it didn''t take them long to understand what should be done at times like this.


    Grrr!


    And quickly, the tremendous winged beast, which looked like a lizard, attacked the beast that looked like a tiger with its sharp teeth.


    Grr!


    On the other hand, Samuel''s beast tried everything to defend itself, but this was a desperate situation for it.


    Among spiritual beasts, fighting those of higher levels was even more difficult than it was with humans!


    And since that ''tiger'' was only in the 4th stage of cultivation, it wasn''t a match for Roy''s beast, which had already reached the 5th stage.


    Quickly, the fight between these two became completely one-sided when the ''winged lizard'' gradually destroyed its opponent''s body while occasionally chewing the parts torn off by its fangs!


    Grr!


    ...


    Simultaneously, after running for more than 3 minutes at full speed, Vivian saw that Spiritual King getting closer and closer to her. And even though she was closer to that city, it seemed that instead of the distance getting smaller, it was like it was getting bigger.


    It was genuinely frustrating and terrifying to run away from someone so much stronger than you while seeing how to save yourself well ahead. In those moments, time and space seemed to work differently, as if the world itself wanted to ''enjoy the show''...


    On the other hand, because they were running through terrain with some irregularities, even though there was a considerable difference in the cultivation of Roy and Samuel, Vivian''s bodyguard had managed to get closer to this man.


    He had used his techniques to slow down that subordinate of the Chambers family, constantly attacking him.


    And even with the difference in these two levels, Roy couldn''t just ignore Samuel''s blows. After all, this man was already at level 49 and had enough power to hurt his opponent and maybe buy Vivian enough time.


    "Miserable, if you want to die so bad, I don''t mind helping you!" Roy yelled in a fury, already tired of having to be delayed every time he got closer to Vivian.


    And right after saying those words, Roy immediately released his cultivation power while creating claws in his hands, which looked like purple blades that emanated a negative sensation.


    Devil''s Claws!


    Seeing this, Samuel immediately activated his defense, raising a shield of the earth in front of him as he prepared to counterattack too!


    Earth Shield!


    Boom!


    Quickly the battle between the two broke out, with Samuel doing everything to defend himself and causing some difficulty for Roy. Obviously, there was no way this bodyguard could beat his opponent, but holding him back for a while was indeed possible!


    Even if he were stronger, Roy couldn''t kill an opponent just two levels below him in one blow.


    Because of that, he would have to make a little effort before eliminating this stone that was in the middle of his path...


    Boom!


    Amidst the sounds of battle, Vivian continued to run when she finally looked back for the first time, with her eyes watering.


    She knew Samuel couldn''t beat a level 52 Spiritual King, so she felt terrible about what could happen. As much as that man was just a subordinate of the family, who had been responsible for protecting her, Vivian still could not ignore the fact that she had known him since childhood!


    On the first day of the spiritual academy period, this man was already there, beginning to accompany her from that moment until today.


    Not only that, given the mores of the Hayes family, Vivian couldn''t help but value the work of someone who had accompanied her so many times and was now putting himself in danger for her.


    Anyway, as Vivian watched from a position further and further away, Samuel was thrown from one side to the other, as he tried whenever he could to continue counterattacking. He didn''t want to let this enemy escape his area of ??influence and then kidnap the young Vivian.


    ''Just a little longer, and she''ll be safe.'' he thought to himself, trying to dodge Roy''s sharp claws.


    "Ahhh!"


    However, this situation did not take long.


    Soon, Samuel could no longer maintain his defenses and dodges, having received a critical blow that had torn off one of his arms.


    Roy had caught Samuel at a vulnerable moment while this bodyguard tried to dodge unsuccessfully. The claws on the Chambers'' subordinate''s right hand then crossed diagonally, slicing through the bone into one of Samuel''s arms.


    All of this had happened in a single split second when Vivian was still watching from afar.


    Nevertheless, seeing that his opponent could no longer hinder him, Roy was getting ready to run towards Vivian when something strange happened.


    Samuel used his remaining hand to firmly hold one of Roy''s arms as he began the sacrifice!


    Quickly a black ball a few centimeters in diameter began to form near Samuel''s chest, simultaneously with the man''s abrupt aging.


    "Bastard, let go of me! If you want to die, do it alone!" Roy screamed as he tried to break free.


    And when he did, he immediately tried to run out of the sacrifice area, already feeling shivers down his spine. ''What a shame would be if I die at the hands of a Spiritual General!'' He thought briefly.


    On the other hand, far away, tears fell from Vivian''s eyes as she screamed with all her breath. "No!"


    Boom!


    But there was nothing to do.


    A sacrifice could not be turned back once it had started, and soon, an intense explosion happened in that place, creating a large crater there.


    Dust rose in the vicinity of that village they were about to arrive, from which it would be just a short distance to the big city beyond.


    However, as much as Vivian was resented by what happened, she had not slowed down her movement and continued to flee in a hurry.


    And suddenly, a shadow appeared near that place where the explosion had hit, as a man with torn clothes and damaged armor stood up in the rubble.


    "Miserable! You almost killed me!" Roy screamed aloud, feeling pain all over his muscular body. He hadn''t been able to escape Samuel''s suicide attack entirely and had taken some damage from it!


    "But at least now there''s no one to bother me!" Roy quickly composed himself as he looked in the direction of Vivian and that girl''s beast, who was running frantically.


    Instantly he started running at full speed, making it all the way to the young noblewoman of the Hayes family in a few breaths.


    "I got you!"

 Chapter 265: A Life!

    Rumble!


    However, instead of easily knocking out Vivian and kidnapping her, something different happened to Roy.


    At that critical moment in which Vivian was vulnerable to the attack of that Spiritual King, suddenly a white-haired man appeared in front of this young woman!


    He was about 1.8 meters tall and dressed in a white robe, which at one point blended in with his white hair and beard. Other than that, he had a gentle look on his face and seemed like the kind of elder who teaches children and young cultivators.


    He certainly looked friendly!


    And in the split second that this old man appeared in front of Vivian, he had used his bare hands to stop Roy from getting any closer to that young woman, already flexing his right leg diagonally and attacking the enemy''s waist.


    "Ahh!"


    At that moment, Roy had not only been prevented from knocking out the young Vivian but also received a decisive blow. He let out a cry of pain, feeling his ribs crack as he was still hurled through the air towards where the previous crater had been.


    Anyway, Vivian, who had closed her eyes at the last second she thought she would be knocked out, finally realized what had happened. She opened her eyes and saw a man in a white robe in front of her, who at this moment had one of his hands gently tapping this young woman''s left shoulder.


    "Little Vivian, don''t be afraid, now you''re home." He said while having a calm look on his face.


    Hearing and seeing this, tears fell from Vivian''s reddened eyes as she fell into the embrace of this elderly figure. "Uncle Garrick, that person made Samuel sacrifice himself!"


    This man who had saved Vivian at the last second was none other than Grace''s father, Garrick Keller, level 53.


    The Keller residence was not far from this location, so this man had been the first to arrive here as soon as he had sensed the arrival of a Spiritual King in the area.


    And sensing the energy released by Samuel''s sacrifice, someone who was just one step away from the 6th stage of cultivation, Garrick couldn''t help but worry and run with everything he has to come to this place.


    There weren''t many individuals with strong enough personalities to make a sacrifice, so Vivian''s lover''s father knew something out of the ordinary had happened!


    So, an individual like him, who had to protect his own territory, could not help but worry!


    Anyway, after hearing Vivian''s comment, this man couldn''t help but lament, showing an unhappy face. "I''m sorry, little Vivian, it''s a shame that Samuel had this fate..."


    ...


    At the same time as Vivian and Garrick were talking, Roy, who had been thrown into the crater earlier, was now trying to get up as he roared in pain.


    "Ahhh! Old bastard!"


    He had been caught off guard by Garrick''s attack when he had his defenses wide open to his enemy. Because of this, Roy had no way to defend himself from the last kick and now had more than one broken rib.


    The pain he felt right now was truly incredible. He could barely stand on his feet as he spat out a mouth of blood amid the curses he uttered to Garrick and this man''s ancestors.


    "Shit! Now that this old man is here, I can''t take this child¡­" He muttered in a low voice, still feeling very bad.


    And at that moment, as the dust gradually settled and he saw Garrick comforting Vivian, the huge winged spiritual beast landed beside him.


    A few moments ago, this beast that looked like a winged lizard had finished devouring the ''tiger'' that served as a mount for Samuel. After that, it had felt the energy of that bodyguard''s sacrifice and had flown into the distance, only having returned this time.


    "Zhahahaah, you got screwed, Roy!" The spiritual beast mocked him at the same time as he watched the surroundings.


    Obviously, as a beast of the 5th stage of cultivation, this ''winged lizard'' could speak the human language and was already as intelligent as humans.


    And seeing the situation of this Spiritual King, this beast couldn''t help but mock Roy.


    "Shut up! Let''s get out of here in a hurry. We won''t be able to take that girl with us."


    "That''s what it looks like... By the way, get ready for a chase." The beast said as it looked sideways and contracted its large vertical pupils.


    Roy then frowned and asked doubtfully. "What are you talking about?"


    "I''m talking about the eight Spiritual Kings who are running here right now. See for yourself." And when it finished saying that, this spiritual beast used one of its front claws, pointing to the direction from which several people ran towards that place, riding different types of the beast.


    "Oh, fuck!" Roy said this with a fearful expression as he quickly climbed onto the back of this beast that was right there with him. "You better not delay us, Aiken. Those beasts will kill you before those men defeat me!"


    And on hearing this, the ''winged lizard,'' Aiken, quickly took off from that terrain, flying with all it had towards the north.


    ''Shit, I hope those other two were luckier than me¡­''


    ...


    Meanwhile, the group of eight Spiritual Kings, mounted on several different beasts, finally arrived at Vivian''s place. Of these men, the weakest of them was at level 52 and the strongest at level 55. Also, all of their beasts were already 5th stage cultivation creatures!


    Most of them looked like men in their forties, while three of them looked like elders, almost as old as Garrick himself.


    They wore similar clothes, with the same pattern, which contained a small golden symbol that looked like a balance.


    That was the symbol of the Hayes family!


    Anyway, like Garrick, those Spiritual Kings who were stationed in the city ahead had felt the fluctuations of Samuel''s sacrifice and had immediately departed for this place.


    This area was part of the Hayes territory, where high-level fighting was not allowed. Because of this, these men had not taken this event lightly and had come here with great force.


    Finally, when they stopped in that place, the strongest of them said something, commanding what should be done to the other seven. "Five of you are going to chase that individual. The others will stay in this area in case something happens."


    "Yes, elder!"


    And quickly, the group dispersed, leaving only three of them behind, along with Vivian and Garrick and some spiritual beasts.


    At this point, the level 55 Spiritual King approached Vivian and then asked, looking into the young woman''s eyes. "Young Vivian, what happened here? That Spiritual King seemed to be chasing you. Was it Samuel''s bodyguard who sacrificed himself?"


    "Hmm, Samuel sacrificed himself while trying to delay that person..." She said sadly.


    Hearing this, one of the men who had stayed behind then asked something relevant, looking at Vivian in disbelief. "That spiritual beast looks like the one the Chambers use... Don''t tell me you participated in the invasion of the Chambers family''s base?"


    Such news had already spread throughout the central regions of the Cromwell Kingdom, soon after the information of the death of the young master of the Chambers family had spread.


    Such a thing was not typical to happen and had quickly reached the ears of the prominent regional organizations. And it was no different for Hayes. They had been paying attention to the actions of the Chambers family for the past few months, and because of that, such news had quickly reached them.


    In fact, in many places, it was no longer a secret that Kevin had obtained a treasured item, which could even take some high-level figures out of their seclusions.


    However, even before anyone could make a move, Kevin had already been killed, and the mystery about the killer was already traveling among popular tales!


    There were even those storytellers, adding to what had happened, relating what had happened to divine punishment, or something like that...


    Anyway, these three elders already knew what had happened, so one of them had asked this question.


    And finally, Vivian nodded and answered. "Yes, I was there."


    "And who has the Spring of Life?" The Spiritual King wasted no time and asked without giving Vivian time to speak further.


    "It''s with Kevin''s killer, but I don''t know that person, nor the power behind him." She lied without thinking while acting weakly and regretfully.


    Her family might be known for justice, but Vivian would not risk her beloved friend''s life by telling the truth to these elders. ''Samuel sacrificed his life for me, for us! I don''t intend to waste this chance, the chance of a life with you, Grace!''

 Chapter 266: The Origin of the Trigger

    Hearing Vivian''s response, the Hayes family experts frowned as one of them continued to pursue the matter. "Don''t you even have a clue as to the origin of this person who killed Kevin?"


    The other two old men also had this same question in their minds. Even if someone tried to hide, there would always be something left behind, even if it was something small, almost insignificant.


    Therefore, these elders of the Hayes family did not believe that Vivian had no clue as to who was responsible for the death of the young master of the Chambers family. ''To invade a noble family base, the power behind that person must be very significant!'' The three thought about it.


    And if that were the case, there weren''t many organizations that could do that and remain hidden. Therefore, these old men thought they could identify this power with more information that Vivian could give them...


    On the other hand, the other person there, who had saved Vivian a few moments ago, Garrick, was also interested in the matter. His daughter urgently needed resources like the Spring of Life to survive, so if he knew what power obtained this item, he would do anything to try to get it.


    Previously, he only found out about this item after news of Kevin''s purchase of it leaked. And as the Chambers had already purchased this item, it would be nearly impossible for him to obtain it.


    The Chambers, despite not part of the elite of the Cromwell Kingdom''s noble families, had many contacts throughout the northern part of the Central Continent.


    Dangerous contacts, by the way.


    Because of that, there weren''t many willing to challenge them, including Grace''s father''s little noble family and even the Hayes.


    But if that item were in the hands of another organization, even if the chances of a deal were slim, Garrick was willing to give it a try!


    Anyway, seeing the reaction of the four elderly men in front of her, Vivian couldn''t help but sigh when she finally spoke again. "Do you remember the young man who was a finalist in the Spiritual Tournament and who also defeated my brother?"


    "Yes." The three elders of the Hayes family responded at once, already with strange expressions on their faces. And the strongest of them then stopped Vivian from continuing to speak, asking the obvious. "Don''t tell me that person attacked that place?"


    Vivian shook her head horizontally and then continued. "No! I said I didn''t know the person responsible for Kevin''s death. But the point is, the person responsible for what happened at that Chambers base used techniques similar to that Minos."


    "Oh? Maybe they are members of the same organization!" Another elder said with interest, still watching Vivian closely.


    "I think the same too." She agreed. There was no other explanation for her. Even if Minos hadn''t gone to the Flaming Empire, given his cultivation, it would have been impossible for him to increase in strength so quickly...


    So, she hadn''t even considered this absurd possibility!


    Finally, Garrick asked his question. "Was there something else that caught your attention?"


    "Hmm, yes. There was a spiritual beast from the 6th stage of cultivation following him!" She said this quickly, tremendously shocking these four old men.


    Such a thing did not happen very often in the north of the Central Continent!


    The Hayes family itself had no spiritual beasts on this level. But could the power behind that person dispatch even such a creature? Unbelievable!


    "Is this¡­ Is this really true? What was the cultivation level of this beast?"


    "Level 50, but she was already halfway to the next level."


    Hearing this, the three of them stood there for a moment as they considered the possibilities. "There''s no way a beast like that can grow from level 49 to more than half of level 50 in a short time. She definitely didn''t reach that level during an escorted trip!"


    That was not that unusual to occur as had happened with Leroy and Jeff. Because of this, Spiritual Kings could sometimes be seen working as bodyguards for young nobles due to these individuals have reached the 6th stage of cultivation during their services.


    So, even if they had already become specialists in this part of the continent, individuals in Jeff''s condition could not simply abandon their duties. They had to continue serving as bodyguards until he and his ''boss'' returned to the family headquarters behind them.


    Only then would a subordinate''s status improve, and he would stop doing this type of service.


    Consequently, these four old men had taken this possibility into account.


    The old man of level 55 then looked up at the sky for a moment and uttered in a low voice. "The person you met must be critical in this organization. So, if you have the opportunity to meet him again, try to get closer to that person. Our family can gain a lot from it!"


    "True, little Vivian. When we find powers like this, we have to take every opportunity we have to forge a relationship, even if it''s just business..."


    After that, Vivian and that group of Spiritual Kings talked for a few more moments about how to behave with an unknown organization. They had also gone into some superficial details of the Minos fight, trying to find out more about this incident.


    However, there were many questions but few answers about the invasion of that base, which had resulted in Kevin''s death.


    After that, Vivian asked the old Garrick to take her to see Grace, who had motivated her to go through everything that had happened in the last few weeks.


    ''First, I''ll save Grace''s life. Then I''ll see what I can do... But I swear, one day I''ll avenge your death, Samuel!'' Vivian swore it in her mind as she walked away from that place where she was before, looking at the crater that her bodyguard''s sacrifice had formed.


    ...


    While Roy fled from the region where he had previously attacked, at the base that Minos had attacked, the reinforcements sent by the Chambers family''s headquarters had already arrived in this location. But not only that, the two other Spiritual Kings who had arrived at this place along with Roy had also returned.


    As much as they''d agreed to return after seven days, Chase and Chad hadn''t had any luck in their respective searches, so they''d returned early.


    Anyway, at this moment, in Jamie''s old room, five people were in that place talking. Of these people, three were sitting on a large sofa, while another two people were standing in front of these individuals.


    Of those five, four were men, and one was a woman. Everyone was in the 6th stage of cultivation, with the weakest being at level 52 and the strongest at level 54.


    Finally, at that moment, Chad, the leader of the team sent to this place previously, sighed heavily at the news about Kevin''s death. "What a pity. So, the young master really died..."


    "No wonder we couldn''t find any traces of him... Others left even marks, but not the young Kevin." The effeminate man, Chase, commented right away.


    And after saying that, the woman sitting in the middle of the other two men looked at them dubiously for a moment. Then, she asked. "Where''s Roy?"


    Chad then responded promptly. "Originally, we arranged to meet here in 7 days, but as we said in our report, Chase and I had no luck. So, maybe that muscular guy got something."


    "Oh? All right, this is good. But for now, let''s expand the searches..." Finally, they continued to talk about how to act on this incident.


    There weren''t many clues left by Kevin''s other pursuers, who had been more careful than Vivian in their escapes.


    Consequently, if they wanted to capture these individuals, these Spiritual Kings would have to do much more thorough and, therefore, time-consuming investigative work.


    ...


    As things developed for the Hayes and Chambers families, hours had passed. By now, the sun was already rising over the horizon of the City of Waters.


    Minos had spent a pleasant night with those three women and slept peacefully in this city''s government mansion.


    Many things had happened that night when he had this unique experience of sleeping with those three beautiful women, who took turns to be satisfied simultaneously with him.


    And at this moment, as the first light rays of the day began to penetrate Mirya''s room, Minos was already awake, with a lush smile on his lips.


    He felt a gratifying sensation deep in his being when he had awakened and felt the three beauties that were enveloping him. "What a great manner to start the day!" He muttered under his breath, watching the situation calmly.

 Chapter 267: Confused

    At the moment, it was cold outside the government mansion of the City of the Waters. However, inside Mirya''s room, Minos was feeling quite warm...


    The room was as expected. Messy. First, the three women had already made a zone in this room, even before the young Stuart arrived to participate in the ''game.''


    With that, several clothes were scattered on the floor of this room, at the same time, in which the four of them were lying in that big bed.


    Allied to the chaotic image, the rich fragrance characteristic of sex still permeated the air of this room, to the point that if someone entered there, maybe that person would be a little more excited than should have...


    But not for the image of the four. No, the four were lying comfortably on that bed while a white sheet covered the perfect bodies of these three women, who were currently filling the spaces around Minos.


    Viola was lying on his left side while she used one of Minos'' arms as a pillow. On the other hand, Mendy was lying comfortably on top of him, with her breasts wholly pressed against his abdomen as she rested her head on his chest.


    Finally, the mature Mirya occupied Minos'' left side, where she was also resting her head on this young man''s arm.


    And in the midst of that, Minos woke up from his sleep slowly, feeling a soft sensation enveloping him.


    Even though it was cold outside, the heat of these three women was warming this place, even though they weren''t worried about using their energies for it.


    But hell, it was a heavenly feeling to be warmed by the human warmth of three beauties.


    So, Minos woke up with a smile on his face when he finally saw Mendy''s rounded face. This girl had surprised him last night, given the ferocity with which she acted.


    But even if she had been a virgin before, properly speaking, given the countless experiences she''d had with other women, it wasn''t quite so strange.


    Knowing what satisfies you and using it to your advantage was undoubtedly an excellent way to act on sex.


    And about that, Mendy knew very well how to do it. Even though it was her first time with a man, all the experience she had made things easier for her, helping her figure out what best suited her tastes.


    Anyway, the three beauties didn''t take long to wake up, and soon they were all smiling in that place.


    "Morning." They said to each other as they either stretched or snuggled closer together.


    And after a few minutes of this morning''s peace, while the four of them were still exchanging a few gestures of appreciation, Minos finally pushed Mendy aside and prepared to get out of bed.


    Seeing this, Mirya was the first to question him. "Won''t you stay?"


    "No, I''m just passing through. I had business nearby, but I''ve already taken care of everything..." He responded at the same time as he went into that bedroom''s bathroom to take a quick shower.


    "Ahh, too bad, I thought we could have another night together¡­" Mendy said in a low voice as the noise of the shower already reverberated through that place.


    Hearing this, Mirya smiled at her, already pulling Mendy into her side and hugging this young woman. "We can fix this later, it won''t be the same thing, but it won''t be bad¡­" This mature woman said this while she had a perverted look on her beautiful face, immediately kissing young Mendy after that.


    There weren''t many possibilities nearby, even more of the ''level'' of Minos, but for anyone who wants to, there would always be ''alternatives''... And even if it wasn''t enough, the three still had each other...


    ...


    Finally, after a few minutes in that place, Minos finished his shower and quickly changed into new clothes before leaving.


    When he left that room, he could still see the beautiful image of the three women kissing, already starting a new round. But that didn''t stop him from leaving. Instead, he just laughed at these three people before finally saying goodbye to them and leaving the mansion where Mirya and Viola live.


    Eventually, after some more time walking through the City of Waters, he arrived at the hotel where Abby and Eda stayed.


    It was still early, but when he arrived at that place, the soldier who had accompanied them here was already in the position to leave, with the carriage in front of that place.


    Seeing this, Minos quickly went up to the floor where their rooms were to wait for the moment of their departure from this place. The two women might not be ready yet, as it had only dawned a few minutes ago.


    ...


    Arriving at his room, the first thing Minos saw was a young woman sitting on the leather sofa there while she calmly ate. She wore a white silk dress, which contrasted sharply with her beautiful blue hair.


    And seeing this, Minos was a little impressed as he had not expected to find this young woman eating in the room he had rented. He then looked at the open window and then thought to himself as he strolled. ''She came in through the window?''


    "Morning. Did you stay out all night?" Abby asked when she finally looked to the side Minos had come from, not changing the expression she''d had at all. She didn''t look angry, but that was the most dangerous kind of expression coming from a woman.


    After all, the appearance of ''no problem'' was indeed something to worry about...


    "Hmm, good morning to you too. Ehh, is there something wrong, Abby?" He asked calmly, approaching her slowly. ''Did I exaggerate last night?'' He questioned himself, a little worried.


    "No, why would there be? You flirt with me, but then you''ll spend the night with someone else¡­" She paused for a moment as she felt the fragrance in the young Stuart''s body. She then said surprisingly. "More than one? You must be proud, huh?"


    She then got up from her chair and slapped his face while having an angry expression on her gorgeous face. Abby had felt very confused by the ''action'' Minos had made the night before, so she had woken up early and invaded this young man''s room.


    She wanted to watch him as she wondered if she would be able to step forward in this relationship. But to her surprise, Minos still hadn''t returned from his nightly adventure.


    And Abby wasn''t angry that he had gone to bed with other women, but the fact that when she wanted to see him, he was away with others. More than one to make matters worse.


    Abby was a selfish girl, after all...


    And sensing Abby''s slap, Minos didn''t try to dodge or protect himself. Instead, he fully accepted this young woman''s blow while he had a small smile at the corner of his lips. But he quickly recomposed his appearance and looked at her thoughtfully.


    Minos couldn''t be considered a womanizer since he doesn''t try to be with every beautiful woman he meets, but he wasn''t a saint either. If there was room for a more intimate relationship, if there was attraction and desire for it on both sides, there was no reason not to try.


    He didn''t know if it was in his nature or an outside influence, like the fact that he had met someone like Elena in his first experience or something else, but it didn''t matter. The point was, he wouldn''t give up on a night like the one he''d had with the previous trio just because he''d flirted with Abby last night.


    But he completely understood Abby''s side. After all, he could still be considered an empathetic person.


    Finally, Minos approached the young woman to him, hugging her tightly as he spoke into her ear. "Looks like I got you a little confused Abby, I''m sorry. But know that I would have preferred to spend the night with you, but you refused me."


    He then looked her in the eye and continued. "You have every right to refuse me, but I can''t promise you I won''t go out with others just because I want you. You''ve seen me do similar things before, and that won''t change in the short term."


    "I''m not in a hurry. I can give you a little more space. Maybe I overreacted last night. But know that I still want you." He said this calmly, looking deep into the eyes of this beautiful young woman with blue hair, who at the moment looked angry.


    Abby''s face was completely red. Her fists tightly clenched as she felt her heart race. Her breathing was increasing, and her pupils chased Minos'', with only the sound of her breathing reverberating in that place.


    And at that moment, she kissed him.

 Chapter 268: Time to go Home

    Abby had punched Minos in the chest, slowing down little by little, until she had finally come up to his face and kissed him.


    She was confused and felt a little irritated with him right now, but she was also attracted. Abby couldn''t understand what was going on, but she had kissed him this time, looking for an answer.


    Sensing this, Minos felt a little surprised, but soon he hugged her warmly, wrapping his strong arms around this young woman''s waist and pressing her. Then, finally, their mouths began to move as young Stuart placed his tongue inside Abby''s mouth.


    Abby didn''t know what was going on, as this was her first kiss, but she let herself be carried away by young Stuart. She followed his lead as their tongues ''embraced,'' dancing to a pleasant rhythm.


    "Mmmm~"


    And soon, the kiss became more and more pleasant, and even though this was the first time this young woman had such an experience, she had found her way quickly, making her feel on cloud nine.


    She felt comfortable, warm and even had some strange feeling welling up deep inside her being.


    ''Minos Stuart, what do I do with you?'' She wondered inwardly, already feeling this young man''s ''excitement''...


    As for Minos, he felt pretty good right now. In fact, he liked Abby''s personality. He was attracted to the fact that she had behaved that way before. It made him feel even better with this kiss.


    And as he kissed her, Minos didn''t go far with his gestures. He''d sensed this young woman''s measurements without being too intrusive or uncomfortable for her.


    He knew this young woman was not like the others he had slept with, so he must take a different approach with her.


    Finally, after almost two full minutes of kissing, feeling each other''s heat and body reactions, Abby broke the kiss.


    She still had an angry look in her beautiful blue eyes, but it looked like the storm had calmed down. Her beautiful face was flushed this time, a different shade of pink than the red before. And that made her even more attractive to a ''predator'' like Minos...


    And while the two of them were still holding each other, he looked down into her eyes and asked. "You''re feeling better now?"


    However, she didn''t answer him, only having released a ''hmph'' sound to him at the same time, she pressed her face against his chest. ''Do you think that because I kissed you, all the problems disappear? You''re a player who can''t even ''respect'' your own friend...''


    ''Oh, why am I getting involved in this?''


    While Abby had different thoughts, sometimes contrary, sometimes favorable to the young Stuart, Minos could feel her heartbeat. ''Your body is much more honest than you, Abby¡­''


    ...


    Quickly time passed, and the group that had slept in the City of Waters had finally left that hotel.


    At this time, Abby was sitting side by side with Minos in the carriage, trying to avoid looking at him as much as possible.


    On the other hand, Eda, who was in front of the two youths, didn''t know anything about what had happened between them.


    She could feel a strange aura coming from Minos'' body, but that was none of her business. This young man was already an adult and certainly had his personal life. As long as she didn''t feel a specific fluctuation coming from this young man, she wouldn''t mind.


    But Minos and Abby had just kissed, so no significant marks had been left on their bodies. Consequently, this woman couldn''t find out anything without first talking to her young lady.


    Of course, she noticed a different atmosphere between the two, but, well, they were young, and these things happened. Hence, sooner or later, Abby would talk to her about it.


    Finally, after only a few minutes, the three of them, plus the soldier leading the carriage, arrived at the side of the temporary camp that Minos'' soldiers had set up in that place before.


    At this point, all the people were already awake, being subdivided into several groups.


    Most people there did not know each other, and not everyone found it easy to start a friendship in just one night. That''s why, in situations like these, groups were always formed, where the closest people gather to eat and talk.


    But not only that, many of these people lived the reality of slavery, so they were more skeptical about interacting with new people.


    Anyway, there were four groups seated at different points of that temporary camp. One had the captives who served that base, in another were Minos'' soldiers, and finally, the last two, who had the slaves freed, divided between those of Blue and Black talent.


    Most of these people had bowls of soup in their hands as they spoke in low voices without drawing much attention.


    Peter was beside those three that were traveling with him, Barbara, Joey, and Robin, as they talked peacefully. "The boss is finally here!" The young Sergeant added as soon as he saw the figure of Minos descending from that carriage.


    "Cough, ehh, that was fast. I thought it would take a little longer. Not even an hour has passed since the dawn..." Joey commented, coughing a little, given his incomplete recovery of physical condition.


    "They must have woken up early..." Barbara was just talking when she looked at Abby''s expression and noticed something. At this time, the group of Minos and Abby no longer hid their appearances, as it would be strange and suspicious if someone saw them traveling that form...


    She then asked. "Peter, what is that woman''s relationship to your boss? She doesn''t look like his subordinate."


    "And it isn''t, at least as far as I know, they''re friends." He replied sincerely.


    "Friends? And friends come out to help fight like the one he had? Isn''t that too risky?" Robin asked doubtfully, trying to understand this situation.


    For this young woman, what Minos had done on that base was something hazardous. But Abby, just a friend of that leader, had taken part in that attack. ''Does she have no sense of danger? Or is she just too confident?''  Robin thought about it.


    And hearing that question, Peter had nothing to say. It indeed was out of common sense, at least for people without much support or confidence. ''Well, but for those who''ve seen Minos fighting, it''s not that hard to start believing in miracles...''


    Finally, Minos reached the center of that temporary camp and then spoke aloud. "Get ready quickly. We''ll be out in 15 minutes." He looked towards the soldiers and continued. "Collect all evidence of this camp, cover up the tracks left by the fire..."


    He gave several orders in succession, which, at the same time, several different soldiers began to carry out them.


    They were already very close to home, and in a maximum of three days, they could reach the Dry City. Hence, there was no time for failure at this location. Even though they had been careful all the way here, this was still an essential task.


    And eventually, the soldiers collected all the rubbish and guarded all the tents, while some of them turned over the ground, covering it with leaves from that area.


    The former captives then boarded those more than 20 carriages so that the group could continue the journey to Minos'' territory.


    From where they were, they would dodge the territory of the City of Waters so that they wouldn''t cross the control border of this place.


    After all, it would be strange for such a large group traveling together through this part of the Central Continent... And this happening right after a Chambers family''s base had been attacked... Well, it was better not to take any unnecessary risks.


    ''Time to go home... By now, the selection of new soldiers should already be starting...'' Minos thought to himself as he looked at the vast horizon, where he could see mountains, vast plains, and one of the rivers that passed through this region.

 Chapter 269: The Trigger of War

    Quickly two days passed.


    As Minos'' group approached the Dry City ever closer, already in the Black Plain''s territory, in another part of this region, on the Cromwell Kingdom, things were quite hectic.


    After the death of Samuel, Roy had run away all along until he finally managed to outwit the Hayes family''s Spiritual Kings, who were chasing him!


    With that, it was not long before both families discovered this matter.


    On the Chambers'' side, they had received the message that one of their subordinates had been chased for thousands of miles by members of the Hayes family.


    No one had been satisfied with such a thing, especially since they knew what Roy was trying to do.


    He had been dispatched to help Kevin, and then he had started the investigation into what had happened. In this case, such persecution meant that he had totally failed in his mission and had even been caught in the act!


    But that wasn''t all.


    The other news that had made the Chambers tremble in rage had spread through the Hayes-ruled city, eventually reaching the ''ears'' of the late Kevin''s family.


    Grace Keller had fully recovered from a deadly condition, all of a sudden as if a miracle had happened!


    And, given Vivian''s presence at the recently attacked of that Chambers'' base, where the Spring of Life was, the family''s leaders were sure that this item had been used on Grace!


    For all that, the leaders of that power were infuriated.


    Not only had one of the best talents of the past 300 years of the family died, but they had also missed the Spring of Life and intensified their grudge against the Hayes!


    ...


    In the town of Persephone, where the Chambers family''s headquarters was located, several people were talking, at this time, in the main building of that place.


    The place looked like an assembly in which the main forces of that family, who were currently in Persephone, come to meet and discuss matters of prime importance.


    The place looked quite old, giving that sense of antiquity common to historic temples and relics.


    However, amid this environment, several Spiritual Kings, and Spiritual Generals at the peak, sometimes uttered exclamations of complaint while demonstrating their respective dissatisfactions.


    "Shame! In over 5,000 years of history, we, Chambers, have never been so humiliated before!"


    "That''s right, Elder Archer is right, patriarch. We can no longer accept this. Those bastards from the Hayes have to pay for what happened!"


    "I agree!"


    "That is true."


    "Let''s destroy and enslave those bastards! I always hated those arrogant and self-righteous people!"


    "That''s it!"


    "Hmm, patriarch Dean, that Hayes girl is probably responsible for the young master''s death. How could she have stayed with the Spring of Life otherwise? And even if she''s not the killer, she knows who it was!"


    "Yea!"


    And after a while, with several people uttering their dissatisfactions and opinions of what should be done, the patriarch of that family finally came forward with his thoughts. "From now on, our Chambers family will be at war with the Hayes. Any member who comes across one of them, kill first! Then, if you can''t kill them, try to harm them anyway!"


    "I will also ask the Scourges of the Devil for help, to..."


    ...


    While a large meeting was taking place at the Chambers family''s headquarters, in another part of the kingdom, something similar was happening in the city of Primrose.


    In this place, in a large hall with several armchairs on the sides and a central stage, several Spiritual Kings were sitting around, with worried expressions on their faces.


    Most of them looked like old men, with white hair and beards, while only a few looked younger. They wore the same type of clothing, which carried the family pattern, and the name: ''Court of Justice.''


    And at one point that was on the center stage, a single man was standing. He didn''t look even 40-years-old, with his brown hair and muscular stature.


    This man was the current patriarch of the Hayes family, father of Davy and Vivian, Hadwin Hayes, level 57.


    As for why he was in this place, it was due to the type of government that the Hayes family followed. In this house, a patriarch had no absolute powers, in which a single individual could centralize all the authority.


    No, in fact, in the young Vivian''s family, whatever action that could compromise the entire house would have to be approved by the Court of Justice!


    Unlike other powers where only one or two individuals made it to the top, among the Hayes, several of their elders were above level 55!


    And because of that, a single patriarch could not concentrate as much power in his hands as there were even people of the same level as his in this court.


    Consequently, due to the excellent development and quality of their cultivation techniques, the Hayes always had several strong original members above level 55. And such a thing had directed the development of this house towards this current system, where a council had more powers than the family''s patriarch!


    Of course, in typical situations, the patriarch was the one who decided almost everything. Only in exceptional cases would the Court of Justice interfere.


    Anyway, this man was presenting his motion to the elders, asking for permission to put his plans into action.


    "Elders, the Chambers family has passed all acceptable limits. We can''t take this anymore in silence, not doing anything about it."


    "We have ignored the fact that they used the evil techniques of dual cultivation along with the slavery and torture of thousands of people for centuries."


    "But now, they''re not only against our way of life, but they''ve also attacked us! One of our future Spiritual King, the late bodyguard Samuel, someone who was just a step away from level 50, was killed within our territory!" He lamented.


    "They tried to kidnap my daughter, taking the freedom from the young lady of our family. Before this, one of them tried to use my son''s life as a ''trampoline,'' and now they dare to act in our territory!"


    "Elders, I ask that this court not allow these crimes to go unpunished! The Chambers family must be eliminated, for the sake of all, as well as our good manners."


    After listening to this man''s entire speech, the elders finally looked at each other for a moment, coming to a unanimous conclusion, when the eldest of them finally spoke. "Patriarch Hadwin, this council approves your motion. Therefore, from now on, the Hayes family is officially at war with the Chambers family."


    "You are authorized to use all the strength of the family to eliminate these enemies from now on." After that, the group of men rose simultaneously from their armchairs, dragging their robes across the floor of that place.


    They lined up behind the old man who had spoken, leaving the room calmly as if nothing could disturb them. And obviously, with the strength of each of them, they could act in such a way, even if they approved a war.


    Among them, the weakest was at level 55, while the strongest was already at the peak of level 57, being as strong as the patriarch himself!


    Anyway, Hadwin also left that place with a solemn expression on his face. He then stopped beside a man who looked like a butler and then said. "Send crows to all our subordinates. We are preparing for a war against the Chambers."


    "All right, Patriarch. But should I let them know how much time they will have?" The butler asked.


    "No, this will not start overnight, nor will it end anytime soon. Just tell them to get ready as soon as possible. There won''t be any more room for conversation between our family and the Chambers."


    "I understand."


    After that, the butler left that place, going to take care of this urgent matter.


    At the same time, Patriarch Hadwin stood there, thinking about what would come next. ''This war may last for a few years. So, we have to get in touch with our allies too, as well as try other means...''


    ...


    And quickly, hours passed when the group of more than 20 carriages from Minos'' group could already be seen on the horizon of the Dry City.


    From that point, every person inside those carriages could see the great wall that stretched over a large area, surrounding territory unknown to most of them.

 Chapter 270: Start of Selection

    While Minos was still arriving in his territory, the Black Plain Army''s new selection had already started in the Dry City!


    By this time, more than half of that first day of selection had already passed, but the first contact of candidates was still taking place.


    At this point of the selection, only a simple registration was made, from which the competitors would have their identities checked. In this first part, the thousands of soldiers of Minos'' forces would check the information of each competitor, considering the time that these people lived in the Dry City.


    It was not easy to seek information about the past of thousands of people, but it would be easier if it were done only within this city itself. And precisely because of that, the 6-month rule was already in effect.


    Before, Minos could not demand this type of restriction, as there was no suitable local competition. Another problem was that even if he had tens of thousands of soldiers, he still doesn''t have that; it wouldn''t be easy to research the past of these people outside the Black Plain.


    Many residents in the present Dry City had come from outside. Such as places like Stone Island, Yellow City, City of Waters, Maritime City, and some locations in the Black Plain.


    And given the number of competitors, it could end up taking years for everyone''s background to be analyzed.


    For all that, only these people''s time in the Dry City would count from now on. But, of course, Minos wouldn''t ignore the past of these people coming from outside his territory. However, there was already a simple check at the city''s border, where soldiers from the four entry and exit posts were doing this simple search.


    But the overwhelming majority of people were just ordinary citizens from where they came. There weren''t many subordinates of large families willing to migrate, or instead, maybe their families didn''t even allow them to do that.


    Thus, it would be difficult for someone with a complicated past to appear in the city of Minos.


    This initial contact, fundamentally speaking, was not meant to know if a person came from a specific power. Of course, that had its importance, but it would be difficult for someone like that to show up at this point. So, therefore, the main objective was to determine the type of person that each of these competitors was.


    Minos didn''t want to employ a psychopath, a troubled person who might have a violent past. Any society needed an order and laws to follow, and he needed individuals who could do that without compromising innocent people.


    Even though Dry City didn''t have written laws yet, as the city organization was still drafting it, still, there were some oral laws, common sense.


    And the soldiers of the local forces were looking for just that. If an individual had been involved in fights, theft, destruction of properties, domestic violence, and many other misconducts, that would be reported soon.


    After that, such a person would be out of the selection.


    The power of authority could feed some people''s inner devil, making them act like invincibles, letting go of their inhibitions and showing their worst faces. Therefore, Minos would not hand this power over to unprepared people, individuals who could not exercise authority without losing their integrity.


    He still didn''t have a rigorous enough selection to prevent anyone with these defects from being checked, given the army''s little strength, but he still wanted to do something about it.


    There was room for improvement, and Minos would undoubtedly do that in the future for recruit selections, but things would have to work out that way for now.


    Anyway, at this time, thousands of people had already passed through the headquarters of the Black Plain Army. However, the place where the identification of competitors was being carried out was still full of people.


    Many who had come had not obtained the information about the change in the rules and only found out about it when they were attended. But no big trouble had happened. These people had just arrived in Dry City from the Cromwell Kingdom, so most of them understood that they couldn''t join the army right away.


    Other than that, things had gone smoothly, with competitors making their entries using their IDs.


    ...


    There was an open area at the back of the headquarters where some bleachers surrounded a fighting stage.


    That place wasn''t huge, but it could still accommodate over a thousand people at once. And at this moment, all the seats in these bleachers were occupied. There was even a queue that left the exit gate of that place.


    Finally, in the middle of that stage, several stalls lined up organized and numbered from 1 to 50. They were set up in a 5-row system. Each of them there has ten stalls, with some soldiers attending.


    And from these five lines, the people waiting in the stands were gradually attended.


    Eventually, one of several soldiers guarding that place called for the next in line. "Number 3201, go to stall number 29."


    "Number 3202, go to stall number 34."


    And on hearing this, two people quickly moved while they had smiles on their faces. "Hehe, finally. I''ve been here for over 2 hours."


    "Don''t tell me about it, buddy. I didn''t come earlier thinking that there would be more people around here... But, unfortunately, I ended up having bad luck!" The other replied.


    "It happens... Good luck to you."


    "For you too!"


    And shortly after that, one of them arrived at stall number 29.


    There were two soldiers of the Corporal rank in that place, a man and a woman who looked to be already middle-aged.


    In addition to these two people sitting in chairs in that place, there was a big table, where an array that looked like a big box was supported, showing a blue screen.


    "Young man, name and identification, please." One of them said simultaneously as the other seemed to be making some notes on a clipboard that had several sheets of paper.


    Hearing this, the man who had been sent to this tent earlier finally pulled out what looked like a transparent disk as if it were a piece of thin glass. "My name is Israel. Here is my identification."


    And right after that, the man behind the table took the identification card of Israel and put it in one of the entrances of that array.


    As he did so, the array glowed for an instant when finally several lines began to appear on the screen for that item.


    - Name: Israel


    - Gender: Male


    - Status: Single


    - Activity: Hunted/Farmer


    - Residence: Block South, street 24, number 33, apartment 401


    - Age: 28-years-old


    - Citizen for: 7 months, 21 days, 19 hours, and 44 minutes.


    - Infractions: None


    After checking this information and seeing that there was no apparent problem, the woman still sitting there said. "It''s okay, Israel. In a week, we will release the list of those who can continue in this selection. Then, if there''s no problem, you''ll find your name on the list posted on your neighborhood wall."


    "Good luck."


    "Thanks." After that, this young man quickly headed out of the headquarters, going to his daily business.


    Soon after, another person arrived at that stall, going through the same procedure as Israel.


    "My name is Alina." A young woman answered a question from one of those two Corporals, already handing her identification array to one of them.


    - Name: Alina


    - Gender: Female


    - Status: Single


    - Activity: Farmer


    - Residence: Block North, street 99, number 501, apartment 211


    - Age: 27-years-old


    - Citizen for: 27 years, a native of this city


    - Infractions: None


    "Okay, young Alina, wait for the result for a week. Then, look for your name on your neighborhood wall." The man said it without much delay, returning the ID to her.


    And hearing that, Alina smiled and thanked them both when she finally left that place quietly. ''I will finally be able to compete for a place in the army. The days were passing so slowly... I thought this first day of selection would never come!''


    This young woman had been preparing for this for months, and after so much effort, she felt anxious for this event. Finally, the trial she so wanted finally arrived, and in a short time, her life could improve, depending only on her own efforts.


    Because of that, Alina was delighted right now, even though she didn''t know if she would pass or not. For humble people like her, the biggest problem was not failing, but not even having such an opportunity!

 Chapter 271: At the Top

    After Alina left that place where the applications for the selection of recruits for the Black Plain Army were made, quickly a few hours passed, and it was already night in the Dry City.


    At this time, the crowd of people who were in those stalls, as well as the queue of people leaving that place, had been fully attended.


    That was an initial moment where only a basic check was done, so it wasn''t something that would take much longer than a day to do. So, even though more than 10,000 people passed through this place today, everyone who met the requirements had been duly entered into the competition.


    Obviously, some tried to apply even though they were outside the standards required by the organization. But, there was nothing to do. There would be people who would try to take shortcuts in every community, making their journeys easier.


    However, these people were not very numerous, so they had not caused a significant problem, such as delaying the registration of regular participants.


    Finally, the first day of selection was over, and now the hundreds of Corporals and Soldiers of the local army would begin researching these people enrolled in the selection.


    This was not a difficult task, as Minos merely wished to eliminate the most troublesome individuals, those with the most obvious personality flaws, who had already committed something ''worrying.''


    Of course, this was not only taken into account by the selection, since during the physical examination, which would take place after this first moment, there would also be a written test.


    This test would have a complementary role to this previous research done by Minos'' soldiers to assess the personality of these people. That''s because, even if ordinary people have some difficulty hiding their true natures, there are always those who can.


    Thus, even if a ''problematic'' individual were not eliminated in this first part of the selection, there would still be other ways for him to be eliminated later.


    But don''t get it wrong, it''s not like these people are criminals, murderers, or psychopaths. The exam served to eliminate people like that too, but these were separate cases, exceptions. Most of those eliminated could probably live well in society and even be respected citizens.


    The problem is that some individuals, unfortunately, could change for the worse after experiencing power. Such people could become uncontrollable and could even become the weakest points in an organization.


    And it was common knowledge that the worst enemy would always be the intern!


    Therefore, all this care was being put into practice.


    ...


    The night was pleasant in the Dry City, it was neither cold nor hot, and the sky was completely clear, giving space for people to see the beautiful starry sky in this region.


    And, although there were already numerous light arrays illuminating residences and city streets, this was insufficient to intervene in this matter. Moreover, the area of ??the city was still small, so the local light still did not prevent the beautiful starry sky from being appreciated by the citizens.


    On the other hand, for those passing through the city streets at this time, a pleasant smell of food could be felt, sometimes the smell of bread coming out of the oven, sometimes the smell of roasted meat.


    The population of this part of the Central Continent enjoyed a lot of pasta and meat. And because of that, the aromas of the dishes related to these varieties of food could be easily felt by anyone passing through the Dry City.


    In the mornings, the smell of bread was the most common, while in the evenings, there was a variety of fragrances, especially roasted meat.


    And amidst this mixture of smells and the ideal time to walk the city streets, more than 20 carriages were currently entering the urban area of ??this place.


    The carriages coming from the Cromwell Kingdom had just passed the southern entrance to the city''s wall and had quickly reached the Dry City''s built-up area.


    Minos and the two Miller family''s women followed in the carriage at the front of the convoy, with tired expressions on their faces. Abby was beside this young man while Eda sat in front of the two, already anxious to get to the mansion.


    It had been almost three weeks since they left, and they all wanted to be able to get back to their respective routines.


    On the other hand, in one of the carriages that came at the back of that train, the three people who were with Peter had surprised expressions on their faces.


    Not just because the Dry City sounded so much more than they''d ever heard, but because Peter had just told them that this was their boss''s territory.


    "Are you serious? How could a person as strong as that has developed in a place like this?" Robin asked at the same time as she looked at Peter.


    She had never come to this city before, but she knew that the Black Plain was an impoverished place, at least for a few hundred thousand years!


    As for the other two, only old Joey had ever known Minos'' territory. And he was utterly shocked by these changes.


    On the other hand, Barbara did not know this region and knew even less of the impoverished fame of this place than Robin. After all, she had lived most of her short life in the Kingdom of the End, a very distant place that could take more than half a year to travel there from this place!


    Anyway, Barbara was also having doubts about Peter''s statement. Right now, she was also paying close attention to what he was going to say.


    "I''m telling the truth. But you need to go out and see the city on your own so that you''ll realize how different this place is." He said without much emotion as he saw old Joey looking out the carriage window while his mouth was wide open in shock.


    Peter then continued. "When I arrived here, I also thought that Mr. Minos was playing a prank on me, but as soon as I got to know this place, I changed my mind. I soon decided that this would be my home as well as my family''s. And months later, when I was bringing my family here, those pirates kidnapped me..."


    "Oh? Is that person''s name Minos?" Joey finally said something.


    "Hmm, that''s right. He''s called Minos Stuart." Peter said calmly. There was no longer any need for him to hide Minos'' name from these people at this point in the trip.


    They were already in the Dry City, and very soon, these people would go out to see this place. And since all the locals knew Minos'' name, there was no need to hide it from these three.


    After Peter answered Joey''s question, Barbara took her turn and asked something. "But you didn''t explain how he improved this place and how it can be so strong, having developed in a place like this. Is there any great power behind it?"


    "Well, I naturally don''t know his secrets. After all, I''m just a newly hired soldier. But I don''t believe there is one power behind him. Mr. Minos is building his organization from scratch. That''s why this place is so valuable to people with Black talent like us."


    "But if he doesn''t have support, isn''t that a bit unstable? Don''t you feel insecure that this place is going to fall all of a sudden?" Barbara questioned him.


    "No, I feel great here. But, of course, any organization has a chance of succumbing. But if we''re going to fear that and don''t join an organization just for that, then there would be no subordinates of noble families in this world."


    He then looked at her apologetically and said. "I don''t want to aggravate your wound, but the family to which you were subordinated and which was destroyed was a long-established organization with numerous powerful members, correct?"


    After hearing this, Barbara''s face darkened a little as she nodded and said. "Yes."


    Old Joey then looked at her and spoke for Peter. "Yeah, traditional powers can fall too. In fact, even families like the one you were part of were once undeveloped organizations as well."


    "But still¡­" Robin was talking when Peter suddenly interrupted her.


    "As I said before, you will understand why Mr. Minos'' army is different from these forces when you get to know the city." He then looked out the carriage window, already noting the many buildings that had been built while he was ''away.''


    He then finished. "I genuinely believe that one day the Black Plain will be at the top of northern Central Continent."

 Chapter 272: Thoughts

    Upon hearing Peter''s last comment, the three people accompanying him looked at him for a moment while they had curious expressions on their faces. Of course, the statement this young man had just made was quite big, but still, he had said it as confidently as possible.


    Consequently, these people looked at this city with even more interest.


    The place looked pretty decent, with good infrastructure, which even resembled the pattern found in big cities. And even though the total local urban area was not significant, they could see that this city was quite active, even in the early evening.


    The excellent lighting helped in this factor, but several stores and services were operating at the time, which generated an active ''climate'' in the places where the carriages passed.


    And seeing this, each of these people had their own thoughts.


    ''This place is much better than last time... No, it''s completely different! To say they destroyed and rebuilt would be more accurate!'' So, Joey thought to himself as he inspected down through the city streets.


    ''Tomorrow I''m going out to see this place! Even if I still need a few days of rest, I can''t help but find out what happened here!'' This old man thought about it while feeling intrigued by Minos'' methods.


    He wanted to know how such a change could happen in one place. Joey hadn''t been to this place in a few decades, but he knew no changes should have occurred in this region.


    Even if the local sovereign wanted to keep it a secret, it would only be temporary, and sooner or later, someone would find out. Consequently, if this place had changed a long time ago, then he probably would have heard something about it already!


    So, Joey was pretty sure there hadn''t been much time since these changes happened.


    As for Barbara, she had her doubts about this place, but she wasn''t as curious as Joey. ''As these people rescued me and they even gave me this ride here, I will stay in this place for a few days while I recover. I''m going to take a look at this place just to pretend I''m interested, but I can''t believe what Peter is saying!''


    Barbara was the least familiar with the reality of the ancient Black Plain, so she didn''t find this place so impressive. To her, this was just a well-kept city, which had an amount of spiritual energy just above low concentration.


    Therefore, for her, who had served a noble family from the Kingdom of the End, this place was still below her desired standard. Sure, the things Peter had said were very tempting, but were they true? Barbara wasn''t sure.


    As much as they had spent several weeks living as slaves together, at the end of the day, each of them was still strangers, coming from different places. So, there was a certain skepticism on the part of this woman, who had always tried to keep her reason above her emotions.


    And finally, Robin was the one with the most position on the fence of the three. She had a slight interest in getting to know this place, like old Joey. After all, she had left Stone Island to visit the north of the Central Continent.


    She wanted to experience the life of a traveler, discover new places, cultures, fight against wild spiritual beasts, in short, get to know this incredible region. So, since she was already in this place, getting to know this region was something that pleased her a lot.


    But on the other hand, like Barbara, Robin also found it hard to believe that this town could be as good as Peter said. Moreover, Robin knew a little more about the Dry City than the woman from the Kingdom of the End, which made her doubt this place a little.


    Of course, she was surprised to discover so many differences between what she had heard from this place and what she saw right now. But more than being shocked by this different reality, she was skeptical. ''How could such a humble place give rise to someone like this man, called Minos?'' She wondered.


    Talent, cultivation techniques, and resources. Those were the top three things that would get someone to the top. Without one of them, it doesn''t matter if you had the other two. It wouldn''t be enough. And rightfully so, Robin was doubtful about this place.


    There shouldn''t be talented people around here, as people like that would try to live in the best places. Without talented people, there wouldn''t be many good quality techniques because there definitely wouldn''t be people to produce them. And lastly, if there weren''t any of these last two factors, then there wouldn''t be good resources either.


    After all, talented and well-equipped people were the ones who had the financial power in this world. In this way, specialists from the different professions available in the Spiritual World would not waste their time in places without ''well-born'' people.


    Consequently, resources would be scarcer in places deprived of those people.


    And lastly, natural resources were not ''born'' in impoverished places, as any valuable item needed large amounts of spiritual energy to develop!


    But, there was no such thing in this region...


    For all that, Robin was still not so interested in this force that she had saved her.


    Anyway, as the carriages moved, Peter, who was enjoying the silence inside that carriage, was thinking about his family right now. ''I wonder how they are? They must have been apprehensive about me...''


    This young man had been missing for over a month, and his family was undoubtedly quite worried about him. As far as they knew, this young man''s destiny was quite dark, and they could never see him again!


    Even though they knew Peter was still breathing because the army had the mark of this young Sergeant''s soul, they couldn''t tell what state he was in. Maybe he had been living in hell, being tortured in every way possible...


    There was no way they could have known.


    And Peter was aware of it. So, right after those traveling companions of his stopped talking, this young man couldn''t help but think about his family.


    ...


    While the group was traveling in the same carriage as Peter had divergent thoughts, the other freed captives who had traveled to the Dry City with them expressed similarly divergent reactions to the sight.


    None of them knew the city of Minos before, as most were low-talented people who had never left their regions before being enslaved. Because of this, they didn''t learn about the history of this place.


    But they could see that this was a decent place. After all, the buildings had suitable structures, the people on the streets were well dressed, even if many of them were simple, like them. There were no individuals wearing collars around their necks, just as there were no screams of pain in any of the places they had passed.


    This place didn''t remind them of the harsh reality of slavery!


    "This town looks pretty decent. Look, several guards are patrolling the streets, people cleaning up the city, as well as smiling citizens!" One of the former captives who had requested to accompany Minos'' group said happily.


    "True, given the movement of this place, it shouldn''t be difficult for us to get jobs!" Another person commented as he looked out of the carriage that was transporting them.


    And at this moment, finally, one of those people asked the soldier who was leading the carriage they were. "Sir, we were told before that we could join this organization of yours. Is that true?"


    Hearing this, the soldier who was leading that carriage smiled and said. "It''s up to you. If you pass the selection, then yes."


    "And what are the requirements for this selection?" He asked.


    "There are several requirements, but to summarize, you must have a minimum talent equal to Blue, be a long-standing resident of the Dry City, and have committed no infractions. If you meet these requirements, then you can participate in the selection." The soldier explained.


    "Oh? So, this is simpler than I thought. But how hard do you think it is to pass this selection?"


    "Hehe, it''s not easy, and it''s going to get harder in the future." The soldier said with a friendly smile on his face. He was happy to join the army before things got more popular around here... "But there are many services in this town that can help you improve your strength even if you don''t make it into the army."


    "There are no unemployed people in the Dry City. In this, you can rest assured, you will certainly be able to live on your own and have your things. Even low-level spiritual arrays and pills!"

 Chapter 273: Reunion 1

    Upon hearing the soldier''s comment, the man who had asked the previous question opened his mouth in shock, surprised by what he had heard. "Are there no unemployed people here?" He wondered.


    After all, except in those small communities, where small families survived by bartering, every city would have its share of unemployed. And this was even more significant in the north of the Central Continent, which lacked abundant resources...


    Therefore, not only the man who had asked the question but also other former captives who were in that carriage had shown signs of disbelief.


    The soldier then smiled and said. "Hehe, you will realize this in a short time."


    "Lord, even people like us? We''re not talented, and we''re at low levels for our respective ages, I''m afraid¡­." He was just exposing his thoughts when he was interrupted.


    "Don''t worry. There are many areas that ordinary people can work. For example, agriculture and the construction sector employ many inhabitants of our city." The soldier began to speak with pride at the same time as he controlled the carriage.


    "In fact, many people here work in these two areas simultaneously, and they even manage to make more than 100 crystals a month!"


    "What?" The people standing there exclaimed simultaneously.


    Such an amount of low-grade crystals was not small, even for the most talented cultivators and subordinates from wealthy families! But for them, ordinary people who didn''t have high expectations, that was the amount that generally, when things went well, they got after working for 6 to 12 months!


    "I''m telling the truth." The soldier said with a slight smile on his face. He liked to see how people always reacted the same way when they found out about it. "My parents are doing this recently. My father works as a farmer in the morning and as a bricklayer in the afternoon."


    "As for my mother, she is also in agriculture. However, her second job is not in construction, but as a gardener in the city."


    "Incredible! Are there more options?" Another person asked.


    "Yea! There is the option of becoming one of the city''s janitors, people who clean and collect garbage from public streets. There are administrative jobs in the government, hunting spiritual beasts, jobs related to the many stores here, etc. There are many possibilities."


    The soldier then remembered something and said. "More recently, I heard that they are planning to open a mercenary guild in town."


    "Mercenaries? But isn''t the army of this place strong enough?" A woman asked, remembering the strength Minos'' soldiers had previously demonstrated. "Do they still need more power?" She wondered.


    "You are misjudging the mercenary profession. There are not only warriors among these groups. Many mercenaries are just explorers, scout groups, perform certain common services, etc. I believe that the focus of this guild will be on that." He completed it.


    "Oh? This is interesting..."


    ...


    And finally, after a few minutes crossing the city, the group arrived in front of the local government mansion.


    The more than 20 carriages stopped in front of that place when the group began to disperse little by little.


    Minos had already given the orders on how these former captives should be allocated. So, the soldiers who had accompanied him on this trip quickly began to escort this numerous group of former slaves.


    They would go through a background check first, but nothing too complex. After that, it was just a simple survey to know the personal data of each one of them and finally, create the identifications of these people.


    There was no way to check this information, as these people could be from different parts of the north of the Central Continent. But it didn''t matter if they told the truth or not. This identification only served to know where people came from, how they arrived in the city, age, names, etc.


    Information to register each of these people as citizens of the Dry City.


    As these individuals had just been freed from slavery and consequently had no crystals, Minos would exempt them from the first annual tax. Despite being only a crystal, it could take them several days to get this income, preventing them from using certain services in the city.


    On the other hand, for Minos, the number of crystals these people had to pay was insignificant. Therefore, it would not make sense for him to be so petty, charging this fee and thus disrupting the stay of these people.


    ...


    Anyway, while the soldiers took care of these bureaucratic immigration matters, Minos and the two women who had accompanied him on this trip had already entered that mansion.


    The young Stuart led the group while Abby and Eda walked behind them. Every step Minos took was light and smooth, as if he were pretty relaxed right now.


    And as he walked ahead of the two, the blue-haired girl was watching Minos intently, as if she were sizing him up. Abby''s pupils followed this young man''s body movements in front of her, while her face was expressionless.


    ''He hasn''t commented on our kiss since we left that hotel... So, why doesn''t he tell me anything? Is he ignoring what I''ve done to make me think about it?" She wondered, trying to understand Minos'' game.


    ''Even when we stopped to rest a few hours ago, he still didn''t say anything to me... Maybe I should ask Eda for some tips?'' At the thought, she blushed as she shook her head. ''No, definitely not. That would be very embarrassing! If she knew what Minos tried to do to seduce me...''


    At the same time, as Abby was thinking about many things related to Minos, the group finally arrived at the office of the young sovereign.


    Contrary to what usually happened, when he arrived at this place, Mia''s secretary was not around at the reception of the young Stuart''s office. And seeing that, Minos didn''t mind too much, as this woman had always had many responsibilities as his secretary, so she must be doing something important for the Dry City.


    Finally, when they entered that office, Dillian, who was there, soon saw the three of them, immediately getting up from the armchair to receive them.


    "Young master, how was the mission? Did we manage to save Sergeant Peter?" He asked anxiously, right after greeting Minos'' group.


    "Hmm, we freed him and a few other people who the Chambers family enslaved." Minos went straight to the point, at the same time, where he was sprawled on the couch there as if he was pretty tired.


    "Chambers? This family again?" The butler questioned as a dark expression formed on his face. "It looks like this will be an inevitable enemy..."


    "Hmm, when they find out I didn''t go to the Flaming Empire, they''ll certainly start looking for me. Even if they can''t relate me to what happened at that base, it shouldn''t be long before they get to me."


    At this point, the experienced Eda joined the conversation and gave her opinion on the matter. "But I think young Minos shouldn''t worry too much about it right now. It must be a few years old before they find the Dry City."


    The butler then readily agreed, nodding his head. "Truth. At worst, they shouldn''t find this out in less than two years. We haven''t exposed ourselves yet, and few clues can bring them to this place. So, even though they know the young master didn''t go to the sects of the empire, they would still have to look for you all over the northern region."


    "I know. Anyway, I''m going to stay in the Dry City for 1 to 2 months, and then I''ll have to go to the Kingdom of the Waves." Minos changed the subject, remembering something important.


    "Why is that, young master?"


    "My spiritual weapon was destroyed. I''m afraid it won''t be easy just ordering such an item. Anyway, other issues need to be resolved there as well. It''s about time we got some Blue-grade spiritual techniques for support professions..."


    He then started talking about his plans for this future trip to the Kingdom of the Waves, the best place in this region to find what he was looking for.


    This realm could be considered the highest level in this northern region of the Central Continent, where the best arrays masters and specialists in most professions could be found!

 Chapter 274: Reunion 2

    The Kingdom of the Waves had the largest territory and the largest population of the entire northern region of the Central Continent.


    Because of this, the kingdom where Peter was from had the best services in the region. The concentration of specialists in this realm could be considered the best, with people from all areas of expertise.


    And even if they were not the most renowned experts in all fields, as was the case with blacksmiths and beast tamers, they provided excellent options for those in need of these individuals'' services.


    In these two specialties, the best professionals were located in Stone Island and the Snow Kingdom, respectively. Obviously, this was for geographical reasons, which gave these places advantages for these types of professions.


    However, after these two states, the Kingdom of the Waves was the principal alternative for those in need of blacksmiths or beast tamers. The large territory allowed both the massive presence of wild spiritual beasts and natural rock formations.


    Therefore, these two professions were also successful in that place.


    As for the sale of spiritual techniques, each area had those professionals who better understood the rules of nature, specifically about their areas of expertise. With this, spiritual techniques could be produced, either by a blacksmith, beast tamers, or even cooks.


    Any person could produce a spiritual technique as long as he had a good understanding of nature, a certain level of cultivation, and some unique materials. With that, techniques from the most varied areas could be produced.


    And given the size of the Kingdom of the Waves, as this was the state with the most professionals in most areas, Minos thought this would be the best place for him to buy these items.


    In Minos'' city''s current public library, there was no spiritual technique other than those specialized in battle and cultivation. With that, people who wanted to, or were already following different areas in the Dry City, could not have their respective feats improved, given the lack of these techniques!


    That could be bad for this town in two ways. One, current citizens following these areas would be limited and could even delay local development. And two, the city was being less attractive to people who follow different specializations.


    Certainly, such a thing was not a problem in the short term, as the Dry City was still mainly seeking people for agriculture. But, it was not wise to leave this subject on hold for too long, so the young Stuart had already put this subject in his planning.


    He also intended to buy a grade-2, medium-level sword, which could also be done on this trip to the Kingdom of the Waves.


    He could even go to Stone Island for that, but that would be a pointless trip. If he ever needed to go to the Kingdom of the Waves, then he might as well do it all in one place, saving his time!


    Anyway, after Minos finished talking about it, Dillian was quiet for a moment and then asked. "When is the young master going to do this?"


    "I can not delay. Being without a suitable weapon is very dangerous. But I want to leave to make this trip after I breakthrough to level 43. This should happen in less than two months." He replied while looking in Dillian''s direction.


    ''Are you going to level up again?'' Abby thought curiously. When she first saw him, this young friend of hers was only level 38, 2 levels below her. But now, in less than a year, he was almost passing her!


    ''How absurd, at such speed, he will become a Spiritual King before the age of 20! Damn it. I can''t allow him to leave me behind!'' She then said. "Well, I will go with you to the Kingdom of the Waves. It will be good if I can accompany you in your training."


    Abby knew that region had a vast territory. By that, she knew that this young man would undoubtedly train during his journey. After all, this trip wouldn''t be like the one he''d just taken, where he couldn''t stop to train and cultivate.


    So, given the state''s various forest regions, this could also be a training journey for Abby!


    "Oh? Are you sure?" He asked in an interested tone.


    "Of course! And Eda will not accompany me." She said firmly, already looking at this experienced woman.


    And hearing that, Eda couldn''t help but frown. "Ms. Abby, what are you talking about? Why won''t I come with you?"


    "I have decided that we are going to join Minos'' forces."


    "What?" Eda exclaimed in surprise.


    "Oh? So, you made up your mind, huh?" Minos said with a smile at the corner of his lips.


    On Dillian''s side, he tried to understand Abby''s behavior. ''What is this girl thinking?''


    "Ms. Abby, we can talk about this later. But why wouldn''t I accompany you on this trip? That would still be my main function!"


    And finally, the young woman from the Miller family decided to explain herself. "I can say that no one in the Kingdom of the Waves knows me, but with you, it could be different. Some people might recognize me as one of the Miller family through you, and that could end up causing problems for Minos. So, you''d better stay here in the Dry City."


    "You''re also not far from the 6th stage of cultivation, and with the resources that the Black Plain Army can provide, you can reach it in less than two years."


    "For all that, it''s better for you to stay around. You will also be able to help this place with your experience and strength in battle, in case something happens."


    Eda froze in place and then continued to question her. "Then Ms. Abby better stay here too. It''s not safe to travel without someone to protect you. You''re not strong enough yet!"


    Hearing this, Minos laughed and said. "I will be with her. If even I can''t save her, do you think it would make a difference to have someone else there?"


    "That¡­" But Eda couldn''t go against that. The strength he had displayed was actually far more remarkable than hers, and Abby would undoubtedly be safer beside him than hers!


    "But don''t think about it for now. We still have about two months for this trip..."


    ...


    And while Minos'' group talked about what might happen in the near future, Peter had walked through several of the Dry City streets and finally arrived in front of his house.


    He was thrilled at this point, having stopped at the door of that place for almost 10 minutes before finally knocking on it.


    Pa! Pa!


    After that, the door slowly opened when a little girl, around 7 or 8-years-old, opened it while she spoke in her thin voice. "Who is it?"


    However, upon seeing the person there, Peter''s little sister quickly recognized him. Immediately, tears began to flow from her eyes.


    She then jumped towards Peter''s chest while screaming and crying at the same time. "Older brother! Baw!"


    On Peter''s side, he was also moved to see his little sister, whom he thought he would never see again. "Lizzie!" He said, in a suffocated voice, with his eyes already wholly red.


    "Baw!"


    And amidst the little girl''s crying sounds, the two of them hugged when finally Peter''s parents appeared.


    His mother had a dishtowel over her left shoulder while wearing a long white kitchen apron, with her black hair tied back. Peter''s father, on the other hand, was wearing baggy shorts while wearing a shirt with some dirt stains, as if he had just come home from work.


    Anyway, when the two saw the young man with short black hair and medium height hugging little Lizzie through her sobs, they soon recognized him.


    "Son!" His mother was the first to speak when she ran to hug him too.


    Both she and Peter''s father didn''t know if they could see Peter again, but they hadn''t given up hope and constantly prayed for the good of this young man.


    They believed that the local army would do something for young Peter, and one day he could come home. At least that was the only thing ordinary people like them could do...


    And in the end, things had worked out, luckily.


    Anyway, three adults and a child were hugging at the door of that apartment while tears ran down their faces. This was an emotional reunion of a family that had experienced the tragedy of the slave business.

 Chapter 275: The Beginning of the Rumor

    Quickly two days have passed since the arrival of the Minos'' group.


    In this period, all of the former captives, whether those who served that base or those who Kevin had bought, had already settled in the Dry City.


    At first, they were placed in one of the newly constructed residential buildings, which had no residents yet.


    These constructions had been financed by the local government, which funded this type of construction and then sold it to future residents. The city was constantly growing, so this action could help make this place even more attractive.


    After all, ordinary families couldn''t afford to stay in hotels for extended periods. They didn''t have enough crystals!


    And as the Dry City had grown a lot lately, if new buildings weren''t built in advance, then there would be housing shortages!


    In this case, having an offer of housing where these new citizens of the Dry City could live and pay a monthly fee was ideal. As a result, the city would not suffer from the development of irregular communities, maintaining the quality standard throughout the urban region.


    On the other hand, these newcomers could work without undue worry, as the fees charged for contracts were not excessive. Moreover, the government was not charging interests. Therefore, only the cost of building these properties was taken into account.


    And making buildings with regularity was something that created jobs and also lowered the operating cost of this type of service. After all, mass production is usually cheaper!


    That also lowered the price of these properties for new families around here. So, consequently, even if those people who had just been freed from slavery, who did not have crystals, could already have their own homes.


    But this action also had an extraordinary effect on these people, victims of slavery!


    For people like these, some who had only been in this condition for a few months, while others had spent years, having their own home was very significant.


    Perhaps for those who never had to go through the difficulty of not having their own home, such a thing did not seem so significant. But for people like that, it had moved them deeply.


    Some of them even wept with happiness as they received their house keys!


    And after that, even those former captives who had been terrorized by the Chambers family, to the point of serving them almost impulsively, even they had felt more comfortable in this place.


    Of course, they understood they were prisoners in this town, but such a thing was infinitely better than being slaves to the Chambers. Here they had their own homes, could work wherever they wanted, and have their own possessions!


    Spiritual weapons, arrays, pills, whatever they could buy, they could have in this place. Such a thing did not happen where they were previously, where they could barely eat once a day and had no rights.


    Hence, even though they still felt cornered against this strange place, they thought they could get used to this place and even have a life around here.


    However, the residencies they had been given were not the only thing that had changed their behavior. No, on these people''s first day in the Dry City, they quickly found out about the services available in this town.


    They were curious about the Dry City Cultivation Tower and the Fight Arena, but that was only a little interest. After all, none of them could use this place until they worked for a few months here.


    What had caught the attention of each of these people was the Dry City Public Library. Such a place was like a paradise for these former captives, where they could learn new techniques of a higher degree than they had!


    These people had learned, for the most part, only White-grade techniques, the most inefficient. Consequently, given a chance to learn better-ranked techniques, these people became euphoric.


    That was a chance for them to get stronger, live longer, and maybe get into the army in the future. If they were lucky, perhaps some could even reach a decent level in the future that would allow them to take revenge on those who enslaved them!


    ...


    Anyway, the day had passed without significant commotions in the Dry City, and the weather was delightful.


    At this moment, the sky was half orange, while the blue of the day lost space to the black of night, with the sun setting on the horizon.


    The city streets were quite busy, with many people coming and going and even carriages passing through the more significant avenues.


    There was a well-built bar near the town center, where many tables were outside that place, in what looked like a well-made outdoor flower garden.


    There was a glass cover that, while large windows of the same material, allowed anyone passing in front of it to see the interior of this property.


    Anyway, for people who passed in front of this bar right now, they would see through the glass many people inside that place.


    The crowd seemed to be around three people sitting in chairs inside that bar, and they seemed to be talking about something at this point.


    They were three men, all three of them looking old, with white hair and wrinkles.


    These people were modestly dressed and had the same mark on their foreheads, a black star, with a fur-colored circumference in the middle of it.


    The three old men were former captives that served that base of the Chambers family!


    As for the crowd around these men, there were about 30 people there, ranging from young people without hair on their faces to some gentlemen even older than the three former captives.


    Anyway, finally one of those people was listening to these three figures asked with a twinkle in his eyes. "Sirs, did you witness Mr. Minos'' battle? Can you tell us about it?"


    The three former slaves, after finally finding a job yesterday, today they had gone out to celebrate, after their first day of paid work. And in doing so, they had come to this bar, where they had ended up talking about the battle they had witnessed at that base.


    These people had not dared to fight, but many of those former captives who served that place had witnessed the fights that took place on that day of invasion!


    While talking to each other about what they had seen, other people in this bar had heard the conversation of the three. Soon after that, it wasn''t long before almost every customer and employee in this place was listening to the story of these figures.


    Finally, after hearing a young man''s question, the three old men turned to each other, and then one of them said. "Cough, I only witnessed the fights of the Black Plain Army''s soldiers. But I think old Ward saw Mr. Minos'' fight, right?"


    One of them then puffed out his chest in pride and began to speak. "That is true! I had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Minos fight. It was the most incredible battle I''ve ever seen, and maybe I won''t see any like it in my entire life!"


    "That is true?"


    "Ahh, what envy! I wanted to see Mr. Minos in action!"


    "Hm, I heard he''s as strong as the Spiritual Kings, a cousin of mine told me..."


    As soon as many comments were made, Ward finally began to narrate what he had seen. "That day, Mr. Minos looked like a god of war. He wielded a long silver sword, which emanated chilling intent and could even threaten the life of the Spiritual King of that base!"


    "At first, he seemed to be fighting on an equal footing, but it wasn''t long before Mr. Minos'' godlike abilities surpassed his opponent''s."


    "Jamie, that place''s Spiritual King, appeared to be at a loss for how to fight Mr. Minos. And when, after a few minutes of abject failure, that guy lost his patience and opened the ''door'' for Mr. Minos'' beast to attack him."


    "Did such a thing happen?"


    "Does Mr. Minos have a beast?"


    Several questions arose as those people admired the deeds of the local sovereign. Ward then continued. "Hmm, that beast was fierce and powerful as if it had come from the underworld itself. But it listened to Mr. Minos'' every word."


    "It was like she was totally submissive to him!"


    ...

 Chapter 276: Increased Rumor

    "That beast had six tails and was almost twice the height of Mr. Minos, but in front of him, it looked like a friendly pet!" Ward explained while gesturing with his hands, impersonating Emlyn.


    "She didn''t have one of her paws, but that doesn''t bother her. When that Spiritual King suffered to fight Mr. Minos, that beast finally attacked him, seriously wounding Jamie!"


    When they heard that, those people were blown away. They were happy to know how strong Minos was and even Emlyn''s very existence.


    If the two could fight against Spiritual Kings, then didn''t that mean the Dry City could already be considered a place with two individuals of that level? They thought so!


    And that made them feel safe. After all, the Spiritual World was not a simple and secure place. So, even though many of these people never ventured out, there was no need for anyone to go far to understand this.


    There were always more ''vicious'' people, criminals, and ''accidents,'' even in the smallest communities. Therefore, uncertainty and fear of reality were something that existed among those weaker and less talented people!


    Finally, some comments sounded around that bar.


    "Ahh, I''m glad to know that we can count on such powerful people!"


    "True, but I''m surprised our little town already has a 6th stage beast!"


    "Me too. I thought that butler Dillian was going to be the first Spiritual King of our little town. But that doesn''t seem to be the case!"


    "Eh? Doesn''t that mean we''ll have three cultivators from the 6th stage of cultivation soon?" Another person said in a low voice...


    Finally, a curious young man asked old Ward about the rest of the fight. This former captive then sighed for a moment and then continued his story.


    "After that, that Spiritual King was slain by Mr. Minos, just moments after that spiritual beast joined the fight."


    After that, one of the other two former captives who had not yet spoken told the audience. "I regret not having watched Mr. Minos'' fight with that Spiritual King, Jamie. But I did get to see one of Mr. Minos'' divine techniques when he destroyed the Chambers family''s young master''s cultivation."


    "Hmm, I saw that too. It was terrifying. In fact, I felt in my own skin the suppression of that technique!" The other two commented with solemn expressions.


    The feeling of not being able to move even an inch was genuinely terrifying. So, naturally, these three men who had felt the power of the Spatial Sword could never forget that moment.


    Hearing this, another person in the crowd asked anxiously. "What was Mr. Minos'' technique like? Was it that powerful?"


    Ward nodded in agreement and responded. "Yea. Mr. Minos stopped the space for tens of meters, causing dozens of cultivators to stand motionless at that moment, without even being able to move or speak!"


    "We could see everything around us, including Mr. Minos moving like nothing, was happening. But that was just for him. For us, we were frozen, as if our bodies had stopped obeying our orders."


    That was the expected effect for people of lesser cultivation than Minos. For people at levels close to this young man, the sensation would be as if their bodies were getting heavier, slowing down their speeds.


    But for people much weaker than the young Stuart, no matter how hard these individuals tried, they couldn''t even feel this apparent weight. It was as if their bodies had stopped taking orders from their souls, and they were stuck in that situation!


    Anyway, hearing the declaration of the three men, the people in that place had open mouths and shining eyes, shocked and happy to know a little more about this local leader.


    Ordinary people didn''t fight, but they liked to talk about great talents, especially those in leadership positions like the sovereigns.


    There were always rumors, or even legends, about the strength of these cultivators that filled the lives of these ordinary workers with emotion.


    After all, if they couldn''t enjoy the life of battles, defying the skies, and reaching high levels, they could still follow the stories of other individuals...


    That was also a form of entertainment for this part of human society.


    But not only that, when knowing about the feats of a sovereign, ordinary citizens were inclined to trust more and even praise these high-level cultivators, as in the example of Minos.


    Anyway, the group in that bar who was listening to the story of those three figures soon dispersed, going to their respective responsibilities.


    They had listened carefully to every word of Ward, and the other two men had spoken, and they couldn''t wait to tell their friends and relatives about it!


    On the other hand, the three men stayed around for a while longer as they celebrated their first day of work in this city. They had been bothered by those people earlier, and now they finally had some peace...


    "Ward, have you already visited the local library?" One of them asked, at the same time, in which he was drinking a mug with a golden liquid inside.


    "No, I spent the rest of the night rested yesterday, and I only got to know better about this place this morning when we went to work. Why?"


    "I haven''t been there yet. How about we do it after we''re done here? I heard that the movement there tends to be less at night."


    "Yes, let''s do it." The other two agreed.


    ...


    And quickly, another whole day passed in the Dry City.


    By this time, several of the former captives who had come from that base to here had fully recovered after experiencing the many services of the city.


    The local basic food itself was enough to help them improve fast since the foods sold here were all of the high spiritual concentration.


    Thus, even if these people didn''t have many crystals with them, recovering just by diligently feeding and cultivating was enough for them!


    And because of that, many had already got used to the rhythm of this place, with almost all of them having been employed.


    Humans were highly adaptable creatures, so it wasn''t difficult for these people to get into the local routine.


    Also, having things to do, a home to call their own, and even having their own goals made it easier for them. It was easier to accept changes when they pretty much only benefited you...


    So, even if some of these people couldn''t leave the walled territory, they didn''t feel bad about it. In fact, many of them wouldn''t mind spending their entire lives ''trapped'' in a place like Dry City.


    With so many opportunities around here, they had no interest in leaving!


    Anyway, amid these days that have passed since the arrival of the group of Minos, rumors about the divine strength of Minos had already spread through the streets of the Dry City.


    The thing had gotten out of control. When the news had spread by word of mouth, with people who heard the information from others who listened to the report from others who knew it, many versions were already available...


    ...


    Two people were working in the fields of the Black Plain, picking mangoes in a place wholly of trees full of this fruit.


    The two carried straw baskets while using some simple tools to gather those fruits. And during this physical work, they talked while they felt the sun warming their skin.


    "My friend, I have to tell you about what my brother told me the other day." One of them said.


    "Speak."


    "I heard that a few days ago, Mr. Minos invaded a base of evildoers, single-handedly, having killed a Spiritual King with one blow!"


    "Oh? Is that what you''re talking about?" The other one laughed for a moment and then opened his arms and said proudly. "You are out of date. I heard it wasn''t just one, but two Spiritual Kings!"


    "What?" The man exclaimed in surprise.


    "Hmm, I''m telling the truth. Mr. Minos slaughtered those two, one was human, and the other was a spiritual beast. Anyway, he defeated them using only one arm!"


    "I heard that Mr. Minos is already one of the strongest in our region!"

 Chapter 277: Lets Stay!

    Simultaneously with the population of the Dry City becoming aware of Minos'' battle, the three people who had traveled with Peter to this location had become familiar with local advantages in the preceding days.


    There were many possibilities in Minos'' city, and they had also talked to many people during this period. However, even though it was only a short time, the three already had a good sense of how actual Peter''s earlier words were.


    It was tough to believe everything the young Sergeant had said to them. After all, it seemed too good to be true!


    But soon, they were able to ascertain those words of Peter, getting to know the local services and talking to ordinary citizens.


    And even if some localities attempted to control their inhabitants by portraying them as something they were not, it would be impossible to repress them all.


    People were always willing to talk about lies and local problems, even in the most dictatorial places. Hence, the three people who had been sold together with Peter knew that this place could not be considered that way.


    If it were, they would have noticed something!


    It was true! The whole facade of development and land of opportunity was just the raw, bare truth. Even some of the newcomers to this place from the City of Waters already deeply enjoyed life in the Dry City, to the point where they had almost as much to talk about as old citizens.


    It was also not difficult for the three to meet with those people who already lived around here before Minos arrived. And by doing this, they were able to know that all this had happened in a short time, but in a stable way and without unnecessary exploitation.


    Every investment in the city was made by increasing the profits of local agriculture and not just an investment made in the hope that this place would improve. In other words, it was something concrete and definitive, something they could trust and even hope for even greater heights!


    Consequently, the three had been very excited.


    ...


    It was night in the Dry City.


    The climate was stable at this time, with a temperature in the range of 20o Celsius (68oF), while gentle breezes passed through the streets of this city from time to time.


    On the north side of the city, there was a small park with several trees of different sizes, which seemed to grow in height as one approached the center of this area.


    The concentration of these vegetations was also not balanced by this location, as there were several spaces concentrated with these trees, while others were utterly ''open.''


    In these ''open'' spots, low green grass, which local gardeners regularly mowed, shrouded the ground, leaving no smudges of soil to appear there. Other than that, wooden benches were well distributed over there. Some stone paths, where small posts lit the environment, formed the way where people could walk.


    In that place, on one of the wooden benches, in the middle of the darkness of the night, three people seemed to enjoy the good local atmosphere while they were talking.


    One of the two women in the group was standing in front of the two people sitting on the wooden bench, her blond hair blowing in the air each time the breeze passed through her.


    And at this moment, the man in the group, an old man with white hair on his head, continued his previous speech. "You girls, this place is the turning point in your lives. Barbara, you can get your revenge someday while you get stronger in this place. As for you, Robin, getting to know the north of the Central Continent will be a ride if you have the support of this place."


    The young woman standing in front of him then nodded her head gently, agreeing with him. "Hmm, old Joey, I''ve made up my mind. You don''t have to convince me. Starting today, I will stay in this city and join the Black Plain Army!"


    On the other hand, Barbara had a solemn look on her face as she sat with her legs crossed, facing the side of these other two people. "Joey, why are you talking that way? Don''t you by any chance think about staying here?"


    "Eh? What are you talking about? Even before I got to know what this city has to offer, I was thinking about staying here!" He said in a relaxed tone.


    And in fact, he was interested in staying in this place, even before he saw it all with his own eyes. Of course, he wanted to check out this town of Minos and the local forces, but that was just something to get to know better what Peter had spoken to him.


    Joey was already an old man who had missed the best time to cultivate, so he already intended to ''live the life of a retiree'' in this place.


    The local army needs people in administrative roles, which could fit this man''s profile well, someone older who couldn''t cultivate so quickly.


    Even with the resources of the Black Plain, it would not be quick for him to reach a high level, at least not in the short term. This was due to the biological limitations that living beings had to experience when they got old.


    For example, the human body was continually changed by spiritual energy, which could even maintain one''s youth for a long time. But that didn''t work forever. Someday, someone would face bottlenecks in cultivation or other problems that would keep them from moving forward, and that would cause that person to start aging!


    For each stage of cultivation, there was an ideal age range to cultivate, in which people would be considered ''growing youngs.'' During this period, their bodies worked in order to increase the speed of cultivation, as if there was higher compatibility with this procedure during these periods of maturation.


    For someone in the 1st stage of cultivation, this period ranged from age 10 to age 15, the beginning of adulthood in this world. For the 2nd stage, it went from 10 to 17. For the 3rd stage, from 10 to 22. For the 4th stage, from 10 to 31. For the 5th stage, from 10 to 50. And so on.


    Each time someone''s vitality increased, it would be as if the person gained a few more years into their maturing age. Their bodies would remain in the best possible state for cultivation, which could provide faster power boosts!


    Because of this, for someone who had long passed the age of maturation, Joey was already facing the challenges of cultivating at more advanced ages.


    He hadn''t even reached half of his lifespan yet. However, regardless of the rank of technique he used to cultivate, his cultivation speed would still be affected by it.


    Of course, with higher-grade techniques, he could cultivate faster. But that speed couldn''t be considered good, as it would be with Peter and these two women.


    Because of that, Joey knew that he probably wouldn''t have such an active role in Minos'' organization, as he didn''t have high expectations.


    But he was okay with it. Joey could still become a Spiritual King in the future and maybe even pass that level... He might not be someone who would fight on the front lines, but he could still live a long time because of it.


    It could take time, but there was enough time for him to get there!


    Anyway, Joey continued with his speech. "I just said it that way because I want to show that this place is very advantageous for both of you. Mainly for you, Barbara. I know you are more skeptical about it. Even now, knowing the whole truth and even being excited, you still feel doubtful."


    He closed his eyes for a moment and then looked up at the starry sky in that region when he said. "Let''s stay here. I have a feeling this place will soon reach the top in our region. At this time, you will have enough strength to go to justice for the family that raised you!"


    ''That seems like the best option¡­'' She thought for a moment as she felt the wind gently brush her face. "All right. Anyway, I would still have to cultivate for years to come and deal with those bastards. So, I''m going to join this army!"


    "Hehe, that''s it, big sister Barbara!" Robin cheered as she jumped towards this other woman while sitting down next to Barbara and hugging her.


    ''Ah! That''s a superb outcome. But it''s a shame that Milton didn''t come with us. When he finds out about this place, I''m afraid he''ll be infuriated by the decision he made earlier...'' Joey thought to himself, happy for the two young women beside him but sorry about that other guy.

 Chapter 278: Visiting a Seer

    While Barbara, Robin, and Joey spent the evening conversing, Vivian was going to visit a specific expert in her hometown, where the Hayes family''s headquarters were.


    Primrose was a big city, a metropolis full of life and activity, day or night.


    The local trade could be considered one of the most developed in the region, where anyone could find array masters, alchemists, blacksmiths, and many other high-level professionals.


    Unlike other cities in the Cromwell Kingdom, the Hayes family''s town had hardly any involvement in the agricultural sector. Instead, this location was focused on producing different types of consumer goods, which could be related to spiritual professions or common professions.


    The difference between these two types of professions was the use of spiritual techniques. In one, individuals needed to use specific techniques to produce consumer goods. As an example of this type, we have alchemy. On the other, there was no need to use spiritual techniques.


    In the latter, all that was needed was the use of the cultivators'' manual labor. And in this category, there were areas such as carpentry, civil construction, agriculture, etc.


    Obviously, there were methods to produce consumer goods. For example, to build a carriage, there was a process involved in such a project, but this was more like a recipe, not spiritual techniques.


    The spiritual energy of the cultivators could even facilitate these jobs. Still, it wasn''t something crucial, as the unique techniques were, for example, for professions like blacksmithing.


    Anyway, due to the different development that Primrose had chosen, this place had developed all kinds of the non-spiritual profession, which produced many items. Things like ships, carriages, furniture, clothes, everyday artifacts, and miscellaneous items made people''s lives easier.


    Therefore, this place had become a commercial center, which developed exuberantly from the many types of commercial activities.


    There was a common knowledge in the Cromwell Kingdom that if something was produced in Primrose, the quality was guaranteed!


    The great competition had driven the best manufacturers in that location to reach a high level where their products could rank among the best in this region.


    Therefore, this place had grown so much, even without agriculture, mining, or slave labor, which many powers of the Cromwell Kingdom generally used.


    And in part, the peculiar characteristic of the Hayes came precisely from this path of development...


    Anyway, Vivian was at this moment in a house, in a quieter neighborhood of Primrose.


    In this place, trees about 15 meters high decorated the streets with their pink leaves while releasing a fragrant fragrance in the environment.


    There were few residences in this part of town. Yet, it was all of a high standard, from which guards could be seen watching from time to time, and high-level items decorated the facades of many of those houses.


    And no wonder, this was one of the luxury neighborhoods of this place, where many professionals of grade-2 in this city attended or lived. There were also those wealthiest entrepreneurs in town, ordinary cultivators who owned large companies specializing in consumer goods.


    Anyway, Vivian was about to meet one of the few grade-2, medium-level local seers who lived in this area. This individual could be considered quite reclusive and rarely left his home to serve clients.


    Because of that, people like this young woman had to come to this specialist''s residence if they wanted to know their futures...


    ''Hope I get something useful out of this!'' Vivian thought to herself as she sat on a sofa, right after arriving at that place.


    There were some strange paintings on the walls of that place, which sometimes stimulated the spiritual energy in this young woman''s body, while lush plants were strategically distributed around there.


    Finally, while she was waiting, a middle-aged woman, wearing a long cotton dress, plain and not too flashy, came out of a room and walked over to Vivian.


    "Young lady, you can come with me. The master will take care of you." She said softly.


    Hearing this, Vivian soon followed this woman, walking for a few meters, until she reached a room on the other side of the building, where a single person was waiting for her.


    An old man was sitting on the floor, on a cushion, behind a low table, which had six strategically placed crystal balls.


    One, the largest, appeared to be in the center, while five others, the same size, circled it in what seemed to be a pentagon. There were some markings around them, while a circle was drawn below them, where white lines connected each of these balls.


    That was the spiritual set of artifacts used by seers in the Spiritual World.


    Orbs of Fate!


    These orbs were the product of the seers'' spiritual refinement, using special techniques and some rare materials from the Spiritual World.


    Due to the unique way of cultivating these professionals, when they moved from one stage to another, they would have the opportunity to produce these items. And by doing that, their new spiritual techniques would be directly related to the new orbs, almost as if they were the same.


    In short, each ball meant a stage of cultivation that the seer was in, that is, the proficiency of these professionals. The more orbs a seer could use, the greater the accuracy of his visions!


    It was said that when a seer reached the 11th stage of cultivation, they could see the future clearly as if it were a lucid dream. But, on the other hand, at each step below that, the quality of the divination would be less and less, to the point where only a few hints could be seen, in lower stages.


    Anyway, other than that, there was nothing else in that place, apart from a glass window, which overlooked the garden of that house.


    Finally, the old man sitting on the floor, with eyes closed, ''awakened'' and looked in Vivian''s direction. "It''s been a long time since I''ve seen a Hayes family member in my home. Haha, little girl, sit here, tell me what worries you." He said as he ran his wrinkled hands over his beard.


    Finally, Vivian sat on the man''s opposite side, while the woman from before had left them, having closed the door when she left.


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Payne. This young woman here is called Vivian, and I''m looking for your guidance." She respectfully said as she lowered her head slightly to Payne.


    "Hmm, I imagine so. I''ve been hearing the recent news of your family declaring war on the Chambers family. Is that what you want to know about?" The old figure asked while looking a little regretful.


    "No, well, it''s related in some way, I think. Anyway, I recently met an unusual person. I think that somehow this meeting was not a coincidence, so I look for answers about it."


    "Oh? I heard about the former young master of the Chambers family in that incident, which took place in the northwest base of this organization. Was it this person who killed him?" He muttered under his breath.


    "It doesn''t matter. I''ll see when we start." After that, he spread both his hands on that table and said. "Young girl, put your hands over mine. Relax, don''t try to oppose what I''m going to do next."


    "OK." She responded promptly, already following this individual''s instructions.


    After placing her hands over this old man''s, palm up and completely relaxed, the old man continued to speak. "Before we start, I want you to think about this person you''re looking for. Anything, spiritual techniques, his tone of voice, ways of behaving, etc."


    "OK."


    After that, the time it started to flow when little by little, bluish energy began to envelop Vivian and Payne''s hands. It was following around the two of them, gradually concentrating close to that old man''s face, specifically around his eyes.


    As for Vivian, she just felt a chill in her hands as she continued to think about what she had seen earlier.


    Finally, the six orbs began to glow, one after the other, emitting blue lights while appearing to blink, as a light bulb would before it burned out.


    At the same time, Payne had his vision!


    First, he had seen part of what had happened that day at that base, where many people had previously fought. Then, in the second moment, when he felt the person Vivian was thinking of, he could only see a blur.


    Even though he could see clearly the techniques and outlines of the other people in that scene, he couldn''t see the shape of Minos'' clothes, nor could he even see the effects of this young man''s techniques.


    Finally, while feeling that something was very wrong here, he tried to touch the blurry image of Minos to predict this young man''s fate.


    Crack!

 Chapter 279: Innocent Error

    Just as Payne tried to start his divination about Minos, the sight of this old man began to rapidly darken as he felt a pressure that shook his soul.


    It was as if he had fallen into a spiritual sea, which was quickly making him ''drown.'' A feeling of awe ran through this man''s body as he felt his soul shrink within himself.


    "What is this?" He muttered under his breath as bloodstains began to trickle from the various orifices in his face.


    His pupils were completely dilated, and his body was shaking vigorously.


    Crack!


    All this had happened in less than 20 seconds of the session when cracking sounds could be heard in that place.


    Seeing and hearing this, Vivian still had her hands braced over Payne''s as she tried to make sense of the situation. ''What is happening? Did something go wrong?'' She wondered, given the strange turn of this divination.


    This young woman had already experienced trying to predict her future before, and because of this, she knew very well that the seer should not react in this way.


    Vivian could feel Payne''s spiritual energy rapidly diminishing, like a water bottle, losing its water after being opened.


    "Mr. Payne? What is happening?" She asked anxiously.


    Crack!


    But at that moment, instead of receiving an answer, Vivian could see one of the Orbs of Destiny shattering into thousands of pieces, while cracks began to appear in the other five!


    "Ahhh!" The old figure screamed in pain as he gradually managed to ''end'' the divination session.


    He immediately jumped up from where he was sitting earlier, already vomiting a mouth full of blood into that spot. Payne looked completely pale at this point, with an expression of dread and exhaustion mixed with a glint of relief in his eyes.


    He had faced death right away, but luckily the other side had allowed him to live. "What a terrifying thing!" He exclaimed in shock, trying to understand the force that had nearly wiped him out.


    ''Luckily, I don''t insist on continuing with this session. Otherwise, that power would have destroyed me!'' He thought for a moment, still feeling pain throughout his body.


    He then looked at the table where the orbs were and lamented. ''I lost one of my Orbs of Fate, and the other five are all cracked... That''s my end as a seer!''


    A seer could not spy on the future without his orbs!


    Because of this, for Payne, someone from the north of the Central Continent and with only Black talent, recovering from this defeat would be practically impossible.


    The only way to succeed in refining a new orb would be through increasing the stage of the cultivation that he was. However, he was already in the 6th stage and was already over 900-years-old. In other words, for him, there was no hope of replacing the destroyed orb.


    As for the other five, it wasn''t in perfect condition either. If he forced a prediction of the future in this state, it could be a lot worse for him. Not only could he end up obliterating the orbs, but he could also die!


    Anyway, at that moment, Vivian finally got up from where she was and tried to help this old man. "Mr. Payne, what happened? The divination seems to have gone wrong."


    Hearing that, Payne felt grumpy as he looked into Vivian''s pretty face and said resentfully. "Girl, you destroyed my career! See my 5th Orb of Destiny. It''s destroyed!"


    Vivian was then helpless as she stared at the damaged orb formation.


    She understood all too well what that meant to this man, so she felt even worse right now.


    ''Why did this happen? I''ve never known anything like that, happening before!'' Such a thought crossed her mind as she tried to find an answer. "Sir, I didn''t know something like this could happen. But I will ensure that you are rewarded."


    "And how do you intend to do this?"


    "I will report what happened to my father. I''m sure he will allow you to learn the Black-grade techniques of my Hayes family." She said regretfully for what had happened but resolute for what she purposed.


    Vivian had made that suggestion because she had seen that the larger orb, the one in the middle of the others, was still whole, with only a few cracks.


    That was the orb linked to the cultivation technique. With such an orb still whole, it meant that this man could still cultivate. That is, his cultivation had not been crippled.


    With that, even if his future as a seer were over, he would still have a chance to take on another profession, becoming a warrior. After all, even if he was a non-fighter, he still had the cultivation of a Spiritual King, so he could still have his worth...


    Anyway, that was all Vivian could do to reward this man.


    After hearing this comment from her, Payne sighed deeply, trying to calm down. The milk had already been spilled, and there was no point in continuing to cry about it.


    This man had already lived a long time, so he knew there was no way out for him. At least he could still have a minimally comfortable life with Vivian''s suggestion.


    He also couldn''t act against this girl due to her past. But not only that, because he doesn''t have attacking techniques, he probably wouldn''t even have the strength to go against Vivian, even if he lost his lucidity...


    Finally, he closed his eyes and began to speak. "Let''s leave that for later. There''s nothing to do here, you couldn''t have known, and I also made the mistake of trying to guess the future of someone I shouldn''t."


    He then looked at Vivian and said firmly, still with awe in his expression. "Don''t ever try to calculate this person''s future again, or you''ll just destroy other seers!"


    "What? But you need to tell me something else. That''s not enough." She replied unhappily.


    "In my experience, for some divination to go wrong like what happened here, there are only two possibilities. One is that the person who will have his past spied is much more powerful than the seer. However, this cannot be the case, as this individual was only at level 42 a few days ago." He started to explain.


    He knew about Minos''s level because he could see that information in the memories Vivian had allowed him to see.


    "The other possibility is that there is something or someone mighty protecting that person." He sighed for a moment as he tried to guess how strong this person or item would be. ''This must relate to a seer of at least grade-3, medium-level!''


    "This last possibility is the most likely. So, it''s no use insisting on guessing that person''s future. You''ll just witness the same situation happening again."


    He then caught the shards of the broken orb in his hand, feeling very sorry for it. He had practiced this profession for so long, but it had all ended overnight because of an innocent mistake.


    He then finished giving another alert. "Don''t think that finding a grade-2, high-level seer will help you. The power on the other side felt like an ocean, while mine was just a glass of water."


    ''What? But how can this be? That person is from the same organization as that Minos¡­ Does that mean there is such strong power in our region?'' She paled in fear, thinking about what this seer''s statement meant.


    ''No wonder he didn''t go to the Flaming Empire... He was already a member of such a dominant force!''


    Finally, a few moments later, Vivian said goodbye to that man, promising that she would fulfill her previous promise. She was feeling pretty bad about destroying Payne''s seer career, but at least in part, she''d discovered something about the organization behind Minos.


    ''Now I know there is a hidden power in our region... If only I can find them, I can bond with them and get some benefits for my family!'' She concluded this, already running back to her residence at the Hayes family''s headquarters.


    She could now talk to her father about that matter and solve the problem she had created with Payne. As someone of exemplary character, this young woman could not let the old seer lose everything he had without her rewarding him for what had happened!


    ...


    A few moments ago, in Dry City, Minos was in his office taking care of the daily business when he suddenly felt his Spatial Kingdom''s ring vibrate softly...

 Chapter 280: Protected Future

    Feeling an unusual sensation coming from the index finger of his right hand, Minos quickly raised his hand to his face and looked at the ring there.


    To anyone who tries to see it, this ring would be invisible. However, this was not the case for Minos.


    He could see a golden ring, which contained several inscriptions in an ancient language, while at the same time glowing as if it were alive.


    This ring was linked to the young Stuart''s spirituality to make it easier for him to command this item, even though Minos was still very weak.


    But this connection was almost like the one in spatial rings, with the difference that it was much more definitive... Anyway, when the ring vibrated softly a few moments ago, Minos not only felt this sensation on his skin but also in his soul.


    It was as if his soul had been ''touched'' lightly for an almost intangible split second. In fact, if it weren''t for this item in his right hand, he probably wouldn''t have felt anything.


    Anyway, as he looked at the ring intently and remembered the sensation, he''d just felt, Minos frowned in concern. "Has anyone tried to analyze my future?"


    With the knowledge gained from the heritage of Henricus Longus, in the six years that Minos was unconscious, this young man had learned about this ring in his right hand as well. This unique item made by grade-4, high-level professionals allowed him to enter and exit the Spatial Kingdom easily.


    However, this was not the only functionality of this ring. After all, Henricus Longus would not risk his heir, leaving him unprotected!


    Therefore, this former specialist of the Spiritual World had prepared to prevent seers from analyzing the future of his heir.


    Professionals in this profession could be dangerous as they could discover other people''s secrets by risking very little.


    Predicting someone''s future, weaker and unprotected, was something very easy for seers. And because of that, they could become dangerous, sometimes manipulating significant historical events...


    If not for the ring specially prepared for him, Minos wouldn''t even know of this event caused by Vivian and Payne, and the seer in question might have gone completely unnoticed!


    Consequently, if anyone guessed the future of his heir, then surely Henricus Longus'' plans would fail miserably.


    His inheritance was splendid, but only if it was appropriately used by someone who met his requirements. If his legacy were stolen by people less talented or rather unfit to reach level 100, then all those resources would likely be wasted.


    And as he had an innate divination skill, it wasn''t hard for Henricus Longus to engrave spiritual protection on that ring.


    Such a thing would block divination from being completed and could even destroy the cultivation of a seer who might try to force the prediction.


    As with what had happened to Payne, he had barely attempted to start the prediction when he promptly gave up, having taken heavy losses.


    Cultivation''s destruction could also lead to the seer''s death. There was a much more significant connection between life and cultivation in this profession. After all, this was a very soul-related area.


    And soul damage was often worse than physical damage!


    Anyway, unless a level 100 seer, the same level as Henricus Longus were, tried to predict the future of Minos, it would be impossible for this to be accomplished.


    Even if this man was not a seer himself, innate abilities are indeed much stronger than external techniques. But not only that, the innate skill of this historical figure was generated by the Divine-grade Physique of Henricus Longus.


    So, the protection left by him in this Minos ring was terrific!


    Finally, Minos rose from his chair and walked to his office''s window, where he could see the night skyline of his city.


    The avenue in front of the mansion was busy, with a few carriages passing by. At the same time, several soldiers came and went on foot.


    That was the heart of the Dry City, where the government and army carried out most of their activities. Consequently, there was a good deal of movement there, even during the night.


    Minos then sighed for a moment and muttered under his breath. "It seems like things are developing faster than I imagined... It shouldn''t be long before someone finds out about the change in this place."


    "I just hope it wasn''t anyone from the Brown Kingdom who tried to predict my future. Otherwise, that would be problematic¡­"


    He knew that with that ring on his right hand, no one could know of his wealth. But Minos was worried that this might bring the curious to his town. After all, it would seem strange that someone powerful would protect the future of a young man who should have only begun cultivating about two years ago.


    Powers like the ones of the Brown Kingdom could end up trying to find out if anything unusual was happening to this young man. Maybe who knows, find out that if he was getting help from some empire...


    ''If it was someone from the Brown Kingdom, perhaps for the first time, that woman''s origin will come in handy...'' He considered it briefly, recalling his absent birth mother.


    Some local powers in the Brown Kingdom knew she came from the Flaming Empire, so if she were trying to protect Minos'' future in some way, it wouldn''t be so strange.


    ''Hmm, it probably wasn''t any Brown Kingdom''s power. They probably wouldn''t spend so many crystals just to discover the future of a young man who hadn''t started cultivating two years ago!''


    Minos didn''t know which seer had tried to predict his future, but the spiritual imprint on his ring allowed him to sense the strength of the soul on the other side. Because of this, he knew that the seer in question was already at the 6th stage of cultivation, level 54.


    Consequently, the price of the services of a grade-2, medium-level seer would not be low. In fact, such a thing could be as expensive as a grade-2, low-level spiritual weapon!


    As such, he did not conclude that the local powers of the Brown Kingdom would value him as much.


    "It was probably someone from the Cromwell Kingdom!" He said in a low voice simultaneously as he snapped the fingers of one of his hands.


    ''It makes sense! With everything that has happened recently, one of those people who chased the Spring of Life must have tried to see my future in an attempt to discover my identity...''


    After thinking about it, the young Stuart put this matter aside in his mind and went back to his job as sovereign. There was nothing for him to do about that matter.


    It was similar to what happened with the revenge for his father''s death. Minos truly felt terrible about what had happened to Albert and wanted to avenge him. But he still didn''t have the strength to do it.


    That way, he could only calm down and keep developing.


    It wouldn''t always be like that. One day, he could walk in daylight without having to worry about the Silva family, and he could even act against situations like this, of someone trying to predict his future.


    But this was not the time!


    To strengthen himself, he was already giving his all, diligently cultivating in the Spatial Kingdom while managing his region and army.


    But that took time!


    He couldn''t cultivate overnight, just like that, just as the Dry City''s problems wouldn''t be solved by solutions that fall from the sky...


    He even had several solutions for this place, but only time would make this city and local population flourish!


    Anyway, after a while, the young Stuart began to read the information that was on some papers on his desk, already comfortably seated in his armchair.


    There was information on recent statistics on local food production, new citizens, army numbers, public administration, etc. The important thing that was happening recently in Minos'' territory.


    ''Another 50 soldiers of the Corporal rank have recently risen to level 40 and have been promoted to the Sergeant rank...''


    ''The army''s selection will start the most important tests in 3 days...''


    "The army''s headquarters has appointed a team to check the documents of the Chambers family''s northwest base..."


    ''The hospital of the Dry City will be ready in a few weeks...''


    ...

 Chapter 281: The Future Hospital of the Dry City

    While Minos was in his office reading the latest information from the Dry City, Dillian and Eda were together right now, walking around the town.


    The two people who appeared to be middle-aged were dressed formally, as would be expected of individuals of their status.


    The butler was dressed in a close-fitting black suit that went well with his pronounced mustache.


    On the other hand, Abby''s bodyguard was not wearing her traditional armor. After all, she wasn''t on duty at the time, and the Dry City could be considered pretty safe at the moment.


    Abby was quietly cultivating in Minos'' mansion''s cultivation room, so Eda took advantage of this free time to walk around with her old ''friend.''


    Eda was wearing a gray cotton dress, which had some slight embossing but nothing too flashy. If someone didn''t look closely, one wouldn''t see the tiny flowers on that outfit.


    Anyway, the two walked together, through the main avenue of the Dry City, while they were walking arm in arm, as a couple would...


    The two did not seem in a hurry and walked along with one of the sidewalks of that place, from where they could see the cityscape and the streets'' movement calmly.


    There was a particular lane on that avenue, where sometimes people would run by as if they were late for something important. There were also four main lanes in the middle of the avenue, where carriages passed in opposite directions.


    Although there are not so many people able to have this type of transport in the city of Minos, there were already some capable of it. And it was enough for any local citizen to see one or two of its passing through the streets at almost any time of day.


    And while the movement entertained them both, the wind passed through that region, shaking the trees between the sides of the avenue. This was a pleasant feeling and made outings like the one the two were doing even better.


    The tranquility of feeling the freshness brought by the air currents, the sounds emitted by the swaying trees, combined with the visual stimulus, made anyone feel good.


    Anyway, the two followed arm in arm while talking about different subjects.


    "Dillian, even the idea of ??living in this town isn''t a bad one. With the current growth, it shouldn''t be long before this location reaches the standard of other good cities in our region." She said with a slight smile on her face.


    Abby had decided to join Minos'' army a few days ago. But, even though they hadn''t formally done it yet, Eda was already getting used to the idea of ??living in this place. And for her, that wouldn''t be bad, the perks were excellent, and still, she could live closer to an old friend...


    This place was decent enough for Eda, and she felt it would continue to improve in the future. She would also be much more valued here and would not have to deal with such severe punishments from the Miller family. After all, Abby had made that decision for her...


    As for why the two of them hadn''t formally joined the Black Plain Army, well, that was due to the bureaucracy involved.


    There was a procedure for new soldiers to be admitted and given access to the facilities and advantages of that organization.


    But the soldiers responsible for these areas were doing background research on the selection of new soldiers. The army''s strength was not yet large enough to handle so many different situations.


    There was background research for selection, regular services such as patrolling the city, protecting entrances and walls, escorting carriages to the army''s seaside base, organizing the selection, and so on.


    For all that, there was no staff to admit these two women from the Miller family, nor Peter''s three ''slave companions.'' Consequently, these people would have to wait a few days for things to settle down for the army when they could finally enter Minos'' organization.


    Anyway, upon hearing Eda''s comment, Dillian smiled and said. "But of course. The Dry City will become the center of the northern part of the Central Continent in a short time!"


    "Haha, are you that confident?"


    "Yea! Many services here are already desirable to the common population. But gradually, this place is also improving in those areas geared towards the most talented or the strongest people."


    Eda then looked at him for a moment, still walking arm in arm, and said. "Are you talking about the cultivation tower and the fighting arena? These two places are perfect indeed, but they are not enough."


    "First, there are few rooms in the current cultivation tower, and due to the prices charged, there is a lot of competition for each one. Because of that, this tower will not attract stronger people who have more crystals but don''t want to compete for rooms."


    "Second, even if the arena has no problems and has good prizes, that alone is not enough to make Spiritual Generals decide to move here."


    Hearing Eda''s honest assessment, Dillian immediately nodded her head in agreement. "Yes, that''s still not enough. But it''s only been two months since these places opened. In another year, we could have an expansion in the number of rooms in the cultivation tower, where we could even triple the number of them!"


    "But that''s not all. We also already have two grade-2, low-level alchemists in our city, and who charge prices below the regional average!" He said confidently.


    Eda then turned her gaze to the well-lit street they had just entered, from where many shops could be seen. She then commented. "The prices charged for locally produced pills are very cheap. As for the increase in the number of rooms in that tower, I still think it''s insufficient."


    "Given current prices and the size of the local population, I believe the government needs to increase the supply of cultivation rooms at least ten times. Only after that will this service be able to meet local demand."


    "Hmm, you''re right. But that will be resolved when we have the necessary crystals for these expansions. But, we will have another relevant service in our city in a short time." He spoke when the two finally reached the end of a street, where there were many construction sites.


    At the moment, it was pretty dark in that place, as there weren''t many streetlight posts around there yet. After all, this was one of the many construction sites of Dry City, which still didn''t have people living.


    Because construction was not permitted overnight in Minos'' city, there was no reason for them to invest in lighting arrays until these construction sites were near completion.


    But even though it was dark at that point, with the advent of spiritual energy, the two people who appeared to be middle-aged could undoubtedly see that place.


    There were many tall buildings there, some reaching up to 30 meters in height, while the average was around 20 meters. But there was a large complex in the middle of these buildings of different heights and shapes, which drew the attention of anyone passing by.


    That complex had an "H" shape, with six floors and covering an area of ??0.25 square kilometers. Lawn spaces could be seen in front of each of the openings of the ''H,'' through which two distinct entrances could be seen to different streets in that part of the city.


    Anyway, this complex already had the first floors completely ready. Also, the glass facade in part of the building was already adequately fixed. Other than that, nothing else attracted much attention in this place.


    Eda then looked around and then heard Dillian''s voice again. "That big ''H'' shaped building you''re seeing will be the Dry City''s Hospital, where I''m going to start developing the medical profession around here!"


    Hearing Dillian''s proud tone, Eda was happy for him.


    After all, even though he was happy to be Minos'' butler and before that, he was Albert''s, Dillian had always loved his profession and had even exposed his willingness to teach medicine to others.


    Allied to that, Eda could understand why Dillian believed that this place could be another attraction service for the strongest and most talented people in this part of the continent.


    After all, who in the Spiritual World didn''t need medical treatments? Fights were constant, and sometimes an individual did not have the option to refuse it...


    On the other hand, diseases could reach even strong cultivators, even if it was unusual...


    And even though doctors could not produce external healing items, as alchemists could do with their pills, medicine was still an essential profession in this world!

 Chapter 282: Medicine in the Spiritual World

    Alchemy, in general, could deal with various anomalies in the cultivators'' bodies by combining different ingredients to produce spiritual pills.


    However, such actions were not carried out overnight and needed years of knowledge accumulation. And even when a prescription for a pill was ready, there might still be no supply of the necessary ingredients.


    Because of this, more specific pills, which could treat less frequent anomalies, were much more challenging to obtain.


    Consequently, in this space left by alchemy, medicine had emerged and gained space in the Spiritual World.


    Not everyone could afford the scarce spiritual ingredients of pills. Even when they could, such resources were limited and rare to find. Therefore, people needed an alternative, which could depend less on items and more on people.


    Finally, after a long period of development, an ancient alchemist, someone who had spent a great deal of time studying the particulars of living things, had developed the first medical technique!


    This rudimentary technique had a similar effect to spiritual recovery pills, coupled with small-scale cell regeneration. It used part of its user''s energy to recover patients while adding free energy in nature to complement this process.


    Such technique was only classified as a White-grade, but with it, the first doctors of this world had emerged!


    Medicine then emerged, being a profession initially supporting alchemy.


    There were not always resources, these items were too expensive, or there was no time for pill refining. So, with that, this new area was developed until more and more techniques appeared.


    In the beginning, most of the techniques had similar effects to some pills. After all, they were based on these pills... But it didn''t take long for this to change little by little.


    Even conditions that could not be treated with the use of spiritual pills began to be resolved using medical techniques from those professionals of the highest level.


    Unlike alchemy, which used pills to solve internal problems in the animal body, doctors used spiritual techniques to ''change'' the organisms.


    There may not seem to be such a distinction, but there was.


    For example, if an individual were to be poisoned, all the alchemist would do is produce a pill containing the poison''s antidote. But, in  the case of the spiritual doctor, he would not use any external item, but would change his patient''s body, so that it would produce the antidote itself!


    Such a thing was already predicted by animal anatomy, but naturally, it happened very slowly. However, with understandings of how animals'' bodies work, doctors could encourage specific ''actions'' that would result in problem-solving.


    They used body analysis techniques, while other types of techniques would make the necessary stimuli, changing the patient''s body as appropriately as possible.


    Anyway, that was how doctors could act, curing common diseases, poisonings, even helping to regenerate lost limbs!


    And from the point at which these differences emerged, medicine had separated itself from alchemy, gained its own territory.


    Precisely for this reason, this was still a highly valued profession in the Spiritual World, even though alchemy could solve many of the problems related to animal life.


    But not only that, unlike pills that left toxins in their users'' bodies, doctors'' patients didn''t face the same problem.


    The only downside of medicine over pills was that in Dillian''s profession, one would need to take the treatment much longer than if it were done using pills!


    For comparative purposes, a cell regeneration pill could heal severe injuries in a few hours, while medical techniques would take days to achieve the same effect.


    Of course, this also depended on the doctor''s level and the classification of the pill in question...


    Anyway, each of these areas had its advantages and disadvantages. Both were necessary for the Spiritual World, and because of that, any place that had a hospital would be more popular with cultivators.


    And even more so if a doctor from the 6th stage of cultivation attended them!


    Dillian was just one step away from reaching level 50, and he was hoping to get it even before the opening of this new service in Dry City.


    Because of this, even if there was still a long way to go for the development of local medicine in the city of Minos, they could already start on the right foot!


    A level 50 doctor could even attract the attention of Spiritual Kings, as the treatment of these professionals was functional up to a few levels above the doctor''s level.


    Above about ten levels of difference, or instead of a whole step of contrast, a doctor would not be able to treat a patient due to the significant difference in spiritual energy between the two sides.


    Finally, with the opening of this location, the Dry City may become more attractive to stronger cultivators who are not content with smaller opportunities, such as agriculture and the current local public library.


    Eda then turned to Dillian and congratulated him. "Congratulations on achieving this. You''ve always wanted to do something like this, and now you have a place for it, where you can still help your young master with his plans."


    "Hmm, this place will be important to us. First, we will offer services at low costs to the population, helping them to improve their quality of life. Then, when the Black Plain is fully opened to the rest of the region, we will be able to charge higher fees for treatments of visitors from other kingdoms, which will balance our books."


    "This will also attract future doctors and people with health problems to our city, which can create a whole commercial dynamic, directly or indirectly linked to this service." He said excitedly.


    Hearing this, Eda smiled and then hugged him, promptly kissing Minos'' butler. The feeling of seeing someone dear doing well on his projects was a pleasurable feeling for anyone and was no different for Eda.


    "Mmm~"


    And after kissing for a few moments, the two finally parted, when they started walking back to the lighted region of the city.


    "Well, this hospital can make the Dry City more attractive to cultivators in the 5th stage of cultivation. At the very least, the effect should be greater than that of that tower here, which still has some disadvantages." Eda commented in a low voice, just for the two of them to hear.


    "How long will it take this place to be ready?"


    Dillian then glanced up at the starry sky briefly, as if counting in his mind, when he finally answered her. "I think before the young master traveled to the Kingdom of the Waves. By this time, I should also be at level 50, hehe."


    "Ah! You''re showing off, huh... Years ago, I would never have thought you''d make it to the 6th stage of cultivation before me." Eda said with a slight smile on her face, while her tone was somewhat playful. "You''ll have to be a little careful not to break my old body after your promotion, haha."


    "What old body? To me, you are so young when we first met! You''re even more elegant than back then." Dillian readily complimented her.


    "You truly know how to please a lady¡­" She replied, thinking of something else briefly. At the same time, she had a satisfied smile on her face. ''At least you''re wise enough to lie, haha.''


    "But once you join the young master''s army, it won''t be long before you reach level 50, Eda. You must be almost level 49, right?"


    She then nodded in agreement. "Yes, I think I should get there in the next few weeks."


    "That''s nice! With the salary you will receive from the army, you can reach level 50 in about a year." At the same time, he commented in which his hands were gently shaking, with the two still walking through the city.


    The night was just beginning, and the weather was delightful for them to continue walking around the town. They could enjoy the beautiful starry sky and then return to the mansion later.


    There was a bottle of spiritual wine in Dillian''s room waiting for them, something that went well with the plans of these two old friends...

 Chapter 283: Dawn in the Dry City

    A few hours had passed since Dillian and Eda had passed in front of the future local hospital, and by now, it was almost midnight in the Dry City.


    The movement that had been in the streets before had already diminished a lot, and now the silence predominated in most of the city.


    But obviously, there was no way in a city the size of today''s Dry City to have no movement, even during the night.


    There were always those ''night people'' who felt more willing to sort out their affairs at this time of day.


    There was also a need for people like that. After all, certain services could not stop and had to work 24 hours a day. Because of this, however quiet the city streets were at this moment, one could still see certain people coming and going.


    In the residential parts of the city, small groups of people in the same type of uniform passed by from time to time, quietly patrolling these areas.


    The army still had this policing role in the Dry City, so small groups of soldiers could be seen at various city points.


    However, unlike the residential neighborhoods with practically no movement other than these soldiers, more people could be seen there in the closest part of the city center.


    Obviously, it was nothing significant, but there were already ordinary citizens around and soldiers patrolling.


    In one corner, some carriages with grain unloaded their contents at a warehouse in the Central Market. At the same time, in another place, a group of citizens came and went from some public buildings.


    The local library and the Cultivation Tower were open 24 hours a day, so some people left to go to these places in the middle of the night.


    The movement in these places was always excellent, but there used to be more spaces during the nights. Even if it wasn''t that significant, at least the wait wouldn''t be as long as it was during the day.


    And with places like these open, stores close to these two public services, they also switched to work during the night. There was always at least one restaurant open 24 hours around so that people who were coming to and from these two places could easily find something to eat on the street.


    But not only because of these two services, after all, the soldiers themselves also ate during their shifts and other local workers who worked at night¡ªfor example, the Central Market''s shippers.


    Anyway, amid this nocturnal movement, another group of people could be seen along the main avenue of the Dry City at this moment.


    They wore the same type of uniform, which was completely green, with no symbols. In addition, these people carried brooms and shovels, while two special carriages slowly accompanied them.


    One seemed only to deposit garbage collected from the street, while the other looked like a large water tank, which had a hose attached to its back.


    That was Dry City''s general cleaning service!


    Every day, during the night, the city''s janitors took care of the local cleaning. They collected trash from the public garbages that was at strategic points while cleaning the streets and avenues.


    Sometimes some spiritual beasts brought dirt to the city, as well as local citizens. And to keep the place clean and bug-free, local janitors manually removed the larger debris and used a liquid mixture to wash the lanes.


    They also performed this service in parks and public restrooms or any location available to citizens. After all, for a city that wanted to be attractive, as was the case with this city of Minos, maintaining an excellent hygienic standard would be essential.


    And considering that, the young Stuart had already established this service for months in this town!


    Of course, they didn''t clean the same street or location every day, as they had to clean the entire city, and there was no need to do this daily.


    The local population did not dirty the streets for free, which also did not vigorously increase the dirt on the roads overnight.


    Cleaning was done section by section, and each location received a group of local janitors twice a week.


    Finally, while they varied the debris on that main avenue in the city center, three janitors had been talking in low voices.


    One of them was collecting trash from the garbages of the places they passed, while the other two used their instruments to clean the lane they were on manually.


    Behind them, there were also other people, besides, of course, the carriage that was pouring a bluish liquid, putting the places that had already received the manual service.


    One of them then threw a bag into the carriage in front of them, which looked like garbage on wheels. "Neil, we arrived in this town four days ago. What do you think?" This man asked one of the other two who was sweeping that street.


    Hearing this, Neil, who was picking up some leaves from the ground with his broom and shovel, didn''t even bother to look at his companion and answered him. "I''m truly enjoying it. I never thought I could end up finding a place with so many opportunities right after the situation we were in."


    The two were part of the group of captives Kevin had purchased in Hadia. And they were one of those people who had decided to accompany Minos'' party in hopes of joining the army.


    After arriving in the Dry City, they promptly received their IDs, as well as homes where they could live. After that, the next day, the two had already toured the entire city, knowing this place.


    Since there were so many options available, the two had quickly found jobs. The two were working in the city''s general cleaning service at night while working in the city''s fields in the afternoons.


    In the rest of the time they had left, the two of them could rest, live their lives, and cultivate in hopes of joining the army someday.


    "It''s true. Have you learned any new techniques at the local library?" The man who asked before continued the conversation with Neil.


    "Hehe, I learned a Blue-grade cultivation technique yesterday. Once I get used to this change in techniques, I''ll see if I can learn an attacking technique. And you?" He asked as he walked with the shovel full of leaves and threw that carriage from before.


    "Yes, I did what you did..." They continued to talk for a while longer when Neil finally asked about something he hadn''t seen in the Dry City. "Carl, did you happen to see any branches of the Spiritual Church around here? I didn''t see any."


    Hearing this, Carl immediately shook his head in denial. "I haven''t seen anything like that either. It''s strange. I thought most cities this size had branches of the Spiritual Church."


    And that was a fact. The Spiritual Church was the main religion of the Central Continent. It had already spread to even the most remote places in this part of the Spiritual World. Not only that, most of the royal families in the region where the Dry City was located followed the ''doctrines'' of that power.


    Even the coronation ceremony of a kingdom was something administered by representatives of that organization. Thus, the local Bishops usually took over the coronation ceremony, being the person who validated the royal powers of a king.


    The Spiritual Church was subdivided into seven hierarchies. It started for people from the 4th stage of cultivation, in the following order: Deacon, Priest, Bishop, Archbishop, Patriarch, Cardinal, and Pope.


    Each hierarchy differed from one stage of cultivation, except for the last two, that something different from normal could happen. After all, the Pope could only be one person, so if he were a Spiritual Demigod, the other church members at this stage would simply be Cardinals.


    It wasn''t easy for a cultivator to reach level 100, so it would be difficult for the Pope to reach this level...


    Finally, each kingdom in the northern region of the Central Continent had at least one Bishop, and these individuals were the highest authorities of the Spiritual Church in this region.


    Because of this, they were the ones who commanded the crowning ceremonies.


    On the other hand, even in smaller towns, such as the Dry City, there was at least one small post of this organization, with at least one Deacon commanding it. Because of this, these two former captives who had just arrived in this city found it strange that there was no branch of the Spiritual Church around here!

 Chapter 284: Spiritual Church Information

    The Spiritual Church was not the strongest organization on the Central Continent. Still, it could be considered the most present group in this region.


    In fact, it was said that this organization was present in more than 50% of the cities on this continent!


    Each kingdom or empire had branches of the Spiritual Church and their respective leaders. In general, Patriarchs and Cardinals were the command posts in high-level states. On the other hand, in weaker regions, these branches were commanded by Archbishops and Bishops.


    And these individuals of the highest office in the church, in a given state, remained in the greatest cities, generally the capitals of those kingdoms and empires. Thus, for example, in the Brown Kingdom, the branch led by a Bishop was in the City of the Setting Sun.


    However, any town with a population close to 200,000 or above-average natural wealth would have at least one small church post. In general, such places would be led by Priests or Deacons, depending on the influence and power of that particular city.


    Anyway, publicly the church was spreading its word about the truth of life worldwide, teaching the people of this continent about the wonders of Natural Law and its doctrines...


    But the church also had a lot of influence, even in high-level empires on this continent. That''s because this organization used its entire network of influence through its many branches and, consequently, its millions of followers.


    Consequently, spreading across the Central Continent was not something they did to just spread their beliefs!


    Anyway, the two formers captives who were now cleaning the streets of the Dry City had been curious about the fact that there was no post of this power here.


    They were not people who attended this organization, nor did they care about religious beliefs. But it was tough for the two of them not to notice the difference of not having influences from the Spiritual Church in the Dry City.


    After all, this organization had been around for thousands of years in the northern region of the Central Continent, and it had almost become a cultural institution.


    Even those who did not practice this religion were accustomed to the beautiful church buildings and customs, such as commemorative dates, parades, and other popular events promoted by it.


    In fact, the Spiritual Church created many regional customs, such as the propagation of important historical figures, even those who had no relationship with this organization.


    For example, anyone who has ever attended spiritual academies on this continent would know the name Henricus Longus. Not because this individual was part of the church, wasn''t it, but because he was one of the few humans to reach level 100.


    Each of these people who became a God was remembered by the Spiritual Church in the books produced by this organization, which were part of the material of the spiritual academies...


    That was why Minos could have recognized the name of Henricus Longus as soon as he heard of that soul fragment, long ago when he received the inheritance.


    Anyway, those individuals who reached level 100 were remembered in the Hall of Honor of the Spiritual Church, consequently being remembered, even after millions of years had passed since their deaths.


    But it was not just historical figures that the Spiritual Church remembered. Specific social characteristics were also developed by this organization, as with the attitude of humans on this continent towards spiritual beasts.


    The Spiritual Church was created in a chaotic age when humans from the Central Continent and beasts from the Continent of the Beast constantly fought each other.


    Legendary wars had been fought back then, long before even the birth of Henricus Longus, the first human God!


    With such a long existence and spread over most of the Central Continent, to say that this organization had created the contemporary culture of this region would not be an exaggeration.


    Meanwhile, the third person next to Nail and Carl, sweeping that street, looked at the two of them and joined in the conversation. "It is natural that you do not understand why the Spiritual Church is not present in our city. After all, you didn''t know this place before Mr. Minos arrived."


    And hearing this, the two former captives then looked in that man''s direction with interest, curious to know more about this city. Both had only heard of the Black Plain, but neither of them had ever been here before.


    On the other hand, the person who was there with them at that moment was a native who had grown up in this city.


    They already introduced themselves to each other, including talking about where they came from and some of their stories.


    As a result, Carl and Neil were already familiar with this co-worker, even if they had only been doing this for a short time. "Travis, is there any special reason? Maybe some local problem..."


    As Neil was speaking, Travis laughed for a moment and said. "The Spiritual Church is like any noble family in our region. It only cares about their profits."


    "Obviously, in a place as poor as the old Dry City, where there was not even agriculture or attractive mineral production, no power would be interested in this place. So, what could they possibly gain here?" He looked at the two of them simultaneously as he dumped the shovel contents in the trash in that carriage from before.


    "We had no crystals. There was no use for the thousands of square kilometers of the Black Plain. The population was neither talented nor strong, nor numerous. The spiritual beasts of our region are the weakest, and every part of this place has been explored in the past."


    "In other words, our region was well known for thousands of years as a poor and worthless place. So, why would a powerful organization be interested in investing in such a place?"


    Finally, the two men who were talking earlier understood the problem. "Was it that bad?" They wondered dubiously.


    Carl then looked at Travis and asked. "Not even the sovereign families of this place in the past haven''t tried to resolve this?"


    "Haha, none of them ever cared about us. Even the royal family exempted us from the tax levied by the capital on cities ruled by other powers because they didn''t want to have to invest or hear about this place."


    "Really? But I''ve heard that there is a seaside town in this region that is pretty decent." Neil said.


    "Yes, the Maritime City is decent, but it is not considered part of the Black Plain. It may even be within this territory when we look only at the geographic factor. However, this port city is entirely administered by the capital of the kingdom."


    "And there in this town, there is a branch of the Spiritual Church." He commented.


    "So, this is how it is..."


    After that, the three continued to do their jobs for a while, cleaning the central part of the Dry City streets while the group behind them washed the places they had already passed.


    "Do you think the Spiritual Church will open a branch in our city? It would be interesting to see a building of this organization around here!" Carl commented to the other two as he recalled the large building with the gold and silver walls that were in his hometown.


    He had grown up not far from that place and had positive memories from his childhood days.


    Anyway, after hearing Carl''s question, Travis shook his head in denial as he answered the question. "Probably not."


    "Why?" Carl and Neil asked simultaneously.


    "It''s simple. Mr. Minos established it as one of the city''s rules. I heard about it from my grandfather. He is working in the city administration, at the local government mansion."


    "Anyway, I heard from him that the Dry City would soon release a set of written laws. Among its, there is one that prohibits the construction of religious temples in the territory of the Black Plain, including religious acts in public."


    "Citizens will have the right to have their religions and beliefs, but this must be done within their own homes." Travis completed.


    And that was true. Minos had established this rule to prevent a parasite from entering his territory. After all, it would be a problem for him if an organization with positions different from his entered the Black Plain.


    The influence of power like the Spiritual Church was not small, and allowing them entry into the Black Plain would be like sacrificing his local sovereignty!

 Chapter 285: Written Laws

    Minos understood very well the Spiritual Church and the use of religions in the Spiritual World. After all, he had memories related to these factors from the experiences of Henricus Longus.


    Because of this, Minos understood that religion was a control mechanism!


    Instead of creating harsh laws that only scare ordinary citizens not to have certain attitudes, the ruling class made the advent of religion in the Spiritual World.


    It was more efficient to use the idea that Natural Law would punish someone if they did something contrary to the ruling class''s beliefs than just creating some laws that punished these people.


    There would always be those who would try to circumvent these laws created by men, either by necessity or by their desire to do so. But when the idea of ??punishment by Natural Law was put to the test, many would think much more than twice before committing a ''sin.''


    After all, everyone knew that Natural Law was real!


    The lightning punishment existed!


    Anyway, Minos knew the power that religion had, and he knew that the Spiritual Church used it to its advantage.


    Many of the dogmas created by this organization were just bullshit, things to control the standard part of society. After all, no power would allow its status quo to be taken away by mediocre individuals...


    And that was why Minos didn''t want any religious acts in his city, nor any buildings of the Spiritual Church. There was no room for two leaders, and he would not be manipulated or ordered by anyone.


    He had his ideas of what could and could not be done on the Black Plain, and that was how it should be!


    He wasn''t investing in this place because he was a selfless person, but because he was creating his organization. So, he could care and act in a way that would improve the quality of life in his territory. But make a mistake, this wasn''t a democracy!


    To face the external threats that Henricus Longus had warned him about, he couldn''t just do it alone. He needed a force that could support him in eventual war.


    And for that, he knew that exploiting his population would not be a good thing for him. Instead, the best path was one in which everyone in the Black Plain would prosper, making this place attractive to the extraordinary talents of the Spiritual World.


    If he just wanted riches by exploiting his population, he would never have tried to build his force around here. After all, with the inheritance he received, he could already be considered a wealthy person, even in high-level empires!


    But he didn''t want such a thing. On the contrary, he wanted to develop the army and this population of the Black Plain to maximize his chances in the future. However, if influential powers like the Spiritual Church entered the territory in the middle of development, it could sabotage Minos'' plans.


    Anyway, after hearing Travis'' comment about the Dry City''s written laws, the two men made expressions of surprise. "And there still isn''t?" They wondered.


    After all, written laws were quite common in many cities and states in the Spiritual World. It was what regulated activities within cities and states, establishing what could or could not be done, besides, of course, the punishments for each infraction.


    Such thing was crucial in living together in society, especially in cities with large populations.


    So, these two newcomers to Travis'' city were shocked to learn that there were still no written laws here.


    Finally, Carl looked at Travis closely and asked perplexedly. "Are you saying this town had no written laws before?"


    "Oh?" Travis was surprised for a moment, seeing that the two didn''t care that the Spiritual Church was banned from this city but that the city didn''t have written laws.


    But that was just what was expected. After all, despite having suffered the influence of the church''s actions in their culture, way of being, the two men were not religious. They were, at best, very used to the presence of that organization and some traditions.


    That''s why they had bothered to express their opinions on this matter.


    Anyway, Travis then shook his head from side to side and replied sincerely. "There were no written laws here before. At least not in the last 20,000 years. Before that, we don''t have much information about the Black Plain."


    The Black Plain had been a miserable place in spiritual energy long before that, but for Travis and the inhabitants of those areas, the oldest information was about 20,000 years ago.


    People in this region have always had lower life expectancies due to regional spiritual poverty, so the historical record was much sparser here.


    Travis then continued his speech. "The noble families of the Brown Kingdom had not cared about this region since that time. Consequently, for most of these 20,000 years that have passed, the Dry City was governed only by low-ranking representatives, who were only here to do a simple administration of the territory."


    "There was no interest in investing in this place, nor trying to punish certain people who broke royal laws or laws imposed by sovereign families. After all, even to punish someone, you have to spend crystals."


    "But the income in this region was meager, so the royal family itself had withdrawn its laws on this territory. The same happened with the sovereigns who had to administer this region."


    That was common knowledge of people who had grown up in the Dry City. They knew that this place had not been separated from the rest of the kingdom because no one had tried.


    There was no point in doing such a thing. As long as the Black Plain was from the Brown Kingdom, locals could travel around the kingdom without paying the entrance tax, which visitors had to pay...


    Also, no customs fee was charged on products originating from the rest of the Brown Kingdom, which reached the Black Plain through small merchants.


    On the other hand, the Royal family of the Brown Kingdom could not just abandon that territory. Thousands of natives of the realm lived on the Black Plain, and if they left them ultimately, the rest of the region would despise them.


    Because of pride, the side of the royal family had not forced independence!


    There was no point in sullying their reputation over something so small. After all, the Black Plain, though useless, didn''t cause them any problems.


    To govern this region, all they had to do was send someone of low ranking and subordinates without any relevance to administer this place.


    However, if the Black Plain inhabitants wanted independence, they would be more than happy to get rid of this dead weight!


    Travis then ended his speech as he continued his service on the street they were on. "Because of this, the written laws were forgotten in our city, and no one else tried to bring them back until Mr. Minos decided to do so."


    "I see!" The two agreed simultaneously.


    Nail then tried to find out more about the current Dry City. "And do you know what other laws will be established? Besides, of course, the one about religions."


    "So-so. My grandfather didn''t tell me many things about it. Besides this question about religions, he only told me about common things, like restrictions on visitors, criminals, murders, and some punishments. Nothing too detailed." He said it simply, without sloshing the subject too much.


    "But when it is made official, it will be spread all over the city. So, you will know about its at that time."


    Neil then removed another shovel of dirt from the street, throwing it directly into that carriage from before. "That''s good. It would be problematic if I broke some law because I don''t know it, hehehe."


    "Haha, that''s true..."


    After that, the groups of janitors continued their work through the streets of the Dry City.


    As for why Minos and his team had not yet published the written laws, this was because there was not yet a system to regulate them.


    For example, how could a sovereign enforce a law that punishes offenders with temporary imprisonment when there is no prison? Not only that, when there wasn''t even one organization to investigate and one to prosecute these offenders?


    Therefore, until the Black Plain developed this regulatory system, the written laws would not be officially released to the population.

 Chapter 286: A Little History

    While the streets of the Dry City were being cleaned by the general cleaning service, at the local government mansion, Minos and Abby were talking in a specific place.


    There was a small green area in that place, where a big bathtub was located, in a part where there was a wooden floor.


    Also, there was a small lawn around, where a few wooden benches and a table were positioned symmetrically.


    That was the courtyard of the young Stuart''s residence, from where he could relax and enjoy the night, sometimes in a hot bath in the open-air...


    But right now, he was sitting on one of the wooden benches in that place, with young Abby beside him.


    She was wearing a long gray dress, which was at once noble but also discreet, according to the personality of this young woman.


    As for Minos, he dressed casually, with loose trousers and a shirt. He had finished working in his office a few moments ago and had just finished taking his shower when Abby had come to visit.


    Anyway, Abby was side by side with Minos, sitting on that bench, while one of this young man''s hands was resting on her opposite shoulder. The two were in front of that bathtub, from where they could even see the reflection of the starry sky.


    "How was your day? Did you do anything interesting besides training?" Minos asked her as he watched her closely, where he could even smell the pleasant scent coming from Abby.


    Hearing this, she continued to lean her body over Minos'' supporting arm when she shook her head gently and answered him. "Nothing, I wanted to see your headquarters, but the soldiers wouldn''t let me in there... I don''t know why you''re so bureaucratic!"


    "Hehe, Abby, this is normal. Unfortunately, not all new soldiers recruited into the army are my friends. This is just standard procedure, but in a few days, you will be able to do that." He said with a smile on his face as he massaged Abby''s shoulder. "But what did you want to see? Since you are already determined to join my forces, I don''t mind talking about these army matters with you."


    "Hmph, you should trust your friend more and have told me about these things from the beginning!" She said as her lips pouted. "That place seems to be a lot bigger than a common base, even considering the big families. Why do you need so much space over there?"


    "This is simple. At my base, there is not only the management of the army, as is usually the case in the headquarters of noble families. We also have the soldiers'' administration, finance, Reward''s Hall, cultivation tower, arena, classrooms, etc. There are many subdivisions in that building." He answered her calmly.


    "Usually noble families mix things up a bit, as they don''t have a clear division between government and armies. Therefore, sometimes many of these other activities are seen mixed with the palaces and mansions of government, which administer the territories of these powers."


    Hearing this, Abby realized that what Minos was saying made sense. There was no distinction between the military part of a family and the administrative part. They saw it as one organization, different from how the young Stuart was treating the Black Plain.


    She then questioned him with a glint of curiosity in her eyes at the same time that her lips were slightly curved upwards. "Classrooms? What do you need this for in your army? Isn''t there already a spiritual academy in this city?"


    "Hmm, our newly admitted soldiers, especially the younger ones, need to go through an ''advanced'' course on certain subjects. After all, unlike a noble family that has a long history and its members and subordinates already know its main characteristics, this is different in my organization."


    "Because of this, my soldiers need a special place to learn how to act under certain circumstances." He stopped for a moment and then looked at the reflection of the stars in that bathtub. After that, as he felt the wind flow from that courtyard pass him, Minos continued. "Remember how you were treated when you arrived at the city wall?"


    "Yes, your soldiers seemed to consider me an enemy."


    Minos nodded his head in agreement and continued as he stared steadily into Abby''s eyes, waiting to see her reaction. "In fact. That''s because I told them the Miller family is a potential enemy of mine."


    And upon hearing such a comment, Abby couldn''t help repositioning herself on that wooden bench, getting now in a position facing Minos. She had her blue eyebrows furrowed while her pupils were completely contracted. "What do you mean by that? Why would you say something like that about my family to your subordinates?"


    He continued to stare when he finally answered her. "Abby, think about it. What will happen when the Black Plain is opened to the world? Do you think the great families of the kingdom will not covet my lands?"


    "That... They''ll probably try to get a part for themselves..." She muttered in a low voice, taking her eyes off Minos'' contact, realizing where he was going. "Do you think about fighting for this place?"


    "Of course. That''s why I consider all the noble families of the Brown Kingdom to be possible enemies. Including yours." He paused for a moment, watching Abby''s shocked face, then suggested something. "By the way, I recommend that in the future, not now, you convince your family not to stand against my territory. Otherwise, it will cause a lot of ''wear and tear'' for them."


    Minos then approached Abby as he took her hands over his, saying in a serene tone. "Since our relationship is so good, when things get out of my control, I''ll give the Miller family a chance not to get involved in Black Plain''s affairs. Even if they don''t help us, as long as they don''t get in my way, I won''t act unfairly against your family in the future."


    After that, Abby shook her head twice horizontally, as if she was refusing to let Minos continue with that idea. "You can not do that! Those who try to rebel never end well, don''t you know the history of the Kain family?"


    The Kain family was a power of the Kingdom of the Waves, which tried to rebel and create its own kingdom about 180,000 years ago.


    At that time, given the political and economic circumstances of the Kingdom of the Waves'' royal family, the Kain family had decided to act. Since its creation, it had grown steadily, being even stronger than the rulers of that state back then.


    They had already acquired almost a third of the territory of that kingdom when they finally thought they were ready to act and create their own state...


    However, fate had been cruel to the Kain. Thus, they became the first great example of what happened in situations like this in the northern region of the Central Continent.


    Typically speaking, the Kain family should have beaten the Kingdom of the Waves'' royal family back then. However, the Kains did not know something crucial about the royal families of the north of the Central Continent.


    What was the Counter-Revolutionary Statute!


    Such an agreement had been created long before the Kain rebellion. But until this family acted, none of the other organizations in the north of the Central Continent knew such about such a thing...


    It was established that any kingdom that faced the danger of a revolution could use this statute to gain external support and crush the flames of revolution.


    That was something that could guarantee the territorial sovereignty of each of these states, so it was something unanimously supported among the royal families!


    Anyway, the Kain family had been completely obliterated at that time, with even their younger descendants, children, and babies dead.


    The Kain had fought bravely for almost one year when finally reinforcements from various kingdoms in this region had arrived.


    From that day forward, that organization could not sustain the war for even one more day when they were crushed in a show of power of catastrophic proportions.


    500 Spiritual Kings had attacked them on the last day of the war when the Kain had only 50 individuals from this stage of cultivation...


    Anyway, the Kain had become the first fatal victim of the Counter-Revolutionary Statute. Even today, they are still used in the history books of the great noble families as an example of what not to do!


    Other revolutionary cases had taken place later, but most of them had been crushed by the royal families themselves.


    These powers were indeed mighty. Even without the help of the statute, they could handle most rebels.


    The case of the Kain had been something unique since, at that time, they were even stronger than the royal families of this region. And precisely because of this, they had become known, even though there were other cases where the statute was used!

 Chapter 287: Concerns

    After hearing what Abby had said, Minos watched her for a moment, remembering what he had learned back in the Spiritual Academy.


    He naturally knew about the Kain family case, as it was in the history books of the northern part of the Central Continent. This power had underestimated their opponents because they thought they were strong enough.


    They even had their reason for doing that, as they were, in fact, more powerful than the royal family of the Kingdom of the Waves at that time. But their mistake of ignoring other variables was not something Minos would do.


    He hadn''t forgotten about this historic event. Minos was even preparing to fight anyone, whether it be against the noble families of the Brown Kingdom or even an allied army of the region''s royal families.


    The young Stuart also has many means that the Kain family didn''t have, such as high-level techniques and the support of the Spatial Kingdom. With that alone, in a few years, the Black Plain Army could already have dozens of Spiritual Kings!


    However, Minos not only knew what he would have to go through to secure his sovereignty over the Black Plain. But he had no intention of declaring his independence and rebelling against the royal family of the Brown Kingdom.


    For him, as long as the news of the changes in the Black Plain did not get out, he would continue to act discreetly, continually strengthening himself.


    For all that, the young Stuart was not afraid of ending up like the rebels of the Kain family. He knew it wouldn''t be easy. He would probably have to fight for his independence for a few years and have several losses along the way.


    But that was something he was confident of achieving. So, he thought to himself, still watching Abby''s beautiful blue eyes. ''When I reach level 50, even if I am unable to destroy the alliance of royal families'' army, I will be able to defend the Black Plain relatively safely.''


    That was something he was sure of. After all, when he reached the 6th stage of cultivation, not only would Minos'' strength increase a lot, but this young man''s Physique would also progress!


    Such a thing would increase his fighting proficiency once again, as his innate skill would rise from the current 10% to 20%!


    Such a thing was not small! For example, at this time, at level 42, Minos endures a fight with a Spiritual King of level 51 at most, with no chance of beating him. But once he reaches level 50, he will immediately be able to fight level 55 individuals!


    It might seem like his proficiency would be decreasing, but that''s not true. After all, for each new stage of cultivation, a cultivator''s amount of spiritual energy increased more and more!


    For comparison purposes, the difference between levels 50 and 55 is about 50% greater than the difference between levels 42 and 51!


    Therefore, Minos was quite confident about the future. ''At my current cultivation speed, I need about three years to become a Spiritual King.''


    Finally, after thinking about it for a moment, he spoke to Abby again. "Abby, rest assured, I haven''t forgotten the example of the Kain family. And, just so you know, I actually don''t intend to rebel if the kingdom doesn''t come and cause trouble for me first."


    "As long as they don''t get involved in my business, I won''t seek a free war."


    Finally, hearing her friend''s response, Abby felt a little better to see that he still had some point in himself. Obviously, she was still worried, as there was no way this place could be ignored for much longer.


    So, even if Minos didn''t seek to rebel on his own, his young friend knew someone would force this situation sooner or later.


    She knew the noble families of the Brown Kingdom very well, as well as the royal family. That''s why Abby understood that a fight was inevitable, as assuredly, neither side would easily give up on a place like this!


    Before, she hadn''t thought about this situation because she thought Minos didn''t have such revolutionary thoughts. She believed the best scenario for him would be to make a deal with the Brown family, splitting Dry City''s profits and securing his position here.


    In the meantime, he could make alliances with other families in an attempt to get enough support to protect himself from those powers that could try to take this place.


    But now she had discovered that Minos had no intention of giving what is his to these organizations of the kingdom... ''You''re betting too much here, Minos... Even if the army has decent strength, it can''t be compared with the royal family. They have over 100,000 soldiers!'' She thought to herself as she pondered this matter.


    Of course, not all of these Brown family''s subordinates were strong people. Most were in the firsts five stages of cultivation, with fewer than 40 Spiritual Kings in those ranks. However, just the amount of Spiritual Generals from that royal family could crush the Dry City with ease!


    ''And then there are the other noble families¡­'' She looked at Minos'' confident expression and felt a little fearful about his future.


    In the Brown Kingdom, in addition to the two most prominent noble families, Silva and Miller, and the royal family, there were another dozen noble houses.


    Not all of them were as strong as these more prominent families, but they still had considerable strength. To give you an idea, the Gill family, who previously was responsible for the Dry City''s spiritual academy, was just an average house in this state.


    However, the organization behind former director Lionel still had 10 Spiritual Kings in its ranks and hundreds of Spiritual Generals!


    Finally, Abby let out a sigh of surrender as she closed her eyes for a moment. "Well, if you don''t show off too much, I think we might still have a few years until then. You became the ruler of this place a short time ago, so they shouldn''t worry about hearing from here anytime soon."


    ''Until then, I hope I can put some sense into that head of yours...'' She thought about it briefly, right after finishing her comment.


    Anyway, Minos nodded his head in agreement and pulled the young woman across him into his arms. "You seem pretty worried about me, huh? What a great friend you are..."


    He quickly brought her to his lap, making her sit facing him while their faces were at the same height.


    Feeling the sudden action of Minos, Abby was startled for a moment when she exclaimed. "What do you think you''re doing?"


    However, unlike hearing a verbal response from the young man in front of her, Abby just saw and felt him quickly kiss her.


    "Mmm~"


    And after a few seconds of doing that, as he ''scanned'' Abby''s curves, the two finally broke apart. Minos then looked her in the eye and teased her. "You were so cute worrying about me that I desired to kiss you."


    "You shameless! Don''t do this anymore without my consent!" She brandished in an embarrassed voice, with her cheeks already wholly flushed.


    He then chuckled and went back to being serious with her. "But don''t worry about it too much, Abby. Trust me. I''m not in danger."


    "Oh?" She narrowed her brows and glared at him, her face still red with embarrassment and sitting on his lap. "And why do you think that? Since you want to be so intimate with me, how about you tell me your secrets?"


    "Haha, looks like you''re learning how to play, huh..." He said, evading Abby''s question. He knew she would probably find out a thing or two about him very soon since she was about to join the local army.


    But he doesn''t need to expose himself to her without the need to!


    One day she might discover the answers to the mysteries of Minos'' life, but there was no need to rush things. So, he wouldn''t talk about it just because she asked him.


    Anyway, after realizing that Minos had no intention of answering her, Abby bit her lower lip in frustration. She then left that place right after talking to him for a while longer.


    She wasn''t sleepy and had already rested enough to begin her next training session of the day, during the time she''d been talking to Minos.


    "Good night. I''ll go to my room now." She said before leaving Minos'' yard.


    "Hmm, fine. Have a good training."


    ...

 Chapter 288: Mias Routine 1

    The night passed peacefully in the Dry City.


    The city''s janitors had cleared some of the streets in the central region, and many people had gone about their nightly work routines. Such as the case of soldiers of lower ranks who were doing patrol duty.


    Finally, with the dawn of the day, several people could be seen walking through the streets of the city while their eyes were lowered, anxious for their well-deserved rest. Then, they went to the different points of this city, where their respective residences were.


    A shift had just ended, and the morning soldiers had already taken up their duties, thus allowing the night party to return to their homes.


    Anyway, it was 15 degrees Celsius in the Dry City at this time, and the sky still had a slightly darkened tone, characteristic of early mornings.


    The typical freshness of this region could be felt by anyone leaving the house at this time, while the birds were already singing, making pleasant sounds throughout the town.


    And in the middle of this early morning, a woman wearing a black shirt and trousers, snug to her slender body, was running through the streets of the western part of the city. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, while tiny beads of sweat could be seen running down her forehead.


    "Hah... Hah..."


    Wherever she passed, breathing sounds could be heard as she ran at a considerably fast speed. With such speed, if she wanted to, she could cross this city in just 10 minutes from one place to another.


    Anyway, after running for nearly an hour on the lane exclusively for rushing citizens, Mia finally started to slow down.


    She did this every morning as a form of training for the movement technique she had learned at the headquarters of the local army.


    As an ordinary cultivator who neither wanted to battle nor pursue any specialization, Mia just trained so that she could live longer. Therefore, in addition to her cultivation technique, which she always took time out to cultivate, she had learned some techniques specialized in defense and support.


    After all, to live longer, she also needed to have a minimal defensive capacity, even if it was to defend herself and escape!


    Consequently, unlike people like this secretary''s boss, people like Mia didn''t bother to train powerful techniques, focused on battles.


    Because of this, Mia had learned a movement technique as soon as she had reached the 4th stage of cultivation a few months ago. Anyway, the best way to raise her understanding of movement techniques was precisely to move, and for this reason, she ran every morning through the city''s streets.


    Obviously, movement-focused techniques didn''t just involve the speed-related part that a cultivator might have in a run. No, despite this being the point most affected by this type of technique, other issues could be improved using them.


    Like, for example, a cultivator''s ''willingness'' in a fight. That basically involved how a warrior''s body behaved in battles, such as when one side tried to dodge the other''s attacks, the body''s instantaneous reactions, more efficient ways to move, fight, etc.


    All this and more could be improved through the use of movement techniques.


    However, as an ordinary citizen, it is clear that Mia didn''t care about these points and was just trying to improve her running speed!


    Finally, the young Stuart''s secretary stopped near where she was living to take a breath as she spoke to some neighbors.


    "Good morning, young Mia. Are you finishing your morning run?" A young man with dark circles in his eyes asked her as he moved lethargically.


    "Good morning, Wally. You know me, I always do, hehe. And you? Did you happen to change your shift on the city''s patrol? You look tired¡­" She said with a slight smile on her face as she saw Corporal Wally in front of her.


    "Yes, I had to do this to help a friend..." The two then talked a little more until finally, they parted.


    Mia had to go to Minos'' office early in the mornings, so she didn''t have much time to talk more with a neighbor.


    Her work started every day around 9 am when she would meet with local government officials. They talked about the latest updates from the city at this time of day, things Mia needs to know before Minos arrives at the office.


    After that, she had worked in Minos'' office until the afternoon, when she would go out to solve other problems. In general, this woman''s boss made decisions almost daily, and she was the one who put these matters into practice on most occasions.


    The butler Dillian usually helped her with these matters, but he still took the smallest part of the work. Of course, the butler had a higher rank than Mia, so he made more decisions and went out less than she did in handling these administrative matters.


    ...


    Anyway, soon, time passed, and Mia was already in the government mansion of the Dry City.


    Right now, she was in a large room in that place, where about 20 to 30 people were sitting in different positions. A few rows of tables and chairs were in that place, which was at different heights, just as seats in a theater would.


    There was a wooden platform in front of those tables, with a red wooden table, in the center of that part of the room.


    Finally, while each of those people was allocated that place, Mia was already talking about daily business with these other employees at that red table.


    She wore a delicate silk dress, in blue color, which, at the same time, heightened her measures, but without being erotic, being balanced in all aspects.


    After all, this was a work area, not a nightclub...


    Anyway, as the people in front of her occasionally got up to talk, giving their reports, Mia asked an old man who was standing there in the middle of that group. "Builder Jordan, how is public construction going on in our town?"


    Hearing this, the old man named Jordan rose from his chair and quickly straightened his shirt before beginning to report his news. "Ms. Mia, I have many things to report. First, the construction of the Dry City police complex has just started to be built."


    "Recently, we received an increase in revenue for civil construction, and we were able to advance the start of construction of this place a little. As for how long it will take us to finish, ehh, if everything works out and we get all the materials, then I believe that in one year and maybe a few months, it will be ready."


    "Oh? That''s nice." Mia commented.


    Jordan then continued his talk, talking about the various constructions related to local public services. "Next, we have the construction of the city''s tower, the city''s hospital..."


    After a while, Jordan summed up everything he had to say about the Dry City construction sites. First, talking about the part of the services and then summarizing the statistics on the construction of residential buildings.


    Finally, other people in that room also started reporting their updates to Mia.


    "The laws and its respective punishments of the set of Written Laws of the Black Plain are already ready to be published. However, we are holding this until the city''s police are developed, together, of course, with completion of the construction of the local prison." Someone said this briefly.


    "Hmm, this will take a while to happen. It has not even been decided how the trials of possible criminals in our city will be carried out..."


    "Truth. And the police itself hasn''t even been created yet. So, planning for this organization is still in its origin, and it could take several months before we have a contest..."


    ...


    "We recently reached the mark of 1,300 hectares of agricultural land, and our projection for the next harvest is..."


    ...


    "The Dry City alchemy guild needs Blue-grade techniques. Unfortunately, we have few options, and our students are having their potentials wasted because of this..."


    ...


    "Hunter groups are not keeping up with the beasts that are appearing in our neighborhoods. Many of them attack at night when we don''t have enough people to protect the crop fields..."


    ...


    And so, the meeting continued for a while longer until it finally ended.

 Chapter 289: Mias Routine 2

    After finishing her first activity of the day, the update meeting, Mia left that place and went directly to Minos'' office.


    At this time, the young Stuart is usually almost there, later his morning cultivation session. So, with that, Mia had to hurry to be ready when that happened.


    She was responsible for updating the local sovereign on most matters, so she needed to be there when he arrived.


    Anyway, it didn''t take her long to get to her position.


    Minos'' mansion was not that big yet, having less than 10,000 square meters of built-up area. So, no matter where she was before, wandering around this place wouldn''t make Mia waste too much of her time.


    At the same time, as she was moving around the administrative part of the mansion, Mia had passed several people and exchanged a few words. Despite being the beginning of the day, this place was already quite crowded, with people from the army, primarily, and others from agriculture, city cleaning, commerce, etc.


    Mia was well known for most of the people who frequented the government''s headquarters, so there were always those who stopped to wish her a good day.


    Anyway, after passing through several of the corridors of this property, the young Stuart''s secretary had already arrived at her principal place of work.


    Minos'' room was divided into two large areas: his own office and the other where the waiting room was.


    In that place, some chairs were strategically positioned on the sides of this place, facing each other. Then, finally, there was a high bench in front of where Mia''s desk had been.


    Other than that, there were a few paintings around, but none of them were of great value. They only served to decorate the space and had not been painted by high-level spiritual painters.


    Because of that, such items were there just to show landscapes of the Black Plain.


    Spiritual pictures could have specific effects on cultivators, but only high-level people could produce something like that. However, there would not be high-level paintings in the Dry City, as Minos himself had never tried to buy anything like this before...


    As for painting, that wasn''t exactly a profession in the Spiritual World. In fact, there was even the use of spiritual techniques to produce these paintings, but this involved techniques from different areas, not from a single specialization, as happened with the profession, for example, of alchemists.


    There were several subclassifications of alchemical techniques in the world, but all of them were still aimed at spiritual refining. It could even act in different ways, such as, for example, there would be a technique that would control the flame, another that would remove excessive impurities from the components, another to form pills, etc.


    But all these techniques were for the purpose of producing refined pills!


    But with painting, it was different. As long as a cultivator had learned at least one support technique focused on mind power, then anyone could become a painter.


    For example, warrior painters painted about fights, wars, alchemist painters who created paintings about the refining, etc.


    And the result of this was different for each painting. A painting done by an alchemist could be very beneficial to alchemists, as it could give them insights, understandings of those experts. And the same was true for the paintings made by specialists from other fields.


    Anyway, but none of the paintings in this reception room in Minos'' office could have much effect on cultivators. The level of its creators was not high, meaning there was not much understanding in it.


    But it fulfilled the role of decorating the environment, at least in the short term.


    Anyway, Mia had already started preparing her activities in that place when Dillian arrived.


    He was wearing a black suit, with a white shirt underneath, which gave this gentleman an inviting appearance. The pronounced mustache and short hair, already with some gray strands, indicated that he had already lived long and could already be considered an individual of many experiences.


    Finally, he had a discreet smile on his lips as he walked calmly through that place. "Good morning, young Mia."


    "Good morning, butler Dillian. Do you seem to be satisfied with something?" She asked vaguely, noticing the expression on the figure who had just entered there.


    "Haha, it''s nothing. I just woke up feeling good today... I''m feeling my progress getting closer, hehe." He said with satisfaction while disguising the reason for his morning happiness.


    Of course, being closer to the advance was an excellent thing and would make anyone feel good, but that wasn''t why Dillian was in such a good mood...


    Anyway, there was no need for him to get into personal affairs with other people, and he indeed was very close to breaking through to level 50.


    "Oh? Great! This will be an important mark for the Black Plain¡­" The two then talked for a while until finally, Minos walked through the door of that place.


    He was wearing brown trousers while wearing a beige shirt that was still half unbuttoned at his neck.


    His brown hair was damp as if he''d just gotten out of a shower and headed straight here.


    Anyway, he finally greeted the two people there, and then the three went to his office.


    ...


    At this point, Minos was sitting on one of the sofas there, next to Dillian, while Mia was in front of them. She was already beginning to notify them about recent events in the city, about matters she had heard earlier.


    "Recently, the alchemist guild requested the local government to try to obtain Blue-grade techniques aimed at alchemy. Unfortunately, there are none at the local public library, so they feel they are missing out on the potential of new students."


    Hearing this, Dillian was the first to comment on this subject. "That was expected. After all, while warriors can learn different types of techniques in the library, alchemists and other professionals cannot do the same..."


    Hearing this, Minos immediately nodded in agreement and said. "True, but we have nothing to do. These library techniques came from our enemies, who were all warriors." He then sighed for a moment and then continued. "Mia, tell them I''ll work this out on my next trip. But for now, they will still have to wait for a few more months."


    "OK. Ehh, on to the next topic... The hunters in the city are complaining that the number of spiritual beasts in the region near the agricultural fields has increased, and they need more workforce at night."


    Such a thing was normal to happen. After all, with the growth of plants in the region near the Dry City, many spiritual beasts were already migrating to this location.


    Food was something that was lacking for those beings who inhabited the desolate Black Plain, and because of that, with the appearance of many plants in the Dry City, these beasts could not stop coming here!


    "Young master, I think we can follow that idea I suggested earlier. That can resolve this issue more quickly." Dillian said quickly.


    Minos then looked at the butler for a moment and remembered a conversation they had had a few days ago. "Oh? Are you talking about the mercenary guild? It might be a good idea. Even if it''s still early, it won''t do the city any harm."


    Mercenary guilds could have an advantage over government services, which was freedom.


    That is, while government officials had to work certain hours a day, generally, at the exact times, as a routine, mercenaries had more freedom in this regard.


    People could join a guild and only do quests when they have free time or are in urgent need of crystals.


    On the other hand, there were several options for local employment, and many people might not be interested in living as hunters, doing this daily. After all, there was no fixed salary for these professionals, as their income depended only on their respective hunts!


    Consequently, it might be easier for certain services to be done through the use of this type of organization rather than the traditional method of contracting.

 Chapter 290: Mias Routine 3

    The advantage of having a mercenary guild went far beyond just freedom for its members. For example, in a city with more than 130,000 inhabitants, as was the case with the current Dry City, it was not so simple for everyone to know about the opportunities in certain areas.


    There was even a lot of publicity for local government jobs, and all the inhabitants knew about the available vacancies. However, no disclosure could reach everyone for informal works or services of private companies in the city.


    For example, in the case of hunters, even if this was an informal job, there were groups of people who got together for it. However, amidst a place with tens of thousands of people, there were fewer than 200 hunters at present!


    With such a number, even counting the families of these people and other professionals directly related to this area, the total number of people who knew about the reality of hunting did not reach 5,000!


    And precisely for this reason, even having enough population for more hunters to appear, there was a lack of workforce for this activity.


    It was a communication problem!


    Anyway, Dillian began to massage his mustache while he thought about this subject for a moment. He then looked at secretary Mia and then at Minos and said. "With the opening of a mercenary guild, we can solve the problem of communication between the population and these less widespread services."


    "In one place, people from all over the city will be able to find services in different areas, while everything will be classified to facilitate their choices. They will know exactly how much they can earn in each job. The requirements such as the minimum strength needed, the period of service, anyway, there will be all kinds of information to help them decide on which mission to take."


    And hearing this, Minos nodded in agreement. A mercenary guild like the one Dillian had previously proposed to him was a perfect one.


    There wouldn''t be that communication problem in a small town, but the more notable the Dry City got, it would only worsen. In this case, solving it while it was still early could avoid many problems down the road!


    "Hmm, well, it looks like advancing the development of a mercenary guild will be for the best. So, even if we have not yet reached a critical state, we will be better prepared, and we will still be able to solve this problem of the spiritual beasts."


    Minos then continued to speak, adding another point to the topic. "On second thought, this will be of even more help for us. With a mercenary guild, part of the population will be able to achieve a jump in income, which will enable these people to invest even more in their cultivation."


    "With this, the future city police will have even more potential competitors for the vacancies that will be offered."


    Minos and his government were already preparing for the development of the local police in a year or two.


    Such an organization was not very useful in Dry City''s recent past, but soon it could be different. After all, with local development, the threats to Minos territory would only increase. Therefore, the army will have to have fewer internal responsibilities.


    From there, the Black Plain Army would begin to act to guarantee the security of the territory, its purpose of existence!


    Trivial matters should not concern the most vital forces in the region, those who could defend and fight for the Black Plain. With that, the local police would be developed to give the space that the army demanded.


    "Yes, with a mercenary guild, more people will be able to start fighting and improve their combat skills. So, we will be able to get a better-prepared group for the future selection of the local police." Dillian commented.


    And after some time talking about this matter, Minos soon ordered Mia to make the necessary preparations to put this plan into practice. Building a mercenary guild was not a difficult job, as there was no need for a unique building for the headquarters of this location.


    That way, in just a few weeks, a building could be built and opened to the public!


    In fact, the most time-consuming and challenging task would be to organize this place, that is, how it would work. That, of course, ranged from mission ratings, a hierarchy system, rewards, employees...


    Anyway, there was a whole plan behind a new service, which could serve tens of thousands of people.


    But this could all be done while the guild building was built, which shouldn''t take long!


    Mia then made some notes on a clipboard she had in her hands and then said. "OK, young master... Ehh, the next topic I have to talk to you about is the yield of the last crop..."


    They then continued to talk about the issues Mia had been updated on at the previous meeting. She reported on all matters while Minos gave her some answers on what should be done, sometimes with Dillian butler taking his place.


    After all, the young Stuart was not a sage with absolute knowledge!


    The memoirs he had received from Henricus Longus were mainly focused on subjects directly linked to the cultivation world. So, it was information about battles, techniques, powerful influences from the Spiritual World, organizations, customs, technical information. Anyway, things that didn''t involve much knowledge about the management of a territory.


    Henricus Longus was a fighter, someone who did not directly rule his organization despite having been a leader in his day.


    He acted as the regent of the City of Waters, Mirya, who was there more to protect or mark the Stokes family''s territory than to rule. Matters like running that place were done by other people.


    Finally, due to this, Minos often depended on the advice of Dillian and other local officials.


    But he had his visions of what he wanted to do on the Black Plain, of course. After all, he had attended the Spiritual Academy in the City of the Setting Sun, a place from which many future Brown Kingdom leaders emerge!


    Henricus Longus'' knowledge of life was not utterly useless on this subject either. After all, even though that God didn''t rule, he still lived for over 50,000 years!


    It would be hard not to learn a thing or two about management after living for so long...


    Finally, Mia returned to her desk in the reception part of Minos'' office, right after she''d finished talking to him and Dillian.


    At that point, she usually stays around until the young sovereign went out to train again. And at this point, she would settle the orders given by Minos until he returned to the office, from the middle of the afternoon to early evening.


    Although Minos doesn''t have specific hours to work in his office, he usually takes the same amount of time on each practice. So, even if he worked whenever he wanted, Mia had a pretty good idea of ??how much time she had to sort out other matters while he was gone!


    When Minos wasn''t in the Dry City, as he sometimes had in the past, Mia''s routine changed a little. In general, her routine became less ''diverse.''


    Dillian usually replaced him as the town leader, so she would have to work as the butler''s secretary during those times.


    But Dillian was someone much more regular in his workday than Minos. After all, he had been a butler, or instead still was one, for so long that he had become accustomed to working more regularly.


    So, usually, she would have a meeting early in the morning, stay in the office until mid-afternoon, and finally finish the day giving orders of Dillian or whoever was in charge locally.


    Anyway, Mia''s routine was quite hectic since Minos arrived here in the Dry City since she had to work almost 10 hours a day. However, this secretary had nothing to complain about.


    In fact, due to her importance and working directly with the town leader, Mia was earning one of the best salaries in the government!


    Her income was second only to Dillian!


    Mia currently received 2,400 low-grade spiritual crystals per month. Such a thing was almost half what a Spiritual King would receive in the local army and three times the Sergeant''s salary!


    Because of this, Mia was smiling happily, living in joy with her well-paid job...

 Chapter 291: Report 1

    Hours passed quickly, and by this time, Minos had already returned from another cultivation session in the Spatial Kingdom to his office.


    The sky over the Dry City was already beginning to darken when the young Stuart was comfortably seated in an armchair in his office, watching the city view through the window of that place.


    He had a cup of spiritual tea in his right hand, and he drank it calmly as he waited for his next appointment.


    The pleasant flavor of spiritual cinnamon tea was Minos'' favorite, and he drank it whenever he could. In fact, this was the main drink served in his office when he was around.


    Anyway, he watched the movement on the avenue in front of his mansion, when finally the secretary Mia entered that place and warned him of something. "Young master, there is a Sergeant from the headquarters'' Intelligence Division here to see you. Can I let him in?"


    "Hmm, please do this." He said quietly while still looking out the glass window in that room.


    As for the headquarters'' Intelligence Division, this is one of the Black Plain Army''s sectors. For the time being, this division acted mainly to research the background of future soldiers and allow the enlistment of those able to do so.


    But there were more critical functions than that. This division was responsible for the investigation and espionage of certain events and enemies of the Black Plain.


    Of course, there was not much to investigate or spy on at present, as there was not enough staff to do so and not many problems to be solved.


    Obviously, the Black Plain had many potential enemies. Still, it would not be possible for this organization to spy on them all, not even if the entire population of Dry City was soldiers...


    So, because its main activity was still inactive, this army''s department became more involved in selecting new soldiers than in espionage.


    That is also one of the army''s departments, where many of its members are not warriors but administrative soldiers. That is soldiers who stay inside the headquarters.


    There were other sectors like this within the local army, as in the cases of the administrative division and the Reward''s Hall.


    Anyway, after waiting for a few seconds, the Sergeant from the Intelligence Division finally entered that office, carrying a stack of papers in one of his hands.


    He wore a typical local army uniform, which looked like a simple gold and silver armor model, which had some symbols. One of them designated the soldier''s rank, being on the left shoulder, another specified the division of which the soldier belonged, on the right shoulder, and finally, the symbol of the Black Plain, on the left chest.


    He then greeted Minos quickly before finally starting to talk about the matters he was here to report.


    "Young master, our division has already reviewed all the papers collected at the northwest base of the Chambers family." He promptly said as he passed the stack of papers to Minos.


    "Oh? That''s good." At the same time, Minos commented that while he was beginning to explore the papers delivered by this soldier.


    "As the young master can see, we found a lot of relevant information about the Chambers family from documents coming from that base. However, not only did we get information from them but from other powers in the region." The soldier began to explain the main points to Minos.


    "To begin with, we found that the Chambers family has a long-standing relationship with the group of assassins, Scourges of the Devil, an organization that is an enemy of the army. You can see this on page 12."


    And on hearing that, Minos quickly flipped through the pages of that report while he had a solemn look on his face. ''Why am I not surprised?'' He thought to himself, considering how little he already knew about the Chambers family.


    "Three documents were found on that base about this organization of assassins. Two of them were letters sent between Spiritual Kings of the Chambers family, talking about the death of an individual named Jeff, who had betrayed that family and fled to the Scourges of the Devil."


    "However, things didn''t turn out well for him, as the Chambers family already had a long-standing partnership with that organization."


    "Hmm..." Minos made a sound of agreement as he read the transcript of the letter that Jamie had received.


    The sergeant then continued. "The other document was not a letter but an internal notification of the Chambers family. In which one of the elders of that organization gave the order for the Spiritual King, Jamie, to make a deal with a code-named assassin, ''Scythe.''"


    "Apparently, as you can see on pages 13 and 14, they were trying to hire this assassin to do a job in the Snow Kingdom. As for the target of this contact, this had only been identified by the word, ''real.''"


    "Hmm."


    ''Unfortunately, there isn''t any information about the Scourges of the Devil in these obtained documents¡­'' Minos thought a little disappointedly.


    Knowing the location of the Scourge of the Devil''s headquarters would be crucial for Minos''s future revenge.


    But such a thing was also expected. After all, even if this was a Chambers family''s base, this place was still just a branch. It wouldn''t store crucial information in a place like that!


    "Maybe we can get more information about the Scourges of the Devil at the Chambers family''s headquarters¡­" He muttered under his breath, still looking at the papers in front of him.


    The soldier then went back to talking about the discoveries he had made. "Moving forward, the young master will see, on page 5, a transcript of an internal news item about the Chambers family."


    "From what the document found at that base contained, one of the Chambers family''s spies in the Kingdom of the Waves found out about anticipation of the crown prince''s coronation ceremony. Such an event should take place in less than two years."


    "What?" Minos exclaimed in surprise. He couldn''t believe the Kingdom of the Waves would choose its successor anytime soon!


    After all, the king of that state wasn''t even 800-years-old, and the three princes were still only in the 5th stage of cultivation. So, Minos was surprised by this information.


    He had learned about the royal family of the Kingdom of the Waves at the time of spiritual academy, so he knew about some things concerning that realm.


    Apart from knowing the king''s age and cultivation, level 59, Minos was also aware that this realm would choose the crown prince only when all competitors reached the sixth stage of cultivation!


    Only from that point would the race for the king''s successor begin in that state.


    But that couldn''t happen at this point. As the principal competitor, Peter''s enemy, Charles Walker, was only 22-years-old and should have been at most in the middle of the 5th stage of cultivation.


    And besides this possibility for the choice of the king''s successor to happen in advance, it would be if something had happened to the king!


    "Is the king very ill and has decided to advance the choice of his successor?" Minos wondered inwardly.


    ''It does not matter. Anyway, this is not very good news for us. If that guy, ehh, Charles Walker becomes king, it could get me into some trouble¡­''


    After that, the soldier continued to make his presentation of what had been discovered. He had talked about a shipwreck that had occurred in the North Sea, but the intelligence division hadn''t paid much attention to it...


    On the other hand, the young Stuart was very curious about the infamous North Sea. For him, there were two contrasting pieces of information in his mind. On the one hand, the knowledge of the spiritual academy about the present told Minos how the North Sea, near the Kingdom of the End, was dangerous, even for Spiritual Saints.


    However, the memories he had of this place, through the legacy left by Henricus Longus, told him that this place shouldn''t be so dangerous.


    In fact, there was a region of high spiritual concentration across that region. Still, the average strength of the sea beasts shouldn''t be so frightening. In that God''s time, this was a place that could at best be compared to the current Flaming Empire.


    In other words, the North Sea was only as strong and dangerous as a second-rate empire a few million years ago!


    ''What happened in that region? I''m sure the sea beasts there didn''t attack ships for free at the time of Henricus Longus. As for the weather, it shouldn''t be so ''wild''...''

 Chapter 292: Report 2

    The North Sea of ??the Central Continent was a historical site known for its unstable weather and high-level beasts.


    There were icy regions, to the point that vast blocks of ice formed in the sky, creating unimaginable rains that could sink large ships. At the same time, in areas not so far away, one could come across hot places where the sea boiled!


    The entire climate in that region was utterly abnormal, with the presence of storms that could change ships'' routes by thousands of kilometers in a matter of minutes!


    And although there are hardly any islands in that region, most of the few that did exist were flying islands, which constantly changed location and altitude.


    In addition to these unstable climatic and geographic factors of the North Sea, there was still the presence of powerful sea beasts in that region. After all, there was a region of high spiritual concentration, ideal for great potential spiritual beasts to develop.


    Finally, because of all that, the North Sea had become known as a strange place, already in the time of Henricus Longus.


    However, in the last hundreds of thousands of years, that place had gained even more terrifying fame in the Spiritual World.


    The North Sea had become known as the maritime cemetery of Saints!


    Minos didn''t know exactly when things changed, but in the more recent history of the north of the Central Continent, incidents in that region had grown steadily.


    Cases like the Blood Triangle Pirates vessel, which Emlyn was previously on, had become very common to happen. In many cases, people from other regions of the Spiritual World were directed to that place by storms while traveling in the vicinities.


    After entering the North Sea, few people survived that place, and in many cases, only the remains of ships were found.


    And that''s how this region gained its fame as the cemetery of Saints. Many corpses of cultivators from this stage of cultivation had been found among the wrecked ships, along with their respective crews!


    It was not difficult to recognize a person''s level by their corpse as part of the spiritual energy was allocated to the physical body. When a cultivator dies, his soul, the portion of him that contained most of his cultivation, dissipates, leaving only his body, which can store up to 10% of the cultivator''s power.


    Thus, when people found corpses as resistant and rich in spiritual energy as Spiritual Kings, it was easy to know the person''s level before he died!


    And so, the population of this region of the Central Continent had become accustomed to reading and listening to stories involving the death of powerful cultivators.


    ''This can''t be a natural change, can it?'' Minos wondered as he thought about the subject of the North Sea. He indeed found this all change strange, especially given the fact that not only humans were suffering in that region.


    Even elven ships faced the same situation!


    Such a thing was bizarre. After all, the elves were not only the most proficient in cultivation. They were also the ones who had the best relations with the sea beasts!


    Because of this, it was difficult for Minos to believe that sea beasts would turn against the elves or that the North Sea climate could frighten them.


    As the most intelligent species compatible with spiritual energy, even those members of the race who were less talented, could still become Spiritual Saints!


    Also, elves could live about six times longer than humans. Such a thing gave them much more time to get to know nature and the world around them, making them perfect for exploring the vast Spiritual World.


    Anyway, for all that, Minos found this change in the North Sea uncommon and thought that there was something more to this story.


    ''When I go to the Kingdom of the End in the future, I''ll try to find some of these shipwrecks. Maybe there will be some clue as to what''s going on in that region...'' He kept a mental note on that subject before finally turning his attention to the report in his hands.


    "You can continue."


    After that, the Sergeant presenting the report to Minos spoke again shortly after hearing the young Stuart''s order. "Yes, young master. Eh, there was some data about a town called Farmland in a document from that Chambers family''s base."


    "Oh?"


    "Based on the data found, Farmland has been facing a small drop in food exports to Stone Island." He said this with a few hand gestures and a discreet smile on his face. "Due to the coincidence of the time when they had this retraction and the beginning of the Black Plain''s business with the Nash family, we concluded that we are the main responsible for this."


    "Hmm, in fact, that must be the reason." Minos nodded in a low voice as he read the information in that pile of papers. He wasn''t surprised at all. After all, this was something to be expected to happen, as Farmland was one of Stone Island''s most significant food suppliers.


    ''With the steady increase in the amount of food sent from here to Stone Island, it would be weird if no effect appeared...''


    The young Stuart then made a serious expression and said to the soldier in front of him. "We will leave a warning for anyone coming from the Cromwell Kingdom, except for those we are coming from the City of Waters."


    "It shouldn''t be long before Farmland starts investigating those responsible for this slight change on Stone Island."


    "All right, young master."


    After that, that soldier explained a few more things to Minos, and after a few minutes, they finished talking.


    There wasn''t much more information on that Chambers family''s base, as that was just a stopping place.


    In fact, if not for Jamie''s presence there, perhaps none of this would have come into the hands of the young Stuart''s organization.


    Anyway, after the soldier left him alone in his office, Minos was sitting in an armchair there, looking ahead in a distracting way.


    He was thinking about the information he had just discovered, trying to figure out the path that was taking form in front of him.


    ''I imagine that several of the Stone Island''s powers must already be investigating Elen''s business¡­ I''ll probably have to talk to her soon.'' He thought about it at the same time as he casually snapped his fingers.


    Stone Island was the place where there were more clues about Minos'' location, as regular routes were being taken by the ships of the Nash family. Because of that, if anyone wanted to find out about the Black Plain, in his opinion, the best place to start would be that island.


    Although he passed through the Cromwell Kingdom, in many places, by the way, most of the time, he left no significant traces.


    He had not left his full name behind with the Spiritual Tournament, and people thought he had gone to the Flaming Empire.


    In the cities he had passed, except for Hadia, City of Waters, and the City of Flowers, he had done nothing of significance anywhere else.


    In the City of Flowers, he had only purchased the Warrior-grade medicine''s information. So, no trace could bring enemies to the Black Plain.


    In Hadia, he had utterly hidden, and even if someone managed to follow his trail, that would only lead to the Chambers''s base. After that, it would be impossible to find out where Minos'' group had gone, given the many possibilities for an escape.


    And lastly, in the City of Waters, he had done business with the regent Mirya, and many citizens of that place were already finding out about the territory of Minos.


    That was the most vulnerable place for the Black Plain, but it was also the only place where Minos had not caused problems but benefited.


    Because of all this, there weren''t many traits that could threaten the Black Plains in the Cromwell Kingdom.


    ''The Dry City will likely have to slow down its development in the short term. I can no longer risk trying to attract more inhabitants here¡­''  He concluded.


    After the end of the migration of the unemployed from the City of Waters, there would be no more towns left within the adjacent region of the Black Plain. Places partially left aside. Of course, there was the Maritime City, but it would be stupid to try to do something there...


    And apart from that, there weren''t many alternatives for Minois to get more workers into his territory!


    ''Well, my inhabitants are getting stronger, and this will increase their efficiency... Therefore, I think that at least in the short term, in a maximum of 1 year, we can still grow at the current rate...''

 Chapter 293: Three Possibilities

    While Minos was preoccupied with the problems of the Black Plain, the Spiritual Kings sent by the Chambers family to investigate Kevin''s death were investigating what had happened.


    Three people had previously been sent to the attacked base to increase searches in the region, in partnership with Chad''s group. They had waited at that base until yesterday, when Roy finally showed up, arriving at that place after days of fleeing persecution from the Hayes family.


    Roy had barely survived the persecution of that group of Spiritual Kings and was seriously injured when he arrived at that post. Even his winged beast was in horrible shape, having arrived at that base completely bruised and soiled with its own blood.


    Finally, after reaching a place where he was safe, Roy recounted everything he had been through to the five Spiritual Kings before he was finally released to receive his treatment.


    It would take him several months to recover from the injuries he suffered, so he was out of the local investigations of Kevin''s death.


    Finally, having received Roy''s report and also the latest news from the Chambers family''s headquarters, the five Spiritual Kings returned to the investigation, subdividing across the northern region of the Cromwell Kingdom.


    ...


    In the city of Hadia, one of the Spiritual Kings who had arrived at that base from the Chambers family before was now in the head office of the local government of this town.


    He was in the center of Hadia, the noble and well-developed part of this city of many classes, where a beautiful palace was located.


    And amid a luxurious building full of trees and natural and constructed beauty, he was sitting face to face with the ruler of this place.


    The person in front of this Chambers family''s Spiritual King was named Cole, level 53, a subordinate of a noble house in the Farmland region.


    He had a youthful appearance, black hair, and brown eyes while dressing in a tight-fitting outfit, making him look elegant. This man seemed very good and looked to be in his prime, even more so with the warm smile he had on his face.


    In contrast, the Spiritual King of the Chambers family was a middle-aged man with an unfriendly expression on his face, wearing black armor.


    Such a person was Doug Chambers, level 54.


    Anyway, the two had just met and had barely shaken hands when Doug got right down to business, not caring about etiquette. "Cole, I''m not here to befriend you. You must know very well why I''m here. So, let''s not waste time with small talk. Tell me what you know."


    Hearing this, Cole smiled sincerely, feeling this individual''s bad mood. ''Ah, it must be difficult to lose so much in such a short time. Glad I''m not in your place, haha¡­'' He thought for a moment before finally starting to speak. "You are investigating the death of Kevin, right? You must think the murderer must have passed through Hadia."


    "Yes, that''s one of the possibilities," Doug commented briefly.


    "It makes sense. Kevin bought the Spring of Life at the local Black Market, a place open to thousands of people. So, the chances are good that his death resulted from one of the customers at that night''s auction..."


    "Huh, good luck looking for that, hehe." Cole casually said as he watched Doug''s expression grow darker and darker.


    ''Oh, too bad this old man is stronger than me. Otherwise, I could play with him a little longer¡­'' Cole chuckled inwardly as he finally got to the point. "But you might not be completely out of luck."


    "What do you mean?"


    "A few days ago, an unusual event happened in my city. A nightclub on the south side of town was invaded, and all the people in that place disappeared."


    Hearing this, Doug immediately frowned, realizing the similarity to what had happened at that Chambers'' base. However, this could only be a coincidence. After all, this place was full of outlaws, people who could bring disaster on themselves at any time.


    "Why do you think this has a relation to my investigation?" he asked seriously.


    "I don''t have all the details, as the Black Market itself is investigating this matter. But from the information I received, right before that place was invaded, there were some people around town asking a lot of questions about the recent auction."


    "And most importantly, the time between the attack on this club on the south side of Hadia and the attack on your family''s base was within a very close range. The time difference was just enough to travel from Hadia to that base!" He said with a gleam in his eyes.


    Cole had always been an intelligent person who paid attention to detail. And because of that, upon finding out about recent incidents, he couldn''t help noticing that there was such a possibility.


    Of course, most likely for him, this was just a coincidence, but definitely, it was worth investigating.


    Several carriages had left Hadia that night of the club attack from what he had heard from the city''s guards. And of those carriages, the strength of the beasts that pulled them was between the 3rd and 4th stages of cultivation.


    Considering this, he could see that with beasts of this cultivation classification, traveling between Hadia and that base, between the end of the club''s attack and the beginning of the attack from that base, was achievable!


    Anyway, after hearing Cole''s comment, Doug couldn''t help but notice this person''s logic. ''Actually, this clue seems to make some sense...''


    "Well, it looks like coming to talk to you wasn''t a complete waste!" He exclaimed loudly, already getting up from the armchair he had sat in earlier.


    However, while he seemed determined to get out of that place, Cole chuckled for a moment and then warned him. "Before you leave, be careful. This subject can be a little more thorny than you might think."


    "What do you mean?" Doug wiped the smug expression off his face, then looked back at Cole with some concern.


    "That nightclub that was attacked is owned by one of the associates of the Black Market and a member of the Scourges of the Devil. Maybe my theory is wrong, and you end up investigating something you shouldn''t¡­" He said this with an incomprehensible smile on his lips.


    ''I know you Chambers have your dealings with occult powers, but do you dare go up against someone who deliberately attacks the property of someone so dangerous?'' Cole thought about it as he watched the expression on Doug''s face.


    He didn''t look disappointed at all, but he wasn''t happy either. ''The enemy that attacked us seemed to be after our information... Could it be that this is an enemy of the Scourges of the Devil, and he is acting against us because our connection is discovered?''


    ''This seems to be getting more and more complex! But it doesn''t matter, anyway, I''ll have to go to the heart of it. At least I''ll have something to give back to the patriarch when I''m done here!''


    After convincing himself, Doug briefly said goodbye to Cole, heading directly to Hadia''s Black Market.


    ...


    At the same time, three people were together in a boat that had just arrived in the Maritime City, on the coast of the Black Plain.


    These people wore silver armor, which bore the Silva family symbol and had tired looks on their faces. One of them had a thin face and red hair, another was tall and strong, and the last one, their leader, had an unshaven beard and some gray hairs on his head.


    Finally, the three walked out of that boat they had traveled in while conversing in a tone only other Spiritual Kings could hear.


    "Well, after two months on Stone Island, we''re now pretty sure Sarah''s group wasn''t killed there." That''s the red-haired man said.


    "Yes, Scott is right. By the time her group was last seen, before their deaths, the places on Stone Island that they could have passed in that period have all been visited by us." The muscular man nodded.


    After hearing his two companions say this, the group leader nodded and replied. "Now we have three possibilities for the location of the death of Sarah''s group¡­"

 Chapter 294: Let Me Help You

    As they walked through the passenger port of Maritime City, the three Spiritual Kings of the Silva family continued to talk about their investigations.


    Urban, the group leader, then continued with his speech while the other two listened intently. "They were last seen after they were killed less than three days later. Considering that time, they must have been killed within a radius of up to a thousand kilometers from where we are."


    "Thus, there are three possibilities for the place of death for those three. Which is the border of the Kingdom of the Waves to the north, the border of the Cromwell Kingdom to the south, and finally the Black Plain to the east."


    Hearing this, the two men nodded when the red-haired one decided to say something. "Chief Urban, there are few cities in this total area, but there are some pretty busy places on the coasts of the Cromwell Kingdom and the Kingdom of the Waves. I believe Sarah''s group was probably killed in one of these places."


    Immediately after Scott finished speaking, the muscular man quickly backed him up. "Hmm, there''s that town of Hadia, where the Black Market is in the Cromwell Kingdom, which can be quite dangerous. Those miserable pirates and thugs may well have tried to target our comrades."


    And that was a reality in the north of the Central Continent. So, what had happened to Peter was not an unusual thing to see. In fact, if someone were well informed in this region, finding out about some cases like the one that occurred with the young Sergeant happening every 1 or 2 years would not be difficult!


    Because of this, Oscar couldn''t help but worry about this fact. Moreover, for him, a subordinate of the powerful Silva family, this would be a great humiliation!


    But he couldn''t help but remember that possibility. After all, turning a blind eye to a problem wouldn''t solve it!


    Urban then nodded in agreement and said dismissively. "Cough, there is this possibility. These insects that depend on captive labor are truly a difficult pest to contain..."


    As a military family, the Silvas had never been involved in human trafficking or the slave labor system. In fact, for this family that valued individual strength so much, there was nothing more shameful than relying on other people''s power!


    From this organization''s point of view, only the weak would use forced labor!


    "There''s also that nameless town on the coast of the Kingdom of the Waves. That place is full of these scum..." Scott was saying something when he remembered another place. "By the way, there is that Yellow City too. Although we got the news that the bandits part of that place were eliminated, we don''t know what happened after that."


    The Silva family knew a little about what had happened to the group of bandits led by Gul. After all, one of the merchants freed by the Minos'' group was a member of that organization.


    But they didn''t know everything.


    That man had left the Yellow City even before Gul''s death, so the result of that Minos'' mission was not known to them.


    Finally, upon hearing this, the group leader nodded his head in agreement and spoke again. "Other than that, only the Black Plain remains. Besides the Dry City, there are only a few small villages in this region. But, even though it''s easier for us to start looking for clues around here, I don''t think it''s worth it."


    "Haha, there''s no way this could have happened here. It would be a waste of our time to stay in this sterile place!" The muscular man nodded with a big smile on his face.


    "It certainly doesn''t make sense to search in the place with the least possibilities..."


    The three really couldn''t believe that that group, who could even fight a Spiritual King if they joined together, could have been eliminated on the weakened Black Plain!


    Even if such a thing had happened, in their opinion, it would have to do with other regions. In this case, searching around here would probably be meaningless...


    As for the information about the young Stuart running this place, that was another thing that didn''t catch the attention of these Spiritual Kings. All of them had already reached this stage of cultivation even before Minos'' birth, so they didn''t know this young man.


    Hell, why would they care about a junior who had been unconscious for several years?


    They even knew what had happened between Albert and the Silva family, and the development of that matter, as they received this inside information. But they didn''t give a shit about Minos.


    Unless they were given the order to do something related to this young man, these three would not put Minos in their eyes.


    Finally, the three left the port part of that town, arriving at where they had previously left their spiritual beasts.


    That place looked like an extensive ''nature'' reserve, where beasts could be housed while their ''owners'' were away. There were several different buildings in that place, with small swamps, fields, artificial caves, lakes, and other forest parts.


    It was like a great mix of different habitats for each type of spiritual beast.


    Finally, when the three retrieved their spiritual beasts from that place, they soon left the city, heading north into the territory.


    Urban then quickly said as he stared at the barren horizon in front of him. "Let''s go to the Kingdom of the Waves first. There are fewer cities in the border region of this state, so this will facilitate our investigation."


    ...


    While Urban''s group began its journey, Minos was currently at his mansion in the Dry City.


    Night had already fallen in this city, and the weather was pleasant, making a cold that would make anyone wish for a hot bath.


    And as such, the young Stuart had taken the opportunity to use his bathtub in his courtyard, from where he could admire the beauty of the starry sky in this part of the Spiritual World.


    He had already done his last cultivation session of the day in the Spatial Kingdom and was now just relaxing before the dinner he would have in about an hour.


    Anyway, he was calmly sitting in that bathtub when suddenly the door of his residence opened, and a young woman with blue hair appeared in that place.


    "Ah!" Abby made a sound of surprise when she saw that Minos was shirtless, using the bathtub in that area.


    "Abby?" Minos asked doubtfully. At the same time, he turned his head and saw his young friend standing by the door, her face completely red. "Alright, Abby, you can come." He said.


    "But..."


    "See, there''s a towel here with me." He then grabbed a towel from the side of the tub and showed it to her.


    After that, she stopped to breathe for a moment and then approached a wooden bench that was there and sat down. "You know I always come to talk to you at night. You could have told me to come later!"


    "Haha, and what fun would it be? A little teasing doesn''t hurt, Abby." He laughed and said. "If you want, you can sit here with me. I promise I won''t do anything."


    Hearing this, Abby felt a little willing to try. The night was enjoyable, and the weather was perfect for getting into that hot bathtub. But not only that, talking on an occasion like this reminded her of the times with her friend Mona...


    ''It''s just a shower, never mind!'' She convinced herself. "Do you promise you won''t try any provocation?"


    "Of course! I''m a man of my word."


    "OK." She then approached that place and took off her clothes that covered her beautiful body, leaving only her underwear. "Do not look!" Abby reminded him promptly.


    After that, she sat down beside where Minos was, still not fully entering the water. She was sitting on the edge of that tub while her feet were in the water, passing the heat of that place to her.


    ''Ahh, it''s truly nice to do this.'' She thought for a moment as she saw the back of Minos, who was right beside her.


    His back felt stiff like he was under stress or something. And seeing this, Abby couldn''t help but offer her help. "You look very stressed, Minos. Let me help you."


    "Oh? And how are you planning on doing this?" He asked with a smile on his face, still not turning to Abby''s side.


    "With my innate ability."

 Chapter 295: Remembering Academy Times

    Hearing Abby''s response, Minos turned his face slightly to her side, looking directly into her eyes. "You never told me about your innate ability before. How can it be useful in this situation?"


    Abby just smiled and then moved behind the young Stuart, sitting on the edge of that bathtub, with only her feet in the water. She then placed one of her hands on his left shoulder and said. "Pull your back and try not to move. You will know how I will help you."


    ''Oh? This is going to be interesting¡­'' Minos thought for a moment as he followed Abby''s words.


    He quickly inclined his back closer to Abby, bringing both of this young woman''s legs side by side with his arms. After that, he turned his neck back and looked directly into her face.


    From this perspective, Minos clearly could see Abby''s breasts, which were covered by a pink bra, which despite covering them perfectly, didn''t hide their good size. "You can start whenever you want." He said.


    Seeing Minos look at her, Abby blushed a little and then used her hands to lower his head, leaving his shoulders exposed to her. "I''ll start at the base of your neck. I''ll massage it for a while, and then you''ll start to feel a tingle."


    "OK."


    After that, Abby started doing a set of movements at the base of Minos'' neck, pressing it while her hands were covered in blue energy. It was as if a blue haze was forming in this young woman''s hands as she touched the man in front of her.


    At the same time, with this strange reaction happening in the hands of that young woman, Minos felt goosebumps all over his neck. The feeling was truly pleasurable, and it was slowly making him feel more relaxed.


    His bristles in that region were utterly standing up. His muscles were returning to their natural position while he felt his consciousness fluctuate slightly.


    But the massage Abby was getting was a little weird for Minos. She wasn''t pressing against his body. Instead, what Abby was doing was more like she was just running her fingers over the base of his neck.


    However, even though the gesture seemed simple, the reactions Minos felt were not. He could feel hot at times, cold at others. It appeared that Abby alternated these two sensations in a way that her ''patient'' wouldn''t get tired.


    She then began to speak in a low voice so that Minos could feel a little sleepy. "My innate ability is one of the support types. I can stimulate the physical senses of the people I touch using my hands."


    "I can stimulate your body to produce specific reactions, which may include relieving pain from a wound, making you feel cold or hot, or relaxing your muscles, as I am doing now." She said this next to his right ear, still giving him a fantastic massage.


    Meanwhile, Minos had already ''sprawled'' over Abby''s legs, as he deeply sighed as if he had been relieved of great weight. He was indeed stressed out by everything that had been going on.


    After all, he had to deal with the lives of thousands of people daily, having to worry about enemies, allies, administrative decisions, etc.


    The job of a sovereign was not easy and would certainly make people in such conditions feel pressured!


    "Huh, your skill is quite interesting, huh... I never thought you would have such a skill, Abby, hehe." He slowly said as he felt a pleasant tingle through his body.


    Hearing Minos'' flirtatious tone, Abby was not angry. Her skill could be beneficial in helping people, and not just the dirty things about her friend were thinking.


    "Hmph, if you weren''t full of perverted thoughts, you would see that my ability can help better people''s lives. Just so you know, my great-grandmother had the same ability as me, and she was very respected in our family because of that!"


    "She had worked in our headquarters'' infirmary, having treated many members and subordinates who suffered from physical afflictions." She said proudly.


    "Hmm, I understand. It looks like this skill has a lot of compatibility with medicine. Why didn''t you follow this specialization?" Minos asked doubtfully.


    In fact, it was not uncommon in the Spiritual World for someone to have an ability focused on a specific area and not keep learning techniques from that area. For example, Henricus Longus himself had been a warrior, even though he had an ability for divination, something typical of seers.


    Minos knew that God had chosen this path because his innate ability was already good enough for him not to need support techniques!


    So, he wanted to know if Abby felt the same way as that expert.


    "My skill doesn''t seem to increase proficiency in medicine. At least, that''s what my great-grandmother discovered. Because of that, I decided to follow a different path from hers. And you know I always liked the idea of ??being a warrior." She answered him as she ran her hands over Minos'' back.


    "Oh? Interesting, maybe we can use her ability differently in the future¡­" He commented vaguely, trying to think of the possibilities this would bring to Abby. However, the constant stimulation he was feeling soon made him put his more rational thoughts aside.


    It was tough to keep his attention on something like that while Abby made him feel so light. He even felt like her voice was trying to put him in that mood, making him feel sleepy and vulnerable.


    "Abby, your hand''s skills truly are heavenly, huh..."


    After that, the young woman finally got into that bathtub, staying behind Minos the entire time while extending her massage to his lower back.


    "Ahh, it reminds me of the Spiritual Academy''s days. Do you remember that time we visited a thermal font?" Minos asked her, feeling nostalgic.


    "Hmm, at that time, we were only 6... Do you still remember that?"


    "Yeah, I remember Neal trying to spy on Brooke while she was getting changed. Haha, even though at that time the four of us were just kids, that guy was already in love with her."


    Neal Ryan and Brooke Parkinson were two students at the Spiritual Academy from the same class as Minos and Abby. Both were quite close to these two who were together in the bathtub now and might even have been considered friends.


    Minos then smiled and said. "I''ll never forget the beating he took, hahaha."


    Hearing this, Abby couldn''t help but smile as she remembered that incident when they were still children. Back then, it had been a bizarre thing for her, but looking back now, she couldn''t help but see the fun in it.


    "At that time, she had spent two days sleeping with her eyes open, suspicious that Neal would try something." Abby commented softly, not forgetting to massage Minos'' back.


    "Do you know what happened to the two of them?" Minos asked as he looked back and saw Abby''s reddened face. He hadn''t heard from any of the people he knew at the time, except, of course, Abby.


    Anyway, Minos wasn''t a kid with many friends. In fact, only Abby could be considered someone he could have a relationship with after finishing the spiritual academy. So, despite being his friends, the others were just the kind of friends you only have at school.


    They were close and talked a lot in that place, but after they graduated, they would probably never see each other again...


    But that''s not to say that Minos didn''t remember them or that he wasn''t curious. So, he had brought it up to know a little more about what happened when he was unconscious.


    Finally, hearing Minos'' question, Abby had a solemn expression on her face as she forgot that the young Stuart was completely naked in front of her.


    "It''s a good thing you didn''t have contact with that Neal during the time passed. Otherwise, your womanizing personality would only have gotten worse." She said this with a hint of resentment in her voice.


    "What happened?"

 Chapter 296: The Big Picture

    "After we finished the spiritual academy time, Neal and Brooke remained close to each other, until when they became adults, at age 15, and the two get married."


    "She had fallen in love with him, and he was still fascinated by her, just like he was back then when we were still kids. But, of course, at age 15, he had a very different feeling from the innocent he had previously."


    "Hmm." Minos made a typical sound of someone who is following something with interest.


    Abby then continued. "Although I didn''t have many contacts with the two of them after we graduated, I later learned that everything had gone well in the beginning. The two seemed like a couple in love who would form a happy family in the future."


    "Oh? And what went wrong?"


    At this point, Abby grimaced with a disapproving look. "A little over two years ago, not long before you woke up, that guy became responsible for one of the most shameful moments for the Parkinson family."


    "At that time, all the great families in the kingdom discovered that the matriarch of the Parkinson family was having an affair with her daughter''s husband!"


    "Serious?"


    "Hmm, and to make matters worse, they not only got caught in the act by Brooke, but they ran away together, with that woman abandoning her family!" She finished speaking, remembering the time when that young woman had told her everything.


    Though Brooke had only been a friend from the spiritual academy days, she and Abby had still met on a few occasions and talked about this and other topics.


    And that was how the young woman in front of Minos had found out about the details of this matter.


    "Fuck! I never thought that guy who looked so silly for Brooke would end up doing something like that¡­" Minos said this as he shook his head from side to side in disappointment.


    Although he had already slept with a pair of mother and daughter, Minos didn''t have any serious relationships, just as those women weren''t committed to him either. In fact, he wasn''t someone who would try to seduce or bond with a married woman.


    As a result, Minos felt a particular disappointment in the path Neal had taken.


    "But Abby, do you know if this was something generated by him or by Brooke''s mother? I know it shouldn''t make a difference, but I''m curious about that."


    Abby, who had one of her hands massaged Minos'' shoulder at this point, looked into his eyes and said. "It looks like provoked it. You may not know it, but Brooke''s mother is extremely similar to her. The two even could pass as sisters if you didn''t know them."


    "Oh?"


    "Anyway, Brooke told me that after everything happened, she finally realized that since the beginning of their relationship, Neal has always looked at her mother-in-law differently." She then sighed in disappointment and said. "Looks like in the end he was just in love with Brooke''s looks. When he met her mother, it seems he ended up falling in love with her too..."


    "What a scoundrel!" Minos said as he ran his hands around Abby''s waist. "But that must have been more than just an embarrassment to the Parkinson family. Even though she was just the wife of the family patriarch, she was still a powerful member of that house."


    "Truth. She was at level 54 at the time. It was truly a big loss for that family." Abby agreed, nodding.


    The Parkinson family was a power-level in the Brown Kingdom, on the same level as the Gill family, which previously had relationships with the local Dry City''s spiritual academy.


    To give you an idea, the strongest person in the Parkinson family was Brooke''s father, the family''s patriarch. But he was only one level stronger than his wife.


    After a few moments thinking about it, Minos finally asked the most crucial point about all of this. "And after the two fled, was there any news of them? I doubt the patriarch would forget this subject."


    That is, losing a Spiritual King almost as strong as the family patriarch was demanding for any family in this region. Because of that, it could affect many local connections.


    Because of this, Minos was interested in finding out more about this subject.


    Upon hearing this question, Abby, who was almost entirely in Minos'' arms at this point, when she began to talk about what she knew. "Obviously, Brooke''s dad wasn''t happy at all. She didn''t tell me anything about it, as it was an embarrassment to the whole family, not just hers. But I heard that the patriarch David tried to find them, having traveled for several months in search of their tracks."


    "But in the end, after months, his anger had subsided enough for him to realize it was futile to continue. Besides being very strong, his wife was also intelligent. She already knew what would happen after she ran away with her son-in-law."


    "She wouldn''t take refuge in the Ryan family, a power weaker than her husband''s family." Abby commented as she recalled the terrible situation Neal''s family had gone through.


    They had lost three Spiritual Kings the day David invaded them in an attempt to punish the unfaithful wife he had...


    But, sadly for him, Celeste, Brooke''s mother, had already fled the Brown Kingdom, knowing she would no longer be safe here.


    "Interesting... All of this happened just before I woke up..." He muttered in a low voice, trying to get the big picture.


    There were about 20 noble families in the Brown Kingdom, ranging from the royal house to the weakest of these organizations.


    But now, he had discovered that two of those powers had lost significant strength not long ago. ''This is great for me. The weaker these families are, the better it will be for the Black Plain when there is a war of independence...''


    Minos, of course, was contemplating the possibility of these families following the royal house to defeat the Black Plain''s rebel forces in the future. That was a rule that had existed for tens of thousands of years in this kingdom, which ensured that the rulers of this state led the nobility.


    After all, the noble families were nothing more than vassals of the royal families!


    Kings could not govern all the territories they had, and because of that, there was a need to use their subordinates to administer those places for them. And by doing this for thousands of years, noble families were naturally formed, creating the current geopolitical context of this region.


    Over time, these organizations created by subordinates of the region''s royal families grew stronger and naturally, gaining more freedoms. However, even if they were no longer just subordinates but vassals, they still had to listen to royal orders.


    After all, the king could still be considered the strongest individual in terms of individual strength in the kingdom and collective power. Consequently, there was no other option but to obey the old customs...


    Anyway, Minos was a little pleased to hear that two possible enemies had lost Spiritual Kings recently. That meant that, at least in the short term, these two families would be weakened.


    And that was good news for Minos'' army!


    It wouldn''t hurt that the enemies of this organization were weakening, even on a small scale!


    On the other hand, the young Stuart''s army was getting stronger and stronger and would soon even have its first Spiritual King!


    Finally, while Minos had a slight smile on his face, Abby, who was still massaging him, looked at him with a twinkle in her eyes and asked. "Laughing at other people''s misfortunes? Don''t you think that''s rude?"


    "Haha. But what will you do? Are you going to teach me a lesson?" He teased her as he ran his clever hands over Abby''s seductive body.


    For a few minutes, the blue-haired girl had been sitting on Minos'' lap while she massaged him and talked about the past. Abby had noticed this, but she hadn''t bothered to change position. She felt that she could trust her friend and that he wouldn''t do anything out of bounds without her permission.


    She then stopped massaging his shoulders and played with him. "If you admit you are wrong, maybe I will reward you..."


    "Oh? Hehe, I like this..."

 Chapter 297: Dinner

    After some time in that bathtub, Minos and Abby had just exchanged a few kisses and ''pure caresses'' without a deeper intimacy.


    Minos'' young friend was gradually opening up to him. However, she still had a lot to improve until something more significant happened. Abby had a very different mentality among all the women with whom he had interacted. Because of that, she valued this kind of relationship much more than the others.


    However, as a young woman in her early adult life, Abby could not entirely ignore Minos'' advances. Her body made her feel more and more willing to interact with him, and she gradually felt more at ease mentally to enter the ''game.''


    Allied to this, the fact that Minos was a persistent ''player'' also contributed a lot to the gradual behavioral change that this young woman was exhibiting.


    Even though Abby had never been in love with Minos, the two were spending an increasing amount of time together, which created some sexual tension between them.  Obviously, he had wanted her long before. However, this feeling was new to her.


    Abby initially saw him with just a good friend, almost as close as she would be if she had a brother. However, as their relationship developed, she saw him less and less like a brother and more like a man...


    And slowly, she was starting to feel more attracted to the figure of Minos, wanting him in silence, to be kissed and touched by him.


    Finally, after finishing the pleasant time they had spent together, taking a bath under the stars of the Dry City''s sky, the two left that courtyard and went inside Minos'' residence.


    As they entered, Abby was still drying her blue hair with a towel when she noticed Minos dressed differently than he usually did before bed. "Don''t tell me you''re going to see another woman?" She asked with a chilling look.


    Hearing her question, Minos couldn''t help but inwardly chuckle as he turned to see Abby''s serious face. ''Ah, you are truly possessive. I believe that in the future, it will be challenging to convince you to do certain non-traditional activities¡­'' He thought for a moment.


    After that, Minos approached the girl who was still with her hair half wet, sitting on one of the sofas in the living room of his residence. "Currently, there aren''t any other women in this town with whom I''ve ever had intimate relationships. By the way, you''re also the only one I want in this place."


    She then looked him in the eye and let out an ''hmph'' sound. "And what are you going to do now? I usually don''t see you leaving at this time." She continued to question him while having one of her hands held by Minos.


    "If you want, come with me. I''m not going out. I have dinner with some of those people we rescued in the Cromwell Kingdom." Minos answered her patiently.


    He wasn''t a person who would be bothered with that kind of questioning. As long as it wasn''t a secret, something that couldn''t be told to just anyone, Minos wouldn''t mind answering those kinds of questions.


    Anyway, after hearing Minos'' explanation, Abby finally changed her attitude and felt a little more willing about this matter. "Oh? Are you talking about those three with Black talent? You invited them to the local army, right? Is it suitable for me to be on this occasion?"


    "Hmm, we won''t talk about any secrets. By the way, if I were to say something like that to them, you definitely could be there. After all, I know and trust you a lot more than them." He answered her while he had a gentle smile on his face.


    Despite being quite a possessive person, Abby knew very well how much she could or could not get involved in some issues. So, she didn''t even ask questions that certainly weren''t going to be answered.


    Having a secret or two wasn''t uncommon in a cultivator''s life, and Abby understood that all too well. If Minos wanted to tell her some secret, as she had explained to him about her innate ability, then he would do it without the need for pressure.


    With that, Abby didn''t put herself in a meddlesome position, trying to get involved in every single one of Minos'' affairs. Just because the two of them had this prior relationship of friends, that didn''t give her any right to go overboard and get involved in what she shouldn''t.


    And for that very reason, since she had come to the Dry City, Abby rarely went to Minos'' office or attended official government events. Instead, she usually had her time with him at times like the one before, when the young Stuart was free from commitments, and the two of them could talk alone without hurry.


    Minos then ended his speech by explaining what this commitment was. "It''s just a dinner for us to get to know a little better. They have the potential to gain importance in my organization, so it''s good that I get to know them a little more."


    "So, that is it..." She then got up from that place and started to walk to another room, as she said. "Well, if that''s the case, I''m going to change so we can go to this dinner."


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the waiting room of Minos'' residence, three people had already arrived at that place. They were seated, waiting for the appearance of the host.


    The place wasn''t extravagant, but there was already a good-quality decor ensemble, no less than good hotels in the north of the Central Continent.


    The wooden furniture was strategically positioned in that place, where two padded benches were in the middle of that area, facing ''back'' to each other.


    There were various decorations in front of each of these benches, such as some low-level spiritual paintings and decorative plants. Other than that, the environment was illuminated by small arrays, which generated yellowish beams of light in an intensity that was pleasant to the eye.


    Finally, the three people were sitting on those benches while talking in a low tone.


    Each of them was dressed formally, and their appearance was much better than they had been in slavery. The man wore a well-designed suit, while the two women wore different dresses that matched their respective personalities.


    Joey looked much healthier than before, with a typical blush on his aging face, while his gray hair and beard seemed just fine. The difference was as if his previous one was a savage who never saw civilization and a nobleman, fond of caring for his appearance.


    On the other hand, Robin and Barbara looked much nicer to look at than before, without the fearful look in their eyes.


    The first looked like a young lady, wearing an outfit that demonstrated her tiny body had its qualities, exposing a distinct kind of beauty. Even if the ''larger sizes'' were more successful in the Spiritual World, Robin would not be overlooked even by the most appreciative of these natural qualities.


    As for Barbara, she was gorgeous right now. As much as she dressed discreetly, without exposing too much of her natural gifts, it was complicated to hide what she had... In fact, with the proportions of this woman, of the women Minos knew, only Mia and Mirya could be compared with this former captive''s measurements.


    Anyway, the three were talking in low voices at that moment when finally one of the housekeepers from Minos'' residence came to that place.


    This person wore a women''s suit, black in color, with a symbol of a golden tree on one breast.


    "Ladies, sir, the young master is already waiting for you. Please follow me." She said politely.


    After that, the group promptly followed that woman to the dining room of Minos'' residence, where the young Stuart and Abby were already waiting for them.


    There was a table big enough to seat 20 people in that place, with high-quality parts and well-designed chairs. In addition, the table was full of different dishes, very colorful, and that gave off a mouth-watering fragrance for these three.


    Finally, Minos greeted them with a smile on his face, welcoming them to this dinner.


    "Please, have a seat."

 Chapter 298: Knowing Robins Past

    Hearing Minos'' words, it wasn''t long before the three people sat down on chairs at that table, close to where the young sovereign and Abby were.


    Minos and Abby were seated side by side, opposite the three guests at this dinner. Other than that, they were both dressed nobly and formally but without being too flashy.


    And such a thing was expected. Minos had always been a discreet person, as was Abby too. But, of course, with the beauty of this young woman, she would draw attention wherever she went, no matter what set of clothes she was wearing.


    However, Abby was not the type of woman who would wear very tight or small clothes that would enhance her feminine gifts. Instead, she dressed very well but demurely.


    Anyway, after introducing themselves to each other, soon the group of five people started to eat. At the same time, they got to know each other gradually.


    And even though Abby wasn''t originally part of this meeting, she actively participated in the conversations. Minos had already told her that this didn''t involve official business and that it was just a conversation to get to know each other, so she hadn''t held back her curiosity to ask questions.


    Of these three people, two came from the distant Kingdom of the End, and one came from the famous Stone Island. And precisely because of that, Abby, a young noblewoman who had never been to these places, was asking a lot of questions about their past in those states.


    "So, you are from Stone Island. I went there only once recently, but I didn''t have time to get to know that place in detail." Minos commented as he looked towards Robin.


    After that, Abby looked at that young blonde and asked. "Robin, were you part of any noble family on Stone Island?"


    Finally, as the other two people ate and drank, looking at her and Minos and Abby, Robin began to respond. "No, I''m not. My family cannot be considered a noble house in that state. However, it is also not subordinate to any power in that place."


    "About 500 years ago, my grandfather managed to find a Black-grade technique in an excavation on land he had purchased, and which happened to be focused on cultivation. With this, as the family already had a business that yielded a good amount of crystals and with this technique, we never tried to join forces in that region." She finished her explanation while looking carefully at Minos and Abby.


    She didn''t know the relationship between these two, but she would answer anything Abby asked for now. Maybe this was their savior''s wife?


    Robin and the other two thought this way...


    As for the reality of Robin''s family, this was to be expected. In the north of the Central Continent, most of the people who subordinated themselves to the noble family were individuals who needed to do this.


    That could be because of guaranteed wages, which were generally better than in activities not related to these powers. It could also be related to better quality spiritual techniques since few Blue-grade techniques are available for the standard population to buy and almost none Black-grade.


    However, if an individual already had these two conditions, had a well-paid job, and at least a decent cultivation technique, then few would be willing to give up their freedoms. And this was just the case with the family in which Robin was born.


    They weren''t wealthy like some prominent noble families, but they were doing pretty well financially. So much, so that Robin had gone out to travel in the north of the Central Continent...


    And due to the Black-grade cultivation technique that Robin''s grandfather had found, most of her relatives made it to the 5th stage of cultivation with relative ease.


    But that was not all. Most of these young woman''s relatives were not warriors and just cultivated to live longer. Their activities did not involve the use of spiritual techniques. Therefore, they did not have to worry about getting other better techniques.


    Anyway, because of all that, there was no need for them to subordinate themselves to the noble family of Stone Island.


    "Oh? That''s nice. But tell me, what is the activity that your family practices on Stone Island?" Minos asked, interested in this young woman''s past.


    It was perfect for him that his subordinates had nothing to do with noble families. That''s because, that way, Minos wouldn''t have to worry about disputes or the possibility of being bothered by influential organizations.


    But not only that, if these people''s families were not subordinate to noble families, it would also be easier for you to bring them to the Black Plain!


    And hearing this, Robin put on a proud expression and then said. "Our family is in the shipbuilding business!"


    ''Hmm, that''s good. There are no shipbuilding companies in today''s Black Plain...'' Minos thought for a moment, already planning what could be done with this family of Robin. But he didn''t want to talk about it with her right now.


    Robin had just arrived in the Dry City, and this was all very new to her. Nevertheless, considering her past, coming from a power free from relations between subordinates and bosses, it would not be suitable to push her back.


    Minos intended to let her get used to this place and decide for herself to bring her family here. After all, the present-day Black Plain was attractive enough that she could see the opportunities her family would have in this place.


    As much as they weren''t greedy people looking to grow at any cost, Robin''s family wouldn''t be stupid enough to waste a chance to get better!


    Anyway, upon hearing her answer, Abby soon continued her questions in an attempt to find out more about Stone Island. "I learned that the naval industry is powerful in Stone Island. So, your family must face a lot of competition, no?"


    "Yes, this is truly a very developed area on Stone Island. According to my father, the naval industry is the second most profitable activity in that state!"


    In fact, that state had the best naval industry in the north of the Central Continent, so they exported their products to the entire region of Minos.


    Only the profession of blacksmiths could surpass them, as this was the main economic activity in that state.


    Because of this reality, some noble families from Stone Island were involved in this activity, generating great competition there. Of course, none of them focused exclusively on this sector, but most of them had been doing this for a long time and could be considered high level.


    In fact, it was said that ships produced on Stone Island by noble families could be considered as good as those found in second-tier empires such as the Flaming Empire.


    "In the region where my family lives, our biggest competitor is the Hersey family. However, even though they are a medium power noble house in our state, my family still managed to thrive in that region!" Robin completed proudly.


    "Oh?" Abby exclaimed in surprise. She might never have been to Stone Island, but she knew very well the names of the noble families of that place and their respective peculiarities. After all, she, a noblewoman of the powerful Miller family, a merchant power, couldn''t help but learn about these details.


    "Then your family must be competent. Despite being a medium-sized power, I hear that the Hersey family can still be considered one of the eight oldest families on Stone Island. And they''ve always been involved with the marine industry¡­" Abby commented in awe.


    Stone Island had 17 noble families in total, 3 of which could be considered high level, on the same level as the Silva and Miller families. Other than that, the royal family of that place was quite powerful, not being weaker than the other royal houses in the north of the Central Continent.


    Of these three, one was the Nash family of the young Minos ally. Another was the latter''s biggest competitor, the Allen family. Thus, what remained was a military force from that region, very close to the royal family of that state.


    ''Looks like the cultivation technique your grandfather found must have been very important to this factor¡­'' Minos thought to himself as he thought back to Robin''s family''s past.


    In non-spiritual specialties, what mattered, in the end, was the level of the workers and the knowledge related to the activity. With this, a family with members who could cultivate faster and lives longer would undoubtedly have a more significant development than other powers.


    Living longer, they could preserve the best builders, pass on and develop knowledge more efficiently. Finally, there would be an improvement in the quality of the products they produced!

 Chapter 299: Knowing Joeys Past

    After some time talking about Stone Island and Robin''s origins, Abby and Minos had gotten to know a little better about this young woman and also about that state.


    At the end of the day, this young woman''s past was quite common, and there shouldn''t be any problems related to it.


    She came from a decent family, which did not get involved in major regional problems and would generally have no action in the lives of its members.


    In fact, it was genuinely unlucky for Robin what had happened earlier. If compared to Barbara, this young woman from Stone Island had every reason not to experience the terror of slavery.


    She wasn''t a high-level warrior, didn''t come from a belligerent, oppressive power, didn''t even have enemies. However, fate had made this young woman face the unexpected and live the reality of slavery.


    As for Barbara, well, no one deserves to go through what she went through, but the fate of slavery was something that was within her means. After all, she was a subordinate of a noble family who fell to their enemies...


    In this case, one couldn''t say that what happened to her was unexpected or a negative twist of fate.


    Anyway, Minos was delighted with what he had heard from Robin. From his point of view, there were many possibilities for this young woman and her family on the Black Plain!


    As for Abby, even though she was helping Minos on this date, she was doing it more out of pure curiosity. Because of that, she was pleased to meet different people from places she had never been.


    And as they ate and drank, after finishing talking about Robin''s origins, Minos and Abby finally turned their attention to Joey.


    This old man looked very friendly, like the familiar figure of an old man, with a white beard and hair. In fact, except for this guy''s height, everything else about him reminded them of some of the old professors from the days of the spiritual academy.


    Finally, Minos curiously asked Joey as he enjoyed the delicacies that were served there. "Mr. Joey, I''m curious. Despite having a Black talent, you never seem to have joined noble families, nor any significant power. So, why did you choose this path?"


    And when he finished speaking, everyone else in the room, not just Minos, was already intently looking at Joey, with curiosity sparkles in their eyes.


    The two women who had accompanied him to this town had never asked Joey about such matters. Of course, each cultivator would have their own story, but they didn''t have the intimacy to ask that kind of question.


    However, even though they hadn''t asked him anything, they both still had that same question asked by Minos in their minds. After all, why hadn''t this guy joined any organization?


    And it wasn''t as if there weren''t lesser powers in the north of the Central Continent, where individual liberties wouldn''t be so restricted. However, they all knew that this old man had not even joined these powers.


    That, of course, was related to Joey''s cultivation level and his age.


    Considering just these factors, everyone there knew that Joey had probably never cultivated a Black-grade technique.


    Hell, his cultivation had been so slow that none of them would have thought it strange to discover that he had actually cultivated a White-grade technique!


    But not only that. Considering that Joey was over 400-years-old and still at level 42, this meant that he not only lacked good cultivation technique, he also lacked resources!


    So, these four people knew that he could not have been a member of any organization. Otherwise, he would undoubtedly have a much higher level!


    And finally, Joey started talking right after heaved a long sigh. "Hah¡­ That goes back a few centuries ago when I was still a young man, at your age. In fact, even when I found out I had a Black talent, I never thought of becoming a subordinate of considerable regional power."


    The old man then began to tell his story, slowly and in a hoarse voice, as if he were a grandpa telling his grandchildren a story.


    "But I hadn''t done it because of arrogance or something. I never really thought that I would become stronger going my way without getting involved with these powers. I knew this would probably just slow me down."


    "However, I went down that path because I truly didn''t want to live fighting, battling for my own life or resources. I wanted to live in peace, away from worldly conflicts."


    "If I had had the life of a peasant, I would have been satisfied..." He said, remembering his past, with slightly reddened eyes.


    "But after many years, after I met a lord in the Kingdom of the End, I finally realized what had made me think in this peaceful way. At the time when I had chosen this path, I wanted to stay away from the affairs of the big families, but I didn''t understand why."


    "That had always been an open question for me. It was as if I was making decisions because of events that had never occurred..."


    Meanwhile, the four people listened intently to Joey''s story as they began to think about the possibilities.


    It was tough for them not to imagine anything, listening to what he was saying so far...


    ''From what he''s saying, it seems that somehow, he must have gone through a traumatic situation as a young man¡­'' Abby thought to herself.


    As for Minos, he also had thoughts along the same lines as Abby''s. ''Did he have his memories altered?''


    At the same time, Robin and Barbara also had their theories and were eager to hear the whole story.


    ''Who will be this person he met in the Kingdom of the End?''


    ''Ah, he must have been through something unfortunate...''


    And meanwhile, Joey continued his story. "But finally, that specialist helped me to remember a forgotten part of my past."


    "From what he had told me, someone had used a far-reaching spiritual technique, focused on mental activity, to seal part of my memories. Cough, Cough." He stopped for a moment and then continued. "Ehh, rather, someone had used it on the people in the town I was born."


    And hearing such a statement, Abby couldn''t help but exclaim in doubt. "All over your city? Why would anyone do such a thing? How did this lord know this? By..."


    However, while Abby was talking, Minos took one of her hands and asked her to calm down. "Let''s keep listening to his story."


    "Eh, I''m sorry, I have exalted me¡­" She apologized shyly.


    "Cough, ehh, no problem, Ms. Abby. That comment was bizarre, and I had questioned such a thing when I heard from that expert who helped me."


    "But according to him, at that time when I was just a child, when I hadn''t even started to cultivate, he discovered something. As he passed in the vicinity of my city, he had felt a strong technique being released, close to the city where I lived."


    "According to him, that had made him faint, even though he was a few dozen kilometers away and even though he had a powerful soul." He said, remembering the strength of that man.


    Even without spiritual cultivation, that individual still had physical power as robust as a peak Spiritual King! That had been by far the strongest individual Joey had ever seen in his life.


    And for this, he respected that man even more!


    "After that event, he said that he searched our city for many years, but he couldn''t find anything. It was as if the city had disappeared overnight..."


    "He had made the mission of finding my city his life goal and had been looking for us for decades. He had encountered similar situations before, strange stories from other parts of the region, and that had convinced him to keep looking."


    "But finally, when I was around 50-years-old, he coincidentally found me and helped me break the effects of the seal that was hiding certain facts from my past."


    "That day, I discovered the truth about my story!"

 Chapter 300: The Mysterious Marine People

    When Joey reached this point in his story, the four people around him had stopped eating and were entirely focused on him.


    "I found that when I was still a child, my entire city had been attacked by a powerful enemy. However, he had not killed us but kidnapped us and taken us elsewhere."


    "I remember that place was extraordinary. There were structures that I had never seen in my life. Even after all these years, I''ve lived, I haven''t found anything like that. Other than that, the beings that interacted with us were all very different."


    "I honestly can''t think of what species those individuals were, but they had some similarities to some beings from the sea races. However, unlike having massive bodies, like marine spiritual beasts, they had shapes more similar to ours."


    "Arms, legs, hands, etc., other characteristics present in humans, were all there. However, they had bluish skin, large, completely black eyes, and what looked like gills at the height of what should have been a nose."


    Upon hearing this, the four people had surprised reactions, with their pupils completely contracted and their mouths slightly open.


    And while the three women found Joey''s story very interesting, Minos was already starting to think about the possibilities behind these beings. ''Are they related to the marine people?'' He wondered as he analyzed what he knew on the subject.


    The marine people were a race from the Spiritual World, who lived in the underwater regions, having many similarities with humans.


    That is, while sea beasts were only a subclassification for spiritual beasts, as several peculiarities brought them closer to land beasts, something different happened to marine people.


    Despite being similar to sea beasts in many ways, these beings had many characteristics present only in humans!


    And because of that, they had their own species classification within the Spiritual World, distinguishing themselves from sea beasts and humans.


    However, Minos only found it strange that some of the characteristics Joey cited were not present in the marine peoples Henricus Longus had known. ''Do races exist within the species of marine peoples?''


    Anyway, he soon put that thought aside and returned to pay attention to the elderly figure who was telling that story.


    "At the time when my countryman and I were kidnapped, we went through different types of experiences with those beings, as if we were guinea pigs in human tests. I remember some of us being used as ''samples'' in dissections, participating in battles, for those who already cultivated, and cultivating strange techniques."


    "In fact, I remember that most of my countrymen who were already start cultivation at that time died from the strange effects or disappeared without saying goodbye."


    "Strange effects?" Minos asked curiously.


    "Yes, for example, I remember two cases that happened with acquaintances of mine. In one case, that person had turned into a strange creature with disproportionately sized limbs. In another, that person had evaporated while cultivating." He honestly said while sighing inwardly.


    Seeing it in his childhood had tormented then-young Joey. ''No wonder I was so afraid of cultivating powerful techniques in the past¡­'' He thought inwardly, recalling the painful situation he''d seen back then.


    It was not easy to see a person die evaporating!


    Anyway, even if he didn''t remember what had happened when he started to cultivate, he had already been affected to the point of developing a fearful personality. Hence the desire to follow a quiet life without even caring about the possibility of living longer.


    And all that had only changed after decades of discovering what had happened. So, even though he found it more than 300-years-ago, it still took him a long time to ''digest'' it.


    It was not simple to overcome a trauma!


    And in the end, after he overcame that, he was already old, at a low level, that is, in an unattractive condition for him to join noble organizations in the region. But that wasn''t all. Joey had also gotten used to the idea of ??living in peace, even after overcoming the trauma.


    "Our! But what a horrible thing!" Abby commented in a low voice. She knew there were sacrificial techniques, which could leave significant damage behind. Still, this young woman didn''t know anything like what Joey had described.


    At the same time, the other three people who were listening to the story were also impressed by this.


    And finally, Joey kept talking. "The experiments that adults underwent were truly horrendous. To give you an idea, when we were released, only the children who still couldn''t cultivate at that time had survived¡­" He paused for a moment and then corrected. "I mean, I didn''t see any of the adults in my town with us. Many had died and left their bodies behind, but others we never knew of their fate."


    "Cough, eh, as for the kids, counting me, we just go through a lot of activities, like attending classes, looking at certain artifacts, using certain items."


    "It was nothing as drastic as it used to be with adults."


    "However, after much reflection on what happened to us, I realized that these practices were aimed at evaluating our abilities, determining whether we were capable of cultivating before the age of ten, and so forth.  They also forced us to see certain things, which seemed to be made to convince us to worship them, or something."


    Hearing this, Barbara decided to say something for the first time. "I heard that some religions in ancient times were brainwashing children."


    "Hm, I also thought about that after pondering those events. Maybe they were trying to indoctrinate us with their religion." Joey said as he nodded his head in agreement to Barbara.


    "Anyway, I''m not sure how long we stayed in that place, but it certainly didn''t reach one year. After that time, almost all the children who had in my old city were released, in another city in the Kingdom of the End, one different from ours." He then paused a moment longer as he remembered those events.


    Joey was an orphan at the time, but he had been raised by an old friend of his parents, a neighbor of theirs. However, he never knew her fate. ''She must have died back then¡­'' He thought about it for a second.


    After a moment of silence, Abby questioned him. "And what happened after that?"


    "Me and the other kids, we had lost all our memories of what had happened. But not only that, but they had also put us under the effect of a technique that made us believe in forged memories, which filled the void left."


    "With this, we were welcomed as war orphans in that city, which we believed was ours. At that time, there had been a massive battle in that place, and so it was not difficult for this farce not to generate questions."


    "Neither those who welcomed us doubted our origins, nor did we even think about this possibility." He finished telling his story while having a complex look on his face.


    From then on, everything had happened as if none of that event had occurred. Joey didn''t remember his old city, the people, nothing. He genuinely believed that he was a victim of war and that he had always lived in the place that he and the other children were left behind...


    "I see..." Minos muttered in a low voice as he considered Joey''s story. ''It seems that this old man has gone through many things... It''s amazing that he hasn''t broken up after finding out about all this. I can''t imagine how terrible these memories are...''


    Meanwhile, Abby and the other two women spoke again, commenting on the matter.


    "This must have been hard for you, Joey. These marine creatures are truly too audacious to attack a human city and do all these things to you!" Robin complained unhappily.


    "Truth!" Abby nodded when she looked at the old man in front of her and asked. "Do you still have contact with these other people who were with you?"


    Joey then shook his head, indicating no. "No, in fact, most of them have already died. I was the only one who had a Black talent. Because of that, even with my poor quality cultivation technique, I was still able to reach a higher level than them."


    "For this reason, most of them died even before reaching the 5th stage of cultivation. Even if most had reached the 4th stage and had 450 years of life expectancy, diseases and conflicts always appear in our lives..."

 Chapter 301: Knowing Barbaras Past 1

    Anyway, after talking for a while more about Joey''s past, the group finally learned a little more about this old figure.


    He had gone through hard times early in his life, and after that, he spent most of his years traveling across the northern part of the Central Continent. Finally, several months ago, he had been a victim of Del''s former group, kidnapped in the Kingdom of the End.


    After they finished talking about Joey, the group of five people had already eaten dinner. At this point, a couple of housekeepers were serving desserts to the guests.


    This dessert was being served in special, transparent cups from which they could all see the dessert contained there.


    It contained three layers: the bottom being a light yellow, made of sweet paste, the second a deep yellow, with several pineapple pieces, and a white layer of cream. There were also some edible ornaments on top of the dessert, which embellished it.


    "Ah! Pineapple delight, my favorite dessert!" Abby commented in a low voice as she looked at Minos sideways. ''Looks like you haven''t forgotten...'' She thought for a moment.


    However, as his friend tasted dessert and watched him in the corner, Minos thought of something completely different. At this point, he had already heard the stories of Robin and Joey, and all that remained was to hear Barbara''s past.


    So far, what he''d heard hadn''t been all that problematic, as the threat of what had happened to Joey seemed to be far away from them. And the young Robin, on the other hand, had nothing but to contribute to the Black Plain.


    Anyway, he had already heard a little of each one before this meeting. He knew because of Peter that Barbara was by far the most complicated of all. And because of that, he was even more curious to hear her story in more detail than the little that the Sergeant had told him.


    He then looked at her and started to speak. "Barbara, I heard a little bit about you from Peter, but I still have a lot of curiosities. Therefore, I would like to know a little more about your origins in the Kingdom of the End."


    After he said this, Barbara, who had a spoon in her mouth at this very moment, watched him for a moment and then began to speak, still tasting the dessert from time to time. "Well, for starters, originally I was like Peter, an ordinary person who was born with Black talent into a humble family."


    "Because of that, like most people in my condition, I joined a noble family as soon as I turned 10 and started cultivating."


    "Which power were you a part of?" Abby asked.


    Hearing this, Barbara looked at Minos'' friend and promptly replied. "I was a subordinate of the Schmidt family, a noble house in the Kingdom of the End."


    The Schmidt family used to be a medium-sized organization in that state, having been one of 19 noble families there.


    "Oh? Schmidt family, huh... I heard that the strength of this family was not small and that they weren''t involved in war matters." Abby commented for a moment, remembering the information about this family. "Excuse my rudeness, but as an organization like that, how did it get to the point of being destroyed in a war between families?" Then, she got right to the point.


    The Kingdom of the End was not a peaceful place, as it would be anywhere in the Spiritual World. There would always be dangers anywhere in the cultivation world.


    However, this state had always been somewhat different from the others in the region. For example, slavery was not allowed in that place, which already demonstrated that the royal family was not wholly negligent...


    There was also the great importance of the financial system in that place since the biggest banks in this region came from that state. And precisely because of this fact, the Kingdom of the End had fewer military powers than any other in this region!


    In places like the Brown Kingdom, or the Cromwell Kingdom, the strongest powers were always mainly involved in military affairs. The same was true for most other states in the region.


    After all, whoever had the ''greatest hand'' in the Spiritual World could rule!


    And as a result, this reality had taken root in the majority of the Minos region. However, due to the Kingdom of the End''s proximity to the North Sea and the Elves Island, the number of medium-grade crystal mines in that state was not insignificant!


    So, naturally, the families there had concentrated on the financial affairs of the region, with several families owning banks where people could exchange crystals of different degrees.


    With that, this had removed them from a militaristic state, focused on confrontations and expansions, where usually the strongest would be the families of warriors!


    But obviously, that didn''t mean they didn''t have the strength!


    If that were the case, then they would have long since been wiped out and would have lost their territories to invaders.


    But in addition to these banking families being powerful, given their financial capabilities, the royal family of that state could be considered the strongest in the entire northern region of the Central Continent!


    The Carline family!


    Such was the power of this family that there was a famous saying that even a level 60, Spiritual Emperor, would not have the courage to challenge them!


    Finally, because of all this, the Kingdom of the End was considerably more stable than the rest of the states in the region. That''s why Abby was curious.


    She, or rather the Miller family, had not discovered the exact reasons for the downfall of Barbara''s family, and this intrigued them. Why would a non-war power, an important regional bank owner, be destroyed in such a short time?


    Just to give you an idea, until about a year ago, the Schmidt family was untouched, doing as well as it usually would be. However, in just the interval that had passed, that power had been destroyed, having all its important members killed during the battles.


    Other than these, all the powerful subordinates had been killed, and as far as was known to the public, only a few weaker ones were sold to bandits and pirate groups.


    In that place, slavery was not allowed, so that was the only way for the power that destroyed them to profit even more...


    As for the possibility of survivors from that family, well, that didn''t matter. Even if a nobleman had survived and was talented enough, given the current situation, any vengeance could take thousands of years and would be unlikely to succeed.


    After all, a power that had lost all its specialists, resources, techniques, bases, allies would be like any other typical organization, at the lowest levels. Returning to previous heights might be impossible, as those who had destroyed them would continue to grow stronger!


    In any case, the Schmidt family had met its end, all of a sudden, and few knew the truth of what had happened.


    And at this point, the other four people eating the dessert made were looking at her expectantly. Old Joey had already calmed his emotions for remembering his past and now wanted to know a little more about this young woman beside him.


    They had spent several months on Del''s group ship, but he still didn''t exactly know what had happened to her. After all, they weren''t exactly best friends, so they only knew the basics of each other.


    As for Robin, although this kind of knowledge is good for deepening relationships, she wanted to know more about it because of her own curiosity. Just like in the case of Abby...


    And finally, Minos would be a leader of this region in the future, so he already worried about finding out about matters like this whenever he could!


    Barbara then sighed in defeat and then began to explain what had happened to the Schmidt family.  "It all started about a year and a half ago when one of our family groups found a ship stranded on the northern coast of the kingdom..."

 Chapter 302: Knowing Barbaras Past 2

    "At that time, the then young master of the Schmidt family had found a ship aground on the north coast of the Kingdom of the End."


    "In fact, the late young master had witnessed the moment when the ship had run aground off the coast of that place while a battle was taking place near him."


    "With the report distributed by the headquarters, I discovered that the young master had seen a battle of several Spiritual Kings and beasts that he had never seen before. But not only were those beasts unique, but they were also powerful, and there were even several in the 6th stage of cultivation!" Barbara said while she had a melancholy look on her face.


    After the young master of the Schmidt family had reported on that event, a group had been dispatched from the headquarters to bring the surviving beasts into their territories.


    And Barbara was in that group!


    Because of this, she felt even worse for all that had happened to the power that had nurtured her.


    In the action that resulted at the end of that family, Barbara had actively acted...


    Obviously, she wasn''t to blame for what had happened. After all, she was just following orders. However, for someone like her, feeling guilty didn''t feel wrong. They had made a crucial mistake, and she had corroborated it!


    As he listened to this, Minos avoided showing his surprise to everyone there. ''Was this the ship Emlyn had been brought to the Central Continent? By the time Barbara said this happened, this event had taken place at about the same time as Kyla''s mother''s escape...''


    She then continued to speak. "After the young master watched that battle for a while, he had immediately reported everything he had discovered to the family. After that, it wasn''t long before we were sent out to find those beasts."


    "From what was passed on to us, the family intended to give refuge to those spiritual beasts that survived. As a mid-sized power, the Schmidt family has always been on the lookout for possibilities to increase our numbers, and this seemed like a great chance for us."


    "And even though the stronger beasts had died during the previous fight that had taken place, some of the weaker ones had managed to flee. Anyway, when we looked for them, it was not difficult to track down most of them, as some were wounded from the fight. And, at the same time, they didn''t know the territory they were in."


    "It was at this point that we made the mistake that later led to the destruction of the Schmidt family!" Barbara said with tears in her eyes as she remembered some scenes she had witnessed.


    Meanwhile, the four people around her were paying close attention to her, at this moment, when she finally continued, after pausing for a moment. "Eventually, we were able to gather 13 beasts from the 5th stage of cultivation, mostly from different races."


    "Everything was fine with us. After all, the elders had managed to make a deal with those beasts for their cooperation. In exchange for momentary protection, at least until they reached the 6th stage of cultivation, those beasts had agreed to work for the family for a thousand years!"


    "Many of them were on the verge of death when they were saved, and that''s why it wasn''t so difficult for us to reach this agreement." She said in a deep voice.


    But that was just what Barbara and the members of that family thought. As high-potential spiritual beasts, all those specimens that had been refugees by the Schmidt family could live much longer than just a thousand years. Some could even live as long as human Gods if they reached their full potential!


    So, in exchange for help at a crucial time, those beasts wouldn''t mind helping the Schmidt family for just a thousand years.


    "The family was in a party mood. After all, this was an agreement that in less than a century could result in several spiritual beasts from the 6th stage of cultivation! With that alone, we could elevate our position in the kingdom and become a first-rate family!"


    "Even getting higher-level territory in the Kingdom of the End would not be beyond our means."


    And upon hearing that, Abby nodded her head in agreement, sensing that the Schmidt family had just made the obvious under the circumstances. This friend of Minos understood perfectly this action narrated by Barbara. After all, even though the power behind her was already one of the strongest in the Brown Kingdom, her own family was still trying to improve.


    And this could be seen in the dispute that had taken place about eight years ago when King Brown had made the Red Valley available shortly after Albert''s death.


    The Millers had naturally joined the Silva family and tried to get that region left by the Red family.


    Finally, influential organizations continued to seek more and more powers, especially those that had not yet reached the top echelon of regional power.


    ''The more you have, the more you want.'' That was a true maxim for the attitude of noble families towards power!


    ''If that was the cause of the Schmidt family''s downfall, then they truly had a lot of bad luck. Any other power in the region would try to do the same, even my family!'' So, Abby thought to herself as she felt a slight chill down her spine.


    Based on what she knew about her own family, Abby had no doubt that the power she belonged to could have fallen in the Schmidt family''s place if it had known about such a situation!


    ''Ahh, sometimes being ignorant is a blessing in disguise...'' She thought as she watched the woman in front of her, who at the moment had reddened eyes and continued to tell her story.


    "After a few weeks with those beasts at our headquarters, we were finally tracked down by the human survivors of that battle that the young master had witnessed. At that time, three Spiritual Kings had come to demand that we deliver the surviving beasts to them. Otherwise, we would be destroyed."


    And obviously, the Schmidt family hadn''t caved into the ''absurd'' demands of those three pirates. After all, as powerful as they were, with two at level 54 and one at level 55, that was still something that our family could handle!


    The organization that Barbara came from had 17 Spiritual Kings, 5 of which were already above the level of those people. Because of that, they had refused without giving it much thought.


    That was indeed an extraordinary force for mere pirates. Still, it was far to make a mid-sized noble power fear them!


    Not only that, but as pirates, those individuals received no support from any of the regional noble families and were simply ''autonomous.'' With this, without a background that the Schmidt family recognized or feared supporting those individuals, there was no room for negotiation!


    "Obviously, the elders expelled those three from our headquarters, telling them never to return to our territory. And in the short term, that seemed to have worked. We weren''t bothered with this matter for several months, and the threat of those three pirates had even been forgotten."


    She then stopped for a moment, letting out a deep sigh of regret, and then continued. "But that was just the calm before the storm. In the months when we thought the problem had been overcome, those three individuals were going behind the scenes, manipulating other competing powers of the Schmidt family."


    That hadn''t been hard to do. After all, there were several families the size of House Schmidt in the Kingdom of the End, and many of them would be delighted to reap the benefits of that power''s demise.


    These organizations were already competitors and disputed each territory and resource that appeared. With this, when they saw that they had the chance to eliminate the Schmidts, due to the help of the three pirates, some families in that place had started to plot against the power behind Barbara!


    "Anyway, when we found out about it, it was too late. We were decisively attacked by three noble families from the Kingdom of the End and those three pirates from before. After the first battle took place, within a short time, all the specialists in our family had been killed, and the survivors had started to flee."


    "And that was my case. While I was fleeing with a group of survivors, we were surrounded by members of the Hargraves family. They slaughtered our group''s nobles and sold the subordinates to pirate groups, like the one I was sold to." She finished speaking while using a handkerchief to wipe some of the tears from her face.

 Chapter 303: Joining the Army!

    After Barbara finished speaking, the four people around her were silent, with their different thoughts.


    All of them had already finished eating their respective desserts that had been served before. At this point, one of the employees of Minos'' residence was already removing all the empty utensils from that table. At the same time, sighing sounds sounded around there.


    ''Ah, so this is Barbara''s story¡­'' Joey lamented internally. Even though his past had been pretty tough, that didn''t stop him from feeling sorry about other people''s sad stories!


    On the other hand, Abby felt like her eyes were finally open. As a young noblewoman of the Miller family, she had never thought of this organization in a vulnerable way.


    It wasn''t like she thought that power would be invincible, but she felt pretty confident of her family''s strength. However, hearing how the Schmidt family had met its end, this young friend of Minos could not help but rethink her way of acting.


    ''There is always a power greater than yours... That surely seems to be the truth.'' She thought inwardly, feeling a little sorry for what had happened to that family of bankers.


    As for the remaining two, Robin was impressed by how unstable the status of a large family could be, and Minos thought of this organization that had already appeared in front of him more than once.


    ''First, there was the situation with Emlyn, then the group that kidnapped Peter, and now this¡­'' He pondered blankly. ''The first situation was just a coincidence. They wouldn''t have come here if a storm in the North Sea hadn''t thrown them to the Kingdom of the End. This situation with the Schmidt family was the consequence of the first situation...''


    ''But why would this group, Blood Triangle Pirates, finance a group like the one that kidnapped Peter? Such a thing is bizarre...''


    Anyway, it didn''t take long, and Minos put those thoughts aside. "Well, I''m sorry for the trouble you guys went through, but I appreciate you letting me know that." He said, looking over at Joey and Barbara. "Anyway, I''m glad you guys decided to join my army. Unfortunately, you could not make your registration in these past days given the moment we are in. Still, tomorrow this matter will be resolved."


    "Oh? Does this apply to me too?" Abby asked surprisingly. She had been expecting this for a few days now, but she had not received any feedback.


    And hearing his friend''s questioning, Minos nodded in agreement and said. "Hmm, tomorrow, you will all be able to join the Black Plains Army officially. Before that, those responsible for this were busy with the selection, but the first stage of this event has already been completed..."


    After that, they talked for a few more moments until they finally said goodbye. The three who had come to share some of their past had gone to their respective homes while Minos and Abby returned to their training activities.


    Abby had gone to the apartment where she was staying in this mansion, while the young Stuart had gone to the Spatial Kingdom.


    ...


    In the Spatial Kingdom, the sky was still clear in this location. At the same time, the temperature was much warmer than in the Dry City''s mansion where Minos had previously left it.


    At this time, the young sovereign was meditating beside that big house by the lake as he circulated his cultivation technique, Solar God Breath.


    As he did so, the rays of light converged around him, while a golden glow filled his surroundings, simultaneously in which the air seemed to distort.


    It was as if the temperature in the area around Minos was much higher than it should have been, as streams of spiritual energy continued to flow into his body from various crystals.


    And while the crystals glowed, gradually losing their intensity due to the absorption of energy by Minos'' body, two foxes were there near him.


    Kyla was running around with her four tails dangling, playing with a ball made of wool. She had already reached level 30 and had grown even more since the attack on that Chambers family''s base.


    Unlike humans, who depended on the minimum age to start cultivating, most beasts were already able to do so a few days after they were born. In fact, some beasts were born with a cultivation level higher than level 0, as happened with dragons and other first-rate races.


    Elves also had that same quality.


    Anyway, due to this characteristic, even though Kyla was just over a year old, she was already half the size of Emlyn. And this was not just something external, but the whole body of this little fox could already be considered as an adult at this point.


    All Nine-tailed Foxes'' organs would fully form when one of them reached level 30, including being able to reproduce! However, just as high-level and talented humans can have difficulty procreating, so did beasts.


    In fact, for high-level beasts like Emlyn and Kyla''s cases, the reproduction difficulty was even greater than it would be for humans of the same potential rating!


    Therefore, it would not be so easy for these beings to reproduce, even if they had all the conditions in favor of it.


    However, even though Kyla could already be considered an adult within the race of the Nine-tailed Foxes, she still behaved very differently from Emlyn. After all, her mother had outlived her for many years, and certain characteristics would only develop after many experiences!


    Anyway, while Kyla was playing in that spot, Emlyn was sitting grimly. At the same time, her eyes were closed, and her muscles trembled slightly.


    Right now, around her, there seemed to be a sphere of energy, slowly contracting and concentrating inside the body of this great fox.


    Crack!


    And after a few moments, finally, a characteristic sound came from where Emlyn was standing. The sphere of energy that was subtly visible earlier had vanished entirely inside her body when Kyla''s mother finally opened her eyes.


    "Au! Au!" Emlyn then made several sounds in her native language, feeling euphoria in her body, which was filled with energy she had never felt before.


    ''I''m finally level 51!'' She thought inwardly, feeling glad for her progress.


    Due to her cultivation level, this fox had to stay a lot longer without advancing than before she reached the 6th stage.


    And because of this, with less constant advances, anyone, whether human, beast, or elves, would be thrilled to increase strength!


    In addition to being desired, it got even better at higher levels, when one would have to train longer to achieve such a thing!


    Anyway, after a few more moments, Minos ended his cultivation session too.


    However, he still hadn''t made a breakthrough. ''I''m getting closer and closer to the next level, but it will still take me a few days to get there...'' He thought for a moment as he evaluated his cultivation level.


    After that, he felt that the strength of that fox had increased considerably, and soon he went to talk to her. The difference between levels 50 and 51 was about 30%, so this advance of a Spiritual King would be significant!


    And as the leader of the Black Plain Army, Minos couldn''t help but be happy to feel Emlyn''s new strength. Previously he might have had a disputed fight with her, given the fact that his techniques mainly depended on spiritual power and not physical strength.


    However, with Emlyn''s new level of cultivation, she had moved a little further away from him, and if the two of them fought, he probably wouldn''t even get a draw!


    ...


    The night quickly passed in the Dry City, and daylight had already set in when a group of five people was lined up in one of the identification rooms at the local army''s headquarters.


    At that moment, four women and an old man were there, being attended to by two elderly men, who wore uniforms with the rank of Corporals indicated on their shoulders.


    It was finally time for this group to join the army of Minos officially!

 Chapter 304: Five New Sergeants

    In that room where the group of five people was, the area wasn''t that big. There was just a big table where the two soldiers who attended here were positioned. Other than that, only the items on that table filled the atmosphere of that place.


    That was just a common army registration site where soldiers could make their registration. That way, there wasn''t much to see at this location.


    Finally, the group had arrived almost simultaneously, shortly after the start of operation of this service inside the local headquarters. All of them were curious and eager to finally join the army of Minos and get to know this institution.


    Especially in the case of Abby, who had tried a few times to come to this place but had been stopped every time...


    Due to this event, Minos'' young friend was eager to see why she was barred, even though she was intimate with the local sovereign. ''If there''s nothing different here, I''ll be disappointed!'' She thought inwardly.


    On the other hand, the other four people were eager to get to know the Black Plain Army''s headquarters library. These four were different from Abby and didn''t have a whole set of Black-grade techniques. Because of this, the thoughts of these four were turned to this subject!


    Anyway, after the two soldiers who did this identification service had sorted some papers in that place for some time, one of them finally turned to the group and said apologetically. "Good morning. I''m sorry we made you wait, but we still had to resolve some issues related to the selection that is going on."


    This Corporal knew that these five people in front of him would become Army''s Sergeants, one position above his own.  And in this case, even if they were novices, he wouldn''t have the courage to talk to these people in a way that wasn''t respectable. After all, it wouldn''t be long before they could become their leaders!


    And after apologizing for making the five wait for several days for this registration, the two Corporals greeted the entire group. Then one of them started talking about how the procedure would be.


    "Well, first, old Grant and I will gather your basic data and produce your IDs." He calmly said as he sat down in a chair on the opposite side of that table, in front of the five people. "Which of you wants to be first?" He asked.


    Hearing this, all four people looked almost simultaneously at Abby, motioning for her to take the lead.


    After all, none of them would want to take the lead of someone close to the local sovereign...


    "Okay, I''ll be the first." She muttered while a slight smile formed on her lips.


    And finally, old Grant began to speak. At the same time, the other Corporal made preparations in the spiritual array that was there on that table. "Let''s start with your basic data. Say your name, age, origin, type of innate ability, marital status¡­" He spelled out all the details that Abby needed to report to insert such information into her identification.


    "My name is Abby Miller. I''m 18-years-old. I''m from the Brown Kingdom, from Ruby City. My innate ability is one of the support types, Nervous Control... I''m single..." Abby then gave all her information while the old men at that table took her record.


    As soon as she finished speaking, one of them asked her to place a hand on one of the arrays there and said. "Now, let''s test your basic physical characteristics."


    After that, a drop of blood came out of one of Abby''s fingers, and then it was sucked into the array that looked like just a black screen. After that, a noise sounded through that thing while the data was being processed.


    This array was simpler than the one used in the Spiritual Tournament, and because of that, it was much smaller and cheaper. In contrast, this item could not estimate people''s age, which demanded more of these items.


    After all, while characteristics such as Physiques and soul talent were hardly altered, the state of a cultivator''s cells constantly changed. That made this process more complex, and consequently, the physical test arrays would have to be more complex to do this.


    However, Minos didn''t mind knowing the age of his soldiers at this point. Understanding their essential characteristics were good enough for him.


    And finally, after 3 minutes of making a strange noise, the array''s black screen displayed several characters, with Abby''s biological data.


    Old Grant then muttered under his breath as he read that information and recorded it on Abby''s ID. "Black Talent... Saint-grade Physique, wow... Level 42..."


    "Very well, Ms. Abby. Now we just have to register your soul mark." The other soldier said as he passed Abby an artifact that looked a lot like a light bulb.


    "Oh? There''s even that here?" She asked in surprise. Abby did not expect Minos'' newly initiated army to guard the vital status of its soldiers already.


    And seeing her surprise, old Grant then explained to all of them. "For now, only soldiers of the Sergeant rank can have their soul record registered."


    ''So, this is how it is...'' The other four thought simultaneously.


    After a moment of surprise, Abby then circulated her spiritual energy to put that artifact, until it lit up fully, in intense white color.


    The famous soul lamps didn''t require cultivators to take a piece of their souls to function... No, if someone attempted to do such a thing, especially at this level, only death would await them!


    Before the solidification of the soul, which happened in the 8th stage of cultivation, any attempt to manipulate the soul would result in instant death!


    Anyway, to just make a soul record, the only thing needed would be for a cultivator to release his spiritual energy into a vital status array. Such an item could guard the fluctuations emanating from the soul of cultivators and store the state of that person''s soul.


    It was as if this item connected with the person''s soul; it represents the status. That worked like sending and receiving waves. The soul emitted specifics fluctuations, and the array could convert this signal into a vital signal.


    If the individual with their stored soul sign died, the array would stop receiving these emissions and gradually fade.


    As for why a cultivator just releases their energies on this item, it was related to spiritual absorption. When a living being absorbs free energy in nature, that energy passes through the sensory organ and transforms into something subtly different.


    This distinction was almost insignificant, but it was enough to differentiate two different living beings. That was like a mark, which made the spirituality of that living being unique, like the fingerprints of humans!


    And as for the range of these items, this item was indeed very effective concerning this feature. In fact, low-level spiritual lamps could store the vital status of people at any distance in the Spiritual World!


    Even if someone were on the Central Continent and their soul imprint was on the distant Continent of the Beast, this array would still work.


    But obviously, the response time between the cultivator''s death and the lamp going out could vary depending on the distance. However, this difference would not be so significant. Regardless of this distance, the end of someone with their soul sign saved would be noticed on the same day as such an event!


    Anyway, Abby already knew how this item worked, as she had already made a record like this at the Miller family''s headquarters.


    Finally, after some time, she finished synchronizing her soul fluctuations with that array.


    "Very well! Ms. Abby. That is all. Wait a moment while we register the others, and your identification will be ready." One of the two Corporals said while making some gestures to the rest of the group.


    And it didn''t take long for the same procedure to be performed with those four people. After Abby, Eda had taken her turn, as she was the strongest there. These people didn''t want to antagonize her, and after Minos'' friend''s bodyguard was Joey, followed by Barbara and lastly Robin.


    All of them answered the questions of those two soldiers without stalling, passing the physical test, and marking their souls in the vital status arrays.


    And finally, the identifications of the five were ready!


    ''Five new Sergeants... And one of them is already level 48!'' So, old Grant thought to himself as he massaged his chin in satisfaction.

 Chapter 305: Getting to Know the Army

    After finishing the identification of the group of five people, the two soldiers immediately distributed their IDs.


    That was a kind of rectangular card, transparent and as thin as a sheet of paper. However, this item was quite heavy for its volume, weighing about a kilogram!


    Anyway, this was the identification card that each soldier carried, through which they could access the headquarters, accumulate points, take missions, in short, manage their activities in the army.


    And as the five people looked at the little transparent card in their hands, old Grant spoke again. "When you go to use this identification, you will find that your authority within the army will be in suspension. Consequently, you will not be able to lead any teams or take on missions on your own."


    Hearing this, Barbara was the first to react, already frowning tightly. "What does this mean?"


    "Each position in the local army has a minimum time that soldiers must stay. For example, a Student has to spend six months in the army to have a chance to be promoted to the rank of Recruit."


    "A Recruit needs one year to become a Soldier. Then, a Soldier needs two years to become a Corporal, and finally, a Corporal needs four years to become a Sergeant." The other old soldier who was there explained.


    After that, Grant spoke again. "You guys just joined the army, so obviously, there''s no way you can gain as much power as a Sergeant would have. Therefore, your functions will be frozen until you reach part of this minimum required time."


    "But, of course, we''re not going to make powerful and talented people earn less or be under the supervision of people of lower ranks. You have been given almost all the same rights as a Sergeant, but you will not have the right to lead anyone in the army, at least until you complete that period."


    "Finally, in the meantime, in any event that happens, you will have to join the groups of properly Sergeants, who will be your short-term leaders."


    Upon hearing this, the five people seemed to understand the reason behind this rule. However, they still felt a little uncomfortable about it. After all, no one would be satisfied to be led by someone they don''t know and who is perhaps not even stronger than they are!


    And as she thought about it, Abby realized something crucial and then asked. "If that''s indeed true, how can these current army Sergeants be able to fulfill their roles fully? I''m sure Minos didn''t come for more than three years! That in itself would prevent you from even having Corporals!"


    Grant and the other old soldier then nodded their heads in agreement, and one of them answered her. "Mrs. Abby is right. But in this regard, the young master approved a temporary measure to resolve this situation. All army soldiers who were already registered in the first selection would have their ranks equal to what they should have, considering only their levels."


    "As for later, for ten years since the creation of the army, that is, we will still have another seven years, a special rule would apply. According to it, a soldier who enters the army with rank ''x'' will be eligible to advance to the next rank with full rights once they reach the minimum required level."


    "Mrs. Eda, for example, has recently joined the army as a Sergeant and would normally have to remain in that rank for more than 14 years before being promoted to Lieutenant, the equivalent of a Spiritual King. However, due to this measure that the young master released, if Mrs. Eda reaches level 50 by the end of these ten years, then she will become a Lieutenant immediately!" Grant explained with satisfaction.


    He knew that temporarily, all five of these people would have no power in the army, but they would become leaders in less than seven years with such a measure!


    Grant knew very well the speed of cultivating people with Black talent and Black-grade techniques, given the presence of Lee and Alison. For this reason, this old man could predict the level that these people would be in a few years.


    Finally, upon hearing such an explanation, the five of them were somewhat reassured about this matter. Even though the time of about seven years was not too long for them to become Spiritual Kings, that wasn''t too little either!


    With the possibility of learning Black-grade cultivation techniques, aside from Joey, who was already at an advanced age, they all hoped to reach level 50 within this time!


    On the other hand, they also understood the need for these rules. As much as Minos invited them to join the Black Plain Army, that would not mean they would receive special treatment!


    After all, no one with the slightest conscience would allow a newcomer to do as he pleases, using his authority to do so!


    Because of this, it made sense that at first, they would not have many powers within the organization while learning about how it works.


    At the same time, they could meet the soldiers and critical figures in the army. They could even gain the trust of future subordinates or partners.


    Such a thing would not be resolved overnight, with just one order.


    Even if Minos said that, for example, Abby could lead them, no soldier would be satisfied with it. This young woman was a stranger who has never proved her worth to them and who they have no prior respect.


    In this case, even if they obeyed an order like that of Minos, deep in their hearts, the soldiers would never accept it without good reason!


    And the young Stuart understood that mentality very well. He knew how hard it could be for a person to push themselves hard at something when they didn''t trust their own leader!


    A great leader could bring out the best in every soldier because of his well-thought-out strategies and his subordinates'' trust in him. However, if there were no trust, even with good plans, the chances of something going wrong would be exponentially greater.


    As such, Minos didn''t believe that forcing his soldiers to take orders from people they don''t know or trust, just because that person has a higher level, would be a good thing. Anyway, this could easily be resolved with the interaction of these individuals, as long as they had similar status within the army.


    At the same time, these new soldiers, as in the case of these five, could learn the army''s conduct so that when they had powers, they would not make mistakes.


    Finally, Eda then asked. "So, does that mean I''m going to be led by a level 42 or 43 person?"


    Hearing this, the two old men looked at each other in doubt, and then one of them said. "In theory, yes, but it never happened that someone of Mrs. Eda''s level entered the army. So we''re not sure."


    Grant then completed. "But I believe you will be directly under the orders of the young master or the butler Dillian."


    "That''s less bad¡­" Eda muttered in a low voice.


    The issue here was not having the same rights as senior soldiers but being led by someone weaker!


    If being led by someone stronger but that was unknown to you was bad enough, having a weaker leader than yourself would be many times worse!


    It was easy for a subordinate of a prominent noble family like Eda to accept the orders of a nobleman like Abby, but that was only because those powers had long been established. But, on the other hand, each of these nobles from these large organizations had the potential to pass the level of these subordinates.


    So, it was not humiliating for Eda, or any subordinate of great power, to obey the orders of youths weaker than themselves. In fact, this was a credit to them, as they could get influential contacts in the future!


    However, it was different for these soldiers in this army. Most of them only had the Blue talent... Because of that, these five would hardly be surpassed by them!


    And that was something that went directly against the pride of each of them.


    That was not something personal, from the personality of these five, but something cultural, coming from the millions of years of cultivation history in the Spiritual World.


    With such influence by powerful people, ''one-man armies,'' the people of this world had learned to value individual strength. So, even if it weren''t ideal for taking orders from strangers, if these people were much stronger or with greater talents, then that would at least be acceptable!


    And this kind of thinking had already merged with popular thought in this world a long time ago. That had created a particular pride that made these people question whether they truly needed to go through such ''humiliation'' of being commanded by weaker people and of inferior potential...


    Anyway, after receiving all this guidance, the group received bags containing some items before finally leaving that place to see the rest of the headquarters!

 Chapter 306: The Headquarters Library

    Upon receiving those bags, each person immediately observed their contents as they walked through the corridors of that part of the headquarters where they were.


    The bags that these two soldiers had given to these five contained the official uniform of the Black Plain Army, along with some basic local information.


    The uniform was made of a fabric that fit people''s measurements, so there was no need for any previous measures. As for its usefulness, for the time being, it was merely aesthetic as a way of indicating the position of soldiers in the Dry City.


    And its use was only mandatory for specific functions, as in the case of city patrol and city wall entry posts. Other than that, inside headquarters, the soldiers could or could not wear their uniforms. After all, in this place, they could use their ID cards to access the services, so there wasn''t a significant need for that.


    However, almost all soldiers wore the uniform daily, even within headquarters, where they were not required to do so. That was like pride for them, and many of these people followed this unwritten rule...


    And well, maybe other people just wore the uniform so they wouldn''t draw attention, like the only ones different...


    The army''s uniform could be worn over armor, which made this item appear to be the armor itself. It was gold and silver, with some symbols on the shoulders and chest.


    Anyway, after checking their uniform at the same time they were walking, the group of five people finally arrived in front of the library of this place.


    The library was in the same building where they had made their identifications, which was also the army''s administrative building.


    That place wasn''t as big as the Dry City Public Library since thousands of people didn''t pass by this place every day. After all, most soldiers would only come here when they could learn new techniques or replace old ones.


    But this obviously didn''t happen very often!


    And because of that, the place was small, smaller than a single section of the local public library.


    Other than that, there were several small rooms, divided into three floors, where soldiers could learn these techniques in this place.


    That was due to the fact that the army did not allow the removal of techniques from such a place.


    There were few copies in Minos'' current army, and there wasn''t even a single original version. Without it, Minos'' forces could not create new copies, and this left them with no options but to hold onto these techniques and prevent them from being lost!


    But that wasn''t so bad. After all, these soldiers could learn them without having done any merit.


    It was different from what happened in noble families. When a subordinate earned the right to a technique of Black-grade, they would gain ownership over that copy!


    Anyway, when they arrived at that place, the five realized that there weren''t many people around at that time. In fact, most were just the administrative staff who ran this place.


    Some soldiers were cleaning the place, coming and going from six aisles of shelves that were there, which were lined up in front of the entrance to that place.


    There was a large hallway at the entrance that connected the six shelf aisles, while a small reception was next to the door. In this reception, there was a large glass partition, which separated the entrance to the library from the reception.


    Other than that, one could see an ample space over that area where the shelves were, from where one could see on the sides, the various rooms in this place.


    Finally, a lady who was at that little reception in that place then looked at the group and said with interest. "Good morning, are you by any chance new soldiers?"


    This lady was unsure whether they were just new soldiers or people coming on a different shift. After all, she was only in this place for 8 hours a day, so she naturally didn''t know all the soldiers in this place.


    On the other hand, it was unusual for soldiers from the local army not to wear uniforms. So, she had asked them if they were new soldiers and not something else.


    And hearing this, Robin was the first to speak. At the same time, she nodded her head. "Yes, we just made our identification."


    "Oh? I see. If that''s the case, I don''t think you know about library rules yet, right?" The receptionist at this place asked with a gentle smile on her face.


    Hearing that, Joey smiled back at her and answered. "In fact, we''ve only been briefed on the identification procedure so far."


    "Hmm, this is to be expected. Well, then I will explain to you. It''s not hard to follow." She then began to speak while looking at the five people who had entered there, making occasional hand gestures.


    "First, every time you come to the library, you need to identify yourself here at reception. Second, if this is your first time here, you have to hand over all of your Blue-grade techniques to us. Such a thing is the minimum requirement for you to earn the right to learn Black-grade techniques here."


    Some of them found it a little interesting upon hearing this, but only Robin had asked why. "Why do we have to deliver Blue-grade techniques? What use can it be for the army?"


    Right after Robin''s question, that elderly figure smiled as if she had seen it hundreds of times. She then said. "These techniques will be donated to the local public library."


    ''Oh? So that''s what this was for¡­'' The other four thought about it. They had forgotten for a moment about such a place. After all, none of them needed it, and they had only been in this town for a while.


    Another problem was that no one had told them that the soldiers'' Blue-grade techniques were going to that location too...


    Because of this, the five had found this strange for a moment.


    "Ahh, that''s why!" Robin exclaimed in a low voice.


    After that moment of doubt, the old figure spoke again. "The same goes for your Black-grade techniques. Obviously, we''re not going to force anyone to do this, but you will also lose the right to use this location."


    "What?" Barbara exclaimed in a low voice.


    And seeing their reaction, that soldier spoke again. "The army still has few Black-grade techniques, less than 100. That''s why we need to gather more techniques of this quality so that our soldiers have better options."


    "And that too is a fair trade. While you''ll be giving us one or two techniques of that degree, you''ll be able to choose from the dozens we have here, without limits." She explained.


    ''Tsh, Minos is smart to think this¡­'' Abby thought for a moment as she pondered about the situation.


    It indeed seemed to be an excellent exchange for both sides, especially for the soldiers.


    On the other hand, Eda looked at Abby for a moment while she had different thoughts in her mind. ''That young man is very clever. With this alone, he can gain the five Black-grade techniques Ms. Abby has...''


    Eda then looked at Abby and asked. "Ms. Abby, what are you going to do? These are the Miller family''s techniques. It could cause problems for you in the future."


    And hearing that, Abby shook her head in denial when she said it firmly. "Since I''ve decided to join Minos'' forces, I won''t be petty. Our family doesn''t need to know about any of this!"


    And at the same time that those two women were talking, the other three people were much more supportive of the subject. So, even though Barbara had questioned this before, she understood the idea behind this rule. ''Well, this is an action that mostly benefits the soldiers. It''s not like they''re trying to rob us...''


    As for Robin and Joey, the latter didn''t have any technique of that degree, so he wasn''t worried about that. As for the young woman coming from Stone Island, she had only one copy of her family''s Black-grade technique. That''s why she thought this exchange was very fair!


    Finally, the group immediately handed over all of the Blue and Black-grade techniques to that lady to complete that prerequisite of this place.


    After that, she quickly registered them in the library, using their IDs, leaving a reminder that this step had already been taken.


    She then finished talking about the rules there. "Finally, the last rule in this place is that you can''t go out with techniques here. You need to learn them in one of the individual rooms on the floors above."


    Hearing this, Abby asked. "What if some soldier tries to force one of the techniques out of here? How does this place handle situations like this?"


    "Well, it''s pretty hard to do something like that. First, we check every person who goes in and out of the library, not allowing objects like spatial rings with their owners either."


    "On the other hand, even if a person loses his senses and tries to steal some technique from this place, three Spiritual Generals are protecting this place 24 hours a day. And finally, the penalty for treason in the army is death, together with the expulsion of the family of the soldier of the Black Plain''s territory."


    ''The punishment is pretty heavy, huh... But such a thing is to be expected, a place like this is important for any organization...'' The five of them thought about it as they understood the workings of this place.

 Chapter 307: Merit Points

    After explaining how the library works to those five people, that woman soon gave them access to the techniques.


    For now, they were just getting to know the place, so none of them had shown their intention to start training new techniques. But not only that, switching techniques were not so simple, and they would take some time to finish doing it.


    And precisely because of that, they weren''t in a hurry!


    First, they would change their cultivation techniques to increase their speed of advancement, and only then would they think of others. Other than that, it would be interesting for them to know all the techniques available before doing their respective exchanges.


    So, they had to study the subject well.


    That was critical and could not be taken lightly. A mistake could mean an even more significant loss in their fighting proficiency!


    These were the reasons for four of them.


    On the other hand, Abby was just there to watch.


    The Miller family''s collection of Black-grade techniques was much more extensive than that of the Black Plain Army. Because of this, she had no intention of exchanging her techniques for those available at this location.


    But she was curious to see this place.


    Initially, with the legacy left by Albert, Minos was not supposed to have much more than 2 Black-grade techniques. However, she was surprised to find that there were already 90 techniques of that classification in this place!


    Of these techniques, 9 specialized in cultivation, 32 in attack, 25 in defense, 17 in movement, and 7 in support.


    ''That''s a pretty decent set¡­'' Abby thought to herself, as she knew this place. ''Those techniques can''t all have come from that last attack... It seems he''s been doing a lot of things before I came here.''


    Finally, after getting to know this place, the group continued with its ''walk'' through the headquarters, getting to know each essential point here.


    There were common parts in this place, like a giant mess hall in the main building, where soldiers could take their meals. In addition, restrooms and common areas were scattered around this place, creating a convenient infrastructure for soldiers.


    There was a set of rooms in the building next to the administrative one, where new soldiers could learn about regional geopolitics, considering Black Plain security matters. That was a significant place, which was also used to teach basic strategy methods, things not seen in spiritual academies.


    Finally, they met the headquarters'' finance and Rewards Hall.


    These two places were closely related, and for this reason, they were in the same building.


    Anyway, this was a building with only two floors. The army''s financial sector was located on the first floor and the Rewards Hall on the second.


    And as they entered the first floor, the group of five people could see that there was nothing unusual there, being very similar to the structures of the administrative building.


    There were several offices, registration rooms, payment rooms, etc. Things to expect from places like this.


    Anyway, the group went to the registration room to find out what time their payments would come and understand more about this place.


    ...


    Upon arriving in a room with several similar spiritual arrays, the group soon realized that there was a much greater flow of people in that place than in other points they had visited.


    The people who came and went from there mainly used the arrays of that place, which looked like big rectangular boxes with blue screens halfway up their height.


    And at the back of this room, where many of these arrays were distributed along the sides, four people in posts attended newcomers. Two of them were busy helping soldiers right now, while the other two were free.


    Seeing this, the group quickly approached one of hers when Joey asked. "Young girl, we are new to the army. What is the purpose of this place? We did think this was just a registration place, but there''s a lot more movement than we expected!"


    Upon hearing this, a young woman who was there in that place smiled discreetly at the group and then explained. "This place serves mainly to record merit points earned by soldiers."


    "Merit points?" Abby muttered as she thought about it. ''This must be the system adopted by Minos so that soldiers can exchange for items in this Hall of Rewards...''


    This idea was not strange to Abby. After all, many noble families, as in the case of Miller, used practices like this. Subordinates entered these powers to get better opportunities, and families made it possible through the meritorious deeds of each of them.


    So, to get quality items such as Black-grade spiritual techniques, large organizations placed a ''virtual price'' on these items. Usually, subordinates could not pay for such items, but they could obtain them through acts that benefited those powers.


    So, these individuals struggled in missions and attitudes to achieve the necessary merit to exchange these items!


    And that''s just what Minos was doing here.


    Anyway, while Abby had her thoughts, Robin, who had never seen such a thing, was curious to know how these merit points worked. "How do we manage to win this? And what are these points for?" She asked with a glint in her eyes.


    And on hearing the sincere question from Robin, the young soldier who was there with them, she soon began to speak. "By registering in the army, you will earn a minimum amount of points daily, as long as you don''t miss work."


    "This amount of points, when added over long periods, is equivalent to the number of merit points needed to rise in rank." She explained.


    After all, Minos would not require his soldiers to go on missions to rise in rank. As long as they did their daily activities regularly, in the said minimum time needed for each position, they would get the points for promotion.


    Such points were daily recorded as soldiers accessed the headquarters'' services at the beginning and end of their shift.


    "So, we need merit points to go up in rank?" Robin questioned.


    "Hm, but don''t see this as another hurdle in our path to promotions. That is just a way for the army to know you''re contributing in some way. Even if it''s just the daily work inside the headquarters." She said promptly.


    ''I understand! After all, no one would promote a soldier good for nothing!'' Robin thought to herself.


    The young attendant then continued to explain. "But these points earned with common activities generate practically nothing for us, as they will always be spent on our promotions. So, the essential purpose of this is the second possibility to earn those points."


    "Which are through the missions and benefits that soldiers can do or bring to the Black Plain. For example, recently, a group of soldiers, each of them earned more than a thousand merit points on an investigative mission." She said, remembering the Sergeants who had passed through here over the past week.


    Hearing this, Barbara, who was also aware of the workings of this type of point system, asked in curiosity. "And how much are a thousand points worth? Is this too much or too little?"


    "Each soldier who performs his regular activities earns one merit point per day. In other words, this is equivalent to almost three years of activities!" She replied while there was a certain glint of envy in her eyes. She could buy two medium-level grade-1 weapons in the Hall of Bounty with that amount of points.


    And such a weapon was her current dream...


    ''Oh? So this is how it works¡­ Those must have been the soldiers who researched Peter''s kidnapping, hmm, probably!''  Barbara thought about it for a moment, realizing that this wasn''t an unfair system.


    If she was right in her analysis and these soldiers that this young woman in front of her had talked about were the same ones who investigated Peter''s kidnapping, then that would be truly fair. After all, even if they did it in the span of just a few weeks, each of them was taking certain risks with that mission!


    Anyway, after Barbara''s question was answered, the young attendant of this place continued her speech. "As for these arrays that you can see here, they serve as registers. So, a soldier can check his merit points, transfer and receive them through this place."


    "Some soldiers even use this to trade items among themselves, even without the army''s involvement in the matter." She finished her explanation while pointing to two men who had just shaken hands as if they had completed a big deal...


    Anyway, after understanding this place and how their monthly payment would be made, they went upstairs, where the Rewards Hall was.

 Chapter 308: Virtual Financial System

    Abby''s group learned that soldiers'' payments were made in the first five days of each month. The payment was made for all ranks these days, but those with the highest position in the army had preference over the payment order.


    But this was only a small benefit for the strongest cultivators in the army. No one felt bad about it, as it made some sense to them. After all, the higher the level of an individual, the longer it takes to train!


    On the other hand, the number of soldiers in the 5th and 4th stages of cultivation was not significant, so these individuals didn''t generate absurd waits for the other soldiers either.


    And for now, given the absence of banks in the Dry City, there was still no virtual financial system, which would allow payments made through cards or civil identification. Because of this, these soldiers still needed to receive physical compensation for spiritual crystals.


    The problem regarding this issue is the absence of an extensive system, which the city''s entire population could use. After all, it wouldn''t be interesting if this only worked with army soldiers, as it already did with merit points.


    However, adopting the system as the citywide merit points system would be an uphill task and expensive, but very, very expensive indeed.


    After all, for the system to work, a private establishment would have to have spiritual arrays of the same type and with the same programming as those of the bank.


    But not only that, part of the functioning of virtual payment systems is the fact that banks give validity to these transactions. That is, while spiritual crystals truly have their real-world value, what can give credibility to a virtual number on any card?


    Only institutions of great financial power and reliability could do this!


    And to create something like that, the Black Plain would have to have millions of reserve spiritual crystals, to validate transactions. And allied with this, the system would have to work together so that it would be correctly credited to their bank account when a customer uses their crystals.


    How bad would it be to find out that all your savings are gone because of an error?


    On the other hand, the bank could not have losses. Imagine if a customer spent everything he had, but the information showed that his account was still untouched...


    Finally, even with all these problems resolved, who would guarantee that the population would use such a system? Because, yes, it is indeed more convenient and safer not to have to use physical crystals, but a population already used to do this for so long...


    Anyway, it might not be easy to convince them to create bank accounts and join such a system!


    And because of circumstances like these, it wasn''t easy to create a virtual financial system. This required time, investments, planning, materials, and competent people for such a thing to happen. Only then could a bank have a chance to receive public trust.


    Finally, banks not only exchanged crystals of different qualities, but they could also regulate virtual financial activities. The exchange was undoubtedly the most profitable activity of these companies, but virtual transactions were also common in these organizations.


    However, there were no high-end banks in the north of the Central Continent, meaning that they were widely used and trusted by the public and small businesses.


    With this, it might even be possible to see some establishments in specific cities using the services of local banks. Still, it would be almost impossible to see this happening in places far from that bank. At least, ordinary people would not use such a service, which appeared to be somewhat unreliable...


    After all, what guarantee would they have that their crystals wouldn''t be stolen? Large families even had security about it because they had the power to make demands, but what about the standard population?


    That was the problem...


    As a result, aside from negotiations between noble families, which in many cases used these systems to facilitate agreements, the virtual financial system was not widely used in the Central Continent''s north.


    Large regional banks, such as those from the Kingdom of the End, were used to make big deals, facilitating payments.


    There were branches of these banks in each of the states'' capitals, where large families usually had their accounts and made their transactions.


    With this, an agreement made between two noble families, one from the Kingdom of the End and the other from the Cromwell Kingdom, could be facilitated, streamlining the payment when using this system.


    Just to give you an idea, while a trip between these two states could take more than seven months, the transaction could be confirmed in less than two weeks!


    That was the advantage of this service, and many noble families used it.


    However, apart from situations like these, this system had not become popular in the Minos'' region.


    And the fact that Minos and Elen did not use such a system to streamline payments was due to the region''s lack of a large bank spread across several cities.


    Minos would not rely on a system where he would have to fetch crystals from the capital of the Brown Kingdom. Not only that, but given the large transactions between him and Elen, even if he received the crystals in his account after a few days, the branch of the bank he used might not have all of the crystals available for withdrawal!


    It was not beneficial for him or the Black Plain to use this system with Elen.


    Anyway, Minos forces were not able to use such a system for the time being. Perhaps something like this would develop on the Black Plain in the future, but this was far from their reality.


    ...


    Shortly after walking up to the second floor of that building, the five people finally arrived at the Rewards Hall.


    This one lived up to its name, and it was, in fact, a large hall, which displayed several glass windows with assorted items.


    There were very different weapons, armor, spatial rings, pills, spiritual arrays, paintings, etc. These were, in general, things ''recovered'' by local army soldiers on missions carried out externally.


    Like the Yellow City''s missions, Peter''s investigation, Peter''s rescue, and other minor situations. Anyway, all that was here in this building were items left behind by people killed by Minos or his soldiers.


    And the quantity was not small!


    Recently, the young Stuart''s last trip had spawned more than 150 dead enemies of the Spiritual General stage, who had various belongings...


    As a result, the amount of grade 1 spiritual items in this Hall of Rewards had gone up exponentially and now numbered over 5,000 items!


    Most were pills of all kinds, but there were also many spiritual artifacts made by blacksmiths here.


    However, none of this could catch the attention of Abby, a young noble and wealthy, who also no longer needed items of this quality. The same was true for the others who were with her, especially Eda.


    Abby''s bodyguard was already very close to becoming a Spiritual King. Because of that, only medium-level grade-2 items could get her attention.


    Of course, even if she didn''t mind wielding lesser quality items, she still couldn''t. Even low-level grade-2 items would already have a short shelf ''life'' for her. After all, items at this level could at most support the energy of newly promoted Spiritual Kings.


    No wonder Minos'' sword didn''t hold up long after he fought with everything he had against Jaime...


    As for the other three, even if they weren''t in similar situations as Eda and Abby, that is, being very strong or very rich, they were no longer interested in these grade-1 items either.


    Even Joey, the weakest of the three and with the lowest expectations given his level, wouldn''t take long, and even high-level grade-1 items would lose their usefulness in his hands.


    Even if he wasn''t interested in fighting, he still understood the importance of these artifacts for self-protection. Therefore, Joey also felt that these items were less than desirable for him as well.


    And at this point, Barbara expressed her opinions about this place. "Although there is almost nothing useful for people in the 5th stage of cultivation, this is because the army soldiers are mainly at the beginning of this stage. Same thing with Mr. Minos."


    "For now, they can''t face large numbers of cultivators from the end of the 5th stage of cultivation and the beginning of the 6th. So, there aren''t many grade-2 items around here. However, that should change in a short time."


    "Hmm, this young lady is right," Eda said, nodding her head in agreement. "This is a perfect place for soldiers, and it will be more interesting for people like us in a short time. Given the speed of young Minos, I believe that in less than two years, this place may be full of grade-2 items."

 Chapter 309: Rewards Hall

    Upon hearing Eda''s comment, they all agreed with her statement.


    From that group, the three captives freed by Minos'' actions had already heard from Peter about the local ruler''s cultivation speed. And because of that, they were aware that young Stuart would advance in levels much faster than they did.


    Consequently, Minos could face more powerful opponents with a higher level and get better items for the Reward''s Hall!


    And when that happened, then finally they could enjoy this option that the Black Plain Army''s headquarters had for its soldiers!


    Finally, as they walked through that room, the five people could see that there was also a payment area in addition to the shop windows with the items at their disposal. In that place, two cashiers were attending, making the transaction of soldiers who were exchanging merit points for items.


    Joey then finally passed in front of the window where the spatial rings of this place were.


    In that place, there were more than 40 rings of different colors and designs. Each of them had a universal size, which would fit the user''s finger.


    As for storage, the smallest could hold ten cubic meters, while the largest would store up to a hundred cubic meters. That was explicitly the difference between medium-level grade-1 and high-level grade-1 spatial rings.


    The smallest of all spatial rings could hold two cubic meters, but there was no low-level grade-1 ring in this place.


    As for the price in front of each of these items, the ten cubic meters rings cost 5 thousand points, while the others cost 10 thousand.


    This disproportionate difference in prices is because the efficiency of higher-grade products grew a lot compared to the lower-grade ones. Because of this, items of a higher level would, in general, be more cost-effective.


    The costs of materials involved in these items of only one level difference, to the same degree, were not high. In fact, most of the price difference was due to the cost of the array master''s work.


    However, the price did not go up so much from a medium-level grade-1 array to a high-level grade-1 array. Moreover, with greater spiritual strength and, in some cases, different specialized techniques, higher-ranking array masters could manipulate the arrays much more easily.


    It definitely would be faster and less laborious for a high-level grade-1 array master to create items at this level than a medium-level grade-1 array master to do the similar!


    And that price had been calculated from the standard market price of these items and converted to the scale of 2 spiritual crystals for one merit point.


    Such items that would usually be sold at 10,000 and 20,000 low-grade crystals were being sold at 5,000 and 10,000 points. However, this is not as simple as it sounds, as it is much easier to get merit points together than crystals.


    After all, the crystals are used for cultivation and pay for the daily support of the soldiers'' families. Therefore, it would be much more challenging to gather 20,000 crystals, which can be used in different areas, than to gather 10,000 merit points that are only used in the army.


    But not only that, there was no certainty that they would gain extra crystals on missions, as had happened more recently.


    However, earning merit points was a sure thing, as long as they completed those same missions.


    For example, not every expedition would be about fighting enemies who might leave crystals behind. In some cases, soldiers might just have to watch something, escort someone, etc. Something that might not generate deaths.


    But even in situations like these, soldiers would still get their points for completing the mission, which is helpful at headquarters!


    Anyway, while Joey was looking closely at the rings in that place, the two women who had come with him to the Dry City were also looking at these items.


    None of them had spatial rings, as they had lost theirs to the pirates who had previously kidnapped them. Consequently, the three of them wanted to get items like this again.


    "Oh, I would like them to have at least low-level grade-1. One of those would work for me¡­" Joey commented in a low voice.


    "Hmm, I think these rings are the only things I''ve seen here that interest me. The rest isn''t much use to me right now." Barbara commented.


    Finally, the group stopped by for a few more moments, looking at the prices of the items and understanding the ratio between crystals and merit points.


    The spiritual arrays in this place were naturally the most expensive. After all, items like these had far greater uses than pills and spiritual weapons.


    In the Spiritual World, the price charged for arrays was on top of all items in the spiritual professions, being the most expensive of all.


    The second was spiritual artifacts produced by blacksmiths, which generally cost much more than spiritual pills. Such a thing was also expected, as items of this nature could be used multiple times and, in some cases, could even be repaired if not wholly destroyed.


    And at the third position were the pills. These items were for single use only and still left unwanted impurities behind. Because of this, this was by far the cheapest of the products produced by professionals from the three greatest spiritual professions in this world!


    To give you an idea, the cheapest pill in this Reward''s Hall cost 50 points, while the most expensive one, a high-level grade-1, is 500 points. On the other hand, the items produced by blacksmiths, which were cheaper, had a price of 250 points and the most expensive, with the same rating as the pill, 2,500 points.


    Finally, for the arrays, the cheapest goes out for 2,500 points and the most expensive for 10,000 points.


    These were the prices at which the items in this place varied, at least for most of them, which professionals in those three major areas produced.


    However, there were other artifacts for sale in this hall related to other spiritual and non-spiritual professions.


    As an example, there were some paintings and kitchen items!


    That''s right, kitchen items.


    Contrary to what might be expected, spiritual cooks did not buy their items but produced them!


    Like the seers, these culinary professionals had the opportunity to refine their support objects in order to produce utensils more compatible with their techniques. With this, it was so much easier and more practical to cook, as the quality and flavors of the dishes would be significantly enhanced!


    As for how others could use those items linked to the spirituality of cultivators, as in the case of one seer''s Orbs of Fate, well, that was simple. Such things are refined and compatible with the spirituality of those who refine them. However, these items would be left behind if these people die. They are palpable and tangible items, ultimately free of restrictions!


    But obviously, there were some requirements for using such items. Thus, for example, in these professions, adding these new artifacts could only be done when the cultivation of these individuals rose on stage.


    That''s when they had a chance to refine new supporting artifacts. And precisely because of that, it was not easy, and people like the seer that Vivian had visited earlier would not have hope of recovering...


    Finally, unlike what happened with the three primary professions in the Spiritual World, the other areas were not so regularly priced. After all, the offer of these items depended on more unstable factors, which could vary a lot depending on the time or place.


    However, none of these items had caught the attention of the five people who were visiting the place.


    And after a few moments there, they finally left this building and finished visiting the headquarters of the Black Plain Army.


    They had already seen that there was a smaller version of the city''s public cultivation tower at this headquarters, as well as some platforms for fights. And finally, as they walked near a mural, Robin suddenly saw something that caught his eye...

 Chapter 310: Shocked!

    ''Army sergeants, join the selection that will occur in 1 year and become a member of the Elite Squad!'' Robin read this flashy poster that was stuck on that mural near where they passed.


    And seeing such a thing, she soon became interested and approached there, beginning to read the smaller print of it.


    At the same time, in which the young blonde with a small body was doing this, the other four people who were getting to know this place along with her noticed Robin''s change and stopped too. "Robin, did you see something?" Old Joey asked.


    Upon hearing this, Robin, who was still reading those letters, just said something, not even bothering to turn to look at him. "See this!"


    Her tone was excited, and it even looked like she couldn''t believe the information in front of her. She had already thought it incredible that she could learn more Black-grade techniques in this place''s library, but now she saw that this wasn''t even the best this army had to offer.


    Anyway, the group quickly gathered around that mural, where several newsletters, maps were located. After that, the four promptly began to read the information from that poster in front of Robin.


    ''Salary 50% higher...''


    ''20 places will be offered in a selection for soldiers of the rank Sergeant...''


    ''Medium-level grade-2 equipment...''


    ''3-year training...''


    ''Silver-grade techniques...''


    "What?" Abby exclaimed shockingly, still looking at that poster with wide eyes. She couldn''t believe what was written there.


    This so-called Elite Squad would be just unbelievable!


    All the benefits cited in that poster were, to say the least, incredible in this region of the Central Continent.


    The salaries of the present local army were already considerably higher than that received by subordinates of large noble families. However, this special squad would pay even more than that. ''With these salaries, these 20 soldiers will already receive almost as much as an important descendant of the noble families of our region!'' Abby thought about it for a moment.


    However, she couldn''t be too impressed with this fact, as the other conditions were even more devastating. Moreover, such medium-level grade-2 artifacts weren''t cheap at all and were even rarer than Minos'' earlier sword.


    Even in the very wealthy Miller family, they could only arm their subordinates with items of that rank when those individuals reached the 6th stage of cultivation!


    In fact, there were fewer than 20 weapons of that rank in Abby''s family!


    But here was a sign, making a promise that it would arm 20 people with these items...


    Abby couldn''t help but be impressed by this. ''So, you mean that in a maximum of 4 years, Minos is already thinking about reaching such a level? How is he going to buy so many items in such a short time?'' She wondered inwardly.


    And for that matter, it wasn''t just Abby who was shocked at this point. All four of these people who were with her also thought the same.


    After all, it was common knowledge in this part of the Central Continent that it wouldn''t be easy to buy grade-2 items, even if someone had the crystals!


    The proportion of blacksmiths capable of producing items of this level and the number of potential customers was genuinely impressive.


    While there were millions of people between the end of the 5th stage and the beginning of the 6th in this region, there were only a few thousand blacksmiths in this range of strength.


    But that wasn''t the only problem. In addition to the lack of labor to produce these weapons, the issue of producing these artifacts also made things difficult. After all, durable items such as items took much longer to be created!


    Lastly, although there was no shortage of materials, these resources were unevenly divided. Moreover, several of them already had owners, not interested in selling them!


    Some families of blacksmiths had their control regions, where they mined the items present in those regions.


    Thus, if an essential item were present in the territory of a family of blacksmiths, then they would most likely not sell such resource...


    With that, it wasn''t so easy to get all the resources needed to develop spiritual artifacts!


    There were many trades involved in each resource valuable to essential professions such as blacksmithing, and this delayed the production of these items.


    And finally, many of these items that were already pre-fabricated were in the hands of powerful cultivators, close to level 50.


    People who would hardly be killed in these areas since high-level conflicts were scarcer around here.


    In general, problems of violence were more concentrated among those below the end of stage 5 of cultivation, something like between levels 30 and 47.


    Under that, the cultivators were very weak. Generally, they didn''t fight, and above that, they were less numerous, much stronger, and more relevant. In this case, the fights were less constant for both sides.


    Of course, conflicts were going on here and there, but that''s because the north of the Central Continent was huge. More than 2 billion people lived in this region, and the territory had more than 50 million square kilometers.


    Because of this size, indeed, when looked at as a whole, there would be several small ''spots'' of conflict happening at any given time. However, when looked at more closely, certain regions could face centuries of peace without significant disputes.


    Anyway, due to all this, it was not easy to find weapons of the level promised by that advertisement in these areas, whether new or used.


    ''But if they can keep that last promise, then I don''t doubt anything about it¡­'' Barbara thought to herself as she pondered about the possibility of learning Silver-grade techniques.


    Such techniques were scarce in this region of the Central Continent. Even the strongest families rarely managed to have more than one of these. And not only that, even major powers like the Miller family could have none of these!


    Such techniques mainly were legacies of the oldest families in this region, which mainly were royal houses. Other than that, there were few cases like that of the Nash family, who had been lucky enough to win the favor of an expert from the Western Empire.


    Because of this, even though some regional powers were almost as rich as the royal families, like Abby''s family, they couldn''t obtain something like this. After all, techniques of this quality would not be sold under any circumstances!


    In fact, even if a family with a member in one of the Flaming Empire''s sects, they could forget about the idea of ??achieving something like that.


    Each Silver-grade technique requires a million medium-grade crystals, which the regional powers of this place could not afford even if they spent everything they had accumulated throughout their history!


    So, even if one were to try to venture outside of this region, getting techniques from that classification wouldn''t be accessible at all.


    And because of that, everyone there had shocked expressions right now.


    They had processed one piece of information at a time as they read that poster. But, after all, it was just impossible for these five not to think about the implications of each of those benefits.


    So, they had been more and more amazed, at the same time, as they thought about every point in this matter.


    Even old Joey, who had no pretensions to getting involved in belligerent matters, had been a little stirred up by it. ''Incredible! I can almost feel the urge to fight deep within my being¡­''  He thought to himself.


    At the same time, Eda was trying to process this whole matter when she suddenly said something. "It says here that there will be this 3-year training, in a special place, better than the cultivation rooms. What do you think of this?"


    And on hearing this point raised by Eda, the four who were close to her suddenly realized that they hadn''t thought of it. ''It is true! How could I let such a thing pass?'' They wondered inwardly.


    Abby then said. "Does he plan to build specific cultivation rooms for the 6th stage of cultivation?"


    "Maybe that''s the meaning. In fact, rooms for Spiritual Kings are better than those available in the Dry City, but the difference shouldn''t be that big. At least not to the point where it can be used alongside these other benefits." Barbara commented, remembering the time she saw one of these rooms at the Schmidt family''s headquarters.


    "It''s true. The cultivation room that my parents use isn''t as often better than the one I use¡­" Abby saw the problem with her suggestion and soon left it behind. ''Anyway, you truly surprised me, Minos!''


    Old Joey then smiled at the four of them and said as he massaged his chin. "I think for now it doesn''t matter. After all, everything else is already pretty good, so it doesn''t make much difference if the promised place is truly that good."


    "You must prepare for this. That will be a great opportunity for you!"

 Chapter 311: The End of the Tour

    After old Joey said this, the five people gradually dispersed as they went on to learn about their respective responsibilities in the army.


    This little tour they had taken was just for them to get to know the basics and finish their registration. But with that over, each of them went their own way, to the roles they''d already been allocated.


    In the final part of the ''tour'' through the headquarters, they had already met the administrative division, which had already prepared functions for each of them.


    By the time the group had completed registration and received their IDs, their information had already appeared in the army''s system. With that, one of the administrative soldiers had already made a schedule for each one of them, following their information and personal preferences.


    So, in the meantime that had passed, that had been resolved, and the group discovered their first activities within the army, just before they saw this earlier poster.


    To begin with, old Joey, who had already made his preferences clear, had been assigned to work in the border administration sector. Even if he were not a fighter, his cultivation level would make him useful in places like this, where he could solve problems solely through the strength of his cultivation.


    Of course, that wouldn''t be so significant for now, as there wasn''t much difference between his level and that of the soldiers stationed at the border. However, with his Black talent and the same resources as these soldiers, even though Joey was an old man, he could still cultivate a little faster than them.


    So, that role seemed to work well for Joey''s profile.


    There would also be a lot of other Sergeants at the border, so it wouldn''t be necessary for him to fight or anything. However, most of these men were formed by just warriors, people who may not have the best strategies or management.


    But for someone experienced like Joey, peaceful and who valued actions more administrative than warlike, this would be a good job.


    For now, he would be under the leadership of another Sergeant. Still, in the future, he could become the leader of a border post, such as the army''s seaside base. Then, Minos could have this old man managing, while other high-level soldiers would play the role of protectors.


    After all, the subdivision of future army leaders had not yet been created, and most of these soldiers had only ordinary education before the army.


    Anyway, in addition, Joey, like the other four, would have to attend some geopolitics classes for new soldiers. That was intended to make the army''s situation clear to these members by discussing potential threats, enemies, plans, army beliefs, etc.


    Every soldier needed to know about these matters, so these five would have to participate in these activities.


    Other than that, Joey also had some administrative activities at headquarters, where he could use his long experience. After all, he could be considered the oldest person in the Black Plain Army...


    As for Barbara, Robin, and Abby, they had also been given a border position. Both of these women were warriors, and they would be most helpful in this location due to their levels.


    For now, the borders of Minos'' territory were limited to the walls of the Dry City and the army''s seaside base. However, as small as it was and therefore easier to control, this was still a matter of prime importance.


    The most significant risk to Minos'' territory today was the possibility that news of the city''s change would leak out to the noble families of the Brown Kingdom. And to reduce that chance, protecting the borders was the best alternative in the local sovereign''s view.


    Firstly, they ensured that any citizen who leaves the territory of the Dry City was analyzed correctly without leaving any gaps. Second, stopping external threats even before they reach the region protected by the wall.


    There was the possibility of merchants passing through the city. However, this was quite rare. In general, merchants from the Brown Kingdom who passed through the Dry City mainly were individuals who only came here when the need arose.


    For example, when the local sovereign asked for it, at the request of the local citizens, when there was a need to import items. Apart from that, merchants who passed through the Dry City without prior contact were either small traders with no connections to noble powers or individuals from other states, as Elen was.


    Because of this, the people who visited the current Dry City for business or passing through, in addition to being few, were overwhelmingly from other kingdoms in the region and ordinary people. An example of this was the coachman who had brought Peter''s family here previously.


    Anyway, the army had the job of allowing the entrance of these individuals, considering whether they could cause problems or not in this place. They gave recommendations and collected data from these visitors, increasing local control over visitants.


    And with more people in this job, it would become more and more achievable for the local soldiers.


    Because of this, these three young women had been assigned to this role. Apart from Abby, who would also have an administrative position, given her education, the other two would not get involved in matters of this nature.


    Only the brute strength of warriors from the 5th stage of cultivation, with Black-grade techniques, was what they would provide to the army.


    As a result, the two young women would spend most of their working hours on the walls under the orders of other Sergeants. And for Abby, she would have a role somewhat similar to Joey''s, participating in the management of these posts.


    And halfway through her work, this young woman would be at headquarters, doing administrative activities. Minos knew that despite her being a capable warrior, Abby''s strength would be her intelligence. Of course, she could be useful in fights, but there were already plenty of soldiers who could do that.


    However, few could genuinely become leaders in the future. But in the case of this young woman with blue hair, she was not only fit for such a role, but she had already received all the necessary education.


    In this way, Minos did not intend to waste the Miller family''s teaching years. Instead, he wanted to put Abby to prepare the future division of army leaders.


    That would not be done overnight. After all, the ruler of the Black Plain would not simply copy what the Miller family did.


    Abby would give him pointers on how to do this, but at the end of the day, this matter would have to be in line with his ideas and the potential of the Black Plain Army.


    But it was okay that this was done gradually. At the moment, apart from Abby, only the two youths that Minos had brought into the army, Lee and Alison, had the minimum qualifications he required.


    Consequently, there was still some time before there was a great need regarding this issue.


    Finally, Eda had been assigned to work at headquarters as a protector. She had no right to command for now, but only Minos and Dillian could command this woman, given the level she was at.


    After all, Eda could be considered the second strongest person in the Dry City at this point. And with that, her work would not match the routine of border soldiers.


    It would also be bizarre if someone with the strength of a Spiritual General near the peak were working as a border guard...


    Unless the power behind these people were terrifying, such a thing would never happen. Therefore, such a situation could draw negative attention to the Dry City, something unwanted at the moment.


    On the other hand, as Minos usually worked at the government mansion, it would be interesting if the strongest person in the army stayed at headquarters, protecting the place. After all, many valuable items were in that place, and it wasn''t good to take chances.


    You never know when an enemy might try to enter your territory. As a result, even peak organizations might fail to stop security breaches. And Minos knew it.


    In this case, for now, Eda would be the card in the army''s sleeve in situations like these if someone managed to circumvent the local security measures.


    ...


    Finally, as the five new Sergeants of Minos'' army raced to their roles, it was time for the second part of the selection of new recruits to start!

 Chapter 312: The Second Part of Selection 1

    It was still early in the Dry City when one of the gates of the headquarters of the local army was already full of people waiting outside that place.


    The results of the background investigations had come out yesterday. So, today, those able to continue in the selection would take the first day of examination!


    More than 7,000 people would start competing today for 2,400 jobs in the army, which would be subdivided into 50 spots for cultivators in the 5th stage of cultivation, 400 for the 4th, 800 for the 3rd, 800 for the 2nd, and 350 for those in the 1st stage of cultivation.


    Although Minos wanted to hire as many early-stage cultivators as possible, there weren''t enough young people in the Dry City for him to pursue such a goal. For this reason, the number of vacancies for new soldiers did not continue to grow as the stages of cultivation diminished.


    But that was just expected. The current population of his city was still tiny, and many children were already either in the army or in the local academy. So, for now, he couldn''t fully pursue his goals.


    Anyway, for the young people in the 1st stage of cultivation, there would not be a later stage of the exam, as it would make no sense for such a thing to happen... After all, these young people did not have combat techniques, so they could not demonstrate their prowess.


    Thus, this group would have to compete only based on their natural abilities, considering talent, Physique, and skill type. Obviously, those closer to level 10 could have some competitive advantage, but that would be secondary.


    In the 1st stage of cultivation, even ordinary people can level up every few days, so the level alone would be used as a tiebreaker.


    Then, even if people in the 2nd stage already had at least one battle technique, they would receive the same benefit as those in the 1st stage.


    The fighting abilities of these young people were meager. Most likely, the fights would not be able to determine the most talented ones.


    And even if these 2nd stage individuals already possessed a battle technique, they wouldn''t be able to fight the soldiers of the local army. After all, the last selection took place just over six months ago, and those 1st stage kids were all in the 3rd phase now!


    Because of all this, it would not make sense to demand these young people fight.


    Finally, competitors in the last three groups would not have any of these previous advantages. They would have to pass all the tests, and only those who proved themselves the most adept could succeed.


    ...


    While the beautiful blue sky, without clouds in the sky, lit up that part of the headquarters, where the selection was made, Alina had already arrived in the middle of that crowd.


    Alina had gone through the army''s information check and saw her name on the published list in the neighborhood where she and her family lived. However, she hadn''t been surprised.


    As someone born and raised in this place, Alina valued the opportunities given by Minos very highly, never having committed any infractions.


    However, even if she was someone complicated, maybe she still hadn''t made a fuss. After all, since Minos'' arrival in the Dry City, this young woman had wanted to join the local ruler''s army.


    And for someone with an average talent like hers, Alina had to work hard and constantly train to improve herself!


    With that, this young woman would not have time to get into trouble or cause any misunderstanding. All she had at the moment was an overwhelming desire to win and fulfill her dream.


    Therefore, her determination was not small!


    Anyway, the lines outside that large area in the middle of the city were already starting to form, with several soldiers already giving their directions.


    Just as it had happened, these soldiers were handing out passwords to the people already in line while giving entrance to those already numbered people.


    The number of competitors was not small, and because of that, it wasn''t leaving these people in lines, which could disrupt the movement in the streets.


    And in the arena at the back of the headquarters, there was room for most of these people to sit while they wait for their calls. Unlike the previous test, where competitors only gave their identification, in this new part of the selection, they would have their physical characteristics analyzed, along with the resolution of an oral test.


    Because of this, the time each competitor would take in this test would be longer than in the previous one.


    Anyway, after some time, Alina finally got the number 322 when she entered that arena at the headquarters.


    In that place, things were very similar to how they had happened before. There was a set of tents in the middle of the stage at that place, numbered from 1 to 50.


    Other than that, the only difference was that there were chairs for the competitors, on the side of each of these tents.


    And after walking a few meters, Alina finally took a seat in an empty spot in the stands, not far from the stage.


    Given the number she had taken upon entering this place, this young woman had in mind that it would not be long before she was called. At the latest, she would probably have to wait half an hour before her turn.


    Anyway, as she rested and waited for her turn, Alina could see that the first competitors were already being called.


    "Numbers 1 to 50, come to any of these stalls." An examiner said out loud.


    Finally, the first of the long list of competitors began arriving on that stage, eager to start this event.


    ...


    "Young man, you can sit down and pass on your ID." An examiner said as he looked at the young man who didn''t even look 15.


    Hearing this, the young man immediately handed over his ID and sat down in the chair there while crossing his arms.


    Today, three people were in that tent, one behind an array displaying the ID information, another with the physical test array, and an elderly gentleman holding a clipboard.


    And after a few seconds, finally, the woman checking the young man''s information said in a low voice. "John, 14-years-old, a citizen of the Yellow City, he can continue in this selection."


    She, of course, was confirming that this competitor had indeed passed the background check. After all, it wouldn''t be so strange if some smart-ass tried to continue in the exam, even without being called up...


    And after having his participation confirmed, John finally heard the explanation of the old man who held the clipboard about how the exam would be. "Well, for starters, we''ll do a little physical test, which will inform us of your characteristics. But it''s no big deal. It''s just something like what you did before leaving the spiritual academy. Do you remember?"


    "Yea." The young man responded reflexively.


    "Good, you should know that this test takes a few minutes to complete, given the low rating of the arrays used in these tests."


    And upon hearing that, John nodded his head, indicating that he understood this while paying attention to the man who was still talking.


    "OK, since you understand the procedure, we''ll start by doing your physical test, and then, while we wait for your result, I''ll ask you some questions."


    "This... This isn''t about technical knowledge, is it?" He asked a little anxiously, afraid of that person''s answer.


    This young man had not studied at all, as this had not happened in previous selections. So, he was now very anxious to know that he had to answer questions.


    Hearing John''s unsure tone, the three people standing there laughed for a moment when the woman from before said. "Don''t worry, John, this has nothing to do with technical knowledge. These are just questions to determine what you would do in certain situations..."


    And hearing that, John immediately let out a long sigh of relief. ''Good thing!'' He cheered internally.


    After that, his physical test quickly began. Then, the array started to analyze his characteristics, and the young man began to answer the old man''s questions.

 Chapter 313: The Second Part of Selection 2

    While John was answering the questions asked by that examiner, in other stalls, the same thing was happening.


    Candidates were being attended little by little while the bleachers in that arena were filling quickly. And soon, the typical noise of the crowds permeated that place, with the conversations of thousands of people waiting there.


    Gradually the first competitors called at the first moment were now leaving, giving space to other people.


    "Competitor number 57, go to stall 40..."


    ...


    "Competitor 65, go to stall 3..."


    ...


    The calls continued as more people came and went from that stage.


    At that moment, competitor number 65 arrived at stall 3, immediately handing over his identification to start this test.


    And while he was sitting there waiting for identification, an examiner checking his information suddenly asked in surprise. "Wow, are you that, Mr. Quinn?"


    "Yea." He replied.


    And upon hearing that examiner''s question, the other two looked at Quinn dubiously and questioned him. "Are you truly Mr. Quinn? The one who is in the first position in the Cultivation Ranking?"


    The Dry City Cultivation Raking had already become popular, and many citizens tried their ''luck'' in that place. However, soldiers also had fun paying attention to the top positions in that ranking.


    After all, those cultivators in the top positions were the ones who had the best chance of coming out in first place and winning a job in the army!


    And many of the soldiers had friends, family, and acquaintances who tried their best in that place. So, in addition to the fun of following the classification, they also did it to find out about the positions of these people.


    Because of this, these three examiners, who were in that tent number 3, knew very well the name of Quinn, who had been in the first place in the Cultivation Ranking for two months!


    That was precisely the minimum requirement to earn a place in the army, and for these three people, they were surprised to meet such a person.


    Quinn''s name was already known throughout Dry City due to his ranking position, so he had already become famous in this place. So many people talked about him and how he was doing well, earning the enviable 500 low-grade crystals a month due to his position!


    Some were just content to see a young man succeed in ascending with his abilities, but others were a little envious of him. There were even those who were happy that the selection had arrived so that Quinn no longer appeared in the first...


    Anyway, Quinn, who looked like a man in his thirties, with a robust and tall body, black hair, finally nodded and answered the other two''s question. "Yes, It''s truly me. They told me that I had to go through this first part of the selection to get my place in the army, is there a problem?"


    "No, that''s the standard procedure..." One of them replied, still somewhat surprised to know this figure here.


    But they didn''t stay that way for long and soon began to explain what would happen next. "Quinn, even though you earned the right to a spot through the Cultivation Ranking, we still have to judge you in this test. Such a thing means that if you do not meet the requirements, you will lose out, just as any other candidate would be. OK?"


    "OK."


    "Well, if everything is as required by the army, you won''t need to participate in the subsequent phases of this selection. And after a week, when the next exam starts, you can come to the headquarters to make your identification and start your activities."


    "Oh? And how will I know if I passed this part?" He asked.


    "It will be like the previous phase. The names will be announced on the murals in each neighborhood. You just have to worry about seeing it the day before the next exam starts."


    "All right."


    After that, Quinn started taking her test, answering a few questions while waiting for the results of his physical exam.


    "Have you ever killed? If killed, how many people?"


    ...


    "Suppose you are in love. Would you be able to do something that could end up harming this person you love in some way if it guaranteed that you would be together?"


    ...


    "Suppose there are three people at risk, and you can only save two of them. For the other, that one would surely die if you didn''t save such a person. One is a child, one is a man, and one is a woman. The child has a disability. The woman is beautiful and knows how to appeal for help. The man is an ordinary person, with no good points to show, ugly, but seems worried about the other two people... They..."


    "Who would you save? And why?"


    ...


    "Is there anyone you wouldn''t be able to hurt? If so, why?"


    ...


    "What is your biggest objective when joining the army? Do you have any dreams besides being a soldier?"


    ...


    Quinn answered one by one of these and other questions when finally, the person writing down his answers finished asking questions.


    At that point, the spiritual array finally displayed his result on a blue screen, which could be seen by all of them.


    - Level: 39


    - Talent: Blue


    - Physique: Warrior


    "Well, we have almost everything, Quinn." The person behind the physical test array said as he paused for a moment to write something down and then continued. "Lastly, we need you to tell us what your innate ability is."


    "What? But isn''t that a very private thing to ask?" He questioned surprisingly.


    In fact, such a thing was generally not common to say in public. Or rather, most cultivators kept the information of their innate abilities as much as possible.


    Anyway, seeing the reaction expected from anyone, on Quinn''s face, the same person as before, then said. "It''s truly our intrusion, but depending on the innate ability a competitor has, it can completely change his position in the army."


    "For common competitors, this could mean immediate approval. But for you who have already won the right to a place, this may not mean so much..."


    "However, this can even help you gain access to some rare resources that even the best soldiers dream of having¡­" He said vaguely so as not to expose too much of what was happening internally in the army to a person who hadn''t officially entered yet.


    ''I see... So, there are other benefits beyond what the citizens know.'' Quinn thought for a moment when he finally made up his mind. "Well, I don''t think my ability can help me achieve anything special since it''s not a battle type. But anyway, my innate ability allows me to repel water..."


    After that, Quinn exchanged a few more words with those examiners before finally leaving that tent and heading out of headquarters.


    These people had wished him good luck, but Quinn felt a little awkward about those questions from before.


    ''What was the point of those questions? Most of it seemed like there wasn''t a single answer, and I can''t tell if I did well or not¡­'' He thought as he made his way to his place of work.


    In fact, the questions asked in this selection had no right or wrong answers. That was just to determine which people would be more problematic in certain situations.


    Some might consider a more general context when solving a problem, but others wouldn''t. Some people would get carried away by simple tips, which could lead them to make serious mistakes.


    In some situations, there would be a need for more analytical, rational, and calm thoughts. However, in other cases, acting empathically, considering possible losses would be more advisable.


    Minos didn''t expect to hire people without personality, who only knew how to act in one way. There''s no need to have either 8 or 80. It''s best to have both. Knowing how to differentiate when an approach is the best is what would distinguish a capable individual.


    The one who only knows how to repeat the same pattern is an individual who will one-day face despair.


    The defeat.


    The disappointment.


    ...


    Quickly the minutes passed, and finally, Alina''s number had been called.


    She had gone directly to tent number 43, where the last competitor of this selection had just left that place.


    And when she arrived there, she was soon instructed on what would happen in this exam, immediately taking her exam, shortly after her identification was confirmed.

 Chapter 314: An Unusual Ability

    While the array was processing Alina''s physical test result, one of the examiners quickly started asking her different questions.


    Such questions were the same as the town''s Cultivation Ranking leader, Quinn, had heard earlier. That was the set of questions prepared by the selection organization and which was being applied to all competitors.


    Finally, Alina started to answer the first question. "No, I never killed anyone."


    Hearing this, the examiner, who held a clipboard of papers in his hands, asked her without any change in his countenance. "Why?"


    "I have always lived in the Dry City, and before Mr. Minos arrived, I had never imagined becoming a warrior. I cultivated techniques focused on this aspect, but that wasn''t something I thought of using in battle. Instead, I thought I would become an ordinary worker, like my mother."


    "Allied to that, I was lucky never to be involved in a dangerous situation in which my life would be at risk. Consequently, I never needed to kill anyone." She replied sincerely.


    At the same time, that soldier with the clipboard was writing down everything Alina had said while chewing some candy. "OK. Let''s go to the next question."


    ...


    "No, even if I were in love with someone, I would never try to harm that person just to get him to stay with me. If I loved someone, then even if he needed or wanted to leave, I would fully support him."


    ...


    "I would save the child and the man." She replied after thinking for a few seconds about the situation presented by the previous question.


    It was difficult to save someone and, at the same time, abandon someone else. Still, given the situation, Alina knew there wasn''t much to do. If there were indeed only the possibility of saving only two people, leaving one to die, then that would still be the most acceptable attitude.


    Unfortunately, the world could be ruthless. In some circumstances, either an individual would strive to save at least one person at risk, or they could all end up dying.


    Indecision could lead to the worst possible results!


    And in this case, given the impossibility of saving the three people, due to the description of the question, then trying to do something like saving the three would be very dangerous.


    That could result in the death of the entire group, relying on the person who originally had nothing to do with the situation, the savior...


    That is, instead of one death, the worst result could be four deaths. And that was unacceptable!


    Sometimes you can''t avoid inevitable deaths.


    That is sad? Yeah, but there''s nothing to be done. Not even individuals who reach level 100 have invincible powers. They are not all-powerful or omniscient. Therefore, some deaths could not be avoided.


    However, the unfortunate thing would be the case of preventable deaths. For example, suppose someone tried to save the three people, and all four ended up dead. For one of them, such a thing was inevitable, but for the others, especially the one who had tried to save the others, it would be a cruel fate.


    There was some sense in dying in battle, fighting for life or freedom, dreams, but not in a situation like that.


    For all that, Alina had responded without much hesitation.


    The examiner continued his note while asking her. "Why would you leave the woman behind?"


    "First, I would never abandon a child. It doesn''t matter if the child is disabled or not. A child should not be abandoned under any circumstances. With that, there remains the man and the woman."


    "Given the man''s description, he seems to be preoccupied with the lives of the other two people, unlike the woman''s behavior. She seems to want to save herself most of all and doesn''t seem too worried about the child." She replied calmly.


    The question included several details about the behavior of each of the characters, and Alina had not felt well with the woman''s behavior. ''For this story, the three people must be a family. But I feel like this woman would flirt with the savior, if he were a man, to ensure her salvation¡­'' She thought about it, feeling uncomfortable.


    "OK."


    ...


    "Yes, there is someone I am not capable of hurting. She is my mother. I guess I don''t need to explain why right?" She asked with a slight smile on her face.


    "Haha, no, I can understand. OK, last question. What is your goal in the army, and is there any other dream for you besides becoming a soldier?"


    "My goal is to become strong and be able to provide a better and more comfortable life for my family. By joining the army, I will be able to pay for numerous resources that my family would never be able to afford, including allowing my parents to live much longer."


    "As for other goals... Let me see, something unrelated to joining the army... I''d like to have my own family and see my descendants do great things."


    "OK. That''s all, Alina." The examiner said as he finished his task and went behind the bench in that stall.


    After that, the result of her physical examination was finally presented on the array''s screen.


    - Level: 29


    - Talent: Blue


    - Physique: King


    "Okay, young Alina, lastly, what is your innate ability? That can help you get benefits in the army if you pass the selection." An old man said as he scratched his eyes to see if he didn''t see something wrong.


    ''Physique of King-grade! Impressive, she must have quite a powerful ability!'' He thought shockingly as he still watched the physical test array''s screen.


    Someone born with a Blue talent and a Physique of a different degree than the Warrior one was something tough to happen. In fact, such a thing could be considered typical as children with talents superior to their parents!


    So, this old soldier was positively surprised by the result of Alina''s physical test.


    King-grade Physique''s innate abilities were so good that many noble families invested in individuals with such traits, even if they lacked the desirable Black talent.


    But unfortunately for Alina, or perhaps, fortunately, the former spiritual academy in this town, there was no subordinate of large noble families working regulation around here. The only one who would come here occasionally was principal Lionel.


    However, he only came to the Dry City when youths with Black talent showed up, totally ignoring this other possibility. Consequently, the former Black Star Academy''s employees, who were ignorant and unaware of the matter, had not even passed this information on to the Gill family.


    In fact, they had thought that this was an error of the spiritual array, which was already very old and occasionally needed maintenance...


    Consequently, Alina had not been called to any noble family.


    And on this young woman''s side, she had also always thought that her ability would have no use in battle, so she hadn''t run after such a thing. ''I could, at most, work destroying the garbage...'' She thought about it back then, when she''d convinced herself that her skill wouldn''t serve to place her in a noble family.


    Alina then sighed and said. "I don''t think my ability can be of use to the army. Anyway, I don''t know much about it, but I name it, Disintegration."


    "Oh? I have never heard of such an ability. Maybe it is a new variant." The old man commented in a low voice.


    Innate abilities could be any type.


    However, when individuals with compatible natural abilities and Physiques of the same degree had children, these offspring had a high chance of inheriting an innate ability similar to those of the parents.


    And because of that, many abilities had already become famous across the Central Continent, given the vast presence of individuals with similar powers. Thus, for example, a family could be renowned for its innate ability to control flames... And in it, although it may differ in each person, in more general analysis, they would be considered from the same class of abilities.


    Hence, the reason for the old soldier''s comment. There were skills related to flames, water, wind, visual skills, stat-boosting, etc. There were many large families of innate abilities, with variations of the same class of power.


    Two individuals with flame-related powers, while one could produce lava, the other could absorb and release heat with his flames. Anyway, the possibilities were endless, and each individual would have different characteristics.


    On the other hand, there were variant abilities...

 Chapter 315: Variant Abilities

    Variant abilities were those that had unusual characteristics. They could be very different from the skills of the father and the mother, as if they were a fusion that takes a little from each side, forming something completely new.


    But contrary to what one might imagine, skills like these could hardly be passed on to later generations. After all, this kind of heredity would only work with abilities with many similarities.


    However, those of the variant type used to be much more different when compared to other skills than the ''traditional'' ones. Consequently, it would be tough for two people with similar characteristics to procreate!


    And for the variant-type, there was a specific problem that could also make this issue even more difficult. That was the lack of information!


    While traditional skills had entire families, organizations with information about them, these variant skills did not.


    Information about traditional skills was widely spread, and people, even outside large organizations, knew a thing or two about them. In addition, there was a much deeper common knowledge about them, which let people know how powerful a young person would be in the future.


    These people could be valued from the beginning in a specific power, where they could be guided in the most suitable path, improving their efficiency, strength, etc.


    Consequently, these traditional skills were often easier to develop, and those young people with the best ones would be valued.


    On the other hand, for the variant abilities, something different happened. As there was little information, in some cases none, it was seen less significantly.


    They could have as much potential, or even more, than traditional ones. However, one couldn''t tell how important it could be until someone grew up completely.


    But not everyone would be willing to wait for something like this as if it were a gamble. So, either that individual would bring minimally decent results, or he would be a complete waste...


    Coupled with the fact that skills like these could hardly be replicated, these people became less attractive to most organizations.


    Innate abilities may or may not affect an individual''s potential for specific areas as well. For example, Abby''s ability didn''t empower her one bit to become a doctor. On the other hand, someone could have a skill that enables that person to use techniques focused on hand-to-hand fights.


    And for this second type, individuals who had them, if they were directed to learn spiritual techniques aimed at these areas, they could have a terrifying development!


    For example, there is Roger, who had fought in the Spiritual Tournament. He possessed an innate skill related to using the spear, so he had specialized in this weapon.


    Consequently, he was one of the young men who had the highest fighting proficiency in that competition, ranking second only to Minos!


    That justified the fact that he could fight stronger opponents than himself, even with techniques of the same rating!


    Such was the effect of innate abilities!


    For all that, abilities like Alina''s, in many cases, were underestimated due to the little information and the lousy development that its users had.


    Anyway, the old man sighed for a moment and then said. "Can you demonstrate your skill? As it is one of the variant types, I''m afraid I can''t describe its without seeing it."


    That wasn''t the only reason he asked for it. After all, they needed to know if each of these competitors was telling the truth about their innate abilities.


    It wouldn''t be impossible for some funny competitor to show up pretending to have different abilities...


    Because of this, these examiners were asking for demonstrations for all these competitors.


    Of course, there would be no need for that if a given competitor decided not to talk about his ability... It wasn''t mandatory, just something that could help those who could pass the selection.


    And finally, Alina took a metal hairpin from her head and held it in her left hand.


    It was silver, looking like a small boomerang, smaller than the palm of a grown woman''s hand.


    And while she held that in an open hand for the examiners to see, Alina finally activated her innate ability.


    In that instant, the three examiners could see an incredible sight to behold as the staple disintegrated into several different particles, forming a fistful of dust in Alina''s hand.


    That had happened in just 3 seconds since the activation of Alina''s innate ability and the complete disintegration of that. However, the three people who had paid attention to this had seen every detail as if time had slowed down.


    The hairpin had first started to turn into ''dust'' across the surface, as if it were ''shifting skin'' rapidly, as the substances mixed with each other, forming a handful of dust.


    It looked like a small mound of sand, with several mixed colors. There was silver, gold, red, yellow, which gave different sensations when touched...


    ''Interesting, that would truly be useful for eliminating evidence¡­'' One of the three examiners thought about it for a moment, trying to find a use for it.


    ''In her house for sure, there is no accumulated garbage...''


    ''Ahh, if she joins the army, surely she won''t feel disgusted cleaning the headquarters...''


    And after those people thought for a moment, the old man with a clipboard in his hand finally said. "Well, young Alina, we can''t tell if your skill is something we''re in need. But, it is fascinating. Anyway, keep an eye on the mural that''s in your neighborhood. If you pass to the next phase, your name will appear there. Just like it happened before."


    Hearing this, Alina didn''t change her expression much, as she didn''t expect to be approved right away just because of her innate ability. However, she still had one question in mind. "I thought that this phase of selection wasn''t to eliminate candidates."


    "Hmm, it wasn''t before. But at this time, it is. Remember the questions I asked you a few moments ago?" the old man asked.


    "Yea."


    "There is more than one acceptable answer for each question, but there are certain answers that can eliminate the competitors that give them. And other answers that are considered negative. For these, a competitor can accumulate at most two of these. If there is a third, then one would be eliminated from the selection."


    "I see..." She said in a low voice as she thought about it. ''I thought the questions were just to determinate the profile of the participants... But it seems they want to eliminate certain types of people.''


    After that, Alina said goodbye to those three examiners, heading back to her house. Right now, she still had a few hours to spare until her next shift at work, so she wanted to relax a little more.


    She had been quite anxious the night before and had barely been able to sleep...


    Finally, as she left the Black Plain Army''s headquarters, Alina could see the crowd of thousands of people in that place, already forming a few lines at the entrance there.


    Not everyone had arrived early for this day, and with an arrival rate higher than the departure rate, the place had quickly filled up.


    On the other hand, the soldiers were still handing out passwords to the newcomers, who couldn''t enter that arena until they got this.


    And as she walked out of there, heading for one of the city''s residential neighborhoods, Alina had several thoughts in mind. ''I hope I haven''t made a big mistake. Some of those questions had truly made me feel a little doubtful about what should be done.''


    ''But as Mr. Minos is so kind to us simple citizens, I believe that simple and direct answers are the right ones. As long as nothing too immoral is said, I think anyone can pass¡­'' She thought, sometimes showing a particular concern on her face, and at other times, certain anxiety.


    The questions commissioned by Minos indeed took into account common sense, simplicity. In fact, many questions had several acceptable answers, even if some were even a little problematic.


    But as long as an individual wasn''t too extreme or did think about his responses, then it wouldn''t be that hard to get through.


    However, if a competitor didn''t even know how to answer what should be done in a given situation, or rather, someone who didn''t know how to follow the rules... Then someone like that couldn''t join Minos'' forces.


    Finally, some troubled individuals could drop certain tips and lose points with negative responses. With this, Minos hoped to eliminate some ''bad apples'' from the selection already at this stage.

 Chapter 316: Happy With The Result

    While the selection of new soldiers for the Black Plain Army was taking place in the Dry City, six days passed quickly.


    The physical examination and oral test results would come out today, and tomorrow, the next stage of this selection in which the competitors would fight each other would begin.


    After that day of exams, the thousands of competitors had been eagerly awaiting such a moment when they could finally fight for places.


    The city was vibrant, and even the fights in the local arena had increased in frequency. Some competitors felt that it was more appropriate to spend this remaining time fighting each other, improving their respective combat proficiencies.


    Consequently, even people who had no involvement in the selection of soldiers were excited. Being able to see more and more fights in the local arena was beneficial for them, being something that was both educational and exciting to watch!


    After all, fights have always been in the taste of cultivators, even those of ordinary people. That was a form of entertainment that moved the masses!


    ...


    At the same time, in which the Dry City lived this special moment, a group of three men entered a specific establishment in a city full of flowers in the Cromwell Kingdom.


    Of the three, one wore noble clothes, looking like a young knight, while carrying a sword on his back, which contrasted with his noble side. Beside him, two middle-aged men accompanied him. They wore different armor but with the same engraved symbol.


    This symbol looked like a deer, which had several thorns around its neck, dripping like blood.


    That was the symbol of the Reid family of the Kingdom of the Waves!


    Of these three people, the young nobleman who the two middle-aged men were escorting was the brother of the late Tristram Reid, who Minos had killed in the Peak of the Fog.


    After Christian had received the ultimatum of Tristram''s wife, Misty, this ''good brother'' had immediately begun preparations to settle this matter.


    He had gathered all the information the family had discovered so far, which had led him to the City of Flowers, Tristram''s last known location.


    And by finding out about the conflict that had taken place in these areas at the time of Tristram''s death, the Reid family had already found out about the person who had sold such information.


    In fact, by the time Misty had ''challenged'' him, the Reid family had already found out about the old man who had sold the information about the medicine. However, they had discovered this through the help of an associate in the Cromwell Kingdom, who had heard about the matter.


    Then, after receiving such news, Christian had decided to take responsibility for it and come here. It had taken him over two months to get across the entire distance between the Reid family''s headquarters and the City of Flowers, which he had arrived at last night.


    At the same time, one of the people who had already been sent ahead, one of the two men who were with him, had already located the old man in question. This subordinate of the Reid family had been keeping an eye on that man since he learned Christian would be in charge of this matter.


    Anyway, after all that, the three people were finally in a relic shop, where outside there was a prominent symbol of a bird looking at a map.


    Upon entering that place, the group could see a series of shop windows with different maps and prices. Other than that, there were a few navigational artifacts here and there, as would be seen in any store of this type.


    Finally, there were few customers at the time, only two of them, while an old man was attending in a small reception there.


    And seeing this old man, the subordinate who the Reid family had sent before Christian, then said to the young man in a low voice. "Young master, that is the man we are looking for. He is the one who sold the information about Warrior-grade medicine at that time."


    "Oh? All right, let''s talk to him." Christian said at the same time that he was walking directly to where the owner of this store was.


    At the same time, this old man immediately noticed the arrival of new customers, who seemed to want to talk to him. He then left his place and went straight to Christian''s group with a smile on his face. "May I know how I can help you?" He said politely.


    This man, of course, had sensed the strength of the three who had just entered this place. After all, they were dressed differently, as if they were a powerful group, so there was no way this man could not try to probe them.


    And in doing so, he quickly realized that of the three, one was at level 45, one at 47, and the other at 48. That was a formidable force to travel across the north of the Central Continent!


    With that, this old man had not taken long to get up and serve them with as much politeness as possible.


    Finally, Christian looked at the person in front of him, who looked like a man without much more time to live, thin and dry and full of gray hair. He then started talking. "We learned that your store, in addition to having superb navigation materials, there is also the possibility of buying information, is that right?"


    Upon hearing the compliment, the shop owner immediately smiled and commented. "Haha, you are very kind. But in fact, we sell some information in this humble shop. May I know what you want to know?"


    "A few weeks before the Spiritual Tournament took place. This store sold the location of a certain Warrior-grade medicine to various individuals. I want to know about the information of each of these people." Christian said resolutely.


    He wasn''t here to act against this old man. After all, in addition to being the only one who could help them solve this matter, the owner of this store was also a figure who only cared about crystals. So, instead of causing a bigger problem by attacking this old man, Christian would just use the easier and faster way.


    That would avoid offending the rulers of this town, who did not allow fighting in the city''s urban area.


    Anyway, upon hearing Christian''s response, the old owner of this store was surprised for a moment, as he remembered that event. But he wasn''t scared or anything like that, as situations like this had happened to him in the past.


    Some individuals or organizations were very fond of causing and solving problems. Such a thing was very profitable!


    ''Hehe, it looks like my bet was right! Some big shot must have died at that event, and now his family is looking into the matter!'' He thought.


    And this old man had already got used to this lifestyle. So, he quickly thought about it, without getting too emotional, when he started to speak. "Oh, so that''s it... Well, I naturally don''t have the names of those involved, as I don''t ask for that kind of information."


    "However, I have detailed descriptions of each of them." He said this with a slight smile on his face.


    As an ''informant,'' this old man had long ago learned how valuable preventive work was...


    If he wanted to cause and solve problems, he needed to have the means to do so. Only then could he profit the most from it!


    And by selling the information about the location of that spiritual medicine, this old man already knew what could happen at that time. Therefore, competitors for this item had a high chance of getting involved in a battle for that item, resulting in deaths.


    And as many nobles participated in the Spiritual Tournament, this old man knew that knowing how to identify the appearances of those people would be relevant to his business!


    So, he had used one of his subordinates to produce paintings, with the approximate appearances of each of those people who bought that information...


    "The descriptions? Do you talk about images or just physical characteristics?" One of the Reid family''s subordinates asked promptly.


    "Both things, hehe."


    "Well, haha, I''m going to buy information and paintings from these people. How much do you want for this?" Christian asked with a smile on his face.


    He couldn''t help but be happy with this result. That would help a lot in this young man''s plans.

 Chapter 317: The Knife and the Cheese in the Hand

    It made no difference to Christian whether or not this old man in this store had set up the situation that led to his brother''s death.


    And in a way, if that were indeed the case here, then this young man would even feel a little grateful to the owner of this store!


    But don''t get it wrong, it''s not that this young man hated his little brother or had big problems. He hadn''t. The two of them had always gotten along very well until Tristram had met Misty.


    At that time, Christian had already fallen in love with Misty, even before that young man killed by Minos married this girl, and Christian wanted to have her at any cost...


    This young man had always had a stubborn personality, and when something entered his mind, he could not stop thinking or acting to make it happen.


    Misty messed with Christian''s mind in such a way that the formerly womanizing and wanton young man had quickly lost interest in other women.


    For him, only Misty could make him feel like a complete man!


    Consequently, Christian was prepared to try everything to steal his brother''s then-wife.


    However, he knew that Misty truly loved Tristram, and because of that, it wouldn''t be easy for him to steal her in the past. After all, that woman would not simply accept to sleep with someone who somehow related to the possible death of her lover.


    As for the possibility of adultery, it also didn''t seem to be easy for Christian to get it from her. Despite always having a rakish behavior, Misty never went further than she should, staying at the limit of what would be ''allowed''...


    She was someone who accepted flirting and would even let other men watch her, even in more intimate situations.


    It didn''t bother her. Instead, she treated such situations as compliments... But, she had always been faithful to Tristram.


    For all this, Christian had been grateful when he received the news that his beloved younger brother had died...


    In part, he felt terrible, but it was undeniable that this had created a unique opportunity for him. Now, not only did he not have to kill his own brother, creating hostility in the family and perhaps losing his only chance with Misty, but he could also avenge him now!


    That was amazing to Christian. It was like he had the knife and cheese in his hand!


    He would naturally investigate and kill his ''dear'' brother''s killers and then gain Misty''s favor. With this, this widow could finally comfort herself in the arms of Christian, whom she could trust and learn to love...


    For all that, Christian was more than happy to negotiate with this individual, not even thinking about killing him for what happened to Tristram.


    Anyway, while he saw the expression of satisfaction on the young man''s face, the old owner of this store was satisfied too, as he thought about the amount he should charge. ''This young man seems very happy about it... Well, I can charge a price a little above normal... But I can''t exaggerate either!''


    "Well, we have the paintings of 15 people as well as their physical characteristics and cultivation levels at that time. With all this, given the work involved in this type of business, I believe that the price of 4,000 crystals per person is fair."


    He then made a poker face and then completed it. "60,000 low-grade crystals work for me."


    Hearing this, the two subordinates of the Reid family, who weren''t aware of Christian''s happiness with the whole outcome, were getting increasingly irritated.


    This old man in front of them seemed to be the primary cause of their young master''s death, someone who had a great future ahead and that could help the family in the future. However, this old man was not apologetic, but he was trying to cash in on the situation!


    ''What a bastard, you son of a bitch!'' One of them thought as it started to turn red, his forehead veins more and more visible.


    ''Come on, young master Christian, just give the order, and I''ll rip this old man''s head off!'' So, the  other thought, as he stood beside Christian, already with one hand on the sword at his waist.


    However, when the two subordinates of the Reid family were getting ready to fight, their young master suddenly said something unexpected. "Okay, the price is right."


    Upon hearing this, the three people around Christian had completely different thoughts, but they were all perplexed.


    ''What? Did I hear you wrong?'' One of them thought as he glanced at the other subordinate who was standing next to Christian.


    However, this young man''s bodyguard was quite scared too. After all, Christian would never express his thoughts about Misty to others.


    Tristram was the foremost genius of the Reid family for the past 300 years, so it would not have been wise for Christian to offend him in such form.


    If this young man''s ideas reached their father''s ears, most likely, things would not be good for this young man...


    Because of this, not even the bodyguard who had always accompanied him knew about this side of this young master.


    At the same time, the old owner of this store was utterly disappointed at this point. ''Damn it! I should have said a higher price! He didn''t even try to negotiate...''


    Anyway, after Christian pulled out a bag with the proper amount of crystals from his spatial ring, the transaction was finally made. This young man received 15 paintings from that old man, along with some transcripts about the details of each of these people.


    There was information such as their levels, height, physical appearance, prominent facial features, and distinguishing marks. Allied to this, the paintings, which were not identical to each of those people, were something close to the real thing, making anyone identify one of those people if he saw it in front of him.


    There was also information about who accompanied whom, distinguishing the different groups.


    Seeing those images, Christian frowned for a moment. ''By the looks of these men, they are the bodyguards for these youths, but what about this girl and this boy? She had the level to be his protector, but she looks too young...''


    ''Hmm, and this boy, I don''t remember where, but I think I saw that person''s painting already somewhere...'' He then looked at the old man and said. "Old man, you truly don''t have any information on from where these people are? I''m willing to pay more if you can help me with this."


    Hearing this, the old man sighed unhappily and said. "I would like to have such information, but I honestly don''t have. The most I can tell you is that none of them are from the Cromwell Kingdom."


    "Oh? And why do you say that?" Christian''s bodyguard asked.


    "I have lived here for over 500 years, and I know every noble family and emerging powers of this realm. So, given the fact that most of those people carried strange symbols on their clothing, as well as the fact that they bought maps of the region, I can say they''re not from the Cromwell Kingdom."


    And that made sense. After all, youths of specific states always learned at the time of the spiritual academy about the geography of their kingdoms.


    Thus, it would be strange if the geniuses who participated in the biggest competition in the north of the Central Continent did not know their respective states!


    "Hmm, I see..." Christian muttered before finally tossing another bag of crystals to the old owner of this store. "Well, that was a big help. If you remember anything else, send a crow to the Reid family, and we''ll pay you even more."


    After that, Christian''s group quickly left that place, heading towards the hotel they stayed. ''The symbols that old man described are not from the Kingdom of the Waves either. So, this means that Stone Island, Brown Kingdom, Kingdom of the End, and the Snow Kingdom are the ones that remain...''


    "You two, send the message to the family to start investigating the symbols described by that old man. And finally, we will go to the capital of the Brown Kingdom. That is the closest state to where we are, and we may be able to discover some of these powers there."


    "Yes, young master!"


    After that, the group finally disappeared into the crowd of that city.


    ...

 Chapter 318: Ghost Town

    While Christian''s group settled their affairs in the City of Flowers before they left for the Brown Kingdom, another group was investigating in another part of the northern Central Continent.


    The Silva family''s Spiritual Kings had just arrived in Yellow City to continue their search for clues about Sarah''s group''s death.


    There were few inhabited cities in this region of the Kingdom of the Waves where Sarah''s party might have passed between their last sighting and death.  And the Yellow City was one of those.


    But before coming here, while traveling through these regions, the group led by Urban had already passed through some villages. Some of it had only a few dozen people, while others were abandoned, with some bodies left in the streets...


    Criminal activity in this small region on the border between the Black Plain and the Kingdom of the Waves had always been abounding with danger, with the presence of bandits and pirates.


    Consequently, the group had not been surprised at all, even when they found what appeared to be an entire family dismembered in one of these villages...


    However, the group had found no clues about Sarah''s group, so they had quickly continued their journeys to the Yellow City.


    That was one of the most populated cities in this border region of the Kingdom of the Waves. So, the Silva family''s investigative group thought it would have a better chance of finding something around here.


    However, things looked a little different from what they expected.


    ...


    Entering from the west side of the Yellow City, the three subordinates of the Silva family were feeling quite strange right now, as if they were being pranked.


    The three Spiritual Kings did not hear any sound that would undoubtedly be caught in cities inhabited by humans. There were no traditional animal sounds, the noises generated by certain professionals, such as builders and carpenters.


    There was also no trace of the sounds generated by conversations and people coming into the streets.


    From the sounds they didn''t hear, it looked like they''d just entered a ghost town.


    And it must be said, the hearing ability of a Spiritual King was not weak. Even in a city with the area of the Yellow City, these men should at least be able to hear noises generated around at least a third of the town.


    They would not distinguish the sounds, of course, and, for example, hear random conversations. But, they would listen to the symphony of sound produced by the various sources of these waves.


    And precisely because of this factor, the three of them were feeling very bad for all this silence.


    At the same time, when they didn''t hear anything ''live'' in this city, the surroundings of the buildings they passed through didn''t seem right either. There was a lot of dirt on the cobblestone streets, which was much worse than there usually would be, even considering the poor and unkempt places.


    The overwhelming majority of houses were completely closed, while some establishments serving the public were empty.


    However, the three men noticed that some of the wooden houses had been partially deconstructed, almost as if someone had done it on purpose...


    And finally, after walking for a few moments, the group reached the central part of the city, where the government mansion and most commercial properties were located.


    When they reached that point, the three stopped in front of that mansion while having different thoughts in their minds.


    ''What happened in this place?''


    ''At first, I thought there might be someone else downtown, but I can''t feel anything...''


    At this point, Urban finally looked at his two companions and said. "Have you received any recent reports on the Kingdom of the Waves? Did something happen here while we were on Stone Island?"


    Hearing this, the red-haired man, Scott, shook his head in denial and commented. "The last report I received didn''t talk about anything about this city. Just about the situation with King Walker."


    "The same for me." The muscular man who was with them shortly agreed after Scott finished speaking.


    Scott then said. "I have a friend who has recently been traveling with our family merchants. And from what I''ve talked to her recently, our family has avoided passing through the Yellow City, given what happened before."


    "Oh?" Urban expressed interest in this information when he figured that was why they didn''t know anything about this shocking change. "It seems that whatever happened here, it happened between that event, related to the fight against the local thugs, and now."


    "But what happened here?" He asked in a low voice as he entered one of the buildings in that central part of town.


    And after a few minutes of doing this, the three again stopped in the middle of a street and started talking.


    The red-haired man then said. "The houses and buildings I entered were all cleaned up, as if the owners were moving, without any hurry. They took everything, even the kitchen, and bathroom furniture."


    "Yes, it seems that the population has moved little by little as if they just decided to go live somewhere else. The citizens of this place definitely weren''t being pressured to run away from here." The muscular man concluded.


    And hearing that, Urban couldn''t help but nod in agreement with his two companions. But, unfortunately, there was no clue left behind that could identify the people who lived in this town.


    Only the buildings remained in the Yellow City, without a single piece of furniture in those places!


    Urban then said in a resolute tone. "We will send a letter to headquarters informing the situation of this place. That is a bizarre thing, and perhaps it has greater implications than we can imagine."


    "Hmm, true. But does this have anything to do with that conflict that happened here? As far as we know, only the weakest criminals from that band had been present when the group was destroyed. Perhaps when the leaders returned, the situation developed differently." Scott commented, trying to imagine the outcome of that situation.


    "Perhaps..."


    "It''s a shame that the Kingdom of the Waves doesn''t give this region any value. Otherwise, we could at least find someone to pass on this information."


    "Hmm, but with King Walker''s situation, I''m not sure they would care about that, even if this place was much better..."


    Urban then finished while looking at the sides of this abandoned city. "Let''s look for clues from Sarah''s group. Maybe they died in this place before this strange event happened."


    "It makes sense. That could even explain the mass escape of this population..."


    ...


    While the Silva family''s group of Spiritual Kings continued investigating the strange situation in Yellow City, in another part of the Kingdom of the Waves, a group of people was arriving at a specific coastal port.


    That place was on the northwest coast of the Kingdom of the Waves, the region where most of that state''s population was concentrated.


    This region had many cities with more than 1 million inhabitants, many of which had seaports to export the kingdom''s many resources. Consequently, this was one of the wealthiest and most urbanized regions in this northern region of the Central Continent, with many quality services.


    And this town in which that group had just arrived was one of the 15 arrival points for the kingdom, along the coast, one of the closest to Stone Island.


    Anyway, in that big port in this town, in the part where the ships that transported people were, that group of people was just leaving their ship and going through the local immigration.


    This group consisted of six people, four men and two women, who dressed very differently.


    And while they were paying fees and identifying themselves at that immigration post, some of them talked in low voices about the mission they were on.


    "Our two targets arrived at this port about an hour before us. Are our compatriots who live in the Kingdom of the Waves chasing them? Otherwise, we could lose the traces of those two." One of them said while looking at one of the two women in the group.


    "Don''t worry, these people are just as trustworthy as you, Teddy. They already knew that we and our targets would get here today, so they would never lose sight of those two."


    "Hmph, I hope so. Otherwise, I won''t be the one to explain to the patriarch any failure in the mission." Another woman who was beside them said seriously.


    "We''ll see if that Nash girl finds a common business partner or the person responsible for these products¡­"

 Chapter 319: Elen and Elenas Situation

    Elena and Elen had already left the port of this seaside town in the Kingdom of the Waves heading to a nearby hotel when the group of Allen family spies arrived from Stone Island.


    They had traveled for days by boat as they crossed the north sea of Stone Island to this seaside town in the northwest of the Kingdom of the Waves.


    The path had been pretty smooth most of the time. The only problem that accompanied Elen''s group was that spies.


    But for that matter, the two young women didn''t have much to do. Amid a sea voyage, neither they nor the group sent by the Allen family could not increase or decrease the distance from one another much.


    Despite having the best-developed marine industry in this northern part of the Central Continent, the difference between the boats on both sides was not great. Consequently, Minos'' two business partners couldn''t avoid being chased all the way here.


    Finally, arriving in this city, the two intended to rest for a day or two and then head towards the capital of the kingdom, where they could do some business.


    They knew it would be difficult to catch the Allen family spies off guard once she arrived in this state, so Elen intended to act normally.


    Elen would conduct business and attend to certain appointments that she would typically schedule when she visited this realm to create an appearance that would fool the group of spies.


    Only then would the two go to the Black Plain!


    Anyway, in addition to these two young women that Minos already knew, two men accompanied them, their bodyguards.


    One of them was someone Minos didn''t know, Elena''s bodyguard. He was a man who appeared to be in early middle age, with a body not very strong and with very tanned skin.


    Other than that, this man had slightly ash-blond hair, being already at level 48.


    As for the other bodyguard, this was the person who had always accompanied Elen on trips, Eduard. This tall, muscular man, in the meantime, with Elen''s help, had already reached level 49 and could soon reach level 50!


    He had been lucky enough to be able to purchase a copy of a Black-grade cultivation technique in the past year, which significantly improved his cultivation speed.


    With business going well for Elen, given the negotiation involving the Black Plain''s products, this bodyguard had not been forgotten by the girl. On the contrary, he had received over 40,000 low-grade crystals as a reward, something that had made it possible for him to buy that technique!


    Eduard had traveled numerous times in Abby''s place in recent months, sometimes to make the Black Plain payments and sometimes to conduct other business.


    For example, Minos had placed an order several months ago that part of the payment should be made in medium-grade crystals. He had made it clear that he was more than willing to pay Elen a fee to help him with this, as he didn''t want to expose himself.


    And Abby had done it for Minos, charging only a nominal fee. After all, it indeed wasn''t much work to do this job, and the Black Plain''s own funds were paying the exchange rates.


    In short, what she, or rather Eduard, was doing, was just going to one of the available banks on Stone Island or in other realms to make these transactions. So, Elen hadn''t charged an excessive price.


    After all, they both had a very profitable business, and this young merchant wouldn''t risk losing an ally just over a minor matter like this.


    And with situations like this, Eduard had gained a lot in that period!


    As for why Minos had made that request to Elen, well, that was simple. This young man didn''t have many crystals of that grade on hand, but he knew he would need them to make deals for higher-rated items in no time.


    In addition, he also knew that Dillian would soon reach the 6th stage of cultivation. Thus, once the butler reached level 50, he would need medium-grade crystals to cultivate quickly and efficiently!


    Even though the consumption of crystals of this degree by Spiritual Kings was not high, Minos couldn''t simply allow the most valuable currency to be used in large part for a person''s cultivation. After all, how would he do his business without these crystals?


    By the time he had asked Elen for this, Minos had already known that he would need to start consuming more and more grade-2 items soon. And consequently, he would have to possess a reserve of medium-grade crystals so that these future deals could be financed.


    Thus, Minos'' order for Elen served to create a reserve of medium-grade crystals for the Black Plain.


    That had been several months ago, and for now, Elen was paying Minos 60% low-grade crystals and the rest, medium-grade ones.


    And given the values ??gained in the meantime, the Black Plains ''coffers'' already had more than 70,000 medium-grade crystals!


    That was essential preparation for the future of his territory, so Minos made no effort to resolve this, even if he had to pay almost 10% of the amounts in the exchange rate...


    Anyway, while the group traveled through that seaside city in a hired carriage, Elen and Elena had been talking while their faces were a little tired at the time. After all, even if the Nash family''s boats were pretty good and these women could ignore most senses with their cultivation, sleeping on a ship wasn''t ideal!


    "What are we going to do now, Elen? I think those people will soon be close to us again." Elena said at the same time as she watched the busy streets of the city.


    Hearing this, Elen sighed for a moment and answered her friend''s question. "Let''s rest for today. It won''t be good for our plans if we try to travel right away, as if we were in a hurry."


    "The enemy group is in the radius of our tracks, so we''ll act for a while until things calm down."


    "Where do you want to start? We have several businesses in the Kingdom of the Waves..."


    Elen then nodded and continued talking. "We are going to do some business in the capital, and we can already take the opportunity to know what is happening in this kingdom. That information about the selection of the crown prince over the next two years was very sudden. So, we have to see this."


    And in addition to being something strange to Elen, this choice of the future king of the Kingdom of the Waves advanced was very relevant to her. Or rather, it was essential for any power involved in regional matters.


    When a new king ascended the throne, various relationships could change, damaging some sides and favoring other new factions.


    There was a whole competition in which the competing princes would compete for the title of the heir. At the same time, families and big powers could place their bets.


    Supporting a prince who would become the future king of a state had always been a big deal, with tremendous potential for these organizations.


    And not only the powers within that realm entered into this dispute but also some organizations from elsewhere in the northern part of the Central Continent. After all, the royal families were basically the regulators of regionally-run businesses, so they had tremendous suppressive power.


    Thus, powers such as the Nash family had to keep an eye out for every change in the region''s kingdoms to preserve their business and geopolitical position. Not to mention that the Kingdom of the Waves was simultaneously the richest and largest in the entire region.


    Due to all this, Elen could not stop thinking about this subject and take the opportunity to be in this realm, to know a little more about it.


    "If all goes well, we''ll stay in the kingdom''s capital for about ten days. Then we should have our chance to go to Minos'' territory." Elen commented in a low voice, beside her friend Elena in that carriage.

 Chapter 320: Days of Fights

    At the same time, when Elen and Elena were settling their affairs in the Kingdom of the Waves, the fighting phase of the Black Plain Army''s selection had already begun!


    Another week had passed in the Dry City since the release of the names of those competitors who could continue competing. During this period, of more than 7,000 candidates, just under 6,000 had remained in this phase of fights.


    Of these competitors, they had been divided into several groups. Thus, each individual would have to fight each of the competitors of that respective group.


    Obviously, the groups had been distributed, taking into account each participant''s stage of cultivation.


    After all, the selection was recruiting soldiers with different vacancy numbers for each stage of cultivation. So, it wouldn''t make sense to mix things up, putting people with significant differences in cultivation in the same group.


    As for the partiality of this method, well, it indeed wasn''t entirely fair. Those participants closer to the end of each stage, that is, with levels between ''x9'' and ''x8'', would be the most favored, of course.


    But it had always been like that, and the participants already knew very well about it. The rumor about the minimum strength to compete for the vacancies offered by the army had already spread for months!


    Even the city''s new residents already knew that the ideal would be to be at the end of a given stage of cultivation to have better chances. So, even though some individuals still tried their luck at lower levels, they couldn''t complain about this ''injustice.''


    After that, those who had lost more than 50% of their fights would be eliminated from the competition.


    As for the others, they would be able to reach the final part of this selection, where they would have to face the soldiers of the local army!


    Anyway, in the days that had passed since the beginning of the fights, thousands of battles had already occurred in the Arena of the City.


    In this part of the selection, given that only battles were taken into consideration, the selection organization had taken this phase of the competition to the local arena. In this place, not only was there a structure better prepared for a more significant number of constant fights, but the public also could participate in this event.


    As in any town, like the Dry City, citizens looked for ways to be entertained in their free time. And in a place where so many used battle-focused techniques, watching many fights was like combining the useful with the pleasant.


    They could be satisfied by following high-level fights, as there were competitors in the 5th stage of cultivation, having fun and learning something from it!


    With such a possibility, many could also better understand the strength required to compete for a position in the army, thereby improving their preparation and determination to pursue this path!


    And given the fact that the regular fights weren''t happening in this arena, fights valid by the fight ranking, the Arena of the City was charging a fee of 1 crystal per person for this selection.


    That served to pay for the damage done by the competitors'' fights so that this event would not harm the city''s coffers.


    And each person who paid that amount would have the right to watch the fight for a whole day. However, if they left the arena, they would have to pay for the entrance again...


    But many citizens were satisfied with this. The government had released this news even before the days of fighting began so that people could prepare.


    Many left to go to the arena at specific times when they weren''t working or cultivating.


    And given the fact that fights were going on from 6 am until midnight, all the townspeople were getting their chance to see those fights.


    Given the large number of matches that had to occur, this long schedule had been made available so that almost 5,000 competitors would not have to keep fighting for weeks...


    After all, Minos couldn''t just do like the Spiritual Tournament that just made many battle royales...


    The Black Plain Army needed many new soldiers and not just the more challenging ones, as the sects of the Flaming Empire sought.


    Anyway, of the nearly 6,000 competitors, about 1,000 of them would not fight, as they were those young people from the 1st and 2nd stage of cultivation. These young people could not fight for obvious reasons. The previous phase of the selection had already classified those most suitable for the army.


    There were 1,150 total vacancies for these cultivators from these two stages of cultivation. And just under a thousand of those vacancies had been filled. Not all competitors below level 19 had passed the oral test, so some places had become available.


    And no wonder the number of places for these competitors below level 19 was so low. At first, these should be the majority groups in the selection. Still, given the inexpensive competition and number of competitors, they had just over 47% of the vacancies...


    Anyway, of these younger competitors, most were at levels 18 and 19, the future Recruits, while the future Students, were all at level 9.


    And that was expected. Even if they were low-talented and only had the Blue-grade techniques, cultivating was not time-consuming during the 1st stage. And the same was true for the 2nd stage of cultivation.


    The difference in spiritual energy between these two stages was tiny, resulting in this concentration of competitors at the end of each stage.


    Anyway, the other participants, the little less than 5,000 who were already participating in the fights in the local arena, were fighting for the 1,250 spots left.


    Each of them had to fight three times a week, for three weeks, until finally, the last part of the selection was made for those who were left.


    Many very tough battles had already taken place. And they were the focus of conversations through the streets of the Dry City.


    People on the streets mainly talked about the fights of competitors already in the 5th stage of cultivation. After all, this was a level of strength that many people around here wanted to reach!


    There were not yet many cultivators at this level in the town, with fewer than 600 in total in the entire city at this point. So, given that there were no Spiritual Kings around here either, the citizens wanted more to reach the 5th stage of cultivation.


    Most of the city''s inhabitants were between the 3rd and 4th stages of cultivation. Therefore their goals would not be that high...


    Anyway, for this mass of people from the 3rd and 4th stages of cultivation, the most exciting struggles were those of the 5th stage cultivators. They could see and even feel the power of those cultivators who are stronger than themselves, learning about more efficient and different ways to fight.


    Of course, they liked to watch the matches of the people of other stages, competitors as strong as they were. However, these fights were more a form of entertainment than a learning possibility for these stronger city''s inhabitants.


    There were also friends, acquaintances, and relatives fighting, so obviously, people were watching and talking about these less exciting fights.


    But there were also those young cultivators who watched each fight with emotion, paying attention to every detail. After all, despite being few, those below level 20 were also present in the stands of the local arena.


    Mainly those young people who had already passed through the selection and were waiting to be officiated in the army.


    Such a thing would happen all at once when all the competitors approved in the selection were decided. That way, the army''s few administrative officials would not have to rush to resolve so many issues at once.


    The selection of new soldiers itself was laborious enough!


    Anyway, the young Alina, who had been participating in this selection, had managed to reach this part of the competition. That young woman had already fought three times since the beginning of the fights and had already won three times!


    She was at level 29, and several people in her group were also at this level. However, some had not prepared themselves in time for the selection and were below such a level!


    And Alina had done her first fights right against people below level 29, having the upper hand on those occasions!

 Chapter 321: How to Improve?

    Alina had faced level 27 and 28 opponents so far. Due to that, she hadn''t had much of a challenge in those first three fights.


    However, she knew that it would not always be that easy for her, and this young woman would not let those first results go to her head.


    Each day after her battles, Alina returned to her residence to rest and feed as best she could. After that, she cultivated and constantly trained to take advantage of her discoveries in the fights.


    She didn''t usually fight hard. As a result, when she began doing this more, this young competitor steadily improved her skills.


    After all, it would be one thing to know the theory and another the practice!


    Both sides were crucially important, but a cultivator could not reach the top with only one of them. And this young woman had learned that powerful lesson during the time she had been preparing for this selection when she had had her first battle.


    And with that, after every fight in that competition, Alina didn''t waste the understanding she gained from fighting those opponents, people who were genuinely fighting with everything they had!


    Other than that, Alina wasn''t doing anything else. She had asked for a few days off from her work so she could concentrate on the competition. After all, at this point, she couldn''t divide her attention into two things.


    ...


    Anyway, it was night in the Dry City right now, and Alina was sitting on her bed, in a meditative position, as she calmly cultivated. She had been fighting a few hours ago, so she looked tired this time.


    But there were no marks of wounds on this young woman''s body. She was just tired from the energy expenditure of the previous fight.


    Alina had won, but she still had to face her opponent for about 5 minutes, having used much of her cultivation to defeat him.


    That was because, even though she was one level higher than her opponent, the difference between the energy levels of the 3rd stage of cultivation wasn''t that big. And to make matters worse, Alina''s opponent had an innate battle-type ability, which had made things a little difficult for this young woman.


    And as much as Alina''s ability seemed very useful for ''destroying'' things, it was only valid for objects she touched!


    Alina couldn''t disintegrate the spiritual energy used to form attacks. And at the same time, she didn''t have enough time to touch her opponent''s weapon or armor!


    She needed time to use her strange ability, so it was tough for her to take advantage of such a thing during high-intensity fights.


    ''If I could be faster or have a way to contain the enemy, my skill could be more useful in battle¡­'' Alina thought for a moment as she finished cultivating and opened her eyes.


    She then saw her bedroom glass door, which overlooked the well-lit street in front of the building in which her family lived. Anyway, seeing that, she kept thinking about how to improve her fighting proficiency.


    ''Ideally, I could use my innate ability over long distances, but I feel like I can''t do that... Will it be that when I have a higher level, can I achieve this result?''


    ''Maybe it''s better if I use the fights against weaker opponents as training! I''ll try to take some more risks, so I can attempt to figure out new ways to combat...''


    "Maybe I can develop my own method to solve this... I have to find a way to steal the opponent''s time so that I can destroy his weapon!" She muttered under her breath as she clenched her fists tightly.


    Alina''s innate ability was very good at disintegrating things, but it had several limitations that made things difficult for her.


    First, she had to touch the objects that would be disintegrated for her ability to work. At least, it was like that as long as her Physique had only the King-grade classification.


    Second, there was a limit to what could be disintegrated. Obviously, this young woman''s innate ability depended on the spiritual power she could use. In this case, now Alina could at most disintegrate artifacts below medium-level grade-1.


    That is, medium-level grade-1 artifacts were objects with toughness to withstand up to the full power of a level 33 cultivator. Because of that, only with a spiritual strength higher than that, Alina''s ability could disintegrate objects.


    And, of course, she could disintegrate any common item, like the thing she had previously destroyed.


    These two problems were what most frustrated the young woman from using her ability against her opponents. And what worried her most was the possibility of facing the soldiers of the Black Plain Army.


    Even soldiers of the Soldiers rank received wages good enough to buy spiritual weapons of that rank in Dry City. So, Alina felt that it might be futile to try to use her skill against these individuals.


    "The Soldiers certainly have good weapons, and they won''t refrain from using them..." She thought to herself.


    And that made sense. After all, there were techniques in the Spirit World that required the use of artifacts!


    With this, even if a soldier were not going to fight a life and death fight, they would still use their artifacts and put the most pressure on their opponents. After all, they couldn''t just abandon matches because their techniques demanded these items.


    And given the fact that the fight would be between individuals of equivalent proficiency, then there would be no reason for the organization of the selection to give even more advantages to the competitors. What good would it do if these people didn''t have any challenges?


    ...


    Anyway, while Alina was in her house thinking about what she should do, Abby was back from one of the posts on the wall, where she had spent the last hours working.


    Abby was dressed in the silver and gold uniform of the Black Plain Army as she walked slowly through the streets of the Dry City.


    Her beautiful blue hair was loose in the air, sometimes swaying back and forth due to the gentle breeze that passed through that place.


    She had a rather bored look on her face, given the unusual routine she was facing. This young woman liked organizing the services of the future division that would be in charge of training the leaders of the Black Plain. Still, the other part of the job, she didn''t enjoy at all.


    That was the patrol and the position at the entrances of the city wall.


    She had spent a good deal of time walking on the top of the wall, while at other times, she was standing at one of the entrance posts. And given the current situation in the Dry City, there was hardly anything going on most of the time!


    So, she felt bored because she didn''t have much to do there.


    However, Abby understood the purpose of this ''boring'' role she had been assigned. After all, there were thousands of soldiers in the army, and she needs to be in contact with at least the strongest ones.


    Without it, it would be hard for her to get anything done around here.


    Unlike a noble family where its members are naturally in a position of superiority, this was different in young Stuart''s army. If Abby wanted to be respected, she would have to prove herself, first meeting and talking to the highest-ranking soldiers and demonstrating her prowess.


    Regardless, Abby had arrived at Minos'' mansion after a few minutes of walking, which was illuminated at the moment by several lights, forming the local symbol on one of the building''s walls.


    She then went straight to Minos'' office, where she knew her young friend was usually around at this time. In fact, it was almost time for secretary Mia''s office hours to end, so given the fact that Abby had already learned about it, she was heading there.


    Abby didn''t often disturb Minos when he was working. However, after talking to Mia, she had discovered that coming at this time would not cause any problems.


    So, after a hard day at work, she just wanted to relax a bit by talking to Minos.


    Finally, she walked into his office right after greeting Mia, who was already getting ready to leave.

 Chapter 322: Do You Want to Return the Favor?

    "Good evening, Minos." She said as she entered the young Stuart''s office, immediately sitting down on a sofa there, completely relaxing her body in that place.


    She closed her eyes for a second as her head rested on the back of the sofa. At the same time, this young woman let out a long sigh.


    And seeing her friend doing this, Minos, who was still sitting in his armchair behind the desk where he usually worked, looked at her for a moment and said. "Looks like you''re pretty tired. How was your day?"


    At the same time, he got up from where he was before, throwing some papers in that place and going to the sofa.


    Minos had already finished his responsibilities and was just reading a daily newsletter. However, it was nothing so crucial that he couldn''t put it off until later. After all, the employees'' hours were already over, and any decision that was to be made, he would have to wait until the next day.


    Anyway, as he sat next to Abby, who had her beautiful blue hair spread across the sofa, Minos wrapped his right arm around her waist and watched her from the side.


    "It''s the usual. I spent the last few hours patrolling the city wall. But nothing unusual happened. Only a few people from the 3rd stage of cultivation, coming from the Kingdom of the Waves and Stone Island, passed through there today." She said while still having her eyes closed and her face turned towards the ceiling.


    Obviously, the small immigration of people from these two states had been going on since the arrival of the Cohen family store in Dry City and the beginning of the trade of the local items on Stone Island.


    Due to that, people of White talent from these two states would occasionally arrive in the city ruled by Minos.


    On Stone Island, Elen advertised the Dry City to a few customers, those who were more humble and would not miss the opportunity to improve their lives in the city of Minos.


    As for the Kingdom of the Waves, the Cohen family was helping the Black Plain do the same attraction work that Elen was doing, but there was another factor as well. That is, the merchants of the Cohen family who did the delivery and business with the Black Plain knew about the opportunities in this place and were already moving here.


    Their families were coming to live in the Dry City, while these lesser couriers and merchants were coming and going from the Kingdom of the Waves.


    Furthermore, there were also those ordinary people who would typically pass through the city of Minos without significant commitments, like people traveling from one state to another. For example, the coachman who had brought Peter''s family here.


    That man had not yet returned to the Dry City, given the distance from his homeland from this region of Minos. However, he was already making this change, as were many others in his situation.


    As for the nobles and people who customarily traveled between the respective states, Kingdom Brown, Kingdom of the Waves, Kingdom Cromwell, and Stone Island, most of them did not pass through the Dry City. After all, people at this level usually had a higher standard and also faster beasts!


    With this, they could cross the Black Plain with greater speed, avoiding having to go through a ''poor, degrading and useless place.''


    An example of this was Ruth, who, with her eagle of the 4th stage of cultivation, could go from Dry City to the City of Waters in less than 15 hours.


    People from higher positions would hardly pass through Minos'' territory. The usual thing would be just what Abby had just said to the young sovereign.


    Anyway, after hearing his friend''s response and seeing the tired expression on her face, Minos understood why she was like this. ''Well, she didn''t ask me to change her position, even though it''s a bit tedious for her... So, that means she understands the need for this service.''


    He then slowly brought Abby''s sensual body into his lap, pulling her gently without disturbing her too much. He was already gaining a little more ''freedom'' with this young woman, so she had not rejected Minos'' action as she had done before.


    Feeling Minos'' ''smart hands'' running over her body, Abby didn''t even open her eyes as she commented with a smile on her face. "Last time, I helped you relax. Maybe you want to return the favor?"


    At that moment, Abby was completely on Minos'' lap while the young man''s arms were wrapped around her waist. He then said in her ear. "Hehe, I''ve always been willing to do this for you. What do you think? Maybe you want to test my humble skills?"


    "Oh? Are your skills really good? More than the massage I gave you the other day?"


    "The comparison is a bit unfair, but while I can''t affect your senses as you do with your ability, I am confident that I can bring relaxation...."


    Abby then opened her eyes and looked back into Minos'' eyes, with a slight smile in the corner of her eyes and lips. "Are you confident?"


    "Hmm, as long as you don''t use your ability to seal your senses..." He vaguely said as he recalled Abby''s abilities.


    This young woman''s innate ability not only affected the bodies of other people she touched, but she could do it herself. Like, for example, sealing off her senses so she doesn''t feel something like sexual stimulation.


    But this was something quite different from what a Spiritual General could do after passing level 40. For these individuals, they would, at most, seal one or another sense related to external things, like the temperature, the feel of a moving boat, etc.


    But this did not involve sensations generated internally in the body, such as sexual desire, desire for specific dishes, etc.


    However, the innate ability generated by Abby''s Physique could do things like that!


    Obviously, all this depended on this young woman''s own will. If she were really against something and wanted to close herself off from the world, then that would be pretty hard to stop.


    At the very least, someone many times stronger than she would have to act against her for Abby''s ability not to work.


    And Minos hadn''t reached that level yet. In fact, he had only managed to bring this relationship closer to him and Abby because this young woman trusted him much more than other people.


    As childhood friends, best friends, by the way, Abby would naturally not seal her senses when she was with Minos.


    As a result, this young woman was subjected to his ''attacks.'' Because of the desire that had already formed in her mind, she had almost reached the point where she was not using her ability to stop the development of this relationship.


    But if she wanted, she could...


    And upon hearing Minos'' comment, Abby looked at him and said with a small smile at the corner of her lips. "And when did I use my ability while I was with you?"


    ''Hmph, you always use this to hold yourself back and not go too deep... Do you think I can''t distinguish the spiritual fluctuations in your body?'' He thought to himself as he saw one side of Abby''s beautiful face.


    Given the character of the Devouring Art, the young Stuart''s spiritual senses were far sharper than those of ordinary cultivators. Moreover, because of the connection between the ''containers'' of spiritual energy that had their powers stolen, the user of this technique could feel a much deeper connection with the spiritual fluctuations.


    Because of this, Minos could distinguish more easily than others when someone was using their own body''s spiritual energy for something. As in the case of Abby.


    Finally, he told her. "Since you won''t stop me, let''s take off your uniform and armor first, okay?"


    "Hmm." She made a sound of agreement as she relaxed into Minos'' lap, letting him take her clothes off.


    After a few moments, Abby only had the leg part of her clothes, leaving only her bra on her upper body. Other than that, she was without any other item of clothing from the waist up.


    ''Let''s get started¡­'' Minos thought to himself as he slid his hands over Abby''s waist, moving up to her chest.

 Chapter 323: Farmers Reality 1

    While massaging Abby''s thin waist, Minos gradually raised his hands over the girl''s body, reaching her erogenous points.


    Abby could feel Minos'' breath near her left ear while her neck gently shivered. At the same time, the young Stuart''s agile hands had already reached the young woman''s armpits and were slowly massaging her, closer and closer to her breasts.


    Abby was feeling her breath rise as her body began to heat up and her pupils dilated. Her cheeks were already flushed a rosy hue when she finally began to enjoy Minos'' touch.


    That was an indescribable feeling, which she had slowly begun to feel, during these days when she was approaching Minos. Before that, this young woman had never allowed herself to attempt anything of the sort, not even self-knowledge actions, that might arise from anyone''s curiosity...


    And just because she had never experienced such a thing before, this involvement with Minos was making her feel even better.


    "Huh~ Huh~"


    The young woman''s breathing sounds began to slowly fill that place as she completely relaxed into Minos'' lap.


    Abby was becoming more and more relaxed, to the point that at this moment, Minos was practically in a diagonal position on that sofa.


    Sweat began to form at specific points of the young woman''s body. At the same time, her body started these natural reactions common to those in the heat of the moment.


    As she felt Minos'' hands go where they shouldn''t, under the bra that covered her two peaks, this young woman thought about this. ''Maybe I should interrupt this? What if I lose control and allow him to do everything with me?''


    ''But I promised I wouldn''t use my ability... Not to mention that I honestly need it right now.'' She pondered that as she felt goosebumps run through her body as young Stuart played with her nipples.


    "Ah~"


    Abby then made a low moan, but one that Minos couldn''t help but overhear. It made him feel excellent, seeing her friend and hearing the heavenly sounds she was slowly making. Such a thing pleased this young sovereign very much.


    And after moaning briefly, Abby bit her red lips as she tried to contain those ''shameful'' sounds. She then turned to look at Minos, being even more embarrassed this time. But seeing the satisfied look in her friend''s eyes, all this girl felt was happiness. ''Does he like to hear me make those sounds?'' She asked herself dubiously.


    And after a split second of looking at the side of Minos'' face, Abby then pulled his hands from her bra as she turned to face him. "You like them?" She asked him, simultaneously taking off her bra, finally allowing the young Stuart to see them for the first time.


    Abby''s breasts could be considered perfect. They were a little bigger than the average woman he''d slept with, being a little bigger than Ruth''s. In addition, her pink nipples were of a good size, so if she wore fine clothes, it wouldn''t be difficult for someone to see them standing even through her clothes, on a day when it was a little colder...


    And at this point, they were fully erect for Minos.


    "Yes, I like it. They are perfect, Abby." Minos praised her, looking at them for a moment, and then looked deep into her eyes.


    And upon hearing Minos'' answer, this young woman felt pleased. "Well, I''ll allow you to play with them a bit, but that''s the limit. OK?"


    "Hmm."


    After she looked at him for a moment, the two then began to kiss, at the same time that Minos returned to stimulate the girl''s body.


    "Mmm!"


    After a while of doing this, the two young friends had alternated the occasional kiss, with stimulating touches on each other. Finally, Minos had licked Abby''s breasts with gusto, making her feel like she was in heaven, releasing even louder moans.


    "Ahh~ I''m feeling something~" She said aloud as she felt her private part between her legs, releasing her love juices.


    And while Abby came for the first time, Minos continued to stimulate her body, still with one of her nipples in his mouth. ''Hehe, that must have been the longest orgasm I''ve ever seen!'' He thought to himself as he felt the girl''s body tremble on top of him until finally, she collapsed in his arms.


    After that, Abby had a sleepy look on her face, resting her head on Minos'' chest, with a satisfied look in her eyes. "I think I need some time. You can go ahead. I''ll join you later." She said in a low voice.


    However, Minos ignored Abby when he picked her up and started walking towards the residential part of the mansion.


    "What are you doing? If you do that, people will see us!" She tried to keep her conscience at the sight of Minos'' sudden attitude.


    He then laughed and said. "Don''t worry. There aren''t any employees around here at this time."


    And in fact, since the two of them had started, several minutes had passed, and all the administrative staff of the mansion had already left.


    "Oh? Then fine. Take me to my bed¡­" She finished speaking when she finally fell asleep as Minos carried her.


    ...


    Another week has passed in the Dry City.


    At this time, the sun was high in the sky over the town ruled by Minos, while the weather was stable, without any clouds in the local atmosphere.


    And amid this moment, in a part of the center of the Dry City, several people wearing simple clothes came and went from a public building in that place.


    The building was nothing special, having only three floors and a size that could be considered small to those commonly seen around here. However, this location could be regarded as extremely important, as this is where citizens could apply for local agriculture.


    Given the vast number of people that the Dry City''s Agriculture Department received, it wasn''t convenient for this service to stay in the government mansion. Because of this, the place where citizens could join the teams of farmers and receive their payments was in the building in question.


    Anyway, this place basically had a big reception on the first floor, where people could register and change their shifts in the local agriculture. Then, on the second floor was the place where monthly payments were made, and finally, on the last was the administration of this place.


    And amidst the typical movement of this place, one of the more than 20 receptionists on the first floor explained to a newcomer what agricultural work was like in the Dry City. "Yes, we have vacancies for everyone willing to work. There is no need to wait until the next harvest, as was the case before."


    "Oh? That''s nice. But what about payment? I just arrived in town, after finding out about this place, with a cousin of mine in the Kingdom of the Waves. He had told me that farmers here earn 40 crystals a month. That''s right?" The man who was here to register asked the attendant.


    "It used to be like that in the past, but that has changed over the last year. Now, farmers'' wages vary according to the level of these workers, something that is related to the number of hectares each person can handle."


    According to the local Agriculture Department studies, 200 cultivators between levels 20 and 25 could handle 3 hectares. As for a group of people between levels 26 and 29 could handle this same area, with just over 130 workers.


    As for people in the 4th stage of cultivation, this varied even more from level to level. For example, groups with members between levels 30 and 33 could handle that 3 hectares, with just over 60 people.


    For teams with people between levels 34 and 37, they could handle that area with only 40 people. And finally, for those cultivators between levels 38 and 39, they would only need 30 people for the same service.


    Because of this difference, to encourage the population to continue working in agriculture and establish a salary equivalent to the work performed, the local government had carried out this study and finally changed the payments relative to the level of farmers!

 Chapter 324: Farmers Reality 2

    Upon hearing that attendant''s comment, the man who had just arrived in the Dry City frowned and asked fearfully. "And how does the salary change now? Did it decrease?"


    She then smiled and answered him. "No, sir. Now the value varies according to the level of cultivation of the farmers, in the following order: between levels 20 and 25, the monthly salary is 50 low-grade crystals; between levels 26 and 29, 77 crystals; those between levels 30 and 33, 167 crystals; between levels 34 and 37, 250 crystals; and finally, those between levels 38 and 39, earn 334 crystals per month."


    Hearing this, the man opened his mouth in shock as his pupils contracted tightly. ''How can this be? 334 crystals for a farmer? I thought the previous 40 and 100 crystals, for Spiritual Beginners and Spiritual Warriors, respectively, were pretty good!'' He thought for a moment as he tried to process the information.


    And that indeed was a pretty high payout for farmers, considering the average value of the products produced by this service.


    However, Minos was not losing here, as it might seem. After all, this wasn''t just a random, unreasonable salary increase.


    Previously, the administration of the local agriculture department did not know how much the farmers'' productivity differed, given the different levels of cultivation. Therefore, they had established the previous payment of 40 and 100 crystals per farmer, mainly taking into account the region''s reality.


    On average, most farmers in the north of the Central Continent were people with White talent, most of whom were below level 30. As a result, not many people who passed that level continued in this type of activity.


    Consequently, the salaries paid to these professionals were, in general, lower, as these people did not use high amounts of crystals in their training. As a result, people like that were generally more willing to accept less favorable working conditions, like  low wages.


    On average, these professionals earned from 30 to 60 low-grade crystals per month, varying between the 3rd and 4th stages of cultivation. That is, of course, considering only those individuals hired and not enslaved!


    And with that, the Agriculture Department had used these values ??to determine the amount to be paid to local farmers.


    However, even if the local payouts were better than elsewhere in the region, this still wasn''t enough. At least not for those cultivators in the 4th stage of cultivation, who could often do other jobs, that is, earn more.


    Many non-spiritual professions in this world placed a high value on the level of their employees, as stronger people could do more and more efficiently. And this became quite visible in this region of the continent, where 3rd stage cultivators did not have many options. In contrast, 4th stage ones could be seen in dozens of different areas.


    And that effect had had consequences for the Dry City''s farmers!


    Previously the government of Minos had noticed that few farmers remained in this area after reaching the upper levels of the 4th stage. In general, there were only a few farmers above level 35!


    And this was reasonable. For people above this level, getting jobs that paid more than 100 crystals a month was not difficult!


    Thus, the incentive for stronger people to continue in local agriculture or join it was tiny, and this was limiting agricultural development!


    After all, the inhabitants of the Dry City continued to increase in level, given the services offered by the city. In contrast, the arrival of new inhabitants could not supply the necessary workforce!


    Due to this, the study had been designed and carried out in the previous months.


    With this, the local agriculture department had made the necessary discoveries and understood how much each farmer deserved to earn, taking into account their cultivation levels.


    And the government would lose nothing with this increase in wages!


    Obviously, stronger individuals could produce more, and because of that, they would receive a salary equivalent to that difference.


    In fact, no one was losing before, as those stronger farmers didn''t work harder than the others. They could do this since they were faster. However, what happened was that for these individuals, when they finished the work that was typically done each day, they would simply leave!


    Therefore, even the strongest people usually worked the same amount as other farmers. The only difference was that they finished in less time!


    As a result, the change in the amounts paid to farmers resulted in no additional cost to the public coffers. Farmers would now be compensated for a monthly number of hours rather than by planted area.


    "Regardless of their level of cultivation, local farmers need to work 8 hours a day." The attendant explained as she saw the shocked expression on the man''s face in front of her.


    And after hearing this, the man finally composed himself and spoke again. "Okay, since that''s the case, I''d like to apply for a farmer''s position. What needs to be done?"


    "First, you need to be a regular citizen of the city. Have you registered with the immigration department? If so, I''ll just need your identification."


    "OK. I have already done that. Here it is." He promptly responded by handing over the identification he had received when making his local registration.


    After that, that woman included this man''s ID in the Department of Agriculture''s registry. That was basically to get him assigned to one of the agricultural fields, ensure that he was indeed a contract farmer who fulfills his responsibilities.


    On the other hand, she also recorded some information in the identification of this man so that other services in the city could identify him as a farmer. That was necessary for him to validate his time of service in the base located in the agricultural''s stations spread across the fields.


    For every 100 hectares of fields planted, there were large barns, along with the necessary buildings. After all, farmers had to stop and go to the toilet, drinking water, occasionally eating, confirming their presence, etc.


    And all of this was located in these stations, where the harvested food was temporarily stored.


    Finally, after completing the registration of this man who had just arrived at the Dry City, the attendant gave him back his identification and began to explain. "All right, Mr. Esmond. As a level 28 cultivator, you will be able to collect 77 low-grade crystals once every 30 working days."


    "If during a given month you are missing a day, then you will only receive your payment after completing the 30th day of service. In other words, even if you registered here today, this does not guarantee you will receive your first salary on the same day of the next month."


    "OK."


    "That said, you need to go to one of our posts that are in the agricultural fields. There, if you have never planted before, you can learn what you need. It''s not difficult, but new farmers still need to train for about a week, so that grave mistakes don''t happen."


    "I was a farmer before. Does that change anything for me?" He asked without showing surprise. After all, such a thing made sense.


    The difference between everyday foods and spiritual medicines was just mainly the amount of energy stored in the medicines. In addition, of course, there was also the maturation time.


    However, there was a substantial similarity to the manipulation of common medicines and foods. The two could lose their properties if they were handled in the wrong way!


    Therefore, there was a need to know how to plant, care for, and harvest.


    But that wasn''t that difficult, and anyone could learn how to do that about planting common foods. Only for the medicines that had more restrictions on this procedure, alchemists generally had more participation in such a thing.


    The receptionist then responded. "Yes. But you still have to take the tests to prove your knowledge of this. If you pass, then in a day at most, you can start work."


    "I understand. You said I have to go to one of those posts in the fields. Where exactly do I have to go?" He asked as he remembered that, as he was getting ready to leave.


    The receptionist then responded quickly. "Any post. Only after you pass the test to be able to start planting will you be assigned to a specific post."


    "OK. Thanks for the information."


    After that, the newcomer to the Dry City left that building to settle this matter. He was very excited to start working in this city and couldn''t wait for it.

 Chapter 325: Talent and the Physique

    Ten days passed quickly.


    In the meantime, the fights of the competitors of the selection for new soldiers of the Black Plain Army had already reached its final days.


    At this time, there were only three more days of matches, and several competitors have already been eliminated. In fact, of the nearly 5,000 competitors who had reached this point in the selection, more than 1,000 of them had been eliminated.


    However, in the fights that remained these last few days, the vast majority of the remaining competitors had good chances to continue competing for the 1,250 vacancies.


    Among them was the young Alina, who had already guaranteed her place in the last part of the selection!


    She had only lost one fight during that period, and at this point, even if she lost the last battle, she would still be ranked.


    Anyway, the atmosphere was festive in the Dry City, with constant movement in the local fight arena.


    ...


    It was night in the Dry City, and at this moment, Minos was diligently cultivating in the Spatial Kingdom.


    He had started this cultivation session about an hour ago, right after he finished his sovereign activities. And unlike what had happened the other day, this time Minos had not received a visit from Abby at his workplace.


    Although this had happened a few times, Minos'' young friend usually preferred to see him later in the evening at the end of working hours. The office, after all, was not a suitable place for two young people to talk...


    But nothing more than what had happened before had occurred between them. For Minos, Abby having allowed him to touch and even suck her breasts could already be considered a significant advance, given the time he worked on this relationship.


    That young woman had a temperament that was naturally more stable and difficult to change. So, even if he had already made some progress, it would still take him longer to achieve something more meaningful.


    In any case, the two were very close friends. They talked alone almost every day before they went to bed, something that usually happened after Minos'' cultivation session.


    Anyway, Minos was sitting on the ground, beside the lake house, in a spot where the two foxes could be seen, not far from him.


    Of the two, Emlyn was lying on the ground as she watched Minos from afar, in a position where she was on her paws, ready to run at any moment.


    And Kyla, on the other hand, seemed to be sitting while her little eyes were closed. Her body seemed to tremble gently while the spiritual density around her was subtly higher than its surroundings.


    At this point, the young fox was cultivating diligently, while her little belly looked quite full.


    But that was no abnormality in this young fox''s body. In fact, spiritual beasts could not use spiritual techniques, not even spiritual crystals. Consequently, they depended more on free energy in the world and food.


    Because of this, under certain circumstances, a beast would eat a lot before cultivating to maximize its cultivation speed. Such a thing would be comparable to a human using spiritual crystals in cultivation, avoiding spending a lot of time gathering free energy in their surroundings.


    Because spiritual medicines, resources with a massive concentration of spiritual energy, were scarce, these beasts ate common foods with a high concentration of spiritual energy, such as those grown in the Dry City. And because of that, Kyla''s belly appeared full right now.


    However, in the case of beasts like Emlyn, who had already passed level 50, such a thing had minimal effect. Just like with the humans who could no longer efficiently cultivate with low-grade crystals after reaching level 50.


    For beasts from the 6th stage onwards, only spiritual medicines could do more meaningful effects for them!


    And because of that, Kyla''s mother had already been feeding on Common-grade and Warrior-grade medicines for the past few months, so she could continue cultivating quickly.


    However, regarding the use of spiritual medicines, this would be much more effective than common foods. For example, Emlyn didn''t have to stuff herself with medicines to grow her cultivation base, as Kyla had been doing.


    Emlyn only needed to eat a few Common-grade medicines a day or one Warrior-grade medicine each week, and that would be enough!


    Anyway, while Kyla cultivated and Emlyn looked around, Minos was circling his technique, Solar God Breath, right now. Today he was feeling ready to level up and would only stop after he did.


    Every time a human cultivator came close to a promotion, some bodily and soul sensations would indicate that possibility. Thus, for example, there was a certain muscular tension when a person was close to a breakthrough in the middle of a cultivation session.


    There was also a feeling in the cultivator''s soul, as if it were slowly being stretched, taking on a shape more and more like that individual''s appearance.


    But of course, significant changes didn''t happen from one level to another since the differences from one level to another weren''t usually so prominent within the same stage of cultivation. Significant changes only occurred from one stage to another when there was a great addition of spiritual energy!


    Given Minos'' low cultivation, the changes in his soul were very small, almost undetectable. That would only become more noticeable when a cultivator approached level 70 when the soul would finally transform into something tangible.


    Anyway, in the midst of this, the low-grade spiritual crystals around Minos glowed intensely, gradually fading and turning into ashes. At the same time, the spiritual density around him was pretty high, averaging more than seven times greater than what Kyla was forming.


    Crack!


    And after nearly two hours of sitting meditatively, Minos finally felt a cracking noise coming from deep in his being as he finally reached the beginning of level 43!


    In that instant, young Stuart''s soul ceased to extend while his musculature had returned to its former relaxed state. Such effects were typical of advancement, and only during these moments, a cultivator would have to experience them.


    That was, to some extent, painful. However, given the increased power generated by advancement, this was the pain that came before a great satisfaction!


    That''s why every cultivator loved to level up.


    As for the pain level, this was also related to the impurities present in a person''s physical body. Obviously, these toxins hindered cultivation, but they also could make the process more painful too!


    But not only that, at the final level of each stage, that is, at the moment of advancing into the next realm of cultivation, that feeling would be even worse than usual. After all, with the increase in energy needed for advancement, more would be the discomfort generated by a breakthrough, followed by spiritual cleansing.


    Anyway, in this regard, the young Stuart wasn''t doing so bad, but he wasn''t doing so well either. With a talent superior to Golden, there were almost no restrictions on his soul, the factor directly related to talent.


    However, for his body, the factor directly related to the Physique, this one was not going so well.


    Even though his Physique was a mutant type, which had great potential, he still hadn''t reached this rank equivalent to the Golden talent, which would be the Divine-grade Physique.


    In fact, Minos still had the usual Warrior-grade Physique, something that made his cells produce more toxins...


    Just as talent could facilitate cultivation, making the soul more ''cleaner,'' so did the Physique with the body. There would be a difference in producing natural toxins related to metabolism and absorption of external items with different degrees of this characteristic!


    Higher-grade physiques would be more efficient, while lower-grade ones would be less efficient, producing large amounts of toxins.


    That was also a limiting factor for many cultivators!


    But anyway, Minos didn''t feel much pain in his advances, given the fact that he, just a 5th stage cultivator, couldn''t handle large amounts of spiritual energy. On the other hand, when he got to the next stage, he could finally improve his Physique''s rating!


    He then opened his eyes slowly as he thought about his future Physique rank advancement. ''I have to get a King-grade medicine before I reach level 50...''

 Chapter 326: Requirements for Evolve a Physiques Grade

    Minos knew that for any human to advance the level of a Physique, there would be a need to use external resources.


    After all, the evolution of a cultivator''s Physique rank could be compared to two cultivation stage promotions!


    Such a thing was unusual to happen, and the amount of spiritual energy required was quite large.


    To give you an idea, Minos would need an amount of spiritual energy to evolve his Physique from Warrior-grade to the King-grade, approximately 15 times the amount of energy required to him reach level 50!


    Such a thing could not be overcome in the usual way with the spiritual energy from crystals or ordinary cultivation.


    After all, he had to make the advance at once, given that his mutant Physique had such a trait.


    Minos'' mutant physique would only ''open the door'' for this eventual evolution, once every 20 levels, at crucial moments in spiritual cultivation. Because of this, this young man could not try to evolve his Physique little by little with training.


    That was a special event for any cultivator who would attempt such an evolution, and such a thing could even be considered evolution as a specimen and not just a physical improvement.


    In fact, people with Physiques of different classifications were as different from each other as the race differences of cats!


    Obviously, these distinctions would not be visible to the naked eye in humans, nor would they even affect things like the intelligence of those individuals. However, internally there would be distinctions that would increase bodily efficiency, such as compatibility with spiritual energy, cell quality, etc.


    And the main factor, which most people want after they evolved their Physiques, was their innate abilities. With a better rating, these unique features would be enhanced, improving qualitatively!


    For example, an ability that previously would have seemed only helpful for the cultivator''s cell regeneration could begin to affect the external environment. In other words, it could even become capable of being used on other people!


    Anyway, this evolution was not easy and required a massive amount of spiritual energy to be completed. And contrary to what you might think, all that energy would not be stored in the cultivation level or the cultivator''s body after such promotion.


    After all, if such a thing happened, Minos, or anyone else who tried it, would probably die, exploding from the inside out!


    The role of this spiritual energy was to act as a catalyst for evolution, transforming one''s Physique into a more refined and efficient one!


    That was like a ''spiritual superwash,'' removing far more toxins than standard stage promotions and transforming the cells. So, for example, a cultivator with a Saint-grade Physique would have silver bones. In contrast, a cultivator with a Divine-grade Physique would have that same body part, utterly golden in color.


    Obviously, it wasn''t just the bones that changed their ''configuration,'' but the entire body.  As a result, it would become more resistant, with a higher regeneration, easier to retain spiritual energy, and more compatible with natural laws...


    And that had a significant consequence for cultivators, which was the chance to survive the final breakthrough!


    When trying to reach level 100, one would have to survive the Divine Tribulation, which would affect both soul and body.


    While a level 99 cultivator''s soul was strong enough to ensure that individual''s survival, the same could not be valid for his body. For that part, that person would have to have a Physique of Divine-grade.


    Otherwise, death was the only possibility!


    Finally, due to all this, spiritual medicines could be considered extremely necessary in the Spiritual World. Even for ordinary cultivators, without a mutated Physique like Minos'', evolving the rank of a Physique cultivating would be extremely difficult.


    And because of that, all cultivators who had the chance would advance their Physiques'' rank with the help of spiritual medicines.


    To ascend from Common-grade to Warrior-grade, one would need Warrior-grade medicine. From the Warrior-grade to the King-grade, a King-grade medicine. From the King-grade to the Saint-grade, a Saint-grade medicine. And finally, from the Saint-grade to the Divine-grade, a Divine-grade medicine!


    Minos had already used a Warrior-grade medicine when he had last advanced by the time he reached level 30. At that time, he had imported this resource from the Cromwell Kingdom through the Central Market.


    Such medicine was easy to find, as it was used to manufacture pills from high-level grade-1 to those of low-level grade-2 rank. So, it hadn''t been difficult for him.


    However, this time, a King-grade medicine could be used to produce medium-level grade-2 pills, to those of low-level grade-3. So, it wouldn''t be so easy for this young sovereign, let alone cheap!


    As for Minos'' future needs, luckily, the Spatial Kingdom was full of medicines of Saint-grade and Divine-grade!


    Anyway, while Minos was still sitting there, looking at the horizon before him, he was seriously thinking about this matter. ''Evolving the degree of a Physique also generates a great spiritual disturbance. So, I think maybe it might be a good idea for me to do this in the Dry City and not here...''


    As for this disturbance Minos was thinking about, that was something entirely positive. Given the amount of spiritual energy of the medicines involved in the evolution process, almost all of that energy would only trigger a given cultivator''s body to transform.


    All that massive amount of energy would be released into the environment after this process!


    Because of this, considering that the spiritual energy released by a King-grade medicine could compare to the power of a level 60 cultivator, such a thing could be helpful for weaker people.


    After all, that amount of spiritual energy would be enough for about 130 cultivators at level 39 to reach level 40. Or for 620 people at level 29 to reach level 30.


    So, instead of wasting all that spiritual energy in the Spatial Kingdom, where it would be meaningless, Minos preferred to give the opportunity to his soldiers. They could use this in place of spiritual pills and achieve their respective advances with the help of their leader.


    As long as this Minos'' evolution was done in a specific location, such as the Cultivation Tower, all that spiritual energy would be contained in a small space. With that, anyone who tried to cultivate in such places would suffer from something that would be like super spiritual pressure.


    Such a thing could not happen in external environments, free from restrictions, as the spiritual energy would disperse. However, by being contained in one place, this energy would force itself to be absorbed by cultivators, facilitating in a significant margin the possible advances.


    Anyway, such a thing could help Minos'' forces, and he didn''t intend to waste it. ''I have to talk to Mia to make the preparations, as soon as I get the medicine and I''m close to making my advance¡­''


    And while he was thinking about these future matters, Emlyn had risen from where she had been before and was now almost in front of Minos. "You''ve already reached level 43. How do you feel?"


    Hearing this, the young Stuart finally buried his earlier thoughts and said. "I feel about 20% stronger now. I think if that fight with that Spiritual King from before happened now, even if I still couldn''t defeat him alone, things would have been a lot easier. At the very least, he couldn''t put me at any risk."


    "I understand. It''s a nice improvement. Do you want to play a match with me?" Emlyn asked with both her eyes closed as if she was laughing.


    Minos had already mentioned that he wanted to start training with her soon, but Kyla''s mother didn''t think he would be capable of such a feat, at least not in the short term.


    At level 51, Emlyn could be compared to a human cultivator of the same level, with Silver talent and Silver-grade techniques. Because of this, if she were to analyze her in her peak state, she could fight level 54, Spiritual Kings, who used Black-grade and Blue-grade techniques.


    However, she wasn''t at her peak, and due to her missing paw, she could at best face someone at level 52. Something above Minos'' possibilities...

 Chapter 327: Minos Against Emlyn 1

    Hearing Emlyn''s question, Minos paused for a moment to ponder such a thing. ''Hmm, if she hadn''t leveled up recently, I would have been able to have a good fight with her...''


    ''However, now that Emlyn is at level 51, it will be much harder for me. Not only is her spiritual strength strong enough to ignore most of my techniques, but her physical prowess is far greater than mine.''


    Minos could fight a human that using mostly Blue-grade techniques and some Black-grade ones at level 51. However, as a spiritual beast, Emlyn didn''t have to deal with spiritual conversion issues.


    Her cultivation converted 100% during a fight, and her prowess would be similar to cultivators using Silver-grade techniques. At least, that was her limit at the time...


    ''Even if she has one less limb, she will probably only be affected concerning her speed. As for the rest, she should be as strong as she should¡­'' Minos thought about it, considering whether it would be worth fighting Emlyn.


    ''On the other hand, I just leveled up, and this can be a good test. Considering my current strength, unless I gather dozens of soldiers, there''s no way I''d have a good training partner around here other than Emlyn!''


    ''By the way, training against dozens of soldiers might not be a bad idea¡­'' He reflected with a satisfied look on his face.


    Minos reflected that by training against his soldiers, he would become accustomed to fighting numerous enemies within his cultivation range, and his soldiers would also learn the opposite!


    In other words, for soldiers, this could be the chance to learn to fight one-person armies.


    Such a thing could be beneficial for those individuals, as they would most likely have to face situations of this type in the future.


    The Black Plain was rapidly developing, and Minos could see that before he reached 20, which would be in a little more than two years, this place would have to face some difficulties.


    The Dry City defense was very efficient at the time, but the day would come when there would be some failure. Minos knew that, after all, sooner or later stronger people, that his forces couldn''t stop, would be able to discover the changes in this place.


    From then on, there would be no peace!


    That way, if Minos'' soldiers could get used to fighting someone as challenging as he was, that would be great for the chaotic future of the Black Plain.


    However, this could further strengthen the group''s cohesion. After all, it would be much better if subordinates could understand how much stronger their bosses are!


    Just being respected was not enough for the leader figure!


    Anyway, after thinking about it for a bit, Minos turned his attention to the fox in front of him and then said. "It''s not a bad idea. But I hope you limit your strength to level 50. Otherwise, I might end up hurting myself more than I should in this match."


    From Minos'' point of view, if she were a human, at level 50 with Silver-grade techniques, the young ruler of the Black Plain would still be at a disadvantage. However, the other side certainly couldn''t finish him in a short time.


    Even in a hypothetical situation where he would fight someone like that, Minos'' opponent would still have a lot of work to kill the young Stuart.


    Of course, Minos wouldn''t be able to pull a tie from someone so well equipped and with that difference in cultivation. Even getting away from such an enemy would be very unlikely for him!


    And after hearing the limit set by Minos, Emlyn nodded in agreement, feeling impressed by his knowledge.


    ''This understanding of his is profound...'' Emlyn thought about it because Minos'' request was indeed quite right.


    Given his battle prowess, if he had to fight someone with those traits and level 49, there would be no challenge for him. Victory would be inevitable!


    However, the thing would be completely different if he was up against someone at level 50 with those traits.


    There was a 50% difference between the two levels, and Emlyn was well aware of that. In fact, for her, who had already gone through these two levels, understanding them was like a walk for her.


    However, for a young man of only level 43, Minos understood very well about the cultivation levels higher than his own. That was what impressed Emlyn!


    "Okay, since you''re without a proper sword, I''ll just make long-range attacks, following your recommendation." She responded as she walked alongside Minos to a place far from the lake house.


    Minos even had other low-level grade-2 weapons in the current Black Plain Army. However, none of them were of the sword type, nor would they serve him anymore.


    He had already reached a level where his full power would gradually destroy any low-level grade-2 weapon he used. Previously, that sword he used had been destroyed due to Jamie''s attacks.


    However, after this advance, he had reached that level of damaging his own weapon with his powers.


    So, unless he didn''t use all of himself, weapons below medium-level grade-2 would no longer be of use to him!


    As for the medium-level grade-2 weapons, they required their users to be at least level 49 to use them. However, with the advent of the two techniques, Devouring Art and Indestructible Body, Minos could already use something of this classification.


    ''If I had a medium-level grade-2 sword, I might be able to experience a little more of Emlyn''s strength. After all, weapons of this rank have twice the amplification of the low-level grade-2 ones¡­'' Minos thought to himself, feeling a little anxious to get a new sword.


    ''Ahh, until I buy this new sword, my power will be limited to level 51 of ordinary humans in this region, at most. So, even if I sacrifice other low-level grade-2 weapons, like fighting that guy, this will be my maximum...''


    And right now, the young Stuart was in the same situation that thousands of people were in this part of the Central Continent. The problem of having to use lower-level weapons, artifacts that would ultimately diminish cultivators'' combat prowess.


    Many had to deal with this kind of frustration, given the region''s difficulties. However, Minos could be considered quite fortunate. He had the means to get quality items, unlike many cultivators in this exact situation.


    The majority were subordinates of large noble families who, unless they obtained such items through murder and pillage, would almost certainly never be able to purchase them. Moreover, each artifact produced by medium-level grade-2 blacksmiths cost an average of 1,000 medium-grade crystals, a small fortune for those individuals.


    Anyway, after walking for a few moments, Emlyn and Minos had passed close to Kyla. She, at this moment, had already finished cultivation. And the mother of this little fox had warned her what would happen next, asking this little fox not to get close to where Minos would be fighting.


    At best, Kyla could observe from afar, as Emlyn had told her.


    After that, the young Stuart and the big fox were finally in an open place, far from the lake house.


    There was a terrain with several markings on the ground in that place, with a floor made of a red metallic alloy, which almost blended with the local soil.


    That was a battleground that Henricus Longus had left behind in this Spatial Kingdom, a place where his heir could fight with everything without destroying this wonderful place.


    After all, it would be shameful for him if his inheritance was destroyed because his heir trained in this place...


    And because of that, that God had prepared an arena made by a set of high-level grade-4 professionals that could withstand even a fight of Level 99, Spiritual Demigods!


    Above that, it would be impossible for the place to withstand a battle. After all, it was challenging for support activities professionals to reach level 100 since they didn''t have combat power...


    Finally, Emlyn and Minos looked at each other for a moment as the two nodded, indicating the beginning of the fight.

 Chapter 328: Minos Against Emlyn 2

    As Minos and Emlyn were positioned facing each other in that spot, Kyla was watching the two of them with her little eyes gleaming.


    This young Nine-tailed Fox couldn''t help but feel excited, to be able to see a high-level fight with her mother present. After all, this was not only an opportunity for her to see her mother in action. It was also something she could learn a lot.


    Usually, Emlyn just gave Kyla a few tips without making any big demonstrations. Because of this, the young fox was eager to see these two fight.


    On the other hand, she also only saw the young Stuart training, unable to see what he would be like in battle. And given the close relationship she had with Minos, this little fox wanted to know how strong this ''older brother'' of hers was.


    It would be a lie to say she wasn''t proud of him!


    In fact, even though she got along well with Lee and Alison, especially the girl, Kyla liked and trusted Minos a lot more.


    ''Mom and big brother are going to fight... I hope big brother can fight well!'' She thought to herself as she watched the beginning of the fight from afar.


    In that instant, Minos and Emlyn had nodded their heads and started moving around that place.


    Minos immediately activated his movement and defense techniques when starting the fight, preparing himself to dodge or defend against his opponent''s first attacks.


    Emlyn was truly fast. Even without one of her paws, she could still be as fast as her opponent. And by the time the match had started, she had already slashed the air with her claws, forming several translucent blades, which raced toward Minos.


    At the same time, after activating his defense and movement techniques, the young sovereign ran for several meters while making various strange movements, dodging Emlyn''s attacks.


    At times he would lean back or sideways. At other times he had stepped back and even jumped forward. The Explosive Steps technique had a focus on speed, but that wasn''t all.


    This technique gave the user dexterity beyond his body''s natural limits, making him feel the environment around him and move intuitively. In such an effect, in a way, Minos'' senses were closer to those of a Spiritual King than his body would usually have.


    Such a thing could not happen without the use of techniques with this kind of effect. The senses of the human body were directly related to the body''s capabilities, that is, to the changes that the fleshy body underwent at each stage of cultivation promotion.


    That is, without using special techniques to such an effect, a cultivator could only elevate his senses by increasing his cultivation!


    And that was one of the essential points of this Minos'' movement technique, which could improve his senses in an entire stage.


    ''Oh? It looks like your senses are pretty good¡­but you''re still a step behind those of spiritual beasts!'' Emlyn thought to herself as she paced back and forth in that place without much worry.


    As much as she was using only a strength equivalent to level 50 in this fight, that was enough for Minos to have to work hard against her. At least, in the short term, the young ruler of the Black Plain would have no chance of attacking her since he was without a suitable weapon.


    A few seconds had passed since the start of the fight. Still, until then, everything basically boiled down to Minos dodging and defending the blades created by Emlyn. Sometimes he counterattacked using his attack technique, trying to get close to the big fox.


    But it was futile. Kyla''s mother''s only effort was to create attacks and keep Minos away from her. Other than that, she didn''t seem to be trying to defend herself much from him.


    ''Damn, it''s truly troublesome to challenge someone so much stronger... If only I had a technique specialized in mind power...'' He thought to himself as beads of sweat formed all over his body.


    Minos was pondering the effects of such techniques. Such an area was handy in the Spiritual World. Generally, those who had techniques or skills focused on this area could be considered the most difficult opponents to deal with.


    That is because this type of skill or technique could significantly weaken opponents'' physical defenses, as in the case of spiritual beasts.


    In general, beasts had two weaknesses. One was their spiritual energy, and another was their mental strength.


    As long as one had techniques with the Minos Devouring Art for the spiritual energy problem, it wouldn''t be difficult to beat a near-level beast to cultivation. And it''s wrong to think this is the same for humans. That is, while beasts, in general, have only physical strength, humans can use many different techniques!


    As for mental strength, this was related to the same problem. Without techniques to protect themselves, it would be difficult for a beast to fight, for example, someone who could make them fall into an illusion.


    Given that such living beings could not learn techniques, only those born with unique gifts could have any protection against these facts. And the Nine-tailed Foxes even had such a gift. However, it would only be awakened after level 60, reaching its peak at level 89!


    And in this case, Minos thought that would be the only way for him to balance a match with such a difference in cultivation. But, unfortunately, he didn''t have any technique or skill like that at the moment.


    Or rather, Minos had not learned any such technique before.


    ''If I learn a technique like the one I gave Corporal Grym, it could help me a lot in the future¡­'' He pondered.


    A person''s mental strength was related to the soul. And even though the soul was the recipient of most of the spiritual energy, it wasn''t quite that simple.


    Unless a cultivator used mental techniques to strengthen his own mental strength, it would be impossible to defend himself against a mental attack!


    Even if the difference in cultivation were significant, as in the case of Minos and Emlyn, it would only slow things down a bit. Unlike the cultivation level, which could, for example, ignore the effects of the Devouring Art, the same was not valid for mental strength!


    Or rather, the mental protection of a living being was naturally weaker than spiritual or physical protection. That is so much for humans, beasts, elves, etc.


    That''s why cultivators with such skills or techniques, as in Grym''s case, could be considered the most difficult ones.


    They could fight those stronger than themselves with their prowess, making their opponents lose attention in the fight, exposing gaps.


    Anyway, at this point in the fight, a few minutes had passed when Minos finally managed to get closer to Emlyn''s body.


    He was completely drenched in sweat, while his spiritual energy was less than a third of the total. He then used the sword he was wielding in this fight to slash his opponent''s massive body.


    Swooish!


    His sword sliced ??through the air, quickly approaching Emlyn''s body at the same time that she made her move.


    She took a step back as two of her six tails moved forward, forming a barrier against Minos'' attack.


    Clang!


    The instant Emlyn''s two tails slammed into Minos'' sword blade, the rest of them whipped through the air, heading straight for his unprotected chest.


    Pow!


    In doing so, Kyla''s mother had flung the young Stuart away when he finally fell to the ground, grating back and forth in pain.


    Emlyn''s four tails had slashed at Minos'' chest like a whip with several small blades. And at the same time, as he felt the sting of the ''whiplash,'' he could also feel some shallow cuts on his chest.


    ''Huh, if it weren''t for the Indestructible Body, this would have left a big mark!'' He thought about it as he came to a stop, finally lying on his back on the floor in that spot.

 Chapter 329: Arent You Ashamed?

    While Minos lay on the ground, Emlyn ran toward him, sending out several blades of air.


    Swooish!


    She ran in circles around where he was standing, making vertical slashing gestures with her remaining front paw.


    In doing so, the big fox would stand on its two hind legs, make a move and then jump forward, running again until it made a move again.


    That was the way she could send out long-range blows since her other front leg had been lost. So, that''s why she needed to do this whole process to send her long-range attacks.


    But that wasn''t the only way a Nine-tailed Fox could fight!


    Of course, she could use her tails, which were as tough as medium-level grade-2 weapons at this point that Emlyn is at level 51. But, on the other hand, the agility and dexterity beyond usually allowed beasts like her to move almost as best as possible.


    It was as if they already knew their opponents intimately, even with those they''d just met. The analytical capacity of this breed was very high, placing them among the best ranked, below the 10th stage of cultivation.


    Anyway, there were other possibilities, too, such as using their sharp fangs and other unique characteristics of these beings. However, this involved direct contact with her opponent, and Emlyn had promised Minos not to do that.


    Previously she had only attacked him because he had gotten too close to her. After all, even if she wasn''t going to use her physical superiority directly against Minos, that didn''t mean she would let him attack her!


    That''s why Emlyn had warded him off earlier, delivering a slightly weaker blow by using her tails.


    And seeing that Kyla''s mother wouldn''t give him rest until the fight was over, Minos promptly got to his feet, taking a great leap backward.


    Upon doing so, immediately, the black ring spinning in the sky suddenly disappeared as Minos began his movement.


    He was getting almost no gain from the Devouring Art, so he had decided to save his strength by focusing everything on the other techniques.


    He quickly activated the Explosive Steps while running at full speed to get closer to Emlyn. It was no use for him to try to maintain a long-range fight with that fox, as he was at a huge disadvantage here.


    Spatial Sword!


    Indestructible Body!


    And in doing so, within seconds, Minos was approaching Emlyn again when he released several blades of air towards her, trying to gain some space.


    Clang!


    At the same time, Emlyn used her six tails to protect her body from Minos'' attack while watching him closely. ''It won''t work...'' She thought.


    And as she defended herself, the young Stuart approached his opponent even more when he finally kicked Emlyn''s front paw with all his might.


    Pow!


    However, even if it made her unbalance a little, the ending hadn''t been favorable for Minos. As she lost her balance, Emlyn had used her weight to fall toward Minos while a single one of her paws wrapped around one of his feet.


    ...


    At this moment, Kyla, who was from afar seeing everything, finally started to approach those two, seeing her mother pressing the small human body over her big body.


    It was a funny scene to watch from where Kyla was standing. She could see her mother sitting on the floor with her head down, while a human head with brown hair could be seen through Emlyn''s white fur.


    ''My mother used to make me sleep like that¡­'' She recalled as she ran to that spot.


    ...


    At the same time, as Kyla ran to the place where the two were, Minos finally realized what had happened. Emlyn''s body had crushed him, but he didn''t feel bad or anything like that. After all, she had just done it to arrest him.


    In fact, what Minos could feel was Emlyn''s incredibly soft fur, warm as if it were the ideal place to fall asleep.


    ''Ahh, it wasn''t such a bad ending¡­'' He pondered at the same time as he hugged the fur on Emlyn''s neck.


    Minos was entirely out of energy and quite tired at this point.


    However, in that fight, he had gained good experience in fighting someone so strong. Considering Emlyn''s physical strength, it would be tough for him to compete with this fox, even if she was limiting her strength.


    After all, while Emlyn limited the power of her attacks, her body couldn''t be ''liberated'' from the characteristics present in the body of any 6th stage cultivation being. Even more, a spiritual beast, which had almost all its potential, turned to the fleshy body!


    Because of that, even though the attacks Kyla''s mother had sent him were only a little stronger than Jamie''s, it was enough to make Minos a lot of trouble.


    While Jamie had to worry about Minos'' attacks hurting him, Emlyn didn''t have to. For her, using her tails was enough to protect her vital regions, even from this young man''s most potent attacks.


    Because of that, this had been a completely different fight than Minos had had with that other individual from the 6th stage of cultivation!


    On the other hand, even though Minos had lost, he felt that this was not quite as bad a defeat as the one he had suffered for Ruth the first time the two had fought.


    Back then, the difference in strength between Minos and Ruth wasn''t all that different from the difference between him and Emlyn now. However, previously he had been practically beaten by that young woman, barely having a chance to counterattack.


    But this was also expected. The main difference here could be the presence of one more technique in Minos'' repertoire. After all, this could make quite a difference in human fights.


    Previously, if Minos had a movement technique, he probably would have had a much easier time with Ruth. That is, he could have avoided many of that young woman''s blows, as he had done against Emlyn today.


    Anyway, sensing that Minos seemed to be enjoying her fur, Emlyn lowered her big head to see the small body of the young Stuart and then said. "In my clan of the Nine-tailed Foxes, only cubs stay that way with their mothers. Aren''t you ashamed to do this?"


    "Of course not. After all, I''m not a Nine-tailed Fox." He said with a smile on his face as he looked in the direction Kyla was running. "Hehe, not to mention that you were the one who threw yourself at me. What could I do?"


    At the same time he finished speaking, Kyla squeezed under her mother, gleefully barking as she joined the ''hug'' of Minos and Emlyn.


    "Au! Au! Au!"


    After joining Minos and Emlyn, Kyla wrapped herself around the young Stuart while taking advantage of this situation to play with the two. Even though she already had an adult body, she still enjoyed playing a lot.


    Her mental age wasn''t long after all...


    And after licking the young Stuart''s face and standing around wrapped in her mother''s warmth, the big fox soon got up, giving Minos room to get out of there.


    They had just fought, and her ''poor'' opponent needed to recover. Minos had to cultivate for a few minutes to return to his peak state, and then he would still take a shower before finally returning to the Dry City mansion.


    She then looked at the young man who had some scratches around his chest and shoulders and said. "We''ll try to do that when you get to level 45. I believe you''ll get there before I get my next advance."


    "Hmm, I probably won''t come close to beating you before then..." He nodded as he walked through that Spatial Kingdom forest.


    ...


    Quickly time passed, and Minos had finally returned to the Dry City, where the sun gradually rose over the horizon.

 Chapter 330: Military Exercises

    It dawned in the Dry City, and at this moment, amidst the still calm flow of people in the streets, Minos was having breakfast in his mansion.


    Besides him, three other people were in the dining room of the young Stuart''s residence, around a table laden with delicacies. These, of course, were the two women from the Miller family and the old butler Dillian.


    They didn''t always have breakfast together, but that still happened occasionally. After all, like all of them living in the Dry City government mansion, they were already well used to seeing each other early in the morning.


    The residential part of Minos'' mansion was on the top floor of this building, with the sovereign''s residence occupying almost half of that place. The remaining area was the butler''s residence and some small apartments where visitors could stay.


    Each of these locations was quite decent, well-furnished, with beautiful views of the city center. In addition, there were also some comfort options, such as swimming pools and small gardens.


    Anyway, the group had just started eating breakfast when Abby felt something different about Minos and decided to probe him. ''Why do you look happier than usual?''


    "Oh?" After that, the blue-haired young woman immediately understood the change in Minos.


    He had achieved a breakthrough after months at level 42!


    That was indeed something to be happy about!


    "You''ve already passed me, huh?" She commented to Minos, who was on her left side this time.


    Minos usually didn''t sit at the end of the table unless it was a formal occasion or something like that. He didn''t like that kind of etiquette, which made him feel distant from people.


    "Oh? Has the young master advanced again?" Dillian commented with a smile as he ran a hand over his glorious mustache.


    "This is truly fantastic. Congratulations, young Minos." Eda commented, nodding her head, showing her satisfaction with that fact.


    Like many Minos'' acquaintances, she did not formally call him on private occasions like this one. After all, Eda had known the ruler of the Black Plain since he was a child and had always called him that.


    And it wasn''t easy to change certain habits. For example, Minos himself used the word ''grandpa'' to refer to Dillian, given the fact that this man had always been like a grandfather in young Stuart''s eyes.


    Anyway, after receiving the congratulations from the three, Minos smiled and responded. "Hehe, thank you. I managed to make that breakthrough last night."


    "At this rate, you''re going to leave me behind completely..." Abby commented in a low voice, feeling a little disappointed, even though she was happy for him.


    Hearing this, Minos used one of his hands to squeeze her left thigh briefly, then said casually. "If you put in a little effort, getting a spot in the Elite Squad won''t be difficult. At this time, your cultivation speed will increase a lot."


    She then looked down from the table, seeing Minos touching her left thigh, and then thought to herself. ''It seems that this is the only way...''


    Abby knew she could ask Minos to help her before this selection took place, but she would never talk about it. She didn''t want to take advantage of the fact that the two of them got along well to gain undeserved favors.


    Abby didn''t want to appear like someone who slept with her boss to get perks!


    She was getting involved with him even before she knew about the Silver-grade techniques that that army ad mentioned, even before learning more about Minos'' capabilities.


    When she started to get involved with him, to Abby, Minos was just another young man with talent and excellent options that could create his force. But she didn''t think he was so capable before she met the headquarters of the local army.


    Presently, knowing about that, she didn''t want to confuse things between the two. The two were friends with some intimacy, but she was working in his organization. In this case, it would not be suitable for her to place orders or demands.


    And more importantly, she wasn''t that kind of person. She was bonding with him because she felt good to do it, not because it would create opportunities for her!


    As her friend appeared indifferent about his suggestion, Minos continued massaging her when he finally said. "Mrs. Eda, I have a request to make. When Abby and I go to the Kingdom of the Waves, I want you to start fighting my soldiers."


    Hearing this, Eda, who was eating and talking to Dillian, looked at Minos in surprise and asked. "Do you want me to train them? That could truly be a good idea."


    Dillian then completed. "This is great, young master. Eda will be able to train them properly!"


    "Hmm, but what I plan to do is a little different from what you are thinking." Minos declared at the same time as he felt Abby''s hand on his, and she started to look at him, leaving the previous subject behind.


    "What are you planning?" She asked.


    "I am thinking of starting the military exercises of the Black Plain Army. We will have many problems in the future, and our soldiers must have as much unity in fighting as possible. At the same time, I want to prepare them to face even stronger enemies than what they are used to."


    "Given that both my soldiers, as well as Mrs. Eda, are cultivating Black-grade cultivation techniques, that means that unless something happens, the two sides will always have a more or less stable difference in terms of power level." He said confidently.


    In fact, even with the difference in talent rating between Eda and the soldiers, it still wouldn''t be that significant at the moment. Such a difference would undoubtedly give this woman an advantage in cultivation. Still, it would only become more significant above the 6th stage of cultivation.


    Before that, the difference in cultivation speeds due to talents would not be extreme.


    Minos then continued. "I intend to have these soldiers fight you in groups with different numbers of individuals, considering their level. As Mrs. Eda is almost at level 49, ideally, those at level 43 would gather in groups of two soldiers. Those at level 42, in groups of three people. The ones at level 41, with four people, and the level 40 ones, five people in each group."


    "With both sides fighting with everything they have, that should be enough, both for these soldiers to be stimulated and for Mrs. Eda." He finished speaking with a smile on his face as he looks Eda''s face.


    She looked pretty shocked this time. She understood where Minos was going with this since, given the cultivation forces, the numbers he had used would indeed be close in power together with hers.


    However, even in groups extremely accustomed to fighting together, they would still be weaker than a single individual with that equivalent power. So, she was shocked to learn that Minos wanted to push his soldiers that hard.


    As for her, even if she had a bit of an advantage, this would be a good challenge, one that could spur things on for her. At the very least, it would be better to do that than to cultivate without having the opportunity to fight real battles.


    "So, that''s what the young master wants¡­ That seems like an excellent idea. With this, both sides will stimulate themselves, while this could also increase the affinity of soldiers who fight together."


    That was an efficient way to use this woman''s strength.


    Previously, Minos could not do such training because the difference between him and the soldiers was simply too vast. There were not adequate soldiers before!


    His techniques also made it very difficult for that to happen. But for Eda, she didn''t have any technique that could steal her opponents'' strength or restrict space...


    She would have to fight traditionally and is, therefore, better suited for this kind of work.


    But Minos also wanted to do his military exercise, with him fighting against the soldiers. Eda''s case was just the starting point of this military exercise. The focus would be to use this to prepare the soldiers to fight Minos!


    However, for this to work, the numbers would have to be much larger. At the very least, he would need to use at least half of his Sergeants so that both sides were pared!

 Chapter 331: Cant Even Take the Pressure?

    "And how do you want to do this?" Abby asked as she stared at Minos sideways.


    "I want Mrs. Eda to fight day in, day out. Each day, you will face a group of soldiers of the rank of Sergeant in that organization that I said."


    "This will continue until all the Sergeants have fought you. After that, the process will repeat until you reach level 50. After that, I''ll make some changes to this program." Minos replied while holding Abby''s left hand.


    After Minos finished speaking, Eda then nodded to Minos and agreed to go along with that plan. She had recently joined the army, but given her strength, this woman spent most of her time at headquarters, training and cultivating.


    Not that this was bad for her, it wasn''t. After all, who wouldn''t want to be able to cultivate quietly, without significant worries?


    However, the best way to develop someone''s power would be to fight an opponent, especially when it involves a certain risk of death.


    Of course, other fights like the one Minos suggested were also worth much more than regular training or less significant matches.


    "We''re going to give some benefits to the soldiers too. As Mrs. Eda has the advantage, I will award 2,000 merit points to the teams that win her ten times. In return, Mrs. Eda can earn 100 merit points for every ten wins."


    And upon hearing that, Eda''s eyes immediately sparkled. Such a thing would be an opportunity for her to gather some points and prepare for future items that could be made available in the Reward''s Hall!


    ''This will be interesting!'' She thought with a satisfied smile on her face.


    Eda wasn''t angry about the difference in the rate Minos had stipulated. After all, while each group of soldiers would fight her once every period, she would fight groups regularly!


    In this case, she would have many more opportunities than them!


    And of course, there was also the difference in level, which made her more efficient...


    After hearing Minos'' plan, Dillian then massaged her old friend''s back with a smile on his face. That was a good chance for Eda. She had been striving to change her techniques to the Black-grade ones of the Army Library, and now she would have this chance to fight and improve her mastery of these new techniques.


    On the other hand, this was also a way of associating her more closely to the Black Plain Army, separating her from the Miller family. The perks and privileged treatment that these talented cultivators received around here would definitely make them feel better in this place.


    And after all, who wouldn''t want to be valued?


    With that, the sense of belonging and loyalty would gradually solidify, taking the place of Abby''s family.


    Obviously, there was no nefarious intent on the part of Dillian or Minos towards the Miller family. But, they still had to protect their interests, making their soldiers as trustworthy as possible.


    Ideally, she never had to choose sides. But what if the day came when this was necessary? Minos would not simply allow his investments to be made in someone who would be ''on the wall''...


    Which one to choose, the side that nurtured you but never valued? Or the side that offered you the chance to ascend and become as strong as those who supported you?


    Hard to say. There would be people who would say it was better to respect their origins, but is that truly the choice they would make under such circumstances?


    Hypocrisy had always been a feature present in humans...


    After that, Minos then completed, looking at Dillian and saying. "Grandpa Dillian, you need to be present at these fights. I want things to be pretty intense, so your skills will be needed."


    "All right, young master. Hehe, this will be a good chance for me too. I will use this as a form of training." He replied, smiling sympathetically.


    The group then continued to eat for some time, when finally young Stuart said. "Before that, I want to prepare a military exercise before Abby and I leave. I will face the soldiers of the rank Sergeants!"


    "What? I''m afraid this isn''t appropriate, Minos!" Abby exclaimed in shock after hearing his absurd comment. She already knew well the capabilities of this young sovereign and what his techniques could do.


    In that case, how could Abby accept that without saying anything?


    Minos could probably only fight 3 or 4 people of Eda level at the same time. However, that would only happen because this mature woman has cultivation far superior to his.


    Because of this difference in cultivation, opponents at Eda''s level would not suffer as much from the effects of Minos'' techniques. At the very least, they would not lose their energy at an alarming rate and would only have a specific reduction in their speed.


    However, after Eda, the strongest soldier was only at level 43, the same one Minos had just arrived!


    And to those of his peers, it was already known to all how effective Minos'' techniques were. Abby couldn''t help but remember the third part of the Spiritual Tournament when this young man had defeated 124 competitors in that test in the form of a battle royale.


    At that time, except for one of them, who had already reached level 41, all the others were at the most at level 39. And because of that, they had lost humiliatingly to Minos!


    There were less than 300 soldiers in the 5th stage of cultivation in the current army, so Abby couldn''t think they would stand a chance.


    Minos was not only at a stronger level than these soldiers, but this young man''s fighting efficiency had increased after he reached the 5th stage of cultivation.


    Hearing this, Dillian also thinks that this would probably be asking too much of these soldiers. "I''m afraid this could hurt the group''s morale, young master. Some may become discouraged after realizing the size of the difference."


    On the other hand, Eda didn''t think the same as her old friend. "Hmm, I think this might be a good one. There are already people like young Minos out there who are much stronger than they are. If these soldiers can''t even take the pressure of their leader, someone who doesn''t want to kill them, then what will they do when they face those monsters?"


    "Although there aren''t that many Spiritual Kings in our region, their numbers are still in the thousands. And today, even the weakest of them can pose risks to these soldiers."


    "In this case, just by training hard and understanding their respective positions, these soldiers will know how to survive and get stronger."


    "A single soldier can be straightforward to deal with, but together, they can form a difficult group to defeat!" She finished her comment as she watched Dillian.


    It was usual for her to see these points that the butler had ignored. After all, even though he was an experienced person, at the end of the day, Dillian was still a doctor who had been a butler for most of his life. He didn''t understand war matters as well as his old friend Eda.


    He certainly knew the basics, having been with Albert for so long, but that wasn''t enough. Eda was almost at the same level as Minos'' father before he died, if not more experienced, and thus possessed a thorough knowledge of the subject.


    At the very least, a butler who only learned a portion of his master and friend''s knowledge could not compare to her.


    "Hmm, Mrs. Eda is absolutely right. The mental part is also an important factor for soldiers. Each of them needs to be prepared to fight for their lives, even if the enemy is beyond what they can handle. And only by doing training like this will they have chances to be successful."


    "This is not hard training, but a chance at life for them. I will not kill them, but the same may not be true for the Spiritual Kings that they will have to face in the future." Minos said while looking at Abby.


    He then whispered to her. "I don''t want you to fight in groups with them, so you don''t need to participate in this. I will train with you myself when we travel to the Kingdom of the Waves."


    "Oh? Don''t you want me to train with others? I could train with you and still do that with you." She said, demonstrating that she doesn''t need special treatment.


    "It won''t be suitable. So, we will do it in private. That is mainly for these soldiers to learn to work as a team. And since we will be traveling together, you will already be missing a lot of training with these soldiers."


    "OK." She responded with a content smile on her beautiful face.


    After that, the group finished breakfast, when each of them went on to resolve their matters.

 Chapter 332: Mislead

    It wasn''t long before several hours had passed.


    At this point, Minos had dispatched several orders to secretary Mia to make some preparations regarding this matter of military exercises.


    It was decided that a week before young Stuart left for the Kingdom of the Waves, 75% of the Black Plain Army Sergeants would participate in a battle against the local sovereign.


    This exercise would be carried out on the outskirts of the city, in an unbuilt part, within the wall''s perimeter. Given the scale of this event, it would not be appropriate for the local government to hold this event in the headquarters arena nor the City Arena.


    After all, this would be a fight with power equivalent to a battle of Spiritual Kings, something beyond what the current Dry City arenas could handle.


    The defensive arrays of those places were not yet ranked as well, as there was no budget for such a thing. But not only that, there weren''t people that strong in the army either, so having such infrastructures that well equipped wasn''t necessary.


    Even though the Black Plain was already earning millions of low-grade crystals monthly, this place had many areas under development.


    The payment of wages to farmers and government employees, including soldiers, was not light and already took more than 20% of the income from locally grown products!


    And given the fact that the Black Plain was developing, creating new services, and improving old ones, it was not possible to invest unconsciously. Having suitable items and locations for Spiritual Kings was a good thing. Still, at the moment, only Dillian and Eda could reach that level in a short time.


    Apart from these two, even Minos, the fastest cultivating spiritual energy in this place, would still take over two years to reach level 50!


    In this case, investing in such highly rated equipment would only make more sense when the rest of the soldiers got closer to this level!


    Because of that, Minos had chosen one of the empty places within the area protected by the wall.


    At present, the Dry City had  ??just over a fifth of the total area protected by the wall. This even considering the area under construction, there were no people living or services functioning.


    Therefore, there was ample space available for Minos to organize this event without causing any commotion in the city or destroying already built sites.


    In fact, this area of ??the city that still had no buildings was just a large vacant lot where anyone could see a piece of the old Dry City, a lifeless place, with a gray and flat terrain, with few slopes.


    The local government would not use this space for agriculture as there was already a plan to build buildings throughout the area protected by the wall. In this case, working on something that would be destroyed in a short time didn''t make much sense.


    So, agriculture was taking place elsewhere, outside the main city wall, in a region protected by some of the region''s few geographic features.


    There were other constructions to protect the crops in that place, but the main one was still the geographical factor. This factor favored the view on land in that area, and only when people came from inside the city or through the sky was there the possibility of that place being seen from afar.


    Anyway, in addition to choosing that sterile place to fight, the consequences of the battle could still help the Dry City!


    The presence of rocks in the ground was not uncommon, even at shallower depths. And given the fact that buildings needed to be constructed in such a way as to fit these natural structures, all built-up land would first have to be turned over.


    With this, with high-level fights, which could turn the ground up and even destroy some obstacles to urbanization, this could favor the local community.


    That could already be used for the city to expand its sanitation services to this area where the battles would take place. Thus, planning for future streets and buildings could be facilitated by creating a water and sewage system on such a place, connected to the city''s network, even before the occupation of this place!


    In any case, there were positive points in doing this in the area protected by the wall.


    As for the fights between the groups of soldiers and Eda, well, that would start right after Minos and Abby left for the Kingdom of the Waves. These battles would take place at the army''s headquarters, as Eda was unable to fight alongside many soldiers due to her power being limited to the 5th stage of cultivation.


    For these events, the great military exercise of Minos against the soldiers, there would be a unique scheme for that to happen. After all, this would be an event that could likely cause damages to the people involved.


    And even with the presence of a top-notch doctor, Dillian, the fighting soldiers would have to have some time to recover.


    They couldn''t just fight a monster like Minos and then go to the wall, work as nothing happened!


    Therefore, on days when there were large-scale military exercises, the entrance gates to the Dry City would be closed, with small groups of soldiers. The city would be in a state of alert. All the remaining forces, the soldiers from the 4th stage of cultivation and those who were not going to fight from the 5th stage, would be directed to guard the wall.


    That was critical for the soldiers going to fight Minos. It allowed them to return to their duties only when they were in peak condition.


    Not everyone would be worn out in the same way, and those more fit could come back in the first shifts, after the ''rest day.''


    As for Eda''s fights, such a thing would not be necessary, as there would not be many fights, nor many soldiers would be involved simultaneously.


    This event could become very relevant for the soldiers of the local army since they could also earn merit points with it in addition to being able to improve their teamwork.


    Soon Minos would leave for the Kingdom of the Waves. When he returns, there will undoubtedly be many resources added to the Reward''s Hall.


    In this case, this would be a golden opportunity for them to earn more merit points!


    ...


    While plans for the Black Plain Army''s military exercises were being made, Elena and Elen were at a crucial moment in their trip to the Black Plain right now.


    They had traveled to the capital of the Kingdom of the Waves in the past few days, having been constantly pursued by spies from the Allen family. Even after they arrived at that place and started doing business as usual, these individuals had watched them closely.


    However, after a few days of acting, or rather doing their activities without showing any rush or concern, Elen had finally made them let their guard down!


    She had only met people she already knew, from business partners to local subordinates, just as she had caught up on regional news. And by observing Elen''s daily life in this state''s capital, the Allen family spies had finally slipped into Elen''s trap.


    While the two young women visited a place where Elen often went in this place, a restaurant on the south side of town, everything had finally happened.


    That place was not far from one of the exits from the capital of this state, where Elen had already prepared a big spiritual beast for the trip to the Black Plain.


    They used their bodyguards to distract those spies by making them leave that restaurant while being accompanied by two other women.


    Elen and Elena had dressed carefully in the past few days, always wearing a veil over their beautiful faces. And with that, it wasn''t challenging to find doubles for them!


    And by the time the two doubles and the girls'' bodyguards left the restaurant, Elen and Elena had already arrived at one of the city''s exits, where they mounted a large white bird and flew south.


    Seeing the capital of the Kingdom of the Waves getting smaller and smaller, Elen and Elena finally sighed in relief. "Phew, I thought they would never give us that chance!"


    Elen then nodded in agreement, feeling the strong wind on her beautiful face. "Well, it shouldn''t be long before they figure it out. However, hehe, it will be too late."

 Chapter 333: Mundane Things

    Gradually the huge bird carrying Elen and Elena finally merged with the clouds in the sky as it quickly flew north.


    The wind was strong, or rather, the bird''s speed was great, and because of that, there was strong friction between the air and this group. However, with the advent of spiritual energy, both the beast and the two humans sitting on this bird would not be bothered with it.


    Both girls'' hairs were in the air. However, they weren''t being messed up or anything. It was as if, despite the image of hair in the air, it was protected by something that kept them from being messed up.


    Of course, that was the effect of spiritual energy.


    Both Elen and Elena used a small portion of their energy reserves to form a tiny layer over their bodies that protected their integrity. But, of course, this wasn''t strong enough to stop the substantial displacement of gases around them.


    However, they still managed to keep their hair as a whole, even though it was flying in the skies, loose.


    At the same time, there was no feeling of fatigue in both, given the effects of altitude, that is, the air rarefied.


    Even though there were not abundant amounts of the gas needed for respiration, this was still within the acceptable range for cultivator bodies from the 5th stage of cultivation.


    Individuals at this stage could breathe easily, even if the oxygen density were a third of normal, close to surfaces. As for this, this is related to the ability to manipulate the energy of heaven and earth.


    Each cultivator would gain the ability to use some of the free energy in the environment upon reaching the Spiritual General stage. With that, and given the affinity of natural elements with spiritual energy, cultivators like Elen and Elena could attract oxygen molecules from a distance, breathing even in rarefied places!


    But this ability had a limit, as there was no infinite attraction between gases and spiritual energy. Thus, if the density of gases were too small, such a thing would not work.


    As an example, breathe underwater!


    For this type of situation, only have a 5th stage cultivation would not be enough. If anyone wanted to breathe underwater, one would have to reach level 70, at the very least.


    From this level, the form of life, not only human but also other living beings, would change completely. A Spiritual Saint, or someone stronger, would no longer be constrained by mundane things like breathing, the need for a body to survive, having a unique shape, the need for rest, eating, and so on.


    All that would change after reaching the 8th stage of cultivation!


    But even though Elen and Elena couldn''t breathe underwater, they could still do it easily at high altitudes.


    And as they flew north of the Kingdom of the Waves, the two were talking about what had happened earlier and their travel planning.


    "Do you think Eduard and uncle Ernest will make it to the Dry City?" Elena asked as she sat behind Elen on the back of that giant bird from the 4th stage of cultivation.


    "It will be tough... When those people realize what happened, they will most likely not lose track of our bodyguards." Elen answered her friend''s question as she stared up at the endless sky in front of her.


    They had separated from their bodyguards to create the previous circumstance necessary for this trip. However, contrary to what is perhaps common to think, for these two, separating from their protectors was not something negative.


    After all, one of them was at level 46 and the other at level 47. Moreover, they were stronger than those two bodyguards because they both had complete sets of Black-grade techniques, with Elen even having one of Silver-grade.


    In fact, when a young noble from these great regional families in the north of the Central Continent passed level 45, it was not uncommon for them to be seen alone, traveling through this region.


    From this level on, only those Spiritual Kings within their respective families could surpass them in terms of strength. And given the fact that these individuals were too important to become bodyguards, after level 45, young nobles could dispense with their protectors.


    Of course, they still had the right to continue traveling with these subordinates. Under certain circumstances, as in the case of Kevin, one person could not defend himself alone...


    Usually, a subordinate would serve as a young noble''s bodyguard until one of the two became a Spiritual King. If the subordinate got to that level first, he couldn''t continue to do such humble service.


    If it were the noble, from level 50 on, there would be no need for him to have a bodyguard from the 5th stage. After all, this would be of no use...


    But before either of those two things happened, a subordinate assigned to become a young noble''s bodyguard would have to come under his command.


    Even if someone like Elen no longer desired Eduard''s protection after reaching level 45, that man would remain her nominal subordinate until one of those conditions occurred.


    And because of that, Elen and Elena still had bodyguards, which they had brought on this trip. Those two had come with them precisely to fulfill their role in this plot, making life easier for these two women.


    And given their strength, there would be no danger for them to travel without their subordinates!


    Elen then continued to speak. "I think they''ll probably have to wait a few weeks here in the Kingdom of the Waves before they can leave. Then, when the Allen family group doesn''t receive any updates for a few weeks, they''ll return to Stone Island, or maybe they''ll continue on the trail of Eduard and Ernest."


    "If that last case happens, then they will have to return to Stone Island without us. Otherwise, they''d be better off staying here in the Kingdom of the Waves to share the Allen family''s attention."


    Hearing this, Elena made a sound of agreement and then asked. "How long will it take us to get to the Dry City?"


    As a young woman leaving Stone Island for the first time, Elena didn''t have a good sense of the regional commute time on the northern part of the Central Continent.


    Usually, she just did business with Elen, dealing with numbers and things like that.


    It was not her specialty to deal with the transportation of resources. So, she didn''t know much about this factor. But not only that, given this young woman''s ignorance in this matter, she had no idea of ??her and Elen''s current geographic position...


    Elen then thought for a moment and replied. "I think three weeks to a month. Normally this trip would take 2 to 3 months in beasts from the 3rd stage of cultivation, which are normally used in local trips in this part of the continent."


    "But in a 4th stage beast, even more of a flying type like ours, the trip can be quite ''shortened.'' However, we will only have time to stop and rest. Other than that, we''ll have to travel all the rest of the time." Elen explained to her friend, pondering what lay ahead of them.


    Most of this journey would not be dangerous for people in the middle of the 5th stage of cultivation. However, there were still some spots around the Kingdom of the Waves that they had to avoid due to the presence of powerful spiritual beasts.


    Although they were traveling on a flying-type beast, occasionally, they still had to stop to rest. And because of that, the two acquaintances of Minos had to be careful wherever they went, both so as not to leave a trail or to defy powerful beasts.


    They came from the north-central region of the Kingdom of the Waves, a region separated from the Black Plain by numerous forest areas and landforms ranging from mountain ranges to desert plains.


    In fact, there were far more nature reserves in this region that these two were passing through than in the area Minos and Ruth had traveled in the Cromwell Kingdom during their journey.


    That could be considered the strongest place in the north of the Central Continent, where even some wild beasts from the 6th stage of cultivation dominated regions!


    "It''s a long journey and lots of adventure. But for now, you''ll have to contain your desire to see this place so that we can reach the Dry City as soon as possible¡­" Elen commented to her friend before the two finally started talking about other matters.

 Chapter 334: The Cohen Family Shop 1

    Three days passed in the blink of an eye.


    In this period, the phase of fights between competitors of the selection for new army recruits had already ended!


    And at the end of this part of this competition, of the little less than 5,000 participants, around 3,500 of them had managed to reach the minimum to remain in the selection.


    The requirements of the previous stage were not absurd. Because of that, many people had managed to achieve a winning margin of more than 50%. Moreover, as in the case of Alina, many of these people were at the end of their respective stages, which helped them beat those competitors of lower levels.


    As for those few competitors who were already in the 5th stage of cultivation, almost all were between levels 40 and 41.


    But this difference was also expected.


    Most of the competitors were people from the Dry City and the Yellow City, not very strong places. With that and the fact that they only train with Blue-grade techniques and don''t have as many resources as the soldiers of the local army, these people naturally had smaller cultivations.


    Even though there were already citizens in the Spiritual General stage in the Dry City, they were all at the beginning of this cultivation stage due to these circumstances!


    And the fights for these competitors had been the most competitive of all. But this is not just because they are the strongest, but because of the slight difference between each competitor''s levels in these groups.


    But in the end, about 70 people from this strongest group had reached the last part of the selection to compete for the 50 positions of the future new sergeants.


    However, as much as there may seem to be little competition here, that''s not exactly true!


    There were 50 vacancies, but depending on the outcome, even just a new soldier of the Sergeant rank could be recruited. That is, the army was no longer trying to fill its vacancies, regardless of the candidates'' prowess.


    It was no longer enough solely to have a good level of cultivation!


    The soldiers had to be the fittest. If there were no one like that in the group of competitors, then Minos army would have to wait until the next opportunity to recruit more people!


    After all, the first moment when the army would recruit without too many demands had passed. From this point forward, each of the new members of the Black Plain Army would have to have a certain quality that would make them worthy of the investment.


    Finally, of those about 70 people, as long as they managed to win their matches, 50 of them could join Minos'' organization.


    If 51 of them were able to meet this requirement, then there would be a tiebreaker, considering the cultivation level. And for the eventual unlucky one who ended up in the 51st position, they would have to wait for the next time...


    As for the competitors in the 3rd and 4th stages of cultivation, the same would be true for them. For the first, they would have 800 vacancies, with more than 2,000 competitors in this group. As for the last one, there were more than a thousand and only 400 places to compete.


    After the end of this part, the competitors would have another week to prepare themselves and rest. After that, the fights between competitors and soldiers would begin to take place in the arena of the headquarters, where everything would be resolved in at most another week!


    And amid this extraordinary period for the Dry City, the population was very excited. Thousands of people witnessed the selection of local soldiers for the first time. And they also gained a better understanding of the competition at this event.


    Previously the selection was made entirely within the walls of the headquarters, and only the competitors and soldiers knew what happens. But this was not done to hide the entire procedure from the citizens. No, after all, there was nothing extraordinary about the selection, especially concerning the fights.


    The problem is that there were few candidates before, and the strength level was generally much lower. So, it wasn''t interesting to take it to the rest of the city.


    Another problem was that the Arena of the City itself had just been completed.


    Even though many competitors had been eliminated from the event, the city still had a very positive atmosphere. Of the more than 3,500 competitors still in the selection and more than 1,000 from the 1st and 2nd stage that had already been approved, they all had families and friends supporting them.


    Because of this, even though only less than 5,000 people were in a favorable situation in this selection, more than 40,000 people were looking forward to this event. Such a thing was not small, being more than 30% of the population of the current Dry City!


    But amidst this positive feeling, local citizens continued their activities.


    ...


    The day was pleasant in the Dry City, with a cloudless sky and a gentle breeze that passed through the city streets from time to time.


    In the midst of this, the sun was at the highest position in the local sky, while the city center was experiencing its usual bustle.


    People were coming and going from shops and utilities, some on weaker spiritual beasts, others walking, and even some on simpler carriages.


    The whole scenario would resemble a big city, but without any locomotion problems related to bad planning. Unlike issues of this type, all flows, whether from people, beasts or vehicles, flowed smoothly, without causing a disturbance.


    And at one point in the center of the Dry City, there was a store with four floors, where a big sign with the name Cohen could be seen. From this place, people were occasionally entering. But, in contrast, others came out there, carrying various objects, sometimes small, sometimes as big as one person.


    The Cohen family store had been open in the Dry City since Minos'' trip to participate in the Spiritual Tournament.


    This site had been open for almost a year. In the meantime, it had undergone several renovations, having reached its current size after these changes.


    At first, it was just a tiny place to import resources from the Kingdom of the Waves, such as arrays and spiritual weapons. However, after arriving in the Dry City, this branch of the Cohen family had received many orders from the government and the population.


    And of the 3 initial employees who had been sent here, today, this store already had 45 people who worked directly on the store or brought resources from the Kingdom of the Waves to here.


    Along with importing several resources, the store already had a sufficient supply of things on hand to ensure that customers received their items immediately after purchase.


    In general, such items available for immediate delivery followed the consumption patterns of the citizens of the Dry City. Therefore, these things are sold very quickly and at a low cost, such as lighting arrays, heating, cooling, common everyday utensils, etc.


    There were also items from other professions, but they were the minority in the shop. Things like weapons and peculiar spiritual artifacts were not very successful with the standard population, as they were considered unnecessary.


    After all, what good would a weapon be in the hands of a farmer? He could defend himself, yes, of course. But when he didn''t even have a house of his own to live in or arrays to improve his quality of life, would it be worth buying such an item?


    It wouldn''t be.


    And even if someone dreamed of stopping to be a farmer, for who knows, becoming a soldier, it could be done without weapons!


    After all, some techniques did not require the use of these artifacts!


    Finally, due to these local preferences, the Cohen family store did not have a large inventory for other types of items, in addition to those already mentioned.


    But, of course, there was always the possibility of importing these items, perhaps in short supply or small quantities at this location. The transportation itself was not that expensive, as the Cohen family had already established a weekly trade route to this town, always sending new resources here.


    Thus, even for citizens who were only interested in importing small, low-value items, they would still not need to worry about high transportation costs.


    Anyway, two older men were getting to know this store for the first time after moving to the Dry City from the City of Waters.

 Chapter 335: The Cohen Family Shop 2

    From where the two men from the City of Waters were standing, there was a large rectangular room, which on opposite sides had glass facades, facing different sides of the city center.


    In addition, there were several wooden shelves around, like the ones you would typically find in a common goods store, like those that sell furniture.


    Each of these shelves formed several aisles, wide enough for four people to walk side by side and about 30 meters long. Each of them had different types of items packaged correctly and a few samples out of the boxes for customers to analyze the objects.


    The two men were in front of one of these shelves, on which there was a set of 10 small white spheres. Each of these spheres had some hooks at the top, while the bottom was perfectly smooth.


    Besides this set, there was a small poster, which presented the product and its price.


    ''Set of 10 lamps, 5,000 low-grade crystals; each lamp can work separately and can illuminate up to 50 square meters. When buying 5 sets like this, you only pay the value of 4!''


    Upon reading this, the two old men found this promotion interesting, but they couldn''t pay that much right now. Moreover, they had just arrived in the Dry City a few days ago, so they hadn''t even received their first wages.


    "Ah, these lamps are truly cheap! I hope it doesn''t change the price when we can pay for it." One of them commented.


    And in fact, the price was not as high as it might appear on the surface. That is, there was a considerable difference between the 5,000 low-grade crystals for a set of just ten bulbs and the maximum farmer''s wages, 334 crystals.


    However, the poster did not pronounce all the benefits of these lamps, as there was no need to state the obvious to these people of the Spiritual World.


    Every person in this world knew that a spiritual array could function without the supply of crystals by using free energy in nature. In other words, there would be no need to spend crystals to keep an array operating!


    All one would need to do is activate the array, and it would naturally convert free power into a different form of energy!


    But the benefits didn''t stop there. No, the durability of each array was extraordinary. As long as the item wasn''t purposely damaged, even those of the lowest rating, like these bulbs, could function perfectly for a few hundred years!


    And if they were used well, taking proper care, such as not using them all the time, then an array could still reach a thousand years old, working without significant problems!


    Precisely because of these two factors, the price charged for this item was not expensive, in the view of the two old men.


    Assuming they could buy a lamp separately, for 500 crystals, and that item would last 500 years. That would cost them only 1 crystal per year, while in a year working in agriculture, they could earn hundreds of times that amount!


    So, buying an item like this would not be costly when someone looks at these values ??for the long term.


    However, they could not buy just one light bulb, as these items were sold in sets of 10.


    Such a thing was just a sales strategy to guarantee the earnings of the array masters, as there was not a great appeal for these professionals to produce such items. After all, a low-level grade-1 array master would already be able to make these products.


    However, it wouldn''t be worth the effort to make just one light bulb at a time, as they could develop other types of arrays, which cost more. In other words, this was an attractiveness issue.


    For the array masters to continue to produce these items on large scales, there was a need for their earnings to be guaranteed.


    Making a single light bulb wouldn''t be worth it, so they did it in sets of 10, which matched the price of these items with other arrays of the same rating.


    Other than that, these lamps had to be installed close to each other due to the collective creation procedure. In addition, they worked on an energy-sharing scheme, which ensured the best functioning of the set.


    Of course, that didn''t preclude the use of this item individually. In other words, they would not need to work simultaneously. Instead, each would function as if it were independent.


    That could be considered a defect or an unwanted feature of these products, and it indeed was. But there was nothing to do, to be worthwhile for the array masters, they developed the whole set of lamps at once, so there was this need for the lamps to be close to each other.


    And consequently, these lamps were sold in sets.


    But this was nothing exaggerated. As long as the other bulb was within the range of the others, 50 meters, then it would work. In addition, it was possible to use one over the limit of the other, extending the maximum distance between the opposite end lamps to 450 meters.


    Finally, the lamps could not be sold separately due to all this, as there would be no guarantee that these items from the same set would be used within the limit.


    However, if two or more neighbors got together to share the price of this set, then it could work, making this purchase less expensive!


    Anyway, after hearing his friend''s comment, the other one smiled and said. "Let''s see with the neighbors in the building that we moved. I believe it won''t be difficult to get another nine people to share this amount."


    "Hmm, let''s see this later."


    After that, they continued to learn about the items from this Cohen family store while reading the prices of each one.


    ''4 flame cooker and 100-liter oven, one unit for only 4,999 low-grade crystals.''


    ''Residential air conditioner, heats and cools, one unit for only 4,999 low-grade crystals.''


    ''Dry washer, 10 kilograms, one unit for only 3,999 crystals.''


    ''Spatial ring, 10 square meters, 5,000 crystals.''


    And while they knew the values ??of the products sold in this store, the two men talked about other matters. Both had recently arrived in the Dry City, but they had already heard a lot about what was happening here.


    They had ''financed'' apartments in residential buildings built by the local government, and because of that, they had become neighbors to some of the former captives from that base of the Chambers family.


    And by becoming neighbors to these people, they had naturally made contacts and learned things from the former captives, who had been living here for a few weeks.


    Soon, the two men had learned about the selection of the army that was going on at present. And this was by far the most exciting subject for the two, who had a particular interest in this subject, given the possibilities for their respective families!


    Even if they couldn''t join Minos'' army, maybe a grandson or granddaughter could do it.


    "Old Morton, it''s a shame that we''re at the end of the penultimate phase of the army selection. Because we only got here three days ago, we lost a lot of fights..." One of them complained to the other.


    "Do not tell me that. The day I arrived here with my family, there was still a day of fights to go. However, when I found out about this, it was too late." The other commented in regret.


    "Ah, there''s nothing to do. I heard that the last part would not be open to the public... So, it seems that now we can only wait to see the next competition."


    "Hmm, I heard that too. In less than a week, these final fights will take place at the headquarters of the local army. After that, hundreds of new soldiers are expected to register in the army."


    "And the local sovereign himself will watch part of the fights." Morton commented as the two started down the stairs from where they were.


    "Hmm, I know. It will be an honor for the candidates who get him to witness their fights. Maybe even someone will be able to get Mr. Minos'' attention and gain his support!"


    After that, the two returned to their chores, leaving the Cohen family store behind. There were many products they wanted to buy, but it would still take a few months for them to be able to do such a thing.


    ...


    And quickly, a whole week had passed, and now it was time for the last part of the selection to begin!

 Chapter 336: The Last Part of Selection Begins

    Little by little, it dawned in the Dry City when the birds sang in the trees in the streets, and the first windows and doors opened and closed.


    Right now, it was cold in the city ruled by Minos, while dew covered the lawns of the city''s public parks, in addition, of course, to the many glass windows of the local buildings.


    The sky was still partially cloudy, with some blue dots in the middle of the white, from where light sources illuminated the Dry City more intensely.


    And in the middle of this early morning, white smoke trails were already leaving from the top of some buildings. At the same time, the smell of bread permeated the residential neighborhoods of this place.


    The day had just started, but hundreds of homes were already active, with all the family members drinking coffee and chatting animatedly.


    After all, however early in the morning, today, the last part of the selection would start, so many competitors had woken up early, along, of course, with their families.


    The first day of fights in this last part of the selection would only officially start at 10 am. Still, even if it wasn''t even 6 at this time, many were already getting ready to leave.


    Competitors had been recommended to arrive at headquarters 2 hours in advance to receive proper notice of how this final phase would work.


    It was nothing complex, and many of them already knew they would fight the Black Plain Army soldiers. However, those minor details, such as the order of the fights, with who each competitor would fight, dates, results, would all be announced before the start of this last exam.


    And because of that, the thousands of competitors were already getting ready to go to the headquarters, just as the day dawned.


    ...


    On one of the streets of a residential neighborhood in the Dry City, there were many buildings with similar heights and different models. Many of them had a glass layer, with small lawns between the street sidewalk and their entrances. In others, there were sets of stairs.


    In general, there were a few different models of buildings in this city, like those without balconies, with several windows on each floor. Others had a small open area in each apartment, sometimes with plants or places for recreation.


    There were round, square, rectangular, letter-shaped buildings, such as ''T,'' ''S,'' ''X,'' hexagonal, and other different shapes. Some were entirely covered by glass facades. Others had green parts, which scaled the walls as if some walls were vertical soils.


    Anyway, the view from the buildings of the Dry City was quite enjoyable, with many colors and shapes for people to admire.


    It certainly wasn''t a tiring sight!


    And in the middle of that street, a young woman was leaving one of these buildings, already descending the stairs to the exit of that place where she was.


    Behind her, where there was a large glass door at the entrance to the condominium, three people waved their hands at this young woman.


    Of these people, one was a middle-aged woman, next to a man with gray hair on his head and a tall, rustic body. In addition, there was also a girl in the middle of the two adults, who didn''t look even 14-years-old, eating an apple right now.


    "Good luck, big sister!" The girl yelled in her thin voice as she waved to the young woman walking out of the condominium entrance area.


    "Bye, see you later." She answered.


    After that, the young woman who had just left that place, Alina, waved back to her family. Then, finally, she closed the outer door of that place and made her way to the city center.


    This young woman and her entire family had woken up very early today, having already had a rich breakfast, in case she had to fight on the first day of the final exam!


    Alina''s entire family was delighted with this young woman''s performance in the selection, and they were very supportive.


    They couldn''t take crystals to give to her or precious items that could help her, but they provided all the emotional support that a family could give.


    And this, in a way, such a thing was indeed the most important for Alina!


    Anyway, after the start of the day for Alina and her family, the young woman soon disappeared from that street.


    If her relatives could see her fighting in the selection exam, they would go. Yet, such a possibility was not available to the public. So, her family could only return to their business. And about that, there was a lot that her family could do...


    Aside from Alina''s young sister, who was not yet an adult, everyone in this family had at least one job, so they had a lot to do!


    As for this young woman''s sister, she did not make it into the army during the previous selection, and given the passage of time, her strength had not significantly increased enough for her to do so in this issue.  ''I hope the older sister wins. Then in the next competition, we''ll both be in the army!'' The girl thought to herself after returning to her room.


    ...


    Quickly some time passed, and the back gates of the local army headquarters were already open for candidates!


    It had just passed 8 am, and the approximately 3.5 thousand people who remained in this phase of the selection were already entering that place.


    The crowd soon moved silently to the stands of the headquarters'' small arena. At the same time, some yawning sounds could be heard coming from the soldiers, and coffee fragrances drifted through the air in that place.


    "Ah, finally, this selection is ending!" One of the soldiers at the entrance to that place commented to one of his fellow workers.


    The other soldier then nodded, holding a white mug in both hands as he took it to his mouth. "Really, despite being an interesting event for the competitors and people related to them, it is quite tiring for us."


    "I prefer to follow my usual routine."


    "Hmm, don''t even tell me. In the last two months, I only had to resolve issues related to this selection!" The other nodded as he warmed his hands by rubbing each other. He then continued. "Honestly, I would have preferred to stay a few more days at the coastal base, just not to have done this job, hehe. There at least I could earn double merit points per day."


    "Haha, you are an interesting guy to say that. Speaking of which, I was recently selected to go spend two months working on this place. Can you tell me how things are there?" At the same time, this soldier asked, he saw the crowd of people outside the headquarters decrease to the point where pieces of the street could be seen again.


    The other then began to speak. "There''s not a lot to do there. It''s pretty monotonous most of the time."


    "Of course, we have to do the cleaning work, as there are no lower-ranking soldiers than Corporals in that place... That''s the only truly boring job."


    "Oh?"


    "But apart from that, we have to transport the resources planted here to merchant ships and protect the base. From time to time, some groups of spiritual beasts appear in the vicinity of there, and then we have to eliminate them."


    "The good thing about it is that we can fight a little more than we do here in the Dry City. We also got some crystals, selling the parts we don''t eat of these beasts."


    "It''s a job that pays well."


    "I see. But what about spiritual density? Even if there is compensation for receiving double merit points per day, I am still uncertain."


    "The spiritual concentration of that place is what is like it was here before the changes generated by the young master. But that''s not as problematic as you think."


    "When I was there, there were already two cultivation rooms for the 4th stage cultivators, for up to 30 people each."


    "Oh? Less bad..."


    The two continued to talk until finally, the last participant in this final part of the selection enters that place. After that, these two soldiers quickly closed the big entrance gate to that part of the headquarters and returned to the arena from there, where all the competitors were already properly seated...

 Chapter 337: Final Phase Rules

    After the headquarters'' gate closed, it wasn''t long before the crowd of competitors finally began to discover the final details of this part of the selection.


    Upon arriving in the stands of the fight arena, immediately, each of the competitors saw that there was already a group of soldiers in the middle of the fighting stage. There were about 20 soldiers there, sitting around a table in front of where the competitors had seated.


    There were some artifacts on that table, while several clipboards and water glasses were distributed on it.


    And as soon as a soldier gave the signal that there was no one else outside the gates, one of the people on that stage began to speak. "Well, good morning, and welcome to the last part of this selection of new soldiers."


    "For starters, I''ll explain some simple rules as to how everything will happen, and finally, when each of the fights will take place."


    After saying this, the white-haired man who had started to speak rose from his chair as he looked from one side of the crowd to the other. He then began to explain. "Eh, as many of you may have heard, in this last part of the selection, you will face opponents who are soldiers of the Black Plain Army."


    "However, I must emphasize that although this is an arduous task, each of your opponents will have an amount of spiritual strength equal to yours."


    "Maybe someone here doesn''t know, so I''m going to take a chance and declare the obvious. Blue-grade techniques are 50% efficient, and Black-grade techniques are 70%. With that, given the energy differences of different cultivation levels, we will put a soldier on a similar amount of usable power as the competitor he will face."


    "For example, a level 39 competitor will face a level 35 soldier. Someone level 29 will face a level 24 soldier, and a level 40 competitor will face a level 39 opponent." He gave examples, following the fact that most of these 3,500 or so competitors were at one of these three levels.


    With this, he could all at once clear the doubts of most of these people.


    And as for the difference in levels, as can be seen, one can notice a reduction in the difference in levels that someone can face, with different classifications of techniques. But this is normal.


    With each new cultivation stage, the amount of energy of the cultivators increased a lot, and it was remarkably different when compared to levels of different stages.


    For example, following the same pattern as above, someone at level 49 with Blue-grade techniques could fight an opponent at level 46 using Black-grade techniques.


    That is because the energy growth within the same stage was not so significant. However, by changing cultivation stages, the difference would be enormous and become more and more extreme in later stages.


    Therefore, someone at level 40, like these competitors, could only fight the soldiers at level 39.


    An example of this was the young Stuart himself. When he was level 39, he could barely draw a tie with Troy, level 44, at the end of the Spiritual Tournament. However, months later, when he had already entered the 5th stage of cultivation, Minos could already fight opponents up to level 47.


    Anyway, this explains the disproportionate differences between these levels of cultivation.


    And upon hearing the old man''s explanation, the contestants continued to pay attention to him, but with raised eyebrows, as they thought about this matter. Some of them were not so well aware of the differences in cultivation levels, as many of them had lived most of their lives without caring about it.


    However, they had the impression that it made sense because, when comparing themselves to previous versions of themselves, they believed that they could defeat the current version of themselves with better techniques.


    Of course, this thought was quite gradual, and some of them took a while to reach this conclusion.


    Therefore, many had serious expressions, which only after a few moments diminished.


    ''Even so, it will still be very difficult to face a level 24 soldier...'' Alina thought to herself. A fight could involve several variables. Even if the power was equal between the parties, this could not mean an impasse.


    On some occasions, with this restriction, certain types of fighters would be considered pareo. Still, on other events, there could be a more significant imbalance than you might think. For example, the opening match of the Arena of the City had demonstrated this well.


    The winner of that one-day tournament had been a soldier with an innate skill focused on hand-to-hand combat. And that was just her opponent''s specialty!


    Because of this, those individuals had won easily, as innate abilities are far more efficient and powerful than spiritual techniques!


    Even if the soldiers who were going to fight these competitors didn''t have or didn''t use battle skills, each fight would still have different situations.  So, for example, a competitor could be very compatible with his opponent, and the battle would be easier.


    Or it could be the other way if a competitor had to face his nemesis!


    This man, an expert in close combat, would face his most formidable adversaries, those warriors who specialized in long-range combat. Like Minos with his restrictive techniques, or someone with mental techniques or abilities!


    The possibilities were endless, and anything could happen in a battle!


    The old man then continued. "Each of you will fight only once against a soldier of spiritual power equal to his own. If you lose, you''re out. If you win, you''re ok."


    "As for the unlikely event of a tie, there will be a group of referees watching each fight. If they think you deserved the victory, then you''ll be approved. Otherwise, you can only blame yourself."


    "Finally, for the approved group, you will fill the vacancies of each hierarchy, taking into account the level of cultivation of each one. In other words, the first classified in the group of competitors for the 4th stage will be those at level 39, going up to the first person approved, with a level lower than that."


    "If the number of vacancies is filled before reaching the last name of those approved for this stage of cultivation, then you can only blame your misfortune and try another time. As for the remote possibility that, for example, someone in 400th position has level 39 cultivation and another person in 401st position has the same cultivation level, then the younger of the two will pass."


    "The same goes for the other groups." He said as he moved his eye from side to side, observing those competitors.


    Conditions were a little harsh for people who were in these situations, but there was nothing to be done. The budget was limited, and the army needed to follow standards to organize the selection.


    And given the low chance of something like the last example happening, such a tiebreaker, while seeming unfair, wasn''t that hard to accept.


    Defeating an army soldier, or pulling a draw after a good fight, wouldn''t be easy!


    For this reason, even if some of them were worried about losing their vacancies due to their age, this was more of a problem in the future.


    The problem that was closest to them bothered them the most!


    And finally, the criterion adopted was genuinely reasonable. After all, younger cultivators often have higher potentials and cultivation speeds. Therefore, for an organization like an army, such a thing would be highly valued.


    "As for the fight itself, you will be able to use any external support items you have or that are necessary for your techniques. And the soldiers will only use weapons necessary for their techniques. In addition, they will be prohibited from using innate abilities during matches if their opponents do not have innate battle-type abilities."


    He then stopped for a moment and then continued. "However, if anyone here has an innate battle-type skill, then your opponent can have the same and will have the right to use it during the fight!"


    ''Damn it! They truly want to put us in an impasse situation¡­'' Finally, someone in the crowd thought about it.


    That thought was rational. After all, if there was already a rule limiting the spiritual power of soldiers, then competitors couldn''t have the advantage of using skills while their opponents couldn''t!


    The objective here was to test this group to the extreme so that the selection organization could choose the most suitable ones.

 Chapter 338: The Beginning

    After finishing talking about what would and would not be allowed in the fights, that old soldier who presented the situation to the competitors gave his turn to someone else.


    The rules were not complicated at all and were only there to keep the matches as balanced as possible, limiting the side of the soldiers so that the competitors had a chance of winning. After all, even if the power was equal, the soldiers had more valuable items and also fought more often than these people.


    Each soldier had to complete many monthly fighting hours as a form of regular examination. That was done to prepare them for the fights they might face at any time in the future.


    Fighting was not a tricky thing. It would not require great intelligence. However, considering someone''s characteristics and equipment, having the best fighting proficiency demanded constant training, like real fights.


    This involved commitment and a routine!


    It would be no use for a cultivator to go into a cave and train for decades, cultivating and improving his understanding of his techniques. If he didn''t go through constant fights against different types of opponents, his weaknesses could go unnoticed!


    With this, if the training were not well done, with challenges and fights against different people, the day would come when that fighter would be left behind his opponents!


    That could be compared to the athlete who doesn''t rest properly and doesn''t train because he''s talented or something. By doing this, a talented person could maintain a decent performance for a while. However, over the years, his body would no longer follow his thoughts, and problems would start to appear...


    Therefore, constantly challenging yourself, following a regular training routine was the best way for people to improve or maintain their high level!


    And for this, the soldiers of the Black Plain Army had to fight several hours monthly against opponents of the same strength range.


    In fact, the fights that would take place in this last part of the selection were something with that purpose as well. That was a way for soldiers in Minos'' organization to learn what it would be like to fight higher-level opponents but with lower-ranked techniques.


    Finally, there were also several simple rules in this last part of the selection. For example, it was not allowed to kill or cripple nor maliciously attack an opponent''s intimate areas. It was also not allowed to use any tricks that blocked the opponent''s vision unless a spiritual skill or technique generated it.


    The fight would be ended when one of the sides was unable to fight or in cases of withdrawal. As for the fight limit, even though it takes place on the headquarters arena stage, there would be no punishment if someone were thrown out of it.


    That was not a competition to ascertain the ability to fight in a small space but to examine the proficiency of these competitors. Winning within the stage area would have no relevance, as in real situations, such a thing would never matter.


    Finally, there was no time limit for fights. As long as the two sides could keep fighting, no match would be stopped.


    Eventually, other people sitting around that table on the arena stage then got up from their chairs and started talking. "Well, now that the fight rules have been explained, let''s go to the last topic."


    After saying this, this woman dressed in a uniform with the mark of the Sergeant rank then waved to the soldiers in that place and then continued to speak. "Now, let''s talk about when and who each of you will fight in this last part of the selection. The matches will follow the descending order of the cultivation stages."


    "In other words, those candidates from the 5th stage will fight first, while those from the 3rd stage will be last."


    Upon hearing this, the approximately 3,500 competitors in the arena''s stands began to make some comments in low voices while that woman had a moment of silence.


    "Ah, that was to be expected. I''ve heard that in the army, even those with the highest level receive their salary before others..."


    "That means I''ll still have more time to prepare..."


    "Damn, I''m more anxious now. I''ll probably have my fight this morning..."


    At the same time, Alina also had her thoughts about it. ''There are few competitors from the 5th stage of cultivation, and their fights will also be more intense. It will probably be the fastest group!''


    ''No wonder we''re going to fight last... In fact, there isn''t even an audience to watch these fights, so there''s no point in having to follow the increasing order of strength.''


    And then that soldier spoke again. "The choice of your opponents has already been made in the days that have passed since the last examination of the selection. The same goes for the date and time of your fights."


    "However, know that each fight can take place either before or after the stipulated time. It will depend on the duration of the fights before yours. But rest assured, the fights that can start before the time will only happen if the competitor is already here, ready to fight."


    "Otherwise, the schedule will follow the order already established."


    After saying this, a group of soldiers on the sides of the stands gathered at the entrances of each one of them, with several boxes full of papers.


    That soldier from before then explained. "These soldiers will call you, by your cultivation stage and alphabetical order. Each of you will receive a small timetable, where you will find the time of your fights."


    When they finished hearing this, soon, those competitors turned to the sides where those soldiers were and began to pay attention.


    And it wasn''t long before one of those soldiers screamed aloud. "Competitors from the 5th stage of cultivation..."


    Simultaneously, the 70 competitors, who were at least level 40, got up at different points in the crowd, heading towards the place where the soldier from before was.


    And it didn''t take long for each of them to receive a sheet of paper, with the names of each one of them, along with the opponents'' names and the fight times.


    ...


    "Competitors from the 4th stage of cultivation, with names starting with the letter ''A'' to ''I,'' come here..."


    ...


    "Competitors from the 4th stage of cultivation, with names starting with the letter ''J'' to ''R,'' come here..."


    ...


    "Competitors from the 3rd stage of cultivation, with names starting with the letter ''S'' through to ''Z,'' come here..."


    ...


    After almost an hour of this coming and going of competitors, who were receiving their schedules and returning to their seats, finally, everyone received papers with the time of their fights.


    At that moment, another person who was on that stage then started to speak. "Well, now that each of you knows when and who you''ll face, I''ll give you the last warning."


    "For each of the fights, we recommend that you arrive at least 15 minutes in advance. That is because you will only be allowed to enter the fighting stage after having your identities verified and also passing through the inspect." He said as he looked towards the competitors.


    Of course, Minos'' army would not fail to identify the competitors'' identity by the vacancies offered. After all, fraud was not uncommon to happen, as many people were willing to cheat established rules.


    Thus, to prevent any infiltration from interfering with the progress of the selection, only those duly classified participants could fight. Moreover, they would prove their identities with their civilian IDs, which would allow the army to know their status in the selection.


    As for the inspection, this was to comply with the rules mentioned above.


    Spiritual artifacts could only be used if competitors proved they needed them. So, before the fight happened, they would have to justify using the equipment and be inspected so that no one would enter the fighting stage with more than necessary.


    The purpose of the exam was to assess the competitors'' capabilities and not the potential of their artifacts!


    A spiritual array, or something like that, was not necessary for any spiritual technique. However, such items could significantly improve the conditions of a battle for one of the fighters!


    For this reason, such things were prohibited here.


    After giving this last warning, the presentation of this last part of the competition was over, and it was time for the fights to start!

 Chapter 339: The First Day

    Quickly the first competitors who would have to fight in the first matches, those from the 5th stage of cultivation, headed out of the stands. Each of them went to the side of the stage, where there were already several tables and soldiers ready to identify them and proceed with the physical search.


    At the same time, the approximately 3,500 remaining competitors mainly remained seated, while two groups were getting up to leave.


    One of them was from the competitors of the 4th stage of cultivation which would have to fight right after those 70 individuals from the 5th stage. For this reason, those who would fight in the next few hours were already heading to the stage as well.


    On the other hand, the other group was made up of cultivators from the 3rd stage of cultivation, who would only have to fight after two or more days. Some of them wanted to go back to their business and would only come here on the day of their fights.


    However, this group represented only a fraction of the total number of competitors in the 3rd stage of cultivation. Most wanted to stay here to see the first few fights, thus improving their understanding of people''s powers with Black-grade techniques.


    And among them was Alina.


    This young woman had discovered that her match would occur on the 3rd day of the exam, in the early afternoon. She would have to fight a young Soldier, level 24, 17-years-old.


    In the paper Alina had been given, there wasn''t much more information than that. Only one more piece of information was in her fight record: the person she was going to fight had no battle skill.


    Because the headquarters staff determined that Alina''s ability could not be used in a high-intensity fight, they eliminated the possibility that her adversary would have that advantage.


    Finally, Alina was looking forward to her fight, feeling her heart pulsating while feeling a certain pressure and heat on her face. ''Two days from now, it will be my fight... I have to win. I''ve come so far. I can''t allow another result!'' She thought to herself as she tried to calm down, squeezing her hands tightly and looking towards the fighting stage.


    ''I''m staying here to see the fights of the competitors from the 5th stage of cultivation. It might help me learn something since there shouldn''t be a large number of Black-grade techniques available in the army.'' She thought calmly, remembering that there weren''t even many Blue-grade techniques in the local public library.


    Because of this, Alina had concluded that the number of Black-grade techniques in the army should only be a fraction of the number of Blue-grade ones in the library.


    As for top-ranking techniques, she didn''t even think about it.


    There wasn''t any news of this around town, so there was no reason for Alina to think there would be anything better than Black-grade techniques in the army!


    And because of that line of reasoning, she thought that many soldiers probably used similar techniques. So, at least, seeing many fights of different soldiers, maybe she could learn the characteristics of some of them!


    ''After that, I will see some fights from the competitors of the 4th stage of cultivation. The difference in cultivation between them and me isn''t as tremendous as with those from the 5th stage. With that, I''ll be able to understand better what to expect from this level 24 opponent.'' She pondered.


    After that, Alina started to pay attention to the fighting stage of that arena because, at that moment, the first competitor was climbing there!


    ...


    A soldier of Corporal rank, level 39, quickly stepped onto the fighting stage, wearing his traditional uniform, with no armor or weapons with him at this time.


    At the same time, the participant of the selection that would be in this first fight, someone of level 40, was without his shirt at this moment. He had a small vertical scar at the height of his navel, while an ordinary hammer was in his right hand.


    And while the two were facing, about 10 meters apart from each other, on the opposite side of the stands where the other competitors were, was the group of referees for this event.


    There were some tents with several tables in that part of the arena, where five people with white hair on their heads were sitting.


    They each had the same pattern on their army uniforms, with the symbol of the Sergeant hierarchy.


    All referees were at level 42 and were among the few Sergeants in the army who could lead groups of soldiers, meaning they had a different status than Abby''s group.


    They were here to evaluate these competitors and also put the house in order. Since the strongest of the competitors was at level 41, it was more appropriate for the referees to be at one level above.


    Therefore, these individuals had been chosen.


    On the other hand, only people of higher cultivation levels could judge the competitors more efficiently since the spiritual sense would be stronger with the level of cultivation.


    A fighter could perform well because of one innate ability, and it would not be easy to fathom such a thing if the referee was weaker than the fighter. In this case, even if they could feel something, it would not be as complete as the probing of a stronger person.


    At that moment, a soldier gave the signal for the two men to start fighting. "The first match between Waldo and Ulric has started!"


    After that, the two men began to move while the two activated their respective spiritual techniques.


    Hammer of Chaos!


    Light Steps!


    Wow!


    Immediately, the fight started to catch fire, with both sides struggling to get everything out of themselves, in a fierce battle!


    ...


    Time began to pass, and at this time, several competitors from the 5th stage of cultivation had already participated in the final fights of this selection.


    Of the 17 competitors who had taken the stage, 9 had managed to win their fights, while 8 of them had succumbed at the hands of Minos'' soldiers.


    There was a lot at stake for both sides. While a competitor could accomplish his goal of joining the army, each soldier who won a fight would earn 30 merit points!


    Because of this, there was an absolute effort on both sides. And that had made the fights even more memorable for the people watching, who could finally understand how difficult this test was.


    However, they understood that they would certainly be competitive within Minos'' power once they made it through. After all, no one would want to join an organization and fall behind or even become a burden to their peers.


    Such a thing could mean death to a person!


    Losing and failing at your goal shouldn''t be considered all bad. Yes, such a thing would be terrible, but maybe that was a blessing in disguise. Who knows, perhaps you weren''t fully compatible with it and later regretted it completely.


    Or worse, maybe it was too late when someone realized the error in their own choice...


    In the case of these people, realizing this too late could mean their deaths!


    Minos had already created powerful enemies, so only those candidates with ''blood in their eyes,'' obsessed with victories, could become the pillars of the Black Plain. People who would bathe in blood and sacrifice themselves for the good of the territory and their families!


    People capable of fighting to complete exhaustion, using only their will as support to keep fighting.


    Anyway, with each fight that ended, a new competitor took the stage. At the same time, the viewers of the event barely had time to talk about the previous battles. Each one had lasted less than 4 minutes, with scarcely enough time for the other participants to process what happened.


    And among all these spectators, in the stands opposite the competitors, three people were watching the event, in a covered place, where there were quality seats.


    A middle-aged woman was wearing an army uniform on one side, while on the opposite side was a middle-aged man, wearing an all-black suit. And in the middle of the two, a brown-haired young man was sitting comfortably, wearing a white shirt with beige pants.


    These, of course, were Eda, the butler Dillian, and the young ruler of the Black Plain, Minos.


    As the strongest or most influential of the local army, they were here to accompany the start of this last part of the competition!

 Chapter 340: Empty Pots

    Minos'' group was here in this place to follow the first matches of the selection. Each of them had a high position within the army, and for this, at least at times, to be present at this event would be something necessary.


    Minos, as a leader, may see something in these soldiers that piques his interest, something that may provide him with new ideas and a means of meeting future soldiers.  There were always one or two people with interesting innate abilities, even among ordinary people like these soldiers.


    In Minos'' army, there were already several like that. There was one with an innate skill aimed at hand-to-hand combat, another with an ability focused on mental power, another that could sense fluctuations of the soul, and so on.


    Not only would combat skills be helpful in the army, but a support skill, like this man''s ability to sense the fluctuations of the soul, could completely change some situations. For example, this individual could quickly tell when someone lied, and with that, he was very compatible in interrogation work!


    There was always the possibility that one of the Minos soldiers might not have realized the usefulness of some skills. After all, these people didn''t have the knowledge of this young man.


    Consequently, something could have been overlooked in the previous stages, and he was here to watch a part of the fights, to assess this issue.


    Of course, the young sovereign would not spend his entire week just watching the fights of these competitors and soldiers. No, he would see a few battles a day and get the report on the others from one of his subordinates.


    At the very least, he would end up knowing, one way or another, the most exciting fights of each group in the selection.


    And as for Dillian, he was on duty during this last part of the selection. That is, during all battles, he would stay in this arena to support those competitors and soldiers who needed his help.


    And while these fights didn''t involve significant risk to the participants, some soldiers would fight more than once during the week. Because of this, to maximize the recovery rate for these individuals, Dillian would treat them daily.


    The contingent of the Black Plain Army, at this very moment, is just over 2,400 soldiers, while the number of competitors is around 3,500. Given this difference and the fact that some soldiers needed to fulfill their responsibilities, or were not compatible with those competition rules, many of these soldiers would fight 2, 3, or even 4 times this week.


    The group of 5th stage soldiers was the only one large enough to maintain the Dry City defenses and participate in this selection. As for the others, the most sensitive group were soldiers from the 3rd stage of cultivation.


    For this group, many were not within the required level, somewhere between levels 22 and 24. But, on the other hand, this group only had about 700 soldiers in total, considering all of this stage, while their competitors were more than 2 thousand!


    For this reason, the selection organization had done all the necessary planning for this, putting these soldiers to fight on different days. At least that way, they could have the minimum time needed to rest.


    And finally, Eda was currently the strongest soldier in the army, with a level 48 cultivation, almost reaching level 49. And because she spent nearly all of her time inside headquarters, she had decided to come to watch this competition.


    At least during her rest time between training and the few responsibilities she had at the moment, she had decided to come here to have a look.


    This woman found it fascinating to witness such an event, and given her future position as the primary Lieutenant in the army, Eda was interested in learning about the strength of her future subordinates. In the future, when she reached level 50, she would have leadership power and might have to command groups of Seargents.


    So, seeing these battles, especially those on the first day, would be very important to her. Today most of the fights would be those competitors between levels 37 and 41. That is, those who were already in the 5th stage or almost there.


    Hence, this was the reason she was here!


    ...


    Some more time passed, and around 50 competitors had already passed through that stage. Of these competitors, just over half had managed to pass successfully, with only one tie occurred.


    As for this one, the result of the referees had been 4vs1 in favor of the competitor, and that person had managed to enter the select group of approved.


    And seeing another fight end, finally, Eda commented to Minos and Dillian. "A lot of these competitors don''t know how to fight... I''ve seen a lot of basic mistakes, and some are barely used to using weapons."


    "Hmm, but that''s to be expected. Unlike those who prepare early for battle, most of these people were just ordinary citizens until recently." Dillian commented as he looked in his mate''s direction.


    "Some of them have been training seriously to improve their characteristics for less than a year. Before that, they had probably only been concerned with cultivating."


    Hearing this, Minos nodded his head in agreement. "Grandpa Dillian is right. I wouldn''t be surprised if everyone who passed has been or is a hunter. It is difficult to learn how to use a weapon in such a short time. Especially when you have already passed your prime learning age and still have to worry about working and ensuring your family''s survival."


    "Hmm." Dillian made a noise of agreement as he massaged his mustache. "In less than 15 days, we are going to open the city''s mercenary guild. With this new option, I believe the quality of the competitors in the next team will increase a lot. At the very least, many of those who don''t pass will have more opportunities to train their fighting capacities." He said while looking at Eda.


    "It truly makes sense. But even if some of the passers aren''t that impressive, I think I can fix them in no time." Eda commented.


    She had rather liked the order of things in Minos''s army. The fact that there were regular battles between soldiers and that in the future, there was already a plan for these soldiers to learn to fight in groups against stronger opponents was very positive.


    These ordinary people could quickly get used to battles with constant fights, reaching a decent and necessary level.


    And Eda liked that characteristic, mainly because there wasn''t something like that in noble families!


    Or rather, there was the possibility of fights between subordinates, nobles, as well as internal competitions. However, this was something more occasional, infrequent to happen.


    At the very least, there was no such stringent requirement as in Minos'' army.


    As an example, in the Miller family, there were only two indoor competitions per year. And as for the possibility of fights outside of that competition, well, that was totally up to the members of that organization. If someone wanted to, they could do it, but there was no pressure from the family for that to happen.


    Of course, many would strive to improve their own positions without the need for outside pressure. However, not everyone was like that...


    Sometimes, some people would need someone forcing them, for him to develop to his full potential!


    Minos then commented. "I believe that the competitors of the 3rd stage of cultivation will have more interesting fights. Even though they are weaker, most of them are in the ideal range for learning. They are people who have already gained an understanding of the battles, proportional to their levels."


    "Hmm, that makes sense. Suppose we were to compare cultivation and understanding with a pot and water. In this case, these competitors we''ve seen fighting are big pots, which are almost empty. The weaker competitors, on the other hand, are smaller vessels that are proportionately fuller." Eda agreed with Minos.


    "Some of them may have trained the same amount of time as these higher-level competitors. The result is that their level is more compatible with their understanding of battles..."


    And as the three watched the fights and occasionally chatted about what they saw, time began to pass.


    ...


    Quickly, two days passed, and at this point, the third day of fights had already started!

 Chapter 341: The Third Day

    On the first and second day of the last exam, all the competitors from the 5th stage had fought, while only a few from the 4th stage remained, who had not yet gone on to the arena stage.


    The group that initially had more than a thousand participants now has less than 200 left to fight on this third day of fights. As for the results, well, of the little more than 900 competitors from the 4th stage of the cultivation that had already fought, only 306 of them had managed to win their matches.


    Fighting the soldiers of Minos'' army was not easy. Those citizens who until recently had never used weapons had many difficulties. However, some did well in the fights and occupied more than 75% of the vacancies offered to this group.


    The remaining competitors in this group would have to do their best to get one of those 94 available spots!


    Finally, the group of competitors from the 5th stage of cultivation, of the 70 who had started this last examination of the selection, only 43 had managed to win their fights.


    But that wasn''t such a big problem for the army, nor for those competitors that failed.


    These 27 cultivators of the 5th stage failed the last part of the exam, but their situation wasn''t too bad. After all, there weren''t many citizens of this cultivation range in the Dry City.


    In the following selection that would take place in 6 months, these people would have the advantage of the experience of having failed.


    By the way, some of those approved in this edition had already failed before, and due to such setbacks, some of them had improved a lot in the previous months.


    And as for the army, as much as this organization had failed to fill the vacancies, that wasn''t a setback either. In fact, the vacancy numbers only referred to the number of soldiers of each rank that this force could receive.


    That is, how many soldiers the army could pay with the crystals received from the local government to cover the military costs. But, of course, this also involved expansions of headquarters and other services needed by the soldiers.


    With each increase in the contingent of soldiers, there was a need for services within headquarters to evolve. For example, with 2,400 soldiers, the army could have its cultivation tower with only 800 spaces and function ideally.


    However, if that number were to increase to 4,800 soldiers, then the capacity of the headquarters'' cultivation tower would also have to increase by the same proportion!


    And this and other measures, as well as soldiers'' salaries, required a budget. Finally, to simplify, the number of places made available by the selection referred to the army''s capacity to receive new soldiers.


    But there was no immediate need for these vacancies to be filled.


    Obviously, it would be ideal if that happened, given the Black Plain''s difficult position in the future. However, it would make no sense to rush things and let anyone into the army just because there was a sufficient budget.


    Minos did want to have great military power. Yet, he also hoped that his organization would not waste the resources of the Black Plain.


    Certain people would be able to do this, but others would not. And even if everyone wanted a good salary, it would be improper if someone specialized in something just for the money, without having the best compatibility!


    That could result in fatal disasters!


    ...


    Finally, the third day of tests had already arrived, and at this point, the sun was directly overhead in the Dry City sky.


    In the arena of the headquarters, more than 2,000 people were seated in the bleachers of that place while the fights took place on that stage.


    There was the same setup as before in this venue, with five referees sitting behind a table, where there was a tent protecting them from the sun. There, they wrote down information about the results of the fights and summarized what happened in each battle, nothing too complex, just the crucial points for this to be used in the future.


    In addition, there were other tents on the sides of the fighting stage, where competitors could identify themselves and pass the soldiers'' inspection. And near that place, some chairs were arranged, where the competitors could sit while they waited for their fights.


    Anyway, at this moment, Minos was watching the fights as before, alongside Eda and Dillian. He had been doing this for the past two days, coming here before his first shift at work and after his afternoon practice.


    Other than that, he was just getting the daily fight report through Mia.


    "Young Minos was right. After those stronger competitors finished fighting and made room for the weaker ones, the overall quality improved a lot." Eda commented as she looked up at the stage ahead, watching a competitor from the 4th stage of cultivation struggling.


    "Hmm, but we will see the effect of this more significant from the next fight. This woman who is fighting must be the last of the 4th stage group, right?" Dillian commented.


    "Yes, after that, the competitors of the 3rd stage will start fighting the Soldiers." Minos replied.


    "So, we''ll see a fight proficiency a little more equivalent to the cultivation level from the next fight. Though there probably won''t be much emotion¡­" Dillian spoke as he thought about what was coming next.


    Cultivators of the 3rd stage would only have two combat techniques. And because of that, there was no way a fight with such limitations could be fascinating, especially considering the quality of the techniques used.


    Hearing this, Eda smiled and said. "The fights will be a little faster from now on. I believe that most do not even last a minute."


    And that made sense. After all, in a fight, unless it were an act to demonstrate skills, how to fight, etc., there would be no point in taking it easy. Or rather, it wouldn''t make sense to go easy on an opponent of equal power.


    Only an idiot would fight in such a circumstance with less than 100% of himself!


    In a situation like this, the fight would quickly increase in intensity, reaching its climax in a few seconds. After that, the fight time would depend on things like the amount of spiritual energy involved, quality of techniques, number of techniques, innate abilities, spiritual artifacts, such as arrays, weapons, shields, etc.


    Many things could affect the duration of a fight. However, in general, fights would not last very long, not even at the highest levels.


    For example, if a level 95, Spiritual Demigod, wanted to kill a level 94 cultivator, it would be enough for him to use a large portion of his power. With that, the fight could be over in less than an hour, even considering the high level of these opponents.


    Obviously, this considering that the weaker individual would not have the means to escape...


    The point is that all these things could make a fight longer, but the time of a battle would rarely go past the hour mark.


    It would be challenging for a fight to reach the limit of one day, for example.


    Cultivation could get bigger, but the strength of the techniques also increased. With this increase, the energy expenditure would rise and, consequently, an intense struggle would hardly last much.


    And it wouldn''t make sense for two mortal enemies, for example, to fight with only a fraction of their powers. If one genuinely wants to kill the other, then it would be much simpler to fight everything from the beginning without postponing the matter!


    Finally, due to all that, Eda knew that the fights of the competitors in the 3rd stage would be very short. With cultivations not that different from ordinary humans and with just two techniques, these fights would be resolved in a matter of a few hits.


    ...


    And quickly, the last fight of the competitors of the 4th stage was over, and it was time for the next group to start competing!


    Of those competitors in the 4th stage, only another 46 had managed to pass the exam, qualifying to become soldiers in the army of Minos.


    It didn''t take long, and Alina was already on the stage of fights, face to face with her opponent, anxiously waiting for her match.


    She had finally reached this crucial moment and was feeling prepared to complete this step of her goals.


    ''I''ll win!'' She thought to herself as she breathed evenly, feeling the airflow around her and concentrating.


    She could lose, of course. But she had no point in doing anything with such a mindset. If you think you''re going to lose, or do something thinking that way, then you better not try!


    If it''s to do something, let it be for real. It doesn''t matter if you are the worst or if the odds are against you. Hold on to it and think that the only possible outcome is victory.


    That was Alina''s belief!

 Chapter 342: Alinas Fight

    In the middle of the fighting stage in that arena, a young woman with black hair, wearing a typical female training outfit, was willing with a resolute look on her face.


    She had no weapons in her hands, as her techniques did not require the use of such a resource. In fact, people like Alina, of humble origins, generally did not learn techniques that required weapons.


    At least if they had the opportunity to do that...


    That''s because, at the price of any of these spiritual items produced by blacksmiths, someone like Alina wouldn''t have the resources to do so. And even with the new reality offered by Minos to the citizens of the Dry City, humbler people would still need to work for months to be able to buy items of this sort.


    However, for these people to train techniques that required resources that they didn''t have would be very problematic and delay them even further. Because of this, many cultivators did not use techniques that required spiritual artifacts.


    Anyway, in front of Alina was her competitor. The soldier in front of her looked young, probably younger than her, with short hair and standard features.


    He was dressed in a traditional army uniform and wielded a sword in his left hand. This item had a low-level grade-1 rating.


    And besides the two, one of the soldiers was there to receive them and start the fight. He then said. "Eh, competitor Alina and Soldier Ed. Do you have any questions before the fight starts? If they don''t, let''s get started."


    "Not." The two responded simultaneously.


    After that, the soldier waved to the two and said before leaving that fighting stage. "If that''s the case, get started!"


    Then Alina immediately took three steps back as she prepared to activate her only two combat techniques. She had at her disposal an attack technique, focused on close combat and a defensive one, which increased the hardness and resistance of her body.


    And with such techniques, also allied with her support-type skill, Alina had come up with a plan for this fight!


    After three weeks of fighting at the local arena, where she had fought nine times, this young woman had a better understanding of how to combine her characteristics to maximize her performance. With that, and with the previous two days in which she had observed the fights of the competitors against the soldiers, this young woman had noticed something.


    As significant as it was, in general, in terms of physical strength, the competitors were stronger than the soldiers of the local army!


    And Alina wasn''t wrong to think about it. After all, at each stage of cultivation, the cultivators'' bodies would receive significant changes, such as the increase in physical power, endurance, speed, regeneration, and so on.


    And all of this continued to be constantly improved with each advancement within the stages. However, such an event would be less significant because there would not be a dramatic increase in spiritual energy from one level to the next in the middle of a stage.


    But still, there would be a general improvement. For example, in human cultivation, 90% of the spiritual energy would become a force stored in the cultivator''s soul, while the rest would be in the physical itself.


    This part of the soul was related to spiritual techniques. In contrast, innate abilities and natural characteristics such as vitality were associated with the power of the fleshy body.


    And because of that, considering that she was currently at level 29 and her opponent was only at level 24, Alina should have an average physical strength 50% greater than her opponent''s!


    Of course, this ''weakness'' was not something that simple to achieve since spiritual techniques existed...


    However, Alina had thought of something to defeat this soldier, whether or not he had a spiritual weapon. And lucky for her, this person was wielding a sword!


    ...


    While she had her plan firmly imprinted in her mind, the soldier had already started his move.


    He had run toward Alina the moment permission to fight had been given while wielding his sword in both hands.


    This soldier wanted to win this fight and gathered some merit points at headquarters. Because of that, he wouldn''t go easy on anyone!


    Finally, Ed made his first move, slashing the air with his sword in a diagonal motion, heading toward Alina.


    Swooish!


    As he did so, tiny air blades formed in a split second, looking like a crescent the size of a clenched hand.


    Seeing and sensing it approaching, Alina, who had already activated her defense, made a quick evasive move in an attempt to find a gap in her opponent''s defense.


    ''Phew, that attack was pretty strong! It looks like this soldier won''t take it easy¡­''  She thought to herself, after dodging the first attack and remembering the danger of that blade.


    That wasn''t enough to kill, as they both had very close powers, and this was just the beginning of the fight. However, if that blow had hit her, Alina was sure that for her to win this match, it would be at least two times harder than it was before the exam started.


    And seeing that his first move had failed, Ed frowned for a moment, already trying to attack her again. ''Let''s push it a little harder. This woman seems to want to fight resistance with me¡­'' He thought about it for a moment.


    After that, Ed got even closer to Alina, using his movement and attacks to reduce her space. But, as much as they weren''t limited to just the fighting stage, this young woman still couldn''t move freely, given the attacks coming from different directions.


    And so, Ed had made his way to her!


    However, when this young soldier thought that his opponent would avoid him until the end of the match, she suddenly jumped towards him while creating a strong attack.


    Pow!


    A fist formed in the air, about twice the size of an adult hand, heading toward Ed''s body. At the same time, Alina was making a different movement than she had done so far in the fight, running to Ed.


    Seeing this, the soldier looked at her doubtfully, trying to understand what was happening in this young woman''s head. ''What a fickle way to fight. What does she want to do?'' He thought about it, as he already used his sword to counter the fist coming toward him.


    Pow!


    However, while defending off his opponent''s attack, Ed had fallen into Alina''s trap. At this point, she had successfully approached him when she used one of her hands to hold one of his arms tightly while the other gripped the sharp part of the sword.


    "Eh?" He exclaimed in shock.


    At this point, he felt pressure on his left arm, which Alina was squeezing tightly. "Let me go!" Ed exclaimed, trying to free himself at the same time as trying to push her back.


    It wasn''t hurting this young soldier''s body, as his defensive technique significantly strengthened the strength of his skin. However, he also couldn''t move Alina''s hand.


    Disintegrate!


    And while the audience watched with curiosity, the distinctive style of Alina, something that shocked them a lot, happened in the blink of an eye.


    The black-haired girl seemed to be trying to impede her opponent''s movements by trying to immobilize him. As for Ed, he struggled to free himself from her hand. And while they were doing that, in less than three breaths, this soldier''s sword blade turned into a trail of dust!


    "What?" Ed yelled aloud when he finally felt the weight of his sword suddenly lessen. He looked at her and widened his eyes in utter shock. ''Shit!''


    Pow!


    After that, Alina didn''t give her opponent time, as she began to make a series of moves, punching in the direction of her opponent''s abdomen and face.


    Pow!


    After losing his spiritual weapon and being without the means to attack, and with a bit of mental damage to his confidence, Ed could not defend himself against Alina for long. Finally, after just another 30 seconds, the level 24 soldier fell unconscious to the ground, exhausted, and with several injuries to his face and abdomen.


    Alina had won!

 Chapter 343: The End of Selection!

    Upon seeing the fight''s result, everyone in the arena stands was impressed with this final part of the match.


    Not because of the power involved. No, for the most part, the fight had been like any other on the peak of the 3rd stage would be. Instead, what had made many soldiers and competitors open their mouths in shock was the fact that Ed''s gun had been disintegrated with Alina''s skill!


    Such a thing had been very effective, and within seconds, Alina had managed to paralyze Ed''s combat ability by immobilizing him.


    Ed had only one attack technique and one focused on defense. And when he lost his spiritual weapon that was necessary for his first technique, the young soldier had been left in a passive position.  He could only defend himself while Alina attacked him freely, without worries.


    That''s why, at the end of the fight, this soldier had hardly shown any resistance!


    And soon, the comments began to fill the surroundings of that arena.


    "This girl is brilliant. She neutralized her opponent with a lot of prowess!"


    "Truth. But this skill she used to destroy this soldier''s sword is amazing! Who knew a person could do such a thing?"


    "Is this an innate ability? It looks like the selection made a mistake with this girl¡­" Someone said this in the crowd, trying to understand why her opponent hadn''t used anything like that.


    Realizing the difference between innate abilities and cultivation techniques was easy. After all, a cultivator''s power inherent in his being would always be better than something learned.


    So, seeing the ability of a level 29 young woman to destroy that sword, it was easy for these people to conclude that it couldn''t be a technique.


    Another reason for this was that Alina had already used an attacking technique earlier, and she certainly had a defensive one as well.


    Consequently, there would be no room left for her to have another technique!


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the referees'' tent, they were also shocked by Alina''s ability.


    "This competitor used an innate ability during her fight, while her opponent couldn''t do the same. Is there a problem with this action?" One of them asked the others in doubt.


    They had Alina''s record, as well as the rules for this fight. Hence, this referee found it strange to see that there was a restriction on the innate ability of this young woman''s opponent.


    "It says here that her ability is a support type one. So, considering this point, the rules of the fight seem to be correct. I also don''t think the soldier who made the estimate was wrong." Another referee said, giving his opinion on the matter.


    Shortly after that, another man positioned himself in support of the previous soldier. "Hmm. All this competitor did was combine her support skills with her other abilities and intelligence. There is no restriction for this. Nobody said that competitors or soldiers could not combine their capabilities."


    After that, in less than a minute, Alina was announced as the winner of the fight. At the same time, her opponent was removed by one of the soldiers and taken to the place where Dillian was.


    This young soldier would need to fight for the next few days. And because of his low cultivation, he couldn''t recover 100% without the butler''s medical help. After all, his cell regeneration hadn''t yet reached the necessary level for that.


    As for Alina, she had left that place with a big smile on her face, leaving the stage to the following individuals who would fight in that place.


    ''Finally! I can''t wait to register in the army!'' She inwardly cheered as she felt electrified by the happiness of getting approved.


    ...


    Meanwhile, at the location where Dillian, Minos, and Eda were, this group had also been positively surprised by the occurrence in that fight.


    Eda had internally approved Alina''s attitude in the fight, using all her abilities and advantages to oppress her opponent. ''This girl isn''t bad...'' She thought with a smile on her face.


    As for Dillian, he didn''t have much experience with fights, but he could also see that this young woman was smart enough to fight like that. ''She combined her support-type ability with her physical strength... Outstanding. She seems to have understood very well the changes in her body when leveling up, even though she was only in the 3rd stage!''


    As for Minos, he was the most impressed of the three. Not because he had memories related to abilities like Alina''s, he didn''t, but because he could already see a great value in that quality of hers.


    There were billions of people in the Spiritual World and at least a few hundred thousand different kinds of innate ability varieties. So, there was no way Henricus Longus could have left all the knowledge about this sort of thing to Minos.


    However, even without such information, Minos felt that Alina''s ability had the potential to resolve a problem quite relevant to him. ''I wonder if this destroys all of the artifact''s components? Or modify its configuration? If only the spiritual part of the artifact is eliminated, keeping the item''s components, so this can make it easier...''


    Minos then turned to a soldier who was not far in that place and said. "Go to one of those five referees and ask for information on this woman who just fought."


    "Yes, young master!"


    After that, while that soldier disappeared from that part of the stands, other people came to that place, carrying Ed. He had several traces of blood on his face, with some purple spots on his abdomen.


    Upon seeing this, Dillian immediately activated his healing techniques, quickly treating this young soldier''s wounds.


    Such a thing had not taken long, and in less than 5 minutes, Ed had woken up, having all his wounds healed by Dillian.


    And such a thing was expected. After all, Dillian was almost at level 50. But, at the same time, Ed was just someone at level 24 who had suffered injuries from a person of equal power. In other words, it was nothing that the butler couldn''t handle!


    Upon awakening, Ed immediately had a disappointed expression on his face. Not because of his defeat, but because he lost his only sword!


    ''Damn it! I''ll have to obtain a weapon in the army, or else I won''t be able to keep fighting!'' He thought to himself, still in that spot beside Minos'' tent.


    He was upset at the damage she had caused him, but there wasn''t much he could do. Suppose a competitor could destroy things with her own abilities. In that case, he couldn''t appeal to the referees to get his justice...


    In a battle, what mattered was the result, and Alina had accomplished that without dirty tricks. She had used only her intelligence and abilities. In this case, Ed could only blame his luck for the outcome.


    "Hah¡­" He let out a big sigh as he got up to leave.


    But at that moment, Minos said something towards him and the soldiers who were there. "Eh, you can get a weapon of that same rating in the Rewards'' Hall. Wait until the end of the day. Then, people from that place will get the notice."


    Hearing this, Ed immediately celebrated, readily thanking the benevolent ruler in front of him. ''Ah, how lucky I am that Mr. Minos is here!''


    After that, things returned to normal. When Ed and the soldiers left that place, Minos and his companions returned their attention to the fights.


    The young Stuart had received the response from the soldier he had previously sent to inquire about Alina''s information. Because of that, he was pleased to see the King-grade Physique rank on Alina''s record.


    Such a thing had satisfied him, to the point that he had done the generous deed before.


    ...


    Anyway, things went smoothly for the rest of the selection, until finally days passed and this event had come to an end!

 Chapter 344: Selection Results

    After the fight of the young Alina, the week of battles of the last part of the selection ended in the blink of an eye. Today, on the third day after the end of this competition, the new soldiers had finally finished joining Minos'' force.


    In total, of the 2,400 vacancies offered in this edition of the Black Plain Army''s selection, 2,155 of them had been occupied by the competitors.


    From this group, following the order of the 1st stage until the 5th, there were 312, 697, 751, 352, and 43 new soldiers in each of the first five hierarchies.


    Due to this new addition of personnel, the numbers of the young Stuart''s army had reached the mark of 4,555 soldiers in total, of which 334 were Sergeants, individuals from the 5th stage of cultivation.


    The majority of this group, Spiritual General, was at level 40. However, there were several of them at level 41, and the strongest, except for Eda, was at level 43.


    And even if the numbers of sergeants weren''t high yet, that would change in no time!


    Of the more than 700 cultivators who had passed the selection on the exam for the 4th stage of cultivation, all were above level 37. Not only that, but most were already at the last level of this stage.


    With this, and considering the Corporals who were already in the local army before this competition, Minos'' forces could reach the mark of a thousand cultivators of the 5th stage of cultivation in less than a year!


    Such a thing was no small thing for a newly created organization that was barely 3-years-old.


    In general, low-level noble powers, or similar organizations, on average had in the range of 5,000 cultivators of that strength range. In contrast, those mid-level, like the Gill family of the Brown Kingdom, had about triple that. And finally, the great noble families, such as the Silva family, had in their ranks in the range of 40,000 or more cultivators at this stage of cultivation.


    Of course, the classification did not consider the number of Spiritual Generals. Instead, the only thing that mattered was the number of Spiritual Kings present in one organization.


    But it was tough for Spiritual Kings to ascend in this region. Many problems prevented this from happening, such as the low spiritual density of the area. Such a thing might seem insufficient to prevent that from happening, but the reality was far more complicated than that.


    Often, spiritual energy density is what determines the characteristics of a given region. Essentially those such as the spiritual richness of food, the presence of medicines, the high ranking of these medicines, natural treasures, and crystal mines.


    Because of all this, there was a lack of resources for this region to have a more significant number of Spiritual Kings.


    But one would think that with enough low-grade spiritual crystals, a person could reach level 49 and then go up to level 50, right? No, after all, only those with, at least, Black talent are expected to reach this stage without outside help.


    And outside of the noble families and influential organizations, the number of these cultivators was minimal. Look at the case of the Minos army, with more than 4,500 soldiers today. There were only 9 people like that!


    And only 4 of them didn''t belong to any other power before they came to the Black Plain Army.


    That''s why, for people born with Blue talent, mostly in noble families and organizations, reaching level 50 was almost impossible, given the high cost of the necessary resources.


    As for why these organizations didn''t invest in these people, well, they didn''t even have enough for all of their original members...


    Those with cultivation speed like Luke, Leroy, Davy were certainly the favored ones. But, at the same time, the rest received less significant resources!


    Anyway, the ratio of 1 Spiritual King for every 1,000 Spiritual Generals was prevalent in these powers because of this problem. So, it wouldn''t be wrong to think of these numbers as helpful information.


    Thus, young Stuart''s army had not even reached the level of a small organization in this northern part of the Central Continent.


    But that was just expected. While these families, even the youngest, have existed for several centuries, Minos and the Black Plain had very little time to develop.


    Even considering the abundant resources that Minos had gained from agriculture in the Dry City, he had funds comparable to those of medium-sized families. However, even with the funds, cultivation could not be elevated overnight, as the bodies of living beings needed time to ''digest'' the spiritual energy.


    Consequently, even though Dry City''s local army soldiers had excellent salaries, they couldn''t ignore the laws of nature because of that!


    Most of them had only Blue talent and cultivated Black-grade techniques. Therefore, they would naturally need months to move from the end of the 4th stage to the beginning of the 5th.


    As for advancing from the beginning of the 5th to the 6th, some of them could take almost ten years to achieve such a thing, even though they receive all the benefits of the army!


    In short, cultivation was an arduous and laborious process, something that would not bear fruit overnight.


    But Minos understood all that. It might take them a while to reach the mark of several Spiritual Kings, but that wasn''t a complete disadvantage. That''s because each of his soldiers had Black-grade techniques and could fight the subordinates of these regional organizations, a few levels above their own.


    So, considering the growth rate of the army, Minos was satisfied. Soon, he could not have many Spiritual Kings. But, he could have even more Spiritual Generals than the great noble families.


    Individual strength might be the most remarkable thing in the cultivation world, but Minos didn''t neglect collective strength. Unlike those organizations that had large numbers but didn''t make an effort to improve collaborative work, his army was already doing that.


    The day would come when the Black Plain''s Spiritual Generals would defeat Spiritual Kings!


    ...


    After the selection was completed, the Dry City had returned to its usual vitality before the beginning of this last edition.


    The citizens got excited during these competitive periods, but after that was over, they also put those thoughts behind them. Many had already gotten used to this, as the local army made new soldiers'' selections every six months.


    And this last edition had been the 5th since Minos'' arrival in that city, so many had already got used to such a thing to come and go.


    However, for the families of the more than 2,000 new soldiers, their lives were slowly changing. Even though these individuals still had to work for an entire month to receive their first payments, their families had already changed their habits.


    In many homes, the economies made daily; the people who worked nearly 20 hours a day were finally taking more time for themselves and increasing their meal galore.


    Many parents and grandparents largely supported their families, almost sacrificing their cultivation time to work harder and bring more crystals home. And now, with so many young people, children, and grandchildren, coming into the army, these people could finally get relief.


    Now they could spend more time cultivating and training, even doing random activities, hobbies. Maybe watch some fights or go out to see the parts of the city that they usually only passed by.


    Many of them could finally pay for lighting arrays, leaving the days of ordinary candles behind.


    In many houses in the Dry City, people still used things like wood stoves, wax candles, fireplaces, in short, items that generated the unpleasant smoke.


    And even if cultivators weren''t as affected by things like this, it was undeniable that no one liked to smell smoke in their homes and clothes. Replacing such things with spiritual arrays was the dream of many families.


    And finally, a few hundred houses could change this reality in a short time.

 Chapter 345: Cultural Habits

    Ten days passed quickly.


    By this time, the more than 2,000 new soldiers had become accustomed to their new routines. Each of them had been assigned to their duties and already attended classes at the headquarters.


    They had a lot to learn about the Black Plain''s potential external enemies and the organization''s objectives that they were now part of.


    But it had all gone well. The human mind has always been adaptable. That, coupled with each soldier''s desire to serve, allowed them to grasp the organization''s rhythm quickly.


    Anyway, in the days that had passed since the officialization of all those who had passed through the selection, Minos received several reports about the new soldiers, explicitly about young Alina.


    She had caught the attention of the local ruler because of her unusual ability, and soon Minos had given orders for what Alina should do.


    At first, he wanted to determine what happened to the ''destroyed'' items. And for that, Minos had assigned Alina to stay inside the headquarters and participate in a series of tests.


    In short, she would test her skill by disintegrating various types of artifacts. With that, other professionals and some cultivators from the 5th stage of cultivation would observe all this closely.


    Minos wanted to know if, for example, a disintegrated weapon could be rebuilt with the rest left behind. If something like that were possible, then she could have a beneficial role in the local army in the future!


    But this could not be done quickly, and such research would likely take a few months to complete. First, they would have to test Alina''s skill with several different materials and then distinguish the residue left.


    Were these residues the previous form of the components of the disintegrated object? Or maybe it was something different?


    And regardless of that answer, could it be used in any way? For example, would it be possible to build a weapon with this residue with the same or even higher rating? These and other questions need to be answered.


    And for that, not only the soldiers would be involved in this matter, but also some blacksmiths, array masters, and even alchemists present in the current Dry City.


    These professionals could more easily distinguish substances, as they were the only ones able to create spiritual items locally.


    After all this issue of the arrival of new soldiers in the army, almost everything was back to normal at headquarters. The only difference had been the capacity of the cultivation rooms within this property.


    As the number of soldiers had almost doubled, the capacity of the headquarters'' cultivation tower had naturally already been expanded. Previously, the building had already been built with a magnitude greater than what was used, given that construction was much cheaper than buying the spiritual arrays.


    And from the moment the selection had started, the Black Plain Army had already ordered all the extra arrays to meet the new demand after that competition.


    ...


    At this time, Minos was in his office alone while reading some information. And while he was doing that, Mia opened the door to that place and allowed in two elderly men, one of them dressed humbly and the other formally.


    One of these people was the current head of the Dry City construction sector. The other was a local government official.


    The two were here to talk to Minos about the latest result, the mercenary guild''s development.


    Minos then got up from his chair and waved for the two of them to sit on the sofa in that office right after greeting them. "Please have a seat."


    After that, the young sovereign changed his place and sat opposite the two in the middle of that room. "And then? How is the development of the mercenary guild?" He asked, looking at them one at a time.


    Upon hearing this, the more formally dressed man nodded, giving his turn to the construction chief. "Young master, our construction sector has already completed the building of the mercenary guild. Everything is ready in that place, including the necessary arrays and furniture have already been gathered by the families hired to perform this service."


    "Oh? That''s nice. But what about the organization of this guild? Do we have the people and the rules?" Minos asked, looking at the other man.


    Finally, this local government official began to explain to Minos. "Yes, young master, that is already resolved. We created a ranking system for the guild''s missions and employees, as well as the rules for this location."


    "The rewards for each mission and also the value for someone to post one in the guild has already been established. And as for the employees, we are finishing training the first group."


    He then paused for a few breaths and then said. "Even if we don''t have staff prepared for the guild''s 24-hour operation at the moment, it won''t take long for this to be resolved. In 2 months, a maximum of 3, we will have all the personnel trained."


    Minos then nodded, indicating he was listening to everything when he asked. "But if I want to open this guild tomorrow, how long can this service work?"


    "30 hours a week, young master."


    "Hmm, that''s not much, but it will work. In a maximum of 3 months, we can get this service working full time, so it''s not a big problem."


    "For now, let''s leave this place open on weekends. These days, part of the population involved with city services work fewer hours. So, we can reach a larger portion of the population operating on these days." Minos said.


    Obviously, the local government had a lot of data about the behavior of the local population, such as the average income of citizens, the number of hours worked, etc.


    Information of this nature was needed in any city administration, which could help sovereigns predict specific patterns and direct administrative measures. And of course, Minos had such data about the population of the Dry City.


    In general, just as many shops in the city didn''t open late at night, something similar happened at least once a week when certain professionals had their day off. So, at the end of each week, people who weren''t working cultivated and lived their lives.


    And such things had already become a cultural habit in the Spiritual World.


    It was no use working so hard, getting crystals, cultivating, and living longer if a person had nothing else besides that.


    The point of improving financially and in terms of cultivation strength was not to continue cultivated, but rather to enhance the quality of life and have meaningful moments in that person''s life.


    People grew stronger to protect their interests, loved ones, etc. They earned more crystals to have a higher quality of life, eat more delicious foods, buy high-value items, have moments of relaxation, etc.


    Even high-level cultivators would stop their seclusion occasionally, just to relieve some of the accumulated stress. Sleeping with someone you liked, talking to friends, seeing new places, all that, and much more were part of a cultivator''s life.


    And because of this, long ago, people in the Spiritual World had adopted this practice of resting at least once a week. Thus, on at least one day a week, these people could somehow try to ''understand'' why they valued their jobs so much, their efforts to live longer.


    No one would want to work harder or live longer if they had nothing but work and cultivation!


    And in the Dry City, it was no different. Because of this, and knowing his population, Minos had decided that opening the mercenary guild on the weekend, when many people rested, was for the best.


    These people could get to know this new option during their free time, helping to popularize this new place.


    "Great idea, young master!" The formally dressed man commented briefly.


    After that, the three continued to talk about other matters, things related to the areas of each of those two men.


    Many things were going on in the Dry City, and Minos constantly had encounters like this. Sometimes it wasn''t enough for Mia to listen and pass this information on to him. In some instances, the young ruler needed to hear about some issues or problems straight from the source.


    And at the end of that meeting, it was decided that the local mercenary guild would open next weekend!

 Chapter 346: Agricultural Fields

    Outside the walls that protected the Dry City, there was a range on the west side where the terrain was a little higher on the sides, forming a region with a slope, which descended towards the town and rose towards the coast.


    At this point, hundreds of areas were blooming, full of different kinds of crops. There were mango, apple, pear, wheat, soybean, and various other products neatly divided.


    Each different plantation had its area, with varying proportions of planted land. Some products had a higher demand, such as wheat, so they received a more significant amount of hectares.


    As for other options, such as apple, watermelon, pear, grape, etc., these, despite being valued, did not have a large market for a significant investment to be made. Moreover, such options were naturally more expensive since they required more maturation time in the Spiritual World.


    Consequently, with higher prices, these products sold less!


    But there was a little bit of everything there in that place.


    As for a reason for that, well, it was for the good of the population of the Dry City. Minos did not want his citizens to buy food items from abroad. So, his town was producing these necessary but low-demand things, like the herbs and spices used in everyday cooking.


    However, given the small local population, the area set aside for these plantations represented only a tiny fraction of the total. Most of the cultivated land in the Dry City was destined for export items, everyday items, and in high demand on Stone Island.


    And in the middle of the agricultural fields, some warehouses could be seen at different points, where farmers came and went from time to time. In addition, carriages specifically prepared to carry the local produce passed along small soil paths.


    When a crop was harvested, the items were stored locally for some time. Then, after all the harvest was done, the part that would go to the Nash family followed in convoy to the coast of the Black Plain, where the army base was located.


    At this moment, several farmers were coming and going from that farming land, which could only be visible from the sky or for who comes from the east, from the interior of the Dry City. And despite being the weekend, there were obviously people working in agriculture and all sectors.


    After all, a city could not stop, even if its citizens rested once a week.


    Obviously, at these times of the week, public and private services worked on a shift schedule. Therefore, one group rested first while the other worked, alternating this the next day.


    Anyway, these farmers generally wore very similar clothes, which consisted of a set of white clothes, with relatively large hats. Other than that, there were also items that each of these individuals used in their services.


    However, among these farmers, some individuals were somewhat more rustic, holding weapons of the most varied types. But, in general, what could be seen most around here were the war hammers.


    After all, these distinguished people in this place were part of the local hunter groups, who protected the agricultural fields from the spiritual beasts of the region.


    And for fighting beasts, the best weapons were those closest to hammers. That is because, given the physical strength that beings of this type would generally have, swords and similar weapons would be at a disadvantage.


    The sword, for example, is a type of weapon suitable for fighting other humans, as its weight and shape facilitated its movement as if it were an extension of the arm. However, weapons like this would not have the proper weight, preferable to attacking living beings with massive bodies, such as spiritual beasts.


    In this case, the best weapons were items like war hammers, which had considerable weights, a flat side for crushing, and a sharp tip for piercing the beasts'' bodies.


    The weight of this type of item made handling more difficult. Still, the attack power was much higher, producing more considerable damage.


    Also, another type of weapon often seen among hunters was the bow and arrow. The advantage of this weapon was obvious, keeping your distance from the enemy and attacking him safely at his vital points!


    Anyway, these hunters were around here doing their jobs as usual. But this had not been an organization made by Minos and the local government, or anything like that. No, these hunters had naturally started to gather at this location, given the number of beasts that had been showing up around here.


    The natural beasts of the Black Plain looked for food and constantly traveled, given the poverty of the local vegetation. So, sooner or later, whole bands of beasts would find out about the Dry City plantations and migrate here.


    And such a situation had turned these harvest fields into a great hot spot for hunting spiritual beasts!


    Just what had created the current situation for these hunters. Working around here had made the job so much easier, as they wouldn''t have to travel for days, sometimes hundreds of miles, to find a decent beast.


    Only by being stationed beside the local plantations, day and night, could these hunters get their livelihoods.


    There were attacks at different times of the day. Still, generally, this was worse during the nights, given the more intense activity of the local beasts at that time of day.


    And with the passage of time and the growth of the arable area, more and more beasts appeared, an increase more significant than the number of hunters...


    Henceforth, it was not difficult to imagine the current problem of the hunters, which had led the local government to advance the development of the local mercenary guild!


    ...


    And amid a pleasant early morning in this agricultural field, two hunters patrolled the crops while carrying their weapons either in their hands or on their backs.


    These men wore leather clothes, reddish as if it were a piece of earth and with a rustic style, as if they had been made by themselves.


    Both had tanned skin and black hair. And as they walked around, they talked about the latest subject among hunters.


    "Ahh, last night, a group of 24 beasts attacked the far north side of the harvest field. Tatum, did you know that?" One of them asked.


    "Hmm, my brother was there at the time. He told me everything that happened."


    "Oh? Was it as bad as they''re saying?"


    Tatum then nodded and said. "It was a group of Red-eyed Hyenas. You must know how fierce these beasts are. They can even kill a Diamond Monkey when they fight in a group."


    Red-eyed Hyenas are a spiritual beast found among the Cromwell Kingdom, Brown Kingdom, and the Kingdom of the Waves. Each of these specimens is about one meter tall, has bodies covered in black and white fur, and eyes completely red. These beasts could reach the 5th stage of cultivation.


    The Diamond Monkey breed is a beast lineage found between the Brown Kingdom, Kingdom of the Waves, and the Snow Kingdom. Each of these individuals could reach the 6th stage of cultivation and had extremely massive bodies, with the strongest reaching 4 meters in height.


    However, a group of Red-eyed Hyenas had the uncanny ability to increase in strength when fighting together. That justified their ability to fight those mighty Diamond Monkeys.


    Hearing his companion, the man who had initiated the conversation earlier nodded and continued to listen to Tatum''s speech.


    "It was a tough fight. Luckily there were more hunters and a few soldiers at the time, but it was still a disaster. Old Aiken lost one of his arms in that event, and Dalton and Blake died. My brother also didn''t get along very well and was seriously injured."


    "This is truly a disgrace. I didn''t know these two who passed away, but old Aiken helped me in the beginning. It''s a shame that something like that happened."


    Tatum agreed with his comrade. Old Aiken was one of the most experienced hunters in town and had taught many young men the art of hunting. Including Tutam himself. He then remembered something and said. "But there is this good news I heard a few hours ago."


    "Oh? And what is this?"


    Tutam then replied. "I heard that today the local mercenary guild would open, which the government had promised. That can help us solve our problem."


    "Ah... True, I had forgotten about such a thing."


    "Hmm, when I came here earlier, I heard that chief Edison has already placed our ad there. So, I believe that it won''t take long for our problem to be resolved..."

 Chapter 347: The Mercenary Guild 1

    While some hunters patrolled the Dry City''s fields, protecting the perimeter from beasts, the mercenary guild was already open in the town by this time.


    But unlike what had happened with each of the local service openings, there wasn''t a crowd in front of the mercenary guild building.


    No, the movement was intense, but there was no crowd in that part of town. But this was not strange. After all, this place offers informal jobs, and every adult resident of the Dry City already had at least one job.


    Because of this, even though many were curious to know this new place, there was no great rush to do so. It wasn''t like this new location was going to offer techniques that could increase cultivation speed or special ''tickets'' to use the Cultivation Tower for free...


    If it were something unmissable and crucial for these people''s lives, they would definitely crowd in front of this new service, just to try to be the first. But as this would be an ordinary building with job offers, they could wait!


    Anyway, several people passing in front of this new service were coming and going from this building. Many were on their day off, and it wouldn''t hurt to spend a few minutes getting to know a new place, where there wasn''t even a queue to get in!


    ...


    In the central region of the Dry City, about five blocks from the city''s government mansion, there was a building the size of a small arena with a somewhat different shape.


    This building looked like a section of a hemisphere, with two arches, one following a spherical pattern and the other a hyperbolic one above the roof of this place. In these two arches, if one looked closely, one would see several small luminous arrays, which could emit different colors.


    And below the arches, on the spherical roof of this building, there were some attractive reliefs, which looked like silhouettes of people fighting, guns, and the local plains. By day, as at present, this ceiling looked like a black and white painting, very well detailed.


    However, when it was night, with the lights from the two arches, each figure would have special lighting, forming a beautiful picture.


    Other than that, around this place, there was a small lawn that covered the limits of the building, with the sidewalk of that block on which such a site was built. The place was wide open. There was no kind of fence or wall surrounding it.


    And finally, there was a big stone name not far from the entrance, in the middle of the lawn, saying, ''Mercenary Guild.''


    At this moment, people were coming and going from the main entrance to this building, in an intense flow, but not enough to cause any commotion.


    People who entered this place were curious and talked a lot as if they were waiting to see. As for those who left, many of them had determined expressions and actively conversed with each other.


    "This place is fascinating. Did you see that rating? Level 50 are only classified as ''D-'' to ''C-'' class." A man commented to his friend.


    "Truth. It seems that Mr. Minos plans to elevate the town to a higher level than our region!" The other said with a twinkle in her eyes as she remembered the classification of this place.


    Minos had asked that people who would organize this system consider the maximum cultivation as being level 89. And the minimum level required for someone to fulfill the guild''s missions would be 30.


    Minos had decided such a thing following the memoirs of Henricus Longus, which showed some organizations like these in high-level empires at the era of this specialist.


    At that time, people above that cultivation level were leaders of large organizations and families, so no one was willing to do mercenary service from level 90 onwards.


    But that''s not because of pride or anything like that. The problem is that from level 90 onwards, any people could have greater earnings, becoming sovereigns, elders and leaders of families and sects, etc.


    In other words, mercenary guilds were unable to pay people of that level. After all, there weren''t many living beings at the 10th stage of cultivation. Therefore, there would be almost no missions.


    Consequently, he had considered this limit for the local mercenary guild.


    As for the cultivators of the 9th stage, in first-tier empires like the Western Empire, there were as many people from that stage as there were Spiritual Kings in the north of the Central Continent!


    Because of this, despite being few, jobs for people at this stage of cultivation existed and could yield a lot for cultivators like that.


    Many of these people were subordinates or less prestigious elders and needed alternative means to develop themselves.


    Because of this, for people below level 89, it was worth doing mercenary missions.


    And while those two friends were leaving the building, talking aloud, two old men were entering that place. Upon hearing the conversation of these two youths, the two suddenly looked back while frowning tightly.


    "What?" One of them exclaimed in shock.


    It wasn''t every day that Spiritual Kings would be despised like that in the northern region of the Central Continent...


    And even though these two men were just ordinary citizens of the Dry City, they knew how powerful and influential the cultivators of the 6th stage were in this part of the continent.


    "Old Milton, I think I''m delusional. Those two youths truly said that¡­" One of them was saying something when he was suddenly interrupted by his friend.


    "Hmm, you''re not delusional. I heard the same." The other said.


    They understood the classification present in mercenary guilds very well because it was the same as the subdivision made by the spiritual academies to designate the name of each class.


    The first classes, those with children around 6-years-old and starting their studies, would be class F, while those with students around 10 would be class SS. Students stayed in each class for around six months, following the four years of study in the following order: F, E, D, C, B, A, S, SS.


    Such a thing had been copied by the spiritual academies, as the first mercenary guild had appeared many years before the first spiritual academy.


    And after that moment of doubt that these two elder figures passed at the entrance of the mercenary guild, they soon followed to the interior of that place.


    And upon entering that place, the two immediately came across a large hall, which seemed to occupy the first half of this building, dividing this semi-spherical place into two halves.


    Several tables and chairs were in the center of the first part, with entirely black screens covering the walls, while a few had a lot of information.


    In addition, the place was fully illuminated by sunlight, which passed through the roof there, which was made of a type of glass, completely transparent. There were dozens of panes connected to a metal frame that was covered by small lighting arrays.


    In this first part, available to the general public, on the side that divided the building into two halves, there was a large reception, with about 20 people attending.


    A large screen was in the middle of the wall behind the reception, displaying crucial information about this location. This screen was rectangular, and its highest part was glued to the ceiling and the lowest, 3 meters from the reception floor.


    It was vertical and had a ranking, most of it, and some minor information at the bottom of the screen.


    Other than that, the place had location marks to tell users how to get to each part of the building. "Administration... Reception... Restrooms... Private rooms... Rewards room... Financial..." One of them read information from one of those marks, which indicated the way to each location.


    And seeing these indications and many people moving around inside that place, the two old men finally decided to go to the reception to understand some of the information they had read.


    There were some terms on the side screens of that place that neither of them had understood, so it would simply be better for both of them to know that with the help of an attendant.

 Chapter 348: The Mercenary Guild 2

    When they arrived at the reception of that place, the two old men waited for about 5 minutes in line until they finally had the turn to speak with one of the attendants at that place.


    Although the Mercenary Guild was not full of people, with crowds forming outside the building, plenty of cultivators were still inside. This place wasn''t small, and even this first half of the building alone could support more than a thousand people sitting around those tables.


    And due to the small number of receptionists at the time, there was already a little queue inside this building.


    When it came to the two old men''s time, they went to the 19th service station. This place was like a long corridor, where each assistant''s desks were lined up side by side in a perfectly symmetrical set.


    Each attendant had a space of about 5 meters in length at the counter, where they had their place of work, with small identification arrays and some other items.


    All these people wore two types of uniform, a women''s suit with a scarf around the neck and a men''s suit with a tie.


    "Welcome to the Mercenary Guild. How can I help you?" That attendant at counter 19 finally asked the two gentlemen who had stopped in front of her.


    Hearing this, the two greeted her and then began to ask their questions. "Young girl, we don''t understand some of this information on the screens. Can you explain it to us?"


    "Of course, it will be a pleasure." She nodded while she had a discreet smile on her face and then started to explain. "Well, for starters, for our missions and mercenaries registered, in this guild will have the same rank."


    "In other words, an SS-ranked mercenary will be able to do individual missions up to this rank. As for group missions, mercenary teams received permission to do missions, one class above the average strength of their members."


    "Oh? That sounds reasonable. What is the distinction in levels between classes?" one of them asked.


    "From F to A, they are all divided into two. So, for example, there is an A+ and an A-. As for the minimum level for each, we require that for someone to move up in rank, that person needs to have twice the power he had at the beginning of his class."


    "The minimum required level is level 30, which is classified as F-."


    "Like what I said before if a person at level 30 wants to do individual F+ missions, that person must first reach level 35. If someone from the C-, level 59, wants to do an individual missions C+, he will have to reach level 61."


    "And so on."


    Hearing this, both men looked at the young attendant in disbelief, with their eyes and mouths open. "Wow! All of this?"


    "Young girl, if someone needs to be level 61 to do a class C+ mission, what is the minimum level for the SS missions?" the other asked in curiosity.


    Of course, he would never need to know such a thing, as he did not expect to reach such a level. But it was okay to ask...


    She then replied. "Actually, the young master didn''t establish the SS class as the top. There''s one above this one, which it''s called X. The minimum cultivation level to perform this class''s missions will be level 89."


    "EIGHTY-NINE?"


    These two old men wanted to shout this question, but while they were there, someone else at a nearby bench had asked this question out loud for the whole hall to hear.


    "It can''t be. That must be your mistake." One of the two old men said to the young woman.


    The Black Plain was improving very fast, but it would be crazy to aim so high!


    So, there was no way they could believe it at first. In fact, one of them had even looked around to check if this wasn''t a prank...


    The young attendant smiled and said. "I understand you, hehe. I also thought so when I was trained. But the young master gave such order. He said it would take time, but one day even the Spiritual Sages will live in our city!" She proudly said as she lifted her chin, with a confident look on her face.


    Many of these attendants had thought there was something wrong with this recommendation. However, when they heard the word of Minos during the opening of this place, their doubts were gone.


    They genuinely believed in the person who had changed this place!


    This person was only less than three years in this city and had already changed this place from water to wine. Not only that, but the young man in his early adult years who arrived here at that time, still in the first stage of cultivation, was now as strong as Spiritual Kings at the start of this stage!


    Such a thing was absurd, and the people of the Dry City knew it. The rumor of the fight of Minos against ''Spiritual Kings'' had already spread through the city for weeks, and all the citizens already knew of his capabilities.


    What was a Spiritual King?


    The rulers and experts of this region!


    But in a short time, Minos had already reached this level, which many only dreamed. Because of this, every one of those people who knew about the deeds of the local sovereign believed in him faithfully.


    If he said, such a thing would happen, then who were they to doubt it? At the very least, it wouldn''t be impossible for someone as gifted as he.


    Such was the respect that Minos had earned...


    Finally, the two old men became solemn again upon hearing and seeing how this attendant had explained. At the same time, they no longer found this statement so impossible. "Well, at the rate things are going, I don''t doubt Mr. Minos can succeed!"


    ''Ah, how lucky we are! Our land will truly ascend to heights!'' The other thought with a twinkle in his eyes.


    In general, untalented cultivators didn''t like strong places. However, if they had a chance to grow up with the state, it would be very different!


    After this moment of reflection, the two finally returned to pay attention to the young attendant''s presentation. "However, this is just the rank for guild missions. We also have a sector where we publish job offers."


    "The difference with this is that while missions have these power ratings and have rewards, these publications only indicate jobs in the city. That is, where you can work and earn a monthly wage."


    She then pointed to a small corner on the left side of the building and said. "There on those screens, you can find these announcements."


    "As for these jobs, there is no minimum level required by us. Each of the publications already specifies the ideal cultivation range to compete for one of these vacancies." She explained.


    "Oh? That''s nice. I have a friend who has small joinery, but he can hardly find suitable apprentices." One of them commented.


    "Hmm, it''s true. It''s hard for old Hadwin to get new apprentices since he can''t let go of his responsibilities just to advertise. Paying for others to do this isn''t cheap either."


    "By the way, young girl, how much does it cost to do this?" The other man asked.


    "For publications, we charge 5% of the wage offered per month that this ad is available here. For missions, the value is 10% of the reward value and is also valid for one month."


    "This is not expensive!"


    After that, they continued to learn about this location. From what they had heard from this attendant, there were several structures, like rooms, where mercenary teams could rent and meet in the other half of this Mercenary Guild.


    There was even the possibility of forming factions to carry out the missions. And to make life easier for these people, having an official place to meet would be ideal, particularly within the place where they would pick up most of their services.


    Other sectors of the guild were also on this other side of the building, such as the payment sector. In this place, both people who wanted to place missions or publications in the guild could do this, and registered mercenaries could receive their crystals.


    Each mission posted required the payment of the reward and guild fee in advance to assure the mercenaries would be paid upon completing one of the missions.


    As for the payment of these people, that would depend on the proof that their missions were succeeded.


    There were several different ways to do so, which would vary according to the type of mission. However, this would still be checked by guild officials to ensure there is no cheating...

 Chapter 349: The Mercenary Guild 3

    After explaining the function of the guild, that attendant finally said the last crux of this place. "As you can see, on this wall behind me, there is a great classification."


    "For now, it''s empty, but that''s because we''ve just started working, and no missions were completed. So, in short, for each mission you finish, depending on its classification, you or the group that performed it will gain a certain number of mercenary points."


    "And what do these mercenary points do?" One of them asked.


    The attendant then continued to speak. "Several things. For example, this can serve to raise your status within the guild, get certain benefits, exchange items, or even special services."


    "At some point, two factions might want to take on the same mission. In this case, the one with the highest contributions, that is, the highest number of mercenary points, would have the advantage in such a situation. Another circumstance is the case of local public services. They won''t always be so cheap and easy to get. In this case, the points can be used to get ''passes'' in those places."


    "Another example is items sold here. We have an agreement with the Black Plain Army, which says that our guild may sell disuse artifacts of this organization."


    Dillian had suggested such a thing. After all, with the development of the Minos army, the day would naturally come when soldiers could have weapons equivalent to their cultivation levels.


    In this case, the low-ranking weapons could be passed on through the Mercenary Guild, a location that would certainly have several fighters from outside the Black Plain in the future.


    Perhaps at some point, the population of the Black Plain would have a much higher purchasing power than now and perhaps have the ability to buy high-level items. But what about the people of the rest of the northern part of the Central Continent?


    These people would certainly not improve as much as the citizens of Minos'' territory. With this, they might want to buy disuse items from the local army!


    Another essential thing, Minos would not impose restrictions on the origin of Mercenary Guild members. As long as the person paid for registration and obeyed the rules, anyone could register at this location.


    This service was not intended to become a military force but a civilian force. Therefore, Minos would just run this place from the shadows with the financial support of the local government. However, in typical situations, he would not get involved in the daily affairs of this service.


    Minos had appointed a high-ranking soldier to command this place on his behalf. Such a position of guild president would be occupied by army soldiers of the highest available rank, in this case, a Sergeant at the time.


    This role of president would be valid for two years until another soldier alternated the position of command. Finally, although this period could increase in the future, it would not be acceptable for the same soldier to command this place for more than one time.


    And such a thing would be handled by the administrative soldiers, like what old Joey wants to do. And there were several like him in Minos'' force, as previously many of these people were just ordinary citizens.


    Anyway, when the two old men heard the explanation about this classification, they were very interested in it. After all, this was a chance to get secondhand artifacts below the average prices.


    In the Spiritual World, not only in the Minos region, secondhand artifacts were generally sold for almost the same price as when new. It wouldn''t matter if it already had a defect or two. As long as it could function perfectly, it would still sell for a high price even if something was frayed or dented.


    Because of this, even second-hand objects were not cheap at all for the standard population, like these Dry City citizens.


    An example of this was young Stuart''s first sword. Previously Minos had paid 400 crystals in the auction that had taken place in the Maritime City, where he had won the bid for that item, against the late Darell Silva.


    Such a sword was a secondhand one, and while it worked perfectly, it had several battle marks before reach into Minos'' hands.


    However, even if he were to buy a new version of that same sword, Minos would have to spend almost the same amount!


    Low-level grade-2 objects produced by blacksmiths would cost exactly 400 medium-grade crystals on average!


    Obviously, Minos had only spent this amount because Darell had competed with him for several bids. However, that weapon could have been sold for over 300 medium-grade crystals without the interference of other people.


    And precisely because of all that, these two old men were pleased to know that there would be a possibility that they would earn enough points to purchase army weapons!


    It wouldn''t cost them anything!


    They would already have to do missions and earn the crystals, so those mercenary points were a bonus from their point of view!


    "Amazing!" One of them commented in satisfaction.


    The other then asked. "But how many points do we earn through the missions?"


    "Each completed mission yields a value, and 20% of the value in crystals is converted into points. That is, an F- mission pays 100 low-grade crystals. In this case, by completing such a mission, in addition to receiving the 100 crystals, a mercenary would also receive 20 points."


    "In any situation, a D- mercenary can receive a reward of 14 medium-grade crystals. At the same time, he would receive 280 points for completing such a mission." She finished explaining.


    "I see..." The two commented at the same time.


    ''That''s fair. They won''t just give us points equivalent to crystals, as it is already a bonus for us. But those numbers are also good enough to help¡­ 20% is not too little¡­'' One of them thought about it for a moment before finally clenching his fist and saying. "How can we register?"


    The receptionist smiled and said. "Give me your identification, and I''ll register you. After that, you will have to go to the administration. You just need to follow the signs on the walls until you get there."


    "There, you will prove your cultivation level and then receive a rating. After that, you will be duly registered with the Mercenary Guild and will be able to accept missions."


    "Just that? Hehe, so let''s do this soon!" One of them exclaimed in satisfaction as he placed his ID on that counter.


    After that, the two old men finished their preliminary registration and went to prove their cultivation level in the administrative part of the building.


    ...


    As those two men finished officializing their entry into the Mercenary Guild, several people who had already done so were now looking at the few missions available at this time.


    Only two screens showed the missions available to F- and F+ mercenaries, those between levels 30 and 40.


    There on that screen, some missions were listed, with the rank of each one, reward value, and essential restrictions. However, as for the possible details of each job, this did not appear there, as such a screen only served to present these opportunities to the mercenaries.


    If anyone wanted to know more about the missions, they would have to ask for the information with one of the attendants.


    Anyway, some people who were there were already reading each of these mission publications.


    ''F- mission;


    Helping local hunters protect the fields;


    Restrict: Each dead beast will belong to the contracting party. The mercenary will receive a share of only 30% of its value. NOT NEGOTIABLE!


    Reward: 100 low-grade crystals for one week and 20 mercenary points.''


    ...


    ''F+ mission;


    Help local hunters to exterminate a group of Red-eyed Hyenas;


    Restrict: Each dead beast will belong to the contracting party. The mercenary will receive a share of only 50% of its value. NOT NEGOTIABLE!


    Reward: 200 low-grade crystals for one week and 40 mercenary points.''


    ...


    ''F+ mission;


    Escort to the Maritime City;


    Information: Help the group travel safely through the Black Plain;


    Reward: 200 low-grade crystals and 40 mercenary points for the time needed to go to that city.''


    ...


    There were several other missions there, related to other escorts, help with certain services, from analyzing the local terrains and even helping in training young warriors.


    And of course, there was the part related to advertisements for the private services of the Dry City.

 Chapter 350: Spiritual King 1

    There weren''t many advertisements or missions in the Mercenary Guild for now, as this place had only been inaugurated a few hours ago to the Dry City citizens.


    And because of this short operating time, many people still did not know about these options offered by this location. However, with the number of people coming and going to the guild already on this first day of operation, this place would certainly not be forgotten.


    In a short time, more owners in town would find out about this matter and would naturally use this new option as conveniently as possible.


    And although there are still no large local companies, many of the organizations in this place had already evolved considerably, to the point of employing hundreds of people.


    With a growing population, demand for services would increase, new businesses would be opened, and existing ones would expand.


    With a larger population, the demand for food products, clothing, and furniture for homes, everything related to everyday life, would increase. And with more and more products being sold, these companies needed to hire more to increase the supply, consequently growing profits as well.


    Companies like the Four Seasons Hotel had already become big local brands, with many employees and decent services. Obviously, it wasn''t on the level of services provided by the Olson Hotel. Still, it was good enough for lower-ranking nobles to pass through the town with some comfort.


    And places like this hotel would need new employees constantly. However, given the fact that there are no unemployed over 15 in the current Dry City, it could be difficult for these companies to increase their capacities.


    That''s why Mercenary Guild advertising is so welcome right now!


    ...


    While some of the citizens were aware of the new service opened today in the city, Dillian was cultivating in the courtyard of his home.


    That place was about half the size of the outside area of ??Minos'' residence, but it could still be considered a perfect size. There was a small garden there, with a wooden platform in the middle of that place, which looked like a small stage for fights.


    In that place, there was no roof, being completely open to the blue sky, from where sun rays passed through the clouds and reached that part of the building.


    Other than that, at the four ends of that courtyard, one was the back part of Dillian''s home. Another two were sidewalls to the other residences, covered with a kind of plant that grows on the walls. Then, finally, there was a large glass fence on the remaining side, from which the butler could see the south side of the Dry City.


    And in the middle of this place, the middle-aged man was sitting in a meditative position on that wooden platform as he circulated his cultivation technique.


    Two medium-grade crystals were on his sides, glowing brightly while gradually dimming in intensity, like a light bulb that blinks several times before it goes out.


    The butler had already reached the peak of the Spiritual General stage, and from this point forward, to move up to the next level, Dillian would need to cultivate using medium-grade crystals.


    Despite having the equivalent of 100 times the amount of energy of low-grade crystals, such items were far more efficient in cultivation. That is, in part, each type of crystal would lose a portion of its own energy to nature, given the anticipated crystallization of spiritual energy.


    Such a thing happened when the spiritual pressure of a given region could not reach a minimum level, generating ''more immature'' crystals.


    These were the so-called low-grade crystals.


    It usually formed in the upper layer of spiritual mines. However, when the spiritual pressure of the region was shallow, not only the surface but even those deeper parts would ''delivery'' just that type of item.


    As an example, was the case with the Black Plain.


    The local spiritual density was not high, and because of that, there was not enough spiritual pressure to form the highest-ranked crystals in this territory.


    As for the efficiency issue, this basically refers to the crystal''s compatibility in storing and releasing spiritual energy into nature. In addition to storing different amounts of energy, crystals also had this distinction related to the amount of energy contained that could be used in cultivation.


    A specific crystal would have ''x'' of energy in it. If it were a low-grade one, it would return a value less than ''x'' when used. However, the higher the crystal''s rating, the less energy is lost.


    Humans also didn''t have naturally high compatibility with spiritual energy, so more of it was lost in the process. However, by using higher ranked crystals, this loss would decrease too!


    Therefore, even if a Spiritual King had 200 low-grade and 2 medium-grade crystals to cultivate, he would definitely choose the highest-ranking ones. After all, this would give him a higher gain, even considering that the two types of crystals are equivalent.


    But not only that, but the absorption time of the energy contained in 200 crystals was also much longer than that of just 2, even considering that the two had near amounts of total power. So, there was a big difference in a person''s cultivation speed if only the different types of crystals were considered.


    That''s why Dillian was already doing it!


    However, this was not fast. Given this butler''s current level, he took much longer than young Stuart to cultivate. And at this point, he was already 4 hours in this meditative position, preparing for his advance.


    Dillian had realized that he would have a breakthrough in this cultivation session, so he had taken the afternoon off today just to do that.


    As to why he was doing it here and not somewhere else, like a cultivation room or the Spatial Kingdom, well, he naturally had his reasons for it.


    First, there was no cultivation room for the 6th stage of cultivation in today''s Dry City. And considering he could no longer be considered a regular 5th stage cultivator, then the traditional rooms for Spiritual Generals wouldn''t work for Dillian.


    Second, because of a mismatch of fate. Dillian usually only cultivates later in the day. And by this time, Minos was usually already in the Spatial Kingdom training. Because of that, there was no way the butler could go there right now.


    Finally, Dillian had only decided to cultivate at this time because he had some free time after several of his services had recently been completed. Examples of this were the Mercenary Guild, the selection of recruits, the local hospital, which was almost ready, etc.


    As the sovereign''s butler, Dillian took care of various matters, and therefore, generally, he did not train during the day. But with the conclusion of these projects and the fact that his friend Eda was working at headquarters right now, this middle-aged man had decided to level up this time.


    It wouldn''t be that quick to do that outside the Spatial Kingdom, but he could still make it to level 50 before the sunset when Eda ends her work.


    ''Today, I''ll give her a surprise...'' He had thought about that before starting his cultivation session.


    Anyway, Dillian''s surroundings seemed distorting, while the spiritual density around him was very high.


    His muscles were actively twitching, and if anyone looked closely, one could see that there was a pained expression on this man''s face.


    At the same time, several drops of sweat dripped from every pore of this man''s body.


    Right now, Dillian was feeling his soul expand as the pain generated by the changes within his being stunned him. That wasn''t as easy as it might seem. After all, even if he would feel terrific after finishing his advance, that didn''t stop him from feeling the sensations generated in the middle of this process.


    Every second that passed felt like a full minute, and the changes in his body and soul were pushing Dillian''s body to the limit.


    His soul expanded to get bigger and bigger, already stretching to about 3% of his body size and increasingly palpable. Of course, it was still insignificant, but that could already be considered a tremendous advance for a cultivator. Such a thing would only reach 100% at level 70 when the soul would finally lose all its restrictions.


    And finally, the changes in his body began to accelerate as a black goo quickly left the butler''s body. It was as if he had fallen into a pool of tar and was just expelling what his skin had absorbed...


    Crack!

 Chapter 351: Spiritual King 2

    When the cracking noise sounded, all the people in the local government mansion heard this noise.


    It was a distinct sound and loud enough for each of them to sense that someone was leveling up nearby. However, many did not understand how they could hear such a thing and not see anyone cultivating nearby.


    After all, the sounds produced by changing the level of people below the 6th stage of cultivation would not be noticeable beyond a few meters away from the source of the sound!


    But here was the situation where none of them could see anyone cultivating nearby, but they still heard the characteristic sounds that any cultivator would be used to...


    ''Someone must have broken some furniture. It can''t be anything important...'' Someone thought as he looked both ways, at the floor just below the residential part of the mansion.


    ...


    Meanwhile, a man was covered in black mud in Dillian''s yard, which had already begun to form a small puddle beneath him.


    As the impurities left his body, his body heavily shook as he used his arms to support himself on the ground.


    "Ahhh!" He screamed in pain.


    These toxins released by the butler''s body were making him feel one of the worst stinks he had ever smelled in his life and had even made him vomit a mouth full of blood.


    But the blood was not red. In fact, the blood looked very dark and contained some clots that this old man had internally in his body.


    Spiritual cleansing didn''t work in just one way, after all...


    And after finishing removing all the impurities from his body, quickly, the butler''s white skin began to appear. At the same time, the black mud ran down to the floor. As this was happening, a significant change was occurring both externally and internally in the butler''s body!


    Internally, his spiritual energy had increased by 50%, and he had finally reached level 50!


    His soul had stabilized, and if anyone could see it at this point, one would see something that was far more apparent than it was before. It was like the difference between a grimy white cloth and one that was adequately washed.


    On the other hand, Dillian''s body cells rapidly divided, recovering any possible defects in his flesh and regenerating his being!


    Dillian''s expectations had just doubled due to this advance, and now he could live up to 1,650 years!


    Such a thing was no small achievement, and it had brought a complete change in his appearance for the then middle-aged man.


    Now, the slight age marks that had previously existed around the butler''s eyes, the ''faded'' appearance of the skin, eyes, mouth, nose, everything had changed and regained youth!


    Right now, if anyone could see Dillian, all that person would see would be a man that looks in his thirties, shirtless, and sitting in black liquid.


    His skin was flushed like it hadn''t been in a long time. His muscles had stood out much more, looking like a young warrior who trains daily, not a middle-aged man who sits in an office.


    The black mustache that seemed to indicate his age before now seemed to be something that gave a young man a striking personality.


    His appearance had changed entirely, and Dillian felt a new sensation in his body as if many restrictions had been removed at once.


    ''Ahh, this feeling¡­'' He thought to himself as he took a deep breath.


    The difference was brutal. Even when breathing, if we were to compare, it would be as if before, Dillian was suffocating, and now he was breathing calmly.


    The energy in his body was overflowing. Even though Dillian wasn''t a fighter, he felt like he could fight for happiness and personal satisfaction right now.


    While his spiritual energy had reached level 50, his physical power could now be compared to someone at level 36!


    That is, even without using his cultivation strength, Dillian could even face someone at level 36 with his bare hands. Moreover, this thing increased his security, as this butler was just a doctor, with no battle techniques.


    But that was not the main point of his physical body has increased in power. No, the main thing was the characteristics related to the body, such as regeneration, rest, endurance, innate ability, etc.


    The innate ability didn''t increase in rank just by advancing in level. Yet, with more energy in the body, the cultivator could increase the range of his skill. That is, if before he could use his innate ability for ''x'' minutes, now he could do it for a more extended amount of time!


    As for the other characteristics, now Dillian could go a few days without sleeping or even eating, and there would be no problem. Of course, after going through something like this, he would need to rest and feed, but that wasn''t so important to him anymore.


    His cell regeneration had almost doubled in terms of speed, and even if he wasn''t a doctor, Dillian could recover more efficiently from illness and injury!


    The advantages of getting stronger were superb for the physical body of the cultivators. But with the advancement of the cultivation stage, the butler had also improved all his techniques to a new phase.


    Now he could handle more significant amounts of energy during his cultivation. In addition, his primary healing technique, Radiant Healing, had doubled its capabilities. With that, Dillian could attend even seriously injured Spiritual Kings and avoiding the possibility of death of patients with fatal injuries at such stage.


    The main point is that he could even heal cultivators'' soul damage from now on with such a technique!


    Such a thing wasn''t all that significant. Still, as long as a cultivator didn''t have mortal damage to his soul, then Dillian could improve the patients'' situation.


    Finally, as he felt the new power in his body, the butler used his spiritual energy to destroy those impurities. After that, he went straight to the bathroom to get the stink out of his body.


    His spiritual energy could have eliminated such a thing, but the odor affected the person''s own mind. So, even if he weren''t ''dirty'' anymore, Dillian or any other cultivator would feel genuinely bad about not taking a meticulous bath in this kind of situation.


    ''Ah, looks like I''ll be able to start my journey at the local hospital with the right foot...'' Dillian thought to himself as he walked through his residence. He had a smile on his face and looked very pleased this time.


    ''The young master left a Silver-grade healing technique with me. After I clean myself properly, I will start learning it...''


    ''Eda will take a while, so I think I have enough time¡­''  He pondered.


    Minos didn''t have many Golden-grade techniques. After all, such things weren''t easy to make. In fact, he had fewer than 25 of these, and only one of them specialized in healing, the one that Dillian had already learned.


    And that was expected. After all, Henricus Longus was not a doctor!


    He had only obtained a technique of this quality because he had met an elf who had reached level 100 and had such capabilities. Because of his contact with that person, such a man had negotiated a Golden-grade spiritual technique specializing in healing.


    But apart from this technique, Radiant Healing, all other medical techniques left by Henricus Longus for Minos were Silver-grade ones. And as for these, that God had spared no effort and had managed to gather 30 of them, only specialized in this area of ??specialization.


    Due to this, Dillian had already chosen the technique that best suited his characteristics and goals before his promotion. So, despite being only a Silver-grade one, this butler was more than happy.


    After all, how many doctors on the Central Continent could have a set of 4 Silver-grade and 2 Golden-grade techniques?


    Probably very few people!


    ''Hehe, when Eda comes here later, we''ll have some fun today...'' The now-young Dillian reflected as he thought about his mate.


    The two got along very well and had been sleeping together for days. And with such a significant change, young Stuart''s butler couldn''t help but wonder about that near future...

 Chapter 352: Edas Happiness

    Some time had passed, and night had fallen in the Dry City.


    At this time, Eda was returning to the local government mansion, which was a few blocks from army headquarters.


    Eda had spent all those days she had joined the Minos army, mainly cultivating and training her new techniques.


    First, she had learned a new cultivation technique, as her previous one was only a Blue-grade one. And after getting used to this one, this woman gradually changed the other techniques that were previously of the same classification.


    And as she had only three techniques of that classification, she had managed to make this change quickly.


    Eda had decided to do so despite the fact that she was coming towards the end of her stage and did not have as much time to comprehend these techniques as someone at the beginning of the 5th stage would.


    That is because the first phases of new techniques could be mastered more quickly, as it was beneficial to make these changes at the lower stages.


    In this case, it wouldn''t be suitable for her to wait until her promotion to the next stage!


    That would both limit the number of phases the techniques she would learn and lag her fighting proficiency compared to other people in the army.


    So, this woman had been training as much as she could to quickly master each of these new techniques'' first phase and level up.


    As a result, Eda, who was already at the peak of level 48 before reaching Dry City, had finally reached level 49!


    That had happened a few days ago, just after the selection of the Black Plain Army had finished.


    Anyway, Eda finally arrived at the local government mansion, having greeted the soldiers at the entrance of this place and soon after going straight to the residential part of the building. She had a satisfied expression on her face, even after such a tiring day, in which she had been training for almost 10 hours.


    As for a reason for this happiness, well, it naturally had to do with everything that was going on in Eda''s life.


    By joining MInos'' army, she was being valued more than ever, earning about 60% more than what she had in the Miller family.


    Such a thing was not little!


    And in the hands of the experienced Eda, she could guarantee her daily cultivation with spiritual crystals and still support her necessary expenses!


    She couldn''t use that extra amount to buy spiritual weapons, and if she needed pills, she would have to decrease her use of crystals in training. However, Eda already had adequate artifacts, and until she reached level 50, she wouldn''t have to worry about getting new ones.


    With that, this woman was doing better than ever on her savings. Cultivating had always been a priority for Eda, and now she was able to do it.


    In addition to being well paid, Eda felt respected by the army''s soldiers, almost as the nobles of the Miller family were by their subordinates. And that was a satisfying feeling, realizing that what you do has value, and your efforts are not wasted.


    Such a thing made her even more determined and confident in her cultivation way.


    Finally, the Dry City was also an enjoyable place to live. Not only because of the presence of her close friend but because there wasn''t the ''atmosphere'' of intense competition and full of hidden plots that there would be in great noble families.


    In this town, people were pushing each other up, and if one won, it would be a good thing for everyone and not just that person. Moreover, a strong soldier meant that the city would have a better chance of overcoming future ordeals. Consequently, the citizens valued their protectors!


    If a private company was doing well, it stimulated commerce, the generation of new jobs, and the evolution of the local industry. All of this was good for the whole community, and people were happy for the local success.


    That is different from what happened in great noble families and their cities. In these places, competition for resources was always intense, with people acting in the shadows, scheming tricks, and cursing those who succeed.


    In a way, there was a characteristic coldness in the nobility that truly made ordinary people feel distant, isolated, and so on. And for all that, Eda felt excellent for all this change in her life.


    She enjoyed her job as Abby''s bodyguard, as this young woman had always been a decent person. However, it is undeniable that Eda felt better in a more valued position.


    She would always feel protective concerning Abby, as this young woman had grown up right in front of her. And in a way, she still behaved like a subordinate to Abby. After all, it wasn''t easy to change such habits.


    But, the world turns, and Eda wanted to be someone.


    ...


    Finally, she opened the door of Dillian''s residence and already walked in, taking off her uniform.


    However, as she finished removing her armor, placing the parts of this artifact next to her uniform on a chair, she suddenly saw the reflection in a mirror of someone strange...


    "Ahh!"


    Turning around, this middle-aged woman immediately saw a young adult with a pronounced black mustache, looking at her with a smile on his face.


    "This... You are..." After the first moment of fright, she tried to say something, stammering, when she was interrupted by the elegant young man in front of her.


    "It''s me, Eda, Dillian." He calmly said as he approached the woman with black hair and full breasts, who was only wearing a thin shirt covering her torso at the moment.


    "Dillian?" She muttered in shock. She knew he was close to advancing, but seeing such a change in his appearance had confused this woman.


    After all, who wouldn''t be surprised after seeing the person she''d woken up with this morning as an entirely different appearance?


    It was truly shocking!


    And finally, after a few seconds of trying to process the physical change Dillian had gone through, Eda regained her rationality. "You have reached level 50! Congratulations, Dillian, I thought you were going to take a few more days..."


    "Hehe, I wanted to surprise you. You liked it?" He asked with a sly smile.


    "Hmm, you look handsome." She praised him as she looked him up and down. In one look, she had noticed several things, even though Dillian was dressed.


    Such were the female abilities!


    After that, he approached Eda, hugging her, as he started to remove the clothes of the mature Eda.


    And as she felt Dillian''s quick hands, she was getting to know the new shapes of her partner''s body, Eda whispered in his ear, teasingly. "I hope you are careful with my old body..."


    "Mmm~"


    After that, lights were turned off, and the two began to express their bestial feelings to each other in a burning night of desire.


    ...


    Dawn broke into the Dry City.


    By this time, Minos and Abby had already found out about Dillian''s level advancement.


    The young Stuart was naturally very pleased with the advancement of his most trusted follower, the person he most respected after his father. However, upon seeing Dillian''s new appearance, Minos couldn''t help but be shocked and feel awkward to keep calling him ''grandpa.''


    He had already expected such a change to occur. Still, it was undeniable that things like this would always surprise anyone. Thinking and planning something would undoubtedly help reduce the impression of seeing here in practice. However, it would be impossible not to be impressed.


    ''Maybe I should just call him Dillian from now on?'' Minos had asked that question to himself, finding it all very strange.


    ''Oh, it will be weird at first, but one day I''ll get used to it...'' He concluded this...


    Finally, Abby was also happy for Dillian''s advancement. She was pretty curious about what would happen to Eda when she was the one who reached level 50.


    Ever since this young friend of Minos'' had met her bodyguard, Eda had always looked the same. Because of that, seeing the extent of Dillian''s rejuvenation, Abby was now thinking about how beautiful Eda would look.


    It should be said that despite Eda already having the marks of age, she could be considered a beautiful woman, with enviable measurements!


    Because of this, Abby longed to find out about such a thing. ''Ahh, I heard that even my uncle courted older sister Eda back in the days when they participated in the Spiritual Tournament... She must have been gorgeous...'' This thought had crossed the mind of the young nobleman of the Miller family.

 Chapter 353: General Hospital

    After Dillian reached level 50, days passed, and it was time for the opening of the Dry City General Hospital!


    In the past few days, the population had found out about Dillian''s advancement to the 6th stage, Spiritual King!


    Of course, after entering this new cultivation stage, it didn''t take long for many soldiers to start talking about it. After all, Dillian''s appearance had changed from water to wine, and it would be strange if no one tried to probe the butler''s new power.


    And with that, the many Sergeants who daily contacted Dillian soon found out about the matter and began to talk amongst themselves. After that, the conversations between soldiers and their families spread the news.


    Soon, such information reached the ordinary citizens of the city.


    That was long-awaited news, and when the citizens found out about it, they naturally became much more talkative that day.


    Spiritual Kings were at the top of the regional powers and were considered experts in this region. So, having someone of that level in this city was like an achievement for these people, something that demonstrated the rise of the Black Plain...


    But the commotion caused by this news only lasted two days, when the announcement of the city''s hospital''s opening was finally released.


    Having a Spiritual King was good, but Minos was already as strong as one, and the population knew it. So, after the initial surprise, the commotion had passed.


    However, the matter of the hospital was often more important than having ''another Spiritual King.'' After all, a new service could directly change the inhabitants'' lives instead of a person''s power level, which would only indirectly affect their lives.


    Many needed medical services in this city, so the population couldn''t help but be anxious about it, leaving the subject of Dillian a little ''in the shadow.''


    ...


    Anyway, the day was sunny in the Dry City, and at the time, the sun had already covered a third of the local sky.


    On one of the local construction sites, a part had already been entirely built on the city''s east side. In that place, everything was new, from the residential buildings, blocks and public parks, the streets, and even the commercial buildings.


    Most of these buildings were still empty, as this part had just been completed a few days ago and had not yet begun to receive residents.


    These buildings were 20 to 30 meters high each and were of different models to beautify the local view. Other than that, the commercial buildings were closer to the city''s main avenue, which passed through this neighborhood, while the residential buildings were towards the middle of the district.


    Finally, in part with vast distances between each building, there was a complex in the shape of an ''H,'' with about six floors and an all-glass facade.


    There was a luminous sign on top of this building, where the name ''General Hospital'' was engraved in a silvery color.


    Around this place, there were lawns on the street''s sidewalks, with wooden benches for people to sit on and water fountains, at two different points.


    Other than that, there was a large entrance for carriages to stop on the main entrance, while there was another entrance at the rear of the building.


    And at the moment, this place was crowded with people around the hospital, behind the boundaries made by the army soldiers, who were responsible for the area''s security.


    In addition, there were already some official local government carriages parked at that main entrance, where Minos'' group had entered a few moments ago!


    As the local ruler, Minos naturally wanted to see this hospital and know precisely how this organization would work and how he could use such a service in the future.


    That''s because the young sovereign had left the organization of this place almost entirely to Dillian to decide how this place should be since the butler was the one with the best skills to do that.


    With that, other than some information relevant to him, Minos didn''t know much about this place.


    For example, most of what he knew about this location concerned the costs and price that would be charged. That''s because such a thing would serve for him to use as an attraction in the future, to bring even more people to his city.


    In this regard, it had been decided by Dillian that the prices charged would vary according to the severity of the injury or illness, the level of the patient, and the level of the doctor. After all, part of the prices charged by doctors was not related to the difficulty of the treatment itself but how much these professionals had to strive to treat it.


    In other words, a treatment could only take 30 minutes. However, it could still cost hundreds of crystals, depending on the situation. That amount of time may seem short, but how many years did this professional have to struggle, cultivating, and leveling up to get to the point of having a treatment in just half an hour?


    It''s hard to say. But, if we were to think about Dillian''s case, he had been a doctor for decades!


    Obviously, there were people more talented and capable than he, but that wouldn''t invalidate all his work and effort.


    With this, understanding the prices charged by doctors as payment for the years of effort of these professionals would not be wrong!


    But the treatments provided by this hospital would not be expensive for the citizens of the Dry City. For example, therapies that required a low-level grade-1 doctor would range from 5 to 20 low-grade crystals.


    Those who needed treatment of a medium-level grade-1 doctor, from 30 to 50 crystals. A high-level grade-1, 80 to 130. A low-level grade-1, from 1,500 to 3,000 low-grade crystals. And finally, if someone needed a doctor at Dillian level, a medium-level grade-2, the cost would range from 2,500 to 5,000 low-grade crystals!


    These values ??could be considered high when analyzed without any further information. However, for each of these classifications, the price charged regionally was, on average, 2 to 4 times the values ??mentioned.


    In fact, grade-2 doctors didn''t even accept payments on low-grade crystals!


    As for the prices that would be charged for visitors of the Dry City in the future, that would be two times the amounts charged for local citizens.


    Another important fact is that local citizens would have a preference at the General Hospital over visitors from other states!


    These were the main advantages of this service for the properly regularized inhabitants of this city.


    ...


    Anyway, Minos, Eda, Abby, and Dillian were entering the hospital entrance hall at this moment, right after they had passed through the entrance to this place.


    There was a wide-open space in this place, where the glass walls gave a feeling of this place being even bigger than it was. From there, they could see the street from the entrance side of the building very well, while that part was also bright.


    The floor had a kind of tile in a milky color, and the inner walls of that place were all beige, with some colored paths running through the walls.


    There were a few signs here and there, indicating the legend of these colorful paths and where each of them led.


    In addition to huge lamps on the ceiling, there was a reception in that entrance hall, while some leather stools were strategically scattered around that place.


    There was space for ten people to work simultaneously at the reception, but there were only two young women in that place now.


    And that was expected. The hospital was built to serve up to 500,000 inhabitants, but the current Dry City did not even have 30% of that. But it wouldn''t always be like that!


    So, Dillian had asked for this place to be built to such a size.


    Consequently, not all the structures built would be used immediately, and there would be no need to hire more people for now.


    Finally, Minos'' group started to hear the presentation of Dillian, who would from now on be the director of this hospital!


    Dillian then said with a smile on his face. "Let''s start our tour, hehe..."

 Chapter 354: Medical School 1

    As they walked down the corridors on the first floor, Minos'' group listened to Dillian''s explain.


    "Well, on this first floor of the hospital, a lot of things will happen around here. For example, all the patients'' identification will be done at the entrance reception, where these people will receive the necessary information."


    "Nothing too complicated, just the amounts needed for each type of treatment, registration, and primary care." As he said this, they finished going down a long corridor. Then, they reached a part with several compartments, numbered from 1 to 100, where there were beds, chairs, and some specific instruments in each of them.


    Dillian then explained. "After registering in the entrance hall, the patient will be sent here. Here, the doctors on duty will make the identification of the anomaly, the initial care, and will discover the classification of the professional necessary for each problem to be solved."


    Upon hearing this, Abby, who knew a few things about medical care, suddenly asked Dillian. "Why isn''t the service done all at once in one place? Why subdivide this place that way?"


    This young woman already knew the system adopted in her family''s hospitals, so she found Dillian''s subdivision a little strange. At the Miller family medical centers, each service was already made to solve a problem with a single doctor.


    Dillian smiled and said. "This is due to the number of people we are going to serve here. Unlike the Miller family, which only serves people of high economic powers, this hospital will serve the common citizens. In other words, a much larger group."


    And that was a fact.


    Due to the costs charged by doctors across the region, only those individuals with significant financial reserves could pay for treatments. Because of this, the number of visits to hospitals in cities controlled by noble families was not substantial.


    People like the many farmers in the Dry City definitely couldn''t afford these services!


    Or rather, people like that would have to save years if they wanted to be able to pay for eventual medical treatment!


    And that was why Dillian had organized the local hospital differently. To attend to the thousands of people in this town, this hospital would need a fast and directed service. There would be no way to serve these people if each patient took days to find the doctor capable of curing them.


    That consumed the doctors'' and patients'' time, whether they are already being attended to or were waiting for their turn!


    Dillian then continued his explanation. "There are doctors with different experiences. For example, many can easily heal wounds, as this is a basic thing for a doctor. But what about those more specific problems? For example, damage to the soul, vitality, loss of limbs, poisoning, memory, etc... In these cases, some specialized doctors can provide treatments that many others cannot."


    "Furthermore, it would not be good to send a patient who needs a high-level, grade-1 doctor to a low-level grade-2 doctor. That would be a waste of the doctor''s time and would also be more expensive for the patient."


    "Because of that, this area will be crucial for the functioning of this hospital." He stopped for a moment as the group circled that triage point. Dillian then said. "We will have some more general doctors here, who will be able to identify the anomaly and decide on the professional''s minimum classification to solve the problem."


    "At the same time, these doctors will try to reduce the discomfort that patients may be experiencing, treating injuries, decreasing pain, etc. After that, these patients will be able to schedule an exam with a more specific professional." He said happily.


    Dillian had never seen a hospital like this in the north of the Central Continent, but he felt that these changes he had made were decent. That would undoubtedly have a higher cost, as there would be a need for many specialists, but he thought it was worth it.


    With the potential of the Black Plain, this place could one day become the medical center in the region!


    After Dillian finished talking about this part of the hospital, Abby was wholly taken aback by the butler''s way of thinking. She had never thought this guy would have such a different plan.


    But not only was it different, but it also looked very promising!


    Given her skill, Abby had always been somewhat close to this medical field due to her ancestor, who had an innate ability similar to hers and was a doctor. And precisely because of that, this young woman could understand that this operation mode solved many problems.


    Obstacles such as delayed treatment, high costs due to constant consultations with different doctors, ineffective therapies, and the waiting list interfered a lot. And even considering the high costs of hiring such a professional, such things were enough to cause problems.


    Imagine if the cost of medical treatment was affordable even for humble communities?


    ''That''s a great idea! Next time I see my family, I''ll recommend these changes¡­" She thought to herself as she praised ??Dillian''s idea in her mind.


    Abby wasn''t worried about Dillian being angry that she wanted to copy his plan. After all, the moment the Black Plain opened up to the world, such a thing would sooner or later be copied!


    As for the rest of the group, they didn''t understand much about the subject. Still, they realized that it had been thought of considering the local reality. And that matched what Minos wanted for this place.


    "This looks good. It will greatly facilitate and increase the capacity of patients attended per day at the hospital." Minos commented at the same time as the group headed for the second floor of the building.


    On the rest of the first floor, there were several other parts. However, in general, these were bathrooms, cafeteria, staff rooms, supply rooms, and other primary care sites.


    Anyway, Dillian then returned to present the building''s structures to the group when they reached the second floor. "On this and the next floor are the grade-1 offices and rooms for patients to be kept under observation."


    "We have about 500 beds and 40 offices on each floor. Obviously, there will be future professionals with different specializations on these two floors to attend to patients. But for now, we won''t be able to do such a thing." Dillian explained with an apologetic expression.


    There were few doctors in the Dry City... In fact, before the public library was opened, there was no one in this area.


    However, after Dillian had left his Blue-grade techniques in that place, naturally, some people had learned them during the past time.


    But, these people could be considered at most medium-level grade-1 doctors, and they were no more than 30 individuals!


    After that, Dillian went back to talking about the hospital floors. "Above these two floors of grade-1 classification, we have another two floors of grade-2 doctors."


    "In these places, we''ll have the same capabilities, but for now, we''re not going to use them."


    Dillian was the only grade-2 doctor in the Dry City, so it wouldn''t make sense for him to work alone on these floors when the two lower floors wouldn''t even be at their maximum!


    After hearing this, Eda commented to the group. "Well, it''s normal that there isn''t a full occupancy of this place in the short term. Medicine in this region is just developing, and it will take time for many doctors to emerge here."


    She then asked. "But how do you intend to solve this?"


    "That will naturally be resolved with the Medical School, which is located on the top two floors of the hospital. There, we''ll have all the structure that is normally found in Spiritual World medical guilds."


    "There will be a library with Black-grade techniques that the young master will buy, and I''ve already put there the two techniques of that classification that I had. In addition, we will have the necessary structure for the training of future doctors, with arrays and classrooms for exchanging ideas and planning."


    For the doctors'' training, as for other unique professions, training would always have its peculiarities. For example, a blacksmith would have to train his forge spiritual techniques by molding simulated items in a spiritual array.


    Such arrays simulated the items used in the forge of specific things as if they were something virtual. And so, blacksmiths could train their techniques without wasting crucial resources for the production of artifacts.


    And doctors had their special training too!

 Chapter 355: Medical School 2

    For the doctor''s training, they used spiritual arrays that simulated living beings, in which the expert would apply his techniques to accomplish specific goals. For example, treating an intestinal wound, stopping bleeding, removing a poisonous substance from the bloodstream, etc.


    Such arrays created these simulations, which could be seen as illusions, used to train the understanding of these specialists.


    There was a method behind each technique that would result in the treatment of a given anomaly. However, even considering the different ways of solving such problems, the final result and some conditions would have to be obtained.


    And that was the purpose of these arrays. Increase the proficiency of these cultivators in certain situations.


    What is the best way to treat an exposed wound using a specific technique? How to remove a poison to minimize the damage to the patient''s body with such a technique? How to treat a cultivator''s soul without further damaging it? And how to do all this and more to recover the patient''s previous condition fully?


    All the functioning of such arrays were made so that doctors, or other professionals in their areas, could increase the mastery of their techniques, aiming at a better result.


    It would not always be suitable to train with living beings, as mistakes could be fatal for such professionals.


    While a warrior like Minos could train his sword technique without fear of making a mistake, such a thing was not valid for doctors.


    The wrong treatment could result in problems, which could be irreversible. For example, someone has a foot problem and is treated incorrectly. That could result from a constant discomfort in this region, with no cure, to even the complete loss of that part of the body!


    Therefore, there was no apprenticeship with living beings, ''guinea pigs''... Instead, a doctor achieved a certain mastery over his area, and only then would he start treating those cases to the level he would be able to.


    In the case of the doctors who''d emerged in the Dry City, they''d consulted Dillian several times, and only after getting this guy''s permission did they start working full time as doctors.


    And as for how these arrays were produced, well, it was related to the combination of various professions.


    In general, a product would not need to follow the precepts of just one professional area. That was even the simplest and most common to see, but there were also things produced by more than one type of specialist.


    As in the case of the Cultivation Towers, in these places, there was a need for array masters, blacksmiths, and designs to work together. But this wasn''t something like, ''you do this part, and I do the other.'' No, each item was planned and made considering the objectives and precepts of the three areas simultaneously.


    The same was true for these medical arrays.


    An array master would mold the formations needed for this item to work. At the same time, a doctor would make the recordings using his medical understandings.


    What kind of proficiency would be measured? What are the goals of these simulations? How would a body in a given circumstance react to treatment? All this and much more were proposed by the doctor who made the recordings in a given array.


    And obviously, some arrays trained different skills since the doctor who made the inscriptions in a given array would certainly not be specialized in everything...


    In the same way that some warriors trained only with swords, others would train with spears, bows, no weapons, etc. Thus, a doctor couldn''t specialize in all areas.


    There were a limited number of techniques to be learned, and each might or might not enhance the other. In other words, the ideal would be to follow the path of specialization in a given part of medicine!


    The best doctors capable of treating poisoning would undoubtedly be the ones with the most techniques to treat conditions like this!


    Finally, after a while, Minos'' group decided to use one of the hospital''s elevators to reach the top floors, where the medical school was located.


    Previously they had not done such a thing, as taking stairs from one floor to another was much more practical. However, the three floors above were basically the same as the first floor, and they wouldn''t see anything new in those places.


    As for these elevators, this was one of the few buildings in the entire Dry City that had such a thing!


    Even though many buildings had more than five floors in the current Dry City, most did not have such an item due to the high cost of this means of transport. And given the fact that cultivators could climb many floors without much effort, there wasn''t any reason to spend on such superfluous.


    And it wasn''t long before the group reached the top floor of the hospital.


    That was where several training rooms were located, with spiritual arrays for each area and different training classifications.


    Once there, Abby looked at the many glass-walled rooms in the hallway where she could see the various arrays. "Wow, you guys bought several arrays! What is the teaching capacity of this place?"


    Minos had ordered 100 low-level grade-1, 50 medium-level grade-1, and 25 high-level grade-1 medical arrays. All of this had cost 1.5 million low-grade crystals!


    As for grade-2 arrays, they only had one of these, which Dillian had used since Minos had received Elen''s first payment.


    "Currently, we can train 300 low-level grade-1, 150 medium-level grade-1, and 75 high-level grade-1 doctors. As for those of low-level grade-2 classification, we can only train 3 of them." Dillian replied, remembering the equipment numbers on this location.


    For him, such arrays would not be helpful in his training due to his recent advancement. Until Minos bought a medium-level grade-2 one, he couldn''t evolve the mastery of his techniques!


    And such an array was challenging to order...


    But luckily, Minos was heading to the Kingdom of the Waves very soon to solve this and other problems.


    "We can train more than 500 doctors. That''s very good!" Eda commented.


    "But these numbers are only achievable if we have the medical techniques focused on each specialty, right?" Minos asked Dillian.


    Hearing this, the butler nodded his head in agreement and said. "That''s right, young master. Most of them can already be used, as we have techniques to test many of these arrays. But we don''t have techniques for some areas, and we will have to wait until this is resolved."


    "But 60% of these things can already be used considering the techniques currently available in the library of the school."


    Hearing this, Abby commented while she was still watching the place. "That''s a good number. I believe that this will not limit things too much around here. After all, it shouldn''t be so easy to find more than 500 people in this city who want to be doctors."


    "Hmm, it''s true. Apart from the few who have already started to learn this with Dillian, no new apprentices have appeared recently." Minos commented.


    But that was expected. Naturally, with a population of fewer than 150,000 inhabitants, the Dry City lacked enough people to have more professionals in areas such as medicine.


    Even a city with more than 500,000 inhabitants in this northern region of the Central Continent might not have 500 doctors!


    So, Abby''s comment was entirely right. The structure of this hospital was prepared to receive many students, but it would take time for its total capacity to be reached.


    Thus, this would not be a problem even without using all the arrays to train the new doctors.


    Finally, after that, the tour of the group through the General Hospital was completed.


    This site had many structures planned for the near future to avoid constant renovations. And this equipment wouldn''t need such costly maintenance, so it was worth making the investment upfront.


    However, given the small capacity of employees, the hospital would start operating today with less than 30 trained doctors. Dillian would be the director, who would handle the most severe cases and teach the new doctors.


    Lastly, there were several other employees in this place, such as cleaning, administration, security, and maintenance personnel. Minos'' group had already greeted them all when they finally left that place.


    Only the butler was left behind. After all, this would be his second occupation. In the mornings, he would still work as Minos'' butler, helping this youth with the administration of the Black Plain.


    But in the afternoons and early evenings, Dillian would take care of the local hospital!

 Chapter 356: Full Schedule

    After the opening of the General Hospital, two days passed quickly.


    In the meantime, many citizens have gone through this new service available in the city, mainly to learn about the costs related to treatments.


    Even though most of this population were not warriors and were not involved in great danger, many still needed medical services or regenerative pills. As a result, although not excessively large, the demand for this service was still significant, to the point where nearly 30 doctors under Dillian''s orders were occupied for most of their shifts.


    Some people suffered from common ailments in the region, conditions related to aging such as loss of strength, decreased flexibility, bone weakness, etc.


    A low-level person who could carry 200 kilograms with ease might not be able to do the same after a few decades. Such a thing happened to any cultivator near the end of his life expectancy and with low cultivations.


    These people would naturally begin to languish little by little until they would not be able to do almost anything related to the activities of the Spiritual World. At most, at the end of their lives, these people would be as strong as uncultivated, level 0 humans!


    At least that was the reality for those who didn''t even reach the 6th stage of cultivation. After that, even if a person can no longer improve his level, he can continue to engage in cultivator activities and even train until his death.


    Of course, such a thing would only happen if the person was healthy, suffering only from aging.


    However, even if they ended their days more dignifiedly, these people could no longer fight like before. A simple struggle, which could be recovered with a few days of rest, could be catastrophic at the end of these people''s lives.


    Only those above the Spiritual Sage stage could maintain their top physical condition until their last few breaths!


    Naturally, people at this stage of cultivation could already manipulate their physical characteristics, remaining young even in their last moments. And this was not something related to outside appearances but something internally seen inside these people''s bodies.


    Anyway, there was no one like that in the current Dry City, and the citizens here were still aging. As a result, many needed regular medical care or pills to improve their quality of life.


    And obviously, there were those individuals with fight wounds, as the hunters. These people struggled constantly, and the need for medical treatment was widespread for them. And because of that, several of the local hunters had also visited the hospital.


    Some just wanted to see the service, while others came to use it.


    Many beds were available at the local hospital, and soon, many people were already under medical observation!


    ...


    As local doctors began to get used to their new treatment routine and training, Minos took care of daily business in his office. Among them was the military exercise with the army Sergeants, which was already close to taking place.


    In this fight, he didn''t expect any surprises, and it probably wouldn''t be such a big challenge for him. However, this would be an opportunity for his soldiers to understand what it would be like to fight someone as strong as a Spiritual King.


    Such experience was essential for these soldiers to shape their future training, increasing their individual and collective efficiencies. Naturally, they had to increase their strengths to the maximum, but if in the end that still wasn''t enough, at least having good teamwork could save them!


    That was the opportunity for the soldiers to understand the difference between heaven and earth without running into excessive dangers.


    Such a battle was scheduled to take place in less than a week, and after that, Minos would leave for the Kingdom of the Waves!


    This new trip he was going to take could be considered the most important of all, and young Stuart had to plan well for it.


    He planned to buy Blue-grade and Black-grade spiritual techniques, specializing in the support professions.


    As in the case of alchemy, medicine, cooks, etc., currently, there were people in the Dry City from several of these areas, people generally coming from the Yellow City, Stone Island, and Kingdom of the Waves.


    These individuals could not improve in their areas at the same rate as the rest of the local citizens due to the lack of specialized and decent techniques. After all, most of the library''s techniques came from enemies, who were warriors, not support professional cultivators!


    And as Minos wanted to develop an attractive city for these professionals, he needed to have at least the Blue-grade techniques focussed on these areas. That would not only make the town more attractive, but it would also place local professionals at a higher level than those in other cities or states.


    That was what he wanted for the Dry City!


    A  prosperous place due to its agriculture and trade, related to activities of great added value, as in the production of spiritual artifacts.


    Things like high cuisine, top-notch doctors, array masters, and blacksmiths could create a whole flow of resources for the Dry City. After all, there weren''t many top grade-2 options in this region, but they could achieve it in their town with the proper techniques!


    And such high-value professions could generate taxes for the city, in addition to making this place even more attractive.


    But Minos did not forget the potential of non-spiritual professions!


    Some areas generated very high amounts of spiritual crystals, such as the naval industry, production of high-end carriages, textile industries, and so on. There was a variety of areas with high value-added products, even among the non-spiritual professions.


    But concerning these areas, it was a little more difficult for the Dry City to evolve the quality of locally produced items.


    Unlike what happened in spiritual professions that everything depended on the techniques used, in these non-spiritual professions, such a possibility did not exist.


    If one wanted to develop faster and more comfortable boats, this would have to be studied and evolved slowly, accumulating knowledge and correcting possible problems. Thus, primarily, the evolution of these professionals'' products was more related to intelligence than the quality of techniques or skills!


    So, Minos didn''t have much room to resolve it. At the most, he could attract experts with favorable conditions and differentiated local development. But that might not be enough, as many of these families were wealthy and wouldn''t accept coming to the Black Plain without knowing what changes had taken place here.


    On the other hand, he couldn''t just spread the information to these powers that might have relationships with noble families that Minos wouldn''t want to draw attention to right now...


    And for this reason, he could at best hope that organizations like Robin''s family would come to the Black Plain on their own.


    Finally, Minos would also have to buy several items for himself and the local army.


    First, he needed a decent sword worthy of his current strength. Second, as the Dry City grew, he needed to buy more spiritual gathering arrays for the town and others for the Cultivation Tower.


    This location was already operating at total capacity and was already in need of an expansion in the number of rooms.


    As for arrays for the city, this town was already occupying a large part of the area influenced by the current arrays and naturally needed new ones. Another point is that Minos wanted to buy a medium-level grade-2 one so that the local spirituality could rise even higher!


    There were also items related to Dillian. As he had already reached the 6th stage of cultivation and soon Eda could also arrive, Minos would need to provide adequate training rooms for both of them. Naturally, this required new arrays and spiritual artifacts made by medium-level grade-2 specialists.


    Lastly, Minos wanted to buy a lot of spiritual pills for his soldiers.


    Unfortunately, the town''s alchemists couldn''t even keep up with the inhabitants'' demands, so this young man''s soldiers had been relying on exported pills all the time.


    But Minos wanted to negotiate this directly with the Kingdom of the Waves alchemists, not just import it through the Cohen family store. With that, he might even bring a few more alchemists to the Dry City, further improving the supply of pills locally.

 Chapter 357: The Arrival of Elen and Elena

    As Minos prepared for his trip to the Kingdom of the Waves, in a town northeast of the Brown Kingdom, a couple talked as they lay in bed.


    It was nighttime by this time, and the two had just finished their daily activities of wife and husband, being at this moment resting in each other''s arms.


    The two people were covered with a silvery silk sheet as they breathed rapidly, and beads of sweat fell from their foreheads.


    The woman was on top of the man, resting her head on his chest, with a satisfied smile on her face.


    Other than that, the only outstanding feature of these two was their hair. In addition to being very smooth, it was completely blue.


    And while they were chatting about their recent activities in a large and elegant room, they eventually began to talk about other subjects, more serious ones.


    "We recently received some disturbing news from the Kingdom of the Waves... Unfortunately, it looks like things are going to get tumultuous there soon." The man said as he stared at the ceiling of his room.


    "Hmm, has the family already decided which side to take?" His wife asked as she looked away and massaged her husband''s chest.


    "No, but that younger prince seems to be the most promising. However, he is already receiving support from the Silva family. In this case, if we take his side, our situation will not change at all in that region." He stopped for a moment and sighed.


    It was unfortunate for the Miller family that they hadn''t been so quick and let the Silva family ally themselves with the younger prince before them. Even now, if young Abby''s family were to join this prince, they would at best be on a par with their competitors, the Silvas.


    But there would be no point in such a thing. Either the Millers got into it to gain something extra, or it wouldn''t be worth supporting that prince even if he is the one with the best chances of winning.


    "So, I think we''ll have to support one of the other two, or we''ll stay out of this situation." He concluded.


    Between supporting the loser and not supporting anyone, surely the second option would be the best. In it, even if there were no gains, there would undoubtedly be no losses, and the doors would still be open in the future...


    "I see..." The woman sighed in defeat, realizing the downside of this situation for them. "It would have been better if none of this happened, but unfortunately..."


    After seeing his wife''s disappointed look, the man closed his eyes for a moment as he hugged her waist. He then remembered something. "Speaking of which, will Abby be okay? We received a letter from bodyguard Eda saying that the two were going to the Kingdom of the Waves to train."


    This couple, of course, is the parents of Minos'' young friend Abby.


    Abby''s father was called Eliot Miller, level 54. As for her mother, she was already at level 50, and her name was Nicole Miller. Both are elders in the Miller family, and Abby''s father even held a seat on the council of this great noble family!


    Finally, upon hearing Eliot''s comment, Nicole was reminded of the information she had reached them a few weeks ago. She had naturally found Abby''s sudden departure to train while traveling through the Kingdom of the Waves a bit strange.


    But Abby was already an adult. So, it was natural that she wanted to see other places, especially after the Spiritual Tournament. Moreover, her best friend had managed to join a sect in this event, while Minos'' young friend had not.


    Losing her training partner and friend, plus the fact that Mona had moved to a place where she could cultivate even faster, could have pushed Abby to go out and live.


    At least that was more or less what Nicole thought. ''Ahh, I hope little Abby isn''t trying too hard¡­'' She wailed in her mind.


    Although they saw each other very little due to the elder''s responsibilities and the cultivation, Abby''s mother still saw Minos'' friend as a child. As a result, Nicole felt a pang in her heart, knowing that her daughter was so far away from home.


    She then said. "I wish she wouldn''t do something like that right now, but if that''s what she wants, we have to support her. And considering little Abby''s personality, I doubt she''ll get involved in these matters of the Kingdom of the Waves."


    "Then there is probably no great danger for her." Even though she worried, Abby''s mother trusted her daughter a lot. This young woman had always been intelligent and still had Eda on her side.


    With that, unless it was something very extreme, there shouldn''t be any situation to put Abby at risk. At least the chances of something like this happening would be as great as anywhere.


    In other words, it wouldn''t make much difference if Abby was making this trip on the Kingdom of the Waves, Brown Kingdom, or anywhere else in the region.


    "Hmm, it makes sense. And Eda was already at the limit of level 48 when I last saw her, so she will be able to protect Abby very well."


    After that, the couple talked more about these and other things until they finally went back to their job of trying to give Abby a baby brother...


    As members of a large family, it was their duty to continue the family lineage!


    ...


    While Nicole and Eliot were trying to make babies at the Miller family headquarters, Elena and Elen were arriving on the Dry City at this time!


    The two of them had traveled all the way here in the past few weeks, stopping only to rest occasionally.


    And as expected by Elen, they hadn''t had any difficulties on their trip regarding the persecution of those spies of the Allen family.


    These people had lost these two traces and would not be able to find the few clues left by them, where the two stopped to rest. With this, they travel with relative ease, only having taken care not to pass through dangerous places, home of powerful spiritual beasts.


    But that hadn''t been difficult, as the Nash family had many resources, such as local maps of the Kingdom of the Waves.


    As a merchant power and because this state is the largest in the northern region of the Central Continent, Elen''s family naturally attached much more importance to this place, and for this reason, they had several maps of it.


    So, Elen managed to reach the Dry City using her advantages without going through any great adventures and dangers.


    Anyway, the two young friends were at this moment in a giant bird, decreasing the altitude little by little, while they saw the lights of the Dry City from above.


    The city was already very well lit now. In addition, several public buildings received special lighting, making them unique and easy to see even from the two girls'' altitudes.


    And the two young blondes couldn''t help but see that with expressions of surprise, seeing the size of this town and how nice the place looked from above.


    ''This place has probably absorbed the entire population of the Yellow City¡­'' Elen thought to herself as she considered the situation.


    She had seen the Dry City for the last time before she and the group of Minos had gone to the Yellow City to settle the affairs of that time. So, she was naturally once again impressed by the local changes.


    Even though she already knew a lot because of Eduard, seeing it all with her own eyes was a completely new experience.


    And for Elena, she didn''t know what the Dry City was like before, so she could only be pleased to see that the place didn''t look bad. In fact, from what she could see from afar, this place, although small, seemed to have a structure similar to what one would see in a big city.


    For this reason, she was naturally satisfied by the reality of this place.


    And it didn''t take long for the bird to land in the inner region of the city wall, in a place not far from the city nor the wall.


    The wall had only a few points of light, so naturally, they hadn''t noticed this building in the middle of the dark of night.

 Chapter 358: You Invaded the Territory of the Dry City

    Landing inside the area protected by the wall, Elen and Elena didn''t even care about their surroundings as they calmly descended from the giant bird that had brought them here.


    And in doing so, they gradually began to walk towards the Dry City while talking peacefully.


    The night was pleasant, and they were in no hurry to reach Minos'' mansion. There was no Allen family spy behind them in this place, and it would take just a few more minutes to see Minos would make no difference to these two!


    "Ah, we finally arrived!" Elena exclaimed loudly to her friend as she let out a long breath. "After days, I will finally be able to take a hot shower!"


    "Hmm, and also a decent meal." Elen completed her friend''s comment.


    Because these two couldn''t cook, whatever they found here would be better than what they''d eaten in the last few weeks...


    "Do you think that..."


    However, as they were walking and talking in the dark, a group of 30 people appeared, running after them.


    And upon realizing this, the two friends immediately stopped their random conversations and became serious about this situation. "Is there any danger in the vicinity of the Dry City?" Elena wondered as she felt these strange people approaching them with hostile intentions.


    "These people are all at level 42!" Elen commented to Elena as she started to dodge the attacks coming her way.


    Even if she and Elena were at levels 47 and 46, respectively, fighting so many opponents at level 42 would be a challenge for both of them!


    So, naturally, Elen was a little agitated at this point.


    ''Shit!''  She inwardly cursed as she moved stealthily around the place.


    And quickly, the group of 30 men surrounded these two and the beast that had brought them here.


    At this point, one of them finally said. "You invaded the territory of the Dry City. Surrender immediately, or we will have no mercy!"


    "What are you talking about? We didn''t even enter the Dry City. How could we have invaded something?" Elena was the first to speak, as she expressed anger to this stranger.


    "You two breached the protective space of the city wall and entered our territory irregularly. Last warning, surrender now, or we will act!" One of the Sergeants leading the group said thickly.


    Naturally, these 30 men were the soldiers who were patrolling the wall and perceived the arrival of Elen and Elena on that flying beast.


    Not only that, but some of them had seen and heard the sounds of Elen''s group from a distance and so had immediately come in pursuit of the two.


    In the middle of nowhere, where the wall was, these soldiers, who often had to make spiritual probes, had not taken long to notice the arrival of these two. After all, they hadn''t been careful landing there...


    Upon realizing that these people were Dry City soldiers, Elen immediately came to her senses, calming down from the scare she just had felt. She had ignored the existence of this wall, as they had arrived in a flying beast in the middle of the night.


    Because of that, she hadn''t noticed this location, only having focused on the glittering city in front of her. She then said. "I''m Elen Nash, and this is my friend Elena Neel. We came from Stone Island to see my business partner, Minos."


    "Elen Nash?" Many of these soldiers muttered that name at the same time.


    Naturally, Minos'' soldiers knew of his relationship with the Nash family, specifically with this woman. That''s because, as the primary business partner and the origin of the vast majority of crystals circulating in the Dry City, these men couldn''t remain in the dark about such information.


    So, every soldier in the army would know who Elen Nash was.


    After hearing Elen''s identification, one of them finally said. "Do you have anything to prove it? We can''t believe you just based on your word."


    "A prove?" Elen muttered under her breath, trying to think of something. But there was nothing. ''I even have my identification within the Nash family, but what use would it be here?''


    "I have information that, apart from the army soldiers and me, no one else should know." She commented, remembering something.


    "An information?" One of the soldiers asked curiously.


    Of course, that wasn''t a bad way to identify her origins. Still, the information could be spread... So, it could be a little superficial.


    "It''s about the naval base, from where the local goods are shipped to Stone Island, on the ships of the Nash family¡­" She then began to talk about what that location was like and its exact position.


    Such a thing was indeed only known to army soldiers and the Nash family themselves.


    She then completed. "If that''s not enough, some time ago, I took part in the Black Plain Army''s operation in the Yellow City. At that time, Ruth defeated the bandits'' leader, while Minos'' soldiers killed the rest of the bandits. There were six bandits, who soldiers killed."


    "In addition, two of the bandits were kept alive during the invasion that had taken place in that city, days before the destruction of the band. One of them Minos only promised to destroy his cultivation if he told the truth." Elen finished speaking.


    All of this information she had given was secret. Apart from the people who had participated in it and the local soldiers, no one else would know about it.


    The soldiers had naturally heard of the case, as it was part of their routine to study the operations already carried out.


    There were always one or two points for improvement. So, it would be relevant if new soldiers understood what could be done in such situations.


    A given action could change the entire course of a mission, so it was crucial to discuss what went right, what could be improved, and what should not be done at all!


    Consequently, even if none of these soldiers went to the Yellow City mission, they all knew the details of it.


    ''Looks like they are the young master''s trading partners...'' One of them thought as he relaxed a little.


    After a moment of silence, the person who had spoken before finally decided what would be done. "Your identities are probably real, but we''ll escort you to the headquarters. I know a soldier who participated in this mission that is working there right now."


    "With that, he will confirm your identity, and then we will release you. All right?" He asked as he lowered his weapon and asked the rest of the group to do the same.


    "Hmm, that''s fine." The two responded simultaneously.


    After that, 20 of these men headed back to the city, following Elen and Elena, while the others returned to the wall.


    ...


    At the same time as Elen and Elena were being escorted by local soldiers into the city, Minos and Abby were currently at this young man''s residence.


    By the time it was past dinner, and the two were talking, sitting on one of the sofas in the living room of that place.


    Abby was dressed discreetly while her face was slightly flushed. After having fun with Minos last time, she still hadn''t experienced his touch again, but she was slowly craving for it...


    After experiencing sexual pleasure for the first time, it had marked this young woman. Even though she had a strong personality, it was still difficult to ignore specific desires. So, she was embarrassed for thinking perverted thoughts with Minos every time she was alone with him.


    As for Minos, although it''s not easy to understand what''s in a woman''s mind, he could still imagine Abby''s thoughts. After all, despite everything, her body still exhibited some patterns when they were alone...


    And as an observant man, this young sovereign had naturally noticed the signs.


    Anyway, after some time talking to his friend, Minos naturally started unbuttoning Abby''s shirt until, in a flash, she was without any garment covering her bust.


    Abby hadn''t refused his advances, as she wanted it, and it was always easier to do anything on a second try...


    She had already done this to him before. So, what harm would it be to repeat the dose?

 Chapter 359: Surprise

    The night passed peacefully in the Dry City.


    And as the day began, with the usual calm of mornings, two youths were sleeping peacefully in one of the city''s government mansion bedrooms.


    That place wasn''t messy, or anything like that, with just the two clothes on top of an armchair in that room. Other than that, the site looked tidy, elegantly decorated, but not extravagant, with the necessary furniture that would be seen in any bedroom.


    Finally, even though the curtains were partially closed, covering most of the glass windows, daylight illuminated the room at this time.


    However, if someone walked in there, even without using the spiritual energy to see clearly, one could see the couple lying in bed, covered with a thin silk blanket.


    The young woman had her beautiful blue hair somewhat messy at the moment, as she slept with a smile on her face, hugging the young man beside her.


    And for the young man, he was shirtless, and his brown hair was also a little messy this time. He was still sleeping as he had one of his arms around his mate''s waist, supporting her head with the other arm.


    These, of course, are Minos and Abby, who had had a little more fun than usual the night before...


    Abby hadn''t gone so far as to allow herself to go all the way with Minos, but she''d given him more space, to the point where she''d had oral sex for the first time.


    And after their nightly fun, Abby had decided to spend the night with Minos. By the time the two of them had finished, it was late at night, and this young woman was tired, and more importantly, she had already done all that to him, so why not sleep too?


    That was just a tiny step, which the young Stuart himself had suggested to her. After all, even if nothing else was going to happen, as it did, it was still better to sleep with someone else than alone.


    The nights could be cold, and the human warmth was the most pleasant...


    And so, the present situation had been made possible.


    ...


    Sometime after the start of the day, the two finally woke up slowly, feeling the pleasant warmth of each other''s bodies.


    The two of them had naturally slept half-naked, the best way to sleep together. With skin-to-skin contact!


    And upon waking up, the two smiled contentedly, having hugged each other tightly and kissed right away.


    "Good morning, Abby!" Minos said after separating his lips from hers.


    "Morning!" She smiled as she looked into his eyes. "That was my best night''s sleep since I got here."


    "Hehe, did you think? Well, you can come whenever you want."


    "Oh? If you don''t mind, then I can come here more often¡­" She vaguely said as she watched Minos. After that, she used one of her hands to slide over his abdomen, going to her friend''s pelvic region.


    "Is your thing like this already?" Abby asked in surprise as she touched young Stuart''s stick. She had helped her young friend relieve himself the night before, so she had already lost her inhibition to touch him.


    Minos then looked at her for a moment and commented. "It''s your fault for being so sexy... Why don''t you help me?"


    "To help you? The same way I did yesterday? In that awkward position?"


    "That''s right."


    After that, the two gradually began their oral activity. The blue-haired young woman lay on Minos'' top while she left her happy buttocks on his face.


    ...


    After having fun with each other for some time, Minos and Abby soon went to have their morning meal in one of the specific rooms of his residence.


    They''d been a little late, given their recent activity and the shower they''d both taken before leaving. However, probably Dillian and Eda would still be having breakfast there.


    Lately, because Minos'' trip to the Kingdom of the Waves was coming, Dillian and Eda came to eat here with Minos every day.


    They had to take advantage of this little time left to talk and decide various matters that needed to be resolved when the young sovereign was away.


    And as Minos'' butler, Dillian naturally had access to this young man''s residence, so it wasn''t strange that he was around even before the young ruler wakes up.


    As for Eda, she came with the butler.


    Anyway, soon the two youths with smiles on their faces arrived in that part of the building, from where an intense fragrance of food came. Of course, the smell of coffee was the most remarkable. Still, the bread and some regional delicacies also gave off fragrances.


    However, when they arrived at that place, what most caught the attention of the two was not the table full of dishes but the two women who were eating with Dillian and Eda.


    They both had blond hair, milky skin and emitted a noble aura, typical of young women raised in prominent families.


    These were Elen and Elena.


    They had been quickly recognized by one of the army soldiers last night after being escorted to headquarters. And after that, they had come to Minos'' mansion, where Dillian had received them, giving them both access to the mansion''s visit area.


    After resting in the apartments given to them, the two had been invited by Dillian to eat at Minos'' residence, where they could finally meet the young sovereign.


    Finally, after seeing the two women from Stone Island, Minos was surprised for a moment when he said something. "Elen? Elena? It''s a surprise to see you around here!"


    On the other hand, Abby was quite confused by the presence of these two strange around here. But she had previously heard Elen''s name at Minos'' army headquarters, so she quickly realized who these strange people were.


    Elen then smiled at Minos and nodded at him. "Hmm, it was time to talk about our business, so I had to come in person."


    After Elen said that, Elena took the turn and said with a satisfied smile to Minos. "It''s good to see you, Minos. Hehe, it looks like you''re even stronger now."


    They had already probed the strength of Minos the moment he had entered the room. After all, after Elen had seen Dillian, she couldn''t help but be shocked!


    The first time she had seen this butler, he was only at level 46!


    But here he was now, at level 50, having even passed the cultivation level of bodyguard Eduard, who was stronger than Dillian until recently...


    So, Elen couldn''t help but probe Minos'' strength to find out how much her ally had improved in the meantime. And in doing so, she wasn''t all that surprised, given Dillian''s case.


    Yet, Elen had still praised him internally.


    When she participated in the Yellow City mission, their level difference was more than ten. However, now he was about to catch up with her, being only four levels below her!


    ''At this rate, he''ll reach the 6th stage of cultivation before me...'' Elen thought with a smile on her face. She was pleased about it.


    The stronger Minos was, the more stable her business situation with him would be!


    Chaotic and tumultuous situations could indeed create opportunities for merchants like Elen. However, the reverse was also true. That''s why people like her vastly preferred slow but steady growth to something fast, but perhaps not as long...


    As for Elena, even though she hadn''t met Dillian, she''d already heard everything from Elen and naturally knew about how shocking the speed of cultivation of people in this place was. So, she had also probed the young Stuart and also the friend beside him.


    ''Is this his little girlfriend?'' Elena asked herself with a smile on her face.


    After that, Minos quickly introduced Abby to these business partners, when finally the group started eating and talking about essential facts...


    "Ms. Elen, you were talking about the situation in the Kingdom of the Waves..."

 Chapter 360: News

    After Dillian recalled the subject they were talking about before Minos and Abby arrived, everyone around that table stopped their conversations and turned their attention to Elena and Elen.


    Minos then asked in curiosity. "What about the Kingdom of the Waves? Does this have anything to do with the choice of the crown prince?"


    Naturally, given his position on the Black Plain, Minos didn''t have such good information about what was happening in the region. That was one of his current government problems, but one they couldn''t quickly solve.


    Getting news from outside depended on many factors. Still, in general, the risk of the Black Plain being exposed to the world was too great if Minos wanted to know too much.


    They could find this out through the regional newspapers, but rarely would one of these make it to the Dry City. And even those who came used to arrive months late...


    As to send people out to buy or find out this information, well, that wasn''t within Minos'' possibilities. They had few people to do this kind of work, and there were many dangers involved.


    And given the fact that the Black Plain Army needed all the soldiers, then finding out that information wasn''t worth it. At the very least, that wasn''t the most urgent issue at the moment.


    Because of this, Minos didn''t know much about regional news. He only knew about the competition for the throne of the Kingdom of the Waves because he had ''taken'' this information from the Chambers family.


    Finally, after hearing Minos'' question, Elen nodded in agreement and began to speak. "In fact, it''s about the selection of the heir of the Kingdom of the Waves."


    "Oh?" Not only Minos but Abby also exclaimed in interest.


    She had been away from home for months, and due to this, she had not received this information. And after hearing from Minos about what he had discovered in the documents of that base, Abby had been very intrigued about this situation in the Kingdom of the Waves.


    King Walker hadn''t even reached half of his lifespan. So, Abby was quite curious to find out why the Walker family was in such a hurry to decide such an important matter.


    "This news has just started to circulate, but it has already reached the largest families in our region. From what I was able to discover in the capital of the Kingdom of the Waves, it appears that King Walker tried to break through to the next level and failed!"


    "What?" This time, not only did Minos and Abby exclaim in surprise, but Dillian and Eda did the same.


    Such a thing was shocking to them. That''s because they all knew that King Walker was already at level 59!


    In this case, one of the strongest and most influential people in the northern part of the Central Continent had tried to reach a level rarely seen by those regions!


    It was not uncommon for such people to appear from other states in this region, as in the case of Minos'' mother. However, it was infrequent, something that rarely happened even in 100,000 years, for a Spiritual Emperor to appear among the regional leaders.


    There were even people who reached that level after joining one of the sects of the Flaming Empire. However, these people usually came here little or took their families to new places with greater potential.


    Therefore, even if some families had members in one of the sects of the empire, it didn''t mean that this organization would have a significant development here.


    There were indeed advantages, but not enough for earth-and-heaven-turning changes to happen.


    Elen then continued. "You heard right. King Walker tried a breakthrough to level 60."


    "What was on this guy''s mind?" Minos muttered in a low voice, trying to understand that person''s reasons.


    When someone tried to break through a cultivation bottleneck, there was always a chance it would go wrong. But, of course, there were ways to reduce the risks of this happening, through pills, medicines, arrays, regions with great spiritual density, crystals, etc.


    However, if we consider the chances of the breakthrough being successful without outside help, overall, the first bottleneck had more than a 50% chance of succeeding. In comparison, the second bottleneck would have less than 20%!


    As for the 3rd and 4th bottlenecks, these could not be overcome without external help...


    And in the case of a person like King Walker, with Black talent, reaching the 7th stage meant trying to overcome the 2nd bottleneck.


    Assuredly, there were many factors against this king, but he still tried to make such an advance...


    That''s why Minos was curious.


    Elen then continued her speech, oblivious to Minos'' doubts. "I don''t know exactly how or why King Walker tried to advance, as he reached level 59 less than 40 years ago. But the fact is that his body was seriously injured during the attempt to advance, and his vitality was reduced vigorously."


    "Malignant Mutation!" Minos commented.


    Spiritual cleansing somehow generated beneficial mutations for cultivators.


    The process that resulted in this cleansing forced the improvement and evolution of the body''s cells as a whole, improving the cultivators'' bodies.


    That is what resulted in spiritual evolution, where talent could evolve within a specific family...


    However, if the stage breakthrough failed, the opposite could happen, and the mutations could be harmful!


    In case of failure, this was no different from a bet. Anything could happen, from the individual not undergoing even a single change to even the immediate death of the cultivator.


    Loss of limbs, decreased level, crippled cultivation, reduced vitality, and much more. All of this could happen to a cultivator who fails.


    And such consequences were known as Evil Mutations in the Spirit World.


    "That''s right." Elen agreed with Minos. "From what I''ve heard, even though he failed, it seems the only consequence was the drastic reduction of his vitality. But aside from the fact that he will live for less than he should, King Walker doesn''t seem to have been weakened."


    "But do you know how long will he survive?" Abby asked.


    Elen then moved her head, indicating not knowing. "Hard to say. Some sources say he could live another 20 years. Others say it''s a maximum of 10. But because this selection was anticipated and will occur in less than two years from now, that must mean that King Walker''s time is not long."


    "I see..." Abby commented, thinking about it. ''Due to the level of cultivation of the princes, this decision should happen in less than 20 years... So, the king''s time must be less than that.''


    "Ah, it''s truly a pity for him. He wasted centuries of cultivation trying to reach to level 60¡­" Dillian commented, moving his head in disapproval.


    "Hmm, he is the youngest of the kings in our region... Why such a hurry?" Eda agreed with Dillian.


    It wasn''t uncommon for level 59 Spiritual Kings to try to advance to the next stage in their final years of life when there was no longer much to lose. However, King Walker was far from the point where he would have to try to escape death...


    So, these two most experienced people in the group were naturally disappointed that someone as experienced as King Walker would make such a mistake!


    Elena then spoke for the first time. "I think he had some expansionist pretensions."


    "Oh? Why do you think that?" Minos asked, staring at the beautiful blonde in front of him.


    "It''s just my opinion on the matter. King Walker has always tried to manipulate regional powers. He has even acted inappropriately in other states in the region. So, I think by the time he got close to the peak of the 6th stage of cultivation, his greed must have risen to new heights."


    "Hmm, that is true. King Walker always tried to interfere in the affairs of other states in the region¡­" Dillian muttered.


    And this wasn''t so weird. Being the king of the largest state in the region, his family could be among the three strongest on this side of the Central Continent. And not only the Walker family but other top houses had also tried similar things in the past.


    It wasn''t easy to keep greed under control when people saw a ''winning path'' right in front of them...


    "But since King Walker failed, his motivation no longer matters... So, what''s really on the table right now is the future of that state. Whose side will your families be on?" Minos asked the two girls from Stone Island.

 Chapter 361: Influence

    After hearing Minos'' question, the two looked at each other for a moment until Elena decided to speak first. "I''m not sure about my family, but I believe we won''t get involved."


    Despite being a prominent noble power of Stone Island, the Neel family was just a blacksmith organization at the end of the day. Because of this, they generally didn''t get involved in situations like these since they were already specialized in an area with a lot of demand.


    Most of the items needed to produce spiritual artifacts created by blacksmiths were present on Stone Island, so there wasn''t much need for the blacksmith organizations to import resources. Consequently, a power with such an advantage would hardly get into trouble, gambling on a future king...


    "I understand. That''s good. What about the Nash family?" Minos asked as he turned to Elen.


    She then replied. "I''m not sure, as I leave to make this trip right after this news reaches Stone Island. Previously, we had not approached any of the princes since there were still many years for such a situation to happen."


    Of course, even talented and promising people could fail and die, like the two young geniuses of the Chambers family killed by Minos, Leroy and Kevin.


    Because of this, due to the possibility that one of these competitors in the position of heir could die before the ''competition'' began, many powers preferred to remain neutral.


    Even seers had their difficulties in predicting fate, and no great power would make bets too soon. These organizations had risen after much time and effort, so their leaders were naturally more cautious with such essential actions.


    Suffering the revenge of a king, or losing space within a kingdom due to antagonism of the king, was not something simple. And merchant powers like the Nash and Miller families couldn''t take such risks.


    And even if regional organizations like these families didn''t depend on just one state, that in itself would be a critical blow. After all, in a situation where one power loses a market, another, perhaps a competitor, can use that loss to unbalance potential competition.


    And in a few centuries, one side could surpass the other!


    "But considering the current context, betting on the youngest prince, eh, Charles Walker, seems like the most likely. He is the most talented of the three princes, and he already has great relationships with noble families in the Kingdom of the Waves."


    "Not to mention that most of the elders of the royal family approve him." Elen commented as she saw Minos'' expressionless face.


    The young Stuart then said. "I see, your thought makes sense. But before we go any further, I would like to know how my influence is within your family."


    "Your influence?" Elen questioned in surprise. She didn''t understand the sudden change of subject. "Your influence is outstanding. Why?"


    "Hmm, that''s good. The point is, it would be better for the Black Plain if Charles Walker did not become king of the Kingdom of the Waves." He responded seriously.


    Minos knew of the rivalry Charles Walker had with Peter and of the prince''s personality type. Because of that, it was only natural that this person would try to cause trouble for the Black Plain in the future if he found out Peter was here.


    Some people could lose all reason when the subject involved women, and this was the case of Charles...


    But Minos had no intention of antagonizing the third prince of the Kingdom of the Waves. What he just wanted was for his allies, not to support a potential enemy!


    As to why he was willing to stand against a possible king for Peter, well, it had to do with the importance the Black Plain''s ruler placed on his subordinates.


    The army could not attract many cultivators with the Black talent given the situation of the Black Plain. Because of this, each soldier with such talent was considered extremely important, to the point that even rescue missions were carried out...


    But not only that, to make their enemies tremble with a vengeful reputation, it would make no sense for Minos'' army not to protect its soldiers. Moreover, this young man had already accepted Peter into his organization and knew about this soldier''s past.


    In this case, there was no reason for a future rebel like Minos to be unwilling to protect his own, even if it meant going up against a possible king!


    "Do you have something against the third prince?" Elena asked surprisingly. Of course, she didn''t expect Minos to want to get involved in this.


    "Not exactly, but we won''t be compatible. In this case, it would be better for everyone if the Nash family didn''t support him." Minos said as he looked at Elen, waiting for her answer.


    "I understand. I will report this to my father and see what will be done. But I don''t think there will be any problems." She promptly responded.


    Even if Minos and the Dry City still couldn''t be considered the Nash family''s primary business partners, it certainly had the potential to do so. With such a large area available for planting and items in great demand, the Black Plain could become the turning point of this region.


    What''s more, as long as the Nash family didn''t support anyone, even if Charles got the throne, the power behind Elen still wouldn''t have been considered a ''disaffected''!


    In Elen''s opinion, as long as they weren''t required to support someone specific, their family leaders would most likely accept Minos'' suggestion.


    Finally, after talking about the Kingdom of the Waves for a while longer, the group finished their breakfast.


    With that, Abby and Eda headed to headquarters, where they had to begin their daily activities as soldiers of the local army. On the other hand, Dillian left to sort out some matters related to the city government, his morning job.


    As for Minos and the two young women from Stone Island, the three went to his office in the official part of the local government mansion.


    The young ruler wanted to talk to both of them about the situation on Stone Island, and after that, he still had to do his daily job as leader of the town.


    So, there was no reason for the three of them to talk in his residence, a somewhat informal place.


    ...


    After arriving at the young Stuart''s office and greeting the secretary Mia quickly, the three were already comfortably in that place.


    The two young blondes were seated in two chairs that faced Minos'' desk, where they could see part of the street through the glass wall behind him.


    And after sitting in his armchair, Minos finally started talking about his business affairs in Elen''s homeland. "And then? I imagine you must be facing certain pressure from other powers on Stone Island, right?" He asked with a smile on his face.


    Minos had already guessed why Elen had come to the Dry City when he saw her sitting in his dining room.


    He already knew of his business potential and that probably other Stone Island powers would discover it in no time.


    And no wonder he had chosen that state to start selling his items. After all, even if they found out about these mysterious items at a time when this young man was still weakened, what could they do?


    It would probably take them a few years to discover the exact origin of the items. After all, they would never suspect the impoverished Black Plain producing such resources!


    They would likely discover the army''s naval base. However, that location would, at best, be considered a transitional post. And such a thing was widespread, as an example, the Maritime City itself was something like that...


    Finally, even if they found out about the Black Plain and Minos, it would still be done by an island that had the slightest interest in invading this young man''s territory.


    After all, what justification would they have for occupying the Black Plain? Would an island, which had no land on the mainland attempt to colonize a territory officially under the sovereignty of an independent state?


    No way!


    That would be like wanting to be attacked by everyone...


    And to make matters worse, there was nowhere for them to defend themselves!


    States such as the Kingdom of the Waves, the Cromwell Kingdom, and the sovereign over the Black Plain, the Brown Kingdom, had territory to settle on the continent. But what about Stone Island?


    At most, they would make a makeshift camp inside enemy territory. As a result, any invasion by Stone Island''s powers was extremely unlikely.


    And precisely because of that, that place was the most ''attractive'' for Minos to do business. As long as he related well to some of these powers, he could buy himself time...

 Chapter 362: The Situation on Stone Island

    After hearing Minos'' question, Elen sighed and began to speak. "Yes, we are here because of the pressure from other Stone Island powers. Our businesses are too attractive to most of them, and many families are asking for information and wanting to bond with you."


    "There are those who probably want to steal this business from me, like the dealer of your items on Stone Island. But most are only interested in buying your products to consume its internally."


    After Elen said this, Elena immediately completed her friend''s line. "This is the case for my family. The elders want to make an agreement with you so that we can buy the food planted on the Black Plain, to be consumed among family members."


    "Oh? Interesting... How much is your family willing to give for this?" Minos asked the beautiful Elena.


    "My family is willing to make a big deal... You seem interested in going ahead with this. So, what would your price be?"


    Minos then continued to stare at Elena, who wore a dress that valued her beautiful breasts. He then smiled and said. "If your family is willing to deliver some specialized techniques of the blacksmith''s profession, I can sell my products for 150% of the price sold by Elen."


    After hearing this, a gleam appeared in Elena''s eyes. "Blacksmith techniques? I think it can be done, but for what do you want that kind of technique?"


    "Of course, it''s for my town''s blacksmith guild. We don''t have many Blue-grade techniques and not one Black-grade one. So, achieving this is very important to me." Minos replied sincerely.


    That was part of the Black Plains development program. Achieving better techniques from any profession was the same as raising the quality of local products. With this, the territory of Minos could count on other sources of income besides agriculture!


    "I see¡­ But how many are we talking about? And to what classification?" Elena asked. In her opinion, it was worth delivering some techniques from her family if that meant a deal with the Black Plain.


    They had over a thousand Blue-grade techniques and a few hundred Black-grade ones. Or rather, they had many different techniques, and they had at least dozens of copies for each of them.


    "I want 8 copies of different Black-grade techniques and 60 different Blue-grade ones. With that, we will be able to do business following the cost I told you earlier." Minos replied after giving this matter some thought.


    Black-grade techniques were valuable in any regional power. However, the deal the Neel family wanted with Minos involved values ??far above the price of Black-grade techniques. Because of this, he was not afraid to say those values.


    ''All this?'' Elen thought to herself as she watched Elena and Minos negotiate. That was a lot of techniques for getting involved in a negotiation, even considering the potential of this deal.


    "Don''t you think this is too much?" Elena looked at Minos seriously as she tried to bargain. "Didn''t you say you wanted to give these techniques to your guild? Don''t tell me you intend to put Black-grade techniques for the public to learn?"


    "No, Blue-grade techniques are for the guild, and Black-grade techniques are for my army." He responded promptly, not bothering to discuss the amounts mentioned.


    The army of Minos would need blacksmiths. After all, it wouldn''t be interesting to buy all the artifacts on the outside, even with Dry City blacksmiths. After all, these professionals had to sell to the population too, so there would always be some waiting.


    However, military power would demand resources at a higher speed and could not simply compete with ordinary citizens. With this, Minos wanted to add blacksmiths to his army, people who would only develop artifacts for him.


    In return, these people would receive Black-grade techniques instead of the Blue-grade ones he would put in the guild.


    But for now, he still couldn''t do that either for blacksmiths or for any other spiritual profession because he didn''t have those Black-grade techniques!


    It would often be harder to get someone like a blacksmith or an alchemist to give up their lucrative career as a self-employed person without such things.


    For now, professionals from the alchemy guilds, array masters, and Dry City blacksmiths all received support from the local government but were not direct Minos'' employees. They even gave some preference to army soldiers. Still, none of them produced just for the young Stuart, earning a regular salary or something.


    Minos had promised freedom for these professionals, and that''s what they were getting. However, the time would come when he would offer better conditions, but with certain restrictions...


    And for that, he would need the Black-grade techniques.


    "Looks like you don''t want to depend on outside smiths in the future, huh?" Elen said in a low voice while looking at Minos sideways.


    "Alright, I''ll send a crow to my family to know about your offer. If they accept, we can talk more about it later." Elena finished while she had a discontented expression on her face.


    Minos didn''t seem willing to lower the amount asked, so Elena could only shut up and wait to see what her family would think about it.


    And right after her friend finished speaking, Elen immediately went back to explaining the situation on Stone Island to Minos. She quickly said of the problem with the Allen family, emphasizing that this organization had been rigorously pursuing her for months.


    She also explained how she had gotten this far without leaving a trace, assuring him that he would not be discovered now.


    "So, your bodyguards are in the Kingdom of the Waves? Will they come here, or will they stay there?" The young man asked while looking at Elen.


    Unlike Elena, she dressed more discreetly. However, it was still easy for her to stand out with her beautiful body, even with discreet clothes.


    Elen shook her head and said. "No, because it would be too dangerous for them. At least in the short term, it wouldn''t work."


    "That''s better¡­ But how long do you two intend to stay here? With all this trouble, it wouldn''t be good if you two came back too soon. They could calculate the travel time and find out the area you were in during this period."


    "Hmm, you''re right. We''ll probably have to stay here in the Dry City for a few months. You wouldn''t mind, right?" Elen asked as she smiled at Minos.


    She knew she had to disappear for a while, so the Allen family would get the wrong clue that Elen had left the northern part of the Central Continent. Thus, considering that she had left the Kingdom of the Waves on a 4th stage beast, she and Elena had to stay awhile without giving news for at least 8-12 months!


    Only after this period could the two return to their homes without attracting attention. After all, this would be more or less the time to go and return to the territories closest to the north of the Central Continent, departing from the capital of the Kingdom of the Waves.


    "Haha, you can stay here as long as you like!" He casually said as he looked at the two young women in front of him. "But soon, I''ll have to travel to the Kingdom of the Waves, so I''ll be away for a while."


    "Oh? Are you going to do business there?" Elena asked.


    "That''s right. I have to get spiritual techniques from different specializations, as well as grade-2 arrays and pills, which would not be easily found on Stone Island."


    Minos could try to buy a medium-level grade-2 sword with the Neel family. However, two problems made him not include such a thing in that agreement.


    The first one was the time. Even if Minos ordered it from Elena''s family, it would take months to arrive, and by then, he would be in the Kingdom of the Waves.


    And second, because he was already going to this state to do his business. So, his sword could be bought directly from the place he would pass through, avoiding exposing his territory!

 Chapter 363: Future Agreements

    "When do you plan to leave for the Kingdom of the Waves?" Elen asked, right after Minos answered Elena''s question.


    "In a week at most. I still have some issues to resolve before taking this trip."


    Elena then stared at him and asked. "And how long do you think this trip will take?"


    "Not too long. Probably I will be back in a little more than seven months.... If I''m lucky, I might be able to spend less time there." He replied after doing some math.


    Minos would travel with Abby on this young woman''s beast, an earth-type, at the 4th stage of cultivation. With that, the trip should take around 10 to 15 weeks, considering that they wouldn''t make the trip all at once, without stopping to train.


    Other than that, he and Abby would have many issues to resolve in the Kingdom of the Waves, buying all the resources that the Black Plain is currently in need of and those for the near future.


    Some items might have to be manufactured, as had happened with the pills that Minos bought when he passed through Old Stone, the capital of Stone Island.


    Therefore, the young sovereign of the Black Plain had concluded that his travel time would last approximately seven months.


    "I understand. That''s good. We still have plenty of time after you get back for more business. The decisions you made now, probably, will have already been accepted by the noble families of Stone Island when you return." Elen commented.


    Using crows to send messages was a very safe and fast way to communicate regionally. However, negotiations such as Minos had to make could take weeks to resolve. After all, one side would always try to bargain and get some gains from the other.


    Therefore, Elen did not think that any decision would be made quickly by those powers of her homeland. Also, she and Elena couldn''t simply send any information at the moment. Otherwise, it might cause some suspicion from the organizations that are investigating their business.


    At least, they would have to wait a month or two, and only then the two of them would send crows to Stone Island.


    "Hmm." Minos made a sound of agreement.


    After that, the three went back to talking about Stone Island matters.


    At first, Elena had talked about her own family and Elen about the most significant problem she faced when trading Minos'' items. However, there were positive parts related to other powers in that region.


    Many of them just wanted a connection, not getting to the point of trying to compete with Elen''s business. As in the case of the Olsen family, a noble power from Stone Island focused on the hotel business.


    "So, the Olsen family wants to do business with me, huh?" Minos asked with a gleam in his eyes.


    He didn''t underestimate the potential of a luxury hotel chain in this part of the continent. After all, as much as the hotels did not offer products necessary for life in the Spiritual World, they offered convenience and quality of life!


    A person with few crystals could find it absurd that someone would spend thousands of crystals just on the daily rate of some hotel. However, for the people who did this, such an amount was definitely worth paying!


    Top-notch cuisine, the best rooms, services, the highest quality regional items, all that, and more was what fostered the desire of those wealthier individuals. And that''s what the crystals were for, right? Quality of life.


    These people had hundreds of thousands of crystals, sometimes millions, and would only use a small fraction to cultivate. In this case, what to do with the rest? Give to the poor?


    No one would do such a thing...


    Invest in something?


    Whoever had millions would already be investing and earning even more.


    What remained was to improve their living conditions, with better meals, clothing, artifacts, housing, transportation, and much more.


    And when such a person needed to travel, as Minos and Ruth had done during the Spiritual Tournament, they would undoubtedly seek the best services within their budget!


    A cultivator could definitely spend the night in the rain beside a tree. But if he had crystals to stay in the best hotel, then why go through such a situation?


    Therefore, services related to entertainment and convenience also had the potential to empower a region.


    A place with a good hotel, a resort, nightclubs, and even casinos could create a tourist attraction, making that region more popular regionally.


    And for rich and high-level people, what matters in a place would not only be the business opportunities but the quality of the services offered. Only in an area that could balance both, prominent figures would live and spend their funds!


    So, Minos was very interested in a deal with the Olsen family. While this would not work in the short term, something like this could work within 2 to 4 years.


    At that time, the Black Plain would be closer and closer to opening up to the world, and Minos would definitely want his territory to have tourist attractions!


    Elen then said. "Hmm, from what I''ve heard from my analysts, the Olsen family sees a deal with you as a chance to become the largest hotel chain in the north of the Central Continent."


    "Oh?" He exclaimed in surprise. ''Having high-quality products in their hotels would be a big step forward...''


    And after thinking about it for a while, Minos decided what he should do. "I am interested in making a deal with the Olsen family. You can let them know in the future that we can do business for 200% of what is being charged for items sold in Nash family stores."


    "I will have other requirements in the future, but for now, that will be enough." He said as he closed his eyes for a moment.


    Dealings with these Stone Island powers could yield many crystals for Minos, even more than those coming through Elen. However, he only intended to place a portion of his products in the agreements with these organizations.


    But most of the production would still be traded through the Nash family stores. That would not only be done because Minos and Elen were partners but because it was necessary. First, due to the attraction of people from Stone Island to the Black Plain.


    Despite being few, these immigrants still arrived in Minos'' territory almost every day!


    And second, because these families with whom he wanted to negotiate could not consume much of his products...


    After all, they would consume these resources internally, among those direct descendants and some essential subordinates. With that, the demand wouldn''t be high, even if Minos made deals with all the noble families in that state.


    Finally, these items would also be traded through Elen without contact between the Black Plain and these powers. For this, Minos'' young ally would receive a 1% share of the transactions due to the costs of transport, payment, and her own profit.


    "Oh, I almost forgot. All payments of these noble families must be made with medium-grade crystals. So, if they want to pay in low-grade crystals, don''t even bother negotiating with them." Minos said directly.


    He accepted to pay exchange rates for the time being because of the lack of alternatives. However, he didn''t like such a thing, and those families who would negotiate with him would have to bear such costs.


    At this point, Minos'' position was at an advantage over these powers, as they were the ones who needed the items of the Black Plain!


    And hearing this, Elen nodded and said. "OK. After a few weeks here in the Black Plain, I will send this information to my subordinates, and they will notify these powers."


    She wasn''t surprised by Minos'' demands. Elen had already expected to hear something of this nature, and she understood very well the importance when using one''s position to gain advantages. What''s more, the prices charged by this young man would still be cheaper than those noble powers would typically pay for foods of high spiritual concentration.


    After that, Elena also said something similar when they finally ended their meeting.


    Elen had left to take a walk around town and see the local changes, while Elena had decided to stay and talk a little more with Minos.

 Chapter 364: Is This What You Want?

    After Elen left that place, Elena stood in the same spot as before, staring at the young man in front of her.


    Since she had seen Minos on Stone Island, he had risen several levels and had undergone a spiritual cleansing. Because of this, physically, the sovereign of the Black Plain was much more attractive to Elena.


    ''You''ve improved quite a bit, huh...'' She thought as she appraised him.


    After a while of silence, she finally asked something. "That girl from before, eh, Abby. Is she your girlfriend?"


    After hearing this, Minos smiled. He already wondered why this woman had stayed behind, and she hadn''t disappointed him. "We''re not a couple, but we''re getting along well. Why the question?"


    "Oh? That''s right? I don''t know if she thinks that way, the way she looks at you¡­" Elena commented, remembering Abby''s little gestures while she''d been with Minos during the breakfast.


    She seemed almost in sync with Minos, watching him closely with a look that only lovers would have for each other. And as an attentive woman, Elena had naturally not missed such signs.


    Elena then got up from her place and walked around the table that was separating her from Minos until she finally turned his chair sideways and sat on his lap. She then said something in a low voice beside his right ear. "Would she mind sharing you with me for a while?"


    After that, Elena unbuttoned her shirt, showing her beautiful breasts to Minos until they finally kissed.


    "Mmm~"


    Elena was indeed a rare beauty to find. Even though she didn''t have the best measurements among Minos'' sex partners, she could still be considered one of the most beautiful. Because of this, an easy and shameless young man like this sovereign could not help but feel excited by Elena''s ''attack.''


    And his relationship with Abby, despite going very well, still didn''t satisfy all the physical needs of a young adult at the beginning of his sex life...


    He might be happy with all the progress he had made, but that doesn''t mean he didn''t want something more!


    "Mmm~ Your skill is even better, huh¡­" Elena commented, right after separating her kiss with Minos.


    And in doing so, Minos couldn''t help but stop for a moment to touch her beautiful breasts, bringing one of them up to his mouth.


    "Ahh~"


    Moans sounded through that place until, after some time, Elena was on top of Minos'' table while he sucked her fervently.


    The young woman had her dress up, as her breasts jumped out of her clothes and she stared at the ceiling with her face completely flushed. One of her hands touched her left breast while the other massaged Minos'' brown hair.


    "Ahh~ Cumming~"


    Squirt!


    At that moment, a jet of liquid came out of Elena''s little sister, wetting part of Minos'' mouth as he drank most of the contents. He then thoroughly cleaned her lower lips until not a single drop was left behind.


    And by doing that, Minos was already getting ready to take his clothes off and move on with it when he suddenly stopped. ''I better not do this¡­'' This thought crossed his mind when this young man felt like he should hold back for the first time.


    At this point, Minos couldn''t help but imagine how disappointed Abby would be with him if he went ahead with such an action without speaking to her.


    If he had sex with Elena, it would be very obvious to his friend!


    However, by stopping here, the problem could be avoided. Such marks left behind by sex could mark a cultivator''s aura for days to weeks, depending on the intensity of the thing.


    But the aura could only be felt at higher levels than the level Minos and Abby are. As for the scent left behind, something that his friend could feel, it wouldn''t last more than a day, even for wild sex sessions. And since Minos had only played with Elena for a few moments, the remnants of that would be gone when he saw Abby later in the day.


    Elena finally noticed Minos'' delay in progressing with the action when she finally looked at him and saw him standing still while one of his hands had stopped unbuttoning his shirt.


    "Why are you stopping?" She asked.


    "You are gorgeous, Elena, and you made me lose my sense for a moment... I want to fuck you, but I don''t want to screw up my relationship with Abby."


    "Oh?" She was surprised by such a statement.


    Elena was quite experienced in these matters, and she had seen such things happen to certain men. But it was unusual to have self-control in the situation in which Minos was.


    Elena was very confident in her looks and skills in bed, so she was interested in this development.


    "Looks like you like her, and she must be pretty jealous. Am I right?" She asked.


    "She''s truly possessive, so I can''t just act without thinking. And as my best friend, I care about her feelings." He explained while closing his shirt.


    "I understand. How about if I join you two later? That way, she''ll be part of the action, and it won''t be a problem¡­" She was just suggesting that when Minos laughed at this comment.


    "I would love to do something like that, believe me. But that must be impossible." He said as he closed his eyes for a moment and tried to visualize the scene. ''It would be interesting...''


    Elena then sighed and said defeatedly. "Wow, so is she like that? Huh, okay, so we''ll do it after you talk to her."


    After that, the young blonde left Minos'' office, heading back to the residence she had received at the local mansion.


    She wasn''t completely dissatisfied. After all, the young Stuart had even made her get there once. And given the fact that culturally many powerful men bonded with several women simultaneously, Elena didn''t think Abby would fully restrict him.


    Such a thing could have the opposite effect of forcing the figure of Minos away.


    And Elena knew women like Abby. In general, these women didn''t forbid their husband or boyfriend from dating others, as long as it was discussed first. That was a cultural habit...


    As for Minos, after heaving a long sigh at the thought of what he had given up, he quickly returned to his daily work.


    ...


    Night fell in the Dry City, and the streets had already lost much of their movement by this time.


    It was a bit chilly locally when Minos finally returned from his training session in the Spatial Kingdom before Abby arrived at his residence.


    The young Stuart had just finished his bath and still had his hair wet when a young woman wearing a discreet outfit appeared in his room.


    She had a sweet smile on her face when she approached Minos and hugged him. Abby had also finished her training session before coming here and was ready to go to bed with her friend, as she had said she would do earlier.


    "Good evening!" She said as she hugged him, already moving to kiss his lips.


    "Mmm~" As they kissed for a moment, the blue-haired girl was quickly taking off her clothes, when suddenly Minos stopped her.


    "Abby, we have to talk." He said as he stopped touching one of her buttocks and ran his hands around Abby''s slim waist.


    "Why don''t we talk later?" She suggested as she helped him out of his shirt.


    "I think you would probably be angry if I said that later..."


    "What do you mean?" This time she looked at him more seriously when they were finally sitting on Minos'' bed.


    He then held one of her hands and said, staring into her eyes. "Abby, you know me, and you know I''m not a one-woman man."


    After hearing such a comment, the eyebrows of Abby came together as she gradually understood what he was trying to say. "Do you want to have sex with one of those two?"


    "Hmm."


    "Which one?"


    "Elena."


    Abby then fell silent as she stared at Minos, a little unsatisfied to hear such a thing. As she did so, she ran her hand through her hair a few times, with her face gently tilted.


    Abby was thinking about all this, but she couldn''t deny that she appreciated the fact that he''d come to talk to her before something happened...


    ''That woman is gorgeous. Even I''m almost attracted to her¡­'' She sighed inwardly, feeling that she had no reason to forbid Minos from going ahead with his wishes. Abby then asked. "What about me? Will you leave me aside to be with her? Is this what you want?"

 Chapter 365: I Would Even Sleep With Her (18+)

    "So, Minos Stuart, tell me what you want!" Abby said this with a resolute look on her face.


    She honestly didn''t have another point to bring up, to try to stop Minos from doing something, so she had used herself. She already knew him, and given his personality, trying to force him not to do what makes him happy would not be the answer for both of them.


    On the other hand, Abby wanted to know what was on this young man''s mind. Unlike other women Minos had interacted with, this young woman did not take relationships casually.


    And seeing and hearing this, Minos was also serious at this point. Given the way Abby had spoken to him, it was clear that she thinks he saw her as replaceable, that if something better came along, she could be left behind.


    And for almost anyone, that was an insult!


    "I would never do something like leave the person I''m with to be with someone else, Abby. Do you think that if I get your approval, I''ll walk out that door right away and go to Elena''s room? Of course not!"


    "I can fully respect your space. As long as you are with me, these private moments of ours will still exist, and I will not neglect you." He said as he approached the young woman with her shirt half-open in front of him.


    Abby then asked, a little shaken as she followed the direction of Minos'' eyes. "Will you truly do it?"


    "Sure! I don''t promise that I won''t be interested in others, but in those particular moments, I won''t think of others, and it will be just you and me." He said as he hugged Abby''s waist and brought her to his chest.


    "You better not break this promise!" She said, just before kissing him passionately, letting herself be carried away by the moment.


    Now Abby felt warm, feeling secure about this strange relationship she had been having with Minos. And that feeling had filled the mind of this young maiden, making her even more attracted to the figure of the young Stuart.


    "Mmm~"


    And quickly, they were both naked, with him kneeling at the foot of the bed as he fervently licked Abby''s little sister. This young woman was on all fours on the bed while she felt the majestic tongue of Minos explore her intimate part, making her feel intense pleasure.


    "Ahhh~"


    Gradually the two are satisfied, with Minos first taking proper care of his partner and then Abby doing the same to him. After that, the two of them lay on that bed, hugging and completely sweating, as they looked at each other.


    She then said while having a dirty look in her eyes. "You can sleep with Elena. I won''t mind as long as it doesn''t interfere with our time together."


    "Really?"


    "Hmm, but..." Abby was saying when she suddenly stopped to gather courage, feeling her breath rise, when she finally continued. "But first, I want you to make love with me."


    "Do you want..." Minos was talking, feeling stunned by his young friend''s decision. ''Is she trying to mark territory with me?'' He thought. "Abby, you don''t need to do this if you''re not sure. Just because Elena is here doesn''t mean you need to move things ahead."


    She then moved her head in denial. "No, I want you. I feel like I''m ready to take this step with you. I think I am..."


    "I''m more than ready." She blushed deeply, feeling incredibly embarrassed now.


    After that, Abby sat on top of the young Stuart, already holding his stick with one of her hands, trying to fit Minos'' part into her body. However, upon realizing this, the young man only laughed when he stopped her from doing such a thing.


    "That way, it would be more difficult for you. So, let me go on top of you."


    After saying that, Minos quickly shifted position with Abby, leaving her lying on the bed, when he finally began his movement. He kissed her, first, and then he continued to lick the young woman''s body, from her ears to her little sister.


    "Mmmmm~"


    Minos had stimulated Abby''s pink nipples while continuing to massage the erogenous zones of her body with his skillful hands until he had adequately prepared the ''ground.''


    "Mmmm~"


    In doing so, he finally pressed his rod against Abby''s slit when he stopped for a moment and looked into her eyes. "You''re ready? Maybe it hurts a little."


    "Hmm."


    And when young Stuart began to penetrate his friend''s body, Abby hadn''t felt any pain. In fact, all she had felt was an immense pleasure, far greater than the times she had played with him.


    This young woman''s innate ability was preventing her from feeling any discomfort as if she internally wanted to make the most of this moment.


    "Ahh~"


    Quickly, the hip movements became more intense as the sounds of slapping flesh had finally begun to echo through that place.


    Abby''s celestial moans were also present, forming a unique symphony, which was gradually elevating the excitement of Minos.


    Simultaneously to that, a bluish and almost imperceptible energy enveloped the private parts of the two while the piston movements became more and more intense.


    "Abby~ You''re amazing~ I''ve never felt like this~" He praised, feeling the effects of this young woman''s body during their sex session.


    "Mmm~"


    Even though they were doing it intensely, it couldn''t be said that the two of them acted like animals in heat. However, if someone looked closely, one would see two lovers experiencing their best moment, with expressions of happiness impossible to hide...


    ''I wish this moment never ended...'' Abby thought to herself as she felt her connection to Minos grow more and more intense.


    "Mmm~"


    After that, the two kissed and switched positions, making love for a few hours, until finally, the two had fallen asleep.


    The two had wholly exhausted themselves that night as they took an essential step in their relationship.


    ...


    At dawn in the Dry City, the pair of lovers had woken up even happier than the day before, feeling much closer to each other.


    Abby was delighted with her decision to give herself to Minos. She seemed to have left the subject of this young man wanting to get involved with other women entirely behind in the past.


    As long as she didn''t have her time with him sacrificed or was forced to share him in bed, Abby would be fine. And because of that, even after the breakfast, where Elena was present, nothing had disturbed this young woman''s good mood.


    She had a slight smile on her face and looked as if all the weights on her shoulders had been removed.


    Finally, the other women present in that room had noticed the difference in Abby, especially Eda. This experienced woman had noticed this the moment she had seen the expression on her young lady''s face. However, nothing had been said. They would only talk about it at another time.


    As for the others, only Dillian hadn''t noticed. He was naturally not interested in his young master''s sex life, nor was he thoughtful enough to see some signs...


    Anyway, breakfast went well when finally the group divided, with most of them have left for their chores and Minos and Elena heading together to the public part of the mansion.


    "I guess I can assume she doesn''t have a problem with you dating others, right?" The young blonde asked with a smile on her face. She couldn''t help but notice the dense female scent on Minos'' body. It was amusing for her!


    ''Did she want to bother me with it? That would be cute. Little does she know that I would even sleep with her if she weren''t so restricted¡­'' Elena thought to herself, with a naughty look on her face.


    "Hmm, there will be no problems..." Minos commented, feeling quite fulfilled, for the night before. He hadn''t thought he would have such a fantastic experience with Abby. At least not after what he had talked to her.


    ''Ahh, I don''t understand the female mind...''


    After that, he put that subject aside and went back to his business. He had arranged to go out with Elena at another time since now, Minos wanted to resolve the final matters of the military exercise, which would be held tomorrow!


    "After midday, I''ll stop by your apartment. Until later." Minos told her.


    "Hehe, I''ll be waiting for you..."

 Chapter 366: Military Exercise 1

    Hours passed, and at this moment, in a ''desert'' part of the territory protected by the Dry City wall, a group of more than 300 people was standing there.


    Among them were several well-known residents of the city and recent newcomers, such as Peter and the two former slaves released by Minos, Robin, and Barbara.


    On one side, at some distance from the crowd of soldiers, people were standing while they waited for the start of the show with their arms crossed. Among them were Dillian, Elen, Elena, Eda, Abby, and some army officers who wouldn''t fight today.


    Some off-duty soldiers, such as Lee and Alison, were also among these people, here to witness the first military exercise of the Black Plain Army!


    After all, many of them had never seen their leader''s phenomenal strength, so this was a good time for them to learn more about this individual.


    Dillian was here to take care of the aftermath, healing the injured soldiers and helping them regain their energy more quickly. In addition, there were also some spiritual pills reserved for soldiers as a preventive measure to increase the speed of recovery from whatever would happen in this event.


    Finally, the four women were here mainly to watch Minos fighting against his soldiers. That would be quite a show, considering the numbers and the power involved.


    Aside from Eda and Abby, who had seen Minos fight a Spiritual King before, Elena and Elen had never witnessed a fight of this level before.


    Because of this, when they heard that such a thing was going to happen, these two young women from Stone Island had naturally been interested in coming to see this match.


    Elena had had an exciting afternoon with Minos the day before and today had woken up feeling light and content to see this battle. She had come here for the chance to see this sexual partner, as well as to experience the fights in the north of the Central Continent.


    Because of that, she was naturally satisfied with how things were going to develop. And even if Minos was going to be gone for a while, she could start fighting the Black Plain''s soldiers as a form of training for her and the soldiers.


    She had talked to Minos about it the day before, right after finding out about the fights Eda would have at army headquarters. So, as she would be here for almost a year, fighting local opponents in a similar scheme to Eda''s would be excellent for her to test her strength.


    ...


    Anyway, while more than 200 people dressed in battle clothes were around a young man with brown hair, preparing for the start of the fight, Elen''s group was already talking about this event.


    "Wow, I know Minos is powerful, but will he truly be able to fight so many opponents?" Elena asked the people in the group while she had a dubious look on her face.


    She had never seen Minos fighting, but she had already heard from Elen some of this young man''s achievements. However, the scale of what this young man wanted to do today was too frightful for Elena.


    Even higher-level individuals than Minos might not be able to beat as many opponents from the beginning of the 5th stage of cultivation. So, Elena was doubtful.


    "In the third round of the Spiritual Tournament, young Minos defeated 124 opponents of similar strength to his. So, I think today''s numbers are close to ideal for a balanced fight." Eda replied while doing some math.


    Minos had grown a lot stronger in the meantime, and his fighting proficiency had increased. And given the fact that a common Battle Royale wasn''t a challenge for him, then only a group as big as that could make things more interesting for both sides.


    "Hmm, Minos can already fight a Spiritual King... So, this challenge isn''t as difficult for him as you might think." Abby proudly commented as she looked towards Minos.


    Elen then looked at Abby and questioned her. "Is this true?"


    In the previous days, this ally of Minos had heard some rumors about the supposed victory of the local ruler over Spiritual Kings. However, there were so many different versions of this that she had thought such a thing was unfounded...


    Abby then responded promptly. "Hmm, it''s true. I was there, and I saw the moment when Minos killed that individual. And that Spiritual King was already at level 51!"


    ''Looks like he''s been busier than me...''


    ...


    While the group of spectators chatted, waiting for the match to start, at this moment, Minos was finishing talking to the soldiers.


    "Don''t take it easy on me in this fight. Today I am not the sovereign of the Black Plain, but an enemy that must be stopped."


    "An enemy that will infect this place if he succeeds in invading the local territory, taking information out, threatening the common population of losing everything they''ve got. Someone who might very well end your children''s lives, enslave your wives and families, kill your friends. An individual who will take everything you have if he wins!"


    "Many of you came from outside the Dry City... Is there any place that offers the local conditions? Do you think that if this place is invaded, there will be a preservation of current rights and opportunities?" Minos spoke as he looked at his soldiers, seeing Peter, Pyke, Humbert, Robin, Barbara, Dumas, and several others.


    "I won''t lie. Maybe you guys will lose today and feel discouraged by the difference in level. But this is an opportunity. You at least will have a chance to learn what it''s like to fight someone with strength above level 50 without having your lives at risk."


    "Losing today, the only downside would be having to feel some physical pain for a few hours. You guys can lose against me. That is training, after all."


    "However, you will not be able to lose against the real enemies of the Black Plain. Otherwise, in addition to being killed, everything I said will happen to this city and your relatives."


    "So, face me with everything you have, regardless of the result. Just take it seriously, trying to get the best out of the fight. Only those who learn something from this will have a chance to see the Black Plain beat all its opponents!"


    "For the Black Plain!"


    "For the Black Plain!" The soldiers repeated Minos'' speech when they finished hearing their leader''s words.


    "Let''s start!" Saying this, Minos waited a moment until he saw that his soldiers had already started to move away from him.


    After all, there were a few dozen people there who had seen Minos'' fights, so they knew whoever stayed around him would most likely be the first to lose in this training.


    Both their speed and spiritual energy would be affected, which would eliminate a large number of these individuals.


    ''Very well, this is the correct way to fight someone with my characteristics, however¡­'' So, he thought to himself when he finally started to make his move.


    Explosive Steps!


    Indestructible Body!


    Devouring Art!


    In doing so, Minos quickly moved several meters in a few seconds, simultaneously with the appearance of a black ring over the sky there. Such characteristic of his support technique had left his body and expanded until reaching the 100 meters radius, with the young Stuart in its center.


    Zoom!


    The black mist inside the ring diminished the luminosity of that place, while a buzz began to sound in the surroundings there.


    And at the same time, as his body was greatly strengthened, young Stuart quickly approached one of the groups of soldiers.


    He then smiled and activated his attack technique, using a low-level grade-2 sword to direct his attacks.


    Spatial Sword!


    Swooish!


    Swooish!


    Several air blades, with more than 1 meter in wingspan, cut the horizon while following different directions.


    Boom!


    Boom!


    Quickly the fight started to catch ''fire'' when the two sides began to counterattack each other!


    "Attack!" The opposing group screamed as they unleashed their attacks on Minos...

 Chapter 367: Military Exercise 2

    Immediately dozens of attacks were released towards the young Stuart, sent by those soldiers from the groups that were not under his attacks.


    These individuals were far enough to be unaffected by Minos'' techniques. And with that, they had quickly gathered together at different points to fight at a distance against that young sovereign.


    Simultaneously, the group attacked by Minos had been wholly immobilized, while their energies were continually being drained.


    ''Damn!'' Some soldier thought while he couldn''t even move an inch.


    On the other hand, several blades were heading towards some of these soldiers to eliminate them from the match.


    Each blade contained just the power needed to bypass these soldiers'' defenses and make them waste their energy. After all, if Minos used everything he had, not only would he destroy his sword, but his soldiers would also be killed...


    Boom!


    "Ahh!"


    Finally, the blades cut through the defenses of that soldiers, with many of them being sent flying from that spot, screaming in pain.


    Some had received blows on their defense techniques, only being thrown a few meters away, already pale and without energy. However, some hadn''t even had time to try to defend themselves before being immobilized by Minos'' technique.


    As a result, several other soldiers received Minos'' blows on their shoulders, back, and legs. Some were thrown into the distance, crashing heavily against the place''s terrain, creating several craters there. Others howled in pain after falling and starting to vomit bloody mouths.


    "Ahhh!"


    And finally, after Minos'' blows had eliminated several opponents, the attacks created by the other soldiers had gotten close enough to him.


    Minos had already felt such attacks even before he had finished his first move and was already prepared to dodge most of them.


    Pow!


    Whoop!


    Boom!


    Several charges passed through that terrain while the young sovereign ran from one side to the other of the battlefield, dodging the attacks and counterattacking some of them.


    Young Stuart''s movement technique was excellent, and he had practically instantaneous reflexes. Because of that, even dodging those attacks that came closer to his body was not difficult.


    However, Minos had not been able to defend himself against all of them due to the number of attacks. But nothing had happened to him.


    When using his Indestructible Body, he would need to receive many hits of the level of those sent by the soldiers so that his technique would not work perfectly. So, Minos still hadn''t taken any damage, even after so many attacks were sent towards him!


    ...


    Boom!


    The battle quickly became hectic as Minos moved quickly across the battlefield, slowly attacking his opponents. At the same time, he struggled to dodge and defend against the soldiers'' charges, sometimes even using his opponents as human shields...


    And amidst this chaotic scenario, ten soldiers were standing out in this battle, having managed to escape more than once from Minos'' onslaughts.


    That was precisely the group of soldiers who had gone with Minos to Stone Island and had had the opportunity to learn Silver-grade movement techniques!


    And precisely because of these techniques, the ten soldiers had managed to escape Minos'' advances. Although their techniques were of a lower caliber than those of their young master''s, they had gained an advantage in this scenario where many other warriors lacked such a thing.


    Apart from them, all the other soldiers used Black-grade movement techniques, something that made them slower in battle!


    "Pyke, since we are the fastest of the group, we should become the bait so that the rest of the people can attack the young master." One of the ten soldiers said to Pyke.


    "Okay, this sounds like a good idea. Let''s go!"


    After that, the group broke up, trying to get closer to the young Stuart and catch his attention. Then, as the fastest ones, they could attack and run more efficiently and create chances for other soldiers!


    "Attack!"


    ...


    Tens of seconds passed, and by this time, half of the soldiers who had gathered to fight Minos had been eliminated from the military exercise.


    Of these numbers, naturally, some of the ten soldiers had been involved, as by putting themselves in the bait position, they would naturally be eliminated.


    After all, the nail that stands out is the first one to be hammered!


    However, such eliminations had not been useless. On the contrary, several soldiers had managed to deliver their blows on the young Stuart, causing him to expend much of his spiritual energy in defending himself.


    But Minos still had the advantage. He was continually stealing energy from his soldiers, and each time he activated the Spatial Sword, several of them were eliminated in the next second.


    Meanwhile, Elen and Elena stood with their mouths open, watching in awe Minos'' fight on the spectators'' side.


    They couldn''t help but wonder what would happen if they were in the young Stuart''s place. ''I probably couldn''t handle even 3 of them¡­'' Elena thought to herself as she clenched her fists tightly.


    She had thought to ask Minos for some tips, in a one-on-one fight, later when he returned from the Kingdom of the Waves. However, now seeing such a difference, she couldn''t help putting that idea behind her.


    ''A common person can''t fight a monster like that.''


    On the other hand, Elen was pleased to see that some of the rumors she had heard were true. ''With such a feat, when he reaches the 6th stage of cultivation, he will already be considered a medium-level specialist in our region!''


    "Amazing! The master is truly phenomenal!" Alison excitedly squealed as she chatted with Lee.


    ''One day, I want to be like this!'' Lee thought to himself, seeing Minos taking down eight Sergeants at once while dodging the attacks of ten opponents.


    Boom!


    ...


    Boom!


    "Elmer, this is your chance. Only you are left to give us a chance to win." Peter yelled aloud toward one of the soldiers that had his fists glowing red.


    "Take advantage that Sergeant Pyke is trying to hold the young master, Elmer. Try to attack him with everything!" Another soldier yelled, already running towards Minos and attacking him.


    Pow!


    "OK!" After that, Seargent Elmer, a person with an innate ability that made his fists as strong as high-level grade-2 weapons, began to move towards Minos.


    The plan was to attack the young Stuart with everything and then finish the fight!


    ...


    Swooish!


    Swooish!


    Boom!


    The chaotic battle scenario continued in that place, with several attacks cutting across the sky. At the same time, noises of different intensities sounded around.


    The terrain was already full of holes, some more than 3 meters deep, while small mounds of the earth began to form. At the same time, occasionally, the dust was thrown into the air, reducing the visibility of that place where screams of pain emanated.


    "Ahhhh!"


    Minos'' blades threw another soldier, who already coughed up blood and falling into a corner away from the fight.


    "Huh, huh, this is your chance, Elmer¡­" Pyke steadied himself in that spot as he saw from afar the chance he had just created.


    ...


    At that moment, Minos, who already had his body covered in sweat stains, finally felt Elmer''s movement towards him.


    This soldier was quickly approaching Minos as he hopped from side to side, flexing his arms. And by the time the young sovereign''s attack had hurled Pyke, Elmer had finally come close enough to his target.


    Pow!


    ''Nice strategy, but it won''t work.'' Minos thought to himself while he had a smile on his face.


    He knew Elmer''s traits very well, but it was a pity that this soldier was only at level 42. Otherwise, if he were at the same level as Ruth was when traveling with Minos, level 46, then his move would be dangerous for the young Stuart.


    Having sturdy fists as high-level grade-2 weapons were great. But that took energy from its user, and Elmer hadn''t reached the point of having enough to threaten Minos.


    And obviously, the soldiers didn''t know about these higher-level strength differences than theirs, as Minos did... So, that''s why they had believed in such a strategy.


    Puff!


    Finally, Minos simply raised his left arm, defending himself against Elmer''s right fist with bare hands. "It didn''t work, hehe."


    After that, the young sovereign made a horizontal movement with that sword, hitting Elmer heavily on this man''s shoulder, sending him away already unconscious.


    ''Damn!'' The other soldiers still standing thought about it when they saw Minos making his last movement.


    "Let''s finish this!"

 Chapter 368: Going to the Kingdom of the Waves

    After making his last move, Minos ended the military exercise, eliminating the few remaining soldiers.


    The fight had been quite busy, and that young man had felt much more difficulty in this event than when he had competed in the Spiritual Tournament.


    It had been about 8 minutes fighting, and despite having won, Minos had received several blows. Consequently, he now had several bruises on his arms, back, and chest, with some parts of his clothes, torn and stained with blood.


    But those were only superficial damage, things that would heal in less than three days due to his current strength. Other than that, the main point was that he was almost out of energy at the end of the fight.


    And the fact that his opponents knew how to fight him had greatly influenced the battle, as the soldiers tried to avoid as much as possible being under the influence of the Devouring Art.


    Because of this, he had expended a little more of his energy than he would have done if he were against enemies who didn''t know him.


    On the side of the soldiers, most of them were with minor injuries due to the blows that they received. Minos had attacked them with force just beyond what they were capable of receiving so that they would feel the pressure of a real fight without risking their lives.


    But that still hurt a lot, and some of them had even passed out during the match.


    Finally, the terrain in that place was now full of craters, with soils of different colors visible to the naked eye. There were some rocks here and there, while mud had formed at specific points.


    It looked like a typical war scenario, missing only the bodies and the smell of blood.


    And quickly after the battle ended, several other soldiers watching the place, and Dillian''s group began to approach that area.


    The exercise was over, and now these soldiers needed Dillian''s medical support and spiritual pills. And as for Minos, he wouldn''t need such a thing.


    ...


    While Dillian supported the most wounded soldiers, Minos, Abby, Elen, and Elena were heading back to the mansion in the center of the Dry City.


    Abby had already taken her leave from the army, as she and Minos would be leaving for the Kingdom of the Waves in a few days. As a result, she was already off from the army''s activities on the wall and also finished taking care of her affairs at headquarters.


    She had finished organizing the army''s leadership training division. With this, in less than a year, this division would begin to function when the elite squad would also be chosen.


    Even after this final selection, there was still a lack of members for the army to start such a project. So, that was left for the future when there were more qualified soldiers.


    And by finishing her services, Abby could follow Minos'' match against the local soldiers.


    Anyway, as they walked back to the urban region of this place, the group was talking with each other.


    "You have grown so much stronger!" Elen commented with a smile on her face as she walked beside him and Elena.


    Elena then bit her lip and told him. "I didn''t think you would be that strong!"


    "Thank you, hehe."


    "But your soldiers are also powerful! If not for their low level, they could even fight a Spiritual King!" Elen began to speak from this point, remembering the work these individuals had caused to Minos.


    Elen understood that if it was someone else in young Stuart''s place, even a level 52 Spiritual King might not be able to defeat a group like that!


    Running away would not be difficult, but eliminating the opponent would be. And this could already be considered a significant advance for the Black Plain!


    From a vulnerable location where the average strength was below level 30, and the strongest barely reached level 40, this location can now defend itself against low-level Spiritual Kings!


    That was admirable, and Elen was happy to be part, even if indirectly, of this local evolution.


    "That''s nothing. In the future, some soldiers will be even stronger than that!" Abby commented vaguely, eager for the formation of the Elite Squad.


    "I don''t doubt..." Elena nodded as she looked to Minos and Abby''s side.


    "It''s a shame you have to travel as soon as we arrive. But I understand that it''s inevitable for you to have to make these trips¡­" Elen was saying when she suddenly suggested something. "If you want, I can give you two, my spiritual beast, so that you can travel faster. Do you want?"


    Minos then shook his head in denial and said. "There is no necessity. Abby and I will travel on her beast, and although land travel isn''t as fast as flying, it won''t make much of a difference."


    "I''m not worried about arriving at my destination a week sooner or later. I want to use this trip to train and learn a little about the Kingdom of the Waves. I knew there is a lot of diversity in that place."


    "Oh?" Elena understood Minos'' point. After all, she wanted to venture out herself, but she had no such opportunity given the Allen family spies. "If it weren''t because Elen and I have to be ''missing'' for a while, I would go with you¡­" She commented quietly.


    Elen then said, looking at Minos. "Since you want to explore that place, I have several maps that can help you."


    "Oh? That''s good. I don''t have any, hehe." He replied with a slight smile on his face. Minos intended to do like previously when he travels with Ruth to the Cromwell Kingdom, buying maps along the way.


    But if Elen were going to help him with that, then that would be better!


    "I know you already have a formidable strength, but be careful where you go. Some areas are dominated by tribes of beasts that even have creatures at the 6th stage of cultivation."


    "OK, I understand. Thanks for that."


    Minos naturally only knew the essential characteristics of the Kingdom of the Waves. After all, at the spiritual academy, he only learned the basics of external geography, and Henricus Longus'' memoirs referred to millions of years ago.


    So, Minos didn''t know much about what things were like outside the Brown Kingdom.


    "Let''s talk a little about this..."


    After that, their group arrived at the government mansion, going directly to Minos'' residence.


    First, they chatted a little about the information about the Kingdom of the Waves while the young ruler ate various spiritual fruits. Soon after, Minos went to cultivate to recover his energy and the minor damages in his body.


    As for the three women who accompanied him, they stayed around his residence, talking about some details of that state. Abby knew a little more than Minos about that state, but the Nash and Miller families had different information.


    Hence, it didn''t hurt that she and Elen exchanged information so that she and Minos could make better use of their time.


    ...


    Time passed fast, and it was time for Minos and Abby to leave for the Kingdom of the Waves.


    In the three days that had passed, all the soldiers who had fought against Minos had already recovered and returned to their duties.


    As for Minos, he had already resolved all his issues locally even before those three days. In fact, he had only stayed here to protect the city while his soldiers rested from the injures of the military exercise.


    And after those soldiers recovered, he could leave this place under Dillian''s command once more.


    There were many things to happen in the Dry City, and Minos had already left his orders. However, many of these projects would take several months to be prepared and did not demand his daily presence here.


    There were already many things in his city that would only need time to develop without the constant supervision of the local leader. Among them, the army itself. The selection had just taken place, and many of the new soldiers have to undergo rigorous training until they can keep up with those older individuals in this organization.


    And the time Minos would spend away would be enough for that!


    With the plans left by him, the young sovereign hoped to find a much more powerful Black Plain Army, with new Sergeants and perhaps a Spiritual King.


    Eda had recently reached level 49, but she could reach Dillian''s level in less than seven months due to her talent and the efficiency of this woman''s cultivation technique.


    Anyway, surely Minos'' forces would improve in his time away. Then, in the following military exercise, things would be even more exciting!

 Chapter 369: The First Border City

    It had just dawned in the Dry City, and at this time, the weather was stable when an enormous beast that looked like a tiger was standing outside the northern entrance to the city wall.


    In that place, several soldiers watched the surroundings while some people were talking in front of that beast, with two youths already on its back.


    Minos and Abby had woken up very early and were already leaving town by now.


    The two had some destinations where they would need to go in the Kingdom of the Waves, like the capital of this state, where the best professionals were. They were also planning to go to the Cohen family headquarters to negotiate certain things.


    However, although much of his business can be done in these two locations, given the greatness of the Kingdom of the Waves, Minos would have to visit more cities.


    For example, the most famous alchemist guild in that state was not in the capital, but in a city in the mountainous region, in the central area of that kingdom.


    And similar things happened for the other professions. While most crystals were concentrated in capitals and cities with the best services, it was sometimes more beneficial for certain specializations to flourish near specific areas. Like places with large mineral reserves were more attractive for blacksmiths.


    And because of that, these two youths would have a long journey, having to pass through various locations in that kingdom.


    However, when they left the Dry City, in addition to the Yellow City, the next town was almost a day''s journey away in a 4th stage beast, as in the case of Abby''s. Because of this, the two wanted to start the trip early to reach this place before midnight.


    This town was a few hours away from the Yellow City and was the first border post of the Kingdom of the Waves.


    Anyway, Dillian, Eda, and some government officials of the Dry City, like secretary Mia, were there to say goodbye to Minos and Abby.


    As for Elen and Elena, the two of them had already said goodbye to Minos the night before and were still sleeping at this moment. They both knew he would leave early, but neither of them had anything else to talk to him before this trip.


    Elena had had enough fun with him the day before, and Elen had already explained everything she knew about the Kingdom of the Waves to Minos and Abby.


    "Ms. Abby, be careful on this trip. Try to stay alert whenever the two of you are in the middle of forests and open places." Eda worriedly said as she watched Abby and Minos on top of that beast.


    She couldn''t help but feel some affliction. In over 12 years, this would be the first time Abby would travel without this woman, and Eda naturally felt a little awkward about it.


    Not being there to protect Abby was a different feeling for her, who had played the role of bodyguard for so many years.


    "Okay, big sister Eda. I will be fine." Abby said to Eda, a little emotional too. But she didn''t feel insecure about it. No, with Minos by her side, she felt pretty protected. It was just the feeling of parting that felt a little strange.


    And, at the same time, in which Abby said goodbye to Eda, Minos was saying his last words before leaving this town. "Secretary Mia, now that the butler Dillian will spend more time working as a doctor, I hope you''ll help him take care of the Dry City. Same for you, Sergeant Pyke."


    "You are one of the most respectable soldiers, and I hope you bring these new soldiers in order. Then, when I return, I want the strength of our army to have increased exponentially." Minos gave his instructions as he looked at the two senior members of the local government.


    "Yes, young master!"


    Dillian then said before Minos and Abby left that place. "Hehe, good journey to you two, young master, Abby. Don''t worry about the city. We''ll take good care of this place. I hope you two come back as soon as possible."


    "Hmm, see you later!"


    After that, the two youths headed north, with Abby sitting in front of Minos, controlling her spiritual beast.


    ...


    While Minos and Abby traveled to the Kingdom of the Waves, Christian and his two subordinates had already arrived in the capital of the Brown Kingdom.


    At this time, the three individuals were in a hotel in the central region of the City of the Setting Sun while viewing the orange sky through the balcony of the room in which they were.


    After arriving in this town, this group began to investigate whether any of the individuals involved in the competition for that medicine at the Peak of the Fog were affiliated with any local organizations.


    But despite having been at the Brown Kingdom for a few days, they still hadn''t discovered anything. After all, although there aren''t many noble families in this state, there were at least 2 or 3 hundred local powers. These numbers refer to organizations of all kinds, small families like Robin''s, with enough economic power to send people to the Spiritual Tournament.


    After all, despite the fact that it was a great competition dominated by descendants of great powers, thousands of participants came from small forces that were not even nobles.


    That''s why Christian''s group hadn''t had results yet, nor had they decided to leave this town.


    Finally, one of the subordinates said something to his young master, handing him a letter. "Young master, the family has already received the information sent previously. They sent this letter saying that they will send some subordinates to start investigating those symbols in other states and ours as well."


    "Oh? That''s good¡­" Christian commented as he read the letter sent by his father.


    Initially, he hadn''t recognized any of those symbols, so he thought none of that group could come from the Kingdom of the Waves. However, after starting to investigate the Brown Kingdom, he realized that he had completely underestimated the lesser powers of his state.


    He might know all the symbols of noble families there, but that didn''t mean he knew the little ones!


    And even though the Brown Kingdom and the Kingdom of the Waves were equivalent in strength, there were at least 5 or 6 hundred small organizations in this young man''s home state.


    Of course, these organizations could not nurture several youths who could participate in the Spiritual Tournament. However, sending one or two every eight years didn''t seem so difficult.


    And that was what Christian had learned from analyzing with his subordinates some records he had obtained in the capital of the Brown Kingdom.


    The Reid family could be considered quite strong, and naturally, this young man had managed to use this position of influence to act freely in this state.


    Of course, the fact that family symbols weren''t a state secret had also helped his mission. Still, it was undeniable that things were going smoothly for Christian.


    "Well, that''s good! But let''s continue our work here in this place, maybe our first clue is here, and our investigation could be pretty advanced..."


    "Yes, yes, young master!"


    ...


    Quickly time passed, and it had darkened in the Brown Kingdom and the Kingdom of the Waves region.


    By this time, Minos and Abby had already crossed almost all the way to the first town where the two would spend the night, upon officially entering the Kingdom of the Waves!


    They had passed through the Yellow City on their journey. However, even before it was abandoned, that place could not be considered the entrance to the Kingdom of the Waves. No, that city, or rather the southernmost region of the kingdom, was abandoned by the state.


    The Kingdom of the Waves'' first border post was only a few hours away from the Yellow City because Minos and Abby traveled in a 4th stage beast.


    If it were in a 3rd stage beast, as was common among Minos'' army carriages, such a trip could take 2-3 days!


    And with that distance, this border town already had a much better spiritual density than the Yellow City, being a place that could yield crystals for the sovereign family of that area.


    Anyway, quickly, a tiger approached the southern entrance post of that city, with a young woman with blue hair controlling the beast, while a young man with brown hair hugged her from behind.

 Chapter 370: Diamond City

    When they arrived at the city entrance post ahead of them, Minos and Abby had tired looks on their faces when they finally passed through a large gate and stopped.


    At that location, there was a tollbooth that regulated people''s entry into this city, where several guards wearing the same uniform were distributed at different points.


    They had the same symbol on their armor, which looked like a big blue wave in the middle of a silver circle.


    That is the symbol of the Kingdom of the Waves royal family!


    And apart from the guards stationed at this post, only a few people passed by, not even occupying all the soldiers there.


    Soon, the spiritual beast in which the two youths were, was stopped by one of those guards. "Welcome to the Diamond City, the first border town of the Kingdom of the Waves."


    "To enter our territory, each visitor must pay 500 low-grade crystals. However, if you are a royal nobleman or regular merchant, present the symbol of the power to which you belong, and we will allow your entry free of charge."


    Hearing this, Abby looked at Minos for a moment, but she did nothing. She could present the Miller family symbol and enter the Kingdom of the Waves for free, but she wouldn''t do anything if young Stuart didn''t ask her.


    "Here, a thousand crystals." Minos handed a bag with the amount charged to the guard while he was still on top of that big beast, which looked very much like a tiger.


    "Okay. Your beast is too big, and you won''t be able to pass through the city streets. Therefore, we advise you to leave it in the Reserve, which is 500 meters ahead."


    "OK." The two agreed shortly after receiving two medallions from that man. Such a thing was the identification that they had paid to enter the kingdom and not be charged again in other cities.


    Such a thing had its lifespan, and if the two took more than 20 days for them to travel the first 500 kilometers of the kingdom''s border areas, they would have to pay the fee again. That''s because such medallions would degrade in that period.


    As for such an area, well, these were the places where there were border posts. In other words, in every city less than 500 kilometers from the border, except for places like the Yellow City, there would be posts like the one that the two had stopped.


    That was the typical border configuration in this region, being so in all local states.


    After that, Minos and Abby left that big beast in an appropriate place and hired the service of a local coachman. Unlike the Yellow City, this place could already be considered a medium-sized town, with more than 250,000 inhabitants!


    That''s why Minos couldn''t just walk around without knowing the place. And the two wanted to find an inn to stay, and the quickest way to do that was to rent a carriage at this location.


    ...


    "Good evening. Where should I take you?" The old man controlling the carriage that Minos had rented asked after the couple had entered it.


    "Good evening, ehh, we''re passing through here, and we don''t know the city. Please take us to the best local inn." Minos promptly responded while he had the beautiful Abby leaning against his shoulder.


    "Oh? I see, hehe, I know the right place."


    And as they moved around the city, Minos could see that despite being a place with an extensive area, there were few buildings, and the population density wasn''t big at all.


    In fact, this place looked a lot like the City of Waters, as if it were the larger version of that place.


    There were better parts, closer to the main streets and closer to the city center. But, at the same time, many other places had just ordinary houses.


    It was nothing like what had been in the Dry City before Minos'' arrival, but it wasn''t much better than the reality of the City of Waters.


    Apparently, this place shouldn''t be too developed.


    "Sir, I heard from the guard at the tollbooth that this place is called Diamond City, but this place doesn''t look like a place with mineral wealth." Minos said, trying to learn something about this place.


    "Hehe, a lot of people say the same thing when they come here for the first time. But, in fact, the city''s name is not related to the presence of diamonds in the region, but rather a historical fact!"


    "Oh? Can you tell me about this?"


    "Of course, hehe. I don''t know how true this rumor is. Still, it is said that about 80,000 years ago, Diamond City was a place like the Yellow City and was not very attractive to the kingdom."


    "However, at that time, a powerful cultivator had fought against a mighty spiritual beast at this location. According to the stories, that individual could even travel through space!" He said with a gleam in his eyes.


    Talking about the stories of his homeland to travelers who passed through here wasn''t bad. This old man had always liked his passengers'' expressions of surprise and sometimes laughter, so he told them all with a smile on his face.


    "To sum up, by the end of that fight, both sides had tied and died at that spot. And although the fight was incredible, the main point was what happened afterward, when the two corpses fell to the ground, close to the local spiritual root."


    "Strangely, within a few days of their death, a crystal that looked like a giant diamond had formed over their bodies."


    "Oh? I see¡­" Minos muttered in a low voice. He then asked. "After that, this place started to get better, right?"


    "Exactly!" The coachman said excitedly. "It is said that after 30 years, that crystal had disappeared from the city''s soil, and the local spiritual energy had increased, becoming the same as in many other regions of this state."


    "Because of that, the city was renamed with that name."


    ''Interesting, it seems that the local spiritual root has completely absorbed the spiritual power from the bodies of these two opponents¡­'' Minos thought to himself, remembering the memories of Henricus Longos.


    Naturally, when a cultivator died, his soul would dissipate, and his body would be left behind. But while the spiritual energy in the soul would spread through the atmosphere, that part stored in the fleshy body would be utterly concentrated in it!


    And such a thing could serve as a ''fertilizer'' for spiritual roots!


    Such a thing would only have significant effects if the corpses were of high-level beings, like those from the Spiritual Sage stage and so on. Below that, the amount of energy in a cultivator''s body would not be enough to stimulate external changes by feeding the spiritual roots with the energy contained in it.


    ''It seems that the spiritual roots present in the north of the Central Continent suffer from the same problem as that of the Dry City¡­'' Minos thought about it for a moment.


    If his theory was correct, then the corpse of the cultivator and beast that died here had functioned as an ''amateur'' version of what he''d done in the Dry City. That had resulted in a small-scale recovery of the local spiritual root, allowing this site to improve its spiritual density.


    However, this had not completely healed the local root, given that this site did not develop further after thousands of years.


    But that was expected. After all, even though cultivators at the 9th stage have abundant amounts of energy in their bodies, that''s only a tiny fraction of what a Divine-grade medicine has!


    And assuredly, the energy of these two corpses had not fully healed the local spiritual root!


    ''Hmm, as much as the local spiritual root has not been completely recovered, after the Dry City''s fully recovered, maybe it will be shared with this town...'' Minos thought to himself, already leaving some mental notes in his mind.


    ''If that happens, I will have to annex this place to my territory...''


    After that, the coachman of that carriage continued to tell Minos about some local facts while Abby listened to everything, resting her head on her partner''s shoulder.


    But this town wasn''t that big, and in a few minutes, Minos and Abby had already registered at an inn in the center of Diamond City.


    This place couldn''t be considered the best Minos had ever been in, but it was still a little better than the hotels this young man had visited in the City of Waters.


    Besides having a good number of rooms, there were options for paying more and getting some comforts. Other than that, the view of the city, despite not being one of the most beautiful, was still quite good from this location, from where one could see almost the entire urban perimeter.


    But due to the many whale oil lamps in the streets, many sections were darkened, and the local smell reminded Minos of the old Dry City.


    Anyway, after settling into one of the inn''s rooms, Minos and Abby quickly began to cultivate their energy, something that they hadn''t done since the beginning of the day.


    The journey ahead of them didn''t have many cities, and they would have to travel through the forests for a few days until they reached the next urban concentration. But this was perfect for Minos, who wanted to train during this period, and Abby, who would start training with him!

 Chapter 371: Generous (*)

    Hours passed, and it was already dawn in Diamond City.


    At this moment, it was misting while Minos and Abby were still in the room they had rented. The two youths were already awake by now, playing with each other before the two left to continue their journey.


    The room was filled with the fragrance released by the two, while their clothes were scattered here and there, along with the bedclothes.


    Pah! Pah!


    And as the daylight began to brighten their room more and more, Abby was riding on top of young Stuart, with her back and legs completely sweating.


    She moved on top of Minos'' rod as she moaned in pleasure, with a passionate look in her eyes.


    "Ahhh~"


    And finally, after doing this for a while, the young woman''s body vigorously shook as she collapsed onto her partner''s chest after a long, pleasant climax.


    "Hah~ Hah~" She took a quick breath, feeling Minos'' chest rise and fall as the young man''s rod left her body, spilling his seed between her legs.


    "Hah~ I love doing this with you, hah..." Minos commented to her, with a smile on his face, as he relaxed his muscles and hugged the waist of the beautiful young woman who was on top of him.


    "Me too... Mmmm~" After that, the two kissed and stood for a moment in that position, admiring each other as they rested before leaving this place.


    ...


    After a few minutes, the two had already taken a hot shower. Next, they had breakfast before finally deciding to walk in the town before continuing their journey.


    Minos had a map of this state provided by Elen and knew a few things about this region from information from his ally and Abby. However, there were always more variables on a trip, and it wouldn''t hurt to stay a few more hours in each place they passed, just to get to know the reality of this kingdom.


    And as they descended the stairs of the inn where they had stayed, the two were talking about what they should do next. "Minos, why do you want to know more about this place? Are we not just passing through? What difference does it make to know more about a city like this?" Abby asked him.


    Hearing this, Minos smiled and answered. "This region is very close to the Black Plain. Is it so strange that I want to know more about what surrounds me?"


    "Not." She responded at the same time as she slapped his hand away.


    "So, considering my future actions, knowing a few things about this place can help me a lot."


    "And when are we leaving? Do you want to stay here longer?" She asked doubtfully.


    And when the two were already walking in the central streets of Diamond City, Minos took one of Abby''s hands as they walked through that place. He then said. "No, we''re leaving before noon. Ahead of us is a forest region where we can start training. And given the distance between here and the next town, it makes no difference what time we go out, as we won''t get there in less than a day."


    "Hmm, OK."


    After that, the two strolled through the busiest parts of Diamond City, where many people were already circulating, coming and going from their activities.


    In general, this place was like any other small town that Minos had visited. There was a large mass of ordinary people that didn''t earn much and did the jobs with lower pay. Still, there were also several well-paid professionals, with many at the 5th stage of cultivation.


    And as expected, there was a Spiritual King in charge of this city for the sovereign family of that location. So, this place is similar to the city ruled by Mirya in the Cromwell Kingdom.


    However, given its population a little larger than that of the City of Waters, there was a more abundant supply of services in Diamond City, with even professionals with less popular specializations.


    There were even some grade-1 seers in this city, while there were grade-2 professionals for the three primary professions.


    As for the main activity of this place, well, besides the mining of spiritual crystals, what generated the most profit for the sovereign family of this place was the passage of travelers through here.


    Naturally, as the first town on the border of this state with the Brown Kingdom, many merchants and ordinary travelers passed through here.


    And in addition to local sovereigns receiving a share of the immigration tax, these visitors also took advantage of various local services, which generated taxes indirectly.


    Local commerce also attracted people from nearby towns, generating a network of influence that brought another 200,000 visitors per year.


    Finally, there was also well-developed agriculture here. And despite this city not exporting, it still managed to produce enough food to meet the entire local food demand!


    Anyway, Minos and Abby discovered this while talking to people willing to speak for some crystals...


    Anywhere there would be government workers with some knowledge willing to talk. And given the financial position of the young ruler of the Black Plain, it had not been difficult for him to reach these people.


    After talking to someone who knew someone who knew a person with such information, Minos had paid some ''fees'' and reached the right person.


    And with this individual, in addition to learning a little about the local reality, he had also discovered about the sovereign family of this city.


    That family was the House Harris, a medium-size noble power of the Kingdom of the Waves.


    Minos and Abby hadn''t gotten deeper information about that power. After all, just as the Stokes family had another region under its domain, so did the rulers of Diamond City.


    All they had discovered was that the Harris family was headquartered northwest of this town, over 2,000 kilometers away.


    The Waves Peninsula!


    This place was one of the southernmost parts of this kingdom and one of Stone Island''s closest regions. But despite being farther south in the state, this place was nowhere near the Black Plain, and for that reason, it was as good as any other part of the Kingdom of the Waves.


    It had an average concentration of spiritual energy and over 40 million inhabitants, divided into about 60 cities.


    Anyway, Minos was still talking to that local government worker when the sun was almost at the top of the local sky. She then said to the couple in front of her, in that square where the three were talking. "That''s all I know about the Harris family, sir, ma''am."


    "OK, thanks for the info." Minos then thanked her and took the opportunity to give another tip for the information.


    Seeing this, the woman smiled from ear to ear as she saw Minos and Abby leaving. She then remembered something and said. "Sir, you and your wife are traveling north alone, right?"


    Hearing this, Abby blushed in embarrassment as she looked at Minos, who had only a smile on his face. He then said. "Hmm, my wife and I will travel north. Why the question?"


    "You seem to be good people, so I want to warn you to be careful. As much as the north of our city is much safer than in the Yellow City region, there are still many dangers in the local forests."


    "Not only are the beasts quite numerous, but the presence of bandits and pirate groups is not small in these regions."


    "The other day, a neighbor of mine had his son killed while they were hunting here in the region. Bandits approached them, and when they tried to escape, things went wrong¡­." She warned Minos in a solemn tone.


    Minos had been very generous with the crystals, so this local government worker couldn''t help but have a good impression of him and Abby...


    "Oh? Thanks for letting us know. We''ll be careful." Minos quickly thanked her when he finally pulled his friend out of that place.


    After that, the two left towards the place where they had left Abby''s beast the night before, for them to leave Diamond City, finally.


    ''If any of these bandits or pirates come my way, it will be lucky. I''ll at least be able to get some more techniques for the Dry City Public Library¡­'' Minos reflected as he thought of that woman''s warning.

 Chapter 372: Investment

    At a specific point south of the Kingdom of the Waves, there was a large forested region even more extensive than the entire Black Plain.


    That place was filled with trees of different types and heights, some even reaching 200 meters in height. In part, this forest was completely dense, with many trees side by side, creating a zone of twilight, given the fact that the light rays did not reach the ground in these places.


    Elsewhere, woods and fields dominated this forest. Together with that, several rivers passed through these areas, with great water bodies, such as a large lake in the central region of this location.


    And in this distinct habitat and large domain, several spiritual beasts lived there, subdivided into tribes, which, in general, were in specific areas.


    Unlike the Black Plain, where the beasts typically followed in groups from one place to another in a nomadic way, the local beasts had their own territories.


    In Minos'' territory, there was not much food available, and the native beasts of the region had to travel constantly to get food. Sometimes the food was the human... Other times it was other species of spiritual beasts found regionally.


    Anyway, in that desolate territory, spiritual beasts needed to work hard to survive, even considering that their characteristics helped them in their survival...


    But in the Flooded Valley, this forest region in question, there was not so much the lack of food, and there were beasts smart enough to enforce specific rules.


    Several beasts could reach the 5th stage of cultivation in this region, including a few that could reach the 6th stage!


    Because of this, many tribes with intelligent beasts existed throughout the Flooded Valley, forming a dynamic similar to those of human territories.


    Each beast had its tribes in certain areas, such as cities led by noble families, and there were also free places, not restricted, nobody''s territory.


    And in the midst of this region dominated by spiritual beasts, in a place with a great density of trees, almost as dark as night, even though it was day, two youths were fighting.


    One of them was only in brown trousers, while his defined chest was bare, without clothes or protections. He just held a wooden stick in his hand as if he were wielding a sword.


    This young man had brown hair, and even though he was constantly moving, there wasn''t even a drop of sweat on his body.


    On the other hand, a woman with blue hair was constantly attacking, occasionally defending herself with everything she had. She was completely soaked in sweat, and her beautiful face was pale at the moment.


    She wore blue armor over her dress, which displayed a golden "M" symbol within a blue circumference.


    These two, of course, were Minos and Abby, who had already left Diamond City about four days ago, and were now training in some part of Flooded Valley.


    After leaving that city, the two had not encountered any problems so far, as they had barely reached the core of the forest.


    That forest could not be crossed by them quickly, even with a 4th stage beast like the one with them. And to make matters worse, the two were not traveling in a hurry. Instead, the two were cultivating and training as they traveled, so they had barely left the south side of this forest region.


    Consequently, the weaker beasts in the surroundings of this forest would not approach Minos and Abby due to their spiritual power.


    As for the training Minos was doing with Abby right now, that was something the two of them had started practicing the same day they left Diamond City.


    For Abby, this training, while very difficult, was something that could significantly increase her cultivation speed, given the pressure Minos was putting on her during their matches.


    This young man was limiting his power so that she could have chances to counterattack while he was using neither the Devouring Art nor the Spatial Sword.


    After all, if he used such techniques, Abby wouldn''t even have a chance to train!


    Consequently, it would make no sense for Minos to pressure her that way.


    What he was using against her were his other two techniques, focused on defense and movement, to dodge and defend against Abby.


    However, with the help of sticks, Minos could still use his Spatial Sword understandings to create spiritual attacks without using the power of this technique.


    That was somewhat similar to the way Emlyn could use her claws to create air blades...


    And so, Minos could attack Abby with blows of a similar level to hers, which would force this young woman to defend herself, having to use her defense technique constantly.


    Finally, the two of them were training twice a day in this way, while they still stopped practicing each of their techniques and cultivating. Both wanted to improve their strength, especially Abby, so they were very motivated in this travel and training routine.


    Anyway, at this moment, Abby, who was already completely tired and dirty due to the falls she had suffered, finally stopped after seeing Minos'' gesture.


    "You''re trying so hard, Abby. That''s fine, but don''t push yourself too hard. Too much effort can result in muscle stress¡­" Minos gave her some hints as he used his senses to scan the surroundings.


    "Hah... Hah... If I don''t do this, I''ll just be a burden to you in no time..." She replied breathlessly, trying to recover slowly.


    Minos then came up behind her and lightly hugged her, not wanting to pressure Abby''s body, which was already sensitive due to their fight. "That bothers you a lot, huh?" He asked with a smile on his face as he smelled the sweet scent of his friend''s blue hair.


    But she didn''t answer him, just tried to pull away as she said something. "Don''t hug me like that. I''m dirty and stinking!"


    But he didn''t care about such a thing. Abby''s smell couldn''t be considered bad even with her all sweaty and dirt-smeared. Minos then brought her back into his embrace and said. "What about this? I''ll let you learn the Silver-grade techniques I had promised the Elite Squad soldiers."


    After hearing this, Abby turned to him and looked at his face in shock. "But¡­ No, that I won''t accept. Every soldier in the army dreams of these techniques, and will you just give them to me without my doing anything to deserve them? Isn''t that very unfair to them?"


    Minos then smiled at her and said. "It would be more unfair if someone of a noble family competed with them. A person who grew up learning Black-grade techniques, with superior talent and level than most of them, people who until recently had never fought in their lives..."


    "This¡­" Abby tried to say something, but nothing could be said to counter Minos'' words. In fact, if she were to compete against those soldiers in the exam that would take place in less than a year, she would undoubtedly pass.


    "But I also didn''t make any contribution..."


    "Hmm, that''s right..."


    "But think of it as an investment that any leader would make in the most talented and trusted people. Then we''ll give a chance to another soldier of humble origins because you won''t be able to take the exam if I teach you the techniques now." Minos said as he held her in his arms.


    Minos wasn''t suggesting it for just that reason, of course. Otherwise, he would have offered it before, just as he could have done the same with Peter, Robin, and Barbara.


    Even though they didn''t have the same advantages as Abby, these three still had very high chances of making it to the 20 selected for the Elite Squad.


    However, they didn''t have two things that Abby did. First, the reliability, something generated by the fact that Minos has known this young woman for many years. And second, because she was living with him daily, without any chances of leaking any information, even if she didn''t want to.


    Also, Minos would genuinely like to have someone else with the strength of a Spiritual King. Even if Abby didn''t have the required level yet, she could achieve it by the end of the trip if she started using Silver-grade techniques now.


    That was an investment for the Black Plain, a way for him to split the weight on his shoulders and a way to relieve his partner''s mental pressure...

 Chapter 373: The Old Way

    Anyway, Abby was one of the best options for Minos to invest his resources for several reasons. And in a few months, she could already learn these techniques in the Elite Squad, so moving this subject forward in a few months wouldn''t bring any risk that wasn''t already there for him.


    And after hearing Minos'' justification, Abby finally stopped protesting when she returned his embrace. "Thanks." She shyly said as she hid her face in his chest.


    Minos'' action genuinely touched her. Even though he had given his technical justifications, which made this action reasonable, to Abby, this was a way for her friend to show his affection for her.


    Spiritual techniques were directly related to the power and life of cultivators, and because of that, they could completely change a person''s destiny. Such a thing could make you live longer, get you to go further in cultivation levels, and therefore get closer to realizing your dreams.


    Because of this, any cultivator would be extremely happy with the opportunity to learn higher-grade techniques. And with that, there was gratitude for it, as could be seen in the inhabitants of the Dry City.


    That was completely different from what happened in large regional families, where the population received nothing, and even subordinates only received second-rate items.


    Even if a subordinate earned the right to gain a Black-grade technique, he still couldn''t choose a cultivation-focused technique...


    Therefore, the feeling of gratitude in large regional families was not profound. In general, people gave more value to their own achievements and less to the opportunities created by these organizations.


    But Minos'' soldiers and the inhabitants of the Dry City were already receiving proper treatment, even though they had not accomplished immense feats. It was as if they were being valued for the first time in their lives!


    That''s why they already had such a positive view of their sovereign, which Abby was starting to feel too.


    And after a moment, when the two of them stood there in the middle of the forest holding each other, Minos finally moved away from Abby and removed a Silver-grade cultivation technique from his spatial ring. "Learn this one first. Then, when you comprehend the basics of it, I''ll let you learn a defensive technique."


    Abby couldn''t learn the techniques all at once, so it would be better to start with cultivation, which was directly related to her level. And after that, receiving the defense technique would be the best to save her life in dangerous situations.


    Because of this, Minos wanted her to learn these techniques in that order.


    "Hmm." She made a sound of agreement when she finally sat down on a rock in that place and began to learn her new cultivation technique.


    ''Close your eyes, follow the path of light through darkness...''


    ''Feel the wind in your face...''


    And while Abby was learning her new technique, Minos was watching the surroundings, along with the beast, crouched at some point in that forest.


    ...


    Hours passed when Abby finally finished her cultivation session after mastering the basics of the technique Minos had delivered to her. After that, she had naturally returned the silver parchment to him, as this young man had no copies of these techniques.


    And by the time that had passed, it had already become dark in that region where the two of them were when they finally mounted that great beast and departed from that spot.


    Traveling at night wasn''t the safest option of all, but it had been a short time since sunset, and none of them were tired to stop and rest. So, they intended to travel for a few hours until there was a need for one of them to rest.


    On the other hand, they had not yet reached the region closest to the center of the Flooded Valley, the most dangerous place in this region. That way, they would probably still have their way clear for a while longer before mighty beasts pass them.


    ...


    Minos and Abby were at this moment on the back of that spiritual beast that looked like a giant tiger while its took cat steps at low speed.


    The group had already decided to stop for food and rest, so at this point, they were looking for an ideal place to camp before they stopped for good.


    "It''s quiet around here, don''t you think?" Abby asked Minos as she felt this young man''s arms wrap around her waist.


    "Hmm, more than should¡­" He replied as he looked from side to side and tried to probe his surroundings.


    But it was futile. Minos couldn''t feel anything, not even a single living being besides them over there. "Stay tuned, Abby. Maybe it''s nothing, but maybe there''s some beast out of our reach that''s causing it or even some spiritual array further ahead."


    "OK."


    On the other hand, while neither Minos nor Abby sensed any signs of abnormality in their surroundings, the same was not true of the great beast that carried them. In fact, at that moment, this tiger was smelling a strange fragrance, which was slowly making it feel more and more sleepy.


    "There''s something wrong!" So, it thought to itself in its language. And immediately as her hired beast realized this, Abby felt a strange sensation in her soul, as if the tiger was trying to tell her something.


    But such a thing was unclear since this being had not yet reached the 5th stage of cultivation.


    Their contract had been made through a low-level grade-2 beast tamer, and because of that, naturally, Abby wouldn''t be able to fully understand her beast until it reached the 5th stage of cultivation...


    However, even though Abby didn''t directly understand the problem, she could still clearly feel that her beast was trying to warn her that something was wrong!


    "Minos, I think we have a problem." She said worriedly. "Ebba doesn''t seem to be feeling well."


    "Oh?" Minos then probed the beast for a moment and realized that it seemed to be slowly losing consciousness. ''Beasts have all senses better than humans... And even though she''s at a lower stage than ours, she certainly has her five senses more effective than ours...'' So, he thought to himself, considering all his knowledge of Night Tigers, like Abby''s contracted beast.


    Night Tigers were native beasts of the Snow Kingdom and had potential compared to humans with Black talent!


    He then gave his instructions to Abby. "Use your skill on the three of us. Try to stimulate our senses to be fully alert and awake. I think we got into some trap."


    "Activate your defense technique too!"


    Indestructible Body!


    Water Skin!


    The two quickly activated their defenses while Abby touched her beast and Minos, using her innate ability to enhance their senses.


    And in doing so, almost immediately, the beast, which was gradually losing consciousness, returned to its former state, fully awake.


    As for Minos and Abby herself, the two could now feel the energetic fluctuations of a spiritual array, which was previously trying to induce the three of them to sleep.


    Minos and Abby just weren''t affected like Ebba because their cultivation was more significant, and also, their olfactory abilities weren''t as sensitive as that beast''s ones!


    ''Hmm, this must be no beast. They''re probably human... The question here is, are we their targets? Or do we just get involved in other people''s affairs?'' Minos thought to himself as he stood guard, ready to act.


    The spiritual array that had reached them would not be perceived unless their targets were protecting themselves, as the group of Minos was at this moment. And because of that, these two youths hadn''t noticed anything other than the previous silence.


    But by protecting themselves from the array''s effects, they were finally able to find its location, which was less than 50 meters away from the two of them.


    And in that place, Minos was finally able to sense several distinct spiritual fluctuations in a group that seemed to be waiting for them.


    As he and Abby felt that presence in front of them, finally, a voice broke the silence of that forest, coming from the side of those people. "Hehehe, looks like these two are smarter than the other idiots who came by earlier."


    "Zhaha, Chief Kol, it looks like we''re going to have to do this the old way!"

 Chapter 374: One of You Will Speak!

    Hearing the voices coming from that place ahead, Minos and Abby remained standing in the same place as before, waiting for what would come next.


    The two were on alert at this point to know what was going on around here. Of course, this was mainly due to the effects of Abby''s innate ability. But both were genuinely curious about this incident.


    After days traveling through this Flooded Valley, neither of them had seen other humans on their way, but now all at once, such a thing was happening. And from the voices they heard, it looked like these people were ambushing other travelers passing through this place.


    ''Let''s see who these idiots are...'' Minos thought to himself as he continued to sit behind Abby, hugging her waist.


    Naturally, he had already noticed the number of people in front of him and the cultivation level of each one there.


    There were 14 people, and their strength was between levels 43 and 46.


    As for Abby, she too had noticed these signs and was already on her guard for these people.


    And after a few seconds, finally, a group of men wearing wild clothes appeared in front of the couple. Some of these people had hideous scars on their faces, others had huge tattoos on their chests, while each handled weapons of different types.


    Much of the group had expressions of satisfaction when they finally saw their target...


    There were just two youths of levels 42 and 43, and one of the two was even a stunning beauty...


    "Hahaha, we hit the jackpot! We can put this brat to work in the crystal mines, and we might even have a new ''toy'' in our group!" One of them commented with a wicked smile on his face as he licked his lips with the tip of his tongue.


    "And look at this beast. We will certainly have enough meat for the next two months!"


    While they were making their comments about Minos and Abby, finally their boss, gave an order when looking at two men of that group. "Douglas, Nisesh, take care of these two quickly. I bet they both have a lot of items in their spatial rings."


    "OK, boss!" The two responded as they got even closer to Abby''s beast.


    And seeing and hearing this group, Minos was slowly getting angrier and angrier about this situation.


    He was not a person who would lose his temper easily. In fact, aside from the problem he had with his absent mother and his father''s death, this young man would rarely feel angry.


    But in addition to these two weaknesses, he also could not bear the fact that someone uttered such words about one of his partners. Besides being something disgusting to say to anyone, it was like humiliation to him!


    He then quickly descended from his young friend''s beast, shortly after asking her to stay behind him the entire time, without running away.


    He then looked at the group of men, about 20 meters away from him, and then look at the two guys walking towards him. "Looks like you''re one of those groups of worms that kidnap and enslave travelers in this region, right?"


    "Oh? It looks like you''re not ignorant, brat. But what are you going to do? Hehehe." One of them said this while laughing and pointing a dagger to Minos.


    "I imagine you guys have been doing this for a long time, huh? Do you have any camps nearby? Reinforcements?" Minos probed the group, trying to get more information for his future actions...


    "Zhaha, you ask a lot of questions for someone in such a situation, brat!"


    "Hmm, it doesn''t matter..." Minos then quickly activated all of his battle techniques as he moved at high speed, appearing beside those two individuals.


    Simultaneously, neither of these two could move even 1 millimeter when a sword appeared in Minos'' hand, and this young man made a horizontal attack!


    Swooish!


    Puff!


    "One way or another, one of you will speak!" Minos finished his speech just as two heads fell in front of him, just before the bodies collapsed to the ground, spurting blood from their necks.


    All this happened in a split second, and Minos and Abby''s enemies had barely heard this young man''s comment, followed by a brief pause when those two thugs died!


    But that wasn''t all. At that moment, more than half of them couldn''t even move, at the same time that their energies were sucked away at an alarming rate.


    "Shit! We are screwed!" One of them screamed in awe just after Minos finished his sentence.


    "Run for your lives!" The group leader shockingly said this, with his pupils wholly contracted. ''But what kind of monster do we offended?'' He wondered in wonder as he turned to leave that spot.


    However, such a thing was futile. In addition to Minos being much faster than each of them, this group was under the space influenced by the young sovereign''s techniques!


    "Since you attacked us, forget about running!"


    After saying that, Minos once again moved through that part of the forest. He kept his defense and support techniques active while switching between the Spatial Sword and Explosive Steps.


    Within seconds, Minos ''froze'' the space around about 8 of these thugs as he sent air blades toward the necks of each of them.


    Shortly after doing so, he ran towards the remnants again, and even before the previous heads hit the ground, young Stuart finished other enemies.


    ''Shit! How can this be? This brat is only at level 43. How can he be so strong?'' One of them wondered, running away with everything he could to save his own life.


    Swooish!


    Unfortunately for this thug, he could barely get a chance to try something else when his body was split into two halves, from head to legs.


    After that death, only two of these men remained, both of level 46. The two had run faster and had naturally avoided Minos'' merciless blows at first.


    However, it was challenging for the two to escape, and soon the young Stuart appeared in front of them, finishing one of them with a blow and leaving the other alive.


    "Hells!" The remnant of the group screamed in despair, looking to the side, hoping for a light at the end of the tunnel. "Please, don''t kill me! I tell you everything I know!" He begged.


    But Minos didn''t give a damn about this man. He just made a quick move and immobilized his enemy and destroyed this man''s cultivation. "I said one of you would speak, but don''t think I need your agreement!"


    After the battle ended, Abby quickly crossed that piece of forest, arriving at the side of Minos and that man.


    She had watched all of this, following her partner''s instructions, trying to stay behind him the entire time while keeping her guard up. But the fight had been so fast that Abby had barely had time to feel the thrill of seeing such an event.


    Seeing his friend beside him, Minos then said. "Abby, use your skill on this worm and make him speak everything he knows."


    Abby then nodded her head as she touched the head of the man kneeling in front of her and activated her ability.


    "No!" The man screamed in a weakened tone as blue energy covered his head, starting to stimulate the production of certain substances in his nervous system.


    Abby''s skill was genuinely impressive. Even though he was four levels above this young woman and mentally strong, he felt compelled to tell them the truth after just one touch of hers.


    Abby then said as she held this man''s head. "OK, you can ask the questions."


    Minos nodded in satisfaction at the same time he placed his hand on her shoulder and said. "Thanks, Abby." He then looked at that person who had a desperate face and asked. "I want to know about your origins. Are there other groups like yours around?"


    ...


    "Where are they? How many they are, and what is their average strength?"


    ...


    Minos asked that guy many questions when finally all that was answered, and the young man killed such a person.


    There was no need to leave any survivors!


    Since they wanted to enslave Minos and even destroy Abby''s life, then this young sovereign would exterminate them!


    And it wasn''t long before Minos collected all the belongings left behind by the bandits and continued his journey with Abby...

 Chapter 375: Abbys Advancement

    Three days had passed since the previous incident.


    By this time, Minos and Abby were near the center of the Flooded Valley.


    After that attack, the two had encountered two other groups of criminals throughout this forest. Still, neither team was stronger than the last. Due to this, they were quickly exterminated by Minos!


    Finally, the young Stuart had collected all of their items and accumulated a fair amount of resources for the Black Plain. He still hadn''t stopped to count his winnings, but he was sure that he would have good earnings when he finished this matter.


    And as to why he wanted to destroy the local bandit group, well, that was because of two factors.


    First, he had found out from that previous individual that there was a criminal camp in the middle of the Flooded Valley.


    Because of that, as Minos and Abby already had to pass through this place, it wouldn''t make much difference for their trip to stop and fight these thugs. Furthermore, they were training during this trip, so there was nothing better than destroying these enemies!


    Of course, if the bandit camp weren''t in their way of travel, then Minos wouldn''t bother to do such a thing. He had his priorities, and naturally, he wasn''t going to change his schedule just because of these people.


    Second, Minos was doing this for the gains he could make. Obtain Blue-grade techniques would not be difficult, but it would be pretty expensive. That, of course, is related to the fact that large organizations and noble families monopolize these techniques.


    As a result, Minos had no reason not to collect these items, especially since these bandits had already attacked them. Furthermore, now he and Abby were aware of the camp in the Flooded Valley!


    His town''s public library already had many combat-focused techniques, but that was still only a fraction of the number of great noble families. So, Minos wanted more!


    With more techniques of different types, characteristics, etc., citizens with varying fighting styles could emerge. And maybe such a thing would make some of these people better understand their innate abilities, making them even better!


    On the other hand, these 5th stage cultivators always had various spiritual artifacts and pills, things that would be useful to place in the Mercenary Guild or the army''s Rewards'' Hall.


    Items produced by specialists in spiritual professions generally had good durability. As a result, even second-hand items would still be valuable to many people, especially in the impoverished north of the Central Continent.


    Anyway, from what Minos had discovered of that bandit, there were about 50 of them in a camp in the central region of this forest.


    The strongest was someone at level 47, and the rest were between levels 43 and 46.


    In that place, there were also many captives working for them, while several prisoners were kept incarcerated. And naturally, some people were worth more than others. Consequently, they would have different destinies.


    But in general, all these individuals were people like Minos and Abby. Travelers who had fallen into the traps of that group of criminals.


    Regional roads were unsafe, and in many places, there were people like the group exterminated by Minos and the one who had kidnapped Peter months ago. As long as the difference in strength between criminals hiding on the roads and travelers was not too great, it would not be entirely uncommon for incidents of this nature to happen.


    Of course, the northern part of the Central Continent had  ??millions of square kilometers, so most people were able to travel without such problems. But certain parts had higher case rates, such as the Kingdom of the Waves border with the Brown Kingdom.


    Groups that traveled at night were not numerous or had powerful cultivators present were the primary victims of these types of actions. And because of this, the portion of the regional population that was more humble, with White talent and low levels, rarely left their regions, as in the case of the old Dry City.


    There was no crime problem in the Black Plain, given its poverty. However, anyone who wanted to leave this place would have to pass through dangerous regions, as the border with the Kingdom of the Waves!


    Hence the reason for many to accept their destinies in that poor land...


    ...


    At this moment, Minos and Abby were standing beside a sizeable flooded region in the center of the Flooded Valley.


    The two had finally understood the name of this place...


    The central part of this forest actually had a valley, with a vast lake, which one couldn''t even see the limits!


    And due to the experience that the two had already gone through locally, they learn that it rained every day between the middle of the night and early morning in this region. And this feature created a range of flooding on the sides of the lake, which increased in area at night and decreased during the day.


    But despite this constant flooding of the adjacent areas of this part of the forest, there was still vibrant biodiversity in these places.


    There were very striking organisms that glowed at night, others that gave off pleasant fragrances that could reach miles from the source, and trees with tens of meters high.


    And right in one of the tallest trees in this place, Minos and Abby were standing right now.


    On one side, on a branch over 8 meters in diameter, a big tiger was lying down with its eyes closed, while on the other was a young man with brown hair.


    And between the two, Abby was meditating in that place. At the same time, low-grade crystals glowed brightly, losing their energy reserves.


    Each of these crystals was as small as a papaya seed and looked like a tiny shiny diamond.


    While these spiritual crystals lost their energy and disintegrated, Abby''s energy was concentrated, creating a small force field that deformed the air around her.


    Crack!


    At that moment, when Abby''s body seemed a little tense, a cracking sound resounded from the depths of her being.


    Finally, she woke up from her cultivation session and felt her spiritual energy reach the beginning of level 43!


    "Congratulations, Abby!" Minos said this as he approached her, smiling.


    "Hmm, thanks."


    "Mmm~"


    After that, the two kissed for a few seconds, while the blue-haired girl felt energized and happy for her progress. She had already gathered spiritual energy to reach this level even before she started to cultivate the Silver-grade technique provided by Minos.


    But even so, with that fact and the struggles she had been having with him, Abby had still managed to reach that level a few days in advance.


    And that made her happy, mainly because she wouldn''t be much below Minos'' level in the short time!


    Other than that, in the past few days, she had also fought some of the thugs Minos had faced.


    Naturally, she only did this after the young Stuart had eliminated the most severe threats. Then she could kill her opponents one by one, with her partner ready to protect her...


    That was a safe way to fight and usually provided by the bodyguards of young nobles like Abby.


    The bodyguard would take care that the young nobleman''s life would not be at risk while these individuals could have real fights!


    And to release the frustration of her losses to Minos, Abby was finding their arrangement very satisfying. This girl had acquired great contempt and disgust for people who enslave others after the events in that nightclub in Hadria, where the Black Market was located in the Cromwell Kingdom.


    Because of that, Abby naturally didn''t feel bad about killing these criminals, at the same time that she released her frustrations...


    "We shouldn''t be too far from the bandit camp. Let''s go." Minos commented after separating his lips from Abby''s and looking at the horizon.


    "Hmm."


    And as they prepared to leave that place, some beasts began to appear in the vicinity, circling that tree that Minos and Abby were.


    There were dozens of them, and each looked like snakes with colored scales and a pair of wings near their heads. The weaker of them just crawled through the wet terrain of that place, while a few, the stronger ones, flew in the skies.


    "Feathered Serpents!" Minos and Abby said in shock simultaneously as they gazed at the group of beasts surrounding them.

 Chapter 376: Feathered Serpents

    Feathered Serpents was an ancient race of serpents of the Spiritual World, present on the Central Continent and the Continent of the Beast.


    However, although there are no race subdivisions within this species, the Feathered Serpents of the Continent of the Beast had much stronger bloodlines than those of the Central Continent.


    Such a thing could be seen in the potential limitations of these beings, which could reach the 8th stage of cultivation. Still, those from the Central Continent would barely get to the 6th stage!


    That was the difference between lineages within the same species!


    But even so, this was a high-level breed by Central Continent standards, where Minos and Abby were.


    However, beyond that factor, what shocked these youths the most was that these beasts, so highly classified, were in the impoverished north of the Central Continent!


    Contrary to popular belief, these creatures of the Feathered Serpents race did not have a fixed habitat and frequently migrated using their unique ability, Spiritual Affinity.


    Such ability allowed these beasts to find ideal, energy-rich places, allowing them even to identify changes before they happen!


    In fact, it wouldn''t be difficult for a member of the Feathered Serpents clan to find the place where valuable medicine would grow!


    But that had its limits, of course, related to the level of these beings...


    Anyway, as they watched the many beasts of this rare species circling them, Minos and Abby finally saw a few of them approaching the place where they were.


    There were about 15 of them at the 5th stage of cultivation and 3 at the 6th stage, flying through the skies of that place until they reached the branch where Minos and Abby were.


    Seeing this, the young Stuart wasn''t scared or anything like that. However, he was still holding onto Abby and this young woman''s spiritual beast, ready to flee to the Spatial Kingdom if something went wrong...


    But, while the young ruler of the Black Plain had a look of caution on his face, a hoarse, noble voice came from one of those Feathered Serpents that were flying in front of him.


    "Friends from the north of the Central Continent, it''s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Virtus. May I know your esteemed names?" One of the snakes in the air said. This beast appeared to be the biggest of the group, about 5 meters long, and wings as big as its own body.


    And hearing the serpent''s polite introduction, Minos and Abby couldn''t help but open their mouths in shock. The blue-haired young woman, of course, only knew of these ancient beasts through the few books she had read in the Miller family, but young Stuart knew more.


    From the memories left by Henricus Longus, Minos knew that members of this race could be very polite to some but utterly hostile to others. And, in general, the second alternative was the predominant one...


    And due to that knowledge, he was shocked that these beasts were treating him and Abby with respect, even more so when their group was so much stronger than Minos''!


    ''Can they feel a trace of the Spatial Kingdom''s power through the ring in my hand?'' Minos wondered as he tried to calm himself.


    However, Minos didn''t have time to think about that right now. Since the strongest among them, a level 58 beast, was being so kind to him, then he could do the same!


    "Hello Elder Virtus, this one beside me is Abby, my friend. And this humble one here is called Minos. Nice to meet you." He responded at the same time by touching Abby''s waist for her to greet them.


    After hearing this, the great serpent nodded its great head in the air and closed its eyes as if it were smiling at the two youths. And the others also waved their big bodies as they conversed through mind communication, which their species was also capable of.


    ''This must be his wife!'' One of them commented as it smelled Minos on Abby''s body.


    ''Ah, it''s a shame they aren''t trying to reproduce. Otherwise, another talented youth could be born...''


    ''Hmm, it will be difficult for the two of them to reproduce when he gets stronger...''


    And as the group of snakes talked amongst themselves, their group leader finally looked at Minos and said. "So it''s young Minos!"


    "I hope young Minos doesn''t mind, but I''ll be bringing my clan to live in this forest."


    "Eh?" Minos exclaimed in surprise. "I don''t care, but..."


    When Minos was saying something, the giant serpent stopped him and commented. "I have a feeling that this place''s spiritual density will soon increase, and after seeing you a few moments ago, I have the impression that you are responsible for this. That way, I wish young Minos doesn''t stop us."


    ''Oh? So, it looks like the changes in the Black Plain are truly going to affect this place!'' Minos concluded.


    ''Ah, Spiritual Affinity is genuinely amazing. These serpents can even feel my relationship to such a thing!''


    Minos then replied. "If that''s the case, I hope your clan develops well around here."


    And after hearing this, all the other serpents made satisfaction noises as some began to run around.


    "Haha, thanks for that, young Minos!" Virtus said.


    Minos then shook his head and commented. "But this Flooded Valley already has many beasts. So, I''m afraid you''ll have some problems..."


    "Haha, that''s the minus. But, we can achieve this with some ''diplomacy''... But young Minos, may I know from where you come? I want to visit your home in the future." He asked curiously.


    Minos then looked at Virtus and thought it wouldn''t be worth it. Even if these beasts knew he came from the Black Plain, it would be tough for that information to leak through them.


    After all, there weren''t many people in this region who could make these beasts talk. But, on the other hand, as members of the ancient Feathered Serpent race, they each had a powerful sense of integrity with those they respected!


    Minos then said promptly. "I come from the Black Plain."


    ''No wonder!''  Someone commented internally.


    ''Hmm, that place looked even more attractive to us. It''s a shame it''s not suitable. If not, we wouldn''t even have come here...''


    Virtus then commented. "It makes sense! Good, good. Young Minos, if you decide to visit us one day, we will be right in this place. We''ll be pleased to receive you!" He said with a satisfied expression.


    "We''ll also pay a visit when young Minos reaches level 50¡­" He started talking about a few things until finally, the conversation ended, and young Stuart left that place along with Abby.


    The whole time they talked, Abby was shocked at how things were going. Those beasts of such a renowned race had been so kind to them. This girl couldn''t believe it...


    ''They are surprisingly friendly!'' She thought to herself as she looked behind that tree, from where she and Minos had been before.


    "Did you understand what happened back there?" She asked as soon as they walked away from that area.


    "I think their instincts say there are benefits to befriending us¡­" After that, Minos began to tell his friend what he knew as the two traveled towards the spot where the bandit camp was located.


    ...


    Meanwhile, the group of Feathered Serpents was starting to establish on that area, which was under the influence of local floods.


    Their group consisted not just of these members but of thousands who were still moving here.


    And in the middle of that place, where many serpents were already beginning to change the terrain, Virtus looked at the sky with a sparkle in his eyes.


    He naturally couldn''t feel the energy of the Spatial Kingdom through the ring in Minos'' hand, as he was only a 6th stage cultivation beast.


    However, through his Spiritual Affinity, he could sense the potential of that young man''s talent!


    And with that, Virtus naturally felt that Minos could reach level 100 in a few centuries. Because of that, he had been so kind to that youths before.


    The fact that Minos is related to local change was indeed a plus point. Still, it couldn''t be compared to talent beyond the Golden one!


    ''This land will likely be part of an empire with a God at its command...''


    "Our tribe can finally rise under the wing of such a powerful expert!"

 Chapter 377: Exterminating the Camp!

    Boom!


    In the middle of the central region of the Flooded Valley, explosions sounded through the air. At the same time, the land of that place was thrown into the air, considerably reducing the visibility there.


    Several craters were rapidly forming at the same time as structures that looked like wooden houses were gradually being destroyed.


    On one side of what looked like a camp, dozens of people were gathered in a place not far from where the fight occurred, crouched on the ground, hiding their heads between their legs.


    And while this group of people with necklaces around their necks didn''t even try to see the fight that was going on in this place, about 30 people were intensely fighting right now.


    Many of them dressed wildly, with clothing made mainly from the leather of beasts, along with incomplete shields. Each of them had a serious look on their bronzed faces, while bloodstains could be seen coming out of their facial holes.


    Finally, two people were fighting this group of men. One of them wore only a set of lightweight clothing, typical for fights, as he moved at high speed through that place, making his brown hair wave from side to side.


    He wielded a 1-meter long sword in his left hand, with a smile on his face.


    Beside him was a young woman with blue hair, wearing blue armor, who at this moment had countless sweat stains on her clothing. She was hurriedly breathing as she felt more and more tired of this struggle.


    These two, of course, were Abby and Minos, that had come all the way to this camp after a few hours of traveling since their unusual encounter with the Feathered Serpents.


    And after arriving at this location, Minos and Abby immediately invaded the camp, with this young man quickly killing the leaders of the enemy side. After that, the two had reached the present situation, where the young ruler of the Black Plain was watching over his partner''s struggle, protecting her from time to time.


    That was part of Abby''s training. Consequently, Minos wouldn''t waste such an opportunity.


    As for why these criminals didn''t run away, well, that was simply because every time one tried such a thing, right away, Minos would cut their heads...


    It was a cruel fate, but none of these men had a choice about it. When two sides faced each other in the Spiritual World, usually the stronger would decide the fate of the other!


    And the fate of these men had already been reaped by Minos, the moment that the previous group had attacked Abby and him.


    Pow!


    Boom!


    "Ahhh!"


    Screams rang out through that camp as Abby''s merciless attacks killed another bandit.


    "Hah, hah, I''m getting exhausted... Hah, can you finish them for me?" Abby asked when finally the number of her opponents had decreased to 15.


    "OK."


    After saying this to Abby, Minos ran towards the place where most of these men were, simultaneously directing blows in the direction of the others.


    He was moving so fast that many of the criminals in this place could barely see the sword moves Minos was making as he ran through that camp.


    Swooish!


    Swooish!


    Simultaneously, several blades cut the surroundings of that


    region, emitting a threatening presence that was scaring each of these thugs.


    ''Shit!''


    And finally, when the young Stuart was close to the larger group, he promptly activated his attack technique, ready to end their lives.


    Spatial Sword!


    Puff!


    Puff!


    But this time, unlike the screams of pain that were heard earlier when they fought Abby, now only the sound of their bodies being cut sounded in that spot.


    Different heads and body parts of each of them tumbled onto the degraded terrain, almost instantly soaking the ground with several liters of blood.


    The unpleasant smell of death was already spreading through that place due to the numerous corpses when Minos'' sword decapitated the last bandit.


    At this moment, silence finally prevailed there, for the first time since the last 20 minutes, that Minos and Abby started this fight.


    Almost all the houses in this location had been destroyed by the remnant attacks of the battle, while the earth raised by the explosions finally returned to the surface.


    Finally, the captives who worried for their own lives and hid their heads over their legs eventually dared to look at the outcome of the battle.


    Everything had happened suddenly, and now the entire group that had enslaved them was destroyed.


    "Rhea, Roger, are you all right?"


    "Are we saved?"


    "Don''t talk too loud. Who knows what these two want? Be careful..."


    Several voices sounded among that group as these people watched the outcome of the struggle and the two youths who had caused it all.


    Meanwhile, Minos and Abby could finally relax a little when the two started to eat some spiritual fruits to recover themselves.


    "Hah, hah, are you going to release them?" Abby asked at the same time as she was eating a pink apple.


    Minos then nodded and replied. "Hmm, these are just ordinary people. Otherwise, they wouldn''t have ended up in this situation."


    He wasn''t worried about hiding from these people. After all, the situation he was in wasn''t bad. He''d just attacked a bunch of bandits, scum that no one would miss.


    On the other hand, these people probably came from entirely different places. They couldn''t even figure out from where Minos and Abby were just by their appearances. So, releasing them wouldn''t do any harm to these two.


    After saying this, Minos went to the place where the captives were gathered while eating another apple, just like Abby''s.


    He then stopped a few meters away from those people, who were watching him with awe on their faces. "I''m going to free you, but I want you to help me burn the bodies of these bandits. All right?"


    "Are you going to set us free?"


    "Ahh, thank heavens!"


    "Finally free!" Several of them commented on happiness.


    However, amid this moment of liberation, one of them asked in a disgruntled way. "Sir, why do we have to burn these bastards? They deserve to be devoured by the local beasts!"


    "Hmm, we should do this!" Other people agreed.


    And hearing this, Minos moved his head from side to side in denial and asked. "So, you''re just going to run away from the center of the forest right after you''re released? Are you sure you want to leave this place without even regaining your energy?"


    "No." Some of them said in low voices.


    The young Stuart then continued. "Then, you need to stay here for a while longer¡­ In that case, do you truly want to let these thugs cause trouble for you even after their deaths? Because they will start attracting these local beasts to where you should be resting."


    "No..." The man from before said in a low voice, understanding the problem of his suggestion.


    He had been so traumatized by those criminals that he wanted these men to suffer even after death...


    Such was the effect of hatred on the mentality of certain people!


    Anyway, after explaining this to that group, Minos soon used the Devouring Art to destroy all those necklaces, freeing all those individuals.


    He then turned to go back to Abby''s side while saying. "Gather all these bandits'' belongings and bring them to me. I''ll give you some crystals and pills after that."


    "Yes, sir!" Some more proactive said this as they got up to do the task Minos had given them.


    The young Stuart had his way of knowing whether one of these freed captives would try to steal his and Abby''s battle gains. So, he wasn''t worried about whether these people were honest or not.


    He would take spiritual techniques, spatial rings, and at least most artifacts to the Black Plain. As for the crystals these bandits might have, that couldn''t get Minos'' attention.


    At most, he could get a few hundred thousand crystals. And while it''s not bad for him to get more of these things, he wouldn''t mind giving a certain amount to these people run away from here.


    The same for the pills. In general, this used to be the most popular item among cultivators due to the lower price compared to arrays and weapons. Therefore, normally even those ordinary cultivators, without the typical wealth of the nobles, would have several times more pills than spiritual artifacts.


    And Minos was willing to let these people have some of those resources. After all, as much as he and Abby had eliminated those bandits, probably a part of those bandits'' items had come from these newly freed captives.


    ''Hmm, it''s time to count my gains¡­'' Minos thought about it briefly as he sat down next to Abby and began to recover from the previous fight.

 Chapter 378: One Month

    After some time resting in that camp, Minos and Abby had already recovered from their previous energy expenditure and were almost ready to leave this place.


    In the hours since the death of the last bandit killed by Minos, the newly freed captives had gathered all the items left behind in this place.


    Everything had been handed over to Minos, with no flaws, no deceptions on the part of any of them. Obviously, none of these people were stupid enough to steal from the person who destroyed this place and freed them.


    And after doing this, quickly, a large fire was made in that camp to cremate each of the human pieces scattered across that rugged terrain. There weren''t many bodies, so this had all been done in less than an hour, leaving only the ashes behind.


    Not even the dropped blood had been forgotten by those people who performed this task ordered by Minos.


    Anyway, after receiving the fruits of his efforts, Minos finally accounted for everything he had achieved by facing these thugs since that previous incident.


    In total, around 100 criminals had met their end at the hands of Minos and Abby, with the weakest being at level 43 and the strongest at level 47.


    And due to the average strength of the group, most of them, 57 people, had grade-1 spiritual rings, which had been left without owners...


    Also, counting all these dead thugs, Minos had counted 368 Blue-grade techniques and 3 Black-grade ones. All of them were focused on battle or spiritual cultivation, with none of the other professions.


    About 40 high-level grade-1 weapons had been left behind, plus a single low-grade grade-2 artifact. But even that hadn''t gotten much of Minos'' attention, as the artifact was just a shield.


    But for the soldiers in his army, surely these items would be very welcome!


    In addition to the weapons, there were also some high-level grade-1 spiritual arrays and five low-level grade-2 arrays, similar to the previous one used against them.


    In terms of crystals and pills, Minos managed to count about 340,000 low-grade crystals and 420 pills, divided between those of high-level grade-1 and a few low-level grade-2 ones.


    And from this last part that Minos had collected, he had set aside 40,000 crystals for the newly freed captives, besides giving a recovery pill to each one of them.


    Finally, those individuals had been delighted with this, and soon after receiving these resources of Minos, they began to cultivate in that place before trying to get out of this forest.


    ...


    At this moment, Minos and Abby were already mounted on the back of that great spiritual beast that had been carrying them in this travel when they slowly began to leave that camp.


    However, of the many people who were still recovering in that place, some of them had run towards this couple while asking out loud. "Sir, can you tell us where you come from?"


    "What are your names?"


    Some of them curiously asked as they tried to discover the provenance of Minos and Abby. Naturally, they wanted to know what great power had helped them. At the very least, they would be grateful for these two and the organization behind them!


    But it was not just that. For those who faced the pain of slavery, there was sometimes a need for a greater purpose. Otherwise, some of them would not even be able to bear their memories...


    Mainly for some women!


    And knowing about it, even the most trivial thing, could already make some sense for some of them to continue living.


    After hearing these questions, Minos looked back and smiled at those people who were screaming and watching him and Abby leave. "We come from the south, from a land of opportunity." He said vaguely when he finally looked in front of him and asked Abby to increase their speed.


    Minos wouldn''t just say his name or where he came from just because there wasn''t much danger here. But he still gave a valuable tip to these people.


    If they followed the path south from this location, then perhaps they would be lucky enough to see the Dry City. However, if that didn''t happen, then they simply weren''t destined to have the opportunities there.


    In either case, it wouldn''t affect young Stuart''s life much, and so he was willing to give them that chance.


    ...


    Quickly, the silhouette of that great beast with two youths on its back disappeared in the horizon of that place.


    Meanwhile, Minos and Abby were talking, enjoying the wind in their faces, in the middle of the central parts of the Flooded Valley.


    "This training is increasing my cultivation speed." Abby commented to Minos while she had a gentle smile on her face. "I think I will be able to learn a defensive technique in the next few days."


    Minos then nodded and said. "Hmm, probably..."


    The two talked about their previous battles, with Minos giving his friend several tips on how she could be even more effective. And eventually, after a while, she asked him, changing the subject. "What do we do next?"


    "Well, we''re already in the center of the Flooded Valley, so let''s speed up our trip a little bit. We will leave this place in a few days and arrive in the first city after Diamond City. After that, we will travel to the first place where I will do some business, in the Gulf of Waves."


    "Hmm, in that place, there is one of the top 3 culinary organizations of the Kingdom of the Waves." Abby commented, remembering the information about this place. "I always wanted to visit one of these places..."


    In that region of the Gulf of Waves, fishing had spread and become one of the leading development engines in that area. And with such a thing, many people in that region had professions related to the food industry, including spiritual cooks!


    Despite its distance from the Kingdom of the Waves'' capital, the Gulf of Waves had developed into one of the best regional gastronomic centers due to its abundance of food resources and crystals.


    And one of the most renowned culinary organizations in the northern part of the Central Continent was located in the largest city on the Gulf of Waves, Jalene City.


    Minos was going there precisely to buy the Blue-grade and perhaps Black-grade techniques so that such a profession could develop in the Dry City.


    A developed place could not depend on exports all the time!


    And to fulfill this criterion, Minos wanted to develop each of the professions among the citizens of his region. With this, the Black Plain could count on other areas besides agriculture to support the ''weight'' that a large state would naturally have.


    He would start buying these techniques in Jalene City and intended to repeat this as he passed through other cities on his way to the kingdom''s capital. And there, he intended to do his most important business!


    Minos agreed with Abby and added. "Hmm, I also want to taste the delicacies of that place..."


    The two continued to talk as they traveled through the central parts of that forest, heading north.


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, a whole month had passed, and by this time, Minos and Abby had arrived in Jalene City, the main town in this region of the Gulf of Waves.


    This place could be considered excellent, with over 1.5 million inhabitants and very well developed.


    The city''s total area was huge due to the presence of few buildings with more than six floors, and it had a long beachfront, which stretched for about 20 kilometers.


    The smell of salt in the air could be smelled from almost anywhere in the city, while in many places, the pleasant culinary aromas made this city a great place to live. With restaurants among the best in the region, every citizen could enjoy a high standard in gastronomy.


    Even the most humble ones!


    And amid this seaside town, with an exotic natural beauty, Minos and Abby had arrived in this city a few hours ago and were already staying in one of the local hotels.


    ''Finally, we can start doing business¡­'' Minos thought to himself as he admired the sunset in front of him from the balcony view of the apartment he''d rented.

 Chapter 379: Jalene City Culinary School

    Minos and Abby had recently arrived at the hotel they would stay in Jalene City, and by now, the two were diligently cultivating in their apartment.


    Many things had happened in the month that had passed, but neither of them leveled up. Minos would need at least another ten weeks to level 44, while Abby would need almost double that.


    But both were doing very well and had gotten stronger in the past month.


    In the meantime, Abby had learned two Silver-grade techniques, one focused on defense and the other on movement. With that, she still needed to learn two more spiritual techniques with Minos, which would be focused on attack and support.


    However, it would still take her more than a month to complete this set of Silver-grade techniques. After all, she would need to get used to the difference generated by changing techniques!


    But the time the two had traveled had provided excellent training in Abby''s newly learned techniques. Back then, after leaving that camp in the middle of the Flooded Valley, the two had faced beasts on three different occasions.


    On two incidents, they had fought 5th stage beasts that had attacked them in groups. And both times, the two of them had fought a lot, especially the blue-haired girl, who had Minos'' protection at all times.


    And even though Abby still didn''t have a powerful attack, due to the classification of her technique, her fighting proficiency had improved a lot. That is because moving more quickly and being able to defend against stronger attacks had made this young woman much more efficient!


    Even the fights against Minos had increased in difficulty after she learned these two techniques.


    As for the third combat with spiritual beasts, a single beast from the 6th stage had appeared in their path on that occasion.  And even though that beast was only at level 50, that was enough to threaten Minos'' side.


    In that situation, he couldn''t invest all of himself against that beast and then be vulnerable for several hours straight in a dangerous region!


    On the other hand, Minos had to guarantee his friend''s safety, who could not under any circumstances resist an attack from a being of level 50.


    Abby had several helpful arrays for times like these, and she had used one of those to hold that beast for some time while she and Minos ran!


    And they managed to successfully escape until they left the Flooded Valley and arrived at the first town on the north side of this forest region.


    After that, the two traveled for more than 20 days, passing through several cities in this southern part of the Kingdom of the Waves, until arriving in Jalene City.


    Most of the places they passed were only slightly larger than Diamond City, and, in general, they hadn''t had any significant problems.


    Their cultivation was not low by this state standards, and they both traveled on a fast 4th stage beast. Consequently, even if they had passed through other dangerous places, nothing had happened until they arrived here, in the principal city of the Gulf of Waves.


    ...


    Hours passed, and by this time, it was already dawn in Jalene City.


    The streets of that town were busy, and various food fragrances already permeated the air, departing from every culinary establishment that was already open at this time of day.


    And in a part of the city''s beachfront, in a five-story hotel, Minos and Abby were lying on the bed in their bedroom, hugging each other and dripping with sweat on their bodies.


    Both breathed hurriedly, as they felt a heavenly sensation passing through their bodies, after the two''s early morning ''active.'' Abby was getting better at what she did, and with her innate ability, even without using it on purpose, this young woman couldn''t help but completely please her partner.


    As for Minos, he naturally had his ability in bed and satisfied his partner several times on each intimate occasion they had.


    Anyway, after exchanging a few kisses while still in bed, the two got up and took a hot shower until they finally went out for breakfast.


    They wanted to stay in this town for a week at most, or rather, they would stay here only until Minos could negotiate some cooking-focused techniques. At the very least, he wanted to buy 40 Blue-grade and 3 Black-grade ones.


    That would be enough for the Dry City to support its inhabitants who wished to pursue this area of ??specialization.


    So, even if they wanted to try the gastronomy site, neither of them was in a hurry to do this early in the day, during breakfast. Instead, the two would leave to do this gastronomic tour later after getting to know this city a little more.


    For now, the services of this hotel that they had rented an apartment would serve the two youths.


    But that wouldn''t be bad. No, even the cooks at this hotel, which was reputed to be one of the best in the city, could be considered to be of a much higher caliber than those Minos had the opportunity to sample their cuisines.


    In fact, only the cuisine of the hotel that Minos and Ruth had stayed at, in the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom, could be considered superior to that of this hotel in Jalene City.


    But that was just expected. While one place received Spiritual Kings as its regular guests, this place within the Kingdom of the Waves usually had Spiritual Generals as clients. With that, there would naturally be a difference in the quality of services.


    ...


    After finishing their breakfast, which had been quite hearty and tasty, Minos and Abby had already left that hotel and were now walking along the shore.


    The two had received some information in that hotel, and with that, they had planned what to do in this town.


    They learned that many local cooks attended in their own establishments just as could happen on Stone Island with blacksmiths. And because of that, it would not be so easy for Minos to buy spiritual techniques from these people, who acted individually.


    But according to the manager of that hotel, Minos could be able to negotiate the items of his interest at the Jalene City Culinary School.


    This place functioned as a space for teaching and developing local gastronomy, just as the Dry City Medical School was proposed to work.


    Compared to the alchemist guilds, this place in Jalene City focused more on teaching gastronomy rather than also having a commercial appeal, like those other establishments.


    Instead of selling high-value items at the local culinary school, there was a 6-level refectory where any locals could pay a small amount to eat.


    Usually, the dishes served in this place were prepared by people who had just risen in ranks as cooks and were still controlling their new techniques, skills, etc.


    Therefore, due to their advances, the first dishes prepared by these people were not considered perfect for their levels. So, they sold at a low cost to residents who wanted to go to the cooking school cafeteria so that at least the price of the ingredients was paid.


    After all, such a thing was not cheap!


    After that, these cooks would naturally not do such a thing until they advanced in classification again.


    Anyway, this local culinary school was located in the southern region of this town, where Minos and Abby were going right now. This place was on the beachfront avenue, on the shore, where the two walked calmly, feeling the morning breeze on their faces.


    ''Let''s see how this place works¡­'' So, the young Stuart thought to himself, already preparing to learn useful things for him to put in his territory.

 Chapter 380: Getting to Know the Culinary School

    After some time walking along the beachfront of Jalene City, Minos and Abby had finally arrived in front of the local cooking school.


    This place exhibited a very refined exterior, in a modern construction style, filled with glass and smooth shapes, in a 6-story building. Each floor was smaller than the one before, making this place look like a series of cylinders of different radius, running from the base, the largest, to the top, the smallest.


    On one side, someone could see through the glass a series of tables spread over large spaces on each floor, right beside the sandy beach. The view from that point was magnificent, where it would certainly be nice to have a meal while enjoying the beauty of the sea.


    At another point, on the opposite side of the building, you could see kitchens and people already cooking on some of the six floors of this place. These were well-lit places, with decorations typical of these spaces, and the cooks also dressed appropriately.


    Anyway, the local culinary school building looked very open to the public, with its transparent structure.


    And in front of that place, there was a big square, opposite the beach, with several drawings on the floor and some statues here and there, including a clock in the middle of that place.


    ''Interesting.'' Minos thought this after seeing this building.


    In this place, there wasn''t any kind of identification. Just the different food fragrances should already be enough to indicate which place this was.


    Finally, while the two were standing in that square, in front of the main entrance to this building, several people came and went from that place.


    Many of them looked very young, probably the lowest-level cooks who were still learning the art of cooking. But other individuals seemed very ordinary and were already heading to the refectories.


    In this building, there were six refectories divided by the classification of cooks in training. Naturally, the biggest one was the one on the first floor, since the cooks in this place were low-level grade-1 professionals.


    And this group was the most numerous, for obvious reasons...


    As for the top floor of the building, the smallest of all, it was where high-level grade-2 cooks could train their techniques for the first time. However, this part of the building rarely works, as it was not easy for chefs to reach level 56, the minimum level for this classification.


    ...


    Minos and Abby didn''t take long looking at the beautiful view of that place and soon entered the first floor of this culinary school, where there was a large entrance hall.


    This place wasn''t that big, but it had a small reception area with a few attendants, restrooms, side exits to the refectory, kitchens, and stairs for those going to the upper floors.


    There was a good decoration in that entrance, with some city images and renowned dishes from that place.


    And eventually, the two youths approached those attendants that were there when one of those people said. "Hello, welcome to the Jalene City Culinary School. How can I help you?"


    After hearing the soft voice of this attendant, who was wearing a uniform similar to other people in this place, Minos coughed and then said. "Ehh, we would like to do business with this culinary school. So, I would like to speak with the person responsible for this place."


    "Oh? Maybe you want to register someone at our school, is that it? If that''s what you mean, we''ll only accept new cooks in 1 year. And there aren''t enough vacancies for everyone who wants it, so it''s tough¡­" The young attendant was just talking when Minos interrupted her, moving his head in denial.


    "You got it wrong. I''m not trying to buy a vacancy in this place for one of my cooks." He said this with a smile on his face. "I heard that this place is very renowned and has great professionals in this spiritual profession. So, I would like to do a certain deal with this organization that maintains this place."


    "Then, that''s it..." She commented in a low voice as she looked to the side to confirm something with her colleagues. She then said. "Sir, it''s not easy to find the director of this culinary school. He is important, and he often goes out to get ingredients and cook in his own restaurant. But some elders can attend you."


    "Would you be interested?"


    Minos then nodded in agreement. "Yes, that works too."


    "OK. Wait a moment, and I''ll see if someone can see you now."


    After that, Minos and Abby stayed in that place, waiting for the return of the woman who had attended them while observing the refectory through a glass wall.


    There were already a few people around, sitting in several different spots in that place, eating happily. And even though it was still morning, some dishes were already being served there.


    While Minos and Abby waited, waiters passed by that place, pushing trolleys with various plates and dishes.


    In the refectory, there was a part where each customer could serve themselves, taking whatever they liked best.


    But from what he and Abby had heard, not all floors worked on this same scheme. After all, with fewer cooks training, food quantities dwindled, and service naturally became more personalized.


    Customers had a menu where they could choose what to eat, rather than a place with a wide variety of dishes.


    ...


    After a few minutes of waiting, the young woman who had attended them returned to her post and told Minos and Abby. "You can go up to the 4th floor. Once there, ask the reception to speak with Elder Caesar. He is the only one available at the moment."


    "Hmm, I understand. I appreciate your help."


    Minos and Abby then proceeded to the floor of this building where the low-level grade-2 cooks worked, the place they had been appointed.


    And soon, they had got there.


    ...


    At first glance, the place looked a lot like the first floor of this building. Still, in addition to being much smaller, the aromatic quality of the fragrances on this floor was much higher than on the first.


    But the place wasn''t luxurious or anything like that. In fact, the items in the refectory and reception were of the same quality as those on the first floor. After all, this was not a restaurant but a place of learning.


    The kitchens could even be better equipped, as there would be a difference in the level of cooks, but the same was not true for the rest of the place.


    The ''clients'' of this culinary school were the guinea pigs of these cooks. People who agreed to pay for first meals made by newly promoted cooks, professionals that usually made inevitable mistakes that would make these foods unfeasible to be sold...


    But it was nothing too serious or something to spoil the dish.


    Certainly, for people who were used to cooking their own food, without the use of spiritual techniques, such a thing would be far superior in terms of quality!


    But for those customers who would typically pay for these dishes, such mistakes would prevent them from spending their crystals on these products. So, cooks often used places like these to comprehend their new abilities without throwing away their ingredients.


    Due to all of this, there wasn''t a need for a luxurious venue, as usually, high-end people wouldn''t come here. However, the quality of the service was not bad, in fact, it was excellent!


    No one eating on the 4th floor of this building would feel in an inadequate or inappropriate place. No, the view was beautiful, and the decor was very nice.


    Anyway, it didn''t take long, and Minos and Abby were directed to where the elder Caesar was, a place on the side of the building where the kitchens were.


    Obviously, this place''s elders and leaders had offices, and the building had internal structures that any construction like this would have. For example, there were classrooms for young people to learn from more experienced individuals and a library.


    And the couple soon passed in front of many of these places until they reached that individual''s room.


    Pa! Pa!


    Minos knocked twice on an open wooden door before finally entering the place.


    And after hearing this, the old man in that place turned his face to Minos and Abby and asked. "Are you the youths who want to do business?"


    "That''s right. Nice to meet you, Elder Caesar. That is my friend Abby, and I''m Minos." He introduced Abby and him before closing the door of that place and taking a seat in one of the chairs.

 Chapter 381: Negotiation

    Upon entering that room, Minos and Abby immediately headed towards the chairs there, right after Elder Caesar indicated them to do so.


    The two had taken this opportunity to look at this place from top to bottom and could already see several valuable items around there. For example, there was a silver knife of about 8 inches with a wooden handle with some unique markings in a glass frame.


    In another corner of the room, there were other utensils used by a cook, which, as far as these two knew, must be of high value.


    Other than that, this room looked like an ordinary office where business could be done.


    Upon seeing that Minos and Abby had sat down, Caesar massaged his chin for a moment and said. "Youths, what business do you want to do with the Jalene City Culinary School?"


    He naturally didn''t doubt that these two in front of him wanted to do business. After all, even though they were both very young, they were already at level 43!


    In this case, for an experienced old man like Caesar, it wasn''t hard to conclude that these two probably belonged to some power with good funds.


    Otherwise, there would be no way for these two to look so young in such a stage of cultivation in the northern part of the Central Continent!


    On the other hand, he was only at level 48, so it wasn''t strange that people in Minos and Abby''s cultivation stage would look for him to do business.


    Eventually, after hearing that question from this bearded man with short gray hair, Minos said. "Sir, we are traveling through the Kingdom of the Waves because we know that the best cooks in our region are here."


    "That''s right!" The old man nodded emphatically, gently lifting his face, with his chin pointed upwards...


    Abby then continued Minos'' speech. "We are from a small power on Stone Island, which is trying to create its own culinary school. That''s why we traveled to this region to buy spiritual techniques aimed at this area."


    "Then, you are from Stone Island... No wonder! There truly are few culinary powers in that state, and they definitely wouldn''t do business with you." Caesar commented, ''understanding'' the situation of Minos and Abby.


    Stone Island didn''t have this well-developed culinary area. In fact, those grade-2 cooks in this state were often part of large families and rarely had restaurants or organizations of their own.


    Most of the people in that profession in Elen state were in grade-1. When they wanted to move up in rank, they migrated to other states in the region, or they would have to join one of these big organizations. In any case, Stone Island was left behind in this matter due to the few culinary techniques disseminated among the population.


    That is, due to the low number of cooks!


    In fact, organizations like The Barbecue Temple, which Minos had known, were scarce in that state. And even in big restaurants like this, the monopoly on spiritual techniques was no different from what happened in prominent families.


    And because of this reality, Caesar had believed and even understood the difficulty that the power behind these two had to go through to achieve these techniques... ''Not bad, it seems that the organization behind these two is determined to develop their culinary side, even though they have to make such efforts!''


    The old man then spoke again. "Well, I understand your difficulties, but the Jalene City Culinary School values ??its techniques a lot. I''m not saying we can''t do business, but the price won''t be low."


    "Oh? And how much are we talking about?" Minos asked, looking into the black eyes of the old man dressed in white in front of him.


    "First, I must make it clear that we don''t sell the original versions that we have. Hence, it''s no use trying to negotiate such a thing. We won''t accept any value." He said it firmly, so these two youths wouldn''t insist on this matter.


    This culinary school wouldn''t sell such a source of income!


    From time to time, this organization could sell copies of their original techniques, and this brought them a good profit. However, if they didn''t have a monopoly on such techniques, then they could lose that advantage to other powers!


    On average, the cost of producing an original spiritual technique was 15 times that of a copy. But even considering this difference, it wouldn''t be worth much to sell original techniques for 15 times the price charged for copies!


    Therefore, this power would not sell such items.


    As for copies, such things could be destroyed and degenerate over time. Because of this, no matter how many copies were sold, the market would hardly be saturated.


    Few powers treated this matter in the same way as Minos, keeping such techniques in one place and preventing people from possessing them. After all, the techniques themselves were treated as rewards for subordinates.


    ''Have you contributed to the organization? Then you will gain the right to such items.''


    Such a thing was widespread in the region.


    That''s because, by gaining a spiritual technique from a prominent family, even if a subordinate couldn''t create copies of those techniques, one could still let their family members learn it!


    And they could even pass such a thing down for generations within their relatives!


    As with Minos, who inherited three Black-grade techniques from his father, two of them came from the Brown Kingdom''s royal family, which Albert had acquired through his efforts.


    After hearing the old man''s comment, Minos nodded his head in understanding and continued to listen.


    For him, it would be nice to buy an original technique, but he didn''t count on that at the moment. And due to his organizational characteristics, Minos didn''t need more than one copy of the same technique.


    "Well, we charge the price of 5,000 low-grade crystals for each copy of Blue-grade techniques." Caesar said, looking at Minos and Abby, waiting for their reactions.


    "5,000?" Abby muttered. As far as she knew, that price was within the average charged for copies of techniques in that rating. So, she wasn''t surprised by this old man''s response.


    "Okay, the price is good, but how many types of techniques are you selling here?" Minos asked doubtfully.


    "We have many different types. Would you want more than one?" He said in surprise. Not only did Minos and Abby seem unfazed by that value, but they still wanted to take more than one kind of technique.


    For Caesar, this was unusual behavior. After all, generally, each power would buy several of the same techniques to distribute among future members.


    "I will only take one version of each type of technique. Hence, if you have 50 types, then I''ll take one of each."


    "What?" The old man yelled in disbelief as he rose from his chair. ''That''s not a tiny amount, but does this guy only want one of each? Doesn''t the power behind him think of their subordinates?''


    "It''s impossible?" Abby asked.


    Caesar then shook his head in denial, trying to calm down. "I''m sorry about that. I lost my composure for a moment." He then took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped it across his face, and said. "As for the number of types of Blue-grade techniques we have, it''s only 60. Will you want one of each?"


    "Yes, I would like to take one of each."


    "If you wanted more than one of each, it could have taken a few days, but since it''s only one copy of each type, I believe we can deliver this right after payment."


    "Then, it''s 300,000 low-grade crystals. Are you sure this is what you want?" He asked, still in shock as he wiped the bead of sweat that had trickled off his forehead.


    Such a number of crystals were not small, and this old man was impressed by the expenses of an unknown power in the culinary sector. ''Maybe they want to become competitive quickly?'' He thought about it to himself simultaneously as he watched Minos put bags of low-grade crystals in front of him.


    After receiving the payment, Caesar promptly calculated that until he realized it was all right. "Young Minos, is there anything else you want? Or is that all?"


    "Hmm, I wonder if you guys also sell Black-grade techniques. Do you do this?"


    "What?"

 Chapter 382: Jalene City

    "Do you want to buy Black-grade techniques?" Caesar asked in disbelief.


    Even though many people wanted to buy such things, not many could afford it, and not everyone who had it was willing to sell such items. After all, such a thing was at the top of the region.


    While the Blue-grade techniques business wasn''t bad, with many people willing to sell copies of techniques in places like this, the same couldn''t be said for higher-grade ones.


    So, in general, deals involving Black-grade techniques were somewhat more unusual to happen. Some events sold techniques of this classification, such as the auction that Minos had visited in the Maritime City during his trip to Stone Island. But such occasions were not so common.


    Minos then looked at the old man without changing his expression and nodded in agreement. "It''s possible?"


    "Cough, ehh, hard to say, at least I don''t have the authorization to make such a deal myself."


    Abby then asked. "And who has it?"


    "That would be the director."


    "And how can we talk to him?"


    Caesar then put his hand over his mouth, thinking for a moment. "Usually, the director is only here once a week. And that totally depends on his will... So, I think you''d better look for him in his restaurant, in the central part of town."


    "That place is called, ''The Jewel of the Sea,'' it won''t be hard for you to find."


    And hearing this, Minos smiled and thanked Caesar for his help. "Hmm, thanks for the info. But tell me something. Do you think we will have a chance of being able to negotiate these techniques with such a person?"


    "This¡­" He looked down for a moment, still holding his hand over his mouth, just below his nose, and then said. "Young Minos, I''ll be honest with you, I''m not sure he''ll do business with you. The principal owns most of our school''s Black-grade techniques, and I believe it is unlikely that he will sell any of the copies."


    "Most? And the other techniques, are there other people who donated them to this place?" Abby questioned him.


    "Ehh, yes. Some noble families in the region have an agreement with us. They are like members of the Jalene City Culinary School." He responded without delay when he stopped for a moment and sighed. "But it will be difficult to get techniques from these powers. They just gave us a few copies of their techniques, and I think it''s unlikely they''ll sell it."


    "After all, this thing only worked for us because we can earn crystals for these families monthly. In your case, just buying the techniques would yield something for them." He explained.


    Caesar was kind to Minos and Abby because there was no harm in saying such things. All this information could be easily obtained through Jalene City, as none of this was a secret.


    On the other hand, Caesar was very pleased with the deal he had just made with these two!


    That''s because in this establishment, whoever made deals like this could take a slice of 2% of the negotiated value!


    And for a person like Caesar, who was at level 48 and wouldn''t typically earn much, 6,000 low-grade crystals was a considerable sum!


    "Hmm, I see," Minos muttered under his breath, already thinking about what he should do next. ''Well, I''ll try to get to know this director''s restaurant. Maybe I''ll get something from him...''


    After that, it wasn''t long before elder Caesar left that room and went to bring the 60 Blue-grade techniques that Minos had purchased.


    "Minos, what are we going to do now?" Abby asked, taking one of the hands of the young man who was sitting beside her.


    "Let''s get to know a little about this city, and then we''ll visit this restaurant, The Jewel of the Sea."


    "Hmm, I heard that this person is already a high-level grade-2 cook. I can''t wait to taste his dishes." Abby said with a smile on her face.


    She had already tasted the food of cooks of that rank a few times in the Brown Kingdom. However, unlike this city that had a restaurant with a professional of this level, it was not so easy to get such an opportunity in the homeland of this young woman.


    The most prestigious restaurants in the Brown Kingdom had only medium-level grade-2 chefs. After all, it wasn''t easy to reach level 56, the minimum to go the next step in the rankings.


    So much so that, even in large noble families, the number of people above that level, regardless of profession, was usually no more than 10!


    In fact, only royal families had more Spiritual Kings above that level in their ranks!


    Hence, it was not easy to find cooks of that level. In fact, in the entire Brown Kingdom, there was only one chef of that classification, who was the royal cook of the Brown family.


    And from just a few royal occasions, Abby had had the chance to try the dishes of someone of that level.


    And for Minos, he had experienced it in the Cromwell Kingdom, in that hotel where he and Ruth had stayed.


    "Hmm, it''s true..."


    And after a while talking in that place, finally, Caesar came to bring the techniques that Minos had bought.


    He came bringing it in a silver tray, where Minos and Abby could see 60 blue-colored scrolls that appeared new things.


    "Hehehe, thanks for the preference in this business, young Minos. If you need more copies of techniques like these in the future, just contact me, and I''ll try to prioritize it." Caesar said, right before Minos and Abby said goodbye to him and left this building.


    At the moment, it was almost noon in Jalene City. The couple was already decided to head to the central part of the city, know a little more about this place, and go to the restaurant of the director of the culinary school.


    ...


    After a few minutes of walking around this town, Minos and Abby were slowly approaching the center of Jalene City.


    This place had an excellent size, but, in general, the city was extended in the areas adjacent to the beachfront, so it didn''t have such a large central region. Hence, even though this place was big enough to support a population of over a million people, Minos and Abby had crossed much of this place in a few minutes.


    And in doing so, the two finally got to know a little more of this important place, for the region of the Gulf of Waves.


    While this place had an evident focus on gastronomy, there were many other establishments, with grade-2 professionals of all other specializations. Along with that, while probing many places he had passed, Minos had noticed that there were thousands of cultivators from the 5th stage of cultivation in this place and several from the 6th!


    Such a thing in itself already demonstrated the importance of Jalene City, not only for the Gulf of Waves but also for this kingdom.


    This place had a very well-developed economy, exporting resources both to other parts of the kingdom and to other states in the northern region of the Central Continent. In addition, the entire population of the Gulf of Waves was polarized by local services, further increasing the power of this area.


    And no wonder this town looked like a developed place!


    The streets looked very well planned, there were lots of light arrays posts on the streets, and the places open to the citizens were all clean.


    On the other hand, the movement of carriages was very intense, with hundreds of them coming and going through the places that the two youths had passed. And even though the beasts on the streets weren''t powerful, considering their numbers, that was something to admire.


    Such things even generated a certain amount of traffic at some points, where civil servants had to regulate the movement of carriages, beasts, and people.


    The construction of the city itself looked pleasing to the eye. Moreover, due to the type of architecture adopted, this place gave a feeling of tranquility, even if it was a big city, super busy, and hectic.


    Anyway, in the middle of this tour, the couple approached the central part of Jalene City, where the restaurant, The Jewel of the Sea, was located.


    In that place, there were many high-end stores of the various spiritual professions, but the restaurants were what stood out. Several were in a single street, but one of them drew attention, not only for its magnificent structure but for the six stars that appeared in its front!

 Chapter 383: Luxury

    On the Central Continent, it was not uncommon for certain shops, restaurants, and other private services to have stars on the walls of buildings.


    Despite not being seen in all establishments nor being extremely popular among spiritual professionals, such a thing was still used by some people. That is because each star represented a rating, which that establishment had achieved through its owner.


    In other words, a location with 4-stars would represent a service provided by a low-level grade-2 specialist. As for the case of the restaurant in front of Minos and Abby, this place was managed by a high-level grade-2 cook!


    And for some people, such a thing acted as an advertisement for their establishments. After all, even if the inhabitants of a city probably knew about these high-quality sites, the same couldn''t be said for visitors.


    However, such professionals would already indicate the quality of their services to visitors by displaying the stars on their buildings. Consequently, those looking for services of certain quality would know precisely where to go, while others could avoid going far below or above their requirements.


    But only a part of professionals would do such a thing. After all, some places would sell items of different ratings, so it didn''t make sense to have that kind of indication. So, for example, a blacksmith could be at low-level grade-2, but sometimes he could produce high-level grade-1 artifacts.


    While such a thing is not helpful in their training, it could yield more significant sums of crystals at short periods. That is because, in addition to being easier and faster to be produced, high-level grade-1 items would also be in greater demand due to their lower prices!


    Anyway, such a rating could be seen in places that sell services of a specific quality, which generally matched more with restaurants and, sometimes, hotels.


    Like the hotel, Minos and Ruth had stayed at during their stay in Capital City.


    Despite having a high-level grade-2 cook, that place was officially a 5-star hotel, as its services, such as food, accommodation, among others, were developed and prepared by medium-level grade-2 professionals.


    That''s why the daily price of that place was so high!


    As for the restaurant in front of the two youths, only the Jalene City Culinary School director cooked in this place, and because of that, this building could boast such a rating.


    ...


    In front of Minos and Abby was a building that, while grand, probably didn''t have a vast interior space.


    The place looked like a giant seashell, made of several arches of a golden metallic compound, in which, between each segment, glass surfaces interlocked to cover the small spaces left by this enormous structure. But despite having a fair amount of glass, nobody would be able to spy on whatever happened inside that place.


    As for the rest of the exterior of this building, well, there was a construction that imitated the sea''s surface, from where some paths connected the sidewalk of the street to the entrance of that place.


    At the entrance, on the widest and highest side of the ''seashell,'' there was a large glass door, where above it was the name of the restaurant, along with the six stars.


    "This place looks interesting!" Abby commented to Minos, observing such a place. From what the two had seen, Jalene City had several buildings that resembled oceanic objects, such as the case of ''The Jewel of the Sea,'' this restaurant in front of them.


    And Abby had enjoyed seeing such things!


    Rather than following the pattern already prevalent in every large city in the north of the Central Continent, this location took a unique path, utilizing regional characteristics to beautify the city!


    Hearing this, Minos waved to her, and then the two moved into that building.


    "Good afternoon! Welcome to The Jewel of the Sea." An attendant soon greeted them as soon as she saw this couple dressed as nobles approached the reception of this place.


    In that place, there were two aquariums on the sides, with lots of small fish and vibrant decor. And at the end of this entrance, there was a small corridor, which gave access to the different parts of this restaurant.


    And upon realizing that these two newcomers had stopped appreciating the beauty of the aquariums and turned their attention to her, this attendant then asked. "Do you already know our restaurant? Or is your the first time here?"


    "It''s our first time here." Abby responded.


    "OK. Well, our restaurant offers services that vary in price from the location of your tables to the possibility to speak with the chef in person. Lastly, I''m afraid to say that the payment can only be made with medium-grade crystals." She politely said while standing behind a small partition.


    Minos then nodded, indicating that he understood the arrangement of this place, and said. "Okay, so we want to talk directly to the chef, and as for the location, one that''s discreet will be best for us."


    Then, the young attendant smiled and started conducting them to their place. "Please follow me. I will take you to your table..."


    After that, Minos and Abby followed that woman into the restaurant until they arrived at a specific place there, where there were only six tables.


    From what Minos had noticed, even considering the rest of the restaurant, this whole place couldn''t even have 20 tables in total!


    But in thinking about it, young Stuart had understood the reason for it. ''There shouldn''t be many people in this town able to spend medium-grade crystals on meals¡­'' He reflected, seeing that there was still no one where his table was located.


    And such a thing was natural. Cooks like the one of this place and other top professionals in this region generally provided services to only Spiritual Kings and the wealthiest nobles, those who could afford such services.


    For example, even though Abby was a noblewoman of the powerful Miller family, she couldn''t afford to eat in places like this regularly. She was just the daughter of one of the elders of that power, who had only reached the middle of the 6th stage.


    With only level 54, he was not one of the top elders. That''s why Abby''s father couldn''t afford that his daughter had the luxury of eating in places like this.


    Generally, only those children of influential individuals with hundreds of years of savings could have decent amounts of medium-grade crystals. Some examples of this are the young masters of these families, who naturally have reasonable allowances from their parents.


    Finally, after enjoying some of the waiting services of that place, a man dressed all in white came towards them.


    This person appeared to be about 2 meters tall, with a body proportionate to his size. And although he didn''t look as old as Caesar, this person didn''t have hair on his head.


    "Good afternoon, young lady, young master. Have you already chosen your meals?" He asked while he had a smile on his face as he looked at them, with both of his hands resting at the level of his chest.


    Eventually, Minos and Abby listed those dishes that had caught their attention, along with the drink and dessert they wanted to try. There were several options on the menu, but in general, the restaurant''s focus was the sea.


    No wonder this place was called The Jewel of the Sea!


    And it wasn''t long before this restaurant''s cook, Alex Shepard, sent all the dishes to that table. The restaurant was only in its first few minutes of operation of the day, so there weren''t many other customers to delay the couple''s order.


    On the other hand, as a top cook, Alex wasn''t slow at all and could prepare meals for more than one person in a few minutes.


    Finally, when they had finished enjoying the meal, Minos and Abby remained in that place until an attendant came to collect their payment.


    "Here they are, 28 medium-grade crystals." Minos handed that woman a small bag of the size of his palm. "Would you please inform the chef that I have something to tell him?"

 Chapter 384: Do We Have a Deal?

    It wasn''t long before the young attendant left that spot where Minos and Abby were sitting to inform the cook about that. She had a smile on her face and was very pleased with the tip of 2 medium-grade crystals Minos had left for her.


    So, she didn''t even worry too much about why these customers wanted to talk to her boss. Since they were so generous, the least she could do was run and do this little service as quickly as possible.


    And meanwhile, Minos and Abby sat in the same place as before, talking and admiring the beauty of this place.


    All the furniture in this part of the restaurant was noble, matching perfectly with this place''s cooking style. Added to that, the shape of the building and the glass on the surface of this place provided a natural illumination that was just perfect.


    They could see the blue sky of the city above their heads, while parts of a large aquarium that circled this building could be seen from where they were standing.


    "Ah, the cuisine of this place is truly excellent." Minos commented to Abby as the two of them waited for the chef Alex.


    Abby nodded and said. "Hmm. The dishes offered here are exceptional. And even though I prefer other cuisines, the seafood, and the Scarlet Salmon we eat truly satisfied me. I think this person is almost as good as the royal cook of the Brown family."


    Minos then chatted about the principal characteristic of this meal. "Most importantly, I felt my spiritual energy being stimulated while eating!"


    "Hmm, me too."


    Unique dishes prepared by cooks, like common foods, could stimulate spiritual energy in cultivators'' bodies!


    But while food without the manipulation of spiritual cooks could at best influence low-level cultivators, the same was not valid for the food produced by spiritual cooks!


    It would depend on the level of the spiritual cook, of course, but, in general, dishes prepared by ordinary people, with high energy concentration ingredients, could stimulate people up to the 5th stage.


    And obviously, this would be more significant with people from the first stages of cultivation than with those closest to the end of the 5th stage!


    However, such a thing would still have a decent effect on people in the latter group. And because of this, such individuals also valued foods of this type.


    For example, if a low-level grade-1 cook made a meal, even using low-energy resources, it would still benefit cultivators up to 19.


    As for cooks at Alex''s level, they could produce dishes that could stimulate the spiritual energy of even level 59 people, Spiritual Kings!


    But that''s not so significant that it makes one''s cultivation level up in a single meal. In fact, thinking of a meal prepared by a high-level grade-2 cook as equivalent to a few medium-grade crystals would not be wrong!


    And even if the body of a 5th stage cultivator could not support the cultivation with crystals of this classification, using foods prepared by such professionals was a way to circumvent this Natural Law!


    Because of this, spiritual cooks had their value in the Spiritual World, even though many other areas are so crucial to cultivation.


    "There was also that wine that¡­" The two continued to talk until finally, after a few minutes, the same man who had taken their orders appeared in that place.


    "Young lady. Young master. I heard you wanted to talk to me. Was the food to your taste?" Alex asked them both, with a calm expression, pleasant to watch.


    "Hmm, the meal was delicious..." Abby commented first, taking the opportunity to praise the high points she had noticed.


    After that, Minos wasted little time and got straight to the point. "Mr. Alex, your food is truly one of the best I''ve ever tasted. However, that was not the reason I came here today."


    "Oh?" The man with no hair on his head asked curiously, already trying to figure out what would make these two come to this place.


    "We did some business earlier at the local culinary school and were appointed by elder Caesar to come here to talk to you. According to him, only you could resolve this issue that we wanted to deal with."


    ''Caesar, huh? Why did he tell them to come to see me? Perhaps...'' He was thinking about it when he finally looked at Minos and asked. "Maybe you want..."


    "That''s right. I came here to try to buy copies of Black-grade techniques." Minos completed Alex''s sentence upon seeing that man making a thoughtful expression.


    Minos and Abby could see that Alex wasn''t too pleased about it after hearing this, but the cook tried his best to remain formal and look friendly to both. After all, this was his restaurant, and the two youths had just used its services.


    In this case, it would be somewhat impolite or exaggerated for him to get irritated because of a question that bothers him. ''Ahh, that brat... Why did he tell these two to come here? Doesn''t he know I''m tired of denying this kind of request?''


    Alex didn''t like this kind of situation because he didn''t believe anyone would make the fair offer for the Black-grade techniques he had in his possession. Many wanted to trade these techniques in low-grade crystals, but that would have little use for him.


    And even if he needed low-grade crystals to trade some of his products, it would be better for him to sell his medium-grade crystals than having low-grade crystals!


    That''s because the medium-grade crystals were more valued!


    Even though they had 100 times the energy of the low-grade ones, such things were usually sold in the market at a ratio of 1 to 120!


    In that case, someone like Alex could earn a lot of funds by only dealing with medium-grade crystals instead of low-grade crystals!


    And rightfully so, this old man didn''t like to trade items usually sold in terms of medium-grade crystals for low-grade crystals.


    He would fail to gain much from such transactions!


    "I understand, but the price of these copies is very high, and few people are willing to pay these amounts in medium-grade crystals." He said this, trying to convince Minos to give up as soon as possible. After all, even if these young people could afford a meal at such a restaurant, that didn''t mean they could buy a Black-grade technique!


    If a high-ranking nobleman saved enough, even before reaching the 6th stage of cultivation, it wouldn''t be impossible to eat once or twice a month in a place like this.


    But copies of Black-grade techniques could cost a few hundred crystals of that rank...


    "I understand... So, tell me a value. If it''s above what I can pay, I''ll leave without insisting anymore." Minos said as he had a calm look on his face.


    But he wasn''t worried about that. The young ruler of the Black Plain already had an estimate of such amounts, and he was already willing to pay. He''d just said that so Alex would direct to the point.


    "Ehh, since the young master is curious, I can tell. For me to sell one of my black-grade techniques, the minimum amount I can ask for is 330 medium-grade crystals." He replied. ''I hope you give up now and let me get back to my job¡­''


    However, Minos just took a bag out of his spatial ring and said what Alex didn''t expect to hear. "Okay, I''ll want three different copies. Here are a thousand medium-grade crystals."


    "I see, you won''t..."


    "What?" He said in shock, realizing that Minos had not given up on the negotiation and was willing to buy not one but three techniques at once!


    At the same time, a man dressed all in black was watching them from afar, with a shocked look on his face. ''Ahh, it must be nice to be rich...'' He thought to himself.


    That was the security guard of this place, a 6th stage cultivator. After all, there was a need to have someone to persuade customers to pay for their meals...


    Cooks didn''t have combat skills, and even though Alex was at level 56, he at most could handle someone at level 42. But most of the people who came to this place were well above this level, so he needed some extra help...


    Anyway, this man had been watching Minos and Abby since the two had started talking to Alex, so he could protect his contractor if anything happened.


    "And then, sir Alex? Do we have a deal?"

 Chapter 385: Another Month

    Upon feeling the energetic fluctuations coming from that bag of crystals, the man dressed in white with no hair on his head coughed for a moment and then responded to Minos. "This... Can you truly spend almost a thousand medium-grade crystals with this?"


    Alex''s confusion was that Minos and Abby were only at level 43. At the same time, there didn''t seem to be anyone else accompanying them. So, he found it strange that these two had such a fortune in their possession.


    He even had more significant amounts than that in his spatial ring, but he''s been a Spiritual King for over 500 years!


    As a result, he had made a very comfortable fortune, to the point where he could even pay for the protection of a level 54 Spiritual King!


    ''These two must come from a wealthy power¡­'' He wondered to himself, trying to understand what organization would give so many medium-grade crystals to juniors of the younger generation.


    He then responded to Minos without delay. "Young master, that amount is more than enough. I have five copies of different techniques here with me..."


    After that, he and Minos began to talk about the basics of each of the techniques, so that young Stuart could choose the most appropriate ones for him. And so, in less than 5 minutes, they had completed the deal.


    Alex then looked at them once more before heading back to that restaurant''s kitchen and asked. "Young master, the power behind you is not involved in gastronomy, right?"


    "That''s right. We''re not." Minos agreed at the same time as he and Abby got up to leave that place.


    "Why would a power unrelated to gastronomy spend so many crystals on such techniques? Most noble families, as far as I know, only have Blue-grade techniques in professions other than their specializations." He asked, standing halfway to his kitchen, looking at the two youths with a spark of curiosity in his eyes.


    Minos then smiled and said, before leaving that place. "The power that I represent has an ambition, which is autonomy. So, we''re just trying to achieve this little goal."


    "The shade of a golden tree will cover over several states. In the south, you can witness such an event..."


    After saying that, Minos disappeared from that place, leaving behind the figure of that cook and a man in black clothes, who had left his previous position and stopped beside his contractor.


    They stood there, standing and thinking about what Minos had said for a while, when finally, one of them said something. "The shade of a tree? What was that brat talking about? Did you understand something?"


    "No, perhaps the power he represents is an agricultural type. Anyway, there aren''t many golden trees, but maybe that''s not literal..."


    "A power that craves autonomy, huh? Maybe they want to start their own culinary school¡­" Alex commented in a low voice to his guard.


    ''It''s not bad, with more cooking schools, it won''t be long before new flavors emerge¡­'' He thought to himself, with a slight smile on his face.


    For him, someone who had always loved to eat, having more competitors wasn''t necessarily a bad thing. After all, the higher the level of a cook, the more distinguished he would become from his peers.


    Even cooks who had the same techniques would not necessarily be identical. That''s because their taste could make them more involved with specific sorts of dishes, as in the case of Alex, with his cuisine based on marine life.


    On the other hand, instruments refined by cooks could have different purposes, affecting more or less some types of food. And not only that, but the quality of these items was also variable, which could further distinguish dishes between cooks with the same sets of techniques.


    Anyway, there would be people who would prefer dishes made in the ''A'' style, others who would have the ''D'' style as their favorite, and so on. Therefore, one cook would hardly lose his clientele to the other.


    Besides the obvious fact that it wouldn''t be easy for someone to reach his level, a high-level grade-2 cook!


    So, Alex didn''t think it would be bad for him if ??more culinary schools appeared in this region. But, instead, this was something that could ''give birth'' to new geniuses, with ideas that could perhaps create combinations never seen before, something he would like to try himself!


    "Let''s get back to work... It doesn''t matter to us what two juniors do." Alex said, looking at that man and then returning to his kitchen.


    "OK."


    Neither of them was interested in the crystals Minos and Abby might have. Or rather, Alex had a much more significant amount than the one negotiated earlier, so he would not believe that those two could yield him considerable gains.


    And consequently, the man who served as a guard in this restaurant could not simply leave his post to chase two youths who had probably spent all they had...


    Such a thing would be petty and dangerous for both of these men. One of them couldn''t fight those youths and had his own work to do. The other had to protect the first from possible problems that could happen in the restaurant.


    And even if he left quickly, without risking Alex''s business, who would guarantee these juniors were truly alone? Both had already lived for several centuries and would no longer be affected by attractions like this so readily.


    The Spiritual World had never been safe, so risking too much for small gains would make no sense to people so experienced!


    Unless it were something shocking, people like these two men wouldn''t let their greed get out of control!


    ...


    Quickly, another month passed...


    After leaving that restaurant in Jalene City, Minos and Abby had stayed in such a city for another whole day to get to know the place better and understand a little more of the regional reality.


    Even if this information wasn''t going to be very useful to Minos in the short term, he could still use it to his advantage in the future.


    And as this region of the Kingdom of the Waves was one of the most populous in the vicinity of the Black Plain, he couldn''t help putting this place in his plans. After all, his territory needed more inhabitants, and when the time came for that place to open up to the world, this region could become one of the most attractive for Minos.


    In regions such as the Gulf of Waves and the Peninsula of Waves, there were always smaller towns, villages, small urban concentrations polarized by large and medium-sized cities. And with such places, in a kingdom with more than 400 million inhabitants, if Minos attracted a few hundred thousand, no one would care...


    After all, even in this region of the Central Continent, many of the states and powers did not prevent their populations from coming and going. If someone wanted to leave a location, no one would stop him unless that person was very unlucky.


    But that didn''t happen because the regional powers were democratic or something like that.


    No, far from it!


    The main reason for such a reality is that most people did not dare to venture into the Spiritual World. And unless the situation in a given location were very desperate, like a city facing war, for example, then most likely, the populations of that location would not move.


    ''The problem I already know is better than the unknown...'' That was a famous maxim in the Spiritual World!


    Of course, there would be exceptions. For example, unemployed people, individuals in their last years of life, people desperate for opportunities, for whatever reason. Individuals from these and other groups could take risks, such as leaving Stone Island and going to the Dry City after discovering this location...


    Finally, as long as people moved on their own, it would be difficult for an organization to stop these groups from leaving. Few did such a thing, and in some instances, it wasn''t negative that some unoccupied citizens left for other locations.


    Many could be law-abiding people, but some could cause problems in situations like these.


    Anyway, after staying in Jalene City for that time, Minos and Abby had headed north, continuing their journey to the central region of the Kingdom of the Waves.


    And after the month that had passed, the two had experienced a lot on their trip and were slowly getting closer to that state''s capital.

 Chapter 386: Maybe I Want (*)

    Minos and Abby had passed through some towns where they had done business in the past month and forest regions ruled by spiritual beasts. With this, the two had fought enemies on many occasions and also trained with each other during the quieter moments of the trip.


    Abby had finally learned the last two Silver-grade techniques missing, one for attack and one for support. And from these fights she had had at that time, this young woman had already mastered the basics and could finally fight enemies 4 to 6 levels above her!


    That was a considerable advance for her, and Abby was naturally pleased with herself and Minos. Now, she could withstand even more intense training with him and was less dependent on his help when fighting enemies.


    But neither Abby nor young Stuart had achieved a breakthrough during this period. After all, despite having tried hard, the two still needed to cultivate longer to reach level 44.


    Aside from the increase in strength of Minos'' young friend, the two had had a much smoother journey this time.


    Last month, they hadn''t been approached by enemies like those bandits in the Flooded Valley. In fact, in addition to beasts in forest regions, they had only fought each other during their training.


    But even without taking any action against humans, i.e., gaining people''s belongings like those bandits, Minos had achieved even more spiritual techniques for the Dry City.


    Of course, these techniques he had obtained commonly, buying them, not just taking them from corpses left on the ground...


    Anyway, the two had passed through other cities in the Kingdom of the Waves, and one of them was similar to Jalene City. But instead of a place specializing in the culinary profession, this time the two had known a place famous for its seers!


    In that place, Minos and Abby had spent a few days until they finally negotiated 45 copies of Blue-grade and 3 Black-grade techniques, specific for professionals in this field.


    Minos intended to have specialists from each spiritual profession in his army, soldiers who could learn Black-grade techniques. That is because, even if one specialization didn''t seem to be that significant, when combined with others, it could yield great results.


    See the example of the Spatial Kingdom ring left by Henricus Longus. This thing involved more than one professional and had already helped Minos in more than one situation.


    And the best items in the Spiritual World were those that involved the work of more than one type of cultivator!


    So, young Stuart was already preparing the bases for the future of the Black Plain so that his soldiers would have good resources, to help them in different types of situations.


    Finally, the couple had also passed through a town with a medium-sized beast tamers guild during that month of travel. But Minos had not been interested in doing business there.


    It wasn''t because he wanted to find some high-level place. No, the problem was, there weren''t many beasts naturally found in the Black Plain!


    Because of that, buy techniques of this type at the moment would be a waste of the scarce resources of the Dry City. Most likely, no one would want to learn a profession that would force them to travel thousands of miles!


    On the other hand, while each state of this region had good beast tamer guilds, they were all a step below the Snow Kingdom''s best tamer families.


    That place had the best professionals in such a field and also the best techniques. Because of this, Minos wanted to leave to buy techniques from that place in the future, when the Black Plain stopped hiding and started doing business openly.


    Before that, it wouldn''t have much sense to invest in this area!


    ...


    In a large city in the Kingdom of the Waves, several mountains were surrounding that place, with some even partially covered by clouds due to its high altitude.


    In this place, the streets and buildings were built even on the most vertical points of the mountain. The same level of altitude areas formed rings with small streets and houses, connected to other locations by several stairs and small bridges.


    And due to this construction model, along with the fact that it was night, looking at this city from afar, such a place would look like a trunk of a cone, with thousands of luminous points around it.


    Anyway, in the middle of this city with such a construction model, there was a medium-sized inn, looking like a four-story house, with several windows on the sides.


    The place had a rustic look. However, it was something elegant, as if it were a historical heritage of this place.


    There were some statues in the small courtyard in front of this inn, while the people who came and went from this place were very well dressed as if they were all of high status or nobles.


    And in this inn, in one of the rooms on the top floor, if someone could fly and stop beside the open window of that place, they would see two youths playing with each other, at high intensity and sweating a lot.


    Pah! Pah! Pah!


    Sounds of beating flesh sounded there, where a sensual, blue-haired young woman was on all fours on the bed of that place. Her body moved back and forth while her hair was messed up, and her back was completely sweaty.


    "Ahhh~ Ahhh~"


    She made heavenly moans every time she felt her mate move with his hips while she used her delicate hands to play with her little sister and one of her nipples.


    At the same time, a tall, well-muscled young man was standing behind her, holding her waist and actively pushing his groin over his partner''s buttocks.


    He was also drenched in sweat, and his brown hair had become unruly due to the four hours of high-intensity activity in which these two had focused.


    "Cuming~" And at one point, the two finally reached another orgasm, with only a few seconds difference between them.


    "Hah... hah, hah, that was perfect... Hah, hah, I think we hit a record this time, didn''t we?" Minos asked Abby while still standing behind her, feeling his friend''s wet interiors.


    He couldn''t get enough of admiring Abby''s beautiful buttocks.


    And truth be told, it was flawless, precisely the way he liked the most.


    "Hmm, I''m glad this town was on our way... I was already going crazy with the sexual tension between the two of us!" Abby commented, with her body trembling until gradually she began to walk away from Minos.


    Pah!


    "Ahh~"


    And at that moment, young Stuart slapped Abby on her left buttock, causing her to moan softly and look back. ''Ahh, that''s how I like it¡­'' He thought with a lusty smile on his face.


    After that, the two lay in that place, hugging each other, when Abby began to feel her partner''s little brother pressing her belly. "Wow, Minos, you are very naughty!"


    "How do you still get that way after everything we''ve done?" She asked this as she blushed and smiled.


    "It''s your fault for being so beautiful!" He teased her as he approached his face to her neck, already sucking on the young woman''s ear.


    "If we keep this up, you''ll get me pregnant!" She played with him. Abby knew that if neither of them wanted such a thing, then it would never happen, but she had still made such a comment to him.


    "Hehe, who knows, one day we both forgot to take worries, and a little Abby shows up here..." Minos said this while he was already using one of his hands to massage her belly.


    "Maybe it''s a little Minos..."


    "By the way, do you want to have children?" She asked with a twinkle in her eyes as she let him continue playing with her body.


    "Who knows... When the Black Plain is stable, and there aren''t so many external threats. And you? Maybe you wanted to carry my children?" Minos teased her as he brought the girl to his lap.


    After hearing this, Abby''s face turned even redder as she felt young Stuart''s rod touching at her intimate part. She then looked into his eyes and said at once. "Maybe I want..."

 Chapter 387: A Public Execution

    After that conversation, Minos and Abby had a little more fun, until finally, the two were completely satisfied.


    And regarding the subject raised by Abby earlier, although most people in the Spiritual World desired children, not everyone did, which is why this young woman had asked Minos.


    She already knew about Minos'' uninhibited personality and also the fact that he had many enemies. In this case, perhaps he was one of those people uninterested in reproducing.


    And really, not everyone was prepared to be a parent, not even after hundreds of years of experience. Therefore, even if the biological imperative demanded such a thing, human rationality was much stronger than that...


    Some didn''t mind having offspring who followed their legacies. After all, it was not uncommon for powerful cultivators to want to make history for themselves, not through a descendant.


    Nor was it easy to procreate in the Spiritual World!


    The higher the talent, cultivation level, and Physique rank, the more difficult it was to achieve it. Because of all this, many didn''t even think about it until the subject came up...


    Anyway, Abby was slowly developing deeper feelings for Minos. So, deep in her being, she was truly willing to carry this young man''s babies. But she hadn''t even gotten to the point of saying it out loud herself, unless it was in a game, like the one the two of them had just played.


    And after this intimate moment, the couple decided to go around town to get to know this place.


    This town was named Allamanda, where Minos intended to do some business with poison masters before continuing his journey to the capital of the Kingdom of the Waves, Athela.


    From what Minos and Abby had learned from Elen, this place had many poisonous flowers, and because of that, many poison masters had settled in this place. With that, it didn''t take long for Allamanda to become one of the main points to find such professionals in the Kingdom of the Waves.


    In fact, even in the entire northern region of the Central Continent, there were few people in this field, as this is one of the least popular among the spiritual professions.


    And it was not for less. In general, for a poison master to increase his classification, he would have to deal with poisons daily, often having to poison himself to comprehend his techniques completely!


    Because of this unique training method, many cultivators preferred to stay away from this profession.


    And not only that but also because of the appearance of cultivators who specialize in this area. While most cultivators in this world could become more and more attractive as they grow stronger, among the poison masters, well, that wasn''t quite the case...


    In general, these people had smaller muscles and paler skin. In addition, their bodies were sometimes filled with strange marks due to constant poisoning.


    Of course, there could be beautiful people even in this profession, but most were not like that...


    However, suppose a poison master''s training had no adverse effect on their appearance. In that case, they could look much prettier than cultivators usually do.


    That is due to the spiritual cleansing and change generated by the constant poisoning that these people went through.


    The poisoning could not harm the cultivator''s body and specifically target negative parts such as toxins, parasitic organisms, and diseases. With that, even without a stage advancement in cultivation, a successful poison master could look even prettier for his level than ordinary cultivators.


    Furthermore, some poisonings could even cause mutations and bring characteristics that perhaps please some people. For example, the color of the iris!


    In fact, there were many poison masters with the iris of varying colors of the visible spectrum.


    On the other hand, spiritual cleansing would be more effective if fewer toxins were present in a cultivator''s body. In this case, with fewer ''problems'' to be eliminated, this rare event could be used to maximize other characteristics of that individual''s physical body!


    Anyway, the training of poison masters was challenging to control, and many went beyond the ideal point. With such errors, one of the main affected characteristics would be health. Secondly, would be the weakened appearance that most of these professionals would have.


    But there were still those who accepted such risks, whether because of the appreciation of these professionals and the benefits they could have if they were successful.


    And even those who failed their training and suffered from the consequences of excessive poisoning could treat patients with complete safety. After all, the damage only affected their own bodies. And because these professionals could treat different anomalies, things that doctors couldn''t, they had a good market, even in more remote regions.


    Allied to this, given the small number of people trained in this profession and many potential patients, the average earnings of a poison master were among the highest in the Spiritual World...


    For all that, this was also an essential profession among the spiritual ones.


    ...


    Minos and Abby were walking through the narrow streets of Allamanda, with the blue-haired girl walking very close to the young Stuart, with one of her arms crossed with one of his own.


    The two had satisfied expressions on their faces and were getting to know this city without haste, noting the differences of this place compared to others they had been through.


    From what they had learned in these more than two months of travel in the Kingdom of the Waves, this state was so big that there was not just a single culture but many.


    There were people of all kinds in the places that the two had passed, like places where they partied in the streets on weekends. Places where citizens would build bonfires outside their homes and talk to strangers as if they had known them for decades...


    However, in others, people were utterly apathetic, austere, with their attention focused only on their responsibilities, just the opposite of what occurred in Jalene City.


    In this town that Minos and Abby had passed through, people went out to the beach constantly. There were forms of entertainment in large open theaters, and there was even music in certain parts of that town.


    And at least on the days these two had been there. They''d noticed that the city didn''t ''relaxed'' during the nights. But, on the other hand, in other places more restricted to these attractions were much quieter.


    But there was one thing Minos and Abby had noticed in almost every town they had passed, which was the presence of Spiritual Church buildings!


    Except for a few villages they had passed, every town larger than the Dry City had at least one small post.


    But that was not impressive. After all, the same happened in the Cromwell Kingdom and in the state from where these two youths came!


    Finally, after some time, the couple arrived in an open place, which looked like a small square, at the top of a small hill.


    In that place, three streets joined, in front of a large building, which had a wooden platform in front of it, with some strange items.


    And right now, that little square was in a fervor, with many people, some of them screaming, while others were smiling and talking.


    "Kill him!"


    "Sinful! Execute this thing!"


    "Send him to the fire!"


    In front of the crowd, there was a group of people beside a large guillotine on top of that platform, while a man had his neck leaning on the cutting point of that item.


    There was a group of people in black cloaks at that point, with some of them manipulating the giant guillotine, while others made sure this man didn''t run away.


    By getting close enough to see what was going on, Minos and Abby had finally understood the screams they had heard for a few moments.


    "A public execution!" The two turned to each other and commented on this simultaneously.


    Neither of them had ever experienced seeing such a thing.  And although the two weren''t attracted to the world''s brutality, it was undeniable that they were both curious at this point.


    Finally, suddenly a deep, husky voice sounded in that part of this place, beginning to utter that man''s sentence. "Butcher of Chax..."

 Chapter 388: Sentence

    "Butcher of Chax, you committed unpardonable crimes. You terrorized the Chax district, raped and killed countless women, profaned several tombs, and even dismembered many of your victims¡­" An elderly man said this while reading a yellowed parchment, citing all of that person''s crimes.


    And at the same time as this old man calmly read the criminal record of the man who was at the guillotine now, the crowd revolted more and more.


    "Trash! Kill this degenerate!"


    "I wanted to kill him with my bare hands..."


    "Let us lynch him!"


    "Emasculate him!"


    Meanwhile, Minos and Abby stood together in the crowd, closely watching this criminal''s trial.


    From what they heard from the mediator reading the individual''s crimes, that man had terrorized this region for decades. And even though he wasn''t that strong, just a level 42 cultivator, this person had still managed to survive and escape the countless persecutions that had taken place.


    "Ahh, last week, three other bandits were burnt at the stake. I doubt that this one will have the same fate..."


    "Hmm, I heard that one of them survived for 20 minutes until he finally lost consciousness¡­" Comments about recent events in this region began to sound in the vicinity of Minos and Abby while that old man was still reading the criminal''s file.


    Such a thing that Minos and Abby were seeing and hearing was part of the reality of the Central Continent. Crime existed everywhere, and even though among individuals of greater power, these acts were not considered crimes but rather ''eccentric acts,'' the same was not true for unsupported cultivators...


    For example, a young nobleman like Kevin Chambers could make life miserable for family members of young beauties in his hometown. Still, no one would do anything about it, nor would they care.


    At least no one of importance would do anything about it.


    However, for the man now on trial in this public square of Allamanda, an ordinary criminal, the reality could be quite different...


    In every human city, regardless of its size, there would be basic laws, which don''t even need to be written down. And basically, these social rules established what would not be accepted under any circumstances!


    And it would not differ in a city like Allamanda, with hundreds of thousands of inhabitants and a noble power regulating local activities. With that, things like murder and rape would generally be forbidden in most human cities, and anyone caught doing such things would have to pay the price of it with their own life.


    After all, insecurity in a big city would not be a good thing for business, the focus of most of these noble powers. Therefore, there would always be rules in human communities to minimize random conflicts as much as possible.


    And in places like Allamanda, the sovereign family itself would carry out the entire process, from the search to the trial and, finally, the sentence of those involved in crimes.


    In the case of small towns like the old Dry City, if someone like this man on trial were caught doing such things, the population itself would act!


    As long as the difference in strength between the two sides was not colossal, groups of inhabitants would assemble to hunt and kill these criminals.


    But it must be said that such a thing would only happen if the offense was severe and the culprit''s identity was obvious to everyone. If these were more common things to happen among cultivators, or if there were no clues, populations wouldn''t do much about it.


    Anyway, due to this reality, in larger cities, as in the case of this one, public judgments were not uncommon to happen. There were criminals in all human societies, and naturally, cases of rapists and murderers like this man in question would happen sooner or later.


    Thus, due to the popularity of public executions among the most humble communities, rulers from different parts of the continent used this type of judgment. After all, while they could show their own power by capturing and defining the fate of these outlaws, these organizations could also entertain their citizens!


    It was like combining business with pleasure!


    "Finally, after killing an entire family in Chax, this degenerate desecrated every single corpse of the women and girls he killed. All of this was seen by countless people last weekend." The elderly man finished reading that criminal''s file when he finally put the parchment in his pocket and looked out over the crowd.


    "Mercy, Father Russell, mercy! I was crazy, and I couldn''t think right. Please don''t kill me!" The man with his body leaning on the guillotine cried out in despair, realizing that his end was near.


    And right after he cried out for mercy, the population of that place inflamed even more, starting to generate a disorder that made that wooden platform tremble.


    "Shame! Blaming an illness!"


    "Liar! In addition to being a worm, this scum is also a coward!"


    "Cut the tongue of this degenerate!"


    "Kill him..."


    And amid this commotion, Minos and Abby were silent in that place, watching this trial. At this moment, the two could see the figure of a man going to the nearest part of the audience, dressed in a specific robe used by the Priest of the Spiritual Church.


    In general, church members used to participate in these acts as the mediator between the parties. The sovereign family, or local government, would do almost anything. However, they still used the Spiritual Church to validate their actions, even if the population itself asked for such punishments.


    At the very least, it would make people realize that they would not be judged by just one side...


    The man dressed in a blue robe, the typical color of the attire of Spiritual Church Priests, then began to speak again. "Considering the many mundane crimes and the contraventions of church dogmas under Natural Law, I advise that this man be executed!"


    "Yes! Kill him!" Several screams sounded in that place when suddenly another individual, who had been next to that Priest earlier, stopped in front of the audience and asked.


    "Well, if no one is willing to speak on behalf of this man¡­" He looked around the square, pausing his speech for a moment, and then continued.


    "If that''s the case... Butcher of Chax, I, Maynard, of House Holmes, ruler of Allamanda, sentence you to die!"


    That man, dressed in a fine suit and all black, then looked at one of the people beside the guillotine and said in a firm tone. "Sir Willard, bring me his head!"


    "No!" The man at the guillotine desperately screamed as he looked up and down the square, looking for hope in this final moment of his life.


    But it was futile. No one would ever speak in his name...


    After all, who would care about the life of a human being who only brought calamity to people''s lives, fear, horror, pain, someone capable of killing and raping children''s corpses...


    And almost immediately as his last cry of despair sounded, the man controlling the guillotine released the blade of that equipment.


    "Awww!" Hundreds of people shouted simultaneously, shortly after the Allamanda ruler''s sentence and the guillotine''s movement.


    Clang!


    Puff!


    In just a second, the 500-kilogram mass blade descended from the top of the guillotine until separating the man''s head from the rest of his body.


    "Aww!" Shouts of happiness rang out from that place, with many individuals celebrating as if they were watching their favorite hobby. However, some were more serious, as if they were here to ensure that this person would die.


    "Don''t forget to place this outlaw''s body on the city walls. Let them know what happens in Allamanda to those who think they can do whatever they want!" The local ruler said this right after seeing that man''s head on a silver platter.


    After that, the people on that platform left that place while the population followed the guards who were taking the remains of the Butcher of Chax.


    As for Minos and Abby, the two had taken a different path from those people, continued to wander through Allamanda. This place was quite different than the other places they had been, and they were both very curious.


    They could not do business until the next day when the shops and services related to the poison masters opened in this town. So, this night tour had no greater purpose...

 Chapter 389: Closer to the Truth?

    After getting to know a little more about the reality of the Kingdom of the Waves, precisely the particularities of Allamanda, Minos and Abby had woken up very early and went to a specific place in this city.


    The two had obtained information from the hotel where they were staying as to the best place to find organizations willing to sell their spiritual techniques. And to their surprise, instead of a guild or school focused on one profession, they had been nominated to a specific person.


    As far as they understood, a powerful poison master of this town was the best source of spiritual techniques, even more so than the Allamanda Flower, the local poison masters'' school.


    From what was passed on to them in that hotel, this woman was a cultivator outside the poison masters'' school and could be considered one of the most powerful in the region. Because of this, even the renowned Allamanda Flower couldn''t compare to this woman when it came to spiritual techniques.


    But certain rumors were going around locally that said that this woman had actually killed many other poison masters... And precisely because of that, she had made it to the top.


    So, the people at that hotel had recommended caution to Minos and Abby.


    But these two hadn''t been so worried about it. After all, what mighty cultivator wouldn''t kill thousands to reach the top?


    Such a thing was ordinary, and people like that managed the Spiritual World!


    Because of this, such information hadn''t stopped Minos. And, on the other hand, he would always have a way to escape with Abby to the Spatial Kingdom, so he didn''t fear a poison master.


    Despite not being as helpless as doctors, such professionals would still have many limitations if they had to fight warriors. That''s because their bodies were naturally much more fragile, and several of their characteristics limited them a lot.


    Therefore, Minos felt prepared to deal with any situation when he met someone like the woman in question. As long as they were careful not to breathe strange substances, touch or taste things inside that woman''s store, then they would be safe.


    On the other hand, the two just wanted to do business, so the chances of something happening wouldn''t be too great. After all, if a poison master killed her clients, how would she survive?


    And as expected, nothing unusual had happened when Minos and Abby visited this person.


    She was called Regina Garza, level 57, a high-level grade-2 poison master.


    However, contrary to their expectations, the couple had met a stunning woman with purple eyes and hair, as well as a well-developed body.


    Regina didn''t look any older than Mia, despite the fact that she was over a thousand years old, as she had said to the two of them when Minos and Abby gaped at her beauty.


    But Minos soon understood why. After all, this woman had succeeded in administering the poison doses that her training required. Because of that, her appearance was even more beautiful than it should have been, considering her level and age.


    As for Abby, she had been tempted to have a treatment session with that poison master to eliminate some of the impurities from her own body. But after hearing that she would have to pay a thousand medium-grade crystals for just one week of treatment, Minos'' young friend had buried that idea in her mind.


    Not even Minos could pay such a sum for a single one-week treatment!


    He even had the crystals, but considering how much he needed to invest in his city, army, and himself, Minos couldn''t hire such a service. It would be a waste of resources to do such a thing in their situation!


    After doing business with the beautiful Regina, Minos was almost tempted to invite her to the Black Plain. Still, he held those thoughts in his mind. Maybe he would still try something like this in the future, but it would be too dangerous for him to do such a thing now.


    This woman had been very friendly to him and Abby, but only because the two of them were just customers, not much to offer her.


    Regina hadn''t even been surprised to make a deal of 150,000 low-grade crystals and 800 medium-grade ones. After all, such values ??would only pay for her services for a week... In contrast, this woman attended to nobles from various kingdoms in this region, constantly...


    But if she knew Minos had the resources to make her go beyond level 59, then this woman could have had dangerous thoughts. And even though Minos could run away to the Spatial Kingdom with Abby, he didn''t want to do it just because of something he didn''t need right now.


    The copies of poison master techniques he had bought from Regina had great value for the Black Plain. But having this woman in his force was something that, while good, would be somewhat unnecessary in the short term.


    Therefore, Minos had decided to invite this woman to the Dry City in the future when he reached level 50. From that point on, even though she was already at level 57, as Regina was not a fighter, the young ruler of the Black Plain would easily defeat such a woman.


    And after that meeting, the young couple had resolved a few more issues in the city of Allamanda until they left, heading for the capital of the Kingdom of the Waves.


    Such a place was not far away, but this would still be a journey of more than two weeks!


    ...


    While Minos traveled through the Kingdom of the Waves, Christian Reid was still in the Brown Kingdom, looking for the people involved in the competition for that Warrior-grade medicine at the Peak of the Fog.


    After several weeks of investigation, he and his two subordinates had managed to uncover some information, which had led them to a small local family.


    Such power had sent a young man to the Spiritual Tournament, and that person was precisely one of those involved in the Peak of the Fog incident.


    And with that information in hand, Christian had run until arrived at the north of the Brown Kingdom, where this small family was located, in the mountainous regions of this state.


    This location was close to the border with Kingdom of the Waves, where a section of the Endless Snow Mountain Range divided three nearby states, including that one, the Brown Kingdom, and a state located outside this region of the Central Continent.


    But apart from the uneven terrain, there was nothing extraordinary about this region on the Brown Kingdom.


    The spiritual concentration was average for the region, there was a large population, and the main specialization of ??this small region was the forge.


    Anyway, the three men from the Reid family were now in front of a well-built and decent-sized property in a part of the largest city of that region. That was where that person''s family was established, where this group hoped to find answers to their questions.


    And it wasn''t long before a person capable of answering the questions of these three arrived and greeted them.


    This family was not a noble power and only had good resources to nurture a single youth for each Spiritual Tournament. And because of that, the people in this organization knew very well that being friendly to people like Christian was the best for them.


    With that, it didn''t take long, and that person had listened to Christian''s entire explanation of the subject and who they were looking for.


    The man, who looked to be in his 30s and dressed like a lumberjack, then handed the images back to Christian and said. "Ehh, hmm, I understand what the problem is. I''m sorry about your loss. Losing a younger brother is not an easy thing. I lost mine a few years ago..."


    "But anyway, life goes on... However, this young man in the third photo you showed truly came from our family." He sincerely said as he looked at the three men in front of him.


    "Oh? That''s nice! It''s the first clue we''ve had in months!" One of Christian''s subordinates said in satisfaction.


    "And where is he? Call him here, and we''ll give a reward to your family if he tells us what we want!" Christian said as he smiled.


    "About this..."

 Chapter 390: Months Threw in the Trash!

    "He... He died." That man said this in an apologetic tone for not being able to help these nobles in front of him.


    "He died?" The three exclaimed as they had expressions of disappointment forming on their faces.


    Just now, they had thought they would finally find out something about that incident. But, reality had made them go back to the previous point of the investigation...


    It was genuinely frustrating for the three of them!


    ''Months threw in the trash!'' Christian''s bodyguard thought to himself.


    And while his two subordinates had their thoughts about this matter, Christian frowned and felt his face heat up. ''What our bad luck! But I can''t waste this¡­'' He pondered for a moment until he finally looked into that man''s eyes, seriously.


    "What happened to him? Was he killed on the same occasion as my younger brother?" Christian asked as he tried to trace new clues through this person.


    And hearing this, that man scratched his eyebrows for a moment and then reported what he knew. "Young Cyril died during the Spiritual Tournament. Unfortunately, he could not complete the survival test and was killed by a 5th stage beast."


    "Ahh, it was a loss for our whole family. We counted on him so much..." He lamented.


    "It is a pity that this young man died, but I heard that he was not alone at that time. Where is the bodyguard who accompanied him on this trip? I wish I could talk to him." Christian asked this, remembering that fact.


    The main point of his investigation was the youths who had gone to the Peak of the Fog. That is because it would be easier to identify a talented young person than any subordinate...


    But if he could talk to the bodyguard in question, that could also help Christian.


    After a moment of silence, that man moved his head from side to side in denial and said. "That I cannot say. Our family is not rich enough to have subordinates of that individual''s level. So, we simply hired the escort service of a mercenary in the capital."


    "You mean your family hired a mercenary from the Red Blade Guild?" One of Christian''s subordinates asked.


    "Yes, we hired the escort service in this guild."


    As well as the Dry City service, mercenary guilds existed and had their uses for the inhabitants of the Central Continent. Often, as in the case of this small family, hiring the services of mercenaries was the most they could do, and the existence of these places guaranteed that the service would be done.


    After all, a mercenary wouldn''t be trustworthy unless something or someone was forcing them to follow orders...


    But with the existence of guilds, organizations made to give credibility to their members and, consequently, profit; such mercenaries could be trusted, most of the time...


    At the very least, a mercenary from a guild wouldn''t try to steal or abandon a client in the middle of a mission. That''s because they would only receive their payments after the service was done and could even suffer penalties if they did something wrong with their customers.


    That is because an organization that wanted to be credible would have to worry about not alienating its customers because of ''bad apples''!


    So, unless it was a very extreme circumstance involving the life and death of the mercenary, in general, these guild-related people could be considered ''allies.''


    Anyway, after hearing the man''s response, the two subordinates looked at each other and then focused on Christian. "Young master, this mercenary will not be easy to find. He could be anywhere, and the Red Blade Guild might not even know his origin, name, etc."


    "Hmm, that''s right, young master. I don''t think it''s worth following that person, at least not while we can find one of these other youths much more easily." The other agreed.


    After that, Christian was silent for a moment and then made his decision. "Let''s go to the Snow Kingdom. We''ll leave this information on standby for now. If we don''t find any of these other people alive, we''ll go after this later..."


    Quickly the group left that place after Christian had paid some crystals to that guy from before. Their investigation had come to a dead-end, and now the best course of action was to set that information aside and pursue the other leads discovered by the Reid family.


    Who knows? Maybe they could get something faster that way.


    ...


    Days quickly passed, and Minos and Abby were now resting on a prairie, only about 100 kilometers away from the Kingdom of the Waves capital.


    This place had completely green fields, extending for tens of kilometers, with trees far apart.


    There was also a small river flowing through that area near the place where the two youths were, coming from the east and heading west of the Kingdom of the Waves, where the coast of that state was.


    In fact, if Minos and Abby were to follow this river directly, they would arrive in one of the many port cities of this state, in the region with the highest population concentration in this kingdom!


    But at the present time, neither of them was interested in following this path, as what they needed, techniques, and spiritual artifacts could be found in the three places they still had to pass on this journey. That was the capital of this state, the headquarters of the Cohen family, west of the capital, and a city south of where they were, in the kingdom''s central region.


    Minos and Abby had not passed this place during their coming because it would extend their journey even further, as this place was off the route they were taking.


    However, when the two were returning to the Black Plain, they could use a new route on their journey, where they would have to pass through this town in question.


    Anyway, where the two were standing and resting, Minos and Abby could see some beasts in the distance, on the banks of the river that passed close to them. But neither of them was strong, and they weren''t trying to get close to these two either. In fact, they were just grazing and going their ways, totally ignoring the human presence around them.


    At the same time, three carriages could be seen driving along the dirt road, one coming from the capital and the other two going there.


    But this movement was not strange. After all, these two were already very close to Athela, a city with about 7 million inhabitants!


    And being the capital of the Kingdom of the Waves, this place received people from all parts of that state and even others, as in the example of Minos and Abby. The services of this city were among the best in the entire northern region of the Central Continent, and naturally, there was an attraction to foreign people.


    There were high-level grade-2 professionals from almost all spiritual professions and top regional families and organizations in this city. The royal house, the Walker family, was one of the strongest houses in this part of the continent and had most of its members living in the capital.


    But some of these most critical individuals of the local royalty did not live in the city of Athela, as in the case of the three princes!


    But such matters weren''t all that important to Minos at the moment. At this point in his journey, this young man just wanted to buy the resources necessary for the short-term development of his territory without getting involved in such big problems...


    And while the two of them were sitting in the middle of that prairie, not far from each other, with a giant beast watching them, Minos looked at Abby and said. "Let''s go. We should get to Athela before nightfall. We''ll leave it to cultivate later when we find a decent hotel."


    "Hmm." After Abby nodded in agreement, the two mounted that beast and headed back to the soil road beside where they had stopped.


    ''Ahh, we''ve finally arrived at this place... There''s a lot of business for me to do here!'' Minos reflected with a slight smile on his face.


    After about three months of traveling, they had arrived at their main destination!

 Chapter 391: Athela

    Some time passed, and Minos and Abby had finally arrived in the Kingdom of the Waves capital, Athela!


    Upon arriving in this great metropolis, the two left Abby''s great spiritual beast in a specific location, where that tiger could be comfortably accommodated in this region.


    As there was in Old Stone, in Athela, there was also a large plot of land with various types of accommodation for giant beasts. And after they had done this, the two had immediately hired a coachman to take them to a hotel in the central region of this great city.


    Both were in a hurry to get to a hotel, and due to the size of this city, even if they were familiar with a specific location, getting around would take several minutes. That is because, even though this city has only 1 million more inhabitants than Old Stone, its occupied area was nearly 50% larger than this other one!


    Athela was quite large, with many buildings of varying designs and heights, parks, and services of practically every type.


    And due to the almost complete offer of services in this city, the total area and the movement in the streets seemed much more significant than in Old Stone.


    While Old Stone had professionals from all areas, only the profession of blacksmiths was numerous enough in that state. In relation to the other specializations, the number of people was small, and this aspect of Elen''s homeland did not attract much attention.


    But on Athela, it was different. In addition to having professionals in large numbers of almost every specialty area, the Kingdom of the Waves capital also has a high number of specialists of medium-level grade-2.


    In fact, only two spiritual professions could be considered ''missing'' in Athela due to the small number of individuals above low-level grade-2, which were the professions of beast tamers and spiritual judges.


    For the beast tamers, there was only one high-level grade-2 individual in the town. But that was normal to be expected and didn''t change much of the attractiveness of this state. After all, outside the Snow Kingdom, the profession of beast tamers wasn''t well-developed.


    At the same time, the best spiritual judges were limited to medium-level grade-2 professionals. This specialization was one of the most difficult professions to pursue in this region of the continent due to the small spiritual power of the region''s cultivators and the low classification of spiritual techniques.


    That limited the development of specialists in this profession in the region because this area of ??expertise acted directly by making the famous Soul Contracts, among other things as well.


    But the focus of these professionals was the soul of themselves and their clients, something that only developed better at high levels. And precisely because of this and because they have low-efficiency techniques, the performance of these professionals was much more complex than others.


    The advances in power and mastery over these people''s techniques were on average 50% more difficult than for other areas!


    But that was a region-wide problem and not something unique to the Kingdom of the Waves.


    In addition to the many spiritual options available in Athela, several prominent local organizations also produced common items needed in everyday life. Because of all this and the local services, this capital seemed much bigger than Old Stone, despite the slight difference in terms of population.


    And as for the high-level powers in this location, well, from what Minos had heard from Elen and Abby, in addition to the royal family, there were three other powers locally.


    These were the Collins, Reid, and Woods families!


    Despite having positions in the capital, the main base of each of these families was in their respective territories around the kingdom. But such a thing was normal to find in this region. After all, the most remarkable powers truly needed to have essential bases in the capitals of their respective states.


    That also happened in the Brown Kingdom, with the Silva and Miller families, which had essential bases in the City of the Setting Sun despite having their territories.


    In cases such as the Nash family, who had their headquarters in the capital of their state, this was also not so strange to happen, especially among merchant families. That''s because they didn''t produce their items themselves, so being closer to where big decisions could be made seemed like the best alternative.


    Thus, these powers could act more readily when specific issues arise, in addition to, of course, experiencing the political schemes more closely.


    Anyway, Minos was aware of the local political setup. Still, he wasn''t the least bit concerned about it at the moment, as he wasn''t going to be here for long. As for this Reid family, he felt he had heard that name before, but he wasn''t sure where...


    Finally, after traveling for a while through this shining and magnificent city, the couple arrived at the hotel where they were going to stay. From what their coachman had told them, this place was not only one of the best hotels. It was also close to the best local services.


    There was a cultivation tower just a few hundred meters away and several grade-2 professional shops on the main avenues in this area. And, according to that man, the beautiful royal palace and the Spiritual Church post in this state were also in this part, which Minos and Abby could visit later.


    He had vigorously commended the magnificence of these two sites, not only for the structural beauty of their buildings but also because of the importance of the two organizations. One was the all-powerful ruler of his region, who had led this state for hundreds of thousands of years and was a source of pride for ordinary people.


    The other was the faith of tens of millions, being the official religion of the Kingdom of the Waves, the organization that had created many of the local customs.


    And although Minos wasn''t interested in these last two locations, he had thanked that coachman for the information provided. It was always helpful to hear what ordinary people thought of their own city. After all, this was a way of knowing how things worked locally, something that could make Minos and his friend stay in this town easier.


    ...


    After arriving at the apartment, Minos and Abby simply sat on a sofa in the living room of that place and relaxed for a few minutes. Both were tired from the last few hours of the trip and still had until tomorrow to do their other things.


    And as the two relaxed in that spot, Abby suddenly asked. "What are we going to do tomorrow? Are we going to do business already, or do you want to go train at this local cultivation tower?"


    And after hearing this, Minos opened his eyes and looked at the glass door on the balcony of this place, seeing the city''s night lights. "We will do business tomorrow. However, some of the items I want to buy may not be available, so we may have to wait a few days for them to be produced."


    "So, to maximize our time here, let''s sort this out first and then train in this cultivation tower until all the items are ready." He finished speaking as he used one of his hands to massage Abby''s shoulders.


    "Hmm... What about that subject you talked to Elen about? Are you going to try to see how the situation is going for the bodyguards of those two?"


    He moved his head in denial and said. "I won''t be looking for them around here, as that would be a lot of work and could draw unnecessary attention to us. But Elen said if the two were still around then, they would probably spend most of their time training."


    "Maybe we''ll find them in the cultivation tower. I heard Elen''s bodyguard has been earning many crystals, so he can probably train in this location. With that, if we find them in this place, I don''t mind delivering Elen and Elena''s message to them."


    "OK." After that, Abby got up from that place and pulled Minos by one of his arms, already walking towards the bedroom. "Come sleep with me. We can cultivate after this..."

 Chapter 392: Bad Situation

    The night passed peacefully in Athela, and by this time, it had already dawned.


    The sky was completely blue, with no clouds in the local atmosphere, while the temperature was pleasant, around 20 degrees Celsius (68oF).


    And amid this pleasant weather in the early morning, the typical noise of big cities already sounded through the prominent places of this town. The most common was the sounds emitted by the wheels of the carriages, which came and went along the main avenues, pulled by small and medium-sized spiritual beasts of the most varied types.


    The noise made by the beasts was not slight either. After all, this was definitely the favorite mode of transport for the part of the population that could afford it!


    People who used such an alternative did not have to use any of their energies and could still reach their destinations more quickly. Therefore, mounts were very popular beings among cultivators.


    And along with the sounds produced by the beasts and carriages that already filled the most important streets of this kingdom''s capital, the noise of people walking was also particularly noticeable. In fact, apart from the central regions of the residential districts, in all other parts of the city, there were already many people on the street, moving towards their responsibilities.


    Children could be seen walking alongside their parents. Guards were patrolling on top of their beasts, people dressed in all sorts of ways, coming and going on the wide sidewalks of this town.


    And in the midst of this, two youths were walking hand in hand in the central part of the city, on an extensive avenue, from which they could see a large palace in front of them.


    That place had several columns on its facade, as if it were a large temple, in a rectangular shape, which extended over thousands of square meters. And even from a distance, the two youths could see the various glass walls of that place, where groups of guards in the same type of uniform passed from time to time.


    Also, on the outskirts of that place was a large lawn, on the side, the two youths were looking at, where a large fence separated that area from the street''s sidewalk. On this fence, there was the same kind of pattern repeating itself, which looked like a blue wave amidst silver circles.


    That was the royal palace of the Kingdom of the Waves!


    And as Minos and Abby walked through that region, they watched this grand palace from afar in awe as they made their way towards the store in which they could do business.


    Both had woken up very early, and right after breakfast, they had sought information at the reception of that hotel. Finally, after discovering the locations they wanted to visit, they left the hotel, arriving at this moment when they were only a few meters from their destination.


    The first spot Minos wanted to visit was one of the most important for him, a medium-level grade-2 blacksmith shop, where he could find new weaponry.


    Such a thing could mean the success and defeat of the Black Plain. Thus, he couldn''t delay negotiations on this item!


    ...


    Not long after, a young man with brown hair, wearing a blue shirt and beige shorts, along with a beautiful woman with blue hair and a green dress, arrived in front of a certain building.


    This place was relatively large, with high walls surrounding its outdoor area and a single entrance, wide enough for 15 people to pass side by side. At that place, there was a golden plaque with the name of this place, ''The Weapon House.''


    Seeing this, Minos and Abby wasted no time outside that wall, which had nothing more to show despite being high.


    Upon arriving at the internal area of ??this place, the two finally saw that there was a lawn with three paths in front of them, with a small sign indicating the ways.


    ''Forge area.''


    ''Shop.''


    ''Training rooms.''


    Upon reading this, the two immediately followed the central path, which led directly to the shop, where they could place their orders.


    ...


    Finally, after walking about 200 meters from the entrance of this place, the two arrived in front of a building that looked like a house. There were several windows and a large wooden door in this place, which were all open now.


    A few people were around, some sitting on wooden benches outside the building, and others coming and going.


    This area wasn''t crowded, but there was still an intense movement, making Minos and Abby realize the importance of such a place in a big city. After all, there weren''t many medium-level grade-2 blacksmith shops!


    And when they entered that building, the two immediately came across a large hall full of weapons of all kinds.


    There were hammers of about four different models, swords with curved and straight blades, bows, daggers, axes, and so on.


    ''There''s no defense equipment... It''s truly the weapons house.'' Then, Minos thought to himself as he had a slight smile on his face.


    It wasn''t uncommon for a blacksmith to want to produce only certain types of equipment, so he didn''t find this store''s collection strange.


    And as they looked at the windows and weapons on display in that hall, they could see that there were weapons of four different classifications here, from low-level grade-1 to low-level grade-2.


    As for the desirable medium-level grade-2 weapons, none of them were available.


    But that was part of how these stores worked. In general, they did not produce much of this equipment in advance, as the materials were expensive and the blacksmiths'' labor would not be small.


    Thus, such items would usually have to be ordered, and on a few occasions, one would be lucky enough to find a store with such items ready for delivery!


    Anyway, while the couple walked through that place, researching the prices of guns and waiting for customers'' queue to decrease, some people were talking near them.


    Two elderly men were cleaning and replacing some weapons in the windows near Minos and Abby while they spoke in grave tones.


    "Ahh, what happened to King Walker is a real disgrace... And to think that someone so powerful until a short time ago could wither away in such a short time..." One of them commented to the other as he dusted off a set of arrows in one of the windows.


    "Yes, but the worst thing is this competition. None of the princes have the necessary level to control the great families of the kingdom!"


    "I fear that even after one of them ascends to the throne, it will take a few decades before he is respected for his own strength and not because of the ancestor..."


    "Truth. But the third prince is very talented. So, when he becomes king, maybe he won''t have much trouble."


    The other man then placed some swords on a wall, climbing a ladder, and then saying. "Speaking of which, I heard that Prince Charles already has the support of four large regional families and one from our kingdom."


    "I know. These powers are rapid in their actions. My cousin informed me that the Allen family had already sent someone to the city of the third prince before sending a representative to send a message of support to King Walker!"


    "Ahh, poor King Walker, he was always a powerful individual, but now that he''s in his last moments... What a shame!"


    "But with such rotten nobility, it wouldn''t be a surprise if they buried the king still alive..." The other commented in disgust.


    "Hmm, it''s true. But in addition to this family from Stone Island, there is also the Silva family from the Brown Kingdom, the Reid family, and the Hargraves family from the Kingdom of the End."


    "But I heard that other high-level powers are still negotiating with the third prince."


    "Apparently, there won''t be any competition, ahh, that''s too bad..."


    The two workers continued with their tasks, at the same time that Minos and Abby had listened carefully to the whole conversation of these two. They didn''t know much about this local news, and even if they weren''t going to get involved in anything, learning about such things wouldn''t do any harm...


    ''Looks like the situation of these other two princes is truly bad¡­'' Minos pondered as he tried to remember what he''d learned from Elen.

 Chapter 393: The Contest for the Throne

    From what Minos had learned with Elen, of the three princes of this kingdom, in addition to Charles, the other two were named Wilfred and Blake.


    Wilfred Walker was the first prince, 27-years-old, with a Black talent, and was already at level 48. He was the strongest of the three and had the support of his mother, the Queen of the Kingdom of the Waves.


    Blake Walker was the middle son of King Walker, the son of one of the king''s 30 wives, a woman from the prominent Woods family. And besides having the obvious support of that family, the second prince had already reached level 47, with his 25-years-old and Black talent.


    Finally, Charles Walker, the enemy of Peter, was the son of the 2nd wife of King Walker, being the grandson of the current patriarch of the Collins family, a noble house of this state. Furthermore, he had already reached level 47, with his 22-years-old and Black talent. Therefore, he was the fastest in terms of cultivation of the three princes.


    In fact, Charles had been considered the future heir to this since the beginning of his journey into the cultivated world due to his speed of understanding above that of the other two princes. That''s because, while those two had both combat proficiencies and similar cultivation speeds, King Walker''s youngest son had surpassed them in both things since a young age!


    And over the years, finally, Charles was about to catch up with his two older brothers in terms of cultivation level.


    He was already on the same level as his second brother, but he still hadn''t wholly surpassed Blake. However, such a thing was just a matter of time!


    But even though he was the favorite of the kingdom and somehow created an internal dispute between the princes, Charles and his brothers maintained a certain balance of influence in the royal family.


    Such a thing happened because no one knew what could happen to them until the heir was defined. Because of this, no one dared to expose their preferences...


    Obviously, people talked about how Charles was the most talented and would probably be the favorite. Still, most regional powers were neutral about that until recently.


    Kings were generally not known for their mercy but rather for the iron fist, who often mercilessly smote their foes. Thus, as there were many variables and many years before the competition between the three began, there were not many powers openly supporting these individuals, so the three brothers lived in a certain ''harmony.''


    Each of them managed their respective cities while acting behind the scenes to garner more strength and support.


    However, all that had changed when King Walker had failed to succeed in his level promotion...


    Before that happened, the imbalance between the three was tiny and could be changed easily with small movements. However, after this event took place, the talented Charles had directed the situation in the region in his favor, leaving his two brothers in challenging positions.


    The three were pretty much in the same strength range, so support mainly was going to the youngest of the three, the one who could probably hit level 50 first. Thus, while Charles received support from different regions and powers with each passing week, his two older brothers struggled to get help.


    In fact, aside from the evident support they received from their mothers, only those lesser powers, who were betting on trying to gain something, had supported them both.


    Wilfred had strong financial support from his mother, one of the wealthiest people in the kingdom. With that, he could be considered the second favorite in this dispute for the throne.


    After all, crystals could still be considered the most important thing to convince people in the Spiritual World.


    And he was using that advantage to the fullest, having already gathered several Spiritual Kings on his side, almost as many as on Charles''s side!


    But that didn''t mean they were in the balance of power, of course not. After all, several of these Spiritual Kings supporting Wilfred were not nobles but individuals from small organizations, people who could not guarantee noble house support to the first prince.


    As for Blake, he could be considered in the worst position, having only the support of his mother''s family, one military power of the Kingdom of the Waves.


    Such a thing was not small, but it put this second prince in the last position in the competition for the crown.


    However, even though each of these three was in different positions, none wanted to renounce the right to the throne!


    Each of them was smart enough to know that if one of them died, everything would change...


    And as for that, anything could happen!


    Officially, one prince was forbidden to act militarily against another. Still, as long as there was no alarming evidence, the royal family would turn a blind eye to these developments.


    And as for the Spiritual Kings members or subordinates of the Walker family, well, even if some of them had their preferences, none were allowed to get involved in these matters.


    Especially those Spiritual Kings above level 56, the strongest in the family!


    With this, since the strongest elders of the royal family would not take sides with anyone, these princes could still act against each other and settle their affairs with their fists.


    Perhaps one side didn''t have more support than the other, but it would be enough for a single killer to succeed for everything to change.


    And because of that, Wilfred and Blake hadn''t given up!


    Anyway, Minos had heard all this from Elen in the days before his and Abby''s trip to here, the capital of the Kingdom of the Waves.


    After hearing the conversation between those two men, Abby turned to Minos and then whispered something. "Are you concerned about this matter?"


    "Not. In the short term, this cannot affect me, and as I cannot influence this issue, it makes no difference to me what will happen next." He commented in a low voice as he looked at some weapons in that spot.


    He honestly didn''t want Charles to succeed King Walker. Minos didn''t want one of his allies making deals with his potential enemies, so he asked Elen to keep the Nash family out of it!


    And even if the other two princes also had the potential to become Minos'', he wouldn''t mind the Nash family supporting them. After all, this would somehow be like hampering the chances of the worst of the three being successful in his endeavor.


    That''s because, while with these two princes, Minos would have rational problems, due to the Counter-Revolutionary Statute, with Charles, there would also be the unbalanced emotional factor of that person!


    And that was a big problem!


    After all, people like that could be the most dangerous, because they don''t listen to the voice of reason and take their problems to the end...


    Anyway, the best scenario for the Black Plain was one where all three sides would wear out as much as possible, weakening noble powers from different parts of the region!


    But Minos couldn''t interfere with that yet. He would still need to keep his head down for a while longer, and only then would he show his claws and get involved in the regional schemes.


    Gathering resources and people was what he could do right now!


    As for acting directly to increase regional chaos, that would be pretty difficult for him right now. But at least that was the reality for the next 12 months...


    "It''s true unless the Black Plain is exposed, I doubt that any of these princes will cause any problems for us..." Abby was talking to Minos when finally, one of the shop assistants had finished serving a customer and was free to speak to both of them.


    "Come on."


    After a few steps, the two stopped beside a wooden bench, where there was a young man with black hair wearing a typical blacksmith costume. "Good morning. How can I help you?" He said as he scratched his head and yawned.


    "I would like to place an order." Minos said with a smile on his face.


    "To place an order, huh? We have a lot of weapons in stock. Why don''t you tell me each one?"


    "Oh? Then fine. First, I''ll want 20 swords, 10 war hammers, 6 spears, 5 bows, 4 axes, all of them of high-level, grade-1."


    "Second, I also want 4 swords, 2 war hammers, and 1 spear of low-level grade-2."


    "Finally, I''ll also want a medium-level, grade-2 sword. Do you have it all here?"


    "What?" The young man exclaimed in shock.


    He couldn''t sense Minos and Abby''s cultivation level, but given their appearance, he''d thought these two were just here to buy grade-1 weapons.


    After all, who besides the old monsters would buy grade-2 weapons this way?

 Chapter 394: Placing Orders

    After exclaiming in shock, the young blacksmith who was working at this shop looked at Minos and Abby for a moment and realized they weren''t kidding him.


    He then ran one of his hands over his head awkwardly and then said. "I''m sorry, but in addition to the high-level grade-1, and maybe some of the low-level grade-2 weapons, the rest of what you want needs to be ordered."


    "I thought that..." Minos briefly commented as he watched the young blacksmith come out from behind that place and come towards the store''s shelves.


    "Sir, allow me to show you the weapon models we have at our disposal here in the shop¡­" After that, he introduced all the high-level grade-1 weapons to Minos and Abby, considering the types of artifacts they had asked for.


    There was more than one type of each item, and as they were items made by different blacksmiths, such artifacts also had slight distinctions. After all, perfectly replicating the forge of an item was such a complicated thing that even similar items made by the same blacksmith would have small differences.


    And when a product is made from a specific ''recipe,'' but by different blacksmiths with different domains over their techniques, levels, and unique characteristics, the final product could be different!


    Such a thing was like what happened with pills produced by different alchemists!


    Some pills were of the same classification and purposes, as in the example of the spiritual advancement pills. However, if more powerful alchemists produced such pills, then the effects of these items could be more intense. That is because they could have smaller amounts of impurities and could be faster absorbed by the cultivators'' bodies.


    As for spiritual weapons, such artifacts could differ in their resistance, compatibility with specific techniques, and the intensity of attacks made with such weapons. For example, the same type of sword could have different results during a battle, considering the production quality.


    One model might be more effective at cutting through enemies'' flesh, while another might fail to advance the opposing defenses.


    Of course, there wouldn''t be a brutal difference about that, as it would be weapons of the same classification and model. However, in a balanced battle, anything can change the outcome, so the choice of spiritual weapons was often taken very seriously by cultivators.


    At least that''s what happened when it came to weapons sold in stores like this one. After all, this place already had several items ready, and each cultivator would have to find the most compatible with him in a shop like this.


    However, if a cultivator ordered a weapon, such a thing would already be done following that person''s preferences, and it wouldn''t make much difference to make comparisons.


    Anyway, after a few minutes, Minos finally chose all the high-level, grade-1 weapons and some low-level grade-2 ones available there.


    Even if it were ideal to order, as these weapons weren''t for him, it wouldn''t be interesting for him to order them all either.


    On the other hand, the resources available for creating spiritual weapons were limited, and if they had to order a large amount of them, it could delay Minos and Abby''s journey. After all, more weapons ordered would mean more resources, maybe something coming from other regions, perhaps lacking on this store...


    So, there were advantages to buying a weapon that was already available in a store like this!


    "Of the high-level grade-1 artifacts... There were 20 swords... 10 war hammers... 6 spears... 5 bows, and 4 axes... That''s 230,000 low-grade crystals."


    "In addition to the low-level grade-2 artifacts, we had 2 swords, 1 war hammer, and 1 spear... Adding that up, that''s 1,800 medium-grade crystals." The young attendant said to Minos and Abby while he had a euphoric expression on his face.


    He had naturally never sold such a large number of items, so he had been a little excited about these two in front of him. Usually, big deals like these used to be done directly between the great blacksmiths and their customers, so it was not common for employees of stores like these to know about such things.


    But Minos and Abby didn''t give a damn about that young man''s excitement when young Stuart immediately made the payment and stowed his weapons in his spatial ring.


    He hadn''t been able to buy all of the low-level grade-2 weapons, as there weren''t that many items available. In fact, if this weren''t one of the best stores in town, Minos couldn''t even dream of finding such variety.


    And in a way, he had been fortunate to find these items already available in this location. That''s because artifacts of this quality didn''t last long in a shop and were soon sold.


    But the young ruler of the Black Plain had not been disappointed. Since he''d have to order the medium-level grade-2 sword, ordering two swords and a war hammer of low-level grade-2 classification shouldn''t delay his trip too much.


    This shop where he and Abby had come had several apprentice blacksmiths, and some of the owner''s disciples had already attained the necessary level to produce such resources. And this had been one of the reasons Minos had come here and not the many other stores of this type in Athela!


    The blacksmith owns this place focused only on producing medium-level grade-2 items. In contrast, his apprentices made everything else sold in this place.


    "Well, thanks for the help. Where can I place my order?" Minos asked the young man who had attended him as he prepared to leave that store.


    Hearing this, the attendant waved his hands and said to both of them. "You can head towards the forge area. There you will find several outdoor forges, and the master''s point is next to the biggest furnace in that place."


    ...


    After saying goodbye to that young man, Minos and Abby quickly crossed part of the land of this property, having arrived at a place with several stone furnaces.


    About eight young blacksmiths were producing their items at this location while using similar hammers to crush metal alloys that glowed red-orange.


    The temperature was well above average, and each of these blacksmiths was massively sweating as they endured the heat and high-intensity exercise.


    And because of that, some of them were shirtless, only wearing aprons to cover their torso and trousers.


    On the other hand, a few other people appeared to be giving tips as they carefully observed each of these youths'' forging process.


    Clang!


    Clang!


    "That''s right, support your legs like that and use your hammer hard to deform..."


    "No, no, you are not breathing right! If your breathing doesn''t match your movements, your artifact will be imperfect..."


    Several corrections were made by these individuals who watched these forges when Minos and Abby finally passed a stone path in the middle of that area.


    Quickly the two arrived in front of an open-air workshop, right next to a large furnace, which was glowing at the time, with several ores inside.


    And not far from there, an old man was holding a particular type of artifact, which seemed to ''blow'' towards the flames, increasing the intensity of that furnace.


    This man was shirtless and wearing only black trousers, while he had his eyes closed, making movements with that artifact from time to time.


    When they saw this person, Minos and Abby soon realized that this was the master that the attendant had been talking about. And that was obvious to see, not because of the super-developed and massive muscles, but because of the old man''s cultivation level.


    He was already a level 52, Spiritual King!


    And while the two of them stood there a few meters away from this person that had a beard and white hair, this old man continued to make his movements, with his eyes still closed. "Two auras I''ve never felt before¡­ You must be here to place orders, right? You can say what you want. it won''t interfere with my work."

 Chapter 395: The Ideal Suit

    After hearing the husky voice of that blacksmith, Minos and Abby looked at each other for a moment, and then the blue-haired girl began to speak. "The elder is correct. We are here to place an order."


    "Ehh, the person who attended you at the shop told that I only produce medium-level grade-2 weapons, right?" The old man asked as he continued to increase the intensity of that furnace with his equipment.


    It was unusual for him to interact with clients with Minos and Abby''s level, as 5th stage cultivators couldn''t even use weapons produced by a blacksmith like him.


    To give you an idea, weapons of different classifications had many peculiarities. Still, a single one was enough to prevent cultivators up to a certain level from not being able to use them.


    That was the weight!


    As the level of cultivators increased, the power of weapons would have to grow so that these items could be used without being damaged.


    On the other hand, such artifacts would also need to improve their users'' defensive or offensive capabilities for such a thing to be worthwhile. And to solve this, even using different materials with greater strength and relatively low weight, it was still difficult for these items not to increase in mass.


    And that was one of the main reasons why cultivators below a certain level could not use some equipment. After all, if someone couldn''t even lift their weapon, how would it be of any use?


    Finally, there was still the fact that people from such cultivation range wouldn''t even have enough crystals to pay for items of that rank...


    Because of this, this old blacksmith was interested to know if these two had not been informed of his rules in advance.


    Anyway, hearing the question from the old man sitting next to them, Minos smiled and said. "It wasn''t necessary, as we asked him to direct us to the place where I could place an order for a medium-level grade-2 sword."


    "Oh? Young man, who will use this weapon? Tell this person to come to talk to me in person. I do not usually produce weapons without contacting my customers. Doesn''t he know the importance of a cultivator''s characteristics for the production of a specific weapon?" He asked, still sitting quietly on the floor.


    And this old blacksmith wasn''t trying to make it difficult for Minos. On the contrary, what he said was pure truth, and the smallest detail could change the making of a weapon made especially for someone.


    In a way, such an item would suit a person''s style, just as a suit might or might not look good on someone, depending on one measurement.


    The ideal suit for someone would always be the one made to that individual''s measurements and not just any suit that might have been made to generic standards!


    Knowing the cultivator''s fighting style could give the blacksmith several tips to produce a more compatible item in the case of a weapon.


    Because of this, to know precisely how to develop the weapon that Minos wanted to order, this blacksmith needed to see the future owner of this sword practicing his techniques a few times. Only then could he determine things like the size of the blade to maximize the attack area, the angles needed to cut the air to the best advantage possible, and much more...


    "Haha, I understand your doubt, elder. But I will use this weapon myself." He said calmly.


    Hearing this, that shirtless man sitting on the floor opened his eyes for the first time and looked at Minos as if he was looking at an idiot. "And how do you intend to do this? Can you even hold a medium-level grade-2 weapon? Young man, do you know that the minimum cultivation to handle such a weapon is level 49?"


    "Maybe some geniuses with special Physiques and challenging abilities can use weapons of that rank at level 48 or even level 47. But you haven''t even reached level 44 yet. So, how do you plan on doing that?"


    Minos listened to the wise words of that blacksmith with a smile on his face, not being irritated by such a thing. This man was just stating the obvious, so there was no reason for him to be agitated.


    He then smiled and said. "Hehe, elder, I''ll have to execute a series of blows with a sword of that rank for you to take measurements, right? So, you will naturally see that I can use a weapon of that rank!"


    He looked even more curiously at Minos while doubting the strange words of this young man in front of him. "Okay, kid. But if this is a joke, even if I can''t teach you a lesson, don''t think you''ll leave here without paying for wasting my time!"


    He paused for a moment until he finally pulled out a medium-level grade-2 sword, and I thrust it into the ground. After that, the elder pointed towards a small plot of land that looked like a stage for fights and said. "Well then, take this sword and go to that place. Then, activate your sword technique ten times, just as you would if you were training normally."


    After saying that, the old man went back to blowing the giant furnace while he watched the young Stuart from the side. ''Let''s see if you''re that good...''


    And immediately after hearing this blacksmith''s guidance, Minos looked at Abby and smiled. He stepped away from her and then placed his hand on that weapon stuck on the ground, looking at its thoughtfully.


    "Don''t you dare?" The old man asked with a slight smile on his face. ''Looks like your farce ends here, huh?''


    "On the contrary, hehe." Minos replied without explaining. He wasn''t going to tell this old man that he could only use the sword for a few tens of seconds, and then he''d run out of energy...


    And because of that, Minos was getting ready to activate his techniques and run to that place. He couldn''t lose his energy just to travel from there to that training site!


    Indestructible Body!


    Explosive Steps!


    Upon activating his two techniques, Minos pulled out that sword that was stuck in the ground and ran at full speed to that training site in just a fraction of a second.


    Seeing such a thing happen right in front of him, the old smith''s pupils contracted considerably as he unknowingly screamed in shock. "What?"


    ''How is this possible? Can a young man who is only at the apex of level 43 truly use a sword of that rank?'' The old man wondered as he had his mouth half-open, and his eyes were twitching with agitation.


    He didn''t forget what Minos was about to do, and he unconsciously sent his spiritual sense to that location to probe the characteristics of that young man and how that weapon would move.


    Spatial Sword!


    And immediately upon arriving at that test site, Minos activated his attack technique several times in a row while making various moves with his sword.


    Swooish!


    Minos stepped with one foot in front and the other in the back, in a position where he could release as much force as possible while making cuts at different angles. However, he was not creating an air blade but using the very body of that sword to cut the air in that place.


    Swooish!


    ...


    After a series of ten movements, Minos finally put that sword down and deactivated his techniques.


    "Hah... Hah... Hah... Hah, phew, are you satisfied?" He asked the blacksmith simultaneously as he breathed hurriedly, feeling like a lot of his energy had gone.


    At this point, Minos was completely sweaty, with a pale look on his face and his chest rising and falling rapidly.


    "Looks like you barely managed to use that sword for ten movements... But that must be pretty amazing considering your level." The old man said almost reflexively. "Okay, no need to worry, I''ve already figured out all the important details to produce your weapon."


    Upon hearing this, Abby, who had already run to where Minos was, helped her young partner and then asked the old blacksmith. "That''s nice. But how long will it take for this to be done?"


    "Let me see... I have to produce the bow of... I will have to wait a few more weeks for the arrival of the Deep Salt Essence... Hmm..." He mumbled some things in a low voice and then looked at Minos and Abby and responded. "I believe that between 6 and 7 weeks, your sword will be ready. You are interested?"


    "Of course! How much will I have to pay?"


    The old man smiled for a moment and then replied. "Boy, since you seem worthy to use one of my weapons, I''ll give you a discount. A thousand medium-grade crystals will work for me."


    After that, Minos immediately made the payment, something that needed to be done in advance in this kind of deal. Then, finally, he and Abby went on to talk to the low-level grade-2 blacksmiths to order the weapons that had been lacking in that store.

 Chapter 396: Shopping Days!

    A week then passed in the blink of an eye.


    Minos and Abby had spent most of their time shopping in Athela''s stores in this past period.


    Even on that day when the two had gone to the place called, The Weapons House, after talking to the owner of that place, the two had spoken with other blacksmiths and placed their orders. And although they ordered their things with three different people, the couple still have to wait for these items for at least 40 days!


    Those blacksmiths still had other orders ahead of this young man''s. For that reason, and considering the time each weapon was forged, such a period was not unusual, and Minos didn''t even consider going to another store in that town.


    Each blacksmith was very busy, and the individuals from that place he had gone to were already one of those high-standard professionals within their respective groups. And because he and Abby would have had to stay in this town for almost two months already, then that deadline was acceptable to them.


    Anyway, after that first deal, Minos and Abby had passed the local array masters guild, where they had purchased several copies of spiritual techniques.


    In total, Minos had spent 350,000 low-grade crystals on buying 70 copies of Blue-grade techniques and 2.000 medium-grade crystals to get 4 different Black-grade ones.


    Minos and Abby had been hospitably welcomed in that location, and unlike at the Jalene City Culinary School, they had not needed to speak with more than one person.


    But that was just to be expected. After all, this guild of array masters could be considered the largest in the entire northern region of the Central Continent.


    Therefore, they were already used to this type of transaction when negotiating their most common techniques, which were already in circulation in various parts of the region...


    Obviously, there were those more special techniques, which even the other organizations Minos had done business with weren''t willing to negotiate, no matter the value offered. After all, they would still have to protect themselves, especially in specializations with so many professionals, such as the array masters area.


    This profession was number one in the Spiritual World and was necessary for practically every activity. Because of this, the number of people specialized in this profession was massive, consequently, with a large number of competitors...


    An example of this is the number of top professionals in each specialization in this region. While top-level grade-2 cooks were no more than 25 in the entire northern part of the Central Continent, there were at least 150 array masters of the same rank!


    And this number was not higher because reaching the final parts of the 6th stage was not easy for anyone in this region. Otherwise, that number could be three or even four times that!


    In any case, Minos and Abby took advantage of the opportunity to do business with several array masters from that guild after obtaining these copies of more common techniques.


    Minos had many arrays to buy, and naturally, he couldn''t place this order from a single store. In fact, the young Stuart had talked to the person who had attended him in that guild in an attempt to hire the service from that location, to contact the professionals available to produce the arrays he needed.


    And with that, they had reached an agreement regarding the production of 100 high-level grade-1 arrays, 15 low-level grade-2, and 4 medium-level grade-2 ones.


    Most of these items would serve to increase the density of Dry City''s spiritual energy and standard services in the army. However, some of them were for the defense of the city and the training of Dillian and Eda, who was already almost at level 50.


    In total, this thing had taken about two-thirds of all the medium-grade and low-grade crystals that Minos had for this trip!


    After all, as the most durable items in the Spiritual World, arrays were also the most expensive artifacts of all!


    Finally, they would also have to wait a few more days for these arrays to be prepared. However, contrary to the harsh reality of the blacksmith profession, there was not a significant lack of resources or professionals in the specialization of the array masters.


    Therefore, the deadlines that Minos had to wait for were much shorter, being just 20 days.


    ...


    After Minos and Abby had spent days shopping, including ordering many pills from various local stores, the two had taken time off to train at the local cultivation tower.


    They had already placed orders for all the items they wanted to buy in Athela, and now they just needed to negotiate the techniques of a few professions, which were the specialized areas of medicine, the designer''s profession, and the spiritual judges.


    Minos and Abby had visited the respective associations of each of these professions in the city of Athela. Still, they had had no luck finding the people responsible for the sales issue.


    That was expected to happen in the Spiritual Judges Association, as their numbers were meager. However, for the other two professions, this was not normal.


    And they had discovered that, in fact, they had both been unlucky enough to arrive in this town at a bad time for these two professions.


    One of them, the design guild, was having a conference in a city in the north of the kingdom, and the upper echelons would be away for another week. As for the other, the highest level professionals in this area were all busy with a specific event that had taken place recently.


    Because of this, Minos and Abby still hadn''t resolved this final part of their business locally and had begun to focus on their training. They would at most go once a day to the buildings of those two organizations, during their rest, while they were leaving to visit the design association after that period had passed.


    Other than that, their routine now was to spend the nights at the hotel and train most of the day in the local cultivation tower.


    ...


    Two youths were seated not far from each other in a room on the 11th floor of Athela''s cultivation tower this time.


    There was practically no furniture or decorations in that place, and most of the items there were of spiritual arrays aimed at training warriors. In addition, there was a fighting stage, a large bathroom, a kitchen, and a small space with two cultivation cushions.


    And right on top of these two cushions, the two people were silently meditating, at the same time, on how many low-grade crystals could be seen in their surroundings.


    One of them was wearing only black trousers while the blue-haired girl was in a white dress.


    And while the two cultivated, the spiritual energy was concentrated around the body of the two. The air was slightly distorted, with one of them seemed to have his muscles completely contracted at that moment.


    Next to the beautiful young woman with blue hair, the man had beads of sweat running down his forehead while his eyelids fluttered involuntarily.


    Minos finally felt that his advancement to level 44 was near due to the natural reactions of his body and soul!


    ...


    Time passed, and soon Abby had finished cultivating when she realized that Minos was about to advance in level. ''Ahh, it''s truly amazing how he can cultivate so fast.'' So, she thought to herself as she had a beautiful smile on her face.


    She didn''t like the idea of ??being too far behind in terms of cultivation compared to Minos. Still, she was genuinely happy to see him getting stronger.


    And while Abby admired Minos'' cultivation speed and watched his body closely, this young man finally reached the pinnacle of level 43 and advanced to the next level!


    Crack!

 Chapter 397: Probably

    As soon as a bang sounded through that cultivation room, the spiritual energy in Minos'' body immediately reached the beginning of level 44!


    Upon feeling this, young Stuart''s face began to relax, as did the rest of the muscles in his body. ''Ah, another level surpassed...''


    And finally, the dense spiritual energy circling this young man''s surroundings dissipated. In contrast, the spiritual crystals around him had already completely turned to ashes.


    At this point, he finished his meditation with a slight smile of satisfaction on his face.


    ''At this cultivation speed, I believe I''ll be at level 45 before we arrive at the Dry City¡­'' So, he thought to himself before opening his eyes and looking straight ahead.


    "Congratulations, Minos!" Abby ran and then hugged him, barely giving the young ruler of the Black Plain time to finish getting up from that place.


    "Mmmm~"


    After that, the two kissed for a few moments, hugging each other tightly. Abby was leaning against him by the neck of young Stuart while this young man felt the measurements of Abby''s waist with his hands.


    "Abby, let''s take a walk around town. Maybe we can buy the techniques from those three associations."


    Hearing this, the blue-haired girl nodded in agreement and then moved away from Minos'' body, giving him room to dress.


    "By the way, do you think this problem that happened recently will delay our trip?" Abby asked as she watched the young man in front of her change clothes.


    And as he started to put on a shirt, Minos answered her in a calm tone. "I think not..."


    "But we don''t know the exact details of what happened. So, I may be ignoring something important. But I doubt that local doctors will take much longer to heal these forces that had recently fight."


    Naturally, Abby and Minos were talking about a particular situation that had occurred just before the two arrived in this town. That had caused the best local doctors to go out to see several patients, thus leaving the affairs of the local medical association on hold.


    From the information the two had obtained, two influential local organizations had collided in the vicinity of Athela. Still, neither had been successful in this endeavor. In fact, both had struggled and reached an impasse, in which neither side lost strength, but both were severely injured.


    And because of the power of the organizations behind the people involved in this situation, neither side has spared efforts to heal its most wounded warriors. Consequently, grade-2 doctors of this region had been hired for the service, resulting in this situation preventing Minos from doing business with that medical association.


    "This probably has to do with the royal succession¡­" Abby commented reflectively, remembering the history classes she had taken back in the spiritual academy.


    Obviously, these classes and content were all designed to tell the story from the winners'' point of view. However, this did not prevent this type of education from teaching young people important lessons about the local reality. After all, even if part of the story was embellished to emphasize the figure of the winners, it used to be done based on facts.


    And based on that knowledge, Abby knew that battles were widespread in situations like this, which the Kingdom of the Waves was currently experiencing.


    The dispute for the throne was always very fierce in any state in the region, and usually, the number of casualties was not low.


    "Hmm, probably..." Minos agreed with her when he finally finished dressing. "Come on! If we''re unlucky in either of these two organizations, let''s go back to the hotel."


    "OK."


    ...


    While Minos and Abby were out to try to settle their affairs in Athela, a few hundred kilometers from the capital of this state, there was a medium to a large town.


    This place wasn''t much different from Portland in size, but it had a much more noble and sophisticated look. In fact, from the appearance of this city, it seemed to be governed by the efficiency of local services and accommodation, something that is not often seen in this region.


    But such a thing did not happen because the rulers of that place were generous or something like that. No, such a place was like that because this was one of the cities directly governed by the royals of the Kingdom of the Waves.


    Royal families also had territories directly managed by them. After all, only a fraction of the members of these powers could direct govern an entire state. However, the status of a royal, even those furthest from the position of the royal successor, would still be higher than that of ordinary nobles!


    With this, each royal family would have a particular region, generally close to the capital, where its members would govern, without the need to use vassals for such.


    Usually, these regions would be divided among the royalty, given a small area with at least one medium to a large city for the most important people.


    As for the other territories, although these places officially belonged to the royal families, in practice, these organizations only collected taxes and imposed some of their laws. Other than that, in general, the vassal families ruled these places as sovereigns.


    And as for the region under the royal family''s control, this served to generate resources, as they were generally the wealthiest parts of the kingdom. They also have the role of protecting the capital!


    That is because threats could appear at any time, and such things needed to be stopped before reaching the heart of the kingdom.


    ''It might not be easy to defeat an entire kingdom, but killing a few people might not be that difficult...'' That was a local maxim.


    And to prevent that an enemy battle from simply entering their capital, the cities around the capital, within this region ruled by royalty, had many military posts, with thousands of soldiers!


    For example, there were more than 20 thousand soldiers in this town in question, being one of the eight cities with large bases of the Kingdom of the Waves Army!


    But in addition to the importance of this town for the safety of the capital of the Kingdom of the Waves, this was one of the three cities ruled by the princes!


    Because of this, this place naturally had a much higher standard than one would typically see in cities in this northern region of the Central Continent.


    Anyway, in this city ruled by one of the princes, there was a castle in the central region of that place, where at this moment a group of people was actively talking.


    That place looked like a meeting room, where there was a large table with many chairs lined up side by side. And while each of these places was occupied, there was a single chair at the end of the table, where a young man in silver clothes sat with a worried expression.


    Beside him were two men standing, wearing armor with different symbols, watching everything happening without even blinking.


    At the same time, the young man at the end of that table just heard and watched the people in those places; this young man''s expression was gradually becoming darker and darker.


    "Of the 8 Spiritual Kings involved in the trap of 10 days ago, 5 of them are already practically cured and possibly be back to activity soon, but..."


    "These 3 that are left are in very different situations. According to the doctors, one of them may return to active, but we will be without his support for the next six months."


    "Finally, of the 2 that were left, one lost an arm in the previous fight, and the other is unconscious. We don''t know if he can be woken up..."


    After that, another elder who was in that place took his turn and said. "We''ve also had many cultivators at levels 48 and 49 severely injured. Therefore, we may have to reduce our actions on short..."


    Pa!


    After hearing this, the prince finally reacted to the bad news when he slapped his hand hard on the table and said in a deep voice. "We lost a lot. I understand that. But what did that bastard lose?"


    However, no one dared to answer this directly.


    Pa!


    "Speak!" That young man screamed in fury as he watched the faces of each of these people in front of him.


    "Prince Wilfred, eh, I''m afraid the opposing side didn''t have any losses. Prince Charles..."

 Chapter 398: Ancestor!

    "Prince Charles had no casualties on his side. From what our informants reported, there was no case like that of the three Spiritual Kings of our side. As for the level 48 and 49 guards, although they had much tougher battles, they also managed to do better than ours."


    Hearing this, Wilfred became even angrier as the veins in his forehead began to raise more and more. "How could this have happened? I thought we were setting an ambush for him!"


    "So tell me, how could our ambush have turned out to be worse for our side? Those who should be in control of the fight!" Wilfred exclaimed in a fury, with droplets of saliva coming out of his mouth.


    After hearing the prince''s question, each of the men in this room looked around as if they were trying to get someone to blame.


    What Wilfred was complaining about was genuinely a problematic point. After all, like those who prepared the ambush for the third prince, their group should have had the upper hand in the fight!


    At the very least, they should have the means to escape without being hurt the most in the end!


    However, the first prince''s side did not have any advantage, even considering that they had prepared for that event, chosen the ambush site, and taken the necessary countermeasures...


    "Prince, I don''t want to sound like someone trying to avoid responsibility or making excuses, but it''s undeniable that there was an error in the information regarding the third prince''s protection." An old man who was sitting in the position furthest away from Wilfred said this sincerely.


    "When the ambush was set up, we had information that his group would only have 5 Spiritual Kings in that situation. However, there were more people in the shadows..."


    "And when we attacked them, instead of being the ones who surprised, we were the ones who were surprised!" The old man explained.


    After he finished speaking, the other people in the room immediately started talking about it, agreeing with what this old man had said. "That''s true. Our team only had 8 Spiritual Kings between levels 50 and 51. But their side had 10..."


    "Hmm, the guards from the 5th stage of cultivation were also more numerous than ours." Another person said.


    "Ahh, the situation had become untenable at the start of the attack. If I''m not mistaken, those people hiding in the shadows came from outside regional powers."


    "True, I learned that the Allen family from Stone Island had sent one of their newly promoted Spiritual Kings here recently. But I never thought he was coming because of Prince Charles..."


    Pa!


    And before the conversation could go any further, Wilfred slapped his hand on that table again, still with a darkened face. "Who was responsible for this information? How did we not know of the arrival of such reinforcements?"


    "We don''t have a specific name, but prince, I don''t think it''s an issue on our side."


    "Naturally, we are keeping an eye on the arrival of people from Stone Island, and we have learned that a large group of them have recently arrived in our state."


    "But from what our informants discovered, this had nothing to do with the affairs of the competition for the throne..."


    The meeting continued for a while longer until someone at that table finally smiled and said. "First Prince, despite all the bad news, I have something good to report!"


    "Oh? What?" Wilfred asked as everyone else in the place looked at that subordinate in curiosity.


    "Recently, the Stone Island Nash family stopped their conversations with Prince Charles. I have heard that the envoys of this family have been called back to headquarters and simply end the negotiations without explanation."


    "This is great news¡­" And right after that man finished his speech, the whole room started talking about this subject.


    "That''s nice. We will recover as soon as possible, and I want another ambush prepared. But this time, I won''t accept failures! Did you understand?"


    ...


    While Prince Wilfred was plotting against his younger brother, another conversation related to that incident was taking place in the royal palace in the capital of the kingdom.


    In one part of this palace, in a place full of plants and a small artificial lake, a man who looked to be in his middle age was sitting on a small wooden platform.


    He was shirtless and behind him was a woman doing what appeared to be a massage on this man''s back. And while this woman seemed to meet the objective of her massage, there was an old man with a long white beard sitting on a stone bench near the lake.


    Finally, in front of the shirtless man were three people dressed in the same pattern, kneeling and looking at the floor.


    "Your Highness, we weren''t able to obtain concrete evidence from those responsible for the recent incident. But we''re sure the third prince was attacked by one of his two older brothers." The strongest of the three said this in a calm tone while his body was completely still.


    "Cough, ehh, hmm, I expected something like this¡­" King Walker weakly commented as he felt some relief by that woman''s touches.


    "If you''re not sure about the culprit, then I can''t do anything about it. It doesn''t matter if Charles is the most talented. That is a contest for the throne. His siblings naturally have the right to try anything."


    "As long as they don''t get caught in the act, anything is acceptable." So, the elderly man on that bench calmly commented as he played with one of the rings in his hand.


    "Ancestral!" The three men said this reflexively, noticing this person''s presence there.


    So far, they hadn''t even realized it, even though that old man was right beside them!


    As for this man''s identity, he was the second strongest man in the Kingdom of the Waves, Emmett Walker, level 59, 1,398-years-old, the younger brother of the previous king.


    This person was the reason the Kingdom of the Waves remained stable, even with its king in his final moments!


    With such a man present, no one would have dangerous thoughts about the local royal family, as this organization would not be defenseless in the absence of its leader.


    And this was one of the oldest people in the northern part of the Central Continent, someone who was at the absolute limit of the 6th stage of cultivation.


    Even though he probably didn''t have a chance of reaching level 60 due to the local spiritual poverty and his old age, he could still fight at his best for a few hundred years!


    As a result, he was still highly respected and feared in this region!


    "Cough, eh, let''s see what happens next..."


    "There will still be more than a year and a half for them to compete... But keep an eye on them for me. If any of them dare to act openly against each other..."


    "Yes, your majesty!"


    After saying that, the three men left that place, leaving only those three people there.


    "Ahh, it''s a shame I failed my promotion. Otherwise..."


    Upon hearing this lamentable comment, the old man still sitting shook his head in denial and said. "Forget about it. It already happened. It won''t do you any good to think about how it could have been."


    "But our family could have made it..." He was saying but was suddenly interrupted by his uncle.


    "Hmph, all your predecessors failed to do this. You were too hasty, William. You should have waited a few more decades. Then, at the very least, you would be better prepared, and your age would still not be a big issue for your advancement."


    Emmett then shook his head with a disappointed expression and then muttered under his breath. "Because of your haste and arrogance, you shortened the centuries of life you had to just four years..."


    "Ahh, forget it. You can enjoy your last days in this place with your women. Rest assured, I will take care of the kingdom." After saying that, that old man disappeared from that place, leaving only the king and that woman from before...

 Chapter 399: You Win or You Die!

    While King Walker enjoyed his last days with his wives, Prince Charles took care of his affairs with his team in another city ruled by the royalty of the Kingdom of the Waves.


    Although this young man''s forces had not succumbed to his older brother''s assassination attempt, this youth had taken a big fright that day!


    He might be the most talented in cultivation and was probably as strong as his older brother. Still, in front of so many Spiritual Kings and cultivators at the end of the 5th stage of cultivation, he couldn''t help but fear for his life.


    Because of that, at that moment when he had been ambushed, this young man had felt a shiver down his spine like never before.


    Not only that, but despite the success of his forces, he still had several wounded guards, people at the end of the 5th and beginning of the 6th stage. Consequently, in addition to stopping his actions for a few days, he now had to spend many of his resources on medical treatments...


    And such a thing was a problem!


    He might be the favorite for the throne. Still, the game''s result would never be inevitable before the end of the competition...


    And despite being a young man who had his flaws... Charles knew that he was not yet the king and that his older brothers could achieve their goals if he were not careful.


    Because of this, Charles was not happy about losing his valuable medium-grade crystals to treat his guards.


    That was a job that required to be done, as he needed his guards, but at the same time, it was also a waste.


    If they had been better prepared, that whole situation could have been avoided!


    And given the importance of spiritual crystals in a royal succession, which was basically what could make organizations look more favorably on each side, Charles felt at a significant loss at this point.


    He was the most talented and had the most support, but Wilfred had the help of the Queen, one of the wealthiest people in the region!


    Because of that, every crystal Charles needed to spend was like he was throwing away some of his advantages in the competition for the throne!


    And for him, this was unacceptable!


    Anyway, in an office of the government palace of the city ruled by Charles, some people were talking in that place while drinking spiritual tea and sitting on sofas and armchairs scattered around.


    And apart from the two bodyguards standing beside Charles, no one else stood out in this place.


    "Third Prince, we''ve already done all the damage analysis for this incident, and we had to spend about 15,000 medium-grade crystals. However, our men also took damage from spiritual artifacts, and if we want to replace it, our loss could reach the mark of 100,000 medium grade crystals..."


    One of them started talking about the financial damage Charles would have to deal with and the options he had to make. It was not easy to have to spend such a sum, and because of that, the prince needed to consider how much it was worth making this investment or taking another path.


    After that, they soon talked about how the preparation of future trips should be done so that the possibility of such a danger was minimized as much as possible.


    "Third Prince, you know how important your victory means to my Hargraves family. Because of this, the patriarch asked me to present you with a certain device." One of the men in that office said this before getting up from an armchair and handing a necklace to one of Charles'' bodyguards.


    "What is that?" The black-haired young man asked as one of his bodyguards probed that item.


    "This is an item of protection that our Hargraves family has inherited for hundreds of thousands of years. It can help you in times like the one that happened recently. You just need to infuse your spiritual energy into it, and naturally, it will..."


    The man explained the basics about that item until finally, Charles'' bodyguard had seen that it had no problem and had given the necklace to the prince.


    The conversations continued for a while longer, with Charles negotiating resources with the organizations that already supported him and talking about potential allies.


    It was not uncommon for large families to have one or two allies outside their state, and with that, Charles intended to use his current contacts to garner even more support.


    Finally, after some time talking, Charles looked at a middle-aged man who was there and asked. "Mr. Keith, I understand that your Reid family has good connections with the Chambers family, right?"


    Hearing this, that man moved back and forth in his chair, straightened his necktie for a moment, and said. "Yes, Prince Charles, you are right. The Reid family is on good terms with the Chambers house."


    Charles smiled and then spoke again. "Then I would like you to convince them to support me. I''m sure we can do a lot of business in the future!"


    However, instead of hearing a positive response from that man, Charles saw and heard something disheartening. "I''m sorry, but I believe such a thing will be complicated to happen."


    "And why do you say that?" Charles asked with a gleam in his eyes as he looked at the old figure who was now moving his head from side to side.


    The old man said. "Recently, the Chambers family started a war with the Hayes family in the Cromwell Kingdom!"


    "What?" Several people in that place screamed in shock, showing their surprise at having heard such a thing.


    And that wasn''t strange. After all, those two families had only reached this point of no return in their relationship a few months ago. Consequently, the news had not yet spread across the northern part of the Central Continent.


    In fact, apart from some important families of the Cromwell Kingdom and allied powers of those two organizations, as in the case of the Reid family, few people knew about this war!


    This conflict had not yet come to significant effect, and because of that, these people in this office did not yet know about such a thing.


    "A few months ago, the young master of the Chambers family was killed in a contest for the incredible Spring of Life. At that time, after his death was confirmed, it was also discovered that this valuable item was stolen by the daughter of the patriarch of the Hayes family."


    "After that, there was an incident where a Spiritual King killed a subordinate of the Hayes family within that force''s territory."


    "Finally, the two sides started this war, which has been more than three months since the first battle."


    When they heard the old man finish speaking, everyone there was shocked by such events. Mainly because just Spiritual Generals disputed such a valuable item...


    "Unbelievable!"


    "The Hayes family had good luck, huh? With such a resource, they must have ''unearthed'' one of their dying ancestors..."


    "Ahh, if they''re at war, then I really can''t get their support¡­" Charles sighed, understanding the situation.


    Wars between great noble families were rarely short. Of course, there were exceptions, but unless several large families united against only one, it would be tough for one power to succumb in a short time.


    So, every resource, be it financial or personal, had to be used wisely to prevent the collapse of those powers!


    Therefore, providing external support was out of the question for organizations like the Chambers family...


    But not only that, the truth was that the Chambers themselves were not capable of defeating the Hayes family alone!


    If not for their relationship with the Scourges of the Devil, the family of the deceased Kevin and Leroy would never have been involved in a war against a power stronger than them.


    After talking about it, the group changed the subject and solved other problems related to the royal succession. The competition for the throne was not easy, and everything could change overnight.


    Every decision made, every event, directly or indirectly related to them, could decisively influence an outcome. So, unless someone wanted to die, underestimating the competition for the throne would mean death.


    When you play the game of thrones, you win, or you die!

 Chapter 400: Thirty Days!

    While the matters concerning the succession of the Kingdom of the Waves throne developed, six people were gathered at this time in this state capital to resolve a specific issue.


    This group was in a noble and luxurious room, which appeared to be the accommodation typically found in top-notch hotels in this region.


    There were some decorative furniture, pictures, and plants in that place. It also had a good view of Athela due to its location on one of the highest floors of the building.


    And in that place, two men were standing by a window, smoking cigars and listening to each other''s conversation. As for the others, two men were seated in armchairs facing each other, while the only two women in the group were on the sofa beside those two armchairs.


    "What are we going to do about those two? Since our last attempt, they''ve locked themselves in the local cultivation tower and haven''t left for days!" One of the men sitting in one of the armchairs said this as he looked at the people around him.


    "Teddy is right, the family gave us the order to act against these two, but since our failure that day, those cowards have been hiding in that place!" One of the women agreed.


    They naturally wouldn''t dare try to act against anyone inside the cultivation tower!


    That place was managed by local royalty and even had a level 55 Spiritual King guarding there. After all, as one of the highest-capacity cultivation towers in the northern part of the Central Continent, that place yielded considerable amounts of crystals!


    Consequently, its administrators would not allow disorderly attitudes within that place.


    Moreover, as an institution that provides top-notch services to cultivators across the region, the local cultivation tower had its position to protect.


    How low would an establishment be that allows its customers to be mistreated within its own building?


    At the very least, customers'' reliability in this type of establishment would decrease if the installations in these places were dangerous...


    And to make matters worse, with royalty behind this service, it would mean that an offense to the local cultivation tower would be like offending the royals themselves!


    And such a thing would be unacceptable. An institution as powerful as the state''s ruling family could not have its honor trampled to the point where even basic social norms are violated.


    That''s why places like the one in question always had people to enforce specific rules, to prevent the image of those powers behind these places from being disgraced by little things.


    And as sensible individuals, these six people wouldn''t do such a foolish thing as trying to force the situation by trying to capture their targets inside the local cultivation tower!


    "Don''t worry. That won''t last long. Those two have been doing this for almost a month. I doubt they have so many crystals that they can stay in that place much longer." One of the men smoking beside that window said this while looking at the local skyline.


    "Truth. But I must say, those two are very lucky. How did they get so many crystals?"


    "I mean, the daily price in a collective cultivation room for the 5th stage cultivators is an average of 1,500 crystals per day!" Another man commented while making hand gestures demonstrating how absurd this was.


    Upon hearing this, the woman who still hadn''t said anything nodded in agreement and commented. "This is truly inconceivable for mere subordinates to achieve this! That Nash girl is probably to blame for all of this!"


    The group in question were the spies who had chased Elen and Elena''s team months ago and who shortly afterward had lost track of those two.


    And the two targets they were currently discussing were Elen and Elena''s bodyguards, who had been in this region since then.


    After the departure of these two young women, the group sent by the Allen family had discovered the trick they had fallen into hours after those two escape.


    They even tried to find out about Elen and Elena''s whereabouts back then, but it was too late.


    On a flying beast, the tracks left by the walk were very sparse, and even if they were found, they wouldn''t lead anywhere. After all, the pursuers didn''t know where the bird would fly...


    And after concluding that they couldn''t find the whereabouts of those two, these six people had started chasing the bodyguards. Those two men were the only clue left behind. So, they couldn''t lose sight of them after such a mistake.


    Finally, after days of chasing those two young women''s bodyguards, the Allen family group had received orders from headquarters through an envoy who had arrived in this kingdom weeks before.


    According to that person, the family had ordered this group to stop sneaking and take more drastic action.


    Kidnapping and interrogating those two men!


    But Eduard and Elena''s bodyguard were already prepared for this type of situation and had successfully escaped the kidnapping attempt of this group. After that event, they had fled to the cultivation tower, where the two were sure they would not be disturbed by members of the Allen family.


    They knew this was an option that would only delay the problem, but neither of them had a choice. Either the bodyguards would do something like that, or members of the Allen family would catch them in an eventual escape attempt.


    The trick Elen had previously used would not work a second time, and those two men would have no strength, no means, to escape these people. So, the only way they had found was to hide in the local cultivation tower, where they could buy time and still grow strong!


    Anyway, after that woman said that, the other immediately commented on something relevant. "It probably has something to do with that girl''s business on Stone Island. She''s earning millions of spiritual crystals a month, and I''ve heard that her bodyguard often travels to exchange medium-grade crystals."


    "Hmm, true. He''s probably getting a great bonus from that girl¡­" The group leader commented when he stopped for a moment and sighed. "But it does not matter. They''ll probably have to leave the cultivation tower in the next few days, and after that, we''ll do what has to be done!"


    "Yes!" The others agreed simultaneously.


    "Since today, at least 2 of us will be watching the exit of the cultivation tower at all times to ensure there are no gaps."


    "Let''s finish our service with those two as soon as they leave that place!"


    ...


    After the conversation of the group of spies coming from the Allen family, more than thirty days passed in the blink of an eye!


    Many things happened to the other groups involved in the plots in the Kingdom of the Waves in the time that passed. Still, none of this had affected the peaceful lives of Minos and Abby...


    Both trained in the cultivation tower daily, improving the mastery of their respective techniques and also strengthening their cultivation levels.


    The two had continued their fighting routines, with Minos pushing his young friend to the point where her cultivation speed had increased and she could now reach level 44 in a month!


    But during the time that had passed, the two of them hadn''t just trained and cultivated. No, many of the pills, arrays, and weapons that Minos had ordered had been completed, and he had already collected them.


    In fact, all that was missing was the medium-level grade-2 weapon and some pills to be delivered before they departed from this city.


    As for spiritual techniques, the two had been able to visit local medical and design associations in the past time.


    At these two locations, young Stuart had been able to buy the copies of techniques he wanted, which were more than 100 Blue-grade and 10 Black-grade techniques.


    That had taken a sizable slice of the crystals that had previously been left over. However, the young ruler of the Black Plain still had enough to buy the techniques of spiritual judges and alchemists, which were still lacking.


    And because of all that, now there were only a few more days left until Minos and Abby left Athela, following their journey to the Cohen family region!

 Chapter 401: The 38th Time is Lucky!

    It was hot in Athela today, and the local sky was completely blue, without a single cloud.


    Although it was hot, the city''s residents were not bothered by the heat, thanks to the shade provided by the buildings and trees and the occasional breeze.


    And amid this climate, typical of summer days, Minos and Abby were walking along the busy streets of Athela.


    He wore a white, loose outfit, with a large hat on his head, as he walked hand in hand with his friend. And Abby was wearing a white dress that reached her knee and had a low-cut cleavage.


    The blue-haired young woman was also wearing a hat at the moment, as she took advantage of the day with Minos to finish collecting the pills they had ordered. In addition, they also walked and went to other places in their free time, to relax and enjoy the day.


    And today, a weekend day, naturally the movement in the city streets was more intense, with many people coming and going from shops and restaurants.


    At the same time, the squares and public parks were all very lively.


    In some spots, people were performing outdoors, telling legendary stories of the region, while in other places, professionals like musicians showed their abilities, filling the air with musical notes that were pleasing to the ears.


    Such a circumstance was, in a way, contagious.


    A person could be on a business trip or a tourist trip, but when passing through a place that was in a pleasant, lively, festive mood, it was tough not to feel connected to it.


    At least walking around town and being in the middle of this whole thing would have a whole different meaning at times like this.


    And Minos and Abby wouldn''t miss out on those opportunities!


    Neither of them could spend the entire day cultivating and training, as their bodies were not yet capable of doing so. Therefore, taking the opportunity to discover a new place, which they would not usually go to, was one of the good alternatives for them.


    Of course, the two of them had to try to do the business that was the reason for this trip, but they could do other activities in the remaining time.


    Eating in different places, listening to a local musician play, strolling through the city''s parks, among other things, were what the couple had been doing in their free time.


    Finally, during the nights, they wasted no time. They enjoyed themselves intimately with each other until they were tired enough to fall asleep embraced...


    And this time together was making them even closer, unlike what usually happened between Minos and other women. With Abby, instead of being a relationship based only on sex, something more made the two want to be with each other in more ordinary moments.


    And they were both pleased about it!


    Minos was enjoying this new way of being with a woman, which he hadn''t had much interest in before. At the same time, Abby was having the best days of her life.


    She was not only feeling the bright side of passion, but she felt a unique sensation every time she saw the way Minos looked at her. Even if young Stuart did not speak, this young woman knew perfectly well that their relationship was completely different from his one with Elena.


    She could understand that Elena was just a person with whom he would casually have fun. But in her case, in addition to having fun in bed, the two of them genuinely enjoyed the rest of their time together!


    And seeing this difference made this young woman''s days much better.


    It was okay for Minos to have fun with others occasionally, as long as he got back to her. And Abby saw in his eyes that this was what he wanted, to be with her, not just in intimate moments.


    Anyway, the couple soon finished their tour on that part of the city, collecting all the missing pills. So, now they would only have to collect the medium-level grade-2 sword in 2 days and buy the techniques for spiritual judges.


    After that, it would be time to leave Athela!


    ...


    "Minos, will we be lucky this time?" Abby asked him as the two of them stood in front of a building that looked like a cylindrical mirror.


    In that place, there was a sizeable luminous symbol at the highest point that looked like an ''8'' lying down, completely golden.


    That was the symbol of the Spiritual Judges Association of the Kingdom of the Waves!


    The two had visited this place almost every day since their arrival in Athela. Still, they had not been lucky enough to find those responsible for the negotiations at this place so far. Because of that, they still hadn''t bought the techniques they wanted so badly.


    "Who knows... Let''s try one more time. If we''re not lucky, we''ll try again tomorrow." He said as he used the fingers of the hand that held Abby''s to massage her lightly. "Come on."


    After that, they quickly entered that building, heading to the reception that the two already knew very well. In fact, seeing the arrival of these two visitors once more, one of the people in that place smiled at them.


    After all, everyone who stayed at the reception in this place already knew Minos and Abby.


    It was unusual for people to come to this place so often, and because of this, these individuals soon got to know this couple.


    "I think the 38th time is lucky, Mr. Minos¡­" A young woman said to him as the couple approached the reception desk.


    Hearing this, Minos'' pupils twitched as he exclaimed in surprise. "Oh? So today, I can meet one of the elders here?"


    "Yes, one of our elders has just returned from a trip and is here right now. You want to do business with him, right? Give me a minute, and I''ll let him know." The young receptionist said this just before leaving that place to go and notify the available elder about the matter.


    "Hmm, thanks." Minos thanked her, then smiled happily and looked into Abby''s beautiful face. "Looks like we can leave this town after we get my sword."


    "That''s nice. But tell me, what business do you have in the Cohen family town? Aren''t our crystals close to running out?" Abby asked.


    She didn''t know all the details about Minos'' trip. In fact, she only knew those more obvious things related to the urgent need for weapons and some spiritual arrays. Other than that, the conversations she had participated in with him and Elen were basically about the places, information, and characteristics that could help the two on this trip.


    So, she was curious to understand what else Minos wanted to do in the Kingdom of the Waves.


    She naturally understood that he would still buy the techniques focused on alchemy during their trip back to the Black Plain. But as for business with the Cohen family, she was in the dark.


    Minos then smiled at her and replied. "At first, what I''m going to do there doesn''t involve spiritual crystals. At least there will be no need to make payments for now."


    "What do you mean?"


    "I''m going to order the spiritual arrays that will be used to expand the capacity of the Dry City Cultivation Tower. Unfortunately, it''s a huge amount, so I can''t pay for it all at once."


    "So, I''m going to order, and the Cohen family will gradually send them to the Black Plain while I collect the crystals with the Nash family."


    After hearing Minos'' explanation, Abby nodded her head, indicating that she understood, and said. "Then that''s it! But couldn''t you already do that through that shop in the Dry City? Why travel to this city?"


    "This is because I intend to attract some professionals to the Dry City. But to do that, I have to talk to these people myself, as it''s harder to get deals like these through third parties."


    "And in the Cohen family town, I won''t have to hide as much as I would have to do elsewhere. After all, the sovereign of those lands is already my ally, and he naturally already knows that I will try to take some people with me..."

 Chapter 402: Spiritual Judges

    Some time passed, and soon the young receptionist of this association had already returned to her post, while Minos and Abby had already arrived at the office of the elder who would receive them.


    Upon arrival, the two noticed that there were some unusual artifacts that they had never seen outside of books in addition to the usual business decor in that place.


    Among them were colored sheets, which glowed as if they were a living being while having strange symbols and distinct signatures.


    These were the famous Soul Contracts, something the spiritual judges produced and used to secure deals...


    For example, in an allied relationship like the one of Minos and Elen, the parties would often sign a Soul Contract, which would force both sides to follow the rules of the agreement.


    After all, in the dangerous Spiritual World, betrayals could happen even in the best families...


    As for the functioning of these agreements, for simplicity''s sake, this connected the parties'' souls temporarily into a unique artifact, the contract. After that, the spiritual judge would validate the terms of the agreement under the rules of Natural Law, creating a bond between the two parties.


    Such a thing was like a watermark on the soul of those involved in the contract, which would influence them to follow the rules of the agreement, preventing one from purposely violating the contract.


    In a way, seeing this as a restriction that kept something from happening wasn''t wrong.


    For example, Minos and Elen had signed such a contract when this young man had traveled to Stone Island. Before that, such a thing could not be done, as no one in the Dry City could validate it.


    But that had been resolved before Minos'' group left Stone Island before their negotiations had started.


    And such a deal basically prevented both the young ruler of the Black Plain and the young woman of the Nash family from doing things that harmed each other and would purposefully violate the contract.


    Obviously, this did not prevent naive mistakes!


    As long as the person honestly believed that his decision was in favor of the agreement, such a thing would not be impeded by the spiritual bond, and there would also be no punishment, even if it entails great harm to the other part.


    But if the desire to break the contract was strong enough and the influence of such a thing did not stop it, then there would be a punishment!


    And that wasn''t simple!


    The world had its natural rules, things that not even the Gods, individuals of level 100, could contravene. And basically, the job of the spiritual judges was to use these laws to validate contracts.


    And when a contract was broken, it was as if the law itself had been ''cheated.''


    In this case, the Lightning Tribulation, which only Spiritual Demigods had to go through to reach level 100, would punish the side that broke the Soul Contract!


    Consequently, unless someone had already reached level 100 and could survive such an ordeal, it would be impossible to endure the punishment generated by violating a Soul Contract!


    Anyway, that was also one of the reasons why it was so much harder to be a spiritual judge. Natural laws were intangibles and were at a much higher level than cultivators at the beginning of the cultivation journey could reach.


    Because of this, the techniques in this area were much more complex to create, learn and train. For example, there were no White-grade techniques specialized in this area!


    The existing minimum classification was Blue-grade, and even so, it would still not be ideal. And precisely because of that, in a poor region like the one where Minos and Abby lived, such a specialization had not developed well.


    The techniques were not of the best ratings, so the professionals in the area needed an average of 2 to 4 times more effort to master the respective phases of their techniques. As a result, the cultivation speed of spiritual judges was significantly lower than that of other professionals!


    Hence the non-existence of high-level grade-2 spiritual judges in the northern region of the Central Continent.


    Anyway, after Minos and Abby arrived in that office and observed the surroundings, soon an elderly man appeared there.


    He used a golden crutch to move to a large leather armchair next to where two youths were sitting.


    This man was one of the few elders of that guild, a medium-level grade-2 spiritual judge at level 49.


    "Cough, cough, ehh, young Iris commented that you two want to buy some copies of our techniques, are there any mistakes?" The old man asked this as he settled himself in that armchair.


    He looked rather frail, with a wrinkled face and long white hair, which in places blended in with his beard.


    Hearing this, Minos and Abby nodded in agreement to him when this young man said. "That''s right, Elder Norman. My partner and I are here to buy copies of techniques from the profession of spiritual judges."


    "I see¡­"


    "But before we talk about business, I would like to know something. Why are you looking for techniques like these? Are you two, by any chance, members of some spiritual judge organization? Because if you aren''t, I don''t think it''s worth it for you to buy these techniques."


    "Cough, cough, in addition to being more expensive than other professions, they take a long time to work. Look at my case, I''ve been over 300 years at level 49, and so far, I haven''t been able to level up because I haven''t mastered the equivalent phases of my techniques."


    It must be said that Elder Norman had Black talent and could advance to level 50 with some ease. But he hadn''t done such a thing not to lose the benefits that came with level promotion for his respective techniques.


    After Norman finished speaking, Minos began to tell this old man his reason. "Hmm, we know that the profession of spiritual judges is one of the most difficult in the Spiritual World. But the organization we are part of has the ambition of being self-sufficient."


    "We will do everything possible and impossible to fulfill our ambitions. As for the amount needed for this agreement, we are naturally already prepared to pay them."


    "Oh? Interesting, there aren''t many powers willing to do such a thing¡­" He commented at the same time that he had a slight smile on his face.


    He didn''t think it was bad to have more spiritual judges. After all, he hardly had time to come to the association himself due to the many Soul Contracts he constantly validated.


    And if the other side understood the downsides of this profession, was willing to pay high prices, and still help increase the supply of spiritual judges in the region, then he had no reason to try to change the other side''s mind.


    There were only benefits for him here!


    "Cough, okay. Let''s talk about business..."


    "As you may know, our area demands higher quality techniques. Because of that, our association has Blue-grade and Black-grade techniques in a different proportion than found in other areas."


    "We have about 40 different types of Blue-grade techniques and 20 different Black-grade ones. As for prices, we charge 15,000 low-grade crystals for each Blue-grade copy and 700 medium-grade crystals for each Black-grade."


    He then scratched his big white beard for a moment and asked Minos and Abby. "So, how much do you want?"


    Hearing this, young Stuart paused for a moment to think about it. ''I still have about 1 million low-grade crystals with me and over 23,000 medium-grade crystals...''


    After thinking for a while, he finally answered. "I want 40 different copies of the Blue-grade techniques and 10 different copies of the Black-grade."


    Immediately upon saying this, young Stuart threw two bags containing the crystals needed to make this purchase on that table...

 Chapter 403: The Reality of this Profession

    After Minos paid for the 50 techniques, that old man quickly checked the contents of the two bags and then left that room to pick up the items purchased by this young man.


    That was a special purchase, something this old man wouldn''t usually see around here. However, aside from the little curiosity to know where Minos came from, this old man wasn''t all that concerned about it.


    Although few people bought copies of techniques from this specialization and Minos'' deal was grand, professionals in this field generally earned very well. After all, in addition to being few, they were also involved in widespread matters, as in trade negotiations.


    Consequently, like the poison masters, the service of spiritual judges was not cheap. On the contrary, it could even be considered one of the most expensive of all spiritual professions!


    These people had to train and cultivate much longer than ordinary cultivators. Hence, their services cost something proportional to the extent of their efforts.


    So, it was inevitable that the price would be high.


    And because of this, generally, this professional would not be used in more routine situations, such as, for example, the case of the subordinates of a family, or the soldiers of a specific organization...


    One couldn''t create thousands of contracts quickly due to the few spiritual judges and their lower cultivation level. To give you an idea, a cultivator like the elder Norman, someone over 700-years-old had only reached level 49, even with Black talent and Black-grade cultivation technique.


    And for this type of professional, they would at most be able to make contracts with people up to 10 levels above their own. Above that, the difference in power of the souls involved in the procedure would become too great, and the spiritual judge would fail to finalize the contract.


    Thus, due to these limiting problems, in this region, it was not a common practice to make contracts with all subordinates of a power.


    Such a thing would be costly and would probably take a long time to accomplish.


    But neither was there a need so great that it was necessary to use Soul Contracts with all the subordinates of a power. That''s because most of these people just did typical jobs and wouldn''t know any compromising secrets.


    Therefore, in general, it would not be worth making such an investment. But, on the other hand, apart from the cases related to slave labor, the common thing to see in the northern region of the Central Continent were individuals spontaneously entering families, sects, organizations...


    And there really could be spies trying to infiltrate these organizations or situations like that. But again, usually, ordinary people in power would not have access to crucial information.


    As for those who could have such access, these would undoubtedly sign an agreement to avoid information leaks and other problems!


    For illustration, think of the cases of Lee and Alison and the rest of the Black Plain Army soldiers. To the rest of the soldiers, they all knew little more than the rest of the Dry City population. To be more precise, the only things they knew that most people didn''t know about were Silver-grade techniques and external threats.


    Other than that, everything they knew was known to the standard population of their town. In this case, unless Minos were to sign a contract with every inhabitant, it would make no sense to do such a thing with his ordinary soldiers.


    As for the possibility of them leaking information about the Silver-grade techniques, that was very difficult. That''s because, in a world where individual strength means success, learning better techniques was the same as getting close to achieving such a thing!


    An individual could earn very little selling information about techniques. Yet, he could make a lot if he got stronger from those techniques!


    Therefore, no one would mistake leaking such information when they have not even had the chance to learn such techniques.


    To do such a thing would be like wasting a golden chance for a few crumbs!


    And hell, those soldiers didn''t even have the techniques in hand!


    How would they confirm the integrity of such information? How could anyone believe that a power that did not exist until a few years ago in the poorest region of the Central Continent would have such things without actual proof?


    Because of all this, Minos wouldn''t bother to make contracts with his ordinary soldiers. But some had contracts with him, which were precisely the cases of the two youths who knew about the Spatial Kingdom.


    From the moment Minos could pay for a spiritual judge to go to the Dry City, he had signed an agreement with those two.


    As for the rest, Minos felt no such need.


    Dillian was someone to be trusted, and the foxes in the Spatial Kingdom stayed in that place all the time and were interested in staying that way. So, he wouldn''t make contracts with these individuals.


    Anyway, that was the reality of this profession, which is so relevant in the Spiritual World. All significant businesses needed the participation of spiritual judges, and because of that, Minos was willing to invest so much in this.


    His current town already had a few grade-1 spiritual judges, the people brought there, to validate the agreements with those two youths.


    Upon discovering the Dry City, they had naturally been delighted and taken their families there!


    ...


    Finally, a few minutes passed, and the elder Norman returned with all the techniques that Minos had paid for.


    "Here... If there''s anything else you want, just say so. In two days, I will go out to sign some contracts in the south of the kingdom, and the association will have no elders available for some time." He said this as he watched the couple rise from where they had sat.


    "Hmm, thanks for the warning, Elder Norman, but that''s all. I think we will go awhile without doing such deals, and I don''t need any Soul Contracts right now."


    "Oh? So, we''ll see another time."


    "Hmm, see you later, have a good time."


    After that, the couple quickly left that building, heading towards a place where they would relax while listening to music and having a meal. Now, only one thing held them in this town, but that couldn''t be helped.


    Consequently, they would enjoy Athela''s pleasant atmosphere as they rested for their next training session in the local cultivation tower.


    ...


    And so, the days left to the deadline given by that blacksmith came to an end.


    It was time for young Stuart to receive his medium-level grade-2 sword!


    And as soon as the day began, the couple had already prepared themselves adequately to leave Athela after Minos got his hands on that sword.


    They would continue their journey east from Athela for approximately ten days until they reached a town called Wilburg, which was home to the Cohen family''s headquarters!


    In this place, the two youths would carry out negotiations regarding future purchases of the Black Plains with that family and try to attract more professionals to their city.


    Other than that, there wasn''t much more for the two of them to do in that place, and Minos didn''t expect to be there for as long as he had been here in Athela.


    ''Ahh, in the blink of an eye, we''ve been traveling for almost five months... I wonder how the Dry City is? Was there a problem?''


    ''The unemployed population of the City of Waters has probably already finished their migration to my town...''


    ''And there are the army soldiers... Eda must be almost level 50 by now, and her training must have yielded many results...'' Minos thought about it all, realizing that his trip was already ending.


    He still had a long way to go, and it would probably take him about four months to get to the Dry City, but he couldn''t help but think about his territory.


    He had invested so much in that place and watched it grow from something of no use to a living area that anyone with power would fight for.


    Therefore, he felt a special feeling for that region and always thought of that place when he traveled abroad.


    Finally, the couple quickly arrived in front of a property with a large, high wall, which indicated the name, The Weapons House...

 Chapter 404: Leaving Athela!

    After the couple entered that property, the two quickly made their way to the large furnace used by the owner of this place, the medium-level grade-2 blacksmith that Minos had previously met.


    The two of them had no intention of making new purchases in this place or trying to lure the smiths from this place to the Dry City, so they went straight to this man without wasting any time.


    When they arrived in that place, the two found that a man with massive muscles and tanned skin finished hammering a particular item, which was still orange due to the high temperature.


    The blacksmith then quickly used an object that looked like large tweezers to move that item, placing it on a cold surface.


    Ssss!


    After doing this, a large amount of water vapor was produced simultaneously as the heat dissipated in nature.


    "Hahh, I''ll let you rest for a while¡­" The man muttered under his quick breath while he used his right forearm to dry the sweat on his forehead. "Oh? You two came early, huh?"


    Obviously, this man had sensed Minos and Abby''s energy fluctuations just as the two had approached him as he was finishing a part of forging that item from before.


    "Hehe, we''re leaving this town soon, so we came a little early." Minos commented with a sincere smile as he held back his anticipation to receive his weapon.


    Minos could have inherited many experiences through the legacy left by Henricus Longus, but that didn''t take away the individuality of this young man!


    And it was truly hard for the young ruler of the Black Plain not to be eager to get a weapon he''d been craving for about six months!


    From the moment he had killed the Spiritual King of that base of the Chambers family, Minos had felt limited because he couldn''t display his full power. After all, he might have many resources, but he couldn''t keep damaging low-level grade-2 weapons, as if these things were cheap or common!


    So, Minos had all this time trained and fought with only a part of his strength. And, of course, that wasn''t pleasant. It was frustrating, and whenever he had to fight using a low-level grade-2 weapon, he would remember that annoyance as if it were a memory of a mistake or a humiliation.


    And because of it all, young Stuart was looking forward to finally being able to hold a weapon that would take him to new heights!


    "And then? Is it ready?" Minos asked as he took one of Abby''s hands and looked expectantly at the man in front of him.


    Seeing Minos'' expression, this old blacksmith couldn''t help but smile for a moment.


    This old man was already used to seeing people having the same reaction as Minos, as he had witnessed such a thing dozens of times. In fact, it was pretty standard for cultivators to feel highly confident and satisfied after acquiring a higher-rated item.


    It was not uncommon for some powerful old men to even hold banquets to commemorate and display such things...


    "Hahaha, of course, young man. I finished forging it yesterday afternoon. Do you want to sense how it feels in your hands?"


    "Of course!"


    After saying these words to each other, that old man pulled a sword about 130 centimeters long from his spatial ring.


    That weapon had a very noble appearance and seemed to have its own arrogance, as if it were something made to become famous.


    It started with its completely golden blade, which had small red markings on its surface, which made this item extremely beautiful to see. Finally, the cross-guard and the sword''s pommel combined, forming what resembled a root, which ran from the blade to the pommel, where was the symbol of the Black Plain.


    Anyway, Minos soon received his sword from that man and began to make some gestures with it, trying to know that sword''s ''behavior.''


    ''This sword can increase the power of attacks launched by the user by about 32%...'' Minos thought to himself, after unleashing an attack once while wielding this new sword. ''Hmm, I can probably face common opponents of level 54, but I wouldn''t defeat him... As for opponents with complete sets of Black-grade techniques, I can fight and win with some ease, people of level 52.''


    "As for level 53 nobles, it would be even harder to fight such opponents than against an ordinary level 54 person¡­" He murmured in a low voice, realizing how strong his current attacks were.


    And it didn''t take long for Minos to finish his examination session. He hadn''t used much of his spiritual energy on this test, as he had only released one attack. As for the other movements, he had only used his power to get the sword handled.


    Thus, he had not exhausted himself, as had happened during the test proposed by that blacksmith.


    "Looks like you truly got stronger with this sword, huh?" Abby commented to him, already with a beautiful smile on her face.


    "So, young man, is the sword to your preference?"


    Hearing this, young Stuart nodded in agreement, with a satisfied look on his face. "It''s great, hehe."


    "Good! Hehe, you''ll probably need a high-level grade-2 sword before I get to level 56, so I''d like to give you a hint. Don''t just order your artifact when you need it!"


    "Even for this weapon you just received, I would say you were lucky to get it. Apart from me, only six other blacksmiths in Athela could produce such an item for you, as everyone else has busy schedules at the moment."


    "But with the situation in the Kingdom of the Waves rising in ''temperature,'' even blacksmiths without affiliations, like my case, will be busy with the requests made by people involved in the local schemes."


    "I already received 30 orders in the days I was producing your weapon and will not receive any more for the next 20 months."


    After hearing this, Minos felt a shiver down his spine, realizing that even knowing the regional reality, he still underestimated things a little.


    He had heard from a worker at the hotel that he and Abby were staying, that the blacksmith who owns The Weapons House was currently available and was one of the best for forging medium-level grade-2 weapons.


    This old man was one of the blacksmiths unrelated to noble powers or organizations, so it would generally be more accessible to buy weapons from him.


    But even for someone like that, it would be hard not to be influenced by the stiff competition for the local royal throne. And in fact, this man who usually had to handle only 5, 7, 9 orders at a time had now received 30 of them!


    "And the situation for high-level grade-2 blacksmiths is even worse. Not only that, individuals in this classification are always busy, even in times of peace!"


    "Then I advise you to find a suitable blacksmith already and order a high-level grade-2 sword!"


    "For now, you won''t be able to take the test for the blacksmith to produce a special weapon for you, but you can join the waiting list." He finished speaking, crossing his arms over his chest and looking at Minos with an earnest expression.


    Minos had been lucky. Not only was this man finishing forging the last batch of weapons that he had in his schedule, but the necessary materials were also available in this man''s shop.


    And this blacksmith wasn''t even accepting orders until that day when the young Stuart came here.


    This man had only accepted Minos'' request because of the unusual strength that this young man had displayed. Otherwise, the ruler of the Black Plain might have had to wait over a year to get his sword!


    Finally, after hearing all this, Minos sincerely thanked this figure and then left that place, heading towards Athela''s exit, where he and Abby had left that big beast.


    After more than a month, the two were finally leaving Athela!

 Chapter 405: Excellent!

    Quickly Minos and Abby had moved through the streets of Athela and headed towards the south exit of this great city. There the two retrieved that great beast, which had been living peacefully on that reservation the entire time.


    It had even become bigger in the time that passed. However, unfortunately, young Abby''s beast still hadn''t made it to the 5th stage of cultivation.


    Such a creature was only 4-years-old and would still need some time to reach level 40.


    And finally, after they had done such a thing, the couple left town by that exit, heading east.


    ...


    As Minos and Abby traveled towards Wilburg, two men were doing their best to escape a group of pursuers, running on top of their beasts in the vicinity of this kingdom''s capital.


    On one side were the pursuers, wearing armor with the same type of symbol, while on the other were two men who appeared to be from different organizations.


    One of them looked like a middle-aged man. The other looked like a young warrior who must have been in his thirties at most.


    "Miserables! These bastards made us wait two whole months for them to get out of that cultivation tower!" One of the men from the chasing group yelled in anger as he stared at the figures of Elen and Elena''s bodyguards running away.


    Naturally, these people were the spies of the Allen family, who were trying to kidnap the two bodyguards who had stayed in the capital of the Kingdom of the Waves earlier.


    These two men had spent the entire time in Athela''s cultivation tower, which had been made possible by the crystals left by Elen and Elena.


    They already knew what problems could happen and had left a certain amount for their bodyguards to ''survive'' in this place. And, thanks to the crystals Eduard had accumulated from Elen and Minos'' business, the bodyguards had spent two months hiding and training in Athela''s cultivation tower.


    But at no time had they found Minos in that place. After all, the cultivation tower was quite large, and these two men spent most of their time inside collective cultivation rooms, which were on separate floors from the more private locations.


    However, even though they couldn''t find these two, the bodyguards had significantly increased their strength in the meantime!


    That''s because, in everyday situations, they couldn''t train that long without being bothered with family-related matters, nor did they have opportunities to train in cultivation towers.


    So, the two had had a good result, with Elena''s bodyguard having reached level 49 and Eduard having reached the limit of that level!


    Eduard just hadn''t increased from the cultivation stage in the time he passed because he didn''t have medium-grade crystals with him. Otherwise, he might have succeeded in reaching level 50 on his last days of training at that location.


    But even if he hadn''t gotten there, he was infinitely close to that dream level and could achieve it in the next few days!


    Finally, after leaving that cultivation tower, they had quickly moved towards the southern exit of Athela, where they wanted to make their way to a forested region near that area.


    The two knew they couldn''t win and escape a group of 4 Spiritual Generals at level 49 and 2 at level 48. Hence, if they went straight to the coast, where there is no forest, they would have no way to use the land to their advantage and would likely fall into enemy hands.


    To avoid this scenario, in which they would likely die in the end, the two had concluded that they couldn''t run away towards Stone Island.


    Not only would the way to the coast be more difficult, but the Allen family could know in advance where these two were going.


    Such a thing could worsen their situation, as the two would not get support from their families as quickly as the nobles who pursued them!


    But if they used the many woodlands south of the Kingdom of the Waves, they could have a chance. After all, in these places, powerful spiritual beasts and many dangers were lurking.


    They could even end up dying from these dangers, but desperate people do what gives them the most possibilities and not what is safe!


    They could die, but so did their pursuers.


    Rather than peacefully surrendering to sure deaths, the two would instead put themselves in danger, hoping the enemy group would receive more damage than them!


    Anyway, that was the plan of the two, survive the trip through the dangerous areas of the Kingdom of the Waves and, who knows, return home after escaping from the enemy group.


    "Eduard, let''s go to the mountainous region. There''s southeast of here. That place is the closest to where we are, and maybe we can have enough time for you to reach level 50!" The middle-aged man who followed Eduard''s side, running through the fields of that region, said this seriously.


    "Good idea, let''s go!" Saying this, the two hurried even more as they changed direction and watched the group chasing them from behind. The two bodyguards had prepared well for this day, and because of that, the two had gained a slight advantage against their opponents.


    So, the two were at least a few minutes ahead of the Allen family''s group of spies, who had no choice but to pursue them. And, naturally, these people wanted to end it before the two bodyguards left this state''s capital.


    Still, things don''t always go as planned...


    With that, for now, those six people could only chase the bodyguards as they gradually approached those two men.


    "These bastards, I can''t wait to torture them!" One of them said this angrily as he clenched his fists tightly and continued to pursue those two men.


    ...


    At this moment, the third prince of the Kingdom of the Waves was currently leaving his city, along with a small group of Spiritual Kings.


    They were traveling without any identification while departing from an alternative exit from that town, not to attract attention...


    "Third Prince, we''ve checked everything out. No one saw us leave Edtown." A tall, muscular man said this to Charles as he leaned outside the unmarked carriage in which this young man was traveling.


    "Ok, this is good. What about our target? Is he already in transit?" Charles asked dubiously, snapping his fingers and looking at the window where that man was leaning.


    "Yes, he is. About 12 hours ago, the Second Prince left his city, heading towards the eastern region. He intends to meet with the local powers to get more support. He¡­" The man hesitated for a moment and then continued. "He seems intent on heading north afterward, heading towards Ms. Ava''s hometown."


    "Oh? As expected from that bastard! He''s truly trying to court one of my women!" The prince muttered in a low voice simultaneously as the veins in his forehead stood out, and his face darkened considerably.


    ''But this son of a bitch won''t last much longer¡­'' Charles thought about it, watching the landscape around him fall behind as night gradually shrouded the skies of that region.


    "How many days will it take us to reach him?" He asked one of the men traveling beside him in that carriage.


    "About 20 days, Prince." The man who looked to be in his late forties answered him without changing his expression, not even a little.


    "And what strength is there with my brother?"


    "Three Spiritual Kings are accompanying the second prince. The strongest is at level 53 and the weakest at level 51. As for the Spiritual Generals, there are 20 of them, between levels 48 and 49."


    "But rest assured, it will be impossible for him to defend himself against our group. As long as they don''t hide inside some big city, we can easily destroy them." The man finished speaking, not expressing much emotion.


    He was already at level 54, and his other four companions on this trip were all Spiritual Kings, between levels 50 and 52. So, this man was not concerned about the outcome of their mission.


    "Excellent!"


    After that, this group quickly vanished on the Edtown skyline...

 Chapter 406: Wilburg

    Ten days had passed, and Minos and Abby had already arrived in Wilburg.


    During this past time, the two had traveled quietly from Athela to the region dominated by the Cohen family. And besides having stopped to rest and train, the two hadn''t done anything else of significance.


    There were not many natural areas in this mid-northern region of the Kingdom of Waves where mighty spiritual beasts could be found.


    There were even some small forests, but they were dominated by beasts below the 5th stage of cultivation, which offered no challenge to the couple.


    And that was common. After all, this was the most populated region of the Kingdom of the Waves, a part of this state almost entirely dominated by human forces.


    Because of this, the few nature reserves that remained in this part served only as hunting areas, where ordinary people could get items of animal origin.


    Finally, after Minos left territory directly controlled by royalty, he entered the Cohen family''s territory. This place had about 30% of the area of ??the Black Plain and a large city, which already had more than 1 million inhabitants.


    In addition to Wilburg, there were 15 other cities in the territory of the Cohen family, which in total numbered more than 8 million inhabitants.


    And Minos had had the opportunity to go through some of these places with Abby, having been positively surprised by the development of this region. Contrary to what could be seen in other territories of noble regional families, this area ruled by the city of Wilburg was not totally dependent on this place.


    In the northern region of the Central Continent, in many cases, the best services were all in the biggest cities. In contrast, the others are left with only the crumbs. But in this territory of the Cohen family, each town had populations above 400,000 and had services of all professions.


    That was admirable!


    In some places that Minos had passed, plantations were stretching for tens of kilometers. In contrast, in others, there was a significant presence of the mining sector.


    It was a territory with several different activities, demonstrating the local sovereign power''s care in diversifying the economy.


    But that wasn''t all that unique!


    In fact, this type of management was widespread among merchant powers, such as the Miller family, which followed the same model in their region, according to Abby.


    And that was reasonable, after all, who knew better about investments than the big regional merchants?


    Such powers were used to earning by selling others'' products, so it was only natural for them to develop better ways to invest their profits. Thus, organizations of this kind could depend less on external means and take a step forward towards autonomy.


    That is, who would know about tomorrow?


    You may be fine now, but then a problem falls right into your lap, and everything changes. And due to this kind of thing, the great economic powers had already developed their ways of investing to guarantee tomorrow.


    An expert once said that an intelligent man spends less than he earns. But, on the other hand, a brilliant man would put his crystals into something that would ensure him a living even if his primary source of income ceased to exist.


    ''Make the crystals work for you!''


    And because of that, economic powers used to be the best in public management in the Spiritual World.


    Anyway, after passing through the well-organized territory of the Cohen family, Minos and Abby had already seen a bit of Wilburg, where they had arrived today, at the beginning of the evening.


    This place had experts from all areas and even some medium-level grade-2 individuals from the top 3 spiritual professions. But there were no guilds of great regional importance, such as Minos had met on the way to Athela.


    Yet this city had good options and could be considered an enjoyable place to live. Here, many businesses related to non-spiritual professions existed, places to hire mercenaries, three spiritual academies, a cultivation tower, and much more.


    It wasn''t exactly a place with tremendous opportunities like Dry City. Still, it was much better than what could be found in many of the cities Minos had known.


    As an example, the case of the Maritime City. This location charged its citizens an annual tax that was simply disproportionate, considering that there were no decent services there.


    And many of the towns Minos had known in the Cromwell Kingdom, most suffered from this same problem.


    Anyway, after staying in a suitable place in this city, the two had taken the rest of the night to relax and settle their personal affairs in bed...


    Minos had some business to do locally, but that couldn''t be done until the next day when it was appropriate for him and Abby to visit the Cohen family and also when local services were open.


    Dealing with the Cohen family shouldn''t be a problem and would likely be resolved in just one day. But what would require a more significant amount of time would be Minos'' second intention, to attract professionals to his city.


    This time he wasn''t interested in getting ordinary grade-1 specialists. No, now such a thing wasn''t so attractive to him and what Minos wanted was to attract those low-level grade-2 individuals.


    Dry City already had a few of this classification of the top three spiritual professions. But the number of these people in that place was tiny, and the ruler of the Black Plain wanted to change that.


    He wasn''t after beast tamers, or spiritual judges, as such areas were hardly in demand in the Dry City. But for the other professions, even if for some it was less attractive for him to worry about it now, it was still worth investing in each of these areas.


    They could develop in his city, and shortly, when the Black Plain opened up to the world, there would already be all the necessary services to attract new inhabitants.


    ...


    Little by little, it dawned, with the city of Wilburg shrouded in a dense fog, which at certain points was already mixed with the smoke of some chimneys.


    In this city, there were many buildings, but most buildings were below three floors, so chimneys were very common around here.


    Many people cooked at home, and during breakfast, they not only prepared their first meal of the day, but many already prepared their lunches as well.


    After all, ordinary people who had to work for more than 10 hours a day didn''t have time to go home for lunch, nor did they have crystals to eat in restaurants. Thus, cooking more than one meal in the morning was very common in Wilburg.


    And in the middle of this typical early morning in this region, in an 8-story building in the southern part of the city, two youths were taking a shower at the time in one of the apartments of this building.


    There was a bathroom with a large functional area in that place, where there were all the necessary items that a place like this would have.


    Among the standouts were the bathtub and a shower area, which could fit even six people simultaneously!


    And right there, Abby and Minos were washing each other''s bodies, with large sponges in their hands, filled with a foamy product.


    Abby''s stunning body was already all covered by foam, while her beautiful breasts constantly trembled, letting some of the foam run down her body. At the same time, Minos was behind this young woman, washing her back and gently stroking one of her breasts from time to time.


    They had just finished their ''morning activities'' and were just getting cleaned up so they could finally go out on business. And even though the two of them might as well keep doing that in the bath, they didn''t want to delay their affairs in this town.


    Because of this, the two did not take long and soon had finished their shower and started to get dressed.


    "What are we going to do first?" Abby asked Minos as she helped him button his shirt.


    "Let''s try to find old Lance, or his grandson, Todd, to talk business..."

 Chapter 407: Thank You Grandpa!

    It didn''t take long, and Minos and Abby had already arrived in front of the Cohen family property in the northern part of Wilburg.


    When they arrived at that place, the two could see a large area surrounded by metal fences containing the symbol of that family. And right behind that partition of the property with the sidewalk, there were many trees that looked a lot like pine trees, which covered the entire inner region of this place.


    In fact, only from the main gate of this place could one get a glimpse of what was in that area, but even so, that wasn''t much. When they arrived in front of the main entrance, they could see two watchtowers on the inside sides and a street forming a ''T,'' made with small square stones, with many trees on the sides.


    Such a place seemed quite reserved, and the entry of ordinary citizens was not allowed in that place.


    That is because, despite the Cohen family being the local ruler, unlike what happened in the Dry City, in Wilburg, the public administration was separated from the main post of this organization.


    Thus, the place where the common public would have to go to talk about matters relating to the local community was in a specific building in the center of the city. As for the forces of this family and the principal members, they lived and worked in the headquarters, this property that the couple was in front of, right now.


    Minos then approached that entrance gate and spoke to one of the guards standing beside one of the watchtowers. "Hello, I would like to know where I can find Mr. Lance Cohen and Todd Cohen. Can you let me know?"


    After hearing this, the guard that Minos had spoken to looked toward the street and watched the two youths standing by the gate for a moment. ''He''s at level 44, and she''s at level 43... Well, Mr. Todd is only at level 41, and he''s just starting to develop his businesses, so these two are probably here for that.'' He thought for a moment before deciding whether it was worth talking to these people.


    Every day people came trying to get information about the nobles of the Cohen family, sometimes even a few youths trying to gain the attention of the beautiful women of this organization. Because of this, the guards of this family had already tired of having to expel this type of person from this place.


    Consequently, the guards who stayed at the watchtowers at the main entrance of this family''s headquarters took extra care to avoid situations like those...


    He then walked from where he was to the side of the gate and said. "Mr. Lance isn''t in town. He recently went out on business. As for Todd, I will have to see if he will receive you. So, what are your identities? And what is your purpose in meeting him?"


    "We are here to do business, and as for our identities, this one next to me is Abby, and my name is Minos. Tell Todd I''m the person who made a deal with his grandfather about a year and a half ago."


    Minos didn''t want to specify their exact identities because this guy was just a subordinate of the Cohen family, who might not know about this organization''s affairs with the Black Plain. And if he didn''t know the current reality of this territory, then it was better to stay that way!


    Even if the chances of this harming Minos'' territory were small, he would not speak so openly about himself if there was no need. And the same was true for Abby.


    There was no advantage for Minos to use the Miller family name, as he didn''t need the help of that organization. Furthermore, the problems of being related to such power could outweigh the benefits. After all, all these large regional noble families had a long history, which could be good or bad in certain situations.


    And Minos didn''t want to be harmed by the affairs of others as much as he didn''t want to owe anyone anything.


    Anyway, after hearing what Minos had said, that guard soon left to resolve this matter, leaving the couple outside that property, waiting patiently.


    ...


    As they waited for the guard to return, Abby suddenly remembered something and asked her mate. "Minos, you said you were going to try to buy a King-grade medicine. Do you think we''ll get one from the alchemy guild that we''ll go after this town?"


    "Hmm, despite being a valuable item, there will certainly be options in that place. After all, the biggest alchemy guild is located in that city." He commented with a confident look.


    Locating a King-grade medicine, like the Warrior-grade medicine he and Ruth got at the Peak of the Fog, would be difficult in this northern part of the Central Continent.


    However, buying the fruit of one of these medicines would not be impossible!


    After all, pills of medium-level grade-2 classification, and high-level grade-2 ones, were much more easily found in this region than spiritual weapons of the same category. Of course, nothing was so abundant that alchemists had stockpiles of pills like that, but there was enough for anyone who wanted to buy them.


    And except for the breakout pill for the 7th stage of cultivation, which required at least an alchemist at level 59 to produce it, all other pills below the rank were found regionally.


    And because the pills of these two classifications had minimum requirements of at least a King-grade medicine, this showed that it was not so difficult to obtain such a resource.


    These things took only a thousand years to fully grow and mature, while regional families had already domesticated many of these medicines and had regular productions for thousands of years!


    For all that, Minos felt that as long as he had the crystals, and he did, being able to trade such an item would only be a matter of time!


    He had high hopes of solving his problem there because the region he and Abby would pass through after leaving the Cohen family territory was one of the best for alchemy.


    It might not be easy for him to return to the Black Plain with this medicine already, as many alchemists were already placing orders regularly. But even if he had to wait for a year or two, it would still be worth it to him.


    "We''ll see what happens, but I think we''ll be able to order one of them..." Minos commented as he saw the guard return from inside that property.


    "Please accompany me to Todd''s residence. He will welcome you soon." That man said that before finally opening the gate for Minos and Abby''s entrance.


    After that, it wasn''t long before they had crossed more than half of that property and reached the spot where Todd was waiting for them.


    ...


    Todd couldn''t help but feel awe for Minos after seeing the young man he met during the Spiritual Tournament walking alongside a beautiful blue-haired woman.


    ''At the time I met him, Minos was at the same level as me... But now, he has completely passed me and is already at level 44!'' The young man thought to himself as he felt the slight breeze lift his blond hair.


    ''What a monster! He didn''t go to the Flaming Empire, but that didn''t slow him down at all!''  Todd admired Minos internally at the same time he remembered where he''d seen Abby. ''It seems that he has not only raised his level... He is also very well accompanied!''


    Todd had been ranked in the Spiritual Tournament rank and stayed to see the fights after his disqualification. Because of that, he had followed all the battles of the final phase, in which Abby had appeared on some occasions.


    So, he could recognize this beautiful companion of Minos, who was not only beautiful but had also increased in strength at an alarming rate. ''She was only level 40 back then... Hah, Minos is truly rich!'' He thought to himself as he felt excited to start doing business with this person.


    After all, if Minos were so wealthy, being one of that person''s few business associates would be very advantageous to someone like Todd. ''This is my opportunity for ascension!''


    "Thank you, grandpa!" He muttered under his breath as he closed his eyes for a moment and was grateful to be given such an opportunity.

 Chapter 408: Big Business!

    Not long after Todd spotted Minos coming his way, the three people quickly moved hands and headed toward a private place where they could talk openly.


    Obviously, the young member of the Cohen family was impressed with the current level of Minos and Abby. Still, aside from congratulating the two of them on such a feat, Todd hadn''t invested much in the matter.


    These singularities of a person''s life would hardly be discussed publicly, especially among people who only had a business relationship.


    So, he swallowed his curiosity didn''t ask anything that wouldn''t be answered.


    Finally, he had the guests to a specific location where the walls had no ears. After all, even though this was the Cohen family property, there were always internal disputes, with members trying to take advantage of others.


    So, Todd was just as much more cautious than he usually would, not just to protect the Black Plain but to safeguard his interests.


    ...


    "Please have a seat." Todd commented to Minos and Abby as they arrived at a business room in the building where he and his grandfather did business.


    The place was ordinary, like many other business officers that Minos had passed.


    There were comfortable places for more than six people to talk and also a good view of the buildings of the headquarters of the Cohen family.


    And soon, the couple was sitting on a large sofa, where Abby seated cross-legged, very close to young Stuart, but not leaning over that sofa. As for Minos, he had his back comfortably propped up on that furniture as he ran a hand over the back of his mate and looked at Todd, who was standing in front of them.


    Minos then asked. "So, your grandfather is traveling, huh?"


    "Yes, my grandfather is already retired from his activities, but now and then, he goes out to do business with old friends."


    "I see¡­ Well, you will soon surpass your grandfather''s level. He must be very proud!" Minos praised him before finally starting to get serious. "But anyway, I didn''t come here to talk about these things."


    "As you can imagine, I want to do some business beyond what my territory has normally been doing with your family."


    Hearing this, Todd smiled slightly, in a subtle way, without losing his etiquette. "I understand... And what exactly are we talking about?"


    "Spiritual arrays, mostly. As you know, in my town there is a cultivation tower. Still, the number of vacancies we currently have is too small for our population. Therefore, I want to make a deal with you regarding the order of around 2,200 arrays."


    "What?" Todd asked incredulously as he had his eyes wide open at the moment, his hands tightened around his knees.


    He couldn''t believe such a thing!


    Even considering all the business done between the Cohen family store in the Dry City and the government of Minos, it didn''t reach that number. Hence, this young merchant had been shocked by the number said by this person with brown hair.


    And seeing Todd''s reaction, Minos and Abby looked at each other for a moment and smiled. "Calm down. This number I quoted will not be paid now, nor do I expect it to be delivered all at once."


    "I want you to make arrangements so that within two years, all these arrays have already been delivered." Minos said as he waited for the blonde man in front of him to recover from the shock.


    The Dry City Cultivation Tower had been suffering from constant overcrowding since it was opened to the public in that town. Because of this and the fact that the population there kept growing, Minos needed to invest in that place as soon as possible.


    That''s because, if having a cultivation tower was considered a big positive point for any city, having such a thing but with few vacancies could be considered harmful!


    At the very least, people wouldn''t count a cultivation tower that never has free spaces as a positive thing, which can help convince someone who wants to move to that town.


    And precisely for that reason, the sovereign of that territory needed to change the reality of that service little by little.


    Such a thing couldn''t be done overnight, and even this deal Minos was doing now couldn''t solve the problem for good.


    As Eda had commented to Dillian previously, the ideal number of spaces in that tower would be around ten times the current amount. However, the Black Plain could not afford such an investment in the short term...


    But Minos would solve this by improving the offer of places in that tower little by little until finally reaching the numbers suggested by Eda.


    Finally, after a brief moment, no longer able to contain his delight, Todd said. "Okay, hehe. But how will these arrays be divided? The types..."


    They then began to talk about the details concerning the configuration of the arrays wanted by Minos and the specific quantities of each one of them. Most of these items served basically for the same thing, cultivation rooms, having only different classifications.


    However, there were some distinct arrays relating to other activities unrelated to the affairs of the cultivation tower in that city. But most of them were medium-level grade-1 and high-level grade-1 arrays.


    As for grade-2, these were not so numerous due to the significant difference in the amounts charged.


    To sum up, Minos and Todd talked for a while, with the ruler of the Black Plain specifying that he wanted enough arrays for him to triple the capacity of the current cultivation tower.


    And this already represented the most significant number of arrays in this agreement, exceeding 2,000 for this purpose alone.


    Such a thing would cost over 20 million low-grade crystals and 500,000 medium-grade crystals!


    As for the payment, Minos couldn''t pay it in advance, as he didn''t have these crystals on hand...


    What had been agreed was that the Black Plain would pay these amounts monthly for the next two years.


    Initially, they would pay the first four months in advance, and only after the fifth month would they start receiving the arrays.


    That not only served to ensure that the Cohen family did not suffer a defrauded by Minos¡­ But also to allow time for such a quantity of spiritual arrays to be produced.


    This family would not send their subordinates out across the mainland making such purchases for Minos, which would be too expensive. Instead, what would be done was to gather a certain number of local array masters and give them the job of producing these items.


    Such a thing could lower the total costs for that family, consequently increasing the profit of that organization.


    And with that, both the Black Plain could have its items within the stipulated time, and the Cohen family could profit from such a deal!


    As for the array masters, there were many in the region ruled by the Cohen family. After all, most of the arrays ordered by Minos were only grade-1 ones. So, it wouldn''t be that difficult to get the experts, not even the materials!


    Finally, Minos talked about some specific items he needed to reach the Dry City with greater frequency and quantities. Examples of Warrior-grade and Common-grade medicines used by the alchemists of that place.


    Despite the fact that young Stuart had already begun planting Warrior-grade medicines in his territory, the plant he had acquired at the Peak of the Fog would not bear fruit for a long time. It would still take a few years for the first plants to bear fruit, so he would still need to externally import this type of resource.


    Another reason is that there weren''t even pills with different purposes, which required other ingredients.


    Anyway, after talking about it, Minos''s deal with Todd came to an end!


    Before they left that property, Minos and Abby had just asked Todd a few questions about the best places for them to try to attract the experts from this town to the Dry City.


    There were always people looking for opportunities everywhere, and that young man from the Cohen family was someone who knew about it and had naturally helped these great allies of his.

 Chapter 409: Futile Insistence

    After leaving the Cohen family property, Minos and Abby headed to the downtown area, where they could find the local guilds, shops, and spiritual profession associations.


    They had taken Tedd''s advice about where they should not try to attract people to the Black Plain under any circumstances, as well as where they would have the best chance.


    Although each profession had only one guild or association in Wilburg, there were still many independent shops and schools, like the blacksmith Minos had dealt with in Athela.


    That person had his forge, and all the smiths in that place were basically his indirect or direct disciples.


    And such organizations were widespread throughout the Spiritual World. After all, not everyone wanted to be part of prominent organizations or be at the disposal of noble powers. Some people liked having the freedom to choose who to work with, even if it meant lesser earnings.


    That is because, in organizations like guilds, even if someone was not affiliated with the powers behind such organizations, that person could be required to perform certain services. Otherwise, he could simply lose the right to use these locations...


    And in smaller organizations, such as the blacksmith who had produced Minos'' new sword, apprentices would generally work and learn until they reached a certain rank. After that, each professional would have the freedom to leave these places and create their stores, or even continue working together with their teachers.


    Anyway, Minos was aware of all this, and soon he and Abby came forward to the first place where they would begin to probe their targets.


    This place looked like a big square, wholly wrap with special glass, the kind you can see from one side but not the other.


    Other than that, nothing else stood out on the outside of this building, which Minos and Abby were currently climbing the stairs to the main entrance.


    "Array Masters Association." Minos read the name on a plaque at the entrance to that place when he and his companion finally reached the entry hall.


    In that place, there was a large reception, as expected. Several indications on a map in the middle of that place, being projected by an array, in a structure that seemed to represent this building.


    And seeing this, the couple soon understood where they had to go.


    This time they didn''t need to ask questions, as they had already received the necessary tips from Todd. They had to head towards the place where the array masters of this association sold their items.


    In that place, according to Todd, there would always be a few individuals willing to talk about business like what Minos wanted to do. After all, even though many of these people were affiliated with the organizations behind these locations, some weren''t.


    Some individuals started in a profession as apprentices, people who had to devote a certain number of jobs or hours per week to pay for learned techniques, classes, training, etc.


    And in their spare time, they sold their items to get the resources needed to cultivate and survive. But some of them couldn''t afford to open their stores, as in the case of the alchemist Devis, who had gone from Portland to the Dry City.


    Thus, several of these people used these spaces offered by guilds, paying some fees just for using sales locations.


    That was the reality of many professionals, people who generally took several years to pay for their ''studies'' and finally have their businesses, like the alchemist from the old Yellow City.


    As for having their store, in general, this wouldn''t be cheap, unless that place was located in a small town, as in the case of the old Yellow City. Otherwise, if they were in larger cities like Portland, or Wilburg itself, it could cost tens of thousands of low-grade crystals.


    And in this case, many people needed to work for many years to achieve such a thing...


    But even if conditions were harsh in big cities, it was still worth it for professionals to focus on places like these. That is because the demand for services in large urban centers was naturally greater due to a more significant amount of resources and people.


    So, even though it was more expensive to get your own space, it was still worth it for a professional to stay in a place like this, where growth would be expected.


    In places like the old Yellow City, in addition to having very little demand, the very lack of resources in the vicinity made it challenging to develop various professions. Because the resources required took longer to arrive, were more expensive, and sometimes of lower quality.


    Consequently, prices went up, and those able to pay for such services went down even more...


    Another problem was that professionals from small towns were unlikely to continue advancing in their specialization. After all, such locations would not have the necessary techniques and equipment for training.


    Anyway, apart from the few people who didn''t worry about all these factors, the majority valued it very much, that''s why they preferred the big urban centers to live and work.


    As much as there were problems and difficulties in these places, there were also opportunities for ascension!


    ...


    Finally, Minos and Abby arrived on the 3rd floor of the building they were in, a part that looked like a big square with many sales locations.


    Some spots looked like shops typically found on city streets. In contrast, other sites only had small tables where the array masters displayed their items.


    Advertising boards signaled the items being sold at each of these locations, along with the prices charged. In addition to that, now the place already had a good movement of customers, with several people coming and going.


    And quickly, the couple approached a man who was selling his high-level grade-1 items, someone Minos had felt was already on the peak of level 39. In other words, someone who could soon become a low-level grade-2 array master!


    And considering the location and structure of the place where that man was selling his items, Minos had guessed that he probably didn''t receive support from the powers behind this place. Otherwise, he would not have obtained just a tiny table in a barely visible corner of that area!


    "Good morning. Is the couple interested in my arrays?" He asked, looking at Minos and Abby for a moment and smiling at both of them.


    This man couldn''t feel the cultivation of the couple in front of him, but he knew they could probably buy the arrays he sold due to their elegance.


    ''I''m sure they''re of the nobility!'' So, he thought to himself as he waited for one of them to respond.


    And hearing the man''s question, Minos nodded in agreement and said. "We are truly interested in your arrays, but not in the way you think."


    "What do you mean?" He asked doubtfully.


    Abby then smiled and answered for Minos. "We want to bring people like you to our city, array masters close to reaching grade-2, or even those who have already reached it."


    "Oh? So, that''s the kind of interest you have in my arrays¡­" He muttered disinterestedly. After all, people who usually made these offers tended not to have many resources, nor were they sovereigns of large regions.


    In general, people like Minos and Abby were part of emerging powers, which could not guarantee half of what they promised...


    Seeing the man''s expression change, Minos chuckled inwardly until he finally heard the guy''s question.


    "I don''t mind hearing your offer. Where are you from? Why do you think it would be interesting for me to join your city?" He asked, still a little uninterested.


    In this man''s opinion, the best way to end the persecution of people like Minos and Abby was to just listen to their offers without refusing them right away.


    Consequently, after expressing their project, these people usually didn''t return to test his patience, causing him to get stressed with the futile insistence.


    He simply preferred to listen to these offers and state his reason for not being interested so that these people would understand at once that their conditions were not that good.


    ''No power with good options would come after an average array master like me... If they have good options, then they would simply hire the best professionals in each specialization!'' So, he thought for a moment before starting to listen to Minos'' offer.

 Chapter 410: Several Days!

    "We come from a region where your skills will be valued the most, and you will have a large consumer market. There you will have better opportunities than here in Wilburg, and you will also be able to receive support from us, even without joining our organization."


    "To begin with, Blue-grade techniques are available to anyone who regularly lives in our city. And if you join our organization, you can receive even more benefits!" Minos commented as he had a sincere smile on his face.


    He then continued. "Our city, although not as big as Wilburg, it already has its own cultivation tower, which offers more than 4.200 daily vacancies, and that number will increase soon. In addition, we already have a guild for array masters, where you can find the items you need for your regular training."


    "But make no mistake, our city is an opportunity for people like you not because of these factors, but because of the common population!"


    We have no unemployed, and even ordinary citizens with White talent can afford medical care and spiritual items that are inaccessible for them elsewhere!"


    "And due to the greater purchasing power of our population, professionals of any specialization will have good opportunities in our territory."


    "And aside from everything I said, there''s a lot more that might interest you in moving to my city. But there is something I must point out first. In my city, you wouldn''t need to spend a single crystal to get a place of commerce."


    "If you want to trade in the local guild, you can do it for free, without having to pay any fees. And when you reach grade-2, we''ll give you the option of having your own shop outside the guild, totally free of charge!"


    Saying all this, Minos paused for a moment as he saw the man''s suspicious countenance. He seemed to be impressed by all of this, but even more so by the fact that he didn''t believe a word of young Stuart.


    After all, why would land of opportunities like the one he''d just heard of need to look for mere level 39 cultivators elsewhere? As far as this man knew, each area with a cultivation tower should be almost as developed as this city.


    So, what young Stuart had just said seemed like a blatant lie, that this young man hadn''t even bothered to try to ''make up'' it to make it look more realistic!


    And as the man''s face darkened, Minos said something that made this array master take a step back and swallow his saliva heavily.


    "If you don''t believe me, I''m willing to make a Soul Contract!"


    "What?" He exclaimed in shock, looking incredulously at the couple in front of him.


    Signing Soul Contracts was not a common thing to do in everyday situations like the one in question. Because this service was not cheap, and there were few people capable of validating such agreements.


    But still, the brown-haired young man, who didn''t even look 20-years-old, said that to this man...


    "Are you serious?" He questioned Minos while trying to regain his composure.


    "Hmm, I''m serious. If you''re interested, we can combine all the points of the deal and then look for a high-level grade-1 spiritual judge to validate that." Minos said without delaying.


    Although the service of spiritual judges was expensive, it wasn''t something entirely out of Minos'' possibilities. After all, these professionals charged prices that were only a little higher than arrays with the same professional rating.


    Thus, since spiritual judges could make contracts with people up to 10 levels above theirs, a level 39 individual of high-level grade-1 could validate the agreements Minos would make with people below level 50.


    And that was precisely the cultivation range of the targets he would be looking for in this city!


    With that, even if he made several deals, it would be worth it, as it could be paid for with low-grade crystals, something Minos had in large quantities.


    At the same time, by making this kind of deal, young Stuart might have a higher success rate than previously in Portland. He could certainly get more than just one person this time...


    Finally, when he heard the confirmation that Minos wasn''t kidding, that man stopped for a moment and looked at the couple in front of him thoughtfully. ''Well, if you sign a contract with me, guaranteeing all of this, then I can be sure you are serious¡­''


    ''I don''t think anyone would try to kill themselves by attracting punishment for such a thing, right?'' He wondered.


    If a promise made in a Soul Contract could not be fulfilled, the only fate of the one who promised such a thing would be death!


    And if such a promise were achievable, then such a thing would happen sooner or later since it was impossible to escape the influence of the laws involved in such an arrangement.


    "Well, if you''re going to sign a contract with me, I don''t mind moving into your territory. By the way, you didn''t say where it is." The array master said, right after he had made up his mind on the matter.


    Hearing this, Abby replied. "We won''t say where our territory is until you sign the contract. That''s because we''ll put a clause that prohibits you from talking about the location or name of the territory with people who don''t know about the subject."


    "But after we sign the contract, we''ll talk about it."


    ''That... Do they need to be that vague? Ahh, but I guess it doesn''t even matter. If they''re going to sign a contract promising all those things, then the location or the name of this place doesn''t matter!'' He thought for a moment, realizing that there was no relevance to knowing more about this place.


    "Okay, so let''s talk about the main points of this agreement..."


    After he said that, the three immediately began discussing the contract''s contents, including the contract''s duration, the scope of each party''s authority, what was and was not permitted, and Minos'' promises.


    Minos and Abby had listed everything they owned in the Dry City to assure this man that the territory they represented had many opportunities.


    On the other hand, they had debated what this array master''s relationship with their organization would be like.


    This man was concerned with maintaining his freedom, and that was what their agreement had guaranteed. In exchange for going to Minos'' territory, he could act freely and still receive support in purchasing materials, free training sites, and Blue-grade techniques.


    And that would start to apply in 6 months when this man would have to travel to the city of Minos.


    Anyway, there were many details in their agreement, and after talking for a few hours, the three had requested the service of a spiritual judge.


    And to Minos, this time, he had not faced many problems in achieving this since the number of professionals in this specialization and classification was not so small.


    There were very few grade-2 spiritual judges in the north of the Central Continent. Still, the numbers of individuals in that profession were not insignificant when it came to grade-1 ones.


    Because of this, they would have to wait only five days for such a professional to validate their agreement!


    And in the meantime, Minos wanted to make this same agreement with other local professionals, who were close to low-level grade-2 classification, at level 39.


    Allied to that, he also wanted to get at least three levels 48 professionals, who were close to reaching the medium-level grade-2 classification.


    These individuals would be critical to the development of the Dry City in the coming years, so Minos wanted to solve this thing at once in this city. And he didn''t need people of that rank from many professions. It would be enough for his territory as long as they were individuals from the three main specializations.


    ...


    And so, several days passed in Wilburg!

 Chapter 411: Music

    A week had passed, and in this period, Minos and Abby had met several professionals in Wilburg, willing to sign contracts with them.


    Many had the same misgivings as that array master from before. Still, when they heard about the possibility of signing a Soul Contract, they all changed their minds. After all, such a thing assured them that the promises would be fulfilled, and thus, none of them had any reason to refuse such a chance!


    That''s because the reality of these professionals was not easy as it may seem!


    The growth of these professionals was not simple, and most of them had to face challenging times at the beginning of their journey.


    In general, things would only become more comfortable for these people when they reached the 6th stage of cultivation and became genuine experts in the region. But that wasn''t easy to achieve and took a long time.


    Consequently, for those still at low levels and who didn''t have much room to develop in places with so much competition, going to an area with opportunities like the Dry City case was like a breakthrough for them!


    That took them out of the initial difficult situation that usually existed among younger professionals and placed them in positions of specialists, influential and respected.


    And that was just what every reasonable person would want for himself.


    So, with the assurance that Minos'' territory did hold opportunities for them, these people he had spoken to soon accepted his offer and signed contracts.


    And by the end of his and Abby''s first five days in this city, they had convinced 80 people to sign contracts to work in the Dry City.


    Of these people, six individuals were already at level 48, on the threshold of becoming medium-level grade-2 professionals. And among them, there were two alchemists, one array master, two blacksmiths, and one designer.


    Precisely the most needed professionals in the Dry City!


    It goes without saying how valuable professionals in the three main areas of expertise are for any city. But for designers, these individuals could build all sorts of buildings to be appropriately resistant.


    Such as the Cultivation Tower and the city wall. Such constructions needed to be developed by designers to be useful for their purposes. And naturally, the Black Plain would continue to create buildings for such purposes, and for that, they would need professionals of that specialization!


    As for the others, there were people from the essential spiritual professions, but more than half of them were blacksmiths, array masters, and alchemists.


    The rest were doctors, designers, cooks, spiritual judges, seers, and poison masters. All of them were near the end of the 4th stage of cultivation, close to becoming low-level grade-2 professionals.


    But there was no beast tamer, as Minos would not yet develop this profession in his territory.


    He did not have enough resources for all of this, and there was no significant demand for the services of such professionals either.


    With that, he hadn''t tried to contact any beast tamers!


    Anyway, all these deals he had made had cost him a total of 850,000 low-grade crystals. But Minos didn''t have that amount, as he had just over 400,000 left after so many negotiations.


    And he couldn''t spend those crystals, as there were still alchemy-focused techniques for him to buy... So, with that, he had bought low-grade crystals with his medium-grade crystals, spending a total of less than 7,100 medium-grade crystals.


    That was a high value, but the benefits brought by such expenditure were not small.


    For example, what happened to Minos when he had tried to do the same thing as now, in the city of Portland, on Stone Island.


    At that time, he didn''t have crystals to make this kind of deal, so only one person had decided to accompany him to the Dry City.


    But not only that, even after all the time that had passed, less than 30 professionals from that seaside town had moved to Minos'' territory!


    That was a tiny number for the Dry City''s demand and much smaller than what Minos had achieved this time.


    And precisely because of this difference, the young ruler of the Black Plain felt that these crystals were worth spending on these Soul Contracts.


    With such an act, he was not only bringing more services to his city. No, he was somehow slowing the evasion of spiritual crystals from the Black Plain!


    After all, by importing high value-added resources from abroad, the Dry City was ''losing'' millions of crystals a year. However, with more local professionals, such a thing would be avoided since professionals who earned these crystals would spend in the city itself.


    And such a thing created a virtuous cycle of growth!


    Because of decisions like those taken this week in the city of Wilberg, the day would come when the Dry City would no longer need to depend on such agreements. Instead, the town would stimulate itself to develop, reducing the need for intervention!


    That was the autonomy Minos talked about so much.


    Anyway, all these agreements had taken two days to be validated by the spiritual judge that young Stuart had managed to hire in Wilberg.


    Because of this, Minos and Abby had decided to spend one more day than they had planned to stay in this town.


    And when they left this place, the pair of lovers would have to travel through a forest region with a significant presence of spiritual beasts in the mountainous region of the Kingdom of the Waves. And for this, it was better for the two to spend a few nights as possible traveling through that location.


    That way, they could still enjoy one last night in Wilberg before they started back to the Black Plain!


    ...


    It was night in Wilberg, and Minos and Abby were at this moment in a square in this town, sitting around one of the many tables that were in that place.


    Several kiosks were scattered around, with lots of trees, flowers, and even a small artificial lake near that place. And in the middle of this area, there was a part where many tables were strategically divided, around a small wooden stage.


    This large area was festive at the moment, with lots of people eating and chatting at each of those tables, while waiters came and went from those kiosks.


    The smell of food in the air was intoxicating to the point that anyone passing by would feel their mouth-watering at the same time that the urge to eat would be aroused.


    And that would be especially true for those roast beef lovers, which seemed to be the specialty of this place...


    In this inviting place, some children ran from one side to the other, playing, sometimes carrying large skewers in their hands, while they felt the night breeze lessen the 30 degrees Celsius (86oF) heat it was now.


    And through it all, Minos and Abby were talking to each other, sitting side by side, as couples would on occasions like these.


    He had one of his arms around her waist as she pressed her left shoulder against his right chest.


    But in addition to looking quite intimate with each other right now, they were also enjoying the music played by a pair of musicians who were on that stage.


    In that place, two men were playing different instruments, both the kind that use strings to make sounds.


    And every time these two musicians played on those strings, a beautiful symphony resonated through that square, creating a pleasant, warm feeling that stimulated the energy of the weaker cultivators in that place.


    As for the stronger individuals there, as in the couple''s case, in addition to feeling relaxed by the music, they felt almost no effect on their cultivation.


    But there was no problem. After all, the two of them were here to relax, having a peaceful night with each other, before finally returning to the road...

 Chapter 412: Silly Girl (*)

    The profession of musicians was one of the complementary kind, as well as that of painters. That is, there was no need for a cultivator to learn techniques aimed at a single activity, as in the case of blacksmiths and alchemists.


    What painters and musicians needed was to have at least one technique of the mental type. After this, cultivators of all kinds could create music and paintings, using this technique and their understanding of cultivation.


    This thing worked differently for these two professions, but the point of the whole thing was the same. When creating music, or a painting, a particular cultivator would expose part of his understanding, which could influence other people along the same path.


    But in addition to carrying lessons in their productions, musicians and painters could also encourage the cultivation of people who were in contact with their works!


    Of course, it wasn''t that simple, and there were a lot of restrictions. For example, the cultivation difference between the listener of a song and the musician had to be in favor of the musician. That is, this person had to be stronger than his listener, or the stimulation of spiritual energy in those people would not occur.


    So even if the musician had more powerful soul strength, listening to a song wouldn''t advance the listener''s cultivation level if the gap between their levels was tiny.


    If the difference were less than one cultivation stage, the effects would be similar to a 5th stage cultivator eating a high-concentration fruit. Such a thing did help in cultivation, but not to the point where small advances occurred.


    But that didn''t matter.


    In a world where cultivation strength means almost everything, any slight improvement in cultivation speed was welcome. Consequently, there was a lot of demand for people capable of creating spiritual music or paintings.


    And as these two professions could be reconciled with others!


    For this reason, many people in the Spiritual World occasionally took time out to give presentations of their works. Sometimes a master would do this with his disciples to help them improve their understanding more quickly. Other times family members would do it in their homes.


    But it was also widespread for people to work with it, in places like the one Minos and Abby were in right now.


    That''s because, in addition to all this possibility of stimulating the increase in level and understanding, both music and painting were a very well accepted form of entertainment.


    People in the Spiritual World enjoyed having pictures in their homes, listening to music on festive occasions. And this was true even when individuals could not achieve spiritual advancement because of the cultivation differences between them and those works.


    Instrumental music was popular, and even without spiritual benefits, it could relax, motivate, or inspire people, which is why Minos and Abby are enjoying this moment in Wilberg.


    That was a way to get rid of everyday life''s stress and live in the moment while enjoying a beautiful composition...


    And it was no wonder that powerful cultivators had so many paintings in their homes, even though these items often had nothing to do with their specialties.


    A warrior could see the beauty of alchemy through a painting made by an alchemist. And the opposite would also be true!


    Therefore, these were forms of entertainment from this society, which made millions of people worldwide pursue careers focused only on these areas, while many others admired their creations.


    After all, many cultivators were just ordinary people who wanted to live longer but didn''t or couldn''t have powerful specializations.


    A warrior''s life was not for everyone, nor were the risks a poison master took every time he trained. Nor would it be easier to use your soul force to manipulate the laws of this world...


    And so, ordinary people, like many of the inhabitants of the Dry City, found pleasure in these works created by musicians and painters.


    ...


    After enjoying the night listening to music and eating in that place, Minos and Abby returned to the hotel they had stayed in for the past few days, where they rested for the next few hours.


    When the day was already dawning in Wilburg, the couple had already woken up and were solving their business before their departure.


    At that moment, the blue-haired girl was on top of Minos, rubbing herself vigorously, while her little sister ''embraced'' her partner''s rod.


    Her buttocks were completely sweaty by now, with a sheen that made it even more beautiful than it usually would be.


    And at the same time, as she rubbed her intimate part against Minos'', Abby felt her mate''s cunning movements, which were making her even more aroused.


    "Ahhh~"


    One of young Stuart''s hands was playing with one of her nipples at the same time he used his mouth to suck on Abby''s helpless neck.


    But that wasn''t all. Although Abby never allowed Minos to ''try'' her second hole, this young man always used one of his fingers to tease her body. And it worked fine, as it was doing right now.


    Every time the young ruler of the Black Plain moved one of his fingers to that spot, his partner''s sensual body trembled in pleasure as she blushed in embarrassment.


    But that only made her more beautiful and provocative for someone like Minos...


    "Ahhh~"


    Quickly the blue-haired girl''s heavenly moans reached their peak as she finally reached her ultimate climax.


    Immediately upon doing this, her body vigorously shook as she felt an electrifying sensation pass through her body, traveling from her private part to her mind.


    This young woman''s second hole ''blinked'' vigorously, along with his little sister, who was milking young Stuart''s stick.


    "Ohh~"


    Minos then made a sound of pleasure as he felt his charge being released inside Abby for the seventh time since they had started...


    By the time they reached this point, they were both breathing hurriedly, with Abby still on top of Minos, both connected as if they weren''t finished yet.


    He looked into Abby''s eyes for a moment and then used one of his hands to massage the back of her neck. And when they looked at each other for a moment, neither of them had said anything, having just demonstrated their satisfaction to each other through their eyes.


    "Abby, I want you to be mine and no one else''s." He said, still looking at his partner''s beautiful flushed face.


    Hearing this and seeing how Minos was looking at her, Abby felt an intense heat in her body as her eyes turned slightly red. "You... You mean..."


    He then gently ran his hand over one of her cheeks and said. "Hmm, I want you to be my girlfriend, Abby."


    Upon hearing this, she stared at him for a moment, her pupil fully dilated, when finally a smile formed on her beautiful face and tears flow from Abby''s eyes.


    "Silly girl, why are you crying?" Minos smiled at her at the same time as he wiped the tears from his mate''s face. "You do not want?" He played with her.


    Abby then laughed and said, before finally kissing him. "I want, I want!"


    "Mmm~"


    The two kissed deeply after this special moment for both of them, with Abby exposing all her happiness in the arms of the person with whom she was in love.


    ''I love you!'' She thought about it for a moment but didn''t dare to say it to him yet.


    The fear of being rejected and hearing a ''thank you'' was still present in this young woman''s mind, even after Minos wanted to bond with her.


    For some people, such feelings would be a problem and not a good thing, and Abby still wasn''t sure on which side Minos was...


    But she was calm enough to wait. They both had a lot of time, and she was OK with the way things between them were developing.


    Anyway, after that atypical early morning, the two quickly did what had to be done until they finally left that place behind, heading south towards the Kingdom of the Waves...

 Chapter 413: Witnesses!

    Boom!


    Sounds of battles sounded in the middle of a forest region, as several beasts were hurled against the stone walls of a mountain near that place.


    Boom!


    The ground was constantly raised into the air, generating a curtain of dust that significantly diminished the visibility of that area in question. And while the smell of earth spread through the outskirts of that area, each of those involved in this fight moved at high speed, attacking and dodging the attacks of their opponents.


    At this point, several craters formed in that area, where about 15 biped beasts, covered in fur, were fighting a single person.


    Each of these beasts had only one completely blue eye, and their faces were of an orange color. However, the most striking thing about their appearance was the sharp fangs that protruded from their mouths.


    That was one of several species of biped beasts present in the north of the Central Continent, One-Eyed Monkey!


    Such a breed was recognized for its physical strength and its ability to move beyond usual. And because they are bipeds, these beings could fight in a more human-like way, having more facilities to deviate and even use objects in their favor during fights!


    But even if they could use weapons, most of these beasts preferred to fight with their fists and powerful mandibles.


    That''s because, while they could use typical human weapons, none of them could produce items as good as those made by humans. In contrast, the physical strength of each of these beasts was far greater than that of regional human experts!


    Anyway, while some of those individuals who had been hurled against the mountain''s surface agonized in pain, the remnants tried to defeat the only human they were fighting.


    About an hour ago, this group of biped mountain beasts had felt the presence of humans in their vicinity when they decided to come and end the lives of these unfortunates.


    This breed was not known for being calm but rather was famous for its hot-headed individuals, who loved fighting humans and other beasts. And even though all of these individuals were already in the 5th stage of cultivation, that didn''t stop them from continuing to be hot-tempered beings...


    And hence this present situation had been caused.


    But contrary to what these beings expected, instead of destroying these humans and stealing their items, they had encountered enemies far stronger than they could handle.


    There were only two humans, but just one of them was enough to put this entire group in danger!


    Such a person not only had overwhelming power, comparable to that of a peak Spiritual General, level 49, but she also had challenging techniques that were making each of these bipeds tremble.


    This person they were fighting was moving from side to side as ice blades formed in her hands and were launched at high speed like cannonballs!


    Every time she did that, sounds of the air being cut came up in that place when soon afterward sad cries came from the direction of those beasts.


    Boom!


    Suddenly one more of these beasts was attacked when the opponent had gotten close enough to it and hurled an ice blade towards the beast''s heart.


    "Ahhhhh!" The beast screamed in despair as it was thrown away, already feeling the cold spreading through its body.


    It was not only the fact that its heart had been pounded, making that beast scream in agony but also the fact that it felt the burning sensation generated by the ice inside its body!


    That was an excruciating pain that could not be ignored, even by beings with powerful, fleshy bodies...


    Boom!


    Crack!


    "Ahhh!" And the moment that beast had slammed its back into that stone wall, its bones had snapped as it coughed up a mouthful of blood.


    "Miserable human!" One of its screamed in a fury, seeing its companion being brutally attacked by that young woman with blue hair.


    Obviously, the two humans in question were Minos and Abby, who had been traveling for two days since they left Wilburg.


    After leaving that location, they had quickly reached this forested region, where Abby had managed to advance to level 44 the night before!


    And after being surrounded by this group of beasts, Minos soon took this chance to let his girlfriend ''train'' with these enemies.


    He was naturally not a person who would attack the beasts irrationally during his travels, but this young man wouldn''t mind killing them if they want such a thing. And as this group was no stronger than Abby, young Stuart had left this situation to his mate to handle, while he would protect her if need be.


    That was a good exercise for Abby, who often had to lose when she fought her companion...


    She might not mind these losses, as it was training, and it was for the person she loved, but it wasn''t bad to take out the frustration she had on these beasts either!


    On the contrary, it was genuinely good to find an enemy she could defeat after a good fight!


    And rightfully so, Abby had a smile on her face at the time when one of those remaining bipeds tried to attack her, punching hard in the direction of her face.


    "Die!"


    But it was futile. With a complete set of Silver-grade techniques, Abby couldn''t lose to beasts of her level and from a species with low potential and bloodline power.


    Pow!


    Puff!


    That individual''s punch just dissipated when it touched Abby''s body, which at the moment was protected by something that looked like a golden membrane.


    ...


    "Ahhhh!"


    Finally, after 15 minutes of battling, Abby killed the last beast by creating several ice blades with her new attack technique, Arctic Art.


    In the first stage, such a technique could create icy objects as resistant as low-level grade-2 weapons!


    Anyway, after doing that, the body of that last standing enemy fell to the ground after a long scream of pain caused by the many blades of ice that had penetrated its body.


    "Hah, it''s over¡­" Abby muttered in a low voice as she looked at the ground around her, where many beasts lay, with small pools of blood-forming in those places.


    The bodies of these beasts might be valuable to ordinary people, but for individuals like Minos and Abby, it just wasn''t worth it for them to waste their time. So, all that the blue-haired girl did after looking and sighing for a moment was burning those corpses.


    Beasts could get stronger by devouring other beasts, so it wouldn''t be good to leave a bunch of bodies lying around where they were.


    That could draw an even larger group to this location, something that was perhaps beyond her and Minos'' possibilities.


    With that, destroying the evidence was the best alternative for Abby!


    And while she was doing this, Minos and this young woman''s tiger, who had walked away from the battle site earlier, finally came down from one of the trees in that place.


    "Haha, fine, Abby! At this rate¡­" He was saying something, with an exuberant smile on his face, when suddenly something strange happened and in that place.


    Whoop!


    Whoop!


    Sounds of people struggling became more and more audible as two groups seemed to fight as they ran through the area where the couple was.


    More than 15 people in that group were approaching the two, with the minority of whom seemed to be chasing the rest.


    Suddenly, a young man with black hair was thrown from the trees of that place until he fell a few meters away from Abby.


    "Ahhh!" He screamed in pain as he rolled on the floor of that spot, with his arms hugging his waist, while he felt a cut on his stomach.


    He was severely hurt and didn''t seem to have any strength to keep fighting.


    As this dying young man writhed in front of Abby, a group of people appeared among the trees.


    Of those, more than half were fighting each other, while only two people were walking towards that young man.


    "Oh? Witnesses!" A young man who had several battle marks on his golden armor exclaimed aloud as he turned to his bodyguard and said. "Kill them!"


    Immediately upon hearing this, that individual drew his sword and ran towards Abby, already releasing a blade of air to cut off her head!


    "No!" Minos screamed in shock, seeing it happen so suddenly...

 Chapter 414: I Will Kill Each One of You!

    Swooish!


    Immediately upon seeing that Spiritual King''s attack heading towards Abby, Minos unconsciously activated his defense and movement techniques while running towards her!


    Explosive Steps!


    Indestructible Body!


    At the same time, Abby felt a terrible feeling in her being, seeing that attack getting closer and closer to her. ''Am I going to die?'' She thought about that for a split second when finally the blow was just inches away from hitting her!


    Crash!


    However, young Stuart, who was only a few feet away from his mate, appeared in front of Abby just before the attack sent by that person hit her body.


    Crash!


    In doing so, Minos promptly used the body of his medium-level grade-2 sword to counter the opponent''s blow while he unleashed an even stronger attack towards that man.


    Spatial Sword!


    Swooish!


    ...


    Quickly after releasing this attack, Minos immediately turned to Abby and tapped her on the shoulder. "I''ll send you to a safe place." So, he said before the blue-haired girl suddenly disappeared from that place.


    ...


    Swooish!


    Simultaneously when Minos sent Abby to the Spatial Kingdom, the individual who had created the previous attack started to feel goosebumps when he realized the power of this enemy''s onslaught!


    "Shit, how can this brat''s attack be stronger than mine?" The Spiritual King who had previously attacked Abby, who was at level 52, began to feel more and more nervous as he saw Minos'' technique approaching him.


    Crash!


    "Ahhhh!"


    After a split second, the blade that Minos had created had nailed the man, who had the misfortune of underestimating his opponent and putting himself in a vulnerable situation!


    After receiving Minos'' blow, that man''s defenses crumbled when finally the armor that protected his body couldn''t withstand the damage.


    Immediately after that, an arm holding a great sword fell to the ground of that spot while blood spurted from that Spiritual King''s shoulder.


    "Ahhh!" The man screamed with all his force, with a disbelieving look on his face. He couldn''t believe that he, a level 52 person, had just been crippled by a mere level 44 cultivator!


    "What?" The black-haired young man who had given the previous order exclaimed in shock, seeing how the situation had changed.


    He was about to kill his target when he heard his man scream and saw everything that had happened. His bodyguard had lost an arm to a single attack from the enemy side. But, in contrast, that young woman from before had suddenly disappeared from that place.


    At the same time, all the people struggling in this area realized the change that had just happened.


    At that location, at this time, seven Spiritual Kings were fighting each other, while some level 49, Spiritual Generals did the same. But, on the other hand, the two young black-haired ones, the one who was to be killed and the one who was going to kill, were both on level 47 and were standing watching in the direction of Minos.


    ''One person at level 50, three at level 51, two at level 52, one at level 53, and one at level 54...'' Minos thought to himself as he looked at the Spiritual Kings in front of him, who at this moment continued their battles, except for what had been attacked earlier...


    ''But of those seven who are fighting, they are already almost completely exhausted...'' He thought as he saw how wounded and pale those people were. ''Looks like they''re about to finish their business... That''s why they wanted to eliminate Abby and me.''


    Minos stood where he had sent Abby to the Spatial Kingdom, considering how he should act.


    He had immediately sensed the enemy forces and understood that he couldn''t protect Abby if she stayed in this place. Because of this, he immediately used the first opportunity to send her to a safe place, allowing him to fight worry-free.


    As for the way he had done it, well, such a thing was within his means. The Spatial Kingdom ring did not require Minos himself to travel there. In fact, the only requirement was that the person who went to that place was in direct contact with the ring user.


    That way, Minos could send people there the way he had done before!


    Anyway, after looking at this group for a moment, the young Stuart turned his neck from side to side, making crackling sounds ring through the place. He then looked directly at the young man who had led the previous attack and said. "I don''t know who you are, but since you''ve tried to involve us in your affairs, I will kill each one of you..."


    "I''ll start this for you!" Minos then held his sword tightly in both hands while a black ring began to expand around him, and a buzz echoed through that forested area.


    Zum!


    At the same time, he started running in that place while activating all his techniques simultaneously, heading towards that young man who had given the previous order.


    "Die!"


    Swooish!


    Swooish!


    Upon feeling this, the five Spiritual Kings who were in this young man''s group felt shivers down their spines when they saw such a thing. The attack Minos had created was as strong as that of the highest-level person there!


    "Third Prince!" They screamed simultaneously as one after the other began to move towards that place.


    These two groups, of course, were the teams of Charles and Blake.


    They had started fighting each other a few minutes ago when the third prince had finally located his older brother...


    Anyway, Charles instantly felt his body became so heavy that he could barely lift his arms. ''Damn it! What''s happening? Why can''t I move?'' So, he thought, already feeling a tightness in his chest, seeing a blade cutting through the air towards his body without him being able to try to defend himself.


    But instead of having his body sliced ??open, Charles saw one of his level 52 bodyguards appearing in front of him at the critical moment and preventing the worst from happening.


    Vuup!


    That man''s head was separated from his body, rolling twice in the air, before falling to the bumpy ground of that place.


    And as blood frantically rushed down that dead individual''s neck, Charles''s other four bodyguards moved in front of him.


    One of them was the one who had already lost his arm, while the remaining three were a level 50, another level 51, and another level 54 individual.


    These two looked fragile at the moment as they stared at Minos in disbelief. ''How did we come across such a monster?''  They wondered.


    And at that moment, the strongest of them said out loud, just after realizing that the previous enemies weren''t attacking them. "Young man, the person you just tried to kill is the future king of the Kingdom of the Waves, Charles Walker!"


    "We understand that you were offended by the attack on your mate, but you cannot kill the third prince!"


    "So, let''s forget what happened, and no one will miss anything else!" He said authoritatively while his face was completely dark.


    He did feel the young man in front of him was stronger than they could handle right now, so the only escape he had thought of was to appeal to Charles''s background.


    At the same time, the other Spiritual Kings who were in this place had gathered around Blake, waiting for what would happen.


    They were already at a disadvantage before and would likely die even without Minos'' interference.


    But now, there was a glimmer of hope for them!


    As for the others, they continued to fight at a distance from that place, where the strongest was.


    Finally, hearing that man speak, Minos looked in Charles'' direction and thought. ''Since he''s here, I might as well kill him and avoid bigger problems in the future...''


    ''So if you''re the third prince, that one over there must be one of your brothers...''


    After thinking about it, Minos raised his sword in the air once more and said. "So, now I have another reason to kill you!"


    Swooish!

 Chapter 415: This Solve Our Matters?

    Swooish!


    Quickly several blades cut the air from that place, heading towards where Charles was!


    "Shit!" The leader of the third prince''s bodyguards screamed in shock, realizing that Minos didn''t give a damn about the support they had. "Defend the prince!"


    They then began to use their defensive and attacking techniques to protect Charles, who was immobile in that place, watching all this in disbelief.


    He had no choice but to wait for his subordinates to defeat Minos. Otherwise...


    ''He is only at level 44! As long as we can hold him for a few moments¡­'' He thought to himself, seeing the first wave of Minos'' attacks close to hitting his followers.


    He was almost entirely still, but slowly one of his hands was moving towards his neck.


    ...


    Simultaneously with Minos advancing on Charles'' group, the Spiritual Kings discussed what to do in this situation on Blake''s side.


    "I think we should get away while we can!" One of them said, seeing the strength that Minos'' created attacks had.


    None of them could handle it even in their top condition!


    However, all of them were wounded and almost without spiritual energy to continue fighting. Consequently, they were in a very vulnerable state right now.


    "No! That is our chance to eliminate the third prince! If he dies here, Prince Blake will have more than 50% of becoming king in these next few years!" The strongest of them said at the same time that the young man with black hair was sitting on the ground, trying to recover with the help of spiritual pills.


    "Let''s go into battle. I don''t think that guy will aim at us when he realizes we''re not his enemies."


    "OK." Upon hearing this, immediately, two of these three Spiritual Kings ran towards the battlefield. One to help young Stuart, another to kill the other enemies from the 5th stage of cultivation, and the last stays to protect Blake.


    ...


    "Ahhhh!"


    After a few seconds of struggle with everything they had, the first Spiritual King who had been protecting Charles collapsed, suffering from a large vertical cut on the side of his neck that extended all the way to his abdomen.


    Upon taking such damage, that level 50 individual couldn''t help but shake vigorously, letting out a short cry of pain before his eyes darkened and his body collapsed into that spot.


    And seeing this death, Minos didn''t lessen the intensity of the fight one bit, as he immediately began to feel his body getting more and more exhausted. ''I have to kill them soon!''


    Swooish!


    After launching this attack, young Stuart could see the other Spiritual King gathered beside him, already unleashing his attacks in Charles'' direction.


    "Die!"


    Pow!


    Seeing this, the three bodyguards protecting Charles cursed all of that person''s ancestors in their minds as they prepared to fight this one more enemy.


    "Deal with this second prince''s subordinate, and we''ll both hold this brat!" The level 54 cultivator told that man that had lost his arm earlier.


    Minos'' blows were starting to get weaker, and he felt more and more confident that maybe there was a light at the end of the tunnel for them...


    The opponent who had joined Minos'' side was a level 52 cultivator, the same level as the man who had lost his arm. However, Blake''s subordinate was much more exhausted than this man, who had not previously joined the fight.


    "OK."


    After saying that, the group split, with the level 51 one and the other at level 54 individuals staying to protect Charles. In contrast, the two at level 52 opponents began to battle.


    Boom!


    "Ahhh!"


    ...


    A few more seconds passed, but the fight continued as both sides persisted to win.


    On one side were the tired Spiritual Kings, who at that moment were practically out of energy. On the other was Minos, who, despite having passed the point where he would generally be able to fight with his new sword, he persisted in that spot.


    After all, with the Devouring Art absorbing the energies of these Spiritual Kings, it would be impossible for Minos to run out of strength before those individuals!


    But that was lucky for him since if these opponents weren''t already very tired at the start of the conflict, he wouldn''t be able to steal as much of his opponents'' strength.


    That is, the spiritual energy of people many levels above his would prevent Minos'' technique from stealing the forces from his targets. However, as these people had few reserves to protect themselves, nothing could be done to prevent such a thing from happening.


    Now, they were just as vulnerable to the Devouring Art as would be people from the 5th stage of cultivation!


    ''Shit! That bastard isn''t weakening anymore!''  The leader of Charles'' bodyguards thought to himself, realizing he''d been wrong in his judgment.


    "Escape with the prince. I''ll hold that bastard!" He yelled aloud as he used a large shield to resist another wave of Minos'' attacks.


    Crash!


    Boom!


    "Ahhhh!"


    But shortly after saying these words, the other Spiritual King who had stayed to defend Charles was killed by Minos, having his body split at the waist.


    ''Shit!'' Charles thought, seeing the man''s upper body shake vigorously as the bodyguard''s blank gaze panicked the third prince.


    Seeing that his efforts had further weakened Charles'' defenses, Minos finally began running through that spot while using almost all of his cultivation to finish this fight.


    Spatial Sword!


    Explosive Steps!


    Swooish!


    Minos ran from where he was to in front of those two people who were left in just a fraction of a second.


    Upon appearing in front of Charles and his bodyguard, young Stuart immediately used both his hands to swing his sword, making a move intended to kill these two at once.


    "Miserable, you will die for this!" That man had commented on this just before he saw the golden blade of Minos'' sword clattering against his shield.


    Crash!


    Crack!


    When the two collided, immediately, the earth shield that protected this man began to crack, with Minos'' sword destroying the last barriers of this man''s defensive technique.


    That was not a spiritual artifact. Therefore, due to Minos'' spiritual advantage at this moment, this bodyguard could not beat him at all and had his technique destroyed!


    Spatial Sword!


    Once again, young Stuart attacked the two, but this time there was no defense that Spiritual King could use to defend Charles...


    ''This solves our matters!'' Minos thought for a moment.


    And immediately after such a movement, the sword with a golden blade and red markings cut towards the necks of the two targets.


    Vuup!


    First, that Spiritual King''s head separated from the rest of his body, spinning in the air and falling to the ground. At the same time, the rest of his body began to spurt blood towards Minos and Charles and then slowly fell to the ground.


    Second, when Minos'' sword was finally about to decapitate the third prince of the Kingdom of the Waves, something strange happened!


    One of Charles''s hands, which had been moving slowly since all this started, hit a specific item hanging around this young man''s neck. And in doing so, this young man was finally able to infuse some of his energy into this necklace, activating its defensive function.


    ''I hope you don''t let me down, Hargraves family!'' He thought for a brief moment, just before Minos'' sword came just a millimeter from his skin.


    Boom!


    Just as Minos was about to touch Charles'' neck, a massive explosion occurred, causing powerful winds that blew everyone back several meters!


    Zum!


    A dense layer of smoke then began to cover that region while a noise that Minos knew very well resounded in that place, coming from the direction of Charles...


    "Damn!" He yelled in frustration, realizing what had happened, as he put one of his arms up to shield his face from the gust of wind.

 Chapter 416: Battle Results

    After infusing his spiritual energy into that color, Charles had managed to activate the function of such a device that he had gained from the Hargraves family.


    Such a thing had created a great distraction while the third prince was teleported to a predetermined location!


    Zum!


    Charles disappeared from the fight''s location in the blink of an eye, just as Minos had done with Abby, having been directed to a region hundreds of kilometers away.


    ...


    In the south of the Kingdom of the End, there was a large building that looked like a temple. In this place, there was a large courtyard that was shaped like a circumference, containing several different markings on the floor and lines of different colors.


    And in the middle of this place, several smaller circles were inside that courtyard, in a configuration where five of them were separated from each other equally around a circumference.


    Finally, there was one last circle in the middle of that area, connected to all the others by strange symbols and lines.


    Zum!


    Suddenly one of these circles began to glow brightly when finally a high noise sounded in that courtyard until eventually, the space above one of those circles started to vibrate!


    "Oh?" An old man exclaimed in surprise as he opened his eyes and looked towards that place.


    He was sitting in a meditative position not far from that place when he felt this sudden change in his surroundings. And as the person on duty in that place, right after such a thing happens, he started running to that spot, where a young man with black hair had just appeared.


    "Hah¡­ I escaped! I almost died, but I managed to get away at the last second!" He yelled as his legs trembled, and he fell on his knees.


    And by staying in that position for a moment, Charles was slowly recovering from the psychological trauma he had just been through.


    He hadn''t been hurt, as his subordinates had protected him the entire time, and he managed to escape at the last moment. However, even though he had no physical damage, Charles couldn''t help but feel a weakness throughout his body.


    It was genuinely terrifying to feel that he was going to die and to see the deaths of those who were trying to save him!


    Not because he cared about the lives of those specific people, he didn''t. After all, they were replaceable people for Charles... But the terror of seeing that was because his death was almost 100% certain if those people died!


    And that was to make anyone tremble with fear!


    Popular sayings say that the higher you are, the greater the fall. And that was true for people like Charles.


    Individuals like him would act sumptuously in everyday situations, displaying their power, economic status, intelligence, and many of their positive traits. All this to demonstrate their ''superiorities,'' to give the impression of a perfect being without fear.


    But the truth is, people like that were the ones who were most afraid of losing what they had!


    And because of that, for individuals like this prince, something that had just happened to him had made him pale with fear, feeling like he''d eaten shit.


    He couldn''t help but feel fearful at this point, realizing how weak his position was...


    The mighty third prince of the Kingdom of the Waves, someone with so much support and resources, had almost been killed by some stranger with only level 44 cultivation!


    "Cough... Cough..." He coughed several times as he vomited the entire contents of his stomach.


    And as Charles did so, the old man from before soon approached the black-haired youth, running to help the third prince. ''This young man... I don''t know him, but since he''s here, he must be someone relevant to the family... Anyway, he''s fragile and needs help!''


    "Young man, tell me where you are hurt, I will help you." The old man said, already bending down to sense the problem with this person, who looked completely pale and was shaking intensely.


    "Cough... I''m not hurt, cough..."


    ...


    As Charles began to converse with that elder of the Hargraves family, Minos was in the same spot as before, shielding himself from the gust of wind that had originated with his target''s escape.


    ''Shit! He managed to get away!'' Minos thought to himself, feeling the spatial fluctuations that the escape of the third prince had generated.


    And after a few split seconds, finally, that forest region began to calm down, as the curtain of dust gradually declined.


    At this time, of all the people who had fought in this place, except for the many corpses, only three were left standing!


    One of them was young Stuart, standing in the same spot as before, while the last two were a young man with black hair and that person''s bodyguard.


    Of the rest, all had died during the battle!


    Previously Blake''s side was at a complete disadvantage, and by the time Minos was involved in this prince''s matters, several Spiritual Generals had already died, and the Spiritual Kings were all tired.


    Consequently, even when the situation turned in their favor, they had already lost a lot, and they put a lot of effort into eliminating the remaining enemies.


    And that had resulted in the deaths of those other two Spiritual Kings in Blake''s group.


    Finally, realizing that he couldn''t pursue Prince Charles, Minos sighed in disappointment and then began to look at the fight''s results.


    He could see the bodies of 7 Spiritual Kings, between levels 50 and 54, and more than 20 Spiritual Generals from the end of this cultivation stage.


    Also, he could see a giant white tiger hiding beside a rock while its body was shaking and its fur was standing on end. ''Good thing Abby''s beast is still alive. I''d forgotten about it¡­.'' The young ruler of the Black Plain thought for a moment as he felt relieved that nothing had happened to his girlfriend''s contracted beast.


    Abby had started raising this tiger since it was a cub. And besides this, given the contract between the two, it wouldn''t be strange for a human to feel bad about losing their beasts.


    For some people, this could be almost as bad as losing an important member of their family!


    And after realizing that Ebba was okay despite trembling with fear, Minos turned to those two survivors and said. "All the spatial rings and resources left behind by all these corpses belong to me."


    "What?"


    "Young man, you are powerful, but that doesn''t mean you can treat people that way!" The remaining Spiritual King brandished discontentedly. "We fight by your side, and you still want to keep the items of our dead men?"


    "Did you fight by my side? Maybe what you truly mean is that I saved your lives!" Minos mocked as he started walking around that spot. "You brought your fight towards me and almost caused the death of my partner!" He said with a resolute look as he exhaled his killing intent.


    "Not killing you two is already way more than you deserve!"


    Hearing this, that old man frowned as he squeezed his hands tightly. But he didn''t say anything. After all, Minos was right.


    Their group had only survived because this fight had been interfered with by Minos. Otherwise, it would be impossible for them to endure!


    But they weren''t to blame for what had happened either. When Blake''s group appeared in this area, none of them noticed that there were level 44 cultivators in this location. That''s because they were having a high-intensity fight, with high chances of failure.


    But even if they had noticed, they would never try to ask for help from people of Minos and Abby''s level. Hence, everything that had happened hadn''t been caused by Blake''s side.


    It had been just an incident.


    Minos then quickly collected the approximately 30 spatial rings in that place when he finally spoke again. "If you weren''t that person''s enemy, I would kill you here and now, as it''s best not to leave witnesses behind."


    "But since you''re that worm''s enemy, I''ll let you live in hopes that you can cause him problems."

 Chapter 417: Living in Fear

    Hearing Minos'' comment, the second prince felt a little relieved. That''s because, by the words of that young man with brown hair, it seemed that he would not forget what happened today!


    With that, even if Minos was not his ally, Blake felt more comfortable knowing that Charles had made a powerful enemy. At the very least, such a thing would put the third prince farther from completing his goal of securing the throne of the Kingdom of the Waves.


    And this was a chance for Blake!


    Charles''s advantage was not slight, but neither was it insurmountable. And with the loss of five Spiritual Kings at once, Blake''s younger brother had suffered a decisive blow, which could help the other two contenders for the local throne get closer to each other.


    "My name is Blake Walker. What is your name?" Blake asked as he tried to lean on a tree that was near where he was standing before.


    "You do not need to know!"


    "You two should leave, we don''t know where that worm went, and the place will certainly be investigated. So, don''t waste the chance I gave you!" Minos walked through that spot, heading towards the place where that big tiger was hiding. He then completed it. "If you survive the next few years, maybe you have a chance to become king..."


    "If Charles Walker doesn''t die before the end of the competition for the local throne, then one day I will come to kill him!"


    After saying this, Minos massaged Ebba''s big neck, calming it of what had happened.


    And when it felt that, that frightened tiger looked at Minos with completely dilated eyes as it began to sniff Abby''s scent on this young man''s body.


    "It''s me..." He continued to massage the big beast until finally, he climbed onto its back and pointed forward.


    And seeing that, it didn''t take long for Ebba to figure out what she was supposed to do and start running in the direction Minos had pointed out.


    Such a thing was not difficult to be accomplished. After all, even though Ebba doesn''t speak human language due to her low intelligence, she could still understand simple gestures due to her low intelligence.


    She clearly understood Abby''s wishes, given their contract with each other, but it wasn''t difficult for a second person to command a hired beast from another. As long as that second person had a close relationship with that beast''s master, or its master ordered the hired beast to obey other people, then commanding a beast below the 5th stage would not be as challenging.


    As long as someone had a little patience, one side could understand the basics of what the other wanted. And so, despite not fully understanding each other, it was possible to travel and even fight together.


    And due to Minos and Abby''s proximity, Ebba had no restrictions on obeying its master''s boyfriend.


    Anyway, while Ebba ran through the trees of that great forest, heading south, Minos was recovering little by little while eating some spiritual fruits.


    He couldn''t just go to the Spatial Kingdom from where they were due to the ring restrictions.


    Such an item carried the teleported beings or objects from one point to another, but while Minos could send things to any point in that place, he could only return to the site from which he traveled in the first place!


    Because of that, if this sovereign went to the Spatial Kingdom from where he was now, he would have to return to the same position when he left that place where Abby was right now.


    And such a thing would be dangerous!


    If he did that, there would be a possibility that when he was going to return, the region he had departed could be hosting a battle, perhaps the presence of individuals from the 6th stage of cultivation, maybe enemies who were hunting Abby and him...


    The possibilities were endless!


    Because of these and many other dangers, Minos would not enter the Spatial Kingdom from an unsafe place, such as the forests he was traveling in.


    He would only do such a thing if he were in a private place, like a hotel room in the middle of a city, a cultivation tower, etc. Areas where the chance of something strange happening during his return was pretty slim.


    ''Ahh, because of this incident, I''ll only be able to enter the Spatial Kingdom and speak to Abby when I get to the next town, after two days of traveling  ¡­'' Minos thought to himself as he let out a defeated sigh.


    It wasn''t much of a problem for him to do that, but Abby would probably be worried about him because of that previous situation.


    On the other hand, she must also be quite scared, as never before in her life had she faced such danger.


    ''Ahh... There''s nothing to do about it. If I go there now, it will be unsafe, as I can''t guarantee what will happen next¡­'' He shook his head, deciding it wasn''t worth the risk.


    At the same time, he finally took many spatial rings out of his own and started analyzing them.


    "Hmmm, not bad..."


    After spending time totaling his earnings, Minos was finally able to understand ??how much he and the Black Plain had gained from it.


    There were many items in that ring, with over a thousand pills of all kinds, almost all of which were of grade-2 classification!


    But that was no surprise. After all, all those people were at the 6th stage or were almost there. Consequently, there were many grade-2 items in the rings Minos picked up and very few grade-1 ones.


    Furthermore, there were over 100 arrays, over 60 weapons, 131 copies of Blue-grade combat techniques, and 20 Black-grade ones. As for crystals, Minos had managed to add to his fortune over 1.2 million low-grade crystals and 6.8 thousand medium-grade crystals!


    That was not insignificant and could significantly help the Black Plain Army and the Dry City itself.


    Mainly concerning the techniques collected, since with more significant variability of this for the population, the greater the chances of specialists appearing in that place.


    That''s because cultivators might have better compatibilities with certain types of techniques, something that could greatly increase these people''s fighting proficiency.


    Like people with innate skills focused on hand-to-hand combat. For people like that, using techniques focused on that specialization would be most effective.


    And only with a vast number of techniques could Minos create the chances for his citizens to make the most of their unique talents!


    Besides these more interesting items for cultivators, there were also some more common things among those rings, such as paintings, food, various bodies of spiritual beasts, clothes, things that were part of everyday life for most people in the Spiritual World.


    Cultivators had to satisfy needs, individual wants and strive to take advantage of every crystal they could gain from their actions...


    Because of that, many things in those rings had no use for Minos, but that could perhaps be popular among the inhabitants of the Dry City.


    ''Hmm, later I will leave all these items for the Central Market to sell at low cost. That will sell very fast in that place...''


    Quickly time began to fly by when Minos and Ebba disappeared over the horizon of that region where the fight had taken place.


    ...


    As Minos headed south, Blake and his bodyguard headed towards the city ruled by this young man, where he could protect himself.


    The danger to his life had temporarily diminished because of what had happened. But he couldn''t take his security casually.


    His older brother wasn''t involved in all of this and had never attacked him so far, but that didn''t mean Wilfred wouldn''t take this opportunity. So, Blake could only run and hide for a while until today''s losses were recovered.


    "Second Prince, we lost a lot today... What are we going to do next?" That surviving Spiritual King asked as the two made their way carefully through that forest.


    "We lost a lot, in fact..."


    "But Charles was the one who lost the most! That person is only level 44 and can already do that. Imagine what he will be able to do when he reaches level 50?" He commented with a smile on his face. "And getting to level 50 isn''t difficult even for people like me... Imagine for someone like him? Hehe, Charles now has to live in fear of that guy!"


    After that, the two also disappeared over the horizon of that forest, heading north.

 Chapter 418: Abby Learns About the Spatial Kingdom!

    A few minutes before...


    "I''ll send you to a safe place."


    After hearing this from Minos, Abby didn''t even have time to change her startled expression due to the earlier danger when she felt the space around her vibrate subtly.


    Zum!


    ''What''s going on?'' So she thought that when she suddenly lost sight of Minos and appeared in a completely different place, full of trees but very different from the forest she''d been in earlier.


    "Minos?" She screamed in shock as she tried to understand what had happened. ''Where I am? What did he do? Could that be some teleportation device?'' Abby began to question herself as she felt a shiver down her spine.


    She couldn''t help but tremble in fear at what had almost happened to her just now.


    Seeing her life almost taken away had been terrifying to her!


    At that moment, unlike having her mind working at its peak and her experiences passing through her mind all at once, the only thing there was a silence, a meaningless blank.


    It was like she was insignificant and couldn''t even think about what she would lose. The only idea that was present at that moment was that she would die.


    And that was frightening, especially for a person who valued relationships, like Abby.


    But after going through that problem, all these thoughts were slowly starting to engulf the mind of Minos'' girlfriend.


    She was in love with that young man, and they had even started a meaningful relationship recently. But, still, she had almost lost it all at that moment...


    And the idea that she would die and that her family, friends, and partner would suffer for her was not an easy one to deal with. Of course, dying wasn''t a pleasant experience for someone who died... But as far as Abby knew, death was the end, and there wouldn''t be an after.


    And if that were indeed the truth, then death was far worse for those who stay alive, the living who would have to keep moving on in the absence of their loved ones!


    Anyway, thinking about these dreadful things, tears quickly ran down the corners of Abby''s eyes as she knelt on that ground where she had been taken.


    "Ungh..." She released the pain from her soul as she cried and felt her face heat up at the same time as she gripped the ground.


    "Ungh... Minos, where are you?" She muttered in a low voice as she felt a cold that chilled every pore of her beautiful body.


    And after some time in that place, she gradually observed the surroundings from where she was while starting to calm down.


    The experience she had gone through would not be overcome with just a few seconds, as she would undoubtedly feel certain insecurity for some time.


    However, getting carried away by fear or sadness would not be good for a cultivator in her situation. She had been attacked and suddenly sent to an unknown location, and even if Minos had told her it was a safe place, the unknown would always generate caution in anyone.


    In this case, she had to swallow her feelings as soon as possible and pay attention to where she was!


    And in doing so, she soon began to look around as she dried her tears.


    This place looked wonderful, with many trees of all kinds, colorful flowers, looking like something perfect, untouched by human hands.


    "What is this place?" She wondered when she saw the vegetable richness of the Spatial Kingdom. And finally, when Abby tried to probe the surroundings, she realized how dense the spiritual energy of this place was.


    If we were to compare, the spiritual density of the Black Plain was like a deflated balloon, almost without gas. But, on the other hand, the spiritual density of the Spatial Kingdom was like a fully inflated balloon, on the verge of explosion!


    The pressure of so much spiritual energy alone could make it possible for cultivators to have virtually no difficulty cultivating here, even without the support of spiritual crystals. In fact, the time needed to collect spiritual energy in such an environment was minimal.


    Unless one''s cultivation were very high, it wouldn''t make much difference whether or not to use crystals!


    But before she was even more impressed with this location, a fox with orange and white fur ran towards Abby at all the speed it had, quickly waving its four tails.


    "Au! Au! Au!"


    At the same time, Emlyn was slowly approaching where Abby had appeared, calmly watching her daughter running in front of her.


    "Are there beasts here?" Abby frowned for a moment as she saw the figure of those two foxes. But soon she remembered something. ''It was that fox...''


    But just as Abby was pondering where she knew the big fox with six tails, Kyla jumped on top of Minos'' girlfriend and started licking her face.


    ''This human smells like the big brother. She must be a good person¡­'' So, Kyla thought to herself as she licked Abby''s delicate face and moved on top of this young woman as if asking to be hugged.


    "Ahh!" A short scream resounded in that spot as Abby expressed her surprise at the unexpected act of this fox.


    But soon, she realized that Kyla was very friendly and just wanted to get closer to her. ''Are those Minos'' beasts?'' She wondered as a slight smile formed at the corner of her mouth, and she used one of her hands to dry her still wet eyes.


    "Alright, I''ll play with you..."


    After that, Abby began to run her hands around Kyla''s neck while this fox lifted its head and closed its eyes, enjoying this moment.


    And after they''d known each other for a while, Kyla had given Abby room to get up from that spot when Emlyn had finally stopped beside them.


    The giant fox paused beside the blue-haired human and then yawned, lifting its head high and opening its wide mouth. Then she lay down on that spot and looked at Abby. "Minos sent you here. Something must have happened. What''s it?"


    Hearing this, Abby stopped paying attention to Kyla and turned her attention to the six-tailed fox, which was almost casting a shadow big enough for her and the smaller fox. She then swallowed a mouth of saliva and said. "I''m not sure, but when I was sent here, he had saved my life after a level 52 Spiritual King attacked me."


    "Oh? And what was the level of the strongest enemy? Was this person at level 52?"


    "No, there was someone at level 54."


    "Minos is already at level 44?"


    "Hmm, he..."


    After that, the two of them started talking about this incident, with Abby telling Emlyn everything she had noticed before Minos sent her here.


    Emlyn was worried, of course, so she was asking all these questions. But there was nothing she could do to help him. After all, the Spatial Kingdom could only be accessed through the ring of Minos or an exit properly constructed by high-level grade-4 professionals.


    But Henricus Longus hadn''t left anything like that behind, as it wouldn''t be interesting if his inheritance were found by some lucky one...


    Anyway, all Emlyn could do was worry.


    But from what she had heard from Abby, this big fox felt confident in Minos'' victory. After all, she knew his strength better than anyone else, as she constantly watched him train and had even fought him.


    Also, due to this fox''s higher level than Abby, Emlyn could quickly tell where Minos'' current limit was, which this young man''s girlfriend couldn''t!


    And eventually, Kyla''s mother began to explain to Abby what this place was and what she knew about Minos that the young woman of the Miller family didn''t.


    That was a whole new world for Abby, and she couldn''t help but be surprised several times while listening to that fox''s explanation.


    ...


    And so, quickly, two days passed.

 Chapter 419: Youre Still As Beautiful As Ever (*)

    Minos had traveled hundreds of kilometers through that forested region in the past two days until he finally made it to a small town in the mountainous part of the center of the Kingdom of the Waves.


    This place was only a week away from the city of Dahlia, considering the speed of Abby''s spiritual beast, Ebba.


    As for this town in question, this was where the largest alchemy guild of the Kingdom of the Waves was located, the place Minos was heading to as he returned to the Black Plain.


    In Dahlia, he intended to do his last business on this trip, finalizing the acquisition of spiritual techniques from the most critical specializations in the Spiritual World. With that, the Black Plain could finally develop a little more without depending so much on external professionals.


    At least that would be the reality for now, while many problems had to be resolved internally before any more significant evolution.


    And because of all that, by finishing this trip, Minos would finally be able to spend some time in his territory without worrying about making new trips. With the techniques he had purchased, it was only a matter of time before many grade-2 specialists emerged in the Dry City!


    And all he needed to do was keep importing some items, through the Nash and Cohen families, without the need to expose himself.


    Anyway, upon arriving in this small town in the mountains, Minos immediately found a place to spend the night, where he could get to and from the Spatial Kingdom without problems.


    As for Ebba, she could not enter the place where Minos had stayed, so she would have to wait a little longer to see her master again.


    ...


    Zum!


    The space around Minos vibrated, and suddenly he was teleported from where he had stayed to the Spatial Kingdom.


    As he felt the scene in front of him change and saw the vibrant forest landscape of the Spatial Kingdom, Minos sighed for a moment as he finally headed for the lake house.


    And when he did, it didn''t take long, and soon he could see Emlyn taking a nap in the grassy part of that place while Kyla was drinking the water from that lake, calmly.


    Her little eyes were closed, and her tails were slowly  moving as she brought the water to her mouth with her pink tongue.


    Glub!


    Glug!


    But soon, she felt Minos'' presence as she turned her neck to the side and stared at him for a moment.


    "Au! Au!"


    After that, she barked a few times as she ran towards him.


    "Au! Au!"


    "Don''t make too much noise, Kyla. Your mother seems to be sleeping..." Minos commented to her as he rubbed the fox''s head, which was already almost as tall as he was.


    Kyla was considered small as she was always beside her mother, a giant fox almost three times her size... But this ''little fox'' already had a tall and robust body, worthy of her level 32, being just a few centimeters shorter than Minos.


    Anyway, Kyla couldn''t understand Minos'' speech, but she soon calmed down after this young man started rubbing her belly as she rolled on the floor, with paws raised to the sky.


    And after doing this for some time, Minos walked towards the interior of that house, leaving to talk to Emlyn later when she finished her nap.


    ''Looks like Abby is lying in one of the rooms¡­'' So, he thought to himself as he probed that house.


    ...


    Upon entering the main room of that place, Minos soon could see his young partner lying on a large bed, hugging some pillows.


    She was dressed casually, with fine clothes, typically worn in hot places, which covered without leaving any gaps the most attractive parts of her body...


    But even if she dressed discreetly, Minos could still admire his girlfriend''s beauty, from the full breasts she possessed to her perfect thighs, which made this young man feel warmer just by seeing it.


    And watching Abby sleeping in that spot with a worried expression on her face, Minos quickly began taking off his clothes.


    After that, he slowly lay down behind Abby and slowly brought her body into his embrace.


    He brought his mouth close to her ear and sucked on it until he continued to kiss her seductive neck.


    At the same time as he was doing this, Abby''s body was slowly ''fitting'' with his as she unconsciously accepted Minos'' movements.


    Her worried appearance was slowly going away as this young woman was beginning to wake up from her sleep.


    Minos then whispered to Abby, shortly after noticing her body''s reactions. "I''m sorry about what happened before, Abby."


    Hearing this, she suddenly opened her eyes and turned to him. "Minos?" And when she said that, Abby immediately hugged him with all the strength she had while tears started to flow from her eyes.


    She hid her face in Minos'' bare chest as she began to release her emotions that had been repressed for the past two days.


    Now that he was here, she finally felt able to do this, to expose her feelings to one of the people who mattered the most to her.


    "I... Ungh... I was so scared... Ungh..." She muttered as her breath began to rise.


    "What happened was my fault. I shouldn''t have been so far away. I promise that something like this will never happen again, Abby. I won''t let anyone hurt you!" He said calmly simultaneously as he ran his hands through her hair and hugged her tightly.


    Minos had also felt truly bad at that moment, almost as if someone was pressing his heart. But at that time, he couldn''t hesitate because of his emotions. He had to save Abby''s life and deal with that situation.


    And such a thing was not easy to do!


    But with so many experiences that Henricus Longus had transmitted to Minos, moments like this were easier to overcome than they would have been if he hadn''t received such an inheritance.


    Finally, after some time talking to each other, Abby was crying with her face still hidden in Minos'' chest. Then, this young man tried to pull her to look into her eyes and said. "Abby, look at me."


    "No... Ungh... I don''t want you to see me like this." She commented to him.


    "Abby, you shouldn''t be ashamed of crying. I was also terrified of the possibility of losing you¡­" He gradually began to soothe his girlfriend until she was on top of him.


    Minos then wiped her tears and said. "You''re still as beautiful as ever." And then he pulled her up and started kissing Abby''s lips as their temperature started to rise.


    "Mmmm~"


    Little by little, Minos was taking off Abby''s clothes, piece by piece, until finally, the two were naked, hugging each other.


    "Mmmm~"


    After a while kissing, the two parted their lips when Minos took one of her nipples to his mouth, sucking it gently while using one of his hands to play with Abby''s little sister.


    "Ahhh~" The young woman moaned at the same time as she took one of her hands to the young Stuart''s rod and began to press it.


    "Ahhh~ Ahhh~"


    "Ohh~"


    And it wasn''t long before the two of them began to have sex passionately, with the two of them looking at each other as they moved their bodies in sync.


    As they did this for a while, Abby''s little sister''s inner walls were contracting like never before, giving a heavenly pleasure to both her and her lover.


    Their bodies were on fire due to the burning desire they had for each other, and because of that, it didn''t take long, and soon, the couple had had a series of orgasms.


    But they didn''t slow down with the development of the thing. On the contrary, the sex had gotten more intense over time, almost as if they were trying to merge with each other.


    "Ahhh~ I love you, Minos! I will always be yours, no matter what!" Abby commented in a low voice as she felt another load filling her...

 Chapter 420: Feelings

    "Ahh~" The young woman shivered vigorously and then fell into Minos'' arms, with a satisfied look on her face.


    "I¡­" After hearing such a comment, Minos was saying something but was suddenly interrupted by his companion.


    "Hah... You don''t need to tell me anything right now. I can wait." She said confidently simultaneously as she tried to recover from the intense activity they had just finished.


    After what happened, Abby had made the decision not to hold back on her involvement with Minos. If she was in love with him, then this young woman was willing to go ahead with it, making that thing clear to him.


    And even if he didn''t feel the same way, she was still determined that talking about her feelings to him would still be the best alternative. She didn''t want to live like a person who regrets, especially when the two of them get along so well and she has so many opportunities to talk about it with him.


    It would be great for her if Minos felt the same way she did. Still, even if he didn''t feel that way now or in the future, as long as he accepted her feelings, she was already determined to give herself to him.


    Abby knew that people bonded for pure convenience on many occasions, without the need for feelings or significant complications... After all, it was tough for two people to start getting involved only after feelings had arisen.


    That is because such feelings would not appear overnight and would only develop after many experiences. An example of this was Minos and Abby''s relationship that, at first, there was no such feeling between the two.


    And that was usually how most couples were formed in the Spiritual World.


    People bonded because of attraction, interests, convenience, and many other reasons. But some couples got to know each other better while doing this, sometimes developing deeper feelings for each other.


    So, Abby was willing to wait for him. She felt confident that one day the feeling would be mutual.


    Before, she didn''t want to do this, but with the ''encouragement'' of that incident, now she was willing to take a little more risk with Minos.


    She truly wanted to hear an ''I love you'' coming from Minos, but she wasn''t in a hurry, nor did she want him to lie to her!


    Finally, hearing his companion''s sweet voice, Minos smiled at her as he ran his fingers through her hair and stood silently watching her. ''So, you fell in love with me¡­''


    ''I don''t know if I feel the same way, but you''re certainly important to me¡­'' He thought to himself, remembering the pain he''d felt at the thought of what he''d do if she''d died.


    He had felt empty at that moment...


    Eventually, after a while, the two of them fell asleep in that room, still hugging each other, sweaty and covered with each other''s fluids.


    ...


    Time passed, and soon the couple had already woken up and taken a long shower.


    And during that moment, the two had talked about what had happened in those two days since the previous incident.


    Minos told Abby everything he had discovered about that situation, the conflict between the two younger princes of the Kingdom of the Waves and the result of that battle.


    And naturally, Abby had been shocked to discover that they had been involved in such a problem.


    Of course, such a thing was not impossible to happen. Still, they were traveling with no interest in the matter, so peacefully...


    Yet, they had been involved in such a problem.


    She had also been disappointed to learn that Charles had managed to escape, even after all of his men had been killed. But there was nothing to be done. Abby clearly understood how strong Minos was, so if the third prince had managed to escape, that meant he had excellent means and support!


    And despite all Minos'' strength, he wasn''t invincible. If the other side had a teleportation device, it would be hard for her young lover to kill that person.


    At the very least, Abby was aware that Minos had done his best to deal with the scum that had tried to kill her.


    Minos had also tranquilized her about the condition of Ebba, who had survived by hiding during that battle.


    Finally, he spoke about the reason he hadn''t come here before, instead of waiting two days to do such a thing. And it wasn''t a hard thing to understand. After all, as much as this young woman didn''t know much about Spatial Kingdoms, she did know how teleportation artifacts worked.


    Items of this type had limitations as to at least either going or coming back.


    After Minos told her about what he had done these two days, Abby told him how it had been these days she was in this place.


    At first, Minos'' girlfriend had been very shocked by this place, not having believed Emlyn when this fox talked about the medicines growing in this Spatial Kingdom.


    But after a full day in this sanctuary, Abby had realized how shocking this place was, as even the lowest-ranked medicines in this place had more energy than she could sense!


    And in talking to Emlyn about a lot of things she didn''t know about Spatial Kingdoms, Abby had been thrilled to find that Minos had such a place to support himself!


    Finally, she had understood why he was taking such a risk by investing in the Black Plain!


    If all went wrong, he could just take what interested him in that region, the people he trusted, and then flee here...


    On the other hand, with the support of such a place, he could easily enrich that region, having the best place to strengthen his subordinates and many essential resources for the future.


    At the very least, it would not be an impossible task for him to stand out in the northern region of the Central Continent!


    That''s because what mattered for an organization to succeed were the numbers and the average strength of these people. And with the means to quickly strengthen his soldiers, Minos had a considerable advantage against the regional powers, who had to suffer to improve their forces!


    Anyway, Abby didn''t know everything about this place nor concerning Minos. After all, not even Emlyn knew about these things. And this young man hadn''t said much more than he should have to her, had simply said that he had received an inheritance during the time he had been unconscious.


    Minos didn''t want to worry Abby about the minor details about this matter, like the entire contents of the inheritance he''d received and the fact that there was an outside threat. That''s because he thought that for certain things, it was better to be ignorant, so he hadn''t even told Dillian about it.


    As for the Golden-grade techniques, he would have to see if his relationship with Abby would continue to evolve. If they became husband and wife one day, and he was genuinely in love with her, he would talk about it all and teach her the techniques of this classification.


    But before that happens, it wouldn''t be enough for him to know she''s in love with him.


    It had to be something coming from Minos and not Abby for him to share all his worries with her.


    He had allowed Dillian to learn the Golden-grade techniques compatible with this man''s expertise because of Minos'' deep trust in the butler.


    This young man saw that man as a grandfather, someone he respected many times more than his own mother.


    As for Abby, she was on the way, but she hadn''t reached that point yet.


    He needed more time to decide on that!


    But it wouldn''t make much difference. After all, Abby was still only at level 44, and it would take her more than three years to reach level 50. So, with that, it wouldn''t be too late, nor even harmful, for her to learn these higher classification techniques in the future!


    Any damage caused by this would be minimal, and young Stuart would be sure of his decision!


    After that, Minos and Abby stayed in the Spatial Kingdom for a while longer, talking to Emlyn about some things. Then, finally, the two returned to that city where he had previously left, from where they could continue traveling...

 Chapter 421: Dahlia

    As Minos and Abby continued their journey to Dahlia, Elen and Elena''s bodyguards were going through a critical time in their journey right now.


    After leaving Athela, they had headed towards the mountainous regions of the central part of that state, the closest place with forests dangerous enough for them to lessen the chances of being caught by the Allen family spies.


    And after taking advantage of the initial advantage gained during Athela''s escape, those two men had managed to make it safely into the middle of this mountainous region.


    In this part of their trajectory, they had found an ideal place to hide from their pursuers temporarily.


    Due to the fact that this mountainous region was vast and had numerous caves, the two had been very careful, avoiding leaving tracks as much as possible until they found a place where their pursuers could take days to find them.


    That was not an open area, and because of that earlier advantage, they had managed to distance themselves even further from their enemies in this place.


    However, this was only a temporary measure. With more people in that group and the fact that the two bodyguards couldn''t increase their speed any further, sooner or later, the enemy group would catch them!


    And because of that, these two had decided to find this place to stop.


    That''s because Elen''s bodyguard, Eduard, had finally felt he was going to level up!


    Consequently, as this was the best alternative for both of them, they had decided to take a chance on it so that one of them would reach level 50!


    With this, the differences in power between each group would be considerably reduced, and these two men would have a much better chance of overcoming this situation.


    Anyway, at this time, Eduard was diligently cultivating in one of the caves in this mountainous region, feeling closer and closer to advancing to the 6th stage of cultivation.


    He didn''t have medium-grade crystals with him, but he had a good chance of successfully reaching the next step even without that item. After all, he had the Black-grade talent, something that gave him more than a 50% chance of succeeding, even considering he had nothing but low-grade crystals to help him.


    And while Eduard was sitting in a meditative position in that cave, Elena''s bodyguard watched the place.


    This man was very anxious, and now and then, he would come and go from that place, checking the surroundings and getting ready to fight.


    They had already been in this same place for a few days, and because of that, the time for them to be found shouldn''t be far away.


    In fact, such a thing could happen at any time!


    So, this man could hardly rest while waiting apprehensively for the advance of Eduard or the arrival of the Allen family spies. Whichever happened first would define the future of these two.


    Especially this man, who was watching the surroundings...


    ''Come on, Eduard! If you take too long, we''ll both get killed!'' He thought to himself.


    However, before he could hear the typical sound of the level advance resonate in that place, coming from Eduard, that bodyguard detected the sound of footsteps reverberating through the walls of that cave.


    ''Shit! They are already here!'' He thought for a moment, looking apprehensively to the exit of that place and then to Eduard.


    That was the crucial moment for the two of them, and they would likely have an uphill battle ahead.


    ...


    Quickly an entire week passed.


    By this time, Minos and Abby were finally arriving in Dahlia, having crossed most of the central mountains of the Kingdom of the Waves.


    This place was right in the middle of this region, in the vicinity of several forests rich in plant biodiversity, something directly related to the development of this region.


    Such things had driven the local development towards alchemy due to the natural presence of many medicines and components necessary for refining pills.


    The natural soil could be considered very rich, with the presence of rare minerals and substances beneficial for the maturation of plant organisms, as in the cases of food and medicine.


    And besides such a point, the presence of an area of average spiritual concentration made this region very prone to developing these resources and the appearance of powerful spiritual beasts.


    Such a thing was also needed in the refining of certain pills!


    From the blood of a beast to the bones and even certain parts of the bodies of these beings, they could play a crucial role in refining a specific pill. In fact, any part of the bodies of beasts could have its uses in the Spiritual World.


    Because of all that, this state''s most prominent alchemy guild was created in this region, a place where alchemists could develop without the need for constant resource imports.


    But this place wasn''t just about alchemists. No, other professions were also very well developed in this region, including that of blacksmiths...


    After all, this was a mountainous region full of mining resources, things often used to produce artifacts made by blacksmiths!


    And as for other professions, like any large city in the northern part of the Central Continent, this place had quality services for people of all budgets.


    But even if many local guilds and associations were specializing in all professions, this could not compare to the development of the alchemical sector. That''s because, just because of the Warrior-grade and King-grade medicine plantations in this region, this alone already generating an income superior to all the other areas combined!


    In fact, in this region, there were dozens of families focused on producing medicines, with territories capable of allocating tens of thousands of plants of this type.


    That was obviously a necessary measure to maintain the regular supply of these medicines. After all, the maturation time of medicines could be as long as the life expectancy of the cultivators in this northern region of the Central Continent.


    And with no extensive plantations ready to produce fruit at all times, not only would these families fail, but the entire region would be in chaos.


    But luckily, there were places like this mountainous region where the necessary conditions for this type of large-scale plantations worked out.


    Anyway, Minos and Abby finally saw the big city that was in front of them.


    The place was similar to the capital of Stone Island, Old Stone, due to the presence of many hills and the construction model full of buildings.


    But Dahlia wasn''t as big as the town where Elen and Elena came from, as this place in the Kingdom of the Waves only had about 2 million inhabitants.


    And upon seeing this place, soon the couple sent Ebba to the Spatial Kingdom and headed into that city.


    However, at this point, the two were a little different than usual. The two youths were wearing masks to cover their faces...


    That was because of the previous incident, in which the two princes had seen the faces of both Abby and Minos. Therefore, if the two didn''t want to be tracked to the Dry City, they would need to use these items until they left the Kingdom of the Waves.


    The incident took place a few days ago, and those two princes would likely have many problems to resolve in the short term. But both were royalties, with many subordinates and regional support.


    Those two young men from the Walker family would undoubtedly try to discover the origin of the ruler of the Black Plain after that fight.


    So, Minos and Abby couldn''t risk one of those two identifying them in one of those cities they were going to pass.


    And soon, the couple was sitting on the leather seats of a carriage, being taken to the place where they would stay in this region.


    "Ahh, I wonder if older sister Eda has already reached level 50¡­" Abby commented to Minos as she leaned her face against one of his shoulders.


    "Probably not¡­ But I think by the time we get there, she''ll have just leveled up. Hehe, so you better get ready to meet a ''new'' Eda." Minos said to Abby.


    After that, they started talking about some less relevant subjects until they finally reached their destination.

 Chapter 422: A Popular Saying

    Quickly time passed, and it was already dawn.


    Minos and Abby were already walking through Dahlia''s streets, heading towards the location where they would try to purchase King-grade medicine as well as alchemy techniques!


    The two were in a good mood and had woken up early today due to the great night''s sleep they both had.


    They had stayed the night before at a decent hotel in this great city and gone straight to the Spatial Kingdom. In this place, they could cultivate, train, and have a much higher level environment than any hotel in this region could offer to them.


    Because Abby had found out about that place, he could go there with her without worry, finally being able to maximize his training and cultivation while traveling!


    Previously he could not do this for the obvious reasons, which naturally held young Stuart''s development slightly. Like when he traveled with Ruth to the Cromwell Kingdom, when these two could only train their skills in forests or cultivation towers.


    But with the Spatial Kingdom, Minos didn''t need to go to cultivation towers, as the cultivation sanctuary was always better than those places. And even if he were in a city without such a service, far from natural regions, he could still train regularly!


    That was most convenient for him and for Abby, who wanted to get stronger quickly!


    Anyway, after walking through Dahlia for some time, the two finally arrived at a specific place from which a robust medicinal fragrance came.


    Upon arriving in front of that place, they immediately followed the stream of people entering the guild building, the principal alchemist organization in the Kingdom of the Waves!


    This place was huge, and even though it was only early morning, hundreds of people were passing by the stairs at the main entrance to the guild building.


    And it didn''t take long for the couple to find their way through the many directions in the lobby.


    In this part, they saw indications of where business related to the sale of spiritual techniques and matters with medium-level grade-2 alchemists were done on the 5th floor of the building.


    ...


    "Here they are, 46 different copies of Blue-grade techniques and 5 Black-grade ones." A beautiful, elegant-looking middle-aged woman said this to Minos and Abby as she placed a silver tray on the table beside where the two youths sat.


    After having gone up to the 5th floor of this building, these two had been attended at the reception of this place and waited for a few minutes until this elder of the guild finally attended them.


    And by negotiating for a few minutes, they had come to an agreement regarding these alchemy-focused techniques, where Minos had paid 250,000 low-grade crystals and 1,600 medium-grade crystals.


    Finally, he had purchased the latest batch of spiritual techniques focused on the various spiritual professions, fulfilling the purpose of this trip!


    After put his newly acquired techniques into his spatial ring, Minos looked at that woman, who was wearing a long green dress, and said. "Mrs. Rose, in addition to these techniques, I also need to purchase a King-grade medicine of any kind. Can you help me with this?"


    "A King-grade medicine of any kind?" She muttered as she sat down in an armchair, crossing her legs and passing her eyes around the room for a moment.


    ''This must be to raise someone''s Physique classification¡­'' She thought to herself.


    That was easy to see because of the absence of restrictions in Minos'' order, in addition to the fact that it was only a single unit. Such a thing was not common to happen when alchemists bought resources!


    After all, even though a single medicine could be used to produce more than one pill, alchemists often ordered several of these items at once to prevent competition from these resources.


    Also, while there is no shortage of resources, alchemists might have to pay more for these items or even wait several months to receive their orders. And because of this, it would not be common to see alchemists ordering only one medicine!


    Finally, each pill had its ingredients, which generally could not be replaced. In this case, having no restrictions on what kind of medicine Minos wanted to buy meant that his purpose was not to refine pills but to use the energy of those resources for something.


    And the most common was the promotion of the Physique''s rank!


    After thinking for a while, the alchemist Rose finally answered Minos. "I have some pointers to give you. However, Dahlia''s Alchemy Guild doesn''t sell its medicines."


    "Our resources are already directed to our organization''s hired alchemists. That''s why I can only help you find the sales places."


    "However, even though it''s not that expensive, a single King-grade medicine will cost you roughly 8,000 medium-grade crystals if you only buy one."


    "If you were buying a larger number, even 5,000 medium-grade crystals per unit wouldn''t be impossible. But just one unit will be much more expensive, as the big producers prefer to trade their resources in large lots¡­" She said, pausing for a moment and taking a sip of spiritual tea.


    "Finally, you will have to pay the entire amount in advance, and they will not make the item available for delivery. You''ll have to come here to get it."


    She then smiled for a moment and asked him. "Are you interested in making such an investment?"


    Rose naturally didn''t think it was worth investing that much in someone who had a Warrior-grade Physique. That''s because, usually, people had Physique equivalent to their soul talent.


    That was something related to compatibility. After all, the body was the home of the soul, and if the house wasn''t resistant and big enough for its residents...


    Well, the result wouldn''t be good!


    Because of this, not many people were born in the Spiritual World with a Physique classification very different from the potential of the soul. And even when there were, they were usually people with a higher Physique rating, something that, although strange, would not generate any incompatibility.


    ''A small bucket cannot hold a large volume of water, but a huge reservoir can hold small amounts!''


    That was a popular saying in the Spiritual World, which exemplified well the problem of the incompatibility between the classifications of the soul and the Physique.


    And because of that, Rose thought that Minos wanted to develop the Warrior-grade Physique of a person with Blue talent...


    But such a thing would be crazy to do in this continent region, where people with such talent didn''t even become Spiritual Kings!


    As for the remote possibility that this person who would receive the medicine purchased by Minos was born with a Physique of a lower classification than his own soul, she had not even considered it.


    It was common knowledge that people like that would die if they tried to overcome the first bottleneck in cultivation. Consequently, no one would invest in someone like that...


    In any case, this alchemist didn''t think it would be worth paying for what Minos was interested in doing.


    "Hmm, I know that, but thank you for the concern. However, regardless of the cost, I will still try to buy this medicine." Minos replied calmly, showing no surprise in his tone.


    He already knew all this, but it was definitely worth investing in himself...


    "Oh? This person must be essential to the power behind you two, right?"


    Minos then said resolutely. "Hmm, we can say that."


    Hearing this, Abby couldn''t help but form a smile under the mask she was wearing, trying to hold herself so she didn''t make any noise.


    She had already heard from Minos concerning the reason he wanted to buy this medicine. So, his young girlfriend had truly been entertained by the way he had responded to Rose...


    "I see, so let me give you some tips..."

 Chapter 423: Planting Time

    Rose then proceeded to explain to Minos where he could order the King-grade medicine. According to her, at least a dozen organizations in this region produced this type of resource.


    Most of these powers were based locally in the city of Dahlia, and Minos could easily find someone responsible for order negotiations. However, she couldn''t exactly say which place would be best for him.


    After all, each organization had its operations, and one of those powers might be unable to negotiate with Minos.


    Some powers produced specific medicines, which could be in greater demand in the market. Consequently, such locations might not be precisely the best for Minos right now.


    And after talking about the location of the negotiating posts of each of these organizations, she told him. "Since the power behind you is heavily investing in alchemy, you should know that a King-grade medicine can take a thousand years to mature, right?"


    "Hmmm." Minos nodded in agreement.


    In the Spiritual World, each medicine had its requirements for maturation, but in general, for those of the same classification, if all conditions were considered to be met, then they would have a more or less approximate maturation time.


    And for King-grade medicines, that time was approximately a thousand years!


    However, this is not as simple as it may sound because each area would have limited resources, just as the spiritual density in the environment would vary.


    And the production time, from planting to harvesting a medicine, could vary greatly depending on these conditions.


    If all of them were met, there was no lack of nutrients, spiritual energy, etc., then medicine would follow that approximate value. But if some conditions are not fully met, then the production time could change by a large margin.


    For example, suppose that in a given region, considering the nutrients present in the soil, spiritual energy, etc., it can receive three medicines of King-grade. So, if someone tried to plant a fourth medicine of this classification, that maturation time wouldn''t be attended to at least one of them, or even for all of them.


    There were several possibilities, but in general, plants would take longer to develop fully. But that didn''t stop the production of four medicines in an area capable of receiving three!


    That is because plants could also be considered living beings similar to cultivators, who, after a certain point, would not need to be fed or rest to continue living. As long as a medicine reaches a certain energy level, it could live for a long time without maturing!


    Therefore, even if a place received more plants than its capacity, these medicines might still develop over time. Examples of this are Spatial Kingdom''s Divine-grade medicines.


    At first, the Spatial Kingdom created by Henricus Longus could not nourish the more than 30 Divine-grade medicines. However, that place had been untouched for millions of years, for a much longer amount of time than was necessary for a medicine of this classification to mature.


    Such medicines could have matured in 300,000 years. Still, due to the conditions of the Spatial Kingdom and the number of organisms competing for nutrients and spiritual energy there, those medicines had only recently matured!


    And as for the durability of these medicines after maturing, well, that was around a few hundred thousand years. After all, these organisms had a 100% affinity with spiritual energy and could live much longer than humans.


    Because of this, Minos would not have to worry about not using their resources in time...


    "So, this region we are in has been producing King-grade medicines for a long time, and because of that, we can have regular production. However, there are less than 1 million plants of this classification in our region today. As a result, the annual local production of King-grade medicines is below 20,000 fruits."


    "And although few people or organizations can afford these resources, the number is still greater than the supply¡­" She seriously said as she looked at Minos'' golden mask. "I''m telling you this because you probably won''t get what you want anytime soon. Hence, don''t be surprised if you have to wait for a year or two."


    "On the other hand, if you come across an organization that offers you a short term, say less than two years, I advise you to close the deal immediately."


    Hearing all this, Minos nodded to her and then thanked her for the information. This alchemist had been of great help to him, prevented him from going after all this information later.


    Finally, he and Abby said goodbye to Rose.


    Then, they headed towards the first place recommended by this elder of the local alchemist guild. The site was not that far away, and from what she had told them, it must be one of the best places for the couple to try their luck.


    ''Ahh, we''re almost there... One more thing, and we can go back to the Dry City!'' Minos thought to himself as he stretched, already inside a carriage that the two of them had called.


    ...


    As young Stuart was out to trade his much-desired King-grade medicine, two men were arriving in the city of Dahlia, on the north side of this place.


    The two had weakened appearances, with several white fabrics over their bodies, some of which were stained red, indicating that they were both badly wounded!


    One of them had slightly ash-blond hair, with the appearance of an early middle-aged man and with tanned skin. The other looked relatively young, tall, strong, and was the more injured of the two.


    Both were heading towards this great city, riding two beasts, which looked as tired as the people who rode them... In fact, their tongues were out of their mouths, and they, from time to time, trembled as if they were going to pass out at any moment.


    "Hah... We finally got to a place where we can find help, Eduard!" The middle-aged man commented to his traveling companion as he breathed erratically.


    These two were Elen and Elena''s bodyguards, who had faced a problematic situation a few days ago when Eduard was trying to level up!


    In that situation, Elena''s bodyguard had stopped the enemies long enough until Eduard reached level 50. And from that man''s progress, the power gap that could once be considered vast was narrowed by a large margin, to the point that these two manage to escape!


    But even after making such a breakthrough, the pair of bodyguards hadn''t managed to kill any of their enemies. After all, while they were two people, one at level 49 and the other at level 50, the other side had six people, four at level 49 and two at level 48.


    And not surprisingly, all that these two men had managed to do was wound some of their enemies while they found room to escape.


    From then on, the two of them had come all the way to this town, trying to take advantage of their escape and reach a doctor who could treat them as soon as possible!


    Both of their spiritual pills were gone, and they hadn''t even managed to recover half of their injuries...


    As for buying new pills, as they had already used up almost all the crystals they had, it wouldn''t work.


    What was left was enough just for them to receive medical treatment!


    "Uh¡­ Let''s find a place to get treatment as soon as possible. I''m sure those bastards haven''t given up on trying to extract the information we have!" Eduard commented in a weakened tone as he saw the town in front of him.


    After that, the two men disappeared among the many people who came and went from Dahlia, who filled the roads with carriages and people on top of spiritual beasts...

 Chapter 424: When You Run Out of Options...

    Quickly two days passed.


    Minos and Abby had visited some places indicated by Rose, but they hadn''t had any luck in the time that had passed. In all the organizations they had visited, the deadline that the young ruler of the Black Plain received was beyond the time he had to obtain this medicine.


    Consequently, they had not yet done any business.


    They were going to the other places that remained for them to complete their visits to the organizations listed by that alchemist.


    Not all trading points were within Dahlia, so they still had a chance of getting this order before leaving this region.


    But if their luck didn''t change, then young Stuart was willing to use his medium-grade crystals to convince some local alchemist to sell one of his medicines.


    Such a thing would not be cheap, as these alchemists had a reasonable profit rate on selling pills, having no interest in reselling medicines. However, for the right amount of crystals, anyone would be willing to part with material goods...


    And Minos would do his best to get this resource. After all, this was directly related to his strength and the future of the Black Plain. In this case, even ''burning'' a certain amount of medium-grade crystals, something valuable in the region, would be worth it to him.


    His time was short, and in a maximum of two and a half years, he was sure he would already be at level 50. Hence, he couldn''t wait any longer to get such a resource!


    ...


    A few kilometers away from the urban region of Dahlia, there was a mountain with numerous plantations subdivided at different levels of altitude.


    The place was very well organized, and if someone looked from above, one would see that from one point to the other of each level curve, the plants seemed to increase in terms of maturation...


    And in those places where the most matured plants were, several people dressed in white clothes and with hats on their heads picked the fruits of those more grown plants, slowly, without any hurry.


    Finally, at the base of this mountain, a large wall surrounded the entire place, demarcating that area around the plantations of the forest areas that existed in that place.


    However, in the heart of this region, a wide stone road passed this property. It continued north until it reached Dahlia, which was visible from this location despite being several kilometers away.


    And on this road, a couple wearing golden masks had just gotten out of a carriage and headed for the interior of that property.


    That was one of the locations described by the alchemist Rose, where Minos could manage to do his business, the base of the Lillian family, a noble power from this region!


    Such an organization could not be considered as strong as a prominent noble family like the Nash family. Still, it could undoubtedly be recognized as wealthy.


    And, based on what Minos had learned from Rose, this property has more than 100,000 plants classified as King-grade, that guaranteeing a near-daily supply of new medicines of that classification!


    However, this location certainly had a problem, which made things more difficult for Minos. Which was the fact that they were much more demanding in their negotiations, demanding a minimum amount for each business...


    Below this amount, they would not waste their time in conversations and would just give good luck to their ''customers''...


    That''s precisely why Minos and Abby hadn''t come to this place before. They wanted to try places where they could order the product they wanted without committing to bigger deals.


    But when you run out of options, what''s left is to appeal to what''s left, even if that''s not exactly what you want...


    And that was the case with young Stuart at that time!


    Anyway, after some time, the two were finally taken to a place where negotiations were held in this location.


    "Hi, you can call me Joseph. How should I address you two?" A man who looked to be in his thirties, dressed in a black suit, spoke to the couple just before he took a seat in an armchair opposite Minos and Abby.


    "You can call us Mr. and Mrs. Stuart." Minos said quickly.


    He didn''t need to hide his last name. After all, how was this man going to know about a small family of just one member?


    Not to mention that with the two of them wearing masks, no one would believe that such a name was valid...


    And after a moment with the two of them, greeting each other, then that Lillian family dealer got right to the point. "OK, so what business does Mr. Stuart want with our family? Are you aware of our rules?"


    "Yes, I am." Minos answered him.


    He had heard from Rose that this family would only negotiate deals with values ??above 30,000 medium-grade crystals.


    "My interest is in King-grade medicines of any kind, and I need to receive them within 24 months."


    "24 months?" He said in surprise. "It''s complicated for us to deliver in such a short time... Are you sure you can''t wait any longer?"


    "I don''t mind waiting any longer to receive the rest of the order, but at least one King-grade medicine has to be in my hands within that period."


    "Oh? So that''s it¡­" Joseph understood Minos'' motive and smiled. "Well, delivering just one unit is not difficult to do within that period, but as for the others, it will take longer."


    "So, what will be the amount traded?"


    Minos then smiled under his mask and said. "The amount equivalent to the minimum value for trading in this place."


    "So that''s it, hehe. Well, 30,000 medium-grade crystals can pay for 4 King-grade medicines in our family. Are you aware that we do not deliver small quantities like this? And do you have to pay half the amount now and the other half when you take out the 3rd unit?" He said, getting up from that place and heading towards a large cabinet in that office.


    "I know that." Minos answered him calmly.


    "Good!"


    After that, the man came bringing some papers for Minos and said. "We use a Soul Contract in every negotiation we make. That serves to if you give up on your order later, we will not refund your crystals, and we will also charge you a fine."


    "It''s a matter of protection for our family. We cannot lose legitimate business because of deals gone wrong."


    "Anyway, here are all the points of the contract for you to know. Read them, and if you agree with all this, we will schedule a day and time to visit a spiritual judge. As for the payout, considering our levels and the value of the deal, I recommend you have about 16,000 medium-grade crystals by then."


    "OK."


    After that, Minos quickly read the contract and Abby, agreeing with all the points there.


    He wasn''t worried about that, as, on his part, he wouldn''t back down from the deal.


    As for the fact that he made a negotiation over the amount he needed, he had already spent four days in this region and had already visited all other organizations!


    Consequently, if he didn''t get this deal now, he would already have to pay an amount well above that negotiated to get this item through some alchemist.


    But with the agreement he made, he could pay the amount below that charged to the medicine unit of that classification and would still have these resources for him to invest in the Black Plain in the future.


    At the very least, it wouldn''t be a waste!


    With that, after some time, the couple had left that place with the date set to sign the Soul Contract, which was the day after tomorrow. After that, they would make the payment and then wait for about 15 months until the first medicine could be collected.


    As for the others, they would be collected at intervals of one year each, each of which had to be picked up from the same place where Minos had made the deal!


    ''Ahh, after I settle this matter further, I''ll finally be able to go home¡­'' Minos thought to himself, as he had a glint in his eyes, as he departed from that place.

 Chapter 425: Thats Irrelevant!

    Athela had a large temple in one of the city''s noblest areas, where small groups of observers would congregate almost at any hour of the day to admire the beauty of this place.


    In this place, there was no kind of fence or wall to separate it from the street''s sidewalks, being just an open area with a beautiful building to observe. Such construction was filled with windows and doors, from which people could be seen coming and going in groups of individuals who appeared to be wearing the same type of uniform.


    Of these groups, the majority were people wearing white cloaks, who could be seen doing the essential services, such as cleaning the common areas of this building, gardening, repairs, and so on. But these people were just at the base of the organization behind this place.


    Above them were other groups, such as the individuals uniformed in blue cloaks. These, though not as numerous as the white-cloaked ones, could also be easily seen in this place.


    But these people in blue cloaks did not perform standard maintenance services. On the contrary, they had the critical role of making the patrol, the primary security of this place, administrative services, etc.


    And finally, there was a small group of individuals who wore purple cloaks. However, these people were so few that rarely would any observers have a chance to see them walking through this building.


    But that wasn''t strange. After all, the purple-cloaked individuals were all in the 6th stage of cultivation, something challenging to achieve for the overwhelming majority of people in this continent region.


    As for their role in this organization, they were the leaders, people who managed smaller branches, depending on their levels, and entire regions, for the stronger ones.


    These were the Bishops!


    Obviously, this temple was the headquarters of the Spiritual Church in the Kingdom of the Waves, and these people in different colored cloaks were members of different hierarchies within the ranks of such institution. Starting with Deacons, white-cloaked, followed by Priests, blue-cloaked, and finally the Bishops, purple-cloaked.


    This location in Athela was the headquarters of the Spiritual Church in this state and the branch of that organization responsible for the entire northern region of the Central Continent!


    From this place, the regional decisions of this organization departed, going towards each of the headquarters of the church in the other states of this part of the continent. But due to regional strength, such a post of the Spiritual Church was not fully autonomous. On the contrary, it was under the supervision of the regional affiliate of that organization in the Flaming Empire...


    While most members of this church branch went about their daily routines, in a large hall entirely made of a special type of marble, several thrones were arranged around a long table shaped like a ''U,'' around which many people were currently sitting and conversing.


    Also, there was a throne more prominent than the others in the middle of that table, which was currently empty.


    And as each of those purple-cloaked people was talking, someone finally slapped that table a few times with his hand and said. "Well, let''s move on to the next topic. Cough..."


    "Uh, we recently received information that the two younger princes faced each other a few days ago, in the mountainous region of the central part of the kingdom."


    "Oh? This third prince is truly a busy person¡­ He fought with the first prince just a few weeks ago and was already going after his second brother?" One of the old people in that place asked aloud.


    "Yes, but it looks like he wasn''t as lucky as his confrontation with Prince Wilfred." The same person as before said while he had a grave expression on his face.


    And upon hearing such a thing, almost instantly, the whole place went silent when someone asked. "What happened?"


    All the people who were there knew very well the reality of this state and knew that the advantages of Charles were significant, especially against his second brother!


    Consequently, on hearing that something unexpected had happened during a confrontation between these two, all these Bishops were eager to discover the truth.


    The Spiritual Church was not generally involved in choosing the heir of states in the northern region of the Central Continent, as this would be meaningless to them.


    After all, due to the difference in proportions, regardless of who sat on the regional thrones, the only ones who decided how life in this region had to be were these individuals in this room!


    Unless a crazy person arises, someone who cannot be convinced or manipulated, the church would not support either side or interfere by acting against such people...


    But church members were still human beings, individuals with their personal opinions and preferences...


    Of course, they would act for the good of the church, as they were indoctrinated to do so. However, if an action does not in any way harm or perhaps even benefit the church, then what harm is there in one of these individuals having certain advantages?


    Many people in this organization thought this way, and several of these Bishops had their preferences about who should sit on the local throne!


    At the end of the day, they were still just members of the branch of the Spiritual Church in the northern part of the Central Continent!


    And with that, many of them had the ambition of ascending positions within the church and perhaps someday becoming Archbishops... Then, getting a place in the temple located in the capital of the Flaming Empire, possibly becoming the overseers of such a large region as the one they were in!


    "Everything we know was passed on to us by one of our informants in the Hargraves family from the Kingdom of the End." That man from before started talking. "Prince Charles used an artifact of that family to escape that situation, having been sent to the headquarters of that family."


    "But from what this person has informed us, it seems that during the fight of the two younger princes, they ended up involving a powerful specialist. That person slaughtered 4 of the 5 Spiritual Kings who were protecting Prince Charles!"


    "After that, that person tried to kill Prince Charles, but just before that happened, the Hargraves family artifact was activated, and the third prince escaped!"


    Upon hearing this, some of these men had dark expressions on their faces, as they realized that the ''horse'' they had bet on had almost been eliminated from the race.


    But some were a little satisfied with it, even though Charles survived in the end!


    Eventually, someone said. "If I am not wrong, the third prince''s team can even protect him from a level 56 Spiritual King. How did this happen? Don''t tell me someone of that level coincidentally came in the way of those two young men?"


    "We''re not sure yet. We just know what this informant sent us. But let''s send a group to investigate this matter to see if it was just a coincidence. We cannot allow someone of that level to interfere in the dispute for the throne..."


    They talked a little more about it when finally someone asked about the consequences of that event. "What about Prince Wilfred? He had had a certain loss before, but now he was the one who gained in such incident."


    "Truth. Prince Wilfred wasted no time, and he is already using it to his advantage. I discovered that he intends to take advantage of this opportunity to..."


    ...


    While these Bishops talked, the most prominent armchair in that place, which was empty at the time, vibrated slightly, as if it had stopped working...


    "Hmph, that''s irrelevant... Unless a Spiritual Emperor tries to interfere in the matters of this place, I won''t interfere..." A female voice resounded from a specific location tens of thousands of kilometers from that branch of the Spiritual Church in Athela.


    This woman then turned off the array she was using to observe that spot earlier and removed her black cloak, exposing her flawless body.


    She then entered a bathtub that existed where she was, leaving only her head with her red hair out of the water. ''When the new king of that place is chosen, I will have to travel to that state...''


    "But I think that king will endure for another four years... So, I don''t have to worry about this useless competition!"


    ...

 Chapter 426: Leaving Dahlia

    Quickly two days passed.


    In this period, Minos and Abby had finished their affairs in the city of Dahlia, having visited the spiritual judge who had validated young Stuart''s agreement with the Lillian family.


    Other than that, the two had spent most of their time inside the Spatial Kingdom, training and cultivating. The only times the couple left such a place was when they had to eat or rest.


    After all, because they were in an unusual location, the couple could combine business and pleasure by strolling around and getting to know Dahlia while taking a break from their training routines.


    Such a thing was fascinating for couples to do, as this was a way to increase their connection and provide further meaning to their daily lives. In addition, knowing new services, information and facts about different realities were also very useful for both of them, due to their position in the Dry City!


    Human creativity constantly produced new ideas and services, which could improve some things a lot and even solve specific problems. So, it wouldn''t hurt to take some time to experience the different cultures that existed in the Spiritual World.


    And after all that, Minos and Abby had departed from Dahlia, heading southwest to such a place.


    ...


    In a forest region, two people were standing around a fire in the central parts of the Kingdom of the Waves. One of them was sitting on a piece of wood on the ground, eating a portion of meat that was stuck in a stick. As for the other individual, he was standing a few meters away from that fire, guarding around.


    And while that person ate and the other observed the surroundings, a breeze passed through that forest, lifting some of the many leaves on the ground there.


    This place didn''t have a high density of trees, but there were still enough of these organisms that people couldn''t see many meters away.


    Also, the sounds of tiny insects were present everywhere, in addition to some low-ranking beasts that lived in those surroundings.


    Beasts of this type, animals, generally didn''t behave very violently. After all, they were naturally weaker and had more defensive behaviors. So, as long as no one attacked them or tried to do such a thing, they would do nothing. In fact, it wouldn''t be impossible to see some animals grazing alongside human groups!


    Of course, this is partly because of the ignorance of these beings. Because the more significant the difference between the levels, the harder it is to notice such contrasts!


    A fragile animal from the 2nd stage could stand beside Spiritual Emperors without showing any fear. Of course, their senses would not be able to measure such a difference in power between the parts. Such a strong individual would be confused with the environment itself, and these organisms would not notice any danger.


    And because of that, weaker animals dared to approach strong cultivators, sometimes grazing calmly as if nothing much happened...


    Finally, amid this place where some rabbits were jumping from one side to the other, the sound of the waters of a river resounded through that place when the man who was watching the surroundings said something. "They are chasing us. I can feel that we will be attacked soon!"


    Hearing this, the ash-blond-haired man who was eating what appeared to be a fish stopped to eat and turned to his companion, a strong, muscular young man. "And what are we going to do this time, Eduard?"


    These two were Elen and Elena''s bodyguards, who had passed by Dahlia a few days ago.


    After arriving in that city, the two had been lucky enough to find a low-level grade-2 doctor who helped them for an amount that was within their budget...


    And from that, they were hidden in that city for a week, where they received that individual''s daily treatment until they finally ran out of crystals to continue their therapy.


    But the two had still managed to recover more than half of their injuries these past few days, being in the much better condition right now.


    They looked much more flushed and didn''t have any bloodstained bandages all over their bodies. At the same time, even though the two were not at their full strength, they still managed to display strong presences, typical of those powerful regional cultivators.


    Anyway, after leaving that place, they had traveled for a few hours until they stopped in this forest, southwest of Dahlia. Here they intended to take a short rest before continuing their journey to the Peninsula of Waves region, where they would try to return to Stone Island.


    Those two bodyguards thought they had managed to outwit the Allen family spies because they had not heard from these people when they were in Dahlia. Because of that, now both thought of using this advantage to return to Stone Island without running the risk of being apprehended by enemy reinforcements in the port they landed in that state!


    However, after stopping for a few minutes in this place, Eduard had started to get more and more anxious, with his senses telling him that there was something wrong!


    Hearing the worried voice of his travel companion, Eduard frowned and answered. "I don''t know. If I''m right and those spies are in the vicinity, then we can only pray that they haven''t made a better recovery than we have, otherwise..."


    After Eduard finished saying that, Ernest quickly got up from where he was as he prepared to leave that place.


    He couldn''t help but panic. After all, if they had to go through a fight like the one before, then he would probably be the first to go down!


    "Then let''s go! This place is very disadvantageous for us to set up ambushes¡­" He was about to say something when a laugh reverberated through that part of the forest.


    "Too late, you two fools!" A woman''s voice reached both men''s ears as they looked back and forth across the spot, trying to see from where these people were coming.


    "Miserable! Is the Allen family truly willing to start a war with the Nash family? Because that''s what you''re going to get if you keep this up!" Eduard screamed in a fury, trying to appeal to the side of reason.


    That''s because, even though he was just a subordinate of that family, he was directly involved in Elen''s deal with the Black Plain. So, this bodyguard felt confident saying these things.


    He had undoubtedly already attained the status of a subordinate worthy of revenge!


    "Hmph! Don''t blame us for what''s going to happen now..."


    "That day we fought in that cave, we gave you the chance to switch sides and take refuge in our Allen family." A man began to speak, while the group of six people gradually appeared from different points, around Ernest and Eduard.


    "However, you are two imbeciles who would rather die than change sides!"


    ''It''s easy for someone in your position to say such a thing¡­'' So, Ernest thought to himself as he moved into a defensive position.


    For deserters, there would be no easy life!


    That''s because people with such deeds would never be accepted with ''open arms'' by any organization that knew about such things. After all, if he''s already betrayed the power that nurtured him in the past, then why wouldn''t he do the same with other forces?


    According to popular sayings, everything would be easier with practice... And a traitor would be a traitor!


    That couldn''t be changed!


    The moment an opportunity arose, such a person would do it without giving a damn about the organization that gave him a second chance...


    Because of this reality, organizations would not receive people known to be deserters!


    Consequently, individuals who did such a thing usually became rogue cultivators, who generally did business as mercenaries to survive.


    But such a thing was considered far worse than being a subordinate of a large family, as these two men were.


    Because of all of this, few people would betray their organizations for offers like the one this group had made unless it was an unmissable offer, the kind that would solve lifetime problems!


    "Well, this time, we''ll see how you guys try to escape!" One of them said this while unleashing his level 50 cultivation strength!

 Chapter 427: I Will Not Give My Life for Free!

    Of those people who had been chasing Ernest and Eduard, some of them were already close to ascending to the next stage of cultivation, level 50.


    And because some of them were nobles and not just subordinates, it wasn''t strange that someone had a breakthrough to the 6th stage after months of chasing these two!


    That''s right, despite the minor setback the spies had with Elen and Elena''s bodyguards, one of them got promoted soon after recovering from his injuries!


    Anyway, upon realizing that one of their opponents had reached level 50, the two men surrounded by the group of the Allen family soon began to feel a chill in their bodies...


    Even if that person hadn''t increased his strength, just because of the injuries Eduard and Ernest had sustained, they would already be at a disadvantage. That''s because as far as the two of them could sense, apart from that newly promoted Spiritual King, the other five spies were in peak physical condition!


    But even so, these two men still had a slim chance, and they were hopeful that they could survive this group.


    However, the reality was harsh, and now, with the presence of a Spiritual King on the side of their enemies, it would be impossible for them to escape this situation!


    "I''ll give you a chance to speak... Speak everything you know right now, and we''ll be merciful enough to give you painless deaths!" The strongest man in this enemy group said this, smiling and gesturing with his hands.


    Obtaining information through torture would never be ideal. After all, some people gave completely incorrect information due to pressure beyond the limit. However, this was not the worst part of the torture, but the psychological damage that such an act would entail!


    A person under torture might prefer to sacrifice himself, as such an act, despite being much more painful, was something much faster...


    Torture could last for days, while the sacrifice would only last a few seconds. And with that, if one side pushed the other too hard, such a situation could happen before the stronger side had a chance to destroy its target''s cultivation.


    Only after doing such an act could they be sure that the suicidal act of their victims would not destroy them!


    Consequently, this man didn''t want to risk too much. If these men decided to sacrifice themselves, their side would end up losing twice in this one act.


    First, because each sacrifice involved great danger to people of cultivation similar to the one who sacrifices. Second, they wouldn''t have the opportunity to get the information the Allen family wanted so much.


    "Fuck you, Mick. Fuck the Allen family!" Eduard yelled in anger as he stood side by side with Ernest, preparing to act at any moment. "If you want to kill me, then come! I will not give my life to you for free!"


    "That''s right! I''m not willing to die, and if you want to take this to the end, I''ll be sure to take at least one of you with me!" Ernest commented in support of Eduard''s position.


    Hearing this, the other five people around them became even more determined when one of the women said something while making some gestures with her hands. "Mick, it''s no use talking. If you and Tedd take care of Eduard, the rest of us can quickly capture this old man and destroy his cultivation!"


    "Alright, let''s do it!"


    And after that being said, immediately all those people started activating their techniques as they started moving towards their targets.


    From this group of six people, two levels 48 and two levels 49 would deal with Ernest, while the remaining two, one level 49 and one level 50, would fight Eduard.


    But Eduard and Ernest were unwilling to accept these people''s decisions and let them decide how they would fight!


    No, since they had their plans, the two bodyguards also had the same. So, they quickly looked at each other and decided what had to be done.


    The only possibility for them to survive was if the enemy numbers decreased...


    And for that, the fastest way would be to avoid fighting the strongest head-on and eliminate the weaker ones first!


    Fighting like this was dangerous and unlikely to work, but they had no alternatives. So, either they did that and diminished the adversary''s power, or it was certain death!


    Fists of Pain!


    Earth Mascot!


    ...


    Diamond Body!


    Quickly, the fight started to ''catch fire.'' Both sides activated their defense and attack techniques, trying to fulfill their objectives.


    Ernest had immediately moved towards one of the men who were level 48 while he was using his movement technique to dodge the attacks coming his way.


    Pow!


    Boom!


    Each avoided attack slammed into the adjacent terrain, crashing into rocks, trees and destroying that area where the two groups faced each other.


    Simultaneously with the spread of dust and leaves from the ground, the smell of wet earth became more noticeable, and the small animals in that area began to flee.


    Boom!


    While the craters began to form as a result of the eight people''s attacks, the sounds generated by their intense movement resonated throughout the area until the first opportunity presented itself.


    Eduard and Ernest had bet everything at the start of the fight. Because of that, they managed to dodge their opponents'' first attacks while finding space to attack their targets.


    That was possible because they were dodging attacks from people of the same level or lower than theirs while targeting weaker people!


    Because of that, at least at the beginning of the fight, there wouldn''t be a significant disadvantage for the two. After all, the difference in numbers would only unbalance situations like these if the number of enemies was much higher than that of the opposing side or after the fight lasted a few moments.


    But as it was just the beginning of the fight and the difference between the numbers of the two groups was not so big, the chance of the two had appeared!


    Pow!


    Immediately upon getting his chance, Eduard used a sufficient amount of his power to try to eliminate his opponent, using his hand-to-hand combat technique to crush his opponent''s chest with one charge.


    "Ahhhh!"


    After Eduard''s right foot made contact with the body of one of those women, she immediately let out a loud cry, with her ribs breaking in multiple places.


    Eduard''s kick had been ruthless, and given the difference in cultivation between the two, that woman''s defenses had been broken, and more than 50% of his attack power had hit her chest.


    With that, that woman was quickly thrown back, with a pained expression on her face, until finally, her back hit one of the trees of that place, making her feel even more pain.


    When bumping against that tree, she tried to support herself against the ground, while a trickle of blood ran down her lips and her eyes gradually lost their light.


    After a single moment, she coughed twice and then fell face down on the floor of that place!


    "Miserable!" One of them screamed, realizing that Eduard had seriously injured one of his companions.


    They didn''t know if she was alive or dead, but she certainly couldn''t continue this fight!


    And simultaneously with that, Ernest was still trying to move around in that place and get his chance to attack the other level 48 cultivator that was left.


    However, this was very difficult for him, who had just reached level 49 a short time ago.


    ...


    And as the fight went on, he gradually felt that the difficulty of moving and dodging enemy attacks was getting higher.


    ''Shit!'' He thought to himself as he struggled to dodge the blade that was coming toward his shoulder.


    "Ahhh!"


    On the other hand, Eduard''s favorable position momentarily achieved at the beginning of the fight was also completely lost. Right now, he was just defending himself, while his two opponents oppressed him more and more.


    "I''m going to kill this bastard for what he did to Ginny!" The level 49 cultivator pointed his sword at Eduard''s chest and ran towards his now quite exhausted opponent.


    Clang!

 Chapter 428: You Dont Have the Ability!

    Clang!


    When that Allen family spy was going to hit Eduard''s body with his sword, something unexpected happened, and a metallic sound reverberated through that place.


    "What?" The man who had attempted this attack exclaimed in shock. He then looked in front of him and blinked a few times, as if he didn''t believe his eyes.


    He saw a strange person suddenly appearing in front of his opponent and using a golden sword to stop the attack that was meant to take Eduard''s life!


    "What?" The other people in this group said this almost simultaneously, still moving back and forth in that part of the forest as they continued their fights.


    A cultivator could easily pay attention to more than one problem. After all, spiritual energy could also elevate the mental capacity of living beings. And unless a person were in a life and death situation, such a thing would be as easy to accomplish as drinking water.


    They could probe their surroundings with their spiritual sense and fight their opponents without missing the other side''s moves!


    And right now, the side of the spies that had been chasing these two bodyguards had the full advantage and could afford to do so. That''s because the most significant danger at the beginning of the fight had already passed, and the two bodyguards had already been in passive positions for some time.


    As for Ernest, he struggled to withstand this fight, being in a situation as serious as Eduard''s!


    These two only managed to eliminate one opponent from this enemy group since the beginning of the fight. After that, they had only been pressured by the other side until they reached the present moment.


    "Who are you? Why are you interfering with our matters?" The Spiritual King of the group of spies asked this as he probed the surroundings. ''Level 44... but this sword is a medium-level grade-2 one! How does he manage to use it?'' This man thought to himself, slowly realizing that there was another person around.


    And finally, before he had his question answered, a young woman wearing a mask and with blue hair appeared on top of one of the trees in that place.


    Minos then smiled under his golden mask and said. "Who I am doesn''t matter. But I know these people, so I decided to stop and help."


    Hearing that voice, Eduard, who was already exhausted by that time, leaning with his hands on his knees and breathing hurriedly, turned his head to the side and looked at Minos. ''What luck! We are saved!'' He thought to himself, having recognized the voice of the young ruler of the Black Plain.


    And really, luckily for these two, Minos had seen Eduard in Dahlia in those days when they were both there.


    At that time, he and Abby had just left one of the city''s properties specializing in the sale of spiritual medicines when two severely injured men passed them on their way to seek medical attention in the exact location.


    And as thoughtful as he was, Minos had recognized Eduard, who, despite having advanced to the 6th stage of cultivation, hadn''t changed as much as Dillian.


    After all, this tall, muscular man could still be considered young when he leveled up to this stage. So, despite having improved, his appearance hadn''t changed to the point where he couldn''t be recognized!


    Anyway, after recognizing this old acquaintance, Minos and Abby had watched them from afar without making contact. They already knew that these two were being persecuted, and because of that, it would not have been opportune for them to show up to help these men in that city.


    That could be treated as a clue by the Allen family, something that could leak out of Dahlia, which Minos didn''t want.


    Minos and Abby had just hired a person to advise them of the actions of these two men so that they would have the opportunity to meet them in a more discreet location...


    Because, even though forest regions are considered quite open, if someone were stronger than their opponents, leaking information would be impossible in places like that!


    On the other hand, it would be challenging to act inside a big city. Many guards were spread all over the districts, and several specialists could notice incidents. In this case, not only was there the possibility of opponents retreating, but there was also the chance that he and Abby would have to flee the rulers of that place.


    Dahlia naturally had its own rules and punishments, and whoever got caught wouldn''t have a nice time...


    For all that, young Stuart had only observed the situation and then chased Eduard and Ernest from a safe distance!


    Anyway, upon hearing Minos'' answer, those two men facing Eduard looked at each other for a moment, and then the strongest of them said. "You seem quite capable, as you can wield this medium-level grade-2 sword... But don''t think that just because you have a lot of physical strength that you can interfere in this fight!"


    "I''ll give you a chance. Get out of this place now, or I won''t mind killing you!" He said that while he had a darkened appearance on his face.


    This man could sense that Minos was too strong to handle the weight of a weapon of that rank. That''s why he didn''t want to risk having this person as his enemy in this fight.


    However, he genuinely believed that as incredible as this person was to achieve such a feat, at only level 44, this stranger would not be a threat to the spies group!


    "Oh? I''m afraid you don''t have the ability!" Minos said.


    "What did you say?" The other individual, who had had his attack prevented by Minos, screamed in a fury, feeling humiliated by the words of this masked person.


    Hearing such words from a person, so many levels below theirs was truly humiliating for these proud cultivators...


    Minos then turned to the side where Abby was standing and waved at her, indicating what they had agreed earlier.


    After that, he quickly said a few words to Eduard while he was distancing himself from this man little by little. "Go help your associate, and don''t forget to stay out of my technique''s area of ??influence."


    "OK."


    After that, Minos gradually started activating his techniques one by one while looking at those two opponents. "Well, there''s no need to talk anymore, be careful. I don''t take it easy!"


    When he finished saying that, a large ring appeared around the masked youth''s body, as he suddenly moved at high speed, already making a series of movements with his weapon.


    Spatial Sword!


    And upon sensing young Stuart''s movement, the two men who had been fighting Eduard earlier were deeply shocked at what this new opponent was doing to them. They had their eyes and mouths wide open at that moment, while their bodies were simultaneously experiencing incredible weight and loss of spiritual energy.


    ''Shit, how can this be?'' The level 49 spy wondered, already trying to activate his defense and movement techniques in an attempt to escape Minos'' onslaught.


    But that was useless. With the strength of these two men, there would be no way for them to escape or pose any danger to young Stuart. One of them could even give this young man some work for a while, but as for the other...


    It was simply impossible for him to survive a single Minos sword attack!


    And that''s what happens...


    While moving at high speed through that place, Minos sent a strong attack in the direction of Mick, the Spiritual King, while slashing with his medium-level grade-2 sword against the other man''s neck.


    And in a split second, Minos ended the life of that level 49 person, cutting off this man''s head in a single millisecond.


    However, young Stuart did not stop there. No, he didn''t even turn his face to see that person''s head falling to the ground when he ran towards Mick, attacking him mercilessly!


    "Ahhhh!"


    After Minos'' sudden entry into that battle, the first scream of pain was generated in that spot, when the third person in the group of spies died, at the hands of Abby...

 Chapter 429: End of Struggle and Offer

    After some time fighting, the advantage that the group of spies previously had was utterly lost. Of the five individuals from before, three of them had already died, and only two remained.


    Those who were still breathing were severely injured, with bodies covered in bruises, cuts, and a thick layer of blood all over their clothes.


    As the two survivors stared at each other, their unfocused gaze began to dim, and a buzzing noise disturbed what little concentration they had.


    One was the Spiritual King with whom Minos was still fighting, while the other was a level 49 opponent, whom Abby was battling.


    In the time that had passed since the start of the fight, Abby had fought side by side with the two bodyguards, facing those opponents who weren''t fighting Minos. And from that, even though this young woman was struggling to her limit, she had managed to eliminate two threats successfully!


    As for Eduard and Ernest, despite being stronger than Abby in terms of fighting proficiency, both were extremely tired, so they had played a more supportive role for Minos'' girlfriend. But that was enough. After all, the enemy group was also not 100% of their condition when the couple had joined the fight.


    Consequently, although disputed, the fight had been controlled by Abby the entire time, until this very moment, when she was using her attack technique to trap that man in an ice ''prison''!


    "Ahhh!" He screamed in pain as he felt the cold penetrate his body, burning deep into his insides!


    At the same time, Mick was already panting as his body oscillated in that spot. Not only was he covered in blood, but several parts of his body were missing, such as one of his hands, one of his ears, and one of his legs.


    Minos could fight and defeat a level 50 individual with relative ease with his current strength. But he didn''t want to spend too much of his energy and end up vulnerable in the middle of this forest!


    So, as soon as he had wounded this opponent for the first time, young Stuart had switched swords and taken a low-level grade-2 one in his spatial ring. Such a thing was enough for him to finish this opponent without having to expend much of his energy just to be able to manipulate that other sword.


    That''s because he would only have full abilities to use it effortlessly after reaching level 49, the minimum cultivation for that use that item. As for before that, at present, young Stuart couldn''t use it in sequence for even one whole minute!


    Finally, after seeing that his opponent could no longer dodge his attacks, Minos once again slashed the air with his extra sword, creating a large blade that flew towards that man.


    Swooish!


    "Damn¡­" Mick muttered, feeling he couldn''t do anything to save his life.


    That was the end for him, a nobleman who had just reached level 50 after so many years of training...


    In an instant, his expectations were destroyed by the blade that slashed diagonally across his body, from his right shoulder to his left leg.


    "Ahhhh!"


    And while Abby''s opponent screamed in pain, Minos finally confirmed his opponent''s death.


    He let out a sigh of relief and then muttered something. "Hah, let''s see what these people know..."


    After that, he approached where Abby was holding that opponent and asked her to act, using her ability on that individual.


    At the same time, Minos threw some pills in the direction of those two bodyguards, indicating for them to start recovering and leave to talk at another time.


    "Okay. You can ask your questions." Abby said at the same time that her chest rose and fell because of her intense heart rate right now.


    "Hmm, thank you¡­." When he said that, Minos didn''t take long and soon looked into the eyes of that individual and started asking his questions. "Why were you attacking these two men?"


    "Our superiors gave us the order to kidnap and interrogate at least one of these bodyguards so that we could find out the location of Elen Nash."


    "Why do you want to know about this?"


    "The elders want to take over the Nash family business, dealing directly with that girl''s business partner." The man responded without hesitation, occasionally spitting out bloody mouths and shaking vigorously.


    "What if this doesn''t work?"


    "Cough, ehh, then we''ll get into a trade war with the Nash family, and we''ll do our best to mess up that girl''s business."


    And such a thing would be inevitable...


    That''s because these two families were rivals for a long time and had already fought countless battles in the past.


    Today they lived in relative peace because of the balance of power that existed between the two organizations.


    Because of this background, if the Nash family could take this opportunity with peace, then the biggest loser would be the Allen family.


    Not only for the loss of millions of crystals per year but also for the possibility that Elen''s side could surpass the Allen family''s achievements in a few decades!


    This organization had taken over half of the Nash family''s business with one of the western Central Continent kingdoms just a few centuries ago. Such a thing had been complicated for the power behind Elen back then. Even today, people have bad memories about it.


    Some individuals had lost everything they had because of that Allen family action. For this reason, the hatred of these individuals was not small...


    They would certainly want to get their rightful items back if they got any advantage against their rivals!


    Hence, the Allen family was already prepared to take measures to avoid the worst.


    Anyway, after some time, Minos finally ended that person''s suffering, soon after having heard some more helpful information. ''Ahh, I have to make some changes regarding the agreement with Elen... Maybe if we can use one of those families who want me as an ally...''


    ...


    And after a while, Minos put those thoughts aside when he realized that the other people in that place had already recovered from much of their damage. In addition, he had already destroyed the corpses left behind in that forest and collected the belongings left behind.


    He had counted the winnings, but there was nothing impressive. In fact, in addition to the 20 Black-grade techniques, all that was there were everyday items from late 5th stage cultivators.


    Nothing comparable to what Minos had gained from those 7 Spiritual Kings he had ''inherited'' their belongings...


    And that was to be expected, after all, even if there were some nobles in this enemy group, that didn''t mean there would be treasures with them!


    In the Spiritual World, not all nobles would be equals!


    Of course, there were the more important ones, like Elen, Abby, and there were those who would go out on missions like this, like the Silva family investigator killed in the Dry City, Sarah Silva, and some of those spies.


    Consequently, nobles of lesser status, as in the case of these people, would not have such good wealth and were, in general, only a little better than that of subordinates!


    "Let''s leave this place. We can talk while we ride our beasts..." Minos commented to the group just before they started moving through that place, heading towards the southwest.


    "Mr. Minos, thank you for saving us... If it weren''t for you, we would both have died here in this forest." Eduard was the first to speak, while Ernest was finally beginning to understand who these people were.


    ''So, he''s Ms. Elena''s ally?'' He thought for a moment as he listened to Minos speak.


    "Hmm, we were all lucky. If you guys got caught in this place, it wouldn''t be good for me either¡­ You never know what kind of skill the enemy side has." He commented as he massaged Abby''s stomach with a slight smile on his face.


    "But anyway, since we''ve solved the problem of these spies, I think it would be better if you two didn''t return to Stone Island."


    "Why don''t you guys come to the Dry City? There you can take the opportunity to join my forces!"


    ...

 Chapter 430: Invincible in this Region?

    Hearing Minos'' comment, the two men looked at each other in surprise for a moment, as if one of them was asking the other''s opinion. And as they did this for a moment, finally one of them decided to say something.


    "Mr. Minos, have I misheard? Or are you suggesting that we join your army?" Eduard asked.


    "Hmm, that''s right, you didn''t hear me wrong."


    "That..." Eduard tried to say something but stopped halfway to look in Abby''s direction like he was asking for help or something.


    How could he refuse the invitation of the person who had just saved his life without pissing him off? Not to mention that despite being technically allies, Minos was still the strongest among this group...


    And in a world like this, where strength is so critical, these two men naturally had great respect for Minos.


    Consequently, they didn''t want to explain to this young man about the workings of noble families...


    Abby then smiled, remembering the behavior she and Eda had had at the time when Minos had made such an offer. It was tough not to find such a thing strange coming from this young man, as the first thing each of these people thought of in such a situation was the word, ''betrayal.''


    "I think our families are probably not going to like this at all, Mr. Minos." Ernest commented, right after sighing briefly.


    That Elena bodyguard didn''t know about the fantastic things regarding the Dry City, other than the fact that Elen''s trading partner hails from that region. But he could understand how rich the funds of present-day Black Plain must be, considering how well the Nash family''s business with Minos'' territory was doing.


    "I disagree. I think your families would probably even appreciate it... Plus, in the future, I believe both the Nash family and the Neel family will strive to have their members as part of my army." Minos said confidently.


    He intended to take the place of the Flaming Empire in the future when the Black Plain became independent and ruled the north of the Central Continent!


    But Minos had no desire to create a great empire that would do away with all local political borders. Instead, as long as no one attacked him, he would only try to annex territories that were influenced by the Dry City''s spiritual root recovery.


    Otherwise, this young sovereign had no intention of unifying the region under a single organization.


    He wanted to have his own state, which would be an influential place, but which does not involve itself in the internal affairs of other kingdoms.


    He wanted to regulate the region''s activities, as the Flaming Empire already did in some issues...


    He didn''t want to carry the weight of the entire northern part of the Central Continent on his back. Instead, he aspired to reap the benefits of a state in the position of influence on those influenced!


    Minos then continued his explanation. "What I am offering is something your families cannot, and I am still willing to let you remain part of these organizations. Just as it would if you went to one of the sects of the Flaming Empire."


    "I believe your families allow such a thing, right?"


    "That... Well, that thing they truly allow, but..." Ernest was saying, but in the middle of his speech, he decided to shut up.


    There was no advantage for him to say that the Black Plain was not in an advantageous position like the sects of that empire. That would only cause unnecessary friction, in this man''s opinion.


    "I understand your doubts. I had them myself before joining Minos'' army." Abby finally started to speak as she felt young Stuart''s hands around her waist. "Even though the Black Plain Army is a long way from achieving the prestige of the sects of the Flaming Empire, this organization has far greater potential than any regional family."


    "In my opinion, while it is challenging for a royal family in our region to get one of their descendants to level 60, it is not difficult for the Minos'' army!"


    "And you know the strength of Minos. What do you think will happen when he reaches level 59?" She asked with a proud smile on her face, which was now without its previous mask.


    Hearing such a question, these two men who continued to accompany Abby''s beast, atop their mounts, could not help swallowing their saliva at the thought of Minos'' terrifying strength. ''If he continues like this, then by the time he reaches level 59, he will already be invincible in this region!''


    They had seen Minos fighting a level 50 cultivator as if he were in a game. Hence, they could feel that this young man hadn''t fought with even half his powers, as he hadn''t even used his highest level sword during most of the fight.


    ''Mick was not his ideal opponent... After just one blow, Minos had already given up on fighting seriously with that unfortunate!'' Eduard thought to himself, remembering the previous fight.


    "However, we are just subordinates. Even if we went to one of the Flaming Empire sects, we would still have to communicate and ask for the family''s permission first. Otherwise, it would be as if we were abandoning the family." Ernest commented.


    Hearing that, Minos smiled and looked to the side of Elena''s bodyguard and said. "Don''t worry. What about this? Let''s wait until we get to the Dry City, and then you''ll talk about it with Elena." He then turned to Eduard and continued. "The same for you and Elen."


    "If they find it inappropriate, then we''ll forget about it. Otherwise, we can simply say that you two are on missions ordered by those two. And when you have to go back to your families, there won''t be any problem anymore!" Minos said as he felt the wind on his face and the sweet scent of Abby''s hair.


    Families in this region had no way of knowing if their subordinates had leveled up while they were away. So, even if Eduard had reached level 50 unless he went to the Nash family headquarters, his status would remain that of a level 49 bodyguard.


    And as such, Elen had the power to send him wherever she wanted, even making that man stay months or a few years away from the family!


    And although this is not common, hardly anyone would suspect that something was going wrong. But, on the other hand, it would also not be uncommon for a subordinate to take several years to rise from level 49 to 50.


    Therefore, no one would suspect that a subordinate would quickly level up and not return to the family!


    There were no advantages to doing this, as these people would gain a status boost after achieving such a feat, increasing their monthly earnings, family rights, and prestige.


    For all that, Minos had made such a suggestion so that these two men would be more willing to join the Black Plain Army.


    "Well, I think it would be nice if we disappeared for a while after what happened..."


    "The Allen family will probably blame us for what happened and will try to chase us if we try to get back to Stone Island." Eduard began to speak while looking at Ernest.


    He then looked at young Stuart and said. "Then I think we can do as Mr. Minos said. Let''s go to the Dry City, and then we settle it there with Ms. Elen and Elena."


    After that, Ernest agreed with what Eduard had said. Their situation really wouldn''t be good if they returned to Stone Island. And in return, Minos was offering both of them a chance, something that could at the very least boost their cultivation strength and speed.


    Even though Ernest didn''t know the details of the Black Plain, this man, who appeared to be middle-aged, was aware that there shouldn''t be many powerful cultivators on the side of Minos'' army. Otherwise, this young man and those two women wouldn''t try to hide so much!


    And from that thought, he knew that with so many resources, people like him and Eduard, even if they were just going to be soldiers, would probably be more valued than they usually were in their respective families.


    Anyway, after talking about this subject, time started to fly, and soon the group disappeared from that forest...

 Chapter 431: Finally

    As Minos'' group traveled towards the Black Plain, three people walked in a mountainous region in the Snow Kingdom.


    In this place, snow completely covered each of the mountain peaks, with only a few highly tall trees far apart at the base of these natural formations.


    It was pretty cold at that time, while the strong wind in this region made the thermal sensation even lower. But these three people were not feeling uncomfortable with such a thing.


    Not because they could control their temperatures perfectly to the point where they ignored the outside environment, they couldn''t. But because each one wears clothes specially made for regions like this one.


    They could not hesitate with the cold in places like the borders of the Snow Kingdom with the other states in the region, where the Endless Snow Mountain Range extended for more than 10,000 kilometers!


    Such formation began at the northernmost point of the Snow Kingdom, where there was the boundary with the Kingdom of the End, passing through the Kingdom of the Waves border with this state. Then, it finally left the Snow Kingdom behind, heading west, to the border that separated the Kingdom of the Waves and the Brown Kingdom, near the Black Plain, where it met its end.


    In short, the Endless Snow Mountain Range was the highest altitude place in the entire northern region of the Central Continent, with points that were more than 20 thousand meters high!


    Along with this, this region had an eternal ice layer at its highest points. And because most of this structure was in the Snow Kingdom, this state had been named in honor of such a geographical feature.


    This region was very rich in minerals and the natural habitat of several powerful spiritual beasts from this northern region of the Central Continent. For example, there were the Diamond Monkeys!


    Anyway, atop three beasts that looked like bears, the group talked as they rose one of the Endless Snow Mountain Range''s hills in the Snow Kingdom''s midwestern region.


    "What do you think of this news, young master? Is it indeed true that he died?" One of the two men accompanying a young man with black hair doubtfully asked as he recalled the information they had heard a few days ago.


    "Hmm, I was also surprised. I heard that this individual was a very calm person, not involved in the royal family''s affairs. He didn''t even have exceptional talent... Why would anyone try to kill such a person?" The young man commented at the same time that he rubbed one of his hands over the other.


    "Maybe the second prince of the Snow Kingdom got involved in something he shouldn''t have..."


    "Uh, it''s too bad for him. From what I heard, he was skinned alive, even his genitalia..." The other man, who was on the young man''s right side, commented, sighing heavily.


    They had heard this information while traveling through the Endless Snow Mountain Range. Such a thing was disturbing and very rare to happen. Because of that, they could not stop talking about the subject, trying to understand the reasons for such a situation.


    "By the way, I just remembered something! In this last edition of the Spiritual Tournament that took place, I learned that a close friend of the second prince had participated and reached the final stage of the competition." One of the bodyguards said.


    "Does this have anything to do with such an event? I heard that person participated..."


    They continued to talk for a while until they finally reached a point where a large wooden building was located.


    The area was quite large, with several wooden fences enclosing a territory measuring more than a square kilometer, from which passersby could observe beasts drinking water at some points.


    And after a few minutes, the group of these three people finally found the individual they were looking for in that location.


    "Hello. How can I help you?" A strong young man said this aloud as he placed a large sack of ration on a piece of equipment on the side of that large building.


    Upon hearing this, the young man leading this group began to speak. "My name is Christian Reid, and these two are my bodyguards. I understand that you witnessed the death of my younger brother Tristram, so I''m here to get information about who was responsible for this."


    That was, in fact, Christian''s group, which had already been traveling for months to fulfill Misty''s little desire for revenge...


    After leaving the Brown Kingdom, they rushed to the Snow Kingdom, where they found some people connected to the events at the Peak of the Fog, where Tristram died.


    However, the first clues that Christian had obtained were useless. In one of them, the person he was looking for had died, and in the other, the person in question had moved to another state after his marriage...


    But this young man from the Reid family had finally had a bit of luck to find this person in front of him, the first witness he had a chance to interrogate!


    Finally, hearing Christian''s comment, that man looked at him for a moment with a surprised expression and then began to try to remember. ''Tristram? I''ve heard this name somewhere¡­'' He then placed his left hand over his mouth and his right arm around his chest as he looked at the floor thoughtfully.


    "Ahh! You talk about that person who died at the Peak of the Fog?" He asked right after almost a full minute, thinking from where he had heard that name.


    That, of course, was not unusual to happen. As good as a cultivator''s memory was, it could sometimes be difficult to remember something right away, especially concerning things unimportant to that person''s life...


    The event of Tristram''s death had even been shocking, and this young man remembered it perfectly. But Christian had used the wrong keywords to remind him of such a thing...


    Who would remember the name of an individual who died after a single blow?


    Tristram''s death had come so quickly that the people who witnessed it didn''t even bother to look at the young man''s pieces of flesh. Only those people''s fear of Minos had suppressed any other thoughts of them at that time!


    Anyway, seeing that this person had something to say, a discreet smile slowly formed on Christian''s face. ''Finally! I can finally complete this trip!'' He thought, inwardly cheering for meeting this person.


    The young man who lived on that mountain then looked at Christian sympathetically and said. "Now that I stopped to think, I remember Tristram''s death very well. At that time, we were all at the Peak of the Fog to compete for the Warrior-grade medicine there."


    "The Rainbow Fruit!"


    "But none of us could harvest such a thing, so we stayed on the outskirts, waiting for someone capable to come along and allow us to fight..."


    "Unfortunately for all of us and even worse for Tristram and his bodyguard, the person who showed up was far more powerful than any of us could handle."


    "What?" One of Christian''s two subordinates asked in shock. "Are you saying that a single person harvested such medicine and frightened the entire group of competitors? As far as we know, there were 15 people in that place!"


    "Tell the truth! We''re not here to play games, brat!" The other man brandished.


    "I''m telling the truth."


    "Back then, when that person had been involved in the dispute over medicine, none of us knew how terrifying he was. But after he killed Tristram in one move, no one dared to do anything else."


    After hearing this, Christian immediately furrowed his brows. ''A level 46 bodyguard accompanied Tristram that time...''


    ''How would someone stronger than that get involved in a dispute for a simple Warrior-grade medicine?''


    He then set those questions aside and got right to the point. "But who was this person? Do you know him? Do you have any idea where he comes from?"


    "I know as much as anyone else who participated in the Spiritual Tournament knows..."

 Chapter 432: Fifteen Months!

    "The person who murdered your brother was Minos, one of the finalists of the Spiritual Tournament!" He said it all at once while feeling sorry for those people who couldn''t take revenge on the person responsible for Tristram''s death...


    And upon hearing this, the three individuals from the Reid family stood there, stunned by the truth. The three of them had their mouths open, forming an ''O'', while their pupils were completely contracted, as thin as a needle.


    ''What a tragedy¡­'' One of Christian''s subordinates thought to himself, feeling a shiver down his spine. ''We have to stop this investigation immediately, or something bad might happen!''


    ''But what a disgrace! How did young master Tristram get involved with such a monster?''


    ''And that bastard was only level 39 at the end of the Spiritual Tournament¡­ Imagine how strong he''s going to be in the future¡­'' The other man pondered this matter, with his face becoming paler and paler.


    This bodyguard then looked at Christian for a moment and then thought of something. ''Damn it! It would have been better if we hadn''t discovered anything!''


    "This¡­Aren''t you kidding us? Are you saying that that person who pulled a tie against a level 44 person being only a level 39 cultivator was the one who killed my brother?" Christian asked in disbelief while clenching his fists as if trying to return to reality.


    That young native of the Snow Kingdom then shook his head in denial and said. "I''m sorry, but that''s the truth."


    "At that time, Minos was only at level 37, and none of us, including Tristram, could have known of that person''s monstrous strength. And his partner was as strong as a Spiritual King, although she was only at level 46!"


    "Because of that, neither Tristram nor his bodyguard had had a chance, let alone the rest of us." He recounted as he replayed scenes of what had happened back then in his mind. ''I wonder how strong that guy must be now...''


    And after hearing such confirmation, Christian couldn''t help but take a step back and rethink everything he had been doing for this mission. He didn''t care about the death of the person responsible for his younger brother''s death.


    Hell, such a person had done him quite a favor!


    But it would have been much better for this young master if he could avenge his brother''s death and win the heart of that widow...


    However, now such a thing had become entirely impossible!


    But not only that, but now he also felt a particular fear deep in his being. ''I hope that person doesn''t remember what happened at the Peak of the Fog...'' So, he thought as he tried to stabilize himself from the shock he had taken at hearing such information.


    A strong individual who returns to oppress those who have offended him in the past might seem petty. However, the truth is that there were not a few who did such a thing.


    In fact, several historical cases were known in this part of the Central Continent, often about the powerful in power.


    These used to be the proudest people who would never forget an offense and would even come back to get their justice...


    Consequently, Christian felt fearful right now. From what he had heard from this young man in front of him, Tristram''s offense had not been so exaggerated, but how could this young master remain reassured?


    Minos was a ruthless individual who didn''t mind murdering the young master of the Chambers family in front of tens of thousands of people!


    He had even crippled a level 43 cultivator just because that person had gotten in his way...


    ''Shit!''  Christian cursed Minos in his mind, realizing there was nothing for him to do about this young man.


    It would be stupid for him to think he could kill someone of Minos'' caliber, a guy who had gone to the Flaming Empire...


    ''What am I going to do now?'' He tried to find an answer to get out of this dead-end he''d fallen into. ''Even if I kill someone else and say he was responsible, Misty can find out the truth, and my situation won''t improve...''


    ''Shit, I have to warn dad too! We have to be careful with this Minos...''


    ''Ahh, I just hope that woman gives up on this idea of ??revenge. Otherwise, I don''t know what might happen...''


    "Cough, you two, let''s go."


    "Let''s go back to the family headquarters. It doesn''t make sense to continue this."


    After saying this, the group quickly left that spot, as the young man from before watched them leave this mountain.


    ''What a good guy! He looked so sad that he couldn''t avenge his brother''s death!''


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the capital of Stone Island, in a specific luxury property in that city, there was a room with several people talking, pondering how a particular matter should be resolved.


    "Our six spies were killed just over an hour ago! How could such a thing have happened? Weren''t they just chasing two Spiritual Generals?" Someone said it angrily.


    "Maybe the opponents got reinforcements... I heard that those cowards had been hiding inside Athela''s cultivation tower for almost two months!" Another person commented.


    "This is an unacceptable loss! How can the Nash family attack us like this? We have to react somehow, old man!"


    "Ahh, it''s truly a shame! These six could reach level 50 in less than two years... What a terrible loss for our Allen family!"


    And while they were talking about this subject, one of them finally asked the other part of it. "There''s not much we can do about it right now. But what about those Nash family ships coming and going from that island south of our state? Have we been able to identify where they are going?"


    Hearing this, one of the older men in that place shook his head in denial and said. "No, there are several ships that are making trajectories to that location. As a result, it may take us more than a year to reach the source of these resources."


    Pa!


    "Miserables! If we can''t identify who this Nash family partner is or steal this thing from that little bitch, we can''t let this go on!"


    "The third elder is right. I suggest we start negotiating with pirate groups. They can do much of the dirty work without us having to risk our ships and personnel."


    "We''re going to sink the Nash family ships and disrupt their business as much as possible!"


    Upon hearing these comments, an old bald man, who had remained silent in that place, finally said something. "Okay, let''s do it like this. Suppose we can''t negotiate with this organization behind these products sold by that girl. In that case, we''re going to sabotage their business on Stone Island."


    "Contact the Kingdom of the Waves pirate groups, let them know that we want to sign a deal within a year at most."


    "If that girl thinks we''re going to watch everything she''s doing quietly, then she is an idiot!"


    "If she and the Nash family think they can grow smoothly, we''ll show them why they lost their deal with the Rossi Kingdom!" The supreme elder of the Allen family said this firmly, with a determined look on his face.


    Economic powers didn''t like wars because the risks were always too great, and even if there were chances of vertiginous growth, the same could happen for the opposite...


    And the more one goes up, the higher is the fall!


    Consequently, it would be complicated for a great power to recover from a fatal blow in the eventual war. Because of that, these families didn''t like random wars.


    However, from the point of view of this mercantile organization, they would fight or be entirely overtaken by the Nash family in a few decades. And in this situation, the war was very worthwhile, as they could reverse this unfavorable scenario that was circling them!


    "Talk to our associates. We will increase the supply of certain products internally and decrease the value of the main items sold by the Nash family..."


    Finally, this meeting continued for a while, having been very important for the following actions of the Allen family against Elen''s family.


    Many things had been decided, but basically, this power started a trade war against the organization selling the Black Plain''s resources!


    ...


    And so, time flew by and quickly 15 months passed!

 Chapter 433: Updates 1

    At this time, two people were fighting in a place where the Spatial Kingdom fighting stage was located.


    Between these two people, one of them was a blonde woman wearing silver armor. The other was a shirtless man, muscly and with a red glow in his fists.


    Pow!


    The man then punched the air hard, flexing a large part of his body, as he tried to release as much power as possible in this attack. Then, quickly, he created a strong current of air aimed at that woman''s chest.


    However, the difference in strength between these two was not slight!


    This man tried his best to hit his opponent for the first time in this fight, which was already over 5 minutes.


    And as expected, once again, that blonde woman had dodged this man''s attack...


    "You rely a lot on your innate ability, Elmer. At this rate, you''ll never be able to beat an opponent faster than you!" She said with a smile on her face, just before running towards that man.


    And when she was only three meters away from this drenched man, she swung her legs in the air until she landed a hard kick to the chest of her adversary.


    Pow!


    "Ahhhh!" He screamed in pain as he spat blood and was thrown off that stage.


    The blonde woman then smiled once more as she looked to the side of that stage, where another 19 people were sitting on the floor, looking towards her.


    "Grym, you''re next..." She said, pointing to one of those people.


    "Even though you''re only at level 42, your innate skill is much more effective against opponents with my characteristics. But be careful. The difference in our levels is not small!"


    "OK."


    After that, another round of fighting quickly started on that stage, in the middle of the Spatial Kingdom forest. As for their identities and why these people were in this place, well, that was really simple.


    These 19 people and the individual who had been defeated previously were the 20 soldiers of the Black Plain Army, selected for the Elite Squad!


    After months traveling through the Kingdom of the Waves, Minos returned to the Black Plain. Shortly after that, the competition for these 20 spots from this squad took place in the local army.


    With that, as promised by the previous advertisement, the people who were part of this unique group had been taken to a special place where they could cultivate more quickly.


    And, of course, each one of them earned the right to learn Silver-grade techniques!


    After being brought to the Spatial Kingdom, these soldiers had been there for about a year. At that time, the weakest in the group was only at level 40, while the strongest was at level 44.


    However, after a year of training with techniques, resources, and a more suitable location, these people had significantly increased their strength. As a result, their weakest was now at level 42, while the strongest ones were at level 46!


    Among the most notable individuals in this group were Sergeants Peter, level 45, Pyke, level 46, Robin, level 45, Barbara, level 46.


    They all had managed to join the Elite Squad through selection and were very pleased with their developments in the Spatial Kingdom. With Silver-grade technique and their current levels, most of this group of 20 Spiritual Generals were already so strong that they could fight against standard Spiritual Kings at level 50!


    Of course, most of them at most could fight for a draw. Still, individuals like Pyke and Barbara already had full capabilities to win and even kill common-level 50 opponents.


    Anyway, the person with whom these soldiers were exchanging hands at that moment was none other than the young Elena, who had also decided to join Minos'' army after having stayed in the Dry City for almost a year, during the local sovereign''s trip.


    Upon this young man''s return, she decided to allow her bodyguard, Ernest, to join Minos'' forces while she did the same. Elena desired to develop into a mighty warrior, and upon seeing the potential of this location up close, she realized that this was the ideal environment for her to do so.


    Because of this, she had decided to stay in this region, even after Elen returned to Stone Island more than ten months ago.


    Finally, after spending months in Minos'' army, Elena had reached level 49 and become one of the instructors of the elite squad.


    Besides her, other people were also related to the teaching of these elite soldiers. Among them were Eda, who had already reached level 51, Eduard, level 51, Ernest, level 50.


    Just before Elen returned to Stone Island, she had authorized Eduard to join the local army. At that time, Minos had made the same offer to that young woman from the Nash family. However, she had refused.


    As a merchant, Elen could earn millions of crystals doing business with Minos. In contrast, as a subordinate, she would at most have to see those crystals go to the Nash family and not to herself...


    And even though the idea hadn''t been so bad, and somehow Minos hadn''t offered something that would restrict her, Elen enjoyed being a merchant. She had learned combat-focused techniques, but she didn''t like fighting.


    For that, and also for the financial factor¡­ Elen had refused Minos'' offer.


    But Elen didn''t think she''d lose too much from it... She had already cultivated to level 49 herself before leaving Dry City 10 months ago!


    She was confident of moving up to the next stage very soon!


    Her Nash family had a Silver-grade cultivation technique, and because of that, she felt she could make advances as easily as Minos'' soldiers who trained techniques of the same rank.


    In any case, in addition to the soldiers who were currently training with Elena, other people were sitting in various locations throughout the Spatial Kingdom, near the lake house, cultivating or conversing.


    Of those people, there were Ernest and Eda, who were in their time of training and cultivation in this location, in addition to the two youths, Lee and Alison.


    These two had improved a lot since the beginning of Minos'' journey to the Kingdom of the Waves, and by this time, they had both reached level 40!


    They were getting stronger and stronger and were already taking on various responsibilities within Minos'' organization. However, what was most striking about these two was the physical change they had gone through.


    Both had already left their childhood imprints behind and were now looking more and more like young adults, just a few months away from becoming adults.


    Alison had grown up very well. She was already considered beautiful, with unique contours, which made her friend, Lee, observe her more and more and in a somewhat different way...


    As for Lee, he had become a tall, muscular young man who already had a lot of hair covering his beard, to the point where he looked like five years older just because of that!


    Anyway, these two youths were doing very well and were already starting to feel interested in different things. For example, Alison no longer played like a child with Kyla and slowly thought of ideas like passion, etc.


    But that was to be expected. She and Lee were approaching early adulthood and couldn''t help but exhibit some behavioral changes related to physical transformations caused by their bodies'' development.


    Nor would it be ideal if it remained the same as before. After all, Kyla, level 38, was now about 2 meters tall and several times bigger than Alison. Consequently, this Nine-Tailed Fox''s young friend could no longer interact with her in the same way as before.


    But they were both good friends and often trained together, which was something very much appreciated by Kyla!


    Finally, in addition to these humans and the young fox cultivating in this location, Emlyn was looking around the area from atop one of the largest trees in the Spatial Kingdom.


    ''Ahh, this place is way livelier than before¡­.'' Emlyn thought to herself, with an expression that looked quite satisfied.

 Chapter 434: Updates 2

    Lately, Emlyn has been much more occupied with monitoring these people within the Spatial Kingdom than she had before.


    She had to observe and probe the activities of each of these people living in this location to ensure that nothing strange happened.


    Not that Minos was worried about robberies or anything like that. Although risks like these always existed, what worried this young man the most was that these people act carelessly alongside the precious medicines of this place.


    Such items could be damaged if attacks damaged their structures. Consequently, this big fox was here to observe the actions of these individuals and prevent, if necessary, unwanted accidents.


    But she wasn''t unhappy about it. Aside from the fact that this was precisely the obligation she had committed to Minos at the time the two of them had met, she liked the presence of other people in this place.


    Make no mistake. Emlyn loved living in this place with her daughter and Minos'' occasional visits. But most of the time, these two foxes were left with little to do in this place.


    After all, both she and her daughter hadn''t reached the stage of cultivation where they could simply cultivate for years. And because of that, at certain times besides sleeping, there was nothing else to do in this place.


    In contrast, with the arrival of these 20 regular residents and the constant visits of other individuals, this place had come to ''life.''


    Something this fox appreciated!


    A person could greatly appreciate the peace of a vacation or the rest of the weekend. But that would only happen after a hard week at work or months of sacrifice to accomplish your goals.


    And it was no different for Emlyn. Working gave a different meaning to her, and when she stopped to rest in this place, this fox felt much better, more fulfilled as if she had conquered a part that was missing in her being!


    Anyway, Emlyn was pleased, and with her cultivation increasing by leaps and bounds, this fox had reached level 53 in the time that had passed.


    ''Minos'' forces are improving very fast... More than two years ago, he had achieved his first Spiritual King, me. But now, in such a short time, he already has five individuals of that level!'' So, Emlyn thought to herself as she did her work.


    "And in less than a year, that blonde girl, Abby, and he should reach that level too¡­" She then smiled and muttered in a low voice, just for herself to hear. "Will he rechallenge me when he gets to that level?"


    Emlyn remembered the last confrontation she had had with Minos. At that time, young Stuart had just reached half of level 45, whereas she was at level 52.


    And as might be expected, the outcome of the battle had been as bad for Minos as it had been when the two first fight...


    After that, every time Minos got a new advance, he sought out Kyla''s mother for a new round of fighting. But he never won, not even in the last fight that happened five days ago, when this young man had a breakthrough to level 48!


    That time, Kyla''s mother had already reached level 53 for several days, and due to that, Minos had not been able to beat her. However, despite having lost all those fights, things got more and more competitive between the two.


    Each time they fought, Emlyn had to use a more significant portion of her powers. And on this last occasion, young Stuart had even managed to hurt this big fox, something he had never done before!


    "Ahh, if it wasn''t for this missing paw, even when he reaches level 50, I could still beat him one more time..." She muttered in her beast language while feeling a little disappointed.


    This victory that she had snatched from Minos in the last fight, in her view, was probably the penultimate victory she would have against this young man...


    Her cultivation speed was pretty good, but Minos was a monster out of the curve. Not even a powerful Nine-Tailed Fox beast could compete with him in terms of cultivation speed!


    So, even if she reached level 54 before Minos reached level 50, she didn''t feel hopeful of beating this young man, as her mobility was limited.


    ''I better forget about it. Sooner or later, it was going to happen anyway¡­''  She thought about it internally when Kyla''s mother finally turned her attention back to the humans who were fighting on that stage.


    ...


    While Elite Squad and those other people cultivated and trained in the Spatial Kingdom, Dry City was sunny right now.


    The urban area of this city had grown by more than 50% in the time that had passed, and the streets of this place were even busier than before Minos'' trip.


    The city had grown a lot and had reached the 180,000 inhabitants mark!


    Such growth was mainly due to the agreement Minos had made with Mirya, the ruler of the City of Waters. At first, the deal involved just over 20,000 people, but in the end, things had been a little different...


    Minos'' soldiers had created relationships with many inhabitants of that place. For that reason, it wasn''t difficult for them to get some more people to come to their city outside of the agreement that their young master had made.


    And that hadn''t been noticed by Mirya, or she hadn''t done anything about it...


    After all, that woman was just marking territory and had already gained a lot from her previous deal with Minos.


    As a result, she hadn''t even missed the 10,000 people that young Stuart''s soldiers had moved away.


    But that wasn''t the only factor in the Dry City''s population growth. Many other people had come to this place from other states in this region, mainly from the Kingdom of the Waves.


    Finally, after Minos''s investments with the professionals, he had made Soul Contracts in Wilburg city, the offer of local services had improved exponentially. And with the time that had passed since the arrival of these people in the Dry City, this place now had seven medium-level grade-2 professionals, including Dillian!


    These people were from five different professions, the three main ones, plus the specialization of designers and doctors.


    Other than that, there were over 80 low-level grade-2 professionals from nine distinct spiritual specializations in young Stuart''s town!


    Such a thing had greatly improved the quality of services in this town, making this place much more attractive to talented cultivators. And although Minos was not yet ready to open his territory to the world, some stronger cultivators would pass through his town now and then.


    Such individuals were only allowed to enter the city after passing a thorough interrogation to prevent enemies from entering the place. And such a thing had been efficient, as no problems had occurred in all that time.


    There were capable people within the army who made such a mission achievable. And from that thing, some more citizens from the 5th stage of cultivation had moved with their families to this city.


    Subsequently, the planting area of ??the Black Plain had increased significantly in the past months and now totaled over 3,800 hectares!


    With more than 100,000 farmers working in the local fields, the current Black Plain could produce around 13,000 tons of food annually.


    This food was almost entirely shipped to Stone Island, generating an annual income of over 100 million low-grade crystals and 1 million medium-grade crystals for Minos'' territory!


    Anyway, the Dry City was doing very well, and the citizens'' quality of life was excellent. Opportunities kept coming, and with each passing day, the local forces grew stronger.


    ...


    While this town ''lived'' this sunny day, as usual, Minos was in his office at the local government mansion.


    He was doing his job when suddenly Secretary Mia walked into that place and said. "Young master, Sergeant Joey is here to talk about army updates..."

 Chapter 435: Updates 3

    Mia leaned beside Minos'' desk and then placed some papers there, communicating the necessary information to her boss.


    This woman had improved a lot in the past months, and now she was at level 40!


    She looked as good as ever and was full of energy to work and continue her Dry City management activities. And, as her cultivation progressed, she was learning more and more from Minos about this young man''s management style so that she could better represent him in the future.


    As a result, this woman already had many other responsibilities locally in addition to being the sovereign''s secretary.


    Anyway, after informing Minos about the visit of a soldier from the headquarters, this woman had returned to her place of work while old Joey entered that office.


    Joey hadn''t joined the Spatial Kingdom soldiers, as he hadn''t even tried to sign up for the Elite Squad selection that had taken place over a year ago. Because of that, and because this man had no intention of becoming a full-time warrior, he hadn''t had the same opportunities as Peter, Robin, and Barbara.


    But this old man had still made it to level 44 and had considerably increased his status in the army over the past time. That''s because this man was the most experienced in the entire Black Plain, and many people highly valued the wisdom that someone over 400 years of age could have.


    Because of this, his position as an administrative soldier had risen. Nowadays, he spends a good deal of his time at headquarters rather than the borders of the Dry City, helping with management and solving the many problems that usually occur.


    "Here, Mr. Joey." Minos pointed to the old soldier in front of him, indicating one of the chairs that faced this young man''s desk.


    "Thank you, young master... Ahh, it''s boiling today, huh?" Joey briefly commented as he sat comfortably.


    And after exchanging a few words about the climate, Joey quickly started talking about his purpose for coming here. "Young master, we''ve just finished collecting last month''s army data."


    "Oh?"


    "At our most recent count, we hit about 9,500 soldiers¡­" He then proceeded to quote the numbers of soldiers at each of the cultivation levels.


    The number of soldiers had grown a lot since the end of that selection after the rescue of Peter. That''s because, in that past time, two other competitions had taken place in the Dry City to increase the number of local soldiers.


    And, of course, the number of soldiers had come close to the 10,000 marks.


    Finally, by the army''s most recent count, the number of soldiers in each hierarchy was now as follows: Students, just over 500 individuals, Recruits, about 1,900 Soldiers, 3,500, Corporals, less than 2,200, Sergeants, 1,400 and finally there were currently 5 Lieutenants, including Dillian and Emlyn.


    But even if there were some Lieutenants, Spiritual Kings, their numbers were not significant. The most important thing was how many Sergeants there were in the current Black Plain Army!


    Of the more than 1,400 soldiers, most of them were between levels 41 and 42. However, there were a few hundred Sergeants at level 43, dozens at level 44, and some at level 45. Above that, only those soldiers related to the Elite Squad had managed to surpass that level.


    And with such strength, they should be able to handle even a level 56 Spiritual King when fighting together, even without the assistance of Minos or the local Spiritual Kings!


    And that was a very remarkable achievement for this organization!


    ''We''re still a little below the power level of a small noble family, but I believe that in the next few months, when I leveled up to the 6th stage, this will be overcome...'' So, Minos thought to himself, after hearing the entire update about current army numbers, which Joey had told him about.


    Small noble families usually had around five Spiritual Kings, which Minos had already conquered in his forces. However, these cultivators were of higher levels than those in this young man''s army.


    Also, the number of cultivators from the 5th stage in these powers was much greater than in the Black Plain Army!


    Therefore, Minos felt that the total strength of the Black Plain Army was still a step below this type of organization, even considering the difference in the quality of the techniques.


    "Well, these numbers are in line with our plan." Minos said to Joey as he scratched his chin and then changed the subject. "Mr. Joey, start making preparations for the next military exercise..."


    "Uh, this should happen after I reach level 49, in 4 months at most."


    "Hehehe, young master, this time how many soldiers will participate in this event?" He asked with a friendly smile as he remembered recent events. ''A few months ago, it was 400 soldiers, but in the last military exercise, the young master fought more than 500 soldiers from the 5th stage...''


    Minos had set the dates for the military exercises to take place right after he had leveled up. And in the time that had passed since the first event of this nature, this sovereign had already fought his soldiers on four occasions!


    He had defeated his soldiers at all times after extremely balanced battles, with both sides suffering greatly.


    But that wasn''t weird. That''s because these soldiers had to regularly fight Eda, Elena, Ernest, Eduard, or Abby. These people performed the ''normal military exercises,'' which prepared the soldiers to face Minos.


    Consequently, all soldiers above the 5th stage in Minos'' forces had greatly improved their understanding of battles, as well as improved their teamwork!


    As a result, the difficulty imposed by the group of soldiers in the fights against Minos had increased considerably.


    But even so, this young man still needed to increase the number of opponents with each new event of this type. After all, he was the most talented person in this place, with the most remarkable combat proficiency and the best cultivation speed.


    So, if he didn''t increase the number of opponents in each of these tests, instead of maintaining a certain balance in the fights, which was ideal, things would get easier and easier for him.


    "I will fight 700 opponents next time," Minos replied without caring too much about it.


    "OK, young master..." Joey replied as he made a note on one of the papers he had to fill out to return to headquarters.


    Minos then relaxed in his chair and asked the old soldier in front of him with an anxious expression on his face. "Changing the subject, do you have any news from Humbert? I sent him four months ago to the Kingdom of the Waves to get my King-grade medicine. Did you get any messages from him?"


    Hearing this, this Sergeant quickly moved his gaze from the paper he was taking notes on and then smiled at Minos. "Yes, young master. That was one of the information I had to bring¡­" He then handed a small letter, the size of a hand, to the young man on the other side of that table there.


    "As the young master can read in this letter sent by Humbert, he has already collected the King-grade medicine from the Lillian family farm."


    "Hmmm." Minos made a long sound of appreciation as he read that letter.


    ''I just collected the young master''s medicine in the Lillian family. And considering the delivery time of this letter from where I am to the Dry City, I believe I will get there in another two months.''


    ''Hmm, that''s great!'' Minos cheered internally, taking a weight off his shoulder.


    This young man was concerned that the Lillian family might delay the delivery of this first medicine. But since he had now received the information that Humbert, level 45, had already collected it, the young ruler of the Black Plain could be carefree.


    With that man''s strength and considering he was using a 4th stage beast to travel unless he was very unlucky, Minos could have his medicine within that time!


    "Good! Good!" He exclaimed for a moment and then looked at Joey and tried to calm down. "Hehe, sorry..."


    "But Mr. Joey, speaking of good news, how is Alina''s development going? Is she..."

 Chapter 436: Updates 4

    "She managed to improve in this period that has passed since the last army report?" Minos asked with a gleam in his eyes.


    Alina was essential to Minos'' plans in the Black Plain, as she solved a specific problem.


    After she joined the army about two years ago, a few months later, the team formed at that time to investigate her innate ability had managed to understand such a thing and how it could be helpful in the local army!


    With such a study, those individuals analyzed how Alina used her ability and the residue left behind after the objects disintegrated. And they concluded that this residue, to a large extent, could be used to produce spiritual items!


    So many objects that blacksmiths or array masters had produced could be reconstructed using these residues. The only thing that would have to be added in the production of artifacts with these recycled resources would be those components with their own spiritual energy, which generally come from living beings.


    Examples of this are items of animal and plant origin.


    The residues of these items could not be reused, as they did not contain spirituality, as the spiritual energy dissipated after Alina used her ability.


    And because of this result, in the case of spiritual pills, these residues were practically useless. After all, most pill ingredients needed to have their own spirituality, as in the case of the medicines.


    But to produce spiritual weapons, Minos'' main objective, this young woman''s ability, had proved very suitable. Because, although items like this also demand resources with their own spirituality, such a thing was only a tiny fraction of the ingredients!


    The main thing in a weapon was minerals and the spiritual forging practiced by blacksmiths. In other words, with Alina''s skill, the Black Plain Army could recycle old, defective weapons to produce new items that could even be higher ranked!


    And that had brought many possibilities to Minos'' forces!


    Often, a spiritual weapon would break, as had happened with Minos'' previous sword. After that, they would no longer be of use.


    That''s because repairing a weapon that has been damaged to the point of breaking into pieces would be extremely expensive. Hence, few people would undertake such a task unless the weapon was precious.


    To give you an idea, repairing a weapon so damaged that it can no longer be used could reach 50% of the price of a new weapon, of the same rating!


    Also, every time a weapon went through a repair, it would lose some of its efficiency and endurance, sometimes even lowering its rating. And for this, many weapons were simply abandoned or sold at a low cost after being damaged.


    And that was precisely the opportunity that the local army had conquered after Alina''s entry into this force!


    With her skill, Minos intended to buy defective weapons from all the citizens of the Dry City and use the residue of these materials for the army''s blacksmiths to develop new weapons for the soldiers.


    Anyway, after Joey heard Minos'' question, he smiled and said. "Young master, she has improved a lot. She is currently at level 35 and can disintegrate items up to medium-level grade-1 classification."


    "Oh? That''s good. While this is still not that significant for the army, these medium-level grade-1 components can still be used in the production of weapons from a level above!" Minos commented happily.


    Such a thing was actually possible because the materials found in the world could have a variable range of potential and could be used to develop spiritual products of different classifications.


    Basically, what determined whether an item would be used to its full potential would be two things.


    The first one was the level of the expert involved in producing that spiritual artifact. Professionals with greater control and understanding of their techniques could make the best use of each component during their work!


    The other was the possibility that there might be an ingredient of more significant potential among the blended resources, something that would make it possible to produce higher-ranked items from various components of lesser potential.


    And for that, Dry City blacksmiths could complete these two points to produce higher-ranked items from the residue left behind by Alina''s disintegrated weapons.


    For this reason, Minos was pleased with the information Joey brought, even though Alina could only disintegrate medium-level grade-1 objects.


    "I let her learn a Silver-grade cultivation technique, but still... It should take a few years before she can disintegrate low-level grade-2 weapons." So, Minos thought as he made some mental notes.


    Finally, after some time talking to Joey, the two had finished their business and said goodbye.


    That old soldier had talked about some internal affairs of the army, like the case of Eduard''s current job.


    This man was one of the few Spiritual Kings of the Black Plain, and he had been sharing some of the local responsibilities with the others of the same stage. Among these was guarding the army''s naval base!


    And this responsibility was just what this man was doing at the moment.


    Every four months Ernest, Eduard, and Eda had alternated shifts there to protect the interests of the Black Plain.


    And such a thing had had results about four months ago when the Allen family had finally discovered that marine base of Minos'' army. Such a thing was part of that Stone Island organization''s plans to try to steal Elen''s business, and they hadn''t rested until they got it.


    At that time, Minos had already established such a shift schedule at that base, and Eda was the person who was on standby there four months ago. And when the two sides had met, when they felt this woman''s spiritual power and had their offer denied, the members of that family had attacked her.


    However, with the ''new'' Eda in that place, when she had already reached level 51, and with Silver-grade techniques, she had faced and killed 3 Spiritual Kings of levels 51, 52, and 53 of that family!


    After such an event, the Allen family had no longer sent people to that place due to the deep fear of the organization that could leave someone so strong in that remote place!


    What kind of power could nurture people with such combat proficiency?


    Only those organizations from outside the northern part of the Central Continent!


    It was easy to accept that a young Spiritual Warrior, like Minos during the Spiritual Tournament, could fight people from several levels above him. After all, the cultivation differences in the 4th to the 5th cultivation stage were not that significant.


    But one couldn''t accept that in Spiritual Kings. The difference at each level at this stage of cultivation was just too big!


    For this, that family hadn''t dared challenge the ''mighty'' organization behind that naval base.


    But even if there had been no recent threat to that location, Minos intended to maintain this shift scheme among the Spiritual Kings in that location. After all, he couldn''t know when someone powerful might show up there, disrupting his business.


    And as the only Black Plain outpost where they could export their resources, he was willing to constantly leave a Spiritual King there. So, at least that place would have good protection against possible threats.


    The main problem wasn''t even the Allen family but the possibility of relatively strong pirate groups finding that location. And even if that had never happened before, Minos had to prepare for the worst.


    ''Hmm, looks like I''ll have to send Ernest to that place in less than a week¡­'' Minos thought as he reflected on what Joey had told him.


    Eduard was already finishing his shift, and it was almost time for this young sovereign to send that man''s replacement to protect that place.


    Pa! Pa!


    While he was thinking about this matter, his office door was slammed twice, and then a young woman with blue hair entered that place...

 Chapter 437: The Royal Successor

    Noticing that Abby had entered his office, Minos smiled at her and then got up from his chair and walked to the middle of that room, where there was a large sofa.


    Minos'' young girlfriend had grown quite strong in the months that had passed since their journey through the Kingdom of the Waves and was now at level 47!


    She looked terrific, dressed in a green, understated dress that perfectly matched her personality and appearance. She then sat on young Stuart''s lap on that sofa and kissed him for a moment.


    "Mmmm~"


    After that, the two began to talk about daily issues related to this young woman''s responsibilities. Her duties had changed somewhat since the time they returned from their journey.


    For example, now she was no longer at the Dry City border posts, as she had back then. Instead of doing such a thing, Abby now held a role within headquarters, similar to what Eda had held months before.


    In addition to solving some administrative matters, Abby was also the strongest person within that place, at least most of the time. That''s because the Spiritual Kings of the local army and Elena, people above this young woman''s levels, generally didn''t spend much time inside headquarters.


    Either they stayed in the Spatial Kingdom, or they did other activities outside headquarters.


    And as Abby was already strong, she could assume this role with ease. But it wasn''t just that. In fact, as time passed, the soldiers saw her as a worthy figure to lead them, not just because she was their leader''s girlfriend, but because she was genuinely respected!


    Moreover, besides being on guard at headquarters for much of the day, this young woman managed the Dry City''s leader training division with Minos.


    This group had started its activities shortly after the selection for the Elite Squad soldiers ended, just as the number of local soldiers surpassed 7,000.


    And since the opening of this sector in the army, about 40 soldiers had already joined this division, whose purpose was to prepare the future leaders and managers of the Black Plain.


    This part of the army had minimum requirements that its members study in this division for ten years and reach level 50 to graduate. After these two requirements were met, these people would finish the course and actually begin to exercise leadership activities outside the army.


    Anyway, after talking about these matters for a few minutes, Abby finally asked Minos about something else. "Do you know if the Kingdom of the Waves royal successor has already been chosen?"


    Hearing this, Minos closed his eyes for a moment, recalling everything that had happened in the nearly year and a half that had passed since this young man''s ''encounter'' with Charles and Blake.


    Shortly after that event, the two younger princes had greatly diminished their actions because of the significant losses they had suffered to Minos.


    At the same time, the first prince had taken advantage to improve his position.


    Consequently, the competition for the throne had become a little more balanced, with Prince Wilfred coming closer to the third prince''s influence!


    After that, several fights occurred between those three individuals, with the three brothers suffering numerous losses, to the point where one relinquished the state''s royal throne...


    However, things had not been very favorable for one side.


    Although the third prince initially received much more support than his brothers, over time, strangely, Charles had lost about 30% of the external support he had at the beginning!


    Such a thing had immensely helped his brothers survive this troubled period in that state, making these choices for the royal successor even more difficult.


    That is because in the Kingdom of the Waves, as in other states in this region, the crown prince had to be the one with the most internal and external support.


    Such a thing was cultural and was related to the regional balance of power established by the Spiritual Church...


    Anyway, Minos then started talking. "My interference seems to have messed up that miserable one''s life, but he''ll get the crown prince post!"


    Of course, many of the losses Charles had incurred were related to Minos, either directly or indirectly. For example, he had made several deals with the Stone Island powers in the past. Basically, he had forbidden all those noble families of that place from supporting that guy...


    But this young man''s actions went much further than he knew. After all, due to his business with the Nash family, the Allen family had been forced to stop supporting Charles, to focus entirely on the trade war with their opponents.


    On the other hand, several families in the Cromwell Kingdom were occupied with the war between the Hayes and Chambers families, so they had not been involved in external problems.


    Apart from Minos'' interference, things were also tense in the Snow Kingdom, where a prince had been assassinated several months prior, causing quite a stir in that state...


    Because of all this, Charles had lost much of his support with families from these places!


    "So that''s how it is... But what about that other prince?" Abby asked as she firmly squeezed her hands.


    Minos then looked at the glass wall of his office with a stern look and said. "After Wilfred lost one of his arms to Charles and withdrew from the dispute for the throne, Blake grew a lot in the competition, but that only delayed that worm''s favorable outcome."


    "And when will that person assume the throne?"


    "I am not sure. By the last letter I received from Elen, it seems that he will be made the crown prince later this week. After that, the Kingdom of the Waves will be ruled by a regent until King Walker dies." He replied, remembering this information he had obtained just this week.


    This type of configuration, in which the crown prince would officially receive that position and not become the king until later, was another regional tradition.


    It was considered a great disgrace in all the states of this northern region of the Central Continent for a new king to assume the throne before the previous king''s death.


    In fact, such a thing could only happen a month after the royal burial, two occasions traditionally performed by a high-ranking representative of the Spiritual Church.


    And as for the possibility of the king abdicating his position before he died, giving immediate powers to his successor, well, that never happened before.


    Because dying as the king was considered a top honor for the people of this world, and those who went through it received the maximum prestige, often being considered heroes.


    And one of the Spiritual Church tenets said that the heroes of this world had an opportunity to go through reincarnation because of the faith that these millions of people had in these people.


    They believed that as long as someone was not forgotten by the living and remembered by millions, those dead people could have a chance to reincarnate!


    Most people didn''t know where this belief came from, but it had been around for so long that no one questioned it... And consequently, no dying king would miss the chance to die like a hero and perhaps gain a ''pass'' to a second life.


    These were the local traditions regarding the royal succession.


    Minos then used his left hand to touch Abby''s right cheek and then told her. "Do not worry about it. Before that king dies, we''ll still cause trouble for that worm."


    "He may have defeated us in this matter, but it doesn''t matter that the Spiritual Church recognizes him as the heir to that throne."


    "If he dies, none of this will matter!"


    "Hmm..." She nodded to him before moving closer to his face and kissing him.


    After that, the two parted, with Abby returning to her duties at the local army headquarters and Minos to his sovereign matters.

 Chapter 438: Municipal Police

    While the most critical members of Minos'' forces carried out their activities in the Dry City and the Spatial Kingdom, the local population enjoyed the evolution of local services.


    In the little more than a year since Minos'' return from the Kingdom of the Waves, the Dry City Cultivation Tower had gradually undergone a transformation, which had resulted in the increased capacity of this place.


    By the most recent numbers, this service had increased the number of rooms by about 150% and was now able to serve around 12,000 people simultaneously!


    However, as the majority of the population of this city could not afford to cultivate in a place like this every day, nor did they have the time to do it constantly, this place was already able to serve around 50,000 people a month.


    And the number of vacancies continued to grow at the same rate as before and would continue to do so for the next few months until the entire Minos and Todd deal was finalized.


    The agreement that Minos had made with Todd had already started to be fulfilled more than nine months ago when the first deliveries of the spiritual arrays had begun to arrive in this city. And with that, in less than a year, such a thing would reach its conclusion, which would allow the local Cultivation Tower to grow even more.


    As a result of the increase in the vacancies numbers offered by this service, more people were able to cultivate in this location more often. After all, the growth rate in the number of vacancies was much greater than the population growth in this city.


    And no wonder the local average  strength had reached level 40 for the first time in the history of this place!


    Most of the former Dry City inhabitants, who had lived here since Minos arrived, and who were in the 4th stage of cultivation at that time, had grown a lot in the past period, and practically all of them had reached the 5th stage today.


    An example of this was the families of Lee and Alison, in which the parents of this young woman had managed to soar about ten levels each in this period. As for the older brother of that young man, he had managed to reach the 5th stage of cultivation, as well as having joined the army!


    These improvements could be seen in many Dry City families, even those who recently moved here.


    As a result of this evolution, the number of fights in the local arena has increased dramatically!


    Such a place often reached its maximum capacity during the weekends, when many of the fights between more powerful citizens took place.


    As for those more trivial fights, which usually took place during the middle of the week, even if they didn''t have a maximum audience, there were always at least a few thousand cultivators to watch such events.


    Anyway, there was currently a much more competitive atmosphere in the Dry City, with many more people deciding to become warriors and fight on the most prestigious stage there. Hence, the fighting proficiency and the citizens'' understanding of such activity grew fast, following the increase in the local average level!


    ...


    In the middle of one of the busy streets of the Dry City, there was a large building in the shape of an ''H,'' where some people came and went from time to time.


    Generally, most of the people who frequented that place were older citizens, with age marks around their eyes and gray hair.


    However, some younger individuals passed by now and then, sometimes walking as if they were wounded. Other times, people with missing limbs would walk around that building, often accompanied by at least one other person.


    That was the General Hospital, where Dillian had been applying his knowledge to the teaching and development of medicine in the Black Plain.


    Furthermore, this place offered high-quality service to the citizens, with more than 30 doctors at their disposal and low costs for treatments of the most varied types.


    There were already low-level grade-2 professionals in this hospital, who Minos had brought from Wilburg through those Soul Contracts he had signed previously.


    And with that, the only thing he didn''t currently have in this location was a high-level grade-2 doctor, a professional that needed to be at least level 56!


    But it shouldn''t take long for that reality to change because Dillian had already reached level 52 in the period that had passed!


    With the Black Plain''s reserve of spiritual crystals and the training arrays of the local Medical School, this man felt confident of reaching that level in just over three years!


    At that time, this hospital would finally figure as one of the best in the region!


    Anyway, while that place worked as usual, in the vicinity of this hospital, some people dressed in a different set of clothes would calmly pass by from time to time.


    These people didn''t seem to be coming or going from the hospital, but instead just patrolled the area as if they were watching their surroundings.


    They wore similar indigo clothes, from which anyone who saw them up close could see the Black Plain symbol on their left chest and identification on their right chest.


    Besides that, few things caught the attention of citizens who saw these individuals.


    And amidst the regular patrols of some of these people dressed in these indigo uniforms, some citizens were sitting on the benches in a nearby square, murmuring.


    "It''s fascinating..."


    "Even though I''ve been living in this city for over a month, I still can''t help but be impressed by the fact that the local government hires even people with the White talent for the Municipal Police!" A bald man commented as he looked at a team of two guards who were patrolling that region right now.


    Upon hearing this, another person who was there in that square smiled and said. "But it''s not as weird as you think..."


    "The problem is that it''s complicated to see people with White talent above level 29 in our region. Because of this, people from this talent range are rarely hired for security services, especially when we involve noble families or big organizations, which usually have people with Black talent!"


    "But in our city, it''s different!" The man with a full beard said proudly. "Here, even citizens with White talent can easily reach level 30!"


    Upon hearing this person''s comment, another individual standing there said. "Truth. My great-grandfather has White talent, and even so, he''s already at level 34!"


    "And with this level of cultivation, he managed to join the Municipal Police, in the first selection that took place six months ago." He said.


    The Municipal Police these men were talking about was the organization created by the local government to patrol, take care of minor problems locally, and maintain the local prison.


    Such an organization had been in preparation for many months and had finally concluded six months ago when its first contingent was selected.


    The criteria for joining this organization were very similar to that of the local army, except that people with White talent could also join the Municipal Police.


    For the rest, this was identical to the army''s requirements, including ranks and salaries received.


    However, even though the requirements for entry into these two organizations were similar, the police had a completely different purpose than the army, so they attracted another type of people.


    The objective of such an organization was not to fight wars or protect the territory but to make urban coexistence as orderly as possible, imposing laws and acting against those who violated those rules.


    And because of that, police members didn''t need to be as talented as those in the army, nor of such high levels. In fact, most of the time, their service was only administrative and surveillance.


    Solving minor problems were the primary function of the Dry City Municipal Police!


    And in case something bigger happened in the city, their job was not to prevent these events, but to enable a quick action by the defensive force of that place, the army...

 Chapter 439: Judicial System

    The Municipal Police had been formed a few months ago, currently having a contingent of a thousand police officers to patrol the city and resolve small local matters.


    However, this was not the only service provided by these local agents. No, they also had the task of administering the Dry City Prison, a place built in the basement of the Municipal Police headquarters.


    This place was located in the city''s southern region, in an entirely rectangular building, protected by 8 meters high walls and many police officers.


    There were spiritual arrays to seal the cultivation of the prisoners in this place, so there was no need for the strongest people in this city to take care of such a thing.


    In fact, the role of the police in this place was not to prevent the escape of prisoners but to ensure that they continued to pay for their sentences, taking care of this place''s administration and the feeding of these individuals.


    It would be a pity if a person who received a life sentence of imprisonment died because of some internal problem...


    Such a thing wouldn''t make any sense!


    Sometimes the best punishment would be death, but continuing to live might be the worst for certain criminals in some circumstances. Therefore, the presence of greater power was necessary that ''persuaded'' the criminals to continue ''persevering''...


    Finally, in addition to the police having the investigative role, they were also responsible for prosecuting criminals in the Municipal Court of Justice, where sentences would be decided.


    This site had been developed for two years, right after the Dry City Written Laws were ready. At that time, such a set of rules had not been published due to the absence of a judicial and punitive system for criminals.


    And during that time that had passed, both things had been developed and put into practice.


    First, the Municipal Police had been launched. Second, about four months ago, the Municipal Court of Justice had finally started its operations.


    This place followed the Dry City Written Laws and had two types of judgments.


    The first was related to trials of common crimes, such as theft, public disturbance, destruction of public or private property, etc. There were official workers capable of examining cases of a neutral position and with authority conferred by the local government to proclaim sentences.


    As for the second type of trial, this was the one that dealt with severe cases, as in the examples of treason, murder, etc. People who committed one of these crimes would have to go through the same process as the first type, plus a second part, a public trial!


    The first part of this second type of judgment basically established whether the defendants were indeed guilty of their actions. Thus, if guilt were proven, these individuals would go to a public trial, where the population could define the punishment of these people!


    But public judgment had its limitations.


    A guilty person must still pay for his crimes, even if the population decides to absolve him of the maximum penalty.


    Anyway, this judicial system was all based on the rules established by the Dry City Written Laws.


    Such a thing established a series of infractions and their punishments, something that took into consideration from an ordinary domestic fight to cases of murder and treason.


    It specified how the police should act when dealing with suspects, how judgments were made, deadlines, the rights of the defendants, and finally, the punishments and their application.


    It was very detailed and had passed 100 pages. Still, even so, it contained only the basics necessary for peaceful coexistence in a big city.


    The cultivation world could be chaotic, and many people liked to do what they wanted. However, the weaker ones would never want to live in a place where they can be killed at any time, a place without laws.


    And the truth is, if you are not the strongest in the world, you will be on the weak side sooner or later, and you will need these rules!


    So, even in the cultivation world, people valued rules that ordered their lives and reduced the likelihood of someone leaving home and never coming back...


    ''My freedom ends when that of other people begins.'' That was the opening sentence of the law book of the Dry City, which was available for any inhabitant or visitor to read at the local library.


    And it was on this phrase that local laws had been based!


    Suppose an individual wants to do something that doesn''t interfere with other people''s lives, public or private services. In that case, that person could do whatever they wanted.


    As examples of these laws, there was the prohibition of fights in the city''s streets, murders, rape, treason.


    - ''Violation: Any fight on the streets or public buildings of the Dry City, except for those places proposed for this activity;


    - Punishment: 1 month in prison, a thousand low-grade crystals and working in the agricultural fields for one year;''


    - ''Offense: Rape;


    - Punishment: One thousand years in prison, complete castration of the organ, 100 lashes a day, and at the end of the prison, spiritual cultivation will have to be crippled.''


    - ''Offense: Murder;


    - Punishment: It can range from a thousand years in prison, crippled spiritual cultivation, payments to the victim''s family, farm work for 200 years, to even death.''


    - ''Offense: Treason;


    - Punishment: Death; that person''s family must be exiled from the Black Plain indefinitely; loss of all personal and family belongings.''


    There was a lot more to each of these rules, but most of the population just needed to know what they couldn''t do and the possible punishments.


    As for the other details, this was only important for the Municipal Police, which had the duty to investigate and prosecute, and the Municipal Court of Justice, which had to follow these details strictly.


    And when this set of laws had been released, the population had been quite curious about this punishment for treason. That''s because although it is normal for traitors to be killed, sentences for families were not!


    But this was different in the Dry City because this place was a land of opportunity. So, if any idiot thought about betraying this place, he could be sure that not only would he be killed, but his family would also lose all rights offered by this place.


    And that would be pretty heavy for these people, who might not even be to blame for such a thing.


    But Minos didn''t care.


    Suppose someone wanted to betray the Black Plain after all these opportunities this young man brought to this place. In that case, a traitor could be sure that his act would destroy his own family.


    The most the Black Plain would do was send these families out of this territory safely and wish them good luck elsewhere.


    And this rule was valid for all inhabitants of the Dry City, whether they were ordinary people or individuals affiliated with organizations in this place.


    Finally, the group talking earlier in that square, near the local hospital complex, began to disperse. At the same time, one of those men thought about these new features of the Dry City. ''Ahh, I think I can get into this Municipal Police in less than a year...''


    "I have to try harder from now on!" He muttered to himself.


    ...


    While things were developing in the usual way in the Dry City, in a specific part of the Central Continent, there was a large forest region, not far from a human concentration, from which a young woman with black hair was flying out.


    She was on top of a giant eagle, entirely white, with a yellow beak.


    It flew at great speed, making the young girl''s straight hair hang in the air as if it were levitating.


    This young woman was gorgeous and had a body with perfect measurements, not being exaggerated in any sense.


    And while her blue clothes fluttered with the passage of the air, this young woman was watching the city from afar with a smile on her face, thinking about what she was going to do next.


    ''I finally finished my mission! Now I can...''

 Chapter 440: Ruths Departure 1

    "Now I can finally take the time to go to the Black Plain!" The black-haired girl muttered in a low voice as she indicated for her great eagle to land on the spot in that great city that lay ahead of her.


    As she followed her path to that spot, this young woman had a sweet smile on her face as she thought of the person she most wanted to see right now. ''Oh, I cant wait to see you, Minos!''


    ''I''m preserving myself this whole time because of you¡­'' She thought as her face blushed softly, and she felt a heat rush through her body.


    That was the young disciple of Minos'' mother, Ruth Miles, who had gone so long without giving news to this young sovereign.


    She had returned to the Flaming Empire after the Spiritual Tournament ended. After that, she spent much of her time cultivating and training in the sect.


    But that was not all, because, with the responsibilities that every disciple had, from time to time, this young woman had to go out to solve missions, like the one she had just finished.


    Being a disciple of a large sect was not easy, and for talented people like Ruth, the demands were even greater than they would be for ordinary individuals.


    But while this made life difficult for talented people, it also helped them reach much higher heights, helping them become experts much faster!


    As a result of the training and missions she had enlisted to complete, this young woman had already reached level 50 for over six months. It would only be a matter of weeks before she reached the next breakthrough!


    ''Ahh, if it weren''t for this mission, I''d be in the Dry City by now...'' She thought inwardly, feeling a little anxious about meeting Minos.


    In the time she had passed, this young woman had discovered that she had deeper feelings for Minos, something that wasn''t just a sexual desire.


    In fact, Ruth had previously thought that after she went back to her sect, she would probably be interested in other men and that maybe Minos was just a passing, casual relationship.


    Ruth was pretty attractive, and even before meeting Minos, she was already being courted daily by many disciples in her sect. And such a thing had not diminished after this young woman returned from the Black Plain!


    However, after more than two years without seeing that young man, she had not taken him out of her mind and had not taken any interest in the many who tried to court her.


    And with that, she had made it her personal goal to reach level 50 and then head to the Black Plain to see Minos again...


    But for such a thing to work, in addition to reaching this level, the minimum necessary for her to travel out of that state, she also had to perform some missions. That''s because, in the Gray Cloud Sect, disciples like Ruth had to perform a certain number of missions annually.


    And, to ensure that her time with Minos was uninterrupted, this young woman had completed several missions ahead!


    For this reason, she hadn''t left for the Black Plain immediately after reaching level 50.


    Anyway, after some time, that eagle started to descend near a city in what appeared to be a big neighborhood, surrounded by trees and several different fields.


    That was the home of the Gray Cloud Sect!


    And it didn''t take long for the young woman to head towards the mission hall, where she had to report the results of her missions.


    After spending four months outside the sect to solve these missions, Ruth had finished her responsibilities and could leave this place after a few more days. She was so excited by the prospect of seeing young Stuart again that she hadn''t even bothered with the rewards she''d earned by recording her achievements.


    And just after she finished receiving her rewards, Ruth heard a female voice calling out her name, in the middle of that place where missions were registered in the Gray Cloud Sect.


    "Ruth! Have you finally returned from your missions?" A young woman with red hair asked her, at the same time, as she was gradually approaching Ruth, walking alongside a young woman with blue hair.


    Turning to see who was calling her, Ruth wasted no time seeing the two women she usually helps and who could be considered her friends in the sect.


    "Hmm, I''m done solving all my issues for the next two years." She commented as she looked in Kara and Mona''s directions.


    These two young women had participated in the last edition of the Spiritual Tournament, along with Minos and Abby, having joined the same sect as Ruth.


    After that, Abby''s young friend Mona and the young redhead who had finished third in that competition had gotten close to each other.


    Two of them had come from the impoverished northern Central Continent, and they had still had some contacts with each other during that tournament, along with Minos and Ruth. So, with that, it hadn''t been difficult for the three of them to become friends in this place.


    And after coming to the Flaming Empire, both girls had improved a lot, with Mona reaching level 45 and Kara level 47.


    Finally, upon hearing Ruth''s answer, Kara then asked her with a smile on her face. "So, are you truly going to Minos'' territory? Are you in love with him?"


    "Hmmm." Ruth responded, with her face slightly flushed. She had already told these two that she would take a long trip to the north of the Central Continent to spend time with Minos after performing these missions.


    Mona then stared at Ruth for a moment and then asked curiously. "I understand you want to go visit him, but why do you want to spend so much time there? Don''t you mind having your cultivation delayed because of that?"


    "I don''t care. It will only be a few months... So, it won''t make any difference." She said promptly without any hesitation.


    "And where is his territory? You never told us anything, even after we''ve been friends for so long¡­" Kara complained as she pouted her pink lips. "You could at least tell us his real name."


    Obviously, Ruth would not betray Minos'' trust by talking about these essential things with anyone other than his mother, Maisie.


    As much as these two were far from their families and had a good relationship with Minos, one letter would be enough for young Stuart''s peace to end!


    "You''ll find that out in the future, hehe." She commented, closing her eyes for a moment and smiling. ''Ahh, I imagine he''s already stronger than me right now...'' She thought inwardly, feeling that he would be the one to help her in training and not the contrary.


    She then played with the two young women. "Maybe I''ll take you two there when you reach level 50, hehe..."


    "Oh? But wouldn''t that be a bad thing? Minos would probably only see how much better we got when we came to the Flaming Empire while he stayed in that backward place..." Kara commented with a slightly frustrated look.


    For her, a young man like Minos should be in the best places in the world, getting stronger and becoming someone dominant who defines his own destiny.


    That was the kind of man who attracted her!


    But Minos had made the disappointing choice to stay in that place...


    "I think he''ll be fine..." Ruth commented vaguely with a smirk at the corner of her mouth. "But what about your brother? Do you have news of him?"


    "Yes, haha. Ford seems to have been accepted as a disciple of one of the elders of his sect. Because of that, he has already reached level 46!" The red-haired girl commented proudly.


    "This is amazing! By the way, Kara, that Spiritual Tournament finalist, Troy, is in the same sect as your brother. Do you know what level he''s at now?" Mona asked with slight redness on her face...


    "About this..."

 Chapter 441: Ruths Departure 2

    "Last time Ford wrote to me, Troy had already reached level 49!" Kara commented in awe.


    When she had fought that young man in the semifinals of the Spiritual Tournament, their cultivation difference was only one level. However, in a short two years, the two were already separated by two, and maybe this would only increase even more in the long term...


    Obviously, the finalist in that competition, someone who had been welcomed as the true champion of his sect, had received far more benefits than a young woman who had finished only in third.


    As a result, Troy took full advantage of the opportunities that arose after he came to the empire and grew stronger, distancing himself from people like Kara, who lacked the same advantages.


    "This is amazing!" Mona commented to those two women while she had a sparkle in her eyes. This young woman was somewhat attracted to Troy, and because of that, she always asked questions like the one before.


    That had not happened just because of the Spiritual Tournament but because of other later events, already in the Flaming Empire. And such things had brought this young woman from the Miller family close to that young man.


    "Hmm, he knows how to seize opportunities..." Ruth commented in agreement.


    She genuinely was amazed that a person from that poor region had adapted so well to the empire.


    There were always many problems for newcomers, and usually, these people were a few levels below the disciples of their sects who were the same age as theirs.


    Examples of this were Ruth and Mona. They were the same age, but one was already close to reaching level 51, while the other was only at level 45!


    And for this, it was not uncommon for some of these disciples to miss the best opportunities for the native disciples of this region, which would result in these people falling further and further behind the sect hierarchy...


    But Troy seemed to be over that and would probably reach the level of native disciples of the same age as him shortly!


    ''What level should Minos be on now?'' She wondered as the other two young women accompanied her out of that hall.


    Ruth wanted to talk to her master and then rest for a few hours. After that, she was already interested in leaving for the Black Plain!


    The trip to Minos'' territory was not short, as the territory of the Gray Cloud Sect was not close to that of the Cromwell Kingdom. In fact, the domain of this organization was in the southeast region of the Flaming Empire, a place tens of thousands of kilometers away from that location.


    But this young woman intended to pay to use Cloud City''s teleport array to reduce the distance a little, going from this southeast region to the northwest, the closest part to the Cromwell Kingdom.


    With that, in less than two months, she could reach the city of Minos, crossing the northwest region of this empire to her destination!


    ...


    Some time passed, and Ruth was already in front of her teacher in the courtyard of Maisie''s residence.


    In that place, the young mother of Minos was sitting in a wooden chair while she drank a cup of tea and listened to her disciple''s wishes.


    Maisie was radiating as always, the way a level 67, Spiritual Emperor, would be!


    Her curly brown hair was lovely to look at and matched the well-proportioned figure of her young body.


    This woman had managed to improve two levels since the last time she had seen her son, which is impressive considering it hadn''t even been five years!


    And with such a speed of cultivation, this woman hoped to reach the 8th stage of cultivation before reaching 100 years of age.


    Finally, while the young Spiritual Emperor was drinking tea, Ruth spoke her main point. "Master, later today, I will start traveling to the Black Plain. Maybe I''ll stay there for more than a year..."


    "More than a year?" Maisie commented in awe. She had never stayed so long in that place while having a relationship with Minos'' father...


    Maisie then watched Ruth''s eyes for a moment and probed her disciple''s body. "Looks like you''re really in love, huh?"


    This woman understood passion very well. She had felt it a few times... And she liked Minos'' father a lot, so much so that she tried to have a child with Albert for many years until that young man was finally born.


    But her feelings weren''t so deep that she would sacrifice her cultivation speed and sect duties...


    Maisie was an ambitious woman!


    However, even if she had never thought it was worth staying in that region for as long as Ruth wanted, Maisie didn''t believe it would be a waste to her disciple and wasn''t interested in trying to interrupt Ruth.


    That is for two reasons. First, because Minos was her son, someone that, although she didn''t see him often, she truly loved him. And she liked the idea of ??a pure, talented young woman like Ruth being with him.


    And second, because she felt that Minos was hiding too many secrets!


    This woman had quickly traveled to the northern region a few months ago and visited her son''s city. However, she had not entered that place, having just watched from afar.


    But that had been enough for her to notice how strange that place became after her son''s arrival.


    That''s because, although the Black Plain looks almost the same externally as it used to be, it was different in the vicinity of the Dry City!


    In that place, the spiritual energy seemed to be much more concentrated than in other parts of the Black Plain region, as well as the plants that grew near that city yielded fruits of high spiritual concentration.


    And after observing that spot for a while, Maisie noticed that the concentration of spiritual energy in the atmosphere seemed to increase as she approached the Dry City and decreased as she departed.


    It was almost as if there was a powerful attraction pulling spiritual energy into that place.


    And so, this woman had realized that the problem of the spiritual root of the Black Plain no longer existed!


    Through it all, she felt that maybe Ruth wasn''t going to miss a thing by spending that time in such a place.


    She then said. "Well then, be careful on your trip. But keep training hard, don''t take it easy just because you''re going to a weaker place!"


    "Don''t even think about being with Minos all the time. I know it''s good to do these things, but don''t neglect your cultivation..." Maisie then began to give her tips to her disciple. At the same time, young Ruth listened to everything, with her face completely red with embarrassment.


    ...


    After a while, the two of them had finished their conversation, and Ruth had already rested for a few hours when she finally appeared at the exit gate of the Gray Cloud Sect.


    Several cultivators at level 69 were at that location, maintaining local security, while some peak Spiritual Kings did minor jobs.


    And as she prepared to leave that place with her eagle, Ruth quickly delivered her notice that she would be gone for the next two years.


    "OK, all right, young girl. But, be careful on your trip and don''t forget your deadline. If within 24 months and 1 day you fail to deliver your notice of return to the Martial Hall, we will send an escort, and you will receive the appropriate punishments." A level 59 Spiritual King spoke to Ruth shortly after returning this young woman''s ID.


    "I get it."


    After that, Ruth gestured to her beast. Soon, she and White were in the skies, heading towards the Cloud City outpost where the teleportation service was located.


    ''This will cost me 3,000 medium-grade crystals, but it will be worth it!


    ''That way, I''ll save more than six months of travel¡­'' So, Ruth thought to herself as she moved along with her great spiritual beast.


    ...

 Chapter 442: Investigations in the Spiritual World

    As Ruth began her journey to leave the Flaming Empire, traveling towards the Black Plain, three men actively talked in the middle of a square in Farmland, a town in the Cromwell Kingdom.


    It was night and windy in this place where these men were, to the point where the noise was perfectly audible, surpassing the typical sounds of a city like this one.


    Besides, it was a little cold at the moment, and many of the people that circulated in the surroundings of that square were dressed in typical winter clothes, with scarves and coats. However, despite the cold natural weather, the temperature around these three men seemed to be much lower...


    The three of them had grim expressions on their faces. If they were watched closely, anyone could see how dilated the veins were in the neck and forehead of these individuals.


    Furthermore, each of them exuded a chilling intention, which was making all the ordinary people who passed through that place avoid approaching them.


    One of them was standing, while the other two were sitting on a stone bench in the middle of that square, talking seriously but without losing their composure.


    In fact, if someone tried to overhear the conversation of these three, maybe that person would be a little shocked by the calm tone they were talking to, despite the unhappy look they had on their faces.


    And as the dry leaves on the lawn of that square were lifted by the wind and thrown away, one of them said. "I don''t think there''s any point in us continuing in the Cromwell Kingdom. If there were any clues in this place, we would have found it a long time ago."


    Hearing this, a red-haired man who was sitting on that bench nodded in agreement. "Oscar is right, Urban. We''ve already checked every possible location in this state that Sarah''s group could reach."


    "I¡­ I think we have no choice but to tell the patriarch that we failed in our mission. That way, we can at least take our punishment and get back to our daily life¡­" Scott commented at the same time as he clenched his fists in frustration.


    These three men were the members of the Silva family who had been assigned to investigate the deaths of Darell Silva, the former young master of that noble house of the Brown Kingdom, and the Sarah Silva group.


    But after so many months of investigating, they hadn''t found anything, despite their tireless work.


    In fact, they had worked so hard that in just over two years since being assigned this task, they had thoroughly checked out the possible locations of the murders of Sarah and her companions in the Cromwell Kingdom, Kingdom of the Waves, and Stone Island.


    But they always ended at the same point...


    Nothing!


    And finally, they had come to this present moment where they were all frustrated and almost ready to give up on this problem.


    It was very frustrating not getting anything, not knowing their mistake, and why they didn''t make any progress...


    And no wonder they were about to give up!


    "We can only go to the Black Plain now..." The group leader said with a disdain look.


    Indeed, this was the last place left for them to pass... But the chances were simply zero!


    It was so unlikely that the other two men couldn''t help but laugh after hearing their leader''s comment.


    "Hahahaha! Boss, stop joking, I know we''re at a dead-end, but this joke is not good for us. Haha." The muscular man who had been standing a few moments ago said this as he tried to lean on that stone bench, holding his abdomen with one hand and laughing a lot.


    "Hehehehe, but despite being funny, there is only this place left." The red-haired man commented, remembering that they hadn''t tried to probe the Black Plain.


    And right after laughing some moments, he got serious and said. "But seriously, even if such a thing happened in that place, then the enemies are probably from outside that region."


    "After all, there''s no way a place that doesn''t even have Spiritual Generals could eliminate three people near the end of this cultivation stage!"


    Urban then nodded and spoke again. "Yes, because of that, we probably won''t be able to find anyone who can identify the culprits for us."


    "Hell, these people can''t even feel the spiritual power of other cultivators. So, how could they distinguish a powerful cultivator among them?"


    And such a thing was crucial in an investigation!


    Because even if a crime was considered ''perfect,'' that is, without witnesses, there were still ways to find the most likely suspects to be the culprits!


    That was neither easy nor quick to do. Nonetheless, as long as there were individuals capable of determining the cultivation level of others and also willing to speak, a ''perfect'' crime could be solved sooner or later.


    For example, one crime could take place in the middle of a forest without witnesses present. However, those involved in such a situation would eventually seek refuge in human cities. They could protect themselves and cultivate in those places, free from the natural hazards associated with forest regions.


    And with that, considering the time of death of the victims, the region where the victims were last seen, the cities close to such an area, then the chances of the culprit having passed through one of these places would be almost 100%!


    And from this information, investigators like these three could do the part of their work that depended on local inhabitants, who could identify the arrival and departure of unusual individuals.


    The culprits would usually buy pills or things like that to recover themselves. In some cases, they would have some injuries, marks of recent fights.


    From these characteristics and the cultivation level of these unusual people, these inhabitants could provide essential tips for investigations like this one.


    That''s because, in addition to a good memory, cultivators were also curious individuals who would try to find out the level of people in their surroundings at almost all times!


    For all that, it was not impossible to solve ''perfect'' crimes in the Spiritual World!


    But for that, they needed people capable of distinguishing the level of others, that is, with minimum cultivation of level 40, something that didn''t exist in the Dry City...


    "Most likely, this won''t help us. But since we don''t have any other possibilities, we''d better investigate that place carefully..."


    "At least it will show the patriarch that we did everything we could!" Urban commented, just before heaving a big sigh.


    He couldn''t even be happy about the breakthrough he''d had recently because of all this disappointment.


    In fact, of this man''s group, only Oscar had failed to increase his strength since he had seen the Silva family patriarch more than two years ago.


    Urban was now at level 53, Scott at level 52, and Oscar at the same level as before, 51.


    But none of them were happy, even though their status would increase after returning to the family headquarters.


    After all, that wasn''t enough for them to cover up the fact that they had failed a simple investigation...


    "So, will we leave for the Black Plain tomorrow?" Oscar asked Urban.


    "Yes, but let''s first visit the Rowe family tomorrow morning. After that, we will leave this place."


    Scott then frowned for a moment and asked. "Do you want to get information on that matter?"


    "Hmm, it''s bizarre, but all the powers in that place have behaved differently for the past few months. I''ve heard that several noble families from that region have decreased their actions externally and started to focus on the Stone Island itself."


    "It''s as if a great treasure has arisen in that place!" He commented curiously.


    "Hmm, and the biggest loser of all of this was the big families that run Farmland, who practically stopped doing business with most of the noble families in that state."


    "They still export a lot of their items for sale to common people, but the constant loss of the market related to the nobles has been bothering them a lot. And despite being small, it''s still considered a bad omen for them..."

 Chapter 443: That Was Amazing! (*)

    Meanwhile, on the Black Plain...


    Minos and Elena were currently in one of the rooms of the local government mansion, in one of the empty residences.


    These two continued to have intercourse occasionally, and as Abby did not like Minos to take other women to her bed, this young man spent his time with Elena in one of those empty residences in his mansion.


    This was convenient for them, who didn''t have to go out and go to Elena''s apartment in the middle of the afternoon when they occasionally had fun.


    But every once in a while, they did this in different locations, as in the examples of this young woman''s apartment in the Dry City and the house in the Spatial Kingdom, a place with lots of rooms available.


    Anyway, Minos and Elena continued their relationship without commitment to each other. They both enjoyed having fun together, but there wasn''t any more profound feeling between them.


    Even after more than a year of doing this, the most there was between the two was a particular friendship, which made the two talk a little more than usual. However, such a thing was not so significant, and when these two were alone in some private place, they almost always spent most of their time doing just one thing...


    And that is what they were doing right now!


    Pah!


    "Ahhhh~"


    Elena let out a heavenly moan right after feeling Minos'' smack on her left buttock. At the same time, he rubbed his groin against hers and made this woman''s little sister feel stimulated internally and externally.


    Minos had become much more experienced in this activity, and over time, he had learned new techniques, which made his partners roll their eyes while in pleasure, as he enjoyed every part of their bodies.


    And with the increase in this young man''s level, he could use his senses more efficiently so that he could sense precisely the natural reactions of his partners during sex!


    He looked from the most significant details to the smallest. For example, every time he had fun with Elena or his girlfriend, Minos would observe reactions from their bodies. Such as goosebumps, pupil diameter, respiratory rate, involuntary gestures of hands and legs, etc.


    Many points could tell how good a woman would be feeling during sex. And the young sovereign of the Black Plain did not underestimate these tips!


    But not only did he use these reactions to hone his skills in bed, no, Minos also felt great every time he saw those reactions.


    It was a gratifying feeling!


    Every time he saw Elena or Abby biting their lips, ''scratching'' the sheets on the bed, while this young man felt his rod being ''squeezed,'' he felt terrific, more disposed to these occasions...


    Hearing her partner''s moans was marvelous, but these more subtle reactions were something that made a big difference.


    In any case, Elena''s legs tightened, and her body trembled atop young Stuart''s rod. This young woman reached her climax almost simultaneously with Minos, who filled her cave with his seeds.


    "Ahhh~ That was amazing!" She commented, still feeling the sensations of pleasure travel through her body.


    Right now, Elena was sitting on top of Minos, still connected to him, breathing hurriedly. Her beautiful, good-sized breasts were bouncing up and down while beads of sweat trickled down the middle of her chest, running down to her little sister.


    And meanwhile, the brown-haired young man was lying comfortably below her, his hands gripping Elena''s waist and breathing as fast as his partner.


    Finally, after hearing her comment, young Stuart used one of his hands to gently squeeze Elena''s left breast until he brought it to his mouth.


    "Mmmm~" Minos then sucked it in the way Elena liked the most, making this woman feel on cloud nine once again.


    "Ahhh~"


    After that, the two kissed for a few moments until they had completely satisfied themselves with this sex session.


    The two then disconnected from each other and lay there on that bed, resting from their action, lying side by side, completely sweaty and ''contaminated'' with each other''s fluids.


    While they stood there like that, they finally started talking about some things. Some things were casual, commonalities that would be discussed between people who sleep with each other, even without a commitment.


    But when they did, because of the relationship the two had in the army, it wasn''t long before they started talking about official matters relating to the affairs of this organization and Stone Island.


    "How are the problems on Stone Island? Did Elen send a message?" Elena asked as she stared into the left side of Minos'' face.


    "Hmm, but nothing too different from last time. It''s just that your family has already started to receive the resources I promised you, and they seem to be very pleased with your efforts."


    "They also expect you to come back to visit them in the next few months, uh, it seems like during one elder''s birthday¡­" Minos communicated to Elena what he had received from Elen.


    These two young women could not risk communicating with each other through letters. Because of this, any message that Elen addressed to Elena was delivered through Minos, along with the information that should come to this young man''s knowledge.


    So, usually, Minos was the one who got these messages first, and only then did he tell Elena about them.


    And hearing that, Elena understood everything her friend had informed her, without being surprised by her family''s request.


    They didn''t know this young woman was on the Black Plain with Minos. On the contrary, they thought she was traveling north of the Central Continent while experiencing life.


    The same was true for her bodyguard, who was traveling alongside her in this region...


    She then said. "Well, then I guess I''ll make this trip after I advanced to level 50. That''s the criteria you put in, right?" She asked with a smile on her face.


    Minos looked at her and then said. "Hmm, but you can''t stay more than six months out of here, do you understand?"


    "Don''t worry, I won''t expose this place, and anyone who gets in my way will be exterminated for the sake of the Black Plain." She said in conviction.


    This young woman genuinely enjoyed this place. After all, because of Minos, she had had a chance to learn Silver-grade techniques and was cultivating faster than ever.


    But not only that, with the knowledge of the Spatial Kingdom, this woman knew that the potential of Minos, and consequently of the Black Plain, was far above the states of the northern region of the Central Continent.


    With that, an intelligent woman like her would never risk missing this chance, especially because she knew that if Minos wanted to leave this place, no one could stop him!


    And, aside from knowing that the best decision of all was not to risk this place, she also didn''t want to be away from here for an extended period of time, as that would mean a slower cultivation speed!


    Minos then smiled and said. "Well, since you understand that, I''m more relaxed..."


    "But about your trip to Stone Island, you need to understand a little better how the situation is there right now." He said this with a resolute expression as he began to remember everything that had happened in the past months...

 Chapter 444: Trade War

    In the time that had passed since Minos and Abby''s return to the Dry City, many issues had developed on Stone Island, some positives, some negatives...


    Firstly, all the agreements those noble families wanted to make with Minos through Elen were organized after Abby, and he returned from their business trip.


    At that time, during the couple''s journey, Elen had already communicated those powers of Minos'' conditions, having even negotiated for several weeks until they reached a compromise.


    And after all that was resolved, almost a year had passed since then!


    In the meantime, Minos had done a lot of business with those powers, including making some demands that would disrupt Charles'' life, among other matters as well...


    And they had hardly had any problems in this business relationship for most of that time.


    Everything was going well, with Minos sending his resources through the army''s naval base, Elen transporting the goods on the ships of the Nash families, and then distributing them among the Nash shops and these noble families.


    Finally, those powers paid the crystals to Elen, and she made all the payments at once to young Stuart.


    That was something that had worked well for both sides until, eventually, the Allen family had discovered the army''s naval base.


    At that time, they had had a big defeat and had never tried to go near that place again. However, the same was not valid for Nash family ships...


    Since the Allen family couldn''t risk attacking an unknown power, they could only fight opponents they knew well, their historical competitors!


    And to do this, the Allen family had hired several pirate groups from the northern part of the Central Continent to plunder and destroy the Nash ships.


    As a result, immediately following the meeting of those Allen family specialists with Eda, this organization launched that strategy, destroying four ships operated by Elen''s subordinates, which were carrying large quantities of food planted in the Black Plain.


    With that first attack, Elen lost over a million crystals in products in a single afternoon, not to mention material and personal losses associated with the ships and subordinates who operated it!


    And to make matters worse for her, this loss could not be shared between her and her business partners, Minos and the noble families of Stone Island...


    After all, her agreement with Minos granted that payments had to be made in advance, with the one exception being the first delivery. And as for the noble families, they paid for the products that arrived...


    In other words, if nothing arrived, there was no payment!


    Thus, if the product were sold, stolen, destroyed, none of this would matter to Minos, much less to those noble powers.


    Elen was the intermediary between the parties. When she had such products in her hands, it was just her and her family''s problem to deal with the issues that came up. At the very least, her business partners had no responsibility for these occurrences!


    And the results of this situation, which continued to repeat itself a few times in the months following the first attack, well, it had utterly affected the actions of the Stone Island powers.


    For this reason, today, someone well-informed could quickly identify two large groups in that state: those who did business with Elen and those who didn''t and were on the side of the Allen family.


    Elen had created this division, convincing the powers that had made agreements with Minos to assist her if they wanted to receive the previously agreed products...


    After all, she couldn''t afford ongoing losses while ensuring a regular supply of products to these organizations!


    She knew she couldn''t make demands of Minos, as the Black Plain was not yet strong enough to show itself in public.


    On the other hand, she needed this young man much more than he needed her at the moment, so there wasn''t room for her to demand things from him.


    However, the noble families of Stone Island with whom she had negotiated on Minos'' behalf were also interested in these resources. Therefore, they had no reason to oppose this young woman from increasing her demands!


    Hence, she had formed a group to pressure the Allen family, creating a two-front war, with the sides constantly faced each other in sea and commercial combats.


    First, the Nash family had invested much more in the Elen and Minos business, having allocated the best ships for this and several Spiritual Kings to protect the loads.


    On the other hand, each noble family sent at least one of their Spiritual Kings to help protect the loads.


    Second, while they fought to protect the Black Plain''s resources, each family allied with Minos started a trade war against the Allen family by lowering the prices of this power''s best-selling items!


    On the other hand, the Allen family was already doing the same thing against the Nash family, and when Elen had started the previous scheme, it didn''t take long for this rival power to begin pulling together the organizations that had been left out of the agreement with the Black Plain.


    As a result, a cycle formed!


    One side lowered the prices of certain best-selling products to cause more significant damage to its opponents. At the same time, the other did the same, but with different goods...


    Simultaneously, each of these families had closed off to the ''outside world,'' focusing their attention entirely on Stone Island.


    That''s because the state experts predicted that when such chaos ended, the winners could soar to new heights never seen before in this region in hundreds of thousands of years!


    Therefore, almost all of them were willing to focus on this conflict started by Elen, Minos, and the Allen family.


    Anyway, Minos and Elena, who were still lying on that bed, naked and facing each other, talked about these matters for a while.


    This young woman didn''t know all that well about the things going on there, as she spent most of her time in the Spatial kingdom, training the Elite Squad soldiers.


    Hence, Minos wanted to update this young woman so that she would take certain precautions during her planned trip to that state.


    "But don''t worry too much about it. When I get to level 53, regardless of the situation in that place, I will put Stone Island on the line. Any war that takes place there will end at this moment." Minos confidently  said as he took in the beauty of Elena''s naked body.


    "Oh? So, it shouldn''t take long, hehe." She responded with a smile on her face.


    Minos then remembered something and asked Elena while he had an earnest expression on his face. "However, I''m curious about one thing, Elena. Why hasn''t the Stone Island royal family been involved in this matter yet?"


    "Almost the entire state is involved with this problem, but Elen did not even notify me of possible actions of this organization."


    "Oh, you don''t know?" Although this young man was a fighting genius and had made many correct decisions, she realized he didn''t know everything and needed help.


    "It''s not strange that you don''t know. Such a thing you don''t learn in spiritual academies... At least I don''t think you listen about things that happen in states other than your own."


    Elena knew that Minos was no regular nobleman, that came from a traditional family. The opposite of that, a nobleman from a newly established family. Therefore, she knew that he had not had the opportunity to learn more about his region from a noble regional power''s information.


    She then started to explain to him. "Well, on Stone Island, the functioning of the state is a little different from what happens in the Brown Kingdom, there we..."

 Chapter 445: Admiration

    "There, we have a much greater freedom concerning situations like this." Elena started to explain to him. "In fact, the Stone Island royal family does not exert a power of control over the noble families of that region as it does here on the mainland."


    "While the royal families generally rule by suzerainty on the mainland, it is something more autonomous on Stone Island."


    "They govern our territory as a city mayor would do in their territory. The zones and public roads are governed by the rules of the city, while on private property, as long as it is not something too extreme, what counts is the rule of the owner of that place."


    "And the royal family in our state acts that way. As long as the noble organizations pay their taxes, don''t rebel, and follow some of the few laws of the royal family, then each noble family has plenty of freedom to act within their territories."


    "These powers can even destroy each other, and the royal family won''t interfere if it doesn''t violate its rules."


    "They''re pretty strict on this." She made a point to emphasize that.


    The Stone Island royal family was truly peculiar in their mode of government. However, they did it because they could!


    In general, there were two lines of thought concerning territorial management in this region of the Central Continent.


    The first, and most common, was the kind of concentrated administration, where a power, or a person, defined almost everything that was relevant and those vassals or ordinary citizens had to accept.


    The second was something similar to what happened on Stone Island. A royal family was giving a lot of freedom to the noble organizations, as long as those powers followed their few rules.


    And the second option could be an interesting thing to do when the royal family was strong enough and didn''t need more support!


    In the first mode of administration, the royal family had such power with its subordinates, but the opposite was also true. These overlord organizations had to protect and act in defense of their vassals on certain occasions.


    And that could be quite costly and inconvenient...


    However, there was the possibility that rulers simply acted as if they were renting their territories!


    Such a mode brought few responsibilities to the royal families. The tenants had to pay practically the exact amount that would usually be paid in the first management mode, but the owner would have no responsibilities!


    Of course, there was a difference, which was mutual support. While the royal family was under no obligation to help regional noble families, the other side was also under no obligation to follow the king during a war.


    But a state with a powerful family like Stone Island royalty didn''t need the help of local noble powers!


    Anyway, after listening to Elena''s explanation, Minos understood a little more about the customs of that state. ''In the future, I can do something like that with the northern kingdoms, hehe.'' He thought to himself.


    He had no intention of annexing any territory beyond what he considered his right. But that doesn''t mean he couldn''t make those kingdoms in the region obey some of his laws...


    He then asked. "Looks like this royal family is pretty strong, huh? Otherwise, these nobles would not stand it and would rebel."


    "Hmm, I heard from my dad that there are three Spiritual Kings at level 59 in the Stone family!" Elena said with a sparkle in her eyes.


    She admired the power of such a family. After all, how many levels 59 people were there in the northern part of the Central Continent?


    Less than 20!


    And of those numbers, almost all of them were among the numbers of royal families in the region.


    However, apart from the House Carline, Kingdom of the End, and Hause Walker, Kingdom of the Waves, only the Stone family had reached the mark of more than 2 Spiritual Kings at that level!


    For this reason, this young woman, who had always dreamed of reaching this level before meeting Minos, could not help but admire her state''s royal family.


    She could even feel that one day she would surpass that level with Minos'' help. However, that didn''t change the respect she had for that organization!


    "Oh? That''s truly good for them¡­" Minos commented in awe.


    He had signed an agreement through Elen with the Stone family for him to sell his resources. In return, in addition to the crystals, he had also won a non-aggression treaty with that organization!


    Because of this, Minos was not concerned with the number of Spiritual Kings of the royal family in that state.


    Anyway, after they had talked about Stone Island for a few more moments, the two had taken a shower together. After that, they quickly dressed and then left that residence, heading back to the official part of the mansion.


    And as they walked through the corridors of that place, the two were talking about other matters, this time related to the activities of the Elite Squad.


    Elena was one of the instructors of that group of 20 soldiers, and because of that, she was involved in all activities related to that part of the army.


    "Soon, we will start a new selection for another 30 soldiers to join the Elite Squad." Minos started talking as Elena walked beside him. "For this reason, I want you to prepare a temporary instructor among the current 20 soldiers in the squad so that he can take your place during your absence."


    "But that person will only be responsible for training the 30 new soldiers. So, this person will still have to continue his training routine with Eduard, Ernest, or Eda."


    "I understand. In fact, I already have a good name..."


    "I think that young woman who was rescued from slavery by you, Sergeant Barbara, she is probably the best."


    "Pyke would be the best if she weren''t here, as army soldiers highly respect him. However, due to the disparity in talent between the two, as well as the fact that Barbara had previously been a subordinate of a noble family, whereas he was only a guard of the former Dry City, he cannot be the best choice."


    "Hmm, that makes sense. But watch this carefully and then talk with the person you choose. I want her to be prepared to train these new squad members as soon as the competition is over."


    "OK."


    After that, Elena said goodbye to Minos and went to the headquarters of the Black Plain Army to resolve some matters. As for the brown-haired young man, he went straight to his office, where he had some business to take care of.


    ...


    And soon after arriving at his office, it didn''t take long for secretary Mia to start coming and going, taking orders from Minos and taking care of the reception in this young man''s office.


    "Mia, I want you to let the army know that from now on, we are going to reduce the number of selections for new soldiers to just once a year. In addition, I want them to increase the rigor of the tests, along with the minimum period of residence in the Dry City." He spoke to her as he watched his secretary pick up the papers from his desk.


    "All right, young master, I''ll notify the army as soon as possible." And as Mia was leaving that spot, young Stuart noticed a ring on the ring finger of her left hand.


    "Oh? The rumor I heard must be true¡­" He muttered with a slight smile on his face. "Congratulations on your engagement, Mia. Hehehe."


    And upon hearing this, that woman was a little embarrassed, but she thanked Minos for the words.


    From what he''d heard, his young secretary had caught Sergeant Peter''s favor, and this guy hadn''t been slow to propose marriage...


    After having a good laugh remembering that Peter had complained to him about a few things recently... Minos finally went back to his work, putting those casual thoughts aside.

 Chapter 446: The Dry City Defensive Tower

    While Minos was working in his office, a large group of people stood on the sides of some street in a part of the Dry City, near the central region, observing the situation in the surroundings.


    At this point in the city, there was a large tower over 100 meters high, which at this time had many people suspended from steel cables along the sides of this place. These groups of individuals wore the same type of orange clothing and seemed to finish the last details of this place.


    Some used instruments to hold steel sheets at some points, while others simply had paint cans in their waists and large paintbrushes in their hands.


    Finally, a loud noise came from that place, which mixed the sounds of all these people working and some occasional sounds typical of spiritual arrays.


    "Let''s do the first test!" Someone shouted, and almost immediately, the workers in this place began to repeat the same thing, passing the message on to those farther away from this building.


    "Let''s do the first test!"


    And while the repeated phrase of these men reverberated through that place, the observers on the sidewalks had excited eyes as they saw that this place could finally go into operation.


    "Ahh, even though our city''s defensive tower isn''t up and running yet, I feel so much better that we''ve finally gotten to the point where it gets tested!" An elderly woman commented this in the crowd as she breathed a sigh of relief.


    "I''m glad it''s over... It''s been more than two years of construction!" Another individual at that location said to one of his friends.


    "Truth! As much as it doesn''t generate noise at night, it was still quite annoying to have to hear this sound from the beginning of the day until dusk!"


    "But it was worth it! Now we can be protected from many more threats..."


    The conversations then grew more and more, with many people smiling and many others heaving sighs of relief at the completion of the construction of the Dry City Defensive Tower.


    These people were just ordinary citizens, but even if they didn''t know the dangers facing the Black Plain, they knew that no one would be allowed to develop so tremendously in the cultivation world without having to go through many trials.


    Therefore, these people were already worried about what could happen to their city if a greedy nobleman discovered the changes in this place.


    The Dry City was a no man''s land that no one wanted in the past. But precisely because of that, after the change that this place had gone through, the chances of this stimulating the greed of the other powers were far above what it would be if the same happened in other regions.


    After all, instead of having a tremendous noble power ruling this place, the sovereign was just a young man without support...


    ''Hitting those who are already down is always easier...''


    Well, the population understood very well what could happen in this city soon!


    Thus, the completion of this construction was crucial for these people''s lives, to the point of making them follow the development of this building from the moment its purpose had been spread.


    The Dry City Defensive Tower was a project made by several spiritual professionals, intending to create a defensive barrier around the walls of this city.


    In short, this construction served to interconnect various medium-level grade-2 defensive spiritual arrays to create that barrier.


    That was similar to the barriers Minos had destroyed during his last trip to the Cromwell Kingdom when he was going to rescue Private Peter.


    At that time, he had destroyed two of these barriers created by low-level grade-2 defensive arrays to penetrate those territories.


    And this tower, built in the middle of the area protected by the local wall, served to allocate these many arrays, forming a gigantic security area. After all, one couldn''t just activate the arrays anyway and expect them to protect the entire city...


    The inner area of the wall-protected region was not small, so a unique type of construction was required to locate the various arrays and create a complete defensive network.


    That''s why this place had been built in such a way, with such height and several connections with different wall parts.


    In fact, when viewed from above, the appearance that this city now had was as if a giant dome was overlying the terrain. But as the defenses were not yet fully active, there was no restrictive or defensive effect on this dome.


    There was only the basic structure, which made the combination of all defensive arrays capable.


    Anyway, quickly, a buzz began to reverberate throughout the Dry City while the many arrays were activated simultaneously.


    And almost instantly, the entire surface of the ''dome'' was activated at once, causing the blue sky to momentarily disappear, creating a region of twilight throughout the territory protected by the wall.


    ...


    "What? Why did it get dark out of nowhere?" One person asked this while taking a shower in the bathroom of his apartment.


    ...


    "What is happening? Why did it get dark? Will it be the end of the world?" A young man screamed in alarm when he had almost tripped on the sidewalk of a street where he was walking previously.


    And on hearing this, quickly a person who knew what was going on laughed at the young man and said. "Idiot! That''s the city''s defensive barrier, hahaha. See there. A green membrane covered the dome..."


    ...


    At the same time, the many soldiers who were doing their services on the local wall suddenly saw a greenish membrane appear near where they were, on the outer limits of the wall.


    "Look at this, Eugene! The Defensive Tower has been activated!" A female soldier who was patrolling said this to a fellow who was crouched beside her, tying his boot at this moment.


    Hearing the emotional voice of her, the man then stopped what he was doing and immediately looked at the surroundings, which at this moment seemed as dark as it would be in the middle of the night.


    "Incredible! From now on, we won''t need to be in this constant tension!" He said in happiness when he suddenly tried to hug the woman beside him.


    However, that didn''t work very well, as she dodged and took the opportunity to slap her comrade loudly in the face. "Don''t try to take advantage of me, you shameless!"


    ...


    While that soldier''s face burned and his honor dripped from the corners of his eyes, Minos stood beside the glass wall of his office, watching the entire situation.


    ''It''s finally done!'' He cheered internally, realizing that the tens of millions of crystals he''d invested in this project had finally come to fruition.


    "With this barrier, the Dry City will now be impenetrable in the northern part of the Central Continent!" He pressed his hands tightly as he raised them to his chest, making a celebratory gesture.


    That is because only a level 59 Spiritual King could destroy such a barrier!


    So, unless the old monsters of the northern part of the Central Continent left their homes to visit the Dry City, Minos felt relatively safe at the moment.


    It was not impossible to destroy such a barrier if many Spiritual Kings were involved in such a thing. However, these potential enemies would be exhausted for such a situation, vulnerable to whoever was in the protected area.


    Therefore, no matter what happened going forward, this young sovereign finally had a way to keep himself while reducing the weight of external threats on his shoulders.


    ''Now we''ll also be able to limit people entering and leaving the Dry City wholly...''


    ''Hmmm, I think I can let little Kyla walk around here whenever she wants.'' He pondered, remembering that he had promised that young fox that he would let her wander around when it was more appropriate.


    And with that construction completed, he could have the peace of mind to let her play around.


    After all, even though many soldiers had patrolled the wall before, there were still many dangerous spots!


    But with such a defensive barrier, the whole reality of the Dry City would be different from now on...

 Chapter 447: Feeling Part

    With the barrier activated, the Dry City would have only four entry points, precisely the points already controlled by the local army on the wall.


    At these points, only those who obtained the soldiers'' authorization at the entry posts could reach the city protected by this entire dome. If this were not achieved by one of the visitors, it would be impossible for one of them to reach the territory of the Dry City unless, of course, that person destroyed the barrier!


    And with that, situations like the arrival of Elen and Elena, which had happened earlier, would no longer be possible. After all, the dome-shaped defensive barrier would stop all living beings who tried to enter this region from the sky.


    In fact, aside from living beings and spiritual attacks, anything else could enter this protected area. An example of this was the gases and the spiritual energy itself, which could pass through these dome areas as if there were no impending action.


    The same was true for objects devoid of spiritual energy, dead beings, or part of them, as in the example of leaves.


    That''s because this type of barrier was not fully activated all the time!


    Those greenish barriers that had just covered the dome around the Dry City represented the fully activated state of the defensive arrays, with all defenses raised.


    However, this state was only activated in two cases. The first was if any living being or object with spiritual energy tried to penetrate the territory under the influence of these defensive arrays. The second, if someone manually activated these barriers.


    Thus, in typical situations, these spiritual arrays would be in a state of waiting, without the greenish barriers, as if this place were completely open, as it was before the beginning of this test.


    But in times of need, such a thing would come into operation and raise those barriers covering the city sky to protect the interior from attack and prevent living beings from entering.


    And as a consequence of that, the Black Plain Army could focus its forces entirely on these four entry posts, improving local security to a whole degree!


    Previously these forces had to patrol all points of the wall to prevent irregular entrances or exits. But with this change, just a few soldiers patrolling would be enough!


    Anyway, after Minos watched the darkened horizon of the Dry City through his office, he soon returned to his activities.


    This sovereign already knew that defensive arrays would be turned on for the first time today, so he quickly composed himself and dropped the subject after the initial moment of admiration.


    ...


    At the same time, outside the local government mansion, the greenish barriers gradually diminished in space, until finally, the light returned to penetrate the interior of this region of the dome.


    And when that happened, soon people who knew the reason behind this strange effect started to celebrate in the Dry City streets, with some smiling happily and others even hugging strangers...


    Finally, when the entire barrier had disappeared, strong breezes began to pass through the streets of the Dry City, immortalizing this moment in these people''s minds.


    "Ahh, finally, our city can take off!"


    "I wonder when Mr. Minos will open the Black Plain to the world... But I can wait to see the development of this place!"


    "Don''t say that! I just arrived at the Dry City. I hope to have some opportunities here before more competitors arrive!"


    And so, several comments sounded around the Dry City Defensive Tower.


    But it wasn''t just the citizens that were very pleased. No, the workers who had built such a place were all rejoicing for this feat.


    They might not have the strength to fight for the good of the Dry City, as soldiers in the local army did. However, they had still made this city safer, using what they knew or could do!


    And that was something fantastic, something that made them feel part of the community even more than they usually were!


    "Hahaha, guys, the food today is on me!" One of the men suspended from steel cables on the tower walls said this to two of his fellow servicemen.


    "Then I''ll buy the drink!"


    "We can have this meeting at my house¡­" They then started talking about it while they finished painting that part they were working on.


    And after a few hours, earlier in the evening on the Black Plain, the Dry City Defensive Tower had been finished!


    This place was very high, but it was full of lighting arrays, which allowed it to be visible from many different city points.


    And even though this place had the obvious purpose of defending the city from invasion, many people had liked this tower even more because it gave a new look to the town, something unique, which differentiated this city from many others.


    There were no cities fully protected by medium-level grade-2 spiritual arrays in the north of the Central Continent. Consequently, no other place in this region had a building like the one in the city of Minos!


    With this, thousands of inhabitants were delighted with the new local attraction, which could be admired even more during the nights.


    ...


    While the population of the Dry City experienced the new reality brought by the defensive arrays and that tower, a couple was traveling in a part of the Black Plain, on top of a single spiritual beast of the 5th stage.


    They both had resolute expressions on their faces, with their brows drawn tight and a steady look in their eyes.


    One of them was a young man who shouldn''t be older than Minos, who was now following behind that woman, holding himself with his hands around her waist.


    As for this woman, she looked like a mature beauty, looking as ''healthy'' as the City of Waters ruler, Mirya.


    This woman had milky skin, and her hair was a brown color, which seemed to glow slightly even though the two were traveling through a forest at night.


    Anyway, she was controlling that spiritual beast, as she felt her body sway and jump into the embrace of her traveling companion every time that beast''s only two feet touched the ground.


    This being looked like a bird, with two legs, many feathers, and a large neck. However, it was big enough to comfortably carry up to two people, like those sitting in a cell on its back.


    "Let''s stop at the Dry City. There we can rest for a few hours and then continue our journey towards the Cromwell Kingdom." The young man said to his mate.


    And on hearing that, the woman frowned even more and asked. "You are crazy? What if we leave clues in that town? Do you want to risk my husband catching us?"


    "He will certainly kill me, but what he would do to you would be many times worse than that!"


    "So, don''t let yourself get carried away because of the fatigue of the trip. We''d better make our way through the forests, or something like what happened one month ago will be repeated!" She said with a disappointed look on her face.


    A month ago, these two had thought they were safe and that they could start living peacefully in a city in the north of the Kingdom of the Waves...


    However, the two had nearly been killed by an assassin hired by the woman''s husband, who had managed to locate them when these two had let their guard down.


    "Don''t worry, in that place where we almost got caught; there were a lot of loopholes. It''s different in Dry City. This place is completely abandoned, and people won''t even be able to distinguish our level there." He insisted.


    "This¡­" She tried to say something, but there wasn''t much reason for her to fear such a weak place!


    She, a mighty Spiritual King at level 54, might have to hide in cities with the presence of Spiritual Generals because of the persecution ordered by her husband.


    However, was there any reason to fear a place where people couldn''t even feel the spiritual energy of other cultivators?


    Was it worth living in such fear?


    "Okay, it won''t hurt us to stop in this city." The woman agreed with him as she remembered something. "By the way, I heard that the sovereign of this place is an acquaintance..."

 Chapter 448: Will You Want to Risk it?

    "He''s an acquaintance of yours¡­" The woman commented as she glanced sideways back to see her mate''s expression.


    "Are you talking about Minos?" The young man questioned her, realizing that he was going to his old acquaintance''s territory, without even realizing it.


    "But that''s just in name. He probably doesn''t actually rule this place... After all, Minos was in a coma for over five years when you and I left this kingdom..."


    "And who knows what might have happened after so long¡­" He sighed for a moment, remembering the tragedy of his old friend from his days at the spiritual academy.


    Minos had lost all the support he had with Albert''s death and was still seriously injured when he was only 9-years-old...


    And when compared to the misfortunes of these two friends, the unluck of this young man traveling at this moment did not seem so terrible!


    On one side was an adulterous woman who had betrayed her husband and daughter with her son-in-law and a young man who had gone to bed and fallen in love with his mother-in-law.


    On the other was a poor child who had lost his father and inherited a horrible inheritance...


    That is, this young man had caused his own disgrace, while Minos had suffered without any guilt. And that was the worst, something that could make people feel moved, feeling sorry for the losses of others, as this young man felt now.


    He might be a bastard for cheating on his wife with her mother, but that didn''t mean there wasn''t humanity inside him!


    On the contrary, he was still able to feel sorry for the terrible fate others had.


    And, despite the fact that he was not close enough to Minos to extend their relationship beyond the walls of that spiritual academy, they spent nearly four years living together daily, conversing and laughing.


    For all that, Neal Ryan felt terrible for the fate of his old acquaintance.


    On the other hand, the woman in front of this young man, Celeste Parkinson, the mother of the friend of Minos and Abby, Brooke Parkinson, was not as moved as her partner.


    That''s because, in addition to not caring about the life of a junior of the younger generation, she also knew that that young man had already woken up from his coma!


    "Speaking of which, I remembered that I heard this news a few months ago about this Minos, but back then, I had forgotten to tell you." She said this while having an apologetic smile on her face.


    Hearing this, Neal ran a hand over this mature woman''s thighs and asked. "What? Don''t tell me that..."


    He was just about to ask something when Celeste interrupted him and continued her speech. "No, he didn''t die. In fact, I heard from one of my contacts at the Brown Kingdom that after six years, this friend of yours had awakened from his coma and headed towards the Black Plain."


    "Oh! That''s good news, even though he''s been relegated to living in such a place... But I suppose that''s better than death!" He exclaimed with a smile.


    "But why did you get such information? And how did you forget to tell me such a thing?"


    "We were traveling a lot at that time, so I didn''t put any priority on talking this with you... Anyway, over time I had even forgotten about it. If it wasn''t for our current situation, maybe I never said anything."


    "And as for the reason I received such information, it was because I paid for that contact to pass me any news about potential conflicts in the Brown Kingdom. And as the situation of this little friend of yours had been very strange, this informant had considered him as a possible threat."


    "Threat?" Neal asked ridiculously. "That''s nonsense. How could he have any chance of becoming a threat after everything that''s happened?"


    She smiled at him and commented. "Looks like his mother is pretty strong. I heard she''s not from our region."


    "Yes, I know that, but what does that have to do with it? A Spiritual Emperor cannot interfere in our region, otherwise..."


    "Do you think I didn''t think about it?" She turned to him once more and looked at him with a sober expression. "I know she won''t act directly, but she might still take him to the empire at some point, and that could make him a threat!"


    "Because of that, this person gave me the information about him recovering."


    "Oh? So, this is how it is¡­" He then understood the whole situation. "Well, it doesn''t matter, but it''s good to know he woke up from his coma."


    "But speaking of informers, you¡­" The two then continued talking during their journey through the barren terrain of the Black Plain until finally, they approached the Dry City.


    As they did so, the first thing they had seen was a large number of lights, which seemed to form a large dome over the Dry City.


    And since it was already night at this moment, the view from this place was magnificent, even if they couldn''t see anything beyond the structure of the dome itself.


    Other than that, they could see the great wall that stretched over a large area, which at the moment they could not even see the limits, due to their short distance from that place.


    "What the fuck is this?" Neal asked aloud as he watched this place, which was currently less than 100 meters away from them.


    At the same time, Celeste had made that beast that carried them stop as she tried to probe the terrain ahead.


    "A gigantic barrier, produced by medium-level grade-2 arrays!" She yelled in shock, realizing that her spiritual sense couldn''t enter that territory.


    And as she thought about it a little better, this woman was starting to think that maybe it wasn''t a good idea to go into that town. After all, no one in the north of this continent would pay for a defense like this!


    So, to avoid problems for both of them, it might be better not to find out what was behind this shocking place.


    "Neal, let''s continue our journey to the Cromwell Kingdom. This place is hazardous. I think people in this town will be able to feel our energies and give clues to¡­" But while she was talking, a group of 30 people surrounded them, and one of these newcomers interrupted the couple''s conversation.


    "Forget about it. You''ve seen too much¡­" One woman said this while releasing her level 45 cultivation pressure. "According to the Dry City Written Laws, any Spiritual King who approaches the frontier of the city must be killed or imprisoned."


    "Make your choices!" She finished her comment while signing her companions to prepare to fight.


    These soldiers were between levels 44 and 45 and were used to fighting the Black Plain Army''s Spiritual Kings as training for occasions like this. Because of that, they felt pretty confident in their collective strength to the point of making such a threat to a person so many levels stronger than themselves!


    "What did you say?" Celeste asked in surprise as she tried to make sense of the situation.


    She was terrified of what might be inside that dome and what was behind it. However, that didn''t mean she had to be afraid of these individuals who were mostly ten levels below her!


    At the same time, Neal was also shocked by this. He had never seen such a lack of respect from a Spiritual General to a Spiritual King!


    Even when he and Celeste were fleeing from Brooke''s father''s pursuit, this mature woman was still highly respected wherever they went.


    ''But these people are very confident... And there is still that dome that can protect them... Yet they are still here, unprotected and threatening us.'' He thought to himself as he felt his companion''s body get more rigid as she got ready to fight.


    But before anything could happen, the same soldier as before commented. "I advise you to clear these dangerous thoughts from your mind. If we fight, it will be a good fight that will be won narrowly, but¡­" She then pointed to the young man hugging Celeste''s waist and then continued. "What about him?"


    "Any one of us can kill him with a few hits... Will you want to risk it?" She asked with a satisfied smile as if she had already won this battle.

 Chapter 449: Development of Crystal Mines

    "This¡­" Celeste tried to say something, feeling quite vulnerable right now. ''Indeed, I won''t be able to protect Neal!''


    And she couldn''t help but feel bad about this situation. After all, if she didn''t care for Neal''s well-being, then she might as well have left him long ago when her husband was pursuing them.


    This woman''s husband certainly wouldn''t give up on his revenge on her. However, if he could get his hands on Neal first, then Celeste might have had an easier time for her escape!


    But even though she knew it, this woman had continued to protect this young partner of hers, traveling together all these years.


    So, the idea of ??leaving him in this place and trying her luck running away from here didn''t seem to be an interesting thing for her at the moment. Such a thing would appear as if she has made a tireless effort, just so that all of a sudden, she throws away everything she''s fought for and achieved...


    As for feelings, well, she had some of them for this young man, things that would make this woman wish he continued to exist. But for someone as experienced as she was, Celeste knew how fleeting these things could be.


    She had loved her husband in the past. But even so, she had slept with many other men during their centuries of marriage, until finally sleeping with her own daughter''s husband...


    So, she wouldn''t bother to act sentimentally at that moment. But, on the contrary, only the rational side governed this mature woman''s thoughts. ''There are a lot of people, and they seem very confident...''


    ''They might have some weapons up their sleeves that could harm me a lot...''


    ''After all, if the power behind this place can pay for something like that¡­ '' She thought to herself at the same time as she looked to the side of the wall and then to those soldiers around her.


    ''The risk is too great, and I would certainly lose a lot, regardless of whether I can run away from this place or not!'' So, she concluded when her eyes finally met Neal''s.


    She then muttered something that only she and her beast could hear. "There''s no point in discarding someone I''ve been investing for so long when there are so many risks involved..."


    "You said the alternative is prison. How do I know we won''t be killed anyway? And why would you arrest someone? Apparently, you want to hide this place¡­" She started to speak, looking directly at the woman leading the group of soldiers.


    And hearing these questions, that Sergeant soon began to give answers. "First, you won''t have any guarantees since the only thing we have is our word. Second, we''re going to arrest you because we can. Otherwise, we''d just attack you without warning."


    It would be impossible for someone of Celeste''s level to escape from within this barrier, so Dry City could afford to confine its enemies safely.


    And that was genuinely ideal. After all, dead enemies could draw investigators to the Black Plain, which had the potential to create trouble...


    But if these people were only arrested locally, it would be impossible for organizations in the north of the Central Continent to find out where they were!


    Besides, since soul signals wouldn''t change just because of imprisonment, regional powers probably wouldn''t notice the disappearance of subordinates or family members in the short term.


    Hence, currently, Minos had already established imprisonment as the preferable punishment for people with the potential to harm the Black Plain and who came from outside that place.


    And this thing had been happening that way since the construction of the local prison and the inauguration of the Municipal Police, which were the minimum services for this to work.


    However, with the addition of the recently completed barrier, this situation became even more ideal.


    Anyway, upon hearing the words of that Sergeant, the couple on top of that beast looked at each other in dismay, as if they were sorry to come to this place. But they soon agreed to the conditions on the other side, after talking to each other for a while.


    ''Well, at the very least, it will be quite difficult for Devid to find us in this place. But, even if that happened, it would be impossible for him to break through such barriers¡­'' Celeste thought to herself, remembering her husband and realizing that such a decision was not all bad.


    ...


    Quickly the adulterous couple had their respective cultivations sealed by necklaces around their necks and were directed to the local prison, where they would have their past analyzed.


    Neither of them had remembered to try to ask if Minos was in charge of this place, as that would be stupid!


    Such a thought could not pass through their minds after they had seen that dome and the way each of the soldiers acted.


    The soldiers were confident, full of pride, and showed no hesitation when enemies so much more powerful than they stood in front of them.


    In fact, none of them respected all that much the standard Spiritual Kings, who were often found in this region.


    Of course, they respected this stage of cultivation, as they genuinely wanted to get there. But the soldiers understood that they could handle people of Celeste''s level, even at their current powers!


    Hence, the couple could not think that a young man who had been in a coma until recently could have connections with this place.


    That would be absurd!


    Finally, while they were being accommodated in the local prison, Celeste''s beast had been taken to the same spot where Ebba was staying.


    Abby''s big beast had already reached the 5th stage of cultivation at this point and was an excellent companion to put this newcomer on the line!


    ...


    Several hours quickly passed, and at this moment, it had already dawned in the Dry City.


    The town was already back to the usual bustle of the day. Many services were already working, including the local administration, in the official part of the local government mansion.


    There, Minos had already arrived at his office.


    He had a great morning with Abby, followed by breakfast with Dillian and Eda and then greeting his secretary Mia before entering his office. Finally, Minos had his first conversation with government officials today, receiving some relevant updates, not long after starting his shift.


    "Young Master, in recent months, the production of low-grade crystals in the local mines have increased a lot." A middle-aged man said this, smiling and making some gestures with his hands. "Considering our current projections, we''ve recently achieved the mining of 2 million low-grade crystals per year!"


    "Oh? That is great!" Minos said in celebration.


    This value could be small if we consider the number of crystals in circulation in the current Dry City. However, it was a considerable increase in the numbers of locally mined crystals!


    Mainly because this would only increase further in the future, as the local spiritual root recovers.


    The man then spoke again, with an almost euphoric look on his face. "And most importantly, young master. We recently managed to mine medium-grade crystals for the first time in this region!"


    "It was a small amount, and we won''t be able to mine more than a thousand medium-grade crystals per year." Says the soldier. "Still, it''s a fantastic record that has never been broken!"


    "Hehehe, this is better than I expected¡­" So, they continue to talk about this matter, with that man updating the young sovereign on all the relevant numbers regarding the local mining of spiritual crystals.


    This field had constantly been developing, and of the little more than 20 workers who mined the crystals in this region before Minos arrived here, there were currently more than 2,000 of them!


    Minos wanted to use that field of local development as a foundation for his local financial future, so he wouldn''t have to rely on regional banks for medium-grade crystals.


    Anyway, the conversation was being very productive. Still, in the middle of this meeting, Mia interrupted them due to the arrival of some army soldiers, who had urgent matters to talk to the local sovereign.

 Chapter 450: Kindness

    After Mia entered the office and warned Minos about the visit of those soldiers, the person who was talking to the local ruler about the crystal mines soon left that office, returning to his duties.


    With that, Minos didn''t take long to ask Mia to send those soldiers into his office.


    Quickly two people in uniforms of different types entered that office and sat down opposite Minos.


    One of them dressed as a traditional army soldier. At the same time, the other wore a uniform similar to those worn by municipal police officers.


    Obviously, this was the person in the army in charge of the Municipal Police, someone who administered this organization, protected and dealt with the affairs of the local prison.


    Anyway, after sitting down, Minos soon asked what the problem was.


    "Young master, last night we arrested a couple outside the wall. They are the reason for our visit." Shortly after hearing that young man''s question, the woman who had led the soldiers in that siege said this to Minos.


    "Oh?"


    "At that moment, one of the sentinels at the observation tower at the north exit of the wall had seen two people quickly approaching our post from a distance."


    "And after that, as soon as they came within range of our spiritual senses, we realized that one of them was at level 43 and the other at level 54!"


    "A Spiritual King, huh? You did very well! Then I''ll release some merit points for the soldiers involved." Minos commented with a satisfied smile on his face.


    Hearing this, that woman who had led Celeste and Neal''s capture couldn''t help but be happy about it and show a slight smile at the corners of her lips.


    She was just doing her job, but knowing she could be rewarded double for her efforts was a powerful incentive!


    And Minos was not ignorant of this...


    "And after we realized that, we quickly started running towards them, especially after noticing that they looked uncertain, almost as if they were reconsidering going back where they came from..." She then explained the whole situation that had happened the night before, leaving no detail from outside this report.


    And after hearing all this, Minos nodded in appreciation for the service of these soldiers and then rose from his chair and said. "Well, where are they? I want to see this Spiritual King right away!"


    "By the way, what did you find out about their identities?"


    When Minos touched this point, the soldier in charge of the prison soon told his team''s findings concerning this matter. "We interrogated those two all night, separately and in front of Sergeant Truman, who can tell whether someone is telling the truth or not."


    "And with that, we discovered the identities of those two. The woman at level 54 is called Celeste Parkinson, and her young escort is called¡­" He started to speak but was suddenly interrupted by Minos.


    "Neal Ryan, am I right?" Minos asked with a smile on his face, recognizing the name of the mother of his old friend from the spiritual academy times, Brooke Parkinson.


    "That''s right, young master. Do you know them?"


    "Hmm, I know Neal. As for this woman, I''ve only heard her name through a few stories..."


    "I hope we weren''t unfair to the young master''s acquaintances¡­." That soldier said this apologetically, feeling a little vulnerable at the moment. ''I''m glad something worse didn''t happen!''


    The other person who was there was also surprised by this development and felt a little insecure at this point. That''s because at no time did the couple mention the name Minos.


    Consequently, they had not discovered a prior relationship between that young man and the local ruler.


    ''Ahh, if I''d known that, I wouldn''t have allowed those two to sleep in an ordinary cell¡­'' He lamented inwardly.


    However, contrary to what these two people were thinking, Minos smiled and commented in support of the attitude that women in prison had done earlier. "Don''t worry about it. Even if you guys had killed them both, it would just be your job."


    "No matter who it is, anyone who endangers the Black Plain must be punished by death. If they had chosen to fight, that would have been their problem!"


    "It''s very kind of us to give them a chance to surrender!"


    And upon hearing this, despite having felt a certain shiver on their skin, these two people had left their previous thoughts behind.


    ''The young master is very focused on his goals! He doesn''t even treat his old acquaintances differently!''  That woman thought that in awe.


    It was not uncommon for nobles to treat their friends more beneficially and patiently, while for the rest of the people, they were utterly relentless.


    But Minos didn''t seem to have that defect or quality for some...


    Finally, the group headed towards the local prison, where the couple was incarcerated in the Dry City.


    ...


    When they arrived at the police building, the two soldiers who accompanied the sovereign wasted no time and soon showed him the way to where Celeste and Neal were.


    The police headquarters was a great place, almost the same size as the army''s headquarters, so it wouldn''t be difficult for someone not used to this construction to get lost in this place.


    And soon, the group reached the basement of that building, where there was a giant prison, capable of holding up to two thousand people!


    This place was divided into five levels, starting with the zone for ''smoother'' sentences and weaker people, going to the area for the worst offenders and stronger ones, on the deepest floor.


    And it was right there that the group went, where the soldiers had placed those two people.


    In theory, they should put them on separate floors, as Neal''s cultivation strength was much weaker than Celeste''s. However, as the prison was practically empty and there was not a large police force at the moment, the officers had placed them on the same level.


    Anyway, and after descending the stairs of that prison to the last level, Minos could finally see a large area with many black cells from a distance. At the same time, in two of them, one in front of the others, two people were sitting on the floor.


    One was a young man who, despite being different, had similar features to those of the spiritual academy days, with his short black hair and thin nose. And the other was a mature woman with brown hair and a voluptuous body, someone Minos didn''t know.


    "You two can leave us alone." Minos said to the two people accompanying him as he continued to walk towards where those two were standing.


    "Yes, young master."


    After that, he quickly reached the point where those two people seemed to be meditating, with eyes closed, in silence.


    Neither of them was cultivated, of course.


    After all, these cells were specially made to seal the spiritual energy in their interiors.


    And for this, in prison, there wasn''t much to do... In addition to conversations, they could only look at each other. But  talking might not be the most appropriate thing to do in a place where you are being watched...


    So, the two of them had stayed that way most of the time, after the end of their interrogations that had taken place between last night and early morning today.


    "I didn''t expect you to flee to my territory..." Minos commented out loud, in a mocking tone to these two people.


    And upon hearing this, the adulterous couple soon opened their eyes, with different thoughts in mind.


    Celeste didn''t know Minos before, so all she had thought when she saw the figure of the brown-haired young man outside that place was to meet the mysterious leader of this town.


    Such a person was not simple. After all, the change that had taken place in this city was huge, something impossible to do for the regional powers. So, she was intrigued to meet this person after hearing the end of Minos'' sentence.


    ''He is so young! How strong should this person be?'' She thought to herself, unable to comprehend Minos'' level because of that cell.


    On the other hand, Neal was completely open-mouthed right now, realizing that this great leader was nothing more, nothing less than an old acquaintance...

 Chapter 451: This is Amazing!

    "Are you Minos?" He asked out loud, with wide eyes and mouth forming an ''O''.


    "Hmm, it''s me."


    "Unbelievable! How did it all happen?" Neal asked almost reflectively.


    He wasn''t surprised that Minos was right in front of him, but the fact that this was the person responsible for the entire development of this place.


    And even if there were someone else behind the changes that the Dry City went through, that would still be amazing. After all, in a world as big as this one, having someone stronger and more talented than you as your boss would be an honor.


    A humble butler of a great figure from the Spiritual World would be much wealthier than a few entire royal families in the northern region of this continent!


    Therefore, there would be no shame in subordinating yourself to someone capable. On the contrary, it would be pretty honorable and something to be proud of to be used as a powerful individual''s chess piece.


    And because of that logic, someone like Neal was sure that Minos had a bright future ahead of him, even if this prisoner couldn''t assess the level of this old acquaintance.


    At the same time, Celeste was even more surprised after realizing who this person was. ''So, this kid is leading this town? But who could make such an investment in it? His mother would certainly not take such risks!''


    ''Is it any of the powers in seclusion in our region who decided to show themselves to the world again?'' She wondered in concern, trying to understand where the funds that made this change in the Dry City came from.


    But soon, her thoughts were interrupted when Minos began to speak. "You don''t need to know about this... Let''s talk about other matters."


    "My soldiers told me you were running from Brooke''s father when you came here. However, I recently learned that he had stopped pursuing you. Isn''t that by any chance true?" He asked as he watched the two people.


    Hearing this, Celeste promptly answered Minos'' question. "He indeed stopped pursuing us several months ago. However, he paid an assassin from the Scourges of the Devil to find and kill us!"


    "And more recently, we made a mistake, and that person was able to get close to us." Neal finished what his partner had started to say.


    "So, it''s like this... And what is this person''s level?"


    Celeste then answered him. "He''s on the same level as me, but he''s much more dangerous, as his experience is greater. And at the same time, his techniques are more deadly than mine."


    "I see..." Minos commented in a low voice as he considered this matter. ''Well, if that person comes to the Dry City and we arrest him, then I can use this assassin to find the Scourges of the Devil headquarters!''


    Minos had never forgotten this organization''s involvement in the plot that had resulted in his father''s death. Because of that, he always had this power from this region on his blacklist, the ones he should eliminate.


    But before, he couldn''t do anything about it, either because he didn''t have the strength to fight members of this organization, Spiritual Kings, or because he never met anyone from that group.


    Therefore, he could only swallow his vindictive cravings and go on with his matters in the Black Plain, growing stronger day by day.


    Mourning or trying to pursue an issue that couldn''t be resolved was not part of Minos'' profile.


    He could hate his enemies and even miss Albert at times, but he was focused on what he could accomplish now.


    Consequently, he often did not allow himself to think about these matters.


    But that didn''t mean he didn''t care!


    He then clenched his fists tightly and thought to himself. ''If such a thing happens, all that remains is for me to become strong enough to kill the leader of this organization, who is supposedly at level 59!''


    And after a moment of thinking about these matters, he turned his attention to the couple in those cells and said. "Neal is an old acquaintance from the days of the spiritual academy, and I feel bad for you all being stuck here, but you will not be allowed to leave this town for at least ten years."


    "What? Ten years? What are you talking about?" Neal asked, shocked, seeing that Minos didn''t intend to make it easy with him and Celeste.


    Celeste then laughed and said. "Do you still not understand, darling?"


    "What is there to understand?"


    "That''s simple. Remember the change this place has gone through... There''s even a barrier capable of defending this place against those below level 59!"


    "Who do you think they want to defend themselves from?" She asked with a smile on her face, looking at Neal for a moment and then staring at Minos'' figure next.


    ''Ahh, experienced women are speedy to figure things out¡­'' Minos thought to himself in awe.


    "From who? Most families with people capable of destroying such a thing are those sovereigns of the regional kingdoms..." He exclaimed in shock amid his response. "It can''t be!"


    "Hmmm, there''s no need to hide it since Brooke''s mom has figured it all out..."


    "That''s right. We are preparing for the revolution!" Minos said excitedly.


    This young man had an adventurous spirit and was very fond of fighting. Hence, even though there were many dangers in trying to do such a thing, he couldn''t help but feel excited.


    It was especially considering that this was a crucial part of any state''s development. After such an ordeal, he was sure the Black Plain would undergo enormous growth.


    And that cheered him up a lot!


    He was limited to relatively small growth due to the small population of his town. However, if there were millions of inhabitants in the Black Plain, reaching the power of a prominent noble family in 1 or 2 years would not be difficult.


    But until then, he couldn''t do such a thing...


    "Minos, this is crazy. You can''t want to fight so many Spiritual Kings! You will be slaughtered just like what happened to the Kain family!" Neal warned him honestly.


    "Don''t worry about that right now. Instead, worry about your situation in this place... You have two options to do right now."


    "One is to be trapped here until I establish myself in this region and achieve independence from the Black Plain. This will probably take just under ten years."


    "The second one is a little more complicated, but both would have a lot of freedoms and could have a common life in the Dry City." He said this as he gestured with his hands in the directions of Celeste and Neal.


    "What do you mean?" That woman asked, still sitting in the same position as before.


    "Neal will be able to join my army after signing a Soul Contract with me. He will promise never to speak of the secrets of the Black Plain or even betray me and my army."


    "As for you, I don''t have any medium-level grade-2 spiritual judges in my town, so we won''t be able to sign such a contract anytime soon."


    "Consequently, you''ll have to wait for this until you can join my forces and have all your freedom¡­ That is, the most I can promise is that you normally live in the city, wearing a spiritual necklace to seal your cultivation." He said this calmly, looking into the eyes of that mature woman.


    "What? Do we need to sign Soul Contracts? Why is this Minos? Do you think I will purposely harm you?"


    "Hmm, This is truly an exaggeration! The word of a Spiritual King should be enough for any agreement!" Celeste protested as she looked at Minos sideways as if she was offended right now.


    And hearing such protests, Minos couldn''t help but burst out laughing, feeling the muscles in his abdomen contract vigorously.


    Pa! Pa!


    He then started clapping after calming down and said. "Hahaha, this coming from a woman who cheated on her husband with her own daughter''s husband is truly amazing!"

 Chapter 452: Challenge!

    "What did you say?" Celeste protested as she got up from where she was sitting and came to the side of the bars of that cell, right in front of Minos.


    "Why do you look offended? Did I tell a lie?" Minos asked with a smile on his face as he stared at that woman.


    "Bastard! You''re so brave to say this because I have my cultivation sealed in this place. If not for that, I would teach you a lesson!" She told him this as she used both her hands to grip the bars of her cell.


    At the same time, Neal was impressed by young Stuart''s words. That''s because even though it was the truth, and there was no need to talk about such things, this young prisoner saw a side of Minos he didn''t know.


    Minos had always been a reclusive person who behaved with etiquette in the days of the spiritual academy, avoiding talking more than necessary. But here he was, despising the behavior of a regional specialist, someone who had already reached the middle of the 6th stage.


    And that was what surprised Neal since Minos'' comment didn''t bother him. He had betrayed his wife with her mother. That was a fact. It wasn''t something he was proud of, but he wasn''t ashamed either...


    So, he wasn''t offended by Minos'' words, as Celeste seemed to be.


    And finally, after hearing that woman''s protest, Minos smiled at her and said calmly. "Even if you were free and used all your powers, you still wouldn''t be able to punish me, hehehe."


    "What are you saying?" She asked, gritting her teeth in anger.


    "I''m saying I''m stronger than you!"


    She then looked at him and softened her expression by smiling as if looking at a fool. "Impossible! A junior of the younger generation, my daughter''s age, can''t be stronger than me!"


    "Do you want to bet?" Minos provoked her.


    He was saying this because he knew the arrogance of the regional Spiritual Kings, especially those who were more than halfway to the end of the 6th stage of cultivation.


    Each of them thought they were outstanding and only accepted to hear the word of those stronger than they were.


    And precisely for that reason, Minos wanted to show this woman who is in charge of the Dry City to avoid any future problems.


    She had to know fully that everything in this place followed young Stuart''s orders and that her level wouldn''t make her beyond local rules.


    Even if she had to live with her cultivation sealed for a while, it would be better if she feared Minos early on and didn''t show her arrogance towards the locals.


    Nobles had the bad habit of behaving like sheep in front of sovereigns, who were usually stronger than they. At the same time, they turned into real wolves when it came to ordinary citizens, people weaker than themselves.


    But Minos didn''t want that kind of trouble in his town, as it would only slow down the progress of the Black Plain.


    Anyway, he had come to this place to fight this woman and show her just how standard his power was.


    Hell, Minos wasn''t even 20-years-old yet and had already reached a fighting proficiency that should be greater than that of this woman!


    "Do you want to fight me?" She asked with a sly smile at the corner of her mouth. "And what are you going to bet? Our freedoms?"


    "Hmm, that could be it. If you beat me, I''ll let you leave or live in this town without my interference, as long as you follow local rules. However, if I win, you will have to lower your arrogance and accept that you are just an ordinary person, with a decent level for this region."


    "And to prove it, you will work in the agricultural fields of the city until a medium-level grade-2 spiritual judge comes to the Dry City to sign our Soul Contract."


    He then looked into her eyes and asked. "Do you dare accept this challenge?"


    Hearing this, Celeste can''t help but feel a shiver down her spine, as if there''s something wrong here. However, her reason said something else. After all, there was no way Minos could beat her, considering past events and his young age.


    ''He was in a coma for six years and is the same age as Neal... Even if this place receives outside support, it would be impossible for him to be stronger than Neal in just over four years of cultivation!''


    ''There''s no way he can beat me with his strength, he must be at most at level 40, and that doesn''t present the slightest challenge to me¡­'' She pondered for a moment. ''Does he want to use some dirty scheme on me?''


    "What guarantee do I have that you won''t cheat?" She asked.


    "I will only use my weapon. Other than that, no spiritual array, nor other weapons, nor artifacts of any kind will be used in this fight."


    Meanwhile, Neal watched all this from the side, wide-eyed, trying to understand why Minos wanted to fight Celeste. ''What is this nonsense? Does he know the terror level 54 Spiritual Kings can offer?''


    "Minos, you are underestimating Celeste. She''s not someone that people of our age can fight." Neal protested, trying to convince his old acquaintance not to get a good spanking from his mate.


    And upon hearing that, Celeste immediately looked at Neal with a look of disapproval, as if she were asking him to shut up.


    Minos then said calmly. "Don''t worry, even if I''m not strong enough to kill a Spiritual King like her, defeating her is within my means."


    "Hahaha, good. You truly have a lot of courage. And then? How do we do it?" Celeste asked excitedly, feeling there was no way this young man could win.


    "Let''s go somewhere else, and then I''ll let you recover your energy so we can fight..."


    After that, Minos talked a little more with those two people until finally they got out of that prison and went towards the training field in the local police headquarters.


    This place had nothing to draw attention to, other than being utterly identical to the fighting stage at army headquarters.


    And arriving at the center of that stage, Minos soon ordered some soldiers to free those two and give them space to recover their energy.


    ''Let''s see what it''s like to fight a level 54, Spiritual King, who this time is full of energy and who probably has a full set of Black-grade techniques¡­'' Minos pondered inwardly, watching that mature woman from afar.


    He didn''t think fighting this woman would be any more complex than fighting Emlyn, but he was still excited about it. That''s because the way of battle spiritual beasts was very different from that of humans, which could bring many surprises in a fight.


    And for a person who wanted to be able to fight all possible opponents, it was very positive for Minos to face individuals of different abilities, fighting styles, levels, etc.


    His knowledge of Henricus Longus''s memoirs was excellent, but that was just theory. If he didn''t experiment in practice, he could never know exactly his limits and the best ways to improve himself!


    Anyway, after some time, those two people had recovered from the exhaustion of spiritual energy, and Celeste was ready to fight.


    ''Let me see what level you''re at for being this arrogant¡­'' She thought about it, with a slight smile at the corner of her lips at the same time Neal thought of something similar.


    However, shortly after doing this, sounds of saliva being swallowed sounded through that place, coming from those two people.


    "Level 48?" Neal yelled in shock as he glanced in Minos'' direction and then looked at Celeste in doubt. He wanted to know if that was the reality or if he was hallucinating.


    But he soon realized that he hadn''t been mistaken, since his partner was as scared as he was...

 Chapter 453: Minos Against Celeste

    ''He''s already passed Neal''s level and is very close to becoming a Spiritual King!'' Celeste thought to herself as she stared at Minos in shock.


    It was unusual for her to see a person of this young man''s age on such a level in the north of the Central Continent!


    After all, even among the numbers of the great sects of the FLaming Empire, only a few individuals achieved a similar feat.


    However, Minos had a disadvantage that made his achievement even more frightening for this woman: he had been in a coma for six years!


    That''s why she was so shocked to feel Minos'' level!


    Still, as a person with hundreds of years of experience, Celeste didn''t stay in this state of surprise for long and soon became serious about it. ''But at the end of the day, he''s still only a level 48 cultivator. So, there''s no way he can defeat me with this cultivation!''


    And finally, Minos came to the center of the fighting stage while Neal was walking away from where he was with Celeste before, in silence, thinking about the whole situation.


    ''Damn, even though I''m feeling it, I can''t believe such a thing is true! How did he get such a higher level of power?'' He wondered, watching Minos and Celeste already positioned themselves in that spot.


    Minos then pulled his medium-level grade-2 sword out of his spatial ring while looking at the woman, who was currently standing a few meters away from him.


    She wore red armor that resembled a dress and matched perfectly with this mature woman''s hair. And as Celeste felt the breeze gently blow her hair, she finally heard Minos'' voice.


    "You look like you''re not taking this seriously... I''ll give you a warning. If you take it easy, I could end up seriously injuring you in the first attack!"


    "Then you''d better be careful, as I won''t be responsible for your losses..." He commented calmly, not wanting to take advantage of this woman.


    "Are you sure about that?" She questioned him.


    "Hmm."


    "Okay then, we can start whenever you want."


    After that, Minos threw a small pendant in the air. When it finally touched the ground, both sides started to move, activating their techniques and heading towards each other.


    Indestructible Body!


    Devouring Art!


    Explosive Steps!


    Minos quickly began to move across that fighting stage, simultaneously, where the ring around him expanded until he reached the 100-meter mark away from him.


    However, unlike what usually happened in this young man''s previous fights, this time, the ring suddenly began to decrease in radius. At the same time, he stopped having Minos'' body as his center and began to move closer to where Celeste was, placing her at its center.


    Zum!


    And realizing that, this Spiritual King realized how dangerous this opponent was.


    ''What is this? This...''


    ''Such a thing is stealing my energy at a very high speed!'' So, she thought shockingly, noticing the decrease in her power after the ring began to circle her.


    She didn''t understand why this change had happened!


    In the beginning, just when Minos had activated the technique, it had affected this woman''s cultivation, and she had noticed her energies being diminished. However, everything had gotten worse when the ring decreased in size and approached her...


    ''Haha, I can barely control it, as this ability is typical of the 3rd phase of the Devouring Art, but it''s still so amazing!'' Minos thought, observing this situation.


    After so many fights and so long training, he had already mastered the respective phases of each of his techniques. He only needed to reach the minimum energy level to increase their potential!


    Precisely because of that, he was already able to have a little control over the future capabilities of his techniques, as in this example of the Devouring Art!


    At the moment, although he couldn''t control it perfectly, he was already able to absorb different amounts of energy from the people in his field of action. That is, he could already devour less of his allies'' power, concentrating most of the devouring characteristic of this technique on certain opponents!


    As a result, he could absorb much more significant amounts of spiritual energy from his target opponents by forcing the technique to absorb that person''s energy more significantly!


    As for the decrease in the visual effect of the technique, this was also related to this factor.


    The ring was the source by which the technique worked, stealing energy from those around it. And with the ring downsized, Minos could make the technique work only on those he wanted, within the previous range.


    Therefore, this ring had moved to the vicinity of the mature Celeste''s body.


    Finally, seeing that his technique worked very well to harm his opponent, Minos quickly started to approach Celeste, flexing his arms to attack her with his sword.


    Spatial Sword!


    Swooish!


    "Shit!" Celeste muttered under her breath, noticing her body slowing and the air blade with a power equivalent to hers coming toward her.


    Water Armor!


    Immediately seeing that she couldn''t escape Minos'' relentless attack, Celeste used a great deal of her energy to activate her defensive technique. In doing so, her red armor increased in size, with blue parts that did not previously exist to protect her exposed body parts.


    As she prepared to receive Minos'' attack, this woman''s thoughts ran, and she couldn''t help but regret this fight. ''How is this possible? He can truly pressure me!''


    Boom!


    "Ahh!" She screamed for a moment, just after being hit in her right shoulder and taking three steps backward, trying to balance herself to keep from falling.


    But she didn''t have much time. Shortly after that, Minos appeared at her back, already swinging his sword vertically towards her unprotected back.


    Vuup!


    "What?" Minos exclaimed in surprise, seeing the movement of that woman, who at the most vulnerable moment, threw herself on her back on the ground, dodging his blow!


    After doing a whole spin in the air, she finally positioned herself on the floor of that spot to deliver a hard kick to Minos'' stomach.


    ''I caught you!'' She thought about it, as she had a slight satisfied smile on her face.


    Puff!


    After that, Minos moved for a few meters until he stopped in the middle of that stage, feeling a slight numbness in his belly. "That wasn''t bad!"


    "But from your fighting style, I can already say that you''ve been living comfortably for many years..."


    "That''s why you can''t beat me!" He commented this before activating his movement technique once more and running around this woman.


    At the same time, he activates his attacking techniques repeatedly, sending several blades of air towards her.


    Swooish!


    Swooish!


    ...


    Swooish!


    After such a move, all of Celeste''s defenses were knocked down when she eventually ran out of energy to continue the fight and landed on her back in that spot.


    Such an attack by Minos had been critical for this woman, who hadn''t had to worry about training so seriously since she had become a Spiritual King.


    Relying on the superior cultivation level was very common in the northern part of the Central Continent, where people from that cultivation stage were usually the regional specialists, who rarely fought. And that had been Celeste''s fault.


    Against an opponent with a small amount of strength more significant than hers, she had been unable to defend herself from a ''killer attack'' because she had become complacent, while the other side fought practically every day...


    The fight was over, and Minos was the winner!


    "Ahhh, you are a monster! How can you have no mercy against a woman like me?" She complained as she breathed hurriedly and felt the pain spread through her body.


    She was not seriously injured, as this was a fight of people of the same level of proficiency, and it would be challenging for one side to hurt the other like that. But Celeste still had many superficial injuries all over her body that caused her discomfort.


    "You lost. Do I need to warn you about what must be done?" Minos asked as he kept his sword into his spatial ring and stared at the woman.


    "I will have my cultivation sealed and work in the agricultural fields until a spiritual judge comes to this town." She answered him with an embarrassed expression on her face.


    Celeste had never thought she would be in such a degrading position in her life, especially after she had become a Spiritual King so long ago...

 Chapter 454: The Gill Family Action

    After the fight was over, Neal immediately ran to that stage, heading towards his partner while remaining impressed by everything he had seen during that fight.


    Minos had demonstrated an excellent fighting proficiency that Neal had never seen in his life.


    Neal understood how difficult it was for Minos to do so because he had already seen Celeste struggle with everything she had!


    But he didn''t ask anything to his old acquaintance, having just approached his companion and helped her.


    "Are you okay?" He asked her.


    "Yeah, are just scratches..." She answered him as she slowly got up from that spot, using Neal''s support. "But this Minos is a beast!"


    "If I didn''t already know he''s the same age as you and Brooke, I would never believe that such a strong person could be so young."


    After that, the two continued to talk until Minos approached them and said, looking first at Celeste and then at that young man. "You can recover from your injuries, and then one of my soldiers will seal your cultivation again. As for Neal, you can accompany me."


    "We will sign the Soul Contract, and then you will join my organization."


    "I assume you prefer to do this, right?" Minos asked that young man as he used a towel to dry the sweat on his face.


    The fight with Celeste had been quite intense, and this sovereign had spent a part of his energies to defeat her. So, even though he wasn''t hurt or as exhausted as that woman, Minos was still quite sweaty.


    Hearing this and seeing the young man drying his brown hair in front of him, Neal nodded and responded. "Of course, I''d rather join your army than stay in jail for several years, hehe."


    ''Besides, with the protection this place has, Brooke''s dad can''t kill us, and Celeste and I can stop running!'' He thought for a moment, concluding that this was the best outcome.


    Signing a Soul Contract with Minos was not ideal, as it always diminished the freedom of the people who signed them. But, there were more positives in this matter than negatives.


    Therefore, Neal was more than willing to accept this condition, despite having protested previously...


    After this short conversation between the three, Celeste soon had her cultivation sealed by a spiritual array. In contrast, Minos and Neal had headed towards the local government mansion, where they intended to sign such a contract.


    ...


    As the day went on smoothly in the Dry City, there was a medium-sized city with more than half a million inhabitants in the heart of the Brown Kingdom.


    In this location, there was a mansion in the middle of the city, slightly larger than Minos'', with several symbols of black stars scattered on the fences that separated the interior of this location from the street sidewalks.


    Inside this property, there were several buildings of different shapes and heights, and in one of the most common of them, a group of four people was talking on one of the balconies of one of the apartments on the top floor.


    Three of these people appeared to be already middle-aged, while the last should be in early adulthood.


    Of these four men, two of them, the strongest there, were sitting in two leather armchairs, comfortably looking at the horizon, smoking and talking to each other.


    At the same time, those other two were standing beside those armchairs, with their heads bowed, listening to those two people.


    "Lionel, the family is putting pressure on me because of you!"


    "You haven''t brought a single new subordinate through the Black Star Academy in the more than four years that have passed since the arrival of this young man." A man with a prominent goatee said this shortly after releasing a mouth of smoke and pointing in the direction of that young man, who should have been around 15.


    Hearing this, Lionel moved his head and replied. "I haven''t received any contact from my people at that academy in this period. But that''s not strange. After all, it''s not every day that people with a Black talent show up at the Dry City."


    "Hmm, I know that. But what about the students at that academy with Blue talent? We always had some people coming from that place with their families to here. But there hasn''t been a single new addition to our Gill family these past few years!"


    "The family management is finding this very strange¡­" He said this to Lionel in a low voice as he looked at this man as if wondering if this guy did something wrong.


    However, Lionel made a gesture of denial and began to explain his point of view. "It truly is an unexpected change, considering just the previous years. But you''re ignoring the fact that that place has a new sovereign, and when I got out of there, he seemed interested in investing in that city."


    "Given that most people with Blue talent prefer to stay in their hometowns, it''s not surprising that things have changed a little during this period." So, he ended his explanation, demonstrating that this situation was as expected by him.


    Lionel was the principal of the Black Star Academy, the only spiritual academy in the Dry City before Minos'' arrival. And because of his position there, he knew it made a lot of sense for some people to give that young man a chance and not venture out of the Black Plain for a while.


    Even if the Black Plains soil restoration was a lie, Lionel didn''t know; this didn''t change the fact that Minos had exhibited committed behavior in acting there.


    With that, this man did not find this situation at all strange.


    He then said. "But if you''re worried about it, I can try to see if there''s a problem in that place. What do you think?"


    Hearing this, that man nodded, took two puffs on his cigar, and then commented. "This way is better. If there is a problem, we had better find it out soon. And if it''s nothing, then we''ll just collect our arrays from that place and open a new spiritual academy in another city."


    "We''re not going to be investing in a place that doesn''t give us anything!"


    After that, these two men talked for a while longer until that guy with the prominent goatee left those three people behind in the same place as before.


    After realizing that his supervisor was gone, Lionel looked at those two people and said. "This bullshit, he wants me to go to the Dry City when I know there''s no problem in that place..."


    Listening to this, the middle-aged man beside Lionel''s chair smiled. "Hehehe, these people don''t know the Dry City like we do, chief Lionel. He seems to think that problems might arise in that place!"


    "But speaking of which, why don''t you let Ralf and I return to the Dry City to look into this matter? That way, chief Lionel doesn''t have to waste your time going there for nothing." Railan suggested.


    This man was the person with whom Minos had tried to come to terms with one of the three talented young men of the Black degree who had appeared at the Black Star Academy. However, Ralf''s father had refused that young man''s offer without thinking twice about it, having followed Lionel''s lead toward the Gill family headquarters.


    And after all these years, he was sure that his choice had been the right one, as his son was already at level 30, even though he was just under 15!


    With such a feat, Ralf could be considered a prodigy among the Gill family''s subordinates!


    And it was no wonder that Railan himself had managed to join this organization as well, having even increased his power to level 35.


    Such was the investment by this organization in Ralf and his father...


    Anyway, after hearing that suggestion, Lionel thought about it for a moment and then responded. "It''s not a bad idea..."

 Chapter 455: Same Destination

    "It''s not a bad idea. You two can go to that town in my place and secretly check on things at the Black Star Academy." Lionel commented in a low voice while he had a thoughtful expression on his face.


    ''This might be a good idea to try and lure those two youths to my family''s side once more!'' He thought that with a smile on his face, already elaborating on what the next few weeks would be like...


    ''Ralf will be able to challenge them, and when they realize his tremendous cultivation speed, they will soon regret that choice to stay in the Dry City! And then, they will accompany Railan and his son back here!''


    "There is no mistake! That is a great opportunity for me to get even more support in the family!" He muttered at the same time as he clenched both his fists in anticipation.


    "Okay, I believe your plan is truly the best for us, so I''ll give you and Ralf permission to leave for the Dry City!"


    "Oh? Hehehe, I thought so." Railan exclaimed in satisfaction. "So, when and how should we act?"


    Lionel then got up from where he was and went to a nearby table, taking a piece of paper from his spatial ring and then writing a few things down. "Resolve your local responsibilities and take my authorization to the administrative part of headquarters. After that, you can leave."


    "Okay."


    "After that, when you and your son arrive in the Dry City, I don''t want you to go out trying to get attention because of Ralf''s success. That can disturb us a lot, even if nothing happened there!"


    "So, don''t act rashly. Try to pretend you''re just a person passing by on a trip, with no issues to resolve locally."


    "Oh? Alright, we can do this!"


    "Hmm, after that, contact the Black Star Academy and find out what has happened to the students there since we left that city more than four years ago." Lionel then handed that paper to Railan and a similar one to Ralf.


    After that, he threw a medallion with the symbol of a 5-pointed black star to that middle-aged man. "Use this to represent me."


    "They''ll know by the time they see this that you''re my representative."


    He then looked at Ralf and said. "Finally, try to secretly find those two youths that studied with you, uh..."


    "Lee and Alison?" Ralf completed Lionel''s speech when he realized that this man didn''t remember their names.


    "That''s right!"


    "Talk to Lee and Alison and challenge them to a fight. Then, after you defeat them, I want you to try to attract the tow to our side, promising the same conditions you''ve already been receiving here."


    "Okay, I know where they live, so it won''t be hard to get that." Ralf readily agreed, at the same time, that he remembered the days of the spiritual academy.


    ''I wonder how everyone is? Have they even reached the 3rd stage of cultivation?''


    And while Ralf thought about his old colleagues, Lionel finally completed his orders. "But remember to do this discreetly, as that young ruler may have people strong enough to stop you from leaving!"


    "What? Sir, do you truly think that?" Railan changed his expression, realizing that his idea might not be as good as he thought...


    "Don''t worry. That brat is in no position to offend the Gill family!"


    "So, in case something goes wrong, since you''ll be like our envoy, I doubt they''ll try anything severe."


    "But even if they don''t kill you, they can do other things if you openly disrespect them... So, you better not cause unnecessary problems."


    And on hearing such a stern warning, father and son quickly agreed, saying the same thing simultaneously. "Yes, chief Lionel!"


    "Great, now you guys can go. Try to resolve this as soon as possible."


    Finally, after that final warning, father and son quickly left Lionel''s residence, heading towards the place where they could deliver that man''s order, freeing them for this journey.


    Like many other noble organizations, the Gill family did not allow their subordinates to leave their jobs casually.


    No, if something required them to leave their jobs, they would need permission from the person who brought them into the family or someone in charge of that.


    In the case of Railan and Ralf, as both had been brought into the Gill family by Lionel, this man was one of the people capable of giving that kind of authorization to them.


    That''s because Lionel was one of the nobles of this medium-sized family, and even though he only had a modest Blue talent and wasn''t strong, being only at level 43, this man still had a better status than a subordinate in this organization.


    Precisely because of this, he had these privileges, such as managing a spiritual academy, bringing subordinates into the family, reaping its benefits, coming and going freely, etc.


    That was not an uncommon occurrence in this region, as every noble power would have people like Lionel, who was less talented but could be very useful in regulating the secondary posts of these organizations.


    After all, even less talented, at the end of the day, they were still much more valuable than subordinates, people outside the family, without significant connections. These were replaceable and often lacked the minimum education for more substantial jobs.


    Anyway, that was the hierarchy of power within a noble organization, something that Railan and Ralf followed to the letter. And as such, after a few minutes, they had already entered that family''s administrative building and delivered the order given by Lionel.


    ...


    After leaving that building, father and son found that they would have to wait a few days for their authorization to be passed on to the guards outside the city. In addition, they would also have to wait until two spirit beasts became available for their journey to the Dry City.


    And while they returned to their duties, the two talked about this subject, already planning their trip.


    "Dad, do you think they will give us 3rd stage beasts? If we have to travel on 2nd stage ones, it will take us several weeks to go and come back..."


    "Get ready for that!"


    "This job is not that urgent.  So, I don''t think we''ll be lucky enough to get high-ranking beasts."


    "But if we leave in the next ten days, I believe we''ll be back in less than three months."


    Ralf then nodded and commented briefly. "Ahh, I wonder if the Dry City has improved in that period... Back then, that person seemed interested in our city."


    "Hmph, it doesn''t matter if he was interested! What can good intentions do?"


    "Nothing!"


    "Only the individual strength and the financial power of large organizations can change anything."


    "But whoever has these two things and is sensible would never invest in the Black Plain!"


    "That brat is just someone frustrated, with no other options, hahaha." Railan smiled, remembering how serious Minos had looked when he''d tried to convince him to stay in the Dry City.


    "I heard that person had lost everything because of his father''s death. He was a..." Ralf and his father then continued to talk about these and other popular topics at the Brown Kingdom until they finally separated.


    ...


    While the Gill family''s subordinates were preparing for their journey to the Dry City, a woman rode in a beast along a dirt path, secretly pursuing a specific caravan.


    The group pursued by her consisted of three carriages that seemed to transport a whole family, having departed from a particular region of the Cromwell Kingdom, heading towards the north.


    As for this woman, she was traveling calmly a few hundred meters away from that caravan, with costumes the same color as the terrain around her.


    ''Where are they going?'' She wondered dubiously, trying to guess the fate of the people she was chasing. ''This is the sixth family with children who studied with me that left the City of Waters in recent months...''


    "Why are they leaving that place so often?" The woman muttered as a strong wind passed by her, shaking her beautiful green hair...

 Chapter 456: Dependency

    While that woman calmly chased that group of people traveling towards the north of this continent, a whole day passed.


    At this moment, the sun was directly above the horizon of the Dry City.


    The city was calm as usual, and in the little more than a day since Minos and Celeste''s fight, this woman had already begun to work in the local agricultural fields.


    However, considering that woman''s tremendous power, even wearing a collar that sealed her cultivation, she still had physical strength equivalent to a level 41 cultivator at full force!


    And with such strength, she could do a lot in the agricultural fields, transporting, harvesting, in short, doing the many jobs that were naturally involved in the production of spiritual food.


    Obviously, it was a waste to make a Spiritual King already at level 54 do that kind of service, but Minos had no choice. After all, with the strength of that woman, the only one who could stop her was the local sovereign himself...


    But Minos didn''t have time to be Celeste''s guard, nor to put up with any trouble she might cause.


    He also couldn''t just think that she would behave, just because of the fight they''d had earlier, or because she couldn''t leave this town due to the defensive barrier of this place.


    That''s because, unlike almost the entire population of the Dry City, who were basically humble people from different parts of this region, people who wanted to work hard for the opportunities they had gotten here, Celeste''s case was very delicate.


    This woman had been raised in a context with many cultural influences that could be problematic for her inclusion in the Dry City. Especially those related to high-level nobles.


    Noble and ''high-nosed people'' were not known for humility but rather for arrogance. What''s more, culturally, they did not see themselves as equal to ordinary citizens, not even those from rising families...


    And all this combined with a high individual power could generate unnecessary friction...


    However, that wasn''t even the main point of Minos not trusting Celeste. What bothered him most was the fact that she was unfaithful!


    He naturally didn''t care about other people''s private lives, and he certainly didn''t care about his soldiers'' love histories. But when it came to matters that could affect his life or the existence of the Black Plain, Minos couldn''t help but be annoyed by people like Celeste.


    That''s because, in his opinion, such people would already be predisposed to betray a second time, a third, a fourth, and so on. And it didn''t matter that she was like that when it came to love affairs.


    For Minos, if Celeste was capable of doing what she did, why shouldn''t she be able to harm the Black Plain somehow?


    That could even be very difficult to happen, as the local security could already be considered very good. However, Minos was under no illusion that he was invincible and that people would not find ways to circumvent his security schemes.


    For all that, he couldn''t believe she would follow his orders. After all, he might be stronger than she was, but for now, that was just a tiny difference!


    The fear, or the respect she had for him, was certainly far from the level where dangerous thoughts could be avoided.


    And he wasn''t about to take any chances with this woman.


    Usually, this young man would be willing to take certain risks, as long as there were necessary benefits to his project and that those people he invested in were committed to such a thing.


    But the risk Celeste brought with her was far from what he would accept. Hence, he would only receive this woman into his power through a Soul Contract, something that would limit her actions.


    So, until that was resolved, Minos wouldn''t mind wasting Celeste''s potential by doing her work in the local fields without having the right to cultivate and grow stronger.


    Anyway, but even though she lost the bet to Minos, she would be paid for all the work she would do!


    But while Celeste''s situation was somewhat harsh, this woman''s partner had already signed his Soul Contract with Minos and joined the Black Plain Army.


    That had been very easy to accomplish, as the local army already had a spiritual judge of the classification needed to validate such an agreement!


    So, a few hours after talking to Minos about what would be in the contract, quickly the person needed for such a thing had presented himself at the office of the local sovereign and done his service.


    After that, Minos'' old acquaintance had received permission to join the army the next day. Today.


    ...


    After Neal completed his registration, he immediately learned the basics of the headquarters, such as the library, cultivation tower, fighting arena, reward''s hall, etc.


    He had been amazed by all of this. Still, because several medium-level grade-2 arrays were defending the entire city, he hadn''t been as surprised as the people in Abby''s group had been back then.


    After all, if one could afford such a defensive structure, then all of this in this headquarters was just considered to be average...


    But he had become very interested in the various divisions that already existed in this organization.


    Obviously, the Elite Squad was what caught Neal''s attention the most, given the incredible conditions involved. Yet, several others caught this young man''s attention, as they were not very common to be found in noble families.


    For example, the divisions of intelligence, administration, formation of leaders, and others that he had been introduced in that place.


    And it''s not that there weren''t people for spying, management, and governance in the noble families. There were!


    The problem is that there was no compartmentalization of these areas in this type of organization, as happened in the army of Minos.


    Some people learned techniques or knowledge aimed at a specific specialization or activity, but this was done informally, as in the case of masters and disciples.


    A master who had become a spy would naturally teach his abilities to his disciples, and they would do the same in the future. And that was basically how big families operated.


    It was unusual for a noble family to have a division to train leaders.


    No, such a thing was naturally taught to all nobles the basics about the management of territories, and those who were most interested in the subject and had special skills would be those who would govern in the future.


    But there was no class officially focused on this, nor were there general criteria for what is expected of the future leaders of these families.


    However, in the army of Minos, there was!


    Future leaders could join this division, and in it, they would have to prepare themselves according to what can be acceptable and what cannot be in the Black Plain.


    The leaders would eventually change in a noble family, and the rules and standards could also vary. For example, power could start using slave labor due to the change of leader.


    But in Minos'' scheme, such a thing would not happen since no matter who would rule the Black Plain cities; the rules would have to be the same.


    If any soldier could not follow Minos''s ideas for the Black Plain, he would simply lose any chance of ruling cities in the Black Plain or army posts.


    And so it was in all the other divisions. They had been structured in such a way as to preserve the ideals and objectives of this organization so that there would be no instabilities due to occasional changes in leadership.


    As a result, Neal had become interested in these divisions, which in his view, seemed a more efficient way to develop an organization.


    ''This is interesting!'' He thought about it as he headed toward his first local responsibilities. ''With such planning, he is certainly trying to reach a point where the state can remain strong or even strengthen even more, even in his absence!''


    The creation of organizations and their continuity was dreamed of by many in the Spiritual World. However, most failed in this mission, as most of these powers were overly dependent on their founders.


    That was a problem that, in a way, was related to the desires that many leaders had, to be the strongest, unique in their positions.


    But Minos didn''t see it that way, as he would be content to have many people on his level. That''s because, for this young man, it didn''t make any sense to build something dependent, which would wither away after he left for another place...


    ''What is the point of creating something weaker than me? If my creation is to wither after my departure, I''d rather not even create anything!'' He had thought about it.


    He wanted to develop the Black Plain, so he wanted his territory not to depend on his strength but somewhat be even more powerful than him!

 Chapter 457: The First Part of the Independence Plan

    Quickly four days passed...


    At this time, it was early morning in the Black Plain region, and the temperature was pleasant, typical of this period of the day.


    But while the local climate was stable, with a bluish sky extended for hundreds of kilometers, a group of carriages approached the Dry City from the south side of the wall.


    This group consisted of three carriages typically used for human transport, which were being pulled by spiritual beasts from the 2nd stage of cultivation, the most common to be found in groups like this one on the roads of the northern region of the Central Continent.


    At the same time that such a group approached the southern post of the local wall, a young woman pursued them from afar until she finally told her beast to stop running.


    Almost immediately after she gave her command, the beast slowed down, and the green-haired young woman leaned forward, with her hair swaying in the breeze.


    ''What is this?'' Viola unconsciously wondered, looking up at the great wall in front of her that seemed to have a large dome above it, which extended across an extensive area.


    Viola had started chasing this family who had left the City of Waters a few days ago.


    That day, she had received the news that one more of her students was leaving the academy of that city because her student''s family had decided to leave that town.


    And given the frequency with which this was happening, she couldn''t help finding it all very strange!


    Viola would not mind if one of her students left her class to live in another city, but this had become a regular occurrence in the preceding six months...


    And because of this, Viola had lost almost half of her students, finally having lost her patience, and decided to investigate this matter.


    Such a thing was not normal, and she felt there was something very wrong with it. And in fact, when she tried to talk to the families of these students of hers, they had just avoided her, pretending not to know what the problem was.


    So, after not getting answers in this way, this woman had decided to secretly pursue the last family that had left that city, something that resulted in the situation she was in right now.


    Anyway, while Viola was standing at a distance from the Dry City wall, those carriages from before had finally entered the southern border post of the local army.


    Seeing this from afar, Viola frowned and began to ponder all that she was feeling and seeing. ''This is definitely a barrier produced by a medium-level grade-2 defensive array... But why would such a thing exist in this place?''


    ''Considering the distance I''ve covered these past few days, this place should be pretty much in the Dry City position, but...''


    ''But how could something like that be in such a city?''


    She took her left hand to her mouth for a moment, remaining silent and looking at the lifeless terrain of that place she was until finally, her eyes widened. Viola clapped both of her hands as if she had just understood something.


    "That''s it! My student''s families are all coming here!" She muttered, realizing that a place with such a defensive structure would have better opportunities than a town like the one her mother had been ruling.


    ''Something happened in the Dry City, and this place is probably not the same anymore!''


    ''Probably some rich person has decided to make this place his secret base and requires people to work here!'' She thought about it, leaving aside the many questions regarding how or why this place received such investments.


    Those were questions she wanted to know the answers to, but at the moment, they were things that didn''t matter that much to her. The fact was, this place ahead of her could only be the Dry City, and Viola knew she wasn''t dreaming or hallucinating the spiritual feeling generated by the barrier.


    In this case, she could forget what she knew about such a location and leave to ask questions at another time. What mattered even now was how this information could help this young woman!


    ''At first, I should communicate this type of information directly with the family, but my mother always told me to analyze the situation carefully before...''


    She then frowned even more and muttered. "Perhaps the benefits we can have if we use this to our advantage are much greater if I just communicate with the family!"


    After that, she ordered her beast to run again, this time towards the Cromwell Kingdom, away from the Dry City wall.


    ''I''ll talk about it with my mother. With her help, I''ll be able to make the best choice!''


    And finally, after a few moments, Viola had disappeared from that spot, leaving no clues for the Black Plain soldiers who were standing at that immigration post south of the wall.


    ...


    As Viola ran toward the City of Waters, at the headquarters of the Black Plain Army, a large conference was taking place in one of the largest meeting rooms in the administrative section.


    In that meeting room, about 100 people were seated at different height levels on what looked like a staircase, typical of theaters.


    At the same time, there was a small stage facing this audience. There was a set of characters written on the wall, which made each person swallow their saliva.


    Even though these people were among the strongest in the local army, except for members of the Elite Squad, these men and women couldn''t help but feel worried.


    After all, the content on that wall indicated something severe, which could lead to grave consequences for all of them and the Black Plain.


    Finally, while those people between levels 44 and 45 mainly were silent, trying to understand this situation better, the side door of that place opened, and Abby walked into that room.


    After seeing this, many of them tried to get up to her but were soon interrupted when she waved her hand, indicating no need for such an act. "Good morning, everyone."


    She then looked at the green wall on that side of the room and continued. "As you can see, we are here to discuss an issue that is crucial to the future actions of the army."


    She then looked at those symbols as she settled herself behind a small table on that stage. Abby then waved her hand back and said. "It''s time for us to start the invasion of the Maritime City!"


    Upon hearing this, many of them immediately became even more solemn than before. ''So is this serious? Isn''t it a joke?''


    ''But are we prepared? Does the young master truly want to start the Independence Plan?''


    But despite everyone being entirely serious, some had thoughts contrary to these most worried people.


    ''Finally! I can''t wait for us to start showing what we''re capable of...''


    ''This brings me one step closer to getting justice for my family!''


    ''After this, our city will grow stronger...''


    And finally, as each of those people had thoughts of all kinds in their minds, Abby began to speak.


    "As you know, the invasion of the Maritime City is just the first stage of the Independence Plan, which has as its purpose the proclamation of the Black Plain as an independent state."


    "And as our sovereign will reach level 50 in less than a year, he wishes the Maritime City to be completely dominated by the army at that time!"


    "Hence, starting today, we will begin the preparations for the invasion of that town, starting with the formation of investigation groups, which will obtain the necessary data on the forces present in that city."


    "After that, we will make the list of the soldiers who will participate in the attacks and who will also be involved in the scheme planned by our sovereign..."

 Chapter 458: Replacement Scheme

    After saying those words, Abby quickly began to explain the main points of how the entire Maritime City invasion mission would work.


    At first, some groups of soldiers would be sent to that city to investigate the forces stationed in that coastal region and record some information regarding the positions and groups of enemy guards.


    But that wouldn''t be too thorough, to the point that a months-long investigation would be needed.


    No, this was just for the Black Plain Army to know the numbers of opponents, that is, the force present in that place, and how to use this information to initiate the plan in the best possible way.


    The army had already made a plan to deal with that location and was just waiting for this data to be adjusted in the most effective way for the Black Plain.


    That was the replacement scheme!


    Minos had thought of this option months ago when he was struggling to figure out how to solve the problem of demand for new workers in the Dry City.


    That was a recurring issue, but it was also something that would not be easy to resolve. And as was to be expected, once again, such a city had already reached its maximum production and could not improve with the current population!


    To resolve this issue, or at the very least delay it, for the time being, Minos determined that the Maritime City was the best target for attracting workers to his town.


    Unlike in the past when his territory couldn''t defend itself against the royal guards stationed along the coast, now his army had this possibility!


    Precisely for this reason, Minos now thought it was worth ''setting foot'' in that city and completely taking over this final territory in the Black Plain that was beyond his power.


    That place indeed was fascinating to him. After all, the Maritime City was still a medium-sized urban area, with more than 300,000 inhabitants.


    That was much more than what Dry City itself had achieved after more than four years of work by Minos and his team, so he couldn''t help seeing that place as his answer.


    But that was not all. The ruler of the Black Plain did not intend to have Brown Kingdom powers within his territory when he declared independence.


    That would be like having a parasite in your body, something that, in addition to using its ''nutrients,'' could also put the ''host''s life at risk!''


    In a war of independence, it would be horrible if the enemy had a base so close to Minos'' territory, in fact, not close, but inside his territory...


    Therefore, controlling that town was part of this young man''s plans, and advancing this matter could bring future benefits.


    However, Minos was aware that the Brown Kingdom royal family paid attention to that place. Furthermore, many noble families did the same since the Maritime City was the only naval port in this state.


    Consequently, there were many forces in that place.


    They often sent reports to the royal palace or the noble families of this state. And precisely because of these factors, Minos had thought of the replacement scheme!


    Such a plan consisted of kidnapping the royal guards in that city, one by one. After this, each of them would suffer the effects of Abby''s innate ability. As a result, they would tell everything they knew to Minos'' soldiers, from their routine, obligations, names of colleagues, hobbies, etc.


    After talking about everything the army would need to know, these people would be kept alive in the Dry City prison. That would serve so that no possible soul sign would indicate deaths, possibly instigating unwanted investigations...


    At the same time that these unfortunates would be held in the Dry City, young Stuart''s army soldiers would be sent to that city to replace these subordinates of the Brown family.


    Obviously, this would not be done carelessly, as many soldiers could know each other, be on good terms, etc. But with the help of Abby''s ability, it was just a matter of time before these soldiers learned how to play their roles.


    Moreover, the plan was to attack groups that generally worked together to make the replacement as believable as possible. And that was not difficult, as soldiers usually follow a restricted routine. They do not interact with many people, especially those outside their usual working circle.


    Thus, it was relatively easy to act against specific groups after the essential investigative work.


    Finally, this scheme would continue until all subordinates of the royal family in that city were replaced entirely, and that place was under the control of the Dry City!


    From then on, Minos'' soldiers would maintain the previous activities of their predecessors, acting so that no regional power would suspect what was happening in the Maritime City.


    At the same time, a few Black Plain Army soldiers would gradually start attracting the less talented inhabitants of that place to the Dry City, once more reviving its development!


    "This is all the planning we have for now. Any questions?" Abby asked those people in that conference room as she moved her eyes from side to side and sighed for a moment.


    After she asked her question, several hands went up in the middle of that audience of dozens of soldiers. "Ms. Abby, I heard a Spiritual King is guarding that city. How are we going to deal with this?"


    "Don''t worry about it. In this mission, our Spiritual Generals will only have to worry about enemies from the same cultivation range¡­" She answered the first question when she then pointed to the next person and heard another question.


    ...


    "How long will we have to prepare? What will the deadlines be?"


    ...


    "What should we do if the enemy cannot be captured alive?"


    ...


    Many questions were asked about how the invasion mission to the Maritime City would take place and others related to the Independence Plan and the unfolding of that event.


    Abby answered all of the soldiers'' questions, making clear the points she already knew. In contrast, she just gave vague answers to others, as she didn''t know what was on her boyfriend''s mind.


    However, those soldiers already had a basic understanding of all of this, as Minos introduced the Independence Plan a year ago, shortly after returning from his previous trip.


    This plan was something everyone knew would happen, given the fact that Minos considered the noble families of the Brown Kingdom to be potential enemies. But it hadn''t been made official before, as the local forces hadn''t even reached the minimum point to discuss such a thing!


    However, after that trip of Minos and Abby, the Dry City had improved considerably, and young Stuart had finally decided to present his thoughts to his soldiers.


    Such a thing had been compiled in the Independence Plan, something that consisted of several phases, which would serve as the basis for the success of the Black Plain in this rebellious undertaking!


    It ranged from controlling strategic cities, assassinating, forming alliances, to even getting high-level professionals.


    Part of it was already in action, as young Stuart had been working in the Dry City to pursue these goals since his early days in this region. Still, the real beginning of that plan was this mission in the Maritime City.


    That''s because, from that point on, there would be no turning back, and they would have to endure the pressure that would naturally come as a result of their actions.


    But both the Minos soldiers and this young man knew there was no alternative. In a world where the strong do what they want and are still applauded for it, only those who dare to fight for their ideas have a chance to prevail!


    And, in light of the opportunities these people had, the dreams they had never dared to dream but now possessed, these people were unable to return to their previous lives.


    No, now that they had tasted the sweet taste of prosperity, most of them were more than willing to fight to maintain their new positions!

 Chapter 459: Why Care?

    Quickly two days passed...


    While preparations were being made for the start of the mission of Minos'' army in the Maritime City, Viola had crossed all the distance between the Dry City and the City of Waters.


    This woman had returned as quickly as possible to her town, where she could finally decide what to do with the information she had previously obtained with the help of her experienced mother.


    That was something she had given a lot of importance to, and it wasn''t long before she arrived at the local government mansion.


    ...


    Upon entering the mansion''s interior, the young woman with green hair quickly crossed the public parts of this building until arriving at Mirya''s training room, where usually this woman used to stay.


    In that place where Minos had already spent a few hours having fun with the mother-daughter pair, Mirya was now calmly cultivating.


    She was sitting in the center of that room, in a meditative position on a pillow typical of this type of activity. And while she was doing that, the spiritual energy of some medium-grade crystals was gradually being sucked into this woman''s spiritual cultivation, to the point where the air in that room was slightly distorted right now.


    It was as if there was a small mirage in that room, surrounding the body of that mature woman, like those typical of hot summer days.


    While she was doing this, this woman''s powerful cultivation gradually became denser, which Viola could feel, even standing outside that room, watching her mother through a glass door.


    After so many months that the agreement between Minos and Mirya had ended, this mature woman had already received all the crystals from that previous transaction. Because of that, her cultivation had increased a lot!


    She was currently at level 52, a level that she wouldn''t have dreamed of reaching in less than ten years before that deal!


    But not only had she gotten much stronger in that period because of that deal. No, like a good mother, Mirya had also nurtured her daughter with lots of crystals, something that had raised that young girl''s strength to level 47!


    Anyway, while Viola was waiting for her mother, watching from outside that room, Mirya finally began to show signs that she was finishing her meditative state when the crystals around her had wholly stopped glowing, and she slowly opened her eyes.


    "Ahh, at this rate, I can reach level 53 in less than two years!" She celebrated in her mind while sighing in satisfaction.


    It was nice to have so many crystals at her disposal!


    But beyond that, this woman was already thinking about the day when her mission in the City of Waters ended, and she would obtain a status boost in the Stokes family due to her leveling up.


    That is because each cultivation level in the 6th stage was challenging to achieve in this region. Hence, highly valued by local authorities.


    So, even though Spiritual Kings were treated as regional experts and were seen as equals in public, the truth was that the status gap grew higher and higher, considering the cultivation levels of these people.


    And a level 53 Spiritual King, the level this woman would be at at the end of her mission in the City of Waters, was far more valuable to a noble family than a level 51, this woman''s previous strength.


    The very possibility of her starting an organization in the Stokes family would no longer be impossible, as her prospects had already completely changed after she made that deal with Minos!


    Anyway, because of all that, this woman was delighted with her staying in this region and had a smile on her face whenever she woke up in the mornings and after her cultivation sessions, like this one at this time.


    After that brief moment of self-satisfaction, this mature woman soon felt that someone was watching her when she finally turned to the door and saw her daughter.


    "Viola?" She commented as she watched that young woman enter that place and sit down beside her.


    Mirya then looked at the young woman who had sat on a big sofa, noticing the grave expression on Viola''s face. "What happened? You don''t usually come to talk to your mother in the middle of the day..."


    "Remember what I told you before? About the many students who left the local spiritual academy because their families were leaving this town?"


    Viola''s mother nodded and made a sound of agreement. "Hmm."


    "So then, I decided to pursue one of these families, and I think I figured out where they''re all going."


    After hearing this, Mirya''s eyes narrowed abruptly as she finally realized that this matter actually mattered more than she had previously thought. That''s because this woman knew a lot more than her daughter...


    After all, Viola didn''t know Minos and Mirya''s negotiation details, which involved thousands of locals. And even though the deal had ended more than a year ago, Mirya knew there were still people leaving the City of Waters constantly.


    But she couldn''t do anything about it...


    She had invited a predator into her home, and now she couldn''t control it!


    Minos'' men were already infiltrated among the local inhabitants, and these individuals already had all the necessary data to continue attracting people to the Black Plain.


    With that, what could Mirya try to do?


    Killing these people would be of no benefit to her, and as for the possibility of her interrogating them, she had even tried to bribe some people. Still, strangely none of them had accepted the 500 reward crystals that were offered!


    As for torture, this woman hadn''t reached that point, as she was afraid of suffering heavy consequences for it, as Minos seemed to have far more excellent financial support than the Stokes family, the power behind her.


    So, to not offend a potential wealthy ally, this woman had not used extreme methods.


    And she had even tried to send some of her men to chase these families on a few occasions, but her subordinates always returned a day or two, with dozens of broken bones and with the warning not to do anything about it again...


    Anyway, but for some more significant reason, Viola had managed to do this job Mirya so desperately needed.


    ''Perhaps they didn''t consider she was chasing them due to her strength? Or maybe that''s because they are willing to receive us at this time?'' Mirya wondered, remembering Minos'' figure.


    She then asked seriously. "And where is this place? Is very far?"


    Hearing this, the young woman moved her head in denial and then laughed. "You won''t believe me if I say it!"


    "Oh? So, it must be something very unexpected¡­" Viola''s mother muttered in a low voice, already trying to guess. But nothing came to her mind. After all, there were several strange parts in the region where they lived.


    "But by the time since I last saw you, this place must be within 2,000 kilometers of where we are... Don''t tell me that..."


    "It''s the Dry City!" Viola answered her, looking steadily into her mother''s eyes.


    "I did not enter that area because the moment I approached it, I sensed a massive defensive force surrounding the city, something that could only be generated by medium-level grade-2 defensive arrays!"


    "What?" Mirya screamed in shock as she got up from that sofa and stared at her daughter, trying to figure out if this was a joke.


    ''How can this be? Arrays of this classification are not cheap!''


    ''How would anyone spend so much just to protect a city? What use would that be?'' She couldn''t understand how such a thing could exist.


    Noble and royal families did not make this type of investment in their cities. After all, why would they care about defending common areas?


    For them, as long as their mansions, palaces, and headquarters were okay, even if the entire population was sacrificed, it wouldn''t be the end of the world...

 Chapter 460: Didnt Learn Everything You Could...

    "Are you sure?" Mirya asked as she swallowed her saliva and eagerly awaited her daughter''s response.


    "Yes, I''m sure."


    Hearing such confirmation, Mirya turned on her side and then brought one of her hands to her face as if she was trying to understand all this information.


    ''This is very strange, is the organization behind Minos really in that town? Or is it something else?''


    ''Is their financial power that great? But why invest in the Black Plain? Are there any special reasons?'' She asked herself several questions, trying to understand the situation, but she couldn''t think of such answers.


    She then muttered something. "Who is the current sovereign of the Black Plain? Are there any sovereigns there? Or is it just a regent?"


    Viola then shook her head in denial, hearing her mother''s voice but not responding to it. Despite both being members of noble power, they didn''t know about these details from another state and a region famous for its poverty!


    She could even know more important things, such as the Silva family''s inherited the Red Valley, as this was regionally relevant information. But when it came to specific news, not only they, but any member of powers outside the Black Plain, would fail to know that kind of intelligence in advance.


    At least none of them would bother to seek that kind of information before something had happened, as in the case of Mirya and Viola.


    "How should we act? Maybe inform the family and ask for information from the Black Plain?" Viola broke the silence with this question, still watching her mother standing beside that big sofa.


    Mirya then actively denied such a thing by saying her opinion on it. "No! Are you trying to throw this opportunity away? That place you went to is most likely the foundation of the power behind Minos!"


    "What? Why do you say that? Why would he have relations with that city?" The young woman asked doubtfully, not understanding how her mother had made such a link.


    "At that time when Minos had come to me to negotiate, he wanted to pay me to close my eyes while he took unemployed people from this town to his territory. That''s where the many crystals that have nurtured you in recent months came from and also what enabled me to reach my current level!"


    "This... So, my students'' families are going to his territory all this time?"


    "Probably."


    "You knew all this and didn''t tell me anything?" Viola asked this, already with a slightly irritated expression.


    "Haha, I didn''t know where they were going, so what difference does it make? Not to mention that my agreement with him had already ended when these families started to move. So, I really couldn''t be sure about that, as my subordinates never managed to follow those families successfully."


    "What? I didn''t find any difficulties. Are you sure they didn''t?" The daughter asked her mother, trying to understand better why it had been different with her.


    "I don''t know, maybe they let us figure it out, or it was a mistake on their part. But, anyway, considering what you told me and the other information I have, I believe there is more than 80% chance of Minos having a connection with this place."


    Viola then understood better what was going on and asked. "So, do you think we should go to the Dry City? Why do you think we will have opportunities with Minos? That is, if he''s truly related to that place..."


    "Yes, I believe that going to that city is a good alternative. Because I don''t think there is any threat in that place, as they wouldn''t hide under a defensive barrier if they were strong enough."


    "Furthermore, even if Minos has nothing to do with that place, this town is certainly recruiting outsiders, as the Black Plain has never had a large population. That way, they won''t attack people who go to that place in peace, as that would be bad for business!"


    "As for the opportunities we can find in that place, haha, Viola, it seems you didn''t learn everything you could from this old mother of yours..."


    "We can offer all sorts of services secretly to that place, and then we''ll get even more voluminous resources than what I''ve gotten before!" Mirya explained this with a sparkle in her eyes.


    She knew that if this place were recruiting, then it would certainly be a constantly growing place. And as such, there would be needs related to professionals, materials, food, etc. The possibilities were endless, and this experienced woman could provide it all!


    Because, although she was not a trader, due to the main feature of the City of Waters, a port city, she could import resources with some ease. And even if Minos wanted more ordinary people like those in the previous agreement, this woman still had her means!


    She couldn''t get more people out of the City of Waters, which could result in enormous problems for her in the future. Still, she had a lot of ''contacts'' throughout the Cromwell Kingdom...


    People in positions similar to hers would undoubtedly agree to get a few hundred thousand crystals without having to do much...


    So, she was sure she would have plenty of opportunities in the Dry City!


    Viola then felt excited about this and appreciatively  commented as she approached Mirya and hugged her. "This is amazing, Mom!"


    After that, she then asked. "But when will we travel? Do we have to make any preparations?"


    "We will travel today! We can''t waste time if that place let us figure it out, or it was just a mistake, so in both cases, it shouldn''t be long before more people get there. That''s why we''ll travel there as soon as possible, to enjoy the benefits for longer!"


    "I just have to make some arrangements, and then we''ll leave."


    Hearing this, Viola understood what should be done and was ready to leave that place and go sort out some of her affairs, when suddenly she remembered something and said in a worried tone. "But mom, won''t this deal you made with Minos earlier harm us?"


    "Of course not. What proof does anyone have that I did something? Even if there are doubts in the future, it won''t matter. Everyone knows that subordinates sent to manage distant territories always take advantage of these opportunities to gain some earnings."


    "And there was no harm done to the Stokes family..."


    After that, the two talked a little more about it until, eventually, they each went their own way, settling their matters before they left for young Stuart''s territory.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the Stone Island capital...


    It was another summer day in this great metropolis. At this moment, the beautiful Elen was enjoying the excellent weather inside the Nash family property, in the large garden of this place.


    She was walking in that place while resting from her train until finally, the figure of an elderly man approached her with a grave expression on his face.


    "It appears the Allen family has partnered with the Farmland region powers to surcharge all products coming from our alliance organizations, Miss Elen."


    "And there seems to be much more on their agreement¡­" The man began to advise Elen about the latest events relating to the trade war that was in effect on Stone Island between the powers that were against the business of Elen and in favor of it.


    The escalation of tensions has been constant in this region lately. There were continuous conflicts involving Spiritual Kings on both sides, sometimes even resulting in some deaths.


    And despite the calm weather in this big city, the truth was that everything else in this city was in tension, with all sides, even the ordinary people, preparing for the worst...


    Whenever people from different sides found themselves on the streets, conflicts could happen for the smallest disagreements. With this, many ordinary people already feared being involved in such a thing.


    As for the local royal family, this organization seemed interested in just watching the show, having acted only in situations that directly offended them...


    "Okay, let''s make a conference with our allies to give our reply!"

 Chapter 461: Kylas New Fun

    Three days quickly passed...


    At this time, on the west side of the Dry City, there was an area under construction, from which many people could be seen working on different types of buildings. They came and went from that place with loads being pulled by beasts and other smaller items carried by hand by the workers.


    At the same time, in which the many workers performed these manual services, a few people passed by that place watching the surroundings. Some of them were the municipal police officers and professionals responsible for general cleaning, who collected the trash left behind in that area.


    But while humans worked in this area and some low-level beasts supported some of them, a unique pair of beasts passed through one of the cobbled streets of that place.


    This pair consisted of a giant white tiger and another beast about 2 meters tall and with the fur of three different colors; orange, black, and white.


    As they passed through that area, several people who came and went on those streets couldn''t help but stare in awe at the extraordinary beauty of these beasts, particularly the one with four tails.


    Obviously, this was the young fox Kyla, whom Minos had finally freed to roam the Dry City a few days ago. Besides her was Abby''s beast, Ebba.


    The young fox was no longer as bored as before due to the change that had taken place in the Spatial Kingdom after the arrival of the Elite Squad soldiers. After all, with the presence of so many people, whenever she didn''t know what to do, she could follow and even play with those people.


    But even though she felt more entertained there because of the presence of these people, it didn''t change the fact that Kyla had never known more than two other places before.


    One was the cave she was born in, and the other was the Yellow City mansion, where she and her mother had lived for a few days, just before they moved to the Spatial Kingdom.


    Precisely because of that, a noble Nine-Tailed Fox like her couldn''t help but feel like visiting other places and also other beasts like her.


    Spiritual beasts could be very different from each other, but generally speaking, viewing them as one branch would not be incorrect. That is because they had similar characteristics, which made them classified into the same group of living beings.


    Among those things was the fact that even the youngest and weakest beasts were able to understand and converse perfectly with others of different races!


    Furthermore, the relationship between beasts of different races could be far more significant than the connection humans would generally have with beasts. And such a thing made these living beings much more prone to interspecies relationships...


    That is why they were classified as ''spiritual beasts'' and not just Dragons, Phoenixes, Nine-Tailed Foxes, etc.


    In any case, even if some races of beasts had a certain arrogance toward others of lower lineage, they could still socialize and even form bonds with beings of different races. After all, a king would have to have his underlings...


    Consequently, powerful or talented beasts liked to have their followers, ''subjects,'' who could help them govern their properties.


    So, while some beasts had issues with each other, just as humans did, they could also live together as friends, bosses, subordinates, even lovers...


    And that influenced young Kyla!


    She felt a need to meet other beings like her, spiritual beasts with whom she could socially interact or even fight and command.


    It was like an instinct, which was still bothering her sensibly, even though she was already much more entertained in the Spatial Kingdom than before. So, as soon as she had discovered with her mother that she could go out for a tour, this young fox had wasted no time in coming to the Dry City.


    In doing so, the one responsible for this young fox had been Abby''s hired beast, Ebba, who had already reached the 5th stage of cultivation and could converse with humans.


    But beyond that, these two got along very well, as they both had access to the Spatial Kingdom and were practically the same age.


    Anyway, while the two beasts moved calmly through the streets of that under construction region, the two beasts were conversing in a common language that Kyla could understand.


    "Miss Kyla, a new beast has joined our group in the last few days. Do you want to meet her?" Ebba asked as she lowered her head and looked at the four-tailed fox, who was only slightly smaller than herself.


    "Oh? I want! My mother always told me about the beasts of my homeland. I can''t wait to meet one more!" She excitedly  said as she walked a few steps in front of Ebba.


    Both were of relatively distant breeds in terms of bloodline quality. Because of this, Ebba naturally felt that she should respect young Kyla, even if, at the moment, she was stronger than Emlyn''s daughter.


    Kyla then asked. "What breed is it?"


    After that, the two continued to talk about Celeste''s beast until they headed toward the place outside the city, where these beings usually stayed.


    Kyla truly enjoyed interacting with other beings and wanted to make the most of the next 3 hours she had until Minos took her back to the Spatial Kingdom.


    So, she couldn''t waste time!


    ...


    While the two beasts frolicked around the Dry City, Minos was in his office talking to Abby about matters relating to the invasion of the Maritime City.


    The organization of such an event had been under the responsibility of this young woman. That''s why Minos had been getting information through her in daily conversations in the middle of the day.


    Finally, the two of them were sitting face to face in that office, drinking spiritual tea and talking about it.


    "How is the organization of the investigative part of this operation going?" Minos asked, looking into her eyes as he inhaled the fragrance of the tea he was holding in a cup close to his face.


    "That will be resolved later this week when the groups will start moving towards that city. But we''ve already made all the choice of soldiers involved in this and the preparation of the necessary items." Abby answered him calmly.


    "Hmm, that''s good... And how long do you stipulate it will take us to start the replacement scheme?"


    "I think before you reach level 49, it will have already started. As we will send several groups to investigate this matter, I believe that in two months, the first kidnapped individuals will arrive in our city."


    "After that, we''ll just have to let the soldiers study the history of their respective targets for a few weeks, and then they''ll be ready for the mission." She then looked at young Stuart with a confident smile on her face and added. "After that, it will probably be time for you to act personally in that place."


    Minos had planned to kidnap the strongest of that city himself so that this whole scheme would draw as little attention as possible. That is so that they could replace the Spiritual King responsible for that place without any fuss.


    After all, as strong as the Black Plain Army Spiritual Kings were at this point, they probably couldn''t kidnap another individual above level 50 without causing a little commotion.


    But with the techniques of this young sovereign, such a thing would be straightforward to do!


    Finally, Minos desired to replace the Spiritual King in command of that city with one of his soldiers in order to maintain the appearance that the town was still under the control of the Brown Kingdom royal family.


    With that, he would simply surprise such an organization when the time came, giving them a ''grateful surprise,'' which might come as a stab in the back...


    War would be inevitable, and this young man was already preparing the first trap for his enemies!

 Chapter 462: Unexpected Guests?

    After hearing Abby''s comment, Minos nodded in agreement. "Well, when it''s time, just let me know, and I''ll be ready to go to that spot right away."


    "Anyway, changing the subject, how are things going with the army''s formation leaders division?"


    Abby then smiled and started talking about it. "We are doing well. We still have few members, so everything is under control. Young people are dedicating themselves a lot to their studies. They have a lot of potentials, especially those two, Lee and Alison."


    "They will likely be Spiritual Kings before they graduate!"


    "As for those slightly older soldiers who have joined this division, they are having some difficulties, but we have a lot of time to resolve this." She declared with a calm expression on her face.


    Ten years was a long time, and this young woman believed that even the oldest people in those groups could meet the criteria established by Minos and herself. And since there hadn''t even been a year since the beginning of these people''s training, it was to be expected that some would encounter some difficulties.


    After all, even though the cultivator''s memory was generally superb, part of the learning was related to people''s personalities. Such a thing would always be formed during youth when personal experiences are more limited.


    So, for older people, who already had their personalities completely shaped, making some changes in their lifestyle and thoughts could be pretty complicated...


    Unfortunately, that could get in their way for learning some skills, like those taught in the Black Plain Army''s formation leaders division!


    Such difficulties would appear in any actions in the Spiritual World, so this was something to be worked on. Still, it didn''t impede the progress of Minos'' plans for his army.


    Therefore, the thing Abby had informed didn''t worry Minos.


    "Hmm, that''s to be expected..." He briefly  commented as he saw that his girlfriend wanted to keep talking.


    "I heard that Neal had signed up for the division but then dropped out because of the Elite Squad, something he found out later... But anyway, if he hadn''t changed his mind, you would let someone like him lead one of the future cities of the Black Plain for you?" She asked, still a little dissatisfied with this person''s entry into Minos'' army.


    Abby had been stunned when she had found out from Minos about Celeste and Neal''s arrival in the Dry City. But when she found out that the young man who had studied with her and her boyfriend at the Spiritual Academy in the capital of the Brown Kingdom, this young woman had been angered by this information.


    After all, one of her friends, Brooke, had been Neal and Celeste''s victim... Therefore, she couldn''t help but feel a particular dislike for such people.


    However, Abby had to accept the presence of these people here, as the army truly needed more strength, and she knew that very well.


    Minos then laughed. "Of course I would, he signed a Soul Contract with me, and he can''t betray the Black Plain. Furthermore, if he had gone ahead with this plan to enter that division, he would still have to complete all the requirements to be eligible to lead."


    "After all that, this kind of personal matter would have no importance on my decision. At least not in terms of choosing city administrators. But why your curiosity? Are you still angry? Maybe you should go see that woman working in the fields, hehehe."


    "Hmph, that was the only good part of your decision." Abby complained in a low voice, trying not to smile.


    She had found this choice of Minos fascinating. However, although it was amusing, she knew that it was still small considering the woman''s crimes.  And despite not having sympathy for these people, this young woman knew perfectly well that it was not her or her boyfriend''s job to try to interfere in Brooke''s affairs.


    After those words had been said, Minos got up from his chair and went to the side of the table where Abby was until he picked her up and kissed her lips passionately.


    "Mmmm~"


    Then the young ruler of this region strolled to the biggest sofa in that office, where he bent down and sat down while continuing to hold Abby in his arms, kissing her without disturbance.


    "Do you want to do this now?" Then, right after separating her lips from Minos'', she whispered in his ear, already with a happy smile on her face. "Besides, we do this every day, morning, and night. Do you wish to have me in the mid-afternoons too?"


    Hearing Abby''s teasing tone, young Stuart chuckled for a moment as he ran his hands over her perfect buttocks. "It''s not a bad idea... You know I''m always full of energy after cultivating."


    Pa! Pa! Pa!


    But when the temperature of the two was gradually rising, Mia knocked on the door a few times and soon after entered that place. Shortly after that, the couple stopped what they were starting to do.


    "Young master, we have a problem..." She started to speak when she entered that place.


    Yet, suddenly she looked in the direction where Minos was and saw those two youths next to each other, with flushed cheeks and slightly messy clothes.


    It was nothing significant, but for a woman, the smallest of details would be enough for her to understand everything that had happened before she walked in here...


    And Mia paused in her speech, noticing Minos'' unbuttoned shirt and Abby''s sloppy dress, which showed that this young woman had dressed in a hurry...


    "Sorry young master, I think¡­" She tried to say something but stuttered nervously.


    She usually only entered this place after receiving the order from Minos. Still, as it was an urgent matter, she had walked in here without worrying too much about it this time.


    "Don''t worry, Mia, we weren''t doing anything." Minos broke the silence that had been established for a few seconds and then asked. "What did you want to communicate to me?"


    "Uh, we have a problem reported by the army. Two women arrived in the Dry City a few moments ago and asked about you."


    Hearing this, Abby was the first to say something. "Did they ask about him? And what is special about them for this to be communicated urgently?"


    "Uh, almost forgot, forgive me." Mia apologized, somewhat embarrassed, still a little agitated by what had happened before. "One of them is at level 52!"


    "A woman at level 52? Do I know someone like that?" Minos wondered in a low voice as he looked away and tried to remember if he knew any women with such cultivation. ''Is it someone sent by that woman? Or is it that...''


    "Do they have green hair?"


    "That''s right!"


    "So it''s them..." He muttered when suddenly he saw his young girlfriend staring at him with a curious look. He then smirked at her and asked that secretary again. "Thanks, Mia. And where are they?"


    "They are already in the local prison."


    "I see. Tell the soldiers to let them go and bring them to me." He ordered, before that young secretary finally left that place, going to resolve this matter.


    Abby then asked the question she so wanted to ask. "Who are these women?"


    "Hehe, do you remember when we visited the City of Waters?"


    Hearing this, Abby''s pupils subtly contracted as she realized what this young man meant by that. "So, these two were the people you were with that night? And why would they come here now?"


    "Yes, but as to why they''re here, I''m not sure. But they probably want to do business."


    "Business?"


    "Hmm, remember what I told you before? About..." After that, the two talked a little about this matter between Minos and Mirya, until finally, the visitors arrived at the door of this young man''s office...

 Chapter 463: Non-negotiable!

    After entering Minos'' office, Viola and her mother promptly greeted this young man and Abby, quickly invited by him to sit there and talk.


    Both were still as beautiful as the last time Minos saw them, almost two years ago, during that short night these three and Mendy had had...


    Their appearance would genuinely be able to catch the attention of anyone who saw them. However, for the moment, the main thing anyone would notice would be the necklaces around their necks and the slight pallor on their faces.


    Obviously, upon arriving near the Dry City border, Mirya and Viola had received the same treatment as Celeste and Neal... Almost immediately upon reaching the southern outpost of the wall, they were approached by Minos'' soldiers and then received the choice to surrender or fight.


    And because they had come here with no intention of causing trouble but instead to form alliances, they had been decisive in their decision to surrender, despite the initial awkwardness.


    Even though the operation mode of this place was unusual and there were risks for her and her daughter, Mirya had decided it was worth the risk.


    In her opinion, a territory that could afford such defenses, while probably not strong enough to defend itself against the region''s peak powers, would undoubtedly have the means to deal with people on her level.


    In this case, she believed that if the opposing party wanted to harm her, take her freedom and then enslave her, there would be ways to do so without her consent.


    And considering the earning potential she had here, the slight risk that was left was worth it for this woman to put her life on the line!


    At least that''s what she thought...


    Finally, after being arrested and having her cultivation sealed, she was sent to the local prison. There, she informed the people responsible for that place, the purpose of her coming to this city, which was doing business with Minos again!


    Anyway, after being brought into Minos'' office, the pair of mother and daughter sat down on the biggest sofa there, face to face with Minos and Abby. "Well, I expected you two to come here sooner or later..."


    "In fact, I wanted this to happen, but before I make my offer, I want to hear what you two have to say." Minos commented with a calm look on his face as he realized his conclusions weren''t wrong.


    He had already ordered his soldiers to protect the groups of people migrating from the City of Waters to the Dry City, so he knew Mirya was investigating him. And when her subordinates had tried to chase these groups, all they had achieved was repeated beatings by Minos'' soldiers...


    But recently, this young man had finally changed his strategies for the City of Waters, as the Independence Plan was about to begin!


    Such a plan was not only audacious but also prudent. It was a means for Black  Plain''s forces to act before their enemies. That would give them a chance to build means to counteract the enemy powers, at the moment much stronger than those of the Dry City.


    Minos felt that it was the best time to begin this plan, given his individual and army''s collective strength and because of the events on Stone Island.


    What was happening in that state was slowly starting to reach other states in the region, especially those closer to Elena''s homeland. Like the Kingdom of the Waves and the Cromwell Kingdom.


    Hence, Minos was aware that it would be harder for him to keep hiding the changes in the Dry City for much longer. So, he had decided to start acting before his enemies, building the foundations that would give him several alternatives in the future when he proclaimed independence!


    And as the City of Waters was one of the closest urban regions to the Dry City, this place was naturally in this young man''s plans.


    Finally, upon hearing Minos'' comment, Viola and Mirya seemed curious about it. Still, soon this mature woman started talking about her intentions.


    "You are a competent young man, Minos, hehe. It''s just a shame you treat old friends this way¡­" She commented with a flirtatious smile as she looked at him and then the blue-haired young woman right next to him.


    "Hehe, but kidding aside, I understand your reasons for doing this. After all, this place is fantastic. Even I''m jealous of you right now..."


    "But, anyway, after Viola discovered the location of this place, I immediately decided to come here. I believe I can offer many services for you, just like in the agreement we had in the past."


    "I can get more ordinary people to migrate to this city, materials needed for any of the spiritual professions, professions, etc. I can even help you sell your products in the Cromwell Kingdom." She then looked at him once more and bit her lip. "Whatever you want, I can do..."


    Abby immediately became red with embarrassment upon hearing such a thing as she clasped her hands and looked coldly at Mirya. ''Bitch!''


    At the same time, even Mirya''s daughter had been a little embarrassed by her mother''s comment. ''How do you say that in front of that girl? If we were here alone, I understand, but that was unnecessary, mom...''


    ''Mirya is truly interesting, hahaha. That day it was the same thing. The difference was that I didn''t have such a significant advantage, and children were watching us...'' Minos thought to himself without altering his expression.


    ''But with Abby here, I doubt she cares about that. Ahh, this is going to get me some trouble later¡­'' He reflected as he ran one of his hands over the back of his girlfriend, feeling how rigid her body seemed to be right now.


    "Hmm, I understand. Well, I expected you to say something like that, but I have a deal that''s a little different from what you''re imagining."


    "And how is this?" Mirya asked, feeling very at ease, almost like she would feel if she were trading in her office in the City of Waters.


    "You and Viola join my army and help me make a deal with the Stokes family." He said calmly.


    "What?" But instead of Mirya saying something, the first to react was Viola. She had found this offer too daring. After all, that would be treason, something unforgivable practically everywhere in the Spiritual World!


    On the other hand, Abby was annoyed by this, but for a different reason than Viola¡­ ''Now, will you want to fill your army with these women?''


    She had already accepted that this young man would date other women, whether she liked it or not. Still, that doesn''t mean she would welcome anyone, especially if she weren''t compatible with the other party''s personality...


    ''I have to put certain restrictions on this!'' Abby thought when she finally started to hear Mirya''s voice.


    "This¡­ I don''t even know what to say about that first offer of yours, but what do you want to talk about with the Stokes family? That can be pretty easy for me to get depending on what it is¡­" She commented with an uncertain tone in her voice, speaking for the first time in a long time from an insecure position, putting aside her provocative attitude and focusing on the subject at the question.


    "I must make it clear that the first point is non-negotiable... But as for what I want with the Stokes family, well, that''s simple."


    "First, I want a non-aggression agreement guaranteed by Soul Contracts."


    "Second, what I want with the Stokes family is what you were offering me earlier, business. Third, I want you to help me..."

 Chapter 464: Negotiation Fails?

    "Third, I want you to help me contact the Hayes family in the future."


    Hearing this, Mirya frowned and looked carefully at Minos.


    The second thing this young man wanted was indeed a good thing for the Stokes family, but the other two weren''t!


    In fact, they could even be considered harmful. Hence, this woman couldn''t see how Minos'' negotiations could be worth so much that the power above her would accept these setbacks.


    That''s because, even though Minos'' business was fantastic for her, as she had previously experienced, that doesn''t mean it would be the same for a mid-sized regional organization!


    She was just a person who invested only in herself and her daughter. However, the Stokes family had thousands of members... Businesses of just a few million crystals would not catch their attention!


    Consequently, this experienced woman couldn''t see the advantage to the Stokes family in what Minos wanted.


    "This..." She muttered in a low voice as she decided how to start explaining to Minos the problems of these demands. "What you want seems a little excessive. For example, do you know that the Hayes family is at war with the Chambers family?"


    "Yes, I know. After all, that''s why I want to contact such a noble power." Minos responded promptly.


    This young man had discovered this in the months that had passed since he and Abby had returned from that business trip. By then, such news of the trouble between the Chambers and Hayes families had spread across the north of the Central Continent.


    Even ordinary citizens of this region knew what was happening in the Cromwell Kingdom!


    Because that conflict was already with almost two years of duration and thousands of people had already succumbed, in the many battles that happened between those enemies.


    According to the counts made by the newspapers of this region, more than 20,000 people from these and other organizations related to this war had died. Among those numbers were about 10 Spiritual Kings!


    And upon finding out about this event, Minos had immediately put Vivian and Davy''s family in his plans, as they both had common enemies...


    On the other hand, this conflict was very positive for the Black Plain, as it could weaken potential enemies south of this young man''s territory. So this sovereign wanted to use such an opportunity to increase pressure on that state, so he could benefit when the Black Plains declared independence.


    "Do you want to get involved? That is crazy!"


    "Nobody knows who can win this conflict, and half a dozen noble powers are already fighting this war. Because of the volatility of this problem, I doubt that my Stokes family, who have been away from it since the beginning of the problem, will take the risk just because of an agreement between us."


    ''Who knows who might win? What''s more, the best thing is that we let the two destroy each other, so that competition in our state decreases!'' Mirya thought to herself as she looked at Minos as if she was disappointed.


    She then spoke again. "On the other hand, why do you want a non-aggression agreement with us? What is the need for this? The Stokes family doesn''t even know you. I doubt we''ll ever be fighting each other."


    "Yeah, you''re probably right on this point, but¡­ Let me reverse this question for you. What harm would it do to your Stokes family to sign a non-aggression agreement with me? Just as you couldn''t attack me, I couldn''t attack you either."


    "Hence, we could have a much better relationship with each other¡­" He concluded this with a sincere smile on his face.


    After Minos finished speaking, Abby spoke for the first time since the two began talking about this matter. "You are exaggerating your refusal. The only point that could be detrimental to the Stokes family is the Hayes family issue. However, even considering this, there are certainly ways we can do this without attracting attention."


    "Considering how much we can gain from this deal, even the smallest of risks is still too big for us. I don''t think the family would accept that, Minos." Viola said, looking thoughtfully at that young man and then sighing inwardly.


    She and her mother had not seen the whole of the Dry City, nor some crucial parts of this place... But even when they saw only the surface, they knew that this place had good potential.


    However, in their view, it would take a long time for this place to reach the size of a medium-sized family, as was the case with the House Stokes. So, it could take a long time for this place to grow big enough that the family behind these two can make a considerable profit by negotiating with Minos.


    Minos sighed. "It''s no use speaking more about this. I even have something else I can add to this deal, but I don''t think you two will be able to decide on that."


    "What is?" Viola questioned him.


    "It''s no use for me to say it, as you won''t believe it. I''d rather let you see this in the Dry City, and then you''ll understand¡­" He mysteriously said this, at the same time as he was thinking of something.


    "Why don''t we make a date with that young woman you introduced me to earlier? Mendy Stokes. She certainly has greater authority than you in this family, and seeing the opportunities she can have with me, she will certainly accept that."


    "Mendy?" Mirya muttered that she thought it might not be good to let that young woman come to this place. ''Minos wants to bind us to this place. It could be dangerous if we let Mendy come to him!''


    "What about your two joining my army?"


    And once again, the two green-haired women looked at Minos strangely. "Do you want to kill us, Minos? What do you think the Stokes family does to traitors?" Viola questioned him angrily, slapping her hands on her thighs and mumbling under her breath.


    "In my organization, I already have people from three large regional families. And two of these families are much stronger than the Stokes family."


    "Abby, my girlfriend, is one of them. She comes from the Miller family. Also, I have a soldier who came from the Nash family and one from the Neel family, both noble powers from Stone Island."


    "That''s true?" Mirya questioned Abby in a shocked tone.


    That was shocking to her. After all, even with marriage, one person would not discontinue being part of his family to join another. At most, the weaker family would be protected by the stronger. Still, a nobleman of a high-level power would definitely not submit to the leadership of the weaker side!


    That was a regional custom, and Abby couldn''t do such a thing with Minos, even if they were a couple!


    She could even help him fight, get resources, etc., and no one in her family would mind, as long as the House Miller funds did not finance these aids.


    But she could never say she was part of Minos'' organization unless, of course, this power was stronger than her family. If not, it would be a severe offense for her to position herself in such a way, and she would undoubtedly be treated as a traitor!


    Abby nodded and said. "Yes, it''s true. I joined the Minos army almost two years ago."


    ''The Miller family is a lot stronger than the Stokes family... But this girl is just his little girlfriend, and she is also a noblewoman. So, even if she makes a mistake, her punishment will be less than what someone like me would receive!'' Mirya thought to herself after hearing Abby''s response.


    And seeing the thoughtful face of this woman, Minos then decided to end this conversation by saying the following. "You see, I won''t be able to let you leave my city without being part of my power."


    "But don''t get me wrong, if you didn''t want to, that''s fine, and you''re not in danger in this place. Still, I''m afraid I''ll have to ask you to live in this town for a few years..."

 Chapter 465: No Wonder He Can Do So Many Things!

    "What? How can you say that, Minos? I thought we were friends!" Viola exclaimed with a bit of annoyance, realizing that this young man in front of her wasn''t playing with the whole thing.


    The whole time she and her mother had thought that this entire matter of prison and the spiritual arrays around their necks was something used by Minos just to show his power...


    But at no time had these two thought that this young man would want to restrict their liberties!


    "You are disappointing me, Minos! A young man as promising as you, I can''t imagine you growing up to become a dictator¡­" Mirya complained to him in a stunned tone.


    Meanwhile, Abby looked at the two without any fuss, just thinking that they would soon change their minds.


    As for Minos, he laughed and said. "Calm down, hehehe. What about this? As Mirya is very strong, I can''t let you move around my town with your cultivation at full before you make a decision and accept the local rules."


    "That way, I''ll let Viola regain her power, and you two can see the opportunities in this place on your own. With that, you can at least know a little better what I''m offering."


    After hearing that, Viola''s expression improved a little, and she asked right away. "You said my mom can''t have her cultivation released until she makes a decision? Does this mean that even if we don''t accept to enter your forces, we can live here without these necklaces?"


    "That''s right, even if you decide not to join my army, as long as you know the local rules and follow them, you can live here until some of my problems are resolved, and I''m able to free you..."


    While Minos was talking, suddenly, Mirya interrupted him. "Are you serious? Regardless of whether I accept it or not, what will happen to the City of Waters in my absence? Do you think the Stokes family won''t notice this?"


    The young man then nodded his head at her and began to explain. "If you don''t accept, I''ll have to take some risks and send one of my soldiers to replace you in that town so that we get as little attention as possible. But if you agree to join my army, we will sign a Soul Contract. After that, you''ll go back to that place, and we''ll start our agreements."


    "Soul Contract again?" Mirya muttered under her breath. "And here in this place is there a medium-level grade-2 spiritual judge? Because if you don''t, it won''t be easy for us to get one of those in no time, even if I was willing to do it."


    "Don''t worry, I have a problem similar to your case, and I''ve already used some of my contacts to send a spiritual judge with that rank in less than four months." Minos said with a smile on his face.


    He had used his contact with the Cohen family to get someone to validate his agreement with Celeste. Therefore, he had already received a deadline from that family, which was sparing no effort to resolve this issue.


    After all, at the time, Minos could already be considered a business partner of considerable influence within that organization due to the deal he had previously made with Todd.


    And as this sovereign wanted to sign the contract with that woman as soon as possible, he had made it clear to the Cohen family of his willingness to pay an above-average amount to the spiritual judge who decided to serve him in a short time...


    "Similar problem?" Viola asked doubtfully.


    "Hehehe, if you''re curious, after we''re done here, try visiting..." After that, Minos gave the address where Celeste and Neal were living so that these two women could visit them.


    ''It will be good for Mirya to see that someone much stronger than her will join my army soon¡­'' Young Stuart thought to himself as he watched Viola and Mirya''s worried expressions.


    He couldn''t just allow them to leave the Dry City without a deal with him. After all, even if they were on good terms, at the end of the day, they weren''t people who would die for each other...


    Hence, information about the Dry City could easily leak to one of the great regional powers, causing a problem at a crucial moment for local development...


    There was a big difference between a nobleman who learns about the Dry City and ordinary people who would typically pass through this place from time to time.


    The second type would have no means of communicating with influential powers. Even if they made an effort to do so, there was a high possibility that such people would be discredited or gain nothing for their actions. On the other hand, the city of Minos had precisely the kind of opportunity sought by ordinary people!


    As for the first type, well, if a nobleman knew about this place, then a tiny mistake would be enough. In a few weeks, armies would be surrounding this territory of Minos...


    That''s why the only nobles allowed to enter and leave Minos'' territory were those directly dependent on local success, as in the case of Elen Nash or Todd and his grandfather.


    "Anyway, think about it and come back to talk to me as soon as you are sure of your decisions. As for that other matter related to the Stokes family, we''ll settle that later."


    Afterward, Minos asked a soldier to release the array sealing Viola''s cultivation and then asked Mia to arrange an apartment for these two to live in the city. Lastly, those two women left the government mansion behind, with sad looks on their faces, as if they''d made a significant mistake.


    "This Minos is truly shameless! I will never sleep with him again!" Mirya commented in an angry tone at the same time that she walked beside Viola, and a policeman walked ahead of them, guiding them.


    "Hmm, he certainly is a disappointment! We shouldn''t have sex with him again, mother..."


    And on hearing this, that man who accompanied these two women couldn''t help but be embarrassed, bowing his head and pretending not to have heard anything. ''What an amazing thing! Did the young master really sleep with these two goddesses?''


    ''No wonder he can do so many things!''


    ...


    Meanwhile, Minos and Abby were still in this young man''s office, sitting side by side, talking about what had happened.


    "Are you angry?" He asked her as he had his left arm around Abby''s waist.


    "A little bit, but what can I do? I know we need powerful people in the army and that these two can help a lot."


    "I''m glad you understand. But don''t worry too much about it. You''re my priority, someone I''ll never let go of for casual fun." He said in a low voice, slowly pulling her into his lap.


    "Why don''t we finish what we started earlier? I don''t like you to be angry..."


    Hearing this, Abby subtly shivered as she began to feel a volume pressing against her buttocks. "But we''ve wasted so much time already... That way, I''ll end up being late for the session with that army poison master."


    The thing she had just said was related to the fact that the army already had professionals in all specialties. In this specific case, the army''s poison masters were already attending to all the local soldiers!


    There were poison masters of four different ranks in young Stuart''s army. And each of these individuals had been performing treatments on soldiers of equal power.


    Abby, one of the members of the army with the cultivation at the end of the 5th stage of cultivation, had also been doing sessions with a low-level grade-2 poison master.


    Such a thing was very beneficial in maximizing the bodily functions of these soldiers, the elimination of toxins, which could speed up cultivation. In addition, there was the obvious possibility of improving the patients'' appearance, which was also an excellent thing, as it boosted people''s self-esteem.


    Anyway, on hearing this, Minos took his girlfriend in his arms and then got up from that place. "It won''t hurt to miss just one session. In the future, we will have medium-level grade-2 poison masters, and the results of this type of treatment will be even better. So, this will naturally be compensated soon..."


    After that, the two disappeared from that room, having gone to the Spatial Kingdom, where they intended to have fun in the main bedroom of that lake house...

 Chapter 466: Several Weeks!

    While Minos and Abby went to the Spatial Kingdom, various everyday deeds were happening at the headquarters of the Black Plain Army.


    Among such activities, some of them had only become typical a few months ago, by the time many professionals from various spiritual specializations joined this organization.


    Before this happened, there were no blacksmiths, alchemists, or other cultivators of specific professions doing activities at the headquarters. But with the arrival of these professionals, several new divisions had been created at young Stuart''s army headquarters, where interested soldiers could learn these specializations.


    Finally, even soldiers not interested in learning a specific profession were crowding in lines in front of the place where this specialization was being developed at headquarters.


    That was the profession of poison masters!


    For this profession, cultivators could gain the benefits of poison treatments to become stronger and improve their characteristics. But even if it didn''t work continuously, that is, the more someone did, the lower the results, poison master patients could receive the complete treatment of these professionals, once for each classification.


    For example, the treatment done by a low-level grade-1 poison master would only have a single use. After it''s finished, it wouldn''t do any good for a cultivator to do the same again. The benefits could not be reaped twice if a patient continually tried to undergo treatments with professionals of the same classification.


    However, after finishing treatment with a low-level grade-1 poison master, a cultivator could still regain the benefits of this area in the future. Such a thing would happen when that person had the chance to undergo treatment by a medium-level grade-1 professional.


    The same would happen with the later classifications...


    And of course, there was a limit to what level these patients would have to be at. After all, this was a treatment made with poisons, which could kill if someone wasn''t strong enough!


    But even with this setback related to the minimum level to do treatments with poisons, this did not limit this great specialization. That was especially true when it came to people with lower talents and lower-ranked Physiques.


    Such people had more impurities in their bodies and souls. And even if this type of treatment could not affect the soul, the very fact of improving the quality of the body already helped a lot!


    After all, with fewer problems to be resolved in the body, spiritual cleansing could maximize its results in the soul of cultivators that were leveling up for the next cultivation stage!


    So, such professionals had soon become popular at local army headquarters, a place full of people with lower-ranking talents and physiques.


    And despite this being an army service, the city police were also being given this opportunity. As a result, some of them could be seen in the lines near the rooms where the treatments were being provided from time to time.


    In these places, there were about seven poison masters of different ranks attending. And from the seven rooms of that place, constant screams of pain reverberated, reaching the ears of everyone waiting for their turn.


    That was to be expected for such a practice. After all, it was not comfortable being poisoned, and these people felt a lot of pain for most of the treatment!


    At the same time, many toxins were eliminated at such times, and the smell of that environment had long since become an endurance challenge for the waiting soldiers.


    ''To take two steps forward, sometimes you have to take one step back.'' Some soldiers had already popularized this thought in this place, as they passed through that fetid area...


    ...


    Quickly a few weeks had passed!


    In the interim, the army''s groups of soldiers had already been fully formed and dispatched to the Maritime City, where they had already begun the investigative work ordered by Abby.


    In fact, due to the numbers involved in this mission, more than 300 soldiers, these investigations had developed quickly, and several groups had already returned to the Dry City with their results!


    However, according to estimates by Minos forces, it would still take a few more days for all the groups to return. Then the final part of planning the replacement scheme would be done, which was basically the training of soldiers who would replace the kidnapped people from that town.


    On the other hand, as matters concerning the invasion plan for that seaside town developed, many other things had taken place locally. Among them was the change in the attitude of the mother-daughter pair coming from the City of Waters.


    These two had quickly become accustomed to the reality of the Dry City and understood the potential of this location. After all, even if they were blind or ignorant, they quickly changed their minds after tasting the local foods and the already high-quality services available locally.


    In fact, the day after they had both spoken to Minos, they had already returned to that mansion to declare their interest in joining the local forces...


    Consequently, Viola had already joined the army and took advantage of all the opportunities such an organization offers. Meanwhile, Mirya could only grieve and wait for the four-months deadline for the medium-level grade-2 spiritual judge to be completed, and that person came to validate her Soul Contract.


    But on the other hand, she felt very favored not to be in the same situation as the woman she had met that day, Celeste. This person had been living in this town with her cultivation sealed and working in the agricultural fields all this time.


    Mirya could at least continue cultivating with her resources while she waited for the opportunity to get the army''s resources. And knowing about Celeste''s situation had somehow worked to alleviate the anxiety Viola''s mother felt.


    Anyway, in the meantime, this woman had sent a letter to her subordinates in the City of Waters, warning that she would need to travel for about four months and that in the meantime, the family would send another Spiritual King to replace her.


    Someone named Eda, a member of the Stokes family...


    As expected, those ordinary people who had no connection with the great names of such noble power had caused no problems. So, Eda was already quietly taken care of the City of Waters, while Mirya couldn''t go back there.


    Mirya had given this woman several hints not to make mistakes that indicated her fraud, and perhaps that could cause problems for everyone involved in it.


    But overall, that place wasn''t all that different from the old Dry City, as it didn''t attract as much attention from high-level powers. On the contrary, as long as something strange didn''t happen, most likely, that woman would stay the four months in that city without facing problems.


    And at least for the time being, that had been the reality for Eda!


    ...


    Anyway, at this time, it was hot in the Dry City, and even though the day had just dawned, the temperature was already around 30 degrees Celsius (86oF).


    Such climate was highly appreciated by the inhabitants of the northern region of the Central Continent, to the point that on hot days the population behaved in a much more cheerful and inviting way.


    And, while it was hot in this region, with the sky completely blue, someone in that city might notice a small white dot approaching that town if they looked to the south side of the horizon.


    That white dot seemed to be moving at an incredibly high speed, creating sounds of air being cut as it went.


    And if one were able to see at such a distance, that person would undoubtedly be able to see that such a white dot was actually a great white eagle with an utterly yellow beak.


    Furthermore, on top of this spiritual beast huge in size, there was a woman with black hair who could certainly raze entire kingdoms with her unparalleled beauty...


    Anyway, as the wind blew across her face, this woman smiled as she saw her destination in front of her, the place to which she had been traveling for nearly two months!


    ''I''m coming, Minos!''

 Chapter 467: Ruths Arrival

    Ruth had traveled for nearly two months out of the southwestern region of the Flaming Empire until she finally reached the Black Plain. And in the time since leaving the Gray Cloud Sect headquarters, she had finally advanced to level 51!


    On the other hand, her giant eagle hadn''t been far behind and had considerably improved since Minos had last seen it.


    White was already at level 45 and could be considered an extremely fast beast by the standards of the northern region of the Central Continent.


    To give you an idea, the journey between the Cromwell Kingdom''s capital and the Dry City would have previously taken three weeks in this beast, with only stops for rest. Still, now it could do the same in just over ten days!


    And that had helped this young disciple of Minos'' mother so quickly to get to the Dry City!


    Anyway, White soon began to lower its altitude, seeing the silhouette of young Stuart''s city from afar. It no longer needed Ruth to give its as many commands as before, as its intelligence had reached a reasonably high level. It could clearly understand where it was going and what it was supposed to do in this situation.


    With that, it was not long before the pair of eagle and human reached a distance from the Dry City, from where they could better see and feel the local changes.


    ''This place has grown a lot in size¡­'' Ruth thought to herself as she had a beautiful smile on her face.


    From afar, she could see the city that was much larger than what she remembered and the green area on the side of the town where the local plantations were growing. Such a place had grown to more than ten times its former size and was much more diverse.


    But as this young Spiritual King thought about the visual improvements she could see from afar, her beast commented something. ''Master, there is a protection in this city that we will not be able to overcome.''


    Obviously, White could sense this much more quickly than Ruth, as its senses were sharper than this young human''s, despite the difference in levels between the two.


    On hearing such a warning, Ruth soon began to probe the territory as far forward as possible to understand what White was talking about. "Hmm, the natural spiritual energy of this region seems much denser than the last time I came here¡­." She muttered under her breath before finally noticing the spiritual fluctuations generated by the medium-level grade-2 defensive arrays.


    ''Oh? So, he paid for something like that?"'' She wondered inwardly, not too surprised.


    Ruth already knew part of Minos'' ambitions, so it wasn''t all that unexpected to her that this young man would try to protect himself that way. And in fact, the only thing that surprised her right now was the fact that in just about three years, this place had reached the point where it could pay for such a thing.


    After a few more seconds, she couldn''t stop thinking about the young man''s figure with brown hair, trying to connect the changes in this place with what could have happened to Minos. ''What level should he be on? Did his cultivation speed continue as good as before?''


    ''If so, he''s probably already passed level 45!''


    As she thought about this and other questions, Ruth and White landed near the southern post of the local wall, where several soldiers were already looking in her direction seriously.


    "Ahh, this is getting more and more frequent..." One of them thought a little wistfully, realizing that the peace he so cherished was starting to slip away.


    "Will we have to fight this time?"


    ''I hope that person is like those others...''


    ...


    While the soldiers had many thoughts about Ruth''s arrival, she identified herself and communicated her purpose here before one of them spoke something.


    This young woman knew that with the local growth, the army of Minos would undoubtedly have increased in number. Hence, the possibility of one of these people recognizing her was tiny, as, at the time she had passed through this place, there were only a few Spiritual Generals locally!


    Consequently, those soldiers in front of her were likely people who had joined the local forces after her departure and who didn''t even know about her existence. And since she already had an idea of ??how things would work in the Dry City when Minos would be strong enough, she more or less knew how to interact with these people.


    "My name is Ruth Miles, and I come from the Gray Cloud Sect, from the Flaming Empire." She then paused for a moment when she saw that these people were agitated and then continued. "Yes, I am a Spiritual King, something that is probably treated as a threat by Minos. However, I will not surrender."


    "Each of you must be very strong and possibly work well as a team, perhaps being able to stop even people stronger than me. But even if I can''t defeat you in a fight, I can easily dodge your attacks, as I''m not like the Spiritual Kings of this region."


    "So, please, don''t threaten me, as I''m not interested in attacking you either. Just let Minos, Dillian, Mia, Pyke, or even Humbert know. Any one of them knows about me and will allow my entry."


    Upon hearing all this, the more than 30 soldiers who stood in front of this woman were impressed with her way of speaking, not giving them a chance to fulfill their duties...


    "What do we do, Seargent Calvert? This woman has made many important points, and she is not even from our region¡­" A level 44 soldier asked the group leader, speaking in a low voice and observing Ruth''s movements.


    "If she is from the Flaming Empire, then this girl might be even stronger than Lieutenant Eda!" Another commented, remembering the fact that this woman was already at level 51 and both must have Silver-grade techniques.


    With such a remark, this man recalled how, when they fought together against Eda, they had pretty good results, but only because that woman didn''t attack them with the intent of killing.


    Otherwise, the fights would undoubtedly be more brutal for them!


    But even with such decent results, these soldiers had never managed to beat Eda since she had received the Silver-grade techniques.


    That''s because Eda possessed a movement technique far superior to that of those regular soldiers, which effectively eliminated their chances of winning her if she chose to avoid their attacks!


    And as someone who grew up in an empire, this woman in front of them had probably, never before in her life, changed techniques. In other words, her fighting proficiency was probably above Eda''s and by a considerable margin!


    With that thought in mind, the leader of this group couldn''t help but feel a cold chill down his back, trying to solve this problem as acceptably as possible. ''If she''s really from the empire, then if she wants to flee this place, none of us will be able to stop her...''


    ''However, if we allow her to enter the city, even if she is from one of the great sects of that place, it will still be impossible for her to escape once in the dome...''


    ''If she is trying to hold us here outside while one of us goes to check her identity, we could be in danger of enemy attacks and possible ambushes...''


    ''If she''s not from the empire and is trying to trick us into entering our territory, then if we let her do that, it''s like she''s entering the lion''s den¡­''


    ''She definitely couldn''t break through the defenses and escape the city. And once inside that dome, we''ll have hundreds of more soldiers to stop her from doing anything!'' He pondered, concluding what would be the best alternative.


    And finally, he said. "Fine, we''ll let you in, but we won''t allow you to circulate freely. You will have to wait inside this barrier, besides the wall, until someone confirms your identity."


    ...

 Chapter 468: Reality is Always Different...

    After some time, Ruth had finally received permission to enter the Dry City without the need for her to be accompanied by soldiers.


    Upon receiving this liberation, she promptly headed towards that central part of the dome, where most of the urban zone of that city was located within this protected area.


    Ruth let her great eagle stay on the outskirts of town, as she usually did at the other times she had passed through here.


    Having massive beasts on the streets of a city, or even in the skies, was not ideal, as this would always have the potential to cause a disturbance.


    As in White''s example, it had to move its enormous wings to fly, which always created strong wind gusts wherever it went.


    And in human cities with large concentrations of inhabitants, these places would generally need rules of coexistence. These things would make certain activities practicable. As in the case of the ban on the use of flying beasts on local buildings...


    Anyway, White soon went on its way, looking for an ideal place for it to rest in the open terrain of the inner area of ??the dome. And it didn''t take it long to find the other beasts from the 5th stage of this place...


    ...


    Quickly Ruth entered the built-up area of ??the Dry City, passing some places she didn''t know. Still, she knew very well where to go. After all, this place followed a pattern, and as long as a person knew about that pattern, it would be pretty easy to move around here.


    As she carefully observed the local changes, this young woman had been examining most of the people she saw on the streets, as well as those in buildings near where she was passing.


    It was evident that the population of this place had grown stronger, as the improvements she could see would result in such a thing. But Ruth wanted to be sure how much this place had improved during this period.


    ''Incredible! Previously, when I was leaving this place after the completion of the Spiritual Tournament, the number of Spiritual Generals in the entire city was barely a hundred. But now I''ve felt over a thousand of them while walking these streets!'' She thought about it with a satisfied smile on her face.


    She hadn''t even come close to army headquarters or the other three entrances to the wall. Still, even so, she had felt all these energy fluctuations...


    Moreover, after a short walk, she detected fragrances in the air that she had not noticed previously in this location. That was something that could only be found in cities with more than half a million inhabitants in this region of the Central Continent!


    ''Looks like there are already medium-level grade-2 alchemists in this town... That is a remarkable advance!''


    ''But I am also able to smell several fragrances released by low-level grade-2 cooks...'' So, she thought for a moment, right after passing a restaurant that had an elegant layout and where several people were already coming and going.


    "That''s great!"


    "It looks like I''ll hardly have to make any sacrifices staying in the Dry City for a few months, hehe." She muttered happily, with a sweet smile on her pretty face.


    Ruth might like Minos and everything, plus, of course, she understood the potential of the Black Plain in this young man''s hands. But that didn''t change the fact that she had grown up in an empire where services were on an entirely different level!


    So, even if being in this place with Minos could make up for many difficulties, those problems wouldn''t disappear just because of that. Otherwise, they would continue to exist but would become ''bearable'' due to his existence.


    Among those problems was gastronomy, something Ruth couldn''t bring from the empire with her...


    After all, unlike pills, arrays, weapons, spiritual foods needed to be prepared on the spot and by qualified specialists. Hence, she could only be content with the quality of the local food while she had to stay here in the Dry City.


    And such a thing was not as easy to do as it may seem!


    Culinary tastes are very individual things. But, additionally, as someone who grew up in an area where grade-3 cooks were numerous, this young woman couldn''t help but believe that the food produced by humble grade-1 cooks was of poor quality.


    And unfortunately, they were the best that existed in this city of Minos before...


    Anyway, even if there were a big difference between low-level grade-2 and low-level grade-3, that would already be an improvement that would make things much easier for Ruth!


    After all, she would typically eat meals in her homeland in establishments with medium-level grade-2 cooks prior to her level 50 promotion and in establishments with high-level grade-2 cooks following such an event. That''s because it was what this young woman could spend on her regular earnings as a disciple of the Gray Cloud Sect.


    Of course, occasionally, she could use resources given by her family to visit grade-3 professionals. But in general, such a thing would rarely happen, as she couldn''t use most of the services of these professionals.


    That wasn''t weird since such services were charged in high-grade crystals!


    And Ruth didn''t have many of those, even considering her position in the Miles family. In fact, she had none, as only the Spiritual Emperors of such an organization were entitled to obtain some of these.


    Even these Flaming Empire Spiritual Emperors would have no more high-grade crystals than the Minos region''s Spiritual Generals would usually have medium-grade crystals!


    Only the Spiritual Saints of Ruth''s homeland managed to have a few thousand of these crystals after gathering for many years...


    Anyway, because of all this, this young woman was already delighted that there were now more professionals of grade-2 classification in the territory of Minos.


    ...


    Finally, Ruth entered the outer area of ??Minos'' mansion shortly after receiving authorization from the guards watching the entrance to that place.


    It was still too early, and the government mansion was not open to the public at this time. However, some officials were already on standby.


    After doing that, Ruth wasted no time and found the higher spiritual fluctuations of that place. She had the impression that she would discover Minos more quickly. ''One at level 47, one at level 48, and the last at level 52!'' She thought to herself as she still walked across the mansion''s outer lawn.


    "Incredible!" She said in a low voice, finding it all very interesting. "This level 52 person must be Dillian..."


    ''Minos is the one at level 47 or 48? But¡­'' She then paused for a moment while going up the stairs to the mansion''s residential area.


    She had finally noticed that the two people of levels 47 and 48 were in the same place... And after pausing for a moment, Ruth was even faster than before, with a look of doubt on her face.


    ...


    Upon arriving at Minos'' residence, Ruth promptly entered that place after greeting the housekeepers there, people who already knew her and who knew of her relationship with the young local sovereign.


    So, she hadn''t had any difficulty making her way to Minos'' room, where she and this young man had spent some warm nights...


    Finally, she entered that place she already knew very well, while her face was slowly getting more grave. Before, she had thought that Minos might be having breakfast or talking to those other people.


    But upon arriving in this young man''s room, she had realized that the truth was a little different from what her imagination had thought.


    That place had several women''s clothes in a big closet, while a few pieces of clothing were folded on top of the big bed in that place. At the same time, the sound of a shower could be heard by Ruth.


    ''He''s with another woman!'' So she thought briefly until the young Stuart walked out the bathroom door, wearing only a white towel around his waist.


    And right behind him, Ruth could see a female shape, who had blue hair and wore a white robe.


    "Ruth?" Minos exclaimed in surprise, seeing the black-haired girl standing beside his bed...

 Chapter 469: Jealousy!

    Seeing the beautiful Ruth in his room, Minos couldn''t help but be surprised while a smile slowly began to form on his lips, and he walked towards her.


    At the same time, Abby, who had just finished a long shower with Minos and was happy with the start of the day, couldn''t help frowning and losing her good mood after seeing that woman in her room.


    ''What is this woman doing here?'' She wondered as she used her hands to cover the slight neckline of her robe.


    As for Ruth, she almost immediately remembered where she knew this person who was accompanying Minos. ''Why am I not surprised? This shameless one did what he said he would!'' She thought about it, looking at Abby for a moment and then at the brown-haired young man.


    Finally, Minos pulled Ruth''s waist and brought her into his embrace. "Ahh, good to see you, Ruth!"


    "I missed you. Did you miss me?" He asked in a low voice as he used his hands to feel the curves of this young woman, passing around her waist until he felt Ruth''s happy buttocks with his hands.


    But Minos went no further than that. After all, Abby was there, and this young man''s girlfriend didn''t like to see him being too intimate with other women. So, a hug typical of friends who hadn''t seen each other for a long time was the most he would risk doing with another woman in front of Abby.


    Upon feeling Minos'' touch, Ruth immediately put her thoughts about Abby aside for a moment, as she sensed this young man''s body heat, something she so desired...


    "Hmmm, yes, I missed you too." She commented in his ear as she rose on her tiptoes and kissed Minos'' left cheek.


    When Ruth finally began advancing her ''attack'' towards Minos'' lips, Abby, who was nearby, clenched her fists for a brief moment before approaching the two and pushing Ruth in the opposite direction.


    Pa!


    Feeling this movement from Abby, Ruth stopped looking at Minos and turned to that young woman when she suddenly slapped the hand that had pushed her away.


    "What do you think you''re doing?" Ruth asked as she glared a little angrily at Abby and released some of her fighting intent.


    "I ask you the same! What do you think you''re doing invading our room and trying to kiss my boyfriend in front of me?" Abby paused for a brief moment and then sneered. "Don''t you have manners?"


    "What did you say? Your boyfriend?" Ruth looked at Minos for a moment as her face slowly began to redder. "You truly are one of those hypocritical women!"


    "You was always judging us before, saying things like don''t waste time with this, blah, blah, blah... But when I gave you a little space, you couldn''t wait to open your legs for him, huh?" Ruth said in anger.


    Pa!


    After hearing such a thing, Abby couldn''t help but be offended when she slapped Ruth hard in the face without thinking, making a visible mark on the dark-haired young woman''s right cheek.


    These two women naturally hadn''t been irritated just by seeing Minos interacting with one another in front of the other. After all, they both already knew he was the kind of man who would have more than one woman.


    And both were fine with it!


    However, these two women were the types that weren''t interested in sharing their time with Minos with others, and both Abby and Ruth felt they were in competition for this young man''s feelings.


    That was something special about women, something that the moment they had seen each other in this room, they had felt a certain tension, typical of great rivals...


    Such a thing was completely different from what, for example, Abby felt about Minos with Elena. She thought that this woman from Stone Island was not her opponent, despite occasionally sleeping with young Stuart. And that''s why Abby didn''t mind Elena so much!


    But Abby felt that Ruth was different, almost as if this young woman from the Flaming Empire was here to steal her boyfriend!


    "You!" After receiving such a blow, Ruth finally screamed in anger and jumped towards Abby, ready to fight this young woman right in the middle of that room.


    This disciple of Minos'' mother wanted to teach that girl in front of her a lesson so that Abby would never again speak to her in such a tone.


    ''I bet this little bitch spent all this time I was away from Minos, in his bed!''


    ''Unforgivable!''


    At the same time, Abby was also preparing to deliver a decisive blow on Ruth, using all of her cultivation strength!


    ''You think that just because you slept him first, you can do what you want... You are wrong!''


    Minos, who had been watching these two with his mouth open, unable to comprehend the situation, finally realized that something worse could happen if this continued!


    ''What the fuck is this? Why are they acting like this?'' He asked himself as he activated his movement technique.


    He suddenly appeared between them, activating his Indestructible Body and resisting the blows that Ruth and Abby were already throwing at each other.


    Puff!


    In doing so, such attacks were entirely absorbed by Minos'' defenses when he finally carefully pushed Abby onto the bed. After this fast move, he used his body to hold Ruth, standing in front of this young woman.


    "You two, stop it immediately!" He retorted. "Why are you behaving like this?"


    "Ruth, why did you try to attack Abby like that? Would you truly hurt her if I didn''t stop you?" He looked at the young woman who was trying to escape his arms and asked this angrily.


    "And you, Abby, why did you slap Ruth? Did you two lose the ability to dialogue?"


    But even when asking such questions, demonstrating his deep displeasure at the development of the situation, the two women still looked at each other angrily. Ruth was futilely trying to escape Minos'' arms. At the same time, Abby wanted to do something about it but felt a substantial restriction on her body...


    "Minos, stop it, let me teach this whore a lesson!"


    "If someone has to become your girlfriend, that someone is not that woman!" Ruth yelled.


    "Uh?" The young man then finally understood what was going on here. ''This was all caused by jealousy? What exaggerated women...''


    He looked back and watched Abby for a moment and then turned his attention to Ruth. ''I expected this from Abby, but are you also in love with me, Ruth?''


    After that, Minos finally stopped using his techniques. He then brought Ruth to that bed and placed her body side by side with Abby''s, forcing the two of them into a position on all fours while he fastened both of their arms behind their backs.


    As he held both of them by their arms, Minos finally sighed and said. "Well, you need to learn to live peacefully and solve your problems through dialogue because I won''t accept that kind of behavior."


    Hearing this, the two stopped looking at each other angrily. Then, finally, they turned their attention to the young man holding them against that bed.


    "I''m sorry about that, Minos. I lost control..."


    "I''m embarrassed about it too..."


    After hearing these comments, the young man released their arms and said. "In fact, I''m very disappointed with the way you both attacked each other, and I believe you need a punishment..."


    Pa! Pa! Pa! Pa!


    After saying such a thing, he began to spank the lower cheeks of those two, making them moan as they tried to hold their voices so that one could not hear the other.


    "Mmmm~"


    "Mmmm~"

 Chapter 470: Breakfast

    After a while ''punishing'' those two women, Minos finally finished, as he had a smile on his face and enjoyed the sight of those two in his bed.


    He could see the marks of his fingers on Abby and Ruth''s bare buttocks, which were perfectly aligned in an attractive way for him. Such a thing had required this young man to endure so that he wouldn''t forget his purpose here...


    But, since he''d finished playing with his girlfriend just before Ruth''s arrival, it hadn''t been that difficult, however challenging, to hold back his mundane desires.


    Feeling that Minos finished, the two women turned on that bed and looked towards him in silence. They weren''t angry with him. In fact, what they were feeling was a bit of regret for acting in such a way in front of this person.


    Not that they regretted their jealousy, no, far from it!


    They definitely saw each other as rivals, and that wasn''t resolved... But when they had calmed their heads during the previous spanking, both had realized that this was not the proper way to act.


    If Minos liked either of them, the other could only accept that, as he had just demonstrated that he didn''t want to see them fight. So, if they wanted to vie for this young man''s attention, it would have to be done in other ways...


    "Let''s get dressed. Breakfast should have been served." Minos said to them before finally stopping beside his clothes and tossing his towel that covered the rest of his body onto a chair.


    Seeing this, the two young women had very different reactions.


    Abby simply got up from that bed and headed towards the bathroom, right after getting her clothes.


    On the other hand, Ruth sat in the same spot as before, while looking intently at Minos'' body, which she hadn''t seen for about three years...


    "Gulp!" She swallowed her saliva silently, just after noticing the volume in young Stuart''s lower parts. ''Looks like it''s bigger than before!'' Ruth inwardly thought as she rose from that spot.


    "Hmm?"


    When Minos made a surprised sound, Ruth approached him again, using one of her hands to touch his well-defined abdomen and the other to reach for this young man''s rod. But after feeling him for a brief moment, she controlled herself and then said in his ear. "Let me help you get dressed..."


    "Okay..."


    "By the way, I thought you were coming here when you reached level 50. Did something happen?" He asked with a glint of curiosity in his eyes.


    This young man wanted to sit down and talk to Ruth, but things had got out of control before he had the chance. Hence, their reunion had been completely messed up.


    Still, he was curious to know how things had gone for this young woman during the intervening time.


    As she helped the man in front of her get dressed, Ruth began to speak. "Yes, I wanted to come back then, but when I told you that, I had completely forgotten about the changes in my responsibilities within the sect."


    "To put it simply, each time a disciple advances through the cultivation stage, such a person will be under a different set of rules. In the case of the 6th stage ones, disciples with this cultivation strength need to complete more complex missions not only in difficulty but at other points as well."


    "Because of that, so I don''t have to waste time going back and forth from the Flaming Empire, and here, I decided to do too many missions at once."


    "That way, I can stay for a long time in your city." She ended her explanation with a sweet smile as she finished buttoning Minos'' shirt.


    "Oh? That''s good... And how long are we talking about?"


    "One and a half years. After that, I will have to go back to do new missions."


    Hearing such an answer, he brought her into his embrace and then whispered in her ear. "So, we won''t waste this time... After breakfast, we''ll ''talk'' a lot."


    "Hmmm." She made a sound of agreement as she felt her body slightly heat up.


    After the two separated again, Abby left the bathroom already dressed when the three followed toward the dining room of this residence.


    As the two young women went from different sides of Minos, Ruth talked to him about what she had wanted to say earlier but had been interrupted... "Your cultivation speed is as incredible as before!"


    "I didn''t expect you to be already at level 48. Congratulations!"


    "Haha, thanks. By the way, do you still remember that bet we made earlier? Why don''t we train together again?"


    "Bet? Ahh, I think this time I won''t have a chance to beat you, but it will still be a good fight."


    Finally, the group arrived at the place where Minos usually had breakfast.


    In that place, there was already a table full of morning dishes of different kinds, at the same time, where the butler Dillian was already eating calmly.


    "Ruth?" He asked in a low voice, instantly after seeing the figure of the black-haired girl who was standing next to Minos. ''She is already level 51, amazing! The empire''s youth are truly talented...''


    On the other hand, seeing that figure eating, Ruth couldn''t help but be impressed by the changes that Dillian had gone through externally. However, what shocked her the most was this person''s cultivation level, who had already reached level 52!


    And for her, this was extremely shocking. After all, when she first saw this man, he was only at level 45 while she was at level 43.


    But even though they had almost kept the difference between their levels, this young woman had spent most of her time training in the empire and having plentiful resources. As for Dillian, this young woman was sure that such a person would not leave the Dry City easily...


    ''Unbelievable!'' She thought, staring at the man with the black mustache.


    After a brief moment of doing this, she remembered something and turned to Minos. ''If Dillian can cultivate that fast, then Minos will have no problem reaching level 59, even though he''s in this region!''


    After that moment of initial surprise, Dillian, who didn''t expect to see this young woman in this place today, quickly greeted her, and the group began to eat.


    "Young Ruth is much stronger now, hehe. Congratulations on your progress to the 6th stage." Dillian said this with a smile on his face.


    "Don''t say that. You did even better than me..."


    "By the way, how many Spiritual Kings are here in the Dry City?" She asked, looking at Dillian and Minos.


    "Haha, counting you, there are four Spiritual Kings in this city right now. But we have another four that are in other places..." Minos replied satisfyingly.


    "Seven Spiritual Kings... That''s actually pretty good, considering there weren''t any when I left this town nearly three years ago."


    "Hmph, after you leave our town a year and a half from now, we can easily double that number!" Abby commented coldly, remembering what she had overheard of Minos and Ruth''s conversation.


    Hearing this, Minos simply smiled and ran a hand over Abby''s left leg.


    "Hmm, young Abby is right. That number is expected to double in less than two years... But it''s just a pity we can''t enlist in our forces someone like young Ruth." Dillian lamented briefly.


    Those associated with the sects of the Flaming Empire couldn''t act politically in the northern region of the Central Continent. After all, their resources and forces were alone enough to generate battles and wars throughout the region of Minos.


    In fact, there were tens of millions of people in the Flaming Empire who could influence the local dynamics of the north of the Central Continent!


    But these people didn''t do that for two reasons.


    First, because there were no attractive resources locally, things that could make the tiring and dangerous journey from that state to here worthwhile. Second, because the Spiritual Church itself forbade all high-level powers to have that kind of influence in this region...

 Chapter 471: Restrictions

    The Spiritual Church forbade high-level organizations in the Central Continent to interfere with those of lesser power, as in the case of the Flaming Empire with the northern region of this continent.


    In this case, while one side had Spiritual Saints, the other had as their highest level specialists only people at the peak of the 6th stage of cultivation, Spiritual Kings.


    Because of such a discrepancy in terms of strength, even small organizations or mid-level individuals in the empire could wreak havoc in the Minos region, potentially disrupting church business in such a place...


    Because while it was unprofitable for experts from that empire to settle here, it might be profitable for some to oppress, enslave, or otherwise exploit the entire Central Continent''s north.


    That is, by joining all the local resources of this part of the continent, there would undoubtedly be enough wealth to support projects elsewhere!


    But that wasn''t so good for this weaker part, nor wouldn''t be suitable for one of the most prominent organizations on this continent, the Spiritual Church.


    On the one hand, the inhabitants could have even more miserable living conditions than today. But, on the other, this incredible organization could lose its excuse to influence and even ''absorb'' diverse local organizations and talented youths!


    The Spiritual Church was spread throughout the region of Minos, except for very few points. Hence, not only did they influence hundreds of millions of people, but they also obtained significant amounts of crystals, which were enough to train many specialists.


    Additionally, some talents, such as young people who competed in the Spiritual Tournament, prefer to join the church rather than try their luck in other local organizations or outside this region. That''s because they wouldn''t have to leave their homelands or their families right away!


    Contrary to that, they could grow position by position in this region until they might have the chance to move to a higher level branch one day.


    After all, the Spiritual Church was one of the greatest organizations in this world. Even if someone were to step into that power in a small town branch, a talented person could rise through the ranks to the top!


    That was the main reason why such an institution maintained its presence in the impoverished north of the Central Continent.


    As to why other powers didn''t try to do the same or stop the Spiritual Church from doing that, well, that''s simple. That is because none of the organizations close to this region can challenge such power, trying to steal what already belongs to the church!


    Another reason is that the church already had a lot of influence in many of these states in the vicinity of the Minos region...


    As for the other powers at the same level as the church, they had no interest in such a region. Moreover, the church had already arrived in the north of the continent first. For this reason, start a war for such a thing did not seem to be worth it.


    Not to mention that external powers were already coming and going from the north of the Central Continent to pick up young talents and take them to their respective areas. Like the case of what had happened to Luke Nash, the young ''rival'' of Minos.


    Such an act was not illegal, not even seen negatively by the church, as this power demarcated these territories only to prevent chaos in its domain.


    That is, as long as high-level external powers, or people above level 60, didn''t act directly to influence local political dynamics, such an organization wouldn''t bother with that.


    With that, the local population was assured that they wouldn''t live in constant chaos and that they could exercise their faith towards the Spiritual Church in an even more devout way than they usually would in other places.


    On the other hand, the church could continue to have its benefits locally!


    Anyway, because of all this, Ruth couldn''t join Minos'' organization, as the church would see this as the Gray Cloud Sect trying to influence this part of the continent. And both Minos and everyone else who were there in that dining room having breakfast knew of such a thing.


    "It''s a shame, at least for now¡­" Minos muttered in a low voice as he thought about how nice it would be to have Ruth beside him in the army.


    However, even though he regretted that this young woman couldn''t be one of his pillars of power, he didn''t think the Spiritual Church acted badly concerning this thing. That''s because it was convenient for him!


    After all, the potential enemies of the Black Plain, the royal families of the north of the continent and some local noble powers, had descendants in other regions, mainly in the sects of the Flaming Empire.


    But because of this rule, such people couldn''t directly influence local matters, or they could end up losing a lot!


    The most someone could do was send a few resources. Still, definitely, a Spiritual Emperor couldn''t act directly in this region!


    Hence, the chances of Minos and the Black Plain being very successive was much greater.


    "Oh? So, you want me in your army?" Ruth asked Minos with a smile on her face.


    This young woman would no longer find it so strange if this sovereign thought about it. She already knew many things about the Black Plain and knew that there would be no shortage of resources for her here. Therefore, it really wouldn''t be absurd to hear such an offer from him.


    Of course, she didn''t think this place would become as strong as the sects of the Flaming Empire, as such a thing couldn''t be easily achieved, not even in tens of thousands of years.


    Minos then smiled at her and said in a joking tone. "That would be nice, but currently, such action would only bring me problems, haha. I would probably be persecuted by your family and the Gray Clouds Sect even before the Spiritual Church found out about such a thing and destroyed us all."


    ''But who knows about the future? Perhaps those rules will change when powers in the northern region start producing Spiritual Emperors locally¡­'' So, he thought inwardly at the same time as he ran one hand over Abby''s thighs and the other on Ruth''s back.


    ...


    Finally, after some time eating and talking, the group finished their breakfast, with Abby and Dillian heading off on their duties. As for Minos and Ruth, they headed towards one of the residences in the visiting area of ??this mansion, where they could talk more privately...


    As they moved, the two talked in low voices about their business.


    "Minos, besides that woman, how many others have you had in the meantime? Is there any other ''girlfriend'' of yours I''ll have to deal with?" Ruth asked this with dense intent to fight as she walked beside that young man and had one of her hands held by him.


    "Hahaha, girlfriends? Well, I guess counting on Abby¡­" He pretended he was trying to remember until Ruth stopped walking and looked at him thoughtfully.


    "Just kidding, haha. Abby is the only one. But I''ve been with several others in the meantime..."


    "But the number is not that significant. In fact, I''m a very controlled person..."


    ''Oh? Controlled? That is a joke. You''ve always been flirting with me since the first time I saw you on Stone Island!'' She thought to herself, looking at Minos in doubt.


    "Ahh, I almost forgot, remember Elena? That young blonde from Stone Island who introduced us to the capital of that place? She''s here too."


    Hearing this, Ruth''s pupils contracted, and she watched him once more carefully. "Why is this woman here? Didn''t you say there were no others besides that woman?"


    "I told the truth. Elena is here because she joined my army, but we''re not in a meaningful relationship, even though we slept constantly¡­" He answered her calmly.


    ''So this is how it is...''


    "Ahh!"


    After that, Minos turned to her and made a quick movement, taking her in his arms and then walking to the interior of one of the residences there.


    After letting out a cry of surprise, Ruth looked into the eyes of this young man and blushed deeply, feeling anxious for what was to come next. "I kept myself for you all this time..."


    "I hope you take good care of me!" She commented to him, already feeling quite warm, smiling in anticipation.


    "Oh? That''s good. I prefer it that way, hehehe."

 Chapter 472: Research Results 1

    "Ahhhh~ Coming~" Ruth moaned in pleasure as she felt her little sister spurt her love juices as she ''embraced'' young Stuart''s rod with even more passion than in the last 3 hours...


    At the same time, she felt her uterus being filled with Minos'' special liquid once more as she sat on top of him, with her beautiful body trembling.


    After that moment, the two sweaty youths lay side by side on that bed, breathing hurriedly, as they faced each other, with satisfied smiles on their faces.


    "Ahh, that was fantastic! You don''t know how much I''ve been looking forward to this moment¡­" Ruth commented with her tired voice as she ran a hand over young Stuart''s chest.


    Then, Minos immediately smiled back at her when he ran one of his hands over Ruth''s pretty face and said. "I also loved these last few hours with you..."


    Finally, when Ruth''s eyes slowly found Minos'' little brother, she suddenly smiled and asked. "Is it just me, or is it bigger?"


    "Hehehe, did you notice?" He smiled for a moment and then continued. "I don''t know if this is normal for other men, as there are no public records on these things. But it seems that there is a certain margin of growth..."


    After hearing this, Ruth''s eyebrows rose while her face flushed even more. "Although this is a little weird¡­ I think it makes sense. After all, our appearances get better, so why can''t other things go through the same?"


    "Hmm, it probably has something to do with the impurities in our bodies..."


    The two then continued this unproductive conversation for some time, having touched on some very intimate points of each other and even having a few laughs. After that brief moment, the two took a long shower until they finally got dressed and left that residence they had used.


    ...


    A short time later, the couple arrived at Minos'' office, where Mia was already working. As they passed her, Ruth promptly greeted this secretary, having been only a little surprised by this woman''s strength and physical improvement.


    After all, even though Ruth saw Mia when this secretary was only in the 4th stage of cultivation, this woman already expected this kind of thing to happen in this place.


    Consequently, even if she could still be surprised by certain things, she wouldn''t think for long about anything she saw in the Dry City. She had already got used to the local reality and had learned not to doubt the Black Plain''s potential!


    And eventually, the couple entered the main office of that place, where Minos had to do his job, and Ruth wanted to spend her time watching him before going to do other things.


    Ruth truly enjoyed being involved in Minos'' daily affairs and watching him make decisions. She felt excellent about it and even felt a particular pride in the things this young man did.


    That was strange for her, as she didn''t usually get involved in such matters when she was in the Flaming Empire, even if she had such an opportunity... But, there was nothing to do, Ruth was like that with Minos, and she felt good when doing this.


    Yet, she had no intention of accompanying this young man all day. No, Ruth knew Minos was much faster at cultivating than she was, so if she didn''t want to be left behind, it would take a lot of effort on her part!


    So, this young woman planned to spend only a tiny part of her days with Minos at times like this and would spend all the remaining time, except for their fun, training, or doing productive things.


    First, she planned to get to know the Dry City better, as this place had undergone many improvements since the last time she was here. That''s because, even though she didn''t need to be attracted to this place like other people, she still intended to live here for the next year and a half.


    Thus, getting to know the city once again and discovering the services that could become useful in her daily life would be something important to do!


    Finally, after doing that, she intended to start a training routine.


    Ruth felt that she was no longer a match for Minos. And, while fighting him wasn''t a bad idea, she also wanted to face opponents who would pose challenges to her without jeopardizing her chances of victory in a fight.


    As there were already other Spiritual Kings locally, it would be perfect for her to fight such people!


    Anyway, as Minos gave orders to one of the local officials, he finally got a report from Mia about two soldiers that wanted to see him. After that, those two people quickly entered Minos'' office and were greeted and invited to sit down.


    "Hmm, Sergeant Humbert, so you''ve finally returned from the Kingdom of the Waves, huh?" Minos said with a sincere smile on his face.


    "Hmm, I had some difficulties on the trip back, but everything worked out in the end. In addition to being able to bring the young master''s medicine safely, I also collected a lot of Blue-grade and Black-grade techniques, hehe." At the same time, Humbert explained that he took Minos'' King-grade medicine from a spatial ring.


    "That''s great!"


    Immediately after that, Minos stored his medicine in his own spatial ring, not giving much thought to its appearance. Such a thing would make no difference to him.


    In fact, the moment he felt the energy fluctuations common to King-grade medicines, he stopped paying attention to it and felt relieved.


    "Now I just need to reach level 50, hehehe..." He thought about it for a moment, seeing Ruth looking at him with an interesting look.


    Finally, he looked at Humbert and thanked this soldier for this service. "Sergeant Humbert, if you want, you can take a month off."


    "Thank you, young master!"


    After that man left that office, Minos looked at Joey, who had accompanied Humbert here, and asked. "And then, Mr. Joey? What is the subject you want to talk to me about?"


    "It''s about the Maritime City investigation mission, young master."


    "Oh? I thought Abby was responsible for this..."


    "Why are you the one to talk to me?" Minos asked, not understanding this change.


    Upon hearing this, this old figure swallowed his saliva and said. "Young master, Ms. Abby advanced a military exercise she was going to do later. So, as I was second in command on this matter, I knew about this before she did, so I came to inform you about it."


    "Oh? So, that''s what happened..."


    ''Poor soldiers¡­'' Minos inwardly  thought as he looked at Ruth sideways and understood the reason for this.


    At the same time, Ruth was smiling as if she had won a small battle. ''Looks like she got a little annoyed...''


    ''Haha, if you''re like that, then it looks like you''re not such a big obstacle!''


    Seeing Ruth''s reaction, Minos sighed briefly, shaking his head from side to side. ''Ah, how am I going to solve this?''


    However, he soon put those thoughts aside and tried to focus on this matter of the Maritime City. "Uh, okay, so tell me the results." He said.


    Joey then started reporting. "Young master, all soldiers sent to that city already returned, and all results have already been compiled."


    "We found out that..."

 Chapter 473: Research Results 2

    "We found that the enemy forces in that city are concentrated in two groups."


    "The first of them is the group of soldiers from the Royal Family of the Brown Kingdom, who are people led by the ruler of that city. The second group is that of representatives of the state''s noble families, who use that city to transport their items and do business."


    "Hmmm." Young Stuart made a sound and continued to hear this man''s report unsurprised by this piece of information.


    Minos had anticipated such a situation because, despite being geographically on the Black Plain, that city was still the only place in the kingdom with a port, from which the resources transported by sea arrived and departed.


    Consequently, the passage of values ??through that location was not small, and most local authorities could not ignore the potential that such a location would have. That ranged from the usual administration of orders from these families to even the possibility of getting to know other noble powers and coming to terms with people passing through that city!


    After all, people of great importance usually moved from one state to another to sign Soul Contracts because these things required the presence of both parties in one place.


    Therefore, as that was the only seaport in this kingdom, it would not be uncommon for influential people to pass through there when they were coming from Stone Island to here.


    Other than that, other variables made transition points very important, which also attracted the noble powers to these places.


    Anyway, Joey then continued his speech. "Of these two groups, although the representatives of the noble families are less numerous, they are definitely the most difficult to deal with, as they usually meet people from outside the Maritime City."


    "As for their numbers, they are less than 100 individuals, and almost all of them are at the 5th stage of cultivation, without a single Spiritual King in the group."


    "Hmm, that''s to be expected, as these people are only there to organize the negotiations and operations of the families behind them." Minos commented as he snapped his fingers.


    ''These people will be problematic, as they will be able to see the changes brought about by my replacements... But on the other hand, I can''t risk replacing these people because the chance for someone from one of the noble families to pass through that place is too big...'' He thought about it as he tried to solve this problem.


    He thought that replacing royal guards had great potential to succeed because such people would certainly be numerous, and nobles with relevance wouldn''t be able to distinguish them!


    That''s because the guards who were sent to that city were replaced from time to time, and another guard would occasionally replace someone who some nobleman might know.


    With that, his plan was quite viable for these people.


    But concerning these representatives and a little bit for the ruler of that place, well, things would get complicated!


    Anyway, while he had these thoughts in mind, Minos continued to hear Joey''s voice. "As for the group of royal guards, this is around a thousand people."


    "Of these, more than half of them are already in the 5th stage of cultivation, while the rest of the guards are in the 4th stage. Finally, there is a level 52, Spiritual King, in the Maritime City."


    ''Hmm, this number isn''t big¡­'' Minos reflected as he ran his fingers over his eyebrows.


    Indeed, a thousand royal guards was a small number, but that wasn''t strange at all. That is, one couldn''t forget that that city was on the Black Plain and was just a coastal border post where resources could come and go.


    Obviously, this was important and necessary for the kingdom to function perfectly. But it was not something indispensable, and if something happened, the state would have alternatives.


    That is, such a location couldn''t compare with the cities around a royal capital, such as those cities in the region ruled by royalty in the Kingdom of the Waves. An area where there were tens of thousands of guards stationed.


    Only places like this, indispensable for the continuation of a royal family, would have such protection!


    That''s because a sea attack would be improbable in the north of the Central Continent, where the strongest families didn''t have what it takes to tame marine beasts. Therefore, any invasion or attack would depend a lot on continental regions. In other words, it would be difficult to happen in locations close to the coast.


    Moreover, even if something happened, the losses could be avoided by building other sites and sending in new soldiers...


    Of course, this would not be ideal, as it was much more advantageous and profitable to continue using the same place as always, the Maritime City. But such a place was not the Brown family''s priority, so that organization only sent the necessary power to delimit the territory.


    But such a thing would be enough, as anyone in this region would know that attacking a city protected by royalty would be like attacking the royal family itself. In other words, there would be retaliation sooner or later, regardless of the size of the problems caused!


    Thus, despite not being large, the force stationed in that city was enough to solve almost all the problems that such a location might have to face. Except, of course, in the case of this young sovereign, who was already counting on the local royal family as his enemy...


    After considering this subject for a while, Minos finally said something. "Well, let''s do as agreed... You can give the order to begin the preparation of soldiers with equal power to the individuals in this group of royal guards. I want this to be done as soon as possible, and the start of kidnappings begin within a month at most."


    "As for the part of this Spiritual King and the noble family representatives, for now, let''s leave that for a second moment. Then, when we kidnap some of these groups of guards, we will be able to understand better who has contact with whom and what will be the best solution."


    "All right, young master!"


    After all that, Joey wrote down a few things until he finally said goodbye to Minos and Ruth and ran to headquarters to deal with this matter.


    That was an essential service for local forces and needed to be done with surgical precision. That''s why this old man was very interested in studying the situation as much as possible and using the time in his favor to work out the best solution to the problem with the management team!


    ...


    After Joey left that office, Ruth, who had heard all that, sitting comfortably in an armchair in that office, got up from her place and sat in front of where Minos was.


    "So, are you getting ready to act? Don''t you think it''s too early for that?" She asked doubtfully, with a worried expression on her face.


    Hearing such a question, young Stuart shook his head from side to side and said seriously. "Any action has the potential to generate threats. The very fact that I cultivate, or rather, that I breathe is already a threat to those who see me as an enemy, even though I haven''t done anything to them."


    "And thinking about it, either one accepts himself as a mediocre being, who doesn''t try to stand out and stays below average, or someone seeks the path to power and becomes the target of many."


    "Both paths are full of dangers, one more than the other in certain situations... But while the first is characterized by the impotence of not deciding one''s destiny, the second is the one in which there is more control. And I prefer such a thing."


    "I will attack the Maritime City to increase my forces further and create a chance for me to defend myself more decisively in the future."


    He then closed his eyes for a moment. "Whether this is early or not, I don''t know. But since I''m the weaker party, I believe I have to use every advantage that exists..."


    "Including attacking first!"

 Chapter 474: A Boat Shop

    An entire day passed in the Dry City.


    In this more than one day that had passed since Ruth''s arrival, Minos and the two young women were already slowly trying to adapt to their new routines...


    That''s because, with the presence of other women of this young sovereign in the Dry City, it was undeniable that part of his day would be affected by it.


    And it had already happened the night before when yet another mess between those two women had taken place at Minos'' residence. On that occasion, Ruth had wanted to sleep with this young man. Still, Abby had readily rejected the presence of anyone else in her bed.


    In fact, Ruth didn''t want to share Minos with Abby either, but she had put herself in a position not to demand that sort of thing. After all, the blue-haired girl was already young Stuart''s girlfriend, while Maisie''s disciple still had the status of just a close friend...


    And as was to be expected, the two of them had once more argued!


    But even though they almost fought again, this time, young Stuart didn''t need to stop them, as when they were starting to get out of hand, the two of them had realized that they were about to make the same mistake as before.


    Eventually, Abby had won the ''battle'' against Ruth over who would sleep with Minos.


    Young Stuart would genuinely like to sleep with both of them at the same time... But since that wasn''t possible, he would respect his girlfriend''s space and spend time with Ruth at other day moments.


    And that was what he had agreed with her.


    Finally, Ruth had felt a little sorry about all of this since she had come here to be with Minos and nothing else.


    But there was nothing to be done. This young woman had been away for almost three years, and she understood that she would need time with both Minos and Abby to gain more space.


    She couldn''t just come to this place and think she''d start laying down the rules!


    Initially, she had tried this because there was no harm in doing such a thing...


    If Abby were weak to the point of accepting such pressure, then Ruth would be happy to pull that woman away from Minos gradually!


    And with all that happened the night before, today would be another difficult day for the soldiers of the local army, specifically those who would train with Abby...


    ...


    While Ruth continued to get to know the Dry City a little more and Abby trained with groups of soldiers at headquarters, the population went about their business as usual.


    That is, except for a specific location on the west side of this town...


    In such a place was one of the outer areas of this city, where many new buildings were slowly being developed for the future services and inhabitants of this town.


    But amid this land under construction, there was a property that, despite not being entirely constructed, was halfway to it. Besides, anyone passing by could already understand the purpose of this place.


    There was a medium-sized artificial lake at the back of the site, which could be seen through the many glass walls of this building. Finally, some small boats were at different points on that lake. In contrast, other ships of similar models were displayed in front of this place as advertising ''posters.''


    "Mr. Ward, look at your future store!"


    "We are already finishing the job, and only a few small details are missing¡­" A man dressed in an ordinary way and with some white hair on his head said this to an overweight person dressed like a nobleman.


    The commoner then continued. "We have already placed the boats from your store at the locations, and in less than ten days, we will finish the construction of this place!"


    Hearing this, Mr. Ward nodded his head in satisfaction as he walked and looked around this spot. "This place turned out truly good! You guys from the Dry City are quick and good at what you do!" He said in praise, seeing the preliminary results of this work.


    ''Little Robin didn''t let us down!''


    ''Although she was just out to roam around the continent, she didn''t forget her family when she found such an opportunity...''


    ''Ahh, I didn''t fail as a father!'' Mr. Ward thought to himself, smiling and feeling very pleased with the suggestion his daughter had made a few months ago.


    Robin had contacted her family shortly before joining the Elite Squad, having at that time taken every precaution to attract her family to the Dry City. Finally, after a while, Robin''s father, Ward, had managed to visit this town and understood why his daughter was so insistent that he came here.


    That is, such a city was a huge opportunity, as there was no shop specializing in the sale of boats locally!


    Even if there were, no local Dry City company could compete with a family with centuries of experience, which could even compete with great noble power from Stone Island!


    Finally, even though this town had no river, regional rivers ran through the Black Plain, where fishing families usually went to get their products.


    Allied to that, the Black Plain had a coast that certainly had a lot of potentials, and Robin''s father couldn''t help but understand all these things after knowing this place.


    With that, he had decided to open a branch of his family store in young Stuart''s territory to secure the position of first quality boat seller locally!


    At first, he did not expect to sell large ships, not even medium ones, as there was no demand for such a thing in this place today, except, of course, for the local sovereign. Another reason is that the production sites for ships of these sizes needed to be located close to extensive waterways. But, unfortunately, those on the Black Plain were found far from the city of Minos, without protection or opportunities.


    Hence, it wasn''t worth investing heavily in this region, much less would they move here at once. No, Robin''s family''s biggest trading partners were on Stone Island, and it could be years before the Black Plain had the potential to surpass such a thing.


    For this reason, this store belonging to the young Robin''s family would only produce and sell small boats, which had space in the current local market.


    And for such a thing, the investment would not need to be large, nor would there be a need for the construction site to be close to major waterways. No, all they needed was an artificial lake to test some functions of their boats and then wagons to transport these things to the places where they would be used!


    Anyway, after some time getting to know the structures of this store that were already ready, Ward walked to the outside of this property, where a large sign was being painted.


    It said: ''Atwater Ships.''


    Seeing his father''s name being painted, Ward slowly left that spot as he thought about his return to Stone Island. ''Dad will be pleased with young Robin when he finds out about all this...''


    ''With this opportunity, maybe he will finally be able to reach level 50, and our family will rise!''


    ''Ahh, but I can''t forget to be careful about my return to Stone Island, or our rivals could discover this place, and they will use it against us!'' So, he thought to himself as he pondered what he should do next.


    ''Well, I already had to stop by the Cromwell Kingdom in a few months, so I''ll take the opportunity to visit some friends and cut my way through that place...''

 Chapter 475: Frustrated Attempt

    A few days later...


    In the capital of Stone Island, there was a part of that city where a large building was located, taking up the space of an entire city block.


    The place was quite large and had surroundings without any kind of separation. Only a natural lawn separated the sidewalks from the street from the outer parts of this place.


    This property had a style that, while not unique, was something anyone in this state, or anyone else on the Central Continent, would readily recognize upon seeing it.


    After all, the temples of the Spiritual Church were all similar in terms of architectural design and were spread across thousands of cities over this great continent.


    Furthermore, the members of this organization, with their famous cloaks of different colors, were something that only existed in this power, which would distinguish them even more from other organizations.


    Other than that, as could be seen in other large regional cities, there were always dozens of people standing in front of the temples of the Spiritual Church. They were devotees or people culturally influenced by the presence of this organization.


    The Spiritual Church was a religion, but it was also a symbol of pride for many, a symbol of human history in this vast Spiritual World, enormous and for many, infinite...


    Consequently, those individuals naturally sought to know this organization, visit unique places, and be part of this existence somehow, even if only observing it from afar.


    But as followers of the Spiritual Church were making their presence felt around this branch responsible for Stone Island, three men walked in a large corridor inside this temple, talking solemnly.


    One of them wore a purple cloak and walked ahead of the other two, who did not wear the typical church attire. On the contrary, they dressed in noble style clothes, usually seen in people of high regional standard.


    This member of the Spiritual Church was one of the ten Bishops of this branch on Stone Island, one of the people responsible for the local administration.


    Other than that, there were no other members of this organization in the 6th stage of cultivation in Old Stone, as this place only managed a portion of smaller branches within that state.


    As for its regional hierarchy, this location was directly controlled by the Kingdom of the Waves branch, the regional headquarters of that power!


    Anyway, as they walked down that corridor, the two old men dressed like noblemen were more and more anxious about what was to come next. That''s because, after months of investigation into a specific matter and weeks of waiting, they finally got time to discuss their problem with the council in this branch!


    That was no small thing, and the problems of these two men, or rather the family behind them, could be resolved if their attempts were successful!


    They then heard the voice of that Bishop. "Let''s go in. My nine brothers are already waiting for you."


    "Hmm." The two nodded and then entered a large room, where there was a U-shaped table, around which those nine other people were, and an empty chair on which that old man promptly sat down.


    They faced those ten elders until they heard the leader''s voice. "Rofl, Duncan, I hear the Allen family is in a trade war with the Nash family. Don''t tell me you came to waste our time to talk about it?"


    Rofl Allen and Duncan Allen were respectively the current supreme elder and patriarch of the Allen family. And today, they were in this branch of the Spiritual Church to try a new plan that they had thought of right after the incident at the naval base of the Black Plain Army.


    Eventually, hearing the voice of that Spiritual King, the leader of this post, the two old men looked at each other for a moment until the patriarch began to speak. "Bishop Shaun, there indeed is a relationship to this subject, but we''re not here to talk about the Nash family per se, but the power behind them!"


    "Oh? This again, huh¡­" That man who looked very old, full of wrinkles on his face, commented this in a low voice, remembering his more than a thousand years of experience.


    It was not uncommon for local powers to try to use the church to their advantage in fights against regional enemies. But as the church didn''t usually get involved in these schemes, it was common for people like Duncan to come up with the idea that outside forces would need to be stopped by the church...


    "Well, you got this meeting, so I''ll give you a chance..." The old leader of this group then looked at that man who had accompanied the patriarch and the supreme elder of the Allen family to this place and said. "Josh, you were responsible for examining this matter, right?"


    "Yes, Brother Shaun, I received the complaint from the Allen family and checked all the evidence presented." Josh responded promptly.


    "Hmm, alright, alright! Duncan and Rolf, let''s hear your complaint and then Josh''s opinion on the matter. After that, if you don''t get five of our votes, leave it, as we won''t accept you to talk about it again!"


    "We understand, Bishop Shaun."


    "So get started. You have five minutes to say what you want."


    After that, Duncan immediately began his appeal. "Bishop Shaun, Bishops, I''m here because I believe the Nash family is being used by an outside power that is intent on taking over Stone Island!"


    "Such power has already created a network that practically reaches half of our state and has been oppressing those who do not want to submit!"


    "I fear that our Stone Island will lose its autonomy if this continues!"


    "And the evidence I have about that, which has already been presented to Bishop Josh, is regarding the naval base located in the Black Plain. This place is where this mysterious organization stores its resources and sends them here."


    "Anyway, months ago, when my family first contacted this organization, they brutally murdered our subordinates, Spiritual Kings, and Spiritual Generals. They did this because we refused to sell our state!"


    "So, in light of this incident and the recent change on Stone Island, I hope the Spiritual Church does not fail our state. Or maybe, we may be completely absorbed by this mysterious organization..."


    Upon hearing patriarch Duncan speak, the supreme elder inclined his head and spoke aloud. "Please, Bishops, save our state!"


    Upon hearing all this, the people around that table, except for the man who had been in charge of it, all had the same reaction, which was boredom mixed with a bit of curiosity.


    Not everyone had the same experience as Bishop Shaun, the eldest of them. Still, each of these people had seen and heard stories similar to the one Duncan was trying to sell them. Therefore, these men were not surprised by the words of that patriarch. They had just turned to Bishop Josh''s direction and waited for his speech to begin.


    "My brothers, I read all the information collected by the Allen family. In addition, I took a little observation trip to that naval base."


    "But getting there, all I discovered was a small common harbor, a place that didn''t even have a medium-level grade-2 array to protect that area, something a higher-level kingdom or empire organization would definitely have at any base in this northern region of the Central Continent."


    "No, if it were an organization from outside the northern region, they would definitely use a high-level grade-2 defensive array at that location!"


    "But beyond that, most of the people at that base were only at the beginning of the 5th stage of cultivation, and from their appearance, they can''t be considered young. In other words, they are definitely not from a stronger region than ours."


    "As for the Spiritual King in charge of that place, he''s just a level 51 person, who, yes, I believe has Silver-grade techniques, as I''ve seen him in action fighting a bunch of beasts. And that''s the only thing that can indicate that he came from a stronger place or is supported by an outside power."


    "However, due to my observations, those people were just protecting the base and the goods transported to that place."


    "Anyway, none of the Allen family evidence demonstrates an obvious relationship of influence from an outside power in our region. On the contrary, as I see it, the only relationship of this power with the Stone Island is of a commercial type, which does not go against the resolutions of the church..."


    He then looked in the direction of those two men and said at once. "I recommend that we refuse such a request."

 Chapter 476: Problems on the Way 1

    "What?" The two members of the Allen family exclaimed in defeat. "Bishops, please, we are not kidding! How can there not be a power trying to influence our region?"


    "See what''s happening in our state!"


    "Most of the noble powers are acting under the Nash family''s wishes just because of this outside influence!"


    "From your perspective, this may not have seemed so far-fetched, but how long will it be before this organization alters its priorities and completely takes over Stone Island?" Supreme elder Rolf said this in an agitated way, as his bald head sweated and he turned as red as a tomato.


    On hearing such a thing, the Bishop who had given his report earlier shook his head and said. "I disagree."


    "Brothers, all of us in this room investigated matters about the recent turbulence on Stone Island as soon as the situation between the Allen and Nash families began to heat up."


    "Hmm, it''s true¡­" Several of them commented in low, deep voices as they looked in Josh''s direction.


    "And as everyone here has found out, these families just made commercial deals with this outside power, which is totally allowed. So, as for the change in the position of these families, in my view, this is just the expected reaction."


    "The Nash family is responsible for delivering this organization''s products to the various families of Stone Island. But with the ships of such a family constantly under attack, it is only expected that the powers that be not receiving their resources will take extreme positions on this matter..."


    "In my opinion, there is nothing strange about it. If anyone wants this to change, then the power responsible for these attacks should just change their strategy."


    "Furthermore, the Stone Island royal family also seems to agree with this, as they haven''t done anything about it. Furthermore, they would definitely be the biggest losers if there was an attempt of an outside influence!" He said this clearly, hitting the crux.


    In fact, invasion or attempted outside influence cases were far worse for royal families than for noble organizations. That''s because, due to the presence of the church, these stronger powers in each state generally had relatively large autonomy under the influence of the church, something they wouldn''t want to lose!


    After all, the Spiritual Church was enormous and only involved itself in more significant matters. But such a thing could be different for outside powers!


    An empire like the one from which Ruth came not only had organizations of great power, as in the example of the Gray Cloud Sect. No, there were dozens, if not hundreds of organizations in those states being led by Spiritual Emperors, powers a step above the maximum strength of the northern region of the Central Continent.


    And for these powers, which, by the way, were fully capable of dominating any family in that region of Minos, there were benefits in controlling entire states!


    The reason for this was evident, such powers were stronger, but despite that, the difference was not so brutal. And organizations from this part of the continent could provide a lot, either with resources or personnel...


    Therefore, for royal families, cases like the one denounced by these two men from the Allen family used to be very problematic for such powers since the loss of autonomy could be very significant!


    In contrast, noble powers generally didn''t lose much in situations like this, as many factors historically restrained this type of organization. Therefore, many of these noble houses wouldn''t mind taking orders from the ''A'' side or the ''B'' side.


    Anyway, after Bishop Josh finished speaking, the other nine men seated around that table looked at each other for a moment. One of them then nodded and looked in the direction of Duncan and Rolf. "I agree with Bishop Josh."


    "This accusation of the Allen family seems lacking in terms of evidence. Even the greatest potential harmed in such a situation doesn''t seem to be concerned about it at all..."


    "Hmm, the royal family is tranquil. I''ve even heard from one of my informants that the high-ranking people see the Nash family ally as being quite friendly."


    "Yes, I heard the same. But, if I''m not mistaken, the king himself said that there is no possibility of this organization threatening the local sovereignty of the royal family..."


    Pa!


    The bishops talked among themselves until finally, the Bishop in charge of that place slapped his hand on that table and said. "Well, there seems to be nothing else to talk about... Therefore, those who agree to the filing of Messrs. Duncan Allen and Rolf Allen''s complaint, raise your left hand and say yes."


    "Yes."


    ...


    After all ten Bishops agreed not to accept this denunciation, old Shaun looked from one side to the other and then at the two men standing in that room. "We unanimously refused your request, Duncan and Allen."


    "As I said before, don''t come back here to talk about the same subject again, otherwise... You already know, right?"


    The two nodded their heads in agreement as they felt their minds boil over this failure. But there was nothing they could do about it. Trying to pursue this matter would only lead to the Allen family receiving heavy penalties from the Spiritual Church.


    And while they were standing in the middle of that place, the ten men began to get up when the strongest of them commented aloud, with a smile on his face. "Since you understand, goodbye."


    "We don''t have more time to waste with your little games!"


    ...


    At the same time, two people were approaching the Dry City in two low-ranking beasts.


    These two looked quite tired, with beads of sweat running down their foreheads. They seemed to be suffering from the nearly 40 degrees Celsius (104oF) heat they were experiencing now.


    None of them wore clothes typical of hot regions and didn''t even have hats to protect their heads. Plus, to make matters worse, the adjacent terrain didn''t help them, as there was no vegetation outside the Dry City surroundings.


    It could take decades or even centuries for vegetation to spread across this territory, even if the spiritual root no longer hampered such growth on local soils!


    Consequently, there was almost no shadow in the hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of Black Plain territory. And this would make it very difficult for people below the 5th stage of cultivation to travel, as in the case of these two men.


    Below that cultivation stage, they could not ignore the thermal sensation of traveling in the sun. Then, they would only have to rely on their clothes. But, not everything goes as planned, and these two had thought they would not need these things on this trip...


    ''Damn it. It''s too bad only one of us has a low-level grade-1 spatial ring. Otherwise, we wouldn''t go through this!'' The young man thought to himself as he looked at the man beside him, his father.


    Not having enough space to carry everything they needed was a problem for anyone traveling through this region without the presence of carriages.


    "Ralf, how do you think those two are?" The older man asked as he stared straight ahead, still unable to see the Dry City wall.


    Ralf and Railan had departed the Gill family headquarters a few weeks ago to head towards Dry City.


    After many days of traveling, they had finally arrived close to their destination, where they had a duty to supervise the Black Star Academy. Plus, try to attack the two youths who had studied with Ralf...


    Anyway, after hearing his father''s question, Ralf thought for a moment on that subject and then answered it. "I hear they have Black-grade cultivation technique... So, even if the local resources aren''t as good as the Gill family''s, I think they should be at the beginning of the 4th stage, just like me."


    ...

 Chapter 477: Problems on the Way 2

    Hearing his son''s response, Railan nodded and commented. "Hmm, but do you think you can beat them? We can''t shame the Gill family name!"


    "Uh, I can''t say for sure since I haven''t seen them yet. But I believe with the practice and resources I''ve had in the Gill family; I doubt Lee and Alison have any deeper experiences than mine."


    "After all, in the Gill family, there are thousands of people in the 5th stage of cultivation and several Spiritual Kings who can pass on their experiences further!"


    "On the other hand, there was no such thing in the Dry City when we left..."


    "Hahaha, you''re right, son. I''m worrying too much!"


    "How can such an organization be comparable to the Gill family?" Railan commented aloud, laughing and slapping one of his hands on his son''s back as he directed his beast, side by side with Ralf''s.


    "Dad, what do you think happened in the Dry City after we left? I remember that there were rumors that it would be possible to plant in the terrain of the Black Plain..." Ralf was talking when he was suddenly interrupted by his father''s laughter.


    "Ralf, even if the local agricultural problem has been resolved, what could they gain by planting in the Black Plain? A land without nutrients, without natural vegetation, with low energy density. How would something planted here be valuable?"


    "At most, they got food to be sold locally... That is, something that has no potential to make a profit!" Railan said this with a resolute expression as if he couldn''t be wrong about this issue. "I''m glad I''m not naive, and I didn''t believe that brat''s words!"


    "Even if they have some Black-grade techniques, the Black Plain will never come to the feet of a noble family like the House Gill!"


    "Even if they work hard to develop this town and have a few lucky moments, the limit on these lands is probably at level 49. But, in the meantime, you can go above level 50 in the future, as long as you keep working and staying loyal to the Gill family."


    After hearing his father''s wise words, Ralf nodded, indicating that he understood such advice.


    But this young man wasn''t too worried about the Dry City. In fact, he had only asked that question because he had grown up in this town and was curious to know how things had developed locally since his departure.


    It was over four years, and while this period is considered short in the cultivation world, Ralf was less than 15-years-old, and that could be considered quite long for him.


    So, naturally, there was a specific curiosity in this young man''s mind.


    As for his father, Railan wasn''t thinking of the Dry City the way Ralf was. In fact, what was going through this middle-aged man''s mind was to review his old acquaintances and show his new life condition!


    He had been accepted into the Gill family because of his son''s talents, having risen several levels over the years. Consequently, for a superficial person like this man, he couldn''t wait to demonstrate the advantages of living in a superior area and having a gifted child.


    Railan already planned to ask Ralf to demonstrate his prowess to his dad''s old friends. So that middle-aged man could be recognized as successful in this town of backward people!


    ''Hehehe, I can''t wait to see the old man''s face...'' He was thinking about something when suddenly Ralf''s voice interrupted his thought.


    "What is that?" The young man asked his father dubiously, almost simultaneously, as he stopped his beast on top of the highest point of the slope they were climbing.


    "What happened, Ralf?" Railan asked as he changed his range of vision from the ground of that area to his son''s side.


    "Dad, look at this in front of us. There was no such thing here before!"


    Hearing such that, Railan immediately looked ahead and saw a piece of the Dry City wall and part of the great dome that covered that place. "This... A wall?" He said aloud, as surprised as his son by such a discovery.


    "Dad, are you seeing that? There seems to be a big tower near where the Dry City should be... What have they done in that place?"


    "Uh, this... Maybe this is just to scare people!" He muttered in a low voice, slowly understanding the situation. "Hahaha, got it, son. That brat must have done this to scare the outsiders and pretend to have control over the city so that the locals will believe him!"


    "Hahaha, he''s astute." He chuckled as he watched that spot in front of him and gave the order for his beast to turn back on its way to that spot.


    "Come on. We''ll look at the Black Star Academy problem, and then we''ll talk to your colleagues tomorrow. After that, we''ll leave this place to go back to headquarters."


    Ralf then tossed his surprised expression aside and hurried to follow his father, heading quickly for the eastern entrance to the wall.


    "Remember, we''ll keep the Gill family name a secret if any local guard asks where we came from... It could delay our plans to attract those two."


    "I understand. I won''t say anything to anyone, Dad!"


    ...


    After that, father and son quickly passed through the Dry City wall without difficulty.


    They were just two travelers from the 4th stage of cultivation and did not carry any regional noble family symbol on their clothing or equipment.


    And that wasn''t strange. After all, these two were just two low-ranking subordinates who barely had the resources to cultivate and definitely couldn''t have custom items.


    As for the identification item Lionel had given Railan, well, this man wasn''t going to take it out of his spatial ring in a situation like this.


    Despite his personality, he knew how he should act in this situation and wouldn''t flaunt to the wrong people...


    It would be one thing for him to talk to a close friend, an ordinary citizen. Another would be for him to speak to a local guard, subordinate to the person he intended to take two subordinates out of, through irresistible offers.


    As for the side of the Black Plain Army soldiers, well, there were no clues that these two were suspects, and given their strength, they hadn''t been stopped from entering the city.


    All the border immigration service did was give these two travelers a few tips, just as they would every other person of the same profile as Railan and Ralf, who passed through one of the four entrances to this place.


    The most basic rules, recommendations of what to do and what not to do during and after departure from that place, in case, of course, they wanted to live in that city in the future.


    But at first, despite their surprise at seeing so many people at this post at the eastern entrance to the wall, Railan and his son hadn''t given much thought to what they had heard.


    They couldn''t distinguish the strength of the people in that place, so they just had to think that those individuals were ordinary people...


    However, things slowly changed as the two left the border post and entered the protected area of ??the Dry City wall.


    ...


    "Dad, are you seeing what I''m seeing? Or maybe I''m hallucinating?" Ralf asked in a shocked tone as he stood midway between the east entrance to the wall and the Dry City built-up area.


    They had only walked a few seconds when they finally saw the many buildings in this town. And despite it being concentrated in a small area, were tall and well built, typical of big cities.


    After seeing that, the two instantly felt as if they had lost their support, disbelieving what was in front of them.


    "No, because I also see that¡­" Railan said in a grave tone. "But I almost can''t believe it!"


    "How has this place grown so much?"

 Chapter 478: Important Concerns? (*)

    At the same time, in which Ralf and Railan knew the new Dry City, Minos was in one of the residences of his mansion, together with the mother and daughter couple...


    The three of them were doing what they most enjoyed doing while together, namely ''working'' diligently on the bed!


    The two beautiful women were around the young Stuart, with Mirya riding happily on his rod, while Viola had her little sister attacked by Minos'' mouth and hands.


    Other than that, the three were in a large bed, in a completely chaotic place, with clothes and armor thrown to different sides, in this room that was already marked by the body fragrances of the three.


    They were very sweaty this instant and not for less. After all, three straight hours of sex wouldn''t be easy for anyone, especially considering that those two women preferred wild sex...


    And even though they were all cultivators and even had considerably high cultivation levels for this region, it didn''t change their resistance in bed at all. That is, as they got stronger, their desires, or rather, their limits, would increase, and they would try to go even further.


    Consequently, even if they were powerful, wild sex could still be quite tiring and tire them out quickly.


    Of course, there would be exceptions for this kind of circumstance. For example, as long as a couple didn''t go to their limits, after a certain level of cultivation, it would even be possible to spend days in bed...


    Minos himself had already done something like that with Abby shortly after returning from the Kingdom of the Waves. At that time, they had taken two days off to rest from their journey, having spent most of that time locked in one of the rooms in the Spatial Kingdom house.


    Anyway, as for Viola and Mirya, well, it would be impossible for Minos to perform that long. First, they didn''t have that much time to spend together, as they had their responsibilities and didn''t have a meaningful relationship. Precisely for that reason, usually, this young man could only be with the two of them simultaneously, something that demanded a lot from him...


    Second, because these two had styles very different from Abby''s, preferring to have sex until they fainted from fatigue!


    With these two ''problems,'' even though young Stuart was already stronger than these two women, he couldn''t get a significant advantage over his two companions. So, he was almost as exhausted as they were at this point.


    "Ahhh~"


    "Oh~"


    "Mmmm~~"


    The three of them made sounds of pleasure in that place as Minos once again filled Mirya''s interior. At the same time, this woman had come simultaneously, with her daughter sucking on one of her nipples.


    Concurrently, the young ruler of the Black Plain felt a hot liquid in his mouth while Viola''s legs trembled vigorously, still above his face.


    ''Ahh, that''s remarkably good...'' He thought to himself as he felt delighted.


    Then the three of them slowly lay down on that bed, with the mother-daughter pair on either side of the young sovereign.


    He smiled as he saw the two of them approaching to hug him. Then he opened his arms, catching them around their waists, and embraced them together in a comfortable position for the three of them.


    "Ahh~"


    "Ahhh~"


    ''Oh, I can understand the fascination of some men for having so many different women...''


    ''It''s amazing to be able to be with more than one woman constantly, but it''s not easy either!'' He thought to himself as he looked at the two beauties resting their heads on his chest.


    ''These guys with more than five women are truly amazing! How do they do it? I hardly have any free time to do other things just to take care of Abby, Ruth, Elena, Viola, and Mirya!''


    Young Stuart thought about it sometimes. After all, in addition to cultivating, training his spiritual techniques, and working, this young man only had time to go to bed with these five women!


    So naturally, he couldn''t help but admire those figures who manage to keep more than five wives or partners at once.


    ''But these people either have much higher levels than their partners, or they don''t provide ''services'' to all of them¡­" He thought for a moment, more or less understanding the resolution of the ''problem.''


    ''Well, I think when I become a Spiritual King, I will handle it easily, hehe...''


    After thinking about these ''critical matters'' for a while, young Stuart finally let it go and watched the two women around him again.


    Viola had already fallen asleep at this point, as she was the weakest of the three and naturally had less resistance. As for this young woman''s mother, Mirya had only their eyes closed as she lightly rubbed one of her hands over Minos'' abdomen.


    Seeing this, Minos brought her even closer to himself, making their lips meet each other while Mirya''s full breasts pressed against his left shoulder.


    "Mmmm~"


    After a moment, the two parted their lips and looked into each other''s eyes, seeing the burning desire they felt for each other.


    Minos then smiled and said in a low voice so as not to wake the lady beside him. "I heard from Viola that you had proclaimed that you would never sleep with me again after that day we met..."


    "Then why is it that since that day, day in, day out, you come to visit me?"


    "I said that? I don''t remember. I think my daughter got confused and ended up talking nonsense." She whispered next to his ear as she felt her nipples once again shiver with the touch this young man was giving her right now.


    She then smiled and continued. "But she had said something like that, haha, that naughty girl doesn''t keep what she promises and still blames her mother..."


    "Maybe she learned that from an expert..." Minos vaguely  commented as he watched this mature woman''s game.


    Mirya and Viola hadn''t bothered trying to follow through on that earlier promise... After knowing the Dry City and understanding that the conditions proposed by Minos were not bad, the other day, both had already sought him out to look for his company!


    And as a virile young man, full of energy to spend, Minos would not refuse the ''companionship'' of two beautiful women, full of desire for him.


    Finally, due to their non-commitment to that promise, this current situation had become possible, and they constantly had sessions like the one they had just ended.


    "By the way, Mirya, when can I see Mendy again? You''re not delaying this on purpose, right?" Minos asked this after a while.


    "Of course not. I have already said that I was committed to your army and to the idea of ??being part of this city in the future. But for you to see Mendy, it will take a while." She explained to him, making a slightly more serious expression, typically not used by this woman.


    "Usually, it''s Mendy who visits me in the City of Waters, not because of my contact. However, although I can send her a message, the family may suspect me because all crows entering the headquarters are examined, including some letters."


    That was something difficult to avoid. After all, even if a crow could be sent directly to the target person, this could be dangerous if the target person was inside a base with a defensive barrier.


    Such a thing would limit the crow''s possibilities. It could naturally be checked in situations like these. Hence, Mirya would not feel safe in sending letters with sensitive content to Mendy, as this woman had no way of knowing where that young woman was at this moment.


    "But you don''t have to worry about that. Mendy never went more than a year without visiting Viola and me. So, when she goes to the City of Water and receives my letter, she will immediately come to here."


    "And since I haven''t seen her for over six months, I don''t think it will take much longer..."


    "Oh? That''s nice!"

 Chapter 479: Snow Kingdom News

    "By the way, Minos, your name is the same as the finalist in the Spiritual Tournament..." Mirya commented to him while leaning her head on one of the young man''s shoulders. "Don''t tell me you are the same person?"


    "Oh?"


    "I''ve always had this question in mind since I met you, but I''ve never asked it before as it was improbable. However, after all this time I''ve been here in the Dry City, I realized that there are several similarities between you two."


    Hearing this, young Stuart smiled and said without much pretense. "Hmm, as expected from a woman as experienced as you, hehe, you are indeed correct."


    "Is this true?" She asked this just to confirm what she had heard. After all, despite her suspicions, the truth would always be far more significant than mere speculation.


    For that very reason, upon hearing Minos'' confirmation, Mirya had elevated her upper body and stood face to face with that man, staring into his eyes. If he wasn''t playing with her, then Mirya had discovered the shocking reality of the Spiritual Tournament finalist!


    Instead of doing what most people thought, namely training in one of the sects of the Flaming Empire, such a person was ruling his own territory in the north of the Central Continent.


    But had he traded one of that empire''s sects for this place? Or maybe he was receiving external resources? Perhaps it was something much deeper?


    Mirya didn''t know the answers to these questions, but she was eager to learn.


    "Hmm, it''s true." Young Stuart said once more, seeing the look on that beautiful woman''s face.


    He didn''t mind telling the truth about it to Mirya, as she would sign a Soul Contract with him in less than two months and also didn''t have a free pass to leave the Dry City by then. So, there was no need for this young man to worry about her knowing about it.


    "Incredible!"


    "But what are you doing in our region? Wouldn''t it be better for you to be in the empire right now?" She asked Minos, still watching him intently.


    "I didn''t join any of the Flaming Empire sects, as I participated in that competition just to test myself and meet some influential people."


    Hearing such a thing, Mirya almost felt as if she had been slapped on the head. "You did what?"


    It was tough for her to believe such words. Who in this impoverished region wouldn''t do anything to have such an opportunity?


    What''s more, the chance Minos had thrown away was not a safe passage into an empire, as an ordinary disciple of a sect. No, what he had given up was the chance to become someone valued by the sect he joined as a future expert!


    "Why did you do such a thing? You are one of those who doesn''t care about¡­" She was saying something but then stopped talking as she thought better of her words. ''Nonsense, if he didn''t care about the power, he wouldn''t be so strong and wouldn''t force me to stay in this place!''


    After a moment of trying to recover from her tumultuous thoughts, while the young man was still watching her with a smile on his face, this woman spoke again. "Minos, I don''t understand you..."


    "I thought I was good at reading people, especially men like you. But now I realize that you are very complex!"


    "Haha, is that a compliment?"


    "Yes¡­ But answer me why you didn''t go to the empire. There has to be a reason..."


    "Of course there is!" He calmly said as he expressed his seriousness to Mirya, making a dismayed expression and looking at her intensely.


    Seeing this, Mirya swallowed her saliva and watched him closely, putting all her attention on the following words he was about to say. ''I can see that this is a big secret!'' So, she thought for a moment, just before she heard that young man''s voice.


    "I didn''t go to the empire because¡­" He paused as he adjusted himself on that bed, getting into a sitting position. With that, he placed one of his hands on Mirya''s shoulder and completed his answer. "Because I don''t need..."


    After that, Minos couldn''t help but chuckle as he watched Mirya''s face turn completely red as she pressed her jaw and gazed at him.


    "You bastard, you''re kidding me..." After saying that and throwing a few punches in the chest of the young man in front of her, she fell into his arms again, being held hostage by that young man.


    "Mmmm~"


    After kissing for a moment, Minos watched her for a moment and laughed. "But I''m serious. I don''t need the empire. Look at my current level. If I were relying on resources from one of the sects, I would probably still be below level 45 at this point!"


    And hearing such a comment, Mirya couldn''t help but be silent, not knowing what to say to this young man. After all, as much as she didn''t know about the workings of the empire''s sects, she knew that Minos was only level 39 at the end of that competition.


    With the time that had passed since that final match between Minos and Troy, no one else she knew, including those regional historical figures, would have advanced as fast to level 48!


    Not even famous cultivators from this region, like Dennis Red, managed to grow so fast!


    ''Well, that makes some sense... But will you keep that good speed after becoming a Spiritual King?''


    ''There aren''t many resources for people above that level in our region¡­'' She pondered this but didn''t say anything to Minos.


    Mirya understood the potential of the Dry City and knew that this place if it had a chance to develop, could in the future become the greatest force in the northern part of the Central Continent. But she didn''t think that would be enough for this young man''s territory to compare to the sects of that empire...


    ''Ahh, forget about it. If Minos wants to stay here, I''ll be here to see what he''ll do when he sees the local Spiritual Kings problem. Even royal families¡­''  She thought about it, as she suddenly remembered something that related to that subject with Minos.


    She then opened her eyes suddenly and said to him. "Speaking of the Spiritual Tournament, did you hear about what happened in the Snow Kingdom? It seems that some of the events of that competition ended up resulting in the death of a prince of the royal family in that state."


    "Snow Kingdom? Death of a prince?" Young Stuart asked, not understanding what this woman was talking about.


    He naturally didn''t have much information about what was going on in the Snow Kingdom. After all, this state was one of the most distant from the Black Plain in this region, thus posing a minor threat to Minos and outside of his temporary interests.


    Consequently, this young man was not concerned with obtaining crucial information from that state.


    Knowing about external relations and the positions of the noble families in that place was enough for Minos. He then continued. "I heard about some problems in that state over a year ago, but I don''t know the details. How does this relate to the Spiritual Tournament?"


    "I see... Well, actually, what I''m talking about happened over a year ago. But to make a long story short for you, at that time, one of the princes of that state was kidnapped and tortured to death and then had his remains displayed in public!"


    "What?" Minos was surprised by this.


    "It''s tough to believe, especially because that person was very peaceful and was said to be a bit... How can I say... Different." Mirya commented while making a gesture typical of this region to indicate non-traditional relations.


    "And what is the relevance of this?" Minos asked, not understanding why Mirya spoke of the late prince of that state''s sexual options.


    After all, who would care about other people''s preferences? Each one does what he pleases, and as long as it doesn''t harm others, then it would all be worth it in a world like this.


    "Calm down, let me finish talking!"


    "The problem is not that he was different. The fact is that his relationship with a certain young man who participated in the Spiritual Tournament was possibly the cause of his death..."

 Chapter 480: What to Do?

    "Oh?"


    Mirya then explained to Minos. "I don''t know the whole truth about this matter, as not even the Snow Kingdom royal family knows about the motivation or the culprits for what happened."


    "But the information that exists and is known to the large regional families is that that young man in question offended one of the regional powers. After that, he ended up accepting the refuge of his great ''friend''..."


    "And since the prince never agreed to give in to the demands of the enemies of that young man who had participated in the Spiritual Tournament... Well, I don''t need to say what happened, right?"


    Hearing this, Minos understood how this had developed. "So, the prince ended up paying with his own life to protect this mate from him, huh? And what happened to this person? Was he killed too?"


    Mirya shook her head, indicating no, and then spoke again. "No, at least his death hasn''t been confirmed, and there''s been no news of him since it happened."


    "Looks like he took full advantage of the chance created by the prince to disappear..." She said without much emotion. "But anyway, after the death of the second prince of the Snow Kingdom, some things changed in that state, even considering that he didn''t have an active participation in the royal family''s business."


    "What happened?"


    "After he died, as there was no other contestant for the first prince, he was crowned the heir to the royal crown shortly after it happened."


    "At that time, that young man promised in his speech that he would avenge his brother''s death, starting with that state''s actions against the group of assassins behind the death of the second prince."


    "The Scourges of the Devil!"


    Neither the Snow Kingdom royal family nor the other regional powers in the north of the Central Continent knew of the identity of the perpetrators of the crime or the finer details of what had happened. All they knew was that this young man who had participated in the Spiritual Tournament was the cause of it all.


    But it wasn''t tricky for that big Snow Kingdom organization to discover the involvement of this group of assassins in the death of the second prince.


    Furthermore, they knew that none of the Scourge of the Devil members would unreasonably attack the second prince of the Snow Kingdom, as there was no problem between the parties.


    That young man had abdicated political positions from a very early age within the royal family. Therefore, he had no contact with the decisions of that organization. Consequently, hardly a Spiritual King from that group of assassins would have a disagreement with that prince, to the point of doing what was done.


    So, there was only the possibility that another power, or individual, was behind the assassination of the second prince of the Snow Kingdom.


    "He said he would start this by going after the Black Market, an organization funded by some members of the Scourges  of the Devil, and make it his personal mission to destroy that organization!"


    "Hmm, I see... That is quite a change!" Minos muttered in a low voice, realizing the importance of this news.


    The Snow Kingdom was one of the states in this region that did not prohibit the presence of the Black Market, and consequently, the business made by that organization in its state. But with such a change, now that state could become the second to ban such power!


    Beyond it was the Kingdom of the End, where not even slavery was allowed!


    But in addition to the Black Market, there were other organizations financed by that group of assassins in this region, which would also be pursued by the revenge of the crown prince of the Snow Kingdom.


    And that was a big plus for Minos!


    ''Oh, how unexpected! I never thought that such a thing would happen in that state, while I...'' He was thinking about something when he suddenly stopped his thoughts in the middle of the path, remembering an old piece of information.


    ''Royal... Royal...''


    "It can not be!" He exclaimed in surprise as he looked up at the ceiling of that room and realized something crucial in this matter. ''When I invaded that Chambers family base, there were letters related to hiring an assassin to do a job in the Snow Kingdom!''


    "The Chambers family ordered this!" He muttered in a low voice as a smile slowly formed on his face.


    "What?"


    ...


    After that moment between Minos and those two women, hours passed. When this young man returned to his work in his office, he had already outlined what he should do with such information.


    He only had the letter found at that Chambers family base as evidence, so he didn''t believe the Snow Kingdom royal family would act abruptly just because of that.


    But that didn''t mean he couldn''t do anything...


    Contrary to that, Minos thought that he could use this information to generate a ''spark'' of distrust from that royal family towards the Chambers family, and in the future, he could use it to his advantage.


    According to what he had taught, the young man involved in all of this was none other than Maxwell Mayer, one of the competitors in that competition, whom Minos had saved!


    That matched very well the information Minos had, including the motivation for such an incident!


    The Chambers family was unable to avenge the death of one of its most important members of the younger generation because Minos had joined one of the Flaming Empire sects... But it was entirely different for the people who young Stuart had accompanied.


    That is, Maxwell and Peter.


    Furthermore, because the Chambers family investigators were unable to locate Peter, all of the Chambers family''s vengeance was left to this lone young man who had sought refuge with his friend.


    Finally, realizing all this, Minos knew that if he found Maxwell before this young man died, he would have a crucial witness to the Chambers family''s involvement in this matter!


    With that, he intended to direct the hatred of the Snow Kingdom royal family towards one of his many enemies, the Chambers family!


    Anyway, soon, the young Stuart gave his orders to Mia and some army soldiers about this subject.


    ...


    Finally, the day was moving to a close in the Dry City, when by this time, the sun was slowly fading from the horizon, leaving a faint orange streak and an increasingly darkened sky.


    Meanwhile, the lights from the many posts and local squares were already illuminating the public areas, making this city gain its nocturnal charm, much appreciated by the inhabitants.


    But the movement on the city streets was even busier than at other times of the day, with several carriages coming and going while the local shops were operating at their maximum capacity.


    At the same time, Ralf and Railan were walking along the main avenue of the Dry City, with apprehensive expressions and completely dark countenances.


    The two had not enjoyed local services. After all, neither of them had enough crystals and weren''t citizens of the Dry City to qualify for local discounts. But even so, father and son had learned enough about this new city, especially concerning things related to their mission there.


    First, there was no longer a Black Star Academy in this city, as the Dry City Preparatory Academy had completely absorbed that organization. Second, the former local guard, which had only 30 members before, had now become an army with thousands of people!


    With that, these two, despite not knowing these soldiers'' average strength, knew it would be futile to try to talk to Lee and Alison.


    This city had become very good for people to live here, and even Ralf and his father couldn''t help noticing that there were things here that weren''t even in the Gill family''s hometown!


    So, even though they thought the Gill family was definitely stronger than the local Dry City forces, they didn''t believe those two would want to change due to the massive difference in numbers.


    After all, those two youths would be much more valued in a newly created and rich force, like what they had learned about the local Dry City forces, than in the Gill family!


    "Father, what will we do?" Ralf dubiously asked while he looked a little regretful this time.


    "Let''s go..."

 Chapter 481: Lets Inform the Family!

    "Let''s inform the family about this!" Railan answered his son''s question with a serious expression as he clenched his fists in frustration.


    He felt he had made a colossal error of judgment in joining the Gill family and not even listening to the offer Minos had to make at that time. But thinking about how his life might have been different if he''d acted differently back then didn''t make sense. It was crazy to think about it for more than a few moments!


    After all, he had already made his decision, and years had passed. Then, now it was too late for him to think about it.


    The Gill family would not accept that he and Ralf would simply leave this organization, as they had been receiving the resources of this power for a long time. But, on the other hand, the local forces of the Dry City would also not accept people from abroad, cultivators already committed to other regional families...


    Consequently, he could not go back, and now he had to bear the consequences of his actions. He was a subordinate of the Gill family and would remain so no matter how unhappy he was right now.


    As an individual who recognizes his own place, Railan had immediately thought that the only way he could gain anything from it would be to inform his family about this problem in the Dry City. That way, he could at least get some out of this situation!


    Anyway, upon hearing his father''s response, Ralf nodded in agreement while also looking quite disappointed. He also felt the same way as Railan, as regional powers generally didn''t value people who had already switched organizations.


    That is because there would always be the risk that these individuals would change sides when a difficult situation presented itself, or even if a stronger power tried to attract them.


    Even if the risk of this happening were the same for other people, there would always be a question of whether or not these other people would betray their organizations at critical times.


    While as for known traitors, well, that would be a certainty!


    ''Ahh, it''s truly a shame¡­'' Ralf thought about it internally as he sighed heavily. "Are we going back to headquarters tomorrow morning?"


    Railan then made a gesture of denial and explained what they should do. "No, tomorrow will be too late for us. Think about it, the sovereign of this place robbed the professionals and the Black Star Academy building, a place financed by the Gill family."


    "This means that this city already has a problem, a disagreement with the power that supports us... So, we can''t risk staying here for too long. Otherwise, something bad could happen if our former acquaintances discover us!"


    "That way, we must leave immediately!" He said this, looking up and down the street, feeling vulnerable right now.


    The trip back to the Dry City had been a long one, and so would their return. And considering the danger of the two of them staying longer than necessary in this town, Railan was already looking forward to leaving this place.


    "I see¡­ You''re right, father. If we stay here, we run a lot of risks, in addition to wasting even more of our time!"


    "Yes, by the way, it''s a good thing we bought those fruits earlier. We can use one of them to prove our information..."


    After that, the father and son pair made their way out of that town, returning towards the Brown Kingdom region where the Gill family was located.


    ...


    A few more hours passed, and by this time, the movement in the streets of the Dry City had already diminished considerably. In addition, the various gastronomic fragrances launched in the early hours of the night in this city had already dispersed since most establishments of this type had already closed.


    It was almost midnight in this region, and by this time, a large part of the local population was in their homes, sleeping or diligently cultivating. And it was no different for the young sovereign, who was at this moment in the courtyard of his residence, along with his favorite companions.


    Abby was sitting on a wooden bench, dressed in a discreet white dress, while Ruth was facing Minos, on a small platform that was there.


    She wore a typically battle-female outfit, black, while trying to hit the body of the shirtless young man who was facing her.


    Minos had begun to fight Ruth daily since her arrival in the Dry City, something he always did to her at this time of day. But unlike what had happened during the trip to the Spiritual Tournament, young Stuart, instead of just losing to Ruth, now always beats her!


    However, these victories were not by a significant difference. After all, with an almost complete set of Silver-grade techniques, Ruth was slightly stronger than a level 54 regional noble like Celeste, whom Minos had previously defeated.


    Hence, the young sovereign needed to strive to defeat his mother''s disciple, using all his capabilities to weaken her defenses and ultimately defeat her.


    But even if they were relatively balanced matches, Ruth couldn''t help but realize that it was impossible for her to go beyond that right now. She had just reached level 51 a few weeks ago, while Minos was already halfway to level 49!


    With that, the young man''s restrictive techniques began to affect her more and more. So, she had no choice but to defend herself and try to seize any opportunity that presented itself.


    Unfortunately for her, Minos seemed to have an absurd understanding of battles. He was always a few steps ahead of her!


    As a result of all this were the many defeats she had already suffered for him in the days that had passed since her arrival in the Dry City. And as previously wagered, after her first loss to young Stuart, Ruth had told him about her innate ability!


    This young woman''s skill wasn''t one of the attack kind, as she''d said earlier, but it was something that certainly had a lot of use. That''s because Ruth''s Physique of Saint-grade had developed a support-type skill, Regeneration!


    The main point of this ability is in its name, which is the regeneration or healing of her body whenever she is injured, poisoned, etc. Such a thing allowed her to be in much better physical condition than people of her level. Plus, her recovery was tremendously better than people who went through the same injuries as her.


    Also, although she can''t use all the qualities of this ability on other people, some of them she could!


    For example, Ruth couldn''t save the life of a mortally wounded person. Still, she could keep him alive longer until a pill, or a doctor did their job!


    Another possibility was the treatment of minor injuries. But these things would depend a lot on this young woman''s level, and only when she passed the 7a stage could she do more about it.


    As her ability possibilities increased with a possible promotion to Divine-grade Physique, well, Ruth didn''t even think about it. After all, where would she find Divine-grade medicine?


    It was ridiculous to think about those impossible dreams...


    Anyway, when Minos found out about Ruth''s innate ability, he was pleasantly surprised and could see how amazing such a thing was.


    As much as this young woman had not reached the level to use this skill in a meaningful way in other people, for herself, such a thing was a substantial guarantee!


    Because of such ability, she could definitely impose a much higher endurance than people of her level due to her accelerated recovery. And when her cell regeneration reached the point of healing wounds at speed visible to the naked eye, she would surely reach a level beyond her combat proficiency!


    How terrible would it be to face an opponent who recovers almost as fast as he gets hurt?


    Minos was eager to find this out!

 Chapter 482: Chatting in the Bathtub

    Pow!


    Finally, Ruth made her last attack in this training session with Minos, running at full speed towards this young man and launching a powerful fist attack at his chest.


    Puff!


    However, with his Indestructible Body activated, young Stuart had no worries of receiving that attack of this already nearly exhausted opponent. Instead, he just accepted this freely while at the same time draining Ruth''s energies to continue with his own defenses raised.


    Finally, Minos stopped Ruth''s hand with just one of his palms, then brought her into his embrace and hugged both of her arms so that she could no longer move.


    "You lost." He whispered into her left ear as he had a satisfied smile at the corners of his lips.


    Hearing this, Ruth sighed deeply, closing her eyes for a moment and then accepting this defeat. Losing was bad, even in a friendly match. However, she could feel that fighting Minos was the best form of training she could get right now.


    With that, as much as she felt a little awkward about losing successively, she also felt happy every time she finished cultivating and noticed that her cultivation speed was increasing!


    In the Gray Clouds Sect, several things would make the disciples constantly fight each other, besides carrying out missions externally. And this was something that immensely increased individuals'' abilities, making them understand their techniques and cultivate more quickly.


    But even there, Ruth couldn''t fight as often with someone like Minos, who knew perfectly well how much energy to use in a fight for both sides to have challenges. And that makes training with this young sovereign much more efficient and exciting!


    Of course, in that sect, some people could do such a thing. Still, all these cultivators were individuals many levels above Ruth, above the 7th stage, as in Maisie''s case.


    Even though some of these cultivators had disciples, like Minos'' mother with Ruth, these people wouldn''t have time to train with their disciples very often.


    For all that, Ruth felt good to be able to train with Minos daily. Previously she was the one helping him, but now things turned, and she was the one benefiting from this training.


    ''Ahh, this change happened so fast... I was hoping I could act like a high-level person in front of him for a few more years...'' She thought inwardly, with a smile on her beautiful face.


    After the two of them finished fighting, Minos released her and got into a position where he could see Abby and Ruth. "Shall we take a bath?"


    "What?" Abby asked in surprise. At this time, they would typically cultivate and then go to bed... But surprisingly, her boyfriend had suggested something different this time.


    Shortly after Abby''s exclamation, Ruth also exposed her thoughts by asking the following. "What are you planning, Minos?"


    "Why do I have to be planning something?" He asked this as he began to take off his clothes slowly. "I just want to relax in the bathtub for a while before starting my cultivation session. Don''t you want to accompany me?"


    After saying that, he finished taking off the last piece of clothing that was left on his body, exposing it to those two women without a bit of embarrassment on his face.


    He then ran his hand over his balls and headed towards that bathtub in the courtyard where they were.


    "Minos, haven''t I already told you that I don''t want to do any of this with other women?" Abby asked, getting up from where she was and going to the side of the tub, where the brown-haired young man was already in the water.


    Ruth then added. "I ask you the same, Minos. I don''t want to share you with this woman!"


    "Calm down. Can''t we just enjoy this place for a few minutes together? I''m not saying we need to do anything. I just undressed because I feel more comfortable this way¡­" He replied without losing his composure, with a sincere expression on his face.


    Obviously, this young man hadn''t given up sleeping with the two of them at the same time, just because they didn''t want to!


    He wouldn''t force anything, but that doesn''t mean he couldn''t try to convince them to do it... And this young man knew very well that his problems would not resolve themselves.


    If he wanted such a thing to happen, then the first step would be to improve the relationship between Abby and Ruth, until one day they weren''t so far apart!


    He knew this wasn''t so easy to achieve, but he had nothing to lose by trying to do it. At most, if it went wrong, things would continue as they are, and he would be in the same current position.


    So, he had decided to provoke these two to do what he wanted right now to try to start a friendlier relationship.


    And when they heard Minos'' small talk, the two young women stood for a moment in that courtyard until finally, Abby began to undress, just keeping her underwear on.


    Soon after, seeing that her competitor wouldn''t leave this place and let her enjoy the night alone with Minos, Ruth frowned and then did the same as Abby.


    ''It''s a surprise that you decided to do this... It looks like you''re not as weak as I imagined!'' After thinking about it, Ruth immediately stepped into that big bathtub.


    ...


    "And that''s how I left the Flaming Empire and came here." Ruth finished explaining to Minos and Abby her most recent experiences during her trip from the Gray Clouds Sect''s hometown to the Dry City.


    A few minutes had passed since the three of them had joined there. In these moments, despite the initial coolness that the two had when talking to each other, the conversation had grown softer and softer because of the constant intrusion of Minos. The two had even asked questions to each other!


    While they were talking, the two of them were sitting on either side of Minos, being hugged by him, at which point they were both without their bras.


    This young man had slowly come to this point with the two of them, after slowly showing them that it was okay for them to stand like this in front of each other. After all, it was pretty standard for women to see themselves that way.


    Hell, it wouldn''t be hard for both of these girls to have seen more boobs than young Stuart!


    And that way, Minos was peacefully enjoying this bath with two beauties in his arms.


    "Speaking of the Gray Clouds Sect, did you ever meet anyone by the name Mona Miller there?" Abby asked Ruth, curious to find out more about her friend status.


    Abby hadn''t exchanged letters with Mona for over two years. Because of that, her curiosity about her best friend had only increased during this period.


    Hearing such a question, Ruth looked at Abby for a moment and then answered. "Yes, I know her. We can be considered friends. So, why do you want to know?"


    "Friends, huh? Mona is my friend, and I am curious to understand how she is doing. Can you tell me about this?"


    "Hmm, well, Mona''s situation is like that of any disciple who enters the sect through the Spiritual Tournament. In other words, it''s not easy..."


    "As you can imagine, the fighting proficiency of the empire''s youth is much higher than that of people from this region. Hence, naturally, there are some disadvantages."


    "As a result, people like Mona often miss out on a great deal of opportunity for disciples originating from the empire." Ruth calmly explained as she had a crystal goblet containing a golden liquid in one of her hands.


    "I see..." Abby muttered in a low voice. ''It''s a shame she passed the Spiritual Tournament. Otherwise, she could be here in the Dry City.''


    "But anyway, she''s doing what she can and has already reached level 45¡­"

 Chapter 483: Gossip Isnt Pretty!

    ''Level 45? That''s not bad¡­ She''s probably working hard.''  Minos thought to himself after hearing Ruth''s answer.


    He remembered Mona well since that young woman was always beside Abby during the Spiritual Tournament and had reached the dispute for third place in that competition.


    And by remembering that, this young ruler couldn''t help but admire Mona''s cultivation speed. She probably only had Black-grade techniques and didn''t have the same resources as the Black Plain Army soldiers. But even so, in less than three years, she had leveled up four times!


    ''The empire is fascinating. Even ordinary disciples can level up so often!''


    On the other hand, Abby had a slightly different thought than Minos. ''Ahh, it''s a shame... If Mona were with me here on the Black Plain, she''d probably already be between levels 47 and 48.''


    This blue-haired young woman then sighed for a moment and asked Ruth. "Do you know if she can come here?"


    "Yes, but Mona has to reach level 50 first..."


    "I think maybe the next time I come here, she''ll be able to do that. Do you want me to bring her here?"


    "Yes..." She said without thinking as she slowly turned to look at Minos'' face and asked him. "There is no problem, right?"


    Hearing this, young Stuart smiled and massaged one of Abby''s legs as he gave her an answer. "There are no problems. At that time, I think that our situation will probably already be known to other regional powers."


    "Then I don''t care if you invite that friend of yours here." He then briefly paused as he turned to Ruth''s side until he went back to talking about this young woman''s sect. "Speaking of the Gray Clouds Sect, Abby told me that Kara also joined this sect. Do you have news of her?"


    "Hmm, Kara has adapted to the realities of empire a little better than Mona, as she has a Silver talent. With that, she has already reached level 47, and it shouldn''t be long before she gets a new advance!"


    "In fact, considering how long it''s been since I last saw her, she''s probably already reached level 48..." Ruth muttered in a low voice, remembering this person''s spiritual sensation just before their farewell.


    "Hehehe, she''s not doing too bad either, huh? But I think she would be shocked if she saw me now." The young man commented with a smile on his face, recalling how that young woman acted in his presence whenever the subject of him not wanting to go to the empire sects came up.


    At that time, he, Ruth, Kara, and Ford had lived together for several days in Capital City''s Cultivation Tower. And in those moments of coexistence, in some moments, that young redhead had pestered Minos because he didn''t take this opportunity seriously.


    For her, young Stuart wanted to waste his talent, and she couldn''t help but expose her disappointment to him.


    Anyway, Ruth nodded in agreement upon hearing this. "Hmm, when I was in the sect, whenever we talked about you, she would talk about this. I think she''s probably attracted to you because of your abilities. However, her choice not to go to the empire was like a cold shower for her."


    "Oh?" Minos exclaimed in surprise.


    Then Abby furrowed her brows and looked at Ruth seriously as if telling her not to throw any more fuel on the fire...


    She then said. "I didn''t expect that from that woman. She seemed like a very focused type of person, who doesn''t care about these things..."


    "Hahaha, focused? You judge people very poorly, Abby." Ruth commented after letting out a few laughs, remembering a particular secret she had accidentally discovered.


    ''Abby, if you knew Kara had already slept with her own brother, Ford, you wouldn''t say those things. Hehehe.''  She thought, laughing at Abby''s comment.


    Ruth had discovered this during one of the sect''s group missions, in which she had participated with Kara and a few others. At that time, Ford was camping in the same region as the group coming from the Gray Clouds Sect, and when they met there, he had accompanied Kara on a few occasions...


    And like a brother and sister, spending time together as they saw each other after months apart wasn''t all that strange. At least that''s what Ruth thought.


    But some morning, when Ruth was checking out the surroundings of her camp, she had seen the scene of the brother and sister pair having sex in a very discreet way.


    She had hardly believed what her eyes had seen on that occasion. Still, by paying attention to the body fragrances of those two, this young woman had confirmed what her eyes had already seen...


    Kara and Ford were two incestuous people!


    She had been shocked by this, having had the thought of it in her mind for several weeks. But even if she disagreed with this practice herself, Ruth gradually dropped the subject.


    That was not a subject that interfered with her life, and this young woman felt that she had no right to tell other people what was right or wrong. If those two wanted and enjoyed doing this, then for Ruth, they should be happy and not involve her!


    It was a little weird to be around a person who does such a thing, but heck, everyone has their problems. And over time, Ruth had learned to converse with Kara without remembering that image constantly.


    Upon hearing Ruth''s comment, Abby continued to stare at that young woman and asked. "Why do you say that? Is Kara that different from what I think?"


    "Hehehe, you had a vision of yourself very similar to Kara''s, right?"


    "But even so, look where you are... In less than three years since we met, you''ve gone from being a virgin to someone who goes to bed every day with Minos." Ruth teasingly  said as she changed the subject so she wouldn''t have to talk about other people''s secrets.


    Maisie''s young disciple had a wonderful friendship with Kara. And such a person didn''t deserve to have her privacy destroyed just because Ruth had seen something she shouldn''t...


    In Ruth''s opinion, gossip was not a nice thing to do!


    So, of course, she wouldn''t say about Kara and Ford''s romance so casually.


    Seeing how Abby was looking at Ruth, Minos soon decided to interfere, gradually using one of his hands to touch his girlfriend''s twin peaks.


    A good feeling traveled through Abby''s body when she felt this, making her abandon the subject.


    At the same time, young Stuart used his other hand to take one of Ruth''s hands and direct it towards his rod, which was by now as hard as steel. ''Let''s see how far we can go with this, hehe...''


    ''But this information about Kara is fascinating. Can''t wait to see her again.'' He thought inwardly, with a perverted smile at the corner of his lips.


    This young man was not blind, and he was not ignorant of Kara''s extraordinary beauty. So, he had naturally been quite pleased with what he had heard from Ruth.


    Previously, he hadn''t tried anything with Kara due to his situation during the Spiritual Tournament. Still, this Black Plain ruler would definitely sleep with that young redhead if he had a chance.


    As for Ruth and Abby, he liked them both and was already feeling in love with his girlfriend, even though he never said anything to her. But that didn''t limit this young man''s carnal desires.


    He felt he wanted to have a life with Abby and maybe even have children with her. But he also wanted to have fun with attractive women, as in the case of the mother-daughter pair who lived in the Dry City.


    Only he and a few lucky ones in the Spiritual World could understand his excitement for having sex with those two!


    And as much as he had no emotional feelings for them, nor they for him, Minos still appreciated such moments. For that reason, he would not stop thinking about other women because of his relationship with Abby and Ruth.


    Maybe that would change at some point, but for now, it wasn''t even close to happening...

 Chapter 484: The Start of the Attacks!

    A few days passed quickly...


    In a medium-sized city in the north of the Central Continent, there was a beach that stretched for almost half of that place, from which many coconut trees could be seen by anyone passing by.


    That was a lovely setting for the kind of person who liked the beaches and seaside life. The natural beauty, the typical food of these regions, all this made this part of the city very attractive for locals and those passing through.


    On the other hand, the rest of the coastal part of this place was the ports of this region. In this part, many ships that often came and went from this city docked at various points, where they loaded and unloaded different types of products.


    And such a place was huge, with a capacity to allocate more than 40 large ships at once!


    Other than that, the many smaller ships that were moored in these local ports created a beautiful image to be seen for whoever was in the higher altitude part of this coastal city. It was as if these many naval types of transport formed a beautiful mosaic that made this city much more pleasing to the eye.


    In the midst of all this, around 300,000 inhabitants lived in this city, where more than 60,000 more passed through here daily, bringing or seeking resources at the local port.


    Many items were coming and going from this place. Most of them were minerals and food. But even if they were not the highest value-added goods, they still employed hundreds of millions of people in this part of the continent. Therefore, this was something of great importance.


    As a result, a city marked by being a connection between modes of transport, such as this one, had to deal with a very high flow of people, typical of the trade of those two types of products, in addition, of course, to the massive entry of crystals in the local economy!


    And as in any part of the continent, the crystals would speak louder and dictate many rules and attitudes.


    Things were no different in this place.


    Although not located in the best part of this northern region of the Central Continent, this city had a collection of millions of crystals per year in taxes. So, naturally, the lifestyle here was far superior to that of the region''s surroundings, to the point where it could be compared to the standard of some typical neighborhoods of large regional cities!


    That ranged from the offer of many different types of professionals, even a few grade-2 specialists from the most acclaimed specializations, to the presence of high value-added products in the many local stores.


    But this good side of this city was limited to only a tiny part of the local population and, of course, the rulers of this area.


    That''s because the local masses, ordinary people who couldn''t afford to pay for high-quality services even if they worked for decades, just survived in this place. Many of them worked day and night, sometimes sacrificing their cultivation times to bring a few extra crystals to their families.


    But despite this not being ideal for them, this city was the only one with possibilities nearby...


    On the other hand, many had been in this city for generations and did not want to put their lives at risk on the roads of the Spiritual World in the futile hope of finding places with better opportunities.


    Resigned, this was the perfect word to describe the people of the contracting Maritime City!


    ...


    At one of several royal guard posts in the Maritime City, many guards gathered in a large building shaped like a fort, near one end of that city, on the north side of the coast.


    Altogether, there were 8 locations like this, spread across this medium-sized city. Adding all these forces, about a thousand guards of the royal family were stationed here, cultivators responsible for delimiting the presence of such power on this western edge of the Brown Kingdom.


    Seven of them contained only 100 guards at each post, while the last but not least gathered 300 soldiers, the strongest in this place, those led directly by the Spiritual King stationed in this city!


    This fort was the only one that was not on the outskirts of this city, being located right in the center of this urban area, close to the heart of this city.


    But while the fort in the center of the Maritime City was the best protected and most powerful, the other seven locations had the most local activities.


    After all, typical jobs were the most frequent to be done, and weaker people, as in the case of soldiers at these posts, usually had to take care of these matters...


    Consequently, these seven locations were no less important than the central post of this organization in this city!


    Anyway, the night had already arrived in this region, and several of the royal guards of the northmost fort of this city had already changed shifts at this point.


    And soon, it wasn''t long before the various guards at this location began to carry out their preventive inspections, something that happened every time there was a change on shifts.


    "Oh, I still haven''t got used to working at night..." One of the many guards in this place, who was currently patrolling one of the outer walls of this fort, commented this to his only partner while yawning and scratching his eyes. "Oh, I''m too sleepy, man!"


    "Hahaha, Orson, you''re going to get used to this sooner or later. It''s annoying to switch from daytime to nighttime, but after a few days, you get used to it." The other man, who wore standard royal guard armor, told his companion this.


    "Yes, I think you are right. I was just sent here from the capital and had the misfortune of taking a night shift right away. Ah, life is full of stones on the way..."


    The two guards continued to talk about these common matters as they did their responsibility.


    But while those two people were calmly doing their jobs, there was a group of more than 100 people in the vicinity of this fort, scattered in different directions and camouflaged with the adjacent terrain.


    This large group seemed to be just watching this place calmly while trying to keep as quiet as possible so as not to draw the attention of the people in that fort.


    "Humbert, we''ve been here for two hours! When are we going to act?" One of several Black Plain Army soldiers surrounding this place whispered this to the Sergeant in charge of this large group.


    "Let''s wait another hour. Several of the guards on the enemy side have just started their shifts and are at a moment of heightened vigilance."


    "Let''s wait a little longer until they feel comfortable and let their guard down!" Humbert promptly responded to the person who had asked him so that she would pass on his orders further.


    This man had received the order from Minos a few days ago to lead the first group that would participate in this mission, one of the parts of the Maritime City invasion plan!


    That was officially the start of the attacks!


    After weeks of preparation, the administrative soldiers of young Stuart''s army had finally adjusted the Maritime City invasion plan to the data collected in the previous investigation. And with that done, the attack groups had quickly been formed and prepared for the start of the operation today.


    To begin with, they would take this first post and send each of the enemy guards at this location to the Dry City, where most of them would undergo interrogation by administrative soldiers.


    However, for those strongest, the leaders, the plan was to prioritize their interrogation, taking them to a specific place on the outskirts of the Maritime City. There, Abby was already waiting to fulfill her responsibility in this mission!


    That was a delicate operation and needed to be done with care and agility, so unwanted attention was not attracted. And for that, a force composed of many Spiritual Generals, above level 43, had been appointed for this purpose.


    They were more numerous, and their collective strength was also superior to that of their enemies. With that, the Dry City was taking its first big step towards independence!

 Chapter 485: Kidnapping 1

    An hour has passed...


    At this moment, the group of soldiers coming from the Dry City were already moving in the vicinity of that fort to start the attack on that place finally.


    There was no defensive array in this fort, so there would be no additional restrictions for them to invade. And although this may seem strange to those who do not know the Spiritual World well, this was the common practice in this region.


    Because, in a place like this, a branch outpost that didn''t even have a Spiritual King, it didn''t make sense to make such an investment in a low-level grade-2 defensive array. There were no confidential documents in this place, as anything like that would be kept in the main fort of that city, where there was a Spiritual King on guard.


    Precisely for that reason, yes, there was a low-level grade-2 barrier to protect that main post from the Royal Guard of the Brown Kingdom in this city.


    In contrast, places like this fort, which was now a target for Minos'' soldiers, did not receive this kind of investment. After all, what kind of lunatic would try to invade a place without confidential information, valuable artifacts, not even powerful cultivators?


    That is, who would risk pissing off a royal family, one of the high-level regional powers, just because of a small branch that would undoubtedly be worthless?


    A possible attack on a place like this could create a mortal debt to the people who would do such a thing. But, on the other hand, the royal family of this region would not even miss these few people at this post!


    Hence, the confidence that the Brown Kingdom Royal Guard had was significant enough for them to be sure that it would be a waste to invest such a thing on such a base.


    Even if a lunatic did show up, most likely, the other outposts in these cities would be able to realize it in no time and send reinforcements.


    Consequently, this place was unprotected, ideal for the mission of these many soldiers from the Black Plain Army, who at the time were already infiltrated in this place.


    Minos'' soldiers were in this place to kidnap about 100 people. Half of them were supposed to be Spiritual Generals and the rest Spiritual Warriors. And for that, they planned to act quickly, without creating a commotion, catching each of these people off guard.


    First, they were in a group of just over 100 soldiers, and each of them was already in the 5th stage of cultivation. In other words, they were more numerous than their targets, but also stronger individually!


    Second, even though some of the targets in this group could sense the cultivation level of opponents in the vicinity, the group of soldiers still had some space to act without being noticed.


    That''s because the range of action of the spiritual probe was not extensive enough for people in the 5th stage to feel the spiritual fluctuations in the total area of ??a fort similar to this one. In fact, such a thing was relatively short and barely reached 100 meters for Spiritual Generals in an open space.


    Also, even though some people could feel some of Minos'' soldiers moving through this location, given the proximity of these targets to the soldiers, that doesn''t mean that such a thing would happen. After all, the spiritual probe would need to be done by that cultivator, or else he wouldn''t notice the strength of potential opponents even if the invaders were right beside them!


    After thinking about it, the soldiers coming from the Dry City had not immediately attacked this fort when they arrived in the vicinity of this place three hours ago.


    On the one hand, guards at the end of their shift were always more careful in their work. On the other, those who had just started their periods also had this same characteristic.


    And as an experienced person, already at level 45, Humbert had led his team wisely, waiting for the right moment to act!


    ...


    After receiving the orders to begin the invasion of this fort, the many soldiers quickly made their way to enter this place in silence, aiming to finish off their opponents as soon as possible.


    Of the more than 100 soldiers, they had split into about 30 groups of 3 or 4 people, teams that had previously positioned themselves at different points around this fort.


    And after receiving the authorization to start the mission and entering that place, all these groups began to knock out their opponents in the approximately 30 different posts around this fort!


    ...


    On one of the walls of the northernmost fort in the Maritime City, two guards walked calmly in that spot as they watched the outside terrain.


    At the moment, the silence predominated that place. The refreshing breeze typical of this region passed through there, making sounds a little louder from time to time.


    But the three people were barely talking. That''s because these individuals already did this together every day and still had to work for several hours straight. So, there wasn''t that much to talk to each other.


    And while these three men were diligently doing their work, one of them suddenly felt that three people at level 43 were approaching that spot, coming from inside the fort.


    ''Hmm? Is there a problem and our supervisors¡­'' He was thinking about it when he suddenly received a blow to the head, at the same time, which he was still turning to look in the direction of those ''supervisors.''


    Pa!


    Pa!


    Pa!


    The three were knocked out in a split second, so quickly that none of them realized what had happened.


    After that, the three soldiers quickly placed necklace-shaped spiritual arrays around the necks of those knocked-out guards to seal the cultivation of the three!


    "Leland, you keep watch, and Gary and me, we''re going to hide these two people in that room 50 meters from here." One of them said as he had already taken the bodies of two of those three guards, placing two on Gary''s back and one on his own back.


    As level 43 cultivators, these soldiers were physically powerful, and carrying these people on their backs was as easy as drinking a glass of water!


    "All right!"


    Right after that, this small team moved through that part of the fort, taking the necessary precautions not to draw attention, avoiding the places where there were guards nearby.


    They did this for about a minute until they finally reached the room where they didn''t take long to place the unconscious bodies of those guards.


    "Come on, change your clothes and put on these guys'' uniforms. Let''s infiltrate this place, following Mrs. Abby''s plan." The same man from before said this. At the same time, he was already taking off his shirt.


    Part of the invasion was to act like these three had done a few moments ago. But for those who could do this quickly and without difficulty, the ideal would be to do what this man had just suggested.


    Disguise themselves in the uniforms of those guards!


    As much as they might be recognized as imposters due to their cultivation levels, it could still give them an advantage. After all, even if the local guards noticed them, most of them would undoubtedly have to think twice or more before acting against the disguised soldiers!


    With that, Abby had ordered this method of infiltration to increase the success rate of this mission.


    Finally, the three soldiers wasted no time taking off the guards'' clothes and putting them on. After that, they headed towards the innermost part of this fort, where the strongest royal guards should be.


    ...


    While this group was doing its work, several other soldiers taking part in this attack had faced situations similar to the previous one.


    They surprised their opponents, knocked them out, and then sealed the cultivations of each of those people. After that, some soldiers changed their uniforms, but others had not.


    Only those soldiers who took down enemies from the 5th stage of cultivation were doing this, as there were differences in the uniforms of the royal guards in this fort.


    As for the other soldiers, those who couldn''t do that had to keep watch in this fort to prevent anyone from leaving or even entering this place.

 Chapter 486: Kidnapping 2

    A few minutes after the start of the invasion of this fort further north of the Maritime City, most of the people inside the property had fallen at the hands of the Black Plain Army soldiers.


    However, there were still some of the royal guards, the strongest people here in the central part of this place.


    Such individuals were distant from the first places invaded by those soldiers, so they did not realize what was happening. That was due to the general silence in this place and because none of Minos'' soldiers had reached them.


    But that was about to change!


    After about five minutes since the beginning of this operation, the soldiers responsible for surveillance had already positioned themselves in the outskirts, while the others were already slowly approaching the central part of this building.


    ...


    "There are only ten enemies left..." Humbert muttered in a low voice as he walked in one of the corridors in the inner part of this fort.


    He then turned to the side of the three people accompanying him, stopped in the middle of that spot, and said. "I feel that more than 40 of our teammates are already in the vicinity of this place. So get ready to act!"


    Hearing this, they said nothing, only nodding in agreement with their heads as they swallowed their saliva.


    This part of the mission was the most delicate to carry out as there would always be a chance that something could go wrong, and it would end up alerting people that they didn''t want to. Mainly because they would now have to deal with people above level 46, something a little harder than those they had knocked out so far!


    The problem wasn''t that these last people would be too strong for the group of dozens of soldiers coming from the Dry City. No, obviously, these soldiers were much stronger than their opponents.


    Hell, possibly each of these soldiers could already challenge and defeat one of the remaining individuals. But that would cause a commotion they didn''t want to have.


    Consequently, the simple job of subduing these last opponents was more challenging than what had been done before, to the point that most of these soldiers were sensibly worried and anxious by now.


    ''We can''t use arrays to seal the sounds of this place. Otherwise, these people will realize we''re here...'' One of the soldiers thought about it as he walked as if he was just going to the bathroom or something like that.


    If an array of any kind were activated, then anyone within its range of action could notice this change. But, of course, this would only happen between activating and deactivating such a thing, as this would always result in some change in the space.


    Due to this characteristic of the arrays, the soldiers could not use these items to facilitate this mission, as doing such a thing would alert the enemies.


    ''Ahh, what a complication¡­'' He sighed for a moment when he finally came close to a room and muttered under his breath. "Come on!"


    ...


    At the same time, another group of soldiers was arriving at a large office at what seemed to be the most critical point in this fort.


    That''s because, in such a place, there were two people, one of them at level 46 and the other at level 47, individuals at the highest levels of the royal guards in such a place.


    "Doran reached level 52 a few weeks ago... Do you think he''ll stay in this town much longer?" The level 46 man asked the other while sitting in a leather armchair.


    "Yes, at least for the next three years, I don''t think he will leave here. The shift for the person who is the guardian of this city is ten years, and Doran has been here in the Maritime City for only six years."


    "Even if he has advanced in level, that''s not enough for him to ask to come back."


    "Unless, of course, he had reached level 53 because then the thing would be completely different." The other man, who had the appearance of a person in his 40s, commented this without showing any concern or doubt.


    The Brown family was a high-level regional power and, as such, had several Spiritual Kings in its ranks. Consequently, a single-level promotion of one of his subordinates was not enough to change the programming of that power.


    Even more so someone at level 52, who was simply a standard cultivation level among the ranks of regional Spiritual Kings.


    So, this man in charge of this fort wasn''t worried about possible modifications regarding the guardian of this city in the short term.


    "I see, this is..." The other was saying something when suddenly three people walked through the door of that place, hurriedly and looking desperate as if something terrible had happened.


    As they did this, the three of them stopped for a moment in front of that door as they placed their hands on their knees and tried to breathe. "Sir, we have a situation outside the fort! We need your guidance!" Then, one of them yelled this.


    Hearing this, the two men rose from where they were sitting, with their faces already beginning to darken, along with involuntary contractions of their pupils.


    "What is happening?" One of them asked, already walking towards the office exit, as if he intended to check on this matter. "Does anyone dare attack us?"


    "No, they are spiritual beasts. There are many of them!" One of the three men said as he turned towards the exit of that room and started giving directions to those two.


    After saying that, they quickly started walking down one of the inner corridors of that fort until finally, the post leader asked in a low voice. "By the way, son, you seem to have advanced recently..."


    "Who is in charge of your group? Maybe it''s Kole''s team? Or maybe it''s from Josh''s group?"


    Hearing this, the three men began to slow down when the person who had been asked such a question turned to that level 47 cultivator and said. "The group I am part of is under the supervision..."


    But instead of saying one of those two names, he and the other two ''guards'' immediately attacked these two men."


    "An invasion!" The level 46 man said in surprise, realizing that he had almost been tricked.


    ''I knew that! I was finding it very strange that three guards had just made advances to level 43¡­'' The other thought about it calmly, not bothering so much about these people.


    The difference in levels between them was not slight, and this person in charge of this fort was sure he could defeat them quickly and then find out whatever was going on here.


    That was the first invasion that had taken place during this man''s shift, and he naturally wanted to understand how people of that level could get to him.


    He then said out loud, already preparing to activate his techniques. "Let''s see who gave them the courage to challenge the Brown family!"


    However, instead of crushing these people as he expected, he suddenly felt pressure coming towards his body.


    After realizing this, he immediately looked up and saw forms of colored, semi-transparent hands in the air heading towards him.


    "Shit! That was an ambush!" The other one screamed, realizing that in addition to the three from before, another five people had appeared in that place and started using their cultivation pressures to knock them out!


    "Alvin, use your cultivation pressure to protect us, and I will lead with these people."


    "OK!"


    Zum!


    After this brief conversation, the level 46 man concentrated all his cultivation power to form a large palm in the air, going towards those hands that were trying to crush them.


    Simultaneously, the level 47 man was preparing to activate his techniques when he felt the force of the attacks of those three coming towards him.


    "What?" He exclaimed in shock, realizing that the force of these enemies'' attacks was so great that he had to use a great deal of his energy to defend himself, or it would be bad for him!


    Boom!

 Chapter 487: Kidnapping 3

    Boom!


    In a split second, the attacks sent by the three soldiers of the Black Plain Army hit the defenses of that level 47 royal guard.


    At the time, this man had finished activating his defense technique, which could create an extra layer of skin that was super resistant to attacks of the same level as his.


    But even considering that those three soldiers still had a slightly inferior fighting proficiency than this man, they had managed to put this old man in a dead-end.


    After all, because they attacked him together, that person could not have avoided such an attack. Moreover, their combined charges had more destructive power than this cultivator''s defenses could sustain!


    "Ahhhh!"


    And it didn''t even take a second for this man to start screaming in pain, feeling different sensations around many non-vital parts of his body.


    First, he could feel a burning part of his back, where pieces of this man''s clothing were burning, along with his skin, which was already beginning to blister.


    Second, he felt several cuts spread from his left leg to his shoulder. Such wounds weren''t deep, but they were enough that this side of this man''s body was soaked in blood.


    At the same time, he felt a strong sensitivity in each of the cuts.


    Finally, his right arm was also burned, but not by the flame that had hit his back, but by the ice thrown by one of those soldiers'' technique!


    "Miserables!" He snarled in a fury, feeling much of his blood rush to his head and his face turn red. "I will kill you all!"


    Unfortunately for him, when he was making his empty threats, his subordinate, a level 46 cultivator, could no longer sustain the cultivation pressures that were trying to crush both him and his boss!


    "Ahhh!" Alvin let out a sad cry just before his face turned deathly pale and passed out as he vomited a mouthful of blood.


    He had thought he could hold his opponents while his boss finished those three. After that, it would undoubtedly be effortless for Alvin and the person in charge of this fort to finish off these enemies and go in search of the truth.


    But the reality could be ruthless...


    Alvin''s boss hadn''t had any results in time, and soon this person could no longer sustain the cultivation pressure of the various soldiers who had ambushed them.


    "Shit..."


    Seeing this happen to his subordinate, that level 47 man cursed without thinking, already feeling considerable pressure coming towards his head.


    But it was too late for him!


    Previously he was being protected because his subordinate was counterattacking that. But having lost that support, this man, who was already preparing to launch a decisive attack on those three soldiers, barely had time to react after seeing such a result.


    All he had done was cursing these people as his eyes lost their light, and he passed out in that corridor, completely exhausted!


    Anyway, seeing the result of this brief fight, those soldiers looked at each other and sighed for a moment.


    "One less..." One of them muttered as he placed his hands on his knees and tried to exhale.


    After a brief moment of relief, the strongest of the group looked at the soldier who was already putting necklaces around the necks of those two royal guards and said. "You seem to be the most exhausted of us, Cedric. So, since there aren''t many enemies left, I want you to take these two to the outer court..."


    That soldier gave the orders on how things should be done until Cedric left that place with two unconscious bodies on his back. The rest of the group then returned to their primary objective.


    Finish conquering this fort!


    ...


    A few minutes had passed since the start of this invasion when the operation finally ended.


    The soldiers from the Dry City had completed this part of the mission, having conquered this fort!


    From start to finish, there were a few small ''failures'' here and there, like the little fight that had taken place between Alvin and his boss against Minos'' soldiers. However, all these events had taken place in the depths of this place and had not lasted long, nor had they generated any great commotion.


    The enemy were outnumbered, minos'' soldiers had the numbers advantage. And even though the enemies were inside their own base, the arrogance of thinking this place would never be invaded had been a terrible thing for them!


    As a result, the conquest of this fort had significantly been facilitated for Minos'' subordinates.


    Finally, after the entire invasion, the soldiers had quickly gathered in one of the most extensive courtyards there. In this part, some of the prominent figures among the guards of this fort were lying on the ground, passed out, and surrounded by many enemies.


    "How''s our count?" Humbert asked out loud.


    "Sergeant Humbert, we had no casualties, and only 7 of us need a longer rest. As for the enemies, none of them died. They didn''t even manage to escape us!"


    "The count coincided with the information given by the headquarters¡­" Another soldier commented as he began to explain to the mission leader the numbers involved in this matter.


    After a while, seeing that nothing seemed out of control, Humbert gave his orders about what should be done next. "Very well!"


    "Everyone here was amazing in this invasion, but we can''t rest. That is just the beginning!"


    "Now, we will start the most difficult part of our mission, which consists of three simultaneous operations." He then stopped for a moment and looked towards Dumas, level 45.


    "First, Dumas, I want you and your team to escort this group of about 80 royal guards back to the Dry City."


    "All right!"


    "Second, Pat, you will take these remaining royal guards to the location of Mrs. Abby''s team. After that, you will protect that place until Mrs. Abby returns to the Dry City."


    "OK."


    "Third, the rest of you will stay here with me¡­" Humbert continued to speak, making clear to those people what could and could not happen at this time.


    Everything they would do from now on involved more risk than the attack they had just carried out. After all, escorting people from one location to another always involved the risk of someone seeing what they shouldn''t, as well as the many unpredictable possibilities!


    They knew exactly how strong the people inside that fort were and how they should act. But outside this place, the number of possibilities was simply too great for them to prepare themselves.


    And finally, the most challenging point of this mission was to keep this fort under the control of the Black Plain Army, without the local forces suspecting anything.


    That is, to just infiltrate this place, they had to act as if they were, in fact, royal guards, while other soldiers were prepared for that.


    Abby would initiate interrogations with the most relevant people in this fort so that Humbert''s group could start operating this place without making big mistakes. But only after Minos'' girlfriend intervened with all those guards that this young man''s soldiers could handle this place most efficiently.


    After that, the assaults on the rest of the royal family''s bases in this city could finally begin!


    ...

 Chapter 488: Directing the Blame!

    Some time has passed since the end of the invasion of that fort.


    During this period, all the strongest guards who had been directed to the place where Abby was in the Maritime City had already passed through the interrogation of the soldiers who accompanied this young woman.


    That hadn''t been difficult, much less time-consuming. In fact, with Abby''s ability, that was able to force certain types of nervous reactions on her targets, those individuals who were kidnapped didn''t show any resistance.


    All questions asked by the soldiers were answered without delay, and within hours this group from the Dry City had a deep understanding of how things worked locally.


    From what they found, only the guard in charge of that fort, the strongest person in that place, had regular contacts with individuals from other bases. Especially with the main post of that city, where the Spiritual King was stationed!


    But such a thing happened once or twice a month. At other times the forts basically functioned independently, with minimal contacts.


    Of course, there were contacts between the royal guards when they met on the streets of the Maritime City or even when some of them visited old acquaintances. But that didn''t involve any obligation, and it wouldn''t be strange if someone disappeared for some time...


    However, even if most of this information was positive for the Black Plain Army, the soldiers on this mission couldn''t be sure that it was just that. After all, there were still dozens of guards who were sent to the Dry City, who might have information critical to the smooth functioning of this fort after this invasion.


    Ordinary subordinates also had their private lives. For example, some of them might have had regular meetings with guards from other bases in this town. That is, some guard could miss one of his drinking buddies, which could lead to several problems...


    In this case, such a thing could only be discovered and resolved after interrogating those people sent to the Dry City prison.


    As for why such an interrogation had not been made at the Maritime City, well, that was just to draw as little attention as possible. Some people might not care about a group of 20 or 30 guards walking around the area together. Still, more than 100 of them would be very suspicious!


    So, things had developed that way.


    Anyway, at this moment, Abby was on top of her giant beast, near one of the exits from the Maritime City, besides two soldiers.


    She had already finished her work here and was preparing to return to the city of Minos, where her presence would be essential in investigating those remaining guards.


    And since her beast was already at the 5th stage, this young woman could make this trip in less than a day, even reaching that city before the group sent by Humbert earlier.


    "Sergeants Humbert, Pat, I''ll leave the army''s business in this town to you. Try to interact as little as possible with local citizens in the coming days until we get a better result about how this place works." She calmly said as she looked at the two people beside her.


    "OK!"


    "Second, we''ll send the spiritual judge of the headquarters to one of you sign a Soul Contract with that level 47 guard. After that, wait for the new orders and try to follow the mission plan..."


    Abby gave several orders to those two people until finally, she and Ebba left that town.


    There were many details, but the most important thing was how they could use the person previously responsible for that fort.


    Sending him to the Dry City prison could be very problematic, as the Spiritual King of that city would undoubtedly notice if someone different met him. And even if there were no certainty that such a thing would happen, the best thing to do in this situation would be to try to force a deal with that level 47 guard.


    Such a thing could save the silent invasion of the Minos army in this city!


    Anyway, while Abby was traveling back to the Dry City, other actions planned by Minos were being developed in another part of this continent...


    ...


    In one of the largest cities in the northern part of the Central Continent, there was a great mountain range filled with snow on its horizon, which could be considered a postcard of this place.


    No other large city in this region had such a privileged view, from this one that was the most prominent rock formation in the area, the Endless Snow Mountain Range!


    The beauty of this masterpiece of nature was proclaimed by everyone who visited this place and not just those native to this part of the continent.


    In fact, even cultivators from other regions, those who occasionally used this kingdom to travel to the Elves Island, were positively surprised by the natural beauty of this mountain range.


    Some unique beasts and plants could only be found in this region, while there was no lack of legends about this part of the continent...


    Some spoke of the glorious past of this place, which had once been filled with Spiritual Saints and Spiritual Sages. And like any place with its history, in this region, there were also those conspiracy theories...


    Elders told stories of how the Endless Snow Mountain Range protected the Snow Kingdom from powerful ''evil forces.'' At the same time, many locals occasionally spoke of the supposed purpose of this rock formation.


    To imprison a mighty being!


    At least, that was some of the stories told in the four corners of this kingdom.


    Anyway, in the middle of the capital of this kingdom, in a local palace, there was a large area where several crows came and went constantly.


    In such an area, various subordinates and royal guards took turns to take care of the operation of this critical place from which information departed and arrived every day.


    Some fed and cared for the spiritual crows, and others checked the information that arrived at this post.


    And in such a place, at this moment, one of the soldiers responsible for checking the newly received information suddenly got up from his work station and started running towards the exit of that place.


    "Uh? What is happening?" Some voices sounded through that environment, while the sounds of crows combined with the other noises from this place and many people turned their heads in the direction of that person from before.


    "Did something big happen? Maybe it''s related to the Kingdom of the Waves¡­" Soon, some less busy people started talking about it.


    "Malcolm, where did the crow that Robert just checked came from?" Someone asked out loud.


    "I don''t know. There wasn''t an identification with this crow..."


    ...


    Sometime after that guard left his post, it didn''t take long for him to reach the office of the crown prince of the Snow Kingdom.


    "I need to see the crown prince. We just received a letter containing information about the death of the second prince!" He seriously said as he held a white parchment in his hand and breathed hurriedly.


    He wasn''t tired, but even so, he couldn''t help but feel excited about the contents of that letter!


    If that were true, then the royal family of this region could finally seek justice for the death of the second prince.


    Many guards didn''t like that young man due to some of his peculiarities. However, he was still part of the royal family at the end of the day, and his death had been a great shame for all of this great organization!


    Anyway, upon hearing that guard''s comment, the people at the crown prince''s reception immediately turned their attention to that man, surprised by this.


    An exquisitely dressed woman then frowned and asked. "Are you sure about that?"


    "Yes!"


    "OK, be silent and follow me..."

 Chapter 489: Returning to the Yellow City

    After escorting that woman to the crown prince''s office, it didn''t take long for that guard to come face to face with the future king of the Snow Kingdom.


    In that room, there were a few more people besides the prince, and they were all looking at this guard at the moment, curious to find out why their meeting had been interrupted.


    "Crown prince, this letter has just arrived at the royal palace, and due to its contents, I promptly brought this information to you." The guard commented respectfully while passing the parchment from before to one of the prince''s bodyguards.


    "Oh? What''s the topic?"


    "It''s the death of the second prince."


    "What?" More than one person exclaimed in doubt upon hearing this statement.


    That was one of the points that most bothered the royal family recently. Still, it had not been easy for this organization to advance its investigations in the time that has passed since that incident.


    After all, such a thing had ties to the most prominent assassin organizations in this part of the continent, the fearsome and influential group of the Scourges of the Devil!


    As a result, just as it was not easy to obtain information from this regional power, it had not been easy to discover almost anything about that incident.


    So naturally, the people in that office were surprised to hear that guard''s statement.


    "Hmm, in fact, there is specific information in this letter..." The bodyguard from before commented in a low voice, surprising people in that place even more.


    "This thing..." He waved the parchment at those people and then continued. "Even points out the code name of the second prince''s assassin!"


    "Are you serious? Who sent us this information? Is it a credible source?" The Crown prince rose from his chair, asking these questions as his hands went towards that parchment in the hands of his bodyguard.


    As the prince began to read here, that man said to everyone in the room. "That''s the only problem, it''s not from a reliable source, and we won''t be able to confirm that this is, in fact, true, with just this letter..."


    "So, it doesn''t help us at all!"


    "Ahh, it''s difficult..."


    Comments resounded through that spot right after that bodyguard said that.


    "Not necessarily. Even if there is no way we can confirm the credibility of the person who sent this letter, we still have ways to verify that checks."


    "And as I recall, some of this information is correct." The crown prince finally spoke again, with a gleam in his eyes.


    "It says that the cause of the incident with Noah was a disagreement during the Spiritual Tournament, involving Maxwell and the death of a nobleman from the Cromwell Kingdom. And although we don''t have all that information, we know that, in fact, this young man from the Mayer family was the main cause of what happened to my younger brother."


    "Oh? And who are the supposed culprits?" A woman asked.


    "Supposedly, the Chambers family of the Cromwell Kingdom attacked my brother while trying to kill Maxwell Mayer¡­" The prince then exposed the entire contents of the letter to his advisers and subordinates in that room.


    In the letter sent by Minos, there were various details of what had happened. For example, Leroy''s death, the note found in one of that Chambers family base, the code name of the murderer hired for this operation, etc.


    Only Minos'' name and his involvement in all of this had been left out.


    After hearing all this, one of the people in that room, an old man with a white beard, exposed his thoughts. "Crown prince, I advise caution in this matter."


    "It is a common practice for competing powers to use this kind of attitude to harm their opponents, blaming certain incidents involving high-level sovereigns on those rivals."


    "And it is also widespread for such acts to mix part of the truth with lies." He commented in a solemn tone. "This is a way to make false information more credible..."


    After that, the meeting of this group of people continued, with each expounding their views until they came at how they should act about that information.


    But even though there were many doubts regarding the veracity of the facts denounced by Minos'' letter, now they couldn''t fail to investigate the Chambers family further.


    After all, as they had had almost no results in their investigation, the people responsible for this had plenty of time to verify these facts!


    Now, after so many months, they at least had a target to investigate and maybe eventually get their revenge.


    A royal family was not an organization that could be challenged casually. Therefore, those who would do such a thing had only two options. Hide well or run away while there was still a chance!


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the Dry City...


    Three people were currently leaving the area protected by the local dome via the northern exit of the wall.


    In that place, two mature women with high-level beauties were riding a tremendous earth-type spiritual beast. At the same time, a young man with brown hair remained behind one of the two.


    One of them had utterly green hair, and her cultivation of Spiritual King couldn''t help but impress the people who saw her.


    On the other hand, the other woman, who had brown hair, would not draw anyone''s attention because of her spiritual cultivation due to the necklace around her neck...


    "Ahh, finally, I can go back to cultivating!" The brown-haired woman commented in satisfaction, feeling even more anxious this time.


    It wasn''t easy for her to keep her cultivation sealed for so long, and naturally, she was very excited about this moment.


    "Minos, you are a boring person! You''ve left me like this all this time¡­" She complained, pouting her pretty pink lips.


    Of course, these were Minos, Mirya, and Celeste, the group traveling towards the abandoned Yellow City. In such a town, they intended to meet with the spiritual judge that the young ruler of the Black Plain had previously hired.


    Minos didn''t want to expose the Dry City casually. So, as the spiritual judge he hired was coming from the Kingdom of the Waves, he had taken the opportunity to make such a meeting in that town.


    Anyway, it had been nearly four months since Celeste''s arrival in the Dry City, and Minos was ready to augment his power with additional Spiritual Kings!


    Their meeting with that spiritual judge was scheduled to take place in the next three days, and that''s why they were leaving the Dry City at this time.


    Hearing Celeste''s comment, Mirya smiled at the misfortune of this woman, whom she had gotten very close to. "Hehehe, Celeste, you''re complaining for no reason. After all, what could you have done even if you hadn''t had your cultivation sealed? How many years have you been at level 54?"


    ''Over ten years¡­'' Celeste thought to himself, hearing her friend''s provocative question.


    She and Mirya had become very close to each other since the two of them met months ago. Both shared several similarities, such as close cultivation levels and the fact that they had already slept with a few dozen men...


    In fact, the big difference between the two was that Mirya was more ''open'' about who she was. In contrast, Celeste did what she wanted but publicly tried to behave in a more ''traditional'' way...


    "Just a few months probably wouldn''t have made me a breakthrough¡­" Celeste commented, just before letting out a long breath.


    Minos, who was still sitting behind Mirya, hearing the conversation between these two, laughed and said. "Haha, don''t hold a grudge, Celeste. I did just what was necessary. But you should be happy!"


    "In a few days, you will be able to join my army!"


    "When that happens, you will undergo a radical change of turning heaven and earth!" Minos commented vaguely, looking at Celeste''s hair that waved in the air as he held onto Mirya''s waist.


    After that, they quickly disappeared from there...

 Chapter 490: Some Plans

    Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, Minos and his two traveling companions had already arrived in the Yellow City!


    They had traveled from the Dry City to this destination in just under two days. After that, the group had taken up residence in one of the city''s abandoned buildings.


    There were few furnished buildings in this now-abandoned town, but none of the three bothered. After all, in addition to not needing a lot of daily rest time, they each had useful items for this type of situation in their spatial rings.


    Moreover, despite the degraded state of this location as a result of the lack of humans to maintain the local infrastructure regularly, this town could still be considered the better stopping point for this group.


    In addition to being a good reference point, easy to locate, this city also did not suffer from the many problems that forest regions could have. And with all that, the people of Minos'' group didn''t mind local conditions, despite their high status!


    Then, they had spent their first night in this region until dawn on the third day.


    ...


    Hours passed, and at this moment, the sun was at the top of the sky over the Yellow City.


    While Minos'' group awaited the arrival of the spiritual judge, the three humans and Celeste''s beast were outside the central mansion of that city, chatting or relaxing there.


    The great beast of Celeste was lying in a corner, sleeping peacefully and enjoying the pleasant sensation of having its body warmed by the sun''s rays. At the same time, those two women were talking about private matters, sitting on a nearby small wooden bench.


    Finally, Minos was walking on the outskirts of that mansion, analyzing specific ideas.


    ''This place seems to be big enough for me to build a base in this town¡­'' He thought about it as he surveyed the terrain at that location. ''Perhaps I should send a group to make these preparations.''


    ''After the soldiers'' mission in the Maritime City ended, I will be able to set up a small branch here...''


    Minos had no interest in building a new city on the Black Plain, at least not until Dry City reached its maximum potential guaranteed by the dome area.


    That''s because this young man didn''t want to divide his meager forces into two places, not even having to invest in a city with the same capabilities as the Dry City.


    After all, if he did that, he would have to pay for a defensive tower equal to his city, or such a location would become very vulnerable in the short term. But this, in addition to being very expensive and dependent on a large number of soldiers, the territory of Minos did not have the population to occupy a new city!


    So, until the Black Plain became independent, Minos had no intention of building new cities. Instead, he would explore some locations through the shadows and continue developing the Dry City.


    That was his plan and something crucial to the possible success of his forces on this journey.


    But even if he wasn''t going to create new cities, he was interested in opening more army bases. Like in the case of that naval base, from which the products developed in the Dry City came departed. Such places could play an important defensive role for this young man''s territory, and he was not ignorant of such a thing.


    As such, this idea that he was analyzing was part of the Independence Plan, in part focused on the domain of certain cities and regions.


    He wanted to build these outposts in the Maritime City, Cite of Waters, and here, in Yellow City!


    In these cities, this young man intended to rule them from the shadows, building small secret bases from which soldiers could act by surprise against future enemies.


    And such a thing was within the possibilities of the current Black Plain since there was no need for such massive investments, nor large numbers of soldiers in each of the posts.


    Anyway, Minos then bent down and looked at the dirt floor of part of that property and muttered something. "Hmm, I can use this mansion as camouflage and then create an underground base at this location."


    ''With that, even if people occasionally pass through this town, they won''t find out about my soldiers'' presence around here!'' He pondered, carrying a slight smile on his face.


    He naturally wanted to do this to prevent someone in the future from accusing him of having invaded the territory of an independent state, and this causing him even more trouble. Because, even if a rebellious plan like the one he wanted to pursue was already against the ideas of all the royal families, it wasn''t as bad as invading another power''s territory.


    After all, the Counter-Revolutionary Statute was not something with immediate effect!


    Such a thing would take from a few months to sometimes even more than a year to have results, that is, for reinforcements to join the war. However, if the news of an independent territory being invaded by an outside force reached the ears of essential people in the royal families, well, it would have rapid results.


    Consequently, such action could significantly advance the arrival of reinforcements to extinguish the flames of the revolution, something that could greatly disrupt Minos'' life...


    Precisely because of that, Minos didn''t want to expose his future bases casually!


    ...


    Some time passed, and finally, a carriage appeared at the beginning of that street that passed in front of the central mansion of Yellow City.


    Two beasts were pulling such a carriage and two men sitting at the front of this means of transport. One was the one that controlled the beasts, and the other was a man wearing silver armor.


    Other than that, in the twilight at the end of the day, people in Minos'' group could see from afar a shadow generated by the lights inside the carriage, which indicated the presence of someone else in that group of newcomers.


    "Finally!" Mirya commented in satisfaction, shortly after heaving a sigh of relief. "They kept us waiting all day¡­" She complained in a low voice to Celeste, with an unhappy look on her beautiful face.


    "It doesn''t matter, they''re on time, and we can finally settle this issue!" Minos commented to the two almost instantly as that carriage entered the range of this young man''s spiritual sense.


    He readily felt that there were only three people in that group. One was the driver, which had a standard level for the region, another was the person in the carriage, level 49, and last was the man in armor, level 53.


    "This Spiritual King must be a bodyguard hired by Elder Norman." Minos mused, noticing that person''s cultivation.


    He had managed to hire for this service, through the Cohen family, the spiritual judge with whom he had previously done business in Athela. By the time Celeste arrived in the Dry City, Todd had found such a professional in the organization where Minos had purchased various techniques specializing in that profession.


    And coincidentally, the person who had been assigned this service was Norman!


    Finally, that carriage reached the front of that mansion where Minos and the two women were waiting.


    "Did I make you wait?" An elderly voice resounded from inside that carriage as the old man slowly opened the carriage door.


    Quickly the elder Norman descended from where he was, being accompanied by that Spiritual King closely until he heard Minos'' answer.


    "No, Elder Norman is punctual. You said you were going to arrive in about three days, and really, you''re here as promised!"


    "Oh? You are that young man from before!" Norman commented in surprise after hearing Minos'' voice and seeing that face he had met once before.


    However, as he did so, his expression slowly changed, as gradually, his pupils abruptly contracted, and his mouth dropped open.


    ''He''s almost level 49!'' Norman thought inwardly, shocked to realize how fast the speed of this young man in front of him was. ''He increased four levels in less than two years, amazing!''

 Chapter 491: Signing Soul Contracts

    After looking at Minos in surprise for a few moments, Norman finally regained his calm temper and greeted the other people there.


    He had introduced his bodyguard to Minos'' group and met the young man''s two companions.


    But for these two women at the 6th stage of cultivation, Norman had not been impressed at all. After all, he didn''t know them, and it was common for him to deal with people in their strength range.


    As for his earlier reaction, well, that was because Minos was an anomaly in this old man''s vision. That is, people with such cultivating speed usually didn''t stay in this region!


    And naturally, this old spiritual judge was curious about this young man''s story. But that was all. Norman was here to do business and earn his precious medium-grade crystals. And as such, he didn''t take long and soon broached the subject.


    "Well, you already have the draft of what will be in the Soul Contract, right?" He asked this just to confirm if everything was ready.


    After all, Norman knew that Minos was developing his own organization of spiritual judges. In this case, this young man would certainly know how to act to maximize this matter''s speed.


    Minos then took a few sheets of paper from his spatial ring and nodded in Norman''s direction. "Hmm, it''s all here."


    After that, that old man sat cross-legged on a small pillow he had just taken from his spatial ring. At the same time, a glass table appeared in front of him, where several golden sheets were piled beside a brush.


    Obviously, someone like this spiritual judge, who had to travel constantly, would have all his items needed to do this kind of work adequately stored in his spatial ring.


    Anyway, by positioning himself in that place, Norman soon began to review the content in that papers.


    He had to do this to confirm with those people that it was all right before he finally started transcribing such content into the Golden Sheets. That''s because the production of this unique item wasn''t cheap and once something was written on it, it couldn''t be changed!


    Thus, to avoid errors, every spiritual judge would check the content of the parties'' agreements to avoid possible mistakes that could be easily fixed.


    "What?" The old man exclaimed in surprise as he read one of those sheets.


    ''Basically, those two women won''t have any room to antagonize that young man, while he''ll just have to provide common treatment within his organization¡­'' Norman thought to himself, realizing how unbalanced this arrangement seemed to be.


    What bothered him was not the fact that one side had so many demands and the other had few responsibilities. No, this was very common to happen in this region of the Central Continent.


    What was truly strange was that Minos was cited as being the leader of such an organization that those two women had to obey in such a way... And naturally, this old spiritual judge found it strange that two Spiritual Kings would agree with such things.


    "Lady Mirya, lady Celestial¡­" He then began to clear up his doubts with those two women, watching them closely as if he didn''t believe in such a thing. "Is everything I just mentioned correct? There is no mistake?" He finished his speech.


    "Yes, that''s right." Celeste replied, a little embarrassed, feeling extremely bad by the expression Norman was doing right now.


    After all, unlike Mirya, who was just a subordinate of a noble family and was already used to situations similar to this one, this was a new experience for Celeste!


    Even during the months, she was running away from her husband, for the most part, she had continued to live as a Spiritual King of noble birth would. But the world turned, and now she had to accept that characteristic look from Norman, typical of people who look at others doing stupid things...


    "It''s all right, Mr. Norman, hehe. In fact, this contract isn''t as bad as it sounds." Mirya commented with a slight smile on her face. Unlike this man, she knew full well how rich Minos and the Dry City were and how good this deal was for her.


    Finally, hearing such confirmation, Norman and his bodyguard were stunned by such a comment. Especially the Spiritual King!


    ''Crazy! Are these two willing to sign such a deal with someone so much weaker than they are?'' The bodyguard asked himself in disbelief.


    But while this bodyguard looked at those two in disbelief, Norman just shook his head and put the matter aside. "OK, if that''s the case, then I''ll start transcribing the text!"


    "OK!" Minos'' group commented.


    After that, that old man took the brush on that glass table and began to write on one of the sheets.


    As he did so, a colorful stream of spiritual energy began to form at the tip of the brush, extending through the man''s right hand and arm. Ultimately, every time he wrote a symbol on those Golden Sheets, such things would glow brightly and then go colorless right away.


    ...


    Time passed, and after more than an hour preparing the text of Celeste and Mirya''s contracts, Norman finally finished this part of his work.


    "All right. Now we''ll do the hard part¡­" He said this as he wiped a handkerchief across his forehead and looked in the direction of Minos and Mirya. "Let''s start with Mrs. Mirya''s contract."


    Hearing this, Minos and Mirya approached that glass table and sat down right in front of that man.


    "Release your spiritual force in the contract sheets¡­" He then returned to giving instructions to those two.


    And quickly, Minos and Mirya followed the words of this spiritual judge, leaving their marks on the Soul Contract sheets and then going through all the necessary procedures for the validation of that item.


    That was not a time-consuming procedure, but it still took more than 40 minutes when it was finally over. At that moment, Minos, Mirya, and Norman had been quite tired due to the validation of that contract.


    And with that, it took them a few hours to move forward with Celeste''s contract due to the need for these people to recover their energy.


    ...


    While Minos'' group was finalizing their Soul Contracts in the Yellow City, Ralf and Railan were currently climb up the stairs of Lionel''s residence!


    Father and son had rushed back from the Dry City to the Gill family headquarters as soon as they had discovered the grand changes in that city. In doing so, they had wasted no time, and the moment the guards released them at the entrance gate to this place, they both went directly to report their findings to their boss.


    "Father, what will happen?" Ralf asked dubiously.


    Hearing such a question coming from his son, Railan shook his tired face from side to side and commented in a low voice. "I don''t know."


    "Anything can happen from now on. But at the very least, we can expect some reaction from the Gill family to recover the Black Star Academy."


    "After all, that place was built with the resources of the Gill family, and even the royal family could approve our action in that place based on this justification!"


    "Indeed... Will we get some reward for this?" The young man asked, just before he and his father arrived at Lionel''s doorstep.


    "Maybe... We''ll see what happens..."


    Pa! Pa!


    Railan knocked a few times on that door until someone allowed him and Ralf to enter that place.


    After arriving in front of Lionel, Railan lowered his head and began to speak. "Boss, we have discovered a problem in the Dry City..."

 Chapter 492: Lionels Decision

    "A problem?" Lionel asked in surprise as he looked at the worried expressions on the faces of those two subordinates.


    By the time this man had seen the arrival of this father and son in this residence, he was already starting to get excited that Lee and Alison had come to this place. But seeing those two arriving alone to meet him, in addition to the expressions on their faces, Lionel was starting to lose his good humor.


    "What happened?" He said, just a moment after his previous question.


    "Boss, I don''t even know where to start..." Railan commented in a low voice, looking to Ralf''s side and sighing.


    Hearing this, Ralf soon voiced his opinion. "Maybe we should talk about Black Star Academy first, dad..."


    "Uh? Is it that serious?" Lionel insisted as his brows furrowed more and more, and the muscles in his body began to tighten.


    Railan then took a deep breath and began to explain. "Yes, boss. There''s this problem with the Black Star Academy..."


    "Uh, well, how can I say?"


    "It doesn''t exist anymore."


    "What?"


    "In fact, the Dry City is completely different from what it was when we left it over four years ago. Now that place has more than 100,000 inhabitants, and the family academy has been completely remodeled."


    "Currently, that place is called the Preparatory Academy of the Dry City and is under the administration of the local city government, headed by that young man, Minos Stuart."


    Hearing such a thing, Lionel rose from his chair in shock, with his mouth wide open and a look of disbelief in his eyes. "It can not be! How could this have happened? Where did the crystals come from for such development?" He said without thinking, looking back and forth from where he was, as he tried to understand this.


    "And there''s a lot more, Mr. Lionel¡­" Ralf commented soon after the silence had filled that place.


    This young man then explained everything that he and his father had witnessed in the Dry City. From the opportunities that any citizen could have, the production of food with high spiritual concentration, and the little bit of Minos'' strength that they both had seen.


    Obviously, they hadn''t tried to guess the average power of the Black Plain Army, as neither of them could verify that sort of thing at their current levels. Not only that, this was not a common topic in the Dry City, as few people truly knew the exact numbers and characteristics of the army!


    Thus, father and son could only give their boss a crude estimate of what they had learned about that location.


    Anyway, after hearing the whole story of those two individuals, Lionel had a dismayed expression on his face as he understood the new reality of the Dry City.


    "I was negligent!" He muttered in a low voice, feeling an unusual heat on his face.


    Lionel was concerned about this situation in the Dry City. That''s because he understood very well that such information could be a unique opportunity for him and the Gill family. However, it was undeniable that things would have been much more favorable for them if they had discovered this before!


    That is, the most vulnerable moment in the Dry City was undoubtedly over. At the moment, any invasion would be significantly more complicated than it would have been a year, or perhaps two, ago.


    That''s what was irritating this man!


    He did not know the number of Spiritual Generals, the presence or not of Spiritual Kings in the current Dry City, or even the defensive dome of that place. But he understood very well that with each passing day, that place would grow stronger.


    After all, with foods of high spiritual concentration, it wouldn''t be difficult for that place to get a lot of funds!


    ''Damn it! I hope it doesn''t cost so much to my Gill family¡­'' So, he thought as he started walking around that place, deciding what to do.


    Lionel then sighed and said. "Okay, you two did well on this mission."


    "You can take a few days off, and tomorrow your rewards will already be with my secretary for you to receive."


    "Thanks, boss!"


    "Thank you, Mr. Lionel!"


    After the two happily thanked, it wasn''t long before father and son left that place, heading towards their family residence. Both were tired from over three months of traveling back and forth to the Dry City, and now they couldn''t think of anything better than resting.


    As for this Dry City business, even though they were both a little sorry they hadn''t been a part of it, they weren''t worried about what was going to happen next.


    Because they hadn''t reached the level where they would be involved in problems like these and were both sure that the Gill family would defeat the forces of the Dry City...


    Finally, Lionel hadn''t stayed at his residence either, as he had a lot to talk about with his superiors in the Gill family. He was just a low-status nobleman and couldn''t make such important decisions.


    Consequently, he now needed to denounce the discoveries of those two subordinates so that the family would initiate a response to Minos'' offense!


    That young man had stolen something from the Gill family, and now this organization had the perfect justification for invading the Black Plain without drawing the attention of other regional powers.


    That was an excellent opportunity for them!


    "That brat... Humph, he was fortunate to be able to develop in peace for so long." Lionel considered the matter, with a slight smile on his face, as he walked through the main administration building of the Gill family headquarters.


    ''But now it''s over, hehe. I don''t know how much you got, but soon this will all be ours!''


    ...


    Midnight had finally reached the Yellow City region, where the group of Minos had been doing their business beforehand.


    By this time, finally, the Soul Contracts of Celeste and Mirya had been completed, and this group was already preparing to return to the Dry City.


    After all, even though it was night, the worst time of day to travel on the roads of the Central Continent, none of these three cultivators needed to worry about it.


    With an average of combat proficiency at the 6th stage of cultivation, this group could be considered very strong, and there were very few places where they would be in danger in this region. So, there was no reasonable reason for them to stay one more night in that abandoned city!


    Now that those two women had committed to defending the information and the future of the Black Plain, they wanted to get back to the Dry City as soon as possible.


    Minos was close to having a breakthrough to level 49, so he couldn''t help but be anxious to return home.  Because, despite the fact that he could already enter the Spatial Kingdom with these women alongside him, he was hesitant to do so in the Yellow City, where they might become vulnerable.


    Finally, the two women were also eager to join Minos'' army. In Mirya''s case, this was because she could learn several of the Black-grade techniques and being able to receive a decent amount of medium-grade spiritual crystals!


    That could further increase this woman''s cultivation speed.


    As for Celeste, in addition to not liking being in a place with the Yellow City where she could be vulnerable, she was also curious to learn about Minos'' forces.


    In the time that had passed, she''d only heard the basics from Neal, things any citizen would be able to know. But just such information had been enough to generate some interest in this woman''s mind.


    Anyway, as the three were very interested in this return, it didn''t take long for them to say goodbye to Norman''s group.


    ...

 Chapter 493: Sneaky Attack

    After leaving that mansion in the center of the Yellow City, it wasn''t long before the group riding Celeste''s spiritual beast left that town behind, traveling through the darkness of the night.


    They had said goodbye to Norman''s team shortly after Minos made the payment to this man. And in doing that, that old spiritual judge had been a little surprised by the reaction of these three.


    But thinking of their collective strength, Norman soon understood why they dared to travel at night. And in a way, that had given this man even more certainty that Minos came from a ''strange'' place in the northern part of the Central Continent.


    ''This young man''s organization is probably in the Endless Snow Mountain Range. Otherwise, he wouldn''t rush back¡­'' Norman had thought of that the moment Minos'' group had left that spot.


    He knew this northern region of the Central Continent very well, in particular those organizations that lived in seclusion in this area. Such powers might be considered a great unknown to the vast majority of the standard population in these areas, but that was not the same for an old man with so many centuries of experience...


    Norman might not know all of the reclusive local powers, but he knew most of them, and he knew how powerful and wealthy they could be!


    ''Ahh, I wonder if the Ice Saber Sect knows him, this is the largest secluded organization in the Endless Snow Mountain Range¡­'' Norman had pondered that before finally dropping the subject and starting to rest.


    ''Oh, forget it, even if they do know, they can''t do anything to help me find out about it, since¡­''


    ...


    Sometime later, Minos and the two women had traveled a few hundred kilometers from the Yellow City, finally leaving the Kingdom of the Waves and returning to the Black Plain.


    But unfortunately for them, young Stuart''s territory wasn''t small, and they still had a full day ahead of them, considering the occasional stops they needed to make.


    And that was what this group was doing right now, amidst the dead-lands of this micro-region.


    Celeste''s beast was drinking water at this time as it regained its energy and absorbed the power from the food it had just eaten.


    On the other hand, the three humans in that place were separated from each other, watching over that terrain.


    It was the middle of the night, but none of them were too tired to sleep, and they could certainly handle it until the end of this trip, which was supposed to happen in less than 24 hours. And as they had all cultivated before leaving the Yellow City, these three had nothing else to do at this point but wait for that beast.


    Mirya then scratched her hair as she closed her eyes for a moment and told Celeste. "It''s a shame you''re with that little boy. Otherwise, we could..."


    In the middle of this woman''s sentence, Minos suddenly commented solemnly to the two. "Someone is watching us!"


    After hearing this, the two women were surprised by this, but neither of them asked unnecessary questions. Instead, they promptly stopped their casual conversation and began to pay even more attention to their surroundings.


    ''I''m not feeling anything... Could it be that Minos was wrong?'' Mirya wondered, unable to feel any spiritual fluctuations other than their own.


    At the same time, Celeste was having similar thoughts to Mirya''s, as she was also failing to notice anything. However, unlike that woman with green hair, Neal''s lover had concerns that made her attitude a little more careful...


    "Is it that miserable assassin?" She thought about it as she glanced in Minos'' direction and saw how serious he was.


    Minos naturally didn''t have a better spiritual sense than these women, as he hadn''t reached the 6th stage. However, unlike his two companions, this young man had a deep understanding of the space laws, considering his level.


    After all, the Spatial Sword was based on that law...


    Consequently, any spatial fluctuations in this young man''s surroundings would be felt by him much more quickly than others would.


    ''This person must not be weak to be able to generate these spatial fluctuations...'' He thought about it as he looked carefully at the directions from which he was feeling such things.


    ''But this person is certainly not above the 6th stage of cultivation, or I wouldn''t have realized such a thing before Mirya and Celeste...''


    That was within his limitations. He could tell someone was watching them before those two women precisely because of his understanding of the space laws. But such a thing would have no meaning if the difference in cultivation between the enemy and Minos'' side was too significant.


    In this case, Minos would have been the last to notice, as these women''s spiritual sense could reach a wider area than this young man''s!


    And that had provided important information for this young ruler of the Black Plain.


    Minos then quickly pulled out his medium-level grade-2 sword from his spatial ring and prepared to activate his techniques. At the same time, after seeing this, those two women also prepared to do the same.


    ...


    ''It looks like someone in this group also uses a technique, with influence on space...'' A man dressed in black thought to himself as he watched Minos and Mirya.


    ''But even if one of you noticed me, it won''t make any difference. After all, you two are very weak, hehehe.''


    He then turned his attention to Celeste''s mature body, with a glint in his eyes as he put the tip of his tongue out of his mouth and slowly licked his lips.


    ''I was hired to kill you, so it doesn''t matter what I do before that, right? Hahahaha...''


    ...


    In that tense situation, where none of the three knew where the enemy was or when or how he would attack, the two women and Minos were already sweating.


    They were not afraid of dying here, as very few people were capable of killing them in one attack in this part of the Central Continent. However, depending on the level of this invisible enemy, one of them could still be seriously injured if attacked in a vulnerable moment!


    Hence, these people were a little nervous because they didn''t know more about the enemy that was watching them.


    ''Damn it! Come on, come on!'' Mirya complained in her mind as she watched the part of the land in front of her.


    But while she wished that this would happen soon and finally that tension would go away, she could feel a strange force moving quickly towards Celeste!


    Zum!


    "What is this?" Mirya glanced in Celeste''s direction as she felt a shiver down her spine from the force that was being emanated from that enemy.


    At the same time, Celeste was even more scared than Mirya, as she had finally recognized the person responsible for this situation. ''Shit, it''s you!''


    As she had previously thought, the person watching them was the assassin hired by her former husband, a killer from the Scourge of the Devil!


    When they understood the enemy''s strength or identity, a blow powerful enough to injure a level 54 person was sent toward Celeste''s neck. That was where the sensitive organ responsible for spiritual cultivation was located!


    This enemy wanted to cripple her in one blow!


    "Hehehe, after crippling you and killing these two, we''re both going to have fun, Celeste Parkinson."


    Zum!


    Clang!


    ...

 Chapter 494: Fighting an Assassin

    Clang!


    A metallic sound reverberated through that area where Minos'' group had stopped to rest. At the same time, orange sparks appeared laterally from the young man''s sword.


    At the crucial moment when Celeste''s cultivation was about to be destroyed by the enemy''s attack, Minos appeared on her back and used his powerful attack technique to counter the previous charge.


    That attack was unique and gave a powerful murderous feeling to those who were unlucky enough to witness it, as it was an attack that seemed to come from another dimension!


    Such a thing was different from anything Minos had seen in previous battles!


    Instead of a visible attack to the naked eye, neither he nor those two women could see it as if such a thing were invisible. However, due to the attack''s strength and the spatial fluctuations generated by it, each of them sensed the attack heading towards Celeste.


    The problem was that such a thing had been very sudden, and only Minos, the most proficient of the three, had managed to react in time to such a thing.


    But luckily for her, Minos had promptly activated all of his techniques and prepared to defend Celeste the moment he''d realized this woman was the prime target. After all, now that she had signed a Soul Contract with him, he couldn''t afford to lose this woman''s potential!


    In that instant, he had counterattacked with great force his opponent''s blow. When both attacks collided, a loud metallic sound filled that spot as both Minos and the enemy had been pushed back several steps.


    "Miserable!" The assassin hired to kill Celeste muttered as he felt a sharp pain in his wrist due to the earlier collision of this man''s weapon with Minos'' sword.


    He had ignored Minos and Mirya''s presence at first, having just focused his attention on Celeste, the strongest and most complicated person of the three to deal with. In this person''s opinion, if there was any risk here for him, it was only because his target had two helpers of decent power.


    However, once he seriously injured her, dealing with the other two would be as easy as taking candy from a baby!


    Unfortunately for him, such thinking had put him in a passive position during Minos'' counterattack. Instead of trying to protect himself from the shock of power generated by the encounter of his dagger with that young man''s sword, this man had not even tried to activate his defense technique.


    Consequently, he now had his right hand with some broken bones, without even being able to hold his weapon in that hand!


    Simultaneously, he had already begun to feel his energies being continually sucked in as if there was a parasite sucking his cultivation. And that was scaring this man more and more as he tried to understand what was going on.


    ''Shit! Who is this brat?'' He wondered as he hid in his primary assassin technique, Dimensional Cloak.


    Such a technique could allow all light rays that passed through its user''s body not to be absorbed and continue their path as if there was nothing in the way. Almost as if that space were empty.


    Because of this technique, this man had managed to hide so perfectly from the group of Minos and had attacked Celeste by surprise.


    However, this technique did not have the ability, or rather, this assassin was far from the level at which he could also hide his cultivation. Hence, after losing his last opportunity, he would no longer be able to escape the spiritual senses of his opponents.


    After all, he was now in the area of ??influence of Minos and the two women''s spiritual senses.


    "You bastard, you managed to find me again!" Celeste said in a low voice, looking in the direction this assassin was hiding with his technique.


    "Humph, Celeste, as long as I want to chase you, no one in this region can stop me from finding you! I already told you this. My investigative techniques are the best!" He haughtily said as he shifted his dagger to his left hand and eyed Minos warily.


    "Brat, I admit you are powerful, so I''ll give you a chance. Take this other woman and get out of here. I''ll forget your previous offense, and there will be no grudge between us in the future."


    "Otherwise, before long, the entire organization behind me will hunt you down!" He said in a cold tone, almost to the point of making the temperature in that place fall.


    "You said that no one in this region can stop you? Humph, pretentious!" Minos then started to make his move, running around that spot and using his sword to create various blade-shaped attacks.


    "Let''s see if you''ll continue to be so good after I''ve destroyed all your defenses!"


    Swooish! Swooish!


    Quickly the air blades, as big as an adult person, cut through the air of that desert region of the Black Plain, heading towards that man''s location.


    ''Miserable! Since that''s how it is, let''s resolve this another day!'' The assassin thought as he started to try to leave that place.


    He was a cultivator specializing in surprise attacks. Since his previous attempt had failed, there was no longer any reason for him to remain in this spot. Particularly because Celeste''s side still has Minos and Mirya.


    He could even stay to fight if his only opponent was Celeste, someone a little weaker than him. Still, in this other situation, this man was at a complete disadvantage!


    "Oh? Trying to get away?" Mirya and Celeste commented almost simultaneously when they finally joined the fight, starting to attack that man''s escape spaces.


    Boom!


    Boom!


    Sounds of explosions reverberated through that area due to the constant swerve of that man, who had made the attacks towards the nearby terrain.


    Even though those three people could sense the location of that assassin, humans, in general, depended heavily on their vision in fights. Because of this, Minos'' group had had a hard time getting the accuracy of their attacks right at this early stage of the battle.


    On the other hand, as someone who had been through situations similar to this one, the assassin hired to deal with Celeste successfully managed to dodge those attacks.


    He was pacing the battlefield, dropping to the ground, jumping, and even launching long-range counterattacks.


    The only thing scaring him was that his body seemed to get a lot heavier every time the young Stuart attacked. As a result, he felt very vulnerable!


    ''If this brat hadn''t been here, I would have already managed to get away!'' He complained, seeing one more of the blades cut towards his arms.


    He then used his movement technique to dodge this attack by leaning to the side and making a vertical cut aimed at Minos.


    Swooish! Swooish!


    Unfortunately for him, such an attack created by a dagger could not compare to the power displayed by Minos'' mighty sword.


    "Let''s get this over with..." Minos muttered to himself, feeling that the man''s energy was getting weaker.


    "Mirya, Celeste, use your cultivation pressures to knock him out..."


    "I''ll distract him!"


    Upon hearing this, the two women understood what they should do and promptly stopped attacking this man. They then began using the spiritual energy left in their bodies to create large hands made of spiritual energy.


    After seeing the change that was taking place in the battle, that assassin furrowed his brows tightly as he felt a shiver down his spine.


    ''Shit, I have to get away from this spot, or I''ll be done in a few more blows!'' So, he thought as his sweat seemed to grow colder and colder.


    He then tried to run from that spot once more, using the many craters that had formed there to balance himself and dodge Minos'' attacks by doing such a thing.


    "Brat, don''t force me!" He yelled in his tired voice, trying to appeal to his opponent''s rational side.


    "Humph, I will never allow you to leave this place, no matter what you say!"


    Spatial Sword!


    Swooish! Swooish!

 Chapter 495: Terror

    Quickly the blades created by the gestures of Minos cut the air in that place, heading towards the arms of that assassin.


    Upon feeling this, this man, who was almost out of energy due to the Devouring Art, paled as he tried to dodge and protect himself from it.


    Boom!


    "Ahhhh!"


    Unfortunately for him, this fight was already past the point where he could easily dodge Minos'' attacks. Consequently, one of those blades had hit him hard in one of his arms, cutting it off by the elbow!


    "Bastard! I will kill you!" He screamed in despair at the same time as he fell back on the ground and breathed hurriedly.


    At the beginning of the fight, he had managed to dodge many of the attacks from Minos and those two women. However, as the match went on, the accuracy of those three people increased as this assassin lost his energy to Minos'' support technique.


    And the result of that was a series of injuries that this person had gotten fighting these three, culminating in his current situation.


    If someone passed that spot right now, one would see a man appearing and constantly disappearing in one place. It was as if he were an illusion that varied between the visible and the invisible.


    Every time his body became apparent, Minos and his companions could see that assassin''s swollen face and many cuts and battle marks on the rest of his body.


    He was finished, and it looked like he was no longer able to stand up!


    "Ah... Ahhh... Kill me. I can''t fight anymore." He said in a dark tone, just after realizing he could barely move his body parts.


    As an experienced assassin with thousands of murders, this man knew there was no escape for him from this situation.


    "Do it, brat! Don''t tell me you don''t have the balls?" He teased Minos as he turned his head to the side and looked in the direction of those three people.


    Minos was walking towards him, while Mirya and Celeste were standing in the same places as before. Beyond them, Neal''s mate''s beast was hiding behind its master, with its head bowed, trembling with fear...


    "No, I''m not going to kill you..." Minos commented without showing any great emotion as he got closer and closer to that person lying on the ground.


    "Hahahaha, that''s what I thought. You are afraid of us, right? The Scourges of the Devil is the most powerful organization in the north of the Central Continent!"


    "A worm at only level 48 wouldn''t have the balls for that, hahaha." He laughed maniacally while his body shook vigorously.


    ''That''s right, come closer, bastard!''


    ''I couldn''t get my hands on that bitch, but since I''m going to die anyway, I will take you with me!'' He thought cruelly, noticing Minos continued to come toward him.


    At the same time, he was already preparing to initiate his sacrifice and make the last surprise attack of his life. ''I never thought I would die like this...''


    ''How ironic, I who always ridiculed the weak who used such a thing...''


    ''But it won''t be an unfair death... As long as that brat dies, my death won''t have been in vain!''


    ''After all, taking down a genius while falling is not a disgrace!''


    When Minos was only a few meters away from that assassin, that individual suddenly raised his only remaining hand at the height of his torso, then the sacrifice began!


    "Since I can''t escape this situation, I''ll take you with me!"


    After he finished saying that, dark energy appeared near the hand of this assassin while his body quickly aged. His skin suddenly darkened, his body decreased in volume, as if all its water had suddenly evaporated, making him extremely thin.


    His formerly black hair turned white and then began to fall out, all along with the man''s sudden decrease in level. That is, even if he were nearly out of energy before, he would still be recognized as a level 54 cultivator by anyone in that location.


    However, after such changes, his cultivation had dropped to level 0 in just a second!


    "A sacrifice!" Minos and those two women screamed in shock almost simultaneously as a sense of crisis arose in the hearts of these three.


    They all knew how terrible any people''s sacrifice would be. However, if such a thing were done by a Spiritual King, precisely one at level 54, the devastation would be exponentially greater than that of cultivators at the 5th stage.


    In fact, such a thing could destroy an entire neighborhood of a small town!


    ''Shit!'' The three of them thought about it unconsciously as they turned to run in the opposite direction of where that assassin lay on the ground.


    BOOM!


    However, not long after they realized what that man was trying to do, an explosion focused on the assassin''s location, unleashed in that location.


    In a split second, black flames spread across that terrain as if they were an expanding sphere, destroying everything in their path.


    Stones, earth, anything that came in contact with those black flames were disappearing with an incredible speed!


    Simultaneously to that, those three humans and a beast ran for their lives, already with their defenses fully raised.


    They were utterly shocked by the event. Apart from Minos, those two women had expressions of sincere terror on their beautiful faces. They could feel that if they got caught in that explosion, their lives would come to an end.


    And it didn''t differ for Celeste''s beast. Such a being had been the first to realize the assassin''s sacrifice, but even though he was further ahead of the others in the trail, he was in a cold sweat right now.


    His fur was all raised, and he ran away from that place without looking back, with its eyes wide with fear.


    ''Shit...''


    BOOM!


    But in just a split second in which all this was happening, the explosion came to an end, creating solid gusts of wind in that area and raising a great deal of dust in the vicinity.


    Zum!


    Vuup!


    "AHHHHH!"


    Celeste and Mirya screamed simultaneously as they each hid behind their arms, with their defenses fully activated.


    That had all been too quick.


    If someone else were in this place, maybe that person wouldn''t be able to see all the details of what had happened, considering the average power in the region. However, this moment was prolonged for those involved in such a situation, as if time had slowed down considerably.


    Each of them had felt their energies diminish rapidly as their defenses were activated, and they hoped the explosion would cease before they were exhausted.


    However, the reality seemed too hard, and before they could see the end of the explosion, their sights began to darken!


    ''I will die?'' Such a thought passed into Mirya''s restless mind just before she passed out in that spot.


    BOOM!


    ...


    Finally, after a few seconds, the black flames created by that assassin''s sacrifice disappeared from that place!


    With that, a great smokescreen that had formed was slowly diminishing due to the night breeze of this part of the Black Plain, little by little revealing the results of this terrible battle.


    There, a crater a few hundred meters in radius was beginning to reveal itself in the smoke. At the same time, a strong smell of blood was in the air, along with the typical smell of burning things.


    Finally, in different parts of that crater, anyone passing through that location could easily distinguish three bodies.


    One of them appeared to be the body of a beast, another was a woman, and the last one was...

 Chapter 496: Level 49!

    Zum!


    The space suddenly vibrated in the Spatial Kingdom, and in a split second, Minos fell to his knees on the dirt floor of that place.


    At this point, he was fragile, his face ghastly pale, spitting blood as he coughed heavily. In addition, more than half of his clothes had been burned by that assassin''s suicide attack, while some burnt skin marks were exposed around this young man''s body.


    "Son of a bitch!" He yelled in anger, feeling sorry for what had happened.


    He wasn''t seriously injured, but still, young Stuart felt pretty bad about what had happened.


    He had wanted to seal that man''s cultivation and then take him to the Dry City, where this ruler would try to discover some of the answers to many of his questions.


    However, Minos did not expect that such a person had what it took to sacrifice himself... After all, not many were strong enough to accept the consequences of such an act.


    That''s why this young man had exposed himself to the sacrifice of such an opponent!


    Consequently, the result had been terrible for Minos, and he was almost seriously injured. In fact, if not for the fact that he had decided to flee to the Spatial Kingdom the moment he saw the black flames created by the final attack, he, the closest to that assassin, would not have been able to escape almost unscathed!


    His defense technique was about to lose its effect entirely by the time he had teleported, and those flames had already wounded him. If it had been a matter of a second or two late, that would have been the end of this young man!


    ''Shit! I lost the opportunity to find out more about the Scourge of the Devil¡­" He complained as he began to calm down.


    Fighting would always generate a storm of emotions, especially in near-death situations like the one Minos had just faced. But this young man had the vast knowledge of an expert that had seen a little bit of almost everything.


    Consequently, he had not been slow to put his thoughts in order and begin to analyze the current situation.


    "Cough, I wonder if Celeste and Mirya are OK... I hope their injuries aren''t too serious." He muttered under his breath, soon after realizing that the sensation in his soul was identical to what he felt earlier.


    Because of that, considering that he and those two women had just made a Soul Contract, Minos could have known perfectly well that Celeste and Mirya were still alive!


    Of course, there was no way for him to know how bad they were because of these sensations in his soul, generated by the Soul Contract binding between them.


    Those two women could be on the verge of death, or even just fine, bouncing around. However, Minos would have no way of knowing that until he returned to that location.


    Anyway, while coughing a few more mouths of blood, finally, Emlyn quickly ran towards where Minos had appeared.


    As the guardian of the Spatial Kingdom, Emlyn was using her spiritual sense to check on each of the Elite Squad''s soldiers. But suddenly, she felt Minos arriving at this place, with practically no energy in his body.


    Such a thing was not common to happen. In fact, it had never happened. So, this fox didn''t take long to understand the meaning she said and soon had run towards him.


    Vuup!


    "Hmm?" Eduard, who had been cultivating beside the Spatial Kingdom''s lake, suddenly opened his eyes after noticing Emlyn''s agitation.


    He then looked in the direction of that house next to him. He then saw the figure of Minos kneeling on the ground, looking extremely miserable. "What?" He said in shock as he got up and ran towards that young man.


    "Minos, what happened?" Emlyn said something after standing next to this weakened young man and realizing he wasn''t at risk.


    "Mr. Minos, did something go wrong on your trip? Did one of those women deceive you?" Eduard asked, remembering this information that he and other high-level people in the army knew.


    Hearing this, Minos shook his head in denial and then looked up to see Eduard and Emlyn in front of him. Finally, further away, he saw the figure of a young blonde approaching that spot.


    Elena had already reached level 50 in the meantime, and soon she would leave the Dry City to head towards Stone Island. However, she was still taking care of her duties in the army, so she was still in this place where she usually trained.


    "Minos? Are you OK?" She asked in surprise.


    That young man was always so strong that his appearance right now was genuinely messing with this young blonde''s mind.


    Finally, after coughing a few more times, Minos started to explain what had happened, summarizing everything in a few words. "After signing the Soul Contracts with those two, we were attacked by a Spiritual King as we were returning to the Dry City."


    "In the end, he was only at level 54, and he was already seriously injured when he started the sacrifice, which resulted in my current state..."


    "A sacrifice?" Elena said in a low voice as she swallowed her saliva and imagined how terrible such a thing must be.


    "How horrible! Are those two women dead?" Eduard asked as he put his right hand over his mouth and felt a shiver through his body.


    For him, who was already at level 51 and knew how different the energy levels could be in the 6th stage, he perfectly understood the terror of a level 54 cultivator. Consequently, he had thought that perhaps none of those women had survived!


    "No, they are still alive, but I don''t know what their situation is. Maybe they''re fine, as they were both farther away from that man. But that explosion was terrifying¡­" He replied with a worried tone.


    "Anyway, I barely had time to teleport here, so I had to leave them behind." He then took a brief pause and thought about it until he started giving his orders. "Eduard, Elena, I want you two to check on those two and get them to the Dry City as soon as possible."


    "I don''t know what their situation is, nor what might be around that region we were in when everything happened. So, I''ll send you there now. Do you understand everything?"


    "Yes!" The two commented simultaneously, still with faces significantly altered given the news they had heard from Minos.


    They knew that there would always be a chance that other enemies were around. Hence, the two were already psychologically preparing to act the moment they were sent there.


    On the other hand, one of the reasons Minos wanted to send them out of the Spatial Kingdom was because of the vulnerability of those two women right now. After all, even if they are out of danger, they are certainly exhausted!


    Consequently, even a group of beasts at the beginning of the 5th stage of cultivation would have the potential to endanger the lives of those two women.


    And such a thing was unacceptable!


    Minos had just enlisted them in his army. So, he couldn''t lose them due to possibilities like this...


    Finally, young Stuart got up from where he was and placed his hands on one of Elena''s shoulders and the other on Eduard''s. "Take care of this quickly, and don''t forget to take the spatial ring left behind by that man!"


    "Finally, don''t bother with me. After I recover, I will travel with Emlyn back to the Dry City."


    "OK!" The two said this, and then space floated around them.


    Zum!


    After Elena and Eduard left, Minos sighed for a moment as he took a portion of spiritual fruits from his spatial ring. ''Ahh, I will probably reach level 49 after I finish recovering from this fight in the next few hours...''


    ''But I can hardly be happy about it after such a thing happens...''


    ''I just hope the damage to those two wasn''t too great...''


    Then, young Stuart walked beside Emlyn, talking about it, until he entered that lake house, where he intended to recover.


    ...


    Meanwhile, outside the Spatial Kingdom.


    Zum!

 Chapter 497: Terrible Results!

    Suddenly Elena and Eduard appeared in the same place from where Minos had teleported earlier, in the innermost area of ??that large crater.


    Upon appearing there, the two quickly saw the damage caused by the explosion generated by the sacrifice of a level 54 Spiritual King, which was making them feel shivers of fear on their skin!


    Such destruction was truly horrifying to the point of surprising even people at the 6th stage who were well aware of the capabilities of people in that cultivation range.


    "Unbelievable! Did those two women truly survive?" Elena asked in doubt as she looked around that place, which was still with a lot of smoke and dust in the air, something that reduced the visibility there.


    "It''s certainly terrible..." Eduard commented in a low voice after swallowing his saliva and observing the surroundings. "Let''s see. I think I''ve already identified the two and the beast that was traveling with Mr. Minos'' group."


    "OK."


    Immediately after these words were said, the two moved towards those two women in two distinct places near the outer sides of that large crater.


    The two women were much further away from that assassin at the time of the sacrifice, so they had managed to get farther away from the focus of the explosion than young Stuart.


    In terms of distance to the crater''s focus, Mirya was the shortest distance away, while Celeste and her beast were somewhat further away from that point.


    No wonder, after all, both Celeste''s beast and herself had clear advantages in terms of position and individual speed over Mirya. Consequently, at that crucial moment, Viola''s mother had fallen behind a little...


    It didn''t take long for each of those two to approach one of those human bodies. They couldn''t handle one at a time, as it was in the Black Plain''s interest that both survive.


    On the other hand, unfortunately for Celeste''s beast, it wasn''t the priority here... It could only hope its master and Mirya weren''t in a life-and-death situation, so Eduard or Elena decided to help it.


    Otherwise, its situation could be dire!


    Anyway, when Elena saw Mirya''s body, this young woman felt an even more intense shiver, realizing how injured this woman was.


    Mirya looked extremely miserable, practically naked, with more than half of her body burned to the point where her skin didn''t look human. In addition, her face was full of red blisters. At the same time, small bloodstream ran continuously from her face, which at the moment were unrecognizable!


    But Elena could see Mirya''s eyes, which were open but had no ''light.'' It was as if her soul had left this body behind, empty. And such a lifeless look was a scary thing to see in this young blonde''s opinion.


    "Is she not dead?" Elena questioned herself once more as she began to probe more deeply into Mirya''s body.


    Viola''s mother could be at level 52. Yet, the truth was that she was much weaker defensively than Elena herself, as she hadn''t yet received the Black Plain Army opportunities.


    Hence, Mirya had no Silver-grade techniques to use in that moment of despair. On the contrary, she had to try to flee the area under the influence of that explosion and, at the same time, defend herself with techniques of only Blue-grade!


    Then, the result had been no surprise. With a combat proficiency only slightly better than Elena''s newly promoted to level 50, Mirya had suffered from the previous explosion.


    Such a thing could usually deal mortal damage to even stronger enemies than the one who initiated the sacrifice. So, for someone as weak as this woman, it had affected her tremendously.


    However, Mirya was lucky, because of her previous distance from that assassin, she had avoided the worst and had successfully survived with her spiritual cultivation intact!


    And Elena readily sensed it, at the same time that she had felt that woman''s heart beat strangely. ''She will survive...''


    ''But it will be a tragedy for someone of her beauty to accept her new reality¡­'' Elena sighed in pity as she considered what she would do in Mirya''s place.


    Elena didn''t know if or when Mirya could fully recover from it. Still, it was undeniable that no one would be able to resolve such a situation overnight. At the very least, this woman lying in that crater would take many months to fix this!


    After that, Elena promptly put some pills in that woman''s mouth while using her spiritual energy to induce the effects of such things. After that, Mirya''s life was no longer at risk. However, she still urgently needed the help of a doctor, so this young woman was doing what she could as quickly as possible.


    ''Maybe Dillian can resolve this¡­'' Elena thought about it for a moment when she finally looked ahead and saw that Eduard was doing the same as her.


    There, Celeste was in a position similar to Mirya''s. However, that woman''s appearance was much better than Viola''s mother''s, to the point that her physical characteristics had not changed so much that she was unrecognizable.


    In fact, there were burns on almost every part of her body. Still, these were low-complexity injuries, things Eduard was sure would be resolved with the help of Dillian or a grade-2 poison master.


    Aside from the burns, Celeste appeared to be exhausted, but her internal organ condition didn''t look too bad. She had only a few minor internal injuries, with almost no significant complications that required high-level treatment.


    But even in this situation, Eduard still had put some pills in that woman''s mouth and made her take them. Such a thing could prevent some future issues, such as vitality loss.


    Such a thing was a widespread consequence of injuries not adequately treated at the right time. That is because a cultivator''s body would naturally have its regeneration factor, which would try to self-repair as long as the individual was alive.


    But this self-repair might not be as good as you might think, especially in the case of a person who had a severe injury and didn''t treat it appropriately. After all, an incorrect recovery could lead to chronic problems!


    For all that, Eduard had not taken Celeste''s situation lightly.


    ...


    Some time passed, and finally, Eduard had finished doing Celeste''s primary treatment. Meanwhile, Elena was still at Mirya''s side, as this woman''s situation was much more complex than that other''s.


    And realizing this, Eduard promptly took this opportunity to approach the location where the beast of Celeste was.


    ''It''s a shame. It''s dead...'' He muttered in a low voice, feeling the absence of heartbeat in that great beast and also the fact that its soul had dissipated.


    Celeste''s beast had been the one that had managed to get farthest away from the explosion. However, as it was only at level 42, it had not resisted the power of those black flames, having died instantly the moment it was affected.


    The result of that had been its massive body, having been burned by over 60%!


    Finally, after mourning the loss of this beast, Eduard collected the remainder of its corpse so he could give it to Celeste when she woke up. Then he walked to the center of that crater, where a spatial ring was waiting to be collected...


    ''Let''s see if he left anything of value behind...''


    ...


    Time passed, and soon Eduard and Elena left that place, carrying the two unconscious women to the Dry City.


    They didn''t have any mounts to help them, but if they moved at their full speeds, they would still get to that place in less than three days!

 Chapter 498: Miryas Treatment

    In a specific location in the northern part of the Central Continent, there was a vast mountain range, with a dense layer of ice at its highest positions.


    From time to time, birds completely white flew towards a small hole near the top of one of the mountains of that range. And if someone were around this place and paid attention, such a person would certainly be able to see that these birds carried the same type of object in their claws.


    Such a thing looked like a small cylinder, typically used in this region for storing messages sent by unique birds.


    Crows were one of those unique breeds of birds, but others, like those white birds, came and went from that mountain.


    Finally, when they entered that hole, those birds would pass through a place that, at first glance, looked very ordinary. However, after a few dozen meters inside that mountain, things changed completely!


    There was a splendid palace in such a place, as big as the headquarters of great regional noble families. There, a few hundred people were patrolling around it, all of them dressed in black.


    Finally, further inside that large building, there was a room full of objects similar to lamps, which had different names on small metal plaques.


    Sss!


    Eventually, at some point, one of these bulbs went ablaze all of a sudden before exploding into infinite pieces.


    "What?" The person responsible for that place screamed in shock, realizing what had happened.


    Such a reaction from soul lamps only happened in a single situation... Which was precisely the sacrifice of the person who had left his spiritual mark on this type of spiritual array.


    The sacrifice was so incredible that when it was activated, any traces of that person''s soul were utterly burned away, even if it was only a tiny mark!


    It was as if the natural laws themselves were responsible for completely erasing the existence of that being who dared to sacrifice himself.


    "Shit!"


    "One of the elders sacrificed himself! How could this have happened?"


    "Mr. Keres was already at level 54. Who would leave him in such a miserable situation?" He said it aloud as he read the essential information that was in an envelope usually attached to that metal plaques.


    After that, he quickly ran towards the command of that palace to report the death of the elder Keres.


    ''Miserables! We will definitely show the person responsible for this what happens when our faith is challenged!''''


    ''The God of Death will definitely not fail us!'' He thought to himself as he clenched his fists tightly before stepping into the spot he was headed for.


    He then came to a large hall, where there was a statue almost ten feet tall, representing a man all in black, wearing a hood on his head, with his arms outstretched and looking down.


    Around that place, several people were kneeling around that statue while saying a combination of words, praising the God of Death.


    "... We are..."


    At that moment, the man in question lowered his head. Then, he began circling that place without turning his back on that statue until finally reaching a specific room.


    "Lord, I want to report the death of an elder. He was from our legion of the Scourges of the Devil..."


    Indeed, this was the headquarters of the most feared organization in the north of the Central Continent, the home of the assassins, the Scourges of the Devil!


    ...


    Three days passed in the blink of an eye...


    In this period, Minos had made his advance to level 49 while recovering in the Spatial Kingdom.


    He had made such an advance the day before. After that, he and Emlyn had promptly left the Spatial Kingdom and returned to the site of the battle between young Stuart''s party against that assassin of the Scourges of the Devil.


    After that, the two quickly moved through the lifeless terrain of the Black Plain until they arrived in the Dry City this morning.


    Even without one of her paws, Emlyn was still much faster than beasts at the 5th stage of cultivation, like the one who had transported Minos and those two women earlier. Because of this, they had covered the distance that was left very quickly until they reached their destination.


    Finally, after arriving in front of the Dry City wall, Minos sent Emlyn back to the Spatial Kingdom. He then made his way towards the local hospital.


    He understood that with the power of Elena and Eduard, those two would have reached this city by now. Consequently, Celeste and Mirya would likely be in Dillian''s care at the General Hospital.


    ...


    Anyway, at this moment, Minos had just arrived at the place where the two women were receiving their treatment.


    Eduard and Elena were also around in this place, watching Dillian and some more local doctors taking care of those two. The two soldiers had arrived at this place not long ago, so they were still around, watching the situation of these two.


    After carrying them for almost three days, Eduard and Elena couldn''t help but worry about them, especially Mirya, who looked terrible. Thus, neither of them had been interested in leaving this place until the moment when Minos arrived in that room.


    On the other hand, neither Neal nor Viola were in this location. After all, it hadn''t been long since the arrival of this group, and it was still the beginning of the day in this town.


    "How is their situation?" Minos asked Dillian, gulping his saliva nervously after seeing Mirya''s situation.


    "Celeste is doing well. She should wake up from her coma in less than two days. After that, with treatment from low-level grade-2 doctors and me, she should fully recover in less than three weeks. But¡­" He then paused for a moment to think more about Mirya''s situation.


    Dillian was currently using his medical skills to the fullest to heal the most complicated wounds on Mirya''s body, those on this woman''s internal organs. But he didn''t have 100% confidence in being able to resolve her situation completely...


    He then continued. "Young master, Mirya''s case is severe."


    "I can say that she will be fine in the long term, as her cultivation hasn''t been harmed, nor has any major body structure been harmed. She certainly won''t get any weaker because of it..."


    "But this will take time, or rather, I still can''t solve her problem in a short time."


    Dillian then closed his eyes for a moment and said. "She will probably be in a coma for about three months or so. As for after that, I can only guarantee her complete healing after I reach level 56."


    "Ahh..." Elena inadvertently made a noise as she tried to cover her mouth with her hands.


    "All this? Is there no alternative?" Minos insisted.


    This young man felt guilty about what happened and even more about his close relationship with Mirya. Even though the two of them didn''t have deep feelings for each other, she was still a partner to him, and this young man couldn''t help but care about her life!


    Hearing this, Dillian thought for a moment, still using his Golden-grade healing techniques on Mirya. "Hmm... Perhaps..."


    "Maybe if we can get a medium-level grade-2 poison master, perhaps we can diminish the treatment time to a half." He commented, looking sideways like he was doing mental math.


    Dillian lacked in-depth knowledge of such a specialty. Nonetheless, because his and the poison masters'' professions dealt with the human body, this man could get a vague idea of the effects of the combination treatment by professionals in this field and his on Mirya.


    "Oh?" Minos said in a low voice when he suddenly remembered something. "Well then, let''s do it like this. It turns out I met a particularly very talented poison master in the Kingdom of the Waves."


    "I wanted to bring her here before, but she was too dangerous for me back then..."

 Chapter 499: Challenges and Opportunities

    "However, now bringing her here will not be so difficult, and she will be able to help you with Mirya''s treatment."


    Minos then turned to Eduard and said. "I''ll give you the mission to solve this."


    "I want you to go to Allamanda in the Kingdom of the Waves and look for a woman named Regina Garza. She is already at level 57, so it will be easy for you to find her."


    "Level 57?" Dillian asked dubiously. "Young master, there is no need to bring in a high-level grade-2 poison master. A lower rank is enough."


    "No, attracting this woman to my side will be for the best. With her here, we will be able to improve the physical quality of the Elite Squad soldiers much faster. And with that, their cultivation speed would also increase."


    "This will also be positive for me. As you three know, leveling up to the 6th stage of cultivation is a much more rigorous process than the previous ones." Minos said this while they had thoughtful expressions on their face.


    Challenges and opportunities would accompany each cultivation stage change. And the better the conditions for the cultivator to attempt such advances, the better the rewards.


    An example, there were bottlenecks. Such things were so named because, at these points, cultivators who tried to make it through would face challenges beyond what their bodies could generally handle.


    Consequently, there would be a need for outside help for such people to achieve such advances!


    However, even if someone didn''t have to overcome a bottleneck to reach the 6th stage, like Minos, it doesn''t mean they wouldn''t have difficulties or rewards afterward. On the contrary, if that cultivator met the requirements to step up easily, it could result in better benefits!


    And the most common one would be an increase in cultivation speed!


    That would be because instead of spiritual cleansing taking place primarily in that cultivator''s body, it would be soul-focused. And such purification in the soul, while not increasing people''s latent talent, could still slightly improve the quality of that component of living beings.


    The most direct consequence of this was a slight increase in compression, something directly related to cultivation speed and techniques mastery!


    Precisely for that reason, Minos wanted to take this opportunity to bring that poison master to the Dry City. Thus, he could receive poison treatment with that woman before his advancement, and this could bring him significant benefits.


    Anyway, previously he was still unwilling to go after Regina Garza, as that would mean he would have to go without at least one of his Spiritual Kings for several weeks. However, with the need for such a professional for Mirya''s treatment, such a thing would be worth it.


    Minos blamed himself for Viola''s mother''s situation and, allied with the advantages this action could bring to the Dry City, he couldn''t help but change his thoughts regarding this attempt.


    "I see..." Dillian muttered in a low voice, understanding this point. "Indeed, with a poison master of that level in our city, for those of us who are already in the 6th stage or almost there, it will be very beneficial!"


    Upon hearing this, Elena and Eduard also agreed with that statement, nodding their heads and smiling in anticipation of such a thing.


    For them, cultivators with Black talents, people who had their first cultivation bottleneck when they reached level 50, knew perfectly well the pain they had to go through to achieve this feat!


    They understood that even if they had more than 50% of reaching this level previously, the smallest of mistakes on their part could have resulted in their deaths or a failure to advance!


    If such a thing happened, well, their situation would not be pleasant, and they would have to face something similar to what King Walker faced...


    Also, if such a thing was already difficult for them with Black talent, imagine how much harder it would be for those with Blue talent?


    With that, the two of them couldn''t help but look forward to doing poison treatments with such a person so that their future advances would be smoother.


    On the other hand, as members of Minos'' army, they also wanted those thousands of soldiers with the Blue talent to reach the 6th stage of cultivation. So, the possibility of having a top poison master in this region was fascinating for these two people, who almost forgot about Mirya''s problem after hearing it...


    Minos then looked at Eduard and said. "Well then!"


    "Eduard, I''m going to ask Ruth to lend you her hired beast. That eagle is already in the 5th stage and will be able to take you to and from Allamanda in less than six weeks."


    "In an hour, go to the mansion, and Mia will give you the medium-grade crystals you need to convince that woman to come here. After that, Ruth''s eagle will be waiting for you at the north exit of the wall."


    "OK, Mr. Minos!" He said, making a gesture typical of this region and then leaving that place to prepare for this trip.


    Minos then looked at Elena and smiled. "As for you, Elena, since you''ve already reached level 50, if you want to visit your family, this is the best time."


    "You probably won''t lose much if you leave now and return in about two months. In that time, the poison master will probably already be around..."


    "Oh? Are you that confident she will come?" Elena asked.


    She was excited about that possibility, but that didn''t change the fact that the other side might still refuse their offer.


    After all, such a person could be considered one of the strongest in terms of cultivation in this region. And even if that woman wasn''t a warrior, she was still a level 57 Spiritual King, someone with vast experience, contacts, etc.


    Consequently, if she didn''t want something, it would be difficult for even Minos to convince her otherwise!


    "Of course, that woman is by far the most ambitious of all the people I''ve come into contact with since I started my cultivation journey. So, I''m sure she will come after finding out that she can earn a lot of medium-grade crystals around here."


    As much as such poison masters gained many medium-grade crystals due to their valuable skills, that didn''t mean such professionals wouldn''t want more. After all, the demand could be good, and they could earn a lot of crystals, but that wasn''t something constant to the point where these professionals had patients every day.


    And like any intelligent person, these professionals would not miss the opportunity to maximize their profits by increasing the number of treatments performed annually.


    For this reason, Minos was so confident that Regina would come!


    As for after that, he had even more irresistible offers for that woman...


    Anyway, after hearing young Stuart''s confident response, Elena said nothing more about it. Instead, she just said goodbye to Minos and Dillian. She then left that hospital, heading to her residence in the Dry City.


    She had the same purpose as Eduard. Get ready for her trip!


    But unlike that man, this young blonde would need to take a lot more attention than him. That''s because, with Stone Island''s chaotic situation, she couldn''t just travel there anyway.


    ''I can''t wait to see how Elen is doing... She must have reached level 50 by now...'' Elena thought to herself as she followed her path.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Minos and Dillian were still in that room at the General Hospital, where some doctors were currently treating Mirya.


    Dillian had already completed his first session with this woman and would need some time to rest. So, until he finished recovering, he had left some of his subordinates to treat that woman.


    Her life was not at risk, but this ongoing treatment could maximize her recovery speed. And considering the fact that each Spiritual King was critical to the Dry City, Dillian couldn''t take this matter lightly.


    Even if his attitude only resulted in a single day''s improvement, it would be worth it in this man''s opinion!


    Finally, while Dillian was resting and Minos was watching Mirya''s situation, a young woman came through the door of that room.


    "Mom..."

 Chapter 500: Departure

    Hearing Viola''s voice, Minos suddenly turned on his back and saw the figure of that young woman with green hair running towards the bed where Mirya was lying.


    This young woman had a worried expression on her face, her eyes slightly reddened, while beads of sweat could be seen running down her forehead.


    Normally cultivators wouldn''t sweat just by walking. But by using their spiritual strengths to increase their characteristics, such as speed, people like Viola would tire after a while. Then the sweat would come out of their pores, just like it happen with ordinary humans.


    As such, this young woman had come running to this hospital as soon as a soldier had warned her that Mirya was here.


    Dillian hadn''t wasted any time, and shortly after starting the treatment of Mirya and Celeste earlier, he had sent people to notify Viola and Neal. After all, they were what these two people had as family or mates in this town.


    Anyway, after getting Dillian''s message and running here, Viola was somewhat exhausted physically and mentally. Physical due to bodily exertion and mental due to the concern she had for her mother''s condition.


    "Mom¡­" She said in a low voice as tears started to flow from the corners of her eyes.


    Seeing how bad Mirya''s situation looked, Viola couldn''t help but cry. After all, she could see that her mother''s body was extensively burned, and such burns were not superficial.


    In fact, some parts of her mother''s body looked like charcoal, and in others, one could see that all of her skin had been burned, even reaching parts of her muscles!


    And even with the doctors continually using their healing techniques, Mirya''s body didn''t seem to improve at all from Viola''s point of view.


    "Mother¡­" As she tried to call Mirya, Viola suddenly felt a heat enveloping her waist as Minos hugged her.


    "Okay, Viola, the worst is over, and your mother is not at risk." He said in her ear at the same time as he passed one of his hands in the middle of this young woman''s back.


    "But¡­" She tried to say something but hesitated.


    "Visually, it looks worse than it is." He commented, trying to comfort her from this situation.


    Mirya''s condition was horrible, but they already had a way to treat her, and it was only a matter of time before Viola''s mother recovered. With that, Minos didn''t think it was necessary to worry this young woman in his arms, saying things that would only hurt her determination.


    "Mirya is like this now, but in a few months, she will fully recover. She will be even stronger than she is now, and even if your mother gets some marks after the treatment is finished, once she reaches level 60, all of that will be resolved. She will be even more beautiful than she was before." He said, remembering this point for Viola to calm down.


    This young woman already knew about Silver-grade techniques and the possibility of training in a special place. She didn''t know about the Spatial Kingdom yet. Still, with the new selection for Elite Squad soldiers approaching, she couldn''t help but find out about these details from the posters scattered around headquarters.


    Precisely for this reason, she was aware that for these local soldiers, especially those from the Elite Squad, reaching level 60 would not be as challenging as it would be in this region.


    Knowing this, after hearing this comment from Minos, Viola soon felt a little better, becoming more confident about her mother''s recovery.


    She could see that Mirya''s situation was horrible. Still, even though she didn''t understand what treatment Dillian would give her mother, Viola knew that stage advances could solve such physical problems.


    As she had felt that Mirya''s cultivation, though weakened, was intact, this young woman soon understood that all this would be resolved sooner or later.


    ...


    Finally, as Viola comforted herself in Minos'' arms, Neal arrived there, almost as worried as Mirya''s daughter.


    But he hadn''t received a warm hug when he arrived there¡­ Instead, Minos had just explained to Neal what had happened, as well as the details of Celeste''s treatment.


    Finally, when those two were already fully aware of the situations of Mirya and Celeste, as well as more relaxed, one of them asked. "Minos, how did this happen? I thought you were just going to sign Soul Contracts. How did something of this gravity happen?"


    Hearing Viola''s question, Neal nodded in agreement and paid attention to Minos'' figure. He then listened. "Well, to sum up, a person who was previously chasing Celeste got in our way. Then, after he lost the fight, he sacrificed himself."


    "I don''t think I need to say what happened after..."


    "So, it was that person!" Neal exclaimed in anger as he clenched his fists in determination. ''So, that bastard was already this close to us!''


    ''One day, I will take revenge on those miserable assassins since that individual is already dead!'' He swore to himself as he stared at the floor with a dark appearance on his face.


    At the same time, Viola was also determined to get justice for what happened to her mother. She might be weak now, but as a member of the Black Plain Army, this young woman was sure she would have enough power in the future!


    ''I''m going to join Elite Squad, and then it won''t be long until I reach level 59!'' She thought determinedly, with a resolute look in her eyes.


    The selection for new Elite Squad soldiers would take place in a few days, and this young woman had the minimum to compete for vacancies.


    She had a level above level 43 and was a soldier with no crime in her record. These were the minimum criteria required for this new selection. And as one of the strongest among the ordinary soldiers, this young woman had high expectations concerning winning one of the 30 vacancies offered in this selection!


    ...


    After talking to Neal and Viola for a while longer, Minos left them in that room and went to sort out his own business.


    What he could do for Mirya and Celeste, he had already done, and only time could help them from now on. Plus, considering the number of problems this young man had to deal with in this town, he couldn''t spend any more time in that place, regretting what had happened.


    So, it wasn''t long before he found Ruth and talked about White. This great eagle would be crucial for Eduard''s quick journey to the Kingdom of the Waves.


    And as expected, Ruth hadn''t refused, as that wasn''t much of a problem for her either.


    She did not intend to go anywhere in the coming months, and it would be tough for anyone to suspect that this action of hers would be related to an attempt by an empire power to try to influence this region. After all, beasts from the 5th stage, while uncommon, were no strangers to this region.


    Even more considering that Eduard was already a Spiritual King, someone who could certainly have resources or relationships with people capable of obtaining this type of mount. In this case, it wouldn''t be expected for anyone to ask questions and be suspicious just because Ruth lends her eagle.


    With that, she hadn''t bothered to accept Minos'' request, even though it could be considered improper intervention.


    As such, it wasn''t long before Eduard left that city, heading north, where he hoped to find that poison master. Minos had already explained to him everything he needed to know about that woman and how he should behave on this mission.


    Eduard also already had all the necessary crystals to attract Regina to the Dry City and was prepared to fight if necessary...


    Finally, Elena had also left the Dry City before nightfall in this region, heading towards the Peninsula of the Waves, from where she intended to return to Stone Island!

 Chapter 501: 700 vs 1

    The next day...


    In a deserted part of the interior of the Dry City dome, there was an unbuilt area there, as large as the area of ??this city itself.


    In this place, where land was still lifeless, without any plantation, a group of hundreds of people was distributed there, following a specific pattern. First, three large groups of observers were distributed on different slopes. In other words, ideal places for them to watch what would happen there.


    Second, there was a group in the middle of that place, among the crowds of spectators. This one was composed of 700 soldiers, and each one of them wore the same type of uniform, which had the symbol used by the Sergeants of the Black Plain Army.


    Finally, there was a young man with brown hair surrounded by these 700 soldiers. He was holding a sizeable golden-bladed sword in one of his hands while in a defensive position as if preparing to fight.


    And indeed, Minos was preparing to face these 700 Sergeants in just a few moments!


    Having returned to the Dry City after his trip with Celeste and Mirya, Minos had given the signal to the army to prepare for this event that was about to begin this instant.


    Before returning to Dry City, he had already reached level 49, so it was time for another military exercise!


    That was already a custom for a little over a year now. Each time that sovereign advanced, soldiers of the rank of Sergeants had to be prepared for this test to happen at any moment!


    As such, after giving his warning, everything had been prepared with agility. But unlike what had happened the first time the local army''s military exercise was held, this time, the borders of the Dry City had not been closed.


    After all, the army now had more than a thousand Sergeants in the Dry City, a number large enough for the military exercise to be carried out without the previous concern.


    At the very least, it would no longer affect the functioning of the borders, so there was no need to close them.


    Finally, the group of 700 people surrounding the young Stuart was made up of many apprehensive eyes, concerned individuals already prepared to flee the area of ??influence of this young man''s techniques. But while this was a tense moment for the soldiers, the same was not valid for the spectators present.


    Many of them were very excited about the start of the fight. Some just wanted to witness the great strength of their leader, while others wanted to learn as much as possible from this fight so that in the future, they would have a smoother time...


    And such a group was almost as numerous as the Sergeants involved in the fight against Minos. Many were just low-ranking soldiers, who would typically only stay at headquarters in or around the Dry City.


    But among those people were also some high-ranking soldiers in the army, as some of the Sergeants who weren''t working. An example of this was Neal, Minos'' old acquaintance.


    Neal was still concerned about Celeste''s situation. Yet, he had already resigned himself to the fact that he could not help her. Only local doctors and time could make that woman fully recover.


    And unfortunately, life couldn''t stop for him just because of Celeste''s situation...


    Consequently, Neal had to continue living his life normally, fulfilling his responsibilities and taking care of his cultivation-related matters. And as such, he was here to watch Minos fight those 700 soldiers.


    This young man had seen Minos fighting before. Still, it had been a battle between two high-level opponents with similar proficiencies. However, what this military exercise proposed was simply nonsense!


    This young man had never heard of a cultivator fighting so many rivals at the same time.


    Hell, even the Spiritual Tournament, the most prestigious competition in this part of the continent, had nothing so far-fetched!


    And even though he had already found out about the military exercises the Sergeants had to go through, Neal was still somewhat skeptical about it so far.


    After all, even if Minos was as strong as a level 54 cultivator, he couldn''t defeat so many enemies at once. So  sooner or later, his energies would run out, and any of those 700 soldiers who would last could easily defeat him!


    That''s what Neal thought.


    ''How will he handle this?'' Neal wondered as he watched from afar the beginning of the fight.


    ...


    At that moment, when Neal was questioning himself about this event, a soldier responsible for this fight gave the warning for the beginning of it!


    Instantly at that, the 700 soldiers on the outskirts of Minos began to circulate that terrain disorderly.


    Despite the fact that this was a group fight in which 700 people had to deal with only one enemy, these soldiers had determined that the best way to act was to divide the responsibilities of those involved.


    So, out of the 700 cultivators, there were many of them in different ''groups'' of action. Some were meant to flee. Some were meant to attack. Some were meant to be the bait, etc.


    These individuals had already learned that when fighting someone of a higher level, that opponent would have a lot of advantages at the beginning of the fight. Such a person would probably be able to eliminate many opponents quickly. In this case, just acting carelessly, attacking that opponent all at once would not result in the best scenario for the weaker side.


    Instead, the soldiers had realized that their numbers would only unbalance a fight like that if they acted carefully, prolonging such battles until their opponent was exhausted.


    Only then could they defeat an opponent with a fighting proficiency so superior to theirs!


    As such, the different groups among those soldiers running around Minos right now, several of them were going in different directions. They might look disorderly to the innocent ones, but they were exceptionally organized, extremely functional.


    The baits would become more vulnerable at the beginning of the fight to give the other soldiers time to prepare themselves. On the other hand, some would protect the baits by using their attacking techniques to divert the opponent''s attention at specific times when these baits were in danger.


    Anyway, a group fight needed to be perfectly ordered. Only when each involved understood their function could the group bring out the maximum collective power!


    Finally, after seeing this formation that the soldiers were following in his surroundings, Minos couldn''t help but give mental praise to his soldiers.


    He could even try to break the opposing formation, but that wouldn''t be without cost. If he didn''t attack the baits coming his way, he would likely suffer from their attacks while dealing with the possible traps thrown by the other groups of soldiers.


    In short, any attempt he makes in this scenario would result in him being at a disadvantage at the start of the fight!


    So, he couldn''t help but be amazed by the evolution of his soldiers!


    ''But my options aren''t as restrained as you think¡­'' He thought to himself as a small smile formed on his lips. "Let me show you something new!"


    After that, Minos finally activated all of his battle techniques at once, making that big black ring appear in that spot.


    At the same time, it considerably diminished the natural light there. Minos then started running towards the group of baits until they were all under the restrictive effects of hid Spatial Sword technique.


    While those dozens of soldiers tried to move without success, their many companions were already preparing to launch their attacks in the direction of Minos.


    However, suddenly, a second sword appeared in one of Minos'' hands when he finally made his move!


    Spatial Sword! Two Sword Style!


    After that, he made a move with these two weapons, with his arms crossed in front of his face, throwing horizontal blows in the direction of his opponents.


    Swooish! Swooish!


    ...

 Chapter 502: The Winner!

    Immediately after activating his attack technique with those two swords, two energy blades departed from both weapons, heading towards the groups of soldiers on either side of Minos.


    Such an attack did not have the full strength of this young man, as it would kill his soldiers. However, these two blades were much more extensive than this sovereign''s attacks would generally be and could hit a much larger number of soldiers.


    That was something he could do, increasing the scale of his attack at the cost of his offensive power.


    Such a thing would not be reasonable in a life and death fight against stronger opponents. Still, it was positive in a situation like this, where he would be surrounded by many opponents of lower levels than him.


    As such, Minos was using this possibility to his advantage in this fight to maximize the efficiency of his attacks!


    After all, with larger blades, it would be much harder for his opponents to dodge!


    And luckily for this young man, that assassin had previously left behind in his own spatial ring a medium-level grade-2 sword. So with that, this strategy of today was possible to be carried out.


    Then, Minos now had a second powerful weapon with him, something he had decided to use in this fight...


    That truly wasn''t hard to do. In fact, for a swordsman like him to use two swords simultaneously, it was simple. As long as the two weapons were of the same rank, such a thing would be possible!


    Obviously, any change to the fighting mode would have its costs, but that wasn''t a big deal for Minos at the moment. That''s because it could also create favorable conditions for him in this fight!


    The soldiers around him had already gotten used to Minos'' fighting style, and that could harm them a lot... That''s why this young sovereign had decided to surprise them in this military exercise, acting differently.


    Anyway, upon realizing their opponent''s way of acting, several soldiers in that group frowned, as they felt that their planning was not as good as they thought.


    Swooish! Swooish!


    In just a split second, the gigantic blades sent by Minos crossed the entire distance between that young man and the soldiers at his sides.


    "Ahhh!"


    ...


    "Ahhhh!"


    Screams of pain reverberated through that battlefield as dozens of soldiers were thrown from the last attack. Simultaneously, several others were forced to take several steps backward due to the shock waves generated by such commotion.


    ''Shit! What happened?'' Someone unconsciously wondered as he struggled to compose himself from the remaining waves. ''What is the defensive group doing?''


    "The young master is fighting outside the box! See, he''s not even attacking the bait group!" One out of those 700 individuals said this, considering the situation calmly.


    "This never happened before..."


    ...


    While the soldiers who had not been involved in Minos'' first attack talked among themselves, young Stuart stood in the middle of those baits, moving regularly and dodging many attacks.


    At the same time, he launched smaller attacks with his two swords, countering the attacks that went towards the soldiers in the bait group.


    He was doing this because he intended to use these baits as his hostages!


    Instead of simply knocking out one by one of these baits, Minos had decided to use them as batteries, so he wouldn''t have to go after the other soldiers, the ones who were already on the run!


    And due to his two techniques, Spatial Sword and Explosive Steps, these baits could never escape ''Minos'' clutches!''


    In this way, he would use the enemy''s plan against them!


    Swooish! Swooish!


    Quickly another dozen attacks came from Minos'' swords as he smiled and moved among the group of baits.


    "Ahhh!"


    ...


    "Ahhh!" One of the soldiers in the bait group screamed in pain after taking a blow to his stomach.


    From time to time, some of the soldiers in the bait group were able to move a little more than usual and tried to get away from that spot. However, every time they did such a thing, Minos immediately approached that individual and kicked such a person in the stomach!


    Pow!


    He didn''t have an attack technique focused on kicks, but his body was already hard enough that just one kick could hurt his opponents. At the very least, these soldiers, hostage to his techniques, who could not use their defenses, were totally vulnerable to Minos'' kicks!


    With that, this young ruler of the Black Plain had kept order among those soldiers as he drained their energy and attacked the rest of the 700 opponents.


    ...


    Some time passed, and half of the young Stuart''s enemy soldiers had already fallen due to the young man''s cunning plan.


    Most of them were passed out on the sides of the battlefield, where Minos'' attacks usually hurled them. At the same time, they all had superficial wounds on various parts of their bodies, which had made them covered in blood.


    Finally, the entire group of Minos'' hostages had already run out of energy to continue this exercise. As a result, when his opponent could no longer be of use for him, young Stuart had just discarded them, defeating them in just one blow.


    Hence, the present situation has been reached. At this point, Minos was defending himself from the attacks of more than 200 opponents, already with his clothes soaked with sweat and with some blood marks here and there.


    He wasn''t running out of energy due to the number of soldiers under the effects of the Devouring Art. Still, he had to work hard to keep fighting.


    So, he had naturally gained several injuries during that part of the fight where he had lost his hostage group. In fact, at this moment, his situation was what his soldiers had planned, namely, of him gradually being overwhelmed by numbers!


    ''Hehe, you''re not bad, but I''ll still win!'' He thought to himself as he twirled his two swords around his body, protecting him from enemy attacks.


    Explosive Steps!


    After that, Minos positioned his two weapons parallel to each other at the height of his waist, reactivating his offensive technique!


    Spatial Sword! The Swirl of Blades!


    Swooish! Swooish!


    As he did so, dozens of blades began to form around him, creating a great spiral of attacks of the same type. Such a thing was rapidly expanding in all directions, countering enemy attacks and heading towards many people.


    "What?"


    Shocked voices could be heard on the battlefield, just before several screams of pain resounded around once more.


    Swooish! Swooish!


    "Ahhh!"


    ...


    "Ahhhh!"


    After releasing such an attack, Minos did not miss the opportunity. On the contrary, he immediately rushed towards those soldiers who had deflected such previous attacks.


    By doing this, he was using all of his capabilities simultaneously. First, he was continually launching attacks in the directions of soldiers farthest away from him. Second, his defenses constantly absorbed the enemy attacks that came his way. In contrast, he still absorbed the spiritual power of those around him.


    Finally, he used his body force in conjunction with his movement technique, constantly taking his opponents by surprise and defeating them with powerful kicks to the belly.


    Pow!


    Swooish! Swooish!


    "Ahhh!"


    ...


    "Ahhh!" The last cry of pain resounded across that terrain as this military exercise finally came to an end.


    Minos had won once again, but despite his excellent start, he had suffered enough to get that victory from his soldiers. And as such, at the end of the match, he was covered in his own blood, with several bruises scattered all over his body.


    "Hah, it''s finally over¡­" He muttered in a low voice as he looked once more at the chaotic scene he and his soldiers had produced.


    Meanwhile, the crowds who had watched the battle of Minos and his 700 soldiers were ecstatic at all that had happened!


    ...

 Chapter 503: Army Base Development

    After the end of the military exercise, it wasn''t long before the crowds in that area began to disperse.


    The low-ranking soldiers watching that event before had gained several experiences with it, and now many of them would absorb this knowledge little by little.


    Many of them would still take some time to be able to fight Minos. Still, considering their situations, such a thing would happen sooner or later. In this case, for them to have such knowledge and the will to fight from this moment on, it had great potential to help them.


    So, these people were delighted.


    On the other hand, as spectators left that place, many other members of the army and the local hospital were already helping the wounded soldiers. There was currently no need for them to recover quickly for the sake of the wall, but it was also not good for them to be inactive in their roles for too long.


    Thus, each of them would undergo primary treatment from the local doctors to return to their functions as soon as possible!


    Also, every time they had the opportunity to fight Minos, these soldiers felt that it was much easier for them to understand their own mistakes in training and cultivation. Hence, each of these individuals was very eager to get back to their daily exercise to fix these problems.


    Many of them had become warriors after Minos'' arrival in the Dry City or after coming to this town. Because of this, these people''s time as fighters were actually very short compared to those same individuals of similar levels as theirs.


    Such soldiers might be stronger than their peers who had inferior techniques, but that would change if conditions were all the same. That is, if one of them had to face an opponent with a similar level and techniques of the same quality, these soldiers would have a difficult time...


    They made more mistakes, used above or below ideal amounts of energy, and so on.


    Consequently, these people still had to recover many training hours before they reached the same levels of understanding that warriors from noble families would have.


    Anyway, Dillian was already at Minos'' side at this point, using his Radiant Healing on the young ruler of the Black Plain.


    Golden light rays were slowly healing the most superficial wounds on the young Stuart''s body. At the same time, more severe problems were resolved gradually. And meanwhile, Minos had quickly changed into a new set of clothes, while Abby and Ruth were there at his side, supporting him.


    Both would not miss watching this young man''s fight, as they both had deep feelings for him. But, on the other hand, even if they were Minos'' partners and that was enough for them to be interested in him, that didn''t stop the two from taking advantage of this kind of situation.


    Since young Stuart had far superior combat proficiency, they could also learn new ways to fight by watching him in action.


    Abby was already two levels below Minos, while Ruth could never have imagined facing as many opponents from the 5th stage as him. After all, this young woman did not have techniques with restrictions as strong as those of this sovereign.


    So naturally, both could learn a lot in situations like this!


    ...


    After some time, the Minos group finally returned to the Dry City government mansion, where they were already in the main office at this time.


    Dillian had returned to the local hospital to care for the most wounded soldiers and his regular patients. On the other hand, Minos, Abby, and Ruth were sitting on the same sofa at the moment, with the young secretary Mia in a chair beside them, taking notes of her boss'' decisions.


    At the same time, a middle-aged lady served a portion of snacks for Minos and also spiritual tea.


    This young man didn''t like using pills to replenish his energy after tiring fights. Instead, he preferred to eat a meal rich in spiritual energy without the unwanted toxins.


    As such, when he and his two companions arrived at this place, almost immediately, one of the housekeepers of this young man''s residence had already arrived at this place with Minos'' snacks.


    And so, while eating calmly, Minos was giving Mia his orders.


    "Mia, I want you to prepare the groups needed to build an underground base in the Yellow City. I want this to be done below the central mansion of that place and as quickly as possible."


    "All right, young master." She said this at the same time as she took notes.


    "In addition to Yellow City, I want you to start planning for the same to be done in the City of Waters. But in the case of this city, we can''t start right away. So I just want the planning to be done for now."


    "For any questions, you can ask the people who are going to deal with it to talk to Sergeant Viola. She has more information about that place than anyone else locally."


    "OK."


    "Finally, we are going to plan for the expansion of the Black Plain Army''s naval base. I''ve only left that place ''vulnerable'' so far so as not to attract the attention of travelers. However, after we take the Maritime City, I want a medium-level grade-2 defensive array to be placed in that location."


    "We will also increase the number of soldiers at that base and the level requirements of soldiers at that location." He finished when he sighed and took his cup to his mouth.


    "OK."


    After that, Minos felt the sweet fragrance of the tea and then enjoyed it calmly, as he closed his eyes and put that cup aside. He then felt the heat of that drink on his body while his arms lightly hugged Ruth and Abby''s slender bodies.


    "You can go now, Mia. If there''s anything else, you can come find me after my cultivation session." He commented to his secretary, still with his eyes closed.


    After that, it didn''t take long, and that secretary left the office, leaving the trio alone.


    ...


    "Abby, how is the situation in the Maritime City?" Minos asked not long after Mia left.


    Abby had gone to resolve this issue of the invasion of the Maritime City a few days ago when the first fort there had been taken. After that, the soldiers had replaced the royal guards at that post, while most of those people were already in the Dry City prison.


    As this young girlfriend of Minos was responsible for this action, this sovereign naturally inquired mainly from her.


    She then started to say as she felt her lover''s hands on her waist. "All those royal guards have already been interrogated. Now, this information is being compiled and assigned to the respective soldiers who are most compatible with replacing these people."


    "With that, in a few more days, we will be able to resolve the situation of that fort already under our control." She finished speaking with a confident expression on her beautiful face.


    "Oh? That''s nice. Once this is done, then you can authorize the next attack for the next few days. Once the replacement soldiers arrive at that first base, it will be the right time for us to take second place."


    "All right." She commented in a soft tone.


    After that, Minos placed one of his hands next to Ruth''s little sister while attacking Abby''s helpless neck.


    "Mmmmm~"


    "Mmmm~"


    When they felt this, they both unconsciously moaned, already blushing completely due to Minos'' action.


    Since Ruth''s arrival in this town, Minos had tried several times to do things with the two of them simultaneously. But he had never been entirely successful. The best he''d managed was for them not to be awkward when he kissed them in front of each other.


    But both Abby, when Ruth still refused to do anything more in front of each other.


    "Mmmm~ Minos, I won''t do this..." Abby commented in a low voice in his ear as she tried to protect her neck.


    "If you don''t want to, that''s fine¡­ But why don''t you give me a hand? I see how tired I am¡­" He said this to both of them as he brought both of their hands to his lower parts¡­

 Chapter 504: This Person Was Not Sent Here!

    While Minos rested beside Abby and Ruth, a young woman with black hair was just arriving at the City of Waters on her mount.


    She wore a typically noble outfit with female armor that highlighted her proportionate body. But while the beauty of this young woman''s curves could draw the attention of anyone in this region, the most impressive thing was her eyes.


    The iris of this woman''s eyes had a reddish hue that was extremely beautiful to see. Depending on how and when they were seen, it would give the feeling that they were on fire!


    But as this young woman was passing through the streets of this city ruled by Mirya, several people in the streets were watching her intently. Not because of her first-rate beauty but due to her cultivation level.


    In the City of Waters, many people were at the 5th stage. Therefore, they were able to sense the energy fluctuations of other cultivators. For this very reason, many people walking along the streets that this young woman was walking through could feel her level 50 cultivation.


    As such specialists rarely passed through this town, many people could not help but look at this woman.


    There was a certain admiration for powerful experts in this region that made ordinary people admire even strangers. And as such, it was no different for this young woman in this current situation.


    But she was already used to those looks of appreciation, respect, envy, so she didn''t even bother with it and soon followed her destination.


    The local government mansion!


    ...


    "I wonder if sister Viola and aunt Mirya will be surprised at my level, hehehe."So she thought to herself as she entered the mansion''s reception in the central part of this city.


    And in doing so, she readily made her spiritual probe as she walked towards the interior of this place.


    She didn''t need to wait for anyone, since as the daughter of the Stokes family patriarch, Mendy would not have to go through situations like that, as she was within her own territory.


    Everyone there already knew of her distinct identity, and soon Mendy went up the mansion''s stairs, heading towards the level 51 person. After sensing this, she immediately stopped in her tracks.


    ''That''s not aunt Mirya!'' She thought to herself, realizing the difference in the spirituality of this level 51 person that was in this mansion.


    Even though Eda had the same cultivation as Mirya had the last time this young woman saw her, it didn''t make it any more difficult for Mendy to realize that they were different people. After all, each person has their own spiritual fluctuation, which was very easy for cultivators to distinguish!


    As such, this young woman realized this and soon accelerated her pace to find out what was going on. ''What happened? Had aunt Mirya been sent elsewhere? But that shouldn''t happen so soon...''


    Finally, after a few seconds of walking through that building, she arrived in front of the cultivation room there, where there were the necessary items for 6th stage cultivators to train and cultivate their techniques in this mansion.


    "Hmm?" She made a sound with her mouth closed, seeing the silhouette of a woman with her back to her. ''Who is this person?''


    At the same time, when Mendy seemed to want to ask a question while facing Eda cultivating, a subordinate of this mansion approached that spot.


    "Miss Mendy, Mrs. Eda was sent from headquarters a few weeks ago to replace Mrs. Mirya." The middle-aged woman said this in a low voice.


    "What? Why did Mirya leave here? Do you know?"


    "Looks like she had an urgent family matter, and the family gave her a few weeks to sort it out."


    Upon hearing this, Mendy frowned tightly. "You said this woman''s name is Eda, right?"


    "Yes, Miss Mendy."


    ''There''s no Spiritual King in our family with such a name!'' Mendy thought to herself as she gazed at Eda''s figure. ''This person was not sent here!''


    "Alright, can you leave us alone?" She suggested it to that middle-aged woman just before she started to walk into that room where Eda was.


    After that, that subordinate of the Stokes family didn''t take long to leave that area, while Mendy was already preparing to attack Eda.


    She wanted to capture Eda alive and then interrogate this woman about what happened to Mirya and the reason for such an invasion. As a young girl from a noble family with a complete set of Black-grade techniques, Mendy was sure she could capture a person of a level above her own in this region...


    And promptly, a big hand began to form on the ceiling of that place, at the same time as Mendy released her cultivation pressure to knock Eda out.


    However, as she did so, Eda almost instantly noticed the changes in her surroundings and opened her eyes, ready to react.


    "Who are you?" Eda asked in a curious tone as she quickly appeared behind Mendy with a dagger pointed at the young woman''s neck.


    ''What frightening speed!'' Mendy felt a shiver down her spine, realizing that she had underestimated her opponent and had ended up in this passive situation.


    But then she took courage and spoke without fear. "I''m the one who asks you that. Who are you? You are certainly not a subordinate of the Stokes family, let alone a member!"


    Hearing this, Eda smiled for a moment. She then ran her dagger around the neck of this young woman in front of her, finally reaching the spot where the human spiritual organ was located. "You only have one more chance to speak¡­" She whispered into Mendy''s ear.


    ''Shit!''


    The red-eyed young woman then swallowed her saliva and responded. "My name is Mendy Stokes."


    "Oh? So it''s you... I''ve been waiting for you for some time now." Eda commented with satisfaction when she finally let go of that young woman and pulled a letter from her spatial ring. "Take it."


    "What is that?"


    "Read, and you will know."


    ''Mendy, this woman who has just given you this letter is called Eda, and she is a person I asked to replace me in the City of Waters while...'' The young daughter of the Stokes family patriarch then began to read the contents of the letter Mirya had left for her with Eda.


    Mirya hadn''t written the whole truth about her situation in the Dry City. However, she had still put in a lot of truthful information that would surely draw Mendy to that location. Minos had suggested it, so Eda hadn''t minded letting this young woman read it.


    And in fact, when she finished reading the contents of that letter, this young woman could not help but be interested in this subject. "Is what is written here really true? How do I know you didn''t kidnap her and are using it against me to lure me into a trap?" She asked doubtfully.


    Eda then smiled and said. "This is simple!"


    "If we wanted to do anything bad to you, I alone would be enough..."


    "But look at this, I didn''t do anything after finding out your name."


    After hearing such a thing, Mendy couldn''t help but feel another shiver down her spine. She really could have been killed easily by Eda earlier. It was just lucky for her that there wasn''t any interest on the other side to do that.


    When she thought about it better, this young woman quickly accepted Mirya''s letter as valid. ''So there is a person who wants to make a deal with me in the Dry City...''


    ''But how can this place have the opportunities Mirya says? Isn''t the Black Plain a poor, dead place?'' She pondered until she faced Eda and asked. "Did you come from the Dry City?"


    "Hmm. Are you interested in going there?"


    "Yes."


    "Good. Let''s leave a notice for the subordinates of this place so we can head towards the Dry City..." Eda said when she finally started to prepare to leave this post.

 Chapter 505: Enemies on the Way

    Two days later...


    Just over a thousand kilometers away from the east of the Dry City, a group of carriages was moving slowly towards that town while many people were escorting this convoy.


    In total, there were about 20 carriages and a group of guards mounted on beasts, the escort, with more than 40 people, all of them from the 5th stage of cultivation.


    Each of these people outside the carriages wore different types of armor, which bore the same symbol that it was an all-black star.


    On the other hand, there were almost as many people inside those carriages as there were outside them. In part, these people were no weaker than the many cultivators escorting the group.


    However, there were people there who did not focus their training time on learning combat techniques. That is, they were not warriors, but people related to other spiritual professions, or even ordinary individuals, without specializations.


    But still, the weakest of them was already at the 5th stage, while the strongest of the entire group was at level 50!


    Anyway, while this group was moving through the lands farther west of the Brown Kingdom, heading towards the Dry City, in one of those carriages, the most luxurious of all, was the leader of this convoy.


    Besides him, two other people were inside that carriage.


    "So Lionel, the family gave us this mission because of you... I hope you didn''t make a mistake and make us put together such a strong team for nothing." An elderly man, level 49, said this with a resolute expression as he looked into the eyes of the person next to him.


    Hearing this, Lionel Gill smiled confidently and commented respectfully. "I am aware of the seriousness of giving wrong information to the family, Elder Russ. But what I told the family was the truth. Despite being something unbelievable..."


    "Humph, I hope it is... But if it''s true, this will be a great addition to our Gill family." Elder Russ commented as he looked out the window of that carriage.


    That was the group formed by the Gill family after Lionel''s warning of Ralf and Railan''s discoveries. After that, this noble organization had acted as quickly as possible and given the orders for the invasion of the Dry City!


    And that was the objective of this convoy of almost 100 people traveling to that city at this time. They had prepared for the worst and had made available for this mission a Spiritual King and several cultivators between the middle levels of the 5th stage!


    Such a force was scarce to be seen traveling together and on regional missions. But considering the potential Dry City had for the Gill family, they had decided to make that investment and secure this place for themselves.


    Hell, the rulers of that power were even plotting how to justify this attack to the local royal family, if necessary, of course...


    They even had a document ready to be sent to the kingdom''s capital to request the change of sovereignty over the Black Plain in the coming months...


    Anyway, because of the Gill family''s new goal, this group, led by Russ, was hurrying to the Dry City, bringing many warriors and some people who would already begin the local administrative work.


    Finally, after some time with Lionel and Russ talking, the Spiritual King, assigned to this mission, asked something. "Lionel, you truly don''t have any information about enemy forces?"


    "Unfortunately, Mr. Winston, I don''t. The subordinates that found out about this were only at the 4th stage of cultivation, and as soon as they found out about that place, they left there to bring us the information. So, indeed, we don''t know about the local forces."


    "However, just over four years ago, when I left that city for the last time, there was only one person from the 5th stage there. But he was just a doctor, so that wouldn''t count as a fighting force."


    "As for the rest, they were all below level 39." Lionel finished his comment, remembering the old reality of the Dry City.


    There were some top cultivators from the 4th stage in that city before Minos arrived there. However, none of them specialized in any profession. Consequently, even if they had advanced to the 5th stage, Lionel didn''t count them as warriors.


    Upon hearing Lionel''s answer, that Spiritual King pondered this for a moment until he asked. "But I hear that place must be 4-5 times bigger than it was before you left. Hence, in the meantime, a lot of things may have changed. What do you think, elder Russ?"


    "Winston, don''t worry about it. It would be tough for a Spiritual King to emerge in that location. Furthermore, even though they have gained a lot of resources, I doubt that that young ruler would try to invite outside experts."


    "After all, it could turn against him. He could very quickly become someone''s puppet or even get killed in a situation like this. And from what Lionel''s subordinates have reported, it looks like the people there are trying to hide as much as possible."


    "In other words, that young man knows very well that he can''t take risks of meeting people much stronger than he can handle!" Russ commented, smiling in awe at Minos'' actions.


    This group leader knew of the care that Black Plain Army soldiers took around the wall because of the report of Ralf and Railan. For that very reason, he admired Minos'' careful actions.


    ''That young man seems to have some management talents... Too bad, if he didn''t have something so valuable on his hands, he could survive...'' Russ thought about it for a moment.


    He then finished. "Most likely, he recruited people from the beginning of the 5th stage or weaker individuals. Hence, even if the resources of that place are abundant, that doesn''t change the fact that they had very little time to develop!"


    "Elder Russ is right, Mr. Winston. Even having level 44 cultivators must be challenging for that young man to have achieved in just over four years. What''s more, these people are most likely not loyal to him..."


    "When faced with a much stronger enemy, they will definitely give up their positions!" Lionel replied confidently.


    "Hmm, I see¡­" That Spiritual King commented in a low voice as he understood the situation.


    Winston was only a subordinate of the Gill family, so he didn''t have extensive knowledge of these matters like Lionel and Russ, who were adequately trained nobles.


    As to why this subordinate treated those two nobles in front of him differently, well, that''s because Lionel only had a Blue talent, while Russ had a Black talent. So, one would naturally get stronger than him in the future, but the other would never get it.


    Accordingly, this Spiritual King called Russ respectfully and only called Lionel''s first name.


    "What about that young sovereign? Do you think it will be easy to deal with him?" Russ asked Lionel.


    Naturally, this old nobleman thought it would be better if Minos would just hand over power to them without much resistance. So, he was curious to learn more with Lionel, the one who had already had a dialogue with that young man.


    Lionel then shook his head in denial and said. "I don''t think he will make it easy for us. At that time, he hadn''t yet reached the 2nd stage of cultivation, but he still didn''t show any care in trying to rob two youths who should have come with me to headquarters..."


    "At the very least, he shouldn''t make it easy on us until he''s got the rope around his neck!"


    "Oh? Hahaha, this young man looks interesting. If he''s smart, we can take him to headquarters and make him a good subordinate." Russ commented with a smile on his face.


    He knew Minos'' history, from his past with Albert in the kingdom''s capital to the information Railan and Ralf had brought to the family. Hence, he couldn''t help but marvel at this young man even more after hearing that he was so decisive in his actions.


    ...

 Chapter 506: Conversation

    While the Gill family group traveled through the dirt roads of the Brown Kingdom, Mendy and Eda had already arrived in the Dry City.


    In fact, right now, the two women were outside Minos'' office, waiting for Mia''s permission to enter that place.


    Both had had no difficulty in their journey here, and as soon as Eda and Mendy had given some orders to the subordinates of that outpost in the City of Waters, they quickly came to the Dry City.


    As Eda was a high-ranking soldier, Mendy''s entrance here was much softer than those of the other Spiritual Kings who recently visited this city.


    After that, it didn''t take long for the two to reach the local government mansion, where they were waiting for Minos right now.


    In doing so, Mendy was still trying to process in her mind everything she had seen here. She didn''t know the Dry City, but she knew that this place shouldn''t be as rich as it seemed to be today!


    So, she naturally had a lot of thoughts in her mind about this place, things that were making her more and more interested in this deal that Mirya had mentioned in that previous letter.


    Previously she had been interested because of the contents of that letter. However, she couldn''t compare the feeling of hearing something with seeing it in front of her, feeling it on her skin.


    Finally, while she and Eda waited, Mia came out of Minos'' office and gestured to both of them. "The young master is waiting for you...."


    ...


    At the moment, no one accompanied Minos in that office, as Abby was taking care of her issues related to the invasion of the Maritime City while Ruth was training. But as soon as Mia left that place, two beautiful women walked through the door and immediately greeted him.


    At the same time, the young sovereign rose from his armchair and received these two in his humble workplace. "Hmm, it''s a surprise to see you again, Mendy." He said with a smile on his face, right after greeting Eda.


    "I can say the same¡­ But you are to be congratulated on your cultivation speed! The difference between us has diminished a lot since the last time¡­" She commented with slight redness on her face as she appraised the figure of the young man in front of her.


    "Congratulations on reaching level 49, young Minos. You will soon become a Spiritual King!" Eda commented right away.


    "Hmm, thank you, Mrs. Eda..." He thanked her when he remembered something and commented to her. "By the way, you can take a week off. After that, I''m afraid that you will have to return to the City of Waters, Mrs. Eda."


    "Something happened?"


    "Yes, some unexpected events have happened, and our plans for that place will not be able to be fulfilled as previously planned. Anyway, but you can take a few days off before returning there."


    "Talk to Dillian. He will tell you the details about what happened." He commented just before that woman said goodbye, leaving just him and Mendy in that spot.


    After that, Minos promptly invited Mendy to sit on the sofa of that office while he sat beside her in a leather armchair.


    "You are much better than I expected... It seems that aunt Mirya was right. You are very skilled, Minos." Mendy commented, smiling for a moment as she looked into the eyes of the young man beside her.


    "Hehe, I can''t deny it. But I didn''t think you had any doubts about that. After all, back then, you seemed pretty convinced about my abilities¡­"


    Hearing this, the young Spiritual King blushed for a moment, remembering how much she had enjoyed ''being'' with Minos on that burning night. She then took a deep breath and asked. "Where are aunt Mirya and older sister Viola? They are in the Dry City, right?"


    Minos let his smile fade, closing his eyes for a moment and then answering her. "Well, they are..."


    "I already asked my secretary to send someone after Viola for her to come here. As for Mirya, you''ll have to wait a little longer."


    "What are you talking about?" She asked this already with a serious expression on her beautiful face.


    "Well, we recently had an incident with a level 54 cultivator, and Mirya suffered some injuries..."


    "What?" She got up from that spot as she said this, shocked.


    "Don''t worry. Mirya is not at risk. She''s unconscious, but in a few weeks, when the specialist we need arrives in town, we can treat her quickly." He said as he gestured for Mendy to calm down.


    However, Mendy didn''t look convinced by this. She then took a step forward towards Minos and asked him angrily. "Aunt Mirya trusted you when she came here, but you let her life be at risk?"


    Upon asking such a question, this young woman slowly began to release her cultivation pressure without realizing it while becoming more and more irritated. She respected Mirya a lot and considered her as one of the most influential people in her foundation as a human being. And so, this young woman couldn''t help but be irritated with the person in front of her.


    Minos then sighed and then made a move. He quickly pulled that woman by one of her arms, bringing her into his lap. In doing so, he used his arms to hold this young woman''s body around her waist.


    "Calm down. I don''t want you to break the furniture in my office." He said in her ear as she sat on his lap with her back to him.


    ''Uh? I can''t escape  him!'' So she thought for a moment when her reason finally surpassed her emotions that were about to get out of control.


    Mendy then suppressed her cultivation pressure. "Sorry about that. But I still want to know how you allowed something like this to happen to aunt Mirya. After all, with this defensive barrier at this location, no level 54 cultivator would be a threat to this town!"


    "Hmm, about that..." He then said the basics of what had happened before to him and that two women.


    After understanding this, Mendy still felt somewhat angry at Minos, as this was his responsibility. But she didn''t have the strength to escape from his arms, so she didn''t dare do anything.


    "Okay, I understand what happened, and I won''t try to do anything. Can you release me?"


    "No, I think I''ll stay with you like this for a few more minutes just to make sure¡­" He said with a smile on his face as he held the young woman in his lap. "But in the meantime, let''s talk business."


    "Do you want to talk about business like that?" She asked, somewhat embarrassed by this young man''s manner.


    "Haha. It''s no challenge for me to remain calm and rational even with beauty in my lap. Maybe you can''t do the same..."


    Mendy then looked at him sideways and said earnestly. "Humph, what are you talking about? It doesn''t bother me at all! We can stay that way, but I''m afraid you''re not as capable as you say..."


    "Hehe, let''s see."


    "Anyway, Mirya quoted some of my requests in that letter you got, right?" He asked her as he felt the young woman''s lower parts begin to move in his lap as if she were trying to tease him.


    "Yes, she wrote that you want a non-aggression agreement, business of all kinds, and to get in touch with a certain power on your behalf..."


    "That''s right, I want those two things, and I want you to help me contact the Hayes family." He agreed with what she had just said.


    After hearing Minos'' statement, Mendy thought about these points for a moment and then asked. "Some parts of what you expect from us can be quite costly, although it''s not that hard to accomplish. But, as you know, no one likes to sign Soul Contracts without extreme necessity."


    "And there''s this current situation of the Hayes family with the Chambers family..."


    "So, to be worthwhile for us, I''m afraid you have to give us something of great value in return." She said, turning on her side and looking into Minos'' eyes. "What do you have to offer us?"


    ...

 Chapter 507: Mendys Disbelief

    "In addition to the business my town has to do with the Stokes family, what I offer is an opportunity," Minos said, looking at her and smiling.


    Hearing this, this young woman looked at him even more seriously. "An opportunity? What are you talking about?"


    "Hmm, I think you better get to know my town a little better before I talk about it, or you''ll just think of it as an offense to your family or a joke."


    "What?" She asked, even more curious. ''What kind of trading strategy is this? Just tell me soon, and I''ll decide if it''s worth it or not!''


    "You intend to stay in my town for a few days, right?"


    "Yes."


    "Well, in that case, how about you get to know the city first? Then, after you''ve seen everything around here, I''ll tell you what else your family can get from me. At this time, you will be able to make a decision based on many facts, and we will stop wasting time with doubts." He said as he released the pressure on that young woman''s body.


    ''Are you that confident? Do you think your city is so good that it will be easier for me to accept your terms just because of that?'' She pondered, at the same time, as she felt her body growing light.


    Sensing this, Mendy immediately shifted to face Minos, still in his lap. "All right. As I already intended to spend a few days here and there is still this situation of aunt Mirya, we can do it this way."


    "By the way, when will be able to see aunt Mirya? Will you accompany me to the location now?"


    "No. As I said before, I sent someone to notify Viola of her arrival. So when she gets here, you can do this with her."


    "Oh? All right." She then looked at him more closely, finally paying a little more attention to this young man than to the matters they had to deal with.


    On the other hand, seeing this beautiful woman examining him without any shame, Minos couldn''t help but do the same to her. After all, this young woman in his lap had moved up through the cultivation stage since the last time the two of them had seen each other. Consequently, she was even more beautiful.


    Her skin was smoother, with fewer imperfections. Her eyes were more vivid than ever as if she had rested after a long stressful period. Anyway, her whole being seemed better than before.


    But that doesn''t mean she wasn''t beautiful before. No, far from it, she was. But there would always be improvements during the stage promotion, things that would make those people''s acquaintances compare the before and after.


    And with such improvements, it would be hard not to think that the before was much worse than the after.


    "What will we do in the meantime? It may take her time to get here¡­" Mendy said in a low voice as she looked at young Stuart''s lips and then bit her own.


    Gulp!


    Minos then swallowed his saliva at the same time that his little friend grew a few inches, almost as if some magical technique had summoned it...


    "It''s been over two years, right? And you even advanced... I''m curious to feel how you are now, hehe." He said this while having a seductive smile on his face.


    After that, Minos pulled her into his embrace, looking deep into her eyes, until finally, their lips touched.


    "Mmmm~"


    As they kissed, young Stuart wasted no time in running his hands over Mendy''s slender body, all the way from her happy ass to her medium-sized breasts.


    Finally, after feeling this woman''s measurements, it wasn''t long before he started taking off her clothes piece by piece until she was left with only her underwear.


    "What do you think? Am I sexy?" She asked Minos this with a perverted smile on her face, right after pulling away from his embrace and standing in front of him.


    She was dressed in highly seductive underwear that emphasized every sensual aspect of her body, something that would excite any man.


    And it was no different for young Stuart!


    Eventually, he made his move, and they both began frantically ''playing'' with each other, taking advantage of the minutes they had until Viola arrived.


    ...


    After some time, Minos and Mendy had finished what they had started earlier when Viola arrived in that office after some time.


    Upon arriving there and seeing her friend, Viola had immediately ignored clues to what Mendy and Minos were doing before her arrival. Instead, she just greeted this young woman, and after a few words, they both left for the Dry City General Hospital, where Mirya was being treated.


    "Sister Viola, how is aunt Mirya? Minos told me a few things, but I think he''s covering up the truth¡­" Mendy commented as she and that other young woman walked through the streets of the Dry City.


    "Well, the situation is probably worse than he told you, but in the long run, there won''t be any problems. What happened¡­" She then explained everything that had happened, including what Minos and Dillian had planned for Mirya''s treatment.


    After hearing all this, already a few meters away from the local hospital, Mendy then commented. "So, he wants to bring a high-level grade-2 poison master here..."


    "Well, I don''t have medical knowledge, but that should be a big help in getting aunt Mirya back into health. But how does Minos intend to bring someone like that to his side? Not even my Stokes family has high-level grade-2 professionals!"


    "He naturally must have his means..." Viola answered vaguely.


    After talking about it, Mendy noticed something strange about her friend. "By the way, why are you wearing this outfit? It''s like what the soldiers I saw at the entrance to this place wear."


    Viola then sighed and said. "Well, no reason to hide about it. I''m wearing this uniform for the same reason the soldiers you saw on the local border wear theirs."


    "What?" Mendy stopped walking and then took one of Viola''s arms. "You can not be serious. Why would you do that?"


    "Look at the opportunities this place has, Mendy. In this city, there is a library with Blue-grade techniques where any local citizen can learn any of them!"


    "This factor alone makes this city very good for common people, who do not have strong family support. Just because of that, the citizens of this city, even the farmers, already have techniques as good as the subordinates of the great regional noble families!"


    "And circumstances are even better for the soldiers of the Black Plain Army. I can''t tell you everything, but just so you know, the techniques the soldiers learn are all Black-grade!" Viola said this seriously, looking into her friend''s eyes.


    "Is this¡­Is this true? Is he not afraid that the population will rebel?" Mendy asked with a shocked expression on his face.


    "Fear? Minos has just reached level 49 and is already a lot stronger than level 54 cultivators. In fact, I think he could already fight someone at level 55, and he wouldn''t lose!"


    "And he''s only 20!"


    "Impossible! That cannot be true!"


    "How could anyone achieve such high fighting proficiency?" She said it, almost thinking about it as she shook her head from side to side.


    This young woman was very proud of her power after reaching level 50. But she didn''t see herself capable of fighting someone at level 51!


    In fact, if she were to attempt a life and death fight with someone of that level in the present moment, she wouldn''t have the confidence to win...


    Precisely because of that, she knew how absurd what Viola had just said was.


    Also, even her father, the strongest person in the Stokes family, was only at level 56 and certainly wouldn''t be able to fight someone at level 57. So, this young woman couldn''t help finding it all very unbelievable!


    ''If so, in a year or two, will Minos already be stronger than my father? I do not believe it! That is nonsense that doesn''t make any sense!'' She refused to believe it.


    ...

 Chapter 508: The Arrival of the Gill Family Forces

    "If you had arrived here in Dry City a few days ago, you would have had a perfect opportunity to feel the power of Minos. That day he fought and defeated a group of 700 soldiers."


    "Each of them was already at the 5th stage!" Viola said as she pulled Mendy by her arm so that they both entered the local hospital.


    "700 cultivators at the 5th stage?" Mendy asked as her pupils were contracting rapidly. ''Not even my father could do that!''


    ''That is very strange... The things that sister Viola is saying don''t make sense.''


    ''Is she under the influence of some hallucination technique?'' She thought until she put that idea aside for a moment and said. "Even if that''s true. Are you going to betray our family to be in Minos'' forces? Does aunt Mirya agree with that?"


    "Betraying the family? No! We are doing this for the good of the family!" Viola responded quickly. "Minos promised us that we can remain part of the Stokes family even if we are in his army."


    "In fact, the rules here are the same as those of the Flaming Empire sects. So, there is no prohibition on that..."


    What Viola was talking about was true, but Mendy couldn''t help but be irritated by this after hearing these things. "What an absurd comparison. How does this army compare to the Flaming Empire sects? How many Spiritual Emperors are there in that place? How many Spiritual Saints? And the Black Plain?"


    "Even if Minos is as strong as you say, he and the Black Plain are far away from the powers of those sects. Hence, no one from our family will accept this excuse!"


    "The elders will certainly want to punish you both for this." Mendy finished, looking disappointedly at her friend.


    Even though Minos was very promising and there were plenty of opportunities locally, from Mendy''s point of view, that didn''t make Viola''s action any more acceptable. So, she was naturally irritated by this decision made by the mother-daughter pair.


    "At the very least, you should have expected this place to have at least one Spiritual Emperor to act that way. What honor will the Stokes family have when your story gets out? We lost important members to an organization that was just born¡­" She complained.


    Hearing all this, Viola said nothing to Mendy. After all, this young woman had her point and wouldn''t change her mind until she knew this city and the army more deeply.


    ''Maybe I should show Mendy the fighting ability of local soldiers? Hmm, that should help her understand the differences between the local army and the thousands of Stokes family guards...''


    After that, the two went directly to the floor where Mirya was hospitalized. Mendy was still a little upset by how the mother-daughter pair had decided on the previous issue. But when approaching that woman''s room, this young woman was gradually leaving this subject aside.


    Upon seeing the body of her former bodyguard, Mendy couldn''t help putting her hands over her mouth and crying. The damage had been far worse than she''d expected, so her reaction had been quite excessive.


    "Aunt Mirya?" She muttered for a moment before approaching that bed and crouching down. "This... Can this truly be treated?"


    ...


    While Mendy and Viola were accompanying the doctors who were treating Mirya at the local hospital, a group of powerful individuals was meeting in what appeared to be a large palace in a Cromwell Kingdom town.


    In that place, there were several pictures that portrayed the planting process of plants of the most varied types in the Spiritual World. But, on the other hand, several glass windows beautified the place with a privileged view of a vast agricultural region.


    Even though some of those plantation areas were far from this palace, it still made a beautifully natural picture, a mosaic that people in this room would naturally admire.


    Finally, around a large conference table in the middle of this room, six people talked there. Each of them had already reached the 6th stage of cultivation and seemed to be very experienced due to the age marks that each one had in their eyes.


    "The events on Stone Island have affected both our families in the same way, Addison. I''m sure my Allen family is in a worse situation right now. But the supply of resources of high spiritual concentration has been steadily increasing in recent months."


    "If this continues, I fear the day will come when the noble families of Farmland will completely lose their businesses on Stone Island!" One of those six people commented, looking at the man who was right in front of him.


    Obviously, this man represented the Allen family, which had decided to follow this new path after suffering that previous ''defeat'' in the branch of the Spiritual Church of Old Stone.


    With that, this meeting between Spiritual Kings had been made possible due to the Allen family''s lack of options and the fact that the Farmland families also had similar concerns.


    After all, Farmland could only be on the opposite side of the Nash family, or they would have to endure bitter future defeats...


    As such, this encounter was very interesting for the local powers of Farmland, who had already even placed Elen and her family as potential enemies!


    "I understand that, Larry. When we agreed to make this meeting, we were already willing to agree with your side in this issue." That man, Addison, said this while he had a worried expression on his old face.


    "But I''m afraid the Allen family''s current strategy won''t work in the long run. This trade war on Stone Island seems to be affecting your enemies less and less, while you must have already begun to feel the effects of such a thing. Right?"


    Gulp!


    Upon hearing such analysis, the representatives of the Allen family could not help but swallow their saliva.


    In fact, the Allen family had already realized that the trade war was little by little harming them more than their enemies. That''s why this power was already looking for alternatives to solve this!


    As an example of what had happened before, with the Spiritual Church''s attempt, they were now trying to appeal to Farmland''s powers.


    "And what do you suggest?" One of the Allen family members asked.


    "Apparently, you don''t want to risk attacking this naval base on the Black Plain, right? So we have to find some third side and use it as bait in that location. But this time, we have to send more Spiritual Kings!"


    "If the enemy side can''t handle it, we can break into that base and steal the information from this mysterious organization. With that, we can definitely stop, even temporarily, the Nash family business."


    "And from then on, we''ll have to deal with this Nash family. I find it very strange that all business in these products is done through such noble power. So I think something positive for us will happen if this variable is eliminated!"


    Upon hearing this, the eyes of those Allen family members sparkled. One of them then asked. "With the help of the Farmland families, it won''t be impossible for us to deal with the Nash family. But who will be this third side that we will use?"


    "About that, let''s do it this way¡­" They then continued to talk about it until all their next steps were decided.


    ...


    Two days later.


    A few dozen kilometers west of the Dry City, a group of carriages had been approaching at low speed.


    Dozens of people were accompanying this group of carriages outside its, while the same noble symbol could be seen at various points on this convoy. From the armor of the escort guards, the carriage doors, to even flags, a symbol of a black star appeared.


    That was the Gill family group, which was finally arriving in the Dry City!

 Chapter 509: On Alert!

    "Stop!" A scream erupted from inside one of the Gill family group''s carriages, causing all the people on the escort to stop the movement of their beasts immediately.


    Simultaneously with that, all the guards outside those carriages began to look in the direction of that scream. Meanwhile, people inside most of those carriages were slowly looking out of the windows, with curious eyes, interested in discovering the reason for this.


    And it wasn''t long before Lionel, and those other two men left the most luxurious carriage of the group. The Spiritual King, the one who had given that order earlier, then spoke again. "Let''s set up a temporary camp in this place."


    "We are already only 10 kilometers away from the Dry City, and we probably won''t have a chance to do that if we keep traveling forward." He said while he had a calm expression on his face.


    This Spiritual King, Winston, had lived for some centuries in this vast world. And he had spent most of that time as just a subordinate of the Gill family. Because of that, and also because of his own careful nature, this man was unwilling to go directly to the Dry City without even taking a few precautions.


    Thus, this man had given the order for the group to stop at this location.


    The Dry City had improved very quickly, and there were many unanswered questions in the mind of this experienced cultivator. Consequently, this man could not help but be somewhat insecure about acting without further preparation!


    "Mr. Winston, is there truly a need for this?" One of the strongest Spiritual Generals in that group asked. At the same time, many others nodded, indicating they wanted to know the same.


    Upon hearing and seeing this, the leader of the group, Russ, frowned and said. "There is no need for speech. We are not in a hurry, and I also agree with Winston''s decision... Even if there is no need for it, we won''t lose anything."


    "On the contrary, we will be able to learn about the enemy forces before we act, allowing us to eliminate them without giving them a chance to flee!"  He said as he clenched his fist tightly and smiled forcefully.


    In fact, he wouldn''t mind attacking the Dry City at once. But Winston''s idea wasn''t bad either, and it could still make dominating the other side much easier. After all, acting on the situation without prior preparation was an excellent way to leave loose ends behind...


    On the other hand, the day had just started a few hours ago, but attacks like what they wanted to do would always be more interesting to do at night. Hence, they could use that remaining time to send out some groups to investigate the basics of this new Dry City!


    The plan was perfect!


    Consequently, Russ hadn''t bothered trying to change the way they acted. Doing it according to Winston''s plan would do the same for this noble member of the Gill family.


    After hearing Russ'' voice, all those subordinates put their questions aside and soon began to prepare the temporary camp.


    At the same time, Winston turned to Lionel and said. "Choose some of the weakest guards in our group to investigate that town. Make them..."


    After that, Lionel kept all of that Spiritual King''s instructions in his mind and proceeded to resolve this matter as soon as possible.


    ''Hehehe, I want to see how that brat will be surprised when we act!''


    ...


    A few moments before...


    In the Dry City''s defensive tower, there was a checkpoint on the top floor of this building, from which a group of soldiers constantly guarded the surroundings of the local dome.


    Obviously, with construction as tall as this is and with the many concerns the army had, Minos had not wasted the potential of such a place.


    In fact, he had previously ordered that this tower needed to be designed to serve as a mechanism for defensive arrays to act together and as a lookout post!


    Given its height of more than 100 meters of this tower, the 5th stage soldiers on guard could see tens of kilometers away from the outer limit of the local wall!


    That was an essential defensive factor for this city, as the response time could be significantly diminished by it. After all, it would always be quicker to act before your enemies were already at your door.


    Anyway, thinking about it all, Minos had ordered the construction of this place in the defensive tower, as well as the 24-hour watch of this place made by Sergeants.


    As such, at this time, there were 12 soldiers of that rank there on the highest floor of the tower, guarding the surroundings of the dome.


    They were sitting in different places, separated from each other by similar distances. Otherwise, in the middle of that space, relatively small in radius, there was a hole through which a long ladder passed.


    From this location, soldiers from this post could come and go from there. On the other floor of this tower, just below this post, was the central control of the defensive arrays.


    Finally, those soldiers were now watching the surroundings. Some of them did this with the naked eye, while some of them used specific equipment to check for possible problems from time to time.


    In front of each of them were these spiritual arrays specially made for their activity, that is, observation from a distance. Some could be placed close to the eyes, while others were like transparent lenses, which showed colored outlines here and there.


    "Is there anything on your side, Olivia?" A woman asked in a low voice to the soldier on her left.


    Hearing this, Olivia continued to look in the same direction as before while answering her colleague. "No, the same as always. Some beasts are heading towards the agricultural fields. Still, I''ve already seen that one of the local mercenary groups is already going to solve this."


    "And on your side?"


    "I don''t see any problems either. Just a group with two chariots and four spiritual beasts heading east... They must be heading toward the Maritime City."


    But as this group talked about their usual routine, something suddenly caught the attention of one of these observers.


    "I think I see something weird." One of them commented a little louder than they usually spoke to each other. At the same time, he got up from his chair and used one of those objects in front of him.


    "People, I see a group of several carriages, with dozens of people approaching us from the east side of the wall!"


    Upon hearing this, the other people standing there turned towards the soldier who had said this while their expressions became solemn. They then left their posts for a moment and approached that side, already using their special equipment to see into the distance.


    "That''s bad, there seems to be a symbol on those carriages, but I can''t identify it!" One of them screamed in surprise, seeing a slight black blur on the doors of those carriages.


    "Hmm, this seems to be a noble power group!"


    "Turn on the alert!" Someone yelled as they approached that hole in the stairs and looked down.


    "What? Are you serious?" A scream came from downstairs.


    Upon hearing this, someone immediately responded. "Yes, it''s a problem on the east side!"


    Woop! Woop!


    ...


    Woop! Woop!


    "Oh?" A soldier on duty at the east wall entrance post exclaimed as he rose from his chair and looked around.


    "It looks like we will have problems..." Another soldier commented in a worried tone before she got up from her chair and prepared to leave.


    Finally, those people who were at that post did not take long, and soon they had fastened their armors and started to descend the stairs of that post.


    ''Ahh, I hope it''s just a false alarm...'' Someone thought apprehensively.


    ...


    Woop! Woop!


    Simultaneously, alarm sounds rang at the army headquarters as well as the local government mansion.


    Noticing this, Minos, who was reading a pile of papers in his office, quickly turned his head and then looked back towards the glass wall that faced the front of that mansion.


    ''This hasn''t happened in a long time... Who will it be this time?'' He wondered a moment before rising and leaving that spot.


    As he passed his office reception, he glanced at Mia and said quickly before continuing on his way. "Call Mendy Stokes, tell her I want her to accompany me..."

 Chapter 510: 50 vs 100

    After giving his message to Mia, Minos headed towards the front of his mansion, where several soldiers were already gathered.


    As predicted in the Black Plain Army soldiers'' manual, if something happened and the headquarters alarm sounded, soldiers were to report hurriedly in front of the local government mansion.


    As such, hundreds of soldiers were already gathered in that place by the time Minos set foot outside the entrance garden of that property.


    At the same time, Ruth and Abby were also there, as they were both at headquarters when the alarm bells had sounded.


    Ruth was training in the cultivation room for army 6th stage cultivators. At the same time, Abby took care of her administrative matters in this organization. And when they realized that something was wrong, both had accompanied the rest of the soldiers to this place.


    When they reached Minos'' side, Ruth, the only one who didn''t understand the army''s codes, asked in a low voice. "What is the reason for this commotion?"


    "I''m not sure, but it looks like there''s an enemy group coming towards the city..." Minos commented to his friend while waiting for the arrival of one of the soldiers from the city''s defensive tower.


    Since the defensive tower had generated the signal, there was no way for the staff at headquarters or the mansion to know precisely where the attack was coming from. That is because such a thing had not been activated by one of the posts on the wall.


    On the other hand, with the existence of the defensive tower, the Dry City forces could more or less know the numbers of the enemy group and thus plan the defenses more efficiently.


    Obviously, this information wouldn''t be perfect, as there was no way those soldiers in the defensive tower could find out the levels of people who were kilometers away from them. However, the information concerning the numbers would be helpful.


    After all, considering the average strength of this region, it would not be impossible to imagine the opposing power. For example, if the enemy group had more than a thousand people, well, in this case, the chances are that those individuals were not Spiritual Kings.


    That is because rarely so many Spiritual Kings would meet and act simultaneously. So, in a hypothetical situation like this, knowing the enemy numbers could more or less indicate their force!


    And it wasn''t long before a soldier appeared running towards the front of Minos'' mansion.


    "Get out of the way!"


    "Let me talk to the young master!" He said out loud as he walked through those soldiers.


    ...


    Meanwhile, ordinary citizens passing through that region of the Dry City were already looking at that crowd of soldiers, curious to know the reason for all this.


    "What is happening? Will there be another military exercise?" An elderly woman asked her granddaughter in confusion.


    "No, Grandma. That just happened, so it must be something else..."


    At the same time, a group of mercenaries from the local guild was watching all this commotion with great interest. "Is it an enemy?" One of them asked aloud.


    "Perhaps. How about this, let''s follow the soldiers, and we can watch this problem..."


    And it wasn''t long before many people who were passing through that central region of the city began to gather around that crowd of soldiers.


    Many were curious to know what was going on, while others apprehensively prepared for the bad news...


    ...


    "Young master, an estimated group of a hundred people is approaching from the east side of the wall. We''ve already sent someone to run towards that location, and the alarm at that station has also been activated!" A soldier said this to Minos as he took an official position in front of this young sovereign.


    Hearing this, Minos continued with the same expression as before and then said calmly. "So that''s it¡­ Well, most of you can go back to your activities. Only those with cultivation above level 44 should accompany me."


    After this was said, the small crowd of soldiers quickly began to disperse, with most of them heading towards army headquarters. But, on the other hand, 20 people had stayed in that place, waiting for orders from Minos.


    And just then, Mendy and Viola appeared at the beginning of that avenue that passed in front of Minos'' mansion.


    Seeing this, Minos promptly gestured to the two women and told the rest of the soldiers there. "Come on, time to meet these guests."


    ...


    After running for about 5 minutes, Minos'' group was finally arriving at the east exit of the local wall. As they did so, Viola and Mendy had accompanied the rest of those soldiers.


    At this moment, they are side by side with Minos and the two young women who also accompanied him. Then, Mendy looked at this young man and asked. "Why did you ask me to come with you?"


    "You''re getting to know the Dry City to understand exactly how important it will be for your family to make a deal with me, right? So, I know you''ve already discovered the basics of this place, those things that any citizen would know."


    "But you still haven''t seen the strength of my army..." He said with a smile on his face as he looked steadily at that young woman.


    "Oh? So, you''re going to show off your collective strength, huh?" She said.


    "Hehehe. Yes, but in a different way than you think, Mendy."


    While they talked about it, Minos'' group finally arrived at the eastern post, where many soldiers were already gathered there, waiting for the sovereign''s arrival.


    "Who is in charge here?" Minos asked aloud as he looked from side to side, trying to identify the faces of those soldiers.


    And then he heard a hoarse voice coming from there. "It''s me, young master. Sergeant Alan."


    "Oh! So it''s Mr. Alan¡­" Minos commented in a low voice, remembering the identity of this person.


    Sergeant Alan was one of 10 bodyguards who had accompanied young Stuart to the Dry City, who had come with him from the capital of the Brown Kingdom. This person had been one of the first soldiers in the army and, as such, had enjoyed the benefits longer.


    As a result, he had reached level 45 in the meantime and even gained a leadership position in this organization.


    "Young master, after receiving the alarm, we close this passage of the wall and keep an eye on what is happening in the surroundings. But for now, the enemy group seems to have slowed down or stopped." Alan said.


    Ideally, it would be nice if they could send soldiers to check out enemy forces. But that would be pretty dangerous. After all, the spiritual probe of higher-level individuals would be better...


    And in a situation like this, if the other side had a Spiritual King doing probes, then Minos'' soldiers could be caught as hostages very quickly!


    As for them acting independently without the help sent by headquarters, well, that would only happen in the last option. Since the alarm sounded, then they would do the obvious and protect themselves in the dome until something was decided.


    "Good! Since that''s how it is, I want the 30 strongest of you who have already fought together to join me. The rest will be in the dome." He said with a smile on his face.


    "Mendy, I want you to come with me, but stay far enough away that the enemy side doesn''t notice you. Let me show you how 50 of my soldiers will defeat 100 of the enemies." He commented to that young woman.


    "All right."


    "As for the rest of you." Minos looked at the other three women there and said. "Stay in the dome. I don''t want to scare our guests with too disproportionate force, hehehe."


    With the dome, the enemy side couldn''t sense the people''s forces inside this protected location. So with that, Minos was trying to prevent the escape of those people.


    As for Mendy''s case, he just wanted this young woman to accompany him so that she could feel the level of adversary power and the Black Plains soldiers.


    After all, it would be useless to try to impress this young woman with just one scene without her being able to feel the terror generated by the techniques activated by both parties!


    "OK." The three responded simultaneously.


    After that, it didn''t take long for Minos'' group to depart from there towards the enemy group.


    ...

 Chapter 511: Bad News

    After leaving that area protected by the Dry City''s dome, it wasn''t long before the group of Minos began to approach those enemies.


    However, as they were heading towards where the enemies had previously been seen, their team noticed that six people were traveling towards the Dry City in a carriage.


    From this group, everyone there was already at the 5th stage, and there was even one person at level 45 among the travelers in that carriage.


    Upon realizing this, Minos was the first to find it strange that coincidentally these people were arriving at the Dry City at precisely the same time as that group of more than 100 people!


    "I would say that the chance of these people being part of the enemy group is about 99%¡­" He commented to the soldiers beside him.


    "The young master wants us to defeat them?" Alan asked.


    "No, we will save your forces for the battle against the rest of that group. And there''s also the small possibility that these people aren''t part of that side, so we''d better act quickly and definitely..."


    "Anyway, I''ll deal with them quickly. You can keep approaching the enemy group. I''ll join you in a moment¡­" Minos finished speaking when he suddenly activated his techniques simultaneously.


    As he did so, the young ruler of the Black Plain ran at high speed towards that carriage in front of their group.


    Instantly, the people outside that carriage noticed this person approaching them at high speed.


    "Shit, who is this person? Why is he running towards us? Maybe he..."


    However, while the strongest person in that group had many questions on his mind, Minos appeared beside that carriage!


    Spatial Sword!


    Upon activating his technique, that carriage instantly stopped moving, at the same time that young Stuart made a series of movements with one of his swords. However, none of these attacks targeted the people in that vehicle.


    No, Minos had directed the various air blades towards that carriage''s wooden wheels and the ropes that held the beasts that pulled that thing!


    After deactivating his attack technique, that set of things started to move again.


    At this moment, the carriage wheels were left behind on the ground of that area. But, at the same time, the beasts continued to move forward, and the top of this transport began to roll across the land.


    In just 5 seconds, that carriage had turned into dozens of wood and steel pieces, which had been scattered across part of that terrain. Simultaneously with that, some of those people had been hurled tens of meters away, while others were trapped in what''s left of that carriage.


    "Ahh, shit! What happened? Why did our carriage overturn out of nowhere?" One of the people asked this out loud as he felt that several of his bones had fractured.


    He was a cultivator at the 5th stage, but his body was without any defenses at the time of the incident... As a result, he had gained a dozen minor injuries.


    However, soon he and the others in that group had their answers.


    ...


    Minos didn''t take long, and soon he took down those six people traveling in that carriage from before. But he hadn''t killed them.


    After all, the Black Plain had already reached the point where it would be able to trap possible enemies and prevent unnecessary deaths.


    As such, young Stuart had sealed the cultivation of those six people after they passed out.


    After he dealt with that enemy group in the vicinity of the Dry City, he and his soldiers could escort these people to the local prison. Whether or not these six were related to that enemy group would be resolved later!


    Anyway, it didn''t take long for Minos to join the rest of the soldiers, already a few kilometers away from the enemy group.


    Meanwhile, Mendy had seen everything Minos had done from afar, moving unobtrusively at a distance from this young man''s group. ''That action before was cool¡­'' She thought to herself, remembering how young Stuart had destroyed those people''s carriages and defeated them with ease.


    ''Hehe, I look forward to seeing these soldiers he is so proud of...''


    ...


    Meanwhile...


    In the camp that the Gill family''s subordinates had already finished preparing, dozens of people were there doing various services related to the security of a place like this.


    And while some watched, others rested in tents and even ate food made for military expeditions, similar to this one.


    Finally, in the center of that spot were the leaders of this group, Russ, Lionel, and Winston, seated in the middle of the largest and most luxurious tent in this temporary camp.


    "Elder Russ, Mr. Winston, I just sent a group of six guards to the Dry City. They will gather information from that place quickly, and by the end of the night, they will be back." Lionel said respectfully.


    Hearing this, the old leader of that expedition smiled as he scratched his chin. "Great!"


    "Let''s hope there''s no problem..." Winston commented in a low voice, using a solemn expression on his face.


    "Hahaha, Mr. Winston, don''t worry. Today we will take the Dry City mansion and celebrate in the name of the deaths of our enemies!" Lionel said in satisfaction. "It won''t be long before..."


    Boom!


    However, as Lionel was saying something, an explosion sound resonated through that area.


    Upon realizing this, immediately, those three men rose from where they were previously, already with dark looks on their faces. "Are they attacking us?" One of them said in a low voice, realizing that such an explosion could only have happened in their camp!


    Immediately after that, their group left that tent and saw what was happening outside.


    ...


    Boom!


    Sounds of explosions rippled through that small temporary camp as soldiers from Minos'' group fought the Gill family guards.


    Upon arriving at this location, Minos'' team had wasted no time with conversations. They immediately started fighting the guards patrolling around this place.


    Minos'' soldiers had not had many advantages due to the surprise factor, as it was challenging for them to hide during the day in terrain with almost no natural vegetation, like this one on the Black Plain.


    But even if they hadn''t been able to use the surprise factor against these opponents, the local soldiers had immediately gained the upper hand in this battle. After all, in addition to most of them having similar levels as their opponents, they had better techniques and were also used to fighting together!


    As a result, in the first wave of attacks, the Black Plain Army had brought down more than 30 individuals from that group.


    At the same time, young Stuart was watching all this from the side of the battlefield. He had sensed the strengths of these opponents shortly after arriving near that camp. With that, Minos had understood that he wouldn''t need to fight, as there was no Spiritual King strong enough to put pressure on his soldiers.


    But, he had immediately recognized the organization behind these people and understood what had happened!


    ''Apparently, the Gill family already knows that the Dry City isn''t what it used to be...'' So he thought to himself, already feeling a certain pressure in his head as if a big headache were starting.


    "Damn it! It seems my time is shorter than I expected!" He muttered, disappointed.


    Minos knew that by the time a noble family found out about this location, it would only be a matter of time before the royal family did the same. After all, once the family that discovered this location failed in their attempt, what would be their most likely action?


    Ask the royal family for help!


    As such, this young man knew that from this date, he would have at most a few weeks, or months if he was lucky, for things to get complicated!


    ''Damn it! Luckily, if I keep these people hostage, maybe I can still buy a few weeks¡­'' He thought to himself as he felt angrier.


    "I''ll have to declare independence before the Gill family tries to contact the Brown family..."

 Chapter 512: Hostage

    As Minos thought about the problems coming closer and closer to him, those three individuals leading this expedition finally saw what was happening.


    Upon leaving their former location, they immediately saw dozens of their guards fighting desperate battles against an enemy group.


    That group consisted of less than half of the numbers sent here by the Gill family. Moreover, each of those people wore the same type of uniform, indicating that they were part of another organization.


    Finally, these three men wasted no time and soon discovered the forces on the enemy side. They were mere cultivators at the 5th stage and lower levels than many Gill family guards in this temporary camp!


    "Who are these people?" Russ exclaimed in anger, analyzing what was going on as well as the strengths of those opponents.


    He couldn''t help but be angry at being attacked, mainly because the Gill side seemed to be at a disadvantage!


    ''That''s truly weird... Did another regional power find out about the Dry City before we did?'' Winston pondered this at the same time as he tried to probe the surroundings. ''Looks like the strongest one here is only at level 49...''


    He then looked in the direction of some of the guards who were already unconscious at this point. He realized that there was no casualty among his party. "Strange..."


    "They''re not attacking us with the intent to kill." He commented in a low voice to those two nobles beside him.


    Hearing this, Russ readily recognized the same thing. He then said. "Winston, help our guards while I deal with that level 49." After that, he started running towards Minos.


    However, after watching Minos for a few breaths with his eyes and mouth wide open, Lionel suddenly said something in a weak tone. "That... That..."


    "That''s Minos Stuart!" He said while shaking with shock. ''How could this brat have reached level 49 in such a short time?'' He asked himself, still very scared.


    Upon hearing this, those other two people who were about to step forward to resolve this situation stopped their movements and looked at Lionel in surprise.


    Russ then asked. "Are you sure? That young man is too strong to be that person!"


    "That doesn''t make sense. How could he get close to the 6th stage in such a short time? Hell, even the talented youths of the Flaming Empire couldn''t do it!" Winston added, looking at Lionel and hoping this man would recognize his mistake.


    But such a thing never happened. "Elder Russ, Mr. Winston, I''m sure. That person is the son of Albert Stuart!" He said as he clenched his fists tightly.


    With such confirmation, it was not long before those two understood what had to be done. They immediately looked at each other and nodded their heads.


    There was no need for words to be said. Their eyes alone communicated the intention they both had in dealing with Minos.


    Such a thing would not only end this battle that was taking place in this camp, but it would also solve the problem of the Gill family''s invasion of the Dry City. With that, they couldn''t miss this excellent opportunity to deal with Minos so quickly!


    ...


    Meanwhile, Mendy watched the whole situation from afar, trying to stay far enough away from that Spiritual King of the Gill family.


    And as she was a little stronger than that person, this young woman had a stronger spiritual sense, which allowed her to feel the energetic fluctuations of people at greater distances from her. Hence, even though that Spiritual King couldn''t notice her here, this young woman was following all the fight of those soldiers and guards.


    Because of this, she was currently pleasantly surprised to find that the Black Plain Army soldiers actually managed to fight very well collectively and against higher-level opponents.


    She could see from a distance that each level 44 soldier could display a fighting proficiency equivalent to cultivators with level 47 and Blue-grade techniques!


    Hence, she knew that it could only mean that these people all had entire sets of Black-grade techniques, something that confirmed some information she''d heard earlier.


    She still had doubts about the integrity of that, but right now, those doubts couldn''t remain in this young woman''s mind. After all, she knew perfectly well that so many different individuals could not show a fighting proficiency above their level without it being related to the quality of the techniques!


    That could even happen for different reasons if it were specific cases of some people with unusual abilities. But with so many people showing the same proficiency, there was no way this could be a coincidence.


    Only the quality of the techniques could explain such a thing!


    As a result, she was convinced of it. But, she could see that, despite being much stronger than ordinary people, these soldiers still made mistakes typical of those who are still mastering the early phases of their techniques.


    ''It seems these people truly weren''t warriors before they joined Minos'' army¡­'' Mendy thought about it as she watched two level 44 soldiers defeat one level 48 enemy.


    One of those soldiers acted as a shield, while the other was continually attacking the enemy until that person received a blow to his back and fell facedown on the ground.


    Seeing this, Mendy was even more impressed. ''He is turning ordinary citizens into high-level warriors... And all of this in less than five years since his arrival in this place!''


    When thinking about it, Mendy realized that she had underestimated the potential of this place, as she had ignored this and other factors. For example, the current population was practically stagnant, and from what she had heard locally, only a few new families arrived in the Dry City weekly.


    But even with a stagnant population and less than 200,000 inhabitants, this city had still managed to build an army of about 10,000 soldiers. That was not small for such a small population, so this young woman couldn''t help but think about what would happen if the Black Plain had a chance to receive more people...


    Gulp!


    She swallowed her saliva as she thought about it until she realized that the two strongest people in that enemy group had approached Minos.


    ''Let''s see what you do, Minos!''


    ...


    At the same time as Minos'' 50 soldiers battled the Gill family guards, Winston and Russ approached Minos, both running around the young man''s sides.


    The two were running at full speed and already prepared to attack Minos with everything they had!


    Neither of them wanted Minos to die, as it would be interesting if he became a hostage. But since he had leveled up so quickly and even developed the Dry City, they couldn''t help but think that young Stuart would be stronger than an ordinary level 49 cultivator!


    In fact, they were sure that this young man must have had Black-grade techniques, something that would make him practically as strong as them!


    Winston was a little stronger than Russ, even considering the distinct quality techniques they both used. However, such a thing was by a small margin, and certainly, one could not kill the other in just one blow if they had been fighting each other with everything.


    So, neither of them thought Minos would die from this attack. However, this was still a quick way for both of them to wound the leader of this place with just one move and then use him as a hostage for the sake of the Gill family!


    "Brat, don''t try to resist. That will be better for you!" Russ yelled at Minos just before he was just one meter away from his target.


    "Fall for me!" Winston muttered as he threw a mighty punch toward Minos'' face.


    Pow!


    Almost instantly, as they said these things, their attacks finally took shape.


    First, one of Winston''s fists turned utterly black as it came toward Minos'' young face.


    Second, on the opposite side of Winston''s attack, red flames flew towards the young man''s chest, ready to burn him badly!


    Sssss!


    However, while those two men sent by the Gill family gave their all, Minos just watched them, not making any abrupt movements.


    He just activated his defensive technique and remained in that same spot, still with an annoyed expression on his face, due to the problem that this family had exposed to him.


    Puff!


    "Keep calm. Today I won''t fight..."

 Chapter 513: Make a Performance for Enemies

    "Today, I will not fight. Otherwise, I might end up killing someone!" Minos said this at the same time that his powerful defensive technique completely absorbed the enemy attack.


    Since he was already at level 49, defending against these two men, one at level 49 and the other at level 50, was very easy for young Stuart. So, he hadn''t even bothered to make a move against these people.


    On the other hand, as this young man was infuriated right now, he didn''t want to fight these two opponents and end up killing one of them. After all, he would need the Gill family to believe that everything was going according to their plans!


    That''s the only way the Dry City could have a little more peace!


    Finally, seeing their attacks being utterly ineffective against their target, both of those men took several steps back while they paled.


    Neither could feel the spiritual fluctuations typical of the arrays. That is, they were both confident that Minos was not using a unique tactic to defend himself.


    No, such a thing that had just happened that was frightening these two experienced cultivators could only be related to this young man''s abilities!


    ''Shit! How can his skin be so tough?'' Winston suspiciously  wondered as he felt a sharp pain in one of his wrists.


    He had felt as if he had hit an object with the resistance of medium-level grade-2 equipment when he had punched Minos in the face. Such a thing was hard enough that someone on this man''s level wouldn''t even be able to scratch it, even if he used all his strength!


    On the other hand, Russ was equally scared, but he hadn''t suffered any pain as that Spiritual King had. He had just wasted some of his energy on that blow earlier and was scared that this young man was so tough.


    At the moment when the flames sent by Russ were going to touch Minos'' chest, this young man had only placed one of his hands in front of his clothes so that the opponent''s technique wouldn''t burn them!


    And Russ had trembled with terror at seeing it. After all, he had used that technique to burn a level 50 cultivator to death in the past.


    But Minos hadn''t even been hurt using his bare hand to shield his clothes from those flames...


    ''Damn it! This bastard is much stronger than us! We''re dead!''  He looked up and down that spot, hoping there would be at least an opportunity for him to get away.


    This noble member of the Gill family did not waste time and soon began to flee from Minos, not even noticing the local soldiers pressing in on his own family''s guards.


    On the other hand, Winston had heard Minos'' words perfectly and understood that his fate was already sealed. ''He said he won''t fight us, but that doesn''t mean he''ll allow us to escape¡­'' He sighed in defeat, thinking of what he should do.


    Try his luck and run away? Fighting against enemies and perhaps getting something out of a possible victory?


    He didn''t know, but soon he ran towards Minos'' soldiers, intending to fight these opponents.


    This man had worked very hard to reach his current level, so he only wanted to do what would increase his survival chances. If that meant he would somehow have to perform for this enemy, then so be it!


    ...


    Seeing what had happened to these two men, Mendy was a little surprised. But not because Minos was stronger than those individuals, but because he didn''t have any injuries stopping their attacks.


    She knew that Minos was stronger than a level 50 Spiritual King like her, as she had felt that she didn''t have the strength to leave this young man''s arms on that previous occasion. But even considering that, Mendy couldn''t imagine how young Stuart could be so resistant that those attacks wouldn''t even hurt him.


    Hell, not even a scratch or a slight burn could be seen on the parts of Minos'' body that had been hit!


    So, she had naturally been shocked, as she would probably have been seriously injured if she had been in his place!


    ''He won''t fight? Don''t tell me his soldiers will be the ones dealing with these two?'' She wondered, right away as she saw that Winston was running toward the battlefield.


    ...


    At this point, more than 60 guards from the Gill family were already lying unconscious on the adjacent terrain. Yet, at the same time, the rest of those people continued to struggle not to lose this battle.


    However, the psychological damage of seeing so many of their allies fall one after another was remarkably significant in each of those people''s minds. And as such, as time passed, those guards still standing felt more and more vulnerable while their fighting spirits disappeared.


    And not surprisingly, an incorrectly minded, psychologically wounded warrior would be seriously weakened at such times. Consequently, the already lopsided situation of the fight became even worse, with Minos'' soldiers increasingly predominant in this battle.


    Only 20 of them were fighting the remnants of the Gill family guards, while another 15 were fighting Russ and Winston. As for the others, they were taking care of the surroundings and the already unconscious guards.


    None of these soldiers wanted one of these people to die from the battle. As such, some of them had been concerned with keeping the lives of these now hostages so that the damage to the Black Plain would be as minor as possible.


    Plus, there was no longer any need for all those soldiers to fight their opponents.


    After all, in addition to their opponents having diminished their fighting spirit, those soldiers were already stronger individually than most of the Gill family guards in this place.


    Therefore, they could fight these opponents without their full strength!


    ...


    While the remaining guards of the Gill family got beaten and continued to fall unconscious on that battlefield, Russ was facing six opponents right now.


    Each of these people was only at level 44, but by fighting Russ, they were putting up a high resistance, to the point where this man couldn''t even find time to fight back.


    He had tried to run away before, but these people had not been slow to stop him from doing such a thing. And it hadn''t been long before they got into a certain kind of formation, in which this Gill family nobleman hardly found time to sigh.


    With each new blow he took, Russ had just time to lift his head and use his defense to try to defend himself from the subsequent impact.


    ''Damn it! Why don''t these bastards give me a second to breathe?'' He thought about it for a moment as he sweated considerably and felt his spiritual power steadily diminishing.


    Russ was completely pale at the time and with many wounds distributed all over his body. Other than that, his clothes were torn in several places, and with every moment of fight that passed, these damages were increasing.


    Anyway, as he tried his best to defend himself, a robust red palm cut through the air in that spot, going straight for Russ'' face.


    Realizing that, this nobleman frowned, understanding that the opponent''s pace had changed. "Oh shit!" He exclaimed aloud, just as he saw that he was being attacked from two different directions this time.


    Pow!


    Not having time to fend off two blows, Russ had no choice but to try to fend off just one of them while trying to withstand the damage of the other.


    "Ahhhh!"


    In doing so, just a fraction of a second after the attacks were sent, that red palm from before hit this man''s jaw, making it bend to the opposite side of the blow as if that had dislocated!


    The image of it was chilling and could make ordinary people feel goosebumps in their bodies!


    However, that hadn''t ended Russ'' life. No, despite the excruciating pain he was currently feeling, all he had done was scream to express his feelings as he tried to compose himself.


    Pow!


    But to his misfortune, there were still four other people fighting him...

 Chapter 514: End of Fight

    As he felt weakened by the pain of that last attack, Russ didn''t have time to react when four blows as hard as the previous hit him!


    Pow!


    "Ahhhh!"


    Crack!


    In that instant, his legs and arms were hit, causing several cracking sounds to sound from Russ'' body as he felt many of his bones breaking.


    "Ahhhhh!"


    At the same time, he was screaming in pain, feeling extremely vulnerable, and gradually losing control over his own body. ''Shit. Shit. They will kill me. I won''t be able to defend myself.'' He thought frantically, losing what little of his calm remained.


    But before Russ even had a chance to lose his lucidity due to fear of death, one of the soldiers fighting him hit him with a hard punch in the face.


    Such a thing had not been strong enough to put the life of that nobleman of the Gill family at risk. However, this served to put an end to this fight!


    Russ had passed out, and now only Winston was standing among those in this Gill family group.


    This man had nine people around him as he continued to fight these soldiers actively.


    His body was already quite injured at the time, while his spiritual energy wouldn''t last long. But despite the bad situation, he wasn''t the least bit desperate like that other guy...


    After all, this man had a personality quite different from people of high status or high regional level. He wasn''t as superficial and status-dependent as Russ, for example. So, his fall in this place wasn''t enough to mess up this man''s rationality!


    Precisely because of this, he had realized from the beginning that, at least in the short term, his life was not at risk.


    However, he had still fought in that place as the enemy had not given him the option to surrender. After all, he understood all too well the ability Minos must have to have made that move earlier.  And as such, this young man could easily defeat Winston if he wanted to.


    But even so, none of that had happened...


    Anyway, Winston continued to defend himself from those nine soldiers around him, waiting for the end of this battle.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Mendy, who had followed the entire fight so far, was slowly approaching that place, soon after realizing that the Spiritual King was about to be defeated.


    Winston had fought bravely and demonstrated decent strength for someone at level 50. Yet, he had still been forced into a dead-end by a group of level 44 Spiritual Generals!


    And that was something incredible to see in this region, where these beings at the 6th stage were usually considered experts.


    The fact that this was fantastic was not because one person had lost to a lower-level person. No, this happened quite often, even in this less developed region of the Spiritual World.


    What truly impressed Mendy and was something notable was the combination of the power of individuals from many weaker levels to defeat a single opponent!


    It was common knowledge that even if two people had collective power equal to a single higher-level cultivator, the fight would not be balanced. On the contrary, the higher-level person would have the advantage all the time.


    And Mendy firmly believed that there wasn''t much room for numbers to make a difference. That is, it would be challenging to get people to fight in similar ways, to the point where one party fills the gaps in the other.


    The main reason for this was that cultivators frequently had very different sets of techniques, making it challenging to combine these people''s strengths.


    For example, someone might have techniques focused on hand-to-hand combat, while others might concentrate on long-ranged battles. And obviously, it would be a problem for the two to fight together.


    The chance of one interfering with the other was not slight. One person would have to constantly be close to his opponent, making it difficult for the other side, who would need space to attack from a distance!


    Anyway, several variables related to this would make it challenging to combine certain types of warriors.


    But maybe someone thought, ''so to solve this, all you have to do is unite people with similar techniques and characteristics, right?''


    Not necessarily.


    That is because the system adopted by the large regional families made it difficult for this to happen.


    Because in these families, subordinates had to learn the techniques they had the opportunity to put into their hands and not what they wanted or needed.


    They rarely had the opportunity to learn techniques more compatible with their collective characteristics.


    And in many cases, a person has never had a chance to have a Black-grade technique. Still, then one day, this person has the opportunity to learn something that might not fit perfectly with he wants.


    What to do? Try to change it to one that suits him better?


    No way!


    For those who did not have the support of great powers, such as the nobles, having Black-grade techniques would be a taboo they would not speak about in public. Otherwise, it wouldn''t be long before a criminal, or even an ordinary but ambitious person, appeared to ''recover'' such a technique.


    As such, hardly an ordinary person would talk about having a copy of a Black-grade technique or even try to sell or exchange it!


    And that generated the previous problem.


    The incompatibility!


    However, no one saw this as a problem in the northern part of the Central Continent. After all, individual power was seen as the most important, and therefore no one minded being incompatible with other cultivators...


    That fits the context well, right? Or did the context match it?


    Who knows...


    The fact was, Mendy thought so, until this very moment when she had seen that Spiritual King fall unconscious to the ground!


    ''This is interesting! Those soldiers fight very well as a team and even have similar spiritual techniques¡­'' She pondered everything she had seen in these minutes of battle as she approached where young Stuart was standing.


    "That was an eye-opener for me, Minos. You did a good job in your army, congratulations!" Mendy praised him by clapping a hand on the shoulders of this young sovereign.


    "How did you think that? Did your father pass this on? Or maybe some great master?"


    Hearing this, Minos left aside his problems, which had been hanging his head for a moment, and responded. "No, I was originally taught to value individual strength like any youth in our region."


    "However, when you find yourself at a dead-end, there are no options but to change your behavior..." He commented vaguely. "Anyway, I did it just to adapt to the dangerous position in which I''m."


    Mendy then shook her head, indicating she understood what this young man had said. ''Indeed, your situation is quite dangerous... You have so many things, but you still don''t have enough power to maintain them.'' This young woman thought about it, believing that Minos was referring to his situation in the northern region of the Central Continent...


    Anyway, right after the two exchanged those few words, young Stuart gave his orders to those soldiers. "You guys did a great job!"


    "Collect all the spatial rings from these individuals and then send them to the headquarters administration. Furthermore, take these people to the local prison. I want them to be interrogated as soon as possible, especially these two¡­" He said, pointing to Russ and Winston.


    "Yes, young master!" Several soldiers shouted at the same time.


    Minos then continued. "When these two men wake up, send someone to let me know. I''ll talk to them right away."


    "Finally, each of you will receive 1,000 merit points for performing well in this battle!"

 Chapter 515: Interrogation and Elena Back on Stone Island

    Several hours had passed since the end of the battle between the guards sent by the Gill family to the Dry City and the local soldiers.


    In this past time, all those individuals had been sent to the prison, where the guards who were in more complex situations received support from the local doctors.


    Minos didn''t want any of them to die, as he didn''t want the Gill family to worry about the possible failure of their troops.


    That might be unlikely from their point of view. Still, there would undoubtedly be those more cautious people in any organization who would have dangerous ideas...


    And this sovereign wanted to avoid problems with such individuals.


    In fact, Minos not only wanted these people not to think about the failure of those guards, but he also wanted them to think that everything had gone well!


    At least that was his intention in the short term...


    Additionally, because he did not want to act until he knew his exact situation, he immediately called Abby to accompany him to the local prison the moment Russ and Winston awoke.


    ...


    Minos and his girlfriend quickly passed the local Dry City prison entrance. Then, they went directly to the level where the most dangerous prisoners were.


    With over 200 people currently serving their sentences in this facility, it was no longer possible to group all the prisoners, as happened before when Celeste and Neal arrived in this city. As such, this building was finally functioning at its peak, following the scheduled subdivision.


    Finally, after walking and descending many stairs, the couple arrived at the place where two members of the Gill family were.


    Both no longer wore noble clothes and armor, while they didn''t look so wounded either. They were pretty pale and without spiritual energy, but their situation was already much better than before.


    On the other hand, Russ'' lucidity had returned after he woke up in this place and realized that his life wasn''t over... Of course, he was sad about his current circumstances, but heck, getting a chance to live and see tomorrow was enough for him not to collapse.


    As the two looked at the floor of their cells, with worried and regretful looks, they finally heard the same voice as before, which had scared them considerably in the previous battle.


    "Well, welcome to my city!" Minos said, opening his arms and looking in the direction of those two with a smile on his face. "It''s a shame you came here intending to attack us, but since you''re here, I hope you''re prepared to live the next few centuries in this place!"


    Gulp!


    "You are mistaken! Mr. Minos, we were coming to support your city!"


    "Unfortunately, ten years ago, Mr. Albert had died, and we decided to show our regrets on this significant date!" Russ said in a weakened tone as he knelt beside the bars of the cell he was in.


    Hearing such a thing, Winston suddenly looked at the man with a disapproving glance, but he said nothing. ''This guy''s face is truly hard. No wonder he survived the previous battle...''


    "Oh? Do you want to keep this comment? You know, I don''t like lies, and if I find out that''s not the truth, I''m afraid I''ll have to punish you severely." Minos provoked. "Maybe crippling your spiritual cultivation?"


    Gulp!


    After swallowing his saliva in fear of what he had heard, Russ stopped talking and stayed quiet in his cell, looking at the floor and waiting for Minos'' purpose here.


    "Well, it doesn''t matter if you''re intent on telling the truth or not... Abby." Minos called his girlfriend''s name at the same time he opened Russ'' cell.


    "If I remember correctly, you were running this guy earlier, right?" Minos asked as he looked towards Russ. "I think we''d better start with him, Abby."


    "OK. This person won''t take long to tell you everything he knows." She commented in a low voice, her hands already glowing with blue energy as they approached the face of that individual.


    "No! What is it? No¡­" He started to try to get away from Abby''s hands while screaming in fear, fearing what might happen.


    But all this was futile. With his cultivation sealed, even though Abby was of a lower rank than he was, this man couldn''t resist this young woman''s strength.


    And soon, it wasn''t long before Russ began to feel the effects of that innate ability.


    ...


    "He''s ready to talk." Abby commented.


    "Hmm, very good."


    "What''s your name?" Minos asked as he looked into the eyes of Russ, who was sitting on the floor of that cell at the moment.


    "Russ Gill."


    ''What a strange name¡­'' Minos thought for a moment. "What was your purpose in coming to the Dry City?"


    "Dominate the city through force. Take local sovereignty in the name of House Gill."


    Hearing this, Winston, who was not far from Russ, nearly spat out a mouthful of blood at how honest this fellow was being. ''Why is he saying these things? Is it because of that girl?''


    But while that Spiritual King had his concerns, Minos continued his interrogation. "After taking over the Dry City, what would you have to do?"


    "Send a crow with the message to the family and then start running this place."


    "How many days do you have to do this?"


    "Three weeks."


    "What will happen if the family does not receive this information on time?"


    "There is more than one possibility. But since we''re not dead, the family would likely send a group of Spiritual Kings to the Dry City to find out what happened. After that, they would likely report the case to the royal family."


    "And what will happen if your family finds out you were successful?"


    "Depending on the information sent, they could vary from sending stronger people to rule this place to just keeping us here. Then they would probably try to annex this region officially, with a request to the royal family."


    ''So the royal family will be involved in this one way or another¡­'' Minos closed his eyes for a moment, feeling a growing weight on his shoulders.


    "In any case, how long would it take your family to notify the royal family?"


    "I''m not sure. There are several variables involved. But certainly, not long. From one to six months." Russ replied while he had a weird look on his face, almost as if he was intoxicated.


    "One to six months?" Abby muttered, getting a bit startled by this information. ''If so, then in less than a year, we could have royal troops surrounding this place...''


    ''Damn it. It''s too soon!''


    But while Abby was concerned about this, Minos remained with the same serious expression as before and continued to pursue this matter. "What if I use your lives to trade with the Gill family? How much more time can I earn?"


    "Would they give up something on your account?"


    "Probably not... Even with my status, my life would still be less valuable than the Black Plain. So, negotiations won''t work."


    "I see... So apparently, I''ll have to risk luring the Gill family into a trap." He muttered as he thought about what could be done.


    For Minos, the only alternative here was to risk the greed of that noble organization. If he showed how good the Dry City was to the right people, maybe, just maybe, the House Gill wouldn''t let the royal family know about this place quickly.


    And that would be the best scenario for the Dry City, considering that the information had already leaked.


    Now what Minos could do was just contain the damage that the discovery of the Gill family would do to him, sooner or later.


    And if he could only deal with the Gill family, then at least in the short term, he and the Dry City might still have time to develop!


    ...


    While Minos was dealing with the problems of the Black Plain, Elena was currently on a small ship, a few kilometers away from Stone Island.


    After a few days traveling, she had hired this service to take her from the Peninsula of Waves to her homeland.


    As such, it hadn''t taken her long to reach this place, from where she could now see the northeastern part of Stone Island, where she would continue her journey to the capital, in the central part of this state.


    ''Ah, how good it is to be back...'' She thought to herself as she felt the sea breeze in her face.

 Chapter 516: Elena vs Two Spiritual Kings 1

    After some time, Elena finally landed on Stone Island in one of the great port cities of this state, Sapphire.


    This place was known for its naturally deep ports and its azure waters, the color of sapphires. Hence the name.


    But despite these natural characteristics so crucial to Sapphire, this city was also one of the port cities in this state, from where the hundreds of thousands of tons of resources and products of this kingdom came and went.


    And like Portland, this medium-sized city had plenty of opportunities, as well as an above-average quality of life for the region. There were associations of the most varied professions and branch offices of several noble families of this state...


    Anyway, Elena had just left one of Sapphire''s local ports, having passed an immigration post and then made her way into the interior of this town.


    ''I''ll have to hire a carriage from this city to the capital...'' So she thought to herself as she walked the wide streets of this city.


    She wasn''t with any beasts, as she and Elen had previously traveled by boat to the Kingdom of the Waves. After that, at that time, the two had gone to the Dry City in a flying beast, which Elena''s friend had taken back with herself more than a year ago.


    With that, Elena had left the Dry City here without any mounts, so she needed to hire this kind of service.


    And it didn''t take long for her to head towards one of the many places where she could hire this type of service.


    ...


    Meanwhile, the local port had a hall with several guards working in what appeared to be small immigration posts.


    "The entrance fee is..."


    "I see... So you''re coming from the Snow Kingdom..."


    "No, ma''am, you can''t enter our state for free just because you came..."


    Several voices could be heard in that noisy place, while many people with baggage in their hands passed by from time to time, while some lines formed.


    But that was just the most common part of this royal guard post. If someone walked a few more meters from that place, that person would find a space similar to the previous one but with much less movement.


    That area was where nobles and powerful experts passed, where one could get permission to enter this state more quickly.


    That''s because the local royal family managed to have much more efficient control over their borders than other kingdoms in the region due to the geographical factor!


    Therefore, anyone who entered this state had to go through the immigration service at posts like this one in Sapphire.


    In any case, while that ordinary post was crowded with people, this unique area was quiet, with only a half dozen people in addition to the guards at this location.


    "Uh, the cost of entry for your family is 19,000 low-grade crystals..." A guard from that place said this when suddenly another person approached him and asked something in a low voice.


    "I heard from Len that you wanted to talk to me. What''s the problem?"


    Hearing this, that guard from before stopped talking to the family in front of him while he waited for the crystals. "A few minutes ago, a young Spiritual King arrived at this location." He said.


    After that, such a guard received payment from that family and then delivered some similar items to those people while he had a smile on his face. "Have a good day."


    After that family moved away from there, that man from before finally spoke again. "A young Spiritual King? That is not common to find in a place like ours!"


    "She must be one of the geniuses of the great regional families... Anyway, I''ll pass on the information. Give me her characteristics and also the information you gathered."


    "All right..."


    And it wasn''t long before these two finished their business, and that old man left that immigration post. As for the guard from before, he went back to his usual duties, not caring too much about it.


    Such a thing that had just happened was not uncommon in this region, as Spiritual Kings were always taken very seriously, no matter their level. However, after the beginning of the tension between the Nash and Allen families, it had intensified even more.


    In fact, every time a Spiritual King arrived or departed from one of the state''s port cities, guards like the latter had the opportunity to pass forward their information. But, of course, the royal family was not responsible for this. Instead, those who sought such a thing were the noble families, the ones involved in this recent turmoil.


    As a result, these standard guards, who had nothing to do with the ongoing war and were not forbidden from selling anyone''s information, simply took advantage of opportunities to earn more crystals...


    That was an easy job, and it didn''t pay badly. So every time powerful people came and went from these ports on Stone Island, the upper echelons of each of these cities would learn this information...


    Anyway, it didn''t take long for the information about Elena''s arrival to reach the right people!


    ...


    Several hours have passed since Elena arrived in Sapphire.


    Since her arrival, she had ordered a carriage trip from this town to Old Stone, leaving early tomorrow.


    After solving this matter, she hadn''t wasted much time in this place, which she already knew, only  having done two things. First, she had gone out to eat at some upscale local restaurant, something she hadn''t done in a while.


    After all, even though there were low-level grade-2 cooks in the Dry City, they still needed a lot of training to meet this young woman''s culinary standards.


    Elena often ate at places with medium-level grade-2 chefs, so she couldn''t help but feel a desire to go back to eating the delicacies produced by such experts.


    Second, after having had a good meal, Elena had found a place to spend the night where she could cultivate and rest.


    She hadn''t slept in a bed for almost a week, and as such, she truly wanted it right now!


    With that, Elena hadn''t taken long to reach the hotel in question, where she''d taken a long hot shower and then gone to cultivate and then go to sleep.


    ...


    The next morning.


    Elena woke up very early after a peaceful night in that hotel room where she had stayed.


    After waking up, she had quickly packed her things and eaten a handful of strawberries she had bought in the Dry City. Then, she finally left that place and headed towards her hired carriage.


    "Good morning, miss. I''ve already prepared everything for our journey so that we can leave at any time." The coachman said respectfully, soon after seeing the arrival of the beautiful Elena.


    "Excellent. Let''s leave right now!"


    After saying that, the young blonde got into that carriage, and the coachman did what he had to do until the beasts pulling that carriage started running through the streets of the city of Sapphire.


    However, as they moved under the cloudy skies of this early morning, the carriage hired by this young woman suddenly stopped just before it left the built-up area of ??that town.


    "Miss, we have a problem!" The coachman said in a weakened tone as he spoke to Elena through a small window.


    After that, Elena quickly got out of that carriage and saw two people standing in the middle of the street, just in front of the exit where they were supposed to pass.


    They were two men dressed in armor with different symbols, and both had spiritual cultivation at the 6th stage of cultivation!


    Probing these two, Elena soon realized their strength. ''You''re at level 51, and you''re at level 52.'' She thought about it as she looked in sequence in the directions of those two men, who seemed to be laughing right now.


    "Miss Elena Neel, welcome to Stone Island after so long away!" The stronger of the two said that.


    "You reached level 50, amazing! I''m sure your family would be happy to know that..."


    "Unfortunately for you, this will never happen!" The other commented while making a serious expression.


    "Oh? And what do you two intend to do?"

 Chapter 517: Elena vs Two Spiritual Kings 2

    After hearing the comments of those two men, Elena couldn''t help but smile slightly. She wasn''t like that because she liked trouble. After all, she couldn''t be described as a person who loves to fight.


    But, this young woman couldn''t help but think of the behavior of these two men as  pathetic!


    She was much stronger than those two and was used to occasionally training with Minos. Hence, she felt extremely comfortable at this point, despite her disadvantage in numbers and cultivation level.


    And she was aware that there was no way these opponents would know of her above-average strength... But even so, she couldn''t help but look at them as if she were a pair of idiots.


    "What are we going to do with you? Do you ask that? It looks like miss Elena doesn''t understand the situation, Bert. Do you want to explain to her?" The weaker of those two individuals said this in a mocking tone while laughing at Elena.


    These two weren''t of noble birth like Elena. Yet, even though they both had inferior techniques than this young woman''s, they were confident they could handle her with some ease. After all, the difference between Black-grade and Blue-grade techniques wasn''t that big, and both of these men were already at higher levels than hers.


    With that, they had come here with the certainty that they would have the upper hand against Elena.


    After hearing the question from his associate, Bert, level 52, laughed. "Hehehe, she truly is an ignoramus! Miss Elena, don''t you know that Stone Island has been a little insecure lately? Your friend Elen has been disrupting local life a lot..."


    "But still, you appear in a town like this, unaccompanied, completely vulnerable¡­" He then shook his head and made a sound with his tongue, typical of people expressing their disappointment. "Looks like you missed some Neel family classes, huh?"


    "Hehe, your friend Elen is cautious not to appear in public without security but looks at you... Traveling alone."


    "Oh? So are you Elen''s enemies? Where do you come from?" Elena asked curiously.


    She had already expected to be approached by people at the 6th stage of cultivation on her journey. Still, there was no way for her to know if these people would be allies or enemies without a presentation first.


    Therefore, despite having noticed the hostility of these two, she did not know if they were in collaboration with the Allen family. But knowing that, she was now sure what she was supposed to do with these two...


    "Humph, we don''t need to give you satisfaction!"


    "By the way, you don''t ask the questions here." The stronger of the two remarked haughtily as his spiritual energy began to flow more quickly through his body.


    "But you''re lucky... You have the information we need. So, we won''t kill you right away!" The level 51 cultivator said as he prepared to act. "Come on, Bert, let''s finish this woman quickly!"


    Seeing and hearing these two men in front of her, Elena smiled once more before finally saying something to both of them. "Hehe, actually, you guys just helped Elen and me. Eliminating two enemies at the 6th stage isn''t a bad thing to do..."


    "Pathetic!"


    "I wasn''t even worried about eliminating worms like you two, but it won''t be too much work to deal with you both!" She then placed her fists at the level of her face and got into a fighting stance. "Do you have anything last to talk? That is your last chance."


    "Tsk, talk while you can! We''ll see who will have the last laugh!" The level 52 cultivator commented just before he started moving through that spot.


    Simultaneously, Bert just laughed at Elena''s ridiculous comments. But he couldn''t help but be impressed by this as he prepared to activate a decisive attack. ''I thought this woman only knew how to open her legs... But it looks like she''s not just a bitch after all.''


    Seeing those two men running in different directions, already activating their respective techniques, Elena remained there, waiting for the best moment to act.


    She was stronger than both of them in terms of combat proficiency. Still, unlike Minos, who could steal his opponents'' energy during fights, she didn''t have that advantage. Consequently, Elena needed to be careful with her energy expenditure during battles.


    She might be stronger than those two men, but she had smaller energy reserves than they did. Hence, if she were careless and showed her strang, those two might realize their mistake in underestimating her.


    And that could lead to unwanted escape!


    Initially, Elena wasn''t looking for trouble, at least until her return to Stone Island''s capital. But since these two people had gotten in her way, she could very well diminish the enemy forces now.


    ''That''s right, keep getting closer... Underestimate me...'' Elena calmly  thought as she watched the enemy attacks forming in the air.


    Suddenly, a hurricane with strong winds formed in front of where that level 51 cultivator was standing as he directed this attack on Elena''s right side.


    At the same time, a ball of red light appeared in Bert''s hand and then turned into a beam of light, heading towards Elena''s left side.


    "Fall for me!" One of them said it out loud, as he used much of his spiritual cultivation in his attack.


    Ssss!


    Swooish! Swooish!


    Different sounds resonated through that spot, as both attacks launched in Elena''s direction cut through the air, until finally, they were only a few inches away from this young woman''s body.


    "Let me show you how weak you are!"


    But just before the scene expected by those two opponents of this young blonde happened, they heard that, and then something unique occurred!


    Elena then disappeared from where she was, running at high speed until she reached the middle of those opponents. After that, she stopped running and raised her arms towards those men''s chests.


    Burning Light!


    Immediately upon activating her Silver-grade attack technique, a golden ball appeared in each of Elena''s hands.


    These two balls seemed to be on fire as if they were small stars about to explode!


    Finally, after just a millisecond, half-golden, half-orange beams of light condensed into a ray of light, heading towards the targets from before.


    Ssss!


    "What? It can not be!" Bert exclaimed in disbelief, feeling extremely vulnerable right now.


    He could feel how strong that attack was. Such a thing was even superior to what he could display at his level, something that had already reached the power equivalent of a full strike from a level 53 cultivator!


    And Elena had attacked two people simultaneously with the same amount of force, after completely dodging her opponents'' strongest attacks!


    While that didn''t prove she had a fighting proficiency even higher than level 53, these two experienced Spiritual Kings felt that Elena was very experienced in fierce battles.


    Such an ability to activate the same technique proved that she was that kind of person rare in this part of the continent, the invincible kind at her own level!


    As they considered this, terrified and virtually helpless, those two men finally felt the power of that young woman''s Silver-grade technique.


    ''It can not be! She''s only at level 50!'' The weaker of the two tried to make sense of it, but there was nothing.


    All that was left for him was to feel his defenses fall one after the other quickly until the attack launched by Elena touched his chest.


    "Ahhhhhh!"


    "Ahhhhh!"


    Screams of pain filled the early morning silence as two men fell and began to roll on the ground.


    "Ahhhh, mercy! Miss Elena, mercy!" The stronger of the two screamed as tears began to flow from the corners of his eyes.


    He was feeling as if his own soul was burning while his armor had melted and an eight-centimeter radius hole was forming in the middle of his chest.


    Unfortunately for both of them, the attack Elena had used was fatal!


    Such a thing would not only destroy the physical part, but it would also burn the target''s very soul!


    Because of that, even if the hearts of these men weren''t being destroyed right now, they would still die since they weren''t able to stop an attack like that.


    "You''re already dead... You just haven''t figured it out yet."

 Chapter 518: Back

    After saying those words, Elena watched these men for a moment, seeing the desperation in each of their eyes.


    The technique she had used was fatal, but since both of those individuals were stronger than her in terms of cultivation, they were still resisting with all their strength.


    In fact, these men would not have ended up in this situation if they had been more cautious towards this young woman from the Neel family.


    However, they were unprepared to deal with the powerful Silver-grade technique that Elena had learned in the Black Plain Army by not acting prudently.


    Such a technique was quite fatal, but if the opponent protected himself against it and had more than 100% more energy than the person who attacked, there would be chances of survival. But none of these conditions had been fulfilled by those men, and now they were feeling the effects of such a thing on their bodies and souls!


    Finally, when Elena realized that it would still take a while for them to die, she decided to act and get it over with as soon as possible!


    It wouldn''t be interesting if one of these two had the opportunity to pass along the information of her capabilities through a letter or some passerby.


    In this way, Elena again got back into action as she ran towards the strongest of those opponents, the one who seemed to be in the best position.


    In doing so, she first activated her movement technique and ran up to that person''s back in just a split second. Then she once again used her attack technique while she held that man''s head.


    "No!" He screamed in terror, realizing that while trying to endure the physical and soul damage that young woman had appeared behind him.


    "Ahhhh!"


    Ssss!


    Boom!


    However, amidst his screams of pain, Elena''s technique suddenly appeared in that spot, this time right on the side of the man''s neck. After that, his head exploded like a watermelon, causing this Spiritual King''s lifeless body to fall towards the ground slowly.


    A level 52 cultivator had died!


    And even though the explosion of his head had been quite shocking, not a drop of blood had come out of that place. In fact, the only thing left was a piece of burnt charcoal meat!


    Anyway, it didn''t take long for young Elena to do the same with that other individual, who hadn''t even noticed the death of his companion.


    He was in a much worse state than the other Spiritual King, as his level was lower, and he had to deal with the same offensive power as his comrade.


    Upon receiving the second attack, this man hadn''t even cried out in despair or tried to beg for mercy. On the contrary, the pain he felt was so strong that the moment Elena got on his back and attacked him, for him, it was the best possible result!


    He was going to die anyway, so that at least ended his suffering!


    With that, the fight was over, and Elena had killed two Spiritual Kings!


    ...


    ''Unbelievable!'' The old coachman of the carriage Elena had rented in Sapphire thought to himself, completely pale with fear.


    This old man had already reached level 40, so he understood very well how strong were the people who had stopped in front of his carriage earlier. And when he had realized that such people intended to fight Elena, this old man had felt very bad for this woman.


    However, reality had come as a big surprise to this old man... The woman who should have been taken from here half-dead was fine. She had also demonstrated terrifying power and killed her two opponents!


    As such, this old coachman could not help feeling disbelief and surprise.


    Gulp!


    On the other hand, the fear he felt at that moment was as great as the surprise, and he couldn''t help swallowing his saliva in awe.


    ''The world is truly vast... No wonder they say not to judge a book by its cover!'' So the old man thought to himself as he watched Elena collect the spatial rings from those two corpses.


    ''Ah, the next time I see my kids, I have to teach them this so that they both don''t end up like these experts!''


    ''Most of the time, the level is everything. But who knows if the other side is one of those monsters? The best thing is never to disturb...''


    While that coachman had many thoughts running through his mind, Elena finished collecting the belongings of those Spiritual Kings.


    ''They weren''t poor!'' She thought in surprise after analyzing the entire contents of those rings. ''6 Black-grade and 21 Blue-grade techniques. 200,000 low-grade crystals, 2,514 medium-grade crystals, hundreds of high-grade grade-1 items... Dozens of low-grade grade-2 weapons, pills, and arrays... And even a medium-level grade-2 shield!''


    The wealth of those two indeed wasn''t low by the standards of low-level Spiritual Kings in this region. However, this was not so strange to happen. After all, opportunities do not always appear for everyone, and sometimes luck could help a lot!


    On the other hand, those Spiritual Kings who had attacked her had probably lived for centuries. With that, they could have had several opportunities that would typically not be common for young cultivators like Elena, who had only a few years of experience.


    It would be easier to get items at certain times, and at others, these same products would be scarce. Given that reality, Elena hadn''t been too concerned about it, other than her initial surprise.


    ''These grade-1 items and techniques I will give to the army in exchange for merit points. As for the rest, hehe, I''ll keep one part and sell the other!'' Elena pondered this achievement as she entered that carriage she''d rented.


    "Come on. The road is already clear!"


    "Yes, ma''am!"


    When that carriage returned to run towards the central parts of Stone Island, Elena didn''t take long and soon began to cultivate.


    ...


    Quickly time passed, and at this moment, the carriage the young Elena was traveling arrived close enough to Old Stone for its passengers to see the city from afar.


    It was the beginning of the day in this region, and the characteristic freshness of the morning was over this place while Elena felt the breeze of the wind on her face outside that carriage.


    "Ahh, it''s good to be back!" She muttered as she had her eyes closed.


    After days traveling from Sapphire to here, Elena hadn''t encountered similar problems as before. She didn''t know if she had just been fortunate or if the enemies had been scared of her.


    But what mattered was that none of this had disturbed her. She just traveled through her homeland while gradually getting to know the current situation in this state.


    On the surface, things seemed to be going well. Most of the time, routine life seemed to predominate in most of the cities she had passed through. However, it was undeniable that tension was widespread throughout the state.


    It was not uncommon to hear news of great battles, deaths of thousands of people, and even some Spiritual Kings falling!


    And from what this young woman had learned, the struggles between the Nash and Allen respective alliances seemed to be in balance.


    Elen had many allies who had promised to help because of the products marketed by this young woman. However, even though the Allen family had a disadvantage in numbers on Stone Island, they constantly got outside support, which was a significant factor in the current balance.


    Upon discovering such a thing, Elena was amazed.


    She knew how difficult people in that family were to deal with, but not even in the worst of this young woman''s nightmares would she have thought that such power had so many cards up its sleeve...


    ''Is Elen around here? I want to know how things are. This Allen family seems to be much more dangerous than I thought...'' She thought about it, just before her carriage entered that big city!

 Chapter 519: Helping the Family

    After some time, Elena went straight to her family headquarters in the capital of Stone Island.


    She had a lot to talk to Elen about, but her main reason for coming here right now was to visit her family. So, she had decided to leave to settle her issues with her friend later, after her reunion with her family!


    And it didn''t take long for her to pass through the entrance gate to the Neel family property, that great organization of Stone Island blacksmiths.


    ...


    "Miss Elena, it''s a surprise to see you at this level so soon!" An elderly man, dressed in the typical attire of butlers, remarked this to the young woman who walked behind him.


    That was Elena''s father''s butler, the person who took care of most of the affairs and residence of the elder Shane Neel.


    And while she was walking behind that butler, Elena was talking to this old man through the halls of Shane''s residence, who she wanted to meet right now.


    Elena did not have any significant responsibility in the Neel family, as she did not follow the family business and had not even previously reached the minimum level for having great influence. However, now that she was a Spiritual King, she would have to take on some responsibilities and undergo a status change, even though she had previously been very free to do whatever she wanted.


    Young nobles would certainly hold much higher positions than subordinates, even when they were not yet mature enough to lead. However, the difference in the political powers of a young nobleman could be very significant concerning specialists in these powers.


    Take the example of the Nash family young master, Luke. He had been humiliated by Minos, but even so, he couldn''t ordain Spiritual Kings to settle his affairs at that time. He had to get permission for this from a superior to do something about it.


    And precisely because of things like this, Elena had come to talk to her father first!


    She wasn''t worried about her status in the Neel family and what she might get out of it, as her advantages in the Black Plain Army were already very significant.


    Of course, she had a bit of a desire to improve her status in the family due to the years she had grown up in this place and had often wanted to achieve such a thing. But that was just a small thing for her now.


    She was no longer trapped in a cave. She had gone out and seen the many possibilities of this vast world!


    But unlike what would have happened if Elena had gone to one of the sects of some empire, she could improve fast in the Black Plain and actively help her family.


    And that cheered her up!


    That''s why talking to her father and then achieving her status improvement in the family was significant for her. Not for the benefits she could get, but for the help she could bring to her home.


    She wishes she could see her elders level up again and the Neel family reach a level never before reached in their history. Finally, she would like to help her parents reach the 7th stage of cultivation!


    And with that in mind, Elena soon arrived at her father''s office.


    "Please, miss Elena, come in." The butler told her as he opened a large wooden door.


    "Hmmm."


    ...


    Upon entering that place, Elena immediately saw a man with utterly white hair sitting on a sofa while reading a newspaper.


    This person seemed relatively calm right now, with a cup of spiritual coffee on a small table next to him as he attentively read the contents of that newspaper.


    On the front page of that newspaper, there was a large image of a podium and some unique representations of the top three. Finally, the title of the text said the following. ''He did not go!''


    "Dad?"


    But while paying attention to that matter, suddenly this old man lost his attention when he heard a sweet voice coming from behind him.


    "Elena? You''re finally back!" He commented as he had a smile on his old face. Shane then put his paper aside and got up to give his only child a welcoming hug.


    After greeting each other, Elena quickly sat in front of her father. Then the two began talking about more serious matters.


    "Congratulations on becoming a Spiritual King! It''s a great joy for the whole family when one of our descendants gets there." He said in satisfaction simultaneously as he had his eyes closed and scratched his white beard.


    "Your mother will be delighted to find that out, hehe."


    "Hmmm." She nodded while her face was slightly reddened this time.


    "But since you''ve reached that level, I''m afraid you''ll have to go through some bureaucratic procedures for the next few days, Elena. This will be a bit boring for you. Still, it is necessary for you to gain some political powers and responsibilities."


    "Hm, I know, dad."


    "You probably know about the Stone Island situation these days, right? That is partly your and Elen''s responsibility, so you should already expect something related to that."


    "But the most important thing will be concerning other things. You will be able to lead some subordinates at the 6th stage from now on, and you will be able to command your own base even if you are not a blacksmith like the rest of us..."


    "Anyway, it''s good that you''re a warrior too. Few of us specialize in battles, so you''ll have plenty to do in the future, hehe..."


    Elena and her father then continued to talk about this and other subjects until this woman had understood everything she should do from now on.


    ...


    While Elena prepared to fulfill her responsibilities in her family, Minos was in the Dry City, taking care of matters relating to the guards sent by the Gill family.


    At this point, all those people had already been interrogated by local soldiers and police officers. With that done, Minos already had all the necessary information to act against such a family.


    Previously he had learned the basics of this subject from Winston and Russ. But this young sovereign was not the kind of person who thought that subordinates or lesser nobles would not have valuable information!


    And, sometimes, people like these knew of truths that would hardly reach influential individuals...


    Sometimes, to dominate a city, it would not only be necessary to know the influential powers. In addition, understanding how the masses behave and how the underworld''s rats act behind the scenes would be needed.


    And generally, such information was better known to more ordinary people, as in the case of some minor subordinates and nobles.


    That had proved to be valid after the interrogations were over, and young Stuart discovered information gained through Lionel Gill, someone Minos remembered very well...


    Such a person had better understandings than his superiors about the personality and attitudes of certain nobles of the Gill family. After all, Lionel had only modest Blue talent, but still, he could be considered a person with ambitions!


    He didn''t want to be forever a second-rate nobleman, someone who would possibly never make it to the 6th stage of cultivation. With that, he could only use his means and intelligence to get information and things that could help him fulfill his ambitions.


    And such a person had the information that had made possible the plan Minos had in his mind right now!


    Earlier, young Stuart didn''t know whether he should deceive the Gill family, saying the invasion was successful, or threaten them and use the people in that group as hostages.


    Both seemed to have very similar results and had given the local ruler a lot of headaches. But upon being informed of the full content of the interrogations, this young man had approached a resolution.


    He was preparing to deceive the Gill family and thereby wreak even more havoc on that power!


    Minos had already concluded that it wouldn''t be long before the truth about the Dry City spread. But he at least wanted to buy enough time for him to take over the Maritime City and reach level 50.


    With that, he would at least have better ways to act against his many enemies!


    ...

 Chapter 520: The Plan

    What Minos had planned was to use the greed of some individuals with positions of power in that family to deceive them, making them keep information about the Dry City.


    Minos no longer had many options for action. So, he considered using a portion of the truth about the Dry City to demonstrate to the Gill family elders how valuable this place was. And how bad it would be if they just delivered it on a ''platter'' to the local royal family.


    That is, it wouldn''t take a genius to figure out that the Brown family would surely take over the Dry City if they found this place valuable for them. Moreover, if some noble family denounced Minos and his forces about any infraction that had happened, they would use that as an excuse to occupy the Black Plain!


    The royal family was, in fact, the owner of the territories and, in theory, could take the sovereignty of the noble families and allocate those territories to other powers. But to do this without a plausible excuse would be somewhat unfavorable for the morals of such a power, which would certainly need to maintain order and respect upon itself.


    Being powerful and feared was all well and good, but that alone wouldn''t do it. After all, if everyone hates you, then the day when everyone revolts might not be too far away...


    In this case, even royal families did not do everything they could. So, they would need to guarantee their ''words'' that they would not simply take things from the nobles for no reasonable reason.


    That also ensured that Minos could keep the Black Plain in his possession even if the royal family discovered this location. Of course, this would have many consequences, and he would have to pay a heavy tax burden, but House Brown would not take his place if this young man were willing to bend his knee and accept such reality.


    On the other hand, he would definitely not receive any protection from the royal family. It would just wait for the day when this young man fell to the other families. After all, other powers wouldn''t stop at such an opportunity!


    However, it would definitely be much more attractive to the Brown family if they ruled the Black Plain without attracting the hatred of everyone in the state!


    So, if the Gill family sent the Dry City information to such power and denounced Minos'' offense against the Black Star Academy, such power would have its justifications. As a result, Minos would lose his sovereignty, and the Gill family would gain nothing from it!


    It was precisely on these points that Minos'' plan was based.


    He would try to deceive the Gill family into believing that the Dry City had been taken over by the group of Winston, Russ, and Lionel. But, at the same time, he would send truthful information about his land, things that such an organization already knew due to the coming of Railan and Ralf to this place.


    As, for example, information regarding the plantations of high spiritual concentration present in this region.


    On the other hand, there would be false information regarding the forces of the local army, population, etc. Things that would make that power believe its domain would be secure even without sending large numbers of guards here.


    Finally, he intended to make that family believe that he would be under the control of such an organization!


    If something went wrong and the royal family discovered the Dry City, the Gills could simply claim they had nothing to do with it and blame it all on Minos!


    At least, that''s what Minos wanted the ambitious leaders of that organization to realize after reading the reports from Winston, Russ, and Lionel.


    These reports would make clear to the influential people of that noble family how the Dry City territory had fallen to Winston''s group''s control. How young Stuart, a weak and fearful person, had become a puppet for that organization. Lastly, the potential that this place had to be exploited, in addition to the absence of internal threats...


    Anyway, that was Minos'' plan to resolve this issue temporarily.


    Was it a perfect plan? No, it certainly wasn''t since there were risks of the Gill family ignoring all this and simply handing the Dry City over to the royal family.


    But the chances of this working, at least in the short term, were not small. That is, at least in the span of weeks to months, this would likely not result in the start of a war between the Black Plain Army and the royal family.


    Minos and his forces would just have to deal with the Gill family, which was much better compared to the other option...


    But Minos wasn''t worried about initiating that plan right now. He and Dry City still had more than ten days until the deadline given by the Gill family for the Winston group came to an end, and they had to send in their reports.


    Minos wanted to send those reports only at the last minute to buy as much time as possible.


    And even if such a thing could generate questions, doubts related to the difficulty of the Dry City''s subduing, young Stuart had already thought of an excellent justification for this.


    Even if his city were supposed to be easily taken, that wouldn''t stop delays from happening. Fearful and weak people could find many ways to hide, making such a mission a little longer...


    With that, he could be used as an excuse for why the Dry City invasion took longer than it should!


    ...


    Anyway, while Minos waited for the time to begin that plan, he was dealing with the local affairs of the Dry City in his office.


    Right now, he was sitting behind his desk while he had his arms resting on this piece of furniture, his hands clasped together at the level of his mouth. But, on the other hand, in front of his desk was a man dressed in a uniform similar to the one used by the municipal police officers.


    This man presented some data about the local prisoners, which had already become numerous enough for this subject to become relevant for local development.


    "Young master, the prisoners, brought from the Maritime City is already working in the agricultural fields. But, as for the Gill family guards, they still need a few more days before they can work as farmers¡­" He continued to explain the situation of those people to the young sovereign with a calm expression on his face.


    Both the royal guards brought to the Dry City and the people of the Gill family were receiving the same kind of treatment. That was compulsory work in the agricultural fields!


    They were prisoners of war, and Minos had no intention of letting them do nothing while draining the Dry City coffers...


    After all, even if they didn''t need much, such people had to eat regularly. In addition, they would demand cleaning services in their cells, guards to monitor them, etc. Thus, there were many costs to keep a person incarcerated, and with Minos'' plans, such numbers would only increase in the future.


    In this case, rather than wasting Black Plain funds on these individuals, Minos would make them work to pay for such things!


    And as there was so much need for more labor in the local agricultural fields, these people were an excellent addition. That is because, even with their cultivations sealed, each of these prisoners was stronger than the average local farmer.


    In this case, they could produce a lot and help speed up local development!


    But Minos wouldn''t be unfair to such individuals. In the future, they would receive a slice of the earnings generated by their work. That would only be a part of what ordinary farmers would earn for the same job, as they would have to pay various fees.


    However, this was already very good for those imprisoned and living in the enemy''s hands. When they were released, they would undoubtedly receive significant amounts of crystals by the standards of this region.


    That was a good thing for both sides in this situation, something that would make this relationship more acceptable... At least such prisoners would not be enslaved and would face the constant punishment that would come if other enemies caught them.


    So, those people had readily accepted it.


    Anyway, it didn''t take long for that soldier to finish his business with Minos and return to his regular workplace.


    On the other hand, sometime after that person left Minos'' office, Mia went in there and communicated with her boss. "Young master, Miss Mendy is here to see you..."

 Chapter 521: Ending the Deal With Mendy 1

    After Mia said this, Minos took his attention from the papers in his hands and turned his face to this woman. "Oh? Well, I will accompany her."


    He then got up from where he was sitting and walked towards his office waiting room. At the same time, Mia returned to her own table.


    "Mendy, I haven''t seen you in a couple of days. How are you?" Young Stuart asked this with a smile on his face just after seeing a beautiful woman, dressed in a blue dress, standing in the center of that waiting room.


    With her noble and provocative look, Mendy was as impressive as ever, something she had learned from Viola and Mirya... But despite being charming, today, she wasn''t here to flirt with Minos.


    Today she wanted to conclude that deal with the Black Plain!


    That was something that she and Minos hadn''t finished before due to this young man''s insistence that she needed to know the Dry City better before such a thing.


    As she had been here for over a week, this young woman had concluded that she knew enough about this city to be able to understand her limits a little better. As such, she didn''t care too much about Minos'' casual comment and just gave him a standard response.


    "I''m fine. The Dry City can already be considered a very nice place... And you?"


    "Hmm, I''m as good as I was yesterday... Anyway, you''re here to talk about official business, right?" He asked while making some hand gestures, indicating for this young woman to accompany him on a walk.


    As the two of them started walking toward the exit of that property, Mendy answered him. "Yes, I think I already know enough about your city''s potential. So, there is no longer any need to wait to complete our negotiation."


    "So? What did you think?"


    Hearing Minos'' question, Mendy paused to ponder this for a short moment and then began to speak. "Well, this place has a lot of potentials. If you have enough time, you can turn the Black Plain into the strongest place in our region because of this public library and soldiers trained in Black-grade techniques."


    "As for the other positive points, apart from agriculture, although they are also great and make this place more attractive, they are only secondary. The most important thing is the local strength and the quality of the professionals. Something related to the quality of the techniques learned."


    "And the local agriculture can supply these many people under your command to get stronger quickly. But, anyway, in general, there are almost only positive points, except for one thing!"


    She then steadily looked into Minos'' eyes as she walked side-by-side with him on one of the sidewalks in that central part of the Dry City. "Your behavior is quite clear to me, Minos. You certainly intend to fight anyone to keep this place. And the problem is just that!"


    "If you want to keep this all to yourself, then I don''t think you''ll have enough time to develop this place before too many enemies surround it. Hence, there is a risk that is not small in doing long-term business with you..."


    "Hmm..." Minos nodded as he continued to walk through that central part of town.


    Mendy then ended her speech. "Given the risks of this location causing us significant problems, I believe that even if this place has a lot of potentials, you will need to provide us with substantial guarantees. Only then will family leaders agree to do business with you."


    There was a big difference between Minos''s relationship with the Stokes family and his relationship with the Nash and Cohen families. That is, these two powers only sold or bought things for the Black Plain while not getting involved in bigger problems.


    At the very least, even if the Black Plain were to become a common enemy of the region''s noble houses, these two powers would not be considered Minos'' cronies. After all, they were just making mercantile trades.


    However, what Minos wanted from the Stokes family was much riskier and could easily be seen as a fighting alliance in the eyes of the regional families. Because of this distinction, Mendy did not believe that her family would just agree to do business with the Black Plain, as was the case with those two families.


    With such an agreement, they could become targets of the Black Plains'' enemies very quickly!


    "Hmm, I was expecting you would say something like that." Minos smiled at her and then directed her to one of the parts of his army''s headquarters where soldiers often fought.


    At that moment, the young girlfriend of this sovereign, Abby, was in the center of a fighting stage, battling against twenty soldiers of level 40.


    Abby had already reached level 48 and continued to have her constant fights against soldiers above level 40. And that''s what she was doing right now, something Mendy and Minos were watching from afar.


    "Do you see how much Abby puts pressure on those soldiers? How hard do you think this is?" He calmly  asked as he pointed to his girlfriend''s balanced battle.


    Hearing this, Mendy frowned, finding this change of topic rather odd. But she then began to pay attention to that battle and responded to Minos sincerely. "Well, it can''t be easy."


    "I would have a hard time doing this against these well-trained soldiers used to fighting together."


    "So, what do you think a fight between you and Abby would be like?"


    "What?" She said in surprise, realizing that she had ignored a vital part of this situation. ''This... This woman is only at level 48, but she''s having a good fight in a situation that a level 50 Spiritual King would have problems with!''


    Gulp!


    After thinking about it some more, she spoke again. "I do not know. Maybe she would beat me. Maybe the result would be a draw or even my victory. But, any of these, it wouldn''t be unfair."


    "Exactly." He said, turning to her and staring into her eyes. "Mendy, this is what I offer your Stokes family. An opportunity for some of its members to achieve such combat proficiency."


    "That''s true?" She asked in disbelief.


    "Hmm. And for those people you send here, I''m just going to demand that they don''t leave the Dry City for six years. After that, they can decide to stay or leave..."


    "Wait a moment." She screamed in shock and then asked. "When you say we will send people here, does that mean they will become your soldiers?"


    Minos shook his head and smiled. "No. There is even a possibility of that happening, but what I propose is to train your members until they reach the combat proficiency of my Elite Squad soldiers."


    "The Black Plain Army Elite Squad currently has 50 members, and they all have proficiencies as good as Abby''s. But, of course, they''re at lower levels than she is, so they''re weaker..."


    "But even so, all of these soldiers will be able to face someone like the current you, level 50, when they have similar cultivations to hers, level 48."


    "I promise the same combat capability to the members you send here. However, these people will not be obligated to become my subordinates or carry out any missions. My soldiers will only teach them." He finished his explanation, still looking into Mendy''s eyes.


    ''That... That looks truly tempting!'' Mendy thought to herself as she looked once more at Abby''s battle.


    She thought that if her family had Spiritual Kings with such proficiency, they could become a great power quickly!


    "How many people are we talking about here?" She asked, soon after realizing that this was much better than the things she had thought to ask for.


    "Two people every six years for the next 30 years. In other words, I will help your family to have ten people like that. Nothing more than that, and I won''t receive them all at once." Minos answered her thoughtfully.


    The time left for this young man was little. He desperately needed to increase his network, do more business, and gain allies. That''s why he was willing to give so much!


    He could try to propose to this young woman that her family members join his army. But in the short term, this might seem a lot more advantageous to him than the Stokes family. Therefore, as there were many doubts here, Minos had left this offer aside.


    As for teaching Silver-grade techniques to people who wouldn''t even be his subordinates, well, that was within his means, considering the conditions raised by him. That is because he would not teach a large number of people of that power at once. Would not simply teach them all the techniques at once, nor would he let them out of the Dry City for a period!


    And with that, even if these people didn''t join the army in the future, it wouldn''t do him any harm. After all, in 30 years, the Black Plain would already be a great local force...


    At least that was young Stuart''s projection!


    Furthermore, these people would only learn these techniques but would not gain any copies of them. Hence, only those ten people would gain something here. Therefore, there is no possibility of more people in that power to learn such techniques!


    On the other hand, there was a strong possibility that those sent here would realize that joining the local army would be more valuable.


    After all, they would see the Black Plain developed close, as well as the strength of the local soldiers. And considering the high possibility that these people will want even more power in the future, the army would become the fastest and easiest way for them to achieve that!


    Hence, Minos wasn''t too concerned about giving more than he should in this deal!


    Gulp!


    ...

 Chapter 522: Ending the Deal With Mendy 2

    After hearing these conditions from Minos, Mendy couldn''t help but swallow her saliva in anticipation.


    Suppose her family could have ten people with combat proficiency similar to Abby''s. In that case, it could become one of the strongest houses in the region in less than a century!


    That way, she couldn''t help but imagine how amazing this would be. ''If my dad can achieve that, then he can quickly get close to the regional limit power¡­'' She was thinking of something when suddenly a question emerged in her mind. "By the way, are there any level restrictions regarding the people who can be sent here?"


    Hearing this, Minos smiled for a moment as he realized what Mendy was thinking. "I don''t see a problem, although it''s a waste to give this opportunity to high-level cultivators who are past their prime... Young people would definitely have better long-term results."


    "But don''t forget that I won''t let these people out of the Dry City area for six years!"


    "Then maybe it''s not good for you to send someone of high importance to your family..." He looked into her eyes and said. "You understand me?"


    "Tsk, I forgot about that..." She muttered in a low voice, realizing the situation. ''But even so, we have several people at the 5th stage who could quickly become Spiritual Kings if we invested heavily in them. And so, this opportunity could have more effective results in the short term!''


    After a moment of thinking about this matter, Mendy finally concluded and said. "OK, Minos. I think that''s enough for me to try to convince my dad to make this deal with you."


    "Hehehe, I thought you would say that."


    "And what do we do from now on?"


    Minos then directed that young woman towards the exit of the headquarters while he spoke to her. "Well, you must return to your family to talk about this with them. If they agree, then you have to keep in mind that I will only receive the first two people after those two parts of my order are fulfilled."


    "You mean the part about the Soul Contracts and contacting the Hayes family?"


    "Yes. Only when this is done will you have the right to send these members here. Anyway, after that, we can discuss how our business will be done, as I really won''t be able to do that in a short time."


    "What? Why not?" She asked doubtfully. Even though those two parts seemed important to Minos, this young woman thought doing business was the main thing for this young man.


    "At the moment, I already sell everything that the Black Plain produces. So the only business I could do with your family would be for you to help me get some resources and people willing to come here."


    "But this needs to be done in secret, so we don''t draw unnecessary attention..." He said with a deep look on his face as he took one of Mendy''s hands and clarified the importance of this to her.


    "Right. I will remember that."


    "As for the Soul Contracts, we will do the following..."


    After that, the two continued to talk about the details of this agreement, how it could be done, and some deadlines that would need to be met. Finally, these two ended their conversation shortly after they arrived in front of the government mansion.


    "So that''s all, Mendy. When will you leave?" Minos asked as he stopped in front of his mansion''s garden.


    "Originally, I wanted to spend more time here to see aunt Mirya''s recovery. But since this is going to take time and you and I have already come to an agreement, then I''ll do it tomorrow."


    "Hmm, I understand. Well, how about we have dinner later?" He asked with a flirtatious smile at the same time as he stretched his arm up to this young woman''s slender waist.


    "Oh? That''s a good idea... Hehe, I can''t wait."


    ...


    After finishing his conversation with Mendy, Minos wasted no time in returning to his office, where he still had several matters to settle.


    A few days ago, the army had finished a new selection. Because of that, he constantly received reports regarding the details of the new members of his organization. That was important for him, as there would always be a chance that people like Alina would appear among these new soldiers.


    Hence, Minos had had to read reports about it for the past few weeks, something that would continue to happen until he understood the status of the more than thousands of new soldiers!


    With this latest addition, there were now more than 10,500 soldiers in the Black Plain Army. In addition, the number of Spiritual Kings reached 8, counting Mirya and Celeste, and Spiritual Generals rising to 1,800!


    In addition, the 50 Elite Squad soldiers were struggling daily. They were the closest to reaching level 50 within his organization, of course, considering the exceptions related to people with Black talent invited by this sovereign to join this force.


    However, even considering these people, only Minos, Abby, and Viola had a chance of reaching the next stage in a short time.


    Anyway, in addition to these data related to new soldiers in his army, Minos also saw daily information about municipal police officers.


    Such organization was not very relevant for the protection of the Black Plain. Still, it was the one who organized the daily life in this city. Hence, Minos also dedicated part of his time to dealing with this organization. Especially the additions of the power, which had been steadily increasing in numbers!


    After all, with the arrival of prisoners at the local prison, such an organization would need to increase its numbers...


    And it was no wonder that in less than a year since its creation, this organization had already reached more than 2,000 members!


    Pa! Pa!


    While Minos was reading about these subjects, he suddenly heard some knocks on his office door until Mia walked in and said. "Young master, Sergeant Joey is here to speak with you."


    "OK, ask him to come in, Mia."


    ...


    After a brief moment, Minos greeted and invited that old figure to sit in that office, one of the people responsible for the administrative part of his army.


    "Young master, I came here today to present the results of what was found in the spatial ring of that assassin of the Scourges of the Devil." Joey said this as he placed a stack of papers in front of Minos.


    "Is there anything relevant?"


    "In the short term, maybe not. But we found some things we didn''t know." He said this, pointing out to Minos some information in those papers.


    "There is some information that we don''t understand well. For example, there is this situation in a letter where that murderer seems to be warned about a certain ceremony."


    "But there are letters where he basically communicates with his customers. There are meeting places, targets, values, etc."


    "There is also a situation involving an assassin named Curtis. It seems that assassin who sacrifices himself hasn''t heard the news from Curtis for several months since such a person went to the Cromwell Kingdom to solve some problems."


    "And from the content of some of this information, we have information about other noble families in our region who are in harmony with this organization of assassins."


    "Oh? What families are these?"


    "House Reid from the Kingdom of the Waves, and the House Hargraves from the Kingdom of the End."


    ''Reid? I''m sure I''ve heard such a name before¡­'' Minos thought about it for a moment. But soon, he let it go. After all, if he couldn''t remember it, it shouldn''t be relevant to him...


    "Well, thanks for the information, Mr. Joey. Ask the army to add these two families as our enemies, if they aren''t already..."


    "All right."


    Upon hearing this, Minos got up from his chair, walked to that room''s center, and sat down next to Joey. "By the way, since you''re here, tell me how Alina''s development is going..."

 Chapter 523: Where is He?

    As Minos and Joey chatted about Alina''s performance, a great commotion spread across the northern part of the Central Continent!


    Such a thing reached those few powerful who ruled this region and ordinary people who could not stop talking about hot topics like this.


    That was shocking news that had started circulating less than two days ago in one of the regional periodicals.


    This newspaper had published an article on its cover, talking about the fate of one of the regional geniuses, one of the finalists of the last edition of the Spiritual Tournament.


    After more than three years since the final fight of that last edition of this competition, one of the most critical newspapers of that region brought this subject back to the fore.


    They pointed out in their previous edition that Minos, the mysterious Spiritual Tournament finalist, had not gone to the Flaming Empire!


    Such thing had disturbed the minds of millions of people, and in many cities of this region, people went out to discuss it in bars, restaurants, etc. That was already a subject that anyone who knew about it would take any opportunity to talk about among friends and even strangers...


    Initially, Minos'' origins were a source of debate for many regional leaders, who desired to recruit promising youth to their organizations, such as this Spiritual Tournament finalist.


    However, as common sense, no one considered the possibility that this young man had not left for one of the empire''s sects.


    Everyone thought that he would do the obvious and that it would not be worth finding out more about him, despite his mystery!


    And all the discussion that had taken place concerning this subject over three years ago focused on the admiration that many had for him. Also, the disappointment of others, who wished they had had the opportunity to recruit such talent before he left for the empire.


    There were many advantages to having relations with such a prodigy, which is why the nobles in power in the many high-level regional families had regretted such a thing...


    Anyway, people had talked a lot about Minos back then, but nobody was that worried about it. After all, the chance that some might have had passed and the subject had become history for the people of this region.


    Minos would likely become someone relevant in the Flaming Empire and never return to this region, or he would end up dying in his cultivation path.


    That''s what most people thought would happen to him.


    In this case, that young man had already gone a long way from this region, and people would not speak or think of him as someone who could unbalance the regional situation.


    But while the population seemed to have abandoned this issue, this news that Minos had not left had stirred the minds and hearts of millions of people!


    ...


    A few hundred kilometers from the capital of the Kingdom of the Waves, there was a large land surrounded by many tall trees, which could hide everything that happened in such property to the rest of this big city.


    In this place, there were many buildings of different styles and a large lawn with the symbol of a deer in one of the main points of such property.


    Many people walked around this large territory in groups that could be easily identified. Many guards were patrolling this place while wearing their traditional uniforms. At the same time, a few ordinary people and a group of nobles dressed luxuriously came and went there.


    And while thousands of people went about their daily business on this property, a young woman was running down a hallway in one of the buildings there, holding a newspaper in her left hand.


    She was wearing an outfit typically worn in tropical regions, common among those who would often go to beaches or swimming pools.


    And no wonder, this young woman had bronzed skin, very beautiful to look at, which perfectly matched her hair and brown eyes.


    But as this woman ran, working her perfect body and smiling in a way that would leave any man stunned, she arrived at her destination, the residence of a particular person.


    There, this young woman promptly went to the outer courtyard, where at this moment, a shirtless man was training one of his spiritual techniques.


    Pow!


    Pow!


    As his blows hit a spiritual array specially made for him, that woman got close enough to him and said out loud. "Christian, have you read the latest edition of the Northern News?"


    Hearing this, the young master of the Reid family turned to his late brother''s widow, Misty, and commented under his breath. "No. I was busy recently... But anyway, is there something important in this edition?"


    The woman then smiled at him and waved that newspaper that was in one of her hands. "Read this, and you will understand."


    After that, Christian dried his sweaty hands on a nearby towel and then began to read that news relating to the subject of young Stuart.


    And while he was doing this, a radiant smile was slowly forming on this man''s face.


    He had been investigating his younger brother''s death for many months before due to Misty''s request. However, all that effort had been in vain since the culprit for the end of this woman''s late husband had been someone untouchable to them!


    And since none of them nor other members of the Reid family were stupid, they had forgotten about the subject of revenge for the death of one of the young masters.


    As for Misty, she still hadn''t given in to Christian''s advances, even after so long since the death of her late husband and the many attempts by her brother-in-law.


    Christian was sure that sooner or later, she would accept him. After all, she was just a young woman and still had many years of life ahead of her.


    How terrible would it not be to live alone for so long?


    Also, even though it was hot most of the time in this city, there were cold days, and having company during the cold nights would be appreciated by anyone...


    As such, he hadn''t given up on his interest in her!


    But reading the information in that newspaper, this young man couldn''t help but celebrate internally.


    He was patient to convince this woman, but that news would make things much easier for him. After all, no matter how good Minos was, at the end of the day, such a person was still just a human, an individual who the regional conditions would limit.


    And with the power of the Reid family, this young master was sure he could reap Minos'' life!


    No matter how many people he needed for that, as long as Minos was just a Spiritual General or even a Spiritual King, he could still be eliminated.


    "Perfect!" He commented in a low voice as he clenched his fists and then looked at Misty''s beautiful body with a glance typical of predators...


    "We will notify the family so the investigations can proceed!" He said this while releasing part of his level 48 cultivation pressure.


    Misty, level 43, felt a little overwhelmed upon feeling this, but she was genuinely happy. She could see Christian''s determination to bring revenge for her late husband, something that would satisfy her greatly!


    ''You saved me once, Tristram... And though I may not have had the chance to do the same for you, I will still bring you justice!''


    ...


    While those two youths were plotting against young Stuart, such news had already reached the ears of the prominent members of the Chambers family in the city of Persephone.


    In particular, the newspaper containing such information had just come into the hands of the supreme elder of that family, Wallace Chambers, Leroy''s father.


    ''... Such information was obtained through a recent interview with one of the last edition competitors, a person who had been ranked in that competition. Naturally, he wishes to remain anonymous, but the Northern News guarantees that such information is, in fact, accurate on behalf of the millennia of credibility of our organization.''


    Wallace read this until he finally reached the end of the text on the front page of this latest edition of the Northern News.


    He then lowered his head and looked towards the ground while his expression grew uglier. "Virgil! Come fast!" He said it aloud, to the point where such a thing could be heard all over the Chambers family headquarters.


    "What''s the matter, master?"


    "I want to know exactly where he is!"


    ...

 Chapter 524: Wanted

    After pointing his finger at the news in the newspaper in one of his hands, Wallace immediately continued his order. "Make the necessary preparations and send people to investigate the whereabouts of this miserable Minos."


    Hearing this, that servant who had run to this place quickly after being called by the supreme elder swallowed his saliva and said in an uncertain tone. "But, master and... What about the war against the Hayes family?"


    "What does the war have to do with it? It won''t trouble us at all!"


    "Give the order that some of our spies begin investigating this matter in the regions they are in and place a bounty on that worm''s head." Wallace angrily said, still with a darkened expression, a murderous look in his eyes.


    "Announce that the Chambers family will pay 10 million low-grade crystals for information leading to the capture of this bastard!"


    "All right, master."


    "And when there is any update on this subject, you should bring it to me as soon as possible. You understood?" Wallace then paused for a moment and said the following. "I will kill that miserable worm that killed my son!"


    "Don''t let anyone act before informing me!"


    That person from before then nodded just before leaving that place in a hurry to start solving this matter.


    Such a servant had been in Wallace''s services for a long time. So, he immediately understood what the matter was about the moment he saw his master showing him that newspaper.


    Even knowing the supreme elder''s desire for vengeance, which had led him to order the death of a certain prince, this servant was worried about the family''s current situation.


    The war with the Hayes family had been very hard on both sides, with thousands of deaths and the downfall of several experts on both sides. Even cultivators at the intermediate levels of the 6th stage had died since such a conflict started!


    But beyond that, with the participation of several other families from this kingdom in this war, this man couldn''t help but think that dividing the family''s attention with other issues at this time might not be the best...


    Consequently, he had questioned the former order of the supreme elder. But hearing what such a man had in mind, this servant had dropped that subject.


    First, he didn''t have much room to interrupt his superiors'' actions. Second, such orders seemed quite sensible, despite the hatred his master felt for Minos.


    ''I''m glad master didn''t lose his mind over such information¡­'' Virgil thought to himself as he walked through Wallace''s residence. ''What he suggested shouldn''t damage our current situation at all... And with the help of the Scourges of the Devil, we can reach that brat''s location more quickly...''


    It wouldn''t cost much for this family to investigate a single person more through its many spies... As for the reward, that was less here. With the wealth of such power and the help of an organization specializing in this type of mission, it shouldn''t be long before Minos'' whereabouts were discovered!


    ''But it certainly is a relief... At least the family can get revenge for the death of one of the two most promising youths!'' Virgil thought about it with a terrible smile on his face.


    ...


    While the Reid and Chambers families began their investigations into the whereabouts and the young Stuart''s past, similar things were happening in many other large regional families and organizations.


    Many were after the information regarding the finalist of the last edition of the Spiritual Tournament. But such a thing happened for a very different reason from those other two powers...


    While these two noble families wanted to erase Minos'' existence from this world, these other powers wanted to recruit this young man or, at least, make a connection with him.


    And to that end, they too had begun their investigations throughout the northern region of the Central Continent!


    There were already people traveling towards the Cromwell Kingdom, the last place this young man had been seen before his supposed departure to the Flaming Empire. Several investigators hoped to find Minos'' trail'' in such a state and then find his current location.


    That wasn''t easy to do due to the years that had passed, but it wouldn''t be impossible either!


    Finally, even if many did not find his whereabouts, this was already a way for these powers to get more information about this very talented young man.


    Previously there was a lot of curiosity about him. Still, no one had paid to find out about the life of that finalist of the Spiritual Tournament. After all, this would be just a curiosity for these people, which would have no potential to affect their lives.


    But now that things had changed, getting such information would be necessary to those regional organizations, powers concerned to maintain their influence network and regional position.


    On the other hand, while many were heading for the Cromwell Kingdom, many were starting to depart towards the mountainous areas of the northern part of the Central Continent. In such locations were located most of the hidden organizations of this region. Powers that would rarely appear in public and that most of the local population did not even know of their existences.


    Part of the regional powers believed that Minos could only come from one of these organizations that lived in seclusion. Therefore, some people were already traveling towards these places to solve the mystery regarding him...


    But in the meantime, the Cromwell Kingdom royal family seemed to be one of the most interested in this information!


    After seeing the final fight between Troy and Minos, King Cromwell couldn''t forget that young man and that fight!


    He had lived a long time and would still have many centuries of life ahead of him. But King Cromwell was sure he would never again see a young man as promising as Minos in his entire life.


    And remembering perfectly how incredible that fight had been, this king couldn''t help but wish to bring this young man into his forces even more than the other regional leaders.


    After all, there would always be a certain skepticism on the part of such people towards stories like Minos''.


    Many would think that people would increase the size of the deeds of others, which commoners indeed did... And naturally, those leaders who did not witness such events would not take these stories so seriously.


    Hence, upon finding out about Minos'' rejection to join one of the Flaming Empire''s sects, that level 59 cultivator leader of such state had immediately given orders for investigations to begin!


    He had offered a reward for information about Minos as large as the Chambers family and sent several agents to investigate the traces left by this young man.


    Finally, in the same state, the Hayes family had also received such information!


    Such an organization had had some interactions with the mysterious Minos and the ''organization'' behind him...


    First, there was the incident involving Leroy Chambers and Davy Hayes. Then there was the invasion of the Chambers family base, where Kevin Chambers died, and Vivian Hayes took the Spring of Life.


    Davy and Vivian''s family had been searching for information about the power behind Minos for some time. Still, due to the beginning of the war with the Chambers family, such a thing had been put aside.


    However, as soon as Vivian read that news published in the last edition of Northern News, she couldn''t help bringing this matter to her family!


    ...


    In a room in a beautiful residence in the hometown of the Hayes family, Vivian and her girlfriend were sitting face to face as they talked about this subject concerning Minos.


    "What did your elders say about this matter?" Grace asked as she stared into her partner''s eyes.


    "They said that we cannot send our members to investigate this matter. For them, the war is already consuming us too much right now, and the potential for this to help the family is not great enough for us to invest in it." Vivian replied in an uncertain tone.


    She agreed with the logic of her elders, but she couldn''t help feeling that although logical, it wasn''t right. She felt that Minos was far more relevant than all the other regional powers thought.


    This young woman had never forgotten what had happened to that seer!


    On the other hand, upon discovering the presence of Minos in this region, she could not help but think of a particular hypothesis...


    ''That person I met... He can''t be Minos, can he?''

 Chapter 525: Regina Garza

    While Vivian had some exciting ideas about Minos, Eduard was currently in a mountain town in the central region of the Kingdom of the Waves.


    That was a large city, marked by the presence of a particular type of poisonous flower in the vicinity and a style of construction specialized in irregular terrains, such as the one in this region.


    While this great metropolis "lived" another day, with people going about their business, that Spiritual King was in front of a specific establishment right now.


    Eduard had traveled with Ruth''s great eagle for nearly three weeks until he finally reached Allamanda this morning. And as White was a flying beast and at the 5th stage, these two had traveled quickly and smoothly on their way here.


    Finally, as a person in a hurry to settle his affairs and return as quickly as possible to the Spatial Kingdom, Eduard had not wasted time on useless things after arriving in this city. Instead, he had just left White at a particular location for beasts the size of that eagle and then started his search for Regina.


    Minos had told him exactly the name of the place he was supposed to look in this city to find that poison master. And knowing that, it didn''t take him long to get there after hiring a local carriage service.


    Anyway, right now, he was in front of the establishment where Regina would typically attend in this city, her house, in a noble part of this great town.


    That place had a fence made out of tens of thousands of flowers, which was extremely beautiful, causing this Spiritual King to feel strangely bad.


    ''Why am I surprised? Here is the home of a powerful poison master! It''s not uncommon for people like that to live around poison¡­'' He thought to himself as he felt a shiver down his back.


    Gulp!


    ''I better not touch anything in this place!''


    After that, he quickly tried to probe that place to find out if there was anyone there. However, in doing so, he immediately felt his spiritual probing fail as he came into contact with a barrier.


    ''A defensive barrier raised by a medium-level grade-2 array... She is wealthy!''


    After realizing that it was useless to try to find out in such a way if Regina was there, he approached what appeared to be the entrance to that property. He then heard a female voice coming from that place. "Who are you? Are you here looking for trouble or business?"


    Hearing this, Eduard turned his face in the direction where that voice had come from until he saw a person dressed in a black hood, standing behind the bars of a gate that combined with that fence made of flowers.


    "My name is Eduard, and I''m here for business!" He replied sincerely, right after making eye contact with that woman, who had utterly white eyes.


    She looked Eduard up and down as if she was judging the figure of this man and then smiled. "So, Eduard, what kind of business do you intend to do here?"


    "I would like to meet Ms. Regina Garza. I have an offer that I believe will be of her interest." He then paused briefly and then asked. "Is she here?"


    "Yes... But I have to ask you to hand over all your weapons and also your spatial ring. That is, in case you wanted to enter here." She said this in a soft tone but with a particular provocation in it.


    Eduard had already reached the level where people like this woman would be careful. Therefore, such a person responsible for the security of this house would not let someone that strong enter this property armed.


    That''s because, even if he had technique not dependent on weapons, if he tried to launch an attack, such a thing could be more or less detected in advance by the people in that place. Hence, these individuals had ways to act before something terrible happened.


    But a hidden weapon had a dangerous potential in the hands of a professional assassin. Such items were much quicker to use than spiritual techniques, and even without the aid of spiritual energy, an attack with a good weapon could still seriously injure a cultivator''s body.


    And as a woman with a long history, the poison master of this place had made many enemies along her journey, to the point where she had to be careful!


    Hearing this, Eduard hesitated for a short moment, but then he nodded his head in agreement.


    After delivering his items, he received permission to enter that area protected by that barrier, having been scrutinized by that woman from before until she asked him to accompany her.


    "Are you people that careful always? My boss came here a few months ago, but he didn''t tell me about this kind of situation." Eduard commented as he walked right behind that woman, following a stone path to a large house there.


    "Well, your master shouldn''t be strong, so the treatment is different, hehe." She said, not caring too much about it.


    After this brief exchange of words between the two, they finally entered a part of that house that looked like an office, where people would usually go for medical treatments.


    In that place, there was a reception with some luxurious armchairs and some rooms with big glass walls. There, Eduard could see stretchers and some instruments specially used by poison masters.


    Other than that, another room on the opposite side looked like an ordinary office, where a woman sat in a chair behind a desk. She had long purple hair, and the little of her skin that Eduard could see was completely white, with no imperfections.


    "Regina, there''s someone here to talk business with you." That white-eyed woman quickly informed that poison master in that room as she looked at Eduard, watching him intently.


    Hearing this, Regina took her attention away from what she was doing and then turned her face to the glass wall of her office until she saw Eduard. ''Oh? Such a young Spiritual King¡­'' She admired him for a moment, noticing the level 51 of that Black Plain Army Lieutenant.


    She then waved her hand in that man''s direction, indicating for him to enter that office.


    Seeing this, Eduard promptly followed the command of that woman. At the same time, he watched her intently. ''This poison master truly is a goddess!'' He thought to himself, noticing how much prettier she got every moment he stared at her.


    Gulp!


    ''That... I think Mr. Minos is not only interested in her professional services!'' He concluded, realizing that any man would be interested in such beauty. As such, he soon tried to suppress his wilder side to avoid getting in his boss''s plan...


    "Nice to meet you, Ms. Regina Garza. This one is called Eduard." So, he formally said as he sat down in an armchair opposite that woman, trying not to touch anything.


    "Hmm, nice to meet you, young man." She watched him closely, noticing the discreet way Eduard behaved in her presence. Regina then smiled and said. "So, you''re here for business, huh? What kind of business are we talking about? Spiritual techniques or poison treatment?"


    "Poison treatment. A few weeks ago, one of the members of the force I am part of was seriously injured, and the doctor who is treating her requested the service of a poison master." Eduard said sincerely.


    "Oh? This person''s situation must not be good... But she must be important to your organization, huh? Do you know how expensive my services are?"


    "We are aware of this."


    "Hehe, it looks like such a person must be an important noble... Which family do you come from? I have some background, so I need to know that before we go any further."


    "In fact..."

 Chapter 526: An Ambitious Woman

    "Actually, I''m not representing any noble family... Uh, I''m representing a secluded organization." Eduard said, after thinking about this subject.


    He had thought it would be better if he hid that he was originally a subordinate of the Nash family.


    He was not ashamed of it. On the contrary, he was even very proud of having been nurtured by such an organization. But as he hadn''t had his status boost in that family, he didn''t know if this woman had any grudges with House Nash...


    In this case, he''d better not involve such an organization.


    On the other hand, this information could hinder his negotiation with Regina since there were poison masters like this woman in that state. That way, so as not to make her suspicious, he told her the truth about Black Plain.


    After all, the Black Plain Army was indeed a hidden force...


    "Oh?" Hearing this statement, Regina made a sound of surprise. She had not expected to come into contact so casually with a secret organization of this region!


    That''s because such forces were highly mysterious!


    Still, like this woman in front of Eduard, all the great regional experts, the old cultivators at the end of the 6th stage, knew a thing or two about such organizations.


    These powers would rarely show themselves in public, and it was not uncommon for even their members to disappear from the outside world for hundreds of years!


    However, even without much contact or in-depth information, specific knowledge was commonly passed on among high-level regional powers. Which was not to freely offend the members of those powers...


    Few people knew how strong they indeed were. Yet, in general, experts like Regina were sure that the strength of these powers was no less than that of the large regional organizations.


    Hence, this woman was even more interested in this business with Eduard than before.


    "Can you tell me a little more about this? I know some of these organizations that live in the mountains of the Endless Snow Mountain Range."


    Eduard then shook his head in denial. "No, our organization is quite special... You definitely wouldn''t know it."


    "Perhaps you have been for over a thousand years without showing yourself in public?" She asked this with a curious expression on her face.


    It made sense for her to ask such a question. After all, a thousand years ago, she was just a young woman at the beginning of her cultivation journey, a person ignorant of the existence of these occult powers in the northern part of the Central Continent.


    "You could say so¡­" He said vaguely.


    ''Interesting!'' She then looked into Eduard''s eyes and smiled. "Well then, let''s talk about values. Are you aware of how much my services cost? I charge a thousand medium-grade crystals per week of treatment."


    "Yes, I am aware."


    "On the other hand, you need to bring this person to me. Otherwise, we won''t be able to do this deal."


    Eduard then smiled as he shook his head. "It will not work. As I said before, this person who needs your services is seriously injured. She will not leave our territory in such a situation."


    "Then I''m sorry to say that I will have to refuse." She said coolly, not caring about the other side.


    "Ms. Garza, why don''t you give your price for doing this? We are willing to pay for your trip to our territory."


    "No, there is no value that can make me leave my territory..."


    "Hehe, everything in this world has a price, Ms. Garza." He confidently said as he thought about what to say next. "But let me tell you a little more of the truth. My boss chose you for this job because he has a bigger offer for you."


    "But I''m afraid he can''t come here to negotiate directly with you as he has bigger matters to deal with... So, consequently, you have to deal with someone humble like this one."


    "However, I can guarantee that your number one wish will be fulfilled if you accompany me into the territory of this organization I represent."


    "Hehe, my wish? And what would that wish be, young man?" She asked this with a smile on her face. She couldn''t help but laugh at this young Spiritual King in front of her, who presumptuously thought he could say such things.


    ''I don''t need spiritual crystals anymore if that''s what you''re suggesting...'' She thought to herself as she looked at Eduard''s red face.


    "What we offer is the possibility for you to live longer!"


    "What do you mean?" She made a serious expression and asked this.


    "You know what I''m talking about..."


    "There are no fools here, Ms. Garza. You just need to come with me and hear the offer my boss has for you. And even if you refuse, just the fact that you''re coming with me will be a breakthrough for you¡­" He said mysteriously.


    Eduard wasn''t afraid to expose to this woman that the force behind him could nurture someone up to level 60. That''s because, despite the fear he had of being accidentally poisoned, he wasn''t afraid of the power of the people who were on that property.


    The strongest person there besides Regina was only a level 54 Spiritual King. And even if this Lieutenant couldn''t defeat such an opponent, if she were a warrior, of course, he still was sure he could escape with life from that place.


    He was much faster and stronger than Regina, so if he took her hostage, the other part would have to listen to his demands and turn off the defensive array of this place. After that, he could quickly get away from there.


    So, as long as he was careful not to accidentally touch the poisons spread around this place, dealing with these people wouldn''t be impossible for him.


    Contrary to what someone might think, the poisons present in the workplace of poison masters of the Spiritual World were not suitable for treating patients, etc. But, the opposite of that, such a thing served to train these professionals, who would need to daily ingest some poisons, to ''nourish'' their poisonous techniques.


    And these poisons were highly lethal to ordinary people, even specialists at Eduard''s level. After all, the cells in his body had no resistance to this type of substance, as in the case of those in that woman''s body.


    On the other hand, even if such a woman had powerful poisonous techniques, they weren''t offensive. That is, as much as they could kill if overused, it would be tough for someone like Regina to use them in battle.


    After all, Regina didn''t have movement or defense techniques, whereas her opponent did. Hence, even if her poison techniques were deadly, she would hardly be able to hit someone of Eduard''s level.


    Therefore, this man was only concerned with the poisons in the vicinity of that house. And that naturally gave him the confidence to say such tempting things.


    "Are you saying..." She briefly paused as she looked at Eduard and felt her heart rate speed up. "That your organization is willing to help me reach level 60? Are you capable of that?"


    "Hmm, we are!" He said without hesitation.


    Upon hearing such confirmation, Regina''s eyes twitched vigorously. At the same time, her muscles quickly tensed as she pressed her hands into the arms of the chair she was sitting on.


    ''If that''s true, then I can use this person and the organization behind him¡­'' She thought about it, already planning every step she would need to take from now on.


    She couldn''t be sure if Eduard was telling the truth, but she felt that this subject was much more profound than it seemed. Otherwise, this young Spiritual King wouldn''t risk so much to say such a thing while he was surrounded in a confined place, from which he couldn''t escape.


    Hell, if she wanted to, Regina could just immobilize this person and interrogate him using her powerful poisons... She was definitely capable of extracting the truth from anyone!


    But since Eduard had entered her office, he only seemed concerned with the poisons that were here and there in that place. And as someone so experienced, she had learned not to act so hastily under the circumstances like this.


    In the past, she would definitely do things like act first and ask questions later. After all, she was an ambitious woman who wanted to level up quickly. But now, she had left her haste aside after many mistakes that had taken so much away from her...


    Because of this, now she was able to have much greater control over her own greed!


    ''Indeed, very interesting...'' She bit her lower lip as she pondered this matter. "Then let''s do this..."

 Chapter 527: Celeste Joins the Army

    "Since you need me in your territory, I will make an exception and accompany you there. But you have to make the payment in advance and give me some assurances regarding this trip." Regina said while making a thoughtful expression, looking down and then at Eduard.


    She had made mistakes that had earned her several enmities with influential forces in the Kingdom of the Waves, including her own family.


    The Garza family, a noble power from the south of the Kingdom of the Waves, which specialized in the profession of poison masters, despite being the house of this woman, was also her greatest enemy...


    But such a thing was not for less. That is because Regina had killed the patriarch of that family hundreds of years ago to get some of his techniques, which had brought her to her current position.


    As such, various regional powers, like her own family, would kill her if they had the chance. Therefore, this woman usually didn''t leave her house. For that very reason, she would definitely need reassurance if she would do something like that.


    "It can be done... As for the guarantees you are looking for, I am traveling on a 5th stage spiritual eagle that can reach the territory I come from in about three weeks. So, the risk of being tracked is considerably low, just as it would be difficult for potential enemies to set traps for us."


    "The most difficult thing is leaving this city. After that, the trip has little danger potential for you." Eduard replied sincerely.


    Upon hearing this, that white-eyed woman who had searched Eduard earlier asked. "That''s good. But how many people can this spiritual beast carry?"


    This woman was Regina''s bodyguard. As such, she was there in that place too, watching Eduard carefully, in case of something strange happened.


    Also, she was worried about whether there would be a space in the eagle for her. If not, then there would be no way for them to accept this option!


    Eduard then looked back and said quickly. "Three people."


    "Oh? That''s good." She then looked at Regina while she was still standing by the door of that office and said. "I think the trip itself isn''t dangerous enough for us to refuse..."


    "But¡­ How can we be sure that this man is honest about this service? He may very well be a member of one of your enemy forces."


    "It''s true..." Regina said with a smile on her fairy face.]


    She had agreed to go with Eduard because of the possibility of reaching level 60, which was tempting enough for her to take some risks. But she still had to try to get something more out of this person in front of her before going ahead with it.


    Hearing that, Eduard looked silently at that woman while he felt a shiver down his spine. All he could do to please the other side was sign a Soul Contract, but he didn''t like that idea one bit. After all, he knew Minos would not allow this woman to leave the Dry City casually...


    And as he thought about what he should say to this woman, he concluded that such a thing would not be worth either side.


    "I could sign a Soul Contract with you, but that would be of no value to you. After all, I trust my life is valued for the power behind me, but can you do the same?"


    "How many leaders would not sacrifice their own subordinates to achieve their goals?"


    "So, all I can give you is my word that your life will not be at risk where I come from." He then made a resolute expression, looking eye to eye with Regina. "In fact, you''ll be safer there than here."


    ''Well, it''s true that I can''t trust a contract with a mere level 51 Spiritual King. You''re definitely not irreplaceable!'' Regina pondered.


    But even if she had no greater guarantees here, this woman''s greed couldn''t let that opportunity pass.


    Regina was experienced and was already at a point in her life where she could control her greed. Still, she was feeling quite stimulated right now. It was like she had an itch that was gradually getting stronger and stronger.


    And hell, she truly wanted to scratch...


    She then squeezed her hands once more and then sighed heavily. "Let''s put that aside for a moment. Tell me about that person''s situation..."


    "About that..." Eduard immediately began to describe Mirya''s situation so that this poison master knew more or less what she would have to do. Regina had said that she would have to get paid in advance, so she would need to know precisely how much time she would need to help her patient.


    And after some time listening to Eduard, she finally understood Mirya''s dramatic situation. "Hmm, it will probably take me more than a month to help this person with the help of the doctor you said. So, you need to pay me at least 5,000 medium-grade crystals in advance."


    "OK." Eduard quickly took a bag from his spatial ring and placed it right in front of that woman.


    "Well... I will agree to this deal, despite the doubts I have about you."


    "Be safe. In the future, you will find that this was the best choice of your life, hehe. By the way, when do we leave? That person''s situation is urgent, so we wouldn''t want to wait too long for that..."


    "Give us two days, and then we''ll take this trip..."


    After that, they talked a little more about this thing until everything was settled, and Eduard left that place to wait for his group''s departure.


    ...


    While things were developing in the Kingdom of the Waves, another day had passed in the Dry City without any major commotion.


    The times of peace were slowly waning for this city. Still, ordinary citizens were leading their lives, as usual, not knowing that the danger of war lay in wait.


    The tension was growing, but only the soldiers were going through it, as Minos didn''t want to frighten his population at a time when the problems hadn''t yet reached a dangerous level. But both he and his soldiers understood that this information would not take long to reach the standard population.


    Sooner or later, the citizens would realize that something was wrong. After all, the army''s actions were more and more frequent, with many soldiers having to go on missions, being away from their families for weeks, months.


    But Minos wouldn''t leave his population in the dark for long. Once he lost complete control over the situation with the Gill family and more noble families knew about the local changes, he would pass the problem on to the city''s inhabitants.


    Anyway, the time was not yet suitable for that. Minos wanted the city''s inhabitants to live habitually as much as possible before the Dry City situation got any more difficult. And meanwhile, a good thing for this young man and his army had happened.


    After three weeks of intensive treatment with local doctors, Celeste had finally fully recovered and returned to cultivate!


    As a result of her recovery, today, she had just registered as the newest Lieutenant in the Black Plain Army!


    She would have to go through a situation similar to Abby''s group when they had joined this organization, namely, not having leadership in the army. But even if she didn''t have command powers right away, this woman could still enjoy the prestige of being the highest-ranking person in this organization.


    Because of her level 54, among the local soldiers who knew about her, Celeste was already considered for months to be a powerful card in the army''s sleeve. And as such, many already respected her tremendously, even if she had only been officially presented today.


    Anyway, after registering in the army and visiting the headquarters, that woman was escorted by a soldier to young Abby''s office.


    Upon entering that place, she saw Abby and Minos standing up when the young leader of that organization touched her left shoulder and said. "Well, it''s time for you to start getting serious about your cultivation..."

 Chapter 528: Time to Act!

    Zum!


    After hearing Minos'' voice, Celeste suddenly felt the space around her vibrate as she slowly noticed her surroundings changing from a standard office to a forested region.


    She, Minos, and Abby quickly arrived in the Spatial Kingdom, not far from that big lake house.


    "What? What place is this?" She asked aloud, feeling extremely shocked at being teleported to this place.


    She was looking from side to side and probing her surroundings with a frightened expression on her face, as if she were in a dangerous position, surrounded by enemies. And in doing so, Celeste hadn''t been slow to feel the more than 50 spiritual fluctuations of humans and beasts in this location.


    Presently, the 50 soldiers from the Elite Squad were around, in addition to Emlyn, who was taking care of this place as usual, as well as Ebba and Kyla.


    Finally, there was no one else there at the moment, as the other soldiers with permission to enter this place were taking care of their own affairs, whether in the Dry City or elsewhere.


    As for Ruth, well, she still didn''t know about the Spatial Kingdom, as Minos hadn''t told her so far. Consequently, she was in some part of the Dry City right now, having no idea of ??Celeste''s arrival at this location.


    Anyway, after perceiving such fluctuations, this woman realized that there were some people she recognized, such as Viola and Neal, who had recently passed the Elite Squad test.  However, she didn''t pay much attention to these two for a long time.


    That''s because she soon realized the spiritual richness of this place and the abundant presence of medicines!


    "What a paradise!" She muttered, just before finally turning to Minos and saying something. "No wonder... That''s why the Black Plain has developed so much in such a short time!"


    "Hmm, you''re right. But anyway, I won''t formally introduce you to this place. You can talk about it with Neal or anyone else around here." Minos said this with a slight smile on his face.


    He then continued. "But I want to tell you a few things. First, do you see that big fox?"


    "Yes." Celeste nodded, looking in Emlyn''s direction. That fox was calmly waving its six tails as it looked towards the group of Minos, specifically this newcomer.


    "Yeah, well. She''s in charge here when I''m not around. So, if she tells you to jump, you don''t ask why. What do you do? You jump."


    "You understood?" He asked.


    "Yes."


    "Furthermore, don''t touch any of the medicines in this place and just train in the specific places where these fighting platforms exist." He said, pointing in the direction of one of these places close to where they were. "But you can cultivate wherever you want. Finally, I want you to train with these soldiers who are here."


    "I don''t think I need to explain how to do this, right?"


    She then nodded her head, indicating that she understood what needed to be done. "Is there anything else I need to know?"


    "The rest you can learn from these other people around here. Then, let''s not waste time on this." He then took a silver scroll from his spatial ring and threw it towards Celeste. "Learn this Silver-grade cultivation technique."


    Gulp!


    Celeste''s pupils immediately contracted, and she felt her heart pound as her hands gripped the parchment as if it were a valuable treasure. ''That notice didn''t lie!'' She thought about it, with her face already red.


    This woman had seen the Elite Squad advertisement. Still, she doubts that the Minos army could offer the soldiers a complete set of Silver-grade techniques!


    However, despite the fact that Minos had delivered only one of these to her, he had done so casually that this woman had set aside her disbelief and recognized the vastness of the world.


    She then continued to hear Minos'' young voice. "Quickly learn this technique and return the scroll to me. Then train in this place for a while and get used to this new technique."


    "You''ll be living here for a while, so don''t worry about having to do short-term missions... As long as you don''t have a complete set of Silver-grade techniques, I don''t intend to let you out of here."


    Hearing such a thing, Celeste smiled in satisfaction and then asked. "And when will I learn the other techniques?"


    Minos then waved his hand and explained. "There is a room in this lake house, in which there is a book describing each of the Silver-grade techniques I have. So, I want you to read this book and start thinking about which ones best suit you and your goals as a warrior."


    "Anyway, after you''ve adapted to this first change, I''ll give you the next one. And so on..."


    "I see¡­" Celeste nodded in satisfaction while she felt eager to start learning that new cultivation technique.


    "Lastly, I want you to fight Emlyn once a week. That will be a good opportunity for both of you. Still, I want you to take it very seriously because after I reach level 50, you will constantly fight me too."


    "Really?" She asked in surprise.


    Celeste knew that with her Black-grade techniques, she couldn''t beat Minos at her current level. However, she felt that things would be very different if she had a complete set of Silver-grade techniques.


    After all, such a thing would significantly increase her combat proficiency!


    So, she was naturally surprised to hear that Minos intended to fight her constantly when he only reached level 50.


    That doesn''t sound impressive, as he would only do it after making such an advance. But the truth was, Celeste herself was not far from making a breakthrough. And by adding the improvement in the quality of her techniques, the difference to be overcome would not be slight!


    "Hmm. Don''t underestimate me so much, hehe. When I advance to the next stage, my strength will increase considerably. And even if you still have the upper hand, this will be a good challenge for me."


    "Anyway, keep this in your mind and try to learn this technique quickly. I don''t have all day!" After saying this, Minos saw that woman walk away from him and Abby.


    Celeste didn''t go far and soon sat down on a cultivation pad she''d taken from her spatial ring. After that, she began to understand the text of that scroll while feeling the spirituality of that technique.


    While she was doing that, Minos and Abby were watching this woman from afar.  They were talking about their private affairs, waiting for Celeste''s first contact with this new cultivation technique to end.


    The two of them intended to settle a specific army issue after this matter with Celeste. So, they were both standing there waiting for this woman to return the silver parchment Minos had given her earlier, so they could go back to the Dry City.


    "Don''t you think this woman is going to cause trouble here?" Abby asked as she hugged young Stuart.


    "Impossible. Aside from the Soul Contract, she signed with me, Emlyn is stronger than she is. And even though this woman is close to a level advance, so is Emlyn."


    "She will soon reach level 54, while Celeste will take several months to master the six new techniques she will learn here."


    "Hmm, you''re right..."


    As the two talked, Kyla and Abby''s beast ran towards those two as if they were two children running towards their parents.


    ...


    After some time, the couple finally left the Spatial Kingdom after Minos took that technique. They had also talked and played a bit with the young Nine-tailed Fox, who was close to reaching the 5th stage.


    She still couldn''t have a conversation in human language, but Ebba had translated everything for Kyla and those two humans.


    Finally, after leaving that location, Minos and Abby headed towards the Dry City Prison, where they would deal with the Gill family issue, which was already at the deadline.


    ''It''s time to act!'' So, Minos thought firmly, as he walked towards his goal...

 Chapter 529: Frustrated Attempt

    Shortly after leaving the Spatial Kingdom, Minos and Abby finally came to the front of one of the many visiting rooms of the local prison.


    That place was relatively simple, windowless, with concrete walls painted in gray and only a large metal table, with seats of the same material fixed to the floor. Other than that, there was a metal door in this room, in addition to a lighting array.


    Upon entering this place, Minos and Abby immediately saw three people dressed in prison clothes sitting on the same side of the table. At the same time, some police officers were watching these individuals from different points of that room.


    "I''m glad you three are already here. It makes things better." Minos said this simultaneously as he passed the entrance to that place, and those three individuals turned their necks to look back.


    "The rest of you can leave. When I''m done with those three, I''ll call you back." Minos looked at those police officers and gestured to them.


    "Yes, young master."


    Right after that, only those enemies, Minos and Abby, remained inside that room.


    The couple then sat face to face with those three as they watched the expressions of wonder on Lionel and Russ''s faces. As for the Spiritual King of that group, he didn''t look all that bothered, despite the paleness of his face.


    "Well, you already know why I''m here today. You will help me report certain information to your family." Minos started to speak, occasionally shifting his gaze towards those three men.


    Hearing this, Lionel was the first to demonstrate his thoughts when he said in a low voice. "Mister Minos, our lives are already in your hands. Why force us to betray our own family? This idea of ??deceiving a medium-sized noble power is not good for any of us!"


    "You might end up being surrounded by force greater than you can handle, and we could receive capital punishment!"


    Gulp!


    When he finished saying that, Lionel swallowed his saliva in awe. That''s because, one way or another, his situation was dire. He wanted to put some sense into the head of this one in front of him, but he knew that nothing good for him would happen whether he was successful or not.


    Either this young man would listen to him and not involve him in this nonsense, and he remains in the hands of an enemy, or Minos would not give a damn about him. He would end up becoming a traitor in the eyes of the powerful Gill family...


    "Mr. Lionel. What are you talking about? That is all your fault. If you hadn''t sent two rats to my town, none of this would have happened."


    "And what happens to you and the Gill family from now on will be entirely up to you. I''m just acting up to the song."


    "If you want blood, well, then it''s blood you''ll have!"


    Minos then looked resolutely at Russ and Winston and changed the subject. "But let''s put that off for a bit later. Think about it like this, the more time I have, the more time you will have."


    "I don''t know what kind of hope you guys can have, but definitely any weird thoughts in your minds depend on time. The sooner the royal family finds out about my city, the sooner your deaths will come. But the opposite is also true."


    "As long as it works long enough for me, you can even be released without even a scratch on your old bodies." He smiled as he took some sheets of paper, ink, and a brush from his spatial ring and placed them in front of those three.


    "Here are the materials for you to write your reports to your superiors in the Gill family. You''re going to tell them the following¡­" Minos then began to say what those three would need to expose in their letters.


    Information about how valuable the Dry City could become to the Gill family, things like how weak the local native forces were... Among many other little pieces of information, some of it genuine, some of it fictitious.


    As in the example of the information that the young local sovereign had surrendered to the forces of the Gill family...


    All in all, everything was in line with the plan he had thought of to deceive the Gill family for a few months while he and his forces were better prepared for independence.


    That was not perfect, far from it. It could go wrong if the leaders of that organization were highly skeptical and honest. But Minos understood that there was a very low probability of this happening in any organization in the Spiritual World.


    After all, this is the cultivation world, where millions would be willing to kill for the slightest opportunity for advancement!


    Also, Minos was using Lionel in conjunction with those other two men. Of course, such a thing might not seem very significant considering the difference in the status of this man and those other two. Still, the truth is that this man knew critical parts in the workings of the Gill family.


    That is because more greedy nobles would always have their influence, which would be composed of nobles of low-status and high-ranking subordinates.


    These individuals were like ''stars'' that attracted those secondary ''celestial bodies'' in their surroundings, gaining importance within their family. And as such, Lionel was a member of one of those factions, which could help with Minos'' plans.


    Every human organization would be divided into groups, and the more groups convinced of an idea, the better would be for those behind those actions. So, it was more interesting for Minos to use three people rather than just two in the case at hand.


    The Gill family command would need to believe that it would be best for them to keep the Dry City a secret from the royal family. And for that, Minos would use as many ''voices'' as possible!


    Finally, after some time writing their letters, those three men put their writing objects aside and indicated to Minos that they were finished.


    "Let''s see what you guys put here..." Minos muttered in a low voice as he began to read the contents of those texts.


    He had not asked his people to write these letters because it was in the interests of the Black Plain that such things be as believable as possible. Minos didn''t want to make a mistake just because someone''s handwriting or writing style didn''t match these three people''s.


    Hence, he had left this job to these three people. They had written everything in their usual handwriting, signatures and told that fictional story using their own writing styles.


    ''... In Dry City, we found a group of hundreds of cultivators at the 5th stage. However, these people couldn''t be called warriors. In my view, they were nothing more than armed farmers with good levels...''


    ''... A coward. Minos Stuart fled for over ten days, having hidden in the sewer system of the Dry City in an attempt to escape our group. However, after a lot of work, the bastard surrendered, trembling with fear...''


    ''... The Dry City has many opportunities for the family, and I suggest that this be kept secret from the high-ranking members...''


    Minos read all three letters until finally he piled them on that table and began looking at each of those individuals. "Can I trust that there is no hidden message here?" He asked as he narrowed his eyes and his mouth formed a slight arc.


    "Of course, Mister Minos. We wouldn''t dare!" Russ said promptly, already feeling a shiver down his spine.


    "Last chance. If there is something here and none of you admit it, I will cripple the spiritual cultivation of that person who tried to deceive me!" He looked all three of them in the eye and then gestured back toward Abby.


    Gulp!


    "Have mercy, Mister Minos! I was foolish to believe that I could deceive you!" Lionel fell to the ground, already kneeling in front of young Stuart, with tears in his eyes.


    "Miserable! Are you trying to kill us?" Russ asked in a low voice as he looked at Lionel as if he saw a pig in front of him.


    On the other hand, Winston was also in a cold sweat, but he hadn''t said anything. Instead, he just gave Lionel a wary glance. ''An animal! How can he be so stupid? Didn''t he see this woman is here?''


    Seeing this, Minos wasted no time and turned to his girlfriend, who was silently watching all this. "Abby, use your skill on these three..."


    After that, a few hours passed, and finally, the letters from those three were sent to the Gill family headquarters...

 Chapter 530: Blakes Situation and Plans

    While Minos was taking care of his business, a group of six people was currently camped in a forested region of the Kingdom of the Waves, a place filled with powerful beasts. This characteristic made this an ideal place to escape from humans...


    Of those people, all of them there had already reached the 6th stage of cultivation, with the weakest person at level 50 and the strongest person at level 54.


    However, despite being all Spiritual Kings, five of these people were only subordinates of the sixth person, a dark-haired young man, the weakest of the group.


    Anyway, there was a thin layer of snow on the ground and highly tall trees in this region. And in the middle of this place, those people talked in low voices, in a tone that only people or beings, at least at the 6th stage, could perceive.


    Of those five people, three of them were standing, in different positions, 120 degrees from each other, watching their surroundings.


    Finally, the other two remaining subordinates were seated beside that dark-haired young man, who had a newspaper in his hands right now.


    "Unexpectedly, this young man hasn''t gone to one of the Flaming Empire sects, don''t you think, Doran?" One of those two men next to the young man asked the person in front of him this.


    "In fact. Why would anyone do this? Doesn''t he have bigger ambitions? Or maybe he just wants to live his life in peace?"


    "It makes no sense. Otherwise, he wouldn''t expose himself by showing his strength in that competition." So one of those three men on the outskirts of this small camp commented.


    "It''s truly curious. If I have the opportunity to meet this guy in the future, I''d like to hear his story¡­" Finally, the dark-haired young man said something as he stored that newspaper in his spatial ring.


    Then, another person said. "But his motives don''t matter anymore. The point is, which organization will find him first!"


    "Hmm, but this will be quite tumultuous. I have heard from informants that some regional families are not happy with this information. For them, it would be better if this young man had gone to the empire or had never shown himself in such competition." One of those two men commented at the same time that he held a mug of hot tea in his hands.


    "I disagree. In my view, there won''t be any turmoil. As long as this young man is not interested in showing off, he can hide in a region like the one we are in, and in a few years, people will forget about him."


    The black-haired youth then nodded in agreement to that subordinate and said. "Indeed. That is probably just a passing thing. These families are very greedy, so they fail to realize that they are just getting distracted by this information."


    "They are leaving out the most important. The current situation in our region!"


    After listening to that young man, the highest level person there sighed deeply and said. "Ah, it seems that the winds of war are getting closer and closer to our region..."


    "The state has been in turmoil since the King Walker incident... The Snow Kingdom has had its recent tragedy. Noble families from the Cromwell Kingdom and Stone Island are at war. Only the Brown Kingdom and the Kingdom of the End seem to maintain order. But... But is all this just a coincidence?"


    "What do you mean, Doran?"


    But instead of this level 53 man listening to Doran''s answer, he heard that young man. "I think the same as Mr. Doran. I believe there is some force, or someone, scheming in our region so that chaos spreads and war opportunities appear!"


    "What?" The other four men said at once, shocked by this young man''s theory.


    "Think carefully! Everything seems so timed!"


    "All this started at the Stone Island, where many quality resources started to appear there in recent years. But, before that, nothing strange had happened in our region. Including this appearance of this Minos!"


    "And now there''s this information about this one... In my opinion, this is a great distraction!"


    "But prince, do you think this subject is just fiction? Northern News has never done anything like this!"


    The black-haired young man then shook his head in denial and said. "No. That is certainly not a lie. Otherwise, the biggest family of the news media in our region would not be involved in it."


    "But that doesn''t stop their informant from deliberately holding back this news!"


    However, one of those men was still not convinced of this young man''s ideas. "But prince, so you think what happened to King Walker was just a coincidence? Or was it also an external action?"


    "That was a coincidence. After all, it was a natural tragedy due to my father''s mistake. But that doesn''t mean the people behind these incidents don''t have plans for our state!"


    "I could be wrong, but I believe that soon, not only will the Brown Kingdom and the Kingdom of the End go through strange commotions, our state will also go through something. Only then could chaos spread throughout our region, making this region exposed!" The young man commented with a gleam in his eyes.


    "This is our chance."


    "Let''s use this chaos to our advantage to harm that bastard Charles!"


    "Prince Blake, this is very dangerous! The third prince now has the support of the royal family and will always have the protection of a level 57 bodyguard!" One of those men said, trying to get that idea out of his boss''s mind.


    Blake Walker, the second prince of the Kingdom of the Waves, whom Minos had met over a year and a half, had lost his fight for the throne, but not his desire for it!


    After that incident, he had fought many times against his two brothers until he had won the space of the first prince, the one who had given up in the final part of the contest for the throne. However, Blake''s situation was still not favorable, and as expected, Charles had become the heir to the local crown.


    Blake had fled from his younger brother''s pursuit as soon as Charles became the local heir, escaping to this location with his strongest subordinates. But even though he had lost and had to go into exile in one of the mountains of the Endless Snow Mountain Range, Blake hadn''t lost his ambition to become king.


    But this young man was not a power-seeking idiot. On the contrary, he was aware of his disadvantaged position. After all, even if he was sure that those strongest elders in the family would never act against him, that wasn''t the same for subordinates...


    And unfortunately, in this case, the Walker family was mighty and even had subordinates at level 57, people who usually took care of the personal safety of the king or heir.


    But even if Charles had such powers up his sleeves, Blake was counting on someone to deal with these issues, as long as he continued to disrupt his younger brother''s life. That is, maybe one of this young man''s actions could expose his brother to the right people!


    Blake was not a fool who courted death. On the contrary, he could be considered a very reasonable person. And as such, he had never forgotten that his younger brother had a terrifying enemy...


    A frightening enemy who had been offended in one of the worst ways!


    Blake then said in a cold tone. "No. With the chaos in our region, we will be able to act more confidently, as Charles and his team will have many problems to deal with. Hence, we will gradually make his life hell, creating as much opportunity as possible for that person to act!"


    "Do you mean him?" One of those men, someone who had survived the battle that day, asked this seriously.


    "Exactly. I''m sure that person will come back to get rid of Charles. We just need to create opportunities for him, and sooner or later, we will be successful!"


    "Charles will fall into enemy hands, and I will be able to assume the position left by him!"

 Chapter 531: Charless Situation

    While Blake and his followers chatted about their plans, Charles was currently in the Kingdom of the Waves capital, fulfilling his schedule as Crown Prince.


    This young man had had to overcome many problems to reach his current position, despite the initial advantage he had had in the competition for the local throne. Despite everything that had happened in the two years that he and his two older brothers had fought each other, he had achieved his goal and had also reached level 50!


    In fact, King Walker''s three sons were now at the same level as their cultivation speeds weren''t bad by regional standards. They also had more or less the same resources before they reached this new stage of cultivation.


    However, all of them were already facing the problems commonly faced by regional experts, so they no longer had differences in levels between them.


    At the 6th stage of cultivation, advancing was neither easy nor fast for people from this region, who, in general, only had Black-grade cultivation techniques.


    And that was the case with these three brothers.


    But even if they were at the same cultivation level, there were significant differences between the three. That is mainly due to the political position of each of them!


    Charles was the heir, having the resources of the royal family under his control, though he had not yet assumed the position of king. As for Blake, he had to hide and move from time to time to avoid getting caught by his pursuers.


    Blake had help from his mother''s family. Still, as a noble power over the orders of the royal family, it might not be in his best interest to stay in such a place...


    After all, he still hadn''t given up on becoming king of this state!


    Finally, Wilfred, the first prince, had been living with the queen''s family, his mother, ever since he had abandoned his position as royal successor competitor.


    Of course, there were risks for him to be in such a position, where Charles could quickly surround him. But for someone who had been crippled, he would not be able to become king even if the heir died.


    That was a custom commonly seen in the northern states of the Central Continent. Such royal families would not allow disabled people to become sovereign because such a position would need to be held by the strongest and most talented.


    And since it was nearly impossible for a Spiritual King to regenerate a lost body part, such individuals were prohibited from vying for the royal throne of a given state. After all, such a person would not receive the royal family''s support, and without such a thing, there would be no way for anyone to become a king.


    In fact, even if Charles and Blake died, Wilfred still had no chance of becoming king. The succession would pass to one of the heirs of these two princes or the closest relative of the previous king...


    As for the queen, she had no powers unless, of course, she was a direct descendant of the royal family. Otherwise, if she were just the king''s wife, she would never have political powers in any regional states.


    Anyway, Charles would hardly try to kill this young man on account of the royal throne. And even if there were other reasons to kill someone like Wilfred, the first prince had the queen''s influential support.


    This woman might not have political powers, but she was one of the wealthiest people in the northern part of the continent!


    Consequently, Charles would not kill Wilfred when his older brother had already given up on the dispute and even abandoned the right to do so.


    Such a thing would be stupidly dangerous for him as no state would remain whole if the financially powerful decided to act...


    But the same was not valid for Blake...


    And it was about this young man that Charles and some of his team members were talking about right now!


    This future king had no reason to accept the existence of his second brother, as such an individual could become a problem in the future.


    There was always the possibility that Blake would try to make trouble for him, hire assassins, in short, try to usurp the local throne somehow.


    Such a thing was despicable, and the people of that region would never regard a usurper as a respectable figure. But still, things like these happen every so often in large regional families.


    And despite not being genuinely respected, these individuals would be happy just to be feared while in power. Finally, those in that position always had practical ways to alter history...


    Anyway, Charles knew the risk of having Blake alive, so he intended to deal with this threat as soon as possible!


    "Your Highness, the exploration team had lost track of Blake again a few weeks ago. But from the information we have, he''s still in the state." A man dressed in armor bearing the symbol of the local royal family said this out loud as he took a formal position in front of where Charles sat.


    "Keep looking for him. We can''t let him live, especially with that person''s existence!" Charles coolly commented as he narrowed his eyes and looked at the people in front of him.


    There were several Spiritual Kings in that place: people from the royal family, his mother''s noble house, and other regional kingdoms. Like, for example, there was a member of the Hargraves family there.


    Such a family had become Charles''s principal associate outside the Kingdom of the Waves. After all, this young man''s life had been saved due to a defensive gift given by this organization. Hence, this royal heir had naturally given several advantages to such a family...


    Finally, there was a royal guard beside this young man, dressed in special armor, somewhat different from that of other royal guards of this family. And no wonder, this person was part of the King''s Escort, the group specializing in protecting kings and heirs.


    All members of this battalion had cultivation above level 55, with the strongest being someone at level 57!


    After Charles said that, the Hargraves family member who was there then sighed and said. "Your Highness, perhaps that person cannot do anything to you."


    "Why do you think that?" Someone in that room asked this quickly.


    "Simple. From what I heard of His Highness''s description, such a person displayed a strength only seen among individuals that came from outside our region. That is, he cannot act directly, as that would be worse for him!"


    "Oh?" The same person as before was surprised by this.


    Indeed, it made sense. After all, such power would not be seen to be born in the northern region even in 100,000 years. And if such a person came from a high-level empire or kingdom, then it would all make sense!


    The Spiritual Church would not punish such a person for what had happened, as Charles'' group had attacked him first. But seeking revenge would be something entirely different!


    Since Charles had managed to escape, then if such a person tried something in the future, this heir of the Kingdom of the Waves could have the assistance of the Spiritual Church, claiming that an outside force was trying to take over the state...


    So, such a thing would be great for Charles, who had lived in fear since the previous event.


    "I hope that''s it¡­" Charles muttered and then said out loud. "But keep an eye out for information regarding people who look like him. If someone like that is found, I want the information to be passed on to me immediately!"


    "All right, Your Highness!"


    "Finally, let''s talk about this recent news published by Northern News..."


    After saying this, Charles and his group of subordinates/allies continued to resolve the many regional issues that would need to be resolved before he was given control of the state.


    He still had no real power over the state. Still, the transition of rulership from the Regent and Charles'' team had already begun. Therefore, this group had a lot to do, and occasions like this one were happening daily.


    Everything would have to be resolved until the death of King Walker, which should be within two years at the most!

 Chapter 532: Invasion Results

    Two days quickly passed, and by this time, the reports from Russ, Winston, and Lionel had finally arrived at that organization''s headquarters.


    All those people that Minos expected to receive the results of the invasion of the Dry City had already read those reports and got to know a little better of the ''reality'' of such a place.


    As a result of such a thing, an emergency meeting had been called by the headquarters of this noble family of the Brown Kingdom so that these facts could be presented and discussed among the most prestigious individuals.


    Not all the elders had received the reports of those three. Still, such individuals were influential when it came to making important decisions, such as the one presented in front of this power. Because of this, nothing better than such an occasion, where the most eminent figures could debate such a matter quickly and safely.


    ...


    In a large hall of the Gill family''s central government palace, ten people were seated around a large rectangular table as they debated the subject of the Dry City.


    Each of these individuals had already reached the 6th stage of cultivation. The weakest was at level 51 and the strongest at level 56.


    The Gill family was just a mid-level power, with only 18 Spiritual Kings in their ranks, 8 of whom were just subordinates, as in the case of Winston.


    That way, all the nobles of this noble family were in this place, ready to decide the future actions of such an organization.


    As for the rest of the experts of this family, as much as some were even stronger than some of the elders in this room, they didn''t have the same privileges as those with the surname Gill.


    Such subordinates would be definitively notified of any family decision, and some could even be consulted on some issues. But none of them had the right to vote in the Council of War, the subdivision that had the power to decide that organization''s life and death actions.


    Such a subdivision had a superior position to that of the family patriarch, but, in general, it was only assembled in exceptional circumstances, such as the present one. So, in usual times, everything would be decided by the patriarch, similar to how the Hayes family of the Cromwell Kingdom operated.


    But while in that family, the patriarch did not hold a position in the Court of Justice, in the Gill family, the patriarch had the chair of the president of the Council of War.


    And as such, right now, the patriarch, Liam Gill, level 56, was speaking to the other members of the Council of War.


    "Our family successfully took over a city with about 150,000 inhabitants and 1,000 guards. A city that, despite its precarious position, now has a profit of more than 20 million low-grade crystals per year."


    "A city that was handed over by its own sovereign to our family. A place that no one else knows about its reality."


    "Elders, this is the reality of the new Dry City, which is now under the domain of our Gill family." He said as he made his white beard tremble and droplets of saliva left his mouth.


    "These are the information described by those responsible for the group sent to the Dry City, which is taking care of that place while we make our decision."


    "That is, we claim sovereignty over that place officially, or we use that son of Albert Stuart as a puppet. There are advantages and disadvantages to each of these actions. Still, we need to make a choice as quickly as possible, or someone else can do it for us." He said, looking from time to time in the directions of each of those nine people there.


    Finally, when Liam paused in his speech, one of the most prestigious elders in this family rose from his chair and began to state his preferences. "Friends, you all know me, and you know that normally I would prefer to act officially. But in this situation, I would particularly like to get to know this place a little better before we communicate to higher authorities."


    "Our family is only the fourth mid-level organization in the state, and House Austin may pass us in the next centuries if our situation doesn''t get better!"


    "It is true..."


    "Those cocky Austins improve every year!"


    "It will be a disgrace to our House Gill to be left behind..."


    Several comments were made after that elder mentioned this subject amid sighs of regret and discontent.


    That same old man from before then continued. "Anyway, if we don''t take advantage of the opportunity ahead of us, maybe it''s not just the Austin family that will pass ours in the future. Maybe Cole, Tate, Rios, etc., will pass us on in the future too if we don''t do something!"


    "At the end of the day, if we don''t take any risks, we will lose our positions to those willing to do so. So, this time, I vote and ask the rest of us to choose to deal with the Dry City in secret for a while!"


    "Hmm, I agree with elder Alexander!"


    "Even if we held the Black Plain in our possession for just three years, that would already be more than 60 million low-grade crystals for our family!" A strong, bald man said this at the same time as he gestured with his hands. "And hell, with so many crystals, we could nurture 10,000 more Spiritual Generals and 10 Spiritual Kings!"


    "We just invested these crystals in our strengths, and in less than 50 years, we could become the fourth strongest family in the kingdom!"


    Hearing this, the most greedy people in that place swallowed their saliva in anticipation as they wondered how much they could gain from it.


    Crystals generated crystals, and with more forces under their control, the Gill family could certainly gain new territories in the future, which would yield even greater wealth!


    Mainly individual wealth, which could help these people and their direct descendants to become even stronger...


    "Indeed¡­ It''s only three years! I''ve heard that the king rarely asks for information from the Black Plain, and other noble families don''t send their members to that city..."


    "I think it''s worth the risk..."


    "Yes! At least we can analyze that place more carefully for a while... At worst, we can just say we didn''t know anything!"


    "Hmm, and as a region with sovereignty, unless there is some treason, there is no way that place can be punished because it has developed! So, even if someone finds out that we had relationships with that place, we can still escape from heavy punishment!"


    "Yes! At the end of the day, the responsibility for communicating anything rests with the young sovereign of that region. We have nothing to do with it! We just have a spiritual academy in that city. That is all..."


    Several comments of agreement resounded through that hall for several minutes after Liam presented the problem.


    And at the end of that emergency meeting, the Gill family had decided to wait a while longer before trying to annex the Black Plain through official means!


    They knew that this would likely fail. If the Brown family discovered that location, the king would probably use the excuse that the young ruler of the Black Plain was in rebellion against the kingdom... Hence, even if they had a justification for taking the Dry City, they would likely lose it to the state in a short time.


    However, if they waited, they could at least get some benefits from that place. Consequently, it had been decided that a new group would be sent to the Dry City in the future to help manage and protect that location.


    They didn''t want to do it right away because it would draw the attention of the other mid-level families, who were always watching each other''s movements.  But they also didn''t want to take too long and see that city being taken over by another power.


    Thus, it had been decided that the Dry City would continue to be ruled by Russ for the next two months. From then on, they would send a more extensive and stronger group there!


    ...


    While the Gill family orchestrated their actions, two young blondes were lying on a bed while playing with each other, in a particular area of Old Stone, on Stone Island.


    "Ahhh~"


    "I missed you, Elen..." A young woman trembled in excitement as she and her partner reached their climax...

 Chapter 533: Three Weeks

    After saying those words to Elen, Elena kissed her gently while hugging the girl''s thin waist.


    The two young blondes were completely sweaty, their bodies hot from the high-intensity exercise they were doing earlier. At the same time, there was a particular blush on their faces, which mixed with certain red marks, some of them on their necks.


    And as they felt each other''s heat, they both kissed, as the two rolled over on that big bed they were lying on, running their messy hair back and forth.


    "Mmmm~"


    "Looks like you were truly looking forward to it, huh?" Elena teased Elen shortly after separating her lips from that young woman''s.


    Hearing this, Elen looked from side to side and then once again focused on the figure of her friend, who was leaning over her this time, with the breasts at the height of her neck. That was a privileged view, in which this young Nash woman could perfectly see Elena''s rosy nipples, which at this point were fully erect.


    But Elen was not distracted by seeing this beautiful part of her friend''s body, as she had already satisfied her most ardent desires. "Lately, it''s been pretty stressful..." She said as one of her hands hugged Elena''s waist.


    "Hmm, I realized that. You were looking like a beast in heat, haha." Elena teased her, remembering the fire that seemed to have no end within her friend''s body. "You should try dating different people with me, Elen. I think you should stop caring about being allied with Minos and not wanting to sleep with him..."


    "You''re truly a bad influence¡­" Elen commented, shaking her head in disappointment.


    This woman had spent a few months in the Dry City, part of that period with Minos'' presence there, after his return from that last trip. But even if they had the opportunity to sleep together, nothing ever happened between them.


    Not because young Stuart didn''t want to, but because Elen had refused to accept Elena''s suggestions regarding the three of them having sex...


    "How many alliances are broken because of sex? Feelings? You know this very. After all, cases like this happen every day in our world." Elen said in a low voice as she pushed her friend''s seductive body away and sat down on that bed.


    "I don''t want to ruin my business with Minos!"


    "Tsk! Nothing bad would happen if you weren''t so boring." Elena commented in disagreement. "At most, you could have fun with us a few times and then go back to your life after that."


    "Who says there need to be feelings involved? Minos isn''t the pathetic kind of man who keeps looking for that kind of relationship just because he''s slept with a woman."


    "He doesn''t look for unnecessary complications. So, I wanted you to try this with us."


    Elena then smiled and finished her comment. "It will be fun, Elen!"


    But Elen just glanced thoughtfully at her friend before finally dropping the subject. "Forget about it for now. It doesn''t matter what you say, I won''t be able to go to the Black Plain for a long time, and it''s unlikely that Minos will come to Stone Island..."


    "One way or another, nothing will happen in the near future."


    "Well, that''s true... The Black Plain is at a turning point right now, and the war with the Allen family is getting more intense every day." Elena commented after sighing deeply.


    The Black Plain had incited some plans that would not allow Minos and his forces to back down. At the same time, the danger posed by the Allen family faction was more and more apparent.


    Recently, battles took place on Stone Island almost every day, while the trade war was terribly affecting both sides.


    Moreover, with the deaths of Spiritual Kings becoming more and more common, the local powers involved in this couldn''t lose their focus with minor things, like the previous matter of these two women.


    Besides, for one of the main culprits in all of this, Elen had to be very careful, or her existence would be at risk!


    The situation was at such an advanced stage that this woman had barely left her residence and was even receiving the protection of two cultivators at level 55!


    "By the way, how is Minos doing? He should already be at level 49, right?"


    Elena nodded in acknowledgment and said. "Yes. In less than six months, he should reach level 50."


    "Oh? That''s truly good to hear." Elen commented while she had a smile on her face. ''With his advancing speed, it shouldn''t be long before he can intervene on Stone Island and end the war!''


    As Elen thought about the only option, she saw this war ending ''peacefully,'' at the same time as she heard her friend''s question. "And how are the recent Allen family movements?"


    "Recently, some elders of House Allen traveled to the Cromwell Kingdom and Kingdom of the Waves. Other than that, I heard that they tried to get help from the Spiritual Church but failed miserably..."


    Elen then frowned in a worried expression and said. "I think these trips are related to this failure. I''m afraid they are preparing a big move!"


    "What? Do you think they will try a more active approach?"


    "Perhaps¡­ Recently, the losses of the enemy group have been greater than those of our allies. And considering the Allen family''s past, they won''t accept this without making a big move. At the very least, they will do something a little more decisive in the near future."


    Elen then left that bed and headed towards the bathroom. "Let''s see what happens. My group is also preparing to counterattack the moment something bigger happens!"


    "Excellent. Then we''ll send a letter informing Minos that something might happen soon on Stone Island..."


    They then continued to talk about this matter while they went to take a long hot bath. These young women had just been reunited since Elena''s return to Stone Island, so they both had a lot to talk about.


    Before that, Elena had stayed on her family''s property, where she had to go through a series of procedures to advance her position within such power.


    To do this, she had had to talk to several elders, undergo a strength assessment, and some other security measures. Such things would not be necessary for subordinates, as they did not have the same possibilities as nobles.


    In fact, in general, 6th stage subordinates, besides having special access to information and resources, the only thing they really had similar to the nobles was the possibility of commanding territories, branches, etc.


    That''s because, typically, these powers had larger territories than they could handle using only high-level nobles. Therefore, subordinates also fulfilled this task, as in the case of Mirya in the City of Waters.


    But those 6th stage subordinates would always have their superiors, those nobles they would talk to if they had any problems to report, requests, etc.


    These subordinates couldn''t bring this matter to any nobles, as even these individuals had their subdivisions. After all, some people had a preference for doing only certain types of work.


    So, subordinates would talk to their superiors, and these individuals would do what was necessary with this information and problems.


    As such, Elena had spent a few days taking command of some Spiritual Kings, smiths, or warriors, people who were now under her leadership.


    Finally, the procedure for a noble to receive an increase in status within a noble family was more complex, as it involved a higher level of political power. But it was worth it, and now Elena had several plans of what to do with these people, to help her family improve even more!


    ...


    While various problems developed in different parts of the northern part of the Central Continent, in the blink of an eye, three weeks passed!


    Wars were exploding in more than one state as several families worked intensely to find ways to protect themselves and increase their powers in these tumultuous times.


    New youngsters began to cultivate every day, while many experienced cultivators died across the region.


    But while this region was experiencing an unusual time compared to the recent past, in the Black Plain, things had developed smoothly in those weeks.


    The tension that had existed between the soldiers regarding the threat from the Gill family still existed, but things had calmed down these past few days.


    But while everyone in the Dry City was doing well, getting stronger every day, three Spiritual Kings approached that place, coming from the north...

 Chapter 534: A Powerful Cultivator

    As the midday sun warmed the lifeless terrain of the Black Plain, three people atop a great eagle were approaching the Dry City from the north side of the wall.


    Of these three, two women were there, one of her with purple hair and first-rate beauty and the other with white eyes and a slender body, traveling seated behind a tall, muscular man.


    These, of course, were Eduard, Regina, and this woman''s bodyguard, who had traveled quickly from Allamanda to the Dry City.


    After carefully leaving that city, this trio had hurriedly traveled with White towards the central mountains of the Kingdom of the Waves, where they had baffled the people who typically chased this poison master.


    Such individuals were quite persistent in their pursuits. Still, given the conditions favorable to Regina''s escape, it hadn''t been long before they had gotten over this challenging part of the journey.


    After that, the group traveled without further ado for the rest of the trip until they finally got close enough to the Dry City to be able to see this place from the altitude at which they traveled.


    "So, this is the position of the organization behind you?" Regina''s bodyguard asked Eduard as she looked toward the Dry City dome, which at the moment looked like just a tiny ball in the middle of desert terrain.


    Eduard had never told these two that they were coming to the Dry City on the way here. After all, it wouldn''t be interesting if they found out about this and then decided to go back to Allamanda...


    These people were experienced enough to know the stories regarding such territory, so they would definitely not believe that Eduard''s promises could be true if he came from such a place!


    And they didn''t find it strange that he didn''t tell them the location of such territory. That is because this was a prevalent practice of the hidden organizations in the northern region of the Central Continent.


    Only a few dozen people outside of these organizations knew about their locations across the region. So neither of them had asked questions concerning this matter.


    But when they got close enough to the Dry City, Eduard had finally told them that this was the place.


    He then answered the question from Angela, level 54, Regina''s bodyguard. "Yes, this is the location of the territory of the force I represent."


    Regina then frowned and looked at that dome with interest. ''By location, this must be the Black Plain...''


    ''But I didn''t know there was a place like this in this region. How long have they been here? Perhaps this organization has been around for a long time?'' She pondered dubiously, trying to make sense of the situation.


    She knew the name of the Dry City, but she genuinely didn''t know how to locate this city without the help of a map. That''s because she had never visited such a place, despite having heard stories from the region''s poorest town.


    So, Regina naturally hadn''t thought that this place she was seeing could be the Dry City.


    Anyway, while these two women had several questions on their minds, White didn''t take long, and soon its altitude was getting lower. At the same time, its speed was closer to ideal for landings.


    They were only a few kilometers away from the northernmost outpost on the wall when those two women felt the strong fluctuations emitted by the arrays of the Dry City defense tower.


    "Unbelievable! An entire city protected by such arrays!" Angela commented in awe, as she already saw some of the buildings in that city through the dome and some plantations on the east side of the town.


    "Looks like you guys truly don''t mind wasting your crystals, hehe. Is this all just to keep you isolated from the world?" Regina asked as she had a smile on her face.


    "You are very perceptive, Ms. Regina."


    ...


    After some time, Eduard''s group passed the northern entrance to the wall and headed towards the interior of the Dry City.


    In doing so, they had made the soldiers of that post they had passed completely stupefied!


    After all, such individuals had never seen a person as powerful as Regina!


    Some people in the Black Plain Army had known Minos'' mother, Maisie, a Spiritual Emperor. However, that had been nearly five years ago, at a time when in this town, only Dillian was able to feel this woman''s cultivation.


    So, although some soldiers had seen that woman before, none of them knew of her strength. Hence, Regina was the first such strong cultivator they had ever met.


    And, of course, they had been slack-jawed due to this woman''s level and first-rate beauty. But not only that, they knew that Eduard would not bring such a person without such an act being a positive thing for the army.


    Therefore, after admiring Regina, they had all been deeply moved and anxious for the future of the Black Plain!


    Their little town was growing by leaps and bounds, and finally, the mighty ones were starting to appear in this place!


    That was a good thing for them, who had already established themselves around here, so they couldn''t help but be pleased about it.


    ...


    Anyway, quickly, that group passed through the busy streets of the Dry City, with some curious eyes watching them all the time.


    But that didn''t slow them down, and in just about 10 minutes, they had arrived at the local government mansion.


    The two traveling companions of Eduard had not been very impressed with this town since neither of them thought that this was the Dry City. But, on the other hand, considering the defensive arrays of this place, the wealth and quality of life found inside this dome did not attract attention.


    It was just what one would expect to find in a place with so many investments...


    Besides, there was no way either of them could know about local services just from the city''s appearance. Hence, even though they had done several spiritual probes to understand a little better about this place, this was far from enough for these two to assume things about this place.


    They were aware of the strength this place supposedly had, and naturally, neither of them underestimated this city, even if they hadn''t felt spiritual fluctuations strong enough to impress them.


    And while they were considering various possibilities, Mia allowed these people to enter young Stuart''s office soon after a while.


    ...


    Upon entering the office of young Stuart, Regina and Angela followed behind Eduard until both saw Minos sitting in an armchair behind a table.


    "You... You are that young man from before!" Regina said in surprise as she had two fingers touching her lips, forming a beautiful sight to behold.


    "Hehe, it''s me, Ms. Regina. It looks like you haven''t forgotten about a humble customer like me¡­" Minos commented in satisfaction.


    He was very pleased with Eduard''s success in bringing these two here. After all, that would help him a lot!


    After hearing Minos'' confirmation, not only Regina but Angela was also open-mouthed, shocked by this young man''s level.


    This woman had seen Minos when he and Abby had passed through Regina''s property. Because of this, Angela also knew that Minos was only at level 43 at that time!


    Consequently, both Regina and she had been positively surprised by this young man''s cultivation.


    "Looks like this place truly has its secrets..." So the two of them thought as they watched Minos firmly.


    "And you are?" Young Stuart asked, looking in Angela''s direction.


    "Nice to meet you..."


    After greeting each other briefly, Minos invited those two women to sit down and then gave his permission for Eduard to go to headquarters.


    This man had his own business to take care of before Minos sent him back to the Spatial Kingdom, plus the fact that this ruler would not send him there right now...


    And after Eduard left that office, Minos sat in an armchair across from where Regina and Angela were and said. "Welcome to my city. I hope you live comfortably here in the future."


    "But no small talk. Let''s talk about what matters..."

 Chapter 535: You Had to Try, Right?

    "Eduard must have told you that I have an offer to make to you, right?"


    Hearing this question, Regina nodded in agreement. "He said something else too, hehehe. I want to see if you guys are truly capable of doing what he promised..."


    "Of course, we are. As long as you join my army in a few years, you can reach the 7th stage of cultivation!" Minos confidently said as he stared steadily at that woman.


    After he says that, this young man could see that woman''s pupils slightly contract while the fingers of her hands looked agitated. She indeed was very excited to hear these magic words from Minos.


    After all, over a thousand years old, this woman had already lived more than half her life expectancy, and she couldn''t help but worry about her future survival.


    Obviously, she was resigned to the idea of ??continuing her everyday life until she reached level 59. After that, she would do, like any other regional specialist would try one last step when she didn''t have so much time left.


    The only way for her to extend her life would be to increase her cultivation stage. So, even if there was little chance she could do that under regional conditions, she would try such a thing like any other cultivator at the end of the 6th stage!


    And hearing that there was a possibility that she could achieve it in just a few years, this powerful poison master was getting more and more anxious.


    She then asked. "And what would I have to do in your army?"


    "Just what you''ve been doing with people from different parts of our region. Poison treatments. The only difference is that you will be an exclusive poison master for my army¡­ At least in the short term."


    "Oh? What do you mean by that?"


    "Well, we don''t have anyone else with your skills, so I''m afraid you''ll have to meet all the demands yourself. But, on the other hand, I want you to lead the poison masters subdivision of my army. So, there may not be time for you to continue your activities as a self-employed person in the future."


    "However, once more high-level poison masters join the army and you have more time for yourself, I won''t stop you from managing your own business in my town."


    "That''s very generous..." She commented with a discreet smile.


    However, Minos shook his head in denial. "No, all exceptional specialists in my army receive this same treatment. They have to prioritize the army, but once there''s time for them to invest in their own business, they can do what they want."


    "However, we only provide resources for work done directly with our soldiers."


    "I see... But beyond this possibility of becoming a Spiritual Emperor, how much would I earn to work so hard for you?" She asked doubtfully.


    This woman had no worries about remuneration, as she already had considerable wealth. But still, for someone who was used to working and earning certain amounts annually, it could be pretty humiliating to make less...


    After all, if you don''t value your skills yourself, who will do it for you?


    Minos then smiled awkwardly. There was no way he could pay a salary commensurate with what this woman would earn annually from her services as a poison master!


    And even if she didn''t have constant customers, she would probably easily earn more than 10,000 medium-grade crystals a year...


    He then started to explain. "Well, the salary of soldiers in my army varies according to skill, level, etc. But in general, there is a value associated with the level that gives you a certain amount of crystals per month."


    "On the other hand, by doing certain activities, missions, pills, or even poison treatments, you can earn merit points. Just so you know, merit points are worth double the value of low-grade crystals within the army."


    "Such a thing cannot be used beyond the headquarters for now, but in the future, I plan to open a bank in my territory, so such a thing can be used anywhere on the Black Plain..."


    "Anyway, for a 6th stage poison master, the salary is four times the value of an ordinary Spiritual King. In other words, it is 200 medium-grade crystals per month."


    "But a poison master like you can earn another 20,000 merit points for every soldier you use your abilities."


    Upon hearing this, both Regina and Angela looked at Minos as if they had been offended...


    Such a salary was too low for them!


    After all, there would be no chance of anyone leaving an organization... And losing part of their freedom for such values didn''t seem to be interesting.


    "You are kidding me, right?" Regina asked, with a slightly darkened expression on her face.


    But Minos didn''t mind her reaction. He just continued his explanation. "You think it''s not much, but you can still have your private business even if you join my organization. Not to mention that I will provide you with all the training resources you need."


    "Finally, the most important." He smiled and looked into the purple eyes of the woman in front of him. "There are things you can''t buy with crystals, Ms. Regina."


    "Otherwise, you wouldn''t have left Allamanda to come to my territory..."


    "I''m sure you have more medium-grade crystals than I do. But you don''t have the means to get to level 60¡­" He said as he opened his arms and lifted his shoulders. "But I have!"


    After saying that, Minos got up from his chair, and soon after, three silver parchments appeared in his hands. "These are three Silver-grade techniques. One of them is focused on cultivation, and the other two are the only techniques of the poison master profession that I have..."


    "What?" The two women said at once as they rose from their seats and gazed greedily in the direction of those parchments.


    Gulp!


    ''He really can keep his promise!'' Angela thought to herself, finally realizing that Eduard hadn''t lied to them.


    On the other hand, Regina had other things in mind. ''It wasn''t a mistake to come here! Now I just have to get these techniques, and I will rise to the top of regional power!''


    "And then? Will you join my army?" Minos asked with a smile, just after guarding those techniques in his spatial ring.


    Regina then looked at him with a particular fighting intent in her eyes as she made a fighting stance, indicating for Angela to get ready. "Just tell me one thing. Why do I have to accept all these conditions when I can just fight for these techniques?"


    "Hehehehehehehe." He laughed wickedly.


    Vuup!


    In a blink of an eye, Minos activated his movement technique and suddenly appeared behind those two women, already with the tip of one of his swords in the back of Regina''s head. "It''s because I''m much stronger than you two together!"


    Realizing the change that had taken place, Angela jumped to the side and then looked at Minos and Regina.


    Right now, a small stream of blood was trickling down the back of Regina''s neck, while Minos had a calm look on his face.


    As for Regina, this woman was in a cold sweat at the moment. She had never thought that a mere level 49 cultivator could move so quickly and put her in this situation.


    "You two better calm down since I don''t want any mess in my office. As for this silly mistake, I will forgive you this time, as I expected it from you, Regina."


    He then laughed and said. "After all, you had to try, right?"


    Gulp!


    She clenched her fist for a moment and then gestured for Angela to calm down. "Right. You are right, young Minos. It will not happen again..."


    "Excellent!"


    He then lowered his weapon and said. "Well, you two, please join me. Now let''s talk about the condition of one of my soldiers..."

 Chapter 536: The Beginning of Treatment

    After saying those words to Regina and Angela, their group arrived at the room where Mirya was being treated at the General Hospital in a few minutes.


    They hadn''t talked much on the way, as that part of their agreement was heavily dependent on Regina examining Mirya''s body. But, on the other hand, she and her bodyguard were a bit unsure of saying anything more to Minos after what had happened.


    They didn''t exactly know the capabilities of Minos or the local forces. Still, this young man had done enough to scare them temporarily. And given the opportunity to think a little more about everything that had happened, these two women realized that they had been carried away by greed very quickly.


    After all, if this young man even had Siver-grade techniques for poison masters, then he would undoubtedly have other techniques. So, his forces must be much stronger than they appeared on the surface!


    But upon entering Mirya''s room and finding Dillian and other doctors there, the two women let that matter aside for the moment.


    Upon seeing Mirya''s situation, they were both somewhat impressed. Especially Angela, who wasn''t an expert as her boss and had found it all more unbelievable than Regina.


    She usually saw people who came and went from Regina''s house in Allamanda. Yet, often these people were the wives of great regional leaders or the leaders of large organizations themselves. In other words, these people were generally not seriously injured, as was the case of Mirya.


    But this level 52 Spiritual King, who had already been receiving intensive treatment from grade-2 doctors for about six weeks, was still weak, unconscious.


    That was a completely different case for Angela, something she had never seen before!


    "What caused all this?" Regina asked dubiously, right after she greeted the people in that room.


    Eduard hadn''t gone into details about what had happened to Mirya, as this could be considered harmful for their future relationship. After all, this woman already had her own enemies, who constantly threatened her life.


    So, it would not be interesting to join a power that even attracts the sacrifice of level 54 cultivators...


    Hearing her question, Dillian answered it calmly. "A level 54 Spiritual King sacrificed himself, and the sacrificial flames, unfortunately, injured Mirya."


    Gulp!


    ''So, that was it!'' Angela thought to herself as she felt a shiver go down her back. She couldn''t help but fear such a thing!


    And as Regina approached Mirya''s body, she muttered under her breath. "An opponent of such a level sacrificed himself?"


    ''Then they must have strength higher than level 55 in this place to be able to force someone of that level to sacrifice themselves!'' So she thought to herself, as she understood Mirya''s body and the reality of the Dry City better.


    ...


    After a few minutes of analyzing Mirya''s condition, the silence in that room was finally broken when Regina spoke.  "Well, I already have an idea of ??this woman''s condition."


    Minos then uncrossed his arms and gazed steadily into Regina''s purple eyes. "How long will it take her to recover fully? What about waking up from the coma?"


    Regina then looked at Mirya''s still extremely burned body and sighed. Then she turned her attention to the other people in the room and began to explain. "If I do the daily treatment with her, along with what these doctors have been doing, I believe that in less than a month, she will wake up. After that, we will need to repeat the dose for three months."


    "At the end of this period, she will be able to cultivate again and live normally... But regarding her appearance, she will only fully recover after reaching level 60, or I become a low-level grade-3 poison master." She said with a smile on her face. "Whatever happens first."


    "Excellent!" Dillian exclaimed in satisfaction at the same time as he placed one of his hands on Minos'' right shoulder and waved at him.


    "Hmm, this isn''t bad!"


    After that, all the doctors there appreciated the arrival of this woman to help them, while at the same time, they were happy to see the light at the end of the tunnel.


    Mirya''s situation wasn''t so bad that there was no long-term resolution, but they couldn''t guess how long it would take for this to be fully resolved. And as people concerned about the well-being of their patients and those people''s families, these doctors couldn''t help but rejoice in such a change!


    Minos then looked at Dillian and then at Regina and said in a moderate tone. "Well, I''m going to ask Abby to accompany you two during the poison treatment sessions..."


    They then talked about some important facts for that woman to know how things would work from now on.


    Abby had been helping with Mirya''s treatment since this woman''s arrival when Minos had returned from his trip to Yellow City. After all, with her skills, she could help a lot in treating injured people.


    She could relieve Mirya''s discomfort with her nervous control and even follow the instructions of local doctors to increase or decrease some reactions in that woman''s body.  So, she had naturally not been forgotten in this situation.


    As for Ruth, as much as her regenerative ability could affect people other than herself, it was too weak to help Mirya. Thus, Minos had only named Abby to help this poison master and Dillian.


    "Alright, it''s arranged that way." Minos clapped both of his hands as he smiled smugly. "I''ll return to my office and have Abby come here as soon as possible. Therefore, you can start preparing for this treatment."


    "OK."


    And when he was leaving that place, Minos suddenly remembered something. "By the way, Miss Angela, why don''t you join me? I have some matters to discuss with you."


    "Me?" The white-eyed woman asked in surprise, looking at Minos and then at her boss.


    "Why don''t we have a friendly match? Coincidentally, I need someone else of your level..."


    Regina then nodded subtly, giving her a meaningful look. "Go with him, Angela."


    Seeing and hearing this, Angela wasted no time in walking towards the exit of that room, with a thoughtful expression on her beautiful face. ''Does she want me to investigate this location further?''


    ''That''s great! He said he was stronger than us, so let''s see if it''s really like that.'' She smiled, looking steadily at the young Stuart, who was walking quickly in front of her.


    ...


    After some time, Abby had already been sent to the Dry City General Hospital, where Mirya''s poison treatment finally began!


    Viola had also been informed that the specialist she''d been waiting for had arrived in town, and it didn''t take her long to get there too.


    This young woman still had daily concerns about her mother''s situation, despite constant support from the doctors who said that everything was under control. So, when she finally found out that Regina had arrived, she had run towards that spot to follow the first session, feeling quite anxious and hopeful!


    On the other hand, when things were starting to get better for Mirya, Minos had arrived at his residence, accompanied by Angela.


    He wanted to show this woman some of his strength so that Regina wouldn''t try disturbing things in the future.


    He had plenty of ways to deal with Regina if he had to, but it would be better if she just feared the strength of him and the Black Plain Army for now. After all, he needed her services, and she would only act by his rules if she feared or respected him.


    But things like respect would only come with time, and in early moments of relationships like this, it would be better for him to control Regina''s behavior through these more immediate feelings.


    On the other hand, he wanted her to be a genuinely faithful member of his forces and not just an outside helper who would try to escape sooner or later.


    To do this, he would first make her fear him so that they would have enough time to get to know each other, and she could learn that in the army, she would be better off than anywhere else.


    And with that, sooner or later, she would lose her dangerous thoughts since the difference in power between them would only increase with time!


    "This way, Miss Angela..."

 Chapter 537: You Alone? It is not Enough...

    After arriving in the courtyard of his residence, Minos walked calmly to the fighting platform there, followed closely by Angela.


    In doing so, soon, the two saw a young woman with black hair sitting not far from a big bathtub, which was now covered with specific equipment.


    Ruth was sitting cross-legged on the floor while her eyes were closed as if she were meditating. But she wasn''t cultivating right now. Instead, she was just waiting for Minos to arrive.


    Usually, they trained together at this time of day and then had their intimate time together... So this woman was quietly waiting for Minos in this place while she thought about her battle techniques and how to improve her execution.


    However, while doing so, she finally heard the footsteps of people approaching her, when she suddenly turned and opened her eyes. "Minos?" She asked in a low voice.


    Seeing the white-eyed, white-haired woman following Minos closely, Ruth furrowed her brows subtly. This young woman probed this level 54 Spiritual King for a moment while noticing the beauty of such a person.


    Angela had a thin face without any age-related marks and had an eye-catching beauty. Admittedly, she wasn''t particularly as beautiful as Elena and Kara. Yet, she had a look that would stand out in this region of the Central Continent.


    Also, despite her high level of cultivation by regional standards, she didn''t look any older than Ruth herself!


    Ruth then asked, looking in Angela''s direction, just a second after she realized all this. "Who are you?"


    "I''m Angela." So she shortly said as she made her own judgment of Ruth.


    And right after this short dialogue between the two of them, Minos approached Ruth and introduced that woman. "Ruth, Angela is the bodyguard of the poison master that Eduard and White were going after. Both arrived in town earlier today."


    "Oh? Good to know!" She commented, satisfied.


    Ruth was happy about it for two reasons. First, because White was back, after all, this young woman had raised that eagle from the first months of its life. And secondly, because with Regina''s arrival in the Dry City, she would be able to take advantage of this woman''s services!


    After saying that, Minos smiled and looked at those two women. "Well, since you''ve already been introduced, it''s time for us to start..."


    "Ruth, today I''ll add a little help for you. So you can fight side by side with Angela against me!"


    ''Oh? Is that why she''s here?'' Ruth thought inwardly as she reflexively looked at Angela''s surprised expression.


    This woman had her eyebrows raised while her mouth was slightly open. "You mean you''re going to fight both of us simultaneously?"


    "That''s right!"


    "I thought you wanted to have a friendly match just with me." She said as a slight smile formed on her face. "Wouldn''t that be unfair to you?"


    Hearing this, Ruth put one of her hands over her mouth and tried to look away from the woman. This young woman had almost laughed out loud when she heard Angela''s comment.


    ''What a joke...''


    "I don''t want to be disrespectful, Miss Angela, but you alone are not enough."


    Hearing this, Angela looked steadily at young Stuart as she clenched her fists tightly. She truly wanted to teach this young man in front of her a lesson!


    She didn''t know precisely how strong Minos would be, but she was sure he wouldn''t be simple to deal with. After all, with that speed he had moved before, this itself was proof that his strength was way above his cultivation level.


    But Angela wasn''t sure if he was just fast or if he had other abilities.


    She hadn''t acted on their first contact with this young man because Regina had become a hostage to Minos. So, anything she tried to do in that situation could quickly put her contractor''s life at risk. And after that, she and her boss wanted to gather more information before deciding how to act.


    However, she truly wanted to fight Minos. Therefore, his last commentary had been like throwing fuel on a fire!


    ''Let''s see what you''re capable of, child.'' So she thought as she stared at Minos.


    Angela might look as young as Ruth, but that was just because she had already had a poison treatment with Regina. Otherwise, she would have to look a few centuries older...


    So, naturally, for her, Minos, in his early 20-years-old, was just a child in her eyes!


    She then tried to calm her heart and said in a moderate tone. "Alright, let''s do as you say."


    "Hmmm."


    After young Stuart made a sound of agreement, he immediately activated the arrays in that courtyard, which protected the walls and structures of this part of his residence.


    Finally, he positioned himself in the middle of that fighting platform and gestured with one of his hands. "You can come!"


    Upon hearing this, the first to prepare was Ruth. She made a fighting stance with her fists at the height of her chin. At the same time, she circulated her spiritual energy to at any moment activate her combat techniques.


    However, this young woman did not make the first move. After all, she was used to fighting Minos, and she wouldn''t rush into a fight with him.


    But the same was not true for Angela...


    This woman was on fire, and when Minos gave his order, she immediately started running towards him, activating all her techniques.


    ''Since you''re so fast, I''ll put you in a position where you won''t have much room to act!'' She thought about it as she ran and opened her hands.


    As she made this move, several silver spears began to form in her surroundings, glowing brightly and becoming more and more palpable.


    While these spears of energy were forming, Angela slowly controlled them, sending them towards Minos'' escape points. She wanted to leave only one escape route for this young man, through which she intended to test his other abilities.


    For that, one of those silver spears was already in her hands, fully formed and ready to be used.


    ''Come on! Show me what you''re capable of!'' Her thoughts began to fly as she felt more and more capable, ready to teach Minos a valuable lesson.


    On the other hand, young Stuart was calmly looking at his opponent as he activated his techniques one by one.


    First, his Indestructible Body was activated, making him feel great strength in every part of his body. It was like he was bursting with energy, ready to slay his opponents with his bare hands!


    And, indeed, Minos believed that with his next advancements in the cultivation and technique phase, he would be able to use his body to fight his opponents.


    That would not be something as powerful as his attack technique since such a thing would only happen in later stages. But he already felt that he could start using it constantly in the near future!


    Even though he hadn''t reached the technique phase or cultivation stage yet, and couldn''t fight in such a way, he could already feel differences in his body.


    Anyway, as he felt the defensive peculiarities of his body increase considerably, he held his two medium-level grade-2 swords. At the same time, a black ring began to rise by his feet, getting bigger and bigger in radius.


    Zum!


    Explosive Steps!


    After doing all that, he started to move towards Angela, already preparing to surprise her with a decisive attack.


    This woman had decided to underestimate him and fight him so directly. Then Minos wouldn''t take it easy. The more she realized how dangerous it was to challenge him, the better this fight would result in this young man''s opinion!


    Spatial Sword, Two Swords Style!


    Swooish! Swooish!


    "What?" Angela screamed in shock, realizing what was going on in her surroundings.


    ...

 Chapter 538: Eye-Opener

    Angela finally understood Minos'' strength after feeling her energies being sucked away. At the same time, her body became heavier and heavier, as if there was an invisible force trying to suppress her movements.


    But she didn''t have much time to think about those strange reactions when she felt the force of the blades sent by Minos towards her.


    ''Shit! This attack is stronger than my defenses!'' She complained to herself, unable to dodge the blades that cut towards her.


    In addition to not taking Minos'' strength so seriously, she had also created a situation where not only her opponent had been limited, but herself...


    As a result, between the time Minos launched his attacks and the time those blades were close enough to her body, Angela hadn''t had time to disable her previous technique or dodge her opponent''s blades.


    She just used most of her energy to create a large shield in front of her, which looked like a silvery liquid, which trembled softly.


    Swooish! Swooish!


    Puff!


    "Ahhhh!"


    Immediately after the shock of Minos'' attack and that woman''s defenses, the former shield completely deformed, while several of the spears in the vicinity of that spot split in half, where the earlier blades had passed.


    Finally, Angela screamed in pain as she felt cuts on her legs and arms!


    They weren''t deep to the point where this woman''s life or limbs were at risk, but still, they were bleeding, and anyone in that spot could see the red of that woman''s muscles.


    On the other hand, she had taken a series of steps backward due to the remnant wave from the previous collision, already with an utterly dark countenance on her beautiful face.


    "This boy¡­ He¡­" She looked in the direction of young Stuart and tried to understand the strength displayed by him, but right then, Ruth appeared running after him!


    Pow!


    Fists of Pain!


    After seeing Angela take those merciless attacks from Minos, Ruth had wasted no time and started running towards her opponent.


    This young woman knew very well that the most vulnerable moments of a fight occasionally happened after attacks, so she didn''t want to miss any opportunities!


    Minos was an opponent somewhat different from ordinary people. Still, even so, it would be difficult not to open even the slightest opening for your opponents during a close fight.


    So, even if the young Stuart was quite efficient in his fights and left few holes in his defense, there were still spaces for this young woman to try to act.


    As such, she had quickly approached her opponent from behind, already activating her attack technique and punching towards Minos.


    As she did so, a giant fist formed in the air and raced towards Minos'' back, expanding little by little as it traveled through the atmosphere there.


    Puff!


    Just as Ruth''s attack was about to touch young Stuart''s body, he quickly somersaulted into the air and used his arms and weapons to fend off that fist, which was as big as he was himself.


    Clang!


    Quickly, Minos was forced to take three steps backward at the same time as his partner was running towards him again, ready to attack him once more!


    ...


    While Minos and Ruth were focused on a battle that would cheer anyone who witnessed it, Angela remained frozen, doubting everything she saw and felt.


    She had taken enough blows to cause significant pain in her arms and legs. Still, this woman was also shocked to see Ruth attacking Minos and that young man dodging and attacking that young woman back.


    Both those youths were exposing powers similar or greater than hers, especially Minos, who was already as strong as someone at the middle of level 54!


    In fact, when she felt the first punch Ruth had sent towards Minos'' back, Angela had thought that if she tried hard in the fight and had a little luck, she could fight and beat this black-haired girl.


    But no matter how much she thought, she couldn''t see herself beating Minos!


    ''What a terrible monster!''


    Gulp!


    Swooish! Swooish!


    However, while she felt impressed by Minos'' oppressive strength, suddenly two blades were sent by that young man towards this woman.


    Minos had decided to fight both of them simultaneously, so he wouldn''t just let this white-eyed, white-haired woman watch the fight. Thus, he hadn''t been slow, and as soon as he''d had the first chance to send long-range attacks in Angela''s direction, he''d done it!


    Vuup!


    Immediately upon realizing this, this level 54 Spiritual King made a decisive backward jump, already using her movement technique to the maximum to dodge the attack.


    Puff!


    In doing so, she turned her body 45 degrees to the left while slightly bending her legs and letting her body slowly fall to the ground.


    Finally, the two blades passed through the air until they went towards one of the walls of that courtyard of Minos'' residence.


    But unlike an explosion and subsequent destruction of part of that young man''s house, only a semi-transparent green barrier appeared around that wall until the attack was fully absorbed.


    "Miss Angela, stop wasting time and join me!" Ruth yelled aloud as she continually sent punches in the direction of different parts of Minos'' body.


    Pow!


    Swooish! Swooish!


    ...


    After some time fighting together, Ruth and Angela had put more pressure on Minos than before, even causing a series of injuries to this young man''s body.


    The two of them were becoming increasingly vulnerable to this young man''s techniques as Angela lost energy early in the fight, and Ruth was not as strong as Minos.


    And due to the Devouring Art, it didn''t take long for Minos to overcome the disadvantage of facing two opponents with combat power close to his own!


    Pow!


    Ruth threw her last punch while looking quite tired, with a few streams of blood here and there and sweating considerably.


    On the other hand, Angela was already on the floor of that fight platform, breathing hurriedly with her mouth open, as she watched the last movements of that fight.


    She also had a dozen more wounds on her body at this point and just hadn''t passed out due to her determination!


    Finally, young Stuart didn''t look as bad as his two opponents, but still, he too had exhausted himself quite a bit during this fight, and several bruises could be seen on his arms.


    Puff!


    Minos then kept his two swords into his spatial ring and crossed his arms in front of his body, defending himself against Ruth''s punch.


    And as this young woman was already in her last attack, he barely took any damage, promptly having made his final move to end this fight.


    He caught that young woman''s left wrist with one of his hands and then pulled her towards his and gave her a bear hug... "I won!" He said under his breath as he inhaled his partner''s perfume.


    "Sigh!" Ruth sighed deeply as her hands traveled over Minos'' body. She then said softly. "Since it''s like that, you''ll have to carry me to my room..."


    "Hmmm."


    Young Stuart then made a quick movement, resting Ruth''s face on his shoulder, while one of his arms supported her legs and the other her back.


    He took a few steps towards where Angela was and then looked at her for a moment and said. "You can find one of my housekeepers and ask her to take you to Mia. After that, that person will help you and Regina settle down somewhere in the Dry City."


    "Alright..." Angela said under her breath as her conceptions changed little by little. "That was an eye-opener for me, thank you..."


    "Hehe, if you want to have lunch with me one of these days, we can talk more about it... But for now, get used to the new reality and settle down in the Dry City." He said that just before leaving that courtyard and heading towards Ruth''s room...

 Chapter 539: Accepting Reality

    After seeing Minos leave that courtyard carrying Ruth, Angela remained where she was for a few moments before finally getting up slowly.


    She had the same weakened appearance as before, while a few drops of blood still flowed from some of her wounds. But despite that, now she was much calmer, as she rethought everything she had understood from that battle.


    "That young woman is only at level 51 but already so strong!" So she thought for a moment as she looked around that courtyard, almost as if she was watching the fight from before happening once more in front of her.


    ''Incredible!''


    ''Besides, this Minos faced us and won, but he still walked away normally, almost as if he could do another round...''


    ''Silver-grade techniques are that amazing?'' She wondered as she closed her hands tightly. After that, she slowly began to leave that place, heading towards the closest spiritual fluctuation in that residence.


    As she walked through that place, Angela continued to analyze the whole situation carefully. She didn''t know the capabilities of those individuals with Silver-grade techniques. Hence, she had no way of knowing precisely the strength of people with such advantages.


    After all, only those who possessed techniques of that rank or were above level 70 could easily understand these things.


    However, in the northern region of the Central Continent, there were no people of that level. As for having techniques of this classification, well, the number of families that had at least one of these didn''t reach ten!


    And concerning having more than one, such information was not publicly known...


    Thus, it was complicated for this woman to guess the strength of a person with techniques superior to hers. But in general, she or other cultivators from this region knew that higher-quality techniques would be much stronger. So, every individual who had the chance to have one of these would spare no effort to do so.


    That''s why Angela and Regina had behaved that way before.


    ''Hmm, this place cannot be underestimated!''


    ''Perhaps there will be people of even higher levels than that young woman before...'' She thought to herself as she saw a middle-aged woman cleaning up Minos'' residence. ''If there are people above level 52 in this location, I''m sure they could kill us very easily!''


    ''I have to talk to Regina!''


    ...


    After some time, Angela had finally talked with Mia.


    In doing so, young Stuart''s secretariat had quickly made the necessary arrangements for Regina and her bodyguard to receive one of the many residences in the newly constructed Dry City buildings.


    Even without a significant population increase in recent months, this city had been increasing the development of new residential and commercial buildings with each passing week. After all, Minos was preparing to receive thousands of people in his city soon, due to the operation in the Maritime City!


    On the other hand, even if such a thing were not going to happen in the next few months, the Dry City would still have to prepare for such a thing. That is because it would not be long before the news of the Black Plain spread and migrations to this territory began.


    Until then, this had mainly depended on the actions of Minos, who had attracted more than 80% of the current population of the Dry City from elsewhere to here. However, this young sovereign already knew that this would change in a short time, so the local construction sector had not decreased its operations in recent months.


    On the contrary, whenever more people were willing to work in this sector of the??local infrastructure development, the government division would make new hires and start new works.


    Even in the Spiritual World, a building could take a few months to be built. And in today''s Black Plain, this could take even longer than usual. After all, while in other cities there was already a regular supply of materials, in Minos'' town, it was somewhat more challenging to get such things.


    Not only because of the lack of prior infrastructure but also because of the demand, which was much higher than the supply...


    Because of this, the Dry City''s construction sector had to be constantly in operation so that future new citizens would not have difficulties in settling locally.


    And with that, when Angela went to talk to Mia about this matter, this secretary had quickly found an apartment for Regina and her bodyguard.


    There were hundreds of units ready to be delivered, and they were of varied types and sizes, for various preferences and financial capacities...


    There weren''t many high-end buildings made for wealthy cultivators like Regina. Still, there were already a few buildings like that, with enough for Angela to pick one of those for her boss.


    After doing this, this woman did not take long in that mansion and soon went to that apartment.


    ...


    After a few hours, Angela had visited the apartment Mia had assigned to her boss and had taken the chance to have a rest.


    This woman had exhausted herself in her previous fight with Minos, so she needed some time to cultivate before leaving to sort out her affairs. On the other hand, Regina had to do Mirya''s treatment, so this bodyguard had had plenty of time to compose herself.


    But after cultivating and fully recovering from the superficial damage she had suffered, this woman with white eyes and hair finally entered the Dry City General Hospital.


    At this moment, she was in front of Regina while they were comfortably seated in one of the food courts in this hospital. In this place, several tables were spread symmetrically, just beside the glass walls of the fifth floor of this building.


    They could see a beautiful view of the Dry City from that place, as some people came and went from that part of the hospital. And while looking at the view of the buildings and parks in that area, the two of them conversed and drank spiritual tea.


    "How was that woman''s treatment?" Angela asked calmly.


    Hearing this, Regina looked at her bodyguard with a natural expression on her face. "She''ll be fine. The young woman Minos said would participate in the treatment has a beneficial skill capable of decreasing the patient''s pain. So, that woman hardly felt any discomfort..."


    "I understand..."


    "But it''s truly amazing how much crystal this Minos is willing to spend on just one subordinate..."


    "Anyway, have you discovered anything?" This time she said it with a much more resolute look as she placed her cup on the table in front of her and glared at Angela.


    Upon hearing Regina''s question, Angela couldn''t help but feel a shiver just before she started to explain the whole situation. "About that, I think you will take a lot of risks in this place if you try something outside the rules..."


    ...


    "And in the end, he walked away normally, carrying her on his lap, as if he was going to bed¡­" Angela finished explaining everything that had happened.


    After paying attention to this whole story, Regina had a worried look on her beautiful face, while she felt like she was in a small place with no room to breathe. "So this is how it is..."


    ''No wonder he invited me to this place!''


    ''He already had everything prepared to deal with me...''


    "Tsk, what a smart boy!"


    ''He caught me this time, but...''


    And as she saw the villainous expression on the face of the person who had sustained more than half of her cultivation journey, Angela shook her head and said in a worried tone. "I think we had better accept the reality that we cannot act against this place, Regina."


    "The deal that person offered isn''t bad, and we''ll still have this town as protection from your enemies. I truly don''t see another option here."


    "There''s always an option¡­" Regina said with a smile on her lips as she looked down at her own hands. "We can''t act directly against him, but what if he asks me for a poison treatment?"


    "Once under the effects of my poisons, even if he''s an expert fighter, that would be the end of him!"

 Chapter 540: Losing Control of the Situation 1

    Angela looked at the woman in front of her with an incredulous expression on her face. "This is a dangerous idea!"


    "Even if it works, we can''t be sure he''ll have the techniques in his spatial ring. Have you thought about the possibility that he doesn''t keep those techniques the whole time in his spatial ring?"


    "Second, even if he carried these techniques with him, how would we get out of here? We are trapped inside this dome, surrounded by thousands of possible enemies!"


    "No matter how great the wealth is, it will be worthless if we are dead!"


    Regina heard this with a disgruntled expression on her face. She had thought about what this woman in front of her had just said.


    But in her opinion, a leader like Minos would never leave such techniques far away from himself. After all, that would bring a risk that some of his subordinates would steal them sooner or later.


    On the other hand, although no one could enter or leave Dry City without the permission of the army soldiers, these soldiers were many levels lower than theirs. And since she had yet to discover other dangerous people in this town besides Minos and Ruth, this poison master was considering taking the risk!


    She had been a more careful woman due to her centuries of experience. Still, when she came opposite those three Silver-grade techniques, this woman''s greed was slowly instilling the feelings that Regina had felt in her youth.


    The urge to act, the desire to reach a level even higher than her own, was filling this woman''s mind, not letting her think about other things for a long time. It was like an itch that wouldn''t go away, something she desperately craved.


    So, she was becoming more audacious...


    "Angela, I know the odds are bad. But what do you want? Do you expect me to hand over my freedom to that young man on a platter?" She then paused for a brief moment and finished her comment. "If there is no alternative, then I will accept his offer, but I am still not convinced that there are no alternatives here!"


    Seeing the determined expression on Regina''s face, Angela shook her head in disappointment. "Forget about it. I won''t try to convince you otherwise until I get more information.... But let''s say there are possibilities. What if he doesn''t want to do a poison treatment with you?"


    Regina then smiled and said. "Then I''ll have to use my charm on him, hehe."


    "Are you serious?"


    "Why not? Men are much more vulnerable during sex than at other times!"


    "Aren''t you ashamed to say that? That is too much even for you¡­" Angela said, embarrassed.


    This bodyguard had been at Regina''s side for a few centuries. As a result, she had seen and heard many things about the bold actions of this powerful poison master.


    But such a thing Regina had suggested, this bodyguard had not yet heard anything of the sort.


    "But... What if he rejects you?"


    "Impossible!" Regina said confidently. "No man has ever resisted my charm... Hehe, Angela, you didn''t have the opportunity to see me in action in my youth. That''s why you speak such nonsense."


    "At that time, even kings courted me!" She said with a twinkle in her eyes as she recalled her youthful moments.


    "And even though it''s been many years since I''ve slept with a man, I''m confident of seducing a 20-year-old boy!"


    Upon hearing this, Angela was stunned!


    She had always respected this woman in front of her, but hearing these comments was making her completely ashamed...


    They''d known each other for a long time. Still, usually, this level 54 Spiritual King didn''t talk to Regina about that sort of thing. After all, even though she was over 530-years-old, Angela was still a virgin...


    "If that happens, it will be a good thing for him, hehehe. He''ll at least have a chance to sleep with mommy here before he dies."


    "You''re out of your mind..." Angela muttered in a low voice as she suddenly remembered something. "But if you''re going to follow this madness, your time is getting shorter and shorter."


    Regina''s eyebrows then furrowed, and she asked in a sober tone. "What do you mean?"


    "He was only at level 43 when you met him. That was about two years ago, and now he is at level 49... By my calculations, if he maintains this speed, he should reach level 50 in less than four months!"


    "And what''s the problem with him reaching level 50 in four months?"


    Angela then closed her eyes and commented resolutely. "His strength will increase a lot... I think... I''m 70% sure your poisons won''t be lethal to him when that happens!"


    "What?" Regina rose from her chair in shock, realizing that she had ignored this information. She had only thought of Minos'' level, which would not be a challenge for her under normal conditions.


    But as that young man had characteristics beyond the ordinary, things could be truly different...


    ''Shit! I have to run!''


    ...


    While Regina considered how she might obtain those Silver-grade techniques, a carriage made its way through the Black Plain''s dead lands, from the Maritime City region to Dry City.


    Some 4th stage beasts were pulling such a carriage while three people were quietly traveling there, observing the lifeless landscape in the surroundings and chatting from time to time.


    Of these three people, one of them was a man with entirely red hair, who was controlling the beasts of this carriage.


    On the other side, from the left side of this red-haired man, sat a muscular man, who was wearing silver armor that had the symbol of a silver eagle...


    Lastly, the one who appeared to be the oldest of the three and was on the right side of the red-haired man was a middle-aged man who had a grim look on his face. He was the leader of this small group, but his latest mission, something he had been chasing for more than three years, had finally reached a dead end.


    They had investigated all the possibilities except for a single city. The place they were going to right now.


    But even if they still had the opportunity to find their answers in the Dry City, the hope of Urban, the leader of this mission, was truly insignificant. Consequently, he was already mentally preparing himself for the punishment he would receive when he returned to the family headquarters...


    "Looks like those responsible for the deaths of those three hid truly well! We couldn''t find any clues!" Oscar, the muscular man, said this out loud as he expressed his frustration.


    "Hmmm, but there is still the Dry City for us to investigate. Maybe that place is precisely where Sarah''s group was exterminated!" The red-haired man said as he looked straight ahead, from where he still couldn''t see the silhouette of such a city.


    Upon hearing the comments of these two, Urban couldn''t help but express his thoughts. "Scott, don''t get your hopes up. Most likely, we won''t get anything in such a place..."


    "You better prepare for your punishment. That''s the only way you can move forward with it!"


    "But¡­ What if the patriarch decides to seek revenge against that young man who went to the Flaming Empire? Won''t that be the worst?" Scott commented in concern.


    These three, the group sent by the Silva family patriarch to investigate the deaths of Sarah Silva and Darell Silva''s groups, had not read the latest edition of Northern News...


    As a result, none of the three knew that the competitor, Minos, had stayed in the northern region of the Central Continent.


    "This is a terrible possibility¡­ But we can''t do anything else. We''re just subordinates, and we''ve done everything in our power. So if something bad happens because of our failure, we can only bear the consequences!" Urban said determinedly, while the Dry City dome began to appear on the horizon ahead of them, little by little.


    "Sigh... Let''s see what General Albert Stuart''s son has been doing around here. Maybe he has some information." Urban said this in a low voice when he suddenly thought of something and ordered his two traveling companions. "Hide your Silva family symbols!"

 Chapter 541: Losing Control of the Situation 2

    After hearing their leader''s order, those two men traveling in that carriage quickly put away their items that indicated their relationship to the Silva family.


    Neither of them had questioned Urban''s order since, besides this person being in charge here, both Scott and Oscar understood the reason for it.


    The ambush that had later resulted in the death of Albert Stuart had been something planned by the patriarch of the Silva family. And since these individuals knew about it, even if they had no reason to believe that Minos would know about such a thing, they didn''t want to risk it.


    After all, surely someone minimally intelligent would think that those benefiting from Albert''s death would be good suspects. Consequently, if Minos thought of the Silva family as likely to be to blame for what happened to Albert, this young man might not help them in this investigation.


    Hell, maybe he could even have the information they so desperately need, but he could choose to say nothing or even get in their way even more!


    So, it seemed like the best option for the three of them not to carry a bunch of Silva family symbols around with them...


    Usually, such symbols were on their clothes, armor, objects, as in the example of weapons, etc. But such things could easily be stored or hidden. That way, these men would not risk their mission just for such a thing.


    On the other hand, none of these three had any intention of acting against Minos there. That''s because a young man who had never cultivated in his life until a few years ago could not attract the attention of these Spiritual Kings.


    And even if Minos had reason to seek revenge on the Silva family, none of these men were concerned about it. After all, the chances of such a thing happening were simply negligible... So much so that the patriarch himself hadn''t even tried to kill young Stuart.


    Furthermore, unlike Sarah''s group, made up of people ignorant of the past of young Stuart''s mother, things were different for these three subordinates of the Silva family.


    They knew very well that Minos was the son of a Spiritual Emperor, someone not to be gratuitously provoked. They understood that that woman couldn''t act against them due to the rules of the Spiritual Church, but heck, who knows what a mother who lost a child could do?


    By the time the Spiritual Church acts, they and the Silva family might as well be gone from this world...


    So, unless Minos showed intentions to act against the family, none of these three would think of stirring this hornet''s nest.


    "Come on. The Dry City is less than 10 kilometers away!"


    ...


    After removing the Silva family symbols, Urban''s group was finally close enough to the Dry City walls that they could all see that large dome.


    Such a thing had suddenly appeared in front of them, just after they had started down a slight slope.


    The Black Plain was not completely flat, after all. Because of this, at various points in this terrain, there were spaces where certain buildings could be hidden from prying eyes by natural barriers.


    And because the Dry City was built in an area with these characteristics thousands of years ago, people traveling by land would only see it when they were much closer.


    Anyway, when these three individuals saw this unexpected image in front of them, they all frowned. At the same time, Scott promptly gave the signal for the beasts pulling that carriage to stop.


    "What is that?" Oscar asked in a low voice as he looked at that majestic dome, which covered a vast space.


    And as he paid more attention to it, this muscular man didn''t take long to see the piece of the great wall that was around that area.


    ''That... Where did that boy get crystals to pay for the construction of such a thing?''  Urban wondered as he looked ahead of that place and began to spread his spiritual sense towards it.


    But as he and his two fellow investigators did so, the expressions of the three of them gradually became darker and darker. At the same time, a concerned look could be seen in their eyes.


    "That can''t be true!" Scott screamed in disbelief as he felt the strong fluctuations of the medium-level grade-2 arrays in that dome.


    Almost simultaneously, Oscar was completely uptight with this information they had just gotten. He then clenched his fists tightly and said out loud. "This is a fucking medium-level grade-2 barrier! How can a place like the Dry City have such a thing?"


    "Shit! This city is not the same as before, folks!" Urban yelled in agitation as he began to look around at their surroundings. "Let''s go back to headquarters immediately!"


    Hearing this, Scott was slowly trying to regain his clarity while already trying to direct the beasts of that carriage towards the east of the Black Plain.


    The three knew that there was nothing for them to do in this location, as none of them could invade a place that had such protections!


    In this case, there was only one option left for them.


    To run away!


    And as their group began to move, Urban was saying in a horrified tone. "The family needs to know this information as soon as possible, or we..."


    However, suddenly he and Oscar, the two strongest, looked at the same time towards that wall, while their pupils contracted and their hearts began to beat faster.


    "Scott, run! The enemies have already felt our presence!" Urban said in agitation, feeling the spiritual fluctuations of more than 40 people.


    "Shit!"


    "Can''t we handle this?" The red-haired Spiritual King asked in awe, as he hadn''t yet felt these spiritual fluctuations.


    "They''re just Spiritual Generals, but we don''t know if they''ll have backup¡­" Urban then looked back once more as that carriage of theirs started to run.


    He then felt a shiver down his spine, almost as if he was predicting that something terrible would happen.


    "Oscar, Scott, let''s separate!"


    "Whoever has the opportunity, send a message to the family. Otherwise, we may never have that opportunity!" Urban said in awe.


    However, shortly after saying this, the soldiers running towards their group finally appeared at that spot, coming from the sides and back of their carriage.


    "Stop immediately!" A male voice sounded across the terrain as both sides ran. "You entered the Dry City territory. Surrender or die!"


    But upon hearing such a thing, those three individuals hadn''t stopped to talk or anything else like that. They were already prepared to act and didn''t even look back.


    Meanwhile, this level 45 Sergeant continued to run after that carriage, alongside his many comrades. However, unlike what had happened a few times recently, this group of soldiers from the Black Plain Army did not see the enemy side surrender.


    Vuup!


    What they saw was those three individuals start running in opposite directions, not even hesitating!


    He then made a grave expression and said. "Very well, they chose death!"


    "Soldiers, fight!" He screamed with all his strength simultaneously as he began to swing a big war hammer in the air.


    Upon hearing this, immediately, each of those people from the group of soldiers began activating their battle techniques, ready to fight for the good of the Black Plain.


    "Fifteen of us will go after that brawny man at level 52, another 12 after that redhead, and the rest will go after that middle-aged man." So the leader of the group of soldiers said until he stopped swinging his hammer as he hurled it into the air.


    Pow!


    Chaos Hammer!


    Lightning Steps!


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, the soldiers split into three groups. Then, they began chasing those three Spiritual Kings of the Silva family in different directions.


    As they moved south, southeast and east of Dry City, each of those people was already utilizing their respective movement techniques. At the same time, they were trying to take the enemies down with powerful attacks.


    That was a chase that could only end with those three people dead, or the Black Plain would be in serious trouble!


    ...

 Chapter 543: Losing Control of the Situation 4

    Boom!


    The four people simultaneously used low-level grade-2 shields to cushion their falls as they landed at four different points around where that Spiritual King was running.


    Earlier, they had talked to each other, planning this attack in question. That consisted of a group of baits being thrown by the rest of the soldiers to hold the opponent. At the same time, the others prepared themselves, just as they had already tried against Minos in a military exercise.


    And for that, a certain amount of soldiers from the young Stuart''s army had protective items, as in the examples of shields and arrays, which basically served for the baits to act as in this situation.


    These four people had protected themselves with their shields before being hurled into the air by their companions'' attacks. After such a thing, in just a split second, they had reached the surroundings of that target, ready to act as baits!


    "Formation!" One of the members of that group of baits said aloud when he had finally recomposed himself from the earlier fall and stood on guard against that Spiritual King.


    Immediately upon hearing this, those other soldiers placed their shields in front of them and began activating their main techniques.


    Steel Shield!


    Suppressive Chains!


    As they did so, identical spiritual techniques began to form in that place, around which Scott was still trying to escape.


    Such techniques had two notable effects for anyone moving through that region of the Black Plain.


    First, the shields of those four individuals suddenly began to grow larger, with red, semi-transparent parts forming on the sides of them.


    Second, blue chains began to form in the air over each of those soldiers, already starting to run towards Scott!


    "Miserables!" Scott yelled aloud, realizing everything that had happened.


    He didn''t expect his enemies to have such a courageous strategy to hold him in this spot. After all, even though a group of 12 people with the skills of these soldiers is quite frightening, the same was not true for just four of them...


    ''Those fanatics don''t mind sacrificing themselves just to keep me from running away?'' He thought angrily, feeling somewhat vulnerable despite the apparent temporary disadvantage of those four soldiers...


    At that moment, when he had these thoughts in mind, the blue chains began to approach him like snakes in search of their prey!


    And even though he was still running right now, these techniques'' speed was far superior to this Spiritual King''s. Consequently, it didn''t take long, and soon four chains approached Scott''s wrists and heels!


    Pow!


    The moment the first of these chains had tried to trap this man''s left wrist, he immediately used his attack technique to counter such a thing.


    However, although it was not difficult for him to stop such an attack from a single chain, three others were running towards different points of his body...


    Because of that, this man had finally been forced to stop running to dodge and counterattack all these attacks!


    "If you want to sacrifice yourself, then that''s fine!" He said out loud, full of resentment against these four.


    He couldn''t continue to run free due to these four opponents, so he just had to eliminate them and continue his mission. Of course, such a thing was not ideal, but it was what was available to this Spiritual King...


    Immediately upon deciding how he was going to deal with these four, Scott activated his attack technique, causing a large number of small blades to appear in the air, things that looked very much like tiny leaves.


    Such leaves were completely red while having their sides quite sharpened, capable of cutting even low-level grade-2 artifacts.


    One Thousand and One Blades!


    Swooish!


    Swooish!


    "Die!"


    Pow!


    Boom!


    However, contrary to what he had expected to happen, his powerful technique had not managed to counteract those chains nor to finish off those four opponents simultaneously. Instead, finally, the other people who had been left behind earlier had acted!


    The purpose of these four baits was just to hold this opponent, but at no time did these people intend to sacrifice themselves to do so. In fact, their goal was only one, to stop Scott from continuing to run!


    With such a thing done, their eight reinforcements could finally act against such an opponent.


    They could defend the positions of the four baits using long-range attacks, as the baits would not change positions and thus facilitate such work. But, on the other hand, when Scott was trying to eliminate those four soldiers, other individuals who were not there to protect the baits launched their own attacks in the direction of this Spiritual King, intending to kill him!


    Sea of ??Spears!


    Suddenly, thousands of blue spears began to form in the sky above that area, then flew towards Scott.


    Vuup!


    Vuup!


    "Ahhhhhhh!"


    Finally, the first scream of pain from this battle had reverberated across the battlefield as Scott tasted his own blood, which quickly began to trickle from the corners of his lips.


    ...


    As Scott and some of the Black Plain Army soldiers fought a brutal and bloody battle, sounds of alarm had once again reverberated through the army''s main posts in the Dry City.


    By the time the soldiers on watch in the Dry City Defensive Tower had noticed that a large group of soldiers had started a chase outside the dome, they had activated the alarm!


    As a result, many soldiers were already in front of the young Stuart''s mansion, waiting to act.


    Ruth and Abby were already there beside Minos, while the two women who had come with Eduard from Allamanda were also nearby.


    Neither of them was part of the army, but as high-level people, they had senses beyond the ordinary, something that allowed them to perceive disturbances in their vicinity. And since they were not far from Minos'' mansion when the alarms sounded, they had not been slow to approach this place in curiosity.


    Anyway, while many people talked about this occurrence, a soldier from the Defensive Tower finally said it aloud to Minos. "Young master, a group of about 40 soldiers from the east post, has just started a pursuit of three individuals!" He said in an agitated tone, feeling quite apprehensive.


    The army had already acted a few times against enemies, but never before had the soldiers had to chase opponents!


    Because of that, this soldier was quite scared, considering what could happen from now on. And just like him, all the soldiers who heard such information were immediately rather eager to act, with dark expressions on their faces.


    And the same was true for young Stuart. At the moment, he had his eyebrows thoroughly furrowed while his jaw was firmly clenched.


    ''This has become more and more frequent...'' So he thought to himself simultaneously as the silence in that place became more and more frightening.


    ''It seems like I''m losing control of the situation...''


    He then sighed deeply and said out loud. "All of you, to pursue these three opponents, we''re going to split into three groups of 50 people each."


    "So, only the strongest 150 should stay here. The rest go back to your posts¡­" He then paused briefly and looked in Abby''s direction. "Give the order for all entry and exit posts to be closed."


    "No one else will enter or leave the Dry City until we understand what''s going on!"


    "OK."


    After hearing his girlfriend''s answer and seeing her going to settle this matter, he nodded to Ruth, indicating for her to go back to her business. He then turned his attention to his soldiers and looked at them meaningfully.


    "Come on. We''re going to war!"


    ...

 Chapter 544: One Gone

    While the three groups that were in the Dry City ran towards their respective targets, at this moment, one of the Silva family''s Spiritual Kings was in the final moments of his battle!


    After almost 30 minutes that Urban had given his order for his group to split up and flee, Scott had run for a while, having gotten several kilometers away from Dry City. However, after falling into the enemy group''s plan, this man had no longer found room to run.


    All that was left for him was to fight with everything he had, hoping that he could survive to complete that mission passed by Urban. And as such, for the last few minutes, he was fighting a bloody battle against his 12 opponents, using each of his abilities in an attempt not to fall.


    At times in the fight, he had used defensive artifacts such as the armor he wore, a shield of the same rank, and even a defensive array. However, the power of the group of soldiers that had successfully managed to surround him was significantly superior to the defensive power of such items...


    As such, after enduring the first charges from his opponents, this red-haired man had lost much of the defensive power of these items.


    On the other hand, even before using such resources, he had suffered some considerable injuries, as he had been taken by surprise earlier.


    During the attempt to eliminate those four people who had approached him initially, this Spiritual King had suffered from the powerful enemy trap... He had had to deal with most of the attacks sent his way, something that had cost enough of his energy and health reserves!


    Finally, after going through all this, Scott was with several high-severity injuries, with deep cuts here and there, bleeding vigorously.


    But although almost half of his head was covered with blood and dirt, anyone in the place could notice the pallor of this man''s cheeks, which were as white as a sheet of paper now.


    He was in a cold sweat at the moment, as he felt that he would not be able to endure this hard battle much longer.


    ''Damn it, am I going to die here?'' He trembled in pain and desolation as he thought about this and felt his control over his own body diminish by the instant.


    At this point, his eyesight was already partially darkened, to the point where he wouldn''t even be able to see how many opponents were standing in that place.


    But if he succeeded, all he would see are nine people wearing similar uniforms, who continue to activate their techniques, but who are already extremely tired.


    They were not as severely injured as Scott. But, even so, they had been harshly injured, and if they did not take pills or seek medical attention within the next few hours, they could lose vitality or even die!


    As for the other three individuals of this group of soldiers, the three were still alive but had been pulled out of the fight after fainting or losing parts of their bodies...


    Fighting a level 51 Spiritual King was still not easy for these soldiers, especially considering Scott''s many defensive means. As such, these soldiers had struggled to destroy his defenses and, at the same time, deal with his occasional attacks.


    Anyway, in that instant, when Scott was thinking about his imminent death, the strongest soldiers in that place created a single black spear made entirely out of his spiritual energy.


    Such spear was about 2 meters long, having formed in front of where that soldier was.


    When such a thing appeared in front of him, this soldier immediately made a gesture with the fingers of one of his hands, making that black spear move in the air.


    Vuup!


    It quickly flew towards its target at a considerable speed, such as could make all those people in that place hear the sound of the movement of this weapon.


    Puff!


    "Ahhhhhh!"


    Finally, the black spear sent earlier passed without resistance through Scott''s chest, exactly where the human heart would usually be found!


    "This¡­" Scott muttered in confusion as he felt an intense pressure in his chest, along with deep pain and an even more intense taste of blood in his mouth.


    He then looked down at his chest briefly and saw that spear through part of his body. As he did so, he shivered for a moment. He then tried to look in the direction where that soldier from before was standing, from where he could see several shadows reaching that spot.


    Unfortunately for him, this was the end of his life.


    After seeing the shadows of the reinforcements that were about to arrive on this battlefield, Scott fell into the darkness of death, losing consciousness and dying shortly after that!


    ...


    As he watched Scott''s body fall slowly to the ground, the leader of this group of 12 soldiers finally let out a sigh of relief. At the same time, his legs trembled considerably before he eventually fell to his knees on the ground, breathing hurriedly.


    "It''s over!" He said in a low voice, feeling extremely tired, utterly miserable with his many injuries.


    Soon after, less than 1 minute after Scott''s defeat, 50 soldiers appeared on that battlefield.


    The groups Minos had ordered earlier had left Dry City shortly after Urban had given his two companions the order to flee. Because of this, it had not taken long for these soldiers to follow the many clues left behind and reach this location.


    "A level 51 cultivator?" One of the newly arrived soldiers at that spot said, noticing the remaining power in Scott''s corpse.


    Scott had died, and his soul had already dissipated. However, there was still a way to find out the level of a dead person, or instead of a given corpse.


    After all, spiritual energy permanently changed the cultivators'' body, and some of it would be stored in the physical. As a result, even after death, even without a soul occupying the corpse, a cultivator''s body would still have energy, which could be felt and easily used to identify the level of the corpse''s owner before death.


    And upon realizing this, some of those 50 soldiers soon began talking to individuals who had fought in this place and were still conscious.


    Some of these 50 soldiers soon began guarding the adjacent terrain, while others gave first aid to the most injured individuals.


    Finally, someone quickly ran towards that corpse to check the belongings of Scott.


    In doing so, this soldier immediately probed all of the belongings in the late Scott''s spatial ring until he found some objects bearing the same symbol as a silver eagle...


    "A member of the Silva family!" He said out loud for everyone there to hear him.


    ...


    At the same time that that group of more than 60 soldiers was at the place where Scott had fallen, a fight amidst a chase was taking place at this time in another part of the Black Plain.


    At such a location, 15 soldiers of the Black Plain Army were chasing and fighting a level 52 Spiritual King, a tall, muscular man.


    That was Oscar!


    Oscar had run as far as he could towards the southeast of Dry City after his escape, using his physical abilities to avoid most of his pursuers'' attempts.


    This man had a good innate ability that gave him physical power, speed, etc., beyond what people of his level would have. As such, unlike Scott, who had failed so quickly, Oscar had barely sustained injuries in all the time that had passed. On the contrary, ha only had expended part of his energy running and dodging his opponents'' attacks, attacking as little as possible.


    But even though he was avoiding combat with those 15 soldiers, his enemies were fighting with everything they could, making this man''s life as difficult as possible.


    They knew that if this continued, sooner or later, both parties would run out of energy. But that would happen to them first, the lowest level cultivators in this place.


    Consequently, the target they so desperately wanted to prevent from leaving the Black Plain might have a chance to leave them behind and perhaps make a successful escape.


    But they couldn''t allow such a thing!


    And to that end, these soldiers were taking more and more risks, as they used increasingly more significant portions of their energy reserves to attack that enemy.


    ...

 Chapter 545: Persecutions

    Swooish! Swooish!


    Mighty sword blows cut through the air in that part of the Black Plain that the group chasing Oscar passed through.


    Of the 15 soldiers in this group, more than half of them were at their best trying to stop that Spiritual King by launching attacks on that man''s escape directions.


    Meanwhile, the rest continued to pressure such an opponent in an attempt to get him to stop running. However, this individual was holding back the impulsive part of his being as much as possible as he tried to dodge and counter the blows coming his way.


    He understood that staying in this place and fighting was the quickest way to fail in his mission to report the changes that had occurred on the Black Plain to the Silva family. And as a loyal subordinate to this power, this man could not allow his death to happen before he accomplished this.


    He knew very well that his family had a feud with Minos, and even if this young man didn''t know anything, they couldn''t risk it!


    Now that the Black Plain had power, it was only a matter of time before a conflict between the organization behind this man and the local forces began. After all, this place had things it shouldn''t, which would undoubtedly drive the more significant regional powers to take this place.


    In particular, the House Silva!


    And, while he wasn''t sure if Minos was the true leader of that town, the one responsible for these changes, he suspected that this young man was involved, even if he was just a puppet.


    Consequently, there would always be a risk that this young man would use some power of influence he may have to harm the Silva family. Therefore, Oscar could not fail to pass the message on to his superiors so that they would understand the dangers lurking!


    ''Those Spiritual Generals are powerful... They are almost as good as the nobles of the same level as them!'' So this muscular man thought to himself as he felt the sinister force of the techniques used by his opponents.


    At that moment, a few blades of air were coming towards him, while explosions of red flames began to cover the escape area he had.


    Seeing this, this man leaped backward, his body leaning slightly, successfully dodging those blades. However, for the first time in the last 40 minutes, he had been prevented from being able to keep running.


    He could feel that the red flames in his path were very threatening. Unless he were willing to sacrifice a great deal of his energy, he would undoubtedly have to suffer a lot to overcome such a thing.


    As such, this man quickly tried to use an alternate plan, taking a few steps back and sending a series of blows in the direction of some of those people and those flames.


    He didn''t want to fight these people face to face, but he needed to push them away for a few moments while he got the space to run away again!


    Mortal Dream!


    Storm Winds!


    He activated two of his spiritual techniques, one focusing on mental power and the other capable of generating powerful wind currents capable of cutting his targets and impeding their movements.


    Immediately upon doing this, the atmospheric pressure in that place decreased considerably, until finally, the mighty winds began to appear!


    While that was going on, the five people he had used his mental technique on began to notice their vision becoming blurry.


    "Shit! This guy is trying to make us pass out so he can run away!" One of the strongest soldiers in that group said this out loud, feeling his five companions suddenly become pretty strange.


    Not only had the spiritual energy in their bodies become unstable, but their bodies were also beginning to shake vigorously as their eyes rolled back!


    "Activate your defense techniques!" He yelled again while talking to his other nine teammates.


    As for the five soldiers, since none of them had mind-focused techniques, it would be difficult for them to solve this misfortune quickly, especially since they were already under the effect of that technique.


    There were only two effective ways to protect against such attacks. One would be to have mental techniques strong enough for these cultivators to be protected. The other would be for the individual to have all of his defenses active and not have cultivation far inferior to the one who attacked him with such a technique.


    Otherwise, a target of a mental technique could only receive such an attack and try to deal with it!


    Anyway, while these soldiers tried to protect themselves, they finally saw the powerful winds open a path in the middle of the red flames, through which, right after that, Oscar started to run.


    "Shit! Let''s keep going after him¡­" One of the ten soldiers yelled in rage as he looked for a moment at those five and then started running once more.


    None of them wanted to leave their comrades behind, but that was the only alternative here. As long as they continued, they could at least hinder that opponent and keep some distance from him.


    On the other hand, those soldiers under the effects of the prior mental technique would probably not be at risk just by staying in this location. And they also couldn''t get rid of such results in a short time with just the help of these other cultivators.


    So, as soon as that man said those last words, they all disappeared from there, heading towards where Oscar had run.


    ...


    A few minutes after this previous Oscar action, a group of 50 soldiers finally arrived at the spot where five soldiers were struggling on the ground.


    Seeing this, Minos, who led this team, frowned and approached those five individuals. "A mental technique?"


    Although Spiritual Kings can use up to six techniques and mental techniques were generally chosen as the 6th to be learned, this didn''t happen as often as expected. As a result, it was unsurprising that Spiritual Kings lacked such a technique, particularly those in the northern region of the Central Continent, where there was little competition.


    In fact, a significantly large number of these individuals did not use such techniques. Instead, some simply preferred to have more than one attack or defense technique. Others chose to have support techniques, which could be helpful in different situations.


    Therefore, young Stuart had asked himself dubiously about such a thing, seeing the situation of those five.


    And immediately upon realizing their suffering, this young man activated his support technique, Devouring Art, over the place where those soldiers had fallen.


    He could not protect these individuals from the mental attacks they had already suffered, as he did not have a mental technique. But he could stop the remaining mental attacks.


    After all, any spiritual attack would depend on energy, and he could absorb such a thing through his Devouring Art!


    Zum!


    After a few seconds, the five soldiers stopped convulsing, almost simultaneously, as young Stuart ordered those other 50 individuals.


    "Three of you are going to take these 5 to the General Hospital. The rest, follow me..."


    "Let''s meet this enemy!"


    ...


    While Minos'' group chased the traces left by the ten soldiers chasing Oscar, another pursuit was taking place at this time, east of the Dry City.


    In that area, more than 15 soldiers were running after Urban, trying their best not to lose sight of this individual and also cause some damage to this Spiritual King.


    After almost an hour since the escape order he had given, Urban had run without stopping, having been the most successful member of that investigative group!


    He was by far the strongest of these individuals, despite still being at level 52. And given his vast experience and confidence in his own instincts, this man had used his abilities well to deflect attacks from Black Plain Army soldiers and increase his distance from them a little more than Oscar had achieved.


    On the other hand, the more than 15 soldiers chasing him were having a hard time. Not because they had taken too many hits from this opponent. But, because they had barely managed to inflict any damage on this Spiritual King, at the same time, they were exhausting themselves more and more!


    ''This guy is running out of energy... But we''ll have problems before he does!'' The leader of the soldiers thought to himself, with his face growing darker.


    He then started talking to his teammates. "Plan B, from now on, we will do the following..."

 Chapter 546: Another Struggle

    "Half of us will stop attacking that fellow and also stop trying to prevent him from escaping. You will just accompany the rest of us from a safe distance."


    "With that, I hope you still have the energies to fight that guy when the rest of us aren''t able to do the same." The group leader said in determination.


    He planned to take a step back at this point so that they could take two steps forward and maybe defeat that Spiritual King letter.


    This person had thought of this plan since their opponent seemed to be handling all this well, and such an opponent would probably have chances to throw them off later. After all, even if such a person had to defend himself and dodge this group''s attacks, Urban had considerably higher cultivation than each of these soldiers.


    So, to prevent the worst from happening, this soldier wanted half the group to continue fighting as before, so that enemy would continue to waste his energies. But, on the other hand, the other half of the soldiers would hold back to attack him later, when both Urban and the other soldiers were already more tired.


    There were dangers in doing this, as facing that person with only half the total strength of that group would bring more hazards to those involved. But as they were not managing to close the distance between them and the enemy, the leader of these soldiers had thought about this possibility of action.


    "OK!" Several of those people said this simultaneously, while little by little, some of them began to slow down.


    "The rest of you, don''t make it easy for this person!"


    Boom!


    ...


    While that group that was chasing Urban, a few dozen kilometers from that location, Oscar was at this moment fighting against the ten soldiers who had continued to pursue him!


    At this time, this man had already suffered some injuries, while his energies were starting to become more and more scarce.


    He had managed to run for over an hour when finally, this man began to feel that his opponents were getting weaker.


    Upon realizing such a thing, this man had begun to think more and more about eliminating these threats, which could bring him more problems later on. After all, he just hadn''t bothered to hide his tracks because these people were very close to him, and surely possible reinforcements would follow in their tracks.


    But if he had an opportunity to deal with these ten soldiers, it would be much better for him. That''s because if he ran out of energy and his location was too obvious, he would only have big problems!


    The closest city to where he was now was another two days of the trip, and he was aware that he wouldn''t survive that long if he could be easily tracked!


    And even though he had thought about it before, he hadn''t done anything about it due to the strength of that group. With 15 people, they were a terrible threat to this Spiritual King, something he couldn''t face lightly, or he would end up dead here.


    But after he managed to take down those five individuals from before, he had solved a significant part of the problem!


    With only ten people chasing him, even if he stopped and decided to fight them head-on, he felt he had a chance of getting out of this place alive.


    Naturally, this would not be an easy battle, and he would almost certainly have to eliminate about three people before reaching an ideal situation in which he could exert control over the fight.


    Before that happened, he would have some difficulties.


    And after being chased by those ten people for a while, while thinking more and more about this, that Spiritual King had finally made up his mind two minutes ago!


    Boom!


    Sss!


    Swooish! Swooish!


    Several sounds reverberated through that lifeless terrain of the Black Plain, while some red flames spread through that area, alongside several blades of air, heading towards that Spiritual King.


    However, as the Black Plain Army soldiers attacked him, Oscar was standing around doing nothing. Instead, he had his movement technique activated all the time while moving to dodge enemy attacks.


    At the same time, he used his mental technique to force those ten individuals to expend most of their energies to protect their minds. Finally, every now and then, he would release his attack technique, Storm Winds.


    Each time Oscar did this, the fight became a little more difficult for those soldiers, who were quite miserable now, wounded, dirty, and gasping.


    Fighting high-level opponents were not easy, especially considering that such a person was an enemy who wanted to kill them!


    Because of this, the performance of these soldiers couldn''t be as good as it usually was in military exercises or matches inside headquarters.


    Thus, these individuals had suffered more than their opponent, who was someone more experienced, of higher level and with a higher number of techniques!


    "Ahhhh!" A soldier screamed in pain, just as a powerful current of wind hurled him into the air, sending him flying over 20 meters in height and then falling to the ground on his back!


    However, despite being a significant fall, the worst of it was not due to the height, but because right after falling to the ground, this man was pressured by the winds once more.


    Crack!


    It wasn''t strong enough to crush him completely. However, some of his less resistant bones were already starting to crack from the pressure they were under at the time.


    "Miserable!" Another soldier said this as he tried once more to hit Oscar using his flames.


    Ssss!


    Puff!


    But despite being able to hit his target, such flames were entirely blocked by the opponent''s defensive technique, which created a layer of protection over the user''s body.


    Pow!


    Soon after, Oscar gave a decisive blow towards that individual''s chest, causing a significant amount of energy to condense into one big finger.


    "Ahhhh!" The target of that finger screamed in pain, just after receiving the blow to in his chest and having its body hurled away.


    This soldier could taste the intense flavor of blood in his mouth. But, at the same time, this blow had severely damaged many of his bones and organs!


    Finally, when he fell this and hit his head on the ground, that soldier passed out.


    ''Two are gone... Just one more, and I''ll be able to act more freely.'' So Oscar thought to himself as he paid attention to those two individuals who were already unconscious.


    He wasn''t sure if those people were dead. But, regardless of whether they were or not, he would eliminate all the corpses when he finished with these other eight people. That way, he didn''t care about the status of these soldiers right now.


    "You''re next!" He said in a low voice, looking towards one of those soldiers standing before him, an individual who carried a giant war hammer.


    After saying those words, Oscar once again acted, running around that spot and sending a bunch of attacks in the direction of those people, focusing most of his blows on his main target, the individual who seemed to be the strongest in that group.


    Eliminating such an opponent was more difficult, but it was also more beneficial once he achieved it. Thus, this Level 52 Spiritual King was not sparing any strength to end this battle and finally escape from this place safely.


    Storm Winds!


    Swooish!


    Swooish!


    At the same time, as the atmospheric pressure changed, several sounds of air being cut exploded in that place when those soldiers were launching their own techniques.


    On the other hand, Oscar''s target made a big spin in the air and then unleashed a powerful attack with that war hammer, in the direction of the attack sent by his opponent!


    "Ahhhh!"


    Sss!


    "Ahhhhhh!"


    Boom!


    Dust was again thrown into the air by the wind, while a smell of ashes mixed with the blood made the scene extremely chaotic, typical of battlefields.


    But at this critical moment, the natural light of the place suddenly dimmed, as an unusual figure appeared above the skies there.

 Chapter 547: Where Did He Sent It?

    Zum!


    The moment an enormous black ring appeared over the sky in that area, the entire ground below that technique diminished considerably in luminosity, while a characteristic sound arose there.


    At the same time, all living beings within the space covered by such a thing began to feel their energies decreasing at an alarming rate!


    Swooish! Swooish!


    Two giant blades appeared in that area, starting from a certain point where that ring seemed to be centered, running towards Oscar''s attacks.


    In a blink of an eye, such blades destroyed the attacks that were about to take that soldier''s life while completely stopping the other charges that were making that place chaotic previously.


    "Huh?" Oscar realized something strange in his surroundings when he suddenly saw the figure of a young man running towards him, with two medium-level grade-2 swords in his hands.


    Upon seeing this, this man immediately realized that this level 49 young man was the one who had destroyed his previous attacks!


    "Reinforcements?" He muttered, realizing that dozens of people seemed to be arriving at that place. ''Shit! I took too long.'' He thought to himself as he started to panic at the situation he was in.


    This man was running low on energy reserves, and now so many enemies as strong as those others he had suffered to face had arrived at this place. That was indeed a cold bath for him!


    ''Damn! If I fall into these people''s hands, they''ll find out that the Silva family is responsible for this¡­'' He then made a frighteningly dark expression as he found himself at a dead end. ''They might attack us before we have a chance to do anything about it!''


    Thinking about it, Oscar finally decided how to act in this situation.


    He was a very different individual from Scott, as his loyalty was much deeper than that of that man''s. Because of that, he was willing to go much further than that red-haired man for the good of the Silva family!


    ''Now, I can only trust that one of you two will be able to report this discovery to the family, Scott, Urban!'' So he thought to himself before finally looking at his spatial ring and destroying some of the items stored there.


    For Oscar, the most important thing at this point was that the power behind him had a chance to receive this information before these mysterious enemies acted. And even if such an organization were stronger than the Silva family, such power could still appeal to the kingdom for assistance!


    That''s why this man was so drastic in his decision...


    ''Now!'' He thought before finally preparing to begin his sacrifice.


    At the same time, all the conscious people in that place realized what this Spiritual King was about to do, including Minos!


    However, this time the present situation was very different from the one he had faced previously. ''This again? Coward!''


    ''But it won''t work this time!''


    While he thought about it, Minos used everything he had to create a powerful attack in less than a split second, using his Spatial Sword.


    As he did so, the space around him, Oscar and those soldiers who were fighting this man, suddenly froze, as if the movement of everything in that place had been sealed.


    Swooish!


    A blade about two meters wide formed quickly after the young Stuart made a brief movement with one of his swords, making such an attack running towards the man''s neck.


    Puff!


    And even before the sacrificial process actually started, that Spiritual King''s head fell to the ground. At the same time, a significant amount of blood began to spurt out of that corpse''s neck!


    Minos'' attack had passed through the very part of Oscar''s body where the sensory organ was located. As a result, even though that man was willing to sacrifice himself, he had utterly lost his only opportunity to make that attack of his life.


    Since he had not formed his soul to the point where it could leave his body momentarily, Oscar couldn''t sacrifice himself without his spirit organ. After all, this was the only ''ignition'' used by people below level 70 to start such a thing.


    Consequently, the problems from the sacrifice had not arisen there!


    Finally, when they realized what had happened, those people around Oscar let out long sighs of relief. They were alive, and their reinforcements had arrived at this place!


    And immediately seeing that the only enemy in that place had died, young Stuart deactivated his spiritual techniques and saw his other soldiers approaching that area.


    Several of them were running towards those wounded soldiers to check on these people and provide needed help.


    On the other hand, one of those soldiers from Minos'' group asked aloud to one of the people on that team who had fought Oscar. "Dexter, what were the levels of the other enemies?"


    "Cough, uh, besides this one, one was at level 52 and the other at level 51." One of those eight soldiers still conscious said this in a weakened tone while ingesting a spiritual pill.


    While listening to the conversation of those soldiers, Minos quickly reached over to Oscar''s corpse and pulled out the spatial ring that was on one of the late Spiritual King''s fingers.


    "Let''s see what''s here..." He muttered in a low voice as he began to analyze the items inside that ring.


    But in doing so, young Stuart had the sad surprise to discover that almost every item there had been destroyed except the artifacts and spiritual crystals.


    There weren''t any techniques, letters, maps, symbols, or things that cultivators would generally have in their rings, things like food, clothing, IDs, etc.


    ''The wretch must have destroyed everything at the time he decided to sacrifice himself!''


    Obviously, it wouldn''t be wise for Oscar to sacrifice himself and leave all that evidence inside his spatial ring... After all, such an item was strong enough to withstand his sacrifice, and he also didn''t have enough power to destroy it before sacrificing.


    In this case, he had just destroyed all the items he could in his spatial ring!


    After realizing this and thinking for a short moment, Minos finally gave his orders. "Another ten of you will take these wounded soldiers to the Dry City. Take that head too, and show it to the butler Dillian. Ask him if he recognizes such a person."


    Upon hearing this, some of those people quickly began to follow such orders.


    "The rest of you, I want you to start investigating the surroundings. Let''s see if we find out if there''s anything strange in this area left by this man." He said before closing his eyes and sighing. ''If it was just three individuals from those levels, then those other reinforcement groups will be able to deal with those enemies without my help.''


    ''But where did these people come from? Due to their hostile behavior, they are certainly members or subordinates of large organizations!''


    "Sigh, I''ll have to advance some of my plans¡­" He muttered in regret. ''I hope the other groups were lucky to discover the identity of these people.''


    ...


    After that, two whole days have passed!


    In this past period, the soldiers who had initially pursued Urban had fought several battles against this man, in the many times when this person needed rest.


    But due to the advantages Urban had and the fact that he kept a considerable distance from his opponents for much of the time, this man had survived, even after having to fight those soldiers.


    However, his situation had not been good, especially after the 50 reinforcements had joined the chase!


    He had lost one of his arms in such fights, gained several fractures, broken bones, and several of his organs started to die from the heavy damage he had sustained.


    But luckily for this man, before he lost consciousness, he had reached a small village east of the Dry City, already outside the territory of the Black Plain.


    In such a place, before he died, he had sent a message to the Silva family!


    ...


    Boom!


    At that moment, a wooden door was kicked off when ten people entered an establishment in that small village.


    "The wretch is finally dead!" One of them yelled in excitement as the group of people from that establishment watched them with awe on their faces.


    "What has this man done here?" One of the soldiers asked doubtfully, still not celebrating the death of this enemy.


    Upon hearing this, one of those people immediately responded, fearing that such invaders would do something if they were not replied. "Gentlemen, this person forced us to send a crow with a letter."


    Hearing this, all those soldiers fell silent as they felt chills run down their spines.


    "Where did he send this?"

 Chapter 548: Time to Visit Your Family!

    Hearing the tone filled with intense killing intent, that same person from before lowered his head and said sincerely. "Gentlemen, I don''t know. That person was not talking sense to sense when he came in here a few minutes ago."


    That was, in fact, the truth. When Urban had entered this establishment, he had seemed like a crazy person who could barely speak coherently, sometimes even talking to himself. He was disoriented and significantly injured, after all...


    The person from before then continued his report. "From what little I understood, he demanded that we lend him a crow. After that, he wrote something on a piece of paper and made that raven recognize where it should fly to..."


    "Miserable!" Some of the soldiers said this while looking at Urban''s corpse.


    Such an opponent had given a lot of work to the group of more than 60 soldiers who had pursued him. So much so that four people from this group had died at the hands of this deceased Spiritual King, and many others had suffered injuries of varying degrees!


    "Tsk, let''s take the corpse back with us. Maybe our comrades got lucky with the other enemies!" The group leader said in a regretful tone as he clasped his fists tightly in anger.


    They still didn''t know what had happened to the other three groups that left the Dry City. After all, in the past two days, these soldiers had only chased and fought this person.


    But in addition to the concern over the origin of those people who had tried to flee from the Black Plain Army soldiers before, this problem had now worsened considerably. After all, they couldn''t be sure what was in that letter Urban had sent before his death.


    On the other hand, regardless of who the recipient was, that person or organization could only be another enemy of the Black Plain. That is, that group of Spiritual Kings had fought for their lives to get away from there, in which case, any request for help or warning sent out would not be a nice thing for these soldiers.


    Because of all this, these individuals were already feeling extremely irritated with this failure, and some were even preparing for the worst!


    ''That''s it. Peace is over for good... I thought we''d have some more time because of this plan for the Gill family, but now... I''m afraid there''s not much time left for war!'' One of those more experienced soldiers thought that as he watched Urban''s body disappear from that spot.


    After one of the soldiers collected the body and the spatial ring of that enemy, they promptly left that establishment, already starting their return to the Dry City.


    ...


    After the soldiers left that establishment in that village, all the people who had seen everything that happened immediately left that place and began to look in the direction from which the soldiers had departed.


    The owner of that establishment then swallowed his saliva in awe. ''Unbelievable! The world is truly vast... I never thought I would live to see the day when Spiritual Generals would chase down Spiritual Kings!''


    This man was one of the few Spiritual Generals in this village, a level 40 ordinary cultivator. Because of that, he had understood how to behave in front of the soldiers, even though they had destroyed part of his property.


    But while this man had his thoughts about what happened, one of the people who had seen it all said something. "Guys, we should notify the village leader about this incident, maybe..."


    Pa!


    As such a person was saying this, suddenly the establishment owner slapped such a person hard in the face. "Are you crazy? Do you know that that person who just died here was a level 52 Spiritual King? So you want to involve our village in this matter?"


    "What?"


    "It can not be! Did those people kill a Spiritual King?" Other people exclaimed in awe, realizing the gravity of the situation.


    News of people above level 50 dying was scarce in this part of the continent, except for the great wars between noble families. But such things didn''t happen that often and ordinary people would only know about these things if they lived close to these affected regions.


    In fact, most of the news of deaths of Spiritual Kings that came to the attention of the ordinary people in this part of the continent were usually related to old age. Because of this, it was highly unusual for people of this level to die in battle!


    But even so, these people had unknowingly witnessed the death of a powerful regional expert!


    Fearful!


    After hearing such a thing, they all trembled with fear and wished they had never seen it.


    "The best we can do is forget about what happened here¡­" The man from before said aloud, shortly before heading back to his establishment.


    ''Ahhh, I hope this doesn''t come back to us in the future...''


    ...


    As the soldiers returned to the Dry City, many things had happened there in the past two days.


    The groups that had successfully defeated their enemies had returned to Dry City on the same day that the chases had begun, bringing vital information for the future of this place.


    One group identified the origin of those Spiritual Kings through the items in Scott''s spatial ring. Even if such a person had the intelligence to destroy such things, as Oscar did, the Black Plain Army would still learn about the Silva family''s relationship with them.


    That''s because the butler Dillian knew the identity of these two Spiritual Kings who had been taken to the Dry City. After all, these people were specialists from the Silva family, individuals who had already reached the 6th stage decades ago!


    Dillian might not recognize young Spiritual Kings, but as a former subordinate of a Spiritual King, he knew most of the Brown Kingdom experts'' faces, especially those from the past.


    As such, he had realized Scott and Oscar''s past the moment he had seen their faces.


    Finally, all this information had been gathered and passed on to the army''s command and the local sovereign. At first, they didn''t want to make hasty decisions before the third group returned, but after more than a day with no news, they had concluded that they could expect the worst...


    More time on the run meant more chances for information about the Dry City to leak out to some noble power, not just the Silva family. As such, the army command was already considering what to do with the worst-case scenario in mind, namely, the arrival of the Silva family alongside the royal troops in this city!


    As a first measure, Minos ordered that the borders be closed to any cultivator above level 30. Below this level, there was a minimal possibility that such people would come from noble powers since such organizations wouldn''t send their members or subordinates below this level on trips.


    Hence, the army could considerably reduce the entry of enemies into the Dry City.


    Minos had never done this before because, in addition to being extremely rare for people of that level to come here, his town desperately needed new residents as soon as possible. After all, at the end of the day, the soldiers he could get were just citizens before they became such a thing. And so, a larger population would mean more significant numbers of soldiers and also better individual quality.


    Therefore, he could not limit people''s entry into his city in such a way, or he would not even have the means to deal with future enemies!


    Now, however, the danger of continuing to do so had increased significantly.


    On the other hand, he was already on his way to take the Maritime City, a place where he could attract tens of thousands of people to Dry City without having to risk so much.


    Hence, the migration plans of this city had changed, becoming more careful.


    Apart from that first measure, there were a dozen decisions regarding the Independence Plan, things that had to be done ahead of schedule.


    At the forefront was the construction of outposts around the Dry City and in some towns near the border with the Black Plain so that the army could more efficiently protect that town. Furthermore, Minos had ordered the plans for the Maritime City to be accelerated!


    ...


    Anyway, one of those decisions that had been rushed was being discussed right now.


    "It''s time to visit your family..."

 Chapter 549: Life Must Go On

    "It''s time to visit your family, Abby." Minos said at the side of his girlfriend''s left ear as he hugged the slender waist of this young woman, who was naked on top of him.


    Hearing this, this young woman''s little sister suddenly pressed even harder on young Stuart''s rod while she was already looking steadily into his eyes. ''Perhaps he will take the opportunity to ask me to marry him?'' She thought about it a little embarrassed and anxious.


    It was evident that she understood what Minos'' purpose was in wanting to meet her parents at this time. After all, with everything that had happened, it was only a matter of weeks before news of the Dry City''s change reached the upper echelons of the local noble families!


    Therefore, she understood perfectly well that Minos wanted to deal with more pressing matters on this visit. But that didn''t stop her from thinking about these other possibilities...


    That is because no matter what problems came their way, life had to go on. How terrible would the world be if people stopped fulfilling their responsibilities or living their lives just because they might die?


    As far as this young woman knew, even Gods would eventually die. In this case, there was no reason for her not to think about tomorrow, despite the risks of her eventual death happening sooner than expected!


    If she died, well, it would be a pity for herself and far worse for those who loved her and stayed alive. But if she stopped planning her future just because of that possibility, then if she were to live, what she would have after that would be a loss of years, or at worst, the loss of her entire life!


    So, this young woman couldn''t help but think about her future with Minos, despite the problems surrounding them at the moment.


    Furthermore, as a person in love and who already understood that her lover had these feelings for her too, Abby couldn''t help but fantasize about her marriage to Minos!


    Anyway, after thinking about it with a certain redness on her face, she felt her partner''s rod leave her cave as she looked into Minos'' eyes. Of course, she wasn''t going to say anything to him about those thoughts at the moment. Still, this young man meeting her parents would be a big step for her. So she couldn''t help but be pleased to hear that from him. "Excellent! When do we leave?"


    Seeing the smile on his girlfriend''s face, Minos smiled for a moment, realizing some of the ideas that must have been going through Abby''s mind.


    He hadn''t thought about marriage, but he knew that formally meeting her parents as her boyfriend was an essential step for any couple.


    But he soon put those thoughts to rest. "Let''s wait for three days. Then, if none of those soldiers from the third group returned, I will give the orders for an investigation group to resolve this while we travel to your family city."


    "All right. But how long are we going to be there?" She asked, still with an expression of happiness on her beautiful face.


    "Not much. The round trip there using Ruth''s eagle should take around ten days. In that case, we can''t stay there for more than four days, or we might not return in time to face the possible problems concerning those three enemies." Minos replied seriously.


    These numbers were not random. In fact, he''d thought about it a lot before realizing that he wouldn''t have the opportunity to visit Abby''s family in the future as easily as he could now.


    That''s because, in the future, that family could already be against the Black Plain, something that would make any kind of agreement between the parties difficult. But, on the other hand, the Miller family didn''t know anything about the Dry City at the time and might be more open to possible deals with Minos.


    Consequently, this trip had to happen as soon as possible, or Minos might forget to eliminate the Miller family from his list of potential enemies!


    It was just a shame that Abby hadn''t reached level 50 yet... Otherwise, it could have been done much more quickly, as it should be if they were to follow the original plan. But anyway, that was life.


    Now that the milk had been spilled, he had to adapt to the new reality!


    And as for the numbers said by Minos, that was obvious considering the positions of the headquarters of the noble powers closest to the Dry City.


    Under normal conditions, specialists of these powers could reach the Dry City in less time from their respective territories. But that would only happen to those few who used high-level beasts¡ªthe beasts at the 5th stage.


    However, there weren''t many beasts like that in the regional noble families!


    Consequently, it would be difficult for a large group to reach the Dry City in a short time. In fact, it would be most expected that such a thing would not happen within the next two or three weeks, which was the time needed to make these same trips on 4th and 3rd stage beasts, the ones typically used in situations like this.


    Only after this interval could the consequences of this recent incident reach the Dry City. And from then on, such a thing could happen any day!


    As for the possibility of an expert coming alone or in a small group to the Dry City, that was extremely unlikely. After all, this would involve considerable risk, given the tremendous changes this place had gone through.


    But on top of that, Minos also had the Gill family problem to deal with, something that could lure enemies into his town at any moment. Because of all that, he didn''t want to be away from the Dry City for more than two weeks!


    Anyway, after hearing her boyfriend''s response, Abby nodded in agreement at him. She understood much better than him the geography and political positions of local noble families. Hence, considering the current context, she understood that this was the most time they could be out of the Dry City.


    And for her, that would be more than enough!


    "Well, I just hope the elders in my family aren''t too shortsighted..." She said with an uncertain expression, already with an apologetic look at Minos.


    Making decisions was not easy, and sometimes more experienced individuals would prefer not to risk too much when negotiating with very new parties, organizations without a strong background, in situations that could involve great dangers. Therefore, this young woman was afraid that things would go wrong on this trip and her family would not come to an agreement with Minos.


    Minos then massaged Abby''s left cheek and said softly. "I expect the same¡­ But if they disagree, I can bring your parents here. That''s what worries you the most, right?"


    "Hmmm." Abby agreed with him as she closed her eyes and felt her boyfriend''s touch. She then said. "If they give an excuse that they''re going away on business, it shouldn''t be hard for them to get out of there."


    "But I hope this isn''t necessary..."


    After that, the two continued to talk about matters relating to this trip to the Miller family headquarters.


    Minos did not expect to reach an agreement with the Miller family in which such power would become their known ally, which could turn the entire kingdom''s forces against such power. Instead, the goal of this young ruler was to make his girlfriend''s family have a secret relationship with the Black Plain. At the same time, on the surface, it would appear to be with the other noble families against his territory.


    It wouldn''t be easy for him to achieve something like this. But as long as that power acted in secret to not harm the Black Plain, even if they didn''t help, that would be enough for this young man not to consider them enemies.


    As for if it went wrong, well, if they attacked him, then they should be prepared to face an extremely merciless opponent.


    Noble families were large, and there was usually no significantly great feeling from one noble to another unless they were closely related.  Thus, young Stuart would not bother to deal with the Miller family, even though his girlfriend was a descendant of such power!

 Chapter 550: Before Departure 1 (*)

    While Minos and Abby were in their room talking about their business, Regina and Angela were currently in a restaurant in the Dry City, eating and talking.


    It was evening, and at this moment, it was cold in this city, something that went very well with the fondue that these two women were sharing in this restaurant.


    On the other hand, after a stressful day due to the intensive treatment she had to apply on Mirya, Regina wanted to relax a bit in this place before her cultivation session.


    As for Angela, this woman didn''t have to worry too much about Regina''s safety in this place and recently spent most of her time training. Therefore, for her, this was a good time to rest her mind and talk to her boss.


    These two had a long-standing relationship. But even though Regina was already an expert by the time she had brought Angela to her side, both had a very close connection. In fact, it would not be wrong to say that they were friends.


    As such, they both loved talking to each other about almost any topic. Although some subjects were usually not discussed, as humans prefer to talk about what they know and not about other things...


    And as they both had some different experiences, not everything would be interesting to talk about.


    Anyway, while they were enjoying the evening and talking about some past experiences, Regina finally brought up a subject that was more relevant to the lives of the two. "Speaking of wars, do you understand what happened in this town two days ago?"


    Hearing this, Angela couldn''t help but stop eating for a moment to remember what she had seen. "I''ve heard some rumors, but I can''t be sure they''re actually true. After all, the army solved most of this in secret."


    That day both of these women had seen the group of Minos'' soldiers depart from the center of the Dry City towards one of the city''s exits as if there was a significant emergency.


    And with the curiosity they both had about this place, they had promptly followed those soldiers to the edge of the wall, where they had been stopped from continuing such chase.


    After that, Regina had returned to the local hospital, where she had her appointments. In contrast, Angela had stayed at that post on the wall, waiting for the local soldiers to return.


    And in doing so, in the first 3 hours since the incident began, she had seen dozens of soldiers return, many of whom had injuries of varying degrees.


    But unfortunately for her, this woman had not seen any enemies being brought into Dry City, much less had the soldiers given her any answers...


    Angela then continued. "But from the wounds of those soldiers, I think they either faced a huge group, or they faced Spiritual Kings!"


    "Who do you think is responsible for this? Is it some enemy of that boy?"


    Angela then shook her head in denial. "I do not know. It''s complicated to think of a potential enemy of this place. But given the wealth that exists here, I believe there are many potential enemies..."


    She then looked thoughtfully at her boss and said. "However, I think this city will soon face many battles. Maybe even against those organizations with level 59 monsters!"


    "Oh? So you think it''s too dangerous for us to stay here for too long?" Regina asked in an interested tone.


    "I''m not saying we should try to leave. But I suggest you rush your plans, or even if you succeed, it might be too late for us to try to get out of here..."


    "Or you can agree to submit. That''s not a bad option either¡­" Angela tried to convince her boss once more, saying it in a teasing tone.


    "Tsk!" Regina made a disgusted sound as she looked meaningfully at her bodyguard. ''If I gave up so easily, I would never have reached my level! Hell, maybe I had become another one of those losers!''


    "Since you suggest I hurry, I''ll try plan B..."


    ...


    One day later.


    At this time, the sun was almost at the top of the Dry City, while the streets of the city were quite busy, something typical for the current reality of this place.


    While the Dry City continued to grow, a couple was having a hot moment now in one of the young Stuart''s rooms, as they were actively exchanging fluids.


    In that place, a young woman with black hair was turned on her side on a bed, feeling her companion moving vigorously behind her.


    She was completely naked, with her perfect breasts constantly vibrating, her nipples fully erect. At the same time, a male hand massaged one of them.


    On the other hand, her little sister was being pierced at this moment by the rod of a brown-haired young man, while his other hand was rubbing the top of this young woman''s flower.


    While they were enjoying themselves in this position, Ruth was with her face slightly turned back, trying to look into Minos'' eyes as she gave all her to him.


    "Ahhhh~"


    "Ahhhhh~"


    She had a passionate look on her face as her heavenly moans reverberated amid the two young men''s hurried breaths, something that was creating a divine symphony.


    And while the two felt the sublime pleasure of this session, feeling each other''s heat, both were little by little reaching their climaxes once more.


    Ruth felt a slight trembling in her body as if her muscles were exhausted from the repetitive activity they were doing. But at the same time, her little sister released more and more fluids as it squeezed young Stuart''s firm rod.


    That was giving even more pleasure to this young man, who hadn''t slowed his pace one bit as he penetrated his mate and used his hands to stimulate the other sensitive parts of her.


    "Ahhhh~ I''m coming~" Ruth said aloud as she smiled happily, with her face completely red.


    At the same time, Minos also came there, shortly after his companion''s little sister squeezed his rod even harder than before. In this instant, he had filled her womb once more, to the point that slowly, his seeds began to leak down the sides of Ruth''s flower.


    "Ohh~ I never get bored of doing this..." He said this as he breathed in hurriedly and hugged Ruth''s sensual body.


    "Mmmmm~"


    Pa!


    He then gently bit the tip of one of Ruth''s ears just as he slapped one of her lower cheeks.


    "Ahhh~"


    She moaned once more, making young Stuart smirk as he looked at her from behind.


    After that, he continued to hug while he still had his rod inside that young woman. He then saw her turn her neck and look at him. The two stayed in this position for a while until finally, he said. "Ruth, I want you to be my girlfriend."


    Upon hearing this, this young woman opened her mouth in surprise, while a smile was forming little by little. She then got out of that position and faced him head-on, still lying on that bed.


    "Do you accept?"


    She then stared at him closely for a moment as she felt his breath on her face and thought of what to say. Of course, she wanted to accept, but she wanted to get some questions answered first... "If I''m your girlfriend, will you sleep with me?"


    "That..."


    That was a big problem for her. After all, Minos slept with Abby every night, and she didn''t like that at all. For that very reason, Ruth wanted to ensure that she would not be wronged by becoming this young man''s second girlfriend.


    "Yeah, we''d have to talk to Abby first... But, you know, I would love to sleep with you two, but if you don''t want to, what can I do?" He responded with a nervous smile as he looked at Ruth''s beautiful face.


    He then continued. "Why don''t we three talk about it? Then maybe we''ll come to an agreement where we can all be happy!"


    "Oh? And you can''t make up your own mind?" She teased him while trying to keep a serious expression on her face.


    "No, but this is for the best¡­ Imagine if you were in Abby''s place? Would you not support me in thinking that way?"


    After hearing this, Ruth''s eyes lightened as she suddenly understood something. But for now, she just kept it to herself.


    "Alright, I will accept being your girlfriend, despite such injustice..." She said as she tried not to smile at him.


    She was pleased about it, but she had tried her best to put it aside for a moment while the two of them talked about this ''most important'' subject.


    After that, she climbed into young Stuart''s lap, feeling excited about another round. She then whispered in his ear as one of her hands placed little Minos on her flower. "I hope you can love me the way I love you, Minos Stuart..."

 Chapter 551: Before Departure 2

    After two hours of wild sex, Minos and Ruth had finally finished, when the two had disconnected their bodies and gone straight to the shower. As they did, they both had expressions of happiness and relief on their faces, especially the black-haired girl, who was feeling quite warm in her heart.


    Having an official relationship with Minos was an essential step for her. As such, she couldn''t help but be satisfied, despite not having yet reached an agreement on the previous matter.


    But she liked the way Minos handled this subject. That gave her the assurance that another woman would not appear and take her place... After all, she knew Minos'' personality very well, so she wouldn''t think there wouldn''t be others in the future!


    And so, she was at this moment rubbing her boyfriend''s back while the two of them were talking about a particular subject.


    "Ruth, in the next few days, I will have to go to Abby''s family city. I need White to make this trip. Will you lend it to me, or will you go with us?" He asked.


    Hearing this, that young woman didn''t even blink when she responded promptly. "How long will it take for this? If it''s going to take longer than two days, I''ll go with you."


    "Hehe, it will take more than a week just to get there and back..."


    "So when do we leave?"


    The young Stuart then turned to her until he began to soap Ruth''s sensual body, enjoying the beautiful sight in front of him. Minos was used to women as beautiful as Ruth, Abby, Elena, but he never tired of appreciating the beauty of the women he slept with. And he always took advantage of these opportunities to observe them even after his younger brother retreated...


    "It shouldn''t take long... Let''s see if my soldiers come back today. If that happens, we''ll leave tomorrow morning."


    "All right!"


    ...


    After that, several hours had passed since Minos and Ruth had talked about the trip to the Miller family city.


    However, the soldiers that had chased Urban had only reached the Dry City this morning, thus delaying the trio''s journey.


    In any case, this wasn''t entirely out of Minos'' plans. This young man was already prepared to wait longer for those soldiers. With that, the moment their arrival was announced, a meeting at the headquarters of the local army was immediately called!


    After finding out exactly what had happened during Urban''s chase, the local forces could finally begin their planning!


    ...


    In a large hall at headquarters, many people were stuffed in that place, sitting around a large table or standing on the sides of that area.


    There were Minos, at the head of the table, Dillian, just to the right of this young man, the two girlfriends of this ruler were behind him, while on his left side was Mia. At the same time as this, several of the administrative soldiers and the army''s strongest individuals, including some from the Elite Squad, were standing there quietly, listening to all the instructions from their boss.


    "Unfortunately, we have passed the point where we still have control of the situation..." Minos firmly said as he looked from one side of that room to the other, seeing the many worried expressions around there. "The Silva family found out about Dry City, and it''s only a matter of time before their troops come to our city."


    "However, the next two or three weeks should still be peaceful for us, and we must take advantage of that time to act as quickly as possible!"


    "We don''t know what exactly that Spiritual King wrote to the Silva family, as he was extremely hurt at that time. But we must assume the worst."


    "So, I''m going to the Miller family to try to make an urgent deal with that power, and then I''ll be back in the Dry City in time for us to deal with the consequences of that incident..."


    "But in the meantime... Butler Dillian, you can tell them." Minos looked away and waved his right arm.


    Upon hearing and noticing young Stuart''s gesture, the butler immediately began to explain. "Well, first we need to speed up the progress of the invasion of the Maritime City, as well as the constructions of the outposts."


    "I already talked about it with secretary Mia, and the whole situation is already being resolved concerning the workers. However, we will have to send soldiers to these posts as soon as possible, starting from..."


    ...


    "We will decrease the presence of soldiers at each of the wall posts and will allocate those soldiers who normally stayed there to the future outposts."


    "Such outposts will play a key role shortly of the Dry City, which will be to protect our city''s trade routes as well as the local defensive area."


    ...


    The meeting continued for almost four hours straight, with many people asking about what could and should be done. At the same time, various questions about how the soldiers should act had been explained.


    In all this, the Elite Squad had been the only one that would not have an essential role in this first moment since it was the trump card of the Black Plain.


    Such a team would only be used in times of greatest need or when the soldiers on this team had fully matured.


    However, Minos and the administrative soldiers found it difficult not to use these forces in the short term, especially following the time stipulated for the soldiers to complete their training.


    At first, soldiers were required to spend three years training in the Spatial Kingdom so that any of them could act. However, with the recent changes, this time clearly could not be fulfilled!


    As such, Minos asked Celeste and the other higher-level people in the Spatial Kingdom to train those soldiers even more rigorously.


    Finally, another selection for new soldiers and new Elite Squad members was to take place within a month at the latest so that more people could join the local forces.


    Obviously, it would take time for these people to be trained to a level where they could have relevance in battle. But the very fact of having more soldiers would already facilitate the army''s actions, given that the command of this organization could send those more experienced and strong individuals to the outposts.


    Thus, these more powerful soldiers would be more effective in protecting the territory of the Black Plain. At the same time, the newcomers could have some time while training within the area covered by the Dry City dome.


    Anyway, that had been the basics of what had been talked about at that emergency meeting.


    Some of Minos'' other plans for this situation depended on external factors, which he couldn''t count on right now. Like, for example, the alliances that this young man wanted to make.


    For now, he had to wait until Mendy''s family accepted the previous agreement, and contact was made with the Hayes family. As for the other possibilities, he was still working on these.


    On the other hand, he still has to deal with the Gill family...


    ...


    After finishing that meeting, Minos immediately went to his office while he waited for his two girlfriends to deal with some issues relating to their trip.


    Since the Silva family was probably already aware of the changes in the Dry City, he could no longer wait for the next day to travel. He had to do this as soon as possible so that the least amount of damage was done to his territory!


    And as such, he was settling some matters right now, while he couldn''t stop thinking about the threat of war that was lurking in his domain.


    ''Will the Silva family inform the royal family? Or will they try something on their own first?'' This young man thought to himself, with a deep look on his face.


    ''And the Gill family? Is there any way I can use them?''


    But while Minos was warming his head in an attempt to solve these problems, Mia entered his office and warned him about Regina''s visit.


    Upon hearing this, he immediately asked this woman to come in, as she might have good news for him. After all, Mirya had already signed a contract with him, and the sooner she recovered, the better for the Black Plain!


    Anyway, after greeting Regina, young Stuart got right to the point. "So, do you have any special reasons for coming here? Perhaps Mirya''s treatment has advanced?"


    "Well, she''s doing fine, but I''m here to talk about a personal matter..."

 Chapter 552: Going to the Miller Family

    "A personal matter?" The young sovereign asked in doubt as he narrowed his eyes.


    Regina then smiled at him while she used one of her hands to ruffle her beautiful purple hair. She then looked at him steadily and said. "Yes... Since you want me in your organization, I thought it would be interesting if we got to know each other better. Don''t you think?"


    "I''m not sure I understand you correctly. Can you be a little more specific?" He looked carefully at the woman in front of him, more or less understanding what she was trying to do.


    "Hehe, why don''t we arrange a dinner for just the two of us? We can talk a little better that way, in a quiet place, where we can exchange our experiences..." She winked at him, still with a provocative smile on her beautiful face. "I''m sure I can teach you many things, hehe."


    "Is that so?" Minos looked at her with interest, moving his eyes from her beautiful face to the gorgeous cleavage at the height of her breasts. "Unfortunately, I''m afraid I won''t be able to accept your invitation, Ms. Regina."


    "Huh?" she exclaimed in surprise. ''Is this young man playing hard to get? Or is he not attracted to me?'' So she thought to herself, as she felt as if somehow she had been insulted.


    Regina then clenched her fists and said. "May I know the reason for your refusal? What harm would it be if we had dinner together?"


    "No big deal, I''m just quite busy, and that doesn''t seem to improve for the near future..." He vaguely  said as he judged this woman''s attitude carefully.


    "Busy, huh?" She said with a note of disappointment in her voice. "Young Minos, don''t you know that it''s beneficial to take time to relax during these stressful times? Maybe I can help you achieve the calm you need to make the best decisions for your city..."


    "You look pretty cocky, huh?"


    "Of course! My more than a thousand years of experience gives me assurance of my abilities... Aren''t you curious about that?" She bit her lips as she said this, just before getting up from her chair and walking towards Minos.


    Minos then frowned at this, but he did nothing. He was much faster and stronger than this woman to the point that even if she was 1 millimeter away from him, he could still defend himself perfectly against her.


    "What are you doing?" He finally asked this as he saw this woman stopped right in front of him.


    ''Is this brat still not interested in me? Why are you playing so difficult? Don''t tell me you''re a virgin?'' She looked at him significantly while trying not to make her irritation visible to Minos.


    ''Looks like I''ll have to do this...'' She clenched one of her fists behind her back when she suddenly bent down, getting her face at the height of Minos''.


    "Why don''t you let this old lady take care of you?" she said this, close enough to young Stuart''s face that he could feel her sweet breath.


    But unfortunately for Regina, Minos wasn''t in the mood for that. He already had a lot of action with his girlfriends and Viola, as he was also very stressed at this point. So, now, he wasn''t interested in this woman''s advances at all...


    Mainly because he knew she could have secret motives. After all, he knew this woman had an ambition that could be pretty dangerous to those around her.


    He even had confidence in protecting himself against her. Still, he didn''t need to add another problem at this point when there was already so much to solve.


    Minos then looked into her eyes for a moment as he thought about what to do. ''Regina... Regina, are you doing this because you think I will become vulnerable because of your beauty and whatever your skills are??''


    ''Hehehe, I will do nothing now and leave you with that flaw in mind....''


    ''When I get back from the Miller family, if you still want to play this game, I''ll show you that before we even start, I already have the advantage¡­'' He looked at Regina''s perfect lips and then at her cleavage with a calm look on his face.


    At that moment, Regina''s lips were about to touch Minos'', when suddenly this young man turned his face slightly to the side, causing this woman to kiss one of his cheeks.


    Upon feeling this, Regina became even more furious, no longer able to contain the redness on her face. At the same time, her eyes showed a resolute expression. ''You''re kidding me, brat! Long before your mother was born, I already was able to seduce the leaders of this region!''


    ''Do you want to challenge me? Okay, I''ll accept this defeat for today!'' She jerked one of her hands in the air and then slammed one of her feet heavily on the floor, just before turning and starting to walk out of that office.


    "See you later!" Regina looked back and said this, just before stepping through the door of that place and disappearing from the young sovereign''s sight.


    After she disappeared, Minos leaned his back against his armchair and let out a long sigh. "That woman is the devil!"


    He then smiled for a moment before finally getting back to his business.


    Minos had an idea of what might be on that woman''s mind, but he couldn''t help but feel a certain excitement about it. He naturally had his own plans for her, and so he couldn''t help but imagine the future in which this hard-to-handle woman would be on her knees to him.


    Metaphorically and literally speaking...


    ...


    Hours passed, and finally, the trio of Minos, Abby, and Ruth left the Dry City, traveling towards the Miller family headquarters, flying on White''s back.


    Before leaving that city, Minos had asked Eduard to leave his training in the Spatial Kingdom to keep an eye on the headquarters and deal with possible problems.


    Not only the external problems that were getting closer each day to that place but also the internal ones. After all, Regina and Angela were in that town, and they could both cause a lot of trouble if they wanted to.


    Therefore, Minos needed someone to handle any situation that might happen in his absence.


    But he didn''t want to do that to Celeste, as this woman was training in the Spatial Kingdom, learning her new techniques and training Elite Squad soldiers. That is, it was necessary for someone at the 6th stage to train those soldiers!


    As for Emlyn, this fox didn''t usually fight anyone from the Spatial Kingdom, as she needed to be aware of people''s actions there. That is, her job was to watch so that no harm was done to the medicines in that place.


    On the other hand, Eda was in the City of Waters marking territory, while Ernest was at the army''s naval base. And finally, Elena was on Stone Island, taking care of her personal affairs. Therefore, Lieutenant Eduard was no other alternative but to fulfill this role of temporary protector of the Dry City...


    Anyway, the Dry City still had Dillian and Mia to take care of local affairs during those two weeks Minos intended to spend away. And considering recent events, unless they were very unlucky, nothing significant was supposed to happen again in the short term.


    Hence, Minos had said goodbye without much fear, along with his two beautiful girlfriends, heading towards the place where he would finally meet Abby''s family!


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the biggest city in the Red Valley...


    Pa!


    A wooden door opened quickly, slamming into one of the walls of a specific office.


    At the same time, a young warrior had just entered the patriarch''s room, carrying a small message in his right hand as he breathed hurriedly.


    "What are you doing?" Asked one of the five people who were sitting around that office.


    Gulp!


    Hearing this, the young warrior swallowed his saliva just before speaking loud and clear. "Patriarch, we have new information regarding the deaths of the three elders!"

 Chapter 553: The Silva Family in Alarm!

    Immediately after that young warrior uttered such a sentence, an absolute silence filled that room.


    At the same time, the five people standing there put aside what they were doing previously to look at such a person.


    In the last four days, the Silva family had lost three of their 41 Spiritual Kings, which had greatly frightened the organization''s leaders.


    Two of these deaths had happened within a span of only a few minutes, while the last one had occurred almost two days after the second death. Because of this time, the high-ranking people in this family understood perfectly well that these Spiritual Kings had fallen at the hands of the same enemy.


    And since the dead were part of the same investigation team, the elders of this family had been in alarm since this indicated the possibility that some organization was targeting them!


    In less than five years, the patriarch''s son, along with his group, had been killed by an unknown enemy. After this, every investigative group sent to solve the mystery of these deaths had met the same fate.


    Death!


    First the high-level Spiritual Generals, then the low-level Spiritual Kings...


    The power of the dead investigators was getting greater and greater. At this rate, the family could no longer take this matter lightly.


    It was no longer just an investigation concerning a junior, who happened to be the patriarch''s only son. Now it affected the entire family, a real threat that needed to be contained quickly, or the worst could happen!


    As such, after the deaths of the first 2 Spiritual Kings, the family had already sent out orders for the family''s spy groups to begin investigating organizations with possible friction with House Silva.


    They had finally given up on doing blind investigations and sending even more of their high-level members into possible traps that would only kill them.


    Each Spiritual King was worth a lot to the family, and they could not risk losing even more of their members to an unknown enemy!


    And after the third death was confirmed, the command of this organization was even more confident that the enemy was dangerous.


    It must be said that the strength of Urban''s team was not small!


    After all, in this region of the Central Continent, the vast majority of the experts were at early levels of the 6th stage of cultivation. In particular, the cultivation below level 54!


    In fact, less than 30% of the 6th stage cultivars of this region were above level 54, and less than 4% of them were above level 57!


    As a result, losing three people who were already between levels 51 and 52 was a massive setback for the Silva family''s plans.


    Such an organization and other high-level powers had already realized that regional tension had increased dramatically in recent years. As such, they wanted to prepare for the tumultuous times of war and make the most of any opportunities that arose.


    However, even before the tension reached its climax and a regional-scale war began, they had already lost more than 7% of their experts!


    That was tremendously bad for this family, even more so considering the long-standing hostility between them and the Miller family...


    The Silva family had always been an aggressive power, focused on force and more energetic actions. On the other hand, House Miller was a commercial power, focused on business, more peaceful movements.


    And because of these characteristics, both noble houses were like cats and dogs!


    Usually, they ''lived together'' well, and each party was concerned with its own business without involving the other. But if one of them had the opportunity to destroy the other, this could happen for the slightest of reasons and in a short time...


    With all this going on, the leaders of the Silva family couldn''t help but be on their guard against everything that was happening!


    Anyway, after a terrifying silence, the patriarch got up from his armchair and said aloud. "What information?"


    Gulp!


    The young warrior then walked to the patriarch''s side and handed him the parchment that was in his hand. "But that information seems rather vague. From the blood marks and sloppy writing, this appears to have been sent by lord Urban in his last moments."


    "But there is an undeniable hint here..." The young man said.


    "What?" Someone asked in curiosity.


    "... On the Black Plain... Change... Dry City has... Defenses... Danger to the family!" The patriarch read this aloud, the contents of the letter sent by a nearly dead Urban.


    "Dry City?" One of them asked, already making a strange expression.


    This person naturally couldn''t believe that the words Dry City and danger had appeared together in the same sentence... But given the family''s position and the mystery concerning the deaths of these Spiritual Kings, no one there could entirely oppose the content of that message.


    Despite considering that the person who sent it was perhaps no longer lucid!


    "Isn''t that the city ruled by Albert''s brat?" One of the Spiritual Kings in that room asked as he remembered that detail...


    "It can''t be... You don''t think it''s possible, right?" A level 55 individual asked, with a dangerous look on his face.


    "It''s truly very unlikely, but maybe there''s something deeper here..." The supreme elder of this family, level 56, said this as he looked in the direction of the patriarch and realized how dark the face of Otis Silva, level 57, was.


    "Supreme elder, how can this be? How can a worm threaten us?"


    However, instead of the supreme elder saying something, Otis'' voice surprised the people in that room. "Adrian is right. There is something deeper in this matter..."


    "Regardless of what you may say, Urban used everything he had to get that message to us. In other words, he was lucid enough to make that last action and alert us to something. Something probably related to the death of him and his fellow investigators!"


    "And as much as that message is poorly written, with almost no details, I believe that at least some of the content of it is, in fact, the truth!"


    Gulp!


    Upon hearing this, immediately those people understood the same as Otis and swallowed their saliva in fear. "Maybe some enemy of ours is using the Black Plain as a secret base?"


    "I don''t know, but there is something close to Dry City that caused the death of that group. Maybe even with the death of little Darell!"


    Hearing the hoarse voice of the supreme elder, Otis finally clenched his fists in hatred and said firmly. "Give the orders for 5,000 Spiritual Generals and 5 Spiritual Kings to leave for the Black Plain immediately."


    "I want them to investigate every bit of that territory as quickly as possible. But don''t do anything. Any findings must be reported to me as soon as possible!"


    "Yes, patriarch!" The three elders who were at that location said simultaneously, just before leaving that location quickly.


    On the other hand, the supreme elder, Adrian, stood at that location talking to Otis. "Do you think this has any relation to that boy''s mother?"


    "Impossible! Even if she knew that I ordered to kill her companion and she was crazy enough to act, she wouldn''t do something so outrageous. After all, acting like that would leave too many clues for the Spiritual Church to punish her for it..."


    "Anyway, it would be better for her just to come and kill us. So, it can''t be her."  Otis said resolutely.


    "Hmm, the risk would be much less for her... Ahh, but if not her, who could it be? Do you think the Stuart boy had some great luck and got some good contacts?"


    "Maybe, maybe not. Let''s see what happens next..."


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, five days had passed.


    In the meantime, the Silva family had made all the necessary preparations, and their thousands of subordinates had left for the Black Plain on this day!


    Thousands of people were leaving the Brown Kingdom''s most southwestern point. At the same time, Minos and his two girlfriends were arriving in the town ruled by the Miller family in the state''s northeastern region.


    It was the evening at this moment, and from high in the skies, Minos and his companions could see the endless lights of that great city in front of them, where they would land in the next few minutes.


    "Time to meet your parents, hehe." Minos said in a joking tone to Abby as he hugged her waist...

 Chapter 554: Meeting the In-Laws

    Finally, Ruth''s great eagle landed at one of the entrances to the great city in front of them, Odella, the seat of the Miller family.


    Abby had already given directions to her two traveling companions about what should be done upon arriving here. To begin with, they had left White in a suitable place, where this great beast could rest and wait for the return of these three. Next, they had hired a local carriage service and proceeded directly to her family headquarters.


    As they traveled through that city, Minos and Ruth learned a little more about Abby''s hometown.


    Odella had about 3 million inhabitants and was one of the wealthiest cities in the Brown Kingdom. And as a city ruled by a prominent merchant family, this place had every kind of service that one could find in this northern region of the Central Continent.


    The city''s structure was magnificent. It mixed the high-quality buildings with many gardens and squares, places where people could be seen enjoying themselves at almost any time of the day.


    But in addition to the beautiful places that exist here, the culinary options of this city also attracted attention due to the existence of many restaurants with grade-2 chefs.


    Anyway, after a while passing through the middle of the city, Minos'' group finally arrived in front of a large property on the northern side of the town.


    Many trees surrounded the area of that property, with a wall of the same color as most of these trees protecting the inner territory.


    From outside the street next to that property, Minos and his two companions could see several guards around that place, some of them standing at a large main gate. In contrast, others could be seen walking on top of the walls.


    And as they got out of that carriage they were in, Abby smiled and said. "We''re here!"


    After that, the three quickly made their way towards that entrance post of that property, where they needed to get permission to enter such a place.


    A guard stationed at that place then said in a loud voice as he turned towards the three, "You there, identify yourselves!"


    However, when he came closer to the group, this person soon noticed Abby''s blue hair and changed his tone. After all, that was the common characteristic among all the nobles in the Miller family!


    And even if there were people with such hair coloring all over the continent, it would be too much of a coincidence for such a person to appear in this place. So this guard had naturally behaved so as not to attract trouble for himself.


    "Misses, young master, may I know what your distinct identities are?" He said this in a soft tone, while having his two hands ''hugged'' each other at his chest height.


    Abby then pulled out her Miller family identification and gave it to that guard. "My name is Abby Miller, and these two are with me." She said calmly, without showing much emotion.


    Usually, visitors would have to identify themselves when entering the family property. But since they were with her, a noblewoman, things could be done somewhat more simply...


    Furthermore, Ruth was already at level 51, which would give her a VIP pass in any regional family, even if she didn''t use her background.


    And with that, soon, that guard from before returned Abby''s ID. "Lady Abby, it says here that you were traveling with your bodyguard, Eda. Any particular reason why she is not accompanying you?" That man asked as he filled in some information on a clipboard.


    "There is no special reason. We were traveling, and I gave the order for her to wait for me at the location we were at since I don''t intend to stay here for long."


    "I see..."


    After saying that, this guard finished his work and allowed the trio to enter the Miller family property.


    ...


    As they passed through the gates of that property, Minos walked hand in hand with his two girlfriends while observing the surroundings and chatting.


    The Miller family property was quite large and looked like a large farm, subdivided into several sections. The headquarters, the nobles'' neighborhood, the subordinates'' neighborhood, training areas, etc.


    In short, this place looked like a small sect, where the members of this organization lived and took care of their official affairs.


    "Ruth, I don''t want you to mention the Flaming Empire or your sect in this place, OK? I don''t want them to think I have any relation to outside powers." Minos said in a low voice so that only they could hear.


    "Don''t worry. I had already intended not to say anything about it..." She said casually.


    And indeed, she felt no need or desire to talk about it with the people of this place. After all, she was only here to accompany Minos and nothing else.


    On the other hand, it wouldn''t make any sense to use this to attract attention or anything like that. Ruth was not a person who would do such things unless an extraordinary circumstance arose that forced her to do so. Therefore, she naturally wouldn''t talk about it, even if Minos hadn''t advised her about it.


    "I''m glad you understand... Anyway, let''s try not to talk about what there is no need for, nor about very relevant details..."


    The three then continued talking until they finally arrived in front of Abby''s parents'' residence.


    ...


    Meanwhile, inside the residence of Nicole Miller and Eliot Miller...


    Abby''s parents were at this moment in a large room, a place where there was a fireplace, a medium-sized bathtub, and various decorative furniture typically found in places like this.


    Both were inside that bathtub, quietly drinking wine and eating snacks while chatting about their day-to-day problems.


    "Recently, the family leadership has been worried about this Stone Island matter. It seems that very soon a big battle involving many Spiritual Kings will happen..." Eliot said this while looking into the eyes of his beautiful wife.


    "That''s terrible! How much will the family business be affected because of this?" Nicole asked in doubt as she sat face to face with her husband.


    Abby''s father then reached out to the wine glass that was next to him and said. "It may affect us quite a bit... Sigh, but at least this will only be significant regarding the spiritual artifacts produced by blacksmiths. As for the other products, we can handle that with the other states in the region."


    "But apart from our kingdom, these other local states have been somewhat tumultuous recently... Not long ago, the Schmidt family was wiped out in the Kingdom of the End."


    "Hmm, and soon King Walker will succumb... Sigh, the times truly are passing."


    Pa! Pa!


    And while the two were talking, the housekeeper of their residence knocked twice on the door of that room before finally saying something. "Lord Eliot, lady Nicole, Miss Abby is here."


    "What?"


    Upon hearing that, the two were surprised for a moment, just before smiles appeared on their faces and the two left that bathtub.


    "Little Abby is back... I wonder what level she has reached in these two years she has been gone!" Nicole said with a gleam of happiness in her eyes as she wrapped herself in a completely white robe.


    "Hehe, I''m sure she''s stronger!" Eliot laughed out loud and said, just before he left that room next to his wife.


    ...


    Upon arriving in the entrance hall of their residence, Eliot and Nicole immediately saw the backs of three people sitting on a couch there.


    The three were talking, while a young man with brown hair was in the middle of two women, who were very close to him, almost as if he was embracing them...


    One of them had hair as black as night, while the other had a more common peculiarity for these two Spiritual Kings.


    "Little Abby?" Nicole said in a sweet tone as she approached where her daughter was standing.


    Upon hearing this, Abby immediately turned around. She saw her mother and father, both of whom at this moment had slightly wet hair and were wearing the same type of robe.


    "Mom! Dad!" she said in delight as she stood up and walked towards the two of them.


    At the same time as this, Ruth and Minos had also turned to look at these two people.


    As they did so, they immediately saw the figure of a woman very similar to Abby, only with some markings present in mature women. And standing next to that young woman''s mother was a tall man who had a short beard that was completely blue, as was his hair.


    "Abby, have you already reached level 48? Congratulations!" Eliot said in disbelief as his smile got bigger and bigger.


    "Well done, my child. Soon you will pass your old mother, haha..."

 Chapter 555: Casual Conversation

    Upon hearing her parents'' positive comments, Abby smiled and hugged them without giving too many details to the two about such progress.


    Obviously, Nicole and Eliot were curious to know more about Abby''s experiences, especially related to this brutal advance of spiritual power.


    After all, the last time they had seen this young woman, she was only at level 42. Considering the time that had passed, neither of them had expected this young woman to get as close at the 6th stage of cultivation as she currently was!


    But, despite wanting to hear Abby''s story for the past two years, they hadn''t asked anything specific, nor had this young woman mentioned anything that would encourage them to do so.


    Finally, after lovingly and affectionately hugging Abby, her parents took their attention away from the young woman to see those two standing there.


    Of course, both Abby''s mother and her father had noticed the presence of Minos and Ruth in that place. After all, one was at level 49, while the other was already at level 51, powerful cultivations for the region standards!


    Although someone at level 49 would not be considered an expert in this region, Abby''s parents naturally would not underestimate him because he had not reached the 6th stage. After all, he looked very young!


    "Abby, who are those two?" Nicole quietly asked her daughter as she looked in the direction of Minos and Ruth.


    At the same time as this, Eliot also paid attention to those two as he fiddled with his robe, trying not to look so casual in front of these people.


    He was stronger than the two and would behave like a senior in this situation. But it was never good to make a bad first impression... And since certain people would always take opportunities to badmouth others, he didn''t want to look so casual in front of these two newcomers.


    Anyway, after hearing his mother''s voice, Abby finally introduced those two. "Mother, father, this is Ruth." She waved to the black-haired young woman next to young Stuart and then waved to her boyfriend. "And this is Minos Stuart, my boyfriend."


    "Hi..." Ruth said in a low voice.


    Minos, on the other hand, smiled and said. "Nice to meet you, mother-in-law, father-in-law."


    Upon hearing this, those two Spiritual Kings stood motionless in the same spot they were in, as they looked in Minos'' direction with open mouths, surprised at all this sudden information.


    Abby had always been such a reserved girl. So who would have thought that in such a short time, she would return home accompanied by a boyfriend?


    Her parents were naturally shocked!


    "You..." Eliot looked sharply at Minos as he tried to accept this information.


    On the other hand, Nicole had already taken a step beyond her husband. ''That boy stole my little girl!''


    Finally, Abby''s face was as red as a tomato right now. She was naturally proud to be with the person she loves, but she was presenting Minos to her mother and father... So, she couldn''t help but be nervous and embarrassed.


    "Boy, I hope you take responsibility for what you did to little Abby!" Nicole said with a sharp tone.


    And upon hearing this, Eliot immediately perceived something that he hadn''t even noticed before... He was getting little by little more grumpy about the whole thing, feeling as if he had been exposed to a cruel truth.


    Being a father was demanding... You raise your child with all the love and care, and then one day she grows up and some guy you don''t know, sometimes some punk, comes along and takes her away...


    But while Eliot had his thoughts in mind, Abby stepped forward and said ashamedly. "Mom, what are you talking about? Please don''t say something like that, Minos and I already get along very well!"


    "I''m sure you do!" Nicole said as she looked at Minos steadily.


    ''What drama! Will something like that happen to me in the future?'' Ruth thought to herself, watching the whole thing with interest.


    And finally, Minos smiled and spoke again. "Hehe, I will naturally take good care of Abby, father-in-law, mother-in-law, don''t worry!"


    Upon hearing this, Abby''s parents felt slightly discomfort at how he seemed to act so comfortably in this situation. Still, the tension in their minds slowly began to subside.


    They had been a little shocked by this unexpected introduction, something they had honestly not expected to happen for at least a few decades... But as they thought about it more, as much as they disliked having their little girl mature to such a degree so quickly, they had both realized that at least Minos was not weak.


    Minos was already very close to reaching Nicole''s level and was stronger than Abby!


    Such a thing was highly esteemed in the northern region of the Central Continent, where usually people of similar levels would have relationships with each other.


    In particular, women generally interacted with men who were stronger than them or on the same level. But this was not some machismo that tried to put women in lower positions. No, far from it. The problem was that most women in this world were not interested in those weaker than themselves!


    Consequently, such a thing had become a standard. Usually, couples in this world were composed of a man of a slightly higher level than his wife.


    Of course, there were other types of couples, but they were in the minority in this vast world.


    Anyway, because of this, Eliot and Nicole were naturally already more inclined to approve of this relationship of Abby and Minos.


    "Wait a moment..." Eliot said this just after he remembered Minos'' full name that Abby had said earlier. "Are you by any chance the son of the late General Albert Stuart?"


    "Yes, I am." Minos said promptly, not caring to hide this information.


    He was already going to expose to this family that he came from the Black Plain in a short time. So that way, it would make no sense for him to hide this information from these two.


    "So you..." Eliot looked at Minos once again as he remembered what had happened about ten years ago.


    He knew that Minos had been in a coma for quite a while and had not even started cultivating at the right age. And yet, here was Minos, having already reached level 49!


    ''A genius!'' He thought to himself as he massaged one of Nicole''s shoulders and one of his daughter''s. He was slowly becoming more and more comfortable with this relationship of Abby and Minos...


    Not only because Minos was powerful for his age, but also because Eliot knew where this young man came from!


    Hence, he could understand this boyfriend of Abby''s personality a little better. Consequently, he felt more secure with it all.


    "So you are his son..." Nicole said in a low voice as she suddenly turned to Ruth and said. "What about you? Abby didn''t mention your last name. Aren''t you from a big regional family? Where do you come from? Are you friends with little Abby?"


    Upon hearing these questions, Ruth finally stopped watching the drama in front of her and said. "I am not from a regional family... As for where I come from, that''s a place you certainly don''t know, so it''s not worth talking about."


    "Lastly, for the moment, Abby and I are not friends. We are compe..." She paused for a moment and then rephrased her speech. "Cough, cough, I''m also Minos'' girlfriend."


    "What?" Abby''s parents said simultaneously, as they were even more surprised by this.


    ''How can that be? Abby grew up in a monogamous household... How did she accept this so easily?'' Nicole wondered as she stared at Minos and Ruth and then looked at her daughter with a doubtful expression.


    On the other hand, Eliot was even more pleased with Minos, even though his daughter had a competitor. ''That young man is a genuine beast!''


    He naturally followed monogamous ideologies as well... But he couldn''t help but admire a young man like Minos who already had a girlfriend of a higher level than his and still made her accept dividing him with another woman, one of a lower level!


    It must be said that even though a large part of that world population followed polygamous ideas. But that did not mean that the women who followed this readily accepted a new person''s joining in the relationship!


    Thus, Eliot had naturally already realized that Minos must be very remarkable!


    ''Looks like Albert didn''t have a bad son...''

 Chapter 556: Serious Talk

    After a few minutes since Minos'' first meeting with Abby''s parents, Eliot and Nicole had welcomed this young man and Ruth to the residence. They had asked their daughter to show those two young people around until they came to a luxurious living room.


    The two then took this opportunity to put on less casual clothing sets until finally, they headed towards that living room. But while they had done this, they had many ideas in their minds.


    Previously, they had been impressed that Abby had agreed to share Minos with another woman and that a Spiritual King had accepted the same thing. After all, this was very rare to happen.


    And despite the slight difference in level between Ruth and Minos, by the standards of this region, it was like the difference between heaven and earth. While there were very few Spiritual Kings in the area, there were at least 100 times as many people close to Minos'' level!


    Therefore, people like Ruth were generally much more highly valued than those like Minos. That is why they had been impressed that this young woman had agreed to share Minos with Abby.


    Plus, Eliot and Nicole knew that Albert''s inheritance shouldn''t be enough for Minos to grow safely or even create his own organization... So, they felt that having Ruth by his side was even better for this young man.


    Moreover, as much as they had doubts regarding Minos'' cultivation speed, these two had no interest in pursuing this matter. That was because such a thing would be very intimate to each cultivator, and they had no right to inquire about such.


    On the other hand, it was not so impressive that Minos had such a cultivation speed while still being below the 6th stage. That is because while achieving what he did was difficult, they knew that raising someone with such rapid cultivation was not impossible.


    That was because the northern region of the Central Continent didn''t significantly limit the cultivation speed of cultivators below the 6th stage.


    Thus, unless he maintained such a high cultivation speed after reaching the 6th stage, they wouldn''t lose their composure and ask questions they shouldn''t ask to a junior of the younger generation.


    Anyway, they had been thinking about these things until they entered that room, dressed discreetly but elegantly, making them look less like partners and more like a mother and father...


    They saw Minos and the two women sitting on a large sofa in the middle of that room, talking in low voices, waiting for them.


    Eliot then looked at Minos and Abby before finally sitting down next to his wife in front of those young people. "Minos, Abby, you two are here today for something more serious, right?"


    "Hmmm." The two made the same sound as they nodded their heads.


    "I already understand everything. You don''t need to say anything more." He said calmly, at the same time, as he turned sideways to his wife and smiled. "I agree."


    "You agree?" Ruth was the first to say so due to her surprise at this statement. ''He agrees to betray the kingdom so quickly?''


    "Father, I''m afraid you don''t..." Abby was about to say something when her father''s voice once again sounded in that place.


    "Rest assured, Abby. Although I wouldn''t like to see my little daughter leave so quickly, because of this young man''s background and what I have known of Albert, I give my blessing for you to marry..."


    "What?" The three youths said simultaneously as they finally realized Eliot''s misunderstanding.


    "Daughter, that''s what you want, right? Don''t worry, mom supports you, as long as you want to do it!" Nicole smiled as she said this to Abby.


    Upon hearing such a thing, Abby looked at Minos helplessly as she felt a mix of feelings, from happiness to shame. But as she felt the warmth of one of her beloved''s hands on her back, she soon calmed down and heard his voice.


    "This is an important matter for both of us. And I''m glad to know that you support my relationship with Abby, but I hope we can leave it a little further down the road..."


    "After all, we still need to settle down before moving forward with something this important. Isn''t that right, Abby?" Minos looked at his girlfriend, who was still very ashamed at the moment.


    "Hmm, that''s right. We need to create a stable home before we talk about this, mother, father." She readily agreed with Minos as she looked at her parents.


    When Eliot and Nicole heard this, they realized that it wasn''t the time to talk about such things. That is, how could Minos and Abby get married while this young man was only the ruler of the Black Plain?


    He had certainly worked hard to reach level 49 in such a short time. Still, although this was very good, he probably didn''t have enough funds for marriage and family due to the small amount of time he had.


    ''Indeed... The Black Plain is not suitable for Abby, and since Minos is almost at level 50, it won''t be good for him to stay there either!''


    ''Maybe we can accept him into our family!'' Eliot thought about it as he looked into his wife''s eyes and seemed to realize that she had thought about it too.


    "So..." Eliot was about to speak but stopped midway when suddenly young Stuart began to talk.


    "Father-in-law, mother-in-law, actually, we are here today to negotiate with the Miller family."


    "Oh?" Nicole said in surprise as she thought about what Minos was going to say next. ''It seems that he isn''t bad! He wants to show us that he can offer things to the family and won''t just be dead weight!''


    She then looked at Abby and smiled at her. ''Good girl! He''s not bad at all!''


    Minos then continued his speech, looking steadily at that couple in front of him. "The Black Plain has very great potential, and even if we are far from reaching it, we can already be considered quite capable at this point."


    "And if the Miller family helps us... Or rather, don''t harm us. Then, in the future, we can help you reach an even higher level in this region!"


    "What?" The two simultaneously  asked while having expressions of doubt on their faces.


    Eliot then looked sideways at his wife and saw that she seemed to have the same doubt concerning if this was serious.


    They then heard Abby''s sweet voice, "Mother, father, Minos isn''t kidding when he says this. The Black Plain will hold a critical position in our region in the future, and the family has to be in agreement with that to make it even stronger!"


    "I, besides being his girlfriend, am already part of Minos'' forces." She said confidently.


    "Daughter, you..." Nicole hesitated, realizing the implications of what Abby had spoken.


    She didn''t believe anything about the Black Plain that they were saying. And with that, she had focused all her attention on this delicate information that Abby had just spoken.


    "Abby, you shouldn''t act so carelessly without talking to us first!" Eliot said with a slightly disappointed tone.


    But before they could say more, Abby said again. "Believe us. The Black Plain has much more potential than our family, mother, father. As an example, I was only able to reach my current level because of the resources of Minos'' organization."


    "And today, even though I am only at level 48, I could fight on equal terms against a noble with level 50 cultivation!"


    "If you don''t believe what we are talking about, I can prove our assertions to you!" She said as she stood up from that couch and clenched her fists.


    Upon hearing this, Eliot and Nicole frowned as they observed the confidence in Abby''s words.


    And after a short fraction of time when silence covered that place, Nicole then smiled and asked. "Little Abby, you wouldn''t be challenging your old mother. Would you?"

 Chapter 557: The Proof

    "I didn''t mean that, mother..." Abby said in a low voice. "But I can show you that this is indeed true and that the Black Plains can help the family greatly!"


    Nicole then looked at her husband with a smile on her face and said in a low voice. "Looks like little Abby wants to show off her strength to us, hehe."


    "Hmm, let''s see how that develops." Eliot said to her, just before turning to Minos'' group and saying. "If it is as my daughter says, then you are also much stronger than people of your level?"


    "I know very well about my daughter''s capabilities... So, if she can do such a thing, then that can only mean that she must have better techniques than the Black-grade ones of our family..."


    "Am I right in assuming that, young Minos?" He asked, still not taking this matter seriously.


    To him, this was like what his wife had said. Abby wanted to show them how much stronger she had become after those years away and also use that to somehow help the cause of her lover, Minos.


    That''s why he had asked that question, to see the expressions of those two and see how far they would go with this farce...


    "Yes, you are right. We are much stronger than people of our respective levels." Minos finally answered Eliot while still sitting comfortably on that couch, with one of his arms around Ruth''s waist.


    "Oh? Interesting..." Eliot said aloud. "So why don''t we do a test? We happen to have a training room for 6th stage cultivators in our house. We can do a little exhibition training to test your skills."


    Nicole then looked at Abby seriously and asked. "Do you people truly want to do that? There is no need for you to want to prove anything here. We are already satisfied to welcome young Minos..."


    "Fine! We''ll do as father said!" Abby promptly said as she waved her arm in Minos'' direction and pulled him by the hand.


    "Come on. I''ll show you the way."


    After that, the three youths headed towards the most critical part of that house. At the same time, Abby''s parents continued in the same place as before, watching them with interest in their eyes.


    "Sigh... It looks like little Abby is determined to prove herself to us, Nicole."


    "Hehe, she must be in love with that young man.... So, it''s only natural that she would support him, no matter what." Young Abby''s mother said, just before she got up from that place. "Come on..."


    ...


    After a few seconds, all those people had arrived at a training room large enough for up to 3 people to train simultaneously.


    There was a small area there for cultivating spiritual energy, where some cultivation pads were. Then, finally, there was a fighting stage, which covered more than 60% of that space.


    At this very moment, Minos, Abby, and Ruth were on that fighting stage. At the same time, Eliot and Nicole were on one of the outer sides of it, standing side by side, watching with smiles on their faces those youths.


    Ruth was not exactly a member of Minos'' forces, but Abby''s parents probably thought so. And even if young Stuart didn''t want people to think that way about this disciple of Maisie''s, for the moment, he wasn''t worried about saying contradictory things.


    If he simply said that Ruth was not part of his forces at this time when Abby''s parents were dubious about the Black Plain, they might find this even more strange and start asking questions. After all, why wouldn''t someone from this northern part of the Central Continent join a force that probably has techniques higher than Black-grade?


    So, to avoid unnecessary questions at the moment, Minos had asked Ruth to show her strength along with him and Abby.


    Since some of Minos'' soldiers already had complete sets of Silver-grade techniques and levels close to Ruth''s, this woman''s strength could already be seen in the army!


    Because of that, this was an exemplary demonstration of how strong some of the soldiers of that organization already were or how they would be in the future!


    Also, even though the three of them didn''t need to do this since Abby''s performance alone would be enough to prove it to her parents, young Stuart had still decided to do it this way. That was because this could make these two, and some elders who would find out about it later, have something to respect regarding the Black Plain.


    Minos knew that the Miller family leadership would not accept his terms entirely just because of his relationship with Abby. That might even be true for Eliot and Nicole. Still, neither of those two had the power to influence that entire family. Therefore, he wanted to give at least one initial proof to the experts of this house that the Black Plain might not be as harmless as it might seem on the surface...


    He wanted to gain a seat at the experts'' table by demonstrating a high-level power, similar or superior to that of several of the elders of this organization. Something that would make the leadership of this family thinks of him more as an equal than as a junior who must be dominated and forced to hand over his belongings!


    And with all this in mind, he and his girlfriends soon began their performances to those two Spiritual Kings.


    First, Abby made her move.


    After she activated her Silver-grade attack technique, almost instantly, ice blades formed in her hands and were hurled towards a target array that was there.


    Swooish!


    Boom!


    After doing that, it wasn''t long before the ice blades hit Abby''s target, almost as if they were cannonballs, resulting in several sounds of explosions in that place.


    "No way!" Eliot muttered while he had a skeptical look on his face.


    And it was no different for Nicole. Abby''s mother was just as shocked as her husband, with her mouth open as she watched her daughter''s movements in silence. ''How can this be? She is almost as strong as me...''


    But they didn''t have long to be shocked by Abby''s power. That''s because, just then, Ruth activated her Fists of Pain and made mighty fists form in the air, and then it ran towards one of the arrays in that place.


    Pow!


    Each attack launched by Ruth was as strong as the attack of an almost level 54 noble!


    Boom!


    And while feeling the strong winds generated by Ruth''s attacks, Abby''s parents were even more surprised, not understanding how someone could be so strong at level 51!


    After all, they were pretty ignorant about the general characteristics of higher grade techniques than the ones they had access to.


    ''Unbelievable! This young lady is compelling! What''s more, she''ll soon be stronger than me!'' Eliot incredulously thought about this as he looked at Ruth.


    But immediately after that, he looked at Minos with even greater admiration in his mind. ''That boy is fortunate!''


    Spatial Sword!


    Swooish!


    After Minos activated his sword technique, a blade more extensive than the height of an average adult cut through the air toward one of the targets on that fighting stage.


    Boom!


    "What?" Eliot and Nicole shouted simultaneously, not believing what their spiritual senses were telling them.


    ''This kid... He... He''s already almost as strong as me!'' Eliot thought about it as his eyes opened almost to the point of falling out of his eye sockets.


    He could accept that Ruth was so powerful. After all, she was already at the 6th stage of cultivation. But in Minos'' case, this was simply unbelievable!


    Young Stuart was only at the 5th stage, and Eliot and all experts in that region would know that there would be a big difference between the 6th stage cultivation levels. So much so that for people at that stage to advance even one level, they needed to absorb an amount of energy nearly equal to that of certain 5th stage cultivators!


    And yet here was Minos, demonstrating an ability five levels above his own!


    "Does that serve as proof, father-in-law, mother-in-law?" Minos asked just after he and his two girlfriends began walking off that stage.


    ...

 Chapter 558: What Business Do You Want?

    After hearing Minos'' question, Eliot continued watching him for some time as he saw the three youths leaving that fighting stage.


    At the same time, while Abby''s father was open-mouthed looking at Minos, Nicole said, looking steadily at that young man. "Yes... But how did you get this? How could your strength be so great?"


    "Hehe, that''s a secret." Minos said as he smiled.


    Seeing that this young man wouldn''t go into detail regarding this, Nicole put this young man''s strength aside for a moment. She questioned one other thing that had appeared in her mind right after she saw Minos'' performance. "By the way, does the Black Plain have more Spiritual Kings? Are you the strongest there?"


    "I know you must keep some information regarding this matter, but we truly need to get an idea of the strength we are dealing with."


    "Eliot and I wouldn''t worry about it if it were up to just us. But unfortunately, neither of us has reached the level where it would give us such influence in the family..."


    Minos then nodded to Nicole. "I understand..."


    "Well, it depends on what you are talking about. Because we have people capable of fighting Spiritual Kings but who have not yet reached that stage. On the other hand, we have some cultivators who are already at the 6th stage. And two of them are stronger than me."


    What Minos had just said was partially true. That was because, in fact, there was one being stronger than him in the Black Plain Army, and that was none other than the Nine-tailed Fox, Emlyn.


    Minos had lost his last fight to this fox a few weeks ago when they had had another duel. And as much as it was a victory due to a slight difference, it still put that fox on a slightly higher level than Minos.


    On the other hand, Emlyn was very close to reaching level 54. Thus, her strength could still increase one more time before Minos'' advance to the 6th stage of cultivation, thus making her the strongest in the army.


    But there was one more variable, and that was Celeste.


    This woman was currently no stronger than Minos since she had not learned all the Silver-grade techniques that she could. However, that was only a matter of a few more weeks, and she wouldn''t even need to level up to be considered stronger than this ruler of the Black Plain.


    Hence, he had included this woman among the people stronger than him in his organization.


    That would be not easy to be discovered by the Miller family, as in a short time, it would indeed be something true.  Besides, it was very positive to show this family that he was not utterly defenseless in Dry City...


    "So you guys have more Spiritual Kings, huh..." Eliot commented in a low voice while feeling quite ignorant at the moment.


    It was tough to have to deal with such a shocking change in his homeland... After all, this man was already a few centuries old, and to him, the Black Plain was nothing more than a place without possibilities.


    Yet, now he had discovered that all that had changed and mysteriously that place now had opportunities and even a lot of experts!


    The group then left that training room and returned to the place where they had been before.


    On the way, Abby''s parents were actively thinking about this subject as they tried to understand the new Black Plain better.


    Neither of them had asked more specific questions than those from before since this would probably not be answered. But just from Minos'' answer, they already had several hypotheses in mind.


    ''From what young Minos said, that organization of his has to have at least 4 Spiritual Kings. However, if we consider those who have just strength similar to 6th stage cultivators, then that number is at least 7.'' Eliot thought to himself.


    ''But they can either have seven people with that force or have 100!''


    ''We can''t be sure how strong his side is...'' He shook his head from side to side as he realized that these numbers were probably not that important to him. After all, the margin of error was substantial!


    ''But we can say with certainty that their combat power must reach at least level 56. Or young Minos wouldn''t say that there are people stronger than him in his organization.''


    Eliot thought so because, for him, Minos'' power was already close to that of a level 55 nobleman. Therefore, in his opinion, it would only make sense for this young man to say that there were people stronger than that if such individuals were close to level 56.


    But this was all speculation. There was no way he could be sure that such individuals were not already stronger than this... Perhaps even as strong as the supreme elder of the Miller family, the strongest person of this power, someone who had already reached level 58!


    On the other hand, there was no way he could be sure that Minos was telling the truth... But for the moment, he had no reason to doubt this young man, and it wouldn''t make much sense either.


    After all, the young Stuart had already achieved enough power for him to have a place at the table among the regional experts!


    Consequently, Minos has room to negotiate with powers such as the Miller family.


    So, this elder of the House Miller was not so concerned about the total veracity of what Minos had said.


    Anyway, they returned to that room and sat down in the same seats as before, before finally getting back to talking about those matters that Minos wanted to deal with Abby''s family.


    "So, young Minos, what do you wish to negotiate with my family?" Eliot asked with an honest countenance on his face, looking steadily at his daughter''s boyfriend.


    Upon hearing this, young Stuart sighed for a second and then began to speak. "I want an agreement with the Miller family, which assures me that such an organization will not act against the Black Plains."


    "Uh? And why would we act against you, young Minos?" Nicole asked while she had an expression of doubt on her face.


    She didn''t think about how her family could have problems with Minos. After all, the House Miller was a trading power, which sold its own items, the minority, and products from other organizations throughout the northern part of the Continent, the majority. As such, they would naturally not covet the stuff of those potential allies.


    On the other hand, Nicole had no idea how rich the Black Plain was, nor Minos'' rebellious thoughts...


    First, even though it would take a lot of resources to have a force as good as the one Minos created, that didn''t guarantee anything for this woman. That is, any organization could send its Spiritual Kings to the Black Plain, but even with that, such a place would not be considered rich...


    Second, she didn''t know that Minos wanted independence for that territory, nor that it would bring problems for him. That is, many knew that King Brown wouldn''t mind seeing such a part of his kingdom become independent.


    Hence, she really couldn''t see the scenario where her Miller family could be considered a threat to young Minos'' forces.


    Minos then spoke again. "I intend to declare the independence of the Black Plain from the Brown Kingdom. But I have my reasons to believe that the royal family will find some excuse to refuse such a thing..."


    "Consequently, I want to be prepared to protect myself. That is because I am afraid that they will claim me as a rebel and persecute me for setting an example..."


    "On that account, I want that assurance that the Miller family will not attack me!" Minos said honestly.


    There was no longer any justification in hiding this information that he wanted independence from this moment on. The Silva family should have already been notified of the Urban group''s discovery. In this case, it would only be a matter of time before war would start.


    But to reach a deal with the Miller family, Minos would need to tell them at least part of the truth. He would obviously not talk specifically about the wealth of his region, nor the numbers of his forces.


    After all, this could end up hurting him more than helping.


    But talking about independence was no longer a taboo for Minos'' organization. So, there was no longer any need to hide that information.


    "So, you want to have your own state..." Eliot and Nicole said simultaneously, surprised by what Minos had said.


    ...

 Chapter 559: Something Inevitable

    Abby''s parents then fell silent for a moment as they looked at each other meaningfully.


    The desire to create his state was not an uncommon dream in this northern region of the Central Continent.


    There was a certain glamour in doing so, in becoming the king, in being the most influential and powerful person in a state. And of course, there were all those already known advantages of having such a position.


    Consequently, several families and people who had already fought for this dream in this region were known to Abby''s parents, individuals, and organizations that were remembered by history as losers...


    At least that had been the case for the last 100,000 years or so of history, that part of the history of this region that was known to the great local noble families.


    However, even if all cases failed, Eliot and Nicole did not think that Minos would fail in the same way as those powers. That was because, if there was any part of this region that was no one''s wish, then that could only be the Black Plain!


    As such, they thought that it would not be so difficult for the Black Plain to gain its independence...


    But of course, they didn''t know precisely how that place currently was. And without knowing about the high spiritual concentration food plantations, these two had no reason to think that King Brown would make things difficult for Minos.


    However, even if Minos gained independence from the Black Plain, that would not mean that he would be in an equal position with the other states in the region.


    After all, the Black Plain did not have a large population, and upon becoming independent, it would immediately become the smallest state in area in this part of the Central Continent.


    On the other hand, Minos'' forces, as much as they were probably already stronger than a low-level noble family, a little below a medium-sized one, were still not significant at all. In fact, even if his forces were already as strong as a royal family, this would still not be enough for them to sit at the table of the mighty ones.


    That was because even in such a case, the Black Plain would lack something fundamental.


    The vassals!


    The Brown family was indeed mighty. But what made them fearsome was that they had 20 noble families as their vassals!


    And each royal family in this region had a number of vassals close to this amount. Hence, the Black Plain would probably be the weakest state in the area after it became independent, and this would affect Minos much more than he thought.


    As long as the Black Plain was part of the Brown Kingdom, the royal family definitely wouldn''t be silent if an outside force tried to invade it. Precisely because of this, it was interesting to be part of a kingdom.


    To have the protection of a higher power so that smaller ones, as in the example of groups of pirates, bandits, etc., wouldn''t act so openly, destroying, plundering, in other words, disrupting order.


    Consequently, the very fact of being part of a kingdom would make it a safer and more attractive place for future citizens. But if Minos achieved independence, he would have none of this.


    That was a problem!


    And Eliot and Nicole recognized that even if Minos were extremely fortunate, it would be a long time before he could enjoy the benefits of being king. As such, at this point, the two did not find this path that the young Stuart wanted to take interesting.


    Even more so because Abby would be by his side...


    "Young Minos, I am not sure if it is a good idea to do this. I know there are advantages to having the freedom to take any action, but there are also disadvantages. Sometimes we seek so much for this thing called freedom, but when we achieve it, usually what we get is a lot of responsibilities..." Eliot said calmly.


    "Yes... And often, we don''t even think about those responsibilities when we desire such freedom. Sometimes we wouldn''t even be willing to run after that if we knew about such a thing beforehand..." Nicole firmly said as she looked into Minos'' brown eyes.


    What Abby''s parents were talking about made sense. But in young Stuart''s case, he had no choice.


    It wasn''t a matter of whether he wanted to be a king or emperor. The problem was that he would be targeted by the royal families of this region, in particular House Brown, sooner or later. After all, he had something precious on his hands.


    And as no one would allow a junior, who hadn''t even reached the top of regional power, to have the right to take something as valuable as the current Black Plain. Hence, war was inevitable!


    Someone would have the right to rule the Black Plain, but only after each side showed its fangs and fought a high-level battle would such a ruler be decided.


    Would it be Minos? Would it be King Brown? Or would it be some other power?


    It didn''t matter. Only after blood rivers flowed and someone managed to defend the Black Plain against all potential enemies could some organization claim its sovereignty.


    Anyway, Minos knew this, but for now, he wasn''t going to say how valuable his land was to these people. And so he just thanked Abby''s parents for their advice and went on with the conversation.


    "Thanks for the warning, father-in-law, mother-in-law, but I will continue with my previous plans."


    "Sigh... All right, let''s put that aside." Eliot said while he had a defeated expression on his face. He then asked. "But regardless, what do you have to offer the family? I doubt the elders will take your request seriously without some promise or guarantee on your part."


    Minos nodded and said. "Yes, I have some things to offer. But that will depend on how much you would act on my behalf."


    "Let''s say you guys do nothing, i.e., neither attack me nor help me. Then all I can offer is a place at the table when the Black Plain becomes influential."


    Minos was offering a lot, even more so considering that the other party would not have to do anything. After all, a place at the table meant that such a power would have a status similar to allies, who would have an easier time negotiating future agreements and gaining benefits.


    That is, they would be one step ahead of powers that had never tried to contact the Black Plain, and they would be two steps ahead of enemy powers. In other words, this was an extraordinarily advantageous position!


    As for why Minos was leaving this possibility to the Miller family, well, that was for two reasons. First, because he would have one less enemy, something perfect for his forces, and second because this was Abby''s home.


    Upon hearing this, Abby''s parents realized that this was indeed somewhat relevant, but it also seemed somewhat fragile. That is, they didn''t know whether the Black Plain would have a promising future...


    Thus, there was no way for them to be sure whether such a deal would benefit the Miller family.


    And even if this were something ''no cost,'' signing agreements like the one Minos wanted would always limit the parties involved. Because if they found out in the future that they could gain more by standing against the Black Plain, that would be rather tragic for them...


    Certain decisions could not be reversed, and naturally, the ''no cost'' would quickly turn into a ''let the opportunity pass''...


    "But if you commit to being more active, I can give you greater benefits. For example, suppose you would ally yourselves with me. In that case, in less than ten years, I can make your Miller family become the most powerful organization in the Brown Kingdom!" Minos confidently said as he opened his arms and smiled.


    After he said this, those two Spiritual Kings in front of him and his girlfriends frowned and stared at Minos. They both looked as if they had been struck by lightning, standing completely still, silent, just staring at him with shocked expressions.


    Gulp!


    "Young Minos, did you say what I think I heard? Are you serious?" Eliot asked after thinking about it for a moment.


    ...

 Chapter 560: Reasons

    "You didn''t hear wrong, father-in-law. I can make the Miller family the strongest organization in the kingdom!" Minos said this as he smiled at Abby''s parents and felt his girlfriends'' hands around his waist.


    "This..." Eliot hesitated, not knowing what to say. However, as he did so, his wife stood up and asked dubiously. "Young Minos, I want to believe what you say, but I find it very difficult. There is a big difference between the power of our family and that of House Brown..."


    However, while Eliot and Nicole were in doubt about this offer, Abby then intervened in this conversation. "Mother, father, if the family becomes an ally of the Black Plain, then you will be able to send people to Dry City to learn the same things I did!"


    "With that, in a few years, the family will have a considerable jump in the collective power!"


    "Maybe the supreme elder will reach level 59 and become the strongest person in the state!"


    "This..."


    Upon hearing such a statement, that young woman''s parents looked at each other once again as doubts filled their minds. Of course, they would genuinely think it would be great to achieve such a thing, but besides being hard to believe, they knew that such an offer would not come without a cost...


    As such, neither of them knew for sure how the family leaders would react to such a possibility.


    After thinking about it for a while, Eliot finally said. "Young Minos, I''m afraid I will have to take your offer to the patriarch and the rest of the high-level elders. But before that, I need you to be more specific about this proposed alliance..."


    "How would you make us the strongest organization in the kingdom?" He asked, right after looking from one side to the other as if making sure that no one would hear him say those words...


    He was naturally very safe in his home, and hardly anyone from that region would dare spy on a level 55 Spiritual King. But considering how dangerous his words were or how high the risk was to talk about becoming the most powerful organization in the kingdom, Eliot had made that earlier gesture.


    He didn''t want to be considered a traitor just because of one question...


    "I will accept four members of the Miller family into my city once every year. That will extend over ten years, and I will teach all these people sent to Dry City some Silver-grade combat and cultivation techniques!"


    "However, that number cannot increase..." He then paused and said firmly. "On the other hand, to reach that agreement, the Miller family will have to commit to helping the Black Plain in every possible way for the next 20 years."


    "Fights, wars, trade, etc. Of course, I won''t demand things like investments from the Miller family, and any trade will be properly paid for."


    Gulp!


    ''40 members with Silver-grade techniques? That''s truly unbelievable! Is he willing to hand over his techniques just for a military alliance?'' Eliot wondered. ''Hmm, there has to be something more here.... Will we face any massive problems if this goes ahead?''


    On the other hand, Nicole was looking at her daughter curiously. ''Abby is not telling us the whole situation here.... Ahh, she''s so in love that she won''t even give us a single hint.''


    "Mother, father, this is a great deal, and Minos is only willing to accept so many of our Miller family members because of me. Otherwise, that number would be much smaller..."


    "Then please try to convince the family leaders to accept this deal."


    "Is that true?" Nicole asked Minos.


    "Hmm, I recently made an offer to another power, and that number was actually much lower than the one I offered to you..."


    "OK, young Minos. I will take this matter to the family leadership immediately and return with an answer soon!" Eliot firmly  said as he got up from where he was standing and began walking toward the exit of that place.


    Eliot naturally had some doubts about this matter. Still, he had enough to go to the family leadership and present Minos'' offer. Furthermore, considering that he was only one of the 12 members of the high-level Elder Council, people with at least level 55 cultivation, he really couldn''t make this decision alone.


    Therefore, his doubts were not crucial for the moment.


    His old comrades could discuss this matter together and come to the conclusion of the variables involved in this matter more easily!


    ...


    After Eliot left that residence and left Minos and those three women behind, Nicole stayed a while longer with this whole matter in her mind.


    After all, she couldn''t stop thinking about the possibilities that this family would have if such a thing were successful. But, on the other hand, she also understood that there were no free lunches in the world and as such, they would undoubtedly have to pay a high price.


    With that in mind, she stood for quite a while in the same place as before, in silence. At the same time, Minos and his two girlfriends made their way to the kitchen of that residence, where they intended to eat something before going to rest.


    "Minos, don''t you think you are offering too much to this family? They will only have to support you for 20 years, and after that, they will become independent of you..." Ruth commented in a low voice as she sat on a marble table in the middle of the kitchen in Abby''s parents'' home.


    Obviously, Ruth would not be asking questions regarding where Minos had gotten Silver-grade technique from or why he was willing to offer it to an organization that would only be an ally.


    After all, she knew very well that the shadow of war was already covering the Black Plain, and soon her boyfriend would have to fight countless opponents!


    Moreover, young Stuart could not rely solely on his army. That is, it would be impossible for army soldiers to reach a high enough level and in sufficient quantities in such a short period.


    On the other hand, in the possibility of distributing Silver-grade techniques among his inhabitants, even if this gave him some flexibility, it would most likely result in a massacre...


    But Minos didn''t want his citizens, the people who generated tens of millions of crystals annually for the Black Plain, to start sacrificing themselves on the battlefield.


    That way, he needed allies!


    As for techniques, Ruth was already suspicious that Minos had such things since she had accompanied him to the Spiritual Tournament. So, she wouldn''t ask silly questions like that.


    Anyway, upon hearing this, Abby, who was eating a pink apple, standing next to Minos, stared at Ruth and said. "You are underestimating the Black Plain."


    "Hmm, Abby is right, Ruth. Twenty years is a long time for us, and while they may get a good deal with this, the Miller family will certainly be much weaker than the Black Plains by that time. As such, for me, it''s no big deal those numbers I cited earlier."


    "On the other hand, I need them to be strong for the near future. In that case, I will be able to lessen the Black Plain''s problems more significantly during that period." Minos calmly said as he hugged Abby''s waist and looked into Ruth''s eyes.


    "And in the end, it''s very likely that those same people who are involved in this deal will want to join the Black Plain when the 20-year term ends..."


    "Hell, maybe that will happen sooner!" Abby commented with a smile on her face.


    Ruth still didn''t know about the full possibilities of the Black Plain. After all, she had no idea how promising Minos'' future was on account of the Spatial Kingdom, something she still didn''t know.


    "Maybe even people from your sect will want to become my soldiers in the future, hehehe." Minos joked with Ruth as he slowly pulled her into his embrace.


    "Humph, you still have those ideas, huh?" She said in a joking tone while having a smile on her face.


    While they had this calm moment in that kitchen of Nicole''s house, this woman came to that place and saw the three talking. She smiled at that and then said. "Abby, why don''t you spend the night here? Since you''ve been gone so long, stick around with young Minos and Ruth."


    "Hmm, OK."


    "Do you guys want me to get different rooms for you?" She asked unconsciously.


    Nicole had asked this because it was not unusual for partners to sleep apart from each other in this vast world, especially when it involved polygamous relationships...


    However, she didn''t hear the answer she expected, "Thank you for that, mother-in-law. But a single room will work..."

 Chapter 561: Hot Morning at the In-Laws House (*)

    "Uh?" Nicole looked in Abby''s direction while frowning her eyebrows.


    However, at no point did that young woman seem interested in talking to her mother about this. The opposite of that, Abby just started walking towards another part of that residence, where she and those two could spend the night.


    After Minos and Ruth had officially become a couple, Abby had been the first to find out about it. And as such, she and that other young woman had had a private conversation to decide how things would be from then on...


    And initially, they had not come to a consensus about who would sleep with Minos or anything like that. But after the beginning of this trip, young Stuart had suggested that they just try sleeping together in the same bed as a test to see if they could do it.


    And since the two had improved their relationship significantly since their previous meeting, Minos had no such trouble in convincing them to at least try it out.


    After that night, they had discovered that it was not so bad to sleep in the same bed... First, because nothing else had happened, which was their primary refusal. And second, because they did not need to sleep for a long time daily at their current levels.


    That is why the two women had accepted this ''necessary evil.''


    Anyway, soon that trio disappeared from Nicole''s vision, as she stood there in that kitchen, surprised at that.


    ''This young man... He has corrupted little Abby!''


    ''How did the bodyguard Eda allow this? Don''t tell me she didn''t even try to convince my daughter not to go so far with this young man?'' She thought to herself for a moment.


    Nicole had previously asked Abby about Eda''s whereabouts and found out that that woman had been on the Black Plain all this time. But Minos'' young girlfriend had not told her mother about essential details, such as, for example, the current cultivation level of that former bodyguard.


    After all, it was better to keep this data secret, even if Nicole probably wasn''t going to try to harm Minos on purpose.


    Having cards up one''s sleeve was always a fascinating thing, but for that, someone would first have to remain silent about part of his actions, goals, and belongings. As such, there was no reason for Abby to tell such things to her mother.


    But even without knowing this most critical information, Nicole had understood that Eda had been accompanying Abby all this time.


    Therefore, she wondered if that woman had not tried to give some good advice to Abby.


    ''Ahh, Abby, you got carried away, and now you will have to accept to share him with others... If only you had been resilient enough, I could have taught you a few tricks so you could bind him to you completely!'' So she thought as she let out a sigh.


    ...


    As Nicole thought about her failure to have taught Abby everything she could in time, those three finally arrived in one of the rooms in that residence.


    "Is that your room?" Ruth asked while she had a slight smile on her face.


    She looked at the room they had entered, which was a good size, over 50 square meters, with a closet as large as the bathroom there and a nice balcony. Other than that, the interior was quite elegant by regional standards, but it was also quite minimalist, without flashy things.


    "It was. It''s almost the same as when I lived here... But since I already have my own house in another part of this area, I usually don''t stay here anymore." Abby said in a low voice, just before she entered the bathroom of that place, and started to take off her clothes.


    "Hmm, I see..."


    Seeing what Abby was doing, Minos watched toward the large door of that bathroom for a moment, then turned to Ruth and smiled as he hugged this woman''s slender waist.


    "You two can go first. I will activate a sound cancellation array in this room, and then I will cultivate... When she is done, I will join you." Ruth said in Minos'' ear as she felt the warmth of this young man''s body.


    "Mmmm~"


    After that, the two kissed for a few seconds, until finally, Minos headed towards his destination, where he could fulfill his responsibilities...


    And it wasn''t long before moans of pleasure started coming from that bathroom.


    ...


    Hours passed, and by now, it was dawn in Odella.


    After a peaceful night at Abby''s parents'' residence, those three had finally woken up just as a rich fragrance had hit the room they were in.


    The three of them were half-naked on that bed, covered by an utterly silver silk sheet, without the slightest sign of fatigue on their faces. Ruth was lying on the left side of Minos, while Abby was on the right side, both being embraced by the strong arms of this young man.


    As they smelled the breakfast at Eliot and Nicole''s residence, the two women realized that ''little Minos'' was fully awake at this moment...


    Both of them had their legs rubbing against Minos'', and as such, it was effortless for them to notice this young man''s natural reactions. But even if they didn''t realize it, they would still know that he would be like this. After all, young Stuart always woke up this way!


    But unlike average men, he was not like this because he had the urge to urinate... On the contrary, Minos had already overcome such mundane needs.


    He only woke up like this because of the beauties he would typically sleep with!


    "You truly are a pervert, Minos. You''re always like this..." Ruth whispered to him as one of her hands followed under this young man''s underwear.


    "Mmmm~"


    Abby kissed him for a moment and then said. "We''d better not take long today, Minos. My parents are probably already waiting for us in the dining room."


    "I understand... Why don''t we do some teamwork here? That way, we can go see your parents as soon as possible..." He said this with a smile on his face as he looked into Abby''s eyes and then to this young woman''s lips.


    Then he threw that sheet covering them away and took off his underwear, getting completely naked.


    Gulp!


    "What do you want us to do?" The two said simultaneously before denying this young man''s wishes.


    "Use your tongues on it, in the best way you can think of, and make me cum." He said this in a low voice as he looked at one of them at a time. "If you kiss each other too, it will be faster..."


    The two young women then turned completely red and looked at each other steadily for a moment.


    "No!" They said simultaneously.


    Abby then looked at him and said. "That''s not necessary. We''re not in that much of a hurry..." She then raised both her hands in the air and activated her innate ability, causing them to be covered by an utterly blue glow. "And I don''t think we''ll take long, hehe."


    "Ruth, let''s get started!" Abby said, finally as she placed one of her hands on Minos'' balls and the other on the base of this young man''s rod.


    At the same time as that, Ruth knelt beside Minos'' groin and immediately placed one of her hands on the middlemost part of his rod. She did this and then put her red tongue out of her mouth until she touched the head of this part of this young man''s body.


    ''Oh, fuck! That''s amazing...''


    ...


    After a rather satisfying start to the morning, Minos and his two girlfriends had had breakfast with Eliot and Nicole.


    There was still a particular awkward atmosphere between both parties since it was new for those two to have a young man sleeping with their daughter in their residence... But when they started talking business, this little tension had passed.


    Eliot had spent the evening talking with several elders of the Miller family. He had also contacted the patriarch of that organization. As such, he had many things to talk about with Minos to prepare this young man to meet the most important figures of that power.


    After discovering the deal that Minos wanted with them, those elders immediately concluded that they needed to talk face-to-face with this young man who claimed to have such extraordinary abilities.


    As such, they had asked Eliot to let young Stuart know so that he would be prepared for this to happen in no more than two days.


    This organization needed to communicate with some of its members who were in training or away from headquarters. Hence, there was no possibility of a meeting with Minos happening immediately.


    This matter could be fundamental to this family. Therefore, the leaders of this organization all needed to agree with this. So young Stuart would have to wait more time to finish this matter and return with his girlfriends to Dry City.


    And while they were waiting for this, the three were walking around the Miller property...

 Chapter 562: A Challenge

    After leaving Abby''s parents'' residence, Minos'' group began to circle the large Miller family property on this northern side of Odella.


    They didn''t have much to do in this place, and since Minos had already done what he could to contact the Miller family leaders, now, he could afford to get to know this place better in his spare time.


    The three had already trained and cultivated before going to bed last night, and their bodies wouldn''t be able to withstand another session for a few hours. Thus, getting to know this place was by no means a waste for Minos and his two girlfriends.


    On the contrary, it could even be considered a way to relax!


    There were many different ways to relax, to have fun, things that could range from an ordinary meal to sex, or even the appreciation of art. But no matter which way one chose, it was always good to have some variation, things that would make an individual''s day different from the previous one.


    Knowing this kind of thing, Minos and his two girlfriends would not spend the whole day locked in a room...


    This idea was indeed tempting, and yes, it was something that everyone should try at least a few times in their lives in this vast Spiritual World.


    Young Stuart himself had already done such things with Abby and Ruth, on separate occasions, of course. But it wouldn''t make sense to do this all the time when they had so many other things to do and experience.


    As such, these three would not miss the opportunity to go out together somewhere new, at least for part of them, where they could have unique and significant moments.


    ...


    After passing in front of the Spiritual Arts Hall, the three finally stopped their walk when they arrived next to a large area, where there were about a dozen fighting stages.


    There was a small bleacher on one side of the fighting stages, which formed a semi-arch that covered about 100 degrees of the circular area around those fighting stages. Meanwhile, a large lawn could be seen on both sides of this bleacher, which extended over small slopes.


    Finally, on the opposite side of the bleachers, there was a large artificial pond with completely blue water, something that made this place much more beautiful to look at.


    So much so that besides those people present at this place to fight and watch the fights, some just sat there to enjoy the beautiful and pleasant scenery.


    And it was no different for Minos'' group.


    At this moment, the three of them had sat down on one of the highest points of that stand as they felt the sun''s rays warming their bodies, along with the pleasant morning breeze that made them feel nostalgic.


    Days like these, when the sky was completely blue, was somewhat warm, and the breezes passed by from time to time, would give a unique feeling to anyone with specific experiences.


    That could make some remember their childhood days or even family holidays, those unique situations. And consequently, there was certain happiness that would come on days like these, making many people enjoy the moment, appreciating it.


    "Ahh, this place is not bad..." Ruth said in a low voice as she had her eyes closed and leaned on one of Minos'' shoulders.


    "Hmm, but I didn''t think this place would be so crowded. I didn''t assume there would be so many fights going on already so early in the day in a place like this." Minos said so that only the three of them could hear it.


    At the moment, there were a few hundred people in that place. Part of them was around the fighting stages, fighting or waiting to fight. At the same time as this, another part was subdivided into several groups around that portion of this property.


    Some were sitting or standing on that lawn, others were sitting on the seats in that bleachers, and a few were on that lake, in the water, or on small boats.


    Abby then explained. "Well, my family has about 100,000 members, the subordinates and nobles of the six different stages of cultivation. So, it''s normal on this property for so many people to act around a building like this..."


    "Oh? Hehe, it seems that your family is not at all weak in this region, eh?" Ruth commented as she opened her eyes and looked in the direction of the blue-haired young woman.


    "You could say that. But some families go well past that number, sometimes even going as high as triple that!"


    "Triple that? That''s already almost the same amount of members of a small sect in the..."


    "Abby?"


    As Ruth and Abby were going about their conversation, suddenly, a male voice reached the ears of those three.


    Upon hearing this, the two young women who were talking and young Stuart turned toward the direction from which that voice had departed.


    They then saw a tall, muscular young man, who had blue hair like Abby''s and was closely followed by a bodyguard who was wearing blue armor, which had the symbol of the Miller family on it.


    "Cole?" Abby said without any emotion in her voice, as if she had just said the name of someone she may have come into contact with once or twice in her life...


    Upon hearing Abby''s question, the man who had asked her name earlier, who was already at level 48, smiled as he approached Minos'' group.


    At the same time as this, his bodyguard, level 49, followed him silently, without drawing too much attention.


    Cole then laughed and said. "Haha, Abby, I heard that you had returned after so long away from the family. So, I decided to come to invite you to the status ceremony, which my brother will be passing soon!"


    This man had just returned from an outside mission and had found out about Abby''s sudden return. Upon finding this out, he immediately went to this young woman''s residence to talk to her about it.


    But after having no luck at that location, he had finally reached that part of the Miller family property.


    He then looked only at Abby and Ruth, without paying much attention to Minos, and said proudly. "He just reached level 50!"


    "So? Why don''t you come with me? After that..." He was about to say when suddenly he was interrupted by Abby.


    "Cole, I''m not interested. You can call someone else. I already have other business to do with my boyfriend." Abby said as she gently held one of Minos'' hands and leaned her head on one of this young man''s shoulders.


    "What?" Cole doubtfully asked as if he didn''t understand something. ''Boyfriend? But haven''t you always refused me? Not only me but everyone else who has tried to court you!''


    He then looked at Minos and began to probe the young man in front of him. ''Humph, level 49, not bad, but that''s not that far from where I am!''


    ''What does this guy have that I don''t have?'' He wondered as he began to get irritated with this whole situation.


    He liked Abby, but the feeling was not mutual... On the other hand, now, just like that, this woman was saying that she had a boyfriend and even behaved that way with such a person... That was making him furious!


    To make matters worse, he had no idea who this person in front of him was.


    One of the most talented youths in this family, he knew practically all the high-level youths in this region who could reach the 6th stage of cultivation in their early years. So, this was worse for him since Abby could very well be dating an individual who might have no support as he had!


    "Is he your boyfriend?" He said, just before he pressed his teeth heavily.


    "Yes, we''ve been together for over two years." Abby said with a smile on her face as she looked sideways at Minos'' face and ignored that individual who was bothering her.


    "Miserable!" Cole brandished loudly, to the point of making several people in his surroundings turn in that direction.


    "You." He shouted at Minos. "What right do you have to be with Abby? What makes you so good? I don''t believe you are any better at anything than me!"


    He then clenched one of his fists at face height and said. "I''m afraid you don''t have the capacity to be with someone like Abby!"


    "I challenge you to a duel! If you lose, never come near her again!"

 Chapter 563: A Competitor? Hahaha, What a Joke.

    Upon hearing such things, Minos looked at Cole as if he saw a worm struggling in front of him, trying to make statements about something that was none of his business.


    "Challenge me? Who do you think you are?" Minos said as he hugged the waists of those two women beside him. "Do you think I need to prove myself to anyone? If you think that, then you are just a pathetic worm."


    "What did you say?" Cole said in disbelief as he turned redder and redder.


    It had never crossed this young man''s mind that Minos would just refuse the challenge. After all, such a person should have honor, right?


    So, the logical thing to do in this situation was for the offended person to try to prove himself by accepting the challenge. And by doing so, he would have his chance to remove this competitor from Abby''s side...


    Minos then spoke again. "The only person who has to think something concerning me is Abby. As for the rest, that is not for them to say or think anything, that is none of your business, and we don''t give a damn about your opinions."


    "That matter is solely up to her and me!"


    After Minos said those words, many people near where they were standing were already watching this with expressions of surprise and satisfaction.


    After the shouts Cole had given earlier, many had paid attention to that place. Of course, they were already expecting to see a mess. But surprisingly, Minos had given such a response, which, although it lessened the chances of the ''awaited'' challenge happening, was a way of handling it that was well respected by many there.


    Not that it was a completely new approach for these people, far from it. Everyone knew that these intimate matters were the concern only of those involved. But it was extremely normal for some men to handle such issues in a, shall we say, less experienced, childish way.


    Many men would be very easily offended after hearing the comments of someone like Cole and would try to prove themselves somehow, sometimes getting into the opponent''s mind game.


    On the other hand, since many men in this world had rather macho thoughts, as was the case with Cole, this kind of situation was even more difficult not to happen.


    After all, this could irritate the opposing side, or the offended person could have similar sexist thoughts as Cole. And that would only intensify a probable fight between the parties.


    Some people in this world thought that they could settle matters like this through a battle or something.


    It was almost as if the challenger didn''t care about the woman''s free will, as if, suppose he was better than the offended person, she would have to stay with him...


    Precisely because of disturbing thoughts like these, a fight could break out very quickly if both parties thought alike.


    But unfortunately for Cole, Minos did not think that way, and the vast majority of women in the Spiritual World despised men who thought in such a manner.


    Consequently, Cole had just earned even more contempt from Abby and some women in the vicinity of that place. In contrast, Minos had refused such a duel without a second thought.


    And with the brief silence, after Minos said those last words, several people in that place were already laughing at the situation and watching the embarrassed Cole.


    ''This guy is truly pathetic...'' A woman who was watching everything thought to herself as she looked in the direction of Cole with a look of disgust on her face. ''Even if you were to defeat him, do you think that girl would stop loving her boyfriend just because of that?''


    ''If such a thing happened, then you would be doing him a favor by getting him out of trouble in the future. After all, a woman who would do such a thing can only be a selfish person, and sooner or later she would do something even worse to him...''


    ''Anyway, you''re a retard!'' The same woman smiled just before she turned and left that place.


    At the same time as that, Cole closed his fists tightly as he felt his head boil in hatred for Minos. "You miserable bastard, are you afraid of competition?"


    "You can''t even guarantee yourself against an opponent of a lower level than yours?"


    "A competitor? Hahaha, what a joke. I have no competitors, nor do I have time to waste with people of your level." Minos smiled as he looked first into Abby''s eyes and then into Ruth''s. "I will not lower myself and accept a ridiculous challenge like that."


    "Now you can go away, boy. Do me a favor, never appearing in front of me again!"


    "Son of a bitch!" Cole shouted furiously, just before finally jumping toward Minos, already giving a signal to his bodyguard to back him up.


    "Die!"


    ''Oh? I''d better knock you out for a few days so that this kind of idiocy doesn''t come back to me in those days I''ll be here.'' So Minos thought to himself before finally making his move.


    Vuup!


    Suddenly the young Stuart moved from where he was with his two beautiful girlfriends, running swiftly to a place behind Cole and his bodyguard.


    ''Uh? Where did he go?'' Cole wondered for a moment, just before he felt a pressure on his shoulder, and his vision quickly darkened. ''I''m fainting...''


    Puff!


    Immediately after Minos'' first move, Cole''s unconscious body fell onto one of the chairs in that place.


    "Young master!" Seeing this right next to him, Cole''s bodyguard loudly shouted as he began to worry more and more about his boss'' situation. "Lunatic! That''s the son of..."


    He was about to say something when suddenly he felt something very similar to what Cole had just experienced. A sudden pressure on his left shoulder, accompanied by his consciousness falling into a darkness'' sea.


    Minos'' left hand had struck a sharp blow to an essential part of their bodies and caused them to lose consciousness almost immediately!


    Puff!


    After the two fainted, Minos gave a few blows to the unconscious bodies of those two, just to make sure they would sleep long enough...


    He would not allow his business to be harmed by someone as pathetic as that young man. As such, he had not bothered to act decisively against those two, even if they could not defend themselves.


    But this had left no visible marks that would make the people in that place realize what had happened. On the contrary, when the bodies of the two had fallen on the chairs in that part of the bleachers, only Ruth had been able to see everything that had happened.


    For the rest of the people there, all they had seen was the young Stuart disappear briefly and then attack the shoulders of those two men. After that, two unconscious bodies fell.


    "What happened? Did you see something?" One of the people in the vicinity there asked in doubt to the person standing at his side.


    "I didn''t see anything..."


    "Hehe, that idiot fucked himself!"


    "The crazy Cole still wanted to challenge this person... Haha, how ignorant!"


    On the other hand, while those people talked about what had happened there, Minos looked at his two girlfriends and then smiled at them. "Come on. There''s nothing else for us to do in this place."


    "Hmm." The two immediately agreed.


    And just then, two unconscious people were left in that place as the trio walked down the stairs of that bleachers.


    At the same time as that, someone in that part of the bleachers asked loudly. "Hey, are these guys going to be okay? Shouldn''t we check their condition?"


    "Ahh, let''s leave them there a while longer. That man is a nobleman. If he''s only pretending to be passed out so as not to be humiliated even more, then if we try to help him, it will only bring us trouble..." Another person said.


    "True... Let''s leave him alone."


    ...


    After coming down the stairs from that bleachers, Minos and his two girlfriends talked about that subject.


    "Hey, Abby, does this kind of thing often happen to you?" Ruth asked as she looked over to that young woman''s side.


    "Hmm, sort of. Ever since I came of age, there''s always been one person or another trying to court me."


    "But no one has ever said anything as exaggerated as that person said... I think because it was the first time one of those people had ever seen me with a man, he lost his calm." Abby replied sincerely.


    That was normal for a beautiful young woman like her, who, besides her beauty, also had great talent and wealth!


    That made many men look favorably upon her and try to win her favor. And as much as she had always refused such things, this only made her even more desirable to some of these people.


    So, she and other young women in her position had to deal with these types of people approaching them with a certain constancy.


    "I understand..." Ruth commented in a low voice as she realized that the differences between the empire and this place were not so different after all...

 Chapter 564: The Miller Family Choices

    Listening to the conversation of the two, Minos looked at Ruth and asked. "Do you also have many individuals who court you in your sect?"


    "I don''t know if there are many or few. But yes, there are some, just as in Abby''s case." She answered quickly, as she had one of her hands held by Minos and walked through that Miller family property.


    Minos then brought the two women into his embrace as he smiled and said in a joking tone. "Ah, how hard it is to date such beautiful women... So many problems I will have in the future just because of that...."


    Hearing this, the two young women smiled together with Minos as they realized that he was not worried about this and that such a thing would not be a problem for them in the future.


    Some men could get very angry that other people had interests in their women and sometimes even try to court them. But Minos was not like this. Not because he wouldn''t mind such situations, he really wouldn''t like his women to be courted by others.


    In fact, he would even be willing to kill someone who tried to cross the line with one of his women.


    But no matter how much he disliked these situations, how far he was willing to go to prevent this kind of thing from happening, it would not work. After all, people would not stop looking, imagining things, and even falling in love with those they shouldn''t.


    And what could he do about it? Act like an insecure individual who lives worrying about the possibility of a future betrayal happening? Be a coward who cannot trust his women? Try to act against everything and everyone?


    No, acting this way would not do him or his partners any good. On the contrary, it would only create more stress for both parties, and the chances of something actually happening would only increase.


    After all, there would always be those brave individuals who would even risk their lives to sleep with some beauties. Hence, if a woman wanted to cheat on her partner or the opposite, there would be no shortage of people willing to help them fulfill this kind of desire...


    So, worrying about all those who liked his girlfriends and trying to keep them from living in the same cities or areas as such people would have no practical effect.


    The only thing one could do in situations like this was the most simple and obvious. That was to be with reliable people, partners who are with you for deeper feelings and not for pure convenience.


    There was no point in having a stable relationship, as in the marriage example, if you constantly worried about what your wife does when you are not around. In such a situation, the best thing to do would be to end the relationship and finally have the opportunity to live your life in peace, without such worries.


    And Minos believed this faithfully. He was not the kind of man who would date just to be with someone. No, being alone has to be better than being with someone you don''t trust, who would only bring you headaches. As such, this young man did not have the mentality of the average man, who would stress over the fact that other people were interested in his women.


    He knew that, everywhere, his partners would be desired by millions. But he would not stress about it nor try to show the world in some pathetic way how he is the only one worthy of them. That is because he was very confident in his abilities, and he also believed that no matter how hard others tried, his women would not accept these attempts.


    And it was not surprising that he had only two girlfriends, although he had been with several other women, who might have been interested in having a more stable relationship with him.


    He only had feelings for Ruth and Abby, and they were the only ones he felt he could trust. In this case, there was no reason for him to worry about the existence of these people who liked these two, as in Cole''s case.


    If they tried something, he would take action since he would never accept other people touching his women. But otherwise, he would live with his women without that kind of concern.


    Anyway, and even if there was a possibility that someday something would happen, like a betrayal, he could only act after such a thing happened.


    Minos knew that there were always possibilities as long as someone was alive and that you could never fully trust someone. But hell, you can''t be suspicious of everyone and everything all the time.


    How miserable must it be not to be able to trust anyone even a little?


    He certainly didn''t want to live the life of a coward who was perhaps afraid of his own shadow...


    So, even if bad things could happen in any relationship, he would only be with those he trusted and felt safe with.  And if even then something happened, he would just deal with it after the fact.


    There was no way to avoid this. After all, free will existed!


    And that was Minos'' character, the way he viewed relationships in this vast world. This personality made him able to act that way, laughing at this situation that would stress many.


    "Mmm~"


    "Mmmm~"


    The two women moaned in low voices as Minos'' hands suddenly made some surgically precise movements on sensitive parts of both of their bodies.


    "Abby, that''s enough walking for today. Let''s go to your residence. I will take care of you two before my next cultivation session."


    ...


    Time quickly passed, and the moment had finally come for young Stuart to meet with the high-level elders of the Miller family.


    After the deadline given by Eliot to Minos had passed, all the people necessary for this event to happen had arrived at the family headquarters and made themselves aware of the situation.


    As a result, once everything was ready for this event to take place, Eliot escorted Minos to the place where the elders of this power would meet with this young man in a large meeting hall in the headquarters building.


    In addition to Eliot, the other 11 of the 12 members of the high-level Elder Council, which consisted of the family patriarch, the supreme elder, and the other ten highest-level elders, except himself, everyone was already there, talking and waiting for Minos.


    They were all very concerned about this possibility that Minos was bringing due to the gravity that such a thing represented for the family.


    Regardless of the outcome of a deal with this young man, the mere fact that they were considering becoming the strongest organization in the kingdom would cause the royal family to view this organization with suspicion.


    That is, what ruler would let another power within his kingdom overtake him?


    Sooner or later, such a thing would result in a rebellion when the stronger party decided that it should have more rights and more powers. And as such, if the ruler allows such a thing to happen, he would only achieve his own end, along with the destruction of his family!


    That would be terrible!


    Because of this, the Miller family had a big problem to solve at this moment.


    That is because, contrary to what one might think, making decisions like this is not as easy as it may seem.


    In fact, trying to take advantage of opportunities seems like an exciting thing to do, something that will guarantee you better chances to achieve your goals, dreams, in short, a better position. But such a thing had risks for the Miller family that made this choice challenging to make.


    After all, nothing would be certain, and just as they could succeed in such an endeavor, they could fail miserably, to the point of falling to a state much worse than their current one.


    What to do?


    Not take risks in order to gain greater power and have their stability maintained?


    Or take the risk of becoming enemy number one of the central organization in the kingdom, but get the chance to reach an even higher level?


    These were the Miller family''s options if these 12 elders could believe that Minos would keep his promises!


    Anyway, Eliot finally entered that hall accompanied by Minos and the young man''s two girlfriends. He then said aloud before sitting down in an empty seat nearby. "Elders, this is Minos Stuart..."

 Chapter 565: The Choice 1

    "He is the person I told you about earlier." Eliot said as he nodded in Minos'' direction. "Besides him, these two are his company, Abby, my daughter, whom some of you already know, and Ruth."


    After saying this, Eliot sat down in an armchair around a ''U'' shaped table, where he had a space at one end. On the other hand, Minos and his two girlfriends were standing behind a small bench, in the opposite position to that table, from where all the people sitting around it could see them.


    The patriarch of the Miller family, level 57, was sitting in the main seat, where the supreme elder, level 58, was on his left. The third strongest individual in the family, level 56, was on the right side of the Miller patriarch.


    Other than Eliot, there were six other cultivators at level 55 and two at level 56 in this hall, in addition to that individual on the patriarch''s right.


    Anyway, after Eliot made this brief presentation, the whole place became silent.


    At the same time, those elders looked at Minos in a meaningful way. All of them, except for Eliot, was judging the figure of this young man, some of them remembering the past, others thinking of the things they had heard about this young ruler.


    "So, you are Albert''s son, huh? Although you have some similarities to him, overall, you seem much more distinguished." A middle-aged woman said this as she broke the silence in that room.


    There were three women in that council of high-level elders of this noble family. Among them, the patriarch''s ''right-hand,'' level 56, was one of them.


    Upon hearing that person''s comment, Minos looked at her for a moment and then said. "Yes, my father is the late General Albert. Did you know him, madam Daphne?"


    "Hmm, sort of..."


    "Anyway, that''s in the past and has no importance on today''s subject. The problem here is that you seem to be quite different from your father regarding your attitudes..."


    "And we don''t know if it will be good for us to ally ourselves with someone like that." She said as the people in that place listened to her and looked at Minos.


    Daphne Miller was third in terms of strength in this family, but she was very respected by everyone in that room. As such, she even had the right to speak openly, even before the patriarch or the supreme elder.


    But this was not strange. After all, Daphne was the supreme elder''s disciple and also the one temporarily nominated to be the patriarch''s successor!


    The current patriarch was already over 800-years-old but still had no descendants. In this case, the family already had this woman as the favorite candidate for the position of leader of House Miller.


    Daphne then continued. "We won''t ask you how you achieved your capabilities since that is not for us to judge. But, we require additional evidence that you can keep the promise you made to Eliot. And we also need to know your attitude toward the Brown Kingdom and its royal family."


    "We have strong motivations for thinking that you don''t want peace and that you are trying to involve us in something perilous." She finished as she looked away and waved to those two people at the central part of that table.


    The patriarch then said. "Young Minos, are you trying to act against the Brown family? Do you want the Brown Kingdom? Eliot has already told us that you want independence for the Black Plains, and as much as we believe that this will be easy to achieve, we do not understand why you want to have such an alliance with our family..."


    "So, we need to understand what the motivation for that is and how much it will affect us."


    "Hmm, I understand..." Minos said as he looked at those three and then at the rest of the elders standing there. He then sighed and began to speak. "My intentions toward the royal family are the best possible, as long as they do not attack me."


    "I want independence for the Black Plain, but I have no desire in any other territory that is not within my right..."


    "As such, I have no reason to think about confronting the Brown family."


    "But as I said, that is not up to me, but up to them." He calmly said as he looked over each of those elders. "I think the same way about the rest of the Brown Kingdom, except for a single part."


    "And what would that part be?" The patriarch asked in doubt.


    "The Silva family commissioned my father''s death, and I will not let that matter go. One day I will decapitate Otis Silva and the other people involved in that matter." He said seriously, with his pupils completely contracted and a sharp look on his face.


    "Ahh, as expected..." Some of the elders there muttered as they understood that it had indeed been the Silva family that had caused this.


    They knew that the Silvas was probably to blame for this since they had no part in it. And as the biggest beneficiary of it all was the people in that organization; they were the main suspects. But despite this, there was no evidence of such a thing, so these people could not be sure about it.


    Daphne then frowned and asked. "Are you sure about this? Even the royal family has investigated about it but has not discovered any clues."


    "Hmm, I had a very reliable source." Minos said vaguely, without giving the details of his past with Darell Silva.


    After hearing that, once again, silence spread over that place as those old beings analyzed Minos'' words.


    ''This matter of the Silva family, I don''t care... If that old man dies, we will only benefit from it.''


    ''So it was those miserable people!'' One of the women there thought about it.


    On the other hand, the supreme elder, who had been silent since all this had started, had good thoughts for young Stuart. ''Hmm, he doesn''t seem interested in unnecessary wars... That''s good.''


    He naturally was the person most concerned about getting better quality techniques. After all, he was already at the end of his life and desperately needed a stage advance so that he could live longer. Therefore, he naturally already viewed the deal with young Stuart with good intention.


    However, he didn''t stop worrying about his Miller family just because of this. He wanted to live longer, but he had also gotten used to the idea of dying in a short time. Consequently, if the deal with Minos was too dangerous for his family, he was prepared to give up a deal with this young ruler of the Black Plain!


    Anyway, while the many elders in that hall had different thoughts, the patriarch finally spoke again. "So, you want revenge against the Silva family, huh? Well, it doesn''t hurt us at all, so we don''t care about that. But there is still one question, why do you want to have us as allies so badly? From whom are you trying to protect yourself?"


    "From whom am I trying to protect myself?" Minos asked himself aloud as he looked up at the rounded ceiling of that hall. "I''m not trying to protect myself from anyone."


    "I''m trying to protect the Black Plain from everyone."


    "What do you mean?" Daphne asked with a countenance that was hard to decipher.


    "I mean that if I didn''t want to turn the Black Plain into an independent state, then I wouldn''t be here today, nor would I need to seek this kind of agreement. In other words, it''s only for the good of my state and not for myself."


    "So, that''s it..." That level 56 woman muttered in a low voice as she understood Minos'' ambition. That kind of thinking was not uncommon, despite the apparent fact that this young man seemed to be telling them that he didn''t need to protect himself from anyone...


    After all, there were many historical cases of people trying to fight to build their own states.


    Therefore, she and the other people in that place could accept that explanation more easily than if there weren''t so many individuals who had tried such a thing in the past.


    "Well, to me, it seems that this young man''s desires are not dangerous for the family. As long as he has a minimum of help from us, in a few centuries, he will be able to make the Black Plain a stable place." One of those level 55 elders said.


    "Yes, I agree with elder Denton. I think we will just need a new proof given by young Minos, and then we can make our choice." One of the other women there said that.


    Finally, the patriarch nodded to that young sovereign and said. "So, how will you do this? We just need one more proof, and then we will make our final choice."


    "What can I do to prove it? I think maybe..."

 Chapter 566: The Choice 2

    "Maybe I can show you something..." He said and then stopped to think about it some more. "I guess I can trust that none of you will covet the items of a junior like me, right?" Minos smiled at them as he said that.


    Logically speaking, there was a danger, which was not small, in demonstrating his wealth to other people, including these individuals with whom he wanted to form an alliance. After all, if one side could become stronger by taking something from the weaker, then this would be the most likely action.


    However, human beings were rational, and some could even control these more immediate impulses present in situations like this. In particular, Minos was already offering a pretty good deal for this family, and these elders had no idea where this young man''s techniques came from...


    Because of all this, even if he showed one of his Silver-grade techniques in that place, the likelihood that those elders would try something against him was small. But of course, Minos knew that each of them would be quite compelled to try to take whatever he showed there, but that would be more like wishful thinking rather than a will to act.


    Who could guarantee that there were no ways for him to protect himself?


    For that matter, why would he take such a risk inside territory surrounded by potential enemies if he didn''t have his means of protection or escape?


    Besides, they had already heard that this organization of Minos still had two other people stronger than this young man.


    And even if they couldn''t be sure of the veracity of such a thing, it would be very unwise to act so blindly in such a unique situation.


    On the other hand, if they tried something against him, and he managed to escape, then such a thing would make any good relationship between the parties impossible in the future!


    In fact, this could make them deadly enemies, something that no one would want, and that would always be put aside if there were better alternatives that did not result in this.


    Understanding all this, Minos quickly decided to use one of the Silver-grade techniques he had in his spatial ring to give this new proof to the Miller family.


    That was indeed the fastest way that he could prove himself capable of keeping his promises. But it was not entirely necessary. After all, Eliot had already told all that needed to be said to those elders about the disproportionate strength Abby had gained after spending that time with Minos.


    That should be enough, but those elders wanted to see such techniques, so they had asked for such proof.


    The supreme elder then opened his mouth for the first time since the beginning of this occasion and said. "Of course, young man. We are not going to steal a belonging from a potential ally, someone who may also become part of the family in the future."


    "Hmm."


    And hearing that, Minos finally took out one of the silver scrolls from his spatial ring and presented it to those people. "This is a Silver-grade defensive technique."


    Simultaneously, those elders in that hall smiled in satisfaction while they had meaningful looks in their eyes. It was as if they had seen the most valuable thing of their lives and were now looking forward to finally having the chance to touch it.


    ''It truly is a Silver-grade technique...''


    "It''s amazing! The fluctuations of that scroll are fantastic!"


    "I can''t wait to be able to learn it..."


    Several murmurs sounded throughout that place, while other people were thinking about it in silence.


    ''What I honestly need is a cultivation technique of that quality... Does this young man truly have a complete set?'' So the supreme elder thought to himself, at the same time, where he felt a certain excitement in his old body.


    He would obviously be interested in having a defensive technique of this quality. But he wanted to solve his cultivation problem first so that his vitality would increase!


    He was already quite old and lacked the appropriate resources to level up to the next stage safely. However, as much as superior techniques alone would not be enough to take him a step further, this would make the process much easier!


    With this, Vince Miller was naturally more concerned with his cultivation than with his defense.


    On the other hand, the patriarch''s right-hand, Daphne, had an expression of curiosity on her mature face as she looked intently at the scroll in Minos'' right hand. ''Where did he get this from? Did he by any chance fall into a treasure well? Or maybe his mother took a chance and gave some of her techniques to him?''


    Anyway, after a moment of appreciation, where many people were smiling in that place and making enthusiastic comments, the patriarch finally said. "Well, young Minos, that''s enough to prove that you can fulfill what you said, even though you haven''t shown us the rest."


    "Since that is done before we vote on this matter, we should know what our relationship will be like if we ally ourselves." He then turned to Eliot and pointed with one of his arms at such a person. "Elder Eliot has already told us a few things, but I hope you will be more specific on a few points."


    "For example, when can we learn these techniques?"


    Upon hearing such a question asked by the patriarch, all those people in that place looked in the direction of where Minos and his two girlfriends were standing, eager to find out about it.


    Minos then said calmly. "I will let the people you send to my city study such techniques until they have learned six of them. But that will only happen for the four people who will be sent once each year."


    "I will not accept anyone else, nor will I teach anyone else first."


    "And those people need to stay in my city for one year until the new group arrives to replace them." He then paused briefly and said. "Since in this hypothetical situation we would-be allies, I''m afraid that the four people in question would have to help us if needed..."


    After this was said, several of those elders looked at each other as they scratched their eyebrows, and some frowned. This Minos'' scheme was a bit slow for them. After all, this would mean that all the Spiritual Kings in this family would only learn these techniques after ten years!


    The Miller family had 39 people at this stage of cultivation, which was almost the number of slots given by Minos. And since those people wanted to advance to the 7th stage, it would be difficult for the lower level juniors to have such an opportunity...


    As such, they would have to compete with each other to see who would be the first!


    He then continued. "But I will do the Miller family a favor. Since Abby is a descendant of this organization, I will allow her parents to accompany me to Dry City, and I will teach them such techniques, out of this agreement."


    "In other words, you will have the opportunity to have 42 of your members with complete sets of Silver-grade techniques!"


    "Oh?" Eliot was the first to exclaim in surprise while the others around him watched him with envy.


    "Haha, good. Good!" Abby''s father said in satisfaction.


    "Looks like our family got lucky this time! The girl Abby should be remembered in our history as a heroine!"


    "Hmm, really a filial descendant!"


    Several favorable comments were made about Abby, while this woman was somewhat embarrassed. However, that soon passed when her boyfriend''s voice sounded in that place once again.


    "Anyway, aside from this matter of people who are going to learn these techniques, I want our relationship as allies to be as discreet as possible. For example, it will be interesting if at the surface we had no relationship at all so that we have some advantages against potential enemies..."


    "So, it will be better if we keep the matter about Dry City and the Black Plain a secret. For that, we can communicate through Yellow City. There, my soldiers will be able to request your help, and you will be able to inform me of dangers or something like that." He said before finishing his presentation.


    "I see..." The patriarch thoughtfully said until he got up from his armchair and said loudly and clearly. "Young Minos, I now ask that you wait on our property for one more day until we have finished discussing this among ourselves."


    "All right."


    "If we agree, Eliot will bring you here for us to sign the Soul Contracts and formalize this alliance."

 Chapter 567: Return

    While Minos was at the Miller family headquarters, Mendy Stokes was at this moment in her hometown, taking care of the matter related to sending someone towards the seat of House Hayes.


    After she departed from Dry City, this woman returned to her family as soon as possible. She wanted to inform her father and the elders about the deal that Minos wished to make with the Stokes family. And after passing this information on, it hadn''t taken long for the patriarch to inform his daughter of the family''s decision.


    As expected, they had accepted the deal with Minos!


    In fact, upon finding out about Minos'' interest in doing business with them and the possibilities they would have, the strongest elders of this power had been delighted about such a thing. After all, they all wished to have more strength to be even more prosperous within their family and state!


    And as people who were members of only a medium-sized organization, they were very eager to increase their influence, something that would only happen with more experts or more powerful experts!


    Hence, Mendy was already preparing to arrange a skilled spiritual judge so that the contracts that would need to be signed could be validated as soon as possible.


    She knew that in Dry City, there was no such individual, and since Minos would not sign such things there, she and her family had the responsibility to plan this part of the agreement and when it would happen.


    On the other hand, before she finally left for Dry City to communicate to Minos that everything had worked out and this young man could go and sign such agreements in the City of Waters, she was settling the Hayes family matter right now.


    That was the essential part of their agreement with the Black Plains, and as such, this woman wanted to resolve this as soon as possible. That way, when the Soul Contracts were signed, House Stokes could immediately send their members to Dry City!


    Anyway, at this moment, there were three people in front of her, two men and a woman, each of them dressed in different armor, but which had the same symbol.


    The three were standing in front of her, in respectful positions, as they listened to the voice of this lady of the Stokes family.


    "Bill, Hector, Carly, I have a critical mission for you three." She said as she looked at the three Spiritual Generals in front of her. "I want you to go out on a secret mission and deliver a message to a certain person in Primrose."


    "Primrose?" One of them asked in a low voice, realizing that Mendy wanted to send them toward the Hayes family headquarters. "Miss Mendy, who should we meet in that place? Don''t tell me it''s someone from the Hayes family?"


    "That''s right. I want you to deliver that message to Vivian Hayes." Mendy calmly said as she tossed a sealed white parchment in the direction of the woman who had asked the question earlier. "But as I said, do it in secret. Don''t use family symbols, don''t talk about where you came from to people other than Vivian Hayes."


    Mendy obviously wouldn''t send someone powerful toward the Hayes family headquarters, a place observed by the Chambers family due to the ongoing war between the two organizations. Because of this, she was sending these three people to that place, two of them at level 44 and one at level 45.


    Such a collective force could be considered negligible, considering the war that had been going on in this kingdom. However, this was enough to not draw as much attention from those involved in such a conflict, as well as the message would have chances to get into Vivian''s hands faster.


    Just for this reason, she was sending these three and not stronger people!


    Gulp!


    The three swallowed their saliva, as they felt that this mission should not be easy to accomplish and even involved several dangers. However, before they could think more about this aspect of this task ordered by Mendy, the three of them heard that woman''s voice once again.


    "After you complete this mission, I will give each of you 10,000 low-grade crystals and let you learn a Black-grade technique."


    "All right! Count on us, Miss Mendy!" The three said in delight as their hearts began to beat faster, and they all felt more confident in accomplishing such a thing


    "Good. You can leave when you feel ready. But do it as soon as possible... No one knows what can happen in this war."


    The three then looked at each other for a moment before finally departing from that spot Mendy was in.


    "We''re leaving tonight!" The woman said in a confident tone.


    "Okay, it''s going to be a little difficult, but the sooner we accomplish such a mission, the sooner we can get those rewards!"


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, two days had passed.


    In that time that had passed, Minos and the Miller family had finally reached a final agreement, after this young man had signed Soul Contracts with the leaders of such an organization.


    Abby''s family elders had not taken long to decide on such a fate before, and everything had been relatively easy and quick.


    But this was not strange to Minos. After all, he knew how tempting it was to have better techniques, especially for old people who had less time to cultivate.


    Such individuals would necessarily have lower cultivation speeds than people younger than them who use techniques of the same type as them. Therefore, the older a person in this region was, the greater the chances of accepting deals like the one he had suggested.


    At the end of the day, living even longer was the main point of cultivation.


    As such, it would be difficult for a powerful regional cultivator to refuse chances like that!


    And since Minos had not behaved like a bloodthirsty lunatic, but the opposite of that, like a reasonable person who would not attack without being provoked, those people had become much more secure about this relationship.


    At the very least, the young Stuart had one of the qualities admired by the leaders of this great trading organization in the Brown Kingdom.


    Anyway, after this had been settled, Minos and his group were now preparing to leave this town to return to Dry City.


    However, unlike when he and his two girlfriends arrived at this location, this time, they would travel with six other people.


    Two of them were Abby''s parents, whom Minos had invited to spend some time in Dry City, where they could have the opportunity to learn better techniques.


    On the other hand, the other four people in that group were ones designated by the Miller family leaders to fill those positions that Minos had negotiated with them.


    These individuals would stay in Dry City for a year to learn Silver-grade techniques, while they would be at Minos'' disposal to participate in fights, exercises, and so on.


    Three of those four were Spiritual Kings, nobles of the Miller family, people between levels 53 and 55. And the last one was a young man of the younger generation, a person about ten years older than Abby, someone who was at level 46.


    But although this young man was considered a good seed in the Miller family, he had been quite humble in the presence of the people, especially with Minos. And unlike Cole, he had not dared to court Abby, whom he had not even looked at...


    However, not only had he been humble, but so had the other three Spiritual Kings. After all, considering how much Minos was offering to the Miller family and especially to them, who would be the first to enjoy this deal, they already respected him tremendously!


    And so, the group of nine humans and three beasts left Odella for the Dry City.


    Minos, Ruth, and Abby were on White''s back while those other people were traveling overland, following the shadow of that great eagle closely.


    "Ahh, we will finally be able to return..." Ruth commented in a low voice as she felt the strong wind on her face. "I wonder if something happened in Dry City?" She asked Minos.


    The young man then smiled and said. "If we have not been unlucky enough for another family to find us, then it is unlikely... But it won''t be long before that happens!"

 Chapter 568: Shocked and a New Beginning

    "Ahhh!" A scream reverberated through a dark room in a particular residence within the Miller family property.


    At that instant, the door of that room opened and allowed that place to light up, as a person dressed as a butler rushed in there. This person then promptly went to the side of a bed, where a young man with blue hair had just woken up and seemed to be sweating considerably.


    "Where am I? What happened?" He asked in a shocked tone, realizing the difference in the place he was now in compared to the last memory he had in his mind.


    "Young master Cole, you were knocked out and have spent the last three days unconscious."


    "What?" The young man said in shock, realizing what had happened. ''Miserable! That bastard used some trick against me!''


    "Where are those people? Quick, call my bodyguard!" The young man said agitatedly.


    However, contrary to what he expected, the man next to him just closed his eyes and shook his head in disappointment. "Young master, the person who acted against you, has already left. However, the master has found out everything that happens..."


    "Oh? Will my old man help me?" The young man asked with a smile on his face.


    "The opposite, he said that from now on, you will no longer receive the allowance of 2,000 crystals a month. In his words, ''you will have to work for a living...''"


    "What?"


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, six days had passed.


    In the meantime, Minos and his group had returned to Dry City after about two weeks of him and his girlfriends being away from this place.


    They had not faced any problems on their return to this town, but this was only to be expected. After all, with so many Spiritual Kings in that group, no one would stand in the way of those nine people and three beasts.


    It would be foolish to do that, even for someone at the top of power!


    But after this smooth journey, they had finally arrived in Dry City last night.


    And this time, unlike Minos'' soldiers being surprised by the power of the newcomers, this had not happened. But this was to be expected since such people had even gotten used to the presence of a level 57 Spiritual King in the city.


    Most of them knew that such a person was not a warrior. Still, every time some of these soldiers scanned their surroundings as they walked through the city streets, they would feel a bit of Regina''s energy fluctuations.


    That is, this woman''s spiritual power was so great that it reached even people hundreds of meters away from her!


    As a result of feeling that woman''s massive spiritual power, many soldiers no longer found the spiritual pressure of cultivators below level 57 so impressive.


    It might not seem like much since there was a slight difference between Regina''s levels and those Miller family Spiritual Kings. Yet, the difference was more significant than one could imagine. Such was the difference that a level 57 cultivator would have spiritual energy similar to the fused energy amounts of two Spiritual Kings who were at level 52!


    But even if these soldiers had not been impressed by the cultivation levels of these people, they understood that these people were here to add more power to the city.


    And that, yes, had made them happy!


    Still, someone had to be shocked by the other side''s power in a situation like that. Hence, the six members of the Miller family had been jaw-dropped when they arrived in Dry City and felt that dome...


    And not only that. Upon entering the area protected by the dome, they immediately realized that they had underestimated the Dry City entirely.


    Previously they had come here thinking that any future the Black Plain might have was due to the fact that Minos had probably been very lucky and had fallen upon some legendary treasure. Hence, he had become so strong and done the same to some of his subordinates.


    That was what these two individuals believed, as well as what the other ten high-level elders of the Miller family who had not come here thought was the truth about such a place.


    At most, the Black Plain would have a chance because Minos and some other people here would be powerful in the future. But, other than that, they wouldn''t expect this place to have valuable things...


    But the moment they entered such an area, they had all realized what a terrible mistake they had made.


    Dry City was no longer a small town in the poorest part of the continent. Now it was an urban concentration with almost 200,000 inhabitants, a place with a much higher concentration of energy than the rest of the Black Plain. And most importantly, an area with a considerably strong population.


    Upon entering this town, these people quickly realized that there were nearly as many people at the 5th stage in this place as there would be in the headquarters of small noble families!


    That was impressive. After all, it would take a noble family many centuries to build up such a large force. But, on the other hand, Minos had told them that most of these people were just ordinary citizens, people with no professional relation to his organization.


    And this surprised them even more!


    Typically speaking, ordinary citizens in this part of the Central Continent could hardly reach the 6th stage. In fact, the most talented and fortunate ones usually, at most, reached the 5th stage of cultivation.


    As in the example of the people from Robin''s family, the shipbuilding family from Stone Island.


    But besides these surprises related to the strength of Dry City''s population, those six people were also shocked by the other changes in this place. However, they had not asked questions and had only talked among themselves while admiring the new city that had been built in the middle of this dead region.


    Finally, Minos had arranged for some of his staff to take those four members of the Miller family to new residences in this city. They would live in those places during the period they would be here to learn those promised techniques.


    On the other hand, Abby''s parents had moved on to the mansion of Minos, where this ruler would allow them to live in one of the apartments in the visiting area of that property.


    ...


    After dawn in Dry City, it did not take long for each of those people in Minos'' mansion to wake up and head towards the dining room of this young man''s residence.


    He had invited his in-laws for breakfast, which this young man was used to doing with all his mansion''s visiting or regular residents.


    And with nothing to stop him from following this routine, Minos was at this moment eating his breakfast, sitting next to his beautiful girlfriends and in front of his in-laws and Dillian.


    "Butler Dillian, do you have no difficulty breaking through between the 6th stage levels?" Eliot asked in surprise as he looked at the Dillian''s figure in admiration.


    It had taken him over 300 years to reach level 55 himself, and hell, Eliot was very proud of his cultivation speed. However, seeing Dillian almost at level 53, a person who was at level 45 a few years ago, Abby''s father had nearly broken down...


    ''Silver-grade techniques are that formidable?'' He wondered in his mind as he looked at that man with the black mustache.


    "Hehe, the young master''s resources have helped me a lot, lord Eliot. In the future, when you guys come in..." He then stopped for a second and continued. "Cough! Cough! You will understand."


    "Oh?" Eliot said in surprise while still watching Dillian, who was eating a colorful omelet, which was releasing a pleasant fragrance.


    And while listening to her husband''s conversation with Dillian, Nicole intently watched that butler, who was previously just an ordinary doctor.


    As she tasted the food served in this place and felt the energies of each of the foods there, she slowly understood the situation. ''This young Minos must have gotten very rich to get all this...''


    ''He even has grade-2 cooks in his own house! That''s a luxury!''


    It wasn''t expensive for a Spiritual King to eat meals made by low-level grade-2 cooks every day or even those of the following classification. But having such a cook in your own home was completely different!


    So, Nicole was naturally interested in this Minos'' lifestyle.


    Anyway, after a few minutes, they all finished their meals, and Dillian had left to go to his work. On the other hand, Ruth and Abby had gone to the local army headquarters.


    One was just going to train, while the other was going to fulfill her duties in that organization before getting the opportunity to do the same as Maisie''s disciple.


    Finally, Minos took those two remaining people to another part of his residence, the courtyard where there was that bathtub he constantly used...


    When he arrived there, he pointed in the direction of the fighting stage that was there and said to his in-laws. "Father-in-law, mother-in-law, I''m going to pass you the scroll of a Silver-grade cultivation technique. Learn the basics quickly, and then give it back to me so I can do the same thing with those other four later."


    Gulp!


    "OK!" The two said simultaneously, just before taking off some of their heavier clothing and sitting down on cushions that they had taken from their spatial rings.


    Minos then threw the scroll in their direction and then sat down on a wooden bench that was there and began to wait.

 Chapter 569: Invasion Update

    After some time, Minos had collected his spiritual technique and left that couple training in that place while they better recognized their new cultivation technique. Then he headed towards the official part of his mansion, where dozens of people were already working at this moment.


    When he arrived at his office, Minos immediately saw Mia''s figure, while six people were waiting for him, sitting on the armchairs in the waiting room of his office.


    Four of those six were the Miller family members who had arrived at this location as soon as the mansion''s gates were opened to the public as Minos had instructed them yesterday.


    They wanted to learn a new cultivation technique from Minos as soon as possible so that they could finally increase their cultivation speeds!


    On the other hand, besides these four nobles of the Miller family, Eduard and Joey were also there, waiting to speak with Minos. One had kept guard in Dry City during the days that the sovereign was away and consequently was here to give his report and then return to the Spatial Kingdom. As for the other, he was here to fulfill his official duties concerning the administration of the army.


    "You''re all here, huh?" Minos said loudly and clearly to those people as he watched intently at the four anxious faces and two curious ones.


    Naturally, Joey and Eduard did not expect to find three Spiritual Kings in this place at this time of the morning... So, they were naturally surprised.


    Minos then looked at those four and said. "Wait here for about five minutes, and we''ll talk." He then turned to his two soldiers and thought to himself. ''Eduard probably doesn''t have anything critical to report to me, or he wouldn''t have waited all night... As for Joey, he probably has several things to tell me.''


    "Eduard, come with me to my office." Minos said as he walked towards that location.


    ...


    After talking for less than 3 minutes with that Lieutenant of the Black Plain Army, Minos had sent him to the Spatial Kingdom right after hearing that man''s short report.


    After discovering that nothing strange had happened in his town, this young man didn''t take long to walk through his office door and start walking towards the exit of that waiting room.


    "You five, come with me." Minos said, at the same time making a hand gesture to those people.


    And immediately upon hearing that, they all followed him in silence through the halls of the government mansion.


    Finally, after a few seconds, they arrived at the mansion''s back, where there were some trees, a lawn, and a beautiful fountain.


    Several low-ranking soldiers were doing maintenance work in that area at the moment, while stronger soldiers were circulating in the area, observing the streets around this property.


    And amid that, Minos stopped in a part of that grass and said to those four people while holding a silver scroll in his right hand. "I will let you learn the basics of this technique. You can decide among yourselves the order of who will learn it first, but after the last of you has finished learning the basics, give me back the scroll."


    "Uh? Won''t we be able to keep the scroll, Mister Minos?" The Spiritual General asked in confusion.


    "No. The agreement was that I would allow you to learn Silver-grade techniques. But I never promised to pass on ownership of the scroll to you." Minos said with a slight smile on his face.


    "What? Is that true?" The Level 53 Spiritual King asked in surprise.


    It was a regional custom that noble families gave the right to the spiritual technique scroll to their subordinates who earned merit. So, they had naturally thought that it would also be like that in this situation.


    "Is that true, elder Archer?" The same Spiritual King from before asked that to that strongest man there, one of the individuals who had signed the Soul Contract with Minos.


    Archer then closed his old eyes and nodded in agreement, saying nothing. ''He did indeed use those words in the contract... It seems that this young man will not simply give us ultimate power after all.'' He thought to himself.


    But for him, this would already be a great advantage. After all, it would make them much stronger than their regional opponents. At the same time, their chances of surviving a stage advancement attempt would be greater!


    "Then the family won''t be able to pass on such a thing further..." The other Spiritual King there muttered in a low voice as he realized the reality of the situation.


    "Hehe, don''t worry. My army will be with open doors to welcome some of the most talented members of the Miller family." Minos said in a satisfied manner as he looked at those four individuals.


    Upon hearing this, Archer opened his eyes and looked at Minos in realization. ''So that''s what he wants!''


    ''What a clever boy!''


    But he soon put those thoughts aside as he sat down on his cultivation cushion in the middle of that lawn and then began to read that silver scroll.


    Meanwhile, those other three Miller family nobles sat around and began to wait for their turns. On the other hand, Minos and Joey had sat down on a wooden bench in that part of that property, from where the two of them could see those four people.


    "So, Mr. Joey, what''s new?" Minos finally asked, at the same time, in which he watched Archer starting to cultivate.


    Upon hearing his boss'' question, Joey nodded and began to report the most important things he needed to pass on to Minos. "Young master, we have good news coming from Maritime City."


    "Oh?"


    "In that city, the army forces have already occupied about 50% of the Brown Kingdom''s royal guard forts!"


    Minos then smiled in satisfaction and asked. "That''s great! But how much longer will it be before I have to get involved in this invasion?"


    "Not long, young master. I believe that in less than ten days, we will have the next fort taken, and from then on, only the main outpost of that city will remain, where the level 52 Spiritual King is stationed."


    "That way, I believe that even before the young master reaches the 6th stage of cultivation, we will be able to finish the operation in the Maritime City."


    "Hmm, that''s good. But what about casualties? Have we had any? How many soldiers have died since that three Spiritual Kings incident?"


    Joey then paused briefly to remember this data, and after about five seconds of thinking, he said. "10 soldiers have died during these last 20 days. Other than that, we have about 40 with more serious injuries, who are currently in the General Hospital."


    "Other than that, there are no more casualties or problems among the ranks of soldiers."


    "I see... It''s a shame." He said in a low voice as he sighed, lamenting over such deaths. "Pass on my message to the families who lost these ten people. We will give them all the rights promised."


    "All right, young master."


    "As for those injured soldiers, if any of them have lost parts of their bodies, send them to the administrative sector or some internal service of the headquarters. Then, let them focus on cultivation and do less dangerous activities."


    "But in the future, when the Dillian become stronger, they may all have the opportunity to recover their lost parts."


    "OK." Joey said with a relieved tone. Of course, he had expected this from Minos. Still, it was always good to have some confirmations regarding promises made by powerful people...


    And since he was just another of Minos'' many soldiers, for him, knowing that these soldiers were being treated well was very important. After all, it was not uncommon for noble families to discard their subordinates who went through such situations!


    Anyway, after they had talked about it, those two finally saw that Archer had finished learning the basics of that Silver-grade cultivation technique.


    This Spiritual King then passed that scroll to the strongest person after him in that place, just before leaving towards the exit of Minos'' mansion.


    He had already learned the basics of that technique, and now there was no reason for him to continue on this property. He could already cultivate without the scroll and do it in other areas, places more favorable for him.


    And since he had already known some services in this city, he wanted to cultivate in a more interesting place than this lawn...

 Chapter 570: Frontier Bases

    After the group of Miller family had arrived in Dry City the night before, they had known the places they would be staying in this city and had then gone out to get to know this strange place.


    In doing so, although they hadn''t learned everything about the new Dry City, they had still discovered the basics of this place, in particular the local Cultivation Tower!


    Since they were not here to join Minos'' army, this young sovereign had no intention of giving these people anything other than allowing them to learn the Silver-grade techniques. With that, they would have to solve their own problems locally, including finding a suitable place to train.


    Thus, they would buy arrays to put in their residences, something expensive and time-consuming to obtain, or use the local cultivation tower, something more affordable.


    So, after finishing learning the basics of that Silver-grade cultivation technique, Archer wasted no time and left that mansion to head towards the Dry City Cultivation Tower.


    From what he had discovered the night before, this place currently had a capacity of over 3,700 cultivation rooms, which could simultaneously serve about 30,000 people a day!


    Among these rooms, there was one that was made for cultivators at the 6th stage. Such a thing had been made available to the citizens of Dry City from the moment that Celeste and Mirya had come here.


    After all, with the arrival of these Spiritual Kings, Minos was aware that it would be necessary for him to make such a service available in his Cultivation Tower. Otherwise, his city would not have what it took to serve people of such strength, something he wanted to attract to his side.


    And as it was, such an option had been made available months ago, having already been used by Mirya and Mendy in the past, and would now be available to these five Spiritual Kings who had come from Odella.


    As for the capacity of this room, it could receive up to 3 people simultaneously, which was something these people would have to split over the following months.


    But at least they wouldn''t have to pay exorbitant prices to use the collective cultivation room for 6th stage cultivators. That was because, unlike other cultivation towers, the one in Dry City only charged 3,000 low-grade crystals per day. Such an amount was six times the amount charged to local citizens, but only a quarter of that charged in other towns in the region!


    And knowing this, these people were naturally pleased with this place. They had previously worried that they would have to live on the Black Plain for a whole year, as this place was famous for being poor in spiritual energy.


    But with the current density of spiritual energy in this city and the possibility of using the Cultivation Tower rooms, living in Dry City had become much easier for these people.


    Hence, Archer quickly reached his destination.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Minos and Joey watched the second person from the Miller family learn that technique while they were talking about official matters.


    "So, Mr. Joey, how is the progress of the construction of the border posts?" Minos asked with a curious expression on his face.


    Joey then said. "Young master, Lieutenant Eda has finally managed to begin operations in the basement of the City of Waters government mansion."


    Such a thing was part of the Independence Plan and depended tremendously on the surprise factor. Therefore, although Minos was in negotiations with the Stokes family and he had a good chance of getting approval from such an organization to build a border base in that city, waiting for this would not be ideal for the Black Plain.


    After all, that town had royal forces from the Cromwell Kingdom stationed there, forces that the young Stuart did not wish to draw attention to... In fact, he wanted his base to be a secret, something he could use against such an organization if he had to fight against the Cromwell Kingdom!


    Because of this factor, his soldiers could not act casually in that place. On the contrary, they had to be as careful as possible not to attract unnecessary attention.


    Consequently, Eda had had some problems starting the construction operation in the basement of the government mansion there.


    Joey then continued. "But as we have a competent group working in that town, and we are prioritizing the delivery of the necessary resources to them, we have already completed more than 40% of that border post."


    "Hmm, that''s not bad. At this rate, in about three weeks, that base will be ready..." Minos muttered as he counted on his fingers. "What about the one in Yellow City?"


    "The Yellow City secret base is already over 70% ready, young master." Joey said as he had a smile on his face. "That location gave almost no trouble to the team sent there, so they were able to advance the construction of that base very quickly."


    "Great!"


    Finally, in addition to those two bases, Minos'' forces were still going to build one more post on the coast of the Black Plain, located in Maritime City. But since they had not yet dominated that location, they would not do that yet for the time being.


    After thinking about these two bases and their future actions in Maritime City, Minos finally saw the second Spiritual King pass on the scroll from before and leave that property. This young man then asked, still paying attention in the same direction as before. "What about the renovations to our naval base?"


    "About that, the base expansion has been finished, and in another week, the Cohen family will deliver the medium-level grade-2 defensive array that will be installed on that base."


    "In fact, they will be making the deliveries of the defensive arrays of those three bases that the army will have soon, at that same time."


    "I see..."


    "Well, I expect we will greatly increase the number of our soldiers with this upcoming selection that will take place in the next few days. With that, we''ll be able to send significant contingents to each of those border bases." Minos said in a low voice while planning in his mind how things should be in the future.


    In addition to these bases on the Black Plain border, Minos knew that he would need more protection points around Dry City. After all, this town would need a safe space outside the dome to continue producing food and exporting it.


    Otherwise, this city would run out of the needed resources for this young man to be able to maintain his citizens'' current growth.


    Hence, there was a need for temporary camps around this city, about a hundred kilometers away from the dome.  That would be the safety area where Dry City could continue producing and sending its resources to Stone Island.


    And the posts would have the function of sending news to Dry City about enemy actions and making attacks against enemies who tried to invade this security area.


    For that, the army needed a large number of soldiers scattered around this territory!


    "Anyway, Mr. Joey, those are my orders for the moment. When part of these matters are concluded, you can come back to update me, and we can settle the army''s future actions." Minos said, shortly after seeing that the last person of those four Miller family nobles had finished learning the basics of that technique from before.


    "All right, young master. See you later."


    "See you."


    ...


    Minos had returned to his office after finishing his business with Joey and receiving the Silver-grade technique. Now, he wanted to settle some issues concerning local administration.


    The population growth was currently not that great. However, this city still had many things going on simultaneously, things he needed to be aware of. For example, as the plans for Maritime City progressed, more and more people were incarcerated in the local prison.


    On the other hand, beasts still attacked the local plantation fields from time to time, and as much as the mercenaries and hunters could handle it most of the time, now and then, the army had to be involved.


    Anyway, there were several matters like these that the sovereign would need to pay attention to, and Minos did not fail to do such a thing!


    ''Ahh, after I sort that out, I''ll see how Mirya is doing...'' He thought to himself just before he sat down in his armchair and began to listen to Mia''s voice.

 Chapter 571: Another Attempt

    A few hours after showing the cultivation techniques to the four nobles of the Miller family, Minos left his mansion and headed towards the General Hospital.


    By now, it was already late afternoon in this city, and the orange of the sunset could be seen on the horizon, forming a beautiful picture for anyone who was on the streets of this town.


    And in this hectic late afternoon, with many people and carriages passing through this city''s wide streets and avenues, Minos was walking unaccompanied on one of the local sidewalks, not far from his destination.


    He had finished taking care of all the daily responsibilities he had for today, and soon after, he left that place with the intention of analyzing Mirya''s situation.


    At first, that poison master had told him that the initial treatment of Viola''s mother would last up to a month, which would be the time needed for Mirya to come out of the coma. Then, after that, there would be a secondary treatment that would last about three months, which would result in that woman''s return to spiritual cultivation.


    And since it had been almost three weeks since Regina arrived in Dry City, Minos was curious to know Mirya''s current situation.


    He and Abby had been traveling for two weeks, and as such, Mirya''s treatment should somehow have been delayed. But from the beginning, that experienced poison master had considered such treatment without considering the participation of Minos'' girlfriend.


    Hence, Minos was not so concerned that Mirya''s recovery had somehow been altered.


    Anyway, after some time walking around Dry City, Minos finally arrived at the room where Mirya was in the local hospital.


    Upon entering that place, he immediately saw a woman lying on a hospital bed, while her eyes were closed, and she seemed to be sleeping peacefully.


    She had utterly green hair, and there were several purple spots on her skin from the parts of her body that were not covered. But unlike her previous appearance, there were no longer any burned parts of Mirya''s body, almost as if her skin had been toasted.


    But although at the moment she didn''t look healthy, her skin looked much more like what a human would have and less like a lump of coal. That is, one could already see the outermost tissue in place of the many burns from before.


    And while Mirya was lying in that place, two doctors used their spiritual techniques on her unconscious body. That was causing two blue auras to circulate her body, slowly healing the much damage her organs had suffered.


    On the other hand, Regina was sitting in an armchair in that room, cleaning her face with a silver handkerchief. She had just finished a session of poison treatment on that unconscious woman, so she was somewhat exhausted at this point.


    "Oh? You''ve finally returned?" She looked in Minos'' direction and asked this while putting away her handkerchief from before and getting up from that armchair.


    Regina had received a severe mental blow from Minos previously when this young man had rejected her. After that, she had spent days with that disappointment in her mind, furious that a 20-year-old had not fallen for her...


    That may seem insignificant to some, but it was far more significant than one could imagine to a woman who could be considered one of the most beautiful in this region!


    Even more so, considering that Regina had always been a person capable of manipulating and seducing with certain ease... Hence, when Minos rejected her, she had had to deal with this kind of situation for the first time in her life and had been struggling to understand the mind of her ''prey.''


    And seeing this young man in this room, she could not let herself appear weakened. On the contrary, she had to expose the best possible image to him so that her next attempt would not result in another failure.


    ''He is stronger than before... At this rate, he will reach level 50 in less than three months!'' She thought for a moment as she looked at Minos'' shoulders.


    And finally, she heard the voice of that sovereign. "I just got b...from my trip yesterday... Anyway, tell me how Mirya''s situation is."


    Upon hearing her ''prey,'' Regina immediately became a little soberer and began to explain. "Well, she''s doing much better. If I''m not making any mistakes, then she should awaken from her sleep in 2 or 3 days."


    "Oh?"


    "But she will be quite weakened due to the injuries she has sustained and also because she has been without spiritual energy in her body for so long. But after that, the treatment will become more efficient than it is now since her body''s responses will be much more favorable. Thus, the effects will be a little better."


    "Also, that doctor of yours is almost increasing his level. Or rather, all those doctors of yours increase in level quite frequently, so those three months might be shortened a bit..." She said as she walked to Minos'' side and watched the doctors taking care of Mirya.


    "Hehe, that''s good news." He finally took his gaze off Mirya and then looked steadily into the fairy face of that woman with purple hair and eyes. As he did so for a brief moment, he took hold of one of Regina''s hands and pulled her toward the exit of that place.


    "You could have more frequent level increases if you joined my organization..."


    "Speaking of which, have you made up your mind about my offer?"


    After they reached an empty part of that floor of the General Hospital, Regina then turned to the young man next to her and began to stare at him.


    As she did so, if anyone walked by where they were standing and looked at them, all they would see would be a man and a woman, staring steadily into each other eyes. Meanwhile, Regina''s breasts were rising and falling with her breathing as she looked up slightly, with a resolute expression on her face.


    But she said nothing as she stared at him.


    Minos then said. "You have been here for several days now, Regina. What is still preventing you from joining my army? Is it just your pride?"


    "Pride? Tsk!"


    "If I cared so much about my pride, I wouldn''t be one of the highest-level poison masters in our region!" She said in a low voice so that only she and Minos could hear.


    "So you are just a fool?" He asked with a smile on his face as he placed one of his hands on one of Regina''s shoulders.


    "You!" She said this with her mouth closed while pressing her jaw tightly.


    Minos then held back his laughter and then stepped forward, getting even closer to Regina''s body until his mouth was next to her left ear. "Ah! Regina, it seems that you haven''t relaxed in a long time... Is that the problem?" He said while his two hands held her arms.


    Hearing this, Regina felt a slight shiver run through her body as she felt the warmth of Minos'' hands on her arms. But she still had an irritated expression on her face and was standing in the same position as before, showing how angry she was with him.


    However, in the next second, Regina suddenly opened her mouth in surprise when she finally felt Minos'' two arms embrace her waist.


    "Ah! Regina, it must be hard to bear so much pressure in wanting to be the best, no?"


    "You don''t have to be so strict with yourself. Give it up the tricks you''ve used to get this far, and let me carry it for you. You can still achieve your goals under me." He whispered in one of her ears as he hugged her body, already feeling how flexible she was.


    Gulp!


    She swallowed her saliva after feeling a little nervous for the first time in so long. However, before she let herself get lost in this feeling, she pressed one of her legs and put her mind in order. ''Is he finally falling under my charm?'' She thought to herself while trying not to change her expression from before.


    ''This is my chance!''


    And then she hugged Minos'' waist and tried to kiss him once more...


    However, she had failed once again, as she found one of Minos'' cheeks and not his lips.


    ...

 Chapter 572: Bringing News

    As she felt the skin of one of Minos'' cheeks, Regina once again had an expression of disappointment on her face, as she turned slightly red with anger.


    ''This boy is trying to play with me!'' She thought about it, still hugging Minos'' waist, feeling his arms around her. "What are you doing? Why have you turned your face away once again? Didn''t you want that before while you were running your young hands all over my body?" Regina asked in a slightly agitated tone as if she had just suffered a great injustice.


    "Hehe, you will have to ask me for it, Regina."


    "You must join my army. Then, I will take the pressure off your shoulders and free you from this life of scheming that you have lived for so long." He commented in a low voice as one of his hands groped her ass. "You will realize how much better sex is when you do it just for the pleasure..."


    Hearing this, Regina couldn''t help but laugh and look at him provocatively. "Hahaha, you talk about it like you are some great expert... But you are just a child who has just discovered a new toy."


    "Yet, I have more experiences in this subject in just one month of my life than you have had in your entire existence!"


    "I believe that..." He said, as he had a smile on his face and thought to himself on the matter. ''Although you probably wasted all that experience plotting against your partners...''


    Regina then used one of her hands to press against Minos'' groin while her wet lips moved closer to this young man''s left ear. "Then stop this irritating behavior. Let me teach you how to sleep with a woman."


    "Mmmm~" She then bit the earlobe of one of that young man''s ears as she stood on her tiptoes and felt Minos'' hand come close to her crotch.


    As it passed through Regina''s panties, Minos immediately felt certain wetness in that region while his fingers had passed through some tiny hairs...


    ''Oh? This woman is fascinating!'' He thought about it with a smile on his face as he realized that besides having personality, the excitement of Regina''s body was, in fact, real, although she was probably plotting against him...


    "You seem to desire this almost as much as my techniques, huh?" Minos whispered in her ear, finally making her stop sucking on his ear.


    "Uh?"


    And when they finally let go of each other, Minos looked for a moment at his hand, which was a little wet. At the same time as that, Regina was watching him seriously, not caring that part of her dress was messy.


    ''Are you telling me that I desire you?'' She thought almost instantly upon hearing Minos'' previous sentence and then bit her lips. ''This boy thinks too much of himself!''


    ''I''m only doing this to accomplish my goals. I don''t care if it''s with a handsome, strong young man like him or with a disgusting, ugly person.''


    She then began to unbutton the top part of her clothing as she moved back closer to Minos.


    Minos then laughed for a moment and said to her. "Let''s continue this another time, haha..."


    "By the way, I brought with me on that trip I took recently, some interesting people. So why don''t you come to my place for dinner with us another time? Take advantage and bring Angela. That will be very positive for us..."


    "But don''t say where you''re from, or it will be bad for both of us..." He said vaguely.


    "Interesting people?" She asked, already frowning her eyebrows. ''Did he bring some acquaintance of mine? Is he by any chance threatening me?''


    However, just then, she heard something that made her stop with such thoughts. "After that, I can accept that dinner you offered me earlier..."


    "Oh? That''s good, hehe. But be prepared to ''eat'' a lot because I don''t like it when my guest stops before he is completely satisfied."


    "I don''t doubt it..."


    After this unusual conversation, Minos left that place with a satisfied smile on his face.


    Regina was indeed attractive to him to the point that he had tried very hard not to have done anything with her. But still, he had had a small victory here.


    Not only had he once again messed with that woman''s mindset, but he had set up his plan to get her to submit. That was because he intended to introduce the 5 Spiritual Kings of the Miller family who had come to this city with him.


    In particular, he was going to introduce to Regina Abby''s parents, his in-laws...


    They might not be from the Black Plain Army, but they were already allies of this organization. On the other hand, Eliot and Nicole naturally had the best intentions for Minos, their daughter''s current boyfriend, and potential husband.


    So, even if there were no agreement between House Miller and this young man''s army, they would still act against threats to the life of the young local sovereign!


    As such, all those people, existences that could threaten that woman''s life, were going to be used by Minos to destroy any hope Regina had. That is, even if she thought she could somehow obtain those techniques, she would still depend heavily on an escape from this place to succeed.


    And even if previously her chances were nil, Regina didn''t know that. After all, apart from Minos and Ruth, Angela didn''t know precisely the extent of the local forces. Consequently, this poison master was also ignorant of reality and thought that she could escape from this city...


    But by meeting so many Spiritual Kings, who had allied status with this place, Regina would finally realize that any plan she had would only result in her own death!


    That way, Minos could welcome her into his forces, as well as have the peace of mind that she would not try dangerous things!


    On the other hand, he felt that even if Regina wanted to sleep with him for dubious reasons, that would not change after she knew the reality. After all, the reaction of that woman''s body had been quite genuine, besides the fact that there was nothing to stop them from continuing such a game.


    Minos was a promising young man, with an individual and collective power to envy, as well as being quite attractive. As for Regina, a woman who hadn''t had any action in years, she couldn''t help but be attracted to him, even though her main goals were the Silver-grade techniques.


    She had learned to unite the useful and the pleasant long ago. That is, she was a woman who had her physical desires in addition to her ambitions, so she would not miss the opportunity to have fun with this young man. That was why she had been so excited earlier.


    But of course, she would not admit this to Minos, or other people, or herself. That was because she would not allow herself to be controlled by her desires.


    ''Haha, I wonder what expression she will make?''


    ...


    Quickly, a week had passed in Dry City since Minos'' return from Odella.


    And while that city was still living peacefully, a carriage with three people in it had been approaching from the north side of the wall, leaving a great deal of dust behind.


    In this carriage, besides the coachman, an ordinary person, a level 50 Spiritual King was wearing red armor and sitting next to a young man with blond hair.


    This young man had a small goatee on his face while he was wearing a noble costume from one of the noble houses of the Kingdom of the Waves. But despite being accompanied by a Spiritual King, this young man did not have impressive cultivation for this region of the northern Central Continent.


    He was only at level 44.


    ''It''s been over three years since I last passed through Dry City... With all those purchases Minos made, this place must be very different now.'' So the young man thought while holding a newspaper in one of his hands.


    ''I wonder if Minos has found out about this news...'' He wondered as he looked into the glass of his carriage door and slowly saw the local dome.

 Chapter 573: Bad News?

    "Friends of Dry City, my name is Todd Cohen. I am here to meet the local ruler, Minos." So the young blond man said loud and clear as a group of soldiers surrounded his carriage.


    After only a few seconds since Todd''s carriage had arrived close enough to the northern entrance of the dome, a dozen soldiers from that post had quickly met his group.


    Upon hearing this, the leader of that group of soldiers stared at Todd and asked. "Can you prove this?"


    "Sure, I have this with me..." Todd then explained a few things while taking a large gold sheet out of his spatial ring.


    This young man had rushed to Dry City shortly after discovering the news that was circulating throughout the northern region of the Central Continent regarding his trading ally. After all, if Minos was found, it could significantly damage his relationship with the Black Plain!


    As such, this young man from the Cohen family was extremely worried about this.


    In fact, he was so stressed that he had not been sleeping well since he had gotten his hands on such edition of the Northern News. That is, he had been living a perfect life for a merchant of his age, but all of a sudden, some bastard decides to try to screw up his life.


    It indeed was something that could make anyone sleep-deprived!


    That''s why he had rushed to Dry City to talk face-to-face with Minos about this matter and maybe think of a way to counterattack those responsible for this.


    Anyway, after those soldiers saw the Soul Contract that Todd and Minos had signed, they immediately put away their weapons. Then, they allowed the young blond''s carriage to enter Dry City.


    The borders of that city were closed to people as strong as those three individuals. However, since Todd had a good relationship with the army, there was no need for the soldiers to prevent such a person from entering the territory protected by the dome.


    Hence, quickly Todd and his two traveling companions entered the Dry City.


    ...


    As they passed through the streets, Todd''s carriage eventually arrived in front of the government mansion, where they could see a prosperous city center, almost as bustling as the central parts of large regional cities.


    "Unbelievable! This place has truly developed!" The Spiritual King who was escorting Todd said in a low voice while he had an expression of curiosity on his face.


    The Cohen family had assigned such a person to protect young Todd after this young man brought millions of low-grade crystals to that noble house.


    And even if it was a dishonor for most Spiritual Kings to become bodyguards, in this case in question, that was quite different. After all, this young man was behind a business that had the potential to reach nine digits in the future!


    Thus, protecting someone like this was of great importance to the power behind Todd. Consequently, he had a bodyguard with a strength that would usually only be seen in the bodyguards of regional princes.


    Todd then smiled and said. "This place has gotten so much better! I can hardly believe that this is the same city I spent time in after the Spiritual Tournament... Amazing."


    Gulp!


    "Not only that, young Todd. Feel this. There are at least nine auras of Spiritual Kings in this city! And the strongest of them is already at level 57, the same level as the patriarch!" The bodyguard said in shock, right after sensing the spiritual fluctuations of the Miller family nobles and the other individuals at that stage, who had been living in Dry City now.


    "What?" Todd opened his eyes in disbelief as he spread his spiritual sense in all directions and tried to understand what such a person had just uttered.


    ''This place can no longer be underestimated! Now the Black Plain already has strength as great as a medium-sized family, like House Cohen!'' So he thought to himself just before he started walking again, heading towards the interior of that mansion.


    ...


    After a while, Minos was notified of Todd''s arrival by Mia. Shortly after that, this business partner of his entered the office in which the local sovereign was working.


    In Minos'' office, this young man was sitting in an armchair next to Ruth, who at the moment was not training at headquarters. On the contrary, she accompanied her boyfriend on his official business, which she enjoyed and occasionally did.


    On the other hand, Abby was also there since they had just returned from lunch, and she still had some time before her afternoon training.


    Anyway, upon entering that office and seeing those two women and Minos, Todd immediately recognized both of them, as he sat down on the sofa there, and his bodyguard stood beside him.


    "I didn''t expect to find Miss Ruth here." He said politely, as he remembered that he had met this young woman during the Spiritual Tournament and learned that she came from the Flaming Empire. As such, he had to be very polite to her, regardless of what relationship she had with Minos.


    "One of the empire''s powers by any chance..." He was asking that, but Minos interrupted this blond''s speech. "No, Todd. I have no relation to powers outside our region. Ruth comes from the Flaming Empire, but she is here because she is my woman."


    "So, that''s it..." He muttered as he looked away and saw Abby and then turned his view back to Ruth. ''Ah, how envious... And besides having beauties, this guy is almost at level 50!''


    After thinking about that for a split second, Todd suddenly put that subject aside and brought up what mattered. "Cough! Cough! Uh, leaving that matter aside, Minos, this time I''ve come to visit your town to settle some matters at my family''s store and also bring you some bad news."


    "Bad news?" Minos frowned his eyebrows upon hearing this. "Recently many problems have been coming to my town... Tell me what this one is."


    Todd then looked at young Stuart and removed the newspaper from his spatial ring. "The entire region already knows about the fact that you didn''t go to one of the Flaming Empire sects!" He said at once as he dropped the newspaper into Minos'' lap.


    Hearing this, those three people in that office were surprised for a moment as they all began to look at the latest edition of the Northern News.


    ''He did not go!''


    The three of them read the news story''s title before finally reading the entire contents of that article.


    As they finished doing so, of those three people, Ruth was the only one who looked a little worried, while Minos was smiling slightly.


    He had not found out about this before, so he was a bit surprised. That is for two reasons. First, because this kind of newspaper would take some time to reach Dry City, after all, not many people around here were interested in this kind of service before... So, it was naturally more time-consuming for it to reach this place.


    Second, even if Elen or Elena had read such news, it would take them longer to send it to Minos than the time since the publication of this edition.  That is because they communicated via the Nash family boats that went from time to time to the naval base of this young man''s army.


    However, this did not happen every day!


    After all, although there was almost constant food production these days, these products were not transported weekly. And precisely because of this, some messages between the forces of Minos and Elen could take more than a month to get from one side to the other.


    Hence, Todd had had the privilege of being the first to tell Minos this.


    This young blond man then looked at Minos without understanding why this sovereign was smiling. "Minos, you don''t think that''s bad?"


    "Hehe, Todd, you brought news that in the short term is not so bad!"


    "Huh?" Todd and Ruth made a similar sound simultaneously.


    "Don''t you guys get it? Hehe, this is something that has the potential to inflame the situation in our region even further... As such, some powers will make mistakes that will give us opportunities!"


    "And maybe one of these powers is my enemy!"

 Chapter 574: Forces Arrive on the Black Plain

    Todd didn''t know about the threats that Dry City had been experiencing recently. After all, these problems had only started to appear recently, from about two months ago to now.


    On the other hand, although Todd''s family and Black Plain were business partners, one side had no obligation to communicate to the other about problems of this nature. That is, the Dry City had no responsibility to help the Cohen family in difficult times, just as such a noble house did not have to send forces to support the territory of Minos.


    Obviously, there was goodwill on the part of both sides since they had had mutually beneficial times. However, for a greater connection between these powers, it would be necessary for their relationship to move beyond something purely commercial, as it had been until then.


    But before something of this nature could happen, one side would not interfere too much in the more private affairs of the other.


    Precisely because Todd didn''t know everything about Dry City, he hadn''t realized that such information dispersed by the Northern News could actually help Minos'' forces.


    That was because soon Dry City would be exposed, at least, to the noble houses of the Brown Kingdom!


    However, even if at first only the powers of that kingdom were to have such information, sooner or later such news would reach the other states in this region. That way, the Black Plain could quickly become the focus of regional attention.


    And that was not good.


    However, with some of the spies of the prominent regional families looking for the whereabouts of the competitor Minos, the news about the Black Plain would be delayed to some degree. That is, such news spread by the Northern News might cause spies from powers outside the Brown Kingdom not to pay as much attention to a local problem in young Stuart''s territory.


    And such a thing was positive for Minos!


    Minos then explained this to Todd and Ruth. "You both know that I killed Leroy Chambers, and everyone who watched or participated in the Spiritual Tournament also knows."


    "Yes..." The two readily agreed with him.


    "With that, the Chambers family certainly see the competitor Minos as an enemy that must be eliminated..." He then briefly  paused as he snapped the fingers of his hands. "The Chambers family is at war and is still suspected by a royal family of having ordered the death of a certain prince..."


    "Imagine what would happen if they discovered my location? What possibilities would their many enemies have if part of their forces started targeting me? Hehehe."


    Upon hearing this, those two youths and Abby also looked at Minos with a curious expression. "You want to use this to create a trap for the Chambers family?"


    "Hmm, sort of."


    "But that''s too dangerous, Minos!" Abby firmly said as she took one of her boyfriend''s hands and squeezed it.


    "Don''t worry, that won''t happen for now... We''ll let the Chambers family exhaust themselves a little more, hehe."


    However, while Abby was worried about dealing with the Chambers family, suddenly Todd asked in a serious tone. "But, Minos, what if they found you before you set that trap?"


    "Any other power could find you and cause trouble for Dry City, and that could bring you much worse enemies than the Chambers family!"


    "He''s right, Minos. Don''t you find that troubling?" Ruth asked just after Todd stopped talking.


    Minos then shook his head and made an uncertain expression. "Well, there is indeed a possibility of that happening. But that is very unlikely. You see, sooner or later, they will find me on the Black Plain, but most likely, it will happen in a few years."


    "After all, an investigation like this is not done overnight!"


    "But of course, someone might decide by coincidence to go through the Dry City and find out everything... But that would be like a gamble. After all, there is no trace that I came here!"


    When Minos had returned from the Spiritual Tournament, he, Ruth, and Peter had traveled on White''s back without passing through many human cities. In fact, they had only stopped a few times in such places to buy items needed for their trip and also to rest.


    But this had not happened as often as on Minos and Ruth''s way to the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom. After all, Ruth was in a hurry to get back to the Flaming Empire on the way back from that competition due to the short deadline she had to meet.


    So, they had traveled as much as they could at that time without making unnecessary stops.


    And the result of this was that there were few traces left behind that could help investigators discover the route used by Minos to return to Dry City.


    On the other hand, even considering his going with Ruth to the Cromwell Kingdom, this would still be difficult to get investigators to come to the Black Plain. That is because this young man could have come from any other kingdom in the region that was further north of the Cromwell Kingdom!


    In this case, the area of investigation would be vast and such investigators could take a long time to discover Minos in the Black Plain. An example of this was Urban''s group, which local soldiers had recently exterminated.


    Such a group had been researching the deaths of those people from the Silva family for over three years!


    However, their search area was small and encompassed only the Black Plain and some other parts of the borders of Stone Island, Kingdom of the Waves, and the Cromwell Kingdom. In other words, such an investigation involved a much smaller area than the area in which the competitor Minos might be.


    Because of this, Minos was confident that it would be challenging to track him back to Dry City in a short time. Or rather, unless he was very unlucky and the investigators made a gigantic bet, it would not happen in a short time.


    Hence, he could take advantage of the fact that some investigators and spies from powers outside the Brown Kingdom would be partially occupied with such a distraction!


    "So, that''s it..."


    "Well, that makes some sense." Todd said in a low voice while looking down thoughtfully.


    On the other hand, his bodyguard listened to the whole thing with interest, shocked at Minos'' audacity. ''This young man wants to reap a noble family using himself as bait? He must have very big balls to say such a thing so casually!''


    While the bodyguard of this young blond man was thinking of many conspiracy theories, Minos suddenly relaxed in his seat and casually asked that business ally of his. "By the way, Todd, how is your grandfather? Have you guys..."


    After that, they began to talk about some less dangerous matters, something related to the business between the Black Plain and the House Cohen.


    But nothing of great importance had been decided until Todd left that mansion and headed towards the Four Seasons Hotel, where he would stay in this city.


    He wanted to study some arrangements he could make with Minos to strengthen his family''s ties with the Black Plains. But he wasn''t in a hurry to do that.


    After all, he had just arrived in this city and was eager to find out all the local changes. Also, he wants to understand this place better before he talks about official matters with young Stuart.


    ...


    Quickly, a whole day passed.


    And while Dry City went about its usual business, without any incident inside or outside, a large group of carriages and people had just entered the territory of the Black Plain!


    There were thousands of people in that group, with over 400 similar carriages. At the same time, over a thousand beasts could be seen side by side, each carrying one or two humans.


    And not far from that group of people, there was a small village, where several people were on the westernmost side of that place, all of them watching that group traveling together.


    "Is this some kind of military exercise, village leader?" One of the inhabitants of that village asked in curiosity.


    "This... I have no idea." A man with a white beard said in an uncertain tone. ''That is a group from the Silva family... But why would they send such a group to the Black Plain? The Red Valley is so far away from here...''


    On the other hand, a specific person in that place was breaking into a cold sweat right now. ''It can''t be! I wonder... Could this have something to do with those people?''

 Chapter 575: Lets See Whats in this Dry City

    ''Damn, if this is related to that Spiritual King who died in my establishment, then it can be terrible for me..'' That man from before thought this briefly while feeling a chill on his back.


    He then turned around and started running towards his establishment in the middle of that village.


    "Hey, what are you doing? Don''t you want to see this parade?" A person in the crowd asked loudly to that man.


    "See that? I''m leaving the village!" That person shouted back, without even looking back. ''I''m going to pack my things and take my family as far away from the Black Plain as possible.'' He thought, sweating in awe.


    ...


    As the people of that village watched intently as the large group of Silva family guards entered the Black Plain, the many carriages and beasts of that group were slowly slowing down.


    A beep had just sounded across the area from one of the principal carriages of this group, something that indicated that it was time for them to stop and do some planning.


    Hence, quickly all those people, beasts, and carriages stopped. At the same time, a group of five Spiritual Kings began to gather around the same place.


    "Oliver, we have just entered the Black Plain. It is time to split up to investigate this territory." A woman dressed in green female armor said aloud as she looked in the direction of a red-haired man dressed all in black.


    She had sounded the signal earlier, which was planned to happen as soon as the group entered enemy territory.


    Since they wanted to find out as quickly as possible what was happening on the Black Plain, this large group was going to split into five teams, each of them with about one Spiritual King and a thousand Spiritual Generals!


    That was quite a large number of guards, but this was what would make this people''s task much easier to complete. Not only would they be more difficult to eliminate, but they would also be more efficient in reporting their findings to the Silva family.


    After all, even if the enemies were powerful, would they be able to eliminate all those more than 5,000 guards? Surely there would be chances for some of these people to escape even if the worst happens.


    With this, the Silva family could have a more accurate description than the one made by Urban previously!


    However, although they had several advantages here, these individuals did not want to fight the enemies that might exist in this territory. Instead, they would try their best just to investigate this place without getting involved in battles and then send their reports to the family headquarters, where the elders could decide on future actions!


    Anyway, upon hearing the voice of that level 53 woman, the man from before, Oliver, level 54, finally said to the other Spiritual Kings there. "Comrades, let''s split up as planned. We will do the following."


    "My group will travel towards Dry City, where there seems to be a problem."


    He then looked at the woman from before and said. "Thora will take her group to the northwest region to investigate that part of the Black Plain territory."


    "OK."


    "But be careful, near that region, there is a strong operation of bandits coming from the Kingdom of the Waves." He said this before finally looking at another woman, level 53, who was part of that group. "Margot, you will investigate the northeast part. That part should be the least likely to have problems, so if you don''t find anything, try to head towards Dry City with your group."


    "All right."


    "Bill, you will go to the southwest part while you, Jerome, will investigate the southeast part."


    "OK!"


    Hearing the voices of his fellow investigators, that level 54 Spiritual King, the leader of this team, said. "Well, get your crows ready to fly toward headquarters as soon as you notice any severe problems."


    "On the other hand, don''t do anything brave and just watch the enemy until the family gives the orders."


    "Even if the enemies look weak, don''t do anything!"


    "All right, Oliver!" The four said simultaneously.


    "Good! And in case you have no alternative but to fight, then find a way to inform the family of this. Then, after that, fight for your lives!"


    After such orders, those people quickly separated, heading towards their respective places of investigation. At the same time as that, each of the Spiritual Generals there began to follow their respective leaders, leaving that previous formation.


    And in the blink of an eye, five groups of 1,001 people each left for five different micro-regions of the Black Plain!


    "Let''s see what''s in this Dry City..." Oliver muttered in a low voice as he looked outside his carriage. He then tapped on one of the windows of that means of transportation and asked the coachman. "How long until we reach our destination?"


    "Three days, Mister Oliver."


    "That''s good!"


    ...


    At the same time, not far from the most northeastern point of that region ruled by Minos, another group was making its way toward Dry City.


    This group had about 2 thousand people. Each of those cultivators traveling in beasts and carriages that carried symbols of the Gill family...


    After more than a month since the ''triumph'' over the Dry City, House Gill had finally dispatched the second group to that city so that this organization could ensure the safety of the Black Plain!


    They had ''conquered'' this valuable territory, and now they couldn''t risk losing it because they didn''t have sufficient forces to guarantee its sovereignty. So, as a result, House Gill dispatched this large group when enough time had passed since the last action so that the family competitors did not find such a thing suspicious.


    Anyway, in such a team were about two thousand Spiritual Generals, people between levels 42 and 49, who would rule, protect, and deal with the problems of the Dry City...


    In addition to these more ordinary individuals, three Spiritual Kings of levels 51, 52, and 53 were in this group, leading this critical mission!


    Anyway, amid the series of carriages and many beasts, the three Spiritual Kings were traveling together. At the same time, they chatted with smiles on their faces, eager to get to know Dry City.


    "Haha, I can''t wait until we get to that city... I heard that there, we will be able to eat food rich in spiritual energy at will!" A level 51 subordinate of the Gill family said this to his level 52 companion.


    "Hehe, Bond, you are very simple." A bald man said this as he saw the smile on his fellow traveler''s face. "But it is indeed a good thing for us. And it will be even better since we brought some grade-2 cooks!"


    "Yes, imagine eating dishes made by grade-2 cooks, with ingredients being high-energy foods? That will be amazing."


    Gulp!


    "Don''t you think so, lady Beatrice?" Finally, the weakest man in the group politely asked the group leader, a noblewoman from the Gill family.


    "Hmm, even I cannot enjoy having such luxury often." She agreed with those two subordinates as she looked out over the dead plains through her carriage window. "But I wonder how this place has changed so much... Does that young Minos know something? Or maybe he just had the luck to come here at the right time?" She said in a low voice.


    "I don''t think a poor guy who hid for so many days not to get caught knows anything, hehehe." One of those two men said, laughing at ''Minos'' misfortune.''


    However, his traveling companion disagreed with that. "I disagree. To me, the cowards are the ones who often have the most knowledge..."


    "Hmm, indeed, maybe he knows something." Beatrice agreed with that level 52 man. "Anyway, let''s see what will happen when we get to Dry City." She said, just before the large group of the Gill family finally entered the northeastern part of the Black Plain...

 Chapter 576: A Dinner Party

    While enemies from different noble families of the Brown Kingdom spread across the Black Plain, Dry City was still peaceful. At the same time, the temperature was 9 degrees Celsius in this town, enough to make the people in this region put on coats.


    Amidst the cold weather, by now, night had arrived in this place, and the movement on the streets had already diminished significantly, something common to happen after 9 pm.


    After all, today was a weekday, and many people in this city had to rest or cultivate during this part of the day. At the same time, another small portion of the local community took care of the night services.


    But in general, there wasn''t much bustle in the city streets from that time on weekdays, even though services like the Cultivation Tower, Fighting Arena, and the Public Library operated 24 hours a day.


    Anyway, while the Dry City janitors washed the city streets and police officers patrolled the ways, at Minos'' residence, at this moment, a dinner was taking place.


    In the dining room of this young sovereign''s residence, several people were sitting around a large table while dishes of the most varied kinds were being served.


    Fish, seafood, roasted vegetables, vegetables, some pasta, and various salads were all prepared by low-level grade-2 cooks, were being served there. But although the mastery level of these cooks was not high enough to impress the Spiritual Kings around that table, they were all satisfied with the quality of the food.


    After all, food with high energy concentration could significantly improve the quality of a dish!


    That is, such food would not only be richer in spiritual energy, it would also be tastier. Consequently, even cooks of lower levels could produce dishes beyond their classifications!


    But while they were eating and talking, the people around that table had somewhat different expressions...


    There were Abby''s parents, who had broad smiles on their faces and were actively talking to the other three elders of the Miller family who had come to Dry City.


    Minos had invited them to this dinner, which was being held in Dillian honor, a person who had just increased his spiritual cultivation, having reached level 53!


    Previously this young man had already known that his butler would rise in level, so he had already made all the preparations for this dinner to take place. As such, he had invited the Spiritual Kings of the Miller family for this occasion.


    They were allies, and it would be highly favorable for Minos if he used this year ahead to increase these people''s connection to Dry City as much as possible.


    And for that, occasions like these were necessary!


    On the other hand, showing his subordinates increasing their level was an excellent way to impress these allies. After all, they certainly needed to understand how important it was for them to be on the good side of the Black Plain.


    For now, they were only here for the techniques, but slowly Minos wanted to make them change their intentions...


    But while the five Spiritual Kings were talking and laughing with Dillian, Minos and his two girlfriends were also there, talking and enjoying the occasion.


    But this young man was not just interacting with his two beautiful girlfriends. After all, it would never be good on occasions like this if the group was fragmented into smaller parts.


    As such, he and his girlfriends were participating in the conversations of the more experienced people there and entertaining the two women who did not seem so happy... But those women actively participated in the talks in that dining room while trying their best to hide their dissatisfaction.


    Regina and Angela had been invited to this occasion by Minos, who had promised to introduce them to ''interesting'' people.


    At first, the two had somewhat expected that this young man would make some move against them, perhaps even introducing them to one of Regina''s old enemies. However, what they had seen in this place had been much worse!


    That is because two of those people had higher levels than Angela and could eliminate them with some ease. And upon hearing from Minos and those Spiritual Kings that they were in a military alliance, Regina had almost spit up a mouthful of blood and fainted on the spot.


    If this was for real, then any chance she thought she had in this place had been completely obliterated. That is, it would be impossible for her to escape from such strong people in an area surrounded by a medium-level grade-2 defensive array!


    Hence, although the conversation and the food were quite pleasant, Regina and Angela couldn''t help but feel bitterness in the depths of their beings.


    It was as if they had had a big scare or had stopped falling from a deadly fall at the last second and realized how futile their hopes were.


    Particularly for Regina, who was still more willing to take certain risks here.


    On the other hand, although Angela understood that it was crazy to do what her boss wanted, she had not been frightened by this city to the point of fearing for her life. She somehow understood that there were chances that if Regina did as planned earlier, they could still survive.


    But seeing these people here in the dining room of Minos'' residence, those thoughts had disappeared from her mind. As a consequence of realizing how close to death she and Regina had come, this white-haired woman was as shocked as her boss!


    Anyway, the two were trying their best not to show their displeasure while attempting to participate in the conversations that were going on there.


    In doing so, from time to time, Regina would look at Minos and press her teeth silently as she remembered the way he had played with her earlier. ''This brat!''


    ''Did he plan this from the beginning?'' She wondered in her mind as she smiled at one of the Miller family Spiritual Kings in that place and took a fast glance in young Stuart''s direction. ''Or maybe that was just my bad luck?''


    ''No matter... Now I have to decide between giving up my freedom or leaving and never getting the chance to learn those techniques...''


    And while she was thinking about that, Abby''s father finally asked something to the two women coming from Allamanda. "So, Regina, Angela, are you in Dry City to do business? Or are you young Minos'' allies?"


    Upon hearing this, Angela was the first to speak, seeing that her boss seemed not to have listened to the question. "Uh, we came to help with the treatment of one of the female soldiers of the local army."


    Minos then laughed and said. "Don''t be so elusive, Angela. You don''t have to hide from them that I invited you two into my army."


    "Huh?" One of the Spiritual Kings of the Miller family made a sound of surprise.


    "Hehe, that''s the second possibility to get advantages similar to the ones I gave the Miller family. As long as someone is willing to serve my army, I won''t mistreat any of my soldiers." Minos made his advertising as he picked up a glass of wine that was in front of him at that table.


    He then looked at those people in that place and smiled before his gaze fell on the beautiful figure of Regina.


    Regina had an angelic appearance despite her devilish personality, which would make anyone think that she was a pure young woman, idealized by many. But, on the other hand, her purple hair and eyes made her somewhat provocative, forming this contrasting figure that was so attractive.


    ''Hehe, that''s the look I''ve been waiting for...'' Minos thought for a moment before finally waving his glass of wine to Regina.


    ...


    Finally, some time passed and slowly all the visitors had tasted the dishes served earlier. And in a specific instant, Regina and her bodyguard were the first to decide to leave that place.


    "Let me accompany you..." Minos said in a low voice as he left the rest of that group in his residence and followed behind those two women.


    After doing so, they followed in silence for almost the entire way to the exit door. But eventually, after they passed through that door, Minos said the following. "Angela, can you wait for Regina downstairs? I want to talk something with her."


    "All right, Angela, you go ahead..." Regina said in a deep tone as she gently squeezed her own hands.


    "OK."


    After that white-haired woman left that place, Regina turned to Minos and stared at him. "Congratulations on your alliance with the Miller family. That is a great advance for any regional force." She said coldly.


    "Hehe, it is a big deal. Don''t you like it? Now I have one more support to make this place even more stable. Won''t that be better for you to join my army?" He approached her as he said this with a smile on his face.


    Regina then bit her lips for a moment and said. "I don''t have to like it or not. That is good for you and not..." However, she felt Minos'' arms wrap around her waist as she was about to say that.


    "Huh?"


    Minos then placed her against the door of his residence and brought his face closer to hers, standing only about three centimeters away from her.


    "Didn''t you want this? That is your chance..." He softly said as he felt Regina''s breathing rise.


    ''Miserable!'' She glared at him as she felt that young Stuart was finally showing signs that he was attracted to her. ''Ahh, forget it. Since I can''t go against you, I will just make the most of it!''


    "Mmmm~"

 Chapter 577: Battle For The Family 1

    "Mmmmm~" The two finally kissed, at the same time using their hands to feel each other''s bodies, still standing in front of the front door of that residence.


    Minos had one of his hands going back and forth around Regina''s slender waist while his other hand was resting against the wooden door there. Meanwhile, she had one of her hands behind this young man''s neck while at the same time feeling his chest with her other hand.


    "Mmmm~"


    After doing this for almost three minutes, the two parted their lips, when Minos finally looked at her for a second before taking the lobe of one of Regina''s ears to his mouth. As he did so, he took the opportunity and gently groped her soft breasts, making her moan softly.


    "Ahhh~"


    As she felt a pleasant sensation through her body, Regina was getting carried away by these responses, feeling an increasingly noticeable warmth in her body. And as she closed her eyes and tried to enjoy this situation, unconsciously, one of this mature woman''s hands reached for Minos'' groin.


    ''You certainly are a good kisser... But let''s see if your little friend can satisfy me.'' She bit her lips as she continued to feel Minos'' hands on her breasts and ass.


    "Oh?" Regina exclaimed in surprise as she opened her eyes after feeling the volume stored in young Stuart''s crotch. ''Not bad!'' She thought before finally realizing that Minos was slowly stopping his actions.


    "What are you doing?" She asked. Regina had been looking for this for a few weeks, and finally, when she got the opportunity, this young man stopped...


    Minos then smiled and said. "You were thinking of doing this here?"


    Upon hearing this, Regina regained her senses while a slight smile appeared on her lips. "Hahaha, I''m not shy, but it wouldn''t be good to do it here." She said as she looked to the sides of that place and also scanned the surroundings.


    As she did so, she realized that someone was coming towards that place at this moment.


    "Well, let''s meet at your apartment tomorrow. Are you interested?" He asked as he looked at her lips and then at her purple eyes.


    Regina then fiddled with her purple hair for a moment as she tilted her head slightly to the left. She laughed and said. "For me, it could be even now, but you probably have things to do... So, all right, I''ll be waiting for you."


    Minos then smiled at her and began to straighten his clothes that had been messed up earlier before finally seeing Regina start to walk in the opposite direction of that residence door.


    As she got near the end of the hallway there, she looked at Minos significantly and said, just so the two of them could hear. "You had better be prepared to stay from early morning until late afternoon with me. Or I''m afraid I won''t be satisfied..."


    Gulp!


    "What about Mirya''s treatment?"


    "I can do it at night."


    "OK."


    After this short conversation, the two said their goodbyes, with Regina heading toward her residence in Dry City and Minos turning back to the occasion that was taking place in that mansion.


    ...


    While some people were planning fluid exchange sessions in the Dry City, two large groups were approaching each other at the same time in another part of the Black Plain...


    After a few hours from the moment they had entered young Stuart''s territory, the Gill family group had finally reached the central parts of the northeastern Black Plain!


    However, they had come across something unexpectedly grave... Instead of finding empty ground, with only the natural irregularities of the soils of this region, and perhaps having stopped to rest in a temporary camp, they had come across another group!


    Upon arriving in that northeastern part of the Black Plain, they had immediately come upon a sizeable temporary camp, which seemed to have just been built.


    At the same time, hundreds of people seemed to be working on the temporary structures there. In contrast, others kept watching on the surroundings.


    But to the misfortune of both sides, both had spotted the other side almost at the same time.


    After all, the terrain of the place was favorable to this kind of thing. Also, the Gill family group had not taken precautions to keep hidden since they had not expected to find something like this on their trip to Dry City.


    So, before they knew it, it was too late to worry about hiding.


    Both sides had already seen each other and were at this moment watching each other. And all this had made these numerous Gill family guards and leaders uncomfortable, especially when they had identified the source of the opposite side.


    They could see that all those people were members of the powerful Silva family.


    That was a problem!


    Gulp!


    "Those people are from the Silva family!" The weakest Spiritual King of the Gill family group said this in a low voice while standing outside a noble carriage, next to the only two people stronger than him in that team.


    After hearing this, the level 52 Spiritual King then turned to one woman, the group leader, and said. "Lady Beatrice, what do we do now? They''ve already seen us here, and they don''t seem to have liked that at all..."


    "That''s truly a problem..." She said in a somber tone while clenching one of her fists tightly. ''That group is a threat to my family''s interests!'' She thought to herself as she analyzed the situation.


    Her Gill family already ''had'' Dry City under their control, and since no one knew about such a thing, they could enjoy the benefits of such a place for a while. However, if another noble family discovered such opportunities, there would only be two scenarios for House Gill.


    One scenario would be that the organization that discovered the new Dry City decided to hand over such information to the royal family in an attempt to threaten the Gill family. That is, if such power were not able to take this territory from the ''hands'' of Beatrice''s family, nor to get a slice of the benefits, they would undoubtedly appeal to the Brown family.


    The other scenario was if such an organization was stronger than the Gill family, which would result in Dry City being taken over by this opponent of Beatrice''s family. But not only that, to prevent the Gill family itself from spreading the news about such a place, this enemy organization would probably try to eliminate the opposite side...


    In both cases, the Gill family had a lot to lose... Either they would lose something they had just achieved, or they might even face the danger of extermination!


    "We cannot allow them to leave the Black Plain alive! If we eliminate them now, we can prevent information from leaking out, and the worst happens!" Beatrice said in a cold tone after thinking the matter through.


    At first, the Gill family was powerless to confront House Silva. But as dangerous as Beatrice''s thought was, the chance of those opponents causing more trouble for them in the future would be greater if they did nothing at the moment.


    That was because the opposing side had seen the symbols on the armor and carriages of Beatrice''s group, which displayed the unique Gill family symbol.


    And suppose that group had already discovered Dry City and had decided that that place should secretly belong to the Silva family. In that case, the entire House Gill could be exterminated soon!


    Consequently, for the sake of the Gill family, Beatrice had decided that only by eliminating the enemy side would they stand a chance here!


    Gulp!


    "Lady Beatrice, are you... Are you sure? That''s the Gill family we''re talking about!" The Level 51 Spiritual King said in an uncertain tone.


    However, before Beatrice even said anything, the other Spiritual King there answered his companion. "Bond, don''t you realize that we are already at a dead end? Even if that family hasn''t found out about Dry City yet, if they find out about it in the next few days, then sooner or later we''ll have to endure attacks from House Silva."


    "Since that''s the case, isn''t it better that we attack them first?"


    Gulp!


    "Indeed, you are right... I hadn''t thought about it properly." Bond commented in a low voice as he finally began to circulate his energies, preparing himself for the only alternative that lay in front of him.


    Fight!

 Chapter 578: Battle for the Family 2

    While the Gill family group was watching that temporary camp, those people sent by House Silva to this side of the Black Plain were also thinking about dangerous things...


    After all, they had just arrived at this place where they would have to investigate possible threats to the Silva family.


    But coincidentally, a force of about twice as many people as theirs had arrived at this place and was watching them from afar, as normally predators would do before attacking their prey!


    So, naturally, those people sent by the Silva family were worried about these newcomers having relations with the organization behind the strange Dry City...


    "That''s the Gill family symbol!" One of the level 49 Spiritual Generals in that group said aloud as he looked in the direction of those newcomers and then at the woman who was leading that group.


    That woman, Margot, level 53, then looked at that group for a moment as she tried to understand what was happening here. ''Why would such a large group from the Gill family come to the Black Plain? Don''t tell me they are the enemies that have been attacking our forces?'' She wondered as she pressed her jaw.


    At first, the Gill and Silva families were not allies, nor were they on good terms. However, they had no history of conflict over the past few thousand years, so they had no justifiable reason to act against each other.


    And as Margot thought about it, she soon realized that the Gill family could not be the mastermind behind what happened to Darell, Sarah, and Urban''s groups. However, that didn''t mean that such a noble organization had no relation to those deaths.


    After all, just because someone was not the mastermind of a crime does not mean he was not to blame!


    The opposite of that, the Gill family could have been the agent who acted against the Silva family members killed these past four years, at the behest of a higher power trying to destroy House Silva.


    ''They have allied themselves with a greater power and are against us?'' She asked herself in doubt, with an expression on her face growing darker and darker.


    That made sense to Margot. That is, why would the Gill family send such a large force to the Black Plain?


    It made no sense to think that this was a military exercise since such a thing could be done within the Gill family''s own territory. Which, by the way, was not at all small and could certainly host such an event!


    On the other hand, the Gill family was only a medium-sized power, which would not have much influence outside the kingdom. So, other than them being on the side of House Silva''s enemies, there were not many options left for this group of 2,000 people to show up here.


    It was even possible that it was a Gill family action against another mid-sized, but that was simply too unlikely.


    That is, all these other organizations in this kingdom were outside the Black Plain, and it would be strange for enemies to simply decide to fight a war on another power''s territory...


    One side would always have to try to protect its territory. But, on the other hand, even if there were forces numerous enough for guards to be sent into external battles, that would still be unusual to happen.


    After all, it would be ridiculous to decide an organization''s future with something like, ''let''s decide everything in one big fight.'' There was no sense in having that kind of challenge.


    The fate of an entire organization was simply too valuable for people to decide to compete in such a way!


    For all that, Margot slowly thought that there were fewer and fewer chances that these Gill family forces were unrelated to the strange Dry City.


    "Those bastards probably have a relation to the strangeness in Dry City reported by Urban!" She said this in a deadly cold tone as she watched the masses of Beatrice''s group.


    Gulp!


    "The lady thinks so?" One of the level 49 individuals asked this while his face slowly turned red with anger. "Don''t tell me those bugs are trying to bring us down?"


    "Hmm, let''s get closer to those people and try to find out why they are here..." Margot said before finally starting to run towards the enemy group.


    Even though the Gill family''s team had twice as many people as the Silva family''s, Margot didn''t think they were at a dead end. After all, although the numerical difference put them on the disadvantaged side, their group had many more people near the end of the 5th stage than the opposing party.


    With that said, even if they had to fight, Margot didn''t think their group would be casually slaughtered. They could definitely fight the enemy group, and there was a chance they would survive such a challenge, even if such a thing were small.


    ...


    Eventually, the two parties got closer and closer until they were only 200 meters apart in that dead zone, where only the bonfires added a little luminosity.


    But even if this place were as bright as day, it wouldn''t make much difference to these cultivators since they could see well even under these conditions. And as such, it made no sense for one side to suddenly try to attack the other.


    That is, both sides had perceived the other almost simultaneously, and there was no way either could use the surprise factor. Consequently, both sides acted a bit cautiously, not attacking as soon as they saw each other.


    Anyway, amidst the rising tension, a female voice finally reverberated through that area. "If I''m not mistaken, you are Beatrice Gill... What are you and these people doing on the Black Plain?"


    Upon hearing this, Beatrice looked cautiously at Margot, "I am also curious as to why the Silva family would send such a powerful group to the poor Black Plain..."


    "Are you people going to the Dry City?"


    Upon hearing such a question, Margot suddenly frowned, feeling increasingly uncomfortable with the opposite party. She then said. "Dry City? Why would we go to a place that doesn''t even have Spiritual Generals?"


    "You are going there?"


    ''That woman definitely knows something about Dry City!'' Beatrice thought agitatedly as her hands began to sweat.


    She had a greater power on her side, but that doesn''t mean she wouldn''t be nervous about having to act against a force stronger than her family!


    Beatrice then said. "No. It''s like you said, there''s nothing in Dry City. So, there are definitely no advantages in that place for us."


    ''It''s just as I thought. Those Gill family bastards are associated with that damn place!'' Margot clenched her fists even tighter as she finally looked away and said in a low voice. "Send our results to headquarters! Run!"


    On the other hand, Beatrice had already removed a zither from her spatial ring and was preparing to begin her attack.


    "Attack!" She shouted loudly so that everyone in her group began to activate their spiritual techniques.


    "Ah! For the sake of the Gill family! Kill those enemies!" The most vigorous individuals there started shouting. At the same time, they had already begun their attacks.


    Boom!


    Vuup!


    "Ahh! Attack!"


    "Kill!"


    Several cries broke out from the Silva family''s side as both parties started running towards the other, with already many techniques forming in the air and flying towards their respective targets.


    And immediately, a deadly battle started on that spot, in the northeastern part of the Black Plain.


    Those people involved in this situation didn''t know, and many of them would probably never have the opportunity to learn, but this would be the first of many battles with large numbers of casualties that would take place on the Black Plain.


    After hundreds of thousands of years of being just an insignificant region, a somewhat peaceful place, this territory had finally begun a new phase of its existence.


    From now on, rivers of blood would flow through these dead lands until finally, someone would completely dominate this region!


    That was the informal beginning of the Black Plain War of Independence!

 Chapter 579: Disastrous Results

    "Ahhhh! My leg!"


    "Ahhhhhh! Help me, help!"


    "Kill me! Just kill me! Ahhhh!"


    Dozens of horrendous screams sounded across the battlefield in the northeastern part of the Black Plain.


    At that location, hundreds of bodies could be seen scattered over an area of more than three thousand square meters, where several puddles of blood had already formed. At the same time, as the blood and intestines of the victims made the environment fetid, many parts of different human bodies could be seen in the surroundings, forming a dreadful scene.


    Almost two thousand people died in this great battle in the 90 minutes from the beginning to the present moment.


    However, even though such a battle had claimed the lives of so many people, there were still hundreds of survivors.


    These survivors mainly had suffered severe wounds to the extent that they had lost arms, legs, or subparts of their body structures.


    On the other hand, some had had their internal organs partially destroyed and/or were having to endure the tragic reality of having to feel their insides with their bare hands!


    With so many people in deplorable states, dozens of them were screaming simultaneously, sometimes only exposing their physical pains. However, some were so lost amid their desolation that some even called for their deaths...


    But amidst this terrible situation, two Spiritual Kings were in the middle of that area, sitting on the ground marked by many bloodstains as they tried to recover as much as possible.


    "Ahh, it''s a pity that Bond died..." One man said in a low voice as he saw Beatrice''s figure not far from him.


    The Gill family had won such a battle!


    But this was not unexpected. After all, they had more significant numbers and were even more robust than the House Silva group. And even if the opposing group was powerful to the point of having a chance of survival, Margot''s team had not survived at the end of the fight.


    At the end of the day, a chance was only a possibility, not fate. And as expected, the most significant development had happened in this place!


    The most Margot''s party had accomplished in this battle had been to eliminate almost half of the Gill family members who had come to the Black Plain.


    And of course, there were many wounded on the side commanded by Beatrice, something that for such a noble house would not be easy to overcome...


    They had also gained the enmity of the Silva family, something that would most likely bring the shadows of war to Beatrice''s family!


    But this was already out of their control by the time the two parties had met in this region.


    In this situation, one would kill or be killed, and Beatrice had decided the first one. She believed that that was the only one possible for her native home to continue to exist in the future!


    Anyway, after some time in that place, all the belongings left behind by the dead had been collected by the survivors, those individuals in better condition.


    As the bodies began to be cremated, one of the guards in that group approached Beatrice and began to report the results of that event. "Madam, we lost 971 guards in that battle, and of the 1,029 survivors, about 198 were crippled and will never be able to cultivate spiritual energy again..."


    Gulp!


    "Of the rest, 294 are severely injured, with parts of their limbs missing, but they will still be able to cultivate in the future. Another 321 are severely injured, but with a few months of rest, they will return 100% in the future. As for the rest, after a day or two of rest, they will be fine."


    "But luckily, most of our beasts and carriages were not destroyed..." He finished speaking while he had a pale countenance on his face and some bloodstains in his ears and mouth.


    Gulp!


    "That''s horrible!" The Level 52 Spiritual King said this after hearing such a report, at the same time, where he clenched his fist tightly. ''Our family has never had such a great loss in our entire history!''


    But while that man was thinking about how harsh the reality was, Beatrice was already thinking ahead. ''So, only 216 guards can continue the mission to Dry City... That''s less than 11% of our initial forces!''


    "Damn you, House Silva!" She complained aloud while feeling a wave of anger in her mind.


    However, she sighed for a few seconds, trying to calm down until she gave her orders. "Well, the damage has already been done, and there''s no use lamenting over what happened. Now it''s time to deal with the losses and consequences of it all."


    "That way, I want 16 of the weaker individuals of our group, the least injured, to travel back to headquarters and report what has happened so that the elders can make the proper preparations."


    "The rest of us, including the wounded, will go to Dry City to guard that territory on behalf of the family."


    "What? Lady Beatrice, why don''t we send the wounded back to headquarters?" The level 52 Spiritual King asked in doubt.


    Beatrice then said. "I heard that there are doctors in Dry City... Other than that, we need a larger group of people in that place to fight against possible invaders. Otherwise, our interests cannot be protected!"


    "And in case there are no good doctors there, we can ask the family to send some soon."


    "OK." The man who had passed such a report to these Spiritual Kings said so just before running from that place to make proper preparations.


    Beatrice then looked at that person beside her and said. "Give the notice to the rest of the group that we will leave for Dry City in a day."


    "Sigh... All right."


    ...


    While those who would go to the Dry City tried to recover as much as they could before leaving, those who would return to the headquarters of such a power were already beginning to leave.


    At the same time as this, a completely black bird with a metal object on its legs was flying a few dozen kilometers from that location, heading towards the southeast of the Brown Kingdom.


    ...


    Quickly several hours had passed since the incident involving the groups of those two Brown Kingdom noble houses.


    In the meantime, the night had passed quietly in Dry City until daylight had broken in this region.


    After a pleasant night with his girlfriends, Minos and they had had breakfast by now, when each of them left the residence where they lived to go about their respective responsibilities.


    Abby had gone to headquarters to fight with some of the Sergeants, while Ruth had gone to cultivate in that same place. But, on the other hand, young Stuart was going to a somewhat different place than he usually would.


    He had left his mansion and walked through the central streets of Dry City until he finally arrived in front of an 8-story building, which had a noble design, full of glass and rounded shapes.


    There he intended to meet Regina, to follow their previous arrangement...


    Ding Dong!


    And it didn''t take long for the young Stuart to touch the sound array of the door of Regina''s residence on the top floor of that building.


    Anyway, after waiting for a few seconds, the door in front of him was finally opened, and Minos immediately saw an incredible image in front of him.


    Regina was dressed sensually, with a large part of her body ''uncovered,'' while her legs were highlighted by a semi-transparent black stocking that came down to the middle of her thighs. At the same time, she was wearing a red underwear set, which enhanced every inch of her body.


    Gulp!


    Minos swallowed his saliva as he watched Regina from the bottom to the top until he noticed her red lips and her hair, which was now wholly curly.


    He then looked deeply into her eyes as he felt a stronger and stronger desire rising in the depths of his being.


    "I was waiting for you..." Regina said this in a seductive tone as she placed one of her hands on her waist and held the door handle with the other.


    After hearing this, Minos quickly entered that apartment...

 Chapter 580: An Incredible Experience! (18+)

    "Mmmm~"


    "Mmm~"


    Immediately upon entering that apartment, Minos didn''t give a damn about the decor of that place and just pulled Regina''s sensual body into his embrace, kissing her right away.


    At the same time, that woman had a satisfied smile in the corner of her eyes as she felt Minos'' wet tongue invading her mouth and dancing with her own. And as she kissed him back, she was already slowly helping young Stuart undress.


    He was slowly unbuttoning his shirt while she was removing the belt around his trouser. That was a duo''s job and one that they were performing to perfection!


    This experienced cultivator had not had sex in a long time. Finally, after so many years, she would get a taste of what had once been one of her specialties... As such, at the moment, she was on fire, eager to feel part of Minos'' body inside her.


    Not only had she not experienced the pleasures of her sexuality in a long time, but she had also not felt as much sexual tension as she did now.


    That was for two reasons. The first was because, as Minos had said, Regina had used sex to lure her enemies into traps on many occasions. In other words, part of her focus was always on things other than sex. And the second was young Stuart''s previous attitude.


    That was because Regina was a highly competitive human being who would always try to be the best at whatever she did. Hence, when Minos had rejected her more than once, she felt highly insulted and had consequently spent more time thinking about him...


    From then on, it was not difficult to imagine how her plan to weaken him had quickly become a desire, something she wanted regardless of other plans.


    The human mind was complex, and feelings were nothing more than ''disordered'' reactions in the nervous system, something most cultivators could not interfere with. Hence, even though she knew what Minos was planning for her, Regina''s body had still betrayed her.


    Her body had begun to lust for Minos, and after she had found herself at a dead-end and accepted her defeat, she had let herself be carried away by desire and reached this point.


    She had spent hours preparing for this present moment, having made several changes to her body, which she knew were more likely to work in situations like this. She had even spent a long time trying to decide what she should wear...


    Anyway, after a while of going from one side of the apartment to the other while kissing, the young Stuart''s clothes were already scattered throughout there when the two arrived at Regina''s room.


    At that moment, Minos had finally pushed that woman onto the large bed in that room, as he quickly removed his underwear.


    Gulp!


    She then leaned back against the bed and bit her lips, looking down at his crotch. "Hmm, he must be about 10 inches... That''s good!"


    "Hehe, don''t be impressed by that. I''m still in the growing phase." Young Stuart humorously  said as he looked at the seductive body of the woman in front of him.


    He then walked over to where Regina was leaning, standing with his rod being supported by one of his hands, right at the height of her face.


    She then took her right hand on that hot piece of flesh and quickly made a back and forth motion while looking in the direction of Minos'' face.


    The young man then felt a soft, moist, warm sensation at the head of his rod, as finally, that woman began to suck it with vigor.


    "Ohh~ You really can say those words from before..." He muttered as he remembered how arrogant Regina was about her sexual abilities.


    Slurp! Slurp!


    And soon, the characteristic sounds of that action began to sound, as Regina did good fellatio, and Minos enjoyed the heavenly sensation of her mouth.


    After a while of doing this, he jumped up on that bed next to that woman, bringing her on top of his body, in a position where her ass was right in his face. At the same time, she continued to suck his rod with enthusiasm.


    Slurp!


    While Regina was sucking Minos'' rod like a lollipop, young Stuart had finally pulled off her panties and seen the flower of this woman.


    It was perfect, the most beautiful one Minos had ever seen in his short life, pink and of a size that was neither large nor small. And despite this woman''s age, it seemed as full of vitality as the young man''s girlfriends''...


    As he looked at Regina''s flower for a moment, this young man gently inhaled her scent, feeling a strong fragrance, which immediately made his rod pulsate twice.


    ''Ahh, that''s truly amazing...''   Young Stuart smiled just before he brought his tongue to Regina''s slit that was dripping with her fluids now.


    "Ahhhh~"


    The moment young Stuart touched Regina''s pearl with his tongue, she shivered as she felt an incredible sensation, something she hadn''t felt in a long time. And amidst the involuntary contraction of part of her body, she had moaned aloud, just after release that young man''s rod.


    Pa! Pa!


    Minos then beat her ass twice, until finally, he began to massage them, making this woman momentarily forget about his rod, standing there petrified.


    She was pretty excited at the moment, and as such, her thoughts had wavered as she massaged her breasts and felt the movements of that young man.


    "Ahhh~ That, that''s right where I like it... Ahhhhh~"


    "Ahhh~ You truly know how to do it, huh... Ahhh~"


    "Mmmmm~" And it wasn''t long before she was back to caring for little Minos, right after releasing a large volume of love juices on his face...


    ...


    Sometime after they started to get to know each other better, Minos and Regina had already had several orgasms, both of them with smiles on their faces.


    That was indeed an incredible experience for both of them, and as such, they had both made the most of the beginning of this long day ahead of them...


    But after enjoying the foreplay to the fullest, neither could continue to wait for the following action. Both were on fire with desire, with their pupils completely dilated, while their faces were red, and they were looking at each other intensely.


    Regina then looked for a moment at the young man just below her and bit her lips. As she did so, she used one of her hands to direct young Stuart''s rod toward her cave, momentarily  having looked back and then smiled at him as she looked into his eyes once again.


    "Ahhh~ Right there~" She moaned in pleasure as she lowered her body gently onto Minos, feeling this young man''s rod penetrating her wet cavern.


    She then closed her eyes for a moment and gently lifted her head forward, leaving her mouth slightly open as her two hands rested on Minos'' chest. ''Ah, I truly missed this...'' She thought, just as she began to move her hips.


    "Ahhhhh~ Yes~"


    "Ohhh~"


    "Ahhh~ That''s right, grab my ass..."


    Finally, the two began to have sex like animals in heat, making several unique sounds in that room, composing an immortal symphony that neither would forget for a long time.


    The sound of the bed moving, the noises of her liquids, and the pounding of flesh from both of them slowly increased as they both began to sweat in this high-intensity activity. Amidst this, they were both expressing their deepest animalistic feelings, directing the other party in the better way there could be.


    And this was repeated in several different positions for almost 10 hours, with both parties feeling maximum pleasure, with several orgasms.


    Regina had tried nothing against young Stuart in the end, having enjoyed the hours she had spent with him, attempting to satisfy her body''s mundane desires.


    ...

 Chapter 581: Revenge and Arriving in the Dry City!

    At this moment, the sunset could be seen on the horizon of Dry City, while Minos and Regina were in that same room as before.


    They were covered by a thin silk sheet, which was utterly silver, as they rested their heads on pillows, both breathing hurriedly in that bed. Both of them were very sweaty, with their chests rising and falling in high frequency, at the same time as their eyes seemed to be seeing what was beyond the visible...


    Anyone who saw them now would notice the lines at the corners of their eyes and mouths, which indicated they had both reached maximum satisfaction.


    But despite the difference in levels between the two, they both looked equally exhausted. But this was simple to understand. After all, one was a warrior who used to push his body to the limit, while the other was just a person who didn''t use her body in fights.


    So, despite the difference in levels between the two, their physical stamina was not that different. And they had managed to reach their current state without either of them falling behind...


    But of course, Minos'' physical characteristics were still far behind compared to those of Regina''s body. As such, he had had to work much harder here to keep up with this woman.


    And hell, Regina was a beast in bed!


    "That was a pleasant experience..." She murmured into Minos'' side as she looked at him sideways with a satisfied expression on her beautiful face. "Anytime you want, just come here, and I''ll be willing to repeat that anytime."


    Minos then turned to Regina''s side and looked at her face and then her beautiful pair of breasts. "Hmm, that was indeed amazing... Let''s schedule another day to experience more of that, hehe."


    He then used one of his hands to firmly grasp that woman''s slender waist, bringing her closer to himself. "Looks like you''ve removed quite a weight from your shoulders, huh? I didn''t think someone like you would behave in such a hot way in bed, hahaha..."


    "How long has it been since you did something like that?"


    "Tsk! Shut up!"


    "My situation in Allamanda didn''t allow me to take a casual risk just for something like that..." She said as she turned her face sideways and ignored Minos'' question.


    The young Stuart then tried to hold back his laughter and said. "I wonder... The way you were, it must have been like losing your virginity for the second time..."


    "Go to hell, brat!" She brandished in anger as she turned her back on Minos, leaving a beautiful sight for this young man.


    "Hahaha, but seriously, have you made up your mind about joining my army? I believe there is no more reason for you not to have made up your mind. So, I want to know right away what you will do from now on." He said as he massaged that woman''s hind parts.


    "Either you join my army, or you will continue living here as a normal citizen... So, what is your decision?"


    With the presentation of his alliance with the Miller family to this woman, there really shouldn''t be any more doubts left in her mind. After all, if she did not accept such an offer after so many advantages and assurances, then that could only mean that she would refuse such a thing.


    Consequently, she already had to have an answer in mind!


    And since time was running out for the peace of the Dry City, this young sovereign was eager to find out Regina''s decision.


    "Yes, I have made up my mind." She said in a low voice as she looked steadily at her bedroom window and saw the beautiful view there. "I will agree to join your army, provided that in addition to what was promised earlier, you help me with getting revenge on one person."


    "Oh?" Minos made a sound of surprise. ''This woman will already gain so many possibilities with this deal... What more could she want?'' He wondered as he waited for Regina''s words.


    She then continued to speak. "You may think I am a cold person, but even I have loved someone in the past. Unfortunately..." She paused briefly for a moment as she remembered her loss. "Unfortunately, my mistakes ultimately resulted in his death."


    "I am aware that I was responsible for what happened to him, but still, I wish to take revenge on the person who killed him to hurt me!"


    "I see... And who would that person be? Is it by any chance one of the kings of our region?"


    "No, he is not a king, much less someone known in our region. He, in fact, is an elf who had been exiled from the Elves Island!" She said in an icy tone.


    ''Exiled from the Elves Island?'' Minos thought to himself as he remembered the knowledge Henricus Longus had left for him. ''Only elves who are criminals or half-breeds are exiled  from such a place...''


    Elves were extremely powerful beings, individuals born already with a certain level of spiritual power in their bodies. Of course, this could vary depending on the purity of their lineage. Still, in general, it was not uncommon for elves to be born between levels 5 and 10. Above that, only those considered geniuses could achieve such a thing.


    But because of their above-average aptitude, many elves were highly arrogant. Some even had a certain degree of xenophobia towards beings from outside the Elves Island. But of course, as long as someone was powerful and talented, the elves would generally be more friendly, regardless of where that living being came from.


    However, even in the case of talented people, most elves were opposed to one thing in particular... That was mixing the elven bloodline with beings of other species, creating half-breeds!


    Such a thing was common to happen in the Divine Continent, where many beasts and high-level humans lived. However, the elves did not handle this kind of situation well.


    Hence, it was common for half-breeds to be simply expelled from the island or even prevented from entering it.


    So, Minos had thought about that information.


    Anyway, after thinking about it for a moment, Minos finally asked something. "So... How long has it been since that happened? And what level was he at?"


    "About 300 years and level 53."


    "Then I refuse your request!"


    Upon hearing this, Regina''s eyes suddenly widened as she turned to look at Minos, already with an expression of surprise on her face. "What? Don''t you want me in your army? Why don''t you want to promise me that?"


    Minos then closed his eyes and smiled. "Regina, what I am offering is already too good for you, don''t be an ingrate."


    "Plus, why do I have to take a chance against a half-elf? That was 300 years ago, so if this enemy of yours is talented enough, he may already be at the end of the 7th stage!"


    "Then I won''t promise you that since your value to the army is less than the cost to eliminate someone like that." He said without caring about Regina. "However, I can assure you that you can reach a point in the future where there will undoubtedly be a large number of people willing to assist you."


    "So, you will agree to become part of my organization?"


    "This..." Regina clenched her fists for a moment as she realized that there was nothing for her to try to use against Minos'' earlier argument.


    She didn''t think that such a half-elf was already so strong. Still, since she knew almost nothing about elves or half-breeds, upon hearing Minos'' words, she had understood that she might have underestimated the power of that being.


    Obviously, she had never thought that she would have the chance to take revenge on such a being before. But upon finding out about Minos'' strength and this young man''s high-quality techniques, she had thought about it after realizing that she could no longer simply rob him...


    And thinking of the many possibilities she would have by joining his army, she could no longer reject such an idea. "All right, I will join your army. But I hope you''re not lying about it!"


    "Hehe, that''s good."


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, more than 30 hours had passed since the moment Minos and Regina had finished that earlier conversation.


    And just at this moment, early in the morning in this region, a large group of people had been approaching from the various sides of the Dry City...

 Chapter 582: The Great Battle 1

    After the five groups of the Silva family had split up as soon as they had entered the territory of the Black Plain, each of those teams had followed their respective destinations.


    One group had gone to the northeast of that territory, where the Gill family forces had wiped them out. Another group had reached their destination almost at the same time as the late Margot''s team since the southeast region was a similar distance away as the northeast.


    But luckily for this group, they had not faced the same outcome as Margot''s group and, as such, were still investigating that part of the Black Plain.


    On the other hand, the groups responsible for this territory''s northwestern and southwestern parts had not yet reached their respective destinations. After all, those parts of the Black Plain were at greater distances from where they came from.


    In fact, the travel time from the easternmost border to the westernmost parts of this territory was about twice as long as from one of the borders to the Dry City, a town precisely in the center of this territory.


    Consequently, the other two groups had not yet reached their destinations.


    Finally, there was the group led by the person responsible for this great mission, the team that was heading towards Dry City.


    This group was the strongest of the five, and after almost three days of traveling across the Black Plain without many problems on their way, they had arrived in the vicinity of the city of Minos!


    Upon reaching the perimeter of this place, the group led by Oliver, level 54, had immediately split up into several smaller teams to investigate the area around Dry City carefully.


    They knew that there was a possibility of danger here. Hence, the leader of this group wanted to increase their chances of success in this mission by investigating this territory from as many points as possible.


    And so, little by little, a large number of those people were approaching Dry City from different directions!


    ...


    While the enemy plan was developing outside the Dry City dome, the local forces had already noticed the strangeness around the area surrounding the local wall!


    After all, with soldiers guarding the territory near the local dome from this city''s Defensive Tower for 24 hours a day, it would be impossible for them not to notice such a thing.


    That is, it might be expected for a few groups of people to arrive in Dry City from time to time, sometimes groups of more than 10 or even 20 people. But it was very suspicious that dozens of groups, each of them with more people than those numbers, arrived in the vicinity of this town almost at the same time!


    Not only that, the local soldiers were already aware that they could receive unwanted visitors at any time. After all, two noble houses were already aware of part of Dry City''s transformation.


    Therefore, anything suspicious that was seen from the top of the Defensive Tower would quickly be considered a severe threat to the sovereignty of this place. Consequently, appropriate measures would have to be taken as soon as possible!


    Thus, the moment the first bunches of people were seen circling the ground around the dome, the soldiers on watch had immediately activated the alarms. They also sent people to the necessary points in this city!


    ...


    "That again? It seems that your city''s problems are increasing in frequency, eh?" Regina asked Minos as she walked alongside this young man''s group, which was already heading towards the east exit of the wall.


    After the alarms had sounded in the government mansion and the army headquarters, all the soldiers and high-ranking people immediately followed the protocol for situations like this. Next, Minos had given his orders to the many soldiers who would be involved in this situation.


    At that point, he had sent out four groups of 150 people each, with Eduard and himself being in two different groups and Celeste and Abby''s father joining the other teams.


    Minos was resolute about not using Celeste in this situation because she had not yet learned all of the Silver-grade techniques she could. But since none of his other allies were around in his time of need, he had decided to use this woman''s power to his advantage.


    That''s because he didn''t want to use Emlyn since she was taking care of the Spatial Kingdom, nor did he want to send Abby''s mother to the battlefield. But, on the other hand, none of those other Miller family Spiritual Kings were anywhere near the mansion or the headquarters when the alarms went off.


    After all, they were not Minos'' subordinates, and as this was only early morning, they were probably in their respective residences sleeping or training in the Cultivation Tower.


    So, none of them had shown up at that place in time. But because the Dry City couldn''t wait for them, Minos had simply decided to advance his affairs by asking for Celeste and Eliot.


    Eliot was at the mansion with his wife as they were both living there at Minos'' invitation. As such, he had quickly offered his help after realizing that there was a problem.


    Thus, Minos had managed to send at least one Spiritual King in three of the groups he had subdivided earlier!


    However, he had not called Angela. Because, despite her determination to join the army alongside Regina, she had not yet joined that organization, as that would only occur after she signed some Soul Contract with him.


    But such a thing would take a few days to happen since the spiritual judge that Minos could get through the Miller family would take at least a week to reach the Yellow City.


    Consequently, Minos would not accept those two into his organization without a Soul Contract and therefore would not use them.


    As for Ruth and Abby, the first he simply could not count on in such a situation, and the latter was coming with him in his group.


    That was the division he''d made for this out-of-the-ordinary situation. And he''d done it so quickly that each of the teams was already at one of the wall''s exits in less than five minutes.


    Anyway, after hearing the question of that poison master who had decided to accompany him and his group to the place they were passing at the moment, Minos then answered her. "That''s true... But you''d better get used to it. Soon a war that can last a few years will have its start on the outskirts of my city."


    "A war?" Regina frowned her eyebrows upon hearing this.


    She obviously did not know about Dry City''s plans. After all, she had not yet joined the local army. As such, despite knowing how valuable this place was and how it would draw a lot of trouble here, she still couldn''t imagine a big war happening...


    "Against whom?" She asked after a brief moment.


    "Against everyone."


    Gulp!


    "What?" However, as she exclaimed her doubt and slowed down her speed, that woman heard no response from Minos.


    Regina just watched that young man and the dozens of people in that group pass through the gate to the east exit of the wall while someone stopped her from continuing on her way.


    Meanwhile, Angela was standing next to this poison master, with an expression as solemn as Regina''s. "I wonder what he means by that?"


    "I don''t know, but I believe we will soon find out..."


    After that, the two climbed the walls on the inside of the dome until they stopped on the upper floor, where some lower levels soldiers were already observing the surroundings.


    They could see several groups of people on beasts of many kinds surrounding the dome, almost as if such people were trying to draw as little attention as possible.


    ...


    And quickly, the four groups that had left Dry City earlier met up with the groups of soldiers working on the exits from the wall.


    After this, it didn''t take long for the strongest individuals of these border soldiers to join those groups, setting off towards the many enemies that were already surrounding the local dome...

 Chapter 583: The Great Battle 2

    After a few moments, finally, the group that Eliot was accompanying left the area protected by the dome.


    Immediately after doing so, those almost 180 soldiers began to head towards the various enemy teams, which were still some kilometers away from the sides of the wall.


    This group of soldiers had been formed from those sent by Minos earlier, plus some of the most powerful individuals already at that post on the wall.


    And so, of these almost 180 people, most of them were already above level 44, with the strongest, the leader of this group, Sergeant Humbert, having already reached level 46!


    Most of the Sergeants in the local army had increased at least 1 level of cultivation since Minos had breakthroughs from levels 47 to 49. And with so many individuals advancing in the meantime, the overall strength of the soldiers in this hierarchy had increased considerably since the last military exercise.


    Anyway, in addition to these soldiers, Eliot was there to help the group if there were any enemies much more substantial than these Black Plain Army Sergeants could handle. After all, considering recent events, it would be expected that any enemies arriving in Dry City these days would have at least one such person.


    And since the army couldn''t be sure where these potentially stronger enemies would be, there was this need to have enough strong people in each group.


    In any case, Eliot was enjoying this moment to entertain himself a bit since he usually only stayed inside the Miller family headquarters in Odella. But, on the other hand, he and the high-level elders of that noble house were very curious to find out exactly what was the threats to Minos'' territory and consequently to them.


    Eliot had already understood some things during these days that he had arrived in Dry City. Still, he had not yet understood everything here. After all, he didn''t know about the army''s plans since Minos wouldn''t talk about something like this to someone outside of his organization...


    As such, Abby''s father had no way of understanding exactly how far these plans might draw trouble for Dry City and the Miller family.


    So, for the time being, he was not considering this enemy that had just arrived in the vicinity of Dry City to be a tremendous threat... Instead, he thought his presence there was to fulfill a symbolic role and that the local soldiers could probably handle the situation.


    Hence, he enjoyed the situation as he prepared to understand more about the mysterious enemies of the Dry City forces.


    However, while following that group of soldiers, Eliot finally got close enough to the enemies to be able to identify the symbols on some carriages...


    "Silva family?" He wondered in a low voice as he frowned.


    Eliot already knew about Minos'' hostility towards the Silva family. But he did not yet know that such a power already saw this young man as a threat... He thought that there would be some situation in the distant future, but why would the Silva family forces appear in this town at this very moment?


    "It can''t be..." Eliot began examining the opponents who had not yet noticed Minos'' soldiers while thinking of a conjecture. ''That boy was discovered, and then he decided to ally himself with us because of that?''


    "Not for less... Not for less!" He said in a low voice as he smiled discreetly. ''But it must be said that he is swift and decisive in his action!''


    ...


    As Eliot watched his surroundings, thinking about how the Silva family had pressured Minos to close that deal with House Miller, the enemy forces that were in the same region as him, had finally noticed the strangeness reported by Urban...


    At this moment, dozens of Silva family guards, people between levels 45 and 49, had finally sensed the spiritual fluctuations of Dry City''s defensive barrier. And by probing this, they had understood how a town as humble as this could have been considered a danger to House Silva!


    And indeed, Urban was not delusional in his final moments. After all, with such a barrier supported by medium-level grade-2 defensive arrays, no one in the Brown Kingdom would be able to invade such a place, except for the royal family!


    Consequently, enemies within such a defensive dome could strengthen themselves almost without worrying about their safety, perhaps preparing to destroy the Silva family in the future...


    That is, if this was not the plan of the organization behind these defenses of Dry City, then what was?


    There was no reason to kill so many influential members of such a noble house without hostility between the parties. And with the possible presence of Minos in such a place, they still had the possibility of a vendetta in the future.


    Therefore, those many individuals who had noticed the city''s defenses before them understood that there was no other alternative here but that such an organization was an enemy of the Silva family.


    Hence, immediately, some of them began to signal for a retreat so that they would have a chance to send the report to headquarters!


    "Retreat!"


    "Ahh... We don''t have the authorization to act. Besides, we have no way to enter such a place... Then let''s go!" A hoarse voice sounded through that terrain as dozens of people stopped advancing toward Dry City.


    However, as that message spread among Minos'' many enemies, the soldiers had finally gotten close to those guards, to the point where they could sense their opponents'' spiritual fluctuations.


    And it was no different for the Silva family guards, who immediately sensed the arrival of these people, who were accompanied by a level 55 Spiritual King!


    "We are fucked!"


    "Shit! Run for your lives!"


    Panicked shouts began to resound through that area, as eventually, one side started to run in desperation while the other chased them with everything they had.


    ...


    Boom!


    Vuup!


    "Ahhhhhhhh!"


    "Help! Help me!"


    "Ahhhhh! Don''t leave me behind!"


    Various sounds of battle and shouts from different people sounded from one of the parts around the wall, where almost two hundred soldiers were finishing fighting against their opponents.


    By now, 20 minutes had passed since the beginning of the fight of this group that was being led by Eduard, level 51, against the guards of the Silva family who those soldiers had tracked.


    Such a group of soldiers had been helped extensively by Eduard, unlike what should happen with Eliot''s team. After all, while one was a member of the army, the other was just an ally who was there to prevent unnecessary deaths.


    And because of this difference, the group led by Eduard had dominated the opponents since this Spiritual King had eliminated all the powerful opponents before allowing the soldiers to fight freely.


    But despite their advantage in terms of strength, Eduard''s group had not had such an easy time in this fight. Because, in addition to the enemy side having more people in that part where they had started fighting, about 300 individuals, the party of the House Silva guards had tried to escape decisively...


    Because of this, part of the Silva family guards in this place had temporarily managed to escape the danger posed by the local soldiers!


    But of course, this had only been the minority of all those almost 300 people, who soldiers of equivalent promptly pursued. As for those who had not been able to escape from the Black Plain Army soldiers, they had had to fight with everything they had...


    And the result of this was the current situation, in which many people screamed in pain, cried in despair, in some cases even asked their mothers for help.


    All this in a scene contaminated by dozens of liters of blood, human organs of the most varied kinds were scattered here and there while the stench of death was beginning to spread.


    "Ahhh!"


    Puff!


    One of the soldiers in that group used a giant war hammer to smash the head of an enemy who was agonizing in pain on the floor of that area.


    As he did so, that person''s head exploded like a watermelon, scattering the brains of such an individual across that ground.


    At the same time, the cries of pain of such a subordinate of the Silva family stopped.


    "Phew! It''s finally over..." The soldier in question sighed as he felt the fatigue in his body.


    He was not seriously injured, as Eduard had saved the soldiers in mortal danger every time it was needed. But this individual, as well as other soldiers there, had fought fierce battles against his opponents.


    After all, these people were of higher levels than they were, so the fighting had required effort from Minos'' soldiers. They had overpowered the opposing group, but this had not been something so exaggerated that one side crushed the other.


    Anyway, that soldier then did what he had to do and quickly made his way towards the leadership of his group...

 Chapter 584: The Great Battle 3

    Quickly many battles spread out in different directions from the dome of Dry City, with visual, tangible, and sound effects spreading for many kilometers away from those areas. And while many people were watching this from the local wall, the battle gradually moved away from this location.


    The Silva family guards had been very decisive at the beginning of the various battles. Hence, some of those thousand people had managed to escape the initial attacks by the local soldiers. As such, although almost 30 minutes had passed since the arrival of the enemies, there were still some signs of fighting here and there.


    But while a few people had managed to get their fighting further away from the wall or had even gained some advantage for a possible escape, most had fallen.


    Of the more than 1,600 people at the beginning of the whole situation, people from both groups, more than 800 of them had already fallen at this point!


    Of those numbers, they all referred to the Silva family guards, who had dared to approach the surrounding space of Dry City.


    But this was expected. After all, there were warriors with Black-grade techniques in Minos'' army, besides the three Spiritual Kings accompanying three of four groups.


    On the other hand, the Silva family side had only one such person, a level 54 individual...


    Consequently, although they had resisted in the beginning and even caused some trouble for the Dry City forces, the Silva family side had in the end just courted death.


    That was the Dry City territory, a place where the local forces had many possibilities for action. Hence, upon entering the lair of this dangerous predator, most of the Silva family''s subordinates on this mission had fallen...


    In particular, those who had been unlucky enough to run into Celeste and Eduard''s groups. The two of them were Spiritual Kings from the army, and they didn''t like the idea of having to leave their training to fight in a battle like this.


    Because of all this, both had acted decisively in this great battle, especially that woman!


    Celeste already possessed some Silver-grade techniques. Hence, the disparity in their power was too great, and the opponents who had passed her way had suffered the most...


    That was similar to what had happened to the enemy group of Eduard''s team but on a much larger scale.


    On the other hand, the team that Eliot had accompanied had been by far the one with the best opportunities to fight a more balanced battle. But to the misfortune of the enemies of Dry City, their opponents were powerful collectively, and most of those guards had died at the hands of Sergeant Humbert''s comrades at this point!


    ...


    Anyway, while many of the Black Plain Army soldiers were already collecting the belongings of their enemies and cremating the bodies of the dead, Minos was pursuing an enemy team at this very moment!


    After his group had encountered the enemy forces, Minos had not failed to realize that there was one person among the opponents who had already reached the 6th stage. Hence, he had acted as decisively as possible to deal with such a person.


    But unfortunately for him, such an opponent was not here to challenge him. That Spiritual King had already started running before he even realized Minos'' presence in this place.


    When this had happened, the young sovereign of this territory had found this behavior very strange. After all, a level 54 opponent had run from a fight against a group of people who had as their strongest cultivator someone at only level 49.


    Hell, they even had the advantage in number and terms of spiritual strength!


    On the other hand, Minos knew that the Silva family was a power that valued individual strength more than most of the prominent families of the Brown Kingdom. As such, one would expect the members of such an organization to be a bit more fearless, courageous...


    Unfortunately, this was not the case for this group in question, or things would have been much easier for Minos!


    However, upon realizing this, young Stuart had not thought that there was a coward among the members of the Silva family. On the contrary, he had understood that such an opponent already considered the power behind Dry City a threat and would no longer act rashly.


    In other words, this was an examination team, bad news for him and the Black Plain!


    That is, considering the strength of the enemy party, the Silva family probably didn''t know about the Dry City dome, or they wouldn''t have sent such people to die here. So, suppose this information reached House Silva after today. In that case, Minos could already prepare for the royal family to be involved in this problem.


    That was the problem!


    Anyway, because of all this, Minos was pursuing the Spiritual King of that group and two people accompanying that target of his.


    He had been launching several attacks while running after such people, making it as difficult as possible for them to escape, sometimes even forcing them to fight back.


    But because his opponents had acted even more decisively than he had at the start of everything, young Stuart had a disadvantage that he still had to overcome.


    He was faster than those opponents, but the difference was not by a large margin. The opposite of that, he would need some time to fully overcome the initial advantage of those individuals, something that was hindering his purpose of eliminating such targets.


    But with each passing moment, he was getting closer to those people, and his attacks increasingly left the opposing side in a more drastic situation!


    ...


    "Shit! That miserable bastard is too strong!"


    "How can someone at level 49 have that much power?" One of those people accompanying the leader of this Silva family group asked in anger.


    He and his other level 49 companion were a few dozen meters away from Oliver, the team leader of this mission. At the same time, they were trying to get away from Minos and give their leader enough time...


    But with Minos getting closer and closer to them, these two individuals were feeling more and more the terror of this young man''s techniques.


    Upon hearing his companion''s complaint, that man took a brief look back and then turned his attention forward. "Will Mr. Oliver make it to our carriage in time? If he fails to send the crow to headquarters, we will be finished. The family will be left with no way to find out about it!"


    However, instead of hearing the voice of his comrade, this level 49 Spiritual General who had just spoken listened to a strange sound, and suddenly his body froze.


    He had no idea what was going on, but he felt as if his body had been trapped by some invisible force that prevented him from moving!


    All he could do was feel the terror of it, while many doubts frightened him.


    ''What''s going on?'' He asked himself before his eyes finally darkened completely, and he lost consciousness.


    He had died without even understanding his situation!


    And it had been no different for this individual''s level 49 associate.


    From the moment Minos had gotten close enough to them for his Spatial Sword technique to work, both had been frozen and then became easy targets for young Stuart.


    As a result of such an action, Minos had taken the lives of these two beings, causing their bodies to split in two halves.


    But this young sovereign had not stopped at any point. On the contrary, while activating his techniques to finish those two individuals, Minos continued running after Oliver, the most dangerous enemy.


    ''Just one more!'' He thought to himself, not even bothering to look in the direction of the two men he had just killed.


    He just continued to look in the direction of Oliver, that man that had just approached from a carriage in the middle of an area where there were many other means of transportation like this.


    ...

 Chapter 585: The Great Battle 4

    Seeing that his target was doing something in the back of one of those carriages, Minos immediately felt that nothing good would result from such action.


    ''What is this person doing?'' He wondered as he had his eyebrows frowned and looked in the direction of where Oliver had stopped.


    However, the doubts in young Stuart''s mind did not last long when he finally saw a crow being released from a small cage by that man.


    ''Miserable! He''s trying to send a message!'' Minos thought in anger, pressing his jaw hard.


    He had already concluded that the Silva family knew almost nothing about his territory. In particular, they must not have known about the defensive barrier that surrounded Dry City. And because of that, he didn''t have to face even more significant problems right now.


    However, if the Silva family found out a little more about the danger that Dry City posed to them, then things would change quickly, and he would have to face his worst nightmares!


    Previously Minos had thought that he had already completely lost control of the situation since he did not know what was in the message Urban sent. So, he had assumed the worst.


    However, upon noticing the arrival of these people in the area surrounding his city, he regained some of his earlier calm from before the Urban group arrived at Dry City.


    That had already made him feel a certain confidence that instead of acting so desperately, he might have a little more time than he expected. That is, at least he would have a few more weeks before the royal family got involved in the matter.


    Hence, any information like what his target was probably trying to send to the Silva family would only damage more the Dry City.


    Consequently, Minos was somewhat enraged at this moment, seeing that person acting in such a manner right in front of him.


    "Miserable, do you think you can do whatever you want on my territory?" Minos said aloud, just before activating his offensive technique once again.


    Spatial Sword!


    And he quickly made a diagonal gesture with his golden-bladed sword, creating a blade of air just over three meters long.


    Swooish!


    Instantly the blade sent by young Stuart cut through the air of that spot, heading towards the crow that was leaving the small cage from before.


    "Humph, you are powerful for your level but not strong enough to stop me from sending that message!" Oliver said as he threw the small cage on the ground and began to create a barrier in front of the direction the crow from before was already flying.


    And almost a millisecond after Oliver did that, a golden, semitransparent rectangular screen appeared in the air above him, precisely in the path where the blade sent by Minos would have to pass.


    Crash!


    Ssss!


    The attack sent by Minos and the barrier created by Oliver quickly collided, creating a robust rumbling in that area, while strong winds formed in the opposite directions to the impact.


    Boom!


    After the initial collision, Oliver''s barrier began to crack until it exploded two seconds later, just as the remnant of Minos'' attack continued on its way!


    However, the air blade was now less than 50 centimeters long, having lost much of its offensive power.


    "This person is a monster!" Oliver said without realizing it, as he felt an intense pain in his body, almost as if he had received a beating in his chest.


    "Cough!" He then coughed up a few drops of blood as he lowered his upper body, already with his arms around his waist.


    The barrier he had used earlier was not a spiritual technique but an ability that cultivators at the 6th stage onward would have. That was a soul barrier that could concentrate some of his spiritual and soul power to form an object.


    As opposed to being done using a small part of individual energy and a large part of the energy from the external environment, such a thing was done using the little bit of soul that 6th stage cultivators had to use in such a way along with the cultivator''s own energy.


    That was more dangerous in failure cases since it caused more damage than the mode commonly used in battles. That is, it involved the cultivator''s soul, something fundamental... But, on the other hand, this was much stronger than ordinary defenses and could be a safeguard against attacks from people stronger than the one using such a means.


    Anyway, such a thing was not commonly used to attack since, despite being ''stronger,'' there was the possibility that the attack itself would cause damage to the user. Hence, this possibility was only used in defensive situations, such as the one Oliver had found himself in, trying to defend that crow.


    However, to Oliver''s misfortune, Minos was not far from reaching level 50, having already surpassed the strength of level 54 noble cultivators of this region!


    So, the blade from before had managed to destroy Oliver''s barrier, having wounded the soul of this member of the Silva family.


    ''Eh? Where is he?'' Oliver wondered in his mind, just after he looked in Minos'' direction and realized that that young man didn''t seem the least bit interested in his head.


    Gulp!


    "It can''t be..."


    Oliver finally understood why he had not been attacked mercilessly after taking the remaining damage from the attack that had destroyed his soul barrier.


    Minos was about 20 meters ahead of Oliver at that instant, while he seemed to be jumping into the air. In contrast, the crow released by this level 54 Spiritual King earlier was utterly frozen in the air, a few dozen meters away from young Stuart.


    Spatial Sword!


    Swooish!


    Quickly another air blade was sent towards that bird, which had a piece of metallic storage on its legs.


    Puff!


    Seeing the crow fallen in the air after the effect of his technique had stopped, Minos sighed as he felt a chill on his back.


    ''That was close!''


    ''That crow was less than 2 meters away from leaving the influence space of my technique!'' So he thought to himself, relieved that he had managed to kill that bird in time.


    Minos could be much faster than that crow if he used his movement technique. However, this young man could not fly, and as a result, that bird could have risen to an altitude where even his Golden-grade technique could not reach!


    The higher that bird was, the easier it would be for it to dodge. Furthermore, although the difference in cultivation between the parties was significant, as that crow was only at the 3rd stage, it was much faster than human cultivators at the 4th stage and could even be considered as fast as some of the 5th!


    So, if the crow from before had left the Spatial Sword''s space of influence, Minos felt that he could not have the opportunity to kill it later!


    Consequently, he had narrowly avoided the worst.


    "Damn it!"


    "Kid, do you know what power I represent? Why is Dry City attacking us? What grudge the power behind you had against us?" Oliver shouted in anger as he felt the wounds in his body.


    However, Oliver received no response. Not because Minos would think that this man had the means to warn the Silva family of anything he could hear now. But because young Stuart had already decided to kill this person!


    And there was no need for the dead to know about the problems of the living!


    On the other hand, Minos knew that it would be futile to imprison such a person. After all, this man was a Spiritual King of the Silva family, most likely a nobleman, someone who had undoubtedly been indoctrinated for a long time so as never to betray that organization.


    Hence, to young Stuart, this person could be considered to have a very high potential to sacrifice himself in order not to let information leak out!


    And to avoid the worst, he had already made up his mind to eliminate this person!


    Swooish!

 Chapter 586: End of the Battle

    Immediately after the last blade of air had been hurled toward Oliver, this man shivered in fear as he felt the killing intent that Minos had released.


    This young man had only made one precise sword movement without answering that Spiritual King''s questions.


    ''Shit!''


    Swooish!


    Quickly a red layer appeared around Oliver''s body, almost at the same time as Minos'' attack was finally only millimeters from this man''s neck.


    Clash!


    Puff!


    Finally, the attack hit the red layer around Oliver''s neck, causing many sparks to form during the collision.


    After this, the layer created by that Spiritual King''s defensive technique slowly began to lose its strength. Such a thing was swift, and in just a second, it had become more and more transparent until a cracking sound reverberated through that area, and a cut appeared on Oliver''s neck.


    "Ahhhhhh!" He cried out in pain as he brought both hands to his neck, trying to stop his blood from continuing to flow through the small cut that Minos'' attack had made on him!


    As Oliver tried to stop his ''life'' from flowing down his neck, Minos spared no effort and suddenly appeared behind such a person.


    In doing so, that young man immediately used the blade of his medium-level grade-2 sword to attack his opponent''s defenseless back.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhh!"


    Oliver screamed again as he unconsciously removed his hands from his neck, causing a gush of blood from the previous cut.


    "Miserable... Are... Are you going to..." He tried to say something, but more blood flowed out of his mouth with each attempt, making his speech exceptionally inconsistent.


    "You... You''re going to..." He continued trying to make his final threat until his eyes began to darken, and his body fell to the ground.


    Puff!


    After that, Oliver''s body fell forward onto the ground, quickly beginning to form a pool of blood below his neck.


    He had died!


    "Sigh!" Seeing that it was all over, Minos let out a long sigh as he looked at the back of the dead man in front of him and thought about what to do next.


    Killing this Spiritual King had been a little easier than usual since this individual had made the mistake of trying to protect the crow from before by using a barrier made with part of his own soul. Consequently, by the time Minos acted against him, Oliver was much weaker than a level 54 cultivator would typically be, making this young man''s mission even easier.


    But despite not having had a mortal fight against such an opponent, Minos was somewhat stressed at the moment. After all, some mental issues could be even more stressful than fierce battles.


    ''I wonder how the rest of the groups did? Are there any other Spiritual Kings in such an enemy group? Maybe other crows...'' He thought about this as he stooped down beside Oliver''s body and collected that man''s items.


    After doing so, he immediately burned that corpse and headed towards the bodies he had left on the way to this place.


    Besides the level 49 Spiritual Generals from before, some other people had tried to stop this young man from pursuing Oliver earlier. As such, there was a trail of corpses between that place where some of the carriages of the Silva family group were and the easternmost side of the local wall.


    Other than that, some other members of Oliver''s team had tried to escape through that area, and Minos'' remaining attacks had killed some of them.


    Hence, young Stuart was quick to give to the corpses in his way to Dry City the same treatment he had given Oliver''s.


    ''I guess I''d better take the Maritime City as soon as possible, or I''ll have no way to surprise the Brown family...''


    ...


    After almost 90 minutes since the start of the battles around the local wall, all the cultivators who had left Dry City to solve the problem had returned!


    At the same time that the 600 or so people from Minos'' forces had returned to the area protected by the Dry City dome, hundreds of people had left the local wall.


    These individuals were lower-ranking soldiers who had seen some of the battles earlier, plus a few higher-ranking citizens, as in the case of Regina and Angela.


    They had all been amazed by the great battle that had taken place outside the local dome. Still, after those many fights were over, each of these people returned to their respective responsibilities.


    Watching fighting was usually very pleasant for cultivators. However, this was not just ordinary fighting, but rather the life and death of people. Hence, such spectators had had little entertainment and much dread while watching that.


    However, as many of them wanted to help, only by getting stronger and gaining the status necessary to do so could they do something. So, several of those spectators returned to the interior of Dry City in silence, thinking about the whole situation as they followed many of the soldiers who were returning from their respective battles.


    There were a few soldiers wounded more seriously to the point of having to be carried. On the other hand, most of them were fine, walking independently without significant battle marks.


    Anyway, with everything over, the local borders were once again closed to any visitors. At the same time, the many soldiers went off in different directions. Some of them were heading for the local hospital, where the most wounded could receive specialized treatment.


    On the other hand, those soldiers in better condition were heading back to the headquarters, where some doctors were on duty. Plus, the training site where they could cultivate and recover their energies.


    Finally, Minos and some of the key individuals from those soldiers went directly to the local government mansion.


    ...


    "So, what happened to each of your groups?" Minos asked this to the four people standing in front of him.


    These individuals were the leaders of the three groups from before, with the addition of Eliot, who had participated in such an operation and was there to talk about what happened.


    Finally, upon hearing the young local sovereign''s question, each of the three soldiers, Humbert, Eduard, and Celeste, quickly described what had happened in their respective battles.


    Lastly, Eliot related what he had seen and felt on the battlefield, letting young Stuart know everything that had happened in today''s battle.


    "So, that''s what happened..." Minos muttered those words as he leaned his back on his armchair and looked at the people sitting at different points in that office.


    "Tsk! We were lucky that we didn''t have to encounter a group with more Spiritual Kings... But the next time the Silva family acts against us, we can expect something much more challenging..."


    "What do you mean?" Eliot asked in a low voice.


    "A lot of people died today, so the Silva family command will probably be much more careful about the Black Plain... While that could be good if they stay away from us, that could be bad if they decide to involve other powers or even send an even more significant force..."


    ''In fact, if it were the Miller family that had lost a thousand members all at once, we would treat such a thing as being a matter of life and death...'' Eliot was thinking about this when suddenly he remembered something. "Perhaps not, young Minos. After all, no matter how many people from the Silva family perished here, probably only a few individuals had their vital signs stored in soul lamps."


    "In this case, there is no way for them to be sure that the group was wiped out."


    Upon hearing this, Minos brought one of his hands to his chin and said. "That might help us a little, but the loss of a level 54 Spiritual King should be enough to make the elders of that power lose their composure..."


    "But, let''s put that aside for a moment." Minos then turned to Humbert and asked. "By the way, how were the numbers? Any losses on our side?"


    "No, young master, all the soldiers who left returned. And although we have some soldiers who will need a few days of rest, they should have no after-effects."


    "On the other hand, the enemies were all killed, and we managed to bring a thousand spatial rings to the headquarters!" Humbert calmly said while looking at some scrolls that were in his hands.


    Each group had accounted for such a thing, and after everything was over, this data had reached this Sergeant.


    "Oh?"


    ...

 Chapter 587: Doubts

    "We collected a thousand spatial rings. In them, we found the following:


    - 4.5 thousand grade-1 artifacts;


    - 9.3 thousand grade-1 pills, 879 low-level grade-2 pills;


    - 4 thousand grade-1 arrays, 102 low-level grade-2 arrays;


    - 6.7 thousand Blue-grade techniques and 11 Black-grade techniques;


    Other than the everyday items present in such storages, there were about 1.3 million low-grade crystals and 675 medium-grade crystals." Humbert said as he read that information.


    He then took his gaze off those scrolls and looked in Minos'' direction. "As planned, the soldiers involved in the conflict will be able to divide the low-grade crystals collected equally or give them up and receive the same amount in merit points. As for the other items, they will all be passed on to headquarters."


    "Hmm, that''s good." Minos said as he nodded in the direction of those people standing there. "Well, for now, you guys can go get some rest. I will be taking care of some planning matters with the army administration, and you will be notified soon."


    "Take the time to collect your rewards and prepare for more moments like these..."


    "Yes, young master!"


    "All right, Mr. Minos."


    "OK."


    The three people replied simultaneously, just before they stood up and walked out of that office. But, on the other hand, Eliot was still in that place, looking at the surroundings as if he was seriously thinking about something.


    Finally, when the door of that office slammed, and he and Minos were left alone, he turned his head sideways and looked at Minos'' figure incredulously. "I don''t know if I''m getting old, but did you just give 1.3 million low-grade crystals to those 600 soldiers?"


    "You are not getting old, father-in-law. That''s just what happened here. I gave my soldiers the low-grade crystals." Minos casually  said as he relaxed in his armchair.


    Upon hearing such a thing, Eliot narrowed his eyes. He watched this young man for another second without saying a single word. "Why? Do you think your army can''t make better use of these crystals?"


    What Eliot was asking was basically his culture as a nobleman speaking louder and causing him to find Minos'' act very strange. After all, those soldiers were subordinates of this young man and were just doing their duties. Therefore, this Spiritual King didn''t think there was any need for rewards here!


    He even understood that if these soldiers had fought in their spare time, as in the example of a hunt, the items won would be entirely the right of that person who struggled. But this was a completely different situation from what had occurred today.


    Consequently, he had been shocked at the way this young man had ''wasted'' crystals!


    Minos then looked at Eliot and smiled. "It is not that I cannot use these crystals in a better way, but that doing such a thing is beneficial to me..." He then paused and thought of something. "Father-in-law, where do you think the soldiers of the Black Plain Army come from?"


    "Where do your soldiers come from? From your city, of course." He answers, still not intending Minos'' point. "Why the question?"


    "You are right. My soldiers come from the population of my city. But do you think that the common population can reach the minimum level necessary to join my army without my help? I mean, I help them a lot with local rules and opportunities, but is that enough?"


    "A promising young person not only needs to have good innate talent but also good development from the early years in cultivation. As such, such people need to have the opportunity not to have to work for survival in their early years in this cultivation world, and also need cultivation resources."


    "But to do so, their families need to earn large amounts of crystals. After all, my soldiers can''t just invest in their families and leave aside their own cultivation. The opposite of that, by investing in their own strength, they can even reach a financial level in the future where their entire family could focus on just cultivating."


    "With that, it might be challenging for one of my soldiers to support his entire family while at the same time training to become as strong as possible. And such a thing could be bad for me in two ways. The first one, because I would not have my soldiers 100% focused, as some would be trying to help their respective families. Second, my future soldiers would have a more superficial preparation..."


    "After all, if such future soldiers had to waste some of their training time working, that would mean less prepared soldiers with more mistakes to be corrected."


    "That..." Eliot muttered as he began to understand Minos'' thoughts on this matter.


    Minos then continued. "What to do? Use every crystal that comes into my organization to build an army with the largest possible numbers, but as a consequence, diminish individual quality? Or allow those most prominent individuals in my army to have benefits and thereby increase the possibility of good seeds arising in my city?"


    "It is a difficult choice, but due to the small numbers in question, I believe that allowing these soldiers to have these crystals is the best. That is, such numbers would not make much difference to me, but for these soldiers, it may be their family''s chance for ascension."


    "And not only will these individuals be able to improve the average strength of their families, but this possibility could further motivate other soldiers to act for the good of the army!"


    "That... That doesn''t seem illogical."


    "But cultivating talented people to a high level can take years. And at the moment, it seems better to have more mediocre level soldiers, rather than fewer distinguished individuals..." Eliot said while having an earnest expression on his face.


    Minos then shook his head in denial and said. "No, you are wrong. After all, I offer equal training and cultivation conditions for all my soldiers."


    "With that said, if I were to accept larger numbers of people, my organization would need to build new cultivation rooms, increase the size of the headquarters, etc. So there would be several things required to accept more soldiers into my organization."


    "As such, it is more worthwhile for us to seek only those best among the many competitors that exist."


    "On the other hand, most of my inhabitants are farmers, the people who maintain this city. If every one of them turned into soldiers, it would be a shame... After all, where would their wages come from if no one else could fulfill that role?"


    "But... But this action will basically concentrate power in the hands of your strongest soldiers. Aren''t you afraid that in the future, these soldier families will become too strong and diminish your sovereignty?" Eliot insisted.


    He understood Minos'' logic, but it was hard for him not to ask these questions, which were so common in large regional noble houses.


    "No."


    "I mean, the differences are big, and the way my organization operates is very different from the way the noble families operate. So, it''s not bad for me that they develop their families to high levels..."


    "And it wouldn''t be just one or two families, something that could create a situation in which one of those sides believes it can compete for power. The opposite of that, there would be hundreds of those families, something that would make such a thing impossible."


    "Then there would be a balance here, even without considering that I have a much higher cultivation speed than my soldiers."


    "Anyway, such a thing will only benefit me since the descendants of these soldiers will be even more talented than them because of this action of mine." Minos said this while having a smile on his face.


    He was referring to spiritual evolution, in which cultivators who reached the limit of power allowed by their talents could generate offspring of greater talent than their parents.


    "What do you mean?" Eliot questioned him in doubt, not understanding Minos'' last comment.


    "Hehe, father-in-law, you can ask Abby what I''m talking about. It''s something quite interesting, something that will make tens of thousands of people with the Black talent show up in my city in a few decades..."


    "Anyway, I''ll ask your leave now, father-in-law. I need to prepare some things." Minos said as he rose from his armchair and waved his arm in the direction of his office door.


    He didn''t mind answering his father-in-law''s questions since such a thing wasn''t any big secret. But, on the other hand, even if the Miller family started to copy his way of acting, it would not harm him.


    So, there was no reason for him not to answer some of Eliot''s questions!

 Chapter 588: Time to Finish the Invasion!

    By now, it was already night in the Black Plain region when two people were walking through the busy streets of a specific town.


    These two were discreetly dressed, with oversized overcoats and black hats, which made them a common sight among the many people passing by on the sidewalk where they were walking.


    And as these two walked calmly through this town, they could see a street well lit by spiritual arrays, where many stores and business establishments were still open.


    There were stores of grade-1 blacksmiths, array masters, and alchemists, all of them of the same rank, where the locals could buy and repair their items.


    On the other hand, the local cuisine would not be shamed even if it were considered the regional standard. That is, there was even a restaurant famous in this town for having a low-level grade-2 chef.


    And with so many possibilities, it was no wonder that this place was home to hundreds of thousands of people.


    Consequently, even if there were some poorer parts of this city, where even the streets were lit up by whale oil, this town had a natural bustle even during the nights.


    But although the reality of this place was somewhat interesting, the two people walking through the central streets of this town were not very concerned about things like this.


    No, the moment the two set foot on the sidewalk around a sizeable fort, they both became slower than before, as if they were enjoying the local beauty. As such, this couple was holding hands at the moment while walking very close to each other and whispering.


    "There is a low-level grade-2 defensive array in this location..." A soft voice said this.


    "Hmm, our group has scanned all over the city, and the Spiritual King of this location is nowhere to be found... That is, he is inside that fort!"


    "So, when will we act?"


    Her companion then looked to the side of the street, where at the moment, some people on top of various types of beasts were passing by. He then said. "Let''s wait until midnight. By that time, the street movement should have slowed down."


    "OK!"


    At the same time, she said this, she stopped walking and turned to him. Then the two of them hugged and kissed each other in the middle of that place while still standing on the sidewalk of that fort in the middle of that town.


    "We have the signal. Disperse around the enemy fort and wait until the destruction of the barrier of this place." Someone said this in a low voice while walking alongside a group of 4 people.


    "All right, let''s go!" The other individuals in that group said goodbye as they departed in different directions.


    Simultaneously, 20 other groups like that had the same reaction, only at different points in that neighborhood of the Maritime City!


    Each group had to spread out in that area as soon as the group that was watching Minos and Abby did such a thing. As such, it was not long before all those soldiers mixed into the crowd of people in that city and went to their respective posts.


    After three days since the great battle that had taken place on the outskirts of Dry City, Minos and a few dozen soldiers had come towards this city to finish the local invasion!


    At first, the plan was to do this next week, when only the main fort of this place remained to be taken by Minos'' forces.


    But the arrival of the Silva family forces had frightened the young Stuart. Because of that, he had immediately requested a meeting with his administrative soldiers that day after talking with Eliot so that the necessary adjustments to the plans of this mission could be made.


    At that meeting, Minos had decided that Dry City would be temporarily under Dillian''s supervision during those days that he would be away. At the same time, that young man''s butler would be able to use the help of the Miller family members to protect that city in case of need.


    Meanwhile, Eduard was in the Spatial Kingdom waiting to come to Maritime City to replace the Spiritual King of this place.


    This man had leveled up two days after his last fight, which made him ideal for taking the place of the level 52 enemy in this place!


    Other than that, Abby and several Black Plain Army Spiritual Generals had accompanied young Stuart on this mission, where they would take over the main fort of this city.


    At the same time as this, other soldiers who had been in this city previously would deal with the other remaining forces of the royal family in this region so that there would be no more enemies left in this place at the end of this operation.


    But as much as Minos'' group wanted to deal with this state noble families members that were in this city, this would be very risky. So, some of the soldiers coming from Dry City would just watch such individuals, preventing them from seeing something they shouldn''t.


    However, as long as such people didn''t get involved or see things they shouldn''t, the forces from Dry City wouldn''t act against them.


    As for the problems this could bring, well, they weren''t great. After all, these individuals would hardly know all the royal guards in this town or even have frequent encounters with such people.


    Most of these members of this state noble families were here to do business with people coming and going from the Brown Kingdom through the sea. As such, the subordinate of the royal family in charge of this place would not constantly meet with such people.


    That was something that Minos'' army administration already knew since hundreds of royal guards from the other forts had already been interrogated.


    But even if Minos and his group were unlucky and someone wanted to find the Spiritual King responsible for this place, it wouldn''t be out of the question if such an individual disappeared. That is because it would not be strange if such an individual went into seclusion from time to time to cultivate and train his spiritual techniques.


    Hence, even if Minos'' group was very unlucky, they could still solve this without trying to take control of these members of the noble families in this city.


    And with all this in mind, each of the soldiers from Minos'' army in this city was already following their respective roles. Some were in that central part of the Maritime City where most of the remaining enemies were.


    But others were preparing to act against the royal guards of less critical forts in the more distant areas of this mid-sized city.


    ...


    Finally, midnight arrived in the Maritime City.


    The movement in the streets of this city had slowed down considerably, to the point that few people were coming and going through the central area.


    And just at this moment, the action of Minos'' group began, as each of those soldiers started to change positions around that fort, all of them with similar arrays in their hands.


    Such things looked like metal boxes, completely silver, but with the same opening on one of their sides, through which spiritual crystals could be placed.


    "Activate!" Someone said in a low voice, causing the person closest to him to repeat that to the next, and in less than 10 seconds, all those individuals did the same.


    Immediately the noise cancellation arrays were activated, making that central area of Maritime City completely ''mute'' from its surroundings.


    Eventually, after noticing the silence in his surroundings, something familiar for people inside and outside the area affected by that type of array, Minos took one of his swords from his spatial ring. He then promptly made a move towards the defensive barrier of that fort.


    Spatial Sword!


    Explosive Steps!


    At the same time as that, he activated his movement technique and started running towards that place, even before that defensive barrier broke into infinite pieces.


    "Ah! How sleepy... Hey, hey, what''s that?" One of the guards of that fort said that out loud, right after yawning and jumping up from where he was sitting.


    And just at that instant when this guard had shouted that, the greenish barrier of such a place exploded, and a brown-haired young man appeared running towards the interior of that fort!


    "What the fuck is that?"

 Chapter 589: Conquering the Maritime City

    Suddenly, that guard who had screamed due to Minos'' entrance into this fort felt a strong sense of weakness travel through his body, as his energies ''vanished'' at a terrifying speed.


    ''What''s happening?'' He asked himself in fear as his face grew paler and paler, and his body shivered.


    Boom!


    Finally, the sound of the defensive barrier explosion reached the guards'' ears, as Minos disappeared from the vision of that royal guard from before.


    In less than 5 seconds since the protective barrier of this fort had been destroyed, that young man had entered that building while having part of his techniques activated. Among them, the Devouring Art was absorbing the energies of all the people in his path.


    And since Minos'' cultivation was only below the cultivation of the Spiritual King of this fort, every guard within the radius of that black ring was losing their energies rapidly!


    So much so that some of those royal guards of more intermediate 5th stage cultivation levels, in just a few seconds, were already practically powerless to act!


    On the other hand, before the royal guards of this fort even realized what was happening, the soldiers from the Black Plain Army that were in the vicinity of there invaded that place without hesitation.


    All of these soldiers were already above level 45, with the strongest, Abby, at level 48, running towards the innermost parts of the fort.


    In this place, there were a few hundred cultivators at the 5th stage. Yet, as much as the group coming from Dry City barely reached 100 people, they were much stronger than these enemies.


    Hence, Abby was not concerned with protecting the soldiers from those opponents, being only interested in taking down each of the strongest enemies in that place more quickly.


    That is, the chance of this operation going wrong was more related to other powers in this city finding out what was going on here, rather than these royal guards making the invasion difficult. And since with each passing second, the chances of this being discovered by the envoys of the noble families in this place increased, this group intended to end it all very quickly.


    To that end, Abby was sparing no strength!


    ...


    "Enemy attack!"


    "Emergency! Help the northern sector!"


    "Ahhhh! Help the southern sector!"


    "Enemies have invaded the main fort! Alert! Enemies have invaded the main fort from the western sector!"


    Several shouts from the royal guards of that fort under attack resounded through the central areas of that location as the stronger individuals there began to sense that the night would be somewhat dangerous.


    Pa!


    "Damn!"


    "Requests for help coming from all sides! What''s going on?" A level 49 royal guard asked as he stood up from his chair and punched the table in front of him.


    "Sir, the defensive barrier has been destroyed, and dozens of enemies are attacking us!" A guard wearing a monitoring array said this in a terrified tone as he watched Minos'' soldiers defeating guard after guard.


    "Bloody hell! Damn lunatics!"


    "Who would have the courage to attack our fort?" That same man from before said in anger.


    However, in the next second, he put his agitation aside and started giving the orders. "Send out the warning signal for the other forts to send reinforcements here."


    "Yes, Colonel Poe." One of the people at that location said aloud, just before running from there and heading towards the place where he could activate the arrays needed to do so.


    Meanwhile, Colonel Poe continued his speech. "Quickly, one of you go to General Doran''s cultivation room and ask him to take action!"


    Boom!


    "Ahhhhhh!"


    Screams of pain reverberated as finally, the sound of an explosion reached there, and a steel door disconnected itself from a wall and flew toward one of the people in that place.


    "Ahhhhh! My leg!"


    "What? What''s happening?" The level 49 royal guard shouted in panic as he saw the unexpected events.


    And while some of those soldiers at that part of this fort were running from there to seek help from the person in charge of this place, a blue-haired young woman entered through that doorless passage.


    Upon seeing this, some of those people trembled in terror, fearing that this would be the end of their lives. As for Colonel Poe, he barely had time to think about it when suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his neck and collapsed on the spot.


    ''I''m dead! That damned woman defeated Colonel Poe with just one blow!'' One of the people in that place thought about it, as he felt a particular part of his body closing up to the point that not even a needle could pass through there...


    He had seen Abby''s figure quickly disappear from the place she had entered earlier. Then she was already behind Colonel Poe, as the man fell to the ground already unconscious!


    That had frightened that guard to his very core!


    But this feeling of fear and helplessness did not last long when Minos'' young girlfriend repeated her previous move on all the people there.


    Abby was already at level 48 and had Silver-grade techniques. In contrast, her opponents were only subordinates of the royal family of this state, people who at best might have one or two Black-grade techniques.


    So, unless her opponents were at least at level 51, she would have no challenge in this place. Consequently, she could beat them very quickly!


    ...


    As Abby proceeded with her actions against some of the strongest royal guards in this place, Minos'' soldiers had quickly advanced their positions.


    They were a little slower than Minos and Abby. Still, the soldiers had taken the chances created by these two and quickly knocked out the weakest opponents of this fort.


    At the same time, many royal guards at this fort had lost much of their energy to Minos'' technique or even suffered from some of Abby''s blows. And because of this, there were a few dozen opponents on this base that even the weakest soldier of this attack group could defeat with just one blow.


    With this, the group of soldiers quickly defeated more than 100 opponents before the enemies had a chance to gather and cause more significant problems!


    Boom!


    Pow!


    "Ahhh!"


    "Bastards!"


    "All of you will die cruelly at the hands of our compatriots!" One of the fort guards shouted in fury as he fought side by side with ten other of his comrades against some soldiers coming from Dry City.


    However, even though some of these guards tried to provoke Minos'' soldiers, none of these individuals paid any attention to these opponents. Instead, they just kept fighting with everything they had so that this invasion would end as soon as possible.


    Pow!


    Another blow came towards that man who had shouted in anger earlier, causing him to take several steps backward and then regurgitate a mouthful of blood.


    ''Where are our reinforcements? Why haven''t they arrived yet?'' This person asked himself in his mind, as he felt that there was something strange here.


    After all, it had been almost 5 minutes since the beginning of this attack, and the reinforcements should already be here. However, there was not the slightest sign that help was coming to rescue them...


    The opposite of that, with each passing moment, more of those royal guards fell, and the silence in this fort increased.


    Pow!


    "Ahhhh!"


    ...


    Meanwhile, as several fights erupted around the fort, one of the guards who had been ordered by Colonel Poe earlier arrived in front of General Doran''s cultivation room.


    At that place, there was a large corridor leading to a room at the deepest point of this building, where the cultivation room for cultivators at the 6th stage was located.


    As he ran through that area and saw the door to Doran''s cultivation room open, the guard smiled, relieved not to have to interfere with General Doran''s training session.


    ''Looks like the General has figured out what''s going on and will make his move!'' He thought, just before he walked through the door of that place and saw something unexpected


    "Finally... But you took too long, huh? If you had arrived a minute earlier, you would have seen this fellow pissing his pants..."

 Chapter 590: Total Domination Over the Black Plain!

    "General Doran?"


    Upon entering that cultivation room, that royal guard from before opened his mouth in shock as he felt every hair on his body shiver.


    At the moment, he was standing right at the entrance door of that place, in front of General Doran. However, contrary to what this guard had expected, he had not found this powerful subordinate of the Brown family preparing to go out and defend this fort.


    No, unfortunately, this guard had seen this Spiritual King kneeling on the ground, unconscious and with many wounds all over his body.


    Doran''s face was severely swollen, with several bruises near his eyes and nose, drops of blood dripping from his ears and nose, while a trickle of blood oozed from his mouth.


    At the same time, a lot of cuts could be seen on the arms and legs of this level 52 Spiritual King, who at the moment was kneeling on top of a puddle of pee...


    That''s right. Such a person had been beaten to such a state that he had gone so far as to piss himself in fear for his own life!


    It had all happened very quickly, and before this man had even left this cultivation room, Minos had found him. As a result, the battle between the two sides had not lasted long. Soon the young Stuart had overcome this opponent, oppressing Doran until this man had reached this current state.


    Anyway, as the guard from before saw Doran, he could see the figure of a young man with brown hair there, dressed in a large black overcoat and holding a golden-bladed sword in his right hand.


    ''Who is this person? Why is General Doran like that?'' The royal guard wondered in awe as he felt a chill run down his spine.


    Gulp!


    "That..." He was about to say something when suddenly his vision dimmed, and he slowly fell to the ground, hitting his nose hard on the part of the puddle of urine...


    Following this, Abby appeared behind that royal guard, with her face somewhat sweaty, as if she had taken an intense run. But apart from this slight fatigue she had due to the constant use of her spiritual techniques, she was physically fine, without any injuries.


    "You were that fast?" She asked in a sweet tone as she looked at Minos and smiled at him.


    After finishing off the strongest opponents in this fort, those between levels 48 and 49, this young woman headed towards this place where the Spiritual King was supposed to be.


    Such a thing was not difficult to do. After all, there was no other barrier produced by defensive arrays within this fort. Hence, anyone with the ability to sense spiritual fluctuations could find where this Spiritual King was.


    That is, he was the strongest here, and like a nail that sticks out, it was effortless to find him!


    Therefore, this young woman had not taken much longer than that royal guard from before.


    Minos then smiled and said. "Well, this place was not prepared to deal with such a threat, so it was not difficult for me..."


    Such a thing was indeed true. After all, only regional noble powers or large organizations could have the ability to invade a base like this. However, none of these powers would ''buy'' a fight with a royal house by doing such a thing.


    Therefore, it was not expected that people related to such regional powers would invade a base like this. So, in this case, it didn''t make sense to invest heavily in a post like this one by building stronger defenses and allocating cultivators of higher levels.


    Consequently, this place was not prepared to face a force similar to what Minos'' group had.


    But of course, this place still had its uses. It kept possible pirates and bandit groups away from the only port city of the Brown Kingdom, where many resources arrived, and business could be done.


    Anyway, this post of the royal guard was not prepared to deal with mighty people, hot-blooded fanatics capable of doing the crazy thing of invading the property of one of the most outstanding organizations in the region...


    Therefore, this place had fallen quickly before Minos.


    The young Stuart then picked up those two unconscious individuals in that room and began to carry them out while talking to Abby. "Well, let''s take a look at the results of this invasion. After that, you can assist the other soldiers in interrogating these stronger people."


    "Hmmm." She agreed with him, already following him out of that area in which they were.


    "With this, the Black Plain is totally under my control!" Minos muttered as he felt one less weight under his shoulders.


    It was terrible to have a city of 300,000 people under enemy control that was, at most, three days of travel with 3rd stage beasts to the Dry City.


    Such a place could be used to put pressure on that young man''s business, potentially hindering Dry City''s crystal acquisition through Stone Island.


    On the other hand, a city like this made possible faster actions, more stable offers of war resources, and an ideal place to rest. And all this would be bad for young Stuart. After all, it would be better for him if the enemy had a hard time, even if in situations that were not the most important.


    For example, a camp in the middle of the dead area of the Black Plain could have many risks. Not only could beasts'' attacks happen all of a sudden, but stronger bandit groups or even enemies could dare to make an attack.


    Other than that, numerous variables made a fixed base ideal for any power.


    For all that, by conquering the Maritime City, Minos had rid himself of a potential problem for the near future and even gained a card up his sleeve!


    But, aside from being able to use this location to set traps for the royal family, Minos could finally enjoy having a population of tens of thousands of people who could easily be attracted to the Dry City!


    The Maritime City had about 300,000 inhabitants, but a considerable portion of these citizens should be ordinary people, individuals with White talent who were not expected to hold important positions locally.


    And it was precisely this group of people that this young sovereign of the Black Plain wanted to bring to his city. These individuals would increase the financial capabilities of Dry City by increasing the plantation area of that place!


    And this would generate a positive cycle that would make the young Stuart''s city government able to increase the supply of services and the number of soldiers.


    As for the rest of the population of this city, Minos was not very interested in attracting them to his side in the short term. After all, as valuable as they were to Dry City, they still needed to fulfill an essential role in this place.


    That is, the role of keeping this place running so that no one would be suspicious of the current and future actions of the Black Plain Army!


    Anyway, this was an excellent thing for the territory of Minos, and he was talking about it with his girlfriend as the two walked towards the central courtyard of this fort.


    ...


    When they arrived there, several of the stronger soldiers from the group that came from the Dry City were already waiting for Minos and Abby, while some of the stronger enemies were unconscious.


    Upon seeing that the two had arrived there, soon one of the level 46 Sergeants in that group approached the two and began to report. "Young master, we have finalized the invasion of this main fort of this city. We still have no information on how the other operations outside of here went. Still, in this place, we had no casualties."


    "Oh? That''s good."


    "Other than that, we''ve already collected all the items from these people and gathered the strongest enemies in this place to be interrogated by Ms. Abby. As for the others, they are already being taken to the carriages that will transport them to the Dry City prison."


    ...

 Chapter 591: Next Time I Will Be A Spiritual King

    "Hmm, that''s good." Minos said in satisfaction after hearing that soldier''s entire report. "Well, guys, let''s start taking care of this fort."


    "Divide the soldiers who are already here into groups and move around this fort. Try to find possible tunnels, people who shouldn''t be here, etc."


    "And for those who are not yet wearing the uniforms of the royal guard, don''t waste too much time and find something for yourself! Until the soldiers who will be staying here arrive, you will have to fulfill the function of managing this place!"


    "Yes, young master!" Those people responded simultaneously as some were already beginning to follow Minos'' orders.


    On the other hand, it was not long before those stronger individuals of the royal guard of this place were healed by the army doctor who had come on this mission.


    However, these hostages were already with spiritual arrays on their necks, something that would prevent them from acting even though most of them had recovered after the doctor''s help.


    With that, soon, Abby began to use her ability on the leader of that place, General Doran.


    "What is your name?" Minos asked.


    "My name..." Doran tried to say while squirming in an attempt to resist Abby''s innate ability.


    The veins in this man''s neck then dilated considerably as his eyes turned red, and he seemed to be almost suffocating.


    "My name..." However, due to the array on his neck, this man couldn''t resist for long until he answered young Stuart''s question, "My name is Doran."


    "So, Doran, let''s talk a little bit about this place..." Minos then began to ask a series of questions about the operations of this fort, things that only the leader of this place could know.


    The young Stuart wanted to know what this Spiritual King usually did in this place. How long it would take for the royal family to replace Doran, who such Spiritual King interacted with, etc. Things that might make it easier to replace this man with one of the soldiers from the Black Plain Army.


    But of course, Minos was aware that it would not be possible to replace someone completely, at least at their level, and in a region as poor as the one in which they were.


    So, unlike most ordinary guards of this place, Minos would need to keep this person in the Maritime City if something problematic happened and they needed such a person.


    On the other hand, young Stuart wanted to find out something helpful with this man about the Brown family.


    Although young Stuart had once been the son of a subordinate, this sovereign knew very little about such a power. But this was for a good reason. That is, when Albert was alive, this Minos was just a child who would not need to know important things.


    On the other hand, Minos, at most, was just the son of a subordinate... He had no possibility of learning things about the Brown family that were unknown to other great families or ordinary people.


    Consequently, this young man knew very little about the organization of such a family, about the correct numbers of specialists, etc.


    Anyway, soon several of his questions were answered, while others had been left unanswered.


    But this was to be expected. After all, Doran was only a subordinate and had certainly had to sign Soul Contracts to access some resources and information. Hence, the main secrets of such a family had remained unanswered.


    Minos didn''t want to force the situation and end up killing this person, one that he definitely needed to maintain alive.


    But the Soul Contracts didn''t include all the relevant points, and as such, young Stuart had learned a little more about the royal family of the Brown Kingdom.


    For example, he learned that such an organization had over 200,000 members, including royalty, nobles, and subordinates. Of that people, about 70,000 were Spiritual Generals, and there were 61 Spiritual Kings!


    As for the top cultivators, those above level 57, such an organization had 5 of them, with three at level 57, one at level 58, and one at level 59.


    Anyway, the interrogation continued until the group finally started talking to the other individuals who were still there, the level 49 royal guards.


    At the same time that Minos and his people were asking their questions and those people were answering, one of the soldiers was writing everything down so that such a thing could be stored at headquarters for future actions.


    Collecting information about regional powers was important for future generations, who would understand the circumstances in which certain events happen. And with this, the training of more capable people could be facilitated, among other benefits.


    ...


    After this, several hours had passed, and the day had dawned on the Maritime City.


    But although the night passed quickly, many things had happened in the meantime.


    The soldiers who had participated in missions similar to the previous one, in other locations in this city, had returned with information and had given their reports to Minos'' team.


    With this, young Stuart had officially defeated the royal forces in this city and had, therefore, successfully occupied this place and unified the Black Plain!


    Of course, none of this was official, and on the surface, this place would still belong to the royal family for a few more years. But for the Minos plans, that would be good enough.


    And with such a result, the other royal guards that had been left in this city had been sent to the Dry City, where they could join the rest of their comrades in the local prison and in the agricultural fields of such a place...


    So, it was not long before Minos and Abby finished their business regarding the invasion of the forts. But they had not returned to Dry City immediately.


    That was because they had spent the whole night solving problems and needed a few hours to recover and then return to that place.


    Both of them might be cultivators and quite strong by regional standards. Still, there were risks that they would be unlucky enough to run into powerful beings, not only humans but also beasts. Among them were birds similar to White, which could make life very difficult for travelers in certain circumstances.


    Hence, the two had decided to spend the rest of the morning in this city, to cultivate and then rest for a few hours.


    ...


    "Eduard, you have already reached level 52, and with that, there shouldn''t be many subordinates of regional powers able to defeat you anymore. However, if any nobles above level 54 appear in this place, be very careful." Minos said with a resolute expression on his face as he looked at the man who was a few meters away from him. "Opponents like that are above your limits."


    "I see... Don''t worry, Mr. Minos. I know my limits and will not attempt anything risky. I will only maintain our position in this town while I spend my time training." Eduard said as the breeze made part of the uniform of the royal family tremble on this man''s body.


    Minos had already brought this Spiritual King out of the Spatial Kingdom, something that had happened just after young Stuart and his girlfriend had finished their rest. After that, the two and some of the soldiers from the Black Plain Army were saying their goodbyes outside the Maritime City.


    "Well, as soon as we have a chance to bring a replacement for you, I will send you back to Dry City. So, hang in there for the time being, hehe."


    "As for the rest of you, try not to do anything outside the forts until the interrogations of those guards are over."


    "OK, young master!"


    "That''s all... But be prepared. Things will soon get more complicated." Minos said, just before nodding in the direction of those people and then giving the order for White to take off.


    "By the next time we see each other, I will be a Spiritual King, hehehe..."


    After that, Minos and Abby disappeared into the midst of the clouds of that region, following on White''s back towards Dry City.

 Chapter 592: Beginning of the Advertisement

    As Minos and Abby traveled back to the Dry City, there was a commotion going on at this instant a few hundred kilometers south of Maritime City.


    In fact, if one were to view this region of the Black Plain from the skies, what that person would see at this instant would be a series of points of this dead ground from which remnants of battles could be seen.


    At first, one would see a curtain of smoke and dust in the air, spreading for tens of kilometers, being more concentrated in some spots and thicker in others.


    But at a closer look, someone with good eyesight would see a large number of bodies scattered around that area, at the same time as some chases were going on right now!


    Finally, there was a large construction in that area, from which a hidden port was located among the natural relief, to the point that careless people could pass by and not even see it. However, in a situation like this, where there were so many things drawing attention to such a place, it would not be so difficult to notice that construction.


    After all, in such situations, the more you look, the more details you see!


    Anyway, in the middle of this place, a man dressed in armor with a golden tree symbol was sitting on a rock while cleaning the blood from one of his weapons.


    He had several wounds around his body, while his elegant armor and uniform were damaged here and there, to the point that he almost seemed unrecognizable.


    At the same time, his face was as pale as a sheet of white paper, making the blood around the seven holes in this part of his body look even more notable.


    However, even if this man''s look was not good, this was not the end of the world for him. That was because, despite suffering severe physical damage that would take several weeks to recover from entirely, he had at least defeated his opponent!


    And with such, Ernest, level 50, had killed a level 53 Spiritual King of the Silva family!


    That''s right, this was the naval base of the Black Plain Army, and just like Dry City, the members of the Silva family had arrived at this location and discovered such a place.


    After that, Minos'' soldiers had quickly realized that there were unwanted guests in the vicinity. And it wasn''t long before they realized from which organization these individuals were...


    Hence, a chase had quickly started, and another great battle had taken place in the young Stuart''s territory!


    "Lieutenant Ernest, can you walk alone? If you..." A young Corporal said this in a worried tone while looking at the strongest person on that naval base.


    However, Elena''s former bodyguard shook his head in denial at that young Corporal and slowly said while breathing heavily. "Corporal Milton... Don''t worry, I''m fine... Just give me some time, and I''ll walk back to the base."


    "But I am curious to know the outcome of this great battle..." He said as he looked to the sides of that battlefield and saw dozens of bodies. Some of them were so brutalized that it would not be easy for an ordinary spectator to distinguish the gender of such pieces of flesh.


    Ernest didn''t know about the direction this battle had taken since he had spent much of his time fighting the Spiritual King who had come with this group. And since he and his opponent had very close fighting proficiencies, this level 50 Lieutenant had entirely focused on this battle, paying no attention to his surroundings.


    After this, he was no longer physically able to continue fighting and could not get involved in the rest of the conflict.


    For all this, he was curious to know about the development of this problem that had arisen only a few hours ago.


    The young Corporal then said. "About this, we still don''t have accurate numbers since many soldiers have not yet returned. But most of the enemies died in the vicinity of the naval base. However..."


    "Several of them have escaped from the area under army control and are being pursued by some Sergeants."


    Gulp!


    "Is that true?" Ernest asked in a shocked tone while feeling that this would not end well.


    There were only 400 Spiritual Generals in this Black Plain Army naval base, as this place was yet to receive more reinforcements. Because of this, Ernest was concerned that with such a small number of soldiers capable of fighting the opponents of the Silva family group, they might not be enough to pursue the enemies!


    After all, he did not know how many of the 400 Sergeants had survived this challenge, nor how many of the enemies were fleeing.


    On the other hand, no matter how many Corporals were in this place, these people at the 4th stage would never be able to pursue the enemies who had arrived here on this day.


    Consequently, the chance of a successful escape was not slight!


    ''Shit! That is terrible!'' Ernest worriedly thought as he began to run towards the interior of that base without worrying about his injuries. ''I have to inform the headquarters about this...''


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, a whole week had passed since Minos and his group had finished conquering the Black Plain.


    In the time that had passed, the headquarters had found out about what had happened in the vicinity of the naval base. Unfortunately, however, on the same day that this information had arrived, the two other groups of the Silva family had arrived in this town!


    One had come from the northwest part of the Black Plain, while the other had come from the southeast area. And with the collective strength of such a group, this time, Minos'' forces had had great difficulty in finishing off such an opponent before some of them escaped...


    That is, there were not enough Spiritual Generals in Minos'' army for the 2,000 or so opponents to be faced simultaneously. Meanwhile, this young sovereign had taken care to eliminate the threat of messages sent through the enemy crows, which were with the two opposing Spiritual Kings.


    Hence, he had occupied himself with such opponents during the great battle, not having had time to deal with the other enemies.


    But no matter how much the Spiritual Kings specialized in combat in the Dry City had helped in the fights, these people were not like Minos... Consequently, even though they had significantly helped in the battles against the enemy Spiritual Generals, they had not prevented some of these opponents from escaping.


    And for the first time since Minos had arrived in this city, an enemy group had not been entirely defeated by coming here!


    But not only that, to make matters worse, many of the soldiers had been injured during the recent operations, and as casualties were not great, such soldiers would not be able to join the investigations. In other words, some of the enemies would undoubtedly have a better chance of survival during their escapes.


    Hence, the Dry City now could no longer count on the hope that the Silva family would continue to act so leniently...


    In a short time, such an organization could find out about Dry City''s defensive dome if it hadn''t already. And with that information in hand, it would only be a matter of time before the royal family would be involved.


    Anyway, while these adverse developments for the Dry City were developing, something positive happened this past week. That was the arrival of Beatrice Gill''s group in the city of Minos.


    This group of enemies had fallen into Minos'' trap when they arrived exhausted in this city, with many people wounded and unable to fight. As such, they had no choice but to surrender!


    So, Minos had been delighted with what he had discovered through Beatrice''s interrogation. After all, it was very nice to know that two of his enemies had fought such a decisive battle because of him...


    But he also felt that he could use more of this information to his advantage shortly.


    Finally, besides these situations involving the enemies of the Black Plain, another positive thing for young Stuart had begun. That was the beginning of the advertisement of Dry City to the unemployed citizens of the Maritime City!


    ...

 Chapter 593: Lets Formalize Our Request for Independence!

    With the Black Plain Army''s dominance over the Maritime City, it wasn''t long before some of the weaker soldiers in the army began to spread the Dry City advertisement in that location.


    However, they were not doing this careless. No, the army''s plan to lure the inhabitants of that town to the Dry City was similar to what had happened at the time of Minos'' agreement with Mirya.


    So, the soldiers who would have to do this advertisement work would attract only the less talented and unemployed people so that they would come to Dry City to find out what opportunities they would have in such a place.


    And since the soldiers had taken control of that city, they now had all the data necessary for this kind of operation to occur with little risk of trouble reaching them!


    But besides the possibilities of success that this operation had, there was a certain amount of risk involved. However, this was something that young Stuart had expected and was willing to accept. After all, his town needed more inhabitants in order for his organization''s chances of success to be more significant.


    Hence, there was no room to leave this kind of action for a second moment. It had to happen now, or the next few years would be challenging for the Dry City!


    ...


    While the propagation operation was beginning in Maritime City, Minos was in his office, resolving some issues related to the recent problems and this matter.


    "... With that, young master, we already have about 300 Corporals in Maritime City doing the Dry City advertisement service." An administrative soldier of the army finished reporting such a thing while sitting next to two other people on the opposite side of Minos'' table.


    "I see... What does the army have as a projection for this migration? What will be the growth rate of our city''s population in the coming weeks?" Minos asked.


    The same person from before then spoke again. "Well, considering what happened in the City of Waters a few years ago and the Maritime City''s circumstances, we predict that the Dry City will have 1,000 to 3,000 new citizens every week."


    "Those numbers should start low for the first two or three weeks, but after that, they should be around those values, or even higher."


    "That''s good. Let''s continue with the current plans for that place." Minos said before finally looking in the direction of one of those other two people standing there.


    He then asked a woman who was dressed in the uniform of the local police. "Corporal Lulu, how is the situation with our ''visitors''? Did any of them die after they arrived in our town?"


    The police had the same hierarchies as the army, and since that woman was already at the 4th stage of cultivation, young Stuart had called her Corporal.


    That woman then shook her head in denial and said. "Fortunately, none of them have died so far, young master. Some are still in intensive care at the local hospital. But, many of them are already out of danger."


    "As for the situation of the others, they will need some time to get used to the work in the agricultural fields..."


    "But sooner or later, they will learn it by osmosis."


    "Hmm, that''s better..." Minos said in a low voice as he thought about some possibilities he had in his mind. ''Maybe I should come to an agreement with the Gill family?''


    ''If word of Beatrice''s group''s battle with her enemies reaches the House Silva, the House Gill will have to bear the heavy hand of such organization. And as the enemy of my enemy...''


    ''Hmm, using the Gill family to weaken the Silva family''s power a bit more doesn''t seem like a bad idea...'' He thought with a smile at the corners of his lips.


    Young Stuart was not sure whether or not the Silva family would find out about the battle that had taken place in the northeastern part of the Black Plain. Because of this, he had not yet made any decision regarding this possibility.


    However, he was already considering a future scenario where the Silva family would turn against the Gill family. He felt that House Gill would cease to be his enemy and become a potential ally in this situation.


    After all, both would have enemies in common, and House Gill definitely could not survive the House Silva revenge!


    And since the king would not prevent one side from seeking justice against the other, Lionel''s family would be in serious trouble. Plus, even if such a noble organization didn''t destroy them for the time being, because of the Black Plain issue, the disagreement had already formed, and it would be difficult for one side to forget things like that.


    Hence, House Gill could be a natural ally for the Black Plain, and they would still be in a lower position than Minos'' forces. So, this young man would not even have to promise things like he had promised the Stokes and Miller families!


    But of course, Minos had in mind that the Silva family might never find out about that battle, and in this situation, House Gill would remain an enemy of the Black Plain.


    For that reason, he had not yet taken the initiative to go and talk to Beatrice about that possibility.


    But still, he had all this in mind and was already observing the situation to act as soon as possible!


    He then said to that woman. "Let''s leave them as they are for now. But keep an eye out for the possible arrival of crows coming from the Gill family. As soon as something changes in the kingdom, we will give our response to this situation."


    "But let''s permit that woman to send a letter to inform the Gill family about her arrival at the Dry City was smooth after such a battle."


    "Uh, I will send Abby to check the contents of the letter later."


    "OK, young master." The promptly said.


    Finally, Minos looked eye to eye with that last person standing there, old Joey, and said. "In addition to those things we talked about before, I want the army to prepare an Official Letter."


    Gulp!


    "An Official Letter?" Joey and another soldier in that office said simultaneously, just after swallowing their saliva in nervousness.


    "Where should we send it?" Joey asked as he looked at Minos as if he didn''t want to hear the obvious.


    "To the Brown family."


    "Let''s formalize our request for independence!"


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the Red Valley...


    Dozens of people were in a large hall of the Silva family headquarters, actively shouting and expounding their ideas of what should happen from now on.


    After almost a month since the deaths of Urban and his teammates, this family had finally understood a little about the power of the adversaries responsible for such deaths.


    However, such a thing had not been without cost. After all, in addition to those three Spiritual Kings who had died earlier, now five more of them had joined the group and left for the afterlife...


    This was terrible!


    Of the 41 Spiritual Kings that such a noble organization had just over a month ago, now only 33 remained... But contrary to what the numbers showed, the damage done to this family in this short time was much more significant than that.


    After all, not only cultivators at the beginning of the 6th stage had died in this period. In addition, individuals who were already between levels 53 and 54 had also fallen on the Black Plain!


    That, yes, was the biggest problem. That is, such people were scarce to find even in royal families since most of these cultivators were below level 53. But now they had lost all these people at once...


    As for the Spiritual Generals, well, they still didn''t know about this since no letter informing them about this or any survivors had arrived at the headquarters until the present moment. However, this would not matter much to the nobles of this power at the end of the day.


    That was because such people could be easily replaced, and this power had tens of thousands of Spiritual Generals in its ranks... So, even if they knew the truth, that wouldn''t be the end of the world for the nobles in the power of such an organization.


    But in any case, even if they didn''t know about the fate of their thousands of guards sent to the Black Plain, these people talking in that place knew some information.


    That was because some letters had arrived at the headquarters, which described some of the problems encountered by those groups...


    "Comrades, we must take vigorous action regarding this problem!"


    "Yes!"


    "We must seek help from our allies, and if necessary, we need to contact the royal family!"


    "That''s right!"


    "Let''s put the entire kingdom against that city!"


    Pa! Pa!


    "Order! Order!" Someone shouted while releasing his cultivation pressure to calm the tempers of the people in that place.


    "Let''s allow elder Milo to speak first..."

 Chapter 594: The Silva Family Makes Its Move

    After the shouting in that place diminished, finally, one of the most prestigious elders of that family began to speak. "Well, everyone here already knows the basics about this subject, but I''ll bring it up once more so that we don''t ignore anything here..."


    "After several days since the departure of the group led by Oliver, when they should have been investigating the Black Plain, we have lost the soul sign of Margot."


    "Hmm." Several people agreed, still keeping their mouths shut and listening to that man''s speech carefully.


    Margot was not a noble but rather a subordinate. However, as a person of humble origin who had come so far in power within this organization, she was undeniably influential. And due to the many centuries dedicated to this organization, she had gained the respect of many of the nobles of House Silva.


    As such, upon hearing her name, many people there had made mourning expressions while nodding in agreement with Milo''s speech.


    This elder then continued. "However, the most unexpected thing was that we found out that the little Gill family..." He began to turn red, getting anger and anger as the veins in his neck became more pronounced.


    "The little Gill family dared to attack us!"


    "Tsk!"


    "Those wretched people! It seems we are no longer respected!"


    "What a degradation! Our ancestors must be turning in their graves with such disgrace happening to our noble family!"


    Several negative comments were made in low voices. At the same time, each of those people felt a tremendous sense of humiliation deep within their beings.


    Milo then continued. "After that, we lost the soul sign of Oliver, but we did not find out anything regarding his death, nor the fate of those who accompanied him..."


    "However, a few days after that, another of our 6th stage subordinates died in that territory. But we finally discovered the reality!"


    "The power behind everything that happened to us has a base on the coast of the Black Plain, one that is protected by a medium-level grade-2 defensive array!"


    The Silva family had discovered such a thing because some people had fled from that location in time had managed to send this information to the Red Valley!


    As such, these elders already knew about the Black Plain Army''s naval base.


    "Finally, a few days after that event on the coast of the Black Plain, we lost the soul signs of the last two 6th stage subordinates who were on that mission!"


    That was the last information that the Silva family had gotten since so far. None of the subordinates of this power who had participated in that mission had returned until the moment. On the other hand, no other letters had arrived during these past days.


    But this was not strange. After all, the battle that had taken place in Dry City had been much harsher than the one that had taken place in the vicinity of the naval base.


    Also, because there were more soldiers near Dry City, those who had escaped alive from there had faced far more difficulties than those who Ernest''s group had attacked.


    "Brothers..." Milo looked from one side of that hall to the other as he observed the older and more powerful people from this family. "Patriarch, supreme elder, this power that is behind these defeats our family has recently had needs to be contained as soon as possible."


    "However, we have a critical problem regarding this matter!"


    "This is something that could very well lead us to a big mistake, to bad decisions that could result in us being stabbed in the back!"


    The patriarch then looked at that level 55 elder and asked. "What does elder Milo mean?"


    "The Gill family is against us. That we already know..." He then looked steadily into the eyes of the late Darell''s father and asked. "But... But what if there are other noble houses on the side of this mysterious organization?"


    "Obviously, our family would not be frightened by small or even medium-sized organizations like the Gill family allying themselves..." Another person was about to speak when suddenly he was interrupted by the voice of the supreme elder.


    "That''s not the problem... Of course, we fear no one, except for our sovereign, King Brown!" He said while trying not to lose his calm in this very problematic situation. "What the elder Milo is telling us is that we must take precautions!"


    "We can take this matter to King Brown, but we need a better understanding of the situation. If we have no idea the ones against us, the motive for such actions, how what is happening on the Black Plain could be a danger to both us and the kingdom, our actions will have little or no effect!"


    "Not only that, we may even alert the enemies of our plans and help them set an even better trap for ourselves!"


    "Hmmm, that''s what I had thought..." Milo commented in a low voice as he closed his eyes and nodded in the direction of the supreme elder.


    "So, that''s it..." Patriarch Otis muttered as he finally realized they didn''t know who might be on the Black Plains side.


    After all, until a few days ago, nothing could indicate that the Gill family would one day attack them!


    As such, they should be cautious about the other noble families in this state, especially those with more significant rivalries with House Silva, as in the example of the Miller family!


    On the other hand, many members of noble families were part of the royalty. That is, many were married to royal descendants and dedicated their lives to the royal family. So, these elders could not risk communicating such things indirectly to the king...


    At worst, such a thing might very well never reach King Brown''s ears and even alert the enemies of House Silva.


    Hence, the Silva family needed to speak directly to the king, have the necessary evidence to make such a matter a kingdom problem, and know whom to trust...


    "All right, people, quiet." The patriarch shouted once again, causing many of the conversations to stop once again. He then suggested. "Well, what the supreme elder and elder Milo have talked about here really makes sense."


    "We need to be more careful. And to this end, before we talk to King Brown, I want to change our operations so that we can know the necessary details as soon as possible."


    "First, I want all of our spies outside the Brown Kingdom to return here. Each of them will be sent to the headquarters cities of the other 19 noble families in our state so that the surveillance of these powers will be more efficient."


    "I want to know about every detail of the specialists of each of these powers, especially their recent movements!"


    "Second, let''s send some small groups to each of the cities bordering the Black Plain..."


    "Let''s see who is coming and going from such a region!"


    ...


    Quickly, several hours passed, and that group from the Silva family had decided many things relevant to the future of this noble house.


    But after two days since the conversations about many of these necessary actions had ended, new letters from some of the survivors of the battles on the Black Plain had arrived at the headquarters of such a family.


    With this, they had finally discovered the total damage they had suffered on this investigative mission. They had found that more than 70% of the people sent to the Black Plain had died at enemy hands, with many of the survivors needing urgent help.


    But in addition to these casualties, they had also found out about the Dry City dome, something that had frightened them considerably. After all, having defensive barriers generated by medium-level grade-2 arrays at bases or headquarters was something that anyone could encounter when traveling through the northern part of the Central Continent.


    However, there was not even a single city fully protected by such defenses in this region!


    Therefore, the Dry City had become an even bigger mystery to the leaders of this organization.


    So, from now on, the Silva family''s entire focus would be on collecting evidence and information about the Black Plain and its potential allies to attract King Brown''s attention.


    Previously, the elders of this power wanted to prepare for the tumultuous times the northern region was going through to take advantage of the best opportunities. But when they least expected it, they had already been caught up in turmoil, even though they were unprepared and didn''t know who the enemy was.


    With this, there were no more options for them to try to profit in the current scenario. The Silva family''s only goal now was to overcome this calamity and continue to exist in the future!

 Chapter 595: Growth and Important Action

    In the blink of an eye, three weeks had passed since the Silva family began their actions in secret.


    In the meantime, the Dry City had been silently developing as it began to receive the first citizens from Maritime City through the advertisements made by the army soldiers.


    However, these numbers were not significant enough to change the reality of this city in the middle of the Black Plain. After all, only a few hundred people had arrived in this place in the meantime and already moved here.


    The army was not trying to attract unnecessary attention with this advertisement, and each family had the ideal moment for their respective migrations. In the same way, as had happened to the current citizens of the Dry City who had come here through the agreement of Minos and Mirya, people from the City of Water.


    But while these people of lesser talents and levels from Maritime City were beginning to migrate to the Dry City, another selection of the Black Plain Army had taken place!


    With such a thing having already been completed, about 4,500 more people had joined the local army, for a total of almost 15,000 soldiers!


    Of these nearly 15,000 individuals, over 3,600 were already at the 5th stage of cultivation, while ten were at the 6th stage.


    None of the Sergeants had made it to the 6th stage in the meantime, so these two extra Spiritual Kings were not old soldiers.


    In the meantime, a spiritual judge from the Miller family had come to the Yellow City and then signed the Soul Contracts of Regina and Angela with young Stuart. So, this addition was because these two had joined the army in the days gone by!


    Anyway, in these weeks, the army had gained a great addition of personnel and strength. That had made Minos'' organization for the first time in its history as strong as a medium-sized noble house, although there were still numerical disadvantages to his side.


    However, now young Stuart was sure that even if all the specialists of a family similar to House Gill attacked them, his side would have the odds in their favor!


    After all, now the Black Plain Army had two level 54 Spiritual Kings who were battle experts and who were learning Silver-grade techniques. As such, this organization could soon have two people as strong as a patriarch of a family similar to House Gill!


    Celeste had already learned more than half of the techniques of such quality that she could learn at her level, while Angela had already learned a cultivation technique and a defensive one.


    ...


    While many areas of the Dry City had commercial and residential buildings under construction, the midday sun was warming this beautiful city.


    At the same time, young Stuart was in the courtyard of his mansion, training his attack technique while occasionally giving his orders or asking questions to Sergeant Joey.


    He had already reached the point where he had problems to solve almost all the time, so recently, he started hearing specific reports even when he was practicing some of his techniques.


    That didn''t hinder his training, but even if there was some negative influence, for the moment, it was insignificant. That was because young Stuart had already fully understood each of his techniques for the current phase he was at in each of them. So, he only had to reach level 50 to reach new phases in each of these techniques.


    But even if he no longer needed to train these techniques until he reached level 50, he still did this daily. That was for him to accumulate experience for the subsequent phases of his techniques and not to get out of his routine, which helped him keep his focus.


    He could have no practical results at the moment since he had the increased energy required to conquer these new phases of his techniques. But once he managed to reach level 50, this time would not be wasted. On the contrary, he would gain those hours of training further on!


    Swooish!


    Anyway, as he made his sword movements to attack an array in his courtyard, beads of sweat dripped down his face, and his respiratory rate raised.


    At the same time, Joey was sitting on the wooden bench nearby, with arms crossed in front of his chests, while answering the question Minos had just asked.


    "Young master, we have already sent all reinforcements to the border bases. With that, we currently have 750 Sergeants at the army naval base; 1,200 soldiers of the same rank in Maritime City; 500 in the City of Waters; 414 in the Yellow City, and the rest in our city."


    "Regarding these 5th stage individuals in our city, most of them are either new soldiers or newly promoted soldiers... Just as the young master had ordered."


    "Huh, that''s good." Minos commented as beads of sweat fell from his wet hair, and he continued with his training.


    Joey then continued. "But we are still without any Spiritual King at the secret base in Yellow City. Will the young master send someone there in the short term? Perhaps we should send a letter asking for Lieutenant Elena..."


    Upon hearing this, Minos finally slowed the pace of his training until he stopped his movements and walked over to a small table with a white tablecloth, a pitcher of water, and a glass cup.


    "No. Elena will probably have several problems getting off Stone Island. We''d better let her come back in her own time, so we don''t attract the families from that place to Dry City." He said as he dried himself with that towel and held a glass of water in his right hand.


    Glub! Glub! Glub!


    "Ahh!" He drank all the contents of that glass and then opened his mouth and made a characteristic sound, just before speaking again. "Soon, Celeste will finish learning the Silver-grade techniques. With that, I will leave Angela in charge of training the Elite Squad soldiers and send that woman to the army naval base."


    "At the same time as that, Ernest will go to the secret base in Yellow City."


    "Oh? All right." Joey said in a low voice as he jotted down some things on a clipboard that was there with him.


    "Plus, when Mirya fully recovers, and Elena returns from Stone Island, we''ll take some shifts between these soldiers who are out of Dry City." Minos said, just before throwing that towel from earlier on a table and then walking back to where his sword was.


    Swooish!


    "What about that mission, young master? Should we release it now?" Joey asked doubtfully.


    Recently Minos had decided to allocate some missions in the local Mercenary Guild so that its stronger mercenaries could better prepare themselves for the fearful future of this place.


    That was a measure he wanted to use to make some citizens more accustomed to deadly missions, things that would put them in more problematic situations where they would have to fight humans.


    Previously such warriors who did missions in the local guild would at most have deadly fights against beasts. But the fighting style of beasts and humans was completely different!


    And as much as training with beasts was good, a warrior would never be prepared to deal with the typical trickery of humans if he only trained by fighting such opponents, beasts, beings that usually rely more on their own abilities.


    On the other hand, Minos wanted to give his citizens some opportunities to collect resources for themselves while earning generous rewards.


    That would stimulate the growth of these mercenaries who would join such missions and be a positive thing for their respective families!


    And to this end, Minos wanted to create some hunting missions for some groups of Mercenary Guild warriors to hunt down and exterminate groups of bandits and pirates...


    That would get rid of some local problems and also provide a good training opportunity for the strongest citizens of his city.


    But Minos would not completely risk his valuable citizens. No, he would send some of his soldiers to secretly follow those people who accepted the missions, for the case they faced groups far beyond their capabilities.


    But this was only to prevent the future soldiers of his army from dying before they even entered such an organization. Hence, in other situations, the ''guardians'' of these mercenaries would not get involved at all.


    Anyway, after hearing Joey''s question, Minos immediately gave his confirmation. "Do it."

 Chapter 596: Time to Assume Greater Responsibilities

    After giving his order to Joey, Minos saw this old man get up from where he was previously and then leave that area.


    The two had already finished their daily business, and as such, this Sergeant of the Black Plain Army had to return to the headquarters to fulfill his duties related to the previous matters or other things.


    At the same time, Minos had taken the opportunity and immediately went to the Spatial Kingdom.


    Zum!


    After the space around him vibrated rapidly and he appeared not far from the Spatial Kingdom''s lake house, Minos immediately saw dozens of people in that place.


    Some people were cultivating between that house and the lake, sitting on cultivation cushions while circulating their techniques, causing the spiritual energy around their bodies to condense.


    On the other hand, another group of people was around the area made explicitly for fighting and training. There, some of these Elite Squad soldiers were individually training their battle techniques, while others were fighting among themselves.


    At the same time, some of the stronger soldiers were fighting Celeste or Angela, something that happened routinely around here and that each of those 100 soldiers needed to do at least once a week.


    The Elite Squad had doubled its numbers in the three weeks that had passed during the selection process for new soldiers. In that period, Sergeants had had the chance to compete for 50 spots on this special team.


    And since nothing had disrupted Minos'' plans, all these people were already here in the Spatial Kingdom, learning new techniques and training in this cultivation sanctuary.


    But besides these 100 individuals, a few more beings were here but were not part of the Elite Squad, nor were they Spiritual Kings. These were Abby, whom Minos usually sent here during this time of day, and also Lee and Alison.


    None of those three were part of the Elite Squad since they all shared some advantages with Minos that ordinary soldiers did not have.


    Those two had already been frequent visitors to the Spatial Kingdom since they were 10-years-old. So, they didn''t need to compete for the few spots of this group with the ordinary soldiers. As for Abby, well, that goes without saying.


    On the other hand, besides these three humans, there were three beasts in that area at the moment.


    Abby''s huge spiritual beast, Ebba, was there, training with the young Nine-tailed Fox, Kyla, who at this moment had five graceful tails waving on top of her butt.


    That''s right, young Kyla had finally reached the 5th stage of cultivation and was already able to speak the human language!


    And not far from Kyla and Ebba, Emlyn was lying on top of a thick branch of one of the largest trees in the Spatial Kingdom, from where she could see almost all the people in this place.


    She was quietly there eating some apples while scanning the surroundings, with her vast aura, typical of Nine-tailed Foxes that had already reached level 54!


    "Oh? Did you just advance your level?" Minos said in a satisfied tone as he came close to where Emlyn and the two other beasts were at the moment.


    "Hehe, I leveled up after you left the Spatial Realm earlier today." That big fox said that while briefly closing its big eyes and making an expression that looked a lot like a smile.


    "Hmm, that''s great!" Minos said in satisfaction as he looked at Emlyn and then in the direction where those two beasts were fighting. "In less than a month, I will reach level 50. At that time, we will have our next duel."


    "Sounds like you are very anxious, eh? This time I shouldn''t be able to keep beating you..."


    "Probably... But that''s because you lost one of your paws. If it weren''t for that, it would probably still take me more than a year to get this."


    As these two were talking, ''little'' Kyla and Ebba stopped fighting, and then the two of them ran towards Minos.


    "Big brother!" Kyla shouted in a joyful tone, at the same time, as she jumped on top of Minos.


    After that, she immediately started licking this young man while each of her tails waved in different ways.


    This fox had become very talkative after reaching the 5th stage of cultivation. Every time she had the opportunity to talk to Minos, she took the opportunity to spend as much time with him as possible.


    And even though she was already officially an adult fox, due to the distinctive way in which she had grown up, this young fox still behaved rather immaturely in Minos'' presence. As such, she often still played pranks on young Stuart, and despite calling him ''big brother,'' she treated him more like a father than a brother.


    "Did you see me earlier, big brother? I am much stronger than before! I can''t wait to travel the continent and visit my tribe in the future!" She excitedly  said while breathing hurriedly.


    "Hmm, you are stronger. But you will have to wait for a little longer to meet the Nine-tailed Foxes tribe." Minos said as he smiled under Kyla''s massive body, which, although enormous, gave a warm and soft feeling to him.


    "How much longer?" Kyla asked as her big eyes sparkled.


    "Not long... How about this, when I go to the Continent of the Beasts, I promise to go to the tribe of you and your mother. What do you think?"


    "Really?" She asked, as her big eyes shone in satisfaction...


    "Sure!" Minos said as he massaged Kyla''s large neck. He then said. "But in the meantime, why don''t you go call your two friends for me?"


    "Fine!"


    After saying that, Kyla jumped off Minos and ran in the direction where Lee and Alison were standing.


    ...


    "Master, did you summon us?" The two simultaneously said as they stood in front of Minos, next to the tree where Emlyn was standing.


    "Hmm, congratulations to you two. You both have already reached level 43, even though you are only 15!"


    Upon hearing this, immediately, the two smiled while feeling a sense of pride deep within their beings. They usually did not link their levels to their ages, as they were too busy training or dealing with local problems.


    But upon hearing Minos'' words, they couldn''t help but be proud of their current positions.


    "You are probably among the top regional geniuses in this age group and are invincible against those of the same age. And since you are both adults now, I want to pass on a special mission to you." Minos said as he looked in the direction of those two and saw Seargent Peter dozens of meters from there.


    "As soon as I reach level 50, I will send you two and Sergeant Peter to the Snow Kingdom."


    "There, I want you to perform some tasks that could help the Black Plain in the distant future, as well as for us to conquer some things that are needed..."


    Upon hearing this, the two immediately showed thoughtfulness while feeling a mixture of anxiety and fear. After all, they had never gone further than the City of Waters, but now Minos was saying that they would travel to such a distant place...


    And as young people, these two had a desire to get to know other parts of the northern Central Continent and meet other talented young people like themselves.


    Both of them had grown up as geniuses in Dry City, without any rivals of the same age as them. So, they both felt a need to meet other people.


    On the other hand, they had a particular fear due to the tumultuous time that the Black Plain was already experiencing. Therefore, they couldn''t help but worry about such a mission.


    "Master, we have to do something urgently in the Snow Kingdom? Is that why we will go there so early?" Lee asked while having his two hands behind his back, something he had learned to imitate from some army elders.


    "Well, it''s not that it''s urgent. It''s just that if I don''t send you now, I''m afraid I won''t be able to do it for a few years."


    He hadn''t planned to do this so soon, but since the shadows of war were almost entirely under the Black Plain, then he could only adapt to reality!


    Hence, he had decided to take advantage of the remaining peace time left for the Black Plain so that the group of those three would leave the Brown Kingdom and head towards the Snow Kingdom safely.

 Chapter 597: Settling Issues

    At first, Minos hadn''t planned to send Lee and Alison on such a mission to the Snow Kingdom. Instead, he would do this travel himself sometime in the future to settle business matters related to beast tamers'' techniques and the purchase of beasts for his army.


    The Black Plain Army had a small number of beasts to transport groups of soldiers and the resources from the Dry City. In fact, almost all the beasts that his organization had were beings bought from the local citizens.


    After all, it was not easy to buy many beasts without drawing the attention of the regional powers since the transport would be very flashy. As such, young Stuart had to be satisfied with the beasts that were in Dry City, beings of low level and weak lineages...


    Consequently, his army had few mounts for the soldiers, and most of them were below the 4th stage.


    However, for a force that aims to become the strongest in the region in the coming years, not having appropriate mounts for the soldiers was a problem.


    That is because a power with a high regional level needs to have fast and efficient means of transportation that could ''shorten'' regional distances. Only in this way could an organization have more stable control over its own territory and also over others...


    On the other hand, a state that exports large amounts of resources would need many beasts to pull the wagons to the ports or different forms of transportation. As such, Minos would need to have a significant number of beasts in his organization in the future.


    And precisely for this, he needs to do business in a place like the Snow Kingdom, the leading state in the region in this matter!


    Such a place was famous for having many guilds focused on the profession of beast tamers, where copies of specialized techniques or mounts could be easily acquired.


    Not only that, the variety and quality of these things found in that state were far above what could be obtained outside the Snow Kingdom. Hence, such a place was the best for Minos to do his business.


    And he couldn''t wait too long to have these things, given the fact that he would soon significantly increase his population and consequently the local food production.


    Besides, of course, the fact that his soldiers would need suitable mounts to pursue enemies during the coming war.


    Therefore, as the war was getting closer and closer, he had decided to give this mission to these three.


    As for why he didn''t do this before, well, that was because of a lack of need and resources. First, because there weren''t many beasts in the Black Plain region to be tamed, there was no demand for techniques for beast tamers in the Dry City.


    And second, because the Black Plain did not have enough crystals previously to maintain all the services of Dry City and still invest in such beasts. After all, this territory did not have a financial reserve previously.


    As for why Minos specifically wanted Lee and Alison to do this, well, there were two reasons for this. First, this young ruler wanted to prepare these two to become future regional leaders, and as such, it would be good for them to travel around the region and make contacts.


    Such a thing would be a good experience and would finally put into practice the things these two had learned in the past years.


    Secondly, Minos needed to send people he could trust and who would not be missed in the army in the short term. And since these two had grown up following this sovereign''s ideas, as well as being strong enough to protect themselves from most regional dangers, young Stuart had chosen them.


    But although the two were already considerably strong, the difference they would make in short-term battles would be slight.


    On the other hand, the chances of them participating in a larger battle and dying were not slight.


    With that stated, this would be a good opportunity for these two not to get involved in short-term high-level battles and still help the Black Plain by doing those deals in the Snow Kingdom!


    Minos then said. "Don''t worry. You two are already at level 43, and Peter is at level 46. So, unless a level 51 Spiritual King decides to act against you, no one else will be able to threaten your group."


    "And something like that is unlikely to happen..."


    "Hmmm." The two nodded their heads as they agreed with Minos.


    In fact, there shouldn''t be that much danger for them. After all, they were intelligent enough not to provoke people gratuitously, and the chance of an expert of this level appearing in their way was relatively small.


    There weren''t many Spiritual Kings in this region, and hardly a 6th stage individual would bother with Spiritual Generals who hadn''t even reached the final part of the 5th stage.


    So, unless they were very unlucky, they probably wouldn''t have to fight such strong opponents.


    "This journey should take at least one year... So, you two will certainly get stronger in that period, and the dangers will be even less." Minos said while having a thoughtful look on his face. "You will only need to be careful with beasts during the journey. But we will give you some maps with paths that do not pass through hazardous forest regions."


    "OK."


    Lee then asked. "Master, what will we do in the Snow Kingdom?"


    "You will buy beast tamer specialized techniques of Blue-grade and Black-grade. But, on the other hand, I want you to order some beasts that will serve as mounts and to pull wagons and carriages."


    "I will ask Mia to pass on to you the quantities and types of beasts when the time comes for you to leave." He said.


    "All right."


    "Finally, I want you guys to try to look for the Meyer family..."


    ...


    Minos talked for a few minutes with those two, giving them various information regarding this mission they would have to do in the Snow Kingdom.


    When he said goodbye to those two, young Stuart went directly to the place where several of the Elite Squad soldiers were training and fighting, where Celeste and Angela were at this moment.


    "You two, come with me." Minos said as he waved to them and walked away from those dozens of soldiers.


    After that, the three of them came closer to the shores of the lake, a somewhat quieter part, where there were just a few people quietly cultivating.


    Minos then removed two silver scrolls from his spatial ring and said. "Celeste, this is the last technique you will be able to learn before you reach the 7th stage of cultivation."


    "Hmmm." She made a sound of appreciation, while she couldn''t hide the look of happiness on her face.


    She then took one of the silver scrolls from Minos'' hand and listened to this young man''s voice once again. "After you master the basics of this technique, unfortunately for you, I will have to send you to one of the army bases. You will stay there for a year until you are replaced by someone else."


    "After that, you will come back here, and you will stay around here for some time..."


    Gulp!


    "OK." She said as she clenched her fists.


    Celeste truly wanted to stay in the Spatial Kingdom as long as possible. Still, she understood that she needed to fulfill her duties in the army, especially at this very dark time.


    "But take advantage of this remaining month to reach level 55. Unfortunately, we won''t have many opportunities to train together in the future. However, I still want to do that at least once after I reach level 50."


    After saying that, Minos saw that woman nod to him before finally walking away from there and starting to learn that technique, he had lent her.


    He then looked steadily into Angela''s white eyes and said. "Well, this is the third technique you will be able to learn. It is a movement technique, something that will be very useful to you in the future."


    "OK." She murmured as she received that scroll from Minos'' hands.


    "With Celeste''s departure, you will be the only human capable of training these Elite Squad soldiers with the same vigor as her. So, for now, I intend to leave you around for at least the next seven or eight months."


    "Enjoy that time because, after that, I will most likely send you to one of the army''s border bases."


    "On the other hand, since Celeste will not be able to train with me after her departure, then I''m afraid you will be her replacement..."


    "Also, I want you to start training with Emlyn after that woman leaves."


    "OK."


    After that, the two finally went their separate ways. Angela went in the same direction as Celeste to learn this new technique. In contrast, Minos went towards a quieter place where he could train calmly.

 Chapter 598: Prelude 1

    Meanwhile, on Stone Island...


    Elena and Elen were at this moment training in some part of the Nash family palace in the capital of this state, Old Stone.


    The two blond women were fighting each other, wearing typical clothing for this type of activity while each of them had their own hair tied up so that it would not get in their way.


    As they did so, at least one of the two was running back and forth, dodging, defending herself, and throwing attacks at her opponent, trying hard to keep fighting.


    She had her breathing rate up while her body emitted a thermal sensation that people could feel a few meters away from her. At the same time, her sweat was releasing fragrances into the air, which if they were possible to see with the naked eye, then it would seem that she had a colorful aura over her body right now.


    And although she had already reached level 51, Elen was this woman who was trying so hard while being pushed around by Lieutenant Elena, who was only at level 50.


    But this was to be expected. After all, Elena had a complete set of techniques of a higher grade than Elen. So, the Nash woman had less power than her friend.


    However, the difference was not brutal to the point that she could do nothing about it. On the contrary, they could fight with almost everything they had and still have a good enough fight that they both had certain benefits.


    But of course, Elana had the advantage and was suppressing Elen right now.


    As such, she wasn''t sweating as much, nor did she have a breathing rate as high as Elen''s. Furthermore, this Lieutenant of the Black Plain Army was actively attacking her opponent while training more efficient ways to deal with situations similar to this one.


    Elena was one level above her, and this Lieutenant needed to train her stamina during fights against stronger opponents, individuals who were likely to take longer to run out of energy than her!


    Anyway, while the two were training in that place, the two bodyguards that had been protecting Elena since the war against the Allen family group had started were nearby, watching those two.


    They watched and felt the surroundings to prevent strange people from coming into contact with that woman.


    That was because, although they were inside the Nash family property, in the past, there had been situations where members of the family had betrayed this organization because of promises from enemies. And in such cases, some nobles of this organization had even died because of such betrayals!


    Hence, even in a presumably safe place, these two Spiritual Kings who were in Elen''s security team needed to be alert at all times.


    But since these people were already at level 55, the two of them were able to accompany the training of these two blondes while they did the surveillance of the area.


    "Young Elen is truly very talented and fortunate." One of the two said in admiration while muttering in a low voice to his comrade.


    "Hmm, she is exhibiting a magnificent cultivation speed for people at the 6th stage in our region." The other commented in agreement to his teammate while nodding his head and smiling.


    These two were commenting on a great thing that could rarely be seen in this northern region of the Central Continent. After all, cultivation speed was a complex thing that depended on many variables.


    For example, having a good talent and a quality technique would greatly help a person''s cultivation speed. But this had a limit!


    Things like natural or artificial resources could influence such a thing as well, and the natural characteristics of cultivators, such as age.


    Among those resources are pills, medicines, high-quality food, whether chefs prepare this food or not, the level of these professionals, paintings made by spiritual painters, musicians, etc.


    All these and more could increase a cultivator''s cultivation speed and understanding.


    So, being in a region poor in spiritual energy, with few high-level medicines, few mid-level specialists, little supply of resources, and so on, made local progression very difficult.


    Local cultivators relied heavily on spiritual crystals and cultivation techniques while they had almost no opportunity to use other resources, as they lacked sufficient funds. But even if some had these funds, it would still not be enough, as the supply of these unique resources was very low...


    On the other hand, even a large family, like House Nash, had to divide its profits among thousands of people, and thus, there wasn''t much left to keep for future problems or opportunities. So, most people''s wages in this region were meager, and many barely had enough to pay for their families'' living costs.


    Consequently, it wasn''t easy to rise in power in this region of the Central Continent. And this was particularly noticeable when the local cultivators reached the 6th stage when the individual''s power level made the first considerably long jump.


    Every cultivation stage required a large amount of energy that was much higher than that of lower stages. But before the 6th stage, this was not so significant that a person of noble origin could go many years without increasing their level.


    Therefore, people in this region could reach levels like that of the Spiritual Tournament competitors in less than eight years of cultivation.


    But after they reached level 50, everything would change!


    There would be no more resources that could considerably affect these people''s cultivations in the short term. There weren''t enough crystals, the techniques were terrible, the professionals were poorly qualified by the continental standards, and so on...


    Hence, a Spiritual King would slowly begin to age, losing the best time to cultivate, i.e., youth. And after losing this time, cultivation could increase significantly in difficulty, to the point that people who had already reached, for example, level 57, would spend even centuries to reach level 58!


    Anyway, this was the reality of cultivation in this region, which made these two Spiritual Kings marvel at Elen''s cultivation speed.


    They knew that this woman had a Silver-grade cultivation technique, something that immensely helped this accomplishment. However, the method alone would not be enough for her to achieve such a thing in this region, as the spiritual density around here was very thin.


    However, she was receiving massive amounts of crystals through the business with Minos, something that was hers and a few people''s and not necessarily the whole family''s. With this, she was able to get enough resources to keep increasing her level constantly, even though she was in this region!


    "If she keeps this up, maybe in less than 30 years, she''ll reach level 59!" One of those two bodyguards said in anticipation.


    "Let''s see..."


    ...


    While those two were talking, Elen and Elena finally finished their training session.


    One of them then sat on a wooden bench, breathing heavily, using a towel to dry the sweat on her pretty face.


    Meanwhile, Elena had stood next to Elen, looking at this woman with a smile on her face. "Well, that''s all for today. Follow this advice I''ve given you, and you should improve the mastery of your techniques even faster." She advised.


    Previously the two had done this, fighting each other and exchanging ideas on how to improve. However, now Elena was giving the tips, while Elen listened to them, which was the opposite in the past...


    Because of this change, Elena couldn''t help but smile.


    "Aren''t you sorry you didn''t join Minos'' army?"


    "Tsk! I''m not a warrior, so I don''t need to be the best at my level!" Elen said without bothering to look at Elena. "As long as I can reach a high level and live longer, that''s enough for me."


    "Haha, I expected you were going to say something like that... Anyway, I heard about some strange things recently. Can you tell me more about it?"


    ...

 Chapter 599: Prelude 2

    Hearing her friend''s question, Elen sighed as she closed her eyes for a moment. She then said. "Well, previously, we were expecting a big battle to occur any moment now since the enemy side was taking losses greater than ours."


    "However, in the last few days, the enemy side''s actions have suddenly decreased in intensity, almost as if they were retreating..."


    "Impossible! The Allens would never act in such a way without the war being lost." Elena said promptly.


    "Hmm, I think so too... That''s why it''s so strange. Maybe they took one step backward to take two steps forward."


    "But regardless of what the Allen family allies are planning, our side is ready to fight at any time!"


    "So, don''t worry about that at the moment. Just continue leading your life and business in the Neel family as you had been doing these weeks since your return from the Black Plain."


    "OK. But do you have an estimate of what the Allens are doing? Haven''t the spies uncovered any valuable information?" Elena asked as she sat down next to Elen.


    "Nothing very significant has been discovered. The only thing we''ve discovered is that this seems to be related to some kind of deal they have with the families of Farmland."


    "Farmland?" Elena repeated Elen''s last word, as she remembered that previously some of the Allen family elders had visited that region to look for support.


    "Yes. Some of the elders of the three families of that region were detected traveling recently, around the same time that the Allen family allies had started this recent move."


    "And where did these elders go?"


    Elen then shook her head and said. "We don''t know. We lost contact after that information reached headquarters..."


    "So, that''s how it is... I just hope those people don''t go through Dry City, or that place might be discovered by enemy forces too soon." Elena said, not knowing that such a thing had already happened...


    She had been on Stone Island for weeks, and since her arrival here, she had received only one piece of information from the Black Plain through Elen. However, such a thing was nothing so relevant to her, being only something related to Dry City''s dealings with Stone Island.


    As such, she had no idea of the problems caused by Ralf and Railan''s visit and the discovery made by Urban''s group.


    "Anyway..." Elen sighed deeply before changing the subject and asking something regarding that woman. "By the way, how much longer will you stay here on Stone Island?"


    Upon hearing that question, Elena thought for a second and then said with a sincere expression. "Less than two months. Since I have to take several precautions during my return trip to the Black Plain, I won''t be able to stay here for long."


    "I see..."


    "On the other hand, I want to prepare a blacksmith to take to Dry City with me."


    After having her status increased within the Neel family, Elena had earned the right to lead three Spiritual Kings, two of whom were blacksmiths and one of whom specialized in combat.


    But as much as she had these people at her disposal, she could not take all of them to Minos'' territory. Because of those people, two of them were responsible for ruling one of the cities in the Neel family''s territory.


    Hence, only one of them was free to accompany this woman in this plan she wished to follow. And by coincidence, such a person was one of the blacksmiths and not the warrior.


    "Haha, are you trying to get the Neel family to become Minos'' subordinate?" Elen asked with a curious smile on her beautiful face.


    Upon hearing such a thing, Elena was not bothered by such teasing and just said confidently. "I am making my Neel family become the largest blacksmith organization in our region."


    ...


    While those two women talked during their rest, two old men in the Allen family were chatting in another part of Old Stone.


    They were sitting on what seemed to be a large balcony, where several ornamental plants embellished the place, and some paintings and porcelains were distributed there.


    But neither of them was paying attention to the items or this place. Instead, both were sitting on opposite sides of a table while playing chess.


    One of them had a beard and long hair, entirely white as if he was already at the end of his life. As for the other, although he was old, he was the complete opposite, as he didn''t have a single hair on his head.


    But since the two were Spiritual Kings, they were not so close to the day of their deaths. On the contrary, they would still have a few centuries before they reached the average life expectancy of a person at that stage.


    "Rolf, are the envoys from Farmland already on Stone Island?" The bearded man asked while having his two hands crossed at the height of his nose.


    "No. They are waiting on a boat that is 30 kilometers from the west part of Stone Island. They will only act when the signal of our mission is given." The bald man answered as he looked at the level 58 Spiritual King in front of him.


    These were obviously the two strongest cultivators of the Allen family, patriarch Duncan Allen, and supreme elder Rolf Allen.


    Both had had a lot of trouble getting allies to fight the group that Elen had formed at the beginning of this war. And after some failures, including that attempt to involve the Spiritual Church, these two had finally gotten outside help, and their plans were already in full effect!


    After planning to act against the Black Plain Army naval base and the Nash family, the groups of the three noble families of the Farmland region and the Allen family alliance had found the perfect bait to challenge Minos'' forces.


    They had taken several months to do such a thing since they could not put their hopes on families from Stone Island or the Cromwell Kingdom. After all, these two states were experiencing the uncertainties of war, and few powers would want to risk themselves externally during such a period.


    On the other hand, they could not simply say to some great noble family something like, ''go and risk your lives for us!''


    Nor could they bring good news about some kind of treasure or resource that might be in that naval base. After all, that would be very suspicious.


    Hence, the alternative left was to ''let'' some great regional power ''discover'' that there was something valuable in that area of the naval base of young Stuart''s army.


    And with such an action, it would not be so complicated that an outside power would find it worthwhile to invade the impoverished and unwanted Black Plain.


    Finally, after some time working on it, these powers had managed to get one of the noble families of the Kingdom of the Waves interested in such a place.


    Anyway, after hearing Rolf''s answer, the patriarch Duncan said in a low voice. "I understand... But do we already have a date for the mission to begin?"


    "More or less. We have just received information from the spies acting on the continent that the Collins family will be sending a group to that base in the next few days. After that, the navy from that noble house should reach its destination in a month at the most." Rolf replied promptly.


    "Oh? Hehehe, I just hope the Collins has what it takes to storm that place, or our old ''friends'' will be red with rage." Duncan laughed and said, as he remembered some of his old ''buddies,'' with whom he had competed in the Spiritual Tournament hundreds of years ago.


    But the choice of the Collins family for this scheme was not for nothing. Besides having an old rivalry, it was a fact that the Collins family was one of the strongest noble families in that kingdom. They even have one of their descendants as the crown prince...


    How magnificent would it be to involve the powers of that state in the fight against an enemy that did not exist just for the sake of the Allen family?


    It was indeed ingenious to get others to fight for you, especially in a big bet, like this one these two men were making...


    "Hehe, that might be the prelude to a great regional war..."

 Chapter 600: Mirya Leaves the General Hospital!

    One week later...


    The rush around the General Hospital was as usual, which is to say, hectic.


    So many people were on the sidewalks of this building, standing around chatting, some sitting on the wooden benches in a square there, while others were coming and going from this large construction.


    And amidst the constant flow of people at one of the entrances to this hospital, any local citizen could see a well-organized place, no lines, but plenty of movement upon entering this place.


    There were no crowded parts of this hospital where people had to wait on their feet for care. But there were also not many places available for newcomers. At least that was the truth on the ground floor and following two levels.


    But that was to be expected for this place. After all, such a service had to cope with the demand of a city with almost 200,000 inhabitants, most of whom could afford treatment here.


    Consequently, people were constantly coming to this hospital to treat rare diseases, battle injuries, and certain chronic conditions that needed constant treatment.


    Most of the people who used this service were either elderly or local mercenaries, those individuals who usually went out hunting around Dry City.


    But besides these people who were commonly seen in this place, several soldiers from the local army were receiving treatment in this hospital at the moment.


    Although the army had its own doctors and an infirmary, such a place did not have the capacity of the General Hospital. Therefore, several soldiers were receiving treatment here and not at headquarters.


    But this did not hinder the rhythm of this hospital at all. After all, most of the soldiers here were stronger individuals than the citizens who used this service more frequently. But, on the other hand, these soldiers were cared for by the army doctors, who did not work with ordinary citizens.


    So, soldiers and citizens were not competing for this local medical service!


    But besides these three groups mentioned above, there was still a fourth that had been living in this hospital for the past few weeks...


    These were none other than the Gill family guards, those people who, being led by Beatrice, had fought a great battle in the northeast of the Black Plain.


    And, with their presence on the hospital''s middle floors, any patient who wished to walk the halls would see a variety of people lying on stretchers with arrays around their necks.


    At the same time as this, individuals wearing municipal police uniforms were in the vicinity of each of their rooms, keeping an eye on those prisoners who were receiving treatment.


    Such police officers were present to ensure that the Gill family guards did not do anything dangerous during their treatments when the arrays had to be removed.


    But since many of these enemies were severely wounded before arriving at this hospital, no problems had happened in the previous weeks.


    As such, no ordinary citizens walking through the corridors of the middle floors of this building would be afraid of such people, even though some of these guards were utterly deformed.


    Anyway, while the General Hospital was functioning in its usual way, on one of the floors of this place, Mirya was standing by her bedside, doing a physiotherapy session.


    After so many months since the incident involving the sacrifice of that Spiritual King, the assassin member of the criminal organization Scourges of the Devil, Mirya, the primary victim of such a thing, had finally left her hospital bed.


    She had woken up over a month ago and had been improving daily since then with the help of Regina, Abby, and the doctors of this hospital. As such, she had already reached the stage of her recovery where she could walk and have her own!


    Plus, even though she still had several burns on her body to finish recovering, this woman had smiled again. Such a thing had happened for the first time in an extended period, right after she put her feet up out of that hospital bed.


    But this was to be expected. After all, this was indeed an outstanding achievement for a person in her condition, something she could not help but be happy to accomplish.


    And with each day that passed, with the development of her treatment and the feeling that her body was slowly returning to its normal state, this woman was pleased, despite all that difficulty.


    "That''s it! Just one more repetition, and you''ll be free!" A low-level grade-2 doctor said this in encouragement as she watched Mirya perform an exercise focused on recovering the mobility of her lower body.


    "Ahh!" Mirya made a sound of effort as she took a hurried breath.


    And finally, after a few seconds, this woman finished her physiotherapy session.


    "Well, Ms. Mirya, you can now leave the hospital and return to live in your apartment. But we will still have to do daily sessions for another month." So the doctor said just before saying goodbye to Viola''s mother.


    With that, besides Mirya, only Minos and Regina had remained in that hospital room.


    Those two had been there earlier since, while one of them had finished a treatment session with Mirya an hour ago, the other had come here because he already knew that this woman would be leaving the hospital today.


    "How are you feeling, Mirya?" Minos asked as he watched this woman wipe the sweat from her forehead with a towel.


    As she did so, Mirya was careful not to rub that towel too hard over her face, especially over some scars.


    This part of her body had recovered as much as it could, but she could still feel a particular pain every time something touched these scars. In addition, the memory of all that had happened still frightened her a little, so she was meticulous when moving, wiping, etc.


    She then replied to Minos without looking at this young man. "I am better... I guess I''ll have to get used to feeling these pains for a while, as well as living this way."


    "Hmm, but don''t worry. With the treatment you are receiving from doctor Dillian and me, most of these marks will diminish. And you won''t feel any discomfort coming from them either." Regina commented as she sat in a part of that room.


    "That''s right, Mirya, don''t bother with those things. In at most another month and a half, you''ll be able to cultivate again, and with that, it won''t be long before you reach level 60."


    "Tsk! You say that so casually..." Mirya shook her head while having her eyes closed.


    Mirya already knew about some things about the Black Plain Army, but since she had not yet felt it in her own skin nor seen it in front of her, she still had her doubts. But of course, despite all that, there was always the problem that even with good techniques, she might not have what it took to reach level 60...


    Hence, she couldn''t help but fear having to live the rest of her life that way.


    But despite feeling this way while talking to Minos, she wasn''t unhappy with her condition. After all, she had survived a catastrophe, and there were endless possibilities for those who were alive.


    As such, her condition was not the worst thing that could happen to someone. That is, she could still cultivate and live a long life. In short, there were many things for her to do.


    And with her autonomy regained, she was very excited about this ''rebirth,'' despite her disappointment with her physical appearance.


    "Well, do you want me to accompany you to your home?" Minos asked as he approached that woman.


    She then looked at him for a moment and sighed, "Well, if it''s not a waste of time for you..."


    "Haha, we''re friends, aren''t we?" Young Stuart joked with her as he nodded in the direction of the exit from that room.


    On the other hand, Regina didn''t take long to say goodbye to those two, having headed straight to headquarters, where she had some business to take care of.


    ...


    After they left that hospital, halfway to her residence, Mirya suddenly asked something that was bothering her a bit. "By the way, when will I be able to see my daughter?"

 Chapter 601: Poison Treatment

    Upon hearing Mirya''s question, Minos continued to walk right behind this woman while answering her sincerely. "Well, are you aware of the things that have happened recently here in Dry City?"


    "Hmmm." She made a sound of agreement while at the same time nodding her head softly.


    This woman had frequently discussed the situation on the Black Plain with Dillian and other members of the local army during the time she had spent in the Dry City General Hospital.


    Consequently, although she did not know the minutest details, she learned about many things that had happened here in recent months.


    "Dry City is in a critical period. And each of the Elite Squad soldiers must focus on training so that our situation is resolved as soon as possible."


    "Therefore, since Viola is part of this Black Plain Army group, I am afraid that she will not be able to return from the place she is training in any time soon." He said before pausing momentarily and continuing. "But don''t worry, when you return to cultivation in a few weeks, I will send you to the location where she is."


    "Oh? And how is she?"


    "She''s doing well. She''s already at level 48, and right now, she''s learned some Silver-grade techniques."


    "Really?"


    "Of course! When you return to cultivation, you two will probably be able to train together to the point that each will help the other a lot. Hehe, you''ll see that in a few weeks..."


    Hearing this, Mirya finally remembered something and asked Minos. "By the way, I thought that after I joined your army, I would have to return to the City of Waters. What changed?"


    "About that..." And quickly, the young Stuart explained that woman about Mendy Stokes'' visit and the deal he had offered to that noble family of the Cromwell Kingdom.


    Upon finding this out, Mirya had been very surprised at first, but soon she had understood that it all made sense that it would happen sooner or later. So, she had understood how the plans for her in the Black Plain Army had changed.


    "On the other hand, it will be better if you gain some power before you leave Dry City. Hence, for the time being, I don''t intend to send you to the City of Waters." So, he said, just at the moment when he and Mirya arrived in front of the door of this woman''s apartment.


    "Well, I think it''s time for me to return. I have some matters to take care of at headquarters, and I''ll also have some problems in the next few days. So, when you complete your recovery, go directly to headquarters to do your registration and then look for me."


    "I will take you to an appropriate place..."


    Upon hearing this, that green-haired woman smiled at Minos and thanked him for having accompanied her there. She then immediately entered her residence while young Stuart left.


    ''Ah, it''s so much better to be around here than in that hospital room...'' She smiled with her eyes closed as she lay down on a couch in the living room of her residence.


    ...


    As Mirya settled into her residence, Minos quickly walked through the streets of Dry City until he finally reached his army''s headquarters.


    Once there, he immediately went to the area where the poison masters of this organization worked, where right now he intended to fulfill something that had been in his plans for months!


    Before raising his cultivation stage, this young man wanted to undergo the poison treatment done by Regina, a high-level grade-2 poison master. And since there was not much time left for his cultivation to rise in level, this young man had decided to do the poison treatment today.


    With this in mind, he soon arrived in a smelly area of the headquarters, a place where many soldiers came and went during practically every hour of the day.


    Upon arriving in front of the office where Regina was attending, this young sovereign immediately saw Abby''s figure there, lying on a green bed, dressed only in her underwear.


    She had a soft expression on her face as if she was not in pain or smelling the horrible odor that toxins released by human bodies usually have.


    But even though she felt no such sensations, this was purely due to her innate ability and not the absence of these things in such a treatment. After all, treatment with poisons was torture that affected the physical and mental parts of the patient.


    Anyway, as this young woman suppressed some of her senses, black, purple, green goo left her body, where Regina''s hands reached.


    Such toxins were usually dark, but there were parts of them that had very distinct colors, which was something related to the origin of the toxin and the way the cultivators'' bodies stored such things.


    But in general, all of them, regardless of coloration, were negative to the bodies in almost the same way.


    Of course, some affected certain parts of the body more than others, making certain toxins worse. However, this was not very significant. Unless a person had reached the point of being poisoned by their own toxins, such differences would not be noticed.


    As Regina''s hands moved over Abby''s body and toxins oozed through her pores, the areas where the poison treatment had already taken effect seemed to improve at a visible rate.


    In fact, it didn''t even look like an improvement, but an evolution!


    ''If it weren''t for the smell, it would be fascinating to watch such a thing...'' So, Minos thought to himself, seeing that Regina still needed some time to finish that session.


    He remained with a part of his senses sealed off as he walked to the corridor nearby to wait for the end of that session.


    But such a thing was not as significant as what Abby could do using her own innate ability. As such, Minos'' senses were not wholly suppressed.


    ...


    Sometime later, Abby finally left Regina''s office, looking revived, more beautiful than ever.


    She was already impressive before, but with each advancement a cultivator made, their new appearances made it appear that their previous version was not as beautiful as the current one. Hence, upon seeing his girlfriend, Minos couldn''t help but notice the many differences.


    He could notice differences in her face that he had never seen any problem with before, but which now looked much better. And as such, he couldn''t help but smile and walk over to where Abby was standing.


    "How are you feeling?" He asked as he hugged Abby''s slender waist and felt that her body seemed much more flexible than before.


    "I''m feeling amazing!" She said in a euphoric tone as if she were a child who had just discovered a new toy. "I not only feel more vivid, rested, but I also feel stronger. I also think I can use my ability to a significantly greater degree!"


    "Hehe, I see... Let''s see how you do later." He murmured into one of Abby''s ears as his lips formed an arch. "But before that, now it''s my turn."


    "Hmm, do you want me to accompany you?"


    "No need, go test the new characteristics of your body and try to understand how it can make you stronger. By the time you''re done, I''ll probably be home." Minos said before finally saying goodbye to Abby and walking into that office.


    He knew that if Abby were present, she probably wouldn''t have to feel the same way that other people would in such a situation. But as a couple, it would be nice if one didn''t see the other in certain types of situations. It was always good to maintain some privacy, after all...


    And so, it didn''t take long for him to take off most of his clothes and lie down on the bed that was in that office, which by now had been cleaned by Regina.


    "Shall we begin?"

 Chapter 602: The Gill Family Trouble

    Gulp!


    "Yes!" Minos confirmed for her shortly after swallowing his saliva in anticipation.


    He was preparing himself psychologically for this because, unlike Abby, who could suppress the pain of this procedure, this young man could not. But far worse than this was the fact that Minos'' body contained far more significant amounts of impurities than there were in the body of that girlfriend of his.


    After all, the impurities present in a cultivator''s body were related to the substances ingested but also the quality of the Physique of that living being.


    As such, since the classification of his Physique had decreased to Common-grade at the time of Albert''s sacrifice, the ability of the cells of Minos'' body to use specific resources more efficiently and eliminate toxins had significantly been impaired.


    Consequently, his body could not utilize the ingested resources as well as before, and the impurities retained in his cells were much more significant than those with higher ranking Physiques.


    However, even though he quickly improved his Physique after arriving in Dry City, he had spent nearly six years as a human with a Common-grade Physique.


    After that, he lived as a human with Warrior-grade Physique for almost four years. And, although better than the previous one, it was still much worse than what it would be with a King-grade Physique, the original classification of his Physique.


    Thus, the toxins in the body of the young sovereign of the Black Plain were not small, even considering the fact that he never used pills or unnecessary resources for his cultivation!


    He always used foods rich in spiritual energy, those with the least amount of impurities. At the same time, he cultivated using only crystals and the free energy in nature.


    But even doing all this, he could not change the fact that his body was not as efficient at the moment as were the bodies of Ruth and Abby, who had Saint-grade Physiques. Yet, with a mutant Physique that could continue to evolve with the necessary resources, Minos knew that one day he would have a Physique even more efficient than those two.


    Of course, they could also go through an evolution that would make it possible for all of them to achieve similarly efficient Physiques, something very interesting for them...


    Anyway, the fact is that it would still take years for this young man to reach those two, and he would need to go through many sessions like the one he was about to go through at the moment.


    Such things could ease his cultivation path, as it could remove toxins stored in his body without him having to make any stage promotion. Hence, it could somewhat speed up Minos'' development, reducing that initial disadvantage he had.


    Anyway, it didn''t take long for Regina to activate her spiritual techniques one after the other and start using them on the young man''s body.


    First, she started the treatment on Minos'' back, pressing firmly on that part of his body, almost as if she was massaging him.


    But this was not exactly a massage. After all, what Regina was doing was sending small amounts of poison through the pores of her patient''s skin and directing them to the areas of importance to the treatment.


    She could not ask him to ingest these poisons, as such a thing would be too strong for him, and his body would probably be poisoned before he had a chance for his cells to be ''cleansed'' by such a thing. So, even if this was a quick method to target the cells of living beings, it was not good to do in a treatment like this.


    So, she needed to expose Minos'' body to her poisons carefully, in small amounts and in a more localized way, something that was totally under her control.


    Anyway, sensing that Regina''s poisons had begun to act on his body, Minos pressed his jaw. At the same time, the veins on his forehead and neck began to become more visible.


    "Ohhh!" He made a sound of pain as he had his mouth closed, still lying face down on that bed. ''That truly hurts a lot...''


    As his body shook in pain, fragments of the toxins began to flow through the same entrances through which the poison had penetrated his skin.


    "Wow..." Regina said in curiosity, not understanding how someone with so much impurity could have such supreme skills and strength.


    This woman knew that talented people had extremely efficient bodies at eliminating such negative things. Hence, she couldn''t help but be surprised at the reality exposed by such a situation.


    "Ohhh!"


    "That''s because I still have a Warrior-grade Physique. Ohhh!"


    "So, my body has impurities stored deep in my cells, as well as my metabolism is somewhat deficient..." Young Stuart said in pain while sweating heavily and already had a specific paleness on his face.


    "Is that so? That''s unexpected..." She said before finally squeezing Minos'' back even tighter.


    "Ohhhhhh!"


    "Well, I think we''re going to have to split that poison treatment of yours into three sessions. Is that okay with you?" She asked, after realizing that she wouldn''t be able to handle Minos'' situation so quickly as to resolve everything in a single day at her cultivation level.


    "Fine."


    ...


    While young Stuart was suffering at Regina''s hands, in one part of the Brown Kingdom, in the middle of a large city, a commotion was brewing inside the property of the local sovereign.


    In that place, dozens of people had expressions of terror on their faces, while some were as pale as white leaves, sweating coldly.


    "Beatrice attacked a massive group of the Silva family a few weeks ago. You all know that..." An elder said aloud while sweating coldly and explaining the situation to the rest of the family.


    "But now, we find out that the Silva family has cut off all contact with us, as well as the same has happened with the allied organizations of this noble house... That is, all of a sudden,  they began to ostracize us!"


    "Terrible!"


    "Damn! Why did we get involved in such trouble?"


    "This is that person''s fault!"


    "Nonsense! Beatrice just had some bad luck, and she did what most of us would have done in the same situation!"


    As voices echoed through that place, finally, the strongest person there said firmly, causing everyone else to shut up. "Silence!"


    "No matter what you think about whether or not we have a culprit. Whether or not it was bad luck. The fact is that we now have information that confirms the idea that the Silva family wants to destroy us."


    "They have already begun to ostracize us, and we even have news of some of their spies in our territory."


    "So, we have to decide how to deal with this as soon as possible, or it may be too late for us to do anything about it!" He said as he looked at the people in that place, with a dark countenance on his face.


    After this was said, another person then replied. "The way I see it, we have few options here. That is, we''ve wiped out a group of the Silva family, and we certainly can''t expect them to simply forgive this..."


    "Even if we give the Black Plain to them, we will most likely just buy ourselves some time until House Silva destroys us!"


    "Hmm, that''s true..." Other people muttered that simultaneously.


    The person from before then continued. "So, either we ask the royal family for assistance, or we risk continuing to explore the Black Plain on a much more intense level!"


    Anyway, the people continued as they debated the paths before them and the consequences of each choice.


    But with each passing minute, they seemed to realize that the situation of the Gill family only seemed to get worse as time went on. And even considering the recent regional instability, this would at most give them a few more years of existence...


    But would such a thing be enough? They didn''t know!

 Chapter 603: Surprise

    While those Gill family elders were vigorously debating ways to resolve such a situation, various actions of the Silva family had been developing in the Brown Kingdom.


    For the moment, this organization was still acting cautiously, trying to keep as much of its movements hidden as possible so that its enemies would not notice what was happening.


    But of course, the elders of the Silva family had made decisions that could not be hidden for long. Such was the case with the actions against the Gill family.


    That is, in a kingdom with 20 noble houses, only two of which could be considered high-level regional organizations. So, they influenced other noble houses. As such, low-level noble families and even those of medium-level were affected by that power through partnerships or alliances.


    Due to this reality, the Silva family had some of these lesser noble families under their wing. And with such influence, that power had immediately forbidden such noble houses to associate to House Gill.


    But while ostracizing Lionel''s family, the elders of the late Darell''s family had also ordered many investigations regarding the other noble powers of this state. They wanted to find out the possible involvement of other local organizations in such a problem.


    However, after a month since the death of the last Spiritual King who had been sent to the Black Plain, such an organization had not yet discovered other allies of Dry City.


    But that was to be expected. After all, apart from the Miller family, there were no relations between the Black Plain and other noble families of the Brown Kingdom.


    As for that family, it was still under investigation. But since such power was as strong as the House Silva, the difficulty in finding out anything related to this family was much greater than to the other organizations.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the capital of the Brown Kingdom...


    The City of the Setting Sun was as good as ever, with the typical sunny weather that happened most of the year in this place. At the same time, business and life in the city were working smoothly.


    The regional tension had not yet affected the rhythm of the capital of this kingdom, where more than 3 million people lived their lives as if they were still in a time of peace.


    People went to work, took care of their personal, love, and financial affairs, and worried about cultivation. But apart from this, there was nothing very remarkable that could make the local population be seen differently than it would have been 10, 100, 1,000 years ago.


    Consequently, the economic prosperity of this place continued, and there was no shortage of resources, no off-season enlistments for new royal guards.


    Furthermore, in such a scenario, the Brown family continued to develop quietly, while their 60 Spiritual Kings, except for Doran, continued to strive to reach the top.


    But this was not because the royal family of this kingdom might have expansionist thoughts. No, they didn''t. After all, such an organization wasn''t even among the top three powers. Hence, having very ambitious ideas would be dangerous.


    On the other hand, even if everyone would like to increase their influence, the leaders of the Brown family knew that all the top organizations were preparing for the uncertain future of this region!


    So, they had no such ambitious plans.


    They certainly wanted to be prepared to take advantage of opportunities. Still, they were not willing to take the risk of getting involved in a war with an equivalent powerful organization...


    Anyway, several hundred people were coming and going from the royal palace in the middle of this city. Many were royal guards, while others were high-racked citizens or people related to the Spiritual Church.


    However, now and then, crows would arrive at a part of this property, bringing information from various parts of the region.


    Such things were sent by direct subordinates of this royal family, people out of the headquarters, in border posts, neighboring states, solving external problems, etc. There were also communications related to the vassals, who needed to pass on relevant information to the sovereign from time to time.


    Specifically, the vassals had to pass on data regarding the taxes collected so that House Brown could get its share...


    Anyway, while many birds came and went from a specific part of that palace, two middle-aged men were chatting in a big administrative office.


    There were a few more people in that place, one of them being a woman who seemed to be writing down all the decisions made there. At the same time, some individuals watched as if they were waiting for their turn to speak or something else.


    "Eh? Another problem related to the House Ryan and House Parkinson?" One of those men said this as he read a parchment and had a bored expression on his face.


    "It can''t be!"


    "That again? Why every two months do we have to deal with problems from these two families?"


    "Are you kidding?" The other middle-aged man asked as he waved one of his hands to receive that parchment from before.


    ''... Two Spiritual Kings from the Parkinson and Ryan families fought recently. The results of this injured 193 people and killed 38 citizens of Rain Village. The reason for such was a recent rivalry, related to the wife and son-in-law of the Parkinson patriarch...''


    After reading that, the person who had just asked that question then tossed the parchment aside and shouted aloud. "This has to be a prank!"


    "Devid Parkinson and that family of his are joking... Why all this just because his wife cheated on him? They act like they were the first in history to go through such a thing!"


    "If they''re not good enough to kill a young Spiritual General and a level 54 woman, then they should just move on with their lives!"


    "Hahahaha, the worst part is that David was already a cuckold for centuries... Haha, only he didn''t know that!" One of the people in that room said before the others there started laughing too.


    "Haha... Anyway, let''s leave that subject aside for now. But we''ll probably make those two families pay some penalties on account of such a thing." The person who had spoken earlier said as he picked up another parchment on the table in front of him.


    "Well, I hope I don''t hear from those families for at least another three months or so..." The other commented with a slight smile on his face as he finally returned to his work.


    But when this person least expected it, he suddenly heard the voice of the middle-aged man in front of him once again.


    "The Black Plain wants its independence..."


    "Uh? Are you asking me that?" The other person asked in doubt.


    "No. I''m making a statement!"


    "See this, the Black Plains is declaring itself independent from the Brown Kingdom and is communicating to us so that we recognize them as an independent state!" Such a person said in a surprised tone.


    But although it was an unusual and generally dangerous topic for everyone, such a person was not worried. After all, it was only the Black Plain... Who would care?


    "No way!"


    "Why would that brat do that?" The person across the table said while feeling very confused.


    "What''s the matter, Nelson?" The middle-aged man who had read the parchment sent from the Black Plains asked the person in front of him in doubt.


    Nelson Skinner was the ruler of the Black Plain before Minos arrived in Dry City. Anyway, at that time, he had cleaned out the government vault of that place and left that region without looking back, hoping never to return to that region...


    After more than five years since his departure, he had risen a few levels, having reached level 43 and had also won a fixed position in this bureaucratic sector of the royal family.


    Nelson then said vaguely. "There''s no problem... It''s just that... That region was in a horrible situation when I left there. So, that''s why I''m surprised by such a thing."


    "In fact, how should we handle it?"


    The other man then began to speak. "Well, in normal situations, we should..."

 Chapter 604: New Culprits?

    "In normal situations, since it is only the Black Plain, we should accept such a request. But at the end of the day, this is still an attempt at independence. So, we will have to inform His Majesty before we decide on any action." That middle-aged man standing in front of Nelson said this quickly.


    "So, we should prepare all the official documentation and communiqu¨¦s?" One of the people in that room asked.


    Hearing that, the same man from before answered such a question. "No. Although there is nothing to indicate that His Majesty will reconsider such a request, I believe that he will not accept it immediately."


    Nelson then agreed with his associate. "Yes, His Majesty will probably try to understand what gave that young man the confidence to seek that. After all, he would be the leader of an independent state that would already be ''born'' as the weakest and most impoverished in our region..."


    "Exactly!" The other man said before finally turning away and looking in the direction of a royal guard standing there, someone who worked with the administrative division of the royal family. "I believe His Majesty will order an investigation as soon as this information reaches him."


    "With that in mind, we should prepare a team to judge that place and investigate if there is anything new or suspicious, anything that has made such a request for independence possible."


    "Then make those preparations while I will deliver this news to His Majesty''s team. That way, as soon as he gives the order, we will be ready to act!"


    "All right!" That royal guard firmly said before leaving that office and heading towards the place where he could resolve such a matter.


    Forming an investigative group was not difficult for an organization of the size of the royal family. However, because this organization already ran numerous operations concurrently, each mission needed to be accurately recorded in order for headquarters to maintain control over such matters.


    There had to be a system for such situations. There was a need for rules to be followed so that people didn''t suddenly vanish, missions got out of hand, or subordinates began acting independently.


    Because of this bureaucracy, organizing an investigation group could take several days, even considering urgent situations.


    But to maximize the speed of this, that middle-aged man had already stepped forward so that a group of royal guards would be ready to leave for the Black Plain as soon as possible.


    Anyway, after that guard left that place, Nelson was silent for a moment until he finally asked that man in front of him. "If there is nothing new in the Black Plain, do you think that place will be recognized as an independent state by His Majesty?"


    "I mean, even if His Majesty doesn''t care about such a place, will he agree to decrease the area of his territory?"


    Hearing this doubt from Nelson, that middle-aged man closed his eyes for a moment while shaking his head from side to side. "I don''t know. I personally don''t know his Majesty, and all I know is that my predecessors always said that the former kings would not be against such a separation."


    "Even if losing the Black Plain meant losing a significant portion of the Brown Kingdom''s territory and the entire coast of our state, they were not opposed to the idea."


    "That territory had always been dead weight, a place that doesn''t earn us taxes and very rarely do good seeds appear there. And as long as the royal family kept the Maritime City, several of His Majesty''s predecessors would be willing to accept that..."


    "Really?" Nelson asked.


    "Well, that''s what I heard from my predecessors... Hahaha, but since I didn''t meet any of those kings, then I can only make conjectures regarding what I heard." That person laughed as he remembered some stories.


    "But that has substantiation in one fact reported in the royal family history book!"


    "Oh?"


    "Believe me. I once had the opportunity to read the Great Brown Genealogical Tree!"


    "In this book, there is a passage where it recounts something related to this. There it says that the great-great-grandfather of His Majesty''s great-grandfather once offered the ruler of the Black Plain of that time the independence of such a region. But that person refused..."


    ...


    While those subordinates of the royal family were talking about the past of the Brown Kingdom, in one of the most luxurious parts of the royal palace, there was a large hall in an elliptical shape.


    In one half of the ellipse was an elevated area, from where a small five-step staircase faced the other half.


    On this elevated part, several flags hung in the air symmetrically around the ellipse, each carrying the Brown family symbol, which looked like an utterly brown dragon''s claw.


    At the same time as this, there was a large diamond throne on that elevated part, right where the focus of the ellipse would be.


    On the opposite side of the elevated part, there was a series of hexagonal pilasters glowed in a dark golden color. But there was almost nothing in this part of that hall since only two people were in this place at the present moment.


    Of these two people, one was an old man wearing a golden suit, who still had a few strands of brown hair on his head. As for the other, he was an old man with a beard and white hair, using a sizeable golden cane for support.


    These two were the two strongest people in the local royal family. The supreme elder, London, level 58, the person who seemed to be the oldest here, and King Brown, level 59, the younger one who had not lost all the color of his hair...


    "How is young Diana?" The old supreme elder asked while he had a gentle smile on his face and looked anxiously at his nephew.


    Diana Brown was none other than the daughter of King Brown, the second person in the succession of this royal house. Beyond her was her younger brother, Raynard Brown, the current successor to the royal crown.


    Upon hearing the supreme elder''s question, Thomas, King Brown, smiled and said. "Hehe, little Diana is fine. I hear that she is doing very well in the Holy Sect and has even become a disciple of one of the elders of that Flaming Empire organization!"


    "Oh? Is that true?"


    "Yes. She has even reached level 55, even though she is only 60-years-old!" The king said in satisfaction.


    "That''s truly amazing!"


    "Maybe young Diana has a chance of becoming a Spiritual Emperor in the future!" London cheerfully said, just before he remembered something and regained his composure. "By the way, when will she come to visit us? It''s almost 11 years since we last saw her..."


    "Well, it shouldn''t take long. Diana has never been away for more than 15 years, so I guess we can expect a visit soon..." The king commented, while at the same time, he had a fearful expression on his face.


    Seeing this, London readily understood what the problem was. "Are you worried that she will find out about Albert''s death, Thomas?"


    "Yes, sort of. The way little Diana is, upon finding out that the person who once saved her life in the past died in our ''backyard'', she will spare no effort to find out the truth..." The king said while clenching his fists in concern.


    At that time, Albert Stuart was still a Spiritual General. But although weak, he had saved the life of the Brown Kingdom princess in a situation where Diana would have died if he had not risked his own life for her!


    Diana had always been a person who favored her own. Furthermore, as she was already mature enough to have gratitude, she had never forgotten that action of young Stuart''s father.


    So, she had helped Albert in many ways, opening doors for a young subordinate to raise levels quickly, having in less than 50 years reached level 51 because of it.


    But beyond that, the foremost help she had given him was the appointment of Albert as the future sovereign of one of the free territories of the Brown Kingdom.


    Albert was only one of the Brown family''s lower-ranking Generals at the time, and, although very promising, he would have to fight for a few more centuries before being given such a chance.


    But still, he had received such an opportunity from that young woman, something that could finally reward him for all he had done in the past.


    Anyway, after hearing the king''s concerns, the supreme elder sighed briefly, understanding the matter. "Ah, I just hope young Diana doesn''t find out about our involvement in that matter..."

 Chapter 605: A Bit of the Past

    "... Or maybe she may never forgive us." The supreme elder said in a sincere tone while making a worried expression.


    The assassination attempt against the late General Albert had indeed been the full responsibility of the Silva family. At that time, such an organization had hired the assassins from the Scourge of the Devil to help them in that situation since there were many difficulties in carrying out that mission successfully.


    That is because Albert was a very systematic person who only did three things in his daily life. That is, he worked, cultivated, and took care of his son. Other than this, young Stuart''s father could take months or even years to do things other than those.


    And because of this restricted personality, Albert spent most of his time either in his mansion in the City of the Setting Sun or at the Brown family headquarters.


    But both of these places were considered very safe at that time, and it would be practically impossible for someone to assassinate a Spiritual King like him without serious problems being generated as consequences.


    Hence, the Silva family, that at that time had already tried to kill Albert several times without outside help, had finally decided to hire that organization, specialized in this kind of service.


    Such service did not add power to the Silva family''s attempts since this noble organization had enough Spiritual Kings for the job. However, it did not have the expertise that those assassins had later used to find a loophole in Albert''s routine.


    As is already known, they had managed to do this when Albert was supposed to meet young Stuart at the Spiritual Academy.


    But even so, things had gotten out of hand during that assassination attempt since Albert had not hesitated to sacrifice himself to be able to take down his enemies.


    Anyway, that had been the reason why the Silva family had hired such an organization, and that assassination attempt had had no help from the royal family.


    However, as much as the Brown family had not participated in the scheme planned by Otis Silva, this did not mean that they had no responsibility in that incident!


    That''s because, while Diana had lobbied her father to make Albert the ruler of some territory, she had never specified that such a location had to be the Red Valley...


    After all, Red Valley was the former home of the Red Family, which was considered the second strongest in the Brown Kingdom until a few decades ago, when such an organization still resided in this state.


    After the Red Family left the Central Continent''s northern region, their former territory, one of the best in the Brown Kingdom, could not be passed on to a level 51 Spiritual King!


    He could inherit such territory in the future, as he could reach level 59, unlike most regional Spiritual Kings. But at that time, he didn''t have the strength to do that...


    And contrary to what many thought at the time, the local royal family was not trying to create a new high-level power, using Albert to lead that process.


    House Brown had never planned to support Albert in creating House Stuart. They had even promised him such a thing, but this was merely an excuse to convince him to accept the offer with the assurance of solid support.


    But what, in fact, the Brown family wanted was for one of the other powers in the kingdom to end Albert''s life so that a potential problem would be eliminated!


    That is why King Brown had given the Red Valley to Albert.


    They would pretend to be supporting Minos'' father. Still, they were just creating the situation where someone would do the dirty work and kill Albert as soon as this man demonstrated the slightest mistakes...


    And that had indeed happened, about ten years ago!


    As to why someone would do something against a royal decision, well, that was for power, of course!


    And indeed, such a thing was a crime that could result in death. But high-level people would always look for more power, and even if it were against the rules, as long as nobody knew, it was worth doing such dangerous things...


    And the Silva family had managed to hide the truth from everyone!


    That is, many were suspicious of this family, but no one had the evidence necessary for them to be sentenced...


    As such, Otis'' crime had been worth it!


    King Brown then shook his head from side to side and said firmly. "Well, I hope she doesn''t find out anything, but I don''t regret it."


    "Albert had a relationship with a Spiritual Emperor, and at any moment he could get out of control... So, I did what I had to do to protect the family!"


    Hearing this, London nodded in agreement. "Yes. That man originally could have become one of the pillars of our state, but he was very suspicious..."


    "Who in their right mind would refuse to join a sect of the Flaming Empire? To make matters worse, he wasn''t even a noble in our region, but only a subordinate..."


    They talked about something Albert himself had told them about 20 years ago. At that time, Maisie had invited young Stuart''s father to join the Gray Cloud  Sect and go live with her in the empire. But he had just refused such a thing.


    And that was the problem...


    London and Thomas could not understand why Albert refused to go to the Flaming Empire after being invited by Maisie. And they had assumed the worst!


    Somehow, these two men had concluded that Albert would use his relationship with Maisie to strengthen himself quickly. After this happened, he would probably set up his organization and perhaps overtake the local powers.


    And this they could not accept!


    Hence, they had thought that getting rid of such a person was the best thing to do to prevent unimaginable problems from happening.


    However, although they had the power to deal with a mere Spiritual King, they could not have the blood on their hands... After all, Albert had even had a child with Maisie, a Spiritual Emperor, something they could not afford to offend.


    The two knew that the Spiritual Church would act if they knew that someone with Maisie''s strength was trying to influence the northern region of the Central Continent. But would that happen in time? Or would they just be avenged?


    Well, neither of them wanted to die...


    On the other hand, there was the possibility that Maisie would hire some regional assassin and be free from responsibility...


    For all that, since they didn''t want to risk suffering from possible revenge from an angry Spiritual Emperor, they had decided to let others do such a thing!


    Anyway, while these two men were talking about the past and wishing that Diana would never find out about such a scheme, suddenly Thomas'' secretary entered that place.


    "Your Majesty, supreme elder." She greeted them before finally speaking about what mattered.


    "Your Majesty, we have just received a request for independence."


    "Oh?" The two men made the sound of surprise as they began to look at that woman steadily.


    "The sovereign of the Black Plains, Minos Stuart, has sent us an official letter, requesting that House Brown recognize that territory as an independent state." She said while having a slight smile on her mature lips.


    "Black Plain?" London muttered while a curious expression formed on his old face. ''What an unexpected thing! Why would anyone want that?''


    At the same time, King Brown was surprised by such a thing, as he realized the coincidence that they had just been discussing that young man''s father.


    ''Minos Stuart, eh? What is Albert''s son trying to do? Until a little more than five years ago, he was just a worthless man who neither lived nor died... But now, overnight, such a thing comes to me.''


    ''I heard that he and that Spiritual Emperor don''t get along... So, the chance of her helping him must not be great, at least if this information is indeed true.''


    ''But what could he have accomplished to want to be independent? Doesn''t he understand all the trouble he might get into because of this? Or does he have bigger plans?'' So, Thomas thought to himself, trying to find something that would explain this request for independence.


    "What should we do, Your Majesty?" His secretary asked while having her two hands comfortably behind her back.


    "That is rather strange... That young man must not even be a Spiritual General, considering how long it has been since he awakened." He muttered in a low voice before finally giving his answer.


    "Alright, let''s send a team to investigate the Black Plain."


    "Given the Dry City''s weakness, I''m afraid that sending 5th stage guards will attract unnecessary attention, and our subordinates will be unable to infiltrate and comprehend that place."


    "Hmm, OK." The secretary said.


    "And if there is nothing unusual, you can go with all the protocol for that territory to be separated from our state..."


    "There''s no need for us to keep a place like that under our wing if the sovereign himself doesn''t want us."


    "OK."


    After that, it was not long before that woman left that hall, and those two men went their separate ways.

 Chapter 606: Evolution and Level Up 1

    While the royal family of the Brown Kingdom made their preparations for an investigative team to be sent to the Black Plain, the headquarters of young Stuart''s army was somewhat excited these past few days.


    But this was not for nothing. After all, after a little more than five years since Minos'' arrival in this place, he was finally getting ready to reach level 50!


    Hence, many positive things were going to happen for this organization because of this, and this made the daily life of each of these soldiers even more exciting.


    For example, with Minos reaching the 6th stage, he would be considered a regional expert, a figure to be respected, even in peaceful situations where one side doesn''t demonstrate his own power. But, on the other hand, the stronger the local ruler was, the better that would be for Dry City.


    It would be easier for the city to attract more people, become more prominent, generate more incredible wealth, etc. In short, this was a positive cycle that would take this city and the organization behind this place to a whole new level.


    And as cultivators, many of the soldiers would like to have more status, not have to hide and be respected as members of a great organization. So, having a stronger leader would bring this city and army one step closer to these goals.


    But of course, all the soldiers knew that the problems would not end when Minos reached the 6th stage of cultivation. After all, he was only a single person, while the Black Plain had potentially hundreds of enemies of the same cultivation range!


    Hence, it would still take some time for young Stuart alone to suppress the entire northern region of the Central Continent.


    Knowing this all, none of the soldiers had any silly hopes that independence would be achieved easily. But, the opposite of that, they were all prepared to fight fiercely for this place since they knew that the fastest way for them to gain regional respect would be through their collective strength!


    Besides the advantages of having a sovereign at the 6th stage, several soldiers in the army were even more excited than the others because of a specific opportunity.


    Minos was preparing to move up his cultivation stage. Still, at the same time as that, he would go through the evolution of his Physique, going from the Warrior-grade to the King-grade.


    Since he needed to use one of the King-grade medicines he had ordered on that trip to the Kingdom of the Waves, Minos wanted to distribute the benefits of this event with some soldiers!


    The evolution of a Physique did not directly absorb the energy of the spiritual medicine since it only used such a thing to activate the evolution.


    But after this evolution was achieved, the amount of energy released by the medicine was still much more significant than a single person could absorb.


    Minos was preparing to evolve his Physique using one of the medicines he had ordered. At the same time, 130 of his soldiers already at level 39 would have the opportunity to absorb the remaining energy from this!


    Such a thing would not make these people rise on many levels at once since the cultivators'' bodies would not be able to do such a thing. But even so, these 130 soldiers could, in a short time, rise from level 39 to 40 without the need for pills or other external help that might accumulate impurities in their bodies.


    That was an excellent opportunity for many of the soldiers in the local army to save months or weeks of their lives while avoiding the problem of impurities and still achieving a new level!


    On the other hand, such a thing would be excellent for the army since having 130 more Spiritual Generals in advance would be incredible!


    Hence, many of the soldiers in the local army were very pleased, either for this opportunity or for the fact that more of their comrades would become stronger.


    ...


    At the Black Plain Army headquarters, Minos was currently in the office of his girlfriend, Abby, where this young woman usually worked.


    Abby had a command role in Minos'' organization. As such, she needed a workplace like the one her boyfriend had in that mansion. But since she worked directly in that organization and not in the Dry City government, that work station was in the headquarters and not in the local mansion.


    Anyway, now Minos was sitting on a couch in Abby''s office, while Ruth was also there as she wouldn''t miss this opportunity...


    She was very curious about young Stuart''s Physique, as she found his ability somewhat unique. And since there was a divergence between the information Maisie had passed on to her and what she had seen during the Spiritual Tournament, this young woman was curious to learn more about him.


    Finally, Abby remained in her armchair chatting with Minos and Ruth.


    "Ruth, how was your poison treatment? Did you find it helpful?" She asked as she looked at that black-haired woman.


    Like Abby, Ruth had also had the opportunity to experience Regina''s professional skills.


    That had happened just after Regina had finished doing young Stuart''s treatment, something that had been somewhat laborious for that woman...


    But the result on Minos had been sensational, and now this young man looked much more superficially attractive and physically powerful. But, on the other hand, he had prepared himself in the best possible way for his level advancement and the evolution of his Physique.


    That had been so effective that Minos was sure that the difficulty of his advancement had now decreased by more than 50%!


    And after his treatment, Ruth had gone through the same thing. But with her, such treatment had been much smoother since her physical characteristics were better than his. After all, she had a Saint-grade Physique and was already at the 6th stage of cultivation.


    She then said. "I liked it. In the past, I had done this with a low-level grade-2 poison master, but the experience is completely different!"


    "After going through that woman''s treatment, I feel like a completely different person." She gladly said while with a smile on her beautiful face. "I feel as if I have recovered from a long cold. I feel more energetic, my strength, stamina, cultivation time, etc., everything has improved to some extent."


    "Hmm, I felt the same way too..." Abby commented as she nodded in the direction of that black-haired woman. "It''s just a pity that we''ll have to wait until Regina reaches level 60 to have a chance to go through such a procedure again..."


    Pa! Pa!


    As she was going to say something, that office door was knocked on twice, and a young girl who looked to be about 12 entered that place.


    "Master, Sergeant Abby, all preparations have been made, and the upper level of the army cultivation tower is ready." She said in her childish tone as she made a formal stance to talk to Minos and Abby.


    Such a girl was only at level 18, and as such, she stayed all her time inside the headquarters. And among her responsibilities was passing messages like this one...


    "Oh?" Minos stood up from that couch he was on before finally asking that girl something. "Corporal Alina is already with the group, right? You guys haven''t forgotten about her, right?"


    "She is already with the other 129 Corporals, master." The young girl promptly answered.


    Minos obviously wouldn''t miss the opportunity to allow Alina to reach level 40. After all, with her innate ability, the moment she reached level 40, she would be able to disintegrate high-level grade-1 items. That is, she would be capable of doing something that would allow low-level grade-2 items to be produced with recycled items!


    And with that, the army''s power could grow to a new extent!


    "Hehehe, then let''s go!" Minos said in a satisfied manner before making his way to the location in question alongside his girlfriends.


    ''Finally, I will become a Spiritual King!'' He thought to himself, barely able to hide his anxiety.

 Chapter 607: Evolution and Level Up 2

    After walking around the headquarters, Minos and his two girlfriends arrived at the top floor of the army''s cultivation tower.


    When they arrived at that location, there were already a few dozen soldiers from the Black Plain Army inside the cultivation room, where Minos would make his advance. However, besides the 130 people who would have the opportunity to level up during this occasion, dozens of other soldiers were outside that place, in the corridors of the upper floor of this building.


    Many of these people were high-level soldiers who were off duty or those weaker soldiers who would typically only stay inside the headquarters.


    As they didn''t have so many things to do, since they couldn''t cultivate and train all day, these people wanted to watch young Stuart''s progress.


    That was because it was unusual for people from this region to make stage advancements while being watched by people. After all, cultivation could be considered a vulnerable time for cultivators, and it was also quite important to maintain a particular concentration during such times.


    There were cultivation bottlenecks, and at decisive moments such as stage advancement, the slightest distraction could decrease the chances of success. Therefore, rarely would people of lower levels have the opportunity to watch someone step up.


    However, this desire to see someone stronger leveling up was not gratuitous. It was not just simple entertainment!


    On such occasions, the cultivators who would experience this would increase their affinity with the Natural Laws, which other individuals could feel.


    Each cultivator would have a set of techniques, and each of these techniques would be related to at least one of the Natural Laws. And when increasing cultivation stages, as long as that cultivator had trained enough in each of their techniques, the techniques'' phases would also increase at the moment of the promotion.


    Such a thing could be felt at the moment when there was an increase in that individual''s affinity with the Natural Laws related to his techniques.


    But, even though each cultivator had unique paths, situations like that could generate benefits for weaker people. By increasing at a stage, such a person would experience an increase in affinity with several different Natural Laws at once!


    And this could be useful for other cultivators of all kinds!


    For example, some might better understand the options during the stage progress, the risks and might even have a chance to increase the comprehension of their techniques.


    So, observing the advancement of experts could help those weaker ones.


    But of course, this would not be so significant to the point that a person, for example, would no longer need to train his techniques. No, what would happen would be a particular individual feeling more effortless in his progress regarding his comprehension.


    But at the end of the day, the essential thing would still be the constant training, the focus on self-improvement.


    On the other hand, people at the lower stages of cultivation would have an affinity to few Natural Laws. After all, the number of techniques would be smaller... So, any benefit they might have would be minor.


    Because of this, situations like this didn''t happen very often in a place like the north of the Central Continent. That is, most people around here didn''t have enough, or high-quality, techniques for their stage advancements to be of any use to other people.


    Hence, this kind of situation was not common even in Minos'' army.


    Anyway, those dozens of people were in the corridors on that floor, a place surrounded by several glass walls.


    While the many people in that place started to get even more excited, Minos entered that room alone while his two girlfriends joined the other spectators.


    They didn''t need to enter that place to feel the changes that could happen to Minos after his Physique''s evolution and the stage advance. But, on the other hand, if they entered that room, it might hinder the progress of the Corporals who were preparing to reach level 40.


    Therefore, the two women had stayed outside that place together with all those soldiers there.


    ...


    Minos finally entered that collective cultivation room, greeting some of those soldiers on his way, until he reached the center of that place.


    "Well, everybody, get ready because I''ll start now." He said so that everyone there could hear him. At the same time as this, he quickly took off most of his clothes, leaving only a pair of relaxed shorts.


    After that, he quickly sat down on a cultivation cushion and stood in a meditative position before removing the King-grade medicine from his spatial ring.


    As he did so, young Stuart looked from one side of that place to the other.


    He then saw that each of those 130 soldiers already had their eyes closed as they circulated their respective cultivation techniques.


    Since they had not reached the 5th stage of cultivation and could not sense the free energy without cultivating, they could only know the right time to act if they were doing this.


    Consequently, they had all begun to do such a thing and would not have the opportunity to watch the evolution of Minos'' Physique, nor his stage advance.


    ''Time to start...'' Young Stuart thought to himself as he looked meaningfully at the King-grade medicine in his hands.


    After doing so for a brief moment, Minos took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The next moment he began to eat that King-grade medicine while he had a disgusted expression on his face.


    However, all of this was entirely normal. Spiritual medicines were notorious for their repugnant flavors, which could cause even sensitive people to pass out if they weren''t prepared to eat them...


    Plus, because Minos was well aware of how bad such a thing tasted, he immediately took the necessary precautions...


    ''Damn! The taste of this is much worse than I imagined...'' So, he thought to himself as he swallowed some of that medicine and felt an intense chill run down his spine.


    At the same time as that, young Stuart''s face was already ashen, while to anyone watching him at the moment, it would look like he was going to throw up at any moment.


    Gulp!


    But after struggling for almost 10 seconds, Minos finally swallowed the last bit of that medicine while shaking and sweating. ''Fuck... It''s finally over.'' So, he thought before leaving the horrible taste in his mouth aside and starting to focus on the medicine inside his stomach.


    That''s because, after he ate such medicine, he couldn''t wait for long, or his body would try to absorb the energy of this resource on its own...


    But this would be a disaster for him. After all, such a thing had more than 15 times the amount of energy that his body could support at the present moment!


    Hence, Minos had to hurry to use all this energy to his advantage. That is, instead of allowing this energy to be absorbed by his body; he had to direct it to be used as the catalyst for the evolution of his cells.


    But although laborious, doing this was not difficult. All Minos would have to do would be to suppress his body from absorbing that energy and have it slowly ''wash'' all his cells!


    And he quickly began to do this.


    Solar God Breath!


    He activated his cultivation technique and immediately began circulating his soul power throughout his body. Then he slowly started that process of directing the medicine energy to ''wash'' his cells in order for evolution to be activated.


    As he began to do this, his body slowly became redder and redder for the people who saw him. At the same time, a colorful flow of spiritual energy was slowly forming around him, almost as if he were a tiny quasar.


    At that moment, the evolution began!

 Chapter 608: Evolution and Level Up 3

    As Minos began the evolution of his Physique, thousands of kilometers north of Dry City, in the middle of a forested region, something unusual was happening at this very moment!


    In that place, thousands of serpents stood still, almost as if they had frozen while doing their daily activities. Some were on the wet terrain of that area, while others were on the branches of the trees there.


    However, while most of these serpents with colored scales and wings near their heads remained still, leaning against the ground or trees, other stronger ones floated in the sky, scanning the area.


    ''That feeling...'' One of those Feathered Serpents said this in its mind while using the unique mental connection these beings shared.


    ''That''s the direction of the Black Plain... I wonder if...''


    When Virtus, the leader of this place, heard these thoughts and realized that his entire tribe was looking in the same direction, he focused even more on that direction. He had just seen and felt intense red thunder pass by a second ago in that direction.


    Such thunder had appeared in the blink of an eye, heading towards the Black Plain quickly, having for an instant formed a mirage that these spiritual beasts had noticed.


    Such a thing would have been invisible to low-level cultivators, such as those in this region, or individuals without the unique abilities of the Feathered Serpents.


    Because of this, only those serpents in this northern region of the Central Continent or high-level people traveling through these areas would notice the afterimage left by such a thing.


    This phenomenon was bizarre and even a bit frightening as if it was creatures made of thunder traveling at high speed.


    But even though many beings seeing this for the first time might be frightened by such a thing if they did not know its meaning, the same was not true for the members of the tribe of the elder Virtus.


    That was because these beasts knew that only the liberation of a large amount of spiritual energy could have such effect!


    After all, the unique ability of this race was related to changes in the environment that were related to spiritual energy.


    And not for nothing, just over five years ago, elder Virtus and his fellow Feathered Serpents had headed north to the Central Continent, after having seen and felt a similar phenomenon, but, of course, millions of times more significant than this one!


    So, upon seeing such a thing, all of them had more or less understood what was happening. But most were not so surprised just because something like this was happening.


    After all, such a thing happened quite often, considering that there were more than 2 billion people in this region.


    What had made the beings there pay attention to this phenomenon was because such thunder had gone in a specific direction, one that they were paying attention to!


    "Young Minos must be advancing to level 50!" Virtus said in a low voice that only the Spiritual Kings standing nearby could hear.


    He had a strong feeling that this was related to Minos since he had felt something similar to when he had met that sovereign. And when he noticed that this natural effect had moved towards where Dry City should be, this elder of the Feathered Serpents tribe was sure that he was right.


    "Hehehe, prepare some gifts!"


    "Let''s send some of our members to Dry City to visit young Minos and congratulate him on reaching the 6th stage!"


    "Haha, come on, brothers and sister! Don''t delay in doing this!"


    "Who''s willing to..."


    And immediately, several voices sounded throughout that area, as many snakes celebrated, with broad smiles on their big serpents heads.


    ...


    Meanwhile, on the Dry City...


    Dozens of people were watching the beginning of the evolution of young Stuart''s Physique while they had anxious countenances on their faces, looking steadily at the figure of Minos in the middle of that ''quasar.''


    Simultaneously, Minos was meticulously utilizing all that energy to evolve his Physique, which was turning his skin completely red, as if he were being cooked.


    Every part of his body was immersed in an enormous amount of energy that was almost entirely concentrated within a two-meter radius of him. And while his Physique was changing, his soul was growing in size!


    Due to the special conditions for raising a Physique''s rank, Minos could only successfully perform such a thing after reaching level 50. After all, his mutant Physique would only ''open the doors'' for such an evolution during stage advancement.


    However, young Stuart could not wait for that to happen to begin the process, as he would risk missing the opportunity. Because of this, he had first swallowed the medicine and used his cultivation to suppress his body from absorbing that massive amount of spiritual energy.


    Then, he circulated his cultivation technique to direct that spiritual energy through his body while absorbing energy from the surroundings to enrich his soul.


    Minos was already one step away from reaching level 50, and with everything going on in his body, he was slowly breaking through the level 49 limit and entering the 6th stage!


    While doing this, every cell in his body was being pressed by the spiritual energy of that medicine, while the typical advancing pains were beginning to spread throughout his body.


    With this going on inside of him, it wasn''t long before Minos'' face changed, with him making a pained expression as every muscle in his body tightened.


    At the same time, as his body seemed to be testing its limits, with much sweat pouring out of his pores, young Stuart''s soul was expanding and contracting like a beating heart. But unlike a heart, every moment his soul expanded and contracted, it became a little more voluminous.


    And this was not at all comfortable for Minos!


    As such, every millisecond was like an eternity for this young man, who was pressing his jaw with an absurd force.


    But while enduring all this suffering, after a while in that state, this young man''s soul finally began to stabilize until it reached a volume equivalent to 3% of his body.


    Crack!


    At that instant, red beams of light began to enter that young man''s body, while the typical sound of level advancement resounded through that room, causing every person there to realize what had just happened.


    ''The young master is reaching level 50!'' Several people there thought briefly, as they struggled not to lose control over their cultivation techniques.


    And while they were trying not to pay more attention than they should to young Stuart''s advancement to the 6th stage, changes in Minos'' body were beginning to happen!


    A black goo was starting to seep out of the pores of Minos'' skin, coming out of every single part of his body, in large quantities, almost as if he had a pit of tar stored under his own skin...


    As the impurities began to pour out of Minos'' body, he shook vigorously and used his arms to keep from collapsing to the ground.


    "Ahhh!" Finally, young Stuart''s first cry of pain resounded through that place as he agonized in pain.


    And it was not long before he spat out a large amount of blood, almost entirely black, as if it were another substance other than this one.


    But as Minos felt the spiritual cleansing generated by the stage advancement in his body, he quickly sensed that his Physique was about to advance in rank!


    All this time, he had been enduring the pressure of that medicine''s spiritual energy, and as soon as he had ''touched'' level 50, the evolution of his Physique had been activated.


    The two processes were happening simultaneously. Because of that, the spiritual cleansing of the fleshy body and soul was much more efficient than it would be in other people who tried to do it differently.


    As a result, the number of toxins released soon reached the point where liters of substance left the young man''s body, spreading a strong odor throughout the place...

 Chapter 609: Evolution and Level Up 4

    While the 130 soldiers cultivating in that room were trying with all their strength to endure the disgusting smell of those toxins, Minos'' body quickly stopped releasing such impurities.


    When this happened, every single black drop that had previously been coming out of his body was suddenly repelled. At the same time, his white skin reappeared to whoever was watching him.


    However, this time every centimeter of this young man''s body looked more attractive, with his muscles more pronounced, more flexible, with fewer blemishes and imperfections. Meanwhile, he was more resilient, and every part of his body now had a more powerful regeneration factor!


    However, while the external changes drew the attention of everyone, particularly the women, the most significant change to Minos'' body occurred on his interior.


    The overall quality of his body had risen to a new level, something that this young man had never even come close to achieving before. And although his Physique was still evolving and his cultivation level had not yet stabilized, at this moment, the young Stuart already felt a sense of lightness that was indescribable.


    He felt incredible strength in every fiber of his body. This sensation grew stronger as he felt the shackles of his Physique relax as if a ''new'' Minos was about to be born.


    "Ohh!" He made a sound of satisfaction, still with his eyes closed.


    At the same time, he felt that his Physique was gradually reaching the King-grade classification, and the energy increase factor given by his innate ability was rising!


    Previously he had an energy increase factor of 10%. But, now that he was almost done rising to the next rank, he felt that his permanent energy increase factor had already passed 18% and was still growing!


    And while feeling all these sensations, young Stuart was beginning to feel his compatibility with the Natural Laws increase, while a flow of invisible power seemed to penetrate his soul.


    "Feel that!"


    "The young master is increasing his compatibility with the laws!" One of the many soldiers watching Minos outside that cultivation room shouted, making everyone hear him.


    "Incredible!"


    "The young master''s understanding seems so dense that I feel as if my consciousness is floating on a boat in the middle of a grand ocean!" Someone commented aloud while having his eyes closed and feeling what was happening to Minos as he probed that young man.


    On the other hand, Ruth and Abby were also feeling the changes in Minos as they had smiles on their faces.


    ''Now that Minos has reached level 50, I can''t fall behind! I have to push myself to get there as fast as possible!'' Abby thought to herself as she realized how solid the fluctuations of the laws around Minos were.


    On the other hand, although Ruth was delighted with all this, she was also puzzled by a few things... ''It seems that he truly did have a Warrior-grade Physique.''


    ''How is that possible?''


    ''My master can''t have made a mistake in finding out such a basic thing... I wonder what happened to him? Maybe this has something to do with all those Silver-grade techniques he has?''


    But while Minos'' two girlfriends had different thoughts regarding his advancement, he was at the moment finishing feeling the increased compatibility of his soul with some of the Natural Laws.


    That was very comfortable, and it seemed as if he had finally gotten the answers to some of his questions regarding how to use his spiritual techniques. But for now, he only had the theory and would still need to put these findings to the test to know exactly his new capabilities.


    ''Hmm, I''m almost done...'' He thought to himself for a moment.


    At the same time, he sensed that most of that medicine energy had already escaped his body and was circulating in the room''s surroundings, where those soldiers were absorbing it.


    After a few minutes, all the energy of that King-grade medicine left Minos'' body, and this young man finally felt the classification of his Physique stabilizing at King-grade!


    Such a thing had wholly changed the quality of the cells in this young man''s body, to the point that if we were to compare his before and after, it wouldn''t be all wrong to say that he had changed species!


    But besides the physical characteristics that had been greatly strengthened, what had benefited most here was this young man''s innate ability.


    When the progression had finally ended, the energy increase factor had stopped growing when it had reached the 20% mark. But at the same time, where this young man''s energy reserves had increased significantly because of this, he was also feeling a bizarre sensation at the moment...


    ''What is it?'' Minos asked himself seriously as he felt the auras of all the people on that top floor of the headquarters'' cultivation tower.


    He felt as if each of those fluctuations had gained some compatibility with his own all of a sudden. Or maybe it was better to say that his soul had synchronized with those people''s?


    He couldn''t say for sure. But the fact was that Minos was feeling this sense for the first time in his life and was full of questions at the moment.


    ''What does this mean? Maybe this is the beginning of a new way of using my ability? But what could this compatibility mean?'' He wondered as he tried to use such a thing.


    "Ahh, I''ll leave that aside for now..." He muttered after realizing that he couldn''t do anything about it at the moment.


    After doing so, he immediately began to pay attention to his increased total power.


    Previously he had been focused on using that massive energy released by that medicine from before to evolve his Physique while at the same time increasing his cultivation stage. As such, he had not paid attention to how his characteristics had improved.


    But now that he had finished doing those two things, young Stuart began to analyze his gains after that weirdness from before.


    ''My vitality has doubled once again, and now I can cultivate longer without having to stop to rest. I will also be able to sleep less, go longer without eating...'' So, he thought to himself as he counted his gains.


    ''Regarding my physical strength, I think that I am already as strong as a level 38 being, even without my spiritual techniques.''


    "Hmm, now I''m probably faster and more resilient than beasts below the 4th stage of cultivation." He muttered as he smiled.


    In fact, at the present moment, if he wanted to travel on foot through this region, he would already be able to run for longer and at a higher speed than beasts at the 3rd stage. And this even without using his movement technique!


    He didn''t need such a thing, but this was important to him since if he could do even such a thing, everyday things would become even easier. For example, he would be less tired at work; he could spend more time with his girlfriends and with a more significant number of women... In addition, he would recover more quickly from injuries, training, etc.


    The advantages of having a powerful body were many since most of the cultivators'' lives didn''t involve life and death fights but those common everyday situations. On the other hand, spiritual energy would always run out sooner or later, something different from physical strength.


    Unless someone had crippled parts of his body, even if such a person was without spiritual energy, he could still fight, run, in short, live.


    Finally, after feeling the basics about his body, Minos stood up from where he was standing and opened his eyes.


    As he did so, he immediately used his spiritual energy to destroy all those toxins. Meanwhile, he was looking from side to side, seeing that those soldiers were taking advantage of this opportunity he gave them.


    But even though the smell of that place had become terrible, it didn''t take long for those soldiers to forget about it. After all, with their advances, something similar to what had happened to Minos earlier was now happening to each of them...


    "They''re almost done..." Minos muttered as he watched in the direction of Alina, who by now had reached level 40!!

 Chapter 610: Improvements

    After some time since he had finished his advance, Minos waited in that cultivation room until finally, all the energy of that King-grade medicine was absorbed by those 130 soldiers.


    On the other hand, since he had already finished his advance, most of the soldiers who were there to observe him had already left to fulfill their duties within the headquarters or deal with their personal affairs outside this place.


    After all, while there was a possibility that they might gain something by watching Minos'' advance, the same was not true for the progress of those 130 soldiers. As such, it was not worth it for many of those people to continue there.


    Besides, some of those people had made gains from watching Minos'' advancement. Hence, they were very eager to cultivate or train their techniques!


    So, when the last of those 130 individuals finished his advance, there were almost no soldiers outside that cultivation room used by that group. With that, each of those soldiers ran towards the army library to learn one more spiritual technique, which could significantly increase their powers.


    Among this group was Alina and also young Alison''s mother. She had joined the army during the time that had passed since Minos had arrived in this city.


    Anyway, both had thanked young Stuart before leaving that place to learn their 5th technique. The same had happened to several other people until this young sovereign had been left alone in that room.


    After that, Minos left that place and went alongside his two girlfriends to another area. A place where Ruth and Abby would normally train when they were at headquarters.


    In such a place, Minos intended to learn his new technique and experience how his old techniques had improved after the recent improvements.


    He hadn''t done this during this time since he couldn''t train in a place full of soldiers, as was the case in that collective cultivation room from before. But, that room had been specially made for that circumstance, and if he had opened the doors earlier, the medicine energy could have spread to the entire Dry City...


    And since this would not be interesting for the army and young Stuart, he had patiently waited for the end of his soldiers'' advances!


    ...


    "How are you feeling? How much stronger are you?" Ruth asked as she held one of Minos'' hands and walked with him and Abby through the army''s cultivation tower building.


    "Hehe, I feel pretty good."


    "As for my strength, I think I''m close to the final part of the 6th stage." He said this while having an exuberant smile on his face.


    His innate ability was one of the main culprits for such increased power. So, this young man was very confident in saying those words from before.


    However, he would not make any more accurate statements than that until he experimented with his skills in fights and training, which could give him evidence as to whether or not his theory was correct.


    "So, your innate ability has increased greatly in capabilities?" Abby asked in curiosity.


    "Hmm, yes, but I''ll still have to experience it a few times to understand the whole change better..." He said vaguely.


    Even if they were reliable people, talking about such a thing would not benefit anyone since even he didn''t understand it. So, Minos wasn''t going to talk about what he had felt before.


    After he finished saying that, he entered that part of the headquarters, where these two women trained in this place.


    ''Well, first, I will test my old techniques...'' So, he thought to himself as he walked towards the fighting stage of that room.


    At the same time, the two women had sat down at one of the furthest points away from Minos in that room they were in to observe this young man without disturbing him.


    ''Now Minos should be able to wholly suppress me to the point where he doesn''t even need to move to defeat me...'' Ruth thought as she looked at that young man beginning to train his techniques.


    ...


    First, he had used the Spatial Sword, the technique he used the most, something that had already helped him kill thousands of enemies. Next, Minos trained his supporting technique, Devouring Art, using a spiritual array to test the new limits of this technique.


    He then tested each of his other techniques until he was done with those tests in the following order: Explosive Steps, Indestructible Body, and Solar God Breath.


    As Minos finished this, he had a satisfied expression on his face. He was thinking about the limits of each of these techniques at his new level.


    ''Now the scope of the Spatial Sword is 160 meters, and any being or object in this space will be under the spatial restriction. But, on the other hand, my attacks'' destructive force had increased by 50% after the technique is activated!'' So, he thought, as he remembered the experience he had just had while training such a technique.


    Such an improvement was superb for him. After all, in a world where the living beings'' speed could vary considerably, having a technique with influence over a more expansive space would be better. As in the previous case where the crow that Urban had tried to send to the Silva family headquarters had almost escaped from Minos because the limit of this technique was not significant enough.


    Consequently, young Stuart now had a larger space to act, and his opponents would find it more difficult to escape from him!


    He then continued his analysis. ''As for the Devouring Art, the affected space has increased to 200 meters in radius, double the previous one. But besides that important factor, now I can completely control from whom I steal energy even without diminishing the devouring effect!''


    Previously, by reaching the peak of the 2nd phase of this technique, this young man could absorb less energy from certain people and more from others. But this was not so efficient, and he would lose in the absorption rate of his targets and still steal some power from his allies...


    However, with this breakthrough, now he could steal the energies only from the people he wanted and who were within the range of the technique.


    This way, he could finally battle alongside his soldiers against the enemies of the Black Plain without risking harm to his subordinates!


    ''Also, the conversion factor of this technique has increased from 30% to 40%!''


    ''I can now use 40% of the spiritual energy that the technique absorbs!'' He celebrated as he rubbed his left forearm across his forehead and wiped away some of his sweat.


    ''As for my movement technique, I can now move at 100 meters per second when I use it, and all my senses are 50% faster than before when I use it to dodge or sneak.'' So, he thought, while also remembering that after reaching the 2nd phase of such a technique, he had learned different ways to use his body while running, attacking, and dodging.


    ''Besides these techniques, the one that had the biggest breakthrough of all was the Indestructible Body!''


    ''Now, when I activate this technique, during the 10 seconds of each activation, my body is so strong and resilient to the point that I can even fight without using the Spatial Sword!''


    "Hehehe, I have to train that... That might be a good surprise factor..." He muttered in a low voice.


    As for his cultivation technique, it had also improved its characteristics, and he had now more than doubled his cultivation speed. However, even if such a thing had happened, the amount of energy he would need to advance in level at the moment was almost four times the previous one.


    Hence, he had concluded that it would take 7 to 8 months to achieve a new advancement.


    But for now, this was already very good for him. Not only because this was an excellent cultivation speed for a person at the 6th stage, but also because it was not an excessive amount of time considering his situation.


    The Black Plain''s war of independence would probably take a few years, and he had the advantage that people still didn''t know exactly about his capabilities. With that said, although the problems were severe enough for him to worry about, his advancement spread was not the least bit problematic to him.


    "Time to learn my 6th technique..." He muttered in a low voice.

 Chapter 611: Infinite Dream 1

    Minos then began to read a golden parchment in his spatial ring. He had not taken the parchment out of his ring but had sent his spiritual senses into that item.


    Young Stuart trusted Ruth quite a bit, but he had not yet reached the point where he was ready to talk about all his secrets with her. After all, Maisie''s disciple might have certain obligations to the Gray Clouds Sect...


    Therefore, he would prefer that Ruth not know about the Golden-grade techniques, nor other things for a while. At least, he would need to have assurances that the Gray Clouds Sect would not show up at his door demanding things after he told her such things.


    Hence, he didn''t want her to see him learning such a technique, so he preferred to use this learning method.


    On the other hand, Abby was already aware that Minos had Golden-grade techniques. In fact, she was already learning one specialized in cultivation, the same one that Dillian had previously learned from young Stuart.


    Minos didn''t know how far his relationship with Abby would go. Still, she already knew about the Spatial Kingdom and was part of its army.


    On the other hand, he thought her as reliable as Dillian. And since this individual already used Golden-grade techniques, there was no reason to be any different with that woman.


    But she had only learned one of these techniques at the moment since he had taught her about it not long ago, and it was also not possible to change techniques constantly.


    Anyway, as his girlfriends watched him, he began to understand some of the laws involved in that mental technique.


    That was not difficult. Minos only needed to read the contents of that parchment while relaxing, allowing the technique to be engraved into his soul. At the same time, he could gain a little compatibility with the Natural Laws involved in the operation of such a technique.


    But that was only the minimum necessary for a person to start using a specific spiritual technique. In other words, if one wanted to achieve the highest level in any technique, they would need to gain affinity with the Natural Laws involved through training and understanding.


    But even if two people learned the same techniques, they would not increase in comprehension in each one at the same rate. Things like talent and other variables also influenced this.


    But regardless, learning techniques happened basically the same way for all types of spiritual techniques and people.


    Every technique would be found on spiritual parchments, which were devices that reflected through the color the quality of the Natural Laws involved in the technique.


    On each parchment, there would be a small amount of the Natural Laws involved in such a technique, something left behind by the technique creator, someone who would undoubtedly have a great affinity with those laws.


    With that, what was left was a specific device that would place the person reading the entire technique into an illusion. After that, such a person would learn the basics of the method to be able to begin practicing it independently.


    That is, considering that such an individual did not protect himself while reading the thing.


    Anyway, young Stuart had chosen to learn at this stage a technique focused on the mind, called Infinite Dream, Golden-grade, composed of 6 phases.


    Such a technique had its primary ability to put the user''s targets into a dream, fully controlled by the user. In such a dream, the user could fight, teach, torture through a nightmare, among many other things, all while the target would think he was living all those experiences.


    On the other hand, the user himself would not be trapped in the same dream. Instead, he would be conscious of everything that happened in the dream and the real world!


    But despite being somewhat impressive, this technique had several limitations. For example, it would only work perfectly on those up to 100% stronger spiritually than the user.


    Above that, the user would lose more and more control over the dream as the difference in levels increased. That would happen until it could not affect the target when the difference in spiritual power was three times in favor of the target.


    But, against opponents with twice the user''s spiritual power, i.e., 100% stronger, the user could at most affect one target at a time. Below that, each time the power difference between the parties doubled, the user could double the number of people of the same level under the effect of the technique.


    Suppose the user used such a technique on people with the same spiritual power as himself. In that case, he could put two people of the same energy into the Infinite Dream.


    If he used the same technique on people two times weaker spiritually than himself, this limit would rise to four. And so on.


    These were the limitations of the technique for the first phase of mastery. However, such values could increase significantly with each advancement of the technique phase that the user had.


    Finally, there was one other feature, which, although it would not vary as the user''s mastery of the technique increased, was still something Minos desired at this time.


    That was the protection of the user against mental attacks from opponents up to 100% stronger than the user.


    Minos knew about some hazardous mental techniques in the Spiritual World, which could easily cause opponents of equal proficiency to perform very differently in a fight.


    And there were also those with innate abilities related to this, as in the case of soldier Grym, level 43, someone with whom Minos had trained right after he reached the 3rd stage, more than four years ago.


    People with innate abilities like Grym''s, or mental techniques, could easily defeat opponents with the same spiritual power as them, as long as such people lacked mental defenses.


    And precisely because of the risk involved, Minos couldn''t help but learn such a technique!


    It wasn''t a big problem not having something like this for the time being since there weren''t many cultivators with techniques like this in the northern region of the Central Continent.


    On the other hand, most people who had things like that were Spiritual Kings, individuals that only more recently Minos had begun to fight against.


    However, even among the local Spiritual Kings, most did not learn techniques of this sort. That happens either because of the low number of them in the region or the overall low quality of the mental techniques found in these areas.


    For all that, it was not so worrying not to have a mental technique while being in this impoverished region.


    But Minos didn''t intend to spend his entire life here. Instead, he wanted to travel around this vast world to get to know it, explore it, and bring new things to his territory.


    So, he would need to prepare himself to fight in the future against opponents who would undoubtedly have good mental techniques.


    But besides protecting himself against possible opponents, he also wanted to use these techniques to his advantage. After all, they could make fights between people of similar levels much easier...


    They were truly dangerous when one side had nothing of the sort!


    For all that, he had chosen Infinite Dream.


    ...


    Anyway, while Minos was learning the basics of the mental technique, Abby and Ruth watched him as they sat at one end of that room.


    The two of them were anxious to see the moment when he finished doing this and finally had a chance to see this young man''s new technique.


    They had already been very impressed with the new power that Minos had gained after his advancement to the 6th stage during the previous training. But even though this was shocking to both of them, since the characteristics of those techniques had significantly improved, they were already used to such methods being used by him.


    So, even though it was incredible, it was still similar to what they already knew of him. But, on the other hand, this would be the first time the two of them would see him using a new technique, one that neither of them knew what type it was.


    So, they were both curious to learn what specialization his 6th technique would be and what its effects would be like!


    "Looks like he''s finishing it..." Ruth commented in a low voice as she saw Minos'' eyes slowly open...

 Chapter 612: Infinite Dream 2

    Finally, young Stuart finished learning the basics of that mental technique when he opened his eyes and looked in the direction of those two women.


    Now that he had learned the basics, he would only need to practice a few times until he could activate that technique for the first time. After that, he would achieve the minimum mastery necessary to use this alternative whenever he wanted.


    So, after looking at his two girlfriends for a brief moment, Minos immediately began to execute the commands of that technique so that he could activate it for the first time.


    ''First, I have to circulate my spiritual energy towards my brain...'' He thought to himself as he executed his first attempt.


    ''... After the fourth step, I have to use some of the laws for the technique to take shape...''


    While thinking about the activating process, he was constantly making gestures with his hands, using his fingers to make the energy in his body follow specific paths.


    Such a thing was not a requirement of the technique, but a method cultivators would use to more easily direct their energies the first few times they were to activate a spiritual technique.


    When learning a new technique, the connection between the user and the technique would be tiny. Therefore, it would not be easy to execute all the commands easily and quickly. On the contrary, the difficulty would be significant, similar to what would happen to a person who had never written with a pen in his life and who was going to do this for the first time.


    In this situation, even if such a person saw other people using the pen, his writing would hardly be beautiful or efficient. At least there would be great difficulty initially, and later, besides the handwriting becoming more attractive, the speed or skill would significantly increase!


    And it was not so different with the spiritual techniques.


    In the beginning, each technique would pass the feeling that it was very complex, something difficult to use, sometimes requiring several hours to activate for the first time.


    An example was when Minos had learned his movement technique, Explosive Steps. At that time, he had fallen several times trying to activate it and was even mocked by the then little Kyla.


    But contrary to what the Nine-tailed Fox had previously thought, Minos had not been throwing himself to the ground on purpose. Instead, that had happened because it had taken him many attempts to activate the technique successfully.


    Despite the difficulties at first, once a technique was mastered, its user could activate it very easily, to the point where it was no more complicated than walking!


    Hence, Minos wouldn''t have to make those hand gestures he was currently making in the future.


    "Ahh!" He made a low sound of pain as he brought one of his hands to his forehead, feeling a pain in that area as if he had been hit on the head.


    ''Shit! I failed the second step...'' He thought about it as he realized the most obvious mistake he had made on that first attempt.


    After that, he immediately returned to repeating the previous execution, trying not to make the same mistake as before.


    ...


    After trying to activate Infinite Dream a dozen times, Minos finally succeeded!


    After almost 40 minutes of doing this, he perfectly executed the commands of that technique, causing unique energy to circulate through his brain, a mixture of some laws and spiritual power.


    As he did so, this energy quickly coursed through his brain until it finally reached its final destination, young Stuart''s eyes!


    Infinite Dream!


    Suddenly, young Stuart''s eyes turned colorful, with all the visible spectrum colors appearing around his pupils.


    At the same time, Minos'' two pupils suddenly contracted, just at the moment when he had looked in Abby''s direction.


    As he did such a thing, Abby immediately felt a shiver run down her spine. At the same time, she felt a powerful invisible force approaching her until such a thing penetrated through her eyes.


    ''Do you want to test your technique on me, you rascal?'' Abby thought to herself as she suppressed the instinctive fear she had felt earlier.


    She knew perfectly well that Minos would not harm her. Hence, she trusted what he was doing and took it without getting angry.


    Abby had felt her vision dimming within 2 seconds of young Stuart looking at her before she began to see a foggy place that appeared to be in the middle of a forest.


    ''What is this?'' She looked from side to side before raising both her hands to her face and looking at the place incredulously. ''What is this place? Did he teleport me here?''


    She could feel the beating of her heart, the temperature in her surroundings, the sound of animals, the humidity in the air. In short, she could feel everything that would be found in an environment like the one she was in!


    And since she knew of no techniques capable of doing such a thing, for just a second, she had almost thought she had been teleported somewhere else.


    However, the next moment she shook her head from side to side as she thought better of it. ''No, Minos would at least need to touch me to get me to another location! Even arrays can''t do something without the slightest contact...''


    And after a while of thinking, she finally saw the figure of her father and mother approaching that place.


    Seeing this, she immediately understood what was happening. ''This is an illusion!''


    She knew very well that her parents were in the local government mansion at this moment. So, in this case, it didn''t make sense that she would see them in that place, in the middle of a forest.


    Abby then looked at the figure of her parents and said. "Minos, your technique is amazing! You almost tricked me..."


    "Now, why don''t you show yourself?"


    "Show me?" She heard her boyfriend''s voice as if such a thing had come from every direction in that place.


    "I''m on your side."


    After hearing this, Abby suddenly saw the image in front of her disappear and the cultivation room she was previously in reappear in front of her.


    Gulp!


    And while she felt shocked by such a sudden change of scenery, she felt one of Minos'' arms around her waist as he had his head resting on her left shoulder.


    "You... Weren''t you in the illusion with me? What happened?" She asked in surprise as she turned her face and looked in the direction of Minos and Ruth.


    Hearing this, Minos just smiled as he looked at Ruth and nodded to her.


    "I don''t know what happened to you, but after his eyes changed color, he just walked over here and sat down next to you." Ruth said while also feeling quite agitated at the moment.


    Ruth had felt the strength of the technique that Minos had used on Abby, and she was sure that if he wanted to use such a thing on her, she would have no way of escaping such a technique!


    Hence, she was pretty impressed by this, since until recently, she could still withstand Minos'' techniques for at least a few breaths.


    Anyway, upon hearing that, Abby understood the situation a little more. "So, you can create such an illusion and still act normally... But how could you have answered me? Were you in control of the technique or not?"


    Hearing this, Minos laughed. "Hehehe, I can do both simultaneously, Abby."


    "Is that true?" Ruth asked in doubt.


    She had a mental type technique, but she couldn''t do two things simultaneously. Therefore, she was amazed by this statement.


    "Hmm, some techniques have a mechanism of action that works in our place... Anyway, I can''t explain that properly myself, since I lack understanding about Natural Laws."


    "But take a simpler example. You can run, talk, think about random things, all that and more simultaneously."


    "Oh? So, that''s how it is..."


    Minos then smiled at her and Abby before standing up and saying goodbye to the two. "Well, it''s time for me to get back to my work, hehe. See you later..."

 Chapter 613: Changes in Military Exercises

    After saying goodbye to his two girlfriends, Minos quickly left the army headquarters, heading towards his mansion.


    It was great that he had increased his level, evolved his Physique, and even learned a new technique. However, despite his and his two girlfriends'' happiness, they couldn''t stop their responsibilities because of this.


    Celebrating was good, and they would do it later. But for now, Minos and Abby needed to fulfill their responsibilities so that the local forces would be as well prepared as possible for future threats.


    Times were becoming increasingly chaotic, and Minos had even sent an official request for independence to the royal family. Consequently, it would not be long before a full-scale war would start in the vicinity of this territory.


    Therefore, he soon raced towards his office, where he had to determine a series of plans, changes, additions, in short, strategies for the Dry City and the Black Plain Army.


    ...


    In a few minutes, Minos had walked all the way between that cultivation room inside the headquarters and his office.


    He had greeted many soldiers on the way, the ones who were already at the 5th stage of cultivation and could sense that this young man''s cultivation level had reached the 6th stage.


    Each of these people had great respect for young Stuart. Still, upon seeing his visual changes and feeling the strong fluctuations of their leader, such individuals couldn''t help but admire him even more.


    After all, Minos was not an ordinary level 50 Spiritual King that they could defeat if they worked together. No, this young man was completely different and was probably already one of the strongest in the region.


    With such thoughts in mind, each of those soldiers couldn''t help but greet young Stuart as they felt very excited about the future of the Black Plain.


    And it was no different for secretary Mia.


    "Young master, congratulations on reaching level 50!" She said this while smiling and placing some papers in front of where Minos was sitting.


    "Hmm, thank you, Mia." He replied in satisfaction.


    It was very gratifying to increase his power. That is, in addition to becoming stronger more attractive, the increase in vitality would make any cultivator feel like they were on cloud nine.


    So, even though Minos knew that level 50 was nothing, just standard level in great empires, he was still in a good mood because of it.


    Regardless of how insignificant his current level was elsewhere, this didn''t change the fact that he had grown stronger and that this was very exciting for him!


    Therefore, he was smiling even if the times were not easy.


    However, it didn''t take long for him to put his satisfaction aside and start talking about other things.


    "Mia, I want you to pass on some of my orders to the army later when I go for training."


    "OK. What does the young master want me to do?" She politely asked while standing on one side of Minos'' desk.


    He then continued. "We are going to change the schedule of the army''s military exercises."


    "Previously, I was going to have one last battle against the army Sergeants, but that won''t work out... My strength has increased quite a bit after this breakthrough, and now we have a huge number of Spiritual Generals outside Dry City."


    "So, such a thing would no longer be interesting to us." He said as he leaned his back in that chair in which he was.


    That made sense.


    The last time he had fought his soldiers, he had already had to fight 700 individuals at once... And now, well, the number of opponents would have to increase significantly.


    But there was one problem...


    Most of the Sergeants who were in Dry City were individuals who had only recently joined the army. In other words, the weakest in this organization.


    And to make matters worse, their numbers were only about 1,700 individuals, an insufficient number to fight Minos and still keep the Dry City wall functioning. Thus, the previous plan had become outdated, which no longer corresponded to reality.


    Minos had become very strong, and his soldiers had gained responsibility in very distant locations. Therefore, he needed something more compatible with the current times.


    "We will keep the military exercises, but the soldiers at the 5th stage will no longer fight me. From now on, every six months, each Sergeant will have to participate in group fights against Spiritual Kings of our organization."


    "As for the Spiritual Kings, once a year, at least half of them will have to assemble to fight me." He said with a smile on his face as he looked at the front of his office. "We will start the Lieutenants'' military exercises in one year."


    Hearing this, Mia suddenly frowned her eyebrows and asked in doubt. "But young master, if we do that, won''t our border posts be vulnerable?"


    That was indeed a problem...


    The army had only 11 Spiritual Kings, counting young Stuart himself, Dillian, and Regina; two were not warriors. So, if everyone else were to take a day off to fight against him, there would be no protectors on the posts.


    Consequently, Mia couldn''t help but wonder about that.


    "Haha, don''t worry, in a year, we will have more Spiritual Kings, and I will only do this exercise with those who are in Dry City." He calmly said.


    The army already had some people close to the final levels of the 5th stage, as in the examples of Abby and Viola. Hence, it wouldn''t take long for more Spiritual Kings to appear in this city.


    And as much as the numbers were not significant, the army would not have as many of its Spiritual Kings outside of Dry City in the coming future. That was because Minos intended to use his allies in future battles, which was part of his plan not to expose so much of the Black Plain''s power.


    So far, the defensive dome was the main threat his territory seemed to have to the outside forces that already knew about the local changes. That could protect the residents from powerful enemies, while these people strengthened themselves in peace.


    But besides that, none of Minos'' enemies knew that, for example, there were people as strong as Spiritual Kings at level 57 in Dry City.


    Furthermore, he didn''t intend to show that kind of strength until it was necessary!


    For this, he would use his allies, who also did not need to know these essential details... After all, fooling an ally could be just as crucial as deceiving his enemies!


    Considering these plans, he knew that it would be possible to carry out such military exercises, even if there were a need for part of the army Lieutenants to be outside this city.


    "Oh? I see..."


    "Anyway..." He then sighed for a moment before looking in the direction of a ring on one of Mia''s hands. "How are things between you and Peter? Have you two enjoyed these past few days?"


    "We did, young master. By the way, thank you for letting him leave a little early the Elite Squad training."


    Minos was going to send Peter with Lee and Alison to the Snow Kingdom in the next few days. And since this trip could take more than a year, he had allowed each of these people to spend time with their families.


    So, Peter and Mia, who were engaged with each other, had taken advantage of this opportunity given by young Stuart.


    "Well, enjoy that for another two days. After that, ask him to come and talk to me. I have some directions to give him before his group''s trip to the Snow Kingdom." Minos said as he looked at Mia''s face.


    "OK, young master."


    "Give that message to those two as well. They will leave at the very beginning of the day, after talking to me..."


    "Lastly, Mia, try to buy as many high-level grade-1 defective weapons as there are in our city. Let''s let Seargent Alina recycle as many of these items as possible so that the army has a more stable supply of low-level grade-2 resources..."

 Chapter 614: A New Challenge

    After talking with Mia about the previous matters, Minos spent a few hours working in his office before heading to the Spatial Kingdom.


    Now that he had leveled up, he wanted as soon as possible to test his strength by fighting a worthy opponent who would cause him trouble to the point that he would have to push himself. As such, he wanted to have a battle against Emlyn, with whom he usually fought on occasions similar to this.


    And with such a thing in mind, it wasn''t long before young Stuart appeared in the Spatial Kingdom!


    ...


    Zum!


    Minos appeared not far from the lake house, where several people were sitting or training nearby.


    And seeing the movement of people in that place, Minos immediately headed towards the place where Emlyn was while receiving congratulations for reaching the 6th stage.


    "You already got there, huh?" Regina commented as she walked beside Angela.


    This poison master was in this place at the moment because she had been applying the poison treatment to the soldiers of the Elite Squad. Hence, for at least a few hours a day, she was coming here to handle the treatments of the 99 soldiers in the Spatial Kingdom.


    As for Peter, Lee, and Alison, since they would have to travel to the Snow Kingdom in the next few days, they had been given the preference to receive the poison treatment early.


    On the other hand, Regina couldn''t stay in the Spatial Kingdom all the time. After all, she was still doing Mirya''s treatment.


    At the same time, ordinary soldiers also needed to go through this kind of procedure. So, she only could stay here for a few hours each day.


    After hearing Regina''s voice, Minos nodded to her and made a sound of agreement without saying much more. "Hmm."


    "Have you come here to train with us?" Angela asked at the same time as she looked in Celeste''s direction.


    As Angela asked this, Minos also looked in Celeste''s direction and realized that she was getting closer and closer to reaching level 55.


    He then thought for a moment about what he should do. ''Celeste will probably level up in less than a week. Then I''ll leave it to fight her when she achieves that, so I can have a more efficient training...''


    ''On the other hand, fighting only Emlyn right now is better for me to get used to this increase in power.''


    Right after increasing in level, every cultivator would become stronger. That was a fact. Everyone knew it. But it was also common knowledge that after a person''s level increases, his fighting efficiency would be somewhat unstable.


    Sometimes a person could release excessive power, losing energy in unnecessary ways. On the other hand, a cultivator could use less than necessary in other situations and put himself in danger.


    Neither was interesting. So, whenever someone raises his level, especially when he reaches a new stage, he should fight to consolidate his newly acquired strength. And since Emlyn at the moment was the most competitive opponent for him, Minos thought it best to do this fight only against this fox at the moment.


    As for Celeste, she would become stronger than him after she advanced. Hence, he could be pressured by her in the best way for him to try to increase his strength again, something that would be done after his bases were consolidated.


    "No. Celeste is at a turning point for her to increase her level, while you still need to learn a few more techniques until you can fight me." He answered Angela''s question as he continued walking through the Spatial Kingdom.


    "Oh? OK, then."


    Minos then turned toward the direction of those two women and said. "Call all the soldiers, I''m going to have a friendly match against Emlyn, and I want them all to watch."


    "Are you going to fight that fox?" Regina asked as she looked in the direction of where Emlyn was standing.


    This poison master had also provided her professional services for Kyla''s mother. As such, she already knew that great Nine-tailed Fox.


    But although this experienced poison master did not know Emlyn and Kyla''s race, this human knew very well that the potential of that beast was not small. That''s because, during the poison treatment, she could tell how small the portion of impurities in that fox''s massive body was.


    It was common knowledge that beasts of good lineages would have lower amounts of impurities in their bodies than humans with similar potentials to them. After all, the beast races had a higher affinity for spiritual energy than humans.


    However, Regina had previously provided treatment for beasts of great lineages, some of which could even reach the end of the 6th stage. Still, she had never seen a being with such small amounts of impurities in its body as Emlyn.


    Consequently, she knew very well that Emlyn''s potential was the greatest of all these residents of the Spatial Kingdom!


    Minos then answered her. "Hmm, for a few years now, we have been fighting every time I level up... So, it''s time for us to do that once again."


    "I think I''ll win for the first time, hehehe."


    "Really?" Regina asked in doubt while at the same time querying herself if Minos was being sincere.


    She didn''t know about how much stronger he had become, but she had heard stories from the soldiers in this place that Minos had lost the last battle against Emlyn. However, in that period, not only had he advanced, but she had also done the same.


    So, this poison master was curious to see how the two of the three strongest individuals in the Black Plain Army would fight.


    And quickly, Angela and Regina distanced themselves from Minos, going to inform the other soldiers in the Spatial Kingdom about the ''show'' they could watch in the next few minutes...


    Watching and scanning fights of stronger people was always an excellent opportunity for warriors. So, upon finding out about such a possibility, all those soldiers had stopped their duties so that they could follow this event.


    ''Minos has already reached level 50... How strong must he be?'' Neal wondered as he walked not far from his woman, Celeste.


    This friend of Minos from his Spiritual Academy days had already reached level 44 since he had joined the forces of the Black Plain. And given the opportunities that had come his way, he was already in the Elite Squad, striving to get better.


    And realizing how strong his old friend had become, someone who had studied with him, he couldn''t help but be even more motivated. But he was not envious of Minos.


    Not because he didn''t want to reach level 50, he did. But, because this young man would not wish for himself the dangers and problems that Minos had already faced and would face in the future.


    Neal had ''only'' courted and had sex with his mother-in-law and had almost died a dozen times for it... Imagine what could happen if he pursued the bloody path that Minos followed?


    As the saying goes, scalded cats are afraid of cold water!


    And it was no different for this young man. So, he did not envy Minos.


    On the other hand, another person in that place also had some thoughts about Minos, only in a very different way...


    ''Hehe, I can''t wait to feel the changes he went through.'' So, Viola thought as she bit her lips and looked with interest at Minos, who had just arrived in front of Emlyn.


    ...


    After opening her large eyes and looking down from the tree she usually stood in, Emlyn quickly saw the figure of Minos near her and realized the situation. "So, you''ve reached level 50, huh..." She said in a soft tone.


    ''Ah, I knew this day would come, but it was too fast... Back there, he wasn''t even a Spiritual General, but in such a short time, he''s already at this level.'' So, she thought to herself as she began to head in the direction of a suitable place for them to fight.


    "Well, at least I''ll be able to have my peace time in this place since you won''t need me so much anymore..." She said in a joking tone as she talked to Minos.


    "Haha, what are you talking about? We will soon have many fights that will need your help."


    "Rest assured that there is no shortage of opponents from my organization!"


    "Oh? Too bad..." Emlyn said in a low voice while smiling. "Well, let''s start this challenge."


    "Are you ready?"

 Chapter 615: Fight

    "I''m ready!" Minos said, just after he stopped face to face with Emlyn, in an area where those soldiers were already standing around.


    At that instant, Minos and Emlyn then looked at each other for a moment, preparing for the fight to begin.


    Suddenly, this young man threw a rock up, causing everyone there to take a deep breath for the start of the match.


    And while he and Emlyn were paying attention to the falling stone, it finally crashed into the ground in a few seconds, indicating the beginning of the fight!


    Immediately upon seeing this, Emlyn ran in the opposite direction to where Minos was standing with all her speed, intending to escape the space of influence of her opponent''s techniques.


    She had had many difficulties in previous fights because of the effects of Minos'' techniques. And knowing that he should have improved to some degree in each of them after this recent advance, this fox didn''t want to take any chances.


    She knew very well that the effects of those techniques would be even more intense on her. So, in order not to make her opponent''s life easier, she was trying to maintain a long-range fight, something that would give her some ''breathing room.''


    Vuup!


    At the same time that she was running around, trying to get away from Minos, this young man had not taken his sword out of his spatial ring. Instead of just trying to use his favorite technique, he first wanted to try his other techniques right now.


    And to do so, he soon started running towards Emlyn, while he had a smile on his face and activated his techniques one after the other, quickly.


    Explosive Steps!


    By activating his movement technique, he had reached his maximum speed, 100 meters per second, in a short fraction of time. However, because of this, he had caused a small amount of dust to rise in the air the moment he had accelerated his speed.


    Infinite Dream!


    Then, while moving towards Emlyn, he immediately activated his mental technique to distract some of his opponent''s attention.


    However, this young man knew that he could not achieve the same result that he had previously obtained with Abby.


    After all, unlike that woman who was weaker than he was, Emlyn had more spiritual power than he. This Nine-tailed Fox had more than 100% of the spiritual energy that he had. Hence, the effects of his technique were much weaker for an opponent of this level.


    But since Emlyn still had no more than 200% more spiritual energy than him, his technique could still affect her to some degree!


    Because of this, Minos had not excluded using his new technique against this opponent since any help would be beneficial to him.


    Devouring Art!


    At the same time that he had activated that mental technique, a black ring appeared around him, coming out from within him and expanding until it reached the 200-meter mark away from him.


    Simultaneously, the brightness of that place diminished significantly, while many of young Stuart''s soldiers felt the mighty devouring power of this technique.


    And it was no different for Emlyn.


    The moment such a technique had been active, unlike those soldiers, this fox had immediately felt a strong power trying to devour her spiritual energies!


    But even though she hadn''t been able to get out of the affected space of such a technique in time, that wasn''t enough to scare her. After all, she was at level 54, and this technique would become weaker and weaker the greater the difference between Minos'' spiritual power and that of his opponent.


    So, she could still do a lot in this situation, although she felt as if a small parasite was sucking her energies away.


    But before Emlyn could even worry about that, she soon felt a powerful wave of energy attacking her.


    ''Oh? This...'' She wondered what that was as she tried to run through that region, already preparing to send counterattacks in Minos'' direction.


    And just after feeling this invisible attack sent by Minos, just for a brief instant, as she ran and tore the air with her claws to attack that young man, she felt as if she was going to faint.


    Swooish!


    ''A mental attack?'' She made a solemn expression, as she felt as if her consciousness was being ''attracted'' towards a dark place.


    "Au! Au!"


    However, she had not fallen for Minos'' attack. Instead, Emlyn promptly shook her head a few times in the air while letting out a loud bark.


    While she was dealing with this mental attack, Minos had dodged the air blades sent in his direction, still running towards that fox, who at the moment looked quite upset.


    Indestructible Body!


    As he did so, he promptly activated his defensive technique, making his body much stronger than before, as strong as a high-level grade-2 weapon!


    And it didn''t take long for him to get close enough to that fox and throw a punch towards Emlyn''s giant body.


    Pow!


    "What?" Several people in that place shouted in shock as they realized how different Minos'' strategy was for this fight.


    These people had seen this young man fight on several occasions. So, each of them knew more or less what this ruler''s most common fighting style was.


    But here was Minos, fighting in a completely different way than he had in the past.


    He was not using his sword and was running towards his target while unleashing a punch, as if he had some hand-to-hand technique.


    Hence, each of these soldiers had been taken aback by this!


    As for the powers demonstrated by this young man, all the soldiers were very impressed by this as well. But since they had expected similar things for the techniques they already knew, the shock regarding this had not been as great as the surprise of seeing him fight so differently.


    "Wow!"


    "His speed seems to be even faster than lady Emlyn''s!" One of the stronger soldiers there said this aloud as he watched Minos and that beast trying to attack and dodge each other''s attacks.


    "Hmm, and the young master''s support technique is already so good to the point that our energies are not being absorbed, even considering that we are within the technique''s affected space!" Pyke, level 47, said aloud while standing next to Robin and Barbara.


    Barbara was also at level 47 now, while Robin was only at level 46.


    Anyway, upon hearing that man''s comment, Robin immediately said. "I don''t understand... Why does Minos have a hand-to-hand technique when he has a mental technique? Did he learn two techniques at once?"


    "Hahaha, silly girl, that must be the evolution of one of his other techniques." Celeste said as she watched that fight, not far from where Robin was standing. "But it''s truly impressive."


    "I''m afraid that even a level 57 nobleman would take some damage if he suffered the blows that this fox is receiving!"


    ''Indeed... His power has increased tremendously after advancing by just one level!'' Angela thought to herself as she listened to Celeste''s voice from afar.


    Angela felt that even if she used her defenses generated by her Silver-grade technique, she would have great difficulty defending herself against Minos. With that, she could more or less come to the same conclusion as Celeste, that young Stuart''s attacks should be strong enough to threaten a level 57 person of a noble origin!


    But of course, she wasn''t sure if that would be enough for Minos to beat someone with those characteristics. After all, besides the fact that this was just a friendly fight, Emlyn was a spiritual beast and had many different aspects than humans.


    And since this woman''s understanding was not deep, she could not judge for sure the limits of that young man who was exchanging blows with that beast at this very moment.


    Pow!


    Swooish!


    Another punch from Minos hit Emlyn''s big body, making her shake. She then opened her big mouth while letting out sounds of pain along with her saliva.


    On the other hand, Minos was in a strange position at the moment. He was trying to keep punching his opponent''s body while using his legs to counter Emlyn''s three paws, which were constantly cutting towards him.


    "Au! Au!"


    "Ahhh!"


    After fighting for almost 4 minutes, when the tails of that Nine-tailed Fox were about to hit him once again, Minos finally removed his sword from his spatial ring.


    Spatial Sword!

 Chapter 616: Rumor and Celebrations

    After Minos used his sword to counter Emlyn''s tails, her movements slowed slightly, allowing young Stuart to land the final blow of the fight.


    He used his two hands to hold that medium-level grade-2 sword, using it to defend himself and keep Emlyn''s tails away from his body. At the same time, he took the opportunity created by the suppressing effect of his technique to deliver a strong kick to his opponent''s chest!


    Pow!


    "Au!"


    And after hitting his target, young Stuart finally saw his opponent being thrown backward for about 10 meters as she let out a weakened noise.


    Emlyn already had her tongue out at the moment, completely tired due to this high-intensity activity. On the other hand, even if she had no severe injuries, she felt various discomforts around her large body.


    And at a moment when she was already practically out of energy, such pains were already enough to make her unable to maintain a good performance against Minos.


    As such, it didn''t take long before she finally gave up!


    "Au! Au!"


    "I admit defeat..." Emlyn said in a low voice as she breathed in a rush and felt exhausted in a way she hadn''t felt since she had fled from the pirates who had taken her freedom.


    ''If he hadn''t held his hand in this fight, it would have been even harder for me...'' Emlyn thought to herself as she sat down on the ground and began to relax.


    This beast knew very well that if Minos had used the Spatial Sword from the beginning of the fight, her chances would have been far less. Hence, she was aware that her opponent had not used everything he had against her.


    ''But it''s good that he has reached this level... Now at least he should be safe in this region, where these low talent humans can barely make it to the end of the 6th stage.'' She thought about this in satisfaction as she closed her eyes just after seeing Minos approaching her.


    "Well, rest for a while. I''ll keep an eye on the Spatial Kingdom while you recover..." He said as he massaged Emlyn''s large neck.


    After that, he turned towards where most of those soldiers were standing. There he could see several countenances of admiration and satisfaction.


    Seeing a fight like the one he had had was not easy in this impoverished northern region of the Central Continent. After all, Spiritual Kings didn''t usually do friendly fights open to the public. On the opposite, they would usually only fight in open places when they wanted to kill each other...


    And this was even more true for those powerful beings with combat proficiency near the end of the 6th stage, as in the cases of Minos and Emlyn.


    So, many of the soldiers there who were fight enthusiasts were more than happy to be able to witness such a high-level battle!


    But not only that, cultivators could use nature''s energy to strengthen their attacks. Because of this, a fight in a cultivation sanctuary was much more impressive than it would be in a poor place like the case of the Black Plain.


    Consequently, the show had not only been more impressive to these soldiers, but it had also inspired them even more in their understanding of cultivation!


    Anyway, seeing that his soldiers had probably gained from watching such a challenge, Minos smiled and then said aloud. "Well, now that you have seen me fight, it''s time for me to watch you!"


    "We have 99 soldiers here. So, let''s have a battle royale between the groups of the 29 strongest and the 70 weakest."


    ...


    A few hours passed in the Black Plain region, and by now, night had taken over the local skies.


    As night set in, the town was in a festive mood, with many families out on the streets, sharing food and drink with neighbors and friends as they talked about the future.


    After several hours since Minos had advanced to the 6th stage, this information had already spread throughout the city!


    The ordinary citizens who had already reached the 5th stage and the many Sergeants of the Black Plain Army noticed Minos'' new level by seeing him walking the local streets before.


    The citizens above level 40 already did this whenever they saw Minos on the streets. They were all curious to know how strong this young man was and how solid this city would be in the future.


    His level was constantly discussed in the city''s bars, where people of all kinds made bets and predictions about the local future, considering this factor.


    On the other hand, the soldiers above level 40 usually didn''t do such a thing so often. After all, many of them saw Minos daily, and they were more or less already aware of how strong their leader was. Hence, there was no need for them to analyze his spiritual strength every time they saw him.


    However, a level increase to a higher stage was something that would always be eye-catching. Consequently, many of those soldiers who saw Minos on his return from headquarters to the mansion had been curious and probed the strength of this sovereign.


    And when they found out that Minos had risen at his cultivation stage, citizens and soldiers had soon spread the news among friends and family. After that, it didn''t take long for this information to reach the ears of tens of thousands of people!


    In short, this was happy news for the Dry City, something that would bring this place much closer to safely achieving its independence. And as much as most of the population didn''t know about the problems the local force was dealing with, many understood that such a place would have to go through some trials.


    Consequently, thousands of citizens had concerns about the long-term stability of this city, something that was directly related to the possibilities they had encountered here.


    In other words, if Minos succeeded in his plans, became stronger, and had more support, this would result in many positives for the ordinary citizens of this place. So, the tens of thousands of local workers could not help but be pleased with the news of Minos'' progress.


    For this, they celebrated. For better opportunities that would come in the future, and for the much-desired assurance that they would not lose everything they had earned!


    ...


    "Hahaha, finally, lord Minos has reached level 50!" A middle-aged man said while holding a large mug filled with a golden liquid.


    Around him were four other men, all dressed as farmers, sitting around a table in one of the most popular bars of this town.


    "Previously, lord Minos was already as strong as Spiritual Kings, even though he was only at the 5th stage back then... But now that he has reached such a level, I believe he must already be one of the strongest in our region!" Another man said while wiping the foam that was on his gray mustache.


    "A toast to lord Minos!"


    "Toast!"


    At that moment, a person from another table said this loudly, causing all the people in that bar to hear it. However, upon hearing such a voice, not only did that person''s drinking companions raise their mugs in the air and shout, but nearly everyone else did as well.


    And instantly, upon witnessing such a spontaneous reaction in a place where the majority of them had never met, several of those people laughed until tears streamed down their cheeks.


    "Hahaha, that young man has already drunk beyond his limit, huh?" One of those five men from before said in a low voice while laughing and looking back.


    After hearing this, one of his companions, a worker of the crystal mines of the Dry City, smiled and said. "But he''s not wrong. Lord Minos'' cultivation speed is so incredible that we should make a toast for his advance!"


    "Hmm, that''s true. I heard that he reached that level in just five years of cultivation! That''s truly impressive!"


    "Oh? Then why don''t we make toasts regarding his others improvements? We owe 49..."


    And it wasn''t long before more people raised their mugs with drinks in the air and once again toasted together, causing the festive mood to spread throughout that place.


    ...

 Chapter 617: Tightening Ties

    At the same time, as the local citizens were celebrating young Stuart''s advancement, the news about such a thing had finally reached the ears of the Miller family envoys!


    Those four people had taken much longer than the rest of the population to find out about it since they didn''t have many local connections. But, on the other hand, they also spent much of their time training in the local cultivation tower, away from the turmoil that was going on in this city.


    But even those three experts had to go out to rest once or twice a day. At times like those, they usually sought to inform themselves about the local situation. After all, they were allies of the local army, and they even had already taken part in a great battle on behalf of this place.


    So, they needed to know the least about Minos'' actions, such as strange movements of the army, things that might indicate some danger to this city.


    So, they had finally found out about this a few moments ago, when the young Spiritual General, who was part of this group sent by the Miller family, came to inform them of this news.


    Eliot had already sent a message to his fellow family members, not long after he found out about such a thing.


    It had also taken him a while to find out about it since only the soldiers knew that such an occasion was scheduled to occur at headquarters today.


    Hence, Abby''s father had only found out about it from his wife after that young man had returned from the Spatial Kingdom earlier in the evening.


    After Eliot communicated with that Spiritual General, this young man passed on this information when those Spiritual Kings took a break from their daily training to dine at a local restaurant.


    "So, he has already reached level 50..." The level 54 Spiritual King said in a low voice as he understood how important this news was.


    Since they were already allies, the stronger Minos was, the better it would be for the Miller family. Hence, these people couldn''t help but value such a thing.


    "That was truly fast!"


    "We haven''t learned the second Silver-grade technique since we got here, but he''s already achieved a breakthrough." The Level 53 Spiritual King declared while sighing internally. "At this rate, this place will develop at an even faster rate than we had previously estimated."


    "Yes, perhaps young Minos really can transform the Black Plain into a strong state!" That level 54 individual agreed as he remembered everything he had discovered about this place.


    They already knew of the many opportunities this place would have in the future because of the possibility of producing foods rich in spiritual energy. But having the means to become rich or strong, having a fortune or an inheritance, etc., was no guarantee that a place or someone would reach the top!


    Opportunities could be wasted. Talents could be damaged by mistakes, bad luck, and so on. In short, someone or something would have to go through countless trials before reaching an important position, influential to the point of being respected by all.


    And knowing this, these experienced experts had a vision that the Black Plain Army had a future as good as the future of a man carrying treasure on his head.


    He could have the luck or strength to protect himself and become a feared expert, or he would probably die in the middle of his journey and have his treasure taken by others.


    That last option was the most likely to happen.


    But upon finding out about Minos'' advance, these three had realized that in the blink of an eye, the Black Plain Army had become much more solid, distant from this unwanted possibility!


    They obviously didn''t want Minos'' forces to fail since that would be terrible for them. But they would not stop thinking about the possibilities here.


    Therefore, they thought a lot about the challenges of this place and Minos'' chances of success.


    Archer, level 55, then spoke for the first time. "Hmm, you are probably right. But let''s put the future aside for a moment..."


    "Eliot has invited us to visit the young Minos. So, we should take the opportunity to congratulate him and further increase our connection with the Dry City."


    ''Now he must be stronger than me... That means that in our family, most likely only the supreme elder and the patriarch are as strong or stronger than him.'' So, Archer thought to himself as he waved for the people in that place to follow him towards the local mansion.


    ''That''s great! If he and young Abby get married in the future, my Miller family will have endless opportunities!''


    ''All we have is to endure the difficulties for the time being!''


    ...


    And it wasn''t long before several visitors came to young Stuart''s mansion to congratulate him and talk about the future of the Black Plain.


    Among them were some prominent figures in the Dry City, people like the leader of the Central Market, owners of some of the most prosperous businesses here.


    Such individuals did not influence young Stuart''s decisions since everything they had gained came from the actions of this ruler. However, these people still had importance since, apart from the army, they were the ones most capable of nurturing warriors for the Dry City at the moment.


    Hence, Minos would not refuse to welcome such people on a few occasions, as those individuals could help the local army to have better-prepared soldiers in the future.


    But besides being positive to have a good relationship with the financial powers of his city, it was also good for these people to be on Minos'' good side. After all, they owed a lot to this sovereign and depended on him to keep developing themselves.


    So, they didn''t want to miss the opportunity to improve their relationship further and perhaps get more benefits...


    On the other hand, those Spiritual Kings from the Miller family had arrived at that mansion almost at the same time as Todd and his bodyguard.


    That nobleman from the Cohen family was still in the Dry City since his previous visit to Minos when he had brought that news from before.


    Todd wanted to stay in Dry City for a while to find out more about the problems of this place. He wanted to understand the variables that his family would have to deal with if he tried to make a military rather than a business deal with Minos.


    And upon receiving the information that Minos had reached the 6th stage of cultivation, this young man had rushed to the sovereign mansion, ready to talk about that with this local ruler.


    Todd already knew how monstrous Minos was. After all, he had watched this sovereign''s battles during the Spiritual Tournament. And even if he didn''t know how strong young Stuart was now, he already considered the young Stuart an expert on the same level as the strongest elders of House Cohen.


    Consequently, he had made up his mind about what to do here!


    ...


    "Todd, this place is truly crowded!" The bodyguard of Minos'' trade ally said this in a low voice while looking apprehensively at the people in that place.


    Such a person was only at level 50 and was not as experienced as those old ''foxes'' from the Miller family in that place. So, he was still not used to finding so many regional experts in one place...


    Hell, even when his status increased in the Cohen family, he hadn''t encountered so many Spiritual Kings at once!


    And in fact, the current occasion had a remarkable amount of regional experts in one place. That is, counting this bodyguard, there were 11 Spiritual Kings in that part of the local government mansion, with the strongest of them already at level 57.


    Not for less, this man was somewhat apprehensive...


    Gulp!


    ''That must be that legendary poison master who killed the former patriarch of the Garza family..'' So, he thought to himself as he looked at the people in that great hall and heard Todd''s voice.


    "Hmm, there are a lot of people here..."


    "Many people want to tighten their ties with Minos and the Black Plain."


    "Then we can''t be far behind!" He said before finally drinking the transparent contents of a cup and heading in the direction of Minos.


    ...

 Chapter 618: Motherly Advice

    After getting close to where Minos was standing, Todd saw that this sovereign was greeting some people, and so he decided to wait for a moment.


    But after seeing some of those people walking away from young Stuart, this member of the Cohen family came closer to Minos and congratulated him on his progress.


    "Minos, congratulations on reaching level 50!"


    "If those people who participated in the last edition of the Spiritual Tournament knew that, I''m sure their jaws would drop to the floor." He said in good humor.


    "Hehe, thank you. But I''m not so sure about that... Some of them have certainly reached level 50 as well." Minos commented while Abby and Ruth were at his side, and he had a cup in one of his hands.


    "You''re being modest, haha. But anyway, I''d like to talk about some more formal matters with you..."


    "Oh?"


    "I have recently been analyzing the local situation. As a result, I concluded that it would be very favorable for House Cohen to have an even deeper alliance with the Black Plain..."


    "I also believe that the family is very likely to agree to that..."


    "In that case, I would like to propose a more involved agreement between our organizations." He said confidently.


    Todd originally was not a core member of his family, despite being above-average talent for the standard of the regional noble houses.


    But after the business with Minos became significant for House Cohen, his status had changed, and nowadays, he even had the chance to have a word in some family matters.


    Because of this, Todd was aware that even if he did not represent the patriarch at this time, what he was planning would not be difficult for the family leader to agree and ultimately decide to sign an alliance agreement with Minos.


    "So, that''s it..." Minos said in a low voice as he understood Todd''s intentions.


    Young Stuart knew that Todd was probably already thinking something like this even before this recent promotion to the 6th stage. After all, there wasn''t much for this descendant of the Cohen family to do in the Dry City that would take so many weeks...


    The Cohen family store in this town actually had a good business flow. But, the local subordinates of this organization could handle that. So, any administrative work that he could do should not take so long.


    Therefore, Minos knew of Todd''s intentions even before this young man said those words to him.


    As for Todd''s direct manner of speaking, well, Minos preferred his business to be done in such a manner. That''s because any deal like this young Cohen wanted would only be made when there were advantages.


    So, there was no harm in Todd exposing his thoughts that he wanted to sign such an agreement so that his family would grow even more. Plus, it didn''t bother Minos to know that his ally wished to take advantage of this relationship.


    It was evident that this was the only reason such a person would want an agreement with the Black Plain!


    After all, who would agree to commit to something that could lead to their own destruction without any guarantees?


    It would be stupid to do something like that without any advantages!


    On the other hand, there was no harm in wanting to profit from situations where the other party would also receive something important. Consequently, there was nothing wrong with Todd''s way of proposing such a thing from Minos'' perspective.


    This sovereign valued such behavior since the other party would not behave in an irritating manner, trying to appear to be doing something for the Black Plain and not for himself.


    Minos then thought about the matter for a moment and said. "Well, I am interested in a military alliance with the Cohen family. But we''ll leave it to talk about the details of that tomorrow in my office."


    "Uh, okay." Todd replied in satisfaction. "But anything the Black Plain needs, as long as it''s in our power, we''ll do our best to help."


    Hearing this, Minos just nodded to Todd as he watched this young man walk away from where he was, going to talk to the other people in this hall.


    ''Well, unlike the Miller family, Stokes family, and the House Hayes, the House Cohen has no advantage that makes me have to offer much to them... After all, they are the ones who desired this.'' So, he thought to himself as he greeted other people.


    Young Stuart didn''t want to increase the power of regional organizations that much without a great need for it. And as much as he wanted to raise regional power, he wanted to do that with the Black Plain under the command of that!


    Unless there was a need, he would not use his Silver-grade techniques in deals with the regional powers. Instead, he would let these families subordinate themselves to him without giving them much in the first instance.


    After all, even though the expected behavior for the family that would ally themselves with him was to be them joining the Black Plain in the future, that was not something certain. Someone might think that having a few people with Silver-grade techniques would be enough, and that might cause these powers to take decades to realize that it wasn''t that simple.


    So, to avoid delays or difficulties generated by variables like this, Minos would not offer such favorable conditions to all his future allies!


    ...


    While Minos was thinking about what he could compromise with Todd, that festive occasion continued in that hall, with many people drinking and talking in loud voices.


    Among those people, Abby''s parents seemed to be the most satisfied in the place, having big smiles on their faces, almost as if they were proud of the achievements of a good son...


    "Haha, Oliver, you are fortunate to have a daughter like Abby..." One of the Spiritual Kings of the Miller family said this while tapping that young girl''s father''s shoulder. "I wish my daughter could give me such a good son-in-law..."


    "Don''t tell me about it... My granddaughter is the same age as Abby, but she''s dating some young men without much of a future..."


    "Ahh, it truly is a shame." Someone else commented while sighing in disappointment and also a little envy.


    "Hehe, don''t be like that. Maybe they just haven''t had the right opportunities yet." Oliver said this while having a big smile on his face.


    On the other hand, Abby''s mother was thinking of other things at the moment...


    ''I have to talk to little Abby about some things... Minos has very fast cultivation, and if this continues, they might become incompatible for reproduction in the future.'' She seriously thought as she looked toward Minos and his two girlfriends.


    This experienced woman knew very well that the chances of the pregnancy happening and working out would only decrease as the level of those involved increased. And such a thing would only become more complicated if there was a significant difference between each person''s physical qualities and cultivation levels.


    Because of this, Nicole was already worried about alerting her daughter about such a thing so that Minos and Abby could give her grandchildren before the difference between the two increased even more...


    However, this woman also knew that it would not be easy for Abby and Minos to have a child shortly, even if they started trying that.


    Even though young Stuart had just raised the quality of his Physique, he still only had a King-grade Physique, while his girlfriend had a Saint-grade one.


    So, the chances of pregnancy working out at the moment would not be significant. But still, Nicole had to warn her daughter.


    Even if the chances were small, they should start trying to do this as soon as possible!


    ''Hmm, I''ll talk it over with her tomorrow... I also have to teach her and that other young lady to control him a little more, or they will have to share him with even more people in the future...''


    ...


    While Nicole thought about the motherly conversation she needed to have with Abby, the previous festive occasion continued for a few hours until the people who had participated in this event left that mansion.


    After such a thing, it was not long before Minos went to his room accompanied by his two beautiful girlfriends, who were eager to feel his changes more intimately...

 Chapter 619: Visitors from Different Places

    In the blink of an eye, two whole days had passed...


    While Dry City continued receiving more and more citizens coming from the Maritime City, a large amount of dust was spreading in the air a few dozen kilometers north of this city.


    But such a phenomenon had no relation to the natural effects that some of the regions of the Spiritual World might have. On the contrary, this dust was coming from the high-speed passage of some beings through that area!


    This group that was causing this phenomenon in the vicinity of the Black Plain was composed of 10 beasts, with the smallest of them measuring about 3 meters long and the most enormous, 5 meters!


    They all had colorful scales and a pair of wings near their heads, while their snake-like bodies were highly massive. However, each of them had enviable mobility, and some could fly as fast as 5th stage winged beasts.


    But even if some of these beasts could fly, none of them were doing so at the moment since part of them had no such capability.


    But this was to be expected. After all, of those ten Feathered Serpents, four of them were only beasts at the 4th stage of cultivation, a stage below what one of these beings would need to be able to fly.


    Before this happened, the wings of these beings would not yet be fully developed, and they would only be able to move along the ground.


    Hence, the individuals in this group who were either at the 5th or 6th stage were not flying, despite having such an ability.


    Anyway, as they were moving towards Dry City, this group of Feathered Serpents, in which some of them were carrying items on their backs, were actively conversing through their unique mental connection.


    ''Chief Lack, how much longer before we reach our destination?'' One of the smaller serpents of this group asked this while looking at the being in front of him.


    ''I think in less than an hour we will get there...'' Lack, one of the two Feathered Serpents at the 6th stage in this group, said as he continued to move across the local terrain.


    After hearing this, another of those serpents of shorter measurement asked. ''Are we truly going to stay in Dry City? I know the elders think this place is our opportunity, but I don''t think there are suitable places for us there...''


    ''Look how dry the ground is here... We can''t live in a place like this for long, elders.'' The young serpent finished speaking while having a countenance of hesitation on its large head.


    After having felt the earlier effect generated by Minos'' advance, the leaders of the Feathered Serpents tribe had separated a group of ten individuals to visit this young man.


    Of them, two were elders who were there to protect the members of the tribe and to represent their leader, whom Minos had met previously. Apart from these two, four serpents were there at the 5th stage, and the rest were at the 4th stage.


    They traveled to Dry City to congratulate young Stuart on becoming a regional expert. At the same time, they would use this opportunity to establish relations with this young man''s organization.


    The leaders of this tribe knew very well that Minos had impressive talent and could go very far in the cultivation world. Consequently, they had to be on this young man''s good side, so that they could enjoy the benefits in the future!


    Therefore, in addition to some gifts that the elders of that tribe had prepared for Minos, they also wanted to offer this young man''s organization some of their members.


    Every organization on that continent would need capable spiritual beasts to transport and even fight. After all, there were no spatial storages capable of transporting many resources. Consequently, neither of these items could replace transportation by beasts.


    On the other hand, beasts had very different ways of fighting and characteristics from humans, which could be very beneficial in certain circumstances. So, every human organization would need to have beings like these in its ranks.


    With this, the leader of this tribe, Virtus, had separated 4 of the tribe''s juniors who were already at the 4th stage to fulfill this critical role.


    That was the reason that these beings at the 4th stage were traveling to Dry City with the rest of the group!


    After hearing the complaint of that young serpent, the same individual from before laughed and said. ''Don''t worry. We''ll take care of this. But even if the local conditions are not the best for us, you will have much more opportunities here!''


    ''Hmm, old Lack is right.''


    ''Take the opportunity to live in young Minos'' city and don''t let yourselves get weak just because the local terrain is not comfortable!'' The other great serpent said this as she nodded her large head in the direction of those four individuals.


    She then looked forward again while making an expression of disappointment. ''You are very unaccustomed!''


    ''You lie around all day in the mud of the Flooded Valley, living lives of luxury and ease...''


    ''Humph, in my time, we couldn''t relax in the mud when we wanted to!''


    ...


    While that senior of the tribe led by Virtus was sermonizing her juniors, another group was approaching Dry City from the south side of the local wall.


    This group was composed of five humans and three beasts, which looked like big cats, who were running through the dead ground of the Black Plain.


    They had large bodies, and their spotted fur would make them look like big cats. But such beings were not cats but a variant species of tiger typically found in the southernmost part of the Cromwell Kingdom.


    And not only were these beasts coming from such a kingdom but so were the people traveling on their backs.


    "Mendy, did you not lie to me about this? Is that Minos really in Dry City?" A brown-haired young woman asked that to that descendant of the Stokes family.


    "Of course, Vivian. I have no reason to lie about that." Mendy replied as he looked in the direction of Vivian Hayes and this woman''s girlfriend, Grace Keller, who was traveling on the same beast as Davy''s sister.


    After several weeks since she had sent her subordinates to the Hayes family town, Mendy had finally managed to get in touch with Vivian a few days ago. And as such, it didn''t take long for the two to talk about Minos'' plans.


    Vivian was curious about who had invaded the Chambers family base with her, so she didn''t take long and went to the City of Waters. There, she met Mendy, who had arranged for them to leave from there to Minos'' territory.


    After that, a few hours ago, their group had finally left that city, heading towards Dry City.


    Beforehand, Mendy was already in the City of Waters with some of her family members, the people that would sign the Soul Contracts with Minos'' army. But since this young man would not welcome them so openly in Dry City, this woman had left those people in that city doing this with Eda while she traveled with Vivian''s group.


    On the other hand, Vivian and Grace traveled alongside their bodyguards since both their families were involved in the war against the Chambers family. Therefore, they could not take many risks in traveling without people strong enough to help them!


    So, at this very moment, the group of five was traveling towards Dry City, a few dozen kilometers away from where they were.


    Anyway, after hearing Mendy''s voice, Vivian pressed her fists together as she thought to herself. ''Well, the seer I visited recently said that only positive things would result from trusting this woman... So, I suppose she isn''t lying.''


    Vivian was a person who used the services of seers a lot. Hence, she had not hesitated to try to find out if Mendy was attempting to set a trap for her by using the information about Minos.


    But in doing so, she had found that there was no problem, so she had agreed to go ahead with Mendy''s arrangements.


    However, Vivian couldn''t help but be disbelieving to learn that such a mighty person was in Dry City...


    ''Could it be that there is some secret on the Black Plain? Has his organization been hiding for all this time?'' She wondered as she felt the wind hitting her face.


    ...

 Chapter 620: A Fun Place (*)

    "Ahhh~"


    "Mmmm~"


    "Ahh~ Right there~"


    "Ahhhh~ That''s it, faster~"


    "Mmmm~"


    Several distinctive sounds resounded through young Stuart''s room, creating a beautiful melody for this start of the day for the three youths there.


    Each was naked, sweaty, while several red marks could be seen on certain parts of their bodies. Whether they were around the necks or by the ears, nipples, these marks described several of the actions of these three. Including those on the buttocks of the two women who were with Minos...


    And while the sounds of the three filled the space of that room, Ruth was riding on Minos'' rod, closer and closer to reaching her orgasm.


    At the same time, Abby was having another orgasm as Minos sucked her flower while his magic fingers stimulated other parts of her body.


    But even though this young man was dealing with two ''goddesses'' at the same time, for him, it was as easy as doing it with just one woman. In fact, even if a third part were added there, he would not feel pressured...


    Hence, Minos vigorously moved his hips, penetrating Ruth''s cave hard while taking care of Abby''s body with his fingers and tongue!


    Having advanced to the 6th stage of cultivation had made this young man''s body much more resilient. Still, his mental capacity was the most impressive. With this advancement, he could more easily do two or even three actions simultaneously.


    At the moment, he was using this to satisfy his own mundane desires while making his girlfriends cum. But he could use this in other situations as well, as in the case of battles, using his two medium-level grade-2 swords.


    But for now, what mattered was to ''get there'' once more so that the three of them could start another day of work and cultivation.


    Consequently, Minos used his physical abilities to stimulate his girlfriends to the maximum, making them tremble in pleasure as they were on top of him!


    "Ahhhhhhhh~"


    "Mmmm~"


    First, Ruth vigorously trembled as she felt spasms throughout various parts of her body and her little sister pressed even harder on young Stuart''s rod.


    On the other hand, Abby, who had her back to Ruth at the moment, felt an intense pleasure traveling through her body.


    As her heavenly moans made Minos'' rod quiver in agitation inside Ruth, Abby''s flower poured another load of her nectar directly into his mouth.


    "Ohh~"


    Right after feeling the reactions of his two women, Minos let out a sound of satisfaction as he filled Ruth''s womb with his seeds.


    "Ahh~"


    "That was stunning~" Abby said in a low voice as she got off Minos'' face and lay on her back on this young man''s side.


    As she did so, she felt her sweaty, warm back meet the cool silk sheet of that bed as she relaxed her whole body there and closed her eyes with a smile on her face.


    Previously she already felt amazing when having sex with Minos. Still, it was undeniable that her innate ability always acted to make both her and her partner feel even better. However, after her boyfriend''s advance, even if she could ignore her body''s natural effects, she would feel just as good or even better than before!


    But make no mistake, the spiritual level of an individual would not improve anyone''s bed skill. No, the talent in bed would improve because the quality of the body improved, and a person could do more than they would have done before.


    So, young Stuart could better satisfy his women now that he had advanced cultivation stages.


    That''s why Abby was feeling on cloud nine right now!


    "Hmm, my body is all sensitive because of you. What are you going to do, Minos? In this state, I won''t be able to get up for about 20 minutes..." Ruth said as she rested her face on the well-defined chest of the man below her.


    Pa!


    "Ahh!"


    After slapping Ruth''s buttocks, Minos heard this young woman''s moan and smiled at her. "That''s okay. We can wake up a little earlier so you two won''t be late..."


    "But in the meantime, get some rest while Abby and I take our bath." He said this just before placing the graceful Ruth on another part of the bed, taking his other girlfriend on his lap, and headed toward the bathroom.


    "Can you handle another round?" Minos asked softly in one of Abby''s ears as she rested her face on one of his shoulders.


    Hearing this, she suddenly looked sideways at him in disbelief. "Seriously?"


    "Hmm, I feel as if I could do this all day, for several days without resting..." He smiled just before placing that woman''s body on the floor and turning on his bathroom shower.


    Gulp!


    "Well, we can try doing it a little differently..." She said, just before swallowing her saliva and feeling a warmth in her body.


    After that, she leaned against one of the bathroom walls, exposing her beautiful legs and little sister to Minos. She then brought one of her hands to her buttocks and made an indicative gesture.


    "You can put him here..."


    "Oh? That pleases me too..."


    ...


    After a while, Minos and Abby walked out of that bathroom, with looks of satisfaction on their faces even more intense than before.


    Meanwhile, Ruth had finally regained her mobility and got up to clean herself before the three of them left for the breakfast that always took place at this young man''s residence.


    "Wait for me. I won''t be long..."


    Pa! Pa!


    Ruth was about to say something when suddenly the three of them heard knocking on the door of that room. Then a voice communicated the reason for this interruption.


    "Young master, we have a problem on the north side of the wall." The voice of one of the housekeepers of that residence reached the ears of the three, causing the happy expressions on their faces to disappear quickly.


    "Do you have any details?" Minos asked just after he opened the door to his room and looked at that middle-aged woman standing outside.


    That housekeeper almost forgot about the matter for a moment as she watched the half-naked young man in front of her and the two women dressed in white robes just behind him.


    She had accompanied Minos since this young man was only 4-years-old... But here he was, a young adult, handsome, attractive, and surrounded by beauties...


    He had grown up!


    But soon, she shook her head from side to side and turned her attention back to the main subject. "Young master, a group of spiritual beasts, has just arrived at the north side of the wall."


    "Oh?" He made a sound of surprise as he thought about this.


    Since he had been warned of such a thing earlier in the morning, then these beasts could not be ordinary, or such a thing would never happen. So, this young man wasted no time asking silly questions and quickly put on a pair of clothes before running towards his destination.


    On the other hand, Abby and Ruth had stayed behind, looking at each other in curiosity to know what was going on.


    "What will it be this time?" Ruth asked as she headed toward the bathroom in that room.


    "Who knows..." Abby said in a low voice as she wiped her hair and started to get ready to leave.


    ...


    As young Stuart ran to the north side of the local wall, at this place, a group of 10 Feathered Serpents was surrounded by over 100 soldiers of the Black Plain Army.


    Each of these soldiers had expressions of awe on their faces as they looked at the gigantic figures standing at that spot.


    None of these soldiers knew of such a species, as they were all ordinary individuals before entering the local army. But due to the size of these beings and the fact that two of them were Spiritual Kings at levels 54 and 55, these soldiers couldn''t help but get a little nervous.


    And to make matters worse, most of them had only recently joined the army or increased in rank. So, many there didn''t have much experience, so they were afraid of these challenging beings...


    However, while many fearful faces could be seen among those Sergeants, the ten serpents seemed very relaxed as they conversed through their unique mental connection.


    ''This place is fun...''

 Chapter 621: Welcome to Dry City

    ''Indeed! Look at this barrier that protects this big area! I''ve never seen something like that in this region before!''


    ''Hmm, that barrier couldn''t have been easy or cheap to build...''


    ''But what are they hiding on the other side? Or rather, from who do they want to protect themselves?''


    ''I don''t know, but it''s normal for someone as talented as young Minos to have many enemies in his path. In this case, it''s not so strange that he wanted to protect himself!''


    Several of these serpents were talking to each other through their mental connection.


    Meanwhile, the four weakest individuals in this group, who were between levels 38 and 39, were also having their own conversation but focused on another part of this place.


    ''Look at these humans... Some of them are afraid of us!'' One of them commented in satisfaction while raising its head even higher and closing its eyes as if it was laughing.


    However, one of these more ingenious youths then commented something contrary to the previous statement. ''But some of them don''t seem afraid of us...'' It remarked as it looked in the direction of some of the stronger soldiers of that group around them.


    The determined and calm countenance on the faces of those individuals had not gone unnoticed by this young Feathered Serpent.


    ''Look at him. He is acting as if we are not pawns for the local forces. Those over there are certainly not afraid of us, even if the elders are with us.''


    ''Hmm, but the difference between the levels of our two elders and those humans is at least ten levels!''


    At the same time, where these serpents were talking about different aspects of this place, each of those soldiers had their own thoughts regarding this situation.


    But none of them were talking at the moment, standing there just guarding their surroundings, in silence. At the same time, they waited for the arrival of reinforcements coming from headquarters.


    ''What are these beasts? Why have they suddenly come to Dry City?'' One of them wondered in doubt as sweat dripped down his back.


    Gulp!


    ''What kind of fucking beast is this? Why do these snakes have wings? How could nature create such a terrible creature?''


    ''These snakes are huge! That one over there is the same size as my old house...'' One of them thought as he looked curiously at the level 55 serpent.


    ''Why are they so quiet? Did they come here for tourism?'' One of them wondered as he saw that several of these beasts seemed to have baggage around their upper bodies.


    They looked very peaceful while enjoying a sunbath as if so many humans did not surround them...


    It was truly unexpected for these ordinary people from this city to understand this peaceful behavior of wild beasts. After all, such beings would usually be quite instinctive and could do anything, at any time, as long as they had the desire to do so.


    But some of these soldiers more or less understood the current situation. ''Those snakes above the 5th stage are just as intelligent as we are. So, it shouldn''t be hard for them to keep control over the others...''


    ''But from where do they know the young master?'' One of the stronger ones there pondered this as he remembered the moment of the arrival of these beings.


    They had received a warning from a group on the area around the local dome at the moment that such beasts had entered the space under local surveillance. So, this group had immediately prepared to surround the Feathered Serpents just as it were about to arrive at the northern entrance gate of the local wall.


    However, when such a thing happened, and they received the warnings that they were invading the territory of the Dry City, none of those beings had shown the displeasure that those soldiers expected. Not only that, these beasts had behaved peacefully, and one of them had told the leader of these Sergeants that they were here to visit young Stuart.


    Because of this, that man in command of this place was in doubt as from where these beasts knew Minos. He didn''t know about the accidental experience that their leader had had during the previous trip to the Kingdom of the Waves.


    And this was not strange. After all, Minos wasn''t too concerned about what was happening to a tribe in a forest region of that kingdom at the moment. He already had to handle many local problems in the Brown Kingdom!


    Hence, he had not thought that the previous encounter could have any influence in the short term.


    He knew that those serpents could sense certain things. Still, he didn''t expect Virtus to take the previous promise seriously.


    On the other hand, that young ruler did not consider that tribe as a variable in his business. That was because unrestricted beasts did not usually get involved in human affairs.


    And since that was a tribe led by a powerful beast, this young man did not think he would have opportunities to create more meaningful relationships. At least not in the short term.


    For all that, he hadn''t bothered to pass on the information that maybe some of those beings would come to Dry City when he reached level 50...


    He had even asked one of his soldiers to record the information that a group of Feathered Serpents was living in the Flooded Valley. But that had been all, so these soldiers did not know that they should expect a visit from such beasts!


    ...


    Anyway, after almost 20 minutes of waiting at that spot, when the silence was beginning to get more and more frightening for the more inexperienced soldiers, the gate at that exit of the wall opened.


    "Oh? They are members of that Feathered Serpents tribe!" Minos said as he looked in the direction of those large-sized beings.


    "Ah, you guys scared me... I almost thought I would have to fight." Minos expressed while he walked in the direction of where his soldiers surrounded those serpents.


    Upon hearing those words, all the people and beasts in that area turned to Minos as they let out sighs of relief.


    Some of the humans were doing this because the tension was finally gone since they knew that not even those beasts could threaten Minos.


    As for the beasts, they couldn''t help but feel good about not having to wait any longer.


    The strongest of that group then looked at Minos and said. "Young Minos, as promised by the tribe leader, we have come to congratulate you on reaching level 50!"


    "Oh? You guys are sincere, hehe..." Minos commented in satisfaction.


    He then looked at those ten serpents. He saw his many soldiers guarding their respective weapons. He then said. "You can go back to your regular duty. The situation is under control. They will enter the dome with me."


    "Yes, young master." Several of those soldiers shouted, as some already began to open the large gates of that entrance on the north side of the wall.


    "Well, before we talk further, why don''t we enter my city? It''s not good for us to stay outside here. That might draw unnecessary attention..."


    "Oh? Well, we don''t like drawing attention either!" The group leader said. It then gave a signal for its fellow travelers to follow behind Minos, heading towards the inside of that sizeable defensive dome.


    As they entered that place, Minos talked to the elder Lack.


    "You guys came here after noticing the sprites?"


    "Oh? Does young Minos know about that?" Lack asked incredulously, realizing that this young man was not only talented but also had in-depth knowledge about unusual subjects.


    Sprites was the name of the category of light effect generated by significant releases of spiritual energy in the Spiritual World. Such things could usually occur within the range of a single spiritual root and were a form of attracting specific Natural Laws.


    And since it was a highly complex effect, only unique or high-level beings could see them. On the other hand, due to these conditions, not many people knew about this kind of light effect, even in the strongest regions of this continent.


    That was why Lack had been surprised to hear Minos'' question.


    "More or less..." He said vaguely while thinking about something else. ''Well, it seems that as I had thought, the Flooded Valley is definitely under the area of influence of the spiritual root of the Black Plain...''


    ''It seems that I will have to annex a good part of the Kingdom of the Waves into my territory...''


    And right after they entered the inner area of the dome, Minos turned to those beasts and said. "Well, elder Lack, and all of you, welcome to Dry City..."

 Chapter 622: Honest Beasts

    "Oh?" Several of those serpents simultaneously said as they sensed their surroundings and looked ahead from where they could see the city''s shadows.


    In doing so, most of those individuals were surprised to notice how much denser the spiritual energy inside that dome was. But such a feeling did not last for long.


    After all, they already had good expectations because of Minos. Hence, their opinion regarding the Dry City was not so different, and they held this place in high regard.


    "But although this place is better than the outside, there are still many lands without any life here in this area..." So, one of the snakes at the 5th stage said as it looked at the ground below his body and the surroundings, in that part closest to the northern side of the wall.


    "Doesn''t young Minos plan to plant some vegetation to make this place more pleasant?" Another individual asked.


    Upon hearing these comments, Minos continued walking toward the city until he began to answer their questions. "Well, within my city, we have some green areas. As for this empty area you are seeing, I plan to fill all of that with construction in the coming months or years."


    "So, there is no point in turning this part here into a green land, an artificial forest."


    "That''s how it is... Well, it makes sense. Humans like to live in these overcrowded places, where there are more services." Lack commented as he understood Minos'' reasons for having such plans.


    For them, spiritual beasts, they didn''t like the idea of living in a place full of buildings with little vegetation. Instead, they preferred the forests, where there was more space and a lower density of living things.


    Minos then continued. "But I plan to build some nature reserves in my city. That is because I want high-level beasts to live around here, as well as the mounts of local cultivators and visitors to be able to receive better accommodation locally."


    "Oh? That''s interesting. How long will it take for something like that to become available?" Lack asked, while at the same time looking in the direction of those four young snakes, which he intended to leave in this place under Minos'' supervision.


    "Well, I think it''s going to take a while... Our city still has a tiny population. So, we have to invest in local production or my army. Otherwise, we would run out of security or resources."


    "On that account, that might take a few years before we have built such places... But, anyway, why the question?"


    Upon hearing this, Lack did not take long to speak. "Young Minos, we came to congratulate you on your advancement by bringing some gifts and some of our young tribe members to help you locally. So, I was a little concerned about the local conditions."


    Frequently, spiritual beasts were much more sincere than humans. And as such, they had no trouble getting straight to the main issue, as opposed to some humans, who would often delay for a long time before exposing their goals.


    So, Lack didn''t mind saying these things without even ''sitting down'' to talk to Minos. He was not interested in attending parties and bootlicking this young man.


    Yes, he respected beings as talented as Minos, but he, like many beasts, preferred a ''dry'' approach. So, it would not be strange for him to arrive in Dry City and return to the Flooded Valley in just one day...


    "You mean..."


    "Young Minos, these four are some of the members of our tribe who may reach the 5th stage in the next few months. They have accompanied us on this journey to stay in your city, living under your command!" Lack said in a satisfied manner as if he was talking about an everyday thing.


    "This... Are you sure? I actually appreciate your offer, since it would help me. Still, I''m afraid that life in this city is not suitable for a Feathered Serpent... There is no flooded area around here, and we don''t have the necessary structure to solve this in a short time." Minos said while feeling a bit surprised by all this.


    ''It seems that this tribe wants to take under my wing in the future... Or they wouldn''t be willing to do such a thing!''


    Hearing Minos'' words, the female elder standing there shook its head while still accompanying that young man on the journey to the urbanized part of this place. "Don''t worry, you just need to tell us where we can build a small reserve, and we will do all the work."


    "Even if we need materials, we can bring them from outside!"


    "Really? Are you willing to go to all that trouble?" Minos asked as he looked in the direction of those two more giant serpents. "What exactly do you expect from me?"


    "Hehe, young Minos is truly straightforward. I like that." Lack said in satisfaction. "We naturally want to be part of your territory in the future and enjoy the security that such a state will certainly have. So, we won''t be mean to the future leader of our region just because you haven''t gotten there yet!"


    ''It is as I expected...'' Minos sighed internally, realizing that these serpents didn''t fail at anything to what he knew about this species through the memories left by Henricus Longus.


    "Well, we''ll sort that out in the next few hours when I have someone to help us regarding this reserve. But for now, I''ll ask to take you to a temporary location, and there, someone will help you live around here without causing trouble."


    "OK."


    "But before that, you two can come with me..." Minos began to speak, giving the orders for those eight serpents to be escorted by the soldiers to the area where usually the strongest beasts stayed in this city.


    White and the beasts of most of the Spiritual Kings in this city were living peacefully in such a place, while their masters stayed in this town.


    And since beasts could talk to each other even in cases of beings that had not yet reached the 4th stage, that would be the best place for those serpents, especially the weaker ones.


    On the other hand, those two serpents that were already at the 6th stage stayed with Minos, heading towards Dry City, while the other group circles around outside that built-up area.


    "By the way, how was your move to the Flooded Valley? At that time, you were just moving in. I wonder if it went well?"


    Upon hearing this question, Lack and his companion were quick to start telling Minos the recent history of that tribe.


    After that first group of serpents had arrived in the Flooded Valley, they had settled in the most central area of that forest. And within a few days, all the other serpents still traveling there had arrived at that place.


    However, after they settled in that area, it wasn''t long before other rulers of that forest noticed their arrival. As such, they had to fight several battles until they finally won the right to live in that area.


    But as was to be expected for beasts like these, they had won their various battles and gained the position of sovereigns of the Flooded Valley!


    But that was not strange. After all, the tribe of Feathered Serpents led by Virtus had eight beasts at the 6th stage, the strongest at level 58.


    On the other hand, the tribe that previously led the Flooded Valley was the Giant Crocodiles. That was a regional race whose main characteristic was the size of its beings, which could exceed 15 meters in length and 3 meters in height at the 6th stage.


    But even if they were large, such beings were led by a beast at only level 56. So, when Virtus had fought the former ruler of that forest, he had quickly conquered that region!


    And even if such a fight had not taken place, Virtus and his tribe could still have won the respect of the beasts of that territory with relative ease.


    Their tribe was already the strongest by the time they entered the Flood Valley, and it wouldn''t take long for them to gain the respect of the beasts of that region.


    Anyway, Minos learned all this while walking with those two giant serpents through the main avenues of his city.


    He was not worried about scaring his citizens with these two creatures, even if there was a possibility for that. But the reason for him to do this was simple. It was to show the local citizens that his government had even more power than they knew, to the point that even such strong beasts respected him.


    Hence, he hoped to make the local citizens a little more confident in the future of this place. And so, he could soon reveal the troubled future that this city was about to begin facing.


    But while he was doing this, suddenly a group got in his way...

 Chapter 623: Common Enemy

    "Minos?" Mendy said in surprise, seeing young Stuart and those two serpents passing down the same street as her group.


    Mendy and her group had quickly traveled from their previous position to Dry City, even having entered the protected area of the dome with some ease.


    But this was to be expected. After all, Mendy had already visited this town a few weeks ago and had an item in her possession that could be used to enter this territory more easily.


    So, she and her group had had no trouble getting to this point, where at the moment, they were heading towards the local government mansion to visit young Stuart.


    But as they did so, this group suddenly noticed the disturbance on that street they were passing, as Minos and those two beasts drew the people''s attention in the surrounding area.


    Anyway, after hearing his name being called by the sweet voice of Mendy, Minos immediately turned his neck towards her.


    At the same time, the two giant serpents stopped their movements in the middle of that street and then looked down, where they could see a group of five humans.


    Of those five people, there were four Spiritual Kings and one Spiritual General. Mendy, who was at level 50, Vivian, level 49, Grace, level 50, and the two bodyguards, at levels 51 and 52.


    ''Hmm, young Minos'' territory already has so many regional experts!'' One of the two serpents commented on her mental connection with her partner while closing her eyes in satisfaction.


    These two had obviously already sensed several Spiritual Kings'' auras in this city. So, they thought that Minos was being very successful in his plans. Otherwise, there wouldn''t be so many experts in a city like this!


    Even if they didn''t know if these people were Minos'' subordinates, the two serpents were well aware that their presence here indicated Minos'' influence. And this was also very important for any organization!


    As such, they couldn''t help but be pleased with this young man that their tribe wanted to have relations with.


    And while the two serpents stood just behind Minos, soon that young man recognized those people. "Mendy?"


    "Hmm, Vivian... So, you are already here, huh?"


    "Yes, we just arrived in your city..." Mendy soon answered him as she approached that young man and hugged him. At the same time, she was saying some minor things to him.


    Meanwhile, Vivian, who was just behind Mendy, finally recognized young Stuart''s voice. ''So it was you!''


    ''I was right. The person who killed Kevin Chambers and injured my brother was you all the time...''


    On the other hand, the other people who were there and only knew Minos by his name had other thoughts in mind.


    ''This is the person who gave the bottle with the Spring of Life to Vivian...'' So, Grace thought to herself while she had a semblance of gratitude on her face.


    She would have died if it were not for the fact that young Stuart had given that item to Vivian. Hence, she felt a deep sense of gratitude towards Minos, and seeing him here, she already saw him favorably.


    ''That boy is a monster! What kind of cultivation speed is that? He''s already a Spiritual King!'' One of the bodyguards thought about it as he looked at Minos with an incredulous countenance on his face.


    It was not strange that the greatest geniuses in the northern region of the Central Continent reached level 50 with ten years of cultivation, that is, around the age of 20. But Minos had only been at level 39 for about four years ago!


    In contrast, the top regional geniuses were already between levels 42 and 44 at that time... So, the two bodyguards couldn''t help but be impressed by Minos'' current level!


    ''And considering how strong he was back then, he must be stronger than me!'' The level 52 bodyguard thought as he tried to compare himself to Minos...


    On the other hand, all of them, including Mendy, was shocked by the two beasts accompanying young Stuart.


    They all came from noble families and knew perfectly well what breed these beasts were.


    Therefore, they couldn''t help but pay attention to these beasts, which had a reputation for rarely interacting with humans.


    ''What are these Feathered Serpents doing with Minos? Has he tricked them somehow?'' Mendy wondered as she finished talking to young Stuart.


    "It''s good to see you again, Minos. At that time, you had not left your name..." Vivian finally said something right after Mendy greeted that young man and waved in the direction of those four people.


    "Hmm, back then, there was no room for introductions..." He smiled and looked at Vivian and then at the woman next to this old acquaintance of his.


    Grace was about 1.5 meters tall, with proportionally ideal measurements, full breasts, and a slim waist. At the same time as this, her brown, curly hair nicely enhanced her high-standard beauty.


    Hence, young Stuart couldn''t help but stare at her for a moment.


    Upon seeing this, Vivian soon introduced her group, who were then presented to the two serpents behind Minos.


    "So you are here to make a deal with Minos, huh?" Mendy muttered as she understood that young Stuart''s influence was much more significant than she had thought.


    But as Mendy thought about it, Minos and Vivian began to talk of more formal things simultaneously as the group headed back in the direction of the local government mansion.


    "It''s a surprise that you can increase your level so quickly... At that time, you were only at level 42." She said, looking at Minos'' face steadily. "Well, I guess I can assume that you do have the abilities that Mendy commented on..."


    "Otherwise, neither this city would be like this, nor would you be at this level now." She said, looking to the sides of the street they were passing with a countenance of admiration on her face.


    Never, not even in her wildest dreams, would this woman have thought that there would be such a well-developed city in the middle of the impoverished Black Plain.


    The place was organized and with a good supply of services. But, still, it also had a population that was not small for such a place, and these citizens had high levels of cultivation!


    It was very unusual that there were so many Spiritual Kings and Spiritual Generals in a city of this size, as there were in the current Dry City. After all, most people in this region had difficulty getting past level 40.


    However, this city looked more like a super-headquarters than a regional city!


    And combined with Minos'' level, this woman was aware that this information already carried much of the evidence she needed.


    Furthermore, as much as she was still going to investigate this place before deciding anything, she was more confident in doing business with the local sovereign.


    "Sure, hehe." The young Stuart commented while he had a look of tranquility on his face. "Anyway, did Mendy tell you exactly what I want with the Hayes family?"


    "She said that you want a military alliance and that you might help us increase our strength."


    "Hmm, that''s right. As you already know, we have a common enemy. The Chambers family." He began to speak more seriously as he saw his mansion at the end of that avenue they had just entered.


    "Such a family has nefarious relations with an underworld organization in our region, the Scourges of the Devil. At the same time as this, they follow dangerous ideals for regional stability, enslaving and abusing thousands of people in our region."


    "So, to protect our region and our interests, we must unite to destroy this threat!"


    "Oh?" Vivian asked in satisfaction.


    "And I already have a plan for us to deal a fatal blow to the Chambers!"

 Chapter 624: People Excited to Learn

    "A plan? What would that be like?" Vivian asked curiously.


    Minos then looked at her and said. "Well, I have a way to disrupt the stability of that family. By doing so, I will create an opportunity for their other enemies to destroy them... But anyway, we can talk about the details of this after we settle a deal between your family and me."


    "Fine." She replied as she looked meaningfully at Minos.


    She was obviously very interested in destroying the Chambers family. After all, such an enemy organization had already seriously damaged the Hayes family, to the point that they had lost some of their experts above level 54!


    As such, Vivian would not miss the opportunity to do something that could jeopardize the existence of this enemy.


    That''s why she was so interested in this matter!


    But it wasn''t the ideal moment to talk about such things. They had not even begun to negotiate the possible alliance between Minos'' army and House Hayes. So, there was no way to talk about future missions that might or might not be done in the future.


    With that in mind, she did not pursue the subject. Instead, she just continued to follow Minos with the rest of the group while listening to this young man talking to Mendy and those Feathered Serpents.


    "Minos, as you can see, my family has accepted your offer, and we are ready to sign Soul Contracts with you." Mendy said, making some gestures in Vivian''s direction.


    "Hmm, that''s good. I will sign the contracts with you soon." He paused briefly and then looked into her eyes. "They are in the City of Waters?"


    "Yes. As you had requested, some of the elders of my family went to that city to sign contracts with Miss Eda. After that, my father and the supreme elder should visit that city in the next few days to wait for you."


    "All right, when they arrive in that place, I will immediately go there with you." He said in satisfaction, thinking of other things related to that matter.


    ''Well, I will take this opportunity to check on Eda''s progress. Then, after that, when Elena returns from Stone Island, I will let them change positions for a few weeks...''


    After thinking about that for a moment, Minos put that matter aside. He then looked in the direction of those two serpents, who were following along that avenue. "Elders Lack and Gaia, on the previous matter, I''m afraid we''ll have to negotiate a little more..."


    Hearing this, Lack shook his big head in agreement. "Hehe, we expected that... But, young Minos, you can tell us directly what you want from us. As long as it is within our means, old Virtus and the other elders will probably accept."


    "Is that so? Then..." Minos was about to say something when suddenly Eliot and his wife appeared in front of the local government mansion as if they were looking for something.


    "It was true! That kid didn''t lie!" Eliot said in an excited tone as he looked at those two serpents that were with Minos'' group.


    A few moments ago, they were walking through Dry City when suddenly they heard the conversation of a group of children. And after paying some crystals, the two had discovered that a group of serpents with wings had arrived in this city.


    Upon hearing this, the two of them had immediately rushed towards the mansion, where they thought they would have a better chance of hearing about this. After all, this city was entirely controlled by their son-in-law''s army, so Minos would undoubtedly know something.


    As for why they were excited to see these serpents, this was because they were both great buffs of rare beasts. And since Feathered Serpents were not among the easiest to find, they naturally didn''t want to miss this opportunity!


    "Two Feathered Serpents that are already at the 6th stage of cultivation!" Nicole commented to her husband as she looked at the two beasts that had colorful scales and wings near their heads.


    "Hmm?" The two serpents made some sounds as they looked in the direction of the two humans who were staring at them.


    "Human, don''t you know that it is rude to stare?" Elder Lack asked as he felt that one of those humans was a little stronger than him.


    ''Lack, those are the parents of the human who mates with young Minos!'' The other serpent said, using their mental communication channel.


    ''Oh?''


    Lack then moved his large head closer to Nicole and Eliot and smelled those two humans. ''True, the smell is similar.''


    "Well, I''ll forgive your disrespect this time, human." Lack commented, relaxing his large body and lowering his head.


    Meanwhile, the people in that group intently watched the interaction between those four individuals.


    Nicole and Eliot looked like two youngsters visiting a zoo, while Lack looked like an elder about to lecture two juniors. But nothing had happened when that serpent lowered his tone, and both parties began to converse actively.


    Meanwhile, Minos, who had been interrupted, was a bit surprised at the reaction of his in-laws since he didn''t know that the two were that kind of people...


    ''Ah, I think I was ignored...'' He closed his eyes as he smiled, realizing that Eliot and Nicole were already entertaining those two serpents he was talking to earlier.


    ''Well, but this is better. At least I can talk to one individual at a time...'' He sighed just before opening his eyes and nodding in the direction of Vivian''s group.


    "Come on, let''s find a place to talk about this deal..."


    "All right."


    ...


    After a while, Eliot and Abby''s mother talked to those two beasts in the back of Minos'' mansion, in that garden around there.


    They were very interested in the history of their tribe and some of the experiences of such beasts.


    Both of them had already traveled all over the northern region of the Central Continent and met most of the local beast breeds. In addition, they had learned a bit about several of the regional tribes'' history on such occasions through conversations with high-level experts like these two serpents.


    Beasts, in general, would find it much more challenging to record their memories and knowledge, to leave them for future generations. However, even considering this disadvantage, they had much more knowledge regarding the past than humans.


    That is because even the beasts of the worst lineages or the most impure lineages would still have a longer life expectancy than humans.


    The most humble of them could live twice as long as humans of the same cultivation stage, while the most impressive ones could live up to five times as long!


    Because of this, while a human at the 6th stage could live at most 1,650 years, a beast with a pure and high-ranking lineage at the same cultivation stage could live more than 8,000 years!


    So, even with the difficulties in storing historical data for future generations, these beasts had some knowledge even older than that of humans in this region.


    "Elder Lack, excuse my intrusion, but I''ve always had a question regarding your race." Then, Eliot started talking about the main point regarding the Feathered Serpents that he didn''t understand.


    "Oh?"


    "I learned that the Feathered Serpents come from the Continent of the Beasts, but what I don''t understand is why a branch of that group came to the Central Continent... Specifically our humble region. Do you know about this?"


    Lack then sighed as he shook his head from side to side. "I also don''t know why we came here and never went back to our homeland... Back then, I am sure that the first ancestors who came to this continent were powerful and talented."


    "So, they should be able to return if they chose so..."


    Gaia then complemented. "But unfortunately, we don''t know what happened."


    "We only understand a few things of what happened in the last 500,000 years. Beyond that, we don''t know anything other than the fact that we came from the Continent of the Beasts."


    "Oh? What a pity..." Nicole muttered in a low voice. "But how do you know that?"


    Gaia promptly replied. "Through the years that our tribe has been living on this continent, some of our ancestors have had the opportunity to meet some beasts from that continent..."


    "Some of them even knew about a bit of our history!"


    "Hmm, Gaia is right... But it''s just a pity that most of those beasts who helped us were killed for violating the Soul Pact with their masters."


    "If it weren''t for the lightning punishment, we might know more of the truth."

 Chapter 625: Do You Feel Anger at Me?

    "I see..." Eliot sighed in disappointment. "But do you know what life was like in our region between 200 and 500 thousand years ago? In all our years, we have only encountered a few beings who knew how things on our continent were up to 200,000 years ago."


    "Hmm, we were lucky enough to meet with a Diamond Monkey who was willing to talk about such information. But he didn''t know about the period before that..." Nicole commented.


    "Oh? A Diamond Monkey told you about that, huh?"


    "Well, I don''t know specific details regarding the northern region of this continent, as my tribe has spent most of its time outside this region." Lack began to speak while using his tail to throw many apples into his mouth.


    "But from what we know, this region was almost as bad as it is today... However, back then, there was a greater number of Spiritual Kings than today, and there were more experts close to level 59."


    "Is that true?" Abby''s parents asked simultaneously.


    "Yes, it is true. But it wasn''t anything tremendous... For example, rarely would a Spiritual Emperor come or stay in this region. As for the possibility of people rising to this stage while living here, we don''t know."


    "That''s because even if someone like that appeared around here, they would probably leave the region soon after. So, that''s why there are no records of regional leaders at the 7th stage."


    Gaia then complemented. "But even though resources back then were almost as scarce as they are today, even some individuals with Blue talent were able to reach 6th stage."


    "Hmm, true. It''s only in the last 250,000 years that people like that advancing to the 6th stage have become more and more scarce." Lack agreed.


    "What about the Black Plain?"


    "The Black Plain already had its current fame..."


    ...


    While those people were talking about the past, some time passed, and by now, young Stuart had finished negotiating with Vivian.


    Minos had offered similar advantages to the ones he had proposed to Mendy''s family, only with some limitations. For example, the power behind Vivian could only send half of the number of people that the House Stokes could, with such an agreement.


    At the same time, House Hayes would also need to have their leaders sign Soul Contracts, which would last for 20 years. With that, they would be allies, just as the House Miller already was.


    Consequently, both sides would need to help each other during this period.


    Apart from this, they had talked about various technical details, things that Vivian would need to take to her father to analyze together with the elders of House Hayes. And if they agreed on such a thing, they could formalize this agreement in the same way that Minos was already doing with the Stokes family.


    Anyway, Minos and Vivian finished negotiating this agreement when the sun was at its zenith.


    At this moment, Minos and those two women were leaving the office where they were previously, heading towards his residence. This young man had invited them for lunch to continue the conversation since later he would not be able to entertain them.


    But besides these two, the other people who had come with Vivian and her girlfriend were not with him at the moment.


    Of these individuals, Mendy had gone to meet Mirya, even before Minos and Vivian''s negotiation had begun. She was very close to Viola''s mother, and as such, she wished to see the current situation of her former bodyguard.


    Several months had passed since that incident, and now she had found out from Minos that Mirya was almost completely healed. Because of this, Mendy had not bothered to continue with the rest of the group.


    On the other hand, she would remain in Dry City until her father and the supreme elder of the Stokes family arrived in the City of Waters. So, she wasn''t in a hurry to talk more with Minos!


    At the same time as this, Vivian and Grace''s bodyguards, who had not accompanied them in that negotiation, were getting to know Dry City a little better.


    This group did not intend to stay here for long, as the family behind them was in a period of turmoil.


    Given the difficult period their family was living and the potential of this negotiation to solve that problem, they did not want to take too long to return to headquarters!


    As a result, those two were already taking advantage of the opportunity to get to know this city a little better in order to bring as much information back to the family as possible when they left in a day or two.


    So, only those two women were accompanying Minos at this time.


    ...


    "How are things with your family? Are you under a lot of pressure from the Chambers family?" Minos asked as he looked back and saw those two women accompanying him.


    And as they walked through the corridors of that mansion, heading towards one of the upper floors, Vivian was quick to answer young Stuart''s question. "Uh, we''re not doing well, but it''s not the end of the world..."


    "For now, even though the Chambers family is weaker than ours, they have received a lot of support from other powers outside our state."


    "Because of this, neither side has an advantage, and we lose an equal amount of power..." She said vaguely, without giving numbers to young Stuart.


    "Oh? So, that''s how it is..."


    "Well, it won''t take long for us to deal with the Chambers family... I plan to do it in the next six months, so you don''t have to worry about it lasting much longer."


    He knew that the Chambers family was only a medium-level power. Without outside help, they could not survive against a high-level family like House Hayes!


    But if he acted in a certain way, he could give a fatal blow to that organization at a time when there were not so many allies around...


    So, the situation could quickly change once he had the chance to put his plan into practice.


    The Chambers family had a partnership with the Scourges of the Devil. But would such an organization continue sending Spiritual Kings to support this noble family in a war when the leading individuals of this organization were dead?


    Probably not!


    They might even seek revenge if the relationship between the parties is deeper... However, to act blindly for the good of a decadent organization would make no sense.


    The changes would be more significant that such a group would retreat, for the time being, to take revenge at another time.


    And of course, there was the possibility that the parties were not that close and that group of assassins did not even care about avenging the Chambers...


    But one way or another, Minos was already intent on destroying the Scourges of the Devil in the future. So, the chances of him provoking that group would not interfere in this situation against the Chambers family!


    "Uh, I hope you''re right..." Vivian commented in a tone devoid of happiness as she looked at Minos complicatedly.


    This woman had a mix of feelings in her being that confused her greatly, to the point that she didn''t know how to deal with Minos.


    This young man had crippled her younger brother. But on the other hand, he had done an action that had probably saved her own life and, more importantly, the life of her girlfriend, Grace!


    And because of this, she felt pretty confused.


    She obviously knew that Minos had only done this to Davy because that young man had been foolish enough to take Leroy''s side. But still, there was a little resentment in her heart because of that...


    But now, here was Minos, offering a deal that could save the Hayes family from losing even more members and that was even capable of making them stronger in the future!


    "Sigh... Minos, can you tell me why you did that to Davy? You don''t seem like a heartless person who hurts the innocent and acts cruelly senseless. Then how could you have acted that way with Davy?"


    "Oh?" Minos turned to her in surprise. "Do you feel angry at me for that?"

 Chapter 626: A Provocation

    After hearing Minos'' question, Vivian stared at him without saying anything.


    Instead, Grace stepped forward and answered his question respectfully. "It''s not that Vivian is angry with you. She just doesn''t understand why that happened to Davy... After all, losing an arm is difficult for anyone."


    "Yes, it must be complicated..." Minos turned around and walked back towards his residence. "I did it because it was easier to kill Leroy that way than if I had gone out of my way just to drive Davy to exhaustion and then deal with that person."


    "Just because it was easier?" Vivian asked in an irritated manner.


    "Hmm, your brother had allowed someone else to manipulate him and had even refused to listen to my advice for him to retreat from the fight... So, he deserved what happened at the end of that battle."


    "But you don''t need to thank me for that... I taught him that lesson for free." Minos said, smiling, as he teased that woman.


    He was teasing that woman to see how she would react, but what he had just spoken was, in fact, a truth.


    Davy had allowed Leroy to manipulate him. However, that young man murdered by Minos was very humble compared to the tens of millions of people in the Flaming Empire.


    And since Davy wanted to go to that empire at that time, overcoming the ''gift'' given by Minos was an excellent chance for him to become stronger mentally. Otherwise, he would sooner or later end up in an even worse situation.


    Hence, such a thing really could be considered as a learning chance that young Stuart had given to Davy!


    As mistakes themselves usually provide the best learning conditions, that young man could very well have a more peaceful time in the Flaming Empire because of such a thing.


    Of course, that would undoubtedly hinder him at first since he would be one step below those on the same level as him. However, having the right mindset would already make him fitter, and in the long run, he might have a better chance of success!


    Anyway, upon hearing Minos'' arrogant comment, Vivian turned red with anger as she advanced towards him. "What did you say?" She shouted in anger as she grabbed one of that sovereign''s arms.


    However, she didn''t even have time to think about doing anything else when suddenly her girlfriend pulled her back. "Calm down, Vivian!"


    But Vivian did not calm down. Instead, she pressed her jaw tightly before finally brandishing it loudly. "Minos, I dare you to say that again!"


    "Hehe, anyway, back then, your brother was on my enemy''s side, and he suffered for deciding to protect Leroy. What did you expect? What would you have done if you were about to kill an enemy and an idiot appeared in your way to stop you?"


    "Sigh... Your brother was fortunate that I wasn''t interested in him, or he wouldn''t have lost just one arm..." He seriously said as he looked back in the direction of that woman''s brown eyes.


    "Minos!"


    "No matter his mistakes, he is my brother! You can''t talk about him like that!"


    "Ah, Vivian..."


    "You are very stressed. Hasn''t all this already happened? What difference does it make now?" Grace tried to calm her down while squeezing this woman''s waist, who was looking steadily at Minos.


    "Hmm, your girlfriend is right, Vivian. You shouldn''t be bothered about the past. Didn''t your brother turn out okay at the end of it all?" He asked in a calm tone as he ignored the anger that Vivian seemed to be experiencing at the moment. "By the way, how is he doing? He went to which sect in the Flaming Empire?"


    Hearing this from Minos, Vivian was still pressing her teeth as she made a noise with her closed mouth and looked at him steadily. Grace then answered for her. "Davy is doing relatively well. He is already at level 49 and will have a chance to be chosen as an in-name disciple of one of the Mountain Sect elders next year."


    "Oh? That''s not bad... Maybe he''ll make a full recovery sooner than you think, Vivian."


    "Aren''t you happy, Vivian?" He cynically asked as he looked into that woman''s eyes.


    "Miserable!"


    However, Minos was not bothered by this, as he massaged Vivian''s head and said calmly. "Ah, don''t worry about that. If our alliance works out in the future, then I will allow one of my doctors to do his treatment for free."


    "What do you think?"


    She was then silent for a moment as she clenched her fists tightly. "Fine." She said in a tone that indicated that she was still unhappy. But she wasn''t dumb to pass up this opportunity.


    ''This Minos is a daring person...'' Grace thought to herself as she watched how that young man spoke to Vivian.


    Grace knew that Minos was speaking truths, but she also understood that he was joking with Vivian. So, she had not been so angry.


    But for Vivian, who was very ''close'' to the problem, it was somewhat difficult to distinguish that this was nothing more than a tease to test her.


    "Well, I''m glad you''re a sensible person."


    "Come on. The food should be on the table by now..." He commented in satisfaction, massaging one of Vivian''s shoulders and directing those two to his residence.


    ...


    Quickly a few hours passed.


    After having lunch with those two, Minos had left for the Spatial Kingdom to do the train, which he usually did at this time of day.


    As for the two of them, they had left Minos'' residence and headed for the streets of Dry City, where they intended to get to know this place a little more.


    Previously they hadn''t tried to get to know anything here since they were interested in going directly to talk to Minos as soon as they arrived in this city. But after doing so, they could no longer ignore their curiosity to know this place.


    They would know a lot from their bodyguards, but experiencing something would always be better than hearing a report from someone else. Therefore, they would get to know a little of Dry City for at least a day or two.


    After this, they would leave in the direction of the headquarters of the Hayes family in the Cromwell Kingdom.


    Anyway, at the moment, the two were passing in front of the local cultivation tower, a part of the city where there were many services of high importance for cultivators.


    "This place is very nice." Grace began to speak as the two passed through the shade of the trees on one side of that street they were on. "The amount of Spiritual Kings here is not small either... So, assuming that these people are members of Minos'' army, then he already has expert numbers almost equal to those of mid-level noble families."


    "Then, making a deal with him is a big deal for our families. Maybe that''s the action we so desperately needed."


    "Hmm, I know." Vivian commented with an expression that was still a little irritated.


    She had already regained her reason and realized that Minos was testing her. But there was still a bit of irritation in her mind...


    "That Minos is disgusting. He teased me like that earlier and then acted as if nothing happened..."


    Hearing this, Grace looked away for a moment as she remembered what had happened. ''He even tried to court us...''


    ''Good thing Vivian was too stressed to notice that. Otherwise, she would have been even more irritated.''


    But just after thinking about it briefly, Grace shook her head and returned her attention to Vivian''s voice.


    "But I can''t deny that a partnership with him is just what we need."


    "Not to mention that he alone should be much stronger than ordinary Spiritual Kings... So, our possibilities will be even better in the future when he fully matures."


    "Hmm, well, I guess we''d better look up those two to find out a little more about what they''ve met in the meantime."


    "All right."


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the Spatial Kingdom...


    Minos was in front of all his soldiers who were in that place while sitting on a wooden chair, with a flute in his hand.

 Chapter 627: Music

    After saying goodbye to Vivian and Grace, Minos had come directly to the Spatial Kingdom to train and settle some of his affairs.


    Previously, he had made some provocations to that young woman because he wanted to test her. In this young man''s opinion, the Hayes family had a somewhat exaggerated sense of justice, which could be a problem.


    They had a culture where they constantly put themselves in the position of judging other people as if they were chosen by a higher authority to do such a thing...


    And after hearing the way Vivian had asked that question about why he had cut off one of Davy''s arms, Minos had felt a little uncomfortable about such a thing.


    After all, there wasn''t much to judge regarding that.


    He did what he thought had to be done, and he didn''t need Vivian to accept whether it was right or not. That was why he had provoked her like that by telling her the naked truth.


    That was his way of imposing his position on the other side. His way of letting them know that he would not be influenced because they believed they had a superior sense of justice. On the other hand, this also served as a test to see how problematic the Hayes family could become.


    If Vivian couldn''t follow through on negotiating with him just because of those provocations, then he would probably have more problems than acceptable with the Hayes family. So, such an alliance would probably not work out.


    The worst enemy was still the internal one, and a difficult ally could favor the enemy side in many factors.


    But Vivian had passed his test, and he continued to believe that his relationship with the Hayes was for the better.


    She swallowed her anger, had lunch with a person who had annoyed her, and could still see the benefits of having a relationship with him.


    That was proof that she knew how to value that most essential thing. Furthermore, this would probably be no different with other people in the Hayes family!


    They had their values, but they knew how to act when they had opportunities, despite the differences they might have. That was what Minos wanted.


    Pragmatism!


    Anyway, Minos had finished his training a few moments ago.


    After that, he gathered his Elite Squad soldiers to try something new, which he had been preparing for some time.


    After advancing to the 6th stage, he learned a mental technique, which could be used in battle and training times!


    And since he would soon need these soldiers to act for the good of the Black Plain, he was preparing to use such technique on these soldiers to prepare them for the war of independence.


    To this end, he had gathered all those 99 people in front of him as he sat in a wooden chair.


    There, Minos was holding in his hands an all-black flute, which had some silver details, but although it was new, it didn''t look anything special.


    And in fact, this artifact did not have a high rating since there was a lack of high-quality items of this type in this region. But as this young man was in a hurry to help his soldiers as soon as he reached level 50, he was using this item until he could get a better one.


    Finally, when they saw that Minos was taking that instrument into his mouth, each of those soldiers was excited. That was because this was the first time they would have the chance to hear spiritual music played by a level 50 Spiritual King!


    So, considering that the strongest one there was only at level 48, hearing the music played by Minos would be beneficial to everyone there.


    Minos wanted to use his mental technique to play music for these soldiers, using this alternative to share some of his understanding of the Natural Laws with these soldiers.


    That would not be entirely compatible since these soldiers'' techniques differed from his. But, in general, some techniques shared similarities, even considering the different ways of using spiritual power and laws.


    For example, the movement and defense techniques generally involved more remarkable similarities in their respective categories.


    One could increase speed, agility, deflection. Other could increase endurance, regeneration, and so on, factors that would not vary much regardless of the quality or type of technique.


    In this case, if Minos played music infusing his understandings regarding these characteristics through his mental technique, those soldiers could benefit from such a thing!


    Knowing this, each of those 99 people was very excited at the moment.


    On the other hand, Angela, who was also around, watched all this with interest.


    Unfortunately, she couldn''t benefit from the music played by Minos since she had spiritual cultivation far above his.


    But listening to a level 50 musician was a rarity even for her and Regina. Therefore, she couldn''t help but take the chance to listen to the melody that Minos would play.


    As for how young Stuart was able to do such a thing, well, that was exclusively due to the memories that Henricus Longus had left for him.


    This God had learned to play all kinds of instruments during his long life. Thurs, Minos was also capable of doing the same at this moment!


    Nevertheless, Minos looked at the people in front of him for a moment and then closed his eyes as he brought that flute to his mouth.


    ''Hmm, most of these soldiers are around level 45, so if I were to use the Infinite Dream, I could at most put 8 of them into an illusion.''


    ''However, since I don''t need to use the mental technique on each of them when playing a song, I''ll be able to help all of them at once.'' So, he thought, as he pondered the capabilities of his technique and what he intended to do.


    The Infinite Dream had the limitation of the number of people on its principal effect, that illusion controlled by its user, like what Abby had experienced. However, in a melody, the way a mental technique was used was quite different and did not need to lead the listeners into such a dream.


    On the contrary, such a technique only slightly affected the mental power of the people listening to the musical notes played by the musician. So, that limit of Minos'' mental technique did not apply to this situation!


    And with this in mind, young Stuart didn''t take long to place his fingers in the correct positions until he finally circulated his mental technique.


    Immediately upon doing so, even though his eyes were closed, this young man''s pupils became colored. In contrast, spiritual energy flowed through his fingers and lung, infused with some of his comprehensions.


    After that, young Stuart finally began to play that instrument, causing the sound of the melody he was starting to play to spread throughout that place in the Spatial Kingdom.


    ''Oh?'' Angela looked at Minos in shock, realizing that she had greatly underestimated this young man. ''This is amazing!''


    ''Even hearing only the beginning, I can already tell that his experience with music is no less than that of the greatest regional experts!''


    ''And the understandings infused into the musical notes are unique...''


    ''Even at my level, I can still feel a slight ''chill'' in my soul!'' She considered as she looked in Minos'' direction.


    This young man was playing that flute with his eyes closed. At the same time, a wave of colored energy continuously came out of his fingers and mouth, following through the instrument until it turned into waves.


    As the ears of those cultivators perceived the sound, anyone who looked in the direction of Minos'' flute would see spiritual energy crystallizing under the area Minos was in, in the form of musical notes.


    With that, it didn''t take long for each of those 99 people to let themselves travel in the sensation caused by the melody that Minos was playing.


    Each of them was being greatly influenced by it, and the weakest of them were the ones who benefited the most. But even Viola, the strongest of the group, was completely immersed in this unique sensation, which was making her whole body tremble and her soul resonate with the musical notes.


    Meanwhile, they felt different feelings, from an intense desire to fight to even the fear one would feel when facing the strongest of the enemy''s attacks.


    ...


    After 20 minutes, Minos finished playing for his Elite Squad soldiers, leaving them behind to absorb what they had learned from him.


    Such a thing did not require much time daily since he was more substantial than those soldiers and had higher quality techniques. So, it didn''t take long for him to head towards Dry City, where he wanted to settle a particular matter at the moment...

 Chapter 628: Departure

    After a few hours since he left the Spatial Kingdom, Minos was already in his office, receiving a visit that should have happened earlier today...


    Previously, it was scheduled for Lee, Alison, and Peter to leave Dry City earlier this day. However, since those Feathered Serpents had arrived in this city during this period of the day, Minos had not had the opportunity to talk one last time with those three.


    So, their journey had been delayed by a few hours.


    But it didn''t make that much difference to them. After all, it had only been a few hours late in a journey that would last at least a year.


    Anyway, at the present moment, those three people were sitting side by side on the large sofa in Minos'' office.


    On the other hand, the young Stuart was sitting in front of them while talking about the last details of this mission that the three would be responsible for.


    "... Well, these are the things you need to look for in the Snow Kingdom beast tamer associations."


    "We still don''t have many beasts to be tamed or be raised in our city, but with the increase in population this town must go through in the year you will be away, that will change quite a bit."


    "We still won''t have many beasts that were native to our territory, but we will have many of them coming from outside. So, that will become a new trade for our city."


    "So, don''t come back here until you get those techniques and some highly skilled professionals." Minos said as he finished talking about part of that group''s mission.


    "All right, master!" The two youths agreed simultaneously, while Peter nodded in agreement.


    Lee then said. "Leave it to us, master. We will negotiate carefully and bring you good news when we return!"


    "Hmm, that''s good." The young sovereign commented in appreciation as he looked at those two young soldiers. "Well, Lee will be the mission leader, while Alison is in the second position."


    "OK."


    "Other than that, I have some good news for you..." He smiled and remembered what he had already talked about with those Feathered Serpents.


    After leaving the Spatial Kingdom, before coming to his office to settle some matters and talk to those three, Minos had once again met those two serpents who were at the 6th stage.


    He had told those serpents that he was willing to accept a deal with their tribe on such an occasion. But before talking about the more specific points of an agreement between the two parties, he had made a particular request.


    He knew that Lee''s group did not have beasts compatible with their strength to make this trip to the Snow Kingdom. That was because, while the Black Plain Army had a few hundred beasts, almost all of them were only beings at the 3rd or 4th stages.


    In fact, the beasts in Minos'' army that were already at the 5th stage were only 3. That is, Ebba, Abby''s beast, Kyla, who this young man would not allow leaving Dry City for an hour, and Myria''s beast. Other than that, there were no other beings at that stage of cultivation.


    Elena, Ernest, and Eduard, who came from Stone Island, had brought no such beings with them. As for Celeste, her beast had died previously.


    As for Regina, she had a beast at this stage, but this being was in Allamanda. After all, she and Angela had come to Dry City with Eduard using White.


    As for White, this beast was not from the army, and even if Minos wanted to use it at this time, Ruth would not lend it. That is because, by the time this group returned, it would be time that she would be returning to the Flaming Empire.


    Hence, it would be too risky for her to lend her beast to that group to make such a long trip.


    Because of all this, the local army did not have any suitable mounts for this group. And since those serpents had communicated to Minos their interest in establishing a deeper relationship, this ruler had thought he could use this to solve such a problem!


    At first, he had thought those three going to the Snow Kingdom using only one beast at the 4th stage. But things had changed. It wasn''t long before he contacted those two serpents to discuss this matter.


    As a result, Minos had won the approval of those two beasts. They had agreed to send a serpent with Lee''s group, who was already at the 5th stage and could transport those three humans.


    Such a beast could fly, so this group''s journey could be even smoother, increasing the chances that they wouldn''t have to face too much trouble during their time away.


    As for the price of this ''service,'' well, Lee''s group would only have to feed that beast. Other than that, the only demand was that Minos remain well-intentioned in having a long-term agreement with that tribe.


    "... On account of this, you will be able to travel with that serpent that is at the 5th stage." Then, Minos finished explaining the whole situation to those three.


    Upon hearing such a thing, Peter was the first to ask something. "Oh? But will that Feathered Serpent hear us? I mean, if it were an army beast, I would be sure that it would listen to us..."


    "Hmm, don''t worry."


    "The beast that will accompany you already knows me and has a lot of respect for me..." Minos said vaguely, without going into the details about those beasts having high expectations for him. "This beast knows that this mission to accompany you on this trip was requested by me, and as such, unless it is something very extreme, it must respect the hierarchy of the mission."


    "Then don''t worry too much about it. Just try to get along with it and take the chance to learn new things... Spiritual beasts know a lot more about our region than humans do." He stated, looking at those two youths.


    He did not know much about the past of the northern region of the Central Continent. That is, what little he did know was related to a history of over 5 million years ago and the things that happened from 100,000 years ago to now.


    Hence, if even he had things to learn from such beings, these two could not miss this opportunity to be with someone with a lot of information!


    "Anyway, you two can go ahead... Let me talk to Peter for a minute or two."


    "OK, master." The two young adults said as they stood up and quickly departed from that spot.


    In doing so, as they crossed the door of that office, Lee and Alison soon made their way toward a corridor in that part of the mansion, where no one else was present at the moment.


    They then leaned over a wall, side by side with each other, as they talked.


    "Are you excited?" Lee asked as he looked sideways at Alison.


    Upon hearing this, this young woman let go of the male hand she was holding and then murmured to Lee as she stood face to face with him. "Hmm. We finally..."


    ...


    While those two were chatting about their affairs, Minos and Peter talked in that office.


    "Peter, your job is to ensure the safe return of this group. Other than that, unless it is an alarming situation, you should let those two make their decisions on their own."


    "I want to use this opportunity for them to train their skills, things that will be useful when the Black Plain has more cities to be run."


    "Oh? Are you already thinking about that?"


    "Yes, well, in no more than five years, I plan to have at least two other cities in the Black Plain. So, I will need part of my soldiers to be able to do the administrative work of those places for me."


    "I see..."


    "OK. I won''t interfere unless I have to."


    He didn''t care about this leadership thing. And since he knew that those people had learned many things from Minos and Abby, they should be better prepared than himself to lead this mission.


    So, he couldn''t be bothered to be led by people weaker than himself!


    "Lastly, see if you can track Maxwell''s whereabouts. If you find him, we can use the information he has to get the Snow Kingdom royal family on our side."


    "Oh? All right, I''ll look for him."


    After that, the two said their goodbyes, and Lee''s group left Dry City, heading toward the Snow Kingdom!

 Chapter 629: Mirya Returns to Cultivation!

    "Ahh, it''s already dark..." Minos muttered under his breath as he stretched himself and looked through the glass wall of his office.


    As he did so, he could immediately see the dark sky below Dry City and the many city lights, which already formed a beautiful view for him.


    Pa! Pa!


    As he was sitting comfortably in his armchair, looking at this night view of the center of this town, the door was knocked twice. After that, Mia entered that place. "Young master, Mirya is here to see you."


    "Oh? Ask her to come in, Mia." He said as he turned to the side of that door and smiled.


    ''Hmm, Mirya''s treatment must have come to an end, and she is here to see me, just as I had asked her earlier...'' He thought, trying to guess the reason for that woman''s visit.


    She had never come to this place since she had left the local hospital. As such, Minos couldn''t imagine any other reason for her coming to see him at this place, other than the fact that she was probably already fit for cultivation!


    "You truly do look much more attractive..." Mirya commented right after entering that office and saw young Stuart''s face.


    Minos had reached the 6th stage only two days ago. And since she had not seen him in the meantime, this woman only knew of the changes young Stuart had undergone through local rumors...


    So, seeing the young and handsome face of this sovereign, she couldn''t help but praise him.


    ''It''s a shame I''m not comfortable in doing certain things. Otherwise, I''d suck him dry...'' So, she thought to herself, as she imagined the things she would do with the young man in front of her in the future.


    Mirya was already well physically, but she had not yet accepted herself mentally. Previously she was a goddess to many men, beautiful and confident in seducing anyone. But after the setbacks she had gone through, in addition to the marks on her body, she had gained some insecurity.


    Because of this, even though she had a lot of experience in relationships between men and women, she did not feel comfortable about trying to do something sexual in the short term. And in that way, she wasn''t thinking of trying things with Minos at the moment, despite the clear desire she had to spend an entire day exchanging fluids with him...


    "Hehe, thanks. You also seem to have improved since we last saw each other. How are you feeling?" Minos commented as he got up from his seat and walked over to Mirya.


    He then hugged this mature woman and directed her to the sofa in the office, where he sat down next to her.


    Mirya then began to speak. "I am fine. I mean, considering everything that happened, I''m in the best state I could be in at the moment."


    "I''ve completed my treatment with that poison master and the local doctors. And unless Dillian or Regina move up in rank, neither of them will be able to help me get any better in the short term."


    "Hmm, I see..."


    "However, I have already received permission to return to cultivation." She said, as a slight smile formed on her face. "And precisely because of that, I am here to see you today."


    "Earlier today, I signed up for the Black Plain Army, and now I can already be considered one of your soldiers. So, on account of that, coming here to see you, just as you had requested earlier."


    "Hehe, it''s just as I expected."


    He then remembered something and looked calmly at this woman before finally asking. "By the way, Mendy arrived in Dry City earlier. Have you seen her? After I take you to a certain place, you won''t be back for a while..."


    Upon hearing this, this woman immediately nodded to young Stuart as she began to talk about her reunion with that young woman. "Yes. Earlier today, I was coming here when Mendy visited me at my residence."


    "And since I already knew that I would probably be too busy in the short term to be with Mendy, I took the opportunity to spend the afternoon talking with her. So that''s the reason I only came here now."


    "I see."


    "But I was surprised to hear that the family was so quick to accept the arrangement with you..." She said, looking meaningfully at the young man standing right beside her.


    "Hmm, but that''s not strange. The regional tension has been increasing since I took over the Black Plain. As such, it''s normal that noble powers are taking more care and acting more decisively."


    "Anyway... Are you ready? If you have nothing else to do, I will take you to a special place right now."


    After hearing this, Mirya''s eyes shone as she couldn''t help but feel anxious.


    She should have started receiving benefits from the local army several months ago. But because of all that had happened, her life had been delayed.


    However, now it was finally time for her to get what she had been looking forward to for so many months!


    She nodded and made a smile. "Yes, we can go any time!"


    "All right, let''s go!" He said, almost simultaneously, as he touched one of this woman''s shoulders, and they teleported to the Spatial Kingdom.


    ...


    After some time, Mirya had finally learned the basics about the Spatial Kingdom from Minos and received the first Silver-grade technique she was going to learn.


    Upon learning the basics of this place, she had obviously been shocked. But after considering everything she already knew about the Black Plain and young Stuart''s impressive strength, it didn''t take her long to accept it all.


    Cultivators were beings that adapted very quickly, so it wasn''t so difficult for Mirya to soon understand her new reality.


    Anyway, after her initial shock, Minos had lent her a parchment of a specialized cultivation technique, which could help her increase her cultivation speed. And after telling her the basics of this place, he had asked Mirya to learn such a technique and then return it to him.


    Other than that, he had told Mirya where she could find her daughter, Viola, whom this woman had not seen for many weeks.


    The two had a somewhat ''unique'' relationship, but both were still mother and daughter. And as such, they both cared about each other and wanted to see each other if they had the opportunity.


    On the other hand, since he did not have the patience to be teaching everything about the Spatial Kingdom to every new person who came to this place, he had asked Mirya to make her own questions to Viola.


    With that, it wasn''t long before the two of them split.


    Minos immediately went inside that Spatial Kingdom lake house, where he intended to make some preparations. Meanwhile, Mirya made her way with a smile on her face to the place where she was going to learn the basics of that cultivation technique.


    ''It''s time to get back!'' Mirya thought as she sat down on her cultivation cushion. After that, she immediately began to understand that technique.


    ...


    While Mirya was cultivating, Minos quickly reached the main room of that lake house, where there were many items of different kinds, things that he could not use.


    But among these many items, there were some fabric canvases there that were as big as building windows. However, there was nothing on these canvases but the white of these fabrics.


    Minos then took one of these canvases and put it on a stand there before finally sitting down on a wooden stool.


    He then looked from one side to the other and thought. ''Unfortunately, I cannot look at these pictures painted by Henricus Longus, or I would die due to the amount of power remaining...''


    ''But is truly nice that he left some blank canvases so that I can use them to paint some pictures on my own.''


    ...

 Chapter 630: Paintings and Level 55!

    After reaching the 6th stage of cultivation and learning a mental type technique, of course, Minos would not miss the opportunity to become a painter and musician.


    After all, both professions didn''t require him to learn specific techniques. Only the mental type technique was necessary. And since he already had this technique for other reasons, it wouldn''t harm him to use the full potential of such things!


    He had many soldiers with low talents, i.e., people who would take longer to understand their respective techniques than more talented people. But not only that, when using higher quality techniques, such people would take even longer to master than would happen with their previous lower quality techniques.


    Because of this, even if these people managed to increase their level until the end of their cultivation stages, it would not mean that they could reach the next stage in a short time!


    That''s because, without achieving the minimum understanding to advance the technique phase after the cultivation stage advancement, such a person would lose a lot of advantages if one wasted this opportunity.


    Like what would happen to Minos if he had not met the requirements for improving his mastery over his respective techniques before the previous advancement!


    His techniques would not have improved in those various characteristics if this had happened. Consequently, he would be much weaker than now, even considering the level increase.


    So, to help his soldiers with lower talents and those who previously were just ordinary people who didn''t fight, Minos would help them with music and art!


    The first thing was easier to do since he would only need a musical instrument and an audience that was not stronger than himself. With this, by using whatever musical instrument Henricus Longus had been able to use in the past, he could help his soldiers improve their understanding of some Natural Laws.


    But Minos had not forgotten the possibility of becoming a painter!


    Paintings were less famous than music in the Spiritual World since they were more individual.


    Painters usually painted spiritual paintings in quieter places, separate from other people. Afterward, such works of art would be arranged on some private property.


    Hence, paintings were less widespread than music since the capacity of such items to reach larger groups of people was much small.


    But despite this clear disadvantage, paintings had one advantage over music that kept this young ruler from abandoning the idea of becoming a painter.


    That is, such items had the possibility of continuing to be used for a long interval of time, even after the painter perished!


    So, instead of playing instruments for his soldiers constantly, when painting a picture, Minos could leave such an item in a particular room at headquarters. Then, his soldiers could take advantage of it without him being disturbed.


    But of course, one thing did not replace the other, and having both would be very interesting for him and his army.


    Both generated different inspirations, and each person could have distinct efficiency when trying to improve their understanding through such alternatives. In this way, Minos was getting ready to start painting his first spiritual painting!


    ''Hmm, even though these canvases can be used by anyone, regardless of level, the same cannot be said about the ink and other painting materials...'' Minos thought as he grabbed a box from his spatial ring.


    He had, of course, already ordered inks that he could use in the production of paintings and the materials needed for such work.


    Those items need to be produced by experts with classification, as they were things that would link the power of laws and spiritual energy to the painting on the canvas. Hence, such artifacts had demands on the cultivation level of their user.


    Because of this, Minos could not use those items left behind by Henricus Longus.


    Anyway, after finishing preparing his workplace and thinking about the process he would need to follow to paint a spiritual painting, it didn''t take long for young Stuart to start painting that blank canvas.


    ''Well, today I will start with the basics of...''


    And soon, young Stuart began to flow his spiritual energy and understanding of Natural Laws toward the instrument he was holding in his hand.


    Such a thing required a great deal of precision and calm since it involved something he had not yet fully mastered. After all, Minos was producing these items for soldiers of the 5th stage and even the beginning of the 6th stage.


    Because it was something similar to his own level, this was not easy for him, and he would need a lot of time to do this, unlike a single song played.


    But this was not strange. That is, while a song could have effects only when it was played, the painting could remain with its functionality for hundreds of years!


    Hence, even if it would take him more than 100 hours to produce a single painting, young Stuart did not think this was a waste.


    On the contrary, for him, this was a good enough time, something that if he invested a little more than 3 hours a day, he could finish such work in just over a month.


    And, of course, he could produce paintings in less time than that, but such items would also have lower ratings. However, he wasn''t interested in making paintings for young people at the early stages of cultivation, who usually didn''t have much difficulty advancing.


    Therefore, he was starting one of many painting sessions, something he would continue to do for the next few weeks until he finished producing this one.


    ...


    Quickly, two whole days passed on the Black Plain!


    In the meantime, Vivian and her group had left this region and headed directly to Primrose, the Hayes family headquarters.


    This woman didn''t have much to do in Dry City after talking to Minos, and consequently, after learning the basics about this place, she hadn''t been slow to leave.


    Meanwhile, Mendy was still in this city since the notice of the arrival of her father and the supreme elder in the City of Waters had not yet arrived.


    As much as she was without her two old acquaintances, Viola and Mirya, to hang out and talk, she was not entirely unhappy. After all, she understood that those two were taking advantage of the opportunities given to them by Minos.


    On the other hand, she had to work even harder at her cultivation than before when she was only at the 5th stage.


    And regardless of that, she still had some time to do random things daily, something that could be enough for her to get bored. But lucky for her... Minos was ''treating'' her almost every day, which significantly improved her days here.


    While things were going relatively well in Dry City, Mirya had already gotten used to living in the Spatial Kingdom. There, she had already seen her daughter and talked for several hours.


    But while Mirya had already gotten used to living in that place, Celeste was preparing herself to have to live far away from here for the following year.


    That was because she had finally reached level 55 a few hours ago!


    And so, she only had one more thing to do in this place before Minos finally dispatched her to the Black Plain Army naval base, where she would be on guard for the following year.


    ...


    "Celeste, how are you feeling? It must be amazing for you to make a breakthrough after so long!" Mirya commented in appreciation as she looked at the woman in front of her.


    Upon hearing this, Celeste smiled in satisfaction as she felt her body full of energy. "It''s terrific!"


    "But it''s a pity that I lost my best years of cultivation. Otherwise, I could compete with the young Spiritual Kings of the army..."


    Celeste was obviously referring to Elena, Eduard, Ernest, and Eda. They were much younger than her and would certainly have an easier time increasing levels at the 6th stage.


    "True... But it will take time for any of them to reach your level." Mirya commented, just before turning back and saying. "But now you should worry about something else."


    "You think you can beat him?"

 Chapter 631: A High Level Fight

    After hearing Mirya''s question and then looking in Minos'' direction, Celeste thought for a second and then replied. "Well, considering what little I saw of the fight between him and Emlyn, I believe I am a little stronger than him at the moment."


    "So, yes, I think I will win!"


    "Oh? Are you that confident?" Mirya asked as she looked at Celeste with a smile on her face.


    Mirya understood where Celeste''s confidence was coming from. After all, such a person was already at level 55 and had a complete set of Silver-grade techniques!


    So, this woman was expected to have a power similar to that of a level 57 cultivator with a set of Black-grade techniques.


    And that was a big difference from Minos'' modest level 50. So, although this young man was impressive and everyone there understood that the fight would not be so simple, Mirya understood that the advantage was in Celeste''s favor.


    "Hmm, but let''s see. He is a monster, after all..." Celeste said in a joking tone, already walking towards where Minos was waiting for her.


    "Well, you have already reached level 55, and after our training, I will send you to the army naval base." Minos began to speak just after seeing that woman coming close enough to where he was standing. "Are you ready?"


    Upon hearing this, Celeste nodded in agreement. "Yes. You can start whenever you want!"


    Upon hearing this, young Stuart immediately pulled his two medium-level grade-2 swords out of his spatial ring, causing them to fall directly to the ground in front of him.


    At the same time, as the two swords fell standing on the ground, he picked up a rock and threw it up so that he and Celeste could begin such a fight simultaneously.


    Meanwhile, the soldiers of the Elite Squad were already there in the vicinity, as well as Emlyn and two other spiritual beasts. They would not miss this high-level battle for anything!


    Crack!


    Finally, after a brief instant, that rock from before fell to the ground, cracking to the point that the sound produced reached the ears of every single person there.


    Zum!


    Simultaneously with this, a giant black ring quickly appeared on that spot, covering a large part of the area where Minos was standing, thus bringing some of the darkness of the night there.


    Meanwhile, this young man quickly activated all the other techniques in his repertoire, going all out against his opponent!


    He had activated his defensive technique, significantly increasing his body''s defensive and offensive characteristics. Next, he had begun to run towards his target, intending to press her from the beginning of the battle.


    Finally, his two swords were already releasing some of the remarkable power of the Spatial Sword as Minos'' bright eyes tried to deceive Celeste.


    Swooish! Swooish!


    Quickly, he sliced the air with his two weapons, causing two large blades of energy to form in the air and slash toward his opponent.


    As he did so, the powerful invisible force cast by Minos'' eyes was already ''rushing'' towards Celeste, even faster than the blades sent by him.


    ''Unbelievable! It looks like he was holding himself against Emlyn!'' Celeste thought to herself as she felt a chill on her skin from the terrifying amount of power Minos was releasing.


    ''That''s over 90% of my strength! That''s a lot of power for a level 50 Spirit King...'' She looked at him incredulously while already activating her techniques to get out of the way of Minos'' attacks and not be so affected by her opponent.


    ''If he continues like this, then by the time he reaches level 51, won''t he be as strong as a level 59 cultivator?'' She wondered while tooking a few steps back and then launching a counterattack against Minos'' blades.


    At the same time as that, she could feel that some of her energy was slowly being devoured by Minos'' support technique. But this was not so significant that she was bothered.


    No, what was bothering her was the mental technique that Minos was using, which was causing her to use a lot of her strength, not to be affected by the Infinite Dream.


    ''Damn! I don''t have any mental technique to protect my mind... Otherwise, I wouldn''t have to worry about it!'' She thought frustratedly as she finally ran towards Minos while already using her Silver-grade attack technique.


    She jumped into the air as she did so while placing her two hands at the height of her navel and circling her attack technique.


    Immediately after this, red energy began to form between her hands until she finally opened her arms, causing that ball of energy to split into several others.


    Ssssss!


    Subsequently, each of those red energy balls flew towards Minos while leaving a vapor of the same color behind, something that every single person there felt was highly lethal.


    Spatial Sword: Twin Blades!


    Upon seeing this, Minos didn''t take long to give his answer, as he stretched his arms straight out in front of his face and placed those two swords vertically parallel to each other.


    After that, he made a spinning gesture, creating a bunch of blades and sending them towards each of those energy balls Celeste had sent in his direction.


    Swooish!


    Swooish!


    Ssss!


    Boom!


    Boom!


    Several explosion sounds reverberated through that place, while the shockwaves from the attacks of those two caused the hair of the women in that place to be messed up and the cheeks of the weaker ones there to tremble because of it!


    However, as much as most of the attacks had clashed during that last moment, some of them had continued to travel their respective previous paths!


    Sss!


    Swooish!


    And in that instant, both parties had to endure the effects of the opposite attacks!


    First, the young Stuart, who had managed to dodge a few attacks, but in the end had still been hit by one of those balls.


    In that instant, he had put his arms in front of the main parts of his body while using more of his energy reserves to strengthen his defenses.


    However, that red energy ball finally came into contact with his skin!


    Immediately after this, it expanded vigorously, increasing in size by more than 50 times, until it finally covered Minos'' surroundings completely.


    As it finished expanding, such a ball began to rotate vigorously around Minos, as if it were concentrating all the spiritual energy in the surroundings before its final attack...


    And while young Stuart was facing this situation where he had no choice but to defend himself, Celeste had been wounded by one of the blades sent by this young man!


    "Ahhh!" She screamed in pain right after falling to the ground and rolling twice while feeling intense pain in her right arm.


    ''Shit! Why is he still attacking my mind? Shouldn''t he care about that attack?'' She wondered in frustration as she felt that she had momentarily let her guard down after the previous blade had injured one of her arms.


    And just as she felt her mind being attacked by Minos, that spinning red ball of energy finally had reached its peak!


    At that instant, it began to contract, as if it was trying to put pressure on Minos, when it finally exploded, producing a fantastic visual effect.


    ''Phew, this technique is quite dangerous!''


    Minos had thought about it, remembering the details of this technique that Henricus Longus had developed.


    Boom!


    Indestructible Body!


    Spatial Sword!


    Boom!


    In the first moment, that ball of energy had brightly glowed as it contracted. Then, at the moment of the explosion, everything seemed to concentrate on a small point of its interior.


    After that, in a second moment, red flames appeared in the surroundings, raising the temperature of that place considerably, while anything in between would burn up in the blink of an eye.


    "Ahhhh!"


    Finally, a cry of pain broke from Minos'' throat as he eventually was thrown a few feet away from that previous location, right after trying to attack the blast core!


    ...

 Chapter 632: Departure, and Sudden Attack

    Sssss!


    The flames slowly began to diminish as they lost their power after that powerful explosion from earlier.


    Simultaneously, Minos had slid several meters in the opposite direction of Celeste, his two swords crossed in front of his face, protecting the main parts of his body.


    As he slid backward, with his upper body parallel to the ground, his speed finally slowed until he came to a complete stop.


    "Ohhh, that hurts a lot..." He muttered in a low voice, feeling some minor burns around his legs and arms.


    That attack from Celeste had been mighty indeed, even exceeding the defenses generated by this young man''s defensive technique. Because of this, the most vulnerable parts of Minos'' body had been burned by the opponent''s technique, causing him great pain.


    However, although he had been hit, young Stuart was well enough to continue fighting since he had plenty of energy to use against Celeste.


    With that in mind, he didn''t take long to return to an offensive position, once again trying to get closer to that woman, attacking her in several different ways while trying not to get hit again.


    ...


    Pow!


    Sss!


    "Ahhh!"


    Several sounds spread throughout that part of the Spatial Kingdom, where Minos and Celeste were still fighting.


    After almost ten whole minutes of intensely fighting each other, finally, the energy reserves of the two were coming to an end. Consequently, they were exchanging the last blows of this battle.


    Pow!


    Minos then punched Celeste hard in the stomach as he struggled to stand upright, despite the fatigue spreading throughout his body.


    He was utterly sweaty at the moment, breathing with his tongue out of his mouth, while he had several low burns here and there on his body. On the other hand, purple bruises could be seen between the torn parts of this young man''s clothing, places that Celeste had managed to hit with one of her attack techniques.


    But while he was struggling to knock out his opponent, Celeste was doing precisely the same thing.


    The only difference between the two was that she seemed less tired, although the bloodstains on her clothes were much more significant.


    However, this was not strange. After all, Minos was using a sword technique. Such a thing was undoubtedly more prone to this kind of injury than Celeste''s techniques focused on explosions and brute force.


    Finally, as much as Minos could continue fighting while absorbing his opponent''s energies, he was almost completely exhausted at this point, in a worse state than his opponent.


    But that was only the expected thing to happen in this situation. That is because the effects of his Devouring Art were not that significant on a person as strong as Celeste, someone who had more than twice as much spiritual energy as he did.


    Consequently, in facing this opponent who had much more energy than him, this young man had not gained a clear advantage in this fight, despite all the privileges he had.


    Besides being able to steal some of his opponent''s energy and slow down her movement speed, he also had a mental technique to torment Celeste.


    Anyway, after receiving the punch thrown by Minos, Celeste took a step backward while feeling intense pain in her abdomen. However, such a thing had already been much weaker than the previous blows, and she had endured this without the discomfort in her body increasing much.


    "Let''s end the fight!" She muttered under her breath as a few drops of sweat fell from her brown hair.


    At the same time as that, she looked at Minos'' face, which had an expression of exhaustion. After this brief observation, she used her second attack technique, focused on hand-to-hand combat, to launch a slap at his chest.


    Pa!


    "Ahhh!"


    After that, as a low sound of pain spread through that place, Minos'' body was thrown back 2 meters until he fell on his back, almost passed out.


    "Hah... Hah... You have won..." He said in a hoarse tone, breathing rapidly, as he tried to look in Celeste''s direction.


    He felt pain all over his body while his vision was somewhat blurred. But he had still tried to see that woman, who was already standing with her hands on her knees, coughing up a mouthful of blood.


    "Cough! Cough!"


    "Hah... Hah, that was pretty hard, huh? Cough! You are very persistent..." She said amidst her coughing and irregular breathing, remembering that Minos had at no point backed down from the battle.


    Even when he took a blow, he tried hard not to lose his composure and open more gaps for his opponent. On the contrary, when he was in such a situation, he usually tried to take advantage of the opportunity to deliver an even more decisive blow to his opponent.


    Hence, this woman had suffered quite a bit, even considering that she was a bit stronger than him.


    While those two were talking slowly, one lying on the ground and the other almost kneeling, Abby ran toward that spot.


    "Minos, let me help you..." She said sweetly, just after approaching the exhausted body of her boyfriend.


    "Let''s rest for a few hours before we head back to Dry City." She said as she took the young man on her lap and began carrying him in the direction of the lake house.


    "Hah... OK... Hah, enjoy your rest too, Celeste..." He briefly commented, looking in that woman''s direction. "When I am done resting, I will send you to the naval base."


    "OK."


    After that, all those who had watched or participated in that battle dispersed throughout the Spatial Kingdom, going to train, cultivate, or rest.


    ...


    Hours later, Minos and those two women had left the Spatial Kingdom and returned to Dry City.


    After having done so, it wasn''t long before Celeste left Dry City and made her way to the naval base, using an army beast that was at the 4th stage of cultivation.


    She could walk to that base herself more quickly than using that beast, but that would be for a slight difference, to be precise, less than an hour. And since there were advantages to not using her energy to make that kind of trip, she had followed on one of the mounts available at headquarters.


    But while this woman was quietly traveling to that western part of the Black Plain, a group of three ordinary carriages was arriving in the vicinity of Dry City at this very moment.


    In this group, about 12 people were traveling in those three means of transportation, each dressed in a manner commonly seen in small villages in this region.


    On the other hand, besides their clothing being quite common, each of these people had cultivations that were also on par with the region''s standards.


    There were 11 Spiritual Warriors there, with only the last person in the group already being at the 5th stage.


    However, even that individual was only at level 41. As such, this group could easily integrate into any small town or village in this region without drawing attention.


    "Colonel Payne, Dry City is only 100 kilometers from where we are." One of those people said as he opened the carriage window and communicated the strongest person in that group.


    "That''s good. Let''s get a little closer, and then we''ll leave our carriages..." That level 41 person was about to say something more when suddenly, sounds of air being cut off sounded throughout that area.


    Immediately after hearing that noise, the people standing outside the carriages saw two long arrows hitting the ground right in front of them.


    Upon seeing this, those beasts pulling the three carriages made strange sounds as they slowed their speeds rapidly until they stopped.


    "Damn! What just happened?" Someone in that group shouted in a dissatisfied manner. At the same time, he had part of his face against the floor of that carriage and several suitcases on top of the rest of his body.


    However, while that person and others were complaining in anger about what had just happened, three men appeared coming from different directions of those three carriages.


    ''Bandits? Really? There are bandits even in this place?''

 Chapter 633: Kidnapping

    "Hey, you guys! Calm down. What are you doing? Where are you coming from? What do you guys want?" One of those Spiritual Warriors traveling in that group asked as he looked in the direction of one of those three men.


    At the same time as that, each of those people had cautious expressions on their faces, not knowing how strong the enemy side was, nor if those people were bandits or not.


    However, considering where they were, most of them were more inclined to assume that such people were not significantly more substantial than them in terms of cultivation... Hence, most there were not afraid of those people, despite their surprise at being approached like that.


    But while most of those people were looking in the direction of those three men who had sharp looks on their faces, the same was not valid for the group leader. This level 41 cultivator could sense that the three newcomers were Spiritual Generals, each much stronger than him!


    As a result, he was somewhat frightened at the moment, struggling to understand why his group had been so unlucky to come across malicious people who were so much stronger than them...


    ''Shit! Are there already bandits operating in this place?'' He wondered as he calmly stepped out of his carriage.


    "You three! Are you guys, by any chance, deaf? Who are you?" The same individual from before asked this in a resolute tone while already having one of his hands ready to draw the sword he had at his waist.


    However, none of those three men answered any of the questions asked by those individuals who were traveling in those three carriages.


    On the contrary, as they got close enough to that place to feel the fluctuations of those people and not to notice reinforcements, the three men immediately took action!


    They began to release their cultivation pressures simultaneously, causing great hands of spiritual energy to appear in the sky of that place. Then, such things began to rush towards the ground, where those 12 people were.


    ''Fuck! They don''t even want to negotiate?'' The level 41 man thought to himself as his face turned extremely pale and sweat began to flow down his forehead.


    But he didn''t waste much time and soon began to counterattack.


    He might not be stronger than those newly arrived men, but at least he wouldn''t make their task any easier!


    On the other hand, no matter how slim his chances were, he would at least try to use those other 11 people in his favor to try to escape from this damn place...


    "Shit! We kicked an iron plate!"


    "What a disgrace!"


    "We''re finished!"


    Several desolate voices resounded through that place as those people realized what was happening, precisely the strength of the opponents.


    That group was made up of people at levels 36 to 41, but the other side had three cultivators at level 44...


    So, their chances were practically non-existent in this place.


    And as expected, each of those 11 individuals had lost their hopes the moment they felt those large energy hands pressing down on them.


    ''Shit! Is this where I die?'' One of them thought just before passing out.


    "Fuck!"


    "Please don''t do this! Do you know where we come from? We''re from..." That level 41 person was shouting as he felt an intense pressure on his head, but when he was in the middle of his speech, he lost sight and fainted.


    Pa! Pa!


    One of those three men clapped his hands twice and then commented in satisfaction. "Good job, guys..."


    "Now, let''s get these individuals back to camp and find out exactly who they are."


    "All right, Sergeant Terry!" The other two shouted just before they began to move around that location, gathering up the 12 unconscious bodies in those three carriages.


    ...


    After some time, the three soldiers of the Black Plain Army who had approached that group form before had finally returned to one of the camps in the vicinity of Dry City.


    A few weeks ago, Minos had dispatched several of his soldiers to make small camps built in the range of 100 to 200 kilometers away from the outer limits of the local dome.


    But those groups of soldiers were not numerous, as there were only 100 soldiers in each of the six groups strategically positioned around Dry City.


    Besides, these groups were composed of high-level Spiritual Warriors and low-level Spiritual Generals, who could act against smaller, weaker groups or send information to the headquarters.


    As a result, several soldiers from the Black Plain Army were already dispersed around the outskirts of the Dry City area, where they could act more quickly or safely.


    By getting close enough to Dry City, anyone above level 40 would notice that dome and have their curiosity aroused... So, preventing dangerous groups from entering the area nearest to that place was essential at this time.


    Not only that, but Minos also expected that a war would break out in a short time. Consequently, these groups would be the precursors of his army''s improvised camps around this territory in the future, which would be responsible for maintaining a security area around Dry City.


    As for why such a thing had not been done before, well, it was because of various factors. Among them was the number of army soldiers and the possibility that this would draw more attention than necessary.


    First, there were not many soldiers in the army until a few months ago. In fact, the number had practically doubled in the last five months!


    Second, spreading many soldiers across the Black Plain could draw the attention of travelers who would not usually go to Dry City. And since at that time no one had discovered this place, having such a thing could contribute to accelerating this process.


    But anyway, time passed, and by now, Minos thought it was worthwhile to use this kind of strategy. As a result, the group from before had been kidnapped by one of the small groups of soldiers from these temporary army camps.


    In any case, such a strategy was already in action. And at the present moment, one of the army Corporals was running through that small temporary camp, heading towards a particular group of people.


    "Sergeant Terry, those people are awake now!" The Corporal said promptly.


    "All right, let''s see where those people are from." Terry commented as he placed a jug of water on a small wooden table in the tent he and other Sergeants were in at the moment.


    After these soldiers from these temporary camps started working around this territory, they would stop any group traveling towards Dry City from time to time.


    If anyone were going in a different direction, these soldiers would just watch them for a while and do nothing with such people. Otherwise, any traveler who was no stronger than a level 50 Spiritual King would receive the same treatment as those 12 individuals.


    Most of the people who went through this were just ordinary people, but these groups of soldiers couldn''t take it lightly for this reason!


    It was better to create a slight misunderstanding with ordinary people than to let dangerous individuals, members of noble families, get too close to Dry City.


    That''s why they hadn''t simply killed those people but had knocked them out!


    After a brief interrogation, if such people were not dangerous, they would be sent slowly to Dry City, where they could have a chance to live in that town. But if they were threats, they would go directly to prison...


    Nevertheless, the soldiers were doing what was necessary to survive, protect their families, lifestyle, etc. And so, it didn''t take long for Terry to figure out exactly who those 12 people were!


    "Subordinates of the Brown family, huh..." Terry commented in a low voice as he looked in the direction of the other two individuals who had acted with him.


    "Well, it didn''t take that long for this to happen... The young master sent the request for independence just over a month ago." Another person said thoughtfully.


    "Hmm, well, that was already expected. But now we have to send a letter to the east wall post so that this will be reported to the young master..."

 Chapter 634: Reasons

    "We will ask some of the soldiers from that post on the wall to come over here and get these people." Terry said as he looked to the side, where there was a structure surrounded by steel bars, where several people were.


    "Hmm, I''ll do that as soon as possible." One of them said, just before walking away from those other two Sergeants.


    Meanwhile, those two people continued talking and observing the people incarcerated in that temporary camp.


    "Sergeant Terry, what do you think of this Brown family group? Will this create even bigger problems for the army?"


    Terry then shook his head in disagreement. "No. After all, this group coming here means that we are still in a scenario where the Brown family will not send troops to take this place any time soon."


    "Oh?"


    "As the young master has planned, it is much better the royal family finds out about this place only after we request independence..." The two then continued to talk about this while waiting for their next shift, when they would have to circulate in that area again.


    What they were talking about had to do with why Minos had sent his request for independence to the Brown family before this organization could even come knocking on their door.


    Minos had decided to do this because he believed that the consequences of the Brown family finding out about the changes in the Black Plain through them would be much better for Dry City.


    As long as he could ask for independence before the Silva family contacted that family about the threat in this young man''s region, the situation could be less harmful to Minos'' side.


    For this ruler, if the Brown family knew what was happening in the Black Plain through the Silva family, this royal organization would come all out against him, already with the excuse of a rebellion or something like that. And this would be terrible for Minos since from then on, there would be no more alternatives or plans that could delay a conflict of his against such power!


    On the other hand, if he communicated to the royal family that he was interested in aiming for the independence of the Black Plain, there were two possibilities for him.


    One option would be for the king to simply grant the Black Plain independence, after which they would most likely have a lot of trouble claiming that Minos had cheated them. After all, when a state became independent, one of the first things that happened was alliances with other royal families and large organizations.


    At the very least, there would be external recognition of such a state as an independent one.


    And once this was done, it would be much more challenging to go back and try to justify a war against a rebel...


    That is, royal families would need a minimum of justification to act, or terrible things could happen... So, this first option would be perfect for Minos!


    But this young man knew that this would be extremely unlikely. Hence, he expected that the second alternative was the one that would actually happen.


    The second one was that the Brown family would send a group to investigate the reasons for the request for independence.


    In such a scenario, he could buy some time before being called a rebel by the local royal family, something that would undoubtedly be beneficial to him.


    Not only that, if the royal family found out about the local changes because of him, then the chances that this power would try to negotiate before declaring him a rebel would be great!


    House Brown would probably try to get this young man to pay a large share of his earnings in taxes and be guaranteed to continue being the ruler of these lands. With that, Minos could negotiate with them for a while until finally, the other side would lose patience and do what they had to do.


    And in this option, even if the Silva family communicated to them about the strangeness in Dry City, it wouldn''t change the situation much. That''s because if Minos were negotiating with them, then the Browns would probably try to achieve their interests in a less costly way than a war against a rebel.


    For that, Minos had sent that earlier letter, something that he hoped would have more positive results than negative ones!


    Anyway, soon those two soldiers finished talking about it and headed towards the quiet lands of that part of the Black Plain.


    ''Time to get back to work!''


    ...


    Quickly two days passed...


    At this moment, the sun was at its peak in the Dry City, while Minos took advantage of the break he had from work at this time of day to enjoy a few minutes with one of his sexual partners...


    This young man had become much more ''energetic'' after reaching the 6th stage of cultivation, making him more able to satisfy all those women daily.


    Hence, he had understood a little more how some individuals could have so many women, despite the limited number of hours in a single day.


    Time was relative, and with more power, one could more efficiently use every passing second...


    So, he had become much better at this management of his time and could satisfy himself and his partners in less time than he would usually have needed before.


    But don''t get it wrong, less time doesn''t mean worse. That was nothing more than an increase in quality, which could decrease the time needed to achieve remarkable experiences for all partners...


    But of course, if he wanted to spend the whole day doing this, all he had to do was to decrease the intensity a little, and anything would be possible, even considering that some of his partners didn''t have bodies as resilient as his.


    And as such, this young man was finishing doing that at this very moment while drilling Mendy''s wet cave!


    "Ahhhh~"


    "Ahhh~ That way, you''re going to break me~"


    "Ahh~ I''m cumming~"


    Moans of pleasure resounded through that room that Minos and Mendy were in at the moment, as this woman stood still, her legs trembling, and he did all the work...


    "Mmmm~"


    Finally, Minos kissed her in heat, at the same time, as the two of them reached there once again, while she was below and he was on top, facing each other.


    Squirt!


    At that instant, Mendy''s flower could no longer stand the intense sensation in its inner and outer walls when suddenly a remarkable amount of nectar flowed from it.


    "Ohh~"


    Meanwhile, Minos filled the womb of that woman below him while his rod trembled still inside that moist cave.


    Then, after looking at Minos'' face for a few seconds, Mendy said something, still feeling pleasure from the previous act. "Hah... Hah... You turned into a beast after reaching level 50!"


    Upon hearing that, Minos saw the naughty smile on Mendy''s face and grinned.


    It was always great to know that his sex partner enjoyed the experience as much as he did. So, he couldn''t help but smile back at her as he slowly pulled his rod out of her.


    Soon he stood upright next to Mendy, leaving the woman in a prime position for her to see his younger brother, which was contaminated with the fluids of both of them.


    She then moved from that spot and said quickly. "Hmm, let me clean it..."


    Upon hearing this, Minos just closed his eyes and let that woman do this service, satisfying him even more.


    He then used one of his hands to hold Mendy''s beautiful hair while he began to think about some serious matters.


    ''Earlier tomorrow, I will have to go to the City of Waters to sign those agreements with Mendy''s father and the supreme elder of House Hayes... But before that, I think I''d better examine on this matter of the royal guards that cames from the capital.''


    ''What is the Silva family doing?''


    ''Ahh, it''s a pity that my army has such small numbers... Otherwise, I could already have some spies watching each of these local noble families...''


    ''But since I can''t do that, I''m forced to stay acting in the dark. That is truly a problem...''


    ''There''s nothing to do... I will see with the Miller family what is going on and then decide what to do about this matter letter on.''


    "Ohh~"


    "Hehe, you like it, huh?" Mendy took the big ''lollipop'' out of her mouth and said that as she looked at Minos.


    "Sure... Who wouldn''t want to be in my place?"


    "Hehe."


    "But anyway, since we''re done here, I won''t see you until tomorrow morning. But don''t delay. I want to be back here before dark."


    "Fine."

 Chapter 635: Tensions Before the Battle

    While Minos and Mendy were preparing for the trip to the City of Waters to finalize the agreement between the Black Plain and the Hayes family, Elen and Elena were on Stone Island preparing for a battle!


    On appearances, any unsuspecting person would think that the two enemy sides on that island, House Nash and House Allen, were in a truce, perhaps in an attempt to achieve peace.


    However, those with more profound knowledge about the conflict between these two groups would know that the reality was much more bitter...


    There was no truce between such opponents. Hell, there was not even an attempt by either party to seek an agreement that could resolve the conflict.


    What had happened recently was a decrease in tensions a few weeks ago, which had created this ''mirage.''


    But after weeks of relative peace and easing of tensions for the tens of millions of Stone Island citizens who had to face the consequences of such a conflict, the situation was slowly changing.


    That was much more significant for the Nash family''s allies, who knew from the start that House Allen''s side was only taking one step back, to take two steps forward in the future!


    Because of this deep knowledge of their enemies, Elen''s side was becoming tenser and tenser with each passing day. Consequently, they were preparing for something big to happen at any moment!


    ...


    At the Nash family palace...


    Elen and Elena were in a hall with several other people, talking about the latest information their spies had regarding the moves of the Allen family alliance.


    The people in that room were members of several noble families of the Stone Island, organizations that were in alliance with Elena because of the products of the Black Plain that this woman traded on this state.


    But besides these people, there were also some critical figures from House Nash, such as Elen''s father, the supreme elder of this noble family.


    "The spies of the Hoffman family have discovered that the House Allen has been gathering its high-ranking members for the past few weeks." Someone in that place said while having a solemn expression on his face. "In addition, each of the allies of that noble house is preparing for some movement in the coming weeks."


    "Hmm, my group also has similar information. We have been notified that the Gibbs family held a military exercise a few days ago, in which only individuals above level 45 participated."


    "Also, we have information of several Spiritual Kings from those powers who have been ''missing'' for weeks..."


    "That''s true... My group has no information about the whereabouts of 29 Spiritual Kings of the Allen family allies."


    "They could be anywhere!"


    While people were actively talking about this matter, Elen and Elena were sitting side by side in that room, talking in low voices to each other.


    "I think I''d better stay here in this palace for the next few days... I believe the Allen family will probably act against you before the other organizations in our alliance."


    "Hmm, probably... How are your preparations?"


    Elena then replied. "I already have everything ready to leave Stone Island... I am just waiting for this move by the Allen family. Then, I will return to Minos'' territory."


    "I see... I hope I can see you as soon as possible, but I guess for at least the next year, I won''t have such a chance." Elen said as she closed her eyes in concern.


    "Don''t worry, we have several Spiritual Kings around, and the Allen family won''t be able to hurt us so easily!"


    "I know..."


    And as she was about to say something, suddenly one of those individuals in that room finally ended that occasion. "Well, people, prepare your forces as best you can during the next few days."


    "Finally, I recommend that each of our families send one of our Spiritual Kings here, Old Stone. We cannot let the Allen family cut off our supply of resources!"


    "I agree!"


    "Yes, we must do that."


    "As our Parker family has always said for the last 5,000 years, good Allen is a dead Allen!


    "Then we won''t back down right away at this point!"


    And it wasn''t long before those people dispersed, each of them going off to do their respective responsibilities so that they would be ready for enemy movement.


    ...


    Meanwhile, two days passed...


    Meanwhile, Celeste had already adapted to her new reality in the Black Plain Army''s naval base, where she had to be ready to fight enemies at all times.


    After she arrived at this place and Ernest headed towards the secret base of Yellow City, Celeste had learned that most of the time, this place had to deal with several groups of beasts.


    Those beasts were attracted by the large amounts of food, which were stored at this base.


    And as much as the defensive barrier created by the medium-level grade-2 array was enough to stop these beasts, it would not be good if these beings started to crowd into the surroundings...


    Because of this, groups of beasts from this region of the Black Plain would constantly arrive at this base, and the soldiers at this post would need to deal with them.


    And as much as she would not have to act against these beasts, Celeste still needed to be vigilant. After all, there would always be the possibility that some enemy would be lurking around while the weaker soldiers were dealing with situations related to these beasts.


    Hence, she had been working much harder lately than in her last 300 years of life, in which she had lived as the wife of the patriarch of the Parkinson family...


    Anyway, at this moment, she was in a room at the top of the highest tower of this base while watching through a window to a large Nash family ship being filled up.


    The place she was in had a rounded shape. All the outside walls were large glass windows, something that allowed anyone in that place to see all the surroundings of this naval base.


    And while she was looking at the surroundings of this base at her workplace, more than 2000 soldiers of the Minos army were working there. Most of them were people at the 3rd and 4th stage, who were here to keep this place running and do the manual transport services.


    As for the warriors in this place, they were only about 750 soldiers, all of them at the 5th stage of cultivation.


    Pa!


    As she was looking over the horizon, the door that was in the middle of that place slammed right after a soldier walked in there.


    "Lieutenant Celeste, the load from the Nash family ship, has been finalized, and in a few minutes, the crew of that ship will depart from our base." So, the soldier informed as he stood in a formal position in the middle of that place.


    "Have you guys done the whole investigation procedure? Is the ship up to specifications? Are there no people other than the ones declared?" She asked as she looked in the direction of that soldier.


    "Everything is fine, ma''am. We have already surveyed the ship, and all the declared crew members are already inside that shit, waiting for permission to leave."


    "OK. Allow them to leave." She said to another person who was there.


    After that, a distinctive sound resounded through that base, as a male voice rang out in a sound array.


    "Nash-48, your exit is cleared."


    "Run! Run! Get to your positions!"


    "Get ready for the barrier to be deactivated!" Several voices around that base resounded through that place, as many soldiers ran from side to side and got into defensive positions.


    "Attention everyone, the barrier will open in 5.... 4..."


    Zum!


    After some time of the initial warning resounding, when all the soldiers were on alert, and the ship was ready to leave this place, the barrier was deactivated.


    And it wasn''t long before that large uncharacterized ship of the Nash family disappeared over the horizon.


    At the same time, the barrier of that base had come back into operation.


    "The next Nash family ship will only arrive in the next week..." Celeste muttered in a low voice as she wriggled in the chair she was sitting in, in that same spot from before.


    "What''s that?"


    However, after a few minutes of observing her surroundings, she finally saw several dots glowing in the middle of the sea, a few dozen kilometers from that base...

 Chapter 636: Naval Base Attack 1

    As Celeste watched those points from a distance, about 20 warships were slowly approaching that naval base!


    Each of these warships had large cannons on their sides, each of them capable of launching 1-meter radius cannonballs!


    And while the cannons would undoubtedly draw the attention of anyone who saw them up close, the most remarkable thing about these ships would be the same symbol repeated on each warship.


    This symbol repeated on each of these warships, on flags and bows, looked like a glass bottle containing some drink inside.


    That was the symbol of the Collins family of the Kingdom of the Waves!


    "Ma''am, we are arriving at our destination." Someone on one of those warships said aloud, while a woman who was almost 2 meters tall was standing on the highest part of that ship, with one of her legs resting on a rung.


    "Good!" She said in satisfaction as she looked ahead and could already see that base.


    "However, we just spotted a ship leaving that location."


    "What should we do?"


    "Pass the order to one of the ships in our group to pursue them... We cannot allow anyone to know of our action in this place!" She firmly said, picking up a large stick and clasped her hands around such a weapon.


    Such a family had ''discovered'' a location on the Black Plain''s coast that was of their interests... There existed many high-value resources, which could yield tens of millions of low-grade crystals to whoever ''collected'' it.


    After that, they discovered that there were no high-level forces in this area, only a small naval base around this place of their interest. So, then, the Collins family leadership had sent a group to take this place over their control!


    They had investigated this place before and found that not only were there no high-level defenses in this place but that the strongest person there was only at level 50...


    And this had given them the confidence to act against this place!


    This naval base had valuable resources but was protected by a fragile person. And this had given them the fact that there was an almost 100% chance that this was the base of a mid-level force that was working for another organization or something like that.


    Consequently, if they took this place and left no trace of their action, they could make a massive profit in it without having to take a risk with a high-level power. That was why they had sent such a large force here.


    That was to exterminate the people of that place and collect all those resources!


    "OK, I will do that!" The man said this before finally running towards a room on that warship to send that woman''s message to another warship in that convoy.


    Such a woman was the leader of that group of the Collins family, who was already at level 55, the strongest in this group.


    As for the other individuals in those 20 warships, about 200 people were on each of them, almost all at the 5th stage of cultivation. However, there were 10 Spiritual Kings in such a group, with the weakest at level 51 and the strongest at level 55!


    Anyway, after that man from before disappeared from that woman''s sight, she put a big cigar in her mouth and started smoking quietly.


    After doing that for a few seconds, she smiled and looked in the direction of another guard who was standing nearby.  "Give the order for us to start the movement."


    "Four groups will land at the northernmost and another four at the southernmost shore. Then, the rest of us will attack that place head-on!"


    "Yes, ma''am!"


    And it wasn''t long before one of those warships left that formation, heading toward the Nash family ship, while eight others headed toward the north and south shores of that base.


    ...


    "Captain! Captain! We''re being pursued!" An officer from the Nash family ship rushed into where the captain was standing while sweating profusely and with a worried look on his face.


    "Take it easy, guard Ed, take a few breaths..." The captain of that ship said as he stood up from his seat and looked in the direction of that poor man.


    At the same time as that, the Spiritual King who was there to protect that ship also took an interest in this matter as he got up from where he was and approached that guard.


    "Captain! It''s the Collins family! There are many of their ships heading towards that base, and one of them is coming towards us!"


    "What?" The two men said simultaneously, while their eyebrows frowned considerably and their faces turned dark.


    "Why would the Collins family come to this place? And what do they want with us?"


    "Maybe..."


    Boom!


    Boom!


    Boom!


    However, while those people were trying to understand the information that had just arrived, several sounds of explosions reached their ears. At the same time, the pursuing warship shot mercilessly in their direction.


    "Shit!"


    "They''re attacking us!" The Spiritual King on that ship said this coldly, right after feeling the ship wobbling considerably due to one of the cannonballs that had just hit them!


    "You miserable bastards!"


    "Damn you, Collins! To think we almost allied ourselves with those bastards!" The ship''s captain shouted in hatred as he held himself near a glass window and looked in the direction of that enemy ship.


    At this moment, all cannons of that Collins family warship fired simultaneously, causing yellow flames to come out of its mouths. Then the characteristic noise of those guns spread over that area.


    Boom!


    Boom!


    Crack!


    "Ahhhhhh! My leg! Ahhhhhh!"


    "Sons of a bitch..." Someone shouted right after seeing a fucking metal ball falling on top of him.


    Puff!


    Boom!


    Just then, that person was crushed and then exploded into many pieces, just after the cannonball hit a part of that ship.


    "Ahhh! Enemy attack! Attack back! Use all our firepower!"


    "Quick, send a message to the headquarters!"


    ...


    A highly destructive naval battle then broke out at that location a few miles away from the Black Plain Army''s naval base. And while the Nash family ship was suffering under the enemy attack, the other Collins family groups were getting closer to that base.


    As such, Celeste had finally been able to see what that glow from earlier was...


    "Sound the alarms! We''re under attack!" She shouted as loudly as she could, making every soldier in that building listen to her.


    And just then, the alarms in this area started going off!


    Woop! Woop!


    "Get ready. We are under enemy attack!"


    Woop! Woop!


    "Everyone in positions!"


    "Soldiers below the rank of Sergeants should immediately retreat and lock yourselves inside your respective rooms!"


    "Group 2, come with me."


    "Group 21..."


    Several shouts could be heard around that base at the moment, as many soldiers ran around that area, already carrying weapons of the most varied kinds in their hands.


    Most of the Sergeants on this base had already fought many battles around here or in Dry City. So, they were all used to this kind of thing.


    Therefore, despite the nervousness that would always exist in situations like these, they knew what to do without much delay.


    ''That''s the symbol of the Collins family...'' Celeste thought, looking at the 11 ships approaching from the west of that base. ''Why would this noble house of the Kingdom of the Waves send such a group here?''


    ''I thought there was no family outside the Brown Kingdom and Stone Island that knew about this place... How did they find out about us?'' She wondered as she clenched her fists and watched the group of ships pointing their many weapons toward the defensive walls of this base.


    ...


    Meanwhile, on one of the 11 ships facing sideways towards that naval base, that level 55 woman was looking at her target with a smile on her face. She could not sense the defensive fluctuations of that location, and as such, for her, her job would probably be taken care of in no time...


    "Set!"


    "Aim!"


    "Fire!"


    Boom!


    Boom!


    Then, dozens of cannonballs were thrown in the direction of the defensive walls of that naval base...

 Chapter 637: Naval Base Attack 2

    Boom!


    Boom!


    Dozens of cannonballs flew through the skies of that region, causing the characteristic silence of that place to disappear, as flames shot out of the cannon mouths and the ships retreated gently in the opposite direction.


    While each people on the 11 House Collins warships had smiles on their faces in anticipation of what would happen next, the same was happening to the other forces of that family.


    Several minutes had passed since the order of the leader of that group. Hence, the approximately 1,600 guards from the eight groups from before had already landed on the mainland and rushed towards the outskirts of that naval base.


    Because of this, upon hearing the sounds of the cannons, every one of those individuals knew that it was time for their group to act!


    Everything had already been planned, and once the high walls of that base were destroyed, these hundreds of guards could invade and massacre whoever was in that place. After this, they would enjoy the valuable resources stored there.


    At least that was the plan...


    However, the reality was cruel for them.


    Zum!


    Puff!


    Immediately when the first of those dozens of cannonballs was just a few meters away from hitting one of the walls of that base, a significant green barrier suddenly appeared in that place.


    At the same time as that, the dozens of cannonballs from before crashed into the defenses activated by that medium-level grade-2 array in that base.


    Poof!


    And as tremendous as the force of each of these cannonballs was, this barrier had not been destroyed by just one wave of attacks.


    There had been a few cracks here and there, cracks as fine as strands of hair, but this was not enough to destroy something that could withstand the full power of a level 58 Spiritual King!


    And because of that, the smiles on the faces of every one of those thousands of Collins family members in this place had immediately frozen upon seeing this.


    "What the fuck is going on?" Page complained aloud as she clenched her fists tightly and felt extremely bad for such a surprise.


    She then looked at one of the subordinates standing near her and asked coldly. "That''s a medium-level grade-2 fucking barrier! Why wasn''t I warned about such a thing? I thought this place didn''t have protections of this level!"


    "Ma''am, that was the information passed down from headquarters after the investigation done less than two months ago... Perhaps..."


    Gulp!


    "Maybe the people in that place have made the investment in those defenses in the meantime." He said, trying to distance himself from the guilt.


    "Miserables! Those useless old men can''t even keep a fucking spy in this shitty place!"


    "And now I have to deal with this problem!" She growled as the veins in her neck protruded.


    Gulp!


    "Ma''am, if we use all our loads of cannonballs, we might be able to destroy this barrier." A member of that crew said, right after doing some mental math.


    They were not very far from that naval base. And because of that, he could see perfectly well the various cracks around the membrane of that barrier.


    After thinking about the ammunition they had in each of those 11 ships, he soon concluded that they could destroy that barrier.


    Upon hearing this, Page looked in the direction of that person with a still furious expression. But she concluded the same as that man, "You at least are not useless."


    "Gardner, do as he said, use all our ammunition to destroy that barrier!" She shouted, making all the people on that ship hear her. "Take advantage of that and have those other eight ships throw in all their cargo as well."


    "Let''s at least try to destroy those walls."


    "Yes, ma''am!"


    "Come on, useless people! Do what Mrs. Page said!"


    "Pass the information on to the other ships..."


    And it wasn''t long before those people on that warship started running around, shouting commands of different kinds, generally following the orders of their leader.


    ...


    Meanwhile, inside the area protected by the defensive array of that base, Celeste had already left her previous post and reached one of the entrances of that base.


    That base could only be invaded in three ways. The first was through the harbor, which they controlled through a breakwater that could be enclosed... The second was through the walls of this place, which were each about 10 meters high. And the third was through the sky.


    Of the three ways to invade this place, the first was the least feasible since such people would have to abandon their ships and be under the sights of the soldiers on this base while still at sea. The second had its problems, but as long as one was agile enough to get over these walls before being caught by the local soldiers, then it was possible.


    As for the third, that was by far the best alternative.


    Well, if they could fly, of course...


    After all, entering with a giant flying beast in a place like this, full of armed enemies, could also be very dangerous since beasts like this could become easy targets... And to risk falling from a great height was not acceptable even for these 6th stage cultivators.


    Thus, not knowing how to fly and risking making such an entrance with a beast could be even more dangerous than the other two alternatives.


    For all that, Celeste already knew that she would most likely have to fight people coming in by land, the way with the highest chances for the enemies being successful.


    Hence, she had gone directly to the surveillance site of the walls of this location!


    "How are things around the base? Have we had sightings of enemies coming overland?" She asked right after entering one of the rooms in that place.


    Upon hearing this, the person in charge soon answered her while observing the surroundings. "Lieutenant Celeste, we have hundreds of enemies around the base, from the northernmost position, following around the base until we reach the southernmost point."


    "So, that''s how it is..." She muttered in a low voice, understanding that the day would not be easy. ''Well, I won''t allow them to leave the Black Plain easily, but I will let them spend a little more of their power trying to destroy the local defensive barrier!''


    As she thought about it, it wasn''t long before more explosions sounded throughout that area, as many cannonballs flew towards the green membrane around that area of Minos'' base.


    Boom!


    Boom!


    ...


    Meanwhile, Page watched the cracks in that barrier grow larger and larger as more and more of her ammunition was used.


    But as she watched this process, this woman, who had a reputation as a tough lady, was slowly sweating in anxiety, fearing that even her weapons would not get results.


    ''Shit! We only have 40 more cannonballs!''


    ''If we can''t destroy this barrier, we''ll have no choice but to go back to the family headquarters...'' She squeezed a metal bar that was in front of her as she watched that in anticipation.


    Not breaking into that base would mean that the organization behind that place would have survivors... And as such, the Collins family would gain a new enemy, which this organization had planned that they would not even find out about the identity of the aggressors.


    To make matters worse, besides gaining a new enemy, they would not even get the resources evaluated in tens of millions of low-grade crystals that existed in this place...


    That was a nightmare for this woman!


    Boom!


    "31."


    Boom!


    "19!"


    Boom!


    "7!" She muttered in a low voice each time a new cannonball left one of those ships.


    Crack!


    However, just as the ammunition was about to run out, that membrane around the base of Minos'' army cracked until it exploded into endless pieces.


    At this sight, Page and all those thousands of people from the Collins family in that place shouted in satisfaction, while many of them were already running towards that area.


    Boom!


    "Yes, dammit!"


    "Let''s destroy them and take the wealth of this place!" She shouted in satisfaction as she saw some of the walls of that base falling, just in the places where some of the last cannonballs had hit...

 Chapter 638: Naval Base Attack 3

    After some of the walls around that naval base were destroyed, it didn''t take long, and soon several people from both sides were running towards those openings.


    The first group was made up of the soldiers of the Black Plain Army, who were approaching the newly opened ''entrances,'' individuals who were a little further away from those hot spots.


    But although they were running towards these exits, none of these soldiers intended to leave the inner area of this naval base. After all, that would be foolish!


    Although the primary defense of this place had collapsed, this base still had high walls that were almost intact and alternatives that could be used to eliminate various enemies. As such, those soldiers were running close to those destroyed places, where they could attack their opponents before such individuals entered that base.


    And the second group was formed by the 1,600 guards of the Collins family who were attacking this base from the ground.


    Each of those people was already preparing to run towards this base the moment any part of the walls of this place was destroyed. And seeing some openings there, soon those guards were running with fighting intent in their eyes, ready to kill their way into this base!


    The objective here was clear. Kill, loot, and then flee without a trace.


    Hence, they were wasting no time!


    "Kill the enemies!"


    "For the family!"


    "Ahhh!"


    Several euphoric shouts could be heard in that place as hundreds of people ran around with weapons in their hands. In contrast, others already activated their techniques, forming powerful attacks in the air.


    But while most of those individuals trying to invade that base of Minos'' army were just Spiritual Generals, with only five of them being Spiritual Kings.


    "Echo, we will take care of the strongest person on that base, and you will go after the resources and information of that place." One of those five individuals said that aloud as he ran alongside the other four Spiritual Kings.


    Upon hearing that, immediately, those other three people nodded in the direction of that individual who was supposed to be the weakest of the five, who were at level 51.


    "I''ll try to investigate this place quickly so that when you guys are done, we can get out of here as soon as possible..." He briefly said, just before turning his attention to one of the three large holes that had been made in the wall.


    These holes had been formed directly by the cannonball attacks that had happened earlier. And as such, they were the most significant openings in that base, through which a dozen people could easily pass side by side.


    But although only three holes like that had been formed, there were half a dozen more small openings, which had been created by the remaining power of the previous attacks.


    So, the hundreds of guards in that group distributed themselves across each of those openings, going in an intense flow to the larger spaces and calmer to the smaller ones.


    "Kill those wretches!"


    "Show the power of the Collins family, you bunch of bastards!"


    Several shouts of encouragement were uttered amidst those crowds as the four Spiritual Kings from before followed not far from each other.


    Finally, Echo was a little further behind that group, just waiting for the moment when the Spiritual King of that base would be entertained by his allies.


    It would be the best time for him to act when that happened!


    However, just as the first members of the Collins family were about to enter through the openings created by the cannonballs, young Stuart''s side finally acted for the first time since the fall of the barrier!


    In that instant, as dozens of people tried to enter through the most significant holes in that great wall, several spiritual arrays were activated by those local soldiers.


    Boom!


    Immediately after several soldiers activated spiritual arrays similar to the cannons of those ships, a shower of shrapnel flew towards the many enemies in the surroundings of that base.


    These shrapnels were as big as barbecue knives and flew with a force that they could even penetrate through rocks!


    Swooish!


    Pow!


    While several of the soldiers were activating cannon arrays on top of the walls, the soldiers around those openings were attacking the opponents who dared to enter the base.


    The position of these soldiers was favorable to them as the defenses of this place were in their favor. And with the experience of monthly training on how to act in situations similar to an invasion, each of those Sergeants knew very well how to attack the enemies.


    Consequently, the moment the more powerless soldiers activated the cannons on top of the walls, the more powerful Sergeants on the ground immediately used their attack techniques.


    From then on, many spiritual attacks formed in the air, flying immediately afterward towards those many opponents running into the interior of this place!


    Swooish!


    "Haha, my hammer will stop their attacks. Let''s see!" Some of the first to pass through one of those holes said this arrogantly while waving a giant war hammer.


    "Ahhhhhhhh!"


    "Ohhhhhh!"


    "Ahh! My hand! My feet!"


    However, before he even realized the power of some of those attacks, that man heard the sounds of his companions, who were suffering from the attacks caused by the spiritual cannons of that base!


    "Ahhhh!"


    The next moment, as he spun his war hammer above his head, a blade of greenish energy sliced through his forearm, causing him to scream in pain.


    Puff!


    After he had his forearm cut by one of the attacks sent by those soldiers, he didn''t even have much time to cry in regret for being so negligent.


    At that moment, when his forearm had been cut off, the war hammer that was spinning on top of his head leaned downward, striking this man on the back of his head.


    Then his body fell unconscious to the ground!


    He was not dead, but that didn''t matter... That was because it didn''t take long, and the shockwaves from the soldiers and the Collins family guards'' attacks soon wholly destroyed some of the bodies around those three large holes!


    The first wave of guards that had tried to enter that base through the few openings there had suffered dramatically from the attacks of Minos'' soldiers. However, after the first dozens of deaths and hundreds of wounded outside that place, the enemy soon began to counterattack.


    And little by little, the enemies of the force commanded by Celeste were entering that base!


    Boom!


    "Ahhhh!"


    "Miserable! You killed my wife!"


    Vuup!


    "Ahhhh, my arm! Son of a bitch! I''ll kill you!"


    Pow!


    "Please... Please don''t kill me. Don''t kill me!" Someone desperately screamed as he knelt on the ground, missing one of his arms.


    "Ahhh!"


    However, as tears flowed from that person''s eyes, a spear pierced through his chest, destroying his heart.


    At the same time, several terrified screams were spreading through every part of that area, in the outer and inner surroundings of those openings in the walls.


    Many had already died without even having the opportunity to utter their last words. But others were lucky, or maybe unlucky enough to hold out longer and feel the physical and mental terror of a battle involving large numbers of people.


    And such a situation, an all-out battle, was not at all easy!


    The smell of blood in the air. The cries of fear from some. The sounds of desperation from others, in addition to the chaotic surroundings, all of this would make anyone there feel as if time had decided to pass more slowly.


    At the same time as this, every time someone fell or cried in pain for their losses, the other people around couldn''t help but feel a certain psychological pressure.


    ''Am I going to die? Why does this have to happen to me? What the hell did I do to deserve this?'' Some might wonder similar things in a place like this.


    But while they feared their deaths, such people had duties to fulfill in this place; responsibilities passed down from the organizations behind them.


    And when combining all that, along with the fact that some of these individuals were fighting side by side with their friends or family members, the terror of this battle went far beyond physical pain!


    ''That''s hell!''


    ''The real battlefield is where people of all ages beg for help from their mothers...'' So, Celeste thought to herself as she looked at the chaotic scene on the outskirts while looking at the masses of opponents who had already fallen.


    ''I found them!''


    ...

 Chapter 639: Naval Base Attack 4

    Celeste didn''t take long to run towards them after sensing the spiritual fluctuations of the five Spiritual Kings accompanying that enemy group.


    She had not been involved in the first moments of the battle since the soldiers of that base had the upper hand at the moment.


    And that was not strange. After all, despite their smaller numbers, these soldiers had several tricks in their favor, including the quality of their techniques.


    So, the first waves of this confrontation had been favorable for the Black Plain Army, making it possible for Celeste not to be involved in this first moment of the battle.


    Consequently, this woman had focused on finding the most vigorous opponents so that she could eliminate them as soon as possible!


    ''Hmm, the strongest of them is only at level 54...'' She smiled as she thought about this, moving quickly towards that group of people who were almost entering the inner area of this base.


    Vuup!


    After seeing that Celeste was moving, many soldiers in the vicinity of the opening in the wall she was running towards stopped their attacks, directing their fighting to the flanks.


    "Quick! Don''t stand in Lieutenant Celeste''s way!" Someone shouted, alerting the soldiers closest to that place in question.


    However, while the army soldiers were trying not to get in Celeste''s way, the same was not true for the enemies trying to break into that base.


    Many had already managed to enter through the openings and were fighting in the inner parts of the base closest to the walls. Meanwhile, due to the measure of this enemy group, even though several minutes had passed since the beginning of the attack, there were still hundreds of people trying to enter there.


    For this reason, more guards constantly ran through those openings in the local wall, already using their defenses and launching attacks almost without aiming at anyone.


    They just wanted to survive the entrance to this place. But, at  the same time, if they were lucky, they could counterattack some attacks in their direction or even injure an opponent.


    And because of these people, even though the soldiers on this base were making room for Celeste, she still had to deal with several attacks coming her way.


    Swooish!


    Pow!


    Different forms of energy headed in Celeste''s direction as dozens of people passed through the hole in front of her, blocking her way.


    ''Those five are almost into the base...''


    ''I guess I''d better eliminate them outside and give a little more room to the soldiers fighting here inside the base...'' So she thought as she dodged the enemy attacks and decided what to do.


    After that, she placed her hands one over the other, at the height of her navel, with parallel arms, as she circled her main attack technique.


    Stellar Destruction!


    Ssss!


    Immediately after activating her technique, still while moving through that chaotic place, a small red ball of energy was thrown towards that hole in front of her.


    After Celeste launched such a thing, dozens of people in the surroundings of that place felt how ominous this attack was. But while they were trembling because of that powerful technique, they couldn''t stop to observe it...


    After all, they were already fighting mortal enemies, many of whom had combat proficiencies between levels 48 and 50!


    And since most of those Collins family guards attacking this place were only between levels 45 and 47, the situation was not interesting for them!


    Therefore, it didn''t matter how strong the monster guarding this base was. These many subordinates of the Collins family first had to worry about the smaller monsters, which were already trying to eliminate them!


    "Ahhhhhhhh!"


    "What''s that?"


    "Ahhhhh!"


    While most people in the surrounding area only feared Celeste''s power in their minds, it wasn''t long before her technique hit the group around that opening.


    At the same time, dozens of people nearby felt a shiver run down their spines as the hand-sized ball of red energy expanded and contracted rapidly before exploding.


    Boom!


    In a split second, the red flames have spread around the surroundings, as the focus of the explosion emitted shockwaves capable of killing even level 50 Spiritual Kings.


    Celeste was just clearing the way and, because of this, she was not using much of her strength...


    Ssss!


    At that moment, the cries of pain from the people under the space influenced by Celeste''s technique ceased, as more than 80 people died!


    Of those many deaths, those who were closest to the center of the attack hadn''t even had a chance to feel pain. They had just been obliterated by the power generated by the collapse of the core of the attack.


    However, most of the deaths had happened in the vicinity of the focus of the explosion, within a radius of up to about 30 meters from it.


    Of those people, every single person had been burned to ashes by the red flames, just 5 seconds after such an attack!


    That had been shocking to everyone in the vicinity!


    "What? How is that possible?" One of the Spiritual Kings in that group shouted as his face became paler and paler.


    "That strength is similar to that of an attack launched by a level 57 cultivator!" Another person from that group concluded as he felt a sudden chill run down his spine.


    ''Shit! What''s going on here? Why is there so much misinformation about this place?'' A woman in that group thought as drops of sweat dripped down her forehead.


    As they exclaimed in shock and thought about how terrible this battle was for them, it wasn''t long before one of them turned in the opposite direction of that base and started running!


    "Run!" The most substantial individual in that group shouted hoarsely, already using most of his energy to run from there.


    Sssss!


    Stellar Destruction: Noonday Sun!


    However, as those people began to run from that spot near the opening in the wall that Celeste had just passed, she was quick to launch another attack.


    And to the misfortune of those individuals, such an attack contained almost a third of Celeste''s energies, something she had concentrated into a large red ball of energy, which was 2 meters in radius!


    "Since you have come to visit us, I will not allow you to leave before tasting our hospitality!" She said in a soft tone, a moment before launching that powerful attack towards those people.


    ''Shit! What the fuck kind of technique is that? How can there be an attack as strong as that?'' That went through the mind of the strongest of that group as he desperately tried to escape from there.


    He felt that although he was using as much as he could in his movement technique, Celeste''s speed was more significant than his. And seeing that red ball of energy getting closer and closer to himself, a terrible feeling was spreading throughout his body.


    Sss!


    "Explode and erase all those lives!" Celeste shouted in a loud voice as she made a gesture of closing her right hand while pointing it in the direction of those people.


    As she did so, the giant ball of energy, which looked like a miniature star, shone brightly in the middle of those four individuals and exploded!


    KA-BOOM!


    Ssssss!


    "Ahhhhhhhhhh!"


    "Ahhhhhhh! My skin! My skin!"


    Finally, when the technique had demonstrated the maximum of its splendor, hundreds of people in the surrounding area suffered from being in the explosion-affected space.


    That explosion had reached more than two hundred meters away from the focus of the attack, causing a small earthquake to occur at that location and cracks to appear in the walls of that base wall.


    As for the four Spiritual Kings that were Celeste''s targets, they hadn''t even had a chance!


    Almost all of them died, leaving only their spatial rings, the only things in their bodies that could not be destroyed by such offensive power.


    But one of them, although he had died under the devastating effects of that attack, his body had not been destroyed...

 Chapter 640: Naval Base Attack 5

    The level 54 Spiritual King who was on the enemy side had died. Still, because his characteristics were far above those of his companions, his body had not been erased by Celeste''s technique.


    Hence, after the red flames that had covered a considerable space had disappeared, his corpse had been the only one that had remained.


    Of the hundreds of people who had been exposed to the destructive power of that technique, only one corpse had remained, leaving behind a terrible scene.


    Everything had happened too quickly. The place that had been alive with people screaming and expressing their existence to the world had become practically empty in a matter of seconds!


    Besides the corpse of that level 54 Spiritual King, what was there was only several small items that glowed and a large amount of dust.


    And such a thing could not be ignored by the people in the surrounding area!


    ''What a terrible thing!''


    "Everyone... They... They''ve all been erased!" Someone muttered in a low voice while an indescribable chill spread through his body.


    ''It can''t be! How did such a monster get in our way? How can we survive it?''


    ''Shit! Shit!''


    ''Shit! I have to escape from this damn hell!''


    ''I knew it was a bad idea to come here! I knew it! My bad luck never fails!''


    While many of the Collins family members were agitated over the circumstances in the surroundings of that base, the last Spiritual King of that group was just as fearful as those Spiritual Generals.


    He was the weakest of the group of those five Spiritual Kings. And precisely because of that, he had the mission to investigate that place and was far enough away from that group not to be involved in that previous situation.


    ''I''m screwed...''


    But although he was lucky that he was not one of those many individuals to be exterminated by Celeste, his end was near. Now that many people in front of him were gone, he was face to face with that woman.


    So, he could forget about his mission here!


    Celeste had sensed him before, and with the disappearance of those many distractions, she could now also see that man perfectly well.


    ''Damn it! I can only try to retreat... Maybe the rest of the group still on the ships will get here in time for us to face this woman!'' He convinced himself, as he had already started to run away from that place.


    ''Wanting to run away, huh?'' Celeste looked steadily at that fellow and then began to chase him.  "I won''t let you get out of here so easily..."


    Celeste knew that there were more people in the enemy groups. After all, she had spotted many people on the ships approaching this naval base earlier. Because of this, this Lieutenant of Minos'' army knew very well that there would be the possibility of a second wave of attacks!


    And since she did not know how strong the people on those ships that had destroyed the defensive barrier were, she would not risk letting this person escape!


    Her strength was quite extreme, but no one could guess such a thing just from her level. Naturally, therefore, it would be good if the rest of the enemies did not contact those who saw her in action...


    Suppose she kept them in the dark about her fighting proficiency. In that case, she could at least continue to appear to be an average level 55 Spiritual King, something that could make the enemy side underestimate her to some degree!


    If that happened, she could handle the forces of those ships much more quickly!


    ''Shit! She''s coming after me!'' The level 51 cultivator briefly thought as he looked back and saw a fast and furious woman running towards him.


    The next moment he screamed with all the force in his lungs. "Stop that damn woman!"


    "If she reaches me, we will all die here without our deaths having any meaning!"


    "But if I survive, I promise to avenge you and take care of your families!" He said in desperation, looking at the many people still in that place around the Black Plain Army naval base.


    Upon hearing such a thing, many of those people curved their heads in confusion, not knowing what to do at that moment.


    They knew the possibilities and consequences of every action they took in this place at the present moment. But even though they knew that this man''s speech was the best for them, it was still complicated for people to accept sacrificing themselves with such ease.


    It required a lot of mental strength, determination to step forward, and following a plan with a 100% chance of death!


    To make matters worse, not everyone cared what would happen to their families or an act of possible revenge after they died...


    After all, as far as anyone knows, death is the end, and it really wouldn''t make any difference if they would be avenged.


    What difference does it make to a collection of atoms and spiritual energy if the body of which they were a part is avenged?


    That was one way of thinking.


    However, only part of those people thought that way.


    Even though they would die and probably wouldn''t feel any better about vengeance, some people were willing to die for their families!


    Because of these individuals, despite the initial hesitation, several people in that location soon began running toward Celeste while using everything they had to try to get in this woman''s way.


    "Kill that damn thing!"


    "Fight for the Collins family! For your children and women!"


    "Protect Mr. Lucas'' escape route!"


    Several determined shouts resounded throughout the area, reawakening the fighting spirit of many of the Collins family guards who had become discouraged due to Celeste''s monstrous power.


    "Ahh! Kill her!"


    As a few hundred more people in that place began to shift their focus from that base to Lieutenant Celeste, this woman was running in pursuit of her target.


    ''Humph! That''s futile...'' She thought, feeling how futile the enemy side''s desperate attempt to stop her was.


    Celeste was at level 55, and with her Silver-grade techniques, she was as strong as a level 57 noble. However, these many people around this base were just subordinates of the Collins family.


    At best, they were people who had sets of Blue-grade techniques, with maybe a single one of them being Black-grade classification.


    But if we were to compare her fighting proficiency with someone who had only Blue-grade techniques, then such an opponent would need to be at level 60 to fight her!


    However, the strongest of these individuals was only at level 49.


    The difference was simply too significant!


    And even if they had the numbers in their favor, they would at least need to hit their target to do significant damage.


    But the reality was harsh for these people. The moment Celeste used a little too much of her energy in her movement technique, she immediately managed to get past many enemies!


    Vuup!


    ''Shit! They can''t hold her back!'' The Collins Spiritual King looked back with entirely red eyes and felt a lump in his throat.


    Pow!


    And it didn''t take long for that woman to pass most of those people, dodging as she ran towards her target. But while doing so, she had delivered a lot of attacks against the strongest people in her path, strategically taking out the level 49 Spiritual Generals.


    For her, this had not been difficult. With less than 10% of her strength, she had eliminated more than 30 people when she eventually got close enough to that Spiritual King.


    Void Firsts!


    After gaining free space to send an attack toward that target, Celeste immediately activated her second attack technique, one focused on hand-to-hand combat.


    That technique could create a vacuum current in the form of a fist in the direction the user punched, compressing all the air and energy in the attack''s path until such a thing crashed into the target.


    When it did, well, let''s just say it wouldn''t be pleasant!


    Pow!


    "Ahhhhhh!" After a short fraction of a second, the attack sent by Celeste hit the middle of that Spiritual King''s back, causing him to fall over in pain.


    "Ahhhhhh!" He continued to scream as he rolled himself across the ground and felt as if someone was slowly opening his back.


    As this Spiritual King struggled in pain, Celeste arrived at his side and said in a low voice, in a tone that could lower the temperature of that place by about 20 degrees. "You will be the first person to die because of this technique..."


    "Don''t be sad. That is not an unfair death!"


    Pow!

 Chapter 641: Naval Base Attack 6

    After using her fist again, Celeste crushed that Spiritual King''s head, ending that enemy''s suffering.


    "How terrible! We couldn''t even do anything to stop her!"


    "That''s a pity..."


    "Damn it! Will we fall here like this??"  One person wondered aloud as he looked up at the sky, and a tear trickled down the corner of one of his eyes.


    Several comments arose in the surroundings of that place, as those people who had tried to stop Celeste earlier realized the end of that man.


    The powerful Level 51 Spiritual King had died, leaving behind a body with a wholly dented head, from which his brains could be seen coming out through various wounds. Furthermore, the way his nose, eyes, and mouth had become deformed after Celeste''s punch was frightening to each of those people around there.


    One eye was wholly immersed into the piece of flesh that had been left from this person''s head, while the other had been left loose, suspending next to the depression where Celeste''s fist had touched.


    That had been the final nail in the coffin for those guards who had initiated this land attack...


    More than half of them had already died at this point in the battle. In contrast, on the side of Minos'' soldiers, only a few individuals had fallen or been more seriously injured.


    But seeing all of their Spiritual Kings wiped out with such ease and then having to see the remains of this individual at Celeste''s feet had broken their morale!


    Consequently, the side of the soldiers, which had been at an advantage since the beginning of the fight, was now pressing the opposing side in an even more dominant way.


    Previously, the soldiers of this naval base had needed to use the defenses of this army post and tactics of all sorts to diminish the opponent''s strength. However, due to the brutal differences in the numbers, despite the dominance of the side of the soldiers under Celeste''s command, the fighting had been quite intense!


    Yet, after the death of this Spiritual King, that had changed entirely, and this great battle had been dominated by one side.


    "Kill those damn invaders!"


    "Let''s show what happens to those who challenge us!"


    "Ah! Kill them all!"


    Several voices arose among the ranks of soldiers as these individuals attacked those members of the Collins family with even more vigor.


    There was no need for them to have pity on the enemy just because the opposing side lost the fighting spirit... On the contrary, this was the best time to use a little more force!


    With this, they could ensure that such opponents would not regain their fighting will, that those enemies would not harm the army.


    So, it didn''t take long for most of the surviving soldiers to focus on exterminating these individuals!


    Boom!


    "Ahhhhhh!"


    Boom!


    ...


    Pow!


    "Ahhhhhh"


    Quickly three minutes passed, and by now, the group of soldiers from that base had practically exterminated that group of 1.6 thousand guards from the Collins family.


    However, while that was finishing, Celeste walked along the sides of that base, waiting for the next wave of attacks.


    ''From the reports of the soldiers on observation, the groups that were on those ships have already landed in the vicinity of our base...''


    ''Three of those groups came by sea and did a lot of damage to our port, as well as dividing some of our attention at this beginning of the battle.''


    ''But the rest were coming here by land, from the outskirts of our base...''


    ''Hmm, that group must be as large as that first one.'' She thought about it as she did some math to figure out how problematic it would be to survive today.


    Of course, she wasn''t too worried about her own survival since it would be tough for anyone in the opposing group to be stronger than her. What worried her was how many casualties this army post would have after such an ordeal!


    ''We have 100 Sergeants between levels 45 and 46. Of them, each should be able to fight against newly-promoted Spiritual Kings...''


    ''In that case, just those soldiers alone will probably be able to eliminate another 800 or so opponents similar to the previous group without having to risk their lives.'' So, she considered it, taking into account that these stronger soldiers were the ones who had suffered the least from this initial moment of the battle.


    ''The rest of the Sergeants can probably handle a similar number of opponents... As for the rest, I''ll have to deal with it, or the army casualties will be too high!''


    After that, she deeply sighed until she realized that the second wave of enemies was approaching that location.


    "Soldiers! Get ready! Enemies in sight!"


    ...


    It wasn''t long before another 2,200 Collins family guards reached the battlefield around that naval base, where a large amount of blood was flowing across the ground.


    Upon arriving at that place, they had immediately realized the massacre that had taken place there. But despite the negative feelings regarding how so many of their comrades died, the Collins family side did not back down.


    They could only kill or die since they had already gone this far!


    That was no longer just about getting resources. It was about the family''s future, an organization that might get a new enemy if news of what happened in this place spread.


    And since there were several nobles in the middle of that group, the subordinates could not simply retreat unless there was an order. After all, as long as they fought in this place, they might have a chance to survive and still get rewards.


    But if they tried to flee, either the enemy side could kill them during a chase, or the Collins family itself would go after the heads of the traitors!


    So, these people had not run away when they saw and felt that red sight.


    But not only that, as far as they knew, the enemy side might have lost much of its strength during the first wave of attacks. Hence, perhaps they were closer to achieving victory in this place!


    With all this in mind, it wasn''t long before those many members of the Collins family began to battle the soldiers of the Black Plain Army.


    Boom!


    Vuup!


    "Ahhh!"


    ...


    Clang!


    "Ahhhh!"


    At the same time, where cries of pain and screams of various kinds could be heard throughout the area, Celeste found the remaining Spiritual Kings, the most troublesome enemies.


    In this second wave of attacks, five other Spiritual Kings were on the opposing side, who had powers between levels 52 and 55.


    But, despite the fact that the power of these people was even greater than that of the others she had killed, it was the fact that she already knew one of them that drew her attention.


    "Celeste?" The leader of that team, Page, level 55, asked as she looked in the direction of the only opponent with the level to get her attention.


    "You... Your name is Page. I remember you." Celeste said in surprise as she recognized the characteristics of that tall, muscular woman.


    These two were not friends or anything similar to that. But they had met during the attempted escape of Celeste and Ryan.


    They were trying to escape from the assassin hired by her husband at that time.


    Page had given Celeste some tips at that time, helping this woman to a certain degree. As such, that Lieutenant of Minos'' army, who was sleeping with her own son-in-law, couldn''t help but remember the person who was right in front of her.


    Anyway, after the two recognized each other in the middle of this battlefield, Page soon said. "I didn''t expect to find you in such a place... You even managed to increase your level in such a short time."


    "What is this place? What organization is behind this base?" She calmly asked while having an air of superiority in her manner.


    Page did not consider Celeste a threat. After all, this Lieutenant had just reached level 55, unlike this noblewoman from House Collins, who had been at that level for decades!


    So, Page was confident in being able to deal with Celeste alone...


    Celeste and those individuals on this base might have gone some way to deal with the previous group. Still, after arriving at this place and realizing that there were no other Spiritual Kings, this woman did not doubt that she would win this battle!


    "Page, one day you helped me... And as much as that help is not so great as to have saved my life, I am willing to give you a chance."


    "Oh?" Page said with a smile on her face.


    "Surrender now and accept the punishments for attacking this base!" Celeste said while having her two hands behind her back. "I can''t guarantee what will happen next, but you might have a chance to survive..."


    "What if I refuse?" Page continued to smile in mockery as she looked in the direction of that woman on the other side of the battlefield.


    "Well..." Celeste closed her eyes for a moment and then said at once. "If you refuse, then I''m afraid I''ll have to kill all of you!"

 Chapter 642: Naval Base Attack 7

    After Celeste said those words, all those five people on the opposite side of the battlefield were silent for a moment.


    Celeste''s words were a little hard to believe. After all, she couldn''t even be considered more substantial than one of those people in that group. But even if she was stronger than Page, that group didn''t only have this level 55 Spiritual King.


    There were four other individuals from that same cultivation stage!


    So, none of those people had believed Celeste''s words. On the contrary, for them, this woman was just trying to scare them so that she wouldn''t have to fight.


    And they couldn''t help but laugh...


    "Celeste, you look very confident, eh? You seem to have settled your previous fears and even become braver..." Page commented with a smile on her face as she closed her eyes and shook her head.


    She then looked at Celeste and gave an ultimatum. "Since you have cited such an alternative, I will give you the same chance. Surrender, and perhaps my family can let you live..."


    "Otherwise, we will kill every single person in this place... Including you!"


    After saying that, Page immediately took a fighting stance, while soon after, the four other people did the same.


    "Well, if you want to die, I have nothing more to say..." Celeste commented aloud, slowly moving her hands. "Since you once helped me, I will at least give you a painless death!"


    After speaking this, Celeste immediately activated two of her techniques as she began to run towards her targets.


    First, she used her movement technique to be able to get close enough to those enemies to the point that they would not be able to escape the range of her techniques.


    Celeste had easily managed to defeat the previous group of Spiritual Kings. Still, she knew that this one in front of her would not be so easy.


    Not that they were going to have the ability to survive something like that attack that had wiped out the four Spiritual Kings from before. But maybe one or the other would be able to defend themselves and retreat in time to survive such an attack.


    After all, each of those people was stronger than those four from before. So, to decrease the chances of these enemies escaping from her strongest attack, Celeste wanted to reduce the distance between her and her opponents.


    But after activating this movement technique of hers, she was already circulating her energy to launch her most potent attack on those people!


    She wanted to eliminate as many of those Spiritual Kings as possible at once. But, she also wanted to exterminate a large number of the enemy Spiritual Generals in the vicinity of that base.


    Hence, she was sparing no effort to exterminate that group!


    Stellar Destruction: Noonday Sun!


    After a few moments of running around that area and circulating her energies, the large red ball of energy that had appeared earlier on this battlefield again arose here.


    However, instead of putting only a third of her energy into this attack, Celeste had put in more than half of her spiritual power this time. She was intent on wiping out the enemy forces as much as possible!


    Sssss!


    And immediately, the ball of energy began to get bigger and bigger, passing three meters in radius, emitting a chilling sensation in every single person in the vicinity.


    Such a thing looked like a small red star, with flames in its surroundings, constantly emitting a large amount of heat.


    Upon seeing it and realizing how much power such a technique had, each of those Spiritual Kings stopped laughing while changing their expressions from tranquility to awe!


    The change had been so drastic that it was as if some of those people had lost all the blood from their bodies in just a split second while their skins turned extremely pale.


    "Oh, shit! I have to run away!" Then, without realizing it, a level 53 Spiritual King said, as he saw Celeste''s figure only 30 meters away from him.


    ''How is this possible?''


    ''How can she release so much power? That''s much stronger than my defenses can handle!'' One of the women in that group considered, not hesitating to change her plans. ''Damn it! Damn it! I have to run, or I''m dead!''


    "That can''t be true!" Then, finally, Page said something as she saw that ball of energy being hurled by Celeste in the direction where she and her companions were standing.


    It had all happened very fast. When these people realized Celeste''s danger, this woman was already very close to them. At the same time, her technique was already almost entirely ready, flying towards them!


    "Miserable! So, the blame for our previous defeat was on you!" Page shouted in fury as she activated her defense technique with everything she had while changing her position.


    She knew that the technique cast by her opponent was potent, and she would probably not escape the space influenced by such a thing. As such, she had not bothered to put much of her energy into her movement technique!


    After all, as much as deflecting or escaping the area of influence of any technique would be good, it would only have an effect if you could survive... And since she had no sign that she could do this in time, this woman had risked on her defenses.


    "Ahhh! Come on! Come on!" She shouted in fury as a sizeable black cocoon covered her body.


    Sss!


    "Shit! I have to run away! Why did I go to be so close to these monsters? I still have a lot to live for!"


    "Ahhh, help me! Help me! My leg is stuck!"


    And then, several Spiritual Generals who were in the vicinity of that place began to scream in panic, trying with all their might to get away from that place where the Spiritual Kings were.


    Ssss!


    KA-BOOM!


    However, the speed of Celeste''s Silver-grade techniques was far superior to any of those people''s techniques. Not only in terms of activation time but also the traverse speed.


    Therefore, the little red star finally reached its target, a few meters above the ground where those five people were previously.


    At that moment, a massive explosion made the land around that naval base shake considerably.


    That had been so intense that even the soldiers and enemies who were fighting hundreds of meters away from Celeste had momentarily lost their balance and fallen to the ground!


    At the same time, red flames spread about three hundred meters away from the focus of the explosion, causing hundreds of people to scream in despair as they were burned to death.


    Sssss!


    "Ahhhhhhhh!"


    "Ahhhhhhhhhh!"


    However, as much as these flames were ferocious and deadly, that was not the worst of it. The most destructive part of this technique was the effect generated by the explosion of that energy ball''s core, which caused a dense wave of energy in addition to the flames, capable of disintegrating matter!


    And due to this factor, of those five Spiritual Kings, three of them were utterly erased from existence in just a short fraction of a second, leaving not even a cry of pain behind.


    On the other hand, the level 54 Spiritual King died instantly upon being hit by such a wave of energy, leaving only a corpse behind, which began to catch fire in the next moment.


    "AHHHHH!"


    Crack!


    "AHHHHHHHHHH!"


    A sharp scream of pain spread through that area, where at the moment only ashes could be seen within three hundred meters of the focus of the explosion!


    "You managed to survive that, huh?" Celeste said in shock, seeing that Page had survived, despite the heavy damage her body had sustained.


    After using all her energy to defend herself, she had managed to support the worst part of Celeste''s technique. And since she was the strongest in that group, when her enemy''s powerful technique was losing power with each person it eliminated, Page had managed to survive!


    However, after her defensive cocoon exploded into thousands of pieces and her armor was burned until it disappeared, she had suffered from the powerful flames of that attack.


    So, at the moment, she was screaming in pain, feeling burns on various parts of her body.


    ''Well, getting a hostage isn''t bad either...'' Celeste assumed, just before putting out the life-threatening flames of that woman.


    "Let''s end this!"

 Chapter 643: Terrible Losses for Some, Harvest for Others!

    After about two hours since the beginning of the Collins family group''s attacks against the Black Plain Army naval base, the last enemy was eliminated.


    Consequently, the forces commanded by Celeste had won this great battle, eliminating 3,800 enemies!


    Because of such numbers, the dead ground around that base had been stained with blood. At the same time, several corpses were distributed around that area. Some were practically whole, with only cuts and small holes.


    However, several others were mutilated while the ashes of burnt bodies filled the air of that place as if brown snow was falling.


    "Sigh..."


    "I didn''t think we were going to face such a big threat so soon..." A low-level soldier said this to one of his comrades as their group cleared part of the battlefield.


    Blood and human bodies could attract some beasts. Because of this, these people had to quickly clean up this place, gathering all the bodies and cremating them.


    And since the soldiers who had fought earlier had to rest or receive treatment as soon as possible, this job had been left to those who had stayed inside the base during the confrontation.


    "True... But the most unexpected thing is that an organization from outside the Brown Kingdom attacked us." Another person commented as he lowered the mask covering his nose and mouth.


    He coughed a few times and spat on the ground as his face contorted. "Cough! Cough! That smell is quite bad..."


    "Haha, the smell of the battlefield is not pleasant at all, Earl... But you''ll get used to it."


    "Humph, you talk like you''re an expert..."


    "Well, I never killed anyone, but I helped clear the battlefield around Dry City once..."


    And then, the group continued to talk. At the same time, they and several other low-ranking soldiers in this place gathered up the enemy bodies and cremated them.


    ...


    While the cleanup of the surroundings of that base was being taken care of, those Sergeants who had participated in the previous battle were already inside this post, resting and receiving medical treatment.


    Each of the Black Plain Army''s posts already had at least one grade-2 doctor, so that in situations like this, the soldiers could receive help as soon as possible. As such, those who could survive with medical treatment were already in the infirmary of this base, under doctor''s care.


    As for the more severe cases that might need more specialized help, well, those individuals would be sent to Dry City as soon as possible.


    By the time this base had been attacked, alarms had been ringing at the army headquarters and the closest place to this post, the branch of Maritime City. Because of this, it was only a matter of time before reinforcements would arrive here, both to replace the wounded and dead individuals and to help transport people to Dry City.


    Anyway, in the infirmary, where many people were lying on stretchers along the corridors, Celeste was making her way towards the central part of this place.


    As she walked there, she could hear the cries of pain from many different soldiers. At the same time, the grade-1 doctors were doing primary care on those soldiers waiting for help from the low-level grade-2 doctor of this place.


    While her surroundings looked chaotic, with many individuals with internal parts of their bodies on display, it didn''t take this woman long to reach the central part of that infirmary.


    "Doctor Talia, how is the situation of those soldiers? Will they survive?" Celeste asked the leading doctor of this place, right after stopping next to where this doctor was attending to a soldier who had lost a hand.


    Upon hearing this, Talia continued the medical procedure, stanching that man''s wound and cleaning the cut. "Well, none of these wounded soldiers had their cultivation affected... So, in the long run, they will be fine."


    "But some have lost parts of their bodies and will have a decrease in their fighting proficiencies in the short interval of time." She said calmly, as drops of sweat dripped down her forehead.


    All the wounded soldiers had at least already received an evaluation from this doctor''s team. Because of this, she knew which were the worst cases, the casualty numbers, and the problems the army would have because of this previous battle.


    "But since our base had a powerful group before this attack, only 52 soldiers died, and 108 were more seriously injured to the point that they lost parts of their bodies."


    "Of those 108, 9 of them need to go to Dry City to receive treatment from doctor Dillian. As for the rest, they will fully recover after undergoing low-level medical treatment and a few days of rest."


    "I see... Well, thank you for the information." Celeste said in a low voice as she let out a long sigh.


    These numbers weren''t alarming, considering that the enemy side had many times more people than her group. But while the numbers weren''t high, each of those deaths cost to the Black Plain far more than to the Collins family!


    So, Celeste couldn''t help but feel bad for all the losses the group commanded by her had taken today.


    ''There''s nothing to do...''


    ''The enemy side was fierce, and even though I eliminated hundreds of them, they were still numerous enough to diminish our forces...''


    ''And we still gained a new enemy...''


    ''What a great day!'' She thought about it sarcastically before finally saying goodbye to that doctor. "Well, I won''t be in your way anymore. Take good care of those soldiers. It won''t be long before someone comes to help you."


    "All right."


    After that, Celeste started walking towards the exit of that infirmary while a Sergeant was following her closely.


    "Lieutenant Celeste, we already have the counts regarding that battle." That Sergeant commented, just after receiving a clipboard from a young soldier.


    "Oh?"


    "Other than those 52 deaths, we have already confirmed the presence of all the remaining soldiers on the base. As for the enemy side, 3,799 deaths have been confirmed."


    "Of those enemies, all of them had at least one spatial ring. On such items, we have collected 9.1 million low-grade crystals, 2,300 medium-grade crystals, 15,000 copies of Blue-grade techniques, and 35 of Black-grade techniques."


    "Other than that, we have the following counts for artifacts..." He then said each of the numbers as he and Celeste walked toward this woman''s office.


    There were about 41,000 resources of different types, pills, arrays, weapons, etc. They ranged from high-level grade-1 to medium-level grade-2 items!


    But this abundance was not strange. After all, there were 10 Spiritual Kings in that group, people who had many years of accumulating wealth...


    Therefore, the Black Plain Army had collected many items for the soldiers of this organization to use.


    But these material resources were not the only things that drew attention among these collected things. In those many spatial rings, there were countless letters received and written by those people. These documents could contain all kinds of information concerning the Collins family.


    And since from one hour to the next, this noble house had become an enemy of the Black Plain, well, it would be necessary for Minos'' organization to know more about them!


    The Sergeant from before then said, before finishing reading the report. "Finally, we managed to take those 19 warships that the enemy group used to attack us!"


    "Oh? That''s a good thing. Our army doesn''t have a navy yet, and such warships will be able to help us build a naval defense over the Black Plain coast!" Celeste said in satisfaction.


    Ships were essential for transporting resources and also for defending territories. But for various reasons, they were not priorities for the Black Plain so far. So, the army didn''t have any ships until now.


    However, since the Collins family had sent those 19 ships, Celeste did not intend to waste them!


    "Well, let''s start the base repairs, and then we''ll see exactly how we can use these warships..."


    ...


    While the naval base attempted to reestablish normalcy, many pale faces could be seen on the last Collins family warship, tens of kilometers away from that base...

 Chapter 644: Back to Dry City

    After being redirected to the position of the Nash family''s cargo ship, this last group of the Collins family had fought a battle against such an opponent!


    That battle had been challenging for both sides since while the Nash family side had a Spiritual King on board, the Collins'' side had cannons capable of destroying that ship...


    Because of these factors, a great battle on the seas had occurred, with both sides losing badly. In particular, the losing side, that of the Nash family, had succumbed and had their ship sunken by the opponent''s large cannons.


    It was complicated to fight without a ship in the middle of the sea when none of those people could fly or had flying spiritual beasts around...


    Consequently, the crew members of that ship, well, most of them were not high-level warriors and ended up dying due to enemy attacks.


    However, those above level 40 fought against the enemy side, with some even managing to storm that warship!


    Among them was the Spiritual King who was protecting that Nash family ship.


    Such a person had fought bravely and caused a lot of trouble to the Collins warship, having killed a few dozen people. But at the end of the day, he was only one, while the opponents were about 200 guards above level 45.


    Therefore, he had died before he could exterminate his opponents...


    As a result of this naval battle, less than 50 people from the Collins family''s warship had survived. In contrast, all the Nash family guards had disappeared in this northernmost part of the Central Continent West Sea.


    But even if they had survived, this Collins family group was not doing well at all.


    First, several people were wounded there, making them highly vulnerable to any pirate group that got in their way. And secondly, there were several malfunctions on that warship. Problems that could delay any trip they were going to make, preventing them from counter-attacking any enemy that might come their way, and so on.


    To make matters worse, after they finished those enemies of the Nash family and were heading towards the Black Plain coast, they found out about the results of the attempted invasion of that base.


    ...


    "Hah... Neil, what do we do now? Our attack failed..." One of the survivors of that warship slowly said this while breathing hurriedly, still very tired.


    Such a person was one of the few level 49 Spiritual Generals who had survived the attacks of that Nash Spiritual King. So, he and his traveling companion, Neil, were one of the few who could decide anything here.


    As for why they knew about the failure of Page''s group, well, it was because they had received a warning from the woman a few moments after they had eliminated that Spiritual King.


    In that notice, Page had warned them that the opponents were much more potent than they had expected, and probably half of their forces had been annihilated. She had also passed on the message that she would attack that place along with the rest of the guards who had stayed behind with her.


    But since at this point they still had not received any communication back from that woman, they had assumed the worst...


    The enemies on that base had destroyed Page''s team!


    But of course, maybe they were wrong to assume such a thing, right?


    Well, some of the people on that warship had insisted on investigating this further. So, because of that, they had gotten close enough to that base to be able to see that place from a safe distance.


    And just at this present moment, they were looking at the fleet of 19 warships that had come with them earlier. However, now they were being controlled by people wearing a different uniform than theirs...


    They had assumed correctly!


    Anyway, after hearing his group mate''s question, Neil sighed for a moment and then said firmly. "The rest of the group is either dead or has been taken as hostages. In that case, we have nothing to do here..."


    "Let''s go back to the family headquarters!"


    "But..."


    "No more!"


    "Even our warship can''t guarantee that we will survive the return trip, so you can forget about us doing anything in that place!" He commented as he pointed in the direction of those 19 warships. "Observe that..."


    "The enemy side seems to have hundreds of people even after Ms. Page''s group attacked them with everything!"


    "That means we won''t stand a chance here. So, the best we can do is to return to the family to report what happened."


    "But we don''t know anything about the opponents..."


    "Of course we do!"


    "They are strong enough to massacre our group!"


    After those words were said, it wasn''t long before that place went silent, and slowly that warship changed course, now heading north.


    "Sigh..."


    ''I hope we don''t run into any pirates on the way back.''


    ...


    Meanwhile, in Dry City...


    By now, Minos and Mendy had already gone to the City of Waters, where he had signed Soul Contracts with her father and the supreme elder of the Stokes family.


    That had happened very smoothly since the spiritual judge responsible for this was already there, and everyone involved had already agreed on the contract terms.


    So, everything had happened quickly, and in less than a day, the young Stuart and the two elders had finished their businesses.


    Following that, the two individuals who would have the opportunity to learn from Minos'' army remained in the City of Waters in order to accompany this young man to his city.


    As for those most substantial seniors of the Stokes family, they headed back to this organization''s headquarters, a place they could not be away from for long.


    And of those two people, one was obviously Mendy, who had negotiated with Minos and had priority because of this. But, on the other hand, she was also just a level 50 cultivator who wouldn''t be missed that much by her family in the short term.


    Hence, she quickly took one of those first two vacancies that her family was eligible for with that agreement to learn with the army for the next six years while living in Dry City.


    But before Minos and these two people went to Dry City, he had spent some time in the City of Waters to understand the situation there and check Eda''s progress.


    And he had not been disappointed.


    After several months of living in the City of Waters, Abby''s former bodyguard had reached level 52!


    Eda had Silver-grade technique like all soldiers who were allowed to enter the Spatial Kingdom. And since she was not so old when she reached the 6th stage, this woman still had a good cultivation speed.


    For that, Minos hadn''t been so surprised after seeing her again.


    But despite this, he had been very pleased with this woman''s progress. He had even helped Eda in a training session by sparring with her and pointing out various ways for her to improve.


    Other than that, before leaving for Dry City, he had promised Eda that it wouldn''t be long before someone would replace her in this army post.


    So, she would have the opportunity to enjoy the unique effects of receiving Regina''s poison treatment and also train for some time in the Spatial Kingdom before returning to work at an outside post.


    Finally, with everything settled in the City of Waters, this young man had returned to Dry City alongside the two descendants of the Stokes family.


    But after arriving in this city, one day after his trip to the town that was being protected by Eda, something out of the ordinary had happened, alerting the entire headquarters...


    The attack on the naval base!

 Chapter 645: How to Influence Minds and Hearts

    Hours after the attack on the Black Plain Army naval base had ended, the news of such a thing had already reached this organization''s headquarters.


    At first, as soon as that situation had begun, emergency alarms had gone off at headquarters, indicating some trouble at the army naval base.


    However, as much as the soldiers in a commanding position at headquarters understood that there was something wrong at that base, they could not tell what the problem was just from that warning.


    There were no communication arrays powerful enough for people so far away from each other to talk through such an item. At least that was the truth for the Black Plain and the rest of the northern Central Continent, where there were no grade-3 array masters or above...


    Because of this regional poverty, there was no way for the soldiers from headquarters and that naval base to talk after that audible warning went off at army headquarters.


    The only way was through the crows!


    But after the army dispatched a group of reinforcements to that base, which would investigate and solve the problems there, a few hours later, a crow sent by Celeste had arrived in Dry City.


    Because of this, Minos was now in his office, even though it was now the middle of the night on the Black Plain, and he was still in his pajamas...


    Anyway, in that place, Dillian was by the side of the local sovereign, while two administrative soldiers who were standing by on the night shift were there informing Minos what had happened.


    "... And that is what happened, young master." Then, one of them finished reporting the information sent by Celeste.


    "So, the Collins family of the Kingdom of the Waves attacked us..." Dillian repeated what he had just heard from that soldier, trying to understand the reason for such a thing.


    He knew about almost all the army''s actions. Still, this doctor had no idea why an organization from that kingdom had attacked the local army base.


    Minos and his organization had never had any relationship with the Collins family... So, what was the reason for such an attack?


    That was truly strange!


    After all, such an action could be compared to someone introducing himself to another person while punching the other side in the middle of the face...


    And with such an introduction, there was no chance of a good relationship developing between these two parties.


    ''I wonder what the reason of these individuals is? Could it be that the young master was mistaken, and they attacked our base for that? Or maybe this is related to that heir of the Kingdom of the Waves?'' Dillian reflected as he scratched his mustache and looked at the ground.


    Minos then commented. "For now, let''s wait for the interrogation of this woman that Celeste captured to understand the motives behind this attack..."


    Page was not doing well at all after the fight against Celeste.  So, Celeste had not had the opportunity to interrogate that woman and send more detailed information to headquarters.


    Therefore, this group would still have to wait more time to understand the motivation for such gratuitous violence.


    "It seems that my fight against the powers related to Charles Walker is inevitable... And they still attacked me first!"


    "Maybe they have some information about me?"


    Minos knew of Charles'' origin and that his mother was a noble of the Collins family.


    Because of this, the young Stuart understood perfectly well that such a noble organization would probably get involved in a fight against him sooner or later.


    He just didn''t expect that it would be the other side that would make the first attack...


    "I believe not, young master. Otherwise, they would have come directly to Dry City." So, Dillian expressed right after hearing Minos'' inquiry. "But that doesn''t exclude the possibility that the heir of that kingdom is related to this situation."


    "Hmm, true."


    ''Well, as soon as I have some free time, I will go to the Kingdom of the Waves to kill this problem.'' He considered as he scratched his brown hair. ''It''s just a pity that in the next months, I probably won''t have time for that.''


    ''The war against the Brown Kingdom should start in less than three months, and after that happens, I probably won''t have peace until I reach level 51.''


    ''But after that happens, my strength will probably reach the minimum necessary for me to have the freedom to deal with this nuisance!'' He calmly planned as he analyzed the possible situations.


    However, Minos soon put aside these more distant matters and turned his attention to the problem closer to him. "It''s a disgrace that we lost some of our soldiers in this incident... But at least we managed to win and greatly diminish the enemy''s power."


    "As such, let''s award the families of the dead soldiers and build a monument to honor the ones who died in that event and who will in the future fall while protecting the Black Plain."


    "We need to make the local population remember the sacrifice of these warriors and also their families..."


    "At a time as troubled as this one, we need to unite the minds and hearts of Dry City for the sake of our independence!" He said, looking at those two soldiers and then at Dillian.


    Hearing this, this doctor nodded in agreement. "That is indeed a good idea, young master. When should we do this?"


    "We will make a small monument in no more than three months. And when the war is over, we will make something even more magnificent..."


    "OK."


    Minos then looked at those two soldiers and said. "Start making arrangements for us to send some replacements to that naval base."


    "On the other hand, I want a group of builders to be directed to that base early tomorrow morning to fix the structural problems caused by such an incident."


    "OK, young master."


    He then looked at Dillian and said. "And aks the Miller family to send us a medium-level grade-2 defensive array. We can''t leave that base vulnerable."


    "If not for such defenses, this attack by the Collins family could have resulted in a massacre!"


    Indeed, Minos was not talking nonsense.


    The outcome of that confrontation had only been so favorable for this young man''s army because his soldiers had the geographical advantage in that fight.


    They had not suffered from the cannons of the enemy warships, which could easily have killed hundreds of the soldiers of that post. They also had not been so exposed to their opponents since few of those cannons had destroyed the walls there.


    Because of that barrier, Minos'' forces were intact at the beginning of the fight.


    There were almost no problems around that base when the barrier was finally destroyed!


    Consequently, the soldiers at that post had not had to fight so head-to-head with the numerous opponents, who had been forced to expose themselves to the tactics of the group commanded by Celeste.


    For all that, Minos would not risk leaving that place without such adequate protection!


    "I will do that as soon as the day dawns, young master." Dillian replied without much delay.


    "Good!"


    "By the way, Todd is still in Dry City even though he and I have already reached an alliance agreement... So, talk to him about asking the Cohen family to start spying on the Collins family."


    "Fine."


    After that, that group talked for a few more moments before each of those people went their separate ways.


    Those two soldiers still had to continue working until dawn. At the same time, Dillian normally trained his medical skills on this part of the daytime.


    As for Minos, he had already cultivated and had fun with his girlfriends earlier. So, at the moment, the only thing he wanted was to sleep for a few hours so that he could start a new day full of energy when the skies cleared up.


    "Hmm, in the future, I will have to have at least one of the army Spiritual King in Dry City while I am away in the Spatial Kingdom..." He muttered as he yawned and made his way back to his room.


    After that, it didn''t take long for him to lie down in the middle of two beautiful women and sleep for the next few hours before dawn.

 Chapter 646: The Confrontation on Stone Island

    A day passed...


    Meanwhile, many things had happened on Stone Island during the attack against the Black Plain Army base by the Collins family forces.


    In those hours that had passed since the beginning of that attack, the Allen family and their allies had attacked the Nash family in an attempt to break Elen''s operations and the force behind that base all at once!


    Hence, a major battle had taken place on Stone Island, in the capital of this state, and several other cities.


    And in those battles, the Allen family and their external and internal allies had demonstrated great power, eliminating many members of their enemy organizations.


    Such a thing had been so shocking that almost 20% of the Stone Island Spiritual Kings had died in this great confrontation, with more than half of those numbers representing Elen''s allies!


    However, even though Elen''s alliance had lost this great confrontation, the war was not over!


    During this incident, for the first two hours, the alliance formed by the Allen family had put a lot of pressure on the Elen''s side, that such a battle seemed to be one-sided.


    However, after two hours of confrontation, all of a sudden, all the Spiritual Kings from the Farmland region had abandoned the House Allen group...


    Because of this, instead of being massacred, the Nash family''s allied group had persevered and survived, even taking out many of the Allen family''s forces!


    But by the end of the battle, Elen''s side was definitely at a disadvantage. Although they had driven back their enemies, they had lost!


    ...


    "Shit! Shit! Shit!"


    "How could this have happened? Was the group sent by the Collins family really annihilated?" Duncan Allen asked in a disturbed manner as he used one of his hands to press a wound on his right chest.


    After they had retreated from the battlefield, the leaders of this organization had discovered why their precious allies had fled in the middle of the fighting...


    The attack on that base had failed, and that group, which had 10 Spiritual Kings, commanded by someone of level 55, a respected expert in this region, had been wiped out by the enemies on that base!


    Farmland noble families had been tasked with guarding that location, and the members of those organizations who had come to Stone Island to assist the Allen family were the first to learn about it.


    So, when they found out that the power of the organization behind that base was much more compelling than they thought, the Farmland Spiritual Kings didn''t hesitate to leave the Allen family''s ''boat.''


    The organization behind that base could send someone as strong as a Spiritual King at the end of the 6th stage of cultivation to watch over a place so remote and poor in spiritual energy...


    What did this mean?


    These people coming from Farmland couldn''t be sure. Still, they had only imagined that such an organization might have enough power to exterminate all families of that farming region of the Cromwell Kingdom.


    Therefore, they had decided to stay away from this confrontation between the Allen family and House Nash!


    But although those people had found this out before the leaders of the Allen family, this organization didn''t take long to get the same information.


    Such a thing had taken longer to happen because they had greatly diminished their presence in the Central Continent in recent years due to the war against the Nash family. So, with fewer people to watch and pass this information on ahead, Duncan had only discovered this at the present moment.


    Earlier, he had been furious that his allies had abandoned him in the middle of the confrontation, something that had resulted in several losses for his family. But it was undeniable that there was some joy in this man, as the Allen family had managed to strike a decisive blow to their opponents!


    That''s because even if the allies coming from the Cromwell Kingdom had left, the Allen family had already won the minimum to start pressuring the Nash family on their own.


    But while Duncan Allen had hoped to resolve this war more quickly, this news had come to him, causing this man to almost lose consciousness due to the shock...


    Anyway, upon hearing the patriarch''s question, Rolf, the supreme elder, who had lost a hand during the previous confrontation, had a dark countenance on his face. "It seems we have completely erred in our strategy..."


    "The power behind that place is too strong for us to fight against." He said in disgust, feeling a great sense of humiliation.


    Previously they no longer wanted to risk going against the power of that base in fear of what might happen. After all, if they continually caused trouble, the other side might decide to march toward Stone Island and deal with them once and for all.


    But they had the hope that a great noble family, such as the case of House Collins, the third strongest organization in the Kingdom of the Waves, could destroy that place at least temporarily.


    By doing so, they hoped to eliminate the Nash family, resolve the war they were involved in, and, who knows, maybe take the position of Elen''s family.


    The organization behind that base could support Elen Nash, but if this woman and her entire family disappeared, would the other side seek revenge?


    It was unusual for such a thing to happen in the Spiritual World unless there was some kind of deep feeling from one party towards the other. Otherwise, an ally would only fight for the other side if a Soul Contract existed.


    In other words, if important allied people were still alive.


    Otherwise, it would not be worth fighting and losing part of one''s strength just to avenge a dead ally.


    Because of that, the leaders of the Allen family had hoped to solve all these problems based on this common sense.


    But unfortunately for them, when they were crushing the Nash family alliance, everything had changed for them...


    "What are we going to do from now on?" Another elder of the Allen family who was with those two asked this in an exhausted tone.


    The supreme elder then suggested. "I think we should get as far away from that naval base as possible, and we must try to take the chance to continue weakening the Nash family."


    "The damage has already been done, and there is no sense in surrendering!"


    "In that case, the only thing we can do is try to take advantage of the damage we''ve already done to the Nash''s alliance."


    Upon hearing that, the patriarch Duncan was quick to agree. "Indeed. If we hold back, we would just be killed easily by our enemies!"


    "But that is not in our profile!"


    "If we must perish, we will do so on our feet, fighting our enemies!"


    "And since we''re probably going to the underworld, we can at least bring those Nash family bastards with us!" He furiously said as he felt his head burning from his hatred for the organization behind that base.


    Duncan, a powerful level 58 cultivator, had never been humiliated so many times in a row because of the same organization. Because of that, he was burning with hatred.


    He just wouldn''t leave his place to cause havoc in that base right now because what little rationality he had right now was enough to prevent him from doing so...


    ''Miserables! You''ve done great this time, but I''ll take that little whore and her family down!''


    ...


    Meanwhile, Elena and Elen were at the Nash family estate in Old Stone, saying goodbye to each other.


    The two had participated in the previous battle. Still, both had only had superficial injuries, although their side was the loser in that confrontation.


    However, even though Elen''s alliance had suffered a mighty blow, her young friend Elena had to return to the Black Plain. And as much as she needed the help of this Black Plain Army Lieutenant, the same was true for Minos'' forces...


    Consequently, Elena couldn''t stay here much longer.


    "Well, it''s a shame that uncle Richard lost an arm in that battle. But as long as you hold out for another year, I believe Minos will be able to settle this war." Elena said in a low voice as she hugged Elen.


    "Tell him that Minos will probably be able to help him in the future to get that arm back..." She said vaguely.


    "Do you think so?"


    "Hmm, believe me, Dillian will one day become a grade-3 doctor. When that happens, he''ll probably be able to regenerate lost parts of his patients'' bodies."


    "Hmm, I hope so..."


    After saying that, the two separated and looked at each other for a moment.


    Elena then said. "Well, see you in a few months..."


    "See you!"

 Chapter 647: Alinas Function

    A few days later...


    At the Black Plain Army headquarters, there was a large room in one of the buildings in the administrative sector where many items were stored.


    However, unlike what any soldier passing through the Reward''s Hall would find, in this other place, the items were all defective and therefore not suitable to be distributed or sold among the members of this organization.


    There were two types of artifacts available to the soldiers in the army. One was those simple weapons that could be used in training or by lower-ranking soldiers. These items were loaned to the soldiers.


    The other type was the artifacts sold to the soldiers through merit points in the organization''s Reward''s hall.


    However, the day would always come when repairing one of these loaned or sold items would not be worth it. Therefore, weapons and all sorts of artifacts would lose their usefulness, ending up in places like the one in question.


    But besides the soldiers'' weapons in bad condition, there were also items collected from all over Dry City in that room!


    In fact, after months of discovering the usefulness of Alina''s innate ability, Minos'' army was constantly buying up damaged artifacts, especially those produced by blacksmiths, which could be recycled.


    With such a scheme, the local citizens could sell their defective weapons, which would be too expensive to repair, and receive crystals that could help them buy or rent new items.


    On the other hand, these weapons, shields, items produced by blacksmiths would be sent here and wait for the moment when Alina would disintegrate them.


    Such a thing was not immediate since there were items of different ranks and a higher demand for higher quality items.


    Consequently, Alina would usually use her innate ability first on those higher-ranked items within her capabilities, leaving the others for a second moment.


    And right now, the items that this Sergeant could disintegrate were those of high-level grade-1 classification.


    Thus, those artifacts below this rank, the majority of the items in that location, and those of higher level, the minority, had to be put away until she had the time or conditions to disintegrate them.


    But occasionally, she would finish doing that with the high-level grade-1 ones and start working on the lower-ranked ones. After all, the weaker soldiers also needed quality items to train and do other services.


    And sooner or later, she would get stronger and would finally be able to handle those grade-2 items, which at the moment, she could not work with.


    In any case, every time she disintegrated those items, the army would get resources to develop new artifacts, which could be one lever above the recycled item!


    So, the sector run by the army blacksmiths was in constant operation, with no shortages of resources, producing decent amounts of weapons and defensive items weekly.


    And because of this, the quality of the items sold in the Reward''s Hall had been increasing since the arrival of this young woman!


    ...


    While the army''s Reward''s Hall had lines going out the door, Alina was walking towards her workplace, next to the sector run by the army blacksmiths.


    She obviously didn''t work in that storage room. After all, that place already had its purpose. Besides, since her function was directly related to the smith art, she had no reason to work elsewhere.


    Hence, she once again was arriving at her work station, near where the resources of that sector were located.


    "Sergeant Alina, I''m afraid you''ll have to work hard in the coming weeks, haha." So, one of the blacksmiths of that place said, right after seeing that woman entering that area.


    Such an individual was a high-level grade-1 blacksmith, who usually helped Sergeant Alina in her activities here.


    She was already doing the incredible service of disintegrating the artifacts. So, other people delivered the items to be disintegrated, cleaned the area, stored the recycled resources, etc.


    And since there was no one better to recognize the resources used in forge than blacksmiths, the people helping her were precisely the soldiers who had decided to follow this specialization!


    Anyway, hearing that soldier''s joking tone, Alina frowned and asked. "Has something changed?"


    "Yes, two things have changed." He then began to explain. "First, since you already have your foundation consolidated, the army has changed the people who will work with you from now on..."


    He then pointed to an old low-level grade-2 blacksmith. "See there. Now he will be the leader of your division, who will work with you when you go to disintegrate high-level grade-1 items."


    Upon hearing this, Alina immediately looked in the direction of that blacksmith and understood what was going on. ''Well, it''s normal for someone more skilled to participate in the process. After all, dealing with better materials requires superior knowledge and power.''


    "And what''s the second thing? Why did you say I will have to work hard in the next few days?"


    "The second thing is the main thing, hehehe."


    "The items collected around the naval base have just arrived at headquarters, and those of high-level grade-1 classification, have already been sent here..."


    "And adding with those that already existed in our storage, over 6,000 items at that level are available to you..." He said with a smile as he tapped her shoulder. "Work hard. The army is counting on you."


    "6,000?" She repeated in a low voice as she understood the situation. ''That will truly give me a lot of work for quite a while...''


    ''But I have to deal with it as soon as possible, since only then will I be able to help the army become even stronger!''


    ''How amazing would it be if all our combat Sergeants could use low-level grade-2 items?'' As she motivated herself for such a task, she wondered, already excited about the future.


    Each time she disintegrated an item at the limit of her powers, Alina needed to use a considerable amount of her energy. As a result, it was not easy for her to deal with so many items in a short time.


    But despite the difficulty this would pose for her, this woman was not too bothered by the fact that she would have to deal with a more significant amount of work for the next weeks or months.


    That was because she was very grateful to the army. This organization had made it possible for her to reach level 40 so quickly and helped her raise her family''s quality of life.


    On the other hand, she was a native of Dry City, one of the people who had seen all the transformation of this place since the arrival of Minos. Along with this background, those opportunities made her a much more committed person to this city and the local army.


    So, she really couldn''t wait to help the army get these resources, which at the moment was only a few steps away from her.


    And with a mix of positive feelings in her being, it wasn''t long before Alina put those assumptions aside and headed towards her destination.


    "Sergeant Alina, good morning. My name is Magnus, and from today on, we will be working together."


    "Good morning, Sergeant Magnus..." And soon, she and that blacksmith began the first disintegration of the day.


    ...


    While Alina struggled to help young Stuart''s army get more resources, this young man was at his residence with his two girlfriends.


    The three had already had their traditional breakfast and, at this moment, they were heading towards their respective goals.


    Minos was leaving to go to his office while the two women headed towards the local army headquarters.


    As they parted, it didn''t take long for the two women to start talking as they walked through the already busy streets of this central part of Dry City.


    "Ruth, did my mother talk to you?" Abby asked in a low voice, without looking at that woman''s face, feeling a little embarrassed.


    The black-haired woman nodded in agreement upon hearing such a thing while a slight redness spread across her beautiful face. "Hmm, she called me to talk yesterday afternoon..."

 Chapter 648: Womens Agreement and a Future Alliance

    Upon hearing Ruth''s brief response, Abby was quickly asked. "So?"


    "She told me that she had already talked to you about Minos and wanted to talk to me about the same..."


    "Uh, she said we should act together to limit Minos'' womanizing side." Ruth said as she remembered that Nicole had advised her on some issues yesterday.


    Nicole was worried about her daughter''s future. For that reason, she didn''t want Abby to have to share Minos'' attention with even more women besides Ruth, with whom young Stuart had already begun a deeper relationship.


    To help her daughter, she had taught Abby a few tricks, things to keep young Stuart''s attention, and ways to make him less interested in other women. And since Ruth was essential to making this work, Nicole had talked about the same things with this black-haired woman.


    "What do you think about that?"


    Ruth then scratched her eyebrows and said confidently. "Well, I don''t know if your mother''s methods are as good as she says they are, but she''s not wrong in wanting to help us with this."


    "Minos has always been libertine in his relationships, and now with so many attractive women in this city, he''s been having fun with an increasing number of women..." She then paused for a moment and said. "I don''t mind him just having fun with these women, but how long will it be before he decides he wants to have a third girlfriend?"


    "If we do nothing, we may have to share him in our bed with more people!"


    "Hmm, that''s what I was thinking..."


    "But what will we do?" Abby asked uncertainly.


    "Maybe we should give him what he wants..."


    From then on, the two continued to talk about this intimate subject of the two until they finally reached army headquarters.


    That was a critical conversation for the two since they both loved young Stuart.


    They were capable of allowing Minos to have sex with other women or even add others to his harem since if he were happy, they would be too. But they also had their own selfishness and didn''t want to share his attention with more people.


    And one thing did not go against the other. They both could accept other people into the relationship, but neither would facilitate new additions!


    So, they were both ready to take up more of this young man''s free time, satisfying his profane desires and keeping him busy...


    And they chatted about it until the two set off on their ways towards their respective responsibilities.


    ''Ah, Minos, what I am not willing to do for you...'' Abby thought to herself as she thought about the things she had arranged with Ruth.


    She would not believe that she had agreed to such things in the past, especially after that tense encounter she and Ruth had had as soon as this woman had arrived in Dry City.


    But now, things had changed!


    ...


    Sometime after the two girlfriends of young Stuart reached the headquarters, this ruler was now at one of the exits of Dry City.


    Minos was there along with nine of the ten Feathered Serpents that had come to Dry City before. The only one not there was the one who had left with Lee''s group earlier, traveling to the Snow Kingdom.


    Anyway, after several conversations between him and the two serpents responsible for this group, they had reached an agreement that was likely to be accepted by the rest of the elders of their tribe.


    This agreement concerned the Black Plains'' relationship with the tribe of Feathered Serpents led by Virtus in the short, medium, and long term.


    In the long term, that tribe would be part of that young man''s territory and would have all the rights that any vassal noble family could have in the state of their king. They would have the right to rule the land they were on. They would have the protection against outside forces, the right to access the other regions of that state at lower rates, and various other advantages typical of the native powers of a state.


    In the medium term, this tribe would have a role as an ally of the Black Plains. It would become a supporter for the young Stuart''s state within the beast world, doing the advertisement and helping this young man gain a different kind of citizen for his state.


    In addition, of course, they would help maintain order and fight against enemy forces passing through the Flooded Valley territory.


    As for the short term, this was by far the most important to the Black Plain in this agreement. It established that such a tribe would send some groups to Dry City and participate in whatever conflict there was in the future.


    They would send some young Feathered Serpents, like the four individuals who were going to be staying here right now, to help with the development of the city. But there would be stronger individuals coming here as well, beings that could fight when the time came.


    But they were not very numerous. That number would not reach 400 individuals, even considering the weaker ones.


    In any case, these short-term actions were not only beneficial for Minos'' forces. After all, having the chance to integrate into local development was no small opportunity.  On the contrary, it would be perfect for those serpents that came here in the first instance!


    And, of course, it was also a way for them to lay the foundations of the relationship they would have in the future with the Black Plain.


    Nevertheless, as Minos stood there on that spot, with his back to the north gate of the local wall, four smaller serpents stood side by side with him. In contrast, the other five were facing him, creating an ample shade at that location.


    "Well, young Minos, that is all. We will talk to Virtus, and you will soon have our contact." Lack said as his large tongue wagged in his mouth, and his scales shone with the light rays hitting it.


    "Hmm, but be careful. Soon this region may become... Well, let''s say, much more active." Minos warned them, recalling that his territory was experiencing a decisive moment.


    "Haha, be sure, we won''t forget that detail."


    After that, Gaia looked in the direction of those four juniors from her tribe and said. "You four, we have already prepared a minimally suitable place for you to live here in young Minos'' city."


    "Then I don''t want to hear about you slacking off to work!"


    "Help the local forces as much as possible, and when you have time to spare, work on the local reservation so that more of your tribe brothers can come here in the future."


    "Do you understand me?" She asked briskly.


    "Yes, elder!" All four serpents simultaneously said as they used their beast language to communicate.


    "All right, you can go back now."


    After that was said, those four young serpents went towards the inside of that dome, leaving behind Minos and those other serpents.


    "Well, young Minos, that''s all for now. I hope you won''t have as much trouble for the moment, but we will do our best to help you in the future." Lack commented as he said goodbye to young Stuart.


    "Hmm, thank you. I hope to see you again soon..."


    After that, it didn''t take long for those five Feathered Serpents to leave that spot beside the north exit of the local wall and head towards the Flooded Valley.


    As for Minos, he too had his affairs to attend to, and it didn''t take long for him to return to that mansion, from where he soon teleported to the Spatial Kingdom.


    ''Time to use my music on those soldiers...'' He thought to himself as he walked towards his goal. ''After that, I will continue painting that artwork.''

 Chapter 649 - Resolving The Gill Family Matter 1

    Two weeks passed in the blink of an eye...


    At this moment, a large group of soldiers from the Black Plain Army were around the local dome, camouflaged in the terrain, hiding in the few places it was possible to do so.


    There were more than 500 soldiers there, all above level 44, individuals who were being led on this mission by the army leader himself, Minos!


    This group was on a special mission launched by headquarters a week ago when a letter from the Gill family had arrived in Dry City.


    The Gill family still faithfully believed that they were in control of Dry City and consequently the Black Plain. As such, this noble organization had not failed to try to communicate with Beatrice, the Spiritual King who had led a confrontation against one of the Silva family groups.


    They thought she was in control of this region, and since her actions had resulted in significant losses to the family, they couldn''t help but notify her of these updates.


    After all, her ''mistake'' had not been deliberate and might even have given them more time to act. But, on the other hand, she was a core member of that organization and needed to be aware of the decisions of the House Gill leaders.


    Therefore, occasionally, notices would arrive regarding these external matters of great importance and also some questions...


    For example, some elders of the Gill family were not pleased about the delay for this town to generate profits for them... This place should be their great opportunity, but so far, not even a single crystal has arrived at the headquarters of this organization.


    That was bizarre and annoying!


    But fortunately, they had understood from Beatrice''s letters the problems that prevented the crystals from leaving this city. That was because, despite the opportunities, Dry City ''suffered'' from a severe lack of resources internally, something that would need to be solved before the exploration could occur.


    That, according to Beatrice, had been caused by a ruler who had tried to destroy his own property during his attempt to escape from their siege. And because of this, the family would have to wait for a while until new harvests were made...


    And although dissatisfied, the leaders of House Gill had decided to wait a little longer on this matter before trying new approaches.


    However, another problem had alerted the forces of Minos and caused this mission today. The problem this time was not an attempt to strengthen the security of Dry City or a questioning of the viability of the business in this city. ;


    The problem was the Silva family!


    After being blacklisted by such an organization, the leaders of House Gill had struggled to find a solution that would ensure their survival.


    After much talking and considering the pros and cons, the leaders of this family had decided that it would be best for all of them to come to the Black Plain permanently!


    By doing so, they could develop this place using their family members, and they could take advantage of local opportunities more quickly by coming here directly. ;


    Not to mention that it would be easier to protect only one place, and that place was the Black Plain. This unattractive place could make the actions of this noble family''s enemies more difficult.


    After all, as far as they knew, the Silva family might not have known about these opportunities in Dry City!


    So, they might have a better chance of survival here.


    And well, that truly made sense when you looked at the situation from the point of view of the Gill family leaders.


    They would stay in a place already known to everyone or go to a new home, where people would not expect to find them.


    In one option, they would stay put in a place where they could quickly be surrounded in a short time. In another, they would try their luck in a place where maybe that would happen, but they could at least try to hold their ground while having high-level resources.


    Unlike their original territory, the Black Plain could provide food of high spiritual concentration. In this case, if the city run by this family becomes isolated from the rest of the world, unable to receive or send resources, it would be far preferable to be in a privileged location!


    Thus the leaders of the Gill family had decided to begin the migration to Dry City!


    Precisely this had prompted the local army to plan the current mission, in which these many soldiers were participating.


    A week ago, the Gill family letter had arrived in this town warning Beatrice about such a thing. They were going to begin the migration to Dry City little by little, doing this in 30 trips, until all the subordinates of this power were transferred here.


    Such a plan was because they didn''t want to draw so much attention from local powers. ;


    But on the other hand, they also didn''t want to take too long to make this migration. After all, each passing day, the greater were the chances that this organization would be exterminated!


    Plus, there weren''t that many members in the Gill family, so 30 trips with less than a thousand people in each group wouldn''t be that flashy.


    Of course, it would be eye-catching if all the people in each group left the headquarters city of that family simultaneously. But if this would be done slowly. Using strategies to distract possible spies, things that could make it possible to get almost a thousand people out of a city of hundreds of thousands of inhabitants without drawing attention.


    And so, the first group to leave the headquarters city of that organization was scheduled to arrive in Dry City in the next few hours!


    Such a group would be one of the strongest since that organization didn''t want to risk leaving Dry City, their future home, unprotected while they moved in.


    For this very reason, five Spiritual Kings were accompanying the first of the thirty groups!


    Anyway, knowing all this, Minos and his soldiers had already quietly prepared for today.


    After discovering that the Silva family had found out about the incident in the northeast of the Black Plain, Minos wanted to form an alliance with House Gill since they had a common enemy. However, before he could even communicate with such a power, Beatrice''s side had already decided to come to visit him...


    And well, since Minos was strong enough to deal with them, he had concluded that it would be better if this noble organization did not become an ally.


    This organization had already caused problems for him in many situations. From the young Ralf who had followed for this family and not for his army to the army''s fights against their subordinates. So, being an ally could be much more than they deserved.


    Consequently, he wanted to subdue this organization!


    ...


    Anyway, while waiting on the outskirts of the local dome, slowly, the visitors expected by the local soldiers finally began to approach from the east of Dry City.


    This group had been moving in many carriages, running at the maximum speed their beasts could run. Meanwhile, several people were traveling inside each of them, some capable of carrying up to 20 people at once.


    On the other hand, some individuals were on weaker mounts, riding on those beings in the outskirts of those carriages.


    "Come on, people! Don''t slow down. We''re almost there!" Said the level 55 Spiritual King, the leader of that group.


    After hearing this, the people in the surroundings continued with what they were doing, commanding their beasts so that they would run this remaining distance as their lives depended on it.


    On the other hand, little by little, the people in this group were beginning to see a strange horizon far away from them, in the direction of where Dry City would be.


    ''Uh? What is that? Is it some mirage?'' The group leader thought as he looked in the direction of the local dome.


    But from that distance, this man would need to get closer for some more time before he would finally be able to sense the spiritual fluctuations of that dome...


    However, while he was observing this, suddenly, a sound reached the ears of those people.


    Zum!

 Chapter 650 - Resolving The Gill Family Matter 2

    Zum!


    Some sounds sounded around that space where the Gill family group was passing when suddenly several arrays were activated simultaneously.


    These arrays could momentarily affect its targets, individuals below level 49. On such people, the effects of this alternative would cause the targets to become disoriented for a few seconds.


    Hence, such people would be very vulnerable if they were surprised at the interval in which these arrays worked!


    "Ahhhh!"


    Because of this action of the Black Plain Army soldiers, soon several of the people in that Gill family group began to scream in panic, trying to understand what was happening.


    "What is that? Who''s there?"


    "Come out, you wretches!"


    Several voices of people still under control over their senses and minds echoed through that area as the strongest ones there prepared to fight.


    Using arrays to weaken the opponents was indeed something that could bring magnificent effects in a fight. However, Minos'' army faced two problems that would make it difficult to use this type of item to its full potential.


    One of those problems was the small amount of low-level grade-2 array masters in Dry City. And the other was the great demand for arrays of all kinds in that same city.


    So, considering the large number of soldiers the army already had, there was no way that Minos could supply items of the same type to his soldiers in the short term. But, on the other hand, there were ways to respond to the effects of such arrays or that young man''s soldiers couldn''t use such alternatives without being affected too.


    Consequently, even after 30 of those soldiers who were on this mission activated similar arrays, a few hundred opponents had remained almost untouchable!


    "They are attacking us when we are almost at the door of our new home? What kind of bad luck is this? Are we cursed?" The leader of this group shouted, already circulating his energies and signaling for his fellow Spiritual Kings to prepare themselves.


    "Stay on alert!" A level 53 woman said when she finally saw several shadows appearing in the vicinity of their group.


    "That... That''s very strange." Another of those five experts commented uncertainly, already counting the number of opponents.


    ''There are hundreds of people in the opponent group... What is happening here? How can such a large group like that be on the outskirts of our city?'' He wondered as his expression grew worse with each passing fraction of a second.


    And slowly, sweat was starting to bead on his forehead and back as he realized that the truth was quite different from what they thought. ''It can''t be...''


    ''I don''t believe it!''


    "Elders, we''ve been tricked!" He shouted aloud, finally trying to pass his findings to his teammates who were at the 6th stage of cultivation.


    However, such an action was not necessary... Each of those Gill family experts accompanying this group had already come to the same conclusion!


    It was evident that no power would allow so many enemies to be so close to its home. Yet, because each of these Spiritual Kings was already beginning to sense the strength of their opponents, the previous warning was unnecessary.


    And considering the number of Spiritual Generals above level 44 in that opposing group, none of these old figures had any doubt that this group had come from Dry City itself.


    ''Shit!''


    ''What happened to our subordinates who were sent here earlier? Have they been enslaved?'' The leader of that mission, a level 55 cultivator, wondered simultaneously, in which he felt a great sense of humiliation.


    The entire family had been deceived. They had even involved themselves in a conflict against the Silva family just because of this city. Yet, some of the descendants of them might even be held hostages!


    Something so degrading had never happened before in the history of the Gill family!


    "Ahhhh!"


    But as the cries of those affected by the arrays resounded through that area and these experts understood the situation, Minos and his group finally got close enough to their opponents.


    This young man then authorized his soldiers to knock out those affected by the effects of the arrays and the weaker opponents of that group who were still okay.


    "Attack!"


    He didn''t want to kill any of these people since it was in his interest if this group survived so that they could be absorbed into the forces of Dry City in the future. But, on the other hand, it would not be good if deaths occurred, as this might very well warn the rest of the Gill family not to come here.


    Because of all this, these soldiers would only knock out those opponents so that any attempt at resistance or escape would be stopped!


    "Ahhhh! Fight for your lives!"


    "Attack!"


    And soon, the people in the Gill family group began to shout in agitation while many of the stronger individuals were trying to encourage the rest.


    Many of their companions had already fallen to the effects of the previous arrays. Still, the difference in the numbers of each group in this location was not that great.


    As such, those people from House Gill would not surrender. Instead, they would fight as hard as they could not to fall in this place!


    Devouring Art!


    Meanwhile, Minos quickly rushed towards the five Spiritual Kings, who were running amidst the crowd of warriors in that group in an attempt to fight against this young man''s soldiers.


    Infinite Dream!


    However, they were soon prevented from doing this when Minos suddenly used his mental technique on two of those experts, putting them into a dream controlled by him.


    Explosive Steps!


    Spatial Sword!


    At the same time, as his eyes flashed, this young man rushed towards two other Spiritual Kings while almost wholly suppressing the space around them.


    Swooish!


    Upon doing so, this young sovereign immediately sent a sword attack in the direction of the strongest opponent in that place, as he prepared to knock out those two.


    Indestructible Body!


    Pow!


    As he absorbed the energies of the five Spiritual Kings, he launched several kicks and punches in the direction of those two, using his powerful bodily strength to knock them out.


    "Ahhhhhh!"


    "Ahh!"


    "Miserable!"


    "To think that a level 50 individual could do such a thing!" The group leader finally shouted in anger, right after suffering an injury to his left arm from the blade sent by Minos earlier.


    On the other hand, those two individuals from before screamed in pain while feeling several sensitive parts in their bodies, which Minos had beaten in the short interval of time that had passed.


    This young man was much more substantial than these people, and his speed was challenging to catch up with. Because of this, and also because he had been underestimated at the beginning of the fight, he had quickly managed to knock out four of the five Spiritual Kings!


    However, such a thing had only happened because he wanted someone from that group to remain conscious to understand their situation and hear what he had to say.


    Otherwise, not even this level 55 Spiritual King would have remained so ''unharmed''!


    And so the battles around that place continued.


    Boom!


    "Ahhhh!"


    Pow!


    "Don''t kill me! Please, I have a little daughter!"


    ...


    "Ahhhh!"


    And it didn''t take long for Minos to look in that man''s direction and ignore the explosions and typical battlefield sounds in his surroundings.


    He then said. "Surrender, and we will stop attacking your people."


    "Stop attacking my people? You''ve practically already won the battle!"


    "Why do you think we should make your job so easy? If you want our lives, do it the old-fashioned way!" He retorted as he ran toward Minos with blood in his eyes.


    But Minos didn''t care to say anything upon hearing and seeing this opponent''s reaction.


    It was only expected that a person would lose some of his reason or the ability to see some details when he found himself in a desperate situation. So, this man had not realized that no one had died since the beginning of the fight, despite the many cries of pain and despair.


    ''Well, if you want your group to take a good beating, then I will allow that to happen!''

 Chapter 651 - First Group Subdued

    After a few minutes after Minos'' group suddenly attacked those individuals from the Gill family, almost all of those newcomers to Dry City were knocked out.


    However, due to the army''s lack of arrays capable of sealing those enemies'' spiritual cultivation, those unconscious had not met the same fate as the numerous cultivators captured by Dry City forces in the past.


    On the contrary, every time one of those people had fallen unconscious to the ground, one of the weaker soldiers at that location would gather those individuals in one spot and watch over them.


    Such people were unconscious, without energy, and wounded. In a situation like this, unless they had hours to rest or had the opportunity to cultivate, they would not recover in a short time.


    Therefore, it wasn''t difficult for them to stay under the control of these weaker soldiers as the rest of Minos'' group dealt with the enemy remnants.


    And when Minos'' soldiers had knocked out all those people, only the level 55 opponent was still standing.


    This man was exhausted at the moment, his clothes soaked in sweat, blood dripping from a cut on one of his arms, while his face was pale. At the same time, he had long since lost the sparkle in his eyes and was only fighting because of his will not to fall easily to his opponent.


    If it weren''t for this, such a person would have already fainted on the battlefield!


    On the other hand, Minos stood there in front of this person, constantly deflecting this opponent''s attacks. He could have defeated that Gill family expert long ago. Still, since his opponent wanted to fight, young Stuart had allowed this Spiritual King to try everything against him while he had just dodged whatever came his way.


    Because of this, this individual had only received the initial blow from Minos, which had hit one of his arms.


    Anyway, as he watched this exhausted man, that was with his own tongue out and dripping in sweat, Minos finally said something. "Look around you. Your group lost!"


    "Why are you still fighting? Don''t you see that they are all fine?"


    "Hah... Hah... Hah..." But only the sound of this man''s breathing reached young Stuart''s ears.


    Minos shook his head from side to side and then began to talk about his intentions. "I don''t want to kill the people in your group, much less enslave you."


    "I want you people of the Gill family, not only your group, but those who will be coming in the next few weeks, to subordinate yourselves to me!"


    "As long as you do that, I will protect you from the Silva family, and some of your more talented members may even have a chance to grow under my wing in the future." He said calmly, still watching that man taking inconsistent steps.


    ''Silva family? Subordinate us?'' He thought to himself as he used what little energy he had left to reason about what was happening.


    This Spiritual King might be practically out of energy and physically exhausted. However, he still had the minimum necessary to understand Minos'' words and reason about the implications.


    So, he, with his centuries of experience, had not failed to identify certain clues in the young Stuart''s speech.


    "Hah... Hah... Hah..."


    ''So, this group does have Beatrice and our other members under captivity! What''s more, they rule Dry City!'' He pondered as he took a hasty breath.


    After understanding this, he clenched his fists tightly, feeling a strong negative feeling traveling through his body. Yet, at the same time, he understood how the Gill family had suffered because of this young man''s group in front of him.


    He could see that the Gill family elders, including himself, had made decisions that created the current situation. Circumstances which this organization had to flee from House Silva and be surprised by the opponents here... But just because they had chosen this path, that did not mean that he would not have anger at the people who had manipulated them into making such choices!


    As such, he felt terrible to know all this and still be defeated by an enemy who wanted to subjugate them.


    He then tried to suppress his chaotic breathing and asked. "What if I don''t agree to surrender?"


    "Nothing will happen today, I promise you. No one will die." Minos said while he had a peaceful smile on his face. "But in the long run, I won''t be able to guarantee your family''s safety against the Silva family..."


    "On the other hand, I will not allow an enemy to leave my city alive. So, you guys will have to be imprisoned here for quite a while..."


    "Furthermore, since I don''t have arrays to seal the cultivation of all the people in your family, I will have to buy a lot of these items... Consequently, you will have to work in the local plantation fields to pay for it!"


    "Do you think it''s better to live like this than to live as subordinates of my organization?"


    "Let me tell you. As subordinates, you will not have many advantages with me, as well as you do not have with the Brown family."


    "But, at least, you will have your freedoms as you have had until now. You will still receive my protection and the promise that you will have chances to receive opportunities in the future."


    "Whether those opportunities will be taken that is not up to me, but they will exist."


    "So, which do you prefer? The hard way? Or the easy way?" Minos then released a fraction of his cultivation, just enough to pressure that individual without knocking out this Spiritual King.


    Sensing this and thinking about Minos'' words, this Spiritual King felt lost for the first time in many centuries. He understood that the easy way, subjugation, was indeed the most attractive to him. But that didn''t mean that the Gill family would benefit from it.


    He knew nothing about this enemy force, plans, numbers, nothing. Such an organization could very well be composed only of the people in front of him, and these promises from this young man would be empty.


    And joining a crew already traveling on a defective ship might not be the best of decisions...


    On the other hand, he could not go against these people. He could be killed if so these enemies of his wanted, or he would become a hostage, who would have to live the miserable life of slaves.


    And for the proud Spiritual King, it was tough for him to accept such a thing!


    So, while he faced this difficult decision, he sometimes thought that one alternative was the best and sometimes thought that the other was the least bad solution.


    It was horrible not being able to distinguish a clear path in front of him, which he could easily understand and accept. But unfortunately, time did not stop, and he had no option but to make a decision!


    "Hah... Tsk!"


    "All right, we''ll do it the easy way." He said, right after making a sound with his tongue and accepted the fate he thought was less destructive.


    Minos then stopped pressing that man and smiled, satisfied. "Haha, you''re not so stubborn!"


    "But don''t be sad, this decision of yours, you will consider it yourself as the best you have ever made in your entire life." He then made a gesture with one of his hands, indicating one of the entrances to the local wall, and said. "Well, since that''s the case, let me introduce you to your new home!"


    "Welcome to Dry City, my subordinates!"


    After those words were spoken, the soldiers in the surrounding area laughed in satisfaction, as they had already started carrying those people who were unconscious to the carriages in the surrounding area.


    In this way, it was not long before all those people passed through the gates of one of the entrances to the local wall. However, as opposed to heading towards the built-up part of Dry City, almost all these people had stayed at that edge of the area protected by the dome.


    After all, they would need to pass through the immigration checkpoint to receive identification as citizens. Only after this would they begin to be integrated into the local population!


    Hence, they had stayed in that place, where little by little, they were waking up from their unconscious states, understanding what had happened, and going through the immigration procedure.


    It was challenging to wake up and find themselves in a completely different situation, in such a passive position. But their superior had already accepted such a thing.... Furthermore, as most of them were already subordinates, it didn''t take long before they tried to accept their new destinies!

 Chapter 652 - Slow And Gradual Integration

    After a few hours since those members of the Gill family had been subdued by the previous action of Minos'' group, each of those people had already made their registrations locally.


    That was not a time-consuming procedure. On the contrary, it was rapid since it consisted of only collecting basic information. After all, this was only for the local sovereign to know the numbers of inhabitants, percentages of the local population with specific characteristics, in short, helpful information in managing the city.


    On the other hand, after they had done this registration, each of these people received their respective identification IDs and the opportunity to read the law book of Dry City!


    Since they had subordinated themselves to the Black Plain Army, it was of fundamental importance that each of those Gill family members understood the rules of Dry City. Otherwise, it could result in unnecessary trouble for both sides.


    And upon finding out about some of the local rules, those people had been somewhat shocked by some of the punishments there. As an example, the case of the law regarding treason, that even the relatives of the traitor would have to suffer from the consequences.


    Such a punishment might not seem so impressive when one looks at it in isolated situations since it would not go so far as to eliminate the relatives of the traitor. But when you look at it closely, this type of punishment demonstrated the local government profile.


    This punishment showed that the local government was not cruel enough to eliminate entire families because of one person''s mistake. But, at the same time, it showed that there was no forgiveness of severe errors.


    Once someone made a mistake, that person could destroy himself and his own family''s future!


    So, just by analyzing this, someone more attentive could already understand that the government behind the Black Plain was not cruel, but it was not merciful either.


    Consequently, it might be more complicated to associate with such an organization than with other local powers.


    On the one hand, just because the government of the Black Plain wasn''t cruel, that didn''t mean that it would be easy to get away with crimes.


    A person or power could not depend on things like inaction or negligence.


    On the other hand, just because the government wasn''t benevolent, that did not mean that it would be easy to frame or get away with crimes.


    In other words, it would not be so easy to bribe official agents.


    At least these alternative ''options'' that would always exist in any organization would not be as accessible as they were in high-level regional powers. So, relying on bribery or negligence would be a more difficult path to take in a relationship with the Black Plain Army.


    And it would mean that each of these people would have to be more careful not to break local laws, or they might not get a less damaging ''alternative''...


    Anyway, several of the more experienced people in that group of Gill family members had understood these points and had already advised caution to the other people there. And with this in mind, it didn''t take long before the group was directed to Dry City, where they would live from now on.


    Since the arrival of these people was already expected by Minos'' army, all the necessary preparations had already been made. Therefore, the almost 30,000 people from this noble house would only need to come here to be ''welcomed.''


    As part of the local welcome, some of the Gill family members who had been in Dry City before had been assigned to show these newcomers around.


    That was an excellent opportunity for these people to understand what had happened to those sent here previously and learn a little more about life locally.


    After all, no matter how much they had learned about the local laws, knowing how things worked in practice was always going to be different than in theory!


    Hence, Beatrice, Russ, Lionel, Winston, and a few others, were there to direct these hundreds of people to where they should stay in this city and also talk to their fellow family members.


    These people from the Gill family were not going to stay in the local prison since that place could not house so many people. There was room for this group, but not for the nearly 30,000 members of the Gill family who were to arrive in Dry City in the coming weeks.


    Therefore, it made no sense that the government of Minos would put these people in jail and then release them after a few days... That would have no practical effect and would only make the officers'' jobs who looked after the local prison more difficult.


    But they wouldn''t be free locally either. After all, they had just arrived in this city and had been subjugated by Minos. So, undoubtedly, there was some resentment, and the noble arrogance of some of these people could cause problems when they went to try to live normally in this city.


    Considering this, the alternative that the local government had found had been to ''house'' these Gill family members in the same neighborhood, where there were many empty new buildings.


    There were many such places in the current Dry City since this place had been preparing to absorb Maritime City for quite some time now... So, it was not difficult to get such a thing.


    In any case, a place that the army could watch the surroundings and act more easily against these people, if they had to, of course.


    On the other hand, these people would be inserted calmly into the local society, undergoing a cultural ''treatment,'' to adapt to the reality of Dry City.


    It was not easy to arrive in a new place with a culture completely different from one''s own and still suffer from a measure that could segregate them. As such, they could not simply be ''thrown'' into Dry City since they would not behave like ordinary citizens of this place overnight.


    There was a big difference between them and the other immigrants who came here. The ordinary immigrants came here for the opportunities, but they were here against their will.


    Hence the need for all this.


    Anyway, it was not easy or quick to deal with this kind of thing. Still, these had been the measures that the local government had decided to use to control the Gill family and slowly absorb them.


    ...


    "Beatrice, I''m glad you''re okay... I thought you were being tortured or something." One of those Spiritual Kings from the Gill family group said as he walked behind this noblewoman who had fallen into Minos'' hands before.


    They were already heading towards where the Gill family would be accommodated in Dry City. On the way, Beatrice and other former prisoners who were members of that family followed them and talked.


    "Hmm, after I found out the truth about this place after recovering from that monster''s attack, I thought you were pretty bad..." Another person commented.


    "By the way, what are you guys doing here? Have things been too hard for you?"


    Beatrice then shook her head in denial and began to explain. "Well, considering that we were enemies, the treatment wasn''t that bad..."


    "Our wounded guards received medical treatment; we had to work to pay for the costs of the local prison, and we lived in that place until yesterday."


    "Other than that, we were not tortured, although we were forced to write those letters..." She said honestly.


    "Oh? Are you still living in such a prison? And why is it different for us?" Someone asked.


    "It was like that until yesterday. But since your group arrived today, from now on, we will live in the same place, on the place controlled by the local forces." Winston said promptly.


    It didn''t make sense to keep some of them in prison and others free in Dry City. It was easier to keep an eye on them in one area and lessen the burden on the officers who controlled that prison!


    "I see..."


    "But this place is a surprise! I didn''t expect to find 12 Spiritual Kings around here!"


    "Hmm, true. And that monster is already stronger than the patriarch. Imagine if those others are like that too..."


    ...


    While the Gill family group understood the reality of those already living in Dry City, Minos had already arrived at his mansion, where he wanted to settle a particular matter!


    ''It is time for us to get everything ready regarding those investigators from the royal family....''

 Chapter 653 - Last Group Subdued!

    After one of the groups watching the outskirts of Dry City kidnapped the Brown family''s investigators, Minos asked the Miller family to keep an eye on House Silva''s actions.


    Because those noble families had a long history of spying on each other, it didn''t take long for Abby''s family to inform Minos of the changes in House Silva.


    Because of this, Minos already knew that the leaders of the Silva family had not yet tried to communicate with the royal family. On the contrary, his enemies were making various investigations and preparations for the future.


    With this in mind, this young man had an idea of what the leaders of House Silva were planning and, consequently, what would be the best time for him to act.


    On the other hand, he would not have much time to continue with his plans if he waited too long. After all, the Brown family itself had given a deadline for those people to settle their affairs in Dry City, as well as House Silva wouldn''t keep making preparations forever.


    Sooner or later, whether he wanted to or not, those powers would make the decisions, and things could happen in the worst possible way for him and his territory.


    Hence, this young man wanted to resolve this right now, considering, too, this issue involving the Gill family coming to Dry City.


    So, upon entering his office, he immediately asked Mia and Sergeant Joey to accompany him for a conversation regarding this situation!


    ...


    "... Young master, other than what I reported, those 12 people are doing relatively well. They are a little stressed by the fact that they have been captured, but they will get used to it soon." Joey commented, finishing talking about the situation of those people.


    "Hmm, that''s to be expected."


    "But what about their complete interrogation? Was Abby able to get them to say new things that the soldiers from before hadn''t heard?" He asked as he rested his back in his armchair.


    "Not much. They just talked about minor things, regarding their assignments around here, deadlines, what they were supposed to do after they finished, etc. Just things concerning their duties as investigators."


    "Other than that, we didn''t get anything else with these people."


    Upon hearing this, Minos was not surprised. After all, those 12 people were weak, and they were unlikely to have access to more privileged information. Therefore, he was not disappointed.


    He had only asked those questions because sometimes even ordinary people could learn about important matters to individuals like him, rebels...


    "Well, that''s okay. Let them continue living their lives in the local prison while working in the farm fields. But in 15 days, I want their leader to write a letter to the royal family, telling them about the findings of their investigative group."


    Young Stuart wanted this to happen just within that time interval because of what was happening to the Gill family.


    Given the time it would take for a crow to transport this information from Dry City to the capital of the kingdom and the Brown family to react to it, the Gill family would have enough time to complete their migration.


    So, his plans for the Gill family would not be hindered because House Brown might already be sending forces to negotiate with him in Dry City.


    On the other hand, he had already asked the Miller family to conduct a military exercise in this period to ensure that the Silva family would not attempt to contact the royal family during this period.


    Anyway, Minos then looked at his secretary and said. "Mia, schedule that with Abby later."


    "Okay, young master."


    After Mia said that, Joey couldn''t help but ask. "Young master, what should we inform the royal family?"


    "Well, we can''t inform them about everything since that would make the Brown family''s greed greater. But we need to lure them into an attempt at negotiations so that we have time to deal with the Silva family and House Chambers in the meantime."


    After saying that, Minos snapped the fingers of his hands and continued. "Let them know about the defensive dome of Dry City. The Silva family must already know about it, so there''s no point in hiding the truth about it."


    "On the other hand, let''s say that the Black Plain can now produce food of low spiritual concentration. That won''t be enough for them to want to take our territory right away, but it will explain where our resources came from and how we can generate taxes for them."


    "Oh? Good thinking!" Joey nodded in agreement, at the same time, as he scratched his face.


    "As for other information, we will say that Dry City has around 85,000 inhabitants, dozens of Spiritual Generals..." Minos then began to quote all the fictional details that would need to be in the investigators'' message.


    Such a thing couldn''t just contain these more important things, or it wouldn''t make sense to the people who designate this investigation.


    After all, if a place like Dry City could afford these defenses, it would need a specific population, average strength, ''x'' million crystals per year, among other things.


    In other words, the fictitious report would need to have all sorts of data that would lend credibility to the story that Minos wanted the Brown family to believe.


    With this, he could make that organization ignore any attempt the Silva family tried, giving him time!


    He wanted, at least, to deal a solid blow to the Silva family before the beginning of the war against the Brown family. But for this, he would need time to plan and act on it.


    ...


    And soon, hours passed while those three talked until this plan was completely finalized.


    From now on, the army would only need to gather the fictitious data mentioned by Minos and prepare an official report for that investigator from the Brown family to send on the planned date.


    With that done, it didn''t take long for each of those people to return to their duties, resolving other matters.


    ''Now we just have to wait for the Gill family...''


    ...


    Boom!


    Explosions sounded in the surroundings of the Dry City dome, where hundreds of people were lying on the ground while a group of a few individuals was fighting against a few hundred soldiers.


    Each of these individuals fighting against the soldiers of the Black Plain Army was at the 6th stage, members of the last Gill family group that had arrived in the city ruled by Minos.


    After a little over a month since the arrival of the first group, several things had happened. Of the 30 Gill family groups that would come here, 29 of them had already been subdued by the local forces!


    And as such, this group fighting outside the local dome at the moment was the last remaining portion of the Gill family to be completely subdued.


    However, despite having had many of their members subdued, more precisely, most of the strength of this noble house, the remaining group was not weak!


    There were 4 Spiritual Kings in this last group, 3 of them being subordinates between levels 50 and 51. As for the last one, he was none other than the strongest person in this family, the patriarch, level 56.


    With that power, this group was fighting with everything they had against Minos'' soldiers in an attempt to escape from this place.


    After all, just like the previous groups, these individuals had been deceived and had only found out that this town was not under their control on this day... For this very reason, they thought that there was no fate for them other than misery if they fell to these people in this place.


    And it didn''t matter how pretty the empty promises on the other side were. They wouldn''t believe it until they had no other choice!


    Consequently, the people still standing in this group were fighting bravely, while Minos cared for that level 56 cultivator.

 Chapter 654 - Latest Census Results!

    After some time, all those people from this last Gill family group had been subdued. At the same time, slowly, the soldiers from the local army began to carry them inside the dome.


    The situation had been similar to what had happened previously to the Gill family first immigrants, despite the fact that that thousands of people from this family were already living in Dry City.


    After all, even if Minos wanted to use these people to try to convince those last members of the Gill family to give up and subordinate themselves to him, it wouldn''t work.


    The idea might be attractive since it might make it less complicated for the local army to control these people. But the patriarch Gill would hardly accept such a thing, nor would he believe that his fellow family members would willingly make such a bad choice...


    And since this young ruler of the Black Plain already knew about the difficulty of such a thing working out, he hadn''t even tried to include those people in this action.


    On the other hand, although difficulties created inevitable setbacks for his organization, they also created opportunities!


    Many of the 5th stage soldiers in Dry City were people with less experience since the strongest ones were far away from this city at the moment. So, those people having chances to fight against teams like the 30 Gill family groups that had come here was an opportunity for them.


    They could act in a more controlled territory where there would be strong individuals nearby, as in the cases of Minos and Abby, who could help them in times of need. With this, they could and had, in fact, already gained a lot because of these opportunities.


    Hence, even if there had been options, Minos would still have acted in the same way.


    Besides, it would never be bad to demonstrate his power to these people he had subdued!


    Therefore, these fights did fulfill an important role.


    Anyway, it didn''t take long for the patriarch and his companions from this last group to go through the necessary procedures and then meet their old companions again.


    They were directed to the place under army control, where they could live from now on!


    ...


    Meanwhile, Minos and Abby returned to this young man''s office while they had satisfied looks on their faces.


    Times would get more tumultuous in the coming days. Still, they were satisfied that before they had to deal with the Brown family, all the members of House Gill had arrived with ease in Dry City.


    Since this was a small goal for the army, the two of them couldn''t help but be pleased that this had been completed.


    On the other hand, Abby had reached level 49 earlier today,  and as such, the two had an extra reason to be happy!


    But while both wanted to celebrate such things, it was still only the middle of the day, and both needed to work. After all, they both held critical positions in the local government and army.


    Anyway, it wasn''t long before Minos and Abby started to deal with some matters together in his office, while Mia and other people came and went from that place.


    ...


    After a few hours since the last group of the Gill family arrived in this town, the sun was already setting on the horizon when one of the local government officials entered the sovereign''s office.


    Minos had just given Mia his orders to allow this person in. Soon after, they were both sitting there, drinking coffee and talking about the issues brought up by this official.


    Other than that, Abby was no longer around, as she had returned to headquarters over an hour ago. However, Ruth was there with Minos, watching him work, as she did on many occasions.


    "Mr. Tom, it is good to know that your family is well. But speaking of official business, what do you have for me today?" Minos asked as he saw over this man''s left shoulder, his girlfriend sitting on a sofa, watching him.


    Upon hearing this, Tom quickly removed a stack of documents from his spatial ring, placing them right in front of Minos. He then began to explain. "Young master, the results of the last census have just come out."


    "Oh?"


    "Hehe, let''s see how our city has grown these past ten months." Minos said with a satisfied look on his face as he began to read the contents of those documents.


    Meanwhile, Tom began to present that in a simpler way, helping the young sovereign in front of him to understand what was in those documents.


    "Young master, since the last census about ten months ago, the city has grown steadily, and we recently reached the 240,000 population mark!"


    "This population increase of over 60,000 is mainly due to the nearly 30,000 Gill family members who have arrived in our city in recent weeks. On the other hand, a group of over 17,000 people came from Maritime City, that city that was recently subdued by the army."


    "As for the rest of these new residents, they came mainly from Stone Island, City of Waters, and Kingdom of the Waves. But we have a small group coming from the capital of the Brown Kingdom, the prisoners from the royal family."


    "Oh?" Ruth exclaimed in surprise. ''240,000 inhabitants... That''s impressive! I hadn''t thought this place had ever reached such numbers!'' She thought to herself while holding a cup of coffee in her right hand.


    Ruth didn''t know the local data since the last census had taken place before she arrived in Dry City. Furthermore, she didn''t pay much attention to the flow of people locally since all that interested her was the quality of local services and, of course, young Stuart.


    Tom then continued to speak. "As for the number of Spiritual Generals among the common population, our city has 51,000 people at this stage, with the strongest of them already at level 46."


    "That''s good..." Minos commented, still looking at the data on the papers from before.


    Many of these people would be future soldiers in the local army, so he was very interested in these numbers. It was just a pity that he couldn''t afford to take some more of these individuals into his organization at the moment.


    On the other hand, in this group of high-level citizens, there were professionals of the spiritual specializations, people who had not joined the army for various reasons of their own.


    Such a group was essential for Dry City, as they basically defined the quality of the services offered locally.


    So, knowing the numbers regarding this group was of great importance to a ruler like Minos, who needed to make policies geared to the reality of his population. And having professionals of higher classification would help him to get even more inhabitants!


    Because of the importance of this, it didn''t take long for Tom to explain all the numbers regarding this group.


    "... Other than that, with the increase in the number of Spiritual Kings in the city and also the continued progress of our population, even with the recent population increase, we have managed to keep the average population level at level 40."


    "I see..."


    Minos was not disappointed by this information.


    That was because even though the average level of the local population had not increased, that was still a good thing. After all, many people from outside had arrived in Dry City in the meantime, many of them being people of low talent.


    Precisely because of this data, Minos was sure that Dry City''s oldest inhabitants were progressing with some ease in the time that had passed since the last census!


    Tom then continued with the agricultural data. "... Of the local population, we have reached the mark of 120,000 farmers, who can work on about 4,800 hectares."


    "And due to this group, our annual revenue through trade with Stone Island has passed 185 million low-grade crystals per year...."

 Chapter 655 - They Want To Get Pregnant

    After listening to the whole report through Tom, Minos was pleased with the numbers he had achieved in the interval since he had risen from level 48 to 50.


    The population had not grown as much in this period because of the difficulties in attracting people to Dry City without attracting attention. But this had been solved in the short term, and with Maritime City under his domain, Minos could finally put this problem aside for now.


    Despite the fact that the population had not increased as much as in previous years, the farming numbers continued to rise, reaching a level that would allow many things to become possible in the future.


    However, since Minos had already made many recent investments in his army because of the war-related actions, this income from agriculture would take time to bring results.


    Or rather, the young ruler had invested a lot of his funds, and he would need several harvests to gather a comfortable capital. Only then could he get back to making improvements in Dry City, enhancing existing services, and bringing new things here.


    As for the unemployment rate in Dry City, well, it remained at 0%, since only children under the age of 10 didn''t work, but they didn''t count in this statistic.


    As for teenagers between the ages of 10 and 15, they could not work in regular jobs, but there were things available for people in this age group. As in the example of the army, which had many members like that.


    Because of this, even these young people were not unemployed in this city!


    On the other hand, Minos had discovered that the first local citizen born in Dry City since his arrival had been born in the last few months!


    Before this, the people in this place either came from outside this city or were already here before the arrival of this young sovereign.


    With that, although his territory was not yet officially an independent state, Minos considered this newborn to be the first citizen born on the Black Plain and not in a region of the Brown Kingdom!


    And although this was only a curiosity to him, he felt somewhat happy to know that his territory was having its first newborn.


    Breeding in the Spiritual World was not easy, and many things could lead to failure regarding this action. But even so, occasionally, living beings managed to pass through the adversities contrary to pregnancies and thereby give birth to offspring.


    And as an imperative biological that were in all members of this humanoid race of cultivators, it was difficult for the people behind the Dry City government to ignore this event.


    To them, this was like a sign, a starting point for the future of this place, a good omen!


    So, there was a certain satisfaction in talking about this little native of young Stuart''s state.


    "Her name is Trix, young master. I hope the birth of little Trix will be a blessing to the Black Plain." Tom said gently, finishing organizing his things right after they ended their official talks.


    "Hehe, a good name." Minos commented as he got up from his armchair and shook one of Tom''s hands. "Well, let''s keep working so that little Trix can grow into an independent, strong, and respected state."


    "Yes, young master, we will do everything possible to that end."


    "Good, hehe. See you later, Tom."


    After that, that man left young Stuart and Ruth in that place alone, bringing that sovereign''s work to an end.


    "Speaking of babies, I wonder when you will have yours..." Ruth commented in a low voice, just after young Stuart sat down next to her.


    As she said those words, she turned to him and hugged him from the side while her legs went around that young man''s waist.


    "Oh?" Minos made a sound of surprise as he realized what Ruth meant by such words.


    ''You and Abby have been on quite the same page since that day, eh? You seem to be agreed about the same things...'' So, he thought for a moment, as he remembered an evening he had had about a little over a month ago.


    At that time, those two women had agreed to do everything he wanted, going beyond just having sex with him in front of each other...


    They had begun to act together, more like Mirya and Viola did with Minos and less like they were used to performing in front of each other. And with this change, this young man had noticed that he had been getting more occupied with them and less with the other women with whom he usually interacted.


    On the other hand, they had started to support each other''s ideas, like minor everyday things and this question of reproduction.


    And obviously, Minos noticed all this...


    But he didn''t care. He stayed with other women just for fun, and if he could only do that with his girlfriends, he didn''t care if they were trying to take over the space of those other women.


    He had no feelings for any of them other than his girlfriends. As such, he had nothing to lose here.


    Because of this, he took it easy while enjoying the fun of seeing two women who had seen each other as enemies for a few months, now acting like sisters.


    He then said. "Who knows after the Black Plain becomes a recognized independent state... Maybe that''s the time for me to start worrying about it."


    "Oh?" Ruth''s eyes sparkled upon hearing this as she felt certain anxiety deep within her being.


    She wouldn''t go out saying certain things out loud. Still, if she were asked about pregnancy, she would definitely answer that she would like to be a mother to Minos'' children. Not only that, but she wasn''t even trying to guard against it anymore, having already stopped using her energy to destroy her oocytes a few months ago.


    And it was no different for Abby!


    As long as Minos stopped preventing himself and they had a little luck, then in a matter of months, they could give birth to the offspring of this young man they both loved...


    But unfortunately for both of them, Minos had no interest in doing that for the time being. After all, he had no time to be a father in the short term, and both of his girlfriends would be vulnerable in such a period as pregnancy.


    Hence, even if the chances of such a thing happening were small, Minos would not neglect to prevent himself from such a situation...


    Anyway, while feeling excited about the future, Ruth began to feel warmer and warmer as she hugged Minos'' strong body. "Even if you don''t want to make babies at the moment, we can continue training..."


    "Hahaha, that''s my favorite kind of training." He replied, smiling, as he pulled that woman onto his lap and felt his younger brother grow a few inches.


    "Mmmm~" After that, the two kissed passionately as they slowly undressed, enjoying this early evening in Dry City while they were still in that office.


    There shouldn''t be many people working there by this time, and neither was worried about interruptions. So, Minos once again was ready to use his office with one of his partners, with one of the two women he loved.


    ''I don''t think I''ve ever done that with Ruth in this place...''


    ''Time to change that!''


    ...


    While Minos and Ruth were exchanging fluids vigorously in that office, three Spiritual Kings were arriving at this very moment at the north exit of the local wall.


    Of the three, two were middle-aged men, one tall, strong, and in typical warrior attire. At the same time, the other looked very muscular but in clothes commonly worn by blacksmiths.


    And in the middle of the two men riding 5th stage beasts, a woman with blond hair was standing on a beast that looked like an orange fur bear.


    "After months away, I''m finally back!" She declared, making her two companions and the soldiers at that northern exit of the wall hear that.

 Chapter 656 - Elena And Her Short Rest...

    After a few minutes, Elena and her two traveling companions finally passed through that northern entrance to the local wall.


    After more than a month since their departure from Stone Island, this woman and her companions had gone a long way to throw off any people who were trying to follow them.


    And as such, they had not come directly to the Black Plain. The opposite of that, this group of three humans and three beasts had traveled to the Kingdom of the Waves, from where they had traveled and finished throwing off the spies of the Allen family''s allies.


    After making sure that no one else was on their trail, they headed towards Dry City a few days ago.


    Because of this, Elena had taken so long to reach this city, although beasts at the 5th stage of cultivation, such as those her group was using, take less than a week to make such a journey.


    Anyway, after arriving at this place, Elena had promptly identified herself at that northern entrance to the wall, through which she had just gained access to her two traveling companions.


    These two were the people she had told Elen she would bring here, a blacksmith and a warrior from the Neel family. Both of them were under the responsibility of this young noblewoman.


    When they arrived in the built-up area of Dry City, they all had expressions of surprise, especially the two men who had never come here before.


    To them, Dry City''s negative reputation was deeply rooted in their beings, something they would never change unless they saw and felt these differences personally.


    Because of this, they were both immensely surprised by the splendor of Dry City, a place that already looked very much like a big neighborhood of significant cities.


    The infrastructure, the movement of carriages in the streets, plus the level of the people in the surrounding area and the variety of services, everything made them interested in this place.


    The feeling of curiosity, of wanting to tour this entire city, was rising in the depths of their souls, making these experienced cultivators open their mouths in surprise.


    As smiles formed on these two faces, Elena was also surprised. After all, as much as she already knew the local reality, many things had happened in the meantime while she was away.


    She didn''t receive much information about what happened in Dry City while she was on Stone Island.


    She was only a subordinate of the local army. Hence, there was no need for her to know detailed information about local developments.


    On the other hand, it was not good to send information about the Dry City out of the Black Plain due to the danger of data leaking out.


    The most the army would do would be to communicate things that both she and Elen would need to know so that the interests of Minos'' government would not be harmed.


    So, besides what Elena already knew should happen in the meantime that she had been away, this woman had no idea of most of the changes this city had undergone in these months.


    Therefore, even she had been surprised after entering the protected area of Dry City.


    ''Impressive! The number of Spiritual Kings here is more than 20!'' So, she thought to herself, as she sensed the spiritual fluctuations of the experts above level 50 in this city, those coming from the Gill and Miller families'' members.


    "Looks like I''ll be able to do a poison treatment soon!" She murmured, already feeling a spiritual fluctuation equivalent to that of a person at level 57.


    And since she already knew that Regina was at that level when Minos said he would bring her here, Elena quickly understood that this could only be her.


    ''There are four Spiritual Kings in the mansion at the moment... That level 50 person must be Minos.'' She smiled as she finally noticed Abby''s parents, Ruth and young Stuart.


    "Come on, guys!"


    "I''m going to find someone who will help you two get established locally. Then, after that, you two will be able to go out and get to know this city on your own." Elena commented to those two subordinates of the Neel family before finally heading towards the local government mansion.


    This woman knew that she probably wouldn''t find Mia there at the moment, since at that time this secretary should already be in her own house. However, government officials were always on hand to solve local problems, even during the night and early morning hours.


    These people did not receive the city''s citizens since that mansion was closed after dark. But there were always a few individuals on duty if any soldiers or government personnel needed help.


    So, before she went to talk to Minos, Elena wanted to find someone to help these two find a place for them to live in the city and explain certain things to them.


    Elena could do that herself, but she had more important things on her mind to do, which prevented her from helping these two.


    ...


    Sometime later, someone on duty in the administrative part of the government mansion finally came out to help those two newly arrived Spiritual Kings.


    On the other hand, after receiving permission from the soldiers guarding the residential area of Minos'' mansion, Elena finally arrived at the door of young Stuart''s residence.


    "Oh? So it''s Miss Elena!" After opening the entrance door for this Lieutenant, one of the housekeepers said that.


    Upon hearing this, Elena smiled and then greeted this woman before heading towards the waiting room of Minos'' residence.


    However, while she was waiting for young Stuart, Abby was the first person to come to greet her.


    "Elena? You just got back?" The blue-haired woman said in surprise, not expecting to see this blonde woman in this place.


    "Hmm, I just got here. Didn''t you know about this? Didn''t anyone notice you?"


    "No, I just went downstairs to do something and saw you from afar..." Abby replied as she adjusted part of the green dress she was wearing.


    On the other hand, while watching this, Elena soon realized that Abby was much stronger than before and didn''t take the time to congratulate her. "You have reached level 49. Congratulations!"


    "Hehe, thank you." She smiled and passed one of her hands through her hair, which was a little sweaty at this time. "Anyway, you want to talk to Minos, right?"


    "Hmmm."


    "Well, it will take him a few minutes to come down..." She said this, smiling slightly. "But since we are here, let me update you on a few things."


    "During the period that you were away..." Abby then sat down on a sofa and started talking about some crucial things that the army had decided over the past few months.


    Abby was one of the central figures in that organization. Because of that, she knew what Elena did or did not know and what this level 50 Spiritual King would need to know immediately.


    So, Minos'' young girlfriend quickly updated Elena while that young man finished doing what he was doing.


    ...


    "So, that''s why I felt so many auras above level 50!" Elena said, understanding what had happened to the Gill family and from where so many Spiritual Kings come.


    "But it''s a surprise that things developed that way. I thought the Gill family was going to be together with the royal family during the war of independence..."


    "But fate did take an unexpected path!" She commented as her eyes sparkled and she made some hand gestures.


    Hearing this, Abby nodded to Elena and expressed. "Hmm, other than that, nothing else essential happened here..."


    "Oh! I almost forgot..."


    "Minos intends to send you to the City of Waters after you rest for a few days from this journey of yours on Stone Island."


    Elena''s eyebrows then frowned, and she asked in surprise. "What?"


    "But wasn''t it that woman, uh, Mirya, who was supposed to do that? She should be fine by now, right? So, why do I have to go to the City of Waters?"


    "About that...."

 Chapter 657 - Exchanging Information And Abby And Ruths Training

    "Well, the situation in the City of Waters has changed a lot in the last few months."


    "Since that place was in Minos'' agreement with the Stokes family, we will not need to hide from that family''s subordinates in that place using Mirya. As such, there is no need for us to send her there."


    "Plus, due to that previous incident, Mirya lost several months of training, a time she could have learned the complete set of Silver-grade techniques in the Spatial Kingdom."


    "For all that, Minos changed the plans related to that city."


    "And since you have all the Silver-grade techniques and Mirya does not, you will be the first one to have to stay in that place." Abby said while having an apologetic smile on her face.


    She could understand why Elena was a little unhappy about these changes. After all, it was much better to stay in Dry City and have the chance to train in the Spatial Kingdom than to be sent to the City of Waters...


    Furthermore, previously Elena was not scheduled to be sent out of Dry City. As such, this woman had been taken aback negatively by this information.


    Elena then asked. "But what about Eda? Isn''t she already in that city?"


    "Eda has already been there since Mirya went through those troubles. And you former bodyguard, Ernest, has been out of Dry City even longer than Eda."


    "So, you will replace Eda, and after she has rested for a few weeks, she will replace Ernest."


    "But don''t get your hopes up for staying in the Spatial Kingdom for more than a few weeks during the period of turmoil in our region. Constantly, new Spiritual Kings will appear in the army. Still, new enemies, stronger people, will also appear during the war of independence."


    "Then, almost all the Spiritual Kings in the army will go through the same thing as you."


    "Sigh..." Hearing this, Elena sighed in defeat and commented briefly. "I see. It''s a pity."


    After saying that, the two women who were talking while sitting in that part of young Stuart''s residence finally heard the sound of footsteps coming in that direction.


    "You finally returned, huh? I thought you had decided not to come back anymore." Minos said aloud while he had a sympathetic smile on his face.


    And right behind him, Ruth came walking in bare feet, walking slowly, as if she was a little sleepy.


    Seeing these two people, Elena immediately stood up from where she was while admiring Minos''s changes after the last stage promotion.


    She then said. "Minos, you are even more impressive than before. Congratulations on reaching level 50."


    "Hehehe, thank you."


    "Good to see you again, Ruth."


    "Hmm."


    After greeting each other briefly, they all sat in that spot while Minos had his two girlfriends on his sides and Elena stood facing them.


    "A lot of things have changed in such a short time around here..."


    "You are a person who doesn''t stop, huh?"


    "Haha, wouldn''t it be better to say my enemies who don''t stop? If it weren''t for them, I might have a more peaceful life..." Minos joked with her, but he became serious again and asked soon after. "And how was your journey on Stone Island? I learned about some minor things through Elen, but I don''t know the details."


    "Sigh..."


    She sighed before finally telling them about what happened there when she was away.


    "... Anyway, things are tough for Elen and her alliance. After that big confrontation we had a little over a month ago, many Spiritual Kings in the alliance died or were crippled in some way."


    "Because of that, the Allen family alliance was able to reverse the advantage we had and are even stronger than Elen''s group."


    "So, that''s how it is..." Minos muttered as he thought about the situation.


    Meanwhile, Ruth, who knew quite a bit about the things going on around Minos, then said. "I know that this Allen family is an enemy, but I have to admit that they are very good at what they do..."


    "They even managed to get organizations outside that kingdom involved in that conflict."


    Abby then nodded in agreement. "Indeed, that noble house on Stone Island seems to have many contacts. We have to keep an eye on them..."


    "But do you guys know where these Spiritual Kings who helped the Allen family in that last attempt came from?"


    Elena then shook her head in denial. "They were with their disguised, and each of them used techniques widespread in our region."


    "On that account, they could have come from anywhere in the northern part of the Central Continent."


    Hearing such an answer, Minos sighed. "That''s a shame. If we knew about this, we could take some more effective action."


    "Anyway, for now, Elen and her allies need to hold on with this situation on Stone Island. Then, when things get more stable for the Black Plain, we can resolve this conflict."


    "Hmm, I see..."


    After that, the four of them continued to talk for a while longer about these Stone Island matters until finally, Elena spoke about those two Spiritual Kings to Minos.


    Upon hearing this, Minos had been delighted with Elena''s initiative. It would be very positive for him to receive more Spiritual Kings in his army.


    Obviously, it was more interesting to create subordinates from the beginning of each one''s cultivation journey, as in the cases of Lee and Alison. But it wasn''t bad to receive people from the outside either.


    These people couldn''t be molded as well as young subordinates. Still, in return, they already offered an immediate addition of power!


    And that was very worthwhile!


    Instead of having to nurture someone for a few decades, an organization in this position could have regional experts in no time at all.


    And as long as the main posts, those of command and greatest trust, were held by the people nurtured from the beginning by such an organization, it wouldn''t hurt to have those other people.


    After all, not everyone could command!


    Anyway, in talking about those two, Minos discovered that one of them was a medium-level grade-2 blacksmith, who was at level 52. As for the other, he was a level 51 warrior.


    After learning this, he suggested letting them live in Dry City for the next few days until a spiritual judge from the Miller family could sign their Soul Contracts.


    Only after that would he receive those two people in his army!


    ...


    After a while, Elena left Minos'' mansion and headed for her apartment in Dry City, where she intended to rest from the long trip she had completed.


    On the other hand, young Stuart and his two girlfriends went to the courtyard of that residence, where they could train together.


    Minos continued to fight Ruth and Abby every day, something he did to help them increase their respective comprehension speeds. And since there wasn''t much time left for him to do this, he usually fought both of them simultaneously.


    For Minos, this was very easy, and although it didn''t provide enough of a challenge for him to improve his comprehension speed relative to his techniques, he could still improve his control over his power.


    That was because, as much as the natural control over any cultivator''s power would improve with increasing level, this was not something perfect!


    To achieve maximum control over one''s strength, one would have to train to know precisely how much power to use in each situation without wasting energy.


    And this was so difficult that it was common to hear around the Spiritual World that the strongest cultivators were not the ones with the most brute strength. On the contrary, the strongest usually used the least amount of power to defeat their opponents!


    Therefore, Minos didn''t stop training with his girlfriends, although today, he was strong enough not to sweat when fighting both of them.


    Pa! Pa!


    Minos patted both of them on their buttocks and then said. "Come on, my dear girlfriends. I will give you five seconds before I move..."


    And then the three of them started.

 Chapter 658 - Brown Familys Attitude Changes

    While Minos was training with his two girlfriends, the interests of the royal family of the Brown Kingdom were growing towards this place...


    The news concerning the defensive dome of Dry City and the possibility of planting on the Black Plain had already reached the Brown family!


    That had happened just over two weeks ago when a crow from the Black Plain brought this information, which had been gathered by the investigators sent out earlier...


    As a result, the local royal family had already wholly changed their attitudes towards this territory in the westernmost part of the kingdom.


    To begin with, they had refused the Black Plain''s request for independence...


    After all, since that place could yield taxes for the kingdom, there was no reason for King Brown to let these crystals get away from him!


    After that, a little over a week ago, a group of people from that family went out towards Dry City to begin official talks with Minos.


    The governments behind Minos and the Brown Kingdom had already communicated a few times before this happened, and both parties had shown interest in negotiating...


    As a result of these talks, this group in question had been formed.


    But while this committee was on its way to Dry City to meet with Minos, the royal family had already taken several measures regarding this matter.


    For example, some instructions concerning the observation and espionage of Dry City and Minos had already been passed on to the forces in the Maritime City. And not only that, an even larger post would soon be built in that city.


    Since the Black Plain was beginning to gain importance, this royal family of the Brown Kingdom could not let Minos threaten their only coastal city.


    They did not fear that this young man would plot something against that city, but nothing would prevent young Stuart from building a new coastal city soon.


    That place could compete with the Maritime City for trade routes, the passage of specialists from outside the kingdom, and so on.


    But since the royal family of this state already had important businesses there, things they did not want to lose, gaining a worthy competitor would be problematic.


    Not that they feared that Minos had so many resources to build a great city in that region. But the Maritime City itself was not that great... Hence, it would not be that difficult or costly to make something competitive in that coastal region of the Brown Kingdom!


    So, to secure their control over business coming in and out of the kingdom by sea, the Brown family was willing to invest in that town.


    With this, more military forces would be in that place to watch over Minos'' forces and keep him under control. Also, this royal organization would make more significant investments in the Maritime City.


    Other than that, House Brown had already passed on this information to the family experts so that these people would change their behavior regarding the Black Plain.


    That place might be just a small fry at the moment, but it could become something more prominent in the future.


    And although the royal family was not totally against the emergence of new power, they wouldn''t let new organizations appear out of anywhere, without restrictions.


    Since the departure of the Red family, this kingdom had had to deal with a power vacuum, which could be problematic for this organization. After all, that alone had broken the stability of this state.


    Even if this hasn''t been a significant issue in the past, the Silva family could expand significantly in the future, posing a threat to the royal family.


    Commanding a state was difficult, and dividing the power was something that made the process easier. But if part of these more minor powers became more prominent, problems that could lead to war could arise.


    In this case, to prevent this kind of situation, it was not bad to have more powers occupying the same state under the control of one big organization. So, the royal family was not against having more associations in its kingdom.


    But it needed to be controlled by them!


    As such, the leaders of the Brown family would not allow the organization based in Dry City to develop without restrictions, even if it was not that significant yet. And for that, they would need their experts to understand that this place could indeed threaten their interests.


    With this, a change in the behavior of the experts of this royal family was necessary!


    ...


    Anyway, in the palace of the royal family of the Brown Kingdom, King Thomas, and some other high-ranking elders were in a specific outdoor place, sitting and drinking.


    The place they were in was quite green, where there was a beautiful garden with many different plants that gave a pleasant feeling to people walking by.


    But while the surroundings of this place were beautiful, few people from this kingdom had ever had the chance to enter there. Only Brown family Spiritual Kings and a few VIPs were qualified to visit the royal courtyard of Thomas Brown''s residence.


    And in this difficult place to enter, those men of high regional power were on wooden chairs and special cloth, arranged around a table.


    At that table, various fruits were arranged around this table, next to each of the five people''s drinking cups.


    "It''s truly a surprise what happened on the Black Plain!"


    "I never thought that such a barren place would recover." One of the three Spiritual Kings, level 57, said this in admiration, referring to the fact that the soil of Minos'' territory was now able to receive life.


    Of course, he understood that it would not be enough for someone to throw seeds into that soil for plants to flourish... Regardless, that territory had lived without plant life in the soil for a long time, and consequently, it was poor in nutrients.


    So, it should not be easy to grow plants on the Black Plain.


    But anyway, this new reality was already much better than the previous one, even with difficulties. Now the ruler of that place at least had a way to profit from such an area!


    "Yes, it is awe-inspiring. But I''m curious to know how that happened..."


    "In the past, some of our ancestors even tried to ask for help from Spiritual Saints, but they never discovered a way to correct the previous problem."


    "I wonder what changed?" Another level 57 cultivators inquired as he remembered the history of the Brown family.


    That organization had had successful members in the remote past, who had even reached the intermediate parts of the 7th stage of cultivation. As such, it hadn''t been impossible for them to get someone from the beginning of the 8th stage to take the time to analyze that territory.


    But that had been more than 200,000 years ago, and many things had changed in the meantime...


    Anyway, upon hearing that individual''s question, the last level 57 cultivator of the three nodded and said. "I also have my doubts. But from what we know, up until the time the last ruler left that territory, the Black Plain was no different from the past information."


    "Those changes coincide with Minos Stuart''s arrival in that place..."


    "Do you think he had any great opportunity after going to the Black Plain?"


    "That doesn''t make sense. After all, before we left that area hundreds of thousands of years ago, we had already collected all the valuable resources from that place."


    "Not even one hidden treasure could have been left behind!"


    "And as for the growth of anything of the sort, that would be even more impossible." So, one of the three reasoned, refuting the idea that Minos had caused that change because of some opportunity in that area.


    And he was right. The Black Plain had been thoroughly explored before the royal family left that place. And since at that time the spiritual root already presented the problem that Minos solved after his arrival there, nothing of value could grow in such a place.


    Even crystals, which only depend on the rock composition in the soil and the spiritual energy in the atmosphere to be formed, had greatly diminished in quantity in that region.


    Hence, the growth of any other unique resources would be impossible to occur.


    "That makes sense... But maybe he still has some relation to that..."


    Hearing this discourse, London, level 58, finally said something. "It''s not impossible that Albert''s young son has some connection. But, at the very least, he was very efficient in using that place, and we have to give him credit for that."


    "But, of course, that may have changed before his arrival!"


    "Hmm, the supreme elder is right." Thomas finally said something, as he agreed with his uncle. "That may have changed before this young man arrived. But since we haven''t observed that territory often in the past, we may have missed that information."


    "If I''m not mistaken, the last experiment happened 26 years ago...."

 Chapter 659 - Replacing Eda

    Twenty-six years ago, due to the constant requests from the people of Dry City, the then regent of the Black Plain had invited a regional specialist to study that region once again.


    Such a demand from the population was not unusual. That''s because some citizens always hoped that things would change for the better one day. After all, the world was vast, and natural phenomena could change a region in a few decades.


    So, hope still existed.


    Because of this, from the point in history furthest from the present that the large regional families were aware of, the Dry City citizens already make these kinds of demands.


    That was something that didn''t happen with each generation, as children or even grandchildren would see their ancestors talking about having heard from the mouths of experts that such a place had no future.


    But over time, as several generations passed, there always came a time when some people could not accept this without a new attempt.


    The story they had heard had been told by someone who had heard such a thing from other people, and so on until it reached the one who actually had the opportunity to listen to this truth from an expert.


    So, people from that region sought new information from time to time.


    Such a thing had happened a few hundred times in the last 200,000 years of history, with the investigations always reaching the same conclusion.


    The latest attempt was 26 years ago.


    And only because of this did King Brown know that until that time, the terrain of the Black Plain had not yet recovered.


    The person who had gone to analyze the Black Plain at that time was no better than his predecessors. On the contrary, he was much more ordinary than his predecessors were. Therefore, he had discovered nothing new in that region.


    In other words, 26 years ago, the soil of the Black Plain remained as poor as it had been for the last hundreds of thousands of years.


    But after this latest investigation, the royal family had no news about attempts to solve the problem in that part of the Brown Kingdom. So, they could not be sure that Minos had had anything to do with it!


    And that made sense. After all, knowing how to use the opportunity of a partially recovered Black Plain was not so impressive as to make these experts think that Minos had solved that region''s problem.


    Besides, since he was just a young man fighting between life and death until recently, it was tough to imagine him as responsible for that.


    "Anyway, even if he is unrelated to this, it is undeniable that he is the closest one for any questions we might have regarding that place."


    "After all, he wouldn''t try to ask for independence without having some assurances." King Brown said as he sipped the contents of his cup.


    "Indeed... Speaking of which, he must have taken quite a bit of advantage of the opportunities in that place in those little over five years he''s been there, or he wouldn''t have asked for independence now." The supreme elder commented as he remembered that detail.


    Upon hearing this, the three Spiritual Kings at level 57 frowned as they realized that such a young man had probably evaded millions of crystals in taxes.


    "What a clever brat! He stayed put while taking advantage of the opportunity to gather resources!"


    "If other problems are not pressuring him, then he must have realized that his earnings were enough for him to start sharing with us."


    "If that is the case, how will we deal with him? Regardless of whether or not this was rushed, it is a fact that he took the initiative to ask for independence and then agree to negotiate."


    "In other words, this boy seems to be doing things the way he wants..." This level 57 individual then looked at the supreme elder and King Brown and said. "He won''t be easy to deal with!"


    The supreme elder then nodded in agreement. "Indeed, he seems to have his plans to get the best for himself. But that doesn''t matter. Now that we know about that place, one way or another, the family will benefit from this more than anyone else."


    The king then said. "The supreme elder is right. And as for this question of what he has gained these past years, we can''t do anything about it. The Black Plain had no obligation to pay taxes, so we can''t use that as a justification to try to collect the kingdom''s share."


    "But it doesn''t matter. It was less than six years, so he probably didn''t get enough funds to the point of attracting our attention..."


    "That way, there''s no point in us dirtying our image because of it."


    "What matters is what we will be able to gain in the long run from that place!"


    Upon hearing this, those three individuals soon understood what Thomas meant.


    The royal family would remain the sovereign of the Brown Kingdom, and no one could threaten them. In fact, throughout the northern region of the Central Continent, for the past 200,000 years, the same families had run each of the local states.


    And since rebels always failed, it would be most expected that the Black Plain would remain part of the kingdom for much longer.


    With that, the taxes that the Brown family could earn from the Black Plain over millennia would be infinitely more significant than what Minos made in that less than six years...


    "I see..."


    ...


    Meanwhile, a few days had passed since Elena''s return to Dry City.


    Hence, this woman had done what she could do in that city in the days that had passed, as well as taking the opportunity to train in the Spatial Kingdom with the Elite Squad soldiers and the Spiritual Kings who were there.


    After doing her poison treatment with Regina, this native of Stone Island took no time to say goodbye to Minos and the Spatial Kingdom group, heading straight to the City of Waters.


    As scheduled, she had already replaced Eda in command of the secret army post in that city, which was responsible for monitoring movements coming from the Cromwell Kingdom.


    Then, Eda returned to the Dry City to finally have some time off with Dillian... And, of course, train in the Spatial Kingdom.


    But not only that, after years of not seeing her former superiors in the Miller family, this woman had found them in Dry City, now in a very different position.


    Previously, she was only a level 48 Spiritual General who was Abby''s bodyguard. But now, she was a Lieutenant of the Black Plain Army, who was already at level 52!


    With that, her status could already be considered higher than that of some nobles in the Miller family, as in the case of Abby''s mother, Nicole, who was only at level 50.


    But no one was dissatisfied with this. Quite the contrary, with Eda being part of Minos'' army and the House Miller, this family had one more person with connections to this organization based in Dry City.


    On the other hand, Eda had become much more substantial than before and could now play a more active role in protecting the Miller family in the future.


    Therefore, those nobles of the Miller family who were living in Dry City at the moment couldn''t help but be pleased to see this woman again!


    Anyway, everything was developing smoothly in these last few days, in which the city was functioning pretty much as it had in the past before Ralf and Railan had come here.


    But times like this never lasted for long, and as such, gray clouds were approaching Dry City!

 Chapter 660 - Arrival Of The Royal Entourage

    Black Plain Army headquarters...


    In a large hall of the administrative building of this local organization, people were constantly coming and going from that place, all of them Sergeants.


    If one paid attention to these people''s faces, one would notice that everyone who entered there left with determined expressions, as if their fighting spirits had been boosted.


    But this was not for nothing. After all, in that place were two spiritual paintings painted by Minos!


    After Minos had reached level 50 about two months ago, he had already finished his second painting, which he had sent to this place a day ago.


    He was determined to help his soldiers get better faster. So, it didn''t take long for him to send these items, right after letting the Elite Squad soldiers have them for a few days.


    A spiritual painting could continue to have long-term effects, but that wouldn''t work on the same person for very long. That was because, after a certain point, the comprehensions of those using such items would reach high enough levels that there would be a resistance to the process.


    Therefore, that item would not work continuously on the same person, who continues to improve each passing day.


    So, even if such an effect could last a long time before losing its characteristics, it would be useless for the same person to study it every day. Only a small interval of time, which could vary depending on each person''s talent, would be enough for this resistance to appear.


    And as such, the soldiers of the Elite Squad hadn''t kept these items long after Minos had finished painting each of them.


    However, even if this limitation existed, this item could continue to assist Spiritual Generals and even newly promoted Spiritual Kings of the army who had not yet made contact with them.


    So, those items were already available for this organization''s most substantial soldiers to take advantage of them.


    Anyway, practically all of the army''s Spiritual Generals in Dry City had already seen at least one of these items for a few minutes. But even if they needed more time to utilize the advantages these two paintings brought and wanted to devote more time to this, they could not.


    After all, they still needed to work on their jobs, cultivate, and live their lives. So, unlike those soldiers in the Spatial Kingdom, each of these ordinary soldiers would need much more time to absorb the benefits brought by these two items.


    But that was not bad at all. That is, it wouldn''t be good if everyone tried to observe these artworks all at once...


    That would cause chaos!


    In this way, the very reality of these soldiers made it possible for a little bit of each Sergeant to enjoy this advantage brought by Minos.


    With that, many people came and went from this hall practically every hour of the day.


    Like at this moment, when two female soldiers were leaving that place, heading towards another part of this headquarters.


    "Fern, what did you think of that first painting?" One of the two asked the other.


    Fern then replied. "It is very intriguing how the storm in that picture can be used for both defense and attack."


    "That substance can be shaped in a way that an armor condensed using it can be as strong as metal!"


    "But it can also be used to erode the hardest of rocks..." She explained her notion as she saw in her friend''s eyes that her interpretations were distinct.


    Fern had perceived the understandings regarding the Natural Laws left by Minos, which were related to defense and attack. But such a perception was unique, and each person would understand it differently since it would suit their own characteristics.


    As such, she had understood one of the pictures made by Minos from the use of the substance water since one of her techniques had to do with such a thing. However, the same painting had generated a very different perception for her friend.


    "Whereas in my case, I perceived the way the electric..." She then explained her understanding as the two continued to walk through that building.


    After exchanging ideas about one of the pictures painted by Minos, the two finally changed the subject to something more crucial to this organization they were part of.


    "By the way, did you hear about what happened earlier today?" Fern asked when the two finally reached an open part of the headquarters, where many soldiers were coming and going.


    "Yeah, my father told me that a group sent by the Brown family was approaching our town." She said, remembering how agitated her father was earlier today.


    This Sergeant''s father was one of the administrative soldiers in Minos'' army, someone who usually was stressed about local problems while staying at headquarters.


    But a few hours ago, news of a Brown family group coming to Dry City had reached headquarters and made all those administrative soldiers a bit nervous.


    Such news had been sent to the headquarters by one of those six temporary camps around an area between 100 and 200 kilometers from the local dome.


    But since they already knew that such a group from the Brown family would be coming here by now, they had just observed the situation and communicated it to headquarters.


    As a result, several administrative soldiers had become very anxious about what was to come next.


    This time the warrior soldiers were not going to fight. On the contrary, the administrative people would start the fake negotiation with those people to buy time for Dry City.


    So, these people who were not used to facing opponents couldn''t help but get a little anxious. And among them was the father of this Sergeant, who had been awakened earlier today with the news that he would be participating in these negotiations...


    "Oh? And how will this be resolved? Has your father said anything to you?" Fern asked in curiosity while slightly fearing that something might go wrong.


    "I''m not sure of the details. However, it seems that the two sides had already arranged to meet 10 kilometers from the east exit of the wall. There the negotiations will take place in a joint camp of our forces with those of the Brown family."


    "I see... Well, it makes sense that they would negotiate outside of here, hehe."


    "I wouldn''t enter a place protected with medium-level grade-2 defensive arrays, where I couldn''t be sure it would be safe."


    "Yeah, that''s one of the reasons for such a thing."


    "But how much time can we gain from that? I don''t understand anything about administration, but I don''t think a negotiation can last very long... I mean, won''t they quickly realize our intentions?"


    Hearing this, Fern''s friend shook her head in denial. "It''s not that simple."


    "A negotiation like this can last for weeks before the two sides reach a compromise... Even considering real negotiations."


    "Then it must last from weeks to a month."


    "But you''re right, Fern. They will realize sooner or later that we are just killing time. At that moment, they will give us an ultimatum..."


    Fern then completed her friend''s reasoning. "And then they will send troops to attack."


    "Something like that."


    "Then we''d better hurry!"


    "I''m almost at level 44, I can''t delay advancing, or I''ll have a lot of trouble!"


    "Hmmm." This female soldier said as she looked in the direction of the sky. "By the way, this group is probably already on the outskirts of the local dome, being met by our soldiers."


    "Let''s wait for a few more hours to find out what will happen in the next few days..."


    And then, the two sergeants from Minos'' army headed off in separate directions, after saying their goodbyes and going off to train with even more vigor.


    War would be much more dangerous for soldiers like them, of the low and intermediate levels of the 5th stage of cultivation. Hence, they wanted to take advantage of the little time left before the period of great local battles against the royal family began!


    Only then could they increase their chances of survival!

 Chapter 661 - Beginning Of Negotiations 1

    Meanwhile, in the principal office of the local government mansion in Dry City...


    Minos was with some of his soldiers in this place as they talked about the arrival of the royal family''s entourage.


    This young man obviously would not leave his city to receive those people from whom it would be good for him to continue to hide his power. After all, the false reports that had been sent to the Brown family headquarters did not talk about him already being a Spiritual King.


    In contrast to this, in the results of the investigation of that group sent to Dry City earlier, what had been reported about Minos was that he had just reached the 5th stage of cultivation. But, on the other hand, that report communicated only of the presence of six Spiritual Kings in this young man''s organization.


    At first, it would be nice if he didn''t have to report the presence of any of his experts. Yet, since some of the Silva family members had managed to escape from the previous confrontations, it would not be wise to lie about such a thing.


    Also, it would be strange if he didn''t have some experts on his side. After all, he had so many crystals to the point that he bought many medium-level grade-2 defensive arrays.


    Consequently, such information had reached the royal family.


    Therefore, it would not be good if young Stuart participated in the negotiations with the representatives of the Brown family.


    But there was no need for him to get involved in such bureaucratic matters. His soldiers knew perfectly well what the purposes of these negotiations were. As such, it made no difference what Thomas''s envoys were going to propose.


    They were going to delay as long as possible until the other side had no more patience!


    Anyway, Minos was now sitting in his armchair while the three soldiers in front of him were talking, and he was listening.


    "Young master, the group sent by the royal family arrived in the vicinity of the local dome about three hours ago."


    "When the city''s defensive tower team last reported to us about this, that enemy group had already built a small camp a few dozen kilometers east of Dry City." A level 45 Sergeant said this solemnly.


    Soon after that, one of those other two continued to talk about that very subject. "After they had prepared that location, some of the individuals in that group headed towards the joint camp for negotiations, which the army men had already set up."


    The people sent by the royal family obviously would not sleep in the same place as Minos'' soldiers. After all, this young man had asked for independence, and it would not be reasonable to trust him too much...


    So, the joint camp 10 kilometers east of the local dome would only serve during negotiations.


    Hence, the group sent by Thomas had built a site for themselves, a little further away from Dry City.


    The other soldier then said. "After that, a few minutes ago, the army group that was in charge of the negotiations left the headquarters to make first contact with these envoys."


    "They must be getting to know each other by now."


    "I see..." Minos muttered in a low voice while having one of his hands resting on top of his mouth. "How is the strength of this group? Do we have this data?"


    Upon hearing this, immediately, the person who had this information nodded to Minos, confirming such a thing. "Yes, one of the six groups that are around a few hundred kilometers from Dry City accompanied the arrival of this royal entourage."


    "Because of this, we quickly received information that the Brown family group has 100 people."


    "Of those cultivators, 53 of them are Spiritual Warriors, 42 are Spiritual Generals, with only 5 Spiritual Kings were accompanying this group."


    "Of the five, three are at level 51, one at level 52, and the last one at level 53." This Sergeant finished reporting this, still standing in front of the table where Minos was sitting behind.


    "Oh?" The young sovereign exclaimed but soon contained his surprise after thinking about it for a moment. ''Well, that shouldn''t be strange. After all, I only declared the presence of Spiritual Kings below level 53. So, they are using the minimum quantity of force necessary to oppose my group.''


    ''On the other hand, these people must only be subordinates... The leaders of this group, who are here to negotiate, should be among the Spiritual Generals.''


    And young Stuart was not wrong in his conjecture.


    The royal family of the Brown Kingdom knew that this young man wanted independence for the Black Plain previously. Still, him wanting it back then would not be enough for Thomas'' team to think he was a rebel.


    It was a known fact to many that the royal family did not care about the Black Plain. Therefore, wanting independence for such a poor place would not be considered high treason.


    Because of this, the Brown family was still not treating young Stuart as a rebel and was negotiating for a concession.


    Consequently, the people in Thomas''s group did not think there was any danger to the Brown family on the Black Plain, even in their wildest dreams. That is why they had sent only a small group with minimal strength.


    If things went wrong, the group would have the minimum conditions to leave this place and send messages to the kingdom''s capital...


    And it didn''t make sense to think that the newly created organization would try to oppose them in, let''s say, a more violent way. That couldn''t do Minos any good. On the opposite, it would only make him an enemy that needs to be eliminated for one of the largest organizations in the northern part of the Central Continent.


    For all that, there was no royalty Spiritual King in that group. So, the low prestige nobles would lead this negotiation, those still at the 5th stage of cultivation.


    After thinking about these things for a moment, Minos finally gave his orders to those soldiers. "Investigate the backgrounds of the royals who will lead these negotiations."


    "I want those results ready as soon as possible."


    "All right." The three said simultaneously.


    "In case there is nothing extraordinary about their identities, when the time comes, when there is no more room for conversation, kill them all." He said coldly.


    "The royal family will hardly agree to negotiate hostages unless they are very vital to the family. So, we won''t need to spare anyone from that group if none of those royals are relevant."


    Gulp!


    "OK, young master, we will pass that on to the rest of the soldiers..."


    ...


    While Minos was in his office talking about these fake negotiations with the royal family of the Brown Kingdom, this event was starting at this very moment.


    Just a few seconds ago, the group of administrative soldiers from the Black Plain Army had arrived at the joint camp of the two forces.


    This group was not very large, having only 50 soldiers, a sufficient number not to draw unnecessary attention. But, on the other hand, this group was composed of people of similar strengths as the people in this Brown family group.


    Most of them were Spiritual Generals, and Eda, the only Spiritual King in the group, was there just to keep up appearances.


    After all, it would be strange if none of the Spiritual Kings from young Stuart''s forces came to this occasion.


    As for Eda''s identity as a subordinate of the Miller family, well, before joining Minos'' forces, this woman was only at level 48. And at that same level, there were thousands of subordinates of this noble house!


    Furthermore, after becoming a Spiritual King, this woman had changed a lot physically. As such, it would be almost impossible for someone from the royal family to recognize Eda here just because of her past.


    Hence, it hadn''t taken long for these Sergeants to make their way to the main tent of this place, where the negotiations would take place.


    "Brown family envoys, welcome to the Black Plain!" The leader of the group of soldiers said this while smiling softly, making the hairs of his prolonged white beard twitch. "Please..."


    ....

 Chapter 662 - Beginning Of Negotiations 2

    After greeting each other and sitting around a 6-meters long rectangular table, each of the people in that location looked at each other momentarily, as if assessing the other side.


    Of Minos'' group, although 50 people had come for this occasion, most of them were outside this negotiation site. After all, most of them were here to ensure the safety of the administrative members of the army, those less capable individuals when it came to combat.


    So, only five people from the Black Plain Army had accompanied Eda to this area, where they would negotiate with the group of eight people from the Brown family.


    These eight people were none other than the five Spiritual Kings of the Brown family group and the three nobles who would handle the negotiations.


    ''That woman is definitely young...'' So, the strongest Spiritual King of this royal entourage thought to himself as he observed Eda''s perfect skin, those physical features which would make anyone think she was around 33.


    Not only that, but the aura emitted by her also had a particular vigor, typical of young people, full of energy, those who would still have a long way to go.


    And although this Level 53 Spiritual King had no means to guess her age for sure, he could assume that Eda would be no more than 200-years-old. Otherwise, she would hardly emanate such intense vitality!


    With that, by observing this woman for a few moments, this man had already understood a little more about the Black Plain. ''Where does this woman come from? When did such a young Spiritual King like this ascend in our region?''


    However, he could not remember anything. So, he concluded that Eda could not be from any noble or royal family in this region, or he would know her.


    ''The young sovereign of the Black Plain certainly has many means and can hire Spiritual Kings. But could it be that this woman came from one of the reclusive organizations in our region?''


    ''Or perhaps his mother helped him get in touch with someone from outside this region?'' So, he wondered, observing the people in that place still settling in silence.


    These people sent by Thomas obviously knew about Minos'' origin and a lot more secret information about this region. Hence, this person and each of those people there could infer many things about Minos and his organization just by looking at Eda.


    But even if one or more of them had thought of the same possibility as this level 53 Spiritual King, none of them believed that Maisie was somehow trying to influence this region.


    That''s because anyone with contacts outside this region could do something like ask for someone''s help in getting in touch with the right organizations. As in the case of mercenary guilds, which provided services like the one they thought Minos was hiring.


    As long as only referral occurred, i.e., there was no direct funding from outside the northern region in this place, the church would be okay with it. So, that in itself would not represent a severe infraction that could claim the lives of those involved.


    With this, an individual could bring in people from outside the northern region of this continent to help complete tasks and things like that. As long as that person used his own resources to do so, it didn''t matter if it had been facilitated through a messenger.


    ''If he''s depending on that kind of arrangement, he''s risking a lot here...'' So, one of those Spiritual Kings thought while still watching Eda.


    Making deals of the kind with mercenaries would never be good. That''s because, unless such a service is the kind that could end in a short interval of time, the chances of something like that going wrong would be very high.


    Although the mercenaries intend to complete any service, none of them would be loyal to the hiring organization. But, on the other hand, most would not agree to stay for long, since the opportunities in a place like the northern part of the Central Continent were small and they would be limited in this place.


    For all that, hiring mercenary services from outside the region was expensive and often dangerous for the contractors.


    So much so that this sort of thing was rarely used by the large regional organizations, even though many of them had descendants outside the region, in places like the Flaming Empire.


    For the exact cost of a contract with one mercenary from outside their region, a big family could nurture a Spiritual King for many years!


    As such, it would be much more worthwhile to invest in subordinates loyal to the family than in external forces with no significant ties to their contractors.


    Because of this, some of those Spiritual Kings there already felt that Minos'' figure should not be simple. Either he was very audacious and willing to take risks, or he was crazy.


    It would be difficult to negotiate with such a person in both cases.


    ''By the way, where is this Minos?'' One of them wondered, observing that one of the royals in command of this negotiation had asked the same thing to those soldiers.


    Upon hearing such a thing, Joey, who was in the group of five Sergeants, coughed twice and replied. "The young master is in training elsewhere at the moment, outside Dry City. But he is aware of this meeting, and we will send to him all the details discussed here."


    "Oh? So, he is training?" One of those nobles said, understanding the situation. He then looked in Eda''s direction and asked. "And who is in local command? Is it you?"


    "No, a person other than me is ruling Dry City." Eda vaguely said as she watched those five Spiritual Kings who kept staring at her. "But you wouldn''t recognize him. He has no fame. So, you wouldn''t know him."


    After hearing this, those three royals looked at each other and understood that there was no need for such a young man to be here to discuss this kind of matter with them.


    On the other hand, they could already tell that the group coming from Dry City would not make it easy for them, and the three of them would probably have a hard time getting deeper information.


    That is, they ''knew'' the basics of Dry City, which any research group could get from studying a city like that. But as for the critical details of that town, of young Stuart''s organization, that would not be so easy to figure out.


    Hence, since they were also here to learn more about Minos'' organization, these men couldn''t help but realize that this would be more difficult than imagined.


    ''A 20-year-old youth has created an organization that is already harder to read than large regional noble houses...'' One of the eldest of those three thought about it silently.


    "Well, it makes no difference."


    "A deal like the one we will negotiate is critical in the long run, and it won''t make much difference if these circumstances delay this operation a bit." The youngest of the three royals of the Brown family commented after sighing deeply.


    "Hmm, good! I''m happy that you gentlemen understand our situation, hehe." Joey commented in satisfaction as he smiled quietly.


    "So? Anything else to talk about before we start our more serious business?" Another Sergeant from the Black Plain Army asked, just after noticing the silence on the part of the Brown family group.


    "No, I think we can start..."


    "Okay, let''s talk about what matters..."


    "First, we should start discussing the value of the Black Plain, then hopefully you guys will..." And then, quickly, those people stopped talking about Minos and the things they wanted to find out about this place, to talking about the numbers they so badly wanted to get out of this place...


    No matter how mysterious Minos and his organization were, at the end of the day, in the eyes of these envoys from the Brown family, they were just resourceful bumpkins. So, therefore, finding a way to get a slice of these resources was much more important to these men over there, and they would prioritize this!

 Chapter 663 - The Silva Family Appeal 1

    While the negotiations concerning the Black Plain were taking place on the outskirts of Dry City, a few days passed... Nothing happened locally, and the talks were still going smoothly in this period.


    That is to say, Minos'' soldiers had lengthened the conversations in these days, contesting several of the points raised by the royal envoys.


    Like, for example, for every demand that the Brown family wanted the Black Plain to accept, the administrative soldiers of the Black Plain Army were saying things like: ''we have to study this''; ''we don''t know if it''s worth doing such a thing''; ''we need to test it;'' and so on.


    However, despite asking for time to study whether the Brown family''s proposals were economically feasible, they had only done so when there was room to do so. Otherwise, the group of soldiers had agreed to other points not to raise any great suspicion.


    But whether or not they agreed to some points, they were only in a moment of negotiation. Hence, without signed Soul Contracts to force one side to follow through with promises, none of this would have any future validity.


    Too bad these people of the Brown family group didn''t know that Minos'' side was just playing for time, not giving any importance to the things they had agreed...


    After all, this initial moment might not be valid for these people. Still, it was the central part of the negotiations since only after this could a formal agreement be reached.


    So, up to the present moment, those people from the royal entourage were negotiating, without many misgivings, despite the obvious indications that it would not be easy to reach an agreement in this place!


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the Red Valley...


    At this moment, some troops of the Silva family were marching out of this territory, leaving this more southeastern region of the Brown Kingdom and going to the more central part of this state.


    Such a group was composed of a few hundred Spiritual Generals and a few Spiritual Kings. But although this force was not that impressive in terms of numbers, given the number of members in this family, this was not the only group leaving the Red Valley!


    Other groups had already left this Silva family territory since discovering the Dry City dome. And right now, two different groups similar to this one were also leaving the Red Valley, heading in other directions of the Brown Kingdom.


    But regardless of where each of these groups was going, they all had the same goal, which was to prepare this family''s short and medium-term actions!


    They had already discovered many things during the weeks that had passed since the losses on the Black Plain. And as such, by now, they knew many of the things they would need to identify the enemies to the Brown family!


    So, they were already preparing to act!


    The leaders of the Silva family knew that a war could break out in the Brown Kingdom in a short time, so they wanted their troops to be already spread out in this territory.


    First, they wanted to act before their enemies to take advantage of attacking first. And secondly, because they already had some plans to work against some of the weaker enemies even before the war started...


    On the other hand, although several groups of this family were already spread around this state, most of the forces of this family were still in the Red Valley. After all, they had to protect their current home, the place where the foundations of this family were.


    That is, even if they had only been in the Red Valley for a decade, the entire Silva family had already moved here years ago. And with that, except for a few subordinates who commanded the operations of their other territory, the foundations of this local noble house were all in this former Red family territory.


    Anyway, while several of their actions were going on, the three Spiritual Kings accompanying this group heading to the central part of the kingdom were talking on the back of a giant beast.


    The three were sitting on what appeared to be a red elephant, which was about 10 meters high and had a proportionally large body.


    And on the back of this prominent being, the three men were sitting inside a special booth.


    "How were the Gill family''s recent movements?" One of them asked as he looked out the window of that booth and saw the terrain full of life of the Red Valley.


    This family was obviously keeping an eye on the actions of the Gill House. After all, they were already mortal enemies, and House Silva would not miss the opportunity to eliminate Lionel''s family!


    Upon hearing the previous question, the person going on the opposite side of that man then answered him. "Well, the Gill family completely closed down about two months ago."


    "They first took some preventive measures in their headquarters city, like collecting tributes, buying local artifacts, pills, etc. Nothing unexpected considering the current situation." This man said as he looked into the eyes of their leader, who was standing there in front of him.


    "After that, we don''t know what happened. The Gill family completely activated the defensive array of their headquarters, and daily many subordinates were coming and going from that location."


    "Other than that, for all we know, they are hiding in that place while sending their contract workers to solve most of the services necessary for their family to continue to function."


    "Oh?" The man from earlier made a sound as he left the beautiful view and looked at this man who had just said all this. "Well, that''s all they can do, haha, hide."


    "But that won''t work for long!"


    "When our high-level weapons are transported from our ships to the family, we will destroy that barrier of theirs and make them pay for killing our comrades."


    "Hmm, you are right, Dane." The leader of that group then said something for the first time. "But for now, our group will surround that place so that we can cease the entry and exit of resources from that headquarters."


    "Hahaha, let''s see if they will last long enough to tremble in fear as we destroy those defenses of theirs. Hahaha." The man who had asked the question earlier said, smiling coldly.


    Cultivators could go without food for a while because of the quality of their bodies, which made them much more efficient at absorbing substances than beings who couldn''t use spiritual energy.


    But regardless of how good they were, below level 70, everyone would need food, rest, and so on, things necessary for survival.


    Of course, there was a big difference between someone at level 69 and others at level 1. But both needed these things.


    So, a siege that lasted from weeks to months that suppressed the entry and exit of goods from a place could eliminate all enemies if there were not enough resources in the area sieged. Because of this, that Spiritual King was worried to know if some of their enemies would die in a battle or from food deficiency...


    "But Garrick, when can we start this siege? Do you think the patriarch''s plan will work?" The Spiritual King who had spoken about the Gill family said as he looked at the leader of this group.


    Garrick then said. "Well, since that''s not up to us, I can''t tell you anything for sure."


    "But as you know, patriarch Otis is visiting the capital at this very moment to communicate our findings to King Brown ..."


    ...


    Just as Garrick was telling his companions, at this very moment, patriarch Otis Silva was climbing the stairs of the Brown family palace in the capital of this kingdom!


    He was standing next to two other high-status Spiritual Kings of his Silva family at this moment as they walked quickly towards the royal hall.


    Of those two, one of them was the supreme elder of the Silva family, level 56. The other was one of the nobles of that family who was part of the royalty through his marriage to one of the descendants of the Brown family.


    That individual was known in the kingdom as General Silva, level 54, someone quite close to King Thomas but not so close to the leadership of his own family.


    Anyway, General Silva, Adrian, and Otis were very anxious at this moment, and as such, they didn''t take long to arrive at the place where they scheduled an official meeting with the king!


    ....

 Chapter 664 - The Silva Family Appeal 2

    "Otis, long time no see, huh? So, what brings you to my town today? Are you in any trouble?" Thomas Brown asked in a high tone while smiling at the leader of the Silva family.


    After he said this, the people in the ellipse-shaped hall, some guards at the sides, and the king''s assistants looked in the direction of the three individuals with the surname Silva.


    Otis then stepped forward and said. "It is good to see you again, Your Majesty. It truly has been some time since our last reunion..."


    "But anyway, today I am here to seek justice for my Silva family!" He said this in a sincere tone as he swung his right forearm and clenched his fists tightly.


    "Justice?" Thomas repeated this word in a curious tone, not understanding what was happening here. ''Otis Silva is crying out for help? That is the first time I have seen such a thing...'' He thought, looking steadily in the direction of those three Silvas.


    King Brown certainly knew about basic information of all the organizations in this state, except for the newly created Black Plain Army, of course...


    Regardless, it would be necessary for a king to know what his vassals do to prevent rebellions and ensure certain financial misdemeanors do not happen. As such, any king would have spies around the most influential families and organizations, those that controlled a lot of crystals or warriors.


    Because of this, Thomas knew very well about the departure of many Silva family guards from the Red Valley in the last four months. That is, even if the king didn''t care so much about this kind of thing, it would be impossible for him not to pay attention to something that had been happening so often.


    To give you an idea, in the past months, more than 12,000 Spiritual Generals and 15 Spiritual Kings had left the Red Valley and made their way to different regions of the Brown Kingdom!


    And since such moves were only typical during times of war, the royal family of this state was already keeping an eye on the Silva family''s actions.


    However, although they were paying attention to the most recent movements, no such thing had happened with the groups that made their way towards the Black Plain.


    Or rather, the royal family had known about the departure of about 5,000 guards from the Red Valley at that time. But since that had been the Silva family''s first flashy movement, that organization did not know as much about that event as it does about the current troop movements of that noble family.


    Hence, although they knew about the departure of 5,000 guards, the royal family, or rather King Brown, did not know what had happened to these individuals!


    They could have been killed or left for other regions of the kingdom or even other states. The royal family didn''t know because once those groups had entered the Black Plain, their information had disappeared...


    As for the survivors, well, they had only reported what had happened to the Silva family''s administration. So, Thomas did not know about this family''s conflicts against the Black Plain Army.


    King Brown then asked. "What happened?"


    Otis then breathed the air deeply into his lungs before finally making his complaints. "Your Majesty, I am afraid to say that there may be cancer proliferating in the Brown Kingdom!"


    Upon hearing this, none of those other people in that hall, not even the king, had interrupted this patriarch. But they had all looked at him in meaningful ways, a little curious, a little apprehensive.


    After all, having something like what patriarch Silva said there was in this kingdom would be synonymous with a lot of trouble for a state''s royal family.


    Otis then continued. "On the Black Plain, there is an unknown force that threatens the peace throughout the Brown Kingdom!"


    ''Black Plain?'' The people in that place thought in their minds as they turned to look at each other.


    "In that damn place, over 3,500 members of my family fell in front of the organization behind Dry City!"


    "And not only did they eliminate those thousands of Spiritual Generals from my Silva family, but they also killed eight of our Spiritual Kings!"


    "To tell you the truth, seven Spiritual Kings were killed by that organization that is in Dry City. But the eighth was killed by a group from the Gill family, an organization allied or subordinate to the power that is in that damned place." He said in anger as his face became red just for remembering these misfortunes.


    Ever since his son, Darell, had died, it was as if this man and the Silva family were somehow cursed.


    The problems kept coming. More and more people from this family died trying to investigate the death of this young man. And each time this happened, stronger and stronger people died.


    Thus, in addition to being powerless to avenge his son''s death, for which he had no idea who was responsible, this man lived a life of constant stress as a result of his family losses.


    Not only that, with all the bad luck he was having, he was already beginning to believe that it wouldn''t be long before he would face an ordeal himself!


    In this way, Otis Silva couldn''t help but be nervous when talking about this matter.


    "Your Majesty, I admit I don''t know much about the power behind that city. But the actions of that place are very suspicious, and they are already acting with a local noble family..."


    "Not to mention that they are hiding behind a set of defensive barriers that covers an entire city!"


    "Who would invest in such a thing if they weren''t intent on provoking the regional powers?"


    "Anyway, I fear that the organization behind that damned place is preparing for a war against the entire kingdom!" He said as the veins from his neck and forehead became more visible. "Please, Your Majesty, act while it is still early, or I fear that not only my Silva family will suffer from this cancer!"


    After saying that, Otis Silva finished his nervous plea for help after quoting several of the fundamental things about that place.


    Everything he had said demonstrated that the power behind Dry City was unfathomable regarding its origins and strength. Still, at the same time, its actions made its goals very clear.


    Such a place was preparing to face some powerful opponent, or they wouldn''t invest in a set of barriers that covered an entire city!


    They would not try to subjugate noble families of this state if they had good intentions towards the royal family. After all, not even the Spiritual Church would try to make one of its branches subjugate a vassal family of another organization.


    For all that, his speech presented all of the evidence that his family had provided to the king''s group, which would be sufficient for the royal family to justify acting against Dry City.


    "That..."


    "The organization behind Dry City can truly do all that?"


    "But that''s not so strange... If they can afford a defensive dome like that, hiring outside forces to deal with a group with so few Spiritual Generals, it''s no big deal..."


    Several comments in low voices sounded through that place as the Generals of the Brown Kingdom''s royal guard talked among themselves, in a tone that the three Silvas could not hear them.


    But of course, General Silva knew what these people were talking about. After all, he was a member of the royal guard, someone who knew about the current affairs of the Black Plain with the Brown Kingdom.


    However, due to his distance from the leadership of the Silva family, this man did not know that his family''s problems were related to that place. So, he was surprised by something different than the other royal guards.


    ''They didn''t tell me anything because they were afraid that this information would leak through me?'' He wondered, feeling a little bad about it but at the same time understanding that somehow this made sense.


    On the other hand, King Brown was looking at the patriarch Otis steadily, while he had an uncertain look on his face. ''That young man''s forces truly are stronger than we expected...''


    ''But that, in a way, is within his possibilities. Or he wouldn''t have even tried to ask for independence and generated the situation that made me find out about that place...'' So, he pondered as he suddenly associated one thing with the other.


    ''Or maybe he only did that on account of the Silva family finding him out?''

 Chapter 665 - Many Drawbacks

    While thinking about these possibilities, King Brown was becoming more and more curious about the figure of Minos.


    At first, this young man seemed like a lucky young man who, after a great torment, had taken advantage of some good opportunity that had come his way.


    But as Thomas thought more about this young man''s actions and how this tied in with the information they already had, King Brown began to see Minos'' distancing himself from his peers.


    Minos seemed to become much closer behaviorally speaking to regional experts than to juniors of the younger generation.


    So, this monarch couldn''t help but be impressed by the accomplishments of Albert''s son.


    ''That young man seems to be far more intelligent than his father... I would like to meet him in the future.'' So Thomas thought to himself, while he had a usual countenance on his face, still observing those members of the Silva family in that place.


    He then put those thoughts aside and tried to decide on the matter brought up by the patriarch of the Silva family. ''What do I do with this information?''


    ''What Otis reported is not out of our expectations for the forces on the Black Plain.''


    ''As much as these attitudes are unusual, this is not proof that he is a threat. On the contrary, considering that Albert''s son even asked for independence, it is normal that he would try to ally himself with forces from my state. Not to mention that since his state would be weak, it''s quite rational to invest in defenses like that, at least in a first moment.''


    ''Regardless of whether we have granted him independence, he would have to deal with the other families in the region, who would undoubtedly try to force agreements with him.''


    ''That''s all quite sensible, and it doesn''t mean that the forces in that place are a threat to the kingdom...''


    ''On the other hand, even if I can use this as an excuse to invade that place, we are already negotiating a deal with this young man''s forces.'' He pondered seriously, as the silence in that room made it so that every person there could hear Otis'' irregular breathing.


    King Brown saw no advantage in using this to justify action against the Dry City of Minos. Not because there would be no advantage in taking such a place, but because the disadvantages would be too significant.


    First, because invading that place would not be so easy.


    Either they would have to send a large number of high-level cannons, something the royal family did not have, or the king himself would have to act.


    But neither option looked good...


    The Brown family had fewer than 40 cannons similar to those of the warships that attacked the Black Plain Army''s naval base. After all, these items were not very useful in battles since cultivators could dodge or protect themselves from the effects of this type of item with some ease.


    That is, cannons capable of breaking a medium-level grade-2 barrier were huge items that fired balls of significant sizes. Because of this characteristic, as long as one was attentive, it would be tough for even Spiritual Generals to be injured by such a thing.


    Because of this, this kind of weaponry was usually only used on ships, as regional naval battles were not easy and usually relied on long-range and powerful elements.


    Without the ability to fly, a fight at sea would be problematic for people who need support for their movements... And as such, these cannons usually stayed on the ships of prominent families.


    But moving these cannons would not be easy at all since they were enormous, and spatial rings could hardly carry them.


    But even if all this work were done, this kind of item would not be so effective against the defensive dome of Dry City!


    That''s because that dome had many medium-level grade-2 defensive arrays operating simultaneously to defend that location. In other words, even if someone could attack that dome with sufficient power, it meant that only a section of that defensive dome would be destroyed.


    Anyone attempting to invade Dry City in this manner would almost certainly have to deal with the consequences of doing so through a ''small'' entrance, where the forces of this town would be concentrated...


    In other words, it would not be easy!


    And as for the possibility of destroying such a dome entirely, well, King Brown could forget about that.


    The Collins family group that had attacked that naval base had dozens of such cannons, with several rounds of ammunition for each weapon.


    But even then, that group had barely managed to destroy that single barrier.


    As a result, in order to destroy that dome, King Brown would most likely need to use all of his cannons, act on his own, and still rely on the assistance of other levels 59 Spiritual Kings.


    He would have to ask for help from other regional royal families and thereby owe favors to such organizations...


    But that was only the problem of invading such a defensive dome... If they managed to destroy this thing totally or partially, they would still have a battle that could generate several casualties for their organization.


    That is, that king knew of the existence of Spiritual Kings in that city. That meant that there would undoubtedly be the potential for some of the experts of the Brown family at the 6th stage to fall at that location.


    And that was something unacceptable to this king since he was already trying to reach an agreement with Minos!


    ''There''s no point in acting rashly just because the Silva family had losses in that place!'' Thomas concluded in his mind as he focused on the direction of Otis and Adrian. ''Not to mention that those two probably sent forces to the Black Plain on their own...''


    "Otis, I reject your request." King Brown said in a vibrant tone, causing those two Silva family members to frown in shock.


    Neither of them expected such a thing. After all, they had practically done all the work for the Brown family to be justified doing whatever they wanted on the Black Plain.


    The Brown family had the knife and the cheese in their hand!


    All that remained was for the king to decide to do the obvious and take the opportunity to enjoy the possibilities behind the changes in that place.


    As such, these two individuals were shocked by what they had just heard.


    Gulp!


    "Pardon?" Adrian said in shock as he looked at Thomas with his mouth open.


    But while he and the patriarch were quite surprised by this, things were somewhat different for the people in that royal hall.


    The people there were all either trusted members of the royal family or people of high importance. So, they all knew what was going on between the Brown family and the organization behind Dry City.


    Hence, it hadn''t come as a surprise to any of them that the king had decided not to go through with what Otis Silva intended.


    "It''s not worth it. The costs would be too high..."


    "And doing it just for the sake of the Silva family seems a bit too bad for us."


    "We can enjoy the resources of that place without getting involved in anything! We just need to make that young man bend his knees, and we''ll get a big slice of the profit from that region..."


    Those Brown family experts commented among themselves as they watched the shocked reaction of the two pillars of the Silva family.


    General Silva then turned to those two and said. "Patriarch, supreme elder, His Majesty has indeed refused your request."


    "Considering the current situation, such a proposed thing would not compensate for the losses we would have..." He said vaguely, without going into details about the negotiations with the Black Plain.


    He was angry to find that the organization behind such a place had dealt such a blow to his birth family. But as a member of the royalty, this General was aware that reaching a peaceful agreement with Minos would be better than fighting against this young man''s army.


    So, he couldn''t help but understand King Brown''s decision.


    Thomas then spoke again. "Otis, Adrian, I know your losses are not small, but you must bear the consequences of your own actions."


    "As for my royal family, since this case does not seem to hold an advantage for us, for the moment, I can do nothing to help you but give you advice."


    "Gather your forces and isolate yourselves for a time while you recover from these losses. That''s what I would do if I were in your place..." He said as he stood up and prepared to leave that place.. "Anyway, good luck in whatever you guys decide to do."

 Chapter 666 - Failure And Agreement Confirmed

    After hearing the words of King Brown and seeing him leave that hall, the two leading members of the Silva family could not help but feel a deep sense of loss.


    Although they had done everything they could to identify those involved and bring the proper evidence needed for the royal family to act, it had all been meaningless.


    And without the royal family getting involved against Dry City, it would be almost impossible for them to invade that place. As such, this refusal by the king had been a big step backward in their plans!


    "Patriarch, supreme elder, what will you do now?" General Silva asked simultaneously as the rest of the people there departed, and this man directed his two fellow family members to the exit.


    As they started walking towards the exit of that place, Otis and Adrian had completely dark faces, while their moods were not good at all.


    But soon, one of them answered the question of this General of the royal guard. "Sigh... For now, we can only pause our plans, at least for the moment, just as King Brown advised us..." Otis Silva commented in a low voice.


    "Hmm, that''s probably the best thing to do." General Silva agreed.


    "However, as much as we cannot try risky things on the Black Plain, perhaps there is room for us to act in other locations..."


    "What do you mean, supreme elder?"


    "There is that question with the Gill family..." Adrian began to speak as their group walked towards the exit of that royal palace. "Since we are not going to act immediately against the forces on the Black Plain, we can focus our attention on the Gill family."


    "On the other hand, we have to be quite careful with House Miller in this period. Once the news that some of our Spiritual Kings have fallen on the Black Plain reaches their headquarters, we may have to deal with their pressure as well."


    Otis then nodded in agreement. "That''s true..."


    "In fact, we should continue to watch the Millers'' actions. Although we haven''t found out anything about them getting involved with the Black Plain, that doesn''t mean they aren''t in collaboration with the Gill family and that damn place."


    The Silva family had thoroughly investigated Abby''s family. However, they had found nothing to indicate the Millers'' involvement with the Black Plain. Yet, they had also found nothing that denied possible contacts.


    Some Miller family Spiritual Kings had secretly left that organization''s headquarters, so none of the Silva family spies knew about it until it was too late.


    Hence, although they didn''t know whether or not this was related to the Black Plain, it was a fact that they couldn''t say anything about it.


    The possibility existed, and as such, they were not entirely convinced of the non-involvement of this rival organization of theirs with these mysterious enemies in Dry City.


    But all this was to be expected. After all, by the time Minos had visited Abby''s family, he had done so quickly and had not left his name behind.


    In fact, only Abby''s parents and the high-ranking elders of that family knew of this young man''s identity during that trip. But these people would not go around talking about it.


    It was their necks that would be on the line if anyone found out about their plans with Minos!


    As for the other people who had come into contact with Minos, none of them knew his name, and for all intents and purposes, he was just Abby''s boyfriend, a talented youth who was already at level 49. Beyond that, there was nothing special about him.


    On the other hand, all the relations that Minos'' territory had with the Miller family after that agreement between the parties was confirmed had been done through Yellow City.


    Even if someone figured out the outflow of people or resources from that family to the Black Plain, all they would find out would be things and people going to the Kingdom of the Waves.


    Abby''s experienced merchant family had many contacts in that state. So, it was effortless for them to put the products or people going to Dry City in the middle of legitimate business going to that kingdom.


    With that, the stop in Yellow City was nothing more than a moment of rest.


    Consequently, the spies of the Silva family had discovered nothing regarding this relationship of the House Miller with the Black Plain Army.


    "Anyway, let''s go..."


    "All I can do now is focus on reaching level 58." Otis commented to those two right after sighing in defeat.


    Upon hearing such a thing, General Silva then asked in surprise. "Oh? Aren''t you far from that?"


    "I''m almost there. Maybe I will get there in the next six months... Let''s see how things develop."


    After that, it wasn''t long before the group broke up.


    ...


    While the Silva family was doing what they could to continue with some of their plans, Minos traveled through the Black Plain lifeless terrain on the back of a great white eagle.


    After about two months since he had reached the 6th stage of cultivation, this young man had done many essential things for his city and army. Among them were the negotiations with Vivian and the Hayes family.


    And at this moment, he was just back from the Cromwell Kingdom, where he had just finalized the agreement with Vivian''s family!


    After these two months since the two had met in Dry City, Vivian had quickly made her way to Primrose, her family''s headquarters. There, she had communicated to her elders about the agreement Minos wanted to make with them.


    And since this organization had nothing to lose by allying with Minos, on the contrary, they could gain several things; they had readily accepted this young man''s conditions.


    With that, after a few trips, both from Minos to the Cromwell Kingdom and from some of the elders of that family to the City of Waters, the parties involved had finished signing the Soul Contracts.


    Minos had taken long trips for the first time since his last occasion with Abby in the Kingdom of the Waves. But this had a good reason. After all, the Hayes family was at war with the Chambers family!


    It would have been challenging for this agreement to have been confirmed if it depended on the high-level elders of that organization leaving their territories to negotiate with Minos. Therefore, this young man had traveled to this kingdom to settle this matter quickly.


    The Hayes family elders were subdivided into various parts of that organization''s territory. Because of this, he had visited more than one place during that time. But luckily, White was already at level 46 and could cross this state from one place to another in less than two weeks.


    So, in the two weeks or so that had passed, this young man had done this up until today when he had finished signing the last of the agreements with the elders of that family.


    As such, he was returning to his city at this time, along with Vivian and Grace.


    One of them was part of that agreement, as she was occupying one of the five slots that the Hayes family had obtained in the deal with Minos. As for the other, she was naturally here to accompany her girlfriend on this journey since she would not let Vivian stay away from her for so long.


    As such, Grace was here with Vivian, going to live in Dry City for the next 12 months that that woman from the Hayes family would have to stay in this place. Only after that could Vivan return home and let another member of her family take advantage of this opportunity.


    "Minos, about what we talked about before, can you help me with that?" Vivian asked in a low voice, speaking next to this young man''s right ear as she sat behind him.


    Upon hearing such a thing, Minos smiled and said. "It''s not impossible, but she will have...."

 Chapter 667 - Ive Left The Clues Behind

    "But she will have to join my army. Otherwise, you can forget it." Minos said, just so he and Vivian could hear. "I don''t do charity."


    Obviously, they were talking about Grace, who was right behind Vivian on White''s back. As for what Davy''s sister had asked Minos, well, that was for this young man to give her girlfriend a chance to learn the army techniques.


    But Minos would not do such a thing without motivation. What would he get out of it if Grace got stronger but had no obligation to help him?


    It would be foolish to do something like that!


    As such, he had promptly told Vivian what would be the only possibility for Grace to take advantage of chances similar to the ones she would have.


    Grace was not part of the Hayes family but a member of a minor noble family of the Cromwell Kingdom, a noble house created through one of Vivian''s family subordinates. And because of this, she had no chance of being one of the five people who could enjoy the consequences of Minos'' agreement with that noble family.


    But still, Vivian had tried. This woman had even fought and, in a way, caused a war with the Chambers family on Grace''s account. So, it wasn''t strange for her to ask Minos for something like this.


    Anyway, upon hearing Minos'' ''dry'' answer, this woman frowned, realizing that other things could not move this young man.


    She had asked him about this before, making offers inclusive, but he had always refused. But now, with this different answer from him, she knew that there were no other alternatives.


    However, she didn''t like the idea of Grace having to subordinate herself to Minos'' organization. After all, in doing so, in a way, the life of anyone who made such a choice was going to be connected with the future of that organization.


    That would mean that if things went from bad to worse, the chance of survival would be slight. As for if things went well, this would not mean that such a person who subordinated himself would benefit from it.


    Usually, only those most prominent figures and their descendants enjoyed the best part of the sweet fruits of success.


    So, joining an organization as a subordinate was not easy.


    When it came to significant forces, already consolidated organizations, as in the example of the great sects of the Flaming Empire, it wouldn''t be so challenging for someone to accept that. But what about the Black Plain? Was it strong enough for a nobleman to subordinate himself so quickly?


    Was it worth having obligations to such power?


    That is, there were undoubtedly many advantages to allying with the Black Plain Army, but to subordinate oneself was an entirely different thing.


    And for Vivian, who had seen Dry City for only a couple of days, she didn''t have enough signs to make her see that this wouldn''t be such a bad idea.


    She had not spent months in Dry City, as in Elena''s case, who had the opportunity to see the power of that place, to have seen the speed of the city''s improvements, etc.


    As such, she didn''t think it was good to talk about such a thing at the moment.


    "Tsk!"


    "Let''s leave this subject for another time." She said after thinking about it for a while.


    "Hehehe." Minos laughed as he looked back and saw Vivian''s pretty face, which was currently with an unfriendly expression.


    ''Ahh, but it is truly a shame that these two don''t like men... Otherwise, this trip wouldn''t have to be so tedious.'' Minos thought about it, just after turning his face forward and seeing the beautiful blue sky of the Black Plain.


    Abby and Ruth had not traveled with him during this period. That''s because while one had to take care of army affairs, the other could not be seen doing suspicious things around this region...


    That is, Ruth could accompany Minos wherever he went. But since this young man had gone out to make an alliance with a regional organization at war with another local power, it would be problematic for her to accompany him.


    What if someone related this and the presence of a member of one of the sects in the Flaming Empire?


    That would be very different than the trip he had made to the Miller family earlier. After all, Abby''s family was not getting involved in any conflict, and there would be no suspicions regarding Ruth''s presence with Minos.


    But it was entirely different for the Hayes family.


    That was because, in addition to this power currently being in the middle of a conflict with the Chambers family, Minos planned to help this organization so that they could more easily deal with these enemies.


    So, if Ruth was seen with Minos in a place where he made an alliance with a power that in the future might get more substantial and such a thing help them resolve that conflict, this could look very suspicious...


    Anyway, someone could try to use the Spiritual Church against Minos, and if he gave that kind of opportunity, a lot of trouble could happen.


    As such, Ruth had not come with him on this trip.


    And with that, this young man had made this two-week trip unaccompanied, having had no opportunities to release pressure on his shoulders in certain activities...


    He had even tried something with Vivian and Grace. Still, unlike the many bisexual women he knew, these two only liked women.


    As young Stuart lamented in his mind about this little misfortune of his, suddenly Grace''s voice reached his ears. "Minos, how much longer will it take us to reach Dry City?"


    "An hour." He promptly answered as he looked out over the lifeless lands of the Black Plain, hundreds of feet up from sea level.


    From that spot, he could see an entirely desert-like vista without any presence of vegetation, rivers, or even beasts.


    It was an empty place, with nothing flashy to observe while traveling that way.


    "When will you settle this combined matter on this trip? Do you have all the arrangements ready?" Grace asked as she remembered the little she knew about Minos'' arrangement with the Hayes family.


    After hearing this, Vivian''s eyes sparkled as she watched Minos'' back, waiting for that answer. ''I hope he won''t take long in taking action against the Chambers family...'' She thought briefly until finally, Minos answered Grace''s question.


    ''Well, that won''t take long to happen. During this trip of mine to the Cromwell Kingdom, I left some clues that might lead some people who are after me towards the Yellow City." He said, smiling.


    "Yellow City?" The two asked.


    They didn''t know the details of this mission that Minos would do in conjunction with some House Hayes forces. After all, neither of them had the strength to get involved in it, and they too would have to stay in Dry City from now on.


    Hence, although Vivian had heard from Minos some of what he wanted to do to deal a significant blow to the Chambers family, she was in the dark about the details.


    "Yes. Since I cannot control who will receive this information, I cannot lure the enemies to the City of Waters, where royal forces exist. So, acting in Yellow City, where there are no subordinates of any other regional power, seems the best option to me."


    He would not try to lure anyone to Dry City. And since there weren''t many places left where his plan could work, that city where one of his secret bases was had been chosen.


    Minos hoped to lure some of the Chambers family specialists to that location, where he would take the opportunity to deal a decisive blow to that organization.


    "Anyway, it shouldn''t take long before that happens. I don''t have the date since that depends more on our enemies than on me. But it shouldn''t take long."


    "And yes, everything is ready for it. It is just a matter of your family''s spies or the soldiers in my army sending the warning to me, and we can act immediately!"

 Chapter 668 - The Spiritual Church Branch In The Brown Kingdom

    Meanwhile, in the capital of the Brown Kingdom...


    In this city, as in each of the capitals of this northern region of the Central Continent, a particular building in the middle of the town had a very distinctive shape.


    This place was a glamorous temple, where people crowded around it to observe it at all times of the day.


    There was no fence or wall of any kind, just a temple surrounded by verdant lawns. Moreover, that building was filled with glass on the sides, from which any viewer could see from afar the movement of people on the sides of this building.


    And like any branch of the Spiritual Church, most of the people coming and going there wore the typical costumes of different colors.


    There were many white and blue cloaks there, but now and then, someone wearing purple cloaks would pass from one side to the other while being followed by some individuals wearing blue cloaks.


    But while this branch of the Spiritual Church responsible for the affairs of this organization in the Brown Kingdom was functioning normally, inside this temple, some of the Spiritual Kings were in a meeting, in a large hall.


    In this place, there was a large ''U'' shaped table in the center of the hall, where 13 chairs were distributed at similar distances from each other.


    But now, only five individuals wearing purple cloaks were there, sitting on five of those thirteen chairs, while some people dressed in blue cloaks were standing next to these people.


    "... And after that, the Snow Kingdom''s royal family dispatched some individuals towards the Cromwell Kingdom, where they intend to capture the mastermind of the assassin who tortured and killed the second prince." One of these Spiritual Kings finished reading this information that the church branch in that state had sent to them.


    Upon hearing such a thing, those other Spiritual Kings were silent for a moment before finally the second strongest one there, level 57, said the following. "So, the royal family already knows the identity of the culprit for this crime?"


    The same person from before then shook his head in denial and said. "No. But a few months ago, the Snow family received an anonymous tip... And although they didn''t have 100% confidence in it, after investigating its information for months, they found that there were only facts there."


    "Because of this, the crown prince decided to take a chance, sending one of his followers to head towards the Chambers family to interrogate the person supposedly responsible for this."


    Upon hearing this, those four men, all above level 55, frowned, forming expressions of concern on their faces.


    "That''s terrible!"


    "Yes... If the Cromwell family finds out that the Snows are trying to act against one of their vassals, that won''t be good at all!"


    "I just hope that doesn''t cross the line... If it''s just talking, then our region can still save itself from a clash between kings." A level 56 individual said this firmly while his long white beard trembled.


    "Otherwise..."


    And as one of them went to say something, the same individual who had read that information spoke again. "I don''t think it''s going to be something friendly..."


    "Despite the second prince''s distinct personality, the crown prince always considered him a great friend and loved him. And he even had a fit of rage when he found out the way his younger brother had died."


    "So, I don''t think that will develop well."


    "That''s right... I heard that the crown prince had trained his brother, despite that poor young man''s disinterest in fighting."


    "Well, let''s hope that this individual sent by the crown prince will be discreet and handle this situation without drawing attention."


    "Let''s ask our brothers in the Cromwell Kingdom to guard this information. Otherwise, the situation in our region may become irreversible!" The leader of this branch of the church said this while having his eyes closed, with a thoughtful countenance on his face.


    ''Over 200,000 years and no major war has happened in our region.... But all of a sudden, everyone is starting to prepare for times of war.''


    ''What''s wrong with these people?''


    ''Have we just been unlucky enough to have so many bloodthirsty individuals in one generation? Or is there something else?'' This old Bishop wondered, trying to understand the flames of war that were becoming more and more noticeable in this region.


    Local conflicts were already happening in two states, while three other states were facing tensions, which could at any moment start more local clashes.


    The only kingdom that seemed somewhat stable was the Kingdom of the End, where ''only'' one noble family was exterminated a few years ago...


    However, with this information they had just heard, these men couldn''t help but fear that the situation would evolve into a major regional war!


    And a widespread confrontation throughout the region would be everything they didn''t want to have to face!


    After all, the Spiritual Church lived off taxes and the genies generated by the local populations. And as much as these branches in the northern region were not so relevant to this organization, they still depended on results to have opportunities!


    As such, in times of war, when geniuses would die, local powers would decrease tax payments, these branches, or rather these Bishops, would suffer the most.


    ''But what can we do? If they want to kill themselves, we have no option but to wait for the branch in the Flaming Empire to do something...'' This individual thought briefly.


    The branches of the Spiritual Church were highly respected regionally, and together, they formed one of the most powerful organizations in this part of the continent. However, that didn''t mean they would have enough strength to stop a regional war!


    After all, if one were to add up all the forces of the Spiritual Church in this region, they would have something like 80,000 Spiritual Generals and 60 Spiritual Kings. And that made them the strongest in terms of numbers in this region.


    But if two or more royal families decided to fight, their numbers would already exceed those of the church branches in this region...


    Hence, they had little power to stop two top-level organizations in the region from facing each other if they so chose.


    Therefore, to prevent any widespread war in the region, they would depend on the branch''s actions responsible for this region, the church post in the Flaming Empire!


    As his fellow Purple-cloaked fellows expressed their opinions regarding this matter, the leader of this post then said. "We will continue to inform the branch in the Kingdom of the Waves about this matter. I hope they will pass on our concerns to our superiors in the Flaming Empire..."


    "But in the meantime, let''s try to appease the crown prince of the Snow Kingdom so that he doesn''t overreact in his actions. And we''ll keep an eye on the Cromwell family. If they find out something, we''ll depend on our brothers in that state to try to resolve this problem as peacefully as possible."


    "Hmm, that''s the only option..."


    "Yes, I hope things don''t get out of hand."


    At the same time, several comments were made where those Blue-cloaked in that place had completely dark faces, worried about the future.


    ''Damn! Why did this happen right in my generation?''


    ''If this isn''t resolved peacefully, I may never get the chance to go to the branch in the Empire...''


    And soon, a few minutes passed and those people started talking about other subjects, some of them lighter than the previous one, which gave them hope and made them smile...


    "... With this, the Black Plain no longer seems to be a barren place and can generate income to the point of turning that place into a self-sustaining region, able to flourish little by little." A level 55 Spiritual King said this as he finished talking about what he had discovered through one of his contacts within the Brown family.


    "Oh? The Black Plain has changed that much?"


    "That''s amazing!"


    "Finally, a good omen for our region!" One of them said hopefully, smiling.


    "Haha, I never expected that one day in my life I would have to discuss such a matter..." The Bishop who had reported such news said, grinning from ear to ear. "Maybe we should open a small parish in Dry City...."

 Chapter 669 - Patriarch Collins Decision

    While the strongest Bishops of that Spiritual Church branch were discussing the possibilities concerning the Black Plain, the Collins family had just discovered what had happened at that base!


    After weeks of sailing, that surviving group had experienced several problems, even being attacked by sea beasts and pirate groups. But after many difficulties, they had reached the headquarters of the Collins family.


    As such, they finally had given their complete reports of what they knew and had seen in that place, something they had not been able to do for many reasons.


    For example, during the confrontation against that Nash family ship, the Spiritual King they had faced had killed all the crows on that ship to prevent messages from being sent by those people.


    But, unfortunately, he had died, and his action had been of no use to himself...


    But this had made it more difficult for these survivors to send such information to the Collins family headquarters.


    In any case, they had managed to return to such a place after many trials. Hence, by now, the entire command of this noble family of the Kingdom of the Waves already knew the tragic results of that mission!


    Almost 4,000 people had died. Among them, 9 Spiritual Kings had perished, while the last one was still showing signs of life but was probably captured by enemy forces.


    To make matters worse, the person who had survived was one of the family''s nobles, a level 55 cultivator, who knew a lot and didn''t have a Soul Contract limiting her!


    Consequently, they had conquered a new enemy who certainly already knew a lot of information about this great noble family.


    ...


    Melia City, Kingdom of the Waves.


    Three people were walking through a courtyard of a large mansion in this city of the Collins family while talking in solemn tones.


    "Page''s group was brutally slaughtered on the Black Plain..."


    "Ah, how pitiful." A man who seemed to be at the end of his life said this while his white robe shook with every step he took.


    Meanwhile, a young man with black hair was walking beside this figure, with an ugly expression on his face. He was dressed in a noble silver robe, full of fine details, typically worn by those of high regional status.


    But no matter how attractive his clothes were, the look on his face would draw all the attention of anyone who saw him due to the bad mood he was in now.


    The old man then continued, not caring about the angry countenance on the young man''s face. "To make matters worse, we now potentially have two high-level regional enemies."


    Upon hearing this, the bodyguard, who was walking behind the black-haired young man, and who was wearing armor from the local royal guard, frowned and asked. "Patriarch Constant, why do you say that? Do you think more than one organization operated that place?"


    The patriarch of the Collins family, Constant Collins, level 58, then shook his head in denial and said. "No. I mean the Nash family ship we attacked."


    "After our troops annihilated the crew of that ship that had no identification, our survivors discovered the identity of the Spiritual King who was protecting that ship."


    "And that was a Nash family ship!" He said this as his eyes narrowed, and a killing intention could be seen on his face.


    "But that whole crew was annihilated... Plus, the Nash family is already at war with the Allen family. So, they''ll probably think it was something from those enemies of theirs."


    "No, we wish that possibility were plausible..." Then, finally, the young man said something, as he disagreed with his bodyguard. "Uncle Constant is right in thinking that the Nash family will know about it."


    "After all, the people on that base know that we attacked that place, and aunt Page herself, who is possibly in captivity, was the one who gave the order for such an attack."


    "Therefore, the people on that base, who seem to have relations with the Nash family, certainly know about this incident and will notify their partners about it!"


    "Hmmm." Constant made a gesture of agreement while looking sideways at this young descendant, who was very important to the plans of this organization despite not being part of the family.


    ''Young Charles is brilliant. At his age, his father would not be better than him at anything!'' So, he thought to himself, as he felt a little satisfaction, despite the losses he had just had.


    But that was only natural...


    Regardless of how significant those losses had been, with Charles Walker on his side, he had one of the three strongest organizations in the region on his side!


    So, even if the present times were difficult, as long as Charles ruled the kingdom, his family would have every opportunity to grow to the size of these three top regional organizations!


    Anyway, upon hearing the crown prince''s answer, this young man''s bodyguard, level 57, understood the whole situation. "So, how will the Collins family handle this? Does Your Highness intend to do anything about it?"


    Charles then said. "For now, I can''t do anything since it will still be a while before I have control over the royal guard..."


    "Hmm, that''s normal."


    "Don''t worry, Your Highness, I will take sensible action until we can act together to avenge our losses." Constant replied as he tapped one of Charles'' shoulders and made a confident gesture.


    "But as much as it is unwise to act against that naval base on the Black Plain until we have more information about that place, things are different for the Nash family!"


    "Since they are already at war against the Allen family, we might as well fund the enemies of our enemies..."


    And then the three continued to talk about this subject for a while, having talked about plans for dealing with those two organizations that they presumed to be their newest enemies. But, on the other hand, after talking about these bad matters, they didn''t take long to arrange new partnerships of the royal family with the House Collins.


    Although Charles was not a member of the Collins family, his mother was. And this young royal heir had always been very close to his mother''s side of the family. In fact, almost all of this young man''s friends and love interests were in this family...


    As such, he would not let that organization be left behind when he took command of the largest state in the northern region of the Central Continent!


    ...


    Meanwhile, in Dry City...


    Minos and the two women from Primrose had already arrived in this city on the Black Plain a few hours ago.


    Hence, Vivian and Grace had already separated from this young sovereign to finally plan what their lives would be like here for the following year.


    They had bought a high-standard apartment in Dry City, which they still needed to get to know and arrange in the best way that would please them. But, on the other hand, they wanted to truly experience this place, which they had not been able to do due to their previous brief time here.


    With that, Minos had made his way to his mansion alone, where he intended to take a day off with his two girlfriends before finally returning to work the next day...


    A man needed to be focused!


    However, while Minos was having a good time with his girlfriends, Todd had returned to Dry City.


    After he had negotiated the details of the alliance with Minos almost two months ago, this young man had not been slow to return to the Cohen family headquarters.


    And since he had plenty of evidence that such an alliance with Minos was a good thing for the Cohen family, the patriarch of that organization had readily accepted the deal.


    So, even though the leaders of Todd''s family had not yet signed Soul Contracts with Minos, they were already acting as if they were his allies. For example, some time ago, this young ruler of the Black Plain had asked them to spy on the Collins family.


    As requested, they were already keeping an eye on the actions of that organization!


    But while the command of this family was already acting in this way, Todd had come to Dry City with some of his fellow family members to follow through with the negotiated agreement....

 Chapter 670 - Announcement Of War!

    "Wow! There are so many Spiritual Kings in this city. I can hardly believe it!" One of the three Spiritual Kings that the Cohen family had sent with Todd said this in admiration.


    "It''s truly amazing!"


    "I had heard stories about this place, but I must admit I didn''t take it very seriously... But who knew, I was wrong!"


    Such people had come to support the forces of Dry City for the next few years, as Todd and Minos had previously agreed and the leaders of this family had accepted.


    So, they had traveled with this nobleman from the Cohen family to this place to live in this town for the next few years.


    But unlike what would happen some of the other allied Spiritual Kings of the Black Plain Army, these subordinates of the House Cohen would not have the chance to learn the army''s techniques. After all, Minos'' agreement with Todd did not involve that sort of thing, and these people were not here to subordinate themselves to the local sovereign.


    So, these individuals would have a similar local function as the Gill family Spiritual Kings, in helping to protect the city and participate in battles. Other than that, the only difference between them and the members of Lionel''s family was that they were not subordinates of Minos.


    But in any case, these individuals were satisfied with this arrangement with Minos and were positively surprised to see Dry City with their own eyes.


    They had only heard of this place from the bodyguard who had accompanied Todd last time, but the experience was different. So, they were surprised to see this place.


    On the other hand, when Todd was away, the Gill family had been subjugated, which these people still did not know had happened.


    Hence, Todd was also surprised to feel so many experts in this city!


    "There are already over 30 Spiritual Kings living here! Unbelievable!" Todd said in surprise as he walked alongside those experts from his family.


    "I wonder what happened?" He muttered in an impressed manner.


    "This place looks very powerful, young Todd. It even looks like the headquarters of a mid-level regional noble family, almost touching the high level!" The strongest of the three, level 53, said in admiration, ignoring what Todd had muttered.


    "It wasn''t a bad choice to ally ourselves with such a place. With the local development rate, it won''t take many decades, and this Dry City will become a major metropolis that could compete with the regional capitals!" Another of them said as he watched from side to side the street they were passing, with a curious look on his old face.


    "I''m looking forward to getting to know this city... What shall we do now, young Todd? Should we go meet the local sovereign?" Another Spiritual King asked seriously.


    "Well, I think we''d better first look for a place to rest and eat. Since it will still be a few days before the elders can sign the agreements with Minos, we are not in a hurry to talk to him."


    "We''ll do it tomorrow!" He said before finally directing his traveling companions in the direction of the Four Seasons Hotel, the best hotel in Dry City at the moment.


    Such a hotel had grown dramatically since Minos'' arrival in Dry City, and today it could even host a few hundred visitors at once.


    Consequently, unlike the second time Elen had visited this city, Minos no longer had to offer apartments in his mansion for essential visitors.


    There was already a good supply of hotel services in the city, and they were also of satisfactory quality, of course, considering that this was still the northern part of the Central Continent. So, young Stuart didn''t need to do this kind of favor.


    Every visitor could get rooms or even apartments for rent in Dry City during their stays here. But, on the other hand, the local real estate sector had many properties ready for sale. So, if one was going to spend more time here, it might not be a bad idea to buy a place to call one''s own in this city...


    Therefore, Todd and his traveling companions did not need to bother visiting young Stuart at this time. Instead, they could go out and see the town, eat a good meal, rest, and then cultivate until they felt ready to take care of official business.


    ...


    Quickly the night passed in Dry City, and the day was slowly dawning.


    The many windows around this city were slowly opening, along with the first people waking up for another day of work.


    And while the morning smell of breakfast was spreading through the residential neighborhoods, something important was being done by several low-ranking soldiers.


    In several places, on notice boards scattered throughout the city, soldiers placed identical posters on each notice post.


    These posters were not small, about 1 meter high and 50 centimeters wide, containing large letters and an eye-catching design for the citizens to see them as soon as possible.


    So, after one of those posters was on a mural, an elderly citizen who was passing close to that suddenly had the curiosity to approach that notice, to see what it was all about.


    "Looks like the local government has something big to announce..." He muttered in a low voice as he looked in the direction of that notice and carried a bag of fruit on his back.


    ''It''s not every day that we get notices from the government...''


    ''I wonder if it''s the inauguration of some new service?'' He thought about it, remembering that usually, there were no official government notices.


    But this was normal. After all, new services would not become available every day, much less would the current services be improved so consistently.


    That even happened much more frequently than in other regional cities. But it was undeniable that weeks could go by without anything new or better appearing in this city.


    As such, each time new notices were released to ordinary citizens, many of them, like this elderly man, would not delay in approaching one of the local murals.


    "Let me see this here..."


    He then began to read such a thing when he finally got close enough to see these words.


    ''Support the local army!


    ''Support the Black Plain War of Independence!''


    ''Dry City residents, I am sorry to inform this, but our city will soon face tumultuous times of war as a result of the greed of outside forces seeking to conquer our city...''


    ''... These forces will do anything to destroy our way of life. Exploit our achievements. Usurp our land while taking food from our children''s mouths, killing our brave soldiers, and usurping your rights...''


    ''... But as a leader determined to free the Black Plain, to make this place even more sublime, I am willing to fight! Only with this our region can one day become an independent state...''


    ''... To begin with, we will fight against those who oppose the desire for separation, who want to threaten everything we build...''


    ''... But I promise that I will not stop fighting until the Black Plain is recognized independent of the Brown Kingdom by all the regional states!''


    ''From your sovereign, Minos Stuart.''


    As he finished reading the tiny words on that notice, this old figure couldn''t help but open his mouth in shock as his eyes fluttered in agitation.


    He knew that something like this would happen sooner or later since Dry City was indeed very different from the rest of the northern region of the Central Continent.


    But he had never thought that things would develop in this way and so quickly!


    Gulp!


    "A war of independence?" He wondered aloud, not realizing that he had alerted some people who were passing by that place.


    ''Will Lord Minos truly go up against the Brown family? Will he be able to fight against such an organization?'' He asked himself in doubt, already feeling that he was not the only one in that place next to the mural where he had read such a thing.


    After thinking about it for a while, he finally looked at the bag full of high spiritual concentration fruits that he had just bought for his family. Then he looked at the clothes on his body. He then felt his energies and physical strength, which he could not use even for doing ordinary crafts two years ago.


    ''If it weren''t for these opportunities given to me by Lord Minos, I would never have reached level 33, nor would my family be able to eat items of this quality!'' So, he considered as he clenched his wrinkled fist.


    After that, he made a determined expression before going back his previous way, feeling that the war of independence was worth a lot to him and his family!

 Chapter 671 - Reaction 1

    Before long, the entire population of Dry City found out about the war warning that young Stuart had released earlier.


    That was not good news by any means. And as such, people had become somewhat fearful about the local future because of it.


    After all, wars were not easy things to settle and usually involved a lot of risks and losses. So, even the population of this city, which was composed of many ordinary individuals without much knowledge, was aware of the seriousness of the situation.


    And they really wouldn''t need much knowledge about the regional past to know that independence or rebellion was not well received by the large regional forces... On the contrary, rebels were treated harshly and were usually exterminated sooner or later!


    Hence, upon discovering Minos'' intentions to fight a war of independence against the Brown Kingdom, the citizens knew that he was heading in a direction that had no return.


    Either he would succeed, and things would go well for Dry City in the future, or he would lose, and it would all be destroyed.


    On the other hand, the more experienced or intelligent people soon realized that there wasn''t much choice here.


    Some might be more naive, but even the worst of the fools wouldn''t think that outsiders wouldn''t covet Dry City upon discovering the local opportunities. As in the example of those nobles from the Brown Kingdom or members of royalty who would undoubtedly see the Black Plain as a place to be explored.


    So, with the discovery regarding the local changes, it was only a matter of time before someone would approach this city and try to take local control. They would replace the current ruler or subdue him.


    In any case, the results would not be satisfactory for these more ordinary citizens, people with White and Blue talents.


    Most of Dry City''s population had migrated here from other cities. Most of the people of Dry City had migrated here from other cities and different kingdoms in the region. Because of this, they knew very well that if an enemy force took over this place, they could be sure that the local opportunities would change significantly.


    After all, none of them knew of any cities in this region that offered the same opportunities for low-talented inhabitants as Minos did in Dry City.


    There were even good cities to live in in this part of the Central Continent. Still, in these places, at most, these ordinary inhabitants wouldn''t be exploited and would get decent wages.


    As for things like learning techniques for free without direct subordination to the sovereign power, financing options for real estate, employment for all, subsidies for pill production, and so on, none of this existed outside of Dry City.


    On the other hand, any of these cities were far away from the Black Plain, and those who wanted to migrate might have to endure the hardships of traveling for months until they arrived in one of these cities.


    To make matters worse, after spending many crystals, overcome the dangers, migrants who attempted this still had no guarantee that they would be well received.


    Thus, despite the fear of the consequences of war, many local citizens understood the why for such a thing and how it would be best for themselves.


    And so, despite the bad feeling that everyone felt, the silence that this had caused at the beginning of the day in Dry City, most citizens did not delay in going about their business.


    They couldn''t forget this and their fears. But they understood that their lives and responsibilities would not stop just because they had problems.


    At the end of the day, working, gathering crystals, and training was the only way for anyone to overcome adversity. In this way, Dry City went on with business as usual, despite the worried eyes that could be seen everywhere.


    ...


    While the ordinary citizens were trying to get on with their lives after discovering Minos'' plans, each of the army''s allies had already found out about the young ruler''s rebellious intentions.


    And each of them had had different reactions, some happy, others sad, worried, hopeful. Still, each of them wanted to understand the young Stuart, his vision, to try to predict his subsequent actions.


    ...


    "Not for nothing!" Patriarch Gill said aloud as he got up from an armchair in the middle of a meeting room in the building where he and the core of this family were living. "That''s why he built those defenses and acted so vigorously against us!"


    Upon hearing this, the high-ranking elders of this family had looks of loss on their faces as they seemed to have swallowed a bitter medicine.


    They were obviously not even a little happy. On the contrary, those experts were very afraid of the future. After all, unlike the ordinary people in this city, they knew very well the dangers that the rebels faced.


    And since a hot-blooded madman had subjugated them, they could only prepare themselves to withstand the powerful enemies of Minos, practically all the regional noble families!


    The Counter-Revolutionary Statute!


    That was the final nail in the coffin for this family...


    ''We are finished! Our situation was terrible before, but who knew? Who knew?''


    ''We''ve managed to make our fate much worse!'' So, Winston thought to himself as he felt a deep pessimism.


    "Patriarch, why don''t we try conversing to this sovereign? Since he has assured us that we have rights as his subordinates..." This level 54 Spiritual King paused his sentence at this point while forming a disgusted expression on his face. "Cough! Then we have the right to at least try to convince him otherwise!"


    Upon hearing this, many people in that place nodded in agreement, hoping that the patriarch might put some sense into Minos'' head.


    Perhaps this young man was just a fool with no knowledge of the dangers his own desires posed. In that case, maybe the voice of an influential and experienced figure might change his mind...


    "I''ll try my best, but..." And soon they continued talking about it, with each of them expressing their points and presenting their ideas.


    They still didn''t respect Minos as their ruler or anything like that. After all, they had just been subjugated, and other than their fear of that young man, there wasn''t much more than their anger towards him.


    But like it or not, they had no choice and were struggling to accept this reality and follow the rules set by young Stuart himself.


    Hence, since they were Minos'' subordinates, they would act as such and ask questions!


    ...


    Meanwhile, at the top of the local Cultivation Tower...


    Three Spiritual Kings of the Miller family had just heard the recent news from the young Spiritual General who had accompanied them to this town.


    "What? Didn''t Minos say he wanted to live in peace on the Black Plain and had no intentions of fighting the Brown family? So why does he announce such a thing now?" One of them yelled, shouting in anger.


    "And he didn''t even talk to us before he did such a thing! He doesn''t respect us!" A level 54 individual said this, feeling somewhat betrayed.


    "This is terrible!"


    "What will happen to our family? We will be treated as traitors to the kingdom!" The young Spiritual General said in a low voice as he felt an intense chill run through his body.


    On the other hand, the level 53 Spiritual King had a different idea. "Well, that''s truly a pity, but young Minos has done nothing but as promised."


    "What? What are you talking about, Gary? Are you drunk?"


    "Where that fighting a war of independence was in our agreement with the Black Plain?"


    Gary then shook his head as if dissatisfied with his companions and said. "You people took young Minos'' words very lightly."


    "He said he would not fight the Brown family if that organization did not attack him. So, in other words, he basically said..."


    The level 55 Spiritual King then complemented Gary''s speech, speaking solemnly. "That he would fight anyone who tried to take what is his!"


    "Exactly!"


    ''Damn, that young man is very sneaky!'' So, he thought before finally making up his mind that he should talk to Minos.

 Chapter 672 - Reaction 2

    Meanwhile, in a high-class coffee shop in Dry City...


    Four beautiful women were having breakfast there, on a well-decorated balcony, which had a beautiful view of the central part of this city.


    And while the table they were around had various snacks and fruits, attractive to look at and tasty to taste, the four women were actively talking about the latest news.


    "Unbelievable! Minos is truly much more daring than I thought!" Mendy said with a smile on her face while holding a toast with jam in her left hand.


    She was obviously not worried about what might happen to her family because of their contract with this place. After all, their alliance was more commercial than military!


    As much as House Stokes had some obligations to help the Black Plain Army in confrontations, it only involved them in matters concerning the Cromwell Kingdom...


    Hence, Mendy was not so concerned about that, even being somewhat impressed by Minos'' boldness.


    ''I like that...''


    ''To me, a real man has to be dominant! He has to face whoever stands in his way and act grandly!'' So, she thought to herself while feeling, in a way, proud for her intimate relationship with Minos.


    She did not love Minos, but knowing that this young man had characteristics that pleased her, made her even more excited... As such, she was not worried, despite the dangers this posed to the Black Plain and the business her family had with this place.


    On the other hand, her fellow family member, who had accompanied her to Dry City to live here for the next six years, was not so happy about it. After all, she knew that this could somehow limit Black Plain''s business with House Stokes.


    "That''s terrible, Mendy."


    "I don''t know how you can smile while talking about it!" This other noblewoman of the Stokes family said as she looked dubiously at the daughter of the Stokes patriarch.


    "Hmm, there is nothing good about it..." Vivian commented after looking meaningfully at Grace and then at Mendy.


    Vivian and Grace already knew Mendy due to their last trip to Dry City. Because of this, after they had come to live here permanently for the next year, it had not taken them long to find this woman.


    The four women were near the end of the 5th stage and the beginning of the 6th and were all from noble backgrounds. Therefore, they attended very similar environments, with similar purposes and costs.


    Because they frequented the same types of places, had similar backgrounds, and did not have many local acquaintances, after meeting in this city, they had arranged to go out together, going to restaurants and other local services.


    That was the reason they were together in this coffee shop now.


    Anyway, after noticing the look on her girlfriend''s face and the comment in a lecturing tone, Grace understood well that Vivian had the same idea as her. ''I thought the lady of the Stokes family would be a bit more responsible, given her talent and cultivation speed...''


    ''But it seems she''s not interested in just training...'' She thought, looking steadily at the black-haired lady on the other side of the table. ''I thought Mendy was just like Vivian and me. But it seems the rumors weren''t true...''


    On the other hand, seeing and hearing that from Vivian, Mendy looked at her seriously and said. "Well, the risks to my family are less than to the House Hayes. But really, it''s a dangerous action..."


    "At the very least, what he is willing to do is about 50 times worse than the war your family is experiencing."


    Vivian then turned her eyes in the direction of the panorama from that place and sighed silently. ''That''s pretty much it...''


    ''Minos is truly a dangerous person. He wants to get us out of the war with the Chambers family only to get us involved in a region-wide bloodbath...''


    ''What a great favor he has done us!'' She thought sarcastically.


    But despite her unhappiness, this young Hayes understood that even if Minos were a pacifist, willing or not, he would have to fight for this place. And consequently, her family would have to help him.


    After all, there were few resources in this region for many people who wanted to reach the 6th stage or even increase in level within this stage of cultivation.


    The competition for resources was not easy, and whenever an ownerless item appeared, blood rivers would flow in no time near such opportunities!


    So, since the Black Plain would seem very vulnerable to anyone who didn''t know about the unique characteristics of the local army, many would surely want a slice of this place!


    Therefore, the situation was inevitable, and she could not feel anger at Minos for this decision.


    He was at least preparing to act before his enemies became too numerous for him to handle!


    Finally, after thinking about this matter, Vivian remembered something and smiled. "Mendy, you are forgetting one little thing..."


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?"


    "You are in Dry City, and sooner or later, you will have to fight for this place... So, your situation is not as comfortable as you think."


    "Uh?"


    Gulp!


    Realizing the point raised by Vivian, Mendy''s excitement subsided a bit. ''Damn it! I actually agreed to help!''


    "Tsk!"


    "Well, it''s my time now. I will go back to my training."


    "See you later." Mendy said quickly before getting up and leaving that place, heading towards the local Cultivation Tower.


    With the arrival of so many Spiritual Kings in Dry City, Minos had made a small sacrifice and invested in more cultivation rooms for people at this stage. As such, there were currently ten rooms of that rank in that facility, where all these people could train without having to compete with each other.


    Therefore, none of these women were worried about being too late to reach that place. Instead, they continued to stand there as they watched Mendy disappear from their sight.


    ''But we can''t delay our cultivation either...'' Vivian thought about this as she mentally prepared herself.


    ...


    Meanwhile, at the local government mansion...


    Eliot and Nicole had just found out about what Minos had divulged to the local population and were at this moment heading towards this young man''s office with nervous expressions on their faces.


    They had just finished a training session when they had decided to go out and buy some things in the local shops. But unfortunately, in the middle of the way, the two had discovered this dark matter, which had worried every fiber of their bodies.


    With that in mind, the two rushed to their son-in-law''s office, where the young Stuart should already be working at this very moment.


    ''That young man has no respect for us!''


    ''And to think that we treat him like our own son!''


    ''Yet, such an important matter, something that could decide the life of our daughter and all of us, he doesn''t even bother to talk to us first!'' Eliot thought as the veins on his forehead trembled.


    As for Nicole, she didn''t feel one bit better about the whole thing. ''Abby certainly knows all this!''


    ''Why hasn''t she talked to her parents? That boy truly controls her!'' So, she thought as she had her fists clenched tightly.


    And quickly, they reached young Stuart''s office, where a small crowd had already formed at the reception desk, where Mia was working.


    "I want to speak with young Minos as soon as possible, Mia. It''s an urgent matter that involves the entire future of the Miller family!" So, that level 55 Spiritual King said this, while Todd Cohen, the Gill family''s patriarch, and supreme elder, was also standing there, right behind this Miller elder.


    Hearing this soon after arriving at that location, Eliot and Nicole soon understood what was happening.


    Abby''s father then commented for everyone there to hear. "Looks like everyone has already found out about the latest news!"


    "Eliot, have you found out what your son-in-law has done? He didn''t even let us know that in advance!"


    "Hmm..." Eliot was about to say something when suddenly the door to Minos'' office opened, and Regina walked out of that place, causing everyone there to quiet down and look at her stunning face.


    "Minos asked you guys to come in, hehe.." She commented as she made her way toward her responsibilities at headquarters.

 Chapter 673 - Plans 1

    After Regina told those people that Minos was waiting for them, it didn''t take long, and soon they had all entered that place.


    The two members of the Gill family sat on the same sofa as the level 55 Spiritual King of the Miller family. In contrast, Eliot and Nicole sat in the armchairs facing that sofa.


    Finally, Todd sat in one of the two chairs in front of Minos'' table, next to Ruth, who was there at the moment.


    "Well, it''s not a surprise that you all came over here, hehe." Minos then was the first to say something while sitting comfortably in a seat behind his desk.


    After hearing that, those people were still a bit agitated, especially since he was saying that while smiling. But nobody said anything right away.


    They could say many things among themselves, but in front of Minos, someone so strong by regional standards, it took courage to say something...


    Therefore, the first to say something there were precisely the young man''s in-laws, the ones who had the most liberties with him.


    "Minos, why didn''t you tell us anything before? Nicole and I were surprised by this news today while we were walking through town!"


    "I didn''t expect something like this to happen..." Eliot said while having a look of disappointment on his face.


    Nicole then completed her husband''s speech. "Hmm, we have so many experiences to share with you, but you didn''t even give us the chance to participate in it..."


    Hearing this, Minos closed his eyes briefly as he tried to think of something to say to these two, speaking the truth, but without being rude. "Well, that''s a Black Plain Army matter. So, of course, I wouldn''t talk about it with outsiders."


    "What?" The two asked simultaneously.


    But just then, Nicole stood up from where she was standing and pointed in Ruth''s direction. "So, what about young Ruth? Did she know about that? She is certainly not part of your army."


    Hearing this, Ruth looked at Abby''s mother and smiled, shaking her head from side to side. "I didn''t know the details..."


    "But you..."


    As Nicole was about to say something, Minos interrupted her, answering the question from earlier. "Ruth is my woman, so evidently, she has advantages that my allies or subordinates won''t have..." He looked at the people in that place and then continued. "But she didn''t know the details, just those things she saw me organizing."


    "Anyway, don''t get me wrong, in-laws, but my organization is none of your business. I appreciate any help you guys can give, but I don''t feel obligated to report anything regarding my decisions..."


    "On the other hand, this matter was sensitive, and I thought it would be best if only my staff knew about it." He finished speaking as he looked firmly in Eliot and Nicole''s direction.


    Hearing this, the two wanted to say something against Minos, but nothing came to their minds. They indeed had no right to receive inside information from their son-in-law''s organization.


    As for the possibility that their advice might help this young ruler in his decisions, well, that was up to him. Otherwise, they were just VIP guests of Minos in this city because of his relationship with Abby.


    "But you even forbade Abby to talk to us..."


    "Abby is my woman, but she is also part of the army. So, she obviously wouldn''t talk any big secrets with outsiders..."


    "That''s the basics in any organization. If you guys can''t do that in your families, then I am sorry to say that you have failed in the management of your organizations."


    "People matters can''t get mixed up with official matters." He said with a solemn expression on his face, looking in the direction of each of those people as if he was giving them advice.


    "Tsk!" Finally, Nicole gave up asking any more questions about this and shut up, feeling a little angry at Minos'' distant way of handling this matter.


    But the silence in that room didn''t last long, and soon that level 55 Miller family member said something. "But what about our relationship as allies, young Minos? That kind of information should at least be dispatched to us before it is released to the public."


    "I mean, it would be nice if we at least talked before something so important was made official."


    Minos then shook his head in denial and spoke again. "I disagree."


    "It''s not as if I''m already sending troops to fight a war of independence against the Brown family..."


    "This is just a warning for my people to know about the future of this city and to understand certain things that may happen in the short or medium term."


    "As for the war itself, it will still take a few days or weeks before the royal family makes it official."


    "So, I don''t think I would need to tell you about that until the present moment. We are allies, but certain things don''t need to be talked about since I have my freedom and you have yours."


    "And since I signed contracts with you but did not receive the punishment for going against such a thing, you must know that this was out of my control, right?"


    "That..."


    "I don''t want a war of independence. I would prefer it to happen peacefully. But the other side will not give up without a fight. So, there are no choices here. So, I just decided to act before they attack me."


    "To do so, I needed to make my preparations before warning them. That was to avoid drawing the attention of my enemies through some reaction from your family and to ensure that we have everything ready at the appropriate time."


    "That..." That level 55 Spiritual King was at a loss of words as he understood Minos'' points.


    Indeed, when planning something big, it would be best not to alert the allies right away, or such a thing might create problems that could get the plan out of hand. After all, while Minos had control over his soldiers, he couldn''t say the same about these noble families he had allied himself with.


    They could somehow be rushed into knowing such a thing and then take suspicious actions or something like that.


    On the other hand, he hadn''t allied himself with these powers because they were reliable in operations of this kind. Instead, he did this because they had offensive power. So, he wasn''t going to tell them things like that so soon.


    Only after his preparations were made would he do such a thing!


    At least, that was the way he thought it best to behave with allies regarding plans of high importance.


    "Humph!"


    "You confuse this alliance with Minos just because you think he is not yet stronger than your organizations!" Ruth said that, having a sharp look on her face. "If he were in a position where he has as many experts as you do, this discontent would not happen."


    Upon hearing this, that same man from earlier stood up from where he was standing and was quick to reply to what Ruth had said. "No, lady Ruth, we would not dare to disrespect young Minos'' organization, or we would not even have allied ourselves with him."


    "But that matter is simply too complicated..."


    As this level 55 man was saying that, Patriarch Gill finally gathered the courage to say something. "This could lead to an all-out war in the northern region of the Central Continent!"


    "Hmm, exactly!"


    "As such, the future of all the organizations in our region kind of got decided the moment young Minos decided such a thing."


    "There are two fates for those organizations. One is the defeat of Minos, which means the failure of us, his allies, and the enemies'' success. Another is the victory of our alliance, which would have opposite results."


    "So, we are talking about life and death here!" This Miller expert said this as he finished speaking.


    After that, patriarch Gill spoke again. "Lord Minos, our family, has already been subjugated by you, but you have assured us that we will have rights..."


    "Then, I want you to know that we see no future in that decision!"


    "Please reconsider this, or we may all be exterminated!"


    "The Counter-Revolutionary Statute is not something we can handle!" He said in nervousness, sweating as he looked at Minos....

 Chapter 674 - Plans 2

    Upon hearing Liam Gill''s warning, everyone there knew that he was saying something sensible. But only Todd had entirely agreed with patriarch Gill.


    That was because, although everyone there preferred more peaceful options for the Black Plain, except for the Gill family and Todd, the rest there understood much more of the Black Plain''s potential.


    For example, the Miller family members knew that Minos had Spiritual Kings who possessed complete sets of Silver-grade techniques. So, the army''s offensive power was far greater than it would appear on the surface.


    On the other hand, every ordinary soldier in the Black Plain Army possessed complete sets of Black-grade techniques, something only found among nobles in this region.


    On the other hand, these people who were already allies of Minos had a more precise idea regarding the dimension of the organization behind this city.


    They had already been around for a few months and had noticed many soldiers coming and going from this place.


    So, unlike the Gill family members who knew little about the army numbers and the existence of the Silver-grade techniques, these people from House Miller were much more relaxed about the local future.


    Not only that, while the Gills had been around as Minos'' subordinates for only a few weeks, the Millers were allies of this young man and knew about others of his alliances.


    They knew that Minos had contracts with the Hayes and Stokes families of the Cromwell Kingdom and the Nash family of Stone Island. Besides, he had a deal to be signed with House Cohen of the Kingdom of the Waves, and there was also his relationship with the Feathered Serpents.


    On the other hand, a portion of the Stone Island noble family had already signed non-aggression agreements with Minos'' organization, including the royal family of that place!


    In this way, the Counter-Revolutionary Statute would no longer be as grim as it might have been with previous revolutionaries.


    At the very least, Minos would not have to face enemies from all sides and could still have some allies, something that had not happened in the past with his predecessors!


    For all that, despite their fear about the consequences of Minos'' goal, these people were not as fearful as the patriarch Gill.


    They were annoyed that they hadn''t found out about this earlier so that they could arrange certain things with Minos and take their actions.


    It would be good if they could delay this conflict further, if more of their members could learn the techniques that Minos had at his disposal, etc. Attitudes that would make them more confident of surviving or even decisions that could lessen the chances of an all-out confrontation.


    But they were already aware that something like that would probably happen sooner or later. So, they were not so much focused on the existence of the Counter-Revolutionary Statute, but on other problems!


    Anyway, hearing Liam Gill''s comment, Todd nodded in agreement, looking at that man and then at Minos.


    ''That''s truly a surprise... I didn''t consider he had that kind of goal!'' Todd reflected on the fact that Minos wanted independence at all costs.


    He knew that confrontations were going to happen and that his family would have to act in some way to help the Dry City forces. But he didn''t expect that such a thing would be so gruesome!


    Fighting a few noble families was different from fighting an entire region!


    Minos then responded to Liam''s request, "Don''t worry, we''ll be able to handle it."


    "The so-called Counter-Revolutionary Statute is not used easily. It is only triggered after a royal family has tried to act on its own for a while and failed to suppress the opposing side."


    "Otherwise, moving so many experts at once would be too expensive and dangerous for all these organizations to deal with possibly small enemies."


    "After all, organizations like the Scourges of the Devil won''t stop functioning just because regional states are fighting an enemy..."


    In fact, the noble families and royalty were not the only regional organizations. Because of this, displacing the crucial members of these families could be very dangerous...


    So, if there were no great need for that, the royal families themselves would refuse to send help not to risk their experts and territories.


    Hence, unless a state faced a real threat of a rebel group gaining independence, hardly any reinforcements would come through such an alternative.


    Of course, some occasional reinforcements might arrive from close families. But this would not be as significant as what had happened the first time such a statute had been used, 180,000 years ago, against the Kain family.


    "But still... If we count just the Brown Kingdom, that''s over 300 Spiritual Kings directly or indirectly related to the royal family!" Liam voiced his fears again while trying to convince Minos that this idea was terrible.


    "Even taking out the numbers of our two families!" He said, pointing to the Miller family members there and himself.


    "Hmm, I''m not saying it''s going to be easy... But don''t compare my strengths with the regional organizations. Remember what happened to your family?"


    "How many Spiritual Kings were used to dominate yours?" Minos dryly asked as he touched Liam''s ''wound'' without caring about this man''s feelings.


    Liam then replied in disgust. "Only you."


    Todd opened his eyes in disbelief upon hearing such a thing as he realized that Minos had probably fought and defeated this level 56 Spiritual King!


    ''Impressive!''


    ''It''s not for nothing that he plans such daring things!''


    ''I had expected him to be stronger than ordinary level 50 Spiritual Kings, but not to that extent...'' Todd thought to himself as he finally managed to calm his heart and realize that the deal with Minos was still the best for his family.


    Todd''s eyes then brightened as he again saw the light at the end of the tunnel... ''In that case, it won''t take long before he becomes the strongest in the region!''


    Minos then spoke again, still looking in the direction of Liam and the Gill family supreme elder. "That''s right..."


    "Plus, even if my soldiers are not as efficient as me, each of my Spiritual Kings is much stronger at their level than the region experts."


    "On the other hand, the advancement speed of my soldiers is much faster than that of the members of the regional noble families... Take the case of Dillian. He was only a level 45 Spiritual General when we came to Dry City."


    "But in just over five years, he''s already at level 53!"


    Hearing this, all those people couldn''t help but feel envious of Dillian. None of them, except for Ruth, had achieved such a good cultivation speed.


    And since Dillian was much younger than those Spiritual Kings from the Gill and Miller families, he would have a much more dazzling future ahead of him!


    "That..." Liam tried to say something, but his comment got stuck on his tongue. ''It''s just as expected by us... The local opportunities are amazing!'' So, he thought, remembering that their reasons for coming here were not false, even though Minos had tricked them.


    "Anyway, it will be a tough time at the beginning of the war. Still, with each passing month, my forces will grow in power, and before the statute is used, we will have the bare minimum to deal with the consequences of it."


    "And if you want to increase your chances of survival, accept the local reality, learn to follow the army''s orders, and maybe your chances will increase." Minos said as he looked steadily at that patriarch.


    There were several reasons why the regional noble families did not develop as quickly as his army. But among those reasons was the issue involving the distribution of techniques.


    How could such a family have many Spiritual Kings if most of its Black talent members had to cultivate with Blue-grade techniques?


    It was tough to achieve that in such an impoverished region...


    Therefore, powers like the Gill family were very limited due to this kind of action and many others, of course.


    "I will not force you to distribute your Black-grade techniques among your subordinates, but I advise you to do such a thing..."


    "I also advise you to donate all your Blue-grade techniques to the local library... That may help you much more than you realize in your local integration." Minos said, smiling at that fellow.


    "But, of course, those things are up to you, not me."


    "Anyway, since we are already here, let me update you all on some of my plans...."

 Chapter 675 - Plans 3

    "We will soon be at war with the Brown family, as they will not give up trying to exploit the Black Plain. As such, you can prepare yourselves for it, as there is now no turning back."


    "However, we still have a few days or weeks left for that. And in the meantime, I intend to do two missions against our enemies."


    "Oh? You mean the Silva family?" That level 55 Spiritual King asked while understanding Minos'' intention. ''So, he wants to act against the Silvas first so that we will have fewer enemies in the future...''


    Minos then nodded in agreement and continued speaking. "Yes, I want to try to take down at least some of the core members of the Silva family before the royal family sends troops into my territory."


    "But I will not only act against that organization. I intend to act against the Chambers family in the next few days."


    "Chambers family?" Everyone there said simultaneously, including Ruth, who remembered the scum who had tried to attack her and Minos because of the low-level grade-2 sword he had at that time.


    Leroy had insulted this woman, saying he would enslave her and things like that, typical comments made by the people in that Cromwell Kingdom organization.


    Hence, Ruth had not forgotten that person''s last name, whom Minos had beheaded during the second test of the Spiritual Tournament previous edition.


    As for the others in that room, part of them knew about Minos'' alliance with the Hayes family, so it wasn''t a big surprise to learn that he would act against the Chambers family. But they also didn''t expect that young Stuart would do that at this time.


    After all, the Brown Kingdom itself should have had enough trouble for all of them for a while... So, there was no need for this young man to throw even more fuel on the fire.


    On the other hand, the two leaders of the Gill family were confused by this.


    ''Why does he want to get involved with those crazy people from the Chambers family? That will only bring a rabid dog to our doorstep!''


    Meanwhile, Todd more or less understood the situation. ''Well, Minos already has an enmity with them, so it''s only natural that he wants to eliminate them before organizations outside the Brown Kingdom find out about the Black Plain.''


    Minos then declared. "The Chambers family has been at war against House Hayes for some time now. And as an ally of the Hayes family, it is in my interest that they win that conflict."


    ''Ally?''


    "Oh?"


    "However, the problems concerning this Chambers family are much deeper than you realize..." He said as he looked thoughtfully at the people in that place.


    "Did you know that the Chambers family is the real mastermind behind the assassination of the second prince of the Snow Kingdom?"


    "What? Are you serious?"


    "It can''t be... That would be crazy!"


    "No, those damn Chambers are crazy enough!" Then, finally, the supreme elder of the Gill family said something, as the people in that place became emotional at the news given by Minos.


    "Some small merchants in my Gill family have already had the displeasure of dealing with those Chambers. They are extremely arrogant and have an incredibly vicious vindictive culture."


    "According to the rumors, even the royal family of the Cromwell Kingdom tries to keep their distance!"


    "Nonsense! That doesn''t make sense."


    "The Cromwell family is one of the strongest in the region! So, why would they be afraid of a mere vassal?"


    "Tsk!"


    "I didn''t say they are afraid of the Chambers family members. I just said that they are wary of that organization."


    "It''s not because the Chambers are stronger than they are, but because that family has powerful contacts that are even capable of harming royal families."


    "Since the members of the Chambers family have always been vindictive, strong-tempered madmen, any problems they face are dealt extremely. At the very least, they handle their problems much more intensely than other regional organizations would handle them under the same circumstances."


    "Plus, having such contacts, the chances of big problems unfolding when dealing with them are not small!"


    "So, even the Cromwell family tries to keep their distance from them."


    This supreme elder sat back in his seat as he finished saying this. At the same time, that Miller family elder standing there had a semblance of disagreement, but he didn''t say anything else.


    Minos then smiled. "Regardless of what you have said, I have already notified the Snow family about this matter. By now, they should have discovered evidence that gives value to my complaint."


    "You did that, huh?" Ruth asked, realizing what her boyfriend was doing. ''He wants to create an even bigger conflict than the war of noble families in that state?''


    ''He''s truly good at causing trouble for others...'' She smiled, feeling a certain admiration for Minos.


    "Young Minos, do you want House Snow to get involved in a war against the Chambers family?" Eliot asked.


    "Not exactly..." He then smiled and said. "It would be nice if the Snow and Cromwell families were distanced before the news of the Black Plain left the Brown Kingdom."


    "With that, more than half of the royal families in our region would have trouble sending troops here through the Counter-Revolutionary Statute."


    "Oh?" Those old men in that office said simultaneously as they finally understood Minos'' plan.


    ''So, he has notified the Snow family about the Chambers family so that this royal family act against a vassal family from another state. By doing so, he hopes to create a conflict between two royal families!''


    ''This young man is full of schemes... He is so young but already is creating chaos without even leaving his office.'' So, patriarch Gill thought as he closed his eyes and felt the flames of the war in this region would grow even more extreme.


    "Young Minos, I understand your goal of causing an even greater conflict in this region so that the Black Plain''s war of independence would go more smoothly. But you said you wanted to act directly against this Chambers family."


    "How will that help in all this?"


    "I will help destabilize that family so that their connections with the Scourges of the Devil will no longer be a threat to the Hayes family. Also to make it easier the actions of House Snow."


    "With that done, both of these families will have an easier time acting against the remnants of the Chambers..."


    "On the other hand, the Cromwell family definitely follows the course of the Hayes'' war with the Chambers. But realizing that from one hour to the next, the balance of the war has been lost, what do you think they will do?"


    "They will investigate the matter."


    "Exactly!"


    "And with that, I''ll let them find out that the Snow family was instrumental in the downfall of House Chambers."


    "From then on, things will develop naturally." He spread his arms as he smiled, finishing his explanation to these allies of his.


    This young man obviously had not explained all the details of how he intended to throw one royal family against the other. But just this summary of what he intended to do was already enough to show these people the reasons for his action and how the consequences of it would be beneficial to all of them.


    ''So, that''s how it is...''


    ''Well, eliminating that Chambers family won''t be bad. They have always been hated by most in our region, so if we think about it, that will be a good thing for ''everyone''...''


    ''But I''m still curious how the Scourges of the Devil will react to that...''


    Those people there soon began to think about that matter as they fell silent.


    But soon after standing there in silence for a while, the complaints they had to make to Minos had been dissolved, and they now had many things to do.


    Since this young man had already decided to fight for the Black Plain, now they could only prepare their families for the worst, the war.


    Therefore, it was not long before the nobles of the Gill and Miller families left Minos'' office, leaving there only this sovereign, Ruth, and Todd.


    "Todd, do you intend to give up your family''s agreement with Minos?" Ruth asked, looking at the young man she had first met during the Spiritual Tournament.


    Todd was quick to shake his head from side to side upon hearing this. "No, of course not, Miss Ruth. I came here for just the opposite!"


    "I arrived last night in Dry City precisely to bring some of our experts to fulfill the previously negotiated agreement."


    "As for the signing of the agreements, that can be done in the next few days, in Yellow City, just as agreed...."

 Chapter 676 - Seeking Vengeance 1

    Quickly four days passed...


    In that period, Minos'' allies had calmed down, and this young man had already left for the Yellow City to sign the agreements with the elders of the Cohen family.


    Meanwhile, negotiations with the royal family continued in the joint camp of the Black Plain Army and the Brown Kingdom''s royal guard.


    Things were as before, developing slowly, while now and then, the administrative soldiers of the army promised some concessions so as not to irritate beyond the limit those royals who were negotiating with them.


    For this, although such people were already slowly becoming annoyed by the actions of Minos'' subordinates, they still believed that this deal would be settled in a few more days. So, they were still ''calm,'' despite everything.


    ...


    While the negotiations of the army with the royal guards were taking place 10 kilometers from the eastern exit of the wall, in the area to the west of the wall, the crops of Dry City were flourishing.


    The more than 4,800 planted hectares of the most varied kinds were planted in well-subdivided plots where crop rotation took place from time to time.


    On the other hand, while there were plants that had just been planted there, there were plants already at a different level of maturity in other places, with many of them even being at harvest time.


    As such, farmers worked around the place in all kinds of roles, taking care of everything from the beginning of planting to even harvesting others.


    Some only deal with the planting, others only with the harvest, others with cleaning the fruits and grains, packing them, etc. There were various functions in these plantation fields of the Black Plain, from which the resources of Dry City mostly came.


    And so, of the more than 120,000 farmers in this city, about 40,000 of them could be seen around the plantation fields at almost all hours of the day, tending to their respective jobs.


    These farmers worked 8-hour shifts so that they all had the opportunity to train and solve their problems or even have a second job in the city. That was necessary for them to develop faster and was also related to the characteristics of the plantations in the Spiritual World.


    In any case, most of these workers were already between levels 26 and 33, which were usually newcomers to Dry City. That is, those who had not yet increased their level as often as the older citizens due to their short time in this city.


    But there were already many farmers above level 33, something that was not so common to find around here in the recent past.


    And among them was a particular group of the Gill family members, subordinates of that family who had moved to Dry City with those immigrant groups that Minos had subjugated.


    Most of these subordinates of this family who were in the fields were those born with Blue talent, low-level individuals who didn''t receive good wages working for this family.


    Therefore, with this opportunity to have a second job that was almost as well paid as their own, many of these underlings couldn''t help but enlist to work in the local fields.


    But three of them particularly did not want to be there...


    That was because, unlike their fellow subordinates of the Gill family, they had been forced to do such a thing.


    "Hah... hah... Dad, do you want some water?" Ralf, level 33, asked his father, Railan, level 36, as the two worked with tools in their hands and sweating under the midday sun.


    "Hah, yeah, I''m dead thirsty..." Railan said in a hoarse voice as he waved his hand in his son''s direction, waiting for the bottle of water.


    Meanwhile, the two of them were sweating as if they were in a sauna, simultaneously, in which their clothes were red from the dirt in the fields, where at the moment they were working.


    The two of them had been mainly responsible for the Gill family''s discovery of the changes in Dry City, for which they were paying for having betrayed their former city...


    Minos was not cruel enough to punish these two with their lives or expel them from Dry City since he knew that Lionel had sent them here and not of their own free will.


    On the other hand, things had developed well for him and his city because of their action, so he had not been harsh in punishing those involved in Lionel''s operation.


    But in any case, Lionel, Ralf, and Railan needed to be punished somehow!


    Therefore, they would have to work for ten years without salary in the plantation fields, plus they had lost any chance of becoming soldiers in the local army. The same extended to all jobs related to the local government, where none of the three of them could compete for positions...


    But although this basically took away many chances for these three, at least they could live as citizens, use the city services, and still be part of the Gill family.


    Just as it was Railan''s wish when he refused young Stuart''s offer...


    Anyway, after drinking all the water from the bottle his son had offered him, Railan looked in the direction of Lionel, who was working not far from there.


    ''At least we only have to work 8 hours a day, six times a week... Mister Lionel has to do that for 12 hours every day.'' He consoled himself as he thought of the difficulties of such a person.


    However, despite feeling disappointed in himself, Railan was not angry at the fate he had earned with his decisions. At least he was alive and could live in this city while his wife and other family members could enjoy opportunities he and his son could not.


    That in itself was already far better than anyone could want in his situation!


    "Hah, time to get back to work!"


    ...


    Meanwhile, hundreds of meters above Dry City, three flying beasts were passing by at high speed, moving toward the north of this region.


    These beings looked like giant winged lizards, with completely green scales, measuring about 3 meters long, with proportional bodies.


    But while this beast breed would already be eye-catching anywhere in this region, the symbol on each of their heads was much more notable.


    After all, only one organization in this region used the symbol of a black star, with a skin-colored circumference at its center.


    But while this distinctive symbol was eye-catching, so were the people on the backs of these remarkable beings.


    The six men separated on each of these beasts were powerful regional experts!


    Each was a Spiritual King, with the weakest at level 54 and the strongest at level 56!


    They were traveling while they had sharp looks on their faces, dangerous smiles on the corners of their eyes and mouths as if they were going out to hunt their favorite prey...


    "Supreme elder, we are only a day away from our destination. Are you sure you don''t want to stop at Dry City to rest? Maybe the enemy is not alone..." One of those people said while looking in the direction of the most powerful man in that group.


    Upon hearing this, the supreme elder he talked to smiled cruelly and promptly refused that offer. "Haha, of course, I''m sure. Who do you think I am? It''s not because I''m old that I can''t handle a short trip of a few days!"


    "The opposite of that, I haven''t felt this energetic in years!"


    "I can''t wait to destroy that fool who thought he could kill my son and continue living in our region!"


    "Hehehe, I thought you were going to say something like that... Forgive my unnecessary question."


    "Don''t worry. I am in an excellent mood today." The supreme elder said as he looked vigorously to the north.


    ''Brat Minos, I only hope it won''t be long before I display your head in Persephone!'' Wallace Chambers thought to himself as he clenched his fists tightly and smiled cruelly.


    "Come on. We''ve got to get to Yellow City before the Hayes family bastards do!"


    ....

 Chapter 677 - Seeking Vengeance 2

    After Minos'' recent tour in the Cromwell Kingdom, this young man had left several clues behind that could lead his enemies to the Yellow City.


    And since the Chambers family was the organization most active traying to locate him, it wasn''t long before they identified these clues left by Minos.


    But the clues left by Minos did not only indicate where he was. Besides his location, this young man left things that showed that he had been contacting the Hayes family, the mortal enemies of House Chambers.


    Hence, the Chambers family supreme elder, the father of the late Leroy, had left the headquarters of his family accompanied by five high-level Spiritual Kings.


    He could not simply allow two enemies of his family to commune against them, perhaps increasing the chances of defeat for House Chambers in this war against the Hayes family.


    He and other elders of that family knew very well that Minos had an enviable talent and fighting proficiency, which could become the worst of weapons against them!


    Hence, they had spared no effort to form this group heading to Yellow City at this time.


    They had found out that Minos seemed to have a relationship with the Hayes family and that soon both parties would be meeting in Yellow City.


    And after finding out that some of the House Hayes experts had started traveling northward in the last few days, this group could do nothing but start this mission.


    They wanted to get to the Yellow City as soon as possible to eliminate young Stuart and perhaps intercept the Hayes family specialists going to that place.


    That''s why there was so much strength in this group, where the weakest was a level 54 Spiritual King!


    On the other hand, even if that Hayes family group was not heading to Yellow City, the late Leroy''s father group could not take long to act. After all, they couldn''t be sure how many other organizations had deciphered the clues they had found in the Cromwell Kingdom.


    After finding it, they had even destroyed such things, having killed some people and caused chaos where they went. Still, perhaps others had found those clues before they destroyed them.


    So, they didn''t have much time!


    A large family or even a group from one of the royal families in that region could contact Minos before they had a chance to destroy him.


    Even if they were brave enough to act against royalty, it is undeniable that killing Minos would be much more complex and costly if that happens!


    As such, they were rushing to the Yellow City, in a hurry to get there and settle this matter!


    ''It''s time for retribution!'' Some of them had this idea in mind, as they hoped to torture the culprit of Leroy''s death for days before they could finally kill him.


    The deaths of Leroy and Kevin had been the greatest humiliations for this Cromwell Kingdom family in their entire existence. They both were very talented and were the hope for the Chambers family to become a great regional organization that could even compete with royal families in the future...


    Unfortunately, both were killed by unknown enemies, one death being broadcast to thousands of people and the other having happened within their own base...


    Hence, the core members of this family were boiling with rage over these and were eager to unleash some of that hatred on Minos!


    With that in mind, soon, the three beasts passed through that region where Dry City was located without even noticing that place.


    ...


    A whole day passed...


    At this moment, Minos was at the Black Plain Army secret base in Yellow City, where he had been staying for the last few days. At this period, he sorted out the alliance with the Cohen family.


    Most of the core members of this family had already passed through this city and signed Soul Contracts with Minos, signing the alliance he had negotiated with Todd, which had been confirmed by a spiritual judge from the Miller family.


    But just a few minutes ago, the last contract had been signed, the one between Minos and the patriarch of the Cohen family, level 56.


    But while this Cohen family expert was here in this secret base, two Spiritual Kings from the Hayes family were also in this place to help Minos'' plans...


    As this young man had planned, the moment the Chambers family acted, he and his allies would also do the same. And as such, when the Chambers found the clues left by Minos, immediately these two Spiritual Kings had set off in the direction of this city.


    At the same time, just before leaving Dry City to settle this matter of the alliance with House Cohen, Minos had been notified that his plans would take place in the next few days.


    As a result, he was quietly living in this place for the last few days, fulfilling his responsibilities and waiting for his ''guests.''


    ...


    "Mister Paul, how are you? Have you regained your energy?" Ernest asked politely to the patriarch of the Cohen family, who had just come out of a cultivation room of that secret base.


    Upon hearing this, the white-haired, bearded man nodded to that young Spiritual King and said. "Haha, young man, I am fully recovered. Where is your boss?"


    Ernest then smiled and said. "Very good, Mister Paul, hehe. As for the young master, he is on the surface."


    "But he asked me to deliver an invitation to you, sir."


    "An invitation?" The old patriarch asked in doubt.


    "Hmm, as luck would have it, some ''guests'' are arriving in the vicinity of our base. So, the young master intends to ''welcome'' them to Yellow City..."


    "That will be a good show, Mister Paul!" Ernest said while having a smile on his face that indicated that things were not that simple.


    ''Is that young man going to fight someone? It is a coincidence that this happens right away while I am here...'' Paul thought to himself as he scratched his white hair and thought about what to do. ''Since I am here, this is a good opportunity for me to get to know this young man''s power.''


    ''At the same time, I can help him and save this place if something goes wrong.'' So, he considered, just before saying to Ernest. "Come on, let me see these guests."


    "Please follow me." Ernest said, finally walking through that underground base, leading that patriarch to the same place where the spiritual judge who had confirmed the recent contracts was.


    "Oh? Mister Ronald, are you still here?" Paul asked the figure who was even older than him, that spiritual judge of the Miller family.


    "Yes, young Minos has asked me to wait until things settle down before I return to the family..." Elder Ronald, level 52, said this in his hoarse, tired voice as he stood on the front porch of the Yellow City government mansion.


    Minos'' secret base had been built down there. As such, one of the exits from that place was inside this mansion.


    "So, that''s how it is..." Paul understood the point, as he realized that it would not be safe for a spiritual judge to travel when Minos was expecting an enemy to arrive.


    After all, such an enemy could intercept Ronald''s escort before or after facing Minos'' forces. And as such, it would be dangerous for this regional expert to travel until the threat was neutralized.


    Patriarch Cohen then looked at Ernest and asked. "Well, where is your boss?"


    "Gentlemen, look in that direction." Ernest pointed with his hand in the direction of the main avenue, a large avenue more than 30 meters wide, which went on for more than a kilometer until it disappeared amidst the abandoned houses of that town. "The young master is about 300 meters ahead."


    The two men and some other people at that location then looked in the direction where Minos and two other people were standing in the middle of that avenue.


    On the other side, they could see three giant beasts standing not far away from where Minos was standing, while six people were a little ahead of those winged lizards....

 Chapter 678 - Confrontation Of Deadly Enemies 1

    Wallace''s group had just arrived at this place when they had seen that their target was already waiting for them in the middle of that main avenue of the Yellow City.


    At that moment, Minos was already standing in that place next to the two specialists sent by the Hayes family to help him perform this scheme.


    Since Minos had watchers from the Black Plain in this city, he already knew when these ''guests'' would arrive. As such, he was already waiting for Wallace''s group while having a smile on his face.


    And when those members of the Chambers family saw this from the skies where they had come from, they soon understood the situation and didn''t bother to try to attack Minos by surprise.


    Their target had already made his plans. So, it would be better for them to act cautiously, together, without risking too much by going after Minos individually.


    So, they had not taken long to land a few dozen meters ahead of those three people until they reached the positions where Ronald and Paul had seen them.


    "Those two damned old men are already here..." One of the Chambers family elders said this as he looked at the two old men standing side by side with Minos.


    Of those two envoys from the Hayes family, one was at level 54, and the other was at level 55. And as enemies, those people in Wallace''s group knew these two very well.


    "Hmm, it seems that even if we used our fastest flying beasts, those two mummies still arrived before us in that place..."


    "That doesn''t matter... If it''s just them, we''ll be able to finish with everything and come back before the sun even sets!" Another person said when they finally got close enough to Minos'' group to feel that there were no other people in that place.


    They obviously couldn''t feel the fluctuations of Minos'' soldiers in that secret base since that place was an underground base covered by thick walls.


    As for the Spiritual Kings who were spectating on the top floor of the local government mansion, well, only Paul had drawn attention to those individuals.


    As for Ernest and those men in that spiritual judge''s group, most of them had much lower levels than these Chambers family nobles. One of them even looked like a person near his own death...


    As such, that person from before didn''t see how these people could threaten them except by unique tactics, which was still causing them to be cautious in this place.


    Finally, upon seeing the figure of Minos, Wallace couldn''t help but feel a bloodlust deep within his being while waves of hatred infused his heart.


    ''That bastard, I finally found him!'' He thought as he clenched his fists tightly, looking steadily at Minos and ignoring the rest of the people there. "Today, I will avenge your life, little Leroy!"


    Finally, Minos said his first words to these mortal enemies. "Revenge? Is that what you guys came here for?"


    "Haha, I fear that after today, more of these twisted beings will want revenge against you, young Minos..." One of those two old men from the Hayes family commented provocatively, laughing at the fact that these fools thought they were strong enough to take the life of the young man next to him.


    "It''s only natural..."


    "Today, we will exterminate half of the Chambers family''s high-level elders, so those poor devils in Persephone will continue in this futile pursuit!" The other expressed while he had a smiling countenance on his wrinkle-filled face.


    "Humph! Say what you want, ignorant fools!"


    "Today, we will wash this city ground with the blood of your bodies!"


    "It''s only three fools..." Wallace then looked in the direction where Paul was standing and asked aloud. "You, I know you... You are..."


    "The patriarch of the Cohen family!"


    "Hmm, this is indeed me," Paul said aloud, still standing in the same place as before, at this moment prepared to run in that direction and join the battle.


    The supreme elder of the Chambers family then frowned and said. "Paul Cohen, as a patriarch of a regional noble family, I naturally respect you. But if you stand in our way today, I fear that your family will become our enemy!"


    After hearing such a threat, the veins in Paul''s forehead were already beginning to tremble as he stepped forward and was about to say something. "I..."


    However, almost instantly to that, the young and vigorous voice of Minos sounded through that place, causing Paul not to continue his speech. "You don''t have to worry about the presence of mister Paul or the others in this place. I will fight you alone..."


    "The rest are just here to watch!"  He finished speaking as he looked coldly in the direction of those six, already with a bow in his mouth.


    "What?" Everyone in that place said simultaneously, those newcomers, the two Hayes family elders, Paul, Ronald, and Ernest.


    ''He''s crazy!''


    ''How can he think that a mere level 50 Spiritual King can take on all of us?'' So, one of the level 54 Spiritual Kings of the Chambers family thought to himself while a mocking smile appeared on his face.


    On the other hand, Minos'' allies were no less shocked.


    ''What is he talking about? Wasn''t the point of the two of us helping him in this fight?''


    ''That''s crazy! Even I wouldn''t attempt something so challenging!'' Paul considered,  looking with wide eyes at Minos. He then turned to Ernest. "Ernest, that... Wouldn''t it be better if..." He was about to say something but was soon interrupted by that Black Plain Army Lieutenant.


    Gulp!


    "Rest assured, mister Paul. The young master has deep knowledge regarding the difference in power at each level of the 6th stage."


    "We must trust him." He said, but he had doubts in his mind at the same time. ''Why is the young master saying this? I know he''s already gotten stronger since he reached level 50, but that''s an exaggeration!''


    ''Will he be able to fight all these opponents?'' He wondered as he steadily looked at Minos.


    "Hahahaha, it''s not a surprise that this is coming from a person who refused to join one of the empire''s sects. Hahahaha, you truly are an idiot!" A level 55 Spiritual King expressed while at the same time tapping one of Wallace''s shoulders.


    "Supreme elder, don''t take that fool''s words seriously. Let''s just get it over with at once!"


    "This worm is playing hard to humiliate us even more!" Then, finally, Wallace said something as he turned redder and redder.


    He then turned away and gave his command. "I''ll deal with this bastard alone. The rest of you take care of those others in the surrounding area!"


    "Yes, supreme elder!" The five individuals shouted simultaneously, already preparing to start fighting in this place.


    Meanwhile, Minos had just heard the protest of those two Hayes family elders.


    "Elders, don''t worry. Before, I wanted to act with you two because I thought we were going to face a greater force..."


    "But if it''s just them, I''ll use this as training!" He said loudly so that everyone there could hear him perfectly.


    ''A training?'' Paul thought to himself as his mouth dropped open in shock.


    "Miserable bastard!"


    "Say what you want. We will torture you slowly until you beg for your death!"


    "We''ll see if you''re all that!"


    "Humph, it''s a shame that little Leroy died at the hands of a demented man..." Wallace said as he moved toward Minos. "But I will clean up that dishonor now!"


    At the same time, all those Spiritual Kings of the Chambers family were already preparing to run in those other individuals'' directions.


    However, the two elders of the Hayes family had not contradicted Minos'' decision. They were already moving away from that place.


    As for those others on the upper floor of that local government mansion, Ernest had prevented them from trying to get involved in this conflict.


    Finally, Minos began to circulate his energy as he looked in Wallace''s direction. "So you''re the father of that disgusting insect, huh?"


    "It''s like the saying goes... The apple doesn''t fall far from the tree."


    "Well, never mind. Since you court death, I''ll do you the favor of sending you to the same place as that worm!"


    ....

 Chapter 679 - Confrontation Of Deadly Enemies 2

    After he finished saying those words, Minos saw Wallace''s face grow darker and darker, as a maniacal look formed in this man''s eyes.


    He was genuinely furious at this moment, more than at any other time in his life.


    The person in front of him had not only killed and humiliated Leroy in ''front'' of thousands of people but also dared to utter such offenses to the deceased and also to him, the father of that young man!


    As such, Wallace, a powerful level 56 Spiritual King, could not help but feel his blood boil as the will to kill exploded within his being.


    "Brat!"


    "I will ensure that not only you die today! I will hunt down your past and enslave your entire family, you bastard!" Wallace wildly said as his eyes turned red and began to attack Minos.


    Too bad for Wallace that he didn''t know that of Minos'' family, half of it had already perished, the branch related to his father. As for the other half, his mother''s branch was the powerful Coleman family, which has a Spiritual Saint as its leader...


    Hell, just an ordinary member of that family from the Flaming Empire could crush the little House Chambers, even if such a person used only one of his fingers!


    But at the end of the day, none of this would make any difference since Wallace had decided to be so negligent against young Stuart...


    "Die! You cretin!" He shouted in fury as he activated his primary offensive technique with most of his energy reserves.


    After that, large purple claws appeared on his hands, coming out of the bases of his fingers and stretching for more than 50 centimeters into razor-sharp blades.


    Swooish!


    Then, he cut the air toward where Minos was standing, creating several semi-transparent blades, which carried enough power to kill individuals at level 56!


    However, while some of the viewers were apprehensive about this initial moment of the fight, Minos finally began to activate his combat techniques, one after the other, without much delay.


    He wanted to surprise the opposing side and cause maximum damage all at once at this beginning of the fight, the only moment when those people would underestimate him. After all, while they certainly knew that he was no ordinary level 50 warrior, they also didn''t know exactly this young man''s capabilities.


    So, taking advantage of this initial moment was very important to Minos!


    He wanted to use this situation to train his techniques with these individuals, but that didn''t mean he would be foolish to allow those six people to unit against him.


    That would be stupid since the combined power of those six indeed passed that of young Stuart!


    But still, with his unique strategy and methods that only he had, this young man wanted to fight the remnants of that initial moment alone.


    Such a thing would be within his means and an excellent simulation for the battles he would have to face during the future war against the Brown family.


    He would undoubtedly have to face groups of Spiritual Kings made up of people above level 55, something challenging to train in ordinary situations.


    So, since Wallace''s group was not so much stronger than him that he needed help, he would make the most of this opportunity!


    Indestructible Body!


    Devouring Art!


    Then, the first two techniques were activated, causing his body to become much stronger and more resistant. At the same time, the effects of his support technique began to appear in the surroundings.


    "What''s that? Why is it getting dark all of a sudden?" Paul asked aloud, not knowing what would happen next since this was his first time for him seeing young Stuart fighting.


    As for those Chambers family nobles, they already knew about part of Minos'' fighting style. After all, he already used this strange technique that stole his opponents'' energies at that time when Leroy perished.


    "What?"


    "My energies are decreasing!"


    But even knowing the effects of the Devouring Art, none of them expected that such thing would be so influential on them, who were 4 to 5 levels above Minos''!


    Infinite Dream!


    Explosive Steps!


    Spatial Sword!


    Next, Minos activated his other three combat techniques, already acting against specific opponents, those he wanted to take down at first.


    With that, powerful waves of invisible energy flew from this young man''s bright eyes, heading towards one of those level 54 Spiritual Kings, someone who could totally come under the effects of this technique.


    ''What''s that? What is this power?'' Such a person wondered, as his sights rapidly darkened, at the same time, where he was still running towards one of those Hayes family elders.


    "Help me! Help me! I''m blind!" He screamed in desperation as he lost his sight, and his consciousness was thrown into a space entirely devoid of light.


    But none of his companions could help him. After all, Minos had not invested his attention in that man even for a second.


    Swooish! Swooish!


    While dodging the attacks launched by Wallace, Minos used his two medium-level grade-2 swords to slice the air with great force. With that, he sent two mighty blades in the directions of two of those other four Spiritual Kings.


    "Shit!"


    "Damn, that miserable bastard is much stronger than us!"


    "He''s almost as strong as the patriarch!"


    Those Spiritual Kings of the Chambers family screamed in desperation, realizing that they wouldn''t have time to fight those other people in that place.


    Just Minos alone would already be deadly dangerous for them!


    As such, the moment they felt the strong fluctuations of the blades sent towards two of them, those people were already preparing to fight Minos with everything!


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    "Ahhhhhhh! Miserable! My arm! You cut off my arm!"


    Finally, the first desperate cries of pain resounded through that place, as a level 55 Spiritual King had his left arm immediately severed by one of the attacks sent by Minos.


    On the other hand, the level 54 Spiritual King who had received the second blade sent by Minos had failed to defend himself from such a thing. Half of his belly had been cut off in that short instant!


    "Ahhhhhhhh!" This person screamed in desperation as he fell to the ground, already holding part of his intestines in his hands!


    "Son of a bitch! You act as if I am not here and still attack my companions?" Wallace finally had time to say something, as he saw half more of his fellow travelers suffer from Minos'' techniques.


    It had all happened so fast!


    From one hour to the next, while he was trying to attack young Stuart, his opponent activated all his combat techniques and ignored him.


    Almost simultaneously, Minos quickly acted against those people who were running in the directions of the other Spiritual Kings who were next to him in this place.


    The young ruler of the Black Plain had specifically targeted those three weakest people in that enemy group, the easiest targets for him to hit, an essential part of his plan to dominate this fight.


    One of them could be trapped in a dream controlled by the young Stuart, while the other two individuals could suffer severe damage from the attacks launched by him!


    Because of his speed and the fact that those individuals were separated from each other, Wallace had had no chance to do anything against Minos'' actions.


    On the other hand, Minos'' speed was much more significant than Wallace''s, who had only a few months ago reached level 56. Hence, everything had happened too fast for this man to do anything about it, and he had just seen his family members suffer at the hands of this opponent!


    "Oh? The way you talk, it sounds like you''re asking to be the first to die..." Minos said in a firm tone, with no change in his voice, as if the previous action was no big deal.


    Swooish!


    And with that, Minos quickly began to fight those people, already trying to eliminate those two most injured in this place while trying to weaken the remaining three!


    ....

 Chapter 680 - A Monster Living In A Young Mans Body

    Swooish!


    Swooish!


    Pow!


    Boom!


    Quickly, blades and other forms of energy attacks cut through the air of that street, sometimes hitting their targets, but in many others heading off into the surrounding area.


    As such, it wasn''t long before many explosions and the sounds of smaller houses and buildings being slowly destroyed spread throughout that central part of Yellow City.


    A fight between Spiritual Kings at the middle and the final part of the 6th stage was not simple, so when several of these experts were fighting, places like that would suffer greatly.


    The attacks from Spiritual Kings of this strength range were powerful enough to cut through buildings and make them collapse. Therefore, the small and abandoned Yellow City suffered the most from this battle!


    But in any case, the material damage here was not so relevant since this place had long been abandoned, and any plan Minos had for such a place did not take these buildings into consideration.


    As a result, despite the fact that several craters had already formed on that street and many buildings had collapsed by this point, the only thing that mattered here was the life and death of those Spiritual Kings.


    With that in mind, Minos was fighting bravely against 4 of these individuals right now while constantly moving, dodging, attacking his opponents in a battle of high speed and power.


    Of the initial six Spiritual Kings in that group, one of them had fainted after nearly going insane due to Minos'' mental technique.


    Young Stuart had put him into an illusion where that person could hear nothing, see nothing, feel nothing, and so on. In other words, he couldn''t use any of his five senses in such a dream, and he gradually became delirious until he collapsed before losing his reason!


    On the other hand, the individual who had been hit in the gut earlier had died shortly afterward due to another of young Stuart''s relentless attacks.


    Minos was not concerned about such a person when he had done this. Still, since he was moving close to such a person, he had taken the opportunity to slit that man''s throat with one of his swords!


    In this way, one of those six had died, while the other was unconscious, unable to influence the battle.


    With that, Minos was in the current situation. He was constantly exchanging blows with the three strongest in that group while trying to dodge the long-range attacks of the man who had lost an arm earlier in the fight.


    Pow!


    Swooish!


    Another batch of attacks rushed towards their targets. At the same time, those four men were in different positions, slowly trying to surround young Stuart.


    However, even if they had the advantage in numbers, their opponent''s techniques were far more challenging than they could handle.


    Young Stuart''s speed was far greater than theirs. His support technique kept sucking up their energies. And his defenses were, well, impenetrable to these people.


    As a result, aside from making young Stuart sweat profusely and experience some discomfort around his own body, these individuals had failed to injure him, creating opportunities for them.


    The opposite of that, as the fight progressed, these people felt the sensation of fatigue slowly increasing. But meanwhile, their opponent seemed not to change as much as they did.


    ''What''s wrong with this person? Why did his energies stop decreasing?'' So, one of these Spiritual Kings thought to himself as he launched a powerful attack towards Minos.


    Pow!


    Quickly a sizeable black palm slashed through the air towards Minos, at the same time, as a long red whip tried to reach one of Minos'' arms.


    ''It won''t work!'' Another of them thought as he saw young Stuart spin 180 degrees to the right while having one of his legs raised in the air as if he was catching momentum to kick.


    As he did so, Minos compressed much of the air around one of his feet and kicked with great force toward that black palm coming toward him.


    Simultaneously with this, the golden blade of one of his swords gently cut the thread of spiritual energy that was trying to bind one of his arms.


    ''That rascal is a damned monster! How could such a freak exist in our region?''


    As Minos circulated the energies he had stolen from these people and launched more attacks, another Spiritual King briefly thought about it, trembling with fear.


    "Shit! Shit! Shit!"


    "Why is this happening? Why is this damn brat so powerful?" Wallace shouted in anger, his voice slowly becoming hoarse, while his exhaustion made him feel less and less capable.


    But besides his voice, only sounds of battles could be heard in that place, while none of them stopped to answer his questions.


    Pow!


    Swooish!


    "Ahhhhhhhh!" Finally, more cries of pain began to fill that area as Minos ran around that place, and one of his attacks hit one of those enemies of his.


    "Damn it! I can''t believe I''m going to die from this brat''s hands!" The man missing one of his arms cried in despair, finally seeing Minos running towards him with a murderous look.


    At that instant, this young man had used a little more of his strength. He broke the formation of those four opponents, immediately running towards this individual, determined to eliminate him.


    "Ahhhh!"


    And with Minos'' desire to kill, it didn''t take long for him to get close enough to that man and slash with his swords, shredding part of the torso of that level 55 expert.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhh!"


    Then, the desperate cries of pain became even louder as that man slowly began to fall to the ground.


    "Bastard!"


    "Attack that brat with me!" Wallace shouted in a fury, using almost everything he had to attack in Minos'' direction.


    But as they tried to use the opportunity generated by their companion''s suffering, Minos quickly used that opponent''s bloodied body as a shield!


    Pow!


    Swooish!


    Puff!


    In doing so, the attacks that had been thrown by those three Spiritual Kings quickly further destroyed the body of that man, who by now was completely unconscious.


    With this, another member of the Chambers family had fallen into the darkness of death in Yellow City!


    His body had become an unrecognizable lump of flesh, broken down into the main chunk that looked like meat loaf with some bone fragments, while the rest had exploded into many pieces.


    The attacks of his own companions had killed him!


    "That brat!"


    "That bastard is a monster living in a young man''s body!" One of them shouted in despair, realizing that there was not much hope for them.


    The three remaining conscious individuals were already close to running out of energy. At the same time, Minos continued to steal what little they had and didn''t seem to be as bad off as they were.


    Because Minos demonstrated a combat proficiency above the level of all of them since the very beginning of the fight, they were starting to feel that this young man would kill them all!


    "Hah... Hah... Hah... Supreme elder, what will we do now? I''m afraid we won''t be able to escape..."


    Upon hearing this, Wallace''s entire body shook in hatred as blood dripped from the seven orifices in his head. "I swear to kill you, Minos!"


    "If I can''t live after that, I don''t care! As long as I can take you with me, I''ll be satisfied!" The father of the late Leroy shouted to Minos as he felt his whole body crackling in pain. At the same time, the various wounds around his vital organs made him stagger around that place.


    "Let''s sacrifice ourselves!" Then, he gave his last order as a supreme elder. At the same time, he was beginning the ritual, as he directed all his energies to the spiritual organ at the base of his neck.


    "Trying to sacrifice yourselves, eh? I never thought jerks like you Chambers would have the guts!" Minos uttered these words while trying to counter the action of the opposing group.


    ''Well, I guess only that will work...'' He assumed, looking steadily into Wallace''s direction, as his eyes shone.


    Infinite Dream: Mind Destroyer!


    At the same time, Minos put more than half of his remaining energy into his mental technique. He then moved his arms horizontally, creating his last fight attack.


    But as he did so, the glow in his eyes was quickly flowing toward his arms and then proceeding to his swords.


    Spatial Sword: Mind Destroyer!


    "Fuse!"


    And then, a gigantic red blade rushed towards his targets....

 Chapter 681 - Technique Fusion!

    Swooish!


    Sss!


    Quickly, the sizeable red blade, which seemed to create sparks of the same color wherever it passed, sliced through the air towards the necks of those three men so fast that the people there could barely see it.


    Such a thing was huge, with a radius of more than 10 meters. But, at the same time, it had a terrifying amount of power, capable of cutting through even a small mountain!


    As a result, despite the fact that the people present could barely see this attack before it hit its target, everyone present had goosebumps due to the unrivaled destructive power of this attack.


    None of them had ever in their lives witnessed such a thing!


    ''Shit!'' Wallace thought to himself as he understood that he would not have time to react to such an attack.


    He had barely given the first step to his sacrifice, but Minos'' attack was already just inches away from his neck!


    ''Damn, that miserable bastard! Am I truly not going to take him down with me?'' He wondered nervously, as time seemed to pass differently in his mind.


    He could feel his mind working like never before, at a speed that he would probably be matchless in this region if he could use it to his advantage... However, such a thing was not on a par with his physical capabilities!


    It was as if he had transcended mentally at this point but was trapped in a weak, slow, and heavy body that prevented him from acting according to his mental capabilities.


    It was frustrating to see things so clearly and not be able to do anything about it!


    But while he and his companions could not react, this gave them time to think about everything around them, to wonder if this was the end for them, and how this opponent could do such things...


    At the same time, their energies were still slowly circulating through their bodies, following the specific commands that one would have to follow for the sacrifice to take place.


    Sacrifice was not just something of the being but something of the world itself, which depended on a specific natural law. Hence, if the ritual were not followed, it would be impossible for anyone to sacrifice themselves, using the particular Natural Law to create chaos.


    However, as Minos'' attack drew closer and they felt the suppressive effects of the Spatial Sword, these men felt their energies were moving too slowly. As such, they had failed to ''fill'' their respective organ responsible for spiritual cultivation, that gland at the base of their nape.


    That was the focus of the explosion generated by the sacrifice, and without it being wholly inflated, nothing would happen...


    Puff!


    Therefore, while their minds were working at full potential, they felt their sights dim and then found themselves in a dark scenario, devoid of any sensations.


    But the illusion of being in this ''nothingness'' didn''t last long, lasting only as long as it took for their heads to be severed by the attack sent by Minos!


    Soon after this, the sounds of flesh falling to the ground were heard in that place, amidst the breathing of the onlookers, who had just seen the death of three influential regional experts.


    Such a thing had happened all of a sudden, and while they had barely been able to see the effect of Minos'' techniques, the heads of those three had been cut off at the level of their mouths.


    Such a thing had utterly exposed the white contents of their heads, while a grotesque image could be seen there, as blood spurted at the height of their tongues!


    "Hah... Hah... Hah... Hah..." After seeing that it was all over, Minos knelt on the ground, feeling as if his heart wanted to jump out of his chest.


    He was breathing heavily, feeling every fiber of his body trembling as his eyes seemed to gradually darken as if he would pass out at any moment.


    At the same time, he was experiencing a burning sensation at the nape of his neck, as he felt as if he was completely drained of energy.


    "Hah... Hah... Hah..." He was breathing irregularly, already struggling on the ground, as those onlookers ran toward him.


    "Young Minos?"


    "Hey? Hey? Are you okay?"


    "Young master? Fast, help bring the young master to the base!"


    Several shouts sounded throughout that place as those viewers began to put aside the fear they had felt a few seconds ago. After seeing that Minos seemed to have suffered a severe blow, those people quickly rushed towards him, putting aside their doubts for the moment.


    "What happened here? What was that red flash? Is that some technique?" One of the Spiritual Kings of the Miller family who was in this place escorting that spiritual judge asked aloud as he looked in the direction of the older people there.


    "That..." One of the Hayes elders was about to say, looking at his companion and then at the patriarch Paul.


    Paul then said in a tone full of admiration. "That must have been a fusion!"


    "Fusion?" People in the surrounding area asked when someone was almost close enough to Minos.


    "Yes, when one learns many techniques, sooner or later, a cultivator may reach the point of being able to fuse the effects of two or more techniques!" So he said with reverence in his tone as he finally saw young Stuart stopping trembling but still breathing as if he was severely oxygen-deprived.


    "Is that truly possible?" One of them asked in doubt, with a look of disbelief on his face.


    "Hmm, yes. And the effects of such a thing are terrifying!"


    "At the very least, the force of that blow that young Minos sent out was two to three times stronger than it would have been if he hadn''t fused them."


    "But that''s not easy to do... Especially at our stage of cultivation!" One of the Hayes elders said, complementing Paul''s speech.


    "That''s right. Such a thing is difficult to control, and once used, it consumes all energy in its user. Therefore, technique fusion requires a deep understanding concerning the laws of the fused techniques and a high level of energy. That serves to lessen this uncontrolled consumption, for a cultivator to endure such a thing without great loss."


    "Otherwise, the person who tries to use such a thing might even lose some of his strength!" The other elder Hayes said as he looked at young Stuart, who was being supported by Ernest while drinking a bottle containing Spatial Kingdom water.


    Glub! Glub! Glub!


    "At best, someone would still have to be in a weakened state, which could last from hours to days." Finally, Paul said this as he finished explaining the basics of technique fusion to those younger Spiritual Kings.


    And they were not wrong. Such a thing was a possibility, something that any cultivator with sufficient understanding and power could accomplish.


    However, without one having deep energy reserves or knowledge of the workings of the Natural Laws, such a thing would be as challenging to accomplish as normal humans breathing underwater!


    As such, these individuals there could not use such a thing.


    As for Minos, he had only more recently, after reaching level 50, achieved the minimum to use this kind of possibility. Before that, even if he wanted to, he would not be able to do so since his energy reserves were too low!


    However, he already had enough understanding to do so.


    After this recent breakthrough, by combining the understanding he had achieved on his own and the things he already knew given Henricus Longus'' memories, he could use such a thing without risking so much.


    With the necessary understanding, he was able to limit the fusion''s energy expenditure to the point it did not affect his cultivation level, leaving him only in a state of severe exhaustion.


    But although bad, such a thing could be resolved with rest, and in a few days, he could be as strong as he had been before using that!


    "Hah... Hah... That''s right... Hah..." Minos finally said something when he managed to improve his condition slightly to the point he was no longer in danger of fainting.


    "Young Minos? Can you do such a thing?" One of those experienced old men asked this with looks of reverence on their faces.


    He was in awe that Minos could use such a thing at level 50, something that even they, people of higher levels, couldn''t do. But, on the other hand, the fact that this young man was only severely exhausted was awe-inspiring!


    "Hah... Yes, those guys would sacrifice themselves, so I had no choice. Hah..." He commented while feeling sensations of pain all over his body....

 Chapter 682 - Post-Battle And Quick Action!

    Young Stuart had used the possibility of fusion for the first time for a few reasons.


    He wanted to prevent those individuals from sacrificing themselves in this place. That, of course, was due to the damage that such opponents could do to the structure of this city, the secret base of the Black Plain Army, and the viewers in the vicinity.


    After all, of the three individuals, two of them were at level 55, while the last one was at level 56. Consequently, the explosion generated by the sacrifice of these three could be many times worse than what had happened after the sacrifice of that level 54 assassin that Minos had previously faced.


    But as that desperate attempt by the former assassin of the Scourge of the Devil had created a crater with a radius of hundreds of meters, then something many times worse could have occurred here!


    And even if there were a medium-level grade-2 defensive barrier on that base, that would not be enough to block the full attack power of such sacrifices.


    Hence, young Stuart had used the most effective thing he had up his sleeve to deal with Wallace''s group.


    On the other hand, Minos was surrounded by his allies or subordinates, where the only enemy left was someone who was still under the effects of the Infinite Dream cast at the beginning of the fight.


    Besides, he wasn''t sure if he could stop the sacrifice of those three any other way. As such, even if he had to be severely weakened for some time after using the fusion, he had figured it would be worth it.


    As one of those experts had said, the result of the fusion of at least two techniques was a few times stronger than the power of the techniques being thrown in the usual way. And not only was the destructive power increased but so was the speed!


    For this very reason, considering that all that mattered to avoid a sacrifice was speed, Minos had not hesitated to use his most powerful card, despite the costs.


    Anyway, after Minos sat down to rest, it wasn''t long before Ernest came to his side. "Young master, what shall we do now?"


    "Hah... Hah... Collect the items left behind by them... Hah... Hah... And kill that remaining person. We have no use for hostages... Hah..." Minos replied while still breathing hurriedly.


    Upon hearing those instructions, Ernest was quick to leave his boss'' side and follow with some of the Spiritual Kings to finish the life of that unconscious person.


    On the other hand, some of the Sergeants who had witnessed Minos'' fight against that group were in the surroundings, already starting to clean up that street where the battle had taken place.


    Many buildings and houses on that main street were turned into ruins, with large holes on the road and facilities full of cracks and deformities. That had obviously happened because of the great confrontation that had taken place there.


    But even if this place were an abandoned city, it would not be good to keep destroyed areas since this could somehow attract the attention of travelers. After all, an abandoned town with no traces of fighting was one thing. A partially destroyed one was another!


    One would have its mystery, something that would make people wonder what had happened to the local population without anyone thinking anything too exaggerated. But the other would be proof that some greater force had been here and could have been responsible for the changes in the local inhabitants.


    The latter might attract more interest from royal forces and noble organizations...


    And that would not be good!


    So, these people were already there to destroy the buildings that had been damaged, opening up empty spaces in those places.


    Such a thing would no longer be so flashy and could be used as traps by the army''s soldiers.


    But while some soldiers were doing that job and others were collecting the items from the deads, the two elders of the Hayes family were passing by each of those corpses.


    As they did so, they were quickly cutting off the heads that had not been cut off and storing those body parts in their respective spatial rings.


    "All right! We already have the heads of these degenerates to display in Primrose." One of the two said in satisfaction.


    At the same time, he raised in the air what was left of Wallace''s head and looked eye-to-eye to that piece of meat. "Hahaha, bet you never thought that would happen, huh?"


    "Who would have thought that a mere level 53 Spiritual King would hold the head of the supreme elder of the Chambers family in his hands? Hahahaha."


    Hearing this, this old man''s traveling companion laughed. "A pity those damned in Persephone will not have the opportunity to suffer the humiliation of having the remains of their elders displayed in our city!"


    "Hmm, justice will soon be served!"


    Meanwhile, Paul and the old spiritual judge stood beside Minos as they watched him intently and saw him slowly improving his respiration rate.


    ''I never thought this young man would be this strong! Even the things Todd had told me, I hadn''t believed it was all true!''


    ''No, a lie!''


    ''What young Todd described to me was still below the strength of this person!'' Paul assumed, smiling, forgetting that it should be time to return to his city...


    Meanwhile, that spiritual judge was thinking about what had happened.


    ''It was a magnificent battle!''


    ''I may not have the opportunity to see a fight as impressive as that in these last years of my life!''


    But while the two were thinking about these things, Minos'' voice reached their ears. "Hah... You two better leave... Hah... Having so many Spiritual Kings in the abandoned Yellow City is not good at all..."


    "Oh?" The two made sounds of surprise simultaneously, finally returning to reality.


    "Well, young Minos is right. I had better take my course and return to my city."


    "Yes, now that those threats have been neutralized, I will also be able to make my way to the Kingdom of the Waves, where I will do some service..." So, that spiritual judge expressed, giving details of what he would do next, something he would always do when coming to this place to help young Stuart.


    "Hmm, I hope to see you two in the future... Hah... Have a good trip!"


    After that, it wasn''t long before those people left that town, as well as the two Spiritual Kings of the Hayes family, who had nothing else to do in that place.


    And Minos went to rest inside the secret army base while those Sergeants finished cleaning up the surroundings.


    ...


    Not long after the battle between Minos and the six Spiritual Kings of the Chambers family, the Hayes family acted against their Cromwell Kingdom adversaries!


    Everything had been planned with Minos in advance, and as such, they knew very well when to move their troops.


    Because of this, by the time the deaths of the members of Wallace''s group had happened, thousands of Spiritual Generals and some Spiritual Kings from the Hayes family and allies were already on the outskirts of Persephone!


    They didn''t exactly know when Minos would be fighting those opponents. Still, they were sure that the Chambers family would have extreme reactions when that happened.


    After all, regardless of how deep the connections of that family from the Cromwell Kingdom were, they would certainly feel a deep weight in losing all or even some of those six individuals.


    One of them was even the supreme elder of that family, the brother of the current patriarch.


    Thus, while Vivian''s family members could not predict when Minos would act, they were confident that they would discover it shortly after this ally murdered one of Wallace''s companions.


    And just as expected, the moment the Chambers family realized what had happened through the soul lamps of those six individuals, the headquarters of that organization went into convulsion!


    Then the Hayes family''s attack began!


    "Ah! Kill those degenerates!"


    "Wash this corrupt city with the blood of the evil!"


    "Kill!"


    "For the Hayes family!"


    Several shouts sounded, coming from the surroundings of that city, as thousands of people started running towards that place, already using their techniques to attack the enemies in the surroundings....

 Chapter 683 - Virgil Chambers Final Effort

    After the thousands of Hayes family associates began their attack on Persephone, it didn''t take long for battles to spread to the outskirts of this city!


    Several explosions could be seen and heard on the outskirts of that town. Meanwhile, the sounds of war spread through those chaotic areas, war sounds reaching even where no warriors were fighting.


    And so, as bloody battles spread in all directions near the outermost points of this city, the local citizens ran in fear for their lives in the innermost points of this place.


    That was a large city with hundreds of thousands of inhabitants. Because of this, when the turmoil had started, many people on the streets quickly rushed to return to their homes or find safe places.


    They knew that the ruling family of this place was at war with another powerful organization in the kingdom. And even if attacks on the scale of the present incident were not common, these people knew that this kind of thing could happen.


    So, upon sensing that things looked very intense, to the point that the city itself was in danger, these ordinary citizens didn''t take long to run in desperation, spreading chaos.


    Most of these people hated the Chambers family, so they would never fight together with this family to defend this place.


    But despite their hatred, none of them could be happy about this wave of attacks. After all, at the end of the day, good or not, this was still their city, where they lived and where their families were.


    Therefore, each of these people had great fear in their beings at the moment, worrying about what could happen to their families, possessions, etc. These valuable things could be lost during the conflict or lost to the victors of that battle.


    There would always be thefts, rapes, murders when a city was taken. As such, the local citizens couldn''t help but fear for their futures.


    On the other hand, if the descendants of the Chambers family survived this calamity, then the standard population would still not be safe...


    After all, their rulers were not gentle at all. On the contrary, they were ruthless, able to do all sorts of things as long as there were advantages.


    They were even capable of enslaving their own people to rebuild the city if the catastrophe was too great!


    In any case, whether or not they could get rid of the damned local rulers, these inhabitants of Persephone knew that they would have a lot of problems ahead of them.


    Hence, most of them could not even feel the happiness of seeing the Chambers suffering, some of them even perishing!


    "Fight!"


    "Defend the city from those bastards!"


    "We will enslave this entire Hayes family after our victory!"


    "Fight for the family!"


    Several shouts in favor of the Chambers family could be heard through the streets of this town, as individuals carrying weapons or other combat items ran through the streets.


    Some of them were already on beasts, following alongside battalions, marching toward the hotspots of battle. At the same time as this, bloody people were running back from the battlefields, heading towards the headquarters'' interior.


    "Ahhhh! Help! Help!"


    "The miserable people are too numerous! Reinforcements, please send reinforcements!"


    Several subordinates shouted with all the force of their lungs, mixing their voices with those of many others, in conjunction with the sound effects caused by the battles.


    Boom!


    "Ahhhh!"


    Pow!


    "Ohhhh!"


    "Help! Help!"


    Swooish!


    And then, the symphony of war continued to escalate, further frightening the thousands of citizens who were already in their homes, doors locked and hiding under furniture.


    Boom!


    ...


    While the battles of the individuals below the sixth stage continued, regional experts from both sides were already fighting!


    Specifically, 28 Spiritual Kings from both sides fought ferocity in several different sites in this city.


    Most of them were at the intermediate levels of the 6th stage, which were those elders who were either in this place to defend their own family headquarters, or were here to destroy such an organization.


    But there were some Spiritual Kings from the initial levels of this stage fighting around this city, full of the will to kill and overcome their opponents so that they could continue living.


    And among these Spiritual Kings, some were assassins from the Scourge of the Devil organization, who were here to support the Chambers family in the war against House Hayes.


    But despite such help, the Chambers were at a slight disadvantage in this fight. Besides having one less individual than their opponents, they also lacked in terms of the average level!


    Because of this, it didn''t take long for one side to start suppressing the other!


    Boom!


    "Ahhhh!"


    "How can this be happening? Why did these people attack us right now?" The former patriarch of the Chambers family said this out loud while using what little was left of his life to support his family.


    This man initially did not have much time left in his life. And because of this, having to fight in this place, his death was practically certain!


    However, even though he knew he was going to die, this former patriarch of the Chambers family was more concerned about the fact that even if he fell in this place, his family would probably not be able to enjoy any good results of his efforts.


    After all, he had already been notified about the death of the six Spiritual Kings who left towards the Yellow City, and that in itself would be enough to destabilize them!


    But soon after receiving such information, the notifications of invaders had reached his ears, preventing him from even being further frustrated by the death of six powerful experts.


    As he saw the light at the end of the tunnel getting smaller and smaller, this former patriarch couldn''t understand how such a strong group had gotten so close to their city.


    "How did they do that?"


    ''What happened to our troops? What about the group the patriarch was supposed to be in?'' He wondered as he felt goosebumps on his back and feared for what might have happened to those people.


    ''Don''t tell me this is a collaborative action? No, it can''t be!''


    "This can''t be happening!" He shouted in desperation as he felt his life draining away along with his energy as he fought two enemies in that place.


    ''How did those Hayes bastards get such power? They and their alliance couldn''t handle Wallace''s group, the patriarch''s team, and still attack us!''


    ''That''s simply impossible!''


    ''What in the world is going on?''


    "Ahhhhhhhhhh!"


    "Kill that damned old demon!"


    "Attack with everything. He won''t last much longer!"


    The two Spiritual Kings fighting against the former patriarch Chambers shouted at each other while suppressing that individual as much as possible.


    But even though they were fighting to their advantage and that Chambers was slowly losing his mental faculties, the fight was still not easy.


    The old man was a great fighter, and even if he couldn''t live for much longer, he would still make life as difficult as possible for these opponents!


    "Miserable Hayes! I never thought that I, Virgil Chambers, would have to resort to that!" He shouted in anger, in a hoarse tone, while a black ball was already forming near him as he aged much more, at speed visible to the naked eye.


    "Damned coward!"


    "I cursed you, Virgil Chambers!"


    Those two opponents said as they realized that the former patriarch of the Chambers family intended to sacrifice himself.


    At the same time, where the two individuals were already starting to run in the opposite direction to that man, the other Spiritual Kings around that city were still fighting.


    "Shit! What''s happening in this damn place? How did enemy forces get so close to the core of this family?" One of the assassins from that regionally famous organization commented to his partner, who was fighting with him against the enemies.


    "It doesn''t matter!"


    "The situation doesn''t look good, Scythe. Wouldn''t it be better if we retreated? I don''t see how this city can stop this current invasion!" The other individual said as he looked from one side to the other and prepared to flee.


    "Hmm, indeed, there''s no reason for us to die here!"


    Vuup!


    Then the two men ran off in separate directions, trying to escape this damned battlefield!

 Chapter 684 - Escaping!

    ''I have to escape from this damn place!'' One of the Chambers family subordinates thought to himself as blood dripped from a wound on his forehead.


    At the same time, where his clothes and armor were partially destroyed, he was trying to escape from that city, trying his best to avoid the enemy specialists.


    Due to the large number of people fleeing, it wasn''t long before the situation became even more chaotic. The weaker ones were falling even faster than before as they lost their allies who had kept them alive up to this point.


    "Ahhh! Please don''t leave us behind, Mister Roy!" several of the Spiritual Generals in the vicinity shouted at that man as they suffered from the powerful attacks of their enemies.


    But this Spiritual King, Roy, level 52, didn''t care about helping nobles or subordinates of the Chambers family.


    He was one of the few Spiritual Kings of the initial levels of this stage in this battle. As such, the chances of him falling into this place were much higher than that of his superiors. So, he had already decided to abandon this family and try to escape from this place!


    ''Damn it!''


    ''It''s all over!'' So, he thought as he saw the streets in his surroundings were already filled with blood marks and pieces of human and beast bodies.


    It was indeed a desolate scene, something that was making this man feel sick, much more than the smell of death would bother him. That was because, although he had never faced situations of this magnitude, Roy was already used to the unpleasant smell of death.


    After all, he had already killed a few thousand people in his life!


    On the other hand, for a person who had been abducted during his childhood and was forced to join the organization, he had lived almost all his life in this city. However, for this very reason, he couldn''t help but be shocked by the scenery around him, of the place he once thought was impenetrable.


    He had long ago given up the idea of trying to escape from the Chambers family and perhaps seek revenge. Not only that, in addition to giving up, he had entirely accepted the lifestyle of his captors, even becoming one of the current pillars of this noble house!


    He might not be a great regional expert, but he still was one of the 29 Spiritual Kings of the Chambers family that remained!


    And because he shared the practices of this organization, because he had lived in the same culture as his kidnappers for so long, this man had genuinely seen this place as his home.


    For all that background of his, Roy could not help but feel disturbed by the destruction he was witnessing around Persephone and the thousands of deaths in his surroundings.


    "Ahhhhhh!"


    Boom!


    "Tsk!" He made a sound with his tongue while having every muscle in his face contracted. ''There''s nothing to do. From now on, it won''t be long before the Chambers family ceases to exist.''


    ''I can only follow my course and try to continue living...'' He then looked steadily in a particular direction and understood what he should do. ''Maybe I can use the family connections for me to get a place among the Scourges of the Devil!''


    After that, he continued to run northward, heading towards the location of that organization''s headquarters!


    ...


    While blood flowed through the streets of Persephone and many people tried to flee from that place, some of the invaders were attacking at this moment the Chambers family headquarters.


    At that place, the barrier created by a medium-level grade-2 defensive array had already been destroyed many minutes ago.


    That had happened before the battles of the Spiritual Kings began, as previously all the local family experts were within that protected area.


    But unfortunately for the sovereign organization of these lands, the forces of the Hayes family and their allies had prepared for such a thing. Because of this, these defenses had been destroyed by the strongest specialists of the invading group, who had the best weapons in their possession.


    In any case, at present, many Hayes family forces were slaughtering the remaining people in that place, those individuals who could cause trouble if they escaped.


    But while cries of pain and murmurs of dying people resounded through the headquarters of this local organization, some of the last nobles of this family were running through the secret exits of that place.


    Obviously, a family with the violent background of the House Chambers would not live in a place with only one way out. After all, sooner or later, their plans could go wrong, and any sensible person should prepare for the worst!


    Otherwise, only despair would remain for such souls.


    As such, the essential descendants of this family were running through the local tunnels, heading separately to different places.


    "What the hell!"


    "I can''t believe we ended up humiliated like that!" One young man said this in anger, while the pallor of his face would make anyone believe that he was very ill.


    But such a thing was not due to physical problems, but rather to the great fear this young man had of dying along with the rest of his family members!


    "How could all this have happened, uncle? How could we have been caught by surprise in our own home?" He asked while talking to one of the five people running away with him.


    "Sigh..."


    "I don''t know, maybe the enemy group got a great ally, and this is their first big action." So, the old man leading this group said while he felt very vulnerable.


    He was a prestigious noble, but he was only at level 49. So, he couldn''t help but feel bad for everything happening, especially after he found out about the death of the supreme elder.


    ''All we can do now is hide and slowly gather strength. Maybe going somewhere weak and easy to hide in is the only alternative for us...'' So, he considered, running alongside his younger family members through one of the several tunnels leading out of that headquarters.


    "Come on, run with everything you''ve got!"


    "Luckily, we''ll be able to gain a few minutes because of the tunnel entrances we destroyed earlier. But that''s only temporary..."


    "Sooner or later, they will enter our tunnel network!"


    "OK!" The other people shouted simultaneously, following in through the darkness of that place.


    ...


    At the same time as that, tens of thousands of people had already died on the outskirts of Persephone, including in those numbers, 14 Spiritual Kings, 10 of them being members of the Chambers family!


    However, while most of the Hayes family Spiritual Kings survived this great invasion, most of them were gravely injured and would need months to recover.


    On the other hand, the few who were not so injured were utterly exhausted, to the point that even intermediate-level Spiritual Generals could put their lives at risk!


    And with these possibilities in mind, it wasn''t long before all these individuals gathered in one place, while some Spiritual Generals protected them during this initial moment of their rest.


    "Hah... That Virgil Chambers still managed to take three of ours! Damn him!" One of those most injured Spiritual Kings from that surviving group said this in anger.


    "Tsk!"


    "That lapsed old man dared to sacrifice himself and destroyed the bodies of Camille, Christopher, and Garth, the only ones of us who were within the range of that sacrifice!" Another Spiritual King commented as he rested sitting on one of the stairs of the Chambers family headquarters.


    "That bastard must have killed tens of thousands of citizens with that sacrifice!"


    "Hmm, I could hardly believe that someone would be able to do that in his own city!"


    "Did he not care that it could affect even his descendants?" Another asked as he felt terrible for the deaths of allies and the residents of an entire neighborhood in this city.


    And indeed, Virgil''s sacrifice had been terrible.


    After all, he was already at level 57 and had too much power to be burned during such an act.


    But in the end, these Hayes family members and the city''s residents had been lucky. That''s because if Virgil hadn''t already been very weak, close to death, such a thing could have been much worse!


    Anyway, while they talked about this, suddenly, one of those stronger individuals there asked what he found most strange about this whole invasion. "You guys.... Have any of you seen patriarch Chamber? Shouldn''t he be here?"

 Chapter 685 - Where Is The Patriarch Chambers?

    After hearing that individual''s voice, each of those Spiritual Kings in that place fell silent for a moment, thinking about that point raised.


    ''Really... He should be here.'' One of those people thought to himself, as his eyes opened wider and wider, and he felt his wounds getting less and less painful. "I didn''t see, nor did I feel Dean Chambers in this city!" He shouted, making all those people realize the same thing.


    "I didn''t see anything either."


    "I thought he was standing next to old devil Virgil..."


    "Damn! If he''s not here, where can he be? Didn''t our scouts warn us that he wasn''t with any of the other groups of this family?"


    "He shouldn''t be anywhere else but here!" Another person commented as he related the group''s planning before this operation.


    At first, it would be impossible for them to bring such a massive force to the Chambers family headquarters without alarming such an organization.


    After all, the family of the late Leroy had advanced teams around this city that watched and fought enemies who tried to move towards Persephone.


    That was a common practice of the regional families, something they would do even in times of peace. For this very reason, the Hayes family had not failed to put such a thing into their planning!


    These were the tumultuous times of war, and there should undoubtedly be more significant forces on the outskirts of this city.


    As expected, there were indeed many forces of this organization in the vicinity. To be precise, more than 20% of the troops of this family were around this territory.


    But as they had considered this, the members of the House Hayes and the allied families of this organization in this war had acted together against such enemies groups!


    They had secretly kidnapped the most powerful individuals from those groups, as well as those of noble origin, the people who might have soul lamps in the headquarters of the Chambers family.


    After all, Minos'' allies could not kill these people, or the Chambers family headquarters would find out that something wrong was going on before this young man even acted!


    But that was not the hardest thing to do. There were few nobles in each family and not so many high-level subordinates. As such, accomplishing this work had been, in a way, the easy part of this plan.


    The hard part was subsequent. That is, slaughtering the thousands of people around the Chambers family territory, those people who could notify or stop this invading group from traveling!


    That had all happened in the last two days, and before this group came to Persephone, they had been notified of the enemy Spiritual Kings who were captive to their companions!


    Because of this, these people knew that Dean was not in any of the Chambers family groups around this territory!


    On the other hand, as enemies of this organization, the Hayes family experts kept an eye on the exit and entry of Spiritual Kings from this Chambers territory.


    For this very reason, they didn''t expect Dean to be anywhere else but this town!


    Anyway, upon realizing that the Chambers patriarch was missing, these surviving Spiritual Kings were all nervous, wondering about the consequences, as well as where they had gone wrong.


    ''Where is he? How could we have lost track of such a strong person?''


    ''Damn it! My group was responsible for this!''


    ''How could no one have noticed a level 57 Spiritual King leaving this territory? That should be easy for us...''


    ''Maybe he ran away? No, it can''t be!''


    ''He wouldn''t run away without at least trying to fight! And if he had done that, we would have realized his presence in this city!'' So, someone else thought, trying to understand the mystery.


    ''But regardless of how he managed to leave this place without a trace, we will have to bear the consequences of his running away!'' The strongest person there thought to himself, as he felt that if Dean had signed a Soul Contract with the Scourge of the Devil experts, that would not be good for them at all.


    If a person with such contact with that organization survived, the chances of revenge happening in the future would be much higher!


    "Damn it! Quick, send a message to the family!" That Spiritual King, level 57, said this solemnly while getting more and more worried.


    ...


    But while those Spiritual Kings were worrying about Dean Chambers, that man was at this moment in a cave in a forested region of his family''s territory.


    Unfortunately for Dean, he was not there of his own free will.


    A few days ago, Dean and his escort team had left Persephone and headed towards one of the Chambers family''s temporary camps around this territory.


    They had done this to ensure the safety of this family''s territory since Wallace''s group had left one of these areas to go on an assassination mission...


    Previously Wallace''s group was responsible for leading the security around this family''s territory since this man was only the third strongest in this family.


    As such, he was acting around this territory, defending the family''s interests, while this organization''s two most vital individuals were in Persephone, protecting their headquarters.


    But with Wallace leaving to eliminate an enemy that was a potential problem for the family, the patriarch Dean had replaced him in that task.


    At first, such a thing was not supposed to be done by the patriarch. However, as Virgil was nearing the end of his life, the leaders of this family had thought it best to keep such a person at headquarters. There, the chances of something problematic happening were insignificant.


    On the other hand, deadly dangerous trouble could happen at any time on the outskirts of the family''s territory. And suppose Virgil had gone to take Wallace''s position. In that case, the chances of this family losing a level 57 Spiritual King would have been much more significant than if Dean had made such a replacement.


    That is because while that old patriarch could die after any grave battle, the same was not true for Dean, who had a strong vigor and many years of life left. That is, even if he fought a mortal fight, as long as he returned alive, he had a good chance of recovering, something Virgil wouldn''t.


    As such, the patriarch Dean had left Persephone to watch the outskirts of his family''s territory.


    But unfortunately for the father of the late Kevin, he had been captured by an enemy two days ago...


    Anyway, at this moment, Dean was tied to a steel chair. But, at the same time, he had a necklace around his neck that sealed his spiritual cultivation.


    On the other hand, while tied to this chair, he was completely naked, with several wounds around his body, and looked highly miserable.


    He had several wounds to specific points on his feet, fingers, hands, arms, and genital organs, all of which could be easily identified as torture operations!


    But in addition to these points, his face was very swollen at this point, indicating that he had taken quite a beating before he ended up in this situation.


    And with all these tender points around his body, Dean was uncontrollably breathing as he screamed in pain, once again being tortured by this one enemy of his.


    "Ahhhh!"


    "Ahhhhhh! Please stop it! Stop it!" He screamed in desperation as his nailless fingers trembled, and he felt that enemy torturing him.


    "Dean, I already told you, if you don''t want to suffer, just tell the truth." Then, finally, the captor of this Chambers family patriarch said something. At the same time, such a person had a stern look on his face and did what was necessary to extract the information from this target.


    "Someone in your family did something truly foolish... Do you think you are untouchable in our region? Do you actually think you can act against the royal families of our region and still survive?" This level 57 Spiritual King asked coldly, pressing Dean''s wounds again.


    "Ahhhhhhhh!"


    And after crying in pain for some more time, Dean finally could no longer hold back the truth.


    "Ahhhhhh! I will speak! I will speak!"


    He had suffered two whole days of torture at the hands of this person without saying a word. But after so much suffering, he had reached the point where he could no longer hold the truth.


    The person against him was an expert in torture, someone capable of extracting the truth from even the most outstanding regional leaders. So, even if he didn''t want to rat out his own brother, he didn''t have much room for action against such an opponent.


    "Speak up, or this will go on for a long time!"


    Gulp!


    And then Dean replied. "Hah... Hah... My family actually gave the order to kill the second prince... Hah...."

 Chapter 686 - Persephones Dark Liberation

    "Motherfuckers!"


    "How dare you people do such a thing? Do you think you can hide behind those assassins?" That man sent by the Snow family to the Cromwell Kingdom said this in anger as he got this man''s confession.


    This level 57 Spiritual King who was interrogating Dean Chambers had been sent by the crown prince of the Snow Kingdom to question these people from the Chambers family.


    In particular, he should interrogate Wallace Chambers, who had supposedly given the order to kill the second prince of the Snow Kingdom. At least that was what they of the Snow family had conjectured since this person was none other than Leroy''s father, the triggerman of all this!


    That, of course, according to the information they had received from young Stuart.


    In any case, this man had traveled to this Chambers family territory with the intention of kidnapping and interrogating Wallace, the supreme elder of this family. However, just when he arrived in this kingdom, he had discovered through some contacts that this target had left the territory of this family and moved northward with great force.


    Because of this change, this man naturally altered his plans. He decided to directly kidnap the patriarch of the Chambers family, someone essential and close enough to that other person to know the truth.


    Kidnapping and interrogating Dean was naturally more complex than doing the same with Wallace. After all, there was one level difference between the two nobles of House Chambers.


    On the other hand, this patriarch was on the same level as this person sent by the crown prince of the Snow Kingdom. So, this man had had a much harder time on this mission than anticipated.


    However, Dean had reached level 57 just a few months ago, while this Snow family interrogator had been at this level for over a century. Hence, at the end of it all, he had found a way to kidnap this patriarch and end up in this current situation.


    Anyway, after uttering a series of insults in Dean''s direction and cursing the Chambers family a few times, this kidnapper finally lowered his tone and spoke again calmly.


    "Who, specifically speaking, gave the order to kill the second prince?" He asked, right after sitting down next to that man tied to the chair from before and picking up some of his instruments of torture.


    Seeing the reactions and hearing the tone of this kidnapper''s voice, Dean grunted to himself for a few moments until he told the truth. "Hah... It was me and my brother, Wallace, who made such a request to the Scourges of the Devil... Hah..."


    "Why did you guys do that? What did the second prince do to you to deserve such a thing?" He asked coldly.


    Gulp!


    "Hah... Wallace was mad!"


    "He wanted to avenge his dead son... We wanted to avenge the death of our descendant, and the prince stood in our way... Hah... Why would we need a bigger motive than that?" He said frankly, feeling a lot of pain and dizziness.


    "Son of a bitch!"


    "Tsk!"


    "And where is your brother? Why were you in this place when he who should be here?"


    "Hah... Hah... Wallace discovered the whereabouts of the person who killed Leroy... Hah..."


    "Oh?"


    "Hah... The finalist competitor of the Spiritual Tournament last edition, the damned Minos... That person was recently seen in our kingdom... Hah... Hah... Since our family was able to identify his trail, Wallace went out to take revenge... Hah..."


    "Where did he go?"


    "Hah... He went to the Yellow City on the Kingdom of the Waves..."


    Hearing all this, this Snow family expert finally got up from where he had sat earlier, going to the edge of that cave, thinking about this matter.


    ''Now that he has confessed everything, I can take that to His Highness to decide how to deal with it...'' That man then looked at the green of that forested region and sighed. ''After we resolve this, we have to investigate this Minos in Yellow City...''


    ''That is, of course, if he doesn''t die at the hands of that individual''s group.'' He guessed, feeling bad that the second prince had died so tragically for something so small.


    That was a shame for someone so young and innocent, as well as a shame for the Snow family, who had practically been publicly humiliated by the Chambers.


    Besides sadness, this man also felt a hatred that was not small towards that patriarch there in that cave.


    But he was experienced and intelligent enough to know that dealing with this person in the heat of the moment would be bad for him and the Snow family. After all, Dean Chambers was still a vassal of a regional royal family at the end of the day.


    So, he had to be somewhat careful when dealing with such a person.


    On the other hand, if he did something, he was still in enemy territory, where there were many Spiritual Kings of the Chambers family.


    So, that way, he could not go after Wallace and other people from that family, nor could he act vigorously with Dean.


    If the crown prince decided on some more drastic action, that would be completely different. But for the moment, he could only do one thing.


    ''I will take this degenerate to the Snow Kingdom, and then I will see what His Highness wants to do.''


    ...


    Six hours passed in the blink of an eye...


    At this moment, the great battle that had taken place around Persephone had finally ended, with the forces of the Hayes family as the victors of this conflict!


    That was not the end of the war between these families since several people from House Chambers had managed to escape from this place. But one way or another, this day had been genuinely costly for these enemies of the family of Vivian.


    With such a change of course in the war, the Hayes family had gained an advantage that was hard to overcome, something that had practically placed them as the victors in this war.


    But they would still have to deal with many things to get rid of such an enemy. So, it would still be a while before this conflict would end.


    In any case, on this day, the Chambers family had lost a significant portion of its members, and Persephone had suffered hundreds of thousands of deaths!


    In addition to the catastrophe that had happened in this place, the Chambers family had still lost its headquarters, the place where its roots and defenses were. As such, it would not be easy for those survivors to continue to exist after today.


    However, it would be even more difficult for some of the ordinary citizens of Persephone to do such a thing!


    "Buow! Buow! Buow!"


    "Ahhhh! Please help me! Help me!"


    "Buow! Buow!"


    "My mother, my mother!"


    Then, sounds like these could be heard in various parts of Persephone, as thousands of the inhabitants who had run in despair earlier returned to the streets.


    However, few there were happy about the liberation of this city from the infamous local rulers.


    With such a large-scale conflict having taken here, many parents had lost their children, children, and grandchildren had lost their parents and grandparents. Couples had been destroyed, while entire families had disappeared.


    The damage caused by Virgil''s sacrifice had been primarily responsible for such a catastrophe, killing more than 100,000 people!


    But the many battles that had taken place around Persephone had punished this local population.


    Many of the warriors who had fallen to this place fighting were strong enough that their attacks had cut through building walls and hit the residents of this town. At the same time, many buildings had collapsed, causing tens of thousands of people to be injured to varying intensities, and many individuals had been crushed to death!


    "Buow! Bouw!"


    And with that, children and even young adults could be seen around this city crying, dirty with dust and blood. At the same time, adults who were not busy with the rescues looked silently at the blood-stained streets, the dusty sky, and the many bodies everywhere.


    The war was chaotic and spared no one.


    Involved, guilty, innocent, it made no difference!


    In times of war, everyone could die, from the mastermind of the greatest murders, the worst of the killers, to even an innocent orphan, someone who might not even be able to kill an animal.


    Everyone could become a victim of war when such a thing happened!


    ''Ahh, we are free of the Chambers family... But at what cost?'' An old man wondered, as he could not feel his legs and heard various desperate sounds around him.


    ''Maybe we truly are cursed...''


    "Hahaha, and we fools had hoped... Hahahaha..."


    And to the desperate sounds of some, the twilight of night began to cover the skies of this city of so many victims.

 Chapter 687 - Tragic Ends For Some, New Beginnings For Others

    It did not take long, and all the survivors from that city who were not seriously injured were already on the streets helping in the rescue work.


    Many buildings collapsed either totally or partially, causing more than 30% of the local infrastructure to be damaged to the point that this city looked like a large rubble dump.


    But even though many buildings had suffered because of the previous conflict, most of the local facilities were still unharmed, and so were the citizens.


    Hence, those hundreds of thousands of people who had not been so affected by the previous conflict were already scattered around this city, helping the victims of this incident.


    Groups were working in the destroyed buildings, removing the debris little by little, in the hope that the people who had been in these places before would still have a chance to survive.


    But only silence could be heard in certain places, and the rescuers could not be sure if there were any survivors in those places. On the other hand, several voices could be heard in different sites, of people of all genders and ages, calling out in desperation for help.


    But regardless of whether they were hearing these signs of life, the rescue inhabitants were working in all these destroyed places. After all, anywhere, there could be people in need of help, and there were enough people in this city for that service to be done on all possible fronts.


    And with this being done all around this city, soon long lines of people could be seen in the local streets, where constantly pieces of debris could be seen passing through the hands of these people.


    At the same time, many injured people had already been taken to the undestroyed sites where they could receive first aid.


    Cultivators could be strong and have vitalities of hundreds or even thousands of years. Still, before reaching level 70, anyone who lost more than two-thirds of their blood could die!


    So, helping people who were injured and perhaps unable to stop their own bleeding was an important task to decrease the local death toll.


    But not everyone was doing this!


    It didn''t take long for some citizens to start running around the outskirts of this city, looking for spatial rings lost by the dead or even items of value that were in those ruins.


    Many people had died, and that was too bad. But that meant that many cultivation resources had been left behind.


    Therefore, it didn''t take long for many people to start searching for these resources!


    Some were doing this to find pills or resources for treating the injured, their families, or friends. But many others were collecting these items out of pure opportunism in the hope that they could make a significant profit from this calamity.


    Many had lost important people on this day, but several others had lost nothing. And as such, they couldn''t stop taking advantage of the opportunities just because thousands of people had died.


    At the end of the day, they were all cultivators and dreamed of reaching higher levels.


    To achieve this desired level increase, many there would be willing to step on the blood and remains of local victims to get the resources they needed!


    That was dirty work, but the people who were doing this were soon convinced that they had nothing to do with these deaths.


    They were just taking advantage of a tragedy caused by others!


    How could they be to blame? Besides, entire families had died, so these resources left behind would not be missed by anyone, right?


    Well, that''s what most of them told themselves, something they could use to sleep peacefully at night.


    But obviously, some didn''t give a damn about the local dead. After all, in every society, there would be such individuals.


    In any case, this incident had wholly changed this city, and its population would have to live in a completely new way from now on.


    Some would have to get used to not seeing their old friends or family. Others would have to face the despair of having lost almost everything, of being unemployed, of having to deal with rising food prices, and so on.


    But others would take advantage of the moment to grow fast, ascend socially, leave behind their former limits, and perhaps become lords of their own land one day.


    Among those who were taking more advantage of the local opportunities were the slaves of the Chambers family, those who survived, of course.


    Such individuals had lost their masters and were promptly freed by the Hayes family guars from the spiritual arrays that sealed their spiritual cultivation.


    That family was opposed to the practice of slavery. So, soon after things had calmed down, some guards who had participated in that conflict had freed those Chambers family captives.


    There were thousands of them in this city. They were people who had lived under the rule of the Chambers family for many years. People who had even become accustomed to the life of slaves, and some that had not experienced this harsh reality for that long.


    Therefore, while several citizens were facing tragic ends, several Chambers family slaves were smiling because they had regained their freedoms.


    Not only that, they were laughing with satisfaction that most of their captors had been executed in this city!


    But of course, among these groups of slaves, those who had suffered for centuries at the hands of the Chambers family nobles, they could hardly believe it all.


    ''Master Scout is dead...'' One of these newly freed people thought about this as he sat on the street, looking at that half-destroyed landscape in front of him.


    He then ran his hand across the ground, which at the moment was full of dust, then picked up a hand of dirt and looked at it steadily. ''What will I do from now on? My family must no longer exist...''


    ''Hell, maybe even the town where I was born no longer exists...''


    ''Maybe I should go back to cultivation? But will that still have any effect on my age? Maybe...'' He thought about these things, not knowing which way to go from now on.


    And such a thing was not strange.


    After all, he had lived for so long doing only one kind of thing that he didn''t know how to do anything else. But, on the other hand, for centuries, he had only learned about the reality of slavery. So, even though he had achieved his freedom, this person had no idea what to do with it.


    Freedom could be so broad that a limited person could lose their mind when coming across such a thing so suddenly. But, on the other hand, freedom could be so bright for those living in darkness that perhaps some of them would even be blinded by such a thing!


    In this way, several of the Chambers family former slaves in this town were given a fresh start.


    ...


    Meanwhile, at the Chambers family headquarters...


    The surviving Spiritual Kings of the Hayes family group were still there, resting and receiving updates concerning the outcome of this invasion.


    Such data had already been being collected since the confrontation ended hours ago. So, by now, the Spiritual Generals responsible for this work had the most important results.


    "... Of our forces, we lost about 6,600 people, as well as over 7,000 of our survivors, had highly complex injuries." One of those Hayes family guards said while reading a report to those experts.


    After that, another Spiritual General began to tell the data he had collected. "As for the enemy numbers, about 23,000 people died in Persephone. But, on the other hand, the number of survivors who managed to escape from here should not be less than 4,000."


    "But we still don''t know for sure how many total survivors these escapees represent."


    "Other than that, there are still many people from that family outside this city. In any case, we can say that over 60% of the Chambers family was wiped out today!"


    "I see...." The strongest elder in that place said in a low voice, just before asking about other information. "How many innocent citizens died in that conflict?"

 Chapter 688 - Unwelcome Visitors

    Upon hearing that elder''s question, another Hayes family guard stepped forward and replied. "Uh, we don''t have the exact number since there are still people being rescued around the city. But we stipulate that the number of casualties among the ordinary inhabitants of this city is no less than 300,000 people."


    Upon hearing that, some of those people sighed silently, but that was all.


    The Hayes family might be known for being fair and pursuing justice, but this was an organization of people capable of making tough decisions. As such, they understood that these deaths were part of their desire for peace.


    They could fight for a few more years against the Chambers family, fighting these opponents in war camps far away from innocent citizens. But that would come at the cost of a large number of their own family members.


    After all, even if the Chambers family had already suffered a significant blow in Yellow City, this would not be enough to weaken this organization to the point that they would be totally suppressed in the war.


    No, although those six individuals killed in Yellow City had been pillars of House Chambers, this organization could still manage to survive for a while longer, even without them. But, of course, that would be much more difficult than it would be with the help of those people. Still, it was not at all impossible to win even a few years before the absolute catastrophe hit them.


    Therefore, the Hayes family would have to suffer a lot to deal with this family without attacking this town.


    Because of this, to avoid the deaths of their own descendants and subordinates, the leaders of this family had taken the step with the greatest chance of victory and the survival of their comrades.


    That was to attack Persephone with great force, to destroy the Chambers family base, even if this meant many casualties among the local population.


    Hence, these Hayes family elders could not regret this course of action, even if so many innocent people had died!


    They might even feel that it was a shame that such people had to die for the sake of their family, but they had no regrets.


    At the end of the day, everyone followed their own justice, and it was no different for this organization of the Cromwell Kingdom.


    They might be known as righteous, but they were only following their own justice.


    It is just that, coincidentally, in the past, many of these family''s actions had in a way benefited ordinary people, individuals unrelated to this power.


    Unfortunately for these citizens of Persephone, today, they had not been in tune with the Hayes family and had suffered from the justice of such an organization!


    Anyway, after silence lingered in that place for a few moments, finally, one of those Spiritual Kings said something. "So, that''s how it is..."


    "Well, collect all the Chambers family''s belongings and distribute the items below medium-level grade-1 classification in this city."


    "Such things are of little value to us and may calm the local population for a while. So, do it quickly." He said calmly before looking in the direction of those guards standing in that place and finishing. "As for the rest of the items and crystals, that belongs to the family and should be brought to us immediately!"


    "Yes, elder Michael!" Those people replied before they left where the Spiritual Kings were.


    After that, those people at the 6th stage of cultivation started talking among themselves. "Do you think that was necessary, Michael?"


    "Sure, regardless, this territory will probably stay in our hands until the kingdom decides on a new sovereign. As such, we need to show the population our generosity."


    "In fact, we should pay some local citizens to spread the information about that old demon sacrificing himself. That will lessen their hatred of us and increase their anger at the Chambers family." Michael said while sitting in an armchair, full of bloody stripes around his clothes.


    Upon hearing this, the most substantial elder standing there nodded in agreement with this level 56 Spiritual King. "Michael is right. That is the best way for us to deal with this Chambers family territory."


    "And we don''t lose anything by donating those items..."


    "What truly matters are the grade-2 resources, the techniques, and the crystals of this family!" He said with a smile on his face as he looked forward to absorbing the Chambers family''s financial power.


    Upon hearing this, soon, those experts began to comment on this matter.


    "Hmm, that will truly be of great help to us..."


    "We may be able to nurture our members who are sent to Dry City more efficiently with the Chambers family inheritance..."


    "It''s just a shame that the patriarch Dean wasn''t here. He probably has the best resources of this family in his spatial ring..."


    "Hmm, but the number of items stored in the local vault must not be small either..."


    "In fact, we have to do something about it..."


    ...


    Quickly two days passed.


    Meanwhile, those Hayes family experts had discussed many matters concerning Persephone''s administration and the inheritance left by the Chambers family.


    On the other hand, they had already dispatched people to investigate the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the patriarch Dean. After all, as long as this person was alive, they would have to worry about the revenge of this family and the possible confrontation against more Scourges of the Devil assassins.


    So, this investigation was crucial for the Hayes family.


    Other than that, those experts were recuperating in that town while waiting for the actions of the rest of the family against the Chambers survivors.


    ...


    But while Persephone was experiencing a new reality under the leadership of the Hayes family, Minos was still at the army''s secret base in Yellow City!


    After the previous confrontation, this young man had remained in such a place because the rest he needed would take longer than usual. As such, in order not to risk putting himself in danger while traveling through the Black Plain, this young man had stayed in this abandoned city.


    But by staying at this base, young Stuart spent most of his time in the Spatial Kingdom, where he could recover much more quickly!


    In addition, he could follow the evolution of his Elite Squad soldiers, who at the moment were being trained by Angela and Eda. One of them was still learning the Silver-grade techniques from Minos, while the other was there to replace Lieutenant Ernest in this Yellow City post.


    After several days since Eda''s return from the City of Water and Elena''s move to that place, it was finally time for Ernest to have some time to train in the Spatial Kingdom. As such, Minos had not forgotten to bring this woman with him to this place.


    Other than that, things continued to develop in the Spatial Kingdom, with those soldiers getting stronger every day and the spiritual beasts experiencing the same!


    ...


    At this moment, Minos was in that secret base of the Black Plain Army, in a room where Eda and Ernest were sitting in front of him.


    "Well, Ernest, now I will give you some time to train in the Spatial Kingdom." Minos calmly said as he looked at those two individuals. "I don''t know how long you will be able to train peacefully, but it shouldn''t last long."


    "Once the war against the royal family begins, I will make everyone above level 45 leave the Spatial Kingdom, except for Emlyn, of course."


    Upon hearing this, those two individuals readily understood Minos'' intentions.


    Dry City and the Black Plain would obviously need stronger experts when the war against the Brown family started.


    After all, from then on, this territory of young Stuart could be attacked from all sides by tens of thousands of enemies!


    "OK, young master. I will make the best use of these days in the Spatial Kingdom!" Ernest said in determination, without questioning his boss.


    "Hmm, that''s good. As for you..." He then looked at Eda and continued speaking. "Be careful with people above level 54. They will be dangerous to you..."


    "Hmm, I will..." Eda was about to respond to Minos'' advice when suddenly the door of that room opened, and a soldier rushed into that place.


    "Young master, we have visitors investigating the outskirts of the Yellow City!"

 Chapter 689 - Cromwell Family Investigators

    Hearing this, those three people who were talking earlier turned toward the direction of that soldier and frowned at him.


    "Visitors?" Minos muttered in a low voice as he remembered what he had done in the Cromwell Kingdom during his recent period in that state. ''Well, I left some clues in that place for the Chambers family to find me here, but it''s no surprise that other powers found them too...''


    When Minos had gone to sign the Soul Contracts with the Hayes family elders, he had left clues in more than one place in the Cromwell Kingdom. After all, he had to do something for his chances of catching his prey to be significant.


    So, even if the people who found one of those clues first destroyed it, there were still other ways for him to be tracked down by the Chambers family.


    One way or another, this had happened, and the Chambers family, the one most eager to find Minos, had found one of those clues.


    But even though they had destroyed what they had found and even eliminated some people, this had not stopped other powers from finding the traces left by Minos.


    Therefore, more people than this young sovereign wanted to attract had made their way toward the Yellow City.


    "Looks like we caught more fish than we wanted to..." Eda commented to the group while still sitting in the same place as before, with a worried look on her face.


    She was the new person in charge of this base, and as such, she could already tell that her time here would not be so smooth.


    ''If someone else has found us, then it''s only a matter of time before more families in search of the competitor Minos come to Yellow City.'' She concluded.


    Finally, while Minos and Eda were thinking about these unwanted visitors, Ernest asked that soldier. "Sergeant Lonnie, tell me more about it."


    "Yes, Lieutenant Ernest!"


    "Uh, a few minutes ago, the lookouts at the southern exit of Yellow City sent out the warning that a group of 3 carriages passed through that entrance."


    "In that group were 11 people, with 4 of them being Spiritual Warriors, 6 being Spiritual Generals, and 1 being a level 51 Spiritual King." The soldier reported the findings regarding these visitors.


    After hearing this, the three people soon realized that these visitors were not a threat for the time being. However, that did not mean that they would not bring trouble!


    Minos then asked. "Is there a symbol on those chariots?"


    "Yes, young master. The soldiers on watch in that area described the symbol of the royal family of the Cromwell Kingdom."


    ''Cromwell family, uh? That''s more trouble than I thought it would be...'' Ernest thought to himself.


    "Why does the royal family of that kingdom want to get involved with young Minos? Is there some disagreement between you?" Eda asked, looking eye to eye with young Stuart.


    She knew that Minos had the ability to cause trouble wherever he went. So, she would not be surprised to find that even the Cromwell family already had some quarrel against him.


    And since she didn''t know all the details of the trips Minos had made into the Cromwell Kingdom, she couldn''t be sure if this was some kind of hunt or something else.


    Upon hearing this question, Minos smiled and said. "Haha, not that I know of. At the very least, I''ve never met with people from that family, except for the opening ceremony of the final of the last edition of the Spiritual Tournament..."


    "But anyway, they''re probably here to try to build relations with me." This young man then got up from the armchair he was sitting in and quickly thought about what he should do.


    "Sergeant Lonnie, authorize the interruption of the defensive array."


    "Oh?" Those two Spiritual Kings made the exact sound of surprise as they listened to Minos'' command.


    "Yes, young master!"


    At the same time as that, that soldier promptly rushed towards the specific location of that secret base to have this done urgently.


    Interrupting the defensive array might seem like an odd thing to do. Still, it was actually the sensible thing to do in this situation. That was because, unlike the enemies they wanted to hide, these people from the Cromwell family were not a threat to this place.


    If those visitors felt the barrier created by a medium-level grade-2 array, it would only attract suspicion to this place. And as a consequence, Minos and the soldiers at that base would have to get used to the idea of a potential enemy knowing about a secret Black Plain Army post!


    That would not be good!


    But without this defense measure, as long as unwanted visitors did not enter the area of the local government mansion, they would not be aware of the soldiers'' presence here.


    That is because this base was located underground in this area, where a few meters of dirt and concrete separated this base from the first floor of that mansion.


    Hence, due to the low cultivation of the people in this base and the people in that Cromwell family group, it would not be easy for one side to perceive the other. Therefore, as long as those visitors from that base were more significant than the distance from the outside sidewalk of that mansion to that base, even Eda could not be sensed by those people.


    Consequently, interrupting that local defensive array could be the most efficient way not to attract attention from those visitors.


    Nevertheless, after that person left, those two Spiritual Kings quickly understood the reason for Minos'' previous order. And soon, Ernest questioned him about how they should deal with it. "What should we do, young master?"


    "Sigh..."


    Minos sighed and looked at that level 52 woman. "Well, Eda, you can stay here at the base and wait to see what happens."


    "As for you, I will send you to the Spatial Kingdom now." He said, looking at Ernest. "I will deal with these people myself."


    "What?"


    "Young Minos, those people can certainly recognize you if they see you now!" Eda promptly protested, as she remembered that, although different, young Stuart was not unrecognizable.


    He had increased two stages since the Spiritual Tournament''s last edition. But because he was so young, his appearance had only become more refined after those two promotions.


    Other than that, anyone who knew him previously would be able to recognize him now!


    "Don''t worry. I''ll wear a mask." Minos said without caring much about this warning from Eda.


    He already had such an item in his spatial ring. And considering his current level, those Cromwell family members would never think that this level 50 person was the finalist competitor of that last edition of the Spiritual Tournament!


    After all, Minos had increased 11 levels in about four years, something unbelievable in this region considering the stages of cultivation he was in before and now.


    "That..."


    "Lieutenant Eda, don''t worry. They won''t recognize the young master. And in the worst-case scenario, he can settle this matter quickly." Ernest said with a smile on his face as he made a gesture with one of his fingers, running it across his neck.


    "Haha, that''s the spirit!" Minos then said this as he tapped that Lieutenant''s left shoulder and sent him into the Spatial Kingdom.


    After that, Minos promptly gave his last orders and said goodbye to Eda.


    "Well, when I finish this matter, I will come back here to let you know so that those defenses can be activated again."


    "OK."


    "See you later!"


    ...


    As Minos was leaving that secret base, the group of three Cromwell family carriages had just stopped in some part of Yellow City.


    As they stopped at a large boulevard, the 11 people there were quick to get out of those carriages, beginning to observe their surroundings.


    "What happened in that place?" A Spiritual General asked aloud as he looked at the abandoned buildings of Yellow City, as well as some empty spaces that seemed to have been opened recently.


    "I just look at the mosses on those buildings..." Someone commented as he pointed his finger toward a cluster of houses that already had mosses and low plants spreading across the walls and doors. "Those houses look like they''ve been abandoned for a while."


    "Hmm, that''s very strange.... But, unfortunately, we don''t have any news concerning this local reality!"

 Chapter 690 - The Cromwell Family Invitation

    Upon hearing that person''s comment, everyone else in that place nodded in agreement, as they realized that they could not sense any living beings in the surroundings.


    And such a thing was odd to these investigators from the Cromwell family since this royal house did not have the information about what had happened in the Yellow City!


    The Cromwell Kingdom was separated by an entire state, the Brown Kingdom, from this city in the Kingdom of the Waves. Because of this, typically speaking, news about that border would not reach that organization''s headquarters very often.


    On the other hand, previously, Yellow City was just a tiny town in the interior of the Kingdom of the Waves, an impoverished place. It was a location that even the royal family of such a state was not interested in!


    So, for another royal house in the region, this city didn''t have much influence for them to look for local information.


    And since none of the members of that organization had passed through Yellow City in the last years, such a power did not have the information about the ''disappearance'' of the local population.


    They did not know this to the extent that this group had been sent here, considering that they would have to investigate information concerning Minos in a city of 70,000 inhabitants.


    Anyway, while several people in this group were talking about the fact that Yellow City looked like a ghost town, the Spiritual King, the group leader, was scanning the surroundings in silence. ''This is strange...''


    ''From the information passed on to me, that Minos should be in this city. But what would a person with his talent do in an abandoned place?''


    ''Is this information incorrect?'' He wondered as he walked through that empty boulevard, where the dust formed small waves of air near the ground while the winds swayed the trees nearby.


    ''Maybe he was just going to do something in this place and then move on...''


    "Tsk! Our job will be harder than I had imagined!" He finally said something, causing a few people nearby to turn to him.


    "Mister Hubert, what should we do? At first, our job would involve interrogating local citizens regarding the presence of that individual in the city. But now..."


    "Hmm, it''s truly a problem. Without witnesses to direct us in the right directions, it will be a more difficult and time-consuming job..."


    "Ahh, and I thought I would have time to see my wife sooner..."


    Several comments in low voices resounded through that area. But Hubert ignored most of it and got straight to the point. "Well, let''s make a thorough investigation around this town... Maybe we can find some evidence of that young man''s passage through here."


    "But if we don''t find anything, this current reality of Yellow City might help us a little..."


    "Maybe the local royal family knows what happened in this place and that maybe it will help us find that young man."


    Hearing that, those people couldn''t help but sigh.


    But soon after, most of them put aside their negative thoughts about this service and promptly started to search the houses and buildings in the surrounding area.


    ...


    A few minutes later...


    Quickly that group of investigators from the Cromwell family had searched several houses. But even though their service had not been that difficult so far due to the absence of items in those buildings, they had not found anything yet.


    The only thing they had noticed that made no sense to them in a way was the presence of some open spaces around the city. Such places seemed not to have been opened for a long time. At least they were sure that such a thing had happened long after the abandonment of this city by its citizens.


    So, they felt that the local mystery had only increased, even if they had not gotten any answers to their questions.


    ''These empty spaces are very irregular... Why would anyone demolish random buildings around an abandoned city?'' So, that Spiritual King wondered while he had one of his hands on the pommel of the sword that was at his waist.


    He wasn''t sensing anyone in the surroundings. Still, this Spiritual King was a person with centuries of experience, someone who knew very well how dangerous the Spiritual World could be.


    Therefore, even though he had sensed no one in the surroundings so far, he had not let his guard down. Perhaps there was some array in the surroundings fooling his senses!


    Consequently, he was walking cautiously, ready to act if anything occurred.


    "Ah, nothing in that house either..."


    "Hmm, this place is empty. You can''t even tell that people once lived in the house I just checked!"


    "I just passed a place that looked like an old local nightclub. Too bad that place is abandoned, or we could have enjoyed the local services." A young man said this with a smile on his face.


    "Hehehehehe."


    "That wouldn''t have been a bad idea..."


    "Hahaha, Ged, I don''t think your fianc¨¦e would be happy to know..." Someone was about to say that when suddenly the Spiritual King alerted all those ten people.


    "Someone is coming!" He said, already looking steadily in the direction from which he had just felt an aura equivalent to level 50.


    ''This place is strange. I have to warn headquarters about it. We have to be careful with this region in the future!'' He quickly  thought until the figure of a person wearing black clothes and a mask appeared dozens of meters away from this man.


    At the same time, all those ten people stopped what they were doing and ran to where that level 51 Spiritual King was standing.


    That was an unknown terrain, and anyone passing in the vicinity would be considered suspicious. As such, those people couldn''t take any chances staying away from each other!


    "Just one person?"


    "Hmm, but that''s enough... He''s already at level 50!"


    "Huh? He''s covering his face..."


    Those people made some comments as they noticed young Stuart coming closer and closer to them.


    And finally, after about 30 seconds of walking down that boulevard where those people were, Minos got close enough to them to use his techniques, if he had to, of course.


    Minos then stopped about 50 meters from that group and observed them for a moment. ''Looks like they were investigating their surroundings...'' He thought about it, as he saw that some houses and buildings had doors open at the moment, something his soldiers didn''t leave that way.


    On the other hand, while Minos watched them, those people were doing the same.


    ''This person... He''s not just passing through!'' The level 51 cultivator thought about it for a moment as he paid attention to Minos'' reaction to finding his group here.


    The silence lasted for a few more moments until a level 49 Spiritual General asked something. "You there! Where did you come from? Who are you?"


    Minos then looked at them for a few more seconds and said. "I''m also curious about your group too. Well, I don''t need to ask where you are from, but why are you in this place?"


    "I believe there is nothing for the great Cromwell family in this abandoned city, right?"


    "Well, it''s up to us to decide whether or not this place has something for our Cromwell family!" That Spiritual King said seriously, prepared to act if necessary. "As for our goal, you don''t need to know!"


    There weren''t many Spiritual Kings in this region, proportionally speaking, of course. And because of that, people like that didn''t like to fight unless it was indispensable.


    After all, each of them knew how difficult it was to reach their levels.


    But upon finding a Spiritual King with his identity covered and acting suspiciously in a place like this, anyone would be on guard, ready to fight at any moment!


    As such, this level 51 cultivator was ready to act against Minos if this young man was an enemy of the Cromwell family.


    Minos then smiled from beneath the golden mask he was wearing. "Well, recently, I have been investigating the strangeness in this town. But if you guys don''t want to talk about your affairs here, then I''ll be on my way."


    That Spiritual King frowned upon hearing that. "Oh?"


    The next moment, Minos started walking in the opposite direction of that group as if he was ready to leave.


    "Wait!"


    Hearing that, Minos continued walking as if he didn''t care about those people.


    "Tsk!"


    "We are after one person. In fact, we are here to invite him...."

 Chapter 691 - Selling Information

    "We are in search of this person to extend an invitation to him." That level 51 Spiritual King said while looking at Minos'' back.


    After hearing such a thing, Minos finally stopped distancing himself from those people while smiling under his mask. "You are after a person, huh? Well, for the past three days, I''ve been investigating this town, and I saw some groups passing through here..."


    "Oh?"


    "That''s good. Maybe he has some information concerning the whereabouts of that person!"


    "Hmm, how lucky for us that we found a witness..."


    Those people commented among themselves, speaking in low voices so that Minos wouldn''t hear them.


    But even if this young man wasn''t listening to the comments of those ten people next to that Spiritual King, he had a good idea of what they were talking about. ''It seems that the Cromwell family is impressed with my accomplishments...''


    ''They even want to extend me an invitation... How thoughtful of them, haha.'' He then asked. "If you guys give me a description of this person, maybe I can help you with that..."


    Hearing this, that level 51 cultivator looked carefully at Minos as he thought about this matter. ''If that person can help us, it will be of great help in our cause.''


    ''On the other hand, our matter with that competitor Minos is not exactly a secret...''


    ''His Majesty wants to recruit him, and I don''t see how this person knowing about it can harm us.''


    ''At most, he would give us some wrong information... As for him going out talking about it in public, well, it wouldn''t make any difference. It''s natural for a talented young man to be invited to join the big regional families.''


    Thinking about all this, this subordinate of the Cromwell family finally became convinced that it was worth trying to use this stranger''s help. "All right, I have a drawing of this young man..." He said as he took a yellowish paper out of his spatial ring. "His name is Minos, and his level is probably between level 44 and 47."


    "Oh? Minos, huh? Not such a common name in our region..." Young Stuart said as he approached that person.


    Just then, Minos observed the drawing of his face on that paper that that level 51 Spiritual King had handed him. ''That''s me, but this picture is very badly drawn...'' So, he felt as he analyzed that item.


    After doing that for a few moments, Minos passed the paper to that regional expert. He then crossed his arms at chest height and started looking on the ground as if trying to remember something.


    "Hmm... I think..."


    "Hmmm..."


    "Yes!"


    "Yes! Now I remember, there was someone like that!" He said in a firm tone, waving his arms and looking in the direction of those people.


    "Is that right?"


    "That''s great! We''ll be able to solve this sooner than we thought!"


    "So? Where did he go? Do you know? Was he accompanied by anyone else?" Someone from that group asked as he took a step forward toward Minos.


    "Well... Now that you have asked me... I feel like my memory is failing..."


    "Maybe if I earned some medium-grade crystals... Maybe I could remember." Minos said, trying to negotiate such information with them.


    He obviously couldn''t just give this information to this group and think they would believe him. After all, he had no reason to help them. Hence, such an action would be very suspicious.


    However, if he were someone trying to earn some crystals, his information would immediately become more credible. That is, they couldn''t be sure that he was telling the truth, but at the very least, he would appear less suspicious.


    "What?"


    "Greedy bastard! So, that''s what you wanted by approaching us, huh?"


    "Tsk!"


    "Can''t you give us that information in exchange for a favor to the Cromwell family? If your information helps us find that person, we can reward you in the future." The Spiritual King said, trying to come to an agreement with Minos.


    "Oh? A favor, eh? What guarantee do I have that I will gain something in the future? Maybe you guys will forget what happened here today and enjoy the benefits of my information..."


    "I can say the same for your information. How do we know that it is, in fact, true? Maybe you''re making all this up to deceive us..."


    After those words were said, the two sides looked at each other intently for a moment as a slight tension grew in that place.


    "It''s true..." Minos calmly said while he was ready to leave that place. "How about this, if you pay me 50 medium-grade crystals, I will give you the information. That''s the minimum, so I don''t lose anything if you guys forget today''s agreement..."


    "On the other hand, 50 medium-grade crystals are nothing to the Cromwell family... So, even if the information is incorrect, it''s worth the risk." He then looked forward in the direction of that empty street and continued. "Otherwise, forget about it. I''ll go my way, and you go yours..."


    After that, he started walking again.


    But just then, he felt something being thrown in his direction, causing him to turn around and catch a small cloth bag in the air.


    "All right, take the crystals." That Spiritual King said this while having an ugly expression on his face.


    Although he was one level above Minos, this man was not underestimating this masked person. After all, he was only a subordinate of a royal family, and that person could very well be some noble.


    So, there was a possibility that Minos had a higher fighting proficiency than him. Just for this reason, he had not tried to forcibly extract the information this person had!


    "Hehehe, you are very good at your service."


    "Well, since I already have my assurance, I feel that the information in my mind is much clearer..."


    "Hehehe, this young man... What''s his name again?"


    "Minos."


    "That''s right, Minos."


    "He passed here in this city three days ago. At that time, this level 45 young man was accompanied by some people who had their identities concealed."


    "But those three people were all Spiritual Kings, with the weakest being at level 55 and the strongest at level 57."


    "What?" The people there asked in surprise.


    At the same time, that group leader frowned after hearing such a thing.


    "That strong?"


    "Hmm, I am not mistaken. In fact, if it weren''t for that, I probably wouldn''t have noticed that group..."


    ''Has another royal family contacted him?'' This expert wondered doubtfully.


    "Anyway, after that, I saw this young man''s group meeting with six Spiritual Kings who were wearing armor with the same symbol..."


    He then paused for a moment, placing one of his hands on his mask at the height of his forehead. "That symbol was a black star with a circumference at its center."


    "Oh?"


    ''Chambers family, huh? What were they doing around here?'' This Spiritual King thought about it. "And what happened when they met?"


    Minos then promptly answered. "I don''t know."


    "After seeing them meeting, I felt that something bad would happen, so I moved away from this place and went to a mountain a few dozen miles east of here."


    "It was only earlier yesterday that I saw that young man''s group flying towards the Endless Snow Mountain Range, heading east." He said, with an evil smile beneath that mask.


    He had told part of the truth of what had happened in this place since he needed these people to check that at least part of what he said was credible. After all, a good lie is always based on the truth!


    As for the rest, this was just him putting more fuel on the fire.


    Sooner or later, the Cromwell family would find out about the Snow family''s intentions against the Chambers family. Therefore, it would be interesting to give these people one more piece of evidence that the Snow Kingdom royal family was already acting against a vassal of theirs.


    "Endless Snow Mountain  Range?"


    "East?"


    Those people repeated that information as they looked at each other, trying to understand where such a group might have gone and what might have happened.


    "What about the other group? Did you see them again?"


    "No, when I returned here, there was no one else around. Only a few buildings that existed before had mysteriously disappeared...."

 Chapter 692 - Daring Action

    Upon hearing what Minos had just said, those people in the Cromwell family''s group of investigators soon realized that what this masked man was telling them made some sense.


    They had already realized that there was something wrong in this town. That is because, despite the absence of people in the surrounding area, the place seemed to have been changed in some way recently.


    And finding out about the two groups that had passed through here in the last three days, they had a good idea of the reason behind these strangenesses.


    ''So, those two groups probably fought in this place...'' Someone in that group thought to himself while thinking that the time Minos had quoted made a lot of sense. ''Those open places probably haven''t been here for more than days to a few weeks. So, that information from him seems credible.''


    ''It makes sense that such a group would have fought... After all, Minos killed one of the Chambers family''s descendants.''


    On the other hand, that Spiritual King was thinking about other things at the moment. ''Since Minos'' group was seen by that man going east, that probably means that it was that young man''s group that did this changes...''


    ''Hmm, the Chambers family group lost, and those six people are probably dead!'' He concluded after thinking about it for a while.


    ''What happened here? How did they find Minos before we did? Maybe they have...''


    But without further evidence, all he could do was conjecture about it all. Hence, he soon put those thoughts of what might have happened here aside and began to think about what to do from now on.


    ''Anyway, there is indeed news about some Spiritual Kings of the Chambers family moving in the last few weeks to the northern direction...'' He considered as he remembered the information he had.


    The Cromwell family kept an eye on every House Chambers and the House Hayes action. After all, both of these families were their vassals, and they couldn''t let them do whatever they wanted all the time.


    The Cromwell family allowed both parties to fight since it would be better to distribute the power of those two families to smaller, more easily controlled noble houses. But in any case, there were limits that this great organization was willing to accept.


    Therefore, the experts of this royal house in the northern region of the Central Continent knew the most critical actions of their vassals.


    Spying on such powers was not difficult since apart from some cultivators near the final levels of the 6th stage, individuals below level 56 could be observed easily. Because of this, the Cromwell family had the information of a group of Spiritual Kings leaving the Persephone region a few weeks ago.


    At that time, this man and his team of investigators had not yet left the post where they were stationed, in the central region of that state. Therefore, this Spiritual King knew about the departure of the Chambers family group of Spiritual Kings heading north.


    He did not know where those six individuals were going. Still, neither he nor other high-ranking members in the Cromwell family had been concerned about it. After all, House Chambers was at war.


    It was common for some individuals to travel around the region seeking help in times like that. Therefore, after hearing Minos'' entire account, this man remembered this information.


    "Sir, thank you for the information. We will look into this matter, and if everything is right, you may receive your reward in the future." Hubert said as he felt that he should inform his family about this matter.


    He was still not 100% sure what Minos had told him was true. But he was already starting to believe all of it, as there was enough evidence for him to at least consider that he was not being deceived.


    So, as a first step, the best thing to do now was to send the information to the headquarters of that royal house so that the specialists there could investigate this together with his group.


    Minos could be lying, but that doesn''t mean that checking his information would be a problem. After all, King Cromwell would only need one of his men to go and question the Chambers about the destination of those Spiritual Kings.


    And suppose they found out that such people had gone on a mission to the Yellow City and were killed during this period. Then, in that case, this royal house could be sure that this information was accurate!


    Anyway, after that, the two sides said their goodbyes, with Minos continuing to circle the outskirts of his secret base while those people had settled into a part of that city.


    ''Well, I hope those people will leave Yellow City for good... It would not be nice to eliminate those individuals while they should be looking for me in this place!''


    ...


    Quickly three days passed!


    After this period, Minos had already returned to Dry City, and those people from the Cromwell family had left Yellow City for the Cromwell Kingdom.


    During those days, that Spiritual King had sent his information obtained through Minos to the organization''s headquarters in that other kingdom. But even before Hubert had a chance for his report to reach that place, House Cromwell had already sent him a piece of urgent information.


    That was the information about the Hayes family''s attack against House Chambers!


    When he found out about this and the details sent from the headquarters of the family he was subordinate to, Hubert was sure that what Minos had told him was the truth. Because of this, he had nothing left to do in the Yellow City, having headed east to where his target had made his journey.


    They didn''t have much information about that young man''s destination. Still, going towards the Endless Snow Mountain Range, a person would only have a few possible destinations. Those were the sects that lived in seclusion in that region and the Snow Kingdom.


    Consequently, even without many clues, they already had a notion of where to look for the young competitor Minos!


    Because of this, Minos had returned to his city soon after making sure that those people had moved away from Yellow City.


    After he arrived at his city, Minos promptly went back to settle his local responsibilities since he didn''t intend to stay here for long.


    He wanted to attack the Silva family before the Brown family saw him as an enemy.


    And since his time was practically at its limit, this young man would not stay for many days in his town before finally leaving to settle this!


    The Miller family had already made some preparations in this regard. With that, it was only a matter of days before the flames of war would spread further in this kingdom.


    But for now, the young ruler of the Black Plain was peacefully waiting for his time to join the Miller family''s action while working in his office.


    ...


    "Young master, Seargent Joey is here to see you," Mia said, just after entering Minos'' office and approaching his desk.


    "Ask him to come in, Mia."


    "OK."


    After that, old Joey walked into that place, dressed in the typical local army uniform and with a look of concern on his face.


    "What is it, mister Joey? Did something wrong happen during the negotiations with those envoys from the Brown family?" Minos asked solemnly after seeing the expression on that old Sergeant''s face.


    "Well, we are facing some problems with those people... But that hasn''t reached a worrying level yet."


    "Young master, I''m afraid I have some bad news to report..." He then said slowly. "It is about the Silva family."


    "Speak."


    "A massive group of the Silva family attacked the city formerly ruled by the Gill family, slaughtering thousands of citizens and the individuals who were replacing the members of that family in that place..."


    "Consequently, they found out about the disappearance of the members of that family...."

 Chapter 693 - News Of The War In The Cromwell Kingdom

    "And if they found out about it, it won''t be long before the Brown family finds out about it too!" Joey said as he felt that finally royal troops would be sent to Dry City.


    Upon hearing this, Minos immediately understood why this man seemed so worried. ''This is a big problem...'' He thought to himself as he frowned and pondered over the matter.


    "That was unexpected..."


    "I didn''t think the Silva family would attack that place so quickly." The young sovereign said, looking at that old man in front of him. "I thought they were going to do something like that in the future, but I hadn''t imagined that they were so much in a hurry..."


    "Perhaps they want to advance their actions while the royal family has not yet acted against us?"


    "Probably, young master."


    "Well, there''s nothing to do... That place was out of our control, so as long as they wanted to do something like that, it would happen sooner or later."


    "Now, we can only deal with the consequences!"


    Minos didn''t have enough people even for the Black Plain, so there was no way he could have done anything to stop the Silva family''s actions in a place so far from Dry City.


    As a consequence of what happened in that town formerly ruled by the Gill family, now one of Minos'' enemies already knew that that family had migrated elsewhere.


    And considering the possibilities for the disappearance of the House Gill members, it would not take the mind of a genius to conclude that they had come to Dry City!


    That was the ideal place for that noble family since their previous action of attacking the members of the Silva family coincided with the attitudes of a Dry City ally.


    On the other hand, with medium-level grade-2 defensive arrays in Dry City, this place had the minimum space and defenses to receive that family.


    So, thinking that such a noble house had come to Dry City was one of the most plausible possibilities. That was something that the enemies of the forces behind this town would not take long to realize.


    "Well, the Silva family probably already see the Gill and us as organizations in alliance to destroy them. So, the Brown family shouldn''t take long to question us about that..."


    "Yes, they are already starting to ask questions regarding complicated issues every day. So, I don''t think they will miss the opportunity to put this issue on the table to pressure us." Joey agreed with Minos, considering the weeks of negotiations he had already had with those envoys from the royal family.


    "Well, here''s what you do about it, mister Joey..." And then the young sovereign of the Black Plains began to make his recommendations as to what should be done when those envoys started to inquire about the Gill family.


    ...


    After talking with that Black Plain Army administrative Sergeant, Minos finished the matters concerning the Silva and Brown families.


    Constantly new information about the actions of the Silva family came to Dry City, something that was being done by the Miller family, who had always had an eye on that organization.


    And since the Silvas had constantly been acting in the past weeks, Minos always had to settle matters like today''s regarding this organization.


    On the other hand, as time went by, the negotiations with the envoys from the royal family of the Brown Kingdom were getting more and more complex, sometimes even leading to some confusion. Hence, Minos was already preparing for when his soldiers would bring him bad news regarding these negotiations.


    But for now, he continued to manage the situation as best he could, always giving new orders to soldiers like Joey.


    "... Lastly, young master, we have received news from the Cromwell Kingdom." After he finished talking about those matters, Joey sighed and commented on the last issue he had to deal with Minos on this occasion.


    "Oh?" Upon hearing that, Minos immediately expressed surprise and then asked his question. "What were the results of the Hayes family''s attack?"


    "Adding up the attacks against the headquarters and the forces on the outskirts of the Chambers family''s territory, about 31,000 members of that organization died, including 16 Spiritual Kings!"


    "Those numbers represent about 82% of the total numbers of that organization. But considering only the specialists in that family who died in the last week, only about 24% of their specialists are left. Just seven individuals!" Joey finished reporting this, smiling for giving young Stuart some good news.


    "Only seven, huh?" Minos laughed, at the same time remembering those six individuals who had fallen by his hands. ''The Chambers family had 29 Spiritual Kings just over a week ago, a very significant number for the region...''


    ''And considering the experts who have fallen during those more than three years of war, their numbers were awe-inspiring!''


    ''The Gill family is a mid-sized power just like they were, but this Brown Kingdom organization only had 18 Spiritual Kings...''


    "Looks like we''ve stopped the Chambers family from becoming a major noble family of our region, haha. If we had taken a few more centuries, they could even become rebels..."


    "Yes, the power they had was among the best of the regional mid-sized families, young master. And considering the profile of the people in that family, they would probably do something bold in the future."


    "King Cromwell would probably be happy with that news if it weren''t for the Snow family''s ''involvement''..." Joey casually  commented as he looked at the young sovereign in front of him.


    After that, Minos soon left those thoughts about what could happen if that family hadn''t stood against him and returned to the main subject. "Anyway, of those seven experts who survived, what are their strengths? Is there anything problem?"


    "Yes, young master. Four of them are at the initial levels of the 6th stage. But they are only subordinates. The troublesome ones are these other three..."


    "One of them is Patriarch Chambers, who had recently reached level 57. Other than that, the other two are level 54 and level 55 elders."


    "That''s truly a problem. These people can somehow get help through that family''s old agreements..."


    "How does the Hayes family intend to act against them?"


    Upon hearing his boss''s question, Joey promptly told what he knew. "The Hayes family has notified us that they already have investigation teams chasing the tracks of some of these people, but..."


    "But?"


    "But they have no idea where the Chambers patriarch may have fled to!"


    "What?" Minos said in surprise. ''Did that family have some teleportation artifact? Maybe that way that man escaped...''


    ''Damn! If it truly is that, it will be impossible to find this person in a short time!''


    He then thought of something and said. "Most likely, he will seek help from the Scourges of the Devil..."


    "Probably."


    "The problem is that we don''t know where that organization is, and even if we did, we have no idea how strong they are..." Minos commented in a low voice, feeling that the elimination of the Chambers family might take much longer than he had thought it would.


    He wasn''t worried about the less talented and weaker subordinates who had survived the last few attacks against that organization.


    Even if those people survived, it would be impossible for House Chambers to resurface in the future.


    What could create this possibility was one of these experts or nobles who managed to escape!


    So, Minos was more concerned about those people, especially the Chambers patriarch.


    They could try to rebuild that family elsewhere or even join some enemy organization of the Black Plain. Naturally, therefore, this young man was concerned that at least one of these troublesome individuals had left no trace of his whereabouts!


    "I just hope that some person at that Chambers base left behind something that will help us get to the Scourges of the Devil..." Minos remarked, right after sighing heavily.


    He wanted to know the location of such an organization because of his own retribution. But knowing this would also help him nip this problem in the bud if anyone troublesome goes to the headquarters of such an organization.


    So, Minos hoped that information about such an organization had been left behind by some of those people who fell in Persephone!

 Chapter 694 - Beast Park

    "About that, young master, the Hayes family is already doing the work of gathering all the documents and letters left behind. But since many people died in that city, it might take a while before we get a result."


    "There were thousands of people with spatial rings in the Chambers family headquarters, from nobles to high-ranking subordinates. But, on the other hand, that family''s vault was full of such items as well, so it will take a while for the analysis service to be done."


    "Not to mention that because of the war, the Hayes family lost more than 10,000 subordinates, and almost as many subordinates are wounded. So, there is a shortage of workforce to analyze these documents."


    "For all that, we may have to wait for weeks to months to find out if in some of these items left behind there was something more about the Scourges of the Devil," Joey said, concluding this point.


    It was expected that at least some information about that organization would be found in that place. After all, the Chambers family had deep connections with the Scourges of the Devil.


    So, even if the exact location of that group headquarters were not found, there would certainly be something, even if only contacts with the assassins of that organization.


    And with the Persephone seizure, Minos was eager to receive any information that would help him get closer to that group.


    He was not yet ready to march toward the Scourge of the Devil headquarters, but knowing this kind of information beforehand would be of great help to him.


    "Hmm, well, that''s as expected... In any case, keep contact with the Hayes family as active as possible."


    "As soon as they have such information, I want that passed on to me immediately!"


    "OK, young master!"


    ...


    While Minos was working at the local government mansion, Abby walked through Dry City, with some army Spiritual Generals following her towards a particular place.


    "In the next few days, you will be one of the first army groups to start fighting the Brown family."


    "But even if you haven''t had as many experiences as the soldiers outside Dry City right now, don''t worry, your forces are excellent in our region." She talked to those Sergeants as she made her way to an outer part of this city.


    Gulp!


    Meanwhile, those people were swallowing their saliva in anxiety, a little afraid of what would happen in the future.


    These people were part of the escort group of the administrative Sergeants of the local army, the soldiers who were negotiating with the Brown family group. Consequently, given the inevitable future of these negotiations, the time would come when the local forces should exterminate these people from the Brown family!


    And this group would be part of that mission.


    "Believe in the army''s training and do not spare the enemies who stand in the army''s way. As long as you do this, I guarantee you will have at least a 50% better chance of survival!" She said as she advised this group, she was commanding.


    Each of the Spiritual Kings and some influential members in the army had their own groups, people they directly commanded. After all, this kind of division made it much easier to manage an organization with thousands of people.


    And because of this, now and then, this girlfriend of Minos would talk to these soldiers directly under her command, to advise them and give them some orders.


    She then continued. "The enemies of the army are powerful and numerous, but they have never prepared for the kind of threat that our organization poses."


    "As such, act according to the situation, but do not fear the enemies..."


    "They are not invincible!"


    "Yes, Seargent Abby!" they said simultaneously, at the same time they arrived at that woman''s destination.


    Such a place looked like a piece of the forest within Dry City, a location with a few hundred thousand square meters of area and many sounds of beasts of the most varied kinds in the surroundings.


    Besides the many trees surrounding this space in one of the most extreme areas of the city, broad streets connected this place with the local main avenues. At the same time, a significant road encircled the entire Dry City in that area, forming a large circle connected to the four exits of the wall.


    Finally, more than 4 meters high, golden fences surrounded this place. At the same time, several soldiers from the Black Plain Army could be seen patrolling the site.


    That was the place where the more enormous beasts of citizens or visitors could be housed, the Beast Park!


    After more than two months since the visit of the Feathered Serpents group, this place had been built. At first, it was only a place for a few beasts, particularly those four serpents that had stayed in this city.


    But after these two months, the place had grown considerably. It had gained the financial and personal support of the local government, finally reaching the actual conditions.


    There weren''t many beasts in Dry City before, especially not many giant beasts. In fact, only White and a few other beasts at the 5th stage could be considered big enough to have to stay in this place. But they were not numerous to the point that this city needed structures like this.


    However, with the agreement of Minos and the Flooded Valley Feathered Serpent tribe, such a thing would change!


    Many beasts at the 5th stage of that tribe would come to this city because of that agreement, and as such, there was a need for a space for these beings to live.


    On the other hand, the local population kept increasing every day, and the number of beasts locally would grow too. And not only that, the local beasts were getting stronger, as their masters were getting more opportunities, meaning more resources for themselves, their families, and beasts!


    Anyway, there were many reasons to invest in a place like this, where Abby had just passed through the entrance gate.


    This woman had come here to talk with one of the Flooded Valley Feathered Serpent tribe elders who was already living in this city.


    With that, she soon passed through the central passage within that area, where some beasts could be seen walking, running, or resting.


    That was a tranquil place, which seemed like a great playground for those beasts, many of them who previously had to rest outside the built-up area of Dry City, which was not very lively.


    But in a place like this, where there were many trees, small lakes, mud, grass, and so on, spending time away from their masters became much more pleasant.


    And with that, Abby and those soldiers had smiles on their faces as they watched the beasts enjoying themselves as they walked around. Particularly for Kyla, who often came here and who at the moment was walking alongside a giant white tiger and some serpents.


    Kyla''s tribe was truly remarkable in the Continent of the Beasts, having a considerably strong lineage. Because of this, ordinary, weak beasts such as those found in this region could not help but respect this young Nine-tailed Fox.


    "Sister Abby, what are you doing here?" Then, finally, Kyla saw Minos'' girlfriend standing around and ran towards her, waving her five tails.


    At the same time as that, the level 53 Feathered Serpent that was next to Kyla earlier quickly moved toward where Abby was following that fox.


    She might only be a level 40 beast, but it was no shame for this level 53 serpent to become a follower of Kyla.


    After all, Kyla could one day reach the 9th stage of cultivation!


    "Hi, little Kyla, I''m here to talk to elder Hari," Abby said as she smiled at that 2 meters tall fox, who was already at her side.


    Upon hearing that, that serpent soon greeted her. "Young Abby, it''s good to see you again."


    "Hmm, well, tell me about how things are going around here."


    "How many Feathered Serpents are in Dry City? The war against the Brown Kingdom is presumed to start in a few days, so it would be best if that were advanced as soon as possible..."


    "It would not be good to travel from the Flooded Valley to here after that period."


    "Oh? That''s good to know..."


    "But don''t worry, almost 300 of our tribe members are already in Dry City. As for the last 100 individuals in our agreement with young Minos, they will arrive in the next six days...."

 Chapter 695 - The New Resource Delivery Option

    "Oh? Tell me more about it." Abby said as she looked at that magnificent serpent, four times larger than Kyla.


    "These last individuals who will be coming to Dry City are already making their preparations to leave the Flooded Valley when I came here. So, considering the orders of the tribe leader, they have probably already left that region and then coming here."


    "What about your tribe members who are already here? How is their adaptation to Dry City?"


    That giant Feathered Serpent lowered its big head and answered Abby. "Of the 300 or so tribe members who are already here, 100 are at the 3rd stage, 150 at the 4th, and the rest, apart from me, at the 5th stage."


    "But the group that is coming last will have another Spiritual King, and the rest is all Spiritual Generals."


    "Hmm, that''s good."


    "As for their adaptation, things are going well. The place that the Lack and Gaia prepared, along with the four juniors who stuck around this previous period, is pretty decent."


    "Other than that, with the improvements made by the local humans, this place can comfortably house all of us, and there will still be room for more beasts to live with us here."


    "I think there is enough room for up to 700 beasts of our size to live here, considering the current state of this place." The serpent said while having an expression that made it look like it was smiling.


    The space of this place was indeed large enough for many beings like it to be able to live locally. Consequently, this serpent was delighted since space was of great importance for beasts like them.


    Unlike humans, beasts didn''t like to live in agglomerations, as in the example of cities, since this would mean that they would have to share their space with other beings. And with large bodies, something very normal for most beasts, living in human cities could be a problem for those of low level!


    But Minos had helped to build a place spacious enough for these beings so that it wouldn''t be so bad for them to have to live in a human city.


    Of course, this was mainly for beasts like these serpents, which had no masters, the unrestricted ones. For those like White and Ebba, living in cities was already the natural thing to do since their masters would typically spend a lot of time in such places.


    So, they were already accustomed to the small spaces of large human cities.


    But of course, that didn''t stop them from enjoying having a nice place to rest during their stays in Dry City!


    "It''s good that you are enjoying it. In the future, we will have more places like this around the Black Plain, not only here in Dry City, but scattered all over our territory."


    "After all, we have a lot of free space, and there will certainly be a lot of beasts in our territory." Abby said in satisfaction, sharing some of Minos'' planning.


    In the future, Minos would create new cities in his territory, but he would also make places for beasts to live. According to his plans, some areas would be similar to the one Abby was in at the moment, which will be in the cities of the Black Plain.


    But they planned to build places entirely for beasts to live on the Black Plain.


    This territory could already be considered significant, but even at present, there were almost no suitable places for life to develop naturally.


    After all, although the local spiritual root had stopped stealing the spiritual energy present in the local soil, the soil had long remained without any kind of life in it. Consequently, there was no way that it could recover, and plant life could develop without artificial aids in a short time.


    Precisely because of this, Minos intended to use some of the areas less useful for agriculture or the construction of human cities to create artificial forests for beasts to live in!


    But for now, this was only in this young man''s planning for the Black Plain, something that would only begin to be done once this territory was established as an independent state.


    Until then, the most he would do was share his ideas with some important people and his government to develop the plans necessary for this to happen.


    So, Abby knew all this and talked about it with these beasts, who would undoubtedly be happy to hear about it.


    "Oh? That''s magnificent!"


    "With something like that, the Black Plain may be able to increase in power even faster than we thought!"


    "Huh? Why do you say that?" Kyla finally asked something while sitting in a behaved manner next to Abby.


    On the other hand, Ebba was next to Abby, lying down while its master massaged one of its ears.


    That Feathered Serpent, Hari, then answered that young Nine-tailed Fox''s question. "Miss Kyla, although there are not as many 6th stage beasts in this region as there are humans of the same strength range, the number of these beasts is not small!"


    "Obviously, there is no way for me to know the number of regional peak power beasts for sure since I don''t know all of them. But I estimate that there are over 600 beasts at the 6th stage in this region of the Central Continent!"


    "So, receiving these beasts on the Black Plain may be the fastest way for young Minos and his territory to reach peak regional power!"


    "So, that''s how it is!" Kyla said as her eyes sparkled. "Then brother must do it as soon as possible!"


    "When will that happen, sister Abby? That could end the local problems quickly!"


    Hearing this, Abby smiled at Kyla and said. "I think in about 2 or 3 years that will start... But by then, we''ll still be short-handed, so it might take about 10 years for something like what Elder Hari said to happen."


    "Ten years? But that''s so long!" Kyla complained as her eyes lost their previous brightness and ducked in disappointment. "Then none of this will do any good!"


    "Of course, it will, Miss Kyla. After all, there is not only the northern Central Continent in this great world..." That serpent said this deeply, as it recalled that there had always been enemies from the outside.


    "Hmm, that''s right. But anyway, elder Hari, besides talking about these things with you, also coming here to tell you the role of the 5th stage Feathered Serpents in the war."


    "Oh? What will they do?"


    "Well, Dry City and the local forces badly need the crystals generated by local food production. And since we need to export that through a seaport, we have to make trips with wagons to that location, transporting those resources overland."


    "Before this period, that was good enough and worked very well for us. But with the more and more frequent arrival of enemies into our territory, doing that will be very dangerous in the future."


    "Therefore, we don''t want members of your tribe who are at the 5th stage to participate in battles. Instead, we want them to transport our resources from here in Dry City to our port on the coast." Abby said, explaining the reason for such a request.


    These 5th stage Feathered Serpents could fly, and as such, they could avoid most enemies coming to the Black Plain in the future.


    Consequently, despite losing the offensive power of these beings, with this action, Minos'' group could significantly increase the security of the local resources during this turbulent period!


    "So, that''s it... I understand the reason for this, but how will we do this? We won''t be able to carry the same amount of resources as your human means of transportation."


    "Hmm, we understand that. But, for this very reason, I want to invite some of those serpents I spoke of to participate in the testing of storage items we are creating."


    "We have already been developing these items for the past two months, but so far, we have only done tests with the 4th stage serpents. But the difference in size and strength from those to the 5th stage ones is quite large."


    "So, we want to adjust our numbers for those who will actually be in charge of this," Abby said quickly.


    With 5th stage beasts doing this delivery service, such a thing could happen at a much higher speed than it would happen with the 4th stage ones. After all, those cannot fly. In this way, they hoped to increase the efficiency of the transport.


    On the other hand, even if there were problems, the Black Plains'' chances of significant losses would be tiny with stronger beasts!


    That was because most of the strongest beasts in the regional families were only at the 5th stage of cultivation!


    And there were not a large number of flying beasts in these organizations. Hence, using these serpents to deliver resources from Dry City seemed to be the best way to use them at present.


    "I see.... Let''s do that then."

 Chapter 696 - Leaving The Spatial Kingdom

    While Abby was taking care of army business with the Feathered Serpents, Vivian and Grace were walking around Dry City at the moment, during their free time.


    They had become accustomed to living in this city since Minos'' deal with House Hayes, having gotten to know some things up close that they had only observed before.


    After all, before, they were in a great hurry to settle their affairs and return to Primrose. But now, with time to spare, to walk around this town, they had finally had opportunities to talk to local citizens and get to know more of this place.


    Understanding the local reality of these ordinary citizens was the quickest way to get to know a city and the way its ruler handled his own territory.


    Each decision Minos made could have significant interference for the army and his own future. But at the end of the day, the results of a ruler would have more effect on his citizens than on himself.


    Minos would use almost no services from his city. But, on the contrary, these services were there for the citizens to enjoy, and then, if he had a little luck, good seeds would emerge from these inhabitants.


    On the other hand, more substantial citizens could work harder, do higher-level services, and generate more wealth for the city and taxes for the government.


    With this, he could profit from being the local ruler!


    But his decisions would still affect the ordinary inhabitants the most. And with that, anyone interested in finding out what kind of ruler Minos was would only have to analyze the condition of these people.


    If they lived on the edge, it would mean that the local government had a modus operandi of local exploitation.


    On the other hand, if these citizens were developing financially and spiritually, it would mean that the local government was sustainable.


    Of course, there were other possibilities, but these two extremes would be more critical in evaluating a government in the Spiritual World.


    And these two women from the Cromwell Kingdom had already understood very well how Minos treated this local population, as well as his subordinates.


    Anyway, Vivian and Grace talked about just that as they walked through Dry City.


    "I hadn''t noticed how promising this city is during our last trip here, Vivian."


    "There are so many people from so many different places here, so many things happening simultaneously..."


    "This town seems to be alive, and the people here are genuinely happy," Grace commented as she looked at the green of the street they were on.


    "Yeah, I could tell that too... It truly is a surprise that someone with Minos'' personality can help his own citizens!" Vivian commented, remembering the differences she had with the local sovereign.


    Grace then laughed. "Haha, don''t say something like that. Talking like that, it even sounds like you see him as a terrible monster!"


    "Tsk!"


    "You defend that guy a lot..."


    "Unlike you, I have no problem with him, hehe. And I like his personality. He''s someone easy to talk to."


    "You''d better not say those things to him, or that guy might think you''re interested in him..." Vivian said this with a disgusted expression as she remembered that Minos had tried to flirt with them both.


    ''That filthy pig! He may be powerful, but he has the personality of a pervert!''


    ''But it''s a surprise that a pervert like him hasn''t tried to persuade us using his Silver-grade techniques... I wonder if he''s one of those who like to win over the women he stays with?'' She wondered as she remembered the attempt she had made earlier.


    ''Hmm, although he''s a perverted pig, at least he''s not so bad and has some principles. If he had demanded something sexual, I feel like I wouldn''t be able to look him in the eye anymore...''


    She then closed her eyes for a while and then asked Grace. "What do you think of the Black Plain Army? Would you join this organization?"


    ...


    After a few hours, Minos had finished his services in his office and gone to the Spatial Kingdom.


    As usual, he spent some time in that place cultivating his spiritual energy, something necessary for him to continue advancing levels.


    Then he trained each of his combat techniques, which he had to do for a long time before reaching new phases of mastery.


    And after all that, this young sovereign of the Black Plain finally went to talk to Emlyn and the human Spiritual Kings in the Spatial Kingdom right now.


    He usually talked with the people living in that place quite often. But he usually did such a thing separately, dealing with the situations of each of these beings little by little, one at a time.


    But as an exception, today, he had something to talk about with the primary individuals of his army!


    For this, Ernest, Abby, Dillian, Emlyn, Mirya, the two Spiritual Kings brought into the army by Elena, Angela, and Regina, were all standing there in front of young Stuart, outside that lake house in the Spatial Kingdom.


    Dillian and Abby had come here with Minos after this young man had finished his business and gone to his army headquarters. As for the others, they were all already there, so this young man had no problem gathering them together.


    Anyway, when they had all gathered there, finally Regina asked something. "Minos, what do you want to talk to us about?"


    Everyone looked at Minos, focused, waiting for this young man''s answer upon hearing this question.


    They were all part of the army, but each had their own affairs to deal with. Even if they had inside information, Minos had many possibilities to talk to them.


    It could be related to Stone Island, Cromwell Kingdom, Brown family, and even other potential dangers to Black Plain or local plans.


    There were simply too many things happening simultaneously!


    But their curiosity soon passed the moment Minos began to speak. "Well, it''s time for the first group of the Elite Squad army to graduate."


    "Oh?"


    ''So, that''s it...''


    "Are you sure? I think we may still have a few more days of training." Regina commented.


    ''Hmm, it will truly be better if these soldiers can train for longer...'' Angela agreed with her former boss as she thought about the matter.


    But soon, Minos explained the situation. ''Yes, there will probably still be a few more days. But tomorrow, I will leave on a trip that may last two to three weeks."


    "And considering the current stage of negotiations with the Brown family, I can''t help but worry about something happening while I''m gone."


    "So, I want to free the strongest soldiers of the Elite Squad from their training so that they are already in place in Dry City."


    "Probably nothing major will happen in that period, but we''d better avoid unnecessary danger..." He calmly commented as he looked at those people in front of him and the great Nine-tailed Fox.


    "I see..."


    "The young master is right."


    "Those soldiers would be leaving the Spatial Kingdom by the time he returns from this mission anyway. So, we''d better get ahead of ourselves and do it right now," Dillian commented, nodding his head to Minos.


    "Hmm, that''s for the best. But what about the rest of these folks?" Emlyn asked as she moved her large head toward those humans standing there.


    "Naturally, some of you will be out of the Spatial Kingdom for a while." Minos readily understood what Emlyn was saying and immediately pointed to the people who would be staying in that place. "Mirya and Ernest, you two have been here in the Spatial Kingdom the least amount of time, so I will leave you two dealing with the weaker soldiers who will be staying here."


    "Mister Doug, who is not a warrior, can also stick around longer." He said, referring to that blacksmith Elana had brought from her family.


    "As for the rest of you, will stay away from the Spatial Kingdom for a while."


    He then looked at Mirya and Ernest and spoke to them again. "But don''t calm down. When I return, that will probably change..."


    "All right!"


    "Well, let''s take a look at those soldiers...." He said as he started walking towards where all the Elite Squad members were waiting. "I want to see how they have developed up to this point!"

 Chapter 697 - The Return Of The Elite Squad Soldiers!

    Finally, after talking to those stronger individuals in the Spatial Kingdom, Minos and those people headed towards where the Elite Squad soldiers were.


    Upon arriving at that location, the people in young Stuart''s group immediately saw those soldiers organized in five rows, four of them containing 20 soldiers and one 19.


    Also, from right to left, young Stuart could feel that the strength of those soldiers grew in order until it reached the last 19 individuals in that last row, the strongest ones there.


    Angela then began to speak. "Of those 99 soldiers, the weakest of them is at level 45, while the strongest is at level 49. So, here we have 37 soldiers at level 45, 32 at level 46, 21 at level 47, 8 at level 48, and 1 at level 49."


    Hearing this, Minos looked in the directions of the strongest in that place, particularly some faces he knew a little more about. ''Viola has reached level 49. That''s truly good. She''ll probably be the first of this squad to become a Spiritual King.''


    ''But the others aren''t bad either!''


    ''Robin is already at level 47, Barbara and Pyke are at level 48...'' So, he pondered as he analyzed several of those people, most above level 47. But besides those people, Minos also noted the presence of his old friend from the Spiritual Academy days, Neal Ryan, who was only at level 45.


    Minos quickly began to estimate what the actual power of these people should be when facing regional opponents after analyzing the most familiar faces there and thinking about their cultivation.


    ''If we only consider the ordinary subordinates of our region, then the soldiers of the Elite Squad probably...''


    ''But if they have to face opponents of noble origin, they will probably have more difficulties when...''


    And in that way, two whole minutes passed, until finally, young Stuart concluded what should be done.


    "Well, people, it would have been ideal if you had stayed in this place until you reached the 6th stage of cultivation. But unfortunately, we don''t always do what we wish or plan..."


    "Therefore, part of you will leave the Spatial Kingdom today!"


    "Oh?"


    "So soon!"


    "Hahaha, although this place is great, having a little more action outside won''t hurt us..." A young soldier in the middle of that group commented pleasedly to his colleagues closest to him. "I can''t wait for the battles to come!"


    "Absurd!"


    "Idiot!"


    "Crazy..."


    "Now, let''s put our strength to the test!"


    Then, the people in that group of 99 soldiers commented in low voices as they understood the situation.


    Dillian then clapped his hands quickly, causing those soldiers to fall silent until Minos spoke up again.


    "For those of you who are leaving the Spatial Kingdom today, we already have some ''gifts'' waiting for you at headquarters..." He smiled as he recalled the promises he had made to the soldiers who were part of this elite group.


    "There, you will find the items you showed interest in when you joined the Elite Squad. So, don''t take too long and try to get used to your new weapons."


    Gulp!


    Spittle gulping sounds resounded through that place, as the strongest people there felt excited to get their hands on good weapons.


    "But since we had to move things along a bit, I''m afraid some of you can''t carry some of those weapons yet... So, for those people, we will lend you lower-level items so that you can use them until your strength increases."


    "Ah..."


    "That makes sense. After all, few people here are going to have the ability to hold medium-level grade-2 weapons..."


    "They''re too heavy!"


    "True. Once the young master''s sword fell on me, and I got stuck under it..."


    "Hahaha..."


    Voices and waves of laughter reached the ears of those people beside Minos when this young man finished giving his speech to these soldiers. "As for who will return to Dry City, well, everyone from level 46 and up will come with us!"


    "The rest of you will continue in the Spatial Kingdom training with Mirya and Ernest."


    As soon as Minos said that, those people began to say goodbye to those who would be staying in this place, just as he was preparing to teleport everyone back to Dry City.


    ''Hmm, now I''ll have to repeat this trip a few times...'' Minos pondered as he looked at the many people he would have to transport.


    He then spoke to those stronger individuals standing near him and said. "Come on, you guys, I will take you first while these soldiers get ready..."


    ...


    Quickly a few hours had passed since that moment in the Spatial Kingdom.


    Consequently, all those soldiers above level 46 had left that place and returned to Dry City, where they could finally see their families again.


    Some of them had been in the Spatial Kingdom for practically two years and, as such, had not seen their loved ones for quite some time.


    So, after leaving the Spatial Kingdom and claiming their weapons at headquarters, most of those soldiers headed for their homes to see their wives, children, parents, and friends.


    The war was looming, and they probably wouldn''t have much time for their private lives in the future. Because of this, they were ready to take advantage of the opportunity given to them by Minos to have a few days with their loved ones before the battles began.


    But of course, from now on, they would also be among the strongest soldiers in the army in Dry City, individuals who would have to be on guard for future problems.


    They were not numerous, but many already had strengths similar to standard level 50 Spiritual Kings in this region. On the other hand, they had learned to fight in groups since before they joined the Elite Squad and had only gotten better at it during this period in the Spatial Kingdom.


    Besides the Spiritual Kings allied with the Black Plain Army in this city, these people were the front line of the local forces, who would lead many regional battles!


    ...


    Quickly many soldiers from headquarters found out about the return of some of the Elite Squad members to Dry City.


    As a consequence, many were already very excited about it.


    That was because they knew what would happen to this place and how it would affect their lives.


    Therefore, they couldn''t help but get excited at the idea that reinforcements were arriving before the storm landed on this city!


    They knew that these individuals from the Elite Squad had high levels and possessed higher-quality techniques than ordinary soldiers of this organization.


    So, the arrival of those 62 individuals in Dry City was as if, all of a sudden, 62 early-level Spiritual Kings had arrived to help them!


    That really would be a great addition to these thousands of 5th stage soldiers who were preparing for war.


    Anyway, while the local soldiers had something to celebrate, Minos was on a mission right now. He was fulfilling his responsibilities as a man, taking care of his two beautiful girlfriends.


    They could not travel with him for good reasons, so he could not help but spend the last hours with these two. That was good for them and him since they all had weights on their shoulders and needed to relax a bit.


    With that, they stayed up all night, actively ''playing'' in their room, in this temporary farewell of theirs.


    ...


    The following day, Minos was already leaving Dry City on the back of Ebba, Abby''s spiritual beast, the one who would serve as his mount during these days of travel.


    He had already said goodbye to his girlfriends earlier, so those two were still at his residence, resting. On the other hand, Dillian and some administrative soldiers from the army were accompanying this young man to the city''s exit.


    "Mister Joey, you already know, right? As soon as something goes wrong, eliminate those people from the Brown family." Young Stuart said as he looked in the direction of that elder.


    "OK, young master. Now that the Elite Squad soldiers have returned, we''ll deal with this without risk and quickly!"


    "But I hope that doesn''t happen while the young master is out of town..."


    "Hmm, it is better if the young master return before that happens..." Dillian agreed with that Sergeant. He then looked at Minos on top of that white tiger and said. "Young master, if you have the opportunity to deal with the despicable Otis Silva, send my ''regards'' to him."


    "Unfortunately, I am not a warrior, so I would never have the opportunity to take revenge for master''s death..."


    "I will!"


    "If I see him, I will bring his head back to Dry City!"

 Chapter 698 - The Churchs Attempt

    In the blink of an eye, an entire week had passed...


    While Minos was out of Dry City, the negotiations with the representatives of the Brown family were finally reaching an untenable moment.


    But before the blood of the invaders flowed through the lands of the Black Plain, an unexpected group had arrived on the outskirts of Dry City this morning.


    Well, they weren''t entirely unexpected since the soldiers around the Black Plain had already notified headquarters about such a group approaching Dry City. But it was undeniable that the soldiers of the Black Plain Army did not expect that such an organization would show up here just at this moment.


    Hence, upon finding out that members of the Spiritual Church were coming here, the administrative soldiers couldn''t help but feel surprised by the interest of such an organization.


    Not because Dry City had nothing for this organization, but because only a few influential people in the Brown Kingdom should know about such a thing.


    So, these administrative soldiers couldn''t help but feel surprised and realize that the Spiritual Church probably had secret agents in some of the largest regional organizations!


    ...


    Outside the dome of Dry City, more precisely 10 kilometers away from the eastern exit of this place, the church group was already in that joint camp of the local forces and the Brown family.


    This group was composed of some low-level members of the church''s branch in this kingdom, as this organization did not yet see this place as something so relevant as to send one of its few Bishops here.


    After all, as much as the local potential was attractive, this place still had a lot of work ahead of it until one Bishop had to commit in talks with the local sovereign.


    Such individuals were very few and had many responsibilities. So, their time was too short to be spent in this place!


    But in any case, the church branch in this state had sent a group of 10 Deacons and 3 Priests to this place to negotiate the opening of a parish in this city.


    The Spiritual Church needed to be close to the population to impose its worldviews, propagate its cultures and ideas, and finally attract more and more people to its organization. As a result, in order to gain more followers and future subordinates, the church could not help but try to establish a presence in the most important cities, where there would undoubtedly be more people and crystals.


    So, because of this city''s potential, if they wanted to nurture themselves in this place, the first step was to open a small parish here.


    Then, when this place developed further, perhaps they could build a more significant branch. But for the moment, this was just in their plans, and having a small parish in this town would be enough.


    Once they had their foot planted in this place, they would never leave!


    Anyway, with that in mind, those 13 individuals from the capital of the Brown Kingdom were already in that camp, together with the envoys from the local royal family.


    "Marlon, it''s unexpected to see you guys in this place, hahaha. So, what are you guys doing? Are you by any chance still negotiating with the local sovereign?" One of those Priests said this to one of the three nobles leading the negotiations in this place.


    "Yes, it''s like you said. We are negotiating..." Marlon said while he had an ugly expression on his face.


    He was not surprised by the arrival of representatives from the Spiritual Church in this place. After all, something like this was already expected on their part, and the local royal family wasn''t worried about this organization coming to the Black Plain.


    But he was rather stressed at the moment since Minos'' soldiers had not made the negotiations any easier. Hence, he was not happy and had an unfriendly expression on his face.


    "Oh? That''s strange..."


    "Considering how long you guys have been here, we had thought that you had already reached an agreement." That level 45 Priest said this while having a curious look on his face. "What happened?"


    "Tsk! Those rascals from Dry City are very arrogant and think they are smart!"


    "They want to extend the negotiations because of every comma in our contract..." Another of those three nobles said this in a dissatisfied manner.


    "This is truly a surprise..." Another Priest commented as he felt the wind sway his blue cloak. "The local sovereign must be quite capable, or he would not endure this long negotiating with you guys..."


    "No way, that brat didn''t even participate in the negotiations. Only his somewhat decent advisors."


    "There''s nothing else remarkable to talk about them."


    "They''re just a bunch of bumpkins who don''t know the difference between heaven and earth!" The last of those three royal family members arrogantly said that.


    "Is that so? So, what do you think they''ll do to us when we head for that city? Will they be hard to curve?" A level 44 Priest asked calmly, feeling that this might make their affairs in that city difficult.


    "Well, our Brown family and the Spiritual Church are quite distinct organizations. So, maybe you guys will get lucky."


    "Oh? Hehehe, that wouldn''t be a surprise." The group leader, level 46, said this while smiling, just before he turned and started walking in the opposite direction of those people. "Well, see you another time!"


    "Hmm, good luck." The leader of the Brown family group in this place said this while looking thoughtfully in the direction of those 13 individuals. ''Maybe this will help us somehow to settle our affairs in this damned place...''


    ...


    After some time, the group led by three Priests finally arrived in front of the eastern entrance to the local wall, where they wanted to pass through to proceed further into the interior of this place.


    ''Interesting...''


    ''This place seems to be much richer than we know!'' The group leader considered while he had a broad smile on his face. At the same time, he couldn''t help but plan what he would do next.


    ''First, we will meet the local sovereign to talk about building our branch in this city. With that, when they built our first parish here, we will be able to start taking advantage of this place...''


    "Haha, this is our chance to shorten our path to the Flaming Empire branch!" One of them said, just before the soldiers stopped their group in that place.


    "Gentlemen, identify yourselves and state your purpose for coming to Dry City!" One of the Sergeants at that place said aloud, looking at the two carriages that had individuals dressed in white cloaks on the outside and some people inside each of them.


    This soldier had not identified these people at first.


    Not because he didn''t know about the unique feature of the clothes of the members of the Spiritual Church.


    He did.


    But as a native of Dry City, this man had never seen church members in his life!


    So, it was not easy for him to readily identify where these people came from, even though he knew things about this organization.


    "Oh? They can''t identify us?" One of those three Priests commented among themselves, laughing inside one of the two carriages. "Looks like the folks in Marlon''s group weren''t wrong."


    "This truly is a bumpkin place!"


    "Haha."


    "Hehe, you two, stop talking that sort of thing, or we''ll have trouble negotiating with the local sovereign."


    "Yes, Brother Norman." The two replied before finally stopping laughing and leaving that carriage along with that leader of theirs.


    After all those 13 individuals got down from those carriages, the group leader finally answered that soldier''s question. "Friends of Dry City, we have come from the branch of the Spiritual Church in the Brown Kingdom. We are here to talk with your sovereign!"


    "Spiritual Church?"


    "You are here to talk to the young master?"


    Several soldiers repeated those words in low voices while intently looking at those 13 people.


    After that, someone dispatched the message about those people forward, and after a few seconds, a person came from inside that wall to deal with those people.


    "Members of the Spiritual Church, at the moment our city is in negotiations with the Brown family. Hence, our sovereign, Minos Stuart, reluctantly refused to enter into any relationship with your organization at this time."


    ....

 Chapter 699 - Target: Silva Family Troops

    "What?" The 13 people of the Spiritual Church simultaneously exclaimed as they looked in surprise at the soldier who had just said that.


    They had not expected that young Stuart would play hard to get and prevent their group from entering Dry City.


    After all, regardless of the problems faced by the local ruler and the families of the kingdom, the church was a continental organization that had a lot of influence!


    What could he do if the very citizens of this place were dissatisfied with the absence of the spiritual church in this city?


    That is, rulers could be drastic in many measures, not giving certain rights to their citizens or charging excessive fees. But taking away people''s faith was something that could be very dangerous!


    There was a limit to how much people could handle, something that needed to be under control so that those at the bottom of the social pyramid would not revolt. For this, rulers would have to give up at least small things for their citizens to ''relax'' a bit and not reach too high a level of dissatisfaction.


    For this, some used religion, others used entertainment, the politics of bread and circuses, etc. There were many ways to work this out, but they all served to keep society in order and avoid tragedy.


    Imagine a civil war with millions of people...


    Even the royal forces in this region could not withstand this without suffering heavy losses!


    Because of all this, these church members believed they were doing Minos a favor by coming to his territory...


    Yes, they would suck resources and people from this city to their side. But they would also guarantee local stability.


    It was a fair trade, right?


    They thought so.


    For them, this city could be under the control of the local sovereign at the moment because this place was still too small. But once millions of people lived here, the church''s presence would be indispensable.


    Hell, maybe Minos himself would decide to ask the Spiritual Church for help in the future.


    As such, they were offering a great deal of help to the local government!


    After some moment of silence, the person leading this group finally said something. "Pardon me, did I hear that right? Are you people refusing us?"


    "Sir, you heard that correct."


    "We are refusing to receive you at this time." The same soldier from before said in a normal tone as if he was talking to some ordinary person.


    "Why? Why is little Dry City refusing us? Do you guys think we have bad intentions here? On the contrary, we are here to help you!" The Priest from before said this while several church members talked among themselves.


    "Tsk!"


    "What idiots..."


    "Maybe this place would already be much better if we were already helping them..."


    "Those bumpkins... They don''t know how to spot an opportunity when they see one!"


    Another Priest then looked at that soldier and said. "And don''t tell me that your recursion is on account of the Brown family. We have nothing to do with your affairs!"


    ''These arrogant people...'' Some soldiers thought to themselves, as they saw the reaction of some church members in that place, who were laughing and talking among themselves.


    ''The worst of it is that they are just frogs at the bottom of the well, using the church to support their thoughts of grandeur when they have no power at all...''


    ''Pathetic!''


    The soldier from before then looked intensely at those three Priests in front of him, ignoring the rest of the people there. He was genuinely uncomfortable with the manner of those people, feeling angry and wanting to smash their overbearing smiles.


    But he understood very well that this was not the proper way to act.


    Hence, he swallowed his anger, took a deep breath, and then said what he had to say, something that all the soldiers in the army were aware of. "In the words of the young master, we know that the Spiritual Church is an impartial organization as far as our region is concerned. But the same cannot be said for the members of the church in our region..."


    "We have no reason to believe that you are not in agreement with the Brown family to try to weaken us in our negotiations."


    "We know very well that regional Bishops and Priests do have their preferences, and so, their actions sometimes deviate from what is expected of such an organization."


    "Therefore, we have to refuse the entry of church members into our city until our regional affairs are resolved." He said, looking steadily at those three but not letting his feelings get out of hand.


    Hearing all this, all those individuals understood these people''s point.


    After all, their justification was plausible since many church members in this region did have their preferences.


    That was not exactly something anyone could know, but it wasn''t a big secret either.


    Hence, they could not help but feel a little frustrated by the actions of these people.


    Minos had not accepted the church in this city, but this was because of a problem with the regional members of the church and not because this place was contrary to this organization.


    So, it would be difficult for them to justify actions against this city just because of such a refusal.


    That was even more true, considering that none of them were there because of the justification of these soldiers. That is, they were not in agreement with the Brown family, nor any other regional organization, to try to weaken this place.


    They were there only as an order from the church for that organization to reach a new region.


    And as much as that sounds contradictory, it wasn''t. Since they had no other interests in this place, they had no reason to force things when the other side already said that it could be different in the future.


    "Tsk!"


    "What a good excuse!"


    "We have nothing to do with those matters of yours..." Someone was about to say but soon stopped talking as he realized it was useless.


    ''The agreement of the Brown family and this place shouldn''t take many weeks to finish... So, in any case, we can return here in a few more months.'' One of those Priests pondered over the matter, feeling bad that he couldn''t complete this mission in one go.


    After that, the leader of the group then said. "So, that''s the excuse you guys are going to use..."


    "Well, if that''s the case, we''ll leave today, but we''ll return as soon as your affairs are settled."


    "Hmm, see you later!" The soldier from earlier commented with a smile on his face.


    That group then began to head back to those two carriages.


    But as they were doing so, that level 46 Priest stopped in the middle of the road and looked back. "But know that the church branch in our kingdom will not forget the unwillingness of the ruler of the Black Plain to receive us!"


    ...


    In another part of the Brown Kingdom...


    After a week since his departure from Dry City, Minos had finally arrived in the Miller family''s territory, in a place bordering that domain.


    That place was closer to the central regions of the Brown Kingdom, where several small noble families were located, as well as some of the mid-sized powers, such as the territory of House Gill.


    In this place, Minos and his Miller family allies were preparing to act against the Silva family, attacking a portion of that organization''s outposts.


    The Silva family had previously spread part of their troops throughout the Brown Kingdom, in places where they had fixed posts in the past. But even though they had received a negative response from King Brown in their recent attempt, part of these troops were still outside their headquarters.


    They knew that it was advisable to return to the Red Valley, and part of these forces had indeed done so.


    After all, they depended very much on the kingdom''s action to act more efficiently.


    But part some of these forces had stayed in these advanced places in case the kingdom changed its attitude concerning the Black Plain.


    After the previous refusal, the Silva family had found out about House Brown''s negotiations with the organization behind Dry City. And because of this, they couldn''t help but prepare themselves for the possibility of such a thing going wrong.


    They were hoping for it!


    And so they had left part of their forces at these strategic locations, where they could act more quickly when the time came!


    Precisely because of this, Minos and his allies could act now!

 Chapter 700 - The First Part Of Vengeance!

    At this moment, Minos was in a camp of the Miller family forces, in a large tent where the Spiritual Kings of that organization were.


    In that place, besides Minos, eight Miller family Spiritual Kings were there, sitting at different points of a large round table, talking about the mission they were going to participate in.


    Of these people, three were level 55 Spiritual Kings, members of the Miller family''s group of high-level elders. The others were all cultivators from the initial levels of the 6th stage.


    There were three women in that place, each dressed in female armor shaped like dresses. On the other hand, each of those five men wore different armor, but each of them had the House Miller symbol.


    A blue circle with a big silver ''M''!


    But besides their different quality of clothing, some high-level grade-2, and some low-level grade-2, each of those eight people already seemed to be several centuries old.


    They certainly looked like centuries-old people considering they were at the 6th stage. Otherwise, they could be mistaken for ordinary 40-50-year-old homo sapiens.


    In any case, Minos was the only one who looked like a teenager in that place while wearing a typical suit, which was no good for fighting.


    "Young Minos, I have heard that you are skilled in high-level fighting..." One of those high-level elders said this as he looked at this young man and smiled.


    But Minos only made a sound of agreement as he continued to listen to those people. "Hmm."


    "Then I believe you are fit to lead one of the teams that will attack one of our four targets today, right?"


    "Yes, I will do my best."


    "That''s good."


    "We will attack four posts of the Silva family in this north-central region of the kingdom. But we will have to do it separately so as not to alert the enemy side."


    "So, my two colleagues from the high-level elder council will also lead different teams so that we can carry out this mission with as little trouble as possible." That man said as he stood looking to the sides of the table.


    Hearing this, the woman and the level 55 man standing there agreed. At the same time, the five subordinates were silent, psychologically preparing themselves for what would happen in the next few hours.


    "How will the division of the rest of us be?" Finally, one of those subordinates asked, as they realized that with the addition of Minos, one of their groups would have an extra hand in this mission.


    "I think young Minos'' group should go with two of you to balance the power of his group with the rest of ours." The level 55 woman said as she looked at young Stuart and smiled.


    "Yes, I agree with that."


    "But besides that, I think I should be the person in charge of attacking the Silva family''s eastern outpost, where there is a level 56 Spiritual King." The level 55 man who had not yet spoken said this, already stretching his neck.


    "That post is the strongest of the four, Norris!" The woman from before said this as she looked at that man, "I am stronger than you, so that should be my honor."


    Upon hearing this, that individual, who had pronounced muscles and tanned skin, stood up from the table and said in a dissatisfied manner. "What did you say, Tasha?"


    "Calm, calm. Tasha only wants your good, Norris. Isn''t it natural for the strongest of us to fight the strongest of them? So let''s..." He was about to say something when Minos interrupted him.


    "Leave it to me. I''m going to attack that eastern outpost."


    "What?"


    "Young Minos, isn''t it better that you attack one of the other posts? There is a level 56 cultivator and two more Spiritual Kings in that place. Other than that, there are still over 500 Spiritual Generals with them..."


    "At the same time, the other posts only have one Spiritual King each and the same number of Spiritual Generals." So, the woman from before said, trying to convince Minos otherwise.


    They knew that Minos was powerful, but none had ever seen this young man in action. They even knew that Minos had defeated the level 56 patriarch of the Gill family. Still, none of them were naive to think that all cultivators of the same level would be equal!


    Therefore, they didn''t know if this young man would perform well against such an opponent.


    On the other hand, there would be many Spiritual Generals on the enemy side. But their action was based on only fighting against the enemy experts. So, there would not be many Spiritual Generals from the Miller family in this action.


    Only a few individuals of that strength range would participate in the action to occupy the enemy Spiritual Generals while the leading individuals would fight.


    The Miller family''s Spiritual Generals were already in place near each of those enemy outposts and would only need the warning to begin attacking such targets. But they were not numerous and were prepared only to disrupt the enemies while the Miller family experts quickly dealt with the Spiritual Kings of House Silva.


    After that, they would flee from that place since they did not aim to fight all those people.


    But if any fighting took longer than expected, perhaps those individuals of lesser power would be able to join their experts to oppress the Miller family group. And for that possibility, that woman was worried about sending Minos to deal against the stronger enemy group.


    The other two high-level elders then nodded in agreement, hoping that Minos would forget about such an idea.


    But they were unsuccessful.


    "What are the levels of these other two Spiritual Kings?"


    "Levels 52 and 53." The level 55 older man said that promptly.


    "Then there''s no problem."


    "I can eliminate all three of them and start my journey back to the Black Plain before nightfall..." Minos casually commented as the midday sun illuminated that tent perfectly well. "I just need someone to show me the way. The rest I can handle on my own."


    "What? Are you sure about this?" The muscular man asked without believing Minos. "Are you saying you will handle those three on your own?"


    "Hmm... Not only that, there is no need for those 500 enemies to continue to exist."


    "I will deal with that whole group."


    Minos was not being arrogant.


    It was not difficult to do such a thing for him, as he was used to fighting hundreds of opponents in Dry City. After all, as much as he was going to deal against three strong opponents, those 500 individuals hardly would have complete sets of Black-grade techniques, like his soldiers.


    Hence, fighting against those hundreds of enemies would be relatively simple for someone with such effective techniques against those weaker than him!


    After hearing Minos'' confident comment, that woman asked him in doubt. "Are you suggesting that we do the same?"


    "No, you three had better stick to the arrangement."


    "I''m only doing this because I can attack this group quickly without the enemy side having time to call in reinforcements or unite against me. But you won''t get the same result."


    "Then do as planned."


    "That..."


    "So you''re truly going to do that? There''s no need to deal with all these people, nor to take your chances against such strong experts..." The old man said, trying to reason with Minos.


    "Yes, it is hazardous."


    "Hmm, you don''t have to try so hard..."


    Several of those individuals demonstrated their opinions about the dangers of facing those three opponents or how irrelevant those 500 individuals were for Minos to worry about them.


    But Minos wasn''t worried about those things.


    Today he was beginning his revenge against the Silva family, something he would one day finish by hunting the patriarch of that organization, Otis Silva.


    And other than that, this mission was just a way for him to diminish the Silvas'' power before the Brown family declared his territory in rebellion. After that, there would not be many opportunities for him to make trips like this for some time.


    Consequently, he wanted to eliminate as many of his enemies as possible in this place.


    To him and these Spiritual Kings, the hundreds of Spiritual Generals truly didn''t matter that much. But for the Black Plain Army soldiers, every enemy Spiritual General killed before the war started would mean that their chances of survival would be more significant.


    And like a ruler concerned about his organization, Minos would eliminate those people for the sake of his soldiers!

 Chapter 701 - Four Simultaneous Attacks 1

    After hearing the protests of those individuals, Minos did not go back on his plans. Instead, he just stood there in his place, quietly, waiting for the end of this preparatory meeting.


    And upon realizing this young man''s intention, those people had nothing to do but accept his decision. That was their joint action, and neither side could force the other to do things they didn''t want to do.


    On the other hand, they had no way to stop this young man from following his plans and, as such, could only hope that everything would turn out well.


    With this in mind, it wasn''t long before that meeting was over and the division of the groups was done. After they had finished sorting this out, those eight experts from the Miller family split into three groups.


    Of those groups, two of them consisted of three people, while in the last one, there were two individuals. But despite the differences in numbers, the total strength of each team was more or less balanced, something that was done to increase their success rate.


    Since Minos had refused the help of these Spiritual Kings, they had prepared to deal with the Silva family''s western, northern, and southern outposts in this region with as much force as possible.


    On the other hand, a Spiritual General who knew this region well would direct Minos to the right place, where the Silva family''s eastern outpost was.


    In this way, the four groups were separating now, already ready to move on to their respective targets.


    "Well, folks, I''ll make my way! See you later!"


    "Yes, be careful in your action."


    "Those Silvas cannot be underestimated!"


    "That''s right!"


    "And young Minos, don''t try so hard. If you get into trouble, leave it behind, and we''ll deal with whatever comes up in the future!" So, the older man said while already watching that young man following his path on Ebba''s back.


    Minos then looked back and nodded, saying goodbye to those people. "Hmm, it''s okay. I know my limits well enough..."


    "Anyway, don''t expect me around here. As soon as I resolve my situation, I will return to my territory."


    "Oh?"


    "Then good journey back..."


    ...


    After the four groups split up, quickly a few hours passed, and by now, each of those teams was around their areas of interest.


    The Brown Kingdom was not a state with a considerable area, and considering that each of those Spiritual Kings was using beasts at the 5th stage, their travel time was not significant.


    On the other hand, they were only in a small region, near the central part of the kingdom, where part of the southern border of the Miller family''s territory was.


    So, quickly those eight members of the Miller family and Minos had already reached the places where their targets were.


    Among them, the group that had first reached their target was the level 55 Spiritual King, Norris.


    ...


    After arriving at the location where his target was supposed to be, Norris immediately ordered the Spiritual Generals in the vicinity of that camp to begin the attack to distract the enemy forces.


    That location had only one Spiritual King, someone who, despite being on the same level as Norris, had no aides of the same stage of cultivation. So, Norris and his two companions, one at level 51 and the other at level 52, could suppress such a person with some ease.


    They only needed the many enemy Spiritual Generals in the vicinity of that camp to be distracted and not engage in a direct fight against them. With this, the three could accomplish their mission and then flee from this place!


    But those were not foolproof tactics.


    Even after completing their mission, these three people could still suffer from the reaction of the other enemies in that place. After all, if they had the misfortune that this was a camp formed by madmen capable of sacrificing themselves to harm enemies, Norris'' team could end badly...


    But the chances of such a thing happening were not significant. And the expected if they completed such a mission was that these people would disperse upon finding out what had happened to their leader.


    Consequently, these three were convinced that they should do this, and they were already acting with confidence, ready to fight that enemy!


    "Come on, guys, time to end that damn Silva''s life!" Norris remarked in satisfaction to his two mission companions while, at the same time, watching from afar the conflict beginning.


    "Hehe, I hope I can help elder Norris finish this off as quickly as possible!"


    "Yes, let''s try to finish that enemy before he does dangerous things against us..."


    And then the three Spiritual Kings started running towards that place, just at the moment when they had felt the expert in that camp beginning to move.


    "Ahhh! Fight for the family!"


    "Kill the enemies!"


    ...


    Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Brown Kingdom...


    A high-level battle was going on at this very moment around a particular camp, where dozens of long-range attacks could be seen flying back and forth.


    Dozens of Spiritual Generals seemed to be standing by at strategic points on that ground as they attacked the surroundings, causing hundreds of opponents to be in a difficult situation.


    The problem here was not that one side was much stronger than the other, but that the strategy of the less numerous group basically gave up offensive power to create difficulties for their opponents to get around.


    And because of this, those hundreds of individuals were struggling to maintain the position of that camp while using their defensive techniques and trying to counterattack the enemy. But it was challenging to get an opening to act more quickly in such a situation, and that group couldn''t help but be in a stalemate.


    Meanwhile, as hundreds of people fought a movement battle in that southern outpost of the Silva family, four high-level cultivators could be seen fighting in that camp.


    Of the four individuals, two were at level 50 and 52, while the remaining were both level 55 cultivators.


    But when three individuals with such cultivations came together to fight against a single one of them, regardless of how impressive that person was, things would not be easy for him!


    As expected, this level 55 Spiritual King was suffering, already with drops of sweat spreading all over his old body and the chill of fear spreading down his spine.


    "Motherfuckes!"


    "I knew you Millers wouldn''t stand by and watch our losses without trying something!" He said in anger, trying to contain his fear and, who knows, use his rational side to scare those three people away.


    Upon hearing this, those two led by Thasa continued to focus on attacking that individual, perhaps improving their situation and finishing off that opponent more quickly.


    As for Thasa, she couldn''t help but laugh. "Humph, and what can you do, Mark? That is your end, but don''t be too disappointed, soon your companions in the Red Valley will follow you!"


    "Thasa!"


    "You brat, do you think the royal family will stand idly by upon finding out of your actions? There is no justification for you to attack us now!" He appealed to the fear any family in the kingdom would have of the local royalty.


    The royal families allowed conflicts, so wars between families happened in this region. But for that to happen, there would need to be a big problem, or the royalty could not keep quiet.


    After all, if one of these forces got out of control, how long would it take for such a family to dare to act against the royal family itself?


    That is, even in war, there was a need for rules!


    Otherwise, it would be problematic to allow the existence of a power that at any time could do whatever it wanted without justification.


    Hence, bold actions could attract these large organizations'' attention and the chaos that oppresses the uncontrollable rebels.


    "Mark, don''t worry about us. It''s your life that''s on the line!"


    "You will die!" And then Thasa launched another powerful attack in the direction of that man''s torso while running back and forth, constantly switching positions with her aides.


    "Stupid bitch!"

 Chapter 702 - Four Simultaneous Attacks 2

    Boom!


    Explosions sounded in the middle of the Silva family''s northern camp.


    In that place, one could see long-range attacks flying back and forth constantly, destroying tents and even injuring people nearby.


    At the same time, three people were fighting at high intensity in the center of this temporary camp. Two of them were suppressing the last one, using everything they had in an eye-popping battle.


    "Ahh!"


    "Die on my feet!" Finally, after deflecting the latest attack from his two enemies, that level 54 Spiritual King tried to attack the level 53 enemy with everything he had.


    As he did so, he leaped into the air, spinning twice, until he followed with one of his feet raised, as if it were a fin of a large fish, heading towards his enemy''s head.


    However, as this man prepared to blow his target''s head off, his opponents were not standing still, waiting for him!


    Then, the gray-haired, level 55 man promptly jumped towards that level 54 Spiritual King, his fist already ready to punch his target in the face as soon as he was close enough.


    On the other hand, that target of the powerful kick that was coming down in the air towards his head was trying to move backward while circulating his energies in his defense technique.


    He then bent his knees slightly, made a defensive stance with his arms above his head, and prepared for the worst!


    Pow!


    "Die!"


    At that instant, that gray-haired old man''s punch hit his opponent''s jaw, causing the blow that such a person was about to deliver to deflect a few inches until it hit the air!


    "Ahhhhhhhh!"


    And then cries of pain resounded from that man''s throat, at the same time, in which he fell a few meters away from where he was, already bringing his two hands to his face and feeling the damage.


    "This is your end, Emmett!"


    "If you surrender now, we can guarantee you a painless death... Otherwise..."


    "Fuck you!" That man shouted but immediately afterward closed his mouth as he trembled in pain from the previous blow. ''If you guys can take my life, then do it the hard way!'' He considered, already preparing to act.


    "Don''t think you guys will get out of here in one piece!" He shouted in fury once again as he stood up and jumped towards those people!


    "Then we''ll do it the hard way, you ignorant fool!"


    "Die, you fool!"


    Pow!


    ...


    And with that, the three battles of the Miller family experts began around that part of the Brown Kingdom.


    But while those individuals struggled to deal with their opponents, Minos'' approach was somewhat different.


    He even used the Miller family''s Spiritual Generals in the same way as his allies. That is, he was using the dozens of guards from that family to distract those Spiritual Generals that there were in this Silva family post.


    But instead of trying to act with as much speed as possible, this young man had been crossing that camp somewhat calmly while watching those enemies, the three Spiritual Kings of this place.


    Not that he didn''t want to settle this quickly. He wanted to, but considering his advantage in this place, he wanted to exchange a few words with those people so that they wouldn''t be so defensive.


    Almost every time he had met with people from the Silva family, he had to kill them quickly not to let information leak out. After all, most of these ''encounters'' had happened in Dry City, a place he wanted to protect.


    But right now, Minos was out of his city and was in a situation where he wasn''t in danger of losing something because he wasn''t quick enough to stop a letter or something. So, he wanted to know who these people were before he eliminated them.


    Therefore, right now, he was face to face with those people.


    As he was the only person with an eye-catching level in the surroundings, something that had drawn the strongest in this place towards him.


    "Brat, are you behind this attack? Do you know who we are?" A level 52 Spiritual King said this while having an unfriendly expression on his face.


    At the same time, a level 53 individual, who was right behind the level 56 person, looked at Minos with a murderous glint in his eyes. "Derek, don''t ask useless questions. We will capture this insect, and then we will know everything!"


    "I know you are from the Silva family, but who you are, I have no idea," Minos said calmly, as he looked intently at the faces of those three.


    "And you dare to attack us being only a mere level 50 Spiritual King?" Derek said in ridicule. "Fool!"


    But Minos didn''t care about that. But instead, he just said what he had in mind. "Today, I am here to eliminate your entire group. But before that, I would like to know your names..."


    "Not that I give a damn about most of the worm members of the Silva family, but I have matters to settle with three people from your organization..."


    "Oh? How arrogant!"


    "You must be the biggest asshole in the universe to say such big things with that kind of cockiness!"


    "Brat, you truly are bold!" Finally, the leader of those two said something as he looked cautiously at Minos and the surroundings. "Because of your courage, I will do you the favor of helping you in this final moment of your life..."


    "Tell me the names of those you seek. Then, if one of them is here, we can give you the pleasure of dying by his hands!"


    "Otherwise, you don''t even have the minimum to know our names!"


    "Is that so?"


    "Well, if you want to die like nameless worms, so be it..." Minos commented confidently, laughing as if he were seeing a group of clowns in front of him. "Anyway, I have business with someone named Willian Silva, another named Percy, and Otis Silva, but I already know that old fart isn''t here."


    "Hahahahahaha, it''s your lucky day, brat. I''m here!" The level 53 man said, laughing, already feeling excited to torture this worm who had some issue against him.


    "I''m Willian Silva!" He said.


    Upon hearing this, Minos'' eyes narrowed as he could finally come face to face with one of the people who had participated in the attack against Albert. ''Today, I will deal with this one...'' So, he thought to himself as his two swords appeared in his surroundings.


    After meeting Darell Silva on Stone Island, Minos had learned about the identity of those who had participated in the attempt against his father.


    That young man had not given all the relevant details at the time. Still, after knowing the bare minimum, it had not been difficult for young Stuart''s soldiers to figure out exactly who had participated in that action.


    So, he knew the identity of the two members of the Silva family who had participated in that attack and the fact that it had all been planned by Otis, the patriarch of that local noble house.


    "So, you are one of them..."


    "Well, well! That is truly a lucky day for me!" He said aloud, while already circulating his energies, ready to act at any moment.


    Minos then looked in the direction of those three and made his last comment before acting. "Today, I, Minos Stuart, will wash these lands with the blood of your corpses in honor of my old father!"


    "Stuart?"


    ''Albert''s brat?''


    "Oh? An old enemy, eh..."


    ''Wait a moment, is this brat that guy''s son? How is he already at level 50?'' The group leader pondered for a second, but his attention was soon drawn to the power that the young man was emitting!


    Devouring Art!


    Infinite Dream!


    Explosive Steps!


    Indestructible Body!


    Spatial Sword!


    In a split second, Minos activated everything at his disposal, quickly causing a giant black ring to begin devouring the power of those three.


    He then looked into Willian''s eyes and used his mental technique, just before finally running towards those other two, ready to fight!

 Chapter 703 - Eliminating Enemies

    "What? What power is that?"


    "No! It can''t be! It can''t be!" That level 52 Spiritual King screamed in terror as he felt the powerful spiritual fluctuations released by Minos'' techniques.


    However, by the time that man felt his skin shiver and his energies being sucked away at an alarming rate, Willian had already fallen unconscious to the ground.


    "Hey! Hey!"


    "What the fuck is this?"


    "Willian, Willian?" The leader of that group finally shouted in shock, sawing that comrade fall face down on the ground, his face paralyzed as if he had had a stroke.


    But while Willian fell into a terrible nightmare, where part of Minos'' consciousness was already torturing him, this young man was running around that place in search of those other people''s lives.


    Only a second had passed since Minos had activated his combat techniques, and with one enemy ''down,'' he was ready to stain this camp soil with the blood of his enemies!


    "You will be the first to fall..." Minos said in a low voice as he looked in the direction of that level 52 Spiritual King.


    Simultaneously to that, while running through that terrain, this young man promptly flexed his two arms, one after the other, slashing vertically in the directions of his two main targets.


    Following that, two blades appeared one after the other, heading in the directions of those two men while forming a sharp sound that could reach dozens of meters from that place.


    "Shit! I won''t be able to dodge!"


    "Damn it!"


    "Damn it!"


    "Save me! Save me!" That man screamed in terror as he realized that his opponent''s blow was too fast for him to get rid of it.


    It was tough for him to move while suffering from the restrictions of the Spatial Sword!


    On the other hand, no matter how hard he tried to defend himself from it, that attack was lethal on a person of his level.


    But despite despairing and asking for help from his companion, who was still conscious in that place, this man had had no support.


    Not because the other side thought he would not be helpful in a fight against Minos or was not worth the risk. But because that level 56 man was in a very problematic situation at the moment!


    Due to the difference in his and young Stuart''s strengths, a single attack from this young man would hardly kill that camp leader. However, such a person could not lightly take the blade Minos had just sent in his direction, or he might lose any chance of survival here.


    So, the leader of this place was too busy trying to defend himself and deflect Minos'' attack to worry about other people in his surroundings.


    ''How can this be possible? That brat is stronger than me!'' The leader of this place thought quickly, already in a defensive position, using significant parts of his powers.


    But as he did so, preparing to receive Minos'' violent attack, this level 56 Spiritual King soon understood his situation here. ''Damn it! Those two have no salvation! My only option here is to run away!''


    Swooish!


    Puff!


    And while that person was thinking about a possible escape, his level 52 companion was unlucky.


    After receiving Minos'' relentless attack, he died on the spot!


    The blade sent in that person''s direction had cut his body vertically, causing his body to split in two, following from his genital region to his right shoulder.


    He had died instantly, without feeling any pain or understanding what had happened!


    And without even a cry of pain in that camp, the only opponent strong enough to get young Stuart''s attention had finally defended himself from the previous attack.


    Such a thing had been superior to what he could receive at his level. So, the moment the blade sent by Minos had touched his defenses; it had collapsed.


    However, this had been enough for the force of Minos'' attack to be diminished to a certain degree, something that had struck that Spiritual King''s body without endangering his life.


    After receiving this attack on his left shoulder, this man felt an intense pain in the cut that had opened on this part of his body. In contrast, he had taken several steps backward, trying to stand up.


    ''Son of a bitch!''


    ''Damn! I hope he used up everything he had and can''t chase me!'' He agitatedly  thought as he looked from side to side and ignored the sliced corpse and the man lying on the ground near him.


    But while he was thinking about running away, Minos had already predicted that his stronger opponent would try something like that. Therefore, he was already rushing towards the man while focusing all his attention on him.


    Minos had not even seen the result of his previous attack!


    "If you''re thinking of running away, you can forget about it!" He loudly  shouted as he moved quickly through that place.


    ''He''s too fast!''


    ''Damn it! I won''t be able to get away from him!'' Finally, that man quivered in awe as he saw how fast that young man''s movement technique was.


    "Brat, you already got what you wanted!"


    "See, I don''t mind getting out of here and leaving Willian to you..." He tried to appeal to his opponent''s reason as he ran back and forth in that place, dodging Minos'' attacks. "How about that? That''s the best for both of us!"


    "Tsk!"


    "That''s pointless. I would never give up on a fight already won!" Minos said confidently. At the same time, one of his swords disappeared from his left hand. He then held that single golden-bladed weapon in his two hands and attacked that opponent again.


    "If you are good enough, escape or kill me. Otherwise, you''re dead!"


    Swooish!


    And then, finally, young Stuart reached that opponent, staying the minimum distance so that he could fight head-on with that opponent.


    "Ahhhh!"


    And then, quickly, Minos'' sword danced in his hands, going from side to side at great speed, slashing against that opponent.


    The golden blade of his sword seemed to disappear from time to time, leaving only an afterimage behind. At the same time, cracks appeared in the defenses on that man''s skin.


    Meanwhile, that man was trying to protect himself or dodge these close attacks.


    That enemy of Minos was rapidly gaining more and more wounds around his body.


    His opponent''s speed was superior to his, as was his skill with a sword, something that was slowly increasing the difference between the two.


    On the other hand, while moving around that man, Minos was constantly using his feet to try to attack his opponent''s legs.


    His defense was already so strong that his body could be considered a powerful weapon. As such, Minos was using that to his advantage, slowly knocking that man off balance, causing this person''s attention to split between the blade of that sword and young Stuart''s feet.


    "Ahhhhhhhh!"


    With that happening, quickly, that man began to scream in pain, feeling several of his vital organs being cut one after another by Minos. At the same time, his bones in the lower parts of his body were breaking at the mercy of that young man''s kicks.


    "Let''s get it over with, nameless worm!" As he said this, Minos promptly made his final battle stance, positioning his legs on the ground to have maximum strength in his sword movement.


    At the same time, he spun his sword toward that man''s defenseless neck, ready to decapitate the head of this suffering person.


    ''Damn! Why did this happen to me?'' That level 56 Spiritual King thought in regret, right before the golden blade of his opponent''s sword cut his neck, ending his life.


    After that, his head rolled a few times in the air until his headless body fell backward onto the ground, staining that place soil with that his blood.


    Seeing this, Minos sighed and started walking toward where those Spiritual Generals of that camp were.


    "Time to eliminate the rest of that group...."

 Chapter 704 - Massacre

    After finishing off that strongest opponent of this Silva family camp, Minos promptly headed toward where those 500 Spiritual Generals were defending their positions.


    Such enemies were defending against the long-range attacks of the Miller family guards on the outskirts, fighting a battle of movements, slowly gaining space to counterattack.


    But by the time they were in the middle of this battle, young Stuart had already finished off his primary opponents and was making his way towards them with intense killing intent!


    "Shit! This guy killed our experts!" Someone in the middle of that group shouted this out loud, causing dozens of people in the surroundings to find out what had happened.


    They knew that a young Spiritual King had rushed towards the three Silva family experts at this location earlier. But none of them had worried about it since they had more significant problems to worry about, and their bosses could quickly deal with such an opponent.


    But some people there had paid attention to Minos'' fight against those three since when the young Stuart was finished, those people could finally count on the support of those experts.


    Unfortunately for them, the reality was cruel!


    Not only could they not count on the help of those mighty Spiritual Kings, but each of those individuals had already fallen by the hands of their opponent. Moreover, this enemy did not seem well-meaning towards them!


    "That damn monster is about to attack us!"


    "Attention, everyone! Get ready to fight!"


    And soon, the boldest and most active people of those 500 Spiritual Generals started shouting with everything they had, encouraging these people to fight for their lives.


    It was definitely losing fighting for some of them. Still, they hoped that such an enemy could be eliminated before everyone there died.


    But not everyone thought that way.


    "Run for your lives!"


    "Run! Run!"


    "Disperse as quickly as possible, and maybe some of us will be able to escape!"


    ...


    And at the same time that those people who were members of the Silva family were beginning to panic, the Miller guards on the outskirts of there had finally realized what was happening.


    "Looks like it''s all over."


    "Hmm, it looks like the young master is about to escape. It''s time for us to do the same!"


    "Yes, people. Stop attacking the enemies. They will naturally disperse, and there''s no point in us taking any more risks here!"


    "Mission accomplished!"


    Quickly the Miller family guards began to ease their tensions, feeling that they had completed their mission in this place.


    Almost everyone there did not know Minos'' identity, nor had they interacted enough with this young man to know what he intended to do. So, after some of them had seen the figure of this young man walking out of the central part of that camp, they had already considered that it was time to leave.


    It was not part of their plan to fight in this place against all opponents. Once the specialists of that base were eliminated, they would return to the Miller family base.


    With that, many of them were already preparing to leave as they picked up some of their artifacts in the surrounding area and relaxed a bit.


    "Hey! Hey! What is the young master doing?"


    However, that didn''t last long. Soon after, one of those more curious guards shouted, making many individuals pay attention to Minos'' actions.


    "What''s going on? He''s running towards the enemies!"


    "Shit! Is he out of his mind? Does he want to face this ridiculous amount of opponents?"


    "Damn! That wasn''t part of our plans!"


    And soon, several angry comments began to resonate throughout that area, at the same time, where they saw Minos beginning his bold action.


    ...


    Devouring Art!


    Spatial Sword!


    Meanwhile, Minos had already reached the central position of that group, where he had finally activated his two primary techniques.


    As he did so, immediately hundreds of people in the surrounding area began to feel their energies dwindle. At the same time, these energies were sucked up by the tremendous black ring on the sky, which rotated slowly, creating a distinct sound.


    But the most shocking thing for these people was not losing their energy so quickly as if they were air balloons that had just been stabbed. Worst of all, the moment their opponent began to move his two swords, a powerful suppressive force spread throughout the area, paralyzing many people.


    ''What is happening? Why can''t I move or circulate my energies?'' So, someone thought in desperation, only seeing that many others were experiencing the same thing that was happening to him.


    Infinite Dream!


    But while attacking those people, Minos promptly used his mental technique on opponents trying to escape, the one that his first charge had not limited.


    After all, he couldn''t put all those people under the effects of his techniques at once!


    Some of them were feeling weaker effects, even considering that their levels were lower than his and being within the area affected by his techniques.


    But in any case, most of those people in that group of 500 opponents were below level 46. So, most of them were utterly vulnerable to Minos right now!


    Swooish!


    With that, after putting some of the strongest people into a dream controlled by him, this young man finally launched a massive attack against the people in his surroundings.


    He couldn''t kill all those people at once, and since many there had suffered less from the suppressive effects of his primary technique, he couldn''t help but target those individuals at this first moment.


    The suppressive effects of the Spatial Sword would naturally be most potent on the people closest to him in a situation where so many opponents were within its range. So, while these individuals were totally at Minos'' mercy, those farthest away from him were the first to be sent to the afterlife!


    Boom!


    "Ahhhhhh!"


    "Ahhhh!"


    "Ahh, my arm! My arm has been cut off!"


    "Ahhhh! Help me, please! Help me!"


    And then, many voices in pain began to sound in that place, when Minos'' initial attack had claimed the lives of dozens of people at once, while such a thing had seriously injured many others.


    Explosive Steps!


    Indestructible Body!


    Spatial Sword!


    But Minos didn''t care about the misery of these people.


    He just moved around that place again, heading towards the most vigorous opponents, already attacking with intent to eliminate them all!


    Swooish!


    "Ahhhh!"


    ...


    Quickly a few minutes passed. But even though, in theory, they didn''t have to be there anymore, all the Miller family guards in the surrounding area had stayed to watch Minos'' battle.


    Not only because this was the opportunity to see a high-level regional expert in action, but also because what was happening there could only be described as impressive!


    Individual strength was their goal for these Miller family guards, which they think it could not be easily opposed with numbers alone. But it was undeniable that against such a large group of opponents, it would be difficult for someone with such little difference in levels to fight back.


    Even more impressive fighting dominantly, without practically suffering from his opponents'' desperate attempts, as Minos had done for most of the fight!


    Hence, each of those people had watched with open mouths the show, as they stored in their memories this day that surely none of them would forget.


    "He... He truly massacred that group!"


    "Unbelievable!"


    "I thought we''d have to help him escape alive from here, but, wow!"


    "He is a heaven-chosen prodigy!"


    "Hey! Hey! Pinch me! I can''t believe this isn''t a dream!"


    Someone in that group of Miller family guards then went next to that person and did what had asked.


    "Ahhh! Wretch! Why did you do that?"


    And then those people continued to watch from afar the show, as that young man was finally about to eliminate the last of those 500 individuals.


    "Hah... It''s finally all over!" He said aloud, just after pulling his sword from an opponent''s chest, causing that bloody body to plummet to the ground, where many corpses were already piling up.


    Meanwhile, Minos was completely sweaty, with a tired look on his face, but without any injuries, despite the much blood on his clothes.


    ''Time to collect these people''s belongings and go home!'' He thought, just before making a move in the direction of those individuals from the Miller family.


    "Come over here. Help me deal with these bodies!"

 Chapter 705 - Results Of The Invasion Of Persephone

    Quickly a week passed.


    After this period, Minos had finally returned to Dry City after solving that short mission against the Silva family.


    On that day that he and the members of House Miller had acted, about 500 Spiritual Generals of the Silva family had fallen, alongside 6 Spiritual Kings, 4 of them high-level regional individuals.


    With this, the Silva family had decreased even further in power, finally reaching a number of experts similar to that of regional mid-sized organizations!


    But even with such a loss, that organization would not be disrespected by the local organizations just because their numbers were no longer so impressive. After all, despite the enormous losses, this family still had influential experts above level 55, which still allowed them to sit at the table of the most influential organizations in this region.


    In any case, the Silva family''s image had been further tarnished. When the news about these losses spread throughout the state, many experts were shocked, fearful, happy.


    In short, the reception to what was happening to these enemies of Minos had been very varied.


    Powers more comparable to the Miller family than House Silva saw this as their great opportunity to rise against their allied rivals from Otis'' family. But, on the other hand, these old allies of the noble house currently located in the Red Valley couldn''t help but feel the bitterness of being allied with a decaying organization.


    But there wasn''t much they could do. Soul Contracts could not be reversed, and they could only swallow their misfortunes and move on, hoping that there would be a tomorrow.


    In any case, the Silva family''s losses demonstrated the regional future showed how dangerous the next few years could be. And with tensions rising to the skies throughout the northern region of the Central Continent, the experts of the Brown Kingdom couldn''t help but prepare for the tumultuous times of war!


    That way, the week had passed since Minos had acted, since the moment he mentally tortured one of his sworn and eliminated those enemies.


    After resolving this and collecting everything that belonged to him, he quickly returned to his city, where he was by now in his office, performing his duties as ruler!


    ...


    After dispatching many orders to Mia and local officials, Minos had finally found a moment to relax in his armchair, waiting for his next visit.


    Earlier in the day, he had already reviewed the recent army numbers, such as the spiritual artifacts produced by his soldiers from the three central spiritual professions. But even after receiving this data, things related to Alina''s performance, yet another army visit was scheduled to take place in the next few minutes.


    Therefore, this young sovereign was ready to deal with more of his army''s business, something that had been happening more and more frequently.


    At first, the things Minos usually did in his job as sovereign were related to decisions concerning the development of Dry City, such as agriculture, services, and so on. But with each passing day, these matters began to lose space to the problems faced by the army.


    As time went on, things like foreign missions, special training, future selections, incidents around the Black Plain, and border bases issues took up more of his time. Hence, he had been dealing more with military matters in recent weeks than with the actual running of his city.


    ''I guess that''s the normal thing for periods of war...'' He pondered this as he relaxed for a moment, looking at the view of the central part of Dry City.


    This place was not being neglected because of the war issues. No, the city had been developing well and was growing more each day with immigrants from Maritime City. But Dry City had already reached a certain level in its services that Minos did not need to interfere with all the time.


    Because of this, even though he was paying more attention to his army, his city was doing well, following the plans he had made earlier!


    Pa! Pa!


    While he was thinking about this, suddenly, someone knocked on his office door twice, bringing young Stuart out of his previous thoughts.


    Hearing that sound, he turned toward the direction of his office door, finally seeing a young woman dressed in the local army uniform entering that place. "Oh? Abby, I didn''t guess it would be you coming here!"


    "Hehe, some of the administrative soldiers are negotiating with the royal forces, so I came instead." She commented this simultaneously, in which she had a friendly smile on her face and approached where her boyfriend was.


    After that, she kissed Minos on his left cheek and then sat down on his lap before starting to talk about serious matters.


    She then looked into Minos'' eyes and said. "Well, I am here because the army has already received the information that the Hayes family found in Persephone."


    Minos'' eyes then flashed in interest while an expression of satisfaction formed on his face. "Is that right? What did they find out?"


    Abby then answered without delay. "From what was left behind at that Chambers family headquarters, we can''t be sure of the location of the Scourge of the Devil headquarters. But we already know that such an organization is somewhere in the Endless Snow Mountain Range, between the Snow Kingdom and the Kingdom of the End."


    "In the Endless Snow Mountain Range, huh? That truly isn''t a surprise..." He commented in a low voice, remembering that this was a region full of reclusive organizations, where even the prominent regional families didn''t have that much information.


    And given that it was the most dangerous terrain in the region, home to the region''s strongest spiritual beast species, it was unsurprising that this organization had hidden in such a location.


    With that, Minos was not shocked to discover that the Scourges of the Devil resided in those areas. He then questioned. "But that area you quoted is quite large. Wasn''t there anything more specific in that headquarters?"


    Abby then nodded at him before finally explaining the situation. "About the Scourge of the Devil headquarters, no. There was information regarding small outposts around our region, places where normally the services of that organization could be hired."


    "But there was nothing specific about such a place."


    "I see..."


    "Well, that makes sense. After all, that''s not the kind of information you can keep in a vault or something!"


    "That can probably only be achieved by capturing some high-level nobles of the Chambers family or those assassins that can be found in these outposts around our region."


    "Yes, I had thought the same thing..." Abby commented as she smiled at him. "So, I have already sent a letter to the Hayes family to try to capture some high-level nobleman from this Chambers family and bring them to us."


    "As long as we have someone who knows that, I can interrogate such a person and get that information."


    "Oh?" Hearing this, Minos could not help but smile back at Abby as he hugged her waist and brought her closer to him. "You''re truly reliable, huh?"


    "Haha, I do what I can."


    "Mmmmm~" The two then kissed for a few moments, still in that armchair of the young sovereign, but without going too deep into their actions.


    And then, after feeling the taste of each other and the temperature of their bodies increase, they both separated their faces, which already were slightly reddened.


    "But besides this situation encountered by the Hayes family in that city, we have some problems coming from the Kingdom of the Waves..." She said in one of Minos'' ears as she sat sideways to the young sovereign on his lap.


    "The Collins family?"


    "Hmmm, indeed. That family that attacked our naval base a few weeks ago seems to have found a way to retaliate."


    "From the information passed on by the Cohen family, the Collins recently sent experts to Stone Island, as well as some members of the Allen family, visited them in that state...."

 Chapter 706 - Mission To Kill

    "From the results of the Cohen family''s investigations, it appears that the Collins are engaging in an alliance with the Allen family to suppress House Nash!"


    Upon hearing this, Minos immediately understood the plans of that organization that had attacked him weeks ago.


    ''They probably already know about our relationship with the Nash family, just as they must have assumed that we would alert Elen''s family about that ship...''


    Minos and the Black Plain Army command knew that those groups that had attacked the base currently commanded by Celeste had also sunk a Nash family ship.


    That was because, after that great battle in that part of the Black Plain, Celeste had captured one of the enemy Spiritual Kings, someone who knew about such a thing. And after that woman had been sent to Dry City, it didn''t take long for Abby to use her abilities on such a person, making her tell everything she knew.


    With this, the army had already notified the Nash family about the fact that one of the ships of this organization had been attacked by forces from the Collins family.


    Precisely because of all this, Minos had readily understood the Collins family''s action. ''Since the milk has already been spilled, they decided to go all out against the Nash family before this organization had a chance to act against them...''


    "They''re pretty decisive." He commented in a low voice, thinking about how quickly that organization acted.


    As they had already offended House Nash and this family would not have time to act in the short term, House Collins had decided to join House Allen.


    Before their enemies even tried to retaliate, House Collins already wanted to eliminate them all!


    Hearing that comment from Minos, Abby nodded in agreement. "Yes. They probably want to take advantage of the problems on Stone Island to eliminate an enemy they accidentally made."


    "And what do they intend to do to support the Allens? Did the Cohen family manage to find that out?"


    "Well, we won''t know everything until things happen, but it is expected that some experts will be sent to Stone Island to participate in the war." Abby said uncertainly, just quoting the conjectures made by the Cohen family investigators.


    "Tsk!"


    ''How troublesome... At this rate, I''ll have to do something about it, or Elen''s family may no longer be able to market my products on Stone Island.'' He thought about this while he had an unfriendly expression on his face, trying to figure out what to do.


    Stone Island was too important for Minos to accept random actions from an outside power. After all, the vast majority of the crystals invested in Dry City came from that place.


    And as much as he could make new deals with other families in that state, it would take months to get off paper and become real. But, on the other hand, he would have to open his doors to new organizations, which he didn''t know and could bring new problems for him.


    Finally, even if he was willing to accept these setbacks, the Black Plain and the Brown Kingdom situation worsened daily. Consequently, something big could happen at any moment, and for the next few months, he probably couldn''t leave Dry City.


    Things luckily hadn''t gotten out of hand in the days when he was traveling to handle that mission against the Silva family. But at the moment, things were already at a level where any slight disagreement could result in the complete breakdown of negotiations.


    Therefore, Minos could no longer risk leaving his city at this time!


    And without being able to leave this city to sign new agreements, it would be even more challenging to make new allies in that state.


    So, it didn''t seem reasonable to lose the Nash family, an allied organization that they already knew and with whom business had been working well, despite the problems on that island.


    Keeping that relationship seemed better than creating a new one!


    As for trying to market his products in other states, well, that would be even more problematic.


    With that said, he wanted to act somehow to avoid influences from outside Stone Island in the war of the Nash and Allen families.


    Previously he didn''t have much information about what was happening in each kingdom in the region. As such, he didn''t know about the Allen family''s actions.


    After all, to find out about these regional family alliances and agreements, someone would first have to spy on these powers. But the Black Plain didn''t have enough personnel to do that, nor did it have enough allies to do that kind of service until recently.


    In fact, a little more than six months ago, the Black Plain practically only had alliances and agreements with the Stone Island families!


    But now things had changed!


    Young Stuart had contacts in three more states in the region. They were the Brown Kingdom, the Kingdom of the Waves, and the Cromwell Kingdom, where his allies could keep an eye on the actions of his potential enemies.


    Hence, unlike what had happened regarding the Farmland families and House Allen, Minos now had enough information to act if something similar happened. And with the information regarding the Collins family, this young man was already thinking about possible solutions.


    ''I can''t go to Stone Island, but maybe I should send troops to solve this...''


    ''No, sending troops would be too problematic, and I would have to lose some of the army''s forces at the moment.'' He pondered as he looked at his girlfriend''s beautiful face. ''I can''t ask the Miller family to send forces to Stone Island since their power will be needed in the Brown Kingdom.''


    ''It only remains for me to try something with the Stokes family!''


    After thinking about it for a while, he finally concluded what should be done and communicated it to his girlfriend so that she could make the arrangements. "Abby, let''s ask the Stokes family to send three Spiritual Kings at level 54 or higher to the army naval base."


    "I want them to do a joint mission with us, which will be led by Celeste."


    "Oh? Are you going to send that woman to Stone Island? And who will stay at the naval base?" Abby asked promptly.


    "Angela. This woman has only one Silver-grade technique left to learn. So, when she does that, I will send her to that base during the period when Celeste is on Stone Island."


    "But won''t that be problematic for our plans against the Brown family? I mean, losing someone of Celeste''s level right now will be very serious for us!" Abby said, trying to understand why Minos wanted to invest so much in this plan.


    Upon hearing this, Minos shook his head in denial and explained. "No, at least it won''t affect it significantly. That''s because this will be a short mission, something that will only cause Celeste to be gone for a few days."


    "In fact, we won''t send her until everything is ready. So, this will at most affect us for a few days. Probably less than a month."


    "Anyway, we''ll notify the Nash family about it so they and their allies in that state can make their preparations..."


    "Preparations for what?"


    Minos then smiled before answering such a question. "I will send Celeste and that group to kill the patriarch and the supreme elder of the Allen family!"


    "So, that''s what you want..." Abby finally understood why Minos wanted to invest in this action.


    With the death of these influential figures, it will be impossible for the Allen family to remain such a problem for Minos'' allied forces in that state.


    That is, that action would not eliminate the Allen family, and the members of that organization would continue to fight against the forces of House Nash. But if they lost the pillars of their organization, Minos and Elen''s family would at least have more breathing room.


    So, he could put the affairs of Stone Island aside for a moment and focus all his attention on what mattered most, the Brown family!


    "So, Celeste will go just to do this mission and then return to her previous role."


    "Indeed, that has the potential to slow down the effects of the Collins family''s addition to the war on that island."


    "All right, I''ll make the notifications and start planning this kill mission!"


    "Hmm, thanks, Abby."


    After that, the two said their goodbyes, with that young woman going to headquarters to settle that matter and Minos leaving for his residence.

 Chapter 707 - Outbreak Of War!

    One day later.


    At the Brown family camp a few dozen kilometers from the eastern exit of the Dry City wall, the situation in this place was quite normal at the moment, despite the tension in the air.


    The low-level people were doing their ordinary jobs, while stronger guards were guarding the place.


    However, everyone there had ugly expressions on their faces, making anyone who saw them understand that everyone there was under a lot of stress.


    Some had dark circles under their eyes, while others looked unfriendly.


    But while these people''s moods could almost lower the temperature of the place by a few degrees, the camp leaders were gathering in a large tent at this moment.


    Every morning, before going out to negotiate with the soldiers of the Black Plain Army, these people gathered to talk.


    And as such, they had not failed to follow this protocol on this day.


    ...


    Inside that main tent of this camp, eight people were sitting around that area, some standing, others sitting on chairs around a large round table.


    Of these people, five were wearing armor with the symbols of the local royal family, while three were wearing high-standard clothing.


    One of these three individuals, one of the royals leading this mission, saw the disgruntled countenances of the people around him and commented about a problem that did not leave his mind. "This group from Dry City is acting very strangely."


    "Every hour, they ask for more time to investigate the feasibility of the project, to check local conditions. And so, basically, all our time here has been spent on these excuses of theirs!"


    "They constantly accept small, unimportant things, but every time we talk about what matters, the negotiations hit the brakes with their excuses."


    He then paused briefly, at the same time clenching one of his fists and breathing like someone who is trying to calm down. "These people do not intend to sign an agreement with us!" He said, exposing his views of what was happening here to his companions.


    Hearing this, none of those people seemed surprised by this man''s opinion. But that was only to be expected. After all, they had already lost patience with Minos'' soldiers and couldn''t help but notice the ill will of such people.


    "Yes, it seems that they are simply trying to delay us in these negotiations until we lose our patience and do something!" Another person commented as he made gestures with his hands, causing his noble attire to flutter.


    One of the Spiritual Kings there nodded in agreement with what those people were saying while trying to figure out the motivations of those people from Dry City. ''But why are they doing such a thing? Don''t they realize the danger of going this way?''


    ''Do they think that this dome will protect them from us?''


    However, while that royal guard member was thinking about this, the strongest Spiritual King of this group finally gave his opinion. ''In my view, we should give the local forces an ultimatum. They accept what has already been agreed upon, or we will take appropriate action!"


    "We can''t keep wasting time in this place!"


    "Yes, I think that is the best alternative..."


    "It would be nice if they wanted to negotiate, and it wouldn''t make any difference if it lasted that long. But they evidently aren''t interested in the great deal we offered." Another Spiritual King commented, standing next to the exit of that tent.


    "There''s no sense in our continuing with it under those circumstances!"


    "Yes, you are right."


    "We have already made many concessions, and at this point, if they don''t accept what has already been agreed to, we had better just end those negotiations!"


    Hearing that all those Spiritual Kings agreed to put an end to this, those three members of the royalty couldn''t help but feel that this was the best course of action.


    They had the final say on this matter. But none of the three would fail to consider the opinion of these regional experts, even if they were only subordinates.


    After all, each of them had vast baggage of experience!


    And since everyone there seemed to agree on this issue, it didn''t take long for one of those three to get up from where he was and announce what should be done.


    "Let''s get these negotiations over with today!"


    We will send a letter to His Majesty to let him know that we had no options here, that the Dry City government who made things difficult until we got to this point."


    "Let''s not forget that!" He said with particular malice in his voice, making everyone understand what he meant.


    ''Since they are so stubborn, after that brat bends his knees, we will not protect this damn place from the other families in our state!''


    ''They deserve to suffer in order to learn to respect royal authority!''


    After some of them thought about these possible consequences, it wasn''t long before the expressions on their faces softened. But as they felt that they could finally leave this place and force the local sovereign to accept their demands, the voice of one of them sounded, summoning them to end it all.


    "Come on!"


    "I want to see the look on those damn soldiers'' faces when they feel how bad their situation is!"


    "Hahaha, those bumpkins thought they could negotiate on equal terms with a royal family..."


    "Pathetic!"


    "They are amateurs, after all..."


    And with those comments, such a group finally left that tent behind, heading towards the joint camp, where the negotiations were taking place.


    ...


    As those eight individuals set off to give their ultimatum to Minos'' forces, there were already some soldiers scattered nearby on the outskirts of that Brown family camp.


    They were not preparing to attack this place right now since Minos planned to let the enemy side make the first move before doing anything.


    But for such a thing to work, the forces of this young ruler already had to be prepared to act the moment tensions exceeded acceptable limits.


    Precisely for this reason, since the arrival of this royal entourage, several soldiers from Minos'' army were in the vicinity of this camp, waiting for the moment to act.


    But these soldiers were not so numerous as to draw the Brown fam¨ªly forces'' attention.


    There were only 15 individuals, all of them at level 44, who was on the outskirts of this place, spread out at a distance of a few hundred meters from the central point of this camp.


    That was enough for them to notice if those people started to run away and not be detected by the enemy Spiritual Kings.


    Moreover, that distance was enough for them to act when the time came.


    For all that, these soldiers were fully capable of dealing with the people in that camp, who were mostly just Spiritual Generals or Spiritual Warriors.


    As for the rest of that group, the stronger individuals, Minos'' forces, were aware that such members of the Brown Kingdom royal family would not leave this place before giving an ultimatum.


    After all, the royal family should be much stronger than the forces in Dry City, and they had everything to act confidently in this place.


    Hence, the people who would deal with these more powerful threats were in the temporary camp, where the negotiations took place.


    ...


    In the joint camp 10 kilometers away, east of the eastern exit of the local wall.


    At this point, the group of eight people from the Brown family had finally arrived at this location, while they had varying expressions on their faces.


    Some still had expressions of dissatisfaction on their faces, as the problems of the past two months could not be solved so easily.


    But others already felt much better, as if this problem had already been solved, and they were only here to give a message before returning to the kingdom''s capital.


    So, they all went where they usually sat to negotiate with Minos'' soldiers, where some people were already waiting for them.


    In that place, Joey and some administrative soldiers were already sitting waiting for those people.


    There were two Spiritual Kings from the army. One was Ernest, and another was Spiritual King from Stone Island. He was one of the individuals Elena had recently brought into Minos'' army.


    Anyway, they both were sitting there, just as they had been doing for several days.


    "Good morning, friends of the Brown family... Ready to..." After seeing those people, Joey soon got up from his seat and started to talk about one of the recently discussed subjects.


    However, he was soon stopped from continuing by one of those people.


    "Soldier Joey, don''t worry about it. We''re not going to continue this farce anymore!" One of the three members of the royalty said that out loud.


    "Tell your sovereign that he will sign our agreement as it stands, or we will take appropriate action!"


    "Oh?" Everyone there made the same sound, as they understood that this day had finally arrived.

 Chapter 708 - Damn Fanatics!

    "So, you are finalizing our negotiations? Gentlemen, don''t be ridiculous. We are just looking out for our children''s future." One of those administrative soldiers said this while he had a look of disappointment and fear on his face.


    Not because he was afraid of those people in front of him, but because this soldier knew very well what would happen from the breakdown of those negotiations.


    War!


    And not just any war, but one against an entire kingdom!


    That, yes, was making him look unhappy to hear the comment of that member of the royalty.


    At the same time, the two army Spiritual Kings there had already understood what would be done if the negotiations did not continue.


    Ernest, who Eda had replaced at the secret base in the Yellow City, had always participated in the negotiations with the royal entourage since his return to Dry City.


    Except for the days when Minos was traveling through the Brown Kingdom, every morning, this young man brought this Spiritual King from the Spatial Kingdom so that he could participate in these negotiations.


    And with his experience in these matters and the interests of the army, Ernest already knew that he would have to neutralize these individuals.


    And it was no different for Grayson!


    Grayson, the warrior from the Neel family, brought into the army by Elena, had been participating in these negotiations longer than his companion from Stone Island, Ernest. He had on many occasions accompanied Eda here.


    Consequently, he already understood what would happen when he heard those things and looked into Ernest''s eyes.


    But by looking at each other, they had merely given each other the signal that they were preparing to act. However, this was not the best moment, and both still looked very calm on the surface.


    Meanwhile, all the other administrative soldiers were in a cold sweat due to their feelings about this development.


    Joey, who already had his forehead sweating, then added. "Gentlemen, we are doing what we can here. What''s the problem? Can''t you guys let us discuss this for at least a few more weeks?"


    "Humph!"


    "We don''t care what excuses you may have!"


    "We''re tired of trying to negotiate with people like you."


    "You should just bend your knees and accept what His Majesty demands."


    "It is already more than you deserve that we have given you space to negotiate for so long..."


    Those royals said this, one after the other until the oldest of the three finished such a comment.


    "But make no mistake, these lands do not belong to your sovereign. That all belongs to the Brown Kingdom and consequently to His Majesty."


    "We are only allowing you to explore this place for us, but make no mistake. You are only His Majesty''s vassals!"


    After the voices of those people ceased, the five administrative soldiers who were in that tent paled, finally realizing that the milk had already been spilled.


    There was nothing more they could do for the army to buy more time from now on.


    Now they could only kill or be killed!


    "So, that''s how it is..." One of them commented in a low voice, feeling various negative feelings and disappointment for these people who wanted to die so quickly.


    ''That''s what happens when you deal with bloodthirsty madmen...''


    ''Crazy fanatics!'' Such a person shouted in his mind while tightly clenching his jaw.


    At the same time, each of those eight Brown family individuals closely watched those soldiers'' expressions.


    And seeing the fear, disappointment, anxiety, frustration on those people''s faces, as well as some reflective reactions of their bodies, those royal family members were smiling, satisfied.


    ''You finally understood your positions, eh, bumpkins!'' So, one of the three descendants of the Brown family thought to himself as he raised his chest.


    On the other hand, another of them had other thoughts in mind. ''Hahaha, by these reactions, I can almost say that all this time here was worth it...''


    ''That''s right, feel the terror that the great Brown family represents!''


    As the silence lingered in that place and the thoughts of each of the people there ran, Ernest said something. "So... Is that truly the end of the negotiations?"


    "If so, I will have to inform the young master."


    "Of course, it is the end!"


    "We won''t make any more concessions, and if he doesn''t sign this agreement with us in the next few hours, we will take the necessary measures..." One of the Spiritual Kings in that group said, looking down on Ernest.


    Ernest then closed his eyes for a moment and looked at Grayson just before saying something and walking out of that tent. "I see..."


    "There''s nothing more to say then. We''ll go ahead to advance this matter."


    And immediately after that, each of those five administrative soldiers began to walk towards the exit of that place, with quick steps, as if in a great hurry.


    Then, as such people walked quickly out of that camp, Ernest and Grayson turned and looked at those people still inside that tent, as if they had forgotten something.


    "Just one thing..." Ernest was about to say something, at the same time, in which Grayson made a specific gesture to the other soldiers in that place.


    Woop! Woop!


    But at that instant, one of the administrative soldiers leaving that place suddenly used a sound array, causing alarms to ring around that camp and other sites in the vicinity.


    Ernest then finished his comment, speaking loudly to everyone in that camp. "Since this is the case, none of you will get out of here alive!"


    Then, almost all of a sudden, Ernest and Grayson, as well as the dozens of Sergeants in that place, began to circulate their energies, already in fighting positions.


    "Kill those invaders!"


    Finally, several shouts of soldiers began to arise in the surroundings, as part of them was already running towards the enemy guards in that camp with those eight main enemies.


    "What?"


    And then one of those members of the local royalty shouted in shock, not understanding how these people could have the courage to act against them.


    "Are you people crazy? Do you guys know the meaning of attacking us?" One of the Spiritual Kings shouted in anger, already circulating his energies, ready to crush these rebel flames.


    "Damn fanatics!"


    "I knew you guys were no good!"


    But while such people were saying this, Ernest and Grayson didn''t give a damn about them, having only focused on ending the lives of those stronger ones there as quickly as possible.


    Both were at level 51, but while one had a complete set of Silver-grade techniques, the other had already learned three techniques of that quality, each focused on combat.


    Therefore, they were much stronger than ordinary cultivators at that level, as was the case with these Brown family subordinates who probably used Blue-grade techniques.


    "Die!"


    At that moment, the two used most of their energy to attack those people, aiming mainly at the level 53 cultivator.


    With that, immediately, their attacks began to form in the air, taking shape and then heading towards their targets in just a split second.


    Ernest''s attack consisted of basically creating enormous ice artifacts capable of being controlled by his mind.


    On the other hand, Grayson''s technique created a large earth doll, four times his size, capable of fighting under his commands.


    "What?"


    "How can they form such powerful attacks?"


    "Shit, we''ve been fooled by those damn fanatics! They prepared for this from the beginning!" Finally, the strongest person there shouted this, while he felt fear for the first time in a long time.


    "Run for your lives!" He said, already preparing to flee from that damned place.


    However, at that instant, those two attacks were already too close to that person. So, even if he wanted to run away, he would first have to defend himself with everything he had, or he would die before he even had a chance to run!


    On the other hand, the three royals were already running around that place, trembling in fear of becoming targets of those two Spiritual Kings.


    "Shit! How could this be happening? Were we just unlucky enough to have to deal with crazy people with no common sense?" One of them cried out in despair, feeling the strong fluctuations of those individuals from the Black Plain Army.


    But as they tried to run, it wasn''t long before some soldiers came after them, with intense killing intent in their eyes!

 Chapter 709 - The End Of The Royal Entourage 1

    As soon as the battle had begun, the forces of the Black Plain Army soon began to put heavy pressure on the enemies in this place.


    Minos'' soldiers had already been waiting for the day when they would have to deal with these people. As such, the moment those administrative soldiers had triggered the sound arrays, they promptly began to do what they had been planning for weeks.


    As for the members of that Brown family group, well, they were not expecting anything of the sort. Consequently, the initial response, so crucial in a situation like this, had not come quickly and efficiently!


    From then on, the soldiers from the local army began to use their advantages relative to the superior techniques they had.


    As expected, after the first moments of the battle, quickly corpses of the Brown Kingdom''s royal guard members could be seen in that joint camp where the negotiations took place.


    But while these ordinary people from the Brown family group were succumbing easily, some slightly more balanced battles took place in that area.


    After the initial moment of that battle, the three descendants of the Brown Kingdom''s royalty had quickly started running in hopes of escaping from that place.


    But due to the initial circumstances of that incident, it was not long before some of the less busy Sergeants in that place went after those individuals, intending to kill them!


    The army''s initial advantage had been exceptional. And with that, enough people were available to go after the heads of those three while Ernest and Grayson dealt with the five enemy Spiritual Kings.


    In this way, it wasn''t long before the sounds of fighting spread to the surroundings, with powerful glowing effects being seen passing from one side to the other as fighting and chasing took place.


    ...


    "Shit!"


    "What''s happening in this damn place? Why are these people so fast?" As they ran away, one of those three individuals said this out loud, exposing his shock that they couldn''t throw off enemies 3, 4, 5 levels lower than theirs!


    Not only that, with each passing moment, the initial advantage they had diminished, as ten soldiers from the local army pursued them.


    "That... I don''t understand. How can people weaker than us chase us like that? Are they from some family with speed-related abilities?" Another one of them asked, not understanding how that was possible.


    After all, while seeing people with characteristics above their level was not uncommon, seeing several people with the same distinction in one place would be highly unusual!


    And since each of these three people from the Brown family already had complete sets of Black-grade techniques, they couldn''t help but wonder what was going on.


    But it was not for nothing. Of those ten people who were chasing them, six of them were soldiers who had gone to Stone Island with Minos in the past.


    At that time, the ten soldiers who had accompanied him had had the opportunity to learn a Silver-grade movement technique.


    Of those ten individuals, four of them had joined the Elite Squad, so they were elsewhere at the moment. But six of them were taking care of business in that joint camp when this incident happened.


    Because of this, having far superior movement techniques to their opponents, those six soldiers couldn''t help but get closer to their targets each time.


    As for the other four soldiers, they were a bit behind, but it didn''t matter. Once those six individuals managed to block the escape route of their three enemies, then the four of them could join the battle against those opponents.


    With that, those three royalty members were getting more and more worried, mainly since each of those soldiers carried low-level grade-2 weapons in their hands!


    ''Damned Dry City! Damn Minos Stuart!''


    ''Those people from the very beginning planned everything!''


    ''Those damned rebels had been preparing for this day for much longer than we can imagine!'' One of the most experienced of that group thought about it simultaneously, where he watched the situation in the surroundings with a horrible feeling of helplessness.


    ''I''m glad we sent the letter to His Majesty telling him about the recent events... He will understand that what is happening here is the responsibility of the damned local sovereign!''


    After thinking about it, this man finally drew his sword and prepared to fight. "You two, there is no chance for us to escape from here..."


    "Fight to the death!"


    "At least let''s take some of them with us before we leave for the underworld!" He shouted in a chilling tone.


    "Kill!"


    At the same time as that, those six soldiers were practically catching up with them when they saw this sudden change.


    Realizing that these opponents had already understood the situation, they promptly prepared to fight with everything they had.


    "Brothers! Kill those damn invaders!"


    "For Dry City! For the army!"


    "Ahh! For the army!"


    "Kill!"


    And then, in a flash, those six Sergeants launched their attacks on those three, employing their collective battle tactics, in which they had specialized over the previous five years!


    Boom!


    Pow!


    "Ahhhh!"


    Sounds of the most varied kinds resounded through that area as the first cry of pain from that battle reached the ears of those four soldiers who were still running to that place.


    But even before any of those people were seriously injured, those four individuals didn''t take long and soon joined the fight, putting even more pressure on those three enemies!


    "Death to the invaders!"


    Thunder Hammer!


    Then, one of them used his primary attack technique, using a silver hammer, which seemed to conduct electricity, causing lightning to form in the air where it passed.


    Then such a person jumped into the air while wielding this weapon. He was making an attack movement in which he held the handle of this hammer behind his head, making a forward movement, vertically attacking the opponent below where he was standing.


    Rumble!


    ...


    At the same time as this, the two Spiritual Kings were finishing their battle against those Brown family experts on the other side of that camp.


    After some time of fighting, Ernest and Grayson had directly or indirectly eliminated four of those five enemies, having used almost all their strength to do so.


    In the first instance, they had eliminated the strongest enemy, that level 53 Spiritual King. Such a person was the most significant variable in this place, and once they had destroyed him, the battle would go more smoothly.


    So, to increase their chances of victory, those two had used large parts of their strength at the beginning of the fight, focusing mainly on that person.


    Consequently, they had severely wounded that enemy and killed one of the level 51 Spiritual Kings on account of that attack, quickly diminishing the dangers concerning that group.


    After that, Ernest and Grayson had worked together to eliminate two other remaining individuals, while the Sergeants in the surrounding area who had already finished their fights eliminated that wounded Spiritual King.


    With that, only one of those royal guard members sent to the Black Plain to negotiate with Minos had survived to this point.


    But even that person, level 52, was suffering greatly and already had several highly complex injuries on his body after enduring those two.


    He had managed to last this far because his two opponents were of a level below his and had expended much of their energy to eliminate his other allies. As such, he had had more opportunities in this battle, having even landed a series of blows that had wounded those two Lieutenants of Minos'' army.


    But this person was not in luck.


    "You''re truly quite good at fighting... Hah..." Ernest said amidst his irregular breathing, as he felt many parts of his body damaged in a way he had never felt before.


    Upon hearing this, Grayson agreed with his companion and was the first to say something. "Yes, you should be proud of your performance!"


    Ernest then continued. "If it were in any other situation, you probably would have killed us..."


    That person then looked at the two men in front of him, the two much more exhausted than he was, but said nothing. He understood exactly the situation in his surroundings and no longer hoped to survive.


    That''s because...


    "Unfortunately for you, this is our territory, and we have the numbers in our favor!" Ernest finally finished his speech, slowly opening his arms as over 40 Sergeants surrounded that man''s surroundings.


    Grayson then shouted in a hoarse tone, "Kill this damn invader!"

 Chapter 710 - The End Of The Royal Entourage 2

    Meanwhile, at the Brown family''s camp a few dozen kilometers away from the eastern exit of the local wall...


    The moment the incident in that other place had begun, it didn''t take long for the people in this site, whether they were local soldiers or royal guards, to realize what was happening.


    Obviously, the soldiers from the Black Plain Army had understood the incident much better than those people from the royal guards, who certainly hadn''t expected something like this to happen.


    Consequently, it didn''t take long before the few soldiers in the vicinity of that place started running towards the royal guards, intending to kill them all.


    Minos had already said that there was no use for hostages, and since these people had dared to come to their territory, then they could forget about getting out of here alive!


    In war, there were no innocents.


    Once someone was part of a troop of an organization that was an enemy of another, he could not be innocent. It does not matter whether that person wanted to be there or not, whether or not he agreed with the decisions of his superiors.


    And since being merciful to one''s enemies was like being cruel to oneself, none of these soldiers of Minos would spare these people. Even if they were weaker than them, just subordinates, just like them.


    Either they would kill or be killed. But these soldiers definitely preferred to be on the living side and use this opportunity for their families to ascend. So, it wasn''t long before a massacre took place in this Brown family camp.


    The difference in levels was too significant, not to mention the difference in the quality of techniques used by those involved. Consequently, in a short time, that piece of the Black Plain had been stained by the blood of the enemies of this territory!


    "Hah... You monsters!"


    "Do you think you will go unpunished after today?" The last living enemy said this as he felt the wound in his abdomen, along with the blood that kept pouring out of that wound caused by some sharp weapon.


    He felt weaker and weaker, cold, as his vision darkened little by little. But even though he was at the end of his life, this man had found enough strength to say his last words.


    "Hahahaha, the royal family and all the noble families of the kingdom will send troops to this damn place!"


    "Are you listening to me, fools? All of you are already dead! You just don''t realize it yet!"


    "Soon, your families..." He was about to finish his last threats when suddenly the blade of a sword went through his head, coming from the back of his head and coming out of his mouth.


    "Just fucking die!"


    "Tsk!" Someone made a tongue-tied sound and then commented angrily, looking at the figure of that person, who at the moment was bleeding from his mouth while he had that sword through his head. "That guy talked a lot of shit!"


    "He went the whole battle like that..."


    Puff!


    And then, the person who had made that last move pulled his sword back while using one of his feet against the back of that body, already dead at the moment.


    Following that, that corpse collapsed to the ground, causing his blood to mix with the earth, where it formed small puddles here and there with the blood of his companions.


    "He''s finally dead!"


    After that man who had dealt the final blow to that royal guard said those words, it didn''t take long for the leader of that group of soldiers to give his orders.


    "All right, guys, we''ve done a great job here." Such a person said as he looked in the direction of each of the Sergeants in that place. "Now collect everything that was left behind and burn these bodies."


    "After that, we will return home!"


    "Hahaha, we''ll finally have a few days of rest!"


    "Hmm, I can''t wait to see my wife..."


    "And I, my children!"


    "You there, don''t celebrate too much. Soon we will have to fight some terrifying forces!"


    Hearing this remark, the younger soldiers who were beginning to gather resources in this location and were feeling good fell silent, realizing that their situation had only worsened.


    Yes, they would get a few days off since they would not have to guard enemies for the next few days.


    But that was sole because they had eliminated the people from the Brown family. So, before they even had a chance to forget about those deaths today, this same situation would bring a mighty enemy into this territory.


    So, the people celebrating earlier soon lost their good mood and continued to do their services in silence.


    ...


    Before long, every single battle around Dry City was over.


    All the enemies of the local government, the 100 or so individuals of the Brown family, had been eliminated, without even one soldier being lost in the incident.


    At the end of it all, all those soldiers who had participated in the mission returned to Dry City, where they could collect their prizes and earn a few days off.


    On the other hand, the two Spiritual Kings of the army who had participated in those battles were at this moment in the medical wing of the headquarters, where Dillian was taking care of them.


    Besides this skilled local doctor, Minos was also there at the moment, finding out what had happened and analyzing the pros and cons of what had happened.


    Such an incident was inevitable and terrible for the Black Plain. But that didn''t mean that there were no advantages to doing such a thing!


    Therefore, this young man was analyzing this situation at the moment!


    ...


    "... And that is what happened, young master." Ernest finished reporting the incident while Dillian''s medical technique was helping his and Grayson''s recovery.


    "So, they lost their patience and gave us an ultimatum, eh?" Minos muttered to himself as he looked at the injuries of those two, which, although not that serious, were not simple.


    ''Well, it''s about time something happened, so none of this is a surprise... The question now is, when will the royal troops arrive? Will they already come accompanied by troops from other families of the Brown Kingdom? Maybe members of the Silva family?''


    ''Then I''ll let all the soldiers outside Dry City know to get ready. From now on, things are going to get serious!''


    After thinking about it, Minos soon put those possibilities aside and turned his attention back to what had just happened.


    With the attack he had participated in a little over a week ago against the Silva family and this incident today, this young man''s government had made a small fortune.


    In total, just over 600 people had died in these two incidents, and there were 8 Spiritual Kings among the dead. Because of this, after the items these people had in their possession were added up, this young man''s organization had accumulated 550 spatial rings.


    In such items, there were 1.2 million low-grade crystals, 1.9 thousand medium-grade crystals, 1.6 thousand copies of Blue-grade techniques, 28 copies of Black-grade techniques. In addition, there were about 4 thousand resources of the most varied kinds, from artifacts produced by blacksmiths to pills.


    However, more significant than these figures was the fact that eight Spiritual Kings had perished before the Brown family declared them rebels!


    That might not seem like much when considering that over three hundred Spiritual Kings were remaining in this state, but it was a big deal for Minos'' forces.


    So, despite the colossal problem he had gained from this incident today, Minos was more pleased than angry.


    In any case, he was already preparing for the war against the Brown family to break out at any moment. So, whether it happened now or in a week would no longer make much difference.


    "Let''s notify the allies."


    "From now on, everyone must understand that we are at war against the Brown family!" He commented as he looked at those two Spiritual Kings and Dillian.

 Chapter 711 - Allies Notified And Soldiers Ready For War 1

    Hours after the incident around Dry City, all the local army allies in this city had already found out about what had happened.


    At first, these people already knew about the negotiations going on between the Brown family and the government of the Black Plain. But none of them had any details about such a thing, so they had only found out about the results after Minos'' subordinates had come to report them about the incident.


    And with that information in hand, it wasn''t long before these people began to notify their families!


    ...


    In one of the highest level rooms of the local Cultivation Tower...


    The three Spiritual Kings of the Miller family who were here in Dry City by Minos'' agreement with this organization were already talking about the latest matter.


    After sending their reports with the latest information to their family headquarters, these three could only wait for what would happen next.


    Minos had already made sure to take a course of action with no turning back, and now the milk had been spilled. Consequently, from now on, they would have to live under the strain of the war that would soon come to this city.


    But unlike their family, these three individuals were on the Black Plain and would play a very active role in the battles to come.


    Thus, they had to prepare themselves for what would happen next!


    Anyway, while those three were sitting on cushions in the center of that cultivation room, the strongest Spiritual King of the three then began to talk about their progress. "You two, how is your progress? Will either of you be able to increase at a level before the royal family sends troops here?"


    Hearing that, the two individuals, level 53 and 54, shook their heads in denial.


    The weaker one then said. "No. I still need more than a year to get a level promotion at my current speed."


    "As for me, I will need even more time..." The other said while he had a regretful expression on his face.


    ''I will also need several months to be able to reach level 56...'' That individual who asked the question from before thought to himself, realizing that he was in the same situation as his companions.


    They were all long past the ideal age to cultivate most efficiently. Because of this, even using more efficient cultivation techniques and using more resources in their training, they could no longer increase their level frequently.


    Not only that, but since each of them had already reached their levels a certain amount of time ago, they were not that far away from their breakthroughs. Otherwise, those periods required for advancement that they cited could be even longer!


    They were already old foxes, individuals with ages that could only be compared with Celeste, Regina, and Angela''s, the most aged soldiers in Minos'' army.


    But compared to these women, none of them had access to the Spatial Kingdom, a cultivation sanctuary, nor did they fight as often as those women did.


    Consequently, their cultivation speeds were naturally inferior.


    The level 53 individual then spoke again. "Anyway, I''ve already managed to learn two combat Silver-grade techniques, one defense, and the other focused on attack. So, I guess my situation won''t be so bad during this period..."


    "Hmm, same for me. But I have learned a movement and defense technique. Then I''m afraid I''ll have to rely more on you two to attack our future enemies..." The level 54 old elder Miller commented as he looked at his two companions seriously.


    The stronger of the three then thought for a moment and commented. "Well, that''s not bad. But I don''t think any of us will be able to learn the fourth technique before the battles around this place start."


    "In any case, the future battles will be quite difficult for us who are in Dry City. So, don''t be careless and eliminate all the enemies!"


    "Yes!"


    "We can''t let the enemies find out about our relationship with the Black Plain!"


    Upon hearing this, those two couldn''t help but nod in agreement to this level 55 Spiritual King.


    They all knew that the Miller family would not act openly during the early part of the conflict between Minos and the Brown family.


    After all, it would be very nice to have an internal ally on the enemies'' side!


    Hence, Abby''s family would act as an enemy of the Black Plains during this period while passing internal information from the Brown family forces to the Black Plain Army.


    That would help Minos'' organization to act by surprise on certain occasions. At the same time, the Miller family could make pretend battles against the Black Plain forces and leave some of their ''casualties'' in this place without generating suspicion.


    Consequently, unlike their family members outside this place, these three men would have to fight the Brown family forces immediately. And to maintain the secrecy of the Black Plain''s alliance with House Miller, they would have to eliminate all enemies who saw them.


    Because of this, their job would be somewhat complicated!


    With this in mind, it didn''t take long for those men to get back to their training.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Vivian and Grace were finishing a meal in their apartment in this city.


    Vivian was dressed as usual, in noble attire that highlighted her beauty. At the same time, her girlfriend was wearing a uniform standard in Dry City, one that had the design of a golden tree.


    That''s right, after her initial time in this city, Grace had decided to join the local army!


    Because of this, she was already learning the Silver-grade techniques and cultivating in the Spatial Kingdom whenever she had the opportunity.


    But of course, Vivian knew nothing of this since Grace had signed a contract that required the secrecy of this information from the army.


    But anyway, these two had already gotten used to their new reality in this city. So, this subject of Grace in the army was not something they talked about very often. And as such, right now, they were discussing something much more relevant.


    "That miserable Roy managed to escape!" Vivian angrily  said while holding a small letter in her right hand, something she had just received.


    Roy was the Spiritual King who had tried to capture Vivian after she had invaded and escaped from that Chambers family base, where Minos had rescued Peter.


    At that time, Roy had been the cause of the death of Vivian''s bodyguard. Because of this, her family war had started, and Davy''s sister could not forget such a person whom she had promised to kill.


    "It''s a shame..." Grace commented in a deep tone while looking into her companion''s eyes. "But is there any news of where he escaped to?"


    "We can go after him in the future."


    "The message I received only talks about the results of the Persephone invasion. And the despicable Roy was not among the dead in that place."


    "But the investigations are still ongoing, and for now, there is nothing new about him." Vivian said, crumpling that message into a little ball of paper and tossing it away.


    "I see..."


    "But let''s wait. This person doesn''t have many places to run, so sooner or later, we''ll find his tracks."


    "The most important thing now is for you to focus on reaching level 50!"


    "With this recent incident, it won''t take long before you are forced to fight for Dry City!" Grace said this seriously, recalling the information they had received earlier, something Vivian had written in a letter and sent in a crow to Primrose, her family''s headquarters.


    Hearing her beloved''s advice, Vivian nodded in agreement, almost forgetting her disappointment at discovering that Roy had run away. "I know..."


    "I will attempt to accomplish this in the next few weeks!"


    "Good!"


    "But, Grace, when will the Brown family forces get here? It should take them some time to gather troops, right?"


    "Hmm, well, it depends. I''ve heard from the administrative experts in the army that they expect some attack right away from the royal family. So, maybe, even before numerous troops from that organization leave the capital, a smaller group will challenge the Black Plain."


    "But, yes, even that group should take a few days to be dispatched and then travel here."

 Chapter 712 - Allies Notified And Soldiers Ready For War 2

    In the blink of an eye, three days had passed since the incident between the soldiers of the Black Plain Army and the envoys of the Brown family.


    As such, by now, most of the crows that had departed from Dry City had reached their respective targets at the headquarters of the organizations allied to young Stuart''s forces.


    The first to receive such contact had been the Millers, the organization geographically closest to the Black Plain. Then, in sequence, House Cohen of the Kingdom of the Waves and the two allied families of Minos in the Cromwell Kingdom had received such.


    Finally, Elen had received on Stone Island a letter sent by Minos, communicating about the immediate start of the war of independence and his plans for the Allen family.


    And with all the allies having received the warning of what would happen next, each of them was already taking their respective measures for this troubled period that was about to begin.


    The Millers would decrease their actions outside of the Brown Kingdom.


    They were already preparing their measures for the moment when they would cease to be an undercover agent.


    That could take time, but sooner or later, things would reach the point where they would be forced to fight openly alongside the Black Plain Army. But that couldn''t happen anyway, or they could very well suffer significantly from attacks by the group led by the local royal family.


    So, the preparations for this action had already begun!


    Its members were already dealing with war preparation, something necessary, even if at this point they were not going to fight seriously.


    As for the Stokes and Cohen families, both organizations had more commercial than military agreements with Minos. Because of this, although they were worried about war and were already preparing to fight if they had to, the main thing for them was to find a way to maintain their trade route with the Black Plain.


    So, both organizations, which often used the land to send people and resources into Minos'' territory, were now preparing to change their mode of transportation.


    From now on, they were going to use their cargo ships to access the Black Plain, as this territory would become somewhat dangerous for them to send items by land.


    However, as slow as it was, the sea route would be much safer in this period. Therefore, those families would use the naval base of Minos'' army to communicate with their allied organization and deliver resources during this period.


    As for the Hayes family, this organization was by far the one that would participate the most in the Black Plain''s actions in the future. However, instead of going directly to Dry City, its members would go to the City of Waters, a place over the Stokes family sovereignty.


    And the Nash family wouldn''t get involved with any of this for the time being since they had more significant problems in mind and had no obligation to help the Black Plain in war.


    They would even do so in other situations. Still, such an organization had already suffered a lot in this recent period and was at risk now.


    But still, they had been warned about what would happen from now on since such a thing could somehow affect their business with the Black Plain.


    Finally, the Feathered Serpents, which had already reached the number of 400 individuals in Dry City, as agreed earlier, had also been notified of the present situation.


    They would deal more with the issues related to the Kingdom of the Waves and the transportation of resources from the Dry City to the naval base of Minos'' army. But they needed to know that young Stuart would fight his war of independence, just in case they had to become more involved in this situation.


    It was not agreed that they would fully commit to this. Still, after dedicating to a relationship with Minos'' forces, it would be a shame if their investment was lost through lack of effort on their part.


    So, the serpents led by Virtus were also ready in the Flooded Valley!


    ...


    At the same time as Minos'' allies had been warned about the impending conflict, so had his subordinates.


    First, the soldiers in Dry City and the Gill family had received the information and the order to prepare for war. But after those days had passed, all the soldiers in the outer bases and around the Black Plain had already been notified about this.


    Some groups were the front line, the first who would fight against the enemies sent here. But, on the other hand, many soldiers were scattered throughout the territory so that Dry City would be able to receive information regarding the arrival of enemies as soon as possible.


    And with such important tasks, they couldn''t help but worry about making small changes in their routines for this new period that was beginning.


    Usually, there weren''t many people traveling through the Black Plain, so they didn''t need to be extremely careful. But with the Brown family becoming enemies of Minos'' forces, tens of thousands of people could soon enter this territory.


    Therefore, they would have to work harder and more carefully from now on!


    On the other hand, some of the army''s external bases were preparing to take surprise action against their enemies. So, they also needed to prepare for the new times!


    ...


    In Dry City, in the region where the Gill family was living...


    By now, all members of the Gill family were aware that in a few days, they could be ordered to join the war against the Brown family.


    At first, only those above the 4th stage would be at Minos'' disposal. But all the people in this family were worried about their futures.


    After all, the worst that could happen to them was about to become a reality, and death was probably the most likely future for many of them.


    But in any case, they had arrived here by their own decisions and acted according to the music.


    They would at the very least strive not to be killed in this period!


    And to that end, patriarch Gill and his fellow high-ranking members in this family had already made several decisions since their arrival in Dry City.


    Anyway, at this moment, some of these elders were talking in a large room in one of the buildings that this family had purchased.


    "How are our subordinates doing? Are they already learning the Black-grade combat techniques?" The supreme elder of that family asked as he looked in the direction of another old man in that room.


    "Yes. As ordered earlier, we are already distributing Black-grade techniques among the strongest subordinates." Such a person replied, still feeling a certain strangeness at having to do this.


    But he and everyone there understood that this was necessary. After all, Minos'' army did this, and many of the family''s members already knew that they would have chances to enter this organization in the future.


    So, they had taken this difficult decision not to lose the loyalty of their members who might join the local army and the respect of the other subordinates who would not.


    This way, they could at least earn some gratitude!


    So, this family acted on Minos'' recommendations, learning to live according to local customs.


    "Good!"


    "I hope this will help them survive in these difficult times." The patriarch commented while having a look of concern on his face. "Then we will start dividing these subordinates into groups of those who have already learned at least attack and defense techniques."


    "They will be sent out first in case we have to join the war right away."


    "As for the rest, tell them to work hard. The time is short, so they had better be quick to adapt to their new techniques!"


    "Yes, patriarch!"


    ...


    While Minos'' allies and subordinates were preparing, the royal family had just received the letter sent by the late royal guards, describing the suspicious attitudes of the Black Plain.

 Chapter 713 - Black Plain In Rebellion 1

    After the assassination of the leading members of that group sent to the Black Plain to negotiate with Minos, the royal family had found out about it almost immediately.


    Some of those individuals at the 5th stage and all the Spiritual Kings in that group had soul lamps in the royal family''s headquarters.


    Consequently, their deaths had not gone unnoticed, and the Brown family had immediately understood that there was something wrong in the Black Plain.


    But just because the soul lamps had indicated the deaths of those people, it gave them no clue as to what had caused such an incident.


    Could it be the forces in Dry City?


    Could it have been some other regional royal family?


    Perhaps some organization outside the northern region of the Central Continent?


    They couldn''t be sure of any of this.


    Obviously, the connection with the Black Plain was not small since such a team had been exterminated while in that area. Because of this, it was possible to associate it with the organization behind Dry City.


    But there were so many other more plausible possibilities than this that it would be strange to consider that location as responsible for this incident without first having an investigation done.


    Therefore, as they had obtained the information about the death of the eight most essential individuals in that group, this family had already sent some investigators to analyze the situation there.


    At the same time, King Brown had sent a crow with a letter to Dry City, questioning the local sovereign about the incident.


    Even though Minos might not have had anything to do with it, he could not evade responsibility since it had happened in his region.


    And this was unacceptable!


    But of course, there was the possibility that Minos himself and his forces had also succumbed...


    However, there was no way for the people in the capital of the Brown Kingdom to know this. So, they had sent such a letter to Minos anyway.


    But when the investigators of that family had just left the capital to investigate this incident, the letter sent earlier by that exterminated group arrived at the headquarters of the Brown family.


    ...


    The royal hall of the Brown family palace...


    In such an elliptical hall, King Brown was at the moment sitting on his throne, while he had an unfriendly expression on his face.


    At the same time, he seemed to have lost a good night''s sleep, as some of his most important generals were there with him, talking about the possible threats to the Brown family.


    Nobody exactly knew what had happened in Dry City, but this royal family already had to start their preparations. After all, no matter how great one was, there would always be enemies for one to protect himself.


    Some enemies could be as strong as this organization was, as in the case of some large regional entities. But the parasite that tries to erode the large body little by little was not uncommon to find.


    Hence, even organizations of lesser influence would have to be considered in situations like the one this family was now facing.


    And then, those generals of the royal guard were giving their opinions, while the king and other high-ranking members of the royal family listened.


    "We have to consider that this may be the work of other royal families. In particular, the Walker and Carline families!"


    "These two royal houses, one from the Kingdom of the Waves and the other from the Kingdom of the End are the only ones in our region that have not faced problems recently. As such, we have to consider that this might be their acts..."


    "Nonsense!"


    "House Walker will soon lose King Walker, a powerful level 59 expert, so how could they not have faced problems recently? And how would attacking us right now be good for them?"


    "Tsk!"


    "They will lose King Walker soon, but they will continue to have someone of the same level on guard in that family... Maybe that''s why they could be planning to cause a royal family conflict so that more peak powers will lose their experts and the regional situation will balance out."


    "That makes some sense..." Someone else commented.


    But then a woman''s voice suddenly covered those comments. "Maybe that was caused by a regional royal family. But maybe not."


    "That could very well be the stuff of the Scourges of the Devil or even some smaller organizations that are seeking regional chaos."


    "How good wouldn''t it be for some parasites if the big regional powers started to face each other?"


    "Yes. These smaller families are the ones who plot the most and try to create bigger problems so they can grow by dealing with the dirty work. They definitely can''t be underestimated!"


    That was common sense. Some powers had a lot to lose, and every decision could carry tremendous weight. So, few peak organizations would risk everything on a bold move as provoking a regional war.


    Destroying large organizations was relatively easy to do. But building one, well, that required the blood of their creators, the effort and sacrifice of hundreds of thousands for who knows how many centuries!


    And every regional leader of these organizations knew how hard it had been to get where they were. Because of this, it would be tough for one of them to make a hazardous decision, one that had the potential to end their organization''s millennia of work.


    But for smaller organizations that had not existed for very long and were in search of more power, chaos could be their great opportunity!


    Obviously, the dangers would not be few, but the potential gain they would have by taking the risk could be enough to be worth it.


    So, some individuals from big regional powers would not underestimate the boldness of smaller organizations!


    After that last comment, General Silva stepped forward and said. "Regardless of who is to blame for this, I believe we had better prepare ourselves."


    "Whoever it is, that organization behind the attack on our group intends to stand against us. So, since we have already been provoked, I feel that preparing our troops for war is the best thing to do now!"


    "As for the identity of the culprits, we will know when the investigative group reaches the Black Plain."


    "Hmm, General Silva is right."


    "We need to respond to whatever happens, and to do so; our troops need to prepare to march!"


    "Yes!"


    "We can''t let this humiliation go on! Let''s bring the heads of the culprits here!"


    Several comments of agreement rang out in that place as the king watched and listened to all that, agreeing with most of what had been said there.


    But as he was getting ready to speak, suddenly his secretary approached him, carrying a yellowish scroll, as she had a shocked expression on her face.


    "Rosa, what''s the matter?" He asked, looking at that mature woman''s figure, who had voluptuous curves, capable of easily seducing men of less mental force.


    "Your Majesty, this message was sent by the group that was on the Black Plain. It dates back three days." She said in a low voice, but several of the people in the surrounding area had heard this and promptly stopped talking.


    "Oh?" He made a sound of surprise before finally picking up that item his secretary was carrying.


    After that, he began to read the contents of that message while slowly silence fell over that hall.


    And it didn''t take long before King Brown''s reaction began to change.


    At first, he still had an ugly expression on his face, given the tremendous loss his family had just experienced. But upon receiving that message, the king''s countenance had improved a little because he could find out the real culprit of those deaths with this letter.


    But as he continued reading that, his expression worsened again, as his anger became more transparent.


    "I don''t believe it!"


    "That son of a..." He grunted in anger as he finished reading that message, crumpling that paper and throwing it on the ground.


    "Your Majesty, what''s the problem? Does that say who attacked us?" The supreme elder finally asked that as he looked at his nephew sideways, curious.


    Thomas then took a deep breath and then said aloud. "This here doesn''t say who the culprit is. But from the contents of that message, I can tell that brat Minos Stuart has some relation to this incident..."


    "No!"


    "Not only is he related, but the brat is probably a rebel!"

 Chapter 714 - Black Plain In Rebellion 2

    "What?"


    "Impossible! How could someone so small dare to do this?"


    "That can''t be!"


    "Who gave him such confidence?"


    "And to think that his father was one of us..."


    "What a great disgrace!"


    Many people started uttering their opinions right after King Brown said those words, accusing Minos of being a rebel.


    But while many were already thinking about how audacious the son of the late General Albert was, the supreme elder was somewhat surprised by this.


    He genuinely hadn''t expected that Minos would have any significant role in this region in the short term. After all, the Black Plain was not as impressive as other territories in the kingdom. And that young man''s mother could not casually interfere in the region.


    But upon hearing from his nephew that such a person had bad intentions regarding the integrity of the kingdom, this old figure couldn''t help but take a step back in shock.


    He then asked. "Your Majesty, what exactly was in that message? I don''t believe the Black Plain is worth a war against us for this young man to do this, unless..." He then stopped his speech and looked apprehensively at his nephew.


    The king then said aloud for all there to hear. "The message I just read said that the Dry City government was stalling negotiations as much as possible. The sovereign has shown no interest in bending the knee and accepting the kingdom''s conditions."


    "At the end of the message, Eden wrote that on that day, he would issue an ultimatum to the forces of Dry City..." He finished speaking while he had an angry expression on his face, feeling that his men had probably been killed because of this.


    Upon hearing this, several of those people soon started talking again, some cursing Minos'' ancestors, while others were already making their theories about this young man''s motives.


    "What an ingrate!"


    "We gave him land, but still, the bastard betrays us the first chance he gets!"


    "Damn his ancestors!"


    "Your Majesty, I beg you to remove the name of the bastard''s father from our hall of honors, or I fear the family name will be corrupted!"


    "We must immediately march to Dry City and bring the brat in for a public execution!"


    "Yes!"


    "We must kill the traitors!"


    "But I cannot believe the audacity of this fellow!"


    "How does he have the nerve to act against us? Does he think we won''t kill him just because of that whore of a mother of his?"


    "Tsk!"


    "That''s degrading!"


    "Even a worm who was useless until recently treats us like this!"


    "Your Majesty, we have to deal with this quickly, or the family image will be thrown in the mud!"


    "So, our companions went to give those bumpkins one last chance and ended up dead for it?"


    "Damn you, Dry City fanatics!"


    "They are completely crazy people. They don''t follow any rules, Your Majesty."


    "Who in their right mind kills the messengers? Only crazed fanatics!"


    On the other hand, the more experienced ones there were already beginning to find this whole affair very strange.


    ''Why would he do that just for the Black Plain? In our analyses, even if that place is used to its fullest, it probably couldn''t compare with a region like the Red Valley...''


    ''That''s not enough for them to rebel!''


    ''The value is simply far less than the costs of a war of independence!''


    And then the supreme elder made his comment. "Your Majesty, I''m afraid our information about the Black Plain is not correct, or none of this would happen."


    "Oh?"


    "The supreme elder is right. The value of the Black Plain needs to be much higher than we think for the enemy''s reaction to make sense." Another high-level elder said this while standing on one side of that place.


    "Yes. I fear that the forces behind Dry City have intercepted the information we received earlier..."


    "Everything we know may be wrong!" So, the supreme elder said in earnest, while his old face was as dark as night.


    Pa!


    Thomas Brown then slammed his hand heavily on the arm of his royal throne as he felt the veins in his forehead quiver in hatred. ''Minos Stuart, brat, you messed with the wrong person!''


    He then began to talk about what he would do next. ''At the end of the day, the Silvas were right. That damn place is a threat to the kingdom..."


    "And it has even taken away 5 of our experts!"


    "Rosa." He said, looking in the direction of his secretary, who was still standing there beside him. "Send reports to all our subordinates, vassals, and allies in our state."


    "From now on, the Black Plain is in rebellion against the kingdom, and anyone who helps them will be considered an enemy of my family!"


    "Yes, Your Majesty!"


    The king then looked in the direction of one of his generals and continued. "I want you to separate a group and go to Dry City. Tell that damned brat that I will give him a chance to surrender."


    "Let him come and pay for his crimes in the capital, and maybe we can settle things peacefully with his death..."


    "Otherwise, we will exterminate every single person in that place!"


    "Yes, Your Majesty!"


    Thomas then looked in General Silva''s direction and said. "Communicate your family members about this and ask them to come here. Let''s deal with that damned place!"


    "Yes, Your Majesty!"


    And then, each of those three people began to leave that royal hall, rushing to be able to settle these matters as quickly as possible.


    Every critical action of a great organization could take days to get out of the plans and become real. Hence, they needed to hurry so that the honor of the royal family could be cleared as soon as possible.


    At first, they would not communicate with other regional families about this since, for the time being, this was only a local problem.


    The Brown family had been cheated for weeks by Minos. So, they couldn''t help but keep this humiliation of their opponents for a while longer.


    It would be better if they solved everything before other peak powers in this region found out about it. Otherwise, they would have to bear the shame of being manipulated by a 20-year-old man.


    But if this were not quickly resolved, they would have no alternative but to humiliate themselves with a notice to the other royal houses. After that, all that would be left is to use the Counter-Revolutionary Statute!


    Anyway, while those three left to settle these more urgent matters, the rest of the people in that place continued to talk about what to do from now on.


    "A damn rebel probably won''t have the guts to surrender... So, what will we do if he refuses this generous offer, Your Majesty?" One of the elders there asked that.


    "We''ll mobilize our troops and completely crush that city!"


    "That brat may think his defenses are outstanding, but that won''t stop us from tearing his head off!"


    "Then get our troops ready. Make everything ready for us to march into the Black Plain in a month at the most."


    "If in that period that ungrateful son of Albert does not surrender, we will begin with the invasion of that territory!"


    After saying those words, the king saw and heard his subordinates congratulate him on such a decision. Many of them were happy to march off to war.


    Wars were times of opportunity, after all!


    And if that place dared to flirt with independence, then there should be some minimally exciting things going on there. Consequently, if they marched into Dry City, then there would be plenty of resources at the disposal of those who would murder the most powerful enemies in that place.


    In wars, ordinary soldiers had the opportunity to loot whatever was left behind by enemies and retain ownership of such items. So, this was the opportunity for many underlings to rise financially!


    Because of this, many there were very happy to fight against the Black Plain!


    Some of them even wished that Minos was someone who would not give himself up since if he did, the royal family would probably take everything in that territory.


    But this would not be so beneficial for them.


    And knowing this possibility of killing enemies and obtaining resources, many there were already starting to drool as they imagined their futures.


    With this in mind, it didn''t take long before those people began to disperse, hurrying towards their posts.


    After so long of peace, it was time for a great conflict to occur in the kingdom!

 Chapter 715 - Notified Vassals 1

    Three days later.


    Following King Brown''s declaration of the Black Plain as a territory in rebellion against the kingdom, it wasn''t long before all the families and prominent organizations in this state were informed.


    There were 20 noble families in the Brown Kingdom and some smaller organizations, but with enough financial and military strength to have relevance to House Brown.


    However, not all of these organizations had been notified of this. After all, the royal family had already been notified of the disappearance of the members of House Gill several days ago.


    They did not know for sure where these individuals were since the soldiers of Minos had denied the presence of these people in their city. But even without being sure about this, they obviously couldn''t help but be suspicious of the Black Plain, even more so after this incident that had happened days ago.


    Hence, the Gill family had not been notified of this.


    But it would make no difference. Whether they were in Dry City or elsewhere, House Brown no longer relied on this noble family for help.


    So, with this exception, all the other local powers had learned of the audacity of the ruler of the Black Plain. A young man who had spit on the plate fed him and stabbed his superiors in the back.


    With such boldness, many already secretly hated Minos, wishing for his death and the destruction of Dry City.


    War could be an opportunity, and many people like the subordinates of the royal family loved times like this. But most cultivators preferred not to get involved in widespread conflicts in which the chances of dying were very high.


    In times of war, one had to be careful with enemies and allied competitors.


    Sometimes, it was difficult for some people to eliminate competitors in normal situations because of the dangers of being caught or blamed for it. And for the lack of opportunities, of course.


    But in war, it was so common for people to be killed that the chance for someone to investigate each casualty thoroughly would be negligible. And with that, the battlefield could be the best place to settle old rivalries, hatred, retribution.


    Apart from this, many other reasons would make most people, who prefer to develop in peace, fear times of war.


    Because of all this, many already hated Minos, a bloodthirsty madman who, besides putting himself in danger, had dragged them into this mess!


    ...


    In the Red Valley.


    "Finally! Finally, we will avenge our losses!" One of the high-ranking elders of the sovereign family of this area shouted as he grinned from ear to ear.


    At the same time, in that half-empty hall that he and a few other influential people from the Silva family were in, many sounds of happiness broke from the throats of these people.


    After months of suffering constant losses, this noble house had received good news, the assurance that their problems would soon be solved.


    Consequently, they would have the chance to unleash all their hatred on the people of Dry City, the damned individuals who had challenged them.


    "Everybody, get ready for us to march into Dry City!" And then the patriarch Otis began to speak. "As soon as His Majesty gives his orders, we will join the groups that will attack that damned place."


    "Finally!"


    "Haha, we will finally be able to avenge our comrades!"


    "Alleluia!"


    "Death to the enemies!"


    "Hehehe, now that the patriarch has reached level 58 and His Majesty is on our side, we will be unstoppable!" Someone said in a proud tone, feeling better and more confident after all their defeats.


    Hearing this, the patriarch laughed in satisfaction and commented. "Rest assured, when the time comes, I will ask His Majesty to deal with that Minos Stuart brat myself."


    "I will cut that bastard''s head off myself!"


    And so the conversations continued.


    ...


    In another region of the Brown Kingdom...


    In a part of this state where some medium-sized and many low-sized families were based, a meeting similar to the one taking place in the headquarters of the Silva family was also occurring here.


    In fact, situations like this were happening all over the kingdom as soon as each of these organizations had gotten their hands on the notice sent by the Brown family.


    Everyone had to make their preparations to help the kingdom if necessary and debate about this ruler of the Black Plain. After all, this whole matter concerning Minos'' rebellion against the state had been somewhat unexpected for most of them.


    Most local noble families were small organizations with similar membership numbers as the Black Plain Army, with much lower average power. Therefore, for these organizations that only dealt with their territory and tried not to get in the way of the more prominent families, they could get no information about the changes in that territory of Minos.


    They even pay attention to significant issues and opportunities near them. Still, the Black Plain was a place with hundreds of thousands of years of poverty!


    Consequently, none of these low-sized powers had noticed the changes in the Black Plain. Thus, they had been taken by surprise by this rebellion.


    As for the mid-sized families, some of them had more information. Some of them knew about the losses of the Silva family and the increased tensions in the kingdom. But even they had no idea that the culprit of it all was the government behind the modest Dry City.


    So, the most important members of these organizations had a lot to talk about, as in the case of this gathering that was taking place right now in a large city in the central region of the kingdom.


    "It seems that the son of the late General Albert is completely insane!" Someone said amid a room full of Spiritual Kings.


    "Damn you, Minos Stuart!"


    "Forcing us to fight for what reasons? For the Black Plain? He''s a madman!"


    "Maybe there''s more behind all this, Bob."


    "Don''t get ahead of yourself!"


    "Tsk!"


    "Anyway, that brat''s bloodlust will force us to fight when we were doing so well!"


    "Who knows what might happen from now on..." One person said while feeling a profound loss deep inside of his being.


    House Austin was growing with each passing year.


    The leaders of this organization were already preparing to pass the Gill family, their rivals, in the coming decades.


    But when things were going so well for them, such news had reached the headquarters of this family.


    It was a disgrace for them!


    They didn''t know what could be in the Black Plain for someone to be willing to fight for that place. But in any case, they were doing very well with just their business.


    But now, with a war that could erupt at any moment in the kingdom, their peaceful development had been thrown into the mud.


    Yes, they might have opportunities battling against the Black Plain.


    But this was a gamble!


    They didn''t want to let go of the bird that was already in their hands just to take their chances with others that were flying around.


    Who knows, maybe the damned Gills would take this opportunity to shoot them down?


    That would be terrible!


    As such, each of the 15 Spiritual Kings in that family already hated Minos with every fiber of their bodies.


    "Calm down, guys. Maybe the Stuart boy will surrender when he feels the pressure of His Majesty''s hand!"


    "So, don''t be hasty. We can still get away with this unharmed." A white-haired old man commented as he recalled this information.


    They knew nothing of Minos, but wanting to fight an entire kingdom was madness. As such, this person thought that perhaps that young ruler of the Black Plain would quiver when he understood the mistake he had made.


    "Maybe..."


    "Yes, few idiots have insisted on wishes like that in our history..."


    "Let''s hope so, or we may lose the opportunity to continue developing ourselves in silence..."


    "By the way, I heard that the members of the Gill family are disappeared. I wonder if they fled the war?"


    "Haha, I don''t doubt it!"


    "I heard that they made the big blunder of provoking the Silvas. So, it''s only natural that they are hiding somewhere."


    "Or maybe they are preparing for something bigger. Don''t underestimate the damn Gills!"


    "They''re idiots most of the time, but they wouldn''t continue to exist for so many centuries if they weren''t minimally competent!"


    "Hmm, the supreme elder is right, people. Let''s be careful with their actions since they may very well be on the Black Plain waiting for their big chance." Patriarch Austin said as he commented on this possibility.


    He did not know precisely how the Gill family had provoked the Silva family or the Brown family''s suspicions of this noble house being at the Black Plain.


    That was because the Silvas had only talked about that incident on the Black Plain with a few organizations. And the other reason was that the king had only informed his vassals about the Black Plain rebellion over the kingdom and not his suspicion regarding the Gill family.


    But even without this information, this patriarch couldn''t help but worry about these rivals being in that place!

 Chapter 716 - Notified Vassals 2

    Meanwhile, in the territory of the fourth strongest organization of the Brown Kingdom...


    In a hall covered with marble and gold, several luxurious armchairs were distributed around a large central table, where several of the most important members of this family were at the moment.


    From the easternmost part of the Brown Kingdom, House Sutton, with its 29 Spiritual Kings and more than 35,000 Spiritual Generals, was almost a high-level regional organization.


    Today it could almost be considered more powerful than House Silva since those mortal enemies of Minos had only 27 Spiritual Kings at the moment. But quantity and quality were always going to be different, and even in the present situation, the Silvas would still be more substantial than that other organization.


    But in any case, it was undeniable that this family''s power was not small.


    And upon receiving King Brown''s notification about the conflict on the Black Plain, the high-ranking members of this organization had soon gathered in this hall.


    "Patriarch, what may be in the Black Plain for both His Majesty and the sovereign of those lands to want to fight over that place?" One of the elders there asked while the others were silent, respecting that person''s turn to speak.


    The patriarch of that family shook his head from side to side in denial and then answered that question. "Even I don''t know about this..."


    "But in any case, if His Majesty wants to fight against a previously insignificant place, I don''t think that''s for nothing."


    "His Majesty definitely wouldn''t need to humiliate himself by going to that territory!"


    "Yes, it would not be wise to do that without a great gain..."


    "Family honor should always be preserved!" So, the supreme elder of such a noble house said while sitting at the patriarch''s right side.


    The patriarch then continued. "On that account, we must assume that there is a lot at stake in that place, so we should take the opportunity to increase our strength further!"


    "The Silva family has lost a lot of power in that short time since the tensions began in our region. And considering how little we know, I believe they will still suffer much more if this war on the Black Plain happens!"


    "Yes. And if it does, we will take their place and become the third strongest organization in the kingdom." Then, another person, someone on the patriarch''s left side, said this.


    After the three most powerful individuals expressed their opinions, the others opened their eyes in awe, sensing that they would soon have access to additional resources.


    The noble families had their ranks given by the royal houses in the region. Such a thing was like the level of credibility of these organizations, which could facilitate access to specific resources or territories.


    Besides wanting to have more territories, each family would seek chances to be more prestigious. To become more respected in the region and gain access to top organizations and specific opportunities!


    With this in mind, the people of this family hoped to gain the space that was lost by the Silva family during this period, to have even more experts in the future.


    Maybe then they would leave this region one day, as had happened to the Red family, the former ruler of the current House Silva''s territory.


    They were not concerned about Abby''s family at the moment because such an organization was already mighty, and King Brown would definitely not allow such a noble house to absorb more power.


    As much as the Brown family was stronger and with the best numbers of experts, far superior to the Miller family, they had learned from the case of the Kain family from the Kingdom of the Waves.


    The Walker family of that time had allowed the Kains to reach numbers similar to their own, so they had almost fallen to their enemies.


    That had happened because at no other time in remembered local history had a power smaller than a royal family reached the numbers of a top regional organization.


    Because of this, the Kains had been neglected and had had the opportunity to attain enough power to threaten a regional royal house!


    But history was there to prevent people from repeating the same mistakes, and the Browns had understood the message passed on that occasion!


    So, now that the Silva family had fallen so far in comparison to their former glory, House Brown would not allow the Miller family to gain more power.


    That would completely break the balance in the kingdom and cause a rebellion to break out sooner or later.


    Consequently, the Sutton family had the best chance of receiving the blessing of House Brown after the war. To hold off the growth of the Miller family and keep the kingdom strong enough to deal with other states in case strange things happen in the future.


    And knowing this, these individuals from House Sutton were unconcerned about the Miller family trying to get in their way in taking the place of the Silva family!


    "Anyway, people, let''s get our troops ready!"


    "Notify all subordinates and our brothers who are outside headquarters at this time so that everyone will return here."


    "We will stop our business outside the kingdom until this conflict is resolved!"


    "It''s time for us to fight!" He stood up as he said this, smiling in satisfaction at the great opportunity that had fallen into his lap.


    "That''s it! For the family!"


    "For the family!"


    ...


    While toasts were being made during the Sutton family''s planning, Abby''s family members had already received the royal announcement.


    They did not need to receive such a thing to know what would happen next since Minos had already warned all his allies about the incident in Dry City.


    But this family still needed to maintain certain appearances, taking steps to let everyone see that they were preparing to help the kingdom!


    So, some of their previous planning had taken public visibility, while the high-ranking members had also gathered to talk about the future.


    "Sigh..."


    "Things have finally developed to this level." Daphne Miller, level 56, the right-hand of this family patriarch, commented this in a low voice while feeling worried about what would happen next.


    Another high-level elder, level 55, then nodded in agreement and said. "It truly happens fast. How many months have passed since we signed the agreement with young Minos? Four?"


    "Around that..."


    "It hasn''t even given us time to strengthen more of us in Dry City, and we''re already on the verge of war!" Someone said while feeling bad about it.


    This feeling was not only because they had not taken advantage of the agreement with Minos for long enough. But because, unlike the other organizations in this kingdom, they were aware that young Stuart''s plans were far more audacious.


    Minos wanted a regional war, after all.


    As such, they knew that the conflict would be much more frightening than what the noble families of this state were assuming right now.


    "Don''t worry, we have every advantage on the side of our family, and with the war going on, we will be able to speed up the sending of our members to Dry City."


    "In another situation, many would not have that opportunity!" Another elder commented as he recalled that if they were to fight a war, they would need to ''lose'' some of their members.


    After all, Minos'' enemies would surely lose, and as vassals of House Brown, they could not stay intact when everyone else certainly would not.


    And those losses would naturally go to Dry City, where they could support Minos'' forces and take advantage of the opportunities there.


    In short, it was an excellent chance for these less prestigious Miller family guards, those individuals who, in a normal situation, would not be sent to Dry City.


    And even if many were not noble, if they were just subordinates, as long as they got stronger, the Miller family would already gain from all this!


    "What about young Minos? I hear he is powerful, but it will be better if he gets to level 51 right away. How long should we wait for that?"


    "I don''t know, it''s been three months since he managed to reach level 50, but we don''t know how long it might take for him to advance again. After all, he''s not like us..."


    "Well, I''ve heard that Dillian can advance in level in less than a year, even at our cultivation stage... Maybe young Minos will get there in less than six months..."


    And then the conversations continued in that place.

 Chapter 717 - The Churchs Reaction And The Coming Of War

    Meanwhile, at the branch of the Spiritual Church in the Brown Kingdom!


    Pa!


    Someone in the main hall of the church temple in that state''s capital hit his hand hard into a table while having an angry expression on his face. "Bastard brat!"


    "He truly thought his actions through!"


    "Tsk!"


    "Brother Zeph, take it easy."


    "Hmm, stay calm, Zeph!"


    "But this brat messed up our plans, and now he''s doing this..." Zeph was saying, still standing on that spot, while his veins were trembling with anger.


    Not only was he one of the local Bishops of the church in this state, but he was also an ally of the Brown family behind the curtains. So, he couldn''t help but be irritated by Minos getting in the middle of his plans.


    To make matters worse, the situation in the region was already quite sensitive. So, if that one more variable was added, this could get out of hand!


    "But his move was truly well thought out..." But while Bishop Zeph stood there furious, another of those experts couldn''t help but appreciate Minos'' move.


    "If he had immediately accepted us into Dry City, then we could act in many ways to stop his rebellion. However..."


    "Now that he and the Brown family are already estranged, even if we wanted to cause trouble for him, we probably couldn''t!" This Bishop said while he had a joyful expression on his face.


    This man also didn''t like the idea of having a war in this kingdom, plus a conflict in the northern region of the Central Continent. But as someone who had his history with that other Bishop, he couldn''t help but smile at the distress of that other individual.


    While one was working under the covers for the local royal family, the other was acting in secret for a local trade organization. So, while one organization would engage in a war, the other would probably not be affected at all by all this.


    Hence, his situation was much better than Zeph''s.


    And that allowed him to appreciate Minos'' move, even if the overall situation was not good for them.


    Another person there then nodded in agreement to this Bishop who had just spoken. "Indeed. His action is very timely and shows that he has probably been planning for years to rebel against the kingdom..."


    "That means he won''t bend his knees to King Brown!"


    "Yes, but that doesn''t mean he will survive... I mean, what does the Black Plain have to use against the entire kingdom?"


    "Even though that place is probably much better than what we know, I still can''t imagine them fighting the kingdom and having any chance..."


    "That''s true... But maybe that place has made alliances with other noble families from outside the Brown kingdom or with other powerful organizations in our region."


    "Then I think they probably have enough at least to cause a big mess in the short term!" Some elder there said, having his eyes closed, already imagining what would happen next.


    "In any case, we won''t be able to get into that city until this matter is resolved..." He remembered that just as the Spiritual Church negated actions of outside powers to influence the local authorities, the same was true for these individuals.


    They even had some freedom during times of peace since it would be complicated for anyone to investigate what these low-level church members were doing.


    But with a war going on in the kingdom and maybe even a regional scale conflict across the northern part of the Central Continent, the situation would be different.


    Their every action could be monitored by their superiors, which could very quickly end the lives of the most corrupt individuals in this organization.


    Precisely why that other individual was so angry, despite the clear advantage that the Brown family had.


    That is, of course, considering what they knew.


    The church supported these individuals, specifically the branch located in the Flaming Empire. But the church in this region had too many members, and the subsidies they received were not more significant than the collections of this organization in the area.


    They shared a good part of the fortune in the region and received some opportunities from the church, such as artifacts from that empire and some internship chances outside. But other than that, they usually didn''t have enough crystals to focus on their training without worrying about other things.


    Therefore, to supplement their incomes and increase their chances of reaching higher levels, many church members had outside relationships.


    But if some problem happened that prevented them from acting, or these families ran out of ways to pay the ''subsidies'' of these individuals, then they would have financial problems!


    Anyway, hearing that Bishop''s comment, the other people in that place couldn''t help but agree.


    One of them then asked. "What do we do now?"


    "Well, let''s wait to find out what the real strength of the Black Plain is."


    "If that place is just a fraud, then the kingdom will resolve with it before we have any more trouble."


    "Whereas if that place is strong enough to sustain a war of a few months, then we will have to inform the Kingdom of the Waves branch so that they will ask for help from outside the region."


    "A war in our region won''t be good for anyone!"


    "From the local organizations to the empire''s sects and the church. A large-scale conflict will only eliminate the good seeds we can harvest here!"


    ...


    And so, three more days passed.


    Nothing new had happened in Dry City since the previous incident.


    All the local forces were prepared to act as soon as the enemies arrived on their territory. But, on the other hand, the citizens were already aware that it would happen soon, and they were working even harder for the good of this city.


    Since the shadow of war was already entirely over this city, Minos had already passed the local command to Dillian so that he would have time to deal with the war situations.


    His army''s conflicts with enemy forces would become more and more common from now on. So, he would no longer have much time to deal with the affairs of the city''s development.


    So that he wouldn''t have to neglect both jobs, he would leave his city in Dillian''s hands while he dealt more closely with war affairs.


    That was the plan, and he was finishing talking about it with his butler at this very moment.


    ...


    "Young master, be unconcerned about Dry City."


    "We have all the city''s development under control. Furthermore, with the massive migration of the population from Maritime City to here, we will be quite busy with the plans already made by the young master." Dillian said as he rubbed his black mustache, sitting in Minos'' armchair.


    Dillian was talking about Minos'' plan for that coastal city. So far, they had only attracted the more common population of that place, as well as low numbers, something difficult to realize on a day-to-day basis.


    But as the war was on their doorstep, it would not take long for Minos'' forces to use that place to eliminate part of their enemies. Hence, when that happened, they would have no alternative but to bring as many people as possible from that city to Dry City.


    Otherwise, it would not be long before that place would be surrounded by the royal forces, forcing Minos'' group to lose that vast population.


    But as this young man always prized act first, he would not miss the opportunity to bring those people to his city. Consequently, the army had already planned the massive migration of the population from that city to here!


    Hearing this, Minos smiled, satisfied. "Good. There are a lot of things to happen in this period, so I hope we can develop these changes well..."


    Pa! Pa!


    "Young master?" After knocking on the door twice, Mia then entered that place, interrupting Minos'' speech.


    "What is it, Mia?"


    "Young master, butler Dillian, the outside group has just notified us of the arrival of the first enemy troops."


    "They are only a hundred kilometers from the city and should not take long to get here!"

 Chapter 718 - Beginning Of The War Against The Brown Family 1

    "Oh? That fast?" Minos said in surprise, just after he finished listening to Mia speak.


    "That was pretty fast indeed... So, this group must not be big, right?" Dillian asked as he looked in Mia''s direction, hoping to confirm his impression.


    He knew that the Brown family would send troops to the Black Plain quickly. Still, it took time to transport thousands of people from one place to another, even if the distances were not unreasonable.


    After all, no regional organization had enough beasts to carry many troops at once. And because of this reality, transportation would have to happen slowly, something that could delay the apex of the war by months!


    And this was even worse considering the reality of this region, the Black Plain, where the local royal family had no troops stationed before.


    There was even the outpost of Maritime City, but that place didn''t have enough people, nor people with the power to be used in a war against the Black Plain.


    Hence, all the troops and materials needed for camps, and so on, would all have to be brought here before the royal family could start fighting for the territory.


    They could send smaller troops here to fight Minos'' forces, but whether or not they won the battles, they had no local posts to hold the annexed territories.


    But that wouldn''t be interesting in a war. After all, taking the enemy''s territory would not only take away the other side''s potential but also increase pressure, hindering trade routes, space for action, and so on.


    But to hold the territories taken, an organization would need massive forces spread over such areas.


    And that forces naturally could not be assembled, prepared, and sent to the Black Plain in such a short time!


    So, Dillian had assumed that the enemy side could not be numerous.


    "Yes, butler Dillian, the enemy side is not that numerous. From the report sent by the soldiers, they are about 1,500 people." Mia promptly said as she reported the details of the warning sent to Dry City an hour ago.


    "But we don''t know what the strength of the enemy group is. The group that made that observation was too far away from the enemies to be able to check their average strength."


    That was a wise thing to do.


    There were no Black Plain Army troops around this territory with sufficient numbers to face a group with that many people head-on!


    Therefore, it would be stupid to approach the enemies only to check their strength. By doing so, the soldiers would most likely get caught by the enemies, and the army would lose any advantage that these advanced individuals could bring.


    So, it indeed wasn''t worth taking such a risk unless the other group was small, like others who had passed through the Black Plain in the past.


    "So, that''s how it is..." Dillian said in a low voice as he understood the situation.


    But he could do nothing about it. At most, he would stay in this place to help lessen the burden on Minos'' shoulders while this young man went out to settle this matter.


    Finally, Minos sighed and then stood up from where he was. "Well, since there is no more information about that group, then I will leave to settle this."


    "I''ll leave things here with you two from now on..."


    "Hmm, see you later, young master."


    "Good luck, young master."


    After they said their goodbyes, it didn''t take long, and Minos made his way to his headquarters, from where he would begin to operate the affairs of the war from now on.


    ...


    A while later, the Brown family group was almost close enough to Dry City when they finally stopped a few dozen kilometers east of that city.


    This group was the combination of the investigative team dispatched soon after the death of the individuals from before and the guards sent by the king to give Minos an ultimatum.


    The first group had already been sent here when the king found out about Minos'' dangerous acts, which indicated the young man''s desire for rebellion.


    But with the help of the swift spiritual crows, the people on this team had been warned to stop their journey and wait for the arrival of the larger group.


    There was not much left to investigate, and it would be better if they joined the rest of those people, who were here on the Black Plain to test Minos'' strength.


    The group exterminated by young Stuart''s soldiers earlier was simply too weak, and King Brown needed to test his enemy before sending massive troops into this territory.


    After all, the costs of a war were not low, and no one would follow through with a conflict that didn''t pay for itself.


    The Black Plain certainly had good defenses and millions of crystals. But would it be the best alternative to use a large part of the royal family''s force against Minos, or would only a fraction be enough?


    If 10,000 people could do the job, it would be better not to send 100,000 warriors here!


    And this group had the role in finding this out, to probe the strength of Minos'' organization.


    The king actually didn''t believe that Minos would step back and give up. And even though he knew there was a possibility that his people would be massacred here, this was the best method for him to find out about the strength of this young man.


    Thomas knew that he could not trust the data about the Black Plain that he had previously received. So, he had no idea how to treat Minos.


    Was he just a madman with lots of crystals but no power?


    Was he a madman with crystals and power?


    Was that power enough for the kingdom to have to use full force to stop this Black Plain rebellion?


    Should the kingdom invest 1 million crystals or 100 million in this war?


    All these questions could somehow be answered by sending this group here.


    Such a team had ten Spiritual Kings, five at the first three levels of this stage, four at the intermediate levels, and one at the final part of that stage.


    As for the Spiritual Generals, such people were subdivided into groups of similar numbers of people at the beginning, intermediate, and end parts of the 5th stage.


    Such a formation was quite strong and fulfilled the role of a test.


    Suppose Minos'' forces managed to exterminate the entire group. In that case, the king could focus all his attention on dealing with the Black Plain because that young man''s organization was already a serious threat to the kingdom.


    Suppose Minos'' forces could only eliminate the weakest of that group, those low-level Spiritual Generals and Spiritual Kings. In that case, it would mean that there were not many experts nor powerful troops in the Black Plain. Consequently, King Brown wouldn''t need to invest so much in this war, and he could probably end the revolt in a short time.


    Anyway, there were several possibilities for this group, but all of them would give King Brown a hint on how to deal with Minos.


    Thomas was willing to sacrifice this group to find this out, and these forces would not be missed so much by his family.


    He preferred not to risk the life of someone at level 57, such as the leader of this group. After all, such an individual was a high-level expert in this region and would be valued in any organization.


    But the potential loss to the Brown family would be much more significant if they simply underestimated Minos and didn''t know how strong his organization could be.


    Thus, to avoid errors in judgment, Thomas Brown had convinced himself that this sacrifice would be worth it.


    That is, of course, if Minos''s forces were indeed much more frightening than had been thought.


    But if it weren''t, then the strongest of those ten individuals would probably be able to escape.


    And as for the rest, well, they wouldn''t be missed and could easily be replaced!


    Anyway, as they stopped before they arrived in Dry City, the strongest of that group soon began to gather to discuss what to do next.


    "General Edgar, what do we do now? Do we challenge the local sovereign? Or perhaps you have a different strategy?" One of those stronger individuals there asked the leader of that group.


    Upon hearing this, the level 57 cultivator then looked in the direction of Dry City, from where they still couldn''t see the dome, and said. "His Majesty probably sent us here to test this brat''s strength..."


    "If this brat hides there, then we will simply prevent people from leaving and entering his city."


    "We will force him out of that damned dome!"


    "We''ll see what they''re capable of!"

 Chapter 719 - Beginning Of The War Against The Brown Family 2

    Meanwhile, in the easternmost part of the local wall, on top of the entrance.


    Minos, Angela, and Ernest were already in that place next to Abby and some other high-level people in this city, subordinates or allies of the local forces.


    Besides them, some elders of the Gill family, Vivian, Mendy, and Ruth, were also present, even if some of them would not participate in the upcoming confrontation.


    After receiving the earlier warning, Minos had quickly made the necessary preparations and assembled the team that would deal with those enemies.


    Minos didn''t know how strong the enemy group was, so he gathered several people for this place, just in case he needed the support of his allies.


    But not everyone there would participate in the battle. Instead, they would just stand on guard, waiting to act in case there was some kind of emergency.


    And apart from these high-level individuals in this city, hundreds of soldiers stood around that exit inside the dome.


    That was the force Minos had gathered in the short time that had passed since Mia''s warning until this moment when the enemy forces were expected to arrive on the outskirts of the dome.


    Anyway, while they were gathering in that place, suddenly a soldier came running towards where Minos was standing while shouting and waving a paper in his right hand.


    "Young master, young master!"


    "The enemies have sent a letter challenging us!" He said under his breath, just after reaching Minos'' side and handing that letter to that young sovereign.


    "Oh?"


    "Well, Minos? What do they say?" Abby asked as she stood next to her boyfriend.


    "They''re challenging us, huh..." He commented as he had a smile on his face.


    "To the ungrateful bastard Minos Stuart."


    "Traitor, leave your city if you have the courage and the minimum of honor, and surrender yourself for the justice of the kingdom. We promise not to exterminate all the people of your city."


    "Otherwise, traitor, you and your cronies will all be killed."


    "But we challenge you to fight on the battlefield, 10 kilometers east of your damned wall!"


    "Come face us, traitor, or we will prevent people from entering and leaving your damned city!"


    "Brown family, the true sovereigns of the Black Plain." Minos said as he finished reading what those people had sent him.


    "Outrageous!"


    "Damn bastards! They dare to say such things about the young master?"


    "Those parasites!"


    "They''ve never done anything for the Black Plain, and now they think they have the right to say such things!"


    "That makes me disgusted!"


    "Young master, let''s slaughter them! Let''s send their heads back to the capital of the Brown Kingdom!"


    But while many of the soldiers standing there on Minos'' side were uttering their opinions, soon Angela asked him. "What should we do? If these people want to do that, they can ruin the migration of the citizens of the Maritime City."


    Indeed. The citizens of Maritime City came to Dry City because this place seemed like a land of opportunity, where everything seemed favorable to them.


    And they could even accept the possible local war because upon arriving in Dry City, they would all learn about the power of the local forces, the dome, and more. Hence, they knew that even if this place was to face war, the ordinary citizens had a slight chance of suffering the consequences of this kind of action.


    At the very least, they would be in more danger by staying in the Maritime City or trying to go to other regions...


    Because of this, many recent newcomers to the city were still interested in this place, despite the local problems.


    But if royal troops suddenly started appearing on their way here, then these people would probably give up coming to Dry City just to avoid trouble.


    And that would not be good for Minos'' plans!


    He then said in a tone loud enough for everyone there to hear him. "Well, if they want to meet their creators, then we''ll do them such favor!"


    "Let''s go into battle!"


    "Yes!"


    "Let''s kill those parasites!"


    "For Dry City!"


    "For the Black Plain!"


    Several soldiers shouted in cheers soon after hearing Minos'' speech.


    After that, Minos, Angela, Ernest, and several soldiers from the Elite Squad standing around amid those other soldiers left that place, heading towards the enemies!


    He was carrying a great deal of strength with him, but that was nowhere near his organization''s capacity.


    But it wouldn''t be worth acting with all the existing strength just to crush the opposing group quickly.


    That was because he needed people in his city to deal with potential problems that could arise during a conflict, people to replace soldiers who needed to rest after the battle, and much more.


    Among other reasons, he wanted to test some of his Elite Squad soldiers so that they would again experience fighting against powerful enemies who wanted to kill them.


    Finally, showing too much strength could be a problem since if someone were watching over this battle site, such a thing would show their power.


    As in the case of the Miller family members, if someone sees them on the battlefield, then Minos'' plans could be significantly hindered.


    As for future battles, well, in the future, things would get out of hand, so there would be room for these forces to act. But in this situation, where they could be watched and dealt with the adversary numbers, it would not be suitable to show too much.


    So, he wouldn''t use his outside allies or subordinates without a need.


    With that, those people stood on that part of the wall, waiting for what would happen next.


    ...


    At the point where the members of the Brown family were waiting...


    "General Edgar, do you think that brat will come to the battlefield?" One of the Spiritual Kings in that group asked this while comfortably waiting for the moment to act.


    Edgar then smiled and said. "If he is an idiot, he will come. But most likely, he will send forces to fight against us..."


    "Hehehe, he will probably hide while his subordinates die for this place!"


    "Let''s see what these rebels are capable of!"


    But not everyone there thought that Minos would accept this challenge and send troops here. "In my view, I think that person will probably hide under this dome until we can destroy part of these defenses..."


    "Hmm, it would be too dangerous to send people to fight our group."


    "No. He has no choice. Either he fights us now, or in a few weeks, we can surround this place with the reinforcements His Majesty will send!"


    "It''s better to fight a smaller group, like ours!" The group leader said, showing his vision to the others there.


    "Oh?"


    "That truly..."


    And while they were talking about it, a guard arrived at that place bringing news.


    "Generals, the enemies have already been spotted leaving that dome!" He said aloud.


    "What? Have they already accepted the challenge?" One of the people who didn''t believe this development said in shock as he stood up from where he was sitting, questioning that guard.


    "Yes, general. Hundreds of enemies are coming here right now!"


    "Unbelievable!"


    "The ruler of this place is truly audacious... Let''s see what he''s capable of!"


    "Let''s go to war!"


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, the two opposing forces were already facing each other on the battlefield.


    One group watched the other, a few dozen meters separating them. At the same time, the local silence made it much easier for everyone there to feel the rays of the midday sun warm their skins.


    ''This force... Why did King Brown send such powerful individuals in this small group?'' Minos wondered as he looked at those people in front of him, just after he had felt the strongest spiritual fluctuations there.


    ''Isn''t he afraid of losing such powerful cultivators here? Or is there another reason?''


    But while Minos was thinking about that, soon, the leader of the enemy group shouted. "Traitors of Dry City, surrender now, and we can spare your lives!"


    "Otherwise, only death awaits you!"


    "But if you surrender and hand over the traitor Minos Stuart to us, we can even reward you!" This level 57 royal family subordinate said this while looking at the strongest of the adversary group.


    ''That''s it? Three Spiritual Kings, one at level 50, other at level 50, and the last at level 54.''


    ''Hahaha, with me here, we''ll exterminate those damn things in a few minutes!'' He thought as he smiled, looking in the direction of Minos, Ernest, and Angela.

 Chapter 720 - Daytime Nightmare

    Upon hearing that, all of Minos'' soldiers were irritated by the speech of that level 57 Spiritual King, but no one did anything at first.


    Not because they didn''t want to do something against that individual, but because there was a right time to act, and they wouldn''t miss the opportunity to do so when it was most opportune.


    So, those hundreds of soldiers from the local army stood watching the enemy side. Meanwhile, they saved their hatred for these invaders for a later time when the fighting would begin.


    But meanwhile, Minos was analyzing that adversary group before taking action. ''This group is quite strong, but it has a very obvious power subdivision...''


    ''It doesn''t make sense to send a level 57 cultivator in this group, and at the same time, level 40 people...''


    ''This group is simply too strange.''


    ''It''s as if they sent people here to die...'' He pondered as he opened his eyes in surprise, understanding the situation.


    "That''s it..."


    "They''re here to test us." He said in a low voice, but enough to be heard by the people around him.


    "Test us?"


    Minos then made a displeased expression and then said aloud to those enemies. "What a great king you have, eh? Do you realize that you were sent here to die?"


    He then looked in the direction where the weaker people in that group were and said again. "You there!"


    "No offense intended, but what use do you guys think you have on a battlefield where Spiritual Kings as strong as that bald guy is fighting?" He said, pointing at the level 57 cultivator.


    And indeed, there was no one of such a low level in Minos'' group. That meant that the slaughter of almost a third of that group was a certainty!


    Hence, Minos couldn''t help but notice the purpose of that group.


    "Tsk!"


    "King Brown is sacrificing you to test me..."


    "What a great leader!" He sarcastically said while shaking his head from side to side.


    But then one of those Spiritual Kings in the Brown family group soon shouted in fury as he looked in Minos'' direction with a murderous look. "Shut your mouth, you traitorous bastard!"


    "Don''t listen to that damned traitor. He''s just trying to mess with our minds since his group is weaker than ours!"


    "That''s right, people! His Majesty knew that the enemy was inferior and sent us here to be the first to slaughter these rebel forces!"


    "A scared worm always screams nonsense before it dies!"


    Several comments from the side of that group sounded, as the stronger people there belittled the figure of the young level 50 Spiritual King and defended the integrity of King Brown.


    Minos was right in front of them, but they could not recognize him. But that wasn''t strange. After all, only a portion of them knew what this young man looked like during his youth. Besides that, in a pre-fight moment like this, none had associated this young man with the local sovereign.


    And it was wise to think like that. Minos was not supposed to be a Spiritual King but a Spiritual General!


    But even if they recognized him, it would make no difference.


    "I''ll give them a chance..." Minos began to speak calmly, looking in the direction of those people as if he had already won the conflict. "Surrender now and submit to the local sovereign."


    "We are very sensible, and you will probably only have your cultivation crippled..."


    "Otherwise, I''m afraid that even that bald old man won''t survive!"


    Hearing this, that strongest individual there gritted his teeth in anger, feeling a strong desire to kill.


    "Damned brat!"


    "Enough talk... Kill those degenerate traitors!" He finally gave his order, already preparing to run towards Minos and smash this young Spiritual King''s head in.


    Hearing this, Minos shook his head in disappointment, feeling that he would not get the surrender of these people.


    ''It makes no difference... The local prison is almost full, and we wouldn''t have places for them anyway...''


    "Fine."


    "You have chosen death. We will respect your decision!" Minos shouted as he raised his golden-bladed sword, indicating the start of the fight to his soldiers.


    "Since we have no alternatives here, let us massacre the invaders!"


    "Don''t take it lightly. Use everything you have!" He shouted in the direction of Angela and Ernest while already moving through that place.


    Minos understood what the purpose of this group was. But what could he do except eliminate this group?


    If he ignored them, then the enemy forces would not be harmed at all and would still have ten extra Spiritual Kings and all those Spiritual Generals. But, at the same time, that group could disrupt his business around this city.


    And one way or another, the king would find out about the Black Plain Army''s ability to eliminate level 57 cultivators. So, there was no other alternative for him here.


    Killing these people would at least generate the benefit that such individuals would not disturb them again!


    Because of all this, Minos had decided to go all out against those opponents, even though in total power his side was stronger than his opponents''!


    With that, the sounds of battles soon began to spread there, while many forms of attacks formed in the air, rushing from one side of the site to the other.


    Boom!


    Pow!


    "Ahhhh!"


    ...


    Boom!


    "Ahhhh!"


    "Damn! The enemies are much stronger than us!"


    And it didn''t take even a minute for the people in the Brown family group to realize that they had greatly underestimated their opponents.


    Because they were outnumbered and had several experts on their side, the Spiritual Kings and the other individuals in that group thought they would probably win this battle.


    But by the time both sides had clashed, the soldiers of the local army had quickly gained the upper hand, having already dealt damage to many of their enemies!


    And not only had those ordinary guards of the local royalty gone bad, but even some of those Spiritual Kings were already fighting desperately.


    "Damn it! Damn it!"


    "How could this guy be so strong? Why can''t we do anything against him?" A level 52 individual roared while fighting together with three other individuals from early levels of the 6th stage against Ernest.


    Pow!


    "Ahhh!"


    At the same time, Angela was dealing with six other Spiritual Kings, leaving only that level 57 individual who was now struggling to fight Minos.


    That was not a difficult task for her since these people were merely subordinates of the Brown family, while she had a complete set of Silver-grade techniques.


    And considering that she was very close to leveling up, this woman had already reached a fighting proficiency compared to the top regional cultivators!


    Consequently, those opponents were suffering while fighting her!


    "Ahhh!"


    "This woman is too strong for us!"


    "Let''s run away!" Then, in desperation, one of those people said this, as he was already feeling exhausted and constantly losing his energy to some mysterious force.


    Meanwhile, he had just seen one of his level 53 companions suffer severe damage from an attack by Angela.


    Such a thing had happened very quickly, and when he least expected it, his teammate had been pierced through by an ice spear!


    That had made a hole in that person''s belly, big enough for a grown-up''s hand to pass through with ease!


    However, that was not the worst of it. The worst was the fact that the ice from the spear had burned the internal organs of that individual, causing him to scream in pain as he struggled on the ground.


    And soon those people continued to fight Angela, some of them trying to escape, but all the time suffering from the pressure of this woman.


    "Damn, that damn woman is too fast! We won''t be able to escape!"


    "What will we do?"


    ...


    At the same time, as battles were going on in every part of that place where the enemy groups had met, Minos was now pressuring his opponent.


    After a few seconds of battle, that person was already sweating vigorously, while his energy reserves had dropped dramatically.


    At the beginning of the fight, he had run towards Minos to deal with the person who had insulted him, but this opponent had also run towards him.


    And in the very first exchange of blows, this bald man had realized that he was at a disadvantage and had made a big mistake here!


    Because of this, he was facing at this moment the biggest challenge of his life while constantly suffering from Minos'' blade and barely able to counterattack.


    ''Damn it!''


    ''What have I gotten myself into? How could I have run into such a monster?'' He wondered in awe, feeling weaker and weaker as the fight unfolded.


    That was indeed a daytime nightmare for him and his companions!

 Chapter 721 - The Kings Command

    Swooish!


    "Ahhh!"


    Swooish!


    "Ahhhhhhhh! Damn!"


    Sounds of air being cut resounded through that place where Minos and his opponent were fighting, as this man desperately screamed in pain.


    His defenses were weaker than each of Minos'' attacks. Because of this, every time this young sovereign moved his sword in the direction of the bald man, this person could not avoid being wounded.


    At first, the cuts were relatively superficial, enough to make this person''s appearance appear grotesque but not lethal. However, with each passing moment, the difference between the two increased, with this level 57 Spiritual King becoming more and more tired and Minos remaining almost unchanged.


    That was not the strongest opponent Minos had ever faced since, despite the difference in level, Wallace Chambers was more powerful than this General of the Brown Kingdom''s royal guard!


    After all, unlike that nobleman from the Chambers family, this man did not have the same quality techniques.


    Because of this, he was suffering at the hands of Minos, with practically no alternatives to counterattack his opponent.


    So, the situation had come to this point, where deeper and deeper cuts started to appear around this person''s body while Minos continued to dance with his sword.


    Spatial Sword!


    Swooish!


    And then, he once again activated his principal attack technique while constantly using his mental technique to disturb that person''s attention.


    His mental technique could not significantly affect such an opponent due to the difference in levels between the two. But as this opponent was already in a bad state, Minos'' mental attacks were like an itch that was slowly diminishing his enemy''s attention!


    With that, Minos couldn''t help but press this opponent even more vigorously, moving his sword from side to side, slashing toward this bald man''s vital points.


    "Ahhhhhhhhh!"


    He cried out in pain once again, just at the moment when he took two steps backward and the blade of the sword cut shallowly into his belly.


    ''Damn! If I hadn''t reacted in time, that would have cut me in two pieces!'' He quickly thought about it while trying not to let the blood on his forehead cover his eyes and blind him at this crucial moment.


    But this powerful regional expert was not in luck.


    Just after he had managed to dodge that previous attack by Minos, suddenly a second sword appeared in that young man''s other hand!


    "Try to dodge this one!" Minos shouted with a smile on his face as he moved his left arm and shoulder, making the blade of his second sword cut through the air horizontally towards that man''s neck.


    "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" He screamed in deep desperation, feeling that there was nothing to do against it!


    ''It can''t be! It can''t be!''


    ''I''m going to die!'' These thoughts ran through his mind in that split second before Minos'' weapon touched his neck.


    Puff!


    Immediately after that, the head of this level 57 Spiritual King was separated from the rest of that body by a cut on his neck, right at the height of his Adam''s apple.


    With that, quickly, the blood from that body began to flow out of his headless neck, like the mouth of a water fountain, but on a body falling on the battlefield!


    He had died!


    "Ahhhh! It can''t be!"


    "It can''t be! That dammed brat killed General Edgar!"


    "That... That... No, this can''t be happening!"


    "That''s a nightmare. That''s got to be it!"


    "How can a mere level 50 Spiritual King kill an experienced level 57 cultivator? That can only be a mirage!"


    Several cries of despair reverberated through that area. Yet, at the same time, more than half of the people there had already been wiped out.


    Minos'' group was indeed powerful.


    With several of the Elite Squad soldiers in this confrontation, it didn''t take long for their forces to demonstrate their local superiority.


    And it was not for nothing that in less than 3 minutes of battle, so many people had already died!


    After all, that was what happened if people with strengths similar to those of Spiritual Kings fought against ordinary Spiritual Generals!


    And with so many such individuals in that place, it wasn''t long before this battle turned into a massacre.


    "Kill those damn invaders!" Robin shouted as she took the tip of her spear from one enemy''s head and ran towards another target.


    At the same time, Pyke was running back and forth across the battlefield, slicing enemies from the end of the 5th stage in half as if it were as easy as cutting a bagel.


    With Barbara having turned the area she was in into a massive pile of bodies, it wasn''t long before Ernest, Minos, and Angela joined the slaughter, right after they had killed the experts there.


    "NOOO!"


    So, soon, the survivors began to lose hope altogether, while some were already trying to sacrifice themselves to at least affect their enemies in some way.


    After all, it would be humiliating for them, their families, and the kingdom if they died here without even taking the life of one of these opponents!


    But unfortunately for them, with Minos, Ernest and Angela there, mere Spiritual Generals could never accomplish such a thing!


    Spatial Sword!


    So, while Minos used almost all of his energy to form another attack with this technique, nearly all the survivors froze motionless in his surroundings.


    Then, he attacked a portion of those people with a large energy blade. At the same time, Angela and Ernest quickly shot towards the motionless people who were not in Minos'' sight.


    Swooish!


    "That''s the end. Finish them off quickly!" Pyke shouted, calling for all the soldiers in the surrounding area to provide support, to exterminate at once those enemies who wanted to sacrifice themselves.


    Pow!


    Rumble!


    Boom!


    ...


    As the battle around Dry City drew to a close, the soul lamps of that ten individuals had just gone out in the Brown family headquarters!


    Such a thing had happened in sequence, but it had been so fast that in just 2 minutes, the first to last Spiritual King sent to the Black Plain had died.


    And because of all this commotion in the place responsible for storing the vital signs of the most important members of this royal family, it wasn''t long before several people from that place went to notify King Brown!


    "Your Majesty, General Alan has just died!" The first individual to enter the royal hall said this as the sweat on his forehead dripped down his eyes.


    But before Thomas had a chance to get angry about it, other people entered that place, saying something similar to the previous individual.


    "Your Majesty, General Roger has just died!"


    "Your Majesty..."


    ...


    "Your Majesty, General Edgar has just died!" Said the final individual to speak, bringing the news of the last Spiritual King to die on the Black Plain.


    As they finished hearing this, all the people in that hall were in deep silence as they trembled with anger over this information.


    ''How could this have happened? Even small noble families would have been wiped out by facing that group!''


    ''I can''t believe that old Edgar fell into such a weak place! That can''t be happening!''


    ''So, the Black Plain is that strong. Damn it. We''ll face a full-scale war!''


    And while the stronger Generals of the royal guard pondered the matter, Thomas, who now was red with rage, could not hold back and punched the arm of the armchair he was with most of his strength.


    He might have sent that group to test Dry City, but at no time had he believed that even Edgar would fall into that place!


    He had even considered the possibility and was willing to take that risk, but he hadn''t believed it wholeheartedly.


    Consequently, upon hearing that such a group of experts had been exterminated, he couldn''t help but feel a deep hatred toward Minos.


    That was a hefty loss even for the Brown family!


    Thomas then gritted his teeth in anger, his eyes trembling in a desire to kill, and said. "Call all the leaders of the noble families of our state!"


    "Let''s march into the Black Plain and wash that place with the blood of the rebels!" He said, shouting with all his might.

 Chapter 722 - Counter-Revolutionary Army

    After King Brown gave his order for the family leaders of his state to come to him in the kingdom''s capital, it didn''t take long for this to happen.


    In just three days, every single representative of 19 of the 20 local noble families had already arrived in this city.


    With that, Thomas Brown soon gave his orders for those 19 individuals to gather their troops and march towards the Black Plain!


    He had told those people everything that the rebels on the Black Plain had done. From the crimes against the Silva family to the most recent incident, when more than 1,500 royal guards had been exterminated there.


    And upon finding out that ten more Spiritual Kings of the royal family had fallen in that place, almost all the patriarchs had been impressed by the information.


    They already knew that the current Black Plain was no longer that poor place that they and each of the people in that region had known. But between this territory being a potential rebel threat and a real risk to the union of this state, there was a big difference.


    That''s why they couldn''t assume that the forces in that place were so powerful!


    Anyway, after having been incredibly shocked by this, each of those noble representatives had promised to send their troops to the Black Plain.


    Since this place threatened the kingdom''s peace, these families would do everything to eliminate the danger that Minos represented.


    With this, King Brown had managed to form his Counter-Revolutionary Army, which was now marching towards the Black Plain!


    Such a group was initially composed of 50,000 guards from the 19 noble families and the royal house of the Brown Kingdom itself. But these numbers would increase as the war unfolded.


    The combined numbers of these families were far greater than that of this Counter-Revolutionary Army. However, these powers could not simply send all their experts to the Black Plain!


    There were still other organizations in the northern region of the Central Continent that they had to protect themselves against. In fact, organizations like the Scourges of the Devil were a danger, and also other royal houses and noble families.


    After all, just because the regional states hadn''t faced each other in quite some time didn''t mean that this wouldn''t happen if strange things happened.


    They even committed not to invade each other during periods of fighting against revolutionaries since it was in everyone''s interest that no revolutionaries succeed. But until the statute was used, it was every man for himself, and if anyone went soft, he could only blame himself if he lost everything to others!


    Therefore, these families and the royal house of the Brown Kingdom needed to keep a good portion of their forces in their territories.


    But they would send more forces to the Black Plain in a second moment when they finally had an accurate idea of the power of the organization behind that place.


    They already knew that Minos'' army was strong enough to kill high-level Spiritual Kings. Still, they had no idea of the full potential of young Stuart''s group in a war with numbers above tens of thousands.


    But these troops were not weak. Of the 50,000 individuals, only 10,000 of them were Spiritual Warriors, those who would do primary duty to support the top fighters.


    And with that, almost 40,000 of those individuals were Spiritual Generals, people from all parts of that stage.


    Finally, 54 Spiritual Kings were accompanying this group, the leader being none other than the supreme elder of the Brown family, London Brown, level 58!


    Since a level 57 subordinate had died at that location, King Brown had decided to send his uncle, the second strongest person in his family, to deal with the Black Plain.


    The enemy side could be someone with a similar proficiency to that level 57 cultivator who had died in Dry City. On the other hand, he could be weaker but with good tricks up his sleeve. Or it could be someone stronger, with better techniques.


    As such, sending London seemed like the right thing to do here to get this successfully resolved.


    On the other hand, while these many people were slowly moving to the Black Plain, many structures and things needed for war were being transported to that place.


    That group intended to take over the territory of Minos little by little, starting from each of the borders of that place. But sooner or later, they would have the whole area in their hands, and it would be time to attack Dry City head-on!


    For this, they would need powerful weapons. After all, there were no other cultivators of level 59 who could help King Brown to destroy the defenses that Minos had built in his city.


    Because of all this, even though the process of forming this Counter-Revolutionary Army was fast, it could take several weeks before big battles finally began to take place.


    They first had to establish themselves in that territory before such a thing could happen. That is, they were only humans who would need to rest.


    And so, this group of 50,000 people would subdivide, heading in four directions in that territory, where the largest teams would be based.


    One group was going to a small village in the western part of the Black Plain. Another to Maritime City and last teams would build large posts not far from the Yellow City and the City of Waters.


    They obviously wouldn''t enter the adjacent kingdoms since that could create a lot of trouble. But those were the best points to start dominating this area.


    And, of course, there would be some smaller camps scattered throughout the territory of Minos, those that would be responsible for quick, smaller-scale attacks.


    At last, the Counter-Revolutionary Army was formed, and it was time for war!


    ...


    While tens of thousands of people were preparing for future confrontations on the Black Plain, a group of three people passed through a specific part of the Endless Snow Mountain Range.


    The three people were flying on the back of a giant winged serpent with colored scales and a pair of wings next to its large head.


    Of the three, there were two men and one woman, each dressed in good quality clothes but not flashy.


    These were Lee, Alison, and Peter, who had left Dry City three months ago, heading towards the Snow Kingdom, where they had business to attend to.


    After this time traveling, they had passed more than half of their journey to their initial destination, the Meyer family town. There, they intended to do some business and seek information.


    But even though they had traveled more than half the distance from Dry City to that place, they had barely left the Kingdom of the Waves!


    Only today had they finally entered the part of the Endless Snow Mountain Range that divided this state with the Snow Kingdom. Hence, it would still take a whole month and a few more days before they reached their first destination in this state.


    Anyway, after this period, Lee and Alison had reached level 44. That young man did so a few weeks ago and this young woman only two days ago.


    As for Peter, the strongest one there was at level 47. But being far from the Spatial Kingdom, the foods rich in energy that were the standard in Dry City, he was far from achieving a breakthrough, even considering his struggles in that period.


    This group had avoided many dangerous regions of their route during their journey. After all, that Feathered Serpent could fly, something that made their lives much easier.


    But now and then, these individuals passed through human cities or weaker regions, where beings invariably appeared to challenge them.


    So, they had fought several times during these months, and it had been an excellent experience for everyone there, especially Lee and Alison, who had killed for the first time.


    That was a challenging experience for anyone, even in the Spiritual World. But because of the culture of this place, getting through it was not a big problem as the people in this world took death in battle for granted.


    Hence, these two had already gotten used to the displeasure of death and were now focused on getting stronger so as not to make some of the mistakes they had already made.


    They were at this moment leaving the territory of the Diamond Monkey tribe on the back of that winged beast, while two of them had purple marks all over their bodies.


    "In the future, we will take revenge!" Alison said in a regretful tone.


    ....

 Chapter 723 - Lees Groups Experiences

    After passing through Diamond Monkey territory, Lee''s group had had the misfortune to stop to rest near a place where some members of this tribe were battling.


    They knew that the Diamond Monkeys were very strong in this region and had avoided this territory of these beasts. But the area of such a tribe was not small, nor was it in a part where there were many different routes.


    Because of this, their group had stopped to rest within that tribe''s territory. But that had been almost at the edge of such an area. So, to have an idea, if one were to compare it, it would be the equivalent of being in the Maritime City concerning the core of the Black Plain, the Dry City.


    For this reason, and because they had previously severely needed to make this stop, they had decided to rest in such a place.


    But luck was not on their side, and Lee''s group had been involved in a fight from that tribe.


    "Those Diamond Monkeys are truly ridiculous!"


    "We were just passing through, but they fought us as if we had deeply offended them." Lee complained, remembering that they would have taken an even worse beating if not for Peter''s.


    After being involved in the fight of some Diamond Monkeys, part of those individuals had directed their anger towards the two youths who stood in their way.


    Since each of those individuals was of higher levels than those two and had massive bodies full of physical power, those two could not get out of that place without some marks.


    Luckily Peter was stronger than those Diamond Monkeys and managed to get out of that place without more problems.


    "Hahaha, you two take this very seriously," Peter said, smiling. "Before I joined the army, I traveled alone for several months..."


    "At that time, I escaped death several times. Some wild beasts even beat me on more than one occasion."


    "And you were not angry?" Alison asked.


    "Of course!"


    "I was angry and also fearful as soon as it happened. After all, losing to a spiritual beast is quite dangerous, since some of them see us as food, just as we see some of them the same way."


    "But luckily, I managed to escape, and after that, I didn''t worry about possible revenge. Even though I could go out in search of them." He commented, talking about his experiences.


    At the same time, that Feathered Serpent was listening to everything, agreeing and disagreeing with Peter in her mind. It then said. "The Diamond Monkeys are naturally very strong, competitive, and have rather, shall we say, active personalities..."


    "They were fighting among themselves when you were seen. At that moment, they felt that not only were you trespassing on their territory, but you were also getting in their way."


    "Because they felt that the strengths of you two were not so less than theirs, they decided to challenge you to test your power..." That serpent said, explaining why the two took a beating from those beasts.


    "They are fighting fanatics!"


    "In any case, Diamond Monkeys are among the most intelligent beasts in this region and are herbivores. So, it was unlikely that they would kill you two."


    "They just wanted to challenge you to decide if you had the right to be in their territory. And if you had fought and won, maybe they would even become your friends!"


    "They have great respect for individual strength, no matter what race."


    "Did you see how they reacted when Peter and I joined you?" This serpent asked, turning its big head and looking at the people who were its top.


    "Yes, they seemed to be despising us," Lee said while having an embarrassed expression on his face.


    "Yes, because not only did you guys not beat them, but you needed outside help. They truly despise that..."


    "But it''s not our fault!"


    "They were level 47 beasts. We can''t fight beings with that much physical power..." Alison commented, lowering her head and looking at the colorful scales of that serpent.


    "That''s true..." Peter commented, feeling that these two didn''t have a chance.


    "Well, in any case, I advise you not to place too much value on this defeat. Diamond Monkeys are extremely vengeful creatures."


    "Then you had better forget about a possible revenge." The serpent said this, advising those humans what to do.


    "You should just worry about following young Minos'' plans. Once you follow him obediently and don''t cause trouble, you will have a very bright future."


    "Hmm, we know..." The two said.


    This serpent didn''t know about the Spatial Kingdom, so it had no way of knowing that these two already had an idea of how talented Minos was and how far he could go. So she had given this unnecessary advice.


    But obviously, Lee, Alison, and also Peter already knew said.


    "By the way, I wonder how things are in Dry City. Do you think something might have happened in this period?" Alison asked, right after hearing that serpent talking about Minos.


    During the period that their group was traveling, they had neither received nor sent communications to Dry City to avoid possible trouble.


    They were traveling during a decisive period for the Black Plain. And since it would not be interesting if they were associated with that place, anything that jeopardized their origin had to be prevented.


    So, they were in the dark about what might have happened on the Black Plain since they left that place, just after Minos reached level 50.


    They knew of the army''s plans and some things that would happen in the short term, but these things were not immutable. Maybe something would happen, and the plans would have to be changed, or something would happen off schedule.


    So, they were curious about that.


    Peter then said. "Well, by now, the Brown family probably knows about the changes in Dry City, and it won''t be long before this develops into a conflict."


    "So, I imagine that soon the war will be upon the Black Plain."


    Hearing this, those two were somewhat concerned. Lee had an older brother and younger sister in that town. As for Alison, her parents were there as well. Because of this, they couldn''t help but fear what would happen during their absence.


    Realizing this, Peter soon comforted them. "Don''t worry about your relatives."


    "There are many Spiritual Kings in Dry City, and each of the soldiers in the Elite Squad will make a big difference in battles."


    "Not to mention that we already have several allies supporting us."


    "Hmmm." The two agreed without saying much, still worried about it.


    "Anyway, you two should focus on the mission we are currently on."


    "When we reach our destination, we have to make all the arrangements for the Black Plain to get the resources for the beast taming profession to be developed there."


    "And we still have the problems of transporting the beasts we buy here, as well as other matters..." Peter vaguely said as he remembered Maxwell.


    "We have too many problems to solve!"


    After Peter finished saying that, it didn''t take long, and those two focused their attention on what they could do at the moment.


    They were already away from Dry City and had their responsibilities. So, while it was good to keep their families in mind, it would not help to worry more than necessary about that.


    It would only hinder them in their mission and make no difference to the people in Dry City.


    Hence, they focused on those matters that were within their power at the moment while quickly leaving behind that Diamond Monkey tribe territory.


    ...


    While Lee''s group continued their journey to the Snow Kingdom, the Counter-Revolutionary Army groups moved bit by bit in the Brown Kingdom.


    Among them was the one that would go to the Maritime City, which contained a large part of the royal forces that were part of this army.


    This army might have a single purpose, but the members of such a force were not equal. So, the direct subordinates of the local royalty had the privilege of moving towards a well-structured city rather than small villages or temporary camps.


    So, this group was making its way to that place now, even though it was not yet complete.


    "When will the supreme elder join us?" One of the royals in that group asked that while looking at the person in charge of that group at the moment.


    "Mister London is very busy and will only join us once we have established ourselves in the four corners of the Black Plain. After that, he will join us to start the attacks against the rebel forces...."

 Chapter 724 - The Investment Of The Silvas

    Upon hearing that individual''s answer, the person who had asked soon understood the situation of the supreme elder of the Brown family.


    It didn''t seem worth sending such an expert to the Black Plain right away. After all, there weren''t that many level 58 Spiritual Kings in the region to be wasted just accompanying a group that was just moving around for the moment.


    That is, the battles wouldn''t begin until they had settled around Minos'' territory. So, there was no need for London to be here with the rest of these individuals.


    He could wait until the Counter-Revolutionary Army posts were set up and began to function, then he could use a beast and head for the Black Plain!


    And considering the faster beast of the royal family, this trip could take less than three days.


    So, the absence of the army leader was justified, and that individual who asked the question from before understood that very well.


    "So, that''s how it is..." He said in a low voice as he looked out the carriage window that he and some Spiritual Kings were in.


    "What about the folks in Maritime City? Have you guys received any feedback from that group?"


    Upon hearing this, another person standing there nodded in agreement and said. "Yes, I received a letter from them, and everything is set for our arrival."


    "I heard that they are very excited to fight the war..."


    "Oh?"


    "Hahaha, those guys must be out of form from having to stay in that place where nothing happens..."


    "But that''s good. We need men with the will to fight, willing to run onto the battlefield." The leader of that group commented in appreciation.


    "By the way, speaking of will, the members of the Silva family are quite excited for this start of the war." One of those four people in that carriage said this while making several hand gestures. "I hear that more than half of their specialists, including the patriarch Otis, are heading to the Black Plain along with the northern group."


    "Although quite bold, that''s not strange..."


    "After all, they have lost a lot of forces in the Black Plain and are probably eager to take revenge on the local forces."


    "Yes, that''s true."


    "They even put aside the recent conflict they had with the Miller family. It''s awe-inspiring!" Someone commented, recalling the incident that had made news in the kingdom a few days ago.


    That was evidently the attack that Minos had participated in, eradicating some specialists from the Silva family.


    After that, it didn''t take long for the news to spread throughout the kingdom and the information that the Miller family had attacked those four Silva family posts.


    Many of the individuals in those places were only Spiritual Generals, who had survived the attacks, having fled in desperation from those places after their specialists fell.


    Because of those people, the Silva family and House Brown had not taken long to find out about the Miller family''s involvement in that.


    The Miller family members who had attacked them had even thought about covering their identities. Still, their techniques were well known to the Silva family members. So, they had not taken such useless care during that occasion.


    Hence, it had not been difficult for others to find out about their involvement in the attack.


    As for Minos, the Silva and Brown families knew nothing, of course, since this young man had left no living witnesses.


    In any case, this had caused a problem for the Miller family when their involvement had been discovered, and the Silva family had denounced them to the royal family. But soon afterward, the incident on the Black Plain had happened, and the problem had lost all importance.


    One couldn''t compare the intrigues of two noble houses that had always had their differences with the risk of a rebellion!


    Consequently, the royal family had not pursued the matter, and House Silva itself had put this problem aside to solve it later.


    What mattered at the moment was dealing with Dry City, where their mortal enemies were!


    The Silva family and the Miller family might have a lot of history. Still, one had never gone so far as to cause so much loss to another, as Minos had done to House Silva. So, naturally, the hatred for him was much more intense than the hatred for his girlfriend''s family.


    That''s why the current situation allowed these people from this Counter-Revolutionary Army group to say those things.


    "But that''s good. It''s good that they all are focused on our enemies on the Black Plain. That will help our cause a lot!" The group leader commented once again, as he felt that at least as far as preparations were concerned, things were going very well


    ''At this rate, there is no outcome other than a victory for us!''


    ...


    Another week passed.


    Right now, Minos was in the Spatial Kingdom, doing the things he usually did around here.


    He trained his combat techniques, cultivated and then helped the few remaining soldiers there improve their understanding of the Natural Laws.


    But he kept painting new pictures inside that lake house whenever he had time and playing music for his Elite Squad soldiers.


    However, at the present moment, he had just done those things and was standing next to Mirya, talking to this woman about some of his plans for her.


    "You have already learned four Silver-grade techniques, three of them combat techniques. So, I believe your strength has already improved a lot, right?"


    "Yes, but I still feel a little weaker than I should be with these techniques..."


    "Well, that must have something to do with what happened to you before. But don''t worry, I''ll keep you here until you finish learning all those techniques and improve your condition a little more."


    "It would be nice if you stayed here until you reached level 53, but that probably won''t work since the enemies are already coming here..." He commented while remembering the information that the Miller family had passed on to the army post in Yellow City.


    "Sigh..."


    "OK. Since you intend to keep me in Dry City, then I probably won''t have to fight alone in the short term." She remarked, sensing that although she wasn''t as strong as she should be at her level 52, things probably wouldn''t be so bad.


    After all, there were already many Spiritual Kings in Dry City. And the Elite Squad already had many members capable of making a difference on the battlefield.


    "By the way, when will those enemies arrive?"


    "Probably some of them should already be arriving in my territory by now. But since they won''t start facing me until they have more troops around here, then that should take longer."


    Minos then made a thoughtful expression and said. "Maybe they will start marching toward Dry City in a month."


    He couldn''t deal with these individuals slowly coming into his territory since the enemies were smart enough not to cross this area anyway.


    If they traveled across the Black Plain without care, it would make their enemies'' duties much more effortless. After all, the advantage under the terrain was Minos'' and not theirs.


    So, every group coming into this territory was traveling through the borders to avoid entering the space of influence of Minos'' forces.


    Therefore, this young sovereign couldn''t act against these groups at this time, even though he knew of their presence.


    But it was also not harmful to let them gather.


    After all, Minos had an inside agent in that enemy army!


    These people could send the location of the groups around the Black Plain for this young man''s army to attack by surprise at will!


    And this young man wouldn''t even have to worry about some of them since they were already heading towards traps.


    "A month, eh... And how is your cultivation progress? How much longer will it take you to reach level 51?"


    "Well, I''m almost at the middle of level 50, so it should take me another four months or so to get there..." He was about to comment on this when he suddenly felt the aura of a particular person over there in the Spatial Kingdom rise considerably.


    ''Oh? She''s finally advanced?''

 Chapter 725 - Shift Change At The Naval Base

    Upon noticing Angela''s advancement to level 55, Minos immediately had his attention diverted to where that woman was standing.


    At this moment, Angela seemed to have lifted a great weight from her shoulders and had a light expression on her face, smiling with her eyes closed.


    But just after the characteristic thud of level advancement resounded through that area, she slowly opened her eyes, pleased with herself for finally achieving this advancement.


    She had been at level 54 for quite a while now, and if it weren''t for the Spatial Kingdom, constant training with Minos, resources, and a Silver-grade cultivation technique, it probably would have taken her much longer to reach level 55.


    And being aware of this, this woman couldn''t help but smile in satisfaction as she felt her body filled with energy, a tremendous power that made her feel the desire to go out to fight someone right now.


    Seeing this, Minos and Mirya, who had already approached Angela for now, smiled before finally congratulating this woman.


    "Congratulations on leveling up, Angela!"


    "Hehe, thanks, but that''s all thanks to Minos..." She said upon hearing the comment of those two, looking at Minos in gratitude.


    Besides those conditions, the fact that she had had time to herself, i.e., was free from Regina''s bodyguard job, had also helped her a lot. And knowing all this, she readily thanked him for this opportunity.


    And soon, those two women were talking for a moment with Minos watching them until he brought up a serious subject. "Hmm, well, now that you''re stronger, you already know it''s going to happen, right?"


    Hearing this, Angela nodded at him and said. "I''ll be at the naval base for a few days, right?"


    "Yes."


    "Since you have reached level 55 and already have all the Silver-grade techniques, you already have full capabilities to replace Celeste."


    "The Nash family has already made a considerable amount of preparations for our action on Stone Island. Besides, the Stokes family''s Spiritual Kings are already  at the naval base."


    "Then it''s about time Celeste left that place to handle a mission on Stone Island."


    "I see..."


    "When am I supposed to leave?"


    "Tomorrow," Minos commented as he began to take off the heavy part of his clothes, which would hinder him in what came next. "Since you''ve leveled up, let me help you get used to this new strength."


    "It will make you better prepared in case something happens on that base during the period that Celeste is away."


    "Oh?"


    At the same time, Mirya quickly moved away from those two, making room for them to start their match.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the Maritime City.


    At this moment, Eduard was in a meeting at the secret base of the Black Plain Army in that city, something built in secret, below the main fort of this city.


    Like the other army posts, such a base had a medium-level grade-2 defensive array.


    On the other hand, in this post, besides this level 52 Spiritual King, there were already more than 800 Sergeants around, including some members of the Elite Squad. Furthermore, 2,000 Corporals were already working in this place.


    These were the total numbers of soldiers in this place, either stationed in the army''s underground base in this city or the Brown family forts.


    These were those individuals who were here to replace the thousand or so royal guards who were at this moment in the Dry City prison.


    In any case, this place was already operating at total capacity, with every soldier involved in some local situation.


    Some continued to spread the word about Dry City among the more ordinary inhabitants of this city. But many had to deal with the constant arrival of individuals from the Brown family, who had been coming here since before the complete break of the Black Plain and the rest of the kingdom.


    Ever since the Brown family ''found out'' about the potential of the Black Plain, this coastal town had received reinforcements from that organization.


    But with the formation of the Counter-Revolutionary Army, things had only gotten worse!


    Hence, Eduard was dealing with this, working with the few administrative soldiers on this secret base.


    "Lieutenant, recently the number of royal guards in Maritime City has reached the 1.5 thousand mark, and at the moment, they already outnumbered our undercover brothers." A Sergeant standing there said this, looking at Eduard as he updated this Spiritual King on the numbers of enemies already in that city.


    Upon hearing this, Eduard continued with a serious expression on his face. He asked about another piece of information related to the enemy numbers in this city. "What about the Brown family''s ships? Are they all in operation?"


    That was not the only place with ports operated by the Brown family. Maritime City was where the great naval port in this state was. Still, large rivers and lakes in this state connected other parts of the kingdom with the sea.


    They were not suitable for large ships to travel, such as cargo ships. Still, smaller warships were able to travel along these waterways.


    Because of this, not the entire naval fleet of the local royal family was in this city.


    There were even a few warships around the sea in the vicinity of the Maritime City. Still, they were not significant for Eduard to worry about.


    Instead of them, what this man was concerned about were the warships that had been arriving in this city in the last few weeks.


    One of those Sergeants who were there then answered him. "There are already 17 warships on the outskirts of the city, and we have information that more ships are coming here."


    "According to the information passed on by the Miller family, we can expect more than 30 warships arriving in our city. These ships are intended to defend the maritime part of the kingdom."


    "That''s terrible..." Eduard commented in a solemn tone.


    Acting against the royal guards in the Maritime City would be relatively simple. After all, there was plenty of room here for traps.


    But concerning these ships, things could be pretty different!


    So, Eduard was naturally worried about having so many threats around this place.


    Because even if they were successful in defeating the enemies that came to this city by land, a few of these ships would be enough to destroy this town!


    And they would not only lose the precious inhabitants of this place, but also their lives would be at risk!


    The Sergeant from before then commented. "But three of those warships around Maritime City are already under our command, Lieutenant."


    "Oh?" Upon hearing this, a gleam appeared in Eduard''s eyes as he finally thought of something. "Well, since we have some of us among them, let''s try to mix some soldiers with the enemies on the other ships to plant some arrays on those other ships."


    "When it''s time to act, we''ll use those three ships to attack the others the moment the army warships arrive!"


    Obviously, he and the soldiers from the army naval base had already planned to act together to deal with the naval threats.


    When the time came for them to leave this city, during the attack on the royal troops at land, the naval base would send those warships given to the army by the Collins family.


    With this, they could somehow deal against these warships of the Brown family.


    The problem was that the enemy''s numbers were way above those of Minos'' army. And since naval battles depended more on the ships than the cultivators, Eduard was worried about this factor.


    But when considering that three of the enemy ships were already being operated by the army, he was hopeful that this could be the key to changing the fate of the future naval battle that would occur around this city!


    "All right, Lieutenant." One of them commented as he wrote this down on a piece of paper.


    "Lieutenant Eduard, we were recently notified by the Yellow City secret base that a group of about 15,000 enemies is expected to arrive in the Maritime City in the next 20 days.." Another person commented on that as he informed his boss regarding this information.

 Chapter 726 - The Future Of The Maritime City

    "15,000 enemies, huh?" Eduard repeated that information as he watched each of the people in that office forming worried expressions on their faces.


    "That''s truly a lot of people..."


    "It seems that King Brown thinks quite highly of our army."


    "Hmm, looks like they are not playing this time."


    Some of them commented among themselves, as they realized how serious the Brown family thought the threat from Minos was.


    After all, sending such a large group to Maritime City was impressive!


    Even considering all the additions of personnel in the Black Plain Army since its creation, this organization only recently passed 17,000 soldiers.


    But without much ado, the Brown family had already dispatched a group almost as numerous as the army''s numbers to this city alone!


    Not for nothing were these administrative soldiers negatively surprised by the seriousness Thomas Brown was using against them.


    Eduard then said. "It''s truly a larger group than we expected for this start of the war. Still, we were already counting on such large groups in the future anyway, so we''ll merely have to speed up our preparations."


    This post in Maritime City was originally going to be used at various times during the war to disrupt the enemies of the Black Plain.


    And they would only act in a, shall we say, more flashy manner when a large group of enemies arrived in such a city.


    However, since things had developed differently, they had no alternative but to skip most of their plans and go straight to their main movement.


    "Yes..."


    "As such, let''s adjust our plans with the arrival of this group of 15,000 individuals."


    "I want all the arrays and traps we have positioned around the city these past few months to be prepared for use as soon as this group finishes arriving here..." He said, looking at those individuals, and then stopped his gaze under a middle-aged woman.


    "These groups will arrive little by little, right? Will they establish themselves around here first before they start acting?"


    "That''s right, Lieutenant Eduard."


    "The groups responsible for transporting war resources and some troops were already arriving in this city in the next few days."


    "But much of the enemy force will not arrive until later, close to that 20-day deadline."


    "However, I must say that we cannot wait until the entire group is in Maritime City before we act." That woman said, looking thoughtfully at her boss and the other co-workers there in that office.


    "Oh? Why is that?"


    "The leader of the Counter-Revolutionary Army is likely to be coming here after the preparations of that group of 15,000 individuals are ready."


    "Such a person, as you already know, is none other than the supreme elder of the Brown family, who is supposedly at level 58!"


    Upon hearing this, those people were silent for a moment until someone gave his opinion.


    "Then we have to finish these enemies as soon as possible, or we will have a lot of trouble if that person gets here in time..."


    "Indeed. A person at that level, plus the naval fleet which is more numerous than ours, can complicate our situation a lot, even considering the traps."


    After watching those people talking about it, Eduard couldn''t help but agree. "All right, let''s do as Sergeant Hazel suggested. We''ll attack a little earlier than scheduled."


    "We''ll do that as soon as the number of enemies in that city reaches 15,000!"


    "With that, make the necessary preparations so that everything will be ready when that happens. All arrays, traps, and soldiers must be prepared for that moment."


    "All right, Lieutenant." They said that simultaneously as they felt a slight chill run down their spines.


    This action they intended to use against the Brown family was quite bold. After all, with less than a thousand individuals at the 5th stage, they intended to exterminate 15,000 enemies close to this range of strength!


    Some Spiritual Warriors were coming to this city with those groups or were already with the numbers of royal guards here in Maritime City.


    But they represented a small part of the enemy numbers.


    In any case, this was a tremendous difference in power that the differences in terms of the quality of their techniques to those of the enemies could not overcome!


    Hell, suppose they could eliminate 5,000 enemies without external help. Then that would be such an impressive achievement that the army would probably have to tell legendary stories about each of them!


    But 15,000, or even more than that, was impossible for them to handle such a large group with their forces alone.


    That''s why they would use strategies to reduce their opponents'' numbers before the actual confrontation!


    For this reason, explosive arrays, mental confusion arrays, defensive arrays, restrictive arrays, and so on were already spread around the Maritime City.


    They would help eliminate or facilitate the elimination of these enemy groups when the time came for the forces under Eduard''s command to act.


    But if this went wrong, that would be the end of them. Hence, this whole plan was quite audacious!


    "Good." Eduard then thought of a problem and asked. "What about the population? Have we finished all the preparations?"


    They knew that by going ahead with this plan, to surprise attack the troops of the Counter-Revolutionary Army, it would throw this city into the turmoil of war.


    After all, hardly all the enemies would die in this place without at least fighting. That is, some of them would undoubtedly succumb to the local traps, but others would survive to fight.


    And with that, something similar to what happened in Persephone could occur in the Maritime City!


    "Regarding this, of the original 300,000 inhabitants of Maritime City, 60,000 have already migrated to Dry City. And in these next few days, before this problem bursts, we will probably be able to send another 40,000 people to our city."


    "As for the rest of the inhabitants, those notified about the possibility of travel to Dry City have already moved to the residences further away from where we will act, just as planned."


    "But almost half of the population have not yet received any contact from us..." One of those soldiers said as he talked about the situation of the local population to Eduard.


    However, another person there waved his hand, asking for a turn, and said. "I''ve been working on this recently with the undercover soldiers, and I think we can launch a war effort program."


    "War effort program?"


    "Since there are so many individuals coming to Maritime City to fight in the war, we should use this to ask the local population to stay in their homes as much as possible. Or even migrate to regions further away from the city during this period."


    "With that, at least we can demarcate the human-free buildings and protect, if possible, those that we know there are people there."


    "Oh?" Eduard said in surprise, already thinking about this plan. ''That might decrease the number of casualties among the citizens of this place!''


    The plan was not bad. After all, as much as there were traps scattered all over the town, this was a city of 300,000, a place with a considerable area.


    So, even fighting here, only a portion of the local infrastructure would be damaged during the conflict since a good part of the enemies were expected to die before the battles took place.


    Because a portion of the population had already relocated and more people could do so through that program, the buildings closest to the traps could be left empty for this confrontation.


    And even if some people were unwilling to make this effort, the army could make some markings in such places, avoiding taking the battles to those locations.


    By doing this, they would somehow manage to save more lives in this place, whom they would allow joining Dry City soon after this daring act.


    After that, they would have to abandon this place since such an area would have already lost its great advantage.


    Defending two places was more complicated than one, after all!


    "All right, start this as soon as possible!"


    After that, it was not long before this occasion was over, and each of those people headed towards the places where they could settle these matters.


    That would determine their life and death soon and their opportunities for wealth if they were successful.


    So, each of them was in a big hurry to get this sorted out!

 Chapter 727 - The Fate Of Dean Chambers

    One week later.


    While Eduard was dealing with the Maritime City affairs, two individuals at level 57 were resting now on the Endless Snow Mountain Range, heading towards the Snow Kingdom.


    But from the looks of the two, anyone who saw them would understand perfectly well that at least one of them was not doing this of his own free will.


    After all, there was a spiritual array on his neck sealing his spiritual cultivation!


    Furthermore, someone in the vicinity would be able to see several wounds on that person''s body.


    Clearly, one was a captive, while the other was the captor!


    In any case, the two were at this moment sitting around a fire, where some pieces of meat were grilling, leaving an intense smell in the air.


    But even if the smell was mouthwatering, the aura of one of those men was enough to prevent even the mighty beasts of that area from approaching that place.


    So, there was not even a single living creature around that place, except for those two humans and the level 49 mount of one of them.


    Because of the tranquility generated by the power of one of them, the three living creatures were there without much concern, each one trying to deal with their own problems without bothering about the surroundings.


    One of them was facing a significant threat to his life since anything could happen when this trip was over. Therefore, he kept thinking about how to solve this and stay alive.


    On the other hand, the beast that was transporting them on this journey was thinking about the next few hours of travel ahead of it in this semi-frozen terrain of the Endless Snow Mountain Range.


    That was not the ideal place for it, a Red Antelope!


    But the great antelope could do nothing about it. Its master wanted to reach his destination as quickly as possible. For that, they had to pass through this area.


    Finally, the captor was reading some messages he had just received from a spiritual crow, which had departed from this place only a minute ago.


    ''... At the moment, we already have an investigation team heading towards Yellow City, where you previously reported the presence of a family target...''


    ''... With that, the Chambers family had their foundations almost destroyed in the Persephone Tragedy, with only six of their experts having their fate unknown. Except for Dean Chambers, of course...''


    As he finished reading these messages, the individual sent by the Snow family to capture Wallace Chambers, who was with the Chambers patriarch in this place, laughed out loud. At the same time, this caused Dean to put his thoughts aside and look at his captor with concern in his eyes.


    ''Have you gone mad?'' He wondered as he smelled the good smell of the meat roasting on that fire.


    "Dean, hahaha, don''t you want to know what I was just informed?" He asked in a tone full of malice as he looked at that person without a bit of compassion in his being.


    "If you want to speak, then speak."


    "Hahahaha." That person then laughed again as he threw that message about the Chambers family in Dean''s direction. "Your family is over!"


    "Almost all of them died in Persephone, and your dear brother was somehow killed by the brat Minos!"


    "Hahaha, we don''t even have to do much, and you guys have already fallen!"


    "What? Stop talking nonsense!"


    "It''s impossible for my family to be damaged in such a short time!" Dean retorted as his face that was pale before began to turn red with anger.


    But the message that that captor had thrown had fallen right in front of Dean, and he couldn''t help but read it.


    "Dean, soon all your people will disappear from this world!"


    "The Hayes family is already pursuing the survivors who escaped, and with this news, we might even be able to execute you with no one objecting!" He said this with satisfaction.


    He believed that because the Hayes had caused so much trouble for the Chambers, the actions of House Snow would not be considered, even if they did execute this person. After all, Dean was only one person, and the Snow family would only put his fate to the test later when this man arrived in the kingdom''s capital.


    But that would already be months after the event in Persephone...


    Hence, House Snow, in his opinion, had managed to rid themselves of any implication by acting against the Chambers family!


    ''Haha, we should thank the Hayes family and Minos for this great favor!'' So, he thought as he chose one of those skewers with roasted meat.


    And right after he started eating, it wasn''t long before this regional expert began to hear his ''fellow'' traveler roaring in a fury.


    "No! That can''t be! That can''t be true!" Dean shouted with little strength as he felt his head boiling with rage for the Hayes.


    "Almost everyone was killed! Even... Even..."


    "Eleonor!" He said that name in deep sadness, as he realized that his wife''s name was not among the missing people.


    That could only mean that she had also been killed!


    Hence, this man could not help but feel great loneliness at this moment.


    The Hayes family had massacred his brother, friends, subordinates, family members, cousins, and even his beloved wife.


    He had already lost his only son a few years ago, and now with the death of all his relatives, he was utterly alone in this world!


    And knowing that he would probably die without having a chance to get revenge only made this situation worse.


    "Bastards! I cursed you, Hayes family, Minos!" He shouted in fury as he punched the ground beneath his feet, feeling a strength he hadn''t felt in a long time.


    But that was all he could do. After all, the necklace around his neck was very efficient, and there was no chance that this man could gather strength on his own.


    Because of this, what he was experiencing was nothing less than something mental, generated by the deep hatred for the murderers of his family members.


    "Now you know how it feels, huh?"


    "But how many times have you and your family done worse things without even a good reason? How many of your descendants haven''t already made unlucky girls'' lives hell for being beautiful and drawing attention from the arrogant Chambers?"


    "I wonder how many families have been destroyed by the Chambers'' folly."


    "Humph, you all deserved this end!" He said as he made a disgusted expression and spat in Dean''s direction.


    ''Bastard!''


    ''Talking that to a ''chained'' person makes you a big man, huh? You son of a bitch!'' Dean thought about it but said nothing to that man.


    He already knew that such a person would not kill him no matter what he did. However, that person would undoubtedly torture him even more if he said exaggerated things.


    So, even though he felt an intense hatred for this person too, who had prevented him from fighting alongside his family members, Dean had said nothing.


    After a few seconds in silence, that captor laughed as he remembered something. "Hehe, but don''t feel so bad, Dean, with the information you gave me about the Scourges of the Devil, it won''t take such a long time before they fall too..."


    "Soon, everyone will forget about the fall of the Chambers family when our family starts taking action against those despicable death worshipers!"


    Dean had the information regarding the Scourge of the Devil headquarters localization.


    And after being interrogated for several days, he had told everything he knew about that organization to this man.


    This thing had taken a while to happen because this person had several things to find out and didn''t have much time to ''talk'' every day.


    In any case, the information about the Scourges of the Devil was already on its way to the Snow family headquarters in the capital of the Snow Kingdom.


    "Come on, you worm!"


    "Maybe you''ll have a chance to see the end of your family when we get to the capital.." Before throwing that individual onto the back of the mount that was accompanying them, the captor said such a thing.

 Chapter 728 - Celestes Arrival At Old Stone

    While Dean was being taken to the capital of the Snow Kingdom, Celeste was arriving in the capital of Stone Island, Old Stone.


    After Angela went to the Black Plain Army naval base, this woman and Celeste quickly switched positions. One of them took command of that place, and the other traveled to this island.


    They had needed a few hours to talk about the details of that naval base that needed to be watched closely. After all, that place was preparing to act in conjunction with the army forces in the Maritime City.


    So, they had had to settle several things in that conversation!


    But that hadn''t delayed Celeste and the three individuals accompanying her on this mission.


    Previously these people from the Stokes family had gone to that base using a 5th stage flying beast, which was quite helpful for this trip.


    And because of this beast, the trip had gone quickly, without any problems getting in their way, nor were they delayed for any other reasons.


    With that, Celeste, level 55, and the three Spiritual Kings coming from Mendy''s family, two at level 54 and one at the same level as that woman, were arriving at this moment in Old Stone, on top of a large green bird.


    And while this bird was lowering its altitude, those four people were talking on its back.


    "Lady Celeste, how long will we stay here? How are the preparations of the Nash family?" The strongest of the three asked, looking at the brown hair of that woman, who was standing right in front of him.


    Hearing this, Celeste answered what she knew without making any promises. "According to the army''s information, the Nash family already has everything prepared. So, it''s just a matter of us getting the opportunity..."


    "After that, it won''t be long before our affairs here are settled."


    "Oh? That''s good." The same person from before said this while feeling better for knowing that.


    At first, the Stokes family would not engage vigorously in the Minos war. Still, since this Nash family matter could impact even them, they had decided to accept that young man''s request.


    After all, this family from Mendy had been selling a lot of resources to Dry City. And these resources were paid for with the crystals coming from Stone Island.


    Consequently, even though this family was also a commercial organization, in a way, a regional rival of House Nash, they chose to help Minos solve this problem.


    But they didn''t want to stay on that island for long since things in the Cromwell Kingdom were getting pretty interesting in the last few weeks.


    That is, the Chambers had lost their territory to the Hayes family, and it wouldn''t be long before the royal family got into the game to subdivide that area.


    And for a medium-sized family, as was the case with House Stokes, this was their chance to get a slice of that place!


    That''s why these specialists from Mendy''s family didn''t want to stay away for too long, even considering that they were doing a job that was also crucial for their future.


    "Anyway, you guys better get ready for a pretty tough battle." Celeste then started talking about something that the army had been notified of by the Cohen and Nash families. "From what we understand, the Allens and the Collins family people have already entered into a partnership agreement to suppress the Nash family..."


    "That might make our mission more difficult since some high-level regional experts from that family of the Kingdom of the Waves have been dispatched here!"


    Hearing this, those three people made expressions of seriousness as they worried about it.


    "Does the lady have the information about their numbers and strength?" One of those level 54 individuals asked politely.


    He wasn''t speaking politely to Celeste just because her strength was one level above his, but because of his respect towards the Black Plain Army. And also because he knew about Silver-grade techniques, which this woman had undoubtedly learned.


    He and his two companions had been impressed to discover that there had been two people of Celeste''s level in Minos'' army previously. After all, their organization was led by someone who was only level 56 and was certainly much weaker than Celeste.


    So, Minos'' army had at least three people more substantial than the patriarch of House Stokes, something awe-inspiring for a newly created force.


    Because of all this, this man and the other two had a great deal of respect for Minos and the high-ranking soldiers of his army.


    Anyway, Celeste then answered that person. "The army has not passed on an exact number to me, but we expect at least five individuals from the Collins family above level 54 to be around here."


    "But maybe more enemies are acting... It''s just an estimate, after all."


    After saying those words, it wasn''t long before they landed on one side of this enormous city and made their way toward their goal.


    They couldn''t just go towards the Nash family since the surroundings of that place probably had spies from the Allen family. But just getting into this city of over 6 million people would not be a problem.


    They were mighty by regional standards but not powerful enough to draw attention quickly.


    Spiritual Kings at the middle part of this stage were no threat to the leaders of regional organizations.


    And even if any organization kept an eye on the arrival of people at that level in this city, it wouldn''t make that much difference. Their plan would happen in this place, and there was no other alternative but to come here.


    ...


    After some time, those four Spiritual Kings had already clandestinely entered Old Stone, following the hints of Elen''s family.


    After doing so, they had quickly made their way to a modest inn in one of the most humble neighborhoods of this city.


    This place seemed relatively quiet, with few people walking on the streets. Still, even these few people did not have satisfied expressions on their faces.


    Some looked as if they hadn''t slept well in months, while others seemed to be working harder than ever as if they were desperately chasing more crystals.


    But this was to be expected. After all, any war would bring negative consequences to even the lives of people unrelated to the conflicts.


    Not only were there fatalities on such occasions, as it had happened to many citizens of Persephone.


    When war broke out, food prices increased, as demand remained high while supply decreased because of conflict-related losses.


    An example of this was the Nash family ship sunk by the Collins family troops.


    And with a lower supply than demand and such losses, it was impossible to maintain food prices.


    With this came inflation.


    But in addition to the problem related to these costs, some products were unavailable. At the same time, many people had lost their jobs.


    Some businesses had gone bankrupt because of the trade war that had taken place at the beginning of the confrontation of the Nash and Allen families. Meanwhile, many job openings had disappeared due to this and other problems related to the local conflict.


    As a result, people had to stay longer away from home to get the crystals they needed to survive.


    In any case, the lives of the poor were of little importance to the powerful, and nothing had been done to reduce the losses of these people.


    The local royal family watched everything from afar without meddling, giving their vassals the freedom they had always offered.


    As long as something like what had happened in Persephone did not happen here, they would not bother to act just because of the economic crisis of these poor people!


    And amid this place, Celeste''s group was staying in this town, where at this moment they were receiving someone from the Nash family.


    "Gentlemen, lady, it''s good that you are already here!" A young man said in a tired tone but at the same time relieved by the arrival of these individuals.


    "The family can collapse in the next few days if you people don''t act as soon as possible!"

 Chapter 729 - King Cromwells Anger

    After hearing that young man say such a thing nervously, those four people looked at each other for a moment, realizing that the situation had worsened since their departure.


    "What happened?" One of them asked.


    The young man from before then began to describe the current situation. "In the last few days, the Allen family alliance has been putting more and more pressure on us. And with the arrival of the people from the Collins family, things have only gotten worse!"


    "Recently, we have lost several battles, in which many of our Spiritual Generals and even some Spiritual Kings have fallen. At the same time, we lost part of our territories around Stone Island, especially the island where we were receiving the resources traded by Miss Elen."


    That had happened not only since the arrival of the Collins family reinforcements for the House Allen alliance. Such losses by the Nash family alliance occurred since the great confrontation months ago during the attack on the Black Plain Army naval base.


    At that time, the Allen family alliance had gained a good advantage against Elen''s family. And even with the departure of the enemies from Farmland, it hadn''t changed the situation of House Nash all that much.


    That is, they had not been wiped out because of this change, which was great!


    But that had been all.


    After that, House Allen had gained the upper hand in the war. They constantly put pressure on the alliance made by Elen, having caused several losses for this woman in recent months.


    But with the arrival of the Collins family specialists, things had once again gone extreme for House Nash.


    So, for a few days now, the losses had started to get big enough for the leaders of this family to come to the conclusion that if something didn''t happen soon, that would be the end of them!


    "That''s how it is..." One of those two individuals at level 54 said this as he understood more about the Nash situation.


    Celeste then closed her eyes for a while, trying to imagine the current situation of this island, so crucial to the Black Plain. ''This Allen family is a pest, always finding spaces to change the development of things...''


    ''We have to do some heavy damage to that family, or the trouble won''t stop coming during the war!''


    She then asked. "Are the patriarch and supreme elder Allen in town?"


    "Uh? Oh, yes, they are!" He said, turning to look at that beautiful brown-haired woman.


    "Where are they?"


    "In the same place as always. At the Allen family headquarters."


    "Throughout the war, they only left their headquarters when big battles were happening. Other than those occasions, they are always on post at that place."


    "And how is the trap we ordered? Are the baits ready for action?" She asked as she remembered what had been planned by Minos and Elen.


    The plan was basically to get the attention of the Allen family leaders by using some of Elen''s high-ranking family members.


    After all, if such people were left ''unprotected,'' it would be a chance for one organization to try to wipe out the other in one battle.


    A war wouldn''t be settled so quickly, but as long as one side lost its core, the other would only have to do the careful work of pursuit and assassination.


    With that, sooner or later, the side that eliminated the core of the other family would win the conflict.


    As a result, suppose the patriarch and some high-ranking members of House Nash left their headquarters at this time. Then it was very likely that the high-ranking enemies would try to exploit it!


    That was the bait that Celeste had just talked about, the central part of the ambush against the leaders of the Allen family.


    Gulp!


    "Yes, they are ready." The young man answered, just after swallowing his saliva in nervousness.


    He didn''t know the details of what would happen, but he was aware that the patriarch would make his move right after this group reached Old Stone. And since he was no fool, this young man understood that such a thing probably involved great danger!


    So, he couldn''t help but feel nervous about what would happen from now on.


    "Good..." Celeste calmly said as she sat down on a cushion on the floor as if preparing to cultivate. "Let them know I''m already here."


    "They can start the plan as soon as they are willing. My group is already ready to act!"


    "Yes, I will let them know immediately!" The young man said before leaving that place in a hurry.


    ...


    While Minos and Elen''s plans were developing on Stone Island, some terrible news constantly arrived for King Cromwell.


    In the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom, this influential regional expert, one of the strongest Spiritual Kings in the region, level 59, was almost beginning to pull his hair out in anger.


    The cause of it all?


    The fall of the Chambers family!


    But this was not because he had a great attachment for the people in Leroy''s family.


    He did not.


    In fact, when he found out about the Persephone Tragedy, this king could not help but be happy!


    After all, he did not like the Chambers and only did not act against such an organization because it had not done anything outside the kingdom''s rules. And in order not to attract everyone''s hatred and fear towards himself, he and his family had tried to stay away from that organization of hot-blooded people.


    Despite the fact that the Chambers were most likely cancer that would eventually cause problems for them, the Cromwell family leaders were still outraged after discovering some disturbing things.


    Instead of just falling for an internal enemy, the Hayes family, which the royal family greatly welcomed, something else seemed to have influenced the conflict of the Chambers and Hayes.


    That was because, from the information the Cromwell family had received from allies, subordinates, and other outside helpers, the so-called Chambers family had taken a couple of hard knocks before Persephone Tragedy.


    Almost simultaneously, the Chambers patriarch had disappeared, and six high-level Spiritual Kings had died in Yellow City.


    After that, within hours of Dean''s disappearance and minutes of the deaths in the Kingdom of the Waves, the battle in Persephone had begun.


    The timing was truly incredible!


    But this was too much of a coincidence for the people in the Cromwell family not to think that there was something else there.


    As expected, upon further research, they discovered that Yellow City''s action was related to some power from the Snow Kingdom.


    On the other hand, an unidentified level 57 Spiritual King had been sensed in the vicinity of the Chambers family territory a few days before Dean''s disappearance.


    And with that, they had begun to investigate the whereabouts of all the level 57 Spiritual Kings in this region, especially those from the Snow Kingdom.


    After all, there weren''t many of them around this part of the Central Continent. And with the Cromwell family''s many spies scattered throughout the kingdoms, it wouldn''t be that difficult to get information on most of them.


    But just as they were investigating, an anonymous letter that had arrived at the family headquarters a few weeks ago emerged with crucial information.


    This letter talked about the Chambers'' connection with the death of the second prince of the Snow Kingdom and how this had to do with the competitor Minos killing Leroy Chambers during the last Spiritual Tournament.


    After learning that Minos was likely involved in the Chambers family experts murders, King Cromwell realized that the Persephone Tragedy was made possible by an outside force.


    Perhaps the Snow family!


    That had made King Cromwell furious!


    He had been disrespected by a mere prince, who had dared to act in his house, without his even being notified!


    There was no respect on that prince''s part for him, a king. On the contrary, it was as if the other side was simply belittling him!


    But that he could not accept in any way. As such, James Cromwell was at this moment in his royal hall, red with anger as he finished receiving the information from Minos'' letter.


    "Bastards!"

 Chapter 730 - They Kicked The Bucket

    "Presumptuous bastards!"


    "I can''t believe that old man let his brat do such a foolish thing!"


    "Does he think I''m not brave enough to destroy them?" King Cromwell said in anger as he let his powerful aura run out of control, causing the very building he was in to vibrate.


    At the same time, several people in that place are at their limits, almost fainting.


    As the Spiritual Kings there, although they felt the pressure bothering them, each was more concerned by the evidence that the Snow family had acted inside their ''house'' in secret!


    They had no concrete proof of such a thing. But there were many coincidences in this matter that made a lot of sense. And knowing that one of the Snow family''s experts had been missing for six months gave them even more confidence in that family involvement in the Cromwell Kingdom''s affairs.


    First, the matter of the competitor Minos killing Leroy, something they already knew had happened. Then the fact that the second prince of the Kingdom of the Waves had been killed by an organization they knew had relations with the Chambers.


    Then the information about the confrontation of the competitor Minos with Wallace''s group, which they were almost certain had happened.


    Not because they trusted entirely the words of the person who gave them this information in Yellow City. But because some of the Chambers family survivors had already been captured by House Hayes.


    And since they had questions to ask, it wasn''t long before this family discovered that Wallace''s group was, in fact, pursuing Minos on that expedition!


    With that, the fact that he had probably gone to the Snow Kingdom had become even more likely, as well as the possible Snow family connection in all of this.


    Because of these undeniable indications, these Cromwell family experts already took the Snow family''s involvement in all of this for granted.


    They only needed minimal proof, something their spies were already after, to be sure of the Snows'' guilt.


    From then on, there was only one course of action left.


    War!


    In other situations, perhaps the two sides could sit down at a table to negotiate some payment of fees or something to replace the loss of one side.


    But the moment was simply too troubled, and the Snow family''s action had directly diminished the Cromwell family''s overall power.


    After all, House Chambers was a vassal of the Cromwell family at the end of the day!


    And even if the Chambers was likely to disappear by fighting a war against a stronger family, House Hayes, that didn''t change the fact that the Snows had directly altered the fate of the conflict.


    To make matters worse, this had happened at a time when not only this kingdom but the entire region was experiencing tensions high above.


    That gave worrying signs to these specialists of the Cromwell family, who knew that their very organization was already preparing for the troubled future of the region.


    If they were preparing, so were others.


    And the Snow family suddenly diminished their power without even consulting them.


    Very suspicious!


    If House Snow had contacted this family, they would probably refuse to hand over Wallace for the revenge of the first prince of the Snow Kingdom. But if they still acted only against Wallace, things would not be as severe as they are now.


    After all, this other situation would clarify that the Snow family was only interested in Wallace''s head. Which despite being a loss, wouldn''t be that much missed for a state like the Cromwell Kingdom.


    But the way things had developed, it seemed that the Snow family wanted to completely wipe out House Chambers and diminish the strength of the local royal family!


    And that was unacceptable!


    Because of this, there was no chance that this Cromwell Kingdom family would negotiate with House Snow before they even fought.


    Since the Snows wanted to kick the bucket and start the war period in this region, they could be the first to make direct attacks!


    King Cromwell then tried to breathe for a moment, just after he finished saying his last load of curses, trying to regain his calm. He said. "Keep investigating the Snow family, but don''t report them for the time being..."


    "Let''s not let those fools erase the evidence of what they''ve done!"


    "Yes, Your Majesty!"


    "But send more of our spies in the Snow Kingdom to the capital of that state. I want the job done as quickly as possible!"


    "When we have proof of what has happened, we will send a declaration of war!" He said, as his eyes glittered with his murderous intent.


    Upon hearing this, the experts in that room agreed with the king and couldn''t wait to act against the Snow family.


    Initially, they wouldn''t want to fight a war right now. Yet, since the other side had acted first, they could simply raise the chaos in the region to the maximum in their own way.


    With this, they would at least have the chance to act first towards the other states, wreak havoc for others and push regional tensions to a limit.


    After that, they would be at war, but all the other states would probably have to experience the same!


    As such, this was all not so terrible, although they were pissed off at the Snow family''s bold actions.


    Anyway, after giving his orders and calming down a bit, it wasn''t long before all those people left that hall and went out to settle this matter.


    As for the king, he stood there alone, thinking about all this.


    ''Looks like that young Minos is with the Snows.'' He pondered over it in disgust.


    "That''s a shame..."


    "I''ll have to kill him before he gets any more powerful!" He muttered, feeling anger at having to act against someone who should have become his subordinate.


    ...


    A week had passed since Celeste had arrived on Stone Island.


    But so far, nothing had happened, and the plans drawn up by Minos and Elen were still developing in that area of Old Stone.


    And meanwhile, more and more troops of the Counter-Revolutionary Army were arriving on the Black Plain, specifically on the four edges of this territory.


    So, Eduard''s plans for the Maritime City were also developing, while the many soldiers of the Black Plain Army were already guarding the outskirts of the large enemy camps.


    The Miller family had passed these locations, after all.


    But so far, no battle had taken place. And while the Counter-Revolutionary Army was making its preparations for war, Minos'' army was making its own to act by surprise against them.


    In any case, no incidents had happened in this region since that last group of the Brown family had succumbed, and so, Dry City had still been growing in tranquility.


    The migration of inhabitants from Maritime City continued, and thousands of people arrived in Dry City every day.


    Such migration had, in a way, been hampered by the arrival of enemies on the Black Plain. But since Minos'' soldiers knew about the enemy routes and groups, it hadn''t been challenging to draw alternative ways for these migrants to reach Dry City safely.


    On the other hand, while people from the Brown Kingdom arrive in Dry City every day, individuals from the Cromwell Kingdom, Stone Island, and the Kingdom of the Waves also did the same.


    The Cohen, Stokes, and Nash families were still doing this service for Minos!


    That did not demand much since low-level people could do this service. So, even the unfortunate Nash family was still doing it.


    With all these people coming to Dry City every day, this place was getting more vibrant, despite the war against the Brown family!


    And in this place that already had almost 300,000 inhabitants at the moment, Minos was in his mansion, sitting next to Abby in the courtyard of his residence, watching Ruth cultivate.


    "Looks like Ruth is going to reach level 52 now!" He said in one of Abby''s ears as he felt his other girlfriend''s energy fluctuations reach the peak of level 51.


    Crack!

 Chapter 731 - The Location Of The Scourges Of The Devil

    After a distinctive sound reverberated through that area, the muscles in Ruth''s body finally stopped shaking while her soul stopped inflating.


    At this moment, she reached level 52, simultaneously as her soul and body stabilized with its new capabilities.


    Getting stronger meant becoming more resilient, with better regeneration, better senses, and so on. So, right now, that girlfriend of Minos was feeling pretty good about improving her characteristics.


    That was not as drastic as the spiritual cleansing during stage advancement or specific procedures. Still, it was enough to put a smile on anyone''s face.


    Therefore, when she opened her eyes, she already had a beautiful smile on her face, looking in the direction where Minos and Abby were standing.


    "Congratulations on reaching level 52, Ruth!" Abby was the first to say something as she stood next to Minos.


    "Congratulations, Ruth..." Minos said, looking at the black-haired woman before him, feeling good.


    He loved Ruth, and perhaps because of that, he felt happy to know that this woman was getting stronger.


    That was a gratifying feeling for him, something as good as if he had accomplished the feat he was congratulating Ruth on.


    "At this rate, you will probably reach level 53 before you return to the Flaming Empire." He said as he analyzed Ruth''s cultivation speed at the 6th stage.


    Ruth had arrived in Dry City just under a year ago when Minos was at level 48. And since she had warned him that she could only stay around for less than two years because of her sect''s rules, he had realized that there was still room for her to grow before this return of hers.


    "Hmm, I guess so." She said, still smiling, as she approached those two and hugged young Stuart.


    At the same time, Abby suddenly thought of something and asked Ruth. "By the way, when you leave, how long will we be without seeing you?"


    "I wanted to know that too..." Minos said, in Ruth''s ear, feeling the warmth of this woman, who at the moment was full of energy to spend.


    Ruth then answered them both. "Well, after I get back to my sect, I''ll have to do several missions until I can spend that much time away again."


    "At least that''s how it should be until I reach the 7th stage..."


    "Anyway, I think I''ll probably be gone for a year or so."


    "Oh?" Abby said in surprise. But unfortunately, she and Minos wouldn''t be able to have much time to themselves in that period.


    After all, the war that was beginning against the Brown family would probably not end anytime soon. And as such, in that time that Ruth would be away, Abby and Minos would probably not have many opportunities to be alone.


    On the other hand, this blue-haired woman had already grown accustomed to Ruth''s presence. Even though the two had a rough start, she would miss this woman more than be relieved that Ruth had to be away for this period.


    "Anyway, I''ll probably be back in Dry City before the war is even settled," Ruth said, smiling, just before looking at Abby and asking. "What about you? Will you become a Spiritual King before my departure?"


    "Tsk!"


    "I''m almost there already. I just need about 2 or 3 more months!" Abby said as she turned her face away, unhappy at Ruth''s tone.


    Seeing this, Minos used his arms to grab the waists of those women and start directing them to a particular place. "Hehehehe, let''s forget this for now..."


    "It''s time for you two to get a little closer..." He said in a perverted tone, already using his hands to feel the bodies of those two. "It''s time for us to have fun!"


    ...


    While Minos was working hard to keep his two girlfriends satisfied, a specific piece of information had arrived in the Snow family''s royal palace!


    After the information sent by Dean''s captor finally reached the Snow family headquarters, it wasn''t long before such a message was taken directly to the prince''s office.


    And just now, the future king of the Snow Kingdom was finishing listening to the report sent by that level 57 Spiritual King!


    "... Thus, I hope that Your Highness is aware of the risks of carelessly attacking this place." A person finished reading such a report, which had all the findings of the recent interrogation regarding the Scourges of the Devil.


    "So, that''s how it is..." One of the Spiritual Kings in that place said so. At the same time, his eyes showed concern, despite satisfaction that they finally got the location of the enemy headquarters.


    ''In a way, now that we know that, it seems so obvious...''


    Dean, the patriarch of the Chambers family, knew the location of the Scourge of the Devil headquarters. Thus, after being interrogated, he had told his captor everything, revealing the said place, which was at one point in the Endless Snow Mountain Range.


    Specifically, the headquarters of this assassins'' organization was between the borders of three states, the Kingdom of the End, the Snow Kingdom, and the Kingdom of the Waves.


    Such a place was one of the most challenging places to access in this region, an area without cities for hundreds of thousands of kilometers. Yet, at the same time, in such a region were the most extreme peaks of that mountain range, and a variety of powerful beast tribes lived there.


    Because of all this, it was infrequent for anyone to pass through there, something that had somehow made this location perfect for that organization of assassins.


    In fact, the Endless Snow Mountain Range had all the favorable characteristics for those who wanted to hide.


    Several powers were living in seclusion there, each of them being very mysterious and strong enough to keep the curious away.


    On the other hand, the climate and the terrain of that area made it very difficult to analyze those areas, which made some of the people in that office think that such an organization could not be anywhere else but there.


    But even knowing this information, none of them were in a hurry to act. That was because, besides the location, Dean had also talked about some of the strength of the Scourges of the Devil, which, although it was only a fraction of the power of that organization, was enough to scare them.


    According to Dean, such power had at least 3 Spiritual Kings at level 59, which he had already encountered!


    And as much as he didn''t know about the total numbers of that organization, it was enough to scare the people in the office.


    Three cultivators at level 59, that was something that only two families in this region of the Central Continent had!


    One of them was the Stone family from Stone Island. The other was House Carline, the most powerful family in the region, the royal house of the Kingdom of the End.


    Consequently, this was not something the Snow family could handle alone since they only had one person of that level, the current king, the crown prince''s father.


    That is, at least they could not act carelessly against such an organization.


    The Scourges of the Devil were famous for only accepting criminals who had reached the 6th stage into their ranks. As such, no matter how much they had mighty experts, this organization probably didn''t have the numbers in their favor!


    And that created possibilities for the crown prince of the Snow Kingdom to get his revenge.


    "Maybe we should start talking to other families who have issues against the Scourges of the Devil." Someone in that place said as he talked about the obvious point.


    "Your Highness, we may not be able to destroy those assassins on our own. But I can assure you that we are fully capable of forming a strong enough army!"


    "In our region, there is no shortage of enemies of the Scourges of the Devil!"


    "Hmm, that''s true..."


    "For thousands of years, those assassins have tormented various organizations in our region."


    "Yes, I do not doubt that a few dozen families are willing to form an alliance so that we can destroy the Scourges of the Devil."


    Several comments favorable to this idea sounded in that office. At the same time, each of those people could not disagree with that point.


    The Scourges of the Devil were scary and had made many enemies for years. And come to think of it, perhaps some vengeful individuals would rise and march against such an organization.


    "That seems to be the only way out...."

 Chapter 732 - Snow Family In Search Of Allies

    Hearing the comments of his advisors and allies, the crown prince of the Snow Kingdom, Ambrose, level 50, couldn''t help but agree.


    The Scourges of the Devil indeed did have enemies everywhere.


    Their strength was frightening to many. Still, suppose one undertook the service of gathering forces, then sooner or later, a strong enough force could reach the minimum to take them on.


    At the very least, there was hope!


    And as a prince of one of the states in that region, Ambrose had enough influence for him to at least attempt such a thing.


    He already had a mighty organization on his side, as well as many vassal families to help him. Furthermore, he already had the information that many wanted to have!


    In other words, he already had what it took to try to convince others to join his crusade!


    Therefore, he only needs to do the enlistment service, inviting other regional powers, influential individuals with a history against that organization, to join his group.


    As he thought about all this, he couldn''t help but realize that this was the best way to move. "Let''s do as you said."


    "Start searching for people and organizations that have grudges towards the Scourges of the Devil, especially those who have had recent losses to that organization of assassins."


    "They are probably the ones who have the greatest chance of joining our crusade." He calmly  said while holding a small gold orb in his hand.


    "But essentially, anyone who has suffered from the actions of those damned assassins over the last 300, 500 years also has the potential to help us in some way."


    Those who had suffered losses long ago were undeniably the ones most likely not to have such powerful resentments against that organization as to cause them to join such a dangerous journey.


    After all, grudges would always be most intense right after the incidents that created them!


    Not everyone desired vengeance after long periods or would be willing to take enormous risks for something that may have occurred centuries ago.


    Some people moved on after their losses and built new lives.


    But in any case, some people could be very rancorous and unable to forgive, no matter how much time passed. And Ambrose was counting on this nature of some humans to get supporters even from these groups of individuals who had lost to that organization a long time ago.


    It didn''t matter if such a thing turned into direct help from a specialist or financial support.


    Any support would be good enough!


    Once someone had sufficient funds, hiring regional mercenaries would not be difficult, which would greatly help Ambrose''s plans.


    So, he was interested in all the people who had problems to resolve with those assassins.


    On the other hand, he was in no hurry.


    He wanted to avenge his younger brother, but that young man had already died many months ago. And avenging him now, or in a year, or two, would not make so much difference.


    The most important thing was that sooner or later, it would happen!


    And considering that the Snow family didn''t have any big momentary problems, Ambrose was calm about this preparatory service.


    "We''ll get the names of those involved in incidents with this organization, and then we''ll send messengers to the most powerful families and individuals who have the potential to join us."


    "In the meantime, I want the specialists in my royal guard to begin making preparations for a full-scale attack on the enemy base."


    "Once we have enough people to help us, I want the attack plans to be ready!"


    Upon hearing this, those subordinates of his soon agreed to this, some of them already leaving that place to give the orders for the local investigators to start this service.


    On the other hand, Ambrose''s allies took note of his order, with some already preparing to send crows towards people they knew had the potential to join this crusade.


    Then, someone there said something. "Maybe we should question that youth, uh, Minos'' allied organization if they have interest in joining us."


    The Snow Kingdom Crown Prince''s group already knew what had happened to the Chambers family. In particular, the death of the six individuals who had traveled to Yellow City to take revenge on Minos.


    They had even sent a team to that city in an attempt for them to try to communicate with Minos.


    That had happened even before they found out about the Persephone Tragedy. That is, upon receiving the first communication from that captor of Dean, they had become interested in finding out what might have happened in Yellow City.


    If Wallace survived, which was highly likely given his group''s power, the Snow family would need to have that man''s tracks in order to punish him for his crimes!


    But after sending that team, they had found out about the Chambers family''s downfall, as well as the deaths of those six individuals.


    And since eliminating such a group required a large force, they judged that Minos was not alone and had strong support!


    On the other hand, a young man like Minos would probably not get involved in such a high-level conflict. So, he was probably alive, and perhaps he intended to finish eliminating the Chambers.


    After all, they were enemies!


    But to do that, he would probably need to deal with the Scourges of the Devil. This organization would undoubtedly protect the high-level fugitives from that family.


    That way, for this person who had cited that option, the force behind Minos and them were already potential allies!


    "That''s a good idea!" Another Spiritual King in that office commented, but he soon lessened the excitement of the people there who were interested in this. "But I don''t think it will be easy to find that organization."


    "Maybe that Minos was in Yellow City months ago. But what about now? Would someone as talented as him stay in such a place? I don''t think so..."


    Hearing this, the prince nodded in the direction of that advisor. "Yes, we probably won''t find him in that city. But anyway, we already have a team traveling there, and we will know about it in a few months."


    "Then we will leave this matter aside for the time being."


    After that, some people left, while the prince and his team continued in such an office, following their daily work.


    "Sigh..."


    "Now, it''s only a matter of time before we go ahead with our plans!"


    "Luckily, our kingdom is at peace, unlike what has been happening in the states of our region..."


    ...


    Two more days passed.


    At this moment, Celeste and her group were in some part of Old Stone, in one of the farthest neighborhoods from the center of this place, where one could even see the green of nature.


    This place did not have buildings as tall as those seen in the center of this enormous capital city. But, on the contrary, there were many houses in this part of Old Stone.


    However, even though it was very different from the denser parts of this metropolis, this place still had the most striking characteristic of this region. That was the rough terrain, full of mountains and nearby exposed rocks.


    Anyway, Celeste and her group were in this quiet place in the capital of Stone Island.


    They were standing in a small and humble house, from where one of them constantly watched the street through the gaps of a curtain.


    After a few days in this city, they had stayed almost all their time in this place, nearby where the Nash family had set the trap against the core members of House Allen.


    And today, the time had finally come for them to act!


    The patriarch of the Nash family and some high-ranking elders of that organization had left their headquarters a few days ago, intending to draw the attention of their enemies.


    And finally on today, one of those elders from Elen''s family had given the signal to Celeste''s group, indicating that the enemies were already on the move!


    Hence, Celeste and those three members of the Stokes family were already standing by in that place, silently waiting for their targets, while watching that deserted street in anxiety.


    "Someone is coming!" The weakest one there said this in a low voice, alerting his companions to the arrival of the ''guests.''


    "How many people are in their group?"

 Chapter 733 - Ambush

    Upon hearing Celeste''s question, that person was silent for a brief moment while still observing their target group.


    The group was now entering that street, each person mounted on beasts that looked like tigers with orange fur.


    And realizing that no one else was with that group, he answered that Lieutenant of the Black Plain Army. "Lady Celeste, there are six people in the enemy group."


    "The two individuals who are targeted by us and four more people, who appear to be members of the Allen and Collins families." He commented as he observed the symbols on the clothing or armor of those people.


    "Oh? It looks like they are preparing for something big..." The strongest of those three Stokes family elders commented this, as he thought that no one below level 54 would accompany a group with such strong people.


    After all, in a battle where the strongest are near the end of the 6th stage, a person weaker than that would probably get in the way or be killed solely by the remaining attacks!


    So, even though he was so far away from the targets that he couldn''t sense their spiritual fluctuations, this man could tell that the group possessed a great deal of power.


    "Yes, the bait seems to have worked well..." Celeste commented in agreement, realizing that this group probably wanted to eliminate the foundations of the Nash family in one fell swoop.


    The Nash patriarch and the elders who had accompanied him were outnumbered by that group that Celeste''s team was watching. Because of this, this woman realized that the opposing side was acting in the way she expected, trying to move towards where those baits were, with enough force to exterminate them.


    Minos and Elen had planned for the Nash group to start some operations in an area near this location, where this family''s heads would act as if they were preparing for something in secret.


    But with Allens and Nashs at war, it was practically impossible to keep the secret about such influential individuals leaving their headquarters. As such, the enemy side would find out about it sooner or later.


    With that, Minos and Elen hoped that this plan would attract those crucial members of their enemy organization, who would be on a quest to eliminate the pillars of House Nash, the ones that would invariably be vulnerable in this place.


    Because, although all of this was, yes, suspicious, the Nash family side had planned everything carefully so that the enemy side would realize that there were no traps nearby.


    They had not placed any spiritual array in the surroundings, as although it would have little effect on people at the end of the 6th stage, it could still cause some disturbances.


    That was, of course, considering the arrays sold regionally.


    After all, there weren''t many arrays for sale that could deceive or even cause deadly problems for the Nash family''s enemies. But, on the other hand, besides being expensive, these items wouldn''t be that hard to spot.


    So, even if they didn''t want to draw the attention of their enemies, the Nash family wouldn''t have used such a thing in the surrounding area.


    On the other hand, the presence of Celeste''s group in this location was enough for their enemies'' investigators to realize that the core members of the Nash family were not here without lookouts.


    But only level 54 and 55 cultivators were not enough to scare people at the latter part of the 6th stage!


    So, instead of guarding against the enemy because of the presence of Celeste''s group here, or even not coming here at all, the presence of this group had made this opportunity for action even more credible.


    After all, it made a lot of sense to do something critical and post lookouts strong enough to act.


    Therefore, this plan had come to this moment, where the targets of Celeste''s group were heading toward where the baits were!


    "Well, get ready!" Celeste commented to those three in a low voice. "We will attack as soon as the other side reaches their destination."


    Gulp!


    "All right!"


    And then the four began to move, following behind their targets up the street from where they could not be seen.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the area where the four Miller family prominent members were...


    At this location, the patriarch and the three strongest individuals of the Nash family were inside a room in the middle of a mining area in that neighborhood.


    Old Stone had many ores due to its natural composition. And even though the best ores had already been extracted from this area of the capital of Stone Island, there were still small mining posts around this city.


    These were small outposts where only a few people extracted ores used to develop low-grade items. Because of this, even in this big city, in places more distant from the center, sites like these existed.


    And precisely because this place was a little larger than the surrounding buildings, Elen had chosen this area for the whole operation to take place.


    Anyway, some people were working nearby, but they were all members of the Nash family, who were there to keep up appearances.


    Some looked like they were just mining, but others looked like blacksmiths building weapons.


    While these people made it look like something big was happening in this place, the four individuals were talking apprehensively.


    "Richard, can we trust this group from the Black Plain?" One of the two elders next to the patriarch and supreme elder of the Nash family asked Elen''s father in doubt while sweating considerably.


    He knew the risk of this operation to not only their lives but the fate of the entire family. As such, he couldn''t help but question the supreme elder, the father of the woman who had put them in this situation.


    The benefit of succeeding in this place was too great, which was the reason they were here. But with the decisive moment getting closer, doubts kept running through his mind, not only of this man but also of everyone there.


    And then Elen''s father, Richard Nash, level 58, answered in a sincere tone, "Sigmund, I cannot say for sure, since I have never seen these people in action. But the current Black Plain is indeed mysterious and cannot be underestimated..."


    "Do you remember what little Elena did?" He asked as he looked thoughtfully at that person, level 56, who had previously asked the question.


    "Yes, how could I forget..." Sigmund said after sighing, remembering that Elena had killed several Spiritual Kings during her recent passage through Stone Island.


    They knew that woman was part of Minos'' army and had Silver-grade techniques, which young Stuart had tried to use to make Elen another one of his soldiers.


    And since Elena had fought side by side with the Nash family in the great battle of a few months ago, these men knew very well how capable she was just by joining the Black Plain Army.


    That was why the supreme elder had used her as justification to claim that the Black Plain could not be underestimated!


    "In any case, the people who are going to help us today are probably capable of doing the job, or they wouldn''t even come to help us..." The patriarch, level 58, said something for the first time. "They have no obligation to it, after all."


    "Then let''s trust the plans of little Elen and young Minos." He said as he looked in a specific direction and noticed something. "They are here."


    After hearing this, the others became even more alert, beginning to make preparations for what would come next.


    "All of you, we have guests!" One of them shouted, warning the family members outside that room to hide as quickly as possible.


    On the other hand, the patriarch looked in the direction of Richard''s shoulder, where an arm was missing, and said. "Try to stay in the rear in case something happens."


    Hearing this, Richard felt a little bad for the injury he suffered in the great battle of months ago. Such a thing had even taken the pleasure out of reaching level 58 in that period!


    But he understood that being a burden was the worst fate he could have in this place. As such, he did not complain about the advice of Marvin, young Luke''s father.


    "Come on!"

 Chapter 734 - This Is Your End

    In the blink of an eye, the four members of the Nash family were surrounded by the six individuals that Celeste''s group had spotted earlier.


    There weren''t many defenses in this area. After all, this place was not designed to attract attention, something difficult to accomplish with many arrays or high-level people in the vicinity.


    But it wasn''t an utterly unprotected place either. That is, even if this post had to look superficially weak, for this place to sound more realistic, there was a need to have some devices.


    Among them were some sound and distraction arrays, useful to alert people in this place and help in escapes or similar situations.


    And when the adversary Spiritual Kings had invaded this place, it hadn''t taken long for these items to start working at total capacity.


    That had given room for the weaker individuals in that place to run for refuge while the stronger ones stood by to act against the invaders.


    At the same time, the group led by the patriarch of the Allen family had not had the chance to attack by surprise. Instead, they ended up in the current situation, surrounding those four people while looking seriously at them.


    "Duncan, you bastard, this is Nash family property!"


    "Do you think you can just walk in here anyway?" The Nash patriarch said in an angry tone while circulating his energies, ready to fight at any moment.


    "Humph!"


    "Marvin, you truly are an idiot!"


    "Still talking nonsense even at this last moment of your life..." The Allen family patriarch said this while having his two hands holding a purple-bladed sword.


    "Why don''t you try something better? Come on, who knows, maybe your last words won''t be forgotten!"


    "Hehehe, let''s just finish them off, patriarch!" One of the other Allen family members in that place said this, smiling maliciously.


    At the same time, each of his companions was in battle position, waiting for the best moment to act.


    "Today is the beginning of the end for your Nash family, Marvin!" So, another person said, someone wearing armor with the Collins family symbol on it.


    After this was said, the other Collins family expert in that group, level 57, then nodded to his level 56 companion and commented. "You guys should just give up on all of this. Your alliance can''t beat ours..."


    "Why don''t you just give yourselves up? Then, we can guarantee painless deaths for you and your family members!"


    Hearing the comment of those Spiritual Kings of House Collins, Elen''s father couldn''t help but spit on the ground and make an ugly expression at those people. "You Collins people are by far the most overbearing people I''ve come in contact with!"


    He then laughed and continued. "But don''t misunderstand me, you imbecile vermin."


    "Regardless of what happens to our Nash family, your House Collins is already dead!"


    "You just don''t know it yet."


    "You guys should never have challenged the person behind that naval base!" One of the level 56 Spiritual Kings of the Nash family who was standing there said this as he looked at those two Collins as if he was seeing two walking corpses.


    "Tsk!"


    "Someone about to die like you doesn''t need to worry about us!" The stronger of those two individuals said this, as he felt even more compelled to kill the people of the Nash family.


    He and his companion naturally wanted to eliminate the Nash family to prevent this organization from creating problems for House Collins one day because of what had happened before.


    That was the rational thing to do, to eliminate an enemy before he had a chance to retaliate. But these two individuals, as well as the rest of that family, didn''t have an extraordinary hatred for Elen''s family.


    After all, until recently, neither of the two had had any significant confrontations, being two families that even had relations, although not substantial, that was peaceful.


    So, it was difficult for these people to have a great hatred for these Nash family members, as those from House Allen felt for their historical rivals.


    But upon hearing the comment from Richard and that other Nash elder, these two men from the Collins family could not help but feel an intense irritation.


    Patriarch Nash then looked in the direction of those two for a moment and said. "I used to respect your family, but it seems that you are some hot-blooded fools who don''t know how to respect others..."


    "Your action from months ago will be the cause of your destruction!"


    "Bastard!"


    "That old devil truly likes to talk nonsense, huh?" The supreme elder of the Allen family said this as he laughed at the plight of that regional expert.


    "Maybe the end made each of them lose their lucidity..." Duncan declared before finally giving the signal for them to act. "Enough stalling, time to get it over with!"


    But instead of one of those people from the Nash family''s enemy group saying something, Marvin himself agreed with that enemy. "Yes, some people have to die!"


    "Attack!"


    After both sides shouted the same thing, the spiritual energy in the surroundings quickly became turbulent as powerful spiritual attacks formed in the air due to the techniques of those ten people.


    Each of them was a regional expert, individuals with a lot of power at their disposal, and the ''best'' techniques in the region.


    Consequently, the commotion in their surroundings was not insignificant!


    "Duncan and I will deal with the old demon Marvin. The rest of you take care of those three!" Rolf Allen said this to those other two members of his family and the allies coming from the Collins family.


    Duncan and Marvin were on the same level. Still, since the Nash patriarch was the main target in this place, the Allen family group couldn''t help but act against him in such a decisive manner.


    Richard was also at level 58, while the supreme elder of the Allen family was only at level 57. But considering his situation, he was not much of a threat to this other group, something that would prevent those two strongest individuals of House Allen from dealing against Luke''s father.


    As such, the two strongest individuals there were preparing to deal with Marvin once and for all!


    And considering that Duncan''s group had the numerical advantage here, dealing with those other three members of the Nash family would not be so difficult.


    Obviously, it wasn''t something easy, but since each of them was at level 56 or higher, their lives wouldn''t be at risk in this place!


    And with that in mind, those people began to move toward their respective targets, following the plans of the patriarch and supreme elder Allen.


    "Duncan, Rolf, it won''t be long before you regret all this!"


    "Your family will be wiped out before mine. You can bet on that!" Marvin said aloud while he had a severe expression on his face as he ran around that place.


    "Let''s see how long you keep talking nonsense!" In anger, Duncan said this while cutting the air in front of him with his sword, creating a powerful attack.


    "If you think those four can help you, you are mistaken!"


    He knew that there were some Spiritual Kings around this place since his family had discovered the presence of some experts in the vicinity of this area.


    But what could two level 55 and two level 54 Spiritual Kings do against their group?


    In patriarch Allen''s opinion, those four people could even raise the difficulty of the mission to eliminate the upper echelon of House Nash. But at no time had he felt that such people could endanger the lives of him and his companions!


    The difference in levels was not easily overcome, after all.


    As such, he had made that comment confidently!


    On the other hand, while they were acting here, other Spiritual Kings from the Allen family alliance were also in the surrounding area to deal with those four.


    At the same time, once these people here were eliminated, the Allen family forces would take the opportunity to attack the rest of House Nash.


    Consequently, this patriarch was confident now as he danced with his sword, fighting with Rolf against Marvin.


    But as he and his group began to press the Nash family leaders, a particular noise reverberated through that place, forming an intense current of air in some directions.


    Void Fists!

 Chapter 735 - Unpleasant Surprise

    As that Allen family group was beginning to press on the enemy side, suddenly strong vacuum currents crossed that area, heading towards the two leaders of that family, Duncan, and Rolf.


    Each of these attacks was in the shape of a giant fist, which was even faster than the speed of sound, and from where it passed, left a characteristic sound of air being pushed hard.


    At the same time, when it seemed that a storm was about to form, the people there finally noticed the attack, with reactions of excitement and fear.


    That is because such attacks were so strong that it was compatible with the power displayed by nobles in this region who had reached level 58!


    Consequently, the arrival of someone like that in this place was terrible for some people here!


    Yet this was only true for those people in the Allen family group since Richard and his companions had already expected something like this to happen. So, they were delighted to find that Minos had sent someone competent to help them!


    But while everyone there realized that someone powerful had arrived at that place, the attack from before quickly reached its targets, giving no chance for those two to dodge!


    Pow!


    Earlier, those two Spiritual Kings were beginning their battle against Marvin. Because of that, as well as that attack being launched suddenly, neither of them had had time to dodge!


    "Ahhhhhh!"


    "Ahhhhhh!"


    And then, it wasn''t long before the first sounds of agony reverberated through that place, as Rolf suffered tremendously from the attack he had received right in the middle of his back.


    Such a thing had affected him much more than what had happened to Duncan since there was a one-level difference between him and the patriarch of his family.


    Consequently, being hit by surprise by Celeste''s attack, this supreme elder was unlucky, and several of his ribs were broken. At the same time, he was thrown forward, falling face down on the ground.


    As for Duncan, although he had not suffered that much from Celeste''s attack, he was feeling his two forearms partially numb. Meanwhile, he had been dragged back a few meters because of it.


    "Ahhh!"


    "Disgrace!"


    "Who did that?" Patriarch Allen shouted in anger as he pulled his arms out of the defensive formation he had managed to make to defend himself against Celeste''s attack.


    The attack he had received was as strong as his own!


    But as this man expressed his pain, the people attacking those other three Nash family members in that place took a few steps back, making room for those three.


    Meanwhile, they were already looking toward where four people were running, already in positions to act against the newcomers if necessary.


    ''They are only level 54 and 55 Spiritual Kings... So, who launched that last attack?'' One of the two envoys from the Collins family thought about it as he looked in the direction of Celeste''s group.


    ''These people, I know them from somewhere... Where do I know them from?''


    ''What''s going on here? Who launched the attack from before?''


    But while those people were confused by all this, Marvin and his three companions felt much better seeing those people.


    "Hahaha, let''s see who will die now, old fart!" Richard said as he tried to distance himself from those four opponents, heading in Rolf''s direction. "I will take your life, vermin!"


    "Ahhh!"


    But Rolf couldn''t say anything to that man because Celeste''s initial attack had left him in excruciating pain in his ribcage.


    "You two, fight together with the Stokes to occupy those four..." Marvin said aloud as he spoke to those two elders standing there with him and Richard. "Richard, Miss Celeste, and I will deal with those two!"


    And with that said, those two Nash family''s elders didn''t take long to start running around that place in a way that the three members of the Stokes family had a chance to join them.


    Now that the situation had changed, it was their turn to surround their opponents!


    But as Celeste and those three individuals separated, running in different directions, the Allen patriarch was looking at that woman with a completely dark expression.


    "You..."


    "You are the one who attacked me!" He said in anger, already preparing to take action against that woman.


    But Celeste didn''t give a damn what this person wanted to say to her.


    Instead, she just concentrated on her techniques, running at full speed towards that man, while preparing to deal with this person!


    Her first attack had considerably injured the supreme elder Allen. Because of this, such a man could probably be dealt with by Elen''s father, even if the Nash family''s supreme elder had one arm less.


    With that, Celeste could focus on eliminating the main target of this mission while taking advantage of the help of the patriarch Nash.


    "Mister Marvin, attack with me!" Celeste said as she placed her two hands on top of each other in parallel while a red glow appeared there quickly.


    Stellar Destruction!


    She then jumped forward with great force, reaching a few meters between her feet and the ground, heading towards Duncan.


    As she did so, the technique she had just activated grew in size, glowing brighter and brighter, as if it would explode at any moment.


    She then launched her attack in the direction of that target, using a significantly large amount of energy.


    ''Bitch! You''re kidding me!'' Duncan thought in his mind, feeling the powerful attack Celeste was throwing at him.


    But he was not so much slower than that woman. So, he readily activated his defenses as he moved around trying to dodge such an attack, prepared to use his sword technique when he had the best opportunity.


    "Don''t forget about me!" Marvin solemnly  said as he brought his hands together at chest height and circulated his energies.


    Immediately after Luke''s father''s voice sounded through that area, dozens of arrows appeared on him, each of them glowing in a greenish color, quivering as if on the edge of exploding in power.


    Ssss!


    Vuup!


    And then, two powerful attacks were heading towards Duncan, making this man feel extremely unhappy at the moment.


    "Danm cowards!" He said this in horror, as he felt bad that the enemy trap had tricked him.


    But while expressing his great fury and fear of what would happen next, he promptly launched a powerful attack in the direction of the burning ball sent in his direction.


    He could not defend himself against Marvin''s and Celeste''s attacks simultaneously. Hence, he could only use his attack technique to counter one of the enemy attacks while defending against the other!


    That was not good, but this was the only alternative for him, considering his situation. After all, fighting against two people, each as strong as yourself, was not easy at all!


    Swooish!


    "Assholes! Don''t think you''ll get out of this place in one piece today!" He shouted just before clenching his jaw and preparing for Marvin''s attack.


    ...


    While the three strongest in that place were fighting, Richard had finally caught up with Rolf.


    Elen''s father was at this moment launching his most decisive attack in the direction of that enemy, using a big and red spear to try to destroy his enemy''s body.


    This weapon was not appropriate for him now, but he had no choice. After all, his primary attack technique required the use of that weapon!


    And since it was no good changing techniques for others of the same rank, this man was doing what he could to fight with one arm less.


    In any case, he was gaining an advantage over Rolf due to his superior level and the previous advantage of his opponent being wounded by Celeste''s attack.


    "Richard, you bastard, I should have killed you when I had the chance!" Rolf shouted in fury as he dodged the tip of Elen''s father''s spear, trembling in pain.


    "Old fart, taking my arm was the only thing you accomplished!"


    "But today, I will collect that debt with interest!" He said in a somber tone as he put even more force into his attack, trying at all costs to pierce his opponent''s chest.


    ....

 Chapter 736 - The Result

    Immediately, the tip of Richard''s long spear cut through the air towards Rolf''s chest, as it shone brightly and created a current of air where it passed.


    At the same time, the target of Elen''s father''s attack was opening his eyes in great fear, almost to the point where they were falling out of his eye sockets.


    At that instant, he had suddenly stopped moving backward when he felt his right heel hit the beginning of a large rock wall.


    ''Damn, I''m at a dead end!'' So, he thought in a split second as he realized that his enemy had put him in this situation without him even realizing it.


    And indeed, having to fight an opponent of a higher level than his while he was injured, feeling a lot of pain, had taken some of his attention away. Because of this, he had fallen into Richard''s plans, putting him in a highly precarious position right now.


    In any case, time stood still for no one, and Richard''s spear was getting closer and closer to its destination, while Rolf was trembling with fear at this instant.


    "Die, you bastard!"


    "Damn it!" Finally, Rolf shouted in desperation, using all the energy left in his body to try to activate his defensive technique once more.


    However, it didn''t matter whether or not he would be able to survive this attack. Once such a thing happened, death was the only thing he could expect regardless of the outcome.


    Once someone was utterly exhausted, anyone with comparable levels could effortlessly eliminate such an individual!


    Therefore, even defending himself in this situation would not improve Rolf''s situation at all.


    And he couldn''t help but deeply regret that.


    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" He finally shouted without restraint, causing his voice to spread over hundreds of meters away.


    At that moment, the tip of Richard''s spear had broken through that man''s last defenses and then through armor and skin until it struck its target''s heart!


    Sensing this, Rolf put both of his hands on the part of the spear handle that was pressing him against the wall in an attempt to stop the weapon.


    But the strength of one arm of Richard was already more significant than what Rolf had at this moment. So, the spear slowly continued its way through that man''s heart until its tip came out through his back!


    At this moment, Rolf finally stopped screaming as his blood began to pour out of his mouth while some parts of his body trembled.


    He was looking deep into Richard''s eyes as if ready to make his last threat, maybe cursing this person he had been a rival of for hundreds of years.


    But the darkness of death had already surrounded the supreme elder of the Allen family, as his eyes continued to stare into Richard''s, but he could no longer see.


    Puff!


    Noticing the lifelessness in the eyes of the person in front of him, Elen''s father didn''t take long to pull his spear back, releasing the man in front of him.


    Then Rolf''s lifeless body slowly fell to the ground, with him at first dropping to his knees, until the local gravity pulled him entirely to the ground.


    He was finally dead!


    And seeing a pool of blood begin to form beneath that body, Richard said nothing and just watched that person for a few moments.


    After that, he simply left such an individual behind and headed towards where those four enemies were fighting against the elders of the Nash and Stokes families.


    "Now it''s your turn, you damn Collins!"


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, a few minutes had passed since the beginning of that conflict.


    At this moment, of the six individuals who had come to this place in an attempt to settle their differences with the leaders of the Nash family, only 2 of them were left alive.


    Besides the supreme elder of the Allen family, the other two elders who had accompanied him and the patriarch Duncan had died not long after Richard joined that other fight.


    But after the death of those three people, Richard''s group, the two Nash elders, and the three Stokes elders had only managed to eliminate the weakest of the two Collins family members.


    Such people were the strongest in this place, apart from the two leaders of the Allen family, of course.


    And since Richard was dealing with Rolf at the very beginning of the fight, the five men who had faced the four opponents there had suffered almost as much as the other side.


    As a result, after those three people were gone, Richard''s group had difficulty dealing with the two Collins, only managing to kill the weakest of them, level 56, after several minutes.


    But all that battle had not come without cost!


    During the entire battle, from the beginning to the moment when there was only one Collins left alive in this place, two individuals from the Stokes family and one from House Nash had taken heavy blows.


    One of them had lost a hand in the battle, while the other two had severe wounds in their chest regions.


    Because of this, only the supreme elder Nash, one of the elders of this same family, and another of House Stokes were left fighting at the moment against that level 57 individual.


    On the other hand, Celeste and Marvin had just finished their battle against the Allen patriarch!


    After a hard fight for that individual, Celeste and Marvin had managed to weaken him more and more, while they had not suffered as much during the fight.


    But Duncan Allen was indeed a formidable fighter and had done some damage to those two, to the point that although their lives were not at risk, they would both have to live with memories of that fight on their skins!


    At least that''s how it would be for quite some time.


    In any case, fighting two opponents of equal proficiency was an almost impossible task to accomplish and still survive. And as expected, it didn''t take long for that individual to become exhausted and suffer the fatal blow!


    However, after fighting those two for several minutes and suffering severe injuries throughout his body, Duncan succumbed to one of Marvin''s arrows that had pierced his head!


    This arrow had pierced his head through the middle of the back of his neck, with the tip coming out right in the middle of Duncan''s eyes while he had his eyes bulging.


    But only Celeste had seen such an expression when finally that man''s body had fallen face down to the ground.


    ...


    Upon ending the life of the Allen patriarch, Marvin and Celeste wasted no time. After confirming the death of such a person, the two rushed towards that last battle.


    Pow!


    "Ahhhh!"


    "That''s the end of you, Collins bastard!" Richard said in excitement while feeling pain all over his body.


    At the same time, the other two individuals there, one at level 56 and the other at level 55, continued to attack that person from the sides while dirt, blood, and sweat mixed on their clothes.


    "Damn you!" That survivor said in a tone full of spite and hatred. "You wretched people, even if I die here, it won''t be long until the entire Kingdom of the Waves is after your family!"


    "The future king, Prince Charles, will slaughter you all!" He maniacally  said as he clung to the thought that he would at least be avenged.


    After all, the organization behind that base on the Black Plain was probably from outside the region and could not interfere in local internal affairs. But, on the other hand, the Walker family was a regional organization that had every right to march towards this island.


    So, this man was sure that every one of these people would die soon when Charles took over as king of the most powerful state in the region!


    But before he had a chance to make any more threats, a fist-shaped, semitransparent attack pierced the air of that place, heading toward the back of this individual''s head.


    "You talk a lot of nonsense!" Celeste commented in a low voice, just when she saw her attack hit that person''s head hard.


    At that instant, she was tired since she had not only fought against Duncan but also some enemies who had tried to get in her way on the way here.


    Still, her enemy was worse off than she was, plus her fighting proficiency was superior to his.


    So, the moment her attack hit that person''s head, a sound similar to that of a watermelon falling from a great height on the ground reverberated through that place.


    Then, that person''s head exploded into countless pieces, ending his life!

 Chapter 737 - War Waits For No Man

    When the body of that level 57 Spiritual King finally fell to the ground, all the people in the surrounding area heaved a sigh of relief that the battle had come to an end.


    Two of those eight people alive in this place were just tired, with no severe injuries on their bodies. But, on the other hand, three individuals there, although not at risk of losing their lives, were injured to such an extent that their lives from now on would have to be different.


    Either because of a missing part of their bodies or the excessive damage, they could hardly treat in this region. As a result, they would now have to live with fighting proficiencies below their cultivation levels.


    Such were the cases of the two Stokes family elders and the Nash family elder who had earlier withdrawn from the battle that took place in this place.


    As for the three who had continued the fight against that level 57 Spiritual King until Celeste''s blow, each of them was severely injured and almost exhausted. But with local medical help, pills, and a few weeks of rest, they would be as well as they had been before such a fight.


    With that, those more wounded people there did not hold back. Instead, after seeing that person''s corpse resting on the ground, they soon sat down at different points, relaxing their bodies from the tension that would always exist during battles.


    "Phew!"


    "It''s finally over!"


    "Hah... Hah... But it was a lot harder than we had imagined..." The level 55 Stokes family member said this as he looked at his companions and lamented.


    On the other hand, the Nashs were quite pleased now.


    "Hahaha, now our family will be able to surpass the Allens!" Richard said in satisfaction, almost as if the pain around his body didn''t matter.


    He knew that the House Allen side was still powerful, and it would be quite a job to eliminate that family. But with the loss of four mighty pillars, this Stone Island organization would not sustain itself for long!


    That''s because their allies would not support a power that had lost its leaders, those individuals who other regional organizations truly valued. After all, who would sacrifice themselves for someone that could be significantly threatened even by low-level regional powers?


    That is, the Allen family still had many Spiritual Kings, but none of them were as strong as most of the patriarchs of the regional noble families!


    Most of the patriarchs of the noble families in this region were at least at level 56. But the Allens had just lost the only four individuals with this minimum power at or above that level.


    Thus, even if it wasn''t easy to eliminate the rest of this family, virtually any regional noble house could cause serious problems for them.


    Therefore, it was most likely that from the moment the news of the deaths of those people got out from here, many of the allies of that organization would slowly abandon the Allen family ''boat.''


    And even if some had agreements that might force them to act even in this situation, that didn''t mean that much to the Nash family at this point.


    There were only four high-level noble families on Stone Island, among them the Nash and Neel families, who were allies. Beyond them was the Allen family, which had just suffered this blow. So, the only family left was as an organization of blacksmiths, similar to Elena''s family.


    Such a noble house was on the side of the Allen family alliance, but they had no high-level warriors.


    Consequently, there were no Spiritual Kings above level 56 among the Allen family allies, making them vulnerable to Elena''s family alliance!


    Hence, even though Richard knew it would not be easy or quick to finish off the Allen family, he laughed in satisfaction. They would just need to act carefully and persist in eliminating such an organization.


    With this, sooner or later, they would be able to finish this problem, ending the war of these two noble houses of Stone Island.


    Anyway, while Richard was laughing and talking with the other family members there, Celeste was collecting the belongings of some of the corpses next to Marvin.


    "How does the patriarch Marvin want to divide the resources of those six people?" She asked as she looked at that man thoughtfully as if she was asking a rhetorical question.


    Seeing this, Marvin smiled awkwardly, but he soon answered her. "Without the help of Miss Celeste and the Black Plain Army, we naturally would not have been able to defeat those people."


    "So naturally, all the items in those people belong to you."


    "Hmm, then I won''t hold back..." She commented as she walked toward Marvin and then unceremoniously took the four spatial rings in that man''s hand.


    Upon seeing this, Marvin said nothing, but he did not feel bad that Celeste took such resources. After all, he still had a war to fight against the rest of the Allen family, and when this conflict was over, his family could absorb much more than just the belongings of these six people.


    And while that woman was counting her and the army''s earnings, the patriarch then asked. "What are you going to do now?"


    Celeste then continued what she was doing while answering such a question. "Now that we have settled our affairs here on Stone Island, we will return to the Black Plain."


    "We have a much worse war than you on our doorstep..."


    "I see..."


    "Well, when we settle our affairs here on Stone Island, we will send reinforcements to help you in the Black Plain''s war of independence." He said, showing his gratitude for this help Minos had given his family.


    Marvin knew that Minos had no obligation to help him since they were only trading partners. But, still, young Stuart had sent help to House Nash!


    For that, he was very grateful to Minos and the Black Plain.


    He knew that that young man had probably done it for selfish reasons. But that didn''t make any difference to Marvin.


    Or rather, he preferred it that way!


    After all, who doesn''t act out of self-interest?


    Only a crazy or naive person would do dangerous things for the good of others in the Spiritual World.


    And as the leader of the Nash family, he didn''t want to be in an alliance with such a person.


    In his view, someone like that was like a time bomb!


    In any case, he was grateful for Minos'' support. That was why he had made such a promise.


    "Hmm, I hope we won''t need it, but that''s good to know..." Celeste commented just after she finished scanning those six spatial rings.


    She then looked in the direction of the three members of the Stokes family who had come to this place with her and said. "You three, I will borrow your spiritual beast."


    "What?" All three said simultaneously.


    They had fought and suffered so much in this place, but this woman said such a thing as if she was abandoning them.


    Their leader then asked Celeste, looking at her with an indignant look. "And how will we return home? Are you leaving us here?"


    "What? Did you guys, by any chance, want me to stay here until you were ready to return?" She asked while having a smile on her face.


    "Sorry guys, the war against the Brown family doesn''t stop just because you suffered in this battle.


    "You are wounded and will need a few days of rest so that you can travel around our region. But I am well enough to return to the Black Plain and fight in the war." She said seriously.


    "But don''t worry, when I arrive at the naval base, I will have a soldier escort your beast back here."


    "After that, you can go to Dry City to receive more specialized medical treatment or simply return to your territory in the Cromwell Kingdom."


    "You decide..."


    "But now I have to leave."


    Hearing this, the three felt much better, relieved to know that they were not simply being abandoned in this place.


    On the other hand, Richard soon took the opportunity to invite those three to stay with the Nash family. "Friends from..."


    ...


    It didn''t take long, and soon Celeste was already flying through the skies of Stone Island as she returned to the Black Plain.


    But meanwhile, in one of the Allen family groups preparing to act against House Nash....

 Chapter 738 - The Death Of The Allen Family Alliance Leaders

    A few minutes after the fall of the four core members of the Allen family, the result of this battle had finally reached the troops of this organization!


    The troops of the Allen family and their allies were already spread out around the neighborhood where the headquarters of the Nash family was located. After all, they intended to attack this enemy organization after Duncan and Rolf''s mission was successful.


    Since they had investigated the area where Marvin and Richard were and sent a powerful group to that place, they did not expect any outcome other than a victory.


    Consequently, everything was already prepared for their troops to act against the headquarters of Elen''s family in an attempt to weaken even more these enemies of theirs at this opportune moment.


    But while they were waiting for the message from their leaders so that they could attack this place, the nightmare that few of them thought could happen had happened!


    Some administrative members of the headquarters of this family had rushed to these groups with the news of the death of their leaders!


    ...


    "Elder Elise, something terrible has happened!" A man with white hair who was at the end of the 5th stage said this while his face was as white as his hair.


    He then looked in terror at that woman, who at the moment was the strongest person alive in this family. "The patriarch, the supreme elder, and the four elders who accompanied that team are dead!"


    "They all died in just over 20 minutes!" He said this while feeling very bad. Not only from the exhaustion of running several kilometers to bring this information but also from the bleak future he and his family were likely to face.


    Upon hearing this, elder Elisa and all the Spiritual Kings who were preparing to act against House Nash fell silent for a moment.


    At that moment, while the silence of that place made them feel even more awful, various negative expressions could be seen on the faces of those experts.


    Previously some of them were relieved to have the opportunity to end this conflict. But now, they seemed to have lost their ground, as if they had awakened to a cruel reality that they didn''t want to be true.


    Others were already feeling a distinct chill running down their spines. It was as if their senses were telling them that it wouldn''t take long for them to encounter those dead people in the underworld.


    And, of course, the looks of regret in the eyes of the Allen family allies could also be seen in some people in that place.


    Elder Elise then broke the silence and asked in a low voice. "That can''t be. Are you serious, Howard? Are you saying that the patriarch, the supreme elder, and the four strongest members of our family were killed?"


    This level 55 Spiritual King couldn''t help but feel disbelief upon hearing that information. As such, she needed to ask that.


    But in her heart, Elise already knew it was true. After all, there was no reason for a family member to make such a bad joke!


    She had only asked this because this news was so shocking and contradictory that part of her had still demanded a second confirmation.


    "Unfortunately, elder Elise, that is the truth..." The man from before commented in a terrified tone, sweating considerably. "The two elders who were supposed to be with the group of allies in the vicinity of that place were the first to have their soul signs erased."


    "But not long after, the supreme elder and the other two elders who were in that group of the patriarch fell in sequence, with only a few seconds between their deaths."


    "The patriarch was the last to fall." He described what he had seen in the room where the soul lamps of the prominent members of that family were located.


    "What?" Upon hearing such a thing, one of those allies was the first besides Elisa to say something while a look of concern appeared on his face. "Does that mean that Pearl''s group has also been eliminated?"


    Gulp!


    "Mister Lonnie, I have no way of knowing for sure since we don''t have the soul signs of the members of other families. But since no one returned from that mission, we assume that they all died." Such a person commented after swallowing his saliva in fear, looking at that person, one of the patriarchs of a mid-sized family from Stone Island that was in the alliance of House Allen.


    Hearing this, not only that man but other allies of House Allen there were hooked, with ominous premonitions, some already preparing to leave that place.


    There in this place were people from several local noble families and outside allies, as in the case of the Collins family, which had a level 55 Spiritual King in this group.


    Since some of these powers had sent their members to help Duncan''s group, they were already very concerned about what might have happened to their family members.


    Duncan''s group was basically made up of the leading team, the six people that had succumbed to the joint action of Celeste and Marvin''s group. But another group of Spiritual Kings in that area was tasked to deal with Celeste''s group, which had been identified earlier.


    But that group had also succumbed to Celeste''s hands while she and her group were rushing to the site of the main fights.


    And since some of those individuals were high-ranking people in those families allied to House Allen, those representatives couldn''t help but be agitated by the possibility that all those people had died.


    Some of them were even husbands or wives of those people in this place!


    On the other hand, as those allies hurriedly left that place, the members of the Allen family were all in a state of depression.


    "Tsk!"


    "I don''t believe it!"


    "The damned Nash have tricked us and destroyed the foundation of our family!"


    "We are finished! Now without the protection of the patriarch and the supreme elder, it''s only a matter of time before we''re wiped out!"


    "Damn it!"


    "How could this happen? Our investigative groups hadn''t found anything suspicious!"


    "What will we do now?"


    While several of those people discussed what had happened and what the future held for them, Elise, despite her great fear, didn''t take long to try to calm down.


    Unfortunately, time did not stop just because she had huge problems in front of her. Therefore, she could not let herself get carried away by the feeling of despair and remain impassive in this place.


    Consequently, she tried to be strong and take responsibility for dealing with this situation, which would invariably fall into her lap since she was the strongest surviving expert of this family.


    "Let''s back off for the moment." She commented loudly so that everyone there could hear her. "The Nash family has been badly damaged in the previous months, and they will not be able to take immediate action against us."


    "So, let''s step back and study our options at headquarters..."


    "Perhaps there is a way out!"


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, another week passed.


    In this period, the Nash family had not acted against House Allen since their organization was not at its best moments. And with that recent fight, the leaders of Elen''s family needed some time to rest before going ahead with their bolder plans.


    But obviously, the Nash family had not missed the opportunity to change their behavior regarding matters other than battles!


    Previously, House Allen suppressed them because of the difference in strength between the two, the result of that action of the Allens with the Farmland families months ago.


    But with the death of the Allen family''s most substantial specialists and some allies of that organization, things had once again changed in the war that had been taking place on Stone Island.


    So, the Nash family and their allies had not missed the opportunity to change several of their behaviors, beginning to suppress the enemy alliance!


    But meanwhile, the 50,000 soldiers of House Brown''s Counter-Revolutionary Army had almost entirely reached the Black Plain!

 Chapter 739 - Flames Of War

    After almost a month since its creation, the Brown family''s Counter-Revolutionary Army had almost entirely reached the Black Plain!


    Such an army was subdivided into four main points, where most of the forces were already stationed. But, on the other hand, numerous small camps around the borders of this territory were already in operation.


    The four posts already had about 40,000 soldiers together, the main one in the Maritime City, where more than 15,000 individuals from that group were expected to be accommodated there.


    But the army assembled by the Brown Kingdom forces also had a considerable force spread out in many small groups across the borders of the Black Plain, about 10,000 individuals in temporary camps. Such places would be used more in the future for faster actions with smaller numbers of combatants.


    With that, it was only a matter of days before the flames of war spread across this region of the Black Plain.


    The time had come for the period of confrontation between the forces of Minos and Thomas Brown to start!


    ...


    While the tens of thousands of invaders were getting used to the climate in this area, Minos was at the headquarters of his army, working with the administrative soldiers on his organization''s plans of action.


    He was now in one of the headquarters'' meetings rooms. This place was not large enough to hold many dozens of people but had enough space to hold the 20 or 30 individuals who were there at the moment.


    In such a place, most of the space was occupied by a large table that went from one end of the room to the other, which most of the people there were sitting around.


    But some individuals were standing in that place, some behind the chairs where the strongest ones were, while others simply were where they felt best, as in the case of Pyke.


    That man was leaning his back against one of the room''s sidewalls, next to one of the many pictures with drawings of the Black Plain''s landscapes, something normal to find in local government buildings.


    And in this place full of people, now and then administrative soldiers presented their plans, while other warrior soldiers gave their opinions about the viability of the plans of these other individuals.


    But on this occasion, they also talked about army acts that were already in development or would happen very soon.


    "Young master, the Maritime City group will act against the enemies in that city any moment now. From the latest information we have received, the number of enemies in that place has already passed 15,000. And by the plans agreed with the soldiers in that post, we will not wait for more enemies to get there to act."


    "As planned by the soldiers commanded by Lieutenant Eduard, we will not wait for the enemy leader to arrive in that place and hinder our actions." Joey commented on that matter while looking sideways at one end of that table, where Minos was sitting next to his two girlfriends.


    "So, we can expect news from that place at any moment from now on."


    "I see..." Minos commented in a low voice while his elbows propped up on that table and his two hands crossed at the height of his nose. "How are our naval forces doing? And the migration of the citizens of that city?"


    Joey then replied. "Lieutenant Angela is already with a fleet of 17 ships in the vicinity of the Maritime City. So, as soon as the secret base of that place gives the signal, she and her fleet will start the combat in that place."


    Celeste had already returned to the naval base this past week. Since she had just gone through a great battle, Angela had headed towards Maritime City, leading that fleet.


    Previously something like this was not planned to happen, as the army soldiers had no way of knowing how long Celeste would stay on Stone Island. Therefore, the naval attack would initially not be led by an army Spiritual King but rather a lower-ranking soldier.


    After all, someone had to stay at that naval base to mark the territory, to protect such an army post from possible powerful enemies.


    But having a naval attack without a high-ranking leader was not necessarily a big problem. That was because, in this region of the Central Continent, that kind of battle depended much more on how the warships'' weapons were used than on the level of the person leading such a fleet.


    Without being capable of flying, it would be difficult for soldiers of any level to fight on the high seas.


    There were even possibilities for cultivators to fight by launching their offensive techniques at long range or using their defenses to protect the ships. But fighting in this way was very inefficient and highly costly to the crews of these warships.


    Hence, having a high-level leader would not make much difference in local naval warfares. So, the army had not scheduled any Spiritual King to accompany that group.


    But since Celeste had returned from Stone Island early enough to stay on that base in Angela''s place, this other woman had joined the group. After all, as much as it wasn''t indispensable that she join this group, that didn''t mean that she couldn''t do anything!


    At the very least, she could separate from the troops on those ships and quickly join the battle that would take place in the Maritime City, where her strength would undoubtedly be helpful.


    On the other hand, as the warships of the Black Plain Army would be the ones to begin the attacks, there would be more spaces for her to help in the battle...


    The attack on the Maritime City needed to start from the sea. That was because once something strange happened in the city, the fleets of the Brown Kingdom''s royal guard would very quickly notice such a thing.


    When this happened, they could attack that city with all their might and kill thousands of citizens and soldiers before Angela''s fleet had a chance to do anything.


    On the other hand, if the attack started from the sea, the troops on land could do nothing to help their naval forces. On the contrary, they might even be a little vulnerable at such a moment, thinking that they would be attacked from the sea.


    But even if they didn''t consider this, the traps around that city could be activated very quickly. So, even if Minos'' enemies realized they had fallen into a trap, it would already be too late.


    And that was the best action plan for the confrontation in the Maritime City. The reason the confrontation had to start from the sea.


    And Angela''s chances would be even better in that circumstance!


    "As for the citizens of that city, there are about 200,000 people there right now, of which more than 70% have accepted the proposals of the war effort program, thought up by the soldiers of that secret base."


    "They are in an area further away from the places where our traps are and the places where the fighting is likely to take place. So, we hope that most of them can survive the conflict in that city."


    "As for the rest, we can only hope that they don''t die and have a chance to migrate to our city in the future," Joey said as he finished talking about the situation in that city.


    "Well, those numbers aren''t bad..." Minos commented, not caring about the possible casualties in that place.


    He wanted as many people as possible to survive since the greatest probability is that such individuals would join his city after the conflict in that place.


    And that would be very good for him.


    But Minos believed in individual liberties. So, if some people wanted to die in the middle of the crossfire, then what could he do?


    He certainly wouldn''t stop acting just for the sake of those people.


    He did not wish the death of strangers or innocents. Still, he would not fail to select the best course of action for his forces just because there would be casualties among the locals.


    As for how many innocent people would die by this action, well, the number of people saved would be more significant.


    The people in that city were already at risk because the royal family of the Brown Kingdom had chosen such a place as a base for their forces. But, on the other hand, not acting in Maritime City for the sake of that population would cause the people of Dry City to be at greater risk in the future!


    And with Dry City already having a larger population than that other city, the number of people saved by this action would be far greater than the casualties.


    Therefore, Minos was reassured about the dangers faced by those who chose to stay in the middle of the crossfire.


    With luck, they would survive.


    Minos then looked at Dillian, who was sitting very close to him and said. "Well, let''s get the General Hospital staff ready to receive the soldiers who will be injured during this battle...."

 Chapter 740 - Responses From The Black Plain Army

    "I also want you to prepare to receive the wounded citizens that will come from the Maritime City."


    "You should plan the closing of the side streets to the General Hospital and build tents nearby so that we have more spaces," Minos said while looking at Dillian.


    Minos'' group had no way of knowing how many wounded people would arrive in Dry City in the next few days. But that number would probably be higher than the local capacity since tens of thousands of people from that city had decided to stay in the middle of the crossfire.


    In any case, Minos wanted his city to have the most significant possible capacity to save the lives of the individuals who arrived here. After all, these people would become the vital labor force for local development!


    Therefore, it was worth saving anyone who arrived in this city.


    But the General Hospital could not receive everyone who would arrive in the next few days. So, Minos wanted to build these temporary places on the sides of that building.


    That would make room for more people to be cared for simultaneously while not crowding the hospital''s interior, where the most severe cases would receive priority.


    On the other hand, this measure by Minos would not affect the care of the soldiers who would be injured in the conflict. That was because the soldiers who would fight in the Maritime City were basically people at the 5th stage, but the inhabitants who would arrive here would mostly be people below this stage.


    As such, the two groups required experts with different ranks, making it possible for both to be attended to simultaneously without one damaging the other.


    "Finally, gather the grade-1 pills that the army collected in the last few actions, specifically those healing ones, and take them to the General Hospital."


    "We will give them to the people who arrive here and who will be in the greatest danger of death."


    Hearing this, Dillian nodded to Minos, agreeing with this young man''s order. "OK, young master. We''ve been waiting for that order, so it won''t be hard for us to do all this."


    Minos'' plan was the best since most of these grade-1 pills were not of much use to army soldiers, specifically those of the healing type. That was because low-level soldiers were not allowed to leave Dry City.


    Consequently, hardly any of them would need pills focused on healing, such as the ones Minos wanted to invest in the citizens coming from the Maritime City.


    Hence, the army''s losses in this action would be minimal.


    On the other hand, the conflict in Maritime City would probably yield a lot for the Black Plain. At least a dozens times more than the investment Minos was willing to make in those injured citizens who would arrive here in the next few days.


    Because of this, Dillian agreed with Minos'' plans, and other soldiers there thought that such an action was worth a lot.


    After they finished talking about the Maritime City, Abby, who was next to Minos, was the next to speak, bringing information regarding the enemy group allocated near the Yellow City.


    "Recently, we received a message from the Miller family that 10,000 soldiers from the Brown family''s Counter-Revolutionary Army are camped 205 kilometers south, 50 kilometers west of Yellow City." She said, sometimes looking at the soldiers in front of her at that table, sometimes at Minos.


    "The Silva family is commanding this post. Otis Silva himself is leading that camp, being below only the supreme elder of the Brown family, London, the commander of the Counter-Revolutionary Army."


    "Also, counting Otis Silva, 16 Spiritual Kings are in that place..." She mentioned a number almost entirely represented by people from the Silva family.


    In fact, only one of those people was not, at least not anymore, part of Otis'' family, but House Brown, General Silva.


    "Oh?"


    "So, that old man is in such a place?"


    "It seems that that will probably be the first group to try to act against us..."


    "On the other hand, the conditions for dealing with that group are not easy for us..."


    Several soldiers in that room commented on it, while some already considered this group as one of the most difficult to act against.


    Being a camp in the middle of nowhere, it would be difficult in such a place to use strategies similar to those used in the Maritime City by the soldiers under Eduard''s command. And consequently, it would not be easy to act against that group!


    At the very least, they could not count on any strategy to avoid a big fight in that place. There was certainly nothing they could do to avoid this if they wanted to act against Otis'' group.


    The area such a camp was in was ideal for a base, a place where the people of that post could defend themselves more effortlessly than their enemies would have when trying to attack them.


    Besides, the numbers were very significant, and spiritual arrays that were outside such a camp would hardly work against the people of that place.


    After all, although the arrays were very useful, using such things against opponents of the same level or on alert would be difficult for this to fulfill its purposes.


    So, it would be difficult for the Black Plain Army to use such strategies against Otis'' group.


    Minos then turned to the side Abby was standing on and asked. "Are there any Miller family members with that group?"


    "No. Since the Silva family leads that group, my family members were sent to other groups. In particular, the one located in a village east of Dry City, on the edge of the Black Plain territory."


    "Oh? I see..."


    "Well, if that''s the way it is, we will not act the same way in this post. So, we will do something just to attract the attention of the enemies, but our task there will be to fail in that village east of here."


    "As for that group near Yellow City, I want to use a strategy similar to what we did against those previously four Silva family groups a few weeks ago."


    "You mean?" Abby asked without understanding.


    "We will use some soldiers, particularly those from Yellow City''s secret base, to distract that enemy group''s many Spiritual Generals."


    "They will use some defensive and offensive arrays to temporarily distract the weaker people in that place while I and some allies deal with those 16 Spiritual Kings."


    "Oh?"


    "So, this is how the young master thinks about dealing with this group..."


    "It does look better. If we''re going to try to take out that many Spiritual Generals, we''ll invariably lose a lot of Sergeants!"


    "But in doing so, we will forever cripple the Silva family and greatly weaken that group near Yellow City!"


    "Hmm, the young master is right in thinking of that plan."


    "By doing this, the enemy group near Yellow City will be at least a few days or weeks leaderless, and one way or another, it will prevent them from acting!" Grayson commented as he pondered the inability of a group to act without its leaders.


    As much as the rest of those people would still be dangerous when added together, would each of them have the courage to act without a leader who could hold off the stronger enemies while they fought?


    That is, if two enemy groups met on the battlefield, the one with the weaker leader would have the slightest chance of survival!


    Obviously, there were alternatives to bypass the differences at level, but after a specific limit, this would be useless.


    Therefore, a group without a strong leader, someone at the 6th stage, would probably try not to act to avoid encountering enemies with people of such a cultivation power!


    Hence, killing enemy Spiritual Kings could temporarily block the actions of those thousands of Spiritual Generals!


    "And when will we do that?" Abby asked as she looked eye to eye with her boyfriend.


    "We will act in a week at the most. We will get all the soldiers from that secret base ready to act in this period."


    "As soon as our action in Maritime City unfolds, we will attack that enemy camp!" He said this with a smile on his face, eager to face that person on the battlefield.


    He had plans to deal with Otis, finally getting revenge for his father''s death!


    Minos then looked at one of the administrative soldiers in that place and said. "Start preparing an execution platform in front of my mansion."


    "We will hold a public execution a few days after we capture Otis Silva."

 Chapter 741 - Time To Act!

    After giving his orders concerning the future of Otis Silva and the details that would need to be followed for the mission in that place near Yellow City, hours passed until that meeting was over.


    Besides the decisions made earlier, specifically those concerning the groups in the Maritime City and near Yellow City, Minos and his soldiers had also talked about the other two large enemy groups around the Black Plain.


    The one in the village east of Dry City, where most of the Miller family troops of those first 50,000 individuals of the Counter-Revolutionary Army were, would be of least concern to Minos'' forces.


    The actions of such a group would be sabotaged by the Miller family members themselves whenever possible, and when they met on the battlefield, they would only have fake fights.


    Obviously, this was only true for the Miller family members in that place, who were already prepared to use some identification devices easy to spot by the soldiers of the Black Plain Army.


    As for the fourth large enemy group, the one south of Dry City, near the City of Waters, this was the smallest enemy group and would be dealt with by the Hayes family forces.


    But just as would happen with the enemy camp near Yellow City, the Hayes family members would try to eliminate only the enemy Spiritual Kings.


    At first, it would be interesting to eliminate the enemy Spirit Generals since these people could indeed threaten the Black Plain when added to their forces. But it would be costly to eliminate tens of thousands of them right now, and Minos didn''t want to spend too much of his forces at this early stage of the war.


    And since regional power was defined by the Spiritual Kings, decreasing the numbers of specialists in the Counter-Revolutionary Army would already be excellent for this early moment in the war of independence.


    On the other hand, this would give the Sergeants of the Black Plain Army a few more days or weeks before the deadly dangerous battles for them finally begins!


    However, this was not only related to what was best to do at the beginning of the war. No, since the Hayes family had just received some relief in the war between them and the Chambers family, they were not yet ready to fully enter another conflict.


    This family had suffered greatly in the war against House Chambers and would still need months to be able to deal with all the loose ends that had managed to slip away. And several of the high-ranking members of that family were still recovering from the battle that had taken place in Persephone.


    Consequently, it would be a while before the forces of this family could fully engage in Minos'' war against the Brown family.


    For all that, the action against the group near the City of Waters had to be more concise at this time.


    But Minos, his subordinates, and allies knew that sooner or later, the time would come to fight directly against the thousands of opponents at the 5th stage. So, he and his army were already preparing for this.


    In any case, these had been the decisions made at this meeting, specifically those concerning the enemy''s main posts. But the army would also act against the enemy smaller camps that were already around this territory.


    It was just that such groups were more difficult to reach since they had a much greater capacity for mobility than the larger outposts. So, it was more challenging to locate all of them, thus attacking them.


    But the soldiers of Minos'' army around the Black Plain were already prepared to deal with these people if they were challenged.


    With that, Minos'' actions against Thomas'' had begun!


    ...


    Two days later.


    While many soldiers of the Black Plain Army were leaving Dry City for different places, things were heating up in Maritime City!


    After a little more than 20 days since the enemy forces began to arrive in this place, the enemy numbers had passed the acceptable number. Thus, the forces commanded by Eduard were already ready to act!


    Because of this, hundreds of soldiers from Minos'' army were already scattered around the areas of this city where the traps were located.


    There were several types of traps around this city, but in general, they were in the places where the biggest groups of enemies were.


    Some places had explosive arrays, things that would be used to destroy the places where the densest groups of enemies were.


    On the other hand, other places had different arrays, more ''peaceful'' ones, shall we say. Moreover, such devices were in places with smaller numbers of enemies, where Minos'' soldiers could act without being too flashy.


    But there were also those individuals disguised as members of the enemy organization in that place, who would stab their ''comrades'' in the back during the beginning of the conflict.


    With that, the army secret base groups were scattered around these areas of interest, waiting for the moment to act.


    Some of them would activate the traps, while others were there to deal with those enemies that escaped death by the many devices scattered around this city. Specifically, the most substantial group of the Black Plain Army was near where the enemy Spiritual Kings were.


    Eduard was just at that spot, alongside some soldiers from the Elite Squad and many Sergeants at the end of the 5th stage.


    "Lieutenant Eduard, will we be able to eliminate how many enemies at that place before the battle? I mean, I hope that trap doesn''t fail, or we''re finished." Barbara said, looking at Eduard''s figure, feeling her heart beating vigorously.


    She was a powerful member of the Elite Squad, but that didn''t remove her fear. After all, just because she had formidable strength, that didn''t mean she wouldn''t have her common sense!


    And since there were 18 Spiritual Kings in the enemy force, she couldn''t help but fear that their trap would fail!


    "Hmm, me too. I hope the trap doesn''t fail..." He said as he smiled heartedly, feeling a little nervous at the moment.


    But after thinking for a while, he commented to this woman. "But it is expected that at least half of them will fall into this place before they realize what is happening."


    "The rest will probably suffer from injuries of varying severity... In any case, it won''t be easy even if everything goes right." He said as he looked thoughtfully at Barbara.


    "Sigh..." She sighed in nervousness, processing this idea.


    She had joined this group only two days ago. Because of that, she didn''t know all the technical details regarding this great ambush.


    "That at least is already better than the current situation..." She commented this while she was in the basement of a building with Eduard and the rest of that group.


    Staying underground was the only way for them not to be noticed by their opponents in this place. As such, they and many other soldiers of Minos in this city were in places similar to this one, where Corporals watched over the surroundings, replacing the more powerful cultivators.


    After all, Spiritual Warriors were quite common in this city. So, it was not strange that citizens like that were found even near the Counter-Revolutionary Army soldiers.


    Therefore, such individuals watched the surroundings while these people were preparing to act.


    "Well, we can only hope that the traps work perfectly..." Eduard commented as he felt anxious for the conflict to begin.


    They were literally in the dark about the ''ignition'' of this conflict. But once the sounds of cannons and explosions reached those places, they would know it was time to act even though they were not in good places to observe the start of it all.


    "I hope our fellows on those three enemy ships will be able to act fast enough to affect several opponents early on in the conflict."


    "After that, they won''t have that opportunity anymore!" One of the soldiers commented the most tricky part of this plan was the naval warfare!

 Chapter 742 - Naval Warfare 1

    While Eduard and his group were waiting for the right moment to act, dozens of ships were in an area of a few thousand square kilometers, a few kilometers off the local coast.


    Of these many ships, most of them, to be precise 34, were warships carrying the symbols of the royal house of the Brown Kingdom, where hundreds of royal guards could be seen on each of them.


    This royal fleet was spread out in that area in a specific pattern, following the entire coast of the Maritime City, forming a defensive belt around this place.


    But those were not the only ships in that place. After all, Maritime City was a coastal city focused on sending and receiving resources via the sea.


    Consequently, many cargo ships could be seen there, some a little further away from the Maritime City than those warships, standing in line to be accepted into space under the protection of the local forces.


    But now and then, someone observing this place would see some of the little more than ten cargo ships coming and going from the local harbor in the area under the control of the royal forces.


    But while these many ships around that area were operating in the usual way, a few kilometers away, 17 warships with symbols of the Collins family were slowly approaching that defensive belt.


    These ships had been approaching that place in a different way than the ones around the Maritime City, coming from various directions and in groups with different numbers.


    Some ships were going alone towards that area of protection of the Maritime City, while others were in groups of 2, 3, 4 ships, going in different directions from the rest.


    In any case, each of these warships had a few dozen people working around, some dressed in ordinary sailors'' clothing, but others in the uniform of the Collins family guard.


    Thousands of people from that family had fallen by the hands of the soldiers from that Black Plain Army naval base. As such, it had not been difficult to obtain those garments.


    As a result, some of the soldiers commanded by Angela in this operation were dressed in such uniforms, just in case someone from the enemy side managed to escape.


    Anyway, on the ship that was heading alone towards the interior of the defensive belt imposed by the royal troops in this place, Angela was sitting in an armchair in the command room of that battleship.


    She was dressed in armor with some symbols of the Collins family on it. That was something she had obtained through the ''inheritance'' left by those Spiritual Kings who had fallen by Celeste''s hands in that attack on the naval base.


    But as she sat there, mentally preparing herself for what was about to happen, some of the soldiers from Minos'' army were commanding that warship, ready to act at any moment.


    "Lieutenant, all the ammunition is already in its proper places, and the cannons are ready to fire." A Sergeant who had just entered the command room of that ship said this as he stopped next to Angela. "All the other warships are already ready for action as well."


    "Oh? That''s good."


    "What about our soldiers infiltrating among the enemies? Are their three ships ready? Are they in the right position?" She asked, standing up from the seat she was sitting in, already feeling her bones cracking.


    The Black Plain Army had three enemy warships entirely under their control since their crews were part of the infiltrators in the royal guard.


    Previously that group of royal guards, individuals who now lived in the Dry City prison, were responsible for operating warships around the local coast. Because of that, these soldiers of Minos had inherited the same service.


    So, Minos'' army had gotten these people undercover on three enemy ships.


    But the beginning of the attack depended a lot on these three warships since the attack by the backs planned by the soldiers of Minos in this place depended a lot on these three groups acting at the right time.


    They would not be the first to attack since this would not bring many advantages. But they would need to be ready to act soon after the confrontation began, a moment when Minos'' enemies would be focused on the warships commanded by Angela.


    Hence, Angela couldn''t help but wonder about these three warships commanded by undercover soldiers.


    Such ships were already marked so that Angela''s troops would not try to attack their own allies. Therefore, just knowing whether they were ready mattered at this point!


    That soldier then answered her. "Yes, Lieutenant, they are ready to act."


    "Those three ships commanded by our comrades are with all weapons ready to fire and with as much ammunition as they could carry on that ship."


    "On the other hand, they are ready to attack the other ships in their vicinity, near the southern coast of Maritime City, as soon as we start the conflict."


    "Finally, the enemy warships that have had explosive arrays planted by our soldiers are in the northernmost positions, where we have the smallest of our groups sailing."


    After hearing these things, Angela soon asked the last thing that mattered to her at this moment. "How many enemy ships have been sabotaged?"


    "Only five."


    "It''s not a large number, but it will help us enough..." She said as she left that room, heading towards the bow of that ship, where she intended to communicate with the enemy side.


    Her group was going to start a naval battle, but there was no way they could act totally by surprise against their opponents. After all, unlike on the mainland, the sea was not a place easy to hide, and warships could undoubtedly be seen from a few dozen kilometers away.


    Unfortunately, the range of the cannonballs was not that significant.


    Even the powerful arrays that propelled the giant cannonballs could only make them travel 10 to 15 kilometers before they lost the strength necessary for their purpose.


    Because of this, it was pretty problematic to act totally by surprise in a naval battle, and as such, other strategies had to be used.


    So, Angela was preparing to communicate with one of the enemy ships, which was already coming towards her own ship.


    The enemy side might find it strange that so many Collins family warships were coming to this city, but things like this could happen. Besides, as the Collins probably didn''t know about the Brown family''s problems with the Black Plain, the other side could just be passing through here to rest and refuel.


    At the very least, a large family from another regional state, an organization soon to have one of its descendants take over the strongest kingdom in the region, deserved the benefit of the doubt.


    Hence, one of those warships headed towards Angela''s, the closest to that defensive belt around the Maritime City.


    When the two warships were close enough to each other that the people there could communicate effortlessly, Angela realized that the enemy side had no Spiritual King.


    But this was to be expected. After all, in naval warfares, the sailors'' levels would not be so crucial unless the differences in regional power were tremendous or the arrays and artifacts on the ships were of a higher level.


    Since none of these conditions were met in this region of the Central Continent, there was no reason to have Spiritual Kings on these ships.


    And since the dangers of something happening overland were much more significant, the main forces were in the Maritime City and not around here.


    Anyway, while she had a curious expression on her face, Angela was the first to say something. "What is happening in this place? Why are there so many Brown family ships around here? Did something happen? We were coming here to supply our ships with resources, but then we saw this formation..."


    Hearing this, the people on that other ship looked at each other, realizing that the other side had not yet found out about the local conflict.


    ''That''s good!''


    ''There were no leaks, and this fleet came here without knowing about the local reality.'' The leader of that Brown family warship thought about this without changing the expression on his face.


    He then looked at Angela for a moment longer, not recognizing the identity of this woman.


    But he didn''t attach much importance to this since not all regional specialists were famous. Some of them spent dozens of years in seclusion in their headquarters. Thus, it was not strange for him, a level 43 cultivator, not to recognize this person.


    He then said in a grave tone. "Madam, for reasons we cannot communicate, the coast of Maritime City is closed to visitors indefinitely."


    "Only allies of the Brown family are allowed to dock in the local harbor or park in an area up to 50 kilometers away from the local shore."


    "Therefore, we ask that you and your fleet turn around and continue on your way away from this area!"


    Upon hearing this, Angela showed surprise, regretting such information. "Oh? So, the Maritime City is not available to us, eh?"


    "What a pity...."

 Chapter 743 - Naval Warfare 2

    "Looks like we''ll have to endure a few more days then," Angela commented to the people in that place while she had an annoyed expression on her beautiful face.


    The people on that other warship then saw her turn around, walking into the interior of her own ship as she gave her orders in a loud voice. "Give the signal for the rest of the personnel to follow us. We''re going to the next coastal city, in the Cromwell Kingdom!"


    And almost immediately after the orders were given, several soldiers ran back and forth on that ship. Some were doing what was necessary for the ship to change direction, while others were running to the places where the sound arrays were.


    They were rushing to send the sound signals to the other 19 warships under the army''s command in this place to get the operation here started!


    With that, it wasn''t long before sound arrays began to sound on each of those ships, some with Collins family symbols, others with Brown family symbols. In any case, this sound signal was not loud enough to be noticed by everyone in the area.


    Therefore, only the people on those ships in question understood what was happening, while the opponents in that place were simply watching them.


    Then Angela turned back to the people on that ship that had approached hers, waving and saying a few words, "Well, we''re leaving. I hope you will settle your affairs quickly. Maritime City is a necessary post for our region."


    "Yes, we will sort it out..."


    "Anyway, good riddance to you."


    Soon after, they realized that each of the ships in that fleet, including the one Angela was on, was moving, turning their bows from the east direction to the south. As they saw this, the people on that Brown family warship soon felt better about that outcome.


    ''I''m glad they''re leaving without causing any trouble...''


    ''I''ve heard that the Collins are very bold and like to show what they are capable of. But it seems that the truth is not so simple.''


    ''They''re kind of understanding!''


    "Sigh... It''s a relief that they''re going, isn''t it, Captain?" Someone asked that man who had talked to Angela earlier, while several other people there had thoughts of the most varied kind.


    "Yes, but that was to be expected. After all, we are part of a royal family, and they haven''t gotten there yet!"


    "The problem here was if they had already found out about our losses to the mere Black Plain. That would be a disgrace to our Brown family!" The ship captain commented as he watched Angela''s ship and the others in that fleet staying perpendicular to theirs.


    To have an organization in their state that had gone so far as to rebel and cause significant damage to a royal house was something considered humiliating in this region.


    That was because each royal family was mighty numerically and financially, to the point that the other regional powers had virtually no chance of developing to such an extent.


    Even so, for a vassal organization to develop and become a threat to a royal family, this could only mean two things. Either that a royal family was a disgrace, run by incompetents, who had even allowed a parasite to develop to the point of threatening them, or that the other side was simply impressive.


    But being impressive was very difficult!


    As such, if a royal family asked for help in confronting an internal enemy, then such an organization would certainly have to endure the humiliation of being considered incompetent, negligent, and the like.


    On the other hand, someone with a dirty image might not be so frightening or respectable as to prevent certain acts with his name alone. That is, it would be better if people knew that royal families do not tolerate certain things and that if someone were to break such rules, he would only meet his end.


    But if one can rebel and even develop in tranquility, how long would criminal organizations, people with criticisms against that family, and so on, fear such power?


    Being respected was not so different from having power in the Spiritual World!


    If a royal family is careless and slow to act, it won''t be long before tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of people begin to get out of control!


    For all that, these people placed so much value on the image and tried to hide the truth of what was happening locally.


    Suppose things went wrong in the future, and one day it was necessary for them to ask for help. In that case, they could at least do so because they were facing an impressive opponent and not because they were incompetent. But until then, protecting their image was just as important as fighting revolutionaries.


    They would maintain a powerful image for the regional citizens at the very least!


    In any case, while the people on that warship from before were relieved to see Angela''s group preparing to leave, the same thing was happening on almost all of those 34 Brown family ships.


    Except for the three ships under the command of the Black Plain Army soldiers, all the other people on those royal family ships were feeling less pressured by noticing the movement of those 17 warships.


    They were still paying attention to the movement of the newcomers. Still, considering that such ships were making outward movements, it was logical for nothing to happen here. So, the people in that area were much more relaxed right now.


    "Haha, it''s a good thing those are Collins family warships. If they were uncharacterized ships, I think we probably would have been in trouble!"


    "By the way, does that traitor have a naval fleet?"


    "Impossible!"


    "Producing warships is not easy, and few organizations in our region are capable of doing it at a similar level to ours. On that account, if he had bought something, we would have noticed!"


    Some people talked this over on one of those warships around the defensive belt that was protecting the coast of Maritime City.


    "On the other hand, it would be challenging for that brat''s organization to manage to steal warships of the same level as ours..."


    "The most he can get are pirate ships in..." The same person as before was about to say this when suddenly a distinctive sound spread throughout that area, coming from five ships of the Brown family.


    The moment that sound came, Angela jumped off the ship she was on, heading towards the enemy''s that was close to hers, at the same time circulating her energy, ready to fight.


    That was the beginning of it all, and she couldn''t miss the opportunity to capture this ship before things got complicated!


    She might not be strong enough to fight cannonballs or try to sink these ships with her powers alone, but she could take a ship with ease.


    The only thing she needed to do was find a way into such a ship!


    After doing so, unless there was someone stronger than her on the invaded ship, she could kill every single crew member there and then conquer it!


    So, when she had heard the characteristic ''ignition'' of the arrays on those five ships resounding through that area, she immediately did what she had to do to achieve that goal.


    After witnessing Angela''s suspicious behavior, those aboard that Brown family warship, as well as those in the surrounding area, had no opportunity to speak or even react when something shocking occurred!


    BOOOOOOOOM!


    In just one second after the previous sound, five powerful explosions took place on five different Brown family ships, specifically those further north in the defensive formation on that coast!


    Such a thing had been so substantial that those five ships had been totally obliterated at the moment of the explosions!


    Meanwhile, the water around dozens of meters from the focus of each of the explosions had evaporated so fast that only a curtain of white gas could be seen.


    However, not even a single cry of pain left the area where such ships were. Only the thunderous sound of the explosions had reached the ears of the people in the surrounding area when every single crew member of those five ships had instantly turned to dust.


    To make matters worse...


    Right after noticing the explosions of those five ships, the people in the surroundings heard cannon sounds being fired from various directions!

 Chapter 744 - Naval Warfare 3

    KA-BOOOOOOOOM!


    KA-BOOOOOOM!


    Dozens of cannons were fired from those 17 ships with Collins family symbols, pointed at 20 enemy warships.


    At this moment, the Black Plain Army''s naval warfare against the royal family fleet had finally begun!


    Not only was this the beginning of the naval confrontation, but it was also the start of the confrontations on land. After all, at this moment, the soldiers infiltrating that city couldn''t help but notice the loud sounds of the cannons!


    With that, the flames of war in this place quickly began to take shape, with terrified screams coming from the throats of some, while hatred could be seen in the eyes of others.


    Amidst the sounds of explosions, soon, the crews on those ships under the aim of the warships of Minos'' forces began to make their moves, activating their defenses and preparing for battle.


    "Damn it!"


    "Are those Collins bastards truly wanting to challenge us?"


    "Arrogant fools!"


    "Do they actually think they are our opponents just because one of them became the heir to the Kingdom of the Waves?"


    "Assholes! We will destroy all of you!"


    "Damn it! Destroy the enemies!"


    Several people in the vicinity of those ships began to utter their opinions contrary to the Collins while they were already working on their defenses and the beginning of their counterattack.


    They didn''t know how their five ships had exploded, but since the other side was attacking them so blatantly, the people on those 26 warships could only act in response to this.


    That was probably in the Collins family''s plans. Still, none of this mattered to the people leading these Brown family warships. All that mattered now was fighting, seeing who had the most extraordinary power, and then leaving it to the survivors to sort out any retribution.


    But as the people on those 26 Brown family ships prepared to take action against the 17 enemy ships, something unexpected happened behind their backs.


    KA-BOOM!


    Just before the Brown family group had a chance to retaliate, three of their ships began firing on their own fleet instead of their enemies.


    Not only that, each of those three was already fully loaded with weapons, as were the enemies who had been attacking with maximum power since the beginning of the fight!


    "Damn it!"


    "These people are infiltrating our forces!" Someone on one of those 26 ships shouted this in terror, realizing the enemy strategy as a cannonball came towards his crew.


    But for such a person, it was already too late to do anything.


    Cannonballs like the ones being fired in this confrontation were not that heavy. Still, due to their acceleration, they were so fast that they could destroy almost anything in their path before the other side even had a chance to react.


    Because of this, just after he finished saying those words and felt a strong shiver run through his entire body, that man disappeared from this world, as the cannonball passed over him as if he were nothing.


    If anyone in the surrounding area could see such a thing in slow motion, it was almost as if, when his body touched that cannonball, it instantly disintegrated!


    But the cannonball didn''t care about just a small fry, and its speed didn''t slow down at all with this minor obstacle. Instead, it just followed its original path until finally, it exploded into infinite parts when it collided with certain parts of that ship.


    BOOM!


    With this explosion, dozens of people on that ship were injured, while others simply disappeared from this world, as in the case of the previous man.


    However, some had suffered similar damage only to parts of their bodies and were now screaming in pain as they became more and more desperate.


    "AHHHHH!"


    "Ahhhh!"


    "My arm! My arm is stuck!" Someone shouted as he tried to pull his left arm from part of the structures that had become deformed from the previous attack.


    "Ahhhhhh! Please help me! My leg has been torn off!"


    "Ahhhhhh! Bastards! Damn you, Collins!"


    And several screams arose from the throats of those victims of the internal enemy, those infiltrators among them.


    On the other hand, not only the people under attack were shocked by all that was happening in the surroundings. The people on the cargo ships in that coastal area were just as shocked, not understanding anything happening here.


    For the most part, these people were not from the Brown Kingdom and naturally only knew a portion of the local problems.


    As allies or trading partners of the Brown family, they had to know at least a little about the local problems.


    But a confrontation between the Collins family and House Brown was simply unimaginable!


    Even the insider information they had did not provide any hint for a conflict like this to happen!


    "What is going on with these people? Why is all this happening so suddenly?" One of the captains in the surrounding area asked the people on his ship.


    An individual in noble robes standing there next to such a person then observed the many explosions, chaos, cannonballs traveling back and forth from that place and made up his mind. "Captain Philip, let''s go!"


    "I have a bad feeling about this..."


    "I don''t think it''s safe for us to stay here!" He said in a solemn tone, feeling that staying in this place would be the quickest way for them to be killed.


    After all, it wasn''t wise to get in the middle of someone else''s conflict!


    And not only did the people on this cargo ship think so, but many others in the surrounding area were already preparing to move away from that area.


    Whatever the reason for such a conflict unfolding, it did not involve them, and they would not participate in this without being ordered to do so!


    On the other hand, they were only on cargo ships, things with poor armaments and defense compared to warships. So, they didn''t even have the minimum to get involved in such a conflict.


    That way, it was time for them to leave that area!


    "In any case, it is a great surprise that the Collins family has made this move!"


    "I wonder what the motive is... Is there more than meets the eye here?" A person that was wearing a noble suit with the symbol of an albatross on it said this in awe.


    "Maybe I should ask for a team to investigate the latest doings of these two families..."


    "Maybe I can attain a great story here!"


    ...


    As those freighters began to move away from the focus of the battle, Angela had just caught up with the enemy ship she had jumped on earlier.


    Only a few seconds had passed since it all started. Still, the flames had already spread over that large area in which dozens of ships were attacking each other at this instant.


    And as the terror of war spread across that maritime region, she had managed to land on the bow of her target just after the attack by the disguised members of the Black Plain Army.


    As she arrived there, the enemy group on that ship was utterly terrified by this. Although they had the power to use that ship to fight enemies, this was not valid for this present situation they were in now.


    Consequently, several of them were already trying to run towards the sides of the ship in an attempt to escape from this place and maybe survive.


    They could join together in an attempt to oppose Angela. But the difference in their levels to her was so significant that no one there had any hope of surviving such an attempt.


    Hence, only escape remained for these people, who longed to live longer!


    Seeing this, Angela only smiled at the actions of these individuals while she could hear the sounds of explosions coming from other places beyond the coast of Maritime City.


    ''Looks like the group on land has already started their movements.'' So, she thought to herself, as her hands danced and long spears of ice appeared in her surroundings above where she stood.


    "Sorry guys, but this is the end of the line for you..."


    "Don''t get your hopes up for survival while I''m here!" She said this loudly as each of the dozens of ice spears began to fly in different directions.


    She, or rather the Black Plain Army itself, didn''t care if some people survived this attack and managed to escape. After all, it wouldn''t be a bad thing if a conflict between the Brown family and Collins started.


    Even a tiny disagreement would be good enough!


    Still, there was no reason for her to let the people on that ship escape when it was so easy for her to kill them.


    Her part was willing to allow some people to escape, but such individuals would have to conquer that on their own!


    That way, it didn''t take long for the sounds of despair to come out of the throats of those people.


    "Ahhhh!"


    ....

 Chapter 745 - Naval Warfare 4

    In the blink of an eye, dozens of people on that ship invaded by Angela had already died!


    Their bodies were pierced by long spears made of ice, some as thick as adult human fists, while others were thin, like children''s fingers.


    In any case, many corpses pierced through with these objects created by Angela''s technique were already piling up the sides of that ship, while some of them were even floating in the sea.


    However, regardless of how vicious the attacks that claimed their lives were, all those corpses bore expressions of despair and pain, indicating how terrible their experience had been!


    Dying was terrible, but the experience of dying of old age in a bed surrounded by family members was infinitely better than falling into the underworld after fighting to the death. Or rather, being slaughtered by an enemy who used techniques that naturally caused excruciating pain was not good at all.


    Particularly for people attached to life who wanted to continue to exist, as in the case of almost all cultivators in this world.


    Therefore, none of those people could have semblances of tranquility after having had parts of their bodies pierced by Angela''s spears. At the same time, their insides had been burned by ice, the main component of such objects.


    But the more this woman had killed on this ship, the easier and faster her job of successfully taking over this warship became.


    Because of this, it didn''t take long for her to deal with all the people in the outermost parts of that enemy ship and then to end this crew''s existence.


    ...


    After some time since this conflict had begun, of the 26 enemy ships remaining from the beginning, another 13 had sunk in this area under the attacks of the 20 ships of Minos'' forces.


    However, Minos'' forces had not fought this hard without suffering. After all, this was naval warfare. Apart from strategy and numbers, techniques or things like individual skills were not crucial in such a region.


    Consequently, they couldn''t go through all this without suffering harm!


    They had even managed to cut their losses quite a bit in this place, as the strategy of the Black Plain Army, the fact that they had attacked first, of sabotage and internal members, had all helped them to improve their chances.


    But to leave this place without any ''scars'' was impossible!


    Because of this, three ships of the Dry City forces had sunk in this coastal region of Maritime City, carrying the bodies of dozens of soldiers to the bottom of the sea.


    But while the initial part of the battle had been very shocking, with cannon shots from both sides in that coastal region, it wasn''t long before both sides ran out of ammunition!


    Naval conflicts were not common to happen in this region, after all.


    On the other hand, cannonballs, the cannons themselves, were expensive items that cost a lot for the units and their operation.


    The items needed for the cannons were objects made by blacksmiths and array masters.


    And as arrays, these items had the common characteristic of these items, of consuming spiritual energy to function, specifically, of being more efficient by consuming energy directly from crystals and not from the atmosphere.


    For this reason, the use of these armaments was very costly!


    Consequently, there were not so many cannons on these ships, nor were there cannonballs.


    So, when fighting battles like that, as long as one side survived the attacks of the other, the course of the battle would change, and there would be a chance for a ''fairer'' fight or an escape.


    And so, after several minutes of intense naval warfare, those two sides had finally calmed their actions somewhat when no more cannonballs were flying around that coastal region.


    Unfortunately, even though they were not sunk, some of those left floating ships had suffered dramatically in the initial moments of this battle.


    Some had had only superficial problems, something that after brief maintenance they would be as good as new, without much loss to their owners. But others, the majority, had been badly damaged, and it would be impossible for the people there to escape from that place safely on these ships.


    That was because of the power source used by these means of transportation!


    Ships in the Spiritual World could depend on three sources of power to move through bodies of water. One was the power provided by arrays, the most common to be used on most ships in this region of the Central Continent.


    The other two alternatives were to use the mechanical strength of humans or beasts to move such structures.


    Sea beasts were more efficient at doing this for obvious reasons. But in this region, none of the local organizations used such a thing, for the simple reason that they were incapable of taming sea beasts!


    Finally, there remained human strength and the strength of some land beasts, which, yes, could be helpful but was by far the worst of the three alternatives.


    And because of this, those ships most affected could only depend on human strength, something that might not be interesting for those survivors.


    After all, more ships on the side of Minos'' forces had been left in a condition for pursuits to be carried out.


    Consequently, when the cannons stopped firing in that coastal region, it didn''t take long, and several people could be seen abandoning their ships!


    It was better to simply run away from the ships unable to carry them away and bet on those with conditions good enough for the power arrays to work.


    With that, quickly, the crews of the Brown family warships in this place abandoned 10 of the 13 remaining ships in hopes of surviving if they joined one of those three remaining means of transport with good conditions.


    As for the Minos ships'' side, only 5 of them had been damaged to such an extent, while all the others were well enough for the power arrays to continue to function.


    In any case, on both sides, several people on each of these ships had suffered injuries of various severities, some of them even having died!


    The strength of the ships could not be compared to the bodies of these cultivators, after all.


    With that, although most of the crews had abandoned their ships, the number of people swimming in that part of the coast of the Maritime City was not significant.


    ...


    "Damn it!"


    "Those damn invaders were powerful!"


    "Look at how many problems and casualties we had!" Some soldier on one of the ships with Collins family symbols commented to his comrades as he lay on the floor.


    "Yes, but the enemy side had almost twice our numbers at the beginning of it all..."


    "But now they are fleeing in only 3 ships, while we are in 17, 12 of them with sailing conditions." Another person said, looking at the bright side of it all.


    "Still... We cannot fall easily to these enemies. Each of our dead is worth dozens of theirs!"


    "There''s nothing to be done. We have to defeat the enemies even if it hurts us a little to do so..."


    "It is better to lose just one finger than the whole hand!" An elderly man commented as he looked at the injured soldiers on that ship.


    That was a cruel reality. But that was the world they lived in, and thinking that such a thing was unfair, or something like that wouldn''t change anything. It would only be a way to escape from reality without it turning into good fruits that would perhaps lessen the burden of their losses.


    Losing comrades on a battlefield was terrible!


    Many were much more than just strangers, members of the same organization. Some were long-term friends, and some were even intimate partners.


    But to die fighting for your ideals was infinitely better than to live on your knees, perhaps like a slave who lives for his master and not for himself.


    It was better to die fighting or even lose good comrades on the battlefield than to put your family in danger of death, torture, rape, slavery, etc.


    Everything they did was for their families or themselves. Therefore, these people understood very well that no matter how painful it was, sometimes stepping in the blood of their comrades was part of life in this cruel world.


    "Sigh..."


    "What shall we do now? Should we chase these fugitives?" Someone asked as he looked in the direction of those three ships, where more and more people were approaching them, swimming.


    "Let them run away."


    "We won''t be able to catch up with them anyway..." The older person there said as he remembered that those ships of theirs and their enemies did not differ much.


    As such, a chase in their current state would probably only lead to losses without benefits.


    "As opposed to chasing them, we should take the opportunity and gather up all those bodies, as well as the damaged ships left behind."


    "That might make us quite strong!" The same person said, commenting on the order left by Angela before she left in the direction of Maritime City.


    ....

 Chapter 746 - The Great Ambush 1

    A few minutes earlier.


    While Eduard and hundreds of soldiers of the Black Plain Army were waiting for the moment to act in tunnels around the Maritime City, suddenly, a loud sound spread throughout the entire area of this city.


    BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!


    Then a compelling sound of explosion came from the maritime area of this city.


    That had been so loud that every single person in this city heard it as if it had happened right next to them!


    There had been five explosions, but to the people in this city who were several kilometers away, it had seemed like only one explosion, the combination of the five!


    On the other hand, something so sudden had caused thousands of people in that area to shiver as they were startled by such a thing.


    "What was that?"


    Several people around this city wondered, at the same time as they got up from where they were sitting, lying down, or simply turned towards the local shore, curious.


    But while many people inside buildings tried to get close to the windows or out into the street to see what was happening, those in places overlooking the coastline had eyes and mouths wide open in shock.


    By the time that sound had reached their ears, they were already seeing a powerful explosion happening on the northernmost part of the coast, where some warships were.


    Such a thing had been so extreme that even from kilometers away, the people in this city could see the flames from the explosion reaching heights exceeding those of the tallest buildings in this city!


    That had been truly impressive!


    For people who were walking on some of the inner streets with no view of the sea, if they had been looking in that direction, at the sky above the buildings, they would have seen something similar to a second star appearing in the sky and then exploding.


    The explosion had been so strong that an intense tsunami of light had spread throughout that region, something capable of blinding for a few minutes those below the 2nd stage, who were looking in that direction!


    Moreover, the heat of this light had been so high as to produce a thermal pulse so energetic and hot that it just burned everything within hundreds of meters of the focus of the explosion.


    But such a thing had only lasted for a few fractions of a second until a large amount of smoke quickly covered the flames.


    "What the fuck is that?"


    "What''s happening?"


    "Our ships just exploded? How could that have happened?"


    Several soldiers from the Counter-Revolutionary Army who had seen such a thing wondered aloud, drawing attention from those in their surroundings.


    But while thousands of people in this city were beginning to feel bad omens, the mighty shockwave arrived in that city!


    That was not enough to damage the local infrastructure, as buildings built by cultivators were indeed solid. But for the weaker people near the local beaches, especially those further north, many of them had been thrown to the ground because of such a thing.


    "Are they attacking us?"


    "It can''t be! Has the war already reached our city?"


    "But the royal forces have just arrived here!"


    People in the vicinity of the coastal part of this city wondered aloud, as they felt they should run to their homes and hide.


    That all was very strange. But since the local forces had already launched the war effort program for the local citizens, many already knew that strange things could happen. Not only that, many had realized what was happening very quickly because of this program and were fast about returning to their homes.


    As for the leaders of the Counter-Revolutionary Army in this city, upon hearing that intense explosion, they had been as perplexed as to the citizens.


    But since their location was further away from the coast, the effects they had felt had been minor, and none of them had seen the explosion happening.


    Still, they quickly stopped what they were doing at that central station, worrying about what might have happened.


    But before they were leaving that place, cannon sounds followed the previous explosion, making it very clear for them that hundreds of these weapons were being used at the time.


    "What? Are we being attacked?" Then, after hearing the beginning of the sequence of cannon fire, one of the Spiritual Kings in this post asked aloud, surprised by it all.


    Previously, they had thought that some incident had happened in a local building since none of them could imagine that an explosion at sea could be heard from here.


    But just as they were about to send someone to go and see what had happened, the sounds of cannon had reached their ears.


    And since such a sound was very distinctive, each of these people could realize that the problem was much bigger than they imagined.


    "Damn, are we..." One of them was about to say something, but a distinctive sound reverberated through that area they were in at that instant.


    ''It can''t be!''


    ''It can''t be!''


    The thoughts of the people in that place flew away as they heard the distinctive sound of the activation of an explosive array sounding there.


    But it was too late for them to run or even defend themselves!


    Once activated, such an array could operate as fast as the snap of fingers!


    And then...


    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!


    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!


    ...


    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!


    At that moment, dozens of explosions of various intensities happened almost simultaneously!


    Several Counter-Revolutionary Army posts around Maritime City had suddenly suffered from powerful explosions, which had created the effect of small earthquakes around tens of square kilometers.


    In sequence, similar effects to what had happened during the explosion at sea happened in this city, with several buildings being directly destroyed by the explosion of the arrays activated from afar by Minos'' soldiers.


    On the other hand, while the buildings at the center of the explosions had been partially destroyed, hundreds of buildings in the vicinity of these places had suffered.


    The artificial earthquakes had created large cracks in the walls of the buildings closest to the explosion.


    And secondly, they were affected even more by the strong shockwave, which shattered the glass of almost every house in that city!


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    "Ahhhhhhhh!"


    "Help me! Help me!"


    "Damn it! The roof of my house fell on my wagon!"


    "Ahhhh! My foot is stuck! Help me!" Someone shouted as he saw that his house was starting to catch fire due to the thermal pulse created by the explosions around the area he was in.


    "Ahhhhhhhh!"


    And with that, the many traps spread around this city by the soldiers of the Black Plain Army had been fully activated, causing chaos around here.


    Not all of them were the explosive type. Still, these were the ones that had caused the most commotions around this city, creating a typical battlefield symphony.


    First the sounds of explosions, then the screams of pain and cries for help. Following that, as the terrible smell of burning bodies wafted through the air, euphoric sounds coming from deep in the throats of hundreds of people added to it all.


    "Kill!"


    "Kill the damn invaders!"


    "For the Black Plain!"


    Then the soldiers of Minos finally began to act, running towards the enemy survivors, those who were not near the focus of the explosions, or had narrowly escaped the traps around this city.


    No one was left in the tunnels built by the army, and groups of soldiers could already be seen in the local streets activating their techniques while starting to fight.


    The same was true for the soldiers infiltrating the enemy forces, those who were already stabbing their ''comrades'' in their backs!


    As the battles began to spread to the outer areas of this city, the powerful enemies who had managed to survive the traps were finally standing up amidst the local rubble, wounded, shocked, surprised.


    All of this had been very unexpected for these people. After all, one way or another, they were inside their own ''headquarters'' since they had turned this city into such a thing.


    Yet, overnight, they had been attacked from within their base!


    That was entirely unexpected for these people!


    "Shit!"


    "The damn rebels infiltrated Maritime City before we came here!" One of the surviving Spiritual Kings said in a hoarse tone while feeling several wounds around his body.


    However, as he said this loudly, Eduard''s group arrived in that location, passing through the curtain of dust and smoke that surrounded it.


    ....

 Chapter 747 - The Great Ambush 2

    In the blink of an eye, Eduard, Barbara, and 40 other soldiers appeared on the spot where the leaders of the enemy forces had previously been.


    The place had become a heap of rubble, from which several corpses could be seen amidst the gray dust that covered the surroundings.


    This dust was the remnant of what had been burned by the flames of the previous explosion.


    As for the corpses, they belonged to the Spiritual Kings killed in that attack. That''s because, Spiritual Generals or lower-level cultivators couldn''t even leave corpses after that explosion, which targeted the Spiritual Kings of this place.


    Not all explosive arrays used in this operation were the same, but the one used in this place where the enemy experts were was the highest level one. As such, those individuals below the 6th stage who were here had been completely wiped out!


    So, there was a large amount of dust in the air and around the rubble of this place, which with the smoke left behind from the explosion, making it difficult to see many meters around that place.


    Because of this, the 7 Spiritual Kings who had survived the previous attack could barely see Eduard''s group, which had just arrived at that place.


    ''Oh? Only seven survived...'' Barbara thought to herself, watching those people as she ran towards one of them, preparing to take that life.


    The enemy group in Maritime City previously had 18 Spiritual Kings. However, two of them were not in this place during that explosion. As a result, of the 16, only 7 had survived.


    And since this was quite a difference for Eduard''s group to deal with, that woman couldn''t help but feel relieved that the worst for them hadn''t happened here.


    At least they wouldn''t have to fight all those experts, as would have happened if things had gone wrong and their worst nightmare had come true!


    In any case, she and the people in that group were being cautious right now. After all, although their enemies were injured, most of them were at much higher levels than they were.


    But that was to be expected. The weakest here would undoubtedly be the first to die in that previous situation, where survival depended on the strength of their bodies.


    Of course, there could be exceptions, as one being lucky enough to be a little further away from the center of the explosion or being able to defend himself in some way would not be an impossible possibility.


    But such a thing was only the exception, and as expected, it did not happen often.


    In particular, in this place, only the strongest had survived!


    Of these individuals, the weakest was at level 53, while the strongest was at level 56.


    But even though they had survived, most of these people were severely injured, some with parts of their bodies missing, others with open fractures.


    They were lying at different points of that rubble area. At the same time, their bodies were covered only by the metal parts of their armor, as all the clothing on their bodies had burned away.


    And only one of them looked a little less tragic, the level 56 one.


    He didn''t seem to have any significant external injuries, as his whole body was just very red, irritated by the flames of the previous explosion.


    And Eduard, the strongest in the Black Plain Army group in this place, did not fail to notice such a thing.


    ''That man will be the greatest difficulty here...'' He pondered as he moved through that rubble, preparing to act specifically against that individual. ''But he probably has some internal injuries, and his energy reserves are not full!''


    He then signaled to the soldiers closest to him, indicating that he would hold that person himself and that the other soldiers should eliminate the other enemies before helping him.


    Realizing this, Barbara nodded in Eduard''s direction and finally began to circulate her energies in an attempt to attack one of the enemies who were most injured in this place.


    The other soldiers quickly followed these two individuals, dividing themselves into groups of different numbers, something they deemed necessary to deal with each surviving enemy.


    The difference in levels here was genuinely significant, and even though some of these opponents were seriously wounded, they were probably capable of creating attacks strong enough to threaten the lives of Minos'' soldiers.


    Consequently, these people were dealing with it with caution!


    And then, the attacks of those 42 soldiers from the Black Plain Army began to form in the air, thus starting the battles around Maritime City!


    Blood Saber!


    Flaming Fists!


    Void Fists!


    ...


    As those soldiers of Minos began to attack their opponents, it wasn''t long before those seven survivors felt powerful attacks coming towards them!


    Previously they had not noticed the presence of enemies in the surroundings, as they were still in a state of confusion, something expected after what they had suffered.


    And as the action of Eduard''s group had been very fast, these individuals, even the strongest one there, had only realized such a team in the surroundings when the powerful attacks were already rushing towards them.


    "Damn it!"


    "Get ready, people! The enemies are attacking us!" The strongest one there shouted, warning his companions as he felt pain all over his body and tried to get up.


    He didn''t look badly injured on the outside. Still, he had suffered internal damage that was causing him excruciating pain and limiting his movements.


    But even in such a situation, his senses were still sharp. He managed to react while pressing his jaw, trying to endure the pain in his body and activate his techniques.


    At the same time, the other six Spiritual Kings of this post of the Brown family''s Counter-Revolutionary Army were wide-eyed, filled with hatred and fury.


    Many of them knew that the situation was terrible and that fighting in their respective circumstances was a terrible thing. After all, injuries could be made worse. Depending on how far this went, these people could have limitations for the rest of their lives or even die.


    Therefore, they couldn''t help but feel hatred for the damn rebels who were trying to attack them right now. Particularly considering that such people were much weaker than them!


    ''Damn it. Those damned people are probably here to sacrifice themselves and thereby make our situations even worse!''


    "What a move, brat Minos! You are much better than we expected!" One of them said aloud as he reasoned about the meaning of this action, while at the same time, he could barely move his body.


    ''Bumpkins, do you think I''m not capable of killing you in my situation?'' Another individual wondered as he trembled in pain, trying to put up a defensive position and perhaps counterattack those opponents.


    Unfortunately for him, although his enemies were much weaker than him in terms of levels, they were as strong as regional experts in the initial part of the 6th stage.


    And as much as in other circumstances, that wouldn''t be enough to scare people of the levels of those subordinates or vassals of the Brown family, that was enough to put them in danger right now!


    "Invaders, you should never have come here!" One of those Sergeants said this loudly while throwing a giant ax in the air, aimed at that person''s chest.


    Another soldier who was attacking that person then made a series of hand gestures, causing long red chains to run towards that man''s wrists and ankles.


    He then looked at him coldly and commented. "The only fate of those who oppose us is death!"


    "Invader, let''s see what you are capable of!" Another soldier expressed while using a hammer to strike the air before him, creating a series of shockwaves toward his target.


    "Damn bastards! You guys are very manly to talk that way to practically crippled people!" One of those Spiritual Kings said, finally managing to stand up and spit on the ground.


    "Come on, bugs!" He said, raising his arms in a defensive position while trying to balance on one leg.


    With that, it didn''t take long, and the battles began to heat up, as most of the people there attacked with everything they had, and the rest tried to defend themselves, counterattacking when they could!


    ....

 Chapter 748 - The Great Ambush 3

    "Ahhhh!"


    Swooish!


    Suddenly, the blade of a double ax wielded by one of the Sergeants in that area around Maritime City sliced horizontally towards the neck of its target.


    Seeing this, the Spiritual King trembled in fear. At the same time, the numerous cuts on his body intensified, as if his own body was attempting to paralyze him.


    But such a thing was not an option for him since he would undoubtedly be killed by the six soldiers of the Black Plain Army who were fighting against him now!


    However, he, a powerful level 54 Spiritual King, did not want to fall into this place at the hands of mere Spiritual Generals, people who used dirty tricks to fight.


    That would be a dishonor to him, a dignified subordinate of the Brown family, someone who had successfully served that organization for his entire life!


    With that, he was using a lot of what he had right now to suppress the pains around his body that were trying to keep him from fighting. But, on the other hand, he was constantly circulating his energies through a golden shield, through which his defensive technique worked.


    This person had already lost an arm after the attack before and had several other injuries around his body related to that event. But to make matters worse, when facing these six opponents, he had discovered that these people were much stronger than they should be!


    Consequently, after a few minutes of fighting those six, he had gained several more superficial wounds, which had stained his entire golden armor with his own blood.


    Meanwhile, his aged skin could barely be seen, even though he was without any clothing covering it at the moment.


    Instead, the orange of the soil, plus his blood and the ashes of his companions, was what could be seen on this man''s skin as he struggled to fight against those six.


    Clang!


    So, once again, he managed to defend himself by positioning his shield at a height close to his head while such a thing stopped the blade of the opponent''s weapon.


    At the same time, he prepared to leap backward, trying to launch a leg attack against his other opponents, who were already in his surroundings trying to attack him.


    "Ahhhhhhhh!"


    However, as he tried to counterattack his opponents again, this man had no luck. Instead, he was hit mercilessly by an ice spear!


    He had not realized such a thing coming towards him, and since that thing was much stronger than he could withstand when such a thing had touched his defenses, they cracked until nothing could protect him anymore.


    At that instant, the ice spear went through his body, coming from his back and exiting through his left chest, at the height of his heart.


    "Ahhhh!"


    "Cough! Cough!"


    He then fell face-first to the ground, feeling great pain, but as he screamed, his blood began to pour out of his mouth uncontrollably, causing him to cough mouthfuls of dark red content.


    But he wasn''t the only one who had ended up in this situation!


    As this person slowly died while feeling a mixture of painful sensations in his body along with the burning of his internal organs, several of his companions in that place were suffering the same.


    Meanwhile, a white-haired woman ran around that area while dozens of ice spears were flying around the surroundings at her command.


    "What? Who is this person? Another enemy?" The strongest individual there asked aloud as he tried to turn away from Eduard and look in the direction of where Angela had just arrived.


    After leaving her ship earlier, this woman had run with everything she had towards this place, where she knew the enemy Spiritual Kings should be.


    And upon arriving at this place and finding six living enemies fighting with the Black Plain Army soldiers, she couldn''t miss the opportunity to use the enemies'' distraction against them!


    She had activated her primary attack technique, helping those soldiers deal with 4 of the six surviving Spiritual Kings in this place at once!


    The seventh of them had already fallen by Barbara''s hands, so Angela had found one less enemy in this place.


    In any case, after her decisive move, Angela had radically changed the situation of the fight!


    Previously, the Black Plain Army soldiers were at an advantage in this place, but that didn''t mean that the fights were being easy!


    After all, despite being wounded, the enemies here were many levels stronger than them. And although they had the collective in their favor, these soldiers would still have to fight for some more time before they could get the most likely outcome for this confrontation.


    However, winning more quickly was not a bad thing, and when these people noticed Angela''s arrival, they couldn''t help but smile, relieved.


    Angela then looked firmly in the direction of that level 56 Spiritual King without looking at the soldiers in this place and said. "Eduard and Barbara will deal with that level 55 opponent. The rest of you are dismissed..."


    "Help the rest of the soldiers in the battles in other parts of the city!" She said as she prepared to fight that opponent.


    The advantage was in her favor, but she had to be careful. That was because after previously fighting the crew of one of the enemy warships, as well as running this far, she had expended a good deal of her energy.


    As a result, even if her opponent was injured and exhausted, her advantage over him was not as great as it would have been if they were both at their peak.


    But not only that. The conflict around this city did not only involve eliminating these Spiritual Kings. The army was also interested in eliminating as many enemy Spiritual Generals as possible!


    Thus, even after dealing with these two remaining enemies, she and her two companions from the army would still have to fight in this city.


    To do so, she needed to save her energy!


    Anyway, upon hearing the order coming from the mouth of this level 55 Lieutenant, those soldiers in the surrounding area didn''t take long and soon started running away from there.


    It was time for them to join the battles around the Maritime City!


    On the other hand, Eduard and Barbara soon ran towards that level 55 enemy, leaving the strongest one there to Angela.


    "Damn you, woman! Damn Minos Stuart!"


    "You won this time, rebels."


    "But once His Majesty finds out about your actions, it won''t be long before he takes action against that brat who thinks that already is a man!" So, that level 56 individual said in fury as he prepared for his death.


    He believed in the afterlife and did not have what it took to sacrifice himself. Moreover, as someone experienced, he knew he couldn''t beat this woman just from seeing Angela''s previous attacks.


    He could even last a while, but sooner or later, his life would be taken by Angela.


    That was the difference between their strengths and the situation of their bodies.


    Still, this man was not the least bit afraid of his death. Not because he had no attachment to life, but because he had lived more than a thousand years and had no hope of living much longer.


    And as much as he wanted to continue living, perhaps have the opportunity to do more for his family and kingdom, for many people, the day comes when there are no more lights at the end of the tunnel.


    There comes the point of no exit, where only the truly wise have the opportunity to transcend into the deep and meaningless darkness of death.


    It made no difference whether he accepted it or not. His fate had already been decided.


    To despair was not an answer since it would make no difference to the process as a whole.


    And since this man understood all this very well, he simply accepted the reality, prepared psychologically for his end.


    Because of this, he could say his last threat peacefully while looking coldly into Angela''s eyes, as if he was leaving a mental mark on this woman.


    "Tsk!"


    Angela then took one of those ice spears in her hands and prepared to run towards that man, "Say what you want, Lesley, from the gray fortress."


    "But make no mistake. King Brown died the moment he decided to march toward the Black Plain!"


    Swooish!

 Chapter 749 - Results 1

    Quickly the battles where Angela, Eduard, and Barbara were developed, with those three fightings vigorously against their two opponents.


    After the departure of those 40 soldiers, Eduard and Barbara had quickly gained the upper hand against that opponent of theirs. In contrast, Angela had vigorously weakened her opponent.


    Such a person was ready to die, but that didn''t mean that he would let Angela win the fight without any opposition!


    After all, even if he understood his fate, it wouldn''t stop him from trying to hold this woman in this place any longer. That was something extremely valuable to the other members of the Counter-Revolutionary Army in this city!


    He didn''t know how many of these individuals had died in the previous attack. Still, from the sounds of battles coming into this place from various parts of this city, he was aware that there were survivors.


    With that, seriously fighting Angela to buy time for the survivors of this force formed by King Brown was a small goal for this man before he finally fell on this battlefield.


    But he hadn''t been so lucky!


    Clang!


    "Ahhhhhh!"


    The long ice spear danced in Angela''s hands as she nimbly moved around the surroundings of her opponent, constantly striking against that individual''s vital points.


    While doing so, she would occasionally hit her opponent''s sturdy armor, leaving scratches and dents behind, slowly breaking through the main structures of this item.


    But her blows were also hitting that man''s body with some frequency, leaving several cuts of various depths on his arms, legs, and some exposed parts of his chest.


    With that, that man was now bleeding from every part of his body, feeling that he might faint at any moment due to extreme exhaustion.


    And to make matters worse, he was practically out of energy and would only last a few more blows!


    "Tsk!"


    ''Damn it! I only barely hold this woman for 3 minutes!'' He wailed in his mind as he tried to dodge Angela''s spear attack, which was coming towards his chest.


    But while doing that, he suddenly felt an intense pain coming from a part of his spine, in the lower back, something that momentarily took away all his ability to move!


    ''Shit!''


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" He did the only thing he could at this moment, feeling as if his spine had been crushed and all his locomotion had been lost.


    And as he felt the worst sensation of his life, the tip of Angela''s spear went through his throat, immediately ceasing his cries of pain.


    "Too bad, I''m going to ruin the funeral..." Angela said in a somewhat tired tone.


    She then simply knocked him to the ground before finally using the same ice spear to end this person''s life, with a solid attack to the middle of his face!


    Puff!


    With that done, her fight against that level 56 Spiritual King had ended, with this man following his path to the afterlife!


    As she finished, Angela felt some relief and then looked in the direction of Eduard and Barbara''s battle against that last opponent.


    That enemy was already not far from joining her victim.


    In that place, the level 55 Spiritual King was with his legs bound by some kind of chain, while Eduard was attacking him with his hand-to-hand combat technique, beating such an opponent.


    His punches were very well timed, contained as much force as he could rally with each move, and his breathing was in accord. But, all this was making that opponent suffer at the hands of that Lieutenant, while he had only his hands to defend himself since at this moment Barbara was limiting his movement.


    With that, every moment, this last surviving enemy in this place was being hit by Eduard''s fists, sometimes in his abdomen, but most of the blows going directly to his head.


    Pow!


    "Cough!"


    "Ahhhh!"


    He took another powerful attack from his opponent, something that had hit exactly in his jaw, causing it to dislocate. At the same time, a portion with blood and teeth flew out of his mouth.


    As he screamed in pain from such a blow, he felt his sense of balance disappear. In this instant, he was experiencing a reality very different from what he was used to, while at the same time suffering from the damage to his body.


    With this, almost immediately as he felt Eduard''s blow, he lost his balance, falling towards the ground!


    Pow!


    At that moment, the last punch was thrown by Eduard hit the void of air, just as that Spiritual King fell sideways.


    ''Did he deflect?''


    But before Eduard realized that his enemy didn''t, Barbara took the opportunity and landed the final blow.


    She just pierced her opponent''s head with the sharp point of a war hammer that had been left on the battlefield by another of those Spiritual Kings.


    Puff!


    Upon realizing this, Angela immediately stopped collecting the spatial rings in the surrounding area and said in a satisfied manner. "You are finally done!"


    "Yes, but that was a tough fight..." Eduard commented this, feeling the fatigue upon his body, which, although not worrying, was something he couldn''t help but notice after he finished fighting.


    On the other hand, Barbara looked better. But that was normal, as being of a lower level, she had put more effort into supporting Eduard than fighting face to face with that opponent.


    "What do we do now?" She asked as she crouched down in that spot and then picked up the spatial ring that was on one of the fingers of that man she had just killed.


    "Collect all those spatial rings in this area. After that, we will split up and head towards the various battles around this city." Angela said without delay as she heard the sounds of battle coming from other parts of Maritime City and saw the many objects on the ground glowing.


    Spatial rings were very sturdy things. After all, it would be an inconvenience to lose the items in such storage every time one faced a deadly threat!


    Hence, unless the difference between the item''s level to the degree of severity of the circumstances in its surroundings were very brutal, it would be tough for items like that to be destroyed.


    And since most of the people killed by the big trap were Spiritual Generals or above, they certainly had rings good enough to withstand the attack from before.


    Otherwise, it wouldn''t make much difference either. After all, if some people couldn''t even have a decent spatial ring, the items inside such storage would hardly be missed.


    Knowing this, those people soon started collecting the ownerless spatial rings in that area, which was neither time-consuming nor difficult.


    Spatial rings had their own spirituality, like any item produced by experts of the spiritual professions. Therefore, it was effortless to identify these items through cultivators'' spiritual sense. Thus, collecting them would only require a minimum effort, something easy for cultivators as strong as these three.


    Because of this, Angela decides to collect these items before leaving this place to fight the rest of the surviving invaders in this city.


    ...


    It didn''t take long, and soon the battles around Maritime City were ending, with the number of fights decreasing and fewer and fewer attacks being launched in the surrounding area.


    Many fights had taken place in the nearly 50 minutes of battle from the beginning of it all to the present moment, the end of the conflict.


    But the numbers of battles in the Maritime City were nowhere near the numbers involved in the Persephone Tragedy.


    But that was to be expected as that conflict in Persephone had involved tens of thousands of opponents. But in Maritime City, there were just over 16,000 opponents here, and the great ambush alone had wiped out more than half of those numbers.


    After that initial moment in the conflict, less than six thousand enemies had been left for the just over a thousand soldiers of the Black Plain Army to face!


    And even if those numbers were more significant than what the local soldiers could support, most of those enemies had suffered just as much from the traps as those Spiritual Kings from before.


    In fact, apart from a few hundred soldiers of the Counter-Revolutionary Army who were far from the traps of Minos'' forces in this place, all the rest of that group had suffered dramatically from the explosive arrays used at the beginning of it all.


    So, the conflict in this city was slowly coming to an end, accompanied by a silent sunset, with almost 30% of its infrastructure compromised.


    ....

 Chapter 750 - Immigration Opportunity

    "Get out of the way! Get out of the way!"


    "Clear the way for the carriages to pass!"


    "Hey! Hey! You guys, help out here!"


    Multiple shouts like these could be heard in many streets around the Maritime City, specifically those closest to the previous battles.


    Hundreds of soldiers from the Black Plain Army were already working on the local rubble in such places. They were working to collect spatial rings from the dead in the surrounding area, gather items of importance, and rescue residents in precarious situations.


    At the same time, some citizens of the regions farther away from the battlefield had already gone out into the streets, rushing towards those places to help rescue locals.


    Many of these people had already been warned about the possibility of migration to Dry City, and this was precisely why they were not around when things got complicated.


    Moreover, they knew what they were supposed to do in Maritime City if something similar to what happened today occurred. As such, these individuals who wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to migrate to Dry City were already on the outskirts, listening to the soldiers'' commands and helping as they could.


    But not only were these individuals there but also residents ignorant of the opportunities of Dry City. After all, there would always be family, friends, or even strangers willing to help in such tragic situations.


    With that said, even though only a few minutes had passed since the battles around this city had ended, the local streets were already busy. Many carriages were going back and forth, and several people were in the vicinity of the most affected locations.


    "My goodness!"


    "I never thought something of this magnitude could happen in our city!" An elderly lady commented to the curious people in the surrounding area as they watched the rescues in a place where once there was a five-story building, but now only rubble remained.


    "It truly is a tragedy..."


    "But the most impressive thing is that the royal family forces lost the confrontation!" Another person nearby commented in surprise as he saw some bodies wearing armor with Brown family symbols.


    There were many bodies in the surrounding area. In fact, many of these corpses had been stacked by Minos'' soldiers at various points around this city as a measure to facilitate the collection of items.


    But unlike what had happened in the past, Minos'' subordinates in this place were not preparing to burn these bodies, as they were in a hurry to leave this place and had other plans for this city.


    After all, after what they had done in this place, the royal family would probably do everything to recover their territory and avenge their losses.


    And those soldiers had many other things to do in this place, while they had few men available for service.


    Anyway, not only were the soldiers doing resource-gathering rescue work. Some were also receiving first aid, already being sent in carriages to Dry City.


    Many of them had been injured. Some were in such bad shape that only going to the General Hospital would give them a chance to survive with their powers undamaged.


    The same was true of the many individuals rescued amid the local destruction. Unfortunately, some were in terrible condition and could not even make it to Dry City.


    Therefore, several of these people were lying on stretchers on the outskirts of the destroyed areas, waiting for their ends.


    But others were not so bad off, and with the initial help of the soldiers, several of them had already recovered from the confusion and were resting at various points in this city.


    Nevertheless, while some of the soldiers were doing these services, others were already trying to communicate with the surviving population about the possibilities ahead of them!


    ...


    In one of the main squares of the Maritime City, thousands of people were already gathered in the surroundings, since previously, the war effort program provided that such a thing should happen after a conflict.


    The local citizens who already knew about Dry City obviously didn''t need to come here. So, they had been warned before to follow another protocol if something happened.


    As for the other citizens who were on the outskirts of the destroyed areas, well, they had been warned to go to such squares as well as the thousands of people in this place in question.


    But free will existed. As these people were curious about the losses resulting from the previous conflict, the soldiers of Minos'' army could only hope that they would find out about the army''s message in other ways.


    It was understandable that not everyone would respect protocol in a situation like this. Still, the army also had no time to waste giving second chances. Once it was time to leave, those who were not with them would only count on their own luck.


    In any case, while many citizens were still not in the vicinity of local squares, a soldier was already communicating with the people in the surroundings in one of those places.


    "Citizens of Maritime City..." His voice spread throughout that area, silencing many conversations. In contrast, many fearful eyes looked in the direction of some individuals dressed in Black Plain Army uniforms, standing on top of a great statue.


    "My name is Alvin, and I am part of the Black Plain Army."


    ''Black Plain Army?''


    "Hey, what is this person talking about? What is this Black Plain Army?"


    "It''s probably the enemy the royal family is fighting against on the Black Plain!" Someone smarter commented, realizing who had accomplished such action in Maritime City.


    Most there didn''t know much about the forces in Dry City since the war between the royal family and Minos had just begun and was at the point of troop gathering.


    So, without war stories already running around the region, it would be difficult for many ordinary citizens to understand the name of the kingdom''s enemy organization.


    The soldier from before then continued. "We of the Black Plain Army wish to inform you of your future..."


    Gulp!


    "Today, as you can observe, we forcefully attacked a troop of thousands of soldiers from the invading forces in your city. So, it is only a matter of time before this place attracts the attention of the enemies."


    "Sigh... Our little city is finished!"


    "We''ll be dragged into the war because of this!"


    "Damn! I had just bought a new house!" Someone said in frustration, briefly so as not to miss the rest of that soldier''s speech.


    "And so, we will have to evacuate that city as soon as possible!"


    "So, you citizens of Maritime City have a difficult choice to make ahead of you."


    "We see two options for you..."


    "Flee from the Black Plain and thereby risk unprotected travel through the region. Or migrate to Dry City. There we have opportunities and protection for each of you!"


    "We have guaranteed jobs, better quality infrastructure than this city, housing ready to welcome you, and much more. But, the main thing, we have a giant dome with medium-level grade-2 defensive arrays that protects the entire city!"


    "And even if some of you are wary about its safety, I can tell you that over 50 Spiritual Kings are already living in Dry City right now!"


    "So, even if someone does find a way to breach our defenses, our city still has powerful forces to counterattack!"


    "Anyway, whoever is interested, go to the main exit of the city, and there you will be guided on how to migrate to Dry City."


    "Make your choices, and don''t regret it!" He said solemnly, finishing what he had to communicate.


    Upon hearing this, the masses began to discuss this eagerly, with many people shouting about their misfortunes, of having all of a sudden to leave their homes.


    Even more, they didn''t know if they could trust the people from that Black Plain Army. After all, this organization was an enemy of the Brown Kingdom.


    Could they be trusted?


    On the other hand, traveling through the northern part of the Central Continent was almost a death sentence, or worse, slavery, for those who didn''t have enough level for such travel!


    Hence, now they were at a ''crossroads,'' having to decide between two options that, in the opinion of most of them, would invariably lead to their deaths!


    What to do now?


    Well, now it was time to bet!

 Chapter 751 - Results 2

    Before long, the same thing that had happened in that square happened in other places around the Maritime City, all at the same time as the rescues and collection of materials were being done.


    But besides these tasks, some soldiers had also been counting the local losses and gains since the battles around this city had ended.


    These numbers were necessary, after all.


    Hence, dozens of soldiers could be seen running around this city with papers in their hands, calling out the soldiers, checking the destroyed places, the missing citizens, etc.


    In the midst of all this, a kind of organized turmoil had settled over this city!


    Turmoil because so many people were running from the sides of this city to the others, with different objectives, but all were in a great hurry, with stern expressions on their faces.


    But not only because of this, but also due to the size of this city, something that favored chaos.


    The Maritime City might have had 300,000 inhabitants before Minos'' actions in this place, but its area was not significant. In fact, this place was only a few dozen square kilometers in area, something that chariots pulled by 3rd stage beasts could cross in less than half an hour.


    And precisely because it was not a prominent place in terms of area, practically this entire city was suffering from the effects of this most recent action of the Black Plain Army.


    Almost all the remaining inhabitants of this place were in the streets together with the soldiers of Minos'' army, doing several different things.


    Some were already preparing to flee. Others were already leaving this city on their beasts or carriages. But, on the other hand, several people were running after their acquaintances, trying to find out what had happened to them during the conflict.


    And in the midst of this, the wounded and corpses were being removed from the rubble by local citizens and soldiers coming from Dry City. At the same time, cries of pain and pleas for help resounded through these places.


    All of this created this mess, which, although chaotic, did have its order.


    "Get out of the way!"


    "Can''t you see I''m trying to get through?" A coachman shouted while making various gestures to the people in the streets, trying to get out of this city.


    On the other hand, pedestrians kept crossing the streets outside the crosswalks, between the carriages and beasts, walking or running in different directions.


    But while some coachmen began to get annoyed by the traffic and occasional interference, people continued to get in their way in an attempt to reach their destinations as quickly as possible.


    Meanwhile, noises of shattering glass and doors began to emerge from the many stores in the center of this city as the looting began!


    As this place had lost its royal guard and members of the Maritime City government were fleeing, some residents took advantage of the state of anarchy to loot.


    Besides, the army soldiers didn''t care about this minor matter.


    At the same time, the owners of these places were more concerned with migrating away. So, no one was doing anything against these people, and citizens were merely taking what they could before they also fled.


    "Hey! This refrigerator array is mine!" Someone considerably sweating said this as he wiped the ashes from his face, already holding two other large arrays.


    "I got it first, so it''s mine!" The other person said this as he placed that array on his back, ready to leave that store, where many others were emptying the display case. "Do you want to fight for this?" He asked, looking to that person from before, willing to fight.


    "Bastard!"


    But nothing happened. Seeing the other person''s determined expression and the fact that other people could soon aim for his own items, this man gave up his attempt.


    Fighting here would not be suitable for anyone. After all, none of those individuals wanted to be around much longer.


    With this, those two quickly went in different directions, along with the others looting places like this one.


    And while some of those people were trying to loot other stores and others were already trying to leave this city, wounded people were being carried on stretchers through the streets, some screaming in pain, others passed out, while their clothes were soiled with blood and ash.


    "Please help us! A remnant attack hit our friend during the previous battles!" A young woman shouted this in the direction of some soldiers from Minos'' army as she and two other people carried that injured individual.


    Upon hearing this, one of the soldiers carrying corpses of local citizens then said aloud, without looking in the direction of those people. "Continue to the end of the street and then turn left and continue. You will find first aid in that place."


    "But our friend needs doctors. Are there any doctors there?" Another individual asked.


    "There are carriages with injured people being taken to Dry City. There we have many doctors ready to receive them."


    "The carriages are in the same place as the first aid care."


    Hearing this, those people ran towards that place, which was not far from there, where in just 2 minutes they had traveled all the way.


    ...


    At the temporary first aid station, Angela and Eduard were sitting on the nearby rubble, resting and observing the surroundings while waiting for the battle results.


    And as they saw three citizens carrying a stretcher with an injured young man arrive near one of the carriages in that place, a Sergeant approached them with a clipboard in his right hand.


    "Lieutenants, we already have the preliminary data on the aftermath of the great ambush carried out in this town." Such an individual said as he came face to face with those two.


    "How many men did we lose?"


    Eduard was the first to say something, asking about the thing that concerned him the most. After all, he was the leader of most of the people involved in the action from earlier, and he couldn''t help but worry about those individuals.


    "We didn''t have many casualties among the combatants, but yes, many wounded, some of them were even crippled." So, that Sergeant began to report.


    "Of the men directly involved in the previous confrontation, on the local coast and land, 133 of our comrades died. Two of them were Spiritual Warriors who were unfortunately killed after activating the traps on their responsibilities..."


    "The rest were Spiritual Generals."


    "On the other hand, 532 soldiers are seriously injured, and we can hardly count on them in the short term. But only the army doctors in Dry City will be able to say more about these individuals, so I dare not say more than that."


    "However, 15 Sergeants had their spiritual cultivations crippled during the conflict." He finished answering Eduard''s question, feeling bad for those people.


    "I see..."


    "It''s a shame that this happened, but at least they are still alive..." Angela said in a low voice, looking at that soldier. "Are they already going to Dry City?"


    "Yes, all the seriously injured soldiers are already traveling in carriages to Dry City right now. They were the first to receive first aid and sent to the General Hospital."


    "Hence, they should arrive in Dry City in the next two days."


    "Oh? That''s good."


    "But even though the loss numbers are not worrisome, we''ve had more trouble than we expected here. I hope that was worth it..."


    "How many enemies managed to escape?" She asked about this data, so important to measure the efficiency of the traps set up around this city.


    "Of the more than 15,000 enemies in Maritime City previously, counting those on warships on the local coast, we estimate that about just over a thousand individuals have escaped."


    "A good portion of them fled by sea, on the three enemy ships that had minimum necessary conditions of travel with good speed after the conflict on the local coast."


    "The rest of those individuals who fled were all Spiritual Generals who were farther away from our traps and who acted quickly after the activation of all the arrays in this city."


    "Other than that, over 14,000 enemies died in this city, including all the Spiritual Kings who were here previously."


    "Oh? That''s good!" Eduard commented in satisfaction, relieved that the Spiritual King, who had not been killed by the local traps or by him and that team from before, had not managed to escape.


    After all, while it wasn''t the end of the world for them that some enemies survived today''s conflict, it would be terrible if some Spiritual Kings had fled!


    In fact, for Eduard and Angela, the confirmation that no enemy experts had managed to escape was enough to cover the escape of those hundreds of enemies!


    "Other than that...."

 Chapter 752 - Results 3

    "Other than that, most of the enemies that were scattered around the local coast in warships were killed, and we got seven more ships for the Black Plain Army fleet."


    Previously 17 warships had come to this city under Angela''s command. But with the three that had sunk and the ten ships left behind by the Brown family fugitives, now this organization of Minos had 26 warships, counting the two that had stayed on the naval base!


    Most of those in this city were damaged and would need to undergo rigorous maintenance. But that in itself was already very good since buying warships in this region was very difficult.


    At the very least, repairing them would be many times cheaper and easier to do than buying new or even used ones!


    Consequently, this was good news for young Stuart''s army.


    "So, now we have 24 ships here, eh? How is their situation? How do our soldiers intend to deal with the malfunctioning ones?" Angela asked this right after hearing such a thing.


    She knew little about ships, even though she was the fleet leader that started the local attacks. However, she had seen earlier that several ships were damaged, precisely in those compartments most needed for navigation.


    And since they were supposed to leave this place in a short time, she couldn''t help but question that.


    "More than half of the ships have damaged power arrays, but getting these ships off the local coast is not difficult. As long as we have enough men to provide manual force, we can slowly get those ships to the naval base."


    "And the soldiers at the naval base have planned just that. In addition, some of the soldiers who were previously at the secret base in this city will accompany our fleet and provide that service."


    "As for the other ships in good condition, they will travel at low speed so that the group will travel in a defensive formation."


    Those 24 ships were battle-scarred and could be attacked by groups of bandits or pirates traveling through the region. But that would only have a reasonable chance of happening if they traveled separately or in small groups.


    Once they all traveled in a defensive formation, they would be safe even if part of them were partially destroyed. After all, it would take a lot of courage to challenge such a fleet, even for high-level regional forces!


    Even the regional royal families only had a few dozen warships, and they would rarely sail together.


    That way, the ''new'' warships acquired were practically guaranteed to arrive at the naval base without any problems following such a plan.


    "Hmm, I see..."


    After seeing that Angela had nothing more to talk about, then Eduard took the turn and asked. "Sergeant, what about the collected items? Are we done with that?"


    They just needed to sort that out and finish specific preparations to leave this city. So, Eduard was anxious to know about that.


    As for the greed that he indeed had, well, today, neither he nor any other soldier was thinking about the crystals they typically earned in situations like this.


    That was because this was a direct army action against a large group, with vast investments in traps, something that had cost a few million low-grade crystals!


    Consequently, the items obtained today would all be passed on to the Dry City government.


    The soldier then answered without delay. "We collected a lot of items today."


    "There were almost 16,000 spatial rings, in which we found more than 45 million low-grade crystals and about 14 thousand medium-grade crystals."


    "In addition, we were able to get 70 thousand copies of Blue-grade techniques, 193 of Black-grade ones, and 210 thousand resources, including pills, arrays, artifacts, and medicines of low classification."


    "We have not yet been able to analyze these resources to say the rank of all of them. But regarding the pills, practically all of them are grade-2. Whereas the other resources should be grade-1 for the most part."


    That was a logical thing to expect. After all, while artifacts produced by grade-2 blacksmiths were relatively uncommon to see in the region, arrays of that classification were quite expensive.


    Therefore, it was expected that most of these items would be of lower classification, grade-1.


    As for pills, they were undoubtedly the most affordable resources among the three leading spiritual professions. So, considering that most of the dead enemies were at least at the 5th stage, grade-2 pills should be the most common to be found in the rings left behind by those dead people here in Maritime City.


    "Well, that will help us cover today''s human and financial losses and even invest in new soldiers..." Angela said in a low voice as she finally remembered an important detail, but somewhat secondary to her.


    She hadn''t been in Dry City that long, so this problem didn''t always immediately come to her mind without her making an effort or thinking about something related.


    "Do you have the casualty numbers among the local citizens? Are there many wounded leaving toward Dry City?" She asked calmly, looking into the eyes of that middle-aged soldier.


    He then shook his head in denial. "We don''t have the numbers regarding that. But since most of the local population had joined the war effort program, we believe the casualty numbers are between 10 and 20 thousand people."


    "And our comrades have already started taking the wounded to Dry City. As for their numbers, they were already over 5,000 when I received the last update."


    "I see..." She commented, understanding the general situation in Maritime City at the moment. "Let''s try to get out of here before dawn."


    "I want every single soldier to be out of the city by sunrise, as well as the locals. So, make that clear to them."


    "They won''t want to be here when we leave..."


    "As for those casualties, those who are not so badly wounded and can''t get places on the carriages that are going to Dry City, send them on the warships that are going to the naval base."


    "We''ll find a way to send them from that place to Dry City after that."


    "OK!" After saying this, that Sergeant rushed to make the necessary preparations for Angela''s plans to be carried out successfully.


    On the other hand, those two Spiritual Kings remained sitting in that same place as before, talking while resting from the previous battles.


    "Eduard, when this is over, you will go to the naval base with that fleet, and I will go to Dry City."


    "Oh? Don''t you think that place has enough protection already?" He asked, not understanding why the two of them were not going back to Dry City together.


    "I think that after this action today, it won''t be long before King Brown himself shows his face in Dry City." She commented on this with a solemn expression on her face. "But to face him, we will probably need the strongest in the headquarters, or things will develop terribly..."


    "As such, I believe you should go to that place to replace Celeste. As soon as she finishes her rest, I believe Minos will call her to Dry City."


    "So, that''s it..."


    ...


    While the two Black Plain Army experts discussed future problems, some cargo ships were racing north, hundreds of kilometers north of the coast of Maritime City.


    Such ships were precisely part of those that had fled earlier from the coast of that city when their crews had seen the beginning of the conflict started by Angela.


    But even though they had left at the beginning of it all, those people had not been far enough away from that area not to see the shocking event around that city!


    Not only had they seen the explosion of the five Brown family ships and the beginning of the naval warfare, but also the mighty explosions in the Maritime City.


    One of them had been so powerful and shocking that each of those people had realized that such an explosion had been many times more powerful than the explosion of those warships!


    And having witnessed it, the most intelligent people there understood what had happened in that place, why naval warfare had suddenly started.


    That was evidently sabotage of some enemy organization of House Brown!


    Anyway, while these ships were on their way, in one of the cabins of one of them, some people were sitting in silence, thinking about what they had witnessed and what they should do.


    Someone there then said. "Captain, what should we do now? We saw the Collins family ships bombarding the Brown family fleet...."

 Chapter 753 - Big News!

    "And then we saw that big explosion in Maritime City..."


    "I wonder who is behind that... I can''t believe that the Collins family would attack House Brown without the involvement of a higher-level power."


    "I wonder if this is the crown prince''s doing?"


    Several individuals inside that cabin said these things while looking at the captain, the individual standing next to a man dressed as a nobleman.


    The captain then looked at the man next to him with an expression of doubt on his face, as if he too wanted to know the answers to such questions.


    Not because he had no idea what to do in this situation or what to imagine about the conflict they had witnessed earlier. But in the presence of his superior, he would not give orders without that person''s consent.


    "Lord Ford, what do you think about this?" He asked that nobleman, members of the nobility of the Peninsula of the Waves, a representative of House Salvage, a partner organization of House Brown in the Kingdom of the Waves.


    "Let''s continue our journey to headquarters." Ford Salvage commented, indicating his intention not to return to see the outcome of the previous conflict.


    None of them could imagine the outcome of the conflict since they didn''t know how strong the people in that city were. After all, even though they were members or subordinates of an organization partnering with the royal family of the Brown Kingdom, these individuals did not know the details of that family''s current war.


    They even knew that the Brown family was facing some difficulties, something that would require changes in their relations. But none of them had any idea which was to blame for the problems in question.


    Consequently, it would be challenging for them to assess the outcome of that conflict.


    The Brown family forces could have won. That was easy to think since this was one of the most influential organizations in the region. But the opposite could also happen.


    However, even though Ford had no idea who might have won that confrontation, he was sure that going back to find out would not be suitable for them!


    With that, he would instead follow his way back to the Salvage family headquarters.


    "But regarding that attack, I must say that was truly terrifying..." He stated in a worried tone. "I don''t remember regional royal families being attacked like that in over 100,000 years of history!"


    "But in any case, I doubt that this has anything to do with the crown prince and the Walker family. After all, it would be dumb to provoke House Brown when they themselves are experiencing the end of one reign and the beginning of the journey of a new sovereign."


    King Walker was still alive, but that would not last much longer. And being one of the members of the local nobility of the Wave Kingdom, this man knew very well that in less than a year, such an individual would come to his end.


    Then, Charles would take over the command of that state.


    But just at this decisive moment, the prince had dared something so dangerous?


    Impossible!


    That''s why he couldn''t believe this possibility thrown up by one of those individuals in that place.


    "But why would the Collins family act against a royal house? Or rather, I don''t believe they would make such a bold decision without even consulting the crown prince..." Someone else commented.


    "That''s a good question... Perhaps this has some relation to the recent loss of the Collins family." That nobleman commented, remembering that several experts from that organization had disappeared in recent months.


    That was a bit suspicious!


    Noble families of the same state usually kept some vigilance towards their fellow nobles. Because of this, such organizations had no difficulty in discovering the disappearance of experts from rival organizations.


    And even though it was common for those experts to stay for many years in seclusion within their headquarters, the Salvage family knew that these experts had left the Collins family headquarters months ago.


    But for these individuals to stay so long away from their family headquarters was very unusual.


    So much so that by now, the Salvage family''s intelligence already considered those individuals to be dead!


    "Anyway, we won''t let the Brown family know about this for now. Let''s first notify the family command so they can decide the best thing to do." So, he said as he got up from his place and looked through the windows of that cabin.


    The Brown family was a long-time partner of them. So, it made perfect sense to send the information they had to that organization to decide what to do. But House Salvage was a noble organization of the Kingdom of the Waves. As such, they had to maintain some care when dealing with other powers of the same state.


    In this way, this man had decided to proceed with caution!


    ...


    Meanwhile, other ships that had fled the coast of Maritime City earlier were continuing their ways away from that place.


    In particular, one of them that had a flag with the design of an albatross was traveling towards the Cromwell Kingdom while its crew members were actively talking about what they had seen.


    But each of them had very different expressions on their faces than the men on the Salvage family ship, as if these people were satisfied with what had happened.


    "Hahaha, those Northern News bastards will go crazy when we publish that news!" One of those people commented, laughing, feeling that he and that crew had hit the big jackpot.


    "We can finally beat them!"


    "With this news, we will sell millions of copies in a few days!"


    "I''m sure of it!" Another said as he already had a bottle of drink in one of his hands, happy for the reward he would receive for being part of this group.


    That was the ship of the organization behind the Night News, the second-largest journal of this region. This crew was from a Cromwell Kingdom merchant family, a partner of House Brown and one that secretly ran this journal.


    Anyway, while the ordinary people on this crew talked about that, the journalist accompanying this secret Night News cargo ship was in his cabin, writing down everything he had seen before.


    His investigative sense told him that there was much more going on than meets the eye in that city. And as such, he was eager to send a better-prepared team to investigate that place and the Black Plain. But he couldn''t help but write down what little he had already seen.


    With that, he would communicate to the organization behind him about the shocking events in that place so that the necessary measures could be taken.


    On the other hand, this was his opportunity to gain prestige for being the first to bring this news. And, of course, to earn many crystals for his text that would undoubtedly be published!


    With that, he was sitting in a chair behind a wooden table in one of the cabins of that cargo ship, sweating while writing on a sheet of paper, with vibrant eyes and a smile on his face.


    ''... A major incident of catastrophic proportions ''exploded'' in the Maritime City, where previously the local royal family had disproportionately strengthened the local defenses...''


    ''... What is in that place? What threat is the Brown family facing on the Black Plain to have such a powerful force in that city? I don''t have answers to these many questions right now, but I feel this could be the beginning of a major conflict in the Brown Kingdom...''


    ''... In any case, we have to find out more about this incident by sending more people to the Brown Kingdom. Previously they communicated about the recent problems, but we still haven''t found anything about it...''


    ''Finally, I hope the family deals with this quickly, or the other people who fled that place can contact Northern News!'' He wrote, finishing producing the text that would be published and the letters asking his family to investigate the Black Plain.


    After he finished writing this, he leaned his back against the support of his chair and relaxed, smiling satisfied. "Now I just need to send this and wait..."


    "I''ll make my name with just one notice, hahaha!" He laughed in satisfaction, happy as hell to have gotten this big news first hand!


    ...


    But while that journalist from the Night News was laughing in one of the cabins of that cargo ship, something even grander than the ambush of Maritime City was beginning on the Black Plain!

 Chapter 754 - Subsequent Attacks 1

    Hours after the ambush in the Maritime City began, the actions planned earlier by Minos and his soldiers were finally being put into practice!


    Even before the conflict in that city began, Angela had sent crows with letters that basically said that the attack on that place would have begun by the time they were received.


    And since those letters had been sent to the secret army bases in Yellow City, City of Waters, and the headquarters, the soldiers and allies in those places had quickly prepared themselves to make the subsequent attacks.


    The plan of the Black Plain Army was to deal with the leaders of the enemy groups in the vicinity of those two cities as soon as they received notification of the start of the conflict in that city.


    And even if they couldn''t act instantly to the confrontation in that place, it wouldn''t make that much difference to them. After all, regional communication was not so practical to do, and it would definitely take the enemy side more time to find out what had happened than it would take them to act.


    With that, everything was within the ideal time of action for these subsequent attacks!


    ...


    In the vicinity In the vicinity of the City of Water...


    In a region where the semi-arid area of the Black Plain mixed with the undergrowth of that northernmost part of the Cromwell Kingdom, 12 Spiritual Kings was crouched and silent in that area.


    They were watching a great camp that was a few kilometers away from there, where thousands of people could be seen from afar watching or doing typical activities in that place.


    "Miss Elena, when will we act?" One of those Spiritual Kings asked the leader of that attack group, Lieutenant Elena.


    That was obviously the group that would attack this enemy outpost near the City of Waters, where Elena was the temporary leader of the local secret base.


    In the period that she had been in this place, Elena had managed to level up once, having reached level 51, enough for her to have the minimum aptitudes necessary to lead this mission.


    In any case, surrounding her were eleven Spiritual Kings, eight of them coming from the Hayes family and three from House Cohen, those individuals who were in Dry City with Todd.


    That was the group formed to attack the specialists in that enemy camp, where there were 9 Spiritual Kings from the Counter-Revolutionary Army.


    Elena then answered the previous question while still observing the surroundings. "Wait a little longer... Our soldiers are almost ready."


    Obviously, they could not simply run towards that place with thousands of enemies, enough to end their lives. As such, they were waiting for the action of Minos'' soldiers and weaker subordinates of the Hayes family in the surrounding area to start the conflict, entertaining the thousands of Spiritual Generals here.


    And knowing this, Elena was observing the surroundings with a unique array, waiting for the signal from the soldiers so that her group could start this mission at the ideal moment.


    But it wasn''t long before she received the signal that everything was ready!


    "Time for action, guys!" She said in a serious tone as she stood up and prepared to start running.


    ...


    On the other hand, in a specific village east of Dry City.


    This place that previously the soldiers of the Black Plain Army had seen Urban dying, that individual who had managed to leak information from that territory to House Silva, had significantly changed.


    After several months since that incident and then the passage of the troops previously sent by the Silva family to the Black Plain, several locals had left this village.


    But for those who had stuck around, today they lived in a place that had essentially turned into a small base of the Counter-Revolutionary Army.


    Consequently, these people''s lives were no longer as peaceful as before.


    And the leader of this place couldn''t help but feel at a significant loss in all this.


    "Tsk!"


    ''That old man was truly right... The death of that person here starts a cycle of bad things for our village.'' The local leader thought about this, remembering the owner of a local establishment who had fled from here soon after the Silva family troops had passed in the vicinity.


    But while he was thinking about this, sitting in one of the Brown family''s Counter-Revolutionary Army tents, the Miller family members in this place were taking care of their business with this village leader''s team.


    They needed to ensure the supply of resources, after all.


    Hence, even if this individual was only the leader of this small village, these people from Minos'' enemy army needed to discuss things with him every day.


    And naturally, he couldn''t help but reflect on his loss of autonomy.


    Anyway, while this person was dealing with his village''s changes in the last few months, a group of Spiritual Kings from the Miller family was talking in low voices next to that tent.


    "When should things develop around here?" One of them asked, without saying anything too obvious.


    Another person then said. "Last night, I saw an unusual ''star'' in the sky, so I guess things will develop sooner than we imagined..."


    "You mean that this..."


    "Yes, I think so..."


    "Well, let''s prepare for it for the sake of our forces!"


    "But are our forces already prepared?"


    "Hmm, since we came here, I had already made it clear for them to always be prepared. In these days of the war, we cannot falter." The strongest one there commented.


    And just at that moment, one of the other Spiritual King who was in this village, someone who was a member of another noble family in the Brown Kingdom, walked in there and overheard that last part of the conversation.


    "You are right, Nigel. We have to be prepared to act at any moment!" He said in satisfaction at hearing that his companions were taking all this very seriously. "These Dry City rebels are very tricky and can act at any moment."


    "So, the best thing we can do for the kingdom is to be prepared to act at any moment!"


    "Hmm, are your Sutton family members ready?" One of those individuals from House Miller asked seriously, not letting his evil thoughts against such an organization apparent.


    "Of course!"


    "We are more than alert. Our men even sleep with one eye open just to make sure..." He said in good humor, even though he talked about something serious.


    "I hope so..." The same person from before commented, as he saw experts from other families of this state join them.


    ''Hmm, this will be a good opportunity for us to diminish the power of House Sutton a bit...'' He pondered, as he remembered that now that the Silva family would suffer tremendously from Minos'' actions, it was only a matter of days before this other organization would take over as the third position of power in this state.


    It would be interesting if such an organization began its accession with losses!


    ...


    On the other hand, while the people from the Miller family in that camp continued to prepare for the conflict that could happen at any moment, troops coming from Dry City were not far away from that place.


    Such a group was composed of soldiers and members of the Gill family, who were here to simulate the modus operandi of Minos'' allies and subordinates who would attack the enemy''s main posts. But as opposed to a brutal, deadly fight, they would generally fight a more or less mock battle in this place.


    After all, it might be strange if only this place was not attacked when the other three had been.


    But even though it was an action to show the Brown family that Minos was trying to destroy everyone who tried to invade the Black Plain, these people were not going to take it lightly!


    When fighting against the Miller family members, they would exchange hands. But against the other people in this place, they would do everything to eliminate some of them.


    So, the largest group that had left Dry City was in the vicinity of this camp, preparing to act.


    ...


    While soldiers and members of the Gill family were waiting for the right moment to attack that post operated by the Miller family, Minos'' group was preparing to act in the vicinity of the Yellow City!


    At this moment, he and 15 Spiritual Kings were already in the vicinity of the enemy post, where Otis Silva and many members of his family were.


    The time had finally come for these predestined enemies to meet!

 Chapter 755 - Subsequent Attacks 2

    "Get ready!" Minos said to those people in his group when he finally saw the signal from his soldiers for the start of the operation.


    Upon hearing this, those 15 Spiritual Kings immediately became much more alert as they circulated their energies, preparing for the battles that would occur in this place.


    Of these 15 experts, two were from the Hayes family, two from the Stokes family, two from the Feathered Serpents tribe, three from the Black Plain Army, and the rest from the Gill family.


    Most of these people were individuals living in Dry City before, either because of their organizations'' alliances with Minos or because of their subordination to this young man.


    In any case, they were the members of this group that were ready for the confrontation to begin in the camp a few kilometers ahead of where they were.


    Several of them had Silver-grade techniques, while others had only Black-grade ones. But since there were powerful cultivators there, as in the case of the strongest individuals in the Gill family, these differences in quality of techniques were compensated.


    With that, this group of 16 people was ready to fight against their 16 targets in that camp, who were mostly part of the Silva family!


    Anyway, after Minos'' warning, it didn''t take long, and soon the hundreds of soldiers from the Black Plain Army''s secret base in Yellow City began their operation.


    Such individuals were around the enemy camp in several small groups that were a few kilometers from the center of that place. Moreover, each had low-level grade-2 arrays and artifacts, items rated high enough to cause problems for the many enemy Spiritual Generals.


    So, the first wave of attacks began, as all those small groups of Sergeants fired simultaneously at the enemy camp!


    BOOM!


    POW!


    SWOOISH!


    Instantly, various attacks formed in the air, coming out of the many arrays and rushing towards their targets at great speed.


    There were many arrows made of spiritual energy, each as long as adult humans but as thin as children''s fingers. However, each cut through the air like cannonballs, flying at very high speeds, something very welcome to their destructive aims.


    On the other hand, several types of blades could be seen in the surroundings of that place, cutting the air in the most variable directions, but all of them with targets in that enemy camp.


    And last but not least, several cannonballs were also being fired by some arrays similar to those of warships, only in simpler versions, let''s say.


    All these attacks were coming from the arrays used by those soldiers, things developed by the experts of the Black Plain Army''s spiritual professions!


    All of them had been fired and were turning that quiet semi-arid area of the Black Plain into a noisy area with energy fluctuations of all kinds. Consequently, it didn''t take long for the enemy side to realize that there was something wrong going on.


    "Hey!"


    "Hey!"


    "What the fuck, man? What''s going on?" Some of the soldiers from this Counter-Revolutionary Army post who watched the surroundings said this aloud, shocked by the sudden change.


    "Hey! We''re being attacked, damn it!"


    "How could this have happened? Does the enemy already know our location?"


    "But we haven''t even done anything yet!"


    "Forget that. We have more urgent things to do now!"


    "Enemy attack!"


    Several people in the vicinity of that camp led by the Silva family exchanged a few words briefly until finally, someone set off the alarms, alerting that entire outpost.


    Woop! Woop!


    "Enemy attack!"


    Hence, quickly, that whole place was on alert, with many individuals inside their tents looking to the sides as they started to shiver.


    While many were getting out of their tents to observe what was going on and question those responsible for this sudden alarm, the attacks launched earlier finally hit their targets!


    Booooom!


    Puff!


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    Several of the first people who were hit suffered harshly from the first wave of attacks. The attacks tore many bodies apart, while the remaining shockwaves hurt many others.


    At the same time, debris was already flying at high speeds in the surrounding area. Some of it followed its path without crashing into anyone, but several others hit humans nearby.


    With that, flames spread in some points of that camp, driving into despair those who had not had time to react.


    "Ahhhh!"


    "Damn it!"


    "Help! We''re under attack!"


    "Get your defenses up!"


    When the screams of the first wounded broke from their throats, finally, that whole camp knew very well what was happening. From that moment on, the strongest ones there were already frowning as they carried their battle items in their hands, preparing themselves for what would happen next.


    "Unbelievable!"


    "We''ve barely done anything, and the enemies in this damn place have already found us?" One of those Spiritual Kings from the Silva family commented while feeling the bitterness of having their plans spoiled by their opponents.


    They had finished receiving the last individuals from that first group that would be staying in this area a few days ago. Therefore, they were already preparing to try to disrupt the lives of the people in Dry City by starting their operations in the Black Plain.


    But just at this critical moment, the enemy group had suddenly appeared in their vicinity, attacking them before they had a chance to act first.


    "How did they find us here? We are only using this place as it is tough to be noticed by others unless the person is very close to us." One of them shouted as he ran alongside those other experts. "Was that just their luck?"


    "Perhaps the enemies'' information network is much more complex than we had thought..."


    "But how strong will the enemy group be? To attack us, they must be very strong or bold!" Another individual commented.


    On the other hand, Otis and Adrian, the two strongest of that group, were silent at the moment as they prepared for the beginning of their revenge.


    The Silva family had had several losses to the Black Plain. Still, the truth was that no one as powerful as they had come here before. So, they couldn''t help but feel certain anxiety to face the enemy group and, who knows, maybe cause some damage to these local forces.


    And even if someone at level 57 from the royal family had fallen here before, such an individual couldn''t even compare to Adrian, level 56.


    And now, not only did they have a group full of cultivators above level 53, but they also had Otis Silva, a nobleman, someone who was already at level 58!


    As far as they knew, that, yes, was very different from anything the Dry City forces had faced in the past, something that gave them good omens.


    ''Let''s see why they dare attack us...'' Adrian thought to himself as he looked from one side of that camp to the other and saw many individuals running towards the outer sides of this place.


    The closer he and his fellow Spiritual Kings got to the source of the noises they were hearing, the more distinct those sounds, as well as the dust and smell of battles in the air, became.


    However, as they ran through that camp, following the direction of the strongest auras, of those enemies who were already running towards them, Otis and those Spiritual Kings couldn''t help but doubt the enemy group.


    ''The strongest of them are only at level 56? And one of them is not a human!'' Otis pondered as he felt the energy fluctuations of one of the Feathered Serpents.


    ''But what does that mean? There''s even a mere level 50 Spiritual King in that group!''


    ''What do they think they''re doing? Is this a joke?''


    As he wondered these questions and some of those other Spiritual Kings had the same doubts, Minos'' group finally appeared face to face with them.


    At that instant, a fox with six tails on its rear, two giant winged serpents with colorful scales, and 13 humans appeared in one of the outermost areas of that camp.


    But contrary to what one might expect, this group had a young man in the leading position. He was a few steps ahead of the rest and looking at his enemies with a disgusted expression on his face.


    That had made those Spiritual Kings of the Silva family feel that there was something very wrong in this group. Still, since this whole situation was already out of the ordinary, none of them had been more shocked than they should have been with that.


    ''That appearance...''


    ''He reminds me of someone.'' So, some of them thought, until finally, General Silva, who was also standing there, said aloud.


    "Minos Stuart!"

 Chapter 756 - Subsequent Attacks 3

    "Minos Stuart, you traitorous brat!" General Silva shouted harshly, glaring coldly in Minos'' direction as he closed his fists tightly. "Your father must be deeply disappointed..."


    "His son has become a traitor who spits in the plate that fed him!" So, he said, oblivious to the fact that at the moment, Minos'' level was almost as high as Albert''s when this fellow died.


    But while General Silva ignored this tremendous cultivation speed of Minos, the others there did not fail to notice such a thing.


    ''This is terrifying!''


    ''In just less than six years, this brat has already reached such a level!'' Some of those Silva family members thought about it, while Otis and Adrian looked at each other significantly.


    "There is something very wrong with this brat!" One of them commented to the other while squeezing the weapon he held even harder.


    "We can''t let him grow any longer, or he alone will become a threat to our entire family!" Patriarch Otis agreed with the supreme elder, already looking in Minos'' direction with a murderous intent that was hard to miss.


    On the other hand, other Silva family experts in that place were already beginning to recognize some of the faces of Minos'' group.


    "Gill family..." One of them commented aloud as he looked at the face of patriarch Liam and felt the fury of finally meeting some of the people from that family.


    Previously, the Silva family forces had attacked the headquarters of House Gill in hopes of resolving their issues with that action. But surprisingly, there was not even a single member of that organization in that place on such an occasion.


    On the contrary, only a few people who provided outside services for the Gill family were in that headquarters when their attack had taken place.


    As such, the Silvas had not only failed to take revenge but had also wasted much of their resources on that occasion!


    Therefore, their hatred for the Gill''s was ''louder'' than ever!


    "You damned cowards!"


    "Let''s see where you will run to today!" A level 55 individual said solemnly, looking at the Gill family members in that group approaching theirs.


    But upon hearing all these comments from their enemies, Minos'' side said nothing, just having continued with their plans.


    The young Stuart then commented to those people in his group. "I will eliminate two of them at once to facilitate the actions of the rest of you."


    "Then, Emlyn and I will fight the strongest enemy here while the rest of you will deal with the remaining 13 opponents." He said, looking to the sides, observing the faces of each of those people in his group. "But since we will have the advantage in numbers, try to fight in groups to eliminate the strongest enemies first."


    "We''ll deal with the weaker ones in a second moment."


    "OK!" They all said simultaneously.


    Then Minos began to run even faster than the individuals in his group, getting further and further ahead of them until he prepared to attack.


    At that moment, he had a sword in each of his hands; both were pointed at the ground, angled so that both were 240 degrees away from each other.


    And while Minos was running with these swords in this position, he finally got close enough to those opponents to start using his techniques against them!


    Infinite Dream!


    His eyes brightly shone as he looked in the direction of the weakest enemy there, level 53, the only one who could be taken by surprise by this technique.


    And soon, a powerful flow of unique spiritual energy shot out of that young man''s eyes, heading straight for that person, a man with a white beard and tan skin.


    Meanwhile, young Stuart activated his other techniques one after the other. With this, it didn''t take long until he began to feel the flow of spiritual energy coming from the big black ring around him, making him feel much stronger.


    Spatial Sword!


    In that instant, he sliced the air in front of him, dancing with his swords, before finally, two mighty blades shook the surrounding space, heading towards two targets.


    One of them, a level 54 enemy, someone Minos wanted to take down as quickly as possible.


    The other was simply the patriarch Otis, who at this moment was getting ready to run towards the level 56 Feathered Serpent, who was in Minos'' group.


    Swooish!


    "What?"


    "How can this be happening?"


    "But he''s only at level 50!"


    Several shocked comments went off in that place, as the enemies of Minos'' group realized how capable he had already become.


    ''Damn it! We took too long!''


    "He''s already gotten out of control!" Someone said, just before Minos'' attacks finally hit their targets.


    "Ahhhhhhhh!" Someone screamed in excruciating pain as his defenses quickly began to break down, and the spiritual blade that Minos threw sliced toward his neck!


    At the same time, the target of the mental technique had barely realized that he had been attacked when he suddenly found himself in a dark place, where he could feel nothing, hear nothing.


    It was as if he had lost contact with his whole body, having lost all his physical senses!


    But not only that, this place was devoid of spiritual energy. Hence, this level 53 Spiritual King could not use his spiritual sense either.


    ''What''s going on?''


    ''Where am I?''


    ''Why can''t I feel my body?'' He wondered, feeling an unusual terror, slowly becoming more and more agitated, not understanding his situation.


    But losing all senses was one of the worst experiences one could ever have!


    According to the experts of this world, a person who went through this would quickly have his mental state degraded to the point of no return. Afterward, unimaginable delusions would cause the person to go insane until his mental structures completely break down.


    And in feeling an unprecedented panic, even the strongest would die within minutes!


    That is, of course, considering that such a person had not yet surpassed the physical limits imposed by the body, that is, were below level 70.


    But this was not the case for this level 53 cultivator. As such, he was bound to fall!


    Puff!


    And while that person quickly fell into an endless spiral of degradation, the head of one of those Minos'' targets was separated from the rest of that body!


    That had been pretty quick. Even before Otis tried to defend himself from young Stuart''s attack, that Spiritual King running towards Eda earlier was unable to protect himself and was killed.


    Crash!


    "Ahhhh!"


    "Bastard!" Otis brandished in a fury, right after being pushed back several meters and feeling his hand sore as he held his own sword.


    He wanted to deal with the strongest enemies in Minos'' group and then capture this young man. But all of a sudden, this opponent of his had done the unexpected and started the fight on his own, attacking those other two and even him, someone at level 58!


    ''Damn it. I should have killed that worm six years ago!'' He thought in disgust, feeling a terrible sensation in his throat.


    He hadn''t killed young Stuart back then to avoid unnecessary complications. And since Minos was an insect in his eyes back then, all the signs had led this man to ignore Albert''s son.


    But now that he was seeing the son of the person he once planned to take down, someone who had already grown to the point of endangering even himself, Otis couldn''t help but feel bad.


    In the end, tying up loose ends seemed like the right thing to do!


    But he at least felt that he was still a little stronger than Minos.


    ''I have to eliminate him now!''


    ''If he grows any more significant, not even King Brown will be able to stop him!'' Otis thought about this as he had his eyes fluttered, focusing in Minos''s direction.


    At this moment, he was not even bothering to look at the two fellow family members who had just fallen in the vicinity.


    He looked at Adrian and the rest there and said. "Help me separate this brat from the rest of his group."


    "I will eliminate him!"


    And upon hearing this, those who were shocked by Minos'' frightening power, General Silva among them, turned their attention to what Otis had just said.


    There seemed to be no other alternative here. They all felt that eliminating Minos was the only thing that mattered!


    And because only Otis appeared to have the ability to fight Minos, they all agreed, immediately beginning to make room for that man as they moved in the direction of the other enemies!

 Chapter 757 - Subsequent Attacks 4

    It didn''t take long, and soon those 13 specialists from that group of the Counter-Revolutionary Army started attacking in the direction of those 15 people from Minos'' group.


    The strongest ones were targeting the two Feathered Serpents, the patriarch and the supreme elder of the Gill family, the strongest in Minos'' team in terms of level.


    On the other hand, those weaker individuals were attacking in the directions of the members of the Hayes and Stokes families, those Spiritual Kings at the early levels of the 6th stage, who were living in Dry City by their families'' agreements with Minos.


    Among them were Mendy Stokes, level 51, and Vivian Hayes, level 50.


    Besides them, Grace was also there since she was one of the Lieutenants of the Black Plain Army, someone at level 50, another target of those weaker opponents in that place.


    They had low levels, but all of them had already learned more than two Silver-grade combat techniques. As such, their combat proficiency could not be underestimated, and for this reason, they had come with the rest of this group.


    In any case, while those people from the Silva family were attacking them, none of these people were standing around waiting to act. On the contrary, they already knew very well what they should do. Therefore, when the enemies changed their behavior, each of those people adapted to it.


    They all already knew that Minos and Emlyn would be the only ones to fight that strongest enemy in this place. So, when the enemies started attacking in their directions, trying to battle them, most of Minos'' team just took the opportunity to give these people what they wanted.


    They started attacking back, ready to engage in direct conflict against those people.


    That was what one of those Feathered Serpents was doing now, as he came down from where he was floating in the air and began to crawl across the local terrain towards his enemies.


    He then swung his long tail strongly, creating several earth-shaking bumps along the way as the attacks coming towards he was deflected or crashed into the terrain.


    On the other hand, he wasted no time, and as soon as he got close enough to his enemies, he opened his big snake mouth and spat out a green liquid.


    But he wasn''t the only one doing something!


    Seeing that those people wanted to stand in her way, preventing her from joining Minos, Emlyn used incredible speed to move across that terrain. At the same time, she was using her six tails to protect herself from enemy attacks as she went her way.


    "Lowly humans, do you think that''s enough?" She asked one level 55 individual there as she looked into his eyes coldly.


    But in doing so, she was not taking it easy, and when the enemy least expected it, the claws of one of her paws slashed toward his neck.


    "Ahhhhhhhh!"


    "Damned beast! You almost tricked me!" He screamed as he slowly fell sideways to the ground, with a deep gash on his right shoulder.


    If it wasn''t for him narrowly escaping the charm of Emlyn''s eyes and throwing himself to the ground quickly, the claws of this Nine-tailed Fox could have torn his head off!


    But luckily for him, his mental strength was high enough for him to withstand the charm of Kyla''s mother, who was one level below himself.


    And with that, Emlyn finally got the space she wanted to run to where Minos was!


    ...


    Meanwhile, the other members of that group behind that camp were already confronting the other individuals on Minos'' team, shocked by the powers of some of those people.


    In particular, for the strength displayed by those three spiritual beasts, something so unusual to see in regional organizations.


    It was tough to encounter beasts of such high levels in regional organizations!


    As such, the people there couldn''t help but be impressed by those two Feathered Serpents, such hard-to-find specimens.


    But at the same time, they couldn''t get carried away by these unusual characteristics of the enemy group. The other side was stronger than the eye could see. So, if they were not careful, they could end up like those two individuals who had suffered from Minos'' initial attack.


    ...


    Clash!


    "Liam, old fart, prepare for your death!" Said one of the strongest Spiritual Kings in that group, someone who, despite being at level 55, was almost ready to advance in level.


    But his opponent was not someone easy. After all, level differences were hard to overcome!


    "Tsk!"


    "I have been afraid of you, Silvas, in the past, Hadden. But now everything has changed!"


    "It''s time for you guys to disappear!" Patriarch Liam said this with intense killing intent in his eyes as he pointed his weapon at that enemy.


    Liam Gill then smiled at that person and said condescendingly. "But Hadden, you''re a fool..."


    "You are no match for me!"


    After that, he waved to the sides and briefly showed his opponent what was happening in the surroundings.


    None of those 13 Spiritual Kings following Otis'' plans had died up to this point. But each of them faced problems when fronting the people from Minos'' team.


    Some already had injuries visible to everyone in that place. In contrast, others looked a little better, fighting face to face with their opponents, dignified.


    But when this individual saw the appearances of Adrian and General Silva, he couldn''t help but feel a chill run down his spine!


    The supreme elder of the Silva family had just started his fight with that strongest Feathered Serpent over there. But his clothes and armor were already partially corroded, while some terrible stains on his forearms would make anyone shiver.


    That person was the second strongest in his group but was already screaming in pain while fighting that serpent!


    "Ahhhhhhhh!"


    "Damn! Be careful with its saliva!"


    "That''s pure acid!" He shouted to the people in the surrounding area, especially his fellow family member fighting the other serpent.


    On the other hand, General Silva was being beaten by Eda, being constantly hit by this woman''s blows to the point that his armor was all crushed by now.


    "Ahhhh!"


    "Bitch, do you know who I am?"


    Pow!


    "Ahhhhhhhh!"


    General Silva was furious, but Eda wasn''t interested in how offended her enemy was. She would kill him, so it made no difference what things he was saying.


    It was meaningless to pay attention to the last words of someone who would soon die at her hands!


    As such, other than the indifferent look on this maturely beautiful woman''s face, General Silva had failed to alter his opponent''s mental state and continued to suffer at her hands.


    "Damn it!"


    "Help me deal with this bitch!" He shouted in the direction of the other Spiritual Kings there, specifically those facing Mendy, Vivian, and Grace.


    And seeing the situation of those two, that Spiritual King who was fighting Liam right now felt terrible for all this and shut up.


    ''When the patriarch deals with that brat, we''ll see what else you''ll have to talk about, insect!'' So, he pondered as he prepared to counterattack his opponent.


    ...


    Meanwhile, the other members of the Gill family in this place were helping the lower-level members of Minos'' team fight in this place.


    They had the numerical advantage here as the stronger ones were already focused on eliminating the higher-level opponents. So, some of the Gill family members supported those women.


    They were powerful for their levels, and by fighting some of those opponents, who were subordinates of the Silva family, they were getting great results.


    But it was undeniable that things were dangerous for them since their energy reserves were lower than those of their opponents. As such, this support from Minos'' subordinates was very welcome for them.


    With this, they were fighting to keep those weaker enemies occupied while their stronger partners killed at least one of those opponents.


    Once that happened, things would get easier and easier for them, and it wouldn''t be long before this battle was over!


    ''Will Minos truly be able to capture that person?'' Vivian wondered as she looked toward where that young man was already facing Otis, level 58.


    And at that moment, she saw Emlyn''s entrance into the battle of those two, just when they were both standing face to face, with their swords in contact.


    ....

 Chapter 758 - Subsequent Attacks 5

    Swooish!


    Immediately after approaching the scene of the fight between Minos and Otis, Emlyn promptly launched one of her characteristic claw strikes, slicing the air in the direction of that enemy.


    In doing so, she had stood on her two hind legs while making movements targeting the vital points of that individual who was currently confronting Minos.


    Clang!


    Two swords clashed head to head as Minos had his two swords against Otis'' only weapon, looking eye to eye with this enemy of his.


    And it was no different for Otis. While exchanging blows with this young Spiritual King, he looked at him thoughtfully while several thoughts went through his mind.


    This opponent had been created by his own actions, and If he didn''t solve this problem today, it would only be a matter of time before there was no chance of survival for him and his entire family!


    With that, he was fighting with everything he had while managing, to a small degree, to put pressure on young Stuart, who at the moment was a little weaker than he was.


    But Minos was not only an outstanding fighter, but he was also very motivated for this fight and was, therefore, able to endure the exchanges with this opponent without getting hurt!


    He was feeling a myriad of negative feelings deep within his being, as he remembered that such a person was responsible for his father''s death.


    As such, this young man''s emotions were ''overflowing'' at this moment, simultaneously as he strove to defeat this person and make him pay for his own crimes.


    That obviously wouldn''t change Albert''s situation at all. Still, at least Minos was striving to bring some justice to his father''s name.


    On the other hand, this was a selfish action of his own.


    Humans dealt with their emotions and losses in different ways, with some taking these matters as natural, sometimes even celebrated. And this made overcoming easier to achieve.


    But for some people, overcoming problems could take more than just time.


    Some people like Minos needed to get their hands dirty and solve such problems in a more ''active'' way.


    It would make no difference to Albert if Otis died or was tortured.


    But Minos wanted it that way!


    He felt that to move forward with this matter; he needed to destroy this opponent!


    On the surface, he might look tough, putting the problems at hand in front of those farther away, but that was pure pragmatism. But in truth, that assassination attempt bothered him a lot, something that made him feel weak, vulnerable.


    He didn''t like it any more than he liked the fact that the man who had ordered his father''s death was still alive.


    And to solve all this, Minos would use his own justice to oppress this person, dealing with the situation without caring whether or not it would make a difference to his late father.


    Maybe it would, and that would be fine, but the opposite wouldn''t be bad either, and as long as he could handle it, he would be satisfied.


    Unfortunately for Otis, Minos was not a forgiving person.


    Swooish!


    And in that instant, when the two were crossing swords, the blades sent by Emlyn quickly came close enough to that place.


    Minos then took a big step back, making room for his ally''s attack, while preparing to strike again as soon as possible.


    But, Otis, who was slightly less aware of Emlyn''s attack than Minos, turned in the direction of those blades with his eyes wide in surprise, shocked at what he was seeing and feeling.


    ''What the fuck is that?'' He pondered as he frowned and prepared to deal with the attack sent by Emlyn. ''This damn fox is just like him! She''s much stronger than her own level!''


    Realizing the strength of the attacks sent by Emlyn and her level, Otis couldn''t help but feel surprised to meet a spiritual beast capable of doing such a thing.


    He had never seen anything like it in his entire life!


    But, aside from Emlyn''s unusual strength, which, by the way, wasn''t all that inferior to Otis'', this man saw something he didn''t want to see as he turned to defend himself.


    In that place opposite to where he and Minos were fighting, his family members were being pressed by their opponents, with some of them already in deplorable states!


    "This..."


    "How can this be happening?" He said in shock, just when he felt something.


    "Ahhhhhh!" He cried out in pain, not from Emlyn''s attack itself, something he had managed to fend off with his sword. But instead, for the blow, he had taken from behind as doing such a thing!


    When Otis had turned to defend himself, Minos had not held back and used much of his strength in a mighty blow in an attempt to take advantage of Emlyn''s entrance into their battle.


    Unlike Otis, Minos could continuously fight in this place, absorbing the energies of the many enemies in the surrounding area. As such, he would not spare his energies at such an opportune moment when that man had been partially taken by surprise by Emlyn''s attack.


    With that, he had launched a single sword strike in the direction of that man''s back.


    That had been something focused on just one point, as if he had tried to use that sword to pierce his opponent as someone would do with a wooden skewer in meat.


    That, coupled with his incredible speed, his attack had beaten against Otis defenses, a great armor, and the defensive techniques that were active around that patriarch''s body.


    But even with such defenses, Otis had felt the tip of Minos'' sword cutting shallowly into his back until it finally stopped at one of his ribs.


    "Brat!" He coldly  said as he tried to turn toward Minos to counter such a thing.


    This blow had not been deadly serious, but Otis had felt an excruciating pain that he had not felt in ages!


    And by adding all the variables in the surroundings, this man was even more furious at the moment.


    "Tsk!"


    "You''re finished, Otis Silva!" Minos said this as he saw Emlyn a few meters from the two of them, running while her razor-sharp teeth were on display.


    "The day you plotted against my father, you drew all of this on yourself!" He said as he directed much of his energy to his Indestructible Body, moving around, trying to dodge Otis'' blow.


    Vuup!


    "Humph!"


    "You will die by my hands, brat!" That elderly-looking man said that while sweating coldly.


    But as Otis attacked toward Minos, still with that sword stuck in his back, young Stuart was moving deftly, with his hands in a specific position, preparing to do something.


    And then, as he saw Emlyn leaping with her mouth open in Otis'' direction, Minos promptly moved both hands in an attempt to grab his opponent''s sword.


    In doing so, he placed the palm of his hands against the sides of that sword while using all his physical power generated by the Indestructible Body to press on that weapon.


    He then leaned to the side, pulling the vital parts of his body away from the opponent''s attack, slowing the sword down until it was completely sealed in one position.


    Au! Au!


    At that instant, Emlyn prepared to bite down on one of Otis'' arms, ready to rip it off with her powerful bite!


    "You''ll have to try harder, you dumb fox!" Otis shouted in anger as he continued to force his sword for Minos to let go of it.


    He then moved one of his legs, kicking it sideways in Emlyn''s direction, ready to push her away as he dealt with Minos.


    Pow!


    At the same time, Minos also didn''t miss the opportunity. He kicked with great force in the direction of Otis'' balls as he dropped that sword and summoned another of his weapons!


    ....

 Chapter 759 - Subsequent Attacks 6

    Finally, Otis''s kick hit the bottom of Emlyn''s neck, sending her backward as her large body rotated.


    Au!


    Crack!


    But at the same time as that Nine-tailed Fox was thrown backward, Minos'' kick hit its target, right between Otis'' legs.


    "Ahhhh!"


    A loud cry of pain came from that man as his legs trembled softly, as an electrifying sensation flowed through his body.


    Otis obviously had his defenses activated and had a somewhat strong body. But since Minos was using his Indestructible Body, the power of the kick from before had been too great, having caused this person quite a bit of pain.


    "Cowardly brat! Fight like a man!" He brandished in fury as he braced himself with his sword, trying to get away from the young Stuart who was rolling around on the ground, preparing to attack.


    "I fight to win..."


    "The same way I did when I killed your son!" Young Stuart maliciously commented as he held his golden-bladed sword with both hands, attacking that man diagonally.


    "What did you say?" Otis brandished in fury as he finally found out about the culprit of his son''s death!


    All this time, he had been in the dark about it since the first investigative team had died in Dry City in that attempt of putting the blame on Minos. On the other hand, the members of the second investigative team that had also discovered Minos'' connection with Darell Silva''s death had died on the Black Plain. The most they had accomplished was passing on the information about the change on that territory to their superiors.


    But as for Darell''s death, Otis didn''t know who had taken the life of his beloved son until this moment!


    After finding out about the changes on the Black Plain, he and his family''s focus had shifted from finding the clues of young master Darell''s killer to fighting the enemy in such a place.


    And after fighting a few times and gaining so many losses, the growing threat of that territory had surpassed anything this family had faced in thousands of years. Therefore, Otis no longer had so much time to worry about taking revenge for his son''s death!


    That could be done in the future!


    On the other hand, the family''s existence in the short term was much more important than this man''s personal revenge!


    With that, he had gotten to this point without knowing anything about it until Minos had thrown this information at him.


    And after hearing this and starting to connect the dots, Otis Silva was turning redder and redder with anger, feeling that he had been manipulated and immensely offended by a 20-year-old man!


    Darell had been dead for over four years, and in this interval, the Silva family had only accumulated defeats.


    It was as if they were cursed!


    And now, knowing this, it all made sense. Minos had been harming them all along, slowly building up this current situation where House Silva was under the threat of destruction.


    "Damned demon!"


    "You killed my son and devastated my family!" Otis shouted with all his might, red with rage, with all the veins in his face exposed, trembling with the hatred he was feeling now.


    "Not only did I kill him, but I will also kill you, insect!"


    As he said this, Minos activated his Spatial Sword once again, causing the space in his surroundings to come under his restraint as he attacked his enemy.


    "Brat! If I don''t kill you today, my name is not Otis Silva!"


    "Then you will die like a nameless worm, decrepit old man!"


    Swooish!


    And at that moment, Otis rushed toward Minos in a rage, ignoring the battlefield in his surroundings, focused only on eliminating this person in front of him.


    As Otis saw that young man''s eyes glowing in the rainbow colors, he could almost see his son''s face in front of him as he countered his enemy''s technique.


    "Worm, you should have seen the pathetic expression on that insect''s face!" Minos said in a harsh tone as he ''squeezed'' the mental wounds of his opponent. "He had begged to live, trying to name how powerful his daddy was..."


    "But you weren''t there!" He said as he leaned sideways and felt the air being cut by his enemy''s weapon.


    "Minos!" Otis roared, still struggling.


    "In the end, I killed him with a single blow when I was several levels weaker than him, just like our current situation." He said, constantly attacking this enemy as he saw Emlyn returning to the battle. "And when I cut off his head, the expression on his face was one of pure fear, disbelief at his untimely death."


    "I''ll do the same to you, old bug!"


    "I will cut off your head and display it to hundreds of thousands of people!" He said while having a euphoric expression, seeing how much his words were messing with his opponent''s psychology.


    "Son of a bitch!"


    But as Otis cursed young Stuart, cursing Albert''s son in his mind, this patriarch had made a crucial mistake!


    By falling for Minos'' provocation, he had put himself in a vulnerable position where Emlyn had not failed to take advantage of it!


    Puff!


    And then, when she had finally reached one of Otis'' legs, Kyla''s mother closed her big mouth, shattering that piece of meat in one bite.


    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"


    "AHHHHHHH!"


    Otis began to roar in pain from then on as blood spurted from the corners of Emlyn''s mouth, and the underside of that leg shook vigorously.


    Crack!


    Finally, the sound of the bones of that part of his body breaking reverberated through that area just as Emlyn pulled that piece of flesh in the opposite direction to that man.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhh! Damned animal! I will kill you!" He screamed in desperation as he tried to do something about Emlyn, feeling much less enraged at this moment about Minos.


    But as he was trying to do something, he felt something go through the wrist of his hand holding his sword in!


    "Ahhhhhhhh!"


    And as his hand fell to the ground, Otis cried out in pain as Emlyn finally let go of the piece of meat from earlier and used her claws to pin part of this man''s body.


    After that, Minos wasted no time and used his sword to slash toward the back of Otis'' head, not so deep as to kill him, but deep enough to wound.


    Young Stuart then made the decisive move while practically saying this person''s sentence. "Worm, that''s the end of you!"


    "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"


    Realizing what was happening, Otis screamed in despair, profoundly regretting his previous decisions.


    At the same time, he hoped that at least something would happen so that his cultivation would not be affected.


    He even thought of sacrificing himself and trying to take young Stuart along with him...


    Unfortunately, it was already too late for him!


    No one was coming to his rescue, and Minos'' movement was simply too fast for him to have time to complete the sacrifice ritual.


    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"


    "NOOOOOO!"


    "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"


    Puff!


    Then a semitransparent gland with a colorful glow was forcibly torn from the base of the back of Otis'' neck as he desperately, with tears in his eyes, screamed.


    But not long after having his spiritual cultivation destroyed, Otis didn''t even have time to come out of his state of shock when Minos put him in chains.


    "You will not die today, insect."


    "You will not die with dignity on the battlefield!" Minos said aloud, feeling an incredible sensation as if he was getting rid of several weights that had been accompanying him for the past few years.


    As he was feeling good and breathing calmly after finishing his battle, of the previous 13 enemy Spiritual Kings, only 7 of them were left alive at this moment. But even if every one of them was in horrible shape, they all saw this final moment of Minos'' fight against Otis, shocked, hopeless for their Silva family.


    "Patriarch!" One of them shouted as tears streamed down his eyes.


    "No!"


    "It can''t be, Otis!" Adrian said aloud, ignoring the arm and leg he had lost in this fight.


    He couldn''t believe what had just happened to his patriarch, the only person he genuinely trusted in this world.


    But even the person he respected the most had just fallen at Minos'' feet.


    It was indeed a tragic end for these experts who had once been at the top of this kingdom!


    "Ahhh! It can''t be! It can''t be! That can only be a nightmare!"


    But while some of them went into despair at seeing Otis'' downfall, the people on Minos'' team didn''t take it lightly and continued what they were doing.


    "Old fart, don''t worry about Otis. Worry about yourself!" Liam Gill shouted as he grinned, once again attacking his target.


    "Die!"


    ....

 Chapter 760 - Leaving The Battlefield!

    After Liam Gill''s move, Adrian quickly had his last moments in this world, when his life drained away along with his blood through the fatal wound in his left chest.


    But the supreme elder of the Silva family was not the only one to be killed in this decisive moment!


    Once Minos and Emlyn had finished their fight against the strongest person in that area, the two did not fail to support their team members.


    That Nine-tailed Fox had rushed towards the remaining strongest opponents and helped the members of this attack team, some of whom were a little more tired and injured.


    At the same time, young Stuart had simply continued to absorb the energies of those enemies while attacking them from afar.


    In any case, after a few breaths since the destruction of Otis'' spiritual cultivation, each of those enemies left alive in this place had fallen into the darkness of death.


    Some of them had fought bravely and caused trouble for Minos'' soldiers, subordinates, and allies in this place. But because of the advantages in terms of the total fighting power of the Black Plain ruler''s team, none of his people had been seriously injured.


    Some would even carry some marks from this battle for a few years, something that would remind them of this event. But it was nothing that would limit them or cause problems in the short term.


    With that said, after the death of the last high-level opponent, this group had completed their goal in this place, and there wasn''t much left to do around here.


    Upon realizing this, Minos looked at those corpses in the surrounding area and said. "Cut off the heads of each of them and bring them to me along with their spatial rings."


    Upon hearing this, part of those people began to do just what Minos had ordered, while Mendy and Vivian approached this young man.


    "Minos, won''t we get anything for this?" Mendy asked directly, while she had a slight smile on her face.


    ''I want to know that too...'' Vivian thought about it without saying anything.


    But she didn''t dare to ask questions as directly as Mendy did since she didn''t have as much closeness to young Stuart as this woman. And since she already had a specific impression that Minos would do whatever he wanted, she had just stayed silent, paying attention to his answer.


    Minos then said. "Not this time."


    "Whenever there is an investment by my army, all items collected must be delivered to headquarters. Otherwise, the belongings of anyone you kill will belong to yourselves." He commented as he pointed in the direction of where the soldiers of the Black Plain army were using spiritual arrays of various kinds to entertain enemy Spiritual Generals.


    "The army needs to recover all the investment that is made in the war..."


    "Huh? So, you are saying that we will pay for the Black Plain''s war damage?" Mendy questioned with a curious expression on her face.


    "You''re pretty smart, Mendy. You''ve got it right!"


    "But isn''t that how business families, like your House Stokes, do it?"


    "Tsk!"


    While Mendy felt dissatisfied but didn''t know what to say to young Stuart, Vivian stepped forward and asked. "What do you intend to do with those heads?"


    "That''s a surprise..." He said as he looked toward where Otis was currently lying on the ground, passed out.


    "But if you''re having a party, it''s always nice to use some decoration..." He commented when he finally received all those things collected in that area from Eda''s hands.


    After receiving the spatial rings left by those enemy Spiritual Kings killed in that conflict, along with those 15 heads, as well as keeping Otis'' storage item in his own, Minos smiled and said. "Well, time to go!"


    "Eda, you can start the withdrawal of the soldiers on the outskirts and return to the secret base in Yellow City."


    "Liam, you will carry that decrepit old man." He said as he pointed in Otis'' direction.


    "Anyway, let''s go!" He said right after waving to Eda and briefly observing the explosions and visual effects of what was happening in the surroundings of this place.


    Right now, his soldiers on the outskirts of this enemy camp were still intensely attacking the Counter-Revolutionary Army troops, using their arrays to do so.


    After everything started less than 10 minutes ago, the side of the enemy forces had changed their situation. At first, they were suffering because they had been attacked very suddenly, in this place that at first was supposed to be relatively secret. But during the time that had passed, they had gone from just defending themselves to attacking those enemies on the outskirts of this area.


    With that, now many of the soldiers coming from the secret base of Minos'' army in Yellow City were depending on large barriers to defend themselves from their opponents while waiting for the main conflict resolution.


    After all, they couldn''t take on so many people with their powers alone, as their opponents far outnumbered them.


    As a result, they were in this passive situation while their opponents were getting closer and closer to their positions.


    But as soon as Eda had said goodbye to Minos and those other people who were heading for Dry City at the moment, this woman promptly triggered the beepers scattered around the area. With that, it was time for those troops to withdraw from this enemy camp!


    "Come on! Abandon your posts!"


    "It''s time to run!"


    "Haha, finally! The young master must have exterminated those fools!"


    "Don''t celebrate so loudly! If the enemy is crazy enough to chase us, we''ll be in trouble!" Someone commented on this in one of the many groups around that camp, one of the many who were already abandoning their posts.


    They had abandoned the attack arrays that they were previously using activated to give them time to escape. Meanwhile, the opponents would continue to have trouble until the crystals on those items ran out.


    That was not something so cheap to do. Still, because of the significant differences between their group and their enemies'', this was something that could guarantee their survival.


    As such, the army had thought of this strategy for the escape of these soldiers.


    And then, quickly, the surroundings of that area began to become empty of life, with only the presence of arrays launching attacks in the direction of the enemies.


    "Damn it! The opponents are running away!" Some of those who focused on the conflict with Minos'' soldiers in the surroundings said this aloud, still on guard for the attacks coming his way.


    "Where are our specialists? Are they fighting the enemy leaders?" Another of them asked, not knowing what had happened to that group of Spiritual Kings.


    Not all of them could pay attention to their surroundings or watch the fight of those individuals led by Otis. As such, many were working hard at the front positions of the battlefield, hoping that this attack would be resolved as quickly as possible.


    However, it didn''t take them long to discover the hard truth about what had just happened!


    "Quick, run after the enemies!" One of those individuals at the front said this as he saw that the enemy arrays were beginning to slow down in terms of activity.


    "No! Are you crazy? Let the enemies escape!" Another person said while having a pale expression on his aged face.


    "What? What are you talking about? Are you betraying us, coward?" The same person from before asked snidely.


    "Our Spiritual Kings have lost their fights!"


    "Now we have 15 headless corpses in our camp!" Such an elderly man said while feeling a lump in his throat.


    Many of the individuals in this camp were part of the Silva family, subordinates, and nobles. Consequently, this news was a thousand times worse for such people than those from other families there, as it practically meant the end of that noble house!


    "What did you say?"


    "That can''t be true!"


    "The patriarch was here with us! How could we lose?"


    "The patriarch lost and was captured by the enemy..." Someone said in disgust while shaking with anger.


    This person had seen everything from afar, the downfall of each of those experts and the shameless strategies of Minos'' forces.


    Because of all this, he couldn''t help but feel very bad about the way everything had developed, especially when those experts had their corpses desecrated!


    "Patriarch, what will happen to our family?" He asked in deep regret, loud enough to be heard by many there.


    Unfortunately, they now only had 12 Spiritual Kings left, a minimal number to ensure their long-term survival!


    As such, it wasn''t long before a negative mood spread through that place, as many people felt tremendous losses.


    But some of them were not so dissatisfied!

 Chapter 761 - Returning To Dry City

    In that camp, there were not only people from the Silva family. There were also individuals sent by several other local noble families, as in the case of the Sutton family, previously the 4th strongest force in this state.


    But now, with this shocking change, that organization had become the 3rd in terms of local power, and some of the members of that family in that camp couldn''t help but feel good about that!


    ''Hehehe, now that the Silva family is finished, we won''t have any resistance in taking their place!''


    ''The future is truly very bright for us!'' So, one of these individuals thought to himself, while he had a tired, but at the same time satisfied expression on his face.


    But such a thing was not unnoticed by other noble family members in that place.


    A member of the Austin family then said to such a person. "Don''t be so satisfied with that."


    "Huh?"


    "That happened at our post... Do you think the enemies couldn''t have done the same in other places?"


    "I heard that your family''s experts are in the southern camp."


    "What?" The person from before said in surprise, realizing that such an individual was talking about something sensible.


    ''No, no, the enemies would not have the strength to attack us and still deal with each of our posts! That''s absurd!'' He pondered, refuting such an idea.


    "You Austin family are truly skittish! Why are you people so afraid of war?" He asked as he tried to attack that person''s family trait.


    "Tsk!"


    "Asshole!" But that individual didn''t bother wasting time on that conversation and just turned around and continued on his way.


    ''Of course, we don''t like this war!''


    ''Why risk everything when we were already growing up without running any mortal threat?''


    ''To do that is just plain stupid!'' So, he thought about it as he walked away from that man, annoyed that he had to get involved in this conflict.


    ''And now that enemy has demonstrated all that offensive power... I don''t know if it''s worth investing our family''s future in this!''


    ''That force could very well wipe us out in a single afternoon!''


    ''I have to send a report of what happened here to headquarters! We have to find an alternative way to leave this war!'' He pondered this as he observed the place where Minos'' group had departed.


    ''Maybe...''


    ...


    Hours passed, and quickly each of the conflicts around the Black Plain had come to an end!


    The first to end had been the one responsible for dealing with Otis'' group, since who Minos had taken there were stronger and more agile than the other groups.


    But the other teams responsible for attacking the other two large enemy outposts were not weak either and had finished their missions by now.


    The one in that village east of Dry City had been by far the easiest of all since it was the post operated by the Miller family.


    Most of the Spiritual Kings coming from Dry City had fought mock battles against Abby''s family members in such a place. However, some of them had faced experts from other local noble families and killed some opponents.


    However, not all of them were killed.


    Of the eleven Spiritual Kings in that post, only four had died. In contrast, another three had disappeared from the battlefield and were presumed dead.


    As for the rest of them, two of them were from the Miller family, and the other two were from different families of the Brown Kingdom.


    Their enemy groups had fled from this place upon ''realizing'' how strong this post was, and as such, there were high-level survivors in this place to tell the story of the great battle they had.


    Anyway, due to the advantages of the group that attacked this post, they hadn''t lost any of their members and had even gotten three new companions...


    The attack on the post near the City of Waters, on the other hand, had been by far the most difficult of all. Twelve Spiritual Kings from Minos'' side fought for more than half an hour against the nine enemy experts there.


    That attack had also yielded the most losses on the part of Minos'' allied forces. Besides, they had not managed to eliminate all the targets, even though that had been the purpose of the mission there.


    But in the end, Elena''s group had returned to the City of Waters with a result of 8 dead targets and no casualties on their side, something already good for the strength of her group.


    They may have been more numerous than their opponents. Still, there were few soldiers from Minos'' army in that group, and the level of those people was slightly lower than that of their opponents.


    After all, the Hayes family was still dealing with the difficulties generated by their years-long conflict against the Chambers family.


    Hence, that group had minor advantages and had consequently suffered the most this day!


    In any case, with all these attacks coming to an end, all the groups started to return to their respective posts.


    Several of those people were heading towards Dry City to deliver the resources collected around the Black Plain to headquarters and report their respective results.


    All this had happened in the middle of the night in this region, but no one had waited until dawn to do these essential things. Instead, they all had promptly taken up their mounts and left for their respective objectives!


    As for the enemies, tens of thousands of members of such forces on the Black Plain were now in a state of shock after today''s events.


    The deaths of Spiritual Kings, especially those of high rank, were not common in this region!


    Hence, with so many deaths of experts happening in these places, it was impossible for the many Spiritual Generals not to feel shocked, especially scared!


    For this and other reasons, no pursuit was ordered. Instead, each of those Counter-Revolutionary Army groups had stayed at their respective posts, making their preparations while waiting for reinforcements.


    They knew that it would not take long for the royal family to find out about their losses.


    And it indeed hadn''t taken long!


    ...


    City of the Setting Sun, Brown Kingdom.


    It didn''t take long, and the royal palace was already full of representatives of the local noble families who had had significant losses today.


    Each time a Counter-Revolutionary Army expert died, the leaders of these families would leave their mansions in the capital and travel to such a location to communicate their concerns.


    But with so many deaths, 48 to be precise, it wasn''t long before King Brown was faced with almost all the patriarchs of his vassal families.


    But not only were the people from these families angry about all the losses today. Thomas was the one who was feeling the worst. After all, besides the Silva family, his royal family had lost the most experts on this day!


    Therefore, he was almost exploding with anger right now when he found out the full extent of the losses of his family and his Counter-Revolutionary Army!


    ''Damn it!''


    ''The Silva family is lost, and now even my family has been severely injured!'' He thought about this as he stood face to face with all those patriarchs in his royal hall.


    He then gave his orders. "Gather more troops from your families and prepare to march to that place under my command in less than two months."


    "In this period, I will call a meeting with the representatives of the other regional royal families!" He remarked in hatred, feeling humiliated and weakened.


    "Depending on the strength of these damned rebels in this future confrontation, I will invoke the Counter-Revolutionary Statute!" He said solemnly, ready to take the most drastic measures.


    He wasn''t thinking of resolving the conflict on the Black Plain with just one battle. But suppose the enemy side suffered a significant loss on such an occasion. In that case, he could deal with the rest of the enemy forces gradually, without having to go through situations like the previous one often.


    But if he encountered difficulties in that place, his situation would not be comfortable, and drastic measures would need to be taken.


    As such, he would do his best to try to damage that enemy as much as possible while demonstrating the seriousness of this problem for the royal representatives.


    With that, even if he failed to deal a significant blow to the rebel forces on the Black Plain, those representatives would realize the gravity of the situation. Hence, he could invoke the Counter-Revolutionary Statute''s privileges successfully!


    He knew that this might take some time to happen, but once this was used, it would only be a matter of months before the Black Plain fell!


    On the other hand, he was already accepting the losses he would incur because of this.


    ....

 Chapter 762 - Strategy: Devastated Land

    The Counter-Revolutionary Statute was something created to support royal families. A counter-response to rebellious acts, those things dangerous to regional stability.


    But like any agreement, especially considering its own characteristics, this statute depended on spiritual crystals to function.


    Such a statute was not simple, without rules, where partner organizations would help one another solve their problems as if it were a favor.


    It was not just any device used to please those in need!


    After all, it was expensive to move troops around, especially those groups of Spiritual Kings, the regional experts.


    Not only because those experts would need payments, supplies, etc., but because the organizations behind them could lose a lot by sending them away from their headquarters!


    Imagine a royal family sending 10 of its Spiritual Kings to help solve a revolutionary threat in another state. If all or part of them died or suffered injuries that limited their ability to fight in the future, the losses of that organization would be huge!


    That is, it was neither cheap nor easy to create Spiritual Kings, especially those of high rank. Consequently, the death or incapacitation of some specialists could mean massive financial losses for such organizations if they wanted to recover the lost expert.


    And this bill needed to be paid by someone.


    But naturally, these regional royal families already knew this from their experience with the Kain family, and they had thought of something to solve this problem.


    That was a periodic payment of an emergency fee, something that the Carline family administered, which could be used to compensate the losses of the royal families in cases of significant losses.


    But was that enough?


    It was impossible to know. After all, costs and losses during wars depended on many factors, such as the strength of the opponents and the duration of the conflict.


    On the other hand, when would a new revolution take place?


    That was another thing impossible to know.


    It could be tomorrow, in 10 years, in 10,000 years. At any moment, movements like these could happen, and the emergency fund needed to have a minimum reserve value to guarantee the families involved in solving such a problem.


    And in this situation, completing the amount needed to have the minimum amount of funds sufficient for such a reserve was the responsibility of the royal family that had last invoked such a statute.


    If King Brown went ahead with this, he would basically be putting his family in an unattractive position in which he might have to bear the costs of a major regional war in the future if they were unlucky.


    But that was not all!


    According to the statute, all the wealth of the rebels, excluding the territory itself, would have to be divided among the troops of the Counter-Revolutionary Army invoked by such a statute.


    Hence, the cost of using such a device was not cheap, and King Brown wanted to avoid it if possible. But despite all this, he was aware that it was better to go into debt or have some losses than to lose part of his territory or be destroyed by Minos'' forces.


    He didn''t believe that the organization behind the Black Plain could destroy him now, but what about in the future?


    If such a place became independent, the variables would be endless!


    And since it was not good to let a parasite grow in your body, he was willing to do whatever was necessary to eliminate the threats to his family!


    With that, it didn''t take long for those people in the royal hall to start talking about it, making plans, and thinking of strategies to solve such a problem.


    Among them was the patriarch of the Miller family!


    ...


    Several hours passed, and at this moment, the sun was rising over the horizon of the Maritime City.


    At this instant, this city, which had previously been ravaged by war, was experiencing the tranquility of the beginning of the day, with the sea breeze typical of this area.


    The sounds of the swaying trees'' leaves, the small birds flying and singing through the area, brought the peaceful sounds to this partially destroyed place.


    However, such sounds and atmospheric effects were much more noticeable at this moment, as not even a single citizen could be found nearby!


    There were no beasts around this city, no carriages or living people walking the streets, talking at various points, working, something natural to see in places like this one.


    But this was to be expected, after all, after the warnings of the Black Plain Army, not a single person had dared to stay in this place!


    But not only because of this, but also because of specific incentives, let''s say, that Minos'' soldiers had given these people.


    Thus, only the thousands of corpses resulting from the traps used by Minos'' army the day before could be seen in the streets of this city.


    Apart from this and the destroyed or damaged buildings, anyone passing by at this moment would see an abandoned place. However, with some souvenirs left behind in many residences, anyone passing by would understand that the local evacuation had taken place in a great hurry.


    After all, no one would move out of their residence, leaving fond memories of their own volition, such as the traditional paintings of ancestors, of significant family members.


    Such an action was an obvious hint that the people in this place had not had much time to leave this town, or so many portraits would not have been abandoned here.


    Anyway, if one were flying over this urban area now, one would see several ships slowly traveling south a few dozen kilometers from the local harbor.


    At the same time, many carriages, spiritual beasts, and people could be seen dozens of kilometers east of this place, where the last groups that had left that city were.


    Some smaller groups seemed to be going in different directions, some to the north, many others to the south.


    But most were heading in the direction of Dry City, being escorted by the troops of the Black Plain Army.


    In any case, in one of the many carriages that were heading back towards Dry City, Angela was inside that means of transportation alongside Barbara as they chatted and observed the lack of scenery in the surroundings.


    "Do you know when we will have the figures regarding the population of the Maritime City that survived this conflict?" Angela asked Barbara since, despite the two''s difference in status in the military, this Spiritual General had been in this organization much longer than her.


    So, one understood that organization more than the other!


    Barbara then replied. "I think as soon as they get through the local immigration, we''ll have the approximate numbers of that city''s inhabitants who didn''t die."


    "But we''ll never know the total numbers for sure since not all the survivors are going to Dry City, and we haven''t had time to do that count."


    "However, that will already give us a good estimate as to those people lost."


    "I see..."


    "What about the collecting teams? Were they able to recover the items of value left in that city by the survivors?" Angela asked about this important factor since many citizens had died, and their belongings were worth collecting when added up.


    "Hmm, we collected what was left in the affected areas, but some of the population also managed to take several things with them."


    "That''s good. It wouldn''t be good to leave resources in that place..."


    "By the way, are we far away enough from there? When will we be finished with that?" She turned back and looked through the glass, where she could see from afar the sunrise over that area where Maritime City was located.


    "That should happen in a few more moments..." Barbara commented as she looked in the same direction as Angela, anxious for what would happen next.


    Their plan was simple.


    If they couldn''t use the Maritime City, it would be better if no one else could!


    Why have a place with such good infrastructure, a place that was not so difficult for enemies to build solid defenses, right in their backyard?


    There was no need to complicate things like that.


    And so, slowly, many small sources of light began to appear beneath that city, merging to form a giant ball of flame that completely covered the star that was rising on the horizon.


    That was the end of the line for Maritime City, its own apocalypse!


    With that, in the blink of an eye, a gigantic mushroom of gas and dust covered the whole area, following the expected consequences.


    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

 Chapter 763 - Mass Migration

    "My goodness!"


    "Look at that, Paul!"


    "Ah, the Maritime City truly has been lost forever..."


    "They actually destroyed it... I hadn''t believed the rumors!"


    "Unbelievable!"


    Several of the people who the Black Plain Army was escorting into Dry City commented among themselves as they watched back in the direction of that explosion.


    Many were already dozens of kilometers away from that place. Still, they could see the tremendous amount of dust and gas covering that city very well, the consequence of the destruction of that place.


    They already knew that such a place was lost forever since the soldiers of the Black Plain Army had warned them that the future of whoever stayed there would not be good.


    But seeing the place where not only they but also their fathers, grandfathers, and ancestors had been born and raised come to such a definitive end was quite shocking for most there.


    With that, while many were commenting in shock about the sudden end of that city, most there remained silent, looking in that direction, while still making their way to Dry City.


    ''It''s a shame...''


    ''If it hadn''t been destroyed, we could still come back in the future.'' Some of the older people in that group of immigrants thought about it in silence, regretting this outcome.


    But although upset about the changes they had been forced to accept, these people were pragmatic enough to understand that they were already in the best of all possible alternatives. And as such, they knew that complaining to those soldiers or something like that would not help them.


    On the other hand, although cities could connect their inhabitants to it, bringing feelings to their citizens, at the end of the day, those areas were just places built by humans.


    As long as they had their lives, they could connect to other places and live their lives!


    So, most of the people there were merely lamenting in their minds the fate of the place they had grown up in.


    Also, many there didn''t know how much longer they could continue to live. With the war under this territory, they might not have a much better fate than Maritime City.


    Therefore, some were more concerned about the situation in Dry City than the destruction of their former home.


    The promises of Minos'' army soldiers were terrific and attractive. But were they true?


    There was no way that they, the inhabitants of that place now under destruction, could know such a thing. After all, considering the situation they were in, the attitude of these soldiers could very well be a way of deceiving them to make it easier for the army to capture them.


    As for the people who didn''t agree to go to Dry City, for many in that group watching the destruction of Maritime City, the soldiers of Minos'' soldiers would probably kill those individuals!


    That was an enemy force of the Brown Kingdom, which had just destroyed a royal force.


    It was common for people like them to be dominated by the victors of conflicts in situations like these. Consequently, many there were concerned about the integrity of the propaganda made by those soldiers.


    But others were not thinking this way. That was because some of these people had had at least one close acquaintance of theirs who had already visited Dry City and taken their families there. And knowing this, they had no doubts about the opportunities and quality of life there!


    However, although they were hopeful for the future, they did feel a bit depressed when they saw this shocking scene.


    Anyway, it did not take long for the effects of those many explosions in the Maritime City to spread over dozens of kilometers of that urban area.


    The noise had been shocking, having even reached the place where the last groups that had left that city were passing at the moment.


    As for the shockwave, it had not reached that place with much force. Instead, it had only caused a gale, only a little stronger than those typical local storms.


    And so, amidst the din of that event, those thousands of people continued to move away from the Maritime City and into the now unique city of the Black Plain!


    That was a mass migration that was never before seen on the Black Plain, something that would completely change the status of Dry City once these people were absorbed into such a place!


    But the journey was not short for these dozens of thousands of people who practically had to make the trip on foot.


    However, that was the normal thing to happen in this situation. After all, there weren''t that many beasts or carriages in that now destroyed city.


    However, this was not entirely bad for these many people. That was because they at least had the protection of the strong soldiers of the Black Plain Army while they were doing this!


    So, despite the tremendous physical effort that many would undergo on such a journey, they would not have to worry about possible dangers on their journey.


    ''I think it will take us about five days to reach Dry City...'' Angela silently pondered as she traveled in that carriage from before, together with Barbara at the back of the march.


    ''I wonder what happened during the night that passed... All the attacks worked out?''


    ''What will happen now?''


    While Angela had these questions in mind, curious to know the results of this first significant action of the army, time began to fly!


    ...


    Two days later.


    After the many hours that had passed since the explosion of Maritime City, the dust clouds that had covered this place could no longer be seen in great density.


    There were still some traces in the sky that would make any experienced person understand what happened here. But even so, such remnants were not enough to cover up the place where that city previously stood.


    Because of this, at the present moment, anyone flying over the vicinity of this area would be able to see the result of what had happened to this place.


    After those many explosions, almost all the buildings in Maritime City had been destroyed, leaving behind only a compound resembling sand, only of different colors.


    But most of this compound was a light gray, indicative of the material most often used to build the local infrastructure.


    However, besides this layer of ''sand,'' many rubbles could be seen around, mainly where the central part of the Maritime City used to be.


    Anyway, all this and the brown dust that was also present followed a sedimentation pattern in the form of a large crater.


    This crater covered almost the entire area of the old Maritime City, even affecting the places where the local ports and beaches had previously been.


    In fact, these places had almost completely disappeared as the seawater had advanced the parts of that large crater that were closest to where the local beaches should have been.


    Apart from this, nothing helpful for human settlements had remained in this place!


    And that was just what a group of newcomers saw from a distance, standing on top of a giant winged beast a few hundred meters up.


    "Huh?"


    "What''s that?" One of the three people on that great beast exclaimed in surprise, trying to understand whether they had mistaken the path or something shocking had happened in this place.


    At the same time, the strongest one there waved one of his hands, indicating for that beast to lower its altitude, while his old face, full of white hair, grew paler and paler in worry.


    As they got closer to that place, they finally had the opportunity to scan the surroundings and look for answers.


    But they could not find even a single living soul in this place, which was supposed to be the Maritime City, the home of 300,000 inhabitants!


    "What the fuck is this?"


    "How did this happen?" Finally, London Brown roared in a fury, shouting with all his fury, as his aura spread in the surroundings, causing tremendous pressure on those individuals with him.


    "Where is our fleet? What happened to our men?"


    And while saying those things and getting angrier and angrier, one of those people then looked in the direction of Dry City and said.


    "Don''t tell me this is the rebels'' doing?"


    Gulp!

 Chapter 764 - Lets Search For Survivors

    "That damn brat!"


    "How could he do this to us? That is not right!" London said indignantly, not understanding how Dry City could have such an ability. "This shouldn''t happen!"


    They respected Minos'' strength to the extent that they had formed such a strong team already for the beginning of the conflict. But that did not mean that they considered him dangerous to the point of accomplishing this!


    That is, it was one thing if the soldiers who were supposed to be here in this area had fallen during some confrontation against the enemies on a battlefield. But that was completely different than what London and his fellow travelers were witnessing at the moment.


    Destroying an entire city, and probably the group that was here, put Dry City on an entirely different level!


    Hell, this city could be considered a royal family base!


    A place that should be considered safe enough for the soldiers of the Counter-Revolutionary Army to rest in peace when they returned from the battlefield!


    But still, the forces of Minos had probably found some way to ignore all this and ultimately destroy this area.


    Anyway, while London was still indignant, the two humans in his group were already carefully observing the surroundings. They were trying to associate the current image of this area with what this place should look like.


    "They destroyed the entire infrastructure of the Maritime City... From the most distant and common houses in the central area to even the harbors."


    "There''s nothing useful left for us!"


    "Yes, this place now has no use for receiving our troops... Or rather, this area is no better than many others on the Black Plain!" The other person commented in agreement as he noticed the probable goal of the enemies. ''They are smart for destroying this place...''


    "But I wonder what happened to the population of this place... Did Minos Stuart just massacre them?" The same person from before looked quizzically at his companion as he said this.


    The killing was not considered a significant crime in the Spiritual World. Or rather, there were rules against it everywhere. Still, it was common for this to happen, and practically every warrior would have countless deaths on his record.


    But as long as someone didn''t do it in the strictly forbidden places, even if many people knew that someone had killed thousands, most likely no one would bother about it.


    At least in most cases. After all, someone who kills his own master, parents, very close relatives, and so on would never be well regarded even in the Spiritual World.


    However, killing hundreds of thousands of people in one single act was completely different!


    And since the numbers of people in this city were far beyond the acceptable limit, that person couldn''t help but question this aspect.


    Minos should be around 21 at this point, but had he been able to order something of this nature?


    That was genuinely worrying!


    "It would be easier to eliminate everyone in this city at once..." The other commented, feeling that this was the most likely thing to have happened here.


    "Maybe we should show the rest of the kingdom how cruel..."


    As one of those two was about to say something, the supreme elder finally gave his opinion. "No, I doubt those people from Dry City have wiped out the entire local population."


    "We can''t trust the population figures of that place that we received earlier. But it is a fact that the population of that city is not large."


    "That dome has its limits, after all..."


    "So, they must have captured the survivors and taken them there."


    "Oh?"


    "That actually makes more sense!"


    "If that is true, we should pursue them, supreme elder!"


    "Considering the state of this area, I believe this place was destroyed less than four days ago. So, part of those people is probably still on the road."


    "This is our chance to get revenge!" The young man said energetically while looking at London in expectation.


    However, the supreme elder of that family had lived a long time and did not like ill-planned actions. "No. We don''t know anything about what happened here."


    "And even if these citizens of Maritime City are being escorted to Dry City, who can assure us that there are specialists in such a group?"


    "Maybe only the small fry are with them."


    "But what if there is someone strong enough to challenge me?"


    "I am confident in fighting the Black Plain, but alone, even I can fall in this place!" He said firmly, already calmer than before.


    Doing as that young man had suggested would genuinely be a big gamble. At best, they could eliminate some powerful enemies. But at worst, they would be killed!


    It wasn''t hard to imagine what they would prefer here.


    On the other hand, it was much better to wait for orders from the king, who by now certainly had some idea of what had happened, as well as plans ready to be put into action.


    With that, London would rather wait for another day or two until some crow coming from the Brown family headquarters reached him. Only then would he act.


    "Come on!" He nodded to those two and commented to his beast. "Let''s circle the area. Maybe there are survivors in the surroundings."


    "OK!"


    Soon after, they departed from that place.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in Dry City.


    After two days since the attacks of the Black Plain Army, allies and subordinates, against the enemy forces in that territory, almost everyone who was supposed to return to that city was already here.


    Minos and his group and those who had participated in the attacks against the posts east and south of Dry City had returned to this place. As for those coming from the Maritime City, the vast majority of them had not reached this place.


    Only the carriages with the soldiers and citizens wounded in that conflict had reached Dry City by now as the rest of the group coming from that place continued their journey here.


    So, Dry City General Hospital was very busy at this moment, with a capacity close to its maximum, with many people already being treated in tents in the side streets of the building.


    This place was closed for the passage of people not related to the essential services in that area. But even so, many citizens were watching from afar, at various points where there were already small crowds in the surroundings.


    They were not just watching outside the tents in that area. No, as many people and carriages were still coming from the Maritime City, several wounded people were passing through that area, crying from their injuries every hour.


    On the other hand, some of the arriving people were not in deadly dangerous situations, and they would leave that area after a short time.


    But as several inhabitants of today''s Dry City had come from that city, more than 100,000 to be precise, many were curious to know if their neighbors, friends, had arrived. So, they crowded around to observe this area from which cries of pain were constantly spreading.


    But while these people outside the local hospital were watching that outside area where the medical tents were, the group of Spiritual Kings was on the upper floors of that building.


    Most of the Spiritual Kings who had participated in the previous attacks were physically well. Just a few days of rest would be enough for them to be ready for the subsequent battles. But some of them needed medical treatment if they didn''t want to lose their fighting proficiency.


    Consequently, these individuals were on the floor of this hospital attended directly by Dillian, the doctor with the best skills in this place.


    Anyway, in one of the rooms on that floor in question, Minos and several of the local Spiritual Kings were there, even if they weren''t here to use Dillian''s services.


    Since it was expected that some Spiritual Kings would have to pass here, young Stuart had already ordered them all to come directly here, where they could inform him of their results.


    And that was what he was doing at this very moment while learning about the results at the post operated by the Miller family, right after hearing about the actions of the team led by Elena.


    "... And that''s what happened in that place, young Minos." One of the three Miller family Spiritual Kings who had ''fallen'' in that place said, finishing talking about the events in that area.


    ....

 Chapter 765 - News From The Hayes Family

    As Minos finished listening to the reports of what had happened at the two enemy outposts, he was pretty pleased with it all.


    In a single day, dozens of enemy Spiritual Kings had been killed by his army''s actions.


    That was something very gratifying indeed!


    And even if the enemies killed only represented a portion of the experts in this kingdom, that in itself was already quite good for Minos.


    After all, in addition to these actions have diminished the power of the enemy forces, it had given them more time!


    There were still tens of thousands of enemies around young Stuart''s territory. But in general, these people were temporarily leaderless, something that would undoubtedly hinder, or even diminish, their actions in the short term.


    And even if the Brown family sent more specialists quickly, the Counter-Revolutionary Army would still have some problems before acting on the Black Plain.


    That is, Minos had acted against them promptly when they had barely established themselves around this territory.


    So, they had to worry about the very safety of their camps before they began their attempt to occupy this territory!


    It would not be good to send more and more specialists here if Minos'' forces could attack them at any moment, undermining their forces little by little.


    Doing so would be like handing over the knife and the cheese to the enemies!


    As a result of their actions two days ago, the Black Plain Army''s soldiers gained additional time to prepare themselves for future battles against their tens of thousands of opponents.


    On the other hand, the belongings of the individuals killed by the three groups that had attacked after the confrontation began in Maritime City contained vast fortunes. Such were the sums in the collected spatial rings that there was enough in them to pay for the three attacks, and still millions of crystals could be saved to be invested in the future!


    There were also many Black-grade techniques in each of the collected rings, which would be helpful for the soldiers in young Stuart''s army and some plans of Minos.


    And for all that, young Stuart was quite satisfied at the moment.


    He then said. "Well, in the end, things came out almost perfect."


    "It''s a shame that one of the target enemies of Elena''s group was not eliminated. But it was much more important to us that none of our allies were more seriously injured in that fight."


    "And the fact that such survivor had lost one of his hands in the battle already helps us a lot!" He commented, looking in the direction of the three subordinate Spiritual Kings of the Cohen family, the people who had participated in that confrontation led by Elena and the Hayes family.


    Although it was a shame that this enemy had survived, that was a good thing.


    Unlike the enemy group under the command of the Miller family, the one attacked by Elena''s team needed no survivors. Only the one with Abby''s family had to appear to have fought well enough to scare off the Dry City forces and have surviving specialists.


    As for the others, the more powerful enemies they killed, the better it was for Minos and his territory.


    In any case, each Spiritual King was worth far more to Minos'' alliance than to the Brown family. With that said, Elena''s group not having eliminated all the targeted specialists was not the end of the world.


    After hearing what young Stuart had said, one of those subordinates of House Cohen, who was lying in a bed, looked at that sovereign and said. "But despite this setback, young Minos, I believe we will have good news from the Hayes family soon."


    "Oh?"


    "That''s right..." One of those three commented upon hearing what his companion was about to say.


    Such a person then explained to Minos and the other people there. "It seems that the Hayes family has better results than anticipated regarding the pursuit of the Chambers family members!"


    "So, that''s it..."


    "That''s a surprise. Those Chambers people have always been as tough as cockroaches..."


    "Indeed!"


    "I didn''t imagine they would fail so quickly..."


    Some of those experts from other regional noble families commented on that in low tones, still paying attention to that member of the Cohen family.


    That person then reported what he had discovered with some members of the Hayes family during that attack. "Several people from House Chambers who fled from the Cromwell Kingdom during or after the Persephone Tragedy have been captured by their pursuers in the days since that operation."


    "Even two of the seven remaining Chambers family specialists were killed in that period!" He commented in satisfaction as he remembered this critical piece of information.


    The Chambers family Spiritual Kings were the ones most likely to have signed Soul Contracts with other regional organizations. That way, every one of these surviving experts who died meant that the Hayes and Chambers family war was closer to being over.


    With this, the Black Plain Army could rely more quickly on the support of Vivian and Davy''s family!


    And upon hearing this information, Minos couldn''t help but feel better about the future of his war of independence. "That''s for the best!"


    "I fear that in this early part of the war, we will be put in a not-so-good situation... Hence, the more of our allies who are in a position to help us, the better our situation will be." He honestly said as he spoke of something evident to every person in that room.


    Even considering all Minos '' allies and subordinates, the enemies had far greater numbers than those in Dry City. So, although the first move was favorable to their side, things would not always be this way!


    But still, Minos had his strategies, alliances, and things in place that would create room for them. Hence, no one there was desperate to hear the alliance leader assume that they would soon be at a disadvantage.


    And in thinking about the many variables, Minos remembered something and asked those three members of the Cohen family in that place. "What about the Cromwell family? Did House Hayes face any problems because of the Snow family''s ''involvement''?"


    "Uhh..."


    "Well, yes, they faced..." One of those three said, recalling such information, just after they looked at each other.


    "House Cromwell questioned the Hayes about the Snow family''s involvement in the Persephone Tragedy. They wanted to know if one of their vassals had conspired in action by a rival who might have been trying to sabotage them."


    "But since there was no evidence of a Hayes conspiracy with the Snows, our allies were able to escape major trouble."


    "For now, the excuse that the Hayes were just fighting their war and the Snows were after their revenge should be enough."


    "However, it is undeniable that now our friends are probably being watched by the Cromwells. When they commit the smallest of infractions, they will not have an easy time in that kingdom..." Such a person declared, finishing what he knew about this matter.


    "Hmm, that''s not a good sign..."


    "True. If the royal family of the Cromwell Kingdom gets the chance, its members will probably try to act against our allies!"


    "Yes. In fact, I think they have probably already started ostracizing the Hayes family as they search for evidence..."


    "Well, they''re probably already talking about giving the region formerly ruled by the Chambers family to some rival of House Hayes..."


    Listening to the comments of his allies and subordinates, Minos could not disagree with these points. But he wasn''t worried about that at the moment. "For the time being, nothing will happen to House Hayes."


    "After all, if there was a conspiracy, the people in that royal family must be more concerned about House Snow and not the Hayes family."


    "On the other hand, news of the war in the Black Plain shouldn''t take long to reach other states in the Central Continent."


    "Once that happens, the Cromwells'' focus will be shifted toward us and the Snows."


    "There will be no room for them to think about the Hayes family!" He commented in confidence as he looked at Vivian and the other person from that family who was in Dry City.


    After saying that, it didn''t take long for Minos to say goodbye to those people and head towards his headquarters, where he had his business to attend to.


    Now that he was aware of what occurred in the other two battles, all that remained was for the group from Maritime City to return and inform him of that place''s operation''s outcome.


    The wounded who had arrived so far did not know much about this since they had no such information. With that, only when some of the key people from that place returned would Minos understand what happened and better know what to do from now on.


    ....

 Chapter 766 - Busy Local Government

    Now that Minos and his allies had executed the first significant move of this war, Dry City would have a peaceful period, and then chaos would arrive!


    Since the Black Plain had demonstrated so much power, the enemy side would not be slow to respond with an attack, probably followed by the invocation of the Counter-Revolutionary Statute.


    Obviously, this device would take some time to have practical effects on the Black Plains'' war of independence. After all, this region was not small, and some states were so far from the Brown Kingdom that even 4th stage beasts could take more than six months to come here!


    On the other hand, there would always be bureaucracies in such procedures, so it would take a while before massive troops like the one that eliminated the Kain family arrived here.


    But even so, once this happened and the rest of the northern region of the Central Continent learned of the new reality of the Black Plain, things would get more hectic.


    While there may be benefits, the pressure on the Black Plain Army would almost certainly be severe, complicating matters for young Stuart''s forces.


    With that, he and the people in Dry City had to use these days gained from the previous action to live their lives and gain more power!


    And there was no shortage of things to do in this period!


    First of all, Dillian and the government of Dry City would soon be faced with thousands of immigrants coming to this place at once.


    That was a great thing since this city had always suffered from a lack of labor and the creation of job vacancies exceeding the number of new residents in the recent past.


    But although this was a good thing, it was not only good things that such an addition brought to the administration of this city.


    Undoubtedly, local businesses could grow much faster with these people, but human groups would always have difficulties living together.


    Absorbing some immigrant families little by little was easy. After all, once such individuals arrived here ''alone,'' they almost always tried to integrate with the community.


    That was the most common to happen because, while the local culture was dominant, there were few options for specific groups to stay isolated from each other, in their bubbles, without truly integrating into local life.


    And the consequence of this was great, something that could avoid many problems in communities of all sizes.


    It was good that everyone had the right to preserve their culture and identity, but getting out of their comfort zone and learning about new things and perspectives would always be beneficial to the community.


    Living in bubbles could simply limit the citizens of a given region, consequently decreasing the chances of new things being created.


    What a shame it would be if something legendary were not created because the people required for it were too comfortable in their bubbles to try to meet new things?


    The social pressure immigrants had to suffer to integrate into the community was very welcome and could generate positive points for the local government.


    But since Dry City was about to absorb an entire city at once, things might be a little different.


    Consequently, the local government would have a lot of work from now on to be able to integrate these immigrants so that Dry City and the Black Plain could better take advantage of their skills.


    After that, Minos, his army, and the local government had the Otis Silva situation resolved in the coming weeks.


    Young Stuart wanted this man executed in front of hundreds of thousands of people in his city.


    Therefore, the preparations for this needed to be made with a certain amount of care and preparation. Just the days that had passed so far since his order regarding this execution would not be enough for that to happen.


    That execution was partly for young Stuart''s desire for revenge.


    That was something he wanted to do to degrade the figure of that patriarch as much as possible, and also the Silva family. Because, when this happened, Otis would be the first individual with such prestige, fame, power to be executed in the more than 200,000 years of known regional history!


    On the other hand, executing a level 58 Spiritual King was no small matter!


    Otis was crippled. Still, every person in Dry City with the ability to sense other people''s spiritual fluctuations would be able to perceive his previous cultivation level.


    When they realized that the local government was strong enough to defeat, arrest and execute someone so influential, that would be like a confirmation of the army''s power, something to be feared.


    Minos wanted his people to believe in the institutions he had created, to follow the local laws because living in order was better for everyone. But just trusting that his population would act in good faith without fearing the local forces, himself, would be naive.


    Hence, showing someone famous in the region, a person that everyone here had at least heard his name, being executed by the local forces was a good incentive for the population.


    Due to the many local opportunities and constant investment by the government in the population, the crimes committed by the local citizens until then were quite common. They were simple things like disorderly conduct offenses, damage to public property, etc.


    And so, until then, the population had not witnessed the local government acting decisively against anyone, with executions or other definitive penalties.


    And Minos liked the idea of showing this to the people of his city, especially to those coming from the Maritime City!


    But this would take days to prepare. As such, Otis needed to wait in the local prison, where he daily received the unique ''treatment'' of the local soldiers and officials.


    Finally, the army was already preparing for their future actions, plans to be used when the Brown family retaliation was launched.


    In particular, the administrative soldiers were waiting for communication from the Miller family.


    Certainly, the enemies had made decisions after the death of so many specialists on the Black Plain. Consequently, Minos'' allies in this young man''s enemy group should not take long to notify the Yellow City secret base about this intelligence.


    After that, the administrative soldiers of the Black Plain Army could think of more effective responses against these opponents!


    ...


    While the institutions of Dry City were busy, the royal family of the Brown Kingdom had already found out about the survivors of their forces early in Maritime City.


    After more than two days since the beginning of the confrontation in that city, the letters sent by the survivors who had escaped by land or sea had finally reached the headquarters of House Brown.


    Hence, Thomas, the high hierarchy of the royal family and the noble houses, had found out about the atrocities caused by the enemy forces in that city.


    Not only had they found out about the cowardly way of fighting the Dry City forces used, but they had also found out something extremely worrying!


    They had found out about the potential involvement of the Collins family on that terrible day!


    And if this was true, then the situation on the Black Plain could be much worse than they had assumed. After all, the Collins family was a high-level power of the Kingdom of the Waves and even had one of their descendants ready to take over that state soon.


    That was terrible!


    The Collins family might not be significant to the Browns. Still, that state was undeniably the strongest in the region. Consequently, if that kingdom went against them and broke the Counter-Revolutionary Statute at this delicate moment, then the chaos in the Brown Kingdom would be much worse than anticipated.


    As a result, several representatives of the Brown family were already heading to that kingdom to make the necessary inquiries to the Walker family for the potential problem with one of their vassals!


    A vassal would never do something so bold against a royal family of another state. So, if the Collins had done this, the Walkers would undoubtedly be behind it all.


    Otherwise, they had still been attacked by warships from the Collins family. As such, even if that organization had not targeted them, they still needed answers!

 Chapter 767 - Opening An Orphanage?

    In the blink of an eye, a whole week had passed!


    After all these days, the groups coming from the Maritime City had finished arriving in Dry City along with the last soldiers of the Black Plain Army.


    There were no problems during the days that this massive group of immigrants was on the road. That was because the Minos forces had made the Counter-Revolutionary Army troops on the Black Plain unstable.


    And considering that there weren''t many natural beasts in this area of the Black Plain, the immigrants'' trip had been smooth.


    After this, they arrived in Dry City and were quickly met by the soldiers at the immigration posts, where they had gotten their citizen IDs and permission to enter the local dome.


    Upon doing so, each of those people had been shocked to find a green, vibrant place in the middle of the Black Plain and much more developed than their old city.


    Not only did Dry City seem larger than Maritime City, but the average strength of the locals was more significant than in that now non-existent coastal location.


    On the other hand, the average citizen of Dry City had a much higher purchasing power than those people who had come here last from Maritime City. And these immigrants couldn''t help but notice this when observing the clothing of the local citizens, the standard of living in this city, where commerce was powerful, and the supply of services resembled that of the large regional cities.


    Because of all this, the immigrants, who were previously very fearful about their future, quickly changed when they got to know this place.


    The promises made by the soldiers to them were no longer so doubtful, and just by observing this city for minutes after their arrival, most of the immigrants already believed everything.


    They would obviously have to get to know this place better to understand what might have been exaggerated and what was under reality. But their first impression was already very good at that point!


    With this, the dozens of thousands of immigrants from that city had arrived in this place with good impressions.


    They all had been quickly accommodated in their new homes, which they would only have to begin paying a few months after their arrival.


    Previously the local government had prepared itself very carefully to receive the population of that now destroyed place. Because of this, it had not been difficult to accommodate so many new citizens at once.


    So, the number of ''living'' neighborhoods in Dry City had increased considerably in this brief interval of time.


    Now it was up to the local government and organizations, businesses, and families to adapt their strategies to this new consuming public and labor force!


    And that was what Mia was taking care of at this very moment!


    ...


    In the government mansion of Dry City, Mia was at this moment working in young Stuart''s office, sitting in her boss''s armchair.


    Minos was away from his position as a local ruler to take care of the affairs of his war of independence. On the other hand, Dillian was at the General Hospital caring for the soldiers and allies who had suffered most in the recent army actions.


    Consequently, the job of administering Dry City had fallen into the lap of this woman, the secretary to the local ruler, the number 3 person in this city.


    And that was what Mia, Peter''s fianc¨¦e, was doing right now alongside some local government officials who were there to report some more recent data.


    "Secretary Mia, we finally have the latest data regarding the local population." One of the three people on Mia''s opposite side of the table said this.


    "After the arrival of these nearly 140 thousand immigrants from Maritime City, Dry City has reached the 469 thousand population mark." The same person from before said this in satisfaction while having a smile on his face.


    For him, a native of Dry City, someone who, like Mia, had been here since before Minos arrived, it was very gratifying to see this place grow so much. More than that, after all, he was directly participating in the local development!


    As such, he couldn''t help but smile as he talked about it.


    "469 thousand?" Mia repeated this information as she remembered that there were only about 30 thousand individuals back then!


    She then leaned her back against the armchair she was in and pondered about it. ''Wow! It doesn''t even seem like only six years have passed! We have done so much in such a short time...''


    Mia then remembered some previous data about the operation in that city and asked. "So, how many inhabitants of the Maritime City have we lost?"


    "As far as we know, before our attack, there were about 200 thousand inhabitants in that place. But not all of the survivors chose to follow our soldiers, so we don''t know exactly how many died there."


    "But we assume that of the remaining 60 thousand or so, less than half of them died in that place due to the conflict commanded by Lieutenants Eduard and Angela."


    "So, that''s how it is..."


    "That truly was a tragedy." Another government official commented, lamenting over the loss of these people.


    "Well, there''s nothing to be done. That is war, and casualties happen."


    "Anyway..."


    That man then continued. "With this population increase, the average level of our citizens has dropped quite a bit."


    "Oh? Well, that was expected..." She commented in a low voice.


    That was normal. After all, many people with low talent and levels had arrived in Dry City in a short time.


    Previously the average level of the local citizens was increasing because the number of monthly immigrants was much lower than the number of inhabitants already under Dry City good conditions.


    Since so many people had arrived at once, it was to be expected that the average strength would drop.


    "Now, the average level of the local citizens is at level 33."


    ''Level 33, huh? That''s not bad.''


    ''That number will probably increase pretty quickly.'' Mia pondered as she considered that matter.


    After that, one of those other people then stood up and started reporting his information. "As for the items collected from all the raids around our territory, we''ve managed to increase our crystal reserves to about 180 million of the low-grade ones and half a million of the medium-grade ones."


    "Oh?"


    "Good! Our safes had lost over 20 million just on the investments for those operations alone..."


    "Good thing we were able to collect those amounts and still add another 50 million!" Someone from the financial sector commented in satisfaction.


    "Hmm, and that could help us invest in the renovations of the Cultivation Tower and other local public buildings." Mia said, remembering that with the recent increase in population, the government would have to improve local services.


    After all, previously, even the local population had to alternate between using places like the Cultivation Tower, so if nothing were done, things would only worsen!


    And unlike residential buildings that were relatively cheap to build, the cost of cultivation rooms was not cheap. Because of this, Minos'' government had not been able to improve this and other services enough in the short time since the operation he had led in the Maritime City.


    "Yes. Currently, the Cultivation Tower can only accommodate 210,000 people a month."


    "I''m afraid that if we don''t act fast, these people who have just arrived in our city will not be able to access this service."


    "By the way, speaking of these newly arrived people, we have heard that there are some orphaned children among the immigrants." The last person who had not yet informed Mia of his affairs here said this in a serious tone.


    "They are with friends of their relatives, but I believe that not only them, but our future immigrants will need a new service just for them."


    "You mean?"


    "I think we should set up an orphanage in Dry City."


    "Oh?"


    "That sounds like a good idea... I believe there are many orphans around our region due to the recent wars."


    "Hmm, that''s what I thought."


    "There are many orphans in our region, and there will be many more soon. So, as the ones responsible for this reality, we have to make amends for our actions through these children."


    "They will have a potential to be part of our territory and have a decent life here while we keep them away from the desire for revenge."


    "We can save these children from marginalized lives due to the misunderstandings of life."


    ....

 Chapter 768 - Manipulate Or Kill?

    "Ultimately, only our government can ensure that this service is done for the best possible outcome for the Black Plain." That local civil servant commented, finishing stating his thoughts.


    What he was suggesting was indeed the best way to solve the problems of the orphans of the local wars. After all, marginalizing them was the fastest way to nurture future lawbreakers, criminals.


    But a good state would not leave to deal with problems only when they appear!


    Acting in advance to prevent problems from arising or worsening was essential in the development of a state, something fundamental for a superpower to be born.


    And with this in mind, that official had thought of this option to deal with this issue, something that, despite its negative implications, was in line with the views of the other people in that room and also of young Stuart.


    It was terrible that many people would die during the war of independence.


    They didn''t like that since Minos, his officials, all preferred not to waste time in a war. Instead, they would rather invest this time developing the Black Plain, bringing more people here. They would prefer to increase the planted area, reforest the territory, create new cities, etc.


    And that would have been the plan if House Brown had not refused the request for local independence and forced the Black Plain Army to start this war.


    After all, Minos didn''t need to use the war to profit. He had all the conditions for developing his territory without having to destroy regional families.


    Unfortunately, he didn''t have the power to scare the greediest people in that region and, as such, had been forced to fight.


    With that, casualties, the tragedy of war, could not be avoided.


    But worse than the many deaths that would occur, the cruelest part of this reality was what would happen to the children, the descendants of those killed.


    Such people would lose their greatest supports, perhaps the few truly irreplaceable people in their lives!


    However, even though they did not want this outcome, Minos and his soldiers would not diminish their actions.


    They would not stop eliminating the enemies of the Black Plain!


    That might be terrible for the child victims of their war, but they were not here fighting for useless things. The opposite of that, they were seeking their freedom, the safety of their families!


    Did they have to give up their lives just because their actions would harm others?


    Was it wise to kneel to an enemy that historically only exploited their territories and subordinates?


    Would it be acceptable to die for the sake of strangers they perhaps didn''t know and would never meet?


    No, it would not!


    It was a shame that people had to die, that even more people had to suffer from the negative consequences of war. But Minos'' forces were prepared to kill every single person who stood against them, no matter who it hurt!


    They would rather not fight, but since they were forced to, they would slaughter their enemies mercilessly and even take the opportunity to educate the orphans of the war.


    It was cruel to think that many of these children would be raised by the forces responsible for their relatives'' deaths. But this was the best response of the Dry City government to give these people a chance.


    Or perhaps it would be better to just slaughter children? Kill entire families?


    They didn''t think so!


    Consequently, upon hearing that man''s suggestion, no one in that office disagreed with this proposal, despite the apparent fact that the government would manipulate the history these orphans would have access to.


    With an orphanage, they could educate the orphans of the war to understand the terrible side of the Brown family, the real culprit of it all. But, at the same time, those victims would learn how the Black Plain was only protecting itself.


    And fighting for freedom was always more interesting and more straightforward to justify than fighting for pure greed. As such, the very nature of the facts would help them.


    On the other hand, the manipulated story would be partially true.


    But, at the end of the day, seeing things that way was obviously an exaggeration. After all, life was not all about such simple things.


    However, with the victims'' awareness and the comfortable lives, full of possibilities they could have here, Mia''s group already hoped that such a strategy would lessen the chances of orphans being marginalized.


    Mia then commented. "We will do as Mr. Darek said."


    "We will put the orphanage issue among the priorities regarding local works."


    "That needs to be done urgently."


    "Already make arrangements regarding the personnel who will operate such a place. All staff members should be soldiers of the army, among those most experienced and loyal to our organization."


    "We also need to acquire arrays to do kinship testing. Any orphans of the war will have to come under the full supervision of the state when their adoptive parents are not first-degree relatives."


    "But even those will be partially supervised by our organization," Mia said as she observed those people making notes about it.


    After a while of talking about the future orphanage in Dry City, two of those individuals left Minos'' office, leaving only Mia and an elderly gentleman there.


    "Secretary Mia, I have to warn you that currently, we don''t have that much space available in the protected area of the wall anymore." He commented, remembering this critical fact for the near future of this city.


    "Oh?" Mia said in surprise, looking over the side of the glass wall of that office, noting the obvious.


    ''Indeed, there''s not much more space left!''


    Dry City had grown a lot in recent months due to the steady increases in the number of residents, many of whom had been allocated to the construction area.


    Because of this, much of the area protected by the dome was already occupied by buildings, some of them still empty but ready to receive services and residents.


    The man then continued. "Currently, we have already built on more than 92% of the defensive dome inner area."


    "And considering that some of the local buildings were built with the possibility of future expansions, the actual space left for new construction is only 6% of the total area."


    "So, we have to start working with those limits on space."


    "The orphanage can be done without a problem. But we have to start slowing down the development of the local infrastructure, think about prioritizing certain buildings over others."


    "I see... Well, we''ll work that out."


    "In any case, once the local war becomes known throughout the region, I doubt we will continue to receive any migration. So, stopping the construction of residential and commercial buildings shouldn''t be a problem." Mia said this after thinking about it for a while.


    Slowing down local infrastructure development would mean that there would be fewer services in the city. Consequently, this could slow down the local economy.


    On the other hand, this would hardly turn Dry City into a home for the unemployed. After all, the crops continued to grow outside the dome, as well as the services in the city were increasing in volume and options.


    So, instead of just a decrease in the supply of jobs, there would probably be an upskilling of some jobs, while the supply of simpler ones would continue to increase.


    Because of this, with no more significant population growth for a while, Dry City could experience an increase in the quality of services and a general increase in the level of the population.


    And this would be an excellent thing considering that if they won the war of independence, there would undoubtedly be mass migrations to the Black Plain in the future.


    Once such a thing happened, it would be nice if the local population had certain advantages over the new immigrants!


    While it was good to respect immigrants, people who could add much to their new homes, valuing those who could have participated in the most decisive moment in recent history was something important.


    And such a change in local development already solved this problem because citizens would have the time to take advantage of the opportunities before a possible arrival of thousands of immigrants!


    Anyway, with these ideas in mind, those two finished discussing this last issue, going their separate ways.


    One went to the department in charge of construction.. At the same time, the other continued to resolve local leadership issues, replacing Minos and Dillian, who were busy with more urgent things.

 Chapter 769 - Creating And Solving Problems

    Another week passed!


    Dry City continued its developments under Mia and sometimes Dillian, who still dealt with the wounded from the recent battles. In particular, those people who had gone to the naval base with the ships of that fleet that had attacked the coast of Maritime City.


    A few hundred soldiers and inhabitants of that city had made that route when leaving that area before the explosions that obliterated Maritime City.


    So, even if the numbers of those groups were not significant, Dillian was still working hard at the General Hospital. After all, the combatants of the Black Plain Army couldn''t stay out of shape for long!


    On the other hand, Minos closely led the army''s actions, working at headquarters alongside Abby and the Spiritual Kings of his organization.


    But meanwhile, the enemies of Minos and the Black Plain continued to work in and out of this territory to respond to his bold actions as soon as possible!


    Each of the remaining noble families of the Brown Kingdom was sending massive troops, more robust than those that had come to the Black Plain at the first moment of the war.


    Hence, those forces already on the Black Plain were trying to keep their distance from Dry City, waiting for the right moment to act.


    Still, meanwhile, some minor clashes between enemies had been going on in this territory, something that took place when two opposing sides met nearby.


    But this involved only a fraction of the number of people in this territory, those in the temporary camps, either of the Minos army or the counter-revolutionary forces.


    Anyway, while things were developing as expected in the Brown Kingdom, some troubling things were happening outside this territory.


    ...


    The headquarters of the Collins family, Kingdom of the Waves...


    At the headquarters of this organization, things were becoming increasingly tumultuous with the growing tension that this family had been experiencing.


    Previously, with the appointment of Charles as crown prince and the impending death of the current king, the leading figures in this family couldn''t help but be optimistic about their future.


    However, they had been embroiled in huge problems!


    Now, that entire organization was entangled with the problems generated by the simple action of months ago, the attack on that naval base on the Black Plain.


    First, they had lost 10 Spiritual Kings on the Black Plain fighting against an opponent they had no track record against. After that, things on Stone Island had gotten out of hand.


    Their actions against the Nash family had reached a stalemate where they could no longer harm the opposing side without being heavily damaged as a consequence!


    Not only that, they had accumulated some more expert losses in that place!


    But this family was now faced with an unlikely enemy, who accused such organization of attacking them!


    As a result, the tension between the leaders of this organization was at an all-time high, and they could hardly take advantage of Charles'' rise.


    However, amid all the problems that the Collins family was facing, the headquarters of this organization were working more and more in search of answers to this crisis.


    They had offended an unknown enemy, which probably could not act directly against them, but was an undeniable threat. Moreover, the enemies on Stone Island were no longer under the danger of destruction. And such a noble organization would undoubtedly try to take revenge in the future. Finally, they had now supposedly learned that they had attacked the Brown family!


    Every problem could potentially eliminate them from this vast Spiritual World. Consequently, they could not take such matters lightly.


    And that was what the strongest individuals of House Collins were doing at this moment in a meeting room of this headquarters in question.


    ...


    In a room where only six middle-aged individuals were distributed around a table, Patriarch Collins was the only one standing now.


    "We face an unprecedented crisis, and if we are not willing to use all the devices at our disposal, we may not have a chance to counterattack later."


    "Unfortunately, we have to assume that the situation is out of control, and we cannot continue to act on our own as if we can resolve these issues without help."


    "That is a fact!" He solemnly said as he looked at the three men and two women who were at that location.


    "I believe the problem with the Brown family can be solved with talks."


    "Although we will most likely have our reputation tarnished throughout the region for losing our own warships and having to publicly accept the death of many of our experts, this can be resolved before it becomes a bloodbath."


    "The question is about what we can do regarding the two threats to our family!"


    "The Nash family will destroy us if we don''t annihilate them first!"


    Upon hearing this, the people in that place became even more solemn, while some frowned vigorously.


    "Impossible, patriarch!"


    "The Nashs are in a much worse state than we are! How will they destroy us?"


    "The same way they escaped destruction a few weeks ago on Stone Island." That stronger individual there commented as he remembered how shocking it was to discover that the leaders of the Allen family had been wiped out.


    Elen''s family should not have such power considering all that had happened recently. After all, if they could do such a thing from the beginning, they would not have lost so many of their members during the recent months of conflict in that state!


    Therefore, that action could only mean that the Nash family had gained some powerful support.


    And to think about it gave the patriarch Collins chills!


    "I''m afraid that the same thing that happened to Duncan and Rolf will happen to us before long." He said in earnest, slowly looking into the eyes of those five people in the surroundings.


    Gulp!


    Constant Collins was on the same level as Duncan Allen when that person was killed by the actions of Celeste and Marvin Nash. Because of this, every single person in that room did not doubt at all the fear of their patriarch and how severe the threat to them was!


    "We must gather our allies!"


    "Yes. Since we have already reached this point, we must at least do everything in our power to eliminate this threat. Even if it costs us our honor!"


    "Here''s what we''ll do..."


    ...


    As the conversations of those people from the Collins family continued, a great event was being hosted in the capital of the Snow Kingdom.


    In such a metropolis, dozens of thousands of people were in the vicinity of a large public square in the noblest part of this capital city, in front of the royal palace.


    But these people were not in such a place to celebrate some public holiday or demonstrate some cultural habit of this state. On the contrary, so many people were gathering in this place for an attraction appreciated all over this continent.


    That attraction was not exactly long, but it was unforgettable for those who attended. On the other hand, the demonstration of power itself during such an event was already enough to make many individuals revel in the pain of a third party.


    And that attraction was about to begin at this very moment!


    In that square, in front of the royal palace, there was a large platform made of gold and other valuable metals, something worthy of the people in the stands at the sides of that structure.


    But the main point of the show was not the high standard guests, but the strange structure in the middle of that platform, where at the moment there was a man attached to such a thing.


    That was obviously a public execution!


    And the main character of such a show was none other than the patriarch of the Chambers family, who was listening to the opening statements of his own trial.


    "Citizens of the kingdom, this man in front of you, despite his very dignified position as patriarch of one of the few regional noble families, has conspired against your kingdom!"


    "This person is a degenerate who has sucked the nectar of excruciating effort from many of the captives captured by his family, violating many of the social norms acceptable in our region."


    "Worst of all, he is the accomplice behind the death of His Highness, Alexander Snow!"


    ....

 Chapter 770 - The Death Of Patriarch Chambers!

    "This person, Dean Chambers, conspired with Wallace Chambers to have the cruel assassin, codenamed Scythe, torture and kill His Highness, the second prince!" The narrator said solemnly, as his hoarse voice reverberated throughout that square through the sound arrays distributed there.


    At the same time, several people in the surrounding area were already starting the riot, with several shouts calling for the execution of such a person.


    "Shame!"


    "A regional patriarch, someone so respected, ordering such a thing..." Someone said aloud, just before spitting on the ground in disgust at such a person.


    "Tsk!"


    "Degenerate!"


    "Such a person doesn''t deserve to continue living!"


    "Kill him!"


    "I''m glad that soon our region will no longer count on the existence of the damned Chambers!"


    "Well done! People like that deserve to die to pay for their sins!"


    "Kill him!"


    While the disgruntled cries and calls for Dean''s execution were mixed among the comments of the masses, the nobles and royals were watching everything from the high-standard grandstands at the sides of the execution platform.


    In such a place, the highest level experts in this city were watching all this with solemn expressions on their faces.


    Many there already hated Dean in a way rarely seen in people who barely knew each other. But this was not strange. After all, the Snow family and the entire kingdom were humiliated by how the second prince had been killed.


    And seeing the last remaining mastermind of that death still alive to pay for such a crime, many there could not help but keep severe expressions on their faces.


    Revenge was not a fun thing, after all!


    Retribution was good, but it implied that something had been lost, that someone had been wronged, lost something important, etc. As such, even if this man was only moments away from paying for his crimes, there was no way those people involved with such a loss could be happy about it.


    Yes, they were relieved, glad that they could minimally clear the family name and repair the way Alexander had been killed. But this was all being done with deep regret, so they could not smile in this situation.


    At the very least, that would happen to most people who went through experiences similar to this one.


    And among those people who were expecting all this, King Snow was sitting at the highest post in that place while he had his long white beard falling over his lap, mixed with his noble clothes.


    At the moment, he had a dormant expression on his face, which indicated that he was not satisfied at all but that he would not fail to witness the death of such a person.


    Adam Snow, level 59, was one of the oldest experts in this region, someone who no longer participated so much in the most critical decisions of his state since the designation of his heir. And as he wasn''t so interested in the mundane decisions of his state anymore, he honestly didn''t like to participate in ceremonies like this.


    But as a father who had lost one of his sons in a humiliating way and king on behalf of this state, this man could not help but attend this event.


    He even thought it was his son''s mistake to do this ceremony, but he did not want to interfere with Ambrose''s way of doing things. And since there wasn''t much indication that the problems generated by this would be big enough to affect his family, he was accepting it all.


    As King Snow watched that whole show with an unfriendly expression on his face, he asked the young man next to him. "Ambrose, have you received any communication from the Cromwell family? "


    "No."


    "But that doesn''t mean they won''t see any problems in your decision. Do you know that?"


    Ambrose then nodded and said. "I know, father. But I believe they won''t go far for a patriarch of a family that will soon be gone..."


    "I see..."


    "In any case, you should be careful with those people from the Cromwell Kingdom. They will not act according to what you have planned." He said in a stern tone, without taking his gaze away from the figure of Dean, who was tied up in the middle of that execution platform.


    "All right."


    "What about those other matters? Have you had any results yet?"


    "No, because we were still in the data collection phase. But we will soon start contacting our potential allies."


    After hearing this, Adam was silent and said nothing more.


    That was the only thing that concerned him recently since he knew how dangerous those assassin organizations were.


    With so many years of experience, he didn''t even need to hear the information gathered through Dean''s interrogation to find out that the Scourges of the Devil were impressive!


    But unlike the show in front of him, eliminating such an organization was something that this old expert thoroughly enjoyed. Hence, he valued it more than avenging the death of his second son, who, by the way, had not had a good relationship with him.


    Anyway, it didn''t take long for the narrator of this event to finish his speech, showing all of Dean''s disrespectful acts to the public present.


    They wanted to show those citizens of the kingdom that by executing Dean Chambers, the northern region of the Central Continent would become at least a little better!


    Their vision was simple. They despised people capable of doing what the members of the Chambers family had done for thousands of years. So, eliminating such a person would at the very least decrease the number of regional experts with thoughts contrary to their worldviews.


    With that, there would be less support for criminal actions, as in the example of bandits and pirates who captured innocent people on regional roads to sell them as slaves.


    "Citizens of the kingdom, this man has committed many crimes and is under our disposal to settle his debts."


    "How should we deal with him?" The narrator asked the crowd present as more and more people in that place clamored for Dean''s execution.


    "Kill this degenerate!"


    "Kill him!"


    "Cut off his head!"


    "No! We must cut him to pieces!"


    "Kill him by the Puller!"


    Several screams sounded in that square, most of them calling for the Puller, a type of torture structure capable of pulling the main junctions of a person''s body, slowly dismembering them.


    Hearing these requests, Dean, standing quietly in his seat, pressed hard on his jaw, already preparing himself for his end.


    He had not given up on living, nor did he want his life to end at this moment. After all, dying here meant that he could never take revenge on the people behind the destruction of his family.


    But even though he wanted to escape from this place, flee to the Scourge of the Devil headquarters, and then prepare to fight the Hayes, he would not ask for mercy.


    First, it is evident that the other side would not accept such a thing, and to humiliate himself with this would only further soil his and his family''s name. And secondly, he did not have the personality of a person who asks for mercy.


    Hence, even though he still had a lot of attachment to life and a desire for revenge, he had nothing to say in this trial.


    At most, he was lamenting that everything had ended this way for him.


    And while he was doing that and a lot of shouting was coming from that large audience, the narrator''s voice once again resounded through that area as his sentence was finally given.


    "Very well..." The narrator, a member of the Spiritual Church, began to speak as he looked over to where the king and prince stood, "We recommend the death of this person by the Puller."


    Ambrose then rose from his armchair and said briskly. "In this case, I, Ambrose, of House Snow, crown prince of the Snow Kingdom, I sentence you, Dean Chambers, to death by the Puller!"


    "Guards, activate the device!"


    "Yes!"


    At that moment, several shouts of celebration broke out in that crowd as people watched that regional expert being placed on the device.


    The Puller was quite large and had five devices around a circular frame, arms, legs, and neck positions.


    And in just this place, in less than 20 seconds Dean already had those five parts of his body attached to those devices, while central support sustained his back.


    And then...


    Clang!


    Clang!


    Great side chains then began to run faster and faster as the Puller began to be operated.


    ''Damn...''


    After that, quickly Dean''s execution began as slowly, the five parts of his body were being pulled in a force challenging for its joints to withstand.


    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"


    ....

 Chapter 771 - Avenging The Companion?

    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"


    It wasn''t long before Dean was screaming with all his might, mainly because his arms and legs were being stretched to the breaking point. But also, his ligaments and tendons were rapidly sectioning or disconnecting.


    As for the part that was pulling on his head, well, this item, the Puller, was aimed not only at dismembering its victim but also at torture. As such, everything was done so that such an individual would still be alive when various parts of his body broke off.


    Only after much suffering would the victim have his head torn off by the same device!


    But despite its cruelty, such a device did not take long to achieve its final goal, the death of its victim.


    That lasted only a few seconds, enough for the victim to suffer intensely and this time to seem many times longer than it was. But, on the other hand, it was enough for the audience to enjoy this terrible way of killing someone without getting bored.


    With that, it didn''t take long for silence to cover up the whole area where Dean''s execution was taking place, as the parts of this man''s body were dismembered one by one.


    First, this had happened to one of his legs, which had slowly broken off, followed by the joints of that foot, ankle, then knee, and finally groin.


    The Puller was a well-designed device. When a body part was dismembered, it would change position and proceed directly to the next junction, from where it would continue its work.


    With this, maximum suffering was guaranteed!


    After that first leg, the same happened to the second leg, at the same time, when many of the bones in that lower region of Dean''s body began to crack due to the forces exerted on them.


    In any case, Dean had not had time to worry about the pain in only one part of his body.


    Following the dismemberment of his legs, the same had happened to his arms, one after the other, similar to what had happened in his legs happening in his arms.


    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"


    "AHHHHHHHHHHH!"


    Simultaneous with all this, sweat was dripping down the still entire parts of this regional expert''s body, while his face was as pale as snow.


    But that was to be expected. After all, jets of blood were breaking out from his disconnected joints, from the pieces of flesh that the Puller had exposed around his body.


    After seeing all this, the audience couldn''t help but enjoy it all in silence, watching the cruelty of the Puller as it killed a level 57 Spiritual King.


    ''Incredible!''


    ''Truly cruel!''


    ''The person who created the Puller must be a genius madman, a hot-blooded bastard!''


    ''How did the bastard think of that?''


    Various thoughts passed through the minds of the thousands of people in that place, some appreciating how Dean was being executed, while others felt inner peace.


    ''We finally put an end to that bastard''s life!''


    ''Now our business with the Chambers family is finished...''


    ''Our revenge is done, and the family honor is protected.''


    The nobles and members of royalty in that area considered these things, as Dean''s cries of pain finally ceased, just when his head was wholly dismembered from the rest of his body.


    He was finally dead!


    At that instant, on top of that platform where the bloodstained Puller stood, people in the surrounding area could see a rectangular piece of flesh still resting on that equipment. From such a thing, blood was dripping from five different places, where if one paid attention, one could see the broken pieces of bones.


    On the other hand, several human pieces could be seen on the floor of that platform, totally stained with blood.


    Dean Chambers had died, and his body was now butchered, just as had happened to the second prince of the Snow Kingdom, killed on the orders of Wallace Chambers!


    And with that done, it wasn''t long before the crowds in that place began to celebrate the death of this person while the nobles and members of royalty began to leave the area.


    "Finally dead!"


    "Hahaha, I witnessed the death of that bastard! I''ll never forget this in all my life!" Someone said excitedly amidst the masses.


    "Hehehehe, I will tell that to my grandchildren..."


    And then, many such comments came from the throats of those people who had no relation to royalty, who were only here to revel in the death of an expert.


    For them, this execution was not something sad, as perhaps it was for the relatives and close acquaintances of the late Alexander.


    Many even felt bad that someone so crucial from their kingdom had died in such a humiliating way.


    After all, even if the majority there had no nobility or royalty privileges, they could benefit or be harmed if these great families were not respected. That is, it was better to live in a territory where the ruler was feared by his neighbors!


    Therefore, even the ordinary people of a kingdom could feel bad about certain situations involving large organizations.


    But such negative feelings would go away as soon as they saw an execution like this one, and many there could not help but feel much better now, happy about what they saw.


    With that, many of those people were chatting as they began to disperse.


    However, not all the spectators were happy about all this!


    In one corner of that square, a person was standing alone in the middle of the street, looking at that platform in a disbelieving all that, feeling a great humiliation deep inside his being.


    ''They truly dared!'' He pondered, trying his best not to look suspicious by getting annoyed about it.


    ''Damn it, Snows! You asked for it. Don''t blame us later!''


    After thinking about it, he didn''t take long to distance himself from that place, sometimes looking back, still shocked that one of the most influential men of his state had been killed like that.


    He, a subordinate of the Cromwell family, didn''t like the members of House Chambers at all. But it was undeniable that the Snows had no right to kill that patriarch, mainly the way things had been done!


    As such, even though he didn''t like that person, this individual felt very bad about the whole thing, that the great Cromwell family had been disrespected in this way!


    So, he could only leave that place to send the news to the headquarters of that family.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in another part of that city, a man dressed like a beggar was sitting on the ground in the vicinity of that area, in silence as tears ran down the corners of his eyes.


    "Alexander, this was only part of the revenge, but soon you will be able to rest in peace..." He muttered in a low voice as he thought about the murderer who had acted against his former partner.


    As he thought about this, he took an aged piece of paper from one of his pockets, on which there was a piece of news.


    ''... Hayes family in pursuit...'' That was highlighted, marked by something this person had used to spotlight such information.


    He then squeezed that paper tightly while closing his eyes briefly. ''I will kill that assassin myself!


    ''Scythe!''


    ''I just need to follow the Hayes family''s movements!''


    After that, this very poorly dressed person left that place, walking towards one of the exits of this city.


    And while he was doing that, his face was well hidden, something necessary so that nobody would recognize him in this place. After all, if anyone were to see the person who had been the cause of the second prince''s death, he would be locked up in this place for questioning.


    That, of course, was Maxwell Mayer, a young man that Minos had saved during the Spiritual Tournament!


    ...


    Three days later...


    While Maxwell was pursuing his revenge, the shocking news about the execution of Dean Chambers left the Snow Kingdom and traveled throughout the region on the front page of the leading regional newspaper.


    The Northern News had published such information as soon as they had obtained the news, even before their rivals found out about that.


    However, the Northern News had not come out so far ahead on this day, as an even more sensational story had been spread throughout the region by the Night News!


    And with these two shocking stories, a day hard to forget had begun in this northern region of the Central Continent!

 Chapter 772 - Humiliation For One, Massive Losses For Another

    In the capital of the Kingdom of the Waves...


    In the local royal palace, Willian Walker, the king of this state, was lying on his bed. At the same time, a woman of glistening beauty was cleaning his bare chest without removing her beautiful smile from her face, despite this man''s reality.


    Meanwhile, another woman was sitting next to this man, on the other side of the bed, while holding a tray with various snacks, occasionally putting something into his mouth.


    He could eat on his own, but soon his life would come to an end. So, why not enjoy every gesture of his lovely wives?


    He no longer had the stamina to fulfill his responsibilities as a husband, so this was one of the few things he could do at the moment to enjoy with his wives.


    And hell, a man has to relax a little from time to time.


    But while two of his several wives were taking care of him right now, a third woman was sitting on a couch over there, in this room of the kingdom''s sovereign.


    That was none other than William''s number one wife, the queen of the Kingdom of the Waves, mother of young Wilfred Walker, the first prince, the young man who had abandoned the dispute for the local throne.


    She was one of the wealthiest people in this region, a powerful level 57 cultivator who had been with Willian the longest.


    In any case, this woman was sitting with one leg crossed over the other, dressed nobly, while she had two newspapers in front of her, leaning on a glass table.


    Both newspapers were open on the front page, where several of the indications of the most important things in those editions were.


    Among them was news about the war on Stone Island, local affairs from each of the regional kingdoms, some of the significant regional bounties, and last but not least, the major news from each of those periodicals.


    On one of the periodicals was a drawing of a large piece of equipment that any adult in this region would recognize¡ªthe Puller.


    On the other hand, in the other periodical, a picture of a battlefield full of images referring to war was arranged on that front page of this most recent edition of the Night News.


    Both had their headlines prominently displayed.


    ''The End of an Expert!''


    ''Disaster in the Brown Kingdom!''


    Anyway, after finishing listening to the queen reading such information, Willian closed his eyes for a while and tried to imagine what was happening in this region. "That''s truly interesting..."


    "I wonder what is going through the minds of the people in the Snow Kingdom? Did they kill Dean just because of the death of the second prince?"


    "Don''t you think that''s wise?" The woman who was feeding him asked right after hearing that.


    Willian looked at her and then said. "I think not the way they did it. That was too over the top for my taste..."


    "I don''t think the Cromwells will accept that without some kind of retaliation."


    "In any case, compared to that incident in the Maritime City, I don''t think old James will be as furious as he should be..."


    "Thomas'' losses are so impressive that even the Cromwell humiliation has been diminished significantly." He said, almost forming a smile on his face.


    He was about to die, so hearing of the misfortune of others, hearing of the deaths of old acquaintances, rivals, couldn''t help but entertain this man.


    Even more so, considering that he was the kind of person who would prefer to share his losses with others if he were to lose.


    As such, he was not dissatisfied with the chaos around this region.


    On the other hand, as a person who had his ambitions for so long, he couldn''t help but like the possibility of royal families facing each other and losing parts of their strength.


    That was nothing but an advantage for his Walker family, which would soon lose one of the most significant recent supports, him.


    So, knowing that his rivals were suffering as much or even more than he was, was good news for this man.


    But he was not entirely happy either. After all, it would be much better if he could enjoy all this and still use the consequences later.


    Unfortunately, his condition would not allow it, and he would probably pass from this to a better one even before the pinnacle of the conflicts in this region.


    Therefore, he could not help but regret this in his heart.


    Hearing her husband''s comment, Wilfred''s mother nodded in agreement and added. "Recently, there were 34 Brown family warships in that city, plus a significant force on land..."


    "I imagine they lost more than two-thirds of their naval force and a few thousand guards."


    "Hmm, that is indeed a difficult loss to recover."


    "But why were they with so many forces in that city? Did they piss someone off and were preparing to defend themselves?" The wife, who was cleaning some parts of Willian''s body, asked that.


    The woman who was on the other side of that bed then commented. "Maybe this is a rebellion."


    "Oh?"


    "Impossible!" The queen said as she saw the king looking at that woman with a funny look on his face.


    But he didn''t say anything. He just waited to hear her theory.


    "What? Why are you looking at me like that?" She said in surprise since, in her opinion, such a possibility was the most likely.


    The queen then explained. "You say a rebellion, but who are these rebels? The Silva and Miller family have no power to take on the Browns, even if they were to unite."


    "Who else is left to rebel?"


    "There are 18 other noble families..."


    "Tsk!"


    "Even together, they are no different than houses Silva and Miller. Not to mention that if one of those families rebelled, the clashes wouldn''t happen in the poor Black Plain."


    That woman feeding the king then frowned her eyebrows and turned to observe the queen. "If it''s not a rebellion, what else can it be? Don''t tell me that we are the ones attacking them?" She asked with certain humor as she remembered the recent issue between the Collins family and the Browns, something that had been being resolved by the crown prince''s team.


    This King Walker''s wife thought simply. There were only three possibilities for a confrontation as large as the one reported in that newspaper to happen. One was a rebellion of noble families, another a conflict between royal houses. And finally, the least likely, that some expert from outside the region lost his mind and acted in this place against the rules of the Spiritual Church.


    Apart from these possibilities, everything else was implausible to happen.


    And since of the three, the most sensible was rebellion, she had bet on such an option.


    "Hahahaha, you truly have good humor, Ella." Willian laughed in satisfaction, for the obvious reason that his family would never act that way just at this moment.


    On the other hand, even though he was in his last months of life and consequently away from the king''s duties, this sovereign knew some things about what was happening in his state. Therefore, he would never be left out if his family was planning to act against another royal family of this region.


    Anyway, after laughing a little and returning his attention to those women, he soon gave his opinion about this. "In any case, I think we''ll find out about the recent events in the Brown Kingdom very soon."


    "But I think this is all related to that action of the Collins family a few months ago." He said this as he looked at Charles'' mother, who was cleaning his body at the moment.


    "Your family has to be alert. That can come back to you."


    Gulp!


    Willian didn''t know all the details of the Collins family affairs, but this wife of his did. And precisely because of this, she couldn''t help but swallow her saliva in fear.


    After all, they had already been threatened by the people of the Nash family that the ones behind that naval base on the Black Plain would one day return the attack.


    So, if this recent action against the Brown family was the doings of the same organization behind that naval base, then that was very worrying for her family!


    ''Who are these people? Are they really from outside our region, and are they breaking church rules? Or is it one of the reclusive organizations in our region?'' Charles'' mother wondered as she tried to look calm.


    In any case, it didn''t take long for them to continue their conversations on this subject. That was recurring in many places in this region at the moment, particularly at the headquarters of the major local organizations!

 Chapter 773 - News Of High Importance 1

    In another part of the Kingdom of the Waves...


    Two youths were eating breakfast in a particular mansion of one of the strongest noble families in this kingdom while reading the weekly periodicals with interest.


    Generally, these two wouldn''t do anything like this as they had people that brought the most relevant news to them. However, when something shocking was reported, neither of the two could miss the opportunity to read such news on their own.


    That is, although they could not experience most of the news on their own, just reading already immersed their imaginations in the stories told, something exciting for many.


    And even though they were not fans of reading, these two also knew how to appreciate a good story!


    Hence, they were both reading those publications at this very moment while sitting around a small round table, full of plates with the typical breakfast of this state.


    While doing so, they were commenting on such news, full of surprise and curiosity about the motivations behind these remarkable events.


    "Unbelievable!"


    "It seems that soon a great conflict will break out in the Brown Kingdom!" One of them said as he looked eye to eye with the person across the table.


    "But that execution in the Snow Kingdom... I don''t know. That seemed pretty violent to me. I doubt King Cromwell would have allowed such a thing!" The young man opined.


    "Hmm, true..."


    "On the other hand, it''s a shame that the Chambers family has come to this. Our family has always had good relations with them..."


    "We lost a good partner!"


    Hearing the mournful tone of that person, the young woman with tanned skin and curves proportionately perfect to her height consoled him by talking about a relevant point. "It''s a shame they fell out, but at least we weren''t affected at all by it."


    "Our relationships were secreted, so it won''t be difficult for us to build new partnerships in that state..."


    "Even the enemies who destroyed that family won''t know about our history!"


    "Oh?"


    "Hehehe, you are truly smart, Misty." The level 49 young master of the Reid family said as he smiled, realizing this fact.


    It would be better if the Chambers stayed alive since they had a history with this family, which could be helpful in certain situations. But it was not as if Dean''s family was irreplaceable.


    So, Christian soon put his annoyance aside, although he was still impressed by all this news.


    "Speaking of which, because of a Chambers family action before the Persephone Tragedy, I believe we found a lead on that damned Minos."


    Hearing this, Tristram Reid''s widow looked with interest at Christian. "Is that so? Where is he?"


    "Stay calm. When the time comes, you''ll be able to see the wretch pay for what he had done!" He promised full of confidence.


    ...


    Meanwhile, at the Snow family''s royal palace...


    "What?"


    "A fleet of 34 Brown family warships was in the Maritime City and was suddenly attacked by ships bearing Collins family symbols?"


    "To make matters worse, large explosions in Maritime City itself were seen from afar!"


    "What does all this mean?"


    "They say that dozens of thousands of people are likely to have died in that city..."


    "What is happening in the Brown Kingdom? Why did they have such a strong fleet in that place? And who attacked them?"


    "Maybe it was another royal family!"


    Various comments echoed in the royal palace office, where the crown prince performed his duties.


    Right now, he and his entire staff were in that place reading the news together, already discussing the possibilities behind all this.


    Originally they were here to discuss the consequences of the news of Dean''s execution. Still, upon receiving the latest edition of the Night News, the focus of their meeting had utterly changed.


    The prince then said. "This thing that has happened in the Brown Kingdom is grave."


    "I''m afraid it will drag us all into bigger trouble!"


    Hearing this, the people in that place fell silent and looked in the direction of that young Spiritual King.


    What he had just spoken was not just a feeling empty of foundation. The opposite of that, this young heir was connecting the information he had, more or less predicting what would happen next.


    As the crown prince, he already had many responsibilities in the Snow Kingdom government. After all, his father was increasingly distant from the decisions, giving him more room to act while growing up under a level 59 cultivator''s protection.


    Because of this, Ambrose Snow knew perfectly well that the Brown family had recently summoned representatives of this royal house to the capital of the Brown Kingdom!


    That was not a good sign!


    In regular times they did not communicate in such a way, as simple letters could solve many communication problems. Moreover, the standard procedure for arranging official meetings did not involve asking for representatives to be sent to the headquarters of the other organization.


    What happened was just the opposite of this!


    As such, Ambrose already sensed that King Brown wanted to show something to the Snow family representatives, something probably terrible, that they might not like to get involved in!


    Gulp!


    "Is there a rebellion in the Brown Kingdom?" Someone there asked as he signaled one of the most disturbing things to happen in a local state.


    ''If it is, our plans will be greatly hindered!''


    ''How will we gather an army to march against the Scourges of the Devil if the Counter-Revolutionary Statute is invoked?''


    "Damn it!"


    "I hope that''s not it..." Ambrose commented as he saw the expressions of the people in that office. "For now, we''ll deal with our affairs as planned."


    "If the worst happens, we''ll make the necessary changes in the future..."


    "OK."


    ...


    On the other hand, on one of the highest peaks in the Endless Snow Mountain Range, an old man and a young man were walking through that snow-covered area, with the younger one there reading to that other person.


    "... And with that, an incident of unimaginable proportions has broken out in Maritime City, where a few dozens of thousands of people may have died..."


    "Meanwhile, our investigators are already going to the Black Plain, and we will bring you new information on the matter soon." The young man finished reading while he had an excited expression on his face.


    He loved reading about these tragedies, something that gave a little action to his quiet life in this place, which almost all the time nothing happened.


    On the other hand, the white-haired old man in front of that youth was not at all happy about it, although none of this would affect him.


    "It''s truly a pity that the pagans on this continent are so irrational..." He said in an indignant tone.


    He then closed his eyes and stopped walking, trying to calm himself as he attached to something bigger than himself.


    ''Ah, give me strength, for I am surrounded by imbeciles.''


    ''These people of this continent do not deserve to have ascended after your fall...''


    ''I do not doubt that their future is to make the same mistakes as the lords...''


    ''The pagans don''t understand the simple fact that wars only weaken us as a species...'' He pondered as he finally opened his eyes and looked at the spot where a large block of transparent ice lay.


    He continued to look in that direction and said. "Cliff, I know you must be excited to read about this. But don''t forget what happens to a civilization based on war."


    "A civilization that exploits without giving a return. That destroys without reason."


    "Don''t think that''s fun!"


    "It may sound exciting to someone who lives peacefully and harmoniously with nature, especially to young people like you."


    "But self-destruction is not fun!" He said solemnly, finally looking at his apprentice and making his final comment. "Do you want to end up like them?"


    Upon hearing this, that young man looked in the direction of that block of ice from before and swallowed his saliva.


    "No." He said promptly, still staring at such a thing.


    Those two people could barely see what was inside the block of ice in that place in question. But they both knew what was there since they lived inside the cave where the best places to observe such a thing were.


    But even without seeing, that young man could tell that inside the transparent block of ice was a massive humanoid skeleton frozen by the ''infinite'' layer of ice of this mountain, one of the highest points in the Spiritual World!

 Chapter 774 - News Of High Importance 2

    Meanwhile, in the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom...


    "Damn it, Snows!"


    "You truly did it!" James Cromwell angrily said as he rose from his throne and threw the newspaper he had just read to the floor.


    "And the wretches still dared to execute Dean in such a manner..." The supreme elder of this family commented as he stood beside King Cromwell, being much calmer than James despite everything.


    The supreme elder, level 58, then looked at James significantly and said. "That is truly a humiliation for us..."


    Upon hearing this, James'' angry red face suddenly shook while his long white hair swayed softly. "These bastards will learn what happens to those who defy me!"


    "General Newman, give the orders for action against the Snow family!"


    Gulp!


    Several swallowing sounds came out of the throats of the various people in that place, many fearful of what would happen after such a decision was made.


    Even more so after this shocking event in the Brown Kingdom!


    General Newman then looked carefully at that sovereign and asked about it. "Your Majesty, will we truly do this? What about the situation in the Brown Kingdom? What will we do about it?"


    Everyone there had already read about the shocking events that had developed in the Maritime City a few days ago. And although they were astonished by it all, it was undeniable that the situation involving them seemed more important than the problems of others.


    After all, other people''s misfortune would rarely bother others as much as their own!


    The Brown family might lose everything, but that would still be less significant to House Cromwell than them losing a single member of high-ranking royalty themselves.


    Therefore, although worried about that event, most there had the event in the Snow Kingdom as the worst, the most significant potential loss to their side.


    "What''s with the Brown family? Let them solve their own problems!"


    "We can''t afford to worry about other people''s problems when the Snows'' actions are tarnishing our name."


    "Not only that, the fall of the Chambers family is far more significant to us than the loss of a naval fleet to the Browns." James said still nervously, not giving much thought to his neighbor''s problems.


    "But they even summoned our representatives..." General Newman was about to speak about this fact but was soon interrupted by the king''s speech.


    "It doesn''t matter!"


    "In any case, we will find out about it when our representatives return, and nothing that happens in that state will change our situation!"


    "How are other regional organizations going to continue to fear us if we don''t give the proper response to the Snows'' inconsequential actions?"


    "Newman, make it quick!"


    "I don''t want to hear any more of your voice until this is done!"


    ...


    While King James was shouting at his Generals in Capital City, the Stone family''s high-level people were gathered at the Stone Island royal government headquarters.


    At this moment, the three most vital individuals of that family were gathered in a living area of a large mansion on the Stone family estate.


    In this place, there were sofas, tables, in short, a fully integrated area with three different spaces. They were a kitchen, a leisure area, where there was a large swimming pool, and a large living room.


    In that place, the three specialists were next to each other, two of them playing a typical game for the elderly, something that if you were not at least 600, it would be difficult to enjoy it...


    And while these two were playing, a woman who appeared to be in her late middle age was sitting elegantly in a large armchair. She was reading the news published by the two leading regional periodicals.


    "It seems that our little friend is acting against the Brown Kingdom..." That level 59 woman said to her two younger brothers, still focused on the story about the event in Maritime City.


    "Oh?"


    "I wonder what he is planning? Is he going to force himself against the Brown Kingdom?" The youngest of the three, a man with white hair and beard, said this as he looked at his sister, the person considered the strongest in the Stone family, even if the three were at the same level. "Will it be all right?"


    "I don''t know..." Lorelei Stone replied, finally looking at her two brothers.


    One of them was Eugene Stone, the current ruler of this state, the middle brother, and the youngest, Gavin Stone, who had just asked such questions.


    They knew that the recent events in Maritime City had a good chance of being the work of the organization behind the high-end food brought cheaply to Stone Island through Elen.


    After all, besides knowing about the naval base in that territory, they had made a non-aggression agreement with Minos years ago. That was something this young man had signed with Gavin months after Elen departed from Dry City. And such a thing had made it quite clear to them that he intended to act on the continent!


    That is, there was no reason for Minos to want to sign a non-aggression agreement with an organization that didn''t even know of his existence at that time.


    Non-aggression agreements were useful things between rivals, long-known enemies, individuals who could have an advantage by not worrying about conflict with each other.


    But the Stone family and Minos did not fit this profile. So, there was no reason for young Stuart to give advantage to this royal family at that time through such an agreement.


    And since the leaders of that family were no fools, they had understood that the organization behind Minos would do something dangerous in the future that might put them on opposite sides.


    So, they knew that something would happen at some point and that it was more likely to happen in the Brown Kingdom, where that group had been operating.


    As for why they accepted such an agreement, well, that was simply because a non-aggression agreement was just that. Having a non-aggression agreement just meant that they would not attack each other!


    Or rather, having such an agreement did not mean that they were allies or were helping Minos'' group.


    As for what Minos'' side might do in the future, that was entirely up to their own organization and would have no bearing on the Stone family.


    But as Minos had offered high-level food supplies in exchange for that, they had seen no problem in accepting his deal, even though they knew something would happen.


    At the very least, they would not be harmed!


    In any case, considering all the evidence related to that incident, the circumstances on Stone Island, as well as the resources coming from that organization, these people had associated this news with Minos.


    Lorelei then thought about this matter and shared her thoughts with her brothers. "Maybe he is supporting some local organization to rebel against the Brown family?"


    "It must be on account of the Counter-Revolutionary Statute that he made such an agreement with us."


    "Oh?" King Stone finally said something, realizing what young Stuart was probably doing in that place. "Why would he seek such a thing? Aren''t he and his organization afraid of what might happen by trying to influence regional powers?"


    They didn''t know that the so-called organization they had signed a non-aggression agreement was based in the Black Plain.


    After all, foods of high spiritual concentration did not grow in this northern region of the Central Continent. Consequently, they had thought the obvious.


    Minos and his organization were not from this region!


    Therefore, that ruler couldn''t help but question such a thing.


    But while they were thinking about it, it wasn''t long before Lorelei shook her head, giving up on the subject, realizing that this had nothing to do with them.


    "It doesn''t matter."


    "If they get killed, it won''t affect us much since we never promised any kind of help."


    "The most we will face will be the problem of having to refuse our involvement in any fighting rebellion against them."


    "But our gains already outweigh our potential losses, even if that young man''s organization was destroyed by the Spiritual Church yesterday."


    "Just keep an eye on the Church''s actions regarding the Brown Kingdom."


    "We will know what will happen from their actions!"

 Chapter 775 - News Of High Importance 3

    While the heads of the Stoke family were discussing the recent news, something similar was happening in the Kingdom of the End, at the headquarters of the most powerful family of this region of the Central Continent!


    In the capital of this state was the palace of Kara and Ford''s family, the two youths Minos had befriended during the Spiritual Tournament, a pair of siblings who had a very special relationship.


    In any case, their headquarters was located in a privileged part of this city, where anyone who had the privilege of getting close to it could see the luxury of this organization.


    There were fountains in various places around the palace, with gardens of different types. At the same time, the buildings blended perfectly well with the natural elements.


    The quality of the materials used merely to pave the ground where the carriages passed could be considered top-notch in the region, something rarely seen outside the interior of regional mansions.


    And it was no different for any of the materials used in the construction in that area!


    But all this luxury was not for nothing. After all, they only lived according to their standards, which, by the way, could not be easily compared to those of the ''commoners'' of this region.


    The Carline family, the most powerful organization native to this region, had 75 Spiritual Kings in its ranks, a higher number than the other two most substantial regional organizations, the Walkers, with 70 specialists, and the Stones, with 68.


    But even if the numbers were not so different, the difference in power between the three was significant. That was because, while there were some blacksmiths among the Stone family''s numbers, the members of House Carline, in general, had much better techniques than the Walker family members.


    Consequently, the Carline family was the strongest in the region, something built through the hard work of capable people and also by the rich reserves of medium-grade crystals of their state.


    That was the family behind the most prominent regional bank, the institution that controlled almost half of the flow of crystals of this quality in this region!


    Because of this, such an organization had grown to become the strongest in the region, even though it was based in the second smallest state in this part of the region.


    Its territory had less than half the Kingdom of the Waves area, the largest regional state. As for population, the Kingdom of the End also lost out to this most extensive state in the region.


    But because of their rich reserves of crystals, the Carline family had almost as many resources as the Walkers. And since they had far fewer areas to invest in, such crystals had turned into investments in quality.


    Therefore, this family from the northern edge of the Central Continent had many of the best techniques in the region. Also, their investments were more focused on individual quality, which other large organizations could not do easily.


    After all, many problems accompanied the benefits of larger territories, as in the example of borders.


    More border kilometers meant more personnel at border crossings, which caused royal organizations to decrease investments in individual quality while increasing their quantities.


    And it was no wonder that the Carline family had developed so much!


    They were so strong that it was said that if it weren''t for their own disinterests in taking adjacent territories, the entire map of this region would be different!


    In general, royal families in that region had similar strengths when one added the power of their vassals. But this was not true for House Carline!


    But luckily for the other sovereigns, no one in Kara and Ford''s family had any interest in domination.


    And only because of this could this region ''breathe'' peacefully for so many thousands of years without kingdom''s wars!


    In any case, the power of this family was formidable, and even the Spiritual Generals of this organization were admired by the people passing through this city.


    There were those tourists who even visited the vicinity of the royal palace to see the royal guards doing their activities in the surroundings!


    In fact, such a thing was so impressive that there were more curious people in the vicinity of the local royal palace than in the central branch of the church in this state!


    But while people were crowding outside the fences of such a place, where many royal guards and officials worked in the gardens, the strongest individuals of this organization were together in one part of the palace.


    In such a place, just as it had happened in the capital of Stone Island, three powerful Spiritual Kings at level 59 were discussing the same matter.


    The three were sitting at different points in a meeting room, around a beautiful glass table, each very well-dressed, like business people they were.


    "It is truly unexpected that things have reached this point in our region..." The only man there commented as he looked at the newspapers on that table.


    "Also, that move by Prince Ambrose was both idiotic and genius." One of the two women said this as she looked at the ruler of this state. "If he hadn''t killed Dean Chambers in such a manner, everything would have been perfect for them..."


    "Getting the location of the Scourges of the Devil and still avoiding a bigger problem with the Cromwell family." She commented, remembering the invitation that had reached her family a few days ago.


    "But I doubt they will come out of this unscathed."


    "Hmm, it''s curious..." The other woman standing there, one with half red, half gray hair, said while having a friendly smile on her face. "I wonder why they did that... Did something give them a hint that the Cromwells wouldn''t care about that?"


    "Who knows..." King Carline replied as he closed his eyes and smiled while tilting his head to the left. "But what truly matters is what happened in the Brown Kingdom."


    "House Snow and House Cromwell''s problem is just a disagreement. You can''t expect a deadly conflict to develop from that."


    "But the situation is different for the Brown family!"


    "I imagine they have lost quite a bit of power..."


    After hearing this, the black-haired woman''s eyes sharpened as she remembered the Brown family''s request for them to send representatives to that state.


    She then asked her husband. "Will we have to get involved?"


    "Probably..."


    "Anyway, let''s wait for new information." He said, just before pushing a button next to that table.


    After that, a young-looking individual with large, pointed ears entered that meeting room.


    ...


    Meanwhile, what the members of the Brown family did not want to happen the wrong way, had happened and come to their awareness!


    "Shit!"


    "I can''t believe that the bastards behind Night News were infiltrating one of our allies'' ships!" One of the Generals of the Brown Kingdom''s royal guard said this in anger while standing in the royal hall alongside other experts and the king himself.


    "That truly is a misfortune!"


    "Not only have we suffered such a loss, but now the entire region knows how vulnerable we have become without first having a chance to control the situation."


    "That damned from the Black Plain!"


    "Our family''s entire morale is going down the drain because of those traitors!" Another high-ranking individual commented as the veins in his neck twitched along with his fury. "I can''t wait to get my hands on those bastards!"


    The king then waved his hand and commented, while his expression remained deadly serious. "Let''s put this matter of the Night News spies aside for the moment."


    "Our reputation is already tarnished, and now, unless we retaliate decisively, little can change the disastrous results of this leak."


    "With that, let''s talk about what matters. How is the progress of our troops?"


    Someone there then stepped forward and answered such a questioning. "Your Majesty, our progress is as expected, and in less than a month, your escort will be able to leave for battle!"


    "Oh?"


    "That''s good..."


    "Then we will not fail to show our guests and enemies what we are capable of!"


    ...


    But not only the leaders of the significant regional families were reacting to all this news.


    Minos was at this moment in Abby''s office at his army headquarters, laughing as he read that news!

 Chapter 776 - Change Of Plans

    "Hahaha, and to think those people did such a thing!" Minos said in satisfaction as he leaned back in the chair while holding the Northern News newspaper in his hands.


    "That is truly a pleasant surprise!" Ruth said in joy for her boyfriend. "You and your allies were worried all this time that Dean Chambers had escaped to the Scourges of the Devil headquarters..."


    "But all this time, he was in House Snow''s hands!"


    "You are very ''lucky,'' Minos." She said, smiling as she looked at the figure of her boyfriend, who stood on the other side of the table that separated them.


    That indeed demanded a bit of luck. After all, as much as Minos had done several things to make the Snows stand against the Chambers, that could only increase the chances of incidents like this being beneficial to him.


    There would always be the possibility that Prince Ambrose''s family would ignore Minos'' provocations.


    This young man did not have enough power to control other people at will. And with free will, one could always choose the hard way over the easy way, irrational choices over rational ones, and so on.


    Many might think acting in a rational manner was simple. However, sometimes, even if one knew that doing something would not be good, one would still make such decisions.


    After all, living beings have other stimuli besides the rational side.


    As such, Minos'' actions could only increase the chances of something happening without guaranteeing that the best results for him would be obtained as consequences.


    But as Ruth had said, this young man had been lucky enough that things had worked out better than they had planned!


    Previously, Minos wanted the Snows to do something against the Chambers family because that could benefit House Hayes. This organization he needed on his side, and not in a war that didn''t matter so much to the Black Plain.


    But he had never imagined that House Snow would go so far as to murder the patriarch of that family so brutally!


    In any case, he was more than happy to find out about it, since the benefits brought by the consequences of such an event would be more significant than he had expected.


    He then placed that paper on top of Abby''s desk and said. "I must admit that I underestimated the audacity of this crown prince of the Snow Kingdom."


    "I never imagined he had such a decisive personality to do something of that gravity."


    Ruth nodded in agreement and added. "It''s no different for King Snow. For him to have allowed such a thing is awe-inspiring!"


    "I wonder if they have something in mind?"


    "Probably..." Minos said as his eyes sparkled at the thought of a specific possibility. ''Dean was at least a few months at the Snow family''s mercy...''


    ''They definitely interrogated him!''


    He then commented to his girlfriend, the only person in that place with him at the moment. "Maybe they have the information about the Scourges of the Devil we''re looking for."


    "Oh?"


    "Do you intend to contact them?"


    Ruth knew about some of what was going on in Dry City, the local army, as well as some of her boyfriend''s wishes. Hence, she was not ignorant about the Hayes family''s unsuccessful pursuits.


    After the Persephone Tragedy, the Hayes had been pursuing the remnants of the Chambers family, intending to eliminate the nobles of that organization and gather information about the Scourges of the Devil.


    But even though they had already caught up with many of those individuals who had fled previously, nothing very relevant had been discovered.


    Even the attacks on some of the Scourge of the Devil outposts around this region had not made any significant discoveries.


    At most, they had found out about other outposts of that organization, as well as the identity of some of the killers.


    But none of this had helped young Stuart so far.


    And knowing that, Ruth couldn''t help but wonder about that!


    "Maybe, but not now," Minos replied after thinking for a moment. "Let''s see how the Cromwell family will react to Dean Chambers'' death."


    "If they do face each other, it will be best for us to let them weaken before we try to get involved with the Snows."


    "On the other hand, soon the Counter-Revolutionary Statute is expected to be summoned... So, we''d better leave that for later."


    "Oh? You''re not in a hurry?"


    "No."


    "Having the location of this enemy now would be nice. But since I won''t be able to do anything about it in the short term, leaving it to go after it further down the road won''t be problematic."


    "After all, if the Snows have that information, even if they go to war with the Cromwells, it''s unlikely that everyone who knows about it will perish."


    "That''s why I''m not worried about communicating with them at the moment."


    "The most important thing for me at the moment is the start of the war against the Brown Kingdom!" He said as he made his priority clear to the black-haired woman in front of him.


    Upon hearing this, Ruth laughed proudly, feeling good that her boyfriend didn''t rush at such a possibility. "You are a good leader, Minos."


    "I''m sure many sovereigns in your situation would run to get such information and try to initiate their individual vengeance..."


    Minos then smiled funnily, raised his shoulders, and gestured with his arms. "You know me. I do what I can..."


    "You truly are an asshole, Minos!" She jokingly commented as she threw a little paper ball in the direction of his face for the lack of humility in his comment.


    After a few laughs, the two became more serious as they discussed what had been reported in the other publication.


    "What do you think about this story? Do you think it is very detrimental to the independence of the Black Plain?" Ruth asked as she pointed to that newspaper on the table.


    "Well, at the very least, it doesn''t help us much..."


    "It will probably make it easier for King Brown to call for the Counter-Revolutionary Statute. Which is not good for us."


    "On the other hand, now the whole region knows that there is something big going on in this kingdom. And that attraction might not be good for us..." He said, trying to understand the reaction of the outside powers of this state.


    Initially, Minos did not want to draw too much attention from the outside powers before his enemy summoned the Counter-Revolutionary Statute. After all, he would rather be underestimated, be treated as a fanatic rather than the leader of a force capable of causing so much damage to a royal family.


    So, already being treated as a real threat before his rebellion became known to the region was not good for him.


    "But at the end of the day, it wouldn''t make that much difference either..."


    "Since we tried to make the Browns worry about why Collins family ships had attacked them, that information would still leak out in a few days."


    This action in question had been designed to make the enemies of the Black Plain waste time with each other.


    That is, the Brown family could not ignore the potential represented by the presence of those Collins family warships in that attack.


    That could indicate much bigger problems than just an internal rebellion!


    With that said, it was virtually sure that this action would cause that organization to waste some time discovering that the Collins family had not acted against them.


    But this was not only beneficial!


    By using this option, Minos knew the Collins would find out sooner than expected about the origin of the organization that had caused them so much loss. And with that, information about the rebellion in the Brown Kingdom would be spread throughout the region in no time, even if that periodical had not taken advantage of the opportunity.


    In any case, this sovereign knew how to adapt to the circumstances and was already planning ways to adapt his plans.


    Minos thought for a while and then said. "But since things are speeding up, we might as well take advantage of this to improve our image..."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Since the enemies already know that there is a problem in the kingdom and the Brown family is acting to use the Counter-Revolutionary Statute, let''s use that to our advantage."


    "Let''s show the region what we propose, our side of the story in an exhibition of power!"

 Chapter 777 - The Importance Of Planning

    "I will invite those individuals behind the Night News to have some of their representatives attend the trial and execution of Otis Silva," Minos said resolutely.


    "Oh?"


    "Don''t you think that will bring even more trouble for you? I mean, it will only make it even more clear to the powers of this region just how capable you are..." Ruth said promptly after giving the matter some thought.


    Upon hearing this, Minos laughed as he realized that Ruth did not fully understand his logic. "This will not cause any more problems for me. On the contrary, this will bring some benefits to the Black Plain in the future."


    "In any case, the big regional organizations will already know through House Brown that my army is strong enough to handle even level 58 cultivators."


    "If they are going to use the Counter-Revolutionary Statute, then we can expect that our enemies will talk about their losses occasioned by those last attacks."


    "With that, me showing that I can capture and execute Otis Silva will not be new to these people."


    "Also, I will not show the full power of my army to the people of that periodical, for that this information doesn''t turn against me."


    "So..."


    ''That doesn''t seem to have the negative points that I thought...'' Ruth thought about it in silence, still not understanding what exactly the upside was here.


    "So, what do you hope to get out of it?"


    "The great families will know about my organization by House Brown. But the other smaller powers in the region, as well as the common people, will not have the same information at this time."


    "With that said, if I don''t take this action, only when things get tumultuous throughout the region will the common portion of the population learn about my rebellion. But in that situation, what they will hear about us and consequently think, would be totally in line with the views of our enemies."


    "Many people would probably think that we are fanatical rebels, fighting for twisted motives, for selfish reasons, and mainly for greed."


    "They would see us as individuals trying to break into the home of an innocent person, who by attacking us would only be in their right of defense."


    "But things are not so simple!"


    "And having the common people of our region have these thoughts contrary to my territory would be quite negative for the Black Plain in the long run." He said seriously, looking at his girlfriend''s alert expression.


    Since the information about part of the power of his organization would already be released to the regional leaders anyway, then he might do it on his own and use such an opportunity to reap benefits!


    With this, what young Stuart wanted to do was to create a favorable reputation for the Black Plain.


    He wanted to show the regional community how serious he was about making this territory independent from the Brown Kingdom.


    To show that he was not at all crazy for rebelling, that contrary to what his enemies would say, he was the innocent who had had his home invaded!


    In coming up with this plan, he wanted to use the trial and execution of Otis Silva as a means of presenting to the regional population why he would do this against such a person. At the same time, he would use this opportunity to show how the Silva family had attacked him several times before he finally acted vigorously against them.


    In addition, he wanted to show the fact that the Black Plain was a place abandoned by the local royalty, which had been saved by his organization and not by the Brown family.


    It was a place that was even said to have a free pass to become independent from how useless it was to that local royal family!


    And by doing it his way, he wanted to show who was genuinely acting greedily in this conflict.


    But would that help in his war of independence?


    Very unlikely.


    Would it affect the Counter-Revolutionary Statute?


    No.


    "And why would that be beneficial to the Black Plain?" Ruth asked curiously.


    "Ruth, a good leader needs to plan by considering victory and defeat. Especially victory. After all, you can''t wait until things settle down to take certain actions."


    "Certain actions need to be taken with the thought that victory will be certain, even when one is not certain of such a thing."


    That was logical!


    Supposing a state were a house, the builder could not expect to build a three-story house if its foundation had not been prepared. Construction can even be done slowly and adapted within certain limits. Still, the foundation needs to be done right from the beginning.


    Otherwise, the builder would have to tear down and rebuild.


    But this would mean significant losses of time and resources.


    As such, it was better to plan considering that the three-story house would one day be built, even if, at the moment, the builder could barely make the second floor.


    And such was the life of a ruler. He had to make decisions favorable to the future of his territory, even if in the meantime things could go wrong, plans would change, losses would occur.


    Maybe Minos would lose the war, and none of it would mean anything. But he could not simply wait until he had a result about this before he acted!


    After all, time waits for no man!


    Hence, he was planning the future of the Black Plain, considering that he would win his war of independence. And for this reason, he had considered this action.


    "I need to plan the future of the Black Plain considering that we will win this conflict. And by winning the war, we will need millions of immigrants, people from all levels and social classes."


    "But these people are not going to migrate from their homes to a place with no connection to them without there being certain incentives. Without them having positive opinions about us, that opportunities are verified." He said, finally pointing out the benefit that this plan could bring.


    The average migrant was an individual who left his city, his state, out of necessity. There were exceptions, of course, but most immigrants fit this profile.


    But in a world with so many possibilities, why would an immigrant choose state ''x'' instead of state ''y''?


    Several possibilities explained this decision. Among them, what would most attract the attention of migrants was culture development opportunities, mainly. But also language, distance, security.


    The regional culture was very similar in this region. As for language, all humans in the Spiritual World spoke the common language. As such, neither of those two variables would be relevant to migration in this northern region of the Central Continent.


    But things like opportunities, the assurance that migrants would arrive and not be exploited, that all needed to be propagated somehow. Otherwise, such people would not consider that territory as a possibility.


    Therefore, Minos wanted to build a favorable image for his territory by showing the regional population that he had no desire for domination. He just wanted to rule his territory peacefully.


    He wanted to expose that Dry City, and consequently the Black Plain, was not a wild place but a stable area with opportunities for growth and rules favorable to peaceful living.


    By showing these things to the regional population, at least part of them would not see the Black Plain as it would be if he didn''t take this attitude.


    At least some of the regional population would see Minos'' group as they were. Ordinary people, defending their rights and freedoms!


    Rights and freedoms...


    Beautiful ideas to defend, especially when you are oppressed...


    How many people in this tremendous Spiritual World would see themselves this way?


    It would be easier to count the numbers of the other group!


    In any case, even if these people who favored the Black Plain did not help this territory win the war, they would be potential post-war immigrants!


    With a Black Plain-friendly mindset, not only would many of them become migrants. But they would identify with and be assimilated into the population of this place more quickly once they got here.


    That was what Minos sought most!


    "So, that''s it..." Ruth said in surprise, realizing that her boyfriend was thinking a few steps ahead of his present situation.


    After that, the two were interrupted by the sound of the door opening as Abby walked into that office with a smile on her face.

 Chapter 778 - Progress!

    After hearing the door to that office open and the sound of footsteps coming from behind it, Ruth turned and looked at Abby.


    And in doing so, she could not help but notice subtle differences in Abby''s appearance, things that were hard to miss between people who slept in the same bed every night.


    Because of this, she didn''t even need to check the matter further when she promptly asked the most obvious thing that came to her mind.


    "Oh? You finally reached level 50, huh?" Ruth said in a soft tone while a discreet smile appeared on her beautiful face.


    "Hehe, congratulations on advancing, Abby!" Minos said as he got up from where he was standing so he could hug that girlfriend of his, who at the moment was looking more stunning than ever.


    Abby had just leveled up, something she had done outside the Spatial Kingdom.


    In these times of war, neither she nor most of the soldiers who knew of such a place were staying there for long.


    Minos himself avoided training in the Spatial Kingdom these days for too long!


    And due to this new routine of these essential soldiers of the Black Plain Army, Abby had made her advance at the headquarters instead of that cultivation sanctuary.


    In any case, after advancing a stage, she had gone through the traditional spiritual cleansing, something that had improved her physical qualities considerably.


    From her endurance to her physical strength, regenerative ability, beauty, and so on, everything was at a higher level at the moment, making her a much more complete warrior than before.


    While the advancement had made her more beautiful, the genuine smile of someone who had accomplished something so significant only made her more appealing to young Stuart.


    Abby was completing a childhood dream of hers. As such, she could not help but feel on cloud nine at this moment.


    Currently, she no longer had the 6th stage as her goal. After all, she knew she could go further with the possibilities generated by the army, the Spatial Kingdom, etc.


    But still, it was hard for a person not to get emotional when conquering their childhood dream, even in situations similar to hers.


    Therefore, she was genuinely happy, feeling good while having a contagious smile on her beautiful face.


    "Mmmmmm~"


    As she felt her great happiness for having risen at level, her boyfriend''s tongue entered her mouth as he held her waist in a way that made her shiver.


    After kissing for a few seconds, Minos and Abby parted their lips. They looked at each other for a second, both smiling as their pupils moved synchronously.


    He then whispered in her left ear. "Later, I will teach you your 6th technique..."


    Abby closed her eyes upon hearing this as she ran one of her hands over the back of young Stuart''s neck, massaging it and smelling her boyfriend''s brown hair.


    "Hmmm."


    "Hey, you two! I''m here too!" Ruth said as she clapped her hands for the couple, who seemed to have forgotten her presence here. "Don''t tell me you are going to start ''it'' here?"


    "Hehehe, if it weren''t for the important issues I have to deal with, I think that would happen..." Abby casually said as she winked at Ruth, teasing her.


    "What a good girlfriend I have... Hahaha." Minos said in satisfaction, patting Abby and then pulling her into an armchair next to where Ruth was sitting.


    "Too bad we''re busy people..."


    "Tsk!"


    "You deserve each other..." Ruth jokingly commented as she got up from where she was and sat down next to Minos'' arm that was free.


    After that, Minos began to tell Abby about everything he and Ruth had just discovered in those two regional periodicals, as well as his plans for the execution of Otis Silva.


    "Oh? So, you want to use this person''s death to pave the future of the Black Plain, huh?" Abby commented in surprise, not disagreeing with Minos'' visions.


    Unlike Ruth, who had grown up to become an elder of the Gray Cloud Sect, Abby had grown up to become one of the leaders of the Miller family. An organization focused on business operations. So, the knowledge of this blue-haired woman concerning management was somewhat superior to that of Minos'' other girlfriend, despite the differences in the two''s backgrounds.


    Hence, she had more easily understood what Minos wanted with that decision and readily agreed with it.


    "All right, I''ll start organizing that later."


    "But I must say, that patriarch is either very lucky or very unlucky..."


    "His execution was already expected to happen in the next few days... But then this all happens!" Abby said as she laughed at Otis'' misfortune.


    He would live a few more days because of such a decision. But even if that sounded good, it might not be the case for such a person. After all, Otis was getting the ''special'' treatment from Minos'' men.


    On the other hand, having his execution in front of the humble citizens of Dry City would be far less humiliating than having this on the cover of a regional periodical!


    Anyway, after they had talked about it briefly, Minos had finished what he had to say to Abby and soon after asked her about her business here.


    Abby was one of the leaders of his army. As such, she was one of the people who usually brought updates on the accomplishments of his forces to him.


    Therefore, she usually had much more official business to communicate to him than otherwise.


    But unlike talking about the results of the battles of the army soldiers around the Black Plain, which had been somewhat routine since the beginning of the conflict in this territory, Abby had some good news to report.


    "For now, the battles around our territory are still as before. Just conflicts of a few soldiers against a few enemies."


    "But now I am not here to talk about that. On the contrary, I have news about the level advancement of some combatants, allies!" She said in a satisfied manner.


    "Is that so?" Minos lost his serious expression and looked curiously at Abby. "Who advanced at level? When did that happen?"


    "That happened from two days ago. And since we only found out about some of this information from letters, I couldn''t communicate to you about it until now."


    "Anyway, my mother has increased her level in the last few hours. So, with that, she has reached level 51." She said with a smile on her face, privileging the information about this person.


    She then continued with the other more relevant individuals who had also advanced recently. "On the other hand, Eduard reached level 53 earlier today, while we have news of Patriarch Hayes having reached level 58 two days ago."


    "Finally, two of the three elders from my family who came to Dry City recently have also leveled up. One of them has reached level 53, and the other has reached level 55."


    "That''s not bad..." Ruth commented as she heard Abby finish listing all the advancements among Minos'' soldiers and allies who were at the 6th stage.


    "That Eduard, he is your soldier, right? How strong should he be now? Equivalent to this region''s experts at level 56?" She asked as she looked into Minos'' brown eyes.


    "Probably level 55. Eduard changed techniques a few times, so his fight proficiency should be slightly lower than you would be at his level." Minos replied, remembering the vast knowledge he had.


    "I see... Still, that''s a good addition of power to the army!"


    "Yes, it is indeed an excellent thing," Abby commented when she finally remembered something related to this person and asked Minos. "By the way, he and Celeste are still at that base waiting for your orders."


    "What do you want to do with them?"


    "Well, send a letter ordering Celeste to come here. Eduard will be in charge of that place for the time being."


    "Soon, King Brown will make his appearance in our territory. So, I will need the cooperation of that woman..."


    "Not only her, in fact..." He laughed at his own misfortune.


    "Only then will we be able to face a level 59 Spiritual King!"

 Chapter 779 - Judgment Time!

    In the blink of an eye, 20 days had passed!


    In this period, no major regional events had shocked this part of the Central Continent as much as the previous news had done. Or at least no major news had been discovered and published in those days that had passed.


    On the other hand, things on the Black Plain continued as before, with constant small battles around this territory.


    Meanwhile, more and more members of the noble families of the kingdom were arriving on the borders of the Black Plain, joining the troops of the Brown family''s Counter-Revolutionary Army.


    With that, little by little, this force assembled by the Brown family was marching towards the interior of the Black Plain, for the moment just taking over more peripheral territories, but with a clear goal in mind.


    They wanted to reach Dry City!


    However, doing this would not be so easy!


    After all, with his internal agents infiltrating the enemy side, Minos could act on inside information, something very useful in wars.


    So far, things were following the expected pattern for a conflict like this, with both sides facing each other but without many high-level battles.


    Because of this development, each party involved in this war could still settle their administrative affairs in their territories.


    Wars were not only about fighting!


    King Brown was dealing with the final preparations to be able to join the troops heading towards the enemy core while at the same time awaiting the arrival of the royal representatives.


    The northern Central Continent was quite large. With only the beasts that the regional organizations had access to, even the strongest experts could take months to cross some states.


    Certain places might be closer, and the trip would be shorter, as, in the case of Stone Island and the Brown Kingdom, a 5th stage beasts could take less than two weeks from one capital to the other.


    But other trips could be much longer, as in the case of the one that the representatives of the Carline family would have to make. The journey between the capitals of these two states could take more than four months in ordinary beasts at level 49!


    Considering this, Thomas Brown had to wait at least a few weeks until people from each of those royal families arrived in his state.


    Some of the royal families had beasts at the beginning of the 6th stage, and those intervals could be shortened. However, the differences would not be that great, so he would still have to wait, even if more than five weeks had passed since Minos'' attacks.


    On the other hand, young Stuart was in his territory dealing with his army''s plans for this war, as well as a specific matter, which was about to happen!


    ...


    Dry City.


    It was hot at this moment in this city. But, still, many people could be seen walking in the central streets of this place as if today was a holiday or something similar.


    The streets were full of people riding on their beasts. In contrast, others strolled in chariots, enjoying the comfortable wind that those in carriages could not.


    At the same time, the sidewalks were crowded, with many people having to be careful not to bump into other pedestrians.


    But all this movement on this sunny day was not due to the crowdedness of this city.


    That is, spaces were becoming increasingly scarce in this place, with the maximum population of the area protected by the dome getting closer and closer to being reached. But that alone would not cause this abnormal movement, at least not on ordinary weekdays, as should be the case with this one in question.


    Instead, today these many people have been given the privilege of three hours of paid time off in the middle of the day when they would have to attend a particular event.


    The local government had established that on this day, from 11:00 until 14:00, every service provided by the government would be unavailable to citizens, while non-essential stores would follow suit.


    Only then would the people of this city have the chance to attend the event that would take place in front of the local government mansion at 12:30.


    There were only 30 minutes left before the event started. So, thousands of people were already leaving their homes, restaurants, and bars, heading towards that place.


    Some people were running on streets farther away from the event, where there were more places to run. They were trying to get there in time and get a good spot to watch what would happen.


    But many others were walking calmly, heading to that place with curiosity but in no hurry.


    "Hahaha, this will be my first execution!" Some young man said in the crowd as he ran deftly, dodging the people in his path as he ran to the execution platform.


    "Lucky us! I heard that the person who will be executed is a powerful regional expert, someone at level 58!"


    "Tsk!"


    "You guys believe that?"


    "Level 58... How many of those exist in our region? I don''t believe those rumors!" Another young man commented to the rest of his group, running along with that first person.


    "What an idiot!"


    "You''re truly laughable, Bud!"


    "Don''t you know that Lord Minos is already one of the strongest in our region? He can easily kill kings!"


    "Tsk!"


    ''You guys who are stupid to believe such nonsense!'' Young Bud, the one who had been in Dry City the least time in that group, thought to himself while ignoring his friends.


    Meanwhile, an elderly couple passing near that group of youths couldn''t help but laugh as they heard some of those comments.


    "Hehehe, those children are truly excited!" The man said to his wife while scratching his chin.


    "And isn''t it the same for you?" The woman asked, still walking beside her husband, with one of her arms crossed with one of that man''s.


    "You know me well, dear..."


    And so there were many people in the surrounding area, talking about the possibilities of this event, many of them happy to have something different to do, no responsibilities to fulfill.


    The war was there, but life in the city went on as usual, with responsibilities and goals to fulfill. As such, nothing better than watching a show, right?


    Some people thought so.


    But while many were using this moment to relax, to enjoy the show, a particular group of people was there on business.


    Many of the local police officers and some low-rank soldiers, those who would not leave Dry City during the war, were in the surroundings, organizing the event.


    But the group in question had no responsibilities towards Dry City, as in the case of those members of the local forces. On the contrary, these people were here at the invitation of Minos to attend today''s event.


    That was the group of journalists that Minos wanted to come to this place to observe the trial and execution of Otis Silva!


    After Minos had passed on his intentions to Abby, his girlfriend had done what was necessary to contact the possible means of alerting the Night News.


    They didn''t know which organization was behind this periodical, but there were known ways to communicate this power.


    With this, Minos'' group had successfully contacted them and discovered that there was already a group of journalists coming into this territory.


    After that, it was not difficult for the soldiers of the Black Plain Army to find such people.


    "This city is awe-inspiring!" One of the three journalists who local soldiers were escorting commented this to his companions. At the same time, he had a solemn expression on his face.


    They had arrived two days ago. But they had all been forbidden to enter this city, having stayed this entire time housed at one of the entrances to the local wall.


    After all, Minos would not allow these individuals to explore his city and discover things they should not!


    And because of this young man''s goals in not allowing sensitive information to leak out, only Spiritual Warriors had been allowed to come to this city from the group of journalists sent to the Black Plain by that organization.


    That is, only those who could not sense the spiritual fluctuations of the local citizens through spiritual sense were allowed to reach this point.


    So, these three people saw the new Dry City for the first time. They were curious to find such a developed, beautiful to look at, and organized place with services that they knew were of a high standard.


    "It''s impressive!"


    "And this number of people, I believe...."

 Chapter 780 - So Close, Yet So Far

    "I believe there must be at least 200 thousand people on those streets right now!" One of those three journalists commented this in appreciation, noting the view in front of them, where crowds were already gathering.


    "Yeah... And the local population must be well above that!"


    "Amazing!"


    "I understand that the ruler of the Black Plain only took over the position of this place about six years ago..."


    "In such a short time, things have changed so much!"


    The three looked at each other as they exchanged this information, each agreeing to the other''s views, placing this place in high regard.


    They knew that Dry City was not like this before Minos arrived here because, otherwise, the local royal family would not have taken so long to act against Minos!


    He had had six years to grow up peacefully in this place, and now House Brown seemed to want to reclaim this territory. Consequently, this could only mean that local change had happened after Minos'' arrival.


    And since families involved in regional journalism always kept an eye on all the news, these people knew what this place was like when the regent of the Black Plain handed over this territory to Minos.


    Because of this, the three could not help but recognize the rapid local development!


    "The population grew very fast in this period..." One of them commented on this data that was the most obvious at the moment. "I believe that the incident that happened in Maritime City a few weeks ago is the work of the forces of this city!"


    "That whole population... The vast majority of them probably came from that place."


    "Oh?"


    "I guess that''s right..." The leader of those journalists commented while observing the surroundings with a glint in his eyes. "But that''s very strange..."


    Hearing this, the two individuals looked at that person in doubt. One of them then asked. "What is strange?"


    "Those people in our surroundings..."


    "They don''t look like people who were forced to leave their homes, who were suddenly attacked by an enemy force. Who are now forced to live in a strange place..." He commented as he continued to look at the expressions of the many people who were in the surroundings.


    There were different expressions in their surroundings. But none of them were in line with what would usually be expected for people like that.


    He could not see expressions of fear, insecurity, frustration on the thousands of faces in his surroundings.


    And this was indeed strange!


    After all, with so many people on that avenue they were passing at the moment, it was unlikely that any of those people came from Maritime City.


    So, at least some disgruntled expressions, typical of the repressed, were to be expected, as should be the situation of these individuals brought here from Maritime City.


    "Thinking about it..." One of those two muttered this as he paid attention to this point. "That''s truly strange!"


    But despite everything that happened, it was normal for them to find this situation here. After all, besides the opportunities they received by coming to Dry City, only those who wanted to be here were here!


    The soldiers of the Black Plain Army had given the citizens of that now destroyed place the option not to come to Dry City. Because of this, those who had more negative feelings against the forces of this place had not even come here!


    On the other hand, those who did come were precisely the ones most susceptible to persuasion. Consequently, there were not many people in this place who were not enjoying being in this city!


    "But it''s a pity that we don''t have the opportunity to talk to local citizens..." Their leader said in a low voice as he looked to the soldiers accompanying them.


    These individuals were not there to protect them, of course. Instead, this escort served to ensure that the three Night News journalists would not communicate with local citizens and would not have the opportunity to extract information regarding this place.


    Since they had received the pass to attend the trial and execution of Otis Silva, they could see the local development and have some basic information about this place.


    But without investigating further, just from appearances, it would be challenging for them to understand the level of the inhabitants, the soldiers of Minos, the quality of the local products, etc.


    And it was precisely this information that Minos wanted to avoid being leaked through this action.


    That is, it would be good for him to show the appearances of his city to the people of this region, but the same was not valid for the essence.


    Thus, they could only speculate about this city based on what they saw while walking through the local streets where they saw high-quality restaurants, a cultivation tower, several stores that sold spiritual goods, and more.


    Therefore, that person could not help but lament the lack of freedom they had to endure right now.


    ''Damn!''


    ''So many stories, so many things that would have the potential to become stories in our periodical...'' The group leader thought in frustration, trying to endure his curiosity.


    "Ahh, it''s useless!"


    "So many interesting things, but even though they are right in front of me, I can only observe from afar..." He lamented with his two companions as he got closer and closer to his destination.


    "It''s truly a shame... But at least we will be able to report the death of a powerful regional expert, solve the mystery behind the identity of the group that attacked Maritime City, and most importantly..."


    "Report the Black Plain rebellion!"


    "That will be enough to solve our lives..." The youngest of the three commented in satisfaction, chuckling.


    Meanwhile, the soldiers escorting them listened to every word these journalists said, worried about what these people would do, but kept quiet, accepting Minos'' plans.


    They were simpler individuals, who Minos would obviously not justify his actions. As such, they weren''t sure how allowing these people into Dry City would help their cause.


    But even in the dark, these people trusted the orders of Minos, the person who had transformed their lives for the better.


    ''I just hope that these parasites don''t use this opportunity to change whatever happens here to their advantage...'' One of them thought the same as he looked at those people sharply.


    Even in the Spiritual World, there was fake news and cases of journalists trying to change the facts, sometimes putting comments out of place, etc.


    Consequently, that soldier could not help but worry and look threateningly at those people.


    But while the journalists were talking among themselves about Dry City and those soldiers were observing them, the group finally arrived at the central square, in front of young Stuart''s mansion.


    In that place, more than 300 thousand people were already gathering at the moment, many of them in the front of the local government mansion and the rest in the side streets.


    But besides the many people there, as they got close enough to the execution platform, the group of journalists saw the decoration of that place, which, let''s say, was not friendly at all.


    "And to think that they would come to such a point..."


    "Yeah..."


    "I didn''t think they were serious..."


    Gulp!


    "But they killed 14 Spiritual Kings of the Silva family and also General Silva!" One of them said as he stared in shock at the 15 heads decorating that execution platform.


    Each of the heads was on long wooden stakes, side by side at the back of that rectangular platform, where every single person in the vicinity could see them.


    Each had their eyelids open, with precisely the expressions of fear that most of them had had before they died.


    Meanwhile, there was a large golden throne on that execution platform right on one of its sides. On the other side, opposite this throne, was a man chained on the ground, on his knees, facing the thousands of people in this place.


    That was Otis Silva!


    "Unbelievable!"


    "They managed to capture a level 58 Spiritual King and still cripple his cultivation!"


    "Impressive!"


    "That means there is at least someone with strength equivalent to or greater than Patriarch Silva''s in this place!" The group leader commented in satisfaction as he realized a piece of important information about the local forces.


    But while he and his two companions were deeply surprised by all this, the soldiers from before directed them to the back of that execution platform, where were the stairs to the VIP area, where these people would watch the show.


    ....

 Chapter 781 - Friendly Warnings

    As they finished climbing the stairs to the platform, the three journalists came to a corridor leading to the structure''s side area, where they could access the VIP balcony.


    This place was made especially for these journalists and the many allies of Minos who were in this city at the time, who would not miss this event.


    Many of Minos'' soldiers and subordinates were not in Dry City at the moment but around the Black Plain, acting for the good of the war. But obviously, several of them needed to stay at headquarters in case things got out of hand here.


    It was unlikely, but there was no way for Minos'' group to know if or when an enemy powerful enough to destroy the local barriers would reach this city.


    Consequently, the headquarters would always need to have the most powerful forces. That''s why there were many Spiritual Kings in this city, even during the war.


    And part of them was there on that platform, ready to witness the show that Minos would put on for his people and those three journalists.


    As an example of who was there were the elders of the Miller family in that city, including Abby''s parents.


    But obviously, they were all with their identities adequately protected so that disturbing things would not happen after those journalists left this city.


    Anyway, when they arrived in that area, the three journalists promptly saw several faces unknown to them, but that they thought were essential people in this place.


    However, none of these people were famous in this region or from large regional organizations. After all, even if these three did not know all the regional organization members, they would know how to recognize people relevant to such families.


    As in the example of Abby, Celeste, Mirya, all of whom, like the Miller family members, had their identities covered.


    However, some Elite Squad soldiers were there, individuals who did not have their identities covered. Among them were Barbara and Pyke.


    But a brown-haired young man, who seemed to have great vitality, high-level appearance, caught the attention of those three journalists as he walked towards them.


    "So, you are the journalists sent by the Night News, huh?" Minos asked those three men in front of him, who were wearing very similar clothes.


    "Yes, but..."


    "Who are you?" One of them asked in doubt.


    "Oh, my pardons, hehe. I should formally introduce myself..." Minos laughed as he realized his lack of manners before introducing himself. "My name is Minos Stuart. I am the ruler of the Black Plain."


    ''So, that''s him!''


    ''That''s the person behind this city?''


    ''He''s truly young... In fact, he looks pretty good for his age.'' One of them pondered this as he noticed Minos'' good looks.


    Not that he was admiring young Stuart''s attractiveness, he wasn''t. After all, people could be more or less stunning depending on the genes passed down from their parents.


    But Minos'' handsomeness didn''t seem like something that came from the luck of being well-born. On the contrary, it looked like something that was achieved through cultivation!


    And considering that the leader of those three, despite his low level, was someone experienced, he could not help but notice this characteristic of Minos.


    ''This young man is not weak...'' He pondered carefully.


    After thinking about it quickly, the leader of those journalists was quick to greet young Stuart and introduce his group to him.


    "Well, it is a pleasure to welcome you to my city..." Minos politely said while smiling apologetically. "It''s just a shame we couldn''t welcome you properly, haha."


    "But I''m sure you guys understand us, right? We are at war, after all..."


    "Oh?"


    "Of course, we do, Mr. Stuart. We''re more than fine with the treatment we''ve received." The leader of the three commented as he observed Minos'' actions and words. ''It''s good that he has assumed to be at war...''


    "By the way, can we have an interview before the trial?"


    "It would be nice if we had the opportunity to publish your visions for this place in the story we will be publishing..."


    Minos then interrupted him and answered thoughtfully. "No, thanks for the offer, but no."


    "Everything you will have to publish will be presented during Otis Silva''s trial." He looked coldly in the direction of where this person was standing and then turned to the journalist who asked that question, making a threatening expression. "In fact, I recommend that you and your organization be very careful about what you do with this opportunity."


    "I know that you three probably don''t have the power to decide important things in the Night News, but don''t take any unnecessary risks..."


    Hearing this, those three people frowned as they understood that Minos was threatening them.


    "What do you mean, Mr. Stuart?" The leader of the three asked soberly.


    Minos then smiled, watching them intently.


    "I will read the story you publish. Then I will keep an eye on the fulfillment of our agreement..."


    "I hope you will do as promised, report what you see here, impartially. Otherwise..."


    ''Otherwise?''


    Gulp!


    "Well, let''s not talk about that now. The show is about to start..." He smiled again, finally waving those three in the direction of where they could watch the event.


    Minos didn''t want those people to try to use his plans against himself.


    If the organization behind Night News decided to cut the facts and report this event from a favorable viewpoint to House Brown, he would end up losing more than gaining from it all!


    And considering that similar situations had already happened in this part of the Central Continent, young Stuart could not help but remind them of the details promised by that organization.


    Abby had communicated to them through letters about the possibility that awaited them in this city. And that organization had promised fair conditions so that Minos would not choose to talk to its rivals.


    With that, Minos'' threat was grounded in the very promise made by that organization, and he was willing to show these individuals that he would keep an eye on them.


    They might be members of an organization that secretly operated the Night News. But did that truly protect them?


    Minos was fighting against all the noble families of the Brown Kingdom and might have to face the Counter-Revolutionary Statute soon.


    Would it be so hard for him to take revenge on a single noble family that turned against him?


    It was very likely that he would die soon, but none of those three people liked the idea of being in the crosshairs of a crazy person.


    Maybe he would find a way to carry out his threats before his downfall!


    ''Damn it, this rascal is threatening us!''


    ''No wonder he allowed us to come to his city!''


    "Cough! Cough!"


    "Don''t worry, Mr. Stuart, we are impartial in every matter we get involved in!"


    "The Night News will not reach the top if we rely on strategies like that!"


    "Hehe, I hope so..."


    After that, Minos said goodbye to those journalists and walked toward the throne on one side of that execution platform.


    Regional tradition said that a member of the Spiritual Church should read the indictment and give his advice on what the culprit''s punishment should be. Then it was up to the sovereign to decide on his own whether to follow the church''s recommendation or give such person a different punishment.


    If the execution were indicated as the punishment, executioners would do the dirty work and execute the law, on behalf of the sovereign, under the blessing of the Spiritual Church.


    However, this was the Black Plain, a place without the presence of the Spiritual Church, a place that at the moment had laws against the presence of such an organization.


    As such, Otis Silva''s judgment had to be different!


    Dry City had its own legislation that defined how cases like this should happen. Today, the hundreds of thousands of local inhabitants and those journalists would witness some of this.


    Obviously, there were some changes for this particular case. Still, the local written laws'' guaranteed rules were almost all being followed.


    Before this trial, the soldiers of Minos had gathered evidence and proven Otis Silva''s guilt in the various crimes committed against the Black Plain.


    With this, the population would now have the opportunity to hear the charges and evidence of Otis'' crimes and then participate in determining the fate of such a person.


    The only difference from that provided by the local laws was that Minos would participate in all trial stages.


    Today he would serve as the voice for that event, accusing Otis Silva, judging that person, and eventually, if decided, executing such a person!

 Chapter 782 - The Trial 1

    "Well, let''s get started..."


    Minos'' voice resounded throughout that part of Dry City, where more than 300 thousand people were already gathering in front of that platform.


    Upon hearing their ruler''s voice, those people who, until moments ago, were generating a lot of noise through their conversations promptly became silent.


    Before long, everyone was paying attention to that spot where only Minos and Otis could be seen.


    Otis was in the same place as before, kneeling on the ground, restrained by several chains, on the opposite side of that platform from where Minos was standing.


    As for this young man, he was sitting on his throne, which partially faced the local audience and the position where Otis and the VIP box were.


    Finally, realizing that there were no distractions in the surroundings, Minos took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a second.


    He then looked at Otis and began to speak. "Citizens of Dry City, we are here today because of this person."


    "The patriarch of the Silva family, Otis Silva, formerly one of the most important people in the Brown Kingdom."


    "An individual so strong that few in our region could challenge him, someone, who certainly had the respect and admiration of millions for a long time..."


    "Perhaps from some of you who are here right now." He said this as he paused briefly, looking at the audience present and those journalists.


    "But even with all that, this person conspired against my person, my family, which truth be told, was insignificant at the time."


    "He attacked us more than once, ensured human losses on our side, and further incited the Brown family''s anger against us."


    "If it weren''t for him, we probably wouldn''t be at war now!"


    He looked once again at the crowd and said harshly. "Look at him!"


    "Have you lost anyone in the recent conflicts?"


    "Do you hate me for those losses?"


    "Well, I present you to the man who is to blame for all this!"


    "This man is the one responsible for all the chaos in the Brown Kingdom, the person who forced my hand to make difficult decisions."


    "For all that, he is here today to stand trial!" He said aloud, unconsciously letting some of his powerful spiritual strength spread across that square, putting pressure on many of his citizens.


    In addition to the powerful aura of a Spiritual King with his tone, many people were already getting goosebumps, feeling some of Minos'' hatred for Otis.


    Gulp!


    ''Does he intend to lay all the blame on Otis? I can''t believe this is all true...''


    ''Is there a story behind these two?''


    ''Interesting!''


    The three journalists in the VIP box thought these things over in satisfaction, curious to hear the story Minos had to tell at this event.


    They did not care if Minos'' words were confirmed. They were here to follow the execution and describe what happened.


    As such, the only thing that truly mattered to them here was the stories they could tell through what Minos was trying to do.


    And before long, the three of them began to hear Minos'' accusations.


    "Otis Silva, first, I accuse you of ordering the death of my father, Albert Stuart. Second, I accuse you of attacking the Black Plain. Third, I accuse you of taking the lives of local inhabitants. Finally, I accuse you of conspiring against the peace in the kingdom and provoking the current war of independence."


    "How do you plead?" He asked, looking at Otis.


    "Innocent!" Otis said in a low voice, in a stern tone, reflective of his dire situation.


    But every person in that place could hear his answer.


    "Bullshit!"


    "Speak the truth, Otis! That is your chance for redemption!"


    "The only crime I committed was not killing you when I had the chance!" Otis said firmly, looking at Minos with hatred in his eyes. "Everything else is just bullshit. You chose war!"


    "Oh?"


    "So, you assume you are related to my father''s attempted murder?"


    "You say you should have killed me... But why would you kill an innocent child? The only reason for that is revenge, isn''t it? Be a man and take responsibility for what you''ve done, Otis!"


    "Tsk!"


    "Acting for your interests is not a crime!"


    ''So, Albert Stuart''s sacrifice was on account of an action by the Silva family...'' One of the journalists there thought about it as he wrote down everything he heard.


    "So, he truly ordered the death of Lord Minos'' father?"


    "What a terrible person! Even now, he shows no repentance."


    "It''s not for nothing that Lord Minos wants to humiliate him like this!"


    Several comments among the crowds arose in that area.


    Minos then said. "That is true. And from the Black Plain''s point of view, this crime of yours is nothing but personal retribution of mine..."


    "But from the Brown Kingdom''s point of view, you committed a crime by trying to act inside the capital!"


    "You acted against a member of the royal family, something that makes you a traitor, Otis Silva!"


    "Your sentence for that should be death!" Minos commented as he considered the laws of the Brown Kingdom for this problem.


    And it made perfect sense to consider that. After all, as much as he was fighting a war of independence against the Brown Kingdom, officially, he was still part of that state.


    As such, anyone who eventually read about this trial could not consider this action by Minos to be criminal!


    He was in rebellion, but he used the other side''s rules to punish a war enemy. In other words, such a person would have to be killed even if he had not fallen into Minos'' hands!


    "Anyway, let''s move on to the next charge..."


    "You say that I attacked your side first, but we who were repeatedly attacked at by members of the Silva family!"


    "Don''t tell me that we had an obligation to die at the hands of your family members?"


    "Did we have to accept outside violence willingly?" He asked the thousands of people in that place.


    "For years, my people did not leave the Black Plain, and we only had contact with his family members when they came to us. So, don''t tell me we caused all these conflicts!"


    "You have decided to provoke an autonomous region, abusing your position as one of the three big organizations in our state..."


    "In other words, pressing a small power that had only a few years of existence!"


    "Shame!"


    Minos then snapped his fingers to indicate something to his soldiers.


    "My citizens, this man will not admit it, for he is vile and driven by greed. This man would kill even a child if he had to..."


    "As such, I present to you a witness, a person captured after an incident months ago when the Silva family forces had attacked our city!" He said as he indicated to the position where soldiers were bringing a handcuffed man to the center of that platform.


    "You..." Otis muttered in a hoarse tone as he recognized the figure that had just arrived there.


    By the time the Silva family forces had attacked Dry City, not all of those individuals had died. Instead, several of them had escaped, and that had been why Otis and the rest of his family had found out about the dome of Dry City.


    But among those who had escaped, some of them had not lasted very long and had been captured or killed by the soldiers pursuing them.


    Among the few who had been captured was this individual who had just climbed the platform where Otis and Minos stood on opposite sides.


    "I present to you Linden Silva, a low-level elder of House Silva, level 49, captured months ago in our territory."


    "As an enemy of the Black Plain, Linden should have died on the battlefield. But by surrendering to our soldiers, this man was brought to Dry City, where to this day he is serving a life sentence." Minos introduced his witness.


    "Linden had the chance to change his punishment, to instead of dying in prison, have his spiritual cultivation crippled and only 100 years of imprisonment remaining in exchange for the truth."


    "And he is here to tell us of Patriarch Silva''s goals in attacking us."


    "You!"


    "Traitor!" Otis said in anger as he looked at that elder of his family with disgust in his eyes.


    He didn''t care about this all since he already knew his fate. But to see one of his own betraying him in such a way that genuinely angered him!


    ....

 Chapter 783 - The Trial 2

    Minos then asked that person. "Linden, are you being here of your own free will?"


    "Yes, Lord Minos." The witness calmly said but without any fear.


    "You are under the effects of a Soul Contract that obligates you to tell the truth in exchange for your agreement to relax your sentence. Am I right?"


    "Yes."


    At the same time, the golden leaves of the agreement that Linden had signed with Minos were demonstrated to the audience present, as that could be easily felt through a spiritual sense.


    On the other hand, while the leaves belonging to Linden were being demonstrated to the public, the leaves from Minos'' part were passing through the VIP box.


    "It''s true!"


    "That person signed a Soul Contract with Lord Minos!"


    Several people in the crowd who could probe that information said that simultaneously.


    ''Looks like that''s valid...'' One of the journalists pondered as he quickly read the contents of that contract and analyzed its validity.


    He couldn''t use the spiritual sense to perceive such a thing, as he was only at the 4th stage. Still, he could directly use his spiritual energy to analyze it by getting his hands on that item.


    With that, even these Spiritual Warriors could verify what Minos was saying!


    "Well, since everyone already knows that this person won''t lie, let''s get it over with..."


    "Linden, did you attack the Dry City forces?"


    "Yes."


    "Why did you and thousands of Silva family members accomplish that? Was there a reason?"


    "There were reasons, yes, Lord Minos."


    "Before we were sent here, the upper echelon of the family had discovered that the Black Plain was behind the deaths of some of our members and could become a danger."


    "Because of this, they decided to send a force with five Spiritual Kings and 5 thousand Spiritual Generals to annihilate this city."


    Gulp!


    "It can''t be..."


    "They wanted to exterminate us?"


    "What an absurd thing to do!"


    "They would sacrifice us just because of the death of a few people?"


    After hearing such a thing, those people who had been in Dry City since that time then began to utter their shocking questions and comments.


    They knew that strange things were happening on the Black Plain months ago. And considering the deaths and injuries people regularly appearing in the meantime, many had experienced days of pure tension back then, afraid of the future, not knowing what was happening.


    Hence, these people could not help but be shocked by today''s revelations, finding out how they had been saved by the actions of the Black Plain Army.


    Minos then asked again. "But what about this group in question that you say was killed by our forces? What were they doing here? Did we do something against your family?"


    "No. Such a group was in search of something unrelated to Dry City. The patriarch was mad after losing his only son and had sent investigative groups to many places."


    "That was one of the last groups sent, which also had a mission to investigate the disappearance of another people."


    "Oh? So, you guys acted first?"


    "Yes, Lord Minos."


    "Well, my citizens, are you hearing this? They came to bother us, and when we gave our response, they tried to exterminate us."


    "That..." Otis was about to try to say something. Still, suddenly, he felt as if his ability to speak had disappeared while young Stuart''s eyes glowed in rainbow colors.


    ''Quiet!''


    "In other words, our territory was only acting in its right, in its right to protect the local population from an outside force!"


    "We didn''t want to get involved with the Silva family," Minos said as he looked at his population and gestured with his hands. "Sooner or later, I would get revenge on this person, but I would not involve the Black Plain if it were not necessary."


    "Proof of this is that I have always avoided outside actions during these years I have been here..."


    "You know that."


    "But I had no choice but to defend Dry City and act against the Silva family forces and create this whole mess!"


    "My population was at risk of extermination. You, your children, were under the threat of death." He said as he pointed to the crowds in that place.


    "Don''t get me wrong, if I wanted to leave, it would be as easy as taking candy from a child. But I chose the hard way and decided to defend my city!"


    "And I don''t regret my choices, even if they have led us to the current war of independence!"


    "But don''t make a mistake. That is the full responsibility of this person, the one causing the current tensions, of forcing us to become a rebel territory!"


    "I wanted to live in peace on the Black Plain, without having to get involved with the Brown Kingdom. But when the Silva family found out about what we have and that they couldn''t defeat us on their own, they would involve the Brown family."


    "Knowing that I had no choice but to act on my own to defend the interests of the Black Plain."


    "Or would it be better to hand over everything we have to the Browns?" He once again asked his citizens.


    "We have people in our city from five of the six states in our region... Is there any place like our city in the northern region of the Central Continent?"


    "Do you guys think things would be the way they are if the Brown family took this place?"


    "We have many inhabitants of the old Maritime City here... What do you think would happen in this place if the Browns ruled it?"


    After those words, several voices in agreement with what Minos was saying sounded throughout that place.


    "Indeed, we would lose all local benefits if Lord Minos were not our rule if he didn''t have the freedom to act as he does!"


    "Those damn greedy bastards never gave us a chance!"


    "Always exploiting our services..."


    "Wretched Silva family! I cursed them! All this is their fault!"


    "Crazy fanatics! They destroyed the peace in the kingdom for so little..."


    "They deserved their destruction!"


    "Kill him!"


    "Execute this demon!"


    "Cut off his head!"


    "Sons of bitches! My wife died because of you!"


    And then the populace began to get angrier and angrier, calling for the end of Otis Silva while cursing him and all generations of House Silva.


    Minos was not manipulating the local population. They had just been introduced to the facts by this young man.


    It did not take a genius for these people to realize that everything Minos said was the truth.


    All his actions had happened for the good of this city, while he avoided leaving this place whenever he could.


    At the same time, although young, Minos was very serious and discreet. So, he did not make typical youthful mistakes and did not act corruptly, as young masters usually did.


    On the contrary, he rarely went out in public. His actions that benefited the local citizens were hardly done by himself, as a populist ruler would do.


    He acted in a way that gave the local citizens opportunities without waiting for their gratitude.


    And this made people trust him.


    He did not use his position for self-promotion. Anyone who saw him on the streets of Dry City would see just a powerful young man but, otherwise, had just ordinary characteristics.


    He would easily merge among the people of this place if it were not for his level!


    Minos could easily have thousands of women from this city, young women who wanted to be with him and could easily be manipulated by the typical young masters.


    But he did not do any of that, and there were no reports of passion scandals from him.


    Not because his control over the city was exemplary since situations like this would rarely not reach the masses. But because he did not use his position to do such things.


    For all that, the inhabitants of this place trusted him to be a peaceful person who would not fight if it was not necessary.


    With that, before long, those hundreds of thousands of people were enraged by what Otis had caused, constantly calling for the end of this person.


    ''And to think that alone made all those people that way...'' One of the three journalists thought about it as he felt goosebumps on his body.


    ''It seems that most here trust this young ruler a lot...''


    ''On the other hand, Otis'' actions seem to have really accelerated the conflict in the Brown Kingdom!''


    ''Minos Stuart certainly wouldn''t want to cause all this trouble if he could continue to grow up in peace in this place...''


    ''And even if he were to seek his independence in the future, everything would be different!'' Such a journalist understood the situation of this city while writing down his thoughts.


    But while the three journalists had much on their minds, Minos stood up from his throne and looked at Otis sternly.


    He waved to his soldiers in that place and saw the witness being taken back to the local prison.


    After that, he pulled his golden sword from one of his spatial rings and said in a deep tone. "Otis Silva, you have committed many heinous crimes against the Brown Kingdom and the Black Plain."


    "You desire war and are cruel in your actions..."


    "In that way, I, Minos Stuart, the sovereign, nay, the...."

 Chapter 784 - The Arrival Of A Pack!

    "In this way, I, Minos Stuart, the sovereign, nay, the king of the Black Plain, sentence you to die!" Minos said aloud, discarding his previous title and using the one he was already struggling to confirm.


    As he finished saying that, he positioned himself side by side with Otis, facing the euphoric crowd, ready to do the executioner''s job.


    Minos believed that the one who pronounces the sentence should be the one to execute it. As such, he could not let one of his soldiers do it for him.


    On the other hand, this was the conclusion of this part of his revenge. So, he really could not pass this task on to others!


    "Any last words?" Minos asked in a low voice to that enemy while looking down at him, ready to do what was necessary.


    Upon hearing this, Otis looked up and saw Minos'' brown eyes, as his face contorted due to the hatred he was feeling at the moment. "You''ll regret all this one day."


    "That''s all I have to say!"


    After saying those words, Otis flexed his head forward, making room for what Minos would do.


    He did not want to die. But his fate had already been sealed from the moment Minos had destroyed his spiritual gland, the organ responsible for cultivation.


    Unable to continue cultivating, having lost much of his power, Otis'' strength was now insignificant. Even if he lived, he would never have the chance to take revenge.


    Moreover, his family had already suffered so much at the hands of Minos that they would hardly continue to exist in the future.


    For all this, Otis no longer had any reason to lament his impending fate, complain, or cry for mercy.


    He merely positioned himself so that this whole thing, this great humiliation, would end soon!


    "Tsk!"


    Seeing this, Minos did not like this person''s manners at this last moment at all.


    But there was no need for Minos to argue with someone in his final moments. So, young Stuart just raised his golden-bladed sword in the air, looked at his target, and made his move without saying a single word.


    Swooish!


    At that moment, not only Minos was silent, but all those people around that area, from the crowds to the individuals in the VIP box, all fell silent, watching Otis'' execution.


    Such a person was previously at level 58. How long would it take for these hundreds of thousands of people to see an execution of such an influential expert?


    None of them could answer such a question!


    Therefore, everyone was looking at the sword of Minos descending on Otis'' neck with vibrant eyes, satisfied that they could watch this.


    Puff!


    And then, that moment that seemed to have passed in slow motion for many in that place was finally completed when Otis Silva''s head slowly fell to the ground.


    Immediately after his head was separated from the rest of his body, strong bloodstreams began to flow out of Otis'' neck as his body slowly fell.


    Finally, he was dead!


    Just as Otis'' head fell to the ground with his eyes closed, the crowds in that area returned to their previous agitation, with shouts of different tones, the laughter of joy. So many comments about it, creating unique sound effects in that area.


    "Haha, it finally happened!"


    "We are truly privileged to have witnessed all this!"


    "Hehe, I can''t wait to tell my grandson. But, unfortunately, he is with other mercenaries from the local guild outside the Black Plain..."


    "That was amazing!"


    "Hmm, I believe we will never again witness such a powerful expert being executed in our city..."


    "But did you guys hear what Lord Minos said? He called himself the King of the Black Plain!"


    "Oh?"


    "That''s right!"


    "Hehe, with Lord Minos behind the war of independence, it will only be a matter of time before he is recognized as such!"


    And while many conversations resounded among the crowds, that VIP box was also quite bustling at the moment.


    Some there were members of the Miller family, a historical rival of Otis'' family. Consequently, it was hard for these people not to be moved by the sudden demise of the patriarch of the Silva family.


    "Well, with his death, the Silva family won''t last much longer..." One of them said in a low voice, at the same time, while wearing his mask to muffle his voice and avoid being recognized.


    "Yes... How many Spiritual Kings does the Silva family have now? Less than ten?" Another of them asked as he thought about the count of these enemy experts.


    But while they were talking among themselves, one of the journalists present in that place heard that question and answered it without delay. "With the death of Patriarch Silva, there are 11 Spiritual Kings left in House Silva."


    "But only two of them are in more advanced parts of the 6th stage. Most are only between levels 50 and 53." Such an individual added this information, something a journalist like him could not help but know.


    "Oh?" The person from before reacted in surprise.


    ''So, now the Silva family is probably weaker than the Gill family...'' At the same time, this Miller descendant thought to himself as he looked in the direction of where the Gill family members were.


    Obviously, the Gill family was not stronger than House Silva in terms of numbers. Otis'' family had dozens of thousands of subordinates at the 5th stage, while this organization now subordinated to Minos did not even have 20 thousand individuals at that stage.


    Consequently, if the two were to face each other with all remaining power at present, the Silva family would still have the upper hand in the conflict.


    But with more specialists, even the Gills could put pressure on the family of the now-deceased Otis, so the other side would have to be very careful against Minos'' subordinates!


    After all, regional power was determined by the number of specialists!


    That''s why that Miller family member had thought of it.


    Anyway, while the conversations were happening in that place, one of the journalists was silent, still sitting in the same place as before. ''That person said many things that are important to us...'' He pondered over this as he understood why Minos had not agreed to give him an interview.


    There were many things that such a person wanted to know that would help if Minos were to give him an interview. But what he had heard in this place had already been enough for many pages of exclusive stories!


    As such, he was more than satisfied with it all.


    ''He even called himself king at the end...''


    ''Looks like we''ll have to pay attention to the Brown Kingdom and this territory from now on!''


    After that, it did not take long for Minos to pass by that place and say goodbye to those journalists, who could not continue in this city now that everything was over.


    "If you want my suggestion, make a cover with the picture of Otis'' head being cut off." Minos said as he waved his hands, indicating the exit from that platform to such people.


    "Lastly, if you want a statement from me, then write that I said to King Brown to back off and recognize the independence of the Black Plain."


    "There is room for peace."


    ...


    After the previous events in Dry City, ten days had passed!


    In that period, the story about the events witnessed in Dry City by those journalists had not yet been published.


    But this was for a good reason!


    The region had no instantaneous means of transportation or communication. So, it took time for information to get from one place to another, compose a periodical edition, and then trade all the copies.


    Thus, it would still be a while before the entire northern region of the Central Continent would be shocked by the Night News'' shocking revelations about the Black Plain rebellion and the execution of Otis Silva.


    With that, things in the Brown Kingdom continued more or less as before, except that the King and his main force were getting very close to meeting young Stuart.


    Almost all of the personnel additions in the Counter-Revolutionary Army troops had already transitioned between posts.


    It remained only the essential individuals to join the party!


    As such, soon King Brown would march into the Black Plain!


    However, before he left his palace, Thomas Brown came across a gift sent by Minos.


    "Your Majesty, we have just received a package from Dry City!"


    ....

 Chapter 785 - Changes In The Black Plain!

    Upon hearing such a warning from one of his royal guards, Thomas'' eyes gleamed with his murderous intent.


    "Bring it here." He said solemnly, curious and filled with hatred.


    The Black Plain had already proven itself against the forces of this individual. As such, he could not help but feel irritated upon hearing the name of such a city.


    And soon, while he was feeling irritated, a square wooden box with an edge of one meter was positioned right in front of where the royal throne stood.


    ''Don''t tell me that...'' And promptly upon seeing that box that had no opening to be seen, the people in that place began to wonder what was going on.


    But since this was a ''gift'' from an enemy, most there were quick to wonder what would fit in that box...


    ''Those savages!''


    "Bastards!"


    "The motherfucker had the nerve to send us that?" Then, finally, King Brown shouted in a fury, just at the moment when part of the box''s lid had been removed, and he could see hair and blood through the gap.


    As each of the people there frowned, the entire lid of that box was removed, revealing 16 heads piled up, with Otis'' right on top.


    As the people there could see the white eyes of those lifeless pieces of flesh, they noticed something in Otis'' mouth.


    "Those assholes!"


    "Not only did they kill all those Silva family experts, but they also dared to send them to us!" Someone in that place said angrily, feeling great contempt for the forces of Dry City.


    Even they would not do that to their enemies!


    "Those bumpkins are a bunch of wild lunatics!"


    "Your Majesty, we must eliminate those people in our future attack, or I fear we will continue to be humiliated!"


    "Yes, Your Majesty! We must deal with these rebels with everything we have!"


    Several people in that hall voiced their opinions as they saw Thomas taking the envelope in Otis'' mouth while that king had a terrible expression on his face.


    There was no danger of them looking closely at this gift from Minos. Because, if there were some kind of trap there, the royal guards responsible for checking items would not have allowed that box to reach here.


    As such, Thomas Brown was unconcerned about traps there and just did what he thought was best.


    "Brat Stuart!"


    And soon, the king began to roar in a fury, turning more and more red with rage as he read the message sent by Minos.


    ''Invaders, leave the Black Plain, or soon it will be your heads in boxes like this one!''


    ''Take your chance now or regret it in the future!''


    ''Minos Stuart, the King of the Black Plain.''


    "Ahhhhhh!" After reading that, Thomas Brown shook in anger, roaring like an animal as he crumpled and hurled that message away.


    "Minos Stuart!" He shouted in hatred, letting his powerful aura escape and press down on that whole place.


    "Your Majesty!"


    "Your Majesty!"


    And then, the people there tried to talk to this individual, realizing that such a person had been provoked to the limit by this gift from Minos.


    ''What was in that message?'' Some of the weaker people there wondered about that, while the stronger ones tried to retrieve that message.


    And after a while, finally, someone understood Thomas'' out-of-bounds hatred.


    "Tsk!"


    ''That rascal is truly arrogant!'' A level 57 Spiritual King thought to himself as he finished reading young Stuart''s words.


    He then paced forward and told his king some good news to calm such an individual down. "Your Majesty, calm down. In no more than 15 days, the last representatives of the royal families of our region will arrive in our kingdom!"


    "With that, we will be able to deal with that ungrateful traitor!"


    "Then please calm your anger, Your Majesty. Save that for two weeks from now!" That leader of the local royal guard said this loudly, bringing Thomas'' attention back to this place.


    That king had never been so disrespected in his life!


    And worse, all this had happened because of the son of one of the most loyal subordinates he had ever had!


    Add this to all the trouble Minos had already caused him, and Thomas had almost lost his mind for a few moments because of his recently accumulated stress.


    He then tried to breathe calmly, still very angry and with an ugly expression on his face. "Good." He said in a harsh tone. "Get everything ready and when the time comes, come and let me know in my cultivation room!"


    "As you wish, Your Majesty!"


    ...


    A few days later, in the Snow Kingdom...


    In the capital of this state, three people were sitting around a table in an ordinary coffee shop in one of the most popular parts of this metropolis.


    All three were relatively young, but while one looked a bit older than the couple next to him, those two looked like they had just entered the beginning of their adult lives.


    But even though all of them appeared to be young, they were all already Spiritual Generals, two of them at the middle part of this stage and the last one at the final part.


    And while their levels and appearances might seem disproportionate for this region, few would pay much attention to them at the moment.


    Not because they were unremarkable, but because, besides fitting in well with the people of this place, the other customers in the establishment were focused on other matters at the moment!


    Those three knew such a subject very well since they also had a copy of today''s edition of the Night News!


    "So, it finally happened..."


    "Hmm, but that was much quicker than I had thought."


    "In fact, I didn''t imagine it would happen that way!" The young woman said to her two traveling companions in a low voice while she had a worried expression on her face.


    "Yeah, it seems that a lot of things have happened in the six months we''ve been away..." The younger of the two men said this thoughtfully.


    "Lee, Alison, don''t worry about it. Whatever it is, Minos will handle it." The other person commented in a whispered tone. "Just worry about your mission in this kingdom!"


    These were obviously the young Lee and Alison, accompanied by Peter, a group Minos had sent to the Snow Kingdom to buy beast tamers techniques and some spiritual beasts.


    Such a group had arrived in this kingdom weeks ago and had already completed several parts of their mission in this state.


    But there were still things left to be sorted out. So, they still had no plans to return to Dry City and were in this town, where a few minutes earlier, they had learned about Otis'' execution.


    As for their beast companion, that Feathered Serpent could not enter large cities, so she was waiting for them elsewhere.


    Alison then said. "I know, but it''s shocking to find out all this like that!"


    "Master seems to have done so many things in the meantime, even taken revenge... But we''ve barely finished buying the techniques and the army beasts." Then, in admiration of Minos'' ability to do so many things at once, she said that.


    "Don''t worry about that."


    "We''re not in a hurry, and none of you will make a difference in the fight for the time being." He told the truth without offending them but pointing out the obvious. "Let''s solve our problems in this state and keep working on getting stronger."


    "With that, in half a year or so, we can think about doing something regarding the problems in our territory!"


    "OK!" The two said, trying not to worry more than they should about their families, their city.


    And Peter was right. They had their problems to deal with, things that had changed with the news they had come into contact with over the past few weeks.


    Initially, one of Peter''s goals was to find Maxwell. Still, now that so many things had happened outside of the army''s plans, this Black Plain Army soldier no longer knew whether or not that was necessary.


    But still, he was seeking information from that individual, and if he had the opportunity, he would try to bring Maxwell with him to the Black Plain.


    Anyway, after they finished talking about that subject, Peter took one last look at the Night News edition before preparing to go back shopping with those two.


    ''Changes in the Black Plain, huh?'' He read one of the headlines from that edition, one that was on the second page of that periodical that today had only information about that territory.


    ''Looks like the chaotic part of the war won''t take long in starting!''

 Chapter 786 - The Identity Of The Spiritual Tournament Finalist!

    While Peter and his two traveling companions were in that city in the Snow Kingdom, the news concerning Dry City had already spread throughout the entire northern region of the Central Continent!


    The Night News had taken no longer than necessary to publish that. When they had managed to produce the minimum number of copies, they had immediately released such a special edition.


    And with the shocking cover, where there was a depiction of the beheading of Otis Silva, along with the headline, ''The Ambition of Minos,'' quickly all the copies had been sold.


    Followed by this, the news reported in that regional periodical quickly spread throughout the region, with readers passing such information on to those who had not been able to get a copy.


    Then, in the blink of an eye, every adult in this region of the Central Continent was already aware of the shocking changes on the Black Plain, of the rebellion in the Brown Kingdom, of the identity of the contested Minos.


    Obviously, the journalists who had gone to Dry City had recognized young Stuart.


    After all, they were members of an organization of the Cromwell Kingdom, where the Spiritual Tournament took place in the last time. So, they could not help but recognize the finalist of that competition.


    And by associating the name, the boldness, the mystery behind it, it was not difficult for those three journalists to identify the competitor Minos as the current ruler of the Black Plain!


    Consequently, that information was also in that edition, finally solving the mystery of contestant Minos and opening up the mystery of Minos Stuart, a young man with a desire for fire.


    On the other hand, the Night News had done as promised to Minos, maintained its impartiality, and portrayed all that its journalists had witnessed and heard in Dry City.


    They had not defended Minos'' views, but neither had they criticized or commented on favoring the Brown family or other regional powers.


    All they''d done was give young Stuart a voice, communicating some of the Dry City reality and his intentions to the region''s nearly 2 billion people!


    With that, the regional population now had a significant issue to discuss, not only a mere incident but a radical change in the regional situation.


    The Night News report showed a rebellion in the Brown Kingdom. But this was not all. It brought up several delicate issues that could significantly affect many people''s lives in this region.


    First, Minos was not only a rebel. But the exceptionally talented finalist of the Spiritual Tournament, someone who, at level 39, had achieved a draw with a powerful level 44 cultivator. So, many people around this region were already counting on the Black Plain being commanded by someone powerful!


    Imagine what would happen if such a person reached level 59?


    He would be the strongest in the region!


    Second, the information about Dry City had been no less shocking than Minos'' rebellion!


    The Night News had described Dry City as a completely different place than people in this region would think. It was no longer a poor area, with an absence of life and hardship for its inhabitants. On the contrary, it was a green, prosperous place with hundreds of thousands of inhabitants and many options.


    The journalists who had had contact with that city had not had the opportunity to understand the place in depth, so the article concerning it did not solve all their doubts. But just the sight of the buildings, infrastructure, and inhabitants'' clothing had been enough for them to assume many things about that place.


    Hence, they described a city that would not lack anything compared to regional mid-sized cities.


    As for the productivity of the soil of the Black Plain, that had also been mentioned in the report, even if those journalists had not seen the plantations there.


    Minos'' own people had informed them of such a thing!


    But that was for a good reason. After all, the Brown family already had this information. So, in this way, it did not harm Minos.


    On the other hand, the regional population understanding such a thing was an essential measure for the Black Plain to become more attractive for potential future migrations.


    Third, even in rebellion, Minos had been described sensibly in that article as someone who even used the laws of the Brown Kingdom to punish a subordinate of House Brown.


    In his speech, Minos had made it clear that he did not want war but had been forced to choose this path by external forces. And with that being reported in the second regional periodical, he had made his intentions for peace clear.


    All of this was very important for this region. Because it opened up a new regional opportunity, one that was not necessarily ruled by a blood madman, who was perhaps going to ruin everyone who joined him.


    And all of this was being discussed in the cities of this region at the moment!


    ...


    In a central part of the Brown Kingdom, there was a large city in the middle of the territory under the administration of the Parkinson family, an area that was less than 10% of the total area of the Black Plain.


    But even though it was much smaller than the area ruled by Minos, this place had a few million inhabitants. Besides, the local wealth produced annually was a few times greater than that of the entire Black Plain put together.


    In any case, this place was the headquarters of this medium-sized noble family, the home of Celeste, who, by the way, was a noble of this family.


    Anyway, this place from where Celeste had fled with her son-in-law years ago, the number of members of this family now was a fraction of what usually was.


    But this was to be expected. After all, many members of the noble families of this kingdom were on the Black Plain right now, preparing for the battles that would take place there.


    Therefore, this place was much quieter than usual.


    But even in this situation, a few thousand people were in this headquarters to receive the shocking news published by the Night News.


    In particular, Brooke Parkinson, the young friend of Minos and Abby from the spiritual academy days, Neal''s former wife, Celeste''s daughter. She was in that headquarters at the moment, finishing finding out about the events on the Black Plain.


    Gulp!


    ''I can''t believe Minos is behind all this trouble!'' She thought in shock, surprised to find out all this about her friend.


    She did not know about the secret war that was going on in the Black Plain between Dry City forces and the Brown family. After all, she was not part of that family''s command as her strength was too low for her to get involved.


    And as the general public was unaware of Minos'' rebellion, she had no idea he was to blame for her family''s current problems!


    Because of this, as she read the special edition of the Night News, she could not help but be terribly surprised, frightened, anxious for what would happen next.


    ''It can''t be!''


    ''Does that mean that Minos is now our enemy?'' She thought about it fearfully, feeling bad that her family would stand against this friend of hers.


    Brooke was previously a gorgeous and confident young woman. But after catching her mother and husband exchanging fluids, she had lost much of her confidence.


    That had even affected her cultivation and beauty, making her less impressive than she originally was.


    As such, besides being only at level 44, she was pretty insecure, fearful, and attached to the things or people she trusted before her whole nightmare began.


    Because of this, she could not help but worry about Minos, a young man who had always been so peaceful, so calm, and who had suffered so much in the recent past. She could not see him as an enemy, and in this way, she felt terrible to find herself on the opposite side of him.


    ''What am I going to do? Minos is a rebel, he...''


    ''He''s going to die!'' She agitatedly thought as she swallowed her saliva in fear.


    ''What can I do to try to fix this?'' She pondered in doubt before finally getting up and heading towards one of the specialists on standby in that headquarters.

 Chapter 787 - The Arrival Of The Royal Envoys

    While Brooke worried about the safety of young Stuart, several prominent families were beginning to prepare for the chaotic future that was near them all.


    With the discovery about those responsible for the Maritime City raid and the rebellion on the Black Plain, many of the regional organizations'' leaders already knew that the potential for this to hit them was not small.


    After all, Minos had chosen to make his confrontation public, something that could only mean that he was confident!


    Thus, it was only a matter of time before the Brown family activated the Counter-Revolutionary Statute.


    Obviously, it would take a while before all the orders were given, and troops began to travel to the Brown Kingdom from each of the kingdoms in that region. But still, preparing in advance was crucial for these organizations.


    After all, just because the Brown Kingdom was facing problems would not mean that the everyday problems of these organizations would stop arising.


    Children would continue to enter the spiritual academies, new cultivators would emerge, many would die, and the daily life of their territories needed to continue.


    Otherwise, how could they sustain a war?


    At the end of the day, daily work would still be every person''s priority in this region.


    And since many of these powers might have to send troops into the Brown Kingdom, then starting to change their routines, schedules, events, and so on from now on would be the best thing for these organizations.


    So, even though the Brown family had not even made a formal request for help yet, many noble houses were already preparing for when it was done!


    Many were merely beginning fundamental changes in their routines, but a few organizations were very interested in the Black Plain.


    Unfortunately for Minos, most of them had hostile intentions towards him and his territory.


    That was the case with the enemies this young man had made on his way here, among them the House Collins, but also the Reid and Cromwell families.


    The Cromwell family was not necessarily an enemy of Minos. Still, King Cromwell wanted to eliminate this young man because he thought that the ruler of the Black Plain was with the Snows.


    As for the Reid family, their desire for revenge against the competitor Minos was ancient. Hence, it was natural for them to think of the Black Plain at this time, even to consider joining the war before the Counter-Revolutionary Statute was activated.


    As for the Collins, they were the ones most surprised by all this, as well as the ones who had made the most changes to their plans.


    Previously they had been interested in joining forces with their allies to send troops to Stone Island. But now, with such news, they are much more interested in the Black Plain, where their main enemy was.


    They had lost many high-level fighters because of Minos'' organization. So, getting rid of whoever was in Dry City seemed more important than taking action against Elen''s family on Stone Island!


    Therefore, they and the Reids were very interested in the destruction of Dry City and were already thinking of joining the Brown family after that recent misunderstanding.


    All this was bad for Minos, but nevertheless, he was still lucky!


    That was because the information exchanges between regional powers were not so good or typical. Hence, all this information had different impacts on whoever received it.


    That is, the Collins family knew that the base of the Black Plain Army they had attacked earlier was of the rebellious force in this territory. But they did not know what was exported through that place!


    The Allen family and the families in the Farmland area, on the other hand, knew what was exported in that naval base. However, they did not know that the base belonged to the same organization behind the rebellion on the Black Plain!


    After all, just because a building of some organization is in an area would not necessarily mean that it belongs to the sovereign power of that location.


    For example, even royal families had posts spread around the region.


    So, it would not be strange to have a foreign organization in Minos'' territory without him being its leader.


    And because of this lack of information that those families suffered, Minos had fewer enemies at this point than he would have if everyone knew that all!


    That is, if this information got out, the attentions of the Farmland families, of the allied families of House Allen on Stone Island would turn against him.


    And that would be bad!


    But for the moment, this was not the case, and such families were still oblivious to all the change on the Black Plain.


    However, not everyone saw Minos and the Black Plain negatively. The Stone family was very interested in this recent news since they knew that such a young man traded in products of high spiritual concentration!


    And knowing this, they were the only ones, besides Minos'' allies, of course, who knew about the true potential of that territory!


    What would be better? To have an ally who is weaker than you, whom you can perhaps manipulate somehow? Or to have an ally as strong as you, whom you could hardly take advantage of?


    The first option, of course.


    And that was the Black Plain for the Stones. A place with many potentials but lacked power and fundamental structures to stand up against other regional powers.


    They could wait for the Black Plain to fall and with that try to take advantage of that valuable territory alongside the Brown family. But they could also support Minos and perhaps get a ''bigger piece of the pie'' when this young man was established!


    The best option for them was clear!


    So, unlike those who wanted the downfall of the Black Plain, the Stones were very keen to see Minos win!


    ...


    While each of those powers was preparing for chaos, the representatives of the royal families from the northern region of the Central Continent had finally arrived at the capital of the Brown Kingdom.


    After many weeks since the request for a meeting sent by Thomas to the other five regional royal houses, experts from the Snow, Walker, Carline, Cromwell, and Stone families arrived in the City of the Setting Sun today.


    And without wasting much time, now the five experts sent here were face to face with Thomas and some of the Spiritual Kings of the Counter-Revolutionary Army assembled before.


    Among them was the patriarch of the Miller family...


    Anyway, they were all in the royal hall, finishing greeting that influential expert from the Brown Kingdom.


    "Well, Your Majesty, it''s good to see you well. But why are we here?" A level 55 Spiritual King of the Carline family asked this out of pure formality.


    It did not take the mind of a genius to know what this was all about!


    Thomas then looked at those five experts with a horrid expression due to the hatred he had been experiencing since the publication of the Night News.


    He then confirmed the obvious. "As you all may already know, the Black Plain is in rebellion against my kingdom."


    "That is why you are here!"


    ''I knew it...''


    ''No surprises here.''


    ''Hehe, looks like you guys are suffering, huh?''


    And then one of them asked. "So, Your Majesty will call the Counter-Revolutionary Statute? Is Your Majesty in agreement with what is necessary for that?"


    "Well, to be honest, I will decisively attack that territory in a few days. On that occasion, I hope to weaken the enemy forces considerably. Still, I am aware that there are chances that the enemy side will not be exterminated easily."


    "So, you are here to accompany us and serve as witnesses, if necessary, that we have no alternative but to appeal to your organizations for help."


    "If things go wrong in this attack of ours, then yes, I am in agreement with all the necessary procedures for the activation of the Counter-Revolutionary Statute!" Thomas said directly, honestly revealing his intentions and plans to those people.


    "So, that''s how it is..."


    "It seems that the enemy is quite troublesome." A representative of the Walker family commented reflexively.


    On the other hand, the expert sent by the Stone family was standing there silently, enjoying all this. ''Well, this will be an opportunity for us to assess the strength of the Black Plain.''


    ''If they are too weak to withstand the pressure from King Brown, then the Counter-Revolutionary Statute will certainly crush them...''


    ''In that situation, it won''t be worth it for us to act carelessly!'' So, he pondered before finally hearing the voice of the Snow family representative.


    "By the way, I don''t think that edition of the Night News has the best information about the enemies, right?"


    "Hmm, don''t worry. We have everything ready to pass on to you..."


    So, the conversations continued in that place. At the same time, from time to time, the Cromwell family expert looked strangely at the Spiritual King sent by House Snow.


    That continued until some people there began to disperse, among them, the patriarch Miller....

 Chapter 788 - Alliance Attempts 1

    One day after the publication of that edition of the Night News, at the secret base of the Black Plain Army in Yellow City...


    As usual, Eda was in the command room of this place, where many of the surveillance arrays of the area outside the local government mansion were.


    There, several of the weaker soldiers of this post took over the surveillance duty. But, at the same time, she stood by to act more quickly if anything out of the ordinary occurred in the vicinity.


    Minos'' war against the royal family had not reached this place. Still, now and then, people passed through this area, especially after the beginning of the conflict on the Black Plain.


    But this was not related to the recent news about that territory, as that had only come to light in the last few days, i.e., too little time for this to influence anything.


    However, the noble families of the Brown Kingdom were increasingly calling back their members from outside this state to join their ranks.


    Because of this, the flow of people passing through this abandoned city has increased recently.


    On the other hand, the soldiers from this outpost were constantly active in the vicinity, attacking enemies that they had information about or that were located by accident, chance encounters.


    In any case, the group at this secret base needed to be sure that their presence here was secure, that the enemies did not know about this critical outpost for Minos'' army actions.


    And to do this, they needed to keep an eye on the surroundings of this local government mansion and parts of this city.


    With that, Eda''s location was by far the most important of this base, and she constantly had things to do around here.


    "Sector 25-blue is clear. Let''s move on to the next..."


    "We have the presence of a group passing through sector 14-red, in two carriages..."


    "Some soldiers from sector 03-green are returning after the shift change..."


    Several voices could be heard in that place, while new information came constantly.


    Meanwhile, Eda seemed to be meditating in her armchair in the middle of the place, waiting for something that would demand her attention.


    That was the shift of the day when there was usually the most activity around this city in the last weeks. Because of this, she had to be on standby, ready to act if necessary, not having the chance to cultivate or train her techniques at such a time.


    But things were usually quieter at other times of the day, so this woman did not always have to be on guard!


    Anyway, time began to pass in that place. Then, just when the star that illuminated this world was at sunset over Yellow City, something unusual was notified.


    "Lieutenant Eda, we have a strange situation in sector 23-blue." One of those low-level soldiers said that out loud, right after receiving notification from one of the lookouts in that area.


    Upon hearing this, Eda immediately left her previous state as she looked at the person who had said such a thing. "What is it?" She asked directly.


    "Lieutenant, a Snow family carriage has just parked on the main avenue on the east side of the city!" He said.


    ''Snow family?'' Eda wondered in surprise, not understanding what people from such a distant place wanted here in Yellow City.


    ''I wonder if this has anything to do with the royal representatives called by the Brown family?'' She pondered this as she thought regarding the information that King Thomas would call the Counter-Revolutionary Statute.


    Eda had not yet received any new communication from the Miller family about such representatives. So, she had thought about that option as she tried to reason out the presence of that organization in this city.


    Previously Minos had used the Snow family in his plans, but that should not have brought people from this royal house to this city. After all, what young Stuart had done had been quite discreet, and such an organization should not have known of his interference.


    On the other hand, there was nothing in the Yellow City.


    Thus, Eda had thought of that option as the only likely one.


    ''If that is the case, I have to be careful. That group might have some Spiritual King strong enough to fight me!'' She pondered before finally making up her mind.


    "Well, let''s send a group to approach them and try to find out what''s going on. I will scan the surroundings from afar in case something happens."


    "Yes, Lieutenant!"


    ...


    And it was not long before one of the groups of local soldiers used the disguise of travelers to pass through the same avenue where the Snow family''s carriage had stopped.


    In doing so, Minos'' soldiers soon realized that although the people in the opposing group were more substantial than them, they were not so dangerous as to scare them. So, they tried to talk to the other side, using the situation to their advantage.


    "Snow families, huh? I didn''t expect to encounter such an organization here in this place." So, one of those soldiers under disguise said to the coachman of that other carriage.


    At the same time, as he chewed on a medicinal leaf, he pointed at that coachman and said once again. "We are from the Kingdom of the End. We are passing this place for the first time..." He then pointed to the surroundings and asked. "We thought we would have a nice place to sleep tonight, but... Uh, tell me something, is this situation normal? Can you tell me?"


    "You don''t know?" The Snow family''s coachman asked, smiling. "Hehe, this city has been abandoned for years!"


    "Friends from the Kingdom of the End, you must not be from big families, right?"


    "Ahh, everywhere we humble ones are distinguished from the rest..." One of Minos'' soldiers said in good humor. "But you are right, our organization is quite small, and we have never left our state before..."


    "Hahaha, so that''s why."


    "So, you guys are just passing through here too, right? You must not have made the same mistake as us..." Another soldier said unassumingly.


    "Oh? Actually..." One of them was about to say something but soon stopped before saying more than necessary to these strangers.


    ''These people are not just passing through!'' The soldiers realized this almost simultaneously.


    One of them then took the initiative and said. "Friends of the Snow family, we have been here for more than a day, and unfortunately, we are low on resources..."


    "We stayed all this time looking for resources around this city, but we haven''t had much luck."


    "If..."


    "If we can trade something with you, it would be of great help to us..." The soldier said as his face turned half red due to the shame of having made such an amateurish ''mistake'' in his travels.


    "Have you searched all over the place?"


    "You want to trade something for resources?"


    ''Maybe...'' One of the strongest of that Snow family group looked thoughtfully at the carriage in which those soldiers were passing and wondered if it was worth talking about Minos to strangers.


    ''Well, we are here to invite him to ally with us, and he already has an organization to help him... So, it makes no difference if other powers find out he was here!'' That person thought to himself before making up his mind.


    "Friends of the Kingdom of the End, we are after a young man by the name of Minos. We don''t know his last name, but he was the finalist in the last Spiritual Tournament."


    "We are in search of him because we have an offer to make him, uh, sorry, I can''t go into details about that." That Snow family subordinate said that politely.


    "Can you guys tell us if you have found any clues of such a person in this place?"


    "We can trade that for resources."


    "Minos?"


    "Spiritual Tournament?"


    All the soldiers in that group repeated those words as they looked at each other, shocked by what this person had just said.


    ''Is he serious?''


    ''Is the Snow family truly going to betray the Counter-Revolutionary Statute right now? No...''


    ''No, that doesn''t make sense!''


    ''Don''t tell me, don''t tell me that...'' The eyes of the strongest soldier there widened in realization as he understood the reason for all this.


    "Friends, you... How long has it been since you guys received any information from your superiors?"


    "What?"


    "What''s the relevance of that?"


    The individuals in the Snow family group said such things, not understanding the question of that unknown ''traveler.''


    ''So, that''s it!''


    ''These people still don''t know about the recent Night News!''


    "Cough! Cough!"


    "Uh, I''m sorry for the strange question, Snow family friends. It''s just that recently the location of that competitor Minos was revealed..."


    "Oh?"


    "When did that happen?"


    "A few days ago..."


    "So, you have his location?" The eyes of the leader of that group sparkled in anticipation, eager to go straight to where Minos was.


    "We do, but..."


    "We''ll pay whatever you ask!"


    "Uh, I understand... But unlike resources, to us, the information of why you want to contact him is worth much more."


    "Tsk!"


    ''I knew that would happen!''


    ''Hell!''


    ''Maybe I should eliminate them after telling that information?'' So, that man carefully thought as he looked at those ''travelers.''


    "Fine."


    "We are here because we have the location of one of that young man''s potential enemies, and we want to ask for an alliance with the organization behind him to attack such a place."


    "What organization is that?"


    "The Scourges of the Devil!"


    ....

 Chapter 789 - Alliance Attempts 2

    "Scourges of the Devil?" All those soldiers in disguise said this simultaneously, shocked to discover that these people had brought such information to them.


    ''Lucky!'' The strongest of the group thought this silently as he assumed how time had been in their favor.


    The information published by the Night News had just become popular in the region. Still, copies of that edition were sold in fixed places, posts around the region.


    Consequently, travelers on the outskirts of Yellow City, as was the case with that group, would not have the opportunity to receive or buy such a thing.


    The nearest cities to that place were more than a day away, considering the speed and endurance of 5th stage spiritual beasts.


    But the group in question was only using beasts at the end of the 4th stage.


    And even if the Snow Kingdom''s royal family had sent the information on that Night News publication, even the fastest crows in the region would still take at least a week to come from that kingdom to here!


    Because of this, this Snow family group had been left in this challenging situation where they did not know about the shocking events published in the Night News, something that would basically make accomplishing this mission of theirs a mistake!


    The special edition of the Night News talked about the identity of the competitor Minos. As such, the Snow Kingdom royal family now knew that there was no mysterious organization behind that young man. The opposite of that, the Black Plain was the organization itself, one that at any moment could become the enemy of the entire region.


    Therefore, the mission of this group should have been canceled after such news spread in the region, and these people should not tell their offer to Minos'' people!


    But unfortunately, they had no way of knowing what might happen on their way. After months of traveling and being unaware of this recent news, they could only do the obvious.


    Accomplish the mission, as ordered by Ambrose!


    All of this had benefited the Black Plain Army, which now had a way to find people who could assist them in reaching the headquarters of the Scourges of the Devil!


    ''Hmm, they must have gotten that information through Dean!'' So, that soldier thought to himself as he watched the Snow family members cautiously.


    ''We have to stop these people here!''


    ''If they escape from this place, the position of our secret base may become vulnerable when they find out that the young master is no longer in the position of a potential ally!''


    Such a soldier then looked at both sides of that street they were on before finally smiling at his companions, indicating his intentions.


    "Well, that information is actually more valuable than we expected..." He said, as if ready to ''pay'' for what that individual from the Snow family had said.


    "Are you sure you guys want this pointer?"


    "After I tell you, there will be no turning back..."


    "Sometimes, being ignorant is better." Such a soldier said mysteriously.


    Hearing that, those people frowned in expectation for the truth, not caring about the comments of that ''traveler.''


    "Just tell what you know." The leader of that group said, already preparing to act.


    Once any of those ''travelers'' gave the information they wanted, it would be time to act!


    All information about the Scourges of the Devil was sensitive. It would be unwise for them to allow outsiders to know that they knew the location of such an organization.


    After all, if it leaked out to the Scourges of the Devil themselves, this information could become useless in a short time!


    Consequently, that individual, level 50, was ready to act against the people before him!


    "So..."


    "So?"


    And at that moment, finally, each of the soldiers in that group began to circulate their energies, preparing to attack that single Spiritual King of the opposing group.


    "You guys better stick around!" One of the soldiers shouted as his big red ax cut the air diagonally, heading towards the chest of that Spiritual King.


    "What?"


    "Bastards! Why are you attacking us?"


    "Don''t tell me that... It can''t be!"


    Several of those members of that Snow family group began shouting their opinions while being taken aback by the attitude of the opposite side.


    Some of them were preparing to attack since there was no need to leave witnesses alive. But at no time had they thought that the enemy side would be the first to attack!


    With that, some were already quickly thinking about the possibilities for this sudden behavior change while also circulating their energies.


    "Tsk!"


    "It makes no difference... I will keep one of you alive and then get the information my way!" The strongest one there said that already heading towards those attacking him, intending to kill them!


    "Humph!"


    "Not with me here!"


    But as the two groups began to fight, just as that Spiritual King was about to hit one of the vital points of the strongest Sergeant there, a female voice came from far away.


    "What?"


    "Damn it! We''ve been caught in the enemy''s trap!" Someone there screamed in desperation as he saw giant hands of spiritual energy descending through the sky, coming to knock them out.


    At this moment, when they were focused entirely on the ''travelers'' from before, they became easy targets for Eda, who was stronger than the leader of those individuals!


    ''Damn it!'' That Spiritual King pressed his jaw hard as he looked sadly at Eda, feeling frustrated at being surprised like that.


    ''Who... Who are those people?'' He wondered just before finally passing out.


    After that, each of those individuals coming from the Snow Kingdom was lying on the ground, passed out after the knockout given by Eda.


    "You guys did well in dealing with these people. We even got crucial information from them!" Eda commented right after approaching those individuals.


    She was all the time watching that group from afar, preparing to act at the sign of any trouble. And since her hearing and spiritual sense were far superior to that of the opposing leader, she had done so unnoticed, having been able to hear all the previous dialogue.


    And knowing what had been discussed between those people, Eda knew that the best thing to do here was to take those people from the Snow family.


    "Come on, carry those people to the base." She said to those soldiers just before returning to her post.


    ...


    While Eda was dealing with those members of the Snow family who had appeared in Yellow City, Minos was looking after the affairs of war at his army headquarters.


    "Young master, we have information of some enemies demonstrating somewhat suspicious behavior," Joey said to Minos while sitting across the desk in Abby''s office.


    Upon hearing this, Minos looked carefully at that man, not understanding what such a person was about to inform him.


    "Can you give me more details about this?"


    "Well..."


    "Some enemies are fighting as if they don''t want to defeat us, to kill our soldiers."


    "We have received several reports of soldiers who were about to die on the battlefield and were saved by opponent ''mistakes''. Or even their opponents simply backed off when these soldiers could no longer fight."


    "What? Are you serious?" Minos asked in shock, realizing that that army assembled with the troops of the noble families of the Brown Kingdom did not seem very united.


    ''Could it be that some people are dissatisfied with their position? Do they wish to change something?''


    "Are there any similarities between the cases reported by the soldiers?" He asked.


    "Hmm, there is."


    "The soldiers who reported these things described the enemies who were facing them in these situations carried the same symbol."


    "That symbol looks like it belongs to House Austin!" Joey said confidently, feeling that there was no mistake in the information.


    "House Austin... Don''t tell me they want to change sides?" Minos said aloud as his expression suddenly lightened.


    "Contact the Miller and Gill families. Let''s see what they have to say about this organization..."


    "Maybe we can get one more ally in this war!"


    "Yes, young master."

 Chapter 790 - A Clash Of Royal Houses!

    Two days later...


    After dispatching his previous orders to Joey, Minos had finally received contact from the secret base in Yellow City.


    And in this notice, Eda had warned this sovereign about the unexpected meeting that had taken place in Yellow City, as well as new information from House Miller.


    The first part of the warning carried the good news that this young man had been waiting months from the Hayes family, the organization in pursuit of the Chambers family survivors.


    But things had turned out differently than Minos had anticipated, and that other organization had done that job for him!


    When he had played the Snow family against House Chambers, he could not have known the exact implication of that situation.


    The Snows could merely kill important members of House Chambers, or they could do nothing of the sort. As such, there was no way for him to know at the time what would happen, much less wait for such information to come from this Snow Kingdom family.


    Consequently, all this time, he was counting on the actions of House Hayes to get that information!


    But most surprising of all was the fact that the Snow family members themselves had come to him with the information that they had the location of the Scourges of the Devil.


    Minos had not expected this!


    After all, they were on opposite sides now and might soon even have to face each other on battlefields.


    In any case, he had been very pleased with what had recently happened in that city in the Kingdom of the Waves. Previously, he had thought about the chance of the Snow family having this information, but he could not be sure.


    Dean could have endured enemy interrogation or even not had the knowledge about the Scourges of the Devil headquarters location.


    But upon receiving that warning from Eda, young Stuart was reassured about such a matter.


    Now he just needed to deal with his war of independence peacefully. Then, he would visit the Snows and gather such information when he had the opportunity!


    But unfortunately, life was not made only of good things. And the same was true for the notice sent by Eda.


    In addition to this good news, Eda informed that King Brown was coming to the Black Plain to face him!


    The Miller family had not taken long to send such information from the moment the representatives of the other royal families had arrived in the capital of the kingdom.


    And since now they should already be on their way to this place, this was terrible news for the Black Plain!


    ...


    After digesting the warnings sent by Eda, Minos had left his headquarters and was now moving through Dry City.


    With the information about the imminent arrival of dozens of Spiritual Kings and tens of thousands of Spiritual Generals, this young man could not help but activate his defensive planning.


    From their information, the counter-revolutionary group assembled by the Brown family was marching toward Dry City to attack this place with full force.


    They wanted to test the power of this place at once, to finally appeal for extreme measures.


    If necessary, of course.


    In any case, at first, something like this had little chance of happening since Minos had troops spread over this territory and had land advantages.


    But with such strong groups moving together, Minos could not risk letting his soldiers and investments get run over by his enemies.


    The opposite of that, he could only prepare to fight in the vicinity of this city, where the local defenses would greatly help them in the battle.


    Therefore, he was acting at the moment in search of the best possible outcome for this tremendous first ordeal that he and his city had to go through.


    There were already several Sergeants around the outer area of this city, and dozens of local Spiritual Kings were all already ready for action.


    Among them was Emlyn, who at the moment was waiting for the time to act in Beast Park.


    And as he walked around this city, Minos was finalizing the last preparations for the impending confrontation.


    ...


    "Make arrangements so that the locals are not in the vicinity of the outside areas when everything starts," Minos said to one of the people accompanying him.


    "OK, young master."


    As they walked through one of the outermost areas of Dry City, Abby and Ruth were standing there with Minos and some soldiers, constantly discussing these actions with this young man.


    "Minos, do you intend to use these local defenses at the beginning of the conflict?" Ruth asked in doubt. "Won''t that be too dangerous?"


    "I will use those defenses yes, after all, that is what they are for..."


    "But that won''t be so bad for us."


    "The enemy side has only one person capable of destroying a part of the large local defensive barrier. But, on the other hand, I already know where the weapons capable of damaging my defensive dome will be."


    "So, the danger should not be as great as you think."


    "Are you sure? The enemy side will still have thousands of people capable of weakening those defenses." She said, still unsure.


    "Don''t worry, Ruth. The battle will be difficult, but Dry City has little chance of suffering from the conflict." Abby commented in support of her boyfriend''s plans.


    "We only have to endure the fight until Minos, and his group deals with King Brown. Once that happens, the enemy retreat will most likely happen."


    "Oh?" Ruth then looked at Minos. "Are you confident of that? He is a level 59 Spiritual King, and it is not an exaggeration to consider him at the peak of that level." So, she said, quoting the empire sects'' information about the regional leaders.


    "Well, I can''t be sure until I meet him. But Celeste, Angela, Emlyn, and I will be facing him. So, I think our chances are not bad." He commented on this plan of action of his army.


    Since the enemy wanted to devastate this place with a powerful attack, Minos could only think of the strategy that had the best chance of making the other side retreat. And that was to kill the enemy leader!


    Hence, he wanted to gather the three strongest people in this city to deal with that person.


    As long as they were successful, they would not have to deal with such decisive attacks until the Counter-Revolutionary Statute came into play.


    Anyway, while they talked about these plans, someone from the local government headquarters suddenly came to where they were.


    Such a person had an edition of the Northern News in his hands and had a smile on his face, eager to hand this newly arrived edition to Minos.


    "Young master, it seems that our plans for the Snow family have finally been completed." He said amidst his irregular breathing.


    "Oh?" Minos frowned as he looked at one of that individual''s hands. ''A newspaper...''


    "What happened?" Ruth stepped forward and asked in curiosity.


    Upon hearing this, such a person opened that roll of paper, leaving the cover face to face with the eyes of those people in Minos'' group. "The Cromwell family has attacked House Snow!"


    ''A Clash of Royal Houses!'' the news headline stated.


    "Oh?"


    "What?"


    "So, they truly did it... It seems the Cromwells are more decisive than we thought."


    "Hmm, army intelligence already expected some retaliation, but it''s a surprise that they acted that way."


    Several people commented on this as they looked at the tiny letters highlighting how the Cromwell family had done it.


    They had decisively attacked several Snow family posts at once, creating quite a mess in the Snow Kingdom, where the ruling family had lost a few thousand members!


    Not only that, six Spiritual Kings had been killed in that retaliatory attack by House Cromwell!


    As they watched the portrayal of a part of the confrontation, a warship with the House Cromwell symbol attacking the shores of that state, some of those soldiers could not help but smile.


    "It seems that the Cromwells are eager to see the young master climbing to the top of the region..."


    "They even helped us in delaying the Counter-Revolutionary Statute!"


    "Hehehehe."


    Hearing this, Minos just smiled, not saying anything unnecessary. It was really to his advantage that these two families would be in a disagreement for at least some time!


    ''With that, those two organizations probably won''t be able to pay attention to the Black Plain for at least a few months....'' He pondered in satisfaction before finally continuing his matters concerning the impending battle.

 Chapter 791 - Arriving At The Black Plain

    Two more days passed...


    By now, Minos'' forces were in position around Dry City, waiting for the arrival of the enemy troops.


    Due to the warnings from the Miller family, young Stuart''s organization knew that the enemies would finally arrive at this place between today and tomorrow. Consequently, there was no more time to waste, and more than 20,000 people from his city were already prepared for the conflict.


    Most of these individuals were members of the Gill family, a subordinate organization of Minos. But almost a quarter of these troops were soldiers from the Black Plain Army.


    The Black Plain Army already has over 6 thousand Spiritual Generals at the moment. And since most of those numbers were either in Dry City or around the Black Plain previously, they had all returned to help in the conflict that would take place here.


    As for those in the posts in Yellow City, City of Waters, and the naval base, they were still following their operations, waiting for the right time to act.


    Those at the naval base were concerned with defending that important outpost and repairing the previously damaged and collected warships.


    As for the other two posts, they were waiting for the development of the war to continue to get involved in this conflict.


    It was not wise to use all the pieces at once, and as such, the minority of the Black Plain Army soldiers in those places would not get involved in this major conflict.


    Anyway, with the expectation of a great battle approaching, the thousands of people around Dry City were waiting in tension, nervous for what would happen next!


    ...


    While Minos'' soldiers and subordinates were waiting for the worst, a few dozen kilometers east of Dry City, one of King Brown''s three large enemy groups was marching there.


    In such a place, a group of more than 30 thousand warriors could be seen passing through that lifeless part of the Black Plain.


    More than a thousand carriages, hundreds of beasts, and even a few dozen of flying beasts were in the group in question!


    With all that, if one were to pass through that area at the moment, one would see an incredible view, rarely seen in this part of the Central Continent.


    But as this impressive group of warriors moved away, leaving a curtain of dust behind, the 28 specialists in such a grout were flying over the place on top of their mounts.


    Of these 28, 5 were not actual members of this counter-revolutionary force. Instead, they were the representatives of the royal families who were here to observe the battle.


    The Counter-Revolutionary Statute was a serious thing. It would be a shame if it were summoned to be used for whatever reason by royal families of this region. So, if one wanted to invoke it successfully, one would need evidence about the rebellion to be fought.


    For this, these royal representatives were here!


    But since their families had not yet decided to join the Brown family, the statute was not yet in effect, and none of them needed to fight in this place.


    Consequently, this group had only 23 Spiritual Kings who would actually go to battle when the time came.


    "How much longer before we reach our destination, General Hannibal?" King Brown asked one of his high-level subordinates.


    The king had not passed through the Black Plain for so long that he did not even know how to locate himself in these areas, that now he was trying to fight separatist movements.


    So, he could not help but inquire about this very relevant question.


    "It won''t be long, Your Majesty. At our current speed, we will arrive in the vicinity of Dry City in three hours." The level 56 Spiritual King said this after thinking for a short moment.


    He was not used to this part of the Brown Kingdom either. But as someone who constantly traveled through that part of the Central Continent, he more or less had a good sense of where Dry City was.


    "That''s good!"


    After that, a brief silence arose until one of those representatives asked something. "Where is London? Won''t he be joining our group?"


    "He will join our attack, but he is leading the group that is going to Dry City from the north."


    "On the other hand, Patriarch Miller will attack from the south, with the group of 25,000 men he is leading." The king informed such an individual, speaking of the numbers involved in this attack.


    The number of people involved with this attack was around 80,000, almost all being Spiritual Generals. But in addition to this impressive force, 85 Spiritual Kings were accompanying these thousands of Counter-Revolutionary Army members!


    "I see..."


    "Well, I must say that I am surprised by all that power. You truly aren''t underestimating the forces on the Black Plain!" The Stone family representative said this, surprised.


    That formation could even challenge a royal family!


    As such, he could not help but be impressed by how much power King Brown was willing to put in even at the beginning of the Black Plain''s war of independence.


    It must be said that wars usually lasted from months to years. So, to already start by using so much power meant a lot!


    ''Will our friends in Dry City survive?'' Such a representative thought to himself while betting with himself on what would happen at the end of this battle.


    On the other hand, while that person was thinking about Minos, another representative kept looking at the Snow family member.


    ''Looks like he hasn''t found out anything yet...'' As he looked at his enemy, such a person thought about that.


    ''But it seems that King Brown himself hasn''t found out about it yet...''


    ''Or did he find out but didn''t say anything on purpose?'' Such a representative of the Cromwell family thought about it to himself, as he pondered over the fact that his family should have already attacked House Snow by now.


    They had been traveling for a few days, and since the news about the Cromwell and Snow families'' conflict had just come out, it was not strange that these people focused on the Black Plain matter did not know anything yet.


    But as a member of House Cromwell, that representative was prepared to act as soon as he had the opportunity!


    ''If I have the opportunity, I will try to kill that Minos. Only then will I act against that person.'' So, he thought as he looked at that Snow family representative who was a level stronger than him.


    The Cromwell family did not care about the Black Plain, but they suspected Minos to be related to the Snows.


    Consequently, since this individual was here, he would try to eliminate the two enemies of his family!


    He already knew from information from House Brown that Minos was stronger than he was. But with King Brown here, as soon as such an individual put that young man at a disadvantage, he would act!


    Representatives in situations like these usually did not fight and were also not aimed by their opponents.


    After all, a rebel acting against one of these representatives was the same as drawing enemies to himself much faster!


    With that, this person wanted to use his advantages to solve some of his family''s problems.


    He then smiled and commented on what that representative had just said. "It''s imposing... But I hope that this action will solve the problem of the Black Plain."


    "My family don''t want it to last any longer than necessary, hehe."


    "Mine think so too."


    ...


    While those thousands of people were approaching the Black Plain, two people traveled through that territory on a large bird, heading toward Dry City.


    "Miss, let''s go back!" The man guiding that flying beast commented nervously.


    "I feel like we won''t have a good time in that place!"


    "War and death are upon this territory, Miss. The dangers here are too great. I fear that... I''m afraid that..."


    "What is it, Harris? Are you afraid of dying?"


    "No, Miss Brooke, I do not fear death. What I fear is that I am not strong enough to prevent your death." He said, feeling bad about it all.


    "Not even the patriarch is safe..." He added as he remembered that such a person was accompanying the Counter-Revolutionary Army. "The family may very well end after today, Miss."


    "We shouldn''t be here!"


    "No, that is why we are here!" She said with conviction, looking away and seeing the shadow of the Dry City dome.

 Chapter 792 - Reunion Before The Battle

    Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Dry City...


    Tens of thousands of soldiers from the Black Plain Army were standing in a specific spot beside the local wall, observing the surroundings as they waited for the decisive moment.


    In that area, individuals such as Pyke, Barbara, Robin, i.e., members of the Elite Squad were standing silently, looking at the surroundings, from which one could already see a long dust curtain approaching them.


    At the same time, some Spiritual Kings from Dry City were in that group, people who would deal with the enemy experts in the impending battle.


    But obviously, not all the experts or members of the Elite Squad were there. After all, Minos and the administration of his army knew that the attack would come from three directions.


    Consequently, the forces involved in this confrontation that was about to begin were divided into three main groups.


    The first, commanded by Minos, where Pyke and company were, was the main one, the one that was in place to deal with the enemy team coming from the east, which King Brown was commanding.


    The second, commanded by the patriarch Gill, where some members of the Miller family were, was the group that would have to deal with the enemy coming from the north, which was under London Brown.


    Some of the Millers in Dry City had already learned many of the Silver-grade combat techniques necessary to fight without being identified by enemies through their techniques. Hence, they were able to join the battle.


    And even if one could identify a cultivator by his spiritual fluctuation, only four members of the Miller families would participate in this confrontation. But, on the other hand, since all of them had improved their strength in their time in Dry City, the chances of them being recognized here were not high.


    In any case, the only ones who might recognize them were some of the enemies, the ones they would strive to eliminate in this battle.


    With that, Minos and these members of Abby''s family were betting that this involvement of theirs would not be noticed.


    On the other hand, Minos did not have many options here. The current situation was terrible, after all.


    Hence, this was a necessary bet that had little chance of failure, so he could not afford not to use such an option! ;


    Finally, the third attack group was being led by some of the Stokes family members. ;


    Previously Celeste had gone to Stone Island and left three members of that family under the care of House Nash while she returned to the naval base. After that, these people came to Dry City as soon as they had the opportunity.


    Because of this, now that the war had begun, they had decided to stay on the Black Plain to help in this great battle. ;


    And precisely, the strongest of those three was leading the group that would fight the opponents coming from the south, those led by the Miller family.


    Considering this, this was the weakest group of all, those who had the minor challenging objectives to achieve.


    Anyway, the army was ready to act with this formation while the enemy was getting closer and closer to Dry City!


    ...


    ''King Brown is truly lucky...''


    While observing the situation of the ''visitors'' from a distance, Minos thought about this in silence as he thought about his current level.


    ''If they had come a week later, things would be quite different.'' He thought about it seriously, feeling that his level was about to increase to level 51.


    And considering how much power he would gain from this advancement, he could not help but lament the fact that King Brown came here today and not a week in the future. ;


    He would be strong enough to fight such an individual alone by then!


    But plans do not always go as planned, nor does the world turn according to his wishes.


    And knowing this, he could only admire how lucky Thomas Brown was to have the chance to face him today when he was still unable to kill a level 59 enemy on his own.


    "Ah, how frustrating..." He muttered in a low voice, just after sighing in defeat.


    ''If I can''t kill him today, I feel like it won''t be so easy to accomplish that even after my breakthrough...''


    "Minos, are you okay?" Abby asked, interrupting her boyfriend''s thoughts soon after seeing him with a sad expression.


    He then looked at Abby and the other people in that group and said. "Yeah, I was merely thinking about my bad luck... But anyway, we can still beat it!" ;


    "You think we can beat him?" Celeste asked as she referred to an enemy she had never imagined she would face in her life.


    "It depends on his techniques..."


    "Unfortunately, that person hasn''t fought for a long time, and we don''t have the necessary data for me to analyze his combat style, weaknesses, and strengths. So, depending on how he is now, even if he is not able to kill us, it may be that he is strong enough to resist our combination."


    "That is, in addition to technique, he probably has one of the highest-ranked sets of equipment in the region..."


    "It will be hard to penetrate his skin!" He commented as he looked at Angela and Emlyn, that were also standing there.


    But while they were talking about this opponent, a dot appeared in the sky, descending rapidly towards the east exit of the wall.


    "What is that?"


    "Is it the enemy strategy?"


    "Stand on guard, everyone! Prepare for action!"


    Several shouts sounded through that area, while the figure of a large bird with two people on its back became clearer and clearer to those individuals.


    ''This...'' Minos looked at that without understanding what was happening.


    That made no sense to be the work of the enemy he was about to face. After all, no such opponent would ever underestimate him like that!


    It was simply impossible for a single person to hinder Minos'' forces in any significant way.


    There was even a possibility of this happening. Still, King Brown himself would have to come here and then sacrifice himself.


    Such a possibility was beyond what Minos and his companions could handle! ;


    The sacrifice of a level 59 Spiritual King would be enough to destroy the entire defensive dome and kill almost all of these troops in this eastern outpost of Dry City!


    However, the cost of that would be sky-high!


    Therefore, Minos, although he did not understand what was going on, knew that this could not be King Brown''s doing!


    "What?"


    But it did not take long for him to understand what was happening.


    After a little more than 3 minutes, the bird finally came close enough to where Minos'' group was that they all could see those two people.


    One was a middle-aged man, who they had readily sensed was at level 53. The other was a brown-haired, level 44 young woman who wore a long black cape covering almost all of her body.


    But some people in that place could recognize this young woman perfectly well.


    "Brooke?" Abby, Minos, and Celeste said, at the same time, upon seeing that face.


    Meanwhile, one of the Spiritual Kings, a little further away from Minos, was already running towards that place to knock out those two newcomers.


    Whoosh!


    Clang!


    However, in trying to do such a thing, that Spiritual King only ran into young Stuart''s sword in the middle of the way just as he was about to hit his targets.


    "Come back!" Minos said without caring about that attack.


    But before Minos even heard his soldier''s voice, he made a quick move, attacking that Spiritual King standing next to Brooke.


    "Cough!"


    After being punched hard in the stomach, such an individual coughed up blood and collapsed on the spot, right below his beast, who at the moment was pissing itself in fear.


    "This will hurt a little, but hang in there," Minos said to such a person before finally kicking him in the direction of where his soldiers were standing.


    After that, Minos put Brooke on his shoulder, barely giving her time to acknowledge him or say anything.


    "Bird, follow me, or you will die." ;


    Upon hearing this, that bird trembled in fear before finally following Minos back to where he was previously.


    Meanwhile, Brooke struggled as Minos carried her on his shoulder, constantly trying to kick the young Stuart but only managing to move in a way that cheered up the soldiers nearby.


    "Let me go, you brute!"


    "I''m here to see my friend! He''s the ruler, and he won''t let you get away with it!" She said to Minos, not recognizing this young man due to his absurd strength and level beyond normal.


    Pa!


    Minos then slapped one of Brooke''s lower cheeks and laughed. "For I want to see what he''s going to do!"


    "I just slapped his friend''s ass.... Will I lose my hand?"

 Chapter ?793 Futile Attempt And Drama

    Chapter ?793 Futile Attempt And Drama


    Upon feeling Minos'' slap, Brooke immediately blushed in shame, stopping struggling as she was carried.


    After that, the two arrived at the side of where Minos and his group previously stood, waiting for the battle that should not take long to start.


    "Ahh!" She shouted in surprise shortly after being placed on the ground.


    Brooke then stared at Minos'' young face as she ran her hands through his curly brown hair, noticing his similarities to the person she was looking for.


    "You..."


    "Minos!" She said in shock, as the shame of having had part of her body touched went away, being replaced by surprise and then awe.


    She had taken a risk in coming all this way to try to talk to Minos, to try to get him to change his mind about all this.


    War was a horrible thing, and not only would her family be significantly damaged in all of this, but Minos would also have very significant losses.


    Maybe even some of them could not be recovered!


    Perhaps his life!


    Moreover, if this continued, there might come a day when the two would have to be on opposite sides of the battlefield, which this young woman sincerely did not want.


    That was why she had naively come all this way.p????-?????.???


    With that, considering that Brooke had already seen one of the enemy groups marching here, she could not help but feel fearful.


    She was surprised that Minos was already strong, only a step away from reaching level 51, which was already much more substantial than her traveling companion. But in the group she had seen, King Brown was present!


    With that, there was not much hope for Minos.


    "It''s good to see you, Broo..."


    "Forget about it, Minos!"


    "You guys have to give up this war of independence! The Brown family group is too strong, and you won''t be able to stand the pressure!" She said in a hurry, without even observing her surroundings, where her mother was next to her.


    She had barely observed her surroundings when Minos released her. All she had thought about at that moment when she was placed on the ground was looking at the person who had touched her in that shameless way.


    After that, her other feelings had made her only pay attention to young Stuart.


    So, she had barely paid attention to any of the faces around her.


    As for Abby, this young woman was wearing protection around her head to cover her face and hair, the latter easily associated with members of the Miller family.


    Therefore, even if Brooke had been paying attention to her surroundings, she still would not recognize this young woman standing right in front of her. p???? ?o???


    Anyway, after Brooke said those words, everyone in the surroundings strangely looked at her, as if they were looking at a child trying to get involved in the adults'' problems.


    Brooke did not seem to know anything about what was happening on the Black Plain nor about how far Minos had already gone.


    ''Does she think there''s a way back for that?'' Some there thought, considering that the Brown family would never agree to forget their losses. Even more so, assuming that they believed they could fight and defeat Minos'' group.


    On the other hand, Minos'' group had good reasons to fight, besides the fact that the war itself could be considered a good opportunity for the Black Plain.


    Not only could they absorb the wealth of their defeated enemies, but they also could get the prestige inherent in similar situations.


    After a war of independence in this region, a territory recognized as a state would already be born as the strongest kingdom, with the highest regional prestige and morale!


    On the other hand, a territory that ascends without great trials would undoubtedly be a state that would have to deal with many problems until it proved itself.


    Which of the two ways was better?


    It was hard to say, but since they were already in a war of no return, fighting the war to the end seemed the best!


    Hence, everything Brooke was saying; her requests, seemed futile in the face of reality.


    "I''m sorry, Brooke, we will not stop. On the contrary, we will fight until the Brown family acknowledges its defeat, surrenders to my organization." Minos said this as he looked eye to eye with his old friend from his spiritual academy days. ¦Ñ???????????


    "Uh?"


    "Brooke, this is no time, no place for you to talk nonsense!" Then, finally, this young woman''s mother said something, lecturing her daughter. "You shouldn''t even have come here, but since you did, be quiet and behave yourself!"


    Upon hearing such a comment, such a tone of voice, Brooke suddenly turned to the side where Celeste was standing and looked at her incredulously.


    "What?" After saying that, Brooke took two steps away from her mother, recognizing this person.


    "You!"


    "Why are you here?" She asked in a tone that carried anger, hard to miss.


    And it was no different for the expression on this young woman''s face.


    Suddenly Brooke seemed to have seen the most disgusting thing in her life, something that was making her sick just looking at it, outraged at the presence of this person right here.


    And for being a woman, Brooke could not help but notice the details and understand everything going on. ''This woman is wearing the uniform of those soldiers of Minos!''


    "Brooke, now is not the time to..." Celeste was about to say something but was soon interrupted.


    "You bitch!"


    "I can''t believe you''re trying to steal everything that''s mine!"


    "First, it was my husband. Now you''re standing next to my friend..."


    "Don''t tell me you want to distance him from me?" She said this, but soon her eyebrows rose in astonishment as a particular thought crossed her mind. "Don''t tell me this is all your doings?"


    "You want to play Minos against the kingdom, destroy our family... Is that it?" She asked as the veins in her neck trembled with her voice.


    "What is she talking about?"


    "Hey, are you understanding something?"


    "No. I was just about to ask you the same..."


    Several people close enough to that place to hear Brooke''s voice began to wonder about this, not understanding what this young woman was talking about.


    ''And to think Lieutenant Celeste had such a story...''


    ''I guess everyone has their faults, after all!''


    ''Such drama!''


    ''I thought today was a day for killing and dying, but we had something to amuse us, haha...''


    And while those people in the surrounding area were thinking about the discussion Brooke was already having with her mother, Minos and Abby watched this in silence.


    ''Looks like Brooke hasn''t gotten over her hatred for her mother...'' Abby thought to herself, worrying about this friend of hers.


    On the other hand, Minos was more concerned about other things. ''Ahh, that will give me a headache.''


    "Enough!" Finally, the young sovereign stepped forward and made those two shut up before Brooke jumped on Celeste and tried to hurt herself by provoking such a person.


    "Brooke, since you have come all this way, I am sorry, but you will not be able to return to your family. So, from today on, you will stay in Dry City until we win the war."


    "And since we don''t have time to talk now, I feel I will have to seal your cultivation and have someone accompany you to my residence." Then, without waiting for that young woman''s consent, he said this, already placing an array around her neck.


    "Uh?" She stated in surprise as she realized that Minos had already placed something on her neck.


    "Minos! This viper is tricking you!"


    "No."


    p????-?o??? "Don''t blame your mother for this, Brooke. I was planning this even before I invited her into my army."


    "Anyway, get used to the idea of living with her since you will have to live in the same city as Celeste from now on."


    "Finally, Brooke, I will ensure the safety of you and your fellow travelers." He said as he pointed to the Spiritual King from before and the beast near them. "But I do not promise the same for the people of your family on the battlefield."


    "I hope we don''t meet any of your relatives on the battlefield, but if it happens, know that we won''t hold back just because you''re here."


    "After all, we are enemies!"

 Chapter 794 The Beginning Of The Great Battle

    Chapter 794 The Beginning Of The Great Battle


    After hearing Minos'' voice, Brooke had a sad expression on her beautiful face in disbelief of what her old childhood friend had told her.


    But she did not have much time to talk more with Minos when someone took her to the post where the weaker soldiers who would not participate in this conflict were.


    For the time being, Brooke would be escorted to Minos'' residence, where she would be under house arrest until he returned from battle.


    With that, that young woman could only feel the apprehension of knowing that the chances of her and her family losing something today were not slight.


    Brooke naturally had no great love for the specialists in her family, as well as would be true any young member of organizations like hers. She would, of course, feel bad if her family lost such people since it would mean that their power would be less.


    But this was purely for the organization''s sake, her immediate family members, herself. Like most nobles of her age, she valued the symbolism of having specialists. Still, she would not particularly mourn the death of the specialist ''x'' or ''y''.


    So, her concern upon hearing Minos'' comment was not because of her great love for the specialists of her organization, but because of what it would mean for the organization itself!


    Sure, there was her father, the person she truly cared about, who was unfortunately in King Brown''s group.


    But other than that, she was only worried about the destruction this would mean for her noble house.


    "Minos!" She cried out with tears in her eyes as she was pushed further and further away from that place where he was.


    ...


    More than an hour later...


    While the Black Plain Army and allies were waiting for the moment to act, the tens of thousands of opponents had arrived in the vicinity of Dry City!p????-?????.???


    From the positions Minos'' soldiers and allies were in and out of the local defensive dome, they could all see the masses of enemies to the rear of that area.


    ''And to think there would be so many...'' One of the many soldiers in that city thought to himself as he saw so many warriors in the distance.


    They knew of the enemy numbers, but it was hard not to be surprised by such grandiose troops.


    It was unusual to witness situations like this, after all!


    Consequently, many besides that soldier could not help but feel chills at the sight of that many opponents.


    ''It''s a good thing we have this great barrier... Otherwise, this would be a massacre!''


    At the same time, as many soldiers were feeling the natural tension of the moments before battles, the enemies finally stopped advancing.


    At that moment, the most substantial specialists of that group led by Thomas Brown stopped in front of those masses, still under the winged beasts that held them in the air, in privileged positions.


    ''So, this is Dry City!'' King Brown thought to himself, looking deeply into the defensive dome of that place and seeing many buildings near the edges of that circular area.


    ''I don''t even need to enter this city to know that the local development is awe-inspiring!''


    ''Looks like the Night News didn''t lie about that...'' So, he considered as he analyzed such a thing.


    ''But where are the plantations in this place? That whole city can''t have been built on small food exports...'' p???? ?o???


    ''They would need at least a few tens of thousands of hectares for that...''


    ''But I don''t see anything nearby...''


    "Strange, very strange." He said in a low voice, drawing attention from some people in his surroundings.


    "Is there a problem, Your Majesty?" One of the Generals of the royal guard asked upon hearing that.


    "It''s nothing. I just thought that the surroundings of Dry City should be a little greener..."


    "But it doesn''t matter. We will discover the secrets of this place sooner or later..."


    "So, let''s get straight to what matters!" He said loudly for everyone there to hear him. "Get into positions!"


    And immediately after this was said, many individuals standing nearby began to enter the battle formation, preparing for what was to come next.


    "Did you hear His Majesty, you bastards? Hurry, we have no time for nonsense!"


    "Get the cannons ready to fire as fast as possible!"


    "Get in position to fight! The enemy can act at any moment!"


    "Pay attention to the next warnings!" ¦Ñ???????????


    Several expert voices sounded throughout that area as the masses of soldiers in that group of the Counter-Revolutionary Army began to prepare.


    They need to complete many tasks for their attack to have the best possible chance of success. For example, destroying at least a portion of that defensive dome would prevent the enemy from hiding there.


    King Brown himself could destroy part of those defenses if he wished so. But doing that would be costly for him, making it impossible for him to fight on equal terms against regional peak experts.


    He could not absorb spiritual energy from others, as in the case of young Stuart!


    Consequently, they needed to use other strategies before even thinking of this possibility.


    But besides destroying a part of the enemy''s defenses without dangerously compromising themselves, they also had to prepare for the enemy offensive!


    The local position was definitely in favor of the forces in Dry City, and the individuals on Minos'' side were aware of the arrival of these troops.


    That was an all-out attack attempt, something intended to suppress the opponents with tremendous pressure. So, there was no way to be discreet in this operation, something that would invariably put them in the enemy''s sights.


    As such, they had to be very careful at the beginning of the operation as the enemy would undoubtedly use every advantage to their benefit!


    Apart from this and other details, they would need to wait for signals from the other two groups, something necessary to start the conflict around this city.


    The best possible situation in an event like this was that the attacks happen simultaneously, increasing the chances of a successful attack, invasion, etc.


    After all, the more fronts the battle occurred on, the more overwhelmed the enemy!


    So, only when the three warning signs were given would the attack begin!


    Boom!


    Before long, the first warning, the audible alert from this leading group, reverberated through that area after the incredible explosion of a low-level grade-2 array a few hundred meters off the ground.


    And while the Spiritual Kings there waited for the following two warnings, some of them talked to Thomas about these enemies.


    "Your Majesty, will the traitor come to the battlefield?"


    "Hehe, I have the same doubt. But will a 21-year-old brat show up at such a grand event?"


    "He''s probably relying on the strength of his men!"


    Hearing these comments and questions, Thomas was not sure what to say. But, of course, none of them knew about Minos'' strength, since in none of the reports, news of recent battles, had that young man had had his level uncovered.


    And without this information, he was not sure whether Minos could participate in this confrontation.


    After all, a general did not always have to be at the front.


    But even if Minos was not in the battle that was sure to take place, this monarch already had a goal regarding this young man.


    "Minos Stuart, regardless of his level or presence in this battle, he is the greatest threat ever faced by our kingdom."


    "Therefore, I will do my best to kill him today!" He said firmly, while a murderous glint could be seen in his eyes.


    "In fact, if anyone identifies that person, kill him immediately."


    "We need not risk apprehending such an individual, taking him for trial. His death, whether by my hands or anyone else''s here, will already be a great relief to the kingdom..."


    "No, that will be a relief for the entire region." He finished, looking at the people in his group.


    Upon hearing this, the representative of the Cromwell family sharpened his gaze, looking once more at the Snow family member and then smiling. ''I''m glad King Brown understands his priority here...''


    But as these individuals prepared themselves after Thomas'' orders, what they had been waiting for the most, finally happened.


    Boom!


    The second warning came, and then, a few moments later, when one could still see the dust from the explosion in the southern part of that place, the last of the warnings finally came.


    Boom!


    Upon realizing this, thousands of people in the surrounding area began to shout in excitement, as the time for the start of this extraordinary confrontation was finally here!


    "Set!"


    p????-?o??? "Aim!"


    "Fire!"


    ...

 Chapter 795 The Battle Of Dry City: Hampering The Enemy

    Chapter 795 The Battle Of Dry City: Hampering The Enemy


    KA-BOOM!


    KA-BOOOOOOM!


    Several cannons were fired on the outskirts of Dry City, targeting different parts of the local defensive dome.


    At the same time, this was happening; the many soldiers and allies of Minos in the vicinity were already circulating their energies, waiting for the right moment to act.


    They were outnumbered, so they could not fight carelessly. Consequently, only by using strategy could they challenge this powerful force that was attacking them today.


    With that, they allowed the first wave of enemy attacks to hit the local defensive dome, which had precisely the primary purpose of protecting Dry City against such attacks!


    Thus the giant cannonballs fired at the local defensive dome quickly reached the safety limit of that device. Then, in the blink of an eye, opaque barriers appeared around that structure, covering all of Dry City.


    "What''s happening?"


    "That''s defensive dome! We are under attack!"


    "Ahh, it''s happening! It''s happening!"


    Several people in Dry City began to get nervous as they noticed the daylight fading in a single instant, while the typical twilight of the nights covered that urban area.


    They had already been warned that things would get a bit tumultuous in the next few days, as well as being warned to avoid staying near the local wall. But even so, many were still shocked to realize that such a thing was happening!


    "Mommy! Mommy, I''m scared!" A young girl walking back from the Dry City Preparatory Academy said next to a middle-aged woman.


    Such a person then stopped walking and knelt in front of her daughter, hugging her and saying some words of comfort. "Don''t worry, sweetheart. The local barriers will protect us."


    And then...


    Boom!p????-?????.???


    Boom!


    Suddenly, many explosion sounds arose for those inside that area, just when the many cannonballs started hitting the local defenses.


    Each time one of these cannonballs hit some point of that enormous barrier, the material that looked like an opaque gel shook vigorously while parts of it prolonged like a rubber band.


    After that, the cannonballs that could not overcome such defenses would explode into endless pieces, creating tiny cracks here and there in that structure.


    Boom!


    Boom!


    But defensive barriers created by medium-level grade-2 defensive arrays were not weak, and attacks like those needed many cannonballs to succeed!


    Consequently, despite the shock to the local population, the urban area of Dry City remained untouched while the defensive dome withstood the enemy offensive.


    "That''s the difference of us being in Dry City..." An elderly gentleman commented aloud as he stood in the middle of one of the most important streets of this place. "If it were in another city in the region, we would be exposed to that conflict!"


    "Oh?"


    ''That truly makes a big difference...''


    Several people thought of this as they watched such a thing develop in awe.


    And it was no different for the Brown family troops, who were looking forward to the partial destruction of that dome, something that would make an invasion attempt possible!


    ''Let''s see how long you can stand it, rebels...''


    ''Soon, you will lose this shell that gives you so much courage to challenge us... We will see if you are that good later!'' p???? ?o???


    Boom!


    Boom!


    While several of the soldiers of the Counter-Revolutionary Army were thinking such things, the explosions around specific points of that dome continued.


    However, this did not continue for long!


    At that moment, explosions appeared around the outside of the dome, around where Minos'' enemy forces were!


    BOOOOOOOOOM!


    In the blink of an eye, dozens of explosions took place, creating chaos among the soldiers led by King Brown. At the same time, curtains of smoke, flames, and dust began to spread around the area.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    "Ahhhhh!"


    "The rascals have set up explosion arrays around this area!"


    "Be careful!"


    "AHHHHHHHHHH!"


    "Help me! Help me!" Someone desperately screamed as he felt a hellish heat slowly melting his skin.


    Simultaneously with this individual screaming in agony and pleading for assistance, several others who Minos'' group''s initial action had hit were also yelling in desperation.


    However, in just a few seconds, hundreds of them had already died without even having a chance to show the world their despair! ¦Ñ???????????


    "Damn rebels!" Thomas Brown said in hatred, just after realizing that he had fallen into Minos'' trap.


    ''How could this brat do this? Did he spread explosive arrays all over the surroundings of this place?''


    ''No! No, impossible!''


    ''He can''t have that many crystals to put those arrays all over that area!''


    ''That would be far more than what even my family could invest in a single confrontation!'' He reasoned about it, trying to understand how Minos'' attacks could be so decisive against him.


    The Brown family group had tens of thousands of people, so even these explosions around that area were not enough to kill a significant number of them. However, it was impressive that the explosions in question happened when the barriers were reaching their limit and at critical places!


    With that, Minos'' side disrupted the attack by King Brown''s group and managed to knock out several of the troops around where the cannons were!


    It was as if Minos'' forces knew where they would be...


    And come to think of it, it was not impossible to figure out the places that were most likely to happen. After all, there were positions where weapons like cannons worked best.


    But that would involve an extensive area to be covered with explosives!


    Therefore, King Brown was shocked at the Black Plain''s precise accuracy.


    "That bastard truly likes to explode things!"


    "Your Majesty, we have to kill that demon!"


    "If we don''t deal with the damned rebels in that place as promptly as possible, I fear for the safety of the entire kingdom!"


    Several of the group leaders commanded by Thomas shouted such things, advocating for this king to use everything they had to oppress Dry City.


    But while they were talking about this, the fast attack groups from Dry City had already made their move amid the smoke in that area, directly attacking the enemy cannons!


    Swooish!


    Boom!


    Pow!


    Several sounds sounded through that area where the thousands of soldiers commanded by Thomas were, as many attacks cut through the air, moving quickly towards their targets.


    "Enemy attack! Get ready!"


    "Ahh! Fight for the kingdom! Kill the rebels!"


    However, even though many had already realized that enemies in the surrounding area were attacking them, such enemies were too quick. By the time those people realized it, everything had already happened!


    "Damn!"


    "My cannon, my cannon was damaged!"


    "Ahh! The same thing happened to mine!"


    "They just stole the last batch of cannonballs I had!"


    Several of those soldiers who controlled these weapons and survived the previous explosions shouted similar things as their hearts were filled with frustration.


    And while many were saying things like that, hundreds of soldiers from those invading forces were using their techniques to clear the area of the dust and smoke from before.


    p????-?o??? The vision of cultivators was excellent in the dark, but the same was not entirely true for dust and gas. After all, unless they had skills or techniques that made them see through things, it would be difficult to see through matter!


    That involved entirely different abilities than seeing in the dark!


    As such, many individuals quickly scrambled to improve their surroundings'' situation until daylight once again illuminated the entire space between them and the enemy barrier.


    And with that done, it was not long before the forces led by King Brown realized what was happening.


    ''They are not attacking us!'' So, one of the level 49 Spiritual Generals there thought to himself, realizing that the previous action was only to slow them down from destroying part of the local defenses.


    At that instant, the barrier around Dry City was still standing, with many cracks at specific points, but no points destroyed. At the same time, none of the enemies could be seen in the surrounding area, ahead of where the tens of thousands of people from that Brown family group were.


    ''Those cowards!''


    ''They dare to fight in such a lowly way!''


    "Damn rebels!" Thomas shouted in a fury, enraged by Minos'' actions.


    And while this king was trembling with rage, Minos was watching this with a smile on his face, feeling good that the land mine plan had narrowly worked out.


    ''Good thing we knew the exact direction they were coming from; otherwise, this wouldn''t have worked...'' He thought about it as he remembered that after those arrays had been activated, the explosions had only hit the vicinity of where the enemy weapons were.


    That had not destroyed them directly, but it had been enough to create chaos and disrupt the enemies who were handling and protecting those weapons!


    ''Now, what are you going to do?'' Minos asked in his mind as he looked in the direction where Thomas was standing.


    ''Will you sacrifice your energies to destroy part of the dome? Or will you make your many soldiers do it for you?''


    ...

 Chapter 796 The Battle Of Dry City: Extra Arrays

    Chapter 796 The Battle Of Dry City: Extra Arrays


    It did not take long for Minos to get the answers to his questions.


    Moments after Thomas Brown realized the extent of the enemy attacks on his forces, he quickly altered his plans, ordering his soldiers to begin plan B.


    Since he had come this far, obviously, he and his people would not be unprepared for a situation like the present one.


    Consequently, the Counter-Revolutionary Army group had alternative plans to use in this place if the situation changed in favor of the enemies.


    And Thomas'' response had been one of them, which Minos knew was very likely to be used in this situation.


    That was to use those thousands of people to attack the local defenses in an attempt to break through parts of that dome where they could invade Dry City!


    With that, in the blink of an eye, a few thousand soldiers from the forces led by Thomas Brown were advancing against the defensive dome as they circulated their energies, preparing to attack.


    A single level 59 Spiritual King would be able to destroy a barrier created with a medium-level grade-2 array. And since Minos'' enemy''s objective was to destroy some sections of that defensive dome, only a few thousand Spiritual Generals were enough to do such a job.


    After all, they did not need to destroy that entire dome since, besides being costly for their soldiers, that thing was too big, and they did not need that much space.


    It would be good if there were no such defenses in Dry City, as, in this case, they could directly attack the people in that city.


    p????-?o??? But since these barriers existed, just a minimal space would already be enough for their action today.


    Hence, King Brown was not willing to attack that defensive dome with the full force of his group!p????-?????.???


    That could be the enemy''s goal, something that, once done, would make it much easier for rebel resistance in this place!


    And with this in mind, Thomas watched his soldiers begin to attack that tremendous opaque barrier with everything they had.


    Many were working together, running and attacking toward similar points, something under the responsibility of different groups.


    Their attacks worked in a similar way to cannonballs. They would slowly damage parts of that barrier, creating cracks and stress points, until some sections of the dome were finally destroyed.


    Obviously, cannonballs were much more potent than these low-level human attacks. After all, those weapons had a higher rating than the barrier itself, ensuring that they would prevail over the arrays'' defenses over time.


    Even being of a level above those defensive arrays, the cannons and, of course, their cannonballs would need time to destroy something that was not so far below their level.


    Grade-2 items did not have such a big difference between them. That is, they were produced by people of intermediate levels, a range of power in which the exponential energy curve had not yet become so extreme.


    And due to the way the defensive arrays worked, even a weapon of a rank above their own could not destroy them in a single attack.


    Defensive arrays work like a living tissue that constantly remodels itself, covering holes and repairing cracks.


    For this to work, all they needed was time and spiritual energy!


    However, once attacked by an item of higher rank than theirs, these arrays would naturally take longer to recover than such a weapon would take to destroy it. p???? ?o???


    Therefore, cannons like those could defeat those defenses after some time!


    But regarding attacks from humans, unless the human had a power similar to the minimum of a high-level grade-2 weapon, as in the case of the level 59 Spiritual Kings, that would happen differently!


    The attacks of humans below that level could affect barriers raised by arrays of that rank. But the self-repair of these defensive items would be faster than the rate of damage caused by the attacks.


    Because of this, if lower-level people wanted to destroy defenses like those around Dry City, the number of cultivators would need to be much larger than the minimum to face a level 59 Spiritual King.


    Furthermore, they would need to focus their attacks on similar points so that the arrays behind those barriers would not self-regenerate in time!


    Therefore, those thousands of individuals displayed their most potent offensive techniques while targeting similar points of that part of Dry City''s defensive dome.


    Swooish!


    Pow!


    Boom!


    Several different sounds arose as distinct forms of energies approached their targets in the middle of each of the dome sections under the attacks.


    ''Those damn rebels must have used the same strategy against our other two groups...'' Thomas thought about this as he waited for the action of his soldiers to conclude. ¦Ñ???????????


    ''In that case, we probably won''t be able to count on a significant fraction of our forces to attack them during the battle of Dry City!''


    He then sharpened his eyes and looked deeply at the cracks that were rapidly spreading around certain parts of that dome. ''The rebel forces will probably take advantage of this to diminish our forces!''


    "Damn Minos!" He said right after gritting his teeth in hatred.


    He did not care if part of those Spiritual Generals died on the battlefield, doing so for the sake of the Brown family. But the feeling of losing thousands of individuals because of enemy attitudes bothered him a lot!


    "Damn dome!"


    "If this isn''t resolved today, I''ll have to see with your families methods to deal with it, or we''ll never have victory without heavy losses!" He said as he spoke to those representatives of the other regional royal families.


    "The cowardly Minos will not fight our way. He will always hide under his tortoiseshell."


    Hearing this, each of those people had their own thoughts, several of them agreeing with Thomas. Still, one sees the situation somewhat differently.


    ''Hehe, you calling him a coward is truly a joke!''


    ''You, of all, one that is oppressing with over 80,000 soldiers a city that, although decent, can barely be considered large... It''s amusing!''


    ''I bet there aren''t that many enemies in that place.'' The Stone family representative pondered this as he saw King Brown''s hypocrisy.


    He was not criticizing the Brown family''s action against a rebel. On the contrary, it would be logical to act in such a manner, and almost no one there, even he, would oppose a royal family crushing a rebel.


    But Thomas'' words, calling Minos a coward, that yes, was something hard to agree with considering that that king was taking such action.


    Or did Thomas think that Minos was a coward for not wanting to die at his hands?


    That was simply absurd!


    A worm naturally uses all its means to ensure its survival!


    And considering the favorable view of the Black Plain that the Stone family experts had, that man could not help but laugh in his mind over Thomas'' comment.


    ''On the other hand, the time is finally coming for me to meet the local powerhouse!'' Such a representative thought about that when he finally saw one of the dome sections being obliterated.


    At that moment, the opaque material that covered part of Dry City degraded to dust, giving a view of part of the interior of that defensive dome. From there, the tops of many buildings, a large tower in the background, and part of the wall around the city could be seen by these invaders attacking the Black Plain.


    "Finally!"


    "Prepare for battle!"


    "Hehehe, time for us to taste the rebel blood!"


    Several comments arose in the surroundings as Minos'' enemies began to move forward with their plans to invade that city, to fight a deadly battle nearby.


    However, as quickly as Minos'' soldiers in the surroundings began to exit through that opening made by the enemies, the leaders of the counter-revolutionary forces began to feel annoyed.


    "Why are those bastards smiling?" Thomas asked this in anger as he observed the expressions of the soldiers, allies, and Minos himself, who were already standing in front of that area.


    After that, in just a fraction of a second, the energy around the recently destroyed place suddenly shook as it went into refraction with the signs of a defensive array.


    And when they least expected it, the thousands of enemies running toward that place saw new barrier sections appearing where they had just destroyed!


    "What?"


    "How can that be? We just destroyed those damn sections!"


    Hearing this, Minos, who was only a few dozen meters from the enemies, could not help but laugh. ''Idiots!''


    ''You guys think I build a defensive dome like this and don''t even have a few extra arrays?''


    ''But of course, that was only effective thanks to my friends from the Miller family, hehehe.''

 Chapter 797 The Battle Of Dry City: War Machine

    Chapter 797 The Battle Of Dry City: War Machine


    In the blink of an eye, the 8,000 or so soldiers and allies of Minos who were in the group led by him rushed towards the enemies, ready to fight to the death for this city!


    Most of the 20,000 individuals from the local forces were here to deal with the team led by King Brown. As for the rest, 7,000 were in the group that was to fight against the forces led by London Brown, while the rest were in the southern outpost, from where the attack by the group led by the Miller family would come.


    In any case, the 8,000 cultivators were following in Minos'' footsteps toward the 30,000 or so opponents in this place, ready to kill those weaker enemies, especially those weakened by the previous mistake.


    A part of the group led by Thomas had exhausted their energies trying to destroy parts of the local defensive dome, that failure from before.


    And considering that the numbers in this conflict were disproportionately in favor of the invaders, Minos'' subordinates and allies could not fail to take advantage of this opportunity!


    King Brown had sacrificed such people the moment he had given the previous order. And since the people of Dry City were no fools, they could only finish the sacrifice initiated by Thomas by eliminating those poor bastards from this chaotic world.


    "Kill those people first!" One of the several soldiers of the Black Plain Army shouted while pointing at the enemies who had run and attacked in the direction of the dome earlier.


    Meanwhile, Minos was running at great speed while being closely followed by Celeste, Angela, and Emlyn, the only ones able to keep up with him in this place.


    But not only were they accompanying him at this moment because they were capable of it, but because besides having a common goal, they needed to walk side by side with Minos.


    After all, this was a very dangerous battlefield, and it would be dangerous for Minos to be alone.


    He was not famous, and his appearance was not similar to that of his father. But every expert in the place had already recognized this young man, the local ruler.


    And even if Minos were an unusual monster, if Thomas Brown came towards him with intent to kill, it would be problematic even for young Stuart!


    So, the three of them stood side by side with Minos, running towards their enemies, all ready for a high-level battle against their target.p????-?????.???


    However, while the three women were circulating their energies and preparing for the imminent fight against Thomas, Minos was already sending out many attacks, creating chaos on the battlefield.


    Young Stuart had the incredible advantage given by the Devouring Art, which gave him infinite spiritual energy, as long as there were enemies in his surroundings.


    Consequently, since spiritual energy was not a problem, he was already fighting with everything, killing his way through!


    There were many enemies there. That was undeniable. But, worse, his forces could not kill every one of these people!


    So much so that his plans involved forcing the enemy to retreat by killing King Brown.


    And precisely in this unfavorable situation, Minos was acting to lessen his disadvantage by eliminating part of the enemy Spiritual Generals on that battlefield!


    And hell, fighting weaker opponents in his condition was something easy to him!


    Infinite Dream!


    Minos'' eyes shone in rainbow colors as he looked to the side of the battlefield where many of the weaker enemies were, the ones who could easily fall for this technique of his.


    Immediately after a powerful stream of energy shot out of his eyes, immediately 32 opponents fell dead in the surrounding area. In contrast, the people in the area had barely noticed what had happened.


    However, Minos did not care about these small numbers and had barely paid attention to those his first targets.


    Spatial Sword! p???? ?o???


    He then, just a second after finishing off those opponents with a single glance, sliced the air with his two medium-level grade-2 swords, launching several attacks towards the enemy Spiritual Generals.


    But this time, he did not target the weakest of those individuals, but rather the strongest, those who would give his soldiers the most trouble.


    Previously, when using his mental technique, he had not done such a thing because Infinite Dream had a weakness related to his spiritual energy.


    If his level were not much higher than his opponents, this technique would be of little use in a battle with many enemies involved.


    So, in this situation in question, it was only worth using that technique against the weakest enemies there!


    In any case, it did not require much effort for him to use such a technique, so he had made use of it earlier when killing those 32 enemies.


    But for dealing with stronger people, the Spatial Sword was the most suitable since it did not have that weakness.


    This technique was brutal against opponents of equal or lower levels than its user!


    Consequently, thinking of slaughtering many of his enemies at once, young Stuart had soon created gigantic blades of spiritual energy, targeting those stronger Spiritual Generals.


    Swooish!


    Swooish!


    With that, quickly, the attacks sent by him were running their way towards their targets, terrifying many on the battlefield. ¦Ñ???????????


    "What?"


    ''Damn it! I can''t move!''


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    From then on, many individuals panicked as they realized that they either could not move due to the restrictive capacity of Minos'' technique or were too weak to react.


    Then, the first cries of pain erupted in that area, as many people died, and several suffered at least some kind of injury from Minos'' relentless attacks.


    But since there was no such thing as a little misfortune, the terror caused by Minos in this initial moment of battle was not over!


    As Minos continued to attack, constantly using those techniques, he moved rapidly through that area alongside his companions.


    But he was not just moving around without taking advantage of opportunities!


    With his top-notch defensive and movement techniques, at every moment Minos was passing dozens of opponents, launching deadly dangerous blows against those in his path.


    Indestructible Body!


    He circulated his energies into his defensive technique, making his body incredibly powerful while deftly moving and attacking an opponent in his path.


    Pow!


    Getting close to an opponent, Minos kicked him hard in the head, causing that person''s face to deform, just before he was thrown in the opposite direction of his opponent''s blow.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    And similar things were happening as this young man walked past his opponents, attacking them in the meantime while activating those other two long-range techniques.


    Infinite Dream!


    Spatial Sword!


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    ...


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    After almost a minute after the conflict had started, hundreds of bodies could already be seen in the vicinity of the defensive dome; people killed directly by Minos'' actions.


    Such a thing had happened very quickly, and when the enemy experts least expected it, the damage had already been done!


    "This..."


    "That can''t be! How can this be happening?"


    p????-?o??? "No! No, it''s only been a few moments, and this damned rebel has already killed over a thousand of our comrades!" One of the more vigorous Spiritual Kings in Thomas''s group said in terror, disbelieving all this in the surroundings.


    It had been genuinely terrifying!


    Minos looked like a war machine, killing everyone who stood in his way, eliminating the lives of his enemies as if he were a god of war.


    Just his glares alone had killed at least a hundred people on that battlefield, a terrifying thing in itself!


    ''And to think he''s already grown to this point...'' The Stone family representative thought to himself, impressed by the terrifying power displayed by Minos.


    They could sense that young Stuart was continuously stealing his enemies'' energies, something handy and skillful, which demonstrated his combat ability of a higher level.


    When attacking his opponents, at no time did Minos target those he was absorbing energies from. On the contrary, it was as if he was using such people as batteries and then leaving them behind for his soldiers to deal with after him.


    He was acting as efficiently as possible on this battlefield while eliminating as many enemies as he could, even though he was way ahead of the specialists on that team.


    It was awe-inspiring!


    As such, that Spiritual King could not help but be shocked by the capabilities of this young sovereign.


    On the other hand, King Brown was red with rage, furious as he realized Minos'' abilities and fighting mode.


    "Brat Stuart!" He shouted with the full force of his being, drawing the attention of the late Albert''s son.


    ...

 Chapter 798 The Battle Of Dry City: Facing The King 1

    Chapter 798 The Battle Of Dry City: Facing The King 1


    All this time since the beginning of the fight, King Brown and the other experts of that invading group were not letting Minos massacre their troops for pure ''fun.''


    On the contrary, they very much wanted to stop the massacre that such a young man was causing. Because, if Minos was left ''loose,'' in a few minutes, there could be tens of thousands of people dying in that place!


    Dead people from their group, to make matters worse!


    Considering this, having seen Minos'' unparalleled prowess, those people were already running towards him, intending to deal with him first.


    Previously they had already been running towards the enemies in that place, but their positions were not favorable.


    After all, they had previously given way to those first groups to attack Dry City, those who were acting for the sake of their objectives here.


    But this had distanced them from where Minos was, from where such brutality had happened!


    Because of this, they had watched all this without having the chance to help hundreds of their soldiers.


    And this only made their whole situation worse, making each of those specialists on King Brown''s side feel a taste of defeat, even though the battle had barely started.


    Thomas was the one who was most frustrated at this moment, seeing the ''error'' of his actions, Minos, right in front of him, slaughtering his men.


    He wanted to act against Minos first since this young man was important to the people of Dry City.


    Once he fell, the war could be over quickly.


    But even though he had rushed towards Minos, he had still failed to prevent the deaths of hundreds of Spiritual Generals. Because of this, he was ''on fire'' because of the anger of seeing someone weaker than him doing so much damage in this place.p????-?????.???


    "Brat Stuart!" He finally shouted this when he was only a few dozen meters away from Minos.


    Upon hearing this, Minos and his three partners prepared themselves to face such a person, staring in his direction and ignoring the rest of the people in the surroundings.


    "Looks like that old man isn''t going to make it easy for us, Minos." Emlyn commented as she looked at that person, the strongest enemy, the only one who made her feel unsafe here.


    "Hmm, but with the four of us, he''ll be dead in a few minutes!" Minos said in conviction as he looked at the man running towards them.


    King Brown was almost at the absolute limit of level 59, something quite common to see among the kings of this region, who continued to cultivate until they reached the limit of that level and then stopped.


    They stopped out of sheer fear of what might happen to them if they failed in an attempt to increase their cultivation stage.


    And as a result, the regional kings were mighty in this region since all regional variables would be below this level.


    But even with so much power, facing Emlyn, Angela, Celeste, and Minos at the same time would be extremely difficult. Because of this, that young man was confident in his mission.


    Even if to do so, they would have to fight such a person for some time!


    "Thomas Brown, I have already warned you what will happen to you if you stand against me." Minos said, recalling the ''gift'' he had previously sent to that person. "Today, you will die!"


    Upon hearing this, each of the other 27 experts in that group that came here with Thomas looked at Minos in an impressed manner.


    "Humph!" p???? ?o???


    "Does he think we''ll let him follow his plans?"


    "He is still very young, after all..."


    "The traitor will die for his arrogance!"


    The 22 experts who were here to fight said as they ran to that place, preparing to join King Brown.


    Minos wanted to fight a four to one fight against Thomas. But they, the enemy group, had more experts here than the Dry City side.


    As such, each of them was looking down on Minos, ready to spoil this young man''s plans.


    The Brown family group had 23 specialists, but Minos'' group had only 19.


    Among them were Abby, Vivian, Grace, Mendy, low-level Spiritual Kings.


    Minos could fight those much stronger than him. Those invaders knew that. After all, in addition to this young man''s violent action in the opening moments of the fight, they knew that young Stuart was the finalist of the Spiritual Tournament.


    Thus, when the invaders saw that Minos was already at level 50, one step away from the next level, they knew that only the strongest of them could defeat him.


    But was that true for the people in his group?


    It was not easy to fight against those of higher levels than your own! ¦Ñ???????????


    Consequently, the experts on the Brown family side were very excited for the battle, confident with their likely victory!


    "Today, we will show those damned rebels how to fight a war!"


    "Destroy the enemy forces!" One of them shouted in vigor as he ran toward Emlyn, intent on separating that strange beast from Minos'' group.


    However, as Thomas'' minions ran to join him, trying to separate Minos'' group and facilitate the conflict for them, the other Spiritual Kings of Dry City began to act.


    Among them were Ernest, level 52, Mirya, who, like this man, had had a recent breakthrough, being now at level 53. On the other hand, two Feathered Serpents and several allies who were at the intermediate levels of the 6th stage were also around.


    Many of them did not have Silver-grade techniques, but their opponents were not stronger than them either. After all, there were not many Spiritual Kings at the latter part of that stage in the Brown Kingdom!


    Therefore, the fight between experts was not as unbalanced as Minos'' enemy''s thought!


    "It won''t be so easy to get in the way of our plans!" One of the serpents said this before spitting in the direction of its enemies.


    On the other hand, as Minos'' forces began to run to fight off those trying to disrupt this young man''s plans, he and his group began to attack King Brown.


    p????-?o??? Thomas Brown was extremely fast and had a level of defense that Minos and his allies had never witnessed before. So, they had to use their combined powers to pressure this person and not allow him to attack them.


    The difference in levels was not slight, and once one of them became unable to continue fighting, it could be the end of their plans!


    Hence, only with the pressure that their enemy would barely ''breathe'' did this group have a chance to finish off such an opponent.


    That is what they were doing, with the four moving deftly around their target''s surroundings, constantly attacking him.


    Swooish!


    Ssss!


    Swooish!


    Pow!


    Boom!


    "Ahhhhhhhh!"


    ...


    "Ahhhhh, my hand!"


    "My hand!"


    While the various attacks of the four and the clashes in the surroundings created a series of sounds, the black ring characteristic of Minos'' technique continued to swirl around the weaker opponents there.


    He was fighting King Brown alongside those three women, and it would be of great help to them if he could weaken this opponent by stealing Thomas'' energies.


    However, the difference in levels between Minos and Thomas was simply more significant than the limit for this young man to steal energies from this person.


    Consequently, trying to use the Devouring Art against King Brown would be a foolish mistake by Minos. And precisely for this reason, he was acting against the enemy soldiers, those weak enough to lose their energies without causing difficulties for young Stuart.


    With this, Minos could freely use his energies without fear of becoming exhausted when facing this monstrous opponent, the first of this level that he had faced in his life.


    And in doing so, he could not help but scare his opponent even more!


    ''This rascal!''


    ''At such an age, being at level 50, and he already displays such sinister combat power!''


    ''What an abomination!'' King Brown thought about these things as he tried to dodge or defend himself from enemy offensives, difficult even for him to ignore.


    ''To make matters worse, this rebel is about to advance!''


    ''If that happens, I''m afraid I won''t be able to eliminate him without massive aids!'' His eyes flashed in killing intent as he sensed the threat that Minos posed.


    "Brat Stuart, you will die, no matter what it takes!"


    ...

 Chapter 799 The Battle Of Dry City: Intimate Matters

    Chapter 799 The Battle Of Dry City: Intimate Matters


    With that said, King Brown quickly began his attempt to move through the terrain to somehow get rid of the constant pressure from Minos'' team.


    With that group surrounding and attacking him all the time, Thomas could not counterattack nor even accomplish his goal of eliminating the local sovereign.


    He might be a powerful level 59 Spiritual King. Still, even he would be pushed that far when facing people with fighting proficiencies similar to levels 58 and 57.


    Besides, Minos'' side seemed to fight very well together, attacking at the best of times and supporting each other without significant flaws.


    All this was making life difficult for this King so that if he did not get rid of this enemy formation, even he could end up losing badly this day!


    Hence, after quickly realizing Minos'' prowess, and the combined power of the group attacking him, Thomas started to use his vast experience to get rid of the enemy formation.


    He did not care about those two humans and the beast attacking him. All he wanted was the minimum of space to kill Minos in a single blow, something he was confident of doing.


    And to do this, this man observed the nearby battlefield, his opponents, and then laughed, as he noticed something he had not seen before.


    With that, he immediately used his innate ability to try to change his situation!


    Underworld''s Summoning!


    As he did so, a unique flow of energy surged through that place, heading underground until the area in the vicinity of a few dozen meters from Thomas began to shake as if an earthquake was happening.


    Then, several golem creatures began to emerge from the ground, each of them about two meters tall, appearing extremely strong and resilient.p????-?????.???


    "This..." Minos noticed such a thing in shock, understanding that the innate ability of that person was not to be underestimated. ''It''s no wonder he''s a king...''


    ''With an innate ability like that, it makes it easy to fight your opponents!'' The young man pondered as he felt that those golems were only a little weaker than Thomas himself.


    But Minos did not waste much time impressed with his opponent''s capabilities. No, it was usual for unexpected things to happen during a mortal conflict, but not, for this reason, could a warrior be distracted from his objectives!


    The characteristic that made a warrior be considered good, of a high level, was not simple strength alone. That obviously had a lot of importance, but adapting to different opponents also counted for a lot concerning the quality of a fighter.


    And since Minos was not a bad warrior and had a lot of knowledge regarding fighting, he did not take long to adapt to the change in his surroundings.


    "Don''t be alarmed by this. Abilities like these have an obvious weakness!" Minos said to his companions as he launched an attack at one of those golems.


    "Those golems are not living beings. As such, their regenerative ability does not exist and depends only on their summoner!"


    As he said this, the blade of his sword went through one of the legs of one of those golems that had appeared between them and Thomas.


    At that instant, such a leg was severed from the rest of the golem''s body, causing such a thing to fall to the ground, unable to move normally.


    p????-?o??? Seeing this, instantly, those people realized that what Minos was talking about was true!


    ''Hmm, they look pretty strong, but as long as we''re careful, we can take them out easily!'' Angela thought about it silently, appreciating Minos'' hint. p???? ?o???


    What Minos had said was indeed true. Thomas had summoned those beings with his innate ability. So, only by using it continuously could he regenerate or create golems.


    After all, these were not living beings but artificial beings made of various materials and spiritual energy.


    And without the regenerative ability living beings had, without natural abilities, nor techniques, beings like these could only depend on their summoners. However, even if innate abilities were more efficient energetically than technique, it was not easy to repeatedly use an ability like these!


    There must be a cost to be paid to summon beings with power comparable to that of the summoner himself!


    Thus, considering that Thomas was surrounded by four opponents who together were more substantial than him, this King could not waste his energies acting recklessly.


    That could even be very useful when facing opponents of the same level or groups weaker than him. But this situation was different!


    Sss!


    Pow!


    And so, Minos'' companions soon followed this young man''s recommendation, taking action against those golems in their path.


    But even acting very well in that situation, they had still given that King enough time to act more freely!


    ''Damn Minos!'' ¦Ñ???????????


    ''This rascal must have fought like a madman for the past few years or be very lucky to realize the characteristic of my ability so quickly.'' Thomas pondered in a shocked manner as he pulled a particular person onto the battlefield.


    "I don''t care who you are, but you are in my way!" He said as he attacked one of the experts coming from Dry City, the one who was facing the person he was about to pull to his side.


    "Your Majesty?" That individual of interest from Thomas, level 56, said this in surprise as he saw this King attacking his enemy.


    Spatial Sword!


    However, Thomas had underestimated Minos'' speed.


    Once this young man had finished with the golems in his path, he had quickly rushed toward his opponent and seen the previous situation.


    And upon realizing that Thomas intended to kill one of his experts, Minos activated his primary technique, launching a powerful counterattack against the one towards that person''s body.


    ''Shit!'' Such a person felt a chill traveling through his body as he saw that he would not be able to dodge this powerful attack launched by Thomas. ''I''m dead!''


    Swooish!


    But just as such an individual was about to be hit, the attack launched by Minos cut through the air at great speed until it finally ran into the thing that was about to kill that person.


    Boom!


    "Ahhhhhhhhhh!" After receiving the remaining attack from the shock, that person screamed in pain.


    But as he flew away, he felt lucky, even in excruciating pain.


    Thomas'' attack would kill him if it hit its target full-on. However, because of Minos'' act, most of the power of that offensive had been lost, leaving only a fraction of the initial attack left in what had hit him.


    "Your opponents are us!" Minos said, irritated, just after seeing his three companions appearing in the vicinity of where Thomas was at the moment.


    "At least three of you will be..." Thomas commented while he had a smile on his face.


    After that, he ran towards Minos, once again trying to eliminate this threat. And as each one there prepared to face that King, something out of the expected happened.


    Pow!


    A huge fist strike formed in the air not far from Celeste, something launched by that level 56 Spiritual King that Thomas had brought into this battle of his.


    "Oh?"


    "You think that a..." Minos was about to do some mental teasing when suddenly he was interrupted by an angry shout coming from the direction of that level 56 individual.


    "CELESTE!" A male voice sounded through that area, filled with a resentment that was difficult to suppress, something that had made many in the surrounding area aware of such a call.


    "You bitch!"


    "I can''t believe you''re here in this place!" The brown-haired, handsome-looking man, despite his middle age, said this as he pointed at Celeste.


    Upon hearing this, Brooke''s mother was not slow to recognize that person who had thrown the last blow, something she had narrowly dodged.


    "So it''s you, Devid!" She said with a bit of irritation in her voice.


    That person was her former husband, Brooke''s father, a legendary cuckold in the Brown Kingdom.


    David had chased Celeste and Neal for several months and ordered the death of both. Unfortunately for him, his actions had failed repeatedly.


    However, this man was not at peace. The opposite of that, he felt more and more infuriated every day.


    And seeing this woman in front of him, he could not help but feel his blood boiling, giving him a terrific thirst for blood.


    "You bitch, today is the day I kill you!"


    ...

 Chapter 800 The Battle Of Dry City: Abby, The Protector

    Chapter 800 The Battle Of Dry City: Abby, The Protector


    As Celeste looks at her ex-husband staring at her, she can''t help but feel anger at this person because of the many assassination attempts she had had to overcome.


    Celeste indeed had cheated on him many times with dozens of different men. So, she did not feel she had the right to judge the hatred this man felt for her or even question him for the many assassination attempts.


    It was only natural that this would happen. After all, they were supposed to be monogamous. And Brooke''s father followed this religiously, never having touched another woman since he met Celeste!


    But Celeste had broken the taboo, done something that even polygamous people would not accept, cheating on her husband.


    That is because people in polygamous relationships had to receive the consent of their partners to have sex with others.


    That was true for the man as well as for the woman. Though men rarely agreed to share their wives with others.


    It was common for polygamous men to seek more than one partner in the Spiritual World, while women rarely did the same.


    That could be a reflection of the sexism in society, the very fact that many women looked for partners of the same or higher level than theirs, they were more selective, and so on.


    In short, cheating by women was very ill-seen in this world.


    In any case, the fact was that Celeste had done something very despised in the Spiritual World. Something she was not proud of and knew she had no right to justify herself.


    But still, this woman felt very bad for the many assassination attempts that she and Neal had suffered because of this person.


    She would not question the other side for his motivations, but she was not someone who would give her life or kill herself because she had made mistakes. As someone who valued her own life, this woman could not help but be furious at the actions of such a person.p????-?????.???


    "David, if I had known that you were such a scum, I would never have married you!"


    "Tsk!"


    "Shut up, bitch!" He said in anger as he launched an attack against the beautiful face of his ex-wife.


    All this was happening at the same time that Minos and those other two companions of his were fighting Thomas, now in a not so good situation as before.


    "You almost killed me three times, David!"


    "Look what you did!" She showed part of her abdomen to that man, where there was a significant scar.


    "It''s a shame only a mark was left behind, you whore!"


    "I should have killed you that day!"


    "But you see, my mistake allowed you to become a complete disgrace to the family..."


    "Not only are you a slut, but also a traitor to the kingdom!"


    "For all that, I will kill you today, no matter what it costs me!" He finished his speech furiously, constantly punching the air as his target dodged his blows. p???? ?o???


    "You!"


    "If you weren''t a disgrace in bed, this never would have happened!" She said, giving her side of the story as she prepared to deal with this person.


    David''s words had made this woman shake with anger, feeling that killing this bastard in front of her would be the best thing to do, even if part of her said otherwise.


    With this ''whirlwind'' of feelings in her being, it did not take long for her to make up her mind.


    "David, unfortunately for you, I am now much stronger than you!" She euphorically said while she had a cruel expression on her face, ready to beat the father of her daughter.


    "Now, you will know pain!"


    ...


    While the main fights in that area were taking place near where Minos, Thomas, and Celeste were, other high-level battles were also occurring around the battlefield.


    Over 30,000 people were fighting in that area where the attack from King Brown''s group had come from.


    And even though by now a few thousand opponents had already fallen, the vast majority were still standing, fighting with all their might against their respective enemies.


    With that, the thousands of Spiritual Generals of the Dry City forces and many of those of the same stage on the Brown family''s side were suffering right now. ¦Ñ???????????


    The battles were being very tough, with the people on one side being slightly stronger than the other, but at the same time being pressed by numbers.


    Fighting more than one opponent was never an easy task, even for those who were stronger. After all, when the number of opponents increased, all the signs that a warrior should pay attention to in a battle also increased.


    But a person''s mental capacity was unlikely to increase much with better techniques unless they were mental techniques, of course.


    So, the battle around that eastern side of Dry City''s defensive dome was brutal, with many people drawing strength from where they did not even know it could be drawn before.


    On the other hand, the experts of the Dry City forces, although also facing mighty opponents, were in a slightly better situation than their opponents.


    The Dry City Spiritual Kings were much stronger than those people of the same level as them, and by being underestimated at the beginning of the fight, they had gained some advantages!


    p????-?o??? Even though none of those high-level opponents had died so far, some of them, especially those at the beginning of the 6th stage, already had injuries that were hard to ignore.


    So, the 15 Spiritual Kings who had accompanied Minos'' group in this place were slowly diminishing their opponents'' numerical advantage.


    But this was not only due to the simple fact that some of those Spiritual Kings had Silver-grade technique. After all, those who had such techniques were also those at the 6th stage first levels.


    What had helped this group of Spiritual Kings tremendously was Abby, who had learned a Golden-grade technique right after reaching level 50!


    Unlike Minos, who had learned a mental technique upon reaching that stage, Abby had learned a defensive technique, something that fits perfectly with her condition.


    That was because, although Abby had had the chance to learn any technique at this stage, unlike Minos, she did not have a complete set of techniques of that rank.


    After all, Minos did not have many Golden-grade techniques, and some of them could only be learned at lower levels, as in the case of those he used himself.


    Hence, there was a limitation that had prevented Abby from having a complete set of Golden-grade techniques, something that left her fighting proficiency well below Minos''.


    So, considering this and their current situation, the best option for her was to learn a defensive technique that could become powerful in her hands, protecting her and helping this territory.


    And it was precisely that technique that had made the difference for some of those other Spiritual Kings fighting in that area!


    Infinite Mirrors!


    Abby activated her powerful defensive technique again, summoning multiple mirrors in front of herself and three of her allies!


    After feeling her energy reserves dwindling, Abby saw her mirrors spinning around her companions, ready to deflect the enemy attacks that were going in the direction of those people.


    Swooish!


    Immediately after that, some of those attacks went directly at the masses of Counter-Revolutionary Army soldiers, even stronger than when launched by Abby''s enemies.


    "Damn!"


    "What kind of technique is that?"


    "Who is this monster?"


    Those enemies said these things among themselves while looking with hatred in the direction of that person who had her entire head covered by something.


    They, powerful Spiritual Kings at levels 55 and 56, could not believe their bad luck to come across someone so strange.


    "Some of these damn opponents are stronger than people of their levels normally found in our region. But this person and Minos are very abnormal!"


    "Is that some innate ability?" One of them asked his companions, trying to understand this.


    They already had a theory for some of those people. But, still, Minos and the mysterious person were very strange and unusual. So, they did not even know what to think about those two.


    However, their opponents did not miss the opportunity while they were wondering. On the contrary, they attacked such enemies with even more force than they had been attacked.


    "Die!"


    ...

 Chapter 801 The Battle Of Dry City: Watching The Show

    Chapter 801 The Battle Of Dry City: Watching The Show


    While those three individuals protected by Abby before attacked their targets with intent to kill, this young woman continued to move around that part of the battlefield.


    Her defense technique was excellent, but unfortunately, she could not activate that several times in a row. After all, she did not have the Devouring Art of Minos, which enabled him to have so much energy in his fights.


    On the other hand, Abby''s innate ability did not involve increased energy, as was the case with young Stuart''s.


    Consequently, she could not fight in the same way as him, or she would run out of energy and be killed by some enemy in this place!


    So, while she and her comrades fought, Minos'' young girlfriend protected only those who needed her skills the most or who had a better chance of eliminating one of those powerful enemies.


    After all, these were the two situations in which it was most worthwhile for her to expend her energies.


    In one, the Black Plain Army would have fewer enemies. In another, this organization would not lose any critical allies or subordinates.


    With that, this Lieutenant of Minos'' army was working mainly to support, protect and help the experts of Dry City!


    And to do this, she needed to constantly move around that area, paying close attention to allied and enemy Spiritual Kings.


    Daylight Mirage!


    Abby then used her second Golden-grade combat technique, a movement one that she had learned in place of her previous defensive technique, which she had prior to reaching level 50.p????-?????.???


    That technique increased her agility and dexterity but also had a distraction feature, helpful in diminishing the attention of opponents on its user and hiding the user''s tracks.


    And with that movement technique, Abby was moving quickly through that area, heading toward an army ally she had just seen being thrown against a crater formed by the battles.


    "Ahhhhhhhhh!" Such a person screamed in pain while barely feeling his arms due to the previous attack he had suffered.


    "Hey, are you okay? What happened?" Abby asked as she used her innate ability to try to interfere with the nerve responses of that man''s body.


    "Ahhh! King Brown attacked me... Hah..."


    "But luckily, I was saved by Lord Minos... Ahhh!" He said amidst his cries of pain while still feeling quite bad.


    "Oh?"


    "Then you were fortunate!" She said, realizing that this individual would not die from the injuries caused by that level 59 Spiritual King.


    "Well, I will use my ability to lessen as much of your pain as possible for now... But that will come back to torment you later." She said apologetically.


    But there was nothing for them to do. They needed to fight with everything they had, and since this man was not mortally wounded, she would keep him on the battlefield, even if it was going to cost late suffering. p???? ?o???


    Her ability could influence the nervous system of her targets, something that could be used to end the sensation of pain.


    But ending such a sensation was quite different from solving the problem behind it!


    Consequently, once the effects of her ability were over, that man would return to feeling all that again in one go!


    Not only that, by fighting while injured, this person would worsen his condition. As a result, he would experience a rather worrying situation once all that was over!


    "All right!" He said, still with a pained expression on his face. ''Luckily, we have the butler Dillian on our side...'' He thought to himself, trying to cheer himself up to continue this battle.


    And it was not long before such a person, a member of the Gill family, was running towards one of the enemy Spiritual Kings, at this moment no longer feeling pain.


    As for Abby, she returned to her previous job.


    ...


    Quickly a few minutes passed.


    At this moment, more and more corpses were gathering around that area, many of them with symbols of noble houses of this kingdom, but some wearing armor of the Black Plain Army or allies of Minos. ¦Ñ???????????


    As for the experts previously in that place, of the 22 Spirit Kings who had accompanied Thomas here, 17 of them remained at this moment. But, on the other hand, the numbers of specialists on Minos'' side remained unchanged.


    All this thanks to Abby''s glorious defensive technique!


    At the same time that the remaining 37 Spiritual Kings were fighting in that area, the five representatives of the royal families of that region continued to watch everything from a safe distance from the battles.


    They had little interest in getting involved in a battle as shocking as the one they saw as most of them there had no orders to do such a thing, something that could very well get them killed!


    And since none of them were attacking, as well as having regionally famous symbols on their armor, no one had bothered them.


    But that was just the normal thing to happen in such a situation. After all, they were not yet enemies of the local forces, and neither side would want to rush things.


    Hence, they had expected the whole event until now without problems. But they were shocked with the power of the Dry City forces, people who were proudly surviving against opponents of higher levels and far superior numbers than theirs!


    "That''s truly impressive!" The Snow family representative commented as his eyes followed the most amazing fights in that area.


    "Hmm, I didn''t expect to see something so balanced..." The Carline family descendant said in agreement, feeling impressed by the strength of Minos'' organization. ''I wonder if the other groups in that counter-revolutionary force are suffering that much...''


    Hearing that comment, House Stone''s representative could not help but ask those people. "But what do you think will happen? Will Minos beat King Brown? Or will it be the other way around?"


    "Hard to say... He certainly has his advantages." The person from the Walker family commented as he observed Minos'' fighting style. "But his comrades are getting more and more tired, at a higher rate than King Brown."


    "Considering this, surprising things may happen by the end of the battle!"


    ''And indeed it will...'' One of them thought with a smile on his face, feeling his hand itching, preparing to act. ''Just a little longer, and it will be my turn to act.'' He looked at Minos and then at the Snow family representative.


    The representative of the Cromwell family then asked those people. "What do you guys think about us joining King Brown? This Minos will be a problem for the region one way or another, so isn''t it better that we deal with him at once?"


    "If he dies here, the Black Plain won''t stand for much, even considering these other people." He remembered the outstanding abilities of those soldiers of Minos who had Silver-grade techniques.


    Hearing this, those four individuals observed him, understanding this person''s point but considering what they had seen so far.


    "Humph, nice try." The Carline family member commented after giving it some thought.


    "Even if we join King Brown''s forces, it won''t make much difference."


    "That young man will be able to kill us as long as there are people for him to absorb energies in this place. But, on the other hand, I''m not sure those women will be killed before one of us."


    "Yes, I think the same," Said the person coming from the Snow Kingdom. "And I have no order from my family to fight here..."


    "Why should I risk my life on something so risky?"


    p????-?o??? "I''m not interested either, hehe..." Elena and Elen''s countryman said while smiling.


    "Tsk!"


    ''Cowards!


    "What about you, Zach?"


    "I have no pretensions of becoming a hero, even if your suggestion is not so bad..." Charles Walker''s family member said that.


    Charles had seen the face of Minos before. But he did not know that that person was the competitor Minos, the individual in rebellion on the Black Plain.


    After all, that prince had not attended the Spiritual Tournament, and the portrait of Minos released by the newspapers was not so detailed.


    On the other hand, it was not unusual for some people to have similar appearances in such a vast world with so many humans.


    As for Minos'' techniques, that prince was unaware that the finalist of the last Spiritual Tournament had similar techniques to his opponent.


    Therefore, he was not after Minos right now, and that representative had no reason to rush things.


    ''How useless!''


    ''Fine, it makes no difference. I''ll do it myself!''


    ...

 Chapter 802 The Battle Of Dry City: Sneaky Worm

    Chapter 802 The Battle Of Dry City: Sneaky Worm


    Meanwhile, Minos, Angela, and Emlyn continued to fight King Brown, constantly attacking this opponent, giving him few spaces to counterattack.


    Even though this battle was still tricky for Thomas, he had far more freedom of action when facing only these three than Minos'' entire group, with four people.


    Thomas Brown was very experienced and knew that things would not be good for him if he had to continue to face those four.


    Not that he was afraid of dying, but not threatening Minos'' life would be terrible for him. After all, this attack group was too powerful for them to merely ''stand around'' outside Dry City.


    Since they had not invaded such a place, then at least it was their duty to slaughter these opponents.


    Unfortunately, those four had been in his way.


    But with his experience, he had quickly realized the opportunity to play husband and wife against each other, something that could help his cause!


    He knew the history of Celeste and Davis. So, by recognizing that woman and remembering the presence of the patriarch Parkinson in this place, he had done what was necessary to get Celeste out of his way.


    And his plan had been successful since those two had strong feelings against each other!


    With that, he had reached the current situation, which he was still struggling with when fighting those three, but already having the freedom to try to put pressure on young Stuart!


    Before, even attacking was difficult, but now he could send his attacks constantly in the direction of that young man in hopes of weakening Minos.


    He could try to separate Minos from the other two enemies, but that would require much effort, which he did not want to pay for now. After all, this was a battlefield, and the smaller one''s energy reserves were, the greater the chances of death!


    And Thomas knew this very well!p????-?????.???


    So, he preferred to use a strategy of trying to get Minos away from those people who were having their energies sucked out by him. With that, this young man would no longer rely on such power.


    And that was what he was doing at the moment, directing the battle further away from those Spiritual Generals.


    "Brat Stuart, don''t you feel any shame for your father?" King Brown indignantly asked while trying to mess with Minos'' mind.


    "Tsk!"


    "Old man, shut up!"


    "Your tactics won''t work on me!" Minos said as he tried to ''erode'' the mental defenses of his opponent''s, using his mental technique.


    At the same time, the two swords in his hands were dancing and singing, constantly sending powerful attacks towards that enemy.


    "Humph!"


    "A convinced traitor! Albert would be disgusted to see you now!"


    And while Emlyn and Angela constantly attacked Thomas, trying to weaken this person, someone lurked around the surroundings, preparing to act.


    ''That beast is probably the one most likely to sense my presence here. But I believe it must already be focusing too much of its attention to notice me...'' Such a person considered, as he assessed the situation of Emlyn, who was tearing the air with her claws, all the while trying to keep her distance from Thomas.


    "Au! Au!" She barked at King Brown as she felt her muscles beginning to tremble from exhaustion. ''How frustrating!'' p???? ?o???


    ''Even though I''m almost at level 55, fighting someone so strong is very problematic...'' Kyla''s mother thought to herself as she saw that she could not go on for much longer.


    On the other hand, Angela was sweating considerably now, feeling her energy reserves below 30%. At the same time, many bruises around her body reminded her that she would not be able to go very far here.


    p????-?o??? ''Emlyn will probably only be able to attack a few more times...''


    ''I have to strive to weaken as much of this person as possible while I still can!'' she pondered, analyzing her group''s situation.


    But as Minos'' two comrades focused on that level 59 cultivator, suddenly Thomas smiled and prepared for a powerful attack.


    Underworld''s Summoning!


    Once again, he activated his innate ability, something he wanted to use to get some space for the same purpose as before!


    ''That left me with less than 20% of my powers, but it will be worth it!'' He smiled as he looked at Minos coldly.


    ''What are you going to do now, my dear traitor?''


    And just as the golems appeared in those surroundings to hinder Angela and Emlyn, Thomas saw what he had been waiting for.


    Suddenly, a person who seemed to merge with that chaotic battlefield appeared, running towards the young Stuart, ready to attack him.


    "Humph!" ¦Ñ???????????


    "A sneaky worm? You think I missed you?" Minos muttered as he turned to attack the person who was using an assassination technique at the moment.


    King Brown had sensed such an individual because of his powerful spiritual cultivation, something that allowed him to sense things more easily.


    But Minos was different.


    In this young man''s case, the Devouring Art technique did that job of perceiving the spiritual fluctuations in his surroundings.


    After all, this technique absorbed energy from living beings and spiritual arrays. So, it would be ridiculous if a technique with sensory characteristics did not perceive someone coming toward Minos.


    Once inside the space of influence of such a technique, it would be impossible for Minos not to notice unless the difference in strength between him and the opponent was tremendous.


    Consequently, he was already preparing to deal with the worm that was sneaking around the battlefield!


    ''Being only at level 55 and trying to act against me? Are you crazy?'' Minos thought about it, as he used a deadly attack against such an opponent, sucking even more of the energies of the Spiritual Generals in the surroundings.


    Spatial Sword!


    However, as the blade newly formed by Minos'' movement went towards that individual, that person did not go nervous upon the opponent''s notice.


    ''Damn it! Was this brat paying attention to me?''


    "Tsk!"


    Forbidden Technique: Spatial Movement!


    Upon activating his sacrificial technique, the space around such a person shook violently as his body was sucked to another location, tens of meters away from that place.


    However, as he fell into that lifeless piece of the Black Plain, he felt intense pain all over his body, while a deep cut appeared on his right chest.


    "Ahhhhhhhh!"


    ''The bastard''s technique still hit me!'' He thought in despair, at the same time feeling ten years of his cultivation being lost in the blink of an eye.


    Using sacrificial techniques had its costs, after all...


    "Damn it!"


    ''But at least I created...''


    ...


    While that man was thinking about the chance he had created, Thomas wasted no time and used almost everything he had to try to assassinate young Stuart!


    He had sensed the arrival of that Cromwell family member, and since he did not care who killed Minos, he had let that individual make his move.


    At the same time, he had made his preparations for himself to make a secondary attack in case such a person failed!


    Because of this, by the time Minos was frowning at his failure to kill that opponent, Thomas was already only a few meters away from his opponent!


    In that instant, the King''s hands had turned into giant hands, with brutal claws, so sharp and cruel that they could make onlookers tremble with fear simply to see them.


    ''That''s the end for you, brat!'' So, he thought in satisfaction when he was only four meters away from Minos.


    "Die!"


    Seeing this, Angela and Emlyn looked at the whole situation with wide eyes, seeing young Stuart leave his guard so open for the first time.


    ''The rascals indeed do have incredible means!'' Emlyn thought about it as she tried to finish off the golems in front of her as quickly as possible.


    "Now, we can only do that!" She shouted to Angela, preparing to do what was necessary at this crucial moment.


    "Hmm, come on!" Angela agreed, launching a giant ice spear at the last of the golems.


    ''Ahh, looks like I won''t be able to defend myself this time...'' Minos thought to himself as he felt that opponent getting closer and closer to him.


    ''You truly are lucky... A week in the future, and I would kill you in a situation like this.'' He calmly glanced sideways at the sharp claws in Thomas'' large hands.


    Zum!


    ...

 Chapter 803 The Battle Of Dry City: Facing The King 2

    Chapter 803 The Battle Of Dry City: Facing The King 2


    In the blink of an eye, Thomas, who was smiling in satisfaction at what would happen in a few moments, saw his target suddenly disappear without being able to do anything about it!


    "Uh?"


    Immediately upon seeing young Stuart vanish from the battlefield, not just from in front of this person, but from that entire area, Thomas felt like he had tasted shit.


    ''What the fuck is that?''


    ''He vanished out of nowhere, which means he teleported a long way from here!'' He thought about it as his expression became uglier and uglier.


    Although rare, it was not uncommon to find regional specialists with teleportation devices. But what Thomas had seen was impressive as he had not even noticed what Minos had done!


    In one second young Stuart seemed ready to receive this king''s potent attack, and the next moment he had magically disappeared under Thomas''s disbelieving eyes!


    That was very unusual!


    After all, teleportation arrays or techniques always left specific signals that cultivators'' spiritual senses could detect.


    But the mighty King Brown had not even realized this with a young man who was practically within his grasp.


    No wonder he was shocked!


    On the other hand, Thomas had thought that he would eliminate that threat after seeing that Minos appeared to have nothing to do in that previous situation.


    Considering this expectation, he could not help but feel a deep sense of disappointment, lamenting with himself for missing such an opportunity.


    "Damn it!"p????-?????.???


    But while he was frustrated with his failure, Emlyn and Angela wasted no time. They soon headed straight towards that specialist, trying to get him away from where he and Minos were earlier.


    Whoosh!


    Swooish!


    The attacks of the two cut through the air in that area, rushing towards that target, who seemed a bit distracted at the moment.


    However, Thomas was not distracted. As soon as he felt the attacks of those two coming towards him, he promptly put his disappointment aside. ''Fuck!''


    ''But since the coward found a way to run away, I will deal with these two!'' He pondered as he jumped away from that place from before, dodging the attacks of his enemies. ''This beast is already almost exhausted...''


    ''Then you will be the first to die!''


    After thinking about it, his eyes narrowed as he finally returned to using the technique from before, which altered his hands.


    He then looked at those two with hatred, determined to take his anger out on them.


    "He abandoned you, but I won''t take it lightly just for that!"


    Zum!


    However, as he began to act against those two, the space around the same area where Minos had previously disappeared vibrated rapidly until this young man appeared in the same place as before.


    But he was not as defenseless as his previous position! p???? ?o???


    After returning from his quick trip to the Spatial Kingdom, Minos had appeared in that spot with a defensive stance, already with his techniques activated, ready to attack.


    "What?" King Brown shouted in surprise, shocked to see this person on the battlefield.


    However, he did not have much time to stand around admiring Minos'' arrival. As soon as this young man had returned, he had made a sword movement in the direction of that enemy!


    Spatial Sword!


    Then a long blade of spiritual energy cut through the air towards Thomas, seeking that man''s chest.


    ''Miserable! How did he do that?''


    "Ahhhhhh!" He cried out in pain just after receiving Minos'' attack, which this time had caught him almost entirely by surprise.


    That is, he had seen it, but it had all happened so quickly and so unexpectedly that this king had barely been able to activate his defenses!


    Consequently, being attacked by Minos'' merciless movement, Thomas could not escape unharmed from such an attack!


    And in that instant, young Stuart finally calmed his heart as he went back to absorbing the energies of the enemies, realizing that nothing had changed during his seconds out.


    He knew that Angela and Emlyn would waste no time seeing the previous situation, clearing the area to which he should return. That was why he had come back here, even though he did not know if it was safe.


    But in a few seconds, a lot could happen. As such, this young man could not help but worry about his comrades.


    Therefore, he had felt relieved to see that nothing had happened. ¦Ñ???????????


    On the other hand, Angela and Emlyn were also relieved to see that he had returned quickly enough to continue fighting alongside them.


    Fighting a powerful level 59 Spiritual King was not easy, after all!


    Anyway, upon noticing Minos'' return, it did not take long for those two to return to their previous formation, trying to surround that enemy again.


    p????-?o??? And while they were doing that, Thomas was feeling the shallow cut on his chest burning, but what bothered him most at the moment was young Stuart. ''That damn bastard...''


    ''Is that an innate ability?'' He wondered, trying to understand how Minos could teleport without him feeling spiritual fluctuations.


    Unfortunately for Thomas, he would never understand that. After all, the Spatial Kingdom ring was not something for a mere level 59 cultivator to understand.


    Hell, even the sect master of the Gray Clouds Sect, someone close to level 80, had barely been able to feel the power of that ring at that time when he had met with Minos. So, it was tough for this king to feel anything.


    Consequently, Thomas could not feel that item''s fluctuations, nor the teleportation, since he was too weak for such!


    ''Anyway, it seems I should be more careful when fighting that bastard!'' Thomas convinced himself before finally returning to the fight against those three.


    Swooish!


    Boom!


    ...


    Boom!


    "Au! Au!" Emlyn barked at her opponent, feeling more and more pressured, her muscles getting heavier and heavier by the moment.


    As Thomas had lost the advantage he thought he had gained earlier, he had resolved to weaken this beast as much as possible. Only then would he attempt something more daring against Minos.


    And his actions had quickly achieved results!


    Within less than a minute of Minos'' return from the Spatial Kingdom, Emlyn was running erratically through that area, constantly sticking her large tongue out of her mouth, breathing vigorously.


    But she still had enough energy left to make one more leap!


    "Au! Au!" She disappointedly barked as she jumped with great speed toward Minos.


    "What''s happening?"


    While King Brown was trying to understand the strangeness of the Dry City group, many ice spears were coming toward him, giving him no time to attack.


    "Go rest!"


    Zum!


    Then Emlyn vanished from the battlefield while King Brown spat out a mouthful of blood as he saw that teleportation happening once again in front of him.


    ''Damn! That must be some awe-inspiring ability!'' He pondered with wide eyes, sensing that Minos had not yet demonstrated his full power.


    ''That brat is trying to kill me!''


    ''Damn it!''


    ''If he can run away whenever he wants, then there''s no point in my staying in this place!'' He thought about it dejectedly, more and more convinced that it would be impossible for him to kill Minos in the current situation.


    "Hell!" He cried out disappointingly, making many people in the surrounding area realize that his situation was not so good.


    "It looks like King Brown lost that battle today..." The Snow family representative said in a low voice.


    "Yes, it looks like the worst for us has happened... Our families will have to get involved."


    "Yes, you are right..." The Stone family representative internally laughed as he said that.


    But soon, they looked in the direction from where the representative of House Cromwell had fallen earlier, where no one else was around.


    That individual had been injured by Minos'' blow and suffered at the cost of his sacrificial technique. As such, he would not be able to do anything else here, not even try to harm that member of the Snow family.


    That''s why he was already running away!


    "Looks like that guy got away..."


    "Humph!"


    "Well done! He acted arrogantly and deserved what happened to him!" The Snow family member commented.


    Hearing that, Kara and Ford''s family member could not help but agree. "In fact, even if we all got into that battle, that young man could just teleport away..."


    "That could quickly become a tool against ourselves!"


    "In any case, it looks like the time for retreat is coming."


    ...

 Chapter 804 The Battle Of Dry City: Withdrawal

    Chapter 804 The Battle Of Dry City: Withdrawal


    At the same time, as Thomas was making up his mind that it was no longer worthwhile to continue fighting in this place, Celeste had just finished her fight.


    After a rather violent start by those two, with each actively trying to kill the other, it did not take long for that to change.


    But such a thing was expected. After all, as much as Celeste was one level below her ex-husband, she was much stronger than this person because she joined the Black Plain Army.


    Consequently, sometime after the start of their fight, this woman was already beating David, repeatedly having evaded this man''s offensive attempts while hitting him in different ways.


    But David was not weak!


    That is, even though he was beaten for most of the fight, this man was one level above Celeste and was not inferior to her to the point that he had no means to act.


    On the opposite, there were ways to fight stronger opponents, something that could buy time for anyone in a situation similar to the one David had faced.


    With that and the power of hatred that had driven him, David had held out far more than some of Celeste''s enemies who had underestimated her in the past.


    In any case, for that man, beating his ex-wife was simply impossible.


    And that was why he had reached the current situation, in which, although alive, his entire body was bruised, with open fractures, bleeding, and screaming like a child.


    "Ahhhhhh!" He let out another sad sound as he felt Celeste''s fist breaking some of the bones in his shoulder.


    ''Damn it!''


    ''I won''t be able to get revenge on this adulteress, and she''ll even kill me!'' He thought in deep disappointment, feeling something almost as bad as having found out he was a cuckold.


    "Ahhh!" He shouted once again as suicidal thoughts began to race through his mind.p????-?????.???


    "Tsk!"


    And Celeste could not help but notice the change in Devid''s expression.


    "Do you want to sacrifice yourself? If you are going to follow through with these thoughts, I will have no choice but to kill you!"


    "Ahhh!"


    "Aren''t you already going to do that anyway?" He asked amid his nightmare, barely able to see the woman who was standing right in front of him.


    After hearing this, Celeste sighed, feeling that much of her anger had already drained away. "I don''t want to kill you anymore."


    "Believe it if you want, but the part of me that once loved you..."


    "Shut up!"


    "Do you expect me to listen to this nonsense? A dirty woman like you has no morals to talk about it!" He used what little strength he had to speak firmly, with an undeniably angry tone.


    "You''re right, David. I am a dirty woman now, but what can I do?"


    "This is how I am now!"


    "I like to sleep with men, I like sex, and I''m not even ashamed of solving my needs with my son-in-law!"


    "But maybe that''s your fault too!" She angrily said as she held up torn parts of that man''s clothing, "If you weren''t so absent-minded..." p???? ?o???


    "Tsk!"


    "It is easy to place the blame for mistakes coming from your own actions on others!"


    He then gritted his teeth until he said his final words. "If you can kill me, then do so because as far as I''m concerned, we''ll both die today!"


    "Is that so? What about Brooke?" She asked cautiously.


    "What about my daughter? She''s an adult now. She can live without her father..."


    "As for her mother, it won''t make any difference if you die here!"


    "For her, you are already dead!" He said in satisfaction as he began to prepare for the sacrifice.


    "What if I told you that she is in Dry City right now?"


    "What?" He felt that information as if he had been punched again by that woman, feeling completely shocked.


    "She has fallen into Minos'' hands..."


    "Hehe, I believe not only literally..." She said maliciously. "But it won''t be bad. Minos is an amazing lover!"


    "His big rod has always driven me crazy, and the way he touches me... Ahh, I feel our daughter will be on cloud nine."


    "We are mother and daughter, after all... It shouldn''t be hard for Minos to please her since he already manages that with me..." She said this in an erotic tone, something this man knew very well. ¦Ñ???????????


    But hearing such things, David felt even worse than before as he imagined his daughter, vulnerable and unstable, in the hands of an enemy he was now fighting against.


    ''No! I can''t allow my sweet daughter to become a slut like her mother!''


    ''But...''


    ''But what if she''s only teasing me? This woman is the devil and is definitely capable of playing even with Brooke''s future...''


    ''What do I do? What do I do now?''


    "Damn it!" He shouted in frustration just before receiving a blow to the stomach and collapsing on the spot.


    Seeing the result of her provocations, Celeste can''t help but feel relieved.


    Before, Celeste wanted to kill and take revenge on this person. But as she fought against him and felt that she should not kill someone she once loved so much, she had slowly changed her mind.


    But not only that. Because of Brooke''s visit, Celeste could not help but wonder what would happen to her daughter if father and mother killed each other in a fight!


    Celeste had slept with and stolen her daughter''s husband, but that did not mean she had something against Brooke!


    No, she did not, and she even loved that young friend of Minos, her only daughter.


    But Celeste was a complex woman who had grown up to become the way she was now, capable even of seducing her son-in-law.


    p????-?o??? Celeste had not seduced Neal because she wanted everything that happened to happen. No, she was merely having fun!


    If Brooke''s misfortune witnesses them in the act, Celeste would still be living with David, while Neal would be with her daughter, all living together happily.


    Unfortunately, things had developed in a way that she had had to leave her husband and escape with her son-in-law, with whom she had later fallen in love for real.


    Life was complicated!


    In any case, she loved her daughter and did not want her little girl to have to lose her parents like that.


    For all that, this woman had put aside her desire to kill her ex-husband!


    ''It seems you are still as easy to manipulate as before, David...'' She thought quietly, smiling, as she watched this person under her feet now.


    ''I just hope that neither Minos nor Neal finds out what I said here...''


    ''It would be a shame if my lies caused us trouble!'' She smiled, remembering her provocative words.


    Celeste had never slept with Minos, but she had heard many things from Mirya, her friend.


    And even though she even liked the idea of having sex with that young man, Minos had never given her a chance.


    In any case, she would prefer her teasing to remain just between her and her ex-husband so as not to disturb Neal''s peace of mind nor bother young Stuart.


    "Sigh..."


    ''How''s the battle of Minos?'' Then, after sighing deeply, she turned to observe the scene from which she could sense young Stuart''s presence, curious to know what had happened.


    Not only that, she still had energy left, so if it was necessary, she was prepared to join those comrades of theirs in dealing with the enemy.


    "Oh?"


    However, as she looked over to where Minos was standing, she saw something she had not expected, at least not for now.


    ''Are the enemies retreating? Did he manage to kill...'' She wondered but soon changed her mind, right after seeing something.


    ''No, King Brown is still alive!''


    At that moment, Celeste had seen the surviving enemy specialists retreating alongside Thomas while the thousands of soldiers in that group were running around disorderly.


    Meanwhile, the survivors of that group from Dry City were vigorously pursuing or attacking the fugitives.


    "Kill everyone you can!"


    "Let''s kill as many invaders as possible!"


    Shouts of encouragement could be heard over there while a view of a few hundred people chasing thousands was forming.


    ''What happened? Why is the enemy fleeing when it has barely lost half of its strength?'' Celeste wondered as she noticed all that, already running to the side where Minos was while carrying her ex-husband on her back.


    ...

 Chapter 805 The Battle Of Dry City: Results

    Chapter 805 The Battle Of Dry City: Results


    As the sounds of sirens blared in that area, indicating the withdrawal of the Counter-Revolutionary Army forces, Celeste arrived at Minos and Angela''s side.


    "What happened? Why is the enemy retreating so soon?" She asked, happy for this result, but of course, full of doubts.


    Upon hearing this, Minos noticed the body on that woman''s shoulder but did not question anything about it.


    It was not his place to question the intimate affairs of one of his soldiers. And as that person had been captured, Minos had one less enemy in those Brown family forces, which was already as good as the death of an enemy Spiritual King.


    And so, he did not waste time in useless questioning. Instead, he just went straight to the point and answered that woman''s question. "It seems that King Brown is not willing to lose more of his people without having the chance to eliminate me."


    "Oh?"


    "He saw me teleporting, so he is probably scared, afraid that even if he won the conflict, I would still run away and put him at risk."


    Minos laughed and said. "At least that''s what I think he was thinking in ordering this retreat..."


    "He saw you teleporting? Won''t that be problematic?"


    Upon hearing Celeste''s question, Angela could not help but look thoughtfully at Minos, having the same doubt as that brown-haired woman.


    Minos then replied. "Don''t worry, he doesn''t have enough power to understand that, nor does he even have the knowledge to make troubling theories."p????-?????.???


    "He''ll probably think that''s some kind of high-level ability."


    Minos was right not to worry. After all, information about Spatial Kingdoms was confidential. Apart from those organizations that had these cultivation sanctuaries in their possession, very few knew about information like that in this vast Spiritual World.


    And it was not for nothing. Spatial Kingdoms were regions created by Gods. The method of accessing them depended on the existence of a ''door'' left by its creator or a specially made teleportation item.


    But the Spatial Kingdom inherited by Minos did not have a ''door,'' and the ring that gave him access to that region of space was a powerful high-level grade-4 artifact!


    Thus, it would be impossible for Thomas to decipher the truth behind Minos'' teleportation.


    And in trying to find answers to Minos'' unique capability, that man would probably think of abilities or techniques to explain such a thing.


    Perhaps young Stuart had an extremely rare ability, teleportation. But it could be something else, such as a skill that gives him the ability to conceal flows of spiritual energy. With an ability similar to that, it would not be impossible to hide the ''marks'' left by small arrays, techniques, etc.


    And that was only some of the various possibilities to explain what Thomas had seen and felt.


    Consequently, the young Stuart did not feel concerned about it, at least not in the same way as Celeste and Angela.


    "The problem will be that from now on, I will no longer be underestimated by my enemies." p???? ?o???


    "That will be the big problem we will have to face!" He thoughtfully said as he considered the decisive way in which that person had chosen to withdraw from the battlefield.


    ''Damn it!''


    ''Now, even if I advance in the next few days, I don''t know if I''ll be able to kill that person in a short time!'' He thought about it quickly as he watched his enemies getting further and further away from that spot.


    Anyway, after hearing what was worrying young Stuart the most right now, those two women could not help but agree with him.


    Being strong was not everything!


    And considering that it would still take a while before Minos was a monster impossible to be contained by regional forces alone, their time would not necessarily be easy.


    There were methods for dealing with stronger people. In fact, Minos'' own army used training focused on one of these possibilities, which enemies could use sooner or later.


    As such, those two could not help but worry about it!


    ...


    Some time had passed since the enemy withdrawal from that area east of Dry City. ¦Ñ???????????


    p????-?o??? In the meantime, all the individuals who had fought alongside the Dry City forces in that area had either returned or been taken back to the area protected by the dome.


    Some had died, and many had been significantly injured to the point that just a few days of rest would not be enough for their recoveries.


    But they had won the battle, generated thousands of losses for the enemy side, protected this city where the families of most of those involved were and drove back the enemies!


    Consequently, after collecting all the enemy belongings, as well as destroying those corpses, the many involved in that great battle led by Minos had returned in satisfaction.


    Today they had defended Dry City. Withstood a siege of tens of thousands of Spiritual Generals, many Spiritual Kings, one of whom was one of the strongest individuals in this region!


    That was impressive!


    Not long ago, Dry City barely had any Spiritual Generals. And even after the arrival of Minos and all the local development, many of the soldiers still had doubts about the viability of young Stuart''s war project.


    They wanted to fight for this place since this was already home to many of them and where they could grow stronger. But that did not change the fact that many of them had their doubts about their chances.


    However, with the result on the east side of the wall today, many previously doubtful soldiers were already much more confident about the future.


    ''At the very least, we are a match for them!'' Many of them had thought something similar.


    With that result, it was not long before the other two groups, the one led by the patriarch Gill and the other by an elder Stokes, joined Minos'' group in Dry City.


    One of them had had the most straightforward battle of the day, the one that had taken place on the south side of the wall, where the attack led by the patriarch of the Miller family had come from.


    On the other hand, Liam Gill''s group had suffered greatly. However, it had been the one with the best results in terms of killing enemy specialists!


    In any case, all the groups had used similar strategies at the beginning of the fight, while during the battles, the final and most chaotic part of it, the results of the three groups had differed.


    All the enemies had retreated in the end, as Thomas'' warning had alerted far beyond just his group. But it was undeniable that the losses and gains of each of the groups had been distinct, something Minos needed to hear from each of his representatives.


    ...


    Dry City General Hospital.


    The hospital in this city was still crowded, not only because of the battle of a few hours ago but also because of the wounded coming from the Maritime City weeks ago.


    In any case, in this place that had become accustomed to functioning beyond maximum capacity, the many wounded soldiers were already under care in the many corridors of this place.


    On the other hand, Minos and the group of Spiritual Kings were on one of the upper floors of that building, talking about the results of the Dry City battle and/or receiving medical treatment.


    "So, Liam, tell me what happened to your group..." Minos said as he looked at that man, just after finding out that of the 29 opponents in the Miller family group, 8 of them had perished at the hands of his forces.


    "Well, for starters, we suffered quite a bit..." Patriarch Gill began to speak this, sad for his group''s losses.


    "To kill 15 of the 33 opponents at the 6th stage of that group, we lost 4 of our own."


    "They all belonged to my Gill family..."


    "Oh? That''s a shame..." Minos commented sincerely.


    "As for the Spiritual Generals, we lost 2,000 of ours to eliminate 13,000 of theirs."


    "So, that''s what happened..."


    "Your group suffered quite a bit in that battle, Liam."


    "But I can see that you fought with vigor and managed to protect the north side of the wall even though you were facing the group of the supreme elder of the Brown family."


    "In that way, I will not forget your losses!" Minos said this, lamenting in his heart for his city''s losses today.


    ...

 Chapter 806 Eight Months

    Chapter 806 Eight Months


    Following the conclusion of the Dry City battle, the local forces had ended the day with 4,300 fewer Spiritual Generals, those who had given their lives for this city.


    Most of these individuals were formerly members of the Gill family. Still, there were a few hundred soldiers from the Black Plain Army among those numbers.


    On the other hand, nine Spiritual Kings from Minos'' forces had perished in this day''s battles, six of them from the Gill family, two from the Cohen family, and one from House Stokes.


    But these numbers went much further when looking at the number of wounded who needed medical treatment, something that had passed 8,000 individuals.


    With that, of the 20,000 or so Spiritual Generals who had left Dry City to protect it, less than 8,000 were in a position to continue protecting this place in a short time!


    As for the Spiritual Kings'' numbers, they were not as bad as that. Still, about 20% of the survivors were severely injured and would need time in the General Hospital.


    These had been the combined results of the three large groups that had defended Dry City today.


    Consequently, today''s losses had been significant for this city''s forces, which did not have numbers as promising as their opponents!


    However, the sacrifice had not been in vain!


    With these many dead and wounded, the local forces had given a mighty blow to their enemies, having eliminated about 38,000 Spiritual Generals and 30 Spiritual Kings this day!


    As for the numbers of seriously wounded, only the Counter-Revolutionary Army forces would know how to answer such a question.


    In any case, the group that attacked Dry City had lost many warriors, even several cultivators at the middle part of the 6th stage.


    On the other hand, Minos had somehow frightened the enemies, something that could mean more peaceful times for the people of this city.


    Was this good?


    Maybe for those local people, but not for Minos.


    After all, as much as he wanted to protect his city, fighting in this place was definitely more advantageous for him because of the local defensive dome. In addition, there was still the issue of being underestimated, something he would no longer be from today.p????-?????.???


    With that said, despite some gains, overall, Minos sensed the bitter taste felt by those involved in wars.


    You fight, you struggle, you win some confrontations, but you still end up losing important things, even when you win.


    And with this in mind, he discovered resource gathering around his city, something that could at least pay for today''s material losses.


    "Anyway, it''s a shame about everything that happened..."


    "But still, we managed to collect the storage items of all the enemies and allies killed on the battlefield."


    "The items of the allies that belonged to the army have been returned to our organization, while the rest of the contents of those rings will be handed over to the families of the dead in the coming days." Grayson, a Lieutenant of the local army, said this as he reported the results of the item collection to Minos.


    p????-?o??? "As for enemy belongings, we managed to collect 39,000 spatial rings, 125 million low-grade crystals, 37,000 medium-grade crystals, 160,000 copies of Blue-grade techniques, 402 of Black-grade techniques."


    "Finally, we collected over 500,000 resources from the various spiritual professions."


    "Soon, many of them will become available for Sergeant Alina to deal with..." That Lieutenant said this as he finished his report to Minos.


    Upon hearing that, Minos nodded to that person, without saying much about such a matter. "Very well."


    "Let the local government use those crystals for the best and try to sort out the artifacts less useful to the army."


    "We will sell them at the Mercenary Guild."


    "All right, young master!"


    "As for the Gill family and the other organizations that lost something today, we''ll sort that out in the next few days..."


    "Now I will have to go away for a few days..." He commented as he looked at Dillian standing there, who had reached level 54 recently. p???? ?o???


    After these words were said, several people there showed their lack of haste in solving that problem raised by young Stuart.


    Then, it did not take long for him to leave that hospital next to Ruth and Abby.


    ...


    "What is it, Ruth? We who fight, but you seem the least excited here..." Abby asked in a soft tone, playfully joking with that black-haired young woman.


    Upon hearing this, Minos was silent, watching the expression of his girlfriend, who seemed to be bothered by something at the moment.


    "Oh, I feel bad that I can''t help you, Minos..." Ruth said in a low voice, feeling helpless at this moment.


    "If only I were on the battlefield, we..."


    "No. It''s not your fault, and it wouldn''t make as much difference as you think." Minos interrupted his girl, trying to ease her concern.


    "The enemy was powerful, and having an extra specialist would definitely help to some degree. But we still wouldn''t be able to kill King Brown, even with your help."


    "Consequently, the negative results for the Black Plain would still be very similar to what we had today."


    Abby then added. "On the other hand, any involvement with an outside power could cause a lot of problems for the Black Plain in the future..."


    "So, it''s truly not your fault that you have to hang around here without being able to help us!"


    "Yes, but..."


    Minos then took her hands in his and looked deeply into her eyes. "Ruth, next time you come here, we can try to work this out. But for now, just have fun and enjoy your time here on the Black Plain."


    "I''m sure the empire is not as interesting as it is here..." He joked with her. ¦Ñ???????????


    "Hehehe!"


    "Hahahaha!"


    ...


    After a while of walking around Dry City, laughing and chatting, those three arrived at the sovereign''s residence, where they could rest for a while.


    However, just after passing through the entrance door of his residence, Minos came across a specific person. She was a brown-haired, beautiful woman with white skin but with a particular tan that made her much more attractive.


    She had a spiritual array on her neck, something that was sealing her cultivation and making her somewhat pale at the moment. But that did not diminish her grace, something she had inherited from her mother.


    That was obviously Brooke Parkinson.


    "Minos! Finally you..."


    "Uh?"


    "Abby?" Brooke said in surprise, not understanding why this blue-haired young woman was in this place.


    "It can''t be..."


    "Don''t tell me he kidnapped you too, Abby?" She asked as she approached that young woman who seemed not to be in her best state right now.


    "Hi, Brooke, it''s good to see you too!" Abby said in satisfaction as she hugged her friend and smiled.


    Abby then blushed and said. "But you''re wrong, I wasn''t kidnapped by Minos, and I''ve been with him for years..."


    Brooke''s eyes almost fell out of their orbits upon hearing such a thing. "Huh? Can you repeat that?"


    But while Minos and Ruth were partially ignored, it did not take long for that woman to shake her head from side to side and change the subject.


    "Forget about it. We can talk about our lives later. The most important thing now..."


    "What happened to you? Minos, do you look injured? Did you fight against the Brown family?"


    "Ahh! I''m glad nothing bad happened to you..." She agitatedly said as she observed the bruises on Minos'' body and realized that they were not serious.


    "Hmm, I fought with the Brown family..."


    Gulp!


    "So? Don''t tell me you guys were defeated? Didn''t I tell you that their group was too strong?"


    "But... You didn''t find any members of my family, right?" She asked, worried.


    And while Brooke was saying everything here, barely giving Minos time to respond, she had approached this young man. Celeste''s daughter started healing his body, something practical for her since she had a helpful support technique for assisting the wounded.


    "Brooke, you seem more concerned about me than my two girlfriends, hahaha," Minos commented as a smile formed on his face. "Don''t tell me that after that spanking, you fell in love with me?"


    "What?"


    As the three women blushed, Minos laughed once again, feeling good despite his latest losses. ''Ahh, being surrounded by ''flowers'' is truly the best of therapies...''


    But after thinking about that lightheartedly, Minos did not take long to look more seriously at that now silent, embarrassed young woman. "Anyway, Brooke, you don''t need to worry. We defeated the enemy forces in today''s battle."


    "As for your family members, the only one of them I could find was your father..."


    "What?" Her pupils contracted rapidly as her face turned even paler than before.


    "Don''t worry. I didn''t fight him..."


    "Sigh!"


    "But your mother did."


    "What?"


    "Anyway, he''s in the local hospital, so if you want to visit him, we can arrange for that to happen."


    "However, it is important that you understand that your life will be different from now on. You will need to get used to, tolerate, respect certain things while you are here."


    "Don''t think that I will make exceptions just because you are my friend!"


    Gulp!


    "Fine." She said promptly, without questioning.


    She did not quite understand everything happening, but Brooke was smart enough to adapt to the new circumstances.


    And because of her trust in Minos, her acceptance had only been easier!


    ...


    In any case, after the previous events, the reality of the Brown Kingdom, of the region, had been changed considerably.


    And with that, eight months passed in the blink of an eye, while news of the Black Plain''s war of independence constantly surprised this part of the continent!

 Chapter 807 Save Yourselves!

    Chapter 807 Save Yourselves!


    Somewhere on the Black Plain, there was a large area with no plant life, where a few thousand individuals were gathering at this moment.


    This area had several temporary huts, typical of temporary camps. And in the middle of this relatively large place, groups of people of different clothing and appearance were fighting at this moment.


    The side that was defending that camp was the Brown family''s Counter-Revolutionary Army soldiers. On the other side were the forces of Dry City, which continued to fight for the Black Plain.


    After eight months since the great battle of Dry City, the war was slowly approaching its climax as the two forces fought harder and harder.


    The Counter-Revolutionary Statute had been activated. However, troops from the other regional states were still on their way to the Black Plain. Consequently, the Brown family was still fighting this war mainly alongside their vassal organizations.


    But they had gained more support during these months.


    In any case, the main counter-revolutionary forces in this territory were still those of the Brown Kingdom. An example of this was this camp in question, which was basically made up of members of Brown Kingdom organizations.


    Boom!


    "Ahhhh!"


    Swooish!


    "Kill the enemies!"


    "Ah! Fight for the kingdom!"


    "Kill the rebels!"p????-?????.???


    Shouts of encouragement came out of the throats of the counter-revolutionary soldiers as the battle raged amid that area, where terrible scenes and sounds were created all the time.


    But even though things were not looking good for many there, the groups fighting in that area were in balance, with no one side gaining an advantage over the other.


    Clang!


    "Miserable invaders, we will reclaim our territories!" One of the Black Plain Army soldiers in that group commented confidently to one of his opponents.


    "Tsk!"


    "Dream on!" The other person said as he attacked his enemy.


    After that great battle around Dry City, Thomas had not attempted any other time to do something so daring against Minos.


    Other high-level battles in which he and Minos had faced each other had even happened. But those events were not at all similar to what had happened then.


    That is, Thomas'' forces had not tried to act against Dry City, but smaller-scale battles around the Black Plain had taken place.


    And because of the king''s more prudent actions, the royal family and their Counter-Revolutionary Army had changed their strategy, aiming to take Minos'' territory!


    In that event, they wanted to test Minos'' forces and, if possible, deal a mortal blow to Dry City. But realizing that doing so was more difficult than imagined, they had subdivided their forces around the borders of this rebel territory and started the occupation.


    The farthest parts of Dry City were those that the Black Plain Army had the least control over. Consequently, the counter-revolutionary forces created settlements in these areas and started advancing against the Black Plain. p???? ?o???


    And with the many battles that took place, with the numerical advantage on their side, Thomas'' forces had managed to take over 30% of Minos'' territory in the months that had passed!


    And this precisely was what those two enemies were discussing while fighting.


    Not only were they talking about, but they were also fighting over local space right now!


    p????-?o??? Not only were their organizations competing for every inch of that territory, but they were doing it themselves at this very moment!


    Weeks ago, the Brown family forces had advanced on this area and built several temporary posts and camps to hold the newly acquired areas.


    But the Black Plain having lost that area in that period did not mean that the local forces would give it up!


    As a result, fights like the one in question were constantly occurring around these disputed areas. In those places, Minos'' army was either attempting to reclaim lost territory or protecting those that remained under their control.


    With that, this conflict was happening in this area where thousands of people were fighting at the moment!


    Boom!


    "Ahhhhhh!"


    But while the typical sounds and images of battlefields could be noticed in that area, suddenly a giant winged serpent came descending through the skies, with someone riding it.


    "This..." One of the few experts in charge of that group looked at it thoughtfully, trying to identify which enemy was coming. ¦Ñ???????????


    It was already common knowledge in this region that Feathered Serpents were on the side of the Dry City forces. So, seeing such a being arriving in this place, that level 54 Spiritual King could not help but try to identify the enemy.


    As that beast got closer and closer to the ground level, that expert and the other Spiritual Kings there did not take long to realize who the enemy was.


    "Damn it!"


    "We''re screwed!"


    "Retreat!"


    "Run!"


    "Run!"


    "Save yourselves!"


    Cries of horror arose from the throats of those experts just when they had managed to identify the person on top of that Feathered Serpent.


    The serpent itself was at level 54, as some of the strongest of them. But it alone was not even 1% of the threat posed by the person on its back!


    So, upon seeing the brown-haired young man looking down on them from above, all those counter-revolutionary experts were quick to order a retreat.


    ''Why did that damn thing come all this way?'' One of them pondered while trembling with fear.


    ''How can we be so unlucky?'' Another wondered in awe, not caring about his companions as he tried to leave that area without looking back.


    And upon realizing the arrival of that individual, it was not long before every single person in that enemy group from the Black Plain tried to flee in desperation.


    "Shit! We''re dead!"


    "Why did that monster come out of enemy headquarters?"


    More voices in terror reverberated through that area as the forces in Dry City finally began to enjoy the benefits of panic.


    In any case, everything these people were feeling at the moment and their decision to flee without even fighting such people was for a good reason.


    After all, everyone there knew of the newcomer''s fame, the most feared person in the northern region of the Central Continent, a monster capable of killing thousands in a few minutes.


    The revolutionary leader, Minos Stuart!


    After months of the war of independence, Minos had fought several times. And even though his participation in battles was not as recurrent as that of most of the soldiers involved in this war, the worst happened to his enemies every time he arrived on a battlefield.


    Because of this, of course, the young Stuart had earned himself quite a reputation, something that was enough to frighten even the soul of those who met him on the battlefield.


    But it was not for nothing. In the intervening period, Minos had fought most of the time while at level 51, a level at which he had achieved a fighting proficiency that was even higher than that of King Brown!


    To make matters worse, a few days ago, the young ruler of the Black Plain had had a breakthrough and reached level 52.


    Consequently, the people in that area could not help but fear for their lives upon seeing this monstrous existence coming to this place.


    For all that, everyone tried to flee the moment they saw the gaze of death, without the slightest intention of testing the new capabilities of this enemy.


    ''Damn!''


    ''Why does this damn thing cultivate so fast? At this rate, he alone will be able to annihilate our entire army before we have a chance to take over all this territory!'' So, the strongest of that group thought about it as he fled in a hurry.


    Minos was already stronger than King Brown before. Still, now, well, every one of these people in this area already knew that Thomas was no longer this 22-year-old''s opponent.


    In fact, it was already a true miracle that that king had survived this far!


    That, of course, was due to the intelligence of that person, who had not underestimated Minos a single time after that first meeting of the two.


    But that fleeing Spiritual King knew that strategies would not work forever since this enemy of theirs was getting stronger and stronger!


    "Damn it!" He shouted in frustration, feeling the sudden end.


    At that instant, powerful energy blades were already flying around the outskirts of that area, heading towards each of those experts, including that individual.


    And since each of these blades was strong enough to endanger even level 59 Spiritual Kings, most of them were not so lucky!


    Meanwhile, Minos finally landed on the battlefield, as he felt the energies of his opponents becoming at his disposal.


    ''These guys are truly decisive...''


    ''They didn''t even blink to run away and abandon their comrades.'' So, he thought with a smile on his face as his eyes sparkled in rainbow colors.


    Infinite Dream!


    ...

 Chapter 808 I Was Just Passing By

    Chapter 808 I Was Just Passing By


    Puff!


    With just a glance, dozens of people on the run fell dead to the ground, while those in the surrounding area were sweating coldly.


    But as he attacked those people with his mental technique, Minos did not spare his strength. On the contrary, he soon activated his other combat techniques, ready to help his subordinates or allies in this place.


    Then, he began to run towards the strongest targets, those who had the best chance of escaping from this place.


    With the initial attack he had made against the enemy specialists, three Spiritual Kings had died. But one of them had escaped by using some kind of spatial teleportation device.


    So, Minos could worry about eliminating those Spiritual Generals, as it was already out of his power to take care of that individual who escaped.


    That way, he did not take long to reach the people who were already farthest away from his soldiers in that area, while he had his two medium-level grade-2 swords in his hands.


    "Spatial Sword!"


    Immediately after activating his main attack techniques, Minos saw hundreds of people in his surroundings become completely immobile while he acted as he wanted.


    Swooish!


    Then, he soon launched attacks in the direction of the strongest people in his surroundings, ready to claim those lives.


    ''Ah, it''s a pity that Elena''s family hasn''t finished my high-level grade-2 sword yet...'' He thought this while eliminating over 30% of the enemies with just his sword attacks.p????-?????.???


    Minos had already reached a point that if he used all his strength through his current weapons, slowly cracks and defects would begin to appear in those items.


    After all, a medium-level grade-2 weapon''s limit was level 59. Once the user of such an item was stronger than this, his weapon would no longer last long in his hands!


    That is, of course, if he used everything at his disposal.


    An example of this was what happened to Minos'' previous sword. That low-level grade-2 sword had been destroyed during the fight he had against the Spiritual King of that Chambers base he invaded.


    And the same would happen to his current swords if he constantly fought with all his power!


    Because of this, the young sovereign of the Black Plain could not help but lament in his heart the fact that it would still be a while before he could have a weapon of higher rank.


    But that was not the end of the world for him. After all, his regional opponents were only at level 59, so these weapons could still have some durability in his hands.


    It was just a shame that he would have to restrict himself most of the time!


    But young Stuart''s fighting proficiency had not yet matched that of cultivators with Black-grade technique at level 60. So, he would still be able to use his maximum power with these weapons a few times in a row before they were destroyed.


    In any case, he already had to worry about this nuisance while fighting those opponents weaker than him, with whom he certainly could not waste the durability of his weapons.


    ''But at least I can use the Indestructible Body to attack...'' He thought resignedly, as he considered his physical qualities when using such a defensive technique. p???? ?o???


    The Indestructible Body technique temporarily transformed its user''s body into something sturdy, with characteristics above its user''s limit.


    Since this was a spiritual technique that could have more and more power as its user''s level increased, Minos could at least count on this other possibility in battles for a while.


    And that''s what he was doing every time he passed some opponents on that battlefield, using his feet whenever possible to attack his opponents.


    And with a body so powerful that it could even withstand the full attack of a level 59 Spiritual King without getting hurt, Minos'' opponents were suffering from these attacks!


    "Ahhhhhhhh!"


    Pow!


    Swooish!


    ...


    "Ahhhhhhhh!"


    After Minos reached that area, it was not long before the Dry City forces completely dominated the conflict and almost wiped out the enemies.


    Realizing that he had done enough, Minos stopped wasting his energy, already heading towards his fellow beast, who had brought him here. ¦Ñ???????????


    "Young master, it is fortunate for us that you have come all this way!" One of the soldiers under the leadership of that group said this to Minos as he thanked this sovereign for this help.


    "Did young master come by way of a request from headquarters? Or were you just observing us?" He asked as he wiped the blood dripping from a wound on his forehead.


    "Neither."


    "I was just passing by when I saw your battle from afar," Minos commented to that level 48 soldier, an old gentleman, a native of Dry City. "I was looking for something else, but I had no luck..."


    "Oh? I see..."


    "Well, if that''s so, then I won''t be in your way anymore."


    "Young master, have a good trip back to headquarters!"


    "Hmm, good luck to you..."


    And then Minos saw that group finishing off their remaining opponents, conquering that territory back to him.


    ''Unfortunately, I couldn''t find either King Brown or the supreme elder of that damned family...''


    ''I wonder what that means...''


    ''Maybe the Millers have been exposed? Or have the enemies just realized that there are traitors in their forces?'' So, he wondered as he felt the pleasant breeze of air passing on his face.


    As the flying beast took off, Minos continued to ponder this matter, concerned about the possible implications.


    For months the information passed on by Abby''s family had been incredibly helpful to Minos. But recently, things had begun to change, and now and then, the young man would come across false information.


    Like it had just happened on this day when he and that Feathered Serpent had failed to find their targets following the Millers'' tips.


    But when considering the amount of time his undercover allies had been acting for the good of the Black Plain, Minos did not find it a surprise that something had changed.


    After all, given the enemy''s recurring losses and the numerous defeats his forces managed to avoid during that time, it was not surprising that the Brown family suspected something.


    With that, changes would be expected!


    ''Hmm, I''ll have to talk to the Miller, Austin, and Parkinson families. We will lose much if they are in the enemy cross-hairs!''


    The Austin family had previously shown interest in having good relations with the Black Plain. And as the war developed, that family had finally reached an agreement with Minos, something that had made their alliance official.


    Before that, the Austins had helped the Black Plain repeatedly, often having demonstrated their sincerity.


    With that, they, like the Millers, had joined the rebel forces and were spies for Minos within the Counter-Revolutionary Army.


    p????-?o??? As for the Parkinson family, this was the noble home of Celeste, Brooke, and David. And since the latter two had become hostages of Minos, it had not been difficult for this young man to reach an agreement with this family.


    At first, only Brooke did not advocate against his intentions, but with time, David got used to the idea that Minos'' forces were too strong for him to fight against. In particular, after discovering the allied families of Dry City and Minos'' constant improvement.


    So, a few weeks ago, this family had also become an official ally of the Black Plain Army.


    Hence, Minos was concerned that all of these organizations might be in the Brown family''s sights!


    "Well, let''s make a run for Dry City!"


    "Yes, young Minos!" That serpent readily agreed while increasing the frequency of its movements.


    While that beast was flying at an incredible speed, which would undoubtedly be enough for it to cross this entire territory in less than 8 hours, Minos was evaluating his territory.


    ''Most of the territory we lost is in the northern region...''


    ''All that because of the bastards'' Collins and Reids!''


    ''Those wretches made a point of entering the war even before their royal houses!''


    ''In the case of the Collins, I can even understand their hatred towards me...''


    ''After all, I almost destroyed them.''


    ''But why the hell do the people of the Reid family hate me so much?'' He wondered incredulously.

 Chapter 809 Numbers

    Chapter 809 Numbers


    After the popularization of the news from the Black Plain, Minos, and the Dry City months ago, the Collins and Reid families and the rest of the region had learned valuable things from the editions of the Night News.


    In particular, they had learned about the location of an enemy they had an interest in destroying.


    Consequently, both families had tried to approach the royal family of the Brown Kingdom not long after that revealing publication, intent on allying themselves with this enemy organization of Minos.


    And it had not even taken three months after the great battle of Dry City, and the troops of those two families had reached the territory of Minos.


    After that, more than 50,000 Spiritual Generals and 25 Spiritual Kings who were enemies of Minos had joined the Counter-Revolutionary Army in the fight against him.


    With that, in the months that had passed by then, the troops commanded by the Brown family had achieved considerable increases in power, which made possible the domination of those territories on the Black Plain.


    And that bothered young Stuart!


    But even though he had felt irritated all this time for having to accept these enemy aggressions, Minos understood that it was natural for his forces to suffer at this early point in the war.


    He knew that parts of his territory could be lost temporarily.


    After all, no matter how much more frequent his and his soldiers'' advances were than the enemy''s, the numbers of the Dry City forces were still too low.


    An example of that, after that great battle and all the power additions in the Counter-Revolutionary Army, that force now had about 200,000 soldiers around the Black Plain!p????-?????.???


    Consequently, it was natural for Minos to lose some of his territories.


    But this had all happened much more quickly than it would have been if it had not been for those two families from the Kingdom of the Waves!


    And, naturally, Minos felt antipathy toward such families.


    Young Stuart could understand why the Collins marched alongside some of his enemies into the Black Plain, as the losses of that family to actions by his forces were not small.


    But the Reids'' reaction was entirely outside his expectations!


    Therefore, he had been surprised by the accession of more enemies than he had expected at this beginning of the war.


    He had considered the possibility that members of the Collins family would take an interest in him because of that Night News story. And by the calculations of his people, it had still been worthwhile to make that show of power, considering the Collins reaction.


    But the Reid family case was something they had not expected.


    Minos had only had contact with members of this organization once before the current war. And even though he and Ruth had killed them, he had never considered it a justification for war!


    Revenge was a common thing in the Spiritual World. But for an entire family to get into a war of independence just for the sake of it was absurd. p???? ?o???


    One person''s revenge could not endanger an entire family!


    That was simply madness!


    But still, the Reids had entered into another''s war, one that the rebels were not at all weak!


    Thus, Minos could not understand the reason for the Reids'' hatred toward him.


    p????-?o??? He remembered that he had killed someone with the surname Reid during his journey to the Cromwell Kingdom, at that time when he had traveled alongside Ruth to participate in the Spiritual Tournament.


    But he honestly did not associate it with the current conflict since, in his opinion, it would be a ridiculous justification. And so, he wondered why the Reids hated him...


    In any case, the Reid family had gotten involved in his affairs and helped the local royal forces put pressure on the Black Plain Army.


    He would not forget that!


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, a few hours had passed, and by now, Minos was already at his headquarters. ¦Ñ???????????


    Upon arriving at such a place, this young man had headed towards the main office, where he usually dealt with army affairs.


    Halfway there, many soldiers from headquarters stopped what they were doing to greet him, to admire their glorious leader who had literally brought peace to this city.


    The war was there, and to say that the Black Plain was losing was not an exaggeration. But still, this city had never been attacked in the eight months that had passed!


    And none of these soldiers had any doubt that this was directly related to the frightening power of their leader!


    So, many who already knew him, and others who had only recently joined the army, could not help but nod or look respectfully at that person when they saw him.


    As for Minos, he had grown accustomed to this and was barely bothered by the animation of his soldiers.


    But after passing many new soldiers, newly selected for his organization, he arrived at his destination, where some essential people were already waiting for him.


    Abby, Viola, Regina, Joey, Eda, and Dillian were there, part of them sitting on a sofa, others on armchairs or chairs scattered around that large office.


    Of these people, Abby was at level 51, Viola at level 50, Regina at level 58, Eda at 53, Joey at 47. Finally, Dillian was still at level 54, but he should not take long to reach the next level.


    Viola had been the first of the Elite Squad to reach the 6th stage of cultivation, which had given her a vital position in that group of the Black Plain Army.


    As for Regina, although she had advanced, something challenging to do at her age, her journey to level 60 would not be easy at all.


    After all, she had previously been at level 57 for quite some time, so she had reached level 58 relatively quickly. But Minos could not expect her to maintain the cultivation speed of young Spiritual Kings, as was the case with most of his Lieutenants.


    In any case, he was looking forward to the day when that woman would become a low-level grade-3 poison master!


    Minos then sat down next to Abby and began this meeting, which was already scheduled to happen after his recent departure. "Well, I believe we can notify our allies about that problem..."


    "Oh?"


    "So, the Miller family information led you to nothing again?"


    "Exactly."


    Dillian then sighed upon hearing that confirmation. "Well, if there are no more advantages to having an internal agent, then bringing them over to our side is what might give the army the most advantages."


    "Hmm, I agree with butler Dillian," Joey said in a severe tone. "Recently, we have managed to recover the human losses from the war and even reached an unprecedented number in the army. But that is still a long way from what we need to win this war."


    "Therefore, we must preserve our allied forces!"


    Currently, the Black Plain Army already had almost 26,000 soldiers, of which 8,800 were Spiritual Generals, and 19 were Spiritual Kings.


    These were great numbers for a place with only a few dozen guards about seven years ago. But that was far from enough from what they needed to deal with the current enemies and those that would come soon.


    Consequently, Joey could not help but quote such a thing.


    "Hmm, that''s true."


    "Even considering the Gill family, we don''t even have 30,000 Spiritual Generals to fight the war..." Abby commented, feeling that members of the Parkinson, Austin, and Miller families were necessary to the army''s plans.


    The Gill family was not large enough to provide that many capable fighters for the Black Plain.


    On the other hand, they had barely managed to maintain their numbers during this period when they had taken so many losses.


    That is, the Gill family was recruiting people in Dry City, something that had been crucial for them to recover from some of the losses in this war.


    But without their territory, the Gill family''s economic power had diminished considerably, so they had not been able to grow any further in this period. Hence, if Minos wanted to win this war, he would need to use the Spiritual Generals of his allies.


    And to do so, he would have to make decisions that could not be turned back!


    ...

 Chapter 810 Dry City Situation

    Chapter 810 Dry City Situation


    "Well, our allies are probably already at risk anyway, so it won''t be bad to bring them to Dry City." Minos said right after hearing the comments of those three.


    "But how will we do that?" Abby questioned him. "Currently, Dry City already has almost 500,000 inhabitants, and we have reached the maximum internal capacity of the area protected by the dome..."


    After the events in Maritime City, the migrations to the Black Plain had continued until the Night News had released that edition in which it talked about Otis'' execution.


    That was because Minos'' allied families in the region had continued to make their efforts to attract people to Minos'' city until the date of that publication.


    Only after that, the Nash, Cohen, and Stokes families, stop their actions since no one mentally sane would come to the Black Plain in the middle of a war of independence.


    Consequently, almost 20,000 people had arrived in Dry City in that period between the massive migration of the Maritime City inhabitants and the publication of the Night News.


    Because of this, Dry City had reached the limit of what could be built and did not have the space to receive those three families at once.


    Hence, Abby had questioned that!


    "Well, naturally, we have plenty of room outside the dome..." Regina commented in a casual tone.


    But although she spoke it as if it were a joke, she was being serious in her suggestion, which, by the way, was not bad at all.


    "Hmm, that might work..." Dillian nodded in agreement.p????-?????.???


    However, to Viola, the least experienced one there, that did not sound so good. "Really? Won''t that be dangerous?"


    "Dangerous? Only if we have to face something like what happened eight months ago..." Joey answered that young woman''s question while thinking about how to make Regina''s suggestion work. "But with the young master here, I feel there won''t be any problems..."


    "The enemy should not change their strategy until the massive forces of the Counter-Revolutionary Statute arrive... So, until then, I can say that the dangers will be minimal."


    Minos nodded in agreement. "Yes, we can build camps outside the dome, and that may even increase our security area around the city."


    "And those people will still be able to alternate in shifts to rest in Dry City, use local services, etc."


    "It''s not a bad plan."


    "In any case, it will still take some time before that happens. So, we will have time to sort out the necessary preparations so that our allies are not exposed to unnecessary danger."


    "But the question is, does Dry City have the capacity to provide services for a few tens of thousands more cultivators?" He asked, looking at Dillian, who was running the city at this period.


    "Hmm, yes, young master, I believe we will be able to."


    "In the past few months, we have managed to double the capacity of the local Cultivation Tower. On the other hand, all the public buildings have been expanded to their respective maximum capacities." p???? ?o???


    "And the number of spiritual professionals in our city has reached the 3,000 mark, with dozens of grade-2 ones."


    "With that, the number of establishments focused on selling cultivation resources has increased considerably in recent months, and the scarcity of resources is no longer as tremendous as before." He said, reporting this crucial information for the matter at hand.


    Dry City had almost continuously, since Minos'' arrival here, suffered from a lack of resources. That, of course, was related to the resources produced by spiritual professionals, not the food planted around this area.


    After all, Dry City was an exporter of this kind of resource, so there was no shortage of food rich in spiritual energy here.


    But pills, weapons, in general, artifacts produced by professionals such as chefs, blacksmiths, array masters, they all had long wait queues in this city.


    That was related to the low local prices, which Minos forcefully maintained to make his inhabitants stronger quickly.


    And so, since the arrival of Davis, the first alchemist in Dry City, the local inhabitants had become accustomed to the lack of some resources of that kind. In some cases, they had to be content to wait for weeks to receive some items, as in the case of pills.


    However, the supply had significantly improved with the increased number of professionals in the city, and the resources of little use to the army gathered during the war.


    However, even with all the improvements, there were still resources, such as certain pills, that could take several days to be delivered. But the current situation definitely allowed this city to welcome more consumers without making the reality in question much worse.


    "I see..." Minos said in satisfaction. ¦Ñ???????????


    "Well, if our city can receive these people, I want you and Joey to start planning what is necessary for the migration of our allies."


    "As for you, Abby, start the talks with your families and the people from houses Parkinson and Austin."


    "All right." All three replied at the same time.


    "Good. Besides that matter, I want to know how the progress of your groups is..." He said as he looked at Viola and Eda.


    Viola was in charge of Elite Squad affairs for this meeting. At the same time, Eda, who had returned from Yellow City after switching shifts with Angela, took care of a sensitive matter in Dry City.


    "How is the orphanage, Eda?"


    "Well, things aren''t going badly..." She said sincerely. "After this period, we managed to place 129 children under the care of the state, as well as 32 under outside supervision."


    The latter referred to those orphans living with relatives but were supervised by the local orphanage staff.


    "Most of these children are quite young, under 5. So, our service was not and will not be that complicated with them."


    "With the good living conditions given to them, education, treatment, and the guardians, we haven''t had many problems so far."


    The guardians were basically soldiers who had the mission to connect emotionally with these children, helping them as real older brothers or sisters.


    It was cruel to manipulate people''s feelings, but that was one of the best ways for these children to trust the state. As such, the orphanage led by Eda right now was using that strategy to care for the orphans.


    "But some of the older children, uh, well, it will take longer for them to grow up and become contributing citizens to local development..."


    "Hmm, that''s normal..." Minos commented without much concern.


    The personality of humans was like sheets of paper. A specific person''s sheet would be blank at birth but quickly be filled in the first few years of life.


    And upon reaching a certain age, which by the way was not high even in the Spiritual World, certain marks would be difficult to erase or change.


    At the very least, some ''blur'' would remain in place, something that, even with much effort and caution, would still be something that would mark that person.


    So, Minos understood that the work of the local orphanage staff was not straightforward, and not everyone would be able to complete the government''s expectations.


    Therefore, Eda''s answer was good enough for him.


    He then looked at Viola and asked. "What about the Elite Squad?"


    "After we leave the Spatial Kingdom, the cultivation speed of the soldiers slows down. However, all the soldiers have managed to advance at least once in the last few months."


    "Pyke and Barbara have reached level 49 and will probably be the first to reach the 6th stage after me."


    "Others like Robin, Humbert, Elmer, Dumas have reached level 48 and are the second tier of warriors in this squad."


    "What about results in battles... Have we had any recent losses?"


    "We have not had any deaths since the beginning of the war, but three of our comrades have had serious injuries and for the moment are unavailable to fight for the army."


    Upon hearing this, Dillian was not slow to comment on the matter. "Don''t worry, young master. Once I reach level 56, I will be able to solve the problems of these guys."


    p????-?o??? "Oh? That''s good."


    Viola then finished. "Finally, we have achieved some good results in the last few months. Some of us were able to kill enemy Spiritual Kings. At the same time, we managed to accumulate over 5,000 enemies killed at the hands of our 100 soldiers."


    ...

 Chapter 811 War Status 1

    Chapter 811 War Status 1


    After finishing talking about the affairs of the local orphanage and the Elite Squad, Viola and Eda left that office, going about their business.


    Meanwhile, Minos'' group continued in that place, talking about other matters of importance to the Black Plain, the army, and allies.


    "Young master, we have received the information that the exchange of shifts at the naval base and the secret base in the City of Waters went well. Soon, Lieutenants Elena and Eduard will arrive in our city." Joey notified Minos about this matter.


    Elena, currently at level 52, was previously in command of the army post in that city of the Cromwell Kingdom. There, alongside the forces of the Hayes family, she and Minos'' soldiers had fought the enemies in that area.


    But after so many months in that place, she had finally been replaced by Celeste, level 55, whom Minos had sent to that post.


    As for Eduard, currently at level 54, since the attacks on Maritime City, he had been at that naval base, settling the affairs of that place for the Black Plain.


    But with the changes that occurred in the period that passed, Minos had decided to bring him back to Dry City. Here, like Elena, he would have the opportunity to train and cultivate more peacefully for some time.


    After all, after Minos'' advances, this place had become safer, and even if only he compromised the local security, the enemies would no longer come here.


    At least not for now, not considering the present conditions of the conflict on the Black Plain.p????-?????.???


    In any case, Eduard had been replaced by two people, one who would lead that place and another who was at that naval base to protect it.


    Lieutenant Grayson, who had reached level 52 in that period, assumed the naval base command. In contrast, Archer Miller, level 56, was there to protect that base!


    Minos had decided to strengthen all three of the army''s outposts around his territory. Because of this, each of these places was currently under the protection of people capable of fighting regional Spiritual Kings at level 58 or higher.


    He had made this decision because, after the period that had passed, the danger faced by each of those posts had significantly increased.


    First of all, in the Yellow City post, the number of enemies in that area had increased dramatically due to the advance of enemy troops through that northern part of the Black Plain and southern part of the Kingdom of the Waves.


    p????-?o??? That had happened because of the inclusion of the Collins and Reid families and their respective allies in the Black Plain''s war of independence.


    Secondly, also because of the Collins family, the naval army base was in more danger than ever.


    That family knew about such a place, and by allying themselves with the enemies of Minos, it was not long before more and more families from the Brown Kingdom knew about that place. p???? ?o???


    And because of this, naval and land actions were constantly taking place there.


    Third, because of this involvement of the Collins family, information about the goods transported by that naval base had finally come to the attention of the major regional organizations.


    That was because, with such information, the logical thing had happened, and Minos'' enemies had tracked the cargo ships leaving that place to Stone Island. After this, it did not take much ingenuity for the leaders of those organizations to understand why the Black Plain had so many resources.


    Consequently, the noble and royal families found out about the foods sold on Stone Island, something that had directly turned part of the Cromwell Kingdom organizations against Minos.


    That was why he had needed to strengthen that post in the City of Waters!


    The Cromwell Kingdom was the state with the highest agricultural production in that region, and before Minos'' arrival on the Black Plain, the Stone Island''s greatest trading ally.


    But with Minos'' involvement, that had changed to some degree, to the point that the farming families of that state had seen a threat to their business in Minos'' existence.


    They saw no threat on the Black Plain because the territories taken from Minos by enemy forces could not produce high-level food. As such, the enemies of Minos had concluded that the technique of cultivating these foods came from this ruler. ¦Ñ???????????


    Hence, the families, especially in the Farmland region, desired to see the fall of Minos and had naturally reacted against this young man''s interests on the border with the Cromwell Kingdom.


    Consequently, that region was also a dangerous place, where Minos needed to keep someone of Celeste''s caliber to protect the interests of the Black Plain.


    Anyway, for these reasons, Minos had made the shifts in the three outer posts of the army, where more capable people were now.


    "Good to know."


    "Those people from the Farmland region and the naval troop of King Brown''s army are going to have a tougher time against these people." Minos said in satisfaction, feeling relief that the shift change had occurred without accidents.


    Upon hearing such a thing, Abby and Dillian nodded in agreement. At the same time, the blue-haired woman took the opportunity to talk about something related. "By the way, how is our naval fleet? I hear that the siege around that region is making it difficult for ships coming from Stone Island."


    Joey nodded and said. "Indeed it is."


    "But of the 33 current warships of the army, our soldiers are doing their best to secure passage for the Nash family ships."


    "That is being quite costly, but still, we are getting business done."


    This siege of the Black Plain naval base had been going on for a few months now, something that had initially dealt Minos several losses.


    But after many naval battles, as well as new partnerships that the army had made, things had improved for Minos'' side. And they were able, by fighting hard, to send those cargo ships to Stone Island.


    On the other hand, by entering the Stone Island territorial sea, House Stone had been ensuring the safe passage of the Nash family ships, preventing enemy actions in that territory.


    After several months of the war, the Stone family had realized that it was worthwhile to stand by Minos and ignore the Counte-Rrevolutionary Statute.


    As such, they had made an alliance in which that royal family guaranteed various types of aid to the Black Plain, as in the case of the naval protection in question.


    Hence, the naval siege of that base and the battles on the high seas had not been creating an economic catastrophe for the Black Plain.


    Joey then finished talking about that. "In any case, with Archer''s presence in that place, we can expect a decrease in war damage related to the naval siege."


    "That''s good..." Minos commented while having his hands crossed at the height of his nose. "When our warships are delivered in a year, we will crush the enemies!"


    Most of the Stone Island families were on Minos'' side. So, it was tough to imagine that this young man would not use one of the two specialties of that state.


    That is, shipbuilding!


    With this, he had already ordered several warships.


    Until now, he had only stolen that from his enemies. And while promising, that was not ideal because those warships accumulated damage and were no longer as powerful as his enemies''.


    Because of this, he looked forward to the arrival of his new naval fleet, which was being developed to meet the needs of his army.


    They would not only be far more potent than the warships found in this region, but they would also significantly increase the size of the current fleet.


    With this, young Stuart could not help but be anxious.


    Dillian then commented. "Well, the situation at the naval base should change in the coming months. But it''s the issue of external sanctions that are worrying me..."


    "The Black Plain is already suffering from the restrictions imposed by enemies, as well as the trade war in place."


    "I feel that we may soon have to raise prices in Dry City." He said in concern as he looked at Minos and that old figure, Joey.


    ...

 Chapter 812 War Status 2

    Chapter 812 War Status 2


    After discovering the high-level resources coming from the Black Plain and the approval of sending troops to the Brown Kingdom by the Counter-Revolutionary Statute, the regional states had not stood idly by without imposing sanctions on Minos'' territory.


    With all the information about this area and Minos'' regional enemy status, five of the six royal families had forbidden their vassals from doing business with the Black Plain.


    With that, as much as Minos had trade agreements with families of the Cromwell Kingdom and the Kingdom of the Waves, these sanctions had made it very difficult to import resources through those families.


    With the sanctions, the royal families watched the departure of ships and wagons from their major cities, from the sale of strategic resources, those needed to produce pills, arrays, and weapons.


    In addition, the leading regional banks were monitoring the status of the accounts of the prominent noble families and the exchange of spiritual crystals of different qualities.


    With this, the exchange of resources, crystals, etc., between the Black Plain and its partners had been considerably hampered in this period.


    Consequently, professionals such as blacksmiths, array masters, alchemists could soon be facing price increases in the products necessary for their professions!


    And suppose this was to be passed on to consumers, as it usually happened. In that case, the results could be pretty damaging for Dry City.


    Anyway, hearing Dillian''s comment, Abby nodded and said. "Well, that''s frankly worrying."


    "But for now, we still have resources that were purchased by the local government months ago. So, the prices can be maintained for a while longer."


    "Yes, but what will we do after that? Our reserve of items will not support more than two months. After that, we will have to decrease the supply of resources to local professionals..." Dillian said.p????-?????.???


    Hearing this, Minos sighed deeply because of this problem caused by the economic pressure of the regional states against them. "Well, we will try to buy as many resources through Stone Island as possible."


    "Even if they are suffering from the sanctions as well, I believe that with this, we will get the minimum to ensure that the local prices of artifacts are maintained."


    "As for the medicines needed in the making of the pills, we will try to work with whatever we can get through the Cohen and Stokes families."


    "In any case, we should start limiting the production of certain pills and other items produced by specialists from the spiritual professions." He suggested, looking at Joey and Dillian.


    "We can decrease the production of recovery pill to population and temporarily lower the prices of medical treatments."


    "At the same time, we need to be more selective about the resources collected."


    "All right, young master." The two men said simultaneously.


    Minos then continued. "On the other hand, this trade war, while annoying, we can''t do anything about it for the moment."


    The trade war he referred to concerned the lowering of the cost of food products sold on Stone Island by outside organizations in that state.


    Unfortunately, Stone Island never produced enough food to suppress its own demand. But, on the other hand, Black Plain was also far from the point where it could do the same. p???? ?o???


    Consequently, Stone Island continued to import this kind of resource from other states.


    And because of this, food prices on that island depended on families that were enemies of Minos, as in the case of the three noble houses in the Farmland region.


    Despite the sanctions against that state, it was still managing to obtain food resources since those measures by the regional families targeted other areas, those with higher aggregate values.


    Because of this, the importation of resources by that state had continued.


    But not only this, the price per kilogram of various foods in that state had strangely decreased!


    That seemed to make no sense, considering that such a state was going against regional interests and should suffer from sanctions that would hinder the economic life of its citizens.


    However, even though those regional organizations had come to a disagreement with House Stone, they knew that the enemy to be fought was Minos.


    If he fell, they could naturally deal with the Stones later.


    And so, the agricultural families had lowered the prices of their products to the people on that island to increase competition to the products sold by the Black Plain.


    Previously the prices of items from Minos had the exact cost as those sold by families from the Farmland region. Consequently, when someone went to buy food for their family, they preferred those more cost-effective foods. ¦Ñ???????????


    At that time, these were the items coming from the Black Plain, which had large amounts of energy.


    But by lowering their food prices considerably, the enemy families of Minos had decreased the demand for the products of the Black Plain!


    That was the point of this action that at first seemed illogical.


    Ordinary citizens wanted to become stronger, but buying energy-rich food was not always possible. On the other hand, the effects of these foods became less noticeable, as cultivation required more and more energy over the levels.


    As they were faced with resources of lesser quality but for values well below those of good quality, many people had decreased their consumption of the resources from the Black Plain.


    And since the crystals that empowered the Black Plain Army came from exporting these foods, a decrease in demand would naturally hurt Minos.


    That''s what they wanted!


    To stop the steady advance of Minos'' forces, to diminish the financial power of these regional enemies until the Counter-Revolutionary Statute troops arrived on the Black Plain to resolve the rebellion.


    Anyway, this had already had repercussions on the local economy, something that had diminished the financial power of the local government.


    As such, Minos was concerned about this.


    Unfortunately, there was not much he could do about it other than winning the war, of course...


    "Hmm, that''s truly a shame," Abby commented. "We can only count on the actions of the Nash family to make us face a less complicated situation in that state."


    "I agree with Abby." Minos nodded and said as he looked at his girl. "Let''s ask Elen to increase the number of Nash family posts around that state."


    "That won''t make the target audience of the enemy action start buying more of our resources, but it might reach a larger portion of the Stone Island population."


    p????-?o??? "Maybe that would at least lessen our problems."


    Hearing these things, Dillian agreed to do so, leaving a mental note on this subject for him to talk to Mia later.


    After that, a few minutes passed, and the five individuals in that office continued to talk about the army and the Black Plain''s matters.


    And so, it was not long before they got to the last subject of that meeting, something that involved some of the army allies.


    "Abby, how are your parents? And the other elders of the Miller family?" Minos asked as he looked into his girlfriend''s eyes.


    "My mother is still striving to reach level 52, but my father got a breakthrough recently, having reached level 56." She said as she had a proud smile on her face.


    "Level 56, huh?" Minos smiled upon hearing that.


    Recently he was constantly traveling and fighting around the Black Plain. Because of this, and because his father-in-law also fought around this territory, young Stuart did not have this information beforehand.


    "As for the other eight elders who were in Dry City recently, only three of them were able to advance since they arrived here."


    "I see..."


    "Well, your family was lucky that we were in the middle of the war of independence, and they were able to send so many of their members here."


    "Otherwise, my agreement with them wouldn''t have brought so many of them here in such a short time..."


    "Anyway, considering that, let''s not talk about fulfilling that one-year clause that these members had to stay here in Dry City."


    "The opposite of that, let us deal only with matters concerning the exchange of personnel by that family of the Cromwell Kingdom."


    "Does the young master want to ask for something specific for that family?" Joey asked about that, as he understood what Minos was asking.


    ...

 Chapter 813 Priority (*)

    Chapter 813 Priority (*)


    "Vivian and the one other person who accompanied her here will soon finish the one-year period that they had to stay on the Black Plain." So, Minos said to the people there in that office.


    "Then, we should be nearing the time of their departure and the arrival of the next two individuals who will be here for the next year."


    Minos'' agreement with that family from the Cromwell Kingdom foresaw that House Hayes could send five people to the Black Plain over three years. Those people sent here would have to stay at least 12 months in Dry City while learning Silver-grade techniques and fighting for this place.


    As such, Minos was considering this shift exchange of his allies, planning to make the best use of it.


    At first, he would have to do something similar with the members of the Miller family. Still, due to the war, the situation of his agreement with his girlfriend''s noble house had changed.


    But the situation was different for House Hayes.


    After all, House Hayes was an organization of the Cromwell Kingdom, which had not yet become directly involved in the conflict on the Black Plain.


    That is, some noble families of that state were already acting independently. Still, the royal family itself had not yet joined the battles nor ordered confrontations of its vassals against Minos.


    So, the Hayes family had not needed to act as an internal spy, as in the case of House Miller.


    Therefore, Vivian''s family did not have to pretend to be an enemy of Minos and have ''their dead'' sent to Dry City.p????-?????.???


    Anyway, that difference between these two powers made Minos'' original contract with them preserved.


    "Let''s ask the Hayes to send powerful fighters this time," Minos said as he highlighted this most critical point in this matter. "Since things are developing dangerously, let''s increase power on the Black Plain before the royal forces from the other states arrive!"


    The Counter-Revolutionary Statute had already been activated, and reinforcements for the Brown family were already on their way to the Black Plain. Considering this, Minos already wanted to prepare for the next 2 to 4 months, when his enemies would finish arriving in his territory.


    At that time, it would be best if he had maximum power on the Black Plain!


    "So, that''s it..." Dillian understood Minos'' motives, feeling that there was a need to emphasize such a thing to the Hayes family.


    Joey then nodded and said. "All right, young master, I''ll take care of it."


    After that, Dillian and Joey said goodbye to Minos and Abby, going their separate ways. One went to the local government mansion, and the other went back to the headquarters administrative area.


    As for Minos and Abby, they continued in that same place as before.


    "Sigh... It''s a pity that things are so tumultuous lately..." Abby said to Minos right after sitting on her boyfriend''s lap. "We barely have time to ourselves recently." p???? ?o???


    "Hmm, it''s frustrating..." Minos said as he smelled the sweet scent of that young woman''s blue hair.


    These two still maintained their couple activities whenever they were in Dry City. But with all the war problems, the two of them had to leave this place, going to fight on battlefields around the Black Plain.


    One of them was a monster who could very well improve the army''s results significantly just by his presence on the battlefields. But, on the other hand, the other was a powerful defense for the army''s low-level Spiritual Kings.


    With that, they were spending less time together. Even when they were in Dry City, it was becoming difficult to maintain their previous routine.


    There was no way they could take more of their time to have fun in bed...


    As such, the couple''s routine of having sex two or three times a day had been broken for months!


    And the fact that Ruth had left a few weeks ago did nothing to help their situation.


    This young woman had left the Black Plain right after reaching level 53, something that had happened just over two weeks ago.


    They had gotten used to practicing their activities together, having Ruth''s presence at other times in their daily lives. So, it was undeniable that they now missed her. And even though the sex was as remarkable or even more impressive than before, this absence did not help their unusual situation. ¦Ñ???????????


    With that, they could not help but lament.


    Anyway, Minos then used one of his hands to feel his girlfriend''s stunning body, feeling his younger brother grow a few inches in his pants. "Why don''t we enjoy this moment?" He whispered into one of Abby''s ears.


    "Are you sure?"


    "What about Dry City?"


    "Eda, Mirya, Viola, Eduard, Ernest, Grace, Elena, and many other Spiritual Kings are here to solve any minor problem..." He said as he named some of the experts in this city at present.


    Mirya and Ernest had not increased their level in this period. Still, both were very strong, level 53 and 52, respectively, and were close to their long-awaited breakthrough. On the other hand, Grace and Elena had achieved such a thing in recent months, both having reached level 52.


    And in addition to these Spiritual Kings with Silver-grade techniques, there were a few dozen experts in this city, either allies or subordinates of Minos.


    Because of all this strength, that young man could not help but rely on these people so that he could have a few minutes with his girlfriend.


    "Come on... It won''t take long, and if anything urgent happens, someone will come to get in our way..." He said this as his hands quickly unbuttoned Abby''s clothes.


    Gulp!


    Feeling the warmth of her companion, Abby swallowed her saliva in anticipation, sensing an unusual warmth emerge from the depths of her being.


    Then, her pupils dilated, and her respiratory rate began to increase as her hands moved without her noticing, going toward Minos'' lower parts.


    "I think it''s okay for us to be oblivious to our responsibilities just for a few minutes..." She said as her breathing became more noticeable to young Stuart.


    "Of course!" Minos commented in a soft tone. "We can even consider it as training!"


    "After all, resting, relaxing, that is, ensuring the best physical and mental conditions for the sake of war is also our responsibility!" He said as he justified his actions.


    "You''re right!"


    After that, Abby sat on Minos'' lap facing him, feeling the extraordinary volume pressing against her lower parts, when justly the two started kissing like animals in heat.


    "Mmmmmm~"


    As the two tasted each other''s love, lost in the momentary sensation they were experiencing, Minos'' hands were already massaging two soft peaks.


    ''Ah, the twins... My favorites!'' A funny expression formed on Minos'' face as he felt the arousal of his girlfriend, who was restraining herself from moaning on account of his touches.


    "Mmmmm~"


    As they parted their lips, Minos finally began to suck one of the two peaks with pleasure, feeling that the two days he had gone without touching those little beauties had been too much.


    ''I have to deal with these damn enemies as soon as possible! Those bastards are getting in my way!'' He thought in good humor, feeling that he should work on his ''priority.''


    p????-?o??? "Ahhh~"


    ...


    After a while, the couple had finally finished their previous action, having enjoyed the intense 40 minutes they had spent together.


    And upon finishing that, they went their separate ways, as they both had other responsibilities to fulfill at the moment.


    With that, the couple that had just been on fire parted with smiles on their faces, refreshed to continue their stressful routines.


    And as he headed to his mansion, Minos was thinking about how he should get revenge on the people who got in the way of his peaceful life.


    ''Those damned Reids will pay heavily for standing in my way without any justification!''


    ''I can be reasonable with the enemies I created myself, but with crazy people, there is no forgiveness!''

 Chapter 814 The Limit Of Minos

    Chapter 814 The Limit Of Minos


    After the arrival months ago of the Reid family troops on the Black Plain, Minos had fought a few times against the first enemies coming from that organization.


    At first, they were not numerous, being only a few hundred fighters, a few Spiritual Kings. But after coming across a particular couple that seemed to have an irreconcilable hatred for him, Minos had realized that things had changed tremendously.


    It had been strange before that the Reids had gotten involved in the mess of war, but after killing with a single glance one of those two people, a young man who was at level 50, things had gotten much worse.


    All of a sudden, the hundreds had turned into thousands, and never again had Minos seen the stunningly beautiful woman who seemed to have something against him, even if he had never seen her in his life.


    With that, for no reason at all, the madness of war took over relations between Reids and the Black Plain, with both sides desiring the destruction of the other.


    Minos did not know it, but by killing the first young master of that family, he had drawn the anger of some members of that house. But by killing the second young master, he had thrown oil on the fire and earned the hatred of everyone in that organization of the Kingdom of the Waves.


    That was the motivation behind the involvement of this noble family of the late Tristam and Christian.


    In any case, Minos had put the name of that organization on his blacklist, something he would definitely take care of as soon as he had the chance!


    They had attacked him repeatedly, so he would do what was necessary and help them achieve their end!


    So, he went on his way until he reached his mansion with that in mind.


    ...p????-?????.???


    Upon arriving at his residence, Minos immediately made his way to the kitchen, where the chefs were preparing a meal at this very moment.


    As he did so, he quickly grabbed from a refrigerator array a glass bottle that had cold water inside.


    "Ah! It''s boiling today, isn''t it, Wendi?" He asked the young chef who was working with two other women there, as he held the bottle from before in one of his hands.


    "Yes, young master, the day is perfect." That level 42 chef, someone Minos had met almost six years ago on his first trip out of the Black Plain, said.


    "Well..." And while talking about some small day-to-day things with his chefs, Minos was tasting some snacks there, something that would be served later during dinner.


    He then asked about something more relevant. "By the way, how is her mood today?"


    "She seems content, young master..." Another chef commented on this as she answered Minos'' question about Brooke.


    Brooke had naturally stayed in this city for all this time since her arrival.


    The same was true for her father, who, even now with his status as an ally, could not leave this place since he was supposed to be a hostage of enemy forces.


    In any case, Brooke had stayed these months here, having, in a way, enjoyed herself in Dry City, unlike her father who even today, still saw this place as a prison. p???? ?o???


    But even though she had spent her time here in a much better way than her father, who had to swallow his hatred for Celeste constantly, Brooke still had her low moments, even with old friends.


    Not necessarily because of her mother and Neal, since these two rarely came to this building. But, on the other hand, both were on missions outside Dry City, so she rarely had to think about them.


    But the trauma she had to overcome was not slight.


    So, even though she lived in Minos'' mansion, where she frequently ate and talked with Minos or Abby, she still had her bad days.


    That woman was still very reclusive, with particular difficulties trusting other people, which sometimes made her feel lonely and down.


    That was why Minos had asked how Brooke was doing to those women, the ones that usually had more contact with her when he or Abby was not around.


    "I see..." He said as he picked up another snack and walked toward the place in which he was sensing Brooke''s presence.


    ...


    Upon arriving at one of the recreational areas of his residence, Minos immediately saw a woman with tanned skin lying on her back beside a pool, without the top of her bikini.


    Women in the Spiritual World took great care of their bodies, even if cultivation could partially ensure their youth. ¦Ñ???????????


    And having tanned skin was something that a portion of the Spiritual World''s population valued, and many sought to achieve by exposing themselves to the bright rays of the star that illuminated this world.


    But only those weak enough not to have the ability to alter themselves by their own will did such a thing.


    However, Brooke had a long way to go if she wanted to take advantage of the benefits of being at the 8th stage. As such, she used to do that from time to time, which made her happier with her appearance and the pleasant feeling of doing that.


    And seeing this, Minos could not help but admire the sight in front of him, of that slender-bodied, shapely woman, with short brown hair and a small mark on her lower left cheek.


    Brooke was beautiful, and just like her mother, Celeste, she had a stunning body, a charm that was hard to ignore. In fact, the only thing she lacked was her mother''s mature personality.


    And for Minos, a young man full of desire, this did not go unnoticed.


    ''That''s truly nice to see when you get home!'' The young Stuart admired the health that Brooke exuded while lamenting in his heart the fact that such a woman had matters to attend to.


    Minos was naturally not prejudiced against beauties, and he did not lack ''appetite'' either. But doing certain things with people in weak moments, with trust issues, could become a big problem.


    But he already had so many problems that adding another one would only make him ''lose his youth'' faster!


    And so, he preferred to keep some distance from his old friend, Brooke.


    But that does not mean that he did not admire her or did not have his fantasies.


    After all, young Stuart was only 22.


    However, he wanted the woman in front of him to face her demons and recover from her traumas before he tried anything.


    Only then could he try something without risking adding one more problem, perhaps even worsening Brooke''s condition.


    p????-?o??? "Minos?" She asked as she felt the presence of someone right behind her.


    And as she looked back, she soon saw one of her favorite faces staring at her, as if thinking of something of utmost importance.


    "Hehehe, are you surprised that I reached level 46?" She asked naively.


    "Cough! Cough!"


    "Hmm, of course, hehe."


    "Congratulations on increasing your level, Brooke." He said with a discreet smile on his face as he sat down next to that woman that was still lying in the same position as before.


    "Hehe, I am doing as you told me. I''m cultivating more while you and Abby are away..."


    "Oh? That''s good. If you keep it up, you can become a good soldier for my army in the future."


    "Who will be your soldier?" She said in a joking tone.


    Minos had invited this woman into his organization, of course. But she had refused several times, saying that she could not join an organization at war, something she was morally against.


    "All you people think about is war, fighting left and right, killing without blinking... I disagree with your ideas."


    "To me, they are all wrong!" She said in conviction.


    "It is easy for one who has always been on the side that oppresses to judge the struggle of the oppressed..." Minos said to her in a serious tone. "But sooner or later, you will realize that on your own, Brooke."


    "Tsk!"


    "You are so serious..." She turned sideways, not caring to show part of her body to Minos.


    "Here." She handed him a tube that contained some kind of liquid. "Pass it on my back, please..."


    Gulp!


    "If that''s what you want..."

 Chapter 815 The Bank Of The Black Plain 1

    Chapter 815 The Bank Of The Black Plain 1


    While Minos was testing his mental toughness with Brooke, the lives of the hundreds of thousands of local inhabitants went on as usual.


    Things in this city continued to flourish despite the difficult times this territory was experiencing.


    But this was natural. After all, with the many protections this place had, the average citizen of this urban area had only to worry about living their lives.


    Hence, even though they were in a territory in rebellion, the local population continued with their activities. Many were working to support their families, others cultivated, growing stronger while taking advantage of the opportunities of this city.


    And believe it or not, some were experiencing the pleasures of life, enjoying the happiness of spiritual and economic development.


    As was before the massive migration of people from Maritime City to here, Dry City continued to have no unemployed people, with only a tiny fraction of the population without paid occupations.


    That was the fraction related to children, sick people, in other words, those unable to do any paid work.


    Previously young Stuart and his local government team had accumulated enough spiritual crystals for massive hiring, which had helped them keep unemployment at 0%.


    Because of this, such a thing had been possible to accomplish, and already for some months, every one of those who had come from Maritime City had integrated into the local community.


    These people had their jobs, often more than one, by the way, getting used to the Dry City way of life, the rules, and the security provided by the local army and police.p????-?????.???


    With this, the city''s services had undergone a significant transformation, with the improvement of some that had existed previously and the creation of new ones.


    But while the increase in labor supply and the consequent increase in demand for existing and new services had greatly aided this development, there were other factors behind the current state of this city.


    One of them was the level increase that local professionals constantly had. But there was something more relevant to this.


    That was Dry City''s interaction with Stone Island!


    After the popularization of information regarding the high-quality Black Plain food traded through the Nash family, the Stone Island families allied with Elen had finally acted.


    Some powers in that state had agreements with Minos that predicted  that they would send members of their organizations into his territory to open branches and develop local partnerships.


    At first, the leaders of those organizations had thought that this would be an opportunity for their members and organizations to evolve, but it was the opposite... Instead, this opportunity was for Dry City professionals to learn, that is, to improve the quality of their services.


    And this kind of ''information exchange'' was essential. After all, as much as a given professional depended a lot on their skills for success, a few ways of running a business could completely change that individual''s company or product.


    Knowledge of management, advertising, etc., could completely differentiate a particular person''s situation. p???? ?o???


    Not having specific knowledge, a person could have a great product. But, still, not knowing how to sell it or present it in the best way, he could not reach his target audience.


    With this knowledge, he could even achieve similar success as professionals with better products than his own, but who did not have the same expertise.


    That was just one example of how important these practices developed for many years by large families, or companies, could be for improving the services of certain professionals.


    And for this, Minos had created that opportunity to bring to Dry City people from Stone Island, individuals related to hospitality, gastronomy, commerce in general.


    But even though they did not get the opportunity they thought they would, the organizations of Stone Island had still gladly started sending people here.


    Such an opportunity that the inhabitants of Dry City had gained from this was not bad for them either. After all, they could improve their ties with the local organizations and people!


    p????-?o??? With that, the families and organizations that had asked Elen to make agreements with Minos before, each of them by now had representatives in Dry City.


    These people had opened branches of their organizations here, in which some local professionals had the opportunity to learn the practices developed in that state.


    And with all this, local services had jumped in quality and variety! ¦Ñ???????????


    ...


    The central area of Dry City...


    On the main avenue in this city, there was a prominent local government building, which had been completely renovated in recent months.


    Previously, such a place was responsible for the local economy, where many local government employees worked with the management of local resources.


    But with the construction of a new place for that, this place had been enlarged, had more than doubled in size, and had gained a new facade.


    Now, this building had many columns on two of its sides, while its front part, facing that avenue, had a large concrete square, where the symbol of the Black Plain was.


    There, a substantial golden tree, more than 15 meters high, from its roots to its leaves wholly made of gold, filled that square space, embellishing that building.


    But besides such a beautiful symbol, the names in gold on the highest part of that building were also eye-catching.


    ''Bank of the Black Plain,'' said the letters on that part of the building.


    And that was it. That was the bank that Minos wanted very much to open in his territory, something he would use to solve some problems in the future.


    In any case, for now, the objective of this institution was much more straightforward, which was to attract the people of this city, the merchants, to adhere to the services of this new organization.


    One could say that such a thing was an experiment. That is, Minos wanted to venture as a banker, and as such, sooner or later, he would have to take his institution outside the Dry City.


    But if even here this did not work out, then his plans would fail!


    Hence, the opening of this institution, which had happened in the last few days, was the test, the experiment that came before something bigger was developed.


    In any case, this place was already open to the citizens. Therefore, people constantly passed through the front stairs of this place, heading towards the entrance to get to know this new service.


    Banks were not necessarily strange institutions to the regional population, even to those low-income individuals who probably had never used such a service.


    But since this was the Dry City, the local inhabitants would not rush to conclusions about any new establishment launched by the government!


    Therefore, from its opening until this moment, local citizens came to this location to find out how this bank differed from the others in this region.


    That is because, in general, regional banks had two main functions, which were not so useful for ordinary people. One was the exchange of crystals of different qualities. The other was the transfer of crystals, which was more frequent between influential organizations.


    The first was an easy way to sell medium-grade crystals to those Spiritual Kings who might have to take salaries in low-grade crystals, which happened frequently.


    The second was a safe and relatively quick way to make payments regarding big deals.


    That is, considering that the banking institution was reliable, of course!


    In any case, there were other options in regional banks, something that might exist in some institutions and not in others. But in general, these options were not very popular or good enough for the standard regional population.


    Therefore, if that were all, this bank would fail!


    Anyway, while this place was going through another ordinary day, with many people coming in to learn about the service, or even just to see this new building, two men were walking towards the reception area.


    One of them appeared to be a man in his 30s, and the other was an elderly man with long white hair and a full mustache.


    Both were wearing clothes from the Dry City Alchemists Guild. Both had the same rank indicated by a star symbol on their chests, showing that they were low-level grade-2 alchemists.


    "Davis, why didn''t you come here before? Unlike me, you have not been in seclusion for the past few days..." The old man said as he asked this person whom he had known for about five years since his coming here from Yellow City.


    ...

 Chapter 816 The Bank Of The Black Plain 2

    Chapter 816 The Bank Of The Black Plain 2


    Davis, the first alchemist in Dry City, level 46, someone brought by Minos from Portland, then looked at his colleague and said in good humor. "Just because I wasn''t in seclusion doesn''t mean I was unoccupied..."


    "Oh?"


    "Recently, the group of alchemists under my responsibility received some new individuals. And as you know, we have to train these newbies before they do something stupid..."


    "Hahaha, so, that''s it?"


    "Well, it seems that we all face similar problems..." So, he was about to say when finally the two arrived in front of one of the service stations in that building.


    Upon entering the Bank of the Black Plain, the first place to go was the security area, where there were several police officers on hand.


    Their job was simple, to search and collect the visitors'' belongings, like weapons, defensive items, etc. These things could be used in criminal activity.


    After this security area was a large hall with a few benches here and there, where people waiting could sit. Finally, many workstations could be seen around almost half of that area.


    On one side, there were large rectangular boxes, where there were some kinds of arrays that were useful to display information. On the other side were many similar workstations, where a kind of resistant glass separated the employees from the customers.


    That was the place where the crystals came and went inside this building.


    Finally, the rest of the space where there was no place to wait for service was a series of small offices.


    It was precisely in one of these offices that Davis and Edric had just arrived.p????-?????.???


    As this bank had only recently been founded, there were not many people yet to queue in this place. As such, those two alchemists had immediately gotten someone to attend to them.


    "Good morning, gentlemen. How can I help you?" An official with a name tag at chest height asked those two.


    Davis then replied. "Good morning. We are here to learn about what you offer. I hear there are some good options for those who want to improve their savings..."


    Hearing his colleague say this, Edric nodded in agreement, curious to know about this place.


    The two were busy people, so they had barely heard the rumors of this place. So, neither of them knew for sure how exaggerated or accurate the few rumors they had heard could be.


    Therefore, they were both curious.


    "Yes, we do indeed have outstanding options here, gentlemen." The official said this with a smile, not taking too long to explain the advantages of this bank. "Well, for starters, I should assure you that services like those offered at other regional banks are also offered here."


    "That counts with crystal exchange options, fast and secure cash transfers, as well as the option of virtual transactions." He said that as he picked up a particular device that every citizen of Dry City had.


    "When you make an account with our bank, we activate, at no additional cost, the debit function of your ID, something that will be related to your account."


    "With this, you will eventually be able to pay your bills at authorized posts through your identification, without having to carry crystals around."


    "With the regular account, you will also be able to transact up to 9,999 low-grade crystals without having to pay fees!" p???? ?o???


    "You will be able to make payments at merchant outlets that are members of our network or make transfers directly here at our bank, without having to talk to one of the staff." He pointed to that side area where the large rectangular boxes were.


    "The only cost you will incur by having a standard account with us is the trade fee, which consists of transactions made directly at the teller." He pointed to the side where some glass separated the tellers from the account holders.


    "The transactions we do there are the deposit and withdrawal of crystals, transfers over 10,000 low-grade crystals, and other services."


    "The transaction fee is five crystals, regardless of the amounts involved or the type of transaction."


    p????-?o??? "But if you have a business, then you can be part of our authorized network. For the cost of only 400 low-grade crystals per year, we provide an array capable of recording transactions between different IDs, and you can have a business account."


    "Oh? And what''s the point of us paying that fee? I mean, without those arrays, we can still transact with physical crystals..." Edric said, satisfied with the five crystals transaction fee.


    Hearing that, that official nodded in agreement. "That''s partly true."


    "But the conditions we offer are advantageous. It''s just that I haven''t yet explained all the advantages of having an account here."


    "You see, what I''ve told you so far is just what we offer in common with other regional banks, which, truth be told, are better terms than those offered by competitors."


    "But our differentiator is that we can make your crystals work for you!" He said in animation, massaging his own ID as if he were treating his lucky talisman.


    "Work for me?" ¦Ñ???????????


    "Oh?"


    "How do you guys do that?" The two asked simultaneously, incredulous at this possibility that did not exist in other regional banks.


    "Suppose you open an account with us and deposit a certain amount of crystals. Then, if you leave that amount idle, it won''t change at all, no matter how much time passes. However, by investing those crystals in the available investment funds, you can have a share in their income, and eventually, your crystals will work for you!"


    After hearing that, the eyes of the two alchemists sparkled.


    "How are these investments? What options do we have?" Davis asked anxiously.


    The official then explained. "Let me explain that with an example."


    "Suppose the government of the Black Plain decides to create a new city and build a cultivation tower on that area."


    "The government may decide to open an investment fund, ''city x cultivation tower,'' and make it available for account holders to invest their crystals in it. With that, eventually, the investment fund can be used to pay for the construction of that service."


    "Once built, the cultivation tower would start making profits. So, sooner or later, the project would pay for itself, and those who invested in it would start receiving a portion of the profits every month!"


    "That''s how we can make your crystals work for you." He said as he took a pamphlet that talked more about this and handed it to them.


    Seeing it, the two men soon read the small words, where the important stuff was.


    ''Investment fund bonds are limited. Once the funding reaches the required amount of crystals, new bonds from that investment fund will no longer be created...''


    ''Funded projects will not move forward until they reach the required amount of crystals...''


    ''Investments in government projects only guarantee up to 49% of the profit of the service developed through investments...''


    ''The 49% of the monthly profit should be divided among the investors, considering the amounts invested by each of the parties...''


    ''The account holder may eventually decide to sell his investment bonds. The Bank of the Black Plains undertakes to buy it and return the amount invested, with the yields, if there are any...''


    "49%?" Edric said in surprise as he read that. ''Minos is brilliant!''


    ''Using the population to finance his projects and take the lion''s share of the profits!''


    On the other hand, Davis was confused about that last part. "I don''t understand this part about selling the investment bonds. Can you tell me more about it?"


    "Of course."


    "Let''s suppose you open an account with us and in the future invest some low-grade crystals."


    "Hmmm." Davis nodded.


    "Then you may choose to leave those crystals invested. That is what we recommend. But if you wish to take them out, that can be done at any time."


    "However, if you withdraw the investment made before that project begins to turn a profit. Then you will not gain anything since you will not get the share of the profits."


    "And since, in this case, the bank would buy your bond, then that profit that could have eventually been yours would return to the Black Plain."


    ''That''s even if your crystals were used to finance the project...'' Edric thought about that as he followed that person''s speech.


    "On the other hand, suppose you decide to sell your investment bonds after the project has already started to make a profit. Then you will have the share of the profits up to that month of the withdrawal."


    "Consequently, your crystals will have yielded more crystals for you!"


    "Oh? So, that means that the longer I leave my crystals invested, the more I earn?" Davis asked in shock.


    "That''s right!" The officer laughed at Davis''s expression, remembering his reaction when he learned this.


    "That''s amazing!"


    "Is that why you said paying those 400 crystals is worth it?" Edric asked.


    "Yes. By joining our authorized network, you will receive payments from your customers through the array we sent to you. And with that, you will be able to constantly receive those crystals into your account without having to pay other fees!"


    "The advantage is in that, investing, paying minimal fees!"


    ...

 Chapter 817 Expansionist State: A Sure Failure

    Chapter 817 Expansionist State: A Sure Failure


    The advantage of what that employee was talking about was that, when receiving payments from customers, the member establishments of the bank''s accredited network would not have to pay fees beyond those 400 crystals.


    That is, of course, considering that the establishment would do all its operations through the array of its establishment.


    In other words, by receiving the crystals directly into their account through such array in their establishment, i.e., without going to the bank, that account holder would not have to pay any fees for receiving them, regardless of the amounts!


    That was obviously not advantageous for ordinary citizens who had no business. After all, such people could make transactions between accounts of up to 9,999 crystals without paying fees.


    But for business owners who were perhaps going to make dozens, hundreds of sales a day, this was worthwhile.


    If they did not pay the 400 crystals and still wanted to invest the profits, they would have to make regular deposits, that is, paying fees.


    After all, to deposit, they would have to go to one of the bank tellers, paying the fixed fee of 5 crystals per transaction. In addition, they would also have to pay to invest.


    So, it seemed more advantageous and practical for such people to have a business account in the long run!


    In this option, besides the 400 low-grade crystals, the most an account holder would have to pay would be the transaction fee when investing his or her crystals.


    Besides that, such a person would not need to pay any fees for young Stuart''s sake!p????-?????.???


    ''So, that''s how it is...'' Edric thought about it, considering that it seemed worthwhile to have a business account.


    He made a few thousand low-grade crystals a month and constantly had customers in his establishment placing orders. As such, if he could invest and pay for just those 400 crystals a year, it would be well worth it!


    "The problem is that this will only be of great use once the bank reaches everyone in the city." He said as he considered this disadvantage.


    The Bank of the Black Plains had just started its history. With that, it would take some time before transactions with physical crystals would no longer be the predominant ones.


    Consequently, people like him would still have to make deposits directly with the bank, i.e., paying the transaction fees.


    "It''s not that simple." The officer said that, trying to encourage these two to think differently. "It''s true that at an initial time, the advantages won''t be so obvious. But once people like you offer that option..." He pointed to the local alchemist clothes of those two and continued. "Ordinary citizens will start creating their accounts to make their own lives easier."


    "And then, you will be able to feel the advantages in no time!"


    That was a fact. After all, ordinary citizens would also want to invest their reserves.


    At the same time, the option of not having to use physical crystals was simply too practical. That''s because most citizens in this region did not have storage items! p???? ?o???


    As such, most people had to carry their crystals in their clothes, something that, depending on the amounts, could be dangerous or laborious.


    Furthermore, crystals were relatively small things, and if one were careless, losing some of them would be very easy.


    All this considered, there were several advantages to being able to use virtual crystals!


    In any case, once commercial establishments began to offer such payment possibilities, citizens would undeniably be encouraged to rely on this option.


    And everyone, especially Minos, would gain from it!


    "Oh? The way you talk, it sounds like this bank expects us, merchants, to kick-start this business..." Edric realized this as he pondered for a few moments. "But even if what you say makes sense, we can''t be sure of that..."


    "That is true..." Davis agreed.


    "Well, have you gentlemen read all the Written Laws of our city?" The said official asked, picking up a large book and opening it to a specific page.


    ''In 10 years from the publication of these laws, the main tax that the citizens of the Black Plain will have to pay will be the one on income. In this way, all employees and employers in this territory will have pay and receive wages virtually, through the means provided by the state...'' ¦Ñ???????????


    ''- Infraction: failure to join the virtual payment system after the mentioned deadline or one year from the beginning of the establishment''s operation;


    - Punishment: 100 years in prison with hard labor; payment of 1,000% of the omitted tax; forfeiture of rights; blocking of possible accounts in local banks; confiscation of material goods to pay the debt; permanent closure of the business establishment; finally, extradition after serving the penalty.''


    "What?" Davis said in surprise. He then looked at Edric and then at that official. "Was there such a rule?"


    But that old man then said. "More importantly, aren''t those punishments too heavy?"


    "It seems that we will be forced to adhere to such a system..."


    "Not exactly. After all, no one has an obligation to open trading posts on the Black Plain..."


    p????-?o??? "In any case, the government already decided years ago that it will replace the current tax."


    "So, because the only way to ensure that local organizations pay their taxes is through virtual transactions, the only way to implement this is through harsh sentences."


    That was a fact. With physical crystals, people could always find ways to hide their earnings and evade their taxes.


    On the other hand, even if people could still do things like that in the future, it would already be significantly diminished.


    That is, the salaries and incomes of most citizens would be made through virtual means, where the proper tax deductions would be made at the source.


    Moreover, since the inhabitants would already receive their salaries directly into their accounts, they would do the most practical, economical, and profitable. That is, pay no fees to withdraw the crystals by simply using their IDs to make their purchases and necessary payments!


    As a consequence of this, the big organizations, the people with the most crystals in Dry City, would be forced to receive, at least most of the time, crystals through virtual transactions.


    And this the government would have complete control over and would, therefore, be able to deduct income taxes from the locals!


    But do not misunderstand. Minos did not want to penalize the skills or efforts of his wealthier or talented inhabitants. He did not want to punish genuine wealth.


    No, he valued each and every one of those people capable of taking advantage of opportunities to become rich since this generated benefits for himself.


    But it was utterly senseless to levy the same tax on a person who, for example, earns 500 low-grade crystals a month as on another who earns 10,000 of the same.


    For the time being, his territory was what one might call expansionist. A type of state that relies on expansion itself to increase internal wealth, lower taxes, hire as many citizens as possible.


    But the world had its limits, and such a state would be doomed to failure!


    And knowing this, Minos could not help but make his plans to transition from an expansionist state to a sustainable one!


    Initially, he had to have an expansionist state since he had a lot of empty land in his territory that could be used in the future. But, on the other hand, he had weak inhabitants and needed mighty warriors to protect his territory.


    And in the first moment of development, the expansionist state delivered just what Minos needed.


    That''s why he had chosen it.


    But once he reached equilibrium, it would be imperative that his state no longer be expansionist or collapse would be his only destiny!


    So, he would take steps to ensure the sustainability of his state in the future.


    But to do this, he needed, among other things, to levy income taxes, making the richest pay more and the poorest pay less.


    Everyone would still have the possibility to ascend economically, and the richest would still earn very well. But by earning a slightly smaller share of what they would typically earn elsewhere, these individuals could live in a stable, wealthy state where their investments would be secured.


    Which, in itself, would generate benefits for themselves!


    And precisely because of this, the punishments for that infraction were so heavy.


    ...

 Chapter 818 Pre-Independence Citizens: Privileged

    Chapter 818 Pre-Independence Citizens: Privileged


    After finishing explaining that to the two alchemists in front of him, that official observed those two who were silent at the moment and asked. "Any other questions, gentlemen? If you don''t have any, we can move on to whether or not to open your accounts."


    After hearing this, those two that had been thinking about the positive and negative sides that would come with the rule they had ignored put such a thing aside and returned to reality.


    Davis then asked. "In that paper before it says that an account holder can sell his investment bonds. But is this only valid for the bank? And what happens if the account holder dies?"


    "Good questions." Edric nodded as he paid attention to that official, who was very well-dressed and had a manner of speaking and acting typical of confident people with many crystals...


    But this man''s impression was not for less. After all, those who deal with the crystals of others needed to have good wages so that some problems would not happen.


    That is what Minos thought.


    That official then began to speak. "Selling them to us will be the fastest option to get the crystals back to do whatever you want. But yes, there will be the possibility for you to sell those bonds to a third party."


    "But there will be various fees and limitations on who you can sell them to..."


    "Anyway, it''s a more complicated procedure, and that has to be done directly here with us, with the account holder who owns the bonds and the buyer."


    "As for the death of our account holders, when that happens, the investment bonds expire and will no longer generate income for that person."p????-?????.???


    "But whatever that account holder has in his account will be duly passed on to someone previously chosen. Or a first-degree relative who proves such a thing. Or a spouse, who proves to have been officially married to that person by Black Plain rules."


    "We chose that path for the safety of our clients." He said as he made a severe expression.


    That decision was basically to prevent family members, or spouses, from killing the account holders of that bank to obtain that person''s investment bonds.


    That''s because this opportunity created by the Bank of the Black Plain was genuinely tempting!


    Suppose a person invests 40,000 low-grade crystals, never sells his investment bonds, and lives for another thousand years after the asset. That person could have directly collected millions of low-grade crystals from this investment alone at the end of his life!


    That was something that very few people could do in this region, and anyone who had millions of low-grade crystals in these areas would be considered rich!


    But suppose such a person was smart enough to keep investing the profits generated by his investment bonds. In that case, eventually, he could multiply his total earnings by dozens of times!


    Hence, such investment bonds could become very tempting when considering their long-term profitability, bringing troubles for investors.


    However, a reputable company does not only protect its customers while they are using its services inside certain establishments. The opposite of this, a good company ensures that its customers are not intimidated by consuming its products. p???? ?o???


    And for that, rules that could be considered negative, like that one, needed to exist.


    "I see..." Edric commented in appreciation. "It makes sense."


    "And frankly, I wouldn''t mind if my descendants eventually don''t have the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of my investments."


    "They will already receive good sums when I depart this world, so let them learn to use their own crystals!"


    "Hahaha, poor your descendants, old Edric!" Davis commented in good humor but agreed with this man in his mind.


    Even in the Spiritual World, people, especially from weaker regions, worried about the fate of their families after their deaths.


    But this had its limits. Most people thought that their children had to grow up on their own after a certain point in their lives.


    As such, many, like Edric, had no interest in making sure that their family members were guaranteed good lives because of their life efforts.


    Instead, they would create the opportunities at their disposal to give their families the chance to rise economically. But whether this would happen would depend exclusively on each of their family members left in this world after their death! ¦Ñ???????????


    So, those two saw no problem in that rule of the local bank, even considering Davis'' joke.


    "But, Taylor," Edric said as he quoted that individual''s name. "Let''s suppose I have an investment bond and decide to sell it to my friend Davis." He nodded to the side, indicating that other alchemist.


    "Would I have to sell the bond for the same price that I invested at first?"


    "No." He said, smiling. "That is precisely the advantage of being a pre-independence Dry City inhabitant."


    The local government was mainly working with the scenario that they would win the war of independence. Naturally, therefore, the plans of this financial institution took into consideration the certainty of Minos'' victory.


    But of course, things could be different, as none of them could see the future clearly. After all, even the oracles of this region had difficulty making detailed revelations.


    That official then continued. "The value of these bonds will depend on the profitability of the investment. That is, if the project hasn''t even gotten off the drawing board yet, with no guaranteed profits, then your investment is worth only what you put in crystals at first. But if the project is already making a profit, then the price can be quite different."


    "That''s obviously hard to analyze since prices like that depend on demand. But the Bank of the Black Plain expects a high appreciation of the bonds after about ten years from independence."


    "Depending on the type of bond, the profitability of that project, demand, some of them could appreciate even more than ten times in that short period!" He said


    "On the other hand, the service fees that I quoted earlier, they will be kept fixed for the pre-independence inhabitants as long as they are alive."


    "But when eventually local income tax collection begins, the amounts will be different between pre-independence and post-independence inhabitants."


    "The nowadays inhabitants who invest up to independence will pay a lower income tax on those profits from investments than those who invest post-independence." He finished as he added that information.


    That was all an effort by Minos to enrich the current population of Dry City, which would be crucial in raising the level of these individuals later on.


    He wanted to value these inhabitants who came to this place while things were difficult, people who might lose their loved ones to war, give their blood for the Black Plain.


    Therefore he offered more advantageous conditions for these current inhabitants of his city, those who would be crucial when mass migrations happened in the future.


    That is, in the scenario where he would win the war, Minos knew that there would be mass migrations into his territory. And even though he liked the idea of having more inhabitants, it was very problematic to deal with so many people at once!


    But if he had a population that respected his rules and had the strength to protect the laws of the Black Plain, the local way of life, this would be easier to accomplish.


    On the other hand, eventually, the very people or institutions that were right now fighting against him might invest in his territory in the future.


    But he did not want those who did not strive for his cause to have the same chances as his citizens!


    As such, he had created all these opportunities for the inhabitants of the current Dry City.


    But these opportunities would only be valid for those who joined this organization and made investments before the independence. Once the regional royal families recognized his state, all the inhabitants of the Black Plain would have the same tax-related conditions.


    Anyway, none of this harmed or pressured the Black Plains to spend more of their crystals. After all, every project with investment funds in this bank would be carried out with only the funds collected among account holders.


    p????-?o??? That is, without the local government investing its funds!


    With this, the government of Minos would profit from the projects financed by its population, increasing the speed of development of the Black Plain. At the same time, it would allow many financially insignificant people to rise in the future.


    That was good for both sides, especially for young Stuart himself!


    So, these opportunities would not burden the Black Plain. On the contrary, they would even solve future problems!


    ...

 Chapter 819 Naval City-1

    Chapter 819 Naval City-1


    "Well, if that''s all, I guess I''ll make an account for myself..." Davis said after understanding the basics about the opportunities of letting his crystals work for him.


    Just then, Edric nodded and said. "Hmm, I think I will do the same."


    ''Oh? It seems that these two understand quite well why there is a need for an organization to take over the role of this bank...'' That official thought about it as he listened to the comments of those two alchemists, marveling that he would not have to explain it once again today.


    He had already attended a few dozen people since the Bank of the Black Plain opening. And because of this constant contact with the local inhabitants, he knew that after hearing all he had to explain, many still questioned why they needed to share their profits with the bank.


    And each time he heard the questioning, he gave the same explanation so that the citizens understood that it would not be possible without the bank. Or rather the government of the Black Plain.


    After all, who would guarantee that the crystals of the people investing in such a possibility would be safe?


    Someone could simply set up a scam scheme to collect large sums of crystals and then disappear from the city where they acted!


    After this, the victims would have nothing to do but regret their losses.


    Because of this, most people would be cautious when using third parties to store their crystals, things so valuable for their lives and cultivation.


    So, crowdfunding projects needed someone or some trusted institution behind such a thing to work.


    It had to be something so secure and reliable that people would not doubt that their crystals would remain theirs. And the institution behind that opportunity would not disappear overnight.p????-?????.???


    As in the case of an organization that needed its state and population to generate its wealth. The example of royal and noble families and the government of Dry City.


    Organizations like this would handle very high values, which significantly reduced the risk that ordinary people would have their interests stolen one day.


    But, yes, there was a possibility of similar things happening even with large families behind banks. After all, families could fall, have losses, and many other variables could generate losses for ordinary citizens who entrusted their financial reserves to such an organization.


    And considering all this, it was challenging to carry out crowdfunding in this world or even be part of one.


    That is, such funding could have a greater chance of succeeding when a few individuals handled all the necessary funding, as in the example of families agreeing to build something together.


    An example of this was the three families of Farmland, which together had created one of the richest agricultural regions in the northern part of the Central Continent.


    But examples like this could work because of the fear that one organization generated in the other, the smaller number of people involved, and the enormous profits they could make together.


    p????-?o??? However, for unimportant people, those with few resources, weak, well, trusting or even finding collective funding that would give them a good chance of success were difficult!


    It was precisely because of all this that the Black Plain slice was so large.


    Other regional banks from royal families could do such things, and the population still could have the confidence that they would not lose their crystals. As in the case of the Carline Bank, owned by the most powerful family in the region. p???? ?o???


    But cases like this were quite different from what was happening in the Black Plain!


    While the Black Plain was a practically empty territory that had received immense potential because of Minos'' actions, the same was not true of the other regional states.


    States such as the Kingdom of the End had already been exploited for hundreds of thousands of years by organizations in this region. And that meant that they had already reached the equilibrium point of their development.


    Consequently, investments like the one the citizens of Dry City could make in the Bank of the Black Plain would have little chance of yielding profits in those states.


    On the other hand, even if the royal or noble families of this region wanted to invest in developing new services, they could simply do it all on their own!


    Why share profits with ordinary people if they already had abundant crystal reserves?


    That is, regional families mainly were ancient organizations. So, they would undoubtedly have enough reserves to pay for new services, as long as they were not too flashy, of course.


    Just the opposite of the Black Plain, which had practically no significant reserves of crystals to invest in the immense local potential!


    Therefore, the possibility of investments such as those made possible by this newly created bank did not exist in other states in the region. And because of this lack of supply and potentially high demand, the service promoted by Minos was costly!


    Anyway, it did not take long before that official directed Davis to another employee in that area of the Bank of the Black Plain, someone like him, responsible for opening accounts. ¦Ñ???????????


    In the meantime, he began to make Edric''s account himself, adding this old alchemist''s identification information to the bank''s record, as well as activating the debit function of that array.


    "So, Mr. Edric, your business account is ready. With that, in a week after the payment of the fees regarding the first year, you will be able to come here and take out the array that will serve you to receive payments."


    "However, I advise you to make two accounts."


    "Oh? Why is that?" The old alchemist asked in doubt.


    "It is a tip from the bank to our account holders. It is never good for you to mix the business crystals and those for you to use in your day-to-day life."


    "It may seem like the two are the same, but they are not."


    "Ideally, just like potential employees, the owner of a certain business should have a fixed salary. That can help you greatly in how to invest your funds and reach greater heights in the future."


    "After all, investments don''t make you rich. Instead, investments only enhance the crystals coming from your professional activity."


    "That..." He murmured as he realized that this made a lot of sense. ''It seems that this bank''s service is outstanding!''


    ''They even give valuable tips like that!'' He considered in admiration, realizing that acting that way made sense.


    ''As expected from Dry City!'' He thought about it for one more time, feeling pleased once again that he had come to this place.


    "Then we will do as you said."


    After his answer, it was not long before Edric had two accounts registered in his identification array. So, he thanked that individual and walked to the place where he could make the payment of the 400 crystals and make his first deposit.


    And since there was not much movement in such a place yet, he was soon met by one of the people responsible for handling the physical crystals.


    "Hello, sir. How can I help you?" A beautiful woman who did not look even 30 said this while smiling.


    "Hi. I just created my account and am here to pay the 400 crystals fee and make a deposit."


    "Oh?"


    "How much do you intend to deposit?"


    Edric then took out a packet of low-grade crystals and passed it to that woman. "I have 20,410 low-grade crystals here."


    "All right, to which account should I add these 20,000 crystals?"


    "It can be in the personal account."


    "OK. Do you intend to make any investments? Or is that all?"


    That old man''s eyes sparkled after he heard such a thing. "Are there already investment options?"


    "Sure, hehe. Check it out." She showed him a blue screen with various information.


    ''- Investment Fund of the Cultivation Tower of Naval City-1;


    - Investment Fund of the Fighting Arena of Naval City-1;


    - Investment Fund...


    ...


    - Investment Fund of the Black Plain Preparatory Academy branch in Naval City-1.''


    Edric finished reading a series of investment funds, all of them about services that would be built in this Naval City-1.


    That was just a generic name, but something that foresaw the development of a new city on the Black Plain!


    ''Naval City-1, huh?'' Edric pondered this and then said. "I''ll invest 10,000 low-grade crystals at the..."

 Chapter 820 The End Of The Royal Clash

    Chapter 820 The End Of The Royal Clash


    A few days later...


    While the population continued to learn about the Bank of the Black Plain and invest in the future of this territory, Minos was at his army headquarters working in his office.


    And just as the young Stuart did every morning when he was in this city, he was at this moment receiving the reports regarding the situation on the battlefields around the Black Plain.


    As he was sitting in his armchair, one of the two people standing in front of him talked about it.


    "Young master, recently, our city troops have battled with the enemies in the northeastern part of our territory, near the area under enemy command."


    "On the other hand, we had smaller conflicts going on at 15 points in our territory, most of them against the forces coming from the Kingdom of the Waves."


    "But in all those battles, we managed to hold our position and stop the enemy''s advance." That person said this part with a smile on his face, happy that finally, the army had stopped the enemy''s advance.


    The forces of the Brown family, vassals, and allies were constantly eroding the area under the control of the Black Plain Army.


    And this had been going on almost continuously for eight months!


    But finally, this man was reporting to Minos for the first time that they had managed to contain the enemy''s advance.


    It was impressive!


    "Oh?" Minos said in surprise. "That''s good, but don''t get excited."


    "The enemy probably hasn''t used much of their strength recently; otherwise, we wouldn''t have been able to contain their advance."p????-?????.???


    To Minos, that was logical. After all, the enemy numbers were far more significant than what Dry City could support right now.


    They even had the minimum to scare the enemies to stay away from this city. But that was all.


    If they genuinely wanted to stop the enemy from advancing on this territory, it would require the numbers or the levels of the current soldiers to increase by many times.


    But neither of these two things was quick to achieve. Hence, Minos would not be moved by this information.


    "Yes." The two soldiers agreed with him but were still satisfied with that small step.


    The other then commented. "Young master, we have collected a few thousand more spatial rings since you left a few days ago."


    "But more importantly, we have confirmed the death of over 15,000 enemies since that incident you caused."


    "Hehe, that is indeed good news!" Minos said in satisfaction, finding those deaths far more helpful to his people than those spatial rings.


    "By the way, how is the situation with our allies infiltrating the enemy forces? Are they already taking action?"


    "Yes, young master."


    "All three families have already been notified and are beginning to leave the Brown Kingdom safely."


    The Miller, Parkinson, and Austin families already had plans for their escape to the Black Plain from the moment they allied themselves with Minos. Because of this, upon receiving this young man''s recent recommendations, the high-ranking members of those organizations soon began to put their plans into practice. p???? ?o???


    In any case, it was not easy to place their families in Dry City in the middle of the war in this territory. After all, there were many counter-revolutionary troops here, troops that would not miss an opportunity to kill traitors!


    p????-?o??? So, it would not be quick nor easy to get here, and those organizations would need to make their members take long detours.


    "I see..."


    "It''s good that they answered quickly..."


    "With the escalation of the war and imminent arrival of reinforcements from the Counter-Revolutionary Statute, we cannot delay in our actions."


    "So, let us combine with our allies to forge major conflicts at the most decisive time of their movements."


    "I want maximum efficiency in their immigration!"


    "All right, young master!" The two said in agreement, just before the door to that office was hit twice.


    "Minos?" Abby asked before walking in there with a pile of paper sheets in one of her hands.


    "Abby? Did something happen?"


    "Check this out." She used her two hands to open that, revealing the first page of one of the two major regional newspapers.


    ''End of the Royal Clash!'' That was written prominently on that first page. ¦Ñ???????????


    "So, they''re done, huh?" Minos said this as he frowned his eyebrows.


    After several months since the Cromwell family''s first attack on House Snow, the confrontation of these two influential organizations had finally come to an end!


    The war of the two great families had been quite shocking, with over 20,000 Spiritual Generals killed in the many battles that had taken place during the period.


    On the other hand, 15 Spiritual Kings had died in combat or sabotage, a terrible statistic for these families.


    That number might seem small compared to the Spiritual Kings of Thomas'' Counter-Revolutionary Army killed in a single day of Minos'' action over nine months ago.


    But there was no way to compare the scale of the conflicts of Minos and Thomas and those two royal houses!


    Minos and the Black Plain was an anomaly that could challenge an entire kingdom, something that had started modestly but quickly reached a frightening level!


    The disagreement of those two families, on the other hand, was just something related to the demise of a mid-sized noble family and political intrigues related to ego, honor, etc.


    It was simply disproportionate to compare the two conflicts!


    But rebels rarely appeared in this region, which made the numbers related to the war in the Brown Kingdom out of the ordinary.


    Therefore, the numbers for the conflict of the Cromwells and Snows were not at all small and showed how serious the clashes of these two royal houses had been.


    But not only human losses had happened during the war of the two families. No, much of their strategic infrastructure, ships, etc., had been destroyed or damaged during this conflict.


    With that, both sides had lost far more than could be measured with those numbers!


    Anyway, Minos knew most of this information beforehand since he had followed the development of this conflict through the regional periodicals.


    And upon reading how the conflict had ended, this young man could not help but be disappointed.


    "Tsk!" He made a tongue-tied sound right after he finished reading that newspaper. "Damn them!"


    Hearing that, Abby could not help but understand what made her boyfriend angry. After all, besides knowing him well, she also knew about his actions and how they had influenced this conflict.


    ''It''s ironic...''


    ''You incited the conflict while in the shadows but unconsciously pushed it to end while acting openly.'' Abby thought quietly.


    And that had been the reason for the end of the war.


    A common fear of young Stuart!


    Minos had played those two organizations off against each other in hopes that they would get too busy with their conflict to pay attention to the Black Plain.


    But Minos had also forced them to end that conflict given the unprecedented increase in power that he had shown in the battles around the Black Plain.


    In only about eight months, he and his group had suffered to force the withdrawal of Thomas''s team from the outskirts of their city. Then, rapidly, he began to press the entire Brown Kingdom practically alone!


    It was true that Minos'' soldiers, as well as his allies, had done a lot up to this point, something that had made it possible for him to have time to cultivate to level 52. But Minos'' numbers were simply abnormal.


    In this period, just acting alone, the young ruler of the Black Plain had killed more than 40 Spiritual Kings, as well as around 60,000 Spiritual Generals!


    That was the equivalent to the total power of a high-level regional noble family!


    And he had done such a thing all by himself, in just eight months!


    For all that, those two royal families had been so frightened by the danger Minos posed that they had agreed to a truce a few weeks ago.


    After that, they officially reached the end of the conflict. Both royal houses committed to dealing with their losses, with neither demanding compensation.


    And reading the way this war had ended, Minos could not help but feel a particularly bitter taste in his mouth.


    ''Damn it!''


    ''Those bastards are too attached to their positions!'' So, the young Stuart thought to himself, feeling sorry that these regional kings did not understand that he wanted no business with them.


    All he wanted was to stay on his territory in peace. But they acted as if he was a power-seeking maniac who would invade all the kingdoms in the region without any reason.


    That was genuinely unpleasant for him!


    "Well, since all this has already happened, let''s look at the bright side of all this..." He said right after sighing deeply. "At least they lost some of their experts in that period!"


    "That''s already a good thing!"

 Chapter 821 A Moment Of Tranquility For Minos

    Chapter 821 A Moment Of Tranquility For Minos


    After a while, Minos finished his business with those soldiers from before and left his office next to Abby.


    He wanted to take away the bitter taste that had been left in his mouth after receiving the news from those two royal families.


    With that, he and his beautiful girlfriend went directly to the training area of the headquarters, where there were always people fighting or watching the fights.


    The Black Plain might be in the middle of its war of independence, but more than half of the soldiers in the local army were not allowed to leave Dry City.


    After all, most of them were below level 40 and were too weak to get involved in that conflict.


    In any case, even if these people could not participate in the war now, in the future, some of them could. But, on the other hand, other threats would invariably arise in the path of any force that had existed long enough to be noticed in this vast Spiritual World.


    Consequently, regardless of whether or not many of these people could influence this war, the Black Plain Army had to keep training new fighters, people capable of defending this territory.


    Hence, part of the soldiers in this organization continued to live normally, with routines similar to pre-war ones.


    But not only the soldiers below level 40 were doing this.


    Since the army needed people to train these young soldiers or recruits, many of the strongest members of this organization could be seen constantly around here.


    Not only were they in this city to protect the headquarters, but Minos had been employing a strategy to give his soldiers more time to grow stronger.


    That consisted of making the soldiers who needed more advanced medical attention after battles stay longer than necessary for their recovery. That was not time off but an opportunity for these individuals to return to cultivate and train for at least a few days before returning to the battlefield.p????-?????.???


    With that, even during this chaotic period for the Black Plain, the army''s soldiers continued to participate in military exercises from time to time.


    Some of them served as the champion, as was Minos'' role previously. In contrast, weaker soldiers below level 40 served as challengers.


    On the other hand, some Spiritual Generals would form groups to challenge the Lieutenants of the army, those who were in Dry City, of course.


    As for the Lieutenants, they only had the opportunity to challenge Minos.


    However, besides not having that much time to do such a thing, young Stuart was powerful, and it would take all the Spiritual Kings in his army for him to be challenged fairly.


    But that was obviously impossible to happen at the moment!


    So, Minos did not usually participate in these high-level training of his organization.


    In any case, right after he had reached level 51, Minos was still not as strong as he is now. At that time, he had had the first and only opportunity so far to face his strongest soldiers who were in Dry City.


    Among them were Celeste, Angela, and those of lower levels, close to young Stuart''s level at the time.


    But as expected for someone with a technique capable of absorbing his opponents'' energies, Minos had won.


    The fight had even been quite challenging for him since Abby had also participated, helping her comrades a lot to get rid of that Minos'' attacks. p???? ?o???


    In the end, the victory had gone to the one who had had the most energy on his side!


    But winning or losing, all who had participated in that military exercise had gained from such experience, as each one of them had to face increasing numbers of opponents.


    Minos may have been just one, but facing such pressure helped anyone get used to powerful and also numerous opponents.


    As for Minos, that had been his opportunity to face a group strong enough to have to use everything of himself!


    Anyway, while he had the memories of the many military exercises that had taken place during those months, Minos arrived at the fighting arena of that headquarters.


    ...


    "Oh? It looks like Elena is fighting right now." Minos commented in surprise to his girlfriend as he watched that blonde running back and forth across the fighting platform.


    On the other hand, a few dozen Sergeants were positioned around that area, jointly fighting their powerful opponent.


    Seeing this, Abby nodded to Minos and said. "Looks like Grace is too."


    "Check it out. She''ll be next."


    "Hmmm." Minos agreed right after noticing that beautiful lady. ¦Ñ???????????


    But before they continued to observe what was happening there, a soft voice came from behind Minos.


    "Minos?"


    "Who would have thought that I would see such a busy person here watching the training of these soldiers..." Mendy Stokes commented as she walked toward that couple.


    Upon hearing this, Minos turned around and saw that gorgeous woman, who had been introduced to him through Mirya and Viola.


    "You hardly have time for your old friends, but you have time for this, eh?" She commented while having a dissatisfied smile on her face.


    Abby then turned red with embarrassment as she understood Mendy''s speech. This shameless woman had even tried to convince Minos to sleep with both of them at the same time!


    "Hahaha, it''s hard to have time to share with everyone in these difficult times..." Minos said in good humor, not bothered by Mendy''s way of speaking.


    He barely had time to maintain his responsibilities as Abby''s boyfriend. So, those old friends of his were having an even harder time than the blue-haired woman next to him.


    Therefore, Mendy had made such a joke.


    p????-?o??? And since Abby was more close to relationships of that kind, Mendy could only deal with her other options for the time being.


    In any case, she understood the weight on Minos'' shoulders as she had been fighting a lot in this war since she was a local ally.


    "By the way, what are you doing here?" Minos asked as he looked directly into Mendy''s beautiful eyes.


    "I''m going to fight with Aunt Mirya later."


    Just as Minos'' soldiers trained constantly, the same was true for this sovereign''s allies. Hence, the allied Spiritual Kings were allowed to enter this army fighting area to fight with the local soldiers.


    At other times these allies would be using the Dry City fighting arena. But after the immigration of a large part of the inhabitants of the former Maritime City to here, that fighting place had become one of the main attractions of this city, crowded at almost all hours of the day.


    And with so many fights going on between Spiritual Generals in that place, there was not much room left for busy people like the local Spiritual Kings to use that site to simulate high-level confrontations.


    That was why they had Minos'' permission to enter this headquarters arena, which was separate from the most important buildings in this complex.


    Anyway, Minos soon understood the purpose of this woman being here. And it did not take long for him to sit down next to her and Abby, watching the end of Elena''s fight and the beginning of Grace''s.


    "So Grace stayed here, huh..." Mendy commented in a low voice as she watched that woman who was at the same level as her, level 52.


    "And why wouldn''t she stay?" Abby asked.


    "Well, she and Vivian are very close to each other. So, I had thought that they would return together to the Cromwell Kingdom."


    Vivian and Grace were girlfriends, and the latter had joined Minos'' army about a year ago when Minos had brought them to Dry City.


    And precisely because she was a soldier of the army, she could not let go of her responsibilities and follow in the footsteps of her companion.


    Minos then commented. "I believe time will pass pretty quickly, and Grace won''t even notice Vivian''s absence."


    "Why?"


    "The war already takes up a lot of our time, doesn''t it? Well, that will only get worse, hehe."


    "On the other hand, when the war is near its end, I''m sure Vivian will come back here."


    "Before she left, she had asked me to take her when my army goes to destroy the Scourges of the Devil."


    "It seems that she wants to take revenge on someone."


    "Oh?" Mendy said in surprise. But soon, she remembered something related to that woman and said. "In fact, I think she will return here well before that."


    "Hmm?"


    "I heard that her brother, Davy, will be coming from the Flaming Empire to spend time with his family in a few months..."


    "Don''t you think he will want to see you?"

 Chapter 822 Precious Cargo

    Chapter 822 Precious Cargo


    "And why would he want to see me?" Minos asked with a sincere look on his face as he stared at that beautiful woman beside him.


    "Uh? Don''t you remember?" Mendy''s eyes narrowed as she asked him that. "Have you forgotten how you severed one of Davy''s arms during the Spiritual Tournament?"


    "I haven''t forgotten. I remember that day well." He said without changing his expression. "But what does that have to do with the question from before? He and I are not friends, so there''s no reason for him to come to visit me."


    Minos was allied with the Hayes family, the noble house Davy had been born in. But this brother of Vivian''s was a member of one of the sects of the Flaming Empire, which meant that he was not someone from that family that was part of the alliance with the Black Plain.


    And as much as Minos had promised Vivian to solve the problem of Davy''s arm eventually, they were still far from achieving that.


    So, for this sovereign of the Black Plain, there was no reason for Davy to want to see him, even if that person comes to the northern region of the Central Continent in the coming months.


    Anyway, listening to Minos'' manner of speaking, Mendy was surprised at this, seeing the coldness with which this young man treated former rivals.


    She knew some things related to Davy because of her friendship with Vivian, who had contacts with that young man who was in the Flaming Empire.


    And knowing certain things about Davy, Mendy thought he would want to revisit the person who mutilated him. Especially considering that he had gotten much stronger in his time, having reached level 51 recently.p????-?????.???


    On the other hand, with Minos'' regional fame, once Davy set foot in this region, he would find out about the shocking news regarding his former rival.


    And this would undoubtedly motivate him to revisit Minos, something that young people like them liked or sought very much to do.


    That was what Mendy thought, which is why she had asked the previous question.


    But listening to the answers of that sovereign, she realized that Minos did not attach much importance to rivalry with those competitors from the last edition of the Spiritual Tournament.


    ''Well, he''s on a completely different level than those people now...'' She thought about it, as she understood her mistake. She then said. "In any case, even if you think you have no issues with your former rivals, I believe they won''t think the same way you do."


    "Some of them will probably come here or even try to stand in your way..."


    "Oh?" Abby exclaimed, realizing that although Mendy had very libertine preferences in her opinion, this ally of Minos still knew how to give advice. ''She is the daughter of the Stokes patriarch, after all... She has her qualities.''


    But as Abby thought about those things, Minos'' eyes sparkled after he heard Mendy''s advice. "That..." p???? ?o???


    "That actually might turn in my favor." He said in a low voice as he thought of a young red-haired woman who was now in the same sect as his mother and Ruth.


    Mendy then made an expression of strangeness, not understanding his mentality. "What? These people will probably try to provoke you, challenge you to fights, bring trouble..."


    "Hahaha, Mendy, I don''t care about these things of challenges, small things related to honor. Do you think I need to prove myself to these people?"


    "There are few people in our world with whom I feel I have to give such attention..." He said as he smiled and squeezed Abby''s waist.


    "As for the rest, rivals or not, I don''t care what they think of me."


    "But if they come to the Black Plain, then I feel I will have to use them to my advantage!"


    ...


    While Minos and those two women continued their conversations about such matters, Lee and Alison''s group were returning to the Black Plain on a large cargo ship. ¦Ñ???????????


    That ship was currently passing through the territorial sea of the Kingdom of the End, in the vicinity of the western part of this state, shortly after they had finished circumventing the northernmost side of this territory.


    After all these months of traveling through the Snow Kingdom, their group had finally finished their mission!


    In this period, they had acquired a lot of copies of Blue-grade and Black-grade techniques, had made contacts with several beast tamers, as well as purchased many specimens.


    After having finished their business in that kingdom a few months ago, they had hired this cargo ship, which had been taking them to their destination ever since.


    At first, the journey between the Brown and Snow Kingdom was much shorter to make across the continent. But due to the difficulty of entering the Black Plain with their cargo in these times of war, these people had decided to make such a trip by sea.


    Thus, they could, at the same time, distance themselves from most of the dangers on the mainland and enter the Black Plain more smoothly.


    That''s why they had opted for the longest route, the one that could take up to 40% longer to travel.


    In any case, at this moment, the two young people who had led this mission were in one of the many rooms of that ship, lying on the same bed.


    Lee and Alison were very sweaty at this moment, both under the silk sheets of that bed, which covered their bodies.


    She had messy black hair, and Lee had a frivolous look on his face while his chest rose and fell rapidly.


    "Was it good for you?" He asked as he looked at the woman who had her head resting on one of his arms.


    "Hmmm." She smiled as she made a sound of agreement, still feeling the fatigue in her body, which was just as great as the one Lee felt, even though she was one level below his.


    Lee and Alison had grown up as friends within the Black Plain Army. But they were no ordinary friends.


    As such, they had both thoroughly enjoyed these months traveling through the northern part of the Central Continent!


    However, they had not only enjoyed themselves in bed during the intervening period. With the many advantages of being members of the Black Plain Army, they had both grown stronger during this period.


    Lee had reached level 46, already being almost as strong as the strongest people of this stage of cultivation in this region. But, on the other hand, Alison was one level below him since, besides being a few weeks younger than him, she was not as meticulous as he was.


    p????-?o??? In any case, they were both between 16 and 17 at this point, and if they had participated in the Spiritual Tournament that Minos had fought in, they would be considered unprecedented geniuses in this region!


    But luckily, neither of them needed to go through such a thing, and they continued to live peacefully, without drawing too much attention, acting for the good of the Black Plain.


    Alison turned sideways, letting her young, medium-sized breasts rest against Lee''s muscular body. She then asked. "When should we reach the Black Plain, Lee?"


    "Well, I think it will still take us about three or four months." He said, giving the matter some thought. "After the things master has done in the last few months, we don''t need to worry about the safety of Dry City."


    "We can travel calmly to the naval base, protecting this precious cargo and also getting stronger!"


    And this ship was indeed carrying precious cargo. That was because, in addition to the techniques in the spatial rings of the two and the presence of some beast tamers, the total value of the beasts in transport was not small!


    To be precise, considering the number of beasts there on that cargo ship, as well as the levels they were at, the total value of this cargo was over 100 million low-grade crystals!


    Hence, even if they were returning to the Black Plain, they still had much to do to get this cargo safely to Dry City!


    ...

 Chapter 823 Ones Depression, Anothers Joy

    Chapter 823 One''s Depression, Another''s Joy


    On the cargo ship on which Lee and Alison''s group were traveling were 2,000 spiritual beasts, three-quarters of which were beasts at the 3rd stage and 300 at the 4th stage.


    Of the remaining numbers, all of them were 5th stage beasts, with a few dozen capable of flight, which was something quite sought after by regional experts.


    Because of all these numbers, this was quite a valuable cargo being carried on that ship, which made Lee worry about the safety of such a thing.


    They had not faced any problems so far on the journey here since many regional organizations were concerned with matters relating to the Minos war.


    On the other hand, they had taken the necessary care to get this ship from a reliable organization, which certainly lessened the chances of trouble coming their way.


    Finally, they had camouflaged that ship to make it look old, like those that carried low value-added goods.


    For all this, and perhaps their luck, Lee and Alison''s group had not yet run into trouble at sea.


    But that did not mean much to them. After all, they had only completed about half of their return trip!


    As such, that young man was still aware of his responsibilities here!


    "That''s right..." Alison commented this thinking sincerely.p????-?????.???


    After that, the two got up and put on a few pieces of clothing, heading towards the place where they could get something to eat.


    ...


    "Peter, how could you have gotten to this level? That''s just not fair." A young, tired-looking man said this to Mia''s fianc¨¦, while he had an indignant look on his face.


    "Look at my situation..."


    "It''s almost unbelievable to think that we were once at the same level!" He said in a tone that contained some distress and humorously as he used his misfortune to persuade Peter to talk.


    "Maxwell, I already told you, I got like this after I joined Minos," Peter said to the person next to him as the two of them ate some seafood.


    Previously, Peter had been in doubt about the mission concerning this person there with him on this ship. But fate had played several tricks with them, and when he least expected it, he had come across such a person.


    While heading towards the coast of the Snow Kingdom months ago, Peter''s group had come across a significant incident involving the Hayes family and the regional assassins'' organization.


    The Scourges of the Devil! p???? ?o???


    On that occasion, as they were moving away from the focus of the conflict, Peter had identified a person trying to sneak in the vicinity of that organization''s secret outpost, heading toward battle.


    That was Maxwell, who at the time was following in the footsteps of the Hayes family pursuers, the one who had been chasing the Chambers family fugitives since the Persephone Tragedy.


    Anyway, on that occasion, Peter had followed that individual who had been his ally in the second test of the Spiritual Tournament, trying to get him to the Black Plain.


    And that had saved the life of this individual, who at the time had intended to sacrifice himself to kill his final enemy, the Scythe!


    After that occasion, Maxwell traveled with this group from the Black Plain, postponing his revenge mission.


    He still wanted to kill Alexander''s killer. Still, now that he knew that Minos also wanted to get revenge on that organization, he had no problem waiting a little longer. Especially after discovering how shockingly strong that young man already was!


    With that, he was here beside Peter, trying to understand how this person could have cultivated so fast in this period.


    That is, Maxwell had not had an easy time in the last few years. But even so, he was still a member of a powerful family focused on taming beasts in the Snow Kingdom. So, he had many crystals and leveled up a few times these past few years, recently having reached level 47, which is very good considering his age.


    But hell, Peter, who did not have a noble origin and stayed on the Black Plain all these years, who had once been at the same level as Maxwell, was now at level 48, one step away from the next level! ¦Ñ???????????


    Because of this contrasting difference, Maxwell could not help but bother Peter in his attempt to learn Minos'' supreme method.


    He was even aware that Peter''s and those youngsters'' cultivation level frequently increased because they probably had high-grade cultivation techniques. But even people with such Silver-grade techniques should not increase at levels so quickly!


    Therefore, he kept questioning that person in an attempt to understand the mystery.


    p????-?o??? "But if you continue with these suicidal thoughts, I''m afraid you won''t live long enough to understand the power of the Black Plain." Peter declared as he tried to put some sense into that person''s head.


    That individual had become a depressed person who was even willing to accept sacrifice just to get revenge on his former companion!


    That was madness!


    And thinking this way, Peter could not help but advise that man, who even now did not seem so attached to life.


    "Tsk!"


    "Maxwell, it is a gift that we are alive here today..."


    "How many don''t even get the chance to be born in our world? How many are killed before they even get the chance to cultivate?"


    "We should all value life, no matter how much at times only shit happens in our lives!" He advised.


    "It''s a shame that loved ones have to die, but you don''t have to give up your own life because of it. There are many people around the world and many good places to meet..."


    "I''m sure Alexander wouldn''t..." He was about to say that when suddenly that tired-looking young man looked at him as if he was looking at an old man who did not understand him and thought that could tell him how he should live.


    And then, such a person walked out of that place after stomping heavily on the ground.


    "Sigh..."


    Peter sighed in a low voice while shaking his head in disappointment. ''What extreme...''


    ''I didn''t think he was one of those individuals who put something on their head and don''t go back.'' So, he  thought as he felt his mood diminishing.


    But as he pondered about the problems his old acquaintance had to overcome, the couple arrived at that place, both full of vitality and joy.


    Lee looked very well as if he was much more mature than he looked, carrying an air of immortality. But, on the other hand, Alison looked more beautiful than ever, with her breasts that had not stopped growing since she came of age.


    At the same time, she had a smile on her face that hinted that not many problems were on her mind at the moment.


    "Good morning, Sergeant Peter." The two said respectfully, just before they sat down around a table that had several plates waiting for them.


    Upon hearing this, Peter greeted them as he watched them intently, understanding several things.


    ''Ahh, youth!''


    ''Must be nice to venture out like these two, huh...'' He thought enviously, regretting that Mia could not be here so he could have a chance to relax a bit.


    ''But hopefully, we only have about three more months of travel ahead of us!''


    ''After that...'' He smiled, regaining his mood after that depressing talk from earlier.


    But while those three people were quietly enjoying the moment in that part of the cargo ship, a giant flying serpent circling the surrounding area descended on the ship''s deck in a hurry.


    "We''ll have company soon!" Such a beast shouted, speaking in the human language so that everyone on that crew understood that it was time to prepare for the unexpected.


    Upon hearing this, those three quickly frowned as they stood up and prepared to check what the problem was.


    "Pirates?" One of them asked that soon as he saw two medium-sized ships coming towards them.


    "Well, let''s hope they''re just passing through, or we''ll have to act!"

 Chapter 824 Meeting Of Kings 1

    Chapter 824 Meeting Of Kings 1


    Quickly five days passed...


    While Lee and Alison''s group continued their critical mission, and the war on the Black Plain had its battles for space, something abnormal was happening in this territory.


    Specifically, this thing was happening between the Brown Kingdom and the Cromwell Kingdom borders.


    As for what was happening, well, this was nothing less than a meeting of kings!


    The northern region of the Central Continent did not have many states, being only 6, if one considered Stone Island to be part of that area. And so, there were only six kings in this region, compelling individuals, not only individually but collectively as well.


    Precisely because of the importance that each one of them had, these individuals rarely left their states.


    Not that they did not communicate between them. But those rulers usually did this through letters or other means of regional communication, such as sending representatives.


    So, a meeting with at least two of these individuals, as was happening right now, was an extremely unusual event!


    Not only that, hardly any kings would meet in the middle of a desert region. A place far from major urban centers, as in the place where they were at this moment, in that part of the Black Plain.


    And because of all these unusual circumstances, each of the experts in the surrounding area and the Spiritual Generals of the two states were there nervous, worried, and anxious.


    Worried because royals naturally had their flaws, peculiarities that sometimes made them difficult people to live with.


    Usually, they only dealt with their subordinates, vassals, individuals obliged to please them. But when meeting others of the same status, problems of all sorts could happen!p????-?????.???


    On the other hand, those various people in the surroundings of the large camp where the two monarchs were meeting were anxious because of the current situation in the region.


    Minos had already passed the point where he could be controlled by only one level 59 cultivator and had, thus, become a threat to the entire region.


    Therefore, these people could not help but worry about the future of their states, which at any time in the future, depending on young Stuart''s wishes, could be invaded or destroyed!


    Hence, they could only hope that those two peak regional experts would work together to deal with the threat on the Black Plain.


    ...


    Inside the most exotic tent in that sizeable military camp, Thomas Brown and James Cromwell were sitting face to face, in silence.


    Apart from them, there was no one inside such a tent, only the royal guards of the two standing around the outer area. And as they sat there in silence, the two individuals had many things on their minds, questions to ask, possible plans, and even some accusations.


    "Looks like you''ve made quite a mess, uh, my dear Thomas..." King Cromwell said this while having a deadly serious expression on his old face.


    Hearing this comment from that person wearing a golden robe, King Brown frowned, finding it disproportionate.


    "Mess?"


    "I would say that it causes a mess that one who attacks another independent state, but not a rebellion caused by a third party..." p???? ?o???


    "If rebellions were so easy to prevent, we wouldn''t have had so many similar events over the past 200,000 years." Thomas declared without looking away.


    "Tsk!"


    "You speak very well for a person who has put the entire region in danger..." James dismissively said while making an expression of disappointment. "Couldn''t you have killed that child before he got to the present level?"


    "He even dared to participate in the Spiritual Tournament in my state, and even then, you couldn''t identify him?"


    "Are you that incompetent, Thomas?"


    That was a tough thing for King Brown to hear.


    James did not know it, but Thomas had plotted the death of Minos'' father merely to prevent that man from eventually getting out of control.


    So, it was only natural that his son would be considered a potential danger.


    And if James knew that, then his lecture would be even harsher!


    But Minos'' situation was somewhat unique. After all, there was no way anyone could have known ten years ago how far he would reach.


    Minos had been seriously injured at that time when he had not even begun to cultivate. At that time, Thomas had even considered eliminating young Stuart. Still, after the Silva family''s move, this man had gotten the best of scenarios. ¦Ñ???????????


    Someone had dealt with Albert for Thomas, and the only son of that potential problem had been injured and would not have a chance to learn from that king''s actions even if he was fortunate.


    At that time, most likely, even if he lived and became influential, Minos would have a tough time finding out the culprit for the Silva family''s actions. After all, such an organization had hidden its involvement very well!


    But even if Minos had discovered something, he would still have something against the Silva family, not against House Brown!


    p????-?o??? And that had been perfect for Thomas.


    So much so, in fact, that it had happened!


    Even today, Minos had no idea that the upper echelon of the Brown family had facilitated the Silva family''s action.


    With that, as well as the frightening power that Minos'' mother had, Thomas had let the poor boy live to grow up to the current point.


    Had that been a mistake?


    Obviously, looking at the current situation, yes, of course. But when considering only the evidence he had at the time, even now, King Brown still felt he had made the best decision.


    The world was vast and unprecedented events could happen at any time, to anyone.


    Life itself was incredible just by existing. There were so many things that threatened creatures like humans, yet they were there, living and thriving.


    With that, Minos could have died at any moment and consequently never had any relevance.


    And this was the most likely scenario considering the information he had at the time, information regarding a young man who was neither living nor dying, who had missed the best time to cultivate.


    Considering all this, Thomas could not help but feel irritated by the poor judgment of his colleague. In his opinion, James probably would have gotten to the same place as him if their roles were opposite.


    "James, you blame me for not recognizing an insignificant young man until recently, but what about you? While I was here trying to deal with my mistakes, you started a senseless confrontation with the Snow family."


    "You are responsible for diminishing the power of two royal houses!"


    "To make matters worse, you knew very well that brat was rebelling against me at that time."


    "Humph!"


    "I don''t think you have any right to judge my leadership in the Brown Kingdom!"


    "Tsk!"


    "All right..."


    "Let''s talk about the damn rebel and get it over with." James contritely said, already feeling frustrated that he could not throw the blame for the regional problems on that man in front of him.


    He felt ashamed that he had made the mistake of underestimating Minos, thinking that this young man would not be as troublesome to this point.


    That was why he had acted so decisively against the Snow family and fought a war of more than six months against such a royal organization.


    But as he watched himself at this moment, this king felt very bad. Not only had he made a mistake, but he had been forced to retreat, make peace agreements, and now, he feared Minos'' existence.


    All this was very bad for him!


    That''s why he had tried to make the person in front of him more ashamed, in an attempt to keep his mistakes away from himself.


    Anyway, Thomas knew this neighbor''s personality and had not given in.


    So there was no more time to make accusations.


    "Good," Thomas said after sighing.


    "You fought him a few times... What can you tell me about that?" James asked, now with a solemn expression on his old face. "I saw that brat fight in the final of the Spiritual Tournament, but I imagine things have changed a lot since that time."


    "Yes."


    "I didn''t see him fighting when he was at the 4th stage of cultivation, but today, being at the 6th stage, he''s a real monster."


    "When he was at level 50, he was already able to withstand my blows for some time..."

 Chapter 825 Meeting Of Kings 2

    Chapter 825 Meeting Of Kings 2


    "But after reaching level 51, that pest had suddenly overcome the differences between our powers. No..."


    "By that time, the wretch had already surpassed me!" King Brown gave his version to James without hiding the truth.


    And while listening to this, James'' expression only showed his concern about all this. ''That brat must be stronger than me by now, too!''


    ''Damn!''


    He then asked. "From what I''ve heard, he hasn''t changed his techniques since the Spiritual Tournament. But what is his sixth technique? Is there something worrying about that?"


    Upon hearing this, Thomas hardened his expression, remembering the things he had seen Minos do on the battlefields they had been on. "His sixth technique is a mental type."


    "I''m not sure what the full effects of that technique are since when we fought, he only used it to try to erode my mental structures, trying to take my attention away from our battles."


    "But I suppose the effects of that technique are quite destructive on people weaker than us."


    "However, what worries me most is his innate ability..."


    "Oh? Have you found out about it? Is it truly a teleportation ability?" James asked worriedly.


    If Minos had an ability like that, that would be the worst-case scenario for them. After all, if their target could escape at any time, then it would be impossible to kill him!


    On the other hand, he could use this ability to deal with them more effectively, which would be even worse for their side.p????-?????.???


    Hence, this man could not help but worry.


    "No." Thomas stated, shaking his head, indicating his certainty that such a thing was not correct. "I don''t think his ability is of that kind."


    "I have fought him a few times, but never, on any occasion has he tried to use teleportation against me."


    "Even when he was already clearly stronger than me!" Thomas said this with a confident tone, certain that Minos could not teleport anywhere he wanted.


    He had watched young Stuart extensively on all the occasions they had met. And since he had always been on the back foot when facing that young man, using caution to his advantage, he had seen enough to infer such a thing with a margin of certainty.


    "In my opinion, his ability has some relation to spiritual energy control!"


    "What?"


    "Are you serious? That kind of ability is very unusual!" James replied.


    Thomas then opened his arms helplessly and said. "I can''t think of anything else but something to do with energy."


    "In my opinion, he has a teleportation device that can take him from one place to another and from that place to the first. But with his innate ability related to energy manipulation, I believe he can inhibit the fluctuations of the teleportation array."


    "That ability could also answer the question of why he is so strong." p???? ?o???


    "This..." James muttered in surprise as he understood Thomas'' analysis. "Well, if you are right, then our situation is not as hopeless as I thought."


    "All we have to do is get a device that temporarily blocks the space by interfering with the array in his possession."


    "With that, we may have a chance to deal with the brat without him running away!" He said in satisfaction.


    Their situation was still alarming. After all, Minos was no longer at level 51, and they knew it. But, on the other hand, if Thomas'' theory proved true, then even if they were still at a disadvantage, now they at least had a chance to kill that opponent.


    Which in itself was already a great thing!


    King Cromwell then went on to the most critical question. "So, when will we act against him?"


    "If you want to test the enemy''s power, as long as we have teleportation arrays, we can run away in case we don''t get anything good."


    p????-?o??? "Then, if you want to take him on, we can arrange for that to happen in the next few days..."


    "But we can also wait a few more weeks until others of us arrive."


    "Tsk!"


    "I don''t know if it''s worth the wait." James spoke in concern. "The Stone family won''t act, and we have the Walker family problem..." ¦Ñ???????????


    "I hear the old man will die in a matter of days to weeks."


    "I heard that too..." Thomas said, regretting that such a fellow would die just in these challenging times.


    James then continued. "Counting that, we can only count on two more Spiritual Kings of our level... But, of course, that''s if old Snow comes!"


    "Then, I don''t know if it''s worth it for us to wait weeks without being sure that a significant number of them will come."


    "If even the two of us can''t cause that brat any danger, I feel that three won''t do much good either."


    "So, we''d better simply try something now." James said in conviction. "If we notice that he is too strong, we can ask the Carline family for more power, as well as convince the people in the Walker and Snow families to come to help us."


    "Ultimately, we can still turn to the church!"


    Hearing this man''s words, Thomas could not help but feel better as he understood that, although provocative, James was committed to dealing with Minos.


    That was definitely the best thing for him and the entire northern region of the Central Continent.


    "In any case, we have to think of strategies to fight him." James continued, finally getting to the final part of his conversation with Thomas. "What do you think we should do? Gather troops to take on that damn thing? Or is there something better that will work against him?"


    Upon hearing this, Thomas can''t help but hastily decline the first option, fearful of the outcome such an action could bring to them. "James, when facing Minos, never bring weak people onto the battlefield, or they will be used against you!"


    "The energy absorption capacity of that brat''s technique is simply monstrous."


    "Even Spiritual Kings of a few levels above his suffer from that thing!"


    He then remembered something as a bead of sweat descended from his forehead. "In fact, even I already felt helpless against that when I last faced him!"


    Previously when attacking Dry City, Thomas had not felt the effects of the Devouring Art since his spiritual power was far above Minos'' at that time.


    But with young Stuart''s advancement to level 51, that had changed, and this king had begun to suffer from that technique.


    It was true that he did not suffer so much that he had to worry about having all his energy stolen by Minos at that time, but that change had already scared him.


    And with this recent advance of Minos that Thomas had learned through his soldiers, this king could not help but worry.


    So, he could only refuse the suggestion to take people weaker than them to the battlefield since such people would only serve as batteries for Minos.


    And if a person stronger than them had infinite energy, then even their lives would be at risk!


    "I see..." James replied in a startled manner. "That''s truly terrible!"


    "How will we fight that brat?"


    Thomas pondered for a moment and answered thoughtfully. "The most we can take with us are level 58 cultivators. Below that, that young man''s absorption will be very effective against such people, and it will become something against us."


    "On the other hand, even though he is monstrous, that young man has less energy than us. So, suppose we can stop him from absorbing energies from our allies. In that case, we can eventually get an advantage against him!"


    "Oh?"


    "Sounds like you''ve been thinking about this a lot, huh?"


    "I have no choice. The damned thing is constantly chasing my footsteps..." Thomas commented in anger.


    Thomas already had enough evidence to know that traitors were in his Counter-Revolutionary Army.


    He did not know who the traitors were. But considering the times he had almost been ambushed by Minos, he could not help but realize such a hard truth to swallow.


    Thomas then said. "Anyway, be careful. That brat is also capable of attacking using only his body, and I must tell you that his blows are as strong as that of pugilists at our level!"


    "Even that?"


    "Yes, unfortunately, yes."


    "All right, I''ll get ready." James finally made up his mind as he clenched his fists tightly and felt his pulse in a way he had not felt in ages. "Make the preparations."


    "When everything is ready, just let me know, and we''ll test the bastard!"

 Chapter 826 Enlistment Of Laborers

    Chapter 826 Enlistment Of Laborers


    Meanwhile, in Dry City...


    It was early afternoon in this city, and while the movement in the streets of this place was still as hectic as ever, the heat typical of this territory was present, brightening the day of the inhabitants.


    But while many citizens continued to go about their lives, work, getting to know the advantages of the Bank of the Black Plain, several advertisements could be seen on murals around this city.


    These were new advertisements, which had been placed earlier today on these murals that existed around this city, items that served for the government to communicate with the local population.


    And on such notices was a new possibility created by the local government, something very descriptive just by the title in flashy letters.


    ''Enlistment of Laborers,'' said the more giant letters of the notice.


    On the other hand, smaller letters specified the place where those interested could go and some preliminary information.


    ''- If you are interested, come to the Mercenary Guild in the next ten days at any time of the day. You will get more detailed information by talking to one of the attendants;


    - Only those who are interested in the construction sector and are at least at level 35 will be hired;


    - The service will pay double the amount normally paid in Dry City for the same type of service!


    - Limited vacancies.''p????-?????.???


    That was written in the smaller letters of the advertisements scattered around Dry City, mainly in the residential neighborhoods of this urban area.


    Anyway, now and then, people would pass by one of these murals and see the information from the newly released government advertisement in Dry City.


    However, even though many were interested in the possibility, many others no longer paid so much attention to this kind of thing and just went on with their usual business.


    But this was normal. After all, the population of this city was already quite diverse at this point. For example, there were many people related to the services of spiritual professionals, many others who worked in the stores or public service stations of Dry City.


    With this, and counting those inhabitants below the minimum level described in the advertisements around this city, many inhabitants only saw this as part of the local routine. Soon after reading such a thing, they simply went about their business.


    But a significant number of people were interested in such a matter!


    p????-?o??? Previously Dry City used to hire a lot in the construction industry. After all, this was a constantly growing city that needed the infrastructure to accommodate new residents and be an attractive location.


    But with the war and decreasing government investment in infrastructure, many of the workers related to this sector had had to get used to doing other things.


    And so many around this urban center wanted to return to the construction camps to do the work that many felt was more suited to their characteristics!


    ... p???? ?o???


    Dry City Mercenary Guild building...


    At this moment, as much as it had only been a few hours since the previous announcements had been released, the Mercenary Guild building was already crowded.


    A few thousand people were already in that place seeking the information and showing interest in the service.


    The number of vacancies was limited, and those who liked the construction work the most could not help but rush to that place in an attempt to secure their place.


    "Damn, I didn''t think there would be so many people in front of me!" A man with white hair and reddish skin said this while feeling that he might have been too late.


    "That''s right!"


    "I arrived here an hour ago thinking that I would be lucky to come on the first day, but who knew? I was completely wrong!" Another person in the surrounding area commented on this in frustration.


    But while many people were waiting in lines, some individuals closer to the beginning of the line were already almost being attended.


    "Hehehe, finally my turn!" A strong, blond man said this, just after seeing a guild official waving at him, calling for the next in line.


    "Hmm, come on. I won''t be long before I join you." Then, another person who was a few meters away from the beginning of the line said this to that man. ¦Ñ???????????


    After that, such a person quickly reached that official who had called him, ready to enlist in this possibility raised by the local government.


    "Good morning, sir. Do you have any questions about the service?" She asked as she took the ID of that man and saw the details of this individual registered in this guild.


    ''Level 37, Class F+...''


    "Yes, I do..."


    "First, what is this service about? And second, where will such a thing be done? I believe it will not be here in Dry City, right?" He asked his questions, pondering the current situation of this place.


    There was not much space left to build significant buildings in this city.


    Building high up would be a problem due to the dome, while downward, well, such a thing had already been done.


    The local construction workers had already built to the extent that financial resources, tools, regionally found devices, and the local workforce itself could make such constructions feasible.


    And even if they could make an effort to build more underground, the amount of labor per cubic meter of construction would grow exponentially the deeper the construction went.


    Hence, it was not worth it, and this man thought that this call for workers was for a service outside the dome.


    The guild official then nodded to that man and answered his questions. "The local government is hiring construction workers to build the basic infrastructure of a town on the coast of our territory."


    "This service is expected to have up to 20,000 workers, who will work underground in that area, building the sewage system, the piped water, the drainage of the land, etc. After that will come the final part of the service, in which these workers will do the demarcation of the first streets and avenues, construct some buildings and finally, a wall."


    "The service has a term of one year, and whoever decides to join the group in question will have to live all that period in the place where this town will be built."


    "But don''t worry, we will handle the workers'' accommodations, as well as the basic services necessary for their continuity in that area."


    "As for protection, well, protection will be guaranteed. That''s all I can say." She commented, without giving details of where such a thing would be.


    She had said it would be on the coast, but the Black Plain had a few hundred kilometers of coastline!


    So, the location of this future town would still be a secret, even to those interested in the service.


    Anyway, upon hearing all that, that man soon understood the basics and associated that information with other details he already had.


    ''That must be that Naval City-1!'' He pondered as he remembered the investment of 300 low-grade crystals he had made in a future service of this future Black Plain city.


    ''But wouldn''t they only start construction of such a place after the war is over?''


    ''Ahh! Got it!'' His eyes widened as he finally realized his mistake. ''To build those services, they need a city with inhabitants!''


    ''What an idiot I am!''


    And indeed, this man was right.


    That service released by the local government was the beginning of that future city that they planned to develop after the war was over.


    It was not good for the local government to develop a second city for now since the local forces would have to divide their numbers between two places at this possibility.


    They did not even have enough to guarantee the protection of the current territory, so it would be problematic to have a new city.


    However, it would also be no good waiting until the end of the war to build such a place. After all, if Minos eventually won the war, many people would come to a growing state, born as the strongest in the region.


    But if millions of people arrived here and had nowhere to go, well, it would be a big problem for the Dry City government.


    So, Minos had already given the necessary orders for this to be done during the war period. Such a thing had only been delayed until this moment because before, his forces could not even do this initial step!


    But now, with so many powerful cultivators around his territory, they were in a position to begin this!


    Consequently, Mia and Dillian had already put Minos'' plans into action, beginning the construction of the city''s basic infrastructure, which would be around the army''s naval base.


    ...

 Chapter 827 Black Plain Sovereign Fund

    Chapter 827 Black Plain Sovereign Fund


    The naval base of the Black Plain Army was a strategic place not only because it was the only sea defense of Minos'' territory. But also because it carried the valuable resources that made most of the services and projects of that young man''s government possible.


    Hence, it was in Minos'' interest that the second city on the Black Plain would be built in the vicinity of that base.


    With this, the new city could have a more convenient cargo port for shipping local resources overseas. At the same time, the naval base could fulfill its intended role of protecting the region''s coastline.


    On the other hand, by building a city''s basic infrastructure in that area, Minos could have more soldiers in that base and provide higher quality services for those staying there during the war.


    That would provide better conditions for the soldiers under Grayson''s command to perform their duties of protecting the coast of the Black Plain, as well as having those more critical services available, without having to come to Dry City.


    Finally, by having a city''s basic infrastructure in that area, the Black Plain government could eventually develop a large city more quickly when millions of migrants came to this territory.


    That would significantly increase the people-absorbing capacity of this territory, and it would be much more practical for the Minos government to deal with possible future migrations.


    In short, there were many advantages to having a naval city, and Minos wanted to build one of his own!


    So, the local government was already making the essential preparations for this, which would eventually serve to settle people in that area, close to the naval base.


    And understanding the basics of this, this man was quick to join the list of workers that would be part of this service, happy to have the opportunity to earn double his typical salary.p????-?????.???


    At the same time, he was pleased to learn that the government was taking actions that would eventually bring to life the investment funds available at the Bank of the Black Plain. Specifically, the one in which he had invested part of his crystals.


    For now, those investment possibilities were just promises from the government, something that local citizens could not be sure how long it would take for it to happen and give a return for them.


    So, by signing up for this service, this worker from Dry City was getting confirmation that the government already had everything planned and was starting to put such things into practice.


    That was great news for him, who had already invested his crystals!


    Anyway, after him, it was not long before more people passed through the Dry City Mercenary Guild, many having joined that list of workers.


    But not everyone had done that. After all, many were more fearful for their lives!


    And since they did not know for sure how their safety would be guaranteed, several had not immediately decided or even given up on the possibility.


    In any case, Dry City was in turmoil because of this, with many families euphoric about the opportunity and also about the indications that Naval City-1 was about to begin.


    And not only those who had invested in the future services of such a city had been pleased about this, but also those former residents of Maritime City. p???? ?o???


    Many people felt that this Naval City-1 would be the natural replacement for that destroyed city. And since many people in Dry City had grown up and lived in a seaside city, many missed certain things that could only be found in places near the sea.


    Not only them, but many fishermen were very interested in this. After all, it would be interesting to live near their place of work!


    And as much as these people, for the most part, preferred to live in Dry City because of the local opportunities, suppose the government was to develop a seaside city of the same quality as this place. Then many here would wish to return to living near the sea!


    With that, thousands of people had been pleased to discover the government''s plans, even if many had no relation to the workers who would be doing that initial job.


    ...


    While the population was beginning to get euphoric, Mia and Dillian were in the office of the local sovereign, dealing with the affairs of the government in Minos'' absence.


    "In the last few days, more than 43,000 people have made personal accounts at the Bank of the Black Plain. Among them, almost 40% of business owners have joined our virtual payment system." So, Mia reported to Dillian as she sat across the table where this man was reading some papers.


    "Oh?"


    "That is an outstanding number, considering that this bank opened its doors only a few days ago." He said in admiration at such a thing. ¦Ñ???????????


    "True."


    "But on top of that, we were able to get these people to trust the bank and deposit together about 9 million low-grade crystals."


    "Of those amounts, more than half are already invested in the funds created by us." She said this while having a smile on her face.


    Things were going well for the Bank of the Black Plain, so she could not imagine how far they might go in the future.


    Mia knew that the local government could not afford to prepare for the future entirely, as that would be genuinely impossible considering the local potential.


    Minos could collect the crystals earned during the war. Still, eventually, the number of immigrants could very quickly exceed the number of people the Black Plain might have the capacity to hire!


    That was the problem!


    No matter how good the local products or the services were, people would not work for free. And since the local government did not use slave labor, it was virtually impossible to prepare for the future thoroughly.


    But things could be very different with the Bank of the Black Plain!


    That''s because the citizens of Dry City could slowly make their investments, slowly creating the reserve of crystals that the Black Plain would need to make hires in the future.


    For example, a person who created a bank account and started investing would try his best to make more investments during the war period.


    Even if a person did not have a large number of crystals, as the war could last for months, even the poorest in Dry City could invest a few thousand low-grade crystals.


    And precisely with this, with the monthly investments and the duration of the war, the government of Minos could get a sovereign fund with the capacity to finance the future of the Black Plain!


    That was what excited Secretary Mia!


    p????-?o??? Anyway, hearing Mia''s excited comment, Dillian smiled, pleased with the development of this matter.


    "Well, it''s good that the inhabitants are trusting us..." He said as he did some counting. "Soon, I''ll be making my own investments too, hehehe."


    "Oh?" Mia looked at him in surprise.


    But soon, she understood.


    Despite their excellent position, none of these people from Minos'' government had shares in the profits of Dry City. Instead, they just received their good salaries, but all of it belonged to young Stuart at the end of the day.


    As such, Dillian could not help but think about his future, when the old Dillian might want to retire...


    He would undoubtedly gather many crystals just by working for Minos.


    But hell, there is no harm in having even greater wealth by investing his crystals while at the same time helping that young man to develop this territory!


    So, like Dillian, Mia was soon thinking about this possibility, something that had not yet come up in her busy mind.


    ''Hmm, I have about 40,000 crystals... I think I''ll invest most of them!'' So, she thought that as silence permeated that office of young Stuart.


    "Well, Mia, besides that matter, we have to make arrangements for the arrival of those families."


    "Oh?" She said in surprise, smiling at the numbers she was imagining. "OK, butler Dillian."


    "We already have the basics prepared, so as soon as the young master gives the signal, we will put the plan in place to best welcome those allies."

 Chapter 828 Allies Migration

    Chapter 828 Allies Migration


    In the blink of an eye, three weeks had passed...


    After several days since the start of the migration of the Black Plain allied families that were from the Brawn Kingdom to the territory of Minos, the first groups of those three noble houses had already arrived in Dry City.


    When Abby''s contacts informed them that they needed to relocate to the Black Plain, these powers immediately put their plans in place and began their migration.


    With this, several groups from these three families had left their territories using alternative means to reach Dry City, a place not so easy to pass in recent times.


    There was a war going on in this territory, after all.


    So, since it would be extraordinary for anyone to migrate to Dry City at this time, the people from that family had followed unusual paths, detours to get them away from the battlefield.


    Some had used the river of this state, heading towards the sea, where they knew they could find a relatively peaceful path to Dry City.


    On the other hand, others already followed the hints of Minos'' army, passing directly through some regions of the Black Plain, precisely where the army was operating.


    Through these areas, such groups waiting near the borders with other states would have the chance to cross the most stressed regions while taking advantage of the actions of the Black Plain army.


    p????-?o??? Finally, the flying beasts of those families were working hard these past weeks, transporting a few thousand individuals, some of them already around Dry City!


    However, at this first moment of migration, only those members of those noble families of the Brown Kingdom who might be in a condition of vulnerability had migrated.


    The enemies could easily overpower people from those families in their headquarters if their organization''s alliances with Minos were exposed. So, they had migrated first.p????-?????.???


    As for most of the combatants from those forces around the Black Plain, well, they were still among the enemies, waiting for the moment to act!


    They were the ones who could draw the most attention with their movements since Minos'' enemy group had already been acting in a similar way to the suspicious ones.


    So, if these people had moved first, the forces behind the Counter-Revolutionary Army would undoubtedly identify the enemy. And if that happened, they could act directly against those most vulnerable!


    In any case, those involved in the war had to be sure of the safety of their weaker fellow family members before acting, or catastrophic things could happen.


    On the other hand, their very presence among the enemy could create ''corridors'' around the Black Plain, places through which the migrants could safely escape!


    But while this first part of the immigration had already been going on for weeks, the time was coming for those involved in the war to do the same.


    Once they no longer needed to be among the enemy, it was time for them to ''fight'' against Minos'' forces and thus achieve their escape goals!


    ...


    Boom!


    "Ahhhhhhhh!"


    "Uh!" p???? ?o???


    "Ahhhhhhhh!"


    Various sounds, typical of battlefields, spread over a particular area, as many people suffered as they fought against their opponents.


    But although many were around that area, most of the strongest people there had already died, while the Dry City group was almost unilaterally pressing such an enemy.


    "Ahhhh!"


    "Bastards! You''ll pay for this, you damned rebels!" The last living Spiritual King of that group said this as he felt he did not have much time left.


    But as he cursed the people from Dry City in that place and felt his guts gradually leave his belly, he could not help but look at a specific person in that area in disgust.


    "Supreme elder Miller!"


    "Traitor!"


    "I am sure that soon Your Majesty..." He was about to say his final offense but suddenly felt his vitality reduce so tremendously that he could not finish his final words.


    Such a person just remained silent, watching in the direction of that elderly man while feeling as if the world was shattering.


    With that, he had a lifeless expression on his face, when finally his body fell face down on the ground, already dead! ¦Ñ???????????


    But such a thing had not been the work of the supreme elder Miller. No, this old man had lived long and knew how to ignore offensive words.


    What killed that person was nothing less than the severe damage his body had suffered. Because of that, even his high level had not been able to suppress that for long enough for him to say goodbye while making threats.


    "Tsk!"


    "He finally died..." The third strongest person of the Miller family said this as she watched the pool of blood forming under that body.


    "Sigh... We were lucky that your group was in charge of this place!" Finally, an individual dressed in armor with the House Austin symbol said this as he tried to stop the bleeding on one of his arms.


    That was one of the places formerly under the supervision of the Miller family, through which this group of the Austin and Parkinson families was passing, heading towards Dry City.


    As this Miller family group was already preparing to leave their post in the Counter-Revolutionary Army, they had acted in this place, killing their enemies.


    Since they would have been discovered anyway, then they might as well take the opportunity and decrease enemy numbers!


    That was why they had fought in this place and not used strategies, as they had done in the past.


    In any case, since the conflict was already entirely in favor of Minos'' side, it did not take long for the old supreme elder to decide to leave.


    "Come on, Daphne, there''s nothing left for us here." Vince Miller said to that woman from before, ready to move on toward Dry City.


    "Master, are you anxious to get to Dry City?" She asked this as she headed in the direction of the spiritual beast next to that individual.


    "Of course."


    "Even old, I can still enjoy the positives things of getting to know new places..."


    "But what interests me most is finding that young man." He said, feeling anxious to start learning the Silver-grade techniques promised by Minos.


    He was at level 58 and was previously the third strongest person in the Brown Kingdom. So, he could not wait to get to Dry City!


    "Oh? Hehe. All right, then."


    And it did not take long for those two to take off from that area further southeast of the Black Plain, rushing off in the direction of Dry City.


    But even though they were going to a place without much extra space, neither of them was worried about such a thing.


    That''s because some of them could live inside Dry City, as hotel rooms were free due to the low arrival of visitors there recently.


    On the other hand, there were still a few new apartments that had not yet been sold.


    Therefore, the most substantial specialists, the leaders of each of those three families, certainly would not have to stand beside their troops in the camps around Dry City.


    At least not most of the time.


    So, they were not worried about all their change, much less the difference in quality from their old city to Minos''.


    All that mattered to them at the moment was to get stronger and survive until the end of this tumultuous period!


    ...


    But while that group had been active on the outskirts of the Black Plain, Minos had not stood still!


    As the most powerful ''weapon'' of the Dry City forces, of course, Minos would not let his precious allies migrate at the risk of being hit by enemies.


    Consequently, he had been participating almost daily in the fighting around this territory of his, doing this to open safe paths for his allies.


    And like Daphne and Vince''s group, Minos had just finished off his enemies.


    He was now leaving an area of a few hundred square meters covered with the blood and mutilated parts of his enemies.


    In that area, if one were to observe from a distance, one would see Minos standing in the desert terrain, face to face with that red area. But, meanwhile, a group of a few hundred, or even a few thousand, were watching him from hundreds of meters away.


    But those were not enemies, but allies, waiting for permission to pass, while they were shocked to see such an atrocity.


    "Come on. We don''t have all day!" Minos said, just before pointing in the direction of some of those people and giving his instructions. "You will collect the belongings of the dead and burn such bodies."


    "After that, accompany us and hand over to me whatever is collected." He finished speaking just before making a gesture indicating those other people to accompany him.

 Chapter 829 Ruth Knows What She Wants!

    Chapter 829 Ruth Knows What She Wants!


    Sometime later, Minos and a group from before finally arrived on the outskirts of Dry City, where now there was a large camp outside the east exit of the wall.


    But not only at this point was there a large camp. Near the other three entrances to the area protected by the local dome, there were structures similar to these, where the members of those three powers allied to Minos could live from now on.


    Minos could invest in constructing buildings outside the defensive dome. Still, since the war had not even reached its peak, this young man did not like the idea of making such investments at all.


    At the end of the day, he was only one!


    Suppose the enemies decided to attack this place with everything. In that case, even he could not protect the investments outside that area protected by the solid local defenses.


    Consequently, investing in construction in this part of his territory did not seem as attractive as investing in that future city near the local army naval base.


    As a result, there was no permanent construction in these outer areas of Dry City, with only many good quality tents useful for temporary living.


    Apart from these, makeshift fences could be seen here and there, like a second local wall protecting the surroundings of these areas.


    Finally, when Minos arrived in the area in question, several thousand living beings already lived in the surroundings, beasts and humans mixed.p????-?????.???


    After all, these people who had come here had made the trip here using beasts. So, there were hundreds of these beings scattered around that area.


    And with this sight, the many people who had come here under Minos'' escort were already smiling, satisfied and happy that they had survived this journey into betrayal.


    p????-?o??? Well, most of them were already traitors to the kingdom without knowing it. But by fleeing into ''enemy'' territory, they had followed in the footsteps of their leaders, started down a path of no return!


    In any case, many there just wanted to continue living. And now, in this place, which was already a feared area in the entire region, these people could not help but feel relief.


    They were traitors, and that was a concern. But even if many did not know and disagreed with the treason before, it made no difference. They were traitors, and that was all.


    If the Browns found out about the actions of their leaders, they would all pay!


    So, even though they were traitors, they felt much more hopeful when they arrived in this city. Here they at least had a chance to defend themselves against possible aggression from the Brown family!


    And considering that many had already had an acquaintance, a relative, who had come here before them, this was a time of reunion, something very precious. p???? ?o???


    With that, those people were content as they began to find their places in that camp, leaving aside the young Stuart who had stood watching the surroundings.


    ''Hmm, I imagine that half of the members of those families are already on the outskirts of Dry City...'' Minos thought about this in silence as he watched that area full of life.


    The Austin, Parkinson, and Miller families together had just over 150,000 members, about half of them at the 5th stage and nearly 70 Spiritual Kings.


    A portion of them was still leaving their posts around the Black Plain, where they previously stood alongside the Brown family. But, on the other hand, weaker individuals were coming towards Dry City, among them those who had used the naval means of transport to try to enter this territory.


    So, only a portion of the total numbers of those families had already arrived in Dry City, and a good part of them were weaker individuals.


    In any case, even if Minos'' estimate counted only half of these numbers, he was already satisfied with all of this, considering how little time he and his allies had had.


    Previously the Gill family had taken much longer to reach this place, even considering that at that time, this territory could be considered relatively peaceful.


    However, the Gill family had done it slowly, cautiously so as not to be caught by the Silva family while doing such a thing. ¦Ñ???????????


    And indeed, they had succeeded since that now decaying organization had only discovered that movement months after the Gills'' escape.


    But the case of Minos'' three allied families was quite different from that organization now subordinate to Black Plain. These three noble houses of the Brown Kingdom had to flee as quickly as possible to protect themselves and join the forces of Dry City.


    With that, the migration of these people had been done more hurriedly, having broken the Gill family''s record.


    Precisely because of this, because things had worked out so well these past few weeks, Minos was pleased.


    ''Well, now I just need to keep participating in battles like today''s, and we can finish this migration in a few days!'' So, he pondered, before finally following his course towards the interior of the dome, to wait for the next time he would act.


    ...


    While Minos was settling his affairs in Dry City, sometimes going to the battlefield and slaughtering his opponents, Ruth had finally arrived at her sect.


    After almost two months since her farewell to Minos, she and White had crossed all the way to the southeastern region of the Flaming Empire, where the Gray Cloud Sect were.


    With that, Ruth had promptly reported to the hall responsible for disciples'' entry or exit and done the necessary procedures to maintain her legal status. Then, she started to prepare her plans for this time around here.


    Ruth was in love with Minos, and unlike the last time she had left that young man in the north of the Central Continent, she was now fully aware of what she wanted!


    She wanted to be by Minos'' side, help him and eventually have a life with him!


    With that in mind, she knew what she should do while in the sect.


    First, she would rest for a few days, since even for a Spiritual King like her, the journey between the northern part of the Central Continent and here was very tiring.


    Second, she would do as many missions as possible in the coming months, which could guarantee her some more time at young Stuart''s side.


    Finally, third, she would check with her family to see if there was any way she could ease her restrictions.


    She did not like just to wait around while Minos and Abby fought over the future of the Black Plain. So, this girlfriend of young Stuart wanted to do something to remove the restraints that prevented her from acting.


    Previously, when she had traveled alongside Minos to the Cromwell Kingdom, she had helped him on many occasions. But that happened because that had been a mission of her sect, something approved by the Spiritual Church.


    But this previous period of hers in that region had been out of a pure desire on her part, something that if she acted carelessly, serious consequences could hit her and those around her.


    That was why she had not helped him, and it was with that in mind that she would try to use the next few months in this state to resolve some of her doubts!


    However, as much as she had many things on her mind, Ruth was in no hurry. She knew that she needed to take each of her steps carefully. So, after visiting her master''s residence, she had gone directly to a place where she intended to begin her rest.


    ''I will rest for the next week, and then I will choose some missions...'' Ruth thought about this, as she felt tired from the trip.


    The problem with the fatigue she was feeling was the effect of the teleportation. That could be pretty stressful for the teleporting body, depending on many factors, such as, for example, the level of the being teleported, the degree of the arrays used, and the distance between one point to the other.


    Ruth lacked the purchasing power necessary to utilize the most advanced teleportation arrays. And as she had completed a journey that could have taken more than six months in her beast in a matter of seconds, it was natural for her to become quite exhausted!


    On the other hand, the very difference in the spiritual concentration of the Black Plain and the headquarters of the Gray Cloud Sect was already enough to bother people in situations similar to hers.


    Thus, she truly needed to rest for a while.


    But while arriving at the village where her residence was, Ruth suddenly felt the spiritual fluctuation of some people she knew well...

 Chapter 830 Minos Attracts Interest

    Chapter 830 Minos Attracts Interest


    "Talia?" Ruth asked a black-haired woman who had several similarities to her and was standing next to a redhead from the northern part of the Central Continent.


    "Oh? Ruth? Have you returned from your little trip?" The older sister of this girlfriend of Minos asked upon seeing this person who rarely stayed around these areas in recent times.


    p????-?o??? "Looks like you had a lot of fun this period, huh?" Talia commented while feeling that her only sister was already at level 53. ''It seems that even in the north of the continent, she still managed to maintain a good progression rate...''


    ''I thought she''d fall behind going to that place, but it looks like she maintained the difference between our levels.'' Talia pondered, comparing Ruth''s level to her own, level 58.


    ''It looks like she kept training hard... I wonder if this is due to too many problems in her path? Or something else?''


    ''Perhaps the person she had gone to visit is somewhat impressive?'' Talia''s eyes sparkled as she thought about her little sister''s affairs.


    On the other hand, while Ruth''s older sister was thinking about these things, this woman and Kara Carline were greeting each other after not seeing the other for two years.


    In the meantime, Kara had reached level 51, having grown considerably stronger since their last time together.


    But even though she had gotten much stronger, Kara had not gained any level advantage over Ruth, even considering that one had been on ''vacation'' in the northern part of the Central Continent and the other had worked hard here in the Flaming Empire...


    And Kara could not help but feel strange realizing this!


    She obviously did not know about the things happening in that region since it was challenging to send information out of that area.p????-?????.???


    After all, besides the long distances, the crows in that region were very weak and had a high chance of being devoured by other beasts when trying to come to this state.


    Because of this, rarely did the families from that region where Minos was creating havoc communicate with their members here in this state.


    And so naturally, the young and beautiful Kara had no idea of the commotion caused by that young man she had some interest in.


    So, she still greatly underestimated the northern region of the Central Continent and thought that Ruth had had a quiet time there, where high-level fights rarely happened.


    ''Sigh... It seems that her talent is a bit higher than mine, even if they have equal ratings.'' The young redhead thought about this as she felt a little down.


    She was very competitive, so even though she was Ruth''s friend, Kara could not help but compare herself and even want to surpass that person.


    In any case, reality constantly made the plans of humans not develop as planned. And Kara could only accept such a thing while being curious about some issues concerning this ''vacation'' of Ruth''s.


    "Ruth, how is Minos? You''ve been with him all this time, right?" She asked in curiosity.


    Upon hearing this, Ruth''s sister stopped thinking about those things.


    She soon began to pay attention to the young woman in front of her, who looked as impressive or more so than herself, though younger and weaker. p???? ?o???


    Ruth then smiled as she heard this, thinking of the figure of her lover. "He''s fine..." She said in a sweet, gentle tone. "After this period with him, we both started dating officially."


    "Oh?" The two women expressed their surprise as smiles formed on their faces.


    "It seems that this young man cannot be underestimated... He even won over my little sister!" Talia commented in satisfaction, feeling a growing interest in Minos.


    "Wow, I didn''t think you guys would get to that point..." Kara commented in shock, surprised by Ruth''s interest in Minos.


    Kara naturally had an interest in Minos, but she felt pretty different from Ruth. After all, she was not a reserved woman like the black-haired in front of her and Talia.


    Ruth was someone who had only slept with Minos, and even though she had the opportunity to be with other men, she had not. Kara, on the other hand, well, she slept with her own brother whenever she could and never went more than a month without having her ''adventures.''


    Hence, she thought her being interested in Minos was a natural thing, but Ruth, well, that just meant that the connection of those two was pretty deep.


    "Hmm, even I didn''t think of that... But after spending these months with him, I feel like I''m ready to invest a lot more in our relationship!"


    Hearing this and seeing how Ruth was using her hands to massage her belly, Talia''s eyebrows frowned. "Little sister, don''t tell me you''re that irresponsible?"


    "Having a child at your age..." ¦Ñ???????????


    "No, I''m not pregnant," Ruth replied in a disappointed manner. "Unfortunately, Minos is not interested in having a family yet."


    ''Good thing there is some responsible person in this relationship!'' Talia pondered as she had her eyes opened in surprise, seeing how her sister had changed in these two years. ''But this is all very strange!''


    ''Why is she so in love with this young man?''


    ''I know he is the son of the elder Maisie, but as far as I know, he has not inherited her qualities!''


    ''Is he deceiving my little sister?'' She wondered, becoming more curious about Minos and even thinking of some ideas to check out this young man.


    Ruth continued to smile and said. "In that period, I have seen him grow so strong that even I can''t describe all the power he has..."


    "But I think you will understand about that in the future, Kara."


    "Really? Are you by any chance going to tell me where he is?" Kara asked in interest.


    "No."


    "When you go to the northern region, you''ll figure it out on your own... Hehehe, but I have some advice to give you."


    "What is it?"


    "When you go to the northern region, try to see him before you go on with your other plans there... Believe me. It will help you more than you realize." Ruth said as she helped her boyfriend with some of his interests.


    Ruth was not as possessive as Abby, but even she would prefer that her boyfriend was not with more women than necessary. With that said, this earlier line of hers was not her helping Minos get his hands on Kara.


    The opposite of that, Ruth was merely giving the pointers to this redhead so that she would be on the good side of the Black Plain one day. She would, perhaps, advise her family not to act aggressively against Minos.


    That was what Minos wanted, something this woman could definitely help him achieve!


    "So, that''s it..." Kara said, even more interested, as she thought of the young man formerly at level 39, but who should now have turned into a real man, strong and virile, just the way she liked it.


    "Interesting!"


    "I will do as you said!" She said in animation.


    "Hehe, good to know..."


    ''I''ll see this boy before Kara or my little sister...'' Talia pondered in silence as she listened to her sister change the subject.


    "By the way, where is Mona? I thought you usually spent a lot of time together."


    Kara then shook her head and said. "Well, things changed after my promotion... You know how it is. Our responsibilities are quite different."


    "Hmmm."


    "So, because of that, we don''t have that much time in common anymore, and just now, Mona is on a mission outside the sect."


    "I see..."


    Ruth then remembered Abby, who was Mona''s best friend. "What level is she at? Is she thinking about going to the northern region in the future?"


    "Yes, she is. She recently reached level 49, and she told me that she wants to make that trip after reaching the 6th stage." The young redhead replied.


    "Well, if she reaches level 50 in the next six or seven months, I will take her to that region with me."


    "When you see her, tell her that."


    "I don''t want Mona to make certain mistakes by going to that state of hers without talking to me."

 Chapter 831 The Ability Of The Mighty

    Chapter 831 The Ability Of The Mighty


    A few days later...


    By now, more than 95% of the members of the Parkinson, Austin, and Miller families had arrived in Dry City.


    In the days that had passed since Minos'' first action, many of the members of those families who were among the enemies had abandoned their positions and headed toward that city.


    With this, the arrival of the allied families of the Black Plain coming from the Brown Kingdom had significantly been accelerated, with only a single group left to join the others.


    In fact, the only group of people left to arrive was one that was, at this moment, being escorted by Minos and the supreme elder of the Miller family, old Vince.


    After several days of sailing, the final group that escaped from the Miller family territory arrived in a relatively quiet spot on the Black Plain coast.


    After a significant battle in the vicinity of that area, the Black Plain rebel forces had made room for the passage of Abby''s family ships two days ago. Then, Minos and Vince had joined in escorting them, clearing the way for this last portion of allies to reach Dry City safely.


    It was necessary to do so for only a few thousand individuals because, in addition to the Soul Contracts that required each part to assist the other, the individuals in this group possessed value to these organizations.


    And that made them precious!


    Even those not specialized in certain professions, noble families always had members who were blacksmiths, array masters, chefs, etc.


    So, every noble family had its members who were not warriors but contributed significantly to these powers.p????-?????.???


    In the case at hand, the group under Minos and Vince''s guard had such individuals, among them the spiritual judge who had validated young Stuart''s contracts with Celeste and Mirya.


    Because of people like this, it was worthwhile for two people of the caliber of Minos and the supreme elder Miller to escort them!


    It may seem to those who do not understand that the cultivation of warriors and spiritual professionals was similar. But the truth is that, for each of the specializations, there were crucial differences that made certain professions more challenging at certain times of cultivation than others.


    And although there were also crucial differences between types of warriors, the differences between them were not so significant compared to that of spiritual professionals from different fields.


    That made these individuals much more valuable, as the cost of raising a single one of them, whatever their specialization, would already be higher than that of warriors.


    Because of this, any organization would take extra care with its blacksmiths, array masters, etc. These were people difficult to nurture who had valuable skills for thousands.


    Consequently, Minos and Vince were accompanying this group.


    ...


    "Young Minos, how far do you want to go?" Vince asked as he mounted a big flying beast, a few meters away from the Feathered Serpent that young Stuart was standing on.


    Upon hearing that old man''s question, Minos continued to observe the surroundings of that barren area and said. "After I win the war of independence, I will naturally change the regional borders." p???? ?o???


    "What?"


    "But hadn''t you said you had no interests in other parts of our region besides the Black Plain itself?" The old supreme elder asked, remembering Minos'' words when they first met.


    "And I was telling the truth!" Minos began to answer truthfully. "But look at all that has happened..."


    "I am being attacked from almost all sides. Enemy forces are commandeering part of my territory, and every single continental family in our region wants my head..."


    "What can I do except winning the war based on force and then punish them?" Minos asked, looking in the direction of that man with a smile on his face.


    ''So, you wanted that all the time!'' Vince realized Minos'' intent, sensing that perhaps this young man was not as peaceful as he claimed.


    "So, you were lying before?"


    "No. I was telling the truth. If no one had attacked me or demanded absurd things from the Black Plain, I would have done what was necessary peacefully."


    "And even if I wanted more territories adjacent to Black Plain in the future, I would negotiate with the royal families responsible for such areas."


    "In the same way that I negotiate with you." ¦Ñ???????????


    And Minos was telling the truth.


    Doing such a thing could generate an extra cost to his territory, which would be something for any leader to consider. After all, as tragic as wars were for both sides, there were situations in which conflict generated more wealth for the victor than peace.


    In any case, by doing something like negotiating, there would be no human losses for the Black Plain side.


    On the other hand, the thousands of enemies that could die in this war could eventually become part of the Black Plain''s workforce in a more peaceful development.


    Hell, even if that did not happen, such people could become consumers of the products of young Stuart''s territory!


    So, despite the costs, there was indeed a possibility that solving these problems without war would have been feasible for both Minos and the regional families.


    But it was challenging to solve problems like this peacefully.


    The war was part of human nature, after all.


    For example, a hunter goes out hunting in a strange area, where dangerous beings could be hiding, some of them, also hunting. But upon coming across another hunter, one could fear the other. Maybe think about how the other could be an enemy.


    Perhaps stepping forward, putting down one''s weapons, and shaking hands would be the scenario with the highest long-term success rate.


    p????-?o??? But doing so would take a lot of courage on both sides!


    And in a scenario where one fears the other, perhaps the one who shoots first might have the advantage in a conflict and might have a better chance of coming out the winner.


    In such a situation, where two beings are fighting over something, fearing each other, laying down one''s weapons, and talking would rarely replace conflict.


    Because of this, it would be complicated for this war not to have happened.


    Human nature was still too immature to overcome greed!


    So much so that, in the case at hand, the only way Minos could have achieved peaceful independence would have been if he had nothing to offer.


    Suppose the Black Plain was a place that was still entirely barren, had no valuable resources, nor so many mighty warriors. In that case, the desire for independence could be achieved without wars!


    But would that be permanent?


    Suppose Minos chose to live miserably, yes. Otherwise, once he developed his territory, even insignificantly, problems would start to arise.


    And then, sooner or later, such a war would still happen.


    Anyway, Minos knew all this since Henricus Longus'' experiences had taught him such a thing. Therefore, he had never been wrong about the fights ahead of him, having prepared himself from his first day in Dry City for such moments.


    Only the powerful could change things with just words in the Spiritual World. Consequently, he was prepared to fight his way through, whoever the enemy might be!


    ''Ah, so all this could have been avoided...'' Vince lamented in his heart.


    He wanted to become stronger and had, therefore, betrayed the Brown family. But that did not mean that he did not care about degrading his honor.


    So, this old man lamented the current situation.


    "But you should not worry, elder Vince." Minos said with a smile on his face as he imagined the future. "You, sir, will see my ambition come true."


    "It won''t be long, and the Black Plain will become a place as strong as a high-level kingdom, like the Flaming Empire''s neighbors!"


    "Is that so?"


    "Of course! The day will come when there will be Saints living in Dry City!"


    But while those two were talking about Minos'' wishes for his territory, a flying being had been approaching that two while waving its long tail.


    "Uh?" The serpent carrying Minos looked at that junior of its tribe, curious to know what that was all about.


    After hearing the words of that newly arrived Feathered Serpent, that beast that had been serving as a mount for Minos used its grave voice to inform this young man.


    "Young Minos, headquarters has just sent information regarding the location of King Brown!"


    ...

 Chapter 832 Time To Kill?

    Chapter 832 Time To Kill?


    "It seems that the enemy leader is south of here, in one of the enemy camps near the Black Plain border with the Cromwell Kingdom!" That giant serpent said that to Minos.


    Upon hearing this, both Minos and the supreme elder of the Miller family were surprised since they knew how careful Thomas had been.


    That man had been avoiding meeting Minos at all costs, as this rebel was too threatening.


    He had even developed methods of deceiving his allies and subordinates to protect his position.


    Previously, Thomas did not know who the internal enemy was. As such, he had been cautious over the past few months. And with that, Minos and Vince could not help but take this news with surprise.


    "That''s strange..."


    "Is this another false tip? Or is he taking a risk?" Vince wondered aloud as he looked at Minos and that serpent.


    Minos pondered the matter and said. "Maybe he got some help and is a little more confident of seeing me on the battlefield..."


    "If not that, then that''s probably more of a false information or a trap." He quoted this, remembering the times he had encountered places filled with explosive arrays, among other types of traps.


    But because of his powers, as well as options, Minos had never been injured in strategies of that sort.


    At most, he had wasted some of his time going to places where Thomas was not.


    And with that, he could not help but remember such possibility.p????-?????.???


    "What will you do, young Minos?" The great serpent asked this as it turned its head toward him.


    "We''ll go there!" He answered confidently, determined once again to run after his target.


    For him, killing King Brown would not stop the war. But by doing so, everyone in the northern region of the Central Continent would become more fearful about sending troops to the Black Plain.


    Particularly considering the fact that Minos had shown interest in peaceful resolutions.


    And that, yes, could help resolve the independence of the Black Plain more quickly.


    Obviously, there was no easy solution. But with a conflict limited to the Brown Kingdom and the enemy families Minos had made in other states, the time and cost of resolving this would be much less for the Black Plain.


    That way, Minos could not turn down any opportunity he had to eliminate that person!


    Vince''s eyes narrowed upon hearing Minos'' comment while his hands closed abruptly. He said. "Then I''ll go with you..."


    "No."


    p????-?o??? "Until you finish learning one attack and defense Silver-grade technique, I will not allow you to face people of that level." Minos said calmly.


    To him, it was not worth risking the potential of the supreme elder Miller. p???? ?o???


    Vince was old, that was true, and nothing would change such a reality. But even though he did not have many centuries of life left, this man definitely had the potential to become a Spiritual Emperor with the help of Minos'' resources.


    And knowing this, the young leader of the Black Plain would not waste such a person to face King Thomas, or worse, fall into a trap.


    Consequently, this young man had promptly refused old Vince''s offer.


    "You have a more important task to do at the moment..." Minos indicated the masses slowly moving in carriages and beasts a few meters below them.


    "And more importantly, King Brown will not be able to beat me!"


    Minos was not being arrogant in stating this. After all, even if his enemy suddenly achieved some kind of unimaginable power, Minos would still have the Spatial Kingdom as his last option.


    He was sure of one thing as he proceeded with this plan. Which was that Thomas couldn''t endanger his life, even though he himself wasn''t sure he could endanger the life of such a king!


    "Well, we''re not far from Dry City, so your work shouldn''t take long to come to an end." He said as he prepared to leave, giving his last hints to that fellow. "In any case, don''t be hasty."


    "King Brown will die by my hands, maybe not today, not tomorrow, but one day..."


    After that, Minos and that great serpent quickly distanced themselves from that area, flying at great speed to the south.


    Meanwhile, Vince was still standing in that same spot as before, watching the silhouette of Minos and that beast disappear over the horizon. ¦Ñ???????????


    "Sigh..."


    ''Looks like that''s going to happen...'' So, the old supreme elder Miller lamented in his heart, feeling very sorry that things had come to this point.


    He naturally wanted power, he wanted to live longer, and he wanted his family to succeed. And for that, he was willing to fight. But for so long, he had not only been loyal to House Brown. He had always had good relations with the people of such a royal family.


    So, if he had had the opportunity, he would have looked for a way to save the Brown family and Thomas.


    He had no problem with that family, nor was he a genocide who did not care about the thousands of deaths of the war. But as someone unable to change the situation, he could only lament with himself.


    ''Hopefully, the kingdom will not disappear just because of King Thomas'' decisions...''


    ...


    Sometime later...


    After flying long enough to reach the area where Thomas should be, Minos and his ally were finally scanning the surroundings of where the enemy should be.


    "Ray, you can wait for me in the outskirts," Minos said to that serpent just after jumping off it.


    "OK, young Minos. I will stay flying over the adjacent area!" Such a beast promptly replied, feeling certain anxiety as it took off towards an area where it could protect itself.


    After that, Minos promptly began circling that area, searching for his target.


    He could not check the whole area with his spiritual sense alone, and his enemies could be hiding in some part of the terrain, which, although without vegetation, did have its irregularities capable of hiding people.


    And since Minos could not see through matter, he could only analyze the area carefully, while little by little using his spiritual sense, which was definitely less capable than that of the enemy.


    After all, such a characteristic was an inherent quality of cultivators, something not related to techniques but the cultivator''s level. Hence, if Thomas were around, he could find Minos before this young man realized him!


    ''If there''s anyone in the surrounding area, then they aren''t many...'' Minos pondered this in silence while seeing nothing to indicate the presence of many people.


    As much as there were spaces in the surroundings capable of hiding some people from him, Minos knew that such natural deformities were definitely not enough to hide massive troops.


    ''He is astute...''


    ''He learned very quickly not to rely on weaker soldiers when fighting against me...'' The young man thought about this, thinking about the battles he had had against that enemy, but that Thomas'' tactics had constantly thwarted him.


    Thomas was indeed powerful and experienced. And Minos had understood this perfectly well during the months that had passed since the two had first met.


    Such a person had learned how to fight Minos, understood when to retreat, temporarily ''disappear,'' in short, techniques capable of keeping him alive.


    For all this, Minos could not help but admire the abilities of the leader of the Brown Kingdom.


    But while thinking that he could meet his enemy in this place, Minos suddenly felt a powerful spiritual fluctuation spreading in the surroundings.


    ''This...''


    He then felt a certain restraint over his body, as if he had suddenly been trapped inside a gigantic cell from which he could not escape.


    ''A spatial interference array!''


    Minos quickly identified the source of that restriction.


    It was not preventing him from moving or using his powers. Still, it restricted him from moving through space using techniques or specific devices. Simply put, it stabilized the space around the area.


    The fabric of space-time was tough to manipulate in the Spiritual World. But it was also not something wholly fixed that would not lose to force. Hence, it was not entirely stable, and there were ways to break through it.


    However, arrays like the one in question did the opposite of teleportation ones. They turned small regions of space into more difficult regions to manipulate.


    And having the basic knowledge of this, Minos promptly comprehended the item used by his enemies.


    "Brat Stuart, today we will see what you are capable of!" A voice narrowly distinguishable to Minos resounded through that area.


    ...

 Chapter 833 Are You Guys Prepared To Die?

    Chapter 833 Are You Guys Prepared To Die?


    After hearing the elderly but energetic voice of one of the people who had suddenly appeared on the outskirts, Minos looked carefully in that direction, trying to identify the enemies.


    Besides King Brown, who had not yet said anything and looked apprehensively at Minos, three other people were there in that group.


    One of them was the supreme elder of the Brown family, who Minos had already met during his battles around the Black Plain.


    As for the other two, Minos only recognized one of them.


    ''King Cromwell?'' He wondered as he connected the face and voice from before to the person he had seen during the final of the Spiritual Tournament.


    And it did not take Minos long to realize that it was indeed such a person, just as the enemies entered within the space that his spiritual sense could reach.


    With that, sensing the level 59 of that opponent, there was no longer any doubt left in Minos'' heart.


    But still, he did not recognize the second level 58 Spiritual King who stood beside those three men.


    "Tsk!"


    ''Never mind...'' He soon dropped the matter of the identity of that fourth individual and then looked in the direction of those two kings. ''It seems that was this that gave King Brown confidence?''


    ''It would be better if you simply waited for help from the other royal families before doing such a thing...''


    ''Or is he counting on his spatial device to escape from here when things get ugly?''p????-?????.???


    Minos knew that if the enemy wanted to escape via teleportation devices, they could merely wipe out the interference array and then use their escape items.


    Hence, he did not exclude the possibility of the enemy escaping, just as Thomas had done a few times in the past.


    "Tsk!"


    "King Brown, you shouldn''t keep using spatial devices like that... Don''t you think that''s wasteful?" He asked aloud, watching for those people while he had a smile on his face.


    "At this rate, your family will go broke!"


    "Be careful. That''s not good for any of us!"


    "If you lose everything you have, what will your descendants hand me when they come to surrender to me?" Minos joked, already with his swords in his hands.


    "What arrogance!" The man whom Minos did not know angrily shouted this, feeling a sudden desire to teach that young man a lesson.


    On the other hand, the other three individuals around were all looking carefully at Minos, totally focused on this young man''s movements.


    James Cromwell then said. "Brat, you truly talk big..."


    "You don''t even look like that level 39 young man who fought in front of me!" p???? ?o???


    "But even if you are impressive and have the balls to talk that way in our presence, it all ends today!" He said with a strong desire to kill.


    "Yes! King Cromwell is right, Thomas!" Supreme Elder Brown said this as he looked at his nephew significantly. "We must finish him off now that we have the opportunity!"


    "That brat will only get stronger as time goes on... And if we can''t eliminate him before his next advance, I''m afraid that even if we take the entire Black Plain, he will still escape!"


    But Thomas knew that perfectly well. "You don''t have to tell me..."


    This man did not think he would have much chance of winning today''s fight, at least not without huge costs. But since they were here, they would at least try to kill Minos!


    With that, they were all in agreement, getting ready for the fight to begin.


    "Brat Stuart, you will not be able to escape my hands today!" Thomas said in the direction of his enemy while making a signal similar to the attack he had narrowly missed in that Dry City confrontation.


    "Hehehehehhe..." Minos laughed upon hearing that. "You guys think just because you ''trapped'' me here that you have the advantage?"


    Minos was obviously not trapped in this area under the effects of that array from before. He could even feel the restriction on his body, but if he tried to use the Spatial Kingdom ring, escaping from here would be as easy as taking candy from a child!


    But there was no need for him to let his opponents know that, so he had said so.


    On the other hand, Minos was where he wanted to be, and he did not feel as threatened as those people thought he would be right now. ¦Ñ???????????


    Hence, even though he could leave this place whenever he wanted, he had no intention of doing that today.


    Besides, it would not be interesting for him to give these people more reasons to fear him!


    The opposite of that, it would be much better for him and the Black Plain if they thought the spatial interference array was effective against him!


    "Tsk!"


    "Don''t be arrogant, kid!"


    "There are four of us, and we are many levels above yours. So, how do you expect to fight us with only the energy reserves of a mere level 52 cultivator?" That strange person inquired, mentioning this aspect of their plan, which included not bringing ''batteries'' to young Stuart.


    "Humph!"


    "Don''t waste your time with that demon, Terry!" King Cromwell said to the highest-ranking general of the Cromwell Kingdom''s royal guard.


    But, as they talked among themselves, Minos laughed at that general''s comment. "Hehehe, all right then..."


    "Is that all you guys had to talk about?" He asked, looking at those four as his eyes narrowed, "Are you guys prepared to die?"


    Upon hearing Minos'' unkind words, those four suddenly put all their focus on their opponent, already circulating their energies.


    They honestly thought they might have some chances here. But that does not mean that they were foolish to think that they could beat Minos easily.


    The opposite of that, they knew, that even if they managed to injure Minos, it would already be at the expense of a very high-level battle.


    As for killing him, well, one or more of them might even die for that to happen!


    And being aware of that, none of them would underestimate Minos'' power just because of the absence of the ''batteries'' he usually used to his advantage.


    ''It seems that it is finally time for this technique to kill an expert of an even higher level...'' Minos thought about this calmly as he directed his energies to his eyes, preparing to act.


    Infinite Dream!


    And he was quick to make his move.


    Almost instantly, as a large black ring appeared in his surroundings and began to suck in the spiritual energy of those four and the previous array, Minos'' eyes flashed brightly. Immediately afterward, they shot out a powerful ray of spiritual energy!


    "No!" One of them unconsciously shouted as he perceived a mental attack with the full power of a level 59 Spiritual King coming towards him.


    ''No! No!'' General Terry began to despair, realizing that he would not even be able to make a single move in this fight.


    But while this man was filled with terror, the other three were in shock. They realized that Minos'' level increase had improved his combat proficiency far above what they had expected.


    ''How can that be?'' One of them wondered as his eyes went wide, as he already felt the spatial restrictions on his body caused by one of Minos'' techniques.


    ''That bastard!''


    ''His ability to steal energy from his targets has increased tremendously from one level to the next!'' King Brown thought about it in amazement, feeling that there would be no match for Minos.


    He had never fought young Stuart since that enemy''s advance to level 52. And as much as this king had listened to one of his generals'' account of Minos'' strength, that individual had not been able to see the full strength of the Black Plains ruler.


    Because of this, Thomas had underestimated Minos'' advance!


    p????-?o??? And while those three felt as if they had woken up from a nightmare, General Terry fell face down on the ground, already dead!


    But Minos was not satisfied with this. As he felt the energy of his opponents becoming at his disposal, he soon began to dance with his sword, launching powerful attacks in the direction of those three.


    "You guys were right..."


    "All that ends now!"


    Swooish!


    "Damn it!" At the same time, the three screamed just as they felt their bodies much slower, and those blades of energy coming towards them were as strong as level 59 Spiritual Kings'' attacks!


    ...

 Chapter 834 The Only Way

    Chapter 834 The Only Way


    In the blink of an eye, the three attacks sent by Minos against those opponents hit their targets, messing up the surroundings of that area.


    At that moment, Minos'' blows had been mighty, to the point of disordering the surroundings, creating strong winds and raising the dust from the ground.


    With the power of those blades, the three were immediately confronted with genuine threats, the kind that if they did not give it their all, they would be finished!


    However, once they made what was necessary, such individuals, despite suffering, were able to withstand that powerful attack from Minos.


    "Ahhhhhhhh!"


    "Ahh! Bastard!"


    "Son of a bitch!"


    All three cried out in pain, feeling cuts and damage to different parts of their bodies.


    But this outcome was no surprise. After all, unlike Minos'' first move, his attacks with the Spatial Sword could not take these men by surprise.


    That was because physical attacks could be countered more quickly and leave more clues that could prevent opponents in battle. So, even if Minos had used lethal power, those people had managed to survive, even though they had suffered greatly.


    As for why Minos had not used his mental technique a second time, well, that was because he could not.


    There were three opponents here that he wanted to eliminate, and two of them would not die like that man from before. They could even be disturbed by Minos'' mental technique, but it would be impossible to do that to all three.p????-?????.???


    After all, Minos could not absorb that much energy from just these opponents.


    As for the supreme elder Brown, as much as he could suffer the same fate as that general, Minos would have to expend a lot of his energy. Consequently, he would have to give up trying to eliminate the two strongest people here.


    But that would be totally against his goals in fighting in this place!


    Therefore, Minos used the path that gave him the best chance of beating the right opponents or even weakening these people.


    In any case, after the previous sword attack, young Stuart did not take long to run towards his targets, now wounded and more vulnerable than ever.


    Even for a second, he had not thought that the previous attack would solve his problems.


    He was much stronger than these people, but not to the point that he could defeat them with a single blow.


    At least not with his current swords.


    Thus, immediately after noticing his targets being thrown in the opposite direction of his previous attacks, Minos had immediately rushed towards Thomas, intending to eliminate him!


    Explosive Steps!


    But while Minos was running, sending out long-range attacks and using his mental technique to erode the concentration of those people, they were getting up from where they had fallen. p???? ?o???


    "Damn it!"


    "We won''t be able to kill this bastard today!" King Cromwell said this aloud, amidst the intense pain he was feeling in his left arm, which Minos'' attack had injured.


    On the other hand, Thomas, who at the moment had his face covered in dust, was trying to endure the discomfort in his chest, which now had a cut that had, luckily, stopped at his ribs.


    "It''s time to run!" He said this decisively.


    They wanted to kill Minos, but they had been aware that the odds were not in their favor from the beginning.


    Besides, by understanding the current reality, those men''s conceptions of the enemy had significantly changed.


    With that, knowing this power of Minos, retreating was their only chance to keep fighting, to maybe one day eliminate the threat on the Black Plain.


    Solving the problem now would be good, but they could count on the support of more royal houses soon and more level 59 Spiritual Kings.


    And as a final measure, they still had the chance to appeal to the Spiritual Church.


    For all that, it was nowhere near the time when they would have to fight all the way against Minos.


    Hence, Thomas could not help but prepare to stop the spatial interference array and get ready to use his teleportation device. ¦Ñ???????????


    Such a thing was costly and consumed many medium-grade crystals to work perfectly. But to continue living, this king had no alternative but to resort to it.


    Therefore, the three were already doing what was necessary to get out of that area, as Minos came in that direction where they were.


    "Humph!"


    "King Brown, you''re staying!" He said with vigor, using even more of his energy to run through that area, as he began to focus only on that man.


    Then, immediately, the big black ring that was absorbing the energies of all living things in the surroundings of Minos, including the arrays of those people, changed its behavior. It suddenly decreased in size and concentrated only on where Thomas was.


    With this decision, Minos was releasing those other two opponents as he prepared to steal the energies from Thomas'' teleportation array in an attempt to delay that man''s escape.


    p????-?o??? With that, he could have the time to eliminate him!


    Sensing such a thing, Thomas immediately began to feel a vulnerability never before felt in his life, fearing that this would be the end of him.


    Previously Minos had never been able to do such a thing, as his abilities were less capable at that time when he was only at level 51.


    But now, at level 52, King Brown felt that Minos could genuinely kill him!


    ''What am I going to do? What am I going to do?'' He began to think in desperation, feeling that if he were left alone in this place, even if only for a few seconds, it could be his end.


    But as King Cromwell disappeared from that place with a terrible expression on his face, London Brown looked coldly in Minos'' direction, pressing hard on his jaw as he trembled.


    In doing so, this man did not take long to run towards Thomas, who was closer to him than to Minos, already circulating his energies to attack the young Stuart.


    "Thomas, take your chance and escape!" He said solemnly, feeling that if only one of them could survive, then that person should be the king, not him.


    "Uncle London..."


    "Go, if you die here, our chances are over, and I would still die anyway!" He said, resolute about what he should do.


    When London had approached Thomas, Minos could still steal the energies only from his primary target. However, the supreme elder Brown also had a teleportation array!


    As a result, Minos would either continue doing what he was doing now, and Thomas would run away with the London''s item, or he would try to steal the energies of both items and eventually reduce his effectiveness.


    In any case, London''s action had immensely hindered Minos'' plans!


    ''Damn, old man!''


    ''He chose to die just to get in my way!'' Minos lamented in his mind as he saw the space in the surroundings of his target slowly collapsing.


    And while creating difficulties for Minos to attack that king, London was already circulating his energies in a specific pattern, ready to make a decision of no return as soon as Thomas was ready to leave.


    ''Unfortunately, that damned thing will probably teleport away as soon as Thomas is gone...'' London thought disappointedly, feeling that his following action would have little effect on eliminating Minos.


    But he felt that this was the only way he could take advantage of his impending death.


    Since he had had to stay in that place to ensure Thomas'' survival, he would surely die at Minos'' hands. So, he at least wanted to fall with dignity, in his own way, and try as possible to damage that opponent!


    The sacrifice!


    He did not know how efficient Minos'' teleportation was, so he was uncertain if this would be enough to endanger the life of that enemy. But London felt in his heart that Minos would probably not die, even if caught in the destruction caused by this action.


    For that, he could not help but regret it.


    ''But at least I gave the family one more chance!''


    ''I can die in peace!'' He thought about this as he looked steadily at Minos and felt his vitality rapidly disappearing.


    ''But it''s life is truly ironic...'' So, he considered as he remembered the actions of himself and Thomas that had led to Albert''s sacrifice.


    "What a damned thing!" Minos said aloud, just as he saw Thomas disappearing from the battlefield and the changes in London''s body.


    "Tsk!"


    "Die alone, old man!"


    Zum!


    ...

 Chapter 835 Post-Battle

    Chapter 835 Post-Battle


    Zum!


    In a place, tens of kilometers away from where the short battle of Minos and the four high-level Spiritual Kings had taken place, suddenly space vibrated in the middle of a courtyard.


    At the same time, several people in the surrounding area noticed the change in that location and promptly started moving.


    "Quick! Quickly, get ready for the arrival of His Majesty and General Terry!" Some of them shouted in tension, anxious to know what had happened.


    And as doctors prepared to welcome the people who were arriving, finally a person appeared there.


    He was tall and robust and wore high-level armor that had the symbol of the House Cromwell on his chest.


    Anyway, as he appeared in that place while kneeling down, such an individual almost immediately, upon feeling that he had managed to escape, put his arms on his knee and started coughing, feeling sick.


    "Cough! Cough!"


    "Ah! Damn it!"


    "King Brown is dead!" He said in a tone full of frustration, feeling that Minos would surely achieve that after he had abandoned that individual.


    And with that thought in mind, James could not help but lament the tragic loss that the northern region of the Central Continent had just had.


    "What?"


    "It can''t be! It can''t be!"


    Several people in the surrounding area began to comment on the matter in shock, incredulous at James'' speech.p????-?????.???


    But while pale faces could be seen among those people, the doctors there quickly began treating their leader, as James was bleeding for the first time in a long period!


    "Your Majesty, what happened? Where is General Terry?" One of the doctors who was already treating the wound on James'' bruised arm asked such a thing in doubt.


    The team in this place had been prepared to save the lives of James and Terry once they returned from the battlefield.


    They already knew that the fight against Minos would not be easy, and, winning or losing, it was very likely that those people would need help. Hence, they had prepared themselves to deal with the wounded who would flee or defeat Minos.


    However, the service of some of those people would be of no use today. "Terry is dead!" James said all at once while he had a terrible expression on his face.


    Gulp!


    "This..."


    "Sigh... Was the bastard that strong?"


    "Looks like all those rumors are true..."


    And while some there showed their regrets regarding the death of such an expert, James quickly told the result of their plans to the people in the surrounding area.


    "The rascal was simply too strong!"


    "We couldn''t beat him!"


    "As for what happened in the end, even I don''t know..." p???? ?o???


    ...


    Meanwhile, this time at a post directly commanded by the Brown family at another point around the Black Plain, the space in a particular location shook until Thomas Brown appeared there.


    "Your Majesty!" Several of the people waiting for Thomas and London jumped up from where they were, heading toward that person.


    However, as they saw the large bruise on Thomas'' chest, something that had even gone through this man''s armor, they soon realized that things had been worse than expected.


    King Brown had a hideous expression on his face, full of resentment, so much so that even the strongest one there, level 57, was feeling frightened just looking at their leader.


    But the doctors who were there could not delay in starting the treatment of this man, and soon several people were around Thomas, helping him to take off his armor and clothes, and others healing his body.


    "The damn rebel..."


    "That son of a..."


    "Disgrace!"


    He was saying things in anger, not completing his sentences, and already starting the following condemnation, cursing young Stuart.


    But he did not take long to say something more informative to those people there.


    "London sacrificed himself for the Brown Kingdom!"


    Gulp! ¦Ñ???????????


    Gulp!


    "Sigh... What a great misfortune!"


    "And to think that it would come to that..."


    "Bloody hell!"


    "Damn it, Albert!"


    "Your sacrifice almost killed him... Why did he survive? Why is he still here to torment us?" Someone there said this as he felt the cold sweat on his back.


    "Now, we can only hope that the supreme elder has managed to do some harm to him..."


    "If we''re lucky, maybe he died!" Someone said, trying to attach to the possibility that would give them the best chance of success on the Black Plain.


    But King Brown was not at all hopeful about that. ''At most, he must have suffered some damage...''


    ''Unfortunately, I think uncle London''s sacrifice was in vain.'' He thought in disgust as he considered how this brother of his late father had died.


    "Sigh..."


    "Now, we can only hope for the help from our neighbors!"


    ...


    Meanwhile, at the place where the fight had taken place...


    After Minos had escaped, almost instantly, an explosion a few times more powerful than the total power of the explosions that had destroyed Maritime City had happened in that area.


    Such a thing had created a great curtain of smoke a few kilometers high, something that had created a twilight zone in that area as if part of the night had invaded the day.


    On the other hand, while the visibility in that area was awful, a large crater with a radius of tens of kilometers had formed there.


    Such a thing was so large and deep that one could put the entire Dry City in that place and still have room left on each side and above!


    And in this place full of molten rock, lots of smoke, steam, where the temperature was so high that it could burn even peak Spiritual Generals, it was not long before young Stuart appeared there.


    Zum!


    Indestructible Body!


    Upon appearing in that uninhabitable place, Minos instantly began circulating his energies in his defensive technique, protecting his body.


    ''That''s truly impressive!'' He admired the destruction caused by the enemy''s sacrifice, the most powerful thing he had seen in his entire life.


    Minos had quickly returned from the Spatial Kingdom because he wanted to get back to Dry City as soon as possible. But he was also curious to see what state this place would be in, right after London''s sacrifice.


    p????-?o??? Minos had memories of the sacrifices of many of Henricus Longus'' enemies. However, the experience was always different from theory.


    So, to understand more about it, he wanted to see this place still under part of the destructive effects of that man''s sacrifice.


    ''In the future, I will have to upgrade Dry City''s defenses to grade-3!''


    He pondered, thinking that if some enemies who survived this war decided to start sacrificing themselves to achieve their interests, then the Black Plain might have problems!


    It was not common for people in the Spiritual World to want to sacrifice themselves to avenge people''s deaths or try to destroy organizations. After all, most influential people would hardly be exposed to that kind of danger.


    On the other hand, large organizations would rarely care about the death of civilians. So, attacks of this type were not common to happen.


    However, there were a few cases of people capable of such madness!


    Because of this, Minos could not help but fear the destructive capability of powerful people that maybe use the sacrifice against his cities in the future.


    ''But this individual was rapid to sacrifice himself for the sake of his family!'' He admired how London had given up his life to ensure Thomas'' escape.


    "Sigh..."


    "Time to go!" He muttered this just after collecting the nearly damaged spatial ring left in that place.


    ''Good thing he wasn''t at level 59. Otherwise, that medium-level grade-2 ring would have been destroyed!'' So, he thought about it, just before running north, where the serpent from before should have been waiting for him.


    ...


    Before long, Minos made his way back to Dry City alongside the serpent that had been serving as a mount for him recently.


    Then, this young man soon went to his headquarters, where he had to deliver London''s spatial ring. He also had to report what had happened so that his soldiers could communicate the event to the necessary people.


    He was the organization''s leader, but his allies and strongest subordinates needed to know these most important things!


    As such, even he had to worry about this kind of thing.


    And after doing so, it was not long before he went to cultivate in peace, to recover his energies spent in the previous conflict.

 Chapter 836 Counter-Revolutionary Troops

    Chapter 836 Counter-Revolutionary Troops


    Two weeks later...


    After Minos'' confrontation with King Brown and King Cromwell, things on the Black Plain went on as usual, with enemy troops fighting around this territory.


    But with the arrival of the forces of House Cromwell to provide support for the Kingdom Brown to fight the rebellion on the Black Plain, the pressure on Minos had increased considerably.


    Because of that, even considering the arrival of the more than 100,000 members of the three noble families of the Brown Kingdom who were now on the Black Plain side, that had not helped the situation as much.


    But that was to be expected. After all, most of those people had no actual power to fight the war.


    On the other hand, the enemy numbers had increased quantitatively and qualitatively with the arrival of the Cromwell family.


    Moreover, the position of the Brown family troops was excellent for the Counter-Revolutionary Army to expand its actions with the arrival of more allies. In contrast, the position of the Miller, Austin, and Parkinson families was not so simple.


    Dry City could have its advantages, and Minos'' army knew how to use the terrain to their advantage. But the enemies would not come this far, so this did not generate many favorable conditions for them right now.


    Moreover, without the inside information of internal allies and with so many enemies around the territory, acting even after that addition of personnel was not so simple.


    At the very least, they would have to risk attacking the enemies without much advantage, something dangerous.


    Consequently, even though Minos and those top regional specialists had not fought in the last few days, his side had lost another 5% of this territory to the enemy!p????-?????.???


    In any case, young Stuart was still acting when he could, training when he should, and continuing with his primary or alternative plans.


    He knew that the situation would be horrible up to some point in the war, so he was not desperate just for these losses.


    The opposite of that, he and his people continued to work hard, counting on the moment when they would have their breakthroughs!


    And that had just happened to one of the Black Plain Army''s specialists!


    ...


    At the headquarters of young Stuart''s army...


    In this place where thousands of people passed by, daily, the inner cultivation tower was as full as ever, with many soldiers coming and going, making room for others to cultivate and train here.


    But while the corridors and rooms of this six-story building were crowded, the large cultivation room for 6th stage cultivators had a few Lieutenants training at this very moment.


    Among them were Mirya, Eduard, Grace, Elena, Viola, and Doug, the Black Plain Army''s top blacksmith.


    Anyway, most of them were peacefully cultivating on top of their cultivation pads, close to each other in the specific space for that kind of activity. p???? ?o???


    On the other hand, Eduard and Elena trained their techniques, improving their mastery.


    But while each of them was focusing on their self-improvement, suddenly, the body of one of those cultivating people stopped trembling. At the same time, a cracking sound spread out from the bottom of that being.


    Crack!


    That person''s soul stopped expanding at that moment, and she finally achieved a new level, quickly absorbing much of the energy from the crystals around her.


    "Oh?" The two people training their techniques looked in Mirya''s direction with smiles, pleased that one of them had just advanced.


    Mirya had finally reached level 54!


    And while the others who were cultivating understood what had happened but continued in silence, Mirya finally opened her eyes, smiling.


    ''Finally!'' She thought about it contentedly, feeling how nice it was to be able to get stronger, getting one step closer to level 60, her goal.


    Mirya had suffered a great deal of trauma before due to the sacrifice of that assassin from the Scourge of the Devil group. Because of this, not only had her strength been partially degraded, but the many scars around her body had also impaired her beautiful appearance.


    Because of this, this woman, previously full of life and sexual pleasures, had not experienced anything for months! ¦Ñ???????????


    That was not much, considering the life expectancy she had and the reality of the Spiritual World, where there were hermits thousands of years old who were still virgins.


    But for a person with her personality, months without that were a long time.


    In any case, such a reality was due to Mirya herself, who had deprived herself of her forbidden relationship with Viola and her experiences with other ''friends,'' as in the case of young Stuart.


    Mirya was a woman of breathtaking beauty. And precisely because of this, she could not accept herself at the moment, much less allow herself to be with other people.


    And that had put her in this situation of, let''s say, abstention.


    But she was not satisfied!


    So, with each advance she had, with each step closer to achieving the traditional spiritual cleansing, Mirya could not help but feel great pleasure, coupled with relief.


    ''If it weren''t for the remaining damage to my body, I could probably fight on equal terms against regional nobles who were at the top of level 56.''


    ''But due to the condition of my body, my maximum capacity is probably equivalent to that of a noble at the beginning of that level.'' She pondered this as she nodded to Eduard and Elena.


    She stood up from where she was, clenched her fists, and closed her eyes momentarily. ''In any case, I can now protect myself better and play a more relevant role in the war!''


    After thinking about it, she immediately headed towards the exit of that place, saying goodbye to those two and then heading to young Stuart''s office, where she would report her progress.


    ...


    But while Mirya was going to talk to Minos, at one of the southernmost points of the Kingdom of the Waves, a large army was passing through the area, coming from the north.


    p????-?o??? Such a group had over 40,000 people, with the weakest of them being at the 5th stage. There were also 45 Spiritual Kings at the intermediate levels of this stage accompanying them.


    But while the strength of this group was impressive, the many symbols that could be seen on carriages, clothes, items in the surroundings of this group were the most eye-catching of all.


    After all, warrior groups would rarely have people from so many different organizations!


    Anyway, as these people headed south, having just passed through the vicinity of the Flooded Valley, the leaders of such a group were gathered together as they mounted their beasts.


    "Those damned wild beasts!" One of them said in hatred, regretting what they had been through in the past few weeks.


    "That''s probably brat Stuart''s doing!" A level 56 Spiritual King with the Collins family symbol on his clothes said this in anger.


    After entering the Flooded Valley, this Counter-Revolutionary Army group coming from the Kingdom of the Waves had suffered to cross such an area.


    In addition to the naturally dangerous terrain of this area, they had had to fight against virtually every beast in this region while crossing that area!


    That had been the action promised by the Feathered Serpent tribe to Minos in the previous agreement that the two parties had agreed upon.


    The Feathered Serpents were the leaders of this area, and since they had made several promises to the other tribes of the Flooded Valley, it had not taken long for an army of beasts to be formed in this area.


    With this, every time massive groups of humans passed through these areas, those beasts would fight with everything in an attempt to slaughter the enemies before they reached the Black Plain.


    And such a thing had produced positive effects for Minos!


    For example, the group in question had suffered so much from this that those in this place now had only 60% of their original force!


    Even the Spiritual Kings of this group were outnumbered when they had started this journey months ago!


    So, these people could not help but feel bad for their recent past, even considering that they were now almost under the territory ruled by their allies in the fight against Minos.


    "Those damn serpents!"


    "Why did those things come to our kingdom? Previously there was no information about those disgusting beings in our state!" A man who had had his right hand melted by the acid of a serpent from that tribe commented on this with a murderous gleam in his eyes.


    It was just a shame that their goal was to deal with Minos. Otherwise, they would have fought harder in that place instead of avoiding the enemy and trying to cross the area quickly.


    And this man in question could not help but shiver with rage at having to hold his hatred and not being able to turn back the way to get revenge.


    ''Damn rebels!''

 Chapter 837 Allies Meeting

    Chapter 837 Allies Meeting


    While the troops coming from the Kingdom of the Waves were moving only a few weeks away from the Black Plain, the troops from the Kingdom of the End of the Snow Kingdom were also not far away.


    In the case of the troops coming from the Kingdom of the End, since the distance between this state and the Black Plain was too great, they traveled much of the why by ship. That was something that could transport them with more safety and a speed similar to the low-level beasts used by that state''s organizations.


    And with that, they were already landing their troops in the Peninsula of the Waves, from where they would proceed overland to the Black Plain.


    After all, there was a naval fleet around the Black Plain; while coming by land from the south of that state, they could enter the part of the enemy territory under the command of the allied forces.


    That way, it was more worthwhile to finish that part of the journey by land!


    As for the case of the troops coming from the Snow Kingdom, well, that state was not that much further away from the Black Plain than some parts of the Kingdom of the Waves. Because of this, the forces coming from that area were also coming overland.


    But unlike the other two groups traveling south of the Kingdom of the Waves, the group gathered by the Snow family was east of the Brown Kingdom, heading towards the Black Plain.


    The Snow family had managed to transport their troops out of the northern region of the Central Continent, through the state bordering the Brown Kingdom to the east and the Snow Kingdom to the south.


    They had made such a journey because of the extensive mountain range that stretched from the north of the Snow Kingdom to the beginning of the Black Plain, in the vicinity of Yellow City.


    The Endless Snow Mountain Range. A tiring and costly place to cross!


    So, even with such a natural barrier in their way, the Snow family had also managed to send troops to fight Minos by the deadline set by the Counterrevolutionary Statute!p????-?????.???


    ...


    But while the massive troops from each of those states were approaching the Brown Kingdom, the leaders of each of those forces were already on the Black Plain!


    Unlike the ordinary soldiers and those Spiritual Kings needed to protect those groups, the leaders of each of the forces had traveled separately, using fast beasts.


    With this, they could spend less time outside their regions of sovereignty, thus taking fewer risks.


    In any case, more than 30 high-level Spiritual Kings were already in the Brown Kingdom now, all of them in a large Brown family camp in the northeastern part of the Black Plain.


    Not only were the leaders coming from those three states north of the Brown Kingdom here, but there were also representatives from the state to the south, the Cromwell Kingdom.


    Only the people from Stone Island could not be seen in this place at the moment since the ruling family of that state had decided to break their promises to the statute.


    So, several of those people were meeting in a large tent, talking about what they should do next and some critical deadlines.


    "My friends, it is good to know that we can count on your solidarity at this challenging time..." Thomas said this aloud, smiling at seeing all these people here.


    And as he waved a cup in his hand, several of the people there raised their cups, waving at him. p???? ?o???


    King Brown smiled and said. "With our joint forces, I feel that we will be able to put pressure on the Black Plain more quickly and perhaps solve the local problem!"


    But while some people agreed with him, someone stood up and said something further.


    "Your Majesty is quite right! We can put pressure on the Black Plain. However, we must not forget the state of our region that has decided to stand on the side of the war..."


    "Sooner or later, we will have to deal with them."


    And hearing this, many agreed, feeling bad for the Stones'' unexpected betrayal.


    However, before things got out of focus, King Brown soon spoke again, urging caution. "Gentlemen, let''s not talk about that at the moment."


    "House Stone is powerful, but they are an organization we know, which has existed for many years in peace with our states."


    "Even if they need to be punished for the treachery of their leaders, they are not the threat to regional peace."


    "So, I suggest we talk only about the Black Plain, about the forces of Minos!"


    Then, a woman with red and white hair stood up from her position and saw all the people in the surrounding area go silent as if waiting for her speech. "That is indeed the most urgent matter." ¦Ñ???????????


    "Mrs. Carline!" Thomas revered her once again, observing the beauty of this expert who was as strong or stronger than he was.


    That woman then looked at James and then at Thomas and said. "You faced that young man... How do you think we would perform if we ran into him now?"


    After the previous event, James had thankfully learned that Thomas had not died because of London''s sacrifice.


    Next, they dispatched their information to the allies already in the Brown Kingdom, something that was already known to everyone in that meeting.


    There were not only these three powerful level 59 Spiritual Kings, but also several royal generals, patriarchs, and supreme elders from royal and noble families in the region. All of them between levels 57 and 58.


    And knowing this incredible strength, that middle-aged woman could not help but wonder about it.


    She wanted to end this war as quickly as possible, so if these two were sure to succeed, she wanted to try to find Minos before the rest of the troops even arrived.


    But otherwise, she would do as previously planned, continuing their strategies to dominate the Black Plain.


    "If we faced him today with everyone in this room..." Thomas began to say this, looking at that woman and James. "Half of us would die, and over 40% of the survivors would be seriously injured."


    "Ultimately, we cannot guarantee that he would die." So, James completed that man''s line.


    Gulp!


    "What?"


    "How can that be?"


    "So, he is invincible? That''s absurd!"


    The various people in that place began to state their opinions simultaneously, shocked, disbelieving at the utterances of those two peak regional experts.


    Even King Carline''s second wife, Linette Carline, level 59, could not believe such a disgrace. "Are you serious?" She asked in a solemn tone.


    "Are you saying that he is as strong as a Spiritual Emperor?"


    Thomas then shook his head negatively and said. "No, he''s not like that yet."


    "But he''s not like us either!" James completed. "However, that''s enough to challenge us because of the characteristics of the techniques he possesses."


    p????-?o??? "You see, the problem is not that we can''t cause trouble for him, but that if we were to fight him jointly, we would only be helping him!"


    "In our previous fight, Thomas and I went to fight him alongside our strongest supporters."


    "However, one of them, General Terry, died after a single attack from that brat!"


    "And with the spiritual energy he stole from all of us, he almost killed Thomas that day!" James finished his analysis.


    "That''s right." Thomas nodded, unashamed of what had happened. "At the present moment, only level 59 Spiritual Kings can challenge him without risk of dying with a single blow. But just the three of us won''t be enough to kill him."


    "At most, we will fight for a few seconds, and then both sides will have to leave the battlefield."


    "In the worst-case scenario, he would have the advantage, and one of us might even die!"


    "That..." That mighty woman muttered in a low voice, feeling that this was all worse than she had imagined. "And how do you expect to beat him?"


    Thomas then replied. "If three, or maybe two, others of our level ally with the three of us, we have a chance of eliminating him without much loss!"


    But while the people in that place were silent after hearing such a speech, a strange laugh resounded from an empty spot on one side of that tent.


    "Hehehehehehehe, that''s truly interesting!"

 Chapter 838 Allying With The Enemy?

    Chapter 838 Allying With The Enemy?


    After hearing that strange tone coming from empty, each of the experts in that place began to look from side to side with narrowed eyes, some individuals already ready to draw their weapons.


    As for the level 59 Spiritual Kings, they all immediately began to circulate their energies, as none had noticed the presence of the person that had just spoken.


    ''Who is that? Is it Minos?'' James wondered in a startled manner, still a little traumatized by his last encounter with that young man.


    On the other hand, Linette Carline was a little more aware of the newcomer''s identity. ''Such an efficient concealment technique... He can only be...''


    ''Who are you? What does an assassin from the Scourges of the Devil want here?" She asked aloud, demonstrating her dominant personality.


    "What?"


    "Scourges of the Devil? These damned things?"


    Several regional leaders frowned as they heard that woman''s question.


    Even Thomas and James were surprised by this.


    On the other hand, the representative of the Snow family there was the one who was most dissatisfied with all this. ''What is someone from that damned organization doing here?''


    "Hehehehehe, the people from the Kingdom of the End truly know us well..." The same voice as before said this while he was still hiding.p????-?????.???


    He was using a spatial technique identical to that of the assassin who had sacrificed himself to try to avoid his capture by Minos.


    Such technique could obstruct people of the same level as the user from finding him, as his spiritual fluctuations could be partially contained with that.


    So, even if there were three people of the same level as this assassin there, he still had his position secure!


    "Hahaha, is that a good way to welcome a guest? It looks like you all want to face me..." He said as he observed how alert those experts were.


    "Humph, I didn''t know assassins made jokes..."


    "It truly is a joke. This bastard expects to stay hidden, and yet we let our guard down? What a son of a..."


    "Tsk!"


    "Assassin, do you think you can act freely just by your concealment techniques? Don''t think that people of your..."


    Several people were already preparing to fight when suddenly that individual stopped laughing and started talking more seriously.


    "Well, if I were here on an assassination mission, you would only realize my presence after a few heads had fallen..." p???? ?o???


    "Anyway, you three don''t have to worry... I''m not interested in anyone here, at least not for now." He said, looking mainly at those three individuals.


    Thomas then asked. "What do you want? We''re pretty busy, and if you''re not here to fight, we have more important things to do."


    "It is exactly because of these important things that I am here." He said, finally revealing his intentions.


    "Oh?"


    "You mean that your organization wants to fight the war against the Black Plain? What would you guys gain from that?" James questioned while Linette was silent, already thinking about what would happen next.


    "Well, we don''t have much interest in the war on the Black Plain, but we believe that Minos Stuart''s death is for the best..."


    "We have reason to believe that he will attempt to target us one day, so we are willing to help you take him down now!" He said this with a sincere expression on his face, but no one there could see that.


    And he was being sincere in communicating these things to these regional leaders.


    The Scourges of the Devil had nothing in particular against Minos, as the two sides, as far as they knew, had never met. But such an organization had participated in the attempted murder of Albert, and as they found out how young Stuart had killed Otis, the leadership of that organization could not help but worry.


    They had only been hired for a job and had nothing against Albert. But it was undeniable that their action had influenced that man''s decision to sacrifice himself. ¦Ñ???????????


    p????-?o??? Therefore, it was very sensible to think that Minos would try to take revenge on that organization once he won the war or stayed alive.


    In this way, the Scourges of the Devil had stepped forward. They sent one of their most powerful members to this meeting of the Counter-Revolutionary Army leaders.


    "So, that''s it..." Thomas muttered in a low voice as he understood the reason for this assassin to make such an offer.


    He knew about the involvement of this organization in Albert''s death. As such, it was elementary for him to associate what their interest was.


    As for the other two, they were both interested in this, despite the significant lack of trust they had towards the people of that organization.


    The assassin then said. "Think about it. We are all threatened by that person, and if we don''t cooperate, the worst may happen sooner or later."


    "And as much as we have no interest in participating in your fights against the Black Plain forces, we are willing to fight that brat and some of the stronger enemy specialists."


    "Other than that, once we complete our goal, we will no longer participate in actions against the Black Plain. But my organization will commit to not acting against your families for the next five years, as long as none of you attack us in the first place."


    He needed to make concessions if he wanted to work alongside these people. After all, even if Thomas'' group was in a lot of uncertainty about fighting Minos, increasing the uncertainties by adding people from this dangerous regional organization could very well increase their problems.


    So, this assassin and the organization behind him were aware that they needed to demonstrate their honesty by making some promises that could be guaranteed through Soul Contracts.


    Anyway, as they thought about the conditions offered by that assassin, most of them were already thinking about what could happen in the war and their families if they agreed to such an alliance.


    ''This will truly increase our chances against brat Stuart by a lot...''


    ''We don''t know the full power of the Scourges of the Devil, but their experts are no less numerous than those of large regional royal families!''


    ''On the other hand, if we compromise with them, we can be assured that our families will not suffer because of them while we are here on the Black Plain...''


    Various thoughts favorable to this passed through the minds of those many people.


    But the representative of the Snow family was not at all pleased about this.


    And seeing the expression on this man''s face, it did not take long for Linette to say something. "Can you excuse us for a few hours to discuss this?"


    "Hehe, sure."


    "But don''t be late. The enemy keeps getting stronger!" He said before finally leaving that place, making room for those people.


    It was expected that they would want to argue among themselves. And it made no difference to this man to stay here and listen to everything or demonstrate his honesty and leave.


    That''s because the Scourges of the Devil were not doing this to get along with the powers of the northern region of the Central Continent.


    No, they did not care about that, and it was evident that some would undoubtedly be opposed to such a proposition.


    But for them, all that mattered was whether they could get a deal with these people, something that might make it easier to eliminate Minos.


    As for whether the other side disliked them, was reluctant, or even planned to use them, none of that made any difference. After all, in an agreement like that, both parties would use the other to achieve their goals!


    And with that, he had quietly left that area, already knowing what those people would talk about in his absence.


    "Are you people crazy?" The Snow family representative said this indignant as he stood and gestured, red with anger.


    "Have you people forgotten what these bastards are capable of? How many of your families, subordinates, vassals have died at the hands of these bastards?"


    "Don''t tell me you''re going to ally yourselves with an enemy?"


    Silence then permeated that area, as the people there either thought about the answers to these questions or merely ignored this level 58 old man.


    Linette then gave her opinion. "I know you Snows are more sensitive about the Scourges of the Devil right now, but let''s not forget our reality!"


    "The Scourges of the Devil have existed in this region longer than some of our royal houses. But in all that time, they have never threatened our existence, even if we have our problems from time to time."


    "As for the Black Plain..."

 Chapter 839 Enemies Everywhere

    Chapter 839 Enemies Everywhere


    "As for the Black Plain, on the other hand, that young man can literally devastate our entire region in a few years!"


    "He''ll even be able to do that on his own!" Linette said while she had a resolute look in her eyes, sure that such a thing would happen if Minos were not stopped in time.


    They all knew about the things Minos had said about, that is, wanting to stay on the Black Plain. After all, that had been published in the Night News. But none of them believed that young man''s words.


    If now that he was only at level 52, he could already make such a mess, then what would it be like when he reached level 59?


    To make matters worse, by Minos'' progression rate, he could reach that level in about six years!


    That was terrible!


    Consequently, that woman could not fail to point out the differences between the old enemies, who were, yes, fearsome, but not a threat to the states, and the new, totally uncontrolled.


    And the opinion of most people in that place could not be different from hers.


    Many had already had members of their organizations killed by that group''s assassins. However, the dead were already dead, and they had to protect the living in any way they could.


    And at this terrible time, making a deal with the Scourges of the Devil did not seem to go against that noble goal of protecting the interests of their families!


    So, the Snow family representative had practically been left alone without support in this place.p????-?????.???


    "This..."


    "Still, I believe it is too risky for us to do such a thing!"


    "What guarantees us that his companions will not attack us soon after? Or will every single assassin in that organization sign Soul Contracts with us?" He asked in doubt.


    "We have no choice here..." Someone said in a low voice, feeling bad for that old man''s position.


    "Enough!" Thomas said in a harsh tone, looking straight into that person''s eyes. "We cannot accept a refusal from the Snow family that did not even send their level 59 Spiritual King!"


    "You want us to refuse that organization''s help, but your strongest member did not even come here?" He said, looking at that man and then at the Walker family representative.


    The Walker family representative had been in favor of this partnership. So, Thomas could not complain directly to that person about their lack of commitment to the Counter-Revolutionary Statute. But still, he had taken the opportunity to show his dissatisfaction with the fact that other regional peak powers were not giving the matter the necessary urgency.


    Now Minos was stuck on the Black Plain, surrounded by enemies. But what if he regained his territory and decided to march against the regional borders in the future?


    Well, if that happened, each of the local states would end up losing a lot. After all, if Minos were to win this war, this entire region would be at the mercy of his will!


    And Thomas could not help thinking that this would happen every time he noticed the negligence of the local states. p???? ?o???


    He could even understand the motivations behind each one. That is, the Kingdom of the Waves was going through a delicate moment in its recent history, and soon a new king would take over. The Snow Kingdom, on the other hand, had a king who served more as a protector than an actual ruler.


    But even though each side was protecting itself in its own way, it showed how much these influential individuals underestimated Minos.


    The Walker family ancestor probably thought he could maintain the power of his state while his neighbors would be weakened. But would that indeed happen?


    Because even if the other states were weakened, such a thing would not be beneficial to the Kingdom of the Waves if that state itself was destroyed!


    As such, Thomas was quite stressed to listen to refusals from someone who was not even engaging or not giving proper importance to the local problem.


    "Tsk!"


    After waving his arms, irritated, that king finally became silent as he tried to breathe more calmly.


    Meanwhile, Linette approached that representative of House Snow and said in a low voice. "Look on the bright side, supreme elder, if we ally with the Scourges of the Devil, it is almost certain that some of them will die fighting Minos or some of his soldiers."


    "Oh?" This representative, the supreme elder of House Snow, opened his mouth in surprise, thinking of this important detail that he had not pondered due to his hatred for those assassins.


    ''That is indeed true!'' ¦Ñ???????????


    ''That brat Minos is a monster, and it''s almost certain that some of his opponents will die!''


    ''On the other hand, even if not all of those high-level assassins from that organization are killed with this, at least some of them should be seriously injured...''


    ''That will already give us the necessary space to act against them later.'' He pondered this more calmly, thanking that woman for giving him something more important to consider.


    "All right."


    Hearing that, everyone there felt more relieved that even the Snows would embark on this temporary alliance.


    With this, things would have a better chance of working out, and the possibilities of their lives ending in the next few weeks would undoubtedly diminish!


    "All right, everyone. Let''s make the proper preparations to make this deal happen. In the meantime, let''s continue with our previous plans to put pressure on the Black Plain."


    "With or without the help of the Scourges of the Devil, we must not diminish our actions."


    "The wealth and, consequently, the frequent increases in the power of the Black Plain come from the crystals obtained from selling resources from that territory to Stone Island."


    "So, we have to put even more pressure on the enemies, take territories, increase naval attacks, and disrupt the enemy side''s capitation of crystals."


    "Once all that is done, even that brat won''t be able to remain as strong!" King Brown said this with a lighter tone, in a better mood due to the resolution of that previous matter.


    "Yes."


    "Hmm, let''s do that."


    "The economic problem always has the power to bring massive changes..."


    Several comments in agreement rang out over there, with everyone agreeing on that point without any dispute.


    "But Thomas, I heard that the enemy got more people over to their side recently..."


    p????-?o??? "Is that true?" That woman with half red, half white hair asked.


    She had heard disturbing news coming from the Brown Kingdom. So, she could not stop wondering about it now that she had finally reached this state and had the opportunity to come face to face with Thomas.


    And while everyone was watching him, King Brown answered such a thing with an expression of humiliation on his face. "Unfortunately, three of my vassal families felt that standing with the enemy was more worthwhile than us."


    "The Miller, Austin, and Parkinson families betrayed us for months while working as internal agents and then killed thousands of our own when they finally gave up their cover." He said this with disgust, feeling terrible that he had been fooled by people he had known for so long.


    As Thomas turned red with anger and shame, the people in the surrounding area lamented all this, feeling that this had been a significant blow to the reputation of the Brown Kingdom.


    But before they had a chance to say anything about it, that individual''s voice resounded through that tent again. "That''s a shame, I admit it!"


    "But if I were you, I wouldn''t judge the situation of those three families so quickly!"


    "For six years, that brat did whatever he wanted in our region without being noticed, without us knowing about his comings and goings."


    "Who can guarantee that he has not been in your states acting?" He looked at the representatives of those three royal families who ruled the states to the north.


    And then he looked at James and said. "He was for several months in your kingdom..."


    "What are you saying?" James stood up from where he was, not liking what that king was talking about.


    "Take the case of Stone Island. Over 70% of the families in that place have declared support or neutrality towards the Black Plain..."


    "I''m saying that if that brat could have done that in such a place, who can guarantee that he didn''t do the same in the other states?"

 Chapter 840 Tough Times

    Chapter 840 Tough Times


    A few days later...


    As the war continued on the outskirts of the Black Plain, Emlyn was, as usual, lying down somewhere in the Beast Park.


    After the war began, this Nine-Tailed Fox rarely stayed in the Spatial Kingdom due to the need to have influential individuals in Dry City. Consequently, for Minos'' sake, she was in this place, even though she initially had an agreement with him to stay in that cultivation sanctuary.


    In theory, she should not help him unless it was indispensable. But Emlyn was not a mindless beast.


    She knew that as long as the Black Plain''s war of independence was not over, she might have to fight at any time. And as such, her time in the Spatial Kingdom would already be disrupted one way or another.


    So, she would instead get more involved in the war for now and perhaps shorten the duration of the conflict. Thus, ensuring that her peaceful days in the Spatial Kingdom would return!


    In any case, even though she had been out of the Spatial Kingdom for most of the time since the great battle of Dry City, this beast had improved since the ''encounter'' with King Brown.


    p????-?o??? Minos had continuously provided medicines to nourish her, items that had helped her immensely during this period outside the Spatial Kingdom, a place with a relatively poor spiritual density.


    Unlike humans, beasts could ingest medicines without worrying so much about the impurities that could accumulate in their bodies when relying on resources like these to cultivate. And because of this spiritual compatibility above that of humans, Emlyn had increased her level almost as often as she had during her time in the Spatial Kingdom.


    So, she had been able to have more than one breakthrough in the almost a year that had passed, having reached level 56 in the last few days!p????-?????.???


    With that increase in strength, she had regained her confidence, something that had been noticeably weakened after the pressure she had suffered from King Brown at that time.


    But with the recent breakthrough, she knew that her combat proficiency had reached the same as that man''s, which had reassured her considerably.


    Hence, she was spending her time in that green area of Dry City, where there were constantly Feathered Serpents serving her.


    ...


    "Lady Emlyn, I believe we will soon have a great battle around Dry City again." A giant serpent standing there near the area where Kyla''s mother was lying said this in a worried tone.


    "Oh? Why did you say that?"


    "Someone from my tribe is in the Dry City to report thousands of enemies passing through the Flooded Valley to young Minos." The serpent said.


    Feathered Serpents could communicate by telepathy. And because of that, after one of them arrived in the city, bringing that information to Minos, within minutes, the information had already been shared among all the beasts of that race in the surroundings.


    Therefore, even considering that such a beast had gone directly to talk to Minos without coming to this elder next to Emlyn, such a Spiritual King already knew this information. p???? ?o???


    "Considering this, it should not be long until all the enemy troops from outside the Brown Kingdom reach the Black Plain..."


    "After that, it will be impossible for us not to have a big battle!"


    Hearing this, Emlyn opened her eyes, realizing that things had already reached that point. "Then we''ll have some tough weeks ahead of us..."


    Emlyn had leveled up, having reached a strength that was considered a regional peak power. But unfortunately, for the moment, only she, Minos, and a few Miller family elders had achieved that feat.


    But even if they together could do a great deal of damage on the battlefield, it would be difficult even for them to deal with all the enemy experts and also the many Spiritual Generals.


    After all, the Black Plain''s biggest problem at the moment was not the absence of influential experts. But instead, the lack of regional mid-level warriors!


    Even considering all the Spiritual Generals from families allied with Minos and who were in Dry City, their numbers were barely half the numbers of Brown family vassals fighting in the Black Plain.


    However, these House Brown vassals fighting in this territory were not 100% of the people capable of doing so. Besides, there were still many allies of this royal organization who were already fighting against the Black Plain.


    And with reinforcements coming from other states, Minos'' numbers were becoming almost negligible! ¦Ñ???????????


    That was their big problem now!


    Because of this, Emlyn was aware that their situation would be even worse for some time.


    At least that would happen as long as some key people failed to advance, more allies began to join the confrontation on the Black Plain, and the opponent''s losses increased.


    But once all that was added in, the situation could start to change in their favor!


    "Let''s wait and see what happens..." Emlyn said in a low voice. "Once they have some big losses in the next few clashes, even if they get more of our territories, we can reverse this situation quickly in the next few months!"


    ...


    Meanwhile, a Feathered Serpent had just left the headquarters of the Black Plain Army, where it had informed young Stuart about that information.


    After discovering such information, Minos was not surprised by the imminent arrival of enemies from other states. After all, he had expected something like this to happen about a year after that great battle around his city.


    But even if this information was primarily bad, he had been pleased to discover that the group coming from the Kingdom of the Waves had taken numerous losses.


    Their alliance with the Feathered Serpents had finally shown the first great benefit to the Black Plain!


    Not that those beasts were not helping in the war. But the number of them acting on the Black Plain was very small compared to the total number of living beings fighting on this territory. On the other hand, most of them were more involved in the logistical problems and not in the fighting.


    Therefore, the effects of those beasts had not been that significant until then.


    But upon learning about this recent information, Minos had discovered that the benefits of being with those beasts already generated significant gains for him.


    So, even with a huge problem looming over him, young Stuart was quiet, dealing with this and other matters in his office.


    "Ernest, you have reached level 53 and will now be able to contribute more to the Black Plain." Minos said as he looked at the soldier in front of him, pleased that this person had met his expectations. "With that, I have a special mission for you."


    "Oh? Young master. I''ll do my best!" Ernest said confidently, grateful to Minos for helping him get to that level so quickly.


    "It''s good to know that you are confident..."


    "But I will not send you to the battlefield," Minos said as his eyes narrowed. "You will form a group with some high-level Sergeants, at least two Elite Squad members, and go to the peaceful region of the Brown Kingdom."


    "I want your group to act directly against each of the noble families acting against the Black Plain."


    "Your goal is to assassinate targets between levels 50 and 55..." He said as he placed a small book on his desk, indicating Ernest to pick it up.


    Upon seeing that black-covered book, Ernest immediately picked it up. Soon, he began to see that it was basically composed of pages with information about his targets.


    There were the person''s name, description, a reliable portrait, unique characteristics, etc. In general, information that Minos'' allies had collected, those things that indicated the importance of these people to the enemy families of the Black Plain.


    Such individuals targeted by Minos were those who either kept their families running almost smoothly during these atypical times. Also, people who, if they died, would bring disaster to those organizations.


    As in the example of the most powerful elders who were not in the war, individuals with excellent management skills, economic influence, etc.


    Minos'' goal with this was simple. He wanted to force the vassals of the Brown Kingdom to return to their territories to resolve their internal crises!


    "In addition to these assassination missions, your group will also kidnap the children, wives, of the enemy experts."


    "Try to avoid seriously injuring them..." Minos said this without weight on his conscience.


    ...

 Chapter 841 A Bad Joke

    Chapter 841 A Bad Joke


    Minos was doing what was necessary to win the war, whether that was on the battlefield or other fronts.


    Previously he had already been sending people out of the Black Plain for such soldiers to facilitate some procedures once Ernest''s group was available.


    But these groups could not be numerous, as the Black Plain needed most of its soldiers in this place, defending the territory in the fight against the invaders.


    And since there were not many influential specialists on Minos'' side previously, this young ruler had not sent any Spiritual Kings or stronger groups on these missions.


    However, now that the situation in terms of high-level experts was a little better, Minos felt confident in sending Ernest for such relevant work.


    Ernest was already strong enough to fight the main targets of this mission, protect himself and help his group to come and go from the Black Plain. Besides, with the local soldiers'' breakthroughs, or the increased number of allies in this city, all the conditions necessary for this Lieutenant to be sent on this mission had been met.


    With this, Minos wanted this man to go to the peaceful part of the Brown Kingdom to create chaos there, generate tensions, and increase the nervousness of the enemy fighters on the Black Plain.


    Minos did not like the idea of attacking those who did not attack him, but this was war, and he would do his best to cut his side''s losses.


    Consequently, the major financiers of the great families of this state, the experts who kept the peace in that area, and who were perhaps why these organizations were successful, were now targets of the Black Plain.


    They would be killed or kidnapped to change the focus of the battle even in part, lessening the pressure on Dry City and creating opportunities for the allied army of the Black Plain!


    That was what was behind Minos'' decision to attack those not involved in the war!p????-?????.???


    Anyway, after explaining the goals of that mission to Ernest, it did not take long for the two to say goodbye.


    ...


    While Minos was settling his war affairs, preparing for the confrontation that could occur at any moment, two young men who were known to this sovereign had just crossed the southern border of the Cromwell Kingdom.


    Both were on top of a flying beast that looked like a seagull that was the size of a small single room. Meanwhile, the humans were wearing similar cloaks, which indicated that the two belonged to the same organization.


    But the two were quite different from each other, with one of them having attractive straight red hair and the other having long black hair. Other than that, the first had a face with softer angles, while the other had a more ''sharp'' appearance.


    In any case, neither of the two would pass unnoticed anywhere in this region, even if they did not have refined appearances by regional standards. That''s because both were already Spiritual Kings, despite the youth evident in their looks.


    The black-haired one was at level 52, while the red-haired one was at level 50!


    "We are finally in the northern region of the continent!" The red-haired young man said this with a satisfied smile as he inhaled the air in his surroundings as if he recognized his place.


    On the other hand, the black-haired individual also looked satisfied, but he was not the type to express such things. So, he was merely observing this part of the Cromwell Kingdom, the place over the sovereignty of his family.


    The two had just crossed into the southern neighbor of the Cromwell Kingdom, a high-level kingdom full of dangers and adventures impossible to survive on the level of these two. p???? ?o???


    Considering this, the satisfaction of the two for finally arriving here was much greater than that expected in people arriving in their homeland after coming from a richer and more well-developed place.


    They had even used various means of special transportation to ''skip'' the more dangerous areas of that state. Still, it was undeniable that having to stay even just a few days in that place had not been pleasant. Therefore, the relief they were feeling at this moment was genuinely great!


    "I wonder what happened in the meantime that we were gone... Maybe something important happened?" The level 50 one asked as he looked at his traveling comrade.


    "Who knows..."


    "But I wonder what happened to that guy, uh, Minos..." The black-haired young man commented while he had a disappointed expression on his face. "It''s been almost six years since the final of the Spiritual Tournament."


    "I wonder what that fellow has been doing in this region..."


    "Oh?"


    "That''s a good question..." The red-haired young man said in a low voice as he remembered when he had been by the side of his sister, Minos, and Ruth.


    That was Ford Carline, Kara''s older brother, an acquaintance of Minos from the time of the Spiritual Tournament.


    As for the black-haired young man, he was none other than the other finalist of that competition, Troy Newman. ¦Ñ???????????


    After that competition, these two moved on to the same sect in the Flaming Empire. And as they had many similarities, the two often kept in contact and even arranged to come to this region together, soon after reaching the 6th stage.


    Troy was going to the area ruled by his family, which was precisely in this southern part of this state. As for Ford, he had a long journey ahead of him to reach the Kingdom of the End.


    In any case, they both remembered Minos very well since his power had marked these two, who, even after several years in that empire, had never seen anything like such an individual!


    And as one of the finalists, Troy, in particular, could not help but wonder about Minos'' fate.


    Had he been happy to stay in this region?


    Was this enough for someone so promising?


    Or did he realize what a big mistake he had made?


    Troy had all these questions in his mind, and if possible, he wanted to answer each of them during the time he intended to be with his family in this territory.


    Ford then said. "But the restrained way he was, I doubt we''ll find any news about him."


    "Minos is certainly living quietly around beauties!" He said before finally laughing.


    "Maybe..."


    "In any case, do you intend to return to your state directly? Or will you wait for your sister here in my family''s territory?" Troy asked as he looked at the young man beside him.


    "I am going directly to my state."


    "I have already arranged with my sister for us to return together to the Flaming Empire. So, since it will still take her a few weeks to get here, I will go ahead."


    "Oh?"


    "All right, then."


    "When we get to my city, I''ll arrange to lend you a spiritual beast. Then, you can return it here later."


    "Really? I thought people in your Newman family were more secure about their property..." Ford commented jokingly.


    "Well, I know where you live, and I don''t think people that rich need to steal."


    p????-?o??? "Hahahahaha."


    The two laughed as they flew through that area, a green place with valleys stretching hundreds of square kilometers.


    As the two followed their path, it was not long before they spotted a village in their path. That was the first human place that one might pass when entering this region of the Central Continent!


    And as they landed in that place to rest and get something to eat, it was not long before the two passed in front of a mural, which had editions of the Night News and the Northern News on display.


    ''The Chaos of War!''


    ''An Invincible Leader?''


    Those were the two headlines on display on that mural.


    And having their attention drawn to that, it was not long before the two began to read such news, becoming more and more shocked by the revelations.


    "What?" Troy said this with his eyes so open that they almost fell out of their sockets.


    "That can''t be! That must be some joke!" Ford said incredulously.

 Chapter 842 The Best Time To Enter A Conflict

    Chapter 842 The Best Time To Enter A Conflict


    A few days later...


    After about a year since the fall of the Allen family''s top experts, Stone Island had regained much of its condition it had before the war of the two largest trading houses of this state.


    Not only because of the change in the course of the war between the Allen and the Nash families. But also because of the interference of the noble houses of the Farmland region, that had been selling low-cost goods to strangle the economy of Dry City.


    Thus, even in a period when this state had been living under economic sanctions, the ordinary people were improving their quality of life as the days went by.


    Food prices were low, there were plenty of construction jobs available in the war-torn areas, and conflict or major battles rarely took place in this territory.


    But although unusual, many of these changes favorable to ordinary citizens made much more sense than might appear on the surface.


    While the sanctions against Stone Island significantly impaired that state''s access to essential cultivation resources, it could not significantly affect the ordinary population. After all, people of the lowest classes, more than 70% of that population, did not consume those resources under the sanctions!


    Consequently, these people had not been harmed by the price increases of pills and services of all kinds.


    Of course, if one were to buy specific arrays or hire the service of some spiritual professional in these times, such a person would encounter much higher costs than usual.


    But then, again, ordinary people did not shop for products or services like these very often. Therefore, they had not suffered as much from these problems.p????-?????.???


    As for those affected, they really could not throw the cost of this on ordinary citizens. After all, the way to pass on the losses to other people usually happens through the services and products sold.


    But by not buying, it would be difficult to be affected by this...


    As such, only the wealthiest in this state suffered from the lack of some items.


    However, even these individuals were not so worried. Besides the fact that they were aware that wars of independence did not last for many years, the situation on Stone Island itself was getting more interesting!


    For years, they had become accustomed to the problems of the war between those two great families. But now, even if the war was not officially over, everyone in this state was already aware that the Nash family would be the winner!


    Along with the significant losses suffered by the Allen family previously, the war on the Black Plain implied that everyone who could cause trouble for this family was keeping an eye on Minos.


    Among them were the Allens themselves, which had almost entirely left Stone Island and gone to the Cromwell Kingdom.


    Others were the people of the Farmland region, who were now fighting in the south of the Black Plain.


    Finally, the Collins were fighting with all they could in the north of the Black Plain, eager for the opportunity to avenge their losses. p???? ?o???


    And that situation created a space for the Nash family and their Stone Island allies to organize and begin resolving the war''s problems.


    Considering this, even the wealthiest in this state, generally members of local noble organizations, were not so desperate about the sanctions on this kingdom.


    With this, Stone Island had been recovering from the losses of the previous years, preparing itself for the changes brought by the internal and external transformations!


    ...


    Stone family mansion...


    At this moment, King Stone was in his office, in the administrative part of the large estate of the local royal family.


    And while this individual was sitting in his luxurious chair, behind a beautiful glass table, two other people were standing in front of him.


    One of them was his younger brother, Garvin Stone, while the other was the patriarch of the Nash family, Marvin Nash. Both were here to talk about the Black Plain with this monarch.


    "Your Majesty, the Black Plain''s increase in power over the last three months is formidable," Marvin said as he presented his information to the leader of this state. "Not only is young Minos acting much more decisively, but so are his soldiers." ¦Ñ???????????


    "In particular, those scatterers around that territory, at the bases of the Black Plain Army."


    "Oh? That sounds promising..." Eugene said as he watched that patriarch.


    Garvin then nodded in agreement and commented on another piece of information. "Yes. But as I had said before, the enemies'' situation in that area has also changed quite a bit recently."


    "It is still not certain what will happen there in the short term..."


    "Well?"


    "Then, it''s not yet time for us to get into that conflict," Garvin concluded, as he looked at Marvin without caring that this man had had his suggestion rejected.


    Marvin was here to ask for the Stone family to become more directly involved in the Black Plain war. However, as much as both parties had contracts with Minos, neither was obligated to get involved in such a conflict.


    And without the obligation, not knowing when things might improve, House Stone did not want to risk the lives of its members by entering the war too soon.


    p????-?o??? They would prefer that Minos and the Black Plain get things balanced in that territory before joining the fight!


    And that was not only their opportunism but something they had said to Minos.


    Following their alliance with young Stuart, they made it clear to him that their side would only become directly involved in the war when it reached stability.


    As such, that individual had refused this proposal from Marvin.


    For them, war on the Black Plain was a bad thing, as growing up in a period of peace would be much more enjoyable. But living an extra year, or even two in the current situation, would not be the end of the world for them.


    On the contrary, it could even generate tremendous benefits!


    After all, the longer the war lasts, the more fragile the states in the region would become when one of the sides wins the conflict.


    And that would be great for them!


    As for good relations with the Black Plain, they could do that later, while they would still have a place at the table for not having made things difficult for Minos.


    For all that, even if Marvin''s wish could bring future benefits for everyone, those more substantial Stone Island experts were still not moved by that.


    "Sigh..."


    Patriarch Nash sighed in defeat, feeling very sorry for not being able to return the favor to Black Plain.


    Black Plain''s actions had saved his life and potentially his family''s existence. Because of this, he owed a debt to Minos, something he wanted to repay by getting involved in some way in that territory''s war of independence.


    However, the situation of House Nash was not the best, and joining a war that they were not obligated to participate in would be very detrimental to their future.


    After all, even if Minos had good potential, if more nobles of their organization died, the family could disappear even if they had the full support of him!


    And that was the reason they had not yet sent people to fight on the Black Plain, have limited themselves to speaking up for Minos on Stone Island.


    Eugene then said. "Marvin, don''t worry about it so much."


    "I believe that in the next six months, maybe less, this will change a lot. And with that, we will get involved in the war!"

 Chapter 843 Production Problems

    Chapter 843 Production Problems


    While Marvin Nash talked to the Stone Island leaders, Elen was in Old Stone dealing with her family''s many issues.


    After months since House Nash''s change of position in the war against the Allen family, Elen had worked hard and managed to recover some of her family''s losses.


    Of course, the human damage would be difficult to recover in a short time since the high-level cultivators lost in the war would take time to have their replacements.


    However, the damage related to market loss and property damage could be recovered more quickly. That is, with the escape of the Allen House members, the Nashs had one less competitor in this state.


    But Elen had not only been busy in this period trying to recover her family. She had also had to work hard to find ways to avoid harming the sales of the Black Plain resources.


    After all, Minos and his forces depended considerably on the crystals coming from Stone Island for their continued development.


    With that, to circumvent the economic sanctions against Stone Island and the ongoing trade war, Elen had had to work hard to continue selling large quantities of food coming from the Black Plain.


    Some of these resources were going to the noble families of this state, which had vowed not to buy resources from outside the Black Plain as a measure of support.


    But the numbers involving these families were not enough to consume the entire supply. So, most of the products coming from the Black Plain were sold directly to the common populace.


    Therefore, even with the help of those families, Elen had taken the trouble of subdividing her store network to reach communities in all parts of Stone Island.


    However, regardless of her efforts, it was undeniable that Minos had still been harmed in this period. After all, as much as subdividing the products into more shops might increase demand; there was a cost in transporting these resources to more distant places.p????-?????.???


    It would be much cheaper to sell everything in one market than in, let''s say, a hundred.


    The cost of logistics could not be ignored!


    So, one way or another, Minos and the Black Plain were not profiting as much as they could from sales to this state!


    ...


    Elen was currently visiting the estate of the Neel family, the Stone Island blacksmith organization of which her young friend Elena was a descendant.


    And as Elen walked through that well-organized area, with green parts and some indications that there was mining going on in the surroundings, she was thinking about what she should do.


    ''After resolving this matter, I need to see with my father how our forces are and when we can act more aggressively...''


    ''Without the Allen family on Stone Island, this vacuum of power and such an opportunity will not be easy for us to take advantage of.'' She thought about this, analyzing the fact that even though her family was at an advantage at the moment, they had lost a lot of power in the war.


    Consequently, other local organizations, among them noble families that had not been involved in the war, could use the opportunity to ignore the wishes of House Nash.


    That worried her! p???? ?o???


    p????-?o??? But as Elen thought about how to solve this problem, her beautiful blond hair fluttered as suddenly a giant flying beast landed in her vicinity, creating strong winds.


    "Young Elen? It looks like I wasn''t late..." The old man on top of that newly arrived beast said this while having a smile on his face.


    "Hmm, I just got here, uncle Francis." She replied as she tidied her hair.


    "Oh? That''s nice..."


    "Well, first, let me congratulate you on reaching level 52." He said in satisfaction, punctuating this fundamental characteristic, something Elen had achieved because of her large reserves of crystals.


    After years of trading with Minos, that woman had gathered a few million low-grade crystals, which had guaranteed her a good cultivation speed by regional standards.


    "Hmm, thank you."


    "Anyway, I know you''re very busy lately, so let''s not waste too much time." He said, already indicating that young woman to follow him around that property.


    "My Neel family is working hard to deliver the orders from our alliance''s allies, but the lack of certain resources has simply gotten in our way recently."


    Stone Island was specialized in producing spiritual items made by blacksmiths due to its mineral wealth. However, this did not mean that there was no shortage or importation of certain ores! ¦Ñ???????????


    Quite the opposite, there were many regional exchanges of resources needed to produce those items. After all, not all types of products could be made with the same ingredients, methods, etc.


    And since Stone Island was one of the smallest states in terms of area in this part of the Central Continent, there was a shortage of some materials.


    Thus, because of the sanctions imposed by other regional states on Stone Island, it was more difficult for this family of blacksmiths to keep the orders from their allies within the previously promised deadlines.


    "I understand..."


    "But I have a suggestion that I would like the Neel family to look into its feasibility."


    "Oh?" He said in surprise, curious to know what would come next. "What is it?"


    Elen then said. "In Dry City, there is a member of the Black Plain Army who can ''recover'' certain materials from artifacts produced by blacksmiths."


    "My suggestion is that the Neel family try to decrease the production of new items from the materials in your stocks and try to do business with Minos."


    "If that is possible, we can decrease the current demand and give preference to producing higher-level weaponry, specifically those with the hardest  resources to obtain now."


    After hearing this, that man''s eyes narrowed as he was amazed that there was someone capable of doing such a thing. "Is that truly possible?"


    "Yes."


    "But can that person retrieve materials from any kind of weapon?" He asked, still surprised.


    "Not exactly."


    "This Black Plain Army soldier has an innate ability that can do such a thing. But she is only at level 43, so her capabilities are limited."


    "However, she can retrieve items useful in developing even low-level grade-2 artifacts."


    "I see..." That Neel family elder commented as he understood about this.


    Such a thing was awe-inspiring, but it still could not influence the production of items for people like them, Spiritual Kings. However, it could help save some resources that could be useful in higher-level artifacts.


    Hence, even if Alina''s skill was not yet able to solve their problems completely, it could already create some relief in local production.


    "Well, I''ll look into that with the other elders. But I believe we can follow your suggestion, young Elen."


    "Sigh... That''s good."


    "By the way, how is the status of Minos'' ordered sword?" She asked, remembering that she had acted on behalf of Minos and the Neel family to negotiate that weapon and the agreement between the parties.


    The elder then replied. "I believe it can be in his hands in six months."


    "All that?" She asked.


    "Unfortunately..."


    "Before the war, there was a line, and our friend from the Black Plain was nowhere near the beginning of it. And since no one had predicted that a war would break out, bringing the current consequences, we respected the previous agreement, following the order of orders."


    "Because of that, we were only able to start producing that weapon a few months ago, but in that time, we were already under the current sanctions..." He justified.


    It was not every day that a group of blacksmiths received an order for a weapon of that type. And since the resources involved in such items were more expensive and rare to find in the region, production took much longer than for lower-ranked items.


    Because of this, there were long queues for that, and the production time was several times longer than that of a medium-level grade-2 item.


    "So, that''s how it is..." Elen regretted the information.


    ''Anyway, Minos will probably be fine even without that weapon.''


    ''At least that''s what those newspapers make it sound like...'' So she thought, as she remembered the sensationalism those regional media put around the figure of Minos.

 Chapter 844 Passing Through The Kingdom Of The Waves

    Chapter 844 Passing Through The Kingdom Of The Waves


    While Elen was acting for the good of the Nash family and the interests of the Black Plain, a few thousand miles away, four ships were sailing southward from the north.


    In that region between the northern coast of the Kingdom of the Waves, the Peninsula of Waves, and Stone Island, that group was sailing at cruising speed, making their way to the Brown Kingdom.


    But while these ships were traveling together, they were all very different from each other, as if they were from different organizations.


    One of them looked like a large freighter, with several indications that it had been attacked. At the same time, its external appearance seemed much older than its internal.


    On the other hand, the three ships that accompanied this freighter were significantly smaller, different from each other, and with various battle marks.


    These three were in far worse shape than the large freighter, and anyone who saw them could tell that they were not only old but had also been neglected by their owners.


    However, as much as they looked like ships from different organizations, perhaps pirate groups, these four ships were under the command of a single group.


    Lee and Alison''s group!


    After the previous incident, that large ship crew had gone through some trouble, having fought against different pirate groups a few times.


    But lucky for them, there were not many pirate groups in this region with the presence of Spiritual Kings. Because of this, this group from Dry City had escaped significant problems, perhaps situations that were going to cost them much more than just a few damage to their ships.


    Hence, they had advanced on their return to the Black Plain, having reached the middle areas of the Kingdom of the Waves'' territorial sea.p????-?????.???


    ...


    As the four ships sailed in formation, each with people at the end of the 5th stage to command surveillance of the surroundings, their crews had been having a quiet day.


    p????-?o??? Some crew members took care of feeding the beasts in transport on that large ship, while others cleaned up the waste left by those beings.


    At the same time, several people were navigating those ships around the region, some in each of their control rooms and others around them, transmitting necessary information.


    On the other hand, Peter, Alison, Lee, and Maxwell could also be seen in the vicinity of the largest ship, standing by to act if something happened.


    As for the Feathered Serpent of that group, she could not be seen in the surroundings at this time.


    "How long will it take us to pass the Kingdom of the Waves?" Peter asked such a thing to the captain of that ship.


    Upon hearing this, that individual from the Snow Kingdom who had no idea that the destination of these people was the Black Plain thought for a while and answered. "About a month or so."


    "After that, we will travel for a few more weeks until we reach the Cromwell Kingdom." He said, talking about the ''destination'' of Lee and Alison''s group...


    "Oh? That''s good!" p???? ?o???


    On the other hand, while they were talking about this, Alison had just gotten up from where she was standing, just after seeing a shadow in the sky a few meters away from there.


    "Looks like he''s back!" Alison said in satisfaction as she realized that the serpent that accompanied them on this mission had returned from a brief trip.


    After they had reached this region near the Peninsula of Waves, the group had decided to temporarily split up, with that serpent traveling to the Flooded Valley, while the rest continued southward.


    That served to give them better news about what was happening on the Black Plain, as they were no longer so far away from that place.


    It was only for this such serpent had gone back and forth from its tribe''s territory to get more detailed information!


    Anyway, it did not take long for that being to land on the ship''s deck while it had a tired look on its big head.


    "Ah... I finally got here!" It said this as if it was freeing itself from a burden.


    "So? What did you find out? Anything useful?" Peter was the first to ask, right after not only he but those other three gathered around that beast.


    "Well, yes..."


    "It seems that something big is expected to happen on the Black Plain in the next few days." ¦Ñ???????????


    "From what I found out, the counter-revolutionary troops coming from other states are already on the Black Plain, gathering for the upcoming battles!"


    Upon hearing this, each of them frowned, understanding the gravity of such information.


    None of them were surprised by the arrival of the enemies on the Black Plain, but they could not help but worry for the losses the army would have in the coming weeks.


    After all, even though Minos was powerful, he was only one and could not be on more than one battlefield simultaneously.


    And that would give the enemies a chance to act!


    "I see..."


    "That''s truly worrying. Will everything be okay?" Maxwell, the one who understood the reality of Dry City the least, asked this in concern.


    "Maybe..." Peter said in a low voice, trying to understand what would happen from now on.


    It was tough for them to understand the whole situation that Minos'' forces were in at the moment. Without more detailed information, it would be impossible to figure out the chances of victory and probable costs that the Black Plain Army would have with all this.


    The serpent then said. "In any case, we should avoid reaching our destination before the situation there becomes clearer."


    "I have heard that there are many warships around our destination, a number that has, in fact, been increasing in recent weeks."


    "Then we will have to wait for that big battle to break out before we complete the last part of this mission!"


    ...


    Meanwhile, in Dry City...


    In one of the local government mansion residences, Dillian was in the courtyard of his house, quietly cultivating in a meditative position, sitting on a blue cushion.


    While doing so, his body contorted as if he was feeling a lot of pain, sometimes with involuntary movements that would frighten one without much knowledge about cultivation.


    But the expression of pain on his face was much more due to the way his soul was rapidly expanding and contracting than to the effects on his fleshy body.


    After all, the soul was the essence of the being, something that, when forcibly shaped, could generate unpleasant sensations for that individual.


    And with that, as he slowly reached his advancement, Dillian was suffering, enduring all the current pain for the advantages he would get from it.


    Crack!


    "Ahhh!"


    After a distinctive sound reverberated from the depths of his being, Dillian immediately opened his eyes and felt tremendous relief, followed by the sound of pain coming out of his throat.


    "Finally!"


    "Level 55!" He commented aloud as he moved his fists at chest height, celebrating for having achieved this breakthrough.


    ''Just one more level, and I''ll become a high-level grade-2 doctor!'' He thought about it just as he stood up from where he was standing and prepared to leave.


    He might not be a Black Plain Army fighter, but as the best local doctor, the higher his level was, the better it would be for all of Dry City.


    The greater his skills, the chances of the injured soldiers regaining their fighting condition and returning to the battlefield. Hence, this man was crucial for the Black Plain despite having a supporting role!


    And knowing this, he could not help but strive to improve and be happy with each advancement he achieved.


    "Time to get back to work!" He muttered, just before he left that place, prepared to go back to the General Hospital, where more and more wounded soldiers or allies were arriving.


    ''We''ll soon have a great fight. Then it''s time we cut down the local waiting line as much as possible!'' He pondered, making up his mind to focus his time and that of all the other local doctors to try to resolve the current cases as quickly as possible.


    Only then could they have room to receive more injured people in the short term!

 Chapter 845 Offer

    Chapter 845 Offer


    A few days later...


    In various parts of the Black Plain, chaos spread as high-level battles took place, creating several war casualties.


    In such territory, the more than 350,000 enemy Spiritual Generals, the combined forces of the five regional states, it was fighting against the local alliance, which had about a third of that number.


    Following the arrival of reinforcements from the other regional states, coming here through the Counter-Revolutionary Statute, the enemy forces of Minos had finally begun to advance against the Black Plain!


    p????-?o??? Previously, they were still making the proper preparations and details necessary to add numerous troops that had not been involved in the war before.


    But after a period of preparation and adaptation, each of the newcomers had understood what they were supposed to do. So, with this, the time had finally come for them to use their numbers to put even more pressure on the Black Plain!


    The Counter-Revolutionary Statute was a costly device to maintain. Because of this, it was intended to resolve conflicts quickly.


    An example of this was the case of the Kain family rebellion, which was crushed a few days after the arrival of the enemy Spiritual Kings in the war.


    With that, the troops under the command of some level 59 Spiritual Kings were already advancing with all their might against the Black Plain, intent on taking a large piece of that territory in the coming weeks.


    They knew that the case of Minos was different from that of the Kain family, which had been quickly resolved after regional involvement. However, they knew that they could not let this conflict last too long.


    It was unviable economically speaking, and Minos was not slowing down his improvement rate!


    And as the consequences of all this were tragic, as soon as the experts of the Scourge of the Devil organization had arrived in the Brown Kingdom, the current action had begun!p????-?????.???


    With such an extra power, the Counter-Revolutionary Army on the Black Plain had reached the incredible number of 400 Spiritual Kings, with 5 of them being at level 59 and more than a dozen at level 58!


    As for the Minos side, well, that one did not even have 30% of those numbers!


    And with all this, rivers of blood were already forming in certain parts of this territory, transforming the still sterile soils into places with more and more nutrients.


    ...


    Boom!


    "Ahhhhhhhh!"


    "Damn it! Don''t let them get away!" One of the Elite Squad soldiers screamed with all his might while having the blood of himself and other people splattered around his body.


    Meanwhile, the survivors of that group from Dry City who could continue fighting ran after the enemies currently in retreat.


    After more than an hour of fighting, their side had lost considerable numbers of people to be able to eliminate a little more than half of the opposing group. But when the fight was finally getting more balanced, the enemies had started their retreat.


    That frustrated some of those survivors, who had lost a much more significant portion of their group in this fight.


    With this, the survivors were doing what they could to stop the enemy''s retreat in an attempt to at least completely exterminate these opponents. p???? ?o???


    However, it was not easy to kill all the fugitives, especially when these enemies were determined to retreat and more numerous than they were.


    In any case, amidst the terrible war background, full of mutilated bodies, people screaming in pain as they took their last breaths, sounds of explosions and battles still reverberated through the area.


    Some ran with everything they had. Others attacked as best they could.


    Meanwhile, others held on in pain and fear, waiting for this hell to end.


    For some, death would be the liberation from their present situations.


    Others were too attached to life and could only hope that Dillian''s high-level abilities would one day make them whole.


    Boom!


    "Ahhh!"


    Swooish!


    "Kill them!"


    ... ¦Ñ???????????


    While similar situations to the one above were occurring around this territory of the Black Plain, elsewhere, Minos'' forces had been unable to hold their positions.


    And with the enemies'' victory, in order not to lose even more lives, many groups from Dry City had to retreat, giving more of this territory to the enemy forces.


    However, despite many losses among the ordinary soldiers and the outer areas of this territory, good results were also being reaped.


    With the highly proficient Spiritual Kings on the Black Plain side, Minos'' forces had already dealt massive blows to the group of enemy experts.


    With the cooperation of experts like Celeste, Angela, Emlyn, some elders from the Miller family, and the few allies coming from the Cromwell Kingdom, Minos'' forces had decimated dozens of opposing Spiritual Kings.


    With that, the battles around this territory, at least, were bringing some significant results for Minos, even considering the massive losses!


    ...


    On the other hand, while the Black Plain was experiencing the beginning of a tragic period in its history, Minos was taking action!


    After roaming the battlefield, having killed many on his way, this young man had finally reached the location of the enemy leadership, where he intended to eliminate his targets.


    Minos'' enemies had not gone after him since if he had the position in his favor, there might be people in the vicinity to ''supply'' him with their energy.


    And as it was not in the interest of these people for this to happen, they could not go to Minos.


    For this, they had placed a large army between them and young Stuart, something to bar people who might be able to accompany this young man here.


    With that, Minos had reached the place where only those regional top-level experts were, a place without any other people present.


    Upon arriving there, Minos immediately saw three people, two men he already knew and a woman with red and white hair, who reminded him of someone.


    However, as much as his eyes could see no more than this, this young man felt that there was something else there...


    He then looked at those three people that were in fighting positions and said to that woman. "Who are you? Are you by any chance from the Carline family?"


    "So, you are the lad Minos..." The woman that had a similar appearance to those well-aged ladies in their early old age said that. "You are right, lad. I come from House Carline."


    "Why?"


    "Are you going to surrender?" She asked, feeling a little more confident, seeing that Minos had not simply started fighting, having shown the slightest bit of respect to her.


    "In the past, I''ve had a good impression of two of your descendants. So, I don''t want to kill or destroy their family over something that can be talked about..." Minos said in sincerity, focusing on that woman but cautiously sensing each of the people in his surroundings.


    "Oh? Talking like that, you don''t even sound like someone capable of killing tens of thousands..." She said in a harsh tone as she cited what a calamity he was.


    "Tsk!"


    "Don''t listen to that bastard, Linette."


    "He knows his situation won''t be good today, and he''s talking nonsense to buy time!" Thomas shouted while also buying time for their side.


    However, Minos paid no attention to that and merely said what he wanted. "How about this? If you and your family back down now, I promise there will be no consequences for your organization when I win the war."


    "I can even forgive any losses that your people may have generated in the last few hours."


    "So? Would you be interested?" He asked that woman as he smiled at her. "I am also willing to welcome you as allies, but we can discuss that further..."


    After hearing this, the three who were face to face with Minos were surprised by the boldness of this young man to propose such a thing in this situation.


    "Humph!"


    "Our family has a name to protect!"


    "We will not abandon one of our own in the middle of a battle!" She said in a severe tone, unhappy with Minos'' indecent offer.


    But Minos was not convinced. "Are you sure of that?"


    "Because if so, I''m afraid the whole process will be much more painful for your side."


    "I will give no second chances, and eventually, the only thing your family can be will be my subordinate!"


    ...

 Chapter 846 Then Well Do It The Hard Way!

    Chapter 846 Then We''ll Do It The Hard Way!


    "If you decide that way, I hope King Carline is prepared to bend the knee!" Minos said thoughtfully, staring into that woman''s eyes.


    Minos was serious. He did not want to dominate the northern region of the Central Continent. Yet, anyone who stood against him now would pay high costs once he gained independence.


    And since young Stuart did not doubt that he could achieve his short-term goals, he had made such a threat.


    He preferred to have allies since, although he would have to share some of his gains, in relationships like that, the problems might be less than among relationships formed through force.


    When both parties could profit together, without one threatening the other, it was much easier for both sides to work jointly for the greater good.


    But in other types of relationships, such as those forced, the weaker side might flirt with dangerous ideals, perhaps sabotaging the other side, acting for the sake of the other''s downfall.


    p????-?o??? Sometimes even self-sacrificing, merely to cause harm to the other!


    And as Minos did not mind sharing some of his gains, he would much rather have allies than force the subordination of enemies.


    In the case of the Gill family, things had worked out well until now, as this family was in danger of being exterminated by House Silva when they fled to Dry City.


    So, with enemies in common and the growing tension due to the upcoming war of independence at that time, the Gills'' affinity with Minos'' organization had been significant to the point that relations between them were considerably harmonious.


    But eventually, if Minos won that war and forced the surrender of enemies, followed by mandatory subordination, the relations between his forces and these others would be quite different from that case.


    And Minos naturally knew this, which is why he preferred allies over subordinates.p????-?????.???


    However, he knew that his offer would not be readily accepted by that woman, much less King Carline.


    After all, the situation of that organization could not be ignored!


    It was easy for him, who had a lot of knowledge about cultivation and the Spiritual World and the extent of the Black Plain''s potential, to assess what would be best for those people.


    But did such individuals know that?


    Aside from Minos'' impressive strength, the Black Plain was still not significant, even considering the small high spiritual concentration food production.


    Would there be an increase in food production in the future?


    They had no way of knowing.


    Would Minos be able to win the war by himself?


    There was no way of knowing either. As much as this young man could try to kill each regional king, something that would end the war, those individuals could just hide!


    And with such a large area, Minos could very well never find those people!


    With that, the war could continue, and if the counter-revolutionary forces managed to devastate the Black Plain, the chances of them surviving the threat of Minos might not be small. p???? ?o???


    Anyway, there were many factors without answers, several indications that there was a possibility of victory and survival, considering only what Minos'' enemies knew.


    As such, it was tough for that woman to listen to Minos'' offer and accept it.


    "Humph!"


    "If you are capable, just do it and don''t talk nonsense!" She said, hoping that this might catch Minos'' attention. However, as much as she was following her group''s plans, this woman was genuinely furious with that young man, wanting to jump on him and beat him up.


    ''That bastard is quite audacious!''


    ''If we were at my family''s headquarters, I doubt he would escape alive after saying such things...'' She lamented, waiting for something.


    "So, that''s how it is..." Minos lamented as his two swords already appeared in his hands. "If that''s the way it is, then we''ll do it the hard way!"


    After saying those words, Minos immediately activated his combat techniques together, intending to end the opponent''s attempt to take him by surprise.


    Those people might think they were fooling Minos. But, from the moment he had arrived in this area, he had felt spatial fluctuations coming from two directions, both getting closer and closer to him.


    And as someone who had once fought an assassin from the Scourges of the Devil organization, Minos knew that there were two assassins in his vicinity, hiding their movements and spiritual fluctuations.


    He obviously could not see them, as he was several levels below such individuals. But with his affinity with Spatial Laws, this young man knew perfectly well how to locate these sneaky beings who wanted to take him by surprise. ¦Ñ???????????


    "You all disappoint me..." Minos said aloud while looking with contempt at those people.


    Spatial Sword!


    He then attacked in the directions of those two, who were already very close to him, almost ready to attack.


    "Allying with those worms was the worst decision you made!" He said, just at the moment, that the powerful energy blades, more potent than what cultivators at the peak of level 59 could release, slashed toward those targets.


    Swooish!


    Swooish!


    Crack!


    And as microscopic cracks began to appear around young Stuart''s sword blades, every single person in that place opened their eyes in shock.


    As they felt the power of Minos'' attack, they all, including the two assassins, realized that the power of those attacks was already more than 40% stronger than what they could unleash.


    "Shit!"


    "Had the sordid brat held back before?" James asked in terror, realizing that if Minos had attacked them with everything, they could have had more than just superficial injuries.


    The attack in question still was not enough to kill them, as their defenses could absorb much of that. But the damage from being hit by such an offensive would be terrible!


    And that was what those two assassins were thinking as they watched the attacks approaching them as if in slow motion.


    ''Damn it! What''s happening? How can this damn thing identify us so easily?'' One of them asked himself in despair, feeling the restrictive characteristics of the Spatial Sword, something terrible for him who was only a few moments meters away from Minos.


    On the other hand, the other level 59 Spiritual King of that assassins'' organization was almost pissing himself with fear. ''Disgrace!''


    ''Why does he know who we are? Why attack us before those three?'' That individual wondered in nervousness, feeling the injustice of being attacked first.


    Puff!


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    "AHHHHH!"


    "Damn you! Son of a bitch!"


    "Ahhhhhh! My arm! He severed my right arm!"


    Then the screams of terror from the two began, as they finally appeared in that place, being thrown further away from Minos as if they were potato sacks.


    At the same time, the two individuals, who looked like walking corpses, were bleeding considerably through the target points of Minos'' attack, from where people in the surroundings could see their insides.


    One of them had had his right arm severed from his shoulder, something he had accomplished after using most of what he had to change his position and protect his body with that arm.


    On the other hand, the remaining individual had suffered a severe blow that went from his chest to his abdomen.


    That wound had opened a wide diagonal cut in that part of his body, piercing the armor and exposing the internal organs of his skinny body.


    With that, both had been severely wounded, each screaming in pain as they grew paler and paler as they fell to the ground, while the blood from both of them splattered around the area.


    But after making such an attack, Minos did not take it lightly by standing still. On the contrary, he immediately began to use the remaining energies of those two to begin his battle against the three enemies running around that area, shocked.


    Explosive Steps!


    "Today, I will kill at least one of you!" Minos coldly said as he addressed those three, especially the two he had faced before.


    He had already spent a good deal of his energy in severely wounding those two assassins. So, it would be impossible for him to deal with these three people, even more so considering that they could try to escape at any moment.


    Therefore, Minos was not aiming higher than he could. He would just do what was necessary to eliminate one of those three, which would be enough for today!


    ...

 Chapter 847 The Death Of A Level 59 Cultivator!

    Chapter 847 The Death Of A Level 59 Cultivator!


    Pow!


    "Ahhhhhh!"


    Immediately after running towards those three, Minos mentally attacked one of them, making that person feel slightly distracted. At the same time, he had delivered a blow with one of his feet toward Linette''s abdomen.


    And while Thomas was defending himself from one of the sword attacks that Minos had launched seconds earlier, that woman had been thrown backward, screaming in pain.


    Minos'' kick had been too powerful. Even though she had managed to free herself from a fatal blow due to her defenses, such a thing had still affected her deeply.


    Several of her ribs had begun to crack the moment Minos'' foot had struck her body. At the same time, her internal organs had been injured internally.


    With that, such a woman had been thrown while blood began to drip from the corners of her mouth, and parts of her beautiful red armor had fused with her body.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhh!"


    ''Damn it!''


    ''I almost couldn''t react in time!'' So, she thought in desperation, feeling a pain never before felt in her life.


    She was not deadly injured, but with just this one blow from Minos, she was aware that it would be a mortal danger for her to continue in this place.


    With that in mind, she was trembling in terror, feeling a lot of pain but much more fear of what might happen if she stayed here.


    ''Those damn assassins were of no use!'' Linette considered this as she tried to do something to leave this place.p????-?????.???


    As she looked to the sides of this battlefield, she saw those two assassins agonizing not far from her, both doing their best to leave that place. But while under the effects of the Devouring Art, the two were experiencing difficulties in using their teleportation arrays.


    And seeing this, this woman could not help but lament the lack of usefulness of those people, who she thought would be the big card up their sleeves on this occasion.


    However, the truth was harsh, and her plans had been wiped out when Minos had attacked by surprise and seriously injured those two.


    With this development, only three of them could fight. But that number was not enough to take on Minos.


    Consequently, this woman was ready to run away!


    But while she was thinking about these things, trying to leave this place, she saw from afar the situation of those two kings.


    After having received the powerful attack from one of the energy blades sent by Minos, Thomas had suffered to withstand that blow, losing part of one of his hands in the process.


    That attack had been far more potent than the one this man had received in the last battle against Minos, in that first battle of King Cromwell on the Black Plain.


    Back then, Minos could already fight such people with that power. However, if he did this, the deterioration of his few medium-level grade-2 swords would be accelerated, and he could risk running out of a weapon during the war.


    On the other hand, on that occasion, Minos was sure that he could seriously injure Thomas Brown with that final movement of that fight. And he was right about this, as such a king would not have escaped whole if not for London''s help.


    That individual had done his best to ensure Thomas'' escape and Minos'' plans had been intercepted.


    However, this time Minos wanted to ensure that he killed at least one of these people, preferably Thomas. p???? ?o???


    Now not only had the number of level 59 enemies increased, but the Scourges of the Devil had also been involved.


    Because of this, due to the gravity of the situation, Minos had decided to use his powers a little more, even if this might generate some costs for him.


    p????-?o??? He was determined to kill at least one of these two!


    And because of all this, Thomas had lost part of one of his hands while defending himself from the opponent''s onslaught and was now bleeding while screaming in pain.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    "Ahhhhhhhhhh!"


    On the other hand, as much as King Brown''s situation was not good, James'' situation was worse than his colleague''s.


    After being attacked by Minos'' mental technique, the ruler of the Cromwell Kingdom had not fallen for the illusion typically used by that young man to destroy his opponents. But even though he had not had his senses completely suppressed, this target of young Stuart''s was not doing well either!


    After Minos'' attack, James had felt as if the gravity in his surroundings had been disturbed so that the light behaved bizarrely.


    ''What''s going on?'' He thought to himself, as he felt as if his body was being spaghettified, and he saw indescribable things in his surroundings.


    But that was not so serious that he had lost all contact with the real world. After all, if Minos could put him into a fully controlled dream, then such a nightmare would be much more terrifying for James.


    Consequently, James was still able to circulate his energies, trying to keep his defenses up, while using some of his spiritual sense to find the teleportation array in his spatial ring. ¦Ñ???????????


    ''Damn it!''


    ''Damn it!''


    ''Come on, dammit!''


    ''Where is that damn array?'' He thought in desperation, fearful for his end.


    He could not understand what was happening in the surrounding area, and as such, he could only consider that the worst would happen for him if he could not escape from this damned place.


    But while they were somehow trying to escape the monster hunting them, young Stuart was running around the area as he acted to eliminate the threats.


    He felt that he would be able to kill the two assassins before they had a chance to escape, as long as he continued to suck the energies out of just those two. But, on the other hand, young Stuart was closest to Thomas and James, his main targets here.


    With that, he immediately put priority on the one he judged was in the worst situation and decided to put most of his strength into an attack against such a target!


    ''Unfortunately, that bastard will escape...'' Minos considered, pointing his sword at the chest of one of the targets, and lamented that his energies were too limited for him to kill everyone there.


    And as the golden blade of his main sword rapidly approached his target''s heart, Minos felt the space in the surroundings of three of those five individuals begin to collapse.


    ''After today, they probably won''t try to face me...'' Minos lamented in his heart, just at the moment when he reached his target.


    Zum!


    At that moment, those three level 59 Spiritual Kings of royal origin disappeared from that area under Minos'' eyes.


    However, one of them had been unlucky!


    ...


    "Hahaha, I finally managed to escape!" King Cromwell said this immediately after appearing in the same courtyard he had previously escaped.


    However, as the people in that place were running towards him, this king suddenly felt that something was wrong and looked down at the height of his left chest.


    "It can''t be..." He muttered, just before he felt something rising in his throat.


    "Cough!"


    "Cough!"


    And then, as he saw the cut through his armor, through which a trickle of blood was oozing from the height of his heart, James'' eyes fluttered in terror.


    Realizing what had happened the moment he had managed to escape, this man was already feeling a grandiose dread as his vision gradually lost its light.


    "Cough!"


    He then fell to his knees on the ground, one hand on the height of his left chest and the other on his mouth, through which he was already coughing up blood, feeling his life fading away.


    "No!"


    "Your Majesty!"


    "Your Majesty!"


    The people in the surroundings screamed in terror, running towards him as they saw such an individual slowly falling to the ground, his eyes vibrating in a position where there was nothing.


    "Quick! Save His Majesty!"


    "Quick!"


    "We can''t fail now!"


    Several people there began to panic as the doctors were already trying to save the life of that critical expert.


    However...


    "His Majesty..."


    Gulp!


    "His Majesty is already dead!" The best of those doctors there said this as he felt the cut that had destroyed James'' heart.


    "NOOOOOOOOO!"

 Chapter 848 Tragedy On The Black Plain

    Chapter 848 Tragedy On The Black Plain


    "NOOO!" Someone in that place screamed desperately, feeling that the world had just played a big trick on all of them, ending the most outstanding support they had.


    And with that painful cry, several of those people began to feel the weight, the negativity of having seen the final moments of such an expert, on whom the entire Cromwell Kingdom depended.


    It was practically unimaginable to see or hear about the death of a level 59 Spiritual King in this region. After all, each of these individuals was very powerful, and since they were not numerous, they rarely fought or put their lives at risk.


    The deaths of these individuals were usually very peaceful, after several hundred years and experiences, usually in the comfort of their homes. And since such deaths could be predicted long before they happened, the death of these peak regional experts was usually not so tragic.


    But in the present situation, everything was different!


    Before he died, King Cromwell still had enough vitality to live for a few centuries. Moreover, despite the dangers that each of those people knew James was running, none honestly considered that he would die in war!


    After all, humans had that ability to stay positive by relying on past data, such as that person''s former glory.


    And having seen that individual arriving at that place earlier, many had thought that, once again, everything was fine. But this hope of seeing James'' figure had only made everything worse!


    All of a sudden, James had gone from a successful fugitive to a lifeless body!


    Hence, experiencing all of this, those people present there were shocked, others afraid, and some did not believe the reality.


    Some were crying like children, while the older men gathered around James'' lifeless body and watched him in silence, experiencing this tragedy in their way.p????-?????.???


    At the same time, some of the younger men, some female doctors, were pale with fear as their eyes turned red amidst the tears trickling down their corners.


    But some were pressing their jaws hard while their fists were so tightly closed that their bones were emitting crackling sounds.


    ''Disgrace!''


    ''The damned rebel! It had to be him!'' One of the most assertive individuals there, someone who had seen Minos'' fight in the final of the Spiritual Tournament, thought of it in hatred as he remembered that young man.


    ''Hell! How could we have let such a threat develop?'' He wondered in hatred, feeling the frustration of having lost his leader to someone who, not long ago, could have easily been eliminated by himself.


    The human mind was complicated. There was no way these people could have known what Minos would become. But still, such an individual felt a terrible feeling in his being for failing to identify the threat to his leader.


    And now, with James'' dead body right in front of him, this man was experiencing the mistake of thinking about what if after everything had already happened.


    But others there were calmer about it all.


    Not because they did not care about the death of that person. They cared and were just as fearful about the future as the others. But someone needed to step forward and make the necessary decisions, or chaos would spread, helping the enemy side.


    "Sigh..." p???? ?o???


    "It''s a tragedy what just happened, but we can''t just stand here." One of the older individuals there said this while still looking at James'' body, which was still in the arms of one of the doctors. "His Majesty is dead."


    p????-?o??? "We must face reality."


    "First, we must organize the situation of the kingdom''s forces on the battlefield so that disorganization does not spread and make the enemies'' work easier."


    "If we want to take revenge, we will have to continue in this war without letting our morale decrease!" He said firmly.


    "Second, some of us should return to Capital City, taking His Majesty to the royal palace."


    "We must begin the preparations for the funeral ceremony and the preparations regarding the royal succession."


    Hearing this, each of those people there felt something strange in their throat, as if there was something wrong with talking about succession right after the king''s death. But they understood perfectly well that what such an individual was doing was necessary.


    Someone then took a deep breath and asked. "Who will be in charge until His Highness the Crown Prince ascends?"


    "It will be the supreme elder." That same individual answered such a question. He then turned to one of the strongest people there and said. "The supreme elder is on the battlefield fighting alongside the counter-revolutionary forces."


    "Go and notify him of His Majesty''s death." ¦Ñ???????????


    ...


    A few hours later...


    At the main camp of the Counter-Revolutionary Army on the Black Plain, Thomas and Linette had already arrived at this location after their respective escapes from the battlefield.


    Each of them had teleportation arrays leading to different points for safety''s sake. After all, there was a possibility that the place they teleported to could, one day, be under some enemy attack.


    In this case, it would be problematic if such injured and exhausted individuals were together in one place!


    Thus, to ensure the survival of as many of these high-level individuals fighting on the Black Plain as possible, they had items that would take them to different locations.


    But with their mounts that, although not as good as Minos'', they were still able to cross the territory of the Black Plain in a short time.


    In any case, upon arriving at that location, they had immediately met to check each other''s condition and find out about today''s losses.


    "So, you survived..."


    "Sigh... That''s good." Thomas said this as he saw the figure of that distinguished lady.


    On the other hand, although Linette was glad that this ally did not die, she was not happy. "We came back alive, but I''m afraid we won''t be able to count on the help of those assassins anymore."


    "They are both probably dead, or, if they were lucky, they are crippled." She said.


    To her, it would be good if the Scourges of the Devil lost power. But there was no pleasure in witnessing such a thing happening when it was all due to a common enemy.


    Because of this, as she remembered the two individuals that had been attacked mercilessly by Minos, this woman could not help but mourn the possible loss of those two.


    Linette did not know what had happened to them since she ran away as soon as she had the chance. But considering that they had been in the worst situation, she could imagine their outcome.


    "Yes, unfortunately, those two had their technique used against themselves..." Thomas commented on that, something that had been most responsible for all that outcome.


    The assassins'' concealment technique used by those individuals had put them in a situation where they had not been prepared to defend themselves against a surprise attack from Minos.


    After all, they were the ones who were supposed to surprise their opponent!


    And for that unpreparedness, not only those two, but all of them had paid for that mistake!


    "So..." As Thomas went to talk about something with that woman, some soldier from that post came running towards those two while he had a pale expression on his face.


    "Your Majesty, madam..." He spoke to the two, feeling it difficult to finish what he was supposed to say.


    "What is it?" Thomas asked.


    "Your Majesty... His Majesty James Cromwell, he... He..."


    Hearing that, those two pupils began to shrink as they felt something bad approaching them.


    And then, that soldier finally managed to say what he should. "He died!"


    "What?"


    ...


    A week later ...


    In the blink of an eye, the entire northern region of the Central Continent had found out about the tragedy on the Black Plain, the death in combat of a level 59 Spiritual King, the king of the Cromwell Kingdom!


    That had not only been exposed in the leading regional periodicals. Because of the rarity and importance of the news, so many letters had been sent from the battlefield that the information had become popular in a short time.


    So, Minos had gained an additional moral point in the region, and, from now on, he would be much more feared by all!

 Chapter 849 We Reap What We Sow

    Chapter 849 We Reap What We Sow


    Previously, young Stuart was already considered by many in this region to be the strongest Spiritual King in this part of the Central Continent.


    News about him and the tragedies that befell those who stood in his way were constantly reported in the major regional periodicals. And because of this kind of media, Minos had naturally become famous.


    However, as much as it was generally agreed that he had power, a lot of power potential, and was also feared, few knew the extent of his powers.


    The news was probably trustworthy. Most thought so. But was there no exaggeration?


    Perhaps some individuals, perhaps Minos himself, were behind this information, improving his position in the mindset of the local population, perhaps thus scaring off his enemies.


    On the other hand, the population itself used to alter certain news, changing an ''a'' into a ''b.''


    Such a thing could, in fact, be unintentional since once different people retold the same story, eventually, some facts could be subtly changed. And when applied to hundreds of thousands, you could have a myth, sometimes originating from pure collective hysteria.


    And considering all this, many honestly did not know how terrible Minos was.


    He was powerful, but was he so powerful as to face and even overcome a king?


    Until recently, only those individuals at a high regional level, with good contacts, or people in good socio-economic positions, knew this.


    But once the news of James Cromwell''s death had been released, immediately the uncertainties surrounding Minos had disappeared.


    Now the regional population knew that Minos had faced many Spiritual Kings that were at level 59, survived, and even caused the death of one of them!p????-?????.???


    That was impressive!


    In hundreds of thousands of years of known history, nothing of the sort had ever been reported!


    With that, many were already beginning to see the Black Plain in different ways.


    Some were simply afraid of how far the ambition of a person with such power could go.


    Would he march on a journey of conquest, causing chaos throughout the region and then changing everything?


    Or perhaps he would bring calamity to the region when he eventually got a taste of power?


    Maybe develop a hellish state, where the Black Plain would demand, and the rest of the region would have to obey?


    There was much uncertainty in the most anxious minds, those with weak hearts.


    But many respected Minos even more and merely saw him as the example of a successful cultivator, powerful enough to take what he wanted.


    To them, the Black Plain would eventually be a kingdom led by a great leader, and many were already beginning their preparations to immigrate!


    Obviously, these people were not crazy enough to travel the dangerous roads of the northern Central Continent just to get to a territory at war. But many of them were already preparing their savings for the day when Minos won the conflict. p???? ?o???


    For such people, Minos would win the war of independence sooner or later. So, the best thing to do was to prepare now so that in the future, they could immediately go to the Black Plain once this territory achieved peace.


    But these were some of the impressions of ordinary society. The regional sovereigns, members of royal and noble families, were not happy about James'' death.


    They already knew that Minos could take on several regional peak experts. But doing so was quite different from being able to kill one of them!


    As such, they were scared as never before in their lives!


    ...


    House Snow''s Royal Palace, Snow Kingdom...


    After finding out everything that had recently happened on the Black Plain, King Snow was silent in his cultivation room.


    He was sitting on a cushion on the floor of that place, dressed in a large silver robe, with his eyes closed but with an expression that showed what he was thinking.


    And seeing this, the crown prince of this state, who had just read this information to his father, could not help but notice the contradiction they were experiencing.


    Not long ago, this family was fighting against House Cromwell, having eliminated several people from the other side, but lost many more from their own.


    But here they were, mourning the death of the leader of that organization against whom they had fought so recently. ¦Ñ???????????


    Worse, he, like his father, felt sorry for what had happened to James.


    That king had started the war between the two royal families, ignoring the existence of Minos at that time. But coincidentally, he had been the one most harmed by this action!


    He fought, weakened his family in the war against the Snows, and then had to stop the war for fear of Minos. But then, he barely had a chance to fight this young man properly, and he had already been killed.


    It was truly pitiful.


    "Sigh..."


    "We reap what we sow." King Snow said this in a low voice, mourning James'' death but not glorifying the man just because such an individual had died.


    King Snow considered James an enemy, a leader of an organization who had done something that the Snow family would not forget.


    However, Adam Snow was a pragmatic man who understood that the now-deceased King Cromwell was needed in the war against Minos.


    Therefore, he mourned that person''s death, feeling that, unfortunately, the truths of life had appeared for them precisely at this delicate moment.


    ''Looks like I''ll have to fight...'' He thought about it contritely since he did not like the idea of leaving his state.


    Particularly considering that members of the assassin''s organization responsible for the humiliating death of one of his sons would also fight on his side.


    "Learn from this, Ambrose." He looked at his son and advised. "On your path, now and then, you will have to deal with problems caused by the mistakes of others."


    "And if you don''t do something about it, it can even destroy you, even though you haven''t done anything wrong!"


    He then stood up and looked at the only window in that place. "I will have to go out to war now, and if..."


    "If I die, call back all the family members and vassals and try to sign a peace agreement with the enemy!"


    "Father..."


    ...


    As King Snow prepared for the worst, King Carline was red with rage upon discovering that one of his women had been beaten by Minos.


    He was obviously shocked and afraid of what had happened to James. Still, Minos having injured Linette and even put her at risk of death was far more troubling to this man.


    Previously he had sent her to the battlefield, but that had happened for pure lack of alternatives. After all, there were only three people at level 59 in this state, one being Linette, another him, and finally, another of his wives.


    But he could not leave his kingdom, and it was not good to send two of the strongest people from his family.


    During the crisis caused by the Kain family, never had the other top-level Spiritual Kings, besides those of the Kingdom of the Waves itself, appear on the battlefield!


    But Minos'' case was so grim that they had had to send someone.


    p????-?o??? So, it had to be one of his wives, giving this man no option, which made him feel bad and fearful because of what had happened.


    "The wretch is already beyond limits!" King Carline said this while his stress could be seen in his expression.


    On the other hand, the black-haired woman next to him, his second wife, frowned as she looked at the newspaper in front of her in that royal office.


    "How do we solve this?" She muttered, trying to find a way out of this nightmare, something she had never thought could happen to them.


    And frankly, by staying in first place for so long, being the strongest, most prosperous, could make one think that hard-to-solve problems would no longer come their way.


    The feeling of invincibility would grow, and such an individual would become more and more confident.


    But sooner or later, the hard-to-handle stones would appear in one''s path!


    And that woman was feeling that right now, as she judged the ''mountain'' that had suddenly fallen in front of her, something called Minos.


    "The only thing left for us to do is appeal to the Spiritual Church!" King Carline said this, feeling that it was not worth putting the lives of all the level 59 Spiritual Kings in this region at risk.


    They could fight together and win, he thought. But some would undoubtedly die...


    Perhaps himself.


    Considering this, since Minos had already become a threat capable of killing kings, then if there was a chance that the church could help them, that was the best option!

 Chapter 850 The Opinion Of The Spiritual Church

    Chapter 850 The Opinion Of The Spiritual Church


    Regional headquarters of the Spiritual Church in the Kingdom of the Waves...


    After more than a year since the start of the conflicts on the Black Plain, the members of the Spiritual Church in this region had done many things behind the curtains while they were almost going out of their minds from so much anger.


    After all, for an organization that cherished good dividends generated in times of stability, such as financial profit and new ''seeds,'' a war of regional proportions was the worst thing that could happen.


    Even more so for the, shall we say, less honest members of this organization, those individuals who needed their ''friends'' to have stability for ''everyone'' to be okay.


    Because of this, many of the regional leaders of this branch of the Spiritual Church were very anxious about the development of the war, lamenting their losses, stressing themselves more and more with Minos.


    But not only do they have to stress about the catastrophic results that the regional organizations had been having in that territory so far. While acting behind the curtains, they had encountered a series of bureaucracies and difficulties in solving the local problem.


    The people of this main branch of the church in this region had made several reports, communiqu¨¦s, requests for help to the branch in the Flaming Empire responsible for this region. However, as much as they felt that their situation was enough for interventions to be approved, so far, they had only failed, receiving repeated noes.


    They wanted someone from the empire to come here and deal with Minos, but the branch in that state had no interest in getting involved in the matter. For them, unless the church representatives in the northern part of this continent had proof that an outside force had nurtured young Stuart, they would not get directly involved.


    That is because if they, for example, sent someone to deal with Minos, in the future, this action could turn against the organization itself. That is, who would guarantee that the church would not do the same to others in the future, perhaps using the same excuse used for the young Stuart situation?p????-?????.???


    The requests were then denied to ensure that the regional experts did not fear them for the wrong reasons, potentially diminishing the ''attractiveness'' of the church in the region.


    The Spiritual Church was undoubtedly an organization that took advantage of its privileged position. However, unlike the parasite that leads to the host''s death, this organization knew how to live in harmony with its hosts...


    Because of this, they were not as authoritative as they could be, not even interfering in situations that could only harm them on a small scale.


    And that was the church''s view on this matter.


    A war of independence in a breakaway part of the Brown Kingdom, which put the whole region in danger, was frankly something that could affect individuals high up in the empire.


    However, a war of independence could not last long, especially considering that almost the entire region was already involved!


    At most, such a thing would last a few years, less than a decade for sure!


    And that was a period that the church could wait without feeling too much of the adverse effects of regional destabilization in this part of the Central Continent. p???? ?o???


    Consequently, considering the long-term problems that interventions could bring, the Spiritual Church preferred to wait, hoping for the natural resolution of the conflict.


    But of course, that was the view of the highest-ranking individuals in the Flaming Empire, those who did not suffer from local economic pressure...


    The local Bishops, on the other hand, thought differently. Their pockets were becoming empty without new ''revenues,'' and their potentials were also being diminished.


    After all, cultivating fast was the only way to rise from positions in the Spiritual Church.


    With this, these men kept trying as they could, using different justifications each time they communicated with their supervisors.


    ...


    "Archbishop, please look at our situation."


    "The Spiritual Church is a symbol of peace in the Spiritual World, an institution that brings security to its faithful, symbolizing hope and light." ¦Ñ???????????


    "But in these tough times, this time when 2 billion people in our region are fearful about their local future, we have done virtually nothing!" A Bishop dressed in the typical purple cloak of those church members at the 6th stage said this while looking at a screen that had the image of a man wearing a black cloak.


    Such an individual was a Spiritual Emperor, someone with whom that Bishop was communicating through a telecommunication array, classified as low-level grade-3 one.


    This array was the only one of its kind in the region, one that used high-grade crystals to operate efficiently, something that justified the infrequent use of items of this category in this area where there were no high-level crystal mines.


    But in such complicated times, the local Bishops utilized some of the high-level crystals in reserve in that post to use such an item.


    Anyway, that Bishop then continued his firm request for help. "Archbishop, now that freak has killed one of our regional leaders, King Cromwell!"


    "What else will that monster have to do for the branch in the empire to help us? Maybe he''ll have to kill all the Spiritual Kings in the region?"


    Hearing all this, that black-cloaked man, who appeared to be much younger than the Bishop on the other side of the screen, was unmoved, with no change in his expression.


    He then said. "Bishop Alan, if you can''t get proof that this young man violated our rules for the northern region, the church will never send anyone on an assassination mission."


    "We believe that this is a local problem and should be solved by the people of the northern region itself."


    Upon hearing this, such a person clenched his hands in anger, feeling frustrated. "Are you truly not going to do anything? I heard that the mother of the northern region supervisor, <anno data-annotation-id="45f824b7-f40f-a0f7-a3b2-f537cb4b4c85">Archbishop </anno>Gloria Frost, was from our region."


    "Will she truly do nothing for her mother''s land, even when kings are perishing?" Bishop asked, citing the only person who could give the order for such a thing.


    Gloria Frost, level 64, was officially the Archbishop of the Spiritual Church of the northern region of the Central Continent.


    However, as the region was weak and it was not interesting to have a representative stronger than the regional leaders, that woman works directly from the capital of the Flaming Empire.


    But being away from that place or not, she was the leader of those Bishops of the Minos region.


    Consequently, such a Bishop could only appeal to her since this other church representative did not seem willing to budge at all.


    "Archbishop Gloria, as you know, is already going to your region, so I can''t tell what she thinks about it, considering this new information." That Archbishop remarked, remembering that such a woman had already left the Flaming Empire to resolve the fate of the Kingdom of the Waves.


    King Walker was on his last moments, and as the representative of the Spiritual Church of this region, that woman had to be around to attend the royal funeral and subsequent coronation of the crown prince.


    p????-?o??? Therefore, she was already traveling.


    "But previously, she was unwilling to act or give favorable orders for certain interventions in this region..."


    "In any case, when she arrives in your kingdom, you will be able to talk to her about it. But one way or another, the church itself will not act, regardless of her position."


    "But if you want a tip from me, just endure with the local instability until everything calms down."


    "This young man will not target any of you, and eventually, the region will return to its peace when one side wins the conflict or some peace agreement is signed." That person said this without much concern, looking at that Bishop still with the same expression as before.


    "Tsk!"


    "Anything else?" The Archbishop asked.


    "No, Archbishop, that was all." Such a Bishop replied promptly, already preparing to shut down that costly spiritual communication array.


    He had a lot to say, but the other side did not want to hear opinions. Because of that, it made no sense for this Bishop to keep spending the precious high-grade crystals, something useful for other kinds of emergencies.


    ''I hope Archbishop Gloria Frost''s mother has taught her about our region and the local traditions, or I fear the worst will happen...'' He thought about this with closed eyes, praying that such a mother had been merciful to have done this good deed.


    <annotations style="display: none;"><ol class="tinymce-annotation-container"><li data-annotation-id="45f824b7-f40f-a0f7-a3b2-f537cb4b4c85">I think the word ''Archbishop'' is probably designated for men, but in the novel, since this is a title for a fictional organization, I will use that word as a title for women as well. Think of it as the same as saying that a woman is a Spiritual King. It''s just a title.</li></ol></annotations>",

 Chapter 851 Assassins From Afar

    Chapter 851 Assassins From Afar


    A few days later...


    After news of James Cromwell''s death had spread throughout the region, Minos had also discovered that his action had been successful.


    Earlier, he had attacked that man, having used one of his swords to go through the body of his target. However, Minos had managed to do this on the limit, as at that moment, James was already about to be teleported.


    With this, he had not been sure whether his target had only suffered severe damage or had suffered a fatal blow, as was the purpose of the attack.


    And so, Minos had been relieved to find that his actions had indeed generated satisfactory results, granting him a good achievement, coupled with greater regional prestige.


    Minos naturally did not care what outsiders thought of him. But he was not stupid to think that there was no value in fame, prestige, etc.


    Quite the opposite, he understood well that having his actions propagated throughout the region was essential for malicious people to build up a sense of fear towards him and, consequently, the Black Plain.


    So, he was satisfied with all of this, even though Thomas, his main objective, was still alive.


    He would have preferred to kill that man in the previous ''encounter.'' Yet, King Brown had acted more cautiously than everyone else then, something he had learned to do after fighting Minos so many times.


    And because of this, since Minos had felt it would be easier to try to eliminate James, he had acted against this individual and not his main objective.


    Killing Thomas was important, but eliminating James had been almost as good as that. And as Minos was not the type to trade a bird in the hand for two that were flying, he had done such a thing on that occasion!p????-?????.???


    In any case, that battle was in the past, and now young Stuart and his army had many things to worry about.


    With the beginning of the local operation of the regional soldiers of the Counter-Revolutionary Army, the battles around the Black Plain had increased in frequency and difficulty.


    More and more people were dying, and many others were seriously injured, unable to return to the battlefield.


    And with so many Spiritual Kings acting in this Black Plain territory, except for Emlyn, that was protecting Dry City right now, all the Spiritual Kings on Minos'' side were fighting around this area!


    ...


    Somewhere on the Black Plain...


    Minos had just finished exterminating a group of over 7,000 enemy soldiers, where he alone had done such a thing in less than 20 minutes!


    Due to the previous battle, none of the regional peak Spiritual Kings had tried to go after Minos, for obvious reasons, of course.


    Only one of the assassins had died among those who fought him before. In contrast, the other had managed to escape, badly wounded. As for Linette and Thomas, they were still on the Black Plain, but they would not act until they at least had a more significant number of allies like them.


    And because of this general fear, no one capable of stopping Minos on the battlefield had appeared to prevent this young man from traveling through this territory, decimating several groups like the one now. p???? ?o???


    In just a little over a week after the confirmation of James'' death, counting today''s numbers, Minos had already killed 31,000 opponents at the 5th stage and 24 Spiritual Kings!


    On the other hand, even if the enemy knew that he was not protecting Dry City, no expert had tried to make the foolish move to such a place. That was because the counter-revolutionaries knew that Emlyn was in that city.


    And since many had fought against her a few days ago, it was already common knowledge that she was now as powerful as the strongest Spiritual Kings in the region!


    Therefore, Minos had had the ''peace of mind'' to do this job with the potential to lessen the burden of war for his subordinates and allies.


    In any case, whenever he fought over this area, Minos had some weaker soldiers by his side, individuals to clear the battlefield for him and do other necessary procedures.


    p????-?o??? So, after finishing his work, this brown-haired young man, wearing a simple combatant''s outfit, moves through that area, heading towards his following targets.


    Minos was reducing the number of enemies little by little. But, he was also trying to stop the enemy''s advance under his territory.


    After days since the Counter-Revolutionary Army reinforcements from outside the Brown Kingdom, the Black Plain had more than 50% of its territory under enemy control for the first time in this war.


    That was not yet the maximum local area under enemy command that Minos had expected. Still, such a thing was already starting to become worrisome.


    Therefore, he wanted to act quickly in the areas that had just been taken to slow down the enemy''s advance. However, he knew that this work was not efficient since when he left, the enemy troops would probably retake these areas within a few days. ¦Ñ???????????


    After all, Minos'' allied army did not have enough troops to stop the enemy''s advance.


    Hence, Minos'' action was like wiping ice!


    But this was something he thought was worth doing, even if it had no lasting effects.


    But for Minos, things were going as expected. Obviously, he could not predict all enemy decisions, nor did he like the overall situation.


    As someone with a goal and aware of his own strength, he knew that the war would be difficult for the Black Plain until more people in his organization reached his fighting prowess.


    However, such a thing would not take long since his soldiers were cultivating much faster than their enemies. Thus, he was trying to keep the situation under control as much as possible, buying time for his forces!


    Anyway, as he ran through that area, he was thinking about his cultivation while seeing from afar many people fleeing. ''I''m currently a little beyond the level 52 halfway point...''


    ''Hmm, I''ll probably reach level 53 in three months!''


    "When that happens, my strength will be greater than that of..." He was muttering this when he suddenly noticed six powerful auras running in his surroundings as if they were encircling him.


    "Oh?" Surprised, Minos let out a sound as he realized these level 58 and 59 Spiritual Kings approaching him.


    Immediately after that, he stopped moving around that area to observe who these people were.


    ''There''s something wrong here...'' He pondered this as he looked at the people in his surroundings. Each of them was dressed in clothes that completely covered their bodies so that one could not recognize their genders nor identify them.


    But what attracted his attention the most was why these people had come to him. That was because, in his view, it made no sense to enemies like that to come here.


    After all, the consensus was that death was almost inevitable for people like this who confronted him!


    So, he sensed that there was something wrong with this situation.


    ''Could it be that...'' He looked at those people who were already drawing weapons and running towards him, ready to attack at any moment.


    "Who are you? What do you want?" He loudly asked while his sword that now already had some cracks appeared in his hand.


    However, none of them said any words to young Stuart. Instead, they merely continued what they were doing earlier, with strong intentions to kill such a person.


    Upon realizing this, Minos'' eyebrows frowned as he prepared to fight. ''Those worms can''t be from this region!'' He concluded.


    To Minos, no one from that region would take such a risk against him.


    On the other hand, the silent behavior of his opponents told him that these people probably had nothing against him in particular, as was often the case with assassins hired for missions.


    In that case, it was even more crucial for those people not to say anything, as actions like this were not well-liked regionally, even though it was not forbidden.


    And as he thought about it, Minos was already wondering who might have hired assassins from outside the region.


    But with so many enemies, he just decided to put that aside for a moment.


    ''I don''t know what the techniques of those six are like, so I''ll let them attack first.'' He thought about running away if those people had techniques as efficient as Silver-grade ones.


    If that were the case, then the battle would be challenging, and he could be at a disadvantage because he did not have a proper weapon. So, it would not be worth it for him to stay in this place!


    With that, he allowed his enemies to act first!


    "All right. No talking!" He said aloud.


    "But I hope you guys are good enough. Otherwise, I''m afraid your fates are not promising..."

 Chapter 852 Arrogant Mercenaries

    Chapter 852 Arrogant Mercenaries


    Upon hearing young Stuart''s threats, the six individuals did not change their behavior as they began to act.


    That is, an enemy surrounded by people stronger than himself would speak or act in a way to disrupt the opponents'' plans somehow, maybe improving his chances of survival.


    And knowing this, those people did not fail on this simple point, not allowing young Stuart to enter their minds.


    The opposite of that, they finally began to attack their target, using their favorite strategy when fighting together against supposedly powerful opponents.


    At that moment, some of them were guarding young Stuart''s possible escape points, while others were attacking from different directions.


    Not only were they acting to give Minos no room to escape or to counterattack, but they were also using different techniques among themselves.


    One of them used a mental technique to impair their opponent''s attention. Another was using a restrictive technique to immobilize Minos. And finally, one of them, who was carrying a giant war hammer, was sending long-range attacks in Minos'' direction.


    All this was happening simultaneously, as Minos was still standing there, circulating his energies in his Indestructible Body, waiting to run away or fight.


    And while he was doing this, he felt several hands coming from underground towards his fists and heels, which undoubtedly had the purpose of trapping him in this place.


    As Minos felt the powerful long-range attacks approaching his position, he felt a slight mental pressure, as if someone was trying to get into his mind.


    "Tsk!"p????-?????.???


    ''If that''s all, you will all die!'' He thought about this as he realized that the techniques used by those opponents were not that much better than that of the regional leaders.


    He even felt that the technique used by the three people who were guarding his escape options could be considered Silver-grade ones. But that alone would not be enough to prevent him from defeating this group or even escaping.


    That is, of course, if those people did not have other Silver-grade techniques.


    So, Minos had quickly realized that this group did not seem that dangerous to him.


    Devouring Art!


    Then, upon activating his support technique, the significant black ring appeared in his surroundings, slowly spinning as it already began to suck in the enemies'' energies.


    But as it did so, Minos did not take long to look at the enemy he thought was the weakest one there and attacked him!


    Infinite Dream!


    Activating his mental technique, Minos did not immediately kill that level 58 person as he had done several times in the past. Instead, he trapped that person in an illusion in which the individual was facing his worst fear.


    With this, part of Minos'' consciousness also appeared in that illusion, something that this young man wanted to use to interrogate that person. p???? ?o???


    He did not think that such a group could be from the northern region of the Central Continent, but he had no idea who was behind this attack. Consequently, to get this information, he would try to interrogate that weaker enemy instead of killing them all at once.


    As for trying to capture any of them, this would not be simple as they were strong and probably had experience fighting together.


    So, in this case, if the enemies were committed to keeping their mouths shut, Minos could very well force them to sacrifice themselves instead of getting something worthwhile.


    But that would not be interesting!


    Thus, he acted in this ''softer'' way, ready to torture that person inside the illusion created by the Infinite Dream.


    But his other five opponents were in a different situation.


    p????-?o??? Maybe these people even had helpful information. But as Minos did not have enough to be sure that he could interrogate more than one of them, then all he could do was try to eliminate them all!


    Explosive Steps!


    With that, after such level 58 person fell face down on the ground, trapped in the illusion created by Minos, this young man began to run around that area, evading enemy attacks.


    Spatial Sword! ¦Ñ???????????


    Immediately after changing position, Minos cut through the air with one of his swords, targeting one of the strongest enemies there, someone at the peak of the 6th stage.


    Swooish!


    The blades of energy created by Minos'' movements quickly rushed through that area, causing those people to shiver in shock.


    ''What''s going on?'' One of them wondered in shock, realizing that Minos seemed stronger than he should be.


    ''Shouldn''t that brat be a match for someone at level 59? Don''t tell me we''ve been tricked?'' The leader of this mercenary group coming from the Flaming Empire wondered this while feeling a sinister premonition.


    That was a mercenary group from the Flaming Empire that acted on the fringes of the law, even being willing to take orders for this region without caring who hired them.


    That is, regional families could hire mercenaries from outside, as long as they used their own resources and these individuals were not above level 59.


    But this group was one of those who took the risk of accepting orders without asking questions about the origin of the payment resources. That is, without caring whether they were paid by people from the empire or from this region, something essential to consider if one wanted to stay away from the church!


    In any case, they accepted the risks of doing this kind of mission. Because of this characteristic, they could demand higher amounts from their clients to provide their services without asking unwanted questions.


    But from time to time, some groups like this would find clients, shall we say, clever enough to lie to them...


    And when this happened, well, they ended up in situations like the present one.


    They had relied on the information passed on by their contractor months ago when Minos was still at level 51. And with their good mounts, they came to this young man quickly, without having had the opportunity to learn more about him.


    Besides, for individuals like them, it was hard to ignore the natural arrogance that people who grew up in more prosperous places would have when going to weaker, poorer places.


    Thus, they did not know how strong Minos was at level 52!


    But now that they had reached this situation, all they could do was swallow their saliva in anger and prepare to act, seeking their only chance to survive.


    Unlike the regional kings, people of extremely high purchasing power and status, these mercenaries were ordinary people in the Flaming Empire.


    And without the resources of a royal family, they did not have teleportation devices like Minos'' recent enemies!


    Because of this, they did not have many alternatives here!


    Puff!


    However, for Minos, it did not matter what these people were thinking. Since they had come to him with bad intentions, he would not let them get away easily.


    So, just after a dozen of his attacks had broken out from his surroundings, it was not long before another level 58 one fell to the ground.


    This time, dead!


    After his initial wave of attacks, the enemy offensives slowly began to suffer, disappearing or being destroyed by young Stuart''s attacks.


    And as this ruler had no mercy, each of his attacks targeted the vital organs of his enemies.


    Because of this, as soon as one of those level 58 Spiritual Kings weakened, he had his head severed by one of the blades created by Minos!


    Pow!


    "Ahhhhhhhhhh!"


    After that, Minos got close enough to one of the level 59 cultivators, delivering a solid kick to the opponent''s belly right after spinning in the air, already dancing with his sword.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" One of them shouted as he felt the deep cut that had just been made on his back from a close-range attack made by Minos.


    "Humph!" Minos made a distinctive sound, as he had one of those enemies on his feet.


    "So, it was them!" Minos muttered in a low voice, right after receiving the information from that man under mental torture.

 Chapter 853 Theyre Like Cockroaches

    Chapter 853 They''re Like Cockroaches


    "Damn, Silvas!" Minos muttered in anger, soon after discovering that his oldest enemies were behind this attack.


    After torturing that individual from before for some time, that person had quickly told this young man what he needed to know.


    The Silva family was once again trying to stand in his way!


    From what that mercenary had told him, members of the Silva family in the Flaming Empire had ordered the current assassination mission.


    They had paid 300,000 medium-grade crystals to this group to kill young Stuart!


    But such people were not precisely survivors of the Silva family who had ventured out of the northern region of the Central Continent after the acts of Minos.


    On the contrary, the people that ordered this in one of the mercenary guilds of that state were those who, through past editions of the Spiritual Tournament, had obtained places in the sects of that state.


    Like many high-level noble families, the Silva family had a small branch in the Flaming Empire, where the few successful members of that organization could ascend.


    But even though many organizations in this region had external posts, this did not mean much to them in practice. That was because, apart from the prohibitions of the Spiritual Church, the numbers of descendants in that place were not high.


    After all, at each Spiritual Tournament, only a few individuals had the chance to go to the sects in that state.


    On the other hand, going to that empire was no guarantee of success!


    Upon arriving there, usually, the majority were handicapped by the great competition, something that did not exist in the northern region of the Central Continent.


    Besides, anywhere there would be chances of dying prematurely, either by common, from ordinary things like battles, or the bad luck of being in the way of decisive people.p????-?????.???


    So, there were not many members of those families in that state, nor were most of them prominent enough to make a difference to their families in this area.


    But there were, yes, some individuals of a certain level of success!


    An example of this was Dennis Red, who had left this region through the Spiritual Tournament and later took his Red family to that state.


    But such descendants, whether of the Silva family or any other, could not act directly in the Black Plain, as they were members of the sects of the Flaming Empire.


    Anyway, one of the descendants of the Silva family who had found out about the disgrace of this organization of the Brown Kingdom had ordered this group''s mission.


    And upon finding out about it, Minos could not help but feel irritated. He realized that these enemies kept bothering him, even after eliminating almost the entire core of that noble house.


    "Those damn things are like cockroaches!" He said this as he saw the person at his feet groaning in pain.


    Looking at that level 58 person, Minos shook with anger as he thought about how the Silvas liked to order assassination missions.


    He then stared at that person and made a foot movement, going up and then quickly down toward that person''s head.


    Crack!


    Puff!


    And then, after a characteristic cracking sound sounded through that area, young Stuart''s foot went through that man''s head, scattering its contents to the surroundings in a grotesque manner. p???? ?o???


    "Bloody monster!" The leader of that group finally said something as he saw the third of his companions dying at the hands of Minos.


    He could not believe that someone from this region had reached such a high fighting proficiency!


    However, the reality was right in front of him, and he had no choice but to swallow his saliva in hatred and try to deal with the situation.


    ''Damn! That''s why they paid us so much for a mere level 52 Spiritual King!''


    ''Hell!'' One of them thought desperately while feeling pain around his body due to Minos'' merciless blows.


    But upon hearing the voice of the strongest of those individuals, Minos did not let it go unnoticed. "Now you''re talking, huh?"


    "Too late!"


    "Now there''s no turning back!" He said as he moved around that area again.


    But the leader of those people had something different in mind.


    "Brat, how about we stop here?" He asked aloud as he moved around that area to avoid Minos'' attacks.


    "We were just hired for service. But the truth is, we have nothing against you!"


    "Really?" Minos asked, surprised, finding the way this person was talking to him funny. ¦Ñ???????????


    It did not matter if one side had some personal problem with the other. It was enough for one to want to kill the other to make such a situation irreconcilable!


    After all, if they were not weaker than Minos, even if they had nothing personal to settle with him, they still would have killed him!


    Hence, Minos realizes how absurd that individual was thinking, to believe that he would accept an excuse like that.


    Did such an individual think that Minos was a fool?


    That mercenary then said. "We made a mistake, but you have already killed three of our people."


    "If you agree to lower your weapons, we can just forget about today!"


    "That''s the best thing for everyone."


    "Is that right?" Minos asked again. "How is that best for me? It seems like only you guys would be gaining something, as I can eliminate your entire group..."


    "Tsk!"


    "You might be able to eliminate us..."


    "But we''re not like you guys from the northern region of the Central Continent! Our mercenary guild has a power that you could not even dream of understanding!" He said as he appealed to his past.


    "What about the Church?" Minos asked.


    "Humph!"


    "The Spiritual Church will never find out about our means of action!"


    "Hahaha..." Upon hearing such a thing, Minos laughed heartily, realizing that these people were nothing but fools with delusions of grandeur. "What is your name?"


    "Waldo!" Such an individual replied proudly.


    "Uh, Waldo, today I will teach you one of the most valuable lessons" Minos began to speak, still moving through that area, preparing to attack.


    "As a mercenary, you are a failure."


    "You not only underestimated me, but you underestimated my past as well..."


    "I don''t like relying on support and have never done that. But since you rely on other people''s power, I ask you, what guarantees you that I can''t rely on something too?"


    "Anyway, as much as I''m not sure how strong my ''support,'' I think the Gray Cloud Sect must be stronger than your guild..." Minos said, trying to scare that individual, as his eyes shone in rainbow colors...


    Upon hearing this, that man''s eyes opened in disbelief, while a shiver to be felt even in the soul spread through his body.


    The Spiritual Church could forbid outside interventions from high-level powers from other parts of the continent in this region. But there was no limitation for a sect from that empire to act against a guild from the same state!


    So, upon hearing that Minos had support in that place, such a man had suddenly realized how great his mistake had been.


    "But your biggest mistake is trusting a power that is hundreds of thousands of kilometers away!"


    "However, don''t worry, I''ll make sure you learn that this time!" He said, finally when he was only a few feet away from that individual.


    Swooish!


    His sword then slashed toward the abdomen of his target as he used his mental technique to disturb such a person.


    "No!" That man shouted in desperation as he realized that he was closer to Minos than he thought.


    But after being tricked by Minos, having allowed this young man to enter his mind, this level 59 mercenary had no salvation!


    p????-?o??? At that moment, while freeing himself from the illusion created by Minos, he saw the golden-bladed sword in that young man''s hands slowly cutting through his waist.


    "I hope you will take this learning with you in your next incarnation!" Minos said in a low voice as he sliced through that individual''s body and quickly held the top by that opponent''s neck.


    As that man heard those words and slowly lost the light from his eyes, the internal organs in the upper part of his body began to fall, forming a magnificent scene.


    "NOOOOO!" The other two survivors shouted simultaneously.


    ...

 Chapter 854 Returning To Dry City

    Chapter 854 Returning To Dry City


    After the death of the leader of the mercenaries, only two of the six individuals who had initially surrounded young Stuart remained in that location.


    However, since the numbers had diminished considerably, Minos was now much more comfortable than at the beginning of the fight. Because of this, it did not take long for this young man to abandon that corpse and move toward the remaining targets.


    Spatial Sword!


    Swooish!


    Then, as his opponents tried to flee that area in desperation, Minos took advantage of the enemy''s mistakes and quickly used everything to end the battle.


    "Ahhhh!"


    "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"


    While one of the two was screaming desperately, feeling his previous injuries getting even more painful, the other was cursing the people who had hired them.


    They had come to this place for a sure profit, but they had only found ruin at the end of the day!


    It was genuinely frustrating!


    However, this was the gamble they had taken. They had mistakenly accepted a mission that looked easy, that had unusual potential earnings.


    But they had been naive to think that high profitability would not be related to high cost!p????-?????.???


    And for such a failure, they had paid with their lives, losing all that was most valuable to them!


    "Ahhhhhhhh!"


    And amid the screams of both, it was not long before Minos finished the battle, first destroying the heart of the stronger there and then slicing the second.


    ...


    "Sigh..."


    "I finally finished with those foreigners!" Minos said in a low voice as he felt his body sweating, his heart beating rapidly, and a feeling of thirst rising in his throat.


    Fighting so many high-level opponents was very costly for Minos. After all, he was only at level 52, and his physical stamina was not adequate to fight against so many experts like those.


    And since those people had slightly better techniques than his enemies in this region, things had been a bit more demanding for Minos today.


    However, as much as he was pretty tired and almost exhausted, the most injuries he received in this battle were a few scratches and minor muscle bruises.


    Therefore, after drinking the contents of a water bottle he had picked up from his spatial ring, Minos sighed deeply, feeling a little better.


    ''Let''s see what these guys have brought for me...'' So, he thought about it as he walked around the surroundings, where those corpses were. p???? ?o???


    In a few seconds, Minos gathered all those pieces of meat and made a fire. Then, as he watched the flames growing, he began to analyze the contents of the six collected spatial rings.


    ''5 million low-grade crystals, 70 thousand medium-grade ones, and 200 high-grade crystals!'' Minos realized this in surprise, seeing for the first time a crystal of that quality other than those left by Henricus Longus.


    But as he thought about those high-grade crystals for a few moments, it did not take long for him to understand how those people could have something so valuable. ''They certainly didn''t trade lower-grade crystals just to get those... After all, none of them would be able to use such a thing.''


    ''So, they probably killed someone who had those crystals...''


    "Hmm, they probably had the luck or bad luck to kill some noble from that state." He muttered as he looked at that fire.


    High-grade crystals were the most valuable currency in the Spiritual World, usually used in grade-3 and grade-4 arrays, and for the strongest people in that world to cultivate.


    Therefore, Minos had pondered how individuals of such low levels could have crystals of that quality, even in small quantities.


    In any case, thinking about this curiosity, he was even more eager to check out the rest of the contents of those storage items.


    ''50 copies of Blue-grade techniques, 190 of Black-grade, and a Silver-grade one!'' He continued as he remembered the opposing technique used against him earlier in the fight.


    ''Grade-2 items, mostly... A few grade-1 items... And six grade-3 items!''


    ''Looks like they had truly killed someone of rich origin!'' Minos'' eyes sparkled as he felt that there were two pills of that quality, a weapon, and three arrays of different types. ¦Ñ???????????


    ''Good! Good!''


    ''The Black Plain has just gained a few tens of millions of low-grade crystals!'' He smiled as he estimated the total value of the items left behind by those six.


    After that, he looked at the surroundings, where only ashes remained of those six humans who were here earlier, fighting for their lives.


    "Well, those individuals have tired me out quite a bit... So, I''ll return to Dry City to cultivate for a day or two!" He made up his mind before looking in the direction of where the enemies he was pursuing had already disappeared.


    Minos was eliminating groups of enemies to lessen the burden of war on his weaker soldiers. But doing so was not his role nor long-term goal. After all, his advances were far more relevant!


    With that, since he had reached his limit after the previous fight, he promptly decided to return to Dry City, to rest, cultivate some more, and only after that, return to the battlefield!


    ...


    While Minos was returning to Dry City, a few hundred kilometers northeast of where he had fought was the main enemy camp on the Black Plain.


    At that location, the level 59 Spiritual Kings in the Brown Kingdom now were commanding operations while avoiding going out onto the battlefield.


    Minos was too dangerous for them, and it would still be some time before more reinforcements arrived. As such, they could only stay in that area, cultivating, sometimes training, worrying about the region''s fate.


    But while Thomas, Linette, and another assassin who had recently arrived in this place, went about their monotonous business, two young men had just passed the entrance to this camp.


    One of them had red hair and a face with soft contours, while the other had a sharp look and black hair.


    These were obviously Ford and Troy, the two young men who had found out about the impressive recent history of the northern region of the Central Continent, totally influenced by Minos'' actions.


    After arriving in the Cromwell Kingdom, they had soon decided to make their way to the Black Plain, where not only Minos was, but also important people to them.


    So, after weeks of traveling, these two had reached this place.


    Anyway, after going their separate ways in that camp, Troy had gone towards the place where his father, General Newman, was, while Ford had gone towards his mother.


    ...


    "Mom?" Ford said as he entered a sizeable luxurious tent, where a woman with red and white hair was sitting on a cushion, meditating.


    Ford and Kara were children of King Carline, but they had different mothers. This young man was Linette''s son, and that young woman was the daughter of the queen of the Kingdom of the End, the other level 59 cultivator in that state.


    Anyway, upon hearing the voice of her only son, Linette opened her eyes. She looked in the direction of the handsome and strong youth, Ford, full of love in her eyes.


    "Ford!" She said a little excitedly as a smile appeared on her face.


    After that, she promptly got up from where she was standing and went to hug her son, a young man she had not seen in years.


    p????-?o??? "Mom, what''s going on? Is all this true? I can hardly believe what I''ve heard since I arrived in the area." Ford said doubtfully, still feeling that that person on the Black Plain could not possibly be Minos.


    After all, Minos was supposed to be someone with no worldly interests, who had even refused to go to one of the empire''s sects...


    Linette almost lost her smile and joy at seeing this young man upon hearing her beloved son''s question.


    "I don''t know what you heard, but it''s probably almost all true." She answered honestly.


    "So, he truly did kill King Cromwell?" Ford asked in surprise. "You fought him?"


    "Yes, it''s true. One blow from that boy killed James, and I fought him in that fight..." She replied without giving details of how Minos had humiliatingly defeated her.


    Upon hearing this, Ford''s eyes fluttered. He felt some insecurity as if sensing the instability his family was experiencing.


    "So..."


    "We can talk about it later." She said, massaging her son''s shoulders. "Now, let''s talk about your time in the empire..."


    "How were things there? Did you have contact with your sister? Any new company..."


    And then, they began to talk about their time away.

 Chapter 855 Unnecessary Effort?

    Chapter 855 Unnecessary Effort?


    While Ford was talking with his mother, Troy had finally found where his father was, near where subordinates and vassals of House Cromwell were in this large camp.


    This place was full of specialists who had seen the fight of Troy and Minos years ago. Because of this, the moment he appeared in that place, many of them immediately recognized such a regional prodigy.


    "Young Troy, it seems that you have adapted well to the Flaming Empire!"


    "Hehehe, level 52 at only 24, very good, very good indeed!"


    "At this rate, the Newman family will meet the same fate as House Red!" One more, among many, commented on Troy''s apparent success in the sect he had been accepted into.


    Troy''s progress had been exceptional!


    Even though he had all the disadvantages of being from this part of the continent and living in a place of great competition, Troy had already reached level 52 in such a short time.


    Therefore, seeing someone with such a bright future appearing before them, several of those Spiritual Kings could not help but admire him.


    But as Troy walked through that area while waving to some acquaintances, people he had met before his departure for the empire, it did not take long for him to reach his father.


    Upon meeting that General of the Cromwell Kingdom''s royal guard, Troy immediately greeted his father, happy to see that such a person was okay, despite everything.


    "It''s good to see you well!" General Newman commented to his son as he patted one of his hands on Troy''s back.p????-?????.???


    "Are you all right, father? Aren''t you going back for King Cromwell''s funeral?" Troy asked about that.


    The Newman family was a noble house of the Cromwell Kingdom, one that had been created directly by a subordinate of the Cromwell family.


    There were two ways for noble families to arise. One was through royal families and the other via noble families.


    The advantage of the first was that not only were the founders generally wealthier, but their new organizations would already have territory right away. As for the second, this would take much longer to happen since this new power would need to go through a series of procedures to be recognized by the state.


    In any case, Troy''s family was in the first category. Because of this, even though they were not so traditional in the region, they were pretty powerful.


    Despite being as powerful as a regionally high-level noble family, Troy''s family had some members who remained in the House Cromwell, as was the case with his father.


    Because of this characteristic of his father, this young man thought that General Newman should be present at King Cromwell''s funeral, even if a war were going on here.


    Hearing his son, General Newman shook his head negatively. "I am fine, but unfortunately, I will not be able to attend His Majesty''s funeral, nor even the rising of the new king."


    "The threat from that Minos is truly unprecedented. If we leave our positions, the enemy forces will act decisively."


    "After that, we may not have the opportunity to stand against them and seek justice for what happened to His Majesty." He said, regretting that he could not attend such an important event. p???? ?o???


    The situation on the Black Plain was indeed delicate, and taking out experts from this place would be like gifting the enemy with the privilege of time.


    However, this would be irrational as what the enemy wanted most at the moment was just that, more time!


    After all, the leading members of Dry City''s allied forces had higher cultivation speeds than the strongest members of the Counter-Revolutionary Army. Consequently, the longer this war went on, the greater were the chances of success for Minos'' rebellion!


    So, instead of diminishing their actions by allowing people on the Black Plain to leave from this place, this enemy group of Minos had to increase their numbers and frequency of attacks.


    Only then would they be able to take over the entire territory of the Black Plain, eventually strangling the economic power of Minos. Therefore, stopping the constant leveling up of the members of his forces!


    And upon understanding such a thing, Troy realized his mistake and just closed his fists in frustration.


    He had come to the northern part of the Central Continent to stay with his family for a few weeks. At the same time, he was curious to know what Minos had done during this period, especially to see the difference between the two now.


    Troy was a very competitive person, so he had never accepted the draw with Minos.


    For him, that had not been a draw but a defeat. After all, Minos was at a much lower level than him at that time!


    And because he thought so, before discovering Minos'' entire situation, he wanted to spar with this young man. He was interested in this, even though he could have distanced himself even further from such an opponent. ¦Ñ???????????


    Minos had decided to stay in this region on his own, so if he, Troy, had become stronger than young Stuart, it had no connection with him.


    He did not think it would be unfair to fight against young Stuart even in such a situation.


    But upon discovering this whole situation and learning how strong Minos had become in this poor region, Troy feels humiliated as if all his efforts had been meaningless.


    Minos had not only overcome the difference in levels between them, but he had also become even more impressive!


    So, this young man was lamenting in his heart, wondering about the world''s justice and how Minos had done such an absurd thing.


    ''That son of a bitch!''


    ''He had it all planned from the beginning, knowing he wouldn''t be affected by staying in this region...''


    ''But how did the bastard do it?''


    Anyway, noticing his son''s reaction, General Newman soon understood what was going on in Troy''s mind.


    "Troy, you are an adult now, and you can decide your life the way you want to. And I''m sure you already have the experience necessary to understand certain things, or you wouldn''t have been so successful in the empire..."


    "But even so, I must tell you not to get involved in this matter and avoid contacting that brat."


    "He is extremely dangerous for people below level 58... And even considering your Silver-grade techniques, the difference is still too much for you to risk..."


    "And even if he doesn''t do anything directly against you, he is very clever and full of tricks."


    "He might find some way to use the Spiritual Church to achieve his independence!"


    The Spiritual Church was not from that region and, as such, was not on the side of the regional leaders. That is, the local members of that organization did have interests related to those powers, but that was not a policy of the church itself.


    In this way, the church did not care who led the northern region of the Central Continent. If someone broke their rules, they would act, even if it meant helping an insurgent, such as a rebel like Minos.


    After all, keeping their image intact by punishing those who disobeyed them was far more important than the fate of some lower-middle-level organization!


    Hence General Newman''s advice.


    "I understand, father..." Then, after his father finished speaking, Troy said, "I will be careful not to provoke him if we meet."


    "In any case, how do you intend to deal with him? Is there some kind of strategy? Attempting peace agreements?" The young man asked shortly after that.


    "Well, for the moment, we are not thinking about peace, as the rebels need to be fought vigorously..."


    "As for our plans, some regional leaders who had previously stayed in their territories were already moving. Some of them are coming here, while others are going to the church branch in the Kingdom of the Waves."


    p????-?o??? "We need some kind of support or guarantee from that organization, or we might not be able to overcome this catastrophe!"


    ...


    Three days later...


    While the high-level Spiritual Kings of this region were heading to the Black Plain or that branch of the Spiritual Church, a woman with red hair and a face with soft angles was arriving in the vicinity of Dry City.


    She was dressed exquisitely, in beautiful light green clothes, well-fitted to her well-developed body, making her even more remarkable.


    But she had a solemn expression on her face, which did not match her delicate beauty.


    ''Ruth... Is that why you asked me to come here?'' Kara asked herself in a worried way, trying to understand if that person was truly helping her or if there was something more to it all...

 Chapter 856 The Proposal

    Chapter 856 The Proposal


    After weeks of travel, Kara had finally arrived in young Stuart''s territory.


    Just as she had promised to Ruth, Kara made her way directly to the Black Plain upon coming to this region, soon after discovering the regional news.


    Upon leaving the Flaming Empire, this woman was curious, eager to know why Ruth had never told her anything about Minos'' location and how she could find him.


    Besides, she had a crush on him and occasionally wondered what young Stuart was doing or had accomplished in the last 5 or 6 years.


    With so many things on her mind, she could not help but follow Ruth''s advice, even after discovering the barbarities caused by Minos.


    In theory, her family and Minos'' organization should be enemies. But in Kara''s mind, she and this young man had a great relationship.


    On the other hand, because she was now a disciple of one of the sects of the Flaming Empire, that young man would certainly not see her as an enemy.


    After all, it was regionally known that people with such backgrounds were not allowed to be involved in local conflicts, nor would it be wise to act against them.


    Not only were such people generally stronger than the average locals, but because, while the Spiritual Church forbade interventions, vengeance against specific individuals was a different story...


    Knowing this, she had no fears about going to Dry City before returning to her family.


    p????-?o??? The opposite of that, Kara sincerely believed that she could talk to Minos, something that, in her opinion, was impossible to happen with regional leaders.p????-?????.???


    She was a member of the regional royalty, so she knew how the many old leaders thought and how they would not give up certain things.


    With that in mind, she finally got close enough to that city to see from above the defensive dome of Dry City, which protected what looked like a large neighborhood of an enormous city.


    ''Is this the Dry City of Minos?'' She wondered, finding the place that this young man had built fascinatingly.


    That was because, unlike many people in this region that did not know about the recent history of this area, Kara knew a lot about it. And this knowledge made her able to distinguish how much Minos'' actions had transformed the area.


    That''s what she found interesting!


    Dry City was still not much compared to the cities she had known in the Flaming Empire. But the change caused by the actions of Minos, or whoever was supporting this place, had been impressive.


    Even more so because this woman knew that having resources, or having power, was no guarantee of success!


    Most people in the Spiritual World thought simply, ''shallow,'' underestimated the future, and often acted on impulse.


    Especially the young people.


    For example, if the total wealth of the Spiritual World was divided equally among all the spiritual beings of this world, this young woman was sure that in a few centuries, almost all the resources would be back in the hands of the big organizations and investors! p???? ?o???


    Very few knew how to use what they had, and countless individuals would have their lives more harmed than benefited by an undeserved gain!


    So, whether or not Minos had good resources, this did not take away the merit of his achievements, and it made her even more interested in him, even if he was temporarily on the opposite side of his family.


    But as Kara scanned the Dry City, the beast that was serving as a mount for her was interrupted from going on its way when one of the many guards on the outskirts of this place appeared not far from them.


    "Halt!"


    "Surrender and identify yourself immediately, or we will take you down!" That level 48 Spiritual General said this full of confidence, while several people in the surrounding area already began to gather, coming in that direction.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Minos was in his headquarters, finishing up a training session with Abby.


    Like others in this organization, the local sovereign and his girlfriend were constantly training. After all, they would not win the war if they only maintained their current power.


    If that were possible, then the war would already be over!


    On the other hand, the 6th stage was merely the division between the lowest level stages that most people in this world were at and the highest level stages that the strongest were at. ¦Ñ???????????


    So, both continued to work focused, using every free hour to improve their respective understanding of their techniques and their cultivation levels.


    And they were doing this so well that both were already in the final half of their levels, not far from achieving breakthroughs.


    Anyway, as they finished their training session, Minos looked fine, despite the drops of sweat running down his forehead.


    On the other hand, Abby was completely sweaty, with some minor abrasions around where she had used to defend herself, where minor cuts on her clothes revealed her skin.


    Abby already had some Golden-grade techniques, so, as much as she was one level below the young Stuart, she already caused some difficulty for him that could not be overcome without some effort.


    After all, the differences between the low levels of cultivation, as in the case of levels 51 and 52, merely above the middle of the cultivation row, were minimal!


    Hence, their training was no longer as unbalanced as it used to be!


    "Sigh..." Abby sighed as she finally relaxed a bit, making her way to a spot in that training room where there was a pitcher with water.


    Hearing her girlfriend''s sigh, Minos watched her from the side with a smile on his face, satisfied with what he had noticed during today''s training. "Your defenses are in good form, Abby."


    "Hmm?"


    "At your current level, few people in this region can put you in danger." He said as he approached her from behind. "This makes me more tranquil."


    She then turned to him while holding a transparent glass in her hands, pleased to hear that. "Do you get worried about me fighting around?"


    "Of course!"


    "You are my woman, and I love you," Minos said as he gently squeezed the waist of that blue-haired woman with one of his hands. "So, it''s good to know that you can act and protect yourself while we are away from each other."


    "But don''t worry..." He said, fiddling with his girlfriend''s hair and then massaging one of her cheeks. "It won''t take much longer, and we''ll be able to stay together for more time."


    "When the war is over, and the Black Plain is settled, we can travel together again!"


    Upon hearing those words, Abby smiled as her pupils dilated amidst the heat arising from deep within her being. "Is that true?"


    "Of course!"


    "You will be the queen of the Black Plain, but we can leave local matters to Dillian and the rest of the staff..." He said such words without noticing some details.


    But Abby did not let such a thing pass unnoticed.


    "I will be the queen of the Black Plain?" She smiled. "Minos Stuart, are you by any chance asking for my hand?"


    "Oh?" Minos'' eyes suddenly widened as he realized that he had said such a thing. "I..."


    Gulp!


    He then felt his heart beat faster as he saw Abby''s beautiful face and remembered the feeling of almost losing her in that incident while they were traveling through the Kingdom of the Waves.


    "Yes, Abby."


    "I want you as my wife. I want to share my life with you, smile, and have fun with you... To wake up next to you when..." He then whispered a few things to her, making her red with embarrassment, but at the same time very happy to hear that from him.


    "Do you accept to be with someone like me, Abby?" He finally asked as he ran one of his hands over her beautiful face, now with some tears.


    "Yes! Yes!" She said as she threw the glass in her hands away and jumped into young Stuart''s lap.


    "Mmmmm~"


    After that, the two kissed passionately, feeling an intense burst arising in their beings, as if their souls were on fire.


    And with that, it was not long before they both began to undress, even if, perhaps, their momentary conditions were not the best for such a thing.


    "If I will be your wife, I want you to impregnate me, Minos Stuart." She said into his left ear, demanding that this young man start putting something fertile into her womb...

 Chapter 857 Karas Visit

    Chapter 857 Kara''s Visit


    After some time, Minos and Abby had finished the previous activity, both happy as never before, with smiles hard to disappear from their faces.


    Especially the blue-haired woman, who now had one of her hands holding one of Minos'' while the other was gently massaging her own belly...


    But soon after finishing that, the two did not take long to put their clothes back on, as they could not afford to stay around, enjoying the moment.


    They both had their responsibilities to thousands of people. As such, right after they finished their things in that training room of the headquarters of the Black Plain Army, they headed towards the exit, towards the administrative part of that complex.


    However, as they walked side by side out of that room, still smiling, upon opening the door, they both came across a soldier, who was politely waiting for them.


    "Young master, we have a situation in the outer surroundings of the defensive dome." That individual said this just after making a gesture greeting both Minos and Abby.


    The news he was bringing was important but not urgent. Precisely because of this, he had patiently waited in this place for almost an hour so as not to disturb the ''training'' of these two...


    Obviously, young Stuart and his girlfriend were discreet, even though they did their activities almost anywhere with minimal conditions... So, almost no one in this organization knew about these things.


    Hence, that soldier was only waiting so as not to interrupt the training of his leader, the strongest individual in this organization.


    If other things had happened inside that room, there was no way that people outside could find out about it due to the arrays present in that place.


    Anyway, upon hearing such words right after opening the door of that room, Minos frowned his eyebrows and looked intently at that individual. "What happened?"


    While Abby was also paying attention to that soldier, he answered Minos'' question. "Young master, about an hour ago, a redheaded woman, level 51, who called herself Kara Carline and claimed to come from the Flaming Empire, was stopped in the vicinity of the dome."p????-?????.???


    "She asked to meet with the young master."


    Upon hearing this, Minos and Abby''s eyes lit up, both understanding that this must be Ruth''s doing.


    After all, even if Minos had had a good relationship with Kara before, that would not be enough for her or her brother to ignore the fact that he was now fighting the Carline family.


    Therefore, there was no reason for Kara to come to Dry City alone.


    House Carline had just begun to fight against Minos. So, they definitely would not have asked this woman to come to this place to negotiate with young Stuart.


    That would not make sense!


    That way, she could only have come here on her own, most likely following some advice from Ruth!


    "So, that''s it..." Minos smiled, remembering his girlfriend, who was now in the Flaming Empire. "Where is she now?"


    "After being approached by one of our groups, she did not agree to have her spiritual cultivation sealed. But, she agreed to wait for the young master in one of the cells at the south exit of the wall."


    Like the local prison, the wall, with the only difference being the numbers, had cells that prevented the use of spiritual energy within them.


    Such cells were somewhat different from the necklaces usually used to seal cultivators'' spiritual cultivation. p???? ?o???


    Instead of sucking the target''s energies and preventing him from cultivating, as happened with the necklaces, the cells only interfered with the use of spiritual energy.


    Such cells were more practical when trapping many people without having to suck out their energies, as was the case with those more individual arrays.


    But the cells also separated the inside from the outside, creating an effect that whoever was inside could not act, but whoever was outside could not send spiritual attacks into it.


    In other words, it was a safer method for the detention of individuals that did not have to be weakened and temporarily exposed to the other side''s wishes.


    That was why Kara had accepted such a thing instead of the typical necklaces used to seal off the cultivation of its targets.


    "All right. I''ll go over there." He said just before saying goodbye to his girlfriend and accompanying that soldier back to the southern exit of this city.


    ...


    After some time, Minos finally arrived at the place where Kara was waiting for him.


    There was a large cell with totally black bars in that place where she was.


    p????-?o??? Someone who looked at it carefully would see small streams of colored energy interconnecting each point of the bars as if they were a kind of microscopic net.


    But because the luminosity was considered good, provided by some windows on the side facing the interior of the defensive dome, it would not be easy to notice such a thing. ¦Ñ???????????


    On the other hand, because this was not a dark place, upon arriving at that place, Minos effortlessly saw the beauty of the woman sitting in a lotus position inside that great cell.


    ''It seems that she has become even more beautiful...'' Minos thought about this as he looked closely at Kara''s face and then at her body.


    As Minos stared at her, Kara soon sensed his presence, immediately leaving her previous state to observe him intently.


    "Minos?"


    ''Wow!''


    ''What a big change!'' She thought about it as she looked up, still sitting the same way as before. ''He looks much stronger physically...''


    ''His vitality seems to have increased much more than it should, and I can see his maturity is on another level!''


    She then clasped one of her hands and took a deep breath, soon after stood up while running one of her hands through her hair. "Looks like your decision not to go to the Flaming Empire was premeditated, huh?" She complimented him, looking directly into Minos'' brown eyes.


    Hearing this, Minos smiled. "It''s good to see you, Kara."


    "How are you doing? Are things going well for you in the empire?"


    "Not as well as they are for you here in the northern region, I suppose..." She commented as she smiled back at him. "It seems you have a lot of plans..."


    "Some of them are quite ambitious!"


    "So, that''s it?" Minos asked. "You came all this way to talk about my plans?"


    Kara''s eyes sparkled as she felt her heart leaping in her chest. "Originally, that was not my goal..."


    "But the stunning news I read changed my goals slightly."


    "Is that so?" He asked while already opening that cell to allow that woman to leave that place.


    After that, she moved a little closer to him, finally feeling the extent of Minos'' level, which was now very close to level 53.


    ''It''s true...''


    ''He''s completely overcome our differences!'' So, she thought, remembering that she was four levels above this young man at that time.


    She then listened. "I would prefer you to be here just to visit a friend..."


    "Sigh..."


    "What will you do if you don''t accomplish your goals here?" He asked, slowly walking over to Kara and then holding her shoulders.


    Sensing this, Kara immediately realized that it was no match for Minos, just as she had inferred from reading the regionally published news reports.


    Gulp!


    ''So strong!''


    ''I can''t even move...'' She thought about this, feeling even more attracted to the young Stuart.


    As she felt her body temperature rise, this woman used one of her hands to pinch herself and not get carried away by her own volatile personality.


    Kara was a young woman who knew what she liked. And besides her brother, what turned her on the most in a man was strength, personal power, how impressive such an individual was.


    And Minos perfectly fulfilled those parameters she liked so much in her sexual partners.


    ''Breathe!''


    She tried to think calmly, looking at the problem to be solved, rather than the person right in front of her, who she wanted to lie down with.


    Gulp!


    "I obviously won''t do anything."


    "We''re friends, and besides your war against the Brown family, I''m a member of the Gray Cloud Sect right now."


    "But that doesn''t impede us from trying to solve this problem peacefully, without my family and your organization losing any more than they already have." She said, feeling Minos'' hands decrease in strength.


    ...

 Chapter 858 Historic Example!

    Chapter 858 Historic Example!


    After hearing Kara''s speech, Minos let go of this young woman''s shoulders. But, at the same time, she made a strange expression, as if she was disappointed about something.


    However, Minos just associated this with his harsh method of starting this dialogue. So, he just moved on with the matter. "How nice that there are sensible people in your family, Kara."


    "I offered a big deal to a woman named Linette Carline, but she just refused, saying that if I wanted something, I should take it by force..."


    "What do you think of that?"


    "Aunt Linette?" Kara''s eyes sparkled as she remembered Ford''s mother. "What have you done with her, Minos?"


    "My father is very attached to each of his wives... He truly loves aunt Linette..." She looked at him thoughtfully, feeling that things were only getting difficult.


    "I took it easy on her and just taught her a little lesson."


    "Don''t worry. She should be fine."


    Kara then stared into Minos'' brown eyes, processing this information. She knew that Linette was on the Black Plain because of the news of James Cromwell''s death. But the regional periodicals had no critical details of that battle.


    Hence, Kara did not know how Linette and Minos had interacted.


    She then asked. "What did you offer her?"p????-?????.???


    "I asked her and her state''s troops to depart from the Black Plain, and with that, I would forget that they had acted against us."


    "Sigh..."


    "It''s only natural that aunt Linette said that, after all, our family was the strongest in the region until recently..." She said this in a low voice, looking complicatedly at Minos.


    The Black Plain could not be considered stronger than the Kingdom of the End, nor could the local army be superior to House Carline. But Minos alone could already threaten that family, which took the status of the strongest family in the region away from House Carline.


    And as someone who had grown up most of her life in that place, it was not easy for her to talk about this with Minos.


    But she understood that there was no point in lamenting over spilled milk.


    Things had already reached that point. Only by trying to work around the situation could her family have the best possible results.


    "In any case, I hope you won''t take aunt Linette so seriously."


    "She doesn''t know what you''re like. Furthermore, she probably thinks that if the family gives up this confrontation, you could go to our headquarters demanding things in the future."


    "But if you let me take care of it, I can try to work it out with my father..." p???? ?o???


    "You''re not going to do absurd things after winning the war, right?


    "What''s in those periodicals about you wanting regional peace is your intentions, right?" She asked this, still face to face with Minos, almost close enough to him that she could feel this young man''s breath.


    Minos then looked at Kara''s beautiful face for a moment, looking down due to the height difference between the two, subtly seeing this young woman''s full cleavage. "Too late, Kara."


    "Now your family will have to pay something if they want to get out of the war. Otherwise, we will go to the ultimate consequences."


    "I offered a great way out for your family, but such kindness was refused. So, now I fear that even if your father gets his forces out of the Black Plain, he will have to pay high costs."


    After hearing this, Kara''s gray eyes twitched as she moved even closer to this young man. "Minos!"


    "You are making things difficult here!"


    "You were so kind before... You said things not long ago that you wanted to resolve this situation without confrontation... How can you make things so difficult like this now?"


    "What''s wrong with you?" She said as she took one of Minos'' hands and squeezed.


    "I need to set an example, Kara." ¦Ñ???????????


    "Everyone who stands against the Black Plain now will be punished once the war is over. That is not for a desire for revenge on my part but for the sake of peace in my state."


    "I don''t want to deal with dozens of families who have dangerous ideas regarding my state and maybe think they can easily escape the consequences of their actions."


    "I will show them all that heavy consequences await those who flirt with dangerous ideas regarding the Black Plain."


    "This is so that in the future, those who think of acting against us understand that they will suffer from punishments never before seen in our region."


    Kara then shivered in concern as she heard the coldness with which Minos spoke about this, understanding that he was not joking with her.


    Gulp!


    "Fine." She said before giving her opinion about it. "I don''t like the way you''re acting right now, but I will at least try to get my family on the right track so that at some point, they can get off the Black Plain."


    p????-?o??? "So, what do you want to demand from my family?"


    He then replied. "To begin with, all those who have killed members of the Black Plain Army or allies of Dry City should have their spiritual cultivation crippled..."


    "No, your family should hand those people over to the Black Plain Army for them to be crippled in Dry City."


    Upon hearing this, Kara''s eyes nearly fell out of their sockets. She swallowed her saliva, wondering if this were just the beginning, then her family would be finished.


    "In addition, your family will have no access to the Black Plain for the next 30 years. Any member of your family, with a few exceptions, who enters our state, will be summarily executed if caught."


    "Finally, King Carline will have to bend the knee, ask for forgiveness in public, and declare his subordination to the Black Plain for the next 100 years."


    Gulp!


    "That''s it? Are you sure you don''t want to demand anything more?" She asked sarcastically, feeling that Minos could only be making a joke.


    Minos'' second demand was even quite acceptable since, historically, the Carline family had never come to the Black Plain. So, she thought, this would not bring any harm to them.


    The first part was ridiculous, and if it were accepted, probably all those who came to the Black Plain would have to have their spiritual cultivations crippled!


    As for the third part, although 100 years may not seem like much for cultivators, spending that long subordinated to a newly created organization was extreme!


    Consequently, Kara could not help but joke about Minos'' line.


    To her, he probably did not want to resolve the conflict peacefully. He was citing conditions that were impossible to meet!


    "Kara, I''m not joking." He looked earnestly into her beautiful eyes. "This all is already considerably light..."


    "I''m only doing this because I don''t want to destroy your and Ford''s family. Otherwise, I would probably demand something that I am sure you are unwilling to give up..."


    Gulp!


    "Minos, how you..."


    "And the conditions I cited are only harmful in the short term. But eventually, your family could have the autonomy it currently enjoys. Moreover, our relations could improve when someone replaces your father in the future."


    Seeing the fearful look on her little face, he insisted on that so that everything was evident in her mind. "Do what you can to save your family, Kara. Others will not have that opportunity."


    "And you should know that there is a time limit on this offer of mine. Once I reach level 54, there will be no turning back."


    Minos was already very close to reaching level 53. And considering his cultivation speed at the 6th stage, such a time limit should be close to a year.


    And as the Kingdom of the End and the Black Plain were not close, the time Kara and her family had was not long!


    ''I will personally kill all the Spiritual Kings from each of the families against me now!''


    ''That will be a historic punishment in this region, something so that this population will not forget what happens to those who act against the Black Plain.'' Minos thought quietly, without pointing this out to Kara so that such a thing would not leak out and prevent his enemies.


    Minos would not exterminate families, but everyone who fought against the Black Plain and all the experts of those families would be killed as an example.


    He was not an authoritarian leader, but starting a state with such a massacre would not be bad. After all, being feared was as important, if not more important, than being adored!

 Chapter 859 Tasting The Enemy Meat

    Chapter 859 Tasting The Enemy ''Meat''


    "Kara, understand that this is not an agreement between equals. My enemies may think they have a chance of winning the war, but that won''t happen."


    "On the other hand, I am willing to make a much more significant sacrifice than your family would have to make if they accepted such a suggestion. After all, your side would only have to have a fraction of its members having their spiritual cultivation crippled. But ours, ours would be giving up revenge for our men fallen in war!"


    "That''s much harder to do!" He said firmly, making it clear to that woman that, although harsh, his demands were still acceptable.


    p????-?o??? Gulp!


    "That..." She stammered after finishing listening to what Minos had to say, still finding it difficult for her family to accept but understanding the point made by the person in front of her.


    And thinking about it, if Minos was right about his victory, then the deal he presented did not seem so bad.


    But, if he was bluffing and her family did that because of such a thing, this could open up the space necessary for him to truly achieve a position of invincibility and eventual victory.


    In other words, all options ahead for her family were complicated. All led them to losses!


    So, Kara falters at this moment, undecided, not knowing what to say to Minos.


    "Minos..." She again tried to say something but stopped just after speaking his name.


    Upon realizing this, Minos moved closer to that redhead until she was ''stuck'' between him and the bars of that cell, being only a few inches away from each other.


    Young Stuart then used two fingers from one of his hands to touch Kara''s chin, bringing her pretty face into an ideal position for them to look at each other eyes.p????-?????.???


    After this, his hand slid down her chin until it reached her seductive neck, from where he could feel the warmth and pulse of this woman.


    As she felt this advance of Minos, Kara''s mind that was working on the situation, already making her feel a slight headache, suddenly stopped. Now, it only had this movement under analysis.


    And as Kara felt her stress diminish little by little, she felt Minos'' pleasant breath as he said to her. "Kara, let''s cooperate..."


    "I don''t want our friendship to be damaged by this..." He said as one of his hands continued the previous movement and the other touched Kara''s waist. "I think you want that too, right?"


    Gulp!


    Her pulse began to beat faster. Once again, her body temperature began to rise, and this woman''s wild side overcame her rational side.


    Her pupils dilated as she looked at Minos, feeling chills run through her body as he touched her.


    He was not touching any areas of extreme sensitivity. But even so, Kara was already starting to sweat as her respiratory rate increased.


    Minos then released Kara''s waist and took one of her hands, bringing it up to his well-defined chest.


    "Yes." Kara replied as she quickly shifted her focus away from Minos'' eyes and looked at his chest. Although covered by a layer of tissue, just by touching it, she knew what it looked like.


    Hearing this and paying attention to Kara''s reaction, Minos smiled slightly, satisfied that this woman had not let him down. "Then cooperate with me!" He whispered. p???? ?o???


    "We''ll be able to solve this problem, maintain a close relationship, and your family will still be able to gain from it. After all, it''s only a few momentary losses and a few decades of limitations..."


    "For Spiritual Kings like us, even the 100 years I quoted are nothing..." He continued, slowly stimulating that woman. "Don''t you think so?"


    "Yes..." She said softly.


    "And if you think about it, even these momentary losses, they still won''t be great things..."


    "That is, I''m offering it to you and no one else..."


    "Yes... Your other enemies will suffer more if we withdraw." She agreed with him while one of her hands was already inside young Stuart''s shirt, exploring that part of his body.


    "In other words, they will still be stronger than the other regional organizations... Therefore, your family can maintain the status it currently has!" He continued, touching the tip of Kara''s rosy lip with his left index finger.


    And as Kara looked at him in anticipation, Minos finally brought his face a little closer to hers, leaving their lips only three centimeters apart from each other.


    Gulp!


    Without wasting any time, Kara was the first to move, no longer able to hold back the desire to ''taste'' the person in front of her. He was strong, powerful, and a cold-blooded man, just the way she liked it.


    "Mmmmmm~" ¦Ñ???????????


    And then, the tongues of the two began to dance, like a kiss that would probably be hard to forget, which carried so much desire that she probably would not even need to be touched to reach the clouds.


    ''My goodness!''


    ''Besides being hot, he''s such a good kisser!'' So, she thought about it as she tasted young Stuart while trying to take the measurements off his body with her hands.


    ''But...''


    ''Is it right that I want to lie with my family''s enemy so badly?'' She wondered, suddenly feeling guilty.


    ''I feel like I''m betraying my family...''


    But such a thought had not helped her. Instead of becoming more aware and stopping all that, she began to feel even more pleasure at being touched by Minos, learning a little more about the lapses of life.


    And amid her heat, she could not help but try to reach for a particular part of Minos'' body, one that was already pressing into her.


    ''Wow!'' Her eyes widened in surprise as the thought of her family losing became more and more distant from her current reality.


    She then jumped on Minos, standing with her face slightly higher than his while holding onto his neck with both hands. At the same time, she could feel her hips being held by young Stuart''s strong hands.


    "Mmmmmm~"


    Meanwhile, Minos was grateful in his mind for having made contacts during his participation in the Spiritual Tournament, something that had brought this woman to him at this time.


    ''Well, now I will at least be able to plant a little seed of discord in the Carline family...'' He thought about it as he felt the sweet taste of Kara. ''Even if she doesn''t get that family''s troops out of the Black Plain right away, it will facilitate a future surrender.''


    Minos knew that his demands were difficult to accept. After all, no one would give up that much without being sure that they would lose!


    But once things started to get more complicated for the counter-revolutionary troops on the Black Plain, such an offer would become more and more attractive.


    And as this began to happen, the uncertainty, the doubt about fighting to the end or retreating and accepting their losses, would appear in the minds of the leaders of the Carline family.


    From then on, they would either back down or make worse and worse decisions, surrounded by distrust, uncertainty, negatively affected by the stress of the bad consequences of their decisions.


    It was a path of no return.


    Either Kara would succeed and solve the Kingdom of the End problem by getting involved in the Black Plain war of independence. Or she would plant the seed of uncertainty in the people she would talk to.


    That second alternative was not the best, but it was good enough for the Black Plain.


    Consequently, Minos was satisfied!


    An even more significant smile formed on his face. He suddenly parted his lips from Kara''s and looked at her momentarily.


    Upon realizing this, she bit her lips, feeling an unprecedented desire. "All right, Minos. I will do whatever it takes to prevent my family and the Black Plain from having to suffer against each other."


    "Oh?"


    "But for now, I don''t want to talk about it anymore. Is that OK?"


    He smiled even wider upon hearing that. "OK."


    "Now, what should we do?"


    "I want you to fuck me, hard." She whispered into Minos'' ears, feeling her little sister getting increasingly wet.


    Upon hearing that, he quickly took out some items from his spatial ring, including a bed, and then put that woman there. ''Well, time to taste the enemy ''meat''...'' He thought perversely, feeling that if King Carline knew about this, such an individual would probably spit blood!


    "Ahhhhhhh~"


    "Ahhhhhhh~"


    And it was not long before Kara''s moans of pleasure reverberated through that place, where only the two were with some arrays maintaining their privacy.

 Chapter 860 Minor Manipulation (*)

    Chapter 860 Minor Manipulation (*)


    After an hour of intense pleasure, Minos and Kara were completely sweaty, with this woman on top of him, both still connected.


    She had some parts of her beautiful body reddened, with some spanking marks, something she had asked Minos for. In addition, her hips were still moving frantically, as if she were a love machine.


    As for the young Stuart, he was still feeling his younger brother being continually pressured by Kara''s little sister while sucking one of her breasts, satisfied with her proportions.


    While doing this, he had one of the fingers of one of his hands stimulating Kara''s second hole, which this woman particularly liked immensely.


    "Ahhhhh~"


    "Ahhhh~"


    Amidst the action of the two, Kara moaned heavenly, feeling like she was on cloud nine as she reached her eighth orgasm with Minos.


    Minos was quite experienced in bed, something he had achieved after sleeping with several different women over a long period, several times a day. Combined with his natural physical strength and the intelligence to use context to his advantage, he had once again managed to make a great impression on a new sexual partner.


    It would be hard to tell how much Kara had enjoyed this. Still, from her reaction, gestures, and looks, this young man knew that she was feeling things beyond the ordinary, perhaps even new sensations.


    With that, he was also pleased, not only because the experience was more enjoyable this way, but because he knew he would get Kara''s attention in the future.


    Obviously, human beings were rational and partly able to control their instincts. But for this to happen, the differences between certain situations, or decisions, would have to be significant. Otherwise, one would hardly make the less pleasant decision in the short term for something not so better in the long term.p????-?????.???


    If the differences were not significant, many would instead take the risk of losing a small fraction of what they had, as long as it had an immediate benefit than wait for a long time to get something slightly better.


    And it was something of the sort that Minos thought he could get with Kara.


    For her, it would definitely be more pleasurable to be able to maintain good relations with him, and for that, she would only need to convince her family to take momentary losses.


    And as bad as that sounded, a terrible choice to make, perhaps even a betrayal, that was not the case when considering that her family would surely face worse outcomes by not following that path.


    Her family could withdraw from the war and accept some punishments, which would hurt, but which would be overcome in a few decades or centuries. But they could choose the reverse of that, continue in the war, and undoubtedly many of their members or vassals would die.


    After all, even if they didn''t know about the future, the might of the Black Plain was already known to all, and it was virtually sure that the end of this conflict in the Brown Kingdom would not come cheaply.


    Minos had told her that, but he did not even need to.


    Kara knew it, the regional kings knew it, everyone knew it.


    The results were there for anyone to analyze!


    So, even if the action of acting in favor of Minos for something so trivial would perhaps be considered treason in other circumstances, that was not the case here. p???? ?o???


    Minos was, yes, manipulating Kara''s intentions to make her take a more favorable view of him and the Black Plain. But this was not to the point where he could make this woman betray her family just for sex.


    The current circumstances had made the process easier, and the pleasure she was feeling from riding young Stuart''s rod was just one positive that tipped the scales in his favor.


    As for Kara''s having libertine behavior, that was something else that made everything more manageable, but not the main point.


    Minos understood that human behavior depended on many variables, and with that in mind, he used what was at his disposal to achieve his goals.


    If this could be done by lying down with a beautiful woman, he would do it with a smile on his face.


    So, Minos was satisfied at that moment when he finally filled Kara''s womb once again.


    "Ohh~"


    As young Stuart made a distinct sound, Kara also reached her limit when her body shook vigorously, and her eyes moved in a way unforgettable for him.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh~" A long, celestial moan came from that woman''s throat as she felt the weakness suddenly appear in her body, causing her to fall on top of Minos slowly.


    "Hah... Hah... Hah... That was... Impressive... Hah..." She said while having her eyes closed, whispering to him. ¦Ñ???????????


    "Haha, it truly was..." Minos agreed, feeling his little brother coming out of Kara''s wet cave.


    Pa!


    He slapped her lightly.


    "Ahhh~"


    "You''re pretty sensitive, huh?"


    Hearing this, she just ignored him as she settled into his arms.


    ''I think this is one of the best experiences I''ve ever had...'' She thought about that as she looked over to the side of that room where the cell from before was.


    As she did so, a feeling of guilt grew in Kara''s heart. ''Oh, god...''


    ''Was that so good because of how wrong it was?'' She wondered, thinking about her forbidden relationship with her brother.


    But thinking about it, Kara felt that what she had done with Minos was much worse.


    Although intimate relationships between people of the same family were uncommon and even taboo in certain parts of the Spiritual World, cases like these happened here and there.


    There were some tens of billions of humans in this vast world. And with so many people, so many cultures, habits, circumstances, it would be hard not to have any such cases, even if they were unusual.


    But to lie with an enemy, well, that was on another level, and the numbers of people known to have done this were even smaller than the siblings who play with each other!


    To make matters worse, Minos had said all those things before, but still, Kara had succumbed.


    ''My family will treat me like a traitor when I defend the deal with Minos.''


    ''But...''


    ''But I genuinely believe that this is the best choice!''


    ''I don''t feel that Minos will lose!'' She thought about it, feeling confident and less guilty for having enjoyed so much being with him.


    p????-?o??? After that, a few minutes passed, and the two were physically ready to leave that place and head toward their destinations.


    "I wish you could stay a few days in my city to have a chance to understand what the fate of this region will be once I ascend. But I''m afraid we don''t have time for that now." He said just after he finished dressing.


    Upon hearing that, Kara, who was already so well that no one who saw her now would assume that she was having an intense time with Minos just a few moments ago, then said. "I would also like to stay for a few days here."


    "But unfortunately, there isn''t much time..."


    Noticing Kara''s look, Minos smiled but did not pursue the subject. "By the way, if you want to find your relatives more quickly, we have the location of the most likely spots for them to be."


    "I am sure that, unlike my forces, you will be able to find them without any problems."


    Minos'' group knew of some locations that were more likely to have the presence of the enemy leaders. But since they always moved when he left Dry City, it did not make much difference to them to have such information.


    But for Kara, it could quickly lead her to the correct locations, where she could begin to act on his behalf. As such, he had shared such information with her.


    "Is that so?"


    "Then I thank you."


    After saying that, Kara approached Minos and kissed him on his left cheek before finally taking the information and leaving that place.


    Her family had less than a year to make up their minds, and considering the regional distances, she could not delay starting her journey.


    With that in mind, it did not take long for her to mount her flying beast and take off towards the northeast of the Black Plain!

 Chapter 861 Jealousy?

    Chapter 861 Jealousy?


    A few hours later...


    After leaving Dry City in a hurry, it did not take long for Kara to find the place where some of her family members were.


    Kara had not found them at the first camp she passed, but at the third place she had gone, she had felt the spiritual fluctuations of some people she knew.


    So, without much difficulty, she was already passing through the middle of that large camp, where Linette and Ford were at this very moment.


    ''Looks like Ford didn''t go straight to the Kingdom of the End...'' She thought about this while she had a thoughtful expression on her beautiful face.


    ''Sigh...''


    ''That won''t be good...''


    Kara was not worried about her brother being jealous or anything like that. That''s because the two''s relationship did not involve romantic feelings.


    The two loved each other, but that was more like a fraternal love, which any siblings could feel for each other. On the other hand, there was a physical attraction between the two, but this was not, or at least had not been enough to turn that fraternal love into something romantic.


    As such, the two just had sex because they liked it and found it fun.


    That did not come with a sense of possession, which would make one of the two feel threatened by other people, perhaps at some point demanding some kind of exclusivity.p????-?????.???


    In fact, both Kara and Ford had no problem dating other people, dating or even eventually marrying others.


    The only situation that might irritate them was when other people courted one of them when they were together. But other than that, the two knew very well how to separate their sexual adventures from other things.


    Consequently, that was of no concern to Kara.


    But she was worried about Ford finding out what she had done with Minos, an enemy of this family of theirs!


    That would not be hard for him to figure out, and considering their unique relationship, she could already foresee that such an encounter would not go well at all.


    "Let''s go..." She muttered just before passing through the entrance of that large tent, which seemed to be the place Linette and Ford were using for resting or cultivating.


    Such a place was very classy, with quality furniture and well laid out in a way that might make the person entering there think that this was not a tent but a large house.


    But this would be more true for ordinary people. For someone like Kara, that was the lowest standard that her higher-level family members had when camping!


    In any case, she paid no attention to the details around her and soon came face to face with the two people she was looking for.


    One of them, Ford, was sitting in the middle of what looked like a living room while he had a grave expression on his face. On the other hand, Linette was in a lotus position on a cultivation cushion, meditating with her eyes closed. p???? ?o???


    "Oh?"


    Then upon sensing someone''s presence and turning toward that young woman, Ford immediately put his serious expression aside and a smile slowly formed on his face.


    "Kara!" He said, just before he decided to probe her body, merely to find out the current cultivation level of his sister.


    "Ford, aunt Linette, it''s good to see you well!"


    As Linette opened her eyes to watch in satisfaction the beautiful woman in front of her, Ford''s smile froze when he smelled a specific scent coming from Kara.


    But before he could say anything, Linette got up from where she was and made her way toward Kara, intending to hug this young woman she had not seen in so many years. "Kara, you are looking more and more like your mother..."


    Then, when he no longer had any doubts, Ford clasped his hands tightly and asked in a concerned tone. "Kara, if you have come all this way, then assuming that you know about the current regional situation is not wrong, right?"


    "Hmmm." She replied.


    On the other hand, Linette still had not understood what was happening here. "Ford, what is it?"


    But Ford did not even bother to look at his old mother. Instead, he just looked eye-to-eye with Kara, disappointed. "So, you..." ¦Ñ???????????


    "You... Even knowing all this... Kara, tell me I''m wrong." He said in a troubled manner, feeling that the world had played a trick on him. "That smell on your body, don''t tell me it''s from Minos?"


    Upon hearing this, Linette''s eyes opened in shock. "Kara, is that true?" She asked as she stared at that young woman.


    ''Damn it!''


    ''If Ford wasn''t here, I could keep my privacy...'' Kara thought about this as she regretted the fact that her brother knew Minos much more than Linette did.


    Cultivators did not need much to remember something. And since Minos, Ford, Ruth, and Kara had trained a few times during the weeks of the Spiritual Tournament, recognizing the other''s scent was not exactly the hardest thing to do.


    Such a thing might even go unnoticed in other situations. Still, since Minos was now an enemy of the Carline family, Ford could not help but think about this young man a few times a day. And in doing so, it had been easy to remember his scent as he smelled it on Kara''s body!


    She then said. "I would rather not have my private life debated in this way, but yes, I have been with Minos."


    "He is my friend, after all."


    "Hell!"


    "Ahhhhhh!"


    Ford shouted in anger at hearing such nonsense as he threw a vase beside him away. "How can you do this to him? Are you crazy?" He said, just before jumping toward Kara in anger.


    "Kara, how dare you say that?" Linette asked. "You said you knew everything, but yet, not only do you lie down with an enemy, but you still call him a friend?"


    "That''s wrong! That''s wrong!" Ford shouted as he held his sister''s shoulders and looked at her like he was looking at a whore. "Tell me. Did he force you to do this? You wouldn''t be so stupid to do such a thing unless it was forced, right?"


    While Linette stood in disbelief and Ford seemed to have had a mental breakdown, Kara ignored how her brother touched her shoulders and answered their questions. "Minos didn''t force me into anything."


    "I went to him on my own, already knowing everything."


    "And when I arrived in Dry City, I met him. We talked about the options to resolve this conflict, and eventually, things happened as they should..."


    "He didn''t force anything on me." She repeated, seeing her brother''s eyes twitching with anger.


    "Kara..." Linette muttered as she brought one of her hands to her mouth. ''If your father finds out about this, he''ll probably have a temper tantrum!''


    "Ahhhhhh!"


    "Minos!" Ford shouted once more, just before letting go of his sister, already running out of that place, determined to go to Dry City to get an explanation from that person.


    ''You manipulated my little sister, Minos!'' He pondered this, confident that such a ruler had used Kara''s libertine characteristics against herself.


    And he, who had seduced his own sister when he was only 17, could not fail to realize that such a thing would not be difficult to do!


    ''Worst of all, now I will have to accept that an enemy has touched her!'' He thought in disgust.


    But while he was running in fury out of that camp, Linette and Kara had stayed where they were.


    p????-?o??? "Kara, do you truly see no problem in what you have done?" Linette asked seriously. "That is wrong. By doing that with him, you have betrayed the whole family!"


    "What will the counter-revolutionary alliance think of us if they find out such a thing?"


    But Kara was already prepared to hear such criticism when she entered this tent. So, she did not allow herself to be taken in by such comments!


    "Aunt Linette, despite Minos'' clear confidence, I cannot say who will win this war. But I can say that even if he falls, it will happen after our family and all the others in this war have already been severely damaged."


    "Maybe you, dad, mom, and all of you will die before Minos is stopped."


    "I don''t want to risk that, so I went to Dry City determined to talk to Minos to settle at least our family''s future."


    "As for the fact that I had sex with him, no offense, aunt Linette, but that''s none of your business..."

 Chapter 862 Power Of Lineage?

    Chapter 862 Power Of Lineage?


    Upon hearing what Kara said, Linette watched this young woman in silence, feeling that although Ford''s sister had her freedom, this was far beyond just one person''s desires.


    Her having sex with Minos was undoubtedly a tremendous betrayal for the family, a shame if it were to be discovered by outsiders.


    It was as if, by doing this, Kara had said that she did not care about the sacrifices the Carline family had already made up to this point.


    Hell, even Linette had faced the terror called Minos!


    Therefore, she had not liked the way Kara was defending her freedom, her intimate affairs.


    On the other hand, pushing the issue would get her nowhere. So, with her vast experience, Linette did not keep asking about it.


    What had happened could not be undone. Now Linette had to accept that Kara had slept with the enemy, perhaps even being manipulated into speaking on his behalf.


    This mature woman then took a deep breath, trying to relieve her stress so she would not have to teach a young adult a lesson.


    p????-?o??? "Sigh..."


    "So, tell me what you two talked about... That''s what you went to do with the enemy, right?" She asked, looking at the woman in front of her disappointedly. "You must have made quite a deal with him, huh? You even had some fun..."


    Kara then looked down at the floor and took a calming breath. "Aunt Linette shouldn''t have refused Minos'' first offer."


    "Oh?"


    "He told me that he made an excellent offer to you before, but it was promptly refused."


    "He told you, huh?" Linette then began pacing back and forth in that tent while looking sideways at Kara. "Speaking like that, it sounds like you agree with him..."


    "Aunt Linette, the offer made by Minos was truly beneficial to the family."


    "We would take no risk!"p????-?????.???


    "No risk?"


    "So, you think it would be better to let the brat Minos become the strongest in the region and eventually march into our state and then enslave us?" She asked in an even angrier tone, to the point of almost shouting at Kara.


    "He wouldn''t do that!"


    "Tsk!"


    "Did he tell you that before or after he had sex with you?"


    "Grow up, Kara!"


    Kara then replied. "He wouldn''t do such a thing, aunt Linette. Just look at his relationship with Stone Island. They are getting along very well, and both sides benefit from such an association."


    "The Stone family has even done what Minos offered our family before discovering how strong he was."


    "Why can''t we do the same?"


    "We still don''t know what will happen to the Stones if Minos wins!" Linette shouted. "Currently, they are fine, but that brat might change his relationship with that place in the future!"


    "Do you want your family to take that risk?"


    Kara then increased her tone, annoyed at Linette''s stubbornness. "The family is already taking that risk!"


    "Just look at the situation we''re in!"


    "Auntie even fought Minos!"


    "If it wasn''t for him holding back, you might as well not be here anymore!" p???? ?o???


    "Humph!"


    "I''m alive because I was strong enough to protect myself, and I was lucky that the brat targeted James!" Linette said angrily, feeling wronged by the lack of respect Kara was speaking to her.


    But Kara insisted. "Do you believe that?"


    "He could have given you a blow like the one that killed King Cromwell, but he just kicked you away!"


    "Tsk!"


    "Kara, wake up to reality. Minos is manipulating you!" That mature figure said this, a little shocked at how much this young woman was defending an enemy of her own family.


    She then thought about it in awe. ''This brat is truthfully good at everything he does!''


    ''He turned a princess into a traitor to her own family!''


    ''Impressive!''


    ''All right, aunt Linette, believe what you want. But I looked into Minos'' eyes and felt that only disaster awaits those who stand in his way."


    "And even if I am wrong, how much do you think the family will have to suffer until he is stopped?"


    "Does aunt Linette think we can get out of this unharmed? How long will it take for the family to accomplish that?"


    "That..."


    "All right, Kara, I admit that we will have to take a lot of risks and that we won''t solve this in a short time, but it''s all worth it."


    "After all, we are fighting to ensure the region''s freedom, to ensure that a monster, a dictator, does not take over our states." ¦Ñ???????????


    "Who will do that for us if we don''t stand up against him?" She said, indignant at Kara''s position.


    Linette was using the past logic of the big local organizations, which fought for power, trying to expand their states whenever they could.


    Such a thing had only ended when a balance of power had been achieved over 200,000 years ago.


    And with this in mind, she and other leaders considered that only fighting Minos would give them the chance to continue with their lives as before this young man.


    They understood that if they wanted to keep their freedom, they would have to work hard for it.


    Waiting for other people''s help was an excuse for the lazy, negligent, and impassive people to do nothing about their problems.


    Blaming others, or saying that nobody helped them, would not change reality!


    The world was not fair, and things like charity were distant luxuries that only those in power could consider.


    As for those at the bottom of the pyramid, poor things...


    Who cares about them?


    Who would help them when tragedy came knocking at their door?


    In the Spiritual World, nobody!


    If someone wanted to solve their problems, then such a person would have to get up, roll up their sleeves, and sweat drops of blood.


    Just working, to the point of sometimes even fainting, would bring the chance for a mediocre individual to improve his position and solve his problems.


    With this mentality, Linette and the regional leaders could not just wait for help from the Spiritual Church. Instead, they had to act, fighting with everything they had, hoping that they would get one to survive.


    They were even seeking help, but in the first place, they were acting for themselves, for the sake of their own future!


    "Tsk!" Kara made a tongue-tied sound, feeling frustrated that she could not talk sense into that experienced woman''s head. "Whatever, aunt Linette."


    "Anyway, Minos has made a new offer for our family, but..."


    "But this time, his offer is more ''bitter'' than the previous one."


    Hearing Kara''s change of tone, Linette took a calmer breath as she finally stopped walking around that place. "What did he say?"


    "He said that we will have to give them all the people of our side who have killed people of the Dry City alliance. For those people, what awaits them is the destruction of their spiritual cultivation."


    "What? How dare he?" She asked in anger.


    "After that, he wants my father to bend the knee and give up the autonomy of the Kingdom of the End for the next 100 years."


    "All nobles in our state will also lose the right to enter the Black Plain for the next 30 years." She said, finishing communicating that to the woman in front of her.


    "What audacity!"


    "How dare he demand such absurdity? What does he think we are?" Linette furiously asked this as the veins in her neck began to become apparent.


    But Kara ignored Linette''s anger and just said the last part of what she had heard from Minos. "He said that this offer will stay ''open'' until he reaches level 54."


    "After that..." She sighed, sensing the danger her family could eventually go through.


    "After what?"


    "After that, there will be no talking. Our family will have to bear the ultimate consequences!"


    "Ahhhh!"


    "Minos!"


    "He thinks he''s too good! What an insolent brat!" Linette roared in anger, alerting several people in the vicinity of that camp.


    However, while Linette roared in anger, Kara was ready to leave this place since she had nothing more to talk about with that woman.


    "Where do you think you are going?" Linette asked while she had an angry look on her face.


    "I''m going home to talk to my mother and father."


    "Maybe they will agree to this arrangement."


    "What? Are you crazy?"


    "Do you think your father will even listen to you? Plus, if he finds out what you''ve done, he''ll probably have a nervous breakdown!"


    "Aunt Linette, why is Minos so strong?" Kara then changed the subject while having a thoughtful look on her face.


    "I''ve been thinking about that a lot in the last few hours..."


    "We''d like to know that too, girl!"


    "Aunt Linette, I have my theory about that..."


    "I think Minos inherited that from his mother, or rather, his mother''s side of the family."


    "Did you know that at less than 100-years-old, Minos'' mother is already at level 69?"


    "What?"


    Kara then finished her commentary. "And I heard that in the elder Maisie''s family are some of the strongest people in the Flaming Empire!"

 Chapter 863 Important Points To Consider

    Chapter 863 Important Points To Consider


    Kara did not know the Coleman family, the home of Maisie, young Stuart''s mother.


    And not knowing such power, she had no idea how substantial that part of the Gray Clouds Sect was. However, she did know about Maisie, the master of Ruth, one of her friends in that sect.


    Not only that, like every organization, the Gray Clouds Sect had all kinds of debate, gossip, news concerning the sect pillars, elders, the strongest disciples, etc.


    After all, wherever there were people, especially from different levels of financial and spiritual power, i.e., social strata, there would be things to talk about.


    Some would succeed, which would motivate the admiration, envy, and greed of many others. But, on the other hand, others would fail, and this would motivate contempt from some, laughter from others, relief and pity from some.


    These were reactions that might be different, but all of them generated the same thing.


    Talks.


    And when talking, or rather gossiping, newcomers, the weaker individuals in the organization would pay attention to such things. After all, information was of utmost importance even in the Spiritual World.


    Knowing who to approach, who not to approach, when to be more formal or less formal, how to behave to maximize your earnings, and so on requires information.


    So, stories of all kinds circulated among the disciples of the same strata as Kara.


    As a result, while Kara did not know much about Maisie''s family, she had heard a lot about House Coleman, some of which were probably exaggerated, but she had a good idea of how true they were.p????-?????.???


    All news could be more or less impartial, with objectives not so honest, depending a lot on the agent through which such information was made available.


    Sometimes a particular agent would not find it interesting to talk about a specific aspect because this could be harmful to itself. As an example, a mission where its creator would highlight the benefits of the same, leaving aside or even hiding its risks.


    But just because the mission''s creator would not be telling the whole truth, or even manipulating it in his favor, would not mean that it was not based on something real.


    With this, at the same time that accepting everything you read and heard would be crazy; the same would be valid for not believing anything.


    The difference was precisely knowing how to analyze information in order to understand the heart of the matter, even when the agent tried to manipulate it.


    And as a critical person, capable of thinking independently and intelligent enough not to be influenced by anything she heard or read, Kara identified some of these critical points.


    She did not know the Coleman family. Still, considering the power of the sect, Maisie''s talent, and some real news from that state, she knew that the rumors she had heard were not made of pure fantasy.


    Some might contain certain exaggerations, and she just did not take them fully into account. Others understated the matter a little more but also touched on the critical point that mattered to her.


    p????-?o??? The fact that House Coleman was a significant power within the Gray Clouds Sect and, consequently, Flaming Empire.


    That was why she had made the previous statement with confidence, even though she did not know much about Maisie''s family! p???? ?o???


    Anyway, after hearing Kara''s comment, Linette stood in shock in the same place as before, trying to process this information.


    She and, of course, all the regional leaders already knew that Minos had a mighty mother who was already at the 7th stage.


    But knowing this and knowing the details about that woman were quite different things!


    Even if most large regional families had at least one of their members in that empire, this did not mean that they would have information about Maisie.


    The Flaming Empire had an area almost equal to that of the northern region of the Central Continent, with more than 2.5 billion people, and there were tens of millions of Spiritual Emperors in that state!


    It was virtually impossible for those families, which barely had information about their descendants, to have access to detailed information about Maisie.


    Consequently, they did not know that woman''s exact level, let alone her background!


    Therefore, upon hearing Kara''s earlier comment, Linette was shocked that Minos was a descendant of such a powerful family.


    Why would a descendant of a family with Spiritual Saints in its ranks decide to stay in the northern region of the Central Continent?


    Or rather, why had such a family left Minos in this barren place? ¦Ñ???????????


    These were some of the questions on that powerful woman''s mind.


    As Linette was thinking about all this, she had considered the possibility that the Black Plain''s power was from the Gray Clouds Sect, but soon such a thing disappeared from her mind.


    That was because such a possibility would make no sense.


    The Gray Clouds Sect had existed longer than all the current families in this poor region. But the Black Plain had already been an ''abandoned'' place for hundreds of thousands of years.


    So, if the Gray Clouds Sect had any plan for this region, they would have done such a thing long ago!


    There were undoubtedly many individuals from that region in that sect, so there was no need for Minos for that to happen.


    But besides that, if that sect had done something like that, the Spiritual Church would be the first to notice and take action.


    But here they were, fighting for over a year against Minos, but in the meantime, no kind of promise had been made by the church.


    Thinking about it, Linette disregarded the possibility that Minos'' mother''s organization sponsored the Black Plain.


    Obviously, this did not mean that no one was supporting him. Still, his enemy side could do nothing to drag the church into this problem with that information alone.


    In any case, it seemed unlikely that such a large organization, with so much to lose, would do something so risky for so little.


    ''If that''s all true, he''ll probably get to the 7th stage easily...'' She was about to think of something but soon remembered the information passed on by King Brown.


    ''But that brat only has a Black talent and King-grade Physique!''


    ''Why is he so different? Is the innate ability of that family so powerful? Maybe his mother helped him raise the rank of his Physique? I heard that she visited him a few times since Albert''s death...'' She considered.


    But she soon put those questions aside and asked Kara, before this young woman left, "And why did you tell me this? No matter how strong they are, they won''t violate the church''s rules."


    "Is that so?"


    "Evidently, the sect would never do anything... But what about his mother?"


    "I heard that she had to try hard not to take revenge on those responsible for the death of Minos'' father... But would that happen if he was the one who died?"


    "She could certainly cause a great deal of chaos before the Spiritual Church realizes the problem..."


    "That would be suicide!" Linette replied.


    Kara nodded in agreement and said. "But there are ways for the sect to disrupt the actions of the local families through the church without having to expose itself to danger!"


    That was indeed true. In principle, the Spiritual Church prohibited outside intervention in this region. And suppose the Gray Clouds Sect decided to help Minos. In that case, they could merely pressure the church members in that empire not to accept the requests of this region''s families.


    After all, the church itself advocated that locals should solve local problems.


    By this, Kara was telling Linette that they were not wholly immune to the actions of outside powers!


    "In any case, aunt Linette, I will go find my father to talk to him about this. Take this into consideration in your future decisions."


    "Minos probably has greater potential than you think."


    "And if he suddenly decides to leave the northern region to go to the empire, he will be able to do so very easily."


    "And then, it''s gone."


    "The local families would never be able to do anything against him in that scenario. However, he could still take revenge on every single descendant of the regional families in that state!"

 Chapter 864 You Are Here For Trouble? 1

    Chapter 864 You Are Here For Trouble? 1


    "At worst, by fleeing to the empire, he could return to the region on a suicide mission in the future!"


    "So, think carefully about your decisions..."


    "I particularly think you misunderstand Minos because you are considering our own history to judge him. But even if you disagree with me on that, realizing that you are still underestimating him is not difficult."


    "It''s pretty obvious how much you all underestimate him, even today..."


    "Anyway, he definitely has more cards up his sleeve than you of the Counter-Revolutionary Army think!" Kara said, finally finishing her business in this place.


    Upon hearing that and seeing Kara quickly disappear from her field of vision, Linette was dumbfounded, thinking about that last point raised by that young woman.


    That was the only part of what Kara had told her from the beginning that Linette had no way of refuting.


    Minos could escape to the Flaming Empire. That was certainly a truth, and they already considered that possibility in the Counter-Revolutionary Army.


    Suppose they devastated everything Minos had built up these past few years, perhaps killing important people to him. In that case, that could create more significant problems if he was a revenge-crazed person that his powerful mother would protect.


    Finally, he could definitely grow up safely and quickly in the empire. So, he could eventually decide to take revenge on those families with their descendants in that empire.


    All of this was terrible, and these families would not be able to do anything against Minos if this scenario developed!


    That frightened this woman!


    "Damn it!"


    "The rascal is a genius!"p????-?????.???


    "He''s several steps ahead of us!" She muttered this in anger, feeling a little moved by the doubt Kara had put in her mind.


    She obviously would not make any radical decision without pondering the matter a great deal, without first having more information at her disposal. But at this point, Linette no longer felt so confident about fighting young Stuart.


    ''I hope the Spiritual Church will at least give us the freedom to call back our descendants in the empire...''


    ''That would be enough!'' She pondered over the possibility that the regional leaders wanted to take to the church representative of this region.


    ...


    While Linette was thinking about her conversation with Kara, Ford had already left that camp, heading alongside Troy to Dry City.


    After finding out about Kara''s affair with Minos, he was furious. He decided to meet with young Stuart to demand an explanation, somehow clearing things up in his mind.


    But in picking up one of the flying beasts at that camp, he had run into Troy and told that young man where he was going.


    Ford had not given Troy any details, but when this individual found out about Kara''s brother''s plans, he immediately decided to go to Dry City.


    Not only because he was worried about the mistakes that the nervous Ford might make by going to visit young Stuart, but because he already wanted to make such a visit.


    Troy simply had not done it yet because he was preventing himself from doing what his father had advised him not to do. After all, that advice had been wise.


    But with Ford''s excuse, he had no longer held back, having set off toward his goal, his old ''rival'', Minos.


    Anyway, the two went to Dry City on a good mount and did not take long to arrive in the vicinity of such a place! p???? ?o???


    ...


    Sometime later...


    Ford and Troy were, at this moment, standing a few kilometers from the northern exit of the defensive dome of Dry City, observing the surroundings while in fighting position.


    Now, they were surrounded by more than 30 individuals, several of them wearing armor with the symbol of a golden tree, but others with different symbols on their items.


    But this was to be expected. After all, not only were the soldiers of the Black Plain Army patrolling areas near the dome, but members of the Austin, Parkinson, and Miller families were doing the same.


    That is, these families were living on the outer sides of the defensive dome, near the four exits of the local wall. So, that was one of their responsibilities.


    And those two young men could see the many tents outside that protected area, where they could notice many low-level auras.


    But this did not draw the attention of the two. On the contrary, what worried them was that so many people had gathered in their vicinity as if they were enemies.


    And even if they had shown their IDs as members of one of the great sects of the Flaming Empire, that still had not resolved their situation.


    Consequently, each of them was in a fighting stance, prepared to respond to any violence generated by the opposing side.


    However, after standing there for about 30 minutes, the two finally saw the figure of the young man they were looking for.


    At that moment, Minos came running out of that camping area, coming towards where this patrol group was surrounding these two.


    Upon seeing this, the two recognized young Stuart, even though he had greatly improved his appearance after the stage advances he had during these years since the final of the Spiritual Tournament. ¦Ñ???????????


    "Minos!" Troy said this as he watched that person, feeling a particular itch in his hand, wanting to fight such an opponent.


    On the other hand, Ford had a very unfriendly expression at the moment, as if he had seen the most disgusting thing in his life.


    "Oh?" Minos looked at those two, probing the levels of these old acquaintances of his. "I wonder if there is something special about today. Every hour someone different comes in wanting to see me..." He joked.


    "Minos!" Ford shouted, not giving a damn about young Stuart''s small talk.


    "Ford, what is it?"


    "By the way, what are you guys doing here?"


    "Can''t you see I''m in the middle of a war? I don''t mind talking to you, but it would be nice if you at least warned me before coming here..." He said more seriously after looking at Ford''s angry expression.


    p????-?o??? "I have more important things to do!"


    "Tsk!"


    "More important things..."


    "More important things like manipulating my little sister?" Ford asked angrily, giving Troy no room to suggest a duel.


    "Oh?"


    ''That was fast, huh...'' Minos thought about it, realizing the problem. ''And me, innocent, thinking Kara was the least bit discreet...''


    "Sigh..."


    "Kara and I are friends, as are we, Ford." Minos then began to explain himself. "The difference is that she and I can get together, shall we say, in a much more interesting way for both parties..."


    "You will never understand that."


    "In any case, like a good friend, instead of simply judging me as an enemy, she came to me, exposed her thoughts, and dialogued in search of a good solution for both sides..."


    "She at least tried to understand my side of the story."


    "But you... Apparently, you didn''t do anything like that..."


    "It seems you didn''t give me the benefit of the doubt!"


    "Ford, I''m disappointed!" He said as he shook his head from side to side while Ford and Troy watched him incredulously.


    ''Does this dude truly have the nerve to say that?'' Troy wondered as his eyes widened in amazement. ''He acts like he just made a small mistake and deserved Ford''s support...''


    ''Crazy!''


    "You..."


    "What are you saying? Do you think you have the right to say such words, Minos?" Ford roared in a fury.


    Minos watched him for a moment and then just ignored these questions. "Ford, what''s the matter? Why are you so angry?"


    "Your sister was quite relaxed when she came to me..."


    "It''s a surprise that you are so defensive."


    "Tsk!"


    "Minos, do you think I don''t know what you did to my sister?" Ford finally lost his patience. "I know you have a compelling mental technique..."


    "I''m sure you used it against my sister!"


    "Otherwise, she would never have slept with an enemy of our family!"


    "What?" Troy said in shock while holding Ford back so that this young man would not jump on Minos. ''Such a thing happened?''


    "Oh? So, that''s it?"


    "Ford, if you know about my technique, then your family members must have already told you that I can''t manipulate other people..."


    "Suppose I could do that. Wouldn''t it be more interesting for me to order a level 59 Spiritual King, or even someone weaker, to kill others of the same level? Why would I waste my time trying to manipulate Kara just to sleep with me?"


    "You are being incoherent, my friend..." Minos laughed. ''I have at most satisfied her so that she values our relationship more...''


    "But don''t be offended, Ford. That''s just my way of having fun with my female friends... And Kara seems like she intended to do that with me well before she came here..."


    "Ahhhh!"


    "Bastard!"


    ...

 Chapter 865 You Are Here For Trouble? 2

    Chapter 865 You Are Here For Trouble? 2


    After screaming in rage, Ford managed to free himself from Troy. Then, he ran towards Minos, intent on punching the scoundrel in the face.


    Ford naturally would have no problem if Minos had slept with Kara in another situation. But even in a situation where the ruler of the Black Plain would not become an enemy of his family, he still would not want to hear things like what young Stuart had just said.


    That is, from what Minos was saying, it seemed that Kara had come here just to have a hot date with him...  And even considering the regional reality, she still had not given up her worldly desires.


    It seemed to Ford that Minos was saying that his beloved sister was a pervert, easy to win over, who did not even need to be manipulated to get into bed with an enemy.


    And this irritated him intensely!


    After all, they were not only biological siblings but also had a somewhat ''special'' relationship. So, with all the love he had for his sister, he could not help but feel offended by what Minos had said.


    ''Scumbag! And I thought he was a friend!'' Ford thought about this as he advanced against Minos, with one of his fists gripped, ready to punch his target.


    But Ford was so nervous about all this that he began to put his views on Minos'' words, understanding different meanings in what he had heard.


    Minos had not given any opinion about Kara. He had only said what he had seen.


    Young Stuart already knew that Kara was interested in him since Ruth had told him this. So, he was aware that the young redhead could only have decided to come here to have a meeting with him.


    As for the information she learned after arriving in this part of the continent, that did not matter so much. After all, no matter how bad the situation was, Kara could make a deal with Minos that would not harm her family.


    And, indeed, such a thing was feasible.


    Kara was a member of the local royalty, someone who, like many, did not care about the lives of subordinates she did not even know the name of.p????-?????.???


    She understood the value of the collective and also of experts. Still, she genuinely did not care about the existence of many of these people.


    Consequently, it would not be so difficult to think of a deal where the people who were truly important to her were not hurt. And she could still have a good relationship with Minos.


    That''s why she had done all that with Minos, even after hearing his demands.


    Those demands were, yes, harsh. But no one important to Kara would die if her family accepted such a thing.


    On the other hand, their status could decrease for a short time and then increase to even higher heights in the future.


    Thinking like this, it was not exactly the worst of deals, from her point of view, of course.


    As for those who would have their spiritual cultivation destroyed, well, that would be a shame. But Kara did not care.


    Anyway, Minos had noticed these things and had just been honest with Ford.


    p????-?o??? But Ford did not give a damn about all that.


    A woman who would have sex with an enemy out of free will was undoubtedly vile in his mind. So, he judged that Minos had offended Kara!


    And to him, that was unacceptable!


    "You need to calm down a bit, Ford," Minos said as he dodged that young redhead''s fist and then threw that individual in Troy''s direction. p???? ?o???


    "Ahhhhhh!" Ford cried out in surprise, feeling that he had suddenly lost his support as a tremendous force hurled him away.


    After seeing this, Troy''s eyes widened as he saw Minos making a somewhat offensive move while being at the same level as him.


    ''Impressive!''


    ''He dodged Ford''s punch like he was dodging a child''s attack!''


    ''And then, he threw away a level 50 Spiritual King, as if he was dealing with a simple sack of potatoes!'' Troy''s eyes flashed in animation as he wanted to fight Minos.


    But as Troy thought about these things, he did not stay still. Instead, he moved to catch the body rapidly flying towards him.


    Puff!


    "Ahhhh!" Ford cried out in pain, feeling that even though Minos had barely struggled, the force of that throw had been so great that he had still felt pain as he crashed into Troy.


    "Damn it, Ford!"


    "Why are you so angry about all this?" Troy asked, feeling his hands shaking.


    He had held his traveling companion, but Ford''s body had come with such force that it felt like a human cannonball.


    "Someone with his power doesn''t need to manipulate a woman like your sister... Wake up, man." ¦Ñ???????????


    "Don''t tell me this is all jealousy?"


    "Tsk!"


    But Ford did not accept Troy''s good words, continuing with his stubbornness. "I don''t believe Kara would do that of her own free will!"


    Seeing this, Minos sighed and then took a few steps forward. "Well, besides that, is there any other business for you guys to be here? I hope you will leave the Black Plain if there is nothing else since I have no time for your nonsense."


    "Minos!" Ford shouted in anger. "We''re not done..."


    But then Troy stepped forward and said what he wanted. "Minos, I just want you to fight a match against me."


    "We have to settle the previous draw!" He said excitedly, even considering his significant disadvantage and the fact that Minos was an enemy of his family.


    Minos then ignored Ford''s figure and looked at that black-haired young man. "Solve the previous draw?"


    "Troy, what difference does that result make? When participating in the Spiritual Tournament, I never intended to win first place."


    "For me, that was just something useful to test my abilities at that time and meet some people..."


    "In other words, the result didn''t matter."


    Troy then frowned, gradually becoming indignant at Minos'' lack of competitiveness. "If you are telling the truth, then why did you go all the way to the final?"


    "You certainly could have done all that without having to compete for all the way to the end."


    "Tsk!"


    "Be honest!"


    "You think you are so much better than me that you believe that a fight at this point wouldn''t make any difference!" He shouted, more furious, with his face completely red.


    "That''s right."


    "There''s no point in us fighting," Minos replied coldly. "In any case, I went all the way to the final of the Spiritual Tournament for one reason only..."


    "Because I could do such a thing."


    "I just went to the limit of my capabilities back then..."


    "But now..."


    "Now, there is no point in a fight between us," Minos said seriously, looking eye to eye with Troy. "I don''t have time for child''s play."


    "I have a war to settle. What importance does a silly competition have next to that?"


    ''Bastard!'' Troy thought about it silently, not knowing what to say to Minos.


    Troy was a competitive person, so battles like the one proposed by him were very relevant for him. But he perfectly understood that convincing someone who did not think the same way as he was very complicated.


    With that, he had ''swallowed'' his anger in silence.


    But neither Troy nor Ford were leaving that place. Instead, both were in fighting positions, hoping that Minos would take them more seriously.


    Ford had already realized that he alone was no match for young Stuart. As for Troy, he would not leave that place without at least trying!


    "Sigh..."


    "Mendy is truly smart," Minos muttered as he remembered that such a woman from the Stokes family had warned him that something like this would probably happen.


    "So, you are here for trouble?" He asked with a deeper tone, making them shiver in tension.


    "We''re going to fight!" The two said simultaneously, already running towards Minos, with several of their techniques activated.


    "Then let me show you a little bit of the terror!" Minos'' eyes began to glow in rainbow colors as he said this.


    Infinite Dream!


    ...

 Chapter 866 A Good Trap

    Chapter 866 A Good Trap


    Immediately after Minos activated his mental technique, the two young men running toward him stumbled on the ground, falling and rolling a few times until they finally stopped.


    One of them was at level 50 and the other at level 52. Because both had lower spiritual power than Minos, they had utterly felt the effects of the Infinite Dream and had fallen into the illusion created by it.


    Thus, as their minds fell into a realistic dream where they were facing young Stuart, their bodies had fallen on that ground in the real world, creating a funny scene for the soldiers in the surroundings.


    As for Minos and the spiritual beast that had accompanied those two here, neither was laughing.


    The beast was terrified, fearing it would be the next. As for Minos, he was not interested in wasting any more of his time with those two.


    So, after seeing that the two were motionless on the ground, he sighed deeply and then looked at that big flying beast.


    "You..."


    That great bird then looked fearfully at Minos, lowering its great head to show its submission.


    Minos then approached that great bird, seeing it shitting itself in fear of him.


    He then ran his hands along the beast''s long neck, noting that this was a good beast.


    But he did not decide to steal the mount from those two. After all, such a thing might not belong to them, and even if it did, it would not be good to steal people from the empire. He then said. "Take these two and return to where you all came from."p????-?????.???


    Upon hearing this, that bird was reassured and promptly did what Minos commanded. "Yes, sir!"


    So, within seconds of those two shouting in animation that they would fight Minos, that bird was already carrying the two on its rear.


    ''Now I can get back to my business...'' Minos thought about it in satisfaction, already returning to Dry City.


    ...


    Two days later...


    After the previous encounter with Minos, Ford and Troy had been taken back by that bird to the camp from which they had departed.


    But they had not recovered from the ''battle'' they had had with Minos!


    Instead, they had arrived unconscious at that place, and up to this present moment, both were in a deep sleep, slowly recovering from what Minos had done to them.


    Physically, the two were fine. But mentally, Ford and Troy had suffered a blow that could not be recovered in such a short time.


    That was not serious to the point that they were in danger of death or their powers were diminished, but they needed more time to recover. p???? ?o???


    When they had faced Minos, a single look from this young man had sent those two into an incredibly realistic dream, in which they had thought they had fought a high-level battle against him.


    However, even though to them it seemed that they had had a chance in that unforgettable event, they had both lost and suffered dramatically from Minos'' attacks!


    And because mental attacks were more severe than physical injuries, the two had ended up in their current situation, unconscious. They were still suffering as if the fight against Minos would never end.


    In any case, while the two were sweating amid their nightmares, their families had not done much after finding out what had happened to them.


    p????-?o??? They had, of course, used the doctors on duty at that camp, but they had not acted to avenge what Minos had done.


    Not only because they both knew that those two were not in much danger, but because their situation was not so comfortable as to think of taking revenge on Minos.


    As for Kara, she was already traveling through the Kingdom of the Waves, going towards her father, to pursue her agenda in favor of peace.


    ...


    While Ford and Troy were recovering, Minos had not been idle in Dry City. After finishing his previous rest and cultivation, he had received good news from Peter.


    After more than a year away, that group was finally about to arrive on the Black Plain, bringing all the new mounts of the local army! ¦Ñ???????????


    And considering the relevance of such a thing and the risks associated with the arrival of that group, Minos was already moving across the Black Plain, heading toward his naval base.


    There was a naval blockade around the Black Plain Army naval base, something that could only be overcome with battles. But, on the other hand, there were enemies on land all along the coast of this territory, groups that could easily be assembled for a confrontation.


    So, Minos was heading for that area to help this group pass safely through the Black Plain!


    But while making his journey westward, this young man was suddenly alerted by the Feathered Serpent serving as a mount for him. "Young Minos, I sense that something is wrong."


    "What is it?" He asked immediately after hearing such a thing, not understanding what it could be since he was not feeling anything.


    But that was to be expected. After all, as much as Minos was stronger than that level 54 beast, he did not have senses as sharp as those of beings of that race, especially considering that it was above his level.


    And with that, he had been taken aback by that serpent''s sudden warning!


    It then said with a certain nervousness in its voice. "It seems that we have entered space under the influence of a spiritual confusion array!"


    "I cannot assess the source of this, nor people in the vicinity. But there is something!"


    Feathered Serpents could sense certain sensations through their unique ability, Spiritual Affinity.


    And although they usually used that to perceive places or even people of good potential, beings of this race could perceive all kinds of interference related to spiritual energy.


    So, even though it could not locate an array or even people in its surroundings, that beast was sure that there was something wrong in that place where it and Minos were flying.


    Upon entering that space, that serpent had immediately felt a chill run through its body, strangely feeling as if it were falling into a trap under the observation of a hunter.


    And with its confidence in that ability, it could not stop its movements and warn young Stuart.


    "What should we do?" It asked in doubt, a little afraid to continue on its way.


    Minos then frowned, finding this all very unusual. ''This is very strange...''


    ''Why didn''t I feel anything? Is it something way beyond my level?'' He wondered.


    ''Damn, don''t tell me it''s more people from that damn empire?'' His eyes widened as he thought about that possibility. ''Won''t those bastards give me peace?''


    "Tsk!"


    "Let''s see what happens." So, he said to that serpent, preparing for any surprise attack.


    "I don''t know who''s there, but if you''re not capable of killing Spiritual Emperors, you''d better give up."


    "How about that? I don''t want to make my fame worse, with even more blood on my hands." He said seriously, looking from side to side intently.


    Upon hearing this, a figure with long black hair, who was relatively close to Minos, but whom he could not see or feel, laughed at this.


    But she did not immediately act as Minos had expected.


    This beautiful woman that could easily be considered one of the most stunning by the regional standards, approached slowly, preparing to restrain him.


    She was standing on top of a white eagle while her green dress swayed slowly because of the wind, making her feel good, even considering the heat of the nights at this time of the year in the Black Plain.


    But as she did so, tiny golden threads were coming out of her fingers, as if they were continuations of her fingernails, going towards Minos'' body.


    ''You are courageous to say such things to someone you can neither see nor feel...'' She thought about it with a smile on her face, constantly manipulating a low-level grade-3 array, which was hindering those two senses.


    And when she was finally almost touching Minos'' back, she softly murmured to him as she prepared to use her mental technique on him. "Gotcha!"


    ...

 Chapter 867 Betrayal

    Chapter 867 Betrayal


    Upon hearing that soft voice, much like that of someone he knew well, Minos turned away as one of his swords appeared in his hand.


    Then, he immediately activated each of his techniques, ready to defend and counterattack.


    Swooish!


    After activating his Spatial Sword, he promptly aimed in the direction of the thin threads almost touching him, finally sensing something, seeing his surroundings with difficulty.


    ''Damn it!''


    ''Who is this woman?'' He wondered, thinking about the voice that had just sounded in his ears, as he looked at those threads and saw the underside of her dress.


    Upon doing so, Minos wasted no time and promptly moved on that serpent, preparing to jump in the woman''s direction, attacking this opponent he could barely see.


    Spiritual confusion arrays were perfect for hiding people, making life difficult for their targets. But once the side under the array''s ''protection'' made a move, such an effect on itself would greatly diminish for the array''s targets.


    So, now that such a person had acted directly against him, Minos had caught glimpses of parts of her clothing, and he quickly countered her attack!


    Therefore, he had a target and was ready to strike with all his might.


    "Die!" He shouted as he prepared to move his sword toward that person''s left breast.


    Sensing this, that beautiful woman, who had been enjoying herself with Minos for the moment, froze in fear, sensing that something was wrong.


    ''Damn it, that attack will be stronger than I can bear!'' So, she thought in desperation, ignoring the fact that her mental technique barely affected Minos.p????-?????.???


    And as she regretted that she had made the foolish move of trying to meet this young man in such an unusual way, her fearful eyes met Minos''.


    "What?" He said in terror as he realized the tear streaming from that face so familiar to him. "Ruth?"


    "Damn it!" Seeing a face very similar to Ruth''s, Minos felt a chill run down his spine as his sword followed toward her chest.


    But as someone who loved such a person, Minos could in no way hurt her!


    With that in mind, he quickly used his only free hand to make a horizontal motion, intending to deflect the blade in his other hand, which by now had already slipped out of his control.


    Crack!


    Immediately after he used all the strength and speed he had to attack his own weapon, Minos'' left hand hit the weapon''s pommel, causing it to crack, just before it flew away, following a path where ''Ruth'' would not be in danger.


    Upon seeing this, that woman was shocked by the situation, how Minos had reacted to it, and the shocking change in his behavior.


    She then felt a weakness in her legs until she fell on the bird''s back, trembling with fear.


    But she had not been alone there. Just after that move, Minos fell on that beast''s back.


    "Ruth?" He asked doubtfully, feeling his heart beating as fast as ever. "Are you all right?"


    He then caught that woman from behind, gently pulling her into his arms and hugging her. p???? ?o???


    But the woman trembling in fear answered nothing, continuing to stand with her back to him as she felt lost, confused, regretful.


    ''I almost died!''


    ''All because of my absurd curiosity!''


    ''I just wanted to test him to see if my little sister had been deceived, but... But...'' Tears continued to trickle down her eyes.


    That was Ruth''s older sister, Talia, who had been very curious about Minos and had come all the way from the Flaming Empire to here just to meet him.


    But she did not want to meet him by going to Dry City, sitting around a table, drinking tea, and chatting. She wanted, or rather, had planned to follow him for some time until she found an opportunity.


    She had only managed this today.


    After that, she wanted to kidnap Minos and interrogate him slowly to understand if he was a threat, someone to be kept away from her dear little sister.


    If he were manipulating Ruth, Talia would not let him escape!


    But his plans had put her in this present situation, where she had almost died at the hands of Minos...


    If it were not because Talia and Ruth were so much alike, this would have been the end of her!


    So, Talia could not help but tremble in fear as she realized how foolish she had been, almost creating the circumstance of her death in an unnecessary situation. Not only that, her action could potentially cause a major commotion in Minos and Ruth''s relationship and her entire family! ¦Ñ???????????


    With that in mind, she cries in regret, fearing the if.


    But while she looked terrified, Minos was hugging her as he did with Ruth, also very concerned about this unexpected situation.


    "White, take us down..." He said this to that eagle, which looked like Ruth''s beast, but was not it.


    However, such a beast said nothing to Minos, having just followed this young man''s command, also fearful of the previous situation.


    "Ruth, what happened? Why did you do that?" He asked, feeling the warmth of that woman''s body mixing with his own.


    Hearing this, Talia finally sighed deeply, thinking of how to get out of this situation. ''What do I do?''


    ''What do I do?''


    ''He''s mistaking me for my sister. Is it because of the array?''


    ''Maybe I should just keep it activated and pretend I''m Ruth?'' She pondered this, feeling ridiculous for knowing Minos that way.


    But as Talia calmed herself in Minos'' arms, she was slowly regaining her patience, seeing the situation calmly as she would normally. ''If he thinks I am Ruth, then I will act accordingly!''


    ''That way, I can avoid bigger problems and still ask the questions I have in mind!''


    She then tried to speak like her sister and said. ''I... I wanted to surprise you..."


    "Surprise? What kind of nonsense is this? Why didn''t you go to Dry City?" He asked doubtfully, finally when that great white eagle landed on one of the many empty parts of the Black Plain.


    Then, Talia slowly turned to Minos before finally embracing him, hiding her face as she rested her head on his muscular chest.


    "I don''t know... I think I made a mistake."


    "This..."


    "All right, let''s put that aside, but I don''t want you to do something like that again. Do you understand?"


    "OK..."


    Minos then took her by the waist, surprising Talia, until her body was in an ideal position for them to look at each other from the same height and then kiss.


    "What do you..." She was about to ask when suddenly Minos moved toward her lips.


    "Wait..."


    "Mmmmm~"


    Talia had nothing to do. Minos was stronger than her and thought she was Ruth. So, he did just what he would do upon seeing his girlfriend again after some time away from each other.


    He had not used brute force, but his movements were agile and decisive, giving Talia no time to do anything about it. Because of this, just as she was about to stop him, Minos'' tongue was already inside her mouth, trying to dance with her tongue.


    At the same time, Minos was hugging her intimately, in a way that only couples would do, that was definitely not appropriate to do when hugging a sister-in-law.


    Upon realizing this, Talia''s face turned completely red as she looked at Minos in shock, with no option but to kiss him back.


    ''What the hell!''


    ''I have to stop him! That is a betrayal of my sister!'' She considered this, feeling that it was wrong for her to kiss Ruth''s boyfriend.


    However, as she felt Minos'' tongue in her mouth, Talia was feeling better than she should, more and more turned on by the shameless way he was treating her.


    Usually, she was treated like a goddess among disciples of the same status as hers, which, by the way, was no small thing. After all, besides being at level 58, she was also a member of one of the noble families of that sect!


    With this, she rarely went out with men so intense in their actions that they commanded the moment, giving no freedom for her to control whatever was going to happen.


    On the other hand, Minos frankly was an excellent kisser, and this woman felt unusual compatibility with him.


    p????-?o??? ''Damn it!''


    ''Forgive me, Ruth, but this is stronger than me...'' So, she thought as she broke free of her mental restraints, closing her eyes and finally acting more warmly with Minos.


    ...

 Chapter 868 A Woman Of Attitude

    Chapter 868 A Woman Of Attitude


    Sensing how ''Ruth'' was kissing and touching him, Minos'' hands stopped their movement as he opened his eyes momentarily. ''This...''


    But he did not stop kissing that woman. Instead, he took a step forward, trying to understand what this person wanted from him.


    ''Who are you?'' He wondered in his mind.


    He could see that the person in front of him was very similar to Ruth, and without being able to ascertain her level for sure, he had been mistaken earlier about her identity.


    However, upon feeling how she kissed and touched him, he immediately realized that this was not Ruth, or such things would not be so different.


    ''Is this on account of the array from before? But such a thing should not make me see Ruth''s face in other people!''


    ''After all, if this array were so good, then this woman definitely wouldn''t have been so afraid of me since she would have to be much stronger than me to operate better arrays!'' So, Minos concluded as he ran his fingers between ''Ruth''s'' clothes, trying to understand how far this woman would let him go.


    ''That means she probably already has a very similar appearance to Ruth!''


    ''What a fascinating thing!'' He pondered in interest, considering that it was not at all easy to find look-alikes in the Spiritual World.


    However, they existed since billions of humans lived on this sole continent.


    The human genetics in the Spiritual World were very diverse, as the current race had existed for millions of years.


    On the other hand, it had been conceived in a remote past that even Minos had no idea how much time had passed since then, nor how many individuals had given ''birth'' to his race.p????-?????.???


    But even with such diversity, there were look-alikes all around this great world, people who, even without genetic relatedness, could have almost identical external characteristics.


    And thinking that the woman in his arms was one of these, Minos was fascinated to find a look-alike of Ruth.


    However, his fascination did not last long. After all, even if such a thing was incredible, it did not diminish the problem in his arms.


    ''Why was she after me? And why is she kissing me now?'' He wondered even more, curious.


    She had acted against him and his mount earlier by setting a trap in this area. But then, she had lost and fallen into his arms.


    After that, she suddenly pretended to be Ruth and accepted what Minos was doing to her...


    That was strange!


    Minos was not just kissing her. Instead, he was doing what he would do to Ruth, groping and massaging her most sensitive parts!


    And yet, the woman in his arms was accepting all of this, with faint signs of pleasure appearing in her body, as she held herself back from stopping kissing young Stuart and moaning...


    ''Don''t tell me she''s some kind of pervert?'' Minos'' eyes widened in shock as he watched how she kissed him like an animal in heat.


    ''This...'' p???? ?o???


    ''This could be dangerous!'' He decided to stop it right after he felt the tips of one of his fingers wet with the nectar of ''Ruth''s'' flower.


    "Uh?" Sensing Minos stopping his hand movements and retrieving his tongue from her mouth, Talia opened her eyes in confusion. ''It was so good... Why did you stop?'' She thought about it.


    She then asked. "Why did you stop?"


    Minos'' pupils then contracted as he noticed the sincere expression on this woman''s face, which at the moment no longer looked so identical to Ruth''s but was still very similar.


    ''It was that array!''


    ''And to think that an array could disturb my senses in such a way!''


    ''She truly isn''t from this region!''


    ''But if she''s here to kill me, why did she give herself to me like that? Is it her strategy?'' He looked at her carefully, still holding her in his arms but prepared to act if something were to happen.


    "You..."


    "I..." Talia''s pulse raced as she heard Minos'' deep voice.


    "You are not Ruth!" ¦Ñ???????????


    "Who are you? Why are you doing all this?"


    ''Damn...''


    She turned her face away in shame, regretting that Minos had discovered such a thing too soon. ''If he had only realized this later, at least we would both be in the same boat...''


    "I..."


    "I just wanted to meet you... I promise I''m not a risk to you, nor do I intend to hurt you..." She replied in a soft tone. "Then please don''t ask my name for the moment..."


    "What?"


    "Are you serious? Even after using a trap against me, you say that?"


    She nodded in agreement and said. "I am serious. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have used an array that merely messes up your senses."


    ''That''s true...'' He thought about it as he ran his tongue across his lips.


    Gulp!


    "So? Why don''t we continue?" She asked without any shame on her face.


    Hearing such a thing, Minos was shocked at how libertine she was to propose this right after meeting him and kissing him for only a few minutes. ''This woman is on fire!''


    ''Am I lucky? Or is this some kind of bad luck in disguise?'' He tried to see the bright side of the story, still feeling awkward under it all.


    "You..."


    "Why are you doing this? Your last goal didn''t seem to be that..."


    "As I said, I wanted to meet you... But my questions have already been answered." She said, thinking about how excited Minos had made her simply by kissing and touching her.


    Because of this, she already had a good idea of why Ruth had fallen in love with him!


    Obviously, not only does sex matter concerning feelings, but this was an essential factor.


    In one case, a couple loved each other very much but were not compatible in sex. In other, the couple did not love each other but were compatible in this activity.


    p????-?o??? In both cases, the relationship was unlikely to work out in the long term.


    After all, human beings have both physical and mental needs to be satisfied from time to time. And if the partner could not do what was necessary, then, sooner or later, such a person would look for someone else to do it for him or her.


    In this way, compatibility in the intimate moment was crucial, and Talia understood this very well.


    With that, she could understand why Ruth liked Minos so much. After all, it was definitely easier to start liking someone who was already compatible in bed than someone who was not.


    The opposite could even happen. Still, such a thing would require much more dedication from both parties and would hardly work with people living so far away from each other.


    Ruth was beautiful and talented, someone who had rows of men willing to be with her in the Gray Clouds Sect.


    So, if she were not compatible with Minos and had not created genuine feelings for him from the beginning of their relationship, it would probably have been difficult for her to remain oblivious to her choices. But that had been what she had done since she had met young Stuart.


    Hence, Talia had had her questions answered only by Minos'' actions.


    As for his character, she was sure that he was an obstinate person because he had refused to go to one of the empire''s sects to stay in the poor northern region.


    She knew he had some sort of problem with his mother, so she understood that Minos was someone who would prove himself when ''challenged.''


    As for the rest, if he were not good for her, Ruth would not be so fascinated with him that she would not want to stay long in the empire!


    With all that, Talia had gotten her answers and now hoped to understand more ''deeply'' how Minos had changed her little sister...


    "Is that enough for you?" She asked softly, touching Minos'' semi-exposed chest.


    ''What an attitude!'' Minos thought about it as he watched the beautiful woman with big breasts touching him.


    And when one of Talia''s hands finally found the ''little'' Minos, that young man answered her. "It is a very tempting offer, Miss..."


    "But it''s hard for me to simply accept all that without even knowing your name, where you come from, and so on..."


    "Even more so, we are in the middle of nowhere, and as much as I am interested in exploring new places, I believe this is not the time for that."


    ...

 Chapter 869 The Arrival Of Lee And Alison 1

    Chapter 869 The Arrival Of Lee And Alison 1


    Upon hearing Minos'' words, Talia felt as if someone had thrown a bucket of cold water on her burning body, feeling disappointed.


    Unlike Ruth, this woman from the Miles family of the Gray Clouds Sect had already had many sexual experiences in her life.


    Therefore, she had no problem getting into bed with a man she thought was compatible right after meeting him.


    But although she was capable of doing that, she was not like Mirya, Viola, and Elena, women with whom Minos had relationships and who had the habit of sleeping with men constantly.


    They did not do that when they were with him, but since they were just friends with no romantic feelings for each other, there was no kind of commitment from him to them or vice versa.


    But in Talia''s case, she would not stop herself from getting into bed with a man right after meeting him, but she would not do such a thing constantly. She would even avoid doing so while she was getting to know her partner of the moment.


    And since she was single at the moment and had liked the way Minos had treated her, she had become interested in getting to know this boyfriend of her sister''s.


    She felt that this was a problem, as Ruth would probably not be happy about it. But perhaps that was what had made her so interested in Minos, to the point that her flower was practically dripping in anticipation for young Stuart''s pollen.


    And hearing his refusal, she was feeling very disappointed, as if she had heard no in the worst way there was.


    "We really can''t?"


    Gulp!


    ''This woman...'' Minos was impressed to realize this, shocked by how decisive she was about it. ''Ah, it''s a pity I have something to do now...''


    "Cough!"p????-?????.???


    "Uh, not impossible, but not here, not now, not with this array that is confusing my senses."


    "Sigh..."


    "Then..."


    "If you want, go to Dry City in two days, and we will get to know each other better," Minos said as he saw the reaction of that beauty in his arms.


    She then looked at him meaningfully as she felt the heat diminish somewhat. But then, she hugged him and moved towards his lips, intent on feeling a little more of Minos before he left.


    "Mmmmmm~"


    Sensing young Stuart''s clever tongue, Talia shivered from head to toe, feeling Minos'' grip, who did not feel the least bit bad about playing with her lower cheeks.


    Then, after they parted their lips, Minos looked at her in interest and said. "Well, since that''s the case, I hope to hear more from you in two days."


    "All right..." She commented just before she saw him leaving with that serpent from earlier.


    "Sigh..."


    "What do I do now?" Talia wondered aloud, feeling quite confused at the moment. ''If I have to wait two days, I don''t know if I''ll have the courage to go to Dry City...''


    ''And now, what do I do in this state?'' She ran one of her hands over her little sister, frustrated that she had not had fun with that young man. p???? ?o???


    Her cheeks then reddened as her hand moved on its own, something she had not done in years.


    ...


    Hours later...


    After his unexpected encounter with Ruth''s older sister, Minos had made his way to the coast of the Black Plain without further trouble.


    But upon arriving at the naval base of the Black Plain Army, this young man and that Feathered Serpent had encountered the darkness of night being lightened by the flames on the outskirts of that area.


    Sound of cannons reverberated throughout the area, capable of frightening anyone who passed by without understanding what it was all about.


    But for both sides on the Black Plain, this was normal for this region, where practically every week, there was at least one confrontation on the high seas.


    The Counter-Revolutionary Army had set up a naval blockade in this area, but this was often ''broken'' by the Black Plain Army fleet. On the other hand, from time to time, Minos'' enemies tried to destroy this place, something that could solve the problem once and for all.


    But the Minos side was not weak, and the battles at this place had been going on for months!


    So, the two sides at war in this region were already very used to the nights illuminated by burning ships, cannon explosions, and other attacks.


    Not only the brightness caused by the battles had become the new normal for these people. The sounds of screams for help and desperate cries had become standard on this part of the Black Plain coast.


    Because of this, when Minos had arrived at this place, he had not been surprised by any of this. On the contrary, he had only stopped to observe the chaos and understand a little better the current situation. ¦Ñ???????????


    ''It looks like Lee and Alison''s group have already started crossing the naval blockade...'' So, he thought as he watched in the sea direction, where dozens of ships were firing cannonballs, and his army was escorting a large cargo.


    On the other hand, the sizeable defensive barrier of that naval base was fully active, while, now and then, cannonballs crashed into it, creating strong winds in its surroundings.


    Seeing all this, Minos felt that things were going as expected. And before deciding to do something, he observed a particular lightly lit area a few kilometers from that base. ''It seems that the foundations of the future city we will have here are developing well...''


    "Not bad." He muttered, striving a little to see the details of it amidst the darkness and distance from where he was to that place.


    "Well, time to act!"


    "Yes, young Minos!" The serpent said promptly, just before flapping its wings and heading in the direction where the many warships were battling.


    ...


    As Minos and that serpent moved through that area, the cargo ship of Lee''s group was being attacked from different angles, constantly swaying as if amid a sea storm.


    And while the beasts in transport were making a lot of noise because of their fear of what was happening, many people there were using everything they had to protect the ship.


    Some were using their defense techniques to form shields or barriers beside the main areas of the ship.


    At the same time, others were trying with everything they had to remove the water that was entering through the many holes already in the hull of this ship.


    But many were not original crew members of this ship, but people dressed in the uniform of the Black Plain Army.


    These were the people that had joined Lee''s group to secure the passage of this cargo!


    "Defend the sides!"


    "Don''t weaken! We can''t let those beasts die!"


    "Ahhhhhh!"


    "Faster! Get that fucking water out faster, or we are screwed!"


    Several shouts sounded in that area, where drops of water coming out of the sea due to the clashes of cannonballs with the water made it seem as if it was raining over there.


    And while the smell of burning was diffusing through the air, the crew of that ship was trembling with fear in the cockpit, feeling that this mission of theirs had been the worst decision of their lives.


    "Young master Lee, why is all this happening? Why are we passing through this place? Shouldn''t our destination be the Cromwell Kingdom?" The captain of that ship shouted in terror at that young soldier, still in shock over the sudden change that had happened a few minutes ago.


    Lee then looked at him with an apologetic expression and smiled. "I''m sorry, Captain, but we are actually from the Black Plain..."


    "This has always been our destiny!"


    "What? No, it can''t be!"


    "AHH!"


    "That''s the end!"


    "We''re all dead!"


    p????-?o??? "Noooo!"


    Several crew members began to expose their despair, feeling that there was no future for those who sided with a regional enemy.


    "Sorry, guys..."


    "But look on the good side," Lee said calmly.


    "What good is in that??"


    "You guys will survive and still have a chance to go to Dry City!" He said, confident that the army would not allow such a valuable cargo to be lost.


    They would most likely survive and still have a chance in Dry City if it happened!


    After hearing that, the people in that place continued to be afraid, until suddenly, they heard the snake-like hissing resounding in that area, taking their attention away from the sad moment they were in.


    ...

 Chapter 870 The Arrival Of Lee And Alison 2

    Chapter 870 The Arrival Of Lee And Alison 2


    When the hiss of the serpent that was carrying Minos reverberated through that area, these two began to descend through the sky at high speed.


    They seemed to be falling vertically, under that area where dozens of warships were firing at each other. But they were not falling. Instead, they were rapidly descending toward their target!


    Minos was in that place to ensure the safe passage of Lee''s group across the Black Plain. But since the naval warfare around that area was still going on, he had begun to act to expedite the whole process.


    He already had a fighting proficiency very close to level 60, and since the regional ships, as well as their weapons, were not that tough, he was prepared to do some damage in this battle!


    With a 6th stage flying beast as his mount, his strength and cards up his sleeve, he was the most dangerous element in this place now.


    And knowing this, Minos could not miss the opportunity to diminish the enemy forces!


    Spatial Sword!


    While standing only a few dozen meters from the bow of one of the enemy ships closest to Lee and Alison''s cargo, Minos activated his primary attack technique.


    After that, he made several sword movements towards the cannons'' locations, intent on destroying them.


    Swooish!


    Immediately after making his first move, Minos saw the giant blades of spiritual energy leave his swords, heading towards their respective targets.


    But that was only the beginning.p????-?????.???


    Before he even had a chance to see the results of this attack, Minos gave the signal for that serpent to head towards the next ship, which was not so far away from the last one.


    This area had many warships firing, with many people screaming as they gave out their last life signs. But not all of them were targets for Minos.


    After all, he did not need to destroy every single one of these ships.


    Such a thing might even be beneficial to his army, but he could not achieve such a feat, nor was he interested in doing so.


    Thus, he had only a few targets in that area, those ships that were closest to Lee and Alison''s ship, which were the ones that most threatened the precious cargo on that ship.


    So, he relied on his naval fleet to keep battling in the surroundings while he took action against those few troublesome ships!


    And it was precisely one of these that he attacked right after the first one!


    However, instead of just using his sword technique to destroy the cannons, Minos made a different move.


    As he stood a certain height over the bow of that ship, he jumped off that serpent, heading towards that place.


    Destroying the enemy''s weapons was quite effective in decreasing the chances that the beasts in transport on that cargo ship would be wounded or killed. That would take away the principal means of attack from the attacked warship and put the entire crew in danger.


    And both of these things were very positive for Minos'' side. p???? ?o???


    However, better than that was to keep these weapons in good condition and finish off the enemies on such ships!


    In this case, not only would there be a decrease in force on the enemy side, but there would also be a benefit to the Black Plain Army.


    And since more warships meant more strength in naval warfares, Minos was acting to maximize his gains in this place!


    Puff!


    Soon after jumping from a height of 30 meters, Minos eased his fall by landing on top of an opponent, instantly killing that person.


    He had circulated his defensive technique in doing so, strengthening every feature of his body so that at that moment, it had been as if a rock had crushed that man.


    It was not heavy rock, but to suffer such an unexpected trauma directly on his head had been the end for that individual!


    But Minos was not bothered by the blood that had landed on his shoes. Instead, he immediately began to take action against that crew as he landed there.


    After activating all of his techniques simultaneously, Minos began to absorb the energies from each of those crew members while attacking his principal targets.


    He did not want to destroy the ship, or the ship''s weapons, so he only used his mental technique to kill each of the cannon controllers on that ship.


    Then he ran around that area, constantly using his swords to kill anyone who got in his way, heading towards the cockpit of this ship. ¦Ñ???????????


    Swooish!


    Swooish!


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    "Ahhhhhhhh!"


    "Save yourselves!"


    "Abandon the ship!"


    Several screams reverberated through that area as the more attentive ones trembled with fear as they felt the nightmare that had overtaken them.


    But the situation for most of them was not good at all. Due to the relatively small area that ships like this had, almost all the crew members were under the effects of Minos'' techniques.


    In particular, many there were already suffering from spiritual exhaustion, even if only a few seconds had passed since the arrival of young Stuart!


    But this was to be expected. After all, Minos'' fighting proficiency had already reached the limit of the 6th stage, while all the people in that crew were only at the 5th stage!


    Consequently, almost everyone there was suffering in terror right now!


    To make matters worse, every time the Spatial Sword was activated, many could not move, further increasing their despair.


    ...


    After arriving on that first ship, in just 3 minutes, Minos had killed over 70% of that crew, having lost a few individuals and spared most of the survivors.


    But he had not done this out of generosity. No, he was not a righteous person when fighting against enemies.


    He had only done this because he intended to use this first conquered ship to attack others in the surrounding area!


    He was not interested in participating in the entire naval warfare, but that did not mean that he did not care about his soldiers fighting in this area!


    Therefore, by taking this first ship, he had secured a crew of prisoners of war to operate this ship after his departure.


    Such individuals gradually put spiritual arrays around their necks, preferring to become prisoners rather than corpses.


    And since that serpent from before had gone away to fetch some soldiers from the Black Plain Army in the surrounding area to command such prisoners, this plan had a good chance of success.


    At the very least, such a thing would result in minor losses for the Black Plain Army''s naval fleet today.


    After less than 4 minutes since Minos entered this naval battle, one ship''s weapons had been destroyed, while an enemy ship had passed from the enemy side to theirs.


    So, Minos was quick to leave that ship and head towards one of the other five that remained in the vicinity of where Lee''s group was passing!


    ''Looks like we''ll be able to add several ships to our fleet tonight...'' He thought about it with a smile on his face as he jumped on the bow of his new target.


    Spatial Sword!


    ...


    While Minos made a mess in the surroundings, the group on the cargo ship where the many beasts bought in the Snow Kingdom finally felt the situation improve.


    Now the number of opponents directly attacking them had decreased. Because of this, the crew and Minos'' soldiers who were protecting such cargo finally had the space to act more quickly.


    "Come on, you bunch of useless people!"


    "Don''t waste the young master''s efforts!"


    Some of them shouted vigorously, encouraging the crewmen to put even more force into what they were doing so that they would take advantage of the ''lull'' created by Minos.


    They had already passed through the worst part of the naval blockade, and in a few minutes, they could enter the port of that naval base, a place protected by the medium-level grade-2 defensive array.


    Hence, many there were eager to finish quickly with this traverse that was so close to being over!


    p????-?o??? And so, it didn''t take long, and in less than half an hour, Minos had finished his business on that piece of Black Plain coastline and withdrawn from the battle.


    Now it was time for him to escort that group back to Dry City!


    ...

 Chapter 871 The Toughness Of Life

    Chapter 871 The Toughness Of Life


    After he finished fighting in that coastal area, Minos went directly to his naval base, where Lee and Alison''s group were already disembarking.


    In such a place, hundreds of low-level soldiers from the Black Plain Army were beginning to remove the cages with the beasts from that large cargo ship.


    At the same time, the original crew members of that cargo were participating in all this, each of them now with much better expressions than before.


    They were, of course, still terrified of what would happen from now on. But at least they had survived that crazy naval warfare from before!


    That was already something to cheer them up!


    On the other hand, Peter''s group was standing on the large pier next to that ship, happy that they had finally arrived at this place after so many months of traveling.


    Lee and Alison could not wait to return to Dry City and see their respective families. The same was true for Peter, who had a mother, father, a little sister, and a fianc¨¦e waiting for him.


    As for Maxwell, he, too, was excited to see Dry City. After all, this was one of the most talked-about places around this region in recent times.


    And as a young man who was eager to see new places, he was enthusiastic about reaching the city built by Minos.


    In any case, Minos quickly arrived at that place where so many people were moving to expedite the departure of that precious cargo.


    As he arrived next to that group, he immediately scanned the levels of each of them, interested to know how his three soldiers were doing.


    ''Lee has just reached level 47, and Alison is a few weeks away from reaching this same level...'' He thought in satisfaction as he saw the figure of those two, who, although more mature, were not much different from when they had said goodbye to him.p????-?????.???


    But that was not surprising. After all, only a little over a year had passed since their departure from Dry City, and they had not even had a stage breakthrough.


    ''As for Peter, he''s at level 49, not bad.''


    "Well, it looks like you all didn''t stop cultivating just because you were away from Dry City, hehehe." He said aloud as he addressed those three.


    "Minos!"


    "Master!"


    The three said simultaneously, pleased to finally see this person, happy to feel the level he was at.


    And it was no different for Maxwell.


    "Impressive! You''re already at level 52!" He said aloud, shocked. ''I already knew that, but realizing it on your own is completely different from reading it in some newspaper.''


    Maxwell was only at level 47. So, for him, who had fought alongside Minos in the Spiritual Tournament, when this young sovereign had a level below his own, it was impressive to see young Stuart 5 levels above him!


    "Hehe, you''re not bad either, Maxwell." Minos nodded to that person, pleased to see this individual here. ''Considering the life you''ve had since the end of the Spiritual Tournament, reaching this level was truly impressive!''


    "Hahaha." p???? ?o???


    And after they laughed for a few moments, Minos became a little more serious as he looked at that young man from the Snow Kingdom. "Anyway, I hope you will join my army and allow me to compensate you for some of your losses."


    "I know that won''t bring back what was lost, but as the biggest culprit for all your misfortune, I wouldn''t feel right if I didn''t repay you after all that."


    Maxwell''s hell had begun when the Chambers family had found out about Leroy''s death. At that time, the leaders of that family thought that they could not act against Minos because this young man had supposedly gone to one of the sects of the Flaming Empire.


    And for that reason, they had decided to act against Minos'' cronies in that confrontation. That is, they decided to act against Peter and Maxwell!


    But since only Maxwell had been found, this young man had suffered the most from the vengeful acts of Wallace Chambers.


    And Minos knew all this.


    Consequently, he was opening the doors of his organization to this acquaintance of his.


    He had significantly benefited from this development and had even considered using Maxwell to manipulate the Snow family into acting against the Chambers.


    But that was life.


    Maxwell''s life had already been turned upside down by the Chambers before Minos even realized all that. But since the ruler of the Black Plain had responsibilities to fulfill to its inhabitants and not to that young man, he had not hesitated to use the misfortune of others to his advantage.


    If Minos could, he would not make choices that could ruin the lives of his acquaintances, friends, and family members. But if someone like Maxwell had already suffered the consequences of his actions, then the young Stuart was capable of using such suffering to his advantage. ¦Ñ???????????


    That, of course, considering that he was not so close to Maxwell as to other people.


    He, for example, would never do something like this to Dillian.


    In any case, this was terrible, and he genuinely would not have done it if he had options, especially considering that he had nothing against Maxwell.


    However, despite his pragmatism and ability to do what was necessary considering his options, Minos felt indebted to Maxwell.


    Hence such an offer.


    "Oh? Well, I''m interested in that..." Maxwell said sincerely, as he too wanted to have a cultivation speed like Peter''s.


    "Hmm." Minos nodded at him, satisfied. He then looked at the rest of that group again and asked. "Well, it''s time for you to tell me what happened during that period..."


    "Were there any dangers? Is there anything I need to know?"


    p????-?o??? And then, it was not long before that group left, going to wait for the completion of the landing of the beasts brought from the Snow Kingdom.


    They had much to talk about to Minos. With that, time soon began to pass.


    ...


    After all the beasts bought from the Snow Kingdom had been landed from that cargo ship, a group of hundreds of people soon left that naval base, heading for Dry City.


    There were many carriages in that convoy, with several soldiers from the local army to accompany the group. At the same time, Minos was flying over the area in that Feathered Serpent from before.


    The journey ahead of them would last almost two days, so there were still several dangers in this group''s path to Dry City.


    However, this part of the journey for Lee and Alison''s group was definitely the safest of all since Minos was there to protect them.


    At the very least, the enemies that stood in their way would quickly flee when they realized Minos'' presence.


    Consequently, they would probably have a smooth trip to Dry City!


    Anyway, soon the convoy left that base, passing through the small area under construction in the vicinity of that place, where the second city of the Black Plain would be in the future.


    But since it was night and not much had been built there yet, Peter''s group had merely understood what this place was, not admiring the still poor landscape.


    At most, they had observed the many soldiers on the outskirts of that area, while a sizeable temporary camp lit up the area a little.


    But as they were moving, a young black-haired woman was flying over in a large white bird not far from there, observing the surroundings.


    ''That was a terrific battle to see...'' She pondered, looking over to the side where warships were still firing at enemies.


    ''Looks like this Minos truly is a monster!''


    ''One of his attacks almost destroyed the bow of one of those ships...''


    "Sigh..."


    "What do I do now?" She muttered as she used one of her hands to squeeze her thigh, feeling hesitant. "Do I follow the deal? Or do I leave?"


    And it did not take long for her to make her decision, heading towards the south.


    ...


    Almost two days later...


    By now, Minos'' group had finally entered the security area of Dry City, around the outside of the local defensive dome.


    And while the people in that convoy were smiling in satisfaction at finally reaching their destination, Minos was flying over that area, thinking about taking a day or two off before heading back to the battlefield.


    ''I wonder if she came...''

 Chapter 872 The Good News

    Chapter 872 The Good News


    Two more days passed...


    After this period, all the beasts bought by Lee and Alison''s group had already disembarked in Dry City.


    And not only did these many beasts join the forces of this city, but the people coming from that kingdom with Peter''s group had also started to live in Dry City.


    They were not very numerous, so they had effortlessly found places to live here.


    Among them were the people from the crew of that cargo ship and some beast tamers brought to work in this city.


    And even though a short time had passed since their arrival in such a place, most of them were already adapted to their new home, although they had not agreed to come here...


    Anyway, after the beast tamers'' techniques were distributed among the libraries of the city and the local army headquarters, a new option arose for the local inhabitants.


    And this was an excellent opportunity for these tamers, who could be the forerunners of this spiritual profession in the Black Plain. So, they were not dissatisfied to be in this place, and some were already putting their plans into practice.


    Some of them, who already had Black-grade techniques, had decided to continue as freelances since that was the way their short-term gains seemed most significant.


    As for those with lower grade techniques, they had promptly begun the procedure to enter the ranks of the Black Plain Army.


    Hence, some beast tamers were already assisting in making those beasts'' contracts official with soldiers in the army, of course, with those of higher leadership and greater authority in that organization.


    Beasts could be free of contracts, but such an option made communication between humans and them very difficult, especially for those below the 5th stage.p????-?????.???


    Therefore, all beasts below level 40 had to make contracts with army soldiers to be as helpful as possible when they were needed.


    That had been the beginning for the newcomers to Dry City, be they human or beasts.


    In the case of Lee, Alison, and Peter, all three have earned a week off to spend with their respective families. As for Maxwell, before joining Minos'' army, this young man had taken the time to get to know this city in the middle of the Black Plain.


    He had been positively surprised by all the local might, something that, until a few days ago, he could not have imagined, even considering the power of Minos.


    After all, being powerful did not imply being a good ruler!


    So, there was no way for Maxwell to know for sure how good Dry City already was, even considering the comments of Lee, Alison, and Peter.


    But after having learned the basics about this city, he had wasted no time and had soon joined Minos'' forces.


    He wanted revenge, and now that he had seen that this place could genuinely help him with that, he only had in mind training to become stronger!


    ...


    While the newcomers to Dry City were living their lives in this new place with anticipation for the future, Minos was in his office.


    He was sitting in his armchair, behind a beautiful glass desk. But at the moment, he was facing away from this piece of furniture, looking out the office window. p???? ?o???


    Minos had a quiet expression on his face as he looked up at the blue sky of Dry City, thinking about something that unfortunately had not happened.


    ''She didn''t come...'' He pondered this, at the same time curious about such a person but disappointed not to hear from her.


    Minos had realized how that mysterious woman had turned out upon being touched by him. So, he had thought that she would definitely come to Dry City, and he could understand a little more about her identity.


    But after the period agreed between the two, such a person had not given any sign, and this young man no longer had any expectations of seeing her again.


    With that, he was, in a way, disappointed.


    "Tsk!"


    ''I wonder what happened?''


    ''Was she angry because I didn''t do what she wanted in the middle of nowhere? Or did she lose the courage to give herself to me?''


    ''It''s easy to say and do certain things in the heat of the moment... But what about when her heat has diminished?''


    ''Did her rationality prevent her from coming here?''


    ''What a volatile woman!'' He thought about this as he finished analyzing Talia''s behavior. ¦Ñ???????????


    Minos was disappointed, but that was less for what had not happened between the two of them and more for the mystery he had not been able to solve.


    After all, he already had an exciting number of women in Dry City with whom he could have fun.


    On the other hand, lately, he could not even handle all of them, so it would not make much difference to him to do that with that stranger, even considering his libertine personality!


    But knowing more about the person who had set a trap for him was very relevant, especially considering that an outside organization had already attacked him!


    She might not be interested in taking his life, but others definitely would be.


    Because of this, he needed to understand variables like her and prepare himself for what would happen from now on.


    But even though he was disappointed with Talia''s timidity, Minos was glad that he had come across her.


    That was because he was now thinking twice more before giving his orders, considering the possibility of outside intervention.


    He genuinely believed that, at least in the short term, actions by outside powers would still be infrequent since the church would hardly allow such a thing.


    But he felt that things would only get worse as time went on!


    Therefore, he and his soldiers needed to be prepared to deal with people who might have high-level grade-2 or even grade-3 arrays in hand!


    After meeting with Talia, this young man concluded that such an array she used could only be a grade-3 one.


    And he had fallen entirely into her trap!


    So, if instead of a, shall we say, unoffensive array, she had used one that could perhaps hurt her target, then that could have been the end of Minos.


    p????-?o??? With that in mind, he was much more careful now!


    "That''s truly worrying..." He muttered just before he heard someone knock on the door of that office.


    "Young master, I''m here to update you on some information," Joey said as he entered that place just after Minos had authorized him to do so.


    "Oh? Is there good news?" He asked as he greeted that old level 47 man.


    Joey then sat down in an armchair across Minos'' desk, smiling. He ran his hand through his white beard and said. "There is, young master..."


    He then began to update Minos on the soldiers in the Elite Squad, as several of them had made advances in the last two weeks.


    On the other hand, he also updated the young sovereign on the army''s total numbers, which had improved in terms of average level as much as they had not changed much in recent months.


    "... Finally, just a day ago, Lieutenant Celeste achieved a breakthrough, finally reaching level 56." He finished, pleased to be able to inform Minos of such a thing.


    "Level 56, huh?"


    "Hahaha, our situation will soon change, old Joey!" Minos said aloud, pleased to hear that.


    That was because if Celeste had reached level 56, then that meant that she was now even stronger than the ordinary level 59 Spiritual Kings of this region!


    Such a thing was great for the forces of Dry City!


    With this, the number of top regional individuals in Dry City''s allied forces had once again increased, leaving young Stuart even closer to completing the first step of his ambition.


    To win his territory independence!


    "Well, is there anything else good? Or should I now prepare for the bad news?" Minos asked in good humor.


    "No..." Joey laughed not to cry. "Other than what I''ve already talked about, I have nothing but bad news, young master."


    "I figured that would be the case."


    He then became a little more serious and said. "Well, start with the worst part..."

 Chapter 873 The Bad News

    Chapter 873 The Bad News


    Joey then began to report. "Well, according to information from the Cohen family spies, members of the major regional organizations have been moving around for the past few months."


    "Some of them are coming to the Black Plain, as we expected. But, meanwhile, some of the strongest in the region, as in the case of King Carline, are heading toward the capital of the Kingdom of the Waves."


    Upon hearing this, Minos'' pupils contracted, understanding what Joey was trying to say.


    "Are they going to beg for the help of the Spiritual Church?"


    "Yes, young master, that''s what we assume."


    "According to our friends in the Cohen family, some major organizations already consider us at the peak of regional power. So, there are already many who think that this war cannot be won without the intervention of outside powers."


    "With that, they are counting on some kind of support or guarantee from the church, to at least give them a chance to fight on equal terms..."


    "Tsk!"


    "Equal terms, eh?" Minos said this as he found such a thing funny. ''It''s truly fascinating the way these people think...''


    ''States with hundreds of millions of people fighting against a single city... And they still want outside help to fight on equal terms with me.'' So, he thought, sensing the absurdity he had heard.


    Obviously, Minos'' enemies were not interested in the ordinary fighters on the Dry City side. Instead, what concerned them was the high-level Spiritual Kings on this young man''s side and, of course, him.


    However, as much as they were dominating the war in terms of numbers, the best counter-revolutionary experts did not have the confidence to face those allies of Minos.p????-?????.???


    And that was what they wanted in seeking outside help, something to equalize the high-level powers of both sides.


    Minos then listened. "It appears that if they are unable to obtain direct assistance from the Spiritual Church, they will attempt to obtain permission from that institution for the natives of our region in the Flaming Empire to return."


    "They believe that with this temporary addition of power, they will resolve the conflict and quickly peace will return to our region."


    "Oh?"


    "Well, the church will never fight me directly just because of these local families," Minos said thoughtfully. "But about this possibility..."


    "I don''t think they will accept that easily, but it''s not impossible."


    "That could be a problem!"


    Minos did not know how far the power of the families of this region went when considering their descendants throughout that empire or even other states in the Spiritual World.


    But he understood that such branches of the regional families could not be overly powerful to the point of having high-level Spiritual Emperors or Spiritual Saints.


    After all, at least for most of these organizations, if they had such influential people outside the northern region of the Central Continent, then they would no longer be around.


    That is, considering that their descendants were the least bit concerned about the future of their families. Otherwise, such powers would not have a chance of ascension outside this region, not even with influential descendants. p???? ?o???


    But in this case, such individuals might not even have contact with their former homes or even care about their future anymore.


    Therefore, even considering the tiny chance these families'' descendants were at a high level, this was far from Minos and had a slight possibility of affecting him.


    On the other hand, the only families that could perhaps have something better were the royal houses, as they enjoyed the best living conditions in the region. So, maybe it would not be so attractive for them to go to a place where they would be mediocre.


    But even for these royal families, it would be pretty challenging to have someone of such high standing outside the region.


    Unlike the northern region of the Central Continent that had experts at the 6th stage, in the Flaming Empire, for example, the local experts were those individuals at the 8th stage!


    And as much as cultivators with Black talent could reach this stage through artificial methods, doing so was just as tricky as a Blue talented person reaching the 6th stage in this region of Minos!


    It was not easy at all!


    Regardless of their background, these people were of more humble origins. They had started their cultivation with lower quality techniques in a less competitive or lower quality environment. With this, the competition from places like the Flaming Empire caused many geniuses from this region to become ordinary people who fell behind their peers when they joined the sects of such places.


    Cases like young Troy''s and even Kara''s were exceptions, challenging to happen.


    But even they would only realize the disadvantages of starting their cultivation in a poorer place after the next stage.


    Even in the northern region of the Central Continent, people like them could reach the 6th stage with some ease. The problem would start after that. ¦Ñ???????????


    As for places like the Flaming Empire, young people like Troy and Kara would only realize their disadvantages after reaching the 7th stage.


    When that happened, they would notice how their fighting proficiency would start to become more and more different from those of the same level as theirs but who were raised in better environments.


    And with lower fighting proficiency than their peers, life would become more difficult for these people to continue to improve their cultivation. After all, by being ''weaker,'' they would lose out on the best opportunities, pay, job options, etc.


    p????-?o??? In this case, a negative cycle would begin.


    Without the best resources, most would fall behind, and as time went by, their natural progression would fall due to the aging their bodies would undergo. After a while, such people would most likely encounter a virtually insurmountable bottleneck.


    That could be the end for a cultivator who wants to reach their full potential!


    And that was the situation for exceptions, like those two. As for those ordinary individuals, they would suffer from these effects much sooner!


    All things considered, it was complicated for people from this region to reach high levels by going to the empire. And even if someone managed to overcome all the problems that would surely appear on their journey, such an individual would hardly surpass the limit of the 7th stage.


    Therefore, Minos did not believe that such strong people would be on the enemy side if the church allowed that.


    However, that did not make the situation any less problematic. After all, people at the initial levels of the 7th stage would already be enough to stop his plans!


    That''s why Minos had said such a thing to Joey!


    Gulp!


    Joey then swallowed his saliva, feeling that their situation was getting more problematic.


    ''Before, we only had to worry about the regional king... But now, even Spiritual Emperors might end up getting involved in the war!''


    ''How unlucky!''


    He then asked. "What shall we do about it, young master?"


    Minos frowned as he tried to think of a solution to this, worried about the power those families might get if the church accepted such nonsense.


    "Perhaps..."


    "At the moment, I can only think of two ways out of this problem..."


    "Actually, three."


    "What are they, young master?" Joey asked in curiosity.


    "Well, the first is that we end the war by securing recognition by the regional kingdoms of the Black Plain as an independent state."


    "But that will be difficult to achieve... At least for the time being."


    "The second alternative is for us to force the subordination of some royal houses before the church allows such a thing... That would at least lessen the effects of that nonsense."


    "Finally, perhaps if I appeal to the Spiritual Church, there might be a possibility that they will abandon the regional families." He said thoughtfully. "This is probably the easiest way to solve this whole problem."


    "However..." Minos muttered, not liking that possibility at all.


    He had nothing against the Spiritual Church, but he did not like the idea of relating to an organization that behaved like a parasite.


    He could even get along with such an organization if he had the strength to do so since a parasite that manipulated billions of people was not at all bad to have as an ally.


    But as Minos could not use the tools of this profiteering organism to his advantage, he did not want to approach the Spiritual Church.


    He did not want to be used by them!


    That is why he had forbidden the presence of such an organization in his city and did not like that alternative.


    "Hmmm..."


    Then, finally, he made up his mind. "The second option will be more difficult than the third, but keeping our future freedom is more valuable than beating the enemy faster!"


    ...

 Chapter 874 A New Trip

    Chapter 874 A New Trip


    The Spiritual Church was not necessarily an authoritative organization to the point where lesser powers had no freedom because of their regional presence. On the contrary, most of the time, the church focused its attention on maintaining the order of things rather than getting involved in the decisions of sovereign institutions.


    What they did in the region in terms of intervention was similar to the relationship between local powers.


    The royal families dictated how the regional population should live in this region, while the noble families used rules in their territories that did not infringe those of their superiors.


    At the same time, these nobles guaranteed the laws in their cities, where each property had the rules of its owner, which had to be within the limits of the superior ones.


    That was a social mechanism that grew in specifications and details, from top to bottom. And as such, the one at the top, the Spiritual Church, dictated a smaller number of laws, which covered more problematic, shall we say, higher-level situations.


    But more general laws would hardly reach the community, as they were not many and aggravating situations were rare.


    And so, the regional families had a lot of freedom and accepted to share what they had with the church in exchange for regional protection.


    But as great as this may sound, this was only true because there was no expectation of growth for the regional organizations.


    The regional families had been in balance for a long time, and regional conditions did not allow much room for power advances disproportionate to the level of local experts. Consequently, the church was in a very comfortable position in which it did not have to worry about problems.


    And without problems, they did not intervene excessively, which, therefore, guaranteed the freedoms of the regional powers.p????-?????.???


    But would that happen for a growing state?


    The Spiritual Church would probably not care about a state with its potential below its own level. And with that, it could indeed have a good time with more substantial organizations than those of the northern region of the Central Continent.


    As an example of this, there were places like the Flaming Empire in the Spiritual World that had such an organization wholly rooted in their territories.


    But what if a specific place could reach the same level or even surpass the power of that organization?


    That was the problem!


    The Spiritual Church had relationships with higher-level states, those with Demigods in their ranks. But in those places, instead of being the dominant power, they were generally associated with its larger organizations, manipulating those populations when needed.


    But would they be Minos'' associates without him having enough power?


    It was effortless to make alliances on equal terms when both sides were on the same level. But with such a big difference between the church and the Black Plain, that organization would hardly treat young Stuart with the equality he desired.


    In this case, sooner or later, Minos knew he could suffer from the Spiritual Church if he tried to get their help now. p???? ?o???


    That would be like a deal with the devil!


    In the first moment, the young Stuart most likely would not feel any adverse effects and would still be able to take advantage of the deal. But in a second moment, things would change!


    Anything could happen when the lower side started to show signs of possible competition with the higher one!


    So, even though the church was not as terrible as other organizations on this continent, Minos did not want to make deals with them that would put him in a bad position.


    He then looked at Joey and replied, after thinking for a while, "When Angela reaches level 56, I will go on a trip through the region..."


    "I will go to threaten some families, solve old problems, in general, things that can decrease the number of enemies in the Black Plain."


    "So, make preparations for some changes in our bases around the territory," Minos said while having a serious expression on his face.


    The Black Plain Army bases were places from which faster attacks could depart without Minos'' soldiers and allies constantly having to go back and forth from the Dry City.


    They had enough strong cultivators to last a few rounds with the most substantial enemy specialists and good defenses to protect those resting in such places. ¦Ñ???????????


    But with this plan, Dry City would be without Minos'' presence. Consequently, he needed to make some shift changes!


    "Who does the young master want involving in this?" Joey asked.


    "Celeste and Angela will return to Dry City and defend this place alongside Abby''s father and Supreme Elder Miller until I return."


    Abby''s father was already at level 56 and had a complete set of Silver-grade techniques. So, his combat proficiency was very close to that of Celeste, who had just moved up a level.


    As for Supreme Elder Miller, well, he was at level 58, and as much as he was not going to level up anytime soon, he had already learned three Silver-grade techniques.


    Hence, by choosing these individuals to stay in Dry City in his future absence, Minos was guaranteeing combat power capable of stopping even 4 level 59 Spiritual Kings, something close to his current limit.


    That way, he could travel and settle his affairs without much worry!


    "And who will be staying in their places?"


    Minos then answered that. "We will send soldiers from the Elite Squad to command operations and two elders from the Miller family to protect the two bases."


    "We will send Pyke to the Yellow City post. He has already reached level 50 and is one of the soldiers with the highest morale within the army. On the other hand, Barbara will go to the City of Waters post."


    "I heard that after reaching the 6th stage, she was eager to fight... So, I will give her that opportunity." Young Stuart commented with a smile on his face.


    "Hahaha, looks like she''s excited." Joey laughed, remembering how far they had come after the difficult time on the slave ship that had taken them to Hadria.


    At that time, Joey, Peter, and Barbara had suffered through life as captives, almost having their lives ended by the bloody fate that most enslaved people suffered.


    So, he could not help but smile as he remembered that Barbara, who had suffered so much, even before she became a captive, had reached such a stage.


    ''She must be thinking of taking revenge...'' Joey thought about it as he remembered that the family to which Barbara was subordinate had been exterminated before she was sold to a pirate group.


    "Finally, we will send those other two elders of the Miller family who had come to Dry City with me when I went to visit Abby''s home."


    "All right, young master. I''ll pass that along and leave everything in preparation for when Lieutenant Angela reaches level 56."


    "Hmm, very good."


    After that, the two continued to talk about some problems concerning the war, standard reports in this organization, which served to keep the local sovereign aware of what was happening in his territory.


    p????-?o??? But after finishing listening to all the bad news brought by Joey, Minos finally had some peace right after that old soldier left that office.


    "Sigh..."


    ''Well, if I''m going to make this trip through the region, I''ll have to get a different flying beast from the members of the Feathered Serpents tribe...''


    ''Otherwise, my identity will be easily noticed, even when traveling away from the cities.'' Minos pondered over this, sure that this time, that serpent would only hinder him when moving around the region.


    ''But it will be a shame... If I could travel alongside one of the elders in that tribe, the trip might be twice as fast as in 5th stage beasts.''


    "Hmm, I think I''ll fly with one of them to the Flooded Valley and then make the rest of the trip with another beast." He muttered as he looked at a little green plant on his desk.


    There were not many cities between Dry City and the Flooded Valley. And considering the capacity and speed of the mount he had been using, young Stuart was sure he could travel directly to that place without making many stops.


    With that, he could hide his movements!


    "Well, I''ll sort that out later... Now it''s time to train!"

 Chapter 875 Revisiting Another Rival 1

    Chapter 875 Revisiting Another Rival 1


    A few days later...


    After battling around the Black Plain several times over the past few days, Minos had returned to Dry City to rest and cultivate.


    After spending time with Abby and reestablishing his physical and mental state, he returned to his residence to eat and relax before his next ''walk'' around the battlefield.


    The war was still as cruel as ever, with hundreds of wounded arriving in Dry City every day.


    On the other hand, some of the war dead did not even have the opportunity to have their bodies brought back to their families.


    Some simply went into eternal sleep around the battlefields, where they were cremated or destroyed by the remaining attacks in the surrounding area or even forgotten by their own allies.


    There was not always the possibility of returning for bodies. After all, the priority was the living!


    So, no soldier or ally of Minos was allowed to risk their own life for the fallen bodies.


    That was sad for the family of war sacrifices, but such a thing was for the sake of peace.


    There were not many on the Dry City side, and the growth rate regarding their numbers was not as good as that of the enemies, who numbered millions in their respective states.


    Hence, several people killed in the war were simply left on the battlefields, where they were either destroyed by enemies or, worse, devoured by beasts!


    In any case, this was the cruel reality of the war going on around the Black Plain, something that affected everyone involved in this conflict.


    It ranged from the warriors at the front, nervous, tired, anxious about their uncertain fate, to the relatives of such people in Dry City.p????-?????.???


    That was not enough to end the good mood of the city. Still, there was a certain pessimism in part of the population, saddened by the tragic end of so many people.


    Since the beginning of the war of independence, more than 50,000 people from Dry City or allied forces had already perished!


    That was less than 20% of the total losses on the enemy side, but this did not lessen the pain that many people in this city felt!


    ...


    After some time, Minos finally arrived at his residence, where it did not take long for him to get something tasty to eat.


    Next, he put the worries of war aside for a moment and found his friend Brooke, who had advanced a level since the last time he had seen her.


    At the moment, she was sitting on a white sofa in the recreation area of Minos'' residence, where he usually received guests to talk to.


    Stopping behind the couch, Minos smiled at Brooke.


    He then carefully observed this woman with tanned skin and brown hair, feeling the energetic fluctuations of this woman who liked to wear relatively short clothes while at this residence.


    ''Is that normal for her? Or does she like to tease me?'' Minos wondered as he saw how healthy Brooke was.


    But young Stuart did not waste much time and soon greeted this woman he had not seen in days. "How are you, Brooke? You seem to be getting stronger and stronger..."


    "Hehehe, I had a breakthrough while you were fighting for the Black Plain." She replied right after turning to him and nodding in his direction, indicating for him to sit next to her. p???? ?o???


    Seeing this, Minos did not hesitate. Since he had some time before his next appointment, he soon sat down next to that beautiful woman to talk with her.


    "Unfortunately, I could be a lot better off..." She began to talk about her problems as she moved closer to Minos until she rested her head on his right shoulder.


    "I feel like I''m carrying an invisible weight, you know? Ah, sometimes I get very irritated by it..." She said as she looked up, focusing intently on Minos'' brown eyes.


    p????-?o??? "Really? That''s annoying..."


    "I wonder if I can help you in any way?"


    Her eyes sparkled after that was said. "Maybe you can..."


    "But are you willing?"


    "Of course, Brooke!"


    "I would do almost anything for you! You are my friend, after all!" He said confidently, smiling at her.


    "Almost anything?" Brooke then turned to him, sitting face to face with Minos. She smiled and then bit her lower lips. "What would you do to me to ease my irritation?"


    Upon hearing Brooke''s question and observing how she acted, Minos'' eyes narrowed, and he decided to follow this woman''s game. "Whatever you want..."


    "I''m just afraid of how far you would let me go to help you. Maybe you ask for something that is more than you can handle..." ¦Ñ???????????


    "Oh?"


    "I don''t have much experience asking other people for help. But I feel that even if it''s hard at first, I''ll end up truly enjoying the moment."


    "I''m sure you won''t maltreat your friend..." She made a silly expression as she said that.


    "It seems that you trust me too much, Brooke..."


    "But what if I tell you that I am not a good person? When I help others, I do it only for my own good..."


    "Would you accept this from someone so selfish?" He asked as he looked at Brooke''s red lips.


    "I don''t believe that!"


    "In any way, I trust you, Minos!" She said confidently.


    "Oh? So, what do you want me to do for you?"


    "I don''t have much with me, but I''ll try my best."


    "You won''t need anything but yourself..." She said as she approached young Stuart, almost climbing into his lap as she looked at his lips.


    She then touched the tip of her right index finger to Minos'' lower lip, leaving her mouth slightly open to the point where her sweet, pleasant breath reached Minos'' nose.


    After this, Minos looked at her, feeling a sudden pressure in his underwear because of Brooke''s provocative manner.


    He then moved closer to Brooke until one of his hands hugged her waist, bringing her even closer to him.


    "Are you sure about this?" He made sure of asking that when his lips were only two centimeters from hers.


    But Minos heard nothing from Brooke. Instead, he saw only how her eyes were following his, just before she slowly closed them and moved forward against him.


    Gulp!


    ''Ah, I held on for quite a while...'' He thought about this as he felt he could no longer keep his ''hands off'' Brooke for much longer.


    What could he do? Simply keep pushing away the beautiful woman who wanted to be with him? Give up on an adventure when she had clearly improved her condition and was aware of the risks?


    Hell, Minos was only 23!


    He could abstain from such things, but he saw no sense in not enjoying life the way he liked it.


    If others did not agree, that was not his problem!


    Let those who disagreed with him, who preferred to follow different paths, be happy. But he, he would do that which brought happiness to his life.


    And one of those things that put a smile on young Stuart''s face was to have relationships with beautiful women!


    So, he was ready to ''help'' his dear friend Brooke!


    Pa!


    However, when Minos and Brooke''s lips had touched, but their tongues were still far away from each other, the entrance door of that residence was closed after someone walked by.


    "Minos? I heard you were here, so I just walked in..." A female voice resounded through the entrance hallway of that residence, quickly getting in the way of those two.


    Minos and Brooke then parted their lips, with her face blushing while he had a quiet expression.


    And then, seeing the face of Vivian, who had just arrived at his residence, Minos watched her for a moment, feeling a little irritated. ''What a fucking...''


    "Tsk!"


    ''Not only has she repeatedly refused me, but she still gets in the way of my moments with other women.''


    But while he was thinking about how ''cruel'' that woman was to him, someone else appeared behind Vivian, someone who made young Stuart put his less important thoughts aside.


    "Oh?"


    ''These people truly like me... It''s one after another coming to visit me!''


    ...

 Chapter 876 Revisiting Another Rival 2

    Chapter 876 Revisiting Another Rival 2


    After turning to see who had arrived at his residence, Minos immediately saw the figure of Davy walking behind Vivian.


    And with that, young Stuart had immediately remembered the young man who had been manipulated by Leroy Chambers during the Spiritual Tournament, even having lost an arm to this sovereign.


    Then, while quickly looking at the still armless shoulder of that newcomer, Minos heard Vivian''s voice once again.


    "Minos, I didn''t interrupt you at all, right?" She asked as she looked at the woman standing next to him. "I knew you were here, so I just came straight here without notifying you first..."


    Vivian was already an acquaintance of Minos because of her time in Dry City. And since she had come to his residence several times during that period, she could get here more easily than ordinary visitors for dinners or other meetings.


    That was why she had surprised Minos and Brooke.


    In any case, after listening to that woman, Minos was not angry that she had disturbed his moment.


    He knew that Vivian understood what had been happening on the Black Plain. So, she was undoubtedly aware that the local ruler did not stay in one place for very long.


    Hence, she had come here because she wanted to take the chance to talk to him before he left to battle around the Black Plain, thus perhaps avoiding having to wait for him for days.


    And considering such a thing, he only regretted that he had missed his previous chance and answered that woman. "No, it''s okay."


    "What do you want here?" He asked before looking at Davy and continuing. "Are you here for business or a personal visit?"p????-?????.???


    "Both." She said in a low voice, somewhat unsure of what might happen.


    "Is that so? Then speak what is for us to deal with."


    After saying this, Minos waved one of his hands, indicating for the two to sit around that area so that they could talk more comfortably.


    With that, the siblings soon took their seats side by side on a sofa opposite the one Minos and Brooke were on.


    Then, Davy intently watched young Stuart, who was one level above him. ''This guy is a real monster!''


    ''Back then, I had just reached level 44, and he had just reached level 39, but now he has completely surpassed me...''


    ''Not only that, even though I''m close to reaching level 52, he''s even closer to reaching level 53!''


    But while Davy was analyzing young Stuart, Minos and his sister had begun to talk about some Hayes family matters with the Black Plain.


    First, they had discussed the pursuit of the Chambers family fugitives, something that had still been going on.


    At first, such a thing had shown greater results, with many of the fugitives having been killed by their respective pursuers. But once the number of survivors had dwindled to a certain point, things had started to get more and more difficult. p???? ?o???


    But that was to be expected. After all, fewer people meant less work to hide, erase traces, or improve the chances of escape.


    It was easier to control the situation in your favor when the number of escapees was in a specific range!


    So, the pursuit of the fugitives from that family was still going on.


    However, from what Vivian had informed Minos, more than 90% of the nobles of that organization had already gone to the afterlife. As for the Spiritual Kings, only two of them had been left alive!


    With those results, Vivian had told Minos that more of her family members could soon join the Dry City forces in this war of independence!


    They still could not send all their people, as they had suffered during the years of war against that now almost extinct family.


    Such a thing had even been their excuse for not having to fulfill King Cromwell''s order to fight on the Black Plain.


    But even with not impressive numbers, it would already make a big difference to Minos'' forces!


    After talking about this, they had discussed other topics, among them some involving the Stokes family.


    House Hayes and House Stokes had become much closer to each other because of their alliance with Minos. And precisely because of this, Vivian had brought some information about that organization. ¦Ñ???????????


    The family of Mendy had not been offering much power to the forces of Minos because their alliance was more commercial than military. But that noble house of the Cromwell Kingdom was constantly sending resources to the Dry City, something that was not a bit less important than sending warriors.


    After all, in the present times, the commercial situation of the Black Plain was not good at all due to the sanctions of regional powers imposed on this territory!


    ...


    "Well, that was all I had to tell you," Vivian said after settling her official business with Minos.


    Such a thing had lasted a few minutes. Because of this, by now, each of them had a cup with some kind of spiritual drink in their hands, while snacks brought by Minos'' cooks were on a piece of furniture in the middle of that area.


    As for Brooke and Davy, they had both remained silent while those two were talking about official matters, having only drunk and eaten alongside those other two.


    Anyway, Minos then moved his back away from the support of that sofa, getting his elbows on his knees while looking in Davy''s direction.


    "I think the personal matters here relate to you, is that right, Davy?"


    Vivian and Brooke then turned to that young man opposite Minos, feeling a bit of tension.


    Vivian felt that because she knew more of the story of Minos and Davy than Brooke did, as well as everything she had ever heard from this young ruler.


    As for Brooke, she could sense the provocative tone Minos had used when asking Davy that.


    She knew Minos much more than Vivian, as, since the time of the Spiritual Academy, she had seen this young man using certain poses, ways of looking, and tone to speak to those who were his targets.


    Therefore, she could not help but feel awkward at this moment while at the same time hoping that all of this would soon pass.


    ''What will happen now?'' She wondered as she looked at Minos'' back while one of her hands followed to one side of his waist.


    But at that moment, Davy answered Minos'' question. "Indeed, Minos. I asked my sister to bring me here because I wanted to talk to you."


    "Oh?" Minos made a sound, not surprised. He then looked at Vivian and said. "I hope this isn''t related to the promise I made..."


    "Dillian hasn''t reached level 60 yet, so we cannot get Davy''s arm back yet."


    But before Vivian could say anything, Davy himself answered Minos. "That''s not what I want to talk about."


    "And what is it about? Don''t tell me you want to challenge me too?"


    The two women then felt goosebumps in their bodies upon hearing such a thing, as if the climax of the conversation had finally arrived.


    Gulp!


    "No, I''m not an idiot." Davy smiled as he said that. "You were already able to defeat me when you were several levels below me, so now our difference has only widened."


    "I know I''m no match for you!"


    "Oh?"


    ''It seems he''s not as foolish as those two...'' Minos smiled in satisfaction, feeling that Davy was much more intelligent than Ford and Troy in some ways.


    Troy could be an even more impressive genius than Davy when it came to cultivation or combat. But he had one flaw!


    That was his boundless competitiveness.


    It could be very advantageous in certain situations. Still, it also has its problems, especially when he stood against an opponent who was known to be much stronger than he was!


    That might not have led to significant losses for him in the past, but people like Minos would not always stand in the way of individuals like Troy.


    And when that happened, such stubborn people could lose all advantages regarding talent!


    p????-?o??? That''s why Minos saw something better in this man without one arm than in those other two.


    Davy at least knew how to recognize his limitations!


    "So, what do you want?"


    "I came all this way for one thing only..."

 Chapter 877 Davys Learning

    Chapter 877 Davy''s Learning


    "I came here to thank you," Davy said, shocking the two women that already had drops of sweat coming down from their foreheads.


    "What?" They both said simultaneously, looking at Davy with expressions of surprise on their faces.


    ''He came to thank you? Thank Minos for what? Is he talking about the matter related to the Chambers family?'' Vivian wondered in silently as she tried to regain her posture.


    Davy had not said anything like that to his sister. So, she had been taken aback by his statement.


    Vivian thought Davy wanted to come to Dry City, not exactly with the best intentions.


    She knew that Davy would not be excessive since he already knew of the Hayes family''s alliance with Minos. And that was why she had brought him here.


    But at no point had this woman thought that her younger brother would not even make a challenge to Minos!


    As for Brooke, she sensed that Minos and Davy''s situation was not so good. So, she was taken aback by the unexpected answer of that one-armed man.


    ''There truly are all kinds of people in this world...'' She realized it, somewhat admiring Davy''s ability to change the current situation through that approach.


    As for Minos, he frowned his eyebrows and asked. "Did you come to thank me?"


    "That''s right." Davy nodded in agreement. "Not only did you help my family through that alliance agreement negotiated by Vivian, but you had also given me something precious."p????-?????.???


    "Without the experience of that day, I probably wouldn''t have survived in the Flaming Empire." He said honestly.


    After losing one of his arms to Minos, Davy had understood his mistake in trusting Leroy Chambers too much. But that did not change what had happened, and for a while, he had hated young Stuart for his losses.


    It was not easy for people of all kinds to accept some drastic change in their lives, which would limit them for who knows how long.


    And it was no different for a talented young man to lose one of his arms, suddenly diminishing his fighting proficiency.


    Consequently, Davy had hated Minos, remembering this sovereign every time he found himself in difficulties related to his lower fighting proficiency or other limitations.


    He had only not tried anything against Minos at that time of the Spiritual Tournament because his opponent was already much more substantial than him and his main goal was to get one of the spots to go to the Flaming Empire.


    But he had kept his negative feelings towards Minos for some time after that event.


    He had even thought after finding out that Minos had no intention of joining the sects of the empire of one day at least trying to defeat his opponent.


    But after some time in the Flaming Empire, by using the learning gained through that defeat, Davy had avoided several situations where he could have lost his life.


    Not only that, he had been able to make better contacts and improve his chances of success, or rather, of taking advantage of the chances that arose. p???? ?o???


    In the past, he was even able to risk himself for someone unknown to him, considering that he could stand up for certain principles. But after Minos, he would no longer risk himself in such trivial situations.


    The world was too big, and one could not know all the time who would try to manipulate you, trick you, use you and then throw you away, etc.


    Everyone had their story. Everyone could be good or bad, well-intentioned or with bad intentions, scheming, etc.


    But just because someone seems to have the same principles as yours, or has a pretty face, or even clamors for justice, does not mean that this is enough for someone to risk getting involved in other people''s problems.


    Maybe in certain situations, a side that seemed wronged indeed was. But what if it were the opposite?


    Worse, if both were orchestrating an act to fool the gullible?


    The world was complicated, full of dangers everywhere, and not fair at all.


    Some truthfully were suffering and could very well be saved by the actions of people like the previous Davy. But was it worth dying for strangers?


    Was it worth taking all the risks for something uncertain that might quickly turn into something entirely different?


    It was a pity for the poor innocents, but they would suffer because of the horrendous acts of others. ¦Ñ???????????


    And those like the old Davy either died or matured at some point in their lives.


    After meeting Minos before he went to the Flaming Empire, Davy had learned something important, which made him survive until this day!


    For this, he was grateful!


    Anyway, hearing what Davy said to Minos, Vivian thoughtfully looked at the person at her side, understanding that the journey in the empire must not have been easy.


    She clenched her fists and thought about it. ''I almost forgot about that...''


    ''We were here in the northern region at war, but he was all this time experiencing a place where Spiritual Kings are no big deal!''


    ''I can hardly imagine the level of dangers in that state!''


    On the other hand, Minos had been astonished by Davy''s response. ''Surprising!''


    ''I hadn''t imagined that he would learn his lesson so easily.''


    Minos had said a hint to Davy at that time, something to make the then naive young man think better before acting. But he had done such a thing without great expectations.


    Davy could learn or simply let the message get forgotten. For Minos would make no difference, as he would not recruit such a person to his side.


    So, seeing Davy''s change, Minos was surprised that this person in front of him had had the best possible outcome of what had arisen to him at the time.


    "Well, you don''t have to thank me for that."


    "I honestly hadn''t thought that this would be the outcome."


    "I just did what I thought was best at the time..."


    "As for the warning I gave you, that was simply my whim." Minos said sincerely, without faking a reaction that might make Davy see him as his benefactor.


    Davy had achieved his maturation on his own. After all, having opportunities does not imply taking them!


    As such, with his personality, Minos would in no way try to take advantage of merit concerning the matter.


    "Anyway, I thank you for giving me a chance."


    "If I can repay the favor one day, I will do my best to do so!" Davy firmly said as he stood on that spot.


    "Oh?"


    p????-?o??? ...


    As Minos'' group continued talking in that residence of the ruler of the Black Plain, a red-haired woman dressed in a black cloak had just landed in the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom.


    This woman had white skin, light green eyes, and a body of perfect measurements for her 1.65 meters tall, while her long wavy red hair reached halfway down her back.


    But this woman had an unparalleled beauty, which would surely give her first place in the northern region of the Central Continent if such a competition existed and if she participated in it.


    However, even with her unparalleled beauty by the standards of this region, this woman would not waste her time with such superficial things.


    After all, she, a level 64 Spiritual Emperor, a representative of the Spiritual Church, would never waste her time like this!


    She certainly valued her appearance, but she had too many matters to take care of to think about how the people in her surroundings viewed her.


    The only thing on this powerful woman''s mind now was to settle her official affairs in this region. And that was what she was doing at this moment, right after landing in the royal palace of this state.


    That was none other than Gloria Frost, the representative of the Spiritual Church responsible for the northern region of the Central Continent.


    She was in this region because the king of the Kingdom of the Waves did not have much time left, and she would have to attend the royal funeral and the ascension of the new king.


    But while making the planned route she had made before leaving the Flaming Empire, she was surprised by another person''s funeral.


    James Cromwell!


    Because of that, she was in Capital City, where the occasion in question was to take place tomorrow!

 Chapter 878 The First Royal Funeral

    Chapter 878 The First Royal Funeral


    One day later...


    After arriving in the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom, the Spiritual Church representative for that region had spent the night in Capital City, waiting for the main event she would attend.


    Upon arriving in that place, she had visited the local royal family, understood the royal funeral arrangements, and greeted James'' close kin.


    She did not know any of the people from the Cromwell family who were in that city, not even King Cromwell himself. But as a member of the Spiritual Church, she needed to show her respect and sorrow to such people.


    It did not matter if she was genuinely sorry or had no regard for the people in that region. The church had a friendly relationship with the local powers, and as such, it was best for everyone just to follow protocol for similar situations.


    And as a person intelligent enough to understand this, Gloria had shown how sorry the church was for losing such a regional figure, an irreplaceable pillar that had now been lost.


    p????-?o??? She had spoken to each of the Cromwell family elders left in Capital City and also spoke her words of comfort to the royal widows and, of course, the crown prince.


    King Cromwell had had a few children during his centuries of existence. However, most of them were either women or had already died.


    And since there remained only one capable of meeting the requirements to ascend as a royal heir, this problem had long since been solved.


    Hence, this church representative had had no difficulty communicating with the future local leader without joining in local intrigues.


    After understanding the preparations for James Cromwell''s royal funeral, this woman had spent the rest of her time in this kingdom resting.


    A royal funeral was not something complicated to do and would not require much effort on her part. But still, such a thing could be very tiring, or rather, boring.p????-?????.???


    When regional kings died, they were glorified as heroes, something that was done through the church and shown to thousands of people in that individual''s state capital.


    First of all, on the day of a king''s funeral, no businesses could open their doors, and the entire population had to take a day off.


    Second, a public banquet had to be held at the beginning of the day before the funeral procession began.


    That was done so that the people would have as much stimulation as possible not to forget this very unusual day, on which they would say goodbye to their top ''protector''.


    Thirdly, after the great banquet, the part of the ceremony in which the king''s body would be exposed to its citizens would begin. It would travel along the capital''s main avenues in a giant chariot.


    In this chariot, which should be made of gold and decorated with high-level and beautiful materials, the king''s body would be transported together with his closest relatives and the church representative until the hero ascended into heaven.


    After a few hours of doing this, the church representative would fly off with the royal coffin, directing the dead man to the unique path that only monarchs would have after their death...


    Finally, the last part of all this was more uncomplicated. That was the reclusive ceremony in the royal crypt, where only the closest relatives of the dead man and the church representative would be at the moment of the final farewell.


    That was a royal funeral in this region, which could take a whole day from its beginning to its end.


    Therefore, it was not easy, and Gloria had rested enough so that she could get through it without any significant annoyances!


    ... p???? ?o???


    Upon waking up in the morning, Gloria immediately got ready for the event that should not take long to begin, taking a hot shower before putting on her traditional black cloak.


    Such a thing was the official uniform of the Archbishops of the Spiritual Church. But, although members of that organization often wore it, only in official situations, such as the one she was about to attend, was it mandatory.


    Anyway, even though she was not a big fan of black clothes, Gloria wore the cloak of her organization combined with other garments of the same color.


    She then ate some fruits before finally heading toward her appointment.


    "Sigh..."


    ''This is going to be a long day...'' She thought about it silently as she walked towards the royal palace, from where James'' procession would leave.


    ''And after that, I still have to go to the Kingdom of the Waves to do the same, and then I still have to attend the coronation of two kings...''


    But after thinking about how she would have to stay longer than Gloria wished in this poor region, she slightly smiled as she looked at the bright side of it all. ''Well, at least I didn''t have to make two trips.''


    ''But this is all curious... I hadn''t thought that things in this region would get so ''lively''!''


    ''That fellow... What''s his name again?'' She thought for a while as she looked from one side to the other of the street she was on. ''Minos!''


    ''That Minos is truly impressive!'' ¦Ñ???????????


    ''Will he disrupt my life by killing other kings?'' She thought about this possibility as she felt a chill on her back. ''Maybe I should take a look at the Black Plain?''


    ''No, regardless of what happens, it would not be suitable to contact him or his forces. It''s better to let the locals work out their problems.


    ''If he succeeds, I will meet him when the Black Plain is proclaimed an independent state.''


    ''If that doesn''t happen, then meeting him now would have no meaning...'' So, she thought this when some individuals in purple cloaks politely approached her.


    "Archbishop Frost." They said simultaneously, bringing this woman out of her previous thoughts.


    "Oh? Bishops, what do you want? Is there something you want to talk to me about?"


    "Archbishop, it''s a grace that you were able to arrive so quickly... We thought we would have to wait longer to give King Cromwell his well-deserved rest."


    "No, that happened by coincidence." She said quickly. "I was on my way to the Kingdom of the Waves when I received this local information..."


    "It''s truly a shame..."


    "Yes, a tragedy."


    "Poor James..."


    "But... The Archbishop was going to the Kingdom of the Waves... Don''t tell me that..."


    "That''s right. King Walker is not too far from joining King Cromwell." She said, interrupting that Bishop''s question.


    "Before I left the empire, I visited a church seer who told me that in 50 days, I would be leading that person''s funeral ceremony."


    "It has been a little over 20 days since I left the empire..."


    "What?"


    "Oh, God, so King Walker can''t take it anymore..."


    "How pitiful for our region!"


    "So many heroic souls falling or at risk of dying, while the devil of the Black Plain does what he wants..."


    "Tsk!"


    Hearing these comments, Gloria looked with interest at those old men beside her, seeing how these people made their preferences clear to her.


    "Is he truly that bad?" She asked.


    "Of course, Archbishop. The devil already has a combat proficiency similar to that of Spiritual Emperors!"


    "It''s a real hell to think that our glorious leaders have to face such an opponent..."


    One of them then took a deep breath and asked. "Please, Archbishop, do something for the northern region of the Central Continent, or we will be dominated by the devil Minos."


    "Sigh..."


    "This is not the time nor the place to talk about it." She said this, stopping glancing at those people, focusing on the crowd of citizens at the end of the street they were on.


    "When I arrive in the Kingdom of the Waves and resolve King Walker''s funeral, I will talk about it with my underlings and the regional families."


    "So, for now, respect the moment we are in and don''t come to me about it again."


    Upon hearing this, they all bowed their heads and agreed to follow the orders of this influential expert.


    "Come on, time for us to help James Cromwell finish his journey in this great world." She said to them as they passed through the entrance to the royal palace.


    So, in the blink of an eye, the avenue in front of that palace, where many people were standing on the sidewalks while eating and waiting, witnessed the beginning of the royal procession!

 Chapter 879 News From Ernest

    Chapter 879 News From Ernest


    A few days later...


    While the region was debating the touching farewell to James Cromwell that had taken place in Capital City, Minos was dealing with other matters in his city.


    He knew that the Cromwell Kingdom was vulnerable because of the recent war events, as a forced transition of power would never be effortless, even in times of peace. So, considering this, there were undoubtedly many uncertainties to hinder the people of that state as the stormy clouds of war hung over this region.


    But even considering the possibilities that could appear for the Black Plain in this period, he was not that worried about that state right now.


    Minos did not underestimate the strength of the regional states, but it was undeniable that without their level 59 cultivator, the Cromwell Kingdom had lost much of its power.


    They even had other top experts, but none were even remotely capable of standing up to Minos.


    So, this young sovereign was much more interested in the other four states he was fighting against.


    Unfortunately, they still had level 59 cultivators, which was the big problem preventing him from resolving the war more quickly.


    Thus, he was already planning the next steps of the war, discussing with some of his soldiers some missions that were already underway and what he would start doing in the next few days.


    ...


    In the office of the local sovereign, inside the headquarters of the Black Plain Army, Minos was talking with three soldiers while they were all drinking spiritual tea.p????-?????.???


    The young Stuart was sitting in an armchair that was side by side with the sofa where those individuals were.


    And while holding his cup of tea in one hand, he was dressed in a set of light green and white clothes, which had a design similar to that of warrior''s clothing, helpful to wear in training.


    As for those individuals, they were all wearing the silver and gold uniforms of Minos'' army.


    "Young master, Ernest has sent some information recently." One of the soldiers said this with a satisfied expression on his face.


    It was terrific to bring good news in these difficult days of the war!


    "Has he gotten any good results?" Minos asked, remembering that that soldier was in the part of the Brown Kingdom that was not suffering from the wrath of war.


    A few weeks ago, Ernest had been sent to such a place by Minos to put pressure on their enemy families. And since he was already strong enough to have regional influence and the state was not so large, such a Lieutenant had quickly begun to act!


    "Yes, young master."


    "We received the first communication from Lieutenant Ernest after he arrived in the central part of the Brown Kingdom."


    "He has already acted against two families in that region, and some of the children and wives of enemy experts are already in our hands." p???? ?o???


    "We are just waiting for more people to fall into the hands of Lieutenant Ernest''s team so that we can take the credit for these kidnappings." Such a soldier finished notifying Minos.


    They could not simply attack these enemy outposts and start demanding the withdrawal of the enemy members of these families. If such a thing was done, then other noble houses could act before Ernest''s group, spoiling Minos'' plans.


    As for the possibility of these people at war on the Black Plain finding out about such acts of Ernest, well, that would not be simple. That is because that man sent by Minos was not killing all his enemies and was taking care to eliminate the soul lamps of those who were killed.


    Without such a thing, it would be impossible for the members of those organizations to discover the death of their members!


    In any case, their plans were not infallible, and there were chances that their enemies would suspect something and react against them. However, the Minos side had not planned something absurd, imagining 100% success.


    They knew that it was impossible to act against all the organizations in the Brown Kingdom that were at war against them. So, they were not targeting every possible enemy but those most relevant.


    And this could be done quickly enough so that their chances of success were not bad!


    Hence, the army''s plans for Ernest''s group were going well so far, and only a few more actions remained until they could use this card up their sleeve!


    "Very good!" Minos said, pleased after hearing that soldier''s words. "Let''s continue with the plan for now..."


    "Maybe we can hurt the enemy side a little." ¦Ñ???????????


    "Yes!"


    "Some high-level Spiritual Kings will surely have to return to their families after they realize the accomplishments of this group..."


    Those soldiers commented in agreement, interested in how Ernest''s actions might influence the war.


    But they did not have only that to discuss. Consequently, soon one of them brought up another subject. "Young master, Lieutenant Angela managed to reach level 56 in the early hours of yesterday morning."


    "Oh?"


    "That''s great! How are the movements of those two?" So, Minos asked about Angela and Celeste.


    "Following the arrival of information about Lieutenant Angela''s breakthrough, Lieutenants Pyke and Barbara, were told to leave headquarters and head toward their new posts."


    "With that, Lieutenants Angela and Celeste should be back in Dry City in no more than two days."


    p????-?o??? "Good!"


    "Then we will prepare s my departure for three days." Minos expressed, looking forward to traveling around the region, visiting places he had not yet seen, and dealing with some people.


    Since the enemy acted bravely with their low-level soldiers on the Black Plain while the leaders were hiding around the region, Minos would do the favor of showing the desperation of war to these sovereigns!


    He was going out on a hunting trip!


    The regional kings wanted to bring people from outside the region to deal with him. So, Minos could only do what was at his disposal, to kill these enemies who were hiding, threatening him, and disturbing the peace in the region...


    Gulp!


    One of them swallowed his saliva thoughtfully, worried about the short-term future of the Black Plain. "So soon, young master?"


    "Don''t worry, with these two women, Emlyn, Abby''s father, and the supreme elder Miller here, they will protect the city as well as I do."


    "On the other hand, by the time the enemy realizes that I am not in Dry City, I will probably have accomplished several parts of my mission..."


    "In the meantime, other soldiers will also get stronger, so nothing serious should happen," Minos said confidently.


    One could never be sure about something that has not happened yet. But if something capable of destroying Dry City were to happen during this period that he would be away, then it would not make any difference to these people whether he would be here or not.


    But him being outside Dry City, acting around the region, could make a lot of difference to the Black Plain. After all, if he could kill at least one more king, that would undoubtedly put the Counter-Revolutionary Army in a vulnerable situation.


    And that way, he could do what was best for the Black Plain, for the people of this city!


    "In any case, you must endure whatever happens in this period."


    "While I am gone, my high-level grade-2 sword will probably arrive in Dry City, and I will at least get a level increase."


    "After that, the scales of war should alter the current imbalance in our favor..."


    "So, we will be very close to our independence!" He said, cheering those soldiers of his.


    Upon hearing such a thing, those individuals felt much better as they began to think about how glorious the future of the Black Plain could be, something that really should not be far off.


    At the present moment, someone who saw this war might say that the forces of Dry City were at a disadvantage in the war. But in six months or perhaps less, that could change rapidly!


    Minos would undoubtedly be more than halfway to level 53 after such a period, and several Spiritual Kings in Dry City would be able to advance their powers. Not only them, but several Spiritual Generals were about to reach the 6th stage!


    As in the example of the members of the Elite Squad!


    Such a group had had its first three Spiritual Kings in the past six to eight months. But those three, Viola, Pyke, and Barbara, were the most advanced of that force, i.e., not a very numerous group.


    However, there were many Spiritual Generals between levels 47 and 48 when Viola advanced. Thus, since it had already been five months since her advancement, many soldiers could advance a stage with another six months!


    Consequently, the winds favorable to the Black Plain were finally coming!


    And in this way, those people ended their previous conversation, much more relieved about Minos'' temporary absence in Dry City.

 Chapter 880 Mother And Daughter Talk

    Chapter 880 Mother And Daughter Talk


    Meanwhile, in the Flaming Empire...


    At this moment, Ruth was in her Miles family''s area, within the Grey Clouds Sect''s property.


    The Gray Clouds Sect had a massive headquarters, more significant than average cities typically found in the northern region of the Central Continent. Because of this, even if this organization had a large number of members, there was room for all of them on this property.


    But not only was this place prominent, but the sect itself also had several other properties around its territory in this southeastern part of the Flaming Empire.


    So, the headquarters of this great sect had much more than just the necessary structure for the disciples and elders to carry out their activities and live around here. It also had the headquarters of the prominent families behind this sect!


    Among them was the family of Minos'' girlfriend, the Miles family.


    Anyway, within the main property of Ruth''s sect, the prominent families of this organization were scattered around the best areas to live.


    Such places either had a natural concentration of spiritual energy denser than others through the arrays of this estate or had land with certain qualities, in general, areas of great value.


    So, Ruth''s family estate was not close to the village of ordinary disciples like her.


    Even though they lived on the same property as the Gray Clouds Sect, this organization did not allow young disciples like Ruth to continue living with their respective families.


    At first, this might seem strange, but such a thing was nothing more than a measure to maintain order in the sect. That was to show that all disciples were equal until they proved themselves independently.p????-?????.???


    One could have a noble background, like Ruth. Others could have humble origins. It made no difference. They would live in similar places and have some primary, equal opportunities.


    Only after one began to prove himself on his own would such an individual stand out from the rest and gain privileges.


    And by the customs of this organization, even someone with support like Ruth, if she did not try her best, could fall behind someone humble but with talent and effort on his side.


    Because of this, Ruth did not live with her family and had to cross this large estate to reach the place where her parents lived.


    In any case, as she made her way along White''s back, Ruth did not take long to reach her destination, one of the many houses in a residential area near a lake.


    ...


    Passing through the front door of her parents'' house, Ruth immediately made her way down the main hallway without paying much attention to the modern and luxurious decor of that place.


    Scanning who was around, she quickly ignored the faintest signs of beasts and some of the humans who took care of the place and went directly to where someone at level 70 was.


    Upon arriving where that person was, Ruth immediately saw a woman who resembled her but had a very mature look, which she would only achieve after a few millennia in this world.


    p????-?o??? Anyway, that woman was gorgeous, and her vitality seemed much better than Ruth''s. p???? ?o???


    In fact, if one ignored their level and the experienced look of that woman, one might well think that these two were sisters, maybe even that Ruth was the older one.


    However, Elise Fitzgerald, Ruth and Talia''s mother, was undoubtedly many times older than her daughters.


    But even if she was almost 2,000-years-old, this woman could perfectly manipulate her appearance due to her stage!


    And even if she did not, her life expectancy of over 6,000 years would still give her an excellent appearance and vitality, like that of a level 0 woman in her thirties.


    But Elise values her youthful appearance, so she kept herself using small amounts of her energy to accomplish this.


    Anyway, Ruth was used to her old mother, and the only thing that caught her attention in that woman with black hair, dressed in a green dress, sitting on a white sofa, was the black and white cat on her lap.


    This cat was lying on Elise''s lap, with his belly up, enjoying the massage she was giving him.


    That was Ruth''s family pet, Milo.


    In the Spiritual World, humans not only used animals, low-level beasts, for food. Some of them, like cats, were usually seen as specimens to have as part of the family.


    In the case of cats, these Spiritual World creatures had the strange ability to soothe, to cause positive feelings in their fellow humans. ¦Ñ???????????


    And so, many wealthy families in the Spiritual World had cats as pets.


    That was the case in Ruth''s family, and the moment this woman saw that ''fluff ball,'' she smiled, waving to her childhood friend whom she had not seen in years.


    "Meow!" Milo said in his language, jumping out of Elise''s arms, running up to Ruth, and then jumping into her arms.


    As she felt Milo rubbing his face against hers and making some sounds typical of that species, Ruth sat down next to her mother.


    "Ruth, I hear that you have been spending little time in the sect recently..." That woman''s mother said this, observing her daughter with an interesting look on her face. "What have you been doing in the northern region?"


    "I hope you''re not making any big mistakes..."


    "Don''t forget from where you are," Elise said, warning her daughter of the dangers and bad decisions that young people could face on their path.


    She knew the basics about why her daughter was so interested in the northern region. After all, not only did Talia already know about it, but Maisie had already talked about it with her.


    Elise might not have a much better position than Maisie in the sect since Minos'' mother was more talented than she was. But still, as someone stronger, who had been at the 8th stage for quite a while, Ruth''s mother had the privilege of respect.


    And for that, Minos'' mother had given her some answers.


    But still, Elise wanted to hear directly from her daughter such things and the intentions that this young woman might or might not have.


    Purr!


    Upon hearing her mother''s question, Ruth continued to play with Milo while she looked on in silence to Elise.


    After thinking for a while, she then said. "I think you already know what I was doing in the northern region, mom."


    "Haha, but of course. But I don''t know everything..."


    "Why don''t you explain it to me properly? I heard from your sister that you are not protecting yourself." Elise said, looking at Ruth with a disciplinarian expression.


    She had no problem with her daughter hanging around the northern region and having fun with Minos.


    She particularly did not approve, as she desired for her daughters to have the best that the world had to offer.


    In this case, in her opinion, Ruth could find more suitable partners in the empire.


    She had nothing against Minos. But there were so many options that could be better than him in the Flaming Empire that she could not help but think that her daughter was being too hasty in her decisions.


    The people in the northern region were less talented, with lower grade Physiques, and had access to few resources. But not only that, Minos had already shown intention to stay in that region, even considering the possibility of Maisie bringing him to this place.


    That only made it worse!


    So, considering that she wanted her daughters to one day to surpass her and live longer and better than her, Elise was not okay with all of this.


    Especially since she had already discovered that Ruth seemed to want to get pregnant, something that in itself could be a danger for women!


    Pregnancy always has its risks, and after a successful one, the mother would be in a weakened state for a while. However, this was not the worst-case scenario!


    Complications could happen during the birth or even before. And such a possibility could even put the mother''s life at risk!


    In the case of a pregnancy generated by cultivators with different talents and degrees of Physique, this risk would be even more significant!


    People of differing talents and degrees of Physique had lower chances of making the first step of pregnancy, fertilization. But achieving this step would not mean guaranteed success.


    Before the baby was born, several stages would occur in that woman''s belly, which could take several years before it was finally time to deliver.


    And in the meantime, things could go wrong!


    On the other hand, even if everything went right, having a child would still not be easy. What would happen after the birth of a little Minos or a little Ruth?


    Would the child have the opportunity to grow up with his father and mother? Or would he have to live with one of the two, as Minos would certainly not come to the empire?


    With all this in mind, Elisa was worried that her daughter''s decisions might lead her to the same mistake Maisie had made in the past...

 Chapter 881 Marriage

    Chapter 881 Marriage


    "Humph!"


    "Talia talks too much..." Ruth said this after pouting, a little annoyed at her sister''s action but not giving much relevance to it.


    "But since Talia is a big mouth, I don''t have much to say to you, mom..."


    "I love Minos, and I want to have a life by his side. So, obviously, I want to have the privilege of being able to have children with him." She said confidently.


    Hearing this direct answer from her daughter, Elise looked at Ruth, a little surprised, as she had not expected such a girl to say something like that to her.


    "You..."


    "Do you know what you are talking about? How can you be so irresponsible, Ruth? If your father heard that, he would turn green with rage!"


    "Rest assured, Mother. Unfortunately, Minos has not yet been convinced to have children with me." Ruth said to her mother while she had a disappointed expression on her face.


    "Good!"


    "It seems that Maisie has not given birth to a child who does not think, as in my case..." She said in a slightly louder tone, laughing so as not to cry.


    "And what do you intend to do if you succeed? Will you do like Maisie and leave the child with the father? Or will you go to that poor region to waste your talent?"


    "Will you allow your children to grow up away from their grandmother?" Elise asked as she stood up from where she was standing, looking down at Ruth, face to face with this young woman.


    "If I have the grace to have children with Minos, I will go to the northern region to live beside him!"p????-?????.???


    "I can respect the decision my master has made, but I am not her."


    "As for you, mother, you and father will also be able to go and live in the northern region. So, it won''t be bad for anyone!" She said, smiling.


    After hearing this, Elise looked strangely at her little daughter, who did not seem to be thinking straight at the moment. "Is that so?"


    "What will we do with our cultivation? Give up everything, throw away our dreams, goals, and responsibilities? Are we going to do all that because you fell in love with a stubborn boy?"


    The cultivation problem was real. The northern region of the Central Continent had no area of high spiritual concentration, something that was a must for such high-level cultivators.


    Starting at level 70, cultivators could only achieve significant cultivation results by cultivating with high-grade crystals. But such crystals only appeared in regions of high spiritual concentration...


    That was the problem!


    Without these crystals nor the concentration of spiritual energy typical of high-level regions, cultivators like Elise would not be able to reach higher levels.


    In other words, going to that region was almost the same as giving up cultivation itself!


    Such a thing might not seem significant to Ruth, but that was just because she was still at the 6th stage, a part of cultivation that was not so affected by this issue.


    But once she reached the 7th stage, she would realize this!


    So, her mother could not help but raise this question, something of extreme relevance to anyone in this vast world. p???? ?o???


    "I don''t know, mom. You don''t have to do anything."


    "I''m the one who wants it, so you shouldn''t worry about it," Ruth said with a smile on her face as she thought about how impressive her boyfriend was. ''But I don''t think that will be a problem...''


    "Tsk!"


    "Anyway, mom, I came here to ask you something," Ruth commented, ignoring her mother''s reactions.


    Elise then frowned her eyebrows and ''swallowed'' the words she had to say to Ruth. "What do you want to ask?"


    "I want to know how I can help my boyfriend more directly. I don''t know if you know, but recently he has been fighting a war of independence."


    "Oh? He''s doing that?" Elise asked in surprise.


    She naturally did not care how northerners spent their time. That region had little relevance to her, and other than the existence of Minos, her daughter''s passion, she paid no attention to anything else.


    Hence, she was unaware of Minos'' boldness in rebelling and fighting against an entire region.


    "If that is true, how do you expect to have children with him?" She looked thoughtfully at her young daughter. "The future of people from that area who have followed that path in the past has not been good at all."


    Ruth then said without hesitation. "He will win the war."


    "Is that so? Why do you think of that?" ¦Ñ???????????


    "I naturally know my man..."


    Elise''s eyes sharpened even more after she heard such an answer.


    ''I don''t know all his secrets, but I know enough to understand how powerful he will be in the future.'' So, Ruth felt that while looking at the cat on her lap.


    Purr!


    Ruth had already noticed how Minos disappeared from Dry City while she was in that area.


    Such situations could have to do with him coming and going from the dome. The defensive arrays of that structure prevented people inside or outside that place from probing targets on the other side.


    But she had the impression that it was not as simple as that since Minos would disappear very quickly at certain times.


    After all, he could not be as fast as light...


    So, Ruth was aware that she was not privy to all of her boyfriend''s secrets.


    But she was not bothered by that.


    Ruth did not feel that Minos kept her out of anything related to him because he did not trust her. The opposite of that, the problem was not her but rather the Gray Clouds Sect, to which she owed certain obligations.


    Ruth then continued. "In any case, even though I stayed on the Black Plain for almost two years, I couldn''t help him during that entire period."


    "I also want to be with him without certain instruments getting in the way of our relationship..."


    "So, I am here to ask you what alternative I have to solve that problem, mom." She said, having a serious expression on her face.


    "Oh? So, you want to help him in that region actively..."


    "What do you gain by getting involved in someone else''s war, Ruth? Even if he wins it, even if the Spiritual Church allows your involvement, what would you gain from it?"


    "What would I gain?"


    "Hmmm."


    "It wouldn''t make that much difference to Minos, but it would be important to me, as I feel bad that I can''t help him with his problems."


    "So, that''s it?" Elise asked, looking at her daughter, who then immediately nodded in agreement.


    "Sigh..."


    Seeing that, Elise sighed in defeat, noticing how in love with Minos that young woman was. ''She is willing to put herself at risk just to relieve the pressure on his shoulders...''


    ''It makes no sense to keep questioning her or trying to push her away from him.''


    ''That would only intensify her feelings for this young man.'' She looked at Ruth thoughtfully, thinking about the current situation.


    ''Well, since that''s the case, all that''s left is for me to show her the best path, so she at least doesn''t face so many dangers in her path.''


    Elise was opposed to all this, but since her daughter would insist on it, she preferred to give the best advice so that Ruth could make her mistakes with some security.


    At least she would not be totally unprotected!


    And come to think of it, that was the role of parents.


    No parent had the right to decide the fate of their children. But all of them definitely had an obligation to present the options, the best paths to follow, to advice so that their children would at least have the minimum necessary to react to their own mistakes.


    And that was what Elise had chosen at this moment.


    She then said. "There are some options for you..."


    Ruth''s eyes sparkled as this woman paid attention to her mother.


    "One option is if your little boyfriend wins the war and reaches level 60. Then, he can negotiate with the church for some rules changes."


    "Obviously, it won''t be easy for him to reach that level being in that area, and such an option has implications that go far beyond your relationship."


    "Good things like resources needed for someone above level 60 could get to that place more easily, but some dangers would also appear..."


    p????-?o??? "Besides that, remain the option for you and him to get married with the blessing of the Spiritual Church. But, of course, with you marrying into his family, therefore abandoning yours."


    "There is a complicated process regarding that, but it is possible..."


    "You would just have to sign a Soul Contract with a <anno data-annotation-id="0db3c284-4083-200b-f13f-503170390265">Patriarch</anno>, promising the church that you will never receive or use your former position to interfere in that region."


    Ruth''s eyes then fluttered in happiness after she heard that part. ''It''s easier than I thought!''


    <annotations style="display: none;"><ol class="tinymce-annotation-container"><li data-annotation-id="0db3c284-4083-200b-f13f-503170390265">Just as a reminder, the positions in the Spiritual Church are as follows:* Spiritual Warrior = Deacon* Spiritual General = Priest* Spiritual King = Bishop* Spiritual Emperor = Archbishop* Spiritual Saint = Patriarch* Spiritual Sage/Spiritual Demigod = Cardinal* Spiritual Demigod/God = Pope</li></ol></annotations>",

 Chapter 882 Back To The Flooded Valley

    Chapter 882 Back To The Flooded Valley


    Five days later...


    After Celeste and Angela had returned to Dry City, Minos had finally left his headquarters to continue his journey through the northern region of the Central Continent.


    During this period, he had given his last orders to the principal warriors that would be responsible for protecting Dry City from enemies after his departure. But this had only been a casual conversation in which he had reminded his allies and subordinates of a few points to be careful about.


    They were not likely to be attacked soon after his departure, but they needed to be careful!


    On the other hand, the battles around the Black Plain should continue because if his territory fell into enemy hands in the meantime, Minos'' efforts to solve the problem of the enemy leaders would be futile.


    Consequently, the war would not stop just because of his absence. On the contrary, it had to get even more brutal. With that, this territory could take advantage of whatever Minos would do in the coming months!


    And with these conversations, Minos had moved away from the war on his territory.


    After that, before leaving for his trip, this sovereign had taken a whole day off to spend with his girlfriend since she could not go with him on this trip.


    Not only because she was needed in the battles on the Black Plain, but because, in a sense, if she went with him, Abby would not be of much use.


    After all, as much as she could defend herself against regional peak cultivators, she wouldn''t be able to fight them!


    And that would be a problem if she accompanied Minos!p????-?????.???


    p????-?o??? On the other hand, while she could stay in the Spatial Kingdom and keep Minos'' company, her utility on the Black Plain was more important to them.


    They both wanted to win the war as soon as possible. But they also wanted to win the war in one piece!


    Minos was sure that he could go to the Spatial Kingdom, cultivate for a couple of years, and then come back to settle everything if he lost the war now.


    But in such a situation, he would lose all the human and material work that had been built up until then!


    That he did not want, and the same was true for Abby!


    Consequently, having maximum power on the Black Plain while Minos traveled was the best for them.


    And with that, Minos had left his city two days ago, having departed alongside only the Feathered Serpent, who had been serving as his mount in recent times.


    Anyway, the purpose of Minos'' new journey was simple. He wanted to travel through enemy kingdoms, threatening the royal families of the states he passed through to lessen the pressure on his territory.


    That would not solve all problems since even frightened enemies would not wholly give up their hopes. But at least this could significantly increase the potential for diminution of enemy troops on the Black Plain.


    Any result above this would be profitable for him! p???? ?o???


    And to begin with, Minos would pass through the Kingdom of the Waves, where he wanted to kidnap Charles Walker, someone this young man had long wished to kill.


    Charles had ordered an assassination attempt on Abby when the couple had incidentally been involved in that prince''s conflict with one of his older brothers.


    But Minos, a person incapable of forgiveness, could not forget what had happened that day, even if a few years had passed and his strength had grown exponentially.


    So, he would start by kidnapping such a person, someone he planned to execute in Dry City.


    That was not just his revenge, much less something to satisfy his beautiful girlfriend. No, this was also a way to pressure that kingdom to withdraw from the war on the Black Plain.


    After all, without Charles, a new heir would have to be chosen, and this person would already ascend the throne, fearing what Minos might do to him in the future.


    After that, this young man intended to quickly pass through the Snow Kingdom to ''meet'' Kara''s family and help the revenge of one of his female soldiers...


    Next, he intended to go to the Snow Kingdom, where people from the Snow family held the information about the Scourges of the Devil for him...


    Finally, he would return to the Black Plain.


    As for the Brown Kingdom and the Cromwell Kingdom, this young man had already killed the king of one of them, and the other monarch definitely would not escape him. ¦Ñ???????????


    After all, King Brown was the one with the slightest chance of giving up this fight!


    Hence, these two states were probably the ones with the slightest chance of getting out of the war since they were by far the most affected by it so far.


    So, Minos would not invest his time in these two places for the time being, at least not on this trip!


    ...


    After leaving Dry City with that 6th stage serpent, Minos and this temporary mount had been traveling for about two days.


    They had been traveling almost the entire time in those two days, having made only one stop after leaving the region where the conflict, enemy camps, were.


    The main point of this start of their journey was that they would leave the Black Plain without alerting the enemies. Therefore, it had been essential for the two not to make any stops in an area that went from Dry City to a few hundred kilometers north of Yellow City.


    In any case, they had managed to get through this part of the trip smoothly, only having had to fly at high altitudes, which in a way had been more difficult for the two of them.


    That''s because of the lower concentration of gases in the air.


    As living beings that relied on such gases to survive and beings that were too weak to withstand more adverse conditions, the two had been forced to travel in worse conditions, exhausting much more than they should have in that stretch.


    But luckily, the two had enough to at least get out of that area safely and finally make the final part of their journey to the Flooded Valley at altitudes more suitable for their physical condition.


    That was Minos'' first destination!


    As planned earlier, Minos did not intend to use any Feathered Serpents as mounts on his journey. After all, this would attract too much attention to him and negatively affect the Black Plain.


    Thus, he was planning to change mounts upon arriving in the Flooded Valley, a place full of beasts of all kinds, where he could find a good helper.


    So, man and beast quickly flew through that forested region, descending towards the central region of that place, where a sizeable flooded area was located.


    ...


    After a few minutes, Minos finally descended from the top of that serpent after entering a flooded area full of smaller serpents.


    Some of them seemed to be just lying in the mud, enjoying the pleasures of serpent life. But, on the other hand, some seemed to be working, carrying things in their tails or mouths as they crawled around the area.


    Most of the members of this tribe could not fly, something only achieved at the 5th stage.


    So, seeing those many low-level serpents crawling around the area, Minos had not found it the least bit strange. He just made his way towards the most impressive spiritual fluctuation in that place while waving to a few serpents in his way.


    "Hey, what''s up?"


    "Looks like you guys have increased in numbers, huh?"


    "Good to see you too!"


    And finally, after speaking briefly with some of the stronger serpents he had seen on his way, Minos and that temporary mount arrived at the place where the leader of the tribe was.


    Upon arriving at what looked like a giant clay temple, Minos immediately looked up at the largest of all those beasts, the first of those serpents to come into contact with him when he was traveling with Abby years ago.


    "Elder Virtus!" Minos said loudly, smiling at the tribe chief, that, although still at level 58, was very close to a breakthrough.


    "Young Minos, you have finally come to our home!"


    "Hahaha, it''s good to welcome you here!" That great serpent said in his husky voice, pleased to see the impressive development of this young man.


    ...

 Chapter 883 Changing Mounts

    Chapter 883 Changing Mounts


    As they saw young Stuart arriving at the side of one of the elders of the tribe, all the serpents in that place turned to speak to Minos at Virtus'' side.


    They had a lot of respect for Minos because of his first-rate talent. And upon seeing this young man here and having scanned his current cultivation, these serpents were more than satisfied.


    They had made an accord with Minos that, at first, they would help him more than the other way around. But once this young man reached a certain level, which was not far off, this would be reversed.


    p????-?o??? However, even with their expectations for Minos, they had not imagined that he would reach his current cultivation so quickly!


    They knew of his level due to the communications sent from the Black Plain by their tribe members. However, knowing this and personally probing Minos'' figure was completely different!


    Many of these serpents had met Minos when this young man was only at level 43, but now, in only about four years, this young man was already almost at level 53.


    It was amazing!


    Such a thing was far above what they expected of him!


    So, they all were more than satisfied with their deal with Minos and could not help but admire this young man.


    Anyway, after Minos had greeted several of those strongest serpents of this tribe, he, Virtus, and two other elders continued on that special place in the Flooded Valley.


    And it was not long before the three serpents were settled in the lower part of that clay temple, while Minos found a place at the top of there, where he could converse on the same level as those spiritual beasts.


    "Young Minos, are things on the Black Plain difficult? We have some information from our tribe members, but we''re not sure of the scale of the problems brought on by the war." One of those three serpents commented on that.


    That tribe''s role in the war had so far been either external, directly in the Flooded Valley, or logistics, within the Black Plain.p????-?????.???


    So, there were not many of those beasts fighting around the Black Plain for these tribe members to send the best information to Virtus'' group.


    On the other hand, since there was no need for those serpents to know the minute details of Minos'' war of independence, they were in the dark about many topics.


    Hence the question of that elder!


    Minos then replied. "It is not easy..."


    "Just as I had predicted before, the first and longest part of the war is being quite tough for my side."


    "So far, we have lost outermost parts of our territory to the enemies, as the balance of forces on the Black Plain has always been unbalanced in their favor."


    "On the other hand, we also lost a lot of human power, something irreplaceable for my side."


    "So, that''s it..."


    "This war is tough..."


    Those serpents commented in low voices, still paying attention to what Minos had to say.


    "In any case, several of my strongest soldiers and allies have had level advancements since the arrival of the counter-revolutionary troops from other regional states."


    "And with that, I would imagine that the situation may balance out in the next three to six months." p???? ?o???


    "Oh?" Virtus said in surprise. "So, the war is near the end?"


    Virtus naturally knew that virtually all of Minos'' allies, including them, would become more active in the war when stability was achieved.


    After all, that would be the best time to enter the war for those not necessarily forced to fight!


    And since such organizations, individuals, had interests that the independence of the Black Plain happen quickly, they would act with everything to help Minos resolve the conflict.


    Consequently, Virtus thought that if what Minos had said was correct, the war might finally be over in less than a year!


    But Minos did not think things would be so simple. "Probably not."


    "If it were up to the regional forces alone, I would be confident that the war would be over in less than a year from now. But unfortunately, the enemies have their own plans to take us on."


    Hearing this, the big eyes of those serpents sharpened, each of them already worrying about what Minos was about to say.


    "If they get the church''s endorsement, maybe they''ll get some support from outside the region..."


    "If that happens, we might have to fight for a little longer."


    ''I see...''


    ''As expected from these humans. They can''t solve their own problems and seek outside help!'' ¦Ñ???????????


    ''They are cowards!''


    Those serpents commented among themselves, using their mental connection.


    Virtus then asked Minos. "Doesn''t that worry you?"


    "Yes..."


    "That''s why I''m on this trip, instead of fighting around my territory," Minos commented with a discreet smile.


    "Got it..." Virtus said right after realizing that Minos was on a trip to decrease the current enemies, thus eliminating certain additions that might happen in the future.


    Another serpent then asked. "But can you do that on your own? Are you sure you don''t want our help?"


    "It would be nice to have help... But at the moment, I believe that if I go alone, I will be able to act more covertly."


    "You''re too big, guys."


    "Hahahaha!"


    "Hehehehe, that''s true." The three of them laughed upon hearing Minos'' joke.


    "But anyway, I believe I will reach level 53 in less than two months."


    "That should happen before I complete a third of my journey."


    "That way, I believe I won''t have too many problems even if I travel alone."


    "I see... So, when are you leaving? How about spending the night in our tribe?"


    "Thank you very much for the offer, elder Virtus." Minos made an appreciative gesture as he looked at that being. "But, I am in a hurry to resolve certain matters..."


    ''Getting Charles Walker out of the Kingdom of the Waves before he assumes the throne of that state is a must!'' Minos thought about it without giving details to those serpents.


    There were two scenarios for the Black Plain regarding Charles. One was that in which Minos succeeded in his mission before that prince took over such a state. The other was that happening after that person took over this kingdom.


    What is the difference?


    Well, in one case, Minos could quickly force the replacement of the heir and the rise of a new king. But, on the other hand, if Charles were already in power, then even if the young Stuart killed such a person, things would not happen so quickly.


    After all, there was a protocol to be followed when one king died, and another was to ascend.


    And at a time as delicate as the present, even days could make a lot of difference to Minos!


    Therefore, to avoid missing the best of scenarios, he was rushing to reach the capital, where he would do his best to capture his target.


    "That way, I plan to continue travel later today. The only thing I depend on to continue traveling is a good flying beast so that I will have fewer problems along the way."


    The three serpents then looked at each other, thinking it was a shame that Minos could not stay any longer, but at the same time understanding this young man''s dilemma.


    So, none of them pressed the matter, and soon they left that place beside Minos, heading outside the estate of the Feathered Serpent Tribe.


    "Young Minos, we already have some flying beasts selected for you," Virtus commented as he moved in front of the Black Plain sovereign.


    "We had been warned by our fellow tribesmen living in Dry City about your journey. So, everything has been set up so you can choose one of them and continue your journey."


    "Oh? That''s truly good!" Minos said in satisfaction. ''It''s good that they have dominated this forest region...''


    ''That has helped me many times!'' He smiled as he walked through that area.


    And it did not take long before they reached a place further out in that swampy area, already in the middle of a sea of trees, where there were three giant winged beasts.


    One of them was a Red Falcon, which was almost 3 meters high, level 53.


    Another was a Gray Winged Lizard, level 54, a little larger than the falcon, with smooth scales that perfectly shaped its muscular body.


    Finally, a Winged Tiger, level 55, a beast the same size as Emlyn when retracting its wings and wholly black, was there besides those others.


    Seeing this, Minos analyzed each of them while listening to Virtus'' presentation.


    "From now on, one of you will serve as a mount for young Minos. But don''t feel humiliated because the one who will ride you will be the strongest person in this region!"


    "Young Minos, who will you choose?" That great serpent asked.


    "I will go with you, Maida," Minos said as he looked at that Winged Tiger.

 Chapter 884 Surprise Attack?

    Chapter 884 Surprise Attack?


    In the blink of an eye, 15 days had passed since the moment Minos and Maida departed the Flooded Valley.


    In that time, they had traveled quietly through the Kingdom of the Waves, having followed a slightly different path than the one used by Minos and Abby on that trip years ago.


    And coupling that distinctive route with Maida''s speed, young Stuart had already crossed almost half of this state in just half a month, which had previously taken almost two months when he and his girlfriend had traveled with Ebba.


    In any case, they had not faced any problems so far, as they were powerful by regional standards and had also spent very little time in cities.


    At most, Minos would stop every few days in some country town to just buy some primary resources. Other than that, he and his beast companion had spent all the time they had to rest in temporary camps along the way.


    Minos'' face was not necessarily familiar to the people of this region since the portraits propagated by the regional periodicals were not exactly realistic to the point where he became unmistakable.


    But even so, this young man had avoided unnecessary contact, staying as little time as possible in the localities he had passed through.


    And with that, his and Maida''s adventures had been reduced to flying northward, which was what they had been doing most, besides resting and training in their few spare hours.


    In particular, this beast had been training with young Stuart since their departure from the Flooded Valley.


    At first, Minos had proposed this to gain the cooperation of that beast.


    Such a Winged Tiger did not read the regional journals, and as a being that did not know Minos until that first meeting of theirs, Maida did not know how strong this young man could be.


    Hearing from Virtus that Minos was impressive was the minimum for her to at least accept that order. Still, it was not enough for her to be happy to serve as a mount for a human weaker than her.p????-?????.???


    For that, from the moment they had left the Flooded Valley, this tigress had been in a bad mood!


    But Minos had not been oblivious to any of this. On the contrary, as someone who was minimally empathetic and knowledgeable about the various races of beasts in the Spiritual World, he had noticed it all from the beginning.


    And knowing the pride that many of these beasts had, Minos had made a point of proposing training with Maida to train his skills and gain the respect of this being.


    So, he and that tigress had been doing this for the past few days, significantly improving their relationship.


    After all, for these beings who were proud of their own strength, having the excuse of carrying others even stronger than themselves was perfect!


    Not only was it not an embarrassment, but she still had the opportunity to train alongside someone powerful enough to press her weak points.


    Consequently, Maida was no longer grumpy. The opposite of that, she was now very respectful of young Stuart, and their journey was developing perfectly.


    ...


    Somewhere in the central mountains of the Kingdom of the Waves, there was a green area mixed with the exposed rocks, from where waterfalls hundreds of meters high created a magnificent view.


    The small animals made sounds typical of such places. The water droplets helped to create beautiful rainbows here and there. Everything there seemed to conform to the beautiful harmony that hermits sought.


    And the current weather did not hinder this atmosphere at all. On the contrary, the midday sun illuminated this beautiful part of the kingdom. At the same time, no clouds marred the bluish local sky. p???? ?o???


    At the same time, the atmospheric pressure in the surroundings of that area was simply perfect, creating a good flow of air that would cool those in the heat without it becoming a nuisance.


    And just in this beautiful and peaceful area, there were a human and a spiritual beast fighting on top of one of the many hills there.


    This place was a gray rock that looked like a giant chicken egg, which blended in with the mosses and leaves of the side plants, while a small spring trickled its crystal clear water into a stream not far away.


    And in the flattened part of that ''great chicken egg,'' a beast of the size of a tiny human house was constantly swinging its enormous wings, creating winds to defend itself.


    On the other hand, the human fighting such a beast was standing in one place, with one of her hands raised perpendicular to her body, while a small ''sphere of mercury'' appeared below her hand.


    This thing constantly changed shape, as if it were some kind of living tissue in the form of a silvery liquid.


    And after each change, attacks of different shapes flew from there toward the opponent of such a red-haired woman, who now was wearing green female armor.


    Boom!


    Swooish!


    But while this woman was fighting her level 59 beast, one of her many attacks went straight through that place, going in a particular direction.


    A few seconds later, a man''s cry of pain resounded through that area, alerting the two fighting around there. ¦Ñ???????????


    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"


    "What?" The beautiful woman with wavy red hair and light green eyes cried out in surprise, feeling that this could be her fault.


    ...


    A few moments earlier...


    Minos and Maida had just finished a training session in the vicinity of a hill in that beautiful region full of waterfalls and natural beauty.


    After both had cultivated for a few minutes and finally recovered from their previous energy expenditure, they devoured something before heading towards an area just in front of them.


    They had trained in an area of closed forest, where there was no space for them to take off towards the north.


    However, from where they had been before, the two had seen that just ahead was an ideal place to take off, from where they could see the sky without difficulty.


    p????-?o??? With that, they had headed towards that area.


    However, while Minos was riding on Maida''s back, suddenly, a silver arrow came straight toward him at a breakneck speed.


    Upon seeing this, Minos'' eyes almost popped out of their sockets as he felt a power slightly higher than peak level 59 cultivators.


    ''Shit!'' He thought about it quickly as he circled his Indestructible Body, and one of his swords appeared in his hands.


    He then used most of what he had to jump off Maida''s back while making an attacking motion with his sword, trying to lessen the power of that attack somehow.


    It would be more recommended for him to try to send a long-range attack. Still, since such an arrow did not give him the time or space to do such a thing, Minos had proceeded with the plan that could bring him the most financial loss but with the slightest chance of causing him serious harm.


    Swooish!


    His sword then cut through the air rapidly, making a distinctive sound that had been somewhat suppressed by the sharp sound of that sharp, small arrow.


    Crack!


    After those two items collided, as Minos felt the muscles in his hands and arms aching, the metal blade of that sword began to crack.


    Crack!


    However, such a moment did not last long. As the cracking sounds became more and more distinct, the weapon''s blade broke into two large and infinitely small pieces.


    At that instant, Minos'' pupils contracted so much to the point that they became so small in diameter that even an ordinary needle would be considered thick.


    "Shit!" He shouted in anger and shock before that arrow headed toward his right shoulder.


    Instantly after that, Minos'' defenses held up until the remaining power of that attack had been diminished to 5% of the original, something similar to the full attack of a level 42 regional cultivator with noble origin.


    And since his defenses had already been lost at this point, Minos felt the unexpected attack slowly penetrating his skin as waves of pain surged through his body.


    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" He screamed with all his breath, not only because it hurt quite a bit, but much more because he had just lost one of his few medium-level grade-2 weapons.


    The pain from the wound in his right shoulder was not enough for him to scream so loudly!


    Without the use of techniques, his body alone could withstand the all-out attacks of regional cultivators of noble origin that were at level 41. In this way, he had only suffered a cut that had stopped after half a centimeter of depth, which was insufficient for such a commotion.


    But still, losing one of his favorite weapons had increased young Stuart''s pain, having caused him to scream with all the strength of his being at this tragic event.


    ''Who was the bastard?'' He wondered in his mind as he looked around angrily.


    ''He attacked me by surprise and even destroyed my fucking sword!''


    ''Son of a bitch!''


    ...

 Chapter 885 My Name Is Gloria Frost

    Chapter 885 My Name Is Gloria Frost


    Upon hearing Minos'' scream, that beautiful woman dressed in green female armor ran toward the spot where her attack seemed to have injured someone.


    From the person''s scream and considering how strong that arrow attack had been, she was already running with a pale expression on her face, feeling that perhaps she had unintentionally killed an innocent person.


    ''Damn it!''


    ''How did this happen?'' She agitatedly thought about it, feeling bad for the innocent person who was now suffering the consequences of her own carelessness.


    Many cultivators around this vast world could have complex personalities, be cruel, and more. But most people, even some of the most influential individuals, did not like the idea of hurting or even killing people by accident.


    There was no advantage to such a thing, and most genuinely felt that such situations were great misfortune, bad luck, in short, something that only brought losses to all sides.


    Perhaps the strongest would not be so affected by such situations, but at the very least, it would be a nuisance, a mistake hard to forget. As for the victims and their families, that would be the misfortune that comes suddenly, the storm that arrives and destroys the entire life of one or more people in one night.


    And considering that this woman was empathetic enough to mourn such situations, she could not help but worry about what she had let happen.


    With that, she sprinted in the direction of the arrow from before until she reached the spot where a black-haired beast and a brown-haired young man were standing.


    The beast looked very frightened, with its tail between its legs and its wings hidden. But, on the other hand, a few meters away from that level 55 being, the young man was lying on his back on the ground, shirtless, with that arrow on his side.


    Meanwhile, he had a small spot of blood on his right shoulder, from where some of the silvery liquid that was part of that arrow was dripping from the same wound.p????-?????.???


    Seeing this, the beautiful woman responsible for this situation sighed with relief, feeling that her victim had fortunately not died.


    ''Good!''


    ''That was a close one!'' She celebrated in her mind as she scanned Minos'' surroundings.


    She quickly saw the destroyed sword scattered in the surroundings, while Minos'' angry expression was hard to ignore.


    As she looked into his eyes, she immediately clenched her fists decisively, ready to go and help him.


    "Are... Are you okay?"


    "I was practicing nearby just now, and one of my arrows ended up heading this way..." She embarrassedly said as she stopped beside Minos, leaning on her knees.


    Upon noticing the arrival of this person, Minos had quickly understood that the person responsible for all this was such a woman before she even opened her mouth.


    After all, by examining her, Minos had readily realized her level 64, the only thing that explained the previous attack.


    She obviously had not used her full power. Still, judging by the strength of that arrow, which was slightly above his total power, Minos knew that only this woman could have done this. p???? ?o???


    Therefore, before she even said anything, he was already aware of everything and paid attention to her movements.


    Previously he had not fled to the Spatial Kingdom because such a thing was hazardous. That is, he was in the middle of an area where people, at any time, could set a trap right where he teleported from.


    He would be at a much greater risk than just facing the previous arrow if that happened!


    p????-?o??? But now that the situation had changed and he had seen this powerful cultivator, he was prepared to make the hard choice if this woman tried anything.


    Against someone of level 64, Minos knew he did not stand a chance. Consequently, he could no longer risk facing the situation head-on!


    And after hearing the comment in a clearly worried tone from that woman, he did not change his cautious behavior, just stood in the same place he was, in silence.


    He did not want to have to risk fleeing to the Spatial Kingdom if there was no need for it. But, on the other hand, he also would not let his guard down just because such a person knew how to talk sweet and thin.


    Even cruel murderers would use methods like this to deceive their victims!


    And with that, he did not answer her, only watching her when she had finally knelt beside him and observed the wound on his right shoulder.


    Seeing her face, Minos could hardly believe that he had been cowardly shot by a person of such beauty, who looked like a true goddess. ¦Ñ???????????


    That was rather superficial, but she honestly had a kind, warm appearance, hard to find in ruthless killers.


    But Minos used his rational side not to let the devil fool him with such beauty.


    He just quietly pressed his jaw, still careful.


    As for that wavy-haired redhead, she realized that Minos seemed rather unhappy with her, making her feel worse about the whole situation.


    Gulp!


    ''It''s normal for him to have such a reaction... That could have killed him!'' She thought about it as she considered what a miracle it had been that Minos had survived her arrow.


    She then used her left hand to hold herself against the little bit of grass in that place while her other hand followed toward Minos'' body.


    Upon seeing this, he suddenly trembled, but as soon as he reacted in such a way, he saw her right hand making a calm gesture. At the same time, her sweet and gentle voice once again sounded in his ears. "All right, I won''t do you any harm."


    "But now I need to remove this here..." She said as she pointed to the wound on Minos'' shoulder, from where some silver drops were mixed with his blood.


    "The arrow that hit you is part of one of my techniques, something made from mercury. That''s basically poison to you."


    Minos'' eyes then twitched, and he glanced at his wound and then at that woman''s light green eyes.


    ''That woman...''


    ''She is truly cruel!'' He thought about this as he saw her right hand touching his chest.


    She then felt how deep the mercury had already gone in Minos'' body while still having an apologetic expression on her face.


    "Forgive me for all this..." She said as slowly a few drops of mercury began to seep out through Minos'' wound, coming towards her soft fingers.


    "Don''t worry. I will help you deal with all the toxicity of this, and you will not be affected at all by what happened here."


    "By the way, my name is Gloria Frost." She said, looking into the young man''s brown eyes.


    And as the muscles around the wound in Minos'' right shoulder twitched, this young man clenched his jaw without looking away from that woman.


    "My name is Albert." He said without blinking or indicating that he was lying, just appearing to be in pain from what she was doing to him. "How long will it take you to deal with this?"


    "A few days."


    "Days?" He frowned his eyebrows. "I have my own affairs. How can I wait for days for that?"


    "I''m not unoccupied either..." She said as she looked away. "You will have to accompany me."


    "Tsk!"


    "You can''t control your techniques, destroy one of my favorite weapons and still want to demand such a thing? The least you can do is accompany me instead!" He said in a distinctly angry tone.


    She was stronger than he was, but that did not mean that he would accept everything she said. And since such a redhead had shown some of her honesty, Minos felt that she was not a difficult person to talk to, despite her obvious strength advantage.


    On the other hand, he had already realized from her reaction that this was all just an accident.


    "This..." She stammered uncertainly, feeling that she was asking a lot.


    ''But what about King Walker''s funeral? Will I be late?'' But before Gloria continued to wonder, she sighed deeply and asked the handsome young man just below. "Where are you going?"


    "I''m going north."


    After hearing that, her expression improved a little, "Well, then I don''t mind joining you."


    "I hope you can forgive what happened here."


    "That was unintentional."


    Minos then looked at her, still angry, and said. "What will you do about my sword?"


    ...

 Chapter 886 Traveling With A Spiritual Emperor 1

    Chapter 886 Traveling With A Spiritual Emperor 1


    "Regarding your sword?" Gloria said while again looking in the direction of one of the pieces of that sword near where Minos was standing.


    ''It looks like he broke that medium-level grade-2 sword while trying to defend himself from my arrow...''


    ''Hmm, that''s what probably saved his life.'' She thought about it as she considered the strength she was using when training with her spiritual beast earlier.


    Her spiritual beast was only at level 59, but it was of a race as good as Emlyn''s, which made her far more substantial than the peak Spiritual Kings of this region.


    p????-?o??? Because of this, this Spiritual Emperor had used a power greater than Minos could handle during her training with that level 59 beast, creating the previous situation.


    Otherwise, if she had been using all her power, then even if Minos had 10 of those weapons or even several armors of the same rank on him, he would have been seriously injured!


    Maybe even died on the spot!


    At least that was Gloria''s opinion, who at the moment was grateful that this sudden encounter had not developed in the worst possible way.


    "Sigh..."


    "If you want, I can give you a sword in exchange."


    "But unfortunately, the only weapon of the type I have with me is a high-level grade-2 one..."


    "However, I don''t believe you will be able to use it. So, if you accept, I can get one just like yours while we travel together." She said sincerely.p????-?????.???


    "Oh?" Minos said this in surprise, almost losing his angry expression.


    But he soon managed not to smile in satisfaction at such a suggestion. "Well, even if it is difficult to use a high-level grade-2 weapon at my level, I will accept your first offer..." He said remorsefully, almost as if he was doing Gloria a favor.


    "At least I won''t be unarmed..."


    After hearing this, Gloria''s eyes sparkled as she realized a bit of the personality of the person she had become involved with.


    ''So, you are one of those, huh?'' She thought as a slight smile formed on her lips.


    She then asked him. "I thought I heard earlier that such a sword was one of your favorite weapons. Aren''t there any others?"


    "Others?" He repeated before answering her. "I have others, but not here..."


    "Really? What cultivator doesn''t take his weapons with him when traveling the continent?" She insisted, understanding that Minos was valuing his situation.


    ''This Albert... He lies with no difficulty!'' She found that amusing.


    "Well, for my level and considering our area, I would never need more than one weapon... After all, my possible regional opponents don''t have that capability." So, Minos insisted on his lie.


    ''True.'' p???? ?o???


    ''Level 52 Spiritual Kings are not capable of damaging such weapons...'' Gloria agreed with him.


    "And I can''t take all my organization''s high-level weapons..."


    "Anyway, I should be fine with just one, if not for by a certain someone." He looked at her once again.


    "Sigh..."


    ''Alright... But will you be able to use it?'' Gloria asked herself right after giving up on making young Stuart contradict himself.


    High-level grade-2 weapons were much heavier than those of a rating below. And so, usually, the minimum power required to manipulate one of these items with some ease was level 56.


    Of course, there could be exceptions, as in the case of people with innate abilities or techniques focused on improving the user''s physical characteristics.


    But in general, even those individuals with such advantages would not be able to use weapons of that quality with significant differences in cultivation for that level. Therefore, Gloria did not think a mere level 52 cultivator could achieve that.


    In her opinion, even if Minos had something like that, he would probably still have to advance to at least level 54. But hell, this was the northern region of the Central Continent, and as far as she could tell, her victim was probably from the area.


    Consequently, even if he was almost at level 53, using such a weapon could take a few years!


    And with that in mind, she could only find Minos'' opportunism in wanting to take this promised sword amusing. ¦Ñ???????????


    ''Well, that''s okay. I made a mistake and hurt him. But, on the other hand, that weapon means nothing to me...'' She thought about it, not regretting offering such a thing to Minos.


    "Well, I will give you that sword before we leave here." She said this, finishing removing some of the mercury that had entered Minos'' body. "You look exhausted, so you''d better cultivate before we leave."


    "After that, we will continue north for the place you are going."


    When Gloria''s voice finally ceased, Minos slowly got up from where he had been lying this whole time, taking the time to watch this woman from head to toe.


    Sensing this, she did the same to him, only feeling slightly embarrassed at how he was doing that right in front of her.


    But Minos was not shy at all. He just looked her in the eye before his lips formed a slight arch, and he turned to find a good place to cultivate.


    ''What a bold boy!'' She thought about it as she looked at Minos'' muscular back.


    ''I know I hurt him and should at least give him some space. But he truly has a lot of nerve to behave that way with someone so much stronger than him!''


    She then smiled, still watching Minos. ''Looks like my trip will be less monotonous than I thought it would be...''


    ...


    After some time, Minos eventually finished cultivating.


    So, it was not long before the two began walking toward their beasts, preparing to leave that area.


    However, as Gloria approached her great level 59 mount, Minos changed his path and walked over to her with a funny expression on his face.


    Realizing that Minos was not heading in the direction of that black tiger, Gloria turned to him, not fast enough to see his previous expression.


    "What do you want? Is something wrong?" She asked without understanding the situation.


    "I don''t think it''s a good idea for me to travel alone on my mount while it flies a few thousand meters high..."


    "Unlike you, I can''t fly."


    "You mean..."


    "Gloria, I think I''d better travel with you. That way, you can help me in case I have any sudden symptoms..." He said this with a worried expression.


    But young Stuart was not worried at all about his bodily situation. He could solve the problem of Gloria''s mercury technique himself once he was in the Spatial Kingdom.


    However, Minos was not the type to throw away opportunities without at least trying...


    That woman had already shown that she had nothing against him and gave him a beautiful high-level grade-2 sword. So, he was not interested in distancing himself from her for the moment.


    "Is that so?" Gloria''s eyes sparkled once again. "Albert, I didn''t think that such a regionally strong person would be so insecure..."


    "You truly are perceptive!" He said casually while already nodding in the direction of this beautiful woman''s beast. "Shall we?"


    "Tsk!"


    And with that, it was not long before they climbed onto the back of that marvelous bird, with Minos behind Gloria, pleased with how the situation was developing.


    "Maida, follow us!" Minos shouted as his two hands ran toward Gloria''s slender waist.


    "Hey, what do you think you''re doing?" The woman turned to him already with a disgruntled expression.


    "Where else can I hold on?"


    "You..."


    "Como one, Gloria. Let''s go. Otherwise, we''ll both be late for our business."


    So, a man with a smile on his face and a woman with a not-so-satisfying expression left that place, heading north.


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, a week passed as Minos and Gloria traveled together through the Kingdom of the Waves.


    And on this seventh day together, amid the sunset in the vicinity of a small village in the central part of that state, their two spiritual beasts slowly began to descend through the skies toward their next stop.


    "Are we going to spend the night here?" Minos asked Gloria while hugging the waist of this beautiful woman.


    "Hmm, since you seem to have a phobia of big cities, let''s rest here..."

 Chapter 887 Traveling With A Spiritual Emperor 2

    Chapter 887 Traveling With A Spiritual Emperor 2


    After a week of traveling together, Minos and Gloria had gotten to know a little more about each other.


    Obviously, this young man had kept his name and relevant information about his short life a secret.


    At first, he did not want to take any unnecessary risks with this woman. But after finding out that she was part of the Spiritual Church, he realized that this had been a good decision on his part.


    The church might not be his enemy for the moment. Still, it could be problematic if Gloria found out that she was traveling alongside a regional enemy!


    Gloria probably would not act against him, but maybe she would not keep his location a secret either.


    In any case, Minos had maintained the story that he was Albert, a member of one of the Endless Snow Mountain Range organizations, someone who was now on a mission.


    As for Gloria, he had found out that she was the leader of the Spiritual Church of this region. Nevertheless, although she had been born and raised in the Flaming Empire, her mother was from this part of the continent.


    Other than that, they had not talked about more private details of their lives, which had helped young Stuart keep his side of the story.


    But during these days of travel, they had not only talked about these ordinary things.


    Although no incidents had occurred, much had happened.


    Minos and Gloria had traveled a few thousand kilometers north of where they had met.


    They had not passed through any large cities since Minos had convinced Gloria that the journey would be more interesting if they stayed closer to nature...p????-?????.???


    In his ''opinion,'' the cities in this state were too similar. He told her that it was better to get to know natural beauties and the unusual creatures found in forest regions than to keep going to such repeated places...


    That was also a method of traveling faster, as the discomforts of nature provided the regulated life needed by cultivators...


    Without many options for what to do, people would usually work harder on their skills!


    And as someone easy to talk to, Gloria had accepted Minos'' excuses and traveled alongside him almost without entering the region''s large cities.


    They had only visited large human settlements when they needed something more specific or found small villages worth spending the night in.


    And this way, they had no problems because their route had the fewest people to stand in their way, and their level scared off almost everyone on the road.


    On the other hand, while they had been traveling for those days, Gloria had almost entirely helped Minos get rid of that toxic substance from before.


    That was why they had traveled all these days together, something that would soon come to an end, as Minos would be fully recovered from that attack with one more day.


    In any case, they were already in the vicinity of the most populated region of this kingdom, where the capital of this state was, the destination of both of them.


    In fact, at the current speed they had been traveling in the last few days, they could reach such a place in no more than another week of travel!


    ... p???? ?o???


    After landing a few dozen meters away from that village from before, Minos finally let go of Gloria''s waist before jumping off the back of this woman''s beast.


    After traveling this period together, this young man had never missed an opportunity to tease Gloria and had somehow managed to make her at least not mind his hands on her waist.


    That was no big deal at first glance, but this was important for a hunter trying to get his prey used to his touch.


    At first, Minos had been angry with Gloria. But after getting to know each other better, being treated by her, gained a high-level grade-2 sword, he could not help but improve his opinion of her.


    p????-?o??? Hence, his libertine side had emerged!


    And hell, Gloria was perfect and was traveling alone by his side... Minos could not miss this chance!


    As for her being stronger than him, well, it did not matter. After all, he had already done this with Ruth when their difference was similar to the current one between him and Gloria.


    Therefore, this sovereign was not in the least frightened by her level. On the contrary, such a thing only made him desire her even more!


    And Gloria had already figured all that out, of course...


    "Do you want to try to find us a place to eat? Or will we just go to rest?" She asked him right after getting off her beast.


    Minos then said this in good humor."None of us can cook, so even if this place is tiny, there are probably better cooks than us around here." ¦Ñ???????????


    "What you just said?" Gloria asked this, already with her face slightly flushed. "You''ve never seen me cook for real!"


    But Minos did not let that go unnoticed. "Gloria, you have burned our food three times in the last seven days..."


    "Tsk!"


    "There''s no shame in not knowing how to cook..." He laughed as they both walked in down the main street of that village.


    And in doing so, as they talked, with one side teasing the other, some people in that place quickly started looking at these two with entirely open eyes and mouths.


    Just in this place, now, in the early evening, several people were sitting on chairs outside their houses, talking or playing games.


    But as Minos and Gloria walked through that area, now and then, someone would stand up from where they were to look in the direction of the two of them.


    Not only because they were young and distinguished, but because, as there were some Spiritual Generals there, such people had quickly realized how strong the two were.


    In particular, the beautiful black-robed woman, who looked like a true goddess who had descended from her palace in the clouds to brighten their poor lives.


    Gulp!


    "I''ve never felt such a strong spiritual fluctuation before!" Someone said this loudly, just after he got up from the chair he was in, alerting his friends who were drinking and chatting.


    "Oh?"


    "What are their levels?" One of that man''s friends asked in curiosity as he looked at the woman of his dreams.


    "The young man is at level 52. But that goddess..." He paused for a moment as he swallowed his saliva in fear and admiration. "I can''t tell what level she is at!"


    "What?"


    "How can that be?"


    "Is she that strong?"


    Gulp!


    Spittle swallowing sounds arose in the surroundings.


    "Impressive!"


    "I''ve never seen such strong people in our little..."


    And then, various conversations spread around that village as Gloria drew the attention of these local people.


    Realizing this, Minos could not help but comment on the matter. "Ahh, it must be tough to stay below the radar with such beauty and strength..."


    "Are you jealous?" She asked jokingly.


    "Hahaha, I''m a discreet person. So, I''m not really into those things..."


    "That''s true." She murmured as she thought about how Minos had acted up to that point.


    He avoided passing through large cities but also did not even train in her presence. It was as if he was trying to keep all kinds of relevant information about him away from her and everyone else.


    In fact, the only thing he was doing around her was cultivating. As for the rest, all this week, Gloria had never seen him demonstrating his fighting proficiency.


    ''That must be on account of him being a member of one of those decaying organizations...'' She pondered this as she looked at Minos'' handsome face, trying to understand this young man.


    ''Does he have no ambition? He''s only 23, so he should be considered a genius in this region, but...''


    ''But no genius would go a whole week without training his techniques!''


    ''Perhaps he is already satisfied that he has reached the 6th stage?'' She wondered while accompanying Minos, who had just entered a tavern.


    "Well, let''s get something to eat, and then we''ll find an inn." He said this with a smile on his face as he sat face to face with Gloria around one of the six tables there.


    She then nodded to him. "When we find a place, we will do one more session before our cultivation, and then we can rest in this village until dawn."


    "Hmm, that''s fine with me."


    ...

 Chapter 888 Euphoria

    Chapter 888 Euphoria


    After a few hours, Minos and Gloria peacefully had their meal and then found a place to spend the night in this small village in the Kingdom of the Waves.


    Then, after some time in young Stuart''s room, Gloria had finished another treatment session with him. With that, they had reached a point where there was practically no more of that substance in Minos'' body.


    And that was what she had just done at the moment!


    She had just finished her efforts to help Minos and was still there with him in that room, a relatively simple place with a small balcony on the right side of the building, a large double bed, and a table with some chairs.


    Other than that, there was hardly anything else in that room besides a small bathroom.


    And Gloria was just sitting in one of those chairs, looking at the young Stuart next to her, with drops of sweat dripping down his neck and towards his bare chest.


    "Well, tomorrow we''ll finish solving this whole problem I created..." She said in an apologetic tone, occasionally looking into Minos'' eyes but not being able to stare at him continuously as he did with her.


    "Hmm, that''s good. I don''t like having strange substances in my body, hehe." Minos said in good humor. "But what do we do after that?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "After tomorrow, you will no longer have an ''obligation'' to travel with me. You have already managed to repair any damage you had done to me, and I will be fine even if you decide to move on without me..."


    "Oh?" She looked at him in surprise, noting that this was indeed true.p????-?????.???


    "But we are going to the same destination... If you don''t mind, we can continue traveling together." He suggested.


    "Really? You want to continue traveling with me?" That Spiritual Emperor''s eyes narrowed as she teased young Stuart, "What do you want with me, Albert?"


    "I don''t think you are looking for a ride on my level 59 mount..."


    Minos then laughed as he raised his hands to his chest height. "Hehe, damn, you got me!"


    And after laughing for a second, he said thoughtfully, looking into her eyes. "But anyway, it''s not bad to travel next to someone so strong. You know, I feel protected... In other situations, even at my level, there are still several dangers in this region."


    "Is that right? You don''t want anything else?" Her light green eyes sparkled in interest. ''This rascal likes to say such things...''


    "I want to, but I feel it''s unnecessary to say that to you."


    She then smiled. "What if I tell you that''s unattainable? Will you be hurt?"


    "Hahaha, I don''t believe it is..."


    "You''re very confident, huh?" p???? ?o???


    "Where does all this come from? Or is that just lip service?"


    "If you spend the night here instead of your room, you will understand where my confidence comes from," Minos said, showing one of his hands to her as if inviting her.


    ''This rascal has a lot of nerve to flirt with me like that!'' Gloria thought about it silently, evaluating the young man''s figure in front of her. ''He''s not bad at all, and he''s the only one who''s ever tried that hard to convince me about it...''


    ''But he''s still lacking in getting me to change my mind about my current state.''


    She then stood up from where she was standing, smiling, and said. "You young man will still have to improve to get my attention like that..."


    "Good night, Albert."


    Hearing such a thing and seeing her leaving that room, Minos did not change his confident expression, interested in the challenge given by that woman.


    ''You can go now, Gloria, but sooner or later, you will convince yourself on your own...''


    ''I don''t think it will be that hard to change the mindset of a virgin of only 60 years old.'' He chuckled as he licked his lips.


    "In any case, I''m sure our relationship will last longer than just these few days of travel." He murmured as he prepared to cultivate. ¦Ñ???????????


    Since Gloria was the Spiritual Church representative for this region, they would surely meet many times in the future. And with that, Minos knew he would have many more opportunities with her than she thought.


    In this way, he did not feel dissatisfied with her negative response. The opposite of that, if this were that easy, then he probably would not be that interested in her.


    ''Anyway, now it''s time to cultivate!''


    ''Maybe I can level up today!'' He thought about it after sitting down on his cultivation cushion.


    Minos was not training his combat techniques lately because he did not want Gloria to find out how superior his techniques were. After all, this woman was from outside the region and had a better chance of realizing the quality of his techniques.


    And as much as this was not the biggest problem, if such a thing were to happen just now, it would probably draw even more storms in Minos'' journey.


    On the other hand, there was the chance that she would recognize him as the ruler of the Black Plain, something that would go against his plans outside the Black Plain!


    So, instead of training all his techniques as he usually did, Minos was just cultivating his spiritual energy.


    And this had increased his cultivation speed in the last few days, bringing him closer to his long-awaited breakthrough!


    Therefore, this young man was already excited to attempt his breakthrough to level 53!


    Solar God Breath!


    Then, it did not take long for him to circulate his energies into his cultivation technique, which had better effects during the day but also worked well at night.


    After all, this was a Golden-grade cultivation technique and could not have such a weakness!


    It was terrific even during the night!


    It was just that its effects were significantly increased during the day, making it even better than other techniques of the same quality during such circumstances.


    And with that, soon, the medium-grade crystals around young Stuart began to glow brightly. But, in contrast, the energy within them quickly began to diffuse into the air, forming an ''invisible mist.''


    Such ''invisible mist'' then followed directly into young Stuart''s body, quickly making its way around his arms and legs until finally reaching his Spiritual Gland.


    Then, as he felt the natural spiritual pressure of that region helping him absorb the energy of those crystals, all the energy passing through his cultivation organ underwent a transformation and then was redistributed to his body and soul.


    His body then began to be stimulated, using the absorbed spiritual energy to improve his physical characteristics slowly. At the same time, Minos'' soul was receiving this new energy, like a balloon receiving more air inside of it.


    And with that, after some time of cultivating, both Minos'' body and soul were exhibiting the typical signs of advancement!


    His muscles were twitching vigorously, while his face showed an expression of pain. But, on the other hand, his soul was expanding, slowly reaching a new level.


    ...


    Crack!


    Finally, after almost 3 hours of diligently cultivating, the typical sound of level advancement resounded from deep within Minos'' body, spreading throughout that entire estate he and Gloria were staying in.


    Then, young Stuart felt his energies increase rapidly as his body and soul finally stabilized. Finally, his power reached level 53!


    After feeling this, he peacefully opened his eyes, smiling in satisfaction as he felt immense pleasure.


    ''Is this level 53?'' He wondered in his mind, standing up and feeling euphoric.


    ''Such power!


    ''I''ve never felt this way before!'' He clenched his fists tightly, feeling that even a level 60 cultivator that uses Black-grade techniques would be no big deal to him.


    "Hahahaha, I thank you, Gloria!"


    "Without you in my way, I probably wouldn''t have accomplished this before reaching the capital!" He said in satisfaction.


    p????-?o??? And as he vibrated in excitement, a red-bladed sword appeared in one of his hands, something he had won from that 60-year-old woman.


    ...

 Chapter 889 The Limits

    Chapter 889 The Limits


    After summoning his new sword from his spatial ring, Minos immediately watched that item in joy, feeling that he could use all of himself once again.


    Until now, he had never dared to summon that weapon in front of Gloria since it would be suspicious if he, a level 52 cultivator, could handle that item.


    After all, he wanted to appear mediocre in Gloria''s eyes, at least for the moment.


    That did not help some of his interests, but since the Black Plain was his priority, he had to handle such a matter with other approaches. And with that, only on a few occasions, Minos had ''played'' with that sword, just out of curiosity to sense how such a beautiful weapon would feel in his hands.


    Besides the dark red blade about 1.4 meters long, it had a simple pommel, which was composed only of a red stone that looked very much like a ruby. In addition, the handguard looked like two beautiful golden wings, the same color as the remaining items of this sword.


    On the other hand, this sword given to him by Gloria was, on average, about three times heavier than the medium-level grade-2 golden-bladed sword he still had in his spatial ring.


    And sensing such a thing as he admired its beauty, Minos smiled, satisfied, feeling that his power was even more suited to this item than before.


    ''It doesn''t match me perfectly, but I feel that we will have a good time together!'' He thought about this as he danced with such a sword.


    But Minos was not using his technique focused on this type of weapon to play with it. After all, if he were to practice while in that room, he would probably destroy the entire inn!


    Such a thing would also draw Gloria''s attention, and all his efforts up to this point would be wasted.


    Hence, Minos was merely using some of his energy to circulate his energy in his Indestructible Body to bear the weight of that sword more easily.p????-?????.???


    Such a thing was not consuming him as it had been the other times he had switched weapons. But even so, activating that technique was still necessary, as his body still lacked the physical strength needed for such an action.


    Anyway, while playing with his new weapon, Minos analyzed how much power he would have if he fought with everything he had right now.


    ''A standard high-level grade-2 weapon should have a 12.5% more efficient conversion of spiritual energy into attack than a medium-level grade-2 one.''


    ''That means that, in total terms, a spiritual attack launched with this sword has 38% more power than it would have if I used the same amount of energy without a weapon.'' He pondered this, thinking about this characteristic of spiritual weapons.


    Spiritual weapons could increase the potency of attacks, in a sense, by improving their energy efficiency. That was something that all of them, of whatever ranks, could do.


    There was also the possibility that items of the type could have more than just energy efficiency improvements, but that was still beyond young Stuart''s capabilities.


    And thinking about it, it did not take Minos long to conclude what his current limit was now.


    ''Thinking in terms of regional opponents, I fear that only a level 62 Spiritual Emperor could put me in danger. But, on the other hand, I should be able to easily defeat an opponent who uses Black-grade techniques and is at level 60.''


    ''As for level 61 opponents, I would probably have trouble beating him, but he wouldn''t be a danger to me!'' He considered this, feeling that this should be his new reality.


    ''But regarding people with more affluent backgrounds, as in Gloria''s example, my limit is probably level 60.'' p???? ?o???


    ''I probably wouldn''t lose if I faced someone of that level!''


    "Very good!" He muttered in satisfaction at the development of his power.


    "I still have to be on the back foot against people like her, but that''s enough for now!"


    Minos then smiled as he looked to one side of that room, where there was a wall with nothing on it, but which was the division between his room and hers. ''It will probably take me about ten years to overcome you...''


    ''But it will happen, dear Gloria!''


    ...


    While Minos was adding a new goal in his mind, Gloria was cultivating in the room next to his, sitting on a black cushion while in a lotus position.


    But as she felt the difficulties of cultivating in this region, something characteristic because of the lack of spiritual pressure, she did not let Minos'' advancement go unnoticed.


    ''Oh?''


    ''So, he just advanced, huh? That was faster than I expected...'' She thought about it with a smile on her face, curious about ''Albert''s'' strange case. ¦Ñ???????????


    ''Although he doesn''t attach importance to his combat techniques, he truly is very responsible about his cultivation level.''


    ''And he might even be considered a prodigy...''


    ''Not bad!''


    ''But it''s a pity that he''s a member of one of those decaying sects...'' She pondered as she thought about Minos'' lie, about him being a member of one of the organizations that lived in seclusion in the Endless Snow Mountain Range.


    Unlike most people in this region, Gloria knew very well of the existence of these powers and their origin!


    Unlike the few people in this region who knew about such organizations thought about them, most of them were not families who had turned away from worldly problems to live in the wilderness.


    p????-?o??? The opposite of this, these organizations were not emerging powers that wanted to distance themselves from the madness of power, but rather sects from the northern region of the Central Continent!


    Not only that, these sects were the oldest organizations in this region!


    Many were already around these areas even before the local map got the current configuration with six kingdoms.


    In fact, such powers were so old that even some Flaming Empire sects, such as the Gray Clouds Sect, were not as ancient as the main one of these organizations in the Endless Snow Mountain Range!


    And thinking about the agreements made between the Spiritual Church and these organizations in the remote past, Gloria could not help but lament that ''Albert'' was from one of these organizations.


    ''If it weren''t for that, I could try to persuade him to join the church!'' She thought about it disappointingly.


    She did not want to bring Minos over to her side because she had some kind of chemistry with him or for the sake of a simple good relationship. Quite the contrary, she found the idea of bringing him into the church interesting because of his talent for cultivation!


    With less than 24, he was already at level 53... If he continued at this pace, Gloria thought he could reach her level before he was 100-years-old.


    And that would be something incredible anywhere in this vast world, something that the church valued and that she, someone who had her power interests, could benefit from.


    After all, she did not want to be an Archbishop for the rest of her life!


    And in thinking about the positions she might reach in the future, it would be fascinating to have people as talented as Minos on her side.


    So, she was lamenting that Minos was out of her limits!


    ''But it seems that the decaying sects still manage to produce good talent despite everything...''


    ''Impressive!''


    ''Maybe I should pay them a visit in the future...''


    ''I wonder if they still keep those corpses?''


    But after thinking about these things, it did not take long for her to clear her mind of these thoughts concerning Minos and finally focus on her Golden-grade cultivation technique.


    ...


    And so, the night quickly gave way to the day, as the animals in that village began to make noises, indicating the beginning of the day to many of their owners.


    Despite the fact that they were not from that area, Gloria and Minos had awoken early, not only because the sound of the animals was loud, but to continue their journey.


    "Good morning."


    "Hmm, morning." They greeted each other briefly as they headed out of that inn, preparing to get something to eat and then continue on their journey through the forests for a few more days.


    Gloria then said. "Well, I have decided to accompany you to the end of the trip, even if we no longer have to travel together."


    "Oh?"


    "Considering our current position, it will no longer make a difference if I hurry or continue traveling with you."


    "Then you can have the pleasure of continuing to travel by my side." She smiled at him.


    "Hehehe, good to know..."


    ...

 Chapter 890 The Effects Of War

    Chapter 890 The Effects Of War


    After Minos and Gloria left that inn, it was not long before the two arrived at a small business establishment where breakfast was served.


    However, before they reached that place, the two had seen a bit of the early day in this village, where the residents seemed to get up very early to work.


    But the strange thing about all this was not that the locals worked early. After all, that happened everywhere!


    p????-?o??? No, the point that had caught the attention of these two was related to the number of people who lived in this village.


    From the size of this place and the number of houses, this village should not have three thousand people.


    However, as they went out to get something to eat before their departure, Minos and Gloria noticed that there were people working in houses, plantations, and streets everywhere they passed.


    It was as if all the people in this place, including the children, had been working since the beginning of the day!


    That was strange!


    Generally, in small places like this, society lived from the work of a fraction of the residents. However, this place had presented this strange phenomenon.


    And because of this, when ordering his breakfast, Minos could not help but question another customer in that place.


    "Buddy, do you know what''s special about this place?" He asked in doubt as he looked at the man at a table four meters away from his.


    "Special?" Such a person took his attention away from the piece of meat on his plate to look at Minos. "I don''t understand the question. Can you elaborate a little more on that, sir?" He behaved a little better immediately after realizing that it was those figures everyone was talking about.p????-?????.???


    This place was small, so it had not taken long for rumors that two superpowered youths were passing by. Therefore, even that level 34 cultivator understood that Minos and Gloria were not people he could dare to offend.


    Minos then said. "I mean, I find it strange that so many people start working so early in this village. Is there something going on?"


    "So, that''s it!" That man said this in realization before explaining it to Minos and Gloria.


    "Sir, ma''am, this is a consequence of the war in the Brown Kingdom!"


    Upon hearing this, Minos'' eyes sharpened, with him finally understanding this whole situation. ''I see...''


    As for Gloria, this woman did not have the same information as Minos. Still, it was not hard for her to understand that a war would always bring negative consequences, even for those not directly involved.


    "With the war, the general price of food in the region has increased greatly. So now, many people have to work twice as hard as they did before to afford the same pre-war expenses."


    "On the other hand, some more unlucky ones have had the misfortune to have emergencies just at this difficult time... With that, with prices so far above normal, many lost everything they had in order to be able to solve their most immediate problems."


    "It''s truly a pity." He lamented before finally returning his attention to the meat on his plate, which had cost the sweat of several hours of work for him.


    And everything that man had said was true. The war was a pity for people like the inhabitants of this village, those who depended on the services of others to survive.


    War was complicated and changed all the economic schemes of a nation. As a result, this showed itself in the inflation of various products, even those that might not have to suffer from it directly. p???? ?o???


    An example of this was the low-quality foods sold in this region. Such items should not suffer much because of war.


    This market demanded little from items affected by the sanctions or foreign markets.


    But with the war, the roads became more dangerous, as criminals became more confident due to fewer law enforcers.


    On the other hand, many mercenary warriors were charging more to protect merchant caravans, as the demand for their services had significantly increased.


    Not only were more escort services available to them in the regional mercenary guilds, but there were also enlistments for soldiers in the royal forces.


    As a result, the number of opportunities for warriors had increased dramatically since the beginning of the war and had thus raised the price of this service by a great deal!


    Nevertheless, the food producers selling their items cheaply on Stone Island were passing on their losses to the products sold in the other kingdoms in this region!


    After all, they would never take that loss!


    Anyway, all this and much more was affecting the value of food in this part of the Central Continent, which pressed the ''less well-off'' population to despair.


    That''s why so many people in this village have been working since the beginning of the day!


    That was for the sake of their livelihood! ¦Ñ???????????


    After understanding this, both Minos and Gloria sighed in lament for this reality.


    To Gloria, what was happening in this region was a pity, something that, if she could, she would help stop through conversations. But unfortunately, in her opinion, both sides were crazy for power and would do no such thing.


    As for Minos, this young man was sorry for the pressure that these people he did not know were under because of his territory. But this was for the greater good!


    He was obviously more concerned about himself than about strangers. But once he gained his independence, the whole region could benefit from the rise of the Black Plain.


    So, he just lamented the situation of these people at the moment, hoping that most of them would at least endure a little longer while he solved his problems.


    "This Minos is truly terrible!"


    "I never imagined that his actions would affect the regional population so much," Gloria commented to the young Stuart, sensing that sovereign was worse than she had imagined.


    Upon hearing this, Minos almost choked, but he knew how to restrain himself fast enough not to be noticed by Gloria. "I don''t think so."


    "I think he is just doing what he is obligated to do..."


    "From what I read in the news, he wanted peace, but the regional kings, specifically King Brown, chose war."


    "They are the big culprits of all this misfortune," Minos said confidently.


    "You think so?" Gloria asked in surprise. "I''m not from the region, so I have a hard time assessing the situation."


    "But I don''t think this Minos is as nice as he claims to be..."


    "Is that so?" Minos'' eyes sparkled in interest. "If you were to meet him, wouldn''t you give him the benefit of the doubt? Maybe he''s not nice, but maybe he truly wants peace."


    "After all, the instability of war is bad for almost everyone."


    Gloria then smiled and said. "If I were to meet him, maybe the right thing to do would be to arrest him and throw away the cell keys..."


    "Your church would never allow that."


    "Haha, that''s true. But that''s probably the solution that would solve everything without more blood being shed."


    "Is it?" He asked skeptically. "What do you think would happen to the hundreds of thousands of inhabitants of Dry City if he disappeared?"


    "Remember, the local kings are not pious and will not let accomplices escape their responsibilities..."


    "The example of the Kain family cannot be forgotten!"


    Hearing this, Gloria nodded in agreement, understanding ''Albert''s'' point. "Well, you are right."


    "I''m wrong."


    "More blood would be shed even if he disappeared from the world..."


    "That is the reality of war, my dear Gloria."


    "If you want an answer on how to avoid the slaughter and indirect losses that millions end up having to bear, the only way to do that is to prevent at all costs wars from starting."


    "Once a confrontation begins, the madness of war will hit one or all of the parties involved."


    "The idea that getting out of the war will result in losses without gains will scare the leaders of the organizations involved, and soon they will want to fight to the last consequences."


    "At least that is what usually happens between enemy powers of similar strength."


    "Other than that, you can only pray that one side gets enough power to oppress the other. Otherwise, they will fight until mutual destruction is inevitable." So, Minos said quietly to that beautiful woman.


    Gloria''s pupils then contracted, with her realizing Minos'' knowledge. But before she could say anything, he gave his final opinion.


    "If you''re looking for any side, then ''his'' looks the most promising... At least that''s what I think."


    ''Maybe he is the most promising now, but those families still have a chance...'' She thought about it in silence, watching her traveling companion even more interested.


    ''In any case, I made the right decision!''


    ''Traveling with Albert will be much more interesting than continuing to travel alone!''

 Chapter 891 Another Death

    Chapter 891 Another Death


    Four days later...


    After leaving that previous village, Minos and Gloria traveled without stopping at other human settlements, having flown most of the time and only stopping to camp in the middle of forest regions.


    Other than that, the two were interacting normally, with young Stuart doing what he could to improve his position. At the same time, Gloria enjoyed traveling with someone who did not seem to be afraid of her.


    As for dangers or incidents on their journey, they had even come across groups of bandits twice. But upon realizing Gloria''s level, some of the outlaws had even died of fear!


    Apart from those who had crapped themselves before trying to escape, the spiritual beasts that had accompanied Minos this far had accomplished the task of exterminating them.


    And, of course, Minos once again had not put his identity at risk; As for Gloria, who had waited to see what he would do, had been disappointed not to have seen him in action.


    After that, she tried a few times to encourage young Stuart to demonstrate his combat proficiencies and offered to train with him in the remaining days of the trip.


    But as tempting as the offer had been, Minos had refused Gloria''s attempts, thus increasing her curiosity about him by one more point.


    Anyway, after these events, they had finally reached their current position, near the first city that gave entrance to the security area of the capital of this kingdom.


    The Kingdom of the Waves had several cities within a few hundred kilometers of the capital, which were basically the cities that bordered the territory directly administered by the Walker family.p????-?????.???


    In such a place, not only did the highest-ranking members of the royalty have their lands and, in some cases, even cities, but it was also the place where a good part of the troops of this state was.


    From this point on, the local royal guard made all kinds of checks and inspections to prevent enemy troops from passing through.


    That was done to prevent, as had happened to the Chambers family, House Walker from being taken by surprise by thousands of enemies at once.


    In fact, this type of strategy was used in all the kingdoms of this region, on the outskirts of their respective capitals.


    Unfortunately for the Chambers, they were only a medium-sized noble house when the Hayes had attacked them!


    Otherwise, they might have had the opportunity to build defenses as good as those others and perhaps survived that situation.


    But even with such defenses, royal families could not limit the entry of just one or two people. After all, unlike troops with thousands of individuals, it would be tough to notice a single being traveling through these areas.


    Even this protection area of the kingdom, which had only a fraction of this territory, was a few tens of thousands of square kilometers in area. And with that, considering the number of people able to check this area, there was no way that the royal guard could stop anyone who tried to infiltrate this area.


    First, it might be a waste of resources to place Spiritual Generals every few kilometers apart in this area. Second, even if this were done, it would be useless to have these people if the invader was a Spiritual King. p???? ?o???


    The region had few of these specialists, and it would be impossible to use them efficiently in this job.


    It was even possible to do something efficient in some special situations. Still, if an assassin, for example, wanted to enter this area, as long as he avoided the cities, it would not be difficult to infiltrate this region.


    That was also one of the reasons why even the royal families in this region had to be cautious when dealing with the Scourges of the Devil!


    With that, the existence of this region itself was not a problem for Minos, and he was following alongside Gloria there without stressing about it.


    ''Soon, my time to act will come!'' Minos thought about this as he smelled the sweet scent of Gloria''s hair, who was sitting in front of him on that grating mount of hers.


    At the same time, the black-furred Winged Tiger was flying right behind that great bird, getting closer and closer to the city they were about to land in.


    ''Should I use my relationship with Gloria to get easier access to that crown prince?'' He wondered as he looked at the left side of her face.


    p????-?o??? ''No!''


    ''If I do that, I may end up forcing her to act herself!'' ¦Ñ???????????


    ''And even if she didn''t, that might force the church to accept all the requests from the regional families...''


    ''I''d better just stick with the original plan.'' He made up his mind as he absentmindedly squeezed the sides of Gloria''s waist.


    Feeling Minos'' touch stronger than usual, that woman looked back sideways but without expressing any discomfort. ''What...''


    She was about to think of something, but immediately after noticing the serious expression on young Stuart''s face, she dropped that subject and asked. "What? Are you, by any chance going to give up going through this place? We had already agreed to do that."


    Hearing Gloria''s sweet and pleasant voice, Minos put aside his thoughts of revenge, killing, and other hostile things to answer her. "Uh? Oh, no, I''m not giving up."


    "Then why were you looking so serious?"


    Minos then looked at her and smiled. "I was just imagining that even after days of traveling with you, I couldn''t even get a kiss..."


    "That can depress anyone!"


    "Tsk!"


    ''Scoundrel! I knew you were going to say something like that!'' So, she imagined while turning her attention to the city ahead, which became more noticeable as her mount decreased its altitude.


    "Anyway, I''ll wear a mask while we''re passing through here..."


    "A mask, eh?" Gloria''s eyes sparkled at this information. "Are you by any chance some kind of criminal? From what are you hiding?"


    "Well, you could say that I made the mistake of teaching a lesson to a person of powerful background..." Minos said in an ''embarrassed'' manner, speaking half-truths to Gloria.


    "Oh?"


    "I almost killed the son of a powerful person of this state when he tried to act against a person important to me. After that, I think he probably put a bounty on my head..."


    "So, a poor level 53 Spiritual King like me has to hide when traveling through this state."


    "I see..." Gloria commented to Minos, finding this story good enough to convince her why he wanted to hide. ''Poor Albert, he was just protecting someone and earned a mark of death...''


    ''Well, don''t worry. I won''t be the one to get in your way by exposing your identity."


    "Is that so?" He said in satisfaction, just before he hugged her waist, seizing the opportunity. "Ah, Gloria, you truly are a godly woman!"


    "Thank you!"


    Her face then flushed as she swallowed her saliva in surprise at Minos'' random words.


    After that, it was not long before the two left the two beasts at one of the city''s exits and then proceeded in a carriage to the central area there.


    "Good evening, sir, ma''am. Where shall we go?" The coachman asked while he had a sad expression on his face.


    "Take us to the best hotel in this place," Gloria said promptly.


    As for Minos, he could not help but find that fellow''s expression curious.


    Usually, people in the Spiritual World do not show their emotions so easily, even more so in an everyday situation like this one.


    So, young Stuart could not help but ask that man, "What happened? Why do you look so down?"


    Gloria then noticed that and waited to hear from that old gentleman what the case was. She then heard, "Ah, sorry about that, but it''s just that recently a great tragedy happened in the kingdom..."


    Gulp!


    "A week ago, King Walker passed away in the royal palace!" He said in lamentation, feeling bad that such a pillar had disappeared precisely in this tumultuous period.


    ...

 Chapter 892 The Fate Of The Kingdom Of The Waves

    Chapter 892 The Fate Of The Kingdom Of The Waves


    p????-?o??? Upon hearing that information, Minos and Gloria looked at each other, understanding what was happening.


    "So, that finally happened, huh?" Gloria muttered in a low voice, thinking about how correctly the church seer had predicted this event.


    "I see..." Minos said to that coachman while feeling pleased that he had arrived in this part of the Kingdom of the Waves just at this moment.


    ''That will make things easier!'' He celebrated internally.


    The now-deceased King Walker was not a danger to the Black Plain, as such an individual had been living as a dying man for some time. But even in his final moments, he was still a cultivator. And as such, he could definitely sacrifice himself if he wished.


    That''s why Minos was glad that this person had already died before he started taking action.


    If that person was still alive during Minos'' action, things could get out of hand, and such an individual with little to lose could end up doing a great deal of damage!


    Consequently, this news had come at a good time for Minos!


    ''Now there is only one level 59 Spiritual King standing in my way...'' He then looked at the beautiful Gloria with a thoughtful expression under his mask. ''As long as she doesn''t act, or I manage to do it when she''s not around, my mission here won''t be difficult!''


    He then said. "It is truly a shame that such a person died!"


    "He was a great figure!"p????-?????.???


    "Sigh..."


    "You are right, sir..." The coachman commented in sadness, sensing that a great storm was approaching the kingdom. "Now we will be left unprotected, just in this period when the Black Plain has proved so bold..."


    "How unfortunate!"


    "I just hope we don''t get invaded and have our homes stolen." He lamented as he talked about the worst fear of many inhabitants of this state.


    They already knew how dangerous Minos could be. And with one less specialist, they were more vulnerable than ever!


    That was why this man felt so bad, even considering that he did not know William Walker, nor did he even have the best impressions of this late monarch.


    After all, the known evil was better than the unknown...


    Upon hearing that man''s opinion, Minos was not annoyed at all, as he knew that such a thought was indeed a valid concern for these ordinary people of this state.


    Not because he intended to invade this place. But because, besides the fact that they could not be sure about that, there were still other organizations in the region that would not miss opportunities like this!


    Not all local organizations were into war, much less respected the families that were ''sacrificing'' themselves for regional peace. p???? ?o???


    On the opposite, many small and medium-sized powers were waiting for the opportunities while watching their targets.


    Once some states and certain territories of families involved in the war showed more fragility, many would make their decisions and would act to obtain more territories, population, in short, wealth.


    That was not only going to happen in the future but was already happening in some parts of this region!


    It was nothing very significant at this point, but it was already a matter that was beginning to gain volume!


    So, Minos understood very well where this individual''s concerns came from.


    "I expect the same thing..." Minos commented to that old man. "But I don''t think this whole confrontation will last long. In a year or two at most, everything should be settled."


    "Hmm, I think so too." Gloria complemented. "Besides the fact that the two sides in the war can''t afford to keep fighting much longer than that, in a little over three years, we''ll have a new Spiritual Tournament."


    "With this competition, I believe that the sects of the Flaming Empire will try in a short time to pacify this region."


    "Oh?" Both that coachman and Minos sounded surprised after that was said.


    Noticing ''Albert''s'' surprise, Gloria promptly explained. "The empire sects still value the disciples they get in this region." ¦Ñ???????????


    "After all, even if they are generally not that impressive, most of the time, the finalists are talented even by the standards of those sects."


    "As in the case of the last finalist, Troy Newman, who is a promising young man who will probably become a Spiritual Emperor in a decade."


    "And maybe he can go further in the future..."


    "That, yes, makes a difference to the sects in the Flaming Empire. So, they value peace in this region and will probably try to achieve this when the next Spiritual Tournament is about to occur."


    Hearing such things, that coachman was impressed by that young redhead''s words, having noticed that these customers of his were not ordinary. ''These people must not be from this region!''


    On the other hand, Minos looked at Gloria, curious about this. But before he asked his question, he thought of the answer to that himself. ''So, basically what she is saying is that it doesn''t make much difference for the Spiritual Church to stop the war, but it does for the empire''s sects...''


    ''Hmmm...''


    ''The sects of the Flaming Empire are powerful, but compared to the Spiritual Church, they are no different from small organizations in this region when compared to such sects!''


    And that indeed was the problem. The church had to worry about problems all over the Spiritual World, and most of its most powerful members came from regions far away from this place.


    As for the sects of that empire, they had only their state and the northern region to get disciples. Not only that, as much as they were the only ones who could host competitions in this region, constantly other states were ''stealing'' talent from this area.


    Considering that, even if this place was impoverished, it was still good enough for those sects to send negotiators seeking peace so that war would not impair them.


    "Interesting..." He said to her. "From the way you talk, it sounds like the church doesn''t intend to get involved..."


    Gloria then smiled and said. "Who knows, haha."


    "Tsk!"


    ''This woman...'' Minos thought about it as he looked at her until he turned and observed that city''s not very busy streets.


    ''Well, just in case, I''ll threaten the two princes left in this kingdom and kill that level 59 cultivator left in the Walker family!''


    ''That should help me scare Kara''s family into accepting that deal proposed earlier.''


    ''I''ll do the same in the Snow Kingdom when I passed there to get the information from the damned Scourges of the Devil!''


    ...


    As Minos and Gloria settled into that city before leaving for the capital of the kingdom, news of King Walker''s death had already spread throughout the region.


    Many regional experts already expected this since most of them knew that William''s situation was not the best.


    And so, when the information became public, none of them was taken by surprise.


    However, even though it was not something surprising, it had put a lot more pressure on the warring organizations on the Black Plain. After all, another king had succumbed during this period, and regional power was eroding in the face of the steady growth of the Dry City forces.


    On the other hand, even though William was no longer in power in the Kingdom of the Waves for some time, this state had been ruled by a regent, who a new king would soon replace. And a change of command in this crucial state in the region could very well be a problem for the war on the Black Plain!


    After all, an inexperienced leader, who had perhaps not had the time to prepare for power, would soon take control of this most powerful state in the region.


    What would he do? Would he continue the regent''s war policies? Or would he take a more active approach to the war? Perhaps he would reduce his troops on the Black Plain?


    It was hard to say, even considering that many powers already knew who Charles Walker was. After all, saying things while a prince, protected by all, was much easier than acting like a king of a state that could start losing the war in no time.


    Would he fight to the end?


    That was the main question, something the regional leaders knew that a figure like the regent would definitely choose. But what about Charles?


    Maybe his courage would not go so far when Minos was slaughtering thousands of his subordinates!


    Therefore, the regional powers were worried about this change the Kingdom of the Waves was about to undergo!

 Chapter 893 Time To Say Goodbye

    Chapter 893 Time To Say Goodbye


    Two days later...


    At this moment, Minos and Gloria were staying in a hotel in the last city on their way to the capital of the Kingdom of the Waves.


    It was already dawn in this place, and the two were in each of their rooms, diligently cultivating as they always did.


    In Gloria''s case, she did this because she did not need as much sleep as young Stuart. Otherwise, because of the difficulty of cultivating in this area, she would prefer not to do such a thing until late.


    Not because she did not like to get stronger. As a competitive and talented person, she liked that a lot. But when one is so strong and gets used to cultivating in good places, doing it in a place like the one she was in could become quite unpleasant.


    Due to the difference in concentration of spiritual energy from this region to the empire, the feeling she felt when cultivating here was awful, which undoubtedly bothered her.


    When cultivating here, some of the energy from her spiritual crystals would diffuse into the environment since the local spiritual pressure was minimal. Hence, she was constantly wasting her medium-grade crystals!


    Furthermore, the ''energy voids'' in the air were much more significant here and perceptible when trying to cultivate, which made it very difficult for her to progress.


    For comparison purposes, the feeling of cultivating in this place and the empire was similar to the difference between swimming in a pool full of water and one full of low-density round materials.


    Where could one achieve the highest swimming speed?


    Of course, it would be in the pool full of water!p????-?????.???


    And it was not hard to understand the discomfort of having to ''swim'' in this other option.


    That''s why Gloria did not like the idea of cultivating in this area and did it only because she had nothing better to do.


    In any case, she was doing what young Stuart was doing in the next room, where he was feeling comfortable enough to do so.


    In Minos'' case, he knew a place to cultivate that was even better than the best option Gloria had ever known. However, his discomfort was not significant due to his low cultivation level compared to hers.


    After all, the local spiritual pressure could still generate good results for him, enough for him to feel the difference from each cultivation session.


    So, young Stuart was fine with all this, although he also preferred to do cultivation in a better place than this, as in the case of the Spatial Kingdom.


    As for the loss of energy from his medium-grade crystals, unfortunately, Minos suffered from the same problem as Gloria.


    But there was nothing he could do. He could not take the risk of Gloria finding out about the Spatial Kingdom, nor about the fact that he was not Albert but the ruler of the Black Plain.


    Therefore, Minos was in his room, cultivating, meditating on a pillow typical of this kind of activity, while feeling the flow of spiritual energy entering his body.


    ... p???? ?o???


    In the middle of a cultivation area in the high standard room rented by Minos, this young man was sitting on a blue cushion, with his eyes closed and breathing peacefully.


    As energy flows followed around his body, the medium-grade crystals in his surroundings slowly stopped glowing, just before turning to dust.


    After that, Minos slowly began to move, finally opening his eyes to the direction of the exit door of that small cultivation room, from where he could see the area where the bed was.


    ''Tomorrow, I will finally start my first mission...'' He thought about this as he continued in that place, still shirtless, dressed only in ordinary shorts.


    ''First, I will take my time to walk around the capital searching for one of those two princes.''


    ''If I am not mistaken, they were rivals of the royal heir or will attend King Walker''s funeral.''


    ''At the very least, that individual who dropped out of the throne competition after losing one of his arms will participate in this event!'' He thought about it confidently as he remembered the public and confidential information he had had access to since his last time in this state.


    ''As for that other one, uh...'' Minos tried to remember the second prince, who had been saved because of his involvement in that situation that had put Charles on this sovereign''s blacklist.


    ''Blake Walker, that must be his name...''


    ''I believe he won''t have the courage to attend his father''s funeral. Otherwise, his good younger brother might take this opportunity to get rid of him.'' ¦Ñ???????????


    ''But perhaps Blake is nearby, looking for an opportunity to kill Charles!''


    Minos knew that Blake had run away after losing the competition with Charles. But from what his friends in this kingdom, the Cohen family, had told him, things between these two had not improved even after years since the recommendation of the current royal heir.


    And, given that one side still wanted to eliminate the other, young Stuart could not help but wonder if Blake would take advantage of the last chance he could have to kill Charles.


    That is, during the royal procession!


    That way, if Blake were in the capital in the next few days, Minos would seek him out for a chat!


    ''Well, even if he''s not around, I''ll make sure that the other prince, uh... Wilfred understands what needs to be done!'' He made up his mind before getting up and changing his clothes.


    "After that, I''ll do the easy part..." He smiled, thinking about the vital part of his mission, which involved killing some peak cultivators of this state and kidnapping Charles.


    After that, he headed down the main hallway of that floor where his and Gloria''s rooms were until he reached where she was supposed to be.


    Pa! Pa!


    ...


    Pa! Pa!


    After hearing her bedroom door slam twice, Gloria stopped what she was doing, curious to understand what Minos wanted.


    She had already probed the unexpected visitor when she had heard that sound. And since she was not satisfied with her cultivation in this place, she soon stopped that and decided to see what that fellow wanted.


    ''What will it be now?'' Gloria asked herself while she had a smile on her face.


    After that, she opened the door and faced a young man with brown hair and eyes, dressed in light clothing, who had a determined look on his face.


    "Albert? What do you..." She was about to ask what he wanted with her, but suddenly young Stuart started walking towards her, causing her to retreat into that room.


    After that, Gloria heard the sound of the door being slammed, but she did not even pay attention to such a thing. Instead, she watched the young Stuart, who was quickly approaching her with the expression of a hunter who was about to catch his prey.


    And when she finally came upon a wall at her back, Gloria saw and felt what Minos wanted here.


    He used one of his hands to grab her waist, bringing it toward him, while the other trailed toward her shoulders and then her neck.


    But he did not stop there. After staring into Gloria''s eyes intensely and then focusing on her lips, he moved on to his goal here, finally ''daring'' to take this irreversible step.


    And when finally their lips touched, Gloria noticed that ''Albert''s'' boldness had no limit. ''This rascal truly has guts...''


    Then, she pondered about it and moved her hands slowly towards his chest, determined to end this. However, at the same time, his skillful tongue entered her mouth, causing hers to respond involuntarily.


    "Mmmmmmm~"


    p????-?o??? While Minos kissed her with all his techniques, he wasted no time exploring Gloria''s sensitive areas, which could easily be stimulated, even with all those tissues over her beautiful body.


    Sensing this, Gloria quickly began to feel good, while Minos'' skills proved to be much better than she could have imagined.


    ''This...''


    But like a powerful woman, she did not let herself get carried away by the good feeling in her body. So, she soon managed to disconnect her mouth with Minos''.


    She then looked at him for a moment, still in his arms, as she slowly bit her lower lip and ran one of her fingers over his lips, wondering what to do.


    After that...


    Pa!

 Chapter 894 Back To Athela

    Chapter 894 Back To Athela


    Pa!


    Gloria''s right hand lightly slapped one of young Stuart''s cheeks, leaving a slightly reddish mark on his white skin.


    Sensing this, young Stuart''s pupils contracted as he felt that perhaps he had crossed the line with Gloria by advancing against her like that.


    Gulp!


    "I''m sorry if you didn''t like it..." He was about to say something but was soon interrupted by the hand of that young Spiritual Emperor.


    Gloria then smiled at him, watching him with interest, as if she was now the one who was the predator here.


    "I didn''t say I didn''t like it..."


    "That was just a warning so that you won''t try to advance against me so suddenly." She said, walking against young Stuart, leading him toward another wall in that room.


    "Oh?" He was surprised, somewhat pleased at how the situation was developing.


    And as they looked into each other''s eyes, Minos continued his previous movements, moving towards those reddened lips, full of desire to have this woman.


    "Mmmmmm~"


    But as Minos felt the sweet taste of Gloria''s tongue and measured her dimensions, his fingers suddenly ran towards the buttons of her clothes, trying to advance in this unfamiliar field.


    "Mmmmmm~"p????-?????.???


    However, as he made his movements while the tongues of the two danced a hard-to-understand dance, the hands of the beautiful redhead stopped those of Minos.


    Sensing this, he opened his eyes again, once more feeling his lips parting from Gloria''s. "What? I thought you agreed." He said in confusion.


    She then looked at him in silence for a moment as she smiled graciously at him in a way that was only further stimulating young Stuart. "Albert, you are very confident to come over here and think you will get into my clothes after kissing me for a few moments..."


    Minos'' eyes then sharpened as he bit his lower lip, feeling that it would not be so easy for him to feel a little more of the warmth of this goddess in front of him.


    "You didn''t like it? Why don''t we continue?"


    "I liked it..." She spoke in a low voice, messing even more with the nerves of the young man she was hugging. "I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, but..."


    "But?" His eyes continued to follow the movements of her pupils while the foreheads of the two were resting against each other.


    "But that will be our limit."


    "If you want to kiss me and touch me the way I am, we can do that. But for more, hehe..." She laughed once again as she used one of her hands to feel his chest.


    "You need to be at least as strong as a Spiritual Emperor... After that, we can try to get to know each other better..."


    "And so, maybe you can convince me to that." She said as she licked her lips, teasing Minos'' competitive side.


    Gloria was an ambitious woman. But she had also been raised in an environment that valued women''s purity, which taught young women like her to seek only one partner in their lives. p???? ?o???


    Hence, not only could she not be that interested in someone of such a lower level than herself, she would not give up her virginity for someone who might not be part of her life.


    Gloria would instead save that for the future passion of her life, the man she would join in building a family with.


    As for ''Albert,'' he looked nothing like that individual, and she could not help but hold back from breaking her ideas just because this young man knew how to mess with her feelings.


    "Is that so?"


    "Hmmm, but don''t be offended. I''m not diminishing your abilities. It''s just that I value that step very highly..."


    Minos'' eyes then sharpened even more as he felt an even greater interest in this woman. ''If that''s the way it is, then I don''t think it will take me long to get this...''


    After thinking about that, he then said in a confident tone. "All right, I''ll be as strong as a Spiritual Emperor, and we''ll try to get to know each other better."


    "Oh?"


    "Do you truly want to make that effort just to get into my clothes?"


    "Are you by any chance a pervert, Albert?" She smiled as she said this.


    "Hahaha, maybe I am..." He whispered to her.


    "But I believe I will be able to achieve that little step sooner than you think, my dear Gloria." ¦Ñ???????????


    "Hehehe, I want to see that."


    After exchanging those words, Minos and Gloria once again returned to kissing. And then, this young man continued to stimulate this woman to make her desire more.


    But Gloria''s will was not weak, and even though she felt her body ''melting'' from Minos'' touches, she held herself to her ideals.


    "Mmmmmmmmm~"


    ...


    After a fascinating night, but without any more profound consequence, Minos and Gloria set off towards that state''s capital, the city of Athela.


    And due to the ability of their beasts, in a short time, they were already in the vicinity of this complex urban center, home to millions of inhabitants.


    With this, Minos, for the second time in his life, was passing through this great city in the northern part of the Central Continent, a place where he had previously done much business.


    As for Gloria, she had only been to this place on two occasions in the past ten years, the period when she had taken over the branch of the Spiritual Church in this region.


    That way, they both already knew the basics of this place, and when they arrived in the vicinity of Athela, they went directly to a place where they could leave their beasts, as they could not fly around the city with them.


    "Albert, what will you do from now on?" Gloria asked this right after they left the place where they had hosted those beasts.


    Upon hearing such a thing, Minos smiled, thinking about how his actions would surely come to this woman''s attention in the coming days. "Hehe, that''s a secret..."


    "Things related to the organization I''m part of..."


    "Really?"


    "Do you intend to stay here for long?"


    He then shook his head in denial. "I don''t think so. My mission shouldn''t be that long. In less than a week, I should be far from here."


    "So, that''s it..." She said in a slightly disappointed tone.


    p????-?o??? She might not have been willing to allow Minos to deflower her, but that did not mean that Gloria did not enjoy being with this young man. After all, few men in a similar situation to him dared to interact so genuinely with her.


    And considering how tedious the next few weeks would be, it would not be a bad idea for her to spend some more time with him.


    She then said in a suggestive tone. "Then how about you join me for a meal? I think I still have some time before my subordinates discover my arrival."


    "I''m sorry, Gloria, I intend to start my business in this place right away, so, unfortunately, I won''t be able to do that..."


    "Really? What a shame, then I guess we''ll say goodbye here." She lamented as she made her way toward Minos, intending to kiss his cheek.


    "I hope we''ll see each other in the future."


    Returning Gloria''s gesture, Minos smiled calmly and commented in her ear. "I have the impression that we will see each other very soon..."


    "Is that so?"


    "Hmmm, but let''s leave that subject for the future, hehe..."


    "I hope you won''t forget those words from before... I will surely do my part." He laughed as he was already walking in the opposite direction of Gloria while waving one of his hands and looking back.


    "As long as you don''t take too long..."


    And with that, Minos and Gloria said their goodbyes as they entered that large city, with one heading towards the center to settle her official affairs here while the other went to the local suburbs.


    Gloria had the royal succession and funeral matters to deal with while Minos was about to begin his investigations in this city.


    He might not have had contact with those two princes, but one of them, he knew very well how to recognize such a person''s spiritual fluctuation. As for the other, this young man was almost sure that he could find Wilfred in the royal palace, a place he would ''visit.''


    With that, he finally began his official business outside the Black Plain!


    ''''Finally, I''ll be able to relax a little more...'' He thought about it as he smiled underneath the mask on his face.


    ''Oh, Gloria, you don''t know how pleasurable our meeting was...'' He thought about it as one of his fingers ''massaged'' the spatial ring that held the high-level grade-2 sword.


    ''I wonder how long it will take you to figure it out...''


    "Anyway, time to work!"

 Chapter 895 Searching For Targets

    Chapter 895 Searching For Targets


    After walking for some time through that outermost area of Athela, Minos found a place where he could hire the local charioteer service.


    He intended to move around this city, so it would not make much sense for him to keep going back and forth on foot.


    He could even move faster than the local carriages considering his cultivation level. However, this would draw too much attention from the local inhabitants, which would increase the chances of his plans being foiled.


    And knowing this risk, he preferred to follow a ''softer'' strategy, in which he could circulate faster than just walking around, but without attracting the attention of prying eyes.


    In this way, he quickly obtained a means of transportation to start his business here!


    "Sir, where shall we go?" The coachman asked soon after realizing that Minos had already settled into the inside of that carriage.


    Upon hearing this, Minos looked through the front glass of that carriage, which was open, and showed the part where coachmen controlled the beasts that moved such means of transportation. "I am looking for someone, but I am not sure where to find him..."


    "But I think that he will be somewhere with little movement, where people in a risky situation would normally hide in a city like this."


    "What?" That coachman frowned his eyebrows. "Maybe he''s looking for safety while waiting for some local service? Like medical help?"


    "Hmmm... Something like that."


    "Do you know of any place like that? I would thank you very much if you could help me find such a person." Minos said this while throwing a small bag with crystals in that man''s direction.p????-?????.???


    Noticing the number of crystals this customer was willing to ''gift'' to him, that coachman quickly changed his tone, becoming more confident in promoting his services.


    "Don''t worry, young master. I know a few places. But besides that, I know some brats who live playing in the streets around the local suburbs..."


    "They will surely help us!"


    "Oh?"


    "Then I''m counting on you!" Minos replied in satisfaction, finally resting his back against his seat as that carriage began to move.


    ...


    After a few hours, Minos had already passed on two different places that the coachman had taken him.


    However, after using his spiritual sense to investigate those areas in question, Minos had not found any powerful spiritual fluctuations, something he was in search of.


    He already knew that Wilfred had reached level 51, something the Cohen family had informed him months ago. Thus, considering that Blake was only one level below his older brother about four years ago, Minos knew that such a target should be at least level 50.


    So, after doing his searches in those two areas and finding no one at that stage, Minos quickly realized that none of his targets were around there. p???? ?o???


    Not only that, while searching for Blake, Minos had also paid attention to the spiritual fluctuations of arrays. After all, such items could prevent spiritual probing by cultivators outside the area of influence of arrays with that feature.


    An example of this was the defensive arrays of Dry City, which prevented people from inside that defensive dome from probing the strength of people outside it, and vice versa.


    But Minos had not found any arrays like that in the vicinity of those two places.


    p????-?o??? Hence, before the sun had even set on the local horizon, Minos and that coachman set off toward where some young vagrants used to do their business.


    ...


    Upon entering an area where there were some abandoned buildings and insufficient lighting, Minos soon faced dirty, poorly dressed, extremely miserable people of different ages.


    Some were around campfires with torn blankets, while others used tree leaves to cover their bodies as they slept on the ground.


    However, in the middle of this precarious place without primary housing conditions, several children ran around, chasing small animals or even fighting with each other.


    However, not all of them were the same. Some looked more childish, looking for some fun amid the surrounding misery. But others seemed more serious about their positions, with determined looks in their eyes.


    And precisely, these sharp-eyed individuals, who behaved like gang members, were the ones that the coachman hired by Minos had pointed out to him. ¦Ñ???????????


    Noticing such a distinction, Minos was not slow to understand why that old man had brought him to this place.


    ''These people must know the Athela''s underworld.'' He pondered this as he watched the alleys between the abandoned buildings, from where several of those more serious children seemed to be watching their surroundings.


    And it was not long before he and that coachman reached the back of one of those buildings.


    There, several children with explosive arrays on their belts seemed to be guarding the entrance to that place.


    "Brats, step aside and let us in!"


    "Don''t you see the young master next to me? He has a service for your group!" That coachman started the conversation with those youngsters who were protecting the area.


    Upon hearing that, none of those children changed their behavior, just having looked in the direction of that masked person.


    But as they were only children who had barely started cultivating, they could not estimate Minos'' cultivation level. Because of this, none of them were frightened in front of this stranger.


    "What do you want?" One of them tried to force a grave tone, trying to sound more than he was.


    Minos then went straight to the point. "I am after a person, and if you help me find him, I will give you a high reward."


    "If the service gets results later today, I will give you 50,000 low-grade spiritual crystals. If you can give me results within two days, I will pay you half the amount."


    "After that, I will only reward you with 10,000 crystals."


    Gulp!


    Not only did those children swallow their saliva in shock, but also that coachman, since Minos had rewarded him far less than what he promised to those brats.


    ''This person truly is wealthy!'' The old man thought about it, trying to understand Minos'' origin.


    But just like those kids, he did not have what it took to estimate Minos'' level. So, he could only wonder where such a generous person had come from.


    On the other hand, Minos was not worried about what these people would do after dealing with someone as generous as him.


    Not because he was unconcerned about them spoiling his plans, nor because he trusted strangers. But instead because by ending his affairs with these people, he would cause all of them to have the same fate as Troy and Ford.


    To spend a few days unconscious due to the Infinite Dream!


    And with that, he was confident in using these people to his advantage!


    "Are you serious? We''re not going to let you fool us just by talking such a catchy number!" The same young man from before said this, but now with a much thinner tone due to the mental disturbance, he had just suffered.


    "Hmmm." Minos nodded to those youths while giving them a small bag.


    Seeing this, those two looked at each other before finally deciding what to do.


    "Run!" The two shouted as they ran off in different directions.


    However, before they could even run for a single meter from where they were previously, the two fell to the ground, already passed out.


    "Well, let''s go talk to their leaders..." Minos said in a calm tone, just before kicking the metal door that those young men were protecting.


    Noticing all this, that coachman almost fainted from the sudden change there.


    At one moment, he had thought that the young master who had hired him would be deceived. But just then, as if by the will of the masked person, those two fell to the ground like sacks of potatoes.


    ''Terrible!'' He thought about it as he felt a heat running down between his legs, wetting his clothes.


    But soon after, the old man followed young Stuart to settle those matters with the underworld people, the ones who had the best chance of directing Minos to the places where he would have the best chance of finding Blake.


    "Well, let''s do business..."

 Chapter 896 A Chance Of Development

    Chapter 896 A Chance Of Development


    While Minos was using the alternatives at his disposal to search for Blake Walker, Gloria had already arrived at the church headquarters in this region.


    After some time from the moment she had said goodbye to ''Albert,'' she had taken care of her personal affairs before finally heading towards the temple of the Spiritual Church. At this place, she should settle some bureaucratic matters concerning her position and deal with her primary purpose in coming to this region.


    So, even though it was already early evening in Athela, Gloria had moved on towards her responsibilities, as she intended to settle her affairs here as soon as possible.


    She could not advance the process concerning the funeral and royal succession. But, she could advance the other things at her will.


    Because of this, she was already in the large central hall of that temple, where the Bishops of this post usually met to discuss the most critical matters!


    ...


    In that grand hall, where there was a long ''U'' shaped table, Gloria was in the leading position around this table, sitting in an armchair, from where she could see all the Bishops that were there.


    Each of them wore the traditional purple cloak that their hierarchy in this institution allowed them. But, at the same time, the beautiful redhead that Minos had recently met was dressed in her black cloak.


    And while the people in that place were quite anxious because this woman had finally arrived, one of them finished recounting some critical information to Gloria.


    She had been traveling for more than 50 days. During that time, for the most part, she had been flying on her spiritual beast, away from any church outpost that could perhaps provide her with certain information.p????-?????.???


    And since only the crows of the church branch in the Flaming Empire had the mark of this Archbishop, there was no way for her to communicate directly with these people except through other local branches.


    In this way, Gloria was unaware of several of the developments that had taken place in the region during that period, so she needed to be informed of the most important things.


    "... And that was the most relevant thing that happened in the last two months, Archbishop." The senior Bishop of this post of the Spiritual Church finished talking about the problems in the region and the situation in the Black Plain.


    "So, this young ruler Minos can already do so much damage, huh?" Gloria muttered this as she found the data regarding this person impressive.


    During the past two or three months, Minos had not only fought against level 59 Spiritual Kings twice. But he had also successfully eliminated two of them and seriously injured a third.


    Not only that, after these battles, he had wiped out a few tens of thousands of enemy Spiritual Generals around the Black Plain, significantly increasing his regional fame.


    And finding out about some of this information, Gloria could not help but be impressed with how active and powerful Minos was.


    ''He would surely do very well in the Flaming Empire...'' So, she believed it as she compared Minos''s bloodlust with what it took to succeed in that state.


    The Flaming Empire had its dangers, but it was also largely peaceful. That is, if one agreed to live like most people and not put oneself at unnecessary risk, such an individual would have little chance of being killed prematurely. p???? ?o???


    But less risk would also mean less potential, profitability, etc.


    So, to be victorious in that place, one would have to put oneself in danger from time to time and fight against whoever stood in one''s way, against the status quo, against the dominant power.


    And thinking about these things, Gloria was curious as to why Minos had chosen to stay in this region, even though he had the option to travel safely to that state.


    After all, since he was so willing to fight and take risks, would not it be better to do it in the empire, where the limits were much higher?


    If only he were a peaceful person, she could understand Minos'' irrational choice in wanting to stay in this region. But this was not the case!


    So, she also felt a little puzzled about Minos.


    She then laughed interestingly and said. "Well, if he becomes a king, maybe this region will leap to the next level..."


    Hearing such a thing, most there shuddered in awe, fearing that their leader intended to favor the Black Plain.


    "This..." ¦Ñ???????????


    But Gloria was merely thinking aloud, showing these people a different ''view.''


    "If this Minos wins the war and eventually reaches level 59, he will become strong enough to travel safely through some northern region neighboring kingdoms."


    "That means he and his Black Plains will be able to access resources that the rest of the region normally can''t." She finished rambling.


    The Spiritual Church prohibited outside powers from influencing the northern region of the Central Continent. But there was no limitation on people from this region leaving here and going off on their own to grow or bring in wealth from outside.


    Like, for example, someone could leave this region, spend a few years in the Flaming Empire working as a mercenary and then return with his riches.


    There would be no problem from the church''s point of view, and this person could quickly change his or her family''s life.


    The problem with this was that the dangers were extreme since this region''s people were not strong. And consequently, the vast majority who had tried this in the past had not returned...


    So, many did not even dare to do this and had to rely on imports of external resources, which were extremely expensive!


    Because of this, thinking about the power that Minos might have in the future, Gloria had found fascinating the Black Plain''s possibility if he won the war and ventured outside the region.


    That could quickly raise the level of the Black Plain and, at some point, result in something positive for the entire region.


    But upon hearing Gloria''s words, all those old men had heard had been the potential for the Black Plain to dominate the entire region.


    They understood that such a thing could have its advantages, but what good would such a thing do if they could not participate in it?


    After all, their friends, who constantly paid them subsidies, were Minos'' enemies, not that young man himself!


    As for changing sides, they did not know if they could get as good deals with Minos as they had with the regional families. That''s because, unlike those organizations, young Stuart, would not have to worry about the balance of local power!


    That would be terrible for those old Bishops!


    Gulp!


    ''We can''t let that happen!'' One of them determinedly thought while sweating in nervousness.


    One of the strongest there then commented on what Gloria had just said. "That could be amazing, Archbishop..."


    "It could be incredible if the devil Minos committed to peace and stability. But we don''t know his true intentions, and perhaps that potential will result in a disaster for millions of innocent people."


    "Yes, Bishop Basil is correct!" Another of them said in a firm tone.


    p????-?o??? "We can''t trust a person with no track record. A 23-year-old who may not even have a good long-term strategy. That perhaps is using something artificial to generate short-term benefits."


    "Someone who does whatever he wants. Blows up cities, kills kings..."


    "Hell, I recently heard disturbing rumors about how he manipulates enemies!"


    While hearing all this, Gloria watched those people, assessing how blunt their position against Minos was, even if this young man never directly harmed the church.


    ''These people are more concerned with their positions than with our institution...'' Her eyes sharpened, but she said nothing to them. ''None of them will have a good future in the church!''


    ''Too bad I can''t dismiss those people. Otherwise...'' She imagined this, lamenting the fact that there were not many replacements for Bishops in this region.


    In any case, it would not make much difference to her to leave these people of low potential in this place either. At most, they would slow down the development of the church in this region, which in itself was very limited.


    And thinking of the few gains she might have if she made any drastic changes, she decided to keep it going to see what would happen next.


    She then said. "Well, then tell me what you think will be best for the church and the region..."

 Chapter 897 A Good Visit

    Chapter 897 A Good Visit


    After Gloria gave those people the opportunity to express their thoughts, it did not take long for practically all those Bishops to start suggesting interventions.


    "Archbishop, I think the most practical thing to do would be for the church itself to take action against the devil Minos so that the region quickly returns to normalcy!" The first of them said this aloud.


    Then others of them gave similar opinions.


    "I believe that although problematic, an action by the church is what can stop this conflict before more innocent blood is spread throughout the Brown Kingdom."


    "As for me, I think we should just give the local organizations a pass to call their descendants back from the Flaming Empire. That would bring in enough powerful forces to solve the problem, and we could still wash our hands of any responsibilities."


    "Let''s accept the return of these people for a certain interval of time, and then we can return to neutrality..."


    "There is also the option of an ultimatum..."


    "We can directly negotiate peace with the devil Minos, using the pretext that we will act if he does not put down his weapons!" Another of them said in a slightly lower tone.


    But as soon as such a thing was said, other Bishops turned to that person, not understanding what such an individual was suggesting.


    One of them then asked. "Bishop Piers, what do you mean by that? What would happen to the devil Minos if he accepted such a thing? Would he have to surrender to the local forces? Or would he stay on the Black Plain?"


    "Uh? If we can get a ceasefire, we can end the war and regain regional stability... As for what would happen to him, I don''t think he would ever surrender to anyone, so it would be better just to make a deal with him so that he is restricted to the Black Plain."


    After hearing this, those previously doubting Bishops finally understood what that individual had in mind.p????-?????.???


    ''Absurd!''


    ''A deal like that would be like giving the independence this Minos wants so badly!''


    ''What the hell is going on in Bishop Piers'' head? It wouldn''t be of any advantage to anyone but Minos himself!''


    ''Crazy!''


    Several individuals thought similar things as they watched with cold stares in Piers'' direction.


    One of them then objected to such absurdity, "I don''t think that''s a good idea."


    "Hmm, I agree. There are no advantages in doing that!"


    "Yes! Only the devil Minos would gain anything from something like that."


    "True!"


    "I think it''s much better if we just kill him. That way, we solve the problem all at once!"


    "Yes, I agree." p???? ?o???


    "Me too..."


    Several people objected to the proposal of that Bishop, who soon became silent in that place while being suppressed by his various colleagues.


    The strongest one there then said to Gloria. "Archbishop, why don''t you act directly against him? That would solve the problem in a few days, and we could make a deal with King Brown to give the authorship of this action to the experts under his command."


    "No one else in the region would know about the church''s involvement, and we would restore peace to the region!" He said as his eyes sparkled, feeling truly intelligent at this moment.


    ''What an amazing plan!'' He thought about it, thinking how genius he had been in coming up with such an idea.


    But Gloria did not seem interested in most of what she had heard from those people.


    She then said. "I have nothing against the Black Plain or this Minos. After all, he has never done anything against the church. So, why would I act against him?"


    "Just for the sake of the regional families?" She asked emphatically.


    "But..."


    "I don''t mind what you guys are doing around here, but you can''t use the church in favor of your friends!"


    "As for what we will do regarding it, I will think about it and talk to some of the regional nobility and royalty members." ¦Ñ???????????


    She then stood up from her armchair, giving a cold glance in the direction of those people. "After King Walker''s funeral, I will give my verdict."


    "With that, I expect none of you to come to me to talk about this matter in the next few days."


    "Do you understand?"


    "Yes, Archbishop!" They all responded simultaneously, nervous about what this woman of troubling ideas would do next.


    ...


    After a while, Gloria left the temple of the Spiritual Church in Athela. She then went directly to the royal palace, where she intended to say her words of sympathy over the death of William Walker.


    And after walking through the streets of the central part of this city, which were not as ''lively'' as they usually were, she arrived at her destination, where the royal guards promptly escorted her.


    It was not common for Spiritual Emperors to go to the royal palaces in this region. So, when someone like this appeared, the local kings and their guards treated them very well, regardless of their origin.


    And since the current situation was somewhat unique, the moment Gloria arrived in that palace, those individuals had quickly realized her identity and taken her to the right place.


    So, she had quickly reached the royal hall, where usually, the king of this state gave his orders.


    In that place that looked like a large rectangular room, with beautiful designs painted on the ceiling, and several pillars on the longer side, Gloria came across several people standing around something right in the middle of that place.


    As she got closer, this woman finally saw William''s golden coffin, which at the moment was open for everyone there to see the body of the deceased king.


    William looked thinner than he should have been. He did not resemble the person who previously should have been one of the strongest in this region. But this poor appearance was not due to the death itself, since a dead body of a Spiritual King could be kept preserved for months.


    The problem with his appearance was not coming from death but from the cause of death, which degraded his physical condition for about five years.


    And as soon as that redhead noticed the well-dressed body in that coffin, the people there also noticed the presence of this powerful woman.


    The crown prince and his older brother were among them, this one who had lost an arm and given up the competition for the throne.


    In addition, Willian''s five widows were also there, as in the case of Wilfred''s mother, the queen and strongest woman in this kingdom.


    Finally, the ancestor of the Walker family was also there, Emmett Walker, level 59.


    "You are..."


    "Oh? your Excellency must be the Archbishop of our region, right?" Emmett asked this in a tone full of reverence, respectful not only for this woman''s position but also for her incredible level.


    p????-?o??? "Hmm, yes, that''s me. But please, just call me..."


    And as Gloria started talking to the stronger people there, Charles watched her with a silly expression on his face, in disbelief that existed such perfect women in this world.


    Gulp!


    He swallowed his saliva nervously, feeling that he had learned a new meaning for the word beauty. ''What a perfect woman!''


    ''Ah, but it''s a pity she''s off-limits to me...'' He deeply lamented as he hugged the waist of one of his close friends, Ava, level 47, someone Peter knew well...


    ''But...''


    ''Maybe I have a chance!'' He cheered up, thinking of what his old father had once told him about some cases of regional Spiritual Kings who had managed to have relationships with 7th stage women.


    ''I will take over my old man''s position in a few weeks. After that, I will have several opportunities to interact with this woman during my next centuries!''


    ''That''s it!''


    ''One day, I will make it!'' He smiled as he nodded to Gloria and thanked her for the words she had just spoken to his family.


    ''For now, I won''t do anything since I''m just a lowly level 51 cultivator who hasn''t even taken command of a state...''


    ''But in the future, I will get the minimum to at least try something!''


    With that, it was not long before Gloria got to know a little more of the ''great'' story of the person who had died, feigning interest in the story the widows had to tell while maintaining a respectful disposition.


    ''Ah, I wonder what Albert is doing now... His mission is as boring as mine?'' She wondered as she nodded in agreement with what one of those people there was talking about.

 Chapter 898 Calm Down

    Chapter 898 Calm Down


    p????-?o??? Three days later...


    While the capital of the Kingdom of the Waves was being prepared for the royal funeral that was to take place the next day, Minos was still investigating the surroundings of this city.


    After meeting some members of the underworld days ago, he made a deal with such people so that they would help him investigate places where Blake could be.


    When he had decided to do this, Minos had in mind to do his best to find this individual in this city before William Walker''s funeral started.


    That was because he thought it best to threaten the two princes of this state who would be left after his future action against Charles. And since he already had the information that Wilfred would be at his father''s funeral, young Stuart only needed to deal with that other individual to complete this goal of his.


    But of course, he would only do such a thing if Blake was around this city. Otherwise, young Stuart would only continue his search until tonight, and then he would act with whatever he had in hand.


    It would be better to act against the two remaining princes, but Minos would have nothing to do about it if Blake was not in this place.


    He could not look for this person throughout the kingdom since this state was too big, and he still had several other things to do before returning to the Black Plain.


    So, during this remaining time, this young man was doing his best to find this ''old acquaintance'' but had already prepared alternative plans if he was unsuccessful.


    As for the group that was helping him, they were also interested in resolving the matter since, with each passing day, the amount they could receive at the end of the service would continue to decrease.


    Hence, several boys were around Athela looking for evidence of influential specialists hiding around the city. At the same time, Minos continued his investigation in the neighborhoods they had indicated.


    ...p????-?????.???


    In a residential neighborhood of Athela, there was a street wide enough for three ordinary carriages to pass side by side simultaneously, through which some of these means of transport were moving at the moment.


    But due to the mediocre characteristics of this place, the little traffic there was here was generated either by passing vehicles or by occasional visits that could happen in any area of the city.


    In this way, even the main street of this neighborhood had little traffic at midday, making it possible for small animals to walk from one side of the street to the other without worry.


    At the same time, the many residential buildings in this area were not eye-catching, as they were too similar to each other or old, with the marks of time.


    But even if the place was unattractive, the people in the vicinity also did nothing to improve the local mood.


    Many had solemn expressions on their faces as if they were unable to sleep due to the worries of everyday life.


    But Minos understood very well the situation of the people of this city and was not worried about the mood of the place he was investigating.


    All that was on his mind was to find some clue that could lead him to Blake, his momentary target.


    ''Looks like I will waste my time once again...'' He thought about this as the carriage of that same coachman from before moved slowly through that neighborhood.


    Meanwhile, this young man''s spiritual sense was constantly looking for spiritual fluctuations of powerful cultivators or arrays, which might lead him to the person he wanted to meet.


    But since he had been doing this very thing for three days now, Minos could not help but lament in his heart for his repeated failures. p???? ?o???


    ''This city is too big, and the bastard can be anywhere...'' He pondered this as that carriage changed streets.


    "Young master, this is the only street in this neighborhood that we have not yet passed..." The coachman warned Minos just after lowering the glass that stood between the carriage cabin and the place where he controlled the beasts. "After that, shall we proceed to the next area? Or does the young master want to go to some restaurant?"


    Minos then replied. "Let''s visit the next neighborhood before we stop to eat."


    "OK."


    Then silence returned to that carriage cabin as Minos once again turned his attention to the spiritual fluctuations in the surroundings.


    ''Well, I''ve done my best to find that guy. So, if I can''t resolve this by nightfall, I''ll have to find a way to make it very clear that no matter who takes over this state, he''ll have to obey me!''


    However, while Minos was thinking about these things, he suddenly felt the fluctuation of a medium-level grade-2 spiritual array.


    "Oh?" He exclaimed in surprise at finding something so expensive in this mediocre place.


    ''Finally, something to investigate further!'' Minos thought about it optimistically as he indicated for that old man to stop and wait for him at that spot.


    After the beasts stopped moving, Minos left the cabin from where he was and quickly activated his movement technique, heading straight for his target.


    Explosive Steps! ¦Ñ???????????


    With that, in the blink of an eye, this young man disappeared from the vicinity of that carriage and appeared next to a simple house, which appeared to be abandoned.


    Pa! Pa!


    He knocked twice on the only door there, from which nothing else gave a view of what might be inside the small square building.


    However, no one came to answer him. Not even any sound came from inside that place.


    At the thought of this, Minos found it strange since there should certainly be someone to guard the area in a place that had such an expensive array.


    "Well, I guess whoever paid for that array probably won''t mind losing it, right? Abandoning such a thing around here as if it had no value..." He muttered this with a smile on his face, preparing to act.


    "I''ll break it!" His eyes widened as he quickly began to circulate his energies to activate the Devouring Art.


    Zum!


    Finally, a black ring appeared from young Stuart''s feet, slowly increasing in diameter until it finally stabilized at a size similar to that of that house.


    Next, the ring moved around that location, sidestepping young Stuart and getting its center at the position of that house.


    Then, young Stuart began to feel the energies of that array being rapidly transformed into power for himself to use.


    ...


    Time began to pass, and after 40 seconds of standing in front of the door of that house, Minos'' lips formed an arch as he realized that that array would not hold for much longer.


    Crack!


    Cracking sounds began to spread in the surroundings.


    And just as Minos was about to destroy that array, someone came running from across the street, yelling for young Stuart to stop.


    "Hey! Hey!"


    "What are you..." That person was about to say something when suddenly he saw Minos'' eyes glow in rainbow colors.


    Puff!


    Then his body fell unconscious to the ground, in the same way as had happened to the boys that had tried to rob Minos before.


    After seeing this, the coachman shivered again, amazed at how strong that masked individual seemed to be. ''He only needs to look at people!''


    ''How scary!''


    Crack!


    And finally, after a minute of absorbing the energies of that array, Minos felt such a thing stop working, at the same time as several fluctuations of Spiritual Kings appeared inside that house.


    "Oh?"


    "Looks like I found them!" He said aloud, just before using his Indestructible Body and kicking the wooden door of that house.


    Boom!


    Upon entering that place, Minos saw a curtain of smoke and heard several screams from those people that show their desperation.


    "Your Highness, run away as fast as possible!"


    "The enemies have discovered us! Escape, young Blake!"


    "Damn it!"


    "How could this happen? We were almost ready to act!"


    However, as they seemed to be fleeing toward the basement of that house, suddenly, each of them felt their bodies significantly increasing resistance to their movements.


    And when they were completely motionless, unable even to turn their eyes to observe different points in their sights, Minos'' voice reached their ears.


    "Calm down. I am not here to eliminate you..."


    "I merely have an offer for the eventual death of Charles Walker."


    ...

 Chapter 899 Threats 1

    Chapter 899 Threats 1


    Upon hearing Minos'' comment, the five people in that place felt relief, but they did not lower their guards.


    Such a newly arrived individual was too strong for them, and they could be killed at any moment. So, even if his words were not those of an enemy, that did not end the fear these people had right now.


    And even though they probably could not do anything against Minos if he decided to eliminate them, such people remained vigilant, as if they had the chance to escape.


    After all, they were only human beings who could hardly be rational in all situations...


    But while they were sweating in fear, Minos reached the underground of that house, where there was a cylindrical-shaped tunnel. This secret passage was about 2 meters in diameter, where one could barely stand comfortably. Still, it could be handy for rushed exits.


    And as the smoke released earlier by one of those Spiritual Kings dispersed, Minos finally saw the faces of each of those people, two of them being individuals he already knew.


    As he stood facing Blake and noticed that those individuals were already cautiously moving after he deactivated his previous technique, Minos slowly moved his hands towards his mask.


    As they watched this, those four people who were gradually approaching Blake, careful not to make any sudden movements, saw the face of the monster that had attacked them.


    In that instant, Blake and one of those individuals saw the young face of Minos, an appearance similar to that of the person who had wiped out part of Charles'' team during that incident five years ago.


    "You..."


    "You are that person!" Blake''s bodyguard during that occasion, the only survivor besides the two princes, said this in shock.p????-?????.???


    ''So, this guy truly has come back for revenge!'' Blake thought about it, regaining his hopes that Charles would die at the hands of this stranger.


    Previously he had suffered, having fled on many occasions, escaped death on several others, working hard to keep himself alive in search of an opportunity.


    And for part of that time, he had faithfully believed that the stranger who had saved his life would return to kill Charles one day. However, his faith in Minos'' possible action against his younger brother only diminished as time passed.


    After all, it had been years since that incident!


    Why had this stranger not returned to take Charles'' life?


    Blake had thought that perhaps the stranger who had saved him had gone on about his business and left this region behind.


    Perhaps it could be a physical impossibility, something that could happen to anyone. But the fact was that, regardless of the reasons for such a thing not happening, this young man had already given up his hopes for someone else acting for him.


    And that was why he was here today, preparing to make his final attempt.


    However, the moment he saw Minos'' face, the hopes of before quickly returned to that young man.


    p????-?o??? So, as he thought about what this person had just said, Blake could not help but feel good, slowly forming an expression of joy on his face. p???? ?o???


    ''But this person is truly monstrous!''


    ''He''s already at level 53!'' The second prince pondered over this while estimating how lucky he was that this help had ''fallen from the sky'' just at this crucial moment.


    As for the bodyguard who had seen Minos in action at that time, he was jaw-dropping. ''This guy is simply unbelievable!''


    ''He''s almost increased ten levels in less than five years! How is that possible?'' He wondered in shock.


    ''He can''t be from our region!''


    As for Minos, he noticed the reactions of the people in his surroundings, but he gave no importance to Blake''s hopes or the shock of that bodyguard.


    He was here to use these people, and to him, it did not matter the small benefits they might think they would get from him.


    With that in mind, he went straight to the point. "I will deal with your younger brother in the next few hours. However, do not think that the Kingdom of the Waves will fall into your lap or your other brother''s without a cost."


    "What?" Blake frowned, not entirely understanding what Minos was saying.


    But while this prince was confused, his four companions also did not like what Minos seemed to mean. "What are you talking about? Are you going to charge us something?" One of them asked. ¦Ñ???????????


    Then the bodyguard who was with Blake on that occasion years ago stepped forward and said. "But aren''t you here to get revenge on Charles? What does the kingdom have to do with all this?"


    "By the way, how can a person as strong as you have interests in our region? Don''t tell me you have forgotten the rules of the Spiritual Church?"


    Minos then laughed at the ignorance of those people, who still did not know that he was the ruler of the Black Plain.


    "Well, I guess there''s no other way. I''ll have to tell you my identity..."


    "After that, you will understand everything." He said this while looking into the eyes of those individuals little by little.


    Gulp!


    He then said at once. "My name is Minos Stuart."


    "What?"


    "It can''t be!" They all shouted simultaneously, already rushing to protect Prince Blake, fearful that such a rebel would decide to kidnap or kill this person.


    They had already let their guard down a bit for Minos because they had identified that such a person was an enemy of Charles, not necessarily theirs. But upon discovering that the person in front of them was the ruler of the Black Plain, everything had changed.


    After all, Minos was a regional enemy, someone capable of killing kings who would not miss an opportunity to spread chaos in a royal family.


    And with that, they were now even more fearful than when that sovereign arrived!


    "Calm down. I will not do anything against you..." Minos said this while making a peaceful sign, hoping that these people would cooperate so that they could discuss the matter quickly. "Listen to me for a moment before you continue bawling like animals."


    "I have a vested interest in ending Charles'' life for what happened before. However, since I am the ruler of the Black Plain, I have an interest in the withdrawal of the Kingdom of the Waves troops from my territory."


    "That is one of my demands for me not to act against whoever is to assume the local throne." He said this in a calm tone, without sounding too aggressive.


    And those people soon understood what Minos was telling them, even though they could barely think straight at that tense moment.


    Blake then asked. "So, you want me to withdraw the troops from the Black Plain after I take over local command, perhaps signing a peace agreement with you afterward?"


    Blake did not like this since if he were to become the king, he preferred to maintain the power of his state and the situation in the region as it was in his father''s time.


    If he did what Minos had said up to this point, he would be destroying the Counter-Revolutionary Statute, which would open up the possibility for further revolutions!


    He did not want that!


    However, he was more concerned about his present situation than his future!


    He would be a king who would make the wrong decision to withdraw troops from the Black Plain or be nothing since Minos would probably kill him here and now.


    Considering his situation, he was not totally against doing that!


    "That is only the first condition..." Minos said as he looked at that black-haired young man. "In fact, it''s the easiest thing for you to do."


    Gulp!


    "Since your state has been giving me trouble for quite some time already, you will have to bend the kneel and subordinate yourself to Black Plain for at least a thousand years. Only after that will your family''s debts expire."


    Upon hearing such absurdity, each of those people shuddered in awe as they turned pale.


    "This..."


    "Even if I become the king, why do you think I will be able to do such a thing?" Blake asked as his legs trembled. "Kings have been murdered by their own families in the past..."


    "Hmm, that''s true..." Minos gave a cruel smile, looking at that young man as if he were watching a prey that would be killed.


    "In the next few days, I will kill the entire leadership of your family, including that level 59 cultivator..."


    "After that, if you or your brother do not obey the Black Plain for the next thousand years, I will kill your entire family!"


    ...

 Chapter 900 Threats 2

    Chapter 900 Threats 2


    "Uh... Th... That..."


    The people in that tunnel trembled with fear as they felt the coldness of what that brown-haired young man had just said.


    They could not believe that Minos had said so casually that he would kill the leadership of the Walker family, one of the most vital organizations in the region.


    Not that they doubted his ability to do that. They did not doubt it. But it was truly unimaginable to think that they would be threatened in such a way one day.


    More than that, as much as they were ''fighting'' Charles to secure Blake''s position as local heir, they did not want to see their family destroyed because of it. After all, there was no point in taking power from a decadent organization!


    So, upon discovering Minos'' malicious intentions, they felt as if the world had played a trick on them, having made them fight so hard merely to get to this terrible point.


    But that was the cruel reality of life, and they had no choice but to experience it.


    "Uh... What did you say?" Blake asked that only to confirm that he had not imagined such absurdity.


    He wanted his younger brother to die so that he could enjoy the position of king of the strongest state in the region. But he did not want his family to be harmed, nor did he want the Walker ancestor to be killed for that to happen.


    Consequently, he felt as if he had woken up from a dream in a terrible nightmare.


    Minos then said. "Do you want me to repeat myself?"


    "Well, let me put it more simply... Maybe you''ll cooperate after this."


    "Listen, I am giving you and also your older brother the option of saving your Walker family by guaranteeing its existence in the region after my ascension."


    "If you do not take advantage of the offer, I will kill every single person in your family!"p????-?????.???


    "However, if you make the wise decision, not only will one of you become king. That person will also be able to rule this state with nearly total autonomy, even under my wings."


    "If you accept the deal, there will be a few more limitations, but they will be small compared to the rest. So, I won''t go into detail."


    "In any case, I will let you choose your future after the thousand-year period."


    "Isn''t that great for you?"


    "I still assure you that all of this will be validated by a Soul Contract, so there is no reason for you to doubt my proposition." Minos said as he opened his arms and smiled as if he had just presented the best of deals to Blake and those men.


    Hearing such a thing, the expression of those people did not improve at all, and some of them even looked as if they were going to start crying at any moment.


    "Can''t we make a deal to avoid more deaths?" One of them asked in a weakened tone, feeling vulnerable.


    Minos then shook his head in denial. "No."


    "Some people need to die to set an example."


    "On the other hand, I find it hard to believe that some individuals will accept a deal with me..."


    "Then, to facilitate peace between our territories, I''m afraid some need to be eliminated!"


    "I know this may be difficult for you, but some individuals who do not accept changes will only bring trouble in this life and death situation."


    "And unfortunately, I''m not a patient person..." p???? ?o???


    Gulp!


    "Who do you intend to kill?" Blake asked in concern, thinking of his old mother.


    And looking at that young man, it was not hard for Minos to understand what Blake was talking about. "I don''t know the names of most of the people I will act against. But they are the strongest in your family."


    "However, I am not so cold as to ask you to agree to sacrifice your mother or wife. Then I can think of making that one concession for you and your brother." He said in a softer tone.


    Blake''s eyes then brightened. "Then..."


    But Minos gave that prince no room to speak. "In the meantime, anyone above level 57 will come with me to the Black Plain."


    "I will not allow such people to return until Soul Contracts are signed between me, the king, and the upper echelon of this state."


    Gulp!


    ''How terrible!''


    ''The family is lost!''


    ''On the one hand, we can be exterminated. On the other, we can be completely dominated!''


    ''Ahh, how pitiful!''


    ''What a great misfortune!'' ¦Ñ???????????


    Those individuals thought these things while the silence in that place made them feel frightening chills.


    "Then?" Minos asked that after a few seconds in silence. "Blake Walker, do you choose peace or death?"


    "I particularly prefer peace, but I don''t mind causing a bloodbath in this city." He said as a red-bladed sword appeared in his right hand.


    When they realized this, none of them were surprised to see that Minos had a weapon of such quality.


    They only confirmed their worst fears!


    "Tsk!" Blake made a tongue-lashing sound as he turned his face contritely, feeling terrible for making that decision.


    He then tried to swallow his anger and resolve this matter in the only way that could ensure his and his family''s survival. "All right, I assure you I will try to follow your lead."


    "Hehehehe, it seems you are not so bad..."


    "Well, then, for now, that''s what I had to talk to you about..." Minos said as his eyes slowly began to shine. "Is there anything else you guys want to know?"


    "I''m afraid I''ll have to make sure that none of you do anything for the next few hours..."


    Blake then clenched his fists and said. "Minos, I have a question."


    "Oh? What do you want to know?"


    "Earlier, it was said in a regional newspaper that you wanted peace. You just wanted to stay in your territory. But now you are making all these demands..."


    "It was all lies? What do you want?"


    "What a stupid question..."


    "I thought you wanted to know something more important..." Minos shook his head in a disappointed manner.


    But he did not fail to answer such a person. "Well, what I said were my visions before I was attacked from all sides. But what did you expect after all that happened? That I would continue with the same intentions?"


    "Don''t be foolish, Blake. When you attack, plot, act behind someone''s back, you must be prepared for all kinds of consequences."


    "Now, you will all face the vengeance of the Black Plain!"


    "As for peace, I still want it. But it will be with me commanding it while you all obey me!"


    Gulp!


    Infinite Dream!


    "Now, go to sleep!" He said in a chilling tone, as finally streams of spiritual energy shot out of his eyes, quickly going at those five people.


    And as those people continued with fearful expressions on their faces, Minos'' invisible attacks hit them, knocking them out in a split second.


    Puff!


    Finally, their bodies fell to the ground, already passed out.


    "Sigh..."


    After that, Minos sighed as he watched them for a moment, satisfied that everything had occurred as he wanted.


    ''Well, now I''ll take these people with me so there won''t be any trouble...'' He thought about this as he placed arrays around the necks of those individuals.


    He did not want to leave them here because there was a risk that people from Charles'' side would find and kill them. But since Minos had already reached an agreement with Blake, he did not want to risk losing this future subordinate.


    There was a possibility that Wilfred would refuse his good intentions. In this way, keeping Blake alive was essential for Minos, as the remaining option might not have a very long life...


    p????-?o??? So, he put those arrays around their necks to ensure that if they woke up, they would not do disturbing things to him.


    Minos was not a fool to think that just because Blake had agreed to his proposals earlier, such an individual would not be able to go back on his words. After all, it was effortless to accept anything when you ''had a knife at your neck'' threatening you.


    Therefore, to avoid possible problems caused by the courage that came after the danger passed, Minos sealed their cultivation.


    ''Well, time to go!'' He thought about it in animation, feeling that tonight would be an excellent night for killing.


    ''I will check Gloria''s position, and as soon as I confirm that she is not in the royal palace, I will act!''


    After that, he quickly carried those people to the Spatial Kingdom, where they could be safe. But, at the same time, because of both the mental attack and the arrays around their necks, none of them would be able to feel anything in that place.


    Then, Minos headed back to his rented carriage, peacefully thinking about what he would do tonight!

 Chapter 901 Entering The Enemy Area

    Chapter 901 Entering The Enemy Area


    A few hours later...


    After resolving his issues with the coachman who had been working for him and dealing with Athela''s underworld people hired earlier, Minos had headed towards the central area of this city.


    In such a place, he was on the rooftop of the city''s leading hotel, from where he could observe the royal palace and the temple of the Spiritual Church.


    Such a place had a privileged view and was also within a short enough distance for Minos to use his spiritual senses to scan the surroundings of those two places in question.


    Minos knew that Gloria would not act against him without him directly attacking the church. But since it could be very problematic for him to settle his affairs in this city in her presence, he wanted to avoid her at all costs.


    If he had to act against Charles in front of her, Gloria might feel forced to at least protect the royals, which would essentially be the end of Minos'' mission.


    Therefore, he was patiently waiting for this woman to come out from where she was so that he could be sure that she would not be around at the time of his attack.


    Previously, he had paid someone to watch the royal palace and the church temple movements. Because of this, he knew that Gloria was staying at that church post and, at this moment, was in the Walker family palace.


    Thus, he was standing next to a young man passed out on that rooftop, waiting for the moment when his recent traveling companion would leave that place and go to rest in the church building.


    ''I wonder if she will be shocked when she discovers my identity...'' Minos thought about this as he yawned, enduring the monotony of watching those places.


    Minos was sure that Gloria would discover his identity after today since the survivors would undoubtedly talk about his distinctive features.


    And considering that he had advanced while at Gloria''s side and received his new weapon from her, it would be hard for a woman to ignore so many coincidences.p????-?????.???


    Even the fact that he had not demonstrated his abilities in front of her would make her question his identity. As such, Minos already took it for sure that Gloria would discover his identity.


    But from the point of view of the Black Plain, this would no longer be a bad thing. After all, after today, it would make no difference to it whether or not she knew about it.


    So, he was relaxed about the matter.


    ''Will it increase her interest in me? Or will it be the complete opposite?''


    ''Well, it doesn''t matter...''


    ''If it doesn''t, then we just weren''t predestined.'' He thought about that as he finally saw the figure of the beautiful Gloria from afar.


    "Oh?"


    ''Finally!'' He celebrated while watching Gloria''s route toward that church post.


    He had stayed at that place for over 3 hours straight, so it was genuinely incredible for him to see that beautiful woman leaving such a place.


    ''I will wait for another 1 hour, and if she doesn''t come out again, I will start my mission!'' Then, he made up his mind, remembering the information that the fainted person next to him had told him.


    From what that individual observed in the previous days, Gloria always spent all night in the church temple after dinner. p???? ?o???


    So, Minos now only had to confirm that she would not change her routine before he could act!


    p????-?o??? ...


    After a little over an hour, Minos was already heading towards the royal palace, feeling the cold of the night mixing with his cold killing intent.


    But as he walked along the almost empty sidewalks of that part of the city, he slowly calmed his heart, preparing himself to act.


    In Minos'' view, he had two alternatives now.


    One was to directly attack enemy headquarters, which was simpler to do, but which would attract the attention of the neighbors in that area...


    The other was to infiltrate that place, which was more difficult but had the potential to keep his actions secret for longer.


    And as expected of someone with young Stuart''s personality, he had opted for the second alternative, going directly to the entrance of that palace, where royal guards were patrolling.


    At that place, there were two checkpoints. The first was ''unprotected,'' where any visitor would first pass to be allowed or not to enter the protected area.


    This place was where the entrance guardhouse was, connected to the main avenue of that city.


    As for the second post, this was the one protected by the medium-level grade-2 defensive array, which only allowed entry to those who had obtained authorization from the first post. ¦Ñ???????????


    If such a visitor did not do anything dangerous, such as, for example, threatening the royal guards at that first post. If this happened, even if the enemy killed all the royal guards, the post protected by the barrier created through that array would prevent such a person from entering that area.


    And knowing how that place worked, Minos peacefully made his way toward the guards at that first post, suppressing his intention to kill as much as possible.


    "Hello, good evening, everyone." He said as he reached the side of a window while still wearing his mask.


    After noticing the newcomer''s cultivation level, the several guards there looked at Minos respectfully but without subservience.


    One of them said. "Sir, official business can only be settled tomorrow after 8. So, please, don''t insist."


    Minos then laughed and spoke. "Friends, I know how your job here works, and I don''t want to make anything difficult for anyone. But I have an urgent matter to take up with His Highness."


    "His Highness?"


    "As I said, you will have to wait until tomorrow..." The same guard from before was about to say something but stopped along the way as he remembered a particular thing.


    "No, you will have to wait until the day after tomorrow since His Highness will spend tomorrow busy with His Majesty''s funeral."


    But Minos did not care about such excuses. Instead, he just looked from one side to the other as if trying to avoid being seen doing something he should not.


    He then looked into that man''s eyes and made a gesture with one of his hands, asking such a person to come to him.


    As he followed the masked man''s instruction, that guard heard Minos'' whisper in one of his ears. "I am here to speak to His Highness about the location of Blake and those traitors..."


    "You know what I''m talking about, right?"


    Gulp!


    That royal guard swallowed his saliva in fear, feeling that he should not have asked anything. Instead, he should have just allowed the damned masked man to pass!


    But now... Now he was involved in the affairs of royalty!


    Everyone knew that Charles wanted to kill Blake. After all, Wilfred was a cripple and would never be able to take power from Charles since the family itself would not support such a person. But the second prince, well, he could attempt a coup and succeed, eventually even getting the support of the family!


    And considering that the royal family did not allow such actions publicly, that guard could not help but feel fearful about being erased just so that all loose ends could be tied up.


    ''Damn, I hope no one finds out about this!''


    He then whispered to Minos. "Sir, can you keep this between us? I... I have a family to take care of..."


    Minos smiled, satisfied upon hearing that fellow''s nervous tone. "Well, that''s up to you..."


    "If I can report the information I have to His Highness as soon as possible, I think we can pretend we never had this conversation..."


    "Otherwise, I can''t promise anything."


    Upon hearing this, that man sighed in relief just before shouting for his companions to clear the way for the masked man to enter the estate of the local royal family.


    And Minos did not take long to follow his path.


    He saw the entrance gate opening for him and simply walked calmly towards his goal, already noticing the same guard as before coming to accompany him to the next post.


    But after arriving at the second post, the Spiritual King on standby frowned as he heard the appealing way that the royal guard from before had used to justify Minos'' passage.


    "You..." That Spiritual King inside the area protected by the local defensive array said this while pointing with one of his fingers at Minos.


    "Why don''t you pass the information on to me? Then, I can go to His Highness myself. That way, it will be easier for everyone..."


    "Hahaha, very funny!"


    "And what do I gain from it? I had a lot of work to get the information that His Highness wants so badly..."


    "Of course, I won''t let anyone take away my privilege of telling him about it!" Minos said confidently.


    "This..."

 Chapter 902 A Unwanted Visitor

    Chapter 902 A Unwanted Visitor


    "That won''t do." The Spiritual King tried to convince this stranger to give up his intentions. "His Highness is too busy dealing with the current situation and will not receive a stranger like you."


    "By the way, why are you wearing this mask? Do you have something to hide?"


    "Humph!"


    "I''m protecting my identity since, unlike you, I don''t have support to ensure that I won''t be harmed because of the royalty''s conflicts!"


    "As for that other problem, I am sorry for what happened with His Majesty. But I am with a piece of information that may not last for long..."


    "And since I won''t pass my merits on to you, you''d better let me in, or I''ll just go back where I came from!" Minos said this in an irritated tone, demonstrating to be offended by that person''s lack of tact.


    To fool those people, he truly needed to appear to be here to sell a piece of information. As such, he needed to value his position.


    In situations like these, if he told what he knew to that man, there would be no guarantee that he would ''get'' his compensation.


    After all, Charles would become the King of the Kingdom of the Waves in a matter of weeks, and it definitely would not be bad to do a favor for a person of such status.


    So, by defending his position, he was, in a way, legitimizing his interests here, giving his character more credibility.


    ''Greedy bastard!'' The Spiritual King cursed Minos in his mind, pissed that this person was smarter than others who had come into contact with him in the past.p????-?????.???


    However, while staring at Minos, this man suddenly thought of something and laughed. ''But maybe he''s too smart for his own good...''


    ''I''ll find a way to deal with him after he delivers the information he has to His Highness!''


    Selling information also had its dangers!


    Certain information was so vital that it would not be interesting for too many people to know about it.


    And in a situation where only two sides know about such a thing, the side that is stronger and values the information in question more might find it better to act against the other party by eliminating it!


    However, unfortunately for that Spiritual King, he had made the worst choice because he believed what a rascal like Minos had told him.


    p????-?o??? "All right. But I will accompany you so that we avoid any further problems." This level 54 individual said this just before he made signs to his team in that area protected by the defensive barrier of this property, opening the doors of that place to Minos.


    Minos then walked into that place, following that Spiritual King who probably thought he was more substantial than this sovereign.


    ''Well, first, I will locate all my targets...'' Minos began to think about the order in which he would act, smiling in a satisfied manner for having fooled those royal guards.


    The main point of Minos'' disguise was not how he had behaved, something that, yes, gave credibility to his disguise. Instead, what had allowed him to fool these people was the sheer fact that he was only at level 53, a much lower level than the many combatants on guard at this estate. p???? ?o???


    Hell, for 99% of the cultivators of that level in this region, a mere level 54 Spiritual King would be enough to stop such a person. And if it were a cultivator of levels above, then a level 53 person would have no chance of escaping!


    Hence, Minos had managed to enter the area protected by the medium-level grade-2 defensive array without causing a major commotion.


    He then considered. ''I must first act against that bastard Charles!''


    ''He is probably that person who is being protected by these four level 57 Spiritual Kings...'' So, he thought about it as he looked in a specific direction.


    ''I will be able to eliminate them without causing any commotion, thus ensuring the capture of my target!''


    ''As for the other high-level enemies, I will deal with them later!''


    While thinking these things, Minos finally followed that man towards the interior of the first building they were passing, where the prince''s office was.


    But since the young Stuart had already realized that his target was not in that place, he decided to act.


    "Hey, I don''t think His Highness is in this building... Why are you bringing me here?" He asked that person as he stopped in the middle of a corridor, where there was no one else but themselves.


    "Of course, we won''t go straight to His Highness. First, we will notify his staff about your visit. After that, we will wait until they tell us what to do..." He was saying this when he suddenly felt his sights rapidly dim. ¦Ñ???????????


    Then, this royal guard fainted, falling towards young Stuart, who promptly held such a person by one of his arms, preventing him from falling to the ground.


    ''Well, I''ll change my clothes...''


    After this, Minos quickly went into an empty room there, taking off the uniform of that individual and then hiding the body of the guard in a closet there.


    After that, while already dressed in the uniform of the local royal guard, Minos peacefully made his way toward Charles!


    ...


    Meanwhile, Charles was at his residence, enjoying himself with one of his close friends, Ava.


    The two of them were in the bedroom of this future king, both naked, sweaty, and full of red marks around their bodies as if they were at the end of an animal sex session.


    He was standing on the right side of the large double bed in his room while vigorously penetrating the wet cavern of his companion, making noises characteristic of this action.


    But such a thing would only be noticed by more attentive people. That is because, as Ava felt her body coming and going, with her breasts swaying wildly, she moaned as if there were no tomorrow.


    She indeed was the vocalizing type, one that makes a variety of sounds, sometimes commenting on slutty things that would only make the fun more interesting.


    And hearing all this, Charles could not help but smile, sometimes taking the opportunity to spank those beautiful buttocks in front of him.


    Pa!


    "Ahhhhhhhhh~"


    ''Hahaha, I wonder what that fool would think seeing me with his old friend...'' Charles thought about this as he remembered a certain someone who had been kicked out of the Walker family simply because he was friends with Ava.


    ''What was his name again?''


    ''Peter!''


    ''Hahaha, and to think that after I kicked him out, Ava truly fell into my arms... Hehe, I truly do seem to have the best ideas!'' He complimented himself as he watched his ''little brother'' going in and out of Ava.


    As for Ava, she was not thinking about anything related to her past since all that mattered to her was the chance to become the local queen, or who knows, at least one of the king''s wives.


    She did not love Charles, but having sex with this young man, besides pleasing her physically, was something that could take her to higher heights. So, why not combine the useful with the pleasant?


    That was her decision when she realized that the friend she had specific interests in was no longer around and that this prince desired her.


    As for lamenting whatever happened to Peter, well, at the time, and even now, she was not with her life resolved to afford the luxury of worrying about others.


    So, she could not do anything about what had happened, and it was simply more advantageous to her to take advantage of the opportunity she had had.


    And considering her current situation, she did not regret any of her choices!


    Hence, she stood there, satisfied, smiling from ear to ear, as her little sister poured out her nectar in pleasure.


    "Ahhhhhhhhh~"


    And while the two were actively enjoying themselves, the level 57 Spiritual Kings around that room sat in different positions in Charles'' residence, keeping an eye on the area.


    It was particularly annoying to keep an eye on someone who spent more than half the day in bed with beautiful women.


    After all, they could not have fun while they worked...


    But as influential specialists, people with many years of experience, these four knew how to minimally ignore what was happening in that room, focusing only on their work.


    Unfortunately for them, today, the time had come for their duties to be tested by a particular unwanted visitor!


    ...

 Chapter 903 Pleasure For The Last Time

    Chapter 903 Pleasure For The Last Time


    At that critical moment, when some were enjoying themselves while others were trying to ignore that, a person dressed in the blue armor of the kingdom''s royal guard entered that residence.


    That person was calmly walking as if he were in the middle of a night walk.


    He wore a golden mask that covered his entire face but did not hide his brown hair, which was short and had a modern pattern, low on the sides and a little longer on top.


    However, while walking through that high luxury residence, this person held a beautiful dark red bladed sword behind his back in one of his hands.


    And with such a person walking through that residence as quietly as if he were in his own home, it did not take long before the four royal guards in that place noticed Minos'' arrival.


    One of them then stood up from where he was sitting, in one of the four outer corners of that Charles'' room, already with a strange expression on his face.


    ''A masked person...''


    ''Is there someone like that in the royal guard?'' He wondered, realizing that his three companions were already paying attention to this newcomer.


    However, as Minos slowly walked down the corridor that connected the part of that residence where Charles'' room was with the entrance, he slowly moved one of his hands towards his mask.


    Simultaneously, those four individuals began to hear a whistling sound, which Minos made as he walked towards that place.


    "Hey!"


    "Who are you? Why are you wearing that mask? But, more importantly, what are you doing here?" One of them asked this as he saw Minos'' face, little by little, beginning to reveal itself.


    However, Minos answered nothing, not even bothering to pay attention to that level 57 Spiritual King. Instead, he continued to whistle until one of his hands slowly moved, finally showing the beautiful sword hidden behind him.


    Upon seeing this, one of those individuals looked at Minos'' sword and then at this young man''s face, feeling an inexplicable chill run down his spine.p????-?????.???


    Gulp!


    Infinite Dream!


    Devouring Art!


    Immediately after encountering three of those four individuals, a large black ring appeared on Minos'' feet as he attacked the individual in his field of vision who was furthest away from him with his mental technique.


    And in that instant, one of those people finally recognized the newcomer, as the technique used by Minos was simply unmistakable!


    As for the two who were with Minos right in front of them, one was already slowly falling to the ground after receiving the first mental attack from the invader.


    "Shit!" One of them shouted in desperation, realizing the great doom this family was about to face.


    Explosive Steps!


    Spatial Sword!


    However, while that individual had made that shout, the one closest to Minos had been unlucky and had been quickly killed by a sword strike.


    Minos was too fast at his current level for these people even to stand a chance against him. And with his primary technique restricting the movements of each of those people, when his enemy least expected it, he had already appeared on his opponent''s back.


    After this, Minos did the simple thing, quickly using his high-level grade-2 sword to decapitate such a person!


    And seeing this, that third opponent within Minos'' field of vision wanted to run away, but, unfortunately for him, he did not have the strength to do so. p???? ?o???


    Not only because of the spatial restriction generated by Minos'' primary technique but also because after a few seconds under the effects of the Devouring Art, such an individual had already lost significant amounts of energy!


    ''Damn it!''


    ''How is that possible? This villain is much stronger than he should be!'' The other there thought in despair.


    However, while he was thinking about it, he saw Minos'' eyes flash in rainbow colors, carrying him to a terrible place in a split second.


    ...


    A few moments ago, inside Charles'' room...


    Charles and Ava were still having fun. However, as they reached there once more, they suddenly felt their bodies stop moving.


    And while he was immobilized in that position behind Ava, with his two hands on this woman''s buttocks, Charles watched her back, feeling strange.


    ''What the fuck is this?''


    ''I was almost there!'' He thought about it.


    Soon after, as if in the blink of an eye, he again moved his hips, penetrating Ava''s wet blossom.


    However, the earlier strangeness had not gone unnoticed by the two. Yet, as the two tried to look at each other in doubt, their bodies stopped moving again!


    ''Hell!'' ¦Ñ???????????


    ...


    Meanwhile...


    After a few seconds since the start of MInos'' attack, the fourth and last of those royal guards protecting Charles was finally targeted.


    He was the one who had been the furthest away from Minos all this time. But even though he understood what was happening, he had not been able to do anything, as each time he tried to run, he unexpectedly lost control over his own body.


    And with that, while trying to at least warn Charles about what was happening, he finally saw who was attacking them. However, in a split second, he saw Minos appear next to him, already making a kicking move directed at his chest.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    Such a person screamed in desperation as Minos'' left foot movement directed him against one of the walls of Charles'' room.


    Crack!


    The wall of that room quickly began to crack, until finally, the body of that royal guard broke through part of it, falling into that room.


    Boom!


    "Cough!"


    "Cough!" He coughed unconsciously, quickly losing consciousness, feeling that every bone in his back and ribs had broken while the taste of blood came to his mouth.


    ...


    At that instant in question, Charles and Ava were still connected. Still, both were with their faces turned in the direction of where a person had suddenly appeared in that room.


    "What?" Charles shouted in surprise, finally regaining control over his own body.


    As for Ava, she was no less shocked than her mate, feeling a terrible sense of vulnerability at this instant.


    p????-?o??? ''What''s going on?'' She wondered as she saw that royal guard drowning in his own blood while his bluish armor had a foot mark at the height of his chest.


    ''Guard Alec is dying!'' Her eyes widened in terror, in disbelief at what she was seeing.


    But it was not to be wondered at. After all, for a level 47 woman to think about the death of a powerful level 57 Spiritual King was simply absurd.


    Even on the Black Plain, people like that did not die so easily!


    However, here was Ava, naked, with Charles'' genital organ inside her, watching that expert dying amidst the wall''s rubble.


    And at that moment that the two had been shocked, Charles'' legs trembled, and he slowly fell toward the floor, finally disconnecting himself from Ava.


    But as he did so, his little friend finally spat out its contents, which flew through the air, until it finally fell to the ground between that guard''s body and young Stuart, who was now standing in that wall hole.


    Seeing this, Minos looked at that mark on the floor and then at the two naked individuals in that room, understanding the situation.


    "Looks like you were lucky enough to have pleasure for the last time in your life..." Minos said this as he walked in the direction where Charles was standing, observing that naked woman but soon ignoring her.


    "However, that all ends here!"


    "Your hell begins now, Charles Walker!" As Minos said this, he appeared behind his target, already making a sword movement towards the neck of such a person.


    "You..."


    "You..."


    And it did not take Charles long to realize who that person was, but before he could say anything else, he felt the base of his neck being lacerated.


    "No!"


    "No!"


    "Not that!" He screamed in desperation as he felt an emptiness in his being, an unprecedented fear that at that moment had made even his soul tremble.


    But it was already too late!


    Minos had destroyed that royal hair''s spiritual gland in a single second, crippling the cultivation of Charles!


    "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Charles screamed desperately, feeling that everything he had had just been stolen from him in a single instant.


    "Don''t despair yet..." Minos said calmly. "I will soon put you in the Puller. You''ll pay for what you tried to do that day, worm!"


    Minos then smiled cruelly, looking into Charles'' desperate eyes while completely ignoring Ava. "But now I will give you the privilege of watching me slaughter your elders!"


    ...

 Chapter 904 Threatening Other People 1

    Chapter 904 Threatening Other People 1


    As she watched all this happening in front of her, Ava shook in awe, turning completely pale from the sudden change in her surroundings.


    p????-?o??? One moment she was happy, almost reaching an orgasm. Still, in the blink of an eye, there was a corpse in that room while her partner cried in despair, already crippled, at the feet of the enemy.


    In a single instant, the promising crown prince, who would be her chance for success, had fallen from one of the highest positions in the region to rock bottom!


    It was an absurd situation, and she could not help but feel as if this was all one big nightmare.


    ''Why is all this happening? Why has Charles been crippled?'' She wondered in silence as she looked at Minos'' smile while he stared at that person at his feet.


    But it did not take long for her to notice that her situation was not the best either... Unfortunately, in that instant, her mate appealed to her instead of just staying silent and going on with his tragic fate alone, without putting her at risk.


    "Ava..." Charles said in a hoarse tone, very weak due to what Minos had just done to him. "He... Help me..."


    But any request for help was futile.


    Hearing that, Minos looked at the naked woman, who was only protecting her intimate areas with her hands.


    "Do you want to help him, Ava?" Minos asked with a smile on his face as he looked at such a person.


    As she trembled with fear, not daring to look at Minos, this young man remembered something. ''Her name is Ava...''


    ''Hmm, I think I''ve heard that name before...'' He pondered this until he finally remembered a conversation he had with Peter before this soldier joined the Black Plain Army.


    ''So, that''s her...''p????-?????.???


    He then looked more intensely at that woman, feeling that none of this had anything to do with him. Yet, he could not help but wonder if Peter would feel somehow betrayed if he discovered this.


    Peter and Ava were just friends before, but Charles had thought that they would become more than that if they had had the opportunity to spend more time together.


    However, even without having a relationship, would it be wrong for Peter to think that she had betrayed him by associating with Charles in this way?


    After all, such a prince was the person who had tried to ruin her friend''s life!


    Was it OK for her to sleep with such a person? Would Peter find all this OK?


    Minos did not know how that soldier would feel about it. But, he would consider it a big betrayal if he were in Peter''s place.


    Because of that, he could not help but look at that woman and think that maybe she was to blame for everything that had happened to Peter. ''Didn''t she manipulate both sides to improve her chances of success?''


    ''Maybe subconsciously, she wanted to become a queen and made the most radical move to provoke some feeling in this fool?'' He wondered as he looked at Charles.


    He then shook his head from side to side, putting that subject aside. ''Well, never mind.''


    ''This woman has no way of affecting my plans here, so I''ll leave it to Peter to deal with her himself if he so prefers.''


    He then said. "Well, worm, come on. Time for some more of your family to join your father!"


    "Noooooo!" p???? ?o???


    "Ava!"


    "Ava! Help me!"


    "Call someone!"


    "AVAAAAAAAA!" Charles shouted amidst his tears as Minos dragged him through that place, heading towards his next stop.


    ''Let''s see...''


    ''Hmm, I guess you are next!'' He thought about it after looking in the direction of some of the strongest auras in that palace.


    But he was not yet heading towards his main enemy in that location.


    In any case, he quickly left that residence at high speed, disappearing from the sight of that naked woman.


    Upon realizing this, Ava finally stopped looking at the hole in the wall of that room while crying gallons of tears.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" She screamed with all the strength of her being, alerting other people in the vicinity there.


    "Damn it!"


    "I''ve lost everything I''ve built so far!" ¦Ñ???????????


    ...


    While Ava was crying over her losses and sensed the terrible feeling that comes with a near-death experience, Minos hurried to another building, his next stop after Charles'' house.


    And while that royal heir was suffering from being dragged along by Minos, that sovereign finally came upon the door of the residence he was about to enter.


    In that place, two Spiritual Kings were sitting on watch, one inside and one outside the residence.


    Sensing this, he smiled and looked at Charles before finally keeping his sword in his spatial ring and then throwing this young man against the door of that place!


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    But such a move had not been abrupt to the point of endangering Charles'' life. No, Minos had used only the force necessary for that person to get through that door and feel a little more pain.


    At the same time, he wanted to enter that place with style, showing everyone there that he was not to be trifled with!


    Boom!


    So, within a few seconds, Charles'' body had passed Minos'' target, successfully entering that residence.


    "What?"


    "Your Highness?" The royal guards in that place paled in fear as they saw who had just been thrown against that place.


    But quickly watching that young man, they felt even worse as they realized Charles'' situation.


    "He..."


    "He''s crippled!" One of the two said without understanding how or why this was happening.


    However, before they had a chance to speak further, the people in that residence, the widows of William Walker, arrived at that entrance hallway where Charles had fallen.


    "What''s going on?" One of the youngest of them asked this, not understanding whether this was a prank or something serious.


    But seeing the situation of that young man and looking at the hole in that door, the queen, Wilfred''s mother, frowned, feeling a terrible foreboding.


    "Get ready to fight!" She said quickly, already getting into a fighting stance, ready to fight the one responsible for this.


    On the other hand, when Carles'' mother saw the situation of her beloved son, she trembled in anger while tears flowed from her eyes.


    "Ahhhh! Who did this? Come out!" She screamed with all her might as she hugged that young man who had been thrown earlier.


    And with all this commotion, it was not long before Wilfred also appeared in that place, curious about what was going on.


    "Charles?" He wondered aloud, surprised that such a thing would happen while everyone was gathering for his father''s farewell ceremony.


    Gulp!


    ''What''s going on? Who destroyed his spiritual cultivation?''


    ''Was it Blake?'' He tried to make sense of it in shock.


    Wilfred did not like Charles. But he had already given up the competition for the throne, and he could not help but feel strange that something like that was happening right before his father''s funeral.


    After all, everyone was there for William''s farewell, and he had not thought for a moment that a disaster would happen just now.


    To make matters worse, all this was happening within their headquarters!


    Hence, he was genuinely shocked, already feeling bad about it all.


    "Well, if everyone is already here, we can talk a little bit..." Minos'' voice sounded through that place as he walked calmly through the destroyed entrance door.


    Meanwhile, he was carrying his dark red-bladed sword in one of his hands, with it parallel to his body, pointing downward.


    And as he finally reached a point where he could see all those people, five women, and three men, besides Charles, Minos smiled, scaring those people.


    Not because he had a strange appearance or anything. He had not. In fact, his appearance was very pleasing to the eye, and his smile was the kind that would bring people around him and grant him the benefit of the doubt.


    What was frightening was the fact that he invaded this place while walking peacefully, laughing as if he had just seen his favorite people.


    Gulp!


    One of those two royal guards swallowed his saliva in fear, soon after realizing that he could not underestimate that young man. After all, not many people could use high-level grade-2 artifacts so smoothly.


    He and everyone else there then heard young Stuart''s voice once again. "My name is Minos Stuart, and today I will change everything in this kingdom!"


    ...

 Chapter 905 Threatening Other People 2

    Chapter 905 Threatening Other People 2


    "Minos Stuart?" Each of those people repeated those words in shock, mouths open, completely surprised that this regional enemy was in this very place.


    As far as they knew, despite his advantage against the regional leaders, the war on the Black Plain was not at all easy for Minos'' side.


    Because of this, each of them had been in shock that this person would appear right in front of them, inside their headquarters, thousands of kilometers away from that warring territory.


    ''What is this person doing here?'' Wilfred wondered as he felt a shiver run down his back, seeing how Minos watched him.


    Gulp!


    On the other hand, the queen was a few thoughts ahead of the people in that place. ''How did he get in here? I know he has the power to destroy our defenses, but nothing like this could have happened!'' She pondered this, nervously looking at Minos.


    And while the other women and the royal guards had different concerns about Minos, Charles'' mother was furious!


    Upon noticing Minos'' arrival, she immediately realized that her son''s misfortune could only be young Stuart''s responsibility. And upon noticing how arrogant such sovereign''s words were, she could not help but tremble in anger.


    However, that woman was smart enough not to act carelessly. So, she did not act against him immediately while looking for any opening in his defenses.


    He had crippled her son, and this woman could not let Minos escape from this place unharmed!


    Finally, as silence permeated that area of the king''s residence, Minos began to make his new round of threats.


    "Well, today, I am here to change the order of things in the Kingdom of the Waves. To begin..." He paused briefly and then looked at those two royal guards.


    Infinite Dream!


    Puff!p????-?????.???


    In the blink of an eye, two dead bodies fell to the ground as everyone there watched this in awe, feeling how surreal it all was.


    Gulp!


    ''What the fuck is that?''


    ''He killed them?''


    ''Damn it!''


    ''We''re dead!''


    "Why did you do that? We didn''t even do anything!" One of those widows said that in fear.


    But Minos did not bother to answer that person. Instead, he merely continued with what he was doing here. He said. "Well, to begin with, I will eliminate the old command of House Walker so that the new generation will have the freedom to act and make the best decisions."


    "With a few exceptions, I will eliminate all the Spiritual Kings of this family who are above level 56."


    After saying that, he quickly disappeared from that place, leaving each of those people even more worried, not understanding what was happening and how he would act next.


    If he was going to kill everyone, then why not just do it?


    That is, these people wanted to live. But against someone like Minos, who they had no hope of beating, it was better that he simply did what he had in mind.


    At least they would not have to suffer in anticipation. p???? ?o???


    But as he spoke, he had simply vanished out of thin air, leaving them even tenser than before.


    "You, when he..." The queen was about to say something, but then young Stuart reappeared in that same spot, only this time with some unconscious bodies with him.


    He then continued his presentation while raising the youngest of those individuals by the neck. "I gave this guy an ultimatum a few hours ago, and he accepted it..."


    He then looked at Wilfred and said. "I am here to offer the same to you."


    "I don''t care how you guys do it, but the new king will have to get the troops of this state out of the Black Plain..."


    "Just to be clear, this must happen immediately after King Walker''s funeral!"


    "Then you will become my subordinates for the next thousand years."


    "What?" Charles'' mother shouted in anger, sensing that Minos'' conversation was going down a very troubling path.


    "If you don''t do this, I will do what I promised Blake..."


    "I will kill every one of you and end the Walker family story right here and now!" He said coldly, looking mainly at Wilfred and that man''s mother, who was the strongest person there.


    And every single person in that place felt that this would happen if they refused to obey young Stuart.


    Gulp!


    p????-?o??? "Do you think..." Wilfred was about to say something, but suddenly his mother stopped him. ¦Ñ???????????


    "Wilfred, be silent for a moment!" She said aloud while cautiously watching Minos.


    ''It doesn''t matter what we do later, but right now, we definitely can''t stand against him!''


    ''Otherwise, we will all die!''


    She then asked. "So, if we accept that, what will you do with the rest of us? You said you were going to kill all the high-level Spiritual Kings, but three of us are within that range of power... Will you kill us too?"


    Wilfred then looked at Minos in awe, feeling that he might lose his old mother. "Minos, you..."


    "Well, I can make some exceptions..." Minos replied calmly, already with his sword in his right hand.


    Hearing that, Wilfred''s mother felt better, thinking there might be a way out for them. ''Then I will just agree to this nonsense!''


    ''As for such absurdity, we will never do that!''


    But the queen''s relief did not last long. "But those I don''t kill today will have to become my hostages until our agreement is formalized."


    "What?" She said in shock, feeling her plans going down the drain.


    As for the other women there, they already had their hands in their mouths as tears trickled down their eyes, fearing the cunning future they might have at the hands of this monster.


    However, Charles'' mother was not pleased with all this talk, feeling that Minos was not considering her son in these plans.


    "If you wanted to make these demands, why did you do this to my Charles? Couldn''t he eventually do the same thing that his brothers will be able to do for you?"


    "Why did you cripple him?" She shouted at Minos, leaving Charles on the ground, and stood up to argue against that enemy.


    "Charles will die by the Puller in a public execution in Dry City." He coldly said as he looked into that woman''s eyes.


    Minos knew it was cruel to tell a mother that her son would die. Even more so, considering that death by the Puller was simply terrible. But this young ruler had no compassion for his enemies.


    That was particularly true to this woman, who was part of the Collins family, an organization that had entered the Black Plain''s war of independence even before the rest of this state''s organizations.


    So, he did not care about this woman''s suffering.


    She was his enemy, the daughter of an organization that had been acting against him for years. That woman was a member of a royal family that was acting against the Black Plain and was the mother of the scoundrel who had tried to kill Abby.


    Hell, he only had not acted against her yet because this woman''s level was not high enough to affect him. But if she wanted to go to the afterlife along with Charles, he would not mind.


    Consequently, he had said that while looking deep into her eyes without feeling any pity.


    "AHHHHHHHHH!"


    And while those people looked at Charles'' mother in pity and this young man felt hopeless, that woman screamed in anger and jumped toward Minos, ready to attack him with everything.


    ''Do you think I will allow you to kill my son?'' She thought about it red with rage, maddened by everything Minos had just said.


    She was weak. She knew that. But what else could she do? Accept the enemy taking her only son to kill him? For what? Just so she could live in peace?


    No, that was unacceptable!


    If the enemy wanted to kill Charles, she would do everything she could to increase, even minimally, her son''s chances of survival!


    And as such, she had jumped against Minos, trying to reach the young man''s neck, hoping that a miracle would happen.


    Swooish!


    Puff!


    However, there is no such thing as too little misfortune!


    If she thought the current situation was dire, everything had gotten worse when the dark red blade of Minos'' sword sliced through the air. At that moment, such a sword passed through something soft and then became stained with a red liquid, which was a little darker than the blade itself.


    At that instant, while crying like a child, Charles saw his mother beheaded by young Stuart''s sword!


    Such a thing had happened so fast that no one there had seen his movement, only a red-flesh passing at the height of that woman''s neck.


    After that, that widow''s head separated from the rest of her body, spinning a few times in the air, finally falling to the ground, rolling until it stopped right in front of Charles.


    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"


    "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"


    ...

 Chapter 906 Terrible Loss!

    Chapter 906 Terrible Loss!


    "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"


    Charles desperately cried as he saw what had just happened, realizing his world collapsing as his mother''s head stopped right in front of him with her eyes still open.


    After seeing his mother''s black eyes, now totally still, Charles felt an ache in his heart, even worse than when Minos had destroyed his cultivation.


    And watching her in despair, he could not help but crawl to her, as if he could still say something to her or indicate that she should not worry about him.


    But once her head had been decapitated, it was already impossible for that woman to perceive her surroundings in any way.


    She was completely dead!


    In certain situations, depending on how the death happened, some tissues could take longer to die. And because of this, in some places in the Spiritual World, people believed that they could still pass on their last messages to the dead immediately after death.


    That could happen, but only to the dead who had not had any of their brain tissue, hearing tissue, or visual tissue compromised.


    But in her case, Charles'' mother had lost the entire supply of gases necessary for the functioning of her tissues, something that had quickly dripped down the base of her neck.


    Without such a thing that perhaps could give her the ability to see or hear anything more before her eternal sleep, that woman''s consciousness had vanished after Minos'' move!


    "Mom..." He said this amid his lament in a way that the people there could barely understand what he was saying.


    But it did not matter. After all, every one of those people was pale with fear, fearing that they would be the next to fall in front of Minos.


    Earlier, he had not even moved, and two mighty Spiritual Kings had died. But the death of Charles'' mother was incomparable to those two since the bloody effect brought far more fear to those people.p????-?????.???


    Hence, they were one degree more fearful of facing the devil among them!


    As for Minos, he had no sympathy for Charles, and it did not take long to press on that person''s ''wound.''


    "Tsk!"


    "Your mother had more balls than you, worm!"


    "She at least dared to die for you..."


    "But you, worm, you had run away from me years ago, not having had the balls to face the consequences of your actions."


    Minos then took that head by the hair and showed it to Charles. "Look at this, worm!"


    "You brought this not only to you but to your whole family!"


    "And it''s not over yet!"


    Gulp!


    "Minos..." Wilfred said in a low voice, fearing that his mother would be next if he did not accept this enemy''s conditions. "Minos..."


    "I... I will do what you said." p???? ?o???


    "I promise, as Blake has already promised, not to stand in your way and obey your orders. But..."


    "But please don''t do anything to my mother!"


    "Please!"


    Upon hearing this, some of those women there were quick to prevent Minos from saying anything, promptly kneeling on the ground in tears, begging for their lives.


    "Please don''t kill me! I will be useful to you..."


    "I will do anything you say. I will even sleep with you!" One of the strongest there said this in fear, feeling that she had to show something of value so that Minos would not kill her.


    "I can do the same! Then please let me live! Please, Mister Stuart!"


    ''Hmm, that makes it easier!'' Minos was pleased to notice the change in those people.


    He had noticed earlier that they were afraid of him, but they still exhibited hopeful behavior. Then, because of this, he killed Charles'' mother so brutally!


    That had been mainly to motivate the fear of these people!


    And seeing that he had succeeded, Minos was satisfied, relieved that his affairs here were almost over.


    ''Well, now there''s only one thing left...'' He pondered about it as he felt some powerful spiritual fluctuations coming to this place. ¦Ñ???????????


    Many people guarded the king''s residence. And by breaking into this place, he had killed some of the strongest people on his way here and activated his techniques several times in sequence.


    Consequently, it was expected that the people in this royal palace would notice his presence and send troops to deal with the situation.


    And sensing the strongest people in this palace coming towards him, Minos was already preparing himself to receive them, to finish his business around here.


    "Well, I will seal your cultivation later and take you as a guarantee that Blake and Wilfred will keep their promises..."


    "That is, your lives depend on these two!" He said, looking at them as he pointed at those two.


    "If they do not do as promised, I will first kill you and then return to this kingdom to finish off the Walker family!"


    Gulp!


    Wilfred swallowed his saliva and took a deep breath. "Don''t worry, mother. I will do everything in my power to obey the orders of the Black Plain!"


    As for the other women there, except for Blake''s mother, they could only pray that those two would not kill them...


    But at least the mothers of the two would be with them in this situation!


    And after a few seconds of silence, Minos finally suggested something to those people. "Well, now you should back off a bit..."


    "Some living corpses are coming here to fulfill their destinies." He said in good humor, sensing the fluctuations of the 15 strongest warriors of this palace.


    And just as he finished speaking, those people appeared on the outskirts of that residence, some jumping through the windows, others passing by the place where Minos had thrown Charles earlier.


    Seeing this, young Stuart remained in the same position as before, quiet, as if these people were no great concern to him.


    "Old man, there''s no need to hide. I know you are here..." Minos ignored those in front of him as he spoke to the Walker family ancestor. "Once your family narrowly survived the rebels of the Kain family..."


    "Unfortunately, I am not a Kain, and today your family will finally lose to a rebel!"


    "Are you prepared to die, old man?" Minos asked in a harsh tone, trying to hurt his opponent psychologically.


    Minos did not know that individual. But he knew that this regent of the Kingdom of the Waves was the one who had given the orders for the families of this state to fight against the Black Plain.


    Hence, the young ruler had no problem speaking that way to this enemy who had already been indirectly responsible for thousands of deaths on the Black Plain!


    "You are truly a pest, devil!" A hoarse voice resounded through that place as that person appeared alongside three other individuals.


    As for the rest of those Spiritual Kings, most at level 56, some at level 57, were scattered around that area where Minos and those people from before were.


    "Since you want to destroy our family, we can do it ourselves and take you with us!"


    "Oh?" Minos was surprised about that. "Do you want to sacrifice yourselves?" He asked, smiling. "Are you sure about that?"


    Minos then pointed at those two princes. "You guys don''t mind killing all the royal descendants?"


    "Humph!"


    "If it''s to stop the family from being degraded by someone of your kind, we will make all possible sacrifices!"


    "The family will find a way to continue without us!" The old ancestor said this just before nodding in the direction of his companions, prepared to do what was necessary.


    "Even you can''t stop so many of us, devil!" Another individual said this while circulating his energies in a unique pattern, preparing to sacrifice himself.


    As for the women in that place, they were once again trembling with fear, losing their hopes for survival.


    p????-?o??? "We''ll see!" Minos said, finally beginning to circulate his energies to the maximum, as he had never done since he had increased his level.


    ''In a second, who will be faster? You? Or me?''


    Devouring Art!


    Indestructible Body!


    Explosive Steps!


    Infinite Dream!


    Spatial Sword!


    Then, he activated each of his techniques, causing all the people in that place to come under its effects, losing their energy to him and their bodies quickly began to feel a specific spatial restriction.


    ...

 Chapter 907 The Walker Family Tragedy! 1

    Chapter 907 The Walker Family Tragedy! 1


    Immediately upon activating his techniques, Minos saw every person in that place become motionless, almost as if time had stopped and only he could move.


    However, time had not stopped!


    As such, while those people felt the despair of not being able to move, they were also under the effects of the Devouring Art, which unceremoniously devoured the energies of its targets.


    Because of young Stuart''s level and innate ability that increased his natural energy reserves, the absorption capacity of that technique was already at an incredible level!


    So high that practically all those individuals, except for ancestor Walker, were losing their energy at alarming rates!


    But there was nothing they could do at that instant.


    They had lost control of their bodies, could not circulate their energies, and were being weakened by a ''parasite.''


    Meanwhile, Minos still had three different ways to attack them!


    And that was what this young man did in that instant when the two previous techniques were disrupting the enemy''s suicide plan.


    He launched several attacks in sequence with his mental technique, intent on at least taking out several of those opponents who wanted to blow themselves up.


    On the other hand, he soon moved around that place while dancing at high speed with the sword he had received from Gloria.


    First, he attacked in the direction of the Walker family ancestor, the strongest person there, who had the best chance to cause damage in that place.p????-?????.???


    Swooish!


    He cut the air diagonally, making a movement with his hands from the ground upwards, creating a great blade of greenish spiritual energy, which immediately slashed towards that individual''s body.


    Afterward, Minos did not even pay attention to the fate of the strongest person here, as he had great confidence in his newly acquired strength.


    Minos knew that he could not let that old man act freely since a sacrifice of such a strong person would be problematic. But that did not mean that he was not capable of eliminating this enemy quickly!


    After his advance to level 53, Minos could do this with a certain tranquility that even if that old man were at level 60, young Stuart would not despair!


    But since Emmett was only at level 59, Minos was not worried about the possibility of this man''s survival. On the contrary, he was concerned about eliminating all those enemies before they completed their sacrifice, during that second in which such people would suffer from his techniques.


    So, after attacking Emmett, Minos promptly ran around that area, making several movements with his sword and attacking the other enemies.


    While he threw long-range strikes, using his mental technique to knock out those farther away from him, Minos jumped, ran, and used the furniture of that place to facilitate his path.


    When passing close to an opponent, he would direct more of his energy to his Indestructible Body and then destroy his enemies with kicks capable of breaking mountains.


    And for many, this was the end!


    ... p???? ?o???


    At that instant, the surroundings of that residence were already wholly disorganized.


    There were pieces of bodies slowly separating from where they should belong as if time passed slowly, and those bodies were still being torn apart by Minos'' brutal attacks.


    Some individuals were already lying on the ground, with crushed heads, or even without heads, since, like Charles'' mother, some there had also been beheaded.


    p????-?o??? On the other hand, others watched the desolate scene of that motionless place, not knowing what was happening since everything was simply too fast for them.


    However, the queen saw much of this as she watched from a good position and was not as weak as the others.


    Because of this, she had the opportunity to see Minos'' last blow against a level 57 Spiritual King!


    Minos rotated his body in the air, with one of his legs raised, in a movement that aimed at the face of his last opponent, who was less than two meters away from him.


    After this, Minos'' foot hit the right cheek of his opponent, causing that person''s head to start moving counterclockwise.


    Crack!


    And as that individual''s head spun, his neck had taken a severe blow, deforming as the head spun, creating sounds as it broke into several pieces.


    That individual did not even have a chance to cry out in pain! ¦Ñ???????????


    From the touch of Minos''s foot on his face, he had suffered such a massive trauma that every bone in his head had either cracked or broken. But not only that, his brain had moved so brutally inside his head that he lost all consciousness in that instant.


    After this, he did not even have a chance to feel the terror of having his head blown off by a single kick!


    And in fact, the only sounds that had spread through the place were the sounds of the bones breaking, as the flesh split and blood poured out of his neck like water from a fountain.


    It was truly terrifying!


    Seeing all this, Minos felt relief in his heart, as he had prevented his future subordinates from being murdered by those lunatics. ''Looks like I was fast enough, huh?'' He thought about this as he looked in the direction of Emmett''s sliced body.


    That all had happened in a matter of seconds, something that was possible for young Stuart due not only to his high speed and attack power but the restrictive feature of the Spatial Sword.


    That technique allowed Minos to immobilize all those opponents during that short time while he moved and attacked at high speed.


    Hence, he had had that high margin of success in such a short time!


    So, when he finally deactivated his techniques, Minos saw the result of his action taking shape in real-time.


    Emmett''s body began to separate diagonally from his left shoulder to the right side of his waist, with one of the heavier parts falling to the ground first.


    Puff!


    But not only did the pieces of that old man''s body fall off. No, the heads that were still spinning in the air and the bodies of the others killed by Minos'' mental technique also descended to the ground!


    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"


    "AHHHH!"


    Those weaker women trembled in fear, feeling that everything that was happening today was too sudden for their hearts.


    Not only had Minos already made that previous show, killing two high-level Spiritual Kings and then beheading Charles'' mother. Suddenly, several experts tried to kill themselves, and then that young man mutilated their bodies.


    That was enough to make anyone scream in despair!


    As for Charles, he was still crying next to his mother''s head, seeing that he had no chance of escaping. Furthermore, this whole tragedy of his family would probably just be forgotten without justice being done.


    Who would fight against Minos? Who would avenge the death of all these people?


    No one!


    That was the answer Charles already had in his heart, finally regretting all his decisions.


    ''If it weren''t for my will to become the king, none of this would have happened!'' So, he thought as he felt that only death could free him from all this misfortune.


    "Ahhhhhhhhh!" Charles screamed as he drooled blood and saliva, his eyes twitching in a way that made anyone there realize that he had already lost his sanity.


    "Kill me! Kill me!" He began to scream like a madman, begging for someone there to end his physical and mental suffering.


    But nobody there did anything.


    Not only were they afraid, shocked, physically and mentally weakened. But they already knew what that person''s fate would be and understood that it was not their place to get involved in it.


    As for Minos, he did not give a damn about what Charles was asking. He just looked at that person as his eyes shone in rainbow colors. "Quiet!"


    Puff!


    Then, Charles screams ceased as his body fell to the ground, already unconscious.


    "Sigh..." Minos sighed in delight that his work here had finally reached its final moment.


    He then looked at those women and also at Wilfred. "Do what you promised as soon as possible!"


    "Get your state troops out of the Black Plain and wait for my orders. Then, when we officially settle our affairs, I will release your mother and your stepmothers."


    Gulp!


    "Now, you will sleep for a while!"


    Infinite Dream!


    ...

 Chapter 908 The Walker Family Tragedy! 2

    Chapter 908 The Walker Family Tragedy! 2


    After taking down all those people, Minos did not take long to place spiritual arrays around the necks of most there and then cover their eyes.


    Then, he promptly traveled to the Spatial Kingdom with each of those women, taking the crown prince of this kingdom lastly.


    At the end of it all, Minos locked them in the same room of the great lake house of the Spatial Kingdom, where those people would not be able to find out where they were even if they woke up while he was away from there.


    After this, he did not take long and soon made his way towards the exit, returning in the same clothes as before, already with his mask covering his face.


    The battle that had taken place there had undoubtedly caught the attention of some people in this palace. But for the time being, no riots had taken over this royal palace.


    As such, Minos did his best to leave this property while keeping his identity a secret, just to ensure that he could leave Athela more easily.


    Few people could stand in his way in this city, but there was no need for him to make his own life difficult. Consequently, he just did the bare minimum necessary to leave this place peacefully!


    "Sigh..."


    ''Time to continue my journey northward...'' He thought about this as he walked in the green area of that estate, feeling relieved to finish his affairs in the Kingdom of the Waves.


    ...


    After Minos ''convinced'' the royal guards to allow him to leave, it did not take long for things to start getting out of hand.


    Just a few minutes after the end of Minos'' ''battle,'' the terrified employees of that residence had taken the action of going to see what had happened!p????-?????.???


    ...


    Gulp!


    "What''s that?" A middle-aged woman, dressed in typical maid attire, asked the rest of that king''s residence staff.


    After the previous noises, they had hidden in their rooms or workplaces. But after several minutes of fearing what might have happened, some of them had gathered the courage to see the result of what had happened here.


    And with that, those people, five female employees, were slowly walking towards the entrance of that residence, trembling with fear as they saw the blood marks and broken furniture from afar.


    "Ahhhhhhhh!"


    Finally, one of them got close enough to that area where several mutilated bodies were, where heads dented or cut in different ways could be seen.


    At the same time, several whole bodies of men could be seen in the undestroyed part of that place.


    "My god..." One of the elders there smelled the foul smell of death while her legs grew weak amidst the terror of seeing such a place. "How did this happen?"


    "Who did this? What a disgrace..." She was about to say that when suddenly she saw the head of one of William''s widows, who was supposed to be the future Queen Mother of this state.


    "Ahhhhhh!" She cried out in terror just before she brought one of her hands to her mouth, feeling the disgrace that had hovered over the Walker family. p???? ?o???


    But while that woman felt for the loss of that all-important person, it was not long before another of her companions found what had been left of Emmett.


    "Oh, no... No... No..."


    "The ancestor was killed!" That person shouted this as she felt a tightening in her heart.


    She did not know Emmett that well, but as a part of this great organization, this woman knew that after William''s death, the ancestor was what was left to maintain the family''s power.


    However, now they were both dead!


    Consequently, that woman could not help but go into despair, feeling that the end was near!


    But there is no such thing as too little misfortune. So, it did not take long for those maids to realize that all the high-ranking elders of this state who were at the headquarters for William''s funeral had been killed!


    Thus, not only was the Walker family significantly weakened, but the main supporters of the Kingdom of the Waves had died on this occasion!


    What a great misfortune!


    Gulp!


    "Prince Wilfred and the... What?" Another was about to say something when she finally recognized Blake, a young man long gone missing in this state. ¦Ñ???????????


    ''That...''


    ''I wonder if that was...'' She was thinking something but soon put such an idea aside. She felt that although drastic things had occurred in the past, no one would destroy their own family to gain control of it.


    "Come here, Princes Wilfred and Blake are alive!"


    "Let''s get them to the doctors on duty!" That woman said in hope, feeling good that at least those two individuals had survived.


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, the entire Walker family headquarters went into commotion after the events of William''s residence spread.


    p????-?o??? That was a shocking event, something none of those people had experienced before or even heard of similar situations. And as a consequence, members of the royalty and subordinates of this organization soon began to discuss the matter, frightened and fearful that they would be next.


    But even though many orders had already been given for the family to start acting, the crucial question they had in mind could only be answered by the survivors.


    However, to everyone''s misfortune, the two princes and Blake''s followers were unconscious. And as Minos'' technique was mysterious, no one knew when they would be able to wake up to report what had happened in this place.


    With so many uncertainties in mind, with the information about the brutal death of 18 mighty Spiritual Kings, including the ancestor of this organization, the thousands of people in that royal palace soon panicked, fearful about the future.


    Some wanted to hide, others wanted to fight and had even given orders for the city to be closed down. But, on the other hand, some of those people were already running around the area, trying to understand how such a strong enemy had entered such a place.


    After all, if someone capable of making all that bedlam had reached their headquarters, why was the defensive barrier not destroyed? Why had not the whole place been destroyed?


    The insensitive ones soon began to act in search of the answers to these questions, to understand the story behind this tragedy, which could very well become the beginning of the end for this family!


    ...


    "Come on, get out of the way! Get out of the way!"


    Several carriages of the local royal guard were moving at full speed amid the avenues of Athela, with their coachmen shouting at pedestrians or other vehicles to get out of their fronts.


    It was late at night in this city. Still, like any place with millions of inhabitants, there was a bit of movement at any time of the day in Athela.


    Consequently, the rushing, fearful royal guards shouted at everyone who stood in their way as they ran toward different destinations.


    Some were rushing to the city''s exits, where they intended to stop anyone from leaving the city. They also intend to check who had recently entered and left Athela.


    Others were starting their investigations in the city itself. They were already beginning their search for strange information among certain groups of people, such as the vagabonds or even local transport services.


    At the same time, a group was heading toward the headquarters of the Spiritual Church in this state, seeking that organization''s support.


    It was unusual for such shocking things to happen. But with a tragedy of such proportions, with the disappearance of the crown prince shortly before the royal funeral, that organization had to be informed about such an event one way or another.


    On the other hand, that was the only organization that could support the Walker family now. Even that royal organization had not sustained itself in today''s incident, so no one else in the region could help them!


    With that, a group of nervous, fearful Walker family royal guards soon arrived at the church temple searching for the leader of that organization in this region, Gloria Frost!


    ...


    And it was not long before some of the Bishops of that church post arrived at the Archbishop''s apartment, asking for her support.


    "Archbishop! Archbishop!"


    "Archbishop, something terrible has happened!" An individual dressed in a purple robe said this in a terrified tone, feeling that what he had just heard could not be real.


    ''How did all that happen?'' He wondered as he broke into a cold sweat, waiting for that woman outside her apartment.


    And after a few minutes of begging to speak to Gloria, this beautiful redhead came to attend to such a person, feeling annoyed at being disturbed late at night.


    "Bishop, what do you want?" She asked this while having a severe expression on her face.


    But that old fellow was not bothered by Gloria''s apparent irritation and just informed her about the tragedy that had just happened. "Archbishop, something horrendous has happened to the Walker family in the last few hours..."


    Gulp!


    He swallowed his saliva in nervousness and finished saying. "All the high-level warriors in their headquarters have been killed!"


    "The Crown Prince and most of William''s widows are missing, while even the Walker ancestor has been killed!"


    ...

 Chapter 909 The Walker Family Tragedy! 3

    Chapter 909 The Walker Family Tragedy! 3


    "What?" Gloria asked in astonishment, finding all that information brought by that Bishop very sudden, entirely out of reality.


    Only a few hours ago, she had been with Emmett and some of William''s widows. How in such a short time could so much have happened?


    Suppose something so brutal had happened in the short time since she had returned to this temple. Why did she not hear sounds of explosions or see chaos spreading throughout the city?


    After all, if such strong people had been killed or kidnapped, this could only happen if a widespread conflict occurred, right?


    However, she had not noticed anything strange since leaving the royal palace earlier. So, she could not help but feel disbelieving right now.


    "Are you serious? How could something like this have happened? I didn''t hear any sounds of battle from my room, so how did these people get killed?" She asked this while having a solemn expression on her face.


    But that Bishop was neither surprised nor displeased by Gloria''s reaction. After all, he and others of his colleagues had reacted the same way upon receiving such information.


    He then said. "Archbishop, I know the information is absurd, but it is true!"


    "From what seems, someone has managed to infiltrate the royal palace and kill more than a dozen powerful Spiritual Kings... Because of this, the entire city is already under martial law, and the royal guard has called for the church''s support."


    "They don''t know what to do in this situation!"


    Seeing the seriousness of that man, Gloria frowned her eyebrows, sensing that he was not making any jokes. But, instead, he talked about a tragedy of proportions never before seen in this part of the Continent!


    "Wait a moment..." She said this before finally returning to the residence she was staying in at this temple and going to change clothes.p????-?????.???


    ...


    After a few minutes, Gloria and a dozen of the local Bishops were hurrying their way towards the royal palace, passing the sidewalks of the central area of Athela.


    And just in that small area separating the Spiritual Church temple and the royal palace, Gloria could finally see the evidence that what that Bishop had said was accurate.


    That''s because, at that moment, there were already hundreds of royal guards in that part of the city, many of them forming a security perimeter around the headquarters of the Walker family.


    At the same time, several of these guards were raiding establishments in that area, arresting people on the streets, creating chaos.


    Not only this, several of the people who usually worked or enjoyed themselves in these parts of the day were now running around, shouting and screaming in desperation as they fled that area.


    No one understood what was happening, but from the actions that had begun a few minutes ago, anyone who went against the royal orders would be beaten and arrested!


    Consequently, the many who had seen such acts in their surroundings were already fleeing to their homes, fearful of what might happen to them.


    As for the royal guards, no matter how much they had the official mechanism of oppression, they looked no better than those many frightened citizens.


    They had pale looks on their faces. They seemed to be in a difficult moment in which they might have to fight for their lives at any moment!


    And seeing all this, Gloria was getting more and more serious as she wondered what was behind all this. p???? ?o???


    ''How could something like this happen inside their own headquarters? That place doesn''t seem to have been invaded...'' She pondered as she looked in the direction of that place, which still had its defensive barrier intact.


    p????-?o??? ''But even if a group managed to infiltrate that place, how did they do it to kill so many regional experts?''


    But just as she entered the area protected by the medium-level grade-2 defensive array of that palace, Gloria put those thoughts aside and just followed one of the soldiers who was escorting her group.


    ...


    "What a terrifying thing!" One of the Bishops said this, feeling bad for having to see the pieces of the bodies of former acquaintances of his.


    It was common to see corpses in the Spiritual World, especially considering that many people lived hundreds or even thousands of years.


    But still, seeing the corpse of a friend, colleague, a close person was not easy even for those experienced cultivators. That was especially true for brutalized corpses, as in some cases of those in the late William''s residence.


    Different body parts were scattered around, various bloodstains mixed with brains and other internal parts of human bodies, all over the floor, walls, and even the ceiling.


    At the same time, some bodies had been cut in different ways, leaving their internal parts visible, while others had been deformed in such a way that it would be difficult to identify such people only by their faces.


    That was the case with one individual who had had his head blown off by a kick from Minos.


    And seeing that place where so many influential people had died, those Bishops could not help but feel bad. ¦Ñ???????????


    "What a tragedy!"


    "The Walker family will never recover from such a loss!"


    "Sigh... It''s truly a disgrace."


    "How will they be able to carry on after such a misfortune?"


    "Tsk!"


    They continued to talk among themselves while Gloria watched the surroundings, feeling bad that she had to see the bodies of the people who only a few hours ago had dined with her.


    Following the example of such people, there were the bodies of the Walker ancestor and Charles'' mother.


    ''It looks like sword blows killed them...'' She pondered this, looking at the cut pattern around Charles'' mother''s neck and the diagonal wound that had cut Emmett''s body in two parts.


    She then saw that woman''s black eyes, which had the same characteristic as the rest of her face, which showed that she had had a significant burst of anger before she was killed.


    ''From what I can see, they were killed very quickly...'' Her eyebrows frowned as a terrible idea flashed through her mind. ''Only a Spiritual Emperor or a Spiritual King from outside the region could do that!''


    ''There''s no way that regional enemies could have done...'' She was about to consider this, thinking that someone had violated the rules of the region under her control when one of the royal guards there said something to her.


    "Your Excellency, unfortunately, we won''t know for sure what happened here until Princes Wilfred and Blake wake up from their unconscious states."


    "In the meantime, we have just found a witness!"


    "What?" The Bishops standing there asked in surprise, curious to find out the truth.


    "Where is the witness?" Gloria asked.


    "Please come with me."


    ...


    As they walked through the Walker family headquarters, those people were chatting with the royal guards escorting them, trying to understand the current situation of this state.


    "General Laurence, who is in charge at the moment?" One of the Bishops asked a royal guard.


    "Sigh..."


    "It hasn''t been decided yet. But since General Ulric is the strongest one left here, I think he will be in command until one of the princes wakes up or some elder returns from the battlefield on the Black Plain."


    "So, that''s how it is..."


    "Tsk!"


    "The devil Minos will be the biggest beneficiary of all this!"


    "What a lucky wretch!"


    "Hmm, that''s true... But what will happen now, General Laurence? King William''s funeral cannot occur in the absence of all his family members."


    "And so many others have died..."


    Gulp!


    "Really... I hadn''t thought of that!" That royal guard commented as he wiped the sweat on his forehead, feeling quite pressed at the moment.


    "In any case, we cannot continue with His Majesty''s funeral."


    "Hmm, we''ll leave that for when we understand this matter..."


    And while they were talking, they finally arrived at the disciplinary area of that estate. In this place, a pretty young woman with black hair, dressed in the uniform of the royal guard, was sitting alone on one of the two chairs around a round table, the only furniture there.


    That Spiritual King then introduced her to the members of the church. "This is one of our guards, Ava, who was supposed to be with His Highness when he disappeared."


    "Oh?"


    "We still don''t know what she may have seen since, besides the fact that we just found her, she seemed in a state of panic when she was brought here."


    "But we believe she knows a little more about today''s incident!"


    ...

 Chapter 910 The Guilty One

    Chapter 910 The Guilty One


    After hearing that individual''s comment, all those members of the Spiritual Church began to pay attention to the figure of Ava, who still had a terrified look on her face.


    She looked like the image that sick people would have after a few days in a bed because of a heavy cold. And as such, it did not take long for the more observant of that group to realize that she had suffered a substantial shock today.


    ''Well, that''s normal... After all, she''s only a level 47 cultivator.''


    ''If even high-level Spiritual Kings died today, her small power certainly left her completely vulnerable!''


    Several of those Bishops thought similar things, feeling sorry for Ava but at the same time rushing to know the truth.


    And it was no different for Gloria!


    She did not like staying too long in the northern region of the Central Continent. But now that such a tragedy had happened, even she did not know how long it would take to sort out the local messes.


    Nothing like this had ever happened before!


    So, she could not help but feel frustrated as she had the desire to speed up the investigation process, ignoring Ava''s apparent depression and going straight to what that young woman could know.


    She then took the lead from those people and entered the room where Ava was.


    After that, Gloria sat down face to face with that traumatized young woman and began to speak. "Your name is Ava, right?"


    Ava stopped thinking about the previous scenes after noticing the woman of unforgettable beauty who had sat across from her. Gloria was someone that even other women would be attracted to, given her unparalleled distinction.


    Gulp!


    So, it had not been easy for Ava to ignore this person while swallowing her saliva.p????-?????.???


    "Hmmm." She made a sound with her mouth still closed, looking down and feeling strange from everything that had happened since her fun with Charles had been interrupted.


    "Well, Ava, I imagine it''s not being easy for you..."


    "You seem to have faced something unique, but that was also terrible, right?"


    "Hmm." Ava shook her head down in affirmation.


    "Well, I know you may need some time to process whatever happened, but unfortunately, neither of us has time to wait for that to happen."


    "Then I hope you will cooperate and tell us what happened."


    "Only then can we try to do something about the tragedy that happened here..."


    "Hmm..."


    "How nice that you know how to cooperate..." Gloria smiled at that young woman before finally getting on with what everyone there wanted with Ava. "What happened?"


    "Talk from the beginning."


    Gulp!


    Ava then swallowed her saliva in anxiety and inhaled the air deeply, taking the courage to ''go back'' to everything that had happened the moment her plans had been totally obliterated.


    "Well... To make a long story short, I was with His Highness in his room. At that time, we suddenly felt our bodies becoming motionless several times in a row as if time was stopping..." p???? ?o???


    "We also realized that our energies were being rapidly diminished during that short interval of time when we experienced that strange sensation." She commented, already draining the tears that were coming out of her eyes.


    Hearing this, some of those Bishops were already making ugly expressions, thinking of the worst possibilities there could be to explain Ava''s strange case.


    As for Gloria, she did not know as much about this region as those old men, so she just kept paying attention to Ava.


    Ava then continued her story amidst fickle sobs and her wailing tears. "But that lasted only a few seconds..."


    "After that, one of the royal guards protecting His Highness went through one of the walls of the room we were in..."


    "It was at that moment that a person dressed in the uniform of the royal guard, the one responsible for all that, appeared to us..."


    ''Royal guard uniform?'' Some people thought about it cautiously, considering the possibility of enemies infiltrating the local forces.


    "After that, he crippled His Highness'' spiritual cultivation..." So, she finished telling her story while crying over such a tragedy.


    "What a tragedy..."


    "What a cruel man!"


    "How could anyone have done such brutality?"


    "AHHH! Damn it!"


    "Why couldn''t we save His Highness?" ¦Ñ???????????


    "The family is lost!"


    Several of the Bishops there commented among themselves, while the royal guards deeply mourned the loss of Charles.


    They knew who was alive or dead since the soul lamps of the missing people were still giving off signals. But so far, no one knew what had happened to Charles and William''s four widows who were left alive.


    Consequently, upon hearing from Ava that the enemy had crippled the crown prince''s spiritual cultivation, all those people were surprised.


    And so they were shocked, extremely sorry for what had happened to that young man, since this information basically eliminated Charles, the most promising of the three princes, from the royal succession!


    After all, regardless of whether Charles had won the competition for the throne, no one would be crazy to pass the royal crown to an individual incapable of cultivation.


    No one would follow a leader incapable of getting stronger!


    And as a consequence, the state had lost even more than they had accounted for so far!


    Gloria then asked. "What did this person who crippled Charles look like? What was his level? Did he say anything relevant?"


    Ava then was silent for a minute, thinking about what had happened.


    She then answered. "I remember the things that man said very well because he seemed quite offensive... He seemed to have a feud with His Highness."


    "He called His Highness a worm several times, said cruel things, that he would show His Highness how he would kill the most important family members..."


    "He also commented something about taking His Highness to the Puller." She said, sobbing.


    "Bastard!"


    "We can''t allow it!"


    "Please, Archbishop, intervene in the situation and prevent His Highness'' death!" Some of the royal guards there said such a thing in angry tones, feeling humiliated by the enemy''s words.


    But Gloria only raised one of her hands, asking those people for silence.


    Ava then finished her account. "As for his appearance, that all happened very quickly, and I tried to avoid watching him as much as possible. But I remember that he had brown hair, looked young, was relatively tall and strong."


    "And he was at level 53."


    "What?"


    "Are you sure?"


    "How can that be? How could someone so weak do such a thing?"


    "No! Ava, don''t joke at this point! If you don''t know his level, you''d better just keep quiet!"


    p????-?o??? Several people there began to discuss the matter, doubting the veracity of what she had just said.


    But when one of the strongest Bishops there thought about it and the description of the effects suffered by Ava and Charles, his eyes fluttered as he had a sudden realization.


    "It can''t be!"


    "NOOOOO!" He screamed in panic, feeling unimaginable pressure.


    "That can only be the devil Minos'' doing!" He finally said it in terror.


    On the other hand, Gloria''s heart was beating much stronger than usual as she ignored the words of those people in her surroundings.


    After hearing Minos'' description, she could not help but remember ''Albert,'' who coincidentally was in this city to fulfill a mission...


    ''Albert...''


    ''No! It can''t be true!'' She thought about it as she clenched her fists. She felt that the peaceful person she had met could not be the one responsible for the massacre she had seen earlier.


    The difference in the actions of the young man who wanted to get his hands on her and the person capable of killing regional experts with ease was simply too big!


    And considering that Gloria already had a good impression of ''Albert,'' she felt shocked, eager to answer the question in her heart.


    ''I have to see this!'' She finally made up her mind before she got up from where she was standing and left that place.


    Gloria then ran with all the strength she had, heading towards the exit of Athela, through which she and Minos had entered this city, where their spiritual beasts should be.


    ''It can''t be him!''


    ''If it is true, that means that I ended up giving a high-level grade-2 weapon to the person responsible for this massacre!''


    ''That''s probably my fault!'' She thought about it as she sweated, moving extremely fast through the streets of Athela.


    And in doing so, it did not take long for Gloria to reach her destination!


    ...

 Chapter 911 The Inevitable

    Chapter 911 The Inevitable


    Finally arriving at Athela''s large reserve for spiritual beasts, Gloria quickly made her way toward where she and Minos had left their beasts.


    Since both of their mounts were very strong, the place where those beasts could be housed was not very large, so Gloria''s great bird probably knew the location of Minos'' Winged Tiger.


    With that in mind, the beautiful redhead ignored the many requests from the employees of that place, who thought such a specialist was invading the place.


    "Hey! Wait! You need to identify yourself..."


    "Stop her! Maybe she''s going to rob us!"


    But she just went on her way without listening to those people, going to the forested part where she had already located the spiritual fluctuation of her beast.


    "Don!"


    "Don, where is that tigress? Do you know if it has left this place?" Gloria asked the giant bird that served as a mount for her.


    And upon hearing its master''s voice, that beast was quick to answer the human who was floating in the air, flying towards him, the top of one of the tallest trees in that place.


    "The tigress? Maida?" He said this curiously, finding Gloria''s visit and that question unexpected.


    "Hmm, come to think of it, I think she''s already gone..." He expressed after scanning his surroundings.


    After hearing that, Gloria was not slow to ask what mattered the most to her. "Do you know when she left?"p????-?????.???


    "No... I wasn''t paying attention to her, so maybe she left with her master some time ago." He said in a coy tone, lowering his giant head in apology for his inefficiency.


    "Tsk!"


    "Damn it!" Gloria softly cursed as she flew in the opposite direction of that beast, heading for one of the many employees of this place she was in.


    And since her speed was not slow, she reached one of the people working in the payroll office of that establishment in just a few seconds.


    "You!" She said in a harsh tone as she grabbed the collar of that individual''s clothing. "I want to know what happened to the black-haired, level 55 Winged Tigress who was staying here!"


    "Look when she was taken away by her human companion!"


    Gulp!


    "Yes, ma''am! I''ll do that in a moment!" That person trembled with fear but soon began to analyze the recent papers concerning the beasts leaving that site.


    And while that official was doing that, Gloria was watching him, feeling her respiratory rate rising, thinking about everything that had happened.


    She was impatient, moving one of her legs without stopping while her breasts went up and down and sweat dripped down her forehead.


    Gloria was sweating not because of the physical exertion she had just made since, for her, none of it was enough to make her sweat. On the contrary, she was sweating from nervousness, feeling that ''Albert'' had fooled her. p???? ?o???


    He fooled her not regarding his goals in this city. But his identity, perhaps his personality. And this was what Gloria was not enjoying.


    She had appreciated traveling with ''Albert'' for those days and had even had a little fun with him. But, because of this, she felt terrible to think about the possibility that it had all been a lie.


    To make matters worse, she might have unwittingly influenced the situation in this region. That is, although a high-level grade-2 weapon was not that impressive, it was something that added a lot of power to regional experts.


    ''He lied to me about his strength...'' She thought about it as she felt the cold night wind slowly drying the sweat on her face. ''Or rather, he hid it from me for the entire time we were together!''


    ''Albert...''


    But as Gloria thought about these things, she finally remembered what she had inattentively overheard before leaving the Bishops behind.


    And as she remembered it, this beautiful woman''s pupils and mouth opened in realization, making her feel a slight shiver.


    p????-?o??? ''Albert... Minos...''


    ''It can''t be!''


    ''No, don''t be him, don''t be him!'' She wished this, hoping that ''Albert''s'' case was not as complicated as that.


    And just while she had all that in mind, Gloria was distracted by that same official from before. "Ma''am, the beast you seek was drawn by its master about 35 minutes ago." ¦Ñ???????????


    At that moment, Gloria clenched her fists tightly, understanding that there was no way that all this was just a coincidence.


    She then closed her mouth and pressed her jaw hard, trying to control her momentary tension.


    "NOOOOOO!"


    She shouted sharply as some of her powerful aurae escaped her control, causing several individuals in the surrounding area to faint from such spiritual pressure.


    "MINOS!" She shouted the criminal''s name, wishing to find that fellow and teach him a lesson.


    ''How could you have done this to me? You used me to destroy the Walker family!''


    And while having a small fit of anger, Gloria had thought about trying to chase young Stuart away. But thinking of the many possibilities he had in leaving this place, it would be impossible for her to catch up with him if she just chased him.


    Consequently, she was not slow to consider a more efficient alternative, which would lead her sooner or later to him!


    ''Dry City...''


    ''One way or another, he will return to Dry City!'' She thought about it, closing one of her fists determinedly.


    ''I want to see if you will have the courage to lie to my face one more time, Minos!''


    ''I''ll teach you a lesson!'' So, she put that little goal on her ''to-do list'' before finally flying back to the center of that city.


    She could move around much faster than Minos. Because of this, even if she stayed a few more hours in this place, she could still reach Dry City before he did.


    That is, of course, if he was escaping there.


    In any case, as Minos had used her to succeed in eliminating the Walker family, Gloria had no alternative but to act to lessen the consequences of her accidental involvement.


    She did not want outsiders to come to the northern region with assurances that they would not face repercussions if they influenced the local political-economic situation. After all, it would be complicated to control the actions of these people, and once they came here, the consequences of this could go far beyond the Black Plain.


    But since she had influenced the local context, any thoughts preventing her from making this decision had disappeared. So, now she could only wash her hands of this whole problem.


    She did not want to harm Minos directly with this action but rather repair what had just happened to the Walker family.


    She was angry with him, but that was personal, something she would resolve in other ways.


    With that, she would not only give orders regarding the liberation of the natives of this region to return to their states to fight alongside their families. She would also try to follow the ceasefire plan suggested by one of the Bishops earlier.


    She wanted to beat Minos at this point. Still, she would not let the thousands of innocents in Dry City be slaughtered before at least attempting a ceasefire.


    Hence, she quickly made her way to the church temple in that city to send her commands to the empire post, from where the members of local families in that state could be summoned.


    After that, she intended to proceed to Dry City to find young Stuart!


    ''Bastard!''


    ''You will pay me, Minos Stuart!''


    ...


    Achoo!


    While traveling on top of Maida, Minos suddenly sneezed, just before inhaling the cold air from where they were flying, feeling a strange sensation in his nose.


    ''Glad it all worked out, hehehe...'' He thought about it quietly as he took advantage of the night flight to rest.


    The previous situation had made him spend a lot of his energy. After all, he had killed many powerful people in one go, something tiring for anyone, even people with fighting proficiencies higher than their own opponents.


    Besides, he had used a lot of his energy to escape from that city before Gloria realized what he had done.


    He knew she probably would not kill him, but she could make his plans very difficult if she wanted to!


    So, he had hurriedly made his way to the previous location, where he had quickly departed Athela with Maida.


    "Sigh..."


    ''Now, I will travel more quietly for a few weeks until I reach the Kingdom of the End...''


    ''I''ll finally be able to get back to training my techniques!'' He thought about this while smiling as he remembered the beautiful woman who had ''got in the way'' of his training.

 Chapter 912 Widespread Panic!

    Chapter 912 Widespread Panic!


    Hours later...


    After dawn in Athela, the population of this regional capital awoke to a day that was supposed to be a day of farewells to King William Walker.


    On this day in question, all commerce in this city had dawned closed, with many people leaving their homes to participate in the royal procession.


    It was a holiday in the capital of the Kingdom of the Waves, and many could not miss the opportunity to have a peaceful day, which, yes, would be a farewell, but which could also mark the beginning of a new era.


    It was terrible for the ordinary population when a powerful specialist died. After all, in a world where power was everything, specialists like William practically maintained the weaker ones'' quality and standard of living.


    But even so, there were ways to protect oneself from difficult times like the present, and not everyone bothered to be led by ''A'' or ''B.'' So, many people had left their homes just after dawn with the intention of enjoying this day off they had ahead of them.


    The Black Plain problem was real, but it was still something that was happening tens of thousands of kilometers away...


    Would everyone be equally fearful of a conflict occurring so far away from them?


    Hard to say. Like the coachman who had worked for Minos and Gloria before, some people would be nervous, pressed by the current instability. But there were always those less concerned about matters like this.


    And it was part of these people who had taken to the local streets with calm expressions on their faces.


    However, such a thing did not last long!


    ...


    After arriving in the center of Athela, a group of friends, three men and two women, all of them very young, came across images that they did not expect to see there.p????-?????.???


    They expected to arrive at a place where thousands of people would peacefully gather, probably eating and drinking hot food while waiting for the royal ceremony to begin. But all they had found there was chaos, panic, and fear.


    Not because losing the local sovereign was enough to generate such a phenomenon. After all, as bad as it would be to lose a level 59 cultivator, it was already common knowledge that William would not live long.


    And as sad as death itself was, in the case of people suffering, losing their minimal quality of life, such a fate was often a relief to everyone.


    It was definitely not as terrible as premature, accidental, perhaps sudden death.


    No, the problem here was not William but something else that those youths had not yet discovered!


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    Boom!


    "Arrest the damned thing!"


    "Come on! Let''s go! Grab as much as you can!"


    "Ahhhh! Get out of the way, or we''ll kill him!"


    Several shouts sounded in the surroundings as sounds of battles raged amidst the chaotic crowd around.


    p????-?o??? Many citizens looked completely insane, fighting against each other or even participating in collective fights against the royal guards. p???? ?o???


    Simultaneously, stores were being looted while panic spread among the newcomers, who, like those five youths, did not understand what was happening.


    At the same time, royal guards attacked some of the out-of-control citizens, but they struggled to control the riot due to the differences in numbers.


    Every moment more people arrived in that area to join William''s procession. Still, while many fled, several others joined the confusion, creating an exponential effect in that area.


    And at that instant, when the five youths had arrived there, the chaos had already spiraled out of control, with the violence of all kinds happening in broad daylight!


    "What the hell is going on?" One of the women asked in fear, feeling that none of it made sense.


    ''What is wrong with these people? Why are they rioting?'' She wondered as she took cover in one of the alleys in that area.


    "Damn it!"


    "Something very troublesome must have happened!" One of the young men said this as he felt drops of sweat dripping down his forehead.


    "Looks like we won''t have a funeral today!"


    "But why all this?"


    And while they were protecting themselves from that madness in the outskirts of that central area of Athela, an old man who was running away from there heard the conversation of those youths and warned them. "Brats, run away as fast as you can!"


    "Last night, the commander of the Black Plain Army came in person to our city and exterminated the Walker family leadership!" ¦Ñ???????????


    "What?"


    "How is that possible?" The youths asked simultaneously, feeling that this was absurd.


    But that old man did not care about their questioning. Instead, he shouted at them, continuing his escape route while carrying some spiritual arrays in large cloth bags... "Rumors are going around the city that the Black Plain Army will invade us in the next few hours!"


    "Take your families away!"


    And as the old man from before disappeared into the crowd with his newly acquired items, the five youths finally understood the madness they were witnessing.


    It made no sense to get out of control because of a few deaths. But if those deaths were of the city leaders and the risk of invasion was lurking, this was the tipping point for many there.


    Some would try to distance themselves from this place for a while, hoping that the local instabilities would subside. However, for those who had nothing to lose, the moment when the existence of the ultimate power, the one who holds power, was threatened, this was their opportunity!


    Suppose they could become enslaved or at least be dominated by invaders. Then, why not take the opportunity to make some profit while taking advantage of the instability of the current ruler?


    Upon finding out about the deaths of the Walker family leaders and about what happened to Emmett and Charles'' mother, many in this city already considered that the Kingdom of the Waves would not last much longer.


    So, many were planning their escape from this city, a place that the enemy force would try to dominate for pure symbolism.


    In this way, thefts had quickly spread throughout this great metropolis.


    Such a thing had happened so fast that it had evolved into fights between citizens disputing stolen resources and royal guards'' futile attempts to appease the surroundings within minutes.


    But such a thing was futile.


    The royal guards were lost in this situation, not knowing how to deal with the threat of invasion, being as fearful as the inhabitants. But, many people had already convinced themselves that stealing some resources and fleeing to the mountains was the best thing to do at this point.


    Because of all this, because of the opportunistic organizations acting behind the curtains, it was not long before that big city became a pressure cooker, ready to explode into a major social upheaval!


    "Ahhhhhh!"


    "Drop it! I swear I''ll kill anyone who gets in my way!"


    "If you have the ability to do so, then just do it, you fucking cuckold!"


    "Ahhhh! You''re dead, dwarf!"


    Boom!


    Puff!


    "AHHHHHHHHHHH!"


    ...


    Boom!


    Swooish!


    Sounds of battles continued to reverberate through the streets of Athela, reaching even the most confined corners of the royal palace.


    But while many people were trying to figure out what to do at this difficult time, Blake and Wilfred were ''sleeping'' in a large room in the hospital wing of this place.


    There, some of the most substantial surviving Spiritual Kings from the previous night''s slaughter were on guard in case something strange happened.


    They still wanted to understand what happened at King William''s residence, something that only those two and perhaps Blake''s four companions could answer. But the most important thing now was to protect them and perhaps make sure they woke up as soon as possible.


    Therefore, these people were sitting at different points in that hospital room. At the same time, only the doctor in charge of the king''s health was allowed to enter there.


    But to their surprise, their wait would not last as long as they had assumed!


    At that moment, Blake''s eyes moved from side to side, while his body movements slowly became more like those of someone about to wake up!


    Upon realizing this, one of those men stood up from his chair, looking hopefully at Blake. "The second prince is waking up!" He commented to the others, alerting the doctor standing there.


    And in that instant, Blake''s eyes finally opened, revealing a look of concern and fear.


    "Minos..." He said in a low voice, trying to find the person who had terrified him even in his nightmares.


    ...

 Chapter 913 Region In Shock

    Chapter 913 Region In Shock


    Waking up from his sleep, Blake looked from one side of that hospital room to the other, completely disoriented.


    The last thing he remembered was being in the tunnel of that house from before when young Stuart was threatening him.


    And finding himself in a completely different place, this young man could not help but feel strange, trying to recognize this place and the people in the surroundings.


    While doing so, his eyes were almost closed due to the brightness of the surroundings, which made him feel uncomfortable during the brief time his eyes needed to adjust themselves.


    "Minos..." He muttered this, reminding himself of the responsibilities he would have to take on.


    But as Blake tried to understand his surroundings, remembering his conversation with Minos, those individuals guarding that area came to him, eager to hear more from this young man.


    "Your Highness!"


    "Your Highness, are you all right?"


    "Your Highness, tell us what happens..."


    "Calm down!"


    "Let me check on him first..." The doctor on duty said this as he nodded to those royal guards, indicating for them to move away from Blake.


    That doctor then pushed those individuals aside and focused all his attention on Blake. "Your Highness, how are you feeling?"p????-?????.???


    Hearing these comments in his surroundings, Blake looked at his family doctor, already more or less understanding what was going on. He then asked to confirm his thoughts. "Where are we?"


    "We are in the royal palace, Your Highness." The doctor promptly replied as he circulated one of his techniques to check Blake''s condition.


    Gulp!


    "How did I get here? Did any of you find my group?" He asked this, already assuming that the worst had already happened and Minos had probably managed to do what he had promised earlier.


    But upon hearing Blake''s questions, those men were far more concerned than this young man, as they assumed that this prince was the one who would answer their questions!


    After all, they had met Blake where the killing of Minos had taken place...


    "Your Highness doesn''t know?" One of those individuals asked this in a surprised tone, in a way already giving Blake an answer.


    ''So I was brought here by Minos...'' That prince pondered this, closing his eyes and sighing deeply.


    He then brought one of his hands to his hair and asked in a worried tone. "Minos invaded this place?"


    "Yes..." All those people answered simultaneously, each of those voices charged with unmistakable feelings.


    "He..." p???? ?o???


    Gulp!


    Blake then took a deep breath, gathering the courage to ask the last remaining question for him to find out if Minos had done what he had promised to do. "And what happened to our ancestor?"


    "Your Highness..."


    "The ancestor is no longer among us."


    After those words were spoken, the looks of regret on those people''s faces returned, completely hiding the satisfaction that Blake was finally waking up from his previous state.


    "Tsk!"


    Blake then turned his face sideways while his two hands were resting above his eyes, feeling his head beginning to boil, besides the growing sense of fear in his heart.


    Blake already knew that Minos would probably do everything he had promised. In addition to regional news reports of such a person being able to kill peak Spiritual Kings, Blake had seen in person young Stuart destroying a barrier created by a medium-level grade-2 defensive array!


    Not only that, Minos had done such a thing with ease!


    And that in itself already showed that the power of the ruler of the Black Plain was enough for him to accomplish all those previous promises.


    However, like any human, Blake hoped that the possibility most likely would not happen. Of course, it was futile to think that way most of the time, but it was hard not to root for the 0.01% chance that might favor him. ¦Ñ???????????


    p????-?o??? And so, he was mournful right now, feeling for the loss of the old ancestor.


    "Tell me everything that happened." He said this after a few moments in silence.


    And it did not take long for those individuals to tell him everything they knew, putting aside their questions. That''s because Blake was the best candidate to take over the position left by Charles.


    Answering the questions regarding the previous incident was of paramount importance to this organization. But since Blake did not know much about the incident, those royal guards could only help this new royal heir understand the recent events.


    After that, they could try to understand a little more about how Blake had been brought to this place, his relationship with Minos, etc.


    And with that, soon that prince started formulating a plan in his mind, something to pave his way toward the deal he had accepted.


    He did not have much time, so he needed to act quickly. Otherwise, it would not be long before he joined Emmett and many of those who had been killed by the terror called Minos.


    ''First, I will secure my position as king so that no one will try to stop my first orders...'' He thought about it as he listened to those people.


    Blake was the most promising candidate for the local throne after Charles was disabled and captured by the enemy. However, even if the local royal succession gave advantages to the direct descendants of the monarchs, one of the many other members of the royalty could ascend to that position!


    Many of them respected tradition, but some would only wait for specific indications to question the validity of a given designation.


    And knowing this, Blake was already planning to avoid giving orders until he was recognized as the king!


    And even though this might delay a little the withdrawal of this state''s troops from the Black Plain, this young man knew that with the fall of the regent, the path to this state leadership was practically clear for him!


    So, he soon settled down, thinking of the most efficient way to ensure his mother''s survival by carrying out Minos'' demands!


    ''After I sit on the throne, I will give the order!''


    ...


    One week later...


    After only a few days since the tragedy of the Walker family, the entire northern region of the Central Continent was shocked by such an event!


    It had all happened very quickly, so suddenly that virtually everyone involved in the Black Plain''s war of independence had been taken by surprise by such a catastrophe.


    Everyone thought that Minos was in Dry City, perhaps preparing for new level advancement, something already expected, considering this young man''s recent past.


    However, while the war went on, as usual, the prominent regional periodicals had brought the information about what Minos had done in the Walker family palace!


    And such a thing had terrified the entire region. Many had finally realized that they could be affected by the war despite being tens of thousands of kilometers away from the battlefields.


    Previously, many organizations dealt with the consequences of the war. Still, most of their members were at peace in their respective headquarters. And this brought a certain sense of security to many of these people, something that made many orders easier.


    After all, it was easier to tell a soldier to go to the battlefield and die for the greater good while you stayed at home, living quietly as usual...


    Would leaders flirt with war if they were the first to have to go to the battlefield?


    Hard to say, but certainly, many people in this region had lost sleep over the news concerning what Minos had just done.


    Were they safe?


    From what they had just discovered, no one was safe in the region, and young Stuart could appear at the gates of other organizations at any moment!


    Because of this, a general fear had spread through the region after the Walker family tragedy was made public.


    And not only had the headquarters of the regional organizations been shocked by such information but so had the command of the Counter-Revolutionary Army at war on the Black Plain.


    The information that Minos was not in that territory seemed very good to them, one undeniably good opportunity. However, if he were not there, he would be somewhere else...


    Who would be next?


    Was he heading back to the Black Plain? Or maybe he was looking for a new target?


    These thoughts alone had been enough to stop any good feelings Thomas Brown''s allies might have had about Minos not being in that area.


    And so, the various regional organizations were already preparing for their next steps!

 Chapter 914 The Thoughts Of The Regional Leaders

    Chapter 914 The Thoughts Of The Regional Leaders


    The hottest penthouse in the region was in a high-end hotel in Athela, which had the most expensive apartments to rent in this kingdom, where usually only kings could afford to stay.


    This place was extremely luxurious, with many gold items, which could be seen from the doorknobs to even the door hinges.


    There were also precious stones decorating light fixtures, adorning certain parts of the rooms of the apartments in the area. Not only this, as a place of a high standard, some walls in that area had paintings painted by medium-level grade-2 professionals, something challenging to see in this part of the continent.


    And precisely in this place for the few, almost two dozen Spiritual Kings were in the vicinity.


    Some were guarding the only corridor connecting the three apartments in that area, while others were working alongside their bosses.


    And in one of those high luxury apartments, two of the ten strongest individuals in that region were sitting face to face.


    Both individuals looked like old men, with various marks typical of their age on their faces and hair. However, their vitality was abundant, and both had resolute looks in their eyes, typical of those who still had many plans in their minds.


    In any case, as they were sitting around a beautiful glass table in a living room, which was not far from the balcony that gave a 180-degree view of the central area of this capital city, the two were talking about the recent news.


    "I thought that by coming to this city, I would be able to bring old Emmett over to our side..." The man who had a long white beard that went up to his waist height said this while lamenting the tragic death of the Walker ancestor.p????-?????.???


    "I was already counting on his help when we left for the Black Plain..."


    Hearing this, the other level 59 Spiritual King there, who had half-red, half-white hair, nodded to the person before him, as his eyes showed colossal concern. "That was completely out of our most pessimistic predictions for this war..."


    "The wretch does have frightening power!"


    "Yes..."


    "What do we do now?" King Snow asked this of Kara''s father, feeling that their situation was only getting worse as time passed.


    But King Carline was still not convinced that this was a sign from the world for them to stop. No, he continued to leave aside his daughter''s warnings and the recent news about the Walker family tragedy. "What can we do but fight?"


    "The damned thing is more than we can handle. However, now that the Spiritual Church has authorized us to call back our descendants in the Flaming Empire, we can reverse the power of that brat!"


    "I have already sent requests for help to the sects of that state." He said, clenching one of his hands in anger, feeling bad for having to depend on the help of others to solve his own problems. p???? ?o???


    As for Adam Snow, he was not happy with the current situation either, but he had no choice but to think that this was the path with the best chances for them.


    Minos was powerful, but so were some of the members of the regional families that were in the empire. And considering that there were several of them, the predictions they could make could not help but indicate that there were chances for them to solve the problem called Minos.


    At the very least, they were still in a position to fight, something that in itself was better than just giving up their positions to accept the rise of Minos in the region.


    Who knows what might happen if such a thing came true?


    It would be much better for them to eliminate Minos and keep the variables already known!


    As such, those men felt that there was still hope.


    However, this did not diminish the fear they had of Minos at this moment. After all, this young man was outside the Black Plain and could be heading for the headquarters of one of their families!


    These two kings had left their states to come to the Kingdom of the Waves to appeal for church support and, at the same time, to try to get Emmett to accompany them toward the Black Plain. ¦Ñ???????????


    Because of this, their respective headquarters were weakened, and they could not help but worry about what might happen next.


    So, even if there was hope, their minds were filled with worry, trying to figure out what to do next.


    ''Nevertheless, if we had arrived at this place a few days earlier, our situation would have been much worse...'' King Snow thought about this in silence, feeling that he had narrowly escaped death.


    Previously he had been going to the Black Plain. Still, with the changes in the strategy of the Counter-Revolutionary Army, which now wanted to get outside help to confront Minos, he had come to this place.


    And thinking about when he had arrived in this regional capital, he wondered what would have happened if Minos'' recent ''visit'' had taken place while they were here.


    As for King Carline, while his colleague was thinking about how lucky they were to have arrived at this place at the right time, this other individual remembered his daughter''s words.


    ''Is what Kara said really for the best? I don''t think it''s good that we simply let a person capable of doing that to Emmett continue to grow...'' He pondered this, regretting what had happened to that individual.


    Previously he had been coming to this state with no intentions of attending King Walker''s funeral. However, in recent days he had witnessed the processions of both William and Emmett.


    Considering how terrible that person''s death had been, this man could not see a promising future for his family if he did the absurd thing of kneeling to the Black Plain.


    ''What a headache!''


    ...


    While those two regional experts were trying to understand the path ahead of them, other high-level powers were also discussing Minos'' accomplishments on Stone Island.


    In particular, the Stone family leadership had welcomed this information, something that had further solidified their views of the Black Plain.


    But unlike those other two regional experts, the three siblings of the Stone family had just found that out while they were gathered in the king''s office.


    ...


    "It looks like it''s almost time to join the war." The strongest person there, Lorelei Stone, said this while looking at her two younger brothers.


    Upon hearing this, King Stone looked down at the newspaper on his desk while he had his elbows propped up on that desk and his hands crossed at the height of his nose.


    "That seems to be the case..." He commented in a calm tone as he looked at the cover image of the newspaper.


    On the cover of the Night News, there was a drawing of the regional map, where there was in the center of each state the symbol of their respective royal families. However, while the symbol of the Walker family looked bloodstained, with drops spreading like rivers across that state, the golden tree of the Black Plain looked more noble and distinguished than ever.


    And also observing such a thing, the younger of these three, Garvin Stone, could not help but ask. "What will we do next?"


    "Now that the Spiritual Church has approved that earlier request, the enemy families of the Black Plain are already preparing to bring help from outside..."


    Hearing this, Lorelei uncrossed her legs and then stood up from her armchair. She looked thoughtfully at her brothers and said. "Let''s call our members back, too."


    p????-?o??? "The church did not specify that this is only for those fighting on the Counter-Revolutionary Statute''s side. So, we will act within this new possibility..."


    "Lorelei..." The King said in surprise, not believing that his sister wanted to act so decisively.


    "Eugene, our moment has finally come!"


    "Minos is already powerful, and he may already be able to reverse much of the Black Plains'' recent defeats. Therefore, to demonstrate our honesty, we must act!"


    "So, when our descendants arrive, we will engage in the Black Plain''s war of independence!"

 Chapter 915 Time For Allies To Show Themselves!

    Chapter 915 Time For Allies To Show Themselves!


    Meanwhile...


    The news from Minos had also reached the Black Plain, specifically Dry City, where such a thing had been received even more positively than in the Stone family.


    Not only because young Stuart''s subordinates and allies had received information regarding his mission, but also because such a thing had alerted them to his advancement!


    During this entire period, Minos and his headquarters had not been communicating. Consequently, his allies had been in the dark for more than a month about his actions. Only through the regional journals had they had a chance to find out such information.


    And since these people were the ones who most understood how significant Minos'' advances were, the news of the Walker family tragedy could not have been more favorable for them!


    By reaching level 53, he had undoubtedly increased his power significantly, which would affect not only the mission he was on but also the final part of the war.


    All things considered, the Black Plain Army soldiers had gained some extra strength to continue fighting the war of independence while waiting for the triumphant return of Minos!


    ...


    At the Black Plains Army headquarters, Abby was settling her affairs in the leadership of that organization, pleased to find out about what her fianc¨¦ had been doing finally.p????-?????.???


    She naturally knew about how strong Minos should be now and the dangers that could put him at risk. But even knowing the advantageous situation he had in this region, she worried about him.


    After all, the impossible was only unimaginable until something happened to make that feasible!


    And knowing this, Abby did not consider young Stuart invincible.


    So, she worried about her fianc¨¦ and was distressed when she did not know where he was, what he might be doing, etc.


    Abby was pleased with Minos'' first victory in the regional intimidation mission. Still, she worried about the situation on the Black Plain, the only thing she could influence now.


    So, the blue-haired woman was trying not to overthink about that mission, despite the obvious good mood she was in after reading Minos'' news. What she was focusing on at the moment was managing some army operations and achieving her next breakthrough.


    It would still take her a few weeks to level up, but her advancement was getting closer and closer, something that would give her much more power to fight for her fianc¨¦.


    But just like Minos'' mission outside Dry City, her level advancement was something that would take time, something somewhat out of her control. Because of this, what she was doing most of these past weeks besides fighting around the Black Plain was meeting with the members of this organization to set short-term plans and strategies. p???? ?o???


    War was a complicated thing that did not just involve fighting great battles and ending the conflict. No, conflicts on the scale of the Black Plain''s current situation happened on several fronts.


    The cruel battles around this territory were only the surface of it all, perhaps the most obvious point of the war.


    What indeed influenced confrontations like these were the betrayals, assassinations, behind-the-scenes actions, financial movements, in short, that which ''changed'' the direction in which the ''arrows'' flew.


    And hell, the Black Plain had been acting on all these fronts since Minos'' arrival in local power!


    All the asset building, the collective power of the Dry City population, relations with the Stone Island powers, and allies in two other neighboring states were all done to influence this war.


    Consequently, Abby, one of the people under local command in Minos'' absence, was wisely using the contacts made by him to little by little change the situation of the war!


    ...


    "So, you mean that the Chambers family is finally eliminated?" Abby asked Vivian as they were set in front of the other, each of them on one side of the desk of this bride of Minos. ¦Ñ???????????


    Vivian then nodded to Abby, feeling that although that was not entirely true, they could say such a thing. "Yes..."


    "There remain two Spiritual Kings alive, but they have fled to the Scourge of the Devil headquarters from what we found out."


    "And since we don''t have the location of that place, there''s no point in continuing to search for them. So, that way, my father has decided to direct the family troops to the north of the Cromwell Kingdom."


    "We will join the war in full force from now on!"


    "Oh?"


    The end of the Chambers family was not the only reason for Vivian to bring this good news to Abby. What was really behind her father''s decision was Minos'' recent action that scared the entire region and the situation of the Cromwell Kingdom itself.


    After the death of James Cromwell, that state had lost its great protector, the most outstanding local expert, who had left a fragile son to inherit his post.


    Due to such circumstances, the Hayes family was no longer afraid to act on behalf of Minos and ended up being punished by the Cromwell family.


    No, now that he had shown such strength, they were finally prepared to show their position in public!


    And for this, not only they but also the Stokes family were preparing to start their own rebellion to the north of that state, in an attempt to merge that micro-region of the City of Waters with the Black Plain!


    They were allies of Minos and had been secretly fighting the war for months. And considering that the final part of the conflict would involve even more specialists, they could not be bothered to fight secretly.


    No, they needed to use everything they had from now on, as without it, they might end up suffering more than they would have liked.


    And so, the leaders of those two families had already understood that only by doing as the noble houses of the Brown Kingdom allied with Minos had done before could they succeed.


    Hence, they had come up with this plan to move entirely out of their territories and start their rebellion in that state!


    "... In the next few weeks, Mendy''s family and mine will make a major move to eliminate our enemies in that region. After that, we will publish our intention to separate from the rest of the kingdom." Vivian finished explaining to Abby, a little nervous but also anxious.


    That was quite a bold move, but it was the best method for them to fight alongside the Black Plain without worrying about too many variables. Also securing their position in Minos'' territory!


    On the other hand, in the chaotic situation the region was in, there was no Counter-Revolutionary Army to threaten them other than the enemy on the Black Plain itself!


    However, these forces in the Black Plain were already suffering to overcome the troops of the Dry City, so it was not a terrifying threat that the region considered before the rise of Minos.


    And considering the fear that many families from the states surrounding the Black Plain had been experiencing, such an action could even start a wave of rebellions. Or even insubordination of vassal organizations!


    After all, those who could punish such things were dying and fighting against the Black Plain!


    Anyway, almost everything seemed finally favorable for the entry of these allied organizations of Minos into the war, so the families of Mendy and Vivian could not miss the opportunity in question!


    p????-?o??? "Hmmm, great!" Abby smiled as she understood the actions of those two families in the Cromwell Kingdom.


    As she thought about it for a while, it was not long before something else came into her mind, making her wonder how this could influence the region in favor of the Black Plain. ''Hmm, perhaps I should ask the Cohen family if they are not interested in doing the same as those two other organizations...''


    ''The rest of the region doesn''t know that the Cohen, Hayes, and Stokes families are our allies. So, this will look like insubordination, which could further increase the revolutionary flames throughout the region!''


    ''On the other hand, the Kingdom of the Waves should be coming out of the war soon...'' She thought about it, trusting her fianc¨¦''s ability to threaten people. ''That will give us the justification to take part of their territory before official subordination.''


    ''War stuff...'' She imagined, smiling.


    She then told Vivian her intentions. "Well, I''ll tell you what..."

 Chapter 916 Destination: Black Plain 1

    Chapter 916 Destination: Black Plain 1


    Meanwhile, at the main camp of the Counter-Revolutionary Army on the Black Plain...


    This place was bustling as usual, with many soldiers resting in collective tents. But, at the same time, people leave or arrive in this place now and then.


    However, unlike the people who left this place with determined expressions, focused on fulfilling their missions and returning here alive, those who arrived had desolate looks on their faces.


    Some returned in one piece, but many experienced the chaos of war, the bloodshed of the battlefields, or even the tragic near-death experience.


    Not only this, several of these returning people were wounded. Some were even so bad that there was no future for them after returning from the battlefield.


    And with that, the sights and sounds around this place could not be joyous, regardless of the regional news.


    So, even though many there had already found out about the recent events, from the Walker family tragedy to the church''s decision, the mood of most there could not be altered.


    p????-?o??? They were already fighting for their lives practically every day. So, it was not something happening far away from these ordinary individuals that would change their mood.


    However, this was only true for the ordinary soldiers in this place since King Brown and Linette Carline had been significantly affected by the news they had just received.


    ...


    "The wretch has already managed to advance a level!" King Brown said this in a harsh tone as he threw away the crumpled piece of paper he had just read.p????-?????.???


    On the other hand, Linette, who was also there in that command tent of this camp, a relatively comfortable place compared to the rest, was not happy.


    The news they had received was terrible since it showed how powerful Minos already was and how problematic it could be for them to stand against the Black Plain.


    After all, by acting alone against the Walker family, Minos'' action had left a message that, for this woman, was not at all difficult to decipher.


    By slaughtering the Walker family leadership, Minos had practically told all the regional powers that even if they advanced on the Black Plain, he could still hunt them down.


    Even if the Black Plain was invaded, as long as he was alive and free, he could torment all of them and kill the regional leaders whenever he wanted!


    That was truly terrible!


    Hence, this mature woman could not help but feel even more insecure about fighting Minos, more and more considering Kara''s words.


    She then commented to that king, "It''s terrible news for us that he is even stronger..." She paused for a moment to sigh and then continued. "As well as more decisive in his actions to target us."


    "I fear the next few months will not be easy..."


    Upon hearing this, King Brown looked intently at that woman sitting on a red couch as he paced back and forth in that tent. "What do you mean?" p???? ?o???


    Linette then taped the journal she had just read to her side and looked thoughtfully at that man. "Did he just go to the Kingdom of the Waves, and then will he return here?"


    Thomas'' eyebrows then frowned as his mood became even worse than before.


    She continued. "Since he''s already out of the Black Plain, I think he''ll try to scare the whole region!"


    "Tsk!"


    "If that''s true, we''d better take the opportunity to attack the damn Dry City!"


    "At least we will give our answer!" Thomas said firmly, feeling his stress increasing by another level.


    But hearing that, Linette did not seem to agree with the king of this state. Instead, she thought it would be a terrible idea to attack Dry City at the moment.


    "If you want to attack Dry City, go on your own since I will not join you."


    "What? Why?"


    "I''m afraid that Minos is smarter than you, Thomas..." ¦Ñ???????????


    "Do you think Dry City is unprotected? Why would he make a trip out of his headquarters when tens of thousands of enemies surround his city?"


    "So, you want us to stand by, doing nothing?" He asked, even more irritated, sensing that such a woman did not seem all that committed to solving the region''s immense problem.


    "That''s not what I said."


    "But if you want to die, go to Dry City alone because I won''t go."


    "However, there is still another way we can act..."


    "Do you want to wait for the descendants of our families living in the Flaming Empire?"


    She then nodded in agreement, with an expression confident that this was the only alternative. "That is our only chance."


    "If you don''t have the patience to take it, I fear that the Brown Kingdom will fall before our reinforcements even have a chance to reach the region!"


    "Tsk!"


    ...


    While the Counter-Revolutionary Army command on the Black Plain was making its decisions regarding its subsequent actions, a significant occurrence happened on Stone Island!


    A fleet of more than 100 ships was sailing out of this territory towards the Black Plain in the vicinity of the territorial sea to the south of this territory.


    Many of these ships had symbols from different families. Some were not warships, but those specialized in transporting people or resources.


    However, among the warships in that fleet that were already traveling in battle formation, they had the same symbol of a silver ship.


    That was the symbol of the Nash family!


    And precisely, this family was leading this tremendous naval fleet toward the Black Plain, where they would finally join the allied forces to fight for the independence of that area.


    After the recent setbacks, this family had finally recovered enough of their lost strength from the war against the Allen family. So, Elen''s organization was ready to fight!


    As Elen had done the favor of uniting many of the powers of Stone Island to Black Plain, several of those powers were now sending forces into that territory, ready to change the course of the war!


    It was neither too late nor too early for them to join the conflicts. But, because of this, many of those individuals interested in the success of the Black Plain were on those ships, traveling bloodthirsty, eager to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.


    Among them, the Nash members, who led the fleet, also had an apparent goal in mind.


    That was to eliminate the Allen family, who now lives in the Cromwell Kingdom, an enemy place of the Black Plain.


    With this, they were finally joining the battles of Minos while also continuing to pursue the bastards who had caused them to lose over 30% of the family''s power in recent years!


    In any way, this was a significant force. Still, it was not being led by Elen since she was not exactly a warrior, but rather someone who cultivated to live longer and better.


    On the other hand, as a strategic leader, she did not need to be on the battlefield. No, her value was much more significant in safe places, from where she could make agreements beneficial to her family and think of ingenious solutions.


    So, there she was, on Stone Island, continuing to do her administrative work, attempting to secure the Black Plain''s income through the sale of its products in her family''s stores.


    ...


    However, while some Stone Island families were already moving, someone else was moving quickly to Dry City.


    But instead of a sea journey, as those many individuals from the Nash family alliance were doing, this person with beautiful wavy red hair was flying in a giant bird to that place.


    ''Minos, wait for me. You will have to face me sooner or later!'' That beautiful woman thought about it, as she still had an angry expression on her face due to that person''s lies.


    ...

 Chapter 917 Destination: Black Plain 2

    Chapter 917 Destination: Black Plain 2


    Gloria Frost had left the Kingdom of the Waves capital just after the two remaining princes of that state had awakened from their unconscious states.


    Wilfred had told her a little about what had happened the night of the Walker family tragedy, as he, unlike Blake, had witnessed what Minos had done.


    So, any possibility of ''Albert''s'' involvement being just a coincidence was gone, and Gloria was already sure that the person she even let touch her was none other than the infamous Minos Stuart!


    With that, right after holding the funeral ceremony for William Walker, the second royal funeral in this region in recent times, she had left that city for Dry City.


    She had yet to officially participate in the coronation ceremonies for the new kings of both the Kingdom of the Waves and the Cromwell Kingdom. But since each of those two processes could take weeks to be able to take place, she had decided to find the scoundrel who had lied to her!


    At the very least, she wanted to take back her high-level grade-2 sword and teach Minos a lesson to never again play with a woman as he had done with her.


    For all that, she was flying at this moment in her beast companion, quickly moving toward the city of her target.


    ''I just hope that rascal doesn''t go into hiding so that he doesn''t suffer his punishments!'' She thought about it as she felt her hair move because of her high-speed flight.


    ''Anyway, as long as he''s heading to the Black Plain, I think I''ll get there a little before he does...''


    ''That should happen in less than a month!'' She thought about it with a smile on her face, wondering what would happen when Minos ran into her in Dry City.p????-?????.???


    "Just wait for me!"


    ...


    As Gloria and the naval fleet led by the Nash family headed to the Black Plain and the descendants of the regional families in the Flaming Empire began to be notified, two weeks passed!


    In that period, nothing of significance had developed around this vast region.


    Not that things had calmed down, far from it. The situation in the northern region of the Central Continent was more problematic than ever, with the war on the Black Plain reaching increasingly impressive numbers. At the same time, chaos spread through the enemy states of Minos.


    While the regional sovereigns were fighting against the significant threat to their existence, more minor powers and insurgent organizations had advanced in their boldest actions!


    Many were fighting for space, while others were secretly acting to weaken further the position of those with troops on the Black Plain. And with that, the entire region was suffering from an escalation in crime and the number of incidents involving small organizations.


    But all this was nothing more than average for these recent times, for this era forcibly initiated by the actions of young Stuart.


    In such troubled times, this regional chaos could no longer be considered exceptional, as it had already become part of the ''normal'' of the five continental states of this region. p???? ?o???


    p????-?o??? Only if kings died, massacres of high-level Spiritual Kings were reported, or equally shocking things would the region face unusual problems.


    Because of this, things in the region were still ''normal'' during this period when young Stuart was traveling northward, to where he was nearing another of his stops!


    After nearly three weeks of travel, Minos had finally left the Kingdom of the Waves and entered the last northern state of the continent, the Kingdom of the End.


    Here this young man intended to facilitate the revenge of one of his subordinates while at the same time using this to put more pressure on the regional leaders.


    In particular, the Carline family, whom he had given another ''chance'' after seeing the beautiful Kara.


    And just at this moment, the young Stuart and Maida were slowly approaching that city where they would make one more stop, the headquarters of the Hargraves family!


    House Hargraves was one of the mid-level noble families of the Kingdom of the End, which through an alliance with other organizations, had managed to eradicate House Schmidt, a former regional high-level power.


    House Schmidt, the family that Barbara was a subordinate to before she became a slave and then a Black Plains Army soldier, was a financial power, a characteristic organization of that state.


    After all, this state was the one in this region with the best spiritual energy density! ¦Ñ???????????


    In any case, Minos knew that his soldier, who was now part of the Elite Squad of his army, had a desire for revenge against this organization from the Kingdom of the End.


    Personal problems of his soldiers were not important to him, of course, when they did not affect his organization. However, this one Minos wanted to get involved in.


    But this was purely for the advantages of acting against the Hargraves family, or rather, using this organization as an example for House Carline.


    With that said, Minos was not here to waste his time on the personal affairs of a single one of his subordinates but to deal with an important matter for the Black Plain!


    ''Well, I''m just going to get to know this place a little bit and take action at midnight...'' Minos thought about this as he watched that great city in front of him, as the orange sky of the late day continued to darken at his back.


    "Maida, let''s land somewhere." He remarked to that great beast, already putting on his mask.


    Minos was not worried about being associated with his identity when wearing this item. That was because such items were not uncommon around this region.


    Not only did such a thing serve to hide the identity of its wearers, but it could also serve as an item of support, protection, etc.


    The limits depended only on the quality of the item and the creativity and necessity of its user.


    Because of this, finding people wearing items like this was not so unusual, and hardly anyone would consider just this to ''frame'' him as the leader of the Black Plain...


    Humans have a history of ignoring the truth right in front of their faces, not only because ignorance can be a blessing but also because acting rationally all of the time can be much more complex than one might think!


    One might think, ''he''s at level 53 and wears a mask, just like the trespasser on the Walker family estate.'' But would it be so obvious to make such a connection with just one person passing through your city?


    There were so many cities in the region, so many places more relevant than the headquarters of the Hargraves family, so why would the dreaded ruler of the Black Plain come here?


    And with a subconscious that usually made most people think in such a way, the apparent truth could camouflage itself easier than one might think!


    Hence, Minos was not worried about being recognized in this place, and after getting off Maida''s back, he just made his way to the interior of that city in a rented carriage.


    ...


    "This place looks truly interesting!" So, young Stuart remarked to the coachman of that carriage as he observed the city''s lively streets, which, although splendid, still seemed to have a lot of developing to do.


    Upon hearing the visitor''s praise, that native of this city smiled in gratification, happy that such a person appreciated this place. "Hehehe, the Hargraves family has grown a lot in the last few years!"


    "We have had a great relationship with the neighboring powers, but we also got good deals with the Kingdom of the Waves!"


    "Is that so?" Minos asked in curiosity, still observing the sides of that avenue they were passing.


    The surroundings looked very tasteful, although here and there were still dark alleys and not so well-maintained buildings. But in general, besides an excellent infrastructure, the place seemed well cared for, with beautiful buildings, good lighting, and most importantly, people who actually seemed to be as well off as the city.


    Many individuals on the sidewalks were dressed well. But, at the same time, the look on the faces of most of those people did not resemble anything Minos had seen in the Kingdom of the Waves.


    On the other hand, the streets were filled with carriages, and in just a few minutes of ''strolling,'' Minos had already managed to spot some of the high-end regional carriages.


    ''It seems that the wealth of the Kingdom of the End is not to be compared to the rest of the region...'' Minos thought about this in silence, already imagining his Black Plain''s potential in the future.


    And with that, Minos and that coachman continued talking while this young man knew a bit about this city, waiting for the right time to act.


    But he was not just waiting and roaming around this well-developed place. No, he was also bit by bit checking his surroundings, the experts of this city, to make sure that he would not leave high-level Spiritual Kings alive after this brief passage.


    ''Well, I hope I can raise some good wealth for the Black Plain after today!''


    ...

 Chapter 918 Facilitating The Subordinates Revenge 1

    Chapter 918 Facilitating The Subordinate''s Revenge 1


    A few hours after his arrival in the Hargraves family city, Minos had gotten to know the basics of this place and understood where his targets were.


    That was a great city, with over a million inhabitants. Still, it did not have a large urban area, which made young Stuart''s analysis job much more straightforward.


    On the other hand, considering that Minos intended to eliminate only the strongest Spiritual Kings in this place, usually people above level 55, his analysis was even easier.


    Even in places like Athela, there were not many Spiritual Kings above that level. So, it would not be here in this place that he would find many such individuals.


    And considering that he was in search of the leaders of this city, it made no sense to think that any of them would be hiding in this place, like some of his recent targets.


    Someone could even be hiding around this city, but Minos did not want to spend too much time in this place. His goal was to spread chaos and fear throughout the region while doing a small favor for one of his subordinates. But for this, he would not need to do as impressive a job as the one against the Walker family.


    So, if one or another enemy survived today, it would not make that much difference to this young man''s plans. So, he had not bothered to investigate this entire city thoroughly.


    He had only done the basics, identifying the strongest people in this place and the enemy headquarters. After this, he already had the locations of his targets and was just waiting for the moment to act!


    Minos could act at any time, but to do a ''clean'' job, he thought that acting late at night would be best since less of the local population would be on the streets of this city.p????-?????.???


    He thought that acting without drawing too much attention might lessen the negative feeling that the citizens of this city would have towards the Black Plain.


    In his opinion, by acting ''quietly,'' he would indeed be feared for his actions. Still, he would not be as disliked as if he did it rudely when there were many ''viewers.''


    He and the Black Plain would be less ''bad'' if the action in question were more ''quiet,'' as the vast majority of local citizens would only learn of the tragedy the next day.


    Minos believed that experiencing an invasion was much worse than waking up to find that it was all over. As such, he was waiting for midnight, when he could act in a way that would maximize his gains in this place.


    And while doing so, he had already fired the previous coachman and proceeded on foot to the central part of this city, where his targets were.


    p????-?o??? ...


    Minos was walking silently, observing his surroundings while standing in that beautiful, well-wooded center, with no imperfections in the sidewalks, avenues, and several well-kept buildings.


    As he did so, he was dressed in a large black overcoat, walking with his hands in the pockets of this clothing specially made for cold places, as was the case in this city. p???? ?o???


    The Kingdom of the End had more aggressive temperatures during most of the year due to its above-average spiritual density in the region.


    Because of this, the days within this state could be freezing or boiling, sometimes with a difference of a few hours between one type and the other.


    That, of course, came with other natural phenomena, such as storms or sunny days, which could come at any time.


    But none of this was so relevant that the people in this part of the northern part of the Central Continent suffered from it. After all, the spiritual density of this great area was not enough to cause significant weather effects.


    Anyway, the Kingdom of the End experienced a less stable climate than other parts of this region. So, young Stuart needed to wear clothes like that to maintain his body temperature, as it would not be interesting for him to spend his energy doing this.


    And with that, he was walking through that well-developed area of the Hargraves family city in warm clothing, thinking about the information he had in mind.


    ''From what that coachman told me, this city has gotten quite rich during the years it has had a partnership with the former heir to the Kingdom of the Waves...''


    ''On the other hand, they have also managed to absorb quite a bit of the power left behind by the Schmidt family after these years since the fall of Barbara''s old organization.'' He thought about this as he observed the few people left on the streets of that central part. ¦Ñ???????????


    Some were in groups, talking while smiling as if they had just left a restaurant and were returning home.


    On the other hand, others were alone, as if they were either going home after finishing their shifts or doing the opposite.


    However, most seemed to dress well and did not seem pressured by the need to work for crystals.


    ''Could it be that this wealth originated only from the support of that worm? Or is there something more?'' Minos'' eyebrows frowned as he remembered the connection of Emlyn''s story with Barbara''s.


    That family had been destroyed after some of its members had discovered many high-level beasts that had escaped from a particular shipwreck. At that time, House Schmidt had tried to absorb the power of those beings into their organization.


    But when that had happened, the beasts'' pursuers were strong and had used that to their advantage to make medium-sized families of this state revolt against House Schmidt.


    And considering the opportunism that any smaller organization would have to try to reach for higher flights, organizations like House Hargraves had taken advantage of the addition of experts to carry out a massacre!


    Knowing all this history of the Schmidt family and also of Emlyn, Minos could not help but wonder about the possibility that House Hargraves still maintained contact with the people on the crew of the ship of the Blood Triangle Pirates group that had wrecked in this kingdom.


    He had no concrete evidence to believe this, nor did he think there was a high probability that an organization from outside this region was investing in some local power. But still, the wealth of this place had caught his attention so that this concern had appeared in his mind.


    That could be due to the differences between this state and the others in this region. But since Minos had no deep knowledge about the economic situation of this place, he also could not claim that this reality could not be caused by something else.


    "Hmmm..."


    His eyes then sharpened as he observed the headquarters of this place, a beautiful palace that had several parts of its building in vaulted models. ''Perhaps I should ask a few questions...''


    ''The case of the ship crew that brought Emlyn to this region seemed like just an accident. Still, I remember seeing members of that pirate organization while I was traveling alongside Ruth in the Cromwell Kingdom...''


    ''Considering the time difference between Emlyn''s arrival and my time in the Cromwell Kingdom, I don''t believe those people were the same individuals who made the scheme against the Schmidt''s.''


    ''Maybe that pirate organization isn''t just after spiritual beasts!''


    "Well..." He muttered this as he made up his mind while his dark red-bladed sword appeared in his right hand.


    At the same time, he continued walking around that place, still with his golden mask on his face but already without his previous overcoat.


    "Time to act!"


    "I''ll find out whatever there is after I meet with the remaining leaders of this family." He muttered, looking with interest at the palace of this place.


    Then, as some of the guards patrolling that area looked curiously at Minos, this young man began to activate his techniques, rushing to that place.


    ''There''s no way I can infiltrate the enemy base this time, so I''ll do the simple thing...'' So, he thought about it as he began to absorb the energies of the defensive barrier of that place while moving his sword, intending to attack!


    He then raised his sword above his head before jumping with all his might, following with a decisive move against that structure.


    Spatial Sword!


    Swooish!


    ...

 Chapter 919 Facilitating The Subordinates Revenge 2

    Chapter 919 Facilitating The Subordinate''s Revenge 2


    After jumping over 8 meters high, Minos quickly made a sword movement directed downward, intending to destroy the barrier around that palace.


    He made a vertical movement with that beautiful dark-red-bladed sword, causing his two hands to move from a position above his head downwards, unleashing great offensive power.


    p????-?o??? At the same time that he made this swift movement, the guards on the outskirts of that street were dumbfounded as they observed his strange behavior.


    "Hey! Hey!"


    "What the fuck is that?"


    "What are you doing?"


    Voices sounded in the surroundings as several of the few people left on that street at that time looked at Minos with their pupils wholly contracted.


    That was the city under the command of the Hargraves family, a noble power of the Kingdom of the End that was making great strides towards becoming a high-level organization. So, those people, among them the subordinates of this family, could not help but be frightened by Minos'' unexpected move.


    Who in their right mind would attack the headquarters of such a powerful organization?


    In this way, Minos'' action caught the attention of these people, frightening them but at the same time making them curious.


    After all, what could a level 53 cultivator do?


    "Hey, that''s truly weird! What the fuck kind of power is that?" Someone shouted this as he felt drops of sweat running down his back.p????-?????.???


    And it did not take long for them to realize that Minos was not ordinary!


    At that instant, a bluish blade, more than ten meters long, appeared in the air, heading towards that area where the Hargraves family headquarters was.


    Swooish!


    The blade sent by Minos ''ran'' towards its target. At the same time, this young man slowly fell back to the ground, following a parabolic trajectory.


    And in just a few fractions of a second, before Minos even put his feet on the ground, that attack came close enough to the defensive barrier of that place.


    Zum!


    A distinctive noise resounded through the area, making all the people within a radius of one kilometer from that place feel goosebumps on their bodies at that instant.


    But soon afterward, another sound took the place of the previous one, as Minos'' attack and the defenses of that place collided.


    Crack!


    Crack!


    Almost instantly after this, cracks large enough to be seen from kilometers away began to spread across that green semi-spherical barrier. p???? ?o???


    ...


    Meanwhile, inside that area protected by that barrier...


    By now, the most substantial specialists present in that headquarters were already on full alert, with many having already understood that such a place was under enemy attack.


    It was already late at night, and many of the thousands of members of this organization who lived in this place were already sleeping or quietly cultivating in their rooms. But the experts who had not gone to the Black Plain and were looking after the family were on standby.


    And after sensing the local defensive array coming into action, many of them could not help but frown as they began to run around that area, already worried.


    "What''s happening?"


    "How can we be attacked in our city?"


    Soon after, several elders gathered near the spot where the cracks in the barrier had appeared and began to discuss the matter, worried, trying to figure out what to do.


    "I don''t know..." One of the strongest there said this while a deathly pale expression formed on his face. "But regardless of what happened, now we can only fight for the family!"


    "If we survive this ordeal, we will worry about how we were surprised in our city!" He said this coldly, as he feared for his future.


    The Hargraves family was a powerful organization, which was even stronger than House Chambers in its glory days. And as such, the members of this organization also had their arrogance, which, by the way, was not entirely unfounded. ¦Ñ???????????


    Even more so, considering that they had significantly benefited from their recent relationship with Charles, something that had brought this organization very close to the powers of the Kingdom of the Waves.


    However, no matter how good the winds were for this family, that elder from before knew that their situation was not comfortable.


    After all, the barrier protecting this place was so good that it could only be destroyed by the strongest Spiritual Kings in this region or by many experts.


    In any case, whether the enemy was a peak Spiritual King or several experts, this place was being attacked by an enemy that could not be underestimated.


    Consequently, that elder had a bad feeling at the moment, fearing what would happen when that barrier was destroyed!


    "Get ready to fight!"


    "Yes! Let''s defend the family''s honor at all costs!"


    Several voices sounded in that place as they summoned their weapons from their spatial rings and prepared for the worst.


    ...


    After a few seconds of suffering from the damage of Minos'' attack and the continuous action of the Devouring Art, that great barrier finally collapsed!


    Crack!


    A final cracking sound reverberated through there as that protection shattered into endless pieces, much like tiny shards of glass.


    ''Finally!'' Minos thought about it quietly as he watched the place before him, standing in the same spot where he had fallen after that previous attack.


    After that, he felt the spiritual fluctuations of ten Spiritual Kings, only four of which were above level 55.


    ''Well, that''s a medium-level family... You can''t expect much more than that.'' He pondered this as he considered the ones that were his targets.


    Minos was not in this place to make a massacre and wipe out the Hargraves family. After all, he did not have a significant disagreement with that organization despite it being his enemy in the Black Plain war of independence.


    He was here to continue to haunt the regional powers, particularly House Carline. But, at the same time, this was a way for him to favor one of his subordinates, someone who had been by his army''s side for years since the days when he was not a great deal.


    Therefore, Minos had no desire to kill all those people.


    No, that would go against Barbara''s desire for revenge, who wanted to get her hands dirty with the blood of her enemies. And also, it would not favor him either.


    His actions until then had certainly been terrifying for many in this region. But if he crossed the line, exterminating a family, it could turn against him, ruining his reputation.


    And as much as Minos did not care what others thought, he knew that to lead, he needed to show the region that he was reasonable and capable of following rules.


    He needed to clarify that as long as the people in this region did not cross the line and did not challenge him, he would not do much against them.


    And to show this, he would kill only those who could offer real danger to the Black Plain, which were the strongest experts in the region.


    As for anything that would happen in the future, that would be punishment, not just murder. So, his action was not going against the idea of exterminating the Spiritual Kings of enemy organizations in the Black Plain!


    "Well, time to act!" Minos muttered under his breath before finally running toward where he had sensed his targets.


    After that, he quickly ran into the ten opponents, those individuals who were already running furiously toward him.


    "Wretch!"


    "Let''s kill this worm!"


    "I don''t know how he managed to destroy our defenses, but there''s no way he can escape us!" One of them said this a little more encouraged than before, feeling that perhaps the current situation was not as hopeless as they had thought.


    However, most of those people did not even get a chance to see their hopes tested.


    The instant Minos appeared less than 80 meters away from them, the space in the surrounding area ''froze.''


    As leaves of plants stood motionless in the air, those experts felt their energy being sucked away by an invisible parasite as they stood motionless in terror.


    Minos then used his mental technique on those stronger individuals, intending to interrogate them before killing them. Meanwhile, he ran around that area, planning to use his fists and feet to knock out the weaker enemies!


    ...

 Chapter 920 Interrogation

    Chapter 920 Interrogation


    Pow!


    Pow!


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    Immediately after seeing the four most assertive individuals there fall unconscious in that area, Minos finally struck the remaining Spiritual Kings, throwing punches and kicks in their directions.


    First, he used his beyond normal physical strength from his Indestructible Body to kick one of those old men in the abdomen, causing that person''s eyes to bulge out. At the same time, such an individual already had his mouth open, coughing up blood.


    Crack!


    The sound of breaking ribs resounded in that area simultaneously as the poor man''s body flew towards one of the walls of the Hargraves headquarters.


    After that, that individual''s back crashed brutally into that wall, causing him to groan in pain before finally falling silent.


    But while no one there could say for sure whether he was alive or dead, those other five individuals did not have a chance to mourn for that person.


    After sending that person away with an ordinary kick, Minos promptly made a spinning motion in the air, launching another blow directly at the head of another of those people.


    At the same time, his dark red-bladed sword slashed toward the shoulder of one of those individuals, slicing its way through without difficulty, making that person''s eyes flutter in terror.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhh!"


    "AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"p????-?????.???


    More screams resounded from the throats of those people as one body fell to the ground, and the other flew away.


    ''Bastard!'' One of the three remaining individuals wailed in his mind, feeling the sudden end coming towards him.


    Pow!


    Then a strong punch thrown by young Stuart hit that person''s abdomen, causing that victim''s eyes to bulge while his skin became as pale as snow.


    "Ahhhhhhhh!"


    "I''ve been seriously injured!" That man screamed in alarm, feeling an unprecedented pain spread through his abdomen as if all his organs had been crushed.


    When Minos'' spatial technique finally lost its effectiveness, the two who remained there fell to the ground, already unconscious due to the Infinite Dream.


    Minos was not interested in eliminating those six people, but that did not mean he would not hurt them!


    Hence, he had acted to leave each of those individuals in a difficult situation, but without putting their lives at risk.


    "Sigh..."


    ''Let''s see what you guys have to say.'' Minos thought to himself as he looked at those four individuals who had been affected by the Infinite Dream at the beginning of this attack.


    ... p???? ?o???


    Inside the illusion created by Minos, the four members of the Hargraves family were slowly being tortured.


    The Infinite Dream could be used to divide its user''s attention to allow such a person to fight in the real world and still use mental illusions to his advantage without having his attention impaired.


    Because of this feature, part of Minos'' consciousness was already torturing those four individuals before he had even finished dealing with the other six Spiritual Kings.


    p????-?o??? In this way, by putting a little more of his attention on the illusion tormenting those four, Minos finally found himself in a dark place where his victims were inside what looked like a large pot of boiling liquid.


    "Come on! Answer my questions, and I will free you from this nightmare!" Minos shouted as he sat on the ground, a few dozen meters from a gigantic bonfire, where that pot was.


    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"


    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"


    "Damned devil! Ahhhhhhhh!"


    "Kill me! Kill me!"


    "AHHHHH! What do you want to know? AHHHHHHHH!"


    Those people screamed desperately, feeling their bodies being cooked from the outside in as they trembled vigorously.


    At the same time, none of them could understand how they had arrived in this ''alternate world,'' this terrible place where they could not use even a bit of their cultivations! ¦Ñ???????????


    Minos then said to those people. "Almost ten years ago, the Hargraves family acted in conjunction with several other powers of this state to massacre House Schmidt. At that time, people from outside the northern region of the Central Continent became involved in the situation."


    "What is your family''s relationship with the Blood Triangle Pirates? What was agreed between you at that time? What did they want?" He asked peacefully, slowly raising the temperature of that bubbling solution.


    Upon hearing that, all four individuals looked in fright at Minos, sensing that this person could be much worse than they thought.


    That was because, even if they were to die here, they still had hopes that the Hargraves family could endure this ordeal. However, this person knew the name of the organization behind the people of the Evergreen Empire.


    That was not good!


    The Evergreen Empire was considered one of the three strongest states in the Central Continent, the home of the Spiritual Church and also of 3 ancient Gods!


    And knowing the origin of those pirates who had created the opportunity for the Schmidt family''s destruction, those four men could not help but tremble in fear.


    If this strange person was someone from the Evergreen Empire, this could be the end of the entire Hargraves family!


    Organizations outside the northern region of the Central Continent hardly ever sent people to this place to carry out assassination and interrogations missions, as seemed to be the case here.


    And considering the dangers of acting in this region, the presence of Minos in this place could only indicate to those men that a grave offense had been taken. Now they would have to endure the heavy hand of a higher-level power!


    They then thought that other than the survivors of the Schmidt family who had been enslaved, very few people knew of these individuals, so these men soon assumed the worst.


    Gulp!


    One of them then tried to speak as correctly as possible while holding back his cries of pain. "Sir, our family has no relation to those pirates. We just agreed to participate in the attacks against the Schmidt family."


    "Yes! Yes!" Another of them continued. "At that time, the Schmidt''s had coveted something that belonged to that pirate group. Because of that, they were exterminated!"


    "We only communicated with them face to face at that time. Other than that, we only had contacts through regional pirates who do outsourced work for that pirate group." So, the strongest of them said amidst his agitated breathing.


    Minos'' eyebrows frowned at such words, "So, you guys still have contact with that organization?"


    "Indirectly."


    "Why do they keep in touch with you? And how do they do that?"


    "We rarely receive instructions from them. But it has always happened through regional pirate groups."


    "In those situations, we are usually contacted to support regional pirates in certain regional ruin search missions. Other than that, we haven''t received anything for them so far..."


    Another individual continued. "Sir, we don''t actually get any help from that power. We have only managed to reach the position of serving them in hopes that our contributions would turn into opportunities for family members."


    Another of them said. "At that time, the pirates who interacted with us were very pleased with that outcome and offered us a task, but we could not do much about it until then."


    "A task?" Minos'' eyes sharpened.


    "Yes. They asked us to support some regional pirate groups searching for a certain fabric."


    ''A fabric?'' Minos wondered doubtfully, trying to understand the purpose of that group.


    He had thought that maybe the Hargraves family had some kind of outside support because the headquarters city of this organization seemed much more prosperous than it should be. But he had not thought that the Blood Triangle Pirates would be in search of a specific item rather than the spiritual beasts smuggled from the Continent of the Beasts at that time.


    Because of this, he was surprised to find that an organization from that powerful state was searching for an item right in this humble region.


    ''But why would something relevant to an organization from that state be in this region? Could it be that they are searching for something from the time when this region was still rich in spiritual energy?''


    ''It can''t be!''


    ''So much time has passed. There''s no way a fabric could have lasted that long!''


    ''Even more so considering that anything of value around here must have been taken away by the population of the Great Migration.''


    Even if that didn''t happen, hundreds of thousands of years have passed, and many expeditions took place in that period!'' Minos thought about it quietly.


    ''Perhaps some battle of outside experts might have been fought in this region? Maybe the person who carried it hid that item in this region before he died?''


    But it was useless to continue pondering these possibilities. Minos did not have much evidence and could only consider what little knowledge he had between the Golden Age and the current one, the Decadence Age.


    With that, he just continued with his questioning. "Then why does your city seem so much better than those controlled by other powers of the same level as you in this region?"


    "Are you not getting any outside help?"

 Chapter 921 Continuing Northward

    Chapter 921 Continuing Northward


    Upon hearing Minos'' questioning, one of those elders boiling in the large pot in front of him then answered this young man while trying not to cry out in pain. "Sir, the power of our organization has no relation to forces outside our region."


    "We just knew how to take advantage of the power vacuum left by the Schmidt family. We also had a good relationship with the Walker family these past years."


    "Walker family?"


    Another one of them then said. "Previously, our family loaned an item to the Third Prince of the Kingdom of the Waves. And unexpectedly, that saved his life in a situation years ago."


    "That eventually resulted in a closer approximation between our organization and the Third Prince''s forces."


    "After that, time passed, and when he finally received the position of the crown prince, that resulted in great achievements for our family."


    "From then on, it''s not hard to imagine what happened."


    "Oh? So, that was it..." Minos said in a low voice, feeling that he had rushed in thinking that the Blood Triangle Pirates had some relation to the wealth of the city he was in at the moment.


    This young man knew that none of those four individuals could be lying to him. After all, they were all inside an illusion created by the Infinite Dream, which directly affected Minos'' opponents'' mental capacity.


    And even if there were ways to counter mental techniques or abilities, doing so was not simple, and those four had already passed the point where they could fight.


    So, there was no way they could lie to Minos!


    And knowing this, that young man soon understood the whole local situation, putting aside his previous questions about the local development.p????-?????.???


    The Hargraves family was still a medium-level family in the Kingdom of the End, although they had managed to absorb a good part of the territories of the Schmidt family. But precisely because it was a minor power, such an organization had better control over its resources.


    Furthermore, it was in a phase of economic expansion, which justified the local opportunities.


    Something similar was happening in Dry City, differently, of course, so young Stuart could not help but understand this place better with the answers from those individuals.


    The Hargraves family was not as ''charitable'' as he was towards his citizens. After all, unlike them, the potential at his disposal on the Black Plain was simply incomparable.


    But even though they were not so ''charitable,'' this organization needed to use a lot of their resources to hire workers since slave labor was not allowed in this state. And since the Hargraves wanted to grow as fast as possible, hiring their population was the best thing to do.


    That could create a positive cycle in the local economy, which could push the family''s growth.


    Anyway, all this could justify the wealth of that city, something that comforted young Stuart.


    "Well, if that''s all, I bid you farewell," Minos shortly commented after those people''s explanations were over.


    He smiled at those individuals as his ''body'' slowly disappeared amidst that smoky landscape near that pot.


    As for those individuals, they wanted to say something, to ask for mercy, not necessarily for themselves, but for the Hargraves family.


    They feared that Minos would come out of that place to exterminate all the people in their headquarters. So, they were even more fearful at this moment, desperate for the dark future their family could have because of this enemy. p???? ?o???


    But even in desperation, none of them had the chance to say a single word.


    As Minos disappeared from that area, the flames below that ''pot'' increased in intensity, rapidly raising the temperature of the liquid surrounding them.


    And with that, the cries of desperation from those four once again took the surroundings of that illusion as they quickly headed into a maddening spiral.


    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"


    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"


    "AHHHHHHHH!"


    ...


    While those four were suffering immensely from what seemed to last a thousand years in just a few seconds, Minos returned all his attention to his body''s surroundings.


    ''Well, there''s not much more to do in this place. Time to go!'' He thought about it as he looked at the surroundings, where no one could be seen in front of him, but he clearly felt many fearful auras watching him.


    He then commented with a smile under his mask, "I know there are many of you in the surroundings, but don''t be afraid."


    "I have no interest in continuing to fight in this place..." ¦Ñ???????????


    "However, I want you to pass on a message to the Carline family." His eyes sharpened, and he looked in the direction of the stronger one who was watching him on the outskirts. "Tell them that time is passing, and what happened here can be their future!"


    After leaving his message, Minos immediately used his movement technique to leave that city, heading towards where his mount was.


    ''Well, that should scare the Carline family a bit, but I''m afraid it won''t be effective.'' He thought about it as he felt the cold wind of that region in his body.


    And after wearing his previous overcoat again, he considered paying a brief visit to one of his friends. ''Perhaps I should visit Kara''s family...''


    ''She is most likely at the headquarters of House Carline.''


    p????-?o??? An indecent smile then appeared on his lips as he pictured the beautiful redhead who had already succumbed to his touches. ''Well, I haven''t had any action for weeks now...''


    ''If Kara is in the capital of this state, I can scare these people a little more and still fuck her properly!''


    "Hahahaha!"


    "Will King Carline be home? How will he feel about his daughter being fucked in his own home?" He muttered this perversely, running his tongue slowly across his lips shortly afterward.


    ''Hehe, let''s see what happens!''


    ...


    As Minos headed north, full of impure intent in his mind, the surroundings of the Hargraves family headquarters had already gone into complete chaos.


    Many subordinates of this organization were running from one side of the area to the other, trying to control the situation left by Minos and understand everything that had happened.


    Several people had seen Minos'' arrival in that place. Still, most had realized the previous attack when the only ten Spiritual Kings present in the headquarters were already lying unconscious or dead on the ground.


    And with that, many were trying to understand what had happened while also trying to cover the holes in their headquarters'' defenses.


    Without the medium-level grade-2 defensive array, they were completely vulnerable!


    Consequently, chaos had already spread throughout that place, where many feared for the future and others were lamenting the death of the previous four experts.


    "Disgrace!"


    "How could this have happened? What did we do to deserve this?"


    "Sigh..."


    "What will we do from now on? Without the elders, we are lost!"


    Several voices rose in the surroundings where the bodies of the Spiritual Kings killed by Minos rested on the ground.


    Meanwhile, some of them had angry expressions on their faces, prepared to, if necessary, start a chase or do other kinds of crazy things.


    Then, the individual that Minos had faced earlier said. "In any case, we should immediately dispatch the information about this great misfortune to our superiors on the Black Plain and the royal family."


    "Only they will be able to help us at this time!"


    "Tsk!"


    "Damn!" One of those people cursed the figure of Minos while feeling a deep disgust that he could do nothing against the enemy that had invaded his city.


    But he had no choice but to swallow his hatred and do what that other individual had suggested, as there were no other alternatives for his organization.


    And several other people there also felt like that individual, eager for more active actions but knowing that the situation did not allow them to try to act against Minos.


    They were only Spiritual Generals. How could they compete with a monster capable of killing high-level Spiritual Kings?


    With that, those people endured the hatred they were feeling at the moment and quickly went their separate ways to fulfill their responsibilities.


    It was not good to publicly admit to losses like the ones of today. But given the regional situation, the enemy''s threat to this state''s royal family, those people could not afford to keep tonight''s tragedy a secret!

 Chapter 922 Fragilities In The Counter-Revolutionary Alliance

    Chapter 922 Fragilities In The Counter-Revolutionary Alliance


    Ten days later...


    After Minos'' actions in the Hargraves family headquarters were spread throughout the region, the population and powers realized that the Walker family disaster had not been a one-time case.


    From Minos'' actions, it was apparent to the most intelligent people in this region that the Black Plain was counter-attacking its enemies outside the conflict area in the Brown Kingdom.


    The regional population had finally understood that more tragedies would happen in the coming weeks or months as Minos'' desire for revenge became more evident.


    News about the investigations of the events in Athela was constantly being reported in this period, making the figure of Minos even more controversial. But the misfortune of House Hargraves, with the threat made against the Carline family, had drawn everyone''s attention, demonstrating how serious the consequences of attacking the Black Plain could be.


    Minos could move almost freely through the region. But what about the prominent families?


    They could move their members around, but Minos could do the same. But on the other hand, while young Stuart was only one, large regional organizations had tens of thousands of members in their ranks!


    Consequently, migrating might not be the best option for these powers with all their business, resources, and defensive items in their respective headquarters.


    p????-?o??? Because of this, the fear of the regional counter-revolutionary organizations has increased considerably in recent days!


    Not only that, amidst the dark actions and constant threats from Minos, bad news from the Brown Kingdom itself had reached the Counter-Revolutionary Army posts around the Black Plain!p????-?????.???


    After weeks of hard work, Ernest and his group had finally completed their missions and brought dozens of hostages back to Dry City. But on the other hand, the organizations attacked by this group had lost almost two dozen experts in this period.


    And as much as none of these people were directly involved in the war on the Black Plain, they all had important roles or expectations of the vassal families of House Brown.


    Hence, such actions had a lot of relevance in the Black Plain war of independence!


    In any case, after Ernest''s group had finished with such a mission, the Black Plain Army had issued a proclamation assuming authorship over the recent disappearances in the Brown Kingdom.


    Not only that, the organization created by Minos had already issued an injunction to the Brown Kingdom powers with descendants under captivity in Dry City.


    They would leave the battlefield and sooner or later have their loved ones back unharmed. Or their family members, brothers, wives, and children, would all be summarily executed in Dry City!


    The Dry City government was not joking with this move. Some hostages had already been executed in the Puller, and their remains had been sent back to their families.


    Such a thing had happened just after the first proclamation of the Black Plains Army was released in an edition of the Night News.


    At that time, one of the patriarchs of one of the hostage-holding families in Dry City had tried to act on his own and attacked that city. p???? ?o???


    After such an event, Emlyn, Celeste, and Angela massacred their enemies. Soon afterward, the executions of the wives and children of that family took place.


    That had frightened the entire kingdom and, in a way, even went against the principles behind the Black Plain Army. However, there was nothing to be done in such a situation.


    There were no innocents in the war, nor were there any guilty ones. Only victims and victors remained at the end of such conflicts.


    As for the period between the start and the end of such conflicts, the only thing left to do was kill or be killed!


    Many might think that it would be wrong to kill innocent people to save those involved in the war. But the truth is that things were not that simple.


    Dry City could order the killing of a few innocent people and thereby strike fear into the hearts of thousands of enemies. Or it could focus only on those who attacked it, leaving itself in an uncertain situation where the number of losses would be countless until the conflict was over.


    What was the best option? Injure itself so as not to harm the families of its enemies? Or use the lives of a few ''innocents'' to save the thousands of allied army members on the Black Plain?


    At the end of the day, no matter how hypocritical some were, everyone would choose to save their organizations rather than endure massive losses only because of strangers.


    That was a war! ¦Ñ???????????


    The lives and deaths of the citizens of the Black Plain were at risk!


    Therefore, the local forces would do their best to stop the enemy''s advance, even if it meant killing ''innocent'' people.


    And with such events, the entire Brown Kingdom was already agitated because of the sudden insecurity spreading across this state.


    Everyone knew that only the large organizations were at risk, but no one could predict when a battle would break out in their surroundings.


    Imagine how unfortunate it would be to die from the remaining attacks of a third-party battle?


    Well, that happens quite often in this world!


    So, the inhabitants of the Brown Kingdom were already living in hellish days, fearing when Minos'' army would strike their cities.


    With all this, the bases of the Counter-Revolutionary Army had been affected considerably!


    Previously the members of this temporary force were already fearful, given the recent events in the city of Athela. But with the further actions of Minos and his army, now even the vassal families of House Brown were reconsidering their positions.


    That was not enough to make them give up everything and leave the Black Plain immediately. But many individuals already had a tiny seed of uncertainty in their hearts, already questioning whether the path followed so far could lead them somewhere other than the darkness of death!


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the main tent of the Counter-Revolutionary Army camp...


    Thomas Brown had just thrown some crumpled leaves on the ground, green with rage, feeling the veins in his neck stirring unconsciously.


    At the same time, Linette was standing there with a complex expression on her face, something that was making the few wrinkles in her face more noticeable than ever.


    "Everything is going from bad to worse..." She muttered this after sighing in regret, feeling that despite their achievements on the Black Plain, they suffered significant defeats outside of that territory.


    "Damn cowards!" Thomas shouted with all the strength of his being, furious at the intelligence that had just been passed on to him.


    Two noble families of his kingdom had suddenly initiated a troop withdrawal from the Black Plain!


    So, considering that he had not authorized such a thing, this king could not help but feel furious with his vassals.


    ''Damn them!''


    ''When we win this damn war, I will exterminate their families!'' Thomas thought to himself as he clenched his hands tightly, to the point of almost hurting himself.


    And as she watched that man losing his temper, Linette began to think more and more about her family, feeling a bad omen.


    ''I hope that damned brat doesn''t do anything crazy in our headquarters...''


    ''We are still within the deadline given by him!''


    However, while the two of them were worrying about the future of the war and their families, other high-level Spiritual Kings arrived at that place to continue with the affairs of the war.


    A lot was happening recently, but they could not stop, as this would be the worst of decisions. So, these counter-revolutionary leaders continued to expand their actions on the Black Plain in hopes of having their reinforcements and that territory before Minos could eliminate them.


    "Well, King Brown, Mrs. Carline, let''s focus on what''s happening on the Black Plain." An individual dressed in all-black clothing, who looked more like a walking corpse than a living human, said this somberly.


    "The actions of our enemy are unfortunately beyond our reach. Therefore, all we can do is try to deal with the problem closest to us."


    "Those damned enemy experts!" The Scourge of the Devil assassin said this as he mentioned the protectors left by Minos in Dry City and around the Black Plain.

 Chapter 923 The Visit Of A Powerful Specialist

    Chapter 923 The Visit Of A Powerful Specialist


    While the enemies of the Black Plain were planning their actions, a red-haired woman on the back of a large bird landed on the north side of Dry City''s defensive dome.


    At that moment, the dust of the surrounding area was blown into the air by the flapping of the great being''s wings, creating a curtain of dust in the surrounding area.


    However, as much as it was enough to disturb the view of anyone watching from afar, all that dust did not even reach a single hair on that woman''s head.


    ''So, this is his city...'' She thought about it as she watched that place from afar, not bothering about the dust in her surroundings as she thought about the figure of the young man who had deceived her.


    And with that in mind, this beautiful woman with wavy red hair, light green eyes, and a flawless body so perfect that even women would be attracted to her headed towards the entrance of that city.


    That was Gloria Frost, whom Minos had met earlier, this beautiful woman who had traveled the entire distance from the capital of the Kingdom of the Waves to this place to meet him.


    Gloria wanted to teach Minos a lesson for what he had done, at the same time as she wished to take up official business with him.


    After all, now that she had become involved in regional affairs, it was in her interest to end the conflict on the Black Plain as quickly as possible. Preferably, she wanted to do this peacefully since it would be more interesting not to allow local actions by the descendants of the regional families who were already coming here from the Flaming Empire.


    That was why she had traveled so quickly and was now heading towards the interior of that dome, intending to revisit the figure of the young man who had deceived her.


    ''If he has fled here, he must already be around here or in the vicinity...'' Gloria thought about this when she finally saw a large camp in front of the northern entrance to Dry City.p????-?????.???


    That was one of the four camps of the three noble families of the Brown Kingdom allied with Minos, which had betrayed the Brown family before and during the beginning of the current war of independence.


    In those camps, there were thousands of people in each. So, upon seeing that, Gloria immediately thought about how risky it was to leave one''s own people in such a vulnerable situation.


    ''Hmm, but that shouldn''t be strange for this region.'' She pondered as she remembered that she was not in the empire. ''Even in large regional cities, there aren''t defensive arrays protecting public places, so one can''t criticize Minos for that...''


    ''This is probably related to more migrants coming to this place than the local government could handle.'' She looked from one side to the other, noticing several soldiers and allies of Minos running toward her.


    But not only was she watching her surroundings, but the same was also true for the two dozen people who were already trying to surround her position.


    ''Who is this damned woman? Why did someone so powerful appear so suddenly?'' So, one of the several Spiritual Kings belonging to one of the Black Plain''s allied families thought about it as he observed the figure of that woman who looked like a goddess.


    Gulp!


    ''How can there be such a beautiful person in the world?'' One of the few women there thought about it in shock. She felt slightly pressured by the appearance of the woman dressed in blue armor, who at the moment was standing still and observing this group.


    "Miss, I don''t want to be rude, but this is a private place where we don''t allow strangers to enter..." Then, finally, one of those people dared to raise his voice in front of that expert. p???? ?o???


    And after taking a deep breath and gathering more of his courage, he finally finished what was on his mind. "Would the Miss please identify herself and tell us the reason for her visit?"


    Hearing those words and realizing each of those people had fearful looks toward her, Gloria smiled. She noted that there did not seem to be others with the courage to speak so casually to her as young Stuart had done.


    ''It seems that only he has the stomach to be so shameless with a person like me!'' She smiled, biting her lips slightly.


    After that, she said in a soft tone. "My name is Gloria Frost, and I am here to see your sovereign."


    p????-?o??? ''Gloria Frost?''


    ''Gloria...''


    "Uh? Isn''t that the name of the representative of the Spiritual Church in our region?" One of the women in Gloria''s vicinity said this in a low voice, becoming even more attentive to that person.


    ''An enemy!'' Several of them thought of this as they remembered that the Spiritual Church was considered a potential enemy of the Black Plain. An organization that Minos had even forbidden from entering Dry City.


    But Gloria did not let the strange looks in her surroundings go unnoticed. "Just take me to the person in charge of this place!" ¦Ñ???????????


    "From today on, I will stay here until your sovereign comes to settle our affairs with me!"


    "That''s..."


    "First, we need to communicate..." One of them was about to justify refusing what that woman had just ordered them to do when Gloria''s pleasant voice once again came up, only this time in a much colder tone.


    "Do as I say. That barrier around Dry City is not enough to stop my passage..."


    "And I will do as I say, whether you want me to or not!"


    ...


    After a few minutes, some of those individuals who had surrounded Gloria had already passed on the information regarding her arrival in Dry City to the stronger individuals in that place.


    And because of this, while some local soldiers were slowly escorting Gloria to Minos'' mansion, the group composed of the strongest people in this city was already moving toward that woman.


    In this group were Celeste, Angela, the supreme elder of the Miller family, Abby''s father, Emlyn, and young Stuart''s fianc¨¦e.


    They were not strong enough to deal with a level 64 Spiritual Emperor, as in Gloria''s case. But still, as individuals left by Minos in this place to defend Dry City, only they could handle that woman.


    As for the other influential individuals in that city, as in the case of Dillian, either they were busy, so they had not been notified, or they were out of Dry City at the moment.


    With that, those people and a beast followed quickly through the streets of Dry City until they came across the group that was escorting Gloria, whom Minos had met not long ago.


    ''That woman is almost as beautiful as Minos'' mother!'' Abby thought of this as she observed Gloria''s figure, placing this woman second to the most incredible beauties she had ever seen in her life.


    ''What does she want here?''


    But Abby did not think much about it. Instead, seeing that red-haired woman, who was still watching the outskirts of this city with curious eyes, she said aloud. "Mrs. Frost, to what do we owe the visit of someone so important?"


    "Oh?" Gloria made a sound of surprise, finding it interesting that precisely the weakest person in that group was the one who had taken the lead in speaking to her.


    She then put her interest in the beautiful city that Minos had built aside for a moment to observe those people.


    Gloria had already noticed from afar when she had entered this area.


    She then said calmly. "I am here to see your leader, Minos Stuart. I have some personal business to deal with him."


    "You''ve come to see Minos? Personal matters?" Abby asked with a slightly irritated tone, feeling bad about this person.


    ''Minos!''


    ''What have you done with this woman?'' Abby asked herself with a bit of fear and anger at the same time.


    She already accepted well the womanizing side of Minos, but that did not mean that she liked him going around and sleeping with strange women.


    As such, she was already feeling a particular enmity for Gloria.


    On the other hand, the other individuals looked carefully at Gloria, some of them feeling cornered for the first time in many years!


    Abby then asked. "Why doesn''t Mrs. Frost accompany us toward a more comfortable place? We can talk about your affairs with Minos there."


    "Oh?"


    "Hehe, let''s do as you say..."

 Chapter 924 Abby And Gloria

    Chapter 924 Abby And Gloria


    As they walked toward young Stuart''s mansion, the people in the vicinity of Gloria were taking steps carefully, as if they were stepping on eggs.


    They were aware of the slim chances that the Spiritual Church would send a Spiritual Emperor to eliminate them. But still, given the difference between them and that woman, they could not help but feel intimidated.


    Even the supreme elder of the Miller family, level 58, who had already learned some Silver-grade techniques, could not be careless with this woman!


    With a single gesture with one of the flaps of the cloth-made part of Gloria''s armor, she could eliminate all of them!


    But while some of them were experiencing the most challenging situation of their lives, having to accompany her, Gloria talked to Abby. She was asking questions about this city and other minor things.


    Gloria was very impressed with the state of things in this place, from the quality of the buildings to the appearance of the people on the streets.


    Of course, that woman was not impressed because she saw unique, new things. After all, she was from the Flaming Empire, a place much more advanced than this region.


    What was catching her attention was that, by regional standards, Dry City could already be a first-rate city!


    Obviously, there was no considerable population, but everything else existed in this place.


    And with her robust cultivation base, Gloria had only needed a few minutes walking through this city to notice all this.


    Consequently, she talked to Abby about this place to better understand Minos.p????-?????.???


    "By the way, of all these people, why are you the one who seems to be in charge here? Are you by any chance like Minos?" Gloria asked with interest in her eyes, watching young Stuart''s beautiful fianc¨¦e intently.


    Given Minos'' extraordinary power, Gloria would not have thought there would be others like him in this northern region of the Central Continent. But given the behavior of those people around her and Abby, this Spiritual Emperor could not help but question such a thing.


    Abby was at level 52, so if she were like Minos, she would probably be even more substantial than the regional leaders, making the current situation appropriate.


    However, Gloria soon heard something unexpected to her.


    "Minos is my man." Abby said firmly, looking into Gloria''s eyes as she waved one of her hands, showing a beautiful golden ring with a transparent stone in its central part.


    Hearing Abby''s distinct words, who had made a point of saying that he was hers, Gloria frowned as she remembered how Minos had kissed and touched her a few weeks ago.


    "Is that so?" She asked in doubt. ''That bastard wanted me even though he already had a fianc¨¦e!'' Gloria thought about it as her face turned more and more red.


    "I didn''t expect him to have a fianc¨¦e..."


    And as the two talked about it, people in the surrounding area noticed how the tension between themselves had decreased simultaneously with what seemed to be a conversation between rivals.


    ''Sigh... Hearing those words from my daughter is terrible, even if Minos is great for her.'' Abby''s father thought about it with his head down, feeling a tightness in his heart after hearing his sweet and gentle daughter talking about how Minos was hers. p???? ?o???


    He completely understood that Minos and Abby had been in a relationship for years and that they did things that he did not want to imagine. But even so, hearing those words from her still felt terrible.


    A few years ago, Abby was just a child, a young girl who depended on him and her mother. But now...


    "Sigh..."


    As Eliot Miller sighed, the group finally reached the local government mansion, where they intended to talk more privately with that expert.


    ...


    "So, Mrs. Frost, can you tell us why your visit to Minos? He is not here, but I will pass on your message to him." Abby said as she sat behind Minos'' desk in that young man''s office.


    On the other hand, while those who had accompanied Gloria here stood around that office, she was sitting around that glass desk on the other side of where Abby was.


    Gloria then closed her eyes for a moment, inhaling the air of that place slowly.


    "Sigh..."


    "That''s his smell." So, she sighed, once again proving that ''Albert'' was indeed young Stuart. ¦Ñ???????????


    But Abby did not like this murmur from Gloria, having clenched her fists and jaw tightly.


    ''This damned woman!''


    ''Don''t tell me she''s already fallen into Minos'' traps?''


    "Tsk!"


    And after thinking about Minos for a moment, Gloria answered Abby''s earlier question, "Abby, you don''t have to worry about passing on my words to him."


    "I will stay in this city until he returns here."


    "What?" Several of those people there asked simultaneously, feeling that a big headache was about to catch them.


    As for Abby, she looked even more strangely at that woman and asked seriously. "Why? We don''t know when he will return, and frankly, we wouldn''t inform you about it even if we knew."


    "But that could take months... So, why do you want to stay here?"


    "Doesn''t the Spiritual Church representative for our region have other matters to attend to?"


    "Humph!"


    "I have my reasons for staying here and meeting that man face to face..."


    "As for how I use my time, you shouldn''t worry about that!"


    "I can very well take care of regional affairs from here in Dry City anyway," Gloria said, irritated with Abby.


    Abby kept looking at her like she was a slut who had been caught in the act on another woman''s husband''s lap!


    That was irritating the respectable Gloria, who had barely done more than kissing in her life.


    To make matters worse, Abby, who seemed to have substantial remnants of Minos'' aura, was the one who was judging her so wrongly.


    "Tsk!"


    ''That brat!''


    ''Apparently, she and Minos do more than they should, or I shouldn''t be able to sense his aura in her.'' Gloria thought about that as she considered the sensation she felt as she examined Abby''s body more carefully.


    Gloria had not checked this possibility before because she did not know that Minos had a fianc¨¦e nor that he was a womanizer. So, she had not suspected Abby of having sex with him until she had finally heard that earlier response from this blue-haired woman.


    Before, she had not checked it out because sensing other people''s aura seemed like an invasion of privacy. But because of the tone in which Abby was speaking to her, Gloria had not been able to stand the curiosity.


    And, given that Minos had been traveling for two months, Gloria realized how frequent their encounters must have been for fragments of his aura to remain in Abby''s body.


    And thinking about it, Gloria was starting to feel a little irritated.


    ''Forget about it. There''s no point in getting annoyed with a person like her!'' Finally, Gloria made up her mind. Then, she spoke the rest of what she had to settle with Minos. "You don''t need to know about everything that I want to deal with him, as I will do that anyway. But you can notify him about my official interest in visiting Dry City."


    "Oh? And what is it?" Abby asked, trying to put aside her displeasure with this woman who she already suspected had impure interests in Minos.


    "Minos made a mistake in his previous action, which changed our position. As a result, and in addition to some consequences that you probably already know, I will host an attempt at appeasement between the parties."


    "I want to get the regional leaders and Minos together so we can talk and try to resolve the current war without more blood being spilled."


    "The current war is not good for anyone." She finished by saying this, looking thoughtfully into Abby''s blue eyes.


    p????-?o??? Abby then arched her eyebrows and said skeptically. "That may be true. But do you think this has any chance of working out?"


    "I don''t see the Brown Kingdom accepting the independence of the Black Plain after all the losses they''ve had to us."


    "Peace can only be achieved when both parties make sacrifices," Gloria commented soberly, hoping that these people would think about the long term and stop the war.

 Chapter 925 The War Doesnt Stop

    Chapter 925 The War Doesn''t Stop


    One week later...


    While Abby and Gloria were in Dry City, the war around the Black Plain continued, with bloodbaths happening here and there every day.


    The leaders of both sides had not been facing each other as often in recent weeks as they had in the period before Minos'' trip. However, the low-level Spiritual Kings and the thousands of Spiritual Generals around this area were fighting like never before!


    The struggle for space around this territory had only grown over time, which was justified both by the more significant number of enemies fighting in this place and the very fact that the disputed areas had shrunk.


    After practically two years of war, the counter-revolutionary side had already taken over a large part of the Black Plain!


    Consequently, with a smaller ''supply'' and an increasing ''demand,'' the dispute for the remaining areas of the Black Plain had significantly increased the battles around this territory.


    Not only that, with the strengthening of the Black Plain Army and organizations allied to Minos, Dry City had begun to ''hold'' the local situation, preventing further losses of territory.


    And this had the obvious effect of increasing the flames of the conflict, as the Dry City forces were now fighting to keep what they had, but they were also trying to reclaim areas annexed by their enemies wherever possible.


    On the other hand, as Minos and some of the more vigorous Spiritual Kings in his alliance became increasingly prominent, the counter-revolutionaries felt the need to occupy the Black Plain more quickly.


    That was because, without a territory, Minos would lose much of his support, and this would invariably buy time for these enemies of his.p????-?????.???


    And while more time would be dangerous for them due to Minos'' cultivation speed, it could also benefit them. After all, they need time to receive assistance from their descendants from the Flaming Empire. And this, in their view, had a chance of solving the disturbance that this region had been suffering since the beginning of that young man''s reign of terror!


    For all that, the surroundings of the Black Plain had been experiencing hellish days. Days with large amounts of human losses, not only to the afterlife but also to the forced retirement that the crippled had to accept.


    The battlefield was cruel, a place where the son cries and the mother does not see!


    ...


    But not only the Black Plain territories were under the flames of war. While The blood of thousands slowly marked young Stuart''s territory, similar situations were happening in areas bordering that territory.


    To the south of the Black Plain, in that northern region of the Cromwell Kingdom, where were, going from east to west, the City of Waters, Farmland region, and the Black Market city of that state, Hadria, were also experiencing troubled times.


    In that area, troops were arriving every day from the families of that kingdom who were allies of Minos.


    In addition to the Hayes and Stokes, the allied fleet that the Nash family had formed to help the Black Plain was also gradually arriving there, where they also wanted to deal with House Allen.


    Because of this, the number of conflicts in this part of the Cromwell Kingdom had grown recently, and this area could already be considered part of the Black Plain''s battlefield! p???? ?o???


    There were clashes around the nearby towns every day, with the forces allied to Minos constantly attacking the nearby Counter-Revolutionary Army posts.


    On the other hand, the enemies previously used this area for their troops to rest. Because of this, there was no lack of warriors to fight in the local conflicts, thus increasing the area under conflict!


    As a result, millions of inhabitants of this part of the Cromwell Kingdom already lived in fear, not knowing when a tragedy like the one in Persephone could happen in their cities.


    Furthermore, fleeing this area with so much violence nearby was not an option for most of this terrified population. Therefore, tens of millions of people from this state had been directly experiencing the terror of war, occasionally witnessing the demise of loved ones or individuals engaged in the conflict.


    However, if south of the Black Plain, the terror was spreading, changing the lives of millions of people, the situation was somewhat different in the north.


    Not because there was no conflict. Hell, the south of the Kingdom of the Waves had had many battles in recent weeks, which could only be seen in this region on the Black Plain itself or in the north of the Cromwell Kingdom!


    But since the northern border of the Black Plain was precisely the poorest part of the Kingdom of the Waves, where there were few cities and a small population, the terror in the vicinity of Yellow City had not been as impressive as in that other one.


    So, besides the individuals involved in the war themselves, the allies and soldiers on the Black Plain, and the members of the Counter-Revolutionary Army, hardly anyone else had been suffering from the local battles.


    There were small villages in that region and areas ruled by small groups of spiritual beasts. However, the casualties of these innocents had not been impressive so far, and the biggest problem even for these communities was property loss. ¦Ñ???????????


    After all, widespread conflicts were very destructive!


    Consequently, practically half of the abandoned buildings in Yellow City had already been destroyed in this period. As for the villages and tribes in the vicinity, they too had had much of their structures devastated by the results of the battles between revolutionaries and counter-revolutionaries.


    However, although the situation of the humans and beasts near this battlefield was not good, unlike their fellow of the Cromwell Kingdom, there were fewer dangers to travel in that part of the Kingdom of the Waves.


    p????-?o??? Hence, migrations from this southern part of the Kingdom of the Waves to the north had been happening since the battles in the vicinity of the Yellow City had intensified a few weeks ago.


    Anyway, whether on the Black Plain, to the south of this territory, or to the north, the war would not stop, no matter how tragic it was.


    Both sides wanted to win, so the war had to continue!


    ...


    And that is what was happening on the outskirts of the Yellow City at this very moment, where a few thousand people were frantically fighting over the place.


    There, Pyke was fighting alongside the Black Plain soldiers and allies, while the Miller family elder responsible for the security of the army base was holding the enemy specialists.


    "Damn it!"


    "Those invaders are outnumbering us!" Some of the many soldiers in the surrounding area shouted this as blood dripped down every millimeter of his body, and the stench of death permeated his nostrils.


    But no one there could avoid that unpleasant odor. After all, with bodies piling up in the surrounding area as if both parties were competing to see who could kill the most, the smell could not be good.


    At the same time, the excruciating cries of fear and pain coming from the throats of cultivators on both sides almost prevented any message from being passed between individuals beyond a few meters away from each other.


    Therefore, that soldier from earlier had screamed with all his breath as he tried to stay alive, fighting against two opponents.


    And this situation was not unique for him. With the numerical disadvantage that the Black Plain had always had up to this point, every soldier and ally of Minos had to be able to fight several opponents at once!


    Therefore, all around that battlefield in the vicinity of Yellow City, every individual on Minos'' side was suffering from fighting several opponents simultaneously.


    But the battle was not coming easy for the enemy. No, despite their numerical advantage, the current situation, although unbalanced in their favor, was not so much to the point that they would be able to annihilate Minos'' forces.


    So, the counter-revolutionary soldiers were also suffering greatly. Many were wounded and drenched in blood, screaming to ward off the pain and fear of death and regain some of the urge to fight that naturally wanes with the passing of conflicts like this.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    Boom!


    "AHH! Damn rebels!"


    "Die!"


    Swooish!


    Sounds of all kinds rang out from the surroundings as Pyke tried to run around but only managed to stumble every few meters, given the many injuries he had received so far.


    "Damn it!" He shouted in anger, feeling a terrible sensation deep within his being.


    ''What''s happening? Will this be the end? Will we lose the conflict?'' He pondered this as he tried to stand upright, leaning on a long bluish spear.


    However, while this critical soldier of the Black Plain Army, one of the few Spiritual Kings of the Elite Squad, was trying to do something, he suddenly felt a strange sensation in his chest.


    "Uh?" He made a sound of surprise, looking down, trying to understand what had happened.


    "Cough!" He then began to cough unconsciously, feeling more and more of a taste of blood in his mouth and a liquid rising in his throat.


    ...

 Chapter 926 Death Of A Warrior

    Chapter 926 Death Of A Warrior


    At that moment, when Pyke felt something strange in his left chest and began involuntarily coughing up his blood, a terrifying sight for him appeared in his sights.


    "Cough! Cough!"


    He continued to cough in terror as his eyes fluttered from the fear that had just flooded this man''s mind.


    But it was not for nothing. At that particular moment, this level 50 Spiritual King had just seen the tip of a silver sword run through his body!


    Not only that, Pyke could feel and see that such a weapon had pierced his body right at the level of his heart!


    Hence, upon seeing this, he, who was one of the senior soldiers of the Black Plain Army, felt a great weakness as the fear of death permeated his mind.


    ''Am I going to die?'' He asked himself in disbelief, gradually losing all his strength and the slightly strange feeling that was increasing and making him feel less and less conscious.


    Such a thing was like the feeling that an ordinary person would get when trying to do something when he was very sleepy.


    In such a situation, the person in question would try to stay alert and try, for example, to read the paragraphs of his favorite book without losing his attention. But it was useless to do this in such a situation.


    After all, mental fatigue would always overcome the person''s intention, and sooner or later, he would fall asleep.


    And it was not so different for Pyke at this instant, who was trying hard to stay awake, but his ''sleep'' was slowly knocking his consciousness down.


    ''Damn it!''p????-?????.???


    ''Hell!'' Tears dripped from the corners of his eyes as he cursed the damned luck that had put him in this situation.


    ''No! I haven''t had time to enjoy my life! I didn''t even have a child!'' He tried to reason through this situation, regretting that he had never tried to get one of his partners pregnant.


    Pyke had been an ordinary man all his life until he had met Minos. And, despite the fact that he had frequent contact with women during this time and had even recently had a more serious relationship with someone, he could not say that he had genuinely loved anyone in his life.


    And now, without ever having loved anyone, without having left an ''inheritance to the world,'' unhappy with several of his old decisions, this man felt a great weight on his soul.


    He felt he had wasted his life!


    "Disgrace!" He cried out loudly, lamenting that he would have to die here.


    He knew that this fate could happen at any moment. After all, he was directly involved in a great war, in which he was one of the most dynamic characters.


    And even if he accepted the risks, considering the good of the Black Plain and his own, of course, that did not change the fact that he did not want to die.


    With that, he slowly began to fall to the ground, along with his consciousness diminishing with each passing instant, as if body and soul were embraced towards the precipice of life.


    ''Damn counter-revolutionaries! I cursed you!'' He thought about it in anger.


    "Pyke!" p???? ?o???


    "Lieutenant Pyke!"


    "Commander Pyke!" One of the soldiers on that battlefield who had previously served the old guard of Dry City before Minos arrived there shouted the old title of the man falling on the battlefield.


    "Finally!" One of the enemies of the Black Plain said in a celebratory tone.


    "That bastard killed dozens of our Spiritual Generals and still ended the lives of five Spiritual Kings!"


    "Hahaha, we finally avenged our brothers!"


    Proud voices arose among those counter-revolutionaries, further enraging the rebel side, which was seeing in this instant the death of one of the leaders of the Black Plain Army.


    Pyke had not only fought alongside Minos since the beginning of the young man''s journey but was also one of the most respected soldiers in the army. Because of this, when he fell on the battlefield with a sword through his heart, young Stuart''s soldiers in the surrounding area suffered a heavy blow.


    Some were weeping for the terrible end Pyke would meet in a few more seconds, while others felt their throats dry, lamenting the tragic fate of that soldier.


    "Hahaha! Time to exterminate them!" The enemy leaders shouted simultaneously after realizing that such a situation had created an even more significant imbalance on the battlefield.


    And just at that moment when many were lamenting and even more celebrating Pyke''s fall, this soldier took his last breath!


    ''This is the end...'' So, he thought about it before finally losing consciousness and falling into the darkness of death. ¦Ñ???????????


    Pyke died!


    Boom!


    Swooish!


    "Come on! Finish off the damn rebels!"


    "Kill the traitors!"


    p????-?o??? Shouts of encouragement arose amidst the counter-revolutionary groups as the battle intensified in favor of Minos'' enemies.


    ''Will we lose this position?'' The Miller family elder who was taking care of this place, level 55, thought about this as he frowned amidst his fight against five Spiritual Kings of the same level.


    However, while he was sweating cold and feeling sorry for Pyke''s death, this member of Abby''s family suddenly saw something on the horizon.


    While struggling frantically, he had unwittingly looked to the northeast of that region, where his old eyes had spotted a giant blur moving towards him.


    While surrounded by enemies, bleeding, with blood partially covering his eyes, this man had seen what appeared to be a caravan of thousands of people.


    ''More enemies?'' He thought of this as he felt a chill run down his spine, fearing that even his old life would be lost in this desolate place.


    "Damn it!" He shouted angrily, using even more of his energy to fight those enemies, hoping to at least eliminate some of them and begin the withdrawal of his troops.


    It was important for Minos'' organization to maintain posts around the Black Plain. After all, it was from them that soldiers and allies could attack enemies more quickly and rest safely even in the vicinity of the battlefields.


    Therefore, it would not be good for this group to lose the Yellow City post, which would invariably happen if things continued as they were now.


    But even if they fought to the end, that level 55 Spiritual King of the Miller family did not believe that his group would win. The opposite, they would die and still lose the Yellow City post one way or another.


    So, to preserve Minos'' allied forces, he wanted to make a move where he would bring lesser losses by abandoning the Yellow City post!


    Boom!


    "Ahhh!"


    "Don''t weaken! Attack more. The enemy is thinking of retreating!" So, the enemy commanders began to give their orders on the outskirts of Yellow City, using their many years of experience to guess the intent of that expert.


    "Humph!"


    "Traitorous Millers, none of you will escape death!"


    "Today, we will take you down!" Someone said this with a beaming smile on his face, looking at the old elder of the Miller family with intense killing intent.


    "Tsk!"


    But that Miller elder was not prepared to die. No, hearing the comments in the surroundings, he forced himself against the enemies until he finally got some space to deal with at least one of them.


    "Even if I die here, I will take as much of you with me as I can!" He shouted this after smashing his opponent''s head with a hammering.


    "Bastard!"


    "Damn you!"


    "Old decrepit man, no matter what you talk about, today will be your..." The strongest one there was about to make his threat, preparing to make another surprise attack, when he suddenly felt an unexpected sensation.


    ''What''s that?'' He turned back and looked in the direction of where thousands of people were rapidly approaching that place.


    "What the fuck is that?" He shouted in shock, alerting all the Spiritual Kings in the surrounding area to look in that direction.


    "That..."


    "A migration?"


    "No! What kind of migrant would run toward a battlefield?"


    "What?" The same old man from before said in shock as he looked at the old elder Miller. "That''s the stuff of those damn rebels and traitors!"


    "They tricked us into thinking they were outnumbered when they held us back while waiting for their reinforcements!" Such a person said this angrily, looking with hatred at that member of Abby''s family.


    ...

 Chapter 927 Saved By The Gong

    Chapter 927 Saved By The Gong


    At that instant, thousands of warriors from the northeast of that region finally arrived close enough to the battlefield to get involved in the fighting there.


    "Kill the enemies!"


    "Protect the Yellow City!"


    "Help our friends from the Black Plain!"


    Several shouts broke out amidst the new arrivals as the troops of Spiritual Generals, led by Spiritual Kings, followed against the enemy groups of the Black Plain.


    Boom!


    Swooish!


    "Feel the taste of my sword!" Someone euphorically said as he ran alongside 20 companions and attacked those in front of him.


    "Damn!"


    "The damn rebels have tricked us!"


    "We fell into their trap!"


    However, while the enemies were beginning to despair, maddened by the sudden change in the situation on this battlefield, Minos'' soldiers and allies in that place were no less surprised.


    None of them expected that reinforcements would arrive just when they were on the verge of losing the position they had protected for so long.p????-?????.???


    After all, the requests for help that Pyke had sent earlier to this great conflict should take at least a few hours to bring results to the people in this place.


    Consequently, upon seeing those newcomers, the group from the Black Plain Army''s secret base in Yellow City was taken aback as much as their enemies!


    That''s why the old elder Miller had been wrong earlier!


    "Ahhhhhhhhhh!"


    BOOM!


    Puff!


    "Ahhhhhhh!"


    "Kill them all!"


    "Don''t let even one escape!"


    And then, a battle that seemed increasingly unbalanced for the counter-revolutionary group suddenly changed. Now, the thousands of new opponents were brutalizing Minos'' enemies!


    Such a scene had been so impressive that every one of Minos'' soldiers and allies, previously trembling with pain and fear of death, were now open-mouthed in shock.


    In front of them, the image formed was very similar to the one someone would see when watching a cavalry of thousands of individuals attacking a small battalion. p???? ?o???


    And as expected, almost immediately after the arrival of these reinforcements, the counter-revolutionaries in that place began to die quickly. So many heads and body parts started to fly around the surroundings as the shadow of death spread over that night-darkened place.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    "Ahhhhhhhhhh!"


    p????-?o??? But amidst some desperate cries, the elder Miller, who was preparing just now to do his best to escape, finally had time to breathe and think more calmly.


    ''That symbol...'' He calmly thought as he looked in the direction of the same symbol that could be seen on the armors, weapons, and clothing of many of the newcomers.


    His eyes then opened in realization as he finally said aloud. "House Cohen!"


    And indeed, these were members of House Cohen!


    That was an organization allied with young Stuart, which had begun its relationship with him as just a business partnership, but later turned into something more.


    Not only that, after some of Abby''s plans changed, this power had taken her suggestion and joined the rebellion plan south of the Kingdom of the Waves.


    Because of this, the first group of people from this noble family was already moving to Yellow City, where they had the mission to start a revolutionary focus in this city.


    That was to divide Minos'' enemies'' troops around the Black Plain, destabilize the region, incite rebellions, justify changes to the local map, etc.


    However, at no time had this group prepared or been told about coming here as reinforcements for the group of the now-deceased Pyke. ¦Ñ???????????


    No, such a thing had just been a coincidence of fate!


    As such, elder Miller had been taken by surprise even though he knew that sooner or later, this group from House Cohen would arrive in this part of the Kingdom of the Waves.


    "Sigh..."


    ''It''s just a shame they didn''t arrive sooner.'' That individual lamented in his mind as he looked at the battlefield and saw the situation of his forces here.


    Not only had Pyke died, but many other Black Plain soldiers and allies had fallen before the Cohen family troops arrived.


    Anyone in the surroundings could easily understand that as the number of bodies wearing uniforms or armor of the allied forces of Dry City was quite numerous.


    And seeing that, that elder could not help but feel a bitter taste for tonight''s tragedy.


    ''Even Lieutenant Pyke died...''


    ''What a shame.'' He shook his head from side to side, eyes closed, feeling the muscles in his body finally give way after he persevered for so long.


    After that, such an individual collapsed on the spot, alive but highly injured.


    ...


    After a few minutes, the enemy group from the Black Plain had been exterminated by the Cohen family troops.


    But such a thing was to be expected. After all, the numbers were totally in favor of the newcomers. Moreover, the physical condition of the counter-revolutionaries was also not good at all before those people arrived.


    With or without advantage, those enemies of Minos had fought bravely against the Black Plain soldiers and allies of that base, who had strengths beyond the ordinary. Because of this, many of those enemies had already lost their top fighting condition when the troops from House Cohen had arrived to ''run them over.''


    Therefore the result was a one-sided massacre, in which no one from the counter-revolutionary side was left alive or intact.


    With that, Yellow City, under the command of the Black Plain Army, had won this dispute over this territory!


    However, the costs for this had not been small!


    ...


    Inside the Black Plain Army''s secret base below the Yellow City government mansion...


    The Cohen family leaders were already in the command center of that location, next to the elder of the Miller family, who had awakened from his unconsciousness and was receiving medical treatment.


    "I didn''t expect that you guys would save my life..." He said in a hoarse tone, tired but lucid enough to talk to those people. "Thank you."


    The strongest of that group of Cohen family experts shook his head from side to side and said. "Elder Miller, no need to thank us. We''re on the same side!"


    "Besides, if it weren''t for the elder''s efforts to hold off the enemies as much as possible, we couldn''t have influenced the battle!"


    "Hmmm, that''s right!"


    "Yes, we didn''t expect to arrive here in the middle of a fight. But I''m glad everything worked out in the end..."


    Some voices came up in the middle of that command center, where some of Minos'' soldiers were working watching surveillance arrays.


    "Anyway, now that we''re here, we can improve the defenses of this place a bit."


    "In a few more days, the rest of the family will arrive to occupy this city."


    "After that, we will declare our ''rebellion'' to the world!"


    ...


    At the same time that those allies of Minos were planning for their subsequent actions, the situation of the royal family of the Kingdom of the Waves had changed dramatically since that family''s tragedy.


    After weeks since Minos'' attack and the subsequent awakening of Blake and Wilfred, both brothers had entered into a cooperative agreement to fulfill their promises to young Stuart.


    Both princes had had their differences in the past and could be considered ambitious individuals capable of killing innocent people without blinking an eye. However, both loved their mothers and, more importantly, loved being alive.


    Consequently, after having witnessed or heard the deeds of Minos, the two had put aside their past problems or ambitions to accomplish the demands of the leader of the Black Plain as quickly as possible.


    Minos had power and could destroy them at any moment. As such, they had no way to hide without giving up their respective roles.


    And with that, the two had already done much in the days that had passed since the incident weeks ago to have one of them, Blake, take over the local throne!


    Due to these efforts and the fragility that the Walker family was in after Minos'' action, they had found an open path to the throne, and it was only a short time before Blake would assume that position!


    Thus, both were already preparing for their following acts, particularly the withdrawal of that state''s troops from the Black Plain!


    ...

 Chapter 928 The Situation In The Kingdom Of The Waves

    Chapter 928 The Situation In The Kingdom Of The Waves


    After Gloria left the capital of the Kingdom of the Waves to go to Dry City, several things happened in Athela.


    First of all, the strongest subordinates of the Walker family and the members of the royalty who were on the Black Plain had returned to headquarters.


    That was not only the farewell opportunity these people would have to the last two great leaders of this organization but also a necessity. After all, the family had been significantly weakened by Minos'' actions, and more than ever, they needed to be united in the face of the present threat.


    And unfortunately for them, this threat was not only Minos!


    The region was large, and many powers were just waiting for a chance to rebel or to start plotting all kinds of dishonest acts behind the curtains.


    And, having just lost the only two people capable of genuinely suppressing these unscrupulous organizations, there was a need for this royal family to be united at this difficult time.


    Secondly, Minos had left this organization in chaos since the entire command, consisting of high-level cultivators, had been killed in that incident. Because of this, in the weeks since then, the survivors had to reassemble the power structure of the Walker family.


    That had not been easy, as there would always be greedy people seeking power at a time like this. But because of the immediate threat they were facing, Minos, they had managed to re-establish order in that organization after much trouble and nightly plotting.


    As a result, both Blake and Wilfred had risen considerably in their positions. The first one had received the title under his younger brother, Charles.


    p????-?o??? On the other hand, Wilfred was still too weak to carry out specific responsibilities. Still, thanks to his outstanding education, which only princes could obtain, he had gained an influential position within the family.p????-?????.???


    And with that, both had already begun to deal with those who might stand against them in the future, particularly those followers of Charles.


    Blake had not yet been crowned the king of that state, as such a thing had a time and place to happen, which would not work out in the present situation that this state was in.


    Because of this, he and his brother needed to take some precautions before withdrawing the troops of this state from young Stuart''s territory.


    For example, they could not tell their fellow royalty that Minos had threatened them to withdraw this state''s troops from the Black Plain.


    If they did that, they would most likely lose their right to the throne, as their interests would be compromised, and neither of them could make the best choices for the family.


    So, they and those bodyguards of Blake had kept their agreement with Minos a secret and intended to use some excuse to withdraw the troops from this state of the Black Plain.


    And after weeks of thinking about it, they realized that it was not that difficult to convince the rest of their family members about this. They only needed them to realize that getting their troops out of the Black Plain was the best thing to do for the family.


    After all, disturbing news about what was happening around this region had already reached the ears of the regional nobility and royalty. Consequently, the problem related to the neglect of other historical enemies or minor powers in search of growth was already remarkable, something that served as a reasonable justification for their purpose!


    And that was what they were trying to use to solve the first part of the deal proposed by Minos. p???? ?o???


    The Walker family was weakened as never before, and parasitic worms were spreading everywhere. So, pulling back and organizing their own ''house'' did not seem such a bad idea at this point...


    As for Minos, well, this young man at least was still the enemy of every other state in this region. So, even the justification of retreating might not be so bad for those other members of House Walker!


    With all this in mind, Blake and Wilfred were working hard to carry out young Stuart''s demands, both to ensure their survival and that of their mothers.


    ...


    In the king''s study office in the Kingdom of the Waves palace...


    Blake and Wilfred were sitting face to face around a table, while the four subordinates of the new crown prince were on the outskirts of that place, watching and protecting them.


    Meanwhile, cups of hot tea on the table between the two young men released a delicious fragrance into the room through the steam coming off them.


    But Blake and Wilfred were not so intent on their drinks at this moment. Instead, the two had resolute looks on their faces, typical of those individuals pursuing a goal they could not abandon.


    Previously they wanted the throne of this state, but that was more to please the ego than a genuine desire, like those focused on becoming the best or even making their state the best. ¦Ñ???????????


    Neither of them was like that. Instead, both just wanted to sit on the throne of this kingdom to fulfill the duty their father would leave them when he left while accepting the honor of the royal title.


    However, with the sudden change, they had gone through, now Blake sitting on the local throne was the way they had to stay alive and ensure the safety of their mothers.


    And that, yes, was a real goal, one that they were both pursuing as if they were addicted, as if they had an obligation to themselves to do their best and accomplish such a feat.


    Therefore, they had a look on their faces different from that of years ago.


    "I have already talked to the high-ranking members of my mother''s family about what needs to be done for the kingdom to continue to exist in the future." Blake said this in a low, serious voice.


    "I am sure they will support us when I give the order to the withdraw."


    "Hmm, that''s good."


    "I have also been working with my mother''s contacts, using her financial position to add support to our cause."


    "I believe we may have enough strength to suppress the unhappy in the next few days," Wilfred said to his younger brother.


    "OK." Blake then looked at one of those four individuals and asked. "What about you guys? Any progress?"


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    "We have managed to get in touch with some of Charles'' former supporters, and several of them are willing to switch to our side."


    "Not only that, some families are concerned that Your Highness wishes revenge for the previous assassination attempts, so they are willing to do more for us at this time."


    Another of them then said. "As for the Walker family, we already have more than half of the high-ranking subordinates with promises to stand by our side if any member of the royalty decides to rebel."


    "We can act in a few days once all these variables are synch!"


    Upon hearing this, Blake sighed in relief, feeling that he might have enough time to give the order to withdraw his vassals and subordinates from Minos'' territory.


    "Good!"


    Wilfred nodded in agreement and said. "From what I''ve heard recently, Minos seems to be in the Kingdom of the End. So, we should not have any problems meeting those demands before he returns to the Black Plain."


    "Hmmm."


    "That''s true..."


    "At least not only do we suffer from his actions..."


    "I hope he visits the other regional families." One of those four individuals said that unconsciously.


    If they had to suffer the humiliation of being subordinate to Black Plain and having their power and lives threatened, it would be much better if the other major regional organizations faced the same or worse!


    So, that person wished that Minos would be even more cruel to the other royal families, even though that might not be the best to have.


    And every one of those people there realized this, looking at such a person with different looks.


    Unfortunately, none of them could refute such a comment since they had similar ideas in their minds.


    Beating Minos would be incredible, but the path ahead of them was already set, as there was no way this young man could be stopped in the short term.


    Consequently, they wished the worst for their dear regional colleagues!

 Chapter 929 Storyteller

    Chapter 929 Storyteller


    One week later...


    While changes were taking place on the northern and southern borders of the Black Plain, Minos had already gotten considerably closer to the capital of the Kingdom of the End.


    He had had a smooth journey in this travel period, with no random confrontations against spiritual beasts or regional criminals.


    With that, he had trained and cultivated quite a bit in this period alongside Maida, having done so much more than during his short trip with Gloria.


    Not that he had not enjoyed his time at that beauty''s side. After all, watching Gloria and seeing her smile was soothing to the soul, something men and even women would be glad to see daily.


    Still, as a person committed to his future, Minos felt how much more efficient he was when he was not around that beauty he had had to hide his abilities.


    In any case, Minos had advanced only two months ago, so he was still far from level 54. However, this young man was not too worried about this now, as he was almost at his next destination, the last one in this state.


    After weeks of heading towards the coast of this state, Minos had finally reached the western coastal region of the Kingdom of the End, where the capital of this state was located.


    But since Mirabella was at one of the northernmost points of this western coastal part of the Kingdom of the End, Minos still had a few days to travel to the city of Kara.


    So, he was currently passing through the penultimate city before his goal, a relatively small place compared to the larger regional centers but decent enough to accommodate visitors.


    ...p????-?????.???


    As he walked through the streets of that coastal city, Minos could see that the financial power of the Hargraves family city could not be seen everywhere in this state.


    Not only had this place indicated this to him. But several villages and towns that he had visited in the time he had spent traveling also showed that such a city could be considered an exception.


    But Minos had already understood the reasons behind this, as the Hargraves family was one of the few local organizations that had managed to absorb much of the Schmidt family''s territories.


    So, for one of the few expansionist powers in this kingdom, it should not be strange what he had seen before.


    Hence, now he could better understand the situation of this kingdom, which, although better than the other states in the region, in general, did not have such superior wealth to the others.


    It was undoubtedly something significant to the point that anyone could realize this by observing this state''s ordinary cities and citizens. But it was not so tremendous that all the rest of the region had to be ashamed of its humility.


    And seeing this city now, Minos no longer felt strange or curious about these differences between states.


    With that, he watched the early evening in this city as he walked towards a place where he intended to eat something.


    He had several resources in his spatial ring, but eating something hot and freshly made was always better than just tasting dry food or fruits. Especially considering how cold it was in this place, where everyone on the street was walking around in warm coats and with bandannas around their necks.


    ''Hmm, that smells good...'' Minos thought about it silent as he looked at a place a few dozen meters in front of him, where there was a tavern full of people. p???? ?o???


    From that place came a tasty, intense smell that made young Stuart''s mouth salivate in response. And since he had not eaten food prepared by cooks for a few days now, he could not help but swallow his saliva in anticipation of this long-awaited meal.


    Gulp!


    ''I don''t like such crowded places, but I''ll have to endure that this time...'' He thought about this as he entered that place, dodging the several people standing around the entrance.


    And in doing so, it did not take long for young Stuart to spot where the tasty smell was coming from, where there were several skewers with meat on different grills.


    Seeing this, he immediately made his way to get his meal, at first ignoring his surroundings.


    "Sir, I want six..." He then gave his order to the person responsible for taking care of the meats there, as he felt the smell of those options slowly permeating his nostrils.


    But as he looked at what he would soon eat, Minos slowly began to pay attention to the surroundings, curious to know why there were so many people there.


    The smell of that meat was delicious, but was there a need in a relatively small city for so many people in one place?


    Or was there something else he was overlooking?


    Thinking about this, he looked around carefully. ¦Ñ???????????


    Finally, he saw that the crowd in the place seemed to be around a table, where a middle-aged man was sitting on one of the many wooden chairs in this establishment.


    There, everyone in the surroundings was trying to make as little noise as possible while that individual was talking in a low voice.


    "... Back then, the current leaders of the kingdom were just juniors of the younger generation, struggling to secure their names in the region."


    "Not only that, the queen hadn''t even left her home state to come and live alongside His Majesty, as neither of them knew each other until then."


    "But at that time when the current three experts of the kingdom were just beginning to show themselves, terrifying things happened in some villages around the kingdom."


    "Entire villages disappeared overnight, while survivors occasionally appeared out of nowhere, completely disoriented, not knowing who they were, where they had come from, or what had happened to themselves."


    "Sigh..."


    "So many people disappeared in similar situations that the previous king even had to declare martial law from time to time in an attempt to understand how these disappearances were happening."


    "But it had all been useless. The invaders were very good at what they did, and they were able to get thousands of people in and out of our cities whenever they wanted."


    "Not only that, even after all this time, no one ever really understood what was happening in these places!"


    Gulp!


    "This had been going on for a long time before His Majesty''s youth and continued until about 200 years ago when the strange phenomenon in our kingdom finally disappeared!" The man said this with eyes focused on the ground as if he could see something in that place.


    But there was nothing there. Only that person''s memory showed him some of the terrible things he had seen in his many years of life.


    After making a momentary silence, that man then heard the voice of a young man. "Elder, I heard from my grandmother the legend of the Bag Man. Isn''t this just a joke to scare children? Did that truly happen?"


    "Even the royal family has already come out publicly to say that many of these stories are nothing but mass hysteria..."


    And as Minos watched the young man saying those words, the same man from before answered such questions. "Young man, I gain nothing by lying to you. I am not charging you to speak these things, you who asked me to expose some of my memories."


    p????-?o??? "But I don''t blame you. The invaders are terrible, and they have a strange power capable of manipulating the memories of people of lower levels than theirs."


    "Because of this, not only are those involved in these incidents hardly aware of what happened to them when they survive, but the invaders have also manipulated local organizations!"


    "Oh? And how do you know that since they manipulate everyone?" The same young man from before asked with a smile on his face.


    The man frowned his eyebrows but did not shy away from that young man''s question. "I saw with my own eyes when an entire city disappeared in the blink of an eye."


    "Not only that, I feel the power of the invaders'' technique, something so extreme that even at my level..." He paused for a single moment, almost without letting the people there notice his change in tone.


    "Even the regional leaders could not understand!"


    "Finally, while I was traveling in the vicinity of the North Sea long ago, unfortunately, my crew had been thrown into that damned place. On that day, I felt the same power I had felt in that city."


    "So, I know that this legend is based on a fact that is much worse than you can imagine!"


    After he finished, that man saw the people in his surroundings laughing in satisfaction as if they had finished listening to the town liar telling another one of his tales.


    None of them believed this man, but they liked to hear the stories of this individual, so they constantly gathered for this.


    As for him, such a person did not bother whether or not these low-level individuals would believe his story.


    He was already old and crippled. So, as long as these stories reached the right people, he would succeed in his purpose of passing on this information to those who could do something against the invaders!


    ''Bastards!''


    ''The day will come when we will force you back into the hole from which you came!''


    ''We will avenge the death of our countrymen!'' He thought about it in anger, still sitting in the same place as before, ignoring the people in his surroundings.


    ...

 Chapter 930 The Story Of The Storyteller

    Chapter 930 The Story Of The Storyteller


    After most of the people in the surroundings of that establishment began to disperse, Minos finally got a better look at that storyteller.


    And while carrying a plate with some meat skewers in his hand, this young man made his way towards that person''s table, interested in what he had just heard.


    "Can I sit here?" He asked that individual as he waved one of his hands in the direction of one of the three free chairs around that table.


    That man then looked at the young man who wore a golden mask on his face and consented with a nod of his head.


    "What is your name?" Minos asked after he settled down and lifted part of his mask so that he could eat the smelling meat.


    "You''re not from around here, huh..." The man murmured before finally looking curiously at the person in front of him and answering. "My name is Grant."


    "Hmm..."


    Minos continued to savor his food and then introduced himself to that individual. "Nice to meet you, Grant. You can call me Albert."


    "Oh? So, Albert, what do you want by coming to me? Are you curious about my stories too?"


    "You could say that..."


    "But I''m more interested in the story behind a crippled Spiritual Saint telling stories in some random place and less in the things you were talking about earlier." Minos said this with his lips arched, forming a smile that was hard for that person to ignore.p????-?????.???


    "You..." That man''s eyes widened in shock as he understood that Minos had realized the truth behind him.


    Not even the regional kings had been able to notice the remnants of this man''s spiritual cultivation. Still, this strange young man mysteriously had just spoken about the stage of cultivation he was in before he was crippled!


    It was not for nothing that he was startled, having almost fallen backward in surprise.


    "How did you figure it out? You''re from the empire..." He was about to say something but was soon interrupted by Minos.


    "I am not from any empire. But since I have met other Spiritual Saints, it was not difficult to realize that your physical strength is far beyond that of the peak Spiritual Kings of this region."


    "That means you were at least level 70 when you were crippled... Am I right?" Minos asked in a confident tone.


    "Tsk!"


    "I was at level 70 when that tragedy happened." He said in a low voice, regretting that fateful day.


    Minos then looked more seriously at that person and asked. "Why do you live like this? Why didn''t you return to your home? Why do you humiliate yourself by telling stories to earn a living?"


    There was nothing wrong with making a living by telling stories. But for an expert who had once been at level 70, which was considered strong in most of the Spiritual World, doing something so humble could be considered inappropriate. p???? ?o???


    That was why Minos had questioned him about it, curious to know about the history of someone so powerful.


    This man could be considered the third of the most significant cultivation the young Stuart had met. The first was, of course, Herincus Longus, and then the patriarch of the Gray Cloud Sect. And precisely because this man had such impressive cultivation and was now, shall we say, more accessible, Minos could not help but ask those questions.


    That man with half-grey and black hair then looked at Minos'' golden mask, which was completely smooth, without any holes in the eyes or nose. Then he said. "I can''t leave..."


    He then beckoned to Minos to look under the table, something that the young man promptly did and saw that person''s situation.


    He had neither of his two legs!


    "Or at least I wouldn''t have the ability to make it safely to my empire." The man said in dismay, feeling the unhappiness of his tragic life once again flooding his heart.


    That was an influential expert from the Western Empire, one of the strongest states in the Central Continent, the dominating place struggling to regain its former glory lost with the separation of the Ancient Empire into two states.


    One of them was the Western Empire itself. The other was the Eastern Empire, the home of the strongest person in the Central Continent, Vico Travisani!


    Anyway, a few centuries ago, while making a trip to Elves Island to fetch the imperial princess, Grant and the crew of the ship that had left the east coast of the Kingdom of the End had been tossed by a storm directly into the North Sea.


    p????-?o??? After that, they experienced the violent fury of the North Sea, where effects that seemed not at all natural had almost completely wiped out that crew. ¦Ñ???????????


    The only survivor was he, who had had his spiritual cultivation destroyed and lost many parts of his body.


    After this, he and his ship had been shipwrecked on the west coast of this state, where he had lived all the rest of the time that had passed since then.


    He then said to Minos. "What you are seeing was done by a single bolt of lightning which hit me while my crew and I were suffering through a storm in the North Sea."


    "That day, 40 Spiritual Emperors died, and the leader of our group, Edric Fuller, level 76, died defending us..."


    "To this day, I am grateful to him, for, without him, I would not have survived." He said with watery eyes, remembering that heroic figure who had ensured that at least he lived to pass on the information of what had happened.


    "North Sea, huh?" Minos muttered this after hearing those words, once again remembering how strange that part of the Spiritual World had become compared to the time of Henricus Longus.


    "Is there something in that place?"


    That man''s eyes opened even wider. He finally encountered someone capable of thinking differently from the fools he had faced in the past centuries.


    "Yes!"


    "The same individuals responsible for the disappearances around the Kingdom of the End that frequently happened in this state centuries ago are the ones responsible for this."


    "I know this because both myself and Chief Edric felt the similarity of the spiritual fluctuations during that incident and a specific case we witnessed almost 400 years ago here in this kingdom."


    "Others on the mainland and in this region may think that the North Sea has always been like this and that this madness is normal, but I know that nothing about this is natural!"


    "There are spiritual beings behind all that!" He said this with vibrant eyes, spitting as he spoke.


    Seeing this, Minos almost wanted to laugh. Still, he had heard something similar before, so he did not doubt that man''s mental situation. ''It seems that this is related to old Joey''s story.'' He thought of that soldier in his army, an individual who had been tormented during his childhood after being abducted by strange creatures.


    But after thinking about it, Minos put that story aside and asked something else, "But why do you keep telling these stories?"


    "That, of course, is in hopes that some good soul will help me notify the empire about all this!" He said in an animated tone while his eyes sparkled as he looked at Minos.


    And Minos understood what this man meant. "Even if I manage to get you to the Western Empire or pass on your message, why do you think they would believe you?"


    "I was a noble member of the guard..."


    Minos then interrupted him. "No offense, but it doesn''t matter how good your position was before. Now you are a crippled person who has spent the last few centuries living almost like a beggar..."


    "A mere storyteller..."


    Grant''s situation was terrible but not as bad as Minos had said.


    This man was not a beggar and had good financial conditions by regional standards, something easy to tell from his clothes and the two maidservants not far from there, waiting for him.


    However, from the point of view of someone at the 8th stage, this man''s current situation would be no different from that of a beggar. And Minos knew this since Henricus Longus had already seen things like this during his lifetime.


    With that, Minos knew that the credibility that such a Spiritual Saint had was no longer there, and it would not be easy for him to achieve his goals.


    Hence, young Stuart had spoken those things to give that man a shock of reality.


    "That..."


    "Anyway, I have to try, or I will fail with all my dead comrades!" He said firmly, feeling bad for realizing that Minos'' words were accurate.


    "Is that so?" Minos'' eyes sparkled for a single instant as he stood up from where he was. "I don''t know about the people in your empire, but if you join my organization, I will allow you to get your revenge one day."


    "I believe those beings are our common enemies!"


    ...

 Chapter 931 Was He Possessed?

    Chapter 931 Was He Possessed?


    Upon hearing Minos'' words, Grant immediately looked at that masked young man with curiosity in his eyes, trying to understand what this strange person wanted from him.


    p????-?o??? After all, he was crippled not only spiritually but also physically. In other words, he was an invalid who could not even walk on his own, so how would he be of any use to any organization?


    That was the world of cultivation, where those unable to cultivate or live on their own were marginalized and ignored by society.


    In this way, Grant had found Minos'' offer unusual.


    He could even understand if the royal family of the Western Empire exhibited such behavior. After all, crippled or not, he had done meritorious service for a long time, and getting at least a pension within that organization would not be impossible.


    And even if that family did not believe a single word he had to say, that still would not stop its leaders from giving an artificial position to him.


    Still, this young ''Albert,'' what would he gain from this? Or perhaps he was part of the imperial family?


    But seeing the confused look on that man''s face, Minos then said. "As I said, I don''t believe that others will believe your stories. But I do, at least partially. With that said, the intelligence you have may be of use to me in the future."


    "I can also benefit from your knowledge of this vast world..." Minos said this, giving that fellow a reason to understand the advantage for his side in making that invitation.


    And this was indeed true. Minos knew little about the rest of the Central Continent due to the dire situation of this region. Moreover, the worldly knowledge left by Henricus Longus would not be so helpful in ordinary situations when the contemporary time was more relevant.p????-?????.???


    Hence the importance of a figure from outside the northern region of the Central Continent, someone coming from one of the strongest empires in this world. A place that had should have more detailed information than the sects of the Flaming Empire.


    And having been an expert on the Western Empire, Grant certainly had knowledge that could be pretty useful for the future journey of the Black Plain.


    That was why Minos wanted this man on his side!


    As for the possible revenge he had promised, well, such a thing would take a long time to have even the slightest chance of realization. Even a level 76 Spiritual Saint had died against this man''s opponents, so there was a long way for Minos to go to think about it.


    In the meantime, Minos was sure that his business would leave the northern region of the Central Continent and spread to the rest of the continent.


    With this, he can use Grant''s information long before any North Sea adventure, which would already guarantee him immense benefits for just one promise.


    As for actually fulfilling it, that could be done someday, but Minos was not concerned with such a thing when inviting this man into his organization.


    These enemies would first have to show themselves, somehow be perceived by young Stuart himself. Otherwise, he would do nothing before he was sure of whatever such beings were.


    Therefore, young Stuart saw no disadvantages to this offer! p???? ?o???


    "That..." That fellow muttered something, trying to think more about this unusual offer.


    ''I possess knowledge about many things regarding the continent that might be of use to people even from the empire... But where is this person from? Is it dangerous to give information to him, even if he says he will help me?''


    He then asked. "Will you at least tell me where you are from? How can I accompany you without even knowing that?"


    Minos then smiled under his mask but did not answer such questions. "If you accept my offer, in six months, at most a year, I can have someone here in this city to take you to my territory."


    "After that, you will naturally find out everything yourself."


    But that man did not like that answer from Minos. He shook his head from side to side while saying in a tone of disagreement. "That won''t do. I may be a cripple, but I''m not going to put my life in the hands of a stranger!"


    "What guarantee do I have that you are not an enemy of my state who is looking for information?"


    "Simple, I could just kidnap you right here and now if I were an enemy, but I am giving you six months to a year to consider it."


    "Even if you don''t want to do such a thing, you can just pay someone to take you to another city in this region. I''m sure that at least you can do that." ¦Ñ???????????


    Minos then opened his hands and said in a righteous tone. "How about this? I''ll send someone to pick you up here at the agreed time. You can think about this offer in the meantime, and if you decide to reject it, just leave this place and ignore my offer."


    "If my people don''t find you here, I will just consider that you have given up the offer and go on with my life as if this meeting did not happen."


    "However, if you decide to accept the offer, come to this place at least once a week between the next six to twelve months. My subordinates will come to meet you."


    "Also, if you join my organization, I promise that I will take you back to the Western Empire in the future. If the family you were a member of believes your words and takes you back, I will not make things difficult for you."


    That man then looked even more strangely at Minos. "Are you strong enough to kidnap me?"


    He was able to sense other people''s cultivation since, although his spiritual cultivation was crippled, he was already a level 70 cultivator at the time. That is, he had already finished the transition of the soul from metabolic form to individual form.


    At the beginning of cultivation, the soul would only be a part of the body of living beings, part of the metabolism. But after the Transition, the 2nd stage, the differentiation process between soul and body would begin.


    At such a stage, the soul would no longer be just a part of metabolism, but it was not a big deal, and without a body, it would naturally disappear. However, after reaching the 8th stage, a cultivator would have his soul wholly differentiated, independent of the body.


    Such a soul could not live forever outside of a body. Still, it was capable of inhabiting objects, living people, or even corpses under certain circumstances.


    With this peculiarity of independence from the body, this part of Spiritual Saints and higher-level people had innate abilities that did not need spiritual energy to be used.


    As in the case of soul sense, a version of spiritual sense, only many times more powerful!


    With that, even without spiritual cultivation, this man could sense Minos'' level 53, as his soul sense could not be fooled!


    And, of course, Minos knew that. "Do you doubt it? Don''t be fooled by my level. I am capable of dealing with someone with a remaining raw power similar to that of an ordinary level 60 cultivator!"


    "That..." That man frowned his eyebrows, sensing that Minos knew many things about those of levels far above his own.


    ''How does this boy know how to measure my strength so well? Even if he has contact with powerful people, that''s not the thing one learns without experience!''


    ''Has he been possessed?'' That question popped into Grant''s mind.


    However, immediately afterward, he realized that he was wrong. ''No.''


    ''If so, his soul would have to be stronger, but Albert''s soul is definitely in sync with the spiritual cultivation of that body.''


    ''He hasn''t been possessed!''


    ''But how does he have this knowledge? Is it an inheritance?'' His eyes sparkled as he considered this hypothesis.


    Grant was an expert, after all. So, he had seen and heard a bit of everything, including inheritances left by high-level experts.


    Among these inheritances, some could leave resources, others knowledge and cultivation understanding, often related to specific techniques.


    But since building an inheritance was not simple, there were not many known cases worldwide. Furthermore, most of the known ones had been left by Spiritual Sages, cultivators who did not have as much power to develop complete inheritances.


    Because of this, even for this man, it was not easy to estimate whether Minos'' ability to read other cultivators was something left by inheritance.


    It was not impossible, but that seemed like a thing of little importance... Who would create such an inheritance?


    ''Well, never mind. He may very well be my only chance. And perhaps he can help me at least return to my empire!'' He made up his mind right away after remembering that he had never come across someone like Minos in the past centuries.


    "I will believe you." He said after thinking in silence for quite a while. "I will use these months to think it over."


    "Then just do what you have to do!" He finished before standing up using two crutches, waving to the women waiting for him.

 Chapter 932 Arriving At Kara City

    Chapter 932 Arriving At Kara City


    After the previous conversation with Grant, Minos spent the night in that little city in the Kingdom of the End before finally heading north.


    Then, two days passed quietly, and this young man had finally reached the capital of this state, the city of Mirabella.


    Such a place was very different from the small city he had passed through earlier, being a large metropolis with over 7 million inhabitants.


    Mirabella was huge, with more than a thousand square kilometers of area, many buildings and squares of all kinds scattered throughout the city.


    At the same time, the neighborhoods here were much more organized than in other cities in this region. It was almost as if they were a collection of different cities in one area without borders.


    Each of them had its characteristics, from the architecture of the buildings, the design of the street lamps, to even the paving model.


    In addition, there were areas where only public buildings were, such as the city center, where the royal palace and the temple of the Spiritual Church in this city were located.


    On the other hand, there were residential neighborhoods around Mirabella, with commercial districts between such locations and large recreational areas in the vicinity of each of them.


    Because of this different model from the rest of the region, Mirabella had no traffic problems, even though this city was home to more than 7 million people. There are no problems with overcrowded neighborhoods or residents crossing the city from one side to the other just for work.


    No, this city seemed much less hectic than other large regional capitals because of the local setup. It even has the presence of neighborhoods so quiet that it would not be strange for someone to think they were in a smaller city.


    And Minos had already sensed some of this by just moving around this city in a rented carriage as he made his way towards his destination.


    This young man had just arrived in Mirabella and had already left his beast companion in the vicinity of this region. And since he did not have much to do around here, he was heading directly to Kara''s house, where he wanted to see if he could find her.


    As for his regional intimidation mission, his very presence in this city would be enough to invoke certain feelings among the leaders of the Carline family.p????-?????.???


    After all, after weeks since his actions against the Walker and Hargraves families, the royal house of this kingdom surely knew that these cases were threats from him against such power!


    Minos had been clear with his offer to Kara. So, it would not take a mind of genius for the leaders of this family to realize that.


    Hence, Minos was not interested in killing anyone this time. On the contrary, he was more interested in bedroom matters, finding Kara, and doing many things with that woman inside the local royal palace itself!


    This young man had had to deprive his carnal desires for the last three months, so his ''appetite'' had already reached an unprecedented level...


    Minos would probably not seek anything as exotic as fucking an enemy''s daughter inside such a person''s home in everyday situations. But with sexual deprivation came desire, something that took even the timid out of their comfort zone!


    And hell, young Stuart was not shy at all. Consequently, he was heading to the local royal palace with a smile on his face, eager to meet Kara and release his accumulated stress since his failed attempt with Gloria.


    ''I hope she truly is here...'' He thought about it inside the carriage he had rented earlier as he looked out over the brightly lit streets of the central part of this city.


    Minos had heard rumors while traveling through the kingdom that Kara and Ford were visiting their family. Because of this, he was so excited to come to this city!


    ...


    A few minutes later, a young man with brown hair walked towards the entrance of the royal palace while having his two hands in the pockets of his black overcoat.


    However, unlike in other situations, this young man was not wearing his traditional golden mask this time.


    No, he wanted to announce his arrival to the family, who would be hosting him for at least one night. As such, there was no need to use such artifice. p???? ?o???


    "Hey! Hey!"


    "Hold it right there, kid!"


    "The palace is closed for visitors! Come back tomorrow!" One of the Spiritual Kings, leader of the royal guard on patrol, said this loudly as he looked at Minos coming towards him.


    Meanwhile, many guards in the surroundings of that place were already looking with strange looks at Minos, as if they were thirsting to attack this newly arrived person at the slightest misunderstanding.


    However, they were lucky that Minos was not there for them. So, they just listened to how young Stuart invited himself into that place protected by a medium-level grade-2 defensive array. "Don''t waste your time rejecting me. I''m here to see Kara. I''m sure she''s already waiting for me."


    "What?"


    "Who are you, brat?"


    p????-?o??? "Bastard! Do you think the princess would welcome someone like you?"


    "Not only will she welcome me into her house. But she will also let me into other places as well..." Minos said with an incomparable smile, making everyone tremble with anger.


    Kara was gorgeous, and as a woman of much higher status than these men, they could only dream of her.


    But even though they had no contact with her, they had felt a decisive blow when Minos had quoted such absurdity.


    "You wretch! I will kill you!" ¦Ñ???????????


    "Say your name, worm!"


    Many of them shouted as they prepared to run toward Minos, already with weapons in their hands.


    "Oh? That''s right. I should have introduced myself already..." Minos said in a peaceful tone, embarrassed by his lack of manners.


    "Tell Kara that Minos Stuart is here to see her."


    "But don''t delay with that. I''m not known for my patience..."


    "What?" Some of them asked this as they felt goosebumps on their bodies, frightened to hear that damned name.


    Meanwhile, the legs of others trembled as they realized that all the characteristics of the devil Minos could be seen in that newcomer.


    ''Brown hair, brown eyes, nice looking, tall, strong...'' One of the women there pondered over Minos'' physical features while swallowing her saliva in nervousness.


    But not everyone there was convinced of Minos'' words.


    "Don''t believe him!"


    "I''m sure he''s just a charlatan trying to trick us into taking advantage of our princess!"


    "Let''s take him down and start the interrogation!"


    Shouts from those more agitated arose in the surroundings. At the same time, some of the more ignorant began to doubt their convictions, believing the words of those more active in that place.


    "Oh? You people prefer to do things with violence?" Minos asked this as a dark red-bladed sword appeared in his left hand.


    "You want me to prove my identity?"


    Gulp!


    Sounds of saliva being swallowed spread around the main entrance of the royal palace as those people finally began to believe Minos'' words.


    But none of them took the initiative to do what Minos had politely asked. Because of this, this young man could not help but lose his good mood.


    "Tsk!"


    "You guys can''t even do something that simple? Forget it."


    "I''ll go in on my own!" He said in a firm tone, holding the sword from before as he walked in the opposite direction to those people.


    Simultaneously, a gigantic black ring appeared from Minos'' feet, swirling around his surroundings as it passed a chilling sensation to everyone within its range.


    "What is he doing?"


    "How should I know?"


    "Damn it!"


    "We have to do something!"


    Conversations began to arise among those terrified of fear who watched Minos slowly wave his sword in the direction of the protective barrier of that place.


    "Hey! Hey!"


    "Don''t do that!"


    "He will attack us!" Those people finally realized that they had made a mistake that would cost the defenses of that place!


    Spatial Sword!


    Just at that instant, as the royal guards on the outskirts were shouting in an attempt to stop young Stuart, the smartest of them felt terror, assuming what would happen next.


    "No! No!"


    "This is the end! Our family is finished!"


    "Ahh! What a tragedy! The Queen will be killed!"


    Swooish!


    ...

 Chapter 933 The Princess Sacrifice

    Chapter 933 The Princess'' Sacrifice


    Boom!


    Shortly after Minos'' attack hit the barrier raised by the defensive array of that estate, it exploded into endless pieces as if made of glass.


    Meanwhile, the people in the surrounding area no longer doubt that the newcomer was indeed the notorious leader of the Black Plain!


    Because of this, the destruction of that barrier was already making them tremble with fear that Minos would do the same to this place as he had done to the Walker family headquarters.


    And with that, it did not take long for cries of panic to spread through that place, as the more intelligent and calm ones tried to do something about it.


    "Call in all the specialists!"


    "We''re under attack! Hurry! Quick!"


    "Ahhh! Protect the royal family with your lives!"


    Such things came out of the throats of many there, reaching Minos'' ears and making him smile in satisfaction.


    ''Hmm, very good!''


    ''Looks like I''ve scared them off enough!'' He felt good realizing this, seeing that the people in this place were already close to their limits.


    ''Hehehehe, sometimes to get someone to follow your plans, you just need a gentle push...''


    ''Let me do it this time!'' He thought as he smiled before finally saying out loud. "Don''t worry!"p????-?????.???


    "I''m sure the Carline family command has already accepted subordination to me, so none of you are in danger!"


    "Pay attention as Kara will come into my arms later..." He said, manipulating those people in his surroundings.


    "What?"


    "Has the family received such an ultimatum?"


    "I can''t believe we''re going to become subordinates of the Black Plain! It''s too humiliating!"


    The people in the surrounding area began to spread the information that Minos had just released to them.


    It was evident that these ordinary people did not know about Minos'' offer to Kara and the Carline family. Consequently, these people thought that this young man was here on a bloody mission, similar to his recent exploits.


    However, telling these people about such a possibility and making them believe that the command of this organization would accept such a thing was like creating a new focus of disagreement within this family!


    And it did not take long for those people to see that at least part of Minos'' words were not a lie.


    The moment the leaders of that family in that headquarters appeared on the outskirts of Minos, Kara appeared there too, running towards him.


    "Minos!" She shouted in surprise as she looked with concern at him.


    She did not expect to see Minos in this place, as they had an agreement and the time for her to convince her family was not over yet. So, she did not think he would act against House Carline, even considering all the recent news. p???? ?o???


    However, after sensing the local barrier being destroyed, this woman had come to this location and spotted Minos'' handsome face from afar, having felt certain insecurity in her soul.


    With that, she ran towards him without worrying about the people in the surroundings, hoping to avoid any kind of fight between him and her family.


    "Minos, what are you doing here? The period you gave us has not yet..." She was about to say this while approaching him when her mother, the queen, suddenly hindered her.


    "What do you want here?" That level 59 woman, with black hair and a first-grade appearance, still young, said this to Minos without caring what her daughter was trying to do.


    Minos was an enemy, and since he had attacked them like that, she would not stand by and do nothing.


    But Kara could not stand by and listen to her mother''s tone. No, she could not let any misunderstanding happen between them, so she just shut up and ran into Minos'' embrace.


    "Oh?" Some people in the surrounding area sounded surprised, seeing the affectionate way Kara treated the enemy that threatened the existence of this family.


    ''Hehehe, I didn''t even have to do much...'' Minos smiled as he slid his fingers around Kara''s slender waist.


    Meanwhile, the subordinates from before were looking at that with eyes and mouths open, shocked at how intimate Kara was with the most feared enemy in the region.


    p????-?o??? On the other hand, the queen made a strange expression upon seeing this, feeling that she had failed to educate her daughter. "Kara, what do you think you are doing?"


    "That person is the enemy of your family!"


    "How can you let him touch your body like that? Aren''t you ashamed of embarrassing your whole family?" She asked as her face turned completely red with anger. ¦Ñ???????????


    "Mom, you already know everything, so you don''t have to act like this!" Kara said aloud, not caring about the people in the surrounding area.


    She then looked Minos straight into his eyes and asked. "Why have you come here? I hope you won''t do something against your own promises."


    Minos then smiled at the beauty in his arms and directed one of his hands to this woman''s left cheek, massaging it slowly. "Of course, I will not dishonor my promises..."


    "It was just that I was in the vicinity and heard that you were here, so I decided to stop by your place to pay a visit."


    "Maybe spend a night or two..." He softly said as he brought his lips close to this woman''s left ear.


    At the same time, he used his other hand to squeeze her waist in a way that Kara could not confuse his intentions.


    "That..." Kara looked at him strangely, feeling that it was inappropriate to do such a thing. But still, she could not help but feel better about it.


    Such a thing was not a bad idea, as she had truly enjoyed her time with Minos in Dry City. At the same time, this could prevent more significant problems, so she already imagined that perhaps this was the best development for a visit from this young man to her family.


    "What do you think?" Minos asked her as his breath made Kara''s bare neck quickly shiver.


    She then turned to her surroundings and looked at her mother, "Mother, please don''t do anything."


    "Minos is only here for me. The family is in no danger!"


    "What?"


    "How can you say that, Kara?"


    "Don''t you see the barrier destroyed by him? He is attacking us!" The queen bellowed in anger, feeling that she had failed as a mother.


    "I only did this because your subordinates did not let me in peacefully, nor did they communicate to Kara about my visit..."


    "So, I did my own way in," Minos said calmly, just before he made a move, raising Kara into his arms in a split second.


    "I don''t want to fight today, so I hope you guys aren''t too dumb to attack me."


    "Now, if you excuse me, I have a business to attend to with this lady!" He said without any shame in his speech, making that woman blush deeply. At the same time, every single person in the surrounding area felt that this was a dream, or rather, a nightmare.


    "Where is the royal throne hall?" Minos asked the beauty in his arms, smiling maliciously.


    Gulp!


    "Minos..."


    "No!"


    "Come on, Kara, it will be fun!" He said this while trying to convince this woman to do such a thing in her father''s official space.


    "If you do such a thing, I promise to fulfill one of your wishes in the future."


    "Is that so?" She asked as her white eyes sparkled.


    "Hmm, as long as it''s nothing like nullifying my requirements for that deal, I''ll accept anything."


    "That..." She said doubtfully, before being silent for a moment, wondering how good that would be or not.


    ''Never mind. We''ll already do this anyway, so I''d better fulfill his desire and at least gain favor in return!''


    ''At least I''ll have something to reverse some bad decisions of my family in the future!'' She made up her mind to ''sacrifice'' herself for the greater good as her body grew hotter and hotter from the thought of doing this in her father''s workplace.


    "Follow that path..." She then gave him the directions.


    Meanwhile, Kara''s mother stood in the same place as before, utterly shocked at how her daughter had handled this situation, embarrassed and afraid.


    ''No!''


    ''How can something like this be happening!'' She shook with anger, preparing to run towards Minos.


    "Your Majesty, what shall we do now?" One of the elders there asked worriedly, fearing that the queen would do something stupid.


    He did not want to see the princess sacrifice herself for them. Still, he also did not want to end up like several other individuals from House Walker who had fallen to Minos.


    Hell, none of them were much better than those dead people!


    How would they escape Minos in such a situation?


    But the queen ignored that individual from before and followed in Minos'' footsteps, intending to stop him even if it cost her life.


    ...

 Chapter 934 Voyeur (18+)

    Chapter 934 Voyeur (18+)


    After chasing Minos'' footsteps for a few seconds, Jade Carline, level 59, quickly saw him carrying her daughter in his arms, entering the royal throne hall.


    ''What does he think he''s doing?'' That woman''s eyes widened in concern, looking intently at the figure of Minos.


    And it did not take long for the queen to see that Minos was genuinely going to do shameless things to her daughter in that place.


    In that instant, Jade saw young Stuart sitting on her husband''s throne, settling the beautiful Kara on his lap while slowly kissing this red-haired beauty.


    Minos'' hands moved slowly down such a seductive woman''s body. But he did not touch any very intimate parts of her. Instead, he just ''teased'' other delicate parts of Kara''s body that he knew excited her.


    The female body had many points to explore and start an adventure like the one Minos wanted at the moment. And with his experience of countless hours, this young man knew very well where to start, whether it was with a woman he already knew or a stranger.


    With his touches and gaze, he needed only a few seconds to raise the respiration rate of his partner as he teased her body.


    And it had been no different for Kara this time. After Minos sat down on that throne, one of his hands gently touched the back of her neck, sometimes playing with her hair, sometimes massaging that area.


    Meanwhile, his other hand was on the left side of Kara''s waist, sending pleasant sensations through her body.


    And watching all this unfold so quickly, Jade could not help but watch it all with her mouth open, shocked at how quickly Kara was melting into an enemy''s arms.


    ''How is that possible?''


    ''They just sat there, but my daughter is already looking like an animal in heat!'' She wailed internally, feeling a great humiliation that her offspring had no control or reason to prevent such a thing.p????-?????.???


    ''Where have I gone wrong?''


    ''Did allowing her to sleep with her brother create this perverted personality?'' Jade wondered as she remembered this remarkable fact.


    Kara and Ford''s relationship was known to some people in the Carline family. It was not easy to hide that kind of thing in the Spiritual World!


    In particular, because those two had done such a thing so many times inside the royal palace, even if the people in their surroundings were blind, they would still notice.


    Consequently, Kara''s mother knew about this woman''s forbidden relationship with Ford.


    However, she had never done anything. Not even tell the father of those two.


    Besides the fact that this kind of relationship was not so strange in her eyes, she had never thought that any harmful consequences would come of it.


    First, King Carline himself had married his first cousin, Ford''s mother. And as someone who accepted, nay, was very attracted to forbidden relationships like that, Jade never found herself in the position of criticizing those two.


    She had no right!


    Second, pregnancy in the Spiritual World was complicated even when both parties wanted it. So, as intelligent people would not do something so awful, Kara and Ford definitely would not create something so terrible out of their relationship.


    Considering it that way, Jade had never done anything against the relationship between those two, having even kept it a secret and watched them from afar to prevent accidents... p???? ?o???


    Besides, she hoped that by going to the Flaming Empire, those two would sooner or later meet other people and have a normal relationship again.


    However, now that Jade saw Kara''s perverted personality, she could not help but feel guilty for having allowed all this.


    ''She did such wrong things to her brother... Maybe she thinks nothing else can weigh on her conscience!'' Jade thought about this as she felt her eyes water.


    ''Now my baby is like this...'' She lamented, looking at Kara''s perfect body, which by now was without even a single piece protecting it.


    Meanwhile, Minos had also lost his clothes and was now lying on the floor of that area, just in front of the royal throne, where he had his friend on top of him, kissing him intensely.


    She was partially sideways to Jade, leaving her beautiful buttocks towards her mother while kissing Minos and feeling one of his hands playing with her flower.


    At the same time, she was holding her partner''s rod, feeling the pulsation of that hot piece of flesh as her mind floated with desire and pleasure.


    "Mmmmmmm~"


    She moaned, still kissing Minos, feeling her body getting hotter and hotter as she forgot where she was.


    And not only was she ignoring the fact that she had brought Minos to her father''s workplace. She also neglects the surroundings, where two people watch them.


    But Minos had already realized all this. Not only had he felt Jade chasing them the whole time. He also noticed Ford''s spiritual fluctuation, who was also watching them from afar. ¦Ñ???????????


    But none of this mattered to this young man. He would rather have privacy when doing what he intended with Kara. Still, since these people wanted to watch, he would not bother stopping.


    Hell, if they wanted to degrade their image of Kara by watching her like that, as well as hate him even more for it, so be it!


    They were his enemies until they got down on their knees!


    So, this young man would have no mercy.


    As for Kara, Minos knew that such a woman saw no problem in all this, or she would not ignore those two so easily.


    Consequently, not only did he not stop his fun, he even stepped things up a bit there!


    "Ahhhh!"


    Kara let out a small surprise cry as she felt her body shift position, now on top of Minos, with her face to his little brother and flower just centimeters from his lips.


    "Let me taste you one more time..." Minos said in a tone filled with desire, just before he started eating Kara''s pussy.


    "Ahhhhh~"


    Kara moaned aloud just after something soft and warm touched her precious pearl.


    Minos then used one of his hands to rub the lips of Kara''s little sister, causing a liquid to slowly start dripping onto his face as muscle spasms spread around her body.


    On the other hand, this young man''s other hand was slowly playing with one of Kara''s nipples, squeezing it gently and sending waves of pleasure through her hot body.


    "Ahhhhh~" Kara moaned in pleasure as she felt this, trying not to stop the work she was doing on young Stuart''s rod, but without success.


    ...


    While watching all that from another part of that place, Ford was red-eyed with anger, feeling doubly bad at that moment.


    Not only was Minos doing this to his sister, who was also his lover, but he also felt terrible about what was happening between his legs!


    After finding out that Minos was on this property, Ford had seen Kara being brought to this place by young Stuart and then followed them on a different path from his stepmother.


    p????-?o??? But upon arriving there, he had thought that all he would feel was an even greater hatred for young Stuart.


    However, life was complicated, and seeing how Minos was teasing his younger sister; this prince had felt an unexpected pressure in his underwear!


    So, right now, he was feeling self-hatred for his body displaying these shameful signs while seeing the woman he loved most being touched by another!


    Not only that, but when Kara finally reached her first orgasm and begged Minos to fuck her, Ford could not help but feel a strange satisfaction deep within his being.


    ''It can''t be!''


    ''It can''t be that I''m a fucking voyeur!'' He pondered this while feeling angry but unable to ignore the pleasure of seeing his sister being fucked by another and the urge to keep watching it all.


    And it was not so different for Jade!


    Unlike Ford, this woman had recognized herself for much longer. After all, she had watched the brother and sister couple do their thing so many times from afar... So, how could she not understand her situation?


    But like Ford, she also felt bad about it all since Minos was an enemy, and the woman who was moaning with all her breath while riding his rod was her daughter!


    Hence, this woman was red with resentment, feeling extremely bad for everything happening.


    ''Tsk!''


    ''I''m sorry, Kara. That is all your mother''s fault...''


    ''Your perverted mother...'' She wailed deeply as she felt her body warm.


    ...

 Chapter 935 A Path Of No Return

    Chapter 935 A Path Of No Return


    After almost an hour since the start of Minos and Kara''s fun, the two finally stopped for a moment, completely sweaty and contaminated with each other''s fluids.


    That was particularly true for Kara, who had been filled in her three different holes and was now feeling exhausted, without the strength to move her legs.


    As for Minos, he was also quite tired, but his situation was much better than Kara''s. Still, the look of satisfaction on his face could not be mistaken, and his little brother was still pointing upwards, wetted by her juices.


    "Hah... Hah... That was truly superb!" He heard Kara''s sweet voice next to his left ear as he saw the beautiful smile on her face.


    Minos then used one of his hands to massage Kara''s face while looking her in the eyes. "Hmmm, but don''t worry. This time I will spend the whole night with you."


    "Really?" Kara asked doubtfully, as she internally wondered if her body would be able to handle the whole night with Minos.


    But the fantastic feeling that spread through her tired body right after thinking about it had promptly put a smile on her face, making her look forward to the next few hours.


    "Yes. I, too, have not been completely satisfied." He said in a low tone, speaking softly into one of her ears.


    Upon hearing this, Kara''s entire body shook in excitement as she slowly began to regain her strength and physical condition.


    "But this time, we''d better continue in a more comfortable place..."


    "I''m sure this ''place'' has witnessed enough..." He said this amid laughter, ignoring the two people in the vicinity.p????-?????.???


    "You!" Kara said with a silly smile on her face, thinking that Minos was saying this because they had done such a thing at her father''s workplace.


    "You truly are a pervert, Minos Stuart!"


    "You know me well..." He replied.


    "How can you be so naughty as to want to have me in this place? Don''t you think that''s pretty immoral?"


    "Hahaha, look who''s talking... A few minutes ago, who was it that was begging to be fucked hard? Who was it who said it didn''t want to think about anything else, just wanted to feel me inside her body?"


    Kara''s face then turned red with embarrassment as she hugged young Stuart and hid her face in his chest. "You''re teasing me!"


    After that, she let go of him and ran towards her apartment, which was not far from there.


    In the meantime, Minos watched that woman using a white towel around her body, running away from him, smiling and licking his lips in satisfaction.


    ''I won''t take long before I join you, but before that...'' He thought about it as he looked in the direction where Jade was standing, completely ignoring his old acquaintance Ford.


    Explosive Steps! p???? ?o???


    Activating his movement technique, Minos appeared behind Jade, where he could see parts of this woman''s noble clothing soaked in sweat.


    He then smiled and used his two arms to wrap around Jade''s mature body without giving this woman time to react to his sudden appearance behind her back.


    "You are fascinating, Your Majesty," Minos murmured into one of her ears, slowly feeling that mature body.


    "I hadn''t thought that Kara''s mother would have such a trait..."


    "I like it!"


    "You!" She finally said something without moving because her body was susceptible right now, and she knew that Minos was much stronger than she was.


    She then used the only weapon she had at her disposal, her mouth. "What do you want with me? Is doing all that to my only daughter not enough for you?"


    "Don''t tell me you want to humiliate our entire family by acting against me too?"


    But Minos did not stop his advances upon hearing those words.


    Why would he stop? He was not using his force to force her to stand still, and she was standing there, letting him touch her without indicating any sign of displeasure. ¦Ñ???????????


    Not only that, she had watched the whole fun of Minos and Kara, so this young man already had in mind that this woman had not done this just out of concern for her daughter.


    No, she had done such a thing because it was her liking!


    Considering all that, Minos could not spare this woman and waste the chance to feel the body of a powerful queen, one of the strongest women he had ever known.


    He then said in a low voice. "Kara will still be a few minutes before she is ready for more fun with me... Why don''t you let me take care of your situation first?"


    "You can also join us if that is in your best interest..." He suggested, just before slowly sniffing the back of that woman''s left ear and then using his mouth on the soft lobe of that part of Jade''s body.


    Gulp!


    Jade felt a shiver run around her body as Minos'' hands pressed her large breasts. "How can you talk such an absurd thing?"


    p????-?o??? "I am a married woman!"


    "I am the queen of this state!"


    "Besides, I love my husband, and I would never cheat on him!" She said in confidence before finally turning around to get out of that shameful position and look at Minos.


    "Is that so? Are you sure you don''t want to do anything with me?" Minos smiled as he looked at the woman who was still in his arms'' reach and who at the moment was watching his naked body with interest.


    "No one needs to know about what we do here..." He suggested in a low voice as he took one of her hands and slowly brought it to him. "We can arrange a time at some secret location where we can work out this heat from your body..."


    ''It seems King Carline is not taking proper care of this beautiful wife of his...'' Minos thought about it silently, feeling Jade''s ripe body.


    ''Well, as that fellow''s future leader, I will perform the service of helping him control this woman!''


    ''Yes, as his future leader, that will be my gift to him for joining my organization!'' He pondered this, laughing as he slowly brought his lips closer to Jade''s.


    "Mmmmmm~"


    After that, the two kissed fervently. At first, only Minos was acting, but after a few seconds of fighting with herself, Jade let her body do what she wanted so badly.


    ''Damn it!''


    ''I shouldn''t have done that!''


    ''Now, I don''t know what to do to stop all this!'' She thought about it in desperation, feeling that she could not betray her husband with Minos.


    But the more she thought that such a thing was wrong, that King Carline would be devastated, she felt more and more pleasure from Minos'' touches and kisses.


    "Hah... Hah..." She finally managed to pull her lips away from Minos'' and looked at him intensely, with fire in her eyes. "Not here."


    "Let''s continue this later, in a more discreet place..." She then told Minos what he should do before finally running from that place in a hurry.


    All her rationality wanted at this moment was a cold shower, something to calm the heat in her body and maybe stop her from continuing this madness.


    But the carnal desire in her body was not slight. On the contrary, her heart was pounding considerably, anticipating what it would be like to do what Kara had done to Minos.


    ''What''s wrong with me?'' She asked herself as she ran away, trying to ignore her soaked underwear.


    But for this woman, a person who had enjoyed watching her own daughter have sex on so many occasions; she could no longer hold back her desire to give herself to a man other than her husband.


    King Carline was very good to her, and Jade loved him deeply. But while that man was beginning to lose sexual interest, this woman was at her peak, with every fiber of her body craving for intimate moments with a man.


    And in the absence, abstention, and neglect of her husband, she had finally reached the point of no return where she could no longer maintain her fidelity.


    For good or bad reasons, this would happen precisely with the regional enemy, her family''s enemy, and her daughter''s lover, Minos!

 Chapter 936 Withdrawal

    Chapter 936 Withdrawal


    Two weeks later...


    By now, Minos had left the capital of the Kingdom of the End and was making his way alongside Maida towards the Snow Kingdom, his last destination on this trip.


    After his warm reunion with Kara, Minos had a fantastic night with that woman, having fun with her for an additional five hours before she finally fell asleep from exhaustion.


    That day in question, after finishing his business with Kara, Minos had secretly gone to his scheduled meeting with Jade, where to the young man''s surprise, he had found that queen waiting for him.


    Surprise because he had thought that after relieving the previous heat, Jade would think better of what she had said to him and try to avoid him until he left that city.


    However, that had not happened!


    No, not only had she done just what she had promised him, but she had also prepared herself, especially for that occasion!


    On that day in question, just before daybreak in Mirabella, Minos had met that woman in a secret training room of the royal palace, where she was waiting for him.


    In that place, he had found a large bed in the middle of the training area, something that Minos knew was not part of that environment since it did not match the decoration of such a place.p????-?????.???


    No, he had readily realized that it had been brought there by Jade herself!


    Even if he were a fool unable to perceive the visual differences in the type of items there and the bed in question, he would still have understood such a thing. Upon arriving at that place and seeing that bed, Minos had found Jade waiting for him lying there, wearing nothing but erotic lingerie.


    And with that, he had enjoyed himself with Kara''s mother for several hours straight, having satisfied every repressed desire that woman had!


    After all this, Minos stayed two more days in Mirabella, having alternated his evenings and early days between having fun with Kara or her mother.


    But unfortunately for him, Jade had at no point agreed to do those things with Minos at the same time as her daughter.


    According to her, it felt good to see other people having sex. Still, she did not want to cross the line and have sex with the same man as her daughter simultaneously, or worse, start a forbidden relationship with Kara.


    Jade knew that two women could not serve the same man simultaneously without anything happening between them.


    Things might work out at first, but with time, such a thing would undoubtedly evolve! p???? ?o???


    Jade knew this well as she had experienced this with King Carline''s other women, with whom, sooner or later, she had always ended up having intimate relations as well.


    Not only that, sometimes she and the other women of King Carline, including Ford''s mother, Linette, would even do their things in her husband''s absence!


    But since Jade did not want to do such a thing to her daughter, she had refused to comply with Minos'' wishes...


    Too bad they were not like Viola and Mirya.


    Anyway, besides enjoying himself day and night with mother and daughter, Minos had only cultivated and trained, having done nothing else in this short time of his in Mirabella.


    After this, he said goodbye to those two, wishing to see them again in the future.


    Kara had already told him that she would do so once she returned to the empire, while Jade had secretly told him that she would like to see him again but did not know when or where.


    With that, Minos had left that city and traveled southeast, something that had happened over the past 12 days. ¦Ñ???????????


    And as expected, nothing problematic had happened during this period, with this young man just taking advantage of the time he had to train and get to know this region a little more.


    The northern part of the Central Continent was huge and had all kinds of different cultures, which Minos did not ignore. After all, he would welcome people into his territory from all parts of this region in the future.


    So, it was his duty as a leader to learn more about the lifestyle of the different communities around this part of the continent.


    p????-?o??? Consequently, he had been getting to know the cities of the Kingdom of the End that were on his way to the Snow Kingdom, which also served him to get recent news and also to rest.


    For example, Minos discovered that while small powers were trying to erode the influence of the great organizations fighting on the Black Plain, it impacted the Kingdom of the End slighter.


    But such a thing had not been difficult for him to understand the reason. After all, this state was one of the richest but with one of the small areas and populations in the region. So, the average strength was higher than in other kingdoms, and the institutions were stronger.


    Thus, it was not strange that the regional chaos had not significantly affected Kara''s state!


    Nothing else caught his attention other than seeing a few elves in the kingdom, for although the Kingdom of the End had many peculiarities, these were more basic, everyday things.


    It was crucial information, but it was something he did not have to worry about. He would merely give this information to his organization and let his subordinates use such things to benefit the Black Plain in the future!


    And with that, he was peacefully continuing his journey to the Snow Kingdom, where he hoped to get some information!


    ...


    While Minos was traveling, the Hayes and Stokes families of the Cromwell Kingdom and House Cohen of the Kingdom of the Waves had finally rebelled against their states!


    When this became public, the entire region was shocked by the changing attitudes of these organizations that, until then, had not been participating significantly in the war.


    In any case, with the settlement of tens of thousands of people both north and south of the Black Plain border, the battlefield had become even more chaotic.


    That, of course, was related to these three powers, which declared their intention to join the Black Plain in forming a new state and began actively fighting on the main battlefields.


    At the same time, with the arrival of the fleet commanded by the Nash family, dozens of enemy ships around the Black Plain had been sunk. In contrast, thousands more warriors had landed in that warring territory.


    Because of these recent changes, all of Minos'' enemies were on high alert right now, sensing that things were getting worse, even in the absence of that young man.


    Not only that, the news that Minos had raided the headquarters of House Carline had also already shocked the entire region, and now even the counter-revolutionary allies felt terrible about it.


    After all, unlike what had happened to the Walker and Hargraves families, nothing terrible had happened to House Carline...


    And with this information in hand, many powers were already wondering what was happening between House Carline and the Black Plain!


    Why had Minos not killed Jade and the other high-level cultivators from that family?


    That was the question that kept popping up in the minds of those people in the Counter-Revolutionary Army.


    Not only them, but even Linette was also extremely curious to understand what had happened in Mirabella.


    Unfortunately, she had not received the order to return home and was still on the battlefield waiting for news from her family.


    As for King Carline, after hearing the recent news, he had rushed back to his state, feeling extremely nervous that Minos had invaded his home.


    Not only that, he felt a terrible feeling in his being, as if he had lost something important or something. Hence, he could not help but run to his capital for his wives and the rest of his family.


    He had already read that no one had died. Still, the bad feeling in his being had not allowed him to trust the regional periodicals blindly.


    With that, he was already halfway to his headquarters!

 Chapter 937 Mothers Visit

    Chapter 937 Mother''s Visit


    Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Dry City...


    At this moment, a woman was floating on the outskirts of Dry City, observing from a high altitude that place below her feet.


    She wore a beautiful dark blue armor shaped like a dress, which, although it covered her beautiful body well, left some hints that would make any man''s mind work.


    But, aside from her first-rate body, which, unfortunately for anyone who happened to be nearby at the time, had almost no skin showing, her unrivaled appearance was on display as the wind ruffled the veil over her face.


    And if anyone on the outskirts of that city were to look in this person''s direction and be able to see from such a distance, this person would see her thin, flawless face. Not only that, but this person would also see her striking red lips and brown eyes that matched her wavy hair of the same color perfectly.


    But as much as she looked like a true goddess among mere humans, her beautiful face had a confused expression, as if she was endlessly working her mind to understand what was going on.


    She had a focused gaze on Dry City, while her spiritual senses were spreading out everywhere in the surrounding area, checking out this area.


    ''It seems that this place has changed a lot since my last visit...'' She pondered this as she noticed the differences between the city and the surrounding area.


    Not only were there more people and buildings, but the natural spiritual energy of this area was denser than the last time she had passed through this city.


    ''This spiritual root is recovering rapidly!'' She concluded this with a smile on her face, curious to know how this was all happening.p????-?????.???


    But considering the number of changes this place had gone through since Minos'' arrival, she knew that only he could be behind it all.


    ''Minos is especially clever...''


    ''He didn''t say anything to Ruth, even though she is his girlfriend and the two were even in love!''


    Her lips formed an even more prominent arch, making her look more stunning. "Very well, you make me proud, Minos." She murmured as she thought of her son.


    That, of course, was Maisie Coleman, level 69, the mother of young Stuart and Ruth''s master.


    From time to time, Maisie used part of her free moments of responsibility to come to the northern region of the Central Continent and observe Minos'' situation in secret.


    She worried about what he was doing, but she was also very curious about how her son had become so strong and managed to do such impressive things even without outside help.


    That''s why she had come to this place several times since her only encounter with Minos in these almost ten years since his awakening.


    Today, she was here to do the same, once again. p???? ?o???


    In particular, after the trouble Minos had been causing in this region, she had become particularly interested in observing her son''s actions. He was constantly showing her new things.


    She was not impressed because she had never seen anything of the sort but because she did not have such high expectations for him.


    Maisie even wished that her son would become someone great. After all, he was her son, and there was no reason to wish small things for him.


    p????-?o??? But this woman was quite pragmatic. Because of Minos'' talent revealed at the time of the spiritual academy and the fact that he had much of his father''s personality, she did not think he had enough.


    At least, that was her previous assumption, which had allowed for all of the surprises she had experienced in the years since her son began his cultivation journey.


    But now, she no longer underestimated him and had high expectations for Minos!


    Not that she was interested in her son''s stuff, she was not. But she frankly was curious to know how far Minos could go and the origin of his possibilities.


    Previously she had considered the possibility of possession. Still, after secretly checking his body several times, she had already ruled that out and was reassured that her son was fine.


    But still, she wanted to know more about the mystery of Minos Stuart, even if only out of curiosity. ¦Ñ???????????


    ''It seems that you will come to see me in the empire sooner than I had imagined...'' She thought of this as she remembered what the master of the Gray Clouds Sect had told her.


    But as Maisie slowly watched that small part of her son''s territory, she finally felt something strange, which removed the smile off her face.


    ''Who is this?'' She asked herself as she looked in Gloria''s direction.


    After that, she quickly flew towards that redheaded woman, worried about why someone so strong was in that place.


    She could not sense Gloria''s level because this acquaintance of Minos was inside the area protected by the defensive dome of Dry City, which blocked Maisie''s spiritual sense. But upon seeing that stunning beauty hovering in the air, Maisie had readily realized that such a person was a Spiritual Emperor!


    Consequently, to prevent trouble for her son, she did not delay heading in that person''s direction, quickly passing through one of the entrances to Dry City.


    Unlike Gloria, Maisie already had the pass to enter this place.


    Not only did some soldiers know her identity, but Dillian had done her the favor of giving her an item of identification.


    With this, Maisie passed through the many Black Plain Army soldiers without having any problems nor having to wait for an escort or authorization. Instead, she just made her way to that city, flying toward Gloria.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Gloria was floating high above Dry City, watching this place interestedly.


    She enjoyed seeing how Minos'' schemes for this place worked since this city was very different from all the others she had ever seen in this region.


    ''Hmm, the models of this place, for some reason, remind me of the Western Empire...'' She thought about this as she saw the everyday movement of a part of this city.


    But while doing so, she suddenly felt a terrifying power coming at high speed toward her, making her completely forget her previous thoughts.


    ''What''s happening?''


    ''Level 69?'' Her eyes opened in shock as she saw the silhouette of a woman flying towards her.


    ''Who is this person? What is she doing in Dry City?'' She looked fearfully at Maisie, not recognizing Minos'' mother.


    But that was normal. As much as Gloria already knew about Minos'' glorious mother, she did not know her personally or expect to meet this person in Dry City.


    And the same was true for Maisie.


    Of course, she knew Gloria''s identity since this woman was the head of the Spiritual Church for this region. But without knowing her personally, nor expecting to meet her here, young Stuart''s mother had not identified that redhead either.


    "Who are you? What are you doing in Dry City?" Minos'' mother asked first, already holding the beautiful Gloria by the neck menacingly.


    Gulp!


    "I might ask the same thing!"


    "Why is someone of your level in Dry City? Besides, how did you get in here? Don''t tell me you killed and threatened Minos'' soldiers?" Gloria asked angrily, looking in the direction of Maisie''s eyes, who at the moment had her face covered by a blue veil.


    "Quiet!"


    "I''ll ask the questions here, brat!"


    "Answer my questions, or I''ll have to take action against you!" Maisie said coldly, tightening her hand around Gloria''s neck until it made this woman tremble with fear.


    And there was no way she could not be afraid. The difference in cultivation between someone of level 64 and 69 was more or less double!


    With such a difference, Maisie could exterminate Gloria in the blink of an eye!


    And knowing this, Gloria could not help but curse her luck before finally answering that person. "My name is Gloria Frost, and I am here to meet the local sovereign, Minos Stuart."


    ...

 Chapter 938 A Dangerous Game

    Chapter 938 A Dangerous Game


    "Oh? Gloria Frost?" Minos'' mother muttered that just before letting go of that young redhead''s neck.


    p????-?o??? "What is someone from the Spiritual Church doing in Dry City? What exactly do you want with my son?"


    "Son?" Gloria looked awkwardly at Maisie for a moment until all the information she had in mind about Minos surfaced in her mind. ''So, that''s it...''


    But still recognizing Maisie, Gloria decided to answer this woman''s question to avoid further misunderstandings. "I met your son earlier, and we had..."


    "Cough!"


    "Now, I am here to settle a personal matter with him and try to resolve this war."


    "Personal matter? Tell me more about it..." Minos'' mother''s eyes sharpened with her watching the person in front of her as the blush on Gloria''s cheeks spread rapidly.


    Gulp!


    "It''s no big deal. He just used a fake name and tricked me into thinking he was someone else."


    "I just want to talk to him to find out if it was all a pretense or if there was some truth in his words..." She said, embarrassed.


    "Oh?"


    ''It seems my son has a lot of nerve...''p????-?????.???


    ''He seduced this girl?'' Maisie smiled, finding it fascinating how Minos dared to tease someone of Gloria''s level.


    ''Who did he get that from? Albert wasn''t that incisive with women. Even more so considering the abysmal difference between those two...''


    Maisie had met Minos'' father when the two were of about the same cultivation level. Because of this, Albert, who at the time did not know that Maisie was from the Flaming Empire, had gotten his hands on this woman and taken her for himself.


    It was only after many decades of the infrequent relationship between the two that the differences had become as significant or more than that of Minos and Gloria today.


    In addition, Albert was somewhat more faithful to her than Minos seemed to be toward Ruth. Because of all this, Maisie could not help but wonder where this side of her son had come from.


    ''Did he inherit it from my father?'' Maisie pondered, remembering what she had heard about the past of her old father, who had had over 30 women.


    Only after a long time, when these women were dying due to their low life expectancy, did he ''calm'' about it and become faithful to Maisie''s mother.


    And remembering the stories she had heard during her less than 150 years, Maisie could not help but compare Minos to his grandfather.


    ''Poor Ruth, she''ll have a lot of trouble in the future...'' She shook her head in lamentation, putting Gloria aside to think of her disciple.


    After a while, she became more serious and got straight to the point. "Do you like my son?"


    "Uh... What?" Gloria almost flew backward, feeling surprised at this. p???? ?o???


    "If you don''t like him, I think you''d better stay away from my son immediately."


    "I know how you Spiritual Church people are, so I don''t think it will be good for you to keep seeing him if you''re unwilling to compromise."


    "You will only cause trouble for him."


    Gloria''s eyes sharpened after she heard this, with her feeling wronged by the words of young Stuart''s mother. ''Why do you treat me like a criminal trying to defile the ''innocent'' Minos?''


    ''I am the victim here!''


    ''He who tried to sleep with me!'' She shouted in her mind as she tried to breathe to avoid exposing her displeasure further.


    "What is Miss Coleman talking about? I didn''t understand your question..."


    "Humph!"


    "Of course you understood me."


    "Look, let me tell you this to make it easier for all of us. Minos is very stubborn, and he will do things the opposite of what you expect, sometimes taking the most difficult path in front of him."


    "He inherited that from his father." ¦Ñ???????????


    "So, if you are not fully committed to him, it will be best not even to begin any more meaningful relationship with my son."


    "He will never agree to join your church just to be with you. Also, he will not become monogamous, as the women of your church demand of their partners."


    "Then I fear that your intentions here will only cause problems for both of you. So, don''t do that."


    "Tsk!"


    "For an absentee mother, you sort of want to get too involved in your son''s life!" Gloria went straight to the wound without mercy.


    "What did you say, brat?"


    "Humph!"


    "You don''t need to know what I have with Minos. That''s my business and his. So, from now on, if you want to know anything, do me a favor, don''t come and talk to me."


    "If he wants to tell you something, then he will!" After shaking one of her hands, Gloria said this, showing displeasure as she distanced herself from Maisie.


    As for Minos'' mother, she stood there watching that woman disappear from her sight, feeling anger at having to listen to Gloria''s sharp words.


    ''If you weren''t from the Spiritual Church, I''d rip your tongue out, brat!'' She clenched her hands as she pressed her jaw in anger.


    Maisie then said in a low voice that Gloria could not help but hear. "Well, if you''re not leaving, I''ll make it a point to stick around just to get in the way of your plans!"


    "If you do anything to harm him, don''t think I won''t act just because you''re from the Spiritual Church!"


    After that, Maisie also left that place, heading toward the local government mansion.


    As for Gloria, she had a displeased expression on her face, thinking how annoying Minos'' mother was. ''What a meddlesome woman!''


    ''I hear that she and Minos have a terrible relationship...''


    ''I wonder how he will react to hearing that she wants to stand in his way?'' She thought about it, as she remembered that young Stuart seemed to want her quite a bit.


    A smile then appeared on her lips as she thought of a way to irritate that woman. ''Well, when he returns here, I will make it a point to become even closer to him!''


    ''Let''s see what expression you''ll make when he ignores you while he is with me!''


    ...


    While Gloria was thinking about a dangerous game, Maisie was still red with anger. Still, she had already reached Minos'' mansion, where she promptly made her way towards where Dillian was.


    Since she had decided to stick around, she needed to find a suitable location not to disturb her son when he returned.


    After all, if she just went to his residence without him knowing anything, it would only worsen their relationship.


    And with that, soon after being recognized by secretary Mia, Maisie entered Minos'' office, where Dillian and Abby were handling official business.


    "Oh?" She said in surprise as she saw the beautiful blue-haired woman sitting in her son''s armchair while Dillian was sitting on a couch in the middle of that office.


    "Miss Maisie!" Dillian said in surprise, not expecting to see this person again so suddenly.


    As for Abby, this was the second time she had seen Minos'' mother. However, before, she had only seen this person when she was still at the Spiritual Academy. So, her memories of Maisie were not so good, and seeing this person here, she could not help but notice how prettier her fianc¨¦''s mother was.


    "Mother-in-law..." She said, embarrassed, her face completely red.


    "Hmm, you''re Abby, huh? Ruth told me about you." Maisie carefully assessed the blue-haired young woman, observing Abby through every part of that young woman''s body.


    First, she saw the way Abby was sitting, like a genuine lady, with her legs together at each other, slightly leaning to the side, fastened by a dress that went to the height of her knee.


    At the same time, Maisie could see the good measurements of Abby''s hips and chest, which were not inferior to Ruth''s measurements. In fact, certain parts of the woman''s body were even more noticeable than those of the disciple of Minos'' mother.


    And noticing all this, Maisie soon realized the pattern behind Minos'' choices.


    But before she had even finished making her brief assessment of that woman, something shiny on one of Abby''s fingers caught her attention.


    "This..."


    "You and Minos have reached that point?" She asked in an impressed manner, once again lamented by Ruth.


    ...

 Chapter 939 A Good Mother-In-Law

    Chapter 939 A Good Mother-In-Law


    "Oh?" Abby suddenly stood up from where she was standing, moving her hands around nervously as if looking for a place to hide them.


    However, Dillian''s laughter suddenly distracted that woman from her nervous moment in front of her mother-in-law. "Hahaha, the young master and young Abby have been engaged for months now, Miss Maisie!"


    "Not only that, the young master may sooner or later become a father!" He said while playing with his black mustache, remembering a conversation he had had with Minos.


    "What?" Maisie''s eyes widened in surprise.


    As for Abby, she just yelled at that man, feeling embarrassed. "Butler Dillian!"


    ''That shameless Minos! How can he talk about such things with other people?''


    ''Now I''m in that situation!''


    Maisie then looked more closely at that woman, feeling some of her son''s aura in Abby''s body. "It seems that''s true..."


    "You two truly want that? Aren''t you afraid it''s too soon?"


    Gulp!


    "Yes, we do." Abby began to speak with her head down. "But unfortunately, we haven''t had any luck yet..."


    "Sigh..."p????-?????.???


    "What a troublesome young man!"


    "Dillian, do you think this will work out? Haven''t you tried to convince him otherwise?" Maisie asked that individual, speaking in a tone that Abby could not hear her.


    And that man with the pronounced mustache just shook his head negatively, not bothering to speak.


    ''Who am I to try to tell the young master what he should or should not do with his life...'' Dillian thought about this in silence, considering that Minos was already an adult and knew well what he was doing.


    Maisie then looked at Abby once again and asked. "What about Ruth? I hear you, and she has a good relationship..."


    "How will that look in the future? Will you accept sharing him with others even after you marry him?"


    "That..."


    "If it''s Ruth, I don''t mind, but..." She drew a deep breath, gathering the courage to continue what she had in mind. "But I won''t let him bring women into our house as and when he wants."


    "Oh?" Maisie said in surprise, smiling at Abby.


    "Good!"


    "Well, I''ll teach you and Ruth a few things to restrict his womanizing personality." p???? ?o???


    "I don''t like this shameless behavior he''s been exhibiting toward women either."


    "Rest assured about that." She said as she approached that woman. "Now come give your mother-in-law a hug." She laughed.


    Hearing Maisie''s gentle tone, Abby felt less embarrassed while at the same time thinking that this woman could not be as bad as Minos considered her to be.


    "Mother-in-law..." She said in a low voice, feeling Maisie''s soft hands hugging her shoulders.


    "Hmmm, good girl. If you listen to me well, I am sure that Minos will be only yours and Ruth''s in a few years." Then, in a low voice in Abby''s ear, Maisie said that just before she distanced herself from that woman and sat down in one of the armchairs in front of Minos'' desk.


    "Well, in any case, let''s leave it to us to talk about these things at another time."


    "I believe that in a few weeks, Ruth will be around. So, I will talk to both of you at once."


    "However, right now, I want to know where my son is. Tell me about the situation in that territory of his." She said, having first looked at Abby and then at Dillian.


    "Well, the young master is traveling around the region to fulfill some missions... I''m not sure where he is now, but he''s probably heading towards the Snow Kingdom." Dillian commented openly.


    He was loyal to Minos, but he knew that Maisie, although absent, was not a bad person, nor did she wish bad things for her own son. On the contrary, she cared a great deal about him.


    Even when she went months, sometimes more than a year, without seeing little Minos during his childhood, she always communicated with Albert and asked questions about their son. ¦Ñ???????????


    And as someone who had heard such things from Albert on several occasions, Dillian knew that this woman cared about her son more than Minos thought.


    For this reason, he trusted her.


    As for Abby, since Dillian had already said those things, she did not bother to hide other basic Black Plain information.


    "As you may have seen, the Black Plain is at war with the other kingdoms in the region. But don''t worry, as much as we have lost more than we have gained so far, we have recently managed to strike a certain balance with our enemies."


    "That way, it shouldn''t be long before the situation turns in our favor!"


    "Oh? Is that so?" Maisie asked in disbelief. "That brat from the Spiritual Church doesn''t seem to think so..."


    "Otherwise, she wouldn''t come all this way."


    Gloria had teased Maisie, but Minos'' mother knew that that church representative would not come to Dry City just for personal matters.


    That might even happen under other circumstances, but not with a war of independence in the Black Plain!


    So, she had assumed that Gloria wanted to get involved in the war as such a conflict was most likely far from its climax.


    "Hmm, it''s not wrong for her to think that way," Abby said calmly, confident in Minos'' plans.


    "But considering the information, she doesn''t have, she is watching this situation from a bad position, with old information."


    "After Minos returns from his mission, many things will change in this conflict!"


    "Oh? I see you are confident..."


    "Well, I''ll take your word as true then." She said as she stood up from that seat, preparing to leave. "I don''t want to get in the way of your official business, so I''ll say goodbye."


    "By the way, where can I stay in this place? Will my son be bothered if I sleep under the same roof as him?"


    "That..."


    "I''m not sure..." Dillian and Abby looked at each other uncertainly, not wanting to get involved in Minos and Maisie''s problems.


    Abby then suggested. "Maybe we should start any approaching between you slowly. How about you sleeping in one of the visitor residences in this mansion?"


    "My parents are here too, so I don''t think he will bother with that."


    "Really? Well, let''s do it this way then." Maisie said with a dull look, feeling bad about it.


    "I hope you''ll help your mother-in-law in the future..."


    After that, Maisie went on her way while Abby and Dillian continued to sort out the local administrative matters.


    ...


    Another week passed as Minos traveled, and the terrible events continued on the Black Plain.


    But meanwhile, King Carline finally arrived in the capital of his kingdom, where he had hurried to his palace, anxious to know the condition of his wives and family.


    He had been traveling like a madman since Minos'' visit to Mirabella, not even being able to sleep during that period.


    He always felt a terrible feeling at the thought of Minos'' visit. So, he could not help but feel nervous and anxious to confirm that everything was well.


    p????-?o??? Therefore, upon arriving at his royal palace, this man ignored all the Spiritual Kings in his path, from those who wanted to inform him of trouble to those who had only tried to greet him.


    He just followed the direction of where the auras of the people most important to him in this place were.


    "Honey, you..." He was about to say this when he suddenly came across the scene of the queen of this kingdom and Kara, her only daughter, lying beside a pool, eating and smiling as if the world was perfect.


    Kara was wearing a bikini while using the natural daylight for tanning her skin. On the other hand, this woman''s mother had a few more pieces of clothing on her body, lying with her eyes closed while using one of her hands to put grapes in her mouth.


    But both had smiling expressions on their faces, something difficult for that king to ignore, even if he was not a very observant person to such peculiarities.


    "What happened? What are you two laughing at?" He asked without thinking, finding it inappropriate that those two were having fun while he was worrying.


    ...

 Chapter 940 High-Level Performance

    Chapter 940 High-Level Performance


    Hearing that man''s deep voice, the two beauties sunbathing in that spot looked in the direction of King Carline, surprised to see him in such a short time after Minos'' ''visit.''


    "Father! Are you back already? I thought you would join the rest of the Counter-Revolutionary Army on the Black Plain." Kara said this as she looked up, directly into her old father''s eyes.


    At the same time, Jade was still lying, only now smiling as a good wife would after seeing her beloved husband again after weeks apart...


    King Carline then said. "I was going to do that, but after discovering that scoundrel''s actions, I couldn''t help myself and run back here!"


    p????-?o??? "All this time, I was worried that something worse had happened to you..."


    Then he sat down in a chair over there, breathing deeply, as if he had just released a burden from his shoulders.


    Seeing those two well had been a great relief to him!


    "I''m glad nothing bad happened to you, or I wouldn''t have known what to do..."


    "Dad..."


    "Honey..."


    The two softly murmured, both feeling guilty for what they had done to Minos during those unforgettable days.


    Particularly Jade, since Kara had not bothered to probe her mother and Minos during this period. After all, there was no reason for her to be suspicious of her dear mother getting into bed with an enemy!


    Besides, Minos had stayed in this place with her most of the time, and this young redhead was not possessive about her companions either. So, she was entirely in the dark about Jade''s adventures with him.p????-?????.???


    And for that, Jade felt much more guilty than Kara since she knew about the things her daughter had done and remembered how Minos had taken care of her.


    Gulp!


    She swallowed her saliva in nervousness, feeling a sensation that was slightly making her more excited.


    But even with her heart rate increasing subtly, this woman was very experienced and knew how to disguise any signals her body might give off.


    With that, King Carline did not even notice the slight redness on his dear wife''s face!


    "But then, why were you two so happy before I arrived? Did something happen?" He insisted on the same question as before, curious.


    Jade then shook her head from side to side and said. "Nothing much, honey. I was just feeling good..."


    "I feel that no matter how bad the current times are, our future will be great."


    "Is that so?" King Carline asked in disbelief, not understanding where this impression of his queen came from.


    Jade''s eyes sparkled, while her lips formed a more contagious smile. "As for little Kara, I''m sure she''s just affected by her mother''s mood..."


    "You know how it is, right? We, women, have those things."


    "Really?" He looked at Kara. p???? ?o???


    Having heard all that, Kara smiled at her father, following her mother''s lead, "Hmm, I guess that must be it."


    ''It seems my mother doesn''t want my father to find out right after his arrival what Minos and I did during those days...'' Kara thought about it in a grateful way to her mother.


    She had done so many nasty things with Minos in her father''s workplace, and even if ''no'' one had seen those things, the Spiritual Kings who had tried to intercept young Stuart knew of how she had sacrificed herself for the greater good...


    After all, that day, young Stuart had said shameful words in public and even treated her intimately... How could such experienced people not understand what had happened?


    It was absurd to think that all those people knew nothing about it.


    Therefore, Kara knew that her father would find out about her affair with Minos sooner or later.


    But it was much better for him to find this out later than at this moment that they had just come together!


    For that, she was grateful to her good mother.


    "Sigh..."


    "I''m glad at least you can smile at these moments..." King Carline then began to unload his worries onto those two. "Being able to see you two smiling is already a great benefit to me."


    "Ah, honey, I will always be here to support you." Jade stood up from where she was, quickly coming to her husband''s side and sitting next to him.


    "Why don''t we talk about our next actions? Let us help you with that." ¦Ñ???????????


    "Oh?"


    "Yes, dad!" Kara stood up as well, looking at her father with a more serious look on her face as she put a towel around her body to look more appropriate. "Earlier, I told you what Minos wanted..."


    "Why don''t we give him what he wants? We can still get out of all this without suffering too much."


    "What are you saying, Kara? How can you say that so casually?"


    "But father..."


    "No more! Minos is a demon trying to destroy our family. How can I bow down to him?"


    "He came to my own house and acted as he wanted... What do you think he was doing?"


    "Let me tell you, that was a message from him to me, saying that if I didn''t bow down, he would come back here and kill all of you!" He said in anger.


    "How can I trust him?"


    But Jade thought her husband was exaggerating all this.


    At first impression, Minos indeed did seem like an asshole willing to run roughshod over everyone in his path. But after dealing with him, she had realized that he was a much more rational young man, someone capable of sitting down at a business table to negotiate.


    Just like all of them!


    With that in mind, she leaned a little closer to her husband''s body, running one of her hands through the spaces between her husband''s red armor until she touched him at the height of his abdomen.


    "Honey, even though that person is terrible, I don''t think we can stand against him." She said this softly, in a tone that King Carline only heard from her in more intimate moments.


    "Then, why don''t we give that deal with him a chance? I feel we will suffer from what he has promised to do if we don''t take that opportunity."


    "Besides, considering his strength and the things he''s done on the Black Plain, I believe the future can be superb for us if we are at his side."


    "Maybe we can even make it to level 60!"


    "What?" Kara was the first to say this in surprise, finding it unexpected that her mother was defending Minos in this place.


    As for King Carline, he was much more shocked than Kara, but he had not said anything. Instead, he just stood there, looking sideways at his wife, while his mouth was open in disbelief.


    "Excuse me, can you say that again?" He subconsciously said this after a few moments of silence.


    "Tsk!" Jade made a tongue-tied sound, displeased, feeling that her husband could not notice such simple things.


    "I''m saying that I don''t see our family gaining from that person!"


    "The opposite of that, if we continue this way, the next time he comes to our city, we will be slaughtered without even knowing it!"


    "So, what do you want, Raymond? Do you want to risk all our lives just because of your pride?" She irritatedly asked as she stood in front of that man.


    "I guess the price he is asking us is not so bad considering how strong he is!"


    "You don''t know how terrible those days were for me!"


    "There wasn''t a day when I didn''t think the worst wouldn''t happen!" She said as tears trickled from her eyes.


    "Jade..." King Carline said this, feeling bad that his wife had experienced such terror.


    He then jumped up from where he was and promptly hugged her, trying to make her feel protected now that he was there.


    "How about that? Let''s talk more about it and consider the situation after Minos'' journey of terror is over. Then, if things remain troubling, we''ll do as you and Kara want." He said in a comforting tone, feeling bad but also obligated to do such a thing.


    "Is that true?" Jade asked as she looked up and observed her husband''s gray eyes. "Then I feel better."


    She then rested her head on King Carline''s chest, smiling softly. "Well, if you''re willing to make so many sacrifices for me, let me help you with all this, okay?"


    "You and Linette already have too great an antipathy toward that person. So, it''s better if Kara or I deal with him in the future."


    "Uh? Kara..." He said this reflexively, not liking that idea. "No, not Kara."


    "I think you''d better take care of it yourself, dear. That way, I''ll feel better."


    "Oh?" She bit her lips before nodding her head in agreement. "Then I''ll do it for our family!"


    ...

 Chapter 941 Fooling Yourself

    Chapter 941 Fooling Yourself


    "I am lucky to have someone like you on my side, Jade." King Carline said this in a moved tone as he made his way toward his wife''s lips.


    "Mmmmm~"


    "Hey! I''m still here, you know?" Kara immediately shouted this awkwardly, feeling bad for having to see her old father and mother like that.


    p????-?o??? ''Disgusting!''


    As for those two, they just smiled awkwardly, feeling that they had forgotten about the presence of that girl there.


    But what could they do? Kara had not been a part of their everyday life for years, so it was not strange that they had lost certain precautions...


    "You don''t have to act like that, little Kara. Isn''t it normal for your parents to do that?" King Carline commented in satisfaction, feeling much better than before.


    As for Jade, she just stood there in silence, unconsciously making comparisons.


    "Sigh..."


    Raymond then put his smile aside and made a serious expression. "Anyway, we will soon have a big event north of the Black Plain. The Spiritual Church representative for our region will be hosting an event between our organizations and that little demon."


    "Oh?"


    "Will something good come out of all this?" Kara asked in interest.


    Her father then shook his head in disagreement. "Probably not."p????-?????.???


    "But even so, even though the church has already authorized the coming of our descendants from the empire, they won''t be able to start acting until that event happens."


    "So, we have to participate in that regardless of what we decide in the future."


    Jade felt interested in this and said. "That''s not bad..."


    "We can try to resolve our differences with that person during that event."


    "When will that happen?"


    "In about two months."


    Her eyes then sharpened while her hands suddenly closed. "Then we have to leave as soon as possible!"


    "Otherwise, we will lose the best opportunity to close our deal with him without arousing suspicion!"


    "Uh? But..." Raymond felt a little strange about this, but what his dear wife was saying made a lot of sense.


    He still wanted to think about it, but the trip to that part of the Black Plain would last almost the period left for such an encounter to happen.


    Hence, he could study Minos'' actions in this period and still communicate with his wife about his decision before that event.


    For thinking about it, he failed to refute Jade''s words. p???? ?o???


    "Then, it''s settled!" She said this with a determined look on her face. "I will leave tomorrow for Black Plain while you take care of the kingdom."


    "As soon as you make up your mind, send me a crow with your message." She paused for a moment, looking up at the blue sky in that part of the Kingdom of the End. "I will do my best to do my duty!"


    "Hmm, I will too," Kara said, distracting her father, who was looking at Jade thoughtfully.


    "What did you say?"


    "Haven''t I already told you that you won''t be involved in this anymore? So, why are you talking such nonsense now?" He asked in an irritated manner.


    But Kara already had an answer ready for those questions. "You misunderstand me, dad. I will only accompany my mother."


    "After we reach the Black Plain, I will follow back to the Flaming Empire."


    "I have already been here for several months, and soon my free time will end. Then, I must return to the sect."


    "Oh? But the Spiritual Church has already approved our descendants coming to our region..."


    "That doesn''t matter, dad. My sect has not freed me to come here to help the family, but rather because I have earned some time for myself through the missions I have accomplished."


    "So, if I want to stay around, I''m afraid this will create problems for me..."


    "That... That makes sense, but..." ¦Ñ???????????


    "Honey, let''s let our daughter do things her own way. Let''s not create problems for her." Jade supports Kara while holding one of Raymond''s arms affectionately.


    "Sigh..."


    "Fine."


    "But don''t even think about continuing to embarrass our family, you hear me, girl?" He asked her incisively. "I don''t want you getting anywhere near that scumbag."


    "Oh? All right, then."


    "Good!"


    "Then, take advantage of the situation to travel back with brother. You two have spent a lot of time away from each other, so it''s good to use this opportunity to get together." He remarked, just before he left that place, going to attend to other matters.


    After that, Kara continued in that place in silence, not knowing what the trip back to the empire would be like alongside Ford.


    Previously they had planned to do this, and at the time, this woman had thought this could be an excellent opportunity for the two to have fun during the months they would have to travel together.


    However, because of all the things that had happened since her visit to Dry City, Kara could not imagine this trip developing in the way she had thought.


    Ford had found out about her affair with Minos and argued with her a few nights ago after that young man had left this city.


    He felt highly betrayed by Kara, and even though they had spent weeks on the same property, they had done nothing with each other.


    And to tell the truth, Kara herself was not that interested in doing those things with her brother during this period.


    Not that she had fallen in love with Minos and therefore changed her mind about her brother. But after the nights with young Stuart and the many discussions with Ford, the heat between her and her brother had diminished considerably.


    Kara still thought that her time with Ford had been magnificent, and she had no regrets. But that seemed like something from the past, something to remember in the future, but not so much something to continue.


    Therefore, she could not help but feel awkward about having to travel alongside her brother.


    "Sigh..."


    ''That will be problematic.'' She pondered, thinking about how to work it all out. ''Maybe it will be better if I stayed in Dry City for a few days and let Ford continue the journey on his own...''


    ''After that, I''ll still be able to make it to the Gray Clouds Sect in time.''


    On the other hand, while Kara had many ideas in mind, Jade had already disappeared from that place, having headed towards her room to prepare for this trip.


    She had to take some unique things with her this time, which she would usually leave in her closet due to the slight need to use that here...


    However, since she was going to negotiate with Minos, her womanly instincts told her not to forget those pieces of clothing that he had liked so much...


    And in doing so, she was trying her best not to smile in satisfaction due to the strange thoughts in her mind.


    ''And to think that Raymond accepted all that...'' She bit her lips as she stood still inside her closet. ''This is so exciting!''


    ...


    The next day, Jade, Kara, and Ford left Mirabella together, heading towards the Black Plain!


    Of those three people, one had a stressed expression on his face, while the other two looked much better, with a glow on their skins that was hard to ignore.


    But even though Jade and Kara looked well, both had serious expressions on their faces as they said goodbye to the command of this family.


    "Honey, don''t worry about me," Jade said from over the back of her beast. "I won''t try anything dangerous, and as soon as everything is settled, I will return."


    "Hmm, I hope everything works out." He said as he nodded to her.


    "It will!"


    After listening to his wife, Raymond looked at his children and said. "As for you two, don''t cause any trouble on your trip back to the empire."


    "Yes, dad."


    "Good, now go! I don''t want to see you again so soon!" He said this with an expression that did not show that he spoke the truth.


    And with that, those two women smiled as their beasts finally departed that city.


    ''Honey, I''m so sorry...'' Jade looked back as her beast moved, still smiling. ''But I''ll only do this a few more times before I finally put it all away in my memories and go back to being a good wife.''


    ''I promise I won''t think about that young man again after a few more days with him!''


    ''That''s just temporary!''

 Chapter 942 Moving On To The Snow Family

    Chapter 942 Moving On To The Snow Family


    A few days later...


    While Jade, Kara, and Ford were heading south to the northern region of the Central Continent, Minos and Maida had finally passed the Endless Snow Mountain Range!


    So, they had officially entered the Snow Kingdom, the last place they had business to attend to before it was time to head to the Black Plain.


    With his journey coming to an end, Minos was anxious to return to his territory, where his beloved fianc¨¦e was waiting for him, probably with some good news.


    He knew that his actions would bring many effects to the Black Plain. Hence, he could not wait to reap some benefits and experience a new era in his territory.


    First of all, he hoped to find a Black Plain without the presence of the Kingdom the Waves troops. Second, he had in mind that more of his allies would be in that place by this time.


    With that, he was eager to finally turn the war''s course, leave the oppressed position, and oppress his enemies before achieving his goal.


    The independence of the Black Plain!


    In any case, he still had a few weeks left in the Snow Kingdom before he began his return trip. Consequently, he was trying to avoid overthinking such things and focused on his training and cultivation.


    And it was just such a thing that he was doing at this very moment!


    ...


    On a mountain that had its peak covered in ice, energy sheets, earth, and pieces of branches, could be seen flying from one side to the other, while sounds of battles were spreading around.p????-?????.???


    At the same time, the trees'' shade partially prevented daylight from reaching certain parts of the area, creating an exciting battle scene that attracted the two parties into the conflict.


    p????-?o??? In particular, the large black-haired tigress, which was exhaustively training with young Stuart.


    "Come on, Maida. That''s the last charge!" Minos shouted at that beast as he tried to use small fractions of his energies to attack it.


    Spatial Sword!


    Swooish!


    He sliced the air diagonally, trying to stay far enough away from that being to not catch it within the space of influence of that technique. After all, such a thing would impede Maida''s movement ultimately, something that would hinder this training.


    And with that, that great beast continued to move around that area, trying its best to evade Minos'' powerful attack, which could hurt it considerably.


    "Roar!"


    It roared as it saw that it did not have much more room to escape, finally using its large black claws to try to counter Minos'' earlier move.


    Swooish!


    Such claws sliced through the air at great speed, creating a few small blades, as Maida jumped to the side with her hind legs. p???? ?o???


    Crash!


    Boom!


    "Roar!"


    However, after training with Minos for more than 10 minutes, Maida was already exhausted. Consequently, her counterattack was utterly overcome, letting much of Minos'' attack continue in her direction.


    "Roar!"


    After that, she roared in pain, feeling as if 1-centimeter deep cuts had suddenly appeared on various parts of her large body.


    "Looks like you''ve improved a bit, huh?" Minos said this to her, praising the stamina of that Winged Tiger, which previously could not even last 4 minutes in his hands, but now had more than doubled that time.


    "Well, you don''t have to talk. Get some rest. Later on, we will continue our journey to the capital of this state!"


    "Will we do that already? Doesn''t master wish to visit other places in this kingdom?" She asked this in a breathless tone, feeling pain as she lay on her belly in the same place she had fallen.


    "No."


    "This state is quite interesting, with many possibilities in terms of spiritual beasts. Unfortunately, however, there''s not much time to waste." ¦Ñ???????????


    "The war is already at a very advanced stage, and once I return to the Black Plain, we will likely achieve independence in less than a year."


    "With that, since I don''t have any problems against the organizations in this kingdom, I will only act against the royal family when I go to get the information from the Scourges of the Devil."


    "Oh? Then it''s a pity that the master won''t be able to know more about this state. There are many interesting things around here..." Maida said, advertising her native place.


    "Hehe, who knows in the future," Minos commented with a smile on his face, just before he turned away from Maida, making room for her to cultivate.


    Right now, knowing the Snow Kingdom was not something so significant to him.


    He had, of course, been gathering some information from this place through the villages and towns on his way. But this was not as important as settling his official business here and returning to the Black Plain.


    Therefore, he had already reached a point in his journey where he was rushing his pace to finish this mission.


    He had obtained some information about what had been happening on the Black Plain recently, so he was already aware that reinforcements from his enemies would arrive in a few more months.


    Thus, he had to be in that place to protect his territory and lead his troops in the final battles of this war!


    That way, he would leave to learn a little more about the Snow Kingdom in the future, perhaps when he left this region for Elves Island or the Divine Continent.


    In any case, these places were still very far away from him, and young Stuart did not think much about them. No, he was much more concerned about the situation of his region, which would be something very relevant to himself for the entire following decade.


    As for the rest of the world, he would naturally make plans for these places in the future when his position in this part of the Central Continent was fully stabilized.


    Anyway, while waiting for Maida''s cultivation session, a great spiritual beast slowly approached Minos while it had a subservient expression on its great ape face.


    "Mister, we brought some fruits for you and Miss Maida." That Diamond Monkey said this politely while some of his subordinates brought big dishes with fruits.


    "Oh?"


    "You are thoughtful, my friends!" Young Stuart smiled just before he sat down on the branch of one of the trees in that place and started eating.


    He and Maida had accidentally trespassed into part of the Diamond Monkey territory. And in doing so, he had obviously had to fight many of those beings since it was in their nature to test those who entered their territory.


    However, unlike what had happened to Lee and Alison, some high-level Diamond Monkeys had taken a good beating from Minos this time.


    After that, they naturally welcomed this young man and his mount into their territory, treating him as a great friend of the tribe.


    But none of this had anything to do with Minos'' or Maida''s past. On the contrary, the beasts of the region would hardly know about them.


    However, like beasts that highly valued individual strength, after being beaten by Minos, all they now had for this young man was pure respect.


    Because of this, young Stuart was being well served in this place, even if he had not asked for it.


    "Well, my friends, it has been nice traveling with you for these past few days, but I will leave your territory later today."


    "Is that true, Mister?" That giant being, over 5 meters tall, asked the young human, feeling bad for this sudden notice.


    "Hmm, I have a business to attend to, and it won''t be convenient to delay any longer..."


    "So, that''s how it is..."


    "Well, I hope Mister will be able to resolve whatever it is in the Snow Kingdom. Any problems, you can count on the support of our tribe." That individual said that proudly.


    "We are not as strong as you, sir, but we can help with explorations, secret routes, anything."


    "Really?"


    "Of course!"


    "We always help our friends!"


    "Hehehe, so I hope you guys come to the Black Plain," Minos said in a satisfied manner.


    ...


    Hours later, young Stuart and Maida finally left that part of the Diamond Monkey tribe''s territory, heading towards the Snow Kingdom''s capital.


    "Come on, Maida!"


    "Time to complete our mission!"

 Chapter 943 Subordination

    Chapter 943 Subordination


    Six days later...


    At this moment, Minos was standing outside the Snow family''s royal palace, being quietly escorted by the most influential individuals on that estate.


    This time he was without his mask, walking around that place alongside 15 individuals, smiling as if he were on a stroll.


    But the people in his surroundings were breaking into a cold sweat, feeling the pressure of having to welcome such a monster into their own home.


    Unlike what had happened recently at the Carline family headquarters, as soon as Minos identified himself at the House Snow headquarters entrance, the guards quickly did what he had asked.


    They notified the strongest individuals in the palace and relayed the information of Minos'' arrival to the crown prince. Then, the people who were escorting young Stuart at this instant had come to accompany him on this ''visit'' of his to House Snow.


    The people in this organization had already assumed that Minos could appear by this place since his trajectory up to that point seemed to bring him here.


    And considering the things he had done until now, this organization''s members had decided that if such a terrible thing did happen, then peacefully welcoming him would be for the best.


    That is, there was not even a level 59 Spiritual King in this place at the moment, so how could they put up any resistance?


    Well, they knew that even if they had such support, it would not make any difference, but if only King Snow had been here, these people might have had more confidence against Minos.


    However, with their current vulnerability, with Minos'' insurgent reputation, there was no need for them to suffer by fighting impossible battles to win.


    By doing so, they would further irritate this enemy, cause problems for the local population, incur financial losses, and invariably die at his hands.


    However, if it were more ''docile,'' they had much better chances here!p????-?????.???


    Minos had not completely exterminated any organization in his journey of terror. So, there was no reason for the members of the local royalty to think that he would try anything of the sort here.


    With that, they had merely chosen the diplomatic route to deal with Minos, something that had, in a way, greatly pleased this young man.


    For all the time he had been seeking independence from the Black Plain, Minos had always preferred to settle his affairs with words!


    He was prepared and willing to fight if necessary. Still, he preferred to solve his problems peacefully, without worrying about having to stress about battles all the time.


    Hell, he would prefer to have spent all those months traveling in Dry City alongside Abby and many of his female friends!


    So, after noticing the clever way the members of House Snow were using to solve this problem, Minos was delighted.


    "You guys are not bad at all..." He commented aloud to the people who nervously escorted him to the place where the crown prince was supposed to be. "Handling the situation so peaceful is truly admirable!"


    "I must confess that I''m impressed that I don''t hear anyone yelling that they''re going to kill me or things like that..."


    "Congratulations!"


    "In the future, perhaps your descendants will become good members of my state."


    p????-?o??? "I don''t think it''s bad to have smart people working for me."


    Hearing those words, no one there dared to say anything, but they watched young Stuart with looks that showed anger and fear. p???? ?o???


    An enemy had just entered their city, and now they were being treated as future subordinates? How could this not anger those proud people of House Snow?


    Some of them were even people close to the local royal succession line!


    Consequently, the way Minos treated them was not pleasant!


    In any case, strength meant a lot in this world, and now that Minos had that with him, he had the privilege of saying these things and not hearing any complaints.


    Instead, after an awkward silence hung over that place, the oldest of those men gave Minos an answer.


    "Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Stuart."


    "Hehehehe, you''re welcome!"


    ...


    After a few moments, Minos and those people finally entered the palace, where many of the people who worked there were already breaking into a cold sweat as they watched his entourage pass by.


    Seeing the many people working there, Minos smiled and waved to some strangers as he walked through the halls.


    "Hmmm."


    "Okay, guys, you have done a good job so far. That way, I hope you won''t fail when you are under new management." He joked aloud as he shook the hands of some people standing in front of Ambrose Snow''s office. ¦Ñ???????????


    "Mister, this way..." A mature, well-dressed, slender-bodied woman said this in a low voice, indicating the way to young Stuart.


    "Hmm."


    Minos nodded in satisfaction at that woman, approving how she was behaving. "You must be Ambrose''s secretary, right?"


    "Uh... Yes..."


    "Very good..."


    "You seem very responsible... Maybe I''ll take you with me to the Black Plain." He said this in a flirtatious tone as he stood between that woman and the door, with his face close to one of her ears.


    Upon hearing that, that woman turned red with embarrassment. Still, the fear in her eyes could not be ignored even in this situation. "That..."


    "Hehe, I''m joking!"


    "Sure, if you want to accompany me, we can make it happen." He said this as he smiled and walked towards that office.


    "I''m afraid I''m not good enough for Mr. Stuart..." She replied, afraid to piss him off.


    "OK then..."


    After that, Minos left that woman aside, and when the door to that office closed, he began to pay attention to the people waiting for him.


    Three people were in that place beside the individuals who had accompanied him there. One of them was Ambrose, whom Minos had easily recognized since that person was the only one there who could be close in age to his.


    As for the other two, one of them should be the supreme elder of this family, as he was at level 58 and was, therefore, the strongest person there. Finally, the last person was a middle-aged woman who had white hair that was unusual to see in this region.


    White hair could be seen on people already in the final parts of their livers. But there were rarely people in this region with this color of hair at the age that such a woman was supposed to be.


    But seeing her, Minos also did not find it difficult to understand who she would be.


    ''The lady must be the queen, huh?'' He thought about it as he looked at that person, who looked great despite being in her middle age.


    After observing each of those three people standing on one side of the main table there, Minos promptly sat opposite them.


    "Well, it is a pleasure that such relevant people are willing to receive me so well..."


    "You Snow Kingdom people truly know how to welcome a guest!" Minos commented on this as he greeted each of those three with a handshake.


    Gulp!


    Sounds of saliva being swallowed reverberated through that place, as the silence brought a certain pressure to the hearts of the people there.


    Ambrose then smiled forcefully and asked. "Mr. Stuart, to what do we owe your visit?"


    "Straight to the point... I like it!" Minos commented in satisfaction as he looked at that woman from before. "It seems that you and King Snow have not educated him badly..."


    "Very good!"


    "It''s just a pity that your husband is not here, or our negotiations could develop more easily."


    The queen then looked coldly at the young Stuart, not understanding what he was getting at. "What do you want to say?"


    "Well, I want something you have, but since I''m already in this place, I can''t waste this trip, right?"


    "Let''s not fool ourselves. We are enemies, and you are trying to destroy my territory. So, obviously, we''ll deal with it here and now!"


    Gulp!


    Minos then noticed the movements of those people as if they were preparing to pull out their respective weapons. "But let''s not get ahead of ourselves."


    "There is a chance for all of you to survive."


    "You just need to give me what I want and become my subordinates." He then smiled as he thought of something.


    "Let''s use our troops to exterminate the enemies on the Black Plain!"


    ...

 Chapter 944 Planning A Massacre

    Chapter 944 Planning A Massacre


    "What?" Ambrose asked unconsciously, watching the person in front of him with wide eyes.


    "Oh? Don''t you get it?"


    "Well, let me put it more simply."


    "I want you to kneel in subordination to Black Plain today."


    "After that, I will spend a few days here until we dethrone your father, and you assume his position with support from most of the royal family. After that, we will sign Soul Contracts to make sure that everyone here follows the deal."


    "Finally, as part of my organization, you will, of course, help me eliminate some of my enemies while they sleep..."


    "That''s the advantage of having an inside ally, after all." Minos finished saying that, looking more seriously at those people.


    "What?"


    "How can you say such things? We are not traitors who kill their comrades!"


    "That''s right! The family has the honor to protect! We cannot do such a thing!"


    "And we can''t dethrone my father either!" Ambrose said this in concern since he genuinely could not do anything about it. "The Spiritual Church gives authority to the regional monarchs."


    "That way, if my father doesn''t formally abdicate the throne and the church accepts me as successor, none of this will have any practical validity!"


    "Oh?" Minos said in surprise. "It seems you people would rather die..."p????-?????.???


    Gulp!


    The people there trembled in fear, instantly returning to the creepy silence of seconds ago.


    As for the queen, she clenched her hands in helplessness, feeling herself in this position for the first time in a long time.


    "Your demands are greatly exaggerated! How do you expect us to do all these things?" She asked with nervousness.


    The queen had lived long enough, but she did not want to die, much less lose her only living son!


    In this way, she had to appeal to Minos to at least try to demand something more affordable.


    He then replied. "It doesn''t matter what the church says or doesn''t say about this matter. As long as you follow the agreement, Ambrose will be king, and your husband can finally retire."


    "As for what other people or organizations will think about this, I don''t give a damn!"


    "You will lead this state anyway, so I''m not worried about that. However, if you do not follow the points of the agreement we will sign, such contracts will bring terrible consequences for your family."


    "At this point, it is enough for me that the existence of this family is at risk to ensure that our agreement brings concrete results."


    He then asked sarcastically. "Or will King Snow accept the deaths of his son, his wife, and the entire upper echelon of House Snow just to regain his position?"


    "Tsk!" p???? ?o???


    The people there felt even worse for Minos'' words, feeling that it was a great dishonor to the king to be used in such an absurd hypothesis.


    King Snow would never do such a thing!


    Hell, that man was already quite distant from most of the official government affairs of the Snow Kingdom. So, he definitely would not put his family at risk for something he did not even want.


    And knowing that, those people were angrier at Minos'' words.


    Anyway, Minos realized that nobody there seemed to want to say anything, so he continued. "As for the matter of these slayings, that will be for the very good of your organization."


    "Once you are part of my power, I will naturally use your means to my advantage."


    "And since it might be dangerous for your organization to fight a war against the other regional states, wouldn''t it be much simpler if we eliminated many enemies at once?"


    "With your family joining my forces, we can quickly eliminate much of the Spiritual Kings of the Brown Kingdom and the Cromwell Kingdom."


    "What about the other kingdoms?" Ambrose asked in doubt, still very concerned.


    "Don''t worry about the others. I have my methods for dealing with them."


    But the queen did not like that at all. "You talk as if the war will end with this action, and everything will return to normal. But what about the many reinforcements that the other regional families are bringing into your territory?"


    "How do you intend to deal with them?" ¦Ñ???????????


    Upon hearing this, Minos readily understood that such a woman was talking about the people coming from the Flaming Empire. "Well, aren''t your reinforcements coming too?"


    "Then, I will use such people to deal with those who come over to the enemy''s side!"


    Minos had already been planning to use the enemy reinforcements against themselves from the moment he had found out about Gloria''s actions weeks ago.


    He knew he could not use his mother''s help, as Gloria had made a point of specifying that only people born in the northern region, that is, direct descendants of local powers, could come to this place with freedom to act.


    But even if his mother were allowed to do anything, he still would not ask her or that organization for help!


    No, he would never do something like that, especially in a situation where he had so many alternatives.


    Hence, he would instead force the regional organizations to subordinate themselves to him and then use those powers against the counter-revolutionaries on the Black Plain.


    And this included reinforcements coming from that state, which had members from all the royal families in that region!


    So, he wanted to use the loopholes in Gloria''s liberation, which did not specify which side these reinforcements had to fight on to put pressure on his enemies.


    And upon realizing such a thing, each of those people there was frightened at him, feeling as if this young man had planned this from the beginning of everything.


    "Is that why you decided to travel around the region recently?" The queen asked. "Did you make the same offer to the Carline family?"


    This woman asked only about that family because such an organization had survived Minos'' passage without human loss, just as it seemed to be the way forward for them if they accepted his demands.


    "Hehe." Minos laughed in interest, amazed at that woman''s intelligence. "Who knows..."


    "Anyway, I''m not here to talk about other organizations but about House Snow."


    "Those are some of my demands so that you will not suffer needless deaths. But don''t overstep my goodwill."


    "And I don''t want to hear any moral questions about what should be done on the Black Plain!"


    "Just obey when the time comes to act!"


    Gulp!


    Ambrose then said in a low voice. "All right, we''ll take the deal."


    "Ambrose!"


    p????-?o??? "Your Highness!"


    The people in that place exclaimed simultaneously, shocked that he had accepted all that so quickly.


    "Mother, we have no choice here." He said in a low voice as he spoke into his mother''s left ear, "When father left, he said that if anything happened to him, I should surrender to this person."


    "So, since we''ve reached this point, there''s no reason for us to take any more risks here."


    "Let''s just accept that!"


    "Is that true?" She asked as she looked into her son''s eyes, feeling bad that her husband had made this decision without at least talking to her.


    "Yes."


    "Sigh..." She sighed softly before accepting the whole thing, "All right, let''s do it this way then."


    "Hehehehe, that''s better." Minos rose from his armchair, pleased with the way these people acted.


    "Well, since that''s settled, I hope you find a spiritual judge who can validate our Soul Contracts as soon as possible."


    "I don''t want to stay here any longer than necessary."


    "Also, I want you to pass on to me the information from the Scourges of the Devil that you obtained through the interrogation of Dean Chambers."


    "What?" One of the Spiritual Kings in that place, the person who had tortured the patriarch Dean before, said such a thing in surprise, not understanding how Minos knew that information.


    Apart from a few enemies of the Scourges of the Devil that they had come into contact with, no one else was supposed to know that information.


    But from what Minos had said, it seemed that he knew about everything, not only that they had the information but also how they had gotten it.


    "How did you know that?" That individual asked.


    "I naturally have my means..." He said this as he headed toward the exit of that office, smiling. "Who do you think informed you about the Chambers family?"


    ...

 Chapter 945 The Irony Of Minos

    Chapter 945 The Irony Of Minos


    After young Stuart''s sudden revelation, each of those people in Ambrose''s office stood silently with their mouths open, shocked by how Minos had manipulated them.


    ''How can this be?'' Ambrose''s eyes almost fell out of their sockets as he thought about this matter.


    The fact that they had found out about the Chambers had led them into a confrontation with the Cromwell family, which had weakened both sides. At the same time, they had also discovered the location of the Scourge of the Devil headquarters, one of Minos'' targets.


    In other words, that young man''s action had caused the Snow family to create several positive consequences for himself!


    Thinking about it, the people in that place could not help but be surprised and shocked by the profundity of Minos'' schemes.


    ''That villain!''


    ''He planned all this from the beginning!''


    p????-?o??? ''He truly made us weaken ourselves for him, only to now easily dominate us!'' The queen thought of this, green with anger, feeling ashamed that her organization had been manipulated by a young man under 25.


    And not only was she feeling this way. All those people there were aware that they, too, and most of the regional leaders, had been manipulated in some way by Minos'' actions.


    "Unbelievable!"


    "I didn''t think doing something like that was possible!"


    "Damn!"


    "It''s not for nothing that he was always so calm! The wretch was just waiting for the right moment to use his cards!"p????-?????.???


    "The region is lost!"


    Several comments sounded in the surroundings of that place, as those people lost all the rest of the confidence they had.


    They were already in a desperate situation and had no expectations of escaping subservience to Minos. However, as long as there was life, there were opportunities for change.


    They would compromise with Minos, but their descendants and subordinates could still act against the interests of the Black Plain. And with that, however small, there was hope in the hearts of those people.


    But realizing how problematic it could be to deal with someone so meticulous, these Spiritual Kings soon began to feel that there was no hope for them.


    The light at the end of the tunnel was just a childish dream!


    If Minos had done such things to them, then what might have happened in the past between this young man and the Carline and Walker families?


    The Walker family certainly did not have ''good luck'' like them. But, that organization had been allowed to continue to exist, even with him having the power to eliminate it!


    As for the Carline family, that organization might as well have already accepted surrender to Minos. After all, why would he spend two whole days at that organization''s headquarters without something having happened?


    It was bizarre indeed!


    Thinking about it, those who stayed in Ambrose''s office after Minos left assumed the worst.


    "More than half the region must have deals with him by now!" The individual who had done the capture and interrogation of Dean Chambers said this out loud, confident of this possibility. p???? ?o???


    "Why are you saying that?"


    "That can''t be! How would he have half the region and still waste time on us?"


    That man then said, looking mainly at Ambrose. "Stone Island will certainly support him once the balance of war is reached."


    "And from what I''ve heard recently, the battles on the Black Plain are increasingly balanced, slowly shifting in favor of the rebel territory."


    "And with that young man''s recent visits to the Kingdom of the Waves and the Kingdom of the End, I can''t imagine the forces of those two states maintaining their previous attitudes."


    "In other words..."


    "They''re already on Minos Stuart''s side!"


    This man was not making this analysis considering only Minos'' visit. Such a thing could just be bullying, as the regional periodicals had been portraying the young Stuart''s travels.


    However, because of Minos'' ''offer,'' that man could not help but think that the same thing had happened when young Stuart ''visited'' these two other royal families.


    "So, that''s it..." Ambrose commented in a low voice, feeling that there was no error in that level 57 cultivator''s line of reasoning.


    "Well, it makes no difference..." The queen stood up from her armchair, speaking to those people still with a sour expression on her pretty face. "Our fate is already destined, so we should just enjoy trying to see the bright side in all of this."


    "At least we''ll be on the winning side!" She thought it would be impossible for Minos to lose this war if the three northernmost kingdoms in that region changed sides in this conflict. ¦Ñ???????????


    That would make four of the six states in that region somehow favorable to the Black Plain. So, even if the two remaining states could get their reinforcements from the empire, they would never defeat young Stuart!


    It would be a completely unfair fight in which four kingdoms and one state in rebellion would oppose two kingdoms!


    Furthermore, Minos did not seem to suffer from the problems of a lack of regional resources and cultivated as if even sleeping made him stronger.


    Thus, with only the reinforcements coming from the Flaming Empire, the new Black Plain force should be enough to handle the rest of the war.


    That is, of course, if no higher-level powers decided to get involved in this mess. But since the Spiritual Church watched over this region and had little interest in the local intrigues to get more directly involved, the chances of such a thing happening were small.


    With that in mind, the queen no longer had any doubt that it made no sense to stand against Minos in this chaotic northern region of the Central Continent.


    If they had not gotten involved in any of this from the beginning, as House Stone had done for most of the conflict, they might have had better results.


    But the milk had already been spilled, and now they could only deal with that reality.


    So, she was prepared to help the Black Plain and at least ensure minor losses for her family!


    "Your Majesty..."


    "Mother..."


    "Don''t overthink on that matter." She said to those people as she walked towards her son''s office exit. "In certain situations, it is better to simply stop fighting the current and let it carry you along."


    "As long as the Minos current doesn''t take us over a cliff, we''ll be fine..." She said in a low voice, soon afterward sighing profoundly.


    After that, Ambrose and the rest of those people continued in that place until he finally gave his final orders. "Call the spiritual judge Hum. Let''s hurry with the preparations for the agreement with the Black Plain."


    "Your Highness..." One of them tried to say something but was soon stopped by the supreme elder of that organization.


    "Make it quick. There''s no room for deception here, so the quicker we resolve this, the less time that person stays under our roof."


    "Or would you rather have him around here?"


    Gulp!


    "I''d rather be tortured day to a day than that..."


    "It''s too much pressure... He could kill us at any moment!"


    "Hmmm, that..."


    Murmurs continued there until Ambrose also decided to leave to tell young Stuart the information about the Scourges of the Devil.


    There was not much else to be done in this situation, and even if he had responsibilities to the kingdom, this prince did not have the peace to deal with it now.


    It was simply too stressful to have to deal with the possibility of sudden death and lose the precious independence of this state.


    As much as the idea of a state was largely virtual, which depended a lot on people''s beliefs, this was still something that had existed for tens of thousands of years!


    And with so much history, there was no way that Ambrose could not have a certain sense of belonging, a pride in the kingdom and his family.


    But now, so suddenly, they had been overwhelmed by a power fighting for its independence!


    It was extraordinary to think about!


    A rebel fighting for his freedom...


    What a beautiful idea!


    Not so much when thinking about how he was now fighting to take away the freedom of others...


    How ironic...


    But that was life. They had oppressed and created the monster that now terrorized them.


    There were no innocents and no guilty here. There were only winners and losers at the end of the day!


    And they had lost!

 Chapter 946 A New Day For Hadria

    Chapter 946 A New Day For Hadria


    While Minos was in the capital of the Snow Kingdom, news about the rebellions around the northern and southern borders of the Black Plain kept arriving in the Dry City.


    After establishing those hotbeds of insubordination in the Cromwell Kingdom and Kingdom of the Waves, some of the fightings in the Black Plain had shifted toward those states.


    At the same time, the new circumstances of the war generated by the increased enemies of the counter-revolutionary forces in that area had created various social upheavals.


    In both the Kingdom of the Waves and the Cromwell Kingdom, slavery was an existing problem since those states allowed this kind of market.


    And precisely because of this, there were cities in these states with thousands of these individuals, each of them suffering and waiting for an opportunity.


    So, several of these cities had been affected because of the changes in those two regions bordering the Black Plain. And now, Minos'' forces were fighting, but freed slaves or slaves in rebellion had joined the war.


    Such slaves might have been relatively weak and insignificant compared to those directly involved in the Black Plain''s war of independence. But they were very numerous and could act silently against enemy bases!


    In this way, the insurgent movements of the Hayes, Stokes, and Cohen families had incited a movement of these oppressed masses. Then, now, they were hell-bent on the counter-revolutionaries who used towns or camps in those areas to rest and store supplies.


    They were getting help from the allied forces of the Black Plain to get rid of items that might limit their movements or seal off their cultivation. And then, they were acting against their masters.


    At the same time, terror spread through the most prominent organizations in that part of Farmland, where crops were burned almost every day.


    Not only this, even the forces of the underworld were suffering from the many actions around that area!p????-?????.???


    For example, the Black Market in Hadria, an organization that not only traded in slaves but also had other businesses related to that market around that northernmost area of the Cromwell Kingdom, was suffering from these actions.


    They were being attacked practically every day, often irritated by escape attempts, small acts to bewilder them, and constant escapes.


    And the more people who fled, the more problematic the situation had become in that city, where the masses seemed to have finally reached their tolerance limit.


    Even women forced into prostitution were fighting on the revolutionaries'' side, trying to break down the established society in that area.


    And with this, the ruling forces could not help but feel as if the actions of Minos'' allies were inflaming the hopes of the oppressed!


    That was a problem!


    After all, the dominant organizations were always the minorities in terms of numbers.


    Suppose entire cities decided it would be better to eliminate the tumor in their body. How would these forces support hundreds of thousands of enemies within their own city?


    And it was precisely this movement that was slowly beginning to develop around these areas in rebellion, where ordinary citizens became angrier and angrier with their leaders as time went on.


    For ordinary citizens, it would not make that much difference to be a subject of Minos or whoever would become the new king of the Kingdom of the Waves or the Cromwell Kingdom. p???? ?o???


    Minos was already powerful, so the only advantage that could make these people wish to continue being led by royal families no longer existed.


    On the other hand, the local leaders insisted on fighting against the young Stuart, creating unsafe situations for those who could not benefit from this conflict.


    They lacked strength and clung to the hope that a surprise attack would not kill them or take their loved ones from this world.


    In addition, jobs were becoming scarcer and scarcer, while the short supply of food was increasing food prices almost daily.


    And with this came hunger.


    So, with all these problems mixed up in the heads of the ordinary men of this region, many people were losing patience with their leaders and starting to rebel!


    That had started in Hadria, where the presence of the Black Market, such significant antagonistic power in this region, had incited the local population even more vigorously!


    ...


    "A New Day for Hadria..."


    "Public Dismembering in Hadria..." ¦Ñ???????????


    "Insurgents Kill Local Black Market Leader..."


    Various headlines appeared around sheets of newspaper scattered around young Stuart''s desk, where his fianc¨¦e was working at the moment.


    Abby was sitting comfortably in Minos'' armchair, reading some of those articles about recent events in Hadria, the newest home of rebels in the Cromwell Kingdom.


    Hadria had spent days of revolutionary and Black Plain allied forces movements until the population had acted against its rulers.


    In those days, a few thousand people had died during the chaos that had led to the invasion of the main bases of oppressive forces in that city. However, after much fighting and killing, even the Spiritual Kings who had failed to flee that city in time had died!


    And only after much blood flowed through the streets of Hadria did that place finally free itself from its oppressive past and see new day dawn.


    ''It''s amazing how these people acted in that moment of desperation...'' Abby pondered the incredible strength the collective might have.


    ''Will they refuse to lose their city to us shortly after fighting for their liberation?''


    The Black Plains obviously did not plan to let these territories go free for other powers to absorb in the future. So, sooner or later, the troops of the Black Plain Army would take over that place.


    With that, Abby was worried that the population of that place would understand things the wrong way and make things difficult for them in the future.


    ''It doesn''t matter.''


    ''When the Black Plain starts to receive immigrants after the war ends and grows by leaps and bounds, even if we didn''t order it, I believe they would still ask to be part of our territory.''


    ''After all, even in times of peace, no city can bear the tensions of this region alone.''


    After thinking about this, she read over some reports from the local mercenary guild, which talked about the results of a mission passed by Minos months ago.


    That concerned the mission created for local mercenaries to exterminate groups of bandits in the southern part of the Kingdom of the Waves, where there was one of the regional crime hotspots.


    Like the place, Peter had passed previously, where there was a town of criminals on the coast of that region.


    ''... Finally, after interrogating the prominent figures of those bandit groups, all the outlaws in the southern region of the Kingdom of the Waves were eliminated by the mercenaries...'' Abby continued to read one of the reports written by the soldiers sent by Minos to protect the local mercenaries.


    ''... However, it was discovered that part of these groups was working for an organization listed in the book of enemies of the Black Plain...''


    ''... The Blood Triangle Pirates had groups of pirates from this region doing outside work for them. In particular, they were after a certain map that could be anywhere in the region...''


    After that, Abby read those reports for a few more minutes until she finished doing that.


    p????-?o??? ''A map?'' She wondered, remembering Emlyn''s story and that pirate organization, as she considered why such a powerful organization would be looking for something like that in this region.


    ''Sigh...''


    ''I can''t think of anything to solve this mystery...'' She sighed in disappointment as she relaxed her back into the armchair that still had remnants of Minos'' scent.


    She then turned her face sideways and smelled the masculine scent of her fianc¨¦. ''Perhaps Minos can solve this mystery...''


    ''When he gets here, I''ll talk to him about it!'' She made up her mind, getting up from there and heading towards their house.


    "I can''t relax even though I''ve already reached level 53!" She muttered in a low voice as she made her way to the cultivation room of her and Minos'' house.


    "Minos is probably halfway through that level already, so I have to try harder!"


    And with that, she made her way to her destination, thinking of her fianc¨¦ as an encouragement for training. But thinking about Minos, she also misses him and his touches.


    But she was not restless. She already knew that her partner would be back to hug her and make her happy in the next two months!

 Chapter 947 The Return Of Luke

    Chapter 947 The Return Of Luke


    At the same time Abby attended her duties in Dry City, a young blond man, accompanied by a giant winged beast and a human, arrived in Stone Island''s capital.


    However, this person beside him was nothing ordinary, as this man was a powerful Spiritual Emperor, someone who was already at level 63.


    "So, you are coming back here for good?" The gray-haired man asked the young blond next to him. "You will still be able to return with me if you choose."


    "I will still have to return to the empire anyway..."


    "Mister Holt, thank you for the offer."


    "But I believe the Western Empire is not for me." The young blond said this with his head down, feeling bad for having to admit it out loud. "There I a... I am just an ordinary person, without any prestige or expectation of growth..."


    "I''d rather live less but live like a king here in the northern Central Continent!"


    "Hehehe, I thought you would say something like that..." That Spiritual Emperor laughed but did not continue to force himself on the young man beside him.


    The Western Empire was brutal for people of only Black talent, as in the case of that young man. For someone like him, it would be challenging to get a high enough position for him to at least have a status similar to what he had on Stone Island years ago.


    And since that expert knew that for people from this region, it was not at all easy to give up their identities to fight in places as crowded as that empire, he did not blame this young man.


    It was a genuine choice, and he had no right to question or force this young man to follow a bloody path.


    He might have made a similar decision if he had been in his fellow traveler''s place. However, as a native of that empire, Oriel Holt was already used to the cruel lifestyle of that place.p????-?????.???


    No, he was not used to it. On the contrary, he was addicted to the idea of significant risks accompanied by possible great benefits.


    And with such a different mindset, he could not help but regret that such a young man had chosen the easy way out.


    "Well, anyway, I hope you don''t regret it, Luke."


    "You are still young and have not seen much of this vast world. But believe me, the number of men who regret decisions like yours is not small!"


    "One of them even created a great phrase that has been repeated in the Western Empire for hundreds of thousands of years..."


    He then looked into the eyes of that young blond man and said. "It is better to suffer through a defeat than regret."


    "Anyway, I just hope you''re not making that decision considering the girl you claim to like..."


    "A man''s worst mistake is to set any woman as his goal!"


    "I have never met any man who has sacrificed himself for a woman who has been happy or successful. Everyone who follows that path either regrets it, is abandoned, betrayed, or broken psychologically..."


    Gulp!


    "Don''t worry, Mister Holt. I didn''t make that decision considering passions." Luke Nash said this, being sincere with that man. p???? ?o???


    That was the young man Minos had met about ten years ago when he had come to Stone Island to do business with Elen and some shopping in Old Stone.


    At that time, young Luke had tried to challenge Minos but had failed miserably. However, he had not forgotten that, and now, being at level 51, he was back there with several plans in mind...


    Although he was in love with Elen and still liked this woman very much, Luke had not decided to return to his state for her.


    He honestly did not think he was compatible with the competition of the Western Empire, so he had asked for his liberation to return home.


    But still, hearing that man''s harsh words, Luke had felt a slight sense of worry in his being.


    But who would not feel the same way as he did?


    Even cultivators could suffer from their mental traps. So, how could he be sure that he was not making a mistake?


    ''Anyway, I feel like this is the best decision, so I''ll just believe my instincts!'' He thought about it as he clenched his fists tightly.


    "Well, I wonder how Stone Island is doing after all these years?" He heard Oriel asking this, but he had no way of answering that man.


    The Western Empire was simply too far away from the northern region of the Central Continent. Because of this, there was no efficient means of communication for the Nash family to communicate with Luke.


    Consequently, Luke Nash knew nothing of what had happened in that region since his departure! ¦Ñ???????????


    ...


    A few minutes later...


    At the Nash family estate, the prominent members of that organization at headquarters were in a large open courtyard, where a sizeable winged beast had just landed.


    Among those people were the Nash patriarch, Elen''s father, and this woman, who had not gone to the mainland to fight alongside her family''s troops.


    ''Oh? Luke?'' Elen thought about it as she saw that person from afar, recognizing this young man who had not changed much since his departure.


    ''He''s at level 51, not bad...'' However, just after thinking about it, a smile appeared on her face, with her remembering that she had maintained the difference between their levels, even though she was in the northern region of the Central Continent.


    ''It seems that meeting Minos on that passage through Dry City was the best thing for my life.''


    ''Maybe I should pay him a visit soon...'' She smiled, also remembering her friend Elena.


    But as she watched the newcomers in silence, those two finally got off that big beast and went to greet the people who were waiting for them.


    "Luke, you didn''t grow up bad!" Richard Nash said this as he patted that young man''s right shoulder.


    And Martin Nash, Luke''s father, was no less pleased than the supreme elder. "Hehehe, looks like you managed to handle the pressure of the empire well, eh?"


    "Hmmm." Luke nodded, embarrassed, choosing to leave it to talk about his decision later.


    Right after greeting those two old men, he looked in the direction of the beautiful Elen, who had become even more stunning after these years.


    Gulp!


    ''She''s already at level 54!'' His eyes widened in shock, with him not believing how that woman had achieved such a feat.


    He had traveled for many months just to go to the Western Empire and then suffered through the high competition in that state. But Elen... Elen had stayed on the ''quiet'' Stone Island!


    How could he accept that calmly?


    "How did you do that? Elen, what''s up with your cultivation level?" He asked in shock, feeling the injustice of the world.


    "Well, I worked hard and had some luck..." She said this, laughing in grace.


    But Marvin did not leave his son in the dark for long. He made a serious expression and said. "Luke, many things have happened on Stone Island, and in the north of the Central Continent in those years you have been away."


    "We had a war on Stone Island, and now the whole region is involved in the Black Plain war of independence."


    "Young Minos, that ally of Elen, is now the strongest person in the region."


    Upon hearing this quick explanation, Luke''s jaw nearly dropped to the floor from the sheer size of the shock he had just experienced at this news.


    "It can''t be!"


    "How can things change so much in such a short time?" He questioned his father in disbelief, feeling as if these people were there to spoil his dreams.


    He wanted to spend a few days with his family and then find his former ''rival,'' Minos. However, upon hearing such absurdities from those people, he had undergone an abrupt change of reality, capable of making him dumb with surprise.


    "So many things have happened?" Oriel asked interestedly, finding Elen''s rapid progress and Marvin''s words curious.


    "Yes, Mr. Holt."


    p????-?o??? "But let''s talk about it in a more appropriate place..."


    After that, those people followed into the Nash estate, with Luke strolling behind those people, with no sign of life on his face.


    It was as if his soul had left his body!


    ''What will I do now?'' He asked himself, feeling an immense pressure forming on his shoulders.

 Chapter 948 Before The Return

    Chapter 948 Before The Return


    One day later...


    After more than a day in the Snow Kingdom''s capital, Minos had already signed several Soul Contracts with high-level members of the Snow family.


    However, Minos would still need to remain in this city for a few more days, given the many people who would need to sign contracts with him. On the other hand, there was also the problem concerning the limitations of the only spiritual judge able to validate these contracts.


    In any case, everything was developing at the highest possible speed, and he was not dissatisfied with the arrangements made by the Snow family.


    No, on the contrary, he was delighted. The Snows seemed to be the most reasonable of all the organizations he had been in contact with during these past months.


    They understood their position, knew how to handle the situation without causing unnecessary friction, and were efficient at what they did.


    As a result, Minos had the peace of mind that he could train or cultivate in a place designated for him when he was not dealing with the Snow family.


    Other than that, he was not spending much of his time walking around this city, trying to get to know the area. Instead, he just hung out when he went to get something to eat or to relax during a walk between one training session and another.


    ...


    After returning from a short walk through the central part of the Snow Kingdom''s capital, Minos passed through a long corridor of the royal palace.


    The place had several corridors crisscrossing it, where people came and went without causing a commotion but with an intensity that was difficult to ignore.p????-?????.???


    And after passing through the most hectic part of this place, where many employees of this organization were working, this young man finally arrived at a place near the gardens of this estate.


    There, members of the royalty, among them some young women, were enjoying themselves, some sitting on benches beside the fountains, others walking calmly.


    Seeing that place, Minos smiled at how peaceful these people could be even in the presence of such a fearsome enemy. ''The blessing of ignorance...'' He thought, pleased that those people had not changed their behavior with his passage there.


    "Oh?" However, as Minos watched in delight that happy area of this estate, he suddenly saw a face he already knew.


    And noticing the worried, tense expression on that beautiful face, this young man could not help but approach that woman who should not be much older than him.


    "Do I know you?" He asked as he stood only three meters away from that blonde woman who had stopped her walk between Minos and a green fence.


    Gulp!


    "I... I don''t..." She stammered in awe, afraid that Minos would recognize her here.


    But that woman''s action was futile. Minos had an excellent memory for faces, and even if she looked a little different from the last time they had met, he had still been able to recognize her.


    "Looks like you''re trying to lie to me, huh?" He smiled, moving closer to that woman, making her stand ultimately against that green fence. p???? ?o???


    "No... Please..."


    p????-?o??? "If I''m not mistaken, your hair wasn''t that color... Did you make a way to dye them?" He stopped only thirty centimeters away from her, looking intently at her face.


    But realizing the silence she was making after his previous words, this young man shook his head disappointedly. "Regardless of your hair color, you should remember that your spiritual fluctuations are unique..."


    "Have you forgotten that, Misty?" He smiled, remembering the name of the woman who had confronted him several months ago when Christian had attacked him.


    At that time, Misty and Christian did not know how strong Minos was. And because of that, the young master of the Reid family was killed by the ruler of the Black Plain.


    As for Misty, she had found a way to escape from the battlefield. And since Minos did not have much interest in someone of her level, he had not bothered to pursue her.


    In any case, he was amazed to find an old enemy in this very place.


    "Why aren''t you with the Reid family? Is the Snow family somehow associated with that organization?" He asked, with his two hands on Misty''s shoulders.


    She then said in awe. "No. The Snow House has no relation to my former family."


    "Please don''t do anything to them on my account!" She pleaded with him as tears trickled from her eyes. ¦Ñ???????????


    "At that time, after escaping the battlefield, I figured I would no longer have a future in the Reid family. So, instead of returning to the Kingdom of the Waves, I came here, where I eventually met His Highness, Prince Ambrose."


    "Oh? So, that''s how it is..." He understood her story, finding interesting this woman''s ability to get off the bottom of the well and approach a person even more powerful than her former companion.


    ''It seems that this woman knows how to manipulate the fools who pursue her...'' He laughed, feeling sorry for Ambrose for approaching such a woman.


    Women like Misty rarely brought benefits to their companions. In fact, the most significant risk was that one day she would manipulate Ambrose into doing something stupid that would kill him or leave upon finding a better option.


    In any case, Ambrose''s chances were not good!


    "So, answer me one thing... Does Ambrose know about your past? Does he know how you were the woman of that fellow, uh, Christian Reid?"


    But Misty did not like having to hear that incorrect information from Minos. "You are mistaken. I was not his woman but that of his younger brother, Tristram Reid."


    "Is that so?" Minos asked unconsciously, finally remembering the young man he had killed during his trip alongside Ruth to the Spiritual Tournament.


    "So, it was because of that fellow that the Reid family attacked me so many times during this period?"


    "Yes..." She answered promptly, with tears streaming from her eyes.


    She genuinely loved Tristram. As for Christian, she had only given him what he wanted so that the death of this woman''s true love could be avenged.


    And now, in front of the one responsible for everything, she could not help but feel bad about the world''s injustice.


    But it was not hard for Minos to understand a bit about this woman. "You are quite complex... You loved that person, but you were in a relationship with that Christian, your brother-in-law..."


    "I did what was in my possibilities!" She shouted, angry at Minos'' insinuation.


    She was afraid of this young man, but she did not want to be compared to a slut who sells her own body...


    "Do what you have to do with me, but please don''t blame the Snow family for my presence here. I was only protecting myself by His Highness'' side..." She said that with her head turned to the right side to not look at Minos.


    "Sigh..."


    "What do you think I will do? That I will attack a defenseless woman?" He said, looking at how she was spreading her legs as if she was ready to ''sacrifice'' herself there.


    "Misty, you are beautiful, but I am not attracted to women who do not desire me."


    "Don''t get me wrong, but I don''t see women as consequences or prizes for my efforts. The opposite of that. I who am the prize to be pursued."


    "It is a privilege to be by my side, so I would never allow a woman who does not deserve me to have that benefit."


    "I would only be rewarding you if I touched your body..."


    He then turned away from her and said in a low voice. "And don''t worry, I won''t do anything against you."


    "Back there, the situation with your husband was caused by himself."


    "He attacked me even though I had warned him what would happen... After that, he suffered the consequences."


    "As for the attack you participated with that guy, don''t worry. The deaths of the other people involved have already made up for your crime."


    "As long as you behave well, I won''t do anything against you..." He said, looking away, before finally giving her one last look. "I won''t get my hands dirty with the blood of a level 48 cultivator who can''t do anything against me."


    "Be smart and live your life carefully. I won''t say anything to Ambrose."


    After that, he disappeared from that spot, leaving Misty alone, trembling from the fear that still permeated her heart.


    She felt her legs weaken and fell to her knees on the ground.


    "Ahhhh!" She cried out in a low voice, feeling extremely confused at this moment.


    She did not understand why, but besides her hatred for Minos, she suddenly felt as if she had been provoked as if she should prove herself to him.


    And thinking about it, she felt even worse about those two dead brothers.


    ''I''m sorry, Tristram, Christian...''

 Chapter 949 Returning To The Black Plain

    Chapter 949 Returning To The Black Plain


    After the previous meeting of Minos and Misty, the ruler of the Black Plain spent two more days in that city until he finally finished his official business there.


    He signed all the necessary Soul Contracts in that period, having made official a vassal relationship between himself and the high-ranking members of the Snow family.


    Because of this, that organization now had over 70% of its high-level members with a commitment to the Black Plain, something impossible to escape.


    That is, of course, considering that these people would not kill themselves to free this family from the ''terrible'' fate of subordination to the Black Plain.


    But that would be extremely foolish to do since the deaths of these people would also benefit Minos and harm the Snow family much more significantly.


    The reinforcements coming from outside the region were only temporary, and with the end of the war that would happen at some point, such significant losses would be irreparable.


    So, even if there was a possibility that such an organization might slip through his hands, Minos was not the least bit worried.


    And with that, he had gained another state as his subordinate, a place that, unlike the Kingdom of the End and the Kingdom of the Waves, had no time limit to stay in his hands.


    No, the levels of punishment for each organization that stood against him were different. So, House Snow had been subdued for an indefinite time without losing essential members. In contrast, House Walker had lost many of its experts and ''earned'' the subordinate position for the next thousand years.


    As for House Carline, they had benefited because of Minos'' relationship with Kara.


    Was this an unfair advantage?


    Yes, that was an unfair advantage.


    But that was the world in which all those people involved lived. That was a world without justice.p????-?????.???


    Sometimes having good connections would bring consequences similar to what Kara had achieved for her family.


    That was life.


    Lucky for her.


    And with the power that Minos had gained so far, he could make decisions like this. He could give benefits to those he cared about and screw with the lives of those he did not give a damn.


    That was the benefit of power, something he had earned by getting his hands dirty around this region.


    As for what these subordinates would think of him for acting like this, it did not matter to him. He had never promised justice to these people.


    He asked that these organizations stay away from the Black Plain. But they had chosen to play with his patience, trying to kill him and destroy what he had built.


    Well, now they could not complain. That was the terrible fate they had built, a fate that a single person could choose to favor one side and harm the others.


    Now they could only accept the harsh reality they were in!


    ...


    After finishing his business in the capital of the Snow Kingdom, Minos was at this very moment at one of the exits of this place, together with several of those specialists now subordinate to him.


    Among them was Ambrose, this young man''s mother, and even someone who should not be there by her level, Misty. p???? ?o???


    As for young Stuart, he was on the top of that big black-haired, level 55 Winged Tiger, saying goodbye to those people.


    "Make the arrangement as soon as possible."


    "Let your family descendants understand the new position of the Snow family. And prepare them to take my orders on the Black Plain," Minos calmly said, looking in Ambrose''s direction.


    "Yes, we will do that." That prince said that briefly.


    "Send a letter to your father and tell him that I will seek him out once I reach the Black Plain. If he doesn''t accept the same deal that I made to you..." He looked menacingly at King Snow''s son.


    Gulp!


    "Well, make it clear to him that I don''t want to hear any complaints. He must obey me without question!"


    "All right, Mister Minos, we''ll do our best." The queen said this while feeling helpless.


    But knowing her husband''s personality, she was not so worried about the possibility of something terrible happening. Instead, what bothered her was the oppressive way Minos dealt with them.


    p????-?o??? "I''m glad you understand. The biggest enemy of an organization is rarely the external enemy, but the internal one..."


    "Anyway, don''t think I won''t kill a disobedient subordinate."


    "As for the matter of the Scourges of the Devil, I will allow some of you to accompany me once I go to destroy them." ¦Ñ???????????


    Ambrose then sighed internally and said in thanks. "Thank you, Mister Minos."


    Minos then looked at that prince and smiled, seeing Misty''s figure hiding behind Ambrose as she watched him.


    That beauty, who now had blond hair, watched him intently while she felt goosebumps on her body as she listened to the rude way Minos spoke to those people.


    She was now Ambrose''s fianc¨¦e, something she had earned after many months of teasing and manipulation. But now, in this place, seeing Minos and her fianc¨¦, she could not help but feel something strange deep inside her being.


    ''Why is he like this? Why isn''t he like the others?'' She wondered, still feeling anger at Minos for the deaths of her loved ones.


    But at the same time, she felt terrible that she could not play with Minos'' mind and did not have his attention.


    And without it, she felt powerless in a way she had never felt before.


    "Sigh..."


    ''At least Ambrose treats me like a goddess...''


    ''Anyway, I have to forget the past.'' So, she thought amidst her sighs of defeat, using the rational side of her being that she had always prided herself on.


    ''That person will never pay for what he did, and harboring negative feelings against him will only make me more miserable.''


    ''Everything that could be done I have already done. Now, all that remains is for me to accept reality.''


    Gulp!


    She saw Minos looking at her as she finally heard this young man''s words. "Ambrose, enjoy your beautiful fianc¨¦e well. After these days in this city getting to know all of you, I am sure she will take you to the top."


    "Finally, I won''t be able to come to your wedding in the future, so I wish you both good luck."


    "If the relationship between the Snow Kingdom and the Black Plain develops well in the future, maybe I will give you guys some gift, hehe." He said, looking into Misty''s eyes.


    "Work hard for me, and the rewards will be incomparable!"


    Misty felt a chill run through her body upon hearing that, understanding Minos'' words differently than the other people there.


    Minos laughed until finally, Maida opened her long black wings and leaped into the sky.


    "Well, see you next time!"


    After that, man and beast quickly flew to higher and higher altitudes, moving away from that city, and making their way towards the southwest.


    Finally, it was time for Minos to return to the Black Plain!


    ''It''s time to go home!'' Minos thought about it in satisfaction, eager to see his fianc¨¦e and friends again and his territory.


    ''It seems that when I arrive on the Black Plain, there will be a negotiation led by the Spiritual Church...'' He considered this information he had received through the Snow family.


    He then smiled as he thought of the beauty he had met during this trip. ''Then I will probably have the opportunity to meet the beautiful Gloria.''


    ''I wonder if she got too angry?''


    ''It doesn''t matter. If she was annoyed, all the better! Things will only get more interesting that way!'' He smiled in satisfaction, thinking of the little adventure he and she had had in the Kingdom of the Waves.


    ''On the other hand, I don''t think it will take long before Ruth returns from the Flaming Empire...''


    He then muttered. "When the war is over, I''ll take a month off to sort out some life issues!"


    ...


    Meanwhile, in one of the branches of the Spiritual Church of the Flaming Empire...


    One of the Silva family members living in this state arrived at the Mission Hall of that organization while carrying a golden medallion in one of his hands.


    Such a thing had the symbol of a person with six wings, with most of his body covered by them, while a large eye was revealed in the center of the symbol.


    And as he held this item, the member of the Silva family had a victorious smile on his face, confident that this time he would avenge his family.


    ...

 Chapter 950 Unacceptable!

    Chapter 950 Unacceptable!


    Two weeks later...


    While the situation of the Black Plain''s war of independence remained very similar the past few weeks, the Spiritual Church had sent each of the sects in the Flaming Empire a specific order.


    After the visit of a person carrying a unique item from that organization, the Spiritual Church had partially accepted that individual''s requests.


    The particular item he had used was a kind of pledge, something used by the church to favor organizations or people for past actions.


    It was a guarantee that no matter how much time passed or who had the item, it could be used in any branch of the Spiritual Church to fulfill a wish.


    And as long as the wish of the owner of the item was not against the principles of the church, it would accept anything.


    The wish of the Silva family descendant had been something beyond those principles. So, that great organization had only partially fulfilled such a thing.


    But even just part of that Silva family member''s wish was enough for him. That was because the Spiritual Church had authorized the sects of the Flaming Empire to act as they preferred regarding this matter!


    And with that, that member of the Silva family used all the resources he had to create assassination missions in those organizations of the empire.


    ...


    The assassination mission against young Stuart quickly reached each of the eight most powerful sects in the Flaming Empire, the ones that actually had the means to deal with Minos.


    There were other sects in the empire, and they were much stronger than the Black Plains. However, many of these organizations did not have enough personnel to fulfill every kind of mission that came to them.


    Furthermore, these organizations naturally had fewer people capable of killing Minos than the large sects.p????-?????.???


    As such, the Silva family member had preferred to use the assets of that organization to pay for the assassination missions in the eight main sects in this state.


    He had enough resources to pay for the missions in these eight organizations, so he had not hesitated in making this big bet.


    Everything would be worth it if Minos died!


    And with the help of the great sects, that man was confident of finally avenging his family.


    These organizations were huge and had enormous numbers of people willing to leave their homes to go to the Black Plain to earn some crystals.


    Moreover, if Minos were still good enough to survive, such a thing would not be bad either. After all, once members of these sects died at his hands, this would naturally start a cycle of revenge on the part of the people from these organizations.


    He had made the best possible move against Minos one way or another!


    And right now, that mission was already available in the Mission Halls within the properties of those eight sects, where any disciple could apply for them.


    ...


    At the headquarters of the Gray Clouds Sect...


    At this moment, a woman was flying towards the most restricted location of that large estate. At the same time, she had a worried expression on her face.


    p????-?o??? She had a very similar appearance to Maisie. Still, she looked a few years younger and not as strong as Minos'' beautiful mother. p???? ?o???


    However, even though she was flying towards the most critical place in that sect, none of the Spiritual Saints watching over that area bothered to stop her from continuing her flight.


    No, this woman and her older sister had full access to this place, and they entered there whenever they wanted.


    And with her freedom of action, Angelica Coleman, level 64, continued on her way until she finally reached the principal mansion of the area.


    "Father! Father!"


    "The damned Spiritual Church has gone crazy!" She shouted this just after entering the residence she had grown up in, calling out to an individual with a short beard and white hair.


    "Look at this!" She arrived next to the old man who was meditating on the floor, in front of a long glass wall that gave a view of the entire property of the Gray Clouds Sect.


    At the same time, a woman who bore the features of both Angelica and Maisie, only much older than both of them, looked at that woman and asked. "Angelica, why are you making so much noise?"


    Looking at her mother, Angelica saw that woman dressed in a long white robe set beside the kitchen island and said in a concerned tone. "The Spiritual Church sent us a communiqu¨¦ authorizing a newly posted mission to our sect."


    "They said in that communiqu¨¦ that we can act as we wish, that we will not be punished just for this mission in the northern region."


    "Oh? That''s strange..." Her mother said in surprise since she had never heard anything like that before.


    As for the meditating old man, he finally opened his eyes and took Angelica''s paper from one of her hands.


    Angelica then said to her mother, "The mission in question is against little Minos!" ¦Ñ???????????


    "The damned church authorizes all of our sects to accept this mission!"


    "What? Why would they do such a thing?" Patience King, level 75, said this in doubt. "Minos is just a child playing war..."


    "How would the Spiritual Church get involved in such nonsense?"


    But in that instant, when the two women were talking, Minos'' old grandfather was getting more and more stressed about this, finding it impossible that these people would be so bold.


    "That''s unacceptable!" He said loudly, gradually turning green with anger, letting some of his powerful aura of a level 79 Spiritual Saint escape.


    "How dare they threaten my grandson like that?"


    Oswald Coleman, level 79, the person Minos had met on Peak of the Fog almost ten years ago, Maisie''s father, could not accept such a thing.


    Minos was just a young man solving his problems without help from others, a real pride for that old man. So, how could he accept such interference?


    That was absurd!


    The difference in proportions was unbelievable, and he could not accept it without doing something.


    "Damn!"


    "I won''t let that happen!" He stood up from where he was and then flew through that glass in front of him, heading quickly for this state capital.


    Meanwhile, shards of glass slowly scattered around the Grey Clouds Sect master''s residence while this man was already flying kilometers away.


    "Sigh..." Minos'' grandmother sighed in worry, feeling that a lot of trouble could develop from her husband''s attitude.


    But she understood Oswald well. After all, Minos was the only grandson of the two, in fact, the only male descendant of that branch of the Coleman family, someone they had a lot of expectations of.


    And considering that Minos had never committed any major crime, how could they accept such a death sentence?


    She then asked her daughter. "Angelica, how did this happen? Did the church explain why it changed its position so suddenly?"


    "Hmm, yes."


    "It looks like someone got the Serafim''s Promise Medal and used it."


    Serafim''s Promise Medals were limited items produced over 3 million years ago when the Spiritual Church was still not even 0.1% of what it was in contemporary times.


    And such medals had been entirely distributed during that time as debt promises. Once such a thing was used, the church destroyed them.


    Consequently, they were rare and valuable.


    "Serafim''s Promise Medal? Who used such an advent against Minos? None of the people I know who have one of these items would make such an absurdity!"


    Angelica nodded in agreement and commented. "I guess someone was lucky enough to find one of the lost medals."


    Patience''s eyes sharpened after she heard this. "It''s not impossible."


    "Many organizations have fallen in our Central Continent in the last 1 million years..."


    "But for that to fall right into the hands of an enemy of Minos... What kind of bad luck is that?"


    ...


    Meanwhile, outside that residence, the many Spiritual Saints were already uprooted, concerned about how Oswald had left his home.


    That man''s murderous intent and aura had startled each of those people, making them shiver just by feeling that for a few seconds.


    "What happened?"


    "What kind of hellish news did Angelica take to the sect master?" A level 76 old man asked this out loud, worried.


    "I don''t know. But the sect master seemed furious..."


    "The space around him was almost collapsing!"


    Gulp!


    "Not only that, he was flying while using his innate ability..."


    "We''ll have trouble!" The strongest one there said this as he remembered the horrible feeling he had felt earlier.


    ...

 Chapter 951 The Emperors Suggestion

    Chapter 951 The Emperor''s Suggestion


    p????-?o??? A few minutes later...


    After flying away with everything he had for only a few minutes, Oswald had already disappeared over the horizon of the City of Clouds, leaving behind many of its experts worried.


    But it was not for nothing. After leaving his home in a rage, the master of this sect unconsciously used his innate ability while moving to the empire''s capital.


    And such a thing might not be a problem if it were other people. But Oswald''s innate ability was one used for intimidation, something extremely effective against those weaker than him.


    In this situation, of the 10 million people in that city, he was the strongest in terms of cultivation. And as such, even though his departure was quick, only a few seconds, millions of people in that city had suffered from that person''s ability.


    When the experts from the Gray Clouds Sect went out into the streets of that city to check the situation, they found hundreds of thousands of unconscious people in the streets.


    The vast majority of people were lying on the ground as if they had suddenly decided to lie down and sleep in the middle of the streets.


    Along with them, spiritual beasts had also fallen on the outskirts, with many flying beasts having suffered, falling on top of houses, people, etc.


    Meanwhile, the silence that should not be there in such a prominent place permeated that area, making even the sounds of saliva being swallowed noticeable.


    "Unbelievable!" A Spiritual Emperor said this with his companions as he saw the situation in that city.


    But it was not their fault that they were frightened. That was because Oswald''s innate ability was so impressive that those below the 7th stage were defenseless when it was activated.p????-?????.???


    This man was so powerful that even Spiritual Emperors would feel suppression from a mere glance!


    Consequently, the millions of locals had experienced a spiritual knockout because of Oswald''s inconsequential action.


    "Activate the defenses!" A Spiritual Saint shouted this from the middle of that city, concerned about how vulnerable this place had been left.


    "Stay in a state of alert!"


    "Find out where the sect master has gone!"


    Commands scattered through the streets of that city, while the few individuals left standing tried to control the situation and do something to restore normalcy.


    On the other hand, others were already worried about what Oswald might do next.


    After all, as much as he was one of the strongest in the Flaming Empire, that did not make the Gray Clouds Sect invincible. No, not only existed cultivators as strong as him in this state but also organizations stronger than theirs.


    Consequently, these more experienced people were already starting to get worried!


    ... p???? ?o???


    While Maisie''s sect was facing an unprecedented situation in the City of Clouds, a whole day had passed since the departure of Minos'' grandfather.


    However, even if that was only a short time, Oswald had already traveled a distance as great as that from the capital of the Snow Kingdom to Dry City.


    That was almost two months of travel for Minos using Maida!


    But for someone at the highest level of the 8th stage, that was just a walk in the park.


    Hell, not only was Oswald mighty but so was the region he was in. With that, with the manipulation of the spiritual energy external to his body, he had made this path with ease, finally having reached the capital of the Flaming Empire.


    Payton was the capital of the empire, home to 12 million people, a place with as many Spiritual Saints per square meter as Spiritual Kings in some capitals in the northern region of the Central Continent.


    At the same time, this was the location of the Spiritual Church temple responsible for local affairs and for the northern region, where Gloria worked and lived.


    But upon arriving in this great city, Oswald did not waste his time appreciating the local beauties and attractions. No, he already knew every inch of this place, so he went straight to the imperial palace to talk to the old emperor.


    He knew that he could not do much against the Spiritual Church, so going to cause a stir in that organization''s temple would do little good for his cause. With that said, the best option was to ask the emperor for help so that he would help him concerning the other seven sects.


    ... ¦Ñ???????????


    And quickly, Oswald reached the imperial hall, where Harold Edwardstone, level 80, the emperor, sat on a dark red throne, silently watching that white-haired old man.


    The emperor looked much younger than Oswald, even considering he had lived a few centuries longer than Minos'' grandfather.


    But that was not strange. After all, aside from 8th stage cultivators already being able to alter their bodies with ease even in the immediate moments before death, someone at the 9th stage did it much better.


    So, the strong, tall, red-haired, brown-eyed man sitting on that throne did not look like someone from a generation before Oswald. But still, the depth in his gaze was incomparable, and even the master of the Gray Clouds Sect was behaving well in front of him.


    "What''s the matter, Oswald? Why did you ask for a meeting with me so suddenly?" That person''s voice resounded through that high-standard area, causing the many Spiritual Saints there to lower their heads involuntarily.


    Oswald then made a gesture of greeting and said. "Your Imperial Majesty, this fellow comes here to petition the empire''s justice."


    "Oh? Justice?" That figure''s eyes sharpened at those words.


    "Who would make the powerful master Coleman, who recently reached level 79, ask for justice?" The emperor''s right hand, level 79, asked that in curiosity.


    The others in that place also watched that man in curiosity, not understanding where Oswald''s complaints were coming from.


    He then said. "My family has been threatened with an order from the Spiritual Church." He then waved a piece of paper in his right hand. "They have authorized the sects of the empire to act in the northern region of the Central Continent against my grandson!"


    "So, that''s it..."


    The emperor looked at Oswald with a smile on his face and asked. "Grandson? Are you saying that that brat causing all this trouble in the north is your grandson?"


    This matter had already reached that man''s ears. But since the war in the northern region was just entertainment to him, Harold had not bothered to research it thoroughly or act on it.


    Therefore, he was surprised at the kinship between Oswald and Minos.


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    Oswald realized what the emperor was thinking and then said. "Minos is doing in the northern region what he wishes, without any help from my organization. I can assure you of that, Your Majesty."


    "Is that so? Then I must congratulate you on having such a talented and daring grandson." Harold smiled before finally pursuing the matter further. "But what can I do for you, Oswald? Do you think I am so powerful as to try to interfere in the church''s affairs?"


    "I understand Your Majesty''s position, but the Spiritual Church has not given any orders for action. It only freed us to do what we thought best."


    "Well, what I am asking is that Your Majesty prevents the other seven great sects of the empire from acting against my grandson."


    "Hmm, I see..."


    The emperor''s right hand then said in a solemn tone. "Master Coleman, what you are asking for is impossible. How can we interfere with seven sects for just one person?"


    "I am truly sorry for your grandson''s situation, but if the Empire starts interfering against its organizations, we will soon ruin our credibility."


    "Your Majesty, I advise that we refuse Master Coleman''s request." That individual said seriously.


    "Yes, the other sects will be sensitized if we interfere in such a way on behalf of the Gray Clouds Sect."


    "Master Coleman, this request is absurd!"


    Comments arose in the surroundings as the emperor stood silently, looking at that vassal of his.


    After a while, he waved one of his hands, causing everyone to be silent. "Oswald, you know I won''t do that."


    "But from the information I received, the church authorizes all sects in my state to act on that mission. So, you can act in your way against it."


    "If you want to prevent the end of your grandson, go talk to the other seven sects. Maybe they will give up on that..."

 Chapter 952 Back To Dry City

    Chapter 952 Back To Dry City


    Five weeks later...


    After traveling swiftly, making as few stops as possible on his way back home, Minos spotted the Dry City dome with a satisfied grin.


    He had traveled for weeks alongside only the spiritual beast carrying him, having trained hard with it, and used his free time for self-improvement.


    And as much as there were still a few weeks left before he could achieve a level advancement, Minos had gotten very close to level 54 in those days.


    Moreover, nothing of great significance had occurred on their way to this city, where at the moment, Maida was slowly lowering her altitude.


    But in the several weeks of travel between the Snow Kingdom and this place, Minos had discovered news items about the war in his territory through the regional periodicals.


    Among them was the Kingdom of the Waves troops'' withdrawal from the Black Plain, which had happened less than a fortnight ago when Blake and Wilfred finally managed to execute their plans.


    And, of course, this change profoundly affected everyone involved in the Black Plain''s war of independence.


    The Walker family had used the justification that they had suffered greatly from the effects of the war, the effects of being an enemy of young Stuart. Because of this, they declared that they needed to retreat to their territory, where they would try to recover from their many recent losses.p????-?????.???


    But even though this justification was highly plausible, it had pleased almost no one. On the contrary, even that organization''s vassals had been irritated by such a thing.


    After all, they had all lost enough already.


    At this point in the war, it would simply be better to fight to the very end to at least annihilate the enemy. That is, of course, considering that many of the regional families'' reinforcements had already arrived in the region.


    As for the allies of the Counter-Revolutionary Army, because of that decision, they had lost more than 20% of their forces, so they were the angriest about it.


    But regardless of whether these people were happy or not, the Walker family had withdrawn most of their state troops from the Black Plain. The only ones left there had been the Reid and Collins families, who had been enemies of Minos much longer than that royal family.


    Hence, an unprecedented situation on the Black Plain occurred. For the first time since the beginning of the war, the Dry City forces were not at a disadvantage but an advantage!


    After the withdrawal of those troops from the Kingdom of the Waves, the difference in numbers between the warriors on Minos'' side and the enemies had greatly diminished. Not only that, but with the withdrawal from that kingdom, more organizations from Stone Island had begun to act in favor of Minos.


    Among them was the royal family of that state that had previously been waiting for the arrival of their descendants to start acting. p???? ?o???


    But even before those people were allowed to act, that family had already sent fleets with thousands of fighters to the Black Plain!


    And with these changes, currently, the Black Plain''s allied forces were slowly marching against enemy outposts and reclaiming previously lost areas.


    In any case, the situation had just turned in Minos'' favor, so it could still take quite a while before the Dry City forces could regain all the lost territory.


    Not only because there were still hundreds of thousands of enemies around this territory but also because the reinforcements coming from the Flaming Empire were already in this area.


    They had not acted yet because of the negotiation attempt Gloria had scheduled for the next few days. But with these people present, the flames of war certainly still had plenty of fuel to burn!


    And knowing this, Minos was pleased with those brothers'' deeds, which had taken longer than he had assumed but had happened as promised.


    On the other hand, considering the recent deal he made with the Snow family and the possibility that the leadership of House Carline was trembling with fear, Minos was reassured about the war.


    He knew that there were variables outside this region. Still, these were possibilities that he thought were less problematic since once the region was at peace, outside powers would also find it more difficult to initiate action. ¦Ñ???????????


    With all this in mind, he finally climbed off Maida''s back with a smile on his face, wanting to find Abby as soon as possible.


    ...


    And quickly, the young Stuart made his way to his mansion, having greeted several soldiers and allies as he ran through the streets of Dry City.


    Meanwhile, Maida had moved on toward the Beast Park, where she would live. This beast had a great experience at Minos'' side, and she had not thought twice before accepting the invitation made by him to stay here.


    There was a great honor to serve someone so strong and talented. So, she had not wasted the chance to secure her place in this city!


    With that, the two parted, with that tigress arriving first at her goal. Soon after, Minos entered his mansion, looking for his beautiful fianc¨¦e.


    ...


    "Abby?" Minos opened the door to his office soon after greeting Mia and shortly saw the figure of that blue-haired woman resting with her eyes closed in his armchair.


    Upon seeing the beautiful face of his fianc¨¦e, a happy smile appeared on Minos'' face as he walked toward her.


    On the other hand, upon hearing her favorite voice, Abby opened her eyes in surprise, fearful that this was a dream. "Minos!" She said aloud, jumping from where she was toward her man''s arms.


    "Abby, you are much stronger." He said this as he held her in his arms in a warm embrace that only lovers could experience. "I''ve missed you."


    "I missed you too, Minos..." Abby answered him as she sniffed his neck, gradually moving up her face towards the lips she so longed wished to kiss.


    p????-?o??? "So, many months without feeling your touch... You don''t know the stress I had to go through all this time." She commented sweetly before she finally placed her tongue inside his mouth.


    Sensing Abby''s movement, Minos was not surprised and soon began to make his movements against her, prepared to help relieve her and his desires.


    First, he slowly made his way towards the sofa in the center of that office, without stopping kissing Abby or playing with her body.


    Then, he sat down on that place, quickly bringing the woman in his arms onto his lap.


    And after kissing for almost 3 minutes in that position, with several of Abby''s clothes already on the outskirts, Minos parted his lips from hers and watched her face.


    He looked at her flushed face, focusing for a moment on this woman''s pink lips, before finally looking into her dilated pupils. "I''m sorry about that, Abby." He said, running one of his hands over her right cheek. "But don''t worry, from now on, even if I have to travel far, I will take you with me."


    "You promise?" She asked this as she bit her lips while using her two hands around his neck.


    "Hmmm. I promise."


    "After all, I won''t be able to leave my wife aside." He joked as he remembered that he had arranged with her for the wedding right after Black Plain''s independence.


    Hearing this, Abby felt an intense warmth in her body. She smiled in happiness at being able to love this man who never failed to satisfy her, even when he had so many responsibilities and possibilities.


    "Let me take care of you first." She whispered in one of his ears as she bent down and got on her knees in front of Minos.


    After that, Abby removed her partner''s underwear before finally kissing that rod she loved to have inside her...


    Slurp!


    "Oh! Abby..."


    ...

 Chapter 953 Caught In The Act (18+)

    Chapter 953 Caught In The Act (18+)


    After a few minutes of intense fluid exchange, Abby and Minos were finishing their fun, lying on that same couch as before.


    He was on top of her, supported on his elbows as he stared into Abby''s eyes and made repetitive motions with his lower body.


    And as drops of sweat dripped down Minos'' back, Abby was lying beneath him, legs spread, feeling pleasure each time her partner''s rod pressed against her.


    But even though she was lying below Minos, not moving much at the moment, she was also very sweaty. Her breathing was irregular like his, sometimes even more so due to the heavenly sounds coming out of her mouth.


    "Ahhhhhh~"


    She moaned as she looked into her lover''s eyes, using her small hands to play with his muscular back, sometimes with one of them going to his ass, helping him move more intensely.


    "Ahhh~ That''s it, my love, give it to me~" She tried to say it amidst her cries of happiness, longing for Minos'' seeds.


    They had obviously tried it a few times on this occasion. But, as a couple committed to the issues of the proliferation of their genes, they could not afford to waste that resource...


    No, except for the initial moment when Abby pleased young Stuart with her mouth, every drop of such a resource had to go directly to her uterus.


    And as someone committed to the maximum satisfaction of his women, Minos did not fail to give Abby what she wanted.


    After experiencing a slight tremor in his legs, he felt a familiar sensation in his rod and then pressed it completely against Abby''s flower, leaving every inch of it in that moist, warm area.p????-?????.???


    As she felt this, Abby already knew what was happening, and amidst her little sister''s involuntary contractions, she used her hands on Minos'' neck, bringing him closer to her.


    Minos then kissed her again while his arms wrapped around her waist in a warm and intimate embrace.


    In that instant, they finally got there once again, amidst their kissing and embracing, both feeling a pleasure hard to forget.


    "Hah... Hah..." After a while, young Stuart finally raised his face a little, separating his lips from Abby''s, looking at her intensely. "That was a nice reunion, huh?"


    "Hmmm..." She smiled sweetly at him, with love in her eyes, wishing she would not leave that position.


    Abby was powerful and already had a mature personality that protected her from many troublesome situations. But deep inside her being, she felt a need to be protected and cared for by her man, to feel him in a dominant position.


    Consequently, as she stood with Minos in that position, exposed to him, while he protected her in his embrace, she felt profound happiness, grateful for the decisions that had led her to this point.


    Pa!


    But while the two of them were talking intimately in that position, suddenly the door of that office opened, and a brown-haired woman walked in.


    "Little Abby, I heard that..." Maisie was about to say something, thinking she would alert her daughter-in-law about Minos'' arrival. But suddenly, she saw a scene that she honestly would not have wanted to see. p???? ?o???


    Entering her son''s office without knocking on the door nor bothering with secretary Mia, Maisie was faced with the sight of her naked son on top of Abby.


    "Oh, mine..."


    In that instant, she saw those two from a position where she could see part of his left leg and butt and her son''s bare, sweaty back. Meanwhile, he was hugging the woman below his body, with her knees showing, and both looking in Maisie''s direction with shocked looks.


    "Mother-in-law!"


    "You!"


    The two shouted simultaneously, both with tones of shame in their voices but with particular rancor in Minos''. Upon hearing that, Maisie turned red with embarrassment and promptly left that place without saying anything more.


    As for Minos and Abby, they remained in that position for a few more seconds until the sound of the door being closed reached their ears.


    "Minos..." Abby murmured it in his ear, feeling that she should get up, but this young man did not seem interested in moving.


    "Why is she here?" He asked as he continued in the same position.


    Minos did not like to be seen like that by anyone other than his women. But now that Maisie was gone, there was no reason for him to hurry to leave Abby as if he had to hurry. ¦Ñ???????????


    No, that was his place, his woman, so he would only get out of that position and get dressed when wanted!


    And seeing that Minos was not as embarrassed as she was, Abby sighed deeply but without trying to move him. "Your mother arrived in Dry City a few months ago, and because of Gloria Frost, she decided to stay here."


    "Gloria?" Minos'' eyes widened in surprise. "She''s here too?"


    "Hmmm, I don''t understand that woman''s fixation on you!" She said in a slightly annoyed tone, looking at him thoughtfully. "She said she wanted to settle personal matters with you... May I ask what this is about?"


    Minos then smiled, almost forgetting that his mother was outside that office. "I met her accidentally during my trip to Athela. After that, I traveled alongside her for a few days until we kissed one night before we said goodbye."


    "Maybe she is angry because I lied about my name to her..."


    Minos had no problem telling Abby the truth. After all, he loved her, and she already knew about his womanizing personality. So, why create intrigue with his woman over something like that?


    It would make no sense to do that, and precisely for that reason, he had bluntly told Abby the truth.


    "You!" She shouted at him as her hands tightened on his shoulders. "Minos, you truly are a bastard! How can you try to do that even with that woman?"


    "I don''t like her one bit!"


    But hearing those words just made young Stuart even more satisfied. And Abby had felt his satisfaction growing inside her...


    "You pervert!" She shouted, slapping his chest with her hands.


    "Abby, don''t be jealous. She and I haven''t even done anything yet..."


    "Yet?" She smiled coldly at him.


    But he was not bothered by that and just massaged one of her rosy cheeks. "No matter what happens, it won''t change my relationship with you."


    Gulp!


    "Minos!"


    ''This bastard! Always saying those nice words, but he behaves like a pig when I''m not with him!'' So, she thought silently, trying to find a way to tame this wild young man.


    But she soon put that matter aside and looked at him with a doubtful expression on her face. "Aren''t you going to get up? Or will we continue even with your mother waiting for us?"


    "Sigh..."


    "I would prefer to continue, but let''s leave that for later." He said as he rose from his position, finally disconnecting his little brother from Abby''s flower.


    And seeing liquid oozing from his companion''s cave, he wasted no time in commenting. "Do something about it, or our plans will be messed up..."


    Abby''s face turned red as she directed some of her energy to form a small seal in that region. "Don''t worry. My mother has already taught me how to fix this..."


    "Good." He sat down next to her, relaxing his back against the support of the sofa and closing his eyes. "What a big spoiler..." Minos muttered, thinking about how he had to deal with his mother right now.


    And knowing her man, Abby readily understood what he was muttering.


    She rose from her position and sat on his lap, looking at him affectionately. "Minos, why don''t you try to settle your matters with your mother?"


    "Even if you have your reasons, having all this resentment for her is not good. I''m not telling you to forgive her, but at least you could try to learn to get along with her."


    p????-?o??? "Can you think about it?" She gave his lips a brief kiss with a pleading look on her face. "If not for her, do it for me."


    "I don''t want our family to be disunited."


    ...

 Chapter 954 Whats This Smell?

    Chapter 954 What''s This Smell?


    "Abby..." Minos muttered her name amidst the affectionate way she looked at him.


    That was a complicated thing for him since he had always felt bad that he was the only one of his friends and classmates not to have a mother present during his childhood years.


    Because of this, he felt a lot of resentment against Maisie and did not see her as a mother but only as of just the woman who had given birth to him.


    And no matter how many times those around him, among them his father, Albert, had told him that she loved him, it was difficult for the young man who had cried alone on many nights to believe these words.


    And even after growing up and becoming more mature, Minos still could not ignore the anger in his heart, the contempt he felt for this person.


    However, he was no longer just an independent young man who could make all his decisions without caring about those around him.


    Now that he was committed to Abby, he felt that part of his freedom had been lost, and he had to consider her opinions.


    That was the meaning of becoming a couple, after all!


    In a relationship like theirs, there was no point in one of the parties involved thinking that they could act on their personal feelings and interests all the time. No, both parties had to consider the other party and sometimes give up certain things for the couple''s good.


    Of course, one should never give up what is essential to oneself because of another person''s wishes. After all, part of the attraction comes precisely from the authenticity of the individual''s personality, which often lies behind the passion or love that the other side felt at the beginning of the relationship.


    But if such a person were to change so much as to lose their authenticity or original qualities, then nothing other than disinterest would arise in the other party.p????-?????.???


    Not only disinterest but even contempt and lack of respect could arise in the other person if that individual agreed to have part of themselves ''killed'' just to satisfy their partner.


    How pathetic was that? Who but those desperate to hold on to a person would accept losing essential things for another''s desires?


    That was the point!


    But even knowing this, Minos understood that his hatred for his mother did not play such an essential role in his journey as a person.


    Although these feelings were a part of him, what had made him the man he was today had been other experiences.


    He genuinely had no interest in proving himself to Maisie or demonstrating to the people around him how he had developed without her help.


    His ambition had nothing to do with her, and all his actions were quite clear in this regard. So, he was willing to consider Abby''s suggestion at least.


    "Abby, let me think about it..." He finally said something as he hugged the still-naked woman in his lap.


    Abby then smiled at him and kissed him on one of his cheeks without saying more.


    After that, she stood up from there, giving the young Stuart an excellent view as she quickly got dressed. p???? ?o???


    As he did the same as she did, Minos suddenly heard a piece of information that also interested him. "By the way, Ruth arrived in Dry City a week ago."


    "Oh?" Minos said in surprise, shocked at how many surprises he had had so far. ''Looks like they were all hiding so I wouldn''t find them?''


    Minos'' spiritual sense was not that strong yet. So, besides not being able to sense all the auras in Dry City, he could not do anything about people near special arrays.


    For instance, he would be unable to detect Ruth, his mother, or anyone else training within the Dry City Cultivation Tower rooms.


    Abby then said. "She is cultivating at the army headquarters, but I think she will be coming here soon."


    "I see..." Minos smiled, happy that Ruth was also around.


    After that, he went behind his desk and sat in his armchair, waiting for the people outside that room.


    p????-?o??? Minos had already noticed the presence of Dillian, Gloria, and also his mother. And since he and Abby would not be doing anything else for the moment, he wanted to welcome them right away.


    "Abby, ask them to come over here, please." He said to the woman who was already well-dressed in a gray dress.


    ... ¦Ñ???????????


    Meanwhile, outside that office...


    After leaving Minos'' office, Maisie was completely red with embarrassment for having seen a scene that no mother should ever see.


    At the same time, she could not help but think how naughty her son was. He had just returned from a month-long trip out of his territory, but instead of meeting with his commanders, he simply went to have sex with Abby...


    How irresponsible could he be? His state was at war, but he would rather have fun with a woman than listen to the reports of his organization!


    ''That Minos!''


    ''I can''t believe he was doing that in his place of work!''


    ''How will I ever enter that office without thinking of that image?'' She stood by that door, using her aura to block the signals coming from that place.


    She did not like the situation. But since Minos and Abby were having an intimate moment together, she would not allow Gloria, who was already there, to probe her son in such a circumstance.


    And in doing so, she could not help but think about how intimate those two were. ''Ah... Why am I so surprised? They are already trying to have a child, so obviously they do these things...''


    ''But I didn''t think they were so much in love...'' She sighed, remembering how the two looked at each other before noticing her.


    ...


    After a while, each of those people entered Minos'' office, and soon they were seated at different spots.


    Minos'' mother sat in a chair across from his desk, with Dillian sitting in an armchair, one that was in front of the sofa where Gloria had settled.


    "Hmmm?" Gloria made a particular sound, looking at the surroundings in doubt as she inhaled the air. ''What''s this smell?''


    But as a virgin who had only had a few kisses in her life, there was no way she could understand that distinct fragrance.


    However, both Maisie and Abby had picked up on it and understood where Gloria''s curious expression was coming from.


    Abby then turned even redder as she sat down next to her fianc¨¦.


    As for Maisie, she looked at that young woman meaningfully, as if she was passing a message to Abby. ''You shouldn''t do things like that in such a place!''


    But since Abby could not read minds, she just looked away, embarrassed that she had been caught in the act with Minos. ''How will I look at my mother-in-law from now on?''


    ''What a shame!'' She looked at Minos in defeat, hoping that this man would say something and get these thoughts out of her mind.


    Minos then said. "Well, since you all came in here at once, let''s start with the basics."


    He looked at Gloria and asked. "Are you here for the church? Or for yourself?"


    Gloria then bit her lips, remembering the days she had lived with ''Albert.'' "Al... Minos."


    "I hope to be able to talk to you alone, so for now, let''s just take care of official business..."


    "Yes, I am also here for the church. I want you to participate in a negotiation with your enemies in the next few days."


    "I see..."


    "Well, I am willing to negotiate, so I see no problem following your lead in this negotiation. But answer me one thing, does the church intend to get involved in more of this in the future?"


    "I don''t want at all times to have to worry about outside intervention..." He said, citing that point so relevant to the church itself.


    Hearing that, Gloria''s eyebrows frowned as she felt an urge to hit that young man. "You forced me into this, Minos!"


    "What do you think I would do after giving you the sword that caused the death of all those people in the Walker family? Did you think I wouldn''t get involved?"


    ...

 Chapter 955 Attempted Agreement With The Spiritual Church

    Chapter 955 Attempted Agreement With The Spiritual Church


    "You did that?" Maisie asked in surprise, unexpectedly discovering that Gloria had helped Minos.


    Maisie had believed the entire time that Gloria and Minos'' story was merely about the Black Plain''s independence war, with such a woman becoming more involved with him than she should have.


    But young Stuart''s mother had at no time considered the possibility that Gloria had done something like helping Minos. After all, why would she do that?


    She was from the Spiritual Church, and the very fact that she would give something to someone in this region could be considered a favor.


    Maisie then saw the affirmative look on that redhead''s face and pressed the issue. "If that is the case, you are solely responsible for all of this!"


    "Yet, you still try to punish my son?"


    "What?" Gloria said in surprise as she rose from her seat with an expression of strangeness on her beautiful face.


    But Minos did not want the situation to develop that way. "You shouldn''t say those accusatory words to Gloria."


    "She gave me a high-level grade-2 sword to replace my weapon destroyed by her accidentally. There was no way she could have found out that I was a regional enemy at the time."


    "And you shouldn''t feel guilty about what happened, Gloria. I would have been able to eliminate those people with or without that sword. The difference is that it would have taken me a few minutes longer."p????-?????.???


    "Oh?" Maisie glanced angrily at Minos before finally giving Abby an advisory look.


    Seeing that, the blue-haired woman just smiled gracelessly, not knowing what to do in that situation.


    As for Gloria, she was surprised to see how Minos had defended her, even considering her actions against him. "Aren''t you irritated by my decisions? They have practically increased the weight on your shoulders by a lot..."


    But Minos just smiled at her, looking into Gloria''s light green eyes. "Well, I can''t predict everything that will happen, but I always prepare for sudden changes. So, your actions haven''t done me as much harm as you imagine..."


    ''The opposite of that, the ones most harmed by this are the families who should benefit from your action, my dear Gloria...'' He chuckled in his mind, thinking quietly about the results of that decision of hers.


    Previously the war could last much longer, even with Minos'' mission of terror around the region. However, with Gloria''s action, young Stuart had gained stronger subordinates who could more quickly clear the battlefields.


    Before, he had only intended to make those three kingdoms he had passed retreat, leaving room for him to solve his problems. But with the added power brought by Gloria''s action, he had decided to use his newly acquired subordinates more actively.


    He then continued. "In any case, don''t worry about that matter. As for the attempted negotiation, I will do as you wish, but I don''t think that will have any result."


    "Never mind." She said more contentedly, seeing that Minos did not seem to have such a bad personality. "Trying to negotiate peace is enough for me at the moment." p???? ?o???


    Minos then looked at that beauty in silence for a few seconds before finally asking something about the future. "Gloria, what will happen if Spiritual Emperors appear in our region in the future?"


    "Will the church remove protection for our region against action by people of that level?"


    In that instant, the eyebrows of every single person in that room frowned as they comprehended what Minos was getting at.


    Abby and Dillian were surprised that Minos would talk about it so openly with Gloria. But, at the same time, Maisie and that redhead were shocked at young Stuart''s ambition.


    "Are you saying that Spiritual Emperors will appear on the Black Plain in the future?" Maisie asked her son, curious as to how he would do that.


    She understood that there was some gigantic mystery behind the development of the Black Plain. However, everything was acceptable to her so far, as this place was still fragile by continental standards.


    And as impressive as Minos was, no one else in this organization was. Consequently, she could not help but ask that, curious to know what he had in mind.


    "Maybe..." He said without looking at his mother, looking at Gloria.


    And Gloria was not slow to answer him. "That''s a good question..." ¦Ñ???????????


    "We have prevented mighty organizations and people from acting in this region because one person like that would be enough to cause chaos for billions of people."


    "But if there are others to fight such a threat, the situation might change."


    "In any case, I believe that outside organizations would still need to follow the old rules. But people without deep backgrounds might have more freedom..." She said this as she looked at Minos, uncertain about all this.


    She was the leader of the Spiritual Church in this region, but that did not mean she could decide that on her own. So, she was not sure about it.


    Minos then understood what Gloria had said, thought for a moment, and said. "What if I offer your organization a deal?"


    "A deal?" She smiled, curious.


    "The Spiritual Church will guarantee the pre-war situation in my region for 20 years after my victory. So, in return, I will allow the church to enter the Black Plain after this period."


    He saw that she wanted to question this strange proposal, but he did not give her space to speak. Instead, Minos just made a hand gesture asking her to wait for him to finish speaking. "The advantage of this is that I will raise the level of talents acquired by the church in this region."


    "The Black Plain has much to grow, but we certainly won''t have the capacity to accept everyone in our territory or my organizations. So, naturally, some unusual talents may go to other organizations."


    "I pledge to direct them to the Spiritual Church rather than the sects of the Flaming Empire." He said this, ignoring his mother.


    "Oh?" Gloria said in surprise.


    p????-?o??? But before she asked the question she had in mind, Maisie made a point of questioning her son. "How do you intend to do that? Even if the region improves in the future, talent is still the main key to good harvests, like the one you are promising."


    "But talent is what is most lacking around this area..."


    "Sigh..." Minos sighed, but before he said anything, his gorgeous fianc¨¦e massaged one of his thighs as she answered that question.


    "That is a very pertinent question that I have asked Minos myself. And the answer to that is that we will raise the talent of the future local population."


    She paused briefly and said. "Evolution!"


    "So, that''s it..." Gloria and Maisie said simultaneously, remembering this difficult-to-realize possibility.


    They knew that cultivators could indeed evolve through their descent. After all, that was how ordinary people in the early days had created houses that later gave birth to cultivators with Silver or even Golden talent.


    But doing this was far more complicated than one could imagine. That was because, in order to evolve talent throughout a family''s offspring, each father and mother would have to make an effort to reach their full potential.


    But this wasn''t easy.


    A person could die prematurely, be crippled, or even suffer negative consequences in trying to reach their maximum potential. But, on the other hand, pregnancy in the Spiritual World was problematic, and making it work out to the couple''s maximum cultivation could be even more difficult.


    Hell, the couple could try for centuries and fail to leave children with the best possible talent before their lives ended!


    Not only that, passion was tough to control, and a man and a woman might decide to try to have a child earlier in their lives. Take the cases of Minos and Abby, who were already trying this, and Minos'' parents, who had accomplished such a thing.


    As much as doing that early increases the chances of the pregnancy being successful, the child''s potential was undeniably diminished.


    In other words, there were too many problems to prevent such a thing from working out!


    But Minos did not mind the disbelief of those two and just said. "Obviously, it''s not easy to do this. But by applying our goals to tens of millions of people, we will have successful cases."


    "And those cases will necessarily be more numerous than the absorptive capacity of the Black Plain in the future." He said, looking thoughtfully at Gloria. "What do you say? Can you at least consider this proposition before the Spiritual Church does something stupid?"


    "We''ll still have several years to think about it..."

 Chapter 956 Family Drama

    Chapter 956 Family Drama


    Hearing Minos'' wise words, Gloria could not refute the possibilities of this young man succeeding, nor even reject his offer without thinking about it any longer.


    The northern region of the Central Continent was not so relevant to the Spiritual Church in terms of new talent but as a place to demonstrate their dominance. And, of course, there would always be the more minor services that stronger people would never agree to do, so they needed these new additions.


    Hence, it was also not bad to collect the talents from this region. At the very least, such people would work hard to allow the true talents of the Church to have the necessary ''peace'' on their journeys.


    Therefore, there was not much pressure from the higher-ups of the Spiritual Church for people in Gloria''s position to try to improve their performance in this region.


    However, if what Minos had in mind became a reality, such a thing could become something valued by the Church, which could pave the journey of power she was pursuing.


    That could bring much merit and influence to Gloria!


    And thinking about it, she could not help but feel moved by young Stuart''s proposition.


    ''Even if this doesn''t work out, he''s only asking for 20 years...'' Gloria considered this as she looked into his brown eyes, feeling that she had almost nothing to lose. "All right, I''ll think about it further as I watch this region." She said, smiling.


    "Great!"p????-?????.???


    "But I have a question..." Gloria said this as she watched the young Stuart coming towards her as if he was preparing to ask her ''nicely'' to leave this place. "Why did you say that we can only enter the Black Plain after these 20 years?"


    "Do you have any intentions of avoiding us in your territory?"


    Minos then took one of Gloria''s hands, slowly leading her toward the exit of that office. He said in a casual tone. "You misunderstand me. I just don''t want to see my influence being divided with the Church while I''m still small."


    "How will I keep those promises if many of the good talents in my territory are driven away by the Church in the early stages of local development?"


    "Besides, the Black Plain has a lot of potentials. So naturally, we will absorb a lot of the population that comes to our territory in the future. Only when we reach a certain equilibrium will things be as I told you..." He said, hiding some of the truth but not lying.


    The Black Plain naturally had almost infinite potential. But only Minos and the people who knew about the Spatial Kingdom were aware of it.


    So, from the point of view of these individuals without insider information, the Black Plain was outstanding, but that was only in comparison to the rest of the northern region of the Central Continent!


    Hence the reason for Minos'' comment. p???? ?o???


    He continued. "So, the Church coming here before this period will only result in losses for you. There will be few talents. You will have to face competition with the Black Plain since not everyone wants to leave the region they were born. And besides, you won''t be able to raise funds."


    Hearing that, Gloria understood his points, but she thought she was being manipulated for some reason. She then looked sideways at him, seeing the door to that office open for her. "I''ll take your word for it this time..."


    "You are very thoughtful, Gloria." He smiled at her before bidding her goodbye. "Now, I''m sorry I have to ask you to wait a little longer until we have a chance to talk more privately."


    "I have some family matters to attend to." After saying that, he kissed one of her cheeks and closed that door.


    ...


    After sitting down in his armchair, Minos finally lost the smile he had on his face as he looked at Maisie. "May I know the reason for your visit?"


    Hearing that tone, Abby looked at him significantly. Then, she pinched her fianc¨¦''s waist, asking him to be less harsh in his words.


    As for Dillian, he was already used to this young master''s behavior and just avoided looking at those two, feeling that he had nothing to do to help them. ¦Ñ???????????


    He had already counseled both Minos and Maisie on many occasions, so there was not much left for him to try. So, he just stood there in silence, waiting to talk to young Stuart about the affairs of Dry City.


    Maisie then looked at Minos, feeling bad for not being loved by him but not blaming him. "Son, it was not my intention to stay long in Dry City. But after sensing that woman''s presence, I couldn''t help but think that she might do some harm to you."


    "That''s why I''m here until now."


    "So, you are protecting me? That''s truly motherly of you." He said this, smiling coldly, feeling the grace in the situation. "Why haven''t you ever done that before?"


    "Son, this is complicated..." She said this as she looked away, feeling bad for having to answer something so complicated.


    She genuinely wished that Minos had grown up next to her. But she wanted that to happen in the Flaming Empire... This young man''s father, on the other hand, was loyal to the Brown family and could not accept the idea of depending on his wife to live in the Grey Clouds Sect.


    With neither party giving up, young Stuart had been the victim, having grown up alongside his father simply because the region would be more ''friendly'' to him.


    That had been something that both Maisie and Albert had agreed on, why Minos had grown up next to his father and not his mother.


    "There''s a big difference between me staying here on behalf of a Spiritual Empress and doing this on behalf of the regional Spiritual Kings."


    "She can threaten you in a way that almost no one in this region can. That''s why I stuck around."


    Hearing that, Minos continued to stare angrily at her, clenching his fists as he felt Abby''s hands trying to massage him as they glowed in blue light.


    "Abby!" He said this as he turned to her, sensing that she was crossing the line. "Don''t use your ability on me. I''ll do what I promised you, but don''t try to do something like that again."


    Minos was strong enough to resist Abby''s ability. Still, he didn''t want to let his fianc¨¦e unconsciously think she should help him in this situation by lessening his stress.


    Sensing what he was feeling in that instant could be painful, something no one would want. But that kind of feeling had to be fought by the cultivator''s own will, not external methods that would only hide the problem.


    "Minos..." She whispered to him, feeling bad for having done something so selfish. "I''m sorry, my love, I crossed the line."


    She did not mean to help Maisie by doing that. No, the problem was that she felt terrible seeing the anger in Minos'' eyes, the unhappiness reflected in his gaze. That was why she had tried to lessen her man''s stress by using her ability.


    p????-?o??? Minos then turned his attention to his mother and said. "Are you going to stick around while Gloria is in Dry City?"


    "Yes!" Maisie said firmly, worried that her son would never forgive her if she did not show her commitment to protecting him.


    "Then I''m afraid your cultivation will be hindered because I don''t think Gloria will be leaving Dry City anytime soon..."


    He then smiled and continued. "As far as I''m concerned, she will live in this city indefinitely."


    She then said. "As long as she is a risk to you, I will stay in this place."


    "Good!" Minos said without any sincerity in his tone.


    "Good!" She repeated just before she got up and left that place.


    After that, Minos and those two people were silent for some time, with Abby and Dillian waiting for young Stuart''s expression to return to normal.


    In particular, Abby was at this instant holding one of Minos'' hands in hers, playing with his fingers, while looking at him lovingly.


    As for Dillian, he sighed deeply and then said. "Young master, changing the subject, we have many things about Dry City and the war to talk about..."


    "Among them, I am sorry to inform you, but Lieutenant Pyke died in battle a few months ago while trying to protect Yellow City."


    ...

 Chapter 957 The Situation Of The Top Soldiers

    Chapter 957 The Situation Of The Top Soldiers


    "What? Pyke died?" Minos asked in shock, not expecting that one of his oldest and strongest soldiers had died while he was traveling through the region.


    Abby nodded to him, still holding one of his hands. "Yes. Shortly before the Cohen family troops arrived in Yellow City, that post suffered a massive attack from our enemies."


    "That day, Lieutenant Pyke fell on the battlefield while fighting for the Black Plain."


    Upon hearing this, Minos closed his eyes, remembering the day he had met Pyke. "So, that''s what happened..." He lamented in a low voice, feeling bad that this person who had been by his side for so many years had died so suddenly.


    Many soldiers of the Black Plain Army had died since the beginning of the war of independence. However, as much as Minos mourned these losses, most of these individuals were people he barely knew.


    Therefore, there was no way he could feel so bad about those deaths. However, Pyke was from his circle. He was one of the individuals Minos believed could play a significant role in the Black Plain after independence.


    And upon discovering that man''s downfall, Minos could not help but mourn.


    "Sigh..."


    "What happened to him after that? Did we at least get his body back?"


    Dillian nodded in agreement. "At that time, within minutes of Pyke''s fall, a group of the Cohen family arrived in that place."


    "With that, they naturally eliminated the enemies, and the bodies of our soldiers and allies were brought to Dry City days later."p????-?????.???


    "We held a ceremony for him and the others at the Warriors'' Monument and then cremated their bodies." Dillian cited this place that Minos had ordered built after the Collins family attacked the naval army base.


    Hearing this, Minos thought about that place for a while and then said. "When the war is over, we will have a big ceremony to honor all the dead."


    "Yes, I will not forget that, young master."


    Minos then looked at Dillian and then into the eyes of his beautiful fianc¨¦e. "Has anyone else close to us fallen in that period?"


    Abby shook her head negatively and said. "No, Lieutenant Pyke was the only one."


    "Sigh..."


    "Less bad."


    "What about the current situation of our soldiers? How are the Elite Squad doing?"


    Dillian then commented on that. "Well, young master, all the soldiers in this force that did not fall during these months have increased their strength by at least 1 level."


    "With that, the number of Spiritual Kings in this group has increased from three to nine." p???? ?o???


    "Among them, Lieutenant Peter has reached level 50, Barbara to level 51, Robin to level 50, Viola to level 51..." He quoted several names that Minos knew, speaking of the nine Spiritual Kings on that team who have survived these past few months.


    "As for the Spiritual Generals, some have only moved up one level, but several others have achieved two advances in that period."


    "The casualty numbers among them were not significant either. Counting Pyke, only eight Elite Squad soldiers died these past few months."


    "Oh? That''s good."


    After that, Abby did not take long to start informing her fianc¨¦ about the situation of other essential soldiers in the army.


    "During this period that you have been away, new soldiers have reached the 6th stage, but several have died in the war. Because of this, the current number of Spiritual Kings in the army is only at 30."


    Dillian nodded in agreement, completing Abby''s speech. "If it were not for the deaths of these individuals, today we would have 42 Spiritual Kings..."


    "I see..." Minos said, feeling for the loss of so many people he had nurtured over the past decade.


    "But we still had great results with our stronger soldiers," Abby said in a less negative tone. "In addition to myself and butler Dillian, several of the high-level Spiritual Kings in the army has managed to advance in that period."


    Minos already knew about Abby and Dillian''s advancements since he had already checked them. Abby was at level 53 and Dillian at level 56. ¦Ñ???????????


    "Eda reached level 54 a few weeks ago. Elena and Ernest also reached that level recently. On the other hand, Eduard and Mirya have reached level 55."


    "Finally, Grace reached level 53, and Emlyn reached level 57."


    "Oh?" Minos said with a smile on his face, finding this new strength composition of his most essential soldiers quite interesting. ''Level 57, huh? I''ll talk to her later.''


    "It seems we are better off than I had imagined..." He said this as he considered Emlyn''s strength.


    p????-?o??? By his estimation, that Nine-tailed Fox should already be as strong as a Spiritual Emperor of common origin, as should be the case with the descendants of the regional families that were coming from the empire.


    Knowing that, he was naturally pleased with the progress of that spiritual beast, even considering that it had been away from the Spatial Kingdom for months.


    "What about Celeste, Angela, and Regina?" He asked in curiosity.


    Dillian then said. "None of them managed to advance in that period, young master."


    "As you know, the ages of these three women, particularly Regina, are far beyond that of the rest of us. So, they are naturally in need of more time."


    Abby nodded in agreement. "But I don''t think it will take them much longer to advance. I recently saw that poison master, and she should get a breakthrough before you get to level 55."


    "Well, that''s not bad. They are powerful, and I already knew about this problem of their ages before I accepted them into my organization."


    He then paused briefly, thinking about something, and then said. "Let''s order all these Spiritual Kings above level 54 to leave Dry City immediately."


    "I want them to turn the battlefield upside down and kill as many enemies as possible."


    "Let''s take the chance to show a little more power before this attempted peace negotiation!"


    "OK." Those two said that simultaneously, without questioning Minos'' decision.


    They already knew that this young man''s plans were going well, but giving the Carline families more reason to fear the Black Plain would not be bad.


    That could scare such a family that had not yet communicated their decision, but also organizations from the Cromwell Kingdom and the Brown Kingdom, which also had the option of fleeing the war.


    And thinking of the strength they now had and Minos'' presence in Dry City, there was no reason for them to try to stop him from making that decision.


    After that, Dillian quickly went on his way to settle this and other matters, while Abby stayed behind to continue the conversation with Minos.


    They were not very interested in talking about the affairs of the Dry City government since Minos had decided to step away from that position as long as the war lasted. With that, the following matters they were to discuss were still war-related.


    Abby then sat on Minos'' lap after Dillian left and began to talk about the situation north of the Cromwell Kingdom and south of the Kingdom of the Waves.


    Minos already knew some information regarding this issue from the regional periodicals, but none of it compared to the information from his organization. So, he spent the next 20 minutes talking with Abby about this, understanding her decisions.


    "You did well, Abby." Minos hugged her waist as he smiled, pleased that he had such a good fianc¨¦. "That will give us justification for taking the territories of those two states without having to make those demands in the future."


    "That''s great!"


    She then smiled sweetly, glad that her man was satisfied. "If it weren''t for your decisions, I wouldn''t have been able to do any of this."


    "In any case, we will receive more support soon coming from Stone Island. So, we can begin to ''clean up'' the Black Plain from the inside out and the outside in."


    He nodded in agreement, looking at Abby''s beautiful face. "At this rate, the war should be over before I reach level 55..."


    "I hope so..." She looked at the ring on one of her fingers, longing for the day when she and Minos could relax and enjoy life a little more.


    But as she did so, she suddenly saw her spatial ring and remembered a piece of information she had recently received from the army. "By the way, I have an update on a mission you passed on to the local mercenaries..."

 Chapter 958 Date

    Chapter 958 Date


    "That mission you passed to the local mercenaries has already been completed," Abby said while looking into his eyes.


    Seeing the look on his fianc¨¦e''s face, Minos immediately questioned her. "Oh? Is there something you want to tell me?"


    She smiled. "Yes, during this mission, some mercenaries discovered that regional pirates are doing outside work for that group, the Blood Triangle Pirates."


    "They were in search of a map."


    "A map?" Minos'' eyes widened in interest as he remembered the interrogation he had done with four Spiritual Kings of the Hargraves family.


    As he considered this, he readily associated such a map with the fabric those people had told him about.


    But as he did so, he suddenly remembered something that had happened almost nine years ago, when he had first left Dry City.


    He then looked at his spatial ring and summoned a particular item that he had collected from Darell Silva''s storage item.


    As he did so, Abby immediately saw an aged fabric fall onto her fianc¨¦''s work table, something that looked old and dirty.


    "That..."


    As he heard the sweet voice of his companion, Minos looked at that item carefully, seeing that there was indeed a map there.p????-?????.???


    "So, that''s it?" He wondered, curious to know if that was such a map.


    At the time he had passed through the old Maritime City, Minos had participated in an auction, in which he had bought a sword that had made the young master of the Silva family try to eliminate him.


    But at that time, Darell had bought that auctioned map, which was supposed to be from some great empire in the southern part of the Central Continent.


    Because Darell had gone after Minos on Stone Island a few days later and eventually left this world at his hands, Abby''s fianc¨¦ had inherited such a map.


    But he had never thought that such a thing had value. And even if it had, Minos had not bothered with it. He already had the Spatial Kingdom on his side and did not need to run after resources like ordinary people.


    But upon discovering the interest of that organization in a map and associating the fabric in question with the possible location illustrated on it, Minos could not help but think that this was the item sought after.


    With that, the value of that had naturally increased for Minos.


    He then put away said map and looked at Abby with a smile on his face.


    "What is it?" She asked, giggling.


    "I think that piece of fabric is what that group is looking for..." p???? ?o???


    "I wonder why they want it so badly?"


    "Maybe this will lead to treasure?" She suggested, not knowing what to say.


    "Then if it is a treasure, we should keep it for ourselves, shouldn''t we?"


    She then felt his arms squeeze her tighter, realizing that he was getting excited once again. "Sure!"


    "Hehe, in the future, we''ll try to capture pirate groups from this region. Let''s see if they can help us confirm if this is the item."


    "If it is, let''s wait for the future to see what we do with it." He said this and then kissed his fianc¨¦e, smelling the yummy scent she always had.


    But Abby soon used one of her hands to push on his shoulders, stopping what he was trying to start. "Minos, you''re a beast, you know that?" She smiled.


    "Let''s leave it to continue this later. For now, let me take care of those official matters we talked about..." She then turned a little red and whispered in one of his ears. "In the meantime, I''ll recover my best condition so we can have some fun later."


    "Oh? That sounds interesting." He smiled at her just before lightly biting those lips of hers and kissing her for a few more seconds.


    Pa! ¦Ñ???????????


    After separating their bodies, he patted one of her lower cheeks and smiled. "All right, go do your chores."


    "I also have to visit Ruth and take care of other matters."


    "Hehe. Enjoy your meeting with her!" Abby sincerely said before she left that place laughing.


    She had already gotten used to sharing her man with Ruth. So, there was no reason for her to feel jealous over such words. On the contrary, she felt happy that he would see that woman and not one of the many others he had relations with.


    So, it did not take long for her to get on with her business. At the same time, Minos stayed just a few more minutes in that office, chatting with Mia, before finally making his way to his army headquarters.


    As he did so, the beautiful redhead who was still waiting for him was soon walking beside him, chatting while blindly following Minos'' path.


    ...


    "Minos, answer me honestly. Did your words that night mean anything?" Gloria asked him as she walked beside him, a little nervous about talking to him about it.


    "Or was all that a lie to you? Were you playing with me?"


    Upon hearing this, Minos looked at her seriously, not understanding where she had gotten these absurd ideas from. "Gloria, I merely didn''t tell you my real name or show you my strength. After all, I was on a mission against the people you would meet."


    "How could I so easily tell you the truth in that situation? I would have all my plans messed up!"


    "But everything besides my strength and name was true. Every word I said to you that night was indeed my interest..."


    "And it still is." He said this as he took one of her hands and smiled.


    After that, he stopped walking down the sidewalk they were on, brought his face close to Gloria''s, and whispered in one of her ears. "What about you? Were you fooling me when you said you would give me a chance to know you better if I were as strong as a Spiritual Emperor?"


    Gloria''s face then turned completely red, with her understanding well what Minos was saying. "You bastard!"


    "I''m talking about my hurt feelings, and all you want is this?"


    "Oh? Did you feel hurt?" He looked at her with interest, promptly using his hands to bring her into his embrace. "I''m sorry, Gloria."


    "Things between us started strangely. Why don''t we try to revisit that?"


    "How about we go out on a date in two days? We''ll act like it''s our first time together and try to get to know each other better."


    Hearing this, she pulled her face away from his chest and looked up, watching him intently. "Is that really what you want? Do you want to get to know me better?"


    "Of course. I said it before. I was being sincere. The question is, will you keep your word?" He asked this, ignoring the looks of admiration the pedestrians gave him.


    Not only did these people have a lot of respect for Minos for his accomplishments for the Black Plain, but some admired him even more, seeing him with that goddess in his arms.


    Minos already had so many beautiful women in his surroundings, but not even that goddess had escaped.


    Impressive!


    A genuine pride for manhood!


    As they were being watched, Gloria said with her face flushed. "For I hope you are prepared for this. I will not go back on my words!"


    "Hehehe, that''s better." He said in satisfaction, just before letting go of that Spiritual Emperor''s beautiful body and walking back through that area.


    "If that is so, I will look for you in two days. But I''m afraid that for the time being, I have too many matters to deal with..." He said this just after arriving in front of his headquarters.


    "It''s okay. I understand your situation..." Gloria commented, comprehending that the leader of this place had to have a lot of responsibilities to fulfill after a months-long trip.


    p????-?o??? Finally, the two parted ways, and Minos headed toward his destination, where Ruth was supposed to be!


    ...

 Chapter 959 Get Out While Theres Still Time

    Chapter 959 Get Out While There''s Still Time


    Upon reaching the cultivation room where Ruth was supposed to be, Minos immediately realized that there was someone else with her as he watched through one of the panes of glass in the doorway there.


    But both Ruth and the blue-haired woman were silent, sitting in different places as they seemed to meditate on their respective cultivation cushions.


    Seeing this, Minos paused, trying to remember where he knew that woman next to his girlfriend.


    He was good at remembering people''s faces. Still, because of that characteristic of House Miller members, he had naturally had to think a little more about that person.


    However, before he silently entered that place, he finally recognized the person next to Ruth. ''Mona Miller...'' He thought about it silently as he quickly lowered the curtains of that place to prevent curious people from watching him.


    And indeed, that was Mona Miller, level 50, Abby''s best friend, who had gone to the Gray Clouds Sect with Kara after the last edition of the Spiritual Tournament.


    After that period, she had accompanied Ruth to the Black Plain, as this woman knew that Mona could not come to the region alone, or she would harm herself by going where she should not.


    With that, she had come from the Flaming Empire alongside Ruth and was currently cultivating alongside her friend.


    After realizing Mona''s identity and closing the curtains of that place, Minos turned to those two and finally saw his girlfriend opening her eyes.


    "Did I take too long?" He asked in a low voice, smiling at her.


    After hearing that distinctive tone, Ruth immediately looked in Minos'' direction and ran toward him.p????-?????.???


    "Minos!" She said in excitement as she finally embraced this man she had missed the touch so much.


    Unlike Abby, who had been ''only'' a few months away from Minos, Ruth had spent more than a year away from him. And considering that her passion for him was not one bit less than the one Abby felt, such a woman had suffered greatly during this period.


    So, when Ruth saw her love in front of her, she could not help but hug him tightly, as if the stronger she did that, the less chance she would have to part with him again.


    "Minos!" She repeated his name as she smelled the masculine scent of her boyfriend, quickly trailing her lips towards his.


    "Mmmmmmmmmm~"


    After that, she gave young Stuart a long, passionate kiss, something so warm that the moment Mona opened her eyes, she turned red with embarrassment at seeing that.


    Mona was still a virgin, but she had seen all sorts of things during her brief time in the Flaming Empire. But seeing her friend, who was usually so reserved, acting like a female in heat, she could not help but feel embarrassed and surprised.


    ''So, that''s Minos...'' Mona observed the tall, muscular young man hugging Ruth''s body so that even a maiden would feel affected just to watch.


    And seeing that young man, she soon sighed deeply, sensing a complex feeling deep within her being.


    She had gone to the Flaming Empire, but Abby and Minos had done nothing of the sort. One of them, of course, had stayed in the region by choice. In contrast, the other had accepted her defeat in the Spiritual Tournament. p???? ?o???


    But regardless of why they had stayed, all there was now was a successful couple, with Minos being the strongest in the region and Abby, the future queen of the Black Plain.


    That was simply unbelievable to Mona!


    Minos was powerful back then, but this woman could never have imagined it would be feasible to achieve his current strength.


    And considering the change her own family had gone through because of Minos and Abby, she could not help but wonder if it had been the right decision to go to the empire.


    Not because she felt jealous of Abby. She did not. But it was undeniable that she had had a hard time in that place, a place away from her family and the people she trusted most.


    Meanwhile, Abby had struggled a lot, too. Mona understood that. But that had happened while Minos'' fianc¨¦e had several people to count. Even her parents were in Dry City!


    So, she looked at Minos in awe, shocked at how much better he had become since the Spiritual Tournament.


    ''Back then, he was below my level, but now...'' Mona thought of this as she saw Ruth touching Minos'' face as she slowly parted her lips from his.


    p????-?o??? "Mmm~"


    "You don''t know how long I''ve waited for this..." Ruth said in a low voice, holding Minos'' face with her hands as if she had the most valuable treasure in the world in her possession. ¦Ñ???????????


    Minos then smiled at her as he played with this woman''s black hair. "Me too, Ruth..."


    "But now we will find a way to resolve this situation."


    "Cough! Cough!" Mona could no longer keep silent and coughed twice to alert those two.


    Minos was already unbuttoning Ruth''s clothes, so Mona had thought that if she did nothing, she would watch something she should not in that room.


    "Oh?" Minos looked in that woman''s direction, smiling as if nothing had happened.


    As for Ruth, she turned to her boyfriend, nodded to Mona, and said. "Minos, this is Mona, that friend of Abby that we met during our trip years ago." She looked at that blue-haired woman and then asked. "Do you remember Minos?"


    "How could I forget?" Mona said in a low voice as she saw the man with brown hair and shirt unbuttoned to chest height coming toward her.


    "I remember you, hehe." He waved one of his hands at Mona, indicating for her to use it to get up from the cushion she was sitting on.


    However, as she made that simple movement of getting help from him to get up, Mona felt his arms wrapping around her waist.


    "Uh?" She exclaimed in surprise, but it was already too late.


    At that moment, Mona felt her whole body shiver as Minos'' strong, warm arms pressed her against his body.


    After that, Minos slowly broke away from her and placed a kiss on Mona''s right cheek.


    "This..." She tried to say something but did not find the words.


    All that was in her mind was an immense shame, along with a strange feeling spreading through her body.


    Gulp!


    "You... You... Ruth, don''t you think it''s wrong for him to behave like this?" She finally said this while still feeling Minos'' hands on her delicate waist, making her feel slight shocks in that part of her body.


    "Behave like what?" Minos asked this with a smile. "Mona, you are Abby''s friend, so naturally, we will be good friends too."


    "Hehe, I just gave a warm hug that I usually give those close to me."


    But Mona did not have the heart to look at Minos. "Ruth?" She exclaimed to her friend to support her.


    "Minos, don''t play with her," Ruth said in a tone that showed no discomfort. "You truly are very bold, huh?"


    "How do you think your fianc¨¦e will feel when she finds out that you were being so intimate with her best friend?" She said this as she mentioned Abby and such an engagement, something she deeply desired.


    Minos then looked at the woman walking toward him, sensing his partner''s desire for him.


    He then looked at Mona and said. "Mona, if you don''t leave this room now, you will see Ruth and me having sex."


    "What?" That woman said this in surprise, not expecting him to be so direct with his intentions.


    As for Ruth, although she blushed with embarrassment at hearing him talk like that in front of Mona, she could not say anything. After all, that was what she wanted to do right now!


    Seeing how those two looked at each other, Mona promptly left Minos'' arms and ran away.


    ''Is this how couples are when they see each other after months apart?'' She bit her lips as she continued running. ''Even Ruth can be so shameless in situations like this...''


    "Sigh..."


    ''When will I get my own boyfriend?'' She wondered as she thought of a young man who had gone to the Flaming Empire along with her group.


    ...

 Chapter 960 The Union Of Minos And Ruth (18+)

    Chapter 960 The Union Of Minos And Ruth (18+)


    As Mona walked away from the cultivation room that Minos and Ruth were in, these two embraced each other warmly, kissing as if there was no tomorrow.


    Ruth had her hands behind young Stuart''s head as she felt his advance on her body without imposing any restraint.


    As she let him do what he wanted, she felt his tongue in her mouth, and her body melted in his arms, quickly raising her temperature due to the pleasurable sensations she was feeling right now.


    One of young Stuart''s hands firmly held Ruth''s slender waist, while the other was playing with different parts of her body.


    This hand had started its journey on her right cheek but then slowly moved past her breasts, playing with them still with the several layers of fabric over them. After that, he felt Ruth''s healthy buttocks before that hand trailed under her dress.


    "Mmmmmmm~"


    Their sounds quickly increased in frequency, along with the heart rate and heat of their bodies.


    At the same time, both of their faces were red from the intense heat emanating from their bodies, making them want to rip off the clothes they were wearing.


    And just after a few minutes of kissing each other, the two worked together to take off each other''s garments.


    "Ahhh~" Ruth softly moaned as she used her hands to unbutton Minos'' trousers, and she felt this young man sucking on the lobe of one of her ears.


    After that, Minos removed Ruth''s bra, allowing the twins to breathe and sway hypnotically.


    Seeing this, he pulled away from her neck. Then, he slowly lowered himself, getting into a position where he could easily remove her panties and still play with those beautiful peaks.p????-?????.???


    "Ahhhhhhhh~" Ruth moaned louder when one of her nipples was finally touched by Minos'' hot tongue, making her feel goosebumps in her body as well as slight shocks in her little sister.


    As for Minos, he smiled as he heard this and felt her reactions, continuing with his plan to suck that beautiful pink nipple that was at the moment completely erect.


    But as Ruth''s black panties fell to the height of her ankles, one of Minos'' hands trailed toward her little flower, ready to extract some of her precious nectar.


    "Ahhhhh~"


    "Ahhh~ That''s it, Minos, rub my clit~"


    She said amidst her moans, making young Stuart feel even more eager to fuck her.


    But as Minos worked to make this woman feel good, it did not take her long to notice his rod waiting for a little hand...


    And soon, she began to play with that thing she so loved to feel, not only in her little sister but also in other cavities of her body.


    Then, they moved to a bed that young Stuart brought from his spatial ring, quickly getting into a position where they could satisfy each other simultaneously.


    But after doing that for a few minutes, with Ruth having two orgasms in a row while Minos had only ejaculated once, they finally moved back to watching each other closely.


    "I love you, Minos~" She said this in a tone full of love as she stood over him in her favorite position. p???? ?o???


    Meanwhile, Minos took his hand off one of her breasts and slowly reached around her neck, bringing her closer to his face. "I love you too, Ruth." He said this before giving his girlfriend a warm kiss.


    After that, he parted his lips from Ruth''s and said the words she so desperately wanted, "You said you wanted to have children with me first, right?"


    Gulp!


    "You... Are you going to do that? Do you truly agree?" Her eyes widened in excitement as drops dripped from her little flower.


    And seeing the look full of happiness on Ruth''s face, Minos felt even better. "Of course, I love you and Abby equally."


    "Then, of course, I will do my best to get you both pregnant."


    "Oh, Minos~" She hugged him tighter than ever, feeling fulfilled to hear her lover''s words.


    "Mmmmmm~"


    And as they began to kiss again, this time Ruth herself was slowly moving her lower body while one of her hands directed Minos'' rod.


    Minos then felt their kiss turn a little different when a tight, wet, warm sensation circled his little brother, making him feel a wave of pleasure in his body.


    "Mmmmm~" ¦Ñ???????????


    After that, it was not long before the movements of the two''s waists began to speed up until they reached a point where they could no longer kiss properly.


    Pah! Pah! Pah!


    "Ahhhhhhhhh~"


    As Minos breathed hurriedly and sweat began to drip down both of their bodies, sounds of pounding flesh mingled with Ruth''s louder and louder moans.


    "Ahhhhhh~ Harder Minos, harder~"


    "Put your seed deep inside my womb~"


    "Ahhhh~"


    Ruth then began to say things that would have embarrassed her tremendously in other situations but that were now only making her feel better.


    As she freed herself on her man''s rod, her orgasms quickly returned as the inner walls of her little sister squeezed Minos'' rod, giving him even more pleasure.


    "Ahhhh~"


    ...


    An hour and a half later...


    Finally, the two reached their last orgasm as they lay on that now totally sweaty bed, with the black-haired woman lying on her back to Minos, entirely under his domination.


    Feeling his girlfriend''s body trembling from the recent pleasure, Minos slowly removed his left hand from between Ruth''s legs, wet from the state of her little flower.


    After that, he kissed the back of her neck, staying there in that position while hugging her and smelling her hair.


    As for Ruth, she had a cloudy look on her face, completely exhausted but smiling with as much strength as she had.


    But as she felt a warmth leaving her little sister, she slowly turned to Minos, coming face to face with him.


    She smiled and then used one of her hands to massage his left cheek, eager to give him as much as a woman could for a man.


    "I hope we''ll be lucky enough to be rewarded in the first few tries..." She said this as she looked at him and massaged her own belly.


    Minos smiled and hugged her. "If that happens, maybe our offspring will have the opportunity to attend their parents'' wedding..."


    "Wedding?" She bit her lips, eager to discover that she had not heard wrong.


    "Of course, Ruth. I want to marry you."


    Gulp!


    "I love you, Minos!" She said this as she moved toward his lips again, feeling even better than before.


    "Mmmmm~"


    After that, the two stayed in that position for a while longer, but nothing but kissing happened. They were just enjoying each other''s warmth while feeling their heartbeats getting in sync.


    p????-?o??? "If you will take me as your wife, then be prepared to have me by your side every day." She said this in one of his ears, smiling and massaging Minos'' head.


    "Oh? What about your sect?" Minos asked in interest, slowly turning his face to look at her.


    "From the moment we marry, I will have no responsibility to my sect and family. I will be totally yours, honey." She said this with her face all flushed, calling him in this intimate way.


    "Good!" He smiled at her, bringing her onto his lap in a single motion. "Well, get ready to do that as soon as possible. Once the current war is over, I will marry you and Abby."


    ''And I will finally be able to allow you to enter my life completely...''  He thought this in his mind, feeling that the time for him to be completely honest with Ruth was coming.


    "I just hope you understand certain precautions I''ve taken, Ruth." He said this as he looked her in the eyes. "But don''t doubt my feelings for you."


    She saw the sincerity in Minos'' gaze and smiled at him. "I know. I understand, dear, so don''t worry about it."


    ...

 Chapter 961 Shock Of Experts

    Chapter 961 Shock Of Experts


    "I know you have your secrets, and you haven''t let me fully enter your life because of my sect..." Ruth said this as she sat on Minos'' little brother, now and then feeling his contractions against her ass.


    "But soon, I will be fully yours, and I will finally be able to enter your world without any more restrictions." She said lovingly, not blaming Minos for what he had done.


    "It''s good that you understand..." He used his two hands to squeeze her ass and asked. "By the way, how do you intend to leave your sect?"


    "About that, my mother told me that I can make a deal with the Spiritual Church, and then I will gain my freedom as long as I don''t use my family and sect resources again."


    "Oh?" Minos'' eyes widened in realization, shocked at how far she was willing to go. "Are you willing to do all that for me?" He unconsciously asked as he pondered the matter.


    ''She doesn''t even know the full potential of the Black Plain, but she still chose this path...''


    "Yes, I believe in you and want to spend the rest of my life by your side," Ruth answered promptly, smiling at him.


    "Ruth..." Minos said this in a low voice as he raised his upper body, getting his gaze almost at the same height as hers.


    He then hugged her tightly, feeling that his instincts had not failed him. "Well, my beautiful fianc¨¦e, the future will be much brighter than you imagine..."


    "I just hope your family doesn''t blame me for stealing you away."p????-?????.???


    "I hope they get along with you, but you are the most important thing to me." She looked down, smiling, "You and our future baby."


    Hearing this, Minos smiled as he held that woman in his embrace. "Don''t worry. I will visit your family when I go to the Flaming Empire in the future."


    "Really? When do you plan to do that?" She asked as her eyes sparkled.


    Ruth had Minos as the priority of her life at the moment. But that did not mean she did not care about her parents and sister. As such, she truly wished he would go and meet those people and hoped they would get along in the future.


    "I''m not sure."


    "Once the war of independence is over, I''ll have a lot of work establishing the Black Plain as a great state. So, that may take a few years."


    "Honey, don''t rush. As long as you are willing to meet and accept my family, I am already more than satisfied."


    "Good!" He smiled, bringing his face closer to Ruth''s.


    p????-?o??? "Let''s have some more fun..." p???? ?o???


    "Maybe we can give at least one grandchild to your parents when I visit them."


    "Mmmmmm~" After that, they kissed fervently again, with the heat in that room increasing with the actions of both of them.


    Unlike Abby, Ruth was still stronger than Minos in terms of cultivation. This black-haired woman was currently at level 55. Because of this, her physical disposition was much better than the other fianc¨¦e of young Stuart.


    And knowing this, Minos could not help but take advantage of the good time to have more fun with Ruth!


    ...


    While Minos was having fun with Ruth at the headquarters of the Black Plain Army, Oswald was trying as hard as ever in his life to secure the future of his grandson.


    After his previous meeting with the emperor, the master of the Gray Clouds Sect had begun a crusade to convince the masters of the other seven great sects to refuse that assassination mission.


    And with weeks having passed, this man had already met with six of the seven masters of those organizations. But, he had managed to convince only five of them not to act against Minos.


    But even this had been at the cost of several promises from the Gray Clouds Sect and the culmination of certain debts that some of those organizations had to him or his sect. ¦Ñ???????????


    However, one of those organizations had not accepted Oswald''s request. But this man had expected something like this to happen. After all, the sects of this empire were often in opposite positions in the local political affairs or even faced each other as enemies.


    Hell, the fact that he got five sects not to go through with that mission was already a big deal to him!


    But that was not so strange either. Minos was just a young Spiritual King fighting a war in the northern Central Continent...


    Not everyone would want trouble with the Gray Clouds Sect just because of a small mission created with the resources of the little Silva family.


    And as much as Minos'' actions already hindered the Spiritual Tournament organized by these sects, this did not seem a matter worthy of Spiritual Saints'' attention.


    The Spiritual Tournament was already months overdue. However, due to the alarming situation in that region, the sects in the empire had already agreed to delay such competition for a while more.


    And knowing that the Spiritual Church was already trying to appease that region, even those who gave importance to the northern region were not too worried about the future.


    And with this, Oswald had gained those promises with his cause.


    Yet, he still wanted to get another sect on his side to avoid more significant problems for Minos in the future.


    Precisely for this reason, he had just arrived at the place where the master of the Mountain Sect should be.


    In this place in question, there was what looked like a large camp near a lake, where dozens of people were watching the surroundings from above the trees.


    At the same time, the smoke from the fires in that place was staining the beautiful blue sky but adding an intense smell of food in the air.


    As Oswald walked around the area, he saw people moving away from him and swallowing saliva out of nerves as they tried to stay awake in his presence.


    "Oh?" A hoarse but powerful voice resounded through that area, making every bird in the surroundings frightened and flight from that place. "It seems the rumors are not unfounded. You have reached my level, Oswald!"


    Hearing the words of the Mountain Sect master, level 79, Oswald looked at him coldly and said. "Nathaniel, you know why I''m here, so let''s not waste time with nonsense!"


    "Is that so?" The blond-haired man asked this while laughing and watching his former opponent. "It seems your family didn''t raise one of your offspring properly, and now you want my help to save that brat?"


    Nathaniel then thickened his voice even more. "Oswald, you are truly bold!"


    "I don''t care about your grandson, but if anyone in my sect accepts that little mission, then that''s such a person and your grandson''s problem."


    "Other than that, we have nothing to talk about!" He said this loudly, causing strong winds to spread through that area as if a storm was brewing.


    "Nathaniel!" Oswald shouted at that individual, letting his innate ability get out of hand, quickly knocking down many people in the surrounding area.


    That man then stood up from where he was standing and clenched his fists. "It seems that you want to fight me once again..."


    "You haven''t forgotten your last defeat, huh?"


    "Humph!"


    "I lost last time, but the difference between us has always been only one fight!" Oswald said this while running towards his opponent, already with a gigantic war hammer in his hands.


    "Hehehe, let''s see if you''ve gotten stronger, old man!" Nathaniel said this as he summoned a large spear and attacked his opponent.


    In that instant, before the two attacks even collided, the space between those two men collapsed as black thunder rumbled through the surroundings, destroying the area.


    KA-BOOOOOOOM!


    ...

 Chapter 962 Distrust

    Chapter 962 Distrust


    BOOM!


    A few minutes after the fight between those two peak experts of the Flaming Empire started, black lightning and flames were spreading around the surroundings of that place.


    At the same time, several of the unconscious people in the surroundings were being protected by the few Spiritual Saints in that area, who were hiding behind defensive items.


    As for the two individuals from before, Oswald and Nathaniel were a few hundred meters away from each other, both with severe expressions on their faces, while their robes swayed in the strong winds.


    But neither of them was injured or sweating since they knew they could not engage in a deadly conflict without a better reason. After all, they both had their sects to look after, and they definitely could not risk everything they had for something small or even a past disagreement.


    They could even act against each other in other ways, but to do it there, for such little reasons, made no sense at all.


    So, they had just tested each other, using significant parts of their powers, but not enough for a deadly fight.


    But none of that made any difference to the people in the surrounding area. Even if they had not fought with the intent to kill, the power displayed by them was already far superior to the strongest ones there!


    In this way, the damage to the surroundings was not slight, and the previous camp had been destroyed.


    "Tsk!"


    "Look at what you''ve done! Asshole!"p????-?????.???


    But Minos'' grandfather took no notice of that man''s words. "Nathaniel, are you not going to refuse the damn mission? That does not affect your organization at all."


    "Humph!"


    "My organization would be affected if I accepted interventions like yours!"


    "Is that so? Then since that''s the case, I won''t insist anymore..." He said this as he gave that opponent a meaningful look. "But before I leave, answer me one thing."


    p????-?o??? "What is it?" Nathaniel asked this as he cautiously watched Oswald.


    Nathaniel had been at level 79 much longer than Oswald, so he was stronger. However, unlike the patriarch of the Gray Clouds Sect, this other man did not have an innate ability practical in battle.


    And precisely because Oswald''s ability was quite effective in battles, Nathaniel could not be careless with his opponent!


    "If you will let your sect members decide whether or not to accept this mission, then may I assume that you will accept the consequences?"


    That man then frowned his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"


    "If my grandson kills your sect members who try to eliminate him, what will you do about it? Don''t tell me you will be so low as to desire revenge?" p???? ?o???


    "Humph!"


    "Unlike you, I don''t get involved in the affairs of juniors!"


    "I will wash my hands if a sect member accepts this mission and proves incapable of even eliminating a young Spiritual King!"


    "Is that so? I hope you won''t go back on your words." Oswald said this as he looked at that individual and felt relieved.


    What worried him about these missions of the Silva family was the possibility of revenge from the sects or families of the ones who went after Minos. However, if that man really would not seek revenge, then Oswald was less concerned.


    After all, even if the Silva family had sacrificed their resources accumulated over millennia, that could only draw the attention of Spiritual Emperors!


    Hence, as long as no one sought revenge against the possible deaths of Spiritual Emperors, then there was not much for Oswald to worry about!


    But Nathaniel did not understand Oswald''s comment the way he should have. "Are you underestimating the disciples of my sect?"


    "No. Your disciples are just as good as mine. I merely want to make sure that you don''t start a war over a young Spiritual King..."


    "Or would you be that petty?" ¦Ñ???????????


    "Tsk!"


    "You''re talking a lot of shit, old man!"


    "Go away! Don''t bother me over such a small matter!"


    "If your grandson is good enough to outlast my sect''s members, then I won''t allow any of those disciples'' families to take revenge against him."


    "Oh?" Oswald smiled, pleased to hear that. "Then I bid you farewell."


    And after Minos'' old grandfather left, the Mountain Sect master continued to look in the direction from which that person had departed, curious about Oswald''s words.


    "Darren!" He shouted to one of his Spiritual Saints, who was still hiding below solid defenses on the outskirts of that area.


    "Darren, call seer Bates. I want to know a little more about that bastard Oswald''s grandson."


    "All right, sect master. Give me five minutes, and I''ll bring him here!" That person shouted before finally disappearing from that area.


    And while the people there were trying to recover from Oswald''s visit, the Mountain Sect master sat on top of a large fallen trunk with his eyes closed, waiting for the seer.


    ''That Oswald seemed confident in his grandson''s ability... Does he think that Spiritual Emperors won''t be able to handle a mere Spiritual King?''


    ''Or will his sect interfere?''


    ''No, if he does something like that, then the little problem in the north could turn into a war in our empire!'' He pondered over this, analyzing the possible decision routes of his previous opponent.


    But while he was theorizing about Oswald''s behavior, the seer finally came in front of him.


    "Sect Master, I hear you need me?" An old man who looked more like a corpse than a living being said this, looking respectfully at the person sitting in that trunk.


    Seeing the arrival of this medium-level grade-2 seer, the only one available in this place, Nathaniel opened his eyes and said. "Seer Bates, I need you to see the future of a certain person."


    Upon hearing that, seer Bates puffed out his chest proudly, ready to do another meritorious service for his sect. "Who would this person be, sect master? Is he by any chance someone compelling?"


    Seer Bates was naturally concerned about trying to spy on the future of someone stronger than himself.


    Looking into someone''s future was like evaluating that person''s soul through a lens that some fundamental Natural Laws molded. But to do this safely, a seer would have to have a greater soul strength than that of his object of analysis.


    As such, that man wondered if he would have to try to check the future of someone stronger than himself.


    Nathaniel then said. "His name is Minos Stuart. He is only a Spiritual King."


    Hearing that, that old man smiled, feeling that it would be a walk in the park to check the future of someone so weak. "OK. Did the sect master meet this person? Or will I have to use a recording array?"


    Hearing that, Nathaniel just threw a small stone that looked like a diamond in the direction of that old man.


    Such a thing was a recording array, a device capable of storing images, sounds, and even spiritual fluctuations.


    For spiritual seers, this was an alternative to identify their target for analysis. However, such a thing was not used by people from the northern region of the Central Continent since arrays like that had to be at least low-level grade-3 ones.


    In other words, something above the limit for that region.


    That''s why the seers from that area needed their clients to have memories of their targets.


    But since the masters of the great sects of the Flaming Empire always had the recordings of the final fights of the Spiritual Tournament, Nathaniel had that item to help his seer.


    The Mountain Sect master then said. "In that recording, two young men are fighting. The level 39 one is the person I want you to analyze."


    "Oh? All right!"


    After saying those words, seer Bates sat down on a cushion, and soon after, a small wooden table appeared in front of him.


    Immediately after that, eight spherical, crystal-like objects appeared on top of that table, with seven of them the same size and the last one significantly large.


    And while the bigger Orb of Fate, concerning that man''s cultivation technique, was surrounded by the others, connected by symbols and lines, that man began his work.


    ...

 Chapter 963 Irreparable Error

    Chapter 963 Irreparable Error


    As the eight Orbs of Fate glowed in a bluish light, seer Bates had his vision.


    At that moment, he watched the scene of Minos and Troy''s fight as if he were just another one of the many spectators in that arena in the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom.


    But he was not there to play games and soon focused his attention on young Stuart, who was in the middle of his evenly matched fight with Troy.


    In doing so, that old seer quickly realized that something was odd as he could not see Minos'' image fully, even considering the difference in level between them.


    No, what he saw was a big blur in place of that young man.


    While he could sense the spiritual fluctuations of the people in the surroundings, as well as Troy''s techniques, he did not feel Minos, even considering this target was right in front of him.


    And it did not take long for him to try to touch Minos and start his work.


    "What the fuck?" He muttered this in a loud tone for the people outside that vision to realize something was wrong.


    As they looked at that man who already had blood coming out of each of the seven orifices on his face, the people in Nathaniel''s group unconsciously moved away from the seer.


    "Seer Bates?" The Mountain Sect master tried to get that man''s attention, but it was too late.


    Crack!


    Boom!


    And then, seven of seer Bates'' eight Orbs of Fate exploded into endless pieces, making the people in that area swallow their saliva in anxiety.p????-?????.???


    But while the people in such a group felt cold sweat dripping down their backs, that old man sitting in front of his orbs saw a gigantic shadow appearing in his vision.


    It looked like a mountain, while he was just a tiny grain of sand waiting to be judged for his crimes.


    Gulp!


    p????-?o??? Swallowing his saliva in terror, he suddenly trembled and muttered in shock. "God..."


    After that, in the blink of an eye, he saw a semi-transparent hand coming out of the body that looked like a mountain, coming to crush him.


    To seer Bates'' misfortune, he did not stand a chance!


    As that terrifying power destroyed his soul, black clouds appeared in the surroundings, just before a red ray descended in that person''s direction.


    "What?" Nathaniel cried out in terror, feeling a power that could exterminate even him.


    But there was not much time for the people in that place to react, when in a fraction of a second, that lightning hit seer Bades'' head, causing his entire body to explode!


    Puff!


    Pieces of smoking flesh and bones flew around the area as each of the people there received the baptism of blood from that unforgettable explosion.


    "Ahhhhhhhh!" One of the Spiritual Emperors screamed in terror as he saw the unbelievable death of that Spiritual Saint. p???? ?o???


    "How... How..."


    "How could that have happened?"


    "What did seer Bates do to anger the heavens like that?"


    And then, the people in that place soon began to discuss the matter, each scared to death of what might happen to them just by being there.


    As for Nathaniel, he was the most frightened of all since all this had happened because of his curiosity.


    ''What does this mean?'' He wiped the blood dripping from his forehead, staring in terror at the focus of that explosion.


    ''Does that mean I shouldn''t try to guess the past of Oswald''s grandson?''


    "Ahhhhhh! Disgrace!" He shouted in hatred before giving his orders to the people in that place.


    "Tell our people to cancel that damned mission. Don''t let any disciple accept it!"


    "And if anyone has already accepted it, tell them to return to the sect immediately!"


    ...


    Meanwhile, Oswald was standing in the skies a few dozen kilometers from that place, looking in the direction of Nathaniel''s group. ¦Ñ???????????


    ''What was that?'' He wondered as he felt a shiver of fear travel through his old body. ''That terrifying feeling...''


    "Did some peak Spiritual Sage sacrifice himself?" He muttered in astonishment at his own thoughts.


    But the feeling he had been sensing was so powerful that he could not help but compare it to some of the strongest individuals he had ever met in his life.


    Thinking about how potent a sacrifice could be, he could only speculate this, as it was even stranger to believe that a Spiritual Demigod had used his abilities in that location.


    ''I''d better return to my sect as soon as possible!'' Oswald made up his mind as he finally flew away from that region of the Flaming Empire.


    ...


    On the other hand, while those experts in the Flaming Empire were terrified by the previous event, Minos suddenly frowned as he felt something on one of his fingers.


    Minos was finishing getting dressed in that cultivation room he had spent time in with Ruth when he felt the ring of the Spatial Kingdom vibrate on one of his fingers.


    And feeling that, he promptly looked at that golden item that only he could see, understanding that something had happened. ''Again?''


    He then felt his soul slightly tremble as if someone had briefly touched it, and he remembered what happened a few years ago. ''Someone else tried to predict my future?''


    But as he considered this seriously for a few seconds, Minos felt that there was nothing he could do about it. The defense left by Henricus Longus would undoubtedly protect him.


    That was because unless the seer were better than Henricus Longus himself, then no one would be able to check Minos'' future. And considering the punishment left by that God, this young man knew there was no way the seer in this situation could save himself.


    He had never been involved with souls stronger than the 8th stage people, so only seers below this part of cultivation could have any curiosity about him. And since the protection left by that God was strong enough to deal even with Spiritual Demigods, Minos was not worried about this seer.


    At the very least, this person would be crippled, as in the case of the seer who tried to predict his future at the request of Vivian Hayes. In the worst-case scenario, that individual would already be dead.


    There was not much for Minos to do or worry about in either case.


    The milk had already been spilled, and if the other side wished to deal with it, there would not be much left for him to do.


    He could only deal with the problem when it arose.


    "Sigh..." He sighed deeply, drawing Ruth''s attention.


    She then looked at Minos in doubt and went over to him to help him finish buttoning his clothes. "Honey, what''s wrong?"


    "I feel as if someone is trying to analyze me..." He said mysteriously, looking at the slight neckline of Ruth''s blue dress. "But don''t worry."


    "Shall we go?" He showed one of his hands to her, opening the door of that place with the intention of heading towards Beast Park.


    Ruth nodded and gave one of her hands to him to hold. "Hmmm."


    "Honey, I want you to go back to training with me like we used to do."


    "Really?"


    "Yes, now it is your responsibility to help me get stronger." Ruth said as she smiled graciously, remembering when their relationship had started, and she was the one helping him.


    "Hehehe, of course, I will help my woman get stronger!" He said this out loud, already walking on one of the sidewalks in the central part of Dry City.


    "But we''ll start doing that tomorrow, and we''ll do it alongside Abby to save time for other things. All right?" He looked at her with a naughty look, licking his lips lightly.


    Gulp!


    "OK."


    "Good."


    "Now, I will go and see Emlyn''s situation. Will you accompany me?"


    "Of course!"


    "I have waited so many months to be by your side. I will not give that up just now!"


    "Good." He smiled as he let that woman hold one of his arms, just as a good wife in love would do when walking beside her husband.


    And in doing so, while many citizens greeted them, it did not take long for those two to reach the place where the beasts of Dry City lived.


    ...

 Chapter 964 Seeing Friends 1

    Chapter 964 Seeing Friends 1


    After a few minutes of walking through Dry City, Minos and Ruth finally passed through the gates of the Beast Park, where hundreds of different creatures lived.


    Upon doing so, Minos immediately felt the freshness of nature in this place, which despite being inside Dry City, was large enough to make anyone inside think that this was a large forest and not a tiny park.


    And sensing some of the lush nature built by the Feathered Serpents in his city, Minos felt a pleasant sensation in his being.


    For him, the built part of a city was vital, but what pleased him was nature.


    Therefore, he felt terrific in this place full of spiritual beasts, where he did not take long to reach one of his friends.


    "Big brother!" A thin voice, sounding like that of a young girl in her early teens, reached Minos'' ears as he walked alongside Ruth into the interior of that area.


    Upon hearing that, the two realized whose voice was and looked toward where a fox with orange, white, and black fur, with five tails, came running towards them.


    "Kyla!" Minos said in surprise, pleased to see that young beast he had seen grow up in the Spatial Kingdom.


    Ruth then smiled at that young Nine-tailed Fox, seeing the animation of that ''little'' being that had just jumped on Minos. "Kyla, you are already at level 47. Congratulations!"


    "Hehe, I''m almost at my mother''s stage!" Kyla said this excitedly as her tails wagged frantically, and she felt Minos'' hands playing with her big neck.


    "Not bad, Kyla. When I am to leave this region, you will finally be able to accompany me on my travels without running into great danger." Minos remembered the desire Emlyn''s daughter had always had. "Are you interested?"p????-?????.???


    "Is that true, big brother?" She looked at him as her eyes sparkled in anticipation. "Will I be able to travel with big brother?"


    "Of course!"


    "When I go to the Flaming Empire to meet Ruth''s family, I will take you and your mother with me."


    ''Meet my family?'' Ruth imagined such a thing happening, blushing more and more.


    And as Kyla licked Minos'' face in happiness, the big fox with six tails finally came to the side of those three.


    "So, you''re finally back, huh?" Emlyn asked Minos as she sat down beside a tree, along with a giant serpent that was accompanying her.


    "Young Minos, it is good to see you again." Gaia, the Feathered Serpent, said this in a happy tone, pleased with the progress of that young man.


    "Hmmm."


    "It is good to see you all again."


    "But anyway, my trip has caused me to stay away from Dry City for quite a while, but I believe that is why we will resolve the current situation quickly." p???? ?o???


    "Really?" That serpent asked in surprise, not expecting something like this since the war only seemed to get more and more animated as time went on.


    "Yes. I managed to solve a few problems during this trip, and even if we still have to deal with enemies for a few more months or years, they won''t be in the current quantities."


    "At the very least, we will be able to finish the war of independence and begin building my state."


    "That''s good to hear..." Emlyn commented in a low voice, feeling that she could finally rest more peacefully.


    She was a spiritual beast, a being that naturally felt an attraction to battles. However, battling from time to time was completely different from fighting wars!


    Consequently, even spiritual beasts like her did not like to live the uncertain war life for prolonged periods. Even more so in her case, as she had the option of peacefully living in the Spatial Kingdom!


    With that, Emlyn was looking forward to this challenging period coming to an end.


    "Anyway, I came here today to see how you are doing..." Minos put ''little'' Kyla aside and looked at Emlyn more seriously. "How was this period for you? Any problems?"


    But Kyla''s mother just closed her eyes for a minute, shaking her big head.


    After a period of silence, she said. "We haven''t had any big problems." ¦Ñ???????????


    "Some daring humans came to Dry City while you were away, but none of them were strong enough to challenge us."


    "In the end, those two women and I eliminated each of them... Anyway, it was no big deal."


    "Oh? What about your cultivation? I heard that you reached level 57 even though you had to dispose of your time to help in the war..." Minos said this with a complicated look on his face.


    "Hmm, I have advanced recently."


    "Emlyn, I''m sorry. Our previous agreement didn''t..."


    But realizing what he was saying, Emlyn cut Minos'' words off with her sincerity. "Don''t worry about that. I was willing to make myself available to Dry City of my own free will."


    "And even though supplies have dwindled in the last few months, that was expected in any case. So, I just did my part to help solve the problem faster."


    The supplies of spiritual medicines had been immensely affected because of the restrictions imposed on the Black Plain by the enemy kingdoms. And since these items were important not only to alchemists but also to beasts, individuals like Emlyn were damaged during this period.


    p????-?o??? After all, unlike humans, beasts cannot use crystals to cultivate and had spiritual medicines as their leading cultivation resource.


    Because of this, with the decrease in the supply of these items, Emlyn had naturally been disadvantaged.


    In addition, she was also not in the Spiritual Kingdom, where she was supposed to stay as per the agreement with Minos.


    Therefore, young Stuart felt bad for demanding more than he should from her.


    "Anyway, I wouldn''t get much more than level 57 even if the situation was better. So, it''s all right, Minos." She said sincerely, looking into the small eyes of the human in front of her. "I don''t mind that, we are partners, and it''s natural for me to help you and sometimes lose some things."


    "Hmmm." He nodded at her before finally remembering something. "Speaking of resources, I think we''ll be able to get the supply back to normal in the next few days."


    "While I was traveling, I managed to collect many cultivation resources from my enemies." He smiled as he remembered the wealth left behind by the many opponents he had faced during these months of travel.


    Minos had already delivered the spatial ring with those items to Mia, which had added over 200 thousand medium-grade crystals and 50 million low-grade crystals to the local coffers. At the same time, the number of grade-2 items was over 3 thousand, not counting the thousands of Warrior grade spiritual medicines left behind by his enemies.


    Because of this, that young man knew he could temporarily solve the problem of the low supply of spiritual medicines for the beasts living in Dry City.


    On the other hand, with the withdrawal of the Kingdom of the Waves troops, the possible departure of the Kingdom of the End from the local conflict, and the action with the Snow family, Minos was already counting on the fall of the restrictions against his territory.


    "Is that so?" The serpent asked in curiosity, pleased to hear such good news.


    "Yes, I will meet with the regional leaders in a few days. After that, I believe regional trade will begin to return to normalcy."


    "That''s great!"


    After that, the group chatted for a few more minutes until they finally said goodbye.


    Emlyn continued in the Beast Park alongside her daughter since Minos would soon be leaving to trade with the regional leaders, and she would have to stay to protect Dry City in case of need.


    As for the two humans, they promptly headed towards the government mansion, where Minos intended to rest from his long trip.


    But halfway to that place, Ruth suddenly asked about something puzzling her. "Minos, why are you so confident about the end of the war?"


    "Uh? Abby didn''t tell you anything?" He asked in surprise since Ruth had always shown interest in standing by his side while he worked.


    But the truth was that Ruth did not have that much interest in the administration of her fianc¨¦''s organization. She thought that might be it, but in trying to keep up with Abby, this black-haired woman had discovered that it was all very boring.


    Thus, Ruth had uncovered that what she enjoyed was being around Minos.


    "I talked to her about the local situation when I first got here, but I didn''t delve into her more recent plans..."


    "I see..."


    Minos then smiled and said in a low voice. "Well, to make a long story short, I will soon have more allies, or rather subordinates, than enemies."

 Chapter 965 Seeing Friends 2

    Chapter 965 Seeing Friends 2


    After some time, Minos and Ruth arrived at the residence of the local sovereign, where the two immediately proceeded to his room.


    However, this time they did not continue their attempts to get pregnant but rather just lay down on the large bed in Minos'' room and slept until nightfall in Dry City.


    Minos had been traveling for months at Maida''s side. So, in this period, he had slept only the minimum necessary for his body to recover from the physical and mental fatigue he still suffered at his low level.


    Even for cultivators, sleeping in a comfortable bed in a safe room and doing it on the ground in the middle of a forest were completely different experiences!


    Doing the latter would not kill anyone, in general, or even harm a cultivator''s overall condition. However, such a thing did not mean cultivators would not seek comfort.


    On the opposite, many powerful experts sought the best possible conditions. They even maintained a sleep routine, even when they no longer needed to sleep.


    Cultivation was finite and resources limited. There was no room for everyone to reach the top, and even those in this position needed to relax from time to time.


    Thus, Minos took advantage of this, his first day back in Dry City, to rest quietly in his room after reviewing his women and attending to some more pressing matters.


    Luckily for him, Ruth was already in Dry City, and he could do this comfortably while embracing this beautiful woman.


    ...


    After waking from his rest, Minos looked up at the ceiling of his room and realized that it was already dark.p????-?????.???


    As he felt the night breeze coming in through the open balcony door of the room, he looked to the side and saw Ruth''s beautiful face resting on his right shoulder.


    She hugged Minos'' waist, with one of her legs on his waist, holding him tightly, smiling, still in her dreams.


    Seeing this, Minos smiled in satisfaction and kissed her forehead. ''Looks like she''s been waiting for this for quite a while, huh?''


    Ruth naturally should not be as physically tired as Minos. However, after falling in love with him, living in Dry City for almost two years, and sleeping daily with young Stuart, she had gotten used to not sleeping alone.


    Or rather, she had become accustomed to only genuinely relaxing and carefree sleep when she was next to him. Consequently, even though she was not as physically tired as Minos, Ruth needed rest like the one this day as much as her fianc¨¦ did.


    And noticing his woman''s deep sleep, Minos smiled and slowly started to get out of that bed, pleased to see her like that.


    ''Well, I think I''ll take a moment to check on Brooke...'' He considered this as he quietly put on his clothes, remembering his friend who was still living here.


    p????-?o??? After arriving at this residence early, Minos wanted to talk to Brooke before his long-awaited sleep. But unfortunately, he had arrived right in the middle of her cultivation.


    Because of this, he decided to wait to talk to her, something that seemed appropriate for the moment.


    With that in mind, he promptly made his way toward the area reserved for visitors'' accommodation in his mansion, passing on his way by Abby''s parents and Maisie, who were chatting in the living room of his home. p???? ?o???


    "Love?" Abby asked in surprise.


    Upon opening the front door of his home, Minos had run into Abby coming home from work.


    "Are you on your way out?"


    "Yes, I want to see how Brooke is doing."


    "Oh? Well, I think it''s a good idea to do that." Abby nodded at him, remembering how depressed that woman had been about Minos being away for many months right after their meeting. "She''s improved her confidence quite a bit in the last few months, but even so, she''s still angry that you didn''t take her with you..."


    Brooke had naturally asked Minos to travel with him for that previous mission. She did not have much to do in Dry City, and of all the people in that place, he and Abby were the ones she most enjoyed spending her time with.


    For some reason, she particularly preferred to do this with Minos.


    That was why she had tried to convince him to take her on that previous trip. Such an occasion could be a good opportunity for her to know the region, get stronger, and still get closer to Minos.


    However, as tempting as her suggestion had been at the time, Minos could not have taken her on such a critical mission.


    As such, young Stuart had rejected Brooke''s suggestion, and even though she understood his motives, she had been upset with him. ¦Ñ???????????


    "Hmm, I imagine so..." Minos smiled at Abby just before he planted a kiss on one of her cheeks and moved on. "I''ll see you later."


    ...


    "Brooke?" Minos called out to his friend shortly after knocking on the door of her residence, curious to see the improvements she had gone through.


    During this period, Brooke had reached level 50, consequently undergoing a spiritual cleansing. And since Minos had heard from the people in his residence about her advancement, he was naturally curious to see her.


    Spiritual cleansing did not significantly change the appearance of young people like him and Abby. Still, such a thing did improve every physical attribute of theirs.


    As a result, while Minos was unlikely to notice significant changes in Brooke''s appearance, he was aware that her body shape could change, as well as her skin becoming cleaner and smoother. In short, she has the potential to become much more beautiful.


    And that, yes, made him curious since Brooke was already one beauty in a million, who he knew would only get better as time went on.


    Even more so considering how attractive her mother was, even though Celeste was a few hundred years older than Brooke.


    And young Stuart''s wait did not last long.


    After opening the front door of her residence, Brooke looked at the brown-haired young man on her doorstep and almost jumped in surprise.


    "Minos?" She said as a beautiful smile formed little by little on her face. "You have finally returned? You don''t know how tedious this period has been!"


    Hearing these words from the woman who was already hugging him tightly, Minos laughed, admiring a Brooke that made him think Celeste was like that in her prime.


    He then said into one of her ears, hugging her slim waist. "Brooke, you are already a Spiritual King!"


    "Congratulations!"


    She smiled at him, pleased to be praised by one of the few people she genuinely respected in this world.


    But as she did so and watched him closely, this woman suddenly used the tip of her pink tongue on her teeth, thinking something while having a sensual expression. "Let''s talk inside..."


    "I want to hear your stories."


    "Is that so?" He asked this as she dragged him into the interior of that place.


    "Of course. I wanted to go with you, but since the situation didn''t allow it, then I at least want to hear from you about your experiences." She said this as she finally sat down next to him on the only couch in the living room of that residence.


    "Well, for starters..."


    After that, Minos told the most exciting parts of his journey of terror to Brooke, eliminating some things that were hard to digest and others that were unnecessary for her.


    And as much as Brooke already knew many of these stories, as her knowledge was limited to information from regional journals, she had been surprised by several of Minos'' experiences.


    Among them, the one that had caught Brooke''s attention the most had been Minos'' situation in the Snow Kingdom with the spiritual beasts of the Endless Snow Mountain Range.


    "... After that, I finally returned here." Minos finished his story.


    "Minos, your travels sound so exciting." She said this as she touched the middle of his right thigh, smiling as she felt one of his arms on her right shoulder.


    She bit her lower lip and said. "But I can''t believe you flirted with Prince Snow''s fianc¨¦e right before him!"


    "That is so immoral!"


    "Hahaha, that''s not even close to the most immoral thing I''ve done on this trip..." He muttered in a low voice, without Brooke understanding him.


    He then said into one of her ears. "As I said before, Brooke, I''m not a good person..."


    But before he could continue his words, Brooke decided to go all out. "Minos, shut up and kiss me."


    After that, she jumped on his lap and finally got a chance to taste that mouth she had been longing to kiss for months...


    ...


    AN: Mass release of 4 chapters tomorrow.

 Chapter 966 Before The Peace Negotiation 1 (18+)

    Chapter 966 Before The Peace Negotiation 1 (18+)


    "Mmmmmm~"


    Quickly, Brooke melted into Minos'' arms, feeling every part of her body burn as she tasted the heavenly sensation of being able to kiss this young man.


    A man had not touched her since she discovered her mother''s affair with her ex-husband. That was not only a trauma for Brooke that had prevented her from trusting other people but also a ''seed'' of doubt in her heart, which made her wonder if she was not good enough.


    After all, how could someone substituted by their partner for one of their parents not question themselves?


    Obviously, wicked people did their actions out of pure desire. Still, victims like Brooke would always try to understand why and what they had done wrong.


    Therefore, she distanced herself from her sexuality for this entire period.


    However, intentional or not, abstaining from something her body already knew and liked was not good!


    The decisive event of her life had happened seven years ago, so this woman''s body was exploding in desire right now, silently begging her good friend to help her calm her flames.


    And feeling Brooke''s body heat, Minos gradually felt more comfortable in this situation, already playing with his friend''s beautiful body while kissing her intensely.


    "Hah... Hah... Minos... You don''t know how long I''ve been waiting to do this with you..." Amidst their kisses and rapid breathing, Brooke whispered this to him as she enjoyed the feeling of being touched again.


    "Brooke... Are you sure you want to do this?" Minos asked her right away, feeling that he should at least listen to the words of this frail woman before doing something irreparably.


    "Minos, why ask such unnecessary questions?" She looked at him intensely as she felt her panties getting wet. "I feel your arousal..."p????-?????.???


    "You want this as much as I do!"


    After saying that in a determined tone, she began to unbutton young Stuart''s shirt, feeling that she could not miss this opportunity.


    Previously she had tried to seduce this young man in different ways, even making him rub lotions on her half-naked body. However, Minos had always held back with her, and on the few occasions that Brooke had almost succeeded in kissing him, someone always appeared to get in their way.


    So, in this situation where the two were alone in her residence, Brooke did not want to waste any time!


    Minos had spent months outside of Dry City before, significantly cooling off their relationship. So, now that he was under her, she just wanted to get out of his clothes and quickly start having fun before someone got in their way.


    Seeing how she smiled and licked her upper teeth with the tip of her tongue, Minos smiled lustfully, ready to devour his good friend.


    "Well, if that''s the case, let me make you forget the past." He said in a low voice to Brooke as he tore off the pretty yellow dress she was wearing.


    "Ahhh~" She made a short sound of surprise while feeling little shocks in her little sister.


    "Minos..."


    "What do you want me to do first, Brooke?" Minos asked as he stood up from that sofa and positioned her there, making her lean on the back of the couch with her back to him.


    Pa! p???? ?o???


    p????-?o??? "Ahhhh~" She moaned once again after feeling a slap on one of her buttocks, simultaneously as Minos pulled down her panties.


    And while waiting for a response from her, Minos slowly brought his nose closer to Brooke''s precious area and took a deep breath of air.


    "Hah... You smell great, Brooke." He said, already using one of his hands to feel her wet flower. "I''m starting to get my mouth watering..."


    After that, he quickly began kissing Brooke''s flower, causing this woman to moan uncontrollably. Various muscles in her beautiful body twitched due to the waves of pleasure in her body.


    She then responded amidst their sacred sounds. "I want you to use me, Minos."


    "Can you do that for me, please?" She begged.


    Hearing that, Minos smiled, continuing with his play but slowly beginning to look at Brooke''s second hole, that pink, pulsing hole.


    He slowly lifted his face, causing that woman to look back in doubt.


    But the doubt did not last long in Brooke''s mind. In that instant, she swallowed her saliva in anticipation as she finally felt something warm and moist touching her second hole.


    "Minos~"


    "You shouldn''t do tha..." She was about to tell him to stop when she suddenly felt her first orgasm in many years shaking her body. ¦Ñ???????????


    "Ahhhhhhhhh~"


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh~"


    "Hah~ Minos~ Keep going~"


    "Yeah, eat my ass~ Make me cum~"


    ...


    After some time, Minos and Brooke collapsed on this woman''s bed with their sweaty bodies and genuine smiles on their faces.


    After starting their previous action in the living room of Brooke''s residence, they had had a few orgasms in that place and then headed towards her bedroom.


    Then, they continued to wildly mate with each other, with Brooke burning with desire as she felt the greatest pleasure of her life.


    And even though Minos had already experienced great moments with his other companions, this beginning of the evening beside Brooke had been truly remarkable.


    Not only were they long-time friends, but Brooke had been carrying such sexual frustration that when she finally broke free, it was as if she had lost control over herself and was merely acting like a pleasure machine.


    Because of this, even someone as experienced as Minos had had one of the best sexual experiences of his life!


    "Brooke, I didn''t think you were so naughty!" He said this with a smile on his face, chuckling at the woman lying in his arms.


    Hearing that, the woman who had been filled with Minos'' seeds through her two holes blushed. "You are shameless, Minos!"


    "You kissed me in that place and made me do things I never thought could be done... And yet you''re the one who calls me naughty?"


    "You''re a pervert!" She slapped his left chest lightly as she felt one of Minos'' arms around her waist.


    "Hahaha, you say that, but a few minutes ago, you were asking me for... Uh... How did you put it? ''fuc...''" He was about to repeat her words when that woman''s small hand covered his mouth.


    "Don''t repeat that!"


    "That wasn''t me!"


    "Hehe, it''s okay, Brooke. I liked seeing you like that." He took a deep breath as he hugged her tighter. "Anyway, let''s repeat the experience in a few more days. What do you say?"


    "A few days?" She frowned her eyebrows.


    "Well, I have to take care of several matters in the next few days. So, I won''t have as much free time as today." He explained to her, smiling and thinking about this return of his.


    "But don''t worry, while I am in Dry City, I will take care of your needs..."


    "Oh? I hope you don''t forget that!"


    "Hehe, I promise."


    ...


    After saying goodbye to Brooke, Minos returned to his residence, where he promptly went to his room to find his two women.


    Ruth was still sleeping when he arrived at that place, while Abby was sitting in an armchair, reading a book.


    After seeing that, Minos quickly came to Abby''s side and brought her onto his lap. "I have to tell you something..." He whispered in one of her ears.


    Abby then sniffed him briefly as she looked into his eyes. "Did you have sex with Brooke?"


    "Yes, but that''s not what I wanted to talk to you about. But... Does that bother you?"


    "Sigh..."


    "No. Although I don''t like you sleeping with other women, I don''t feel bad about you doing it with her."


    "Brooke has been through a lot of trouble in the last few years, so it''s only fair to let her feel a little happiness with you." She sincerely said as she slowly rested her head between Minos'' neck and right shoulder.


    "Great!" He revealed a satisfied smile as he hugged her waist. "But what I wanted to talk to you about is regarding Ruth and me."


    "Oh?"


    "I asked Ruth to marry me."


    ...

 Chapter 967 Before The Peace Negotiation 2 (*)

    Chapter 967 Before The Peace Negotiation 2 (*)


    "You asked?" Abby repeated Minos'' words, being a little surprised but not shocked.


    She already knew that something like this would happen sooner or later. After all, Minos loved Ruth as much as he loved her. Hence, Abby was only a little surprised that he had decided to do this sooner than she had expected.


    And since she was not against such a thing, Abby just looked at her fianc¨¦''s face for a moment showing her surprise but not indicating any displeasure.


    "Well, we''ll be a family anyway, so it''s good that you made it official." She said sincerely.


    Meanwhile, Ruth, still lying on that bed that she and Minos had laid down to rest earlier, suddenly opened her eyes as she listened to the conversation between the two.


    She then heard Abby''s sweet voice, "How will the wedding ceremony be? Will we do it on the same day? What about our honeymoon?"


    Minos then answered for her. "We''ll see about that later."


    "That will depend more on you than on me. If you prefer to have separate ceremonies, we can arrange that."


    "The most important thing is that you two are happy with the arrangements."


    After Minos said these words, Ruth finally said something, signaling that she was awake. "I don''t mind doing this together with Abby."


    "Oh?" Minos said in surprise.p????-?????.???


    Abby then asked as she looked at the woman lying in that bed, "You were already awake?"


    "Hehe, I''m sorry. I just woke up and caught the short end of your conversation." Ruth laughed and got up from that bed, heading toward those two.


    After seeing Minos'' sign, Ruth immediately sat on her fianc¨¦''s free leg, standing on the opposite side of Abby.


    She then leaned against him, settling comfortably into that seat the same way Abby was at that moment.


    "What do you think of that, Abby?" She asked as she looked into that woman''s blue eyes.


    "I..."


    "I don''t mind doing the wedding together either. That way, we at least save time for other things..." She said this while blushing.


    "Hmmm." Minos nodded at the two in a satisfied manner. "When we get married, I will spend a whole month with just you two."


    "If you want to travel around the region, we will do the necessary planning and leave. But, if you want to just rest in a quiet place, our plans will be even better..." He said this as he thought of the Spatial Kingdom.


    Ruth did not know about this place yet, but Minos intended to tell her the whole truth once he married her. Thus, if she and Abby just wanted to enjoy time with just the three, young Stuart was willing to lock himself away in the Spatial Kingdom alongside them. p???? ?o???


    Abby then understood what Minos was talking about and said. "We will have plenty of time to travel in the future. But, so as far as I''m concerned, I''d rather live for a few days in a quiet place where only we can access..."


    "I want something like that too."


    "I have no interest in knowing any place at the moment. For me, the most important thing is to be by your side, dear." Ruth said this in a loving tone as she massaged one of that young man''s cheeks.


    "Good!"


    But just after Minos said that, Ruth remembered something important that she did not want to wait for other people to touch on before she did. "By the way, the Black Plain will soon get its independence and become a kingdom."


    "With this marriage between us, someone will need to assume the role of queen..."


    "I want to clarify that I have no intention of vying for any position, so don''t even worry about anything like that," Ruth said calmly. "Abby will be queen, and that''s final."


    "Oh?" Those two exclaimed in surprise as they realized this would indeed be a problem.


    Royal families needed a hierarchy for their best functioning. And since it would not be appropriate for two people to assume the post of the queen, only one of them could assume such an honor.


    And thinking about how a dispute over this could bring problems to their relationship, Minos and Abby felt relieved that Ruth had brought up the subject in such an easy way. ¦Ñ???????????


    The blue-haired woman then asked after a brief silence. "Are you sure? Even if we travel the world alongside Minos in the future, we will eventually spend most of our lives on the Black Plain."


    "That will be a precious position in the future..."


    But Ruth did not care about that. "I''m sure."


    "I used to think that I might enjoy participating in the administration of the Black Plain, but that was because I could be on Minos'' side."


    "But I have no intention of achieving status or political power. I just want to be by his side and be able to give him some children." She said, looking into his eyes.


    "Besides, your management skills are way above mine. So, I think you will make a better queen role than I would."


    "Ruth..." Abby said in a low voice, feeling good that Ruth was so devoted and loving towards Minos.


    Abby also did not care about the political position or the status she would gain by becoming a queen. She just wanted that position because it meant being by Minos'' side and being able to help him create and eventually take care of his kingdom.


    But her genuine desire was to have a life with Minos and, at some point, achieve the most extraordinary intimacy that a man and a woman could have.


    A child!


    And knowing that Ruth loved Minos the same way she did, Abby could not help but feel moved.


    As for Minos, he was more than pleased that his women did not fight about it. ''Previously, they didn''t get along... But who knew, huh?''


    He then smiled lustfully and asked. "By the way, did you do anything during the days I was away?"


    "Uh?"


    p????-?o??? "No..." The two replied, embarrassed, understanding what he was talking about.


    These two had done many things together, but this had only happened in Minos'' presence. Of course, they could even have done it in his absence. Still, although they enjoyed the games he suggested, they only appreciated it in his presence.


    When they were away from Minos, they treated each other like sisters and did not touch each other intimately. And in fact, in the days since Ruth''s arrival in Dry City, Abby and she had just slept in the same bed without doing anything that might get on the nerves of certain perverts.


    Minos'' eyes then sharpened, and he said. "Is that so? Then why don''t we have some fun? It''s been so many months since we''ve had a good threesome..."


    "My love, aren''t you afraid of becoming an addict?" Abby giggled. "How many times have you had sex just today? Aren''t you embarrassed?"


    "Oh?" Ruth thought about what Abby had just said and understood that he had not only played with both of them but also with someone else.


    "What can I do? I have perfect health!" He laughed as he tightened his arms around the waists of the two, bringing them even closer to him and each other.


    "Mmmmm~"


    "Mmmm~"


    He then kissed Abby''s lips softly for a moment before finally doing the same to Ruth.


    "Mmmm~"


    After that, the two beautiful women in Minos'' arms looked at each other for a moment and then brought their lips closer.


    In that instant, as Minos played with their bodies and watched them, the tongues of the two finally met in a fervent kiss, increasing the heat of that place.


    After doing this for a few seconds, the two laughed for a moment, until finally, they began to take proper care of their man.


    First, they took turns kissing Minos'' lips while the other slowly sucked on the young man''s neck and removed the garments from his body.


    In a second moment, Abby knelt on the floor, removed the last clothing pieces from Minos'' body, and began to tend to this young man''s sizeable throbbing dragon.


    But it was not long before Ruth joined her, and they both began to use their tongues to please young Stuart, sucking his rod and testicles.


    "Let''s go to bed..." Minos suggested to the two after a while, quickly removing the last pieces of clothing from their bodies.

 Chapter 968 Before The Peace Negotiation 3

    Chapter 968 Before The Peace Negotiation 3


    Several hours later...


    Time passed, and finally, Minos was outside the hotel room Gloria was staying in Dry City, where he intended to take her for a ''first'' date of theirs.


    After Minos promised that woman they would go out together, the promised two days had passed. Now he had rested and received all the information about his territory after his months of traveling.


    At the same time, Minos had already devoted most of his time to his two women. So, he was now ready to go out with Gloria and settle their situation.


    Besides, there was not much else for him to do in Dry City as the peace negotiation attempt should occur in less than three days. Thus, he was eager to have this brief moment at her side and finally move towards the beginning of the end of the war.


    After waiting outside Gloria''s room for a few moments, Minos heard footsteps behind that door before it opened for him.


    At that moment, Minos looked interestedly at the person who had greeted him. Although she was already a rare beauty to see even in everyday situations, she looked much more charming this instant.


    p????-?o??? Her face was flushed, and her lips seemed to shine slightly, making her very seductive, matching perfectly with the red dress well fitted to her perfect body.


    "Gloria..." Minos said in a low voice as he observed the redhead in front of him.


    He quickly looked at her from her bare ankles, following all the way down her body, having seen the slight cleavage, and then focusing on her beautiful face.


    "You look amazing." He complimented her as he took a step forward.p????-?????.???


    She smiled graciously at him, noticing the stunning suit that fell perfectly on that sovereign''s strong, tall body. "You look quite charming yourself, Minos."


    After that, the two embraced, but without going beyond the limits that people getting to know each other on a first date would naturally have.


    "Can we go?" Minos waved one of his hands at Gloria while she extended one of her arms to him, finding the whole situation amusing.


    "Where are you going to take me? Are there any special places in Dry City?"


    "Well, we still have a lot of room for improvement, but we already have a restaurant with medium-level grade-2 cooks around here. So, I''ll take you to that place today."


    "Oh?"


    He directed her to the elevator on that Four Seasons Hotel floor as he said. "But on future dates, I''ll take you to sample appetizers prepared by grade-4 chefs..."


    "Grade-4, huh?" She chuckled since not even in the Flaming Empire there were professionals of such a rating.


    A low-level grade-4 professional had to at least be at level 80!


    Therefore, Gloria could not help but think that Minos was just playing with her. After all, even if he took her in such a place, how would he pay the bill? p???? ?o???


    Such professionals were paid with high-grade crystals, and it was not as if one or two crystals could afford a meal from a chef of such quality!


    She then asked. "So, you are telling me that we will have many more encounters like today''s?"


    "You got that right, dear Gloria." He smiled at her, showing his interest. "But let''s not rush things."


    "Let''s just enjoy this first date and see what happens next."


    She laughed softly, with one of her arms being held by Minos, walking beside him and feeling good about it all. "All right, let''s see what happens."


    "But don''t you think it''s too soon to try to get to know me better? You''re not a Spiritual Emperor yet." She teased him, touching on the subject concerning the promise she had made to him.


    "True, I am not a Spiritual Emperor, but I can easily defeat someone at level 60."


    "Even someone with your background who is at that level is probably no match for me."


    She then looked at his right face, interested in seeing him in action. "I have heard many stories related to your prowess, but I have yet to see you head-on to judge if you are that good."


    "Why don''t you show me that at another time?" ¦Ñ???????????


    "Who knows in the future, but not now." Minos promptly refused.


    He wanted to go out with Gloria, but showing her his techniques was something else. This woman was not like any of the other people he had fought in front of before.


    Suppose she happened to have Golden-grade techniques. Then, she could effortlessly realize that he had a complete set of these techniques evaluating him with her powerful spiritual sense!


    And since he still did not want to get deeply involved with the Spiritual Church nor other high-level powers, doing such a needlessly thing would be foolish.


    "Tsk!"


    ...


    After some time, Minos and Gloria were already seated face to face around an elegant table, with two plates of salads and two glasses of a dark red drink in front of them.


    In the place they were in, the best restaurant in this city, they were in a wide area that had several other luxurious tables, but no one else in the vicinity.


    In fact, except for the staff of the medium-level grade-2 cook serving them, there was no one there to bother Minos and Gloria.


    However, despite the fact that there was enough room for at least another ten couples to dine comfortably there, Minos and Gloria could barely see the surroundings because the lighting was focused on their table.


    And while they were tasting the dishes of that restaurant, Minos and Gloria were chatting about private things in their lives.


    "... So, part of your family is from the Kingdom of the End, huh?" Minos said in curiosity, finding it interesting to find out such a thing about Gloria. ''It''s no wonder she''s a redhead.''


    ''That place was from the ancient times, the place with the highest concentration of people with that hair pigmentation on the continent.'' He thought about this information left by Henricus Longus.


    "Yes, my mother left that part of the continent many centuries ago through the Spiritual Tournament. After that, she met my father on a joint mission of the sect she was part of with a group from the Spiritual Church."


    "Sometime later, they were married in the Spiritual Church." Gloria said this in a low voice, remembering the story she had heard many times as a child.


    "So, that was it... Well, I must say that I am in awe of your mother''s accomplishments. It certainly wasn''t easy for her to leave that region and win in the Empire."


    "Hmm, yes, she always told me that." Gloria smiled in pride.


    "I wondered how your mother would react to the idea of going back to this region..." He smiled at Gloria, making her understand something subtly different from what he meant.


    "Have you ever imagined what it would be like to live here?"


    Gloria''s face flushed a little more, and she said. "No. Although my mother taught me about this region and her homeland, I never saw myself as someone from those areas."


    "Why? Do you by any chance want to have me around so you can see me more often?"


    Minos then smiled, not refusing that he would indeed find such a thing interesting. "I think you will be coming to live here soon."


    "Really? Are you that confident?" She bit her lips and thought about how much he must desire her.


    "Yes..."


    "After all, why would the Spiritual Church continue to keep its regional leader aloof once someone around here surpasses her powers?"


    "Uh?" Gloria made a sound of surprise, realizing that Minos was joking with her, talking about something different than what she had in mind. ''Wasn''t he talking about taking me as his wife?'' She thought about it with her face heating up at an alarming rate.


    Minos realized the problem and held back his laughter. "When I pass your powers, the Church will naturally not need to worry about having a permanent representative in the region who is stronger than the regional leaders."


    "At that time, you will most likely be sent to live around here..." He then placed one of his hands on Gloria''s left hand and said softly. "Probably in Dry City."


    Her eyes widened upon hearing this, realizing that this could happen if Minos overcame her. But soon after, her fluttering heart slowed a little, and she smiled at him. "Are you confident in doing this?"


    "I don''t want to put pressure on your shoulders, but my talent is high... I''m afraid this will not be easy."


    ...

 Chapter 969 Leaving For The Negotiation Place

    Chapter 969 Leaving For The Negotiation Place


    Minos was not surprised to hear Gloria''s words. To him, this woman definitely had a high talent, or she would not have such high power at her age.


    And considering the position she had in the Spiritual Church, this young man knew that such an organization valued her. After all, even if this region was not so relevant to the Church, the representative position definitely was.


    Positions like Gloria''s were only given to people with good prospects within the Spiritual Church, those who were likely to have chances to climb the ranks of that organization until they reached the headquarters.


    With that said, Gloria''s talent was equal to or higher than the Silver classification.


    "Well, you are certainly talented, but advancing at the 6th stage is much easier than doing the same at the 7th. And since I am much stronger than those of levels close to mine, I won''t need to reach your level to match you in terms of power."


    He looked at her with a confident expression and continued. "So, that should happen sooner than you think."


    "That..." She tried to refute him, but in fact, Minos was correct. ''He can definitely reach level 60 before I reach level 70...''


    ''After that, his power could match mine quickly!''


    "But anyway, don''t overthink about the problems there will be if you have to come and live in the northern region of the Central Continent. So many changes will happen in the meantime, and you might want to come here yourself..." He joked with her, smiling.


    p????-?o??? "Really? Let''s see how you do that..."


    "I want to see if you will be able to keep so many promises."p????-?????.???


    ...


    After more than an hour, Gloria and Minos finally arrived in front of her room, smiling at each other over their encounter.


    They had already gotten to know each other a little better during the trip they had taken together through the Kingdom of the Waves. But because of the differences in the circumstances of the two occasions, today''s conversation had flowed much more naturally.


    And by talking about details of their lives that they had not yet done on that other occasion, the two had gotten to know each other a little more.


    Moreover, the flirtations between the two seemed much more appropriate on this day, and neither could help but feel excitement for the time they had spent dining together in that restaurant.


    "Minos, it was a great date. I hope to repeat the experience in the future..." She said this to him as she stood with her back to her room door.


    "Oh? Then I must say it is mutual... In any case, do you think tonight''s experience made up for my previous mistake?" He asked in a low voice as he walked slowly toward her.


    Gloria smiled as she remembered this, pleased with how he had demonstrated his sincerity. "I think you almost made up for all that..."


    "But if you want to zero out your negative ''balance'' with me, I''m afraid you''ll have to try a little harder." She said in a seductive tone, opening that door with one of her hands, still facing him.


    "Well, then I''ll have to try a little harder." Minos licked his lips in desire just before finally pulling that woman''s waist towards him and moving towards those seductive lips of hers. p???? ?o???


    "Mmmmmmm~"


    The two then kissed deeply, their tongues frantically dancing as they embraced and slowly walked into that room.


    However, in doing so, neither of them was trying to remove each other''s clothes, just as Gloria had made clear to Minos in the past.


    Gloria was very concerned about her chastity, and since Minos and she were only getting to know each other, she had no intention of letting him easily get into her clothes.


    No, if he desired her and she eventually liked him, anything more would only happen after they knew what they wanted with each other.


    Gloria was not someone who thought about casual relationships. So, things would be complicated for Minos...


    "Mmmmmmm~"


    "Gloria, you look so hot~" Minos commented amidst their kisses and agitated breathing, feeling her body heat affecting his own.


    "Mmmmmmm~ It truly is hot in here~"


    "But don''t think I don''t know what you mean by saying that~" She looked into his eyes and then to his lips, feeling the urge to continue this game. ¦Ñ???????????


    "Mmmmmm~"


    "Hah~ If you don''t want to take off your clothes, then at least let me calm this heat~" Minos said as he played with his fingers while trailing his mouth towards Gloria''s bare neck.


    "Ahhhhhhhhh~" She moaned as she felt the way he was touching her, even though at no point did he dare to touch her breasts or buttocks.


    "Minos, what are you doing? I''m feeling weird~"


    But Minos ignored the protests amidst that woman''s moans, continuing his work of calming the flames in Gloria''s heavenly body.


    ''I can''t take your clothes off, but who says I need that to make you have an orgasm?'' He smiled internally, lustfully imagining how much Gloria would endure before giving in to him.


    "If you want me to stop, just say the word. Otherwise, I will continue..."


    "Mmmmmm~"


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, two days passed...


    After Minos and Gloria''s warm encounter, the two did not do more than she wanted, but young Stuart had managed to calm the flames of that redhead with his methods.


    Thus, after cultivating and resolving minor army matters in Dry City, Minos was finally preparing to travel north to the location of the so-called peace negotiations.


    "Miss Maisie, are you sure you want to accompany the young master? I don''t think that woman is a danger to him." Dillian asked Minos'' mother as he said goodbye to the group leaving for the peace negotiations.


    On that outer side of the northern gate of the local wall, there were several people from the subordinate or allied forces of Dry City saying goodbye to Minos'' group. At the same time, several beasts were waiting to depart.


    Among those people from Minos'' group were Gloria, the mother of young Stuart, Abby, and Ruth, those accompanying the local sovereign to the negotiation site in the south of the Kingdom of the Waves.


    Maisie then said to Dillian. "I''m not sure about that yet..."


    On the other hand, Minos and his two women were already at Maida''s back, preparing to take off from this place.


    Minos then said. "Dillian, Emlyn, Mia, stay on alert these next few days, but prepare for the end of the war."


    "Once I return, we will begin the expansion of the Black Plain!"


    "I hope Dry City and our forces are ready for that."


    "All right, young master!" Mia said this before Dillian repeated similar words.


    "Leave this to us. I doubt any of these humans will come to Dry City, but if anything strange happens, I will protect this place." Emlyn said in her majestic spiritual voice, nodding her large head to young Stuart.


    Meanwhile, Gloria was silently watching that situation, set on the back of her beast as she waited for their departure.


    She could have already left this place, but since Minos'' group was heading to the same place as her, this woman had preferred to travel alongside them.


    ''It seems that his confidence is not only towards women...'' She sighed internally, feeling impressed with the way Minos handled the situation.


    She did not see how this war could end as quickly as Minos predicted. But after weeks of living in Dry City and the few days closer to him, she started to think his words were well-founded.


    ''It doesn''t matter!''


    ''It makes no difference to the Church who will win the war. And if he wins this conflict quickly, the better for everyone!'' She assumed as she hoped that, indeed, Minos had been right in his words.


    After that, those people quickly took off towards the north, leaving behind Dillian and the others in that camp outside the northern exit of the local wall.

 Chapter 970 Arrival Of Various Parties

    Chapter 970 Arrival Of Various Parties


    While Minos'' group was on its way to the Yellow City region, several groups arrived at a large camp north of that city.


    In that southernmost part of the Kingdom of the Waves, in a semi-desert area, was the large camp set up by the Spiritual Church branch of this state to accommodate the ceasefire negotiations.


    The Church was hosting this big event since no one else in this part of the continent could make the different parties in the conflict talk.


    And precisely because this location was the closest to each of those involved in the conflict, this camp had been set up there.


    In any case, the place was huge, but there were not many people around. Instead, only the strongest Spiritual Generals and Spiritual Kings from each organization involved in the war had come to this place.


    But since this area had been built to accommodate each of the royal entourages comfortably, this camp was massive, and to anyone looking from afar, it looked like a small village and not just something temporary.


    However, while there were not many people in the surroundings, from time to time, winged beasts appeared in the skies over there, bringing more and more people to this historic meeting.


    And some of them were arriving just at this moment, landing on different sides of that area.


    ...


    "Luke, are you sure about this? I thought you had given up on returning to the empire..." The Spiritual Emperor who had brought the young master of the Nash family back to this region asked this in doubt.p????-?????.???


    Upon hearing that, the young man standing next to Oriel on this man''s beast nodded in agreement as he looked at the camp they were about to land.


    "Yes, I thought that by coming back here, things could go back to the way they were before, but I was wrong..." He was sincere. "If it is to live an ordinary life, I would rather risk my life in the Western Empire given the small chance of success I might have there."


    "Oh?" With surprise, that man expressed, feeling satisfied with that young man''s answer.


    They had left Stone Island a few days ago to observe the negotiations that would occur in this place built by the Church since things like this did not happen often.


    Hell, even in other parts of this continent, such surreal events could take tens of thousands of years to happen!


    After all, it was not every day that an emerging force rose up against the established power and tore the other side apart to the point that ceasefire negotiations were necessary.


    Negotiations like this even happened frequently, but they always involved powers of similar levels!


    However, Oriel Holt had found an irregular situation in this northern region of the Central Continent. Here, a weaker power than its many opponents showed signs of victory!


    So, how could these two who had short life expectancies relative to the river of time not take advantage of the opportunity to participate in this event? p???? ?o???


    It would be absurd to miss such an opportunity!


    Because of this, the two were here to accompany the Stone Island royal family entourage, both curious to know what would happen next.


    Young Luke, in particular, was the most interested. After finding out about the deeds of Minos, whom he still had a certain resentment for what had happened years ago, this young master wanted to see such a person.


    At the very least, this could confirm his greatest fears, which would help him move on with his life in the Western Empire.


    ''Looks like this young man has finally matured a bit, huh?'' Oriel looked down on young Luke, pleased at the change in such a person''s decision.


    He knew that the empire was not for everyone and that Luke was probably saving his own life by returning to this region. But as cultivators, they should not fear the danger that exists on the journey of power!


    No, when they accepted their destiny as cultivators and learned their first techniques, each person would unconsciously begin to walk this long and cruel road of life.


    But without power, without commitment, such people could only depend on those who dominated the road. However, not all dominators would do good...


    Thus, in this expert''s view, Luke''s change of mind was necessary for him to mature concerning his dark situation. ¦Ñ???????????


    And with his thoughts regarding what was necessary to survive in this cruel world, Oriel finally noticed those presences in the surroundings and said to Luke. "Well, if you are sure, we will return to the empire in a few weeks."


    "I want to see the immediate results of this meeting that has so many regional experts."


    "Is that so?" Luke smiled, interested in the idea of being able to stay a few more days in this region. "Will they fight here? I''m curious to know how strong Minos and the regional kings are."


    "Hahaha, me too."


    "In any case, I believe it won''t take us long to find that out..."


    p????-?o??? "Almost everyone is already here."


    ...


    In a lovely structure of that camp, Jade Carline was meditating on her cultivation cushion while she had a charming smile on her face.


    She had received a message from her husband only three days ago, giving the orders for her to go ahead with the deal with Minos.


    However, what made her the happiest was the prospect of seeing again that rude young man who had dominated her in a way that only she could comprehend.


    Minos had resolved years of sexual frustration from this regional specialist, which now that she was about to meet him was making her more and more anxious.


    ''Minos could be here any moment now... I hope he has time to visit me privately.'' She bit her lower lip sensually, feeling shocks in her little sister, who, after her first meeting with Minos, was living moist, despite the previous decades of almost complete dryness.


    ''Anyway, I''m glad Kara finally continued her journey towards the empire.''


    ''That will give me less trouble to hide my forbidden relationship with Minos!'' She smiled, remembering that her daughter had insisted on staying at this place until Minos arrived.


    Kara was unsure if Minos was in Dry City due to this ruler''s recurrent journey through the region. And considering that she knew he would come to this place, she had tried to stay in this area until at least his arrival.


    However, upon finding out that of his arrival in Dry City days ago, she had immediately left for that place, where she intended to stay for a few days close to Minos.


    As for Ford, he did not even stop at that place when their group arrived here days ago. Instead, he simply continued his journey back to the empire, hoping to find inner peace and forget about what he had seen and heard.


    Anyway, while Jade was silently meditating in that place that looked like a room, suddenly someone came bringing a piece of information to her.


    "Your Majesty, the leaders of our allied army are already here." A middle-aged woman said this as she looked at the ground, mentioning the people on the Black Plain that the queen had demanded their presence in this place.


    "Very well, I will go talk to them in a minute," Jade said as she stood up and headed towards the closet.


    ''Well, I will leave everything ready for the withdrawal of our troops from the Black Plain for the completion of these negotiations.''


    ''Minos seems like a reasonable person, but it''s best not to take any chances with him.''


    ''As for those who will have their cultivation crippled, we can only mourn for them.'' She sighed and thanked heaven that Linette had not killed anyone during her months on the Black Plain.


    Otherwise, not only King Carline but the entire royal family of that state would be weakened with that woman having her spiritual cultivation destroyed.


    ...


    As Jade made her way towards her subordinates and vassals, a relatively young man with black hair and a beard of identical coloration landed on the south side of that camp.


    ''Sigh!''


    ''I finally made it to this damn place!''


    ''I hope all these people have arrived here by now, or I''ll have to stay even longer in this poor region.'' He silently thought about this as he descended from his giant winged lizard, which displayed a peak 6th stage cultivation.


    ...

 Chapter 971 The Great Meeting Of Regional Experts

    Chapter 971 The Great Meeting Of Regional Experts


    After getting off his mount, that man coming from the Flaming Empire made his way towards the inside of the Spiritual Church camp.


    This person was a representative sent by the imperial family of that state, who was here to monitor the peace negotiations and make a relevant announcement.


    After years of war, the situation in this part of the Central Continent had disrupted the realization of the Spiritual Tournament, which by the current time, should have taken place months ago.


    However, because there were no conditions for this competition to be held here, the Flaming Empire imperial family postponed it for another two years in order to protect the organizations involved.


    And with the intention of not having to postpone this competition again, the emperor had sent this representative to dialogue with the regional leaders.


    The Spiritual Tournament added little power to the empire''s sects. Still, this competition itself was a symbol of the power of that state.


    The FLaming Empire was the strongest in the part of the Central Continent where it was located. Yet, it was surrounded by several subtly weaker kingdoms, which together could threaten it.


    Since the Spiritual Church had granted the empire the right to hold official competitions in this region while forbidding the other states from doing so, the Flaming Empire''s acceptance of the current situation could be a problem.


    One of these smaller kingdoms could use the justification of the empire''s incompetence in keeping the region under control or even use the current chaos to conduct undercover operations. At the same time, this could even generate a change in the control of tournaments in this area, which could damage the prestige of that empire.


    And as much as these talents from the Minos region were not indispensable for the empire, they could make a difference for some of these kingdoms!p????-?????.???


    After all, if at least three people with Silver talent were ''seized'' in a competition akin to the Spiritual Tournament, with the right training and resource, they could become Spiritual Saints.


    And for states that had fractions of the empire''s numbers, even three Spiritual Saints meant a significant increase in power for them!


    Hence, not acting in favor of solving the current problem in the region could lead to more significant problems for the empire in the future!


    With this in mind, that level 65 Spiritual Emperor quickly made his way to where several Spiritual Church Bishops were gathered.


    "Where is your leader? How much longer will we have to wait for negotiations to begin?" He asked as he entered that place, wasting no time in greetings or unnecessary conversation.


    Hearing the tone of that powerful expert coming from the Flaming Empire, the strongest Bishop there, who already knew that man''s origin, answered him. "Lord Warner, Archbishop Frost is coming here at this very moment."


    "From the message we received last night, she will arrive at the Black Plain sovereign''s side tomorrow morning."


    "Oh? Why is she traveling with this young man?" Warner asked in interest, finding it peculiar that the mediator of this peace attempt traveled alongside the regional enemy.


    ''What is this woman thinking? Does she not see her actions as unjustifiable favoritism?'' p???? ?o???


    That Bishop then said. "That, Lord Warner, you will have to ask her since I dare not question my superiors."


    "Tsk!" That man with black hair and beard made a tongue sound in displeasure but did not pursue the matter. "By the way, I am curious to know if she has already found out about the orders of the Spiritual Church branch in the empire. Have you guys been communicated?"


    "Uh? What are you talking about?" Another Bishop asked without understanding what was going on.


    These people did not know about what the Silva family had gotten through the unique item that had granted them a wish. After all, they were just low-ranking people who served the church in the poor northern region of the Central Continent.


    And even if such information had relevance to local events, it was not as if it made any difference to these men to know about it.


    As such, none of them had any idea about the decisions of the Spiritual Church in that state, being in the dark about the assassination mission against Minos.


    "You guys don''t know?" The man laughed. "The Church has authorized the sects of the empire to act directly against Minos Stuart!"


    "What? Is that true?" One of the more sad Bishops in that place stood up and asked this, feeling a spark of hope.


    "Yes, it is true." ¦Ñ???????????


    "However, I don''t know if the eight major sects will act since that boy''s family is acting on their behalf."


    "Anyway, there are still many smaller organizations in the empire, and the church has authorized all of them to decide on their own whether or not to accept the mission. So, maybe these local families can get some help through this act."


    Hearing that, each of the Bishops there began to think about what might happen next with the addition of even more people against young Stuart.


    ''Minos Stuart is powerful, but without limitations in terms of Spiritual Emperors, even he won''t be able to hold out!''


    ''That''s truly amazing!''


    ''I never imagined that the church would give such a surprising order as this. I wonder what happened in the empire?''


    "Tsk!"


    ''It won''t work!''


    ''Any sect that agrees to act against Minos will directly offend his family! That''s just an empty hope!''


    After seeing the thoughtful expressions on the faces of those elders, Warner smiled and left that place quietly, interested in finding an area to sit and meditate.


    He found it amusing to see the people of this poor region suffering to solve their little problems, but he did not like to stay in a place as weak as this for too long. And since his perception of time was different when he was cultivating, he soon sat down in a lotus position and proceeded with his cultivation technique.


    ''Well, I hope this group will arrive within the promised time frame.''


    ...


    While Warner was trying to cultivate the thin layer of spiritual energy in that area, several of the level 59 Spiritual Kings from this region were meeting at this very moment.


    They were in a large tent with a table with food and drink and various luxurious furnishings similar to those found in the living rooms of the region''s wealthiest families.


    And right there were the representatives or leaders of the royal families of this region, with some of them sitting on sofas or armchairs and others standing while they ate.


    Among them were King Snow, Jade Carline, the elder sister of the Stone siblings, the supreme elder of the Cromwell family, King Brown, and of course, Prince Blake, who was serving as regent of the Kingdom of the Waves.


    Besides them, there were also some patriarchs of regional families and the people who had accompanied them to this place. Not only that but also some descendants of the regional families who had already returned from the empire, among them some low-level Spiritual Emperors.


    "Lorelei, I can hardly believe you dared to come to this place!" King Brown exclaimed in anger, feeling irritated at seeing a regional traitor there.


    "Tsk!"


    "Because of your Stone family''s absence in the war, things have come to this point where we are today!" The supreme elder of the Cromwell family said this as he looked with disgust at Lorelei, blaming this woman for James Cromwell''s death.


    "Calm down, let''s calm down." King Snow tried to control the situation, nodding to both those two accusers and Lorelei.


    Lorelei might be at the level of the regional peak experts, but among them, she figured in the top three of the strongest. Because of this, Ambrose''s father could not help but worry about her so that nothing violent would happen in this place.


    "Humph!"


    p????-?o??? "Don''t try to blame my family for the incompetence of your organizations."


    "Plus, my family already had a non-aggression agreement with the Black Plain years before this war broke out."


    She then looked at Thomas Brown and said. "Minos has always behaved like a reasonable person. If not for your Brown family acting out, the Black Plain could have achieved independence without any battles, and we could all gain a new partner."


    "In other words, this is all your fault, Thomas!"


    "What?" Several people in that place shouted in surprise, not understanding how someone with tens of thousands of confirmed deaths on his record could be reasonable.


    At the same time, they marvel at the way Lorelei placed the blame for the war on the victims who had suffered from Minos'' cunning acts!


    ...

 Chapter 972 Arriving At Church Camp

    Chapter 972 Arriving At Church Camp


    "Lorelei..." Adam Snow muttered, feeling that such a woman was greatly exaggerating things.


    However, he already knew that his family had surrendered to Minos, so there was no room for him to try to contradict that woman. No, he at most wanted to maintain order in that place as long as the current farce had to continue.


    ''That''s true...'' Jade looked at Lorelei and agreed with her, feeling that everything that was happening was indeed the fault of the Brown family.


    ''Minos doesn''t look as bad as all those people made him look!'' Jade persuaded herself, slowly becoming angrier that her family had been ''manipulated'' into going to war against young Stuart.


    ''Those damned people!''


    ''Minos was just trying to earn his living in peace on the Black Plain, and they created this whole situation, harming tens of millions of people in our region!'' She shouted internally, not saying those words out loud.


    Jade knew she should not say things so favorable to Minos right now since no one there knew about what would happen in the next few days. Besides, as an ''enemy'' of his, it was expected that she would at the very least not defend him.


    She then said. "King Brown is being hasty here. I don''t think the Stone family has all this responsibility, you proclaim."


    "It certainly influenced the war, but one more power against the Black Plain wouldn''t have made much difference."


    "On the other hand, there''s no sense in looking for a culprit for this now. The problem is already on our doorstep, and we are here to try to find a solution while there is still time left."


    Hearing that, most of the people there nodded in agreement, understanding Jade''s words as irrefutable.p????-?????.???


    But Thomas did not like seeing that woman stopping him from blaming someone else for his many recent problems.


    "Tsk!"


    "Anyway, why did your Stone family come to this meeting?" He asked Lorelei before finally looking at Blake. "I''m curious about your presence here too, kid."


    "I thought you had already chickened out and hid somewhere in your state..." Thomas sneered.


    Hearing that, Blake said nothing, only looking at that king as if he had seen a dead person talking, and then turned his attention to Lorelei.


    She then said. "You don''t have to worry about us here."


    "This is a meeting to settle the war, so as allies of the Black Plain, I will attend this meeting."


    After those words were said, silence filled that place, suddenly increasing the tension of those people, especially some of the reinforcements coming from the empire who felt that something could happen at any moment.


    Everyone in this place was shocked by the development of the Black Plain forces.


    They had only been a few decades or centuries away from this region, and then, boom, the Black Plain stopped being an irrelevant place and became one of the places with the most experts in the region! p???? ?o???


    It was pretty impressive!


    And seeing one of the royal families of this region on the Black Plain side, some of those descendants felt betrayed, with anger rising in their hearts.


    Realizing that the situation might get out of hand, one of the nearby Bishops rushed over and said. "Gentlemen, I hope you will remember that as long as this camp is here, this area belongs to the Spiritual Church..."


    "Let''s not cause unnecessary trouble." He said in a cautious tone, confident in his background but not overdoing it due to the number of people stronger than him there.


    Finally, after a few seconds of tension and silence, some of the people there sighed and then went back to talking about what they could do to stop the war.


    Many there wanted to reach a peace agreement that would benefit them. After all, they had enough power to cause significant damage to the Black Plain. So, it was in their interest to use that power to get a better deal with Minos.


    p????-?o??? However, not everyone wanted peace. The Brown and Cromwell families craved blood and were under the illusion that they could defeat Minos because of their reinforcements.


    As such, rather than being there to find a way to stop the war, the members of these powers wanted to mess with the minds of those willing to give up to ensure the continuation of the war.


    The Black Plain had increased in power considerably over the past few weeks. However, after this negotiation, these regional organizations could finally use their powerful descendants.


    Because of this, they were eager for the war to continue! ¦Ñ???????????


    ...


    Several hours had passed after the meeting between the great regional experts, and the day was already dawning on that area''s horizon.


    Nothing relevant had been decided at that meeting since not everyone in that place was against the Black Plain at the moment. But several conversations and important points had come up for those present at that event to think about before the negotiations with Minos began.


    And while those people were trying to think about those possibilities raised at the meeting the night before, Minos'' group slowly began to descend from the skies above that area.


    Everyone there had traveled on powerful spiritual beasts, with the weakest of them being precisely Maida. But even this beast of Minos had great speed, able to make the journey from Dry City to this place in a few hours.


    With this, none of them had tired of this brief trip, and when they landed in the vicinity of that camp, they had only expressions of interest or satisfaction on their faces.


    Even the beautiful Gloria, who had some concern about how Minos would handle this, was calm at this point, knowing that today could be the beginning of the end of the current war.


    "Minos, you and your group can rest in one of the tents while we finish preparations for negotiations," Gloria said to him as she walked toward the interior of that area.


    "Oh? You don''t have to do that. We can begin negotiations immediately."


    "No." She shook her head in denial. "I have to settle a few things before that happens, so you''d better settle down for the time being."


    "All right, then."


    As Gloria talked to Minos and those three women accompanied them, some local Bishops were already there watching them thoughtfully.


    ''So, that''s the demon Minos!''


    ''The wretch is truly young...''


    ''And why did he bring these beauties here? Is he trying to make us jealous?''


    Various thoughts passed through the heads of those individuals who were anxious for the peace negotiations to begin finally.


    Gloria looked at one of those old men and ordered. "You, take the Black Plain group to a proper tent."


    ''Meanwhile, I''ll see what this person wants around here.'' She thought about it in silence as she realized the presence of a representative of the imperial family in this camp.


    After that, Minos, Abby, Ruth, and Maisie followed one of the Bishops from that camp, while Gloria went off in the direction of the strongest Spiritual Emperor who was in that place before their group arrived.


    ...


    "Warner, what are you doing here?" Gloria asked the representative of the Edwardstone family, someone she already knew.


    Gloria was the church representative for the northern region, and that man was part of the organization that led the sects that organized the Spiritual Tournament. Because of this, they had known each other for several years, and she was entirely able to identify him after probing his spiritual fluctuations in this place.


    "Oh? Gloria, have you finally arrived?" That man with black hair and beard opened his eyes and came out of his meditative position, pleased that such a woman had arrived.


    "I just arrived, and I noticed someone... Uh, no, some people who shouldn''t be here." She commented in a low voice as she looked away in the direction of an aura she did not know.


    "I see..." He said this as he realized who that woman was talking about. "In any case, I was ordered to come here to talk to the regional leaders."


    "So, since I found out that you would already be meeting in this place, I simply decided to join this occasion and make my job easier."


    "Do you see a problem with that?"


    "No. You are here on account of the Spiritual Tournament, right?"


    "Yes."


    "Well, then I will let you have the floor at the beginning of the negotiations. But after that, I hope you won''t interfere with anything else around here." She said thoughtfully, giving that man a warning look.


    ...

 Chapter 973 Complete Cultivator

    Chapter 973 Complete Cultivator


    p????-?o??? "Oh?" That man made a sound of surprise, seeing that such a woman did not want him interrupting her affairs in this region. "Well, I know my role here, and I don''t intend to stay in this place for long, so don''t worry."


    "But before this negotiation, why don''t you come to have lunch with me? We can talk about some recent empire affairs in the meantime..." He suggested.


    But Gloria already knew of the hidden intentions of this person, one of the many who had tried to win her favor in the past.


    She made a cold expression and said. "I''m not interested."


    ''I already know what is going on in the empire, so I don''t need you to tell me anything!''


    And indeed, she did. As a promising member of the Spiritual Church, this woman was receiving constant communications from her team in the empire through a telecommunication array.


    Because of this, she knew about the declaration given by the Church to the sects in the Flaming Empire and the actions of Maisie''s father.


    She had not done anything about it or even spoken to Minos because she could not go against that order, and her allegiance was to the Church and not to a young man she had just met.


    In this way, she kept her information to herself, only concerned with matters in her power.


    She watched that man as she felt contempt, but without showing it. ''And I won''t go out with someone with that look.'' She secretly looked at the expression of that individual, who, although relatively restrained, could not hide all the lust in his mind.


    ''Minos certainly desires me, but he at least is sincere when he is with me. Whereas people like you...''


    As she sneered at the person in front of her, Warner sighed in defeat, once again being in that uncomfortable position.


    ''Ah, as cold as ever...'' He lamented in his heart.p????-?????.???


    After a few seconds of awkward silence, he finally stepped forward and changed the subject. "Anyway, answer me one thing."


    "Who is this level 69 person who is in this camp? Ever since I sensed the arrival of this individual next to you, I have been curious."


    "Did the church send more people with you to this region?"


    "Level 69, huh?" The image of Maisie appeared in Gloria''s mind. "Well, I don''t need to hide it from you since she intends to watch the negotiations we''ll be doing here."


    "She is the mother of the Black Plain sovereign, Maisie Coleman, the next person to become the master of the Gray Clouds Sect."


    "I see..." He said this in realization as his eyes opened wide. ''Well, I think this woman probably knows about the recent events in the empire.''


    ''Hmm, she''s here to protect him!''


    "Sigh..."


    "Well, if that is the case, I will join the negotiations when they begin and do as you said."


    After that, that man returned to his meditative position, and Gloria headed off toward another part of that camp, determined to settle some matters.


    ...


    While Gloria was doing her work, Minos and his traveling companions had already settled into one of the structures in that luxurious camp. p???? ?o???


    But while they had barely had time to sit around a table and have a quiet meal, a group of people approached the area assigned to them.


    "Prince... Regent Blake Walker, this is a restricted area of another regional organization, so please don''t insist. We won''t allow your passage." One of the Bishops looking out for that area said this as he stopped in front of that fellow''s group.


    Since this was a place of the Church made for peace negotiations, each organization involved had its area, and the Church staff kept order so that ''accidents'' did not happen.


    And as much as many of these members of the Spiritual Church wanted to watch the fall of Minos, none of them dared to disregard the rules of this great institution of the Spiritual World.


    Hell, they would rather see Minos dominate the entire region than have to receive punishment from the Church!


    So, when that Bishop saw Blake''s group, a recent victim of Minos'' acts approaching the area of the Black Plain sovereign, he could not help but go out of his way to stop that young man.


    "Bishop, don''t worry. I won''t cause any trouble." Blake said as he made some gestures with his, indicating that he just wanted to talk to Minos. "I just want to talk to this person in person since I didn''t get the chance last time."


    "That..."


    "No, that won''t work. You''d better go back to your area and wait for the right time..."


    As the Bishop refused Blake''s request, Minos appeared, walking toward those people. "Let them pass. I want to hear what they have to say."


    "But..."


    But not having the courage to refuse Minos, that individual just walked away from there, hoping that nothing wrong would happen because of this situation. ¦Ñ???????????


    Minos then gestured to Blake and the three people beside him, indicating for them to enter the large tent in that area designated to the Black Plain.


    ...


    As they found themselves inside the luxurious interior of the bigger tent in that area, Blake saw Minos sitting between two women of incredible beauty.


    At the same time, the most beautiful of all was alone at a table, drinking spiritual tea.


    ''A peak Spiritual Emperor!'' Blake almost cried in envy, thinking about where such an expert had come from and why Minos had such a person by his side.


    Like many people of good background in this region, he knew about Minos'' powerful mother. But none of them had current information about her level.


    Thus, Blake did not even consider the option of that being young Stuart''s mother. After all, Maisie was only a low-level Spiritual Emperor when she gave birth to Minos, so how could she have advanced levels so quickly?


    But unfortunately for Blake, it was not his place to try to evaluate someone coming from the Flaming Empire.


    He then listened. "You have withdrawn your kingdom''s troops from my territory. Very well. A portion of your responsibilities has been fulfilled."


    Minos then pointed to an elder standing behind Blake and asked. "Is that the spiritual judge you brought in for us to sign a Soul Contract?"


    "Yes." Blake nodded in agreement.


    As for the people in his group, they all remained silent, respectfully waiting for what would happen here and fearful of Minos and that woman of enviable power.


    "I understand... But what about your brother? Didn''t he come with you?"


    "No, Wilfred stayed in the kingdom to take care of recent problems we are facing."


    "That is bad."


    "I will not release your mothers and stepmothers until we have confirmed Soul Contracts among all of us."


    "What? But..."


    "But?" Minos'' eyes sharpened, making that future king tremble with fear.


    "I... I thought..."


    Minos interrupted him and said. "Look, Blake, go with your brother to Dry City in the next few days, and we can make our agreement official there."


    "But don''t worry, our agreement won''t change just because of that."


    He then remembered something and laughed. "In fact, that will be a good opportunity for both of you."


    "Uh?


    "Charles has tried to kill you several times, right?"


    "Well, I''ll have him executed after we sign our agreements!"


    "So, you two can celebrate your subordination to my person by watching Charles being executed in the Puller!"


    After those words were spoken, even young Stuart''s mother felt a slight chill run down her spine, shocked by the brutal way her son handled the situation.


    ''Ah, our son is already someone capable of dealing with the problems of the cultivation world, Albert...'' Maisie looked up and sighed internally, feeling bad for not having seen this young man grow up, not having gotten to know him better during his immature phase.


    Now seeing Minos dealing with the Walker family, she was seeing a complete cultivator who no longer needed parental advice on how to deal with the perversion of this world.


    Gulp!


    Sounds of saliva being swallowed reverberated through that area, while only Abby had not been surprised by Minos'' decision.


    After all, she had almost died at the hands of one of Charles'' subordinates. So, how could she not understand Minos'' intentions in being so tough on the Walker family?


    As for Ruth, she was a little surprised to see such a violent side of Minos. But she felt that there was more to this story than just an ordinary relationship between war enemies. Thus, she decided to put the matter aside for the moment and support her fianc¨¦ by standing by his side as if nothing strange had been said.


    "All right, we will do as you command," Blake said in difficulty, feeling a genuine fear in his heart.


    ...

 Chapter 974 Encounters Before The Peace Negotiations

    Chapter 974 Encounters Before The Peace Negotiations


    After accepting Minos'' orders, Blake left that place alongside his companions, sighing in defeat for not being able to get his mother back.


    p????-?o??? But since Minos had made no new threats against him and the Walker family, he was at least feeling no worse for not having brought Wilfred along on this trip.


    As for the execution of his younger brother, well, he honestly did not care about Charles'' life as he would have killed that person himself if he had had the chance in the past.


    However, he was not happy either. After all, as much as Charles was his enemy, Minos'' hostage was still part of the Walker family. Furthermore, having the future king watch his own brother''s execution could not be a good thing for his honor and record.


    No, this was another form of humiliation that the Walker family would have to deal with, which the entire regional population would see as a weakness of the power now under Blake''s leadership.


    What would come of this new reality?


    Well, he could not say for sure. Still, at the very least, this organization''s unilateral regional relations would be damaged in the future.


    But there was a silver lining in all this. With the Black Plain likely to win the war, sooner or later, the entire region would be under Minos'' control. And with this, they would at least be able to negotiate with powers in a subordinate situation to Dry City.


    In any case, the future that awaited them was not what Blake had dreamed of when he had begun his pursuit of power. However, it was too late now, and he could only deal with the situation left behind by his father and brother.p????-?????.???


    ...


    "Minos, don''t you think this is too harsh?" Ruth asked right after Blake''s group left that place. "I mean, even though they are enemies, they still share a significant blood tie..."


    "I think it''s pretty cruel to force them to watch their own brother''s execution."


    Minos was not bothered by Ruth''s contrary opinion and said. "Charles will die to pay for his crimes, but Blake, Wilfred, and King Walker''s widows will once again witness what happens to the enemies of the Black Plain."


    "Ruth, I don''t want to go out into the region and wipe out families, nor do I want to be known as someone who solves their problems with violence. I''d rather stay on the Black Plain with you and Abby, cultivating, having fun, and eventually raising a family."


    "But that''s a naive dream."


    "Knowing that, for the sake of our future, for the sake of not having to deal with idiots constantly seeking death, the powerful individuals in this region need to fear us."


    "They need to have ingrained in their minds the idea that there is no escape for those who violate the laws of the Black Plain. They need to understand that there is only one fate for those who overstep my boundaries." p???? ?o???


    "Only then can we decrease the number of rebellious acts in my region in the future."


    "This will make the region more peaceful and, at the same time, make it easier for members of the regional nobility and royalty to absorb certain ideals themselves. And that will help us build the Black Plain faster and more efficiently."


    "For that, I need to be brutal with certain people and organizations." He finished his explanation as he hugged his women''s waists and looked into Ruth''s eyes.


    Upon hearing those words, Ruth and Maisie understood what Minos wanted. This young man''s mother nodded with satisfaction that he was so decisive.


    She genuinely had not expected her son to have such a strong personality, but it was good that he was like that!


    The cultivation world gave no voice to the weak, and being decisive was a synonym for superiority.


    Ruth, on the other hand, although she did not have the experience of her master, because of the ease with which Minos spoke on the subject, there was no way she could not agree with his thoughts.


    As for Abby, she already knew about these visions of her man since she had been following the decisions of Minos as the leader of the Black Plain for several years now. ¦Ñ???????????


    Not only that, but as someone who had studied to become a negotiator, she was thrilled to see her man show how well he understood the harsh reality of power.


    There was a chance that Minos'' actions would backfire and rally his now-subordinates against the Black Plain in the future. After all, fighting a lunatic with power would always be worthwhile!


    However, as long as he managed this terror generated during the war in the post-war period, such fear would become a seed of doubt and not of discord.


    With the advancements and opportunities that he would bring to this region through the development of the Black Plain, the regional royal houses would quickly realize that everything had worked.


    Eventually, they would think that they suffered, yes. Still, the benefits would be so great that the leaders left after the war would probably say things like: ''I would do it all over again if the outcome were the same.'' Or maybe: ''I could have surrendered sooner.''


    Anyway, after talking about the matter involving the Walker family, it was not long before other visitors arrived in the area designated for the Black Plain group.


    First, King Snow had passed by, as he already knew about the deeds of Minos in the capital of his kingdom. Besides, he was preparing for the imminent action of the allied forces of the Black Plain against the Counter-Revolutionary Army.


    And since he had no complaints to make against Minos, as well as being already in agreement with his son''s decisions, Adam had just listened to Minos'' orders and noted down what he had to do.


    Next, Lorelei Stone visited Minos'' group, having talked with them for almost an hour in an attempt to strengthen her state''s ties with the Black Plain.


    They were already allies, but it did not hurt to reaffirm Stone Island''s commitment to Dry City, which had benefited Minos'' forces even before the war.


    And with the climax of the war, that woman obviously did not miss the chance to talk to Minos about the future, about the development of the Black Plain as a state.


    She wanted to make it clear to Minos that the entire Stone Island would do whatever it took to help develop that empty territory and build the structures required for human life to flourish.


    And, of course, as someone capable of doing business, Minos had agreed with many of the possibilities raised by Lorelei and suggested other things for the beautiful future ahead of them.


    After that, that woman left Minos'' group just before Jade Carline''s visit.


    ...


    "It''s only been a few months since you were in the Kingdom of the End, but I feel as if years have passed." Jade said this with a smile on her face, finally showing some satisfaction at being here since she had to look worried to other people.


    But in a place where only Minos and people he trusted were, she did not mind showing her happiness at being able to see him again.


    "Hehe, indeed." Minos laughed, remembering how passionate that woman was in bed. ''Poor King Carline, doesn''t he realize that one shouldn''t neglect his women? Plus, he probably overlooked the fact that this woman has an unusual libido...''


    Seeing the expressions on Minos and Jade''s faces and their words, the three women in that place frowned, thinking that there was something wrong there.


    ''Shouldn''t this woman be an enemy of my son? Why does she look so pleased?'' Maisie watched that black-haired woman closely, carefully observing the way Jade behaved.


    ''Those body signs...'' Maisie''s eyes widened as she thought of something strange. ''Don''t tell me you...''


    At the same time, Ruth looked at Abby with a meaningful look, trying to understand the situation. ''Shouldn''t she be here to surrender? How does she seem to be here to be gifted or something?''


    And as if she understood Ruth''s thoughts, Abby smiled awkwardly. ''I want to understand what''s in here too...''


    "Well, I''ll get right to the point. My husband has already made up his mind to accept your offer. Thus, I''m here so we can begin the procedures necessary to validation of our new situation."


    ...

 Chapter 975 Beginning Of The Peace Negotiation

    Chapter 975 Beginning Of The Peace Negotiation


    "Oh? That''s good to hear." Minos said in satisfaction but without any surprise in his voice.


    "When will your troops leave the Black Plain?" Abby asked that woman.


    Jade then said. "By the time this meeting is over, I believe we will be out of the Black Plain. But it may take a few days for us to leave the area in rebellion completely..."


    Abby and Minos then readily understood that such a woman referred to this southernmost area of the Kingdom of the Waves that had joined the Black Plain.


    Minos then said in a serious tone. "It''s okay that this will still take a few more days, but I must say that your family took quite a while to accept my offer."


    "Your time has almost reached the limit." He commented on this point since he was not far from advancing to level 54, which had been the limit given to Kara to resolve the matter of her family''s surrender.


    "I want to make it clear to you that you had better be careful in the future. Don''t risk not following my orders since I will punish you if that happens."


    "Uh?" Jade exclaimed in surprise, not expecting to get a scolding from Minos in this place. ''Ah, he''s not going to make it easy for us even after all we''ve done...''


    ''Well, I have to convince my husband to be more helpful than he intends for the Black Plain in the future. Otherwise, he may suffer because of this young man.''


    "Okay, I will not forget your words, and I will pass them on to the rest of the family."


    "Very well."p????-?????.???


    "Now, tell me something." Minos eased his expression, happy with the way Jade handled the situation.


    She was not like the members of the Snow family, who knew perfectly well how to handle him and speed up the carrying out of his orders. But Jade was not bad, and Minos knew from the look on this woman''s face that she had probably helped to speed up the Carline family''s surrender significantly.


    In fact, observing how she was sitting with her legs firmly together, a slight blush on her face, frequent smiles, and gaze focused on him, he knew she wanted to repeat the previous experience. And as someone who understood how to work to achieve what she wanted, Jade had used her skills to get to this place and generate benefits for Minos.


    With that in mind, Minos had no regrets about the immorality he had done in the Kingdom of the End capital and even felt delighted with it.


    He then asked. "Have you brought any spiritual judge to validate my contract with you? I don''t intend to go to your state for the time being, but I want to have an agreement with you before our farewell."


    "That will at least give me some guarantees."


    ''Guarantees? Is that all you''re interested in?'' She felt a little disappointed by Minos'' coldness since she had so much more in mind...


    She then said. "Yes, I brought someone like that with me."


    "Good." Minos smiled and gave her a brief wink. "Today, after the first peace negotiation, I will come to your tent so we can discuss the details of that agreement."


    "I hope you don''t mind that..." p???? ?o???


    "Oh?" She made a brief sound of surprise but soon behaved herself, trying to suppress the anxiety in her heart. "I definitely don''t mind!"


    "I''ll be waiting for us to talk about this ''deal'' later." She said this, feeling relieved that Minos was interested in continuing their forbidden relationship.


    ''I''m glad I prepared for that!''


    ''I''ll finally be able to wear those pieces without shame...'' She thought this just after saying goodbye to Minos'' group and running towards her area in that camp.


    ...


    Some time passed, and at this instant, almost all the most critical individuals in that camp were already in a large open-air area where the main event was scheduled to take place.


    In that circular fight stage-shaped place, several small areas with chairs and structures to comfortably receive the royal entourages were arranged at equal distances from each other at the ends of one half of the circular area.


    At the same time, most of these small areas were already filled with people, many of them chatting simultaneously, creating a specific symphony in that area.


    Meanwhile, in the other half of the circular area, the structure for the members of the Spiritual Church participating in the event was full of individuals in Purple cloaks, waiting for the peace negotiations to begin.


    Finally, Gloria wore her Black cloak, sitting at the main point of that place, from where she could see each of those groups and also the visitors who were standing on the sides of that area. ¦Ñ???????????


    ''Where is Minos? It''s way past the appointed time!'' She thought about it silently as she looked from one side to the other in a discreet manner, feeling a slight irritation at his delay.


    And not only did she think about it.


    "Where is he? Why doesn''t this guy just show up at once so we can sort all this out?" Someone from the Spiritual Church asked his companions.


    On the other hand, King Brown understood what Minos was doing very well.


    "That villain!"


    "He''s playing games with us, making us have to wait on him like he''s some important figure or something!" He commented to his staff as he watched the sunset in that region.


    And upon hearing that, a brown-haired woman, level 57, standing next to that old king, frowned as she heard her father''s words.


    "Father, why are you saying this? Hadn''t we better stop these hostilities?" Diana Brown asked, feeling that it was wrong for her father to fight and despise young Stuart so much, the son of the man who had once saved her life.


    She had recently arrived in the northern region of the Central Continent and discovered the terrible news concerning her family and young Stuart.


    And since she genuinely respected and owed much to Albert, Diana wanted to find a way to save her family and end the war against Minos, the son of her savior.


    As for the Brown family''s losses, her father had also caused considerable damage to the Black Plain. Minos could have quickly gained his independence if it had not been for him.


    Hence, despite her household''s losses, she judged that both sides had suffered and that a ceasefire was most welcome.


    King Brown then commented. "Diana, you don''t know what that demon is capable of!"


    "Stop thinking he is like Albert just because he is that fellow''s son."


    "You, no, our family, owe that brat nothing!"


    "And the Black Plain has been part of my Brown Kingdom for hundreds of thousands of years. So, we cannot allow this dismemberment without reason!" He said this angrily, looking at that woman who seemed naive for someone who lived in the Flaming Empire.


    "Don''t forget that your great-uncle died on his account!"


    Hearing this, Diana felt terrible for that person''s death, but she still felt that this war was wrong. After all, even if Minos had indeed generated the situation of London Brown''s death, the whole thing could be seen as a defensive action by him.


    "I regret uncle London''s death, but I still think this war should never have started, Father."


    "Why didn''t you give up the Black Plain?"


    "You wouldn''t be losing anything!"


    "Tsk!"


    "You''re too naive, Diana. Our family couldn''t do such nonsense, and my decisions were the best that could have been made!"


    "Humph!"


    p????-?o??? "A person who has fled the battlefield repeatedly has no right to say those words!" Then, a soul-wrenching voice for those who had once fought in the Black Plain''s war of independence sounded through that area, causing all the people there to stop their conversations.


    "Minos!" Gloria said in an annoyed tone, looking to where this young man and the three women who accompanied him were walking toward their small area there.


    "Minos, we''ve been waiting for you for 20 minutes! What took you so long? Are you tricking me?" She asked aloud.


    "Only 20 minutes? Aside from you and a few others here, that was not long at all." He smiled as he despised most of the people below the 7th stage who were in that place.


    "Isn''t it natural for subordinates to wait until their leader decides when to show up?" He said slowly, slowly looking at the people in that place, especially the Brown and Cromwell family members.


    ...

 Chapter 976 Trying To Pressure The Future Queen?

    Chapter 976 Trying To Pressure The Future Queen?


    "What did you say?" King Brown shouted angrily, not being able to take Minos'' arrogant words.


    "Who does he think he is?"


    "Does he think our region will fall into his hands? Is he ignoring us?" Several of the descendants of those regional families commented among themselves, finding Minos'' words unacceptable.


    Pa!


    King Brown slammed one of his hands hard against the arm of his chair, rising from that seat in anger as if to do something. "Are you guys seeing this? You can''t talk to a lunatic like him!"


    "We must rid the region of this evil!" He shouted boldly, feeling good that he could finally expose that side of himself again, something that he was no longer able to do in the absence of his family''s descendants.


    But that was expected of this man. Before, he was frightened by the figure of Minos and had no choice but to run away whenever he saw the ruler of the Black Plain. But now, in this place full of experts who were that young man''s enemies, Thomas felt great courage deep within his being.


    Thomas looked at Minos'' group in hatred and ignored this young man''s mother, whom he knew could not act against him at this time.


    But upon noticing the blue hair of one of the women next to Minos, this old king frowned his eyebrows in anger. "Brat, who are you? Are you from the Miller family?"


    Abby then observed that man from afar without any sign of weakness on her face. On the contrary, she behaved very well, almost as if the one who had questioned her was just an ordinary person and not her former king. "My name is Abby Miller. Is there a problem?"


    "Tsk!"p????-?????.???


    "Then I''m right!" Thomas clenched his hands tightly. "You are a descendant of those damned traitors!"


    "You can wait. Sooner or later, your whole family will pay for betraying the Brown Kingdom!"


    "Including you, Abb..."


    "Boldness!"


    "A coward like you has no right to speak my woman''s name," Minos said aloud, letting some of his dense murderous intent escape his control.


    "No, a worm as you doesn''t even deserve to look at the future queen of the Black Plain!"


    "Kneel!" Minos'' eyes flashed brightly as waves of spiritual energy rushed toward Thomas with the intent to bring him down.


    But at that instant, someone acted to prevent Minos from hitting Thomas and further embarrassing the Brown family.


    "Let''s take it easy, Your Majesty." An old fellow said this in a low voice to King Brown before leading him back to his chair.


    "What?" p???? ?o???


    "Future queen?


    "Worm?"


    More and more voices were emerging in that place every instant, quickly raising the tension in the area.


    "Silence!" Gloria shouted this as she realized that the situation was about to get out of hand, with many people in the surroundings getting up from their chairs and exposing their fighting intentions.


    Amidst this now tense place, the visitors, Luke, Oriel, and Warner, watched all this in silence, surprised by how Minos had started this peace negotiation.


    ''This guy has changed a lot!''


    ''I can''t take any chances with him!'' Luke Nash pondered this, remembering how less hostile Minos seemed back then on Stone Island and in the Spiritual Tournament.


    As for the two Spiritual Emperors, they were curious about Minos since, even knowing the regional news, they could not help but doubt the strength of a mere level 53 Spiritual King.


    ''Regardless of all the rumors, it is undeniable that his talent is top-notch.'' Warner pondered Minos'' level, feeling that young Stuart would be a talent in a million at this age, even in the Flaming Empire.


    Gloria''s voice then resounded through that area once again. "Minos, it is not yet your time to speak. Sit in your area and wait for the appropriate moment." ¦Ñ???????????


    "As for the rest of you, be quiet now! I have an important matter to deal with at this beginning of our conversations."


    After that, the voices in the surroundings quickly ceased until Gloria finally had a chance to call out to Warner''s figure. "Before we begin, I want you all to listen to the representative of the Flaming Empire who has come here to give you a message."


    "Go ahead, talk to them." She said before turning her attention back to Minos, watching him as she clenched her fists tightly.


    Warner then walked to the middle of that circular area, his back to the members of the Spiritual Church and face to face with the members of the regional organizations.


    "Well, I am here in the northern part of the Central Continent on behalf of the Edwarstone family."


    "Edwardstone?" Several murmurs came out of the mouths of the most assertive individuals there, among them the regional peak cultivators who were aware of the name of that state''s imperial family.


    "What is this person doing here?"


    "I don''t know, but rarely have representatives of the imperial family come to our region..."


    "Could it be because of the Spiritual Tournament?"


    "Who knows."


    Warner then ignored the murmurs of some of the people there and got straight to the point. "The imperial family understands the regional problems, but we would like to help solve the pacification of the region."


    "The Spiritual Tournament is already delayed by months, and His Imperial Highness has said in person that he does not wish to delay this competition any further."


    "As such, we hope you can resolve this quickly, or some future business between your states and the empire may be harmed..." Warner narrowed his eyes as he said this and looked at the people in that area, openly threatening them.


    The northern region naturally had relations with other parts of the Central Continent. In particular, the states in this region imported foods of high spiritual concentration from the empire, such as those planted on the Black Plain.


    There were other suppliers of these resources, but as the most powerful state in the vicinity of this region, the best supply and prices were rightly found in the Flaming Empire. And so, the local kingdoms depended on that state to import these foods of such importance to their families.


    "That..."


    ''But we wouldn''t want to be at war either!'' Someone in that place thought about it unhappily.


    ''But now, now we will be punished for that too?''


    "That miserable son of Albert!" Thomas almost shook with anger, feeling that Minos was trying to destroy this region with his actions.


    But as he looked in that young man''s direction, he saw Maisie''s icy gaze, immediately remembering that he had plotted against that individual.


    p????-?o??? Gulp!


    ''Why is this woman looking at me like that? Does she know something?''


    ''No, only London and I knew about it!''


    ''She''s just trying to throw me off balance to make this little bastard''s game easier!'' He pressed his jaw hard, praying that Maisie would leave soon and this occasion would be over for him and his reinforcements to act against Minos.


    After some time with several people there showing their concerns about the threat of the empire''s representative, Warner returned to his seat and made room for the negotiations to begin.


    Gloria then stood up and said. "Well, since you are already aware of this matter concerning the Spiritual Tournament, let us begin our purpose here."


    "Today, I expect all parties to show respect for this occasion and not pull your weapons despite differences. Instead, let''s talk about the local problems and try to find an acceptable solution to end this bloody conflict."


    "To get us started, I want to propose an alternative." She said this as she looked in Minos'' direction, telling him to help her here and not be so stubborn. "The vast majority of the families here have already lost quite a bit in this war and will probably lose almost everything they have if this continues."


    "So, I want to suggest an immediate cease-fire to demonstrate our sincerity to each other. After that, I propose an examination by everyone here of the independence of the Black Plain."


    "Let''s be honest, the territory of Lord Minos Stuart is already powerful and can be considered independent for a long time now. The Brown Kingdom certainly has no bearing on the real advancement of that place."


    "Then, recognizing the independence of the Black Plain strikes me as somewhat necessary at this point."


    "In return, the Black Plain must give up something to become a kingdom." She looked at Minos again. "In that case, I hope you will be magnanimous enough to make peace with your enemies by signing non-aggression agreements."


    "With that, the region may even flourish after a few decades, leaving behind the terrible losses of this conflict as only bitter memories."


    ...

 Chapter 977 Heated Discussion

    Chapter 977 Heated Discussion


    After Gloria''s words stopped coming out of her mouth, an eerie silence spread over that place as several minds tried to work out her idea.


    ''That''s impossible!''


    ''How are we going to solve this conflict with so many deaths just with a small non-aggression agreement and the independence of the Black Plain?''


    ''Hell, all this hatred one side has for the other is not something an agreement can control!''


    Several people there tried to find a light at the end of the tunnel in Gloria''s suggestion, but they did not see how that could work.


    After all, not all members of the regional organizations, i.e., those involved in the war, would sign such agreements. So, would such a thing be enough?


    Someone could simply decide to go against the family''s orders and engage in the bloody and dangerous life of those madmen for revenge.


    However, even if these regional families were willing to swallow their bitter losses, it would be pointless if Minos was not interested.


    But from his behavior over the past few months and at the beginning of this event, these people there already knew that he would not accept such an offer.


    ''I wonder what the Archbishop is thinking?'' One of the Bishops there looked at Gloria warily, ''Why is she making these jokes? Does she want these people to think that she is trying to favor the Black Plains?''


    Gloria could simply have already authorized the action of those regional descendants to act as they pleased. Instead, however, she ordered that this peace negotiation attempt be made first.


    But that was ridiculous!p????-?????.???


    Or did she genuinely think that it would make any difference to try to talk?


    Well, that was one of the doubts that several of the Bishops there were trying to resolve, as the silence of that area made them more nervous than ever.


    Minos then was the first to say something. "Your suggestion might have been welcome two years ago, but I''m afraid we can''t follow through with it today."


    "The Black Plain had always maintained a pacifist position from when I came to power until the confrontations with Brown Kingdom powers began. But even then, we were attacked from all sides, without mercy."


    "I even made it clear that I wanted peace, but even so, four kingdoms in our region decided to join together to fight against the Black Plain." He looked in the direction of those royal families and then at Gloria.


    "Then no, I will not accept a suggestion like this. That would be too good for the murderers of tens of thousands of my inhabitants."


    "Humph!"


    "Talking like that, it doesn''t even sound like you are the demon responsible for tens of thousands of deaths!" Someone from the Brown family said this with a disgusted expression.


    "A person capable of doing that atrocity against the Walker family cannot say those words as if he were a trustworthy person!"


    "That''s right! We don''t know what will happen if we let that person rise to power easily!"


    p????-?o??? "He can easily massacre us in a few years!" p???? ?o???


    Lorelei then raised her voice. "Nonsense!"


    "Minos seems like a reasonable person to me, and so far, we have never had any problems with him. On the contrary, we have had outstanding results, even though you people at all times try to get in our way."


    "Tsk!"


    "You can''t be sure of that!" Someone from House Cromwell shouted in an irritated tone.


    "Who can guarantee that your Stone Island won''t be occupied in the future? Look at what is happening in the Kingdom of the Waves and Cromwell Kingdom. This bastard is already occupying our territories!"


    "Bastard?" Maisie repeated those words as she felt offended, looking at that person with coldness in her gaze, capable of terrifying even old foxes like that man.


    And as that person fell to the ground with his wet trousers, several of the leaders or representatives of regional powers exclaimed their negative opinions regarding Gloria''s suggestion.


    In fact, not even a single soul had found it sensible, and almost everyone there, even Minos'' newly acquired subordinates, was against accepting independence for the Black Plain.


    But this was only part of Minos'' plan. After all, it was not in his interest to appear that these organizations were on his side.


    Obviously, there was a general distrust of those royal houses visited by Minos. But with no evidence, nor any options to replace these families, the Cromwell and Brown families could not be bothered so much by this situation.


    Minos then took the lead once again and said. "This matter concerning the rebellions in the Kingdom of the Waves and Cromwell Kingdom has no relation to me." ¦Ñ???????????


    "These are genuine liberation movements! Movements focused on oppressive regions with a history of abuse and use of slave labor!"


    "This is the fault of your own families'' inefficiency!"


    "Nonsense!"


    "You lie to our faces like it''s nothing!" Someone from the Farmland region said this in surprise at Minos'' shameless talk. "If it weren''t for your allies and soldiers, several of the cities in our territory would not have fallen to the revolutionaries!"


    "Well, I don''t control every soldier on the battlefield." Minos closed his eyes and continued. "What can I do if some soldiers are more sensitive to the condition of the enslaved peoples in your territories?"


    "The only thing I''ve done so far is to organize these cities under rebellion so that millions of innocent people don''t have to live through the disgrace of anarchy or the disputes between enslavers and slaves."


    "Tsk!"


    The discussion continued to heat up until, finally, the event passed the first hour of conversation, and nothing had been decided so far.


    Only insults, blame-directing, and threats had arisen in that place. At the same time, the observers from the Spiritual Church and outside this region looked on in surprise that no one had died so far.


    But just as things were getting more and more hectic, Minos finally rose from his seat and made his offer. "Well, since no one else here seems interested in discussing Gloria''s suggested peace, let me make my own."


    ''Gloria?'' Several of the people there thought about it in silence, finding it disrespectful how Minos spoke to someone of such importance.


    ''Does he think he''s in a position to talk to that woman like that? That''s absurd!''


    ''Maybe it''s on account of his mother...''


    "Tsk!"


    ''I hate people who depend on the power of others!''


    Minos then continued. "Well, if you want peace, I can give it to you."


    "But to do so, I expect you to be prepared to get down on your knees and swear allegiance to Black Plain!"


    "If you do that, I promise not to eliminate your respective families, and aside from a few people who need to die, most of you will have a peaceful future in this region."


    "Beyond that, there is not much hope for you." He looked in the direction of the Brown and Cromwell families.


    "Arrogance!"


    "That is simply absurd!"


    "You think we''re going to accept something like that?"


    "That bastard... Doesn''t he also want us to hand our heads to him on a plate tray?"


    Pa!


    Thomas broke the arm of his chair with a single punch, boiling with anger that Minos was so confident even though enemy Spiritual Emperors surrounded him.


    Diana then rose from her seat to stop her father from doing something foolish and said to the young Stuart, "Minos Stuart, you don''t know me, but once your father saved my life, I have always been in his debt."


    "Then why don''t we try to work out a peace agreement? I don''t want to see my family in this war with Albert''s son."


    "I''m sure my family will give up certain things because of Albert''s meritorious service. You just need to be a little more reasonable."


    Minos then looked in the direction of that beautiful woman who did not look much older than him and said. "My father died in the city ruled by that coward there, and even though I will one day still finish avenging him, that doesn''t mean I will let my father interfere in my business."


    "I don''t know who you are, but I advise you not to get involved. The Brown family is not doomed yet, but there is no way that coward will continue to exist much longer." He said firmly, showing no weakness due to his father''s history.


    "Don''t make me have to take the life my father gave you!"


    ...

 Chapter 978 Failed Negotiations

    Chapter 978 Failed Negotiations


    After Minos finished speaking, the people in that area were even more confident that they couldn''t go wrong with him, as not even his father''s past seemed to matter in his decisions.


    People could be good or bad. However, even murderers or scoundrels usually had their limitations, which would make them stop and rethink or even give up their intentions.


    But there was one particularly dangerous kind of person in this world. That was the one who had no limitations, who gave no importance to honor, status, social standards, family, etc.


    These people could do anything, at any time, even go against a parent''s decisions. Hell, they could even destroy what was built by their parents and was supposed to be protected.


    As much as Minos'' comment was not enough to put him in this category of people, the people there could not help but consider it.


    And in this case, they could only fear this young man even more since it was often more complicated to deal with someone without principles than with a standard enemy.


    King Brown realized this and said. "Diana, don''t get involved in this. Your strength has improved greatly, but with the current level of the conflict, you won''t help at all."


    "You''d better return to your sect and wait until all this is over."


    "What?" She said in surprise as she felt her old father indicating for her to sit down and be quiet. "Father..."


    "This person is hazardous, and he will not be moved because of your history with Albert. So leave it to your elders and me. We have a plan to deal with him."


    "But..."p????-?????.???


    "No buts!"


    As those members of the Brown family talked in low voices in their small area, the discussions in that place continued.


    Minos then said in a calm tone. "I will give you two days to think about this offer. In the meantime, I will continue in this Church camp, waiting for your responses."


    "Tsk!"


    "We don''t need two days. We refuse, of course!" A few voices arose there simultaneously.


    But Minos was not bothered by this. Instead, he stood up, gestured to his women, and said as he walked out. "Don''t answer so quickly."


    "I will wait for the two days, and then we will talk one last time." He stopped in the middle of his walk and looked back. "After that, there will be no turning back."


    "Be prepared for the consequences!"


    "I am not threatening you. That is a promise."


    "Trust me. You don''t want to be on the wrong side when something unprecedented in the region happens..." p???? ?o???


    After that, he disappeared from that place alongside his women and mother, leaving an area filled with chaotic thoughts and silence. But as he was leaving the area, he had looked in a specific direction, his eyes shining in the colors of the rainbow...


    "That little bastard!"


    "He knows how to talk big!"


    "But it''s easy to talk that way while you have a level 69 person on your side... I''d like to see if he has the guts to talk that when he''s not under his mother''s skirt!" A Spiritual Emperor said this in an irritated tone, looking at the location from where Minos left with a contemptuous expression on his face.


    "Tsk!"


    ''Idiots like you may say that, but I know he''s not joking or depending on his mother!'' One of the Spiritual Kings in Blake''s group remembered what had happened at his family''s headquarters.


    At the same time, other people there who had met Minos in Maisie''s absence were thinking about how wrong some of these comments were about his figure.


    Minos had always acted dominantly against his enemies. As such, these people could not help but shiver with fear at the thought of what might be on that young man''s mind.


    Even Gloria wondered what he was going to do next, being also a little irritated that he had ruined the whole negotiation set up by her.


    ''This Minos...'' She clenched her jaw tightly, feeling an inevitable frustration that Minos did not act as she expected. ''I knew he wouldn''t easily communicate with these people, but he didn''t even try to be a little more friendly!'' ¦Ñ???????????


    ''He just acted as if these people were nothing!''


    Meanwhile, Oriel had a smile on his face, finding it amusing to watch young Stuart in action. "That fellow is fascinating."


    "Luke, you said you fought with him once... What was he like back then? Do you think that was pure baseless arrogance? Or can he act like that?"


    Luke closed his mouth, which had been open for almost twenty minutes, and swallowed his saliva. He then answered. "When I fought him, Minos was only at the beginning of the 4th stage, but he was already stronger than someone at the beginning of the 5th stage."


    "On the other hand, when he got stronger, and I saw him in the Spiritual Tournament, he didn''t decrease his fighting proficiency at all. On the contrary, he even looked stronger."


    "So, from what I''ve heard from my family and his history, I believe his earlier words are not grounded in his trust in that woman but himself." He finished his analysis.


    "Oh?" Oriel smiled, looking sideways in the direction Warner was standing, realizing that such a man also seemed interested in what would happen next. "We will stay in this place for two more days."


    "I want to see how these negotiations turn out. Today it failed, but maybe that young man has some cards up his sleeve..."


    ...


    While many people continued to argue in that area, King Snow had suddenly had his consciousness taken to a strange place.


    ''What? What''s going on?'' He wondered as he looked from one side to the other of the forest he was in.


    But he soon saw the figure of Minos and understood that this was young Stuart''s technique.


    ''Unbelievable!''


    ''I didn''t even feel his attack, but I''m already under his dominance!''


    Gulp!


    "What do you want?" He asked in doubt.


    Minos then said without delay, nor stalling. "Give the order for your troops to act. I will do the same with mine."


    Adam''s eyes widened in shock, and he asked. "What about the two-day deadline you just gave these people? Don''t you intend to abide by it?"


    "Oh?"


    "Of course not. There is no deadline for them to give up. The moment I made my offer and they didn''t accept, that was already the end of the line for them."


    "Now, they can only bear the weight of their own decisions!"


    Minos had already given his enemies plenty of chances. But after his recent trip, he no longer intended to forgive any enemy left on the Black Plain.


    p????-?o??? He had made his final offer in that camp set up by the Church. But upon being refused, he simply decided to go ahead with his bloody plans for his enemies.


    As for the two-day deadline, that was only for his enemies to waste time thinking of strategies against him while his army exterminated the enemies on the Black Plain!


    "Let''s give our enemies a nice surprise." Minos laughed before disappearing, and King Snow''s consciousness returned to his body.


    ''Shit!'' Adam felt a shiver run down his back before he got up from his seat and left that area of negotiations.


    He did not want to have to do something so evil. Yet, since he was already in the same boat as Minos, he could only get his hands dirty and lessen the risk to his family!


    So, even though he did not like it, he quickly headed toward one of his family''s crows to send the message authorizing the surprise attack against the counter-revolutionary forces.


    ...


    After Adam left, it was not long before every royal family, or large organization that had attended this negotiation left the area.


    Today nothing good had been built, and in this failure, they could only turn their attention to how to counter-attack Minos, how to threaten him in order to at least achieve something in this place.


    Several of them did not want a peace agreement. On the contrary, such people wanted victory in the war. And with this in mind, they could only refuse Minos'' intentions and continue their plans against the Black Plain!

 Chapter 979 Actions On Both Sides

    Chapter 979 Actions On Both Sides


    Meanwhile, in the small area assigned to the Brown family in the Spiritual Church camp...


    By now, someone had already left this place beside Diana, taking this woman to the capital of the kingdom, where she could stay further away from the war.


    On the other hand, King Brown was already talking to the three Spiritual Emperors that his kingdom had gotten as reinforcements from its descendants.


    Two of these people were descendants of the Brown family itself, while the third was a member of House Silva.


    The organizations in the Brown Kingdom had more members at this stage of cultivation. Still, since not all of them were contacted and one was a descendant of the Miller family, only these three had come to Thomas'' call.


    Other than them, several peak Spiritual Kings descended from the vassal families of House Brown had come to this place and were also in that place talking with Thomas.


    p????-?o??? "Soon, the disciples of the major sects of the Flaming Empire should start arriving in our region." The Silva family member said this with a smile on his face, remembering his actions before returning to this region.


    That was the man responsible for the order issued by the Church, someone, who had been lucky enough in the past to find one of the Seraphim''s Promise Medals in a ruin.


    His name was Clayton Silva, level 61, who had an appearance of a tall, strong middle-aged man, with his black hair that hid the fact that he was much older than the gray-haired Thomas.


    "You put a lot into this war, huh?" One of the descendants of the Brown family, level 60, said this while looking steadily at Clayton.


    That man could have done so many things with the church favor he was entitled to, but he had used such a resource only to deal with Minos...


    And thinking about how much such a person had thrown away, that member of the Brown family was thinking about how strange this world was.p????-?????.???


    If he were the one to find such a thing, he would use it on himself!


    "That wretch almost destroyed my family. That is simply unforgivable!" Clayton said in a hate-laden tone.


    The Silva family had lost almost all of their power after standing against Minos, with only 11 Spiritual Kings and a few thousand Spiritual Generals left today.


    But even if those were not such alarming numbers, none of those Spiritual Kings were high-level ones, and more than half of them were not warriors.


    On the other hand, these numbers were barely enough to maintain order in the Red Valley.


    And considering the sense of belonging Clayton had for his old family, he could not bear the hatred of seeing the destruction caused by Minos, so he took drastic measures.


    "I did what I had to do, and now we just have to wait that someone will deal with that bastard." Clayton continued.


    "After that, we can easily deal with the rest of the Black Plain!"


    Hearing those sweet words, Thomas smiled with satisfaction that the Silvas had left such an individual behind. ''When this is all over, I have to reward the efforts of your descendants, Otis.'' He remembered the old patriarch of House Silva.


    "Good!"


    "Then let''s get our troops ready to act in three days. Once that brat has his attempts thwarted, we''ll finally have our chance to start dealing with that damned Black Plain!" p???? ?o???


    "Yes!" Several of those people there simultaneously agreed with King Brown''s words.


    ...


    Hours later...


    As the groups from the six kingdoms of the northern region of the Central Continent continued on that Spiritual Church camp, the messages from Minos and Adam had already reached their destinations!


    And with that, at this instant, tens of thousands of Spiritual Generals and over 100 Spiritual Kings were already being notified of the emergency mission passed by their leaders.


    Both sides, the Dry City alliance and the Snow Kingdom troop commanders, already knew about what would happen due to their leaders'' planning.


    Therefore, all these forces were already in a position to obey the orders of their superiors and start the massacre planned by Minos as soon as they were ordered.


    The Black Plain Army, Minos'' allies and subordinates, were already in the vicinity of the enemy''s leading camps, thanks to the information provided by the Snow, Walker, and Carline families.


    On the other hand, the Snow Kingdom forces were preparing to slit their comrades'' throats while they slept, using the advantage of being undercover agents.


    But there was a time and place for action, so many of these warriors would still have to wait for a few more hours before they finally got a chance to taste the blood of their former comrades.


    ... ¦Ñ???????????


    North of the Black Plain.


    At this instant, Celeste was in the vicinity of an enemy camp, along with hundreds of high-level soldiers and many other army allies.


    But for the moment, they were just observing the surroundings, holding their position while keeping an eye on their targets.


    As they continued to do their jobs as they had been doing for the past few days, suddenly someone approached that woman, coming running up with a serious expression on his face.


    "Lieutenant Celeste, we have received the authorization to attack!" That man said this amid his breath as he waved a message at her.


    Celeste then promptly read what Minos had written, with a smile slightly appearing on her face.


    Unlike many soldiers and allies who were afraid of dying in war, she did not feel that way at all. Not because she was a battle maniac. She was not. But because at her level, almost no one could threaten her precious life.


    Consequently, Celeste felt good validating her strength in battles around the Black Plain and could not wait to gain more fame and credit for leading the army to victory.


    Even more so at this moment when every battle won meant considerable increases in the Black Plain''s chances of victory in the war!


    So, she was excited about this moment, and as she finished reading Minos'' words, she immediately gave her orders. "Get ready to fight, boys!"


    "We will act at midnight!" She said in a confident tone before heading towards a small hut, where she intended to prepare for tonight.


    ...


    At the same time, Angela and several other allies of Minos, people of high fighting rank, were already preparing for the midnight act.


    On the other hand, Dry City had also been alerted about Minos'' authorization to attack and was now completely closed, with thousands of allies and subordinates guarding the security perimeter of that place.


    It was unexpected that something was going to happen there. Still, just in case, all the security procedures were activated, and Emlyn was already alongside the strongest warriors in that place, ready to fight if need be.


    ...


    South of the Black Plain.


    In this area, one of the largest Snow family groups was in one of the Counter-Revolutionary Army''s camps on the Black Plain, which served as one of their command centers.


    And precisely in this place where more than 40,000 people circulated at all times of the day, a group of five Snow family Spiritual Kings was gathered in a small tent while drinking alcohol.


    These five stood around a small low table while sitting cross-legged on the ground.


    But while some of them were making moves on a chessboard, the others were chatting in low tones, with worried expressions.


    "So, we''re truly going to do this? Really?" One of the weaker ones there asked in concern, still in disbelief that the Snow family would take such a path.


    "I know it is hard to believe the order we received from His Majesty, but there is no mistake." One other of them said in a low voice, looking thoughtfully at the person who asked the previous question. "He truthfully is authorizing such an assassination mission!"


    Gulp!


    "That..."


    "Has the family fallen into the clutches of Minos? What will happen to us?"


    "Tsk!"


    "I don''t know about our family''s future, but I do know that we won''t die while sleeping in this place!"


    "Besides, we will be able to live to experience tomorrow, even if it is only a hell on earth!" The most rational of the five commented on this soberly, feeling that there was no better outcome for them at the moment.


    If they were already with Minos, winning this war was the best thing for the family. And to do so, killing the enemies in this place while using their positioning advantage was a must!


    With that, such an individual was prepared to do what was necessary!


    "Come on, don''t think about it too much."


    "These people would do much worse to us if they found out our leaders'' plans!"


    "Then let''s just end their lives quickly."


    "That way, we can at least lessen the suffering of our colleagues..."

 Chapter 980 Business Night And Red Slaughter (*)

    Chapter 980 Business Night And Red Slaughter (*)


    While the troops allied and subordinate to young Stuart were preparing for action against the Counter-Revolutionary forces on the Black Plain, Minos finished his official business with Jade.


    Minos had promptly made his way to that woman''s tent after nightfall in that southern part of the Kingdom of the Waves. There, he was not slow to begin negotiating the details of the Soul Contract he would sign with her.


    Next, the spiritual judge who had accompanied that woman there left that tent to restore his energy since he needed to be at his peak condition to confirm the contract between the two. So, Minos and Jade stood with only one of the Carline family generals in that tent.


    "Please try this tea. I prepared it myself." Jade said this to Minos as she politely served him while standing next to this young man sitting on a chair in front of a small glass table.


    As she tried to disguise the excited smile on her face, the general nervously watched the two, feeling that it would be better not to be there.


    ''Why doesn''t Her Majesty ask him to return to his tent? It will be much better if he stays away from us as much as possible!'' He thought of it in nervousness, fearing what might happen if he or Jade angered Minos.


    In addition, there was no assurance that information about Minos'' visit would not leak, despite the fact that the small areas designated by the church for the organizations attending this meeting were pretty private.


    Considering this, the longer Minos stayed there, the worse their chances would be.


    And the nervousness of that individual did not go unnoticed by young Stuart.


    He smiled slightly, feeling that the poor Spiritual King had no idea about the current situation. That was not the family hosting an enemy but receiving a lover to deal with the Queen''s cravings...


    p????-?o??? He then looked at that person. "You there." And then he suggested. "Leave me alone with Miss Carline. I want to talk to her about some important details of our future relationship."p????-?????.???


    "Uh?" That Spiritual King looked at Jade in anticipation of her ordering him out of there.


    "All right, Philip, you can leave us alone." Jade smiled at that individual with the expression of one who asks the other person not to worry.


    And seeing this, Philip felt guilty for wishing he was not there to help his Queen, but the fear in his heart was more significant than anything.


    He then nodded to Jade and promptly left the place in silence.


    ...


    After finally being alone in that place that looked like a luxurious living room, Jade sat down face to face with Minos, finally showing her beautiful smile.


    She bit her lips gently and looked at Minos with desire. "How was your trip back to the Black Plain? I wonder if you miss anything you did in my city?"


    "Oh?" Minos smiled upon hearing that. "Well, the rest of my trip after my time in your city was rather dull. However, I certainly would have enjoyed tasting some of the flavors I experienced in your home."


    "Is that so?"


    "Hmmm." p???? ?o???


    "I wonder if you are willing to let me taste this ''condiment'' one more time?"


    "Of course, I won''t be stingy and will give you a taste of something you will surely appreciate." He joked, watching that woman lift her dress and expose her legs to him.


    "I''m starving!" She observed his entire body, stopping her gaze at young Stuart''s crotch.


    "I can see that, hehe."


    After that, she rose from her seat and walked over to him. Her hands finally removed those pieces of fabric over her body, revealing what was waiting for him.


    Minos continued in his seat, relaxed as he watched the woman in black and red lingerie in front of him, who wore a black pantyhose that was already messing with his nerves.


    "You are different from most of the women I normally associate with, Jade." Minos smiled, looking at how she showed off her body to him. "I wonder if that is something just yours? Or maybe a common trait of married women?"


    ''There would be no way for me to know that since you are the only married woman I have ever been in a relationship with...'' He thought quietly.


    Hearing that, Jade tried not to get angry with Minos and said. "I don''t want you to mention my marriage when we are together. Other than that, I''ll do anything you want."


    She then sat down with her back to him and began to dance on his lap, making young Stuart even more excited. "We don''t have much time, so can we hurry things up?" She asked as she felt an electrifying sensation in her little sister. ¦Ñ???????????


    "Don''t worry. I''ll take good care of your needs!" Minos murmured to her just before he turned her body around, coming face to face with her.


    After that, he watched that woman full of desire for him, and before long, he squeezed her waist and began to kiss her.


    "Mmmmm~"


    And it was not long before she started moaning, screaming her suppressed desires and what she was feeling in her mature body.


    "Ah~ Minos, I''ve been waiting for this since you left~"


    "You don''t know what you''ve done to me~ Ahhhh~"


    As sweat began to bead on both of their bodies, Minos continued the service he was providing, becoming even more aroused upon hearing her voice.


    "Is that so? Jade, I don''t think you should say such things..." He teased her amidst his gasping breath.


    "I think King..."


    "It doesn''t matter~ My husband hasn''t touched me in ages~" She said without caring about her previous comment.


    "And what will you do next?" His eyes narrowed as he felt he was about to fill Jade''s warm, wet cavern.


    "I will continue to be a good wife by his side~ But I will be your slut when we are alone~" She cried out amidst her moans of pleasure.


    "Hehehe, I hope you work well for me, Jade..." He licked his lips before finally giving that beautiful woman another warm kiss.


    "Mmmm~"


    ...


    As Jade and Minos exchanged fluids intensely in that tent, the action of this young man''s forces was finally happening!


    At this instant, it had been 20 minutes since midnight, and cries of terror were spreading through countless camps around the Black Plain.


    Not only had sudden invasions begun in the previous 20 minutes, but thousands of soldiers from the Counter-Revolutionary Army discovered many of their colleagues dead in their beds.


    With the attacks and the fear of infiltration within their forces, thousands of people quickly began to lose their best fighting conditions, creating even more significant opportunities for their opponents.


    Boom!


    "Ahhhhhh!"


    "Fight! Fight!"


    "Defend the camp!"


    Several terrified voices sounded from the surroundings of one of the camps attacked by Minos'' soldiers, shocked that all this was happening so suddenly.


    But while many were desperately fighting to hold their positions in hopes of reinforcements coming to save them, others were already falling into the despair of death.


    "Don''t fight. It will be less painful if you accept reality!" Celeste shouted as she confronted the enemy Spiritual Kings in that area.


    But none of them listened to her.


    And that was the expected thing to do. After all, while Celeste talked to them, a gigantic ball of fire was hovering over her, emitting intense sensations of death that were scaring those people.


    "Sigh..."


    "Your resistance will only generate pain for yourselves!" She then made a hand motion and threw that giant fireball at her targets, watching the red scenery in front of her.


    At this moment, thousands of corpses were already piling up across the battlefield. At the same time, the blood of those people began to flow like a small stream, releasing a terrible smell in that area.


    Unfortunately for the troops, mainly from the Brown Kingdom and the Cromwell Kingdom, this was only the beginning of a terrible nightmare.


    Many there did not know and would never have the opportunity to know since death was the likely fate for them. However, after today, this night would become known as the Uprising of the Oppressed for some but as the Red Slaughter for others.


    That night would eventually be known as the great battle that decided the Black Plain''s war of independence!

 Chapter 981 The Outcome Of The Red Slaughter

    Chapter 981 The Outcome Of The Red Slaughter


    Hours later...


    "Ahhh!"


    "Bastards!"


    "Damn, traitors!"


    "You Snow family will pay dearly for this!"


    Shouts rang out around one of the enemy camps of the Dry City forces as the few survivors of that group suffered around an area littered with body parts.


    But even though they had lasted this far, each of these people was already on their last gasps due to the severe injuries they had sustained in the previous battle. No, not a battle, but a one-sided massacre.


    The numbers of individuals involved in such a situation were not that distinctive. However, with the unexpected action of the Snow Kingdom forces, a large number of warriors from the counter-revolutionary forces had died before the ''drums of war'' even sounded.


    p????-?o??? Furthermore, with many rest stations having been attacked simultaneously by the Dry City troops, the Brown Kingdom and Cromwell Kingdom troops had been knocked out before they even had a chance to understand what was happening.


    As for those who managed to counter the actions of Minos'' subordinates and allies, they were also out of luck. By this point, the Black Plain already had considerable numbers of combatants. Not only that, the Black Plain soldiers continued with their abilities beyond the ordinary, with many having taken out dozens or hundreds of opponents.p????-?????.???


    At the end of it all, over 100,000 people were killed on this night of terror. Yet, only 500 individuals from the Black Plain side joined the afterlife along with these thousands of dead enemies.


    "Tsk!"


    "End the lives of these unfortunates in one fell swoop!" One of the Snow family members in that area angrily shouted this, feeling tired of having heard throughout the battle such taunts.


    He particularly disliked the current situation, where his family had turned against those who were his allies until a few days ago. But this was his reality now, and now with his hands soiled with blood, he could only wish to end it all and go ahead with his family''s command plans.


    With that, quickly, other individuals from the Snow family and some vassals of this organization ran through the piles of corpses, eliminating the survivors little by little.


    Just leaving those people in that place should be enough to ensure the end of many of those people. However, it was not good to show mercy or negligence to fallen enemies.


    That way, even if many were seriously injured, the Snow Kingdom forces in that area would not forgive anyone. Instead, they would make it a point to eliminate every survivor, not only to lessen the chances of possible future revenge but also to end the suffering of those people.


    "Sigh..."


    ''There''s no turning back now.'' That person closed his eyes while his expression became terrible due to the strong odor of that bloody area. ''What will happen now?'' p???? ?o???


    ...


    As the dawn slowly passed, scenes similar to the previous one were happening around the Black Plain, with Minos'' forces finishing off their opponents on the battlefield.


    But although tonight''s action was quite efficient, this alone was not enough to stop the current war. After all, as much as the loss of more than 100,000 warriors was hard to take, there were still many counter-revolutionaries around the Black Plain.


    The Dry City forces would not have been as successful in this current action if they had tried to eliminate all the enemies on the Black Plain!


    So, instead of focusing on all the enemies, groups like Celeste''s had pointedly eliminated some of the more annoying problems on the battlefield.


    But that in itself had already been highly effective since, at the present moment, there were only less than 40% of the initial numbers of counter-revolutionary troops left on the Black Plain.


    And with that, the various attack groups slowly began to leave their places of action, heading toward their former posts.


    But while the strongest were running back to their official posts, many low-level Black Plain Army soldiers began to sweep the battlefield.


    Their job? ¦Ñ???????????


    Well, that was simply retrieving items of value for the army and eliminating the many bodies left behind.


    At first, items left behind by Black Plain enemies could be kept by the people responsible for their deaths. However, due to the army''s merit point system and the Bank of the Black Plain, many warriors would trade these items for points instead of keeping them.


    But that made sense. After all, many of these soldiers already had good techniques, and items found in their enemies'' spatial rings were unlikely to be of practical use in their hands.


    At most, these items had a monetary value that could help their new owners raise crystals by trying to sell these items. But on the other hand, merit points could easily be exchanged for investments in that bank, which could boost the earnings of these individuals.


    Thus, rather than coveting these items left behind by their enemies, most Minos'' soldiers simply did not bother with these items.


    And eventually, great bonfires stained the skies of the Black Plain as the flames created by the local soldiers slowly eliminated the remnants of that massacre.


    ...


    "Sigh..."


    "It''s finally over!" One of the Miller family elders muttered in a low voice as he wiped the blood of an enemy from the blade of his sword.


    At the same time, several people who were formerly vassals to House Brown were also standing there, thinking about the strange emotion of seeing this day coming so quickly.


    They wanted Minos'' victory since they traveled in the same boat as this young man. But nobody there expected that the war situation would reach its current status so soon.


    So, they were simultaneously shocked but also frightened at how effective Minos'' action against the regional powers had been.


    "But how much longer will we have to wait until the war is over?" An elder sitting cross-legged on the ground asked this, looking in the direction of a large fire.


    A woman then said. "I don''t know. But it shouldn''t be long. Our only concern with the current Black Plain forces is these reinforcements coming from the Flaming Empire."


    "So, as long as they are eliminated, I think the war can end immediately after that."


    "Hmm, I agree."


    "Yes, that is the most likely outcome."


    An elder then muttered to himself. "But will that be easy to achieve? Those people are not like us, after all..."


    ...


    A few more hours passed, and at this instant, the surviving troops of the Red Slaughter were already beginning to find out about the terrible nightmare of the night before.


    As the day began on the Black Plain, more and more reports describing strangeness around the main camps of the Counter-Revolutionary Army had reached the locations with survivors.


    And with disturbing things being described, it was not long before the rest of the counter-revolutionary leaders on the Black Plain began sending letters to all available options.


    They did not truly understand what had happened or the current situation of their troops. But it was sure that something extreme had happened the night before, and they could not delay in responding to such an event.


    With this, they needed to be sure of what had happened, check their soldiers'' soul lamps, and notify the people outside the Black Plain of the bizarre events that had recently developed.


    Therefore, dozens of spiritual crows left the Black Plain early that cloudy day, heading towards the regional capitals and other important locations.


    Among these newsletters were letters sent to the newspaper families in that region, informing them of the big news that could change the entire configuration of the region!


    ...


    On the other hand, while tens of thousands were worrying about what they had done or what might have happened the night before, Minos was awake next to his two women, with a smile on his face.


    The previous night had been particularly interesting for him and knowing what had probably happened in his territory, he could not help but wake up with a satisfied smile.


    ''Now, I probably just have to deal with the people in this camp.'' He felt the bodies of his women hugging him as he looked up at the ceiling from where he was standing.


    ''Let''s see how Gloria will react. If she doesn''t get involved, I''ll finish the war of independence by tomorrow!''

 Chapter 982 Feeling Fear Again

    Chapter 982 Feeling Fear Again


    Hours had passed since the events perpetrated by the forces of the Black Plain, allies, and the Snow Kingdom when finally, the first crows began to arrive at the Spiritual Church camp.


    At first, the first messages to arrive there had not been from the counter-revolutionary forces. That was because even before those people discovered something strange had happened on the Black Plain, Minos'' forces had already sent the information to him and his allies.


    So, the first in that church camp to find out about the massacre the night before had been Minos, his women, and those already on the Black Plain side.


    But it was not long before more people found out about that shocking event.


    Towards the end of the day, as the daylight gave way to the darkness of night, the members of the Brown and Cromwell families found out about the incident.


    As was to be expected for such a situation, the moment they found out that tens of thousands of their subordinates and members had disappeared, the people from these families were furious.


    ...


    "Disgrace!"


    "How could this have happened? How did our camps get turned over by enemies?" The supreme elder of the Cromwell family shouted in hatred as he threw things back and forth from that tent he was in.


    Another person there then commented. "That can only be the doings of that damn monster!"


    "He gave us a two-day deadline to think about his offer, but the wretch was just buying time!"


    "His goal was to destroy our forces while we were here!"p????-?????.???


    Hearing this, the supreme elder Cromwell turned red with anger, feeling that Minos was playing with them and that if this were not avenged, they would all end up like James, who had died at his hands.


    "Ulrich!" That white-bearded old man looked at the strongest Spiritual Emperor there and continued. "You have to help us. If we don''t kill the wretch, our entire family and kingdom can fall into his degenerate hands!"


    That level 62 Spiritual Emperor then looked cautiously at the old man before him, understanding that this was indeed true. "Even if you say that, I can''t do anything against him as long as that woman is by his side."


    The other Spiritual Emperor descended from one of the families of the Cromwell Kingdom there, nodded, and said. "Besides, we can''t do anything in this place, or the Spiritual Church itself may decide to act."


    "We have to wait until those meetings are over. Then, maybe that woman will no longer stand by him, and then we''ll have a chance."


    The supreme elder then sighed in defeat, feeling that these words made sense, but the fear in his heart told him to take the chance and try everything against Minos while this young man was still in this camp.


    Unfortunately, he was only a level 58 Spiritual King who could not even make young Stuart sweat!


    "Tsk!"


    ''Damn it!''


    ''If this continues, this could be the end of the family!''


    ... p???? ?o???


    Meanwhile, Thomas Brown''s group also found out about the sudden change on the Black Plain.


    Pa!


    "Ahhhh!"


    "I don''t believe it!" That king cried out in frustration, feeling a terrible sensation in his body that he had only felt when he had faced Minos in the past.


    But now, next to Spiritual Emperors, when he was finally overcoming the fear of that young man, he started to feel that way again.


    With that, as he saw the table below his fist completely broken, Thomas'' face was fuming red, feeling tremendous pressure in his head.


    "Damn it!"


    "Miserable! Demon! Son of a..."


    "Did they attack us so decisively?" One of the Spiritual Kings there asked as King Brown cursed young Stuart with every name he could think of.


    The Spiritual Emperor descended from the Silva family frowned as he finished reading the contents of the newly arrived newsletters. "That doesn''t seem strange."


    "This brat is already known for his unscrupulous actions, so doing something like this while deceiving us seems to fit his profile." ¦Ñ???????????


    "In any case, I don''t think we should rush into anything. That was an excellent move on his part, but soon the assassins of the Flaming Empire will arrive to eliminate him."


    "After that, we won''t have to worry about him anymore!" The Silva family member said in a tone full of certainty.


    But King Brown was not so sure of that at the moment. "Is that so? But I ask you, what if the villain acts against us before these assassins get here?"


    "That is impossible!"


    "How would a mere Spiritual King try something while we are here?" That Silva said.


    "But what about his mother?"


    "His mother cannot act against you since that would be interference on her part concerning the region. And from what you''ve already told us, that woman shouldn''t stay long in this region."


    "After all, she is someone who didn''t even stay here during her son''s most difficult years, so why would she sacrifice herself now?"


    King Brown was not convinced by this, feeling his fear for Minos increasing to the levels before these experts arrived. "Perhaps she is here because she already knows about the mission you have passed on to the sects of the empire."


    "That..."


    One of the other two Spiritual Emperors there then sighed and said. "None of that matters now."


    "If he decided to act so vigorously against our forces, he will probably try something against us."


    As his eyes narrowed and he sensed danger approaching, such a person said. "Everyone here had better get ready!"


    After those words were spoken, one of those people from the Brown Kingdom could not help but mention the great distrust of the counter-revolutionary forces. "I can''t believe the Snows did this!"


    "They have always been one of the most upright families in our region!"


    They naturally were not sure if the Snow family had, in fact, acted against them. But in their reports, some parts described Snow Kingdom troops leaving the counter-revolutionary camps alongside the rebel troops.


    And while this alone did not prove treason, as no member of the Snow Kingdom forces had been found to talk the night before, those people''s suspicions were at an all-time high.


    Hearing that, King Brown felt another wave of hatred in his being and shook with anger.


    "Damn traitors, cowards!"


    p????-?o??? "This region is full of these vermin!" He criticized, as he felt like leaving that place to deal with Adam Snow personally.


    But he did not do that right away as soon someone there asked him something relevant. "By the way, where are those regional assassins? Since the situation has reached this point, we will need them more than ever."


    Thomas then replied. "The Scourges of the Devil didn''t want to risk sending their members to this negotiation. So, they are waiting for its end here to continue acting against the enemy."


    "Oh? Then let''s do it this way..."


    They then continued to talk about what to do next, all of them fearful of Minos'' plans and anxious for the arrival of the people who could finally deal with him.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Minos walked towards the place where Gloria was supposed to be. He intended to find out how far this woman would go to stop him if he wanted to do something more daring in this place.


    On the other hand, because of his mother, he already knew what the Spiritual Church in the Flaming Empire had done and was eager to resolve his regional issues.


    He had no fear of the disciples of the Empire''s sects who might come after his head since he doubted that the Silva family''s wealth would be enough to attract anyone compelling.


    But still, with the numbers of disciples that could come after him and the opponents already in this region, things could get a little more complicated for him if he did not hurry.


    With that in mind, he entered the area where Gloria was and went to this woman, who was meditating in the middle of what looked like an ordinary cultivation room inside her tent.


    "You look just as good cultivating as you do in other situations, Gloria." He commented in a low voice as he noticed the subtle movement she had made when he sat down right in front of her.


    ...

 Chapter 983 The Motives Of Minos

    Chapter 983 The Motives Of Minos


    Hearing the voice of young Stuart near her, Gloria opened her eyes. Still, she continued in the same lotus position that she was cultivating just before this young man arrived here.


    "You''re pretty bold to disturb me while I''m cultivating, huh?" She said as her eyes narrowed.


    But Minos was not tricked by Gloria''s acting skills. "Hehe, you were already finished when I sat here."


    "Or do you think I can''t tell the differences between a person cultivating and one who is just meditating?" He then looked at her training clothes and teased her. "Maybe you were testing me? You wanted to see what I would do upon noticing you cultivating like this?"


    Gloria''s training clothes consisted of elastic trousers that firmed up her legs. At the same time, she had a dress covering most of her body but without hiding her beautiful curves.


    "Tsk!" She made a disgruntled tongue sound, realizing that Minos was not provoked enough by her. "So what do you want here? Perhaps you missed the time we spent together in Dry City?"


    "No, not yet..." He smiled peacefully, looking at the silly expression on Gloria''s face right now.


    "Is that so?" She clenched her fists and stood up from where she was, turning her back to him as she felt nervous. "Then what do you want here? You didn''t come here just to annoy me, right?"


    Minos then stood up and approached her, hugging her from behind. "Gloria, you get annoyed easily, huh?"p????-?????.???


    "Well, I guess to make up for that, I''ll have to make you relax a little like last time..." He whispered in her ear as he felt her stiff body slowly getting more comfortable in his embrace.


    "That''s better." She murmured, feeling her heart calming down a bit.


    "Hehe, but let''s do that later. Right now, I want to talk about some serious issues with you."


    Hearing this, she turned to him and watched him closely. "What are you talking about?"


    He continued with his hands around her thin waist and began to explain. "Well, I want to know how you would react if something violent happened inside this camp..."


    Her gaze narrowed as her pupils contracted. But she continued to listen to the young man in front of her. "After our first attempt at negotiation, I gave some orders to my forces..."


    He then explained to her what had happened on the Black Plain the night before, from those involved in the incident to the targets of that planned massacre by his forces and the Snow Kingdom.


    After listening to Minos in silence for several minutes, that red-haired woman continued with her mouth open in surprise, shocked to discover the methods that were giving him the confidence from before. p???? ?o???


    "Did you truly do that?" She asked in shock, not believing that he, who seemed so reasonable when he was with her, was capable of giving orders like that.


    Even she, who had lived much longer than him, who grew up in a much more hostile place than this region, and had a considerable position of power, could not imagine making a decision like that.


    And in fact, although she was so powerful individually and influential because of the Church, this woman did not like violence and was relatively peaceful in most of her decisions.


    As a result, she had repeatedly attempted to pacify the region without bringing in outside forces that would only exacerbate local tensions and even saw the benefit in Minos winning the war.


    She was a kind woman, something Minos already knew because of how the two had met.


    Gloria could have ignored him in that situation or even acted as many arrogant people would and blamed the victim for getting in the way of her arrows. But she had done nothing of the sort. Instead, she was concerned about caring for him and even replaced this young man''s weapon.


    Noticing her shocked look, Minos gently held her face and explained himself. "Yes, we did that since there is not much more time to waste."


    "The regional families are hypocrites, and if something extreme does not happen, this war will never end. They will keep talking about how I am a tyrant trying to dethrone them, destroy them, etc. They will keep talking about how I will bring the reign of terror to the region if no one stops me." ¦Ñ???????????


    "They know they can''t do something like that against me, so they will fight to stop me from doing what they would like to do in my place. And for that, they are willing to sacrifice the lives of every one of their subordinates, members, vassals, etc."


    "As long as there are chances for them, these people will keep fighting, no matter how good my promises are."


    "Meanwhile, the population of the Black Plain is the one who will be most in danger if these people are not stopped."


    "Make no mistake. If I fall, they will massacre or enslave the entire population of Dry City as it is not interesting to them to have these conscious and empowered people alive."


    "Because of this, I had to make the difficult choice of eliminating these enemies." He finished speaking his reasons to her, looking into Gloria''s eyes without glimpsing away, making it clear to her who he was.


    He did not care what most people would think of his actions, but he did not want this woman to be confused about him. As such, he made it a point to show her the reason behind his attitudes, something for her to understand that the massacre the night before was not because he had taken a taste for enemy blood.


    "That..."


    "Minos, I think this is all too much..."


    "Even if you''re right, it''s the lives of tens of thousands of people we''re talking about here!" She expressed her irritation but did not leave his arms.


    "Did you truly kill them in their sleep? That''s not right!"


    "Would it have been better if I had allowed the sect assassins of the Flaming Empire to join my enemies in brutalizing the more than 600,000 inhabitants of Dry City?"


    "That..." Her eyes opened wider, but she could not answer him.


    p????-?o??? He then continued. "Gloria, I''ll be honest with you. If I have to fight so many powerful people, I''ll do something like that in Dry City since that''s where I have my best defenses."


    "But I don''t have the ability to protect that place from many Spiritual Emperors, so if something like that happens in the future, the people there would be the most harmed."


    "So, to avoid endangering the lives of my citizens, I sacrificed those enemies. As for whether they had the chance to fight or died amid their dreams doesn''t make much difference."


    "The Snow Kingdom forces at most saved the lives of their vassals by adopting this strategy." He commented this without changing his tone, still speaking softly to her.


    After hearing this, Gloria suddenly remembered something that Minos had just said but which she had ignored at first. "Sect assassins from the Flaming Empire? Your mother told you about that?"


    "Yes, she told me about it right after arriving in Dry City."


    "I see..." She swallowed her saliva and then said. "Minos, this has nothing to do with me..."


    But before she could even finish, he placed one of his fingers on her lips and smiled. "I know that. Don''t worry. I don''t blame you for your organization''s decisions."


    "But then, Gloria, what will you do if I act against these people in this place? Of course, I can act against them outside of here, but it will be easier if I can eliminate them in this place."


    "That would end the war in a few weeks, and I would have the time and strength to deal with the assassins coming from the empire."


    "The number of deaths in the region will definitely be less if I can deal with these people in this place."


    "Minos..." She muttered, feeling complicated about this situation.


    ...

 Chapter 984 The Future

    Chapter 984 The Future


    Gloria was the leader of the Spiritual Church for this region, but that did not make her any more or less capable of deciding the death of these people.


    The Church was not a growing organization but an established power in the Spiritual World that rarely needed to pass over the ''stones'' in its path.


    And even if the leaders of this organization were not good people, incapable of eliminating innocents, Gloria was not used to the idea of sentencing people to death.


    Even more so, considering that she led this region from afar and rarely needed to intervene since the level of local problems was below her own.


    Besides, even though she came from the Flaming Empire, already having killed before, it was utterly different to deal with an enemy and someone who has nothing to do with you.


    But none of these people from that region were a danger to her or the Church. Nor had they made severe mistakes to the point that she thought eliminating them was the best thing for everyone.


    And even though she knew that Minos'' motivations were reasonable, she did not feel in the position of sentencing these people to death because it might be advantageous to the survivors in this region.


    She even agreed that allowing Minos to follow his journey of power in this region could bring tremendous benefits to this area. Still, she did not feel good about sacrificing people.


    "Minos, I don''t know..." She said in a low voice as she looked at his chest, trying not to look him in the eye. "I can''t allow that to happen inside the Church camp."


    "If I do, I would be condemning them without any justification from the Church''s point of view."


    Upon hearing this, Minos did not show displeasure. Instead, he smiled at her and hugged her. "It''s okay, I understand."


    "Don''t worry about it. Even though I can''t act here, I''ll find a way to resolve the situation without much danger."p????-?????.???


    "But I hope you will stay in the area long after this confrontation is over..." He whispered in one of her ears before bringing her lips to his.


    "Mmmmmm~"


    ...


    After Minos and Gloria''s brief conversation, this young man returned to his tent. He was now standing next to the three women who had accompanied him to this place.


    "Well? Did she allow our action in this place?" Abby asked in curiosity as she held Minos'' left arm.


    He then shook his head and replied. "No."


    Ruth asked shortly after that. "Then how will we deal with these people?"


    "I will speak to my subordinates in this place so that they will order their descendants to follow my orders to pursue and eliminate our most powerful enemies."


    "That will take more work than just dealing with them in this camp, but the odds are in our favor."


    Hearing that, Maisie became interested in the subject and asked. "After all that, what will happen? Will the war end? How do you plan to deal with the assassins coming from the empire?"


    Minos looked in his mother''s direction, pressed his hands together, but then answered her. "The war will not end until all the regional royal families recognize the independence of the Black Plain." p???? ?o???


    "So, even after we eliminate the main forces of the enemies, we will still live the reality of war until that is done and all enemy troops leave the Black Plain."


    "However, even if that happens, we will still have to punish our enemies because of the war crimes committed by them."


    p????-?o??? "Then the war affairs will not end until everyone involved is held accountable for their actions and we decide that the Black Plain needs to move on."


    He sighed for a second and then answered her other question. "As for those assassins coming from those two empire sects, I will naturally deal with them."


    "Even if they are stronger than me, they don''t have something I possess." Minos smiled as he remembered that he had trained his army to fight alongside him from the beginning.


    "The strength of the Black Plain is not me, but our collective strength."


    "Once these external enemies come here without knowing who they will deal with, they will meet a fate that is hard to swallow!"


    All this time, the Black Plain Army soldiers fought and honed their group combat skills against enemies more numerous and sometimes of higher levels than theirs.


    The war was working with a natural selection for the best warriors of the Black Plain, who, by this point, became used to collective fighting against stronger and more numerous enemies.


    In addition, military exercises were still taking place within the defensive dome of Dry City. Even young Stuart had trained with his high-level soldiers when he had the chance during the war.


    Therefore, he would not have to fight every enemy coming from the Flaming Empire alone. ¦Ñ???????????


    That was what gave him the confidence to stay calm even in the face of this external threat!


    Noticing her son''s confidence in this strategy, Maisie felt surprised to see such a mature and intelligent young man. ''It looks like he really will be able to handle it.''


    ''Well, I''ll watch him until he manages to defeat one of these people. Then, I can return to the empire without any burden on my conscience if that happens.'' She pondered silently, watching her son with a smile on her face.


    She then thought of something and sighed in defeat. ''Ah, maybe Minos will become a better candidate than me to lead the sect in the future...''


    ''Maybe he will even pass me in the future...''


    While Maisie had her thoughts regarding the future on her mind, Minos and his women continued talking until he left to go settle his affairs with his subordinate and ally families.


    ...


    After talking with the Stone and Walker families, Minos stopped by Jade''s tent. Then, after 50 intense minutes of ''conversation,'' he proceeded to the Snow family''s location.


    However, upon arriving in that area, this young ruler of the Black Plain ran into a mouthful of people from the Cromwell, Brown, and Snow families.


    In that place, half a dozen people were shouting against each other, exchanging offenses and accusations concerning the previous night''s events.


    "You damn traitors!"


    "Snows, you will pay us for this treachery!"


    "The Cromwell Kingdom will never forget its dead!"


    "The same for us of the Brown Kingdom!"


    "Listen to what I''m saying. We will avenge our fallen brothers, you traitorous sons of a bitches."


    "Fuck you, Cromwells!"


    "You think we''ve forgotten how your family attacked us years ago without our doing anything? Well, come fight with us if you have the guts!"


    "Hehe, but I think you guys are too weak now to try anything against us!" Someone from House Snow said this in an arrogant tone, looking down at the old man in front of him.


    "You bastard! If I don''t kill you today, I don''t..."


    But as that man went about attacking his enemy, the Bishops in the surrounding area rushed in that direction to prevent anything worse from happening inside that camp.


    "Gentlemen, this is the territory of the Spiritual Church!"


    "I hope you are aware that we do not tolerate abuse here!"


    "Tsk!"


    Watching that for a short moment, Minos found it interesting how quickly those people had taken on the Snows'' treachery. But he did not take much notice of that and simply made his way toward the inside of that tent.


    "Hey, what are you..." Someone there would say something until he realized who the person entering that place was.


    And without much difficulty, young Stuart reached the inside of that tent, where the leaders of the three families were discussing as their subordinates.


    "Oh? You are here?" Minos exclaimed in surprise at seeing the supreme elder Cromwell and King Brown.


    "You, demon!"


    "What do you want here?"


    "What do you think?" Minos asked with a bright smile on his face, mocking those two people.


    "Adam!" Thomas shouted in anger, realizing that his conjectures were correct.


    And as the Spiritual Emperors there felt the tension in the air rising by several folds, Minos sat down in a chair and said. "You are looking fearless recently, Thomas."


    "I am curious to know how much longer this will last... Perhaps you have forgotten the battles where you were forced to run away like a dog with its tail between its legs?"


    ...

 Chapter 985 End Of Negotiations

    Chapter 985 End Of Negotiations


    "Bastard!"


    "You are a pest!" King Brown said this in hatred, feeling the urge to strangle young Stuart.


    Unfortunately, he did not have the strength to do so. Not only that, but even though he was standing next to his Spiritual Emperors, none of them could do anything against Minos in this place.


    That was the camp of the Spiritual Church, a place they should show respect. But moreover, as much as Maisie was not there, none of those people were unaware of her presence in the vicinity.


    And knowing all this very well, Thomas could only swallow his hatred, waiting for this event to be over when he would finally act with all the strength he had now.


    Minos ignored that individual and then observed the faces of the Spiritual Emperors there. Each was relatively close to either King Brown, King Snow, or the supreme elder of House Cromwell.


    Realizing this, Minos soon understood who was from each kingdom. Specifically, he observed a man whose expression was as repulsive as that of a man whose wife had been unfaithful to him with his best friend.


    "Is there a problem?" Minos asked that fellow, curious to know where such resentment came from.


    They were enemies. However, for these people coming from the Flaming Empire as reinforcements for the regional families, their hatred for Minos was much less than that of their family members.


    After all, they had not experienced all the terror, fear, and hatred for Minos as these people who had been in this region since the beginning of the war. Plus, as people who had lived in the empire for a long time, their relationship with their families was no longer as close as it once had been.


    But still, that man in Thomas'' group seemed to have a personal grudge against Minos.p????-?????.???


    "Humph!"


    "You can act grandly for now, but soon no one will be able to protect you!" That man commented deeply, feeling his hand itching with the urge to hit Minos.


    As King Brown''s group rose to leave that place, that man looked once more at Minos and said. "When you fall, remember that it was by the actions of House Silva that all your misfortune originated!"


    "Oh?" Minos said in surprise, finally understanding where that person''s hatred was coming from. ''So that''s it...''


    He then promptly remembered the group of assassins coming from the empire that had attacked him several months ago on the Black Plain.


    ''Well, it looks like these people will want to experience the ultimate consequences of standing against me, huh?'' He continued to look toward the exit of that place, emitting an intense murderous intent.


    ''Very well, since you want it that way, then I''ll make it a point to eliminate you completely!'' He made up his mind determinedly.


    Minos initially did not plan to exterminate the Silva family. Instead, he only wanted to take revenge on the people responsible for his father''s death and be willing to kill those who tried to act against him.


    But as long as they stayed away from him, this young man would not persecute that family.


    However, when he realized that such a family could not move forward and overcome the past, he was ready to use more decisive actions against them. p???? ?o???


    Since they did not appreciate the peace they had had since the death of their own family''s leadership, he would make it a point to end the Silvas'' history!


    ''Silva family, Collins, Reid. Others may have survivors, but these three noble houses need to disappear!'' He watched the rest of the Cromwell family leave that place and then turned to Adam Snow.


    Seeing that old fellow trembling with fear, Minos took a deep breath and said. "After those negotiations are over, your group will join a pursuit."


    "Pursuit?" Adam''s eyes sharpened. "Pursuit of whom?"


    "I want to eliminate the entourage of the Brown and Cromwell families. Then your group will join the Walker and Stone families to eliminate the Cromwell family group."


    "The Carline family''s group and mine will deal with the Brown family''s." He said without much ceremony, peacefully speaking as if he were planning a tour.


    p????-?o??? And hearing that, each of the people in the Snow Kingdom group felt shivers of fear, realizing how terrible this young man was.


    ''He couldn''t force these people to surrender, so he''s just going to kill them?''


    Gulp!


    ''He truly is decisive!'' ¦Ñ???????????


    And while these people were impressed by Minos'' coolness, none of them were surprised to hear that the Walker and Carline families were also in on it.


    After all, the command of this family was already suspicious of Minos having ''proposed'' similar things to these royal houses that he proposed in the Snow Kingdom capital to them.


    "That..." King Snow felt drops of sweat forming on his forehead as he saw Minos'' calm expression. "And what happens after that?"


    "After that, when you return to your state, I want your family to recognize the Black Plain as an independent state and publicly admit your subordination to us."


    "Other than that, just take care of the Snow Kingdom for me while my forces deal with the final moment of the war." He smiled, already imagining what the near future would be like when the war finally ended.


    As it had happened in recent years, the war on the Black Plain could be over in a few days. But the war period itself could still last for months since many organizations in the Brown and Cromwell Kingdom needed to be controlled.


    At the same time, the Black Plain''s vengeance and punishments had to happen as soon. Otherwise, Minos'' enemies would surely hide or flee if his forces took too long to act.


    With this, he knew that he would only have the peace of mind to lead his state in a post-war situation after all this was resolved, which could take much longer than necessary to frighten his current enemies.


    In any case, even if he had to resolve multiple issues until the war was actually over, Minos did not intend to use the forces of the regional royal families to his advantage constantly.


    No, he had created his army to do the necessary work. He had no intention of asking for help or ordering other subordinates to get involved in his affairs unless it was indispensable.


    And since he had already promised relative independence to those kingdoms to the north, he didn''t like the idea of having to intervene all the time to get troops from those states.


    That''s why he said that to Adam!


    "I see." That old king said in a low voice, feeling sorry that his family would have to be publicly subjugated for the first time in their history, right in his governance.


    "Sigh..."


    ''Shame on me.'' He lamented in his heart but said nothing to Minos as there were no openings for it. ''At least the Walker and Carline families are in the same boat as us...''


    ...


    After the previous meeting, hours had passed. By now, all the people who had attended this attempted peace negotiation were already in the same meeting place as before.


    In that place, the silence at this moment was much more significant than at the first attempt at conversation, while the tension in the air was hard to miss.


    And while the people in that area were looking at each other dangerously, Gloria was sitting in her armchair, looking at Minos while feeling strange for knowing this young man''s intentions.


    Not only that, noticing the mood of the people in that place, it was not hard for her to realize that with or without her help, he would eliminate many of those people.


    "Sigh..."


    ''At least the war will be over soon.'' She looked on the bright side as she washed her hands of any responsibility.


    She then said. "Well, I''ve tried to speak up for the sake of peace, but none of you seem genuinely interested in putting down your weapons and shaking hands."


    "Well, we won''t get involved in that anymore."


    She then looked at those Spiritual Emperors and said. "You are allowed to act after you leave this camp. But do not abuse your positions since my Church will be watching everything from afar."


    Gulp!


    Gulping sounds reverberated around there, with the pressure in the air increasing a little more.


    "These negotiations have failed. Now accept whatever fate brings to you!"


    ...

 Chapter 986 Pursuit 1

    Chapter 986 Pursuit 1


    After that woman''s words finished ringing through that area, the people in that place began to rise from their chairs, leaving the area in a hurry.


    As they watched that, the viewers looked at those people with mournful looks on their faces, understanding that several would die immediately after leaving that safe area.


    But among these people, Warner and Oriel were watching with interest in Minos'' direction, curious to see this young man in action.


    They had stayed all this time in this place, expecting that something violent would happen. However, seeing the behaved way in which those people were following the orders of the Spiritual Church, they felt a little disappointed.


    In any case, bloodlust was in the air, and they knew that a fight was about to take place one way or another.


    With that in mind, they soon began to prepare to leave that place, intent on following young Stuart.


    Seeing the movement of almost everyone there, including the Bishops of the Church, Gloria sighed in defeat, preparing to leave the place.


    Even though the peace attempt had failed and she had already resolved her grudge against Minos, she still had business in this region to attend to before returning to the empire.


    For example, she had two coronation ceremonies to attend and other minor matters to resolve in the Church branch in the Kingdom of the Waves.


    With this in mind, she was preparing to make her way to Athela, where she intended to start settling her affairs in this region.


    "Sigh..."p????-?????.???


    ''I hope everything ends well... I''ll pass through Dry City before heading to the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom.'' She looked in the direction from which Minos and his group had departed.


    "After that, I will return to the empire."


    ...


    A few moments later...


    p????-?o??? It did not take long for the groups that attended the previous negotiation to leave that area in a hurry, with many taking alternative routes at the first moment.


    Some of the people who attended that meeting were not simple and had teleportation arrays that could be used in case their situation became complicated.


    Because of this, Minos'' teams could not make it easy on their enemies by scaring them too much and forcing them to use their escape items. With this, they had gone their separate ways, preparing for the actual chase to begin later.


    However, this was the case for those who were mainly pursuing the forces of the Cromwell Kingdom. That was because Minos'' group was going directly after Thomas'' team, whom this young man seriously had an intense desire to kill.


    They could already be considered old enemies, and not having been able to eliminate this person on several occasions already upset the young Stuart. Therefore, he could not hold back at this moment against such an opponent.


    No, they were already so close, so Minos wanted to eliminate this problem at once! p???? ?o???


    Thus, after leaving that previous meeting area, he and Abby went next to Maida in pursuit of those people.


    As for Ruth and Maisie, the two were flying over the area following these two, but since they were both from the Flaming Empire, they would not participate in this conflict of Minos''.


    But they were both following him closely in case something strange happened.


    On the other hand, Jade and her group were also flying on their winged beasts not far from Maida, intending to join the battle Minos planned to have against the Brown Kingdom forces.


    Maida was faster than the beasts of both the enemies and the allies of Minos. But still, Jade and her group were not lagging far behind, and once young Stuart acted, such a team would definitely join him in a few moments.


    With that, given the speed of the beasts on both sides, it was not long before Thomas'' group appeared on the horizon ahead of Minos and Abby.


    In that place were four beasts as large or larger than Maida, carrying eight people, all the reinforcements from the Flaming Empire that were here for the Brown family, plus King Brown.


    And seeing his targets appearing in front of him, Minos cheered up for the impending battle as he noticed the looks of those people in his direction.


    They were looking in his direction as if they were in doubt about what to do at this moment.


    Maybe stay and fight to solve the problem? ¦Ñ???????????


    They saw that there was a distance between Minos and Jade''s group. But, at the same time, none of them could see Maisie''s figure nearby.


    Or would it be better to get away from this place as quickly as possible to avoid surprises?


    Hell, it was Minos who was chasing them, not an ordinary individual!


    This thought was particularly running through Thomas'' mind, who at the moment felt himself in a situation he had never found himself in the past.


    ''Damn it!''


    ''What do we do now? We can only teleport three people simultaneously with my teleportation array!'' He looked at Minos in doubt, trying to understand whether it was worth staying and fighting or running away, sacrificing five of them.


    But as he thought about it, the descendant of the Silva family laughed and said. "The wretch has come after us himself!"


    "Let''s fight!"


    "What?"


    "Are you crazy? That woman must be somewhere watching you." Another Spiritual Emperor said this, worried about what would happen to them if Minos died at their hands.


    These people from the northern region of the Central Continent might not be afraid of Maisie because there were too many problems that would prevent her from acting against them. But they were no longer from that region but the empire.


    In other words, there was nothing that would prevent Maisie from seeking revenge against them in the future!


    And as much as they had their methods for hiding and taking certain advantages, that would only work if she was not around!


    With that, such an individual was worried about fighting Minos in this place.


    "No. That person will not act against us." Clayton Silva said in a confident tone. "He''s too arrogant to depend on her help, and she''s not going to want to get complicated over something so small."


    "Small? That''s her son we''re talking about!" The other Spiritual Emperor said this in surprise that Clayton would ignore such information.


    "That doesn''t matter. That woman never raised her son. I bet she doesn''t even care about him!"


    "Really? And why is she here?"


    "That black-haired girl who was standing next to that demon is her disciple. So, that woman is probably here to take that brat back to the empire!" The descendant of the Silva family said, confident in the information he had gathered in the empire before coming to this region.


    "She didn''t even avenge the husband she had a relationship with for years, so why would she care about a child she didn''t raise?"


    "That..." The people in that group were at a loss for words.


    In the Spiritual World, it was not so uncommon to find cruel parents who did not care about their children or were even capable of sacrificing them for their own good.


    In fact, one of the current masters of one of the eight great sects of the Flaming Empire had in the past stolen his only son''s wife and then killed that unfortunate individual later!


    Such a story was quite exaggerated, but cases like these happened here and there from time to time.


    And knowing this, the people in that group, who did not know Minos'' mother, did not doubt that Maisie would be capable of not caring about the death of her own son if what that man said was true.


    King Brown himself had no way to refute that individual. "She truly didn''t avenge Albert and rarely visited her son when he was unconscious for years..."


    "Maybe she''s just here for the brat anyway." He commented in a low voice but was still filled with fear in his heart.


    But while they were talking, these people had already wasted too much time!


    At that moment, young Stuart jumped off Maida''s back while throwing a triangular object toward those fleeing spiritual beasts.


    "Too late!"


    Spatial Sword!


    And then, as soon as he activated his primary technique, Minos saw the object stopping in mid-air due to the spatial restriction of his technique. Then a characteristic buzzing sound spread through that area as a spatial stabilization array was activated.


    ...

 Chapter 987 Persuit 2

    Chapter 987 Persuit 2


    Swooish!


    In that initial instant of young Stuart''s action, the spiritual array thrown by him stopped falling as it came under the spatial restriction of his technique.


    Meanwhile, he quickly made a series of movements in the air as he wielded his red-bladed sword to strike in the direction of the spiritual beasts now under the influence of his technique and array.


    ''What will it be like to fall from this height?'' This thought flashed through Minos'' mind as his body made a parabolic trajectory in free fall, over a thousand feet above the ground.


    But he was not worried about himself but somewhat interested in what would happen to his targets now prevented from escaping from this place using teleportation items.


    Not only that, he was interested in testing such thoughts with these people!


    Infinite Dream!


    With that, his eyes began to shine brightly in rainbow colors as he targeted the enemy spiritual beasts, the weakest beings there.


    "Thomas, too bad you can''t fly, hehe..." He said that out loud, at the same time as the air blades sent out earlier went towards the backs of the now unconscious beasts.


    And as they heard that, those people felt the spatial restriction of Minos'' technique on their bodies, with only the Spiritual Emperors there being able to move.


    As for the peak Spiritual Kings, they were all nervously feeling the terror of not being able to move their bodies.


    Among them, King Brown was the most desperate.


    ''Shit!''


    "What the fuck is that?"p????-?????.???


    "Is that this brat''s thing?" The three Spiritual Emperors commented to each other, feeling that Minos was even worse than they had heard.


    They had already heard from Thomas that Minos was much stronger than level 59 Spiritual Kings. But hell, one of them was at level 60, two of them at level 61!


    There was a big difference between those levels and the strength of a mere regional peak cultivator!


    As such, they could not help but be surprised at this moment, somewhat regretting not giving young Stuart more credit.


    "That villain! It''s not for nothing that the assassins I sent earlier never returned!" Clayton Silva said in hatred, not understanding why Minos was so strong.


    However, as they felt the terror of facing Minos for the first time, they finally understood this young man''s earlier words to Thomas.


    At that instant, each of the people in Thomas'' group looked down in shock as they realized their mounts were starting to fall.


    "What?"


    "What''s happening?"


    "Ahhhhhhhh!"


    Finally, most of those individuals began to fall uncontrollably, reaching higher and higher speeds. At the same time, the beasts under their feet moved away from them, falling even faster.


    Meanwhile, the three Spiritual Emperors promptly began to float in the air, while one of them was already moving to reach the body of the desperate Thomas, who was already screaming desperately in fear.


    "You think I''m going to allow that?" Minos muttered to himself as his Devouring Art began to circle those Spiritual Emperors, granting him even more energy. p???? ?o???


    Indestructible Body!


    Spatial Sword!


    Infinite Dream!


    He activated these three techniques once again, now simultaneously, targeting the individuals who wanted to save Thomas'' life.


    Swooish!


    A great blade of spiritual energy departed from his sword, slicing toward the middle of the path of those people and Thomas, while his mental technique targeted the closest one to that fellow.


    "Bastard!"


    "Is the rascal underestimating us? Or does he truly hate His Majesty this much?" One of the Brown family descendants shouted in doubt, shocked at how decisive Minos was in his attempt to eliminate Thomas Brown.


    Instead of directly trying to eliminate the strongest people there, he simply targeted the mere level 59 Spiritual King?


    That was astonishing to these people!


    "Scumbag, if you want to do this, then let me take care of you!" Clayton said this while demonstrating his great murderous intent.


    And while the weakest of those Spiritual Emperors was fighting at a disadvantage against Minos'' mental technique, Maida and Abby finally made their first move in this battle.


    Neither of them was strong enough to fight side by side with Minos, but they had their ways of helping him! ¦Ñ???????????


    Considering this, as the third Spiritual Emperor in that area used a technique in an attempt to ''catch'' Thomas'' falling body, suddenly, several mirrors began to appear in the middle of his path.


    Crack!


    And then, as the spinning mirrors of young Abby''s defensive technique became more and more noticeable, the clash between such a thing and the enemy technique finally happened.


    "What?"


    "What a solid defense!" The level 61 Spiritual Emperor said aloud, shocked by this surprise.


    But since the difference in cultivation between him and Abby was simply too great, and this woman did not have a skill that increased her natural reserves of spiritual energies, nor something that sucked out the energies of her enemies, her technique did not hold up for long.


    p????-?o??? Boom!


    Her mirrors exploded into endless pieces, but Abby''s movement had already been more than enough to disrupt that Spiritual Emperor.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!" King Brown felt the friction with the gases around him become more and more significant as his speed reached near the limit.


    However, even if his falling speed was no longer increasing, he was getting further away from the three Spiritual Emperors.


    ''Damn it!''


    ''Damn it!''


    ''If I fall from this height, I''m finished!'' He trembled with fear as he ran one of his hands through the teleportation array.


    However, in trying to use such a thing, Thomas could not activate it, as he was still inside the space affected by the space stabilization array used by Minos.


    That array was still falling at about the same height as the falling spiritual beasts. However, as much as the distance between Thomas and such an artifact was increasing, that still had not been enough for him to leave the space of influence of that thing!


    Consequently, he was at a loss as to what to do at this point.


    ''Think! Think!''


    ''Maybe I should try to increase my friction with the air?'' He finally thought of something, promptly searching through his spatial ring, looking for something useful.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Abby''s mirrors again appeared in that area, this time protecting the young Stuart simultaneously with Maida''s rescue movement.


    After seeing that young man leaping into the air, Abby had promptly ordered that beast to do everything possible to get Minos back.


    And while Maida had made such a move, the blue-haired woman used her technique twice, disrupting both of the level 61 Spiritual Emperors.


    "Hehe, you two have acted very well!" Minos briefly commented as he quickly moved up that beast while feeling Maida''s saliva around his clothes.


    He then stood on her back and prepared to continue fighting those two Spiritual Emperors.


    As for the third individual, that one, to his own misfortune, had lost the mental battle against Minos and was falling unconscious at this very moment.


    "Bastard!"


    "That''s unforgivable!"


    "Minos!" Clayton shouted in hatred, realizing that Thomas was already almost out of their reach.


    However, as he lamented the terrible situation he had put himself in, Minos did not even look at him and promptly launched an attack against Thomas.


    Swooish!


    "Humph!"


    "Let''s see how you guys will save him now!"


    "Damn!"


    "Ah! If I don''t kill you today, my name won''t be Max Brown!" The Brown family member exclaimed with all the strength of his being as he saw that it no longer made any difference to him to try to save Thomas.


    He was no faster than Minos'' technique, and even his attacks would be useless, as Abby was at his enemy''s side, ready to create mirrors to shield her man''s attack.


    With that in mind, all that was left for him to do was to pray that Thomas would survive the fall and Minos'' attack while he dealt with young Stuart.


    "Max, I will stop the defensive technique of this traitorous little bitch, and you deal with this bastard!" Clayton said in a determined tone, confident that they could win this fight.


    After all, unlike Minos and Abby, who depended on Maida to fly over the area, they could do this without the aid of a beast or outside items!


    So, they continued their fight.

 Chapter 988 Outnumbered

    Chapter 988 Outnumbered


    While Minos and Abby were jointly fighting those two enemies of theirs, Oriel and Warner were finally approaching the battle site, where they wanted to watch that young man battle.


    They were both very curious to see Minos in action, and as soon as they had noticed the departure of this young man''s group, they had flown side by side to this place.


    Unfortunately for both of them, they were a little slower than Maida and had already missed the beginning of the fight.


    However, this was by no means the worst point for these two.


    When they were getting close enough to the battle to feel the fluctuations of those involved in the fight, they both suddenly felt tremendous pressure on their bodies.


    As they felt this, they both looked at each other in shock, but then remembered the people in the surroundings and soon understood what was happening.


    "Why are you doing this?" Warner asked Maisie, assuming she was the person who was pressuring them not to move on.


    After all, she was the only one in the vicinity with cultivation high enough to pressure the two of them. And even if neither of them was seeing her now, they would not absurdly think that there was another high-level Spiritual Emperor nearby.


    That was the northern region of the Central Continent, not the Flaming Empire!


    Oriel then looked at the surroundings, trying to glimpse Minos'' battle. Still, suddenly the clouds in their surroundings became denser, compromising their visibility.


    Daytime Storm!


    "Maisie! What are you doing? Why are you attacking us?" The Edwardstone family representative shouted in fear, feeling the powerful technique characteristic of the Gray Clouds Sect.p????-?????.???


    "Go away!"


    "You are not qualified to see this battle!" The sweet voice of Minos'' mother sounded in the surroundings as if she were in more than one place simultaneously.


    "What?"


    "You want to prevent us from watching this fight? Why?" Oriel asked in surprise, not understanding such a woman''s motivation.


    What harm would it do for them to watch a junior''s battle? They would at most learn about yet another talent, something they had seen plenty of in their lives.


    Why bother with this?


    However, Maisie was no fool and would not allow these people to watch Minos'' battle for free. ''Humph!''


    ''Minos is using several high-level techniques. And you expect me to let parasites like you watch him for free?'' She thought about this as she stood next to Ruth on her spiritual beast.


    "Warner and you, stranger, get out of here, or I will act against you."


    "Don''t think I''m not capable of beating you until your faces are in a way that even your mothers won''t be able to recognize you!" She menacingly said as the temperature in the surroundings suddenly dropped.


    "Tsk!" Warner clenched his fists in frustration, having no choice but to retreat. p???? ?o???


    ''Damn it!''


    ''That woman is serious!'' He thought about it as he felt water droplets in the surroundings freezing, a sign of that famous technique of the Grey Clouds Sect.


    As for Oriel, he did not know the capabilities of the Flaming Empire cultivators, but he understood the language of cultivation very well.


    Maisie was much stronger than them, and her position did not emit any hesitation. Sensing this, this man from the Western Empire was unwilling to take a chance on this place for a mere level 53 junior.


    "Sigh..."


    "See you next time, cultivators of the Flaming Empire!" He said his goodbyes before returning to where Luke was coming on his spiritual beast.


    ...


    As the previous drama was breaking down with the departure of those two powerful Spiritual Emperors, Minos'' reinforcements finally arrived in that area.


    However, this time Maisie did not bother to stop the two Spiritual Emperors who were traveling alongside Jade Carline''s group.


    No, the situation of those Spiritual Emperors was utterly different from those other two individuals.


    After all, while those people in Jade''s or Thomas'' group were from this region and did not have the necessary skills to understand Minos'' techniques, the other two were different. ¦Ñ???????????


    Oriel, Maisie did not know, so she simply acted carefully with him. But Warner, well, this man was definitely capable of understanding Minos'' techniques since the Edwarstone family had two Golden-grade techniques!


    And even if he was unlikely to have something like that, the chances that he had never seen techniques like that in use were pretty slim.


    That was why Maisie had stopped them from getting any closer to the site of her son''s fight.


    Golden-grade techniques were enough for even the Emperor, a Spiritual Sage, to leave his palace to hunt!


    Knowing this, Maisie could not allow such people to find out about Minos'' secrets!


    In any case, it did not take long for Jade''s people to get close to where four people and a beast were fighting with everything they had.


    At that place, a gigantic black ring was spinning in the air around the two Spiritual Emperors, while sweat dripped from their faces as if they were melting.


    At the same time, Minos and Abby were on the back of a black-haired Winged Tiger, constantly shifting positions, while mirrors swirled around them, protecting them.


    Abby appeared pale on Maida''s back as Minos stood by her side. Meanwhile, he was constantly countering the opponent''s blows and sometimes using his mental technique to put them under pressure.


    However, although Minos could already deal with a level 61 Spiritual Emperor with some ease in ordinary situations, the current situation was not normal at all.


    p????-?o??? He had already expended too much of his energy to deal with most of that group. He was also unable to absorb energy as efficiently from those two as he could from peak Spiritual Kings.


    Because of this, Minos was getting weaker and weaker in this battle, rather than maintaining his condition as he had usually been doing in his fights in recent months.


    However, as hard as things were for him and Abby, the situation for the other two was not good either.


    They had already been affected mentally by Minos'' technique and lost much of their energy to the Devouring Art and their own techniques.


    With that, when they saw the arrival of Minos'' reinforcements, they almost went crazy with hatred seeing the people who should have been their allies until some days ago.


    "Oh?"


    "Looks like we made it in time!" Jade said in satisfaction, feeling joy at seeing young Stuart alive and well.


    And realizing he had endured fighting two Spiritual Emperors and still eliminating a third, she could not help but feel a particular pride in her relationship with him.


    In fact, every millimeter of her body was ''screaming'' that her relationship with this superior man was more than right.


    That was something she had to do!


    "Carlines..." Clayton said this amidst his gasping breath.


    "Are you truly going to take that demon''s orders? There is still time to repair your mistakes!"


    "Join us to eliminate this nuisance!"


    But Jade did not like to hear this and ordered. "Don''t listen to these weaklings!"


    "Minos is already our leader, and we have to help him deal with those vermin!"


    After hearing that, the two Spiritual Emperors of her group nodded in agreement.


    Neither of them was here because they had differences with Minos.


    No, they genuinely did not care about this fellow. They just wanted their families'' patronage, something promised by the regional forces to attract their descendants in this challenging time.


    And since it would also be no advantage to stand against the son of someone who could soon become a Spiritual Saint, these two were more than happy to follow Jade''s orders!


    "Your Majesty, rest assured. These two will not breathe for much longer!" One of them said this as he jumped off the back of his mount and flew in the direction of where Minos'' party was standing.


    On the other hand, as the second Spiritual Emperor joined the battle, Minos shouted in Jade''s direction, "The rest of you, get down and see what happened to the people I knocked down!"


    "If anyone survived, don''t hesitate to execute them!"


    Gulp!


    The peak Spiritual Kings of the Carline family looked down, barely able to see the ground below them.


    ''Anyone survives that? Impossible!'' One of them thought of this as he felt a chill run down his spine.


    However, none of them tried to debate with Minos, and soon Jade''s group left that area and made their way to the ground below young Stuart''s team.


    ...

 Chapter 989 The Consequence Of Falling A Thousand Meters Off The Ground

    Chapter 989 The Consequence Of Falling A Thousand Meters Off The Ground


    As Jade''s group descended through the skies of that region, Minos, Abby, Maida, and the two Spiritual Emperors of the Carline family remained there.


    However, now with the arrival of these two reinforcements, the situation of Minos'' two enemies had changed considerably, and their expressions could not help but show it.


    Against just Minos and Abby, they were already feeling great difficulties, so now, with two more people of the same level as them, any chance they had here had been obliterated!


    "Damn!"


    "You will pay for this, Carlines!" Clayton Silva shouted in despair, cursing these people who had betrayed the region and sided with the sordid Minos.


    However, those two were not worried about the threats made by two dying people on the edge of the precipice of life.


    Both were at level 61, and so were their enemies. Moreover, the two were at their peak state, while Minos'' two enemies were already highly worn out.


    In fact, as they circled that area, preparing to attack their opponents, Minos continued to absorb his opponents'' energies while ignoring their reinforcements.


    "Bastards!"


    "I''ll at least take one of you with me!" The Brown family member said this while releasing a strong killing intent, looking in the direction of Minos and Abby.


    "Oh?"


    "I want to see you try!" Minos'' eyes flashed brightly as finally, his two reinforcements began to attack.p????-?????.???


    Then, in the blink of an eye, various energy forms appeared again in the surroundings, as Minos and Abby constantly dodged enemy attacks, but now with more freedom to counterattack.


    Their two reinforcements were helpful, and every time the two enemies approached Minos and Abby, they made life even more difficult for those enemies.


    By having more space, Minos was acting more effectively, further eroding his opponents'' physical and mental defenses, making it easier for his team to win!


    ...


    As the battle in the skies over that region continued, Jade''s group finally landed in the vicinity where Minos'' enemies should have fallen.


    In that area, when looking from afar, one would see several piles of flesh in the middle of a semi-desert area. In contrast, bloodstains could be seen over an area of tens of square meters.


    But these stains were not regular since the beings that fell there, especially the beasts, had fallen at different points, creating a disorganized ''painting'' in the area.


    And seeing this up close, the people in Jade''s group almost vomited the contents of their stomachs, as none of them had ever seen anything like this.


    They had already fought many battles and seen deaths occur in various forms. But they had never seen anyone die from falling from great heights. And seeing the pieces of flesh that remained of their enemies'' beasts, they were face to face with a grotesque scene.


    Spiritual beasts were naturally large beings. And, given that each of those beings was previously the size of a 50 square meter house, 5 meters high, falling a thousand meters had resulted in the complete obliteration of their bodies!


    Not only that, but the smell of blood mixed with these beings'' feces was already contaminating the air, making an odor no better than the smell of impurities released by cultivators. p???? ?o???


    As it was not pleasant to smell other people''s impurities, those people from the Carline family were not in a comfortable situation!


    "Damn!"


    "That smell is too intense!" One of them commented as he brought one of his hands to his nose.


    "Hmm, but I must say that is truly shocking. I never thought that beasts with such large and strong bodies would end up like that."


    "Look at that..." He pointed in the direction of the body of a level 59 Spiritual King. "A mere human didn''t have his body obliterated, but such massive beasts did."


    But this man was just ignorant of Natural Laws.


    A larger being might seem more resilient concerning specific parameters, but being large and massive was a significant disadvantage when it came to free falls!


    In fact, some small animals, such as rats, could even survive falls of a few dozen meters. But the same fall would obliterate an elephant.


    And for the massive beasts used by the Brown family group, the situation had only worsened, reaching the current result.


    That was also why the humans in Thomas'' group had not suffered as much as the beasts, and several could still be recognized even after death.


    In any case, while they were impressed by the result of Minos'' mere glances, those people finally began to check the condition of the human bodies there. ¦Ñ???????????


    After a while, they finally confirmed the death of each of the level 59 Spiritual Kings, among them King Brown, who died while having a look of fear in his eyes and holding a teleportation array cut in half.


    "Sigh..."


    ''This is all your fault, Thomas.'' Jade thought to herself as she looked at the highly bruised body of that regional peak Spiritual King. ''You were a fool who let Minos grow up and a clown for insisting on your mistakes.''


    ''Well, now you''ve paid for all that.'' She took the spatial ring from that man just before looking at the people in her group and ordering them to collect the items from the dead.


    ''At least now Minos will be able to carry on with his plans without further interference, and we can get back to doing business instead of fighting relentlessly.'' She smiled quietly. ''That will be better!''


    However, as she thought about the bright future ahead of them, the voice of one of her family members alerted her to something.


    "Look out! There''s a survivor!"


    "What?"


    "How could it be? How could anyone survive that fall?"


    People in the surrounding area began to say things in disbelief as they turned to the body moving with difficulty in that area.


    Jade then looked at such a person with an incredulous expression on her face but soon understood the situation. "That''s the enemy Spiritual Emperor who wasn''t fighting those two earlier!"


    "Oh?"


    "So, Spiritual Emperors have such endurance?"


    "It doesn''t matter!"


    "What do we do now, Your Majesty?" Someone there asked Jade, as their group already surrounded that individual.


    "Let''s kill him!" She ordered without hesitation. "He is extremely injured, and knowing Minos, I am sure that such a person is more vulnerable than we imagined."


    "Kill a Spiritual Emperor?" Some there felt doubts emerge in their hearts because they had never done anything so daring before.


    "Would you people rather let him recover and then kill us?" She shouted at them, unhappy that her family had such cowardly individuals.


    After hearing that, those men swallowed their saliva in anticipation just before they began to circulate their energies into their techniques.


    Golden Threads!


    Hammer of Heaven!


    ...


    Blue Lightning!


    Then, several attacks formed in the air just before they were thrown against that Spirit Emperor, who was not even conscious at the moment.


    BOOM!


    Strong winds spread across the area as the dust was lifted into the air by the shockwaves left by those people''s attacks.


    Meanwhile, drops of blood began to fly around the surroundings, departing from the now mutilated body of that Spiritual Emperor.


    p????-?o??? That individual would usually be invincible against those people. But with his defenses at a minimum, nay, in a shameful state, his body could not withstand the attacks of mere Spiritual Kings.


    Consequently, he died amid his nightmares, still being tortured by Minos!


    "Phew!"


    "It''s finally over!" Someone there said so, feeling that there was no more to worry them in that place.


    King Brown was dead. All the peak Spiritual Kings of the Brown Kingdom who had come from the Flaming Empire were also on their way to the underworld. At the same time, they had eliminated a Spiritual Emperor, and as they looked up to the skies, they knew that it was all over.


    After all, at this very moment, two human bodies were rapidly falling from the sky, while a beast and four humans were slowly descending from their positions.


    ''They''re finished too, huh?'' Jade smiled as she looked at young Stuart, ''What shall we do now?''


    After that, Minos finally got off Maida''s back, heading towards his opponents'' two dead bodies.


    ...

 Chapter 990 Results 1

    Chapter 990 Results 1


    After stopping beside the body of that Silva family descendant, Minos observed him for a while, seeing the many cuts and bruises that had gone through the silver armor of such an individual.


    ''This bastard has caused a lot of trouble for me... I can''t forgive the Silva family after that.'' In silence, he thought about it, finally stooping down beside the two corpses to collect their spatial rings.


    As Minos did this, it was not long before Jade approached him, carrying a bunch of spatial rings in her hands. "We collected these items from the people you eliminated." She said in a low voice as she stood beside him.


    "Hmm, thank you." Minos nodded without looking at her, still lowered in that place as he checked out the items from those people.


    They were the first Spiritual Emperors that Minos had eliminated. So, it was only natural for him to be curious about the ''inheritance'' left by them.


    ''Let''s start with this guy from the Silva family...'' He began to probe that ring, but soon a contemptuous expression appeared on his face.


    ''That''s it? Even regional Spiritual Kings would have more than that!''


    Unfortunately for young Stuart, Clayton had used almost all of the Silva family''s resources to pay for the assassination missions against him. And precisely because of that, the items in this person''s spatial ring were ordinary.


    There are things like grade-2 arrays and artifacts, many pills of the same rank, and some Warrior-grade medicines. As for spiritual techniques, Clayton had left a few Black-grade copies, but that was no big deal for the Black Plain Army, which already had hundreds of those.


    Other than that, the number of crystals there was so small that Minos did not waste his time counting.p????-?????.???


    Instead, he simply started checking the spatial rings of the other two Spiritual Emperors.


    And after some time there in silence, he still could not find any higher quality techniques than Black-grade ones.


    However, he had obtained reasonable amounts of spiritual crystals this time, at least by regional standards.


    He had obtained more than 100 million low-grade and 200,000 medium-grade crystals in those two rings. But, on the other hand, there were dozens of high-level grade-2 arrays, support equipment in there, and some low-level grade-3 pills.


    Finally, when the items left by the Flaming Empire''s peak Spiritual Kings were added to those left by Thomas, the total accumulated value was three times that of the two Spiritual Emperors.


    ''Nothing too impressive considering the origin of these people. But that will probably be enough for the Black Plain to bankroll the construction of Naval City-1.'' Minos pondered this, finding today''s earnings interesting.


    Except for King Brown, each of the people killed on this occasion were just ordinary people in the Flaming Empire. However, they had lived for several hundred years and had accumulated reserves to use for step advancement opportunities.


    Considering this, an amount that would be a great wealth in this region was easily collected from less than ten people.


    Anyway, after he finished counting his earnings, as he looked at Thomas'' corpse, Minos felt a little better because he had finally killed that king. p???? ?o???


    This person had escaped his clutches on several occasions and caused a lot of trouble for the Black Plain during the war.


    Moreover, as the leader of the state that was fighting the Black Plain rebellion, Thomas was, in a way, the one most responsible for the war of independence.


    Therefore, with his death, the regional situation could change more readily, and Minos understood this very well!


    "Well, thank you for your cooperation, Jade. Your group was helpful on this occasion." He said to her as he rose from his place and looked at the people there.


    Jade smiled in satisfaction and commented. "We only did the minimum to avoid more trouble..."


    "But what will we do now?"


    "Good question." He then walked toward his woman, who was still on Maida''s back. "All of you," Minos said aloud to the descendants of House Carline. "I want you to stay in the region until the Spiritual Church removes the previous order."


    "That..."


    "But what are we going to do? We have come to fight the war against you... Maybe we will do it from your side?" Someone asked in a low voice. ¦Ñ???????????


    Minos then replied. "No. Instead of fighting at the end of the war, I want you to return to your state and take care of the situation in your kingdom."


    "The region has suffered greatly from the recent power imbalance, with many families neglecting their territories to fight against me." He looked at Jade, citing the problems created by the regional families.


    "Now, the Kingdom of the End belongs to me."


    "However, I don''t like the idea of having a messy ''house.''"


    "Clean up my ''house'' for me. Then, when I go to make my agreement with King Carline official, I hope to find that kingdom in order, ready to serve me." He said this firmly, without giving those people room to question his wishes.


    Minos sought to restore the regional institutions'' functionality and prepare the local powers to assist him in making a controlled migration to the Black Plain.


    After independence, he knew that millions of people would want to join the state that ''single-handedly'' won the entire region. After all, the strongest places always became the richest and thus were the best opportunities for cultivators of all backgrounds.


    However, as much as Minos always had problems with the lack of people in his territory, this did not mean that he would open his ''doors'' to millions at once!


    No, it would be impossible for the Black Plain to absorb so many people at once, considering the production power of only Dry City.


    After all, these migrants would not come to the Black Plain to work for free!


    As such, he needed institutions outside the Black Plain that were strong and operational to make such a thing work.


    Hence his earlier order.


    "How much time do we have for that?" Jade asked in determination.


    "One year."


    "After that, I will go to your state capital to sort it out." He said as he winked at her, making Jade shiver at the thought of already having a ''date'' set with Minos.


    "Alright, we''ll do that!" She expressed before finally saying goodbye.


    As that group took off toward the north, Abby approached Minos with an accusing look. Still, she did not talk about how sinful his relationship with Jade was.


    Abby obviously knew about how Minos had already conquered Jade''s body since, as his wife, it was effortless for her to recognize strange smells on his body.


    And as much as she thought it was immoral, she did not blame Minos.


    p????-?o??? After all, whose fault was it but Jade''s own? She was the one cheating on her own husband!


    Minos had the option of not doing something so immoral, of course. But at the end of the day, everything depended on Jade. She was the one who decided whether to cheat or not!


    With that in mind, Abby despised that woman but did not judge her man so much.


    "My love, what shall we do now? Shall we look for the other groups?" Abby asked as she hugged Minos'' right arm.


    She was pretty pale right now as her energy reserves had been depleted in the previous fight. But she was still able to stand beside Minos and be more concerned about what to do now than her rest.


    "Let''s go back to Dry City."


    "In a few days, Blake and Wilfred''s group will visit us to complete their agreement with us and have the execution of Charles Walker."


    "After that, I will be able to use the Snow and Walker families to help me eliminate some problems..." He thought about the remnants of the Silva, Collins, and Reid families.


    He still had to deal with the Brown and Cromwell families. So, he did not personally intend to deal with those houses.


    With that, he was ready to use his subordinates!


    "Well, come on!" He picked her up on his lap and carried her over Maida''s back, making that woman laugh aloud as Maisie and Ruth approached that area.


    After a brief conversation between the parties, they set off toward Dry City!

 Chapter 991 Results 2

    Chapter 991 Results 2


    After Minos'' departure, a few hours passed as the group of Stone, Snow, and Walker families finished their business.


    However, unlike Minos'' group, which had eliminated their opponents, the same was not true of that other party.


    The people on their side were less heaven-defying than Minos. Their enemies also had more effective escape abilities against their pursuers than those in Thomas'' group.


    Therefore, even considering the numerical disadvantage of the Cromwell family group, part of its members had escaped alive from the bloody pursuit of the Black Plain''s allied and subordinate forces.


    However, only one Spiritual Emperor was among the survivors, and only two Spiritual Kings had remained alive. Apart from them, all the other Cromwell Kingdom members in that group had fallen not long after the departure of that Spiritual Church camp.


    On the other hand, even the survivors had gotten significant injuries to the point that they would certainly need quite a while to recover to their peak states.


    After all the confrontation that had developed over tens of kilometers of that part of the Kingdom of the Waves, the pursuers had finally given up their operation, as they could no longer continue.


    Chasing and fighting opponents of virtually the same level was not easy, even for groups with a numerical advantage. And since none of these people benefited from absorbing their opponents'' energy, there were no more conditions to continue at a certain point in the battle.


    Therefore, after losing track of the survivors, the group composed of the forces from the three kingdoms finally stopped their work.


    And just at this moment, they were gathered in the middle of nowhere, resting while they decided what to do.


    ...p????-?????.???


    "All the bodies and items left behind by the dead have already been collected or dealt with, Your Majesty." A Spiritual King said this formally to King Snow, who was sitting on a tree trunk, eyes closed and with a severe expression.


    "How many of us fell this day?" Adam asked in a deep tone.


    "From our kingdom, it was two people. From our group, five."


    "Sigh..."


    "And to think they even managed to eliminate some of us even considering our numerical advantage..." Lorelei said in a low voice, but everyone there heard her very well.


    Someone from the Walker family then said. "There is nothing to do. The enemies had a level 62 Spiritual Emperor, someone stronger than those in our group."


    "If it weren''t for that bastard, none of this would have happened!"


    "Tsk!"


    "That''s right. And to make matters worse, the damn bastard still managed to escape..." A Spiritual Emperor from the Stone family said this while feeling a bitter taste in his mouth.


    They had won, but the sensation that the strongest ones there were feeling was no different from the one that came with defeats. p???? ?o???


    Therefore, most people there were not satisfied with the present situation.


    "What do we do with these three survivors? Do we send an investigative team to follow their tracks? Or do we leave it at that?" One of the descendants coming from the Flaming Empire asked this in doubt.


    "No."


    "It''s too dangerous to chase those people." A Spiritual Emperor said this in a tone full of certainty. "Investigating the escape route of a Spiritual Emperor is almost impossible without the help or participation of other Spiritual Emperors."


    "On the other hand, on an escape, the side that has to hide can have a lot of advantage over traps or surprise attacks. And considering that the enemy is stronger than us, chasing him longer could result in many deaths!"


    "Ah, that''s true."


    "But come to think of it, there are only three individuals, and they all came here from the empire to help their families. So, I don''t think they will try to get involved in these matters again."


    Someone there nodded in agreement. "They will most likely quietly recover and then leave the region."


    "It''s best to leave those people alone."


    Chasing these survivors was quite problematic since one could fly, and the others were old foxes over a thousand years old who knew well how to hide. ¦Ñ???????????


    With that, plus the disadvantage in terms of those people''s investigative skills, hardly anyone there thought it wise to go after the three descendants of the Cromwell Kingdom.


    "What do we do now?" The person from the Walker family who was standing there in Blake''s place asked those two influential figures in this region.


    Adam and Lorelei then looked at each other before this woman said something. "My group will return to the Black Plain, where there is still a war to be fought."


    "But I think we should send one of us to report what happened to Minos."


    "Hmm, that''s true..." Adam nodded in agreement and then continued. "My group will proceed to Dry City."


    That person from Blake''s group then commented. "Well, then we will see there soon. Our family will also have to go to that city in the next few weeks..."


    "I hope it all works out in the end."


    "But I wonder what happened to the other group..."


    "Who knows... But anyway, we''ll find that out in a few more days."


    And with that, those people continued for some more time in that area, before finally leaving towards their respective destinations.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the capital of the Brown Kingdom...


    A few minutes had passed since the death of Thomas Brown when suddenly chaos began to spread through the local royal palace.


    Just when the people remaining in this family''s headquarters were awaiting the results of the peace negotiation attempt, the most crucial soul''s lamp in this place had lost its light!


    When this happened, the person responsible for looking at the place where this lamp was located almost had a heart attack with fright due to the terror of this fact.


    p????-?o??? Even though two kings had died recently, one of them had died of ''natural'' causes, and only James had been killed in battle. But even so, violent deaths of kings were infrequent in the recent history of this region, which naturally affected the views of the people of this place.


    Because of this, when the news that Thomas had died spread, almost all the people in that headquarters had suffered a severe blow, with many of them losing their hopes.


    And those most affected, of course, had been the individuals previously closest to that king, his children, and his wives.


    When they found out about his death, each of Thomas'' wives lost the look of pride on their faces, the joy of life they had always had.


    Some loved him dearly and wished they could die in his place. But others just loved him enough to have been happy by his side.


    However, even these were finished since one of the best things about their lives was over, their status as the king''s wives.


    Even though one of them might become the Queen Mother, none had much interest in this position in a weak state, which was soon likely to be dominated by a rebel region of their own kingdom.


    That was the end of the ambitions of many of them!


    As for Thomas'' children, the Crown Prince was already preparing to take over his old father''s position, feeling doubly bad about this situation. He had always longed for the local throne. But not only was the loss of his father terrible but taking over the Brown Kingdom in the worst crisis of its history was even worse.


    Finally, Diana was one of the most inconsolable people in this family. She was one of the few who loved her father without hidden interests and who had experienced part of that man''s last moments.


    She had never expected that such a time at the Spiritual Church camp would be her last time seeing her old father...


    Thinking about it already scared her terribly, making her almost lose her mind for having failed to resolve her family''s situation with Minos. That was even more intense considering that she probably should have died alongside her father since if it had not been for him, she would have certainly continued with that now-dead group.


    However, it was now too late to mourn the if. Thomas Brown was dead, and the Brown Kingdom had no choice but to accept the terrible legacy left by this man!


    Now was the time for these people''s life choices!

 Chapter 992 News

    Chapter 992 News


    Two days later...


    Time passed, and several groups arrived in Dry City in the last 24 hours.


    Not only had many of the Black Plain''s soldiers, allies, and high-level subordinates returned from the battlefield after the previous operation, but so had Minos and his group.


    They had traveled quickly from their previous locations to this city and were already preparing for the future actions of Dry City.


    The war still had a lot to go on until its conclusion, and there was still the threat of assassins from the Flaming Empire lurking around this place.


    Consequently, the people of the local forces could not relax at this moment when everything was finally moving towards victory and independence of the Black Plain.


    At the same time, some of young Stuart''s subordinates and allies who had participated in the previous peace negotiation attempt had also arrived in Dry City.


    In fact, the group of Adam Snow and Lorelei Stone had just passed through one of the entrances to that city and were riding on their beasts toward the place where young Stuart was supposed to be.


    As they did so, all the people with them were watching intently the Dry City, this place that was completely different from what they had learned or even thought about.


    Even those descendants coming from the Flaming Empire were surprised at the sight of this place.p????-?????.???


    But not only that, when trying to check the power of the people in the surroundings, they had promptly had considerable surprises, as the population of this place did not look normal!


    In fact, the average strength of the inhabitants of Dry City was so high that these people no longer saw this place as a city but as a massive headquarters!


    But this was not surprising. After months of no significant population additions and time for those who were already there mature, the local average level had returned to level 40, which was unusually high for a place in this region. That was even more so considering that this was not a tiny place but a city with hundreds of thousands of inhabitants!


    Thus, sensing the absurd amount of people above level 45 in that city, those people were impressed.


    "There are already over 100 Spiritual Kings here!" Adam Snow commented to his group, impressed that so many regional experts were in Dry City, even when the war had not yet ended.


    And indeed, the number of Spiritual Kings from the local forces was well past 100, but a portion of them was around the Black Plain for the sake of the war. Otherwise, almost 180 individuals at this stage would be found in this city!


    Lorelei then nodded to that king, looking from one side of the avenue they were passing. "This place already looks better than some regional capitals."


    "There are so many services. People seem to live so well here, even those who do common services..." She sincerely commented as she looked at the citizens, among them those patrolling the streets.


    A Spiritual Emperor from that group then said. "Most importantly, the look on the faces of many of these people does not look like that of citizens of a city at war against the entire region." p???? ?o???


    "It seems that either they are very committed to independence, or the opportunities here are so good that war itself does not scare them from this place."


    "Maybe it''s both..." Adam said in a low voice, also observing the ordinary citizens of this city.


    And while they were talking, they passed in front of the Bank of the Black Plain, from where dozens of people came and went, each of them smiling as they left that place.


    It was as if they had just done the best thing of their lives.


    But that made no sense to those people.


    "A back, huh?" Lorelei muttered to herself. "It seems that soon the banks of the Kingdom of the End will lose all their space in the region..."


    "But I wonder why there is so much movement in that place... After all, most of the local citizens shouldn''t need that service." So, Adam expressed to the people next to him.


    "Who knows... Maybe there''s something different about that bank." That woman commented in interest, looking at the beautiful giant golden tree that decorated the front of that building.


    "Some of us should try to get to know the basics of this place." ¦Ñ???????????


    "Yes, since we are allies or subordinates of Minos, there is no reason why we shouldn''t learn a little about this city."


    ...


    After a while, those people met Minos in this young man''s office, where they told him what had happened in their pursuit.


    At the same time, they offered the items collected from their dead enemies since it would not be good if they kept them for themselves without at least talking to him.


    In the end, Minos had kept the spatial rings of the Spiritual Emperors killed by their groups, leaving the significant valuables left by the Spiritual Kings to be divided among them.


    On the other hand, Minos wasted no time and soon gave his orders to Adam to use his troops in the Brown Kingdom to exterminate the Silva family.


    p????-?o??? The people of that family had already passed his limits, and now only death awaited them.


    And as an individual who knew that he should not refuse Minos'' orders, Adam silently accepted such a thing, mourning for the poor bastards who had stood in this ruler''s way.


    Finally, he received his last order concerning the return of the Snow Kingdom troops to that state once such a mission was done.


    Just as he had told the Carline family to stabilize the situation in their state, Minos told Adam to do this in the Snow Kingdom.


    After giving his orders to that old man, Minos talked a bit with Lorelei about Stone Island''s cooperation with the Black Plain.


    But because of the unique situation of that allied state of his, young Stuart had not needed to ask Lorelei to deal with possible chaos on that island.


    There was no such thing in that place!


    Finally, trade relations between the regional kingdoms were about to start returning to normal, and in a few weeks, Minos was already expecting the previous sanctions to lose all their effect.


    With this, he would finally be able to expand his business on Stone Island again!


    After these most important conversations, the young Stuart invited those two to participate in the execution of Charles Walker, something that was to take place in the following weeks.


    However, only Lorelei agreed to stay for such a thing, while King Snow used the excuse of solving problems in his state not to have to participate in that.


    After this, they said their goodbyes, with those two people heading towards hotels in this city, intent on learning more about this place.


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, a week had passed.


    And while Minos remained in Dry City taking care of his business, the entire northern region of the Central Continent was shocked by the terrible news of the war on the Black Plain.


    After more than two years of war against the rebels on the Black Plain, the Brown Kingdom had finally lost its king, who had been killed shortly after what the Northern News called the Red Slaughter.


    At the same time, the Night News also published stories about the deaths of even Spiritual Emperors. Yet, the death of over 100,000 people on the Black Plain was named the Uprising of the Oppressed.


    But regardless of who these periodicals were more favorable to, their news shocked the entire region since never before in history had such a brutal massacre happened in these areas.


    Even powerful Spiritual Emperors, cultivators that most people of this region could only imagine in their dreams, had fallen on the Black Plain!


    That was simply astonishing!


    Many were already trembling with fear at the thought of Minos. Still, with this news, the entire regional population began to see the Black Plain closer to the Flaming Empire while distancing itself from the local kingdoms.


    That was now a place that was soon to become the strongest state in the region, an area with a powerful and ruthless leader, just the way the weaker ones liked it.


    Being ruthless might sound terrible, but the leaders who were most able to keep the lives of those with less prestige were just that. After all, weakness and inability to act were what usually brought down dynasties, not dominating power!


    Hence, the northern region was half a step away from entering a new era of its history!


    ...

 Chapter 993 Regional Movements

    Chapter 993 Regional Movements


    While the whole region was discussing the recent events of the war on the Black Plain, several rumors were gaining power because of this recent news.


    Among the most popular rumors were those about the victory of the Black Plain in the war, with the subordination of the Kingdom of the Waves, Snow Kingdom, and the Kingdom of the End.


    Since Minos'' recent trip, rumors concerning this were already circulating in the northern region of the Central Continent as it genuinely made some sense to talk about such things after the acts of young Stuart.


    However, with the departure of the Kingdom of the Waves troops from the Black Plain and the suspicion that the Snow family had participated in the recent massacre, the rumors had become far more credible.


    Thus, the idea that the Black Plain would win the war in a matter of days or weeks was already circulating through every neighborhood in this region, with millions already planning what to do.


    Since the state of Minos would gain its independence any day now, then it was time for the region to consider the Black Plain more seriously in its plans.


    Some were already thinking of migrating to that territory once the conflict was officially ended. Others, on the other hand, did not want to move until the Black Plain was settled.


    After all, one did not build a state overnight, and strength alone did not guarantee the best opportunities or quality of life. Not in the short term.


    But one way or another, the Black Plain seemed to be the future, and even those with no interest in moving their residences were watching this place, preparing to invest.


    There was no good notion of investments in the Spiritual World. Still, prominent families and organizations knew how to expand their brands and products.p????-?????.???


    And since the Black Plain was presumably a place with few options, there was certainly plenty of room for these regional powers to expand across that still desert territory.


    With that, the movements of the major regional players had already begun!


    But as rich or ordinary people were preparing for the rise of the Black Plain, the royal families now subordinate to Minos were already acting to carry out his orders.


    The groups that had met young Stuart earlier had not yet returned to their capitals, of course. Still, they all had already sent notifications to their families. And as crows were truly fast, each of these powers already knew what they had to do from now on.


    The Carline, Snow, and Walker families were already beginning to work to bring order to their states, slowly starting to notify their partners of the changes in command in their families and region.


    Now there was no longer any need to hide the truth about their position regarding the Black Plain, so they were already preparing to confirm the regional rumors!


    At the same time that all this was happening in the northernmost kingdoms of this region, the Brown Kingdom was in complete chaos from the events.


    With the death of Thomas, the Spiritual Emperors, and peak Spiritual Kings coming from the Flaming Empire, the Brown family had lost any condition to fight against the Black Plain.


    They, of course, could try to keep striving, but that would only guarantee more deaths in the long run, without much chance of victory. p???? ?o???


    And precisely because of this reality, the very families still loyal to House Brown were already beginning to move toward ending the war!


    They wanted House Brown to assume defeat and recognize the Black Plains as an independent state!


    On the other hand, in the Cromwell Kingdom, the situation was still tumultuous due to the uncertainty of the local powers about what happened to their leaders.


    Several high-level members of this family had been eliminated recently. However, the strongest Spiritual Emperor was still alive, so this state had not yet reached a point of giving up.


    ...


    While the region''s natural order began to shift, Blake waited for his brother in Yellow City, from where he planned to travel to Black Plain once Wilfred caught up with him.


    After more than a week since Blake''s first encounter with Minos since the attack against the headquarters of House Walker, this future king of the Kingdom of the Waves had already managed to notify his brother.


    In fact, Wilfred was already on the move and should reach this place in two weeks at most, when they could finally try to get their mothers back by signing agreements with Minos.


    On the other hand, while waiting for Wilfred, Blake was already beginning to get used to the idea of losing part of his territory to the Black Plain. ¦Ñ???????????


    After staying in this region, now dominated by the Cohen family and the Black Plain Army, he had understood that Minos intended to keep these areas for himself.


    And considering the strength that Minos currently had on his side, as well as the subordinate status that Blake would confirm through Soul Contracts, this man did not expect to regain this territory.


    For him, this was another significant loss since his family had always taken great pride in having control of the largest state in the region in terms of area and population.


    But now, with this loss, they would probably match the Snow Kingdom, losing such a position.


    As for the Black Plain, well, nobody knew exactly how big this place would be as the Brown Kingdom and the Cromwell Kingdom still had a lot to lose from the war...


    p????-?o??? In any case, Blake was already getting used to the idea of having to lose so many things to the Black Plain and was no longer stressing himself so much on such matters.


    ...


    Meanwhile, at the south exit of Dry City...


    After more than a week in this city, Kara was finally leaving for the Flaming Empire, where she had to report to her sect.


    This woman had come to this place before Minos went to the Spiritual Church camp. After that, she stayed there all these days, having had some fun with young Stuart during this period.


    However, if she wanted to stay longer in this region, she would have to return to the Gray Clouds Sect, so she did not stay longer in this area.


    In any case, she was more than satisfied with her recent experiences and was saying goodbye to Minos at this very moment.


    "Well, I guess you''ll already be a king the next time I see you." She smiled at him as she gently squeezed his shoulders.


    "Hehe, probably." He did not refute her words as he watched her eyes. "What will you do after you return to the empire?"


    "Well, I''m still a disciple, so I have a lot of things to do until I get to a good position like you here..." She said as she remembered the lifestyle of Minos, Abby, and Ruth.


    "In any case, I probably won''t return to this region for some time, but I will definitely stop by here in Dry City to see my friends again in the future..."


    "Is that so?"


    "Hehe, that''s fine then. Good luck on your journey."


    "Once I set my feet outside this region, I will pay you a visit."


    After this, Minos gave a strong farewell hug to that woman who had ambitions to grow in the Flaming Empire.


    The two had enjoyed their time together, but what there was between the two was a simply animalistic desire for each other. Besides that, each of the two had different goals and did not have what it took for a more complex relationship.


    Precisely because of this, neither of them felt bad about this farewell and were just grateful for their time together, something they would certainly keep in their memories.


    With that, it was not long before the two separated, and Kara took off from that region on a borrowed spiritual beast, quickly heading south.


    After seeing that woman disappear over the horizon, Minos returned to his city, ready to continue his life in this place.


    As he did so, Ruth, who was nearby, soon stood side by side with him, interested in solving a curiosity, with relief on her face. "What do you think of Kara? I thought you two would have a more long-term relationship, but I got it wrong..."


    "Oh?"


    "Well, I..."

 Chapter 994 Time To Clean Up

    Chapter 994 Time To Clean Up


    "I think she''s great, but I don''t feel the same way about her as I do concerning you and Abby," Minos replied sincerely to Ruth as he felt her hands around one of his arms.


    Ruth smiled softly and said. "That''s better. I don''t think it would be good for you and her to have more than just fun anyway."


    "Oh? Why is that? Were you jealous of her, Ruth?"


    p????-?o??? "I''m not saying I was jealous, but, indeed, I don''t want you constantly chasing other women..."


    "But I don''t think Kara would be a good woman for you because she is too libertine." She looked into his eyes, ready to inform this man of some things she knew.


    "Libertine? I don''t disagree, haha." Minos laughed, confident that this was Kara''s case, or she would not have given in to him in the previous situation when he had such high demands on her family.


    On the other hand, even if Minos was ignorant on this point, the very behavior of that woman in bed was a great warning of her personality.


    Unlike Abby and Ruth, who had given him trouble to conquer and had taken time to evolve their skills in bed, Kara was an authentic sex goddess!


    And in Minos'' experience, a woman with so much energy in bed, and techniques to satisfy her partner, would hardly not have an extremely active sex life.


    And people like this usually had several partners.


    As such, he agreed perfectly with the description used by Ruth to describe Kara.p????-?????.???


    But then he heard something he did not expect. "Hmm, but her level of debauchery is a little higher than you think." She smiled as she stopped the two of them walking, brought her lips to his right ear, and whispered. "I once saw her and Ford having sex."


    "What?" Hearing that, young Stuart exclaimed this in shock as he looked in disbelief at his beautiful fianc¨¦e, "Is that serious?"


    She nodded in agreement. "Hmmm. I almost couldn''t believe it when I saw it, but it was indeed both of them."


    "Unbelievable!"


    "Or maybe not..." He looked down at the ground as he remembered how Ford had reacted after discovering that his precious sister had played with him. ''Now it all makes sense!''


    ''That fellow''s reaction was way over the top for someone who just had his sister fucked by me...''


    ''And come to think of it, by Jade''s ways, that hadn''t been her first time seeing Kara having sex with someone.''


    ''Hmmm, she definitely knew about the forbidden relationship between those two!'' Minos'' eyes widened in interest, finding that family''s affair curious.


    Minos naturally did not judge the wishes of others. To him, as long as each party involved wanted such a thing and did it with discretion, he honestly would not mind.


    He particularly would not recommend it, but hell, who was he to judge others? p???? ?o???


    And, of course, he felt pretty interested in relationships like this between women. After all, it was a magnificent experience, and he knew this very well...


    Viola and Mirya had shown him that!


    Minos then looked at his fianc¨¦e and asked. "And why did you only tell me this now? I''m sure you''ve known this for a long time..."


    She looked away from his gaze and explained. "Before, I didn''t want to expose a friend telling such secrets."


    "Uh? And now you aren''t friends anymore?"


    "We are still friends. But since you and she had your adventures, you deserved to know the truth about her." She looked at him again with a loving expression on her face. "I wouldn''t let you get more seriously involved with her without telling you that."


    "So that''s it..." He laughed, pleased that his woman had told him this.


    ''But I wonder how the relationship of those two will turn out? What that fellow saw in his father''s royal throne room is not something for everyone...''


    ''Haha, never mind. When I see her again, I''ll try to talk to her about it.'' He laughed internally but did not feel bad for everything that had happened.


    Ford had decided to spy on his sister having sex with Minos. And hell, young Stuart had nothing to do with those two''s relationship. ¦Ñ???????????


    If they had a commitment and she still gave herself up to Minos, then that was Kara and Ford''s problem, not young Stuart''s.


    And at the end of the day, Kara probably had other partners. So, if she was important to Ford, this man already had plenty of problems besides Minos!


    With this in mind, Minos quietly returned to his mansion at Ruth''s side.


    ...


    A few days later.


    After leaving the Spiritual Church camp, Gloria had traveled directly to the capital of the Kingdom of the Waves, where she had just arrived.


    With this, she was interested in ending her affairs in this kingdom at once by having the coronation ceremony for the new king of this state.


    However, unfortunately for her, upon arriving at the local royal palace, she found a slightly different situation than she expected.


    "Archbishop Frost, I am sorry to inform you, but the future king and his brother are not in the capital." One of the strongest individuals left in this place after the invasion of Minos said this in an apologetic tone.


    Upon hearing such a thing, the eyebrows of that beautiful red-haired woman rose, and she asked. "They are not here? I know Prince Blake will probably take a few days to finish his journey back, but what about Wilfred? Why isn''t he around?"


    "That..."


    "Archbishop Frost, don''t you know about the recent news?" That man who had his head down until then looked at her briefly as he asked this in doubt.


    "Of course, I know about the recent news. Who wouldn''t follow that at such a decisive moment?" She replied as she remembered how much Minos had surprised her.


    She already knew that he would try to eliminate those people from the Brown Kingdom and the Cromwell Kingdom. Still, she had never expected that things would develop so easily for him!


    She had honestly been surprised when she heard about the death of King Brown and all the descendants of that state that come from the Flaming Empire.


    However, she still did not understand why this member of the Walker family was talking about it at this time.


    He then explained. "Your Highness... No, Charles Walker will be executed in Dry City in the next few days."


    "Minos demanded the presence of Charles'' two older brothers."


    "What?" Her eyes opened wide, finally understanding the situation. "So the two of them are going to that place?"


    "Yes."


    She then looked up at the sky and closed her fists, feeling that Minos was purposely acting to delay her plans.


    ''That rascal!''


    ''This will delay my return by months!''


    She was here to do a coronation, but the heir would be away from this place for at least a few weeks. That was not good for her!


    Gloria still had to go to the Brown and Cromwell kingdoms to do the same. But leaving this place now to go to another state would result in her wasting even more time in this region.


    And knowing this, she could not help but sigh in defeat, realizing that waiting for the return of the two Walker brothers was the best thing for her.


    "Sigh..."


    ''Minos, I think you''d better make up for that in the future.'' She thought about it with her eyes closed, imagining the attractive face of that man. ''But I hope your actions won''t keep delaying my return indefinitely.''


    ''Or I''ll have to teach you a real lesson.'' She smiled just before leaving that palace and heading toward the church headquarters for this region.


    ''Well, since I''m here with nothing to do, I''ll take the opportunity to clean this place up.''


    ''Now that the war is about to end and the Black Plain will become my partner, there is no point in keeping the corrupt people of this place!'' Her eyes brightly shone as she remembered how many local Bishops had made bad decisions due to personal interests.


    Such actions had not damaged the Church but had not helped either. On the other hand, the Church could have moved much closer to Minos and directed the previously serene situation into something more peaceful than what developed in the region.


    And that could have accelerated the Church''s gains from that deal that Minos seemed willing to make with her.


    Thinking about it, this woman was highly disappointed with the local members of her organization!

 Chapter 995 The End Of Four Great Families

    Chapter 995 The End Of Four Great Families


    One week later...


    The war still continued around the Black Plain. Yet, with each passing day, more enemy troops were leaving this territory, heading back to their respective states.


    At this point, all the major regional organizations already knew about the situation of several royal houses regarding the Black Plain. And with that in mind, the surviving leaders of these families and institutions could not continue to bankroll the war.


    No, that would be like betting on the losing horse!


    So even if some forces still wished to fight Minos, the situation was becoming unfeasible even for them as most of the regional powers no longer wanted to fight.


    In this way, the Black Plain Army was about to achieve total dominance over this territory, something they had not had for years!


    At the same time, the battles north of the Cromwell Kingdom and south of the Kingdom of the Waves were finally calming down, little by little making room for the consolidation of rebellions in these areas.


    But while all this had developed since the Red Slaughter and Thomas'' death, the Snow, Walker, and Stone families had acted vigorously in this period!


    ...


    The central office of the headquarters of the Black Plain Army.p????-?????.???


    In this workplace of young Stuart''s, he was sitting comfortably in his leather armchair, face to face with old Joey and Abby.


    Joey still looked as old as ever, but Minos could see this man''s vitality showing signs that it would soon improve, something that was expected, considering that he was already at level 49.


    And considering the current situation of the Black Plain, close to victory in the war, that fellow could not help but look better than ever, in good spirits for the future.


    "Young master, the Snow family has accomplished their mission." The hairs on Joey''s white beard twitched amidst his comment as he looked and smiled at Minos.


    p????-?o??? "Oh? Are they already returning to their state?" Minos asked about that, not surprised by the other information about the Snows.


    "Yes. After acting against the Silva family in the Red Valley a few days ago, they finally left the Brown Kingdom to return to their state."


    "I see... That''s better." Minos commented in a low voice, feeling satisfied that the Silva family had finally been eliminated.


    Following his earlier order, the Snow Kingdom forces that were previously on the Black Plain moved on to seek the lives of the nobles of House Silva.


    With such strength on their side and the Silva family in its most vulnerable state in history, the Snows had no trouble eliminating every single noble of that family. p???? ?o???


    They had eliminated all the stronger cultivators previously subordinates of that power. But on the other hand, even that family''s crystals, cultivation resources, and spiritual techniques were all looted and sent to Dry City.


    With that, even if some weaker subordinates survived the Great Red Valley Siege, it would be impossible for them to try to rebuild that family.


    They did not have the blood, the crystals, the techniques, the resources, the territory, etc. They had nothing but their lives, which were also not valuable compared to the forces that had destroyed them.


    Hence, Minos'' issues with that family had finally been resolved!


    As far as this young man knew, there were no more descendants of the Silva family in the Flaming Empire since they had all come at Thomas'' call. And since Minos'' group had eliminated almost all the reinforcements from that kingdom, the Silva bloodline had finally disappeared from the Spiritual World!


    Knowing this, Minos was feeling a little better since this family would no longer bother him from now on.


    "Well, the Red Valley previously was supposed to belong to my father, so it''s nothing but fair if that territory merges into the Black Plain, right?" He smiled at those two, interested in that area of the Brown Kingdom, which was one of the best in this state before all the recent changes in the Black Plain.


    Hearing that, Abby smiled at her fianc¨¦ as she had expected him to comment on something like that.


    As for Joey, he knew about Minos'' expansionist ideas, but he was curious about how they would proceed with it. ¦Ñ???????????


    After all, the Red Valley was relatively far from the Black Plain. Unless Minos intended to ''digest'' half of the Brown Kingdom, then he did not understand how that territory would join the rest of young Stuart''s state.


    "Will the Red Valley become a separate province from the rest of the Black Plain?" He asked in doubt.


    Minos then replied. "No, that would be too problematic defensively."


    "My idea is to absorb much of the northern border of the Cromwell Kingdom, going from the Red Valley region to the Farmland and Hadria region."


    "At the same time, we will absorb the southernmost part of the territory of the Brown Kingdom. This one, in most part, represents the Red Valley and the region where the Parkinson, Austin, and Gill families were previously."


    "We will take back the territories of our subordinates." He smiled, already imagining how large his territory would be at the end of the war.


    Before the Black Plain''s War of Independence, young Stuart''s territory was only 200,000 square kilometers in area. But the Red Valley alone was already more extensive than that!


    And considering the territories in rebellion south of the Kingdom of the Waves, north of the Cromwell Kingdom, and this idea of his, the Black Plain could quickly multiply its area by 6!


    Not only that, unlike the Black Plain, which previously had virtually no population living in it, these territories all had vast populations!


    As such, Minos was quite excited about reshaping the regional borders!


    "So that''s how it is..." Joey understood Minos'' idea as he imagined the current map of that region. ''If this truly happens, the Brown Kingdom will become the only state in the region without access to the sea and reduce to an area about 60% of the current one.''


    ''The population loss should also be in the range of 20-30%.''


    ''The young master is truly ruthless...'' He smiled, imagining the expression of the people in the Brown family when they found out about this.


    Minos then looked at Abby and said. "Unfortunately, your family''s territory is far from that area I intend to absorb."


    "But don''t worry about that. House Miller will have a good place within the Black Plain in the future."


    Abby smiled at him as if to say that this was not important. She was already more than happy with the state of her family currently. So, the territory she had grown up in was unimportant.


    On the other hand, the future dense spiritual energy of the Black Plain would not reach places too far from Dry City, like the old territory of House Miller. So, the very fact that her family could not return to that place was already perfect for them!


    "Even if my family doesn''t have a territory, we will already be very well off in Dry City..." She commented in a soft tone before finally talking about the issue she had to deal with at the moment. "But changing the subject, not only the Snow family has done as promised."


    "The Stone family forces split into two groups a few weeks ago to deal with the situation in the Kingdom of the Waves and the Cromwell Kingdom."


    "One of them joined the Walker family to annihilate the Reid and Collins families. On the other hand, the other joined the Nash family alliance and the rebels of the Cromwell Kingdom to exterminate the remnants of the Allen family and the Farmland families."


    "I received the information from Lorelei Stone earlier today." She looked at Minos with a meaningful smile, pausing briefly. "All those families have been wiped out."


    Hearing those sweet words, Minos relaxed in his armchair, feeling good that so many of his enemies and worries of the past decade had been dealt with at once.


    At their current level, these families were no longer great things. But their combined power could definitely cause problems for the Black Plain. After all, he could not be in more than one place simultaneously, and revenge-crazed people would do absurd things to harm their targets.


    Knowing about the resolution of these problems was music to this sovereign''s ears!


    "Very good!"


    ...

 Chapter 996 Future

    Chapter 996 Future


    With the elimination of the Farmland families and the fugitive House Allen, who had previously been in that region in the Cromwell Kingdom rebellion, that area had lost all resistance to Black Plain.


    Except for Minos'' own allied families, House Hayes and Stokes, which were leading the rebel actions in that area, only minor powers had remained after the recent operations.


    And with this, Minos had the reassurance that the transition from that part of the Cromwell Kingdom to the Black Plain would be much more natural and with fewer problems.


    In this way, he could already start working with the idea of more actively using those areas and populations to the advantage of the Black Plain!


    On the other hand, with the elimination of those two families from the Kingdom of the Waves, the situation in the rebel part of that state did not improve as those powers were further north of that kingdom.


    However, besides being a relief to eliminate two problems that had been plaguing him for years, this was an added sign of power for the largest state in the region.


    The Walker family was already practically under the power of the Black Plain. Still, there were hundreds of millions of inhabitants in that state, people who needed to understand the new regional order.


    As much as the previous actions of Minos and the Black Plain were already significant enough to boost their morale regionally, some ideas were not so easily changed.


    To change certain beliefs and ideas, sometimes a person would need to undergo a shock treatment, a big scare that would make him open his eyes.


    And nothing better than to eliminate those families closest to the regional citizens!p????-?????.???


    After all, while it was terrifying to read about the events concerning the Black Plain''s War of Independence, none of it could compare to a massacre happening in one''s own city.


    Humans naturally became more sensitive when trouble happened in their vicinity, to themselves, acquaintances, or in places they usually lived.


    And since such massacres had happened in the headquarters of these families, Minos knew he would reap the ''benefits'' of these recent events.


    "Well, since we have so much good news, I think it''s time we formed the army teams that will handle the future migration to the Black Plain," Minos said as he looked at Joey with his previous smile.


    "We need to understand exactly how many migrants we will be able to receive simultaneously on the current Black Plain."


    The current Black Plain consisted only of Dry City and Naval City-1, which, truth be told, even if it was significant, could not compare to the Black Plain capital''s ability to receive migrants.


    "Beyond that limit, I want any migrants who decide to join us in the future to be kept in one of those cities in those territories we will annex after independence."


    "It will not be good if our territory fills up with unorganized encampments, irregular city buildings, and illegal citizens." He said seriously.


    "All right, young master. That shouldn''t take long to do." Joey agreed, understanding that they would indeed not be able to receive everyone. p???? ?o???


    Hell, not even the populations of the places that would soon be annexed to the Black Plain could be absorbed in a short time, let alone migrants coming from elsewhere!


    p????-?o??? Consequently, to maintain the standard he wanted for his state, Minos would not take in everyone who wanted to join the Black Plain at once.


    Instead, they would absorb, from time to time, groups of people needed for the initial development of the Black Plain.


    But, on the other hand, besides the materials and production capacity limitations, there was a financial issue.


    Even after months of citizens'' deposits in the Bank of the Black Plain and the fortunes of fallen enemies on the battlefield, the Black Plain did not have sufficient funds to increase its population significantly.


    That is, it would not be impossible to double the current population in a short time, but the number of potential migrants was in the range of 50 times the current population!


    As such, there was no alternative but to limit the entry of migrants into the Black Plain.


    Abby then nodded and said. "We will make the regional families control their populations and create migration programs for those who want to come here."


    "We will also have our allies set up isolation cordons in the areas that will be annexed to the Black Plain. That will prevent people from infiltrating our main territory." ¦Ñ???????????


    "Hmmm." Minos smiled, pleased at Abby''s words, "That''s what I want."


    "But speaking of which, how is the development of Naval City-1? What can we expect from it in the next six months?"


    Joey then answered. "The foundations of Naval City-1 were finalized a few months ago. Because of that, we are already advancing some side projects at that place, such as, for example, the construction of common residential areas."


    "Oh? That''s good."


    "As for what we can expect from it, well, currently about 50,000 people are living in that place. So, I think in the next six months, that city will probably be able to absorb up to 200,000 residents."


    "More than that will be tricky, even considering the increase in local productivity due to the constant population increases."


    Abby then added another piece of information. "But with the war ending, we will be able to start building other cities around our territory."


    "That might even help us develop a secure area on the Black Plain, with several satellite cities around Dry City."


    "That''s a good idea, Abby..." Minos commented as he thought about it, liking the idea of dividing his state into power regions, which could very well help them maintain control over the local population.


    ''We can make a belt of cities around Dry City, and between this city and the others, we can develop plantation fields to supply our population.''


    ''This belt of cities will be able to defend Dry City and still allow us to keep the population of farmers close to their place of work without compromising their safety.''


    ''Hmmm.''


    ''Very good!'' His eyes sparkled in interest at his fianc¨¦e''s idea.


    "Let''s do the following..." He looked at Abby in a satisfied manner. "While a group from the army studies our limitations regarding future migration, let''s start developing those satellite cities."


    "Also, take the opportunity to open investment opportunities in these new options in the Bank of the Black Plain."


    "Not only that. From now on, our subordinates and allies living on the current Black Plain will also be able to invest in these opportunities."


    Such a thing had not yet been possible since Minos wanted to allow his pre-war citizens to invest their resources without competing with great financial powers.


    But now that the war was coming to an end and many months had passed since the Bank of the Black Plain founding, it was time for him to release such a thing, something that could gather even more resources for his government.


    After hearing this, Abby nodded to her fianc¨¦, ready to carry out his orders but also pleased that this would be a good opportunity for her family.


    As for Joey, he could only imagine the mountain of crystals that such a thing would generate for the initial development of this future kingdom.


    After this, a few minutes passed, and the previous meeting finally ended, with each party going their separate ways to resolve the issues with Minos.


    ...


    A few more days passed after the extermination of those families previously enemies of the Black Plain.


    During such a period, the information about this had already become widespread in the region, while the idea of regional states becoming subordinates of the Black Plain was also beginning to spread among the poorer populations.


    Amidst the current regional situation, Minos'' subordinates were already beginning to settle their affairs in their respective states, while the allies were smiling as the end of the war approached.


    And while all this was going on, Blake and Wilfred were finally arriving in Dry City, where they intended to finalize the formalization of their agreement with Minos so that their mothers could return home.


    On the other hand, both were already prepared for the imminent farewell to their younger brother, whom they must watch die in Dry City before long.


    In any case, neither of them felt much pity for Charles and were there more for their mothers and themselves, intent on ending it all soon and getting on with their lives in the Kingdom of the Waves.


    "So this is Dry City, huh?" Wilfred asked his brother as he saw the sizeable defensive dome of that place.


    ...

 Chapter 997 Unexpected Reunion

    Chapter 997 Unexpected Reunion


    Blake and Wilfred headed toward the local government mansion after passing through the gates of one of the entrances to Dry City. At the same time, their group was escorted by some local soldiers.


    After admiring this city as much as Lorelei and Adam had done previously, these two swallowed their saliva as they realized the powerful force that Minos had in this place.


    With the end of the Black Plain''s war of independence coming, they were already beginning to think about what the post-war power configuration would look like in the region.


    As obvious as it was that the Black Plain would lead them all, these two had not thought that by now, Dry City had such a numerical advantage over them when it came to experts.


    For comparison purposes, the Carline family, with the most significant number of Spiritual Kings in the region before the war, had only 75 such experts in its ranks, counting warriors and spiritual professionals.


    However, after this war period, House Carline lost 10 of its experts, and several others would suffer from Minos'' punishments in the future. And even counting these, the 65 high-level survivors of the most powerful family in the region were nowhere near the more than 100 Spiritual Kings of Dry City.


    That was impressive!


    It was impressive not only because this was a complex number for even the Spiritual Church in the region to reach. But because the Black Plain had fought a war for them for years, most of the time, fighting the region practically independently.


    But even in such a drastic situation, this place had achieved such a feat!


    Imagine what might have happened if this place had not lost several high-level Spiritual Generals and low-level Spiritual Kings in the war?p????-?????.???


    That was what the two young men of the Walker family had in mind as they saw and felt the grandeur of Dry City.


    Consequently, neither of them could help but sigh in defeat, feeling that fate was on the side of Minos and these people.


    "This place is a real oasis in the middle of the desert..." Wilfred commented in a low voice to Blake as he sat in the waiting room of Minos'' office.


    "Hmmm." Blake nodded to him as he looked in the direction of secretary Mia, who was wearing a beautiful outfit that enhanced her good-sized curves.


    "Even his secretary, who is so young, is already at level 46."


    "It seems he has invested a lot in this place and for longer than we had assumed."


    But while the two were murmuring, Lieutenant Peter appeared in that place, coming out of Minos'' office, drawing the attention of the two brothers.


    "Mia, I''ll be at headquarters for the rest of the day, but I''ll come back for you later..." Peter said in his fianc¨¦e''s ear, pleased to be back in Dry City to properly take care of this attractive woman.


    But while talking to her in a low voice, he suddenly heard his name being called. p???? ?o???


    "Peter?" Blake asked in surprise, finding it unexpected to encounter such an individual who was previously a subordinate of Walker House in this place.


    Not only was Blake surprised by this, but also by Peter''s current level, since this Black Plain Army Lieutenant was already at level 51, just one level below his.


    And it was not for nothing. Blake was a few years older than Peter, and previously the level difference between them was much more significant than just one level.


    p????-?o??? As such, Blake, as well as Wilfred, were open-mouthed as they looked at that fellow.


    "Hmm?" Peter turned to observe who had called him, finally seeing the figures of Blake and Wilfred standing a few meters away from him.


    "Oh? Is that you?" He said without much surprise in his tone since he already knew that these two were coming to Dry City.


    Not only that, Peter was looking forward to watching the execution of Charles, the person who had ruined his time in the Walker family, almost destroying his future as a cultivator. So, he had expected to see these people again sooner or later.


    "Peter! How long has it been since we''ve seen you?" Wilfred said aloud. "In fact, where have you been all this time?"


    But Blake then interrupted his older brother. "Forget about it. How did you advance so fast? Are you using pills to force your advancements?" ¦Ñ???????????


    "Tsk!"


    "I don''t need that kind of help just to become a Spiritual King..." He was not modest. "Maybe I''ll use that when I become a Spiritual Emperor, but not for now."


    "What?"


    "When do you become?" One of the Spiritual Emperors who was traveling with Blake said this in surprise, finding it strange how that young man underestimated the advancement to the 7th stage.


    "In any case, answering your question, I have been by Minos'' side here in Dry City since the Spiritual Tournament."


    "So that was it..." Blake lamented as he remembered the situation Charles had created with Peter. ''Ah, another one with power who will never make it easy for us.''


    Peter then remembered something and asked. "By the way, how is Ava?"


    "She''s still alive if that''s what you want to know." Wilfred commented in a low voice, feeling bad for knowing the things that woman had done to Charles all these years since Peter''s expulsion from the Walker family.


    "She recently reached level 47."


    "I see... Good for her." He said without giving the matter much thought.


    Peter had no love interests for Ava. He was just a good friend of hers from the time the two of them studied together at the spiritual academy in their city. And even though they had a great time together in the Walker family, that still was not enough for him to be moved by the thought of her.


    After so many years apart, he had already spent more time next to several other people who were now much more important to him than she was back then.


    Thus, besides the doubt about whether she was still alive, he truly did not have much interest in understanding himself more deeply about her current situation.


    So, after that brief exchange of words, he said goodbye to those people, heading back to his local responsibilities.


    As for Blake''s group, they remained impressed by Peter''s situation for a while longer until Mia finally allowed them to enter Minos'' office.


    ...


    After entering young Stuart''s office, where a beautiful woman with black hair was with the sovereign, it did not take long for the visitors to sit down and start formal conversations.


    "Well, now that you two are already here with a spiritual judge, I will let you check your mothers, and then we will sign this contract agreed upon between us." Minos said as he looked at the two sitting on the other side of his desk.


    "Oh?" Blake''s eyes widened in surprise, with him thinking that things were not going as badly as he had assumed they would.


    "When can we see them? What about Charles?" Wilfred asked.


    "You can see this fellow too, but I doubt he will want to receive you." Minos smiled as he remembered the depressed Charles, a man who had lost the will to live after all the tragedy he had suffered.


    Charles'' situation had been so bad that after only a few weeks since Minos'' action, he had already lost almost twenty kilos. His hair had turned white like that of an old man on the verge of death.


    Minos then continued. "Your mothers, stepmothers, and that fellow are in the local prison."


    Minos had transferred them from the Spatial Kingdom to the local prison soon after returning to Dry City. After all, he had only used the Spatial Kingdom to guard those people because it would be too much trouble to carry them around while traveling through the region.


    But upon arriving in this city weeks ago, Minos had wasted no time in getting those people transferred.


    "If you want to visit them, I can have one of my soldiers escort you there."


    "I assure you I didn''t touch any of them in that period."


    Gulp!


    "Well, if it''s not too much to ask, I''d like to see my mother before we sign this contract," Wilfred said as he pointed one of his fingers at the draft they had made together.


    "Sure. Do that." Minos nodded without caring much about it. "But don''t take too long. We''ll be doing Charles Walker''s execution tomorrow, and I want those contracts validated by then."


    ...

 Chapter 998 Awaited Reunion

    Chapter 998 Awaited Reunion


    After hearing Minos'' warning, the two brothers soon left that office, heading for the local prison, where they could see their mothers.


    Wilfred had not seen his mother for months since he had passed out next to that woman in his family''s royal palace and then woke up away from her. Meanwhile, Blake had not seen his mother for years due to his previous situation, and so he was the most anxious at the moment.


    They were under the impression that Minos kept his words. Still, apart from certain insecurity about this idea, those women definitely did not know that.


    After all, unlike them who had for all this time kept track of Minos'' actions, those people were hostages, individuals who usually received no information from their captors.


    This way, they must have been in the dark about what had happened in the past months, perhaps living in daily fear that their lives could end at any moment. Or, more than that, their children would do something stupid and end up dead by other enemies or young Stuart himself.


    With this in mind, they followed one of the local soldiers to the local prison, quickly making their way to those people.


    ...


    Upon reaching the highest level of the Dry City Prison, Blake''s group found themselves in a dark place, with light sources only in the corridors between the many black cells in that area.


    And while this place was not crowded, there were a certain number of people to generate occasional chattering noises at any time of the day.


    Therefore, as the Walker brothers'' group descended the final stairs to that floor, they could hear strange sounds from the area where criminals and police officers were present.


    "Hehe, looks like more important people have arrived, huh?"


    "Hahaha, it looks like the whole Walker family has fallen into the hands of the wretched Minos!" One of the many individuals trapped there commented as he laughed, seeing the figures of those two princes in that place.p????-?????.???


    But after he said things he should not have, this person saw one of the many guards there enter his cell and stab him hard in the ribs.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    "Damn you!"


    "Ahhhhhh!"


    "You worm, speak ill of the young master again, and we will punish you for a whole day!" The guard beating that man said this loudly as his victim''s screams circulated through the area.


    But while such a thing was happening, the atmosphere in the surrounding area did not change. No, the people there were already used to new prisoners of war saying things they should not talk about the local leaders, which always led to good beatings.


    Therefore, those more accustomed to this life continued their side conversations.


    "More and more powerful people are coming to this place..."


    "Maybe the Black Plain has already won the war!"


    "I don''t doubt it..."


    While hearing these things, Blake finally saw the figure of his mother inside one of the cells of that place, where three other women were imprisoned together with her. p???? ?o???


    Seeing the Queen''s face, Wilfred ran toward his mother, happy to see that she was not as bad off as he thought.


    Despite her age, the Queen of the Kingdom of the Waves was gorgeous. But at the moment, not only did she look a few decades older, her face was pale, her skin did not look as beautiful as ever, and she seemed to have lost weight.


    But this was not pretty slimming since such a woman already had perfect measurements before.


    As such, Wilfred could see that his mother had had a hard time during this period of captivity. However, it was not the end of the world, and apart from her melancholy, she did not look injured or unable to recover.


    So, he was not unhappy to see her like that.


    As for Blake, he was experiencing similar sensations as his older brother since his mother also seemed to have lost some of her beauty, but not to the point of being a hopeless case.


    "Mom!" The two shouted almost at the same time as they stopped outside the bars of that cell, putting their arms between the spaces of that to hug them.


    "Blake..."


    "Wilfred!" The two women finally saw these two and approached the sides of that cell with surprised looks on their faces.


    "What are you people doing..." The Queen was about to ask something as she worried they would meet the same fate as them, but Wilfred suddenly stopped her from continuing such words.


    "Mother, don''t worry. We have done as promised to Minos, and he will release you later today!" ¦Ñ???????????


    "Oh?" The other two stepmothers of the two who were there stood up in surprise, gaining the lost glint from their eyes.


    "Is that true?" Blake''s mother asked him.


    "Blake nodded in confirmation and said. "Yes, that''s right."


    "Later, Blake and I will confirm our agreement with Minos, and he will release you to return to the kingdom with us."


    "Everything will be fine from now on."


    After this was said, three of those four women began to smile, happy to finally be able to leave this scary place where they had not stopped fearing the future since they arrived.


    But the Queen was still not satisfied with knowing only that. "What happened in that period? Will Minos respect the agreement he proposed? How will the other kingdoms handle it?"


    Wilfred then smiled awkwardly, feeling that his mother had become someone without any current information from the region in just a few weeks.


    "Mother, the Black Plain''s war of independence is practically finished. After the incident in our city, Minos spent weeks traveling the region and acting against other regional powers."


    "Among them, House Carline has withdrawn from the war and accepted its subordination to Minos. So has House Snow, which has even carried out extermination missions on behalf of the Black Plain in this war." He said this, causing all the people on that level of the prison to stop their conversations.


    In that instant, all the inmates there were shocked by Wilfred''s words, astounded that the war had evolved to such an extent so quickly.


    Just a few months ago, they were talking about how the war had finally reached its peak, but then, boom, the conflict was already about to end.


    That was surprising for each of them!


    And it was no different for Charles, who was also stuck there, not far from his stepmothers'' cell.


    "What?" Charles said in a fragile tone, which his brothers did not even notice.


    "Is that serious?" The Queen asked this while her eyes were wide in shock.


    Blake then continued what his older brother was doing. "Not only that. King Brown and the Brown Kingdom reinforcements were killed by Minos a few days ago."


    p????-?o??? "The counter-revolutionary troops have already completely left the Black Plain!"


    "What? How can that be? There should be Spiritual Emperors in His Majesty''s group!" One of the Brown Kingdom vassals in that place shouted in disbelief.


    He could not accept such a thing. It was simply absurd!


    "That..."


    Several doubtful tones arose in the area, while even those women had difficulty believing Blake''s words.


    The future king of the Kingdom of the Waves then said. "I am telling the truth."


    "I wasn''t there when it happened, but Jade Carline herself confirmed the information to a regional periodical, saying that Minos eliminated almost the entire Brown Kingdom entourage single-handedly."


    "In fact, he killed two Spiritual Emperors, and the third one he needed help from the reinforcements of the Kingdom of the End." He commented on this information that was popularized in the region.


    And listening to her son''s resolute tone, Blake''s mother could no longer doubt the veracity of these facts.


    "Sigh..."


    "So the war is about to end." She commented in a low voice, feeling that at least the terror of recent times was nearing an end.


    As for the other three widows of King Walker, they were all open-mouthed, not knowing what to say at this point. Even the Queen was surprised at such a turn of events.


    "So, we didn''t fall alone, huh?"


    "Good!" She commented in a low voice as a slight smile appeared on her face and tears trickled down her eyes. ''I wonder what Willian would have thought of that outcome?'' She thought of her late husband.


    ''He would probably laugh to find that the Brown Kingdom has fallen to such a position while we found a way to save ourselves!'' She remembered that man''s final moments, regretting that he could not be by her side but glad he was not humiliated along with her.


    ''I will finally be able to experience my grief, my love...''

 Chapter 999 Time For Execution

    Chapter 999 Time For Execution


    The queen of the Kingdom of the Waves had spent all this time between the death of her husband and now, fearful about the future and her own life.


    After all, right after the death of William Walker, Minos had passed in Athela, generating all that tragedy in the headquarters of the royal family of that state. And precisely because of this, this woman had not had time to deal with the grief of her husband''s death, as there were more critical problems in her mind and heart.


    But now that things were settling down, this strong woman could not stop thinking about that man and feeling sad about his death.


    At the thought that she had not had the chance to attend her own husband''s funeral, she felt even worse, something visible by the tears streaming down her face.


    Not only had she been the queen of that man for centuries, but she had also been William''s first wife, the one who had been by his side the longest.


    Considering the strong feelings they had for each other, as her heart felt relieved by the latest worries, the queen collapsed amidst her tears, regretting all that had happened.


    Seeing this, William''s other women quickly realized the situation, also feeling depressed as they woke up to this reality.


    After seeing that those women needed some time, Wilfred and Blake decided to give them more privacy as they headed toward Charles'' cell.


    They were here for their mothers. That was undeniable. But since they were already in this place, it would not hurt to exchange last words with their younger brother.


    Even after they had fought each other several times, hated each other, and lost their good feelings, they were still brothers, and to speak one last time in this place would not be such a terrible idea.


    No, in fact, it was their duty to speak with their brother for the last time!p????-?????.???


    "How are you?" Blake asked as he leaned against the bars of Charles'' cell, watching that man with a skinny body full of strange spots on his skin, who stank more than sewage.


    Upon hearing this, the still shocked Charles looked in the direction of those two but could barely make out the details of his brothers'' faces.


    The place was not well lit, and after months in captivity, every cell in Charles'' body was giving up the battle called life, damaging his senses.


    Hence, at that moment, Charles could barely see the outlines of Wilfred and Blake''s faces.


    But upon hearing those words from Blake, this poor fellow who now looked a few centuries older replied. "I''ve been worse."


    Hearing Charles'' desolate tone, Wilfred did not doubt his younger brother. ''Surely...''


    ''If I were in his place when Minos beheaded his mother, I would think so too, even considering this current situation.''


    Wilfred then asked. "Do you need us to do something for you? Maybe send some farewell message or complete some last wish?"


    "Tsk!"


    "I would like you to kill Minos. Is that possible?" Charles said in a fragile tone. p???? ?o???


    Wilfred shook his head negatively, and Blake replied. "That''s impossible."


    "Charles, I''ll be honest with you. I think the day will come when no one in our family will think of seeking revenge against Minos. That''s not just because of the deal I''m signing with him, but because the guy is much better than we are."


    "You made a big mistake that day." He quoted the moment Charles had ordered one of his minions to kill Abby.


    "If you had died that day, everything might have been different..."


    p????-?o??? "Humph!"


    "Are you here to thank me?" Charles asked with a slightly arrogant tone.


    "If it weren''t for me, one of you would have ascended the throne and stood against Minos... That is, I saved your lives!"


    Those two brothers then remained silent since that was indeed reasonable. But neither of them would thank Charles for fighting with all his might to survive and take the throne of the kingdom out of their hands.


    "Guess you don''t regret it, huh?" Wilfred sighed.


    "I only regret that I went to that place that day. But, besides that, all I did was the sensible thing, what was at my disposal." ¦Ñ???????????


    "There is nothing to regret but that."


    "Sigh."


    "So you don''t want to tell us anything else before we leave? I feel like this will be your last chance..."


    Charles'' eyes then opened wider as he felt a slight relief in his heart. "Good."


    He obviously did not want to die, but given all that had happened, all his tragedy, there was nothing left for him in this world. He could not even have the prospect of revenge, so why attach to this hellish life?


    The last few months had been the worst of his entire existence, so much so that his sense of time had changed, and he felt as if he had spent most of his life in captivity.


    It was genuinely desperate!


    He then asked. "What happened to Ava? What about my other women?"


    "They are still in the family," Wilfred replied. "Some are trying to move on, living their lives, nothing out of the ordinary."


    "As for Ava, she''s fine. After that night, she stayed with her family for a few days but returned to her duties after some time."


    "So that''s it..." Charles'' eyes closed, remembering his last good memory.


    He then said. "If you guys want to help me get a message, I have something."


    "Oh?"


    "Find that guy, uh, Peter, and tell him everything that happened between Ava and me. I want him to know that she knew what I did, but she still offered herself in my bed shortly after I forced his way out of the family."


    "Is that what you want?" Blake asked, not feeling so surprised by Charles'' request.


    "Yes, do that. That will be enough for me!"


    ''I''m definitely not going to do that.'' Blake closed his eyes, imagining that Peter could probably kill him in a few years. "All right, we''ll work it out."


    At the same time, Wilfred readily understood that Blake was just talking out of his mouth and not getting in the way of his brother''s plans. ''That fellow has no idea what he''s saying...''


    ''I don''t even dare to tell Ava about Peter''s whereabouts, let alone this...'' Wilfred smiled at Charles.


    After that, the two brothers left Charles'' cell slowly, both of them watching that fellow all the time, imagining that tomorrow at this time, such an individual would probably no longer be in this world.


    After feeling a bit sorry, they both left that level of the Dry City Prison, ready to return to Minos.


    Now that they had seen their mothers, there was no longer any reason preventing them from signing a Soul Contract with Minos. So they quickly rushed to the local sovereign''s office to settle their business in this city.


    Dry City was great and had many things that caught their attention. But this was the territory of someone dangerous, who they did not want to be around any longer than necessary.


    They could already be considered Minos'' subordinates, but there was no way they could not see that man with the fear they would have of an enemy instead of the fear of their boss. After all, their new relationship had not lasted long enough for their emotions to transform.


    With that, they were both eager to leave this place!


    ...


    Hours passed, and by now, the brothers'' Soul Contracts with Minos had been confirmed.


    On the other hand, after a calm night, the day quickly took over from night, lighting up the already busy local streets, where thousands of people excited about the future were already at work.


    As the end of the war of independence approached, the people in this city, who received information from the local government from time to time, were already getting a taste of victory and good prospects for the future.


    But amid this non-stop city, crowds were already moving through the local residential neighborhoods, heading towards the execution stage in the central square of Dry City.


    Finally, after months of waiting, Charles Walker was to be executed in the Puller!


    ...

 Chapter 1000 Execution 1

    Chapter 1000 Execution 1


    As more Dry City residents and members of Minos'' subordinate and allied families arrived at the central square, influential people from all over the region were already in the surroundings.


    Today an event relevant to local and regional history would take place, the execution of the former crown prince of the Kingdom of the Waves, someone of regional fame.


    At first, such a thing might not seem so crucial since, at the moment, the war was about to end, and Minos had already done much worse things than executing a person. But still, this event was necessary so that more people would know the truth about Charles and why young Stuart had been so ruthless with the Walker family.


    The region needed to know that there were crucial differences between the Walker family and, for example, House Snow. Such a population needed to understand that Minos did not slaughter people for pure fun but for sensible, easy-to-understand, and valuable reasons to avoid pain.


    He naturally wanted to take revenge on Charles more than anything. But showing this to his citizens, subordinates, allies, and the region was an excellent opportunity to emphasize part of his limits.


    In short, if these people were sensible and did not act crazy, they could talk and even negotiate with him. But if they crossed his limits, it would be better to hide or flee to the far reaches of the Spiritual World as he would stop at nothing.


    That said, showing the cruel way Charles would die was important to Minos and the entire Black Plain.


    After all, at the end of the day, everything he did was connected with the Black Plain and his future state.


    Because of this, many influential people were in that area, some arriving and others already seated in the bleachers set up in that area to hold more people around the execution stage.


    Among these people was a group of journalists from the Cromwell Kingdom, representatives of the regional newspaper, Night News.p????-?????.???


    This institution had spent the entire war maintaining contacts with Dry City, using the pages of its newspapers to show the rebel side of the story.


    Initially, of course, they had maintained a more neutral position since powers such as they did not have many preferences.


    In fact, their preferences were tragedies, situations valuable to the people in this business area...


    And with the Dry City forces getting increasingly impressive, they had decided to keep a Black Plain-oriented approach, something seen, for example, in a more friendly language to the actions of the local forces.


    Because of that, this organization had earned a place in this execution, being ready once again to tell the stories of Minos to the region.


    "This place has even more specialists than the last time we were here..." One of the journalists who had come to Dry City for the execution of Otis Silva said this to his co-workers.


    "Is that right?" An individual who had not come to this place before said in curiosity, interested in the changes in this place.


    "Yes. In fact, it''s not just the local experts that catch my eye. But even the city looks different..."


    "There hasn''t been a change in terms of size, but it looks like the quality has increased a lot." He commented as his conversation caught the attention of another group in that VIP area of the execution stage. p???? ?o???


    Besides these journalists and influential people from the local government, there were also some royal entourages in that place.


    And precisely, some people from House Stone had overheard the end of those journalists'' conversation.


    "That''s in line with some things I''ve heard recently." A subordinate said this to Lorelei while standing to the left side of this woman. "It seems that the local government invested a lot of crystals with their people in this recent period, as there was no more labor available to invest in local businesses."


    "And because of that, the number of crystals that went into that bank in that period cannot be underestimated."


    "Oh?" Lorelei became even more interested upon hearing the name ''bank'' being said.


    She had obviously already learned about this local institution that offered such an exceptional service to encounter in this region. And knowing how much the Black Plain could grow in the future, she already had her eyes on this institution, interested in having her family invest locally.


    That could help her get even closer to the Black Plain and guarantee absurd earnings for her family. That is, this place would soon become the strongest state in the region, something that definitely had a lot of room for growth.


    With that, she already had the local bank in her eyes, looking forward to when Minos would release investments from people outside the Black Plain.


    For now, only citizens, subordinates, and allies living in this territory could do such a thing. But this woman knew that sooner or later, this would change. ¦Ñ???????????


    Consequently, she already gave the Bank of the Black Plain its due importance.


    She then commented in a low voice. "No matter how much has been invested in this bank, the local population or Minos'' allies and subordinates cannot afford to suppress all demand from this place!"


    "Let''s prepare for the day when Minos opens the vaults of that bank to us!"


    At the same time that Lorelei was thinking about the future, Blake and Wilfred''s group was already on the outskirts, alongside the four widows of Willian Walker, who had already been freed.


    After their contracts had been confirmed, those men had received permission from Minos to take their mothers and stepmothers out of the local prison.


    p????-?o??? However, they still had to attend this event, so they were standing there, dressed in black clothes, but already looking better than before.


    "Wow..." Wilfred looked in the direction of the crowd of over 100,000 people in that square, shocked to see so many people there just to watch the death of one person.


    "It seems that Minos truly wants to humiliate Charles to the very end." The queen said this in a low voice, looking toward the middle of the execution stage, where that fellow was on his knees, chained to the ground.


    ''Us too...'' She thought about it silently, annoyed at having to watch this.


    But without other options, she could not complain or ask to leave.


    "Well, that will all be over soon..." Blake commented in a low voice, noting that Minos'' group was already in the area, settling in for the show.


    Dillian was walking alongside Eda while Ruth and Abby accompanied Maisie through that area, heading towards one of the best places in that area.


    On the other hand, Peter was also there, already seated in the first row, looking forward to Charles'' execution.


    He particularly no longer saw a problem with his leave from the Walker family since it had led him to a much better place. However, this man could not deny the desire to see his old enemy destroyed.


    Thus, he was in that place alongside Mia and some high-ranking soldiers, including Robin and Barbara, his companions from the days of slavery.


    "Looks like it''s about to start..." Robin said this in a low voice, looking at young Stuart, who at the moment had just appeared on the execution stage.


    Minos then walked over to a small speech area that was around there and looked at the kneeling figure in the center of that execution platform.


    After looking at the item right behind Charles, Minos looked at the tens of thousands of people in that square and raised one of his hands.


    Immediately upon seeing that, the people in that area began to fall silent, quickly creating the ''space'' for the local ruler to speak what was on his mind.


    "Well, we are here again..."


    "But this time, I''ll try not to prolong myself, as happened the last execution."


    "Today, citizens of Dry City..." He then looked at the VIP area. "And friends from the region, we are here to solve a problem that has bothered me for years."


    "I''ll be honest with you. The Walker family was my enemy for some time, but they didn''t deserve what happened months ago."


    "However, I still did all that on one person''s account." He pointed in Charles'' direction, causing the people in that place to follow his movements, looking at such an individual.


    "Charles Walker''s crime is, in my opinion, one of the worst he could commit. He, my friends, tried to kill your future queen, one of the most important people to me."


    "That scoundrel tried to kill my dear Abby!" He said in a slightly altered tone, showing his hatred for that person.


    "That''s why I couldn''t forgive his family, and I won''t forgive him now, even after everything that happened!" He then turned to where one of his high-level soldiers was standing and said amidst the screams calling for Charles'' death. "Eduard, activate the Puller!"


    "Execute this person!"


    ...

 Chapter 1001 Execution 2

    Chapter 1001 Execution 2


    Immediately after Minos'' order, cries of hatred coming from the masses began to mingle, while many of those people felt angry with Charles.


    "That''s right! Kill that degenerate!"


    "The bastard tried to kill the kind, Miss Abby? How can there be someone so nefarious in this world?"


    "Kill him!"


    "Damn, Walkers! They tried to kill our future queen! The bastards deserve the worst in the world!!!"


    "Bastard!"


    "He deserves that. The Puller was made for people like that!"


    Some of the loudest shouts reached the ears of the people on that execution platform and VIP area, surprising some who did not know about Abby''s popularity while making others understand that such a situation was indeed necessary.


    "Wow!"


    "These people are outraged!" One of the journalists commented loudly, watching the masses in that area as Eduard was preparing the Puller.


    "That''s truly amazing!"p????-?????.???


    "I didn''t think that young lady from the Miller family would be so popular in Dry City!"


    "Well, she''s going to be the queen..."


    At the same time that those journalists were getting more and more interested in that, the Walker family group was shocked by the cries of that population.


    None of them expected that the people of this place would be so angry as even to wish bad things for their family.


    However, as much as some of those people were exaggerating in their requests, the reactions of most of the people in that square were genuine since Abby had a lot of popularity in Dry City.


    Not only was she Minos'' woman, someone who had been by his side for several years. But she was also a citizen member of the local community, someone who interacted with the citizens and helped solve everyday problems.


    Even during the war, it was not uncommon for Abby to visit the orphanage and the Black Plain Preparatory Academy. In those places, she usually narrated stories and let children learn more about the city leader.


    On the other hand, Abby had been helping young Stuart to rule Dry City for years, and by this point, her actions were almost confused with his from that community''s point of view. Not only that, while Minos scared the region with his actions a few months ago, Abby had fought several times on the battlefields, having saved the lives of countless lives.


    But each life she saved had at least one son, brother, sister, grandson, granddaughter, husband, or even wife. In this way, this woman from the Miller family had the gratitude of thousands of people in this city and was respected by all.


    Because of this respect and consideration, the people in this place had an excellent image of Abby and wanted everything to work out for her. However, precisely because of this, when they discovered that someone had tried to kill this noble woman, many people became furious. p???? ?o???


    That was an absolute outrage!


    How could someone so nefarious and dirty exist in this world?


    Many there thought about this as they watched the weakling Charles tied to the Puller''s different ends, enraged and without pity in their hearts.


    "The wretch deserved to suffer even more!"


    "Ah, but it''s a shame we don''t have many alternatives other than the Puller..."


    "That bastard. Just looking at his face makes me want to beat him up!"


    "But at least he''s suffered enough. Look at his situation." Someone in the crowd pointed to Charles'' frail, dry, pale body. "Even at such a young age and being a Spiritual King, the scumbag looks older than my grandfather."


    And while thousands of people shouted their offenses, Charles was already prepared to suffer for the last time in his life, feeling a strange sensation in his body.


    But in that situation, he said nothing. Instead, he just looked at some of the faces in that VIP area, among them members of his family and Peter.


    However, he did not have much time to think about past matters when that machine started to make the sounds of gears turning. ¦Ñ???????????


    And when he realized this, everything in his mind disappeared. But, simultaneously, he started to feel five different parts of his body being pulled in different directions.


    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"


    Finally, cries of pain began to rise from that man''s throat, frightening even himself since, given his condition, he did not expect to have the strength to scream this much.


    p????-?o??? However, the pain he was feeling was so disturbing that his body reacted to such a thing with as much as it had, as if in a futile attempt to ensure his survival.


    Meanwhile, the device around his body was rapidly dismembering his legs and arms, pulling hard on his joints and causing his bones to fracture and break.


    Along with this event, silence finally spread throughout the area as drops of blood spurted from Charles'' body, soiling the people closest to the execution platform.


    However, none of those people in the crowd were disgusted to see or even feel any part of it. On the contrary, many people were laughing peacefully, enjoying the end of such a monstrosity.


    Not only was the population enjoying this spectacle, some of the individuals in the VIP area could not help but appreciate such a thing.


    Among them, Peter had a peaceful look on his face, watching every detail of Charles'' dismemberment, which had destroyed almost half of that individual''s body by now.


    On the other hand, Minos was only a few meters away from Charles, feeling as if another weight had been lifted from his shoulders.


    Charles was nothing to Minos at this moment and could no longer cause this young man any problems. But being able to kill the person who had once endangered Abby''s life was something that eased young Stuart''s stress.


    Looking at that with a satisfied expression, he turned in the direction where Abby should be and saw her standing there next to Ruth and Maisie as tears of relief trickled from one of her eyes.


    Years had passed, but by the time she had almost been killed, Abby had had a crisis of despair, having thought that she would die and would never be able to have a full life beside Minos.


    And right now, seeing the end of that fellow, she could not help but recall those feelings and sense relief that finally, that part of her life had been appropriately resolved.


    "AHH!"


    Charles gave his last cry of pain when the remaining piece of flesh on his body had its s head ripped off by the top of the Puller.


    Finally, he was dead!


    Then his head hung in the air from the top of the Puller, while blood dripped from his neck and from the five parts of his body that were mutilated at the moment.


    Then the device stopped working, and every unrecognizable piece of flesh from that body fell to the ground, making a characteristic noise echoing throughout that square.


    Poof!


    The people from the Walker family watched the whole thing in silence, feeling the difficulty of having to watch one of their own being brutalized in such a way.


    Even Blake and Wilfred, who had fought Charles several times, felt terrible at that moment, with the feeling of pity rising in their hearts.


    "Sigh..."


    ''It''s finally over.'' Blake closed his eyes and imagined how that fellow would have had a much happier and more respectable ending if he had died at his or Wilfred''s hands. ''We at least wouldn''t have humiliated you like that.''


    ''Anyway, maybe you were meant for it.''


    When it was all over, the conversations in the surrounding area slowly began to occupy the ''space'' left by the silence, with several people going to greet Abby in that VIP area.


    Among them, people from the Stone family had been among the first to show their sincere feelings of happiness for the death of that woman''s enemy.


    At the same time, the people in that area finally started celebrating, feeling as if justice had been done.


    "Hahaha, finally! The bastard is dead!"


    "Did you guys see the bastard''s face at the end? He looked desperate!"


    "Now he can join the many enemies of our Black Plain in the afterlife, hahaha..."


    The celebration began in that area, as slowly those less interested in the conversations began to leave the area, satisfied with the entertainment they had had.


    Unlike Minos and the influential people in that city, most there had no time for a post-vengeance celebration and, as such, were already returning to their homes or jobs.


    As for Minos, this young man soon joined a group of a few dozen people, heading for the central courtyard of his mansion to offer his guests drinks.

 Chapter 1002 Surrender

    Chapter 1002 Surrender


    Several days quickly passed, and Charles'' execution had already become widespread news in the northern region of the Central Continent.


    In most parts of that region, no one was more impressed by news related to the Black Plain or Minos. So, apart from the few remaining enemies, most people took such news calmly.


    In fact, many even felt that such a thing was a good sign for the region since, at the same time this news was published, several kingdoms had already recognized the Black Plain as an independent state.


    Not only that, three states had officially assumed the position of subordinates of the Black Plain, confirming the rumors circulating in this region.


    Precisely because this information came out almost simultaneously, the regional population felt that the end of this bloody conflict on the Black Plain was coming to an end. And with that, the region could finally experience some peace and the prosperity that naturally comes after wars.


    With large-scale conflicts like the recent one, destruction and death were disseminated everywhere. But even amid manure, flowers could be born; development also arose from destruction.


    New families would emerge at times like these. But, at the same time, more minor, expanding powers used their cards to seize opportunities, investing in their territories.


    Also, the winning powers always made big profits, which enabled tremendous growth in the post-war period.


    So, people from all parts of this region were excited by the recent news, not shocked or sorry about how Charles died.


    At least, that was the truth for the vast majority of people in this region. After all, Minos still had some stubborn enemies, who perhaps needed to be frightened a little more before the end of the war of independence!


    ...p????-?????.???


    Kingdom of the Waves capital.


    As she finished reading the latest edition of the Night News, Ava had a terrible look on her face, mourning Charles'' tragic death.


    This woman did not love that man, but since she had lived as one of his companions for years and enjoyed doing so, she could not help but grieve when she finally found out the cruel way he had died.


    Her goal had always been the local throne. However, even so, she was still a young woman of little experience who had lost a person who had been the most important to her for almost half her life.


    That was not easy to ignore, even considering her rationality and cold desires!


    So, when she finished reading that article, this woman felt sorrow for Charles.


    She already knew all that could happen and that Charles'' future was death. But still, knowing about the terrible fate of a person and actually knowing about the end of that individual were completely different situations.


    As such, she could not help but feel bad.


    "Sigh..."


    ''So that''s how it all ended.'' She closed her eyes as she remembered the terrible night months ago. "Ah, now I can''t dwell on the past anymore! I have to move on!" p???? ?o???


    "Maybe there''s another chance for me here!" She muttered quietly, thinking of Charles'' replacement, who, besides being single, had spent years on the run, probably away from women.


    ...


    As Ava went on with her plans, the Brown Kingdom had reached its limit, and the royal family had no choice but to give in to pressure from their vassals!


    After Thomas'' death, most of the vassal families of House Brown began to act together to put pressure on that great organization to put an end to the war. That was because there was no longer any hope left in the hearts of the regional experts about a possible victory, the only thing that could motivate them.


    Someone might agree to fight head-on a monster like Minos. Still, even the bravest would only do so if they had a chance of victory or were willing to die for more great reasons.


    But since most of the organizations in the Brown Kingdom had no problem with independence from the Black Plain, there was no sense in continuing to risk extermination.


    The leaders of these organizations had already almost shit themselves with fear when they found out about the fate of the Silva family, so they were more than ever willing to surrender!


    And as much as these organizations had a lot of grudge against Minos and the Black Plain, their leaders were pragmatic. They knew they had already lost the war and that the sooner they got out of this madness, the less they would suffer.


    As such, they had acted in many different ways, trying to encourage the surrender of House Brown.


    After weeks of talks and the arrival of recent news, this family finally reached their limit. The crown prince called a big meeting in the royal palace and announced his decision to his vassals and allies that he would no longer continue the war. ¦Ñ???????????


    This family would surrender to the Black Plain, assuming the defeated position and recognizing that territory''s independence!


    And with that done, letters quickly left that state''s capital, going to various parts of the region to finalize the current dramatic situation in that kingdom.


    At the same time as this was being done, thousands of vassals and subordinates of House Brown were already celebrating the end of everything, eager to return to their everyday routines.


    They could finally sleep in peace, without worrying about enemies trying to kill them at any moment!


    At least, that was what most of them thought.


    In any case, it was not long before the Brown family''s letter of surrender arrived in Dry City.


    ...


    Headquarters of the Black Plain Army.


    As the midday sun warmed up Dry City, Minos was in his office within his army''s central facilities, finishing eating alongside Ruth and Abby.


    After days since Chalres'' execution, this man''s life had been relatively peaceful, with him having plenty of time to train his techniques and cultivate his soul.


    And precisely because of this tranquility, Minos had finally reached level 54!


    In this way, his power had increased considerably, making it possible for him to fight with advantage even against ordinary level 62 Spiritual Emperors or to protect himself effectively against those of level 63!


    Knowing the advantages of having achieved this breakthrough from the night before, Minos smiled as he ate alongside his beautiful women.


    However, as he listened to the sweet sounds of those women chatting, someone called outside that office Minos'' name.


    p????-?o??? "Come in," Minos said as he looked at his office door, curious to know what the situation was.


    But seeing the smile on the face of that soldier who had a white parchment in one hand, Minos could not guess what the matter was.


    He could easily list several problems for one of his soldiers to want to talk to him urgently. But he had no idea what good news could make someone come to him like that.


    Thus, he remained silent, waiting for that individual to speak, while his women did the same.


    "Young master, the Brown family has just sent us a message!" That soldier said this in a euphoric tone, handing the parchment to his leader.


    "They are surrendering!"


    Upon hearing this, the two beautiful women there looked at each other in surprise, not believing that such a thing had happened so quickly.


    They already knew that this could happen at any moment, but they both expected that Minos would still have to show more of his strength to pull this off.


    So, they both stood up in shock upon hearing that, rushing to Minos'' side to read what was on that parchment.


    "It''s true!" Abby said excitedly, graciously smiling as she saw the contents of that paper.


    As for Minos, he was also pleased. He had finally achieved his goal of getting independence from his territory!


    "That''s great!" He said aloud, feeling that he would soon be able to experience peace.


    However, Minos knew that there were still procedures necessary to obtain his state''s independence officially. So, he did not consider this to be independence day.


    In any case, this was the beginning of a new journey to the Black Plain, something he had been preparing for since his first day in Dry City!


    With this in mind, he did not take long to give his orders to that soldier, preparing for a big conference with his soldiers, subordinates, and allies in Dry City.


    ...

 Chapter 1003 Time For Further Agreements And Judgment

    Chapter 1003 Time For Further Agreements And Judgment


    Sometime after Minos issued an announcement summoning soldiers, subordinates, and high-level allies, all the necessary people were already at the local government mansion, the site of this meeting.


    In this place was a large conference room with space for a few dozen people, ideal for this type of meeting.


    Right there, Minos and his group were already seated at one end of a large table, where more than thirty people were already seated in the surrounding area.


    p????-?o??? At the same time, several individuals were standing behind the people seated on chairs, each of them watching that place seriously because of how unexpected Minos'' call had been.


    Many there still had no idea what was happening, so naturally, they were nervous about what would be announced there.


    Amidst the silence of the place, Minos watched the people there in silence, seeing that the place was so crowded that he could not even see the decorations of the surroundings.


    At the same time, he saw several faces he had not seen in months, people he had last talked to before his previous trip.


    Among them was Grace, Vivian''s girlfriend who had joined the army earlier, the supreme elder of the Miller family, the leaders of the Gill, Parkinson, and Austin families, and the Miller patriarch.


    On the other hand, some of his most essential soldiers were also there, including Angela, Celeste, Eduard, Mirya, and Elena.


    After seeing the faces of many of those people, he looked over to his side, where Dillian and Eda were sitting, and finally smiled. "Today, I have great news to tell you..."


    The more curious people there swallowed their saliva in anticipation as they focused their attention entirely on young Stuart.p????-?????.???


    "The Brown family has just sent us a surrender request!" He said at once, watching the curious expressions of the people in that place quickly change to broad smiles.


    "Haha, finally!"


    "So we''ve already won the war? Are we truly independent from the Brown Kingdom?"


    The more pleased soldiers there asked similar things, excited by the news.


    Minos then shook his head and said. "We are not yet independent of the Brown Kingdom, but that is a matter of time."


    "However, the Brown Kingdom has already accepted our independence, and it shouldn''t be long before the whole region takes notice of it."


    An area of a kingdom becoming independent of it was not a simple thing to happen. That is, the most challenging thing was getting a royal family to accept the request for the independence of a part of its territory. But even after that, there was still a process behind independence.


    Obviously, once such a royal family approved, the region, in search of independence, gained the freedom that any state had. And with that, such a region could start its own government and actions without any significant problems with the state it was part of.


    However, this was only informal independence, which could quickly be revised depending on who was on the royal throne of the state that accepted the request.


    On the other hand, the population of this world naturally placed importance on status. Because of this, not being recognized by the Spiritual Church could be considered a disadvantage, making it difficult for outsiders to see this state as trustworthy. p???? ?o???


    Minos had the strength and power to maintain his independence against regional kingdoms. Still, he had to ensure that his state was in a position of which his people could be proud.


    That was good for the Black Plain to become more attractive to outsiders but also to create a greater sense of belonging in the local population.


    At the same time, Minos did not expect to live forever. So, it would be good for him to create all possible mechanisms to prevent parasites from eroding the Black Plain.


    With that said, getting formal recognition from the Church and other regional states was necessary for a state''s independence.


    But in addition, Minos did not want to have to face constant problems with people trying to sabotage him. As such, he would not see himself as fully independent until he signed agreements with these families surrendering!


    "Anyway, now we just have to deal with the Cromwell Kingdom, and then this will all be over," Minos said as he looked around, seeing some proud looks there.


    "But for that, I already have my plan."


    "Oh? How does the young master intend to force these people?" Dillian asked with curiosity since that neighboring state of theirs seemed to yet have hope.


    The people looked at Minos once again, curious about that as well.


    Minos then replied. "The Brown Kingdom remained in the war until practically the end of the conflict. In that way, we cannot just accept their surrender, as if all our losses were meaningless." ¦Ñ???????????


    "Since they surrendered, they will naturally suffer the judgment of their war crimes!"


    ''Judgment?'' Several people wondered what Minos was getting at, understanding that there was a need for such a thing but not understanding how it would force the Cromwell Kingdom.


    "The Black Plain, its allies, and subordinates lost almost 200,000 people during the war. So, naturally, our enemies will have to make an ''equivalent'' sacrifice to make amends for their crimes and obtain their surrender."


    "Sacrifice?"


    "Equivalent?" Some people there, among them the supreme elder of the Miller family, repeated those words of Minos, wondering what kind of massacre that young man was thinking of.


    "The punishment for those who did not withdraw from the war while it was time is naturally heavy." Minos closed his eyes as he said this calmly.


    "Those who do not agree to sacrifice their Spiritual Kings will naturally meet the same fate as the Silva family."


    "Extermination!"


    Upon hearing that, most people in that place felt drops of cold sweat dripping down their backs, realizing that Minos would not let those families get away easily.


    However, while his allies and subordinates were feeling a little afraid, each of Minos'' soldiers nodded in agreement, as they expected nothing less from him.


    ''That''s it!''


    ''The wretches have made us suffer so much these years. Such punishment is appropriate!


    ''This can be considered merciful on the part of our leader...''


    The soldiers there thought of similar things, pleased that Minos showed that he would not accept enemy actions without giving the proper answers.


    The idea of these people, as well as Minos, was simple. Their side had killed and died during the war. That was part of it. There were no innocents on the battlefield. However, even if the Black Plain had eliminated more than twice as many people as they lost, the opposing side was the one who provoked them...


    That was the problem!


    They wanted to show these people, the region, that the Black Plain was not a power to be provoked. Once it was, the enemy side had only two fates. One, defeat the Dry City forces, or two, suffer harsh consequences.


    Minos'' action was aimed precisely at showing the region that even after these forces had lost much more than the Black Plain, they would still pay for standing against this territory.


    And considering what Minos had said, none of those soldiers thought he was exaggerating things. After all, only the Spiritual Kings, the minority of people in those forces, would have to die.


    Was not it fair that the leaders who led their families in the war against Minos would pay with their lives, ensuring the survival of the weakest in their respective organizations?


    Those soldiers felt that this was more than fair, that Minos'' action demonstrated his mercy towards his ''innocent'' enemies.


    Minos then continued after some time. "After that, I will naturally sign a contract with the strongest survivors to ensure those families stay away from us."


    "As such, prepare for our moves!" He rose from his chair, finishing his business in this place. "I will invite the leaders of those organizations in the Brown Kingdom to come to Dry City to surrender. At that time, I will make my proposal to them, giving them the chance to choose their fate."


    "Meanwhile, your troops will surround the headquarters of each of these organizations and prepare to act on my command!"


    With the Black Plain freed from enemy forces and the end of the battles in that territory, there was no longer any reason for Minos to keep all his troops in that area.


    After all, even if the Cromwell Kingdom tried something against them, that was still only one kingdom, not five, as the Dry City forces had faced for months!


    That way, Minos had enough strength in Dry City to give that order and still ensure local security!


    With this in mind, it did not take long for the people who had attended that meeting to leave, some satisfied, others fearful of Minos'' overreaching actions.


    However, none of them felt that they should stop young Stuart.


    At the end of the day, what difference would it make if the few remaining Spiritual Kings in the Brown Kingdom were eliminated?


    That was no big deal to several of them!

 Chapter 1004 Assassins From The Empire

    Chapter 1004 Assassins From The Empire


    After many people left that place, Minos saw some of Abby''s family members coming toward him, including this young man''s in-laws and the supreme elder Miller.


    Seeing this, he continued walking toward his destination, but without ignoring them, making a hand gesture for them to follow him.


    At the same time, Minos nodded in politeness to his in-laws, noting that Eliot was still at level 56 but that Nicole had already reached level 53.


    On the other hand, the old supreme elder was still at level 58, but he seemed on the threshold of that level and could soon advance to level 59.


    Minos then heard Nicole''s voice, of the three, the one who was most comfortable talking to him.


    "Minos, don''t you feel you''d better rethink your decision a little? I think it''s too much to ask that these families lose all their leaders at once."


    "They won''t stand for that!"


    The two men beside that woman nodded in agreement but said nothing.


    Minos did not change his calm expression and said to his mother-in-law, "Well, actually, I won''t demand the sacrifice of all of them..."


    "Since a state preferably should be led by the strongest person, then I will leave the descendant of Thomas Brown alive to rule the Brown Kingdom and those families."p????-?????.???


    "That is, of course, if he accepts subordination."


    "What?" Eliot said in surprise, having been fooled by this young man for a second into thinking there would be more exceptions.


    As for old Vince, he did not want Minos to do that, but if so many people were to be killed, it was better to eliminate them all at once. "That..."


    "I think that might not be the best idea." He commented in a confident tone.


    Minos understood that man''s comment and said. "I know you think leaving this fellow alive will be like guaranteeing a future quest for revenge, but that is impossible."


    "Not only will he be limited by a Soul Contract, but he will also have to find someone who is either already much stronger than me or has a much better talent than mine."


    "I honestly don''t see that happening."


    "On the other hand, while he can hardly make the Brown Kingdom grow after all that has happened and will happen, the Black Plain doesn''t need many years to pass all the regional states."


    Minos was obviously not talking about fighting proficiency since his territory had already surpassed the regional states in this respect. Instead, he was talking about the number of experts and cultivators of at least the 5th stage. p???? ?o???


    In that regard, the Black Plain still lost, even when adding the numbers of the Gill, Miller, Austin, Parkinson, Cohen, Hayes, and Stokes families, who were already part of that territory.


    But with the war over, this sovereign knew that he could surpass all the regional states in a few years.


    p????-?o??? With that, he was confident that the Crown Prince of the Brown Kingdom had no hope of getting revenge.


    On the other hand, despite the fact that current power did not guarantee future power, it was advantageous for Minos to show mercy to at least this man and possibly his wives or mother. After all, it demonstrated to the region his acting methods.


    Ultimately, he had no interest in ruling the entire region, as the work of doing so significantly increased the difficulty of maintaining a high standard. As such, he did not intend to take the entire Brown Kingdom for himself.


    In that case, allowing that individual to stay alive would be good!


    "Anyway, they acted against the Black Plain, and now they need to pay. So I have no option but to issue this ultimatum to the leaders of the families in the Brown Kingdom."


    "But make no mistake, all that blood is not on my hands. Their leaders, Thomas Brown among them, are the real culprits for all this."


    "All I have done and will do is protect the Black Plain, avenge the deaths of my citizens, and punish those who act against us." ¦Ñ???????????


    "Now, it will be up to the remaining leaders of those families to accept the full weight of their decisions or to share such with the rest of their organizations."


    "But even in that scenario, I will only be the executioner, not the one who gives the sentence." He said this, convinced by his ideas of having a vengeful state which acts vigorously against those who try to destroy it.


    "Even the Silva family had its chance, even after all that Otis Silva did..." He muttered, but those three people heard him well.


    "Sigh..."


    ''Well, they did indeed have a chance during that period.'' Abby''s mother thought about that fact, considering that no one would find it unreasonable if Minos had wiped out that family long ago.


    They had ordered the murder of Minos'' father, something justifiable in cultivators'' minds for the slaughter of an entire family. But even so, he had not tried to exterminate them at that time, having, in fact, gone years without even talking about the Silvas.


    Thinking about that, Nicole had nothing more to say to Minos on that subject. He had his reasons, minimally reasonable justifications, and that made each of them understand where his orders came from.


    And even if they disagreed with his methods, they all understood that this decision was up to him alone and that it would make no difference to pursue the matter.


    "And what will you do with these people coming from the Flaming Empire? I mean, besides the ones your group eliminated along with Thomas, there are still two people in the capital of the Brown Kingdom." Eliot said this as he remembered that Diana Brown was in that city.


    "Oh?"


    "About that, I will naturally let them return from whence they came. I have no grudge against these people, and they have not acted against the Black Plain at any time."


    "So that''s it..." Eliot sighed in relief, feeling that his daughter''s future husband had not lost his mind in the war, still being quite sensible.


    ''It seems he is making these tough decisions to build a secure future for the Black Plain.'' Eliot looked at Minos in silence, feeling better the person his daughter would soon marry was working so hard for the future.


    ''Well, at least Abby will have strong support!''


    After that brief conversation as they walked through the central part of Dry City, those people went their separate ways, with Minos returning to his headquarters.


    ...


    As the forces in Dry City began to prepare to follow Minos'' recent orders, a group of 5 people was flying over the vicinity of this city.


    Within this group traveling on two beasts were two women and three men, each of whom looked young, which could easily make them appear to be of the same generation as Minos.


    However, despite their excellent appearances, none of those individuals were young, and anyone who knew them could quickly tell that. After all, they were all Spiritual Emperors, something challenging to achieve in a few years of cultivation.


    "So that''s Dry City, huh?" Their leader said in an interested tone, looking in the direction of that sizeable defensive dome, from where he and his group saw ''little beings'' coming and going.


    "Crispin, when do we act? How will we know if this Minos is here?" One of the two women, someone with short blond hair, asked in a bored tone, wishing to get this over with soon and return to her sect.


    These were disciples from one of the sects in the Flaming Empire that had refused Oswald''s requests.


    As such, they were here to murder young Stuart!


    Anyway, after hearing the question from one of his companions, that black-haired, level 64 man smiled and said. "Well, we can ask them nicely to let us in, or..."


    "Or we can just destroy that eggshell and make them talk!"


    "Hahaha, that''s the way I like it, Crispin!" A tall, muscular man with tan skin said this in appreciation. "If he''s in this place, we''ll deal with him at once."


    "Otherwise, we''ll make the people here talk or force him out of his hiding place!"


    After those words were spoken, each person looked at each other for a moment as if they had agreed on what to do.


    Then, the two beasts descended through the skies, heading towards Dry City!


    ''Hehe, let''s see what this ''genius'' fellow can do against us.'' Crispin thought with interest as he remembered how the Silva family had described Minos.


    ...

 Chapter 1005 Arrogant People

    Chapter 1005 Arrogant People


    After a few moments, the group coming from the Flaming Empire landed beside one of the camps around Dry City.


    They promptly caught the attention of the several Spiritual Kings patrolling the vicinity at that spot. Still, they were not immediately surrounded instead of what would typically happen.


    Instead, after those individuals noticed the arrival of these strange experts, one of the strongest Spiritual Kings there came closer to them and asked. "Who are you, people? What do you want in Dry City?"


    "We are here to see your leader. Is he here?" Crispin did not hide his goal since none of these people could do anything against their group.


    Hell, they were five Spiritual Emperors, one at level 64 and the rest at level 63. So how could people from this region offer any danger to them?


    And even though several Spiritual Emperors had recently arrived in this part of the continent, those who came to support the regional families were only 7th stage cultivators at the early part of this stage.


    That was no big deal in the eyes of these individuals!


    With that in mind, their leader had gone straight to the point in the interest of resolving this situation and drawing out the prize left by Clayton Silva in their sect.


    Hearing the tone of that person''s voice and observing the proud look in those people, typical of those who see themselves as superior, that Spiritual King frowned as he thought of something.p????-?????.???


    And not only he thought of that!


    For those who were allied or subordinate to Minos, there were only four possibilities for Spiritual Emperors to appear in this place. One, they were enemies, members of regional families. Two, they were allies. Three, they were neutral towards Dry City. Finally, four, they were from sects of the empire who were here to try to assassinate young Stuart.


    The first possibility made no sense since, for individuals with such knowledge about the power of Dry City, coming here would be like asking to die.


    On the other hand, there was no way that allies or people neutral towards Dry City would demonstrate such a superior air. With that, the Spiritual Kings in the surrounding area readily realized that these were the assassins that Minos had warned them about.


    "I see... So you gentlemen and ladies are here to see the young master." That individual from earlier smiled, pretending to be grateful that such people were coming to see Minos. "If you allow us, we will take you to him."


    Immediately after that was said, the other Spiritual Kings realized that this was a chance for them to buy time, while Minos and the local forces were alerted of these people''s arrival.


    On the other hand, the five Spiritual Emperors felt surprised by this docile behavior as they expected at least some resistance from these people.


    However, if these people wanted to make things easier for them, they were willing to risk following them. Even if there was a trap, they could easily handle it as they had escape items in their bodies. p???? ?o???


    So why make things complicated?


    As they began to follow that person, each of the five individuals was looking at him, looking for mistakes that would reveal some problem.


    "Are you okay?" One of the women asked this as she saw the sweat dripping down that person''s forehead. "You look terrified..."


    "Don''t tell me that even someone like me can scare you that much?" She asked as she pouted at that man.


    The others watched that intently, waiting for a signal to act. They then listened. "Honestly, I''m not used to being around such powerful people..."


    "No, you are, in fact, the first people of that level I have ever met in my life. So I feel a little overwhelmed." He said, glancing over and over at those people without maintaining constant eye contact.


    "Really?" A pale-skinned man with no hair on his head asked in surprise. "But I have heard many Spiritual Emperors have come to this region recently. So you haven''t encountered any of them?"


    "Of course. But that individual was at level 61. You can''t compare him with the power of your excellencies." Such a person lied since he had never seen those Spiritual Emperors reinforcing the enemies of the Black Plain, only having seen Gloria and Maisie. ¦Ñ???????????


    After hearing that, the people there felt satisfied, thinking it made sense that such a weak individual feared them, even though he was only walking close to them.


    ''In any case, even if this is a trap, we will only crush them when their masks fall...'' So, the leader of that group pondered as he watched that Spiritual King, eager to meet Minos Stuart.


    ...


    Meanwhile, some of the Spiritual Kings who had noticed the arrival of those people had already run away and sent warning signals to the forces in Dry City.


    Because of this, it was not long before the emergency sirens at the army headquarters, government mansion, and the four entrances to the wall began to sound, warning of the arrival of enemies.


    p????-?o??? Thus, quickly the four entrances to the wall closed. At the same time, the soldiers at those posts went into alert mode, waiting for reinforcements to arrive.


    On the other hand, it was not long before the strongest in Dry City began to realize that there was something wrong going on!


    ...


    Hearing the sounds of alert at headquarters, young Stuart got up from where he was standing and looked at his office window, sensing that this might be the problem he had been expecting.


    So, immediately as he looked in that direction, he noticed each of his senses became sharper as if his body already knew that he would have to fight.


    "Looks like they''re finally here..." He muttered in a low voice just before running from that place, heading towards the front of his mansion, the meeting place before possible confrontations in this city.


    ...


    "Minos, what''s going on?" Viola was one of the first to ask him something right after that young man arrived at Abby''s side.


    Meanwhile, hundreds of soldiers, most high-level Spiritual Generals, but several Spiritual Kings from each of the parts of this stage were also there.


    Among them, individuals from the Miller family and other past Brown Kingdom noble families were also there, as they had received warning arrays for situations like the current one.


    Finally, Ruth and Maisie were also in the vicinity since the first one was in the mansion when the alerts sounded; the latter had already realized something was wrong.


    Not because she sensed the presence of those five. She did not. But because her senses were much sharper than that of other people, she had noticed sirens going off in different parts of Dry City.


    As such, like the many individuals there, she was paying attention to Minos to know what would happen next.


    Minos then said aloud. "I am not sure, but I believe it is the assassins coming from the Flaming Empire."


    "That way, all those who are not Spiritual Kings must return to your positions. But, on the other hand, the Spiritual Kings here will accompany me into battle!"


    Upon hearing that, the people in the surroundings felt unprecedented tension, as they had never faced such a threat before. But knowing that Maisie was there, none of them feared death and promptly followed their sovereign''s orders.


    Meanwhile, the weaker Spiritual Kings there were still fearful, and one of them asked. "What low-level Spiritual Kings should do in this fight?"


    Hearing Robin''s voice, Minos looked at that level 50 woman and said. "Nothing too risky..."


    "You will serve as batteries for me." He smiled.


    After that, he turned to Abby and said. "As such, your job will only be to defend yourself and the group of low-level Spiritual Kings."


    "As for the rest of you." He looked at those stronger people over there. "Your job is to help me find gaps in the opposing defenses, create problems to stop them from fighting us their way."


    "Okay." The stronger people there readily agreed, as they already began to follow Minos'' footsteps in the direction from which the warning had departed.


    ''Well, let''s see how things develop...'' Maisie watched all this silently as she followed those people alongside the worried Ruth.

 Chapter 1006 No Way Out

    Chapter 1006 No Way Out


    Upon arriving outside the southern entrance of the local wall, the Spiritual Emperors found that place completely closed off, while many individuals were watching them from above the wall, within the protected area.


    On the other hand, the Spiritual King who had accompanied them there and the other individuals in the vicinity began to distance themselves from those people, already knowing that things would not remain peaceful.


    Realizing the situation, those individuals from the Flaming Empire laughed, looking at each other as they felt that those people were joking.


    ''Do they think this eggshell will stop us from entering?'' The tall, muscular individual thought to himself, finding these people''s futile attempts comical.


    "What''s going on here? Is something wrong?" Crispin looked in the direction of that Spiritual King from before and asked that.


    Silence filled that area for a few moments as that individual broke into a cold sweat, fearing what these people might do.


    "Eh... Well... It''s a security procedure in our city."


    "We don''t allow Spiritual Emperors to enter." He said with difficulty.


    "Oh? Is that true? Then why did you tell us you would take us to your leader? Did you lie to us?"


    "No, I told the truth. The young master must be coming here by now, so sooner or later, he will be here where we are."


    "In a way, I brought you to him."


    "Tsk!"


    "This guy likes to talk, huh?" One of the two women finally lost her patience, looking at that fellow with a cold stare. "Let''s just go our own way!"p????-?????.???


    "If they have no zeal for their city, then we''ll do them the favor of destroying those futile defenses!"


    "Hehehe, that''s what I was talking about!" The tall, muscular individual commented in animation. "Crispin, shall we?"


    Their leader then smiled and looked in the direction of the Spiritual King from earlier. "We try to be kind to you, but you don''t recognize your place and are making things difficult..."


    After that, he looked in the direction of the pale-skinned man and said. "Eric, make him talk while we make our way to the hiding place of that fellow."


    Upon hearing that, the Spiritual Emperor Crispin spoke to immediately ran towards that Spiritual King, ready to use his interrogation skills on that fellow.


    "Damn!" The Spiritual King of one of Minos'' subordinate families shouted in desperation, feeling that he was finished.


    At the same time, the other regional experts in that area began to prepare to fight, intent on at least delaying that level 63 Spiritual Emperor from killing their buddy.


    "Hahaha, you weaklings are truly something, huh?"


    "Do you think you can hold your own against us? Hehe, how naive!"


    As that individual began to act on the surroundings, his four companions flew towards the defensive dome, ready to destroy those defenses as if they were nothing to them.


    As they did so, they all had smiles on their faces as they directed small parts of their strength into attacks in the form of giant hands.


    With that, in a few seconds, they finally attacked some sections of that significant barrier, which by now was completely opaque due to the spiritual fluctuations of those people. p???? ?o???


    Pow!


    Crack!


    Giant cracks spread in the first instant of attack before those sections exploded into endless pieces, making room for that group to fly towards the dome''s interior!


    "Hahaha, those are the defenses they rely so heavily on?"


    "Pathetic!"


    "They didn''t even give us a hard time to destroy it, to attack more than once, hahaha!"


    "Hmm, but that''s to be expected. After all, they''re just bumpkins from the northern region, people who don''t know who they''re dealing with." One of the women in this group commented arrogantly, already observing the buildings of Dry City.


    "Hehe, let''s find the strongest..." Crispin was about to say that when suddenly his smile froze, and he felt a sudden urge to run away.


    "Damn it!"


    "Withdraw!" He said this in a panic as he felt the powerful aura of a level 69 Spiritual Emperor approaching where they were.


    ''Fuck! What''s happening here? How is there someone so strong in this place?'' He began to break into a cold sweat, feeling that he had made a grave mistake of underestimating this damn place.


    On the other hand, he could not help but think about how that Spiritual King had deceived his group. ''Damn him! He lied to us!'' ¦Ñ???????????


    ''He knew the whole time that such an expert was here, yet he acted as if he feared us!''


    With that, each of those people began to fear the powerful mother of Minos, fleeing with everything they had while picking up their teleportation items.


    "Unfortunately, we will have to abandon Eric..." One of them commented in terror.


    "Too late!"


    However, before they could do anything, Minos'' mother appeared in front of them, already holding a space stabilization array.


    "Humph!"


    "Now that you are already here don''t even think about running away!" She said this in an authoritative tone while using her cultivation pressure to make those people lose control over their flight.


    Then, as Minos looked at her strangely, finding her action unnecessary, Maisie pushed them outside the wall, where her son could fight carefree.


    Arriving at that place, unfortunately, both Maisie and Minos'' group found six bodies in the surroundings. At the same time, one of those Spiritual Emperors had his hands soiled with blood.


    That individual who had been left behind realized something strange was happening. But, suddenly, a tremendous spiritual pressure stopped him from running away, causing him to fall to his knees on the ground.


    ''What''s going on?'' He asked himself in terror, finding the sudden change in the situation unexpected.


    p????-?o??? He was dealing with the enemies in the surroundings, and then, boom, his companions suddenly appeared, falling into that place while a terrifying pressure hit him.


    And looking at the expressions of his companions and Maisie, this man finally felt the terror they had gotten themselves into.


    "Bastards!"


    "They killed our subordinates!" One of Minos'' soldiers shouted in hatred, seeing the bodies of the people who had accompanied the group of Spiritual Emperors there.


    And as many people there looked at the five enemies and the dead in the surrounding area, Minos frowned, feeling that such a thing was unacceptable.


    Had an enemy come to his house and killed his subordinates?


    That was unacceptable!


    He looked in the direction of those Spiritual Emperors for a moment, feeling hatred in his heart, something he did not usually feel for ordinary enemies.


    Therefore, he soon made up his mind about the future. "I don''t know where you people came from, but this action today will be returned in a few years..."


    "I will make it a point to exterminate each of your families and sect!" He felt his heart beating harder while his muscles involuntarily contracted, making him feel much stronger.


    After that was said, all of Minos'' allies and subordinates felt the weight of his words, as this young man was indeed someone vengeful.


    ''Is he going to do that?'' The patriarch of one of the families of those killed thought about it, already feeling some of what Minos'' vengeful character meant to them, subordinates of the Black Plain.


    Protection!


    On the other hand, those Spiritual Emperors did not feel threatened by Minos since Maisie was the real threat there.


    What could a mere Spiritual King do against organizations with Spiritual Saints?


    However, while the situation was strange, with many people thinking different things, Maisie looked at her son with interest and asked. "Are you going to do this?"


    "Of course!"


    "Anyone who dares to act against my organization will face maximum consequences!" He said firmly.


    "Good!"


    "If that is the case, I will tell you who your enemies are." She pointed at those people and said. "They are members of the Saints Killing Sect."


    "As for their families, well, I can''t say, since none of those five are anyone of relevance in the empire..."


    "Saints Killing Sect?" Minos repeated this, recording in his mind the name of enemies he should visit.


    Not only had such an organization sent people in search of his head, but it had also eliminated some of his subordinates!


    Minos could not forgive this!


    He then looked once more at his mother and asked. "What were you doing, anyway? Didn''t I say I could handle them on my own?"


    Maisie laughed at his comment and opened her hands. "They were going to run away, so I ensured they stayed here..."


    "However, I will not act against them and let your group do it on your way. What do you think?" She said this to the surprise of those Spiritual Emperors.


    ...

 Chapter 1007 The Only Option

    Chapter 1007 The Only Option


    Upon hearing Maisie''s comment, the expressions on the faces of those five people became even more strange, with them trying to understand the situation.


    Since this woman had already chosen to act against them, why was she talking such nonsense? Was this to give them false hope to make them even more desperate later?


    They did not know. In any case, by the time they invaded a place with such an expert nearby, their fate was no longer under their control!


    Thus, they just continued to listen to Minos and Maisie''s dialogue, along with the other people in the surrounding area.


    Minos said. "That''s OK then, but we won''t need your help anymore from now on."


    "Hehe, OK." She smiled at her son and then looked at each of those five individuals before telling them the game''s rules. "Since you have come this far, be prepared for a life and death struggle."


    "Use the space under the influence of this stabilization array to fight as you wish. I will not interfere no matter what."


    "But if any of you try to escape from that space, I will immediately kill all of you." She said coldly, making even the souls of those people tremble with fear.


    "Finally, I will not stop your retreat if you can survive the local forces."


    "Do you understand?"


    Gulp!p????-?????.???


    ''We have no way of knowing for sure that this woman will keep her words, but it is better to fight than to simply accept certain death!'' So, Crispin supposed, feeling the bitterness of the decisions that had brought him to this hellish place.


    And indeed, they had no choice. Either they would fight for the chance to win, and that specialist would allow them to escape, or they would surely die!


    "All right, we understand!" He said this with a terrible tone, hating this situation where he did not know what could happen.


    And just like him, each of his four companions understood the situation perfectly, already being prepared to fight for their lives in this place.


    One of them, the most naive of the five, had even thought of trying to scare that brown-haired woman with the name of the Spiritual Church. But on second thought, he realized that his idea was futile.


    The Spiritual Church did not allow outside powers to influence this region, but they were all from outside this region. So what was wrong with people from outside this place killing each other?


    That was the normality of the Spiritual World!


    Even if killing them could have some effect on the region, that would be difficult to prove, consequently, to be of any use in a threat. Hence, not only did that naive person say nothing but so did his companions.


    On the other hand, Minos and his group were already on the outskirts of that area, in a fighting position for the impending confrontation against those Spiritual Emperors.


    The Spiritual Kings at levels below 53 were all in the vicinity of Minos, ready to stay within a distance of that young man so that he could use the Devouring Art on them. p???? ?o???


    Minos'' enemies were powerful, and he would hardly steal their energies efficiently. Therefore, he was prepared to use those Spiritual Kings that would have little relevance in the fight.


    So, Abby was in the vicinity of those people, ready to use her excellent defensive technique to defend Minos'' ''batteries.''


    Finally, the cultivators between levels 54 and 58 were scattered around that area, the weakest of which were at the edges of space under the influence of the stabilization array.


    p????-?o??? They were not dumb!


    After hearing Maisie''s warnings, a portion of them had approached those boundary areas, where their opponents would face deadly risks if they were careless.


    But the strongest ones there, such as Emlyn, the supreme elder of the Miller family, and the patriarchs of Minos'' subordinate and allied families, could not fight from so far away. After all, their opponents need to be pressured in some way in order for long-range attacks to have any effect.


    That way, the battlefield was already in the formation Minos wanted, while those five individuals were already at a particular disadvantage by having to start fighting inside the enemy formation.


    "In normal situations, I wouldn''t accept fighting like that against people I don''t even have a problem with." Minos said loudly as Maisie and Ruth moved away from the area to make room for them. "But vermins like you don''t deserve any kind of fair conditions."


    "Worms must be exterminated by any means possible!"


    Upon hearing Minos'' harsh words, each of those five Spiritual Emperors felt a wave of deep anger in their souls at being called worms by a mere Spiritual King. ¦Ñ???????????


    To make matters worse, he was still addressing them in such an arrogant manner...


    That was hateful!


    ''Bastard!''


    ''Saying those things to us with that woman over there is too easy!''


    ''We''re practically being forced to perform a presentation for her...''


    ''Degrading!'' Crispin bit his lips but said nothing to Minos, only having nodded to his companions to prepare for battle.


    They did not put the people of this region in their eyes and usually would not even care about having to fight so many Spiritual Kings. But since they had ended up in the middle of the formation of those more than 50 enemies, they had no option but to worry!


    After all, even if they were Spiritual Emperors at levels 63 and 64, they were not invincible, and sooner or later, their energy reserves would run out.


    In this situation, even the weakest in that place would be able to put their lives at risk!


    Thus, they were not underestimating Minos'' group at this point and quickly got into their own formation, preparing for the start of the confrontation.


    "I don''t know whether or not you can beat us. But I''m sure we won''t be the last to come to confront you." So, Crispin said to Minos, convinced that such a person would die sooner or later, even if not by his hands.


    "Good!"


    "Your sect mates will serve to test my soldiers and make us stronger!" Minos said confidently until he finally began to activate his techniques, prepared to deal with those people.


    In his opinion, he thought he could handle a single individual like that if he had to fight alone. But fighting all five of them at once, well, that was impossible even considering all his advantages.


    However, with people to provide him with energy and others to pressure those opponents, Minos felt he could beat those people.


    But just in case, he already had a particular item in his spatial ring, prepared to summon it in case of need...


    And so the fight finally began.


    Devouring Art!


    Zum!


    Indestructible Body!


    Explosive Steps!


    Spatial Sword!


    In a single second, Minos activated his most essential techniques, making the big black ring circle around his ''batteries'' while already moving around that area.


    The enemies did not know him well. So, they would certainly try to eliminate him at the beginning of the fight instead of making the wisest decision to deal with his ''batteries.''


    With that in mind, Minos was already prepared to dodge his opponents'' initial blows while preparing to strike them hard.


    At the same time, all the individuals who were there to fight began to activate their techniques or launch their attacks, seeking to get past the problematic initial moment of the fight.


    The beginning was more difficult because it was relatively more straightforward for high-level people to activate their techniques and attack their opponents. But, at the same time, this moment of collective fighting was always the one with the fewest advantages for the more numerous side, which only became more relevant as the battle continued.


    In this way, the confrontation began tense, with many of those people afraid of the initial moves, agitating to press the five individuals as soon as possible!


    "Humph!"


    "They think we''ll do it their way!" The tall, muscular man commented as he swung a giant ax. "I think the strongest among us should deal with that arrogant brat. The rest should deal with these flies that are here to get in our way!"


    Crispin liked the suggestion and said. "Let''s do it this way. The three of you will deal with the people in the surrounding area, and the two of us will finish off that brat!"


    "Yes!"


    And with that, various forms of attacks departed from that group, as their conjured defenses began to circle their bodies to protect them from the many enemy attacks.


    ...

 Chapter 1008 The Advantage Of Numbers

    Chapter 1008 The Advantage Of Numbers


    Immediately after the last exchange of words, the two strongest Spiritual Emperors there flew toward Minos, intending to attack this young man with everything.


    In doing so, one of them was already using one of his techniques to create a series of large chains flying towards Minos at high speed.


    That young man''s other opponent, on the other hand, was swinging his great ax, creating several blades to counterattack the attacks of the many Spiritual Kings in the surroundings.


    Swooish!


    But not only were they attacking! After seeing the way that group seemed to be trying to act, Minos had already set those two as his targets and promptly began to focus his attacks against them.


    To begin with, he used much of his energy to attack the mind of his weakest opponent, the one he was most likely to affect.


    Infinite Dream!


    Minos'' brown eyes flashed in rainbow colors as turbulent energy streams shot toward his tall, muscular opponent.


    ''Oh? A mental technique? Rare, but...'' Crispin was thinking about it when he suddenly felt that his associate had already been influenced by that technique more than he expected.


    In that instant, while they were still flying close to each other, Crispin''s partner suddenly fell 3 meters before returning control over his flight and not falling to the ground.


    However, such a situation had been enough for both of them to face a wave of attacks from Minos'' comrades!p????-?????.???


    "Au! Au! Au!" Emlyn barked loudly as her claws sliced through the air towards those individuals, taking advantage of the distraction of that level 63 Spiritual Emperor.


    On the other hand, seeing the favorable situation for them, Vince Miller, level 58, used his primary attack technique, creating a large reddish spiritual energy cube, which covered up the space where those two were.


    "Let''s see how my Acid Cube will fare against such strong opponents..." The old man muttered to himself as he maintained his defensive stance and used one of his fingers to command his technique.


    "Damn it!" Crispin''s companion finally cried out in frustration, feeling the disturbance caused by Minos in his mind making him suffer doubly.


    He had not had his consciousness taken elsewhere after Minos'' powerful mental attack. But this man had just faced something terrible, which, although not putting his life at risk, made him suffer considerably just to defend himself!


    And thinking about how if he had been a level weaker, he would have been finished in this situation, this man shuddered with fear.


    p????-?o??? To make matters worse, while he had been distracted, several of the enemy attacks were already too close to him for him to dodge!


    "Ahhhhhhhhh!" He cried out, feeling his defenses stopping the opponent''s blows but not stopping the pain of having to receive attacks directly on his skin.


    As for Crispin, he had managed to deflect or counter the attacks coming his way but had not been quick enough to help his mate.


    ''That wretch is truly a monster!'' p???? ?o???


    ''The person who said he was a genius wasn''t wrong!'' The eyes of the leader of that group coming from the empire widened as he thought about it sincerely, regretting himself for underestimating the assessment capabilities of the person who had created such a mission.


    However, while they had dealt with or suffered through those attacks, Minos had not sat and waited for them. Instead, several big blades of energy were already closing in on the two individuals, barely giving them time to recover from what had just happened.


    "Damn it!"


    "That wretch''s attacks are as strong as those of a level 62 Spiritual Emperor!"


    "Don''t make it easy on him, or we can get hurt!"


    "You don''t have to tell me that..." Crispin said as he sensed the power of the people in the surrounding area. "It seems that all these people have Silver-grade techniques!"


    "Most of them are as strong as level 60 Spiritual Emperors!" Crispin warned his friend of the obvious.


    That was a problem for them. They came from the Flaming Empire, but Silver-grade techniques in that state were less common than Black-grade ones in the northern region of the Central Continent.


    So, few people, even in large sects, had complete sets of techniques of this quality.


    And this was precisely the case with their group, that even the luckiest person there only had three such techniques! ¦Ñ???????????


    In this way, facing so many opponents who had such good techniques and fought well together was making the light at the end of the tunnel for them even smaller!


    Swooish!


    The large blades sent out by Minos finally hit them, causing them to fly back several meters as they spent their energies on their defenses and counterattacks.


    ...


    While Minos was fighting alongside some of the strongest of his group in the surroundings, Abby was constantly moving her defenses to protect her man''s ''batteries.''


    Not because the enemies were targeting those people. They had not yet noticed how Minos was using other people''s energy to fight against them.


    And not for nothing. After all, with so many threats to their lives, noticing this detail might not be so easy and quick!


    With that, the enemies had not attacked the weaker ones there, having instead tried to eliminate the stronger ones who wanted to eliminate them. But even in that situation, with so many attacks in the surroundings flying back and forth, Abby had been needed several times to save the lives of those individuals.


    While she was doing this worthy work, the group of three Spiritual Emperors was already fighting vigorously against the rest of the stronger Spiritual Kings there.


    "Those bastards are cowards!"


    "They''re just trying to hold us here using their numerical advantage..."


    "How hateful!" One of the two women there said this with a terrible expression on her face, beginning to feel the weight of having to fight so many people.


    At the beginning of the fight, they had wounded several of their opponents. Still, soon after, with so many attacks coming from almost every direction, these three people had found themselves at a dead end.


    Either they used everything they had to run and defend themselves against attacks that were impossible to dodge, risking exhaustion too soon. Or they held their positions and tried to fight back.


    However, the second case was not much better than the first, as this basically locked them in a position while the enemies got the advantage of movement.


    Therefore, after a few minutes of confrontation, these three people could not leave their positions nor stop using their energies to retaliate, dodge, and defend themselves.


    Not being able to attack those much weaker than them, the three individuals were green with rage at the moment!


    And while the three struggled not to exhaust themselves before their opponents, the group with Angela, Celeste, Elena, Mirya, Eduard, and many other local Spiritual Kings continued to attack.


    They did not have to worry about losing their energies by attacking these people with vigor. That was Dry City, and with all the current conditions, they would not be at risk if they became exhausted after fighting with those people.


    With that, those people were trying to eliminate those enemies with all their strength, with many already sweating and bleeding, hurriedly  breathing as they used their techniques.


    Burning Light!


    Two golden balls of light appeared in Elena''s hands. Soon after, intense beams of light came from them, leaving an orange trail wherever they went, burning everything in their path.


    Stellar Destruction!


    Celeste waved her hands as she ''threw'' a giant ball of red energy in the direction of her opponents, ready to detonate it.


    One Thousand and One Spears!


    Eduard activated his primary attack technique, causing a thousand and one spears to appear in the air, which followed the movement of one of his fingers, flying at those three people.


    "Bastards!"


    "When our companions get rid of that Minos, we''ll finish you!" The other woman in that group screamed in frustration, feeling her body beginning to weaken as she struggled in this place.


    Unfortunately for her, the situation of the other two Spiritual Emperors who were supposed to deal with Minos was not like hers. It was even worse!


    As such, no one would come to her rescue!


    Fighting weaker people should be a great facility for stronger cultivators. But the difference between many there and these enemies was not as gigantic as the five individuals had assumed.


    On the other hand, their enemies seemed so well used to fighting alongside each other that even when facing such strong people, most had suffered little!


    In this way, these people from the empire learned the hard way how powerful it could be to unite people with one purpose and the advantage of numbers.


    ...

 Chapter 1009 The Ability Of An Item

    Chapter 1009 The Ability Of An Item


    While the largest group on that battlefield was fighting to oppress the three weaker Spiritual Emperors, the two strongest were still fighting Minos'' team.


    However, minutes after the clash began, several people from Minos'' group had been forced to withdraw from the battlefield as they had exhausted themselves in helping young Stuart.


    With that, the number of ''batteries'' in that place had declined to less than 20% of the initial figures, leaving minimal power for Minos to continue fighting.


    At the same time, of the several warriors who had been helping to fight those two, more than half had also had to move away from that area, injured or exhausted.


    Fighting only those two was not easy since their techniques were speedy and powerful, which required the full attention and strength of each of those Spiritual Kings.


    Because of this, even with the presence of Minos there to entertain the opponents, several warriors of his forces had to end the fight a little early.


    However, given the numbers on Minos'' side, no one had died so far.


    With this, the side of the battlefield where Minos was fighting had become less chaotic, with fewer people battling, leaving more room for the main players involved.


    As for the two Spiritual Emperors, they were not doing well, already having had their armor damaged, with several bruises around their bodies and blood stains on their faces.


    They had suffered enough to get to this point in the battle, having received many of the attacks from the Spiritual Kings on Minos'' side.


    But only because of this had they been able to fend off almost all of young Stuart''s attacks, attacks that could have threatened their lives!


    So, they were still moving around the battlefield, breathing hurriedly through their mouths while feeling their energy reserves dropping below 30%.p????-?????.???


    On the other hand, although Minos had been using his companions'' energies all this time, he did not look too good either.


    He had all the time launched attacks with power close to his maximum, which was highly stressful and took some of his own energy. Because of this, just like his opponents, he had several battle marks on his clothes and body, blood dripping from a half dozen wounds.


    But he still had several ''batteries'' to rely on, so this young man was not as anxious as his enemies, who were staring at him hideously at the moment.


    Realizing the current situation, Minos saw that Abby had already withdrawn from the battlefield, as she had over-protected his ''batteries.''


    He then looked at those two enemies as he moved through the surroundings, ready to attack them again.


    Spatial Sword!


    Infinite Dream!


    Swooish!


    Realizing this, those two felt the blood in their heads boil even more since, unlike them, Minos'' attacks did not seem to weaken!


    Considering how troublesome this was for them, who were almost out of energy, they could not help but feel anger at having to fight this opponent.


    ''That wretch!'' p???? ?o???


    ''I didn''t realize it before, but he''s using his soldiers'' energies to fight us!''


    ''What a coward!'' The tall, muscular man, who by now had lost part of one of his arms and his mental state was not so good, thought of this in contempt for Minos not using his power to fight them.


    But lucky for this man, by now, Minos was much more focused on eliminating the enemy leader, level 64, since the opportunity had finally opened up for him!


    "Ahhhhhh!" That man shouted amid his attempt to shield his mind from Minos while dealing with the many threats in the surroundings coming toward him and his mate.


    ''What a disgrace!''


    p????-?o??? ''All this is the fault of that damned woman!''


    ''If it weren''t for her, we wouldn''t have ended up in this disadvantageous situation!'' Crispin finally realized that if it was not for Maisie, they might have completed their mission to eliminate Minos!


    After all, even with this advantageous situation in favor of the enemy, these people still had not managed to kill any of them.


    So, Crispin believes that if his group had fought from a less disadvantageous position from the start, they would have had a greater chance of eliminating all of these individuals.


    And the thought of this was almost driving that man crazy, who was continuously attacked by Minos'' mental technique so that the attacks of the others in that area would hit him.


    As he became increasingly desperate, this man finally pulled out his main card, something sacrificial that he would only use in a life-or-death situation. ¦Ñ???????????


    Occult World Art: Blood Spear!


    After joining his two hands, this man floated in the air amidst the many enemy attacks, allowing his armor to absorb most of these attacks.


    At the same time, a large red spear began to form above his head, emitting powerful waves of energy that made the surrounding people tremble with fear.


    Seeing that, not only the people fighting but also Ruth and Maisie opened their eyes wider, seeing what could be the strongest attack in this whole fight forming.


    " Master!" Ruth said in a worried tone, afraid of what that might do to Minos since that spear did not seem like something ordinary that he could simply dodge or defend himself.


    "I know, Ruth. But let''s see what Minos will do before I take action." Maisie said this in a slightly altered tone, but since she trusted her strength, she was not as worried as her disciple.


    "Oh?" Minos looked surprised at that technique since Henricus Longus'' memories contained similar scenes.


    It was not exactly one of the techniques that God had seen during his cultivation journey. Still, it resembled the characteristics of several of them.


    Because of this, Minos readily realized that such a thing was not ordinary.


    ''It looks like this is aimed directly at my soul, so even if I try to run through these areas, it will chase me.'' Minos'' eyes narrowed during the few seconds of activation of that enemy technique.


    Even though he felt that running away to the Spatial Kingdom had a high chance of saving him from more significant trouble, this young man decided not to do that. He did not want to show too much in this place since, besides his mother, he did not know if there were more people in the surroundings to watch him doing things he should not be doing.


    After all, they had come here on their own, so there was nothing to stop such a group from having a sixth member!


    With that in mind, he immediately summoned the item he had prepared earlier for emergencies.


    ''Well, this will be my first time using a low-level grade-3 artifact.'' Minos smiled amidst the pain in his body, eager to be able to start using such resources left by Henricus Longus.


    He already had the strength to wield low-level grade-3 items. However, since he could barely use such items for a few seconds, this young man was still waiting to get stronger to use them.


    But in this decisive situation, there was no reason to keep holding back!


    The next attack in the fight would kill him, or his opponent would die soon after since such a person would lose the fighting conditions!


    In this case, Minos was preparing to kill that person!


    He then forcefully inhaled the air in his surroundings until eventually, an item that looked like a shield, with a completely smooth, golden surface, appeared in his hands.


    "Devouring Shield: Infinite Mirroring!" He loudly shouted as he directed almost all the energy flowing in his body into the center of that item that was the same size as him, only with a hexagonal shape.


    Immediately after that, the smooth, golden hexagonal surface began to open up, making several gear-like sounds, rapidly multiplying. First, a second mirror of the same size had appeared. Then, two more, and then four, continuing to duplicate until everything in front of Minos had been blocked by such a thing.


    At the same time, a green mist began to form on that gigantic golden mirror, forming a green circle aimed at the red spear focused on Minos.


    Vuup!


    Finally, the enemy attack flew at Minos, while all the people in the surrounding area were shocked by either the power of such a thing or what young Stuart was doing.


    Boom!


    But after running directly into Minos, such a spear crashed heavily into that great mirror, letting powerful waves of energy escape through the surroundings, causing tremors in that area.


    However, at that instant, when the enemy attack crashed into that mirror, a green spear, like the opponent''s, began to appear from that item, while the red one gradually disappeared.


    Minos then said aloud. "Taste of your own power, vermin!"


    "Taste the innate ability of this artifact!"


    Vuup!


    "NOOOOOO!"


    ...

 Chapter 1010 Slaying The Enemies

    Chapter 1010 Slaying The Enemies


    Immediately after Minos'' words rang out, a green spear cut its way towards where those two Spiritual Emperors were standing.


    Such a spear was almost perfectly identical to the one created by Crispin''s sacrificial technique, the only difference being its coloring.


    Other than that, every visible detail and the power of that attack was precisely the same as the one thrown by Crispin, leaving everyone in the surrounding area completely shocked.


    ''How can this be? Where did such a thing come from? How can he be able to use something like that?'' The three Spiritual Emperors fighting a little further away from Crispin thought about it simultaneously, terrified.


    At the same time, Maisie was open-mouthed, surprised to see her son using such a powerful item, which she had no way of imagining where it had come from.


    Even Abby, who was somewhat distant from Minos at the moment, was surprised to see it. But in her case, her surprise was regarding the power of that item, which she had not expected to be that powerful.


    ''This is terrifying! I never imagined that an item could be so impressive!'' She watched the whole thing in anxiety.


    And it was not for nothing. Even some people there, who had come from the Flaming Empire, had never seen an item with such features!


    Minos had used a powerful spiritual artifact, something that even had an ability, a scarce characteristic in items of this type.


    But such a thing was indeed possible!


    Some weapons or artifacts of grade-3 or higher, as in the case of that shield, had a slight chance of gaining an ability during their forging.p????-?????.???


    Such items could inherit fractions of their forger''s powers, which basically depended a lot on the talent of the person forging them, as well as on the characteristics of the item and of that person.


    Hence, items with this characteristic were extremely rare in the Spiritual World!


    And Crispin realized all this as he felt his level decrease by a whole level due to the sacrificial technique he had used.


    But he did not have much time to regret his wasted sacrifice when the sizeable green spear pierced his body in half, causing him to let out a long cry of despair.


    "NOOOOOOOOO!"


    But as Crispin saw the upper half of his body being separated from the lower half, that long green spear came to a halt, glowing brighter and brighter with each millisecond.


    Seeing that terrible sign, the tall, muscular man who had fought beside Crispin opened his eyes in terror, feeling that he had to flee.


    Unfortunately for him, Crispin''s sacrificial technique had a safety mechanism to ensure the destruction of the enemy.


    After all, after using this technique, its user would be in a highly fragile state, which would put him at risk. Because of this, the copy of that man''s technique also had such a mechanism.


    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! p???? ?o???


    That green spear finally exploded, creating a ball of green flames that expanded for a radius of 10 meters away from Crispin, incinerating everything in its path.


    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" That man screamed in pain as his body was quickly consumed by the flames that could destroy even a level 65 Spiritual Emperor!


    As he was only someone of level 63, it did not take long for that individual, as well as Crispin, to disappear from this world!


    They had finally died!


    "That..."


    The Spiritual Kings in the surrounding area finally realized that Minos had eliminated those two in just a short 10-second interval, greatly easing the course of the battle.


    And even with many questions on their minds, those in a position to continue the battle soon began running towards the three 7th stage cultivators who were left alive.


    "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"


    "How can this be happening? How did that brat have such a challenging item?" The blonde woman said this in a desperate tone, feeling the end approaching her.


    At the same time, the other woman looked in the direction of where Maisie was floating, feeling that such a person had sentenced them to this hell and given such a powerful weapon to Minos. ¦Ñ???????????


    "Hell!" She cried before making the last threat of her life. "You will regret this!"


    "The Spiritual Church will find out that you gave powerful weapons to that brat!"


    p????-?o??? "All of you will die!"


    "Tsk!"


    "Kill that bitch!" Emlyn shouted angrily at these foolish people who only talked nonsense.


    And hearing the powerful spiritual voice of that fox, quickly the number of attacks against those three doubled, making them finally see the end of their lives.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    With that, cries of pain began to fill the surroundings, with the many attacks of those Spiritual Kings managing to penetrate the defenses of those people, hurting them more and more as the seconds passed.


    Meanwhile, Minos'' ''batteries'' finally reached their maximum exhaustion, with no one else left to help him continue this fight.


    But as he fell to his knees on the ground, leaning on that shield that had now returned to normal size, Minos felt that he did not have to worry about anything else. Those three could not escape more than 30 Spiritual Kings attacking them at once.


    And feeling the pleasure of having killed a level 64 enemy, he could not contain the euphoria in his heart, something he had not felt for some time.


    Minos was a young man who loved fights and felt alive going through challenging battles. That was the case when he had his fight against Troy in the Spiritual Tournament final years ago.


    But since reaching level 51, this young man had rarely had chances to have such brutal fights. So, he felt a bit frustrated, as if he was accumulating certain feelings in his being.


    But now, with this fight, he had used everything he had to fight those two and then activate the shield in his hands. Because of this, he was utterly exhausted at the moment but highly pleased with the result.


    "Sigh..."


    ''After today, I must start preparing myself to use more than just one weapon.'' He pondered about this.


    Minos had never used defensive items because his technique was more effective than artifacts of that type sold in the region. But since grade-3 items were far from the ordinary rules for grade-2 ones and below, he no longer put aside the idea of protecting himself with external items.


    And considering that there was full body armor in the spatial ring left by Henricus Longus, Minos was already thinking about starting to use one of them!


    ''I just need to improve my strength a bit to be able to wear them for more than a few seconds...'' He chuckled as he saw the end of those three individuals.


    And then, in that instant, shouts of celebration began to spread among the people involved in this great conflict, something they could never forget. They, Spiritual Kings from the northern region of the Central Continent, had just joined in killing 5 Spiritual Emperors!


    As much as two of them had been taken down by Minos, three had been killed by their joint actions!


    That was something for them to be proud of and retell such a thing to the generations of their families!


    "Hahaha, it''s finally over! The bastards are dead!"


    "Hehe, my blow killed that wretch who killed our companions!" Eduard said proudly, feeling the pleasurable sensation of doing something so admirable.


    With that, several of those people gathered around the vicinity of the destroyed bodies of those individuals from the Flaming Empire, talking about what had just happened.


    On the other hand, Ruth quickly made her way to where Minos was, proud of what her man had just done and even more curious about him.


    Unlike the five dead individuals there, she knew very well that Minos had received nothing from Maisie. And knowing that he had no contact with people outside the region, she could not wait to be able to learn where such a thing had come from.


    "Honey, are you okay?" She asked as she stooped down beside him, giving a hand for him to stand up and lean on her.


    Meanwhile, Maisie collected the two spatial rings from the Spiritual Emperors killed by Minos'' shield ability just after the flames wholly disappeared.


    She then tossed those items in Abby''s direction, leaving it to that woman to deliver them to Minos.


    ...

 Chapter 1011 Outcome And Farewell

    Chapter 1011 Outcome And Farewell


    After receiving the spatial rings from those two Spiritual Emperors from Maisie and collecting the storage items from the other three bodies, Abby ran toward Minos and Ruth.


    Even though she was exhausted from the previous battle, she was more than happy that their group overcame such adversity without further casualties.


    The only ones killed today by those people coming from the Flaming Empire had been those Spiritual Kings who had previously been guarding the outskirts of that camp.


    Apart from them, all those who had actually fought alongside Minos and his group had survived, although some had suffered more worrisome injuries.


    In any case, this had been a once-in-a-lifetime experience for those dozens of regional Spiritual Kings, who had previously regarded Spiritual Emperors as great experts, invincible, and enviable beings.


    But in their first fight against such strong people, not only had they not lost, they had eliminated three of these individuals.


    That was to give pride and strength of will for these people to continue on the journey of power alongside Minos!


    And knowing full well how important this battle had been to the local forces, Abby was walking with a smile on her face, taking the ''rewards'' of this confrontation to Minos.


    "My love, aren''t you curious to discover what these people left behind?" Abby asked just after reaching Minos'' side.


    Upon hearing that, he smiled and let go of Ruth''s shoulder that he was using for support to take those five items from Abby''s hands.


    As for Ruth, even she was anxious to see what those people had left as ''gifts'' to the Black Plain. After all, these were stronger Spiritual Emperors than those reinforcements from the regional families, people born and raised in the empire.p????-?????.???


    Because of that distinguished origin and the power of that technique used by Crispin a few moments ago, even Ruth thought she could see great wealth in those rings!


    Minos then began to probe through the spatial rings of the level 63 Spiritual Emperors, leaving the best for last.


    As he did this, he went on to say to the two. "Well, it looks like there is a fortune here..."


    The eyes of the two shone with interest.


    They particularly did not care how much crystals they had to pay for their expenses as they both had more than they needed in their lives. But, thinking about the Black Plain, they understood the need to accumulate as many crystals as possible.


    That''s why they were both interested in it!


    Minos then said. "In those first four rings, there are 700 million low-grade crystals, 500,000 medium-grade crystals, and a thousand high-grade crystals."


    "A thousand high-grade crystals?" Ruth said in surprise, not expecting that there would be so many crystals of that rank in possession of such people. ''Did they rob a bank before coming here?''


    "Minos, that''s worrying. If they had that many crystals, they''re probably pretty important in the Saints Killing Sect." She said in concern, dismissing that absurd possibility.


    "Oh?" p???? ?o???


    Abby then said in her fianc¨¦''s place, "It makes no difference what their backgrounds are."


    "It''s not like we could have avoided the previous situation... They attacked us, so we just did what was at our disposal."


    She spread her arms and lifted her shoulders. "As for the future, naturally, we will deal with whatever comes our way."


    Hearing Abby''s manner of speaking, Minos smiled, realizing that his woman had already acquired parts of his ways of acting and thinking. "That''s right, Ruth. It makes no difference."


    "Anyway, let''s leave a remark about these people in the army. Their families will probably seek revenge, so we must prepare for the future."


    "Hmmm." Ruth nodded and said nothing more.


    "Other than those crystals, we got many arrays, artifacts, and grade-2 pills, as well as three arrays and a half-dozen low-level grade-3 pills."


    "Not bad."


    Other than these items, nothing else caught Minos'' attention. But that was to be expected. After all, those rings were from only four people who probably had not bought many items during their lives.


    Hell, young Stuart himself had only bought two swords for himself in the last ten years! ¦Ñ???????????


    So, for people who probably had lower cultivation speeds than he did, not having many items was typical.


    On the other hand, even though looting against dead enemies was standard, and that group must surely have had their experiences in such matters, the most normal thing to do in such situations was to sell the resources at auctions.


    After all, a cultivator would hardly need to have several arrays or artifacts with him.


    At most, a person could use few items during a fight, so having more than necessary could be a waste of resources and space.


    Therefore, aside from people with organizations to worry about, most cultivators in this world would rather have crystals than many items in their spatial rings.


    The only items that had less appeal when it came to selling were those that could save lives, as in the case of pills. But even these were constantly used or lost their effects due to the progress of their owners.


    The same was true of medicines.


    With that, Minos was not bothered by the numbers of those items, already finding it extremely good that there were grade-3 resources among the ''prizes'' of his victory.


    "There are also two dozen copies of Black-grade techniques and one Silver-grade technique!" He smiled, feeling that those people had indeed left him a good offering.


    "Silver-grade technique?" Abby opened her mouth in surprise, seeing one of those coming from someone other than Minos for the first time in her life.


    After that, Minos focused on the ring left behind by Crispin, the enemy leader. "The difference between levels is terrifying..." He muttered as he realized the wealth left by that person.


    "Three Silver-grade techniques!" Ruth was surprised to see the three silver scrolls in Minos'' hands.


    "Hmm, and the rest of his ring was almost half as valuable as those of his four companions..." Minos smiled at Ruth before making a joke. "I wonder if he was stealing from them?"


    After that, the three talked for a bit while Minos transferred most of those resources into a single ring and handed it over to Abby to handle their division.


    Some of that would go to the soldiers involved in today''s battle, while some would stay with the Dry City government for the future development of the Black Plain.


    But some of those items, mainly the grade-3 and high-grade crystals, Minos kept in his own storage item.


    Not only that, he had seen a map in that ring of Crispin''s and decided to keep it in case it might have some use for him in the future.


    Now that he had already decided to stand against those people''s sect, all information concerning them was of great importance to this sovereign.


    In any case, he did not intend to set foot outside the region before reaching level 60, so he simply put those things away and left a mental note for the future.


    ...


    Two days later...


    After the previous troubles, things in Dry City had more or less returned to normal, with those involved in yesterday''s decisive battle beginning to return to their routines.


    However, after experiencing how strong her son and his soldiers could be fighting together, Maisie was assured that she was no longer needed there.


    Previously she had stayed in this place due to Gloria but then stayed to see how Minos would take on groups from outside that region. But now that she saw that hardly anyone paid by the Silva family could easily defeat him, she no longer felt needed in this place.


    p????-?o??? As such, upon waking up earlier today, she promptly prepared to return to the Flaming Empire, from which she had been away for longer than she would have liked.


    She had many questions in mind, but her relationship with Minos was not yet good enough for her to question him. So she did not ask him anything about the shield he had used previously.


    And just like that, she and Ruth were outside the south gate of the local wall, finishing saying goodbye to Minos'' group.


    "Have a good trip, Miss Maisie. Next time you come here, the Black Plain will already be a great state!" Dillian laughed out loud, feeling that there was no error in his prediction.


    On the other hand, while Minos'' butler was talking to that woman, this young man was hugging Ruth, talking to her.


    "Are you sure you will go back with her? I thought you were going to stay here longer." He asked in her right ear.


    Ruth continued hugging him and said in a decided tone. "Next time I see you, I want to finally be able to stay here with you and Abby and be a part of your life."


    "So now that we are engaged, I will settle my affairs with the Spiritual Church so there will be no problems for us in the future."


    "I see..." Minos sighed, but he thought that things would work better that way.


    After that, those two women quickly took off from that place, leaving Dry City and those people behind.

 Chapter 1012 Returning To Local Government Command

    Chapter 1012 Returning To Local Government Command


    After returning to Dry City, Minos quickly made his way towards the local government mansion where he intended to return to command.


    After months of putting aside the affairs of his city government, primarily in the hands of Dillian and Mia, young Stuart was prepared to return to command his city as the ruler.


    Previously he had stepped away from his duties as a local leader to deal exclusively with the affairs of the Black Plain Army in the war of independence. But with the near end of that conflict, he felt free to resume those responsibilities without having to sacrifice his training time.


    On the other hand, with the end of the war coming, the Black Plain was about to undergo a gigantic transformation process that went beyond what Mia and Dillian could do alone.


    p????-?o??? They were exceptional at what they had been doing for the last decade. Still, the scale of what was about to happen went a bit beyond their positions as Minos'' right and left hands.


    This young man also had many ideas to put into practice, which required him to return to a position of de facto command.


    So, after saying goodbye to Ruth, he returned to his mansion at Dillian''s side, eager to hear the latest news about his city, which he hadn''t heard since the beginning of the war.


    Thus, he, Dillian, and Mia were soon in that central office in the administrative part of the government mansion, sitting down as they updated the local sovereign.


    ...


    "Well, young master, I guess I should start with the basics." Mia looked at Minos as she sat next to Dillian on the brown sofa in that office, face to face with this young man who was in an armchair of the same quality as the sofa.


    "After about ten years since the young master''s arrival in Dry City, the spiritual concentration around the local spiritual root has finally reached high levels for the region."p????-?????.???


    "Previously, we were supposed to be the most barren and spiritual energy-poor part of the entire region. However, now we already have a moderately high concentration, similar to that in the Red Valley region."


    "Hmmm." Minos nodded in agreement, understanding that since anyone who paid attention to the local spiritual energy density could tell such a thing.


    On the other hand, when he buried that Divide-grade medicine right after he arrived in this city, he already expected something like that to happen in about ten years.


    In this way, he was not surprised.


    Mia then continued. "Because of the increased density of spiritual energy, the local crystal mines have reached record values recently."


    "Currently, we can produce about 80 million low-grade and 300 thousand medium-grade crystals in the Black Plain mines annually." She said with a wide smile on her face.


    She remembered that when Minos arrived in this city, the local mines produced only 24 thousand low-grade crystals per year!


    Considering this absurd difference, she could not help but smile in happiness, even more so considering that she had been part of the government of the person who had transformed this place so much.


    She was genuinely proud to be Minos'' secretary!


    "Oh? 80 million, huh?" Minos said this, pleased. p???? ?o???


    That might not seem close to the fortunes accumulated from lootings during the war, but such kind of income was non-recurring!


    Yet these mines generated recurring dividends for the Black Plain, which Minos valued, even more so considering that this would only get better over the next 20 years.


    "That''s especially good. How are the expenses for maintaining the operations at these mines?"


    "We have improved efficiency with more high-level labor and new work artifacts."


    "Previously, the materials used for mining were all old and frequently broke. But on the other hand, personnel were scarce and poorly trained. So, we had to spend about 25% of what we produced in the local mines just to sustain production."


    "But currently, we only need to spend 18 crystals to mine 100 of the same," Mia explained briefly.


    "I see..."


    "Well, with those crystals generated by the local mines, how much are we producing annually in Dry City considering government business?"


    Dillian then replied. "600 million low-grade crystals, young master."


    "That''s still a low amount considering we weren''t that far off that two years ago. But because of the war and the difficulties in doing business on Stone Island, we had to slow down the growth of the plantation fields." ¦Ñ???????????


    "Because of this, we currently employ only 300,000 farmers and generate about 400 million crystals from local food production."


    "However, with the end of the war and the beginning of the migration to our territory, we will be able to increase these numbers considerably in a short time." This man with a prominent mustache said this in a confident tone. "The agriculture  department estimates that we can double our numbers in no more than four months after the migrations to here begin."


    "Good." Minos did not think these results were bad, considering all the difficulties Dry City had faced in this war period.


    They faced economic embargoes, had much of their territory taken over, experienced naval blockades, and even faced the trade war on Stone Island.


    In the midst of all this, the death toll of the allied forces on the Black Plain came close to the 200 thousand mark, something problematic for any regional power.


    But even so, his city still managed to grow during this period, reaching healthy post-war levels!


    That was what made Minos pleased!


    "Well, that''s not bad. Considering how much our population suffered and barely grew in that period, that''s kind of a good result."


    "Hmm." Dillian nodded in agreement. "We lost a lot of people in the war, but because of the allies and subordinates who joined us in the middle of the conflict, we still managed to overcome the losses and reach the 620 thousand population mark."


    "Due to that, we achieved these improvements during such a period."


    Before the war, the Black Plain already had more than half a million inhabitants. But during that conflict, the Miller, Parkinson, and Austin families had joined Dry City.


    Apart from them, small groups coming from cities under the war region, as in the case of the City of Waters, had come to Dry City during the latter part of the conflict.


    Because of this, the city of Minos had overcome the losses of the war and managed to grow in population during this period.


    On the other hand, this had also been a limiting factor for Dry City, as the population increase had been minimal. So this place had not taken off in that period.


    "But apart from those figures regarding the small growth we had in that period, the quality of services improved greatly during the war, young master," Mia commented.


    "Today, we have more than four times the number of grade-2 professionals we had before the war. The number of grade-1 professionals has also significantly increased, having experienced an increase of over 800%!"


    "Because of this, the wealth of the local population has increased greatly in these more than two years of war, which also justifies the current wealth of the Black Plain sovereign fund."


    "Oh? How much has my bank managed to collect in that period?" Minos asked about this data that he had been curious about for some time.


    "1 billion low-grade crystals, young master."


    ''That''s enough to build a few small cities...'' Minos smiled upon hearing such information. "And how many crystals do we have available today to begin the development of the Black Plain?"


    "3.87 billion."


    "Hmm, very good."


    "We still haven''t accounted for the investments made by the allied and subordinate families who joined us during the war. So, those figures may increase quite a bit before long." Mia commented on this relevant fact.


    "All right." Minos understood but got straight to the point. "In any case, that''s enough for us to start building the satellite cities around Dry City and developing Naval City-1."


    "At the same time, let''s build the infrastructure of a proper city outside the local defensive dome."


    "We can no longer keep these camps outside the local wall." He smiled, thinking it was finally time to provide adequate housing for those tens of thousands of people living outside the defensive dome.


    "Sigh..."


    "Well, now we just have to make the surrender of the Brown Kingdom official, and in a short time, we can have our independence made official."


    "By the way, how long will I have to wait until the leaders of the Brown Kingdom arrive in our city?" Minos asked Dillian.


    "Three days, young master."

 Chapter 1013 Time To Make The Surrender Official

    Chapter 1013 Time To Make The Surrender Official


    Three days later...


    After Minos'' return to power in the Dry City government, time had passed quickly, and leaders of Brown Kingdom families had already arrived at this place for their surrender.


    Earlier young Stuart had ''invited'' these Brown Kingdom organizations to come to Dry City to surrender. And even though it was counterintuitive for these powers to decide to do such a thing, they had still come to this place.


    But it was not for nothing. They might fear Minos and the Black Plain. Still, for people in a position of surrender, who would soon have to accept the decisions of former enemies, they could do nothing but obey.


    And thinking about what Minos was capable of, none of them wanted to risk having to receive a visit from this young man at their headquarters...


    That would be much worse than coming to Dry City!


    So, all the patriarchs of the remaining noble families in the Brown Kingdom, or the heirs of those killed in the war, were in this city that was already the most important in the region.


    It was no different for the heir of the Brown Kingdom, who had also had to come to this terrible place to accept Minos'' conditions.


    ...


    After a few minutes of transit from the east entrance of the wall to the local government mansion, all those people arrived at the surrender site.


    They had been transported together, not having been permitted to walk around Dry City unaccompanied, nor even the freedom to move around or get to know this place.


    They were people who had caused significant damage to the Black Plain, who would be punished and never have the chance to enjoy this place. Thus, it was not in the plans of the local forces to let them experience even a little of this city.p????-?????.???


    Therefore, they arrived at the local mansion with blindfolds on their faces while they had arrays around their necks.


    But they were quickly led to a large meeting room in that building, a place better suited to host so many people at once than young Stuart''s office.


    When arriving there, they quickly uncovered their eyes, finding themselves in a well-lit area with a long table and several chairs around it.


    At the same time, several local soldiers were already guarding the place, giving a dangerous impression to those people who could not use their cultivation at the moment.


    However, while they were silent and waiting for what would happen there, Minos finally entered the area, accompanied by Abby and Dillian.


    They then sat down on chairs opposite that table where the rest of these people were, with Minos standing face to face with the heir to the Brown Kingdom.


    The silence continued in that place for a few more moments until Minos finished watching the faces there, hearing from Dillian the names of the people in front of him.


    "Well, you guys made the right decision to surrender to Black Plain..." Minos finally started the discussion. "At least that will be true for your families."


    "If you accept my conditions, of course."


    p????-?o??? Gulp!


    One of those Brown family vassals then took the front of Raynard Brown and asked. "What do we have to do to stop hostilities between our organizations?" p???? ?o???


    Upon hearing this, Minos smiled and massaged Abby''s back, allowing this woman to answer some of these people''s questions.


    "Well, you Brown Kingdom people are the main culprits in starting the war, so in order for us to accept your surrender, we will have to receive compensation and guarantees."


    Hearing that, the people in that group said nothing. Still, each of them clenched their fists in frustration since even though the Black Plain had acted much more for the start of the war, they would be blamed for everything in the end.


    It was correct that the Brown Kingdom had created the situation in which the entire region became involved in the Black Plain''s war of independence. But Minos had acted first, and it was he who had refused to live in peace and pay his taxes to the royal family.


    If it had not been for his will to independence, none of this would have happened!


    That was the view of these people, especially of the crown prince.


    And realizing that they would be held responsible for everything, these people could not help but feel terrible about the manipulation of the facts that these people were willing to do.


    ''This little bitch was part of our kingdom... Her family was one of the strongest, and yet... Yet!'' One of the survival patriarchs there thought of this as he looked at Abby in indignation.


    ''Tsk!''


    ''And to think that we would come to this terrible fate!''


    Abby then continued. "For starters, all of their families will have to pay a penalty of 50 million low-grade crystals and turn over all of your grade-2 items to the Black Plain." ¦Ñ???????????


    "At the same time, your strongest descendants will have to agree to sign Soul Contracts with us, promising to serve the Black Plain for the rest of their lives."


    "On the other hand, your families will not be allowed to enter the Black Plain for the next thousand years and will have to rule the Brown Kingdom on behalf of Minos for that period." Abby said this as she looked at that young level 54 Spiritual King, the future king.


    "After that, your families will be able to enter the Black Plain again without risking death punishment."


    "What?" An old royal family member asked in surprise, thinking that the conditions of these people, although harsh, were not as bad as he imagined.


    The financial part was something that each of these organizations could handle without having to risk their future. As for the spiritual artifacts, considering the small number of such items left in these organizations, this would not be a significant loss.


    And subordination was only to be expected of people in such a situation.


    That is why that individual and others there were surprised to hear Abby''s words.


    Dillian understood what was in the minds of those people and commented. "Don''t get happy so soon. That''s just the simplest part of punishing your families."


    One of those people there then asked Abby, temporarily ignoring Dillian''s comment. "After those thousand years, will we regain our families'' freedom?"


    She laughed along with Minos and replied. "Of course not. You lost your freedom by fighting against us, and you won''t even have the chance to choose your leaders in the future."


    The eyes of several of those people trembled in anger, sensing the terrible place they had arrived.


    "In addition, we will have to reshape the map of the Brown Kingdom."


    Hearing such a thing, finally, the future king said something. "You people want to take our territory? What difference does it make to you? Isn''t this place already much better than..."


    Before Raynard could continue with his protest, Minos looked at him coldly, causing this person to stop talking while trembling with fear. "Don''t misunderstand the situation. That is not a negotiation."


    "Accept my conditions, or prepare to die," Minos said in a low voice.


    Gulp!


    Someone from the Brown family then made a point of taking charge of that fool and said. "We are aware. His Majesty is just curious..."


    "Humph!"


    "Abby, go on."


    "Well, Lord Albert Stuart had previously received the Red Valley from your family, Raynard Brown. That way, that place and a portion of the central and southern parts of the Bronw Kingdom will pass to the control of the Black Plain."


    "The populations of that area will also come under our control..."


    "Oh, don''t be confused. When I stated that your families would be unable to enter the Black Plain, I was not referring to the territory that has existed for hundreds of thousands of years. Instead, I was referring to the Black Plain state, which will have, among other parts, the Red Valley in its territory."


    "Then it would be good for you to withdraw your troops from that area soon..."


    "We will not spare anyone who disregards that previous condition."


    Gulp!


    "Is there anything else we have to do?" The strongest one there asked, already considering that the punishments were not as light as they seemed.


    Losing territory and population was one of the worst things for these people!


    And realizing that there seemed to be more to it, that individual was already starting to break into a cold sweat at the thought of what could be worse than the worst than that.


    Minos smiled and finally took the word. "There is one last condition you must fulfill for me to accept your surrender."


    "Your families have caused me problems for far too long. I believe our relationship will fail unless the new generation is allowed to transcend the habits of the old."


    "Thus, to avoid trouble, I demand that all the Spiritual Kings in your organizations surrender to Dry City to die for the sake of your families."


    "If you refuse, I hope you are prepared to face extermination!"


    ...

 Chapter 1014 Time Of Sacrifices

    Chapter 1014 Time Of Sacrifices


    "What?" One of those patriarchs stood up from his chair, shocked by Minos'' threat.


    At the same time, each of those other individuals began to feel that they should not have come to this place and could already feel the cold sweat spreading down their backs.


    Gulp!


    "You... You want to kill all of us?" Raynard said in difficulty, feeling unprecedented fear in his heart.


    Meanwhile, several of those Spiritual Kings were already standing in combat position, even if they were with their cultivations sealed.


    It was not easy to avoid the force of habit!


    "You truly are a demon, Minos Stuart!" One of those old men shouted in hatred after losing his hopes of getting out of this place alive. "You say you want peace, but you choose the most nefarious paths at every opportunity to shed more blood!"


    "You truly are a pest..." He was about to continue cursing Minos'' name when Viola punched him in the stomach, causing such a person to fall to his knees on the ground.


    "Watch your mouth, worm!"


    Minos ignored that fellow and laid his ''cards'' on the table. "You see, you need to die for the sake of your families."


    "Right now, I have groups of subordinates and allies in each of your cities, waiting for my order to exterminate your families or return peacefully to the Black Plain."


    "That way, I will let you decide the future of your families on your own." Minos stood up from where he was, looking at those people without showing much emotion. "You can either help me eliminate the Spiritual Kings from your families peacefully and painlessly, or I will do it by force, totally destroying your organizations."p????-?????.???


    "What happened to the Silva family can very well happen to your families, so think about it carefully."


    After taking a brief moment of silence, Minos looked at Raynard and commented on the one exception to this nefarious act of his. "You, as well as your mother and wife, if you have, of course, will be the only Spiritual King I will allow to continue living in your kingdom since I need people to take care of the Brown Kingdom for me."


    "But understand that the blood of all those who will die is on your father''s hands. That is your family''s responsibility."


    When they learned that not all of them would be executed, they became enraged, furious that a brat like Raynard had the luxury of life while they were sentenced to death.


    And with that, it was not long before the people in that place began to argue or cry for mercy, trying everything they could to change this cruel fate they were destined to suffer.


    But Minos had no mercy for them.


    His decision might seem cruel at first glance, but if he had been the one to lose the war, his fate would have been far worse than those individuals!


    There would definitely not be a chance for surrender!


    If the Black Plain had lost, the entire Dry City would have been enslaved or killed. Furthermore, the leading members of the local forces would be humiliated and publicly executed. As for Minos, this young man would have a much more humiliating and terrible fate than Charles.


    He would probably be forced to watch the people most important to him being killed in different ways, and he could still have to watch Abby being raped by his enemies.


    After witnessing the worst happen to his beloved and witnessing the destruction of his ''empire,'' he would meet a tragic end and be remembered as a demon lost in his madness. p???? ?o???


    This considering that only ''ordinary'' people from these large families would decide his future. If someone more extreme came along, things could get much worse quickly...


    Since Minos knew what these noble families were capable of, he was calm about his decision, not willing to make any more exceptions for these people.


    Seeing their state, Dillian gave his best advice. "I know we are enemies, but listen to this."


    "Don''t think of the foolishness of not following through with the young master''s opportunity. Almost all of you will die one way or another, so at least save your families!"


    "Accept that offer and at least have a chance to depart this world worthily, without pain or further worries."


    But it was easier to say those words than to accept them...


    Those people there could not think so rationally about that offer after their lives had been demanded as payment for the losses on the Black Plain.


    That was crazy!


    Who could analyze an offer where they would have to give up their own life and still see advantages in it?


    Because of this difficulty, many of them were not motivated at all by Dillian''s words and continued their cries or curses against Minos.


    The only one there who was not so affected by this was precisely Raynard. Instead of fearing his fate, he felt a profound desolation in his being, not knowing what there would be for him in the future. ¦Ñ???????????


    "How much time do we have?" He finally asked Minos as he shivered, feeling the terrible ''atmosphere'' of that place full of depressed people.


    Minos then said calmly. "You have five minutes to make up your minds."


    The people there were even more frightened to hear that, fearing they would die in a few minutes.


    "But don''t worry, whoever accepts my offer will still have about ten days before leaving this world."


    "I will give you time to organize your families and help me sign contracts with the strongest Spiritual Generals in your organizations."


    "And, of course, you must arrange for the remaining Spiritual Kings from your families to come to Dry City since almost none of you will leave here alive."


    After that, the place became quieter and quieter as time passed, and those people thought restlessly about the possibilities that arose in their minds.


    But none of them could think of an escape from this terrible dead-end they had found on their way.


    Who could kill Minos? This young man could even deal with Spiritual Emperors!


    p????-?o??? To make matters worse, how could they escape from this place when their cultivations were already sealed? They were already dead!


    And thinking about how Minos already had more than half of the region as subordinates, these people finally lost all hope, beginning to see the end of their journeys.


    "Sigh..."


    "All right, my family will accept your punishment." One of those few patriarchs who had survived the war said this in a weak tone that had none of the majestic of a regional expert.


    "Timothy!"


    "You are giving up your life too fast! Aren''t you afraid of what this person might do even after our deaths?" One of those individuals said in a low voice, trying to avoid drawing Minos'' attention.


    "Nothing he will do will be worse than the complete elimination of my family because of my decisions."


    "House Brooks will at least have a chance to continue!" Timothy said firmly, understanding that there was no other alternative.


    Soon after his words, others there began to think about doing the same, little by little giving in to Minos'' cruel offer.


    But not everyone gave in. The first individual to try to curse Minos in that place was hysterical to see almost everyone there giving in to Minos'' demonic manipulation, refusing to sacrifice themselves.


    "No!"


    "I won''t do it! You will not control me, demon!"


    "If I must die, then kill me! I will not make my companions sacrifice themselves for your bloodlust!"


    "Are you crazy, Lovell? Your companions will die anyway!" One of those who had already accepted their fate said this in disbelief.


    What alternative did they have? How could Lovell make such a foolish decision?


    But Lovell did not see it that way. "We don''t know for sure!"


    "That person could be lying to us!"


    "Who''s to say he has enough people to surround so many headquarters simultaneously?"


    "Humph!"


    "I''m betting that at least some of my descendants will escape that demon''s clutches!" He shouted as he looked at Minos with red eyes, determined not to give in at this point.


    "That..."


    "Is that so?" Minos finally said something as he noticed that person''s insolence. He turned to Abby and asked. "What family is he from?"


    "House Windrow." She said in a low voice, understanding where this was going.


    "Okay..." Minos'' eyes sparkled in rainbow colors as he stood with his arms crossed, standing near the meeting hall door. "House Windrow will be exterminated as an example to the region."


    "Give the orders, Dillian." He then looked into that person''s eyes and finished. "No last words, Lovell Windrow!"


    Infinite Dream!

 Chapter 1015 More Terror Coming From The Black Plain

    Chapter 1015 More Terror Coming From The Black Plain


    After the previous incident, everyone who had heeded Minos'' call to surrender realized he was not joking when he said he would wipe out an entire family.


    Not only had those people witnessed the death of the Windrow family patriarch on that occasion, but dozens of hours later, they received news about the end of such an organization.


    Everything had been swift, and in less than 24 hours, Minos'' orders had reached the group on the outskirts of that family''s headquarters, which carried out its duties quickly and efficiently.


    In the end, only a day and a few hours after their arrival in Dry City, another organization from the Brown Kingdom had disappeared because of Minos'' decisions.


    After knowing this, the few hopefuls had finally given up their last chances of survival and now only had in mind to save what little they had left.


    Some of that group were people who would die for the good of their organizations if they had to and were the least shocked by the current situation. But others did not have such a great sense of belonging and could not stop mourning the tragedy they had become involved in.


    Minos was a terrible enemy. That was undeniable. But at the end of the day, everyone reaps what they plant, and whether this was just or not does not matter.


    Every act has consequences, but not everyone is interested in them. People would look at the pretty side of things at every moment, sometimes ignoring the dangerous risks involved.


    These people had flirted with death, killed countless lives in the Black Plain''s war of independence, and sought victory at all costs, not caring about the losses.p????-?????.???


    Well, they had done what they wanted and then lost.


    Now it was time for the charge of their bloodstained debts!


    They did not want to face reality, but the promissory note of death signed when they decided to march into the Black Plain could not be ignored!


    Now they could only mourn for the little time they had left!


    ...


    Three weeks later...


    After the Windrow family''s demise, each group of noble families and the Brown Kingdom''s royalty had done as Minos ordered. They summoned their Spiritual Kings and the most critical Spiritual Generals to Dry City.


    Then, young Stuart and the strongest Spiritual Generals of those organizations signed Soul Contracts to seal their subordination agreements to Black Plain and him. p???? ?o???


    Such a thing had taken a few days to complete due to the large number of Soul Contracts that had been signed to ensure the best relationship between the parties in the future.


    But by the end of the second week since Lovell''s death, Minos had finally formalized the end of the war against the Brown Kingdom and secured the necessary agreements for their independence and border reshaping.


    With that, two days after the acceptance of the surrender of the Brown Kingdom forces, of the 100 or so surviving Spiritual Kings of that state''s war, only two were left alive to tell the story!


    The future king, Raynard, and his mother, the queen.


    Apart from them, all had been eliminated without exception, even the three other widows of Thomas Brown who had previously been at the 6th stage.


    Anyway, on that fateful day, the sacrifices of those families were accepted by the Dry City government in a ceremony without many spectators or torture.


    Everything had been done clean, without commotions, torture, or humiliation. Everything had been done transparently, with even members of those organizations participating in the final moment of their experts.


    As promised, they departed this world without pain, having been carried away by a painless toxin created by the Black Plain Army''s poison master, Regina Garza, level 59. ¦Ñ???????????


    In this way, those nearly 100 people had died in Dry City and then been taken back to their respective families, something Minos did not mind accepting.


    With this, the sovereign''s affairs with these people had ended, and soon each of them began to follow up on the obligations relating to the contracts signed during this period.


    Some were already withdrawing troops and branches of their families in the Brown Kingdom area ceded to the Black Plain. Others were preparing to bring the kingdom back to order.


    The war had incredibly unbalanced the peaceful order of every state in the region, and it was no different for the Brown Kingdom. But since Minos wanted a functional region, all those powers now subordinate to him would have to take care of their kingdoms'' problems.


    Consequently, those organizations, among them the Brown family, had a lot to do ahead of them, and right now, their leaders had already returned to their territories to lead their organizations!


    ...


    Finally, three weeks after the destruction of the Windrow family, the entire region found out about Minos'' latest exploits and the end of the war of independence against the Brown Kingdom.


    When the periodicals reported that nearly all of the Brown Kingdom''s Spiritual Kings had been eliminated, even the region''s most seasoned inhabitants were shocked.


    Nothing of the sort had ever happened in this part of the Central Continent!


    Consequently, many feared their positions, while others were relieved to have gotten out of the war in time.


    Among the latter, each of the leaders of the three royal families visited by Minos, except for Jade, had spent sleepless nights, sweating cold from how close they had come to their own end.


    With such a massacre in the Brown Kingdom, what could have happened in the region if they had not subordinated themselves to Minos before the end of the war?


    They could only imagine the worst possible things, and thank heavens they had made it this far alive!


    So, those families were already operating more efficiently than ever, while House Carline had already sent the people who were to suffer the punishments of the Black Plain.


    King Carline wanted to delay delivering those people to Minos a little longer. Still, after such news, those subjects were sent toward their destination without further delay.


    In any case, they were more than satisfied that, unlike the Spiritual Kings of the Brown Kingdom, they would not have to lose their lives but only their cultivations.


    p????-?o??? Finally, the information on the motivation for so many deaths and the extermination of the Windrow family had come to the attention of the surviving leaders of the Cromwell Kingdom''s powers.


    That was the only state that had not yet accepted the reality and was unwilling to bow down while one of its Spiritual Emperors was still alive somewhere in this region.


    This information had not been reported in the regional newspapers but in a threatening letter from Minos.


    That letter basically said that what had happened to House Windrow could happen to the powers of that kingdom if they did not surrender to the Black Plain.


    At the same time, to avoid being bothered by Minos in the future, such powers would still have to sacrifice 50% of their surviving Spiritual Kings.


    And considering that young Stuart''s troops were already in the main cities of that state, the terror of those families upon discovering their fate had been no small matter.


    Several had already considered simply abandoning their homes and fleeing to the more isolated parts of the region, where they would have a chance of survival. But of those who had tried such a thing, all of them were quickly killed by Minos'' men in that state.


    Because of this, the tension among those in danger of dying increased with each passing day as they pressed their leaders to accept the end of the conflict and Minos'' conditions.


    Their fate would be harsh. Still, at least the kingdom would not lose all its Spiritual Kings as happened to the Brown Kingdom. But, on the other hand, no one wanted to test Minos'' patience to see if he would continue destroying families.


    In this way, the regional news quickly helped to change the moods of millions of people around this area, ending the period of greatest darkness over this part of the continent.


    However, golden rays were slowly showing somewhere in the sky amidst the black clouds, marking the beginning of a new era!

 Chapter ?1016 The Cleansing Must Continue

    Chapter ?1016 The Cleansing Must Continue


    "Your Highness, we can no longer continue in this situation!"


    p????-?o??? "We must surrender and accept our losses while they are within our limits!"


    "Yes, Your Highness. The death of His Majesty and several war heroes was undoubtedly a great loss for the state. Still, we cannot destroy the millennial history of our organizations into something impossible to accomplish!"


    "The demon Minos has already settled all the conflicts to the north, and he could march into our kingdom at any moment!"


    "Who knows what he will do when that happens?"


    "Ah, if that happens, we will have a much worse ending than the Walker family..."


    Several voices sounded almost simultaneously in the royal throne hall of the Cromwell Kingdom, where at this instant, the leaders of the most important organizations of this state were gathered.


    After the recent events, the news, and the realization of the presence of Minos'' allies and subordinates in the major cities of this state, the people of this kingdom were anxious for peace, clamoring for the reason of the local heir.


    Unlike the Kingdom of the Waves, which by now had already held the royal coronation ceremony, with Blake ascending to the throne of that state, this kingdom was still waiting for Gloria''s visit. Because of this, James Cromwell''s heir was not yet the King.


    In any case, it would not take long for Cade Cromwell, level 55, to become the new King of the Cromwell Kingdom and fully assume the functions of that state.p????-?????.???


    Because of this, he was already the one making the most important decisions for this state. That''s why so many people are clamoring right now for his decision.


    "Your Highness, we cannot allow the end of the royal lineage even if we have to subordinate ourselves to the demon, Minos Stuart!" The leader of the Newman family said this, feeling bad for having to defend such an idea.


    But that was life. One day he was fighting the Black Plain, confident that he would win the war with the rest of the region sooner or later. The next, he had to bow his head like a dog with his tail between his legs in the service of the desires of a cruel enemy.


    One way or another, fighting to live, or instead not fighting, was the only alternative they had.


    As such, one of Troy''s family members had to say those words of good sense!


    After hearing the many voices of local leaders amid that royal hall, being seated on the throne that belonged to his late father, Cade, a tall, black-haired man, closed his eyes for a moment, sighing in defeat.


    "Sigh..."


    "I suppose there is no choice but to declare our defeat and surrender to our enemies."


    "Those who survive the punishments of the tyrant Minos will at least be able to continue existing..." He said in a low voice, silencing all the people in that place. p???? ?o???


    Everyone there then let out sighs of relief, feeling that although bad, their situation was already the best they could manage.


    With the disappearance for weeks of the three descendants of this kingdom coming from the Flaming Empire, most of these people already thought that these individuals had abandoned them.


    Nonetheless, even if they hadn''t, as the news that Minos had reached level 54 had spread throughout the region, they had lost all hope of challenging him.


    Previously this young man must have had a power limit close to level 61, as they had found out through Jade''s account of how Minos had killed a cultivator of that level. So, now that he had achieved a breakthrough, it was pretty likely that even their level 62 descendant would no longer be enough to push him.


    In this case, surrendering was the least painful and troublesome thing for those organizations!


    Hence the relief of those people.


    Cade then stood up and said. "Send in crows immediately!"


    "We will notify all the powers of our state and the Black Plain about our surrender and recognition of the Black Plain as an independent state."


    "We will also follow their conditions and go to Dry City to declare our surrender before Archbishop Frost arrives in our city." ¦Ñ???????????


    "Finally, release the pertinent information to the regional public. There is no need for us to hide our humiliation from our neighbors already humiliated by Minos."


    "Yes, Your Highness!" The people there said in more vibrant tones, feeling better that such a man had finally accepted the end of it all and put aside his vengeful thoughts.


    Cade hated Minos for James'' death. But truth be told, this royal heir valued his life, the lives of his women, and his mother more than the revenge against his father''s murderer.


    Thus, he could not help swallowing his hatred and doing what was necessary for himself and his state!


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the Brown Kingdom...


    After arriving in the capital of the Brown Kingdom, Gloria immediately headed towards the Church branch in that state, where she wanted to continue the cleansing she had started in the Kingdom of the Waves.


    Earlier, this redhead had decided to ''fire'' the Bishops who had acted according to personal desires and not for the good of the Church and the regional population. But she was no fool to think that all the ''dirt'' of the regional branches was in Athela.


    No, she knew that she would have to visit each of the Church''s outposts in that region. That was the only way she could confirm that the ''garbage'' had been removed and not merely dragged to an unsightly corner of her ''home.''


    So, she went straight to that place, even considering that her primary duty in this city at the moment was to crown Raynard as the King of the Brown Kingdom.


    After her time in Athela, this woman had already crowned Blake and finished her affairs in that state. Prior to Minos'' actions, she had intended to travel directly to the Cromwell Kingdom to oversee Cade''s coronation. However, she was now forced to make a detour.


    In any case, she already had an interest in visiting this part of the northern region of the Central Continent to deal with the Church branch and visiting young Stuart on the Black Plain. As such, she was not so irritated that Minos had caused so much trouble for her to deal with in this passage of hers through these areas.


    But beyond these matters, with the recent news about the end of the Black Plain''s war of independence and the likely surrender of the Cromwell Kingdom, this woman was already preparing to put her agreement with Minos into practice.


    She had already communicated with her superiors in the Flaming Empire, and none of them had seen problems with her going ahead with her plans for the northern region.


    Thus, she had to go to Dry City to settle this anyway!


    ''This will also be a good opportunity for me to proclaim the Black Plain as an independent state and regulate the new regional borders...'' She thought about this as she entered the Spiritual Church temple in the Brown Kingdom''s capital.


    "Archbishop Frost, it is a pleasure to have your presence in our humble branch." So, one of the older Bishops of that place said to her subserviently, trying to flatter this influential expert.


    However, Gloria was not there for jokes and got straight to the point. "Gather all the local Bishops and Priests. We have a business to attend to."


    "Oh?"


    ''I wonder what she wants to settle? Everything is already set for Raynard''s coronation ceremony, and the regional peace is established...'' That old man considered silently but dared not go against her orders.


    "I will do that as soon as possible, Archbishop!"


    "Good!"


    "That will be a good opportunity for the true devotees to the Church..." She said in a low voice as she made her way to the central area of that temple, preparing to do what was necessary.


    Her goal was simple, rid the church branches in this region of corrupt people, of individuals who were perhaps going to create problems for Minos and the Black Plain for financial incentives from others.


    She did not want this young man to terrorize the region again, much less have her deal with him disrupted by mere low-talent Spiritual Kings from this region.


    With that in mind, even the peaceful Gloria was willing to act!


    ''Let''s see how many Spiritual Kings will be left here...''


    ''In the Kingdom of the Waves, only three individuals were left after experiencing the seraph light...'' She closed her eyes and imagined such a thing, remembering her recent actions.


    ''Well, it makes no difference. Minos has already eliminated so many Spiritual Kings from this state. It might not be good to leave the local branch with more experts than House Brown.'' Her eyes snapped open, staring at a statue that stood in each branch of this institution.


    "Time to act!"

 Chapter 1017 Establishing The Rules Of Migration

    Chapter 1017 Establishing The Rules Of Migration


    A few days later...


    While Gloria was still in the capital of the Brown Kingdom settling her affairs, Minos had finally received confirmation that the Cromwell Kingdom was surrendering.


    Because of this, only small enemies hidden around the region remained for the Black Plain forces to deal with.


    However, for what mattered regarding the war of independence, this was definitely the news that ended any conflict that might still happen in connection with the Black Plain''s rise as an independent state.


    With this information, Minos could finally worry about using the six states in this region to develop his territory without worrying about significant trouble areas anymore.


    There were still enemies in the region, of course. That was the case with the Scourges of the Devil that Minos was already preparing to visit in the coming months. But the problems that remained from the war of the last few years were not so significant that they could hinder the expansionist and developmental projects of the ruler of the Black Plain.


    That was different from having royal families or nobles still as enemies, powers with dark desires, and craving revenge at all costs. After all, while these remaining enemies were influential to the regional community, a single royal family could disrupt Minos'' migration plans.


    A large family could easily put fears into the minds of its inhabitants, something that could prevent migrations of its citizens and even populations from outside its own territory or state!


    p????-?o??? Ordinary people were fearful and would definitely think three times more before accepting to migrate to a place still at war against high-level regional organizations.p????-?????.???


    But assassins or survivors hiding around the region could not make these populations fear for their lives at the thought of migration!


    The Scourge of the Devil assassin was indeed feared in the region. But they were uncontrollable long before the arrival of Minos, and even the most prominent regional families suffered from time to time with such an organization.


    So, what problem would there be if such an organization that was Minos'' enemy still existed?


    From the point of view of these ordinary people, such a thing would be no different from what they already faced before Minos.


    No, in fact, the current situation could be viewed more positively than the one before Minos'' rise. After all, unlike the traditional regional powers, the Black Plain seemed to have the power to deal with the regional assassins so despised and feared throughout the region.


    Thus, having only these remaining enemies was much better than still having to deal with a royal family and their vassals, who could still be respected here and there.


    Therefore, resolving this situation with the Cromwell Kingdom was important to Minos, even considering that the war was already won.


    And already in possession of this information concerning the surrender of the Cromwell Kingdom and the coming visit of forces from that state, Minos was in his office in the mansion, settling his sovereign affairs. p???? ?o???


    ...


    In that young Stuart''s office, he was at that instant standing next to some administrative soldiers and local government officials.


    After weeks since his order for Dillian to prepare people from the government to begin accounting for the Black Plain''s capacity to receive migrants, these people had come to deliver the results to him.


    One of the six individuals there with Minos, a woman dressed nicely in an outfit that did not show much of her curves, but emitted refinement, then said. "Young master, considering the government''s current crystal reserves, we estimate that we will be able to receive up to 1 million immigrants in the next four to six months."


    "But we can''t guarantee the quality of life found in Dry City for all those people at once."


    "We''ll still have to build the foundations of the satellite cities of Dry City, and Naval City-1 has much to be developed before it reaches the level of our capital city."


    "Finally, Dry City itself needs to grow to more adequately welcome our allies and subordinates living outside the dome. So, it will truly take us a while to balance the level of development of each of our future cities."


    Hearing this, Minos did not feel disappointed, as such a situation was expected. ¦Ñ???????????


    The Black Plain was still practically a lifeless desert, a place with no areas with urban construction other than those that had already been developed. So the work in this territory had to start from zero, which meant not attractive conditions at first.


    "That''s not a problem," Minos said as he looked at that woman sitting on the left end of a sofa. "I believe that the first migrants will be people more willing to accept those conditions given future opportunities."


    Moving to a place that had just won a war was not as attractive as it might have seemed at first glance. The Black Plain certainly had great potential, but in the first instance, it would take some time for the fundamental problems to be solved.


    In this situation, would it be interesting for people with structured lives in places outside the Black Plain to want to come to this territory so soon?


    No, it would not make sense. At least not for the vast majority of people with comfortable lives.


    So there remained those who needed to take certain risks, work harder or even accept worse conditions because they were more desperate for jobs.


    That was the primary target audience of the first migration campaigns to the Black Plain!


    "Young master," A man dressed in a black suit raised one of his hands and asked Minos. "Should we focus on immigrants from outside the new territory of the Black Plain? Or perhaps we will first absorb these populations?"


    This man was unmistakably talking about the populations of the many cities in the territories already annexed from the Brown Kingdom or those that would still be from the Cromwell Kingdom.


    Minos understood the doubt of his government official and answered him. "First, we will take in the unemployed populations of those cities."


    "They will probably not have much resistance to leaving their cities, and their departure will not harm such places'' economies."


    "Next, we will receive migrants below level 30 coming from other states in our region."


    Having strong people in their state was superb. But at the moment, Minos needed workers to build cities, develop agricultural fields, and provide other essential services in the Black Plain.


    Therefore, focusing the initial migrations on people with characteristics proper to the Black Plain''s current situation made more sense.


    Minos then looked at his administrative soldiers and said. "As for how these people will be chosen and brought here, that will depend on your interaction with the regional royal families."


    "Yes, young master." One of those individuals nodded and began to speak. "We have already started communicating with the regional royal houses about how we arrange these migrations."


    "From what has already been arranged, these families and their vassals will issue news releases to their populations. That way, they will spread the news about the opportunity to come to the Black Plain with guaranteed transportation and protection, as long as the rules are followed."


    "As for those rules, these families will collect the names of people interested in migrating here and create a call scheduling."


    "We will give a certain number of slots to each state every four months, and then these families will issue announcements about those with a turn to come to the Black Plain."


    Another soldier then said. "In addition, these royal families have already pledged to set up isolation cordons in cities bordering our territory to prevent people from coming here at the wrong time."


    "Yes," the third individual from the local army agreed and said. "But we won''t just stand by and wait for them to do all that for us."


    "The army already has plans to establish small camps along our borders, as well as larger posts around the main territory of the Black Plain."


    "This way, we hope to avoid illegal immigrants coming into our future cities and Dry City."


    Minos liked what those people had done so far and repeated his earlier order. "Make those families give priority to the unemployed below level 30."


    He then looked at the other woman standing there, an official from his government, and said. "Look at the data regarding spiritual professionals most in short supply in Dry City. We will also receive some of them along with the first groups of immigrants."


    ...

 Chapter 1018 Punishment Accomplished

    Chapter 1018 Punishment Accomplished


    Spiritual professionals such as alchemists were no longer in such short supply in Dry City due to the time the citizens of that place had had to mature during the war. However, with the population increase that the Black Plain was about to experience, not looking for individuals who specialized in specific fields would be a mistake.


    After all, the local population would soon increase considerably, raising the demand for cultivation resources.


    With this in mind, Minos had not forgotten to give this order, allowing professionals of all levels to be attracted to the Black Plain.


    But such an order did practically nothing to change his plans for the initial development of this territory. That is because the difference in proportion between labor immigrants and those specialized would naturally be absurd.


    The numbers on one side would be in the hundreds of thousands, while on the other side, hundreds would already be too much to expect specialized professionals to come to this place so soon.


    As a result, Dry City was fully capable of receiving these ''additions'' right away, even if there was still a lot of work to be done for Minos to look at the migration of more powerful people.


    "All right, young master. I will do that." That woman promptly replied to young Stuart.


    After talking about it, Minos was not slow to move on with other matters, among them something regarding the powers of Stone Island.


    p????-?o??? "Stone Island stood by us for much of the war, supplying the demand for crystals and other resources from Dry City..." Minos commented to those six people while holding a cup of iced tea in one of his hands. "After that, they still helped us eliminate many of our enemies, speeding up the war resolution."p????-?????.???


    "As such, now we can''t let our friends in that state miss the opportunity to grow with us."


    "So, I want you to work together to bring branch posts of those Stone Island families who stood by our side during those difficult times to the Black Plain."


    "We will begin by basing these powers in Naval City-1, and later on, we can make room for them in other cities that will be built around my territory."


    Some of those individuals made mental notes about this, while others nodded or sipped their drinks.


    "By the way, I want priority for the powers of that state that have been on our side and have ship production as their specialization." Minos remembered this vital point since his products would eventually travel throughout the region and perhaps even the Spiritual World.


    Thus, he needed a fleet of freighters, something he did not have so far.


    The Black Plain Army had acquired several warships during the war, not only from enemies but also purchased ships from Stone Island powers.


    But warships and freighters had different purposes. So, this territory honestly had no ships suitable for transporting resources! p???? ?o???


    On the other hand, even the number of Black Plain warships was not impressive. Therefore, Minos wanted to stimulate the naval industry in his territory so that his army and his government would have these means of transport in adequate quantities.


    "But let''s impose some restrictions on them. For every person these families bring from Stone Island to work in the shipping industry, these same organizations will have to hire a citizen of the Black Plain."


    Minos wanted to give his war allies a chance. Still, he could not put his territory in a dependent condition regarding the Stone Island organizations. Hence, he wanted his citizens to learn from such an opportunity, giving local powers the chance to join the shipping industry with their own brands eventually.


    Finally, he said. "As for other powers that are not in that professional field, they will have fewer opportunities for the time being."


    "But let''s allow the Stone and Nash families to open branches in Dry City instead of Naval City-1."


    Those were the two organizations in that state to which Black Plain had the most connections. As such, it was to young Stuart''s benefit to have them near him. And in a way, this was the chance for those families to have a good place in this city that certainly had a great future ahead of it.


    That was a good reward for those organizations!


    "All right, young master." Those people said simultaneously. ¦Ñ???????????


    After talking for some more time, everyone there left to settle their affairs and start the migration plans of the Black Plain!


    ...


    Five days later...


    While the northernmost states of the region were beginning to stabilize with the actions of their respective royal families and the Black Plain was organizing its migrations, that territory''s issues with the Cromwell Kingdom had finally been resolved!


    After several days since Cade Cromwell sent the letter of surrender to Dry City, the most influential members of the Cromwell Kingdom had signed agreements with Minos and accepted their punishments.


    And since his visitors already knew what would happen if they disobeyed him, Minos had not had to deal with any problems when dealing with the leaders of that state.


    Unlike what had happened to the people of the Brown Kingdom, Cade Cromwell''s group had already gone to Dry City with their sacrifices and the people who would eventually lead that state.


    Because of this, those who had to sacrifice themselves for their families had already left this world to join James Cromwell in the afterlife.


    As for the living, they had signed agreements with Minos and then left the Dry City, heading back to their homes.


    Thus, officially the Cromwell Kingdom had been subdued by the Black Plain, had had its surrender accepted, and had regained the peace.


    But although none of its families had been wiped out in this surrender, the kingdom had lost more than 10% of its territory to the Black Plain and the Hayes and Stokes families.


    Besides this, Minos had exacted even greater punishments from this state than he had done from the Brown Kingdom since the Cromwell Kingdom had taken too long to surrender.


    Because of this, Minos'' government had obtained several hundred million more low-grade crystals and hundreds of grade-2 artifacts!


    Not only that, the number of surviving Spiritual Kings in that state before Minos'' punishment had been far greater than that of the Brown Kingdom. Because of this, more experts at the 6th stage of the Cromwell Kingdom were executed!


    But, now that that whole situation had been resolved, Cade had already sent letters back to his state communicating what had happened and his new orders.


    Now that he had bent the knee to Minos, he had to start doing the same as the other states, organize his kingdom, schedule the migrations, and obey the Black Plain.


    He had not gotten his revenge, but now at least he and his subordinates could have the peace of not having to deal with the deadly threat called Minos. All they would have to do was follow orders, something relatively less complicated.


    With that, even with all the losses, most high-level people in that state were not so unhappy now!


    ...


    While the Dry City government was adding its gains to the local development plans and the region was waiting for news of the pacification of the region, Gloria was arriving in that city.


    After days in the capital of the Brown Kingdom, this woman had cleaned up the Church branch in that state, ''firing'' all the corrupt Spiritual Kings who had nothing to offer the Church.


    On the other hand, she had made Raynard Brown ascend the local throne, finally replacing Thomas as the new king of that state!


    With nothing else to do in that city, she had promptly picked up her beast and left for Dry City, where she had things to take care of before going to the Cromwell Kingdom.


    That way, she did not take long to land in the vicinity of Dry City and head directly to that area protected by the local defensive dome.


    ''I wonder how he is doing? It''s been weeks since the war can be considered finalized...''


    ''He''s thinking about dangerous things?'' Gloria wondered as she thought about young Stuart, worried that he had lost himself in a cruel cycle that might cause him to seek more and more violence, even unjustifiably.


    But given her previous stint in this city and her abilities, she did not have to think much about such things until she finally reached young Stuart''s office.


    ...

 Chapter 1019 Agreement With The Church 1

    Chapter 1019 Agreement With The Church 1


    After arriving at young Stuart''s place of business, Gloria was quickly greeted by him, having entered that place while he held the door for her.


    Minos then closed the door and turned to where she had stood with her back to him, already with a smile on his face as he saw this beautiful woman.


    "Did you miss me?" He asked provocatively as he firmly grabbed her waist with both hands and brought her closer to himself.


    Gloria then felt the warmth and smell of him, not refusing physical contact with this man that she felt good about being intimately together.


    Unlike other men who desired her and gave her a feeling of disgust, Minos'' desire put her at ease, satisfied to the point that she even desired to be with him.


    And feeling her body melting in his arms, Gloria could not help but remember the many kisses and caresses they had already exchanged.


    She turned to him and then answered. "Maybe..."


    "But I think I need something to make me sure of my answer." She licked her lips as she looked at his, making it clear what she wanted.


    Minos was no fool, so seeing this, he laughed and did what that red-haired goddess in his arms wanted.


    "Mmmmmmm~"p????-?????.???


    They continued to kiss there in the middle of that office for a few minutes until they finally felt satisfied enough to break the union of their mouths.


    Minos obviously wanted much more than just that. Still, when he tried to get into that woman''s clothes, he had again had his hands pulled away from her and received a warning look.


    So, there was not much he could do in that situation except stop for the moment.


    But he was not the only one who wanted to go deeper into this situation. After all, women could have as much or more sexual desire as men!


    And even if Gloria was a virgin, the way Minos teased her, it was hard for her not to feel aroused or desire to be dominated by him.


    However, her willpower was not weak, and she resisted the temptation to give herself to the only man she had ever been sexually attracted to.


    Gloria then pressed her legs together, with her hands firmly clasped, trying to hold back her emotions as she looked at Minos.


    Seeing his lips reddened due to the action of the two, she swallowed her saliva and started talking about her official reasons for coming to this place. "Minos, let''s talk about the future of the Black Plain..."


    "Oh? Are you sure you don''t want to discuss our future first?" He smiled at her, understanding that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. p???? ?o???


    But seeing her close her eyes and try to suppress the redness in her beautiful face, Minos sighed in defeat and took one of her hands, leading her toward the large sofa there.


    After sitting down side by side with her, he said. "All right, let''s talk serious business now..."


    Hearing this, she felt relieved and looked at him silently for a moment. Everything that had happened since they had last seen each other, still in that Spiritual Church camp, then flashed through her mind, making her feel the heat in her body subside.


    "Minos, you have resolved the war of independence, and now you will have your state to develop... Where do you intend to start? What are your goals for these next 20 years?" She quoted the period he had told her he would need before letting the Church into his territory.


    Realizing this, Minos readily understood that she would follow through with the agreement proposed earlier.


    He smiled and said. "Well, I did indeed win the war of independence, and the Black Plain has already been recognized as an independent state by all the kingdoms in the region."


    "I have even signed agreements with the last members of the counter-revolutionary resistance in the Cromwell Kingdom..."


    ''Already?'' She thought about it in surprise since such a thing had just happened and had not yet become news in the region.


    But considering how the situation was already before she came to this place, Gloria did not think much about it because it was expected that such a thing would happen anyway. After all, no one in this region could stand against Minos and the Black Plain. ¦Ñ???????????


    She then continued to listen to him. "But even if all of that has been resolved, I still have some matters to settle before independence is officially declared..."


    "For example, your Church needs to acknowledge the war''s outcome, and I still have to sign some contracts with people in the Kingdom of the End."


    "Oh? Then that''s easy to work out." She smiled at him since that was already one of her purposes in coming here. "I will issue a statement to the Church branch in the Flaming Empire after we sign our agreement."


    "With that, the recognition of the Black Plain as an independent state will be published to the entire region and even other parts of the continent in no more than a month."


    "From that point on, we can begin our agreement and count its time."


    "Good." He liked seeing her so determined to follow through with the plans agreed upon earlier. But, at the same time, he thought he could leave it to go to the Kingdom of the End after his revenge against the Scourges of the Devil.


    He wanted to sign agreements with the king of that state before the independence of the Black Plain was made official by the Church. But because of the speed with which Gloria was dealing with all this, he did not mind leaving it to take care of that detail later.


    Minos was already planning to leave for the headquarters of the Scourges of the Devil in the next 1 to 3 months. So, leaving to visit the Kingdom of the End in this period would not disrupt his plans too much.


    That was also the time for Ruth to return from the Flaming Empire, and then he and his two women to have a grand royal wedding.


    As such, he was not dissatisfied!


    "By the way, our previous agreement said that the Church could not enter the Black Plain before 20 years, right?" He asked her as he remembered something.


    Seeing the look on his face, Gloria frowned, not understanding what he was getting at. "Yeah, did you forget?"


    "No, it''s just that I want to make sure you understand what I said. The Spiritual Church must stay out of the Black Plain, the state, not the territory formerly part of the Brown Kingdom."


    "Oh?"


    "The Black Plain state includes areas formerly part of the Brown Kingdom, Cromwell Kingdom, and the Kingdom of the Waves..."


    "I naturally expect your subordinates to leave each of the cities in these regions that will soon be under my control."


    "Tsk!"


    p????-?o??? "So that''s it..." She closed her eyes, feeling slightly annoyed that she had misunderstood what Minos wanted. "You truly are something, huh? You didn''t say anything about it until now just so I''d accept everything you wanted, huh?"


    "Hehehe, I''m sorry, Gloria. But I am a selfish person." He placed one of his hands on her face, massaging her beautiful cheeks. "Anyway, it won''t make much difference to you, I suppose..."


    "I heard that you did a nice ''cleaning'' in the Kingdom of the Waves and then in the capital of the Brown Kingdom." He smiled at her, noting that the gentle person he had met was capable of doing dirty work when necessary. "That fits perfectly with our agreement. These people who will be leaving my territory will be able to supply the demand for Church members in the capitals of those states."


    She then looked him in the eye as if telling him not to talk about this subject anymore. "So, you still haven''t told me what you''re going to do next? Are you going to stay in Dry City, taking care of your state? Or do you have other plans?"


    "Hmm?"


    "Well, some of my enemies have fled to the Endless Snow Mountain Range region, and others have been there for quite some time..."


    "Then I''m afraid I''ll have to make a trip to that place soon."


    Hearing that he still craved more blood, Gloria worried about him and asked. "Minos, isn''t it better that you forget about it? So many people have already died. I think that''s enough."


    "I don''t want you to lose control over your emotions by enjoying the cruelty of death." She thought of things she had seen and heard in the empire.


    ...

 Chapter ?1020 Agreement With the Church 2

    Chapter ?1020 Agreement With the Church 2


    "Are you worried about this?" Minos looked with surprise at Gloria, finding this behavior of hers interesting.


    And seeing the cute expression on her face, he felt as good as he was kissing her. He then used his hands to bring that woman into his arms, placing her on his lap in a position where they could look at each other more closely. "I''m glad to hear that you''re worried, Gloria. But it''s all right. That is not a current desire of mine, but things I''ve been planning for years."


    She looked at him wide-eyed, surprised that he had suddenly acted this way. Yet, at the same time, hearing his profound words, she could not help but feel confused about how he was able to say such things and use one of his hands to touch her buttocks.


    ''We are talking about a serious matter, and you touch me like that? How is that possible?'' She wanted to scold him but preferred to remain silent for the moment, listening to him.


    "The Scourges of the Devil framed my father about 15 or 16 years ago. At that time, that put him in a state of despair that made him sacrifice himself to at least kill his opponents."


    "I cannot forgive an organization behind such a crime." He sincerely said as he looked into Gloria''s light green eyes.


    "Then you already have a past..." She sighed as she heard that, putting aside Minos'' ability to speak serious things and play with her body.


    "Yes, so I have to eliminate them."


    "That will also be good for the region. For too long, the people of this region have been afraid of the Scourges of the Devil, and many regional experts have already fallen into the hands of that organization''s assassins."


    "Eliminating them now will make the development process of the Black Plain and region much more smooth and promising."


    "Don''t you prefer it that way?" He played with his fingers amidst the fabric of her dress, which went up to the height of her ankles but left samples of her perfect legs due to some side openings.


    And because of the position he was in, Minos could easily touch Gloria''s soft skin, as well as make some mischief...


    Gloria sensed what he was doing but did nothing. "You are quick to assume what I prefer."


    "But I don''t disagree with your thoughts..." She looked away, relieved that he was not doing this without good reason. ''It seems he hasn''t acquired a taste for the bloody reality of war.''


    Powerful people who went through war experiences, with many deaths on their record, could occasionally exhibit certain disturbances when trying to return to peaceful living.


    That was like an addiction, something such people felt the need to keep doing, killing, even when there was no longer a threat.


    Knowing how Minos had ''bathed'' himself with the blood of tens of thousands of enemies, Gloria assumed he was a good candidate to become a blood lunatic, a mass murderer.


    However, this beautiful woman could not have been more wrong in thinking of such a possibility regarding Minos. After all, with the inheritance he had received from Henricus Longus, it would be impossible for young Stuart to lose control over his murderous desire.


    That God had left many battle experiences for Minos, something that had shaped his behaviors on the battlefield.


    Even this young man''s decisive personality when dealing with enemies, or even potential enemies, derived from his learnings from the memories of that individual. Thus, it would not be easy for him to become an evil mass murderer just because he killed a few thousand enemies.


    Henricus Logus had killed at least tens of millions of people in his lifetime, so Minos had not done anything close to that man''s memories!


    As she felt relieved by Minos'' words, Gloria suddenly felt something warm and moist touching the base of her neck, making her feel shocks through her body.


    "Minos!" She said in surprise, feeling how he was sucking on that sensitive part of her body. "I am serious here, but you continue these shameless acts..."


    "Don''t you feel ashamed? What if your mother comes in here and sees us like this? How can I ever look at her again?" She asked amidst her already agitated breathing since Minos truly knew how to tease her sensitive spots.


    Hearing that, Minos laughed and continued playing with her while slowly saying. "Don''t worry..."


    "She has already returned to the Flaming Empire..."


    "Oh? She has returned?" Gloria remembered the previous communiqu¨¦ from the Church and became worried about Minos. "Why did she do that? Don''t tell me she doesn''t mind leaving you here alone?"


    Minos understood what the problem was and was honest with her. "A few weeks ago, a group of five Spiritual Emperors came to Dry City."


    "What happened?"


    "My group and I exterminated those Spiritual Emperors that were at levels 63 and 64." He pointedly said that so she would understand that the Black Plain could already handle individuals at the intermediate part of the 7th stage.


    He did not say that because he was worried about Gloria going against him. But he did not want her to underestimate him or place little value on the Black Plain just because that territory was not great yet compared to the Flaming Empire.


    Hearing the details about the strength of such a group, Gloria finally escaped Minos'' kisses near her collarbone, looking at him with shock in her beautiful eyes. "Did she help you?"


    "No, didn''t I say so? My men and I did."


    "After seeing how we handled those five, she finally stopped bothering me and left back to her house." He said casually, bringing Gloria''s body back closer to him.


    "That..." She allowed him to continue his movements as she thought about how strong Minos and Black Plain had already become. ''If that''s true, then he could probably take on the disciples of the Saints Killing Sect!''


    Gloria already knew about Minos'' grandfather''s movements. Therefore, she knew only that organization and the Mountain Sect had not agreed with Oswald. However, for some reason that the Church had not discovered, only members of the Saints Killing Sect had left the Empire to come to this region.


    Consequently, she knew the origin of the people who had died at the hands of Minos, even though she did not know their identities.


    And thinking about how his chances of success had increased, Gloria felt unusual happiness in her being, showing it to him with a genuine smile.


    "So you''re doing better than I had imagined, huh?" She looked down, biting her lips as she watched him kiss her. "I expect you will tell me about this battle in the next few days."


    "I want to know how someone as perverted as you can be such a strong warrior to lead ordinary cultivators against experts and still win..." She pulled him away from her neck, smiled, and then ran toward his lips.


    "Mmmmmmm~"


    "For now, let''s have some more fun~"


    "Really?"


    "Hmmm, for some reason, I feel terrific in this position~"


    Minos laughed internally upon hearing that. "I suppose you will feel a lot better in the future..."


    "Maybe~"


    ...


    After Minos and Gloria''s previous conversation, two weeks passed.


    During this period, Gloria stayed in Dry City to settle her deal with Minos, which needed to be validated by a spiritual judge from outside this region.


    But since Gloria had already prepared to make this deal with Minos months ago, such an individual arrived in Dry City during these days. With that, those two had finally made the agreement between the Spiritual Church and the Black Plain official.


    Now the Church would keep the region away from other mainland states for the next two decades, giving Minos room to develop without any significant problems.


    On the other hand, Minos was already working to develop the Black Plain so that when the time came, his influence would overwhelm that of the Church in the region.


    He had no problem with that power setting foot on his territory, as long as he was still the dominant local power.


    And considering the things he was going to do in that period, he was more than comfortable with the 20 years agreed upon with Gloria.


    Anyway, before finally leaving Dry City for the Cromwell Kingdom, Gloria had a great time at Minos'' side.


    They had not gone all the way in their adventures. Still, young Stuart had finally taken another step forward in his relationship with her. Because of this, they had arranged one more meeting before she returned to the Flaming Empire, which would happen at Stuart''s coronation ceremony.


    Now the Black Plain was already an independent state, and it was only a matter of days before the Church notified the entire region of such a thing.


    With this, it would not be long before these two would see each other again!

 Chapter 1021 Remembrance Day

    Chapter 1021 Remembrance Day


    Several days later...


    After weeks since their departure from the Kingdom of the End, the group of war criminals from the Carline family forces and their vassals had arrived in Dry City to pay for their crimes.


    As previously agreed, Minos and his men would cripple the spiritual cultivation of every member of those powers who had killed people from the revolutionary forces.


    With this, after the Carline family and the Dry City government had agreed regarding those involved, these war criminals were sent to this city to pay for their crimes.


    In the case of these people, unlike what had happened to the many Spiritual Kings who had been executed with discretion, these war criminals had received their punishment in public.


    While many Spiritual Kings from the Brown Kingdom or the Cromwell Kingdom had not even participated in the war, these other people had damaged this place significantly. Therefore, their situation was utterly different from those individuals, and they had gone through their punishments in public.


    That served as additional punishment for them and was also proof to the relatives of those killed in the war that justice was being done.


    At the same time, as much as the local people were obedient and followed the rules most of the time, that did not mean there was no need for the local government to remind them of what happened to criminals!


    The war was over, and in some time, some more troublesome people might think that the local government had only been cruel when extremely necessary. But thoughts like that were dangerous.


    It was good that citizens followed the rules because living that way was more manageable. But to think that everyone would follow such things was naive, to say the least. Therefore, from time to time, populations always need to be reminded that they should fear their government in cases of violations.


    For this, public punishments were necessary.


    As such, the local government had used yet another public ceremony in this city, showing the thousands of local inhabitants the fate of criminals.


    The war was still fresh in everyone''s minds. Still, even so, the government could not miss the opportunity to demonstrate once again how strict it was.


    And so, for three days, thousands of people from the Kingdom of the End had had their cultivation destroyed in full view of the local public.


    In the end, each of those people left Dry City, returning with heads down to their state.


    However, although depressed, those people did not feel highly wronged by what had happened. Not because they were masochists, they were not. But after what had happened to the Silva, Windrow, Reid, Collins, and Allen families, as well as the more than 200 sacrificed Spiritual Kings; their fate had been somewhat better.


    They could no longer cultivate, true! But most of them were already in their final stage. As such, even if they could still cultivate, they would not be able to live any longer than now.


    And no matter how much their strength had diminished considerably, most of them were still much stronger than the average citizen of this region. Thus, despite the melancholy of those thousands of people, they could still have a life ahead of them.


    For most of them, that was already a lot!


    ...


    At the same time as the melancholy war criminals of the Kingdom of the End were traveling back to their home state, the day had started sunny in Dry City.


    However, as early as it was only early morning, tens of thousands of citizens were already leaving their homes, heading for yet another local government event.


    This time, instead of execution or a presentation of the power of Minos'' forces to the population, the government was holding a large ceremony to honor those who died in the war.


    Previously Minos had ordered the construction of a monument honoring the dead of the Black Plains Army''s naval base clash against the Collins family forces. But even then, he knew that sooner or later, he would fight a war of independence, something impossible to get away with without casualties.


    Because of this, the monument built at that time had been enlarged, and finally, a few days ago, the names of each war dead were engraved on its walls.


    Thus, with the resolution of most of the local problems related to the war, the local government finally notified the citizens about this event that marked the end of the war and the beginning of a new era.


    That would henceforth be Remembrance Day, to be celebrated seven days before Independence Day!


    With this, thousands of people were already gathered around a large square in the center of Dry City, where a 25-meter high obelisk stood in the central area of the square.


    At the same time, several plaques of a dark golden material could be seen not only on the lower walls of the obelisk but also on the sides of the central part of that square.


    This square had a quadrangular shape, with the obelisk in the center, a water mirror around it, and dark-golden borders separating the water mirror from the area where the inhabitants were.


    On these borders were also engraved the names of the war dead.


    Finally, the rest of the square where most people were at the moment was just green areas with passages leading from this place to the side streets in that part of the city.


    Anyway, many local police officers were around that area, keeping order and lining up people who wanted to get closer to that obelisk.


    Meanwhile, while well-organized lines could be seen in that area, many flowers were already near the edges of the water mirror, where people stopped to cry or say farewell.


    Not all of the war dead had had the opportunity to have their bodies returned to their families. Therefore, many were experiencing a funeral for the first time.


    With that, anyone passing by could feel a heavy atmosphere, including the young Stuart, who at the moment was walking in silence next to Abby, Dillian, and Eda.


    Each of them was dressed in black clothes, walking through the less busy part of the place that had been prepared for their passage at this time of day.


    And as they walked around several soldiers from the local army, Minos'' guards at events like this, they finally reached the place closest to that obelisk.


    Arriving there, Minos saw the plaques with the many names, seeing some words he knew.


    ''Spiritual Kings killed in the war.'' The minor plaque, but also the tallest at that place, had 57 names written on it; among them, two that Minos knew.


    ''Pyke.''


    ''Lack.''


    Minos read first the name of one of his first soldiers and then the name of that Feathered Serpent who had come to Dry City before the war started.


    There were not only names of local soldiers who died in the war but also the names of subordinates and allies from the Black Plain who had to give their lives in that conflict.


    Consequently, there were names of beasts, local citizens, people from Stone Island, and even individuals with the surname Gill, Miller, Austin, or Parkinson.


    "Sigh..."


    "We lost so many people in the war." Minos lamented in a low voice, feeling one of Abby''s arms holding his left arm, side by side with the other two people beside them.


    "Hmm, but there is nothing to be done, young master. We had no choice but to fight, and each of those dead people fought with everything they had for the future of the Black Plain." Dillian said deeply, lamenting such deaths but also recognizing their importance.


    "Certainly, none of them wanted to die, but we all went into that conflict willing to fight for what we believed in. Pyke died. That was terrible. But he and everyone that died in the war made it possible to build the Black Plain as an independent state."


    "So, we should not only mourn but celebrate the victory they made possible for us."


    Eda then nodded and added. "On the other hand, that could have been the fate of many of us instead of these fellows..."


    "So let''s remember those people and live as best we can."


    "The best way we can do to honor them is not to waste the chance they gave us." She said this as she held her man''s arm like Abby.


    After that, they stayed there for a while longer, reminiscing about the past, until they left, making room for more people to pass by.

 Chapter ?1022 Regional Repercussion 1

    Chapter ?1022 Regional Repercussion 1


    As time passed, more people passed by the monument honoring those killed in the war, saying their goodbyes, praying for a better future, or just enjoying the scenery.


    But while that place remained relatively quiet, peaceful as a funeral should be, visitors were slowly beginning to arrive in Dry City.


    With the regional pacification and independence of the Black Plain, the regional organizations were slowly trying to return to their states of normalcy. But after so many recent challenges, regaining control of some areas or even expanding their territories had become more accessible than ever.


    Because of this relatively quiet start to regional recovery, Minos'' allied powers in the war were comfortable enough to send high-level representatives to Dry City.


    As allies of young Stuart, they naturally knew about the local agenda, the independence ceremony scheduled to take place seven days after today.


    Therefore, many groups that were to participate in Minos'' coronation ceremony on Independence Day were already arriving in this city, looking forward to this event.


    Among them, those coming from the families that were now part of Minos'' territory, the Cohen, Hayes, and Stokes families, were already in this city as their new territories were not far from this place.


    The first to arrive in this city was the group led by Vivian Hayes. She had come not only to participate in Minos'' coronation ceremony but also to accompany such a young man in his revenge against the Scourges of the Devil.


    In addition to her, Todd Cohen and his grandfather were already in Dry City, eager to see the day they had been waiting for so many years.


    Todd''s grandfather had met Minos months before this young man participated in the Spiritual Tournament when young Stuart was only an early 4th stage Spiritual Warrior. Due to that fact, such a person was looking forward to this day, almost as if it was his own grandson who was about to take over the Black Plain!


    But Lance Cohen could not avoid that feeling. After all, he had seen the Dry City of less than 50,000 inhabitants back then transform itself into the great city of today, the place that was already the strongest in the region!


    And since he had been responsible for his family''s union with Minos, the old man could not help but feel special about it all!


    On the other hand, while such groups were already in Dry City, most of those who would come from Stone Island was not yet there.


    After the end of the war, the forces coming from that state had left young Stuart''s territory. Not only that, given the importance of this event, the people who would represent these families were high-level individuals who had not set foot on the Black Plain during the war.


    Because of this, many of them were still on their way to this place.


    But not all of them had taken the time to leave their homelands. The Nash family group was already in the vicinity, being led by Elen, young Stuart''s oldest associate.


    This woman had not seen Minos since his return from that trip alongside Abby through the Kingdom of the Waves, years before the war. As such, she had left the rebuilding of her family for her father to deal with and had finally come to this place to meet with that young man in person.


    Not only that, after years of delaying her plans with Elena regarding Minos, Elen decided to do more than just congratulate that sovereign on his eminent start to reign...


    So, she was already in Dry City with her good old friend Elena, reminiscing about past times and discussing the future.


    Apart from these people and organizations allied to Minos, this young man had not invited any royal family, except for House Stone, to come to Dry City to celebrate. So, the five royal houses now subordinate to him were entirely focused on solving their states'' problems and had only sent their congratulations to him.


    Finally, after having already performed the coronation ceremony for Cade Cromwell, Gloria was already returning to Dry City to do the same with Minos.


    The communiqu¨¦ from the Spiritual Church regarding the independence of the Black Plain had finally been released to the entire region the day before, and as such, it was her responsibility to command Minos'' coronation.


    Thus, as promised earlier, she was coming back to this place to meet him one last time before her return to the Flaming Empire!


    ...


    As Dry City prepared for its grand independence celebration, the entire region received the latest information through the most important periodicals of these areas.


    The Night News and the Nothern News were quick to bring up the news of what had happened between the Black Plain and the organizations of the Cromwell Kingdom.


    That was the final detail of the war that needed to be resolved from the perspective of the regional powers for this terrible period to be officially concluded.


    And with the information spread around by the Spiritual Church regarding the Independence of the Black Plain, tens of millions of people in this region sighed or jumped with joy that this moment had arrived.


    Now, many people would begin to put their migration plans into practice, putting their lives and crystals into this ''bet'' called the Black Plain.


    An investment had the potential to give the highest return when it was made at a difficult time, at the low or early operations of the thing behind the investment. But most people in that region had not been lucky enough to join the Black Plain before the war, so they no longer had a chance to enjoy the best possible return for it.


    However, many did not want to wait for the Black Plain to stabilize and develop before putting their futures into such an investment. Thus, the recent news had been like a divine answer for those people so eager to join that state!


    Now it was time for them to invest in the Black Plain while that place still had room for development!


    ...


    While the entire regional population was commenting on the event that had never happened in the known history of this region, an individual from the Brown Kingdom was preparing to flee to the mountains.


    Such a person did not care that this was the first independence of a kingdom''s territory in this region. On the contrary, he was desperate at the news and could not help but be quick to flee from his home!


    After more than ten years since his time in Dry City, Nelson Skinner, level 44, the former ruler of the Black Plain before Minos arrived, was more nervous than ever.


    After handing over the government of that place to Minos, this man had stolen the crystal reserves equivalent to a year''s worth of collections from then-poor Dry City. And thinking about how that tyrant solved his more significant problems, this poor fellow had been sleepless nights worrying about possible revenge.


    He knew there was no chance that Minos would waste his time on him. After all, he was just a small fry next to the terrible Minos.


    But given the vengeful nature of that ruler, Nelson did not doubt the possibility that by now, there were some of young Stuart''s many subordinates coming after his head.


    As such, he had to escape while he had the chance!


    ''Damn it!''


    ''I didn''t think that guy would survive with so many experts on our side, but who knew...''


    Gulp!


    He swallowed his saliva in fear just before climbing into the same carriage he had used years ago to leave Dry City.


    After that, he looked once more at the capital of the Brown Kingdom, this place that he had once dreamed of serving the royal house but which now no longer had any value to him.


    "Sigh..."


    ''It doesn''t make much difference anyway. Now the kingdom is finished, my escape is nothing more than an anticipation of something that would happen one way or another.''


    ''I just hope that fellow isn''t so petty as to crave my life...'' He assumed narcissistically, worried about his precious life.


    After that, he left behind that city as he traveled alongside his newly acquired family.

 Chapter ?1023 Regional Repercussion 2

    Chapter ?1023 Regional Repercussion 2


    While Nelson fled the Brown Kingdom capital to hide from young Stuart, Misty had just gotten her hands on one journal that had information about the war''s ending.


    After months since Minos'' passage through the Snow Kingdom, this woman, formerly part of House Reid and now engaged to the local Crown Prince, sought information about Minos almost daily.


    At first, she still did this because she wanted to read about young Stuart''s possible problems or mistakes. She wished that the one responsible for the deaths of her loved ones suffered. She had already given up on any desperate attempt at revenge, but that did not stop her from praying for the worst for him.


    However, without realizing it, she had begun to follow the regional news with some satisfaction as she read about the good news for the Black Plain and Minos.


    Not only that, such a beautiful woman had already spent days thinking about how Minos had ''rejected'' her and how he was terrible for saying things with double meanings to her in front of her fianc¨¦.


    So, whenever new issues of the regional periodicals were released, she wasted no time in getting a version for herself to keep up with the latest doings of that fellow.


    And that was what she was doing at her residence, sitting beside a table, holding the large sheet of newspaper in her hands, while a cup of tea on that table emitted a yummy fragrance.


    ''... That way, the Black Plain as an independent state is already a reality. We are just waiting for the official coronation ceremony to confirm all the regional changes.'' She finished reading one of the stories in that edition, looking at that sheet in her hands with a twinkle in her eyes.


    ''Everything is finally over... Now we can go back to living in peace without senseless confrontations.'' She closed her eyes, glad that the war was over.


    She had been well away from the war for most of the conflict on the Black Plain. However, that did not mean she was not affected by such a thing. After all, war disrupted the functioning of every organization involved in it.


    Moreover, even if the Snow family had subordinated themselves to Minos, that was no guarantee that there would be no trouble and that they were safe.


    Considering that she had already fled one family, which had now been wiped out, this woman could not help but feel good knowing that the war was over and that its instability could soon be resolved.


    Since the entire region was now under Minos'' influence, her future as queen of a regional kingdom was assured.


    Being the queen of one state subordinated to another was not precisely something great. But almost all the states in the region were in more or less similar situations to the Snow family. So, the queen status she was about to gain would not be that much less than that of the queens before the rise of Minos.


    With that, Misty was relaxed about this position that would be passed on to her in the future.


    Her marriage to Ambrose was scheduled to take place in the next few months. However, even if King Snow was still the de facto king, due to Minos'' agreements, Misty had that position guaranteed by marrying such a prince.


    And knowing the end of the war, she feels more comfortable with her kingdom''s position and looks to the future.


    She took her eyes off those sheets of paper in her hand, looking out onto the luxurious balcony that was in that residence Ambrose had given her. ''I must teach my fianc¨¦ to be useful to Minos.''


    ''In the past, I was a fool to stand against him even though I knew how talented he was. But I won''t make that mistake again!''


    ''He said that if I worked well for him, he would reward me, right? Well then, I will make the Snow Kingdom the state under his control with the best results!'' She closed her fists in determination, remembering how that person had looked at her before he departed from this city.


    She then murmured. "Sooner or later, you will see my worth..."


    After that, Ambrose entered that area and saw his fianc¨¦e with a thrilled expression on her face. "Misty, what''s the matter with you? You look even more beautiful than ever!"


    That woman then lost the distinctive look from before and observed her fianc¨¦ with an expression she knew how to use to please. "Do you think so?" She said it in a flirtatious tone, fiddling with her hair.


    "I was thinking about the most handsome man I''ve ever met, and I got like this..." Misty said this seductively, looking at Ambrose as if to say she was thinking of him.


    "Oh?" He smiled in surprise, thanking the heavens in silence for bringing this woman into his life. "Hehe, looks like I''ll have to try harder not to disappoint my beautiful fianc¨¦e."


    ...


    Meanwhile, Jade had also learned about the recent news and was more than happy with Black Plain achieving independence.


    "Sigh... Finally, this madness is over." She said this to her husband as she lay on the large bed where only she and Linette were at the moment.


    Linette then looked at the man getting dressed next to that bed and said. "Now that this is over, we need to start putting the Black Plain migration policies in place."


    King Carline continued putting on his clothes and said. "Yes, we have already started doing that."


    "In any case, now that the war is over and the Black Plain has become a state, it won''t be long before even more critical changes take place in our region..."


    "We have to be prepared for the challenges ahead. That brat won''t take it easy on us. I can feel it."


    Hearing this, Jade frowned and looked at her husband seriously. "Don''t call him a brat! What do you think will happen to subordinates who behave like that?"


    "If he finds out about this, I don''t know what might happen..."


    After those words were said, the two people there looked at her for a moment, but there was nothing to say against those wise words. It was just bizarre for them to see that woman defending Minos so early in the day.


    "I don''t think he''ll find out. Just stay calm, Jade." King Carline said this without caring much for his wife''s words.


    But Linette looked strangely at Jade, trying to understand what was happening with this woman. ''Jade has been behaving differently since her return from negotiations...''


    ''Has something happened? Has Minos threatened her in some way?''


    Jade then said to her husband, who was already leaving that place. "In any case, let''s not cause trouble for ourselves by just silly words."


    "Minos is already the leader of our region, and considering his talent, it won''t be long before he becomes a Spiritual Emperor. So, let''s forget about past problems and focus on the future."


    "We must do our best to attract his attention. Maybe this can turn into great gains for our family!"


    Before leaving that place, the king sighed and agreed with his wife, leaving that place with a slightly altered expression, feeling a heaviness in his heart that he did not understand.


    As for those two women, when they were finally alone, Jade moved from where she was until she stood over Linette.


    She looked into that woman''s white eyes and smiled just before moving down her body and kissing the seductive neck of Ford''s mother.


    "Mmmmm~"


    "Jade, what''s the matter with you? Why do you keep defending that young man even when we are alone?" Linette asked this amidst her altered breathing as she felt Jade''s fingers trailing down her body.


    Jade did not answer immediately, devilishly smiling as she kissed Linette''s neck. She then said. "Forget about it. I''m just worried about our future."


    "But let''s not talk about that at the moment~" Jade finally removed the top of Linette''s clothes, revealing two perfect peaks, which now had their nipples fully erect. "Let me show you something I learned recently~"


    "Ahhhh~"


    Immediately after feeling Jade''s mouth and finger movements, Linette began to moan in pleasure, feeling something different than what King Carline and this man''s women made her feel.


    "Ahh~ Jade, what is that? That is different from your techniques~"


    "Hehe, maybe in the future I''ll explain it to you about that..." She said this as she felt the taste of Linette''s left nipple in her mouth. "Maybe I''ll even let you try that thing that inspired me."


    "You won''t regret it!" She looked into Linette''s eyes just before she got under the sheets of that bed, ready for her first ''meal'' of the day.


    "Ahhh~"

 Chapter ?1024 Regional Repercussion 3

    Chapter ?1024 Regional Repercussion 3


    While his wives were enjoying themselves in his absence, King Carline finally arrived at his place of work.


    This man had not been present on warm mornings with his wives for some time and had already reached the point where he rarely had intimate moments with them.


    In fact, by this point, his relationship with these two women, and especially their feelings, had become almost entirely platonic. Precisely because of this, it was not unusual for those two to enjoy themselves in his absence, and he did not mind either.


    But this had never been a problem in the recent past since his leading ladies were also losing interest in the whole thing.


    However, Jade was burning with desire lately, and almost like an infectious disease, Linette was getting the same symptoms as that woman.


    Because of this, every day after he left his room, the almost uncontrollable fire of those two would raise the temperature in that place, while the sound arrays worked to maintain order in that residence...


    Anyway, while Jade was showing Linette things that maybe she should not, their husband met with his secretary and some high-level government agents.


    "All of you, sit down." He said as he came across those people getting up from their seats around his office, as he walked over to his armchair.


    As he sat there, facing the various people in his workplace, King Carline relaxed in his armchair and said. "How is the organization of the kingdom? Are we going to be able to follow the migration protocols without any problems?"


    One of the women there then stood up and began to answer such a thing. "Your Majesty, we already have troops positioned around the most extreme points south of our borders and at the local ports to prevent migrants from traveling without order."


    After the recent news, many small families were already moving to the Black Plain, staking their futures on that place. That was happening even in the farthest state from Minos'' territory, where the people of House Carline were already worrying about the problems that might arise from this.


    They were not worried about the possibility of losing much of their population to the Black Plain but of being punished by Minos for not doing their migration control work.


    "On the other hand, we have already published several communiqu¨¦s in the kingdom''s main cities. Much of the population already knows that the Black Plain will not accept any migrants going there."


    Another person there then stood up and spoke. "Also, Your Majesty, the administration for migration matters recently opened its doors to our population. We already have tens of thousands of people in line to migrate to the Black Plain."


    "Many don''t want to risk going to that place alone or with uncertainty about their acceptance. So, they easily joined the migration program created between the regional powers."


    An old man closer to the king remained seated and then said to this fellow. "But not everyone is following our recommendations."


    "I recently heard reports that there are people who think that we are trying to prevent them from leaving the kingdom for questionable reasons..."


    "Because of that, there is already a resistance trying to leave our kingdom at all costs."


    Upon hearing that information, King Carline understood what was going on. However, he was not surprised by the reactions of his citizens. "Let''s ask the regional periodicals to publish the migration orders issued by the Black Plain. Then, maybe these individuals will realize that we are not trying to keep them here."


    "In the meantime, give the orders that anyone caught trying to leave our state illegally will be detained indefinitely."


    "But we will not use lethal force."


    "Yes, Your Majesty." That individual who was part of this family''s intelligence network said this serenely.


    ...


    While the Kingdom of the End and other states in the mainland part of the northern region of the Central Continent were facing similar problems, things were developing much more smoothly on Stone Island.


    There, instead of parts of the population distrusting the royalty trying to prevent them from going to the Black Plain, those interested in migrating had readily accepted the migration program of House Stone.


    But that was not surprising. After all, unlike the other states in the region that had faced Minos in the war of independence, Stone Island had been the Black Plain''s great ally in this period!


    And with that population knowing this and House Nash coming out to confirm Minos'' intentions, individuals intending to leave for the Black Plain had postponed their plans and began signing up for the local migration program.


    Just as in the Kingdom of the End and the other regional states, Stone Island would be lining up a call for migration and organizing these people''s transportation to Naval City-1.


    Such a place did not yet have a port built to receive people by sea. But considering the time it would take for the first group of migrants to reach there, there was more than enough time for the Minos government to do what was necessary in that place.


    With this, the local forces worked side by side to organize the impending migration, increasing border surveillance and preparing the boats needed for such an event.


    And just at this moment, the younger brother of the king and Lorelei was in the royal palace of this state, talking to local leaders about it.


    "Your Highness, we already have over 300,000 registrants in just three days since registration for the Black Plain migration started." One of the patriarchs of local families said this, talking about a service that had become the responsibility of his house.


    Hearing that, those people in the vicinity of the Stone family''s royal hall, where several armchairs were arranged around a circle, lost their positive expressions, beginning to worry.


    They were allies of Minos, almost everything was going well for them recently, and their fate seemed unstoppable among their regional peers. However, there were not only good things in all this. After all, they still needed their populations!


    But in that place, Elen''s father, representing the Nash family, had already found a solution to this problem. "Your Highness, this problem will exist for some time, but we should not get worked up about it."


    "The Black Plain has its limits, and naturally, that place will not absorb the entire regional population..."


    "On the other hand, the point will come when only those with the greatest talent, resources, and contacts, will be able to enter the Black Plain. So, we shouldn''t worry about losing our entire population."


    "The migrations will probably stop when 10 to 30 million people have left our state."


    "What?" Several people there said at once, feeling that even those numbers were heavy for them.


    Stone Island had about 200 million people, but losing that many people was not something to ignore!


    Gavin Stone then looked doubtfully at Richard Nash, curious as to why that man did not seem so bothered. "Richard, what do you have in mind?"


    That level 58 Spiritual King, who did not have one of his arms, replied. "There is a way to decrease the loss of inhabitants from our state to the Black Plain, but it is a drastic one."


    Gulp!


    "Drastic?" Some elders there repeated this in awe of what that fellow was about to say.


    Richard was the father of one of Minos'' greatest allies. How could he talk about drastic things when the subject was the Black Plain?


    But those people soon understood that man''s point. "We naturally have to throw our old ways in the trash and learn from the Black Plain."


    He slowly looked at the faces in that place, saying something of utmost importance. "Even if we are allies of Minos, we need to understand that we are no longer the same as before the war. Now, we can no longer behave as we did when we were regional leaders."


    "To do that, we need to accept that the kind of power we had before is no longer sustainable."


    "That way, if we start investing more in our subordinates, for example, by giving them Black-grade techniques, the local attraction will increase greatly. With that, many will think more before leaving their homes for a strange place as they will have good opportunities around their own homes!"

 Chapter ?1025 Independence Day 1 (*)

    Chapter ?1025 Independence Day 1 (*)


    Five days later...


    The northern region of the Central Continent was still experiencing the changes brought about by the Black Plain''s victory in the war of independence, with many moves of powers and civil groups.


    Many families around the region were already putting their new plans into practice, some bolder, like the idea of the supreme elder Nash, others less risky, just making moves of crystals and personnel.


    On the other hand, each regional royal family acted following the plans of Minos'' forces to contain unwanted migrations that could quickly become uncontrollable.


    Defensive belts around the regional borders, especially that of the Black Plain, were already practically ready, with almost 200,000 men from the many regional families at different posts in these areas. In addition, the Black Plain Army itself, the allied and subordinate families of Minos in that territory were also already with border posts.


    At the moment, the northern border already had many camps led by the army and the Cohen family, that noble house now in charge of the area adjacent to Yellow City.


    Along the southern border, the Hayes and Stokes families were keeping the sea and land borders protected and controlling the populations of the various towns in that area.


    Finally, Minos'' army and forces from the Miller, Gill, Parkinson, and Austin families were occupying the former Silva family territory and the central area of the Brown Kingdom, now part of the Black Plain.


    But while the people in these areas, inside and outside the Black Plain, were as active as ever, Dry City went about its days quietly, more and more festive because of the proximity of Independence Day.


    The migrations of citizens from the newly acquired cities of the Black Plain were already migrating to the main territory of Minos. Still, these people would mainly go to Naval City-1. But, on the other hand, even if many were coming to Dry City, it would still take weeks before the first groups would arrive there.


    After all, one could not transport thousands of people in high-level beasts since those were not numerous in the region. As such, time was still against these many people already on the move to this place.


    In any case, the city was growing again as it had before the war, and the population was more hopeful than ever about the future.


    So, the festive mood could be felt by anyone who came to this place and observed the expressions of the local inhabitants, something that was improving even the mood of visitors.


    And this was the case with the people from the various regional families who were already in this place for the coronation of Minos that would take place in the coming days.


    Among them, King Stone and his older sister, Lorelei, had just arrived at this city after a long journey from Stone Island to here.


    "This city looks quite nice, even considering its size." That man commented to the woman who seemed to be in her late middle age who was standing next to him, looking at the buildings on the main avenue of Dry City.


    Hearing that, that woman, who was close to level 60, smiled at her brother and pointed in a specific direction. "The best of this city is right there, in that building with a big golden tree on its facade."


    "There, we will secure our family''s future!"


    "Oh? So that''s the bank you talked about?"


    "Hmmm, after Minos'' coronation, we should talk to him regarding the possibility of our family investing in that place."


    "Of all the royal families in our region, ours is the only one in a position to talk it over with him. So we should not delay in trying to take advantage of this!"


    "That could help us get the first Spiritual Emperor from the regional powers!" She said in excitement, looking forward to the day when she would reach that level.


    The northern region''s problem regarding the ''production'' of Spiritual Emperors was simple. That is, the region lacked resources, areas with good energy density, promising talents, and good cultivation techniques. In short, it lacked the essentials.


    But as regional experts, the people from the Stone family had already noticed the Black Plain''s recovery in terms of energy density. And considering how easily the people on the side of Minos'' forces were advancing, she knew they could achieve similar things in the future.


    So, with the possibility of exponential returns from investments in the Black Plain and the possibilities of this place, Lorelei already dreamed of becoming the first Spiritual Emperor of the region.


    And she could indeed do that. After all, she was one of the strongest regional experts, being only a step away from being able to attempt her breakthrough.


    "That''s great! Let''s do it your way, Lorelei!"


    ...


    While that last group arrived in Dry City for the coronation of Minos, this leader was at this instant in an apartment in the center of his city.


    In that beautifully decorated place, about 100 square meters in area, Minos was in a large room with two blond women on a bed, exchanging fluids vigorously.


    There in that bed that could easily hold four people, Minos was lying while he had the crotch of beautiful Elena on top of his face, where he was eating her little sister.


    As she felt Minos'' majestic tongue and his skilled fingers that knew her anatomy well, Elena tried not to moan as she kissed the other woman there.


    That other person was riding young Stuart''s rod with gusto, sensing every inch of that hot piece of meat that was stimulating her little sister, this one, which had only recently started to experience this pleasure.


    "Mmmmmm~"


    "Ahhhhhhhh~"


    The moans of the two mingled with the sounds of their kisses as the distinct sound of pounding flesh resounded through that place, heightening the stimulations of all three.


    At the same time, where the three of them were sweating as if they were in a sauna, the smell of sex was in the air, something impossible not to come up when three people spent hours playing like that.


    "Ahhh~ Minos, you''re going to make me cum again~"


    Elen cried out in satisfaction right after stopping her kiss with Elena, feeling that she had made a great choice by listening to her friend.


    After years of trying to get Elen to have sex with Minos, Elena had finally managed to arrange a date between the three of them so that they could have fun together.


    Because of this, Minos had slept with Elen for the first time the day before, having taken the virginity of his beautiful business partner on that occasion. After that, two hours ago, they returned to Elena''s apartment in Dry City, where they had been having intense sex until now.


    "Ahhhh~ Ah, Elen, you took so many years~ Aren''t you sorry it took so long? Ahh~" Elena continued to feel her little sister burning as she looked at her friend''s body with lust in her eyes.


    "Ahhh~ Yes~ Yes~ I was wasting my time with my uncertainties~"


    She said as she watched Elena''s perfect breasts, feeling that Minos was about to fill her little sister again.


    And after a few minutes in that enviable situation for many men, all three finally reached their orgasms again, Minos'' third, Elena''s fourth, and Elen''s seventh time.


    "Oh~" Minos finally felt his face receiving Elena''s nectar while he felt Elen''s little sister massaging his rod.


    "Hah... Hah..." Elena got off Minos'' body as she took a hurried breath, falling to the left side of that young man and feeling her sweaty body starting to cool down.


    At the same time, Elen collapsed on Minos'' body, still connected to him, with no strength to get out of that position.


    "You''re truly sensitive, huh?" Minos touched her blond hair, feeling that this woman had a perfect body for this kind of physical activity.


    Elen then looked into Minos'' brown eyes in embarrassment, but seeing his lips; she bit her own just before trying to kiss him.


    "Mmmmm~"


    She felt his hands exploring her beautiful sweaty body, making her feel shocks through her entire being like she was on cloud nine.


    "Hah... Hah... Minos, you are an amazing lover..." She said in his ear before letting her face rest on his chest, delighted.


    "Hehe, thank you. While you are in Dry City, I can take care of your needs. So, take your time. We have plenty of time." He smiled, finally feeling his little brother leaving Elen''s drenched cave.


    "Is that so? Well, I hope that''s true since I plan to move to Dry City in the future..." She said in a low voice, considering this new situation her family was in post-war.


    ...

 Chapter 1026 Independence Day 2

    Chapter 1026 Independence Day 2


    Given that the future of the northern region lay in the Black Plain, there was no reason for the Nash family not to attempt to expand their operations into this territory. Minos had already permitted them to come to this place, so it would be foolish not to take advantage of the opportunity.


    Just as the Stone family was given a small plot of land outside the defensive dome of Dry City to build their outpost, the Nash family had gotten the same, and Elen already intended to come and live in Dry City in the future.


    Her main business in the Nash family was her trade agreement with Minos. So, since he no longer had to hide in this region, staying close to him was the best she could do now.


    Because of this, she warned him about these interests of hers, something that would also make it possible for both of them to have fun.


    Pa!


    "Hehe, that''s great." Minos slapped one of Elen''s buttocks which were full of red marks.


    "Ahhh~"


    And listening to those two conversations, Elena finally recovered her breath. She turned sideways to them, using one of her hands to massage Elen''s beautiful buttocks while looking at Minos. "I just hope you two don''t forget about me..."


    "I don''t intend to let you have all the fun alone!" She said, looking at the young Stuart just before she approached Elen and seductively bit one of her friend''s ears. "Don''t forget that Elen was mine long before you, Minos."


    "Hehehe, I''m not in the habit of missing opportunities like that." Minos laughed as he felt that level 54 woman who was on top of his body sliding to his right side.


    After that, Elen looked a little more seriously at the brown-haired man hugging her waist and asked. "Minos, what do you intend to do in the future? I know your talent is great, and you will leave this region one day..."


    "Will you leave the Black Plain with an heir? Perhaps in Abby''s hands?"


    Elen naturally worried about the future of this place she wanted to be a part of. After all, it would affect her business!


    And with the intimacy she had already acquired with him, she could not help but talk about this crucial topic with him.


    "Leaving the northern region is inevitable, but I will do it temporarily."


    He looked to his right side, trying to ignore Elen''s perfect body to look into her eyes. "I will still spend most of my life on the Black Plain. That''s for sure!"


    "I will take care of regional stability by getting some problems out of our way, and then I will try to take care of the Black Plain until this place gets strong. Only after that will I make trips around the continent."


    Elen did not know about the Spatial Kingdom, so she thought that the Black Plain had a much more limited future than, for example, Elena thought. As such, she was already counting on Minos leaving that part of the continent.


    But listening to his answer, she felt a great relief to realize that even though he was so strong, he had no desire to live in other parts of the continent.


    That was great for her.


    "Abby will naturally travel by my side, and as for an heir, that''s easier said than done..." He said sincerely.


    "But you must not worry. I will rule the Black Plain for a long time!"


    "I''m glad to hear that."


    Elena agreed with Elen as she played with Minos'' left chest. "Well, I did not doubt that..."


    "Mmmm~"


    ...


    After his earlier fun with the two Stone Island blondes, Minos left the apartment of that Black Plain Army Lieutenant and went to his office in the local government mansion.


    In that location, he intended to resolve the final issues before his coronation as king, which he particularly disliked. Still, all of his advisors had urged him to perform.


    The coronation was not only an important event for the leadership of a state but for the population itself that could be proud of their state, revere it, and improve their impression of their leaders.


    So, the coronation ceremony had to happen!


    But as much as it was a boring thing to do, at the thought that the beautiful Gloria was the one who would lead the whole process, Minos could not help but ease his bad mood for having to prepare for that.


    And with that, he soon arrived at that place, where Abby, her mother, and Mia were in his office talking about the preparations.


    ...


    "Minos, what do you think of the outfit we have prepared for you?" This young man''s mother-in-law asked him as she pointed to the outfit full of golden symbols that were on a mannequin in that office.


    Hearing Nicole''s excited tone and seeing the smile on Abby''s face, Minos sighed and said. "I think it''s probably uncomfortable, but I''m glad I won''t have to go through that more than once..."


    "Minos!" Abby yelled at him, patting one of her man''s hands.


    "No, you''re wrong, Minos," Nicole said in pity for that fellow who did not like that kind of occasion. "When you and Abby get married, you will also have to wear formal clothes, as well as your crown."


    The tradition of weddings and coronations in this region was quite strict. One thing could not mix with the other, with the king always having to ascend to his position before the queen.


    Even if the future king and queen were married at the time of the coronation, the king was required to have the ceremony alone. Only after that did the queen ascend.


    As such, even if Ruth was already there with them for their wedding, Abby could not become the queen right away.


    On the other hand, the marriage of a king always involved similar etiquette to coronations. Whether she became a queen or part of the king''s harem, every woman married to someone like that had a lot of power and high status.


    In the case of his marriage to Abby, this woman would become the queen and had to be crowned as well, which would require Minos to go through a similar formality as on this occasion.


    "I''m sorry..." Abby was about to say something to Minos but was suddenly interrupted by him.


    "I don''t like having to do that for me, but I will be pleased to do that for you at our wedding, Abby."


    The two women there looked at Minos and Abby with rosy faces, seeing the way those two behaved.


    "Cough! Cough!"


    "We still have to try on your dress, young lady!" Nicole said to her daughter, remembering that Abby would accompany her man for part of the coronation.


    "The coronation will begin at 10 am on Sunday, and you will have to wear three dresses. One for the public coronation, one at the paying of respects, and finally the one suitable for the celebration ceremony."


    The public coronation was, as the name said, the part for the local public, in which the representative of the Spiritual Church would crown Minos after a brief speech by both parties.


    Following this, protocol required the new king to parade in a chariot alongside his family down the most critical avenues of his capital city.


    After this part of the ceremony would come the beginning of the royal acts, in which the king would act in his royal hall, receiving local leaders while on his throne, to issue some orders and wishes.


    The last part of it was a more discreet ceremony, where key individuals from the kingdom and allies could join the king for drinks, celebrating the coronation.


    And for the whole event, those who had to stand next to the king needed to wear different clothes on each occasion.


    But since Abby had not yet made up her mind about her clothes, Nicole was teasing her about it.


    "Young lady, you need to make up your mind soon! Even Minos, who doesn''t care about this ceremony, has already made all his choices, but you..."


    Abby then pouted, ignoring her mother. "Do you want to help me choose this, my love?"


    "At our wedding, you won''t be able to do that, but this time it will be okay for us to do it." She looked at him with a cute look, begging Minos to be by her side as Nicole nagged her about it.


    "All right, let me see what you have prepared." He said, just before he started looking at the options that Nicole had ordered, which Abby soon started tasting in front of him.

 Chapter ?1027 Independence Day 3

    Chapter ?1027 Independence Day 3


    Dozens of hours later...


    Soon the time had passed, and it was time for the Black Plain Independence Day!


    After all the previous preparations, the city and the most important members of the coronation were already ready for this great day that began quietly, with entirely blue skies and a reasonable temperature.


    There, the main streets were already fenced off with partitions to separate the public that would soon take to the streets to follow the public part of the coronation. At the same time, thousands of police and army soldiers were already patrolling around, each with smiles on their faces, proud of having helped to bring the Black Plain to this moment.


    Today was the realization of a decade of effort and sacrifice by local soldiers and citizens. On this day, they would finally break free from their moorings to become the most important place in the region.


    With that, the soldiers who had paraded alongside the most prominent allies of the local forces in the war were already in front of Minos'' mansion, where a large platform waited for the event to begin.


    This platform differed from those that had witnessed the executions of Charles Walker and Otis Silva. Instead of instruments of torture or murder and simple decoration, this one had high standard decorations and several details to stimulate the spectators'' attention.


    At first sight, a beautiful red carpet covered the platform floor, which led down the side stairs connected to the interior of Minos'' mansion with a large walkway.


    In addition, there were several side seats. Still, each paled compared to the sizeable royal throne in the middle of the platform.


    This throne was made of rare metals and high-grade fabrics from high-level spiritual beasts. It was huge, with a backrest nearly five feet high, a seat wide enough for Minos to sit comfortably with two women in his lap, and metal arms that had several symbols on them.


    Each of the symbols on these arms was of noble families subordinate or allied to the Black Plain before the war began, a tribute made by Minos to these powers.


    But these symbols could hardly be noticed easily because of their size. Not only that, the prominent symbol of the Black Plain engraved on the red back of that throne was one of the most attractive points of it, which would attract the attention of anyone who looked at it.


    At the same time, beautiful red curtains and various spiritual flowers adorned the surroundings of that platform, creating pleasant scenery in that place.


    Finally, the royal crown of Minos was on a small stand in front of that throne, inside what looked like a glass case.


    This item looked like a series of intertwined golden roots, which connected at one point and gave birth to a tree trunk, which grew into many green leaves made of crystals of the same color.


    Seeing that magnificent area where Minos would soon be sitting with a crown on his head, Dillian smiled as he took his morning walk.


    ''If the master were alive, this would be an unforgettable day for him...'' So, the man with the black mustache thought to himself, as he remembered Minos'' father, who was the kind of person who would celebrate an occasion like this for a whole week.


    ''Although he would have suffered a lot fighting his former comrades...'' He remembered how loyal Albert was to the Brown family.


    ...


    While Dillian was reminiscing about the past while watching that platform in front of Minos'' mansion, this young man was in his residence, finishing his coffee.


    In that dining room of his residence, a large table full of dishes with different types of cuisine was being ignored by the people there, each one more anxious than the other for this day.


    Nicole and Eliot were in that place as always, present for this critical day for their daughter''s fianc¨¦. At the same time, Abby smiled graciously beside Minos, happier than ever to reach this point.


    She had been at Minos'' side since a few months after the end of the Spiritual Tournament, a time when the Black Plain did not even have Spiritual Kings in its ranks. Considering how much she had experienced at her man''s side, she felt outstanding today.


    During the journey here, she had not stopped to notice how many amazing things they had done in such a short time. After all, they had so many worries on their minds that it was tough to enjoy the trip to the top of the region.


    But now, watching the man who had once been just a son of a subordinate of royalty but who would now become a king, Abby realized how much he, nay, they, had done.


    And that was reason enough for her to feel proud and hopeful for the future.


    "My love, today you look more handsome than ever..." She whispered into one of Minos'' ears, eager to give herself to him later.


    They had already had their morning activities, something Minos fulfilled religiously. But given the exceptional circumstances, she was already thinking about the night ahead of them...


    And since only she was there to satisfy Minos, every fiber of her body was already preparing for later!


    "Tsk!" Gloria, who was also there at the moment, felt a little uncomfortable watching Minos and Abby''s interaction.


    This woman had arrived in Dry City last night, already being in this place to accompany Minos for the next few hours.


    But even though she was glad that the war was over, that she had had fun with Minos the night before, she could not help but feel a little annoyed that she had to see that man with another woman...


    ''Damn it!''


    ''I know they''re a couple, and they''re getting married soon, but I can''t help but feel annoyed that she can have him as she wants...'' She clasped her hands together, feeling frustrated that Abby was so lucky.


    ''If only he were a member of the Church, I''d be the one standing next to him now...'' She watched Minos'' brown eyes while softly biting her cherry lips.


    And noticing Gloria''s gaze full of impure intentions, Minos blinked at her, smiling in satisfaction at having awakened that woman''s deepest desires.


    Last night they had not yet done all they could. But Minos, for the first time, had seen more of that woman''s skin, something he had been limited to her arms, parts of her legs, and face until then.


    And having had her experience the magic of his fingers and tongue, Minos already knew that his relationship with Gloria would not take long to evolve.


    "Hmm, thanks, Abby," Minos said to his woman, hugging her waist as he saw her beautiful blue eyes, which had an all-too-special glow today.


    He then whispered to her. "After the final ceremony, we will spend the next seven days locked away in the Spatial Kingdom..."


    Gulp!


    "I can''t wait..." Her cheeks turned pink, while her heart beat faster.


    After that, Gloria saw that it was almost time for the ceremony to begin and wasted no time trying to bring Minos to her side to discuss the last details.


    "Minos, we''re going to start in just a few minutes, so I want to tell you a few things we''ll be doing. All right?" She pulled him with one of her arms, feeling oddly happy to do such a dull job.


    "All right. Is there something new in your schedule?"


    "Yes. Let''s start like this..." She then explained every detail of what she had thought of before they and the most critical individuals in this city headed for that platform.


    As they did so, they soon came upon a square crowded with people, where many soldiers were parading for the public''s attraction.


    First, the special guests, important members of the local forces and government, were seated at the sides of that platform, making room for Minos.


    Then Gloria stood next to the royal crown, waiting for the last person to come up on that seat, the most important of all.


    Then Minos finally began to walk down the red carpet, waving to the thousands of people in that place, who at that moment were shouting in happiness as if there was no tomorrow.


    After this, it did not take long for the coronation to unfold, with Abby participating in some crucial moments since she would soon become the queen. But the whole focus of this occasion was on Minos, and except for the few words of the Church representative, only he had addressed the audience.


    Gloria then said loudly. "I now proclaim, Minos of the House Stuart, first of his name, King of the Black Plain, protector of the north!"


    Gloria showed the royal crown to the populace before placing it on young Stuart''s head, finally crowning him King of the Black Plain!


    "Long may he reign!"


    At that moment, several of Minos'' soldiers and subordinates shouted along with the populace.


    "Long may he reign!"

 Chapter ?1028 New Overlord Coming from the North

    Chapter ?1028 New Overlord Coming from the North


    After the start of Minos'' royal coronation, time quickly passed, and the whole part of this special occasion open to the public ended.


    First, Minos and Gloria had given speeches to the local population, talking about the future, the relationship their organizations would have, and the regional situation favorable to the Black Plain.


    Minos had also made a few jokes while giving his speech and had even told his citizens that he would be taking time off soon to try to make princes and princesses...


    And in that festive and lighthearted mood, he was crowned and then followed Abby and Gloria in an open carriage through the main streets of Dry City.


    With that, the parade of soldiers from the Black Plain Army had slowly made its way through the main streets of this place, with Minos and Abby waving to the population, hearing the many congratulatory words and noticing signs of happiness.


    Even the children there had shining eyes at the sight of it all, not actually understanding what was happening but happy to have seen such an unusual situation.


    When it was the afternoon in Dry City, Minos and his group made their way back to the local government mansion. There, he worked as King for the first time, listening to local leaders'' questions and expounding his wishes and orders.


    Finally, as the sun was setting over the horizon, Minos and those closest to him, as well as leaders of subordinate and allied organizations, met at the young man''s residence for a more private occasion.


    In this place, young Stuart drank alongside King Stone and this man''s older sister, the only members of regional royalty who had come to Dry City for this event.


    However, the now King Stuart also fraternized with his old Stone Island allies, particularly the patriarch Nash, who had come to this city alongside Elen''s group.


    At the end of the day, all the allies who had attended this great event in Dry City left the local mansion with smiles of satisfaction, looking forward to the future after once again strengthening their ties to this place.


    Now there was nothing more in their way since even the Spiritual Church had promised to keep the peace in the region against outside aggression.


    And so, this was the beginning of a golden age for these people on good terms with Minos!


    ...


    A few days later...


    While the northern region was experiencing having the seventh state for the first time in hundreds of thousands of years, news of Minos'' coronation had already reached the Flaming Empire.


    Usually, a little coronation in the northern region of the Central Continent was no big deal in the eyes of the leaders of that state. But given how exceptional Minos'' rise had been, all the major powers were keeping an eye on those areas, having received this information with interest.


    Only a few months ago, Oswald had crusaded the empire in search of agreements with the main sects of that state so that they would not endanger Minos. But now, such a short time later, the grandson of the Gray Cloud Sect master had already won the war and become a king!


    That was astonishing!


    As such, even the mighty Spiritual Saints of this state had heard of Minos'' name and could not help but consider what he would do in the future.


    Stay in the poor northern region of dominating that place for centuries? Or would he become a real cultivator and experience the empire?


    Many wondered about such things, but one person in particular just wanted Minos to stay well away from the empire...


    There was no reason for a monstrous person who could not even have his past checked by a Spiritual Saint to come to the Flaming Empire... No, it was better if he simply stayed in the northern region!


    However, while this person wanted distance from Minos, other powers were already preparing for the future, to approach this new King amicably or not.


    ...


    "So, Oswald''s grandson won the war, huh?" A man with red hair and brown eyes, strong and tall, asked this while sitting on a dark red throne.


    Upon hearing that, the several high-level Spiritual Saints in that place looked in the direction of the Spiritual Emperor, who was on bended knee in front of that person.


    Warner, the Spiritual Emperor who had gone to the Spiritual Church camp before, consented and said. "Yes, Your Majesty."


    "I did not watch the combat prowess of that young man since Maisie Coleman did not allow me. But he is indeed very skilled in combat, able to fight those of several levels above his own."


    "He also amassed impressive strength by the standards of that region, something that greatly facilitated his victory in the war of independence."


    Murmurs spread through that place as the strongest in that state pondered what would happen next.


    But one of them suddenly asked about what Warner had just said. "Did that woman do something else? Did she try to help him in any way?"


    Warner then looked in the direction of an old man with long white hair and a big nose. "Not that I know of. She just kept me from watching her son fight."


    The Emperor of this state then ignored that court member''s question. "Well, since the Black Plain is now an independent state and the region is returning to normalcy, return that place and do what is necessary for the Spiritual Tournament to take place."


    "Take the opportunity to congratulate the brat Minos and explain to him our agreement with the states in that region. We can even hold the Spiritual Tournament on his territory."


    "Yes, Your Majesty!"


    ...


    Meanwhile, at the residence of the master of the Gray Cloud Sect, toasts and laughter resounded through the recreation area of that place, with several Spiritual Saints congratulating Oswald.


    "Outstanding, sect master!"


    "It seems that the brat Minos has inherited some of your blood!"


    "Hehehe, looks like he truly did a good job in that region, sect master!"


    "The Coleman family finally has a good candidate for leadership!"


    Hearing some of the comments, old Oswald smiled in satisfaction, feeling good to know Minos was doing so well in that region.


    He then waved his hand that carried a cup with drink and said. "Little Minos is struggling in that place, but soon he will come to the empire. So, save some of your words for him, my friends!"


    "But you had better get ready, or you will be too shocked when you see him!"


    Meanwhile, the women in that area were also talking animatedly, with smiles on their faces.


    "Ah, I can''t wait to see that fellow! The last time I saw him, he was still wearing diapers..." A green-haired woman, who looked as young as Ruth, said this while sitting next to Maisie.


    Minos had been born in the Flaming Empire. Thus, some of these people had seen him and even changed his diapers.


    Ivy Lawson, level 65, Maisie''s best friend, was among them. She was a beautiful woman with green hair and big breasts that would easily be the biggest Minos had ever seen if he could remember his time as a newborn.


    "Hmmm, I''m curious about my nephew too..." Maisie''s younger sister commented, remembering the child she had seen twice when she had accompanied her sister for trips in that region.


    And Maisie, who had already arrived at this place after her departure from the Black Plain, was also there drinking and smiling, happy for Minos'' success.


    She then looked at the black-haired woman next to her, the mother of her disciple. "It seems that soon our families will be united..."


    "Sigh..."


    "It''s just a shame that my daughter and your sons are two fools..." Ruth''s mother said this after sighing, looking at Maisie and ignoring her other daughter, who was at her side now. "One is a stubborn son who doesn''t want to return home, the other..."


    "The other is a brat lost in her passion."


    While those two were talking, Talia Miles, Ruth''s older sister, also ignored her mother. As she did so, she thought about the man who had stimulated her to the point that she had wanted to be with one of the few she should not have.


    ''Minos...'' She felt nervous, thinking that sooner or later, her little secret would fall apart. ''Oh, and to think that soon Ruth will marry him...''


    ''What will I do?'' Talia closed her eyes, remembering that at the moment, her sister was signing the agreement with the Spiritual Church so that she could finally be fully reunited with Minos.

 Chapter ?1029 Beginning of the Migration

    Chapter ?1029 Beginning of the Migration


    At the same time that Minos'' family in the Flaming Empire was celebrating his exemplary results, information about the independence of the Black Plain also arrived in the Saints Killing Sect.


    The headquarters of this organization was in one of the southernmost parts of that state, on what looked like a small mountain floating 500 meters above the ground.


    At that organization''s headquarters, that sect leader discussed the matter with some of his advisors.


    He and his people were in a dark area containing some strange carcasses, which emitted sinister signals, something capable of frightening the weakest and most immature. But not the five people in that area, much less the individual sitting on a throne made of bones.


    "So, our disciples are dead, and this brat is alive and well, huh?" A man who seemed to be in his early middle age commented in a low voice while he had his right elbow resting on the arm of his chair, supporting his face in his right hand, while he had a strange smile.


    Upon hearing the question of that black-haired man, an old man with white hair and strange eyes, with a circular pattern around his pupils, did not take long to answer his leader. "Apparently, the brat son of the Coleman family has found a way to eliminate our disciples and take over that region..."


    "Maybe that sect helped him?" He looked around suspiciously, giving ideas to his companions there. "I heard his mother was in that region for a few months..."


    Another person, someone with a similar pattern in his eyes to that old man''s, something Minos would surely recognize if he saw it, then said. "It''s quite a coincidence that he settled the war so quickly after his dear mother went to that place."


    "Tsk!"


    "I wish your ideas were plausible, but I sincerely doubt it." The leader of that organization, Mortimer Burgess, level 79, said this in a confident tone. "Our greatest enemies would not surrender the game for something so small."


    "That bastard Oswald wouldn''t risk everything for a child..."


    "But..."


    "The sect master is right." A woman with black hair and an evil look commented, quieting the voice of that person who was about to say something. "The brat Minos must have found a way to protect himself and deal with our disciples."


    "That''s not an impossible feat to accomplish."


    "Oh?" The old man from before looked at that woman dressed in bone armor and asked. "Then what should we do about it? If the Gray Cloud Sect hasn''t done anything, what excuse will we use to attack them?"


    "Hahahaha." Mortimer laughed out loud, surprised to see one of his elders asking such nonsense. "Isn''t that obvious? Let''s let more of our disciples fight this Minos."


    "That sect will naturally make mistakes because of that. And even if they don''t interfere in that region, they will definitely do something here, which will justify our action!"


    Another individual there then asked. "What about the families of those five? What do we tell them?"


    "Who cares about them? Let them do whatever they want." The woman from before said angrily, finding it unnecessary to talk about such people and families.


    Who would care about mere Spiritual Emperors? Cultivators at the 7th stage were nothing but flies to high-level Spiritual Saints like them.


    Hell, if it were not for Minos'' connection with Oswald and the core of the Gray Cloud Sect, these people would not even bother to learn his name!


    "Maia is right," The sect master commented, finally leaving his relaxed stance from before to become more serious. "Let the disciples and those families worry about Oswald''s grandson. For now, let''s talk about what truly matters..."


    "How is Gavin Rowse''s situation?" He asked with subtle killing intent in his tone while his eyes shone brightly.


    The old man with a circular pattern around his pupil then said. "Gavin managed to escape our pursuit after awakening the seventh circle of his innate ability."


    "Fortunately, before reaching the 8th stage, he won''t be able to use his most terrifying powers..."


    "We can still recover the Destruction Eyes."


    ...


    While the powers of the Flaming Empire were discussing the new overlord coming from the north, the movements of civilians in the northern part of the Central Continent had already intensified!


    Only a few weeks since Minos'' orders to start the migration of the unemployed from the cities of his brand new state, more than 100,000 people were already moving into the main territory of that state.


    Most of these people came from the Brown Kingdom, the region formerly under the control of that state but which was now part of the new Black Plain.


    Meanwhile, dozens of people were also making their way to Dry City from the area now led by the Hayes and Stokes families.


    But that was not all. No, while thousands and thousands of people were traveling to those areas, with several groups having already reached Dry City, the borders of the Black Plain were getting restless.


    Around this great border, more than a million immigrants trying to leave their states were surrounded by troops from their kingdoms or Minos'' forces.


    Many had ignored the royal recommendations, especially those closest to the borders. They felt they still had time before the borders closed, so they had gambled on the chance to enter the Black Plain without having to wait for months.


    Unfortunately for most of them, the Black Plain and the regional states had already surrounded these areas for weeks or months, depending on the border.


    In any case, with so many people trying to leave their states, some individuals had managed to get through the barriers on the way and reach the Black Plain.


    However, given the efficiency of the forces under the command of Minos, these numbers had not been significant enough to disrupt the king''s plans.


    As such, the great migration of the present times had been taking place according to the plans of the Black Plain Army administration, within the acceptable limit that the local resources could welcome.


    And this was what Minos was talking about in his office alongside his staff.


    ...


    After a week off at Abby''s side, Minos had had a great time at her side in the Spatial Kingdom and had returned to his duties in the local government.


    Now that Minos had been updated on these various recent events, he was standing next to his woman in that office.


    Minos now had a throne hall right next to his office. But since he felt better working in a more comfortable place, he had left the throne hall to use only for more official events. Everyday conversations like today''s were best enjoyed in a place like his office.


    And with that, he was standing next to his fianc??e, face to face with his staff.


    "Your Grace, over 30,000 immigrants have already arrived in the vicinity of Dry City. They are slowly being divided into groups to participate in constructing our satellite cities, agricultural fields, or going to Naval City-1."


    "In addition to this first large group and the migrants from other parts of the Black Plain already on the move, we have already approved the coming of 400,000 people from the other six regional states."


    "These people from outside the Black Plain are expected to arrive here in up to six months."


    Hearing that from a woman member of the Black Plain government, a new government separate from that of Dry City, Minos smiled, pleased to hear such figures.


    To him, this was just the beginning, but this was a migration worthy of attention since he could double his population in a short time!


    And thinking about it, he could not help but compare such a thing to a historical event that had happened in this region millions of years ago.


    "That will be the Second Great Migration!"


    Upon hearing this, Abby became curious about what that first great migration would be since she had never heard of such an event as significant as the current regional movement.


    "Second Great Migration? What is that, my love?"


    "Oh?" Minos looked to his left, remembering that he had heard of the Great Migration from the Feathered Serpents, who now lived in the Flooded Valley on the northernmost side of the Black Plain.


    ''True, I heard that during the war, but due to other problems, I forgot to notify the army about this historical situation...''


    He then said to Abby and the people there, "Well, the Great Migration happened about 2 million years ago, when..."

 Chapter ?1030 Past

    Chapter ?1030 Past


    "The Great Migration happened about two million years ago when the spiritual energy in our region suddenly began to decrease." Minos said, attracting the attention of those people in his office.


    "At that time, the spiritual energy of our region was not so different from the rest of the Central Continent. In fact, during the Golden Age of cultivation in the Spiritual World, which begins in the era of the first human God, this region was home to some of the strongest powers on the continent."


    "There were several Demigods in these areas, and even Henricus Longus established his family in an area of this region, a part that is currently occupied by the Black Plain, Brown Kingdom, and Albano."


    Currently, Albano could be considered the largest state outside the northern region of the Central Continent and bordered the Brown Kingdom, the current Black Plain, the Cromwell Kingdom, the Kingdom of the Waves, and the Snow Kingdom.


    Besides Albano, three other high-level kingdoms bordered this region. One of them further west, bordering the Cromwell Kingdom to the south, Vogel.


    Another state was neighboring Vogel to the east, bordering the Cromwell Kingdom to the south, the Rosser Kingdom.


    Finally, bordering the Snow Kingdom to the south on the east coast of that part of the continent was Blackrock.


    "Is that serious?" Abby asked as she showed a silly expression, the first time she had heard that such a region had been so important in the past.


    The officials besides the two were also as surprised as Abby, but none of them questioned their ruler.


    Minos nodded to Abby and continued. "But that was a long time ago, and virtually every trace of those experts and their families left the region even before the Great Migration."


    "At that time, the spiritual energy that was already weaker than in the era of Henricus Longus suddenly began to decline. Because of this, this place that could give birth to even Spiritual Sages before the Great Migration became a place where the limit had changed to Spiritual Saint stage."


    "Fearful of what would happen in the future and being trapped in this place while slowly degrading along with the rest of the region, the powers still in those areas began a grand migration."


    "This migration was so impressive that it is said that a great shadow covered the region at that time, while the skies for months were filled with beasts and people flying, leaving towards the south."


    "According to the Feathered Serpent I talked to about this, more than 300 million people left this region at that time." He said this impressed by that number, also thinking how he had exaggerated comparing the current migration to such a thing.


    ''Well, maybe this migration will come close to that when I finish my work...'' He smiled, looking at Abby''s shocked face.


    "Three hundred million? Is that serious? So, almost the entire region left in one fell swoop? How is that possible?" She said after a moment in silence.


    "Hmm, from what I''ve heard, the region was practically deserted after the Great Migration." Minos nodded at her. "But that did not last long."


    "This region was ruled by powerful people who suddenly fled in a span of a few years."


    "In other words, a region, yes, limited, but that still had what to offer was abandoned by its leaders..." He paused a moment, looking into Abby''s eyes.


    "Weaker people from that era took advantage of the power vacuum, coming to this region from other parts of the continent or simply elevating the position of their organizations that were already here." She said in realization, understanding why this place did not turn into a complete desert area. "Is that it?"


    "That''s essentially what happened." Minos closed his eyes, shaking his head in agreement.


    "And what happened after that?" One of the officials there finally said something.


    Minos looked at that person and summed up what little he knew. "Well, those powers that stayed or came here grew up and were eventually limited by the region. So with that, another migration happened."


    "Eventually, all the experts above the 7th stage in this region died of old age or left for good, bringing us the recent history that the regional powers know."


    After hearing all that, Abby suddenly wanted to know the reason for all that. "Why has the region weakened so much? I thought our region had always been like this, so I never questioned why we didn''t have areas as good as those outside the region. But..."


    Minos then took Abby''s left hand, massaging it reassuringly. "That I don''t know."


    "Perhaps it is a natural process. Anyway, there is not enough information for me to try to guess at such a thing."


    "Who knows, maybe we can figure that out in the future..." He muttered, thinking about how he would sooner or later meet with stronger, more knowledgeable people.


    Even with contacts with people from outside this region, like his mother, Ruth, and Gloria, Minos had never talked to any of them about such things.


    Not because he was worried about generating doubts in these people, but because the opportunity simply did not arise.


    However, he did not think that these people could help him. The Church certainly had information, but Gloria was only a Spiritual Emperor. There was no way that someone of her level could understand or even have access to such high-level information.


    As for his mother, Maisie probably knew nothing either since the powers of the Flaming Empire were all from the Decadence Age.


    The Decadence Age was the current one, the one in which one part of the continent had been decaying while others could not improve. In fact, outside of this northern region, the rest of the Central Continent had been stagnant for hundreds of thousands of years.


    Considering that and the fact that the Flaming Empire was not a high-level one, Minos did not have high expectations about his mother, or Ruth, regarding such profound matters.


    "In any case, let''s prepare for this Second Great Migration. Maybe we''ll get close to the numbers of the first in a few decades." He smiled, wondering if he could achieve this ambitious goal.


    "All right, Your Grace." Those people said simultaneously.


    "Well, since the migration is developing so well, it''s time we sent the subordinate and allied families of the Black Plain in Dry City to their future territories." He looked at Abby, intent on sending her family to take care of some area around his main territory.


    "The Gill, Parkinson, and Austin families will settle in three different locations, where we will build new cities in addition to the satellite cities of Dry City."


    "We will place these families near the old Black Plain border to take care of movements coming towards our main territory."


    Those people there heard this and took note of Minos'' orders.


    He then said to his fianc¨¦e. "As for the Miller family, we will establish this house on the northernmost coast of our territory, in that area that was formerly near the border of the Kingdom the Waves and the Black Plain."


    "You mean that area where pirate groups previously acted?" Abby asked, remembering where Peter had been taken during his capture, a place that Dry City mercenaries had already ravaged.


    "Yes." Minos nodded in agreement. "That area is already being affected by the Black Plain''s increasing concentration of spiritual energy and is a good area for port construction."


    "For a power focused on trade like your family, that will be a good place."


    "But the core of your family can stay in Dry City. So, I am only passing that territory to your family to take care of it for me. Pirates previously plagued that place, so I want your family to help me take care of an important area and deal with these outlaws."


    "Oh? I see."


    "I''ll talk to my family about it later then." Abby said, not finding such a thing bad, not least because that area in question would become better than her family''s previous territory in a few years.


    She remembered an army issue and then said. "By the way, we can get on with your plans for the regional pirates now that the war is over."


    "Hmmm." Minos'' eyes sparkled as he remembered a map in his spatial ring. "True. Let''s step up the pursuit of those outlaws. I want to find out exactly what those people are after..."


    "Anyway, that''s all for today." He looked at his local government officials, giving them space for them to leave.

 Chapter ?1031 Finally Returning

    Chapter ?1031 Finally Returning


    Two more weeks passed...


    While the principal area of the Black Plain was experiencing the arrival of tens of thousands of migrants, Gloria was in the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom, finishing her business in this place.


    After crowning King Stuart weeks ago, this woman had had a brief experience with him before the days that Minos stayed with Abby in the Spatial Kingdom.


    On such an occasion, they had taken their relationship a step further, with her allowing him to try out parts of her body he had not yet reached. But everything had stopped before they could consummate their relationship.


    In any case, their relationship had already reached a level where Gloria could not ignore that man, and even though they had said goodbye on their last date, she knew that she would soon be seeing him again.


    Not only because she wished to do so, but because of the regional situation, it would not be long before her presence would become more necessary in these areas. She now had an agreement with Minos, so it was in her interest to work to avoid some problems.


    And this naturally required her presence in this region more than in the past.


    But besides these crucial points for the future, she already knew when she would return to visit Minos. After all, the royal wedding was also an event that the Spiritual Church was involved in managing.


    That organization wanted to be remembered and have people believe in its doctrines. Thus, they could not help but take opportunities to show off on popular occasions like that!


    Hence, considering that Minos, Abby, and Ruth''s wedding was to take place between 6 and 9 months, Gloria already had her trip back to this region marked on her agenda.


    In any case, after bidding farewell to Minos, Gloria had finally made her way to the Cromwell Kingdom, where she had previously crowned Cade Cromwell.


    After arriving in that state''s capital, she promptly dealt with her regional subordinates.


    Gloria no longer wanted to travel to the region at the moment. So, when she was still in the capital of the Brown Kingdom, she had ordered the principal Church subordinates in the region to go to the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom.


    She had already dealt with the people of the Kingdom of the Waves and Brown Kingdom, so on this occasion, only those from the Kingdom End and the Snow Kingdom had gone there.


    As for the people from Stone Island, since that place had caused no problems before and during the Black Plain''s War of Independence, she had not summoned them.


    That way, the remaining Church members in those three states finally passed through Gloria''s investigation, with the corrupt ones being eliminated.


    Such a thing had ended the day before when she had finished organizing her subordinates in that region.


    With that, at sunrise in Capital City, Gloria finally bid farewell to the local leaders and the survivors of her cleanup, taking off from that city and heading south.


    "Sigh..."


    ''I''m finally returning.'' She thought about it as she felt the air rushing past her face and swaying her beautiful wavy hair.


    ''Minos has advanced twice during this period that I was in this region...'' She considered this, pondering over the nine to twelve months she had been in this region.


    "Tsk!"


    "That fellow held me back quite a bit around here."


    She then smiled and thought about how she had stayed two or three times longer in this place than anticipated before she departed from the Flaming Empire.


    ''I''ve only been away from that place for about a year, but I feel as if many years have passed...''


    ''Being around Minos is truly hectic. There''s always something going on, and you hardly have time to breathe.''


    "I wonder what that place will be like when I return?" She said aloud, drawing the attention of her spiritual beast.


    That level 59 beast then commented in its spiritual voice. "I think he will be closer to surpassing you, m..."


    "Tsk!"


    "How can you say that? Do you want me to lose to him?"


    "Then the master will be able to give herself to him without fear."


    ...


    As Gloria flew many kilometers away from Capital City, Cade, his entourage, and the Spiritual Church members returned to that great city''s interior.


    But as they did so, they went on to talk about recent events, about the regional changes that they needed to adapt to quickly.


    "It seems that the Church sided with Minos Stuart in the end..." One of the people in Cade''s entourage said this in a weak tone, finding it strange that such an institution showed that favorability.


    After all, until a few months ago, the Church had never given preference to any regional organization. So, why such a change?


    One of the Bishops who Gloria had spared then said. "Archbishop Frost seems to have made a great deal with Minos Stuart.... "


    "I don''t have many details, but I''m already warning you that if he fails, the whole region will suffer its consequences."


    The other Bishops in the group said nothing, just nodding in agreement. They were all aware that in 20 years, the Church might remove its rule of no outside intervention in this region.


    "What does that mean?" Cade asked in nervousness, sensing that terrible things were happening in the shadows of regional power.


    Another Bishop then commented. "Well, we don''t precisely know what Minos Stuart proposed to Archbishop Frost. But if the Black Plain is not successful in 20 years, then I feel that the region will return to a turbulent time similar to the last war..."


    "No, it will be much worse!"


    "That..." The people in Cade''s group looked at each other, feeling ominous premonitions.


    And thinking about what those members of the Spiritual Church had just said, Cade soon realized that the success of his former enemy was necessary for their lives and safety. So, he took a deep breath and said. "Let''s expedite the procedures regarding the migration of our unemployed population to that place."


    "Strengthen the groups around our borders and put more people in place to talk to our population about how the migration process will be done."


    "I want the first names on the waiting list to be escorted to our northern border, where they will wait for authorization from the Black Plain."


    "That way, we can speed up the migration of those people to that place." He said firmly.


    "Yes, Your Majesty!"


    He looked at the other people there and said. "I have the impression that the Black Plain will grow larger than we expect in the next few years. So, let''s focus our investments in recovering from the war on developing the northernmost areas of the kingdom."


    "That way, our professionals and citizens can be closer to that place, which may increase the chance that we will be able to enjoy the benefits of better resources."


    "OK, Your Majesty!" Someone else said before rushing off to start settling this matter.


    "Sigh..."


    After that, Cade sighed, thinking about how strange it was that he was so willing to help the person who had killed his father, but also how his success depended on Minos.


    "How is the current waiting list?" He asked an advisor standing next to him.


    "Our kingdom''s waiting list already has 3 million names, Your Majesty." An old bald man said this as he saw the Bishops next to their group going their separate ways.


    ''3 million, eh? That''s impressive!''


    "Well, let''s follow through with the previous orders and keep an eye out for resources that the Black Plain may or may not be pursuing. If there is anything that could improve the position of organizations in our state, don''t fail to notify the forces in that state."


    "Maybe we can get something if we are helpful..."


    ...


    A few more days passed, and while Minos was preparing to set out for his revenge against the Scourges of the Devil, more problems kept coming to the region.


    In fact, such problems had been appearing since a few days after Gloria departed from Dry City, forcing young Stuart''s men to remain active.


    But given the kind of organization he had built up, the soldiers, subordinates, and stronger allies were learning how to solve the problem concerning the Spiritual Emperors coming from the Flaming Empire!

 Chapter ?1032 Before Leaving

    Chapter ?1032 Before Leaving


    After several weeks since the attack of the five Spiritual Emperors coming from the Flaming Empire, Dry City had already faced three other groups similar to that one.


    Like the first group, the others were also composed of Saints Killing Sect disciples, who had come to this region to fulfill the mission left by the descendant of the Silva family, Clayton.


    To kill young Stuart.


    However, just like the first group, the others were exterminated on the outskirts of Dry City, having left their spatial rings behind with essential resources for the Black Plain.


    But unlike what had happened to the first group, the others had not arrived in Dry City in a disadvantageous starting position within the enemy formation.


    No, these Spiritual Emperors had better chances when facing the local forces, which guaranteed them the mark of 9 enemy Spiritual Kings killed.


    That had been the Black Plain''s loss in these battles, which was hard to bear, but that was already making the survivors better prepared for such threats.


    That could easily be seen in the numbers. The first enemy group of Spiritual Emperors to arrive in Dry City after Maisie''s departure had killed 4 Spiritual Kings before their extermination. The second, three, and finally, the last, 2.


    Since all three of these groups had similar total power, this demonstrated how Minos'' forces were improving under the pressure of these enemies.


    But this progress was already expected. After all, many of the strongest Spiritual Kings in Minos'' forces were people who had grown up in this region and had led their forces in peace for centuries. In other words, they were not so accustomed to high-level fights against people stronger than themselves.


    As a result, even the oldest cultivators made considerable advances in understanding their techniques when pressed by such Spiritual Emperors.


    On the other hand, teamwork was something that improved with time and experience. As such, the local Spiritual Kings were improving their collective power by taking advantage of these ''teachers'' who were willing to die to teach them.


    Meanwhile, Minos had fought on each of these occasions, having used the previous shield to surprise his enemies and lessen his forces'' losses. At the same time, he had helped several of his soldiers learn essential lessons in these confrontations, advising during and after the battles.


    In addition, during this period, he had focused on training the soldiers of the Elite Squad, a group that had tripled in numbers recently.


    He continued to create spiritual paintings for his soldiers, while in his spare time, he played musical instruments to stimulate his soldiers'' understanding.


    And in this way, the local forces were getting stronger by the day, with the numbers of Black Plain Army soldiers increasing again.


    ...


    "... Your Grace, recently the army passed 44,000 soldiers. Of those numbers, almost 29,000 are cultivators above level 30, capable of performing actions outside Dry City." A soldier dressed in the uniform of that organization of Minos said this to his leader, finishing his report on recent updates in the numbers of that institution.


    Upon hearing that, Minos was pleased that his army''s numbers had increased so much in the past few weeks when selections for new soldiers took place among the citizens of Dry City.


    Previously it had been challenging to increase the army''s numbers with the constant deaths of soldiers in the war and the barely growing population of Dry City.


    Also, Minos could not significantly decrease the number of free citizens to work in agriculture and other essential local services, after all.


    Consequently, it has been complicated for this organization of his to improve its numbers in the last 2 or 3 years.


    But with the arrival of tens of thousands of immigrants, the end of the war, and independence, this organization had finally loosened its restraints and started to expand again.


    "Very good," He said, looking at that soldier standing in front of him in his office. "We will continue training these soldiers, as well as intensify the joint actions of our allies and subordinates."


    "In any way, I intend to leave to deal with the Scourge of the Devil headquarters in a week!"


    "What?" Joey, who was also there in that office, asked this suddenly, thinking it was too soon for Minos to deal with that organization. "Your Grace, shouldn''t we wait longer? That way, we can send a big group to that place without risking anything."


    But Minos did not want to wait any longer to do that. He was already strong enough to walk freely around the region, and the assassins of the Flaming Empire should not bother them again for a while.


    After months since the first attack, Minos had noticed that the groups coming from the Flaming Empire had been distanced from each other for several weeks. He could not be sure, but after noticing this happening three times, he came to the conclusion that the mission left by Clayton should be limited. So, hardly more than one group would accept it at once.


    After all, there was a chance that one of them would succeed, causing others who had already started to move to lose time and crystals.


    Since the last attack had happened only a few days ago, Minos thought he could settle his affairs and return to Dry City before his next ''visitors'' arrived there.


    On the other hand, his forces were already capable of eliminating up to four level 63 Spiritual Emperors without his help. So, even if any surprises happened, his forces would hardly have results different from the previous battles.


    From the beginning, Minos had wanted to develop an organization capable of protecting itself in his absence. At this point, he had almost achieved that!


    In fact, if he were to repeat the military exercises against the Spiritual Kings in his forces today, he would probably no longer be able to defeat them all!


    With that, he had confidence in resolving his affairs without endangering his city.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll take Abby, some people from the Hayes family, and the Snow Kingdom with me. Also, even if that organization has some hidden secret, we can still protect ourselves." He said with a confident smile, looking at that fellow sitting across his desk.


    Upon hearing that, Abby took her man''s hand and said to those soldiers who looked uncertain. "Besides, Celeste and Angela have just reached level 57."


    "We also have several Elite Squad soldiers who will soon become Spiritual Kings. Finally, and most importantly, several high-level elders of my family have achieved advancement in the past few weeks."


    "So, the local forces will not be at greater risk just because of our absence."


    After hearing that, those people there could not say anything against Abby''s words. Indeed, the local forces kept getting stronger and stronger. Practically every day, there were people increasing their levels in this city, with at least one Spiritual King advancing every week.


    Joey closed his eyes and pondered over this. ''Ah, even the patriarch Gill and other elders from families subordinate to the army have advanced since His Grace''s coronation.''


    The soldier from before also remembered information he had come into contact with recently. ''Well, even the number of level 59 Spiritual Kings in our state has reached three after Patriarch Hayes'' advancement. So, I don''t think there will be any problems...''


    "Well, if you guys have no more problems with that, let those three come in when you leave," Minos said after a moment of silence, referring to Maxwell, Barbara, and Vivian Hayes, this group waiting at the reception of his office.


    "Yes, Your Grace!" Those people answered simultaneously before leaving that place to settle their affairs.


    After that, Abby and Minos were left alone there, and this blue-haired woman looked her man in the eye and asked. "Do you intend to free Barbara to seek her revenge?"


    Abby had heard the story of Barbara during that dinner years ago when King Stuart had invited Robin, Joey, and Barbara into his army.


    At that time, they had heard how the family that Barbara belonged to, House Schmidt, had been wiped out by the union of several minor powers in that state. In sequence, she had been sold by her captors, the Hargraves family, to a pirate group, which had led her to meet Peter, Joey, and Robin.


    "Yes. Barbara has been by my side for about eight years now, and all that time, she worked hard for my army, striving to one day be able to take revenge."


    "Then nothing fairer than for me to give her some time to sort out her affairs."


    Hearing her man''s calm tone, Abby worried about that woman. "Don''t you think she''s still too weak? She''s only at level 51!"


    Minos then smiled and massaged one of his woman''s hands. "I''ve already eliminated all the high-level Spiritual Kings of that family. But, on the other hand, by the time she reaches the Kingdom of the End, she will have reached level 52."


    "With that, as long as she is meticulous, acts smart and careful, dealing with the remnants of that family will be an easy task for her."


    "But I have already warned the Carline family about this, so someone will be watching her from afar to ensure her survival."


    "Oh?" Her eyes widened due to her surprise.


    "Ultimately, it''s up to her to decide whether or not she wants to go to that place now. And her targets will probably not move in the short term."


    ...

 Chapter ?1033 Leaving for the Endless Snow Mountain Range

    Chapter ?1033 Leaving for the Endless Snow Mountain Range


    After Minos said his last sentence to Abby, the three individuals he had called entered that office, formally greeting them.


    "Your Grace, Ma''am." The three said this, making some typical regional etiquette gestures.


    Seeing that, Minos raised one of his hands, asking them not to continue. "Please, you don''t have to do that when we are in private places."


    "Hmmm." Abby nodded in agreement, feeling a little strange being called that way.


    After realizing that all three were in agreement with this, Minos looked carefully at each of them, noting their levels. Barbara was still at level 51, Vivian at level 52, and Maxwell at level 50.


    "Well, Maxwell, you have just advanced to the 6th stage. Congratulations!"


    "But are you ready to fight?" He asked that young man before looking at Vivian and saying the following. "I will soon leave to take revenge on the Scourges of the Devil."


    "Oh?"


    "Finally!" Vivian said this in a determined tone, looking forward to the day she could take revenge on the person who had killed her bodyguard after she obtained the Spring of Life.


    Such a person had managed to escape the sieges on the Chambers family, having gone into hiding with the regional assassins. And in possession of this knowledge, Vivian had long-awaited Minos'' decision to leave for that organization''s headquarters.


    On the other hand, Maxwell was no less pleased than she was. He wanted to kill one of the assassins of that organization, so Minos'' words sounded superb to him.


    He then answered Minos'' question. "When I had no Silver-grade technique, I was already willing to risk death to get revenge, so it won''t be now that I will step back!"


    "Hmm." Minos nodded at him without saying much more.


    It was not this sovereign place to tell this person how to live his life, to want revenge so badly that he did not even care about his own life.


    Of course, he cared about his soldiers and would not advise anyone to follow choices like his. But given Maxwell''s determined look, any words of advice would be futile.


    With that, Minos simply looked at Vivian and said. "Will you be taking anyone else with you? We will be leaving in a week, so you had better prepare everything necessary in that time."


    "Only Grace will be coming with me." She commented about her girlfriend, a member of the Black Plain Army.


    Minos saw no problem letting such a person join them since Grace was only at level 53, and the Black Plain would not miss her in such a period.


    He then looked at Barbara and got straight to the point. "Barbara, you fought bravely in the war and managed to raise your strength tremendously."


    "Thank you for your words, Your Grace."


    "In any case, I have not forgotten your desires for revenge and have already taken care of your strongest enemies. That way, now it only remains for you to decide whether or not to act against them."


    "If you wish to settle such a thing, I will give you as much time as you feel is necessary to carry out your revenge." He calmly said as if he were talking about something trivial.


    After hearing that, Barbara clenched her hands in excitement, feeling it was finally time for her to act and solve her nightmares.


    The war had taken up a lot of her time and kept her from part of her past. But traumatic events could be tough to forget, and even during the war, she remembered now and then how terrible her days of slavery had been.


    In fact, these moments had already made her think she had survived the war with some peace of mind because of how much she had changed after her time as an enslaved person.


    In any case, she would not forgive the people who had made her suffer so much, even if she had achieved better results due to these. Consequently, she wanted more than anything in this world to lay her hands on the wretched people that had tried to destroy her!


    "I thank you for your kindness, Your Grace." She made a thankful stance, speaking with all the sincerity of her heart. "I promise to settle my past and return stronger to the Black Plain."


    "After that, I will finally be able to give my all to Your Grace!"


    "Hmmm." Minos liked that, while Abby at his side looked at him, not liking these not so well thought out words from Barbara.


    ''I''ll let it go this time because Barbara has been someone long on our side, and Minos is not interested in his subordinates. But I will no longer allow women outside our circle to behave like that with him!'' She made up her mind, already thinking about how to discipline the women in their forces.


    As the future queen of the Black Plain, she needed to impose certain limits!


    "Well, if you are okay with that, prepare for departure." He said to those two before looking into Barbara''s eyes. "As for you, it''s up to your judgment when to return to the Kingdom of the End. From now on, you can leave whenever you want."


    "Yes, Your Grace!"


    ...


    Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.


    In this period, as expected by the local administration, no problems coming from the Flaming Empire reached Dry City.


    Because of this, local development continued smoothly in those days, and finally, the time had come for King Stuart''s group to leave this territory for the Endless Snow Mountain Range.


    Minos had already informed his subordinates in the Snow Kingdom of his departure, warning those who wanted to join him to meet him near that state border.


    On the other hand, all preparations regarding local security had already been made. The strongest cultivators of the Black Plain were standing by in Dry City, prepared to fight for this place if need be.


    With that, he and his group were saying goodbye to family members and people of great local importance.


    "Lee, Alison, you are close to level 49, so I hope to meet you near the 6th stage when I return." Minos said this to the two in front of him, this couple who had even married during the period since the end of the war.


    "All right, master!" The two said excitedly, looking forward to becoming Spiritual Kings, which had been a dream since they began their journeys into the cultivation world.


    Minos then completed before releasing those two. "When you reach level 50, I will see how you two do ruling one of my cities."


    "Okay!" The two felt extremely happy upon hearing that, thanking Minos for the opportunity before rushing back to Dry City.


    Minos then looked at Dillian and said. "Perhaps an acquaintance of mine will arrive in Dry City during this period when I will be away..."


    "Oh? You mean that storyteller?" Dillian''s eyes widened as he remembered Minos'' curious journey through the Kingdom of the End.


    "Yes, if he has met up with the soldiers we sent, he should be here in no time. So receive him well and see if there is anything for us to improve his condition."


    "Hmm, all right, I''ll do that, Your Grace."


    After that, Minos observed the surroundings and saw that Maxwell was already at Maida''s back, along with Vivian and Grace, waiting for him. He then saw that Abby had said goodbye to her parents and Mona, already standing on top of a Feathered Serpent of the same level as Maida, level 56.


    Minos had promised to take Kyla with him on his next trip. Still, due to the current circumstances, he had only placed that Nine-tailed Fox in the Spatial Kingdom along with his Elite Squad soldiers.


    With that, when they had to stop to rest or cultivate, he would let her get to know a bit of that region. But it would not do for him to use her as a mount at the moment since she was still only at level 48.


    As for Emlyn, given the importance of this level 57 spiritual beast to Dry City in the absence of Minos, she would not be able to travel with this group.


    Minos sighed before finally saying to everyone there, "Well, when I return, I want to find a Black Plain at least twice as big as now!"


    "Take good care of the migration, smartly allocate our crystals, and most importantly, don''t hesitate against Spiritual Emperors!"


    "Until next time!"


    Then, the two flying beasts departed, quickly flying and disappearing over the horizon.

 Chapter ?1034 Arriving at a Special Place

    Chapter ?1034 Arriving at a Special Place


    After departing from Dry City, the two spiritual beasts in Minos'' group flew toward the Flooded Valley, the first stop they would make.


    With the annexation of the southernmost part of the Kingdom of the Waves, the Flooded Valley had become a border area of the Black Plain with that state. And since the leading tribe of that territory was allied with Minos, naturally, the beings in that forest were helping to contain possible illegal migrations through that territory.


    But not only for this, he wanted to make a stop in that territory. No, that young man already knew that the leader of the Feathered Serpents was already at level 59, the furthest it could go naturally without outside help.


    Nevertheless, as a leader concerned about having subordinates and high-level allies, Minos wanted to take Virtus to the Spatial Kingdom and help that serpent reach the 7th stage.


    Previously he had not said anything about his cultivation sanctuary to the members of that race. After all, despite their good relations, such vital things always had the potential to cause trouble.


    But now that he was already much stronger than Virtus and the relationship of their powers had matured through the years of war and partnership, the situation had changed.


    Now it was no longer a risk to take the Spatial Kingdom that chief of the Feathered Serpent tribe. No, now it was an investment with great potential for return!


    With this in mind, Minos was prepared to begin his journey north through the Flooded Valley, picking up Virtus and also looking at the situation in that area.


    After that, he intended to continue his journey through the Endless Snow Mountain Range, aiming to visit some of the decaying sects in that part of the Central Continent.


    Minos naturally had no interest in disturbing the seclusion of these powers. But since some of his enemies had fled to these areas, he planned to go after them and punish them, regardless of where they were!


    On the other hand, he knew about the remote past of this area and was curious to know how these sects had arrived in contemporary times. Finally, he was also interested in seeing what was being kept in the Endless Snow Mountain Range with his own eyes.


    Not even in time immemorial did the great world experts understand the skeletons frozen in that place. And as a person unable to restrain his curiosity, Minos was interested in seeing such a thing beyond the memories in his mind.


    Apart from this, the rest of this group''s journey was only to complete war problems.


    They would first stop at a certain point in the Snow Kingdom, where Minos intended to meet those willing to attack the Scourge of the Devil headquarters with him.


    After that, he intended to visit King Carline and his family to ensure that all the regional leaders were linked to him by Soul Contracts.


    Finally, the Kingdom of the Waves was his last destination before returning to the Black Plain to rule his state in tranquility!


    ...


    Three weeks after the departure of Minos'' group from Dry City...


    At this point in their journey, the King of the Black Plain group had already reached the most critical parts of the Endless Snow Mountain Range, an icy region with almost no vegetation.


    This area was at the highest altitudes of the whole region, from where they could hardly see the green of this world, where white stretched all over the horizon.


    But it was in these higher mountain areas of this region that the headquarters of the organizations in seclusion was located. As such, this group had to deal with the extreme conditions of the surroundings, which could kill even low-level Spiritual Generals!


    And precisely on one of the many peaks in this area, Minos'' group was preparing to land in the vicinity of a place where they had noticed the presence of spiritual arrays.


    "Will we have any luck here?" Vivian asked her girlfriend while hugging Grace from behind, still on top of Maida''s back.


    "I hope so..." That woman answered in a low voice, as she felt the warmth of her beloved''s body warming her own a little.


    In the past few days, their group had already visited two of the four hidden sects in the Endless Snow Mountain Range territory.


    In one, they had not encountered any of their enemies. In the second, they had encountered one of the descendants of the Cromwell Kingdom, a level 59 Spiritual King, who had previously fled the battlefield.


    Such a person was with a small group of Minos'' enemies from various regional families, among them survivors of House Chambers. After finding them in that sect that had 8 level 59 Spiritual Kings, which impressed everyone in King Stuart''s group, this sovereign had reached an ''agreement'' with such individuals.


    After a brief show of power, without any casualness on the side of the people of that sect, Minos had managed to get the authorization to punish his enemies.


    In this way, each of those people had died quick and painless deaths, just as he had promised when ''talking'' with the civilized people of that sect.


    Then they continued their journey northward until they finally reached this that was one of the highest parts of such a mountain range.


    "Let''s see who will welcome us this time," Minos said to his comrades after descending from the top of the Feathered Serpent that had brought him and Abby to this place.


    After helping Abby down from the beast and seeing his three human companions gather, Minos walked towards a powerful grade-3 defensive array he was sensing.


    Upon arriving near where the spiritual fluctuation of that defensive item divided the space between the inside and outside of it, Minos observed the all-white scenery of that place, feeling that there was a mirage in front of him.


    "Well, I know there are people watching us. So I would like to ask permission from your elders to look for some people that may be here." He said, looking from side to side, confident that people were watching them. "My name is Minos Stuart. I have no ill intentions against the forces of this territory. I just want to find some fugitives, and then I''ll be gone in no time."


    Abby observed the surroundings, feeling a similar sensation she had felt in the last two sects they had visited, only with the impression that this place was bigger or more relevant than the other two.


    Maybe that was just her impression because this place seemed to have a higher standing, but Abby felt that her intuition was not wrong.


    And with that, she held one of Minos'' arms, excited to get to know this place.


    In the other two sects, their group had only seen places with many specialists by regional standards, which was somewhat impressive. Still, without the things Minos had promised. But Abby did not blame him since she knew such unique things would not be scattered all over the Endless Snow Mountain Range.


    Thus, she was eager to see if this was where the giant skeletons were!


    And while those five were observing the surroundings without knowing where to look, the people on the other side of that barrier, still in waiting mode, were silent, not knowing what to do.


    ''Is that the tyrant who recently rose to power?'' A man with a full beard, but no hair on his head, discerned this, looking at Minos with interest.


    ''He''s so young!''


    ''Is this person really from our region? How can someone be so strong at such a young age?''


    At the same time, this white-bearded man grout continued to stare at Minos'' team, sometimes looking at each other in an attempt to figure out what to do.


    Finally, someone asked. "What shall we do? This person must be dangerous, no?"


    "I think he''s more dangerous if we just ignore him..." The most frightened of all there said this in a shallow tone.


    "Forget about it. Gaius, go inform the elders of this person''s arrival. Let''s let our leaders decide that." The bald old man said after seeing that no one from Minos'' group seemed to be doing anything suspicious.


    And then, one of those guards watching the area entered a cave entrance right in front of where Minos and his group were watching the white ''sky.''


    ...

 Chapter ?1035 Immemorial Graves Sect

    Chapter ?1035 Immemorial Graves Sect


    After waiting for some time in what seemed to be an empty area, the people in Minos'' group finally saw the scene in their front change.


    With that, in a split second, the place that looked like the top of the mountain turned into the entrance to a gigantic cave, which stretched up to 20 meters high from where they stepped.


    "Wow!"


    "They were hiding such a thing here?" Vivian said in surprise since, in the other places they had passed, only small outposts were in locations similar to this one.


    On the other hand, seeing the group of more than ten people standing in front of the entrance to that cave, they soon realized that such an area was indeed unique.


    That was because the person in front of those individuals was a level 62 Spiritual Emperor!


    ''Level 62? Who is she?'' The people in Minos'' group looked carefully at that person.


    ''Oh?'' Minos looked at that full-breasted woman, who seemed to be in her early middle age, dressed in a large green robe. ''This woman is not from the sects of the Flaming Empire...'' He remembered each of the cultivators at the 7th stage who had come to this region.


    "Are you Minos Stuart?" That woman looked at him thoughtfully, ignoring the others in the surrounding area. "What do you want here?"


    "Hmm, that is indeed me." He smiled before introducing each of the people in his group to that woman.


    "As to why I am here, as I told the watchmen of this place, I am after fugitives. Would you mind if my group searches for these people in your sect?"


    "Depending on the size of this place, we can leave your territory in a few hours."


    That woman looked carefully at Minos, concerned about the stories regarding this young man who had even made it to this place. "And if we don''t accept? What will you do?"


    "I won''t do anything today," Minos said as he closed his eyes, aware that he could not destroy the barrier protecting that area. "But in a few years, I would return here to deal with the problem..."


    "In any case, I don''t think you people have any reason to prevent my entry. Aren''t you just keeping those frozen skeletons in this place? What difference does it make to you whether I deal with a fugitive or not?" He showed that he knew about their secret, making everyone in that group look at him strangely.


    Minos had not recognized this place earlier because the illusion array made it look like there was nothing there. And since the region had changed geographically since the time of Henricus Longus, it was not easy for him to identify precisely where the ''graves'' of those skeletons were.


    Only by seeing the entrance to that place, which was still as it was millions of years ago, had this young man realized where he was.


    "What did you say?"


    "Skeletons? How do you know that?" The people in that group finally lost their patience and started talking simultaneously, shocked that someone from outside their organization would know about such a thing.


    Not even the few people in this region who knew the powers of the Endless Snow Mountain Range had ever had the opportunity to enter that place and find out about what was there. So naturally, each of those disciples and elders was shocked to see Minos exposing such a secret.


    "You..." That woman stepped forward and said in a stunned tone, wondering where Minos was coming from. "You are not from this region!"


    "Otherwise, how would you know that?"


    "Maybe I dreamed it..." Minos joked as he held one of Abby''s hands, hoping those people would unlock the path for them. "So, are you going to let us in?"


    "Answer our question first! How do you know about our place? Are you by any chance a member of the Spiritual Church?" She insisted, feeling nervous that someone from the outside would know about this place.


    What was on this mountain was a secret even to other powers outside the northern region of the Central Continent. In fact, apart from the Spiritual Church and a half dozen other prominent organizations that had existed since the time of Henricus Longus, no one outside this sect knew about this place!


    Hence the woman''s concern.


    Minos then replied. "I''m not a member of the Spiritual Church, but I even know the purpose of your organization... Hmm, what''s the name again? Hmm, Immemorial Graves Sect!"


    "What?" That woman almost jumped backward upon hearing that name that even they rarely thought, but which was mysteriously engraved into the large block of ice in that cave.


    "No. How do you know so much if you are not from the church? Speak the truth. Do you have dangerous intentions against us?" She felt nervous since, even though she did not understand why, the scriptures of her sect said that the remains in that place could not be tampered with.


    But considering her knowledge of how valuable those bones could be, she could not help but fear someone with so much information.


    This woman, the master of the Immemorial Graves Sect, had reached level 62 without ever leaving the Endless Snow Mountain Range. The reason for this? Well, it was precisely the abnormally high concentration of spiritual energy by regional standards within that cave, where her sect''s core and such skeletons were located.


    Knowing that such skeletons were what could justify that extraordinary place, Laura Cox, the current leader of that organization, could not ignore Minos'' words.


    "Don''t worry. I have no power to manipulate those bones, and I would never let other people do that in my place... But, as I said, I''m not interested in your sect today. I just want to settle my affairs with some fugitives."


    "I promise that besides looking at the surroundings of your cave and dealing with possible fugitives, I won''t do anything else." He said calmly, understanding the side of those people.


    Not even Henricus Longus knew how to use those skeletons or imagine their exact origin. But Minos knew such things had great value, perhaps even more than Divine-grade medicines. Thus, he was not bothered by the behavior of those people.


    He obviously was interested in finding out more than Henricus Longus about the mystery behind those bones, but this was not his time for that. So, he was only interested in his initial goal there.


    After some time standing there thoughtfully, Laura felt that if she let Minos in, at least she could try to resolve some of her doubts.


    Anyway, she knew of his reputation as a tyrant. Hence, as her responsibilities bound her to this place, sooner or later, he could come to visit them with enough power to force his way in. By then, it would be too late to talk!


    But now, she had a chance to at least have a friendly relationship with him. Of course, that was not ideal, but it was what she could do at the moment!


    "All right, clear the way for them." She finally said this, drawing the attention of all her elders and disciples there.


    "Sect Master!"


    "How? That is too dangerous!"


    Several of them protested while Minos smiled, satisfied at getting what he wanted in this place.


    "He already knows a lot. So it won''t make any difference..." She said to a level 60 individual who had just arrived there. "As for those fellows, they can only blame their own luck for facing such a terrible enemy."


    She was referring to the fugitives that Minos was chasing since two of them, a level 59 and a level 62, had arrived at this place after their escapes.


    However, as much as her organization had given them first aid, there was no reason for Laura to take a chance on Minos for such strangers. Thus, they were abandoned, left to their own luck.


    And soon, Minos and his group walked towards the interior of that cave, following the lead of Laura and some of the elders of that organization.


    ''Looks like this place hasn''t changed much since that time...'' Minos observed the ice walls at the entrance of the cave, which was getting flatter and flatter, like the walls of a building rather than a cave.


    But this was by no means the most striking feature of the place. As they walked through that entrance, it did not take long for the darkness to be left behind and a great luminosity to appear at the end of the tunnel, brightening the whole area through the thick layers of ice there.


    ...

 Chapter ?1036 They Destroyed Themselves

    Chapter ?1036 They Destroyed Themselves


    As they came upon the end of that tunnel, Minos'' group came to an open, huge place that appeared to be the hollow interior of a mountain top.


    In that area, the glowing ceiling, which seemed to be made of pure ice, illuminated the entire interior of that area, glowing in a white tone, similar to lighting arrays.


    But besides the unique ceiling, something that the people in Minos'' group did not expect to find inside a mountain, the most impressive thing about this headquarters of the Immemorial Graves Sect was the small village inside such a mountain.


    When they reached the end of the previous tunnel, their group had stopped next to a flight of stairs that gave access to the lower floors. From there, they could see an open area on the lower floors that went up to 40 meters below them, where several small buildings stood.


    At the same time, on these lower floors, which were actually the different levels of this place, there were stairways and walkways through irregular areas where houses and other buildings were.


    In a way, the ''geography'' of that place was similar to that of built-up residential areas and mountains, only one with a steep slope.


    It was as if a small village had been built on a small mountain that was inside another mountain!


    And seeing that, the people in Minos'' group, even this young man, could not help but open their mouths in surprise, looking at that place of an undisputed doozy.


    "This place is truly unique!" Grace said in a low voice to her girlfriend, feeling that it would not be bad to stay a day or two there.


    "Yes. I didn''t think you could build a village inside a mountain. I''m amazed!" Vivian said this as she leaned on the fence that separated the drop in front of her from the ladder there.


    Maxwell then realized something else and quickly commented to his fellow travelers. "But the spiritual density here is impressive! It doesn''t even feel like we''re in the northern region!"


    "Hmmm, this area must have an energy level close to those regions found outside the northern region," Abby commented as she looked at her man.


    Minos then saw the leader of that organization starting down those stairs and said. "That must be why there are Spiritual Emperors here, right?"


    "Yes. The spiritual energy of this place has always been higher than the surrounding area. So it''s as if the inside of that mountain is a high-level cultivation room."


    "But didn''t you already know that?" She turned to Minos and asked in doubt.


    Someone who seemed to know so much about this place should have such basic information.


    Minos laughed upon hearing that and gave his explanation. "I found out about this place through ancient information. When this information was left behind, the northern region was not so poor in spiritual energy. As such, whoever left that information behind may not have noticed the small difference in energy concentration between inside and outside this mountain."


    "Oh?" Laura''s eyes sparkled after she heard that. "So your information is truly archaic. Our organization has been around that long?"


    "Yes, as far as I know, these skeletons have been here forever. Because the first group that discovered them decided to seal off the location, they have never been removed from the area, and your organization has always been here."


    "Even before the first human Gods appeared, Immemorial Graves Sect already existed in this place."


    "Really?" One of the elders beside Laura asked this in surprise, not believing such a thing.


    "Hmm, it''s true." He looked at that woman in silence for a moment and then said. "Looks like you lost the most important records after the Great Migration, huh?"


    Laura''s eyes opened wider, with her realizing that Minos did indeed know a lot. "After the spiritual energy density in the region began to decline, the less faithful of our organization left saying that they would keep us safe from afar..."


    "But that was obviously a lie. We never received any contact, and most of the most important items they took were never returned."


    "So, we know little about ourselves..."


    "I see..." Minos realized the resentment that person had for those who left this organization just because the region had become less powerful.


    "Anyway, it seems that those skeletons are responsible for this place having such a good concentration of spiritual energy..." Minos commented in a low voice to his group, realizing something important.


    ''At the time of Henricus Longus, didn''t he realize the difference these skeletons made because of how powerful the region was? Or was the seal in this place stronger back then?'' He wondered, curious to know the potential of those frozen remnants of the past.


    As he made his mind work on this, he soon remembered something. ''Bodies of cultivators naturally have spiritual energy, and once they die, that energy can return to the atmosphere after its decomposition.''


    ''There is even the possibility of nurturing a spiritual root with powerful cultivator bodies...''


    ''But those skeletons have been here for so long. How can they still do such a thing? What level were these beings at?'' Minos looked strangely in the direction of an ice wall, where he knew one of those beings was.


    These questions of his were not easy to answer. After all, the most powerful corpse Henricus Longus had seen had been from cultivators at the 10th stage. But there was a big difference between such a stage and the last!


    So Minos didn''t know if corpses of 11th stage cultivators would be so dissimilar to those of lower stages that remnants would have such long-lasting effects.


    In any case, he seriously doubted that the level of those beings alone would explain such a phenomenon. After all, there could be other explanations because of their size, which could not be found in the Spiritual World''s living beings even during Henricus Longus'' time.


    Anyway, as they descended the stairs of that place, Minos'' group soon passed near many houses where members of this organization and their families lived.


    There, people went about their daily business while many others watched the strangers coming down the mountain. The women in Minos'' group waved several times to some of the few children in their path, interested in the dynamics of this place.


    Meanwhile, Laura and some elders talked a little about how they lived there, nothing too significant, just enough for this group to understand a little of the reality of this sect.


    In general, the members of the Immemorial Graves Sect lived inside this mountain, cared for the seals left by their ancestors, kept an eye on the area, and kept the curious away. At the same time, they cultivated pacifist ideas, despised fighting for trivial reasons, and disliked contact with outsiders.


    This organization had lost much of its information. Still, some of the essential teachings had not been forgotten, even though so much time had passed since the Great Migration.


    Therefore, the ideals of these people were still those of the organization that Henricus Longus had met during his journey of power through this region.


    Therefore, they were highly reclusive!


    But since they had everything they needed to survive there, rarely did any of them need to go out and contact the outside community and the sects in this mountainous region.


    ...


    Finally, after almost 15 minutes of going down the stairs and walkways of that place, Minos'' group reached the deepest level, where they had just reached the main point of this mountain.


    In that place where the main buildings of this village were, the big blocks of ice where the frozen skeletons were could be seen from the best angles.


    And as they came close to one of them, Minos and his group finally stopped paying attention to the words of Laura''s team to look in shock at those gigantic things.


    Minos was the least impressed, but even he could not help but feel differently at seeing beings dozens of times larger than ordinary humans. In particular, because some of them did not have anatomies identical to those of humans, as they would look if one saw them from afar.


    Laura''s voice then sounded, with her informing them of what little they knew. "We don''t know much about the origin of these skeletons, but they are supposedly from members of a race that self-destructed in the remote past."


    "Some of our older books were written by experts who concluded that this area had been an ancient battlefield, and these skeletons are actually the dead on both sides."

 Chapter ?1037 Decisive

    Chapter ?1037 Decisive


    "Is there such a story?" Abby asked without taking her focus off the grandiose skull facing in their direction, with the dark orbits of its eyes directed toward that place where they stood.


    Such a skeleton looked very much like that of humans. However, there were some distinct parts. For example, the back of his skull was much larger than it should be, even considering the proportions of his body. On the other hand, his arms were extremely long, coming close to knee height.


    But most impressive of all were the two structures on his back, which closely resembled the anatomy of the wings of large birds.


    And as Abby and the rest of her group looked at what looked like one of the enormous skeletons of that place, Laura said. "Yes, we don''t know what they were called, nor how long it has been since their demise, but the investigative skills of our ancestors were peak."


    "Through that and an innate ability that one of our past members had, we have recorded in one of our most important books of the sect that these beings died fighting each other..."


    As she talked about that, Minos heard some information that Henricus Longus had already heard in his time, being impressed that these people still knew this, but not so many other essential things.


    ''It seems that everything in this world eventually returns to its natural state... Even organizations disappear into the river of time.'' He sighed as he remembered how powerful that sect was in the time of Henricus Longus.


    When that fellow first passed through this place, he was only a Spiritual Saint. Yet, at the same time, the leaders of this organization were Spiritual Demigods. And pondering how such individuals and this organization had basically been forgotten, Minos could not help but sigh.


    But while he had his depressing moment, Laura finished talking to Abby and the rest of that group.


    "... Because of this, we are pacifists and avoid unnecessary fighting at all costs. We don''t want to end up like those who destroyed themselves."


    She looked at Minos and asked in a pleading tone. "Minos, can''t you forgive those people? I don''t think what they did was so bad that they deserve death."


    Minos then put his thoughts aside to look at that woman. "No." He said dryly, not caring about the story she had told.


    After that, he continued walking through that place, not even looking at Laura.


    "What? Why not? Can''t you at least tell me a justification for such brutality?"


    "What difference does it make if these beings self-destructed by fighting against each other? That doesn''t mean anything!"


    "On the other hand, we don''t know what happens in their time. Who can assure you that they weren''t forced into it? Maybe they had gone crazy before a great catastrophe... Who knows?"


    "In any case, I can''t limit myself because of what other people think. You may have weakened and become people unable to act, but I am different."


    "I act according to what I believe and am comfortable doing. Whether or not that is looked upon favorably by others makes no difference."


    "I am living for myself, not for you!"


    "What a selfish comment!" She said in a low voice, feeling that this person was just another brute with power. "That''s why I believe we will eventually end up like them. It''s people like you who will destroy our spiritual race!"


    But Minos was not offended by that, "Maybe. But there''s no sense in me forgiving a person who tried to destroy me just for the potential end of the species."


    "Just? You think that''s a small thing?"


    "Tsk!"


    "Laura, do you think we have reached the point where we dominate the Spiritual World and have Gods in our ranks because we were acting like good guys? No, the one who stops evolving is the one who regresses!"


    "Only because our ancestors were greedy bastards have we evolved so far as to occupy this entire world!"


    He then took a breath for a moment, feeling one of Abby''s hands squeezing his waist. "Sigh... I''m not saying we should act chaotically and kill at the slightest sign of disagreement. But your manners are simply too weak."


    "If one day you guys face a regional-level catastrophe, your sect will probably disappear because of how weak you have become."


    "And I''m not talking about your spiritual power, but your inability to act decisively in view of danger."


    Laura made an ugly expression as she looked at Minos, feeling that this young man was simply too cruel and did not understand that his madness could cause the end of them all.


    "Aren''t you afraid that you are responsible for the end of everything you build?"


    "Sigh!"


    "I naturally expect my organization and eventual family," He looked at Abby, "to continue to exist for 10 million years after my death."


    "At the very least."


    "But at the end of the day, all I do is to fulfill my wishes and protect those I care about while I am alive. Once my life ends, everything else will lose meaning, and only if I have been faithful to those needs will I not have wasted my life."


    "In that case, it makes no sense to live as a coward because of the potential danger to future generations or because certain people are not happy with my ways."


    "I will live my own way, so those two cowards who fled the battlefield will die!" He sensed the spiritual fluctuations of such people, quickly looking toward the two.


    Infinite Dream!


    Then, Minos activated his mental technique, attacking the two targets standing next to a small house in that area, both still wounded and with bandages on their bodies.


    Immediately after that, the two susceptible individuals, who had no notion that Minos would attack them so decisively, fell to the ground, already dead!


    "Ahhhhhh!" A woman watching out for those two jumped up in fear, screaming as if she had seen the most terrible thing in the world.


    On the other hand, Laura turned to Minos and noticed his technique deactivating, shocked that he killed two people in front of them without the slightest modesty.


    ''How can he be like that? How can anyone act like that after everything I said?'' She wondered, not understanding how this person could think so differently from her.


    As for the people in Minos'' group, none of them were surprised or upset by his action. They already knew the reason they were there, as well as the fact that their leader was ruthless.


    Even Abby, who did not like unnecessary violence, was unwilling to talk to her man to make him think this whole thing through.


    One of the reasons she loved him was because Minos was genuine with his ideals, knew how to say no, and did what he wanted, even if others might not like it.


    For example, she genuinely would like to have him all to herself. But the fact that, even though he knew this, even though he loved her, he still went out with other women did not diminish her love for him. On the contrary, it only increased it!


    She genuinely loved that he was unwilling to give up his own personality!


    So, even though she did not like some of the killings he had done on his journey here, she would hardly feel bad for his actions.


    "You truly are terrible... They didn''t even get a chance to say anything." Laura said in a low voice, feeling all the excitement of trying to hear from Minos about the history of this sect she did not know to go away.


    But Abby stepped forward and defended her man, "You got it wrong. Minos was quite merciful in ending those people''s lives quickly."


    "Other regional leaders would have taken them away for a public execution. After all, it''s not every day that a Spiritual Emperor is executed in this region!"


    ''Poor girl... She''s in love with this lunatic person...'' Laura shook her head in silence but said nothing.


    Her visions were the right ones. She knew that. So, at this moment, there was no point in continuing to argue with these people, these barbarians.


    ''Hopefully, they will leave before they further desecrate our sanctum.'' She sighed as she watched Maxwell go to collect the items from those corpses.

 Chapter 1038 Vivians Insecurity

    Chapter 1038 Vivian''s Insecurity


    After Minos had dealt with the fugitives who had survived the pursuit of his forces, he spent some more time at the headquarters of that sect before departing in the early evening.


    He would have liked to stay longer, but for some reason, the atmosphere in that place had become heavy after his and Laura''s brief discussion. So, as he did not have much to do there anyway, young Stuart had put it in his plans to return in the future before leaving alongside his fellow travelers.


    But for now, since he was still too weak to deal with the frozen skeletons in that area, he would just focus his attention on the affairs of the Black Plain.


    However, he did not underestimate the potential of those beings sealed in the Endless Snow Mountain Range and already looked forward to the day he would return.


    In any case, by early evening, Laura and her fellow sect members finally sighed in relief that they had rid themselves of that negative presence and quickly returned to their routines.


    Then, King Stuart''s group continued traveling north in search of the last sect in the region, where they planned to eliminate any remaining possible fugitives prior to the most crucial portion of this journey.


    ...


    "Minos, after we left that place, I was thinking about something..." Vivian commented after more than 30 minutes since they had left that previous area while standing at Maida''s back, looking at that brown-haired man.


    Hearing someone there talking for the first time in several minutes, the man standing behind Abby, hugging her from behind, on top of a Feathered Serpent, looked in Vivian''s direction with curiosity. "What?"


    "The first two sects we passed were much stronger than regional powers. But, on the other hand, that organization, Immemorial Graves Sect, even had Spiritual Emperors..."


    Upon hearing this initial part of Vivian''s speech, Maxwell, Grace, and Abby soon realized what that woman was getting at.


    "How do you think the strength of the Scourges of the Devil is? They are based in this area, so I can''t help but imagine they also have a pretty good territory."


    "Do they also have Spiritual Emperors in their ranks?" She worriedly asked since their group was not numerous and they were not in Dry City.


    "Hmm, good question," Minos said in a low voice, wondering if there was such a possibility. "But I''m not too worried about it."


    "Even if they have specialists of that level, I doubt they will be numerous or strong enough to scare us."


    "Why?" Maxwell asked.


    He knew how powerful Minos was and that such a king could escape to the Spatial Kingdom whenever he wanted. However, King Stuart was not invincible, and Maxwell could not see from where his leader had gotten the confidence to say those words.


    Minos massaged Abby''s belly gently and smiled at those people. "Well, there''s no way I can be sure. However, the fact that the Scourges of the Devil sent only high-ranking Spiritual Kings to me indicates that they cannot have multiple Spiritual Emperors."


    "Otherwise, I would certainly have had to deal with at least one of them during the war."


    "Oh?" Maxwell''s mouth dropped open in surprise, with him finally understanding that such a thing was indeed an excellent indication.


    Minos then continued. "On the other hand, even if there are 7th stage cultivators in their headquarters, besides not being numerous, they are certainly not of a high level. Didn''t you see that woman, Laura?"


    "Even though she is in that place where the larger skeletons in the region are, where the spiritual energy density is higher, she has only reached level 62..."


    "There''s no way the Scourges of the Devil could have a better place than that, so it''s unlikely that there''s anyone stronger than her in the place we''re going."


    Minos did not know how to precisely locate where the biggest, presumably strongest, skeletons were because the region had changed over the last million years. But he knew from the memories of Henricus Longus that the place they had just left was the ''grave'' of those most impressive remnants.


    In that case, he was almost sure that the Scourges of the Devil could not have cultivators as powerful as Laura because of those remnants in that mountain range.


    Of course, there were other possibilities for an organization to get powerful people in its ranks. Still, there would be no way for him to estimate such a thing for sure for the Scourges of the Devil.


    But then again, if they had people stronger than Laura, why did they not use those people against him?


    That simple thought had given Minos the confidence to go ahead with this last part of avenging his father''s death while keeping his peace of mind to talk to his companions.


    "So that''s it..." Vivian said after sighing, feeling reassured, already figuring that their chances of failure were slim.


    "Anyway, as long as you stay close to me, even if there are stronger people than I can handle in that place, everything should end well."


    After that, the silence lasted for a few dozen minutes until Abby asked her man in a low voice, "Where do we go after that other sect? Maybe we can make a little longer stop before we continue..."


    "Oh? Are you horny, my dear?" He smiled at her as he felt the movement of Abby''s hips.


    Abby then looked back, flushed but also full of eagerness. "A little bit... But you''re a lot more, aren''t you?"


    "Hehe, traveling so long in this position is not easy for either of us..." He ran one of his hands down Abby''s left thigh, which at the moment was well covered due to the cold weather in the region they were in. "All right, when we stop at this other sect, we''ll spend a night there before continuing our journey."


    "After that, we''ll stop by the Diamond Monkeys'' territory before heading to meet up with the Snow Kingdom group."


    "Diamond Monkeys? The beasts you defeated on your last trip?" She remembered the stories Minos had told her, as she felt curious to meet the beings of this race.


    "Hmm, they are my friends now, hehehe." Minos laughed, wondering if the leader of those beings who were so fond of fighting would like the idea of joining them in battle.


    ...


    After they left the Immemorial Graves Sect, Minos'' group traveled for another week in that area of the Endless Snow Mountain Range.


    They finally finished visiting the sects in seclusion nearby, having eliminated another portion of fugitives from organizations of the Cromwell Kingdom and also some from the Kingdom of the Waves.


    After that, they proceeded to the area in the Snow Kingdom where the Diamond Monkeys'' territory was, where those beings readily accepted Minos'' invitation to battle the regional assassins.


    The Diamond Monkeys were a race of beasts who valued strength and loved combat. So, after high-ranking members of that organization had sworn to help Minos and he had made that offer to them, the leader of that tribe had readily accepted such a thing.


    Hell, for them, this opportunity was like putting the useful and the pleasant together. They usually did not fight humans because everyone in the region knew what they were like and how dangerous they could be. But, on the other hand, they did not like to leave their territory, much less go after meaningless mayhem.


    But with Minos'' invitation, they could help a friend and even taste the blood of their enemies on the battlefield, something highly appreciated by them!


    So, two days ago, a group of 10 Diamond Monkeys at the end of the 6th stage left that territory alongside Minos'' group, heading for the meeting point with the Snow Kingdom forces.


    As such a place was not far from the Diamond Monkey tribe''s territory, Minos'' group was now approaching the meeting area near the Snow Kingdom''s western border.


    In that snow-covered area, full of mountains due to the large mountain ranges nearby, their group was running, heading towards a black spot nearby that looked unnatural.


    "Is that them?" Abby asked her man as she looked in the direction of that spot.


    "Probably..." Minos said before finally asking his fellow beasts to increase their pace.

 Chapter ?1039 Gathering Troops

    Chapter ?1039 Gathering Troops


    After a few minutes of those twelve beasts running around the Endless Snow Mountain Range area, their group finally got close enough to that spot from before.


    Upon doing so, the five humans there immediately saw that the spot was a large group of a few hundred individuals camping nearby.


    Minos deduced from the Snow family symbol on the various tents around that location that this was the group from the Snow Kingdom, the one supposed to accompany him to the Scourge of the Devil headquarters.


    "Let''s see if those people are ready!" Minos said aloud to his companions just before jumping with Abby in his arms off the back of the serpent that had carried them there.


    After those words were spoken, the other three humans followed King Stuart''s movements. At the same time, the leader of the Diamond Monkeys there continued behind them, leaving his tribe members with Minos'' mounts.


    ...


    "Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"


    "The king of the Black Plain is here!"


    "Minos Stuart is running here at this very moment!" A soldier rushed into Adam Snow''s tent, hurriedly breathing as he said that to King Snow.


    Ambrose was the one who had actually been ruling the Snow Kingdom for the past few months. However, Adam was still the one with the official position. As such, he was still treated according to his position.


    In any case, upon hearing the words of that subordinate, the old Snow King stood up from where he was, satisfied that Minos had arrived within the interval promised by the Black Plain forces.


    With that, he said nothing to that subordinate and just made his way out of his tent, intending to go and receive that tyrant himself.


    As he did so, all the high-level Spiritual Kings in that camp, members or vassals of the Snow family, were also warned of such a thing and rushed out of their tents.


    Hence, in the blink of an eye, the center of that camp area was fully organized, with people making room for the arrival of Minos'' group and others waiting on the sides.


    Misty stood there watching everything among those people, wishing she could see King Stuart now in a different situation than before.


    Her husband had not come to this place since it was impossible for the king and his heir to go to the same battle. After all, the kingdom had to have an heir in case the worst happened!


    So how could they both go to this confrontation?


    So, only Adam, who no longer participated in the governmental affairs of this state, was there to participate in revenge for the death of the second prince of this kingdom.


    As for Misty, she would not go to the battle, but finding out that Minos would be there, she had not missed the opportunity to come to this place to observe the situation.


    ''That woman...'' But as she waited in that place with a quiet expression on her face, Misty soon saw the group of two men, three women, and a beast approaching from there, with Abby running alongside Minos, her beautiful blue hair swaying in the air.


    Knowing that the future queen of the Black Plain was a woman of House Miller, with hair of the coloration typically found in that family, Misty soon realized who that person was.


    ''Is she his woman?'' Her fists unconsciously clenched as she felt it was a shame that such a person was at Minos'' side.


    Misty was stunning, with her curves and manners that could seduce masses. But compared to Abby, she was lacking. And seeing that beauty standing next to Minos, this woman could not help but regret that he had not come alone this time.


    But while she was thinking about those less important things, King Snow was looking at the big Diamond Monkey behind the group of humans, surprised to see one of those beings there.


    ''It seems this young man''s influence has already reached all points in our region...'' He sighed, observing that beast over 5 meters tall, with red hair on its back and a naked torso that shone like a diamond.


    "His Majesty, the King of the Black Plain!" One of the subordinates of House Snow in the vicinity announced the arrival of Minos soon after he stopped a few meters away from Adam''s group.


    After that, some resounding sounds arose in the surroundings, silencing anyone still muttering around.


    Seeing this, Minos once again realized how quick the Snows were at adapting to new circumstances and felt good about it, even if he did not care about these formalities.


    "Your Majesty, congratulations on ascending the throne." Adam was the first one there to speak, once again congratulating that young man.


    "You are too kind, Adam," Minos said, not caring to treat that fellow the way he should.


    Adam was not offended when hearing that and just looked at the beautiful woman with blue hair and a green dress next to Minos. "Ma''am." He bowed his head and made a gesture of respect.


    "Hmmm." Abby nodded as she held one of Minos'' arms, feeling a little embarrassed to see that king and several other Spiritual Kings of high rank greeting her.


    "Hehehe, it seems that young Minos truly is dominant!" The leader of the Diamond Monkey tribe said this loudly, laughing at his old acquaintance who had to bow his head to his tribe''s friend.


    The people there were silent, as none would want to look for trouble with that level 58 beast, much less Minos, the tyrant.


    However, it did not take long for Maxwell and some people from the Snow family to come face to face, with the latter surprised to see such a person there.


    "You..." Adam looked at Maxwell with a deep look on his face, feeling some negative feelings returning to his heart.


    Maxwell and the second prince of the Snow Kingdom had an old history... Both had studied at the state''s most prestigious spiritual academy and had become great friends.


    Later on, the two developed a rather peculiar kind of relationship, something that the people of the Snow family accepted but did not like at all... Eventually, the second prince lost his life in a degrading way, trying to protect Maxwell, something that had made those people''s opinion of him even worse.


    "Maxwell, how do you have the nerve to come here?" One of the elders in that place asked in a controlled tone, but one clearly charged with anger.


    Noticing the reaction that he already expected from those people, Maxwell sighed and said. "After everything that happened, I ended up joining His Grace''s organization," He pointed to Minos. "Now I have had the chance to be able to participate in the extermination of the Scourges of the Devil."


    "Then I will stand by His Grace''s side at that moment and use everything at my disposal to avenge Alexander!"


    Upon hearing those words, several people there felt irritated that a degenerate like Maxwell would say such things and still go and participate in this attack. But since he was part of Minos'' group, none of them could do anything about it.


    "Tsk!"


    ''That wretch caused the death of the second prince, but still...''


    Minos then ignored the chatter in the surroundings and got straight to the point. "Are you guys ready? I don''t intend to wait long,"


    Adam nodded to that young man and said. "We were just waiting for your arrival."


    "Good!"


    "How many people will I be able to count on?" He looked at Misty and realized that not everyone there could go to the Scourge of the Devil headquarters.


    And as Misty blushed at the look on Minos'' face, Adam replied. "We have 90 Spiritual Kings, 10 high-level ones, 35 at the middle part, and the rest from this stage beginning."


    "Hmm." Minos looked at the surroundings thoughtfully, not finding it bad how much power they had prepared for these situations. "All right."


    "That should be enough for us to deal with the people in that organization if there are no surprises along the way..."


    "In any case, I''ll give everyone here an hour to get ready. After that, we''ll leave for the location of our enemies!"


    After that was said, it didn''t take long for the people in the surrounding area to disperse. At the same time, Misty used the opportunity to greet Minos before going her own way.

 Chapter ?1040 Scourges of the Devil

    Chapter ?1040 Scourges of the Devil


    After the meeting of Minos'' group with King Snow''s, a week passed in the blink of an eye!


    As the forces of this ruler marched towards the headquarters of the Scourges of the Devil, the command of this organization had another day as usual, without any surprises.


    There in that area where the borders of three states, Kingdom of the Waves, Snow Kingdom, and Kingdom of the End, met, white birds came and went from a large hole in the most prominent mountain in the area.


    At the same time that these messenger birds were bringing and taking information from this headquarters, inside that great mountain was the palace of the Scourges of the Devil.


    Such a place was as prominent as regional high-level family headquarters, and the number of people there was not insignificant, although it was considerably smaller than that of noble families.


    But although there were not as many people there as perhaps would be expected considering the size of this place, there were still more than a thousand people living and working in this area.


    And in fact, the number of people there was greater than ever, as the recent events in this region had forced this organization to call all its members back to headquarters.


    Previously this power had outposts in every state in the region. In these places, smaller groups of assassins could carry out the missions passed down by that organization''s command, gathering intelligence and contacting regional powers.


    Like the Chambers family that had been a partner of the Scourges of the Devil, there were several other regional families with connections to this organization that needed the means to contact those assassins.


    But with the changes in the region in recent years, this organization has faced constant problems in keeping its branches running.


    During this period, they had faced problems with Snow Kingdom organizations several times and had also endured persecution from House Hayes, when this organization had persecuted the remnants of the Chambers family.


    After that, several assassins had fallen while fighting in the Black Plain''s War of Independence, something that had weakened them considerably.


    Nevertheless, while fighting in the war, the number of services this organization had gained in the region had increased exponentially!


    While dozens of powers had sent people to fight in the Black Plain, other smaller organizations had taken the chance to put their ''claws'' out and attack.


    And several of the assassins from that organization not involved in the war had terrorized parts of that region in the period, having secured a few more enmities for them on the way here.


    Finally, with the end of the war and independence of the Black Plain, the powers formerly entertained by Minos returned their attention to their states and began to act against the criminals.


    At the same time, the idea that Minos would pursue them was engraved in the minds of the leaders of this organization.


    Because of all these events, the Scourges of the Devil had called their outer members back to headquarters to get through this challenging time in seclusion at headquarters.


    And so, more than 200 Spiritual Kings were in this place now, while, for the most part, the rest of the people there were Spiritual Generals, the relatives or subordinates of the elders of this place.


    This organization was a power composed of many former regional criminals, individuals who had their pasts, with subordinates and even family.


    And upon entering this powerful regional organization, these people were entitled to a limited number of ''companions'' who could live and serve there.


    Therefore, this place had enough people to keep things going, with individuals taking care of basic things such as food preparation, maintenance, and this institution''s religious acts.


    The Scourges of the Devil believed in the God of Death, an individual who had actually lived in this world. Such a person had earned this title by reaching level 100 and killing an unprecedented level of people, something that had never before been seen before his ascension.


    However, with their belief in him, the members of this organization followed the precepts left behind by the organization created by that being, a power formerly based in this region but long since lost in the river of time.


    However, just over 450,000 years ago, the founder of the Scourges of the Devil found parts of the ideas of that ancient power in ruins in this region.


    In the remote past, this region had been mighty. And with the Great Migration, much had been left behind, something that had later become precious ruins for the weaker people of this region.


    Such things left behind were small to the migrants who left the region but extremely valuable to people of low rank.


    And so, for hundreds of thousands of years, the many ruins in this region were exploited as much as possible by powers that still exist or have already disappeared in the river of time.


    Among the last who had gotten something from these ruins that currently hardly existed, the founder of the Scourges of the Devil had gotten items and techniques to develop his organization.


    From there, this organization had arisen, having always kept its ideals and faith in the God of Death, who had indirectly guaranteed the power of this regional organization.


    Because of this background, the people in this organization kept their religious doctrines strictly rigid, with people praying in the name of that God at almost all times of the day.


    But besides the many subordinates and relatives of the elders of this organization who continued to pray for that God, the Spiritual Kings of this place were diligently cultivating and preparing for the future.


    Now that they did not have much to do outside of this place. So, cultivating and getting stronger was the only option!


    And since this area where their headquarters was located was notably richer in spiritual energy than others in this region, these elders could not help but take advantage of the opportunity.


    In the distant past, the founder''s group had managed to eliminate an organization that existed in this place, having taken the palace inside this mountain for themselves.


    Because of this, this power had an area similar to that of the hidden sects in the Endless Snow Mountain Range and had never been bothered by regional powers, who naturally feared those sects.


    For this reason, these people were quietly living in this headquarters, among them, some old Minos, Maxwell, and Vivian enemies.


    ...


    In one of the many courtyards of that luxurious palace, a group of Spiritual Kings sat around the bleachers of a small fighting arena.


    In that place, occasionally, the most powerful elders would demonstrate their skills in friendly matches, something that was about to happen once again in a few more moments.


    And with that, the weaker Spiritual Kings there were already looking forward to the start, waiting to learn more from the high-level cultivators in that place.


    Among them was one of the survivors of House Chambers, a former subordinate of that organization, the person responsible for the death of Vivian''s bodyguard.


    Roy, who was currently at level 54!


    At the same time, Egbert, level 55, codename Scythe, responsible for the cruel death of Alexander Snow, was also in that place, sitting next to Curtis, level 57.


    Curtis was one of the Black Market partners and owner of the place Minos had invaded years ago in Hadria, where he freed dozens of enslaved women.


    All these individuals and several others who had wreaked havoc on the battlefields of the Black Plain or around the region were standing, talking, and waiting for the next game to begin.


    Roy then commented to one of his superiors there. "Mister Quinn, I recently heard a rumor that our organization accepted a mission from a power outside the region... Is that true?"


    After leaving the Chambers family, Roy joined this organization. And as years had passed, he had already fully adapted to this place.


    Upon hearing this, the bald man dressed all in white who was standing next to Roy nodded in agreement. "That''s true. But it''s a shame we''ll be in seclusion for a while. So any benefit we could get won''t come in a short time."


    "Oh well, that''s already amazing..." Roy commented with a twinkle in his eye, already looking to the future ahead of him, one that was much better than he had imagined when he had been forced to flee Persephone years ago.


    Not only did this organization have contacts outside the region, but this place had techniques and spiritual density capable of helping people from this region reach the 7th stage!


    And knowing that the three strongest individuals of the Scourges of the Devil were Spiritual Emperors, Roy could not help but look forward to the future.


    Anyway, soon the two people who were about to demonstrate their skills came up to the fighting stage of that small arena.


    "Well, let''s start the demonstration..." One of the two Spiritual Emperors was saying something when suddenly something happened.


    KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!


    ...

 Chapter ?1041 Beginning of the Attack

    Chapter ?1041 Beginning of the Attack


    KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!


    Just as those people were about to start a friendly match inside that palace, a loud explosion noise reached that place as such a building shook significantly.


    Sensing that there was something very wrong going on, each of the Spiritual Kings stood up from where they were, looking at the surroundings, already with their fighting spirits at maximum.


    "What the fuck is that? Where did that noise come from?" One of the strongest in the area shouted this in a tone charged with doubt and shock.


    That was the headquarters of the Scourges of the Devil, the organization that could be considered the strongest in the region!


    But still, an explosion strong enough to make that whole mountain shake had surprisingly hit them. So, how could such a person not be shocked?


    And thinking of the worst that could happen, the people in that place soon started running out of that small fighting arena, worried about a potential impending battle.


    "I wonder who did that? Could it be one of those sects?" One of the Spiritual Emperors who was about to fight in that place asked this, trying to understand the problem.


    "Impossible!"


    "Those sects wouldn''t attack us just like that."


    "It has to be others."


    Unlike the regional powers, those in the Endless Snow Mountain Range knew about the presence of the Scourges of the Devil in that area. But since they were not enemies and those four sects were peaceful, they had never had any problems in the past hundreds of thousands of years.


    Because of this, the second level 60 Spiritual Emperor refuted that idea of his companion.


    "But if it wasn''t them... Who else could have our location and enough strength to attack us?" The other individual insisted, unable to think of any other potential enemy to justify that problem.


    "I don''t know..."


    "But I feel we''ll find that out in no time!"


    ...


    While those individuals formerly in the fighting arena of that palace were running out of that mountain, the master of that organization was also already on the move.


    This man, a level 61 Spiritual Emperor, was running down his palace corridors while cold sweat dripped down his back due to the ominous premonitions he was feeling.


    His white hair waved in the air as he moved around that place, taking away the air of power he usually had, leaving him looking like a novice before a battle.


    But this individual was not a novice. No, in his more than 2,000 years of age, he had almost every kind of combat experience, which made him quite relaxed about threats.


    However, for most of this life, he had been the master of this organization, the leader of the Scourge of the Devil Legion, who had never faced such a great danger. And just thinking about the possibility behind the explosion of moments ago, he, Damian Burns, was apprehensive for the first time in centuries!


    ''Those sects of cowards would never attack us, no matter what!'' He agitatedly thought as he dodged the fools in his path. ''No, that has to be something to do with that annoying brat!''


    ''Minos Stuart!''


    Apart from the hidden sects in that area and some powers from outside the region, there was no one else with enough power to attack them.


    But powers outside the region had no reason to attack them. After all, their relations had always been friendly, and even one of them had recently evolved into a partnership.


    Thinking about it, he could only consider that the damned lunatic coming from the Black Plain could be behind the disaster approaching that place!


    ''Damn it!''


    ''I hope I''m wrong, or things will get difficult!'' He thought about it just before he appeared outside his palace, where hundreds of warriors were already gathering in wait for him.


    "Master, our defensive barrier is under attack!" Someone who was near the entrance to that mountain said this in terror.


    Another person watching the top of that mountain ran through that area until he finally reached the side of that Spiritual Emperor. "Master, a group of dozens of people is attacking us."


    "Dozens of people?" That leader''s eyes sharpened. "Just that?"


    "Just, but..."


    "But?" A shiver ran down Damian''s back.


    "Minos Stuart is outside commanding the attack!"


    After that was said, silence filled that area as each of the people there opened their eyes wide, feeling their hearts beginning to beat faster.


    That was particularly true for those who had fought in the Black Plain''s War of Independence since they already knew about Minos'' pursuit to take revenge on the war criminals.


    With this in mind, they soon understood that King Stuart was there searching for their heads!


    Gulp!


    ''Damn it!''


    ''How did this demon get to this place?''


    "Sigh!"


    "I hope our defenses can hold..." Someone there ended the terrifying silence of moments ago, feeling a profound desolation in his soul.


    ...


    Meanwhile, outside that mountain...


    Minos'' group had arrived in that vicinity only a few minutes ago when this fellow had noticed that there was a high-level grade-2 defensive barrier in the vicinity.


    But since his group had already expected to find powerful defenses in that place, they had brought weapons of the same rank, items capable of threatening that barrier.


    With that, after only a few seconds of preparation on the outskirts of that area, they had started the previous bombardment, with 20 high-level grade-2 cannons firing at the barrier generated by that defensive array.


    In this way, the group of more than 100 individuals alongside Minos were on the outskirts of that area, waiting for the moment to act.


    Some were handling those weapons that were the size of small human houses, while others were enjoying the moments before the confrontation began.


    But all of them were already in formation, separated into groups that would fight together against their opponents later.


    Among them, Maxwell was standing next to Vivian and Grace, waiting anxiously for the battle to begin.


    As for Minos and Abby, the two were standing in the closest position to the enemy area, waiting to find out what the power of this much-feared organization around the region was.


    Abby, in particular, since she had grown up as a noblewoman who had learned to fear the assassins coming from this place.


    On the other hand, Minos had a calm look on his face at this moment, feeling that he would soon finish bringing justice to his father.


    ''I wonder what you have for me in this place?'' So, he wondered as he felt his beloved''s hands around his waist.


    He then said to Abby, "If there are people above level 64 here, I will send you to the Spatial Kingdom."


    "But if the strongest one here is only at level 62, try to protect those three during the confrontation."


    "You don''t have to worry about me."


    She was fully capable of defending herself against level 60 and even level 61 people who used all their strength against her. So, if the strongest people in that place were at levels lower than 62, Minos knew that she would not be at risk, considering that he would deal with the Spiritual Emperors easily.


    "Oh? Level 64? You think there''s someone like that here?" Abby asked in surprise since that seemed a bit of an exaggeration.


    "I don''t think so, but better safe than sorry."


    "All right, then." She said as she hugged him from behind, feeling that there was no problem and that she could soon practice some more of her techniques.


    And just when they had finished talking about these battle plans, Minos looked over to King Snow''s side and said aloud. "Get ready! The barrier will break in one minute!"


    Those people raised their fighting spirits even more as they heard the last cannonballs fired at that opaque barrier in front of them.


    KA-BOOM!


    Crack!


    Crack!


    Cracks spread across the surface of that thing, slowly breaking apart, revealing the sizeable ice-covered mountain that protected the Scourges of the Devil headquarters.


    "Ah! Attack!"


    "Attack! Kill everyone in your path!"


    "Ahhh!"


    Shouts from both sides arose as the enemies finally stood face to face, ready to battle!

 Chapter ?1042 Not Good Enough

    Chapter ?1042 Not Good Enough


    Upon encountering the enemies on that mountain, Minos immediately scanned the surroundings, looking for the strongest ones in that place.


    With that, in just a few seconds, he notices the number of enemies and the levels of the strongest ones in the surroundings.


    ''That number of Spiritual Kings...'' He opened his mouth in surprise, shocked that there were so many regional-level experts in that organization.


    But after noticing the three Spiritual Emperors there, the number of 6th stage cultivators became much more natural. After all, if there were 7th stage experts there, then having a strength equivalent to three royal families was not strange.


    And noticing all that, Minos did not take long to leave Abby''s side and run towards the enemies, along with the dozens of people who were already activating their techniques on his group''s side.


    But not only the humans there were running to face their opponents, but so were each of the beasts that had accompanied Minos on this journey.


    The two mounts that had accompanied Minos and his group up to this point were flying around the surrounding area, preparing to support the team''s attack on this enemy base. On the other hand, the big Diamond Monkeys had big smiles on their faces, looking forward to this great battle.


    And as they ran around, making typical sounds that only they themselves could understand, those giant red-furred beings started the battle as they jumped against the enemies like cannonballs.


    "Ahhhhhh!"


    "Damn spiritual beasts! Kill them!"


    Shouts arose from the side of the Scourges of the Devil group as the first casualties of this battle began to appear over there. At the same time, many techniques were thrown from both sides.


    Swooish!


    Pow!


    Boom!


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, chaos spread around that entrance to Scourges of the Devil mountain, with many people fighting near cliffs and others on hazardous slopes.


    But the people there were not so much concerned with the conditions of the terrain but rather the power of each party. As such, cries of pain and blood soon began to spread there as the more numerous tried to impose their advantage.


    However, luck did not favor the most numerous and collectively powerful. After all, a terrible variable was on the side of the enemy group!


    Minos!


    When he started running toward his opponents to get close enough to them for his techniques to work, he began to devour the energy of the weaker opponents in his path.


    Because of this simple fact, dozens of Scourges of the Devil Spiritual Kings soon faced the terrible situation of losing energy to Minos and fighting against that group that had about half their numbers.


    "Ahhhhhh!"


    "Kill! Kill those wretches!" One of the several Snow family generals shouted this to his group, looking at those individuals weakened by Minos.


    At the same time, King Snow was not slow in giving orders to his people. "The strongest of us must dedicate ourselves to eliminating or at least holding off the strongest enemies who have not yet lost their energy to Minos'' technique."


    "The weakest among us must focus their forces on killing these victims of his!" Then, he moved with his sword, launching another attack against the level 59 opponent closest to him.


    "Bastard!"


    "You truly are a pest, Adam!" That regional peak Spiritual King shouted with all his hatred at that fellow, disgusted by the methods of this man who had always seemed righteous.


    "Humph!"


    "Your organization killed my son! But today, all of you will die!"


    "Tsk!"


    "Not before you die, you old cad!"


    And as more battle scenes developed across that terrain, more people there began to die, victims of the invisible parasite that was devouring their energies.


    But, at the same time as the large black ring that was circling the area was stealing energies from the Spiritual Kings in the surroundings, Minos came within the minimum distance necessary to deal with his enemies!


    As he came across those three Spiritual Emperors who were also coming toward him, Minos smiled at their ignorance. But thinking how the news about the recurring enemies coming from the Flaming Empire had not left the Black Plain, he was not surprised that those people overestimated themselves.


    "So you must be the leader of this organization, huh?" Minos asked that to the level 61 Spiritual Emperor. "Any word before you die? I am feeling pious today. So, I will give you a quick and painless death..."


    "Tsk!"


    "Brat, why are you doing this? The situation with your father has no bearing on us!"


    "We just accomplished a mission for the Silva family, and the assassins involved have even died!" A level 60 cultivator said this angrily.


    The other of the same level, who were circling the surrounding area as well as his two companions, preparing to deal with Minos, added. "Besides, the region is all yours already. You know that we never tried to dominate these areas, even if we had power. So why continue with this madness?"


    "Don''t you crave peace?"


    "Oh? That''s surprising coming from vicious murderers who have terrorized the region for millennia!" Minos said this mockingly, not believing that these people were clamoring for peace right now.


    "Forget about it!" Their leader finally said something as he prepared to attack Minos with everything he had. "That fellow is a lunatic for blood. Let''s just hold him off while our companions eliminate those other vermin."


    After that, identical black swords appeared on each of the Spiritual Emperors'' backs as they made similar movements, intending to finish Minos with a combined attack.


    Seeing that, Minos soon understood that they must be using the same technique, one that could be combined when more than one person used it simultaneously.


    ''Oh? It looks like this place has some interesting stuff.'' He felt the conversion of that technique, something very close to the effect of some of his Silver-grade techniques.


    ''Good for me!''


    "Sorry, fellas, but I''ll leave to see this technique of yours another day." Minos smiled as his eyes sparkled in rainbow colors, and his body moved, dancing with his dark red-bladed sword.


    Infinite Dream!


    Spatial Sword!


    Swooish!


    In that instant, a space up to 160 meters away from Minos came under the spatial restriction of his technique, trapping many of that young man''s enemies in their positions before the activation of this technique.


    At the same time, each of those three enemies felt considerable restrictions in their bodies, hardly believing that the person fighting them was only a level 54 Spiritual King.


    ''What a monster!'' One of them thought about it in terror, feeling the tenebrous spiritual fluctuations of Minos'' mental attack.


    Simultaneously, the technique they were about to use against Minos began to break down, something expected to happen if the flow and direction of spiritual energy within their user''s body did not follow a specific pattern.


    In any case, they did not have much time to look at this incredible world any longer.


    They even had defensive techniques that could have some effect in battle. Still, only one of them had enough energy to defend himself against Minos'' attack without risking immediate death.


    And since only the leader of that organization had a mental technique to protect himself against Minos, the second after that young man''s moves, the two weakest Spiritual Emperors fell dead to the ground.


    Such a thing happened so fast that even the blades sent by that young man to them passed through the air, heading towards the uneven terrain in the surroundings.


    Swooish!


    One of the minor peaks in the surroundings was hit hard by those remaining attacks, being cut horizontally from its base!


    On the other hand, as Damian watched his companions fall, he used almost everything he had to protect his mind from Minos. But, simultaneously, he used his arms and defensive technique to receive the great blade of spiritual energy coming towards him that could not be deflected.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" He cried out in pain as he felt a tremendous mental burden, mixed with the feeling of having the bones of his arm cut off.


    "Ahhhhhhh!"


    As he screamed in agony, that level 61 man finally stopped walking backward, managing to balance himself from the force that had pushed him in that direction.


    "That was good, but not good enough..." Minos said this in a low voice, already a meter away from that individual''s back, making a stabbing motion with his sword.


    Puff!


    "Cough! Cough!" Damian felt Minos'' sword go through his heart, immediately starting to cough up blood, stopping feeling the pain in his arms.


    "Bast... Basta..." He tried to say something amidst the blood dripping from his mouth and the pain he felt from various parts of his body.


    However, Minos had no patience to listen to that opponent''s curses and simply rotated his sword while it was still inside that man''s body.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    "Ahhhhhhhhhh!"


    "You''ve said too much already. Time to die!" After saying that, Minos drew his sword back and then moved to decapitate that person.


    Swooish!


    ...


    https://discord.gg/7WsCAvDu

 Chapter ?1043 Time for Revenge 1

    Chapter ?1043 Time for Revenge 1


    After Minos'' sudden sword movement, that dark red blade decapitated Damian''s head, causing several people in the surroundings to scream in terror at such a thing.


    Those closest to Minos on the battlefield trembled with fear as that person''s head fell to the ground, splattering blood all around. They feared that it would be their turn now that their leader had fallen.


    Many there already felt this was the end of the line for this organization, but as long as there were Spiritual Emperors on their side, the hope in their hearts could not fade.


    However, with the death of those three individuals and a Minos completely free to torment them, there was nothing left for these people to depend on.


    And as such, it was not long before those closest to that horror coming from the Black Plain began desperately running away from it.


    "Run! The damned thing is going to kill us!" An old bald man shouted this while running carelessly across the battlefield.


    "Diamond Footstep!"


    As that individual ran randomly through that area, a Diamond Monkey took the opportunity to attack him, leaping into the sky and then focusing the weight of his body on one of his feet.


    Pow!


    Puff!


    In a matter of seconds, the move of that beast struck that opponent''s body, crushing it as if a giant rock had fallen on an ordinary human.


    "Ahhhhhhhh!" One of the people nearby screamed in terror as he saw that level 56 elder being crushed until nothing was left.


    And seeing that from afar, Minos prepared to start a bloodbath, opening his arms in parallel while holding two high-level grade-2 swords.


    One was the one he had won from Gloria, while the other was the one he had received from Elena''s family months ago.


    Explosive Steps!


    Seeing the situation in his surroundings, Minos smiled and then activated his movement technique, starting to run around while already aiming at some of his strongest enemies.


    Now that he had gotten rid of the most troublesome enemies, it was only a matter of minutes before this battle would end!


    Spatial Sword!


    Indestructible Body!


    ...


    As Minos began to make havoc around that mountain, Vivian and Grace were face to face with Roy, the sworn enemy of Davy''s sister.


    Roy had tried to capture her because of Kevin''s death years ago. Because of that, her bodyguard had sacrificed himself to ensure her escape, which this woman had not forgotten nor forgiven.


    And with her revenge in mind, she had started fighting in this place minutes ago while looking for that enemy, and it did not take her long to find him.


    She had barely killed three assassins weakened by Minos when she spotted that fellow being attacked by people in the group coming from the Snow Kingdom.


    And after a few words amidst that chaotic battlefield, she and Grace had managed to take the place of those allies to kill Roy.


    With that, she had arrived at the current situation, feeling the pleasure of facing a mortal enemy on the battlefield.


    "Vivian, you little whore! I should have killed you back then!" Roy angrily shouted as he maintained his defensive position, constantly looking for exits to try to evade the formation of those two.


    "Tsk!"


    "You talk a lot for a worm who has fled the battlefield several times!" Grace commented instead of her girlfriend, realizing that such a man was once again preparing to escape.


    Vivian then threw another of her blows at the man, creating a series of chains of spiritual energy, which had sharp points at their ends.


    Seeing that technique again, Roy shivered, feeling the danger of facing these two women when he had already lost so much of his energy to Minos'' technique.


    ''Damn it!''


    ''Those damn things would be enough to threaten me even if I were at my peak state...''


    ''Damn! I blame that bastard!'' He cursed the figure of Minos in his mind, remembering that the Chambers family''s disgrace had been made possible by such a person.


    And feeling that his end would also be Minos'' responsibility, Roy could not help but feel resentful towards him.


    "Roy, it all ends today! You won''t be able to escape from this place, no matter what!" Vivian said aloud, using her fingers to control the chains from before as she moved, dodging the remaining attacks from the adjacent battles.


    At the same time, Grace activated her most powerful offensive technique, one that created a thousand and one spears.


    Zum!


    Strange sounds spread through that place, while many glowing dots appeared in Grace''s vicinity, quickly taking the shape of those weapons.


    And with only a sign from the woman, most of those spears went towards Roy, with others going to nearby enemies.


    Her goal was not to kill Roy but to weaken him so that Vivian could do such a thing. Thus, she was also concerned about the battles in the surrounding area.


    Minos had just killed the Spiritual Emperors, and their group had not yet managed to reverse the Scourges of the Devil''s numerical advantage.


    So, she had to help increase the enemy body count there!


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!" Finally, Roy''s defensive technique, which created a green bubble in his surroundings, could no longer withstand so many attacks, and he was hit by one of Vivian''s chains.


    Feeling one of his legs being pierced by such a thing, Roy fell to his knees on the ground in agony, ignoring the many spear cuts on his arms.


    However, Vivian was not merciful and did not want to let that individual who had escaped so many times have any chance there.


    Consequently, she put her two hands together and put even more of her energy into her attack technique, making a chain similar to the previous one, only three times as large as the last one, appear in the void behind her.


    Immediately after that, the pointed blade of that large chain as big as an adult human head flew at high speed, aimed at Roy''s chest.


    ''Damn...'' Roy saw that and tried to move to dodge such a deadly attack.


    However, he could only think of dodging. Just as he was about to move, spears hit his legs, pinning him against the ground!


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    "Ahhhhh! Slu... Slut..."


    Puff!


    Finally, Vivian''s attack pierced through that individual''s armor, causing him to fall backward as his eyes widened in terror at the outcome of this fight.


    "Cough! Cough!"


    With that, Roy began to drown in his blood, his entire body trembling, with his consciousness already halfway gone.


    After a few seconds, he finally died!


    "Hah... Hah... Finally!" Vivian fell to her knees, breathing hurriedly but feeling good now that she had eliminated that problem.


    Roy had been her goal for years, someone this woman continued to see in her nightmares from time to time. So, eliminating him brought a great sense of accomplishment to her, which went far beyond the justice so preached by her Hayes family.


    But as Vivian smiled amidst her agitated breathing, Grace saw an enemy attacking with everything he had on that woman''s back. But unfortunately, that woman was too far away from that place to act, and her girlfriend was too inattentive to do anything about it.


    "Nooooooooooooo!" Grace screamed in desperation, feeling the worst sense of her life as she watched that scene slowly pass in front of her eyes.


    At the same time, Vivian managed to look back and realize the problem, a large war hammer that was approaching her back at an alarming speed.


    "What?" Feeling as if time was passing more slowly, she swallowed her saliva in fear, regretting letting her guard down in such a dangerous place.


    She then closed her eyes, feeling that there was nothing more for her to do.


    ''Grace, I''m so sorry!'' Tears trickled down the corners of Vivian''s eyes as she finally prepared to accept her terrible fate.


    Infinite Mirrors!


    ...

 Chapter 1044 Time for Revenge 2

    Chapter 1044 Time for Revenge 2


    Just as the giant war hammer that looked a little rusty was about to hit Vivian''s back, several spinning mirrors appeared in the space between her and that weapon.


    Following the materialization of Abby''s defensive mirrors, the giant war hammer finally hit that surface that looked fragile at first glance.


    However, when the two touched, Abby''s spinning mirrors barely trembled, while that weapon used by a level 57 Spiritual King emitted shrill noises before flying away from that person''s hands.


    "What?" Such an assassin of the Scourges of the Devil shouted in surprise, not expecting he would fail to kill that distracted woman.


    At the same time, Grace sighed in relief and ran toward her beloved, still a little afraid of what had just happened.


    "Vivian! Vivian!"


    "Uh? I didn''t die?" Vivian finally opened her eyes and saw that the previous war hammer could no longer be seen in the surroundings. Meanwhile, allies from their group surrounded the person who had attacked her.


    "Her Majesty saved your life, Vivian!" Grace brought her girlfriend into her embrace while she paid attention to the surroundings, trying to prevent the previous situation from repeating itself.


    As for Abby, after seeing that those two were okay, she continued her work of protecting her group''s allies, her job since the war.


    She only had one Golden-grade combat technique. As such, rather than putting herself at risk by attacking opponents, this woman of Minos usually focused on protecting allies, helping to weaken opponents who attacked them.


    Knowing her own strengths and weaknesses, Abby had already saved the lives of Vivian, Maxwell, and several people there she even did not know.


    Because of this, even though her group had just under 100 individuals and her opponents over 200, Minos'' side had lost no one so far. In contrast, almost 100 people on the other side had already perished!


    That was the advantage of having someone with such a helpful support technique on the battlefield!


    Anyway, seeing that a few more people needed her help, Abby activated her defensive technique again, materializing her spinning mirrors in two different locations on the battlefield.


    ''Hmm, Minos is already dealing with these people...'' She pondered as she watched in her man''s direction, already considering that the fight would be over in a few seconds.


    ...


    While Abby protected the people in her group and Minos was slaughtering those in his way, Maxwell was fighting his enemy, the murderer of his old companion Alexander.


    Egbert, level 55, known by his codename, Scythe, was much stronger than Maxwell. However, luck was not on his side!


    After having had part of his energy stolen by Minos, which virtually all of the Scourges of the Devil had suffered by now, this assassin had still wasted his energy more than once against Abby''s defenses.


    Because of this, Maxwell had reached this point in the battle with no wounds on his body, while that old man with half-black, half-grey hair was almost out of energy, with several wounds all over his body.


    Sss!


    "Ahhhh!"


    "Bastard!" Egbert shouted in hatred, feeling his body burned by the damned beams of light released by his opponent''s offensive technique.


    Burning Light!


    Maxwell focused even more of his efforts on that technique, the same one Elena used, as he realized his opponent would not last much longer.


    "This is your punishment for killing Alexander, you bloody murderer!" The young man shouted icily, feeling anger he had not felt in months.


    "You immoral bastard!"


    "You are the one who should have died! But a coward like you had to hide, no? So, you killed him, faggot!"


    Hateful Skeletons!


    Egbert activated his offensive technique one last time, trying to ignore the golden light beams emitted by the energy balls in Maxwell''s hands.


    With that, three creatures that looked like human skeletons soon emerged from underground, running toward Maxwell as if they had just seen their favorite food in the world.


    "Grh! Grhhr!"


    Horrifying sounds rang out as those beings attacked in the direction of Maxwell, who was already moving through the area. Nevertheless, he continued to attack that opponent''s body even though he was in danger for not defending himself against those skeletons.


    "You''re going to die now, assassin!" He shouted angrily, causing the two energy balls in his hands to double in size, simultaneously intensifying the paleness on his face.


    Sssss!


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    "Damn you! Degenerate, you are completely insane! Ahhhhhhhh!"


    But as those two tried to sustain their techniques while withstanding each other''s attack, King Snow finally saw the terrible face of his son''s killer.


    "Scythe!" Adam shouted with all the strength of his being, causing his level 59 cultivation to escape his control and cause disruption in his surroundings.


    Seeing the face of that person, who seemed to be being burned by golden beams of light, this king felt that he could eliminate the person responsible for Alexander''s humiliating death.


    With that, after his thunderous voice startled several people in the vicinity of Maxwell''s fight, this man activated his primary technique, forming a giant ice golem on his back.


    Arctic Golem!


    A creature about the same size as the Diamond Monkeys in the surroundings, only completely white, took shape while glowing eyes appeared on its head.


    After that, such a creature jumped off Adam''s back, following up with a fist strike against Egbert.


    "Shit!"


    "That bastard!" That assassin almost pissed himself in fear at that sight, feeling the sudden end approaching him.


    At the present moment, a mere level 50 Spiritual King was already pressing him to a desperate level. But now, with the attack of a furious level 59 cultivator, there was no more hope for this man!


    With that, he gave up trying to defend himself against Adam, as it would be futile anyway. But, on the other hand, killing Maxwell was something in his possibilities. So, with that in mind, he put all his remaining attention on that pale young man, ready to take such a person with him into the afterlife.


    "Brat, you will soon find your lover!" He shouted one last time, just before Adam''s attack came close enough to him that there was no more time for comment.


    At that instant, Maxwell regretted that he would not be able to eliminate that person on his own, but he felt happy to see that Scythe would die in front of him.


    ''That''s good enough for me.'' He closed his eyes and smiled, satisfied that he had somehow seen the fulfillment of the revenge of Alexander''s death.


    Infinite Mirrors!


    Abby tried once again to activate her technique. Still, this time, she finally reached her limit, with her mirrors appearing and disappearing in a single split second.


    After seeing that, she felt nervous, fearing that such a soldier of her forces would fall right in front of her. "Maxwell!"


    ...


    Hearing his girl''s voice, Minos looked in the direction of where Maxwell was fighting, seeing the imminent danger that his soldier was facing.


    ''Abby has exhausted herself, huh?'' He decapitated another enemy in his path just before activating his Spatial Sword with more than half his strength, freezing everyone standing on that battlefield.


    Immediately after doing so, he hurled one of his swords in the direction of that young man, aiming at the two skeletons closest to Maxwell.


    Vuup!


    Crack!


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    When the effect of the Spatial Sword ended, and the two skeletons targeted by Minos vanished, Egbert let out his final cries of pain before being hit full on by the earlier golem.


    Puff!


    The other skeleton, who was only an inch away from ripping Maxwell''s body apart, vanished as he continued to keep his eyes closed.


    At that moment, Egbert''s body was crushed against the ground, emitting various sounds, until finally, his life ended, with the stop of his cries of anguish.


    King Snow and Maxwell had gotten their revenge!


    Seeing that from afar, Abby felt relieved that Minos had acted at the last second.


    "Sigh..."


    "It''s finally over." She said in a low voice to Maida, Minos'' mount, who was already at her side to protect her.


    Hearing that, Maida nodded her large head, noting that there were only 15 enemies left standing. Still, each of them was surrounded by people from the Snow Kingdom.


    As for the Diamond Monkeys, after they had received authorization from Minos, they headed into the interior of that mountain to slaughter the survivors.


    There were no innocents in an organization like this, and everyone there, whether family members or subordinates of those assassins, had chosen their fate by associating with them.


    Some might think that not everyone had the power of choice, but that was just an excuse for the weak to take the responsibility off their shoulders.


    And since Minos believed this faithfully, he was willing to make everyone in that organization suffer the consequences of their past decisions and actions.


    Sooner or later, everyone had to live with the weight of their choices. And no matter how long it took, the debt of these people had finally come to terrify them!


    That was the end of the Scourges of the Devil, the oldest active regional organization in these areas!

 Chapter 1045 Getting to Know Enemy Headquarters

    Chapter 1045 Getting to Know Enemy Headquarters


    After the battle was over, each of the remnants of the Scourges of the Devil inside that mountain had been killed by the Diamond Monkeys and some humans from the Snow Kingdom.


    On the other hand, Minos, Abby, and their group were still outside that area, finishing collecting the spatial rings there.


    The Snow Kingdom forces had participated in this action. Still, as subordinates of the Black Plain, it was not their place to demand rewards.


    On the other hand, many were there to avenge the Snow family and not plunder the Scourges of the Devil. So, many were not concerned with such a matter.


    In any case, it was up to Minos to decide whether or not those people deserved payment for their efforts.


    But after receiving those many spatial rings, he did not immediately check them all since there was still that organization''s headquarters for them to pillage.


    At most, Minos had spied the rings of the three Spiritual Emperors as they had demonstrated a fascinating and valuable technique for this man''s forces.


    And indeed, Minos found what he wanted there!


    ''Three Silver-grade techniques. Among them, one that has the description that fits with the technique they tried to use against me...'' He smiled as he walked into the interior of that mountain beside Abby.


    He had many Silver-grade techniques since even in Henricus Longus'' time, many people were already capable of creating techniques of that quality. But King Stuart did not have any of those with the characteristic of that newly-obtained one, of merging attacks of people using the same technique.


    And considering that he had always strived to improve the collective skills of his forces, this was a significant achievement for the Black Plain Army!


    Thus, he was pleased!


    "What? Why are you smiling?" Abby asked as she looked at Minos, smiling as well.


    "We got three more Silver-grade techniques. One of them..." He then explained how interesting that thing was as the two entered that area, somewhat similar to the Immemorial Graves Sect headquarters.


    The walls also glowed brightly, creating a well-lit setting that did not resemble what one would expect to find inside a mountain.


    But while this feature of the place was similar to that of Laura''s sect, the rest was completely different.


    Instead of there being a giant hole after the entrance to that mountain, all that Minos and his group found was a completely white palace made of a special type of marble.


    Such a building was at least five times larger than the government mansion of Dry City and had a gothic style of architecture.


    But while that building drew the attention of the many humans arriving there who were following in Minos'' footsteps, the Diamond Monkeys were sitting on the outskirts, resting amidst the corpses of their opponents.


    "Young Minos, that was a good battle to participate in!" The leader of those beings called as he looked in the direction of that couple.


    "Young Minos is truly impressive. He killed three Spiritual Emperors as if they were nothing!" He said this respectfully, sensing how much stronger King Stuart was than he had first believed.


    And as a being who valued strength above everything else, that beast could not help but feel even greater respect for that human.


    "Hmm, I''m glad you guys had a good time." Minos nodded to that being and then released them from their responsibilities. "Well, we won''t be here long, so if you want to return with your group, we''ll say goodbye here."


    "But don''t forget the previous offer. Now we have a small piece of the Endless Snow Mountain Range on the Black Plain. If you want to move, try talking to the Feathered Serpents in the Flooded Valley."


    "They will arrange the situation for you."


    "Oh? We''ll do it!" That red-furred being said this without hesitation, just before he left that area alongside his tribe elders.


    As for Minos and Abby, those two entered that large palace, curious to know that place, while their subordinates gathered whatever was in that place for them.


    ...


    "God of Death, huh?" Minos stopped in front of the central statue of that palace, having just read a little about that fellow on a golden plaque next to the statue.


    That was the first time he had heard about this supposed God. After all, he only knew things prior to Henricus Longus and what he had learned at the Spiritual Academy.


    Even though the Spiritual Church recalled every single human God in the books used by spiritual academies across the continent, there was no information about such an individual.


    Or at least not with that name.


    Consequently, Minos knew nothing about such a God of Death worshipped by the perished Scourges of the Devil.


    He then heard Abby''s sweet voice, "It seems that such a place has much more history than the region thought..."


    "We all always thought that the Scourges of the Devil were nothing but criminals who had tried to bring order to the chaos of their profession."


    Minos shook his head in the negative and said. "Well, they were criminals. The ones who were a little different from that were the founders of this organization. But they are all dead now, and all that was here before our arrival was the high-level scums of this region."


    "Anyway, it''s fascinating to find out that there was more than just one group of assassins in this place." He laughed before circulating his energies through his defensive technique and feeling his physical features increase considerably.


    After that, he pushed that giant statue, curious to know if there was any secret there.


    Minos had not made this move without motivation, not even by coincidence. After analyzing the place for a few moments, he noticed that the statue was like some of those Henricus Longus had seen in his life.


    But these statues that such a God saw were not only representations of people but also secret entrances!


    With this in mind, he had lost no time in testing his hypothesis.


    Crack!


    As Abby opened her mouth in surprise at that metal statue falling to the ground, cracking sounds spread until a passage revealed itself in the middle of that circular area.


    "What?" Abby asked in surprise while Minos laughed in satisfaction.


    ''Looks like the Scourges of the Devil didn''t know about this place...''


    Minos noticed some patterns in the high-level array that had opened such a path, an array he knew could not be reused without the use of high-level crystals.


    As regional powers had no way of having enough crystals for that, Minos was sure nobody had discovered such a thing. Furthermore, if the Scourges of the Devil knew about that, that area would not be intact!


    And indeed, that was the case. This place was formerly the headquarters of the organization destroyed by the founders of the Scourges of the Devil.


    The founders of the Scourges of the Devil had no idea what the God of Death looked like when they started their faith. Therefore, at that time, they had only maintained the statue that already existed in this place.


    However, later they came into contact with information about that being and used the statue of this building, having just changed it to be more assimilated to him.


    In any case, they had not messed with the area in question and failed to discover that location!


    "Let''s see what''s here!" He picked Abby up in his arms and then ran through that place, with several of his techniques activated in case there were traps in his path.


    After running down a long dark tunnel, Minos and Abby finally reached a dark chamber, where there seemed to be nothing waiting for them.


    However, after Minos spread his spiritual sense to the surroundings, a strange pattern appeared on each chamber''s walls, with several bright lines appearing from these patterns.


    Such bright lines ran along those walls, ceiling, and floor, directly following the one in front of Minos and Abby as if just pursuing a natural flow.


    After that, a bright rectangular item emerged from that wall that seemed to have nothing earlier.


    "What?"


    "A map?" Minos said aloud, identifying that thing.


    ...

 Chapter 1046 Bad Omens or Good Fortune?

    Chapter 1046 Bad Omens or Good Fortune?


    After seeing that item materializing in front of him, Minos continued with Abby on his lap and approached that.


    The map looked like a black, metallic sheet of paper with several shiny outlines, indicating landmarks, cities, and the location of something marked with an ''X.''


    As the thing floated in the air, strangely giving off a tranquil yet powerful feeling, Abby was curious and moved her hands to pick the thing up for Minos.


    "Ouch!" As she made that movement, she gave a slight cry of pain, feeling the tip of one of her fingers cut by that thing, already with a small drop of blood dripping down there.


    Seeing this, Minos frowned and saw that map suddenly quiver with Abby''s blood on one of its edges.


    After it began to glow, losing its dark color, Minos felt fear in his heart and immediately used the ring of the Spatial Kingdom, rushing away from that place.


    Zum!


    The space around him shook as he quickly disappeared from there, followed by a light flesh.


    ...


    After appearing in the large forest within the Spatial Kingdom, Minos fell to the ground with Abby in his arms, looking at her worriedly.


    "Abby, are you okay? Are you feeling anything strange?" He asked as he looked into her blue eyes, with a nervous tone in his voice, worried about what that might mean.


    But Abby was just as before, only feeling slight pain in the finger that had been cut. She looked at that hand, saw that the cut had already regenerated, and looked back at Minos with a comforting countenance.


    "My love, don''t worry, I''m fine..." Abby was saying that when suddenly, the same map as before appeared in the air between Minos'' face and her chest.


    "What? How can that be?" Minos said in surprise, seeing that thing that had now turned into an ordinary sheet map, yellowish like many others he had seen before.


    ''How did it enter the Spatial Kingdom? Don''t tell me it followed us?'' He wondered fearfully.


    But while he worried, Abby felt a strange feeling and decided to pick up that map.


    "Abby!"


    "My love, don''t worry. I don''t think that''s a bad thing. On the contrary, I feel strangely connected to it now and think that map will bring good things for us." She said this in a loving tone, feeling that this was not a bad omen but a great fortune for them.


    "Abby... How can you say that? That thing is after you!" Minos said worriedly as Henricus Longus had never seen anything of the sort in his time.


    And since the unfamiliar always had immense potential for danger, he could not help but be apprehensive!


    "My love, I know this is strange, but I feel nothing bad will happen. That map, I think it wants us to find that location." She pointed in the direction of the ''X'' on that yellowish piece of paper.


    Minos kept looking at her with his eyes full of uncertainty and fear. ''No matter what happens, I just have to protect Abby until I become a God!''


    ''When that happens, not even something strange like that will be able to stand in my way!''


    ''I will not allow anyone to threaten you, Abby, not even Gods!'' He then brought her into his embrace before kissing her with zeal, showing his love for her.


    "Mmmmmmm~"


    ''Minos...'' Abby felt how decisive he was towards her and felt happiness in her heart. But at the same time, she could not help but find her man funny.


    Abby was not feeling anything wrong in her body, just a sensation of familiarity with that map, as if the wish of someone dear to her had been left on it.


    And she felt such a place would be an excellent opportunity for them as if such a thing could help Minos and her.


    Anyway, as some of the soldiers training in the Spatial Kingdom next to Virtus watched that couple on their knees on the ground, the two finally stopped kissing.


    "My love, I feel that this map will be good for us. But if you want, we will leave to follow it only when you think best."


    Hearing that, Minos brought her back into his embrace, holding her head on his chest.


    He then looked at that floating map and made a point of taking the thing in his hands.


    As he touched it, the map seemed to want to oppose Minos. However, immediately after their touch, the inscriptions on the Spatial Kingdom ring began to glow while creating an invisible mist that only Minos and Abby could see.


    After that, the map seemed to tremble with fear as that mist surrounded it until it stopped opposing Minos and fell into this man''s hands.


    "Uh?" He and Abby made the exact sound of surprise at seeing all that.


    "What just happened here?" Abby asked as she saw the mist from before come back to one of Minos'' fingers as if that was a technique of his.


    She obviously could not see the Spatial Kingdom ring. Hell, if it were not for her gaining a connection to that map, she would not even have seen the mist from before!


    As such, Abby could not help but ask that thing because she already knew pretty much everything about Minos but had no idea what that thing was.


    "That map made the Spatial Kingdom ring react. I think it had bad intentions against me, and the ring decided to act." Minos said as he put his hands on that map.


    ''Hmmm?'' He immediately felt something strange as he touched that map as if the thing had lost much of its mystery. ''Never mind, that''s probably because of the Spatial Kingdom ring threatening this thing...''


    He then checked that out until his eyes widened in surprise, as he had immediately identified the location represented there. ''That...''


    ''Blackbournee Empire...'' He remembered the map of the Central Continent in the time of Henricus Longus, this state which was adjacent to the west of Antias, the home state of the first human God.


    ''That region must be in the Kingdom of the Waves.'' Minos quickly associated the old regional map and the current one.


    ''Could it be that there are still some ruins in this region? How can that be? So much time has passed since the end of the Exploration Period. But are there still traces of things from that time?''


    ''Is that just a historical reminder?'' He wondered how that map would probably lead to nothing, just a bit more history.


    In any case, even if it most likely would lead to nothing, he decided not to say anything to Abby because he did not want to deal with this now.


    ''I''ll see that when I get stronger.'' He made up his mind as Abby took that paper from his hands to observe the outlines of that map.


    "Those names are all weird. I have no idea where that is." She looked at him with a sad expression on her face. "How will we do to find it in the future?"


    "When I am strong enough, I will take you there." He said to her without lying.


    "Oh?" A gleam appeared in Abby''s eyes as she put her powerful feminine intuition into practice. "Speaking like that, it sounds like you already know where to look... Do you, my love?"


    Minos closed his eyes and smiled, realizing that Abby had already learned a lot about him after nearly a decade together. "I know where it is, but for now, I don''t want to talk about it."


    "Okay?"


    She chuckled, not being angry that he wanted to keep that information. "Of course, my love. We will go when you feel ready, so it makes no difference whether or not I know where that is."


    "You and our future baby are my priorities." She then brought his face closer to hers and kissed him again.

 Chapter 1047 Results of the Loot

    Chapter 1047 Results of the Loot


    After Minos and Abby''s brief intimate moment, those two left the Spatial Kingdom, returning to that dark chamber from before.


    The two of them still had the subject of that map in their minds, but soon after walking out of that secret tunnel from before, they came across King Snow and put that aside.


    Seeing that there in the courtyard where the supposed statue of the God of Death previously stood were also Vivian, Grace, and Maxwell, Minos felt that it would not take much longer for them to leave.


    "So? You found what?" Minos asked those people as he put his woman down.


    And as Abby tidied up her slightly messy hair, perhaps giving those people the wrong idea, Maxwell stepped forward and began to speak. "Your Grace, Ma''am. My group has already counted the items collected from the corpses of those who lived here with the Spiritual Kings killed earlier."


    "We have gathered 125 million low-grade crystals, a thousand low-level grade-2 artifacts, and 10 thousand grade-1 items."


    "And besides the more than a thousand copies of Blue-grade techniques and 60 Black-grade ones, there was nothing else of value in those corpses."


    "Oh? That''s not bad..." Minos commented in a low voice.


    Those numbers were indeed low by this sovereign''s current standards. But since the wealth of this place was supposed to be in the rings of the Spiritual Kings and Spiritual Emperors, Minos knew that he had not yet known all the wealth left here.


    Thus, he was not disappointed with what Maxwell''s group had collected.


    Grace then commented. "Your Grace, Ma''am. We have confirmed that no one has been left alive, much less are there any survivors fleeing from here."


    "This place strangely had no alternative exits, as the entire underground of this place is frozen with an indestructible layer of ice."


    ''I see...'' Minos pondered this fact, remembering that although there were no giant skeletons ''buried'' in this place, there were sealed beings there.


    The Endless Snow Mountain Range was a great seal, after all!


    Such a thing was not a natural area but a territory manipulated by countless cultivators of the past, who had sweated to build a terrific seal to keep people away from the remnants of those beings.


    Therefore, mere Spiritual Kings or even Spiritual Emperors could not dig escape tunnels in the middle of those mountains.


    At most, they could build means of escape through the top, but those places were not interesting to escape from...


    Therefore, the Scourges of the Devil met their end with no chance of escape!


    After Vivian''s girlfriend stopped talking, King Snow finally took a turn and spoke about something important. "We have found many things in this place, Your Grace."


    "To start with the most important, we found a document with the names of all the allies of the Scourges of the Devil!"


    "Oh?" Minos and Abby opened their mouths in surprise, pleased to have this information on their side.


    The allies of the Scourges of the Devil were not necessarily their enemies. Still, neither were such individuals people who could be trusted to the point that they could ignore them. After all, such people or organizations related to these now-dead enemies of Minos usually had problematic characteristics.


    For example, like the Chambers family, powers associated with the Scourges of the Devil usually used and exploited slavery and acted uncontrollably with the weakest, oppressing and acting ruthlessly.


    But as Minos was already preparing to announce the new rules of the region, including the prohibition of slavery, he could not let such powers run wild!


    As someone who valued the order of things and wanted his rules to be followed, Minos already had those organizations in his mind.


    He knew they existed and needed to be controlled, but he did not have the information about who they were until this moment.


    Because of this, after hearing Adam''s old voice, he felt good, now with another way to bring order to his region.


    "Very good." He nodded and looked at Abby, indicating for her to get the information from that man, "I''ll let you lead this matter when we get back to Dry City."


    "Hmm, fine." She smiled at him and then looked in Adam''s direction. "King Snow, dispatch the list of those people and organizations involved with the Scourges of the Devil to the other regional royal families."


    "I want each of them to investigate the organizations and people in their states and send their final reports to Dry City."


    "I will give my orders regarding this problem when Minos and I return to Dry City."


    "All right, Ma''am." That old fellow accepted that order from Abby without difficulty, thinking it fair that at least that queen was not so disrespectful to him to call him by his first name.


    Adam then looked back at Minos and said. "Well, continuing about what my group found..."


    They then proceeded to talk about this day''s operation, having talked about some figures from the previous combat and other discoveries regarding the Scourges of the Devil. Like, for example, the curious fact that this organization had partnered with the Blood Triangle Pirates to help them find an item...


    Because of this, Minos and Abby were very surprised as they both knew there was a good chance that such an item was the map Minos had taken from Darell Silva''s spatial ring.


    And considering how interested that group from the Evergreen Empire seemed to be in such an item, they could not help but conclude that such a thing must be worth a lot!


    In any case, the Black Plain''s groups chasing pirates and regional bandits were already looking for people who could confirm their doubts. So, this couple did not attach much importance to the matter at the moment, having just released that king''s group to return from whence they came.


    With that done, while they were still at the headquarters of the now-extinct Scourges of the Devil, Minos looked at Vivian and asked. "Are you all right? You got your revenge, but you almost died in the middle of the road..."


    Hearing that, Vivian did not feel angry. Instead, she just showed a little embarrassment but a lot of gratitude for Abby. "I got carried away by my emotions when I managed to finish my opponent..."


    "Hmm, sounds like you need to fight a lot more..." He commented in a low voice, not touching on the subject concerning what had happened to Maxwell.


    Minos had saved this fellow, but the leader of the Black Plain was not going to say anything to him due to the smile Maxwell had just before what should have been his end.


    Thinking about it, Minos could only remain silent, giving that man room to sort out his own feelings.


    It was one thing Vivian''s mistake which could easily be worked out and resolved. But Maxwell''s lack of power and determination was entirely different.


    This man had not failed at anything in that fight, only having been weaker than his opponent to the point that he had risked death. But other than that, he had fought to the best of his ability considering the five levels of difference between him and his opponent.


    As such, just because Maxwell had shown little attachment to life, Minos did not think he had the right to criticize such a soldier or talk about it.


    "Well, in any case, now that you have settled your feuds, there is no longer any reason for you to continue on our side." Minos smiled at that two as they finally left the interior of that great cave, arriving at the site of the great battle from earlier.


    "Go back to the Black Plain and run to your duties. There is much that needs to be done in that place, and we have no time for delay on your part!"


    "Yes, Your Grace!" Grace and Maxwell said loudly, quickly heading toward the Feathered Serpent that stood there.


    Now that Minos and Abby would continue this journey alone, they would travel alongside Maida, King Stuart''s official mount.


    As for that Feathered Serpent, it had come there only to help this group travel faster, but it was not a mount of Minos, although it was honored to be ridden by him.


    With that, those three people soon took off from that region, heading southwest.


    As for Minos and Abby, this man used an array left by Henricus Longus in the Spatial Kingdom to seal the entrance to that mountain, closing off that place to curious onlookers.


    After that, he and Abby departed that region on Maida''s back while he counted his earnings regarding the rings of the many enemies killed earlier.


    ...

 Chapter ?1048 Regional Happiness

    Chapter ?1048 Regional Happiness


    After collecting the items from the Scourges of the Devil headquarters, Minos distributed a portion of them to the Snow Kingdom forces.


    But this had not been anything significant to those people, only having been a consolation prize, or rather a ''medal'' to the meritorious service they had participated in.


    In addition to 25 million low-grade crystals, Minos gave King Snow all grade-1 items, as he was no longer interested in artifacts of that rank.


    Grade-1 artifacts might even be helpful to the growing population of the Black Plain. Still, they would make little difference in the big picture. On the other hand, even though he was the regional leader and owed nothing to anyone, it was not good for him to give absolutely nothing to those people.


    At the very least, their work needed to be recognized to some degree, even if many of them had participated in the previous battle of their own volition.


    Thus, Minos had disposed of that small part of his earnings.


    However, he had kept the essential part, which he was counting on at this very moment!


    Sitting on Maida''s back with Abby, that man with his woman on his lap continued to hold her waist firmly with one of his hands while the other was manipulating the enemy rings.


    And soon, he was smiling, satisfied with the wealth he had accumulated on this little trip of his.


    "The Scourges of the Devil assassins were truly rich." He commented in Abby''s left ear, catching her attention.


    "Oh? What did we get with those people?" She looked back.


    "1.2 million medium-grade crystals and 521 million low-grade crystals..." He then counted all the gains the Black Plain had made that day, with many grade-2 and even some grade-3 artifacts.


    Of all the items in those rings, other than the crystals that could pay for the construction of the Black Plain and the priceless grade-3 artifacts, the pills were the most interesting ones.


    There were all grade-1 or grade-2 pills. And given their quantity, thousands of soldiers and even citizens in Dry City could benefit from them.


    The soldiers could earn such things directly from the army and use them to become stronger. As for the population, the citizens of the Black Plain could buy some of these pills, generate cash for the government, and even become stronger.


    It was perfect!


    With that, Minos was happy with today''s earnings.


    And considering that he had finished getting rid of his father''s enemies and eliminating the last resistance to him in this region, he felt truly accomplished.


    Minos liked to fight. That was true. And when he fought, he could become brutal very fast. That was his fighting style. But he preferred peace. He preferred to be in Dry City ruling his territory, watching his organization and those closest to him getting more substantial.


    That truly satisfied him!


    Hence, now that he had reached this point, he could finally relax a little more, live his life and grow in peace for at least a few years.


    The empire''s enemies would keep coming to disturb him. He knew that. But with his strength getting more significant every day, this for him and the Black Plain would be nothing more than ''periodic training.''


    With that, he was already imagining returning to Dry City beside Abby, having their wedding, and then living the life he had struggled to achieve!


    And Abby felt this ''happiness'' of his pressing against her body...


    "Are you in the mood again, my love?" She smiled as she looked back, happy that she and Minos were finally ''alone.''


    "Hehe, later, when we stop, let''s have some fun."


    "Oh? That sounds good..." She thought of something and laughed gracefully with her face flushed. "This rest of the trip will be like an early honeymoon."


    "Hehehe, we can say that..."


    ...


    While those two humans were traveling to the Kingdom of the End, three weeks passed.


    In that period, Adam Snow had returned to his capital alongside the many Spiritual Kings who had participated in the extermination of the Scourges of the Devil.


    After carrying out all of Minos'' orders, that man wasted no time in spreading the word to the region that the Scourges of the Devil had finally met their end!


    Such an organization had terrorized the region for hundreds of thousands of years and had been a complex variable to deal with, capable of frightening the most powerful in the region.


    With the fear and respect that such power had instilled in the minds of the approximately 2 billion people, such news had been almost as significant or shocking as the Black Plain''s independence.


    The independence of the state of Minos was definitely much more important in terms of practical effects. But the symbolism of the end of that organization that had a history that blended with that of the region itself could not be ignored.


    In fact, for many people around this northern part of the Central Continent, the end of the Scourges of the Devil represented much more than the rise of Minos.


    That was the end of their enemies, the ones responsible for the cruelest and most shocking deaths in recent local history, the oldest enemy of this region!


    With this, the happiness that had spread through the region after news of the end of that power was not small. In many places in this region, celebrations went on for almost a whole week.


    Most of the regional organizations were happy about this because it represented the end of the threat of the Scourges of the Devil, and it ended the incomplete acts of revenge of many of these families.


    At last, this was the final demonstration that the region needed to understand. There was no place here for enemies of the Black Plain!


    ...


    While the region celebrated the recent news, the storyteller, Grant, whom Minos had invited into his forces during his time in the Kingdom of the End, was finally arriving in Dry City!


    After meeting with him months ago, such a man had given Minos'' offer much thought and followed the regional news.


    After finding out on his own who Minos was, he had almost given up on that man''s offer because someone from that region probably did not have what it took to help him.


    But Grant changed his mind when the deadline given by Minos had ended, and his subordinates appeared in the town where such a person lived. He decided to go ahead with that proposition!


    Even if Minos did not have a promising future, he was still the only one to believe in this fellow''s ideas.


    On the other hand, even if he did not have much potential, the now King Stuart was at least the most influential person in this region. As such, perhaps Grant could use this influence of Minos to achieve his goal of reporting his findings to his empire!


    Thus, he had traveled for months alongside soldiers from the Black Plain Army, reaching his destination this afternoon!


    With that, he was currently viewing the great defensive dome of Dry City about 10 kilometers away from the northern entrance to the wall, traveling in a carriage with the soldiers of Minos and his caretakers.


    From there, he could see countless construction camps outside the local dome, where tens of thousands of people were working to develop that area.


    Such an area under construction stretched from the sides of the dome to a few hundred meters from where that carriage was passing. This impressed Grant, as so much investment was being made in this place when the war had ended so recently.


    ''This place looks like it will double or triple in size in no time...'' He thought about this as he continued to observe his surroundings, beginning to find the idea of living in this place attractive.


    And thinking about it, he smiled and remembered his meeting with Minos, then called one of the soldiers there. "Hey, how long until your leader returns? What will I be doing here in that period?"


    One of the soldiers in front of that carriage then said uncertainly. "I''m not sure. But probably in the next two months, Your Grace should be around."


    "As for the rest, I don''t know... I think you''d better talk to the butler Dillian."

 Chapter ?1049 The Migration Situation

    Chapter ?1049 The Migration Situation


    After a few minutes, the carriage carrying Grant finally entered Dry City, where this man immediately realized the quality and attractiveness of the place.


    Not only because this place was quite different from other parts of this region, but because, for some reason, he felt as if he had returned home or something.


    And while he felt this strange feeling in his heart, Grant was watching the people coming and going on the sidewalks through the streets his group was passing, trying to remember.


    After a while of making his old mind work, he understood the reason for his familiarity with Dry City. ''The models of this place look like those of the Western Empire!'' He remembered his homeland, curious to know how Minos had done it.


    ''Did he have contact with people from my empire?''


    But that was obviously not why Dry City had a similar construction style to the Western Empire''s cities. After all, Minos had never left the region since childhood and had no contact with people from so far away.


    The reason this city resembled those of Grant''s homeland was not due to such a place inspiring Minos. Instead, it would be better to say that the Western Empire and Dry City had styles based on the same place and period.


    But Grant had no way of knowing that, and he could not help but think that such a place''s potential for sending him to the Western Empire was more significant than he had imagined!


    ''Good, good!''


    ''Now I just have to wait for my chance, and eventually, I''ll be able to pass my message forward!''


    ...


    As Grant observed the city he would live in from now on, Dillian had just finished with his business at the General Hospital and was returning to the government mansion.


    After months since the end of the war, the queues of patients at the hospital were finally beginning to diminish. Because of this, such a man could already imagine the day when he would no longer have to deal with such a crowded place.


    He loved his profession and helping people, especially considering that many of these people could make a difference to the forces of Minos. But living surrounded by hurting, fearful people was not ideal.


    As such, he longed for a return to normalcy in the attendance numbers at that place under his control.


    In any case, Dillian could not complain much about his present situation. The number of local doctors had increased dramatically after the war, and the situation of the citizens wounded in this confrontation was practically under the control of his administration.


    As such, he was slowly getting more time to attend to local matters, as in the example of the current migration.


    After weeks since Minos'' departure, more than 300,000 people had already arrived on the main territory of the Black Plain. Of these, the vast majority were already working on the outskirts of Dry City or in Naval City-1.


    But several groups were already beginning to build the foundations of the future satellite cities of Dry City, while many others were expanding the local plantation fields.


    The government had enough funds to employ all these people simultaneously, so Dillian and Mia were not taking local investments lightly.


    They knew that right now, the Black Plain''s only problem in getting more people was crystal generation. So they were investing what they had to generate even more future dividends.


    More food exports and taxes levied on domestic services could stimulate a virtuous growth cycle. Thus, they hoped to deliver a much more mature and developed Black Plain to Minos upon his return.


    Because of these many ongoing projects, Dillian was rushing back to the government mansion for a few more hours of work!


    ...


    Upon arriving at the government headquarters, Dillian soon found some people he did not know at the reception there, among them a man who had none of his legs.


    And remembering what Minos had told him weeks ago, Dillian did not even need to hear from Mia about that person''s identity. "Are you Mr. Grant?" He politely asked since his boss had told him that such a person had been a Spiritual Saint in the past.


    Even though this was no longer Grant''s reality, Dillian could not help but admire this person, who was by far the most powerful of all that butler''s acquaintances.


    Looking more closely at that level 56 person, Grant noticed that such a man had a high status in this place and said. "That''s me. What''s your name?"


    That fellow with a black mustache then smiled and responded. "This one is called Dillian. I''m His Grace''s butler and also a local doctor."


    "So you are young Dillian... Well, as agreed with Minos, I have come to this place." He went straight to the point, interested if that sovereign''s staff had prepared something for him. "I am curious to know what he expects from me. Maybe he just wants me to live in his city?"


    "Well, let''s talk about that in a more comfortable place..." Dillian nodded in the direction of one of the offices in that area.


    After that, that man''s caretakers helped him follow Dillian to a pleasant place, where both parties got to know each other better in a short time.


    Minos'' goal in bringing Grant to his side was to get information about whatever was in the North Sea and other minor details. Consequently, as long as he stayed in Dry City, this man would have to relay his information to the local army headquarters to catalog it.


    On the other hand, since Grant had already been an expert by mainland standards, there was no reason to waste his presence in this city!


    He could both give information about the rest of the continent to Minos'' organization and advise the army''s soldiers.


    After all, crippled or not, he could still use his soul sense, something powerful for analyzing individual capabilities and other relevant points in a cultivator''s life.


    So, Dillian soon talked to Grant about all this, and the man accepted almost everything smoothly.


    Especially the part about becoming an instructor at headquarters since, for the first time in countless years, he would have a serious job that he knew he could do well!


    And with a sense of purpose in his heart, that man left this state''s government seat satisfied with his choices, going to the place prepared for him by Minos'' staff in a local hotel.


    ...


    After Grant''s departure, Dillian returned to his original subjects, the situation of the regional migration to the Black Plain.


    "How are our borders?" He asked a soldier sitting across from him, around a rectangular glass table.


    "The southernmost border is by far the one with the best situation at the moment. The Cromwell Kingdom has adopted some measures that their population has greatly approved, so we haven''t had many problems so far in controlling the illegal migration of people coming from that state."


    "On the other hand, our biggest problem at the moment is the northern border, with the Brown Kingdom and Kingdom of the Waves."


    Other people there then said. "Our forces and those of those states are doing their best to bar illegal migration. But since this is the only route for people coming from the four states to the north, the numbers of people trying to enter our state illegally through this area is not small."


    "As such, we estimate that more than a thousand illegal immigrants are daily entering the Black Plain."


    "A thousand?" Dillian repeated that number, thinking about how he could solve this problem.


    This amount of people entering the Black Plain was not problematic. Still, the situation could quickly spiral out of control.


    He then said. "Well, let''s put these people who arrive illegally to work in the construction camps of our future cities. Since they''re already here, we''d better regularize their situation and put them to work."


    "But let''s make the regional periodicals publish news that illegal immigrants arriving in Black Plain are being deported and losing their right to return to our state."


    "At the same time, we will run an ad saying that anyone who illegally immigrates here will immediately lose rights that Dry City citizens enjoy."


    "For example, the right to compete for army vacancies!"

 Chapter ?1050 Back to the Kingdom of the End

    Chapter ?1050 Back to the Kingdom of the End


    After weeks of traveling with no other people to hinder them, Minos and Abby had finally reached the vicinity of the Kingdom of the End capital.


    However, as they had made this journey from the Snow Kingdom, the two had first stopped at a seaside city in the northernmost part of the Kingdom of the End before the stop in Mirabella.


    This place was only a day''s drive from the capital of that state, and considering that they would be staying the next few days in the Carline family, they had both taken the opportunity to stop there and enjoy another day on their own.


    So far, the trip had been enjoyable, with both having intensified their attempts to get pregnant, something they had done many times as they had stopped to rest.


    In addition, they had no problems during the trip, with no beasts or people getting in their way.


    Because of how well known Minos and, of course, his woman already was, they had managed to travel around the region without wasting time on slayings.


    Hence, even though they had only stayed a short time at each of their stops, they had both had a great time together, testing cuisines in the various cities they passed.


    Other than that, they had both trained hard, with Abby having advanced to level 54 while Minos was not far from reaching level 55.


    In any case, they continued to keep up with regional news via the crows sent from the Black Plain Army headquarters, both being satisfied with how their people were taking care of things in Dry City.


    ...


    In a hotel on the waterfront in that city where the most important couple of the region was staying, the window of the main room there was open, giving way to the pleasant night breeze.


    The high-standard curtains of that room were gently swaying with the pleasant wind that came in through the open window, cooling the intense heat in the room at the moment.


    From that place, the sounds of creaking wood and heavenly moans had been spreading in the surroundings for the last 45 minutes, while the intense heat of those two united bodies raised the temperature of the surroundings.


    When every inch of their bodies was drenched with sweat and breath sounds sounded, the couple reached their climax one last time, starting to enjoy the wind without being distracted by other things.


    "Ahhhhhhhh~"


    "Oh~"


    Minos opened his mouth and let out that sound as he lay on his side on that big bed they were, with one of his hands hugging Abby''s waist and the other holding her left thigh.


    Meanwhile, Abby was in front of Minos, feeling one of her legs supported by his left hand, with the two still connected, while she watched him and he observed her.


    The two kissed for a few moments until Minos'' rod slipped out of Abby''s wet flower, letting fluid drip from that part of her.


    "Ahh~" Abby made a slight sound as she parted her lips from Minos'', immediately forming a small seal on that part of her body.


    "Hah... Hah... Now we can rest for a while... Hah..." She said with a smile as she relaxed her back on that bed, feeling her man enveloping her. "I guess we have until tomorrow until we can try again..."


    "Oh? I don''t know if I can wait all that long, dear..." Minos mischievously smiled as he ran one of his hands over his woman''s perfect belly.


    She looked up at him with a smile and said in a whisper tone. "We can try ''back there'' before we sleep..."


    "Oh? Hehe, I was thinking exactly that." He stood up after saying that, standing face to face with that window, sideways to Abby.


    Seeing the starry sky, Minos remembered something and asked Abby, "There''s an interesting place in this city. Do you want to see it?"


    "We can have dinner on the way back and replenish our energy for later."


    Upon hearing that great idea, Abby felt her strength returning to her control and promptly got up from there, pleased that her man was proposing such a thing.


    Abby naturally loved Minos and longed to be with him. But this was not only in intimate moments like the one they had just finished. She also longed to see new places with him and be seen next to him by other people.


    So, with him always being so determined to lead, being dominant not only in bed but also always proposing what they should do, she felt incredible at his side, even though they had been together for almost ten years.


    That period was short compared to their life expectancy. But considering that this was almost half their lives by then, such a period could not be underestimated!


    Considering this, the smiling Abby soon pushed her man into the shower with her, quickly getting the smell of sex off their bodies and getting dressed for their outing.


    She put on a beautiful dress, sensual but not to the point of showing more than it should. As for him, Minos put on a high-standard outfit, which he knew fit well on his body and that women, in general, appreciated very much.


    In this way, the stunning and powerful couple soon left that hotel room, heading for an evening stroll on the beach.


    ...


    After passing by the hotel reception, where each of the employees and clients respectfully greeted them, Minos and Abby walked calmly along the local waterfront until they arrived near an abandoned building.


    But this place was not a simple abandoned building such as could be seen in any of the larger regional cities. No, this place, although abandoned, was in excellent condition and had a high standard of appearance that even people from outside this region would admire when they saw it.


    "Abby, what do you think of this place?" Minos asked as he stopped walking, standing in front of that building that was on a beach.


    "This..."


    "I honestly don''t understand... Such a different and majestic building in this city... And what''s more, why is there no one there? Is there some mystery behind it?" She looked at the darkness of that building, which indicated that no one was living there, but that did not prevent cultivators like them from spying.


    "Hmm, there actually is..." Minos smiled as he hugged his woman from behind. He then began to explain to her. "I don''t know exactly how it happened or if my theory is correct. But you see that..." He pointed in the direction of a part of that magnificent building that looked as if it had not been finished built.


    "Hmmm." Abby made a closed-mouth sound, nodding to Minos.


    "Well, just like here in this city in the Kingdom of the End, there are two other parts of that building elsewhere in the Spiritual World."


    "One is on a floating island, and the last is on the Divine Continent."


    "Uh? What does that mean?" She looked back in curiosity.


    "Well, it could mean that powerful people from the past made a joke and built complementary parts of this building in different places in the Spiritual World..." He stated this possibility before revealing his theory.


    "What? Isn''t that absurd? And why do you think powerful people would do that?"


    "Well, only powerful people could build a building that has existed for millions of years!"


    "Millions of years?" Abby opened her mouth in shock since she would not doubt if she were told that such a building had just been built.


    "Hmm, this place is older than the oldest God of our kind."


    "Anyway, I have a different theory about that place."


    She then asked. "What is it?"


    "What if the Spiritual World was one in the remote past?" He smiled at her, knowing how crazy that would be.


    After all, the map of the Spiritual World had had the same configuration for millions of years before Henricus Longus, never having changed in that time. So how could the Spiritual World be one in the past?


    "What if the continents of our world were once together?" He asked her, wondering how interesting that would not be.


    Abby''s eyes sparkled at this hypothesis as such a thing would imply something shocking. "Interesting. But how do you think that could have happened?"


    "Maybe the Spiritual World is alive... Maybe this is related to those skeletons... Or it could be something else, I''m not sure now, but I want to find that out one day."


    "Will you help me?"


    "Of course! That will be fun!" She hugged him, her heart beating faster as she thought of the adventures she could have alongside Minos in search of these answers.


    "Well, when we leave the northern region in the future, we will try to visit ancient ruins in search of those answers!"

 Chapter ?1051 Finalizing the Subordination of the Kingdom of the End (*)

    Chapter ?1051 Finalizing the Subordination of the Kingdom of the End (*)


    After the previous occasion, Minos and Abby had dinner and then spent the rest of the night in that city until they left in the direction of Mirabella.


    With that, a day quickly passed, and at this instant, the couple had already arrived in that regional metropolis, where the local royalty was already prepared to receive them.


    As they entered that city while riding Maida, the couple found a clear path through the local avenues, without a single person or carriage in their way to hinder them.


    On the other hand, several local soldiers patrolled those streets, preventing curious people from getting too close to the tyrant who had just arrived in Mirabella.


    The local population did not know that Minos would come to the kingdom''s capital on this day. But as there were always people passing through those streets, the royal family had blocked off an exclusive path for the couple to pass through, preventing crowds from forming in their vicinity.


    Minos naturally had not asked for any of this. Still, since House Carline already knew that he would arrive in this city on this day, they had not missed the opportunity to lessen potential irritations to him.


    On the other hand, King Carline did not want his people to celebrate Minos'' arrival, which would only further diminish his prestige.


    As such, this current arrangement had been prepared for that couple, which enabled the two to quickly reach the royal palace, where Minos had fun with Kara previously.


    "This city truly seems to be one of the best in the region... Worthy of the wealthiest family in our domain." Abby laughed as she said such a thing.


    Abby still thought it was funny that the entire region was now Minos'', which soon would be hers as well as she would become his queen. But even though she felt awkward about it, as King Stuart''s future number one wife, she knew she could not be modest.


    The region was indeed theirs, and it was good that they were both aware of it!


    Thus, speaking such words aloud was essential in developing a sense of ownership in their beings.


    As someone who understood how power relations worked, Abby followed her man''s ways on that subject!


    "Hmmm."


    "In my other time here, I didn''t have much time to admire the surroundings, but it''s true. This place is nice." Minos commented as he walked with Abby, heading up a magnificent staircase, where several men of the royal family were posing, and the royals were waiting for them at the palace entrance.


    Seeing Jade on King Carline''s right side, Minos smiled, remembering all his adventures with that woman during the days of ''negotiation'' in the Spiritual Church camp.


    "His Majesty, the King of the Black Plain!" Some high-ranking official of that organization said this out loud, followed by a series of drumming sounds.


    But only Minos was introduced since, by regional custom, only queens, not fianc¨¦es, were greeted with the etiquette used with leaders of states.


    "Your Majesty, congratulations on defeating the Scourges of the Devil." King Carline forced a smile as he said such a thing, also gesturing to Minos.


    At the same time, Jade did not miss the opportunity and also said a few words to Minos, followed by Ford''s mother, Linette, who was standing there on the left side of King Carline.


    "It is good to see you again, Your Majesty." Linette said, smiling, feeling the regret that she had not chosen to accept Minos'' proposal when they first met.


    At that time, she, James Cromwell, and Thomas Brown collaborated with the Scourges of the Devil assassins to eliminate Minos. And even after the current king of the Black Plain had offered her family a chance to change sides, Jade had refused.


    Because of this, her family had lost thousands in the war and now had many cripples in their ranks.


    "Hmm, I guess you didn''t think you''d see me in this situation back then, huh?" Minos joked, making King Carline, who was standing there, feel a cold chill on his back since this man seemed to be the type who did not forget things easily.


    "Your Majesty, that was in the past. Why don''t we talk about the future? I already have everything prepared for my family''s high-level members to sign Soul Contracts with you." King Carline said this, trying to solve this problem right away.


    King Carline knew that this was a crucial time for the Black Plain and that if it were not for the Scourges of the Devil, Minos probably would not have made a trip to this place. So, coupled with his desire to see that fellow away from himself, he wanted to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.


    That had also been why he ordered several streets in this city to be closed off to Minos.


    The faster this man could settle his local affairs, the sooner he would leave!


    Minos looked at that man and smiled. "Well, let''s settle this. I don''t intend to stay here long, just two nights..."


    "Oh? Hehe, too bad." That fellow felt better and soon gestured for Minos to follow him. "This way..."


    After that, they proceeded with other officials from that place to the palace''s interior, where almost two dozen people had to sign Soul Contracts with Minos.


    As they walked to a suitable place, Jade made Linette walk a little slower so she could say something King Carline should not hear.


    "Hey, I want you to go..." She then whispered to that middle-aged woman, who was still beautiful despite her advanced age. "... I''ll have a surprise waiting for you, so keep your eyes blindfolded..."


    As she finished hearing that, Linette''s face turned red just thinking about the things Jade might be keeping for her. "Don''t you think we''d better do this after Minos is gone? I don''t know how to say it, but I feel strange with him here..."


    Jade smiled graciously and said ambiguously. "It will be even better because he is here. Don''t you think so?"


    "What about our husband?" .


    "Don''t worry about him. After signing agreements with Minos, he''ll probably use the excuse he needs to cultivate to avoid being around our guest."


    "In any case, I doubt he will miss us." She bit her lips and blinked at Linette, already feeling a slight tingling sensation in her privates.


    "OK."


    ...


    Hours later, Abby was in the Space Kingdom training, while Minos had already signed more than half of the Soul Contracts he had to confirm in this state.


    So, after receiving a secret message from Jade, he made his way toward the place the two had had fun before, having taken some care not to be chased.


    He did not particularly care for King Carline, but since this fellow was Kara''s father and Jade still loved that person in her own way, he did not want to create more problems for himself.


    But given his current abilities, it was not hard for him to trick the people on that estate and secretly get to Jade''s location.


    With that done, he soon entered an area with low lighting, where a woman was on a bed with her beautiful ass pointed upwards while her breasts and face were tilted downward.


    Watching the beautiful flower being shown perfectly from that position, Minos promptly realized that this was not Jade.


    "O..."


    But before he could say anything, a female hand coming from behind closed his mouth and said. "I want you to show her what you are capable of..." Jade said in a seductive tone, charged with desire for what was about to happen.


    And while Minos was silent, Linette, who heard that but continued with her eyes blindfolded, yet in that position, asked. "Jade, don''t tell me you brought someone else here? Who is she?"


    "She?" Jade laughed. "You will find out in a few moments, my dear."


    "But I ask you to keep an open mind. Can you do that?"


    Gulp!


    "As long as it stays between us, I''m OK with it." Linette said after thinking for a minute as she felt her little sister ''salivating.''


    Upon hearing that, Minos wasted no time and climbed into that bed, already naked, hungry to taste that ''delicacy.''


    ''Oh, how evil I am...'' Minos smiled internally, thinking how his old friend Ford would look if he found out what was about to happen.


    ''Sorry, Ford, but I don''t excuse anyone!'' After that, he started to eat that perfumed flower, playing with it with his clever fingers, quickly making Linette moan in pleasure, asking for more.

 Chapter ?1052 The Pleasure of Sin (18+)

    Chapter ?1052 The Pleasure of Sin (18+)


    "Ahhhhh~"


    "Ahhhh~ Oh, mine~ What is that? Ahh~" Within moments, Linette was moaning like she had not done in ages, her whole body trembling from the spasms related to the pleasure Minos was giving her.


    Minos had his face buried in Linette''s beautiful buttocks, his mouth kissing her pink flower, and his nose rubbing through her second hole.


    While Jade was sitting next to Linette, with her legs spread, facing Minos, and playing with herself, this man had one of his hands between Ford''s mother''s legs, constantly rubbing her clit.


    "Ahhhhhh~"


    ''That... That is not a woman!'' Linette thought about it as she allowed her body to be carried away by that feeling. ''This smell... This way of touching...''


    Gulp!


    ''Who is he? How did Jade have the audacity to do such a thing? She... Now we are cheating on our husband!'' She felt guilty, but that was like throwing fuel on the fire...


    And the fire called her body was reacting better than one would expect from a situation like this!


    "Ahhh~ I''m coming~" She cried out moments before expelling the nectar of love into Minos'' mouth and fingers.


    However, as she felt that colossal orgasm, her rational side finally deciphered the identity of who had eaten her so skillfully.


    ''Minos!'' She concluded, considering the cultivation level of the person there with her.


    There were level 54 cultivators on that estate. But besides none of them having the courage to do this to them, Linette knew very well how to recognize the spiritual fluctuations of her old enemy!


    She just had not realized that he was the one Jade had brought here at the first moment because not even in her wildest dreams would she have thought that woman would do such a thing!


    No, she had genuinely believed that Jade had brought another woman to this place, something somewhat acceptable in her opinion.


    But now, in that situation, sure that such a person was a man, Linette had done the obvious, tested that man''s cultivation!


    Gulp!


    ''I can''t believe I''m doing this to Minos!''


    ''Doesn''t he think I''m old?''


    ''Does he truly want me?'' She continued in silence as she felt his hands on her body.


    She then felt a slight shock in her little sister when something hard and warm suddenly touched the most sensitive part of her flower.


    Linette heard Jade''s voice, "Honey, if you want to stop, this is your last chance. But know that the evening will be much more fun if you keep going."


    Jade leaned her face against Linette''s neck and whispered. "You know how I enjoy a good threesome..."


    After that, Linette remained silent, pretending not to know that Minos was about to fuck her, trying to pass for an ignoramus. ''Put it on soon!'' She cried out in her mind, hoping King Stuart would take care of her needs before she lost her courage.


    And then, she felt that man''s rod!


    "Ahhhhhhhhh~"


    "Oh, mine, how big he is~" She cried out immediately after the man behind her put all the length of his little brother into her flower.


    And feeling parts of her body that had not been reached in ages being touched by Minos, Linette could not help but scream in happiness, making the other two smile.


    So, it did not take long for her to have a series of orgasms until, eventually, Jade joined the two.


    "Honey, I think your little mouth is working too little..."


    ...


    Four hours later...


    "Hah... Hah... Hah... That was amazing!"


    "Hah... That was simply the best sex I''ve ever had!" Linette said this as she relaxed on Minos'' right side, already without her mask from before, looking up at the ceiling, feeling her whole body sweaty.


    On the other side, Jade and Minos were also in similar positions to that woman, each naked, drenched with sweat, hurriedly breathing as they looked up.


    That sex session had been the wildest Minos had ever had in his life!


    But it was not for nothing. Minos had never had the opportunity to be with two women of such high levels simultaneously!


    He often takes care of Regina''s needs, the level 59 poison master of his army. But that woman was only one and could not be compared to two, let alone Linette and Jade, who were at the top of the 6th stage!


    Consequently, he had reached his limit in this experiment and was quite tired at this point!


    "It''s not for nothing that you look so different, Jade!" She looked away, seeing a bit of that woman''s face on Minos'' left side.


    She then looked at Minos'' little brother and said. "It is not for nothing your daughter gave herself to an enemy, even knowing how terrible he could be..."


    Originally she wanted to appear unaware of Minos'' identity, so she could still behave naturally in front of him after this wild night. But at some point in their adventure, the arousal and pleasure felt by her had made her give it all up and embark on this forbidden adventure.


    That was why she had taken off her mask.


    "Now you understand everything, haha..." Jade laughed at that, feeling pleased that Minos had made that previously stop in Mirabella.


    Linette leaned on one of her arms and looked into Minos'' eyes. "It''s a shame we didn''t do this sooner... Maybe we would have had a better relationship if I had accepted your offer that day we met."


    "Sigh..."


    "I was a fool." She placed one of her hands on Minos'' well-defined chest, regretting that it had not been her instead of Kara on that occasion in Dry City.


    "Well, it makes no difference now to think about it," Minos commented as his heart began beating slower. "What''s done is done. So let''s move on with what we''ve accomplished."


    "Hmmm."


    "Better late than never," Jade said in a low voice, not bothered by it.


    Linette closed her eyes for a moment and asked. "What will we do now? If our husband finds out, I''m afraid he will lose the hair on his head..."


    "What will we do? We will continue as we are!" Jade replied without any hesitation. "I love Raymond, and I would never leave him. So, I will do anything to keep him safe."


    "Even if I have to hide my adventures with Minos."


    "Oh?"


    ''You''re right. It wouldn''t do him any good to find out about it...'' Linette pondered this, feeling that such a man would probably explode with rage and do something crazy.


    In this case, not saying anything to him would be best!


    Besides, what could they do? Simply tell the man that they still had feelings that they had had sex with Minos, their old enemy?


    They certainly did not want to run off with Minos or anything of the sort, as there were no feelings between them. Besides, this man had several other women at his disposal. As such, their minds had come to that simple solution!


    Seeing that, Minos felt a little bad for that fellow, but he could not help but laugh. ''Well, consider it part of your punishment, hehe. If you hadn''t acted against me, I wouldn''t have met Jade in that previous situation...''


    ''Now here we are.'' He closed his eyes momentarily, hugging the waist of the two and bringing them closer to him. "Well, now that we''ve had our fun, let''s talk about some serious business."


    "What?" Jade frowned, not understanding what Minos could possibly want while they were still in bed.


    "Well, as I have already warned you, a subordinate of mine is coming to this state to take revenge on old enemies. She is probably already arriving in the area."


    "Oh? You mean that young Spiritual King, Barbara?" Linette remembered this since she was the one who had received such a communiqu¨¦ from Minos'' forces.


    "Yes."


    "Well, don''t worry. I have already sent someone to watch her from afar. If there is any trouble, he will act."


    "I am relieved..."


    "In any case, after my departure, I intend to spend a few years without leaving the Black Plain. So let''s clarify how our professional and intimate relationship will be in the future. Is that okay with you?" He said after a while in silence.


    "Years? All that? Don''t you intend to check your territories from time to time?" Jade asked as she lifted part of her body to get a better look at him.


    "Not now."


    Linette then said. "Well, we can arrange that..."


    "Even if you don''t leave the Black Plain, we, as your subordinates, must keep you well-informed..."


    "Sometimes, for that, letters are not enough."


    Jade nodded in agreement upon hearing that, "Indeed. We must do our best for our state, family, and leader."


    "Hahaha..."

 Chapter ?1053 Gloria at Work

    Chapter ?1053 Gloria at Work


    While Minos was enjoying himself in the northern region of the Central Continent, Gloria had already arrived in the Flaming Empire. At this moment, she was resuming her duties in the branch of the Spiritual Church in such a state.


    Gloria was aware of all the decisions made by the Church in her absence and also informed about the entry of Spiritual Emperors from the great sects of the empire into that region.


    At the same time, she already had the information about the departure or confirmation of the death of those individuals who had gone to that region after her order. With that in hand, she was now in the central hall of the Spiritual Church temple in the empire''s capital, bringing her case forth to her superiors.


    "Patriarchs, I have just returned to my duties locally, and I hope you will approve a new request from me." She said this as she was dressed in her black uniform, facing the three individuals dressed in red clocks.


    Those individuals were sitting side by side in that area that looked more like a courtroom than an ordinary workplace.


    Meanwhile, several low-level individuals were standing around to register or do other essential functions.


    "Archbishop Frost, we have already learned about your deal with the newly-born state, the Black Plain." The leftmost individual, a short, fat man, said this while having his eyes closed. "Is that what you want to talk about?"


    "Yes, Patriarch Horton."


    "What do you want?" The most important Patriarch of the three, level 78, sitting between those two, asked this as he looked at the most talented woman of this generation in this place.


    Gloria then went straight to the point. "Patriarchs, I know that the church''s release for the sects of the empire to act against Minos was previously motivated by the Seraphim''s Promise Medal."


    "But Clayton Silva is already dead. Nay, House Silva has already been wiped out, and anyone who had the right to question the culmination of our promise is already dead."


    "Consequently, we no longer have an obligation to continue allowing outside powers to interfere in the northern region!"


    "If we let that happen, I fear that the damage caused by the empire sects to that region will become too great for us to attempt to reverse it later!"


    "In that way, I ask the Patriarchs to revoke the previous order and prevent the empire sects from acting in the northern region." She said this in a determined manner, acting for the good of Minos and her own plans.


    Now that they were allies, she had to act for his sake even if she was not interested in him in other ways. As such, she had brought this matter to these people as soon as she got a schedule with them.


    After hearing the redhead in front of them speak on that point, the three men looked at each other momentarily, knowing that this was reasonable.


    They did not like to give outside powers too much freedom to interfere in the northern region, where they had unparalleled dominance. And with a good excuse to ignore the request made with the Seraphim''s Promise Medal, they soon thought to go ahead with Gloria''s plans.


    "Well, that seems like a good idea, but not entirely." The individual who had not yet said anything declared, looking at Gloria calmly. "We''ve already allowed this, so we can''t just cancel it anyway."


    "Then I suggest that we forbid such actions in the northern region for people who have not yet left the empire on the date of the publication of this prohibition. That way, at least we will give some room for the powers with Seraphim''s Promise Medals to understand that their requests will not be canceled anyway."


    The other two nodded in agreement since the Church needs to maintain some standards in its actions.


    "Well, let''s do it this way," The leader of the three said. "Is there anything else, young Archbishop Frost?"


    "No, Patriarchs, that was all." She made a gesture of etiquette before leaving that place with a smile on her face.


    ''Well, Minos, that''s all I can do for you now...''


    ''I hope that''s enough to give you some peace for the next years!'' She walked down a long corridor in silence, next to a woman dressed in purple, her secretary.


    "Chloe, keep in touch with the northern region more often from now on. I want news from that place at least once a month while I''m here in the empire."


    "While you are here? Archbishop, do you intend to go to that place often?" That black-haired woman, only 1.5 meters tall, asked in doubt.


    "Not necessarily. But I must return to that place soon."


    "Oh? You mean that young man''s wedding, right?"


    "That''s right."


    "Well, then I must inform you that Ruth Miles has already signed a contract with the Church, guaranteeing that she is no longer part of her sect and that she will not receive support from it in the future."


    "She should already be traveling north by now."


    Even before she returned to the empire, Gloria had already asked for information about Ruth''s passage to this place. After all, the royal wedding of Minos was to take place soon, something that could be most easily signaled by that woman''s departure from the empire.


    Therefore, that secretary promptly informed Gloria about it upon hearing her boss'' earlier answer.


    "I see... Well, then I will stay here for another two months before I leave again." She clenched one of her fists as she looked through a window at the end of that corridor. "For now, make arrangements for what I told you."


    "All right, Archbishop. Everything will be ready when you return from King Stuart''s wedding." That woman then left Gloria''s side, going to begin to settle such matters.


    Meanwhile, Gloria finally stopped walking around that place, standing by the window that overlooked the most beautiful part of this capital city. ''Now that I have reached level 65, I must take advantage of these weeks I will have before I return to Minos'' territory.''


    ''I cannot allow myself to be overtaken by him so easily!''


    ...


    Only a few hours after Gloria''s request, the new communiqu¨¦ from the Spiritual Church regarding the liberation of Minos'' assassination by the sects of the empire had already reached the principal people involved in this.


    First, each of the six sects that had not sent people to the northern region had felt better about this since they preferred that the Church not break its own rules. After all, they were weaker and preferred to live with what they already knew.


    On the other hand, since most of them had accepted Oswald''s request, they had gained a lot for something that lasted so little!


    Thus, they did not receive the new Church publication badly.


    But for the members of the Saints Killing Sect, or even family members of the individuals killed by the Black Plain forces, this had been a bath of cold water!


    Several of them had died, and now they could not even seek revenge?


    Well, that was indeed enough to make anyone angry!


    But the command of that sect was not feeling so terrible about that. After all, besides the fact that there were still people of theirs going to the Black Plain, they had already incited enough trouble with the Gray Clouds Sect in the past few months.


    With that, it was only a matter of time before they achieved their goals!


    But not all of their projects were going according to plan...


    ...


    In a desert place in the Flaming Empire, a man with blood-colored hair, and eyes of the same color, was sitting on a hill, looking at the many bodies in his surroundings.


    As he closed his eyes that had a particular circular pattern around his pupils, the small vertical ''scar'' on his forehead almost opened with the movement of his face.


    "Ah, where am I going to go now? Those worms won''t stop coming after me as long as I''m in the empire."


    "Maybe the northern region?"


    "Hmm, it will be problematic to advance to the 8th stage in that place, so I guess I will go to one of those high-level kingdoms on the border with that region..."


    "Worst case scenario, I can move to that area easily!" He made up his mind as he stood up from where he was and opened his eyes.


    As he did so, the circular pattern in his eyes began to move, each circle following a different direction. At the same time, the ''scar'' on his forehead seemed to want to open.


    After this, the space around him collapsed, and he disappeared from that region without a trace.

 Chapter ?1054 Arriving at the Destination

    Chapter ?1054 Arriving at the Destination


    Three weeks after Minos and Abby arrived in Mirabella...


    After signing agreements with the upper echelon of House Carline, Minos and Abby had departed the Kingdom of the End and made their way back to the Black Plain.


    Since the capital of the Kingdom of the Waves was on the way and Minos already had an interest in seeing how this place was doing, he and Abby had in this period traveled most of their way between Mirabella and Athela.


    However, even though weeks had passed, Minos was still at level 54, only a few steps away from achieving his advancement to the next level.


    He and Abby had been cultivating and training hard over the past few days, even training with the Elite Squad soldiers in the Spatial Kingdom and the Feathered Serpent, Virtus.


    But at the point he was, Minos would need to constantly fight with Spiritual Emperors to stimulate faster advances. Unfortunately, however, there were no such people in this region, and he could only rely on his excellent cultivation speed within the Spatial Kingdom.


    In any case, that king already knew that his next breakthrough would happen in a month at most, probably before he and Abby arrived in Dry City.


    As for what he would do to boost faster advances in the future, this man was already thinking about returning to military exercises with his soldiers.


    The Black Plain Army was growing daily, and the number of Spiritual Kings in this organization could pass 200 quickly. But, at the same time, it would not take long before there was a legion of regional peak cultivators, which could provide some challenges for him.


    After all, unlike Minos'' ordinary opponents, the high-level soldiers of his army had Silver-grade techniques. But on the other hand, many of them had years of experience in collective fighting. Consequently, fighting them could provide a much more significant challenge to King Stuart than doing the same against ordinary enemies!


    With that, he intended to use his men to improve his cultivation speed in this region as much as possible until at least he reached a minimum strength to leave this large territory of his safely.


    In theory, Spiritual Kings, like Ruth, could travel relatively safely between regions. But this was due not to their strength but their knowledge and means. Regional Spiritual Kings, for example, did not have the means or the knowledge to leave that region safely. Therefore, even those stronger than the fianc¨¦e of Minos would not dare to leave those areas.


    As for the means Ruth or others could use if they had crystals and information, there was the possibility of traveling through wormholes or teleportation arrays.


    In any case, Minos did not want to use such means unnecessarily. On the contrary, he wanted to experience the cultivation world outside the northern region while at the same time taking advantage of the opportunities and challenges of a more straightforward method of travel.


    With this, he knew that he was not prepared at the moment and would face the same dangers as regional Spiritual Kings who ventured outside this region.


    In other words, it would be a significant risk to leave his territory for the time being!


    On the other hand, the Black Plain was in its primary stage of development, and there was much for him to do and sort out in the coming years. Thus, he aimed not to leave this region until he at least reached level 60 and improved the strength of his army and state!


    But he was not worried about his advancements. Having no strong opponent would delay his advancements to the level 60 by weeks, at most a few months. As such, he was at ease with the possibility of training alongside his soldiers until he reached that level!


    In that way, the young man, who was already at the peak of level 54, was currently flying over the vicinity of Athela, sitting behind Abby on Maida''s back.


    "My love, I think that map is related to this place, no?" Abby broke the silence as she looked back and asked.


    "Oh?" Minos'' eyes widened in surprise that Abby had noticed that without him saying anything.


    "I''ve felt my connection to that map increase over the past few days. It''s as if it''s showing me that we''re close to that place marked with an ''x.''" She explained.


    "Sigh..."


    After sighing for a moment, Minos was honest with his woman. "I didn''t think that would happen... But, yes, that map is of those areas of the Kingdom of the Waves."


    "So..."


    "What are we going to do?"


    He hugged her waist tighter and closed his eyes, thinking for a moment about this question. "Well, let''s look for local information."


    "Since this map indicates a place in the vicinity of this kingdom''s capital, perhaps the family that has ruled this place for hundreds of thousands of years has some hint." He said as Abby watched him, waiting for her man''s decision.


    She genuinely was curious to find out what such a thing led to. But Abby felt that without Minos'' consent, she could not go ahead to try to answer her questions. So, she would follow whatever he decided!


    "Do you think the Walker family might have some information?" She asked.


    "It''s hard to say. They could either know something or have no idea about it. After all, even the Scourges of the Devil did not discover that map inside their ''house''..."


    "But given how long the Walker family has ruled this territory, they are our best chance of getting some information."


    "In any case, if we don''t find anything with them, we''ll let the matter cool off for a while. Then, let''s return to the Black Plain, take care of our state, cultivation, and family."


    "Sooner or later, we can return and resolve our doubts." He said calmly, noting Abby''s satisfied smile.


    "That''s good too."


    Abby wanted to resolve this issue, but her desire to have a family with Minos was much more significant. Hence, hearing his words, she was more than satisfied with how her man wanted to handle the situation.


    With that decided, the two of them headed towards that city less than 50 kilometers from where they were.


    ...


    At the same time as the most important couple of this region were flying over the vicinity of Athela, another group of migrants had just arrived in Dry City.


    However, amidst the 25,000 individuals who had had the good fortune to be able to join the local labor forces, someone Minos had met previously was there, hopeful but also regretful.


    After almost nine years since he had met Minos, Peter, Barbara, Joey, Robin, and Abby, Milton, level 47, had joined this city that he had once refused...


    At that time, after being freed from slavery by Minos'' group that attacked the then Chambers family base, Milton had declined the invitation of the ruler of the Black Plains to come here. Instead of doing so, he had gone back to his old village, where he had lived all this time.


    However, with the war, Martin had discovered who his savior was and where Barbara, Joey, Robin, and Peter, his slaves'' companions, were.


    Peter particularly had not become someone common to appear on regional news since, for much of the war, he had not fought on the Black Plain. But Robin and Barbara had become warriors of regional renown, responsible for many regional specialists'' deaths.


    Because of this, Martin discovered what he had missed by refusing Minos'' good offer at that time.


    However, time had already passed, and there was no way to reverse his decisions. As such, he had waited until the moment when peace was re-established to make up for his lost time.


    Thus, he had arrived in Dry City, coming from one of the villages now part of the great territory of the Black Plain.


    "Sigh..."


    "Looks like you still came here in the end, huh?" An elderly man said this as he looked in Milton''s direction.


    "Better late than never, I suppose..." Milton gave a dull smile as he saw old Joey in an army area, where migrants went through the primary interrogation to get permission to stay.


    "Hahaha, well, those three are already Spiritual Kings, but if you try hard, you can still get close to them." Old Joey greeted that fellow with one of his hands. "Work hard and good luck."


    "Thank you."

 Chapter ?1055 The Walker Family Secret

    Chapter ?1055 The Walker Family Secret


    After some time, Minos and Abby finally arrived in the capital of the Kingdom of the Waves, where, just as in Mirabella, they had been received with the honors that only monarchs could enjoy.


    All the members of the local royalty had welcomed them at the entrance of the royal palace while the local troops played instruments and the like.


    After such a welcome to the person who had slaughtered the core of this family, Minos and Abby were taken by Blake to the royal throne hall.


    Then, arriving in that place, Minos promptly sat down in that seat belonging to Blake, with Abby on his lap, while this family core stood in front of them.


    Thus, they had arrived at the current situation, where the Spiritual Kings who were guarding the area, dressed in the uniform of the royal guard, were trembling while looking at that dangerous couple.


    "Your Majesty, may I know the grace of your visit?" Blake asked in a low voice, trying not to look directly into Minos'' eyes.


    At the same time, his mother and the former state queen stood side by side with him and Wilfred, profiled in front of the royal throne, each silently staring at the ground.


    "Hmm, I want to know how this state is after your ascension. Are there any problems? Are you managing to deal with the migrations?" Minos asked this as he relaxed in that place, with one of his hands on Abby''s waist and one on the right arm of that throne.


    As Abby watched in Blake''s direction, this level 52 fellow answered sincerely. "After I took over the family''s leadership, my group has managed to suppress all opposition, and we are implementing even difficult measures without much difficulty."


    "Aside from the political aspect, we have several problems with the population of parts of the kingdom that were disturbed by the bold actions of certain houses during the war."


    "But be assured, Your Majesty, we are fully capable of resolving this without causing damage to Black Plain."


    Abby then asked. "What about the families in your Kingdom with connection to the Scourges of the Devil? What are you doing?"


    All the regional royal families already knew about that list of organizations with the potential to cause trouble and were already taking action regarding that. In the Kingdom of the End, for example, Minos and Abby had already heard about what House Carline had been doing and potential methods of action.


    Blake then replied. "We have two families in the Kingdom with their names on the list sent by King Snow. We are already investigating these families, and if we notice any non-compliance with the laws imposed by the Black Plain, we will immediately deal with them."


    "We already have plans for that, so Ma''am can rest assured about those two families."


    "In any case, they are not strong, and only a few of our Spiritual Kings are enough to deal with them in case of trouble."


    "Oh? That''s good."


    "As for migration," Blake continued. "Most of our population had already opted for regular migration to the Black Plain. But after the recent news of what''s been happening with illegal migrants, our concerns at the borders are diminishing by the day."


    "At the current pace, we can reach a sustainable level to stop illegal immigration completely in the next three months."


    "So, even if we still have many people trying to cross the border in advance, the situation is going well, Your Majesty."


    "Hmm, I see..." Minos smiled, feeling that the regional situation was developing more or less as he would like.


    "Well, if that is the case, I am satisfied with your work so far. However, I have an important mission to give you..." He looked at each of those people, especially the previous queen, who was the strongest in this place and also the oldest.


    "Actually, I seek a certain information..." He took the map out of his spatial ring as he saw the curious eyes of those who were also a little apprehensive.


    After all, Minos was dangerous, and it would be much better for all of them if he just wanted to know about the local situation. But missions, well, that might not be good for any of them!


    ''What does he want?'' Wilfred''s mother, level 57, wondered as she saw an old map appear in Minos'' hand.


    "That''s a map that Abby and I got recently by breaking into the Scourges of the Devil headquarters..." He paused and looked more seriously at those people. "That map indicates an area in this region of your state."


    After that, he threw the map in the direction of those people, allowing them to observe that.


    "Do you know something?" Abby looked at them with interest, waiting for those people to answer.


    And upon seeing that, those four people opened their mouths in shock, surprised to see such an item in Minos'' hands.


    "How can that be?"


    "Did the Scourges of the Devil also have a key?"


    "What?" The Queen Mother looked in disbelief at her former harem sister. "Is that really what I''m thinking?"


    That level 57 woman then shook her head positively, incredulous to see that her family''s secret was not exclusive to them.


    "Oh? It looks like you know about it, huh?" Minos said as an arc formed on his lips and his other hand fell on Abby''s firm thighs.


    "Tell us what you know," Abby said excitedly.


    Gulp!


    "Your... Your Majesty... Ma''am..." Blake said with difficulty, looking at his mother and then at Wilfred''s mother, uncertain what to do at this difficult moment.


    "Sigh..." Wilfred''s mother sighed in defeat, feeling she would have to hand even that over to Minos. ''There''s nothing to do. A treasure has no value if we can''t use it...''


    ''It''s not worth dying to keep it!''


    She then stepped forward and began to explain. "Well, that''s a long story, one intertwined with House Walker''s formation."


    Hearing that, Minos and Abby became more interested in listening to that woman, surprised that such a thing had more relation to this family than they had thought.


    "Before I explain exactly what that is, don''t you find it strange that my late husband tried to advance a stage when he hadn''t even lived half his life expectancy?"


    Advancing to the 7th stage in this region was a hazardous process for regional experts. Thus, they usually would not risk it unless they did not have much to lose.


    "Oh? He tried to advance because of that thing?" Minos readily understood what that woman was saying. "That needs someone with the strength of a Spiritual Emperor?"


    "Hmm, sort of, Your Majesty."


    "The truth is that William was very confident in his talent because he was the youngest peak Spiritual King our family has had. Because of this, he convinced himself that he could advance to the 7th stage and take the family to a new level after accessing ''our'' treasure."


    "Because of that, he suffered so much..." She said with a sad tone, speaking a little lower than usual.


    She then increased her tone. "Anyway, he didn''t do it for a bet!"


    "Two hundred thousand years ago, our ancestors found a map identical to this one." She waved that piece of paper. "Such a map was in an ancient ruin, where the Flooded Valley is located today. It was in a tomb of an ancient Spiritual Saint!"


    "Because of that, our ancestors always knew how valuable that map was!"


    "But back then, the ancestor who found that map didn''t understand where it led, where to begin his quests. After all, all those names and descriptions don''t refer to known places."


    "But as our family already led this state and had many experts, eventually they understand that such a thing was in the newly formed Kingdom of the Waves."


    "From there, our family began its mission to uncover the secret behind that map."


    "And so?" Abby asked.


    "Well, we found the place, but there was a problem..."


    "A problem?"


    "Yes, unfortunately, not just anyone can enter that place."


    "Our ancestors didn''t know at the time, but after many generations, we eventually found out that only the descendants of our ancestor who had first touched that map could access that!"


    "Other than his descendants, no one else could enter that Secret Tomb, not even read the test instructions."


    "Secret Tomb? Instructions?"


    "Test?"


    Minos and Abby said at the same time.


    "In short, that map our ancestor got is a tool that contains a genetic key left behind by a Spiritual Demigod."


    "That key is what gives access to the Secret Tomb, the test left behind by that person!"

 Chapter ?1056 Secret Tomb

    Chapter ?1056 Secret Tomb


    "Since our family found such a map, it took thousands of years before one of our ancestor''s descendants reached the minimum requirements to understand it."


    Wilfred''s mother continued her explanation. "To see the secrets of the Secret Tomb, someone has to be at least a Spiritual King. Otherwise, it is simply impossible. Because of this and due to the misfortune of fate, our family had been hampered for thousands of years due to the premature deaths of the ancestor''s descendants."


    "Fortunately, as time passed, the number of people with the ancestor''s blood in our family increased, and someone finally managed to enter that place and see the secret instructions."


    "From that day on, our family discovered the meaning behind that map, the treasure in our state!"


    Abby''s eyes sparkled in curiosity after those words were spoken, full of interest in knowing more about the history of that family.


    Minos continued to stare at that level 57 woman as if telling her to continue. He then listened. "The descendant of our ancestor who first got to see that place as it actually is discovered four things."


    Wilfred''s mother showed the index finger of her right hand to Minos and continued. "First. He discovered what I just spoke of, the need for a Spiritual King with our ancestor''s blood to access that place fully."


    "Through this information left in there, we discovered that the map found by our ancestor was a high-level ancient tool. Such a thing was developed to genetically pass on the key to the Secret Tomb through the one who first touched it."


    "A genetic key?" Minos and Abby finally understood that person''s previous words.


    "That''s right." She nodded with a serious look on her face. "There isn''t much information about it, but we have concluded that after touching that map, our ancestor had part of his genetics altered. That part was passed on to his descendants, something that allowed many of us to become candidates for what is in the Secret Tomb."


    "Oh?" Minos looked at Abby, finally understanding what had happened to her. ''So that put her on the list of candidates, huh?''


    But he soon returned his attention to Wilfred''s mother''s speech. "Because of this, eventually, our ancestor''s lineage became the main lineage of the Walker family. So, at present, Blake, my son, and I can access that place."


    The former queen of the Kingdom of the Wave, Wilfred''s mother, was the daughter of the son of the brother of William Walker''s grandfather, her late husband. Since the late King Walker''s grandfather belonged to the lineage of that ancestor, this woman also shared that heritage.


    After explaining that, she made the two-finger gesture and continued. "Second. Once one of the inheritance candidates in that place reaches level 60, that person will be able to start the test left by someone entitled Goddess of Life."


    "Goddess of Life?" Minos and Abby looked at each other since they had both discovered that map at the headquarters of the Scourges of the Devil, an organization that worshipped the teachings of the God of Death.


    But after looking at each other for a moment, neither continued to find it strange for much longer. After all, because of some of the records they got from that place, they both knew that the Scourges of the Devil had stolen that place from another organization.


    That way, it was not so strange to find out that there was a clue in that place from a different God than the one worshipped by those now-dead assassins.


    "Hmm, that''s the name on the Secret Tomb." She then made the three-finger gesture. "Third. Once a Spiritual Emperor with the genetic key enters there and proceeds with the test, that person must be prepared to follow through with such a thing to the end, since supposedly the treasure left there will begin to degrade once the test begins."


    "Fourth. There is a requirement regarding the Physique rating of the candidates. The minimum to proceed with the test is Saint-grade."


    "Saint-grade, huh? King Walker had that Physique?" Abby asked in curiosity, not seeing a problem in that since she had such a thing.


    "Yes, Ma''am, he had..."


    High-level physiques were rare to find. However, a person''s chances of passing on their physical quality to their offspring were significantly higher than passing on their cultivation talent.


    For example, a couple with the same degree of Physique had almost a 90% chance of passing it on to their children. On the other hand, the chance of a couple with the same degree of talent passing it on to their children was about 50%.


    Because of this, keeping the degree of Physique within a family was relatively easier, and despite the rarity, it was not so strange to find people with Saint-grade Physiques in this region.


    Yes, it was rare, only seen once every tens of millions of people. But even so, there were at least a dozen people in the region with Physiques of this quality.


    William had been one of these people, as well as the late King Cromwell, these three individuals from the Walker family, Abby, and some from the Snow Kingdom and Kingdom of the End.


    Anyway, after he finished listening to that woman''s explanation, Minos was curious to know what was in this Secret Tomb.


    He looked into Abby''s eyes and saw that she was even more excited than he was and asked. "Do you want to see this place? Unfortunately, we won''t be able to do anything now, but it won''t hurt to take a look."


    "Yes, let''s do that." She stood up from his lap, already making a motion to take one of his hands and pull him along.


    She looked at those four people and said. "Show us the way. We want to see that place."


    Blake and Wilfred then looked at each other, thinking that it would make no difference to these people that did not have the genetic key to go to such a place. After all, with only a piece of old paper left behind by the Scourges of the Devil, what could they have but curiosity?


    But since they did not want to piss off the most powerful woman in the region, they could only lead the way for those two. "This way..."


    And then, while being watched by the many guards in the surrounding area, the group of three women and three men made their way out of that royal hall.


    The Secret Tomb was located precisely in the middle of Athela, in the basement of the Walker family''s royal palace, the most well-protected place in that state!


    ...


    Soon the six people finished going down the flight of stairs that led to the most extreme point of the basement of that area, a place with the typical design of a crypt.


    Several torches were burning and illuminating the surroundings while royal guards dressed in red guarded the entrance.


    But when those level 55 Spiritual Kings, the ones left to do this job after Minos'' previous visit, saw them, each one quickly left their positions, making room for the newcomers to pass.


    Passing those people, Minos and Abby finally reached the inside of that crypt, where there was a statue in the central part, which was the same size as the one in the Scourges of the Devil headquarters.


    "Oh?" Minos looked at that place with interest as he finally spread his spiritual sense around the surroundings.


    After that, he, as well as Abby, Blake, Wilfred, and this man''s mother, saw the symbols on a black plaque on that statue appear, something that others could not see.


    "Hmmm, looks like you didn''t lie..." Minos commented in a low voice, surprising those people once again.


    "What? You can see?" Blake said in amazement as he looked at Minos, already feeling his family would miss such a thing.


    "Yeah, I didn''t expect to see that either..." Minos smiled as he looked at his Spatial Kingdom ring, seeing that thing glowing. ''Looks like I forced my way onto the list of such candidates, hehehe.''


    ''Apparently, Herincus Longus was much better than this Goddess of Life. Or was this person not a real God?'' He wondered, remembering that, as with the case of the God of Death, there were no records of a Goddess of Life.


    ''Hmm, could it be that the Spiritual Church erased the titles of these people from history? Why would they do that?''


    ...

 Chapter ?1057 Promise of Return

    Chapter ?1057 Promise of Return


    Minos then put aside his doubts about the origin of these two Gods he had learned about in recent weeks to pay attention to the content in that place.


    Knowing more of the mysteries behind such people could be interesting and even necessary. But at his level, Minos preferred not to get too involved in this.


    Such a thing would not only be a waste of time since he did not have enough information to think of anything, but also an extra worry about something not related to him.


    So, he turned his attention to the problem in front of him, something he could actually get involved in.


    Among the inscriptions in that place were some essential points about the tomb and requirements for participating in the inheritance of the Goddess of Life. In addition to what Wilfred''s mother had said, there was more specific information regarding what a candidate could expect when starting the test.


    According to that information, upon reaching level 60, any interested candidate could come to this place and infuse their cultivation into the Goddess of Life statue. After doing so, the test would begin, and each competitor who met the requirements would be teleported into the Secret Tomb below that crypt.


    In such a place, the candidates would have to go through some tests that could last up to a few months. So, there were also recommendations there for candidates to prepare themselves for the challenges of that!


    Finally, although several people could dispute the inheritance of the Goddess of Life at the same time, only one could be granted the purpose of it. But supposedly, artifacts and other things were stored there for participants with a good performance to get something of value.


    "Tsk!"


    "It''s not for nothing that King Walker got a little carried away..."


    Minos muttered as he smiled at the possibilities of that place. ''But this is truly interesting. If there''s something in that tomb, then it''s likely that there are other inheritances around the Spiritual World.''


    "Hmmm, I''ll have to pay attention to that in the future!"


    While King Stuart was watching that place with many ideas in his mind, Abby had a smile on her face, feeling that she could gain a lot there and still get closer to her man. She then commented to the people there, "I seem to feel a connection to this place. Do you all feel that? It''s like that good feeling before a victory or something happy..."


    "Oh?" Wilfred''s mother looked at that blue-haired woman and smiled. "That''s normal."


    "Everyone who shares the genetic key to this place feels connected to what is here."


    "We have no way of knowing for sure since this here was created by people of much higher levels than the elders of our family. But over the past 150,000 years, House Walker has done a lot of research into this heritage and has concluded that this feeling is nothing more than the genetic key telling us what to do."


    "This is more or less similar to what happens to women when we reach a certain age or circumstances. Sooner or later, most of us will feel the biological clock ticking and will want to have children."


    "That''s basically a way for our genes, or nature, to make us desire reproduction, thus ensuring the continuation of the species."


    "That genetic key is something like that. It not only allows us to participate in that inheritance but also creates a feeling of need to stimulate us to complete the inheritance."


    "That feeling will increase as you get closer to level 60..." She said in a slightly lower tone, feeling that, in a way, this had also been responsible for her late husband''s rush.


    "I don''t feel any of that..." Minos smiled and said, finding his abnormality interesting. "Will I be able to take the test?"


    "What? You don''t feel it?" Blake asked with a strange expression.


    In truth, neither of them thought that Minos and Abby would end up on the list of candidates for that position. After all, if these two had discovered the previous map at the headquarters of another organization, it was to be expected that the owners of the key would be the dead assassins in that place.


    But mysteriously, both Abby and Minos could see the special instructions in that crypt, which only inheritance candidates could do.


    Thinking about it, the new king of this state could not help but be surprised at Minos'' ''irregular'' situation.


    "I feel this is an ordinary place, but without the danger of the unknown. Other than that, I feel no sympathy or compatibility." He was sincere as he looked at the female statue in front of him.


    "That''s strange..." Wilfred''s mother commented. "But since you can see those instructions, you are a candidate. So, I don''t think there will be any problems."


    After that, they talked for some time until Minos finalized the subject. "Well, we''re nowhere near level 60 anyway, so let''s leave that subject for another time."


    After taking one of Abby''s hands and starting to move towards the exit of the crypt, Minos looked at those people and said. "I feel that what is here may be valuable to your Walker family, and I don''t want just to take everything that is here for myself for no reason."


    "You have already paid and are still paying for your crimes in various ways. Therefore, there is no reason for me to use your past mistakes to take this place."


    The eyes of those four sparkled at Minos'' words, with signs of hope arising in their hearts. "As such, I wish you good luck in reaching level 60 before Abby does. If that happens, I will not stop you from taking that test before her..." He laughed.


    "If that doesn''t happen, I will give you a year after Abby reaches level 60. That will be the time for one of you to become a Spiritual Emperor and participate in that inheritance with me and her."


    "After that, we will take the test ourselves and clean this place up!" He said confidently.


    He had no way of knowing what was in the Secret Tomb, nor whether he and Abby would be able to complete the inheritance. But one way or another, if he went into that place beside his woman, those people could forget about getting things from there!


    "That..." Those four people looked at each other quickly, feeling that Minos was playing with their hearts.


    ''How are we going to do that? Even William, who was at the peak of the 6th stage, failed, but I''m only at level 57, and I''m not even 50% as talented as he was!'' Wilfred''s mother thought about it with a feeling of defeat.


    ''Besides, this young lady is only 25 and is already at level 54!''


    ''How will I get to level 60 before she does?''


    ''Impossible!''


    "We''ll do our best, Your Majesty." Blake said, feeling that there was no other alternative but to hope that one of them would succeed in becoming a Spiritual Emperor.


    "Hmmm, good luck." Minos laughed before bidding them farewell. "Well, I''ll rest for two nights in this city of yours. But don''t bother too much with us. We don''t want to see anyone who isn''t invited."


    "All right?"


    "OK!" They simultaneously said until Minos disappeared among the corridors of the royal palace, proceeding to the room that had already been prepared for him and Abby.


    Meanwhile, those four people looked at each other again, standing in front of the entrance to that crypt. "What shall we do, mother?" Wilfred asked in a defeated tone.


    "There are no alternatives here but for one of the three of us to reach level 60 within the interval given by him."


    "Sigh..."


    "How long exactly do we have? A decade?" The Queen Mother asked.


    Blake then shook his head in denial at his mother''s question. "From her age and cultivation, I guess we have between 5 and 7 years at most."


    Wilfred''s mother added. "Then we have to get it in that time frame!"


    "How?" Wilfred questioned, feeling that it was impossible.


    "It shouldn''t be hard for me to get to level 58 in the next few months. The problem will come after that... In any case, even if I use pills to force an advance to level 59, I think you guys will still have a better chance than me of breaking the regional cultivation barrier."


    "I know you are only at level 53, but if we use some medicines and pills, getting you to level 59 shouldn''t be that difficult. The problem of all will be advancing to the 7th stage..." She sighed after saying that.


    That was not an alternative that regional organizations would use as it could very well hurt the family''s financial reserves greatly and was sure to damage the cultivation foundation of people who used such methods.


    But in that woman''s view, this was their only alternative!


    "Wilfred, you are a bit stronger than Blake in terms of cultivation and already have your combat proficiency impaired due to your missing arm. So, we''ll focus on you as the first option regarding that."


    "All right, mother!" Wilfred said with a smile on his face, not caring if that could damage his foundation.


    He no longer had expectations of being a great fighter. So, having the chance to reach level 60 and get some of the treasures in the local inheritance was already very good for him.


    Thus, he did not feel bad about his mother''s suggestion!


    "Well, let''s go back and make our preparations."


    "The most important thing of all is that the family gets something out of all this!" She said to the two brothers, demonstrating some of what it meant to act for the organization''s good.

 Chapter 1058 Level 55

    Chapter 1058 Level 55


    A month passed in the blink of an eye...


    After his brief stint in the crypt at the Walker family palace, Minos stayed in the capital of the Kingdom of the Waves for two days before finally making his way back to the Black Plain.


    All the matters he and Abby had to settle on this trip had already been resolved, and with that, they only had it in mind to return to the Black Plain when they left Athela days ago.


    They would eventually return to Athela a year after Abby reached level 60, as promised to that family. But considering she had just reached level 54 and the stage of development that the Black Plain was at, even she had put the matter of that inheritance behind her.


    And with that, the two of them quietly traveled from north to south of the Kingdom of the Waves, having made a few stops on their way, but without much delay.


    They were already months away from Dry City, and another group from the Flaming Empire had already passed through that place and caused chaos by searching for Minos.


    They had found out about this in Athela. Still, since they were far away and everything had already been settled, the most they could do was to pick up the pace during these remaining weeks of travel.


    In any case, the Black Plain had lost two high-level Spiritual Kings to eliminate four Spiritual Emperors.


    That was bad news, but considering that this had been the first major battle the Black Plain had faced off against people of that level without Minos'' presence, it had also been a significant victory!


    Consequently, despite the two dead and several wounded, things on the Black Plain were still stable, and both Minos and Abby had not been disappointed or sorry.


    It was a shame about those deaths, but the battlefield could be complicated, and even in the presence of Minos and Abby, those people could still have died anyway. However, what had happened was a testament to the development of this man''s strength, something for the survivors to use to build their confidence and go even further!


    In addition to these events on the Black Plain, Minos had reached level 55 two days ago, when they had left the Feathered Serpents'' territory.


    Virtus was still in the Spatial Kingdom, striving to reach the 7th stage, but even so, Minos had stopped by that place to give some commands to his allies.


    But without wasting much time, he and Abby soon flew to Dry City, having arrived there only moments ago!


    ...


    "Congratulations on reaching level 55, Your Grace! Master would be amazed to see you advancing so easily!" Dillian laughed as he said those words, happy to see that fellow he had helped to raise.


    "Hmmm, you reaching level 57 was also superb. Congratulations, Dillian. We now have our first high-level grade-2 doctor!" Minos smiled back as he settled into the royal throne hall.


    That was a special moment when the King and the future Queen returned from their crusade through the region. Hence, not only had they been welcomed with a celebration in Dry City, but also quickly came to this location where they could receive status updates.


    And that was what they were doing in that hall, where Minos and Abby were seated on similar thrones while a dozen or so people were standing around.


    Some of them were simply high-level soldiers, members of this state''s newly created royal guard. But, for the moment, only four were there, and each was in one of the corners of that rectangular area.


    Among them was Eduard, currently at level 56, and Mirya, who was at the same level as that former bodyguard of Elena.


    On the other hand, a beautiful woman with black hair and a luxurious dress stood on one side of that hall, close to where Minos and Abby were.


    She had a gracious smile on her face, a loving gaze so warm in the direction of that king that it would be hard for anyone there not to realize who she was.


    Who else could she be but Ruth?


    She stood in one corner of the place, observing everything without interfering in this formal event.


    She had arrived in Dry City a few days ago, finally come to this place for good, with no further commitments to her past in the Flaming Empire.


    With this, in addition to her cultivation that had already reached level 56, she was here to give herself to her man and finally help him deal with his worries.


    But for now, she did not want to get in the way of that moment and was waiting on one side of that royal hall.


    ''Minos...''


    In any case, seven other people were facing the steps to the royal throne, some of them kneeling in reverence and others standing.


    Each of those on their knees wore the uniform of the Black Plain Army. In contrast, those standing wore formal clothes, typically worn by government agents.


    Dillian was obviously one of them and was in his traditional black and white suit, standing next to the first step of those stairs.


    After hearing Minos'' compliment, Dillian felt very good since he had never imagined that one day he would reach the regional peak in his profession.


    But in just a decade at his young master''s side, he had grown so much!


    It was something incredible for him!


    The people there then congratulated Minos, followed by congratulating Abby''s advancement during her months away.


    Finally, after a few moments of greetings and laughter in that area decorated with various paintings made by Minos, they began to talk about more serious matters.


    "Your Grace, much development has been done these past few months." Mia said this in a tone laden with happiness, while her oval belly hid from no one there that this level 48 woman was pregnant.


    She and Peter were barely married and already expecting a child!


    How lucky they were!


    Abby, as well as Ruth, thought of something like this when they found out about it.


    Mia then continued. "After months of hard work and constant arrivals of immigrants to Black Plain, we have finally reached the 1.1 million population mark, with four satellite cities to our capital and the New Maritime City."


    Naval City-1 had been renamed after passing 200,000 inhabitants since it was not good to have a generic name like the previous one. And as many of the residents of that place were natives of the destroyed Maritime City, the local government had named that place after it.


    "Currently, Dry City has more than 800,000 inhabitants, and we have already completed the construction of four neighborhoods outside the local defensive dome."


    "As for the satellite cities of Dry City, they continue to develop faster and faster, and it shouldn''t be long until the entire belt of cities is built as planned."


    "Hmmm." Minos nodded in appreciation, confirming some of what he had seen upon arriving in his city.


    The Dry City that was now being developed would have a slightly different shape than the previous one, which Minos had seen upon his arrival.


    The new Dry City would be developed externally to the local defensive dome, where new inhabitants could live and move around without difficulty. But, on the other hand, the old area of this city, protected by the dome, would remain a security area, and the entry restrictions would increase considerably.


    Not only would the primary services remain there, but only pre-war citizens or unique individuals would be able to live within this area from now on.


    And as expected, Minos did not intend to extend his defensive dome into the surrounding area, something easily seen by anyone arriving in Dry City at this time.


    "But we are dealing with what is necessary, and in the coming months, we will be able to welcome even more people than in this brief beginning."


    "With the investments of the families allied and subordinate to our organizations before or during the war, the Bank of the Black Plain has managed to raise over 7 billion low-grade crystals in that period."


    "Coupled with the increase in local production, our capacity to absorb migrants has greatly increased, Your Grace."


    "Very good!"


    "Now tell me about the numbers in our fields. When will we be able to expand our food supply beyond Stone Island?"


    "By the way, how is the study to assess the price increase in our products?" Minos asked those people.

 Chapter ?1059 Situation and Plans

    Chapter ?1059 Situation and Plans


    After some time being updated on local agricultural matters, Minos and Abby discovered that the number of hectares planted had doubled in the intervening period. However, since such improvements had not yet borne fruit, it would still be a few months before the financial result would affect the Black Plain.


    On the other hand, the Black Plain food prices that had previously been at a significant discount on Stone Island were not going to stay that way. After all, Minos had only given that initial discount because he wanted to gain customers and crystals that his forces needed so urgently.


    But in the current scenario where he and the Black Plain were free to act openly, there was no reason to keep the high-level food from that place at prices similar to the low-level ones!


    With that, the local government was already working to raise the prices to Elen little by little. But, on the other hand, once they started doing business in the other five kingdoms in the region, the initial offering price would already be the maximum possible for the business to be profitable.


    Minos still intended to keep a small discount for Stone Island, but for these other places, this would not happen.


    In any case, the new values of the local products would still be lower than those of the imported foods from outside the region, something positive for both parties. With this, Minos could make a more significant profit on his business, while the regional nobility could buy high-level foods for lower prices.


    It was perfect!


    On the other hand, Minos did not miss the opportunity to order his government to communicate with the Night News about advertisements regarding the price difference of high-level foods for citizens of the Black Plain and people from outside this state.


    That was another chance for him to attract populations to his territory!


    As for the price of food for the local population, well, that would also increase, but only for people living in Dry City. After all, most of these inhabitants had been around for years, so they had a higher purchasing power than the new immigrants.


    As for the new cities, the citizens of each would experience the old discounted prices previously seen in Dry City for up to 10 years after each city was established.


    With this measure, Minos hoped to maintain the opportunities of his territory, encourage the maturation of newly added populations, and even improve the collection of crystals among those more wealthy.


    Not only that, Dry City was naturally the best place to live right now. But a state could not develop through just one city. So, this measure also served to encourage new migrants and even old citizens from the capital to spread out across this state.


    Hence, after 20 minutes of conversations with those local government officials, Minos and Abby finished discussing the matter.


    "Well, now that the subject of agriculture and the local economy has been discussed, I want to talk about the future of spiritual beasts on the Black Plain." Minos said as he looked at the individual responsible for this in his government.


    "As I said before, I wish to create natural parks for spiritual beasts in the main territory of the Black Plain. Specifically, I want to build strategic places that will function not only as homes for our beasts and allies but also advanced surveillance posts."


    The idea of satellite cities in Dry City was mainly to maintain a large population of farmers near the local fields. But such an idea also served to expand the capital''s area of protection since having hundreds of thousands or millions of people in the satellite cities would already be a significant barrier to enemies trying to approach the capital.


    And Minos intended to make more barriers like this around the Black Plain, some of them with beasts as the principal members of his forces.


    The idea was to create strategically placed natural parks, where beasts would kill any human who entered such areas and did not have the authorization of the army. With this, in the future, anyone traveling through the Black Plain would have to use specific routes, facilitating the local forces'' surveillance work!


    With this in mind, Minos could not help but advance this matter by talking it over with those members of the local government.


    The person responsible for that matter then said. "Your Grace, we already have the plans to move forward with your ambition. We have already chosen the strategic areas and designed the roads that will be built across the Black Plain."


    "And with the reforestation plan for the Black Plain, now we just need the manpower and resources to start the work."


    Despite the plantation fields around Dry City, the 200,000 square kilometers of the Black Plain''s main territory was still basically desert. As such, for Minos'' plan to happen, the local government would have to reforest several areas of the territory, build artificial lakes and rivers, and add living things to them.


    It was neither easy nor cheap to do such a thing, so they naturally had not started yet.


    Abby then said. "While we were traveling, we made contact with several groups of spiritual beasts in the region, and some of them showed interest in joining our plans."


    "Besides, the beasts of the Flooded Valley are just waiting for our orders to come to the Black Plain to help with the preparations."


    "Then communicate with them and try to do what you can without us having to invest many crystals at the moment. I am sure that these many species of beasts can help us get parts of the resources needed for the reforestation of the Black Plain." She finished.


    "All right, Ma''am." That person made a mental note, ready to get on with that subject as soon as this occasion finished.


    After that, a few more minutes of conversation passed, and Minos finally looked at one of those soldiers kneeling on the ground and asked. "Old Joey, your appearance is much better now that you have become a Spiritual King!"


    "Congratulations on your advancement!"


    "Hahaha, thank you, Your Grace!"


    Minos then waved two fingers of his right hand and said. "Come on, get up. Your knees must be tired from standing like this..."


    "No, Your Grace, it is an honor for each of us to be like this!" Joey said with a proud look on his face, followed by the comments of his fellow army members.


    "Is it? Then tell me how my army is. The challenge of weeks ago was certainly important, so tell me, are there many wounded? What about the advances of the strongest soldiers?"


    Old Joey then was the first to speak. "We have 20 Spiritual Kings from the middle part of this stage and 2 of the end who need a few months of medical care because of this last attack. But they will eventually recover without sequels."


    "On the other hand, even considering the two dead we had recently, the number of Spiritual Kings in the army has increased by another 15 since the departure of Your Grace and Ma''am."


    "Oh? That''s good news." Abby commented with a smile on her face as she looked at her man.


    Minos nodded in agreement and then looked at someone else there, a soldier who soon began to explain the army numbers, which had not changed since the last update.


    But Minos was not disappointed since he had expected such a thing. After all, the recent addition of population had not increased the pool of people able to compete for places in the army.


    Moreover, considering the Black Plain needed to focus on building cities, expanding the Dry City, and planting fields, there was not a large enough group of people to compete for army slots.


    So, in this period of Minos and Abby''s absence, no selection took place in the army, and such an organization only experienced a quality improvement.


    Minos then looked at the two youths who were kneeling there in front of him and smiled. "Lee, you have finally become a Spiritual King. Very good! You must be the first to achieve this in this region under 21!"


    After those words were spoken, everyone there looked at Lee with expressions of admiration on their faces, proud to have someone so promising in the younger generation of the army.


    As for Alison, she was standing next to her husband, pouting since it would still take a few weeks for her to get past level 49 and reach the 6th stage.


    "I am flattered, master!"


    Minos then continued. "Now that you are already at that level and Alison is almost there, I will send you to one of the four satellite cities of Dry City that have already been built."


    "You will take care of army affairs and some administrative matters in that place for the next four years. Then, if you do well, I will give you a city and territory to rule in my name."


    "That will be the test for you to become Duke and Duchess!"


    ...

 Chapter ?1060 New Nobles in the Region and Time for Revelation

    Chapter ?1060 New Nobles in the Region and Time for Revelation


    After Minos'' words, Lee and Alison thanked him with all the sincerity they had while being congratulated by the people in the surrounding area.


    Even Ruth had watched them interestedly since there were not many Spiritual Kings that young even in the Flaming Empire.


    Not only that, as she had seen those two in many situations over the years, she could not help but feel how impressive Minos'' methods were.


    ''Those two have good talents, but at the end of the day, they definitely only achieved this feat because of Minos...'' She watched in her man''s direction, feeling a warmth in her body as she imagined she might finally know the truth behind him.


    ''I wonder what he is hiding? How did he make so many ordinary people so much better? Will he tell me these things later?'' She bit her lips in anticipation.


    After a few moments of conversation among the people in the surrounding area, Lee and Alison left the center of affairs, their faces still red with excitement.


    Minos then looked at Peter, level 52, and said. "Peter, from today on, you will lead the army for the area outside the Dry City dome."


    "Your job will be to observe the actions of the local police, as well as look after the army''s actions in this area under construction of Dry City."


    He then looked at Mia and said. "I will give you four years here in Dry City. In that time, I want you to train your replacement and prepare to take on a bigger challenge."


    "After that time, depending on your performance, I will appoint you as Duchess and give you a city to rule in my name." He looked back at Peter and said. "You will also have a status like Mia''s, but you will be in charge of army affairs while she will take care of the administrative ones."


    "I hope you two don''t fail." He smiled, looking at those two faithful subordinates of his.


    It would not take long for Mia to reach the 6th stage, and her administration skills had already reached a very high level. As such, it would be a waste not to spread the good fruits of this place around the Black Plain territory.


    The capital was definitely the most important place in a kingdom. Still, since it did not work to create a state the size of the Black Plain with only one city, Minos needed to have people of trust around his territory. To do this, he was going to use allied families, such as the houses Cohen, Stokes, Hayes, and Miller, as well as subordinates, Parkinson, Gill, and Austin.


    But in addition to these powers, he wanted his army also to have some Dukes and Duchesses to counterbalance the division of power in the kingdom.


    That''s why he was making these assignments today!


    But he would not do this for everyone. For example, Dillian definitely deserved something like that. But this fellow would be much more critical in Dry City since the king, in fact, did not intend to stay there all his time.


    With this, there was no way Minos could give Dillian the same chance as those four.


    However, not only Dillian but several other members of the Black Plain Army had already earned noble titles from this state. So now, many of them already had family surnames, some rights, and opportunities.


    After Minos'' statements, Peter and Mia readily accepted this, and they enthusiastically thanked their king.


    So, soon most of those people left the royal throne hall, remaining there only Minos, his two women, and the soldiers of the royal guard.


    "Eduard, ask him to come in," Minos commented to that fellow as he turned to Ruth. He then smiled and asked. "I guess I won''t have to see you leaving for the Flaming Empire anymore, right?"


    She walked over to Minos'' throne and said. "Hmmm, from now on, I will accompany you whenever I can. No more restrictions, darling."


    After that, she quickly sat on Minos'' lap and kissed him, satisfied that she finally had the freedom to be entire with him.


    "Mmmmm~"


    They kissed for a few seconds until their lips parted, and one looked into the other''s eyes with various hidden meanings. He then massaged her left cheek and said. "Well, we will soon be married, so I have a few things to discuss with you later, Ruth."


    She clasped her hands in anticipation and heard Abby''s voice, "I think that will also be a chance for you to get to know the location of our honeymoon..."


    "What? What are you talking about?"


    Abby chuckled and said. "You''ll find out later."


    After that, one of the royal guard''s soldiers announced someone''s arrival. "Sir Grant of the Western Empire is here at Your Grace''s call!"


    Hearing the voice of one of those royal guards, Minos looked in the direction of the entrance door there, where Eduard was escorting a man in a wheelchair.


    Ruth then tried to leave Minos'' lap. Still, the man''s hands prevented her from doing so, merely having put her in a more comfortable position.


    She blushed in embarrassment at having to receive that senior while in that position. Still, Minos ignored her, soon beginning to talk to that person. "So you came, huh?"


    When Eduard finally left Grant''s wheelchair just ahead of the steps of the stairs in front of the royal throne, that fellow laughed and said. "Well, I was bored in that place and decided to give the rising Black Plain a chance."


    "I think my chances are better here."


    "Oh? Well, that is indeed true..."


    "Tell me how things have been. Are there any problems? Is your stay here being satisfactory?"


    After that, they talked about the weeks since Grant''s arrival in Dry City, with that man praising highly the local growth and strength that Minos had built.


    On the other hand, he had no complaints about the treatment he had received so far. On the contrary, he praised this city team greatly and thanked Minos for the chance to be in this place.


    During this time in Dry City, Grant had lived much better than he had in the past decades in that city of the Kingdom of the End. He had not only experienced the quality of local services but also enjoyed the advantages of having a purpose.


    He had been given the temporary position of Royal Instructor, having begun his activities with high-level or more talented soldiers of the Black Plain Army.


    With this, he was already helping to improve the power of the local forces while using his time in a productive activity that, at the moment, only he could do.


    Thus, Minos soon found out about that man''s situation and the potential his soldiers would have by being instructed by that former expert.


    "Well, it''s good that you are doing well, old Grant. As for those matters, we''ll eventually talk more about that when it''s more convenient." Minos said after their long conversation came to an end.


    "I''ll look forward to that..."


    "Hmm, see you later."


    So, after Eduard took that fellow back from where he brought him, Minos finally departed that place alongside his two women, heading for the residential part of his mansion.


    In doing so, he saw Brooke on his way, having exchanged some comments with her and congratulated her on reaching level 51. Furthermore, the two of them arranged to meet when he finished sorting out the issues that had accumulated since his last departure...


    Finally, after reviewing Eda and Abby''s parents, the trio arrived at their residence, where they promptly sat around a living room to talk.


    "Ruth, previously, I didn''t tell you several things about me because you were part of a sect in the Flaming Empire. You were a disciple of that woman and could not be able to keep certain information. But now that you are mine alone, I am ready to open up to you." He seriously said as he looked into the eyes of the black-haired woman in front of him.


    Gulp!


    Abby ran one of her hands over her man''s back and said to Ruth. "I hope you won''t be upset with Minos. What he''s going to show you in a few moments truly is worthy of his concern that he didn''t fully trust you."


    Ruth swallowed her saliva in anticipation and said. "That''s fine. I''m not upset. I understand his motivations and blame no one but my own past."


    "Good!"


    "Now," He showed one of his hands to her and smiled. "Shall we go there?"


    ...

 Chapter 1061 Visitors from the Flaming Empire

    Chapter 1061 Visitors from the Flaming Empire


    After his previous words, Minos quickly used the Spatial Kingdom ring and teleported to a place near the lake house, where at the moment, soldiers from the Elite Squad were.


    As she felt the space in her surroundings change, Ruth looked in astonishment from one side of that place to the other, seeing that place full of trees, totally different from the room from before.


    "This..." She tried to say something as Minos and Abby watched her in silence.


    "What is this? That energy?" Ruth''s eyes opened wider as she finally realized the greatest density of spiritual energy she had ever felt in her entire life.


    Not even the highest level cultivation room she had known in the Flaming Empire came close to this place!


    Hell, that cultivation room was located in one of the blessed regions regarding the spiritual energy in the empire and even had a high-level grade-3 array that enhanced the spiritual concentration there. But even so, such a place still easily beat that one.


    But soon, she noticed a large amount of Saint-grade medicines in the surrounding area, something difficult to find in even the largest organizations in the Flaming Empire.


    As the level of the medicine increased, more time was needed for it to mature. But, on the other hand, since medicines of this level were demanded by a ''relatively small'' group in that empire, there were not many plantations of them.


    Thus, amidst so many high-level energy forms, Ruth could not help but open her mouth in shock and surprise. "This..."


    "This place is the legendary Spatial Kingdom?" She looked at Minos, concluding the only possibility to explain such a sanctuary.


    "That''s right..." Minos laughed, watching Ruth behave like a child who had just met the playground of her dreams.


    "My goodness, Minos... Now I understand everything! It''s not for nothing that you are so monstrous at cultivation!" She muttered in a low voice, feeling the injustice of having gone ten years without having the chance to cultivate there with Abby and him.


    ''Sigh!''


    ''There''s nothing to do. If he had revealed this to me before I ended my relations in the empire, this secret could bring dangers to him!''


    ''Good thing he didn''t blindly trust me, or he could have been hurt because of my former obligations!'' She sighed internally, glad that this moment had happened in the best possible way.


    Minos'' grandfather''s family controlled the Gray Clouds Sect, but that did not mean that everyone in that organization would act in the interest of the King of the Black Plain.


    So, suppose in the interrogations of that organization, something that happened when any members returned after months away, she had such information. In that case, a lot of trouble could have happened. That was because that sect had methods of making its disciples speak the truth when interrogated. But, on the other hand, news from Spatial Kingdoms would be enough to draw the attention of even the emperor.


    Consequently, the risk would have been too significant if Minos had told her about such a place earlier!


    After a while, she asked. "How?"


    "Well..." Minos then summarized the most important aspects of how he had obtained this sanctuary. But he excluded the concern that Henricus Longus had left behind because it would serve no purpose to frighten his women.


    Other than that, he talked about the Silver and Golden-grade techniques he had inherited, the grade-3 and grade-4 artifacts, and the Divine-grade medicines there.


    "... Well, when we reach the proper level, we will use some of these medicines to raise the grade of our Physiques. But don''t worry, there are enough for us and some army members to reach the cultivation peak in the future."


    "Divine-grade medicines..." Her eyes had an uncertain appearance at the moment. "How, your Physique isn''t of King-grade rank? How are we going to do that?"


    "That''s right. Currently, my Physique is only King-grade one. But fortunately, my Physique is a mutant that can continue to evolve along with my cultivation." He smiled at her, bringing her closer into his embrace. "When you met me back there, my Physique was only a Common-grade one."


    "I have traveled all the way to the King-grade rank, and when I reach level 70, it will evolve again, this time to Saint-grade."


    "That... That''s amazing!" She hugged him tightly, feeling immense happiness in her heart. ething more powerful. But, most importantly, only after reaching the Saint-grade would a Physique awaken its full capabilities!


    So, knowing that Minos had this possibility, Ruth felt happy for him!


    And with that, tears trickled down her eyes, with her feeling grateful for finally entering fully into her man''s life.


    "Minos..."


    "Shh!"


    "You don''t have to say anything, Ruth. Let me show this place to you..."


    He and Abby then began to show Ruth around, explaining to her about the Elite Squad soldiers and Virtus, the only spiritual beast that was around at the moment.


    As for Kyla, after arriving in Dry City earlier, Minos had sent that Nine-tailed Fox to the Beast Park, where her mother, Emlyn, was.


    Kyla had reached level 49 these past few months. But, on the other hand, upon seeing Emlyn, Minos had noticed that that great being was already at level 58!


    Seeing Emlyn earlier, Minos had gained a doubt in his heart as to who would become the first Spiritual Emperor of his forces. Currently, Virtus, Regina, the supreme elder Miller, Patriarch Nash, and Patriarch Hayes were already at level 59. But with that fox''s talent and age, he knew she could catch up and surpass them.


    There were also other cultivators at level 58 in his forces. Still, none of them could compare to Emlyn regarding cultivation speed.


    As such, he was curious about who would become his forces'' first Spiritual Emperor!


    In any case, these thoughts were in Minos'' subconscious as he only had eyes for his two women as he introduced that place to Ruth.


    "At last, Ruth, this is our home. Only the three of us here, Dillian and some special army members, have access to it."


    The rest of his army members usually brought camp tents to the Spatial Kingdom since there was not enough room in that house for so many people. But, on the other hand, that was the home of the local leadership, so there was no place for ordinary subordinates to sleep under the same roof as the sovereign.


    Hence, despite the dozens of people outside that house, there was plenty of privacy for them there.


    Abby laughed as she saw the look on Ruth''s face and said. "Don''t worry. During our honeymoon, we will send everyone outside."


    "Hmm? That''s not what I was thinking..."


    "Oh? Then what?" Abby teased Ruth.


    "Tsk!"


    "How annoying you are!"


    Then the three of them laughed as they headed toward the main bedroom of that luxurious house.


    ...


    While the trio was playing intensely in the Spatial Kingdom, a group of three people from the Flaming Empire landed in the vicinity of Dry City.


    At that construction site, their leader looked at the surroundings with interest, surprised to see such a large construction field in this place. ''It looks like that Minos truly has power!''


    ''I didn''t think he would get so many people to work in his territory in such a short time since the war ended...''


    ''Are they all slaves?''


    But such a person did not have much more time to consider this when a group of 40 Spiritual Kings approached them already with weapons in their hands.


    "Identify yourselves and state your purpose here, or we will attack you!" The voice of a level 58 Spiritual King sounded among those members of the local forces, demonstrating that person''s great hostility towards visitors from outside the region.


    Realizing that situation, the three people looked at each other, discovering that there was not much fear in those individuals, even considering that two of them were Spiritual Emperors.


    "It seems that the Black Plain''s victory in the war wasn''t unfair..."


    "Those people are courageous!"


    ...

 Chapter ?1062 The Future of the Spiritual Tournament 1

    Chapter ?1062 The Future of the Spiritual Tournament 1


    "Friends of the Black Plain, don''t worry. We are not members of the Saints Killing Sect." The leader of this group of newcomers said aloud while having a warm smile on his face.


    "We are not searching for your leader''s head but rather business with him. This one is named Warner." He pointed to himself before introducing his two companions. "... We are here on behalf of the Edwardstone family, the Flaming Empire Imperial House!"


    "Oh?" The people in the Dry City group opened their mouths in surprise, each of them feeling better that these were not enemies.


    But just in case, they remained on guard in case the enemies were disguising themselves!


    "Can you prove it?" The level 58 Spiritual King from before asked. "How do you know that the Saints Killing Sect is on our tail?"


    The other Spiritual Emperor there then laughed and said. "We are part of the imperial family, so obviously, we know about our vassals'' movements!"


    "As for how to prove who we are, well, we have our empire IDs, but will that be of any value to you?"


    "No..."


    Warner then remembered something and said. "Don''t worry. I participated in the peace negotiation attempt promoted by the Spiritual Church months ago. That way, just call someone who participated in that event, and that person can identify me."


    "Hmm, that we can do, but you will have to stand here without moving." The leader of the group of Spiritual Kings lowered his tone, feeling that he probably would not have to fight today. "What do you say?"


    "Sounds good to me!"


    Warner was already a level 65 Spiritual Emperor who deserved respect wherever he went. That was even more true for this region of the Central Continent. However, this man was not making things difficult for Black Plain despite his pride and natural arrogance.


    Not because he was afraid, nor because of Minos'' origin in that Empire, but because he had been ordered to come to do business and not to cause trouble. So, considering his information and common sense, this man was not offended by having to follow the protocols of mere Spiritual Kings.


    They were expected to be a bit traumatized, so he simply stood in that place with his two associates, peacefully waiting for the moment to visit Minos.


    ...


    After a while, Minos and Abby had already returned from the Spatial Kingdom to Dry City, where they had several matters to attend to.


    That was only their first day back there, so there were still a few commitments for the two of them to resolve before returning to their usual routine.


    For example, Minos had to stop by his army''s administrative group to go over and receive new information. As for Abby, besides her regular duties within the army, she had the matter of the Scourges of the Devil''s former allies to deal with.


    Thus, they left Ruth farming in the Spatial Kingdom to pursue their agendas!


    So, just a few minutes after their fun was over, the two were already at the headquarters of the Black Plain Army, separated while settling their affairs.


    ...


    "Your Grace, a group, claiming to come from the Flaming Empire has just arrived on the city''s south side!" A soldier came shouting into Minos'' office, sweating from the rush from his post to there.


    "Flaming Empire?" Minos promptly rose from his seat, already beginning to prepare to fight.


    He then clenched his fists and felt his level 55 cultivation spreading to the surroundings along with his fury. ''Very good! Very good Saint Slaying Sect! You truly enjoy pissing me off!''


    But before he had a chance to give the order for that soldier to gather a group to accompany him, such an individual spoke. "They claim to be representatives of the imperial family of that state. It seems they are here for business, Your Grace."


    "Oh?" Minos'' blood calmed a little at this information. "Are you sure this is true?" eone named Warner, said he participated in that previous peace negotiation attempt. So, they are waiting in one of the construction camps on the city''s south side so that someone can confirm his identity."


    "So that''s it... Well, I will go to that place to confirm whether it is him or not. In any way, form a group to accompany me."


    "Yes, Your Grace!"


    ...


    Sometime later, Minos and a dozen or so people could be seen running through the construction fields on the south side of Dry City, heading toward those visitors.


    While doing this, he talked to his father-in-law, Eliot, who had already reached level 57.


    There in that group were also Angela and Celeste, both on the same level as Abby''s father, as well as number three in the Miller family, Daphne Miller, level 58, an old friend of Minos'' father during such a person''s youth...


    "Minos, isn''t it too soon for more enemies from that place to arrive? I mean, we were attacked a few weeks ago! I thought we''d still have some time." Eliot commented.


    He and some people there had just joined the rest of the group, so they did not know that the situation would probably not involve confrontation.


    Minos laughed and explained. "Father-in-law, that doesn''t seem to be the case. I only called you all in case we were about to face a cross-dressing enemy."


    "But these people seem like they are only here for business."


    "Oh?" Daphne felt better hearing that because it was dangerous to fight against Spiritual Emperors, and business with the Flaming Empire would be undeniably positive for this territory.


    Her family had already become completely integrated into Minos'' organization, and she herself was living in Dry City to assist him, despite the fact that the majority of her family was in the territory granted to them by King Stuart. As such, she was very concerned about local success.


    With that, they soon ran into the three visitors from the Flaming Empire, which the previous group surrounded.


    "Hmmm, all right, folks, this person was at the event hosted by the Church. So you can rest now." Minos said right after seeing Warner''s face.


    On the other hand, that man looked at Minos in shock, seeing that the local sovereign had already reached level 55!


    ''How can this be? The last time I saw him, he was only at level 53!''


    ''That''s not even a year, and he''s already reached that level?'' Warner looked incredulously at the brown-haired man standing next to several high-level Spiritual Kings.


    On the other hand, the two individuals on Warner''s side were also impressed by Minos'' cultivation speed.


    Of course, they did not know him yet, but news of Minos'' advancement to level 54 had reached the Empire about 7 or 8 months ago.


    Considering that, it was a big surprise to the level 62 Spiritual Emperor and that level 59 Spiritual King that Minos was so fast cultivating.


    ''What a little monster!''


    ''The Coleman family genes are truly amazing!''


    ''It''s not for nothing that his mother is already a Spiritual Saint under 150, while his grandfather is already at level 79!'' The peak Spiritual King of that group thought about it in silence, blaming Minos'' lineage for his cultivation speed.


    Maisie had recently advanced to the 8th stage, something impressive by the standards of even the Flaming Empire.


    Considering that, seeing that son of hers, such a person could not help but envy the Coleman lineage.


    "So?" Minos said, breaking the mental shock of those three. "What does House Edwardstone want from the Black Plain? You wouldn''t be here to avenge the members of the Saints Killing Sect, would you?"


    "Uh?" Warner shook his head from side to side and then answered Minos. "Your Majesty, you have misunderstood us. We have no relation to what the Saints Killing Sect has been doing."


    "In any case, you shouldn''t worry about them bothering you much longer. The Church recently revoked the previous authorization that was giving the Saints Killing Sect freedom to act."


    "So, the members of that organization shouldn''t be bothering you again very soon."


    "Oh?" several voices arose in the surroundings as those Spiritual Kings felt relief in their hearts.


    Gloria''s deeds had not yet reached Dry City. Because of this, none of those people were aware of such a thing.


    ''That must be Gloria''s doing...'' Minos thought silently, pleased in many ways by this information.


    "Then what do you people want here?"


    "We are here to talk about our future and the future of the Spiritual Tournament!"

 Chapter ?1063 The Future of the Spiritual Tournament 2

    Chapter ?1063 The Future of the Spiritual Tournament 2


    After meeting those people coming from the Flaming Empire in the middle of one of the fields under construction, Minos did not take long to release his team and return to the Dry City alongside the visitors.


    Since they were not there for chaos but rather to talk about matters already expected by Minos, this man quickly took him to his governing mansion.


    Minos naturally knew that the Flaming Empire had local privileges, something agreed upon by the Spiritual Church long ago. Among these privileges was the Spiritual Tournament, something he already knew would sooner or later bring people from that place to his region.


    Since he had assumed the regional leadership position, it was only natural to expect House Edwardstone to come looking for him!


    So, quickly those three individuals were already seated around King Stuart''s office, opposite this brown-haired young man, who was opposite them at his desk.


    "What you were going to say before? It was about the Spiritual Tournament..."


    Minos resumed the previous dialogue, seeing some of them drinking the tea he offered earlier.


    Warner then began to say. "Well, the Spiritual Tournament was delayed for a few years because of the Black Plain''s War of Independence. So, our organization hopes to resume this competition as soon as possible."


    "Hmm, I see..." Minos closed his eyes for a second, trying to understand exactly why these people were visiting. He then said. "Well, am I to assume that you people are here to propose that the next edition of the Spiritual Tournament take place on the Black Plain?"


    Warner nodded in agreement. "Indeed."


    "Your Imperial Majesty wishes the next edition of the Spiritual Tournament to occur as soon as possible. Since the Black Plain won the war, we suppose it would be interesting to give you that possibility."


    "Of course, there are privileges in doing so, not just the honor and costs."


    "For example, your royal family will have the opportunity to win a spot in any of the empire''s sects every time the competition takes place in your territory."


    Minos laughed upon hearing that. ''How can I accept such a thing if I myself intend to steal the talents that should logically participate in the Spiritual Tournament?''


    ''It won''t be long before you see me as a competitor...''


    He then said. "Well, I appreciate the offer, but right now, I''m afraid the Black Plain is in no condition to host such a competition."


    "As you saw outside, Dry City is now a large field under construction. And that''s no different for other places in the Black Plain."


    "Because of that, we don''t have enough infrastructure to host a competition as important as the Spiritual Tournament."


    "My organization would only embarrass itself in front of the region if we hosted such a thing now..." He smiled at those people, not lying to them.


    "Uh?"


    "This..."


    "That''s true..." Then, in a low voice, the weaker Spiritual Emperor commented on the irrefutable fact that Minos had just spoken.


    "This..." But Warner still wanted to push the issue. "I understand the problem, but I''m afraid the other royal families are not much better off either..."


    "No." Minos interrupted him. "I''m sure they are. Incidentally, the Stone family hardly suffered from the war, so I suggest the next edition of the Spiritual Tournament take place on Stone Island."


    "Oh? You don''t mind losing the privileges offered by the empire to the Stone family?" The Spiritual King of that group said, trying to stimulate Minos'' competitive side.


    "No."


    "Besides the fact that the Stone family is my ally, I have no intention of sending anyone to the empire. After all, I just won a war and have a lot of need for personnel now."


    "This..."


    "Oh, all right, forget that..." Warner stopped that individual from continuing to press Minos. "I think it will be better to do such a thing as you suggested."


    "The Black Plain is still under construction, and the other continental states are in ''tatters'' after the war."


    "Stone Island is the only one left for that..."


    "Hmm, glad we agree." Minos nodded in satisfaction.


    He did not think House Edwardstone would cause trouble for him needlessly. But, still, he also did not want to have to refuse these people emphatically. Thus, this development was the best for this situation.


    "Then let''s leave the matter of the Spiritual Tournament happening on the Black Plain for the future. How about in two competitions after the next time?"


    Minos laughed and said. "It sounds perfect to me."


    "Great!"


    "Anyway," Warner continued. "In addition to matters related to the Spiritual Tournament, we are here to talk about relations between local royal families and the empire."


    "Oh? Is there something special?"


    "Yes, indeed there is." Warner turned to the Spiritual Emperor next to him and said. "Hector, explain it to him."


    "Hmmm."


    "Your Majesty, for hundreds of thousands of years, the Spiritual Tournament has been organized by the eight major sects of the empire on behalf of the Edwardstone family. And in all that time, we have provided business opportunities for the local royal families."


    "In particular, we can facilitate the importation of high-level food resources into this region, as well as some high-level grade-2 artifacts."


    In the northern region of the Central Continent, it was challenging to get high-level grade-2 artifacts. After all, there was a lack of high-level professionals in the region!


    And since the Church did not prevent trade between regions, local families imported many of the products of their interest.


    "Food, eh?" Minos asked. "Are there other possibilities besides that and artifacts? For example, minerals and materials needed to produce grade-2 items?"


    "Yes, we can do that too..." That man said with a somewhat uncertain tone since such materials would not be helpful without people capable of manipulating them.


    But since Minos was still ignorant about their relationship to the region, he simply did not ask questions.


    "Well, I''m interested in that, but tell me something. What do you guys want in return? I don''t think you are after my crystals, right?" He laughed.


    "As expected from someone who won such a complicated war! Your Majesty is really very clever!" Warner complimented with sincerity.


    "Well, we have some requirements beyond the crystals needed for these purchases."


    "To cut to the chase, anyone sent to the Flaming Empire by the royal family, whether through the Spiritual Tournament or the privilege of the families hosting the competition, will have to sign an agreement with the imperial family."


    "Oh? What kind of agreement?" Minos was not going to send anyone to the empire, but he just asked to fool the people in front of him.


    "Nothing too problematic. They''ll just have to join a group of the imperial family that connects each sect in the empire. Of course, there are also some promises that they will never act against the imperial family and things like that. Nothing too complicated." Hector said this without telling the whole truth.


    Actually, the Edwardstone family did such a thing to keep an eye on these vassal organizations of theirs. But since the people who went to that state through the Spiritual Tournament signed Soul Contracts that involved that secrecy, none of those organizations knew about the spies in their ranks.


    The same was true for the powers in the northern region, who thought that such a thing was just a way for House Edwardstone to maintain good contacts with potential vassals and talents.


    When they came to the empire, most people from this region did not get far. But now and then, someone impressive would emerge, as in the case of Dennis Red, a man who had only been out of the Brown Kingdom for a few decades but had already reached level 64.


    Since it was always good to be on the good side of talents like Dennis, the local families judged that the motivation of that imperial organization was not strange.


    "I see..." Minos nodded, showing that he saw no problem in that. "Well, I am agreeable to making all members of my forces who go to the sects of your empire sign such an agreement."


    "That won''t be any problem for me."


    "Hehe, that was easier than I had imagined," Warner commented as he remembered how difficult Minos had been in the attempted peace negotiation months ago.


    "Then let''s talk about what the Black Plain is interested in..."


    So, they soon began to discuss other details concerning their future relationship, relying, of course, on the minerals of interest to King Stuart.

 Chapter ?1064 Stone Island Investments in the Black Plain

    Chapter ?1064 Stone Island Investments in the Black Plain


    A few days later...


    After the visit of Warner''s group, Minos settled with those representatives of the Flaming Empire, having agreed subsequently to negotiate in the future with the Spiritual King he had met that day.


    With this, the Black Plain had gained a supplier of minerals from outside the region, something useful for the various professionals in this state.


    Such a possibility also existed for the other states in this region. However, they could not make the most of this as Minos would for one simple reason. There were practically no high-level professionals in the most important professions in this region!


    Cultivation became more difficult with each passing level, and for people who could not go to their limit, as in the case of warriors who constantly fought, it complicated their progress in terms of cultivation level.


    For example, alchemists could even go to their limit by producing their products, in this case, pills. That was similar to a warrior fighting. However, while a warrior would simply have to engage in a conflict against people of the same level or stronger than him to stimulate that, the situation was much more complicated for alchemists.


    Alchemists depended on their own understanding of the Natural Laws, as well as on the quality of their techniques, to be able to push their abilities to the limit. In this case, it was pretty complicated to reach their limits for people without good techniques in a poor region with low-level resources.


    Hence, there were few individuals with high-level classification regarding spiritual professions in this region!


    As for the resources imported from the Flaming Empire, they were not cheap. So, even with the possibility, most local organizations would not get much even if they had enough professionals.


    On the other hand, importing such artifacts from outside the region was much easier than minerals!


    After learning the reality of the local powers'' relationship with the empire and the circumstances of his current subordinates, Minos understood why there were so few high-level resources in the region, despite the possibility.


    However, he was not worried about these problems faced by others since the professionals in his territory would soon outnumber those in the region!


    With that, he returned to his local development business, leaving the previous meeting behind in his mind.


    ...


    While Minos and his staff were working, several new services in Dry City were starting to become successful among the local inhabitants.


    After months since independence and Minos'' permission for the Stone Island powers to enter the Black Plain, several of that state''s organizations already had branches in that territory.


    In addition to the Stone and Nash families, with their posts already set up outside the local defensive dome, the Barbecue Temple and the Hotel Olson had arrived in Dry City!


    The Olson family had invested heavily in Dry City and built a mega hotel outside the local dome with more than 500 rooms that could accommodate up to 2,000 people. At the same time, this place had a magnificent water park mixed with a green area of more than 500 square meters.


    Such a place was not yet making much success in this city, but this was to be expected since this was a project for the future. Not only would Dry City soon be the new center of this region, but it also had an architectural design utterly different from other regional capitals.


    The consequence of this? Well, sooner or later, this city would become a tourist center.


    That was precisely why the Olson family invested so heavily in this city and would invest in other luxury hotels around future cities of the Black Plain in the future.


    Their goal was to absorb the high-end customers that would surely start visiting Dry City and the Black Plain after the first stage of local development.


    Obviously, it would take some time before the high-level services, and local differentials became known throughout the region. Everyone knew Minos'' forces had a lot of power, but what about the local professionals and products?


    Few knew about what was being developed by Minos, so for the time being, few would look to this place for spiritual experts.


    But House Olson, the Barbecue Temple, and other Stone Island organizations knew of the local potential.


    Dillian''s case was one example. Only they knew the real identity of the best doctor in the region!


    But what about when this information spreads? Well, many millionaires would certainly seek that fellow''s help.


    As such, the Hotel Olson was already marking its place in Dry City with a hotel with many potentials to compete with the Four Seasons Hotel, the local hotel chain.


    As for the Barbecue Temple, this organization, without many local competitors, had already built a grand temple in one of the new areas of Dry City.


    In that place, similar to the temple in the capital of Stone Island that Minos visited on his first passage through Old Stone, there was already enough space for more than 300 people to visit it at the same time.


    And unlike the Hotel Olson, which would only have its most significant customers in the future, the Barbecue Temple had already gained many local customers!


    In fact, this restaurant was already the most popular in Dry City and even had appointment lists already, since otherwise, many citizens would be unhappy that they did not get a chance to eat there.


    Many people in Dry City could afford to go there daily. Thus, even the restaurant''s 30 grade-2 and 100 grade-1 cooks were not keeping up with demand!


    Hence, lines could be seen in that area at any time of the day, where many other local or Stone Island stores were already emerging under the influence of that restaurant.


    The Barbecue Temple could not keep all the citizens, so soon, a small gastronomic center had already formed there, where even with the surrounding construction fields, thousands of people were already circulating there at all times of the day.


    But the Stone Island investments on the Black Plain had not stopped there!


    No, in addition to the hundreds of millions of low-grade crystals invested in the Bank of the Black Plain, several powers of that state''s shipping industry were already in the coastal areas of this state.


    In particular, the New Maritime City already had half a dozen naval development areas, where the nascent naval industry in the Black Plain was developing.


    Because of this, that city was growing by leaps and bounds, absorbing investment from many organizations on Stone Island. At the same time, hundreds of people from that state moved there every day.


    The local government was controlling the migration to the Black Plain. But this control was only over people with no affiliations to large organizations. For those members of families allied to Minos, like Elena''s House Neel, they could send people into this territory without worrying about the numbers of the local migration policy.


    But this was for a good reason. After all, these people would not need to be hired by the local government since they were moving for the sake of their own business. And this did not create a burden for the local government. On the contrary, it generated taxes for further investment.


    With this, families such as House Neel, Robin''s family, and several other Stone Island organizations already had branches in the New Maritime City and were rapidly developing in such a place.


    Due to the high demand for minerals, food, and other resources that a productive center requires and will require in the foreseeable future, other business powers were already relocating there.


    Anyway, amid all this, the families allied and subordinate to Minos, who was based in this new territory of the Black Plain, were also making their local investments.


    In addition to the cities built by the local workforce during Minos and Abby''s travel period, the Gill, Miller, Parkinson, and Austin families had already moved into their new territories.


    Some of them were practically empty places, like the Miller family''s, which had had to be built entirely from the start. But others, on the other hand, were places already with infrastructure, those localities taken over by the Black Plain from neighboring states.


    The Gill, Austin, and Parkinson families were taking care of places inherited from the Brown Kingdom, among them the Red Valley. At the same time, House Miller was in a newly built place on the northernmost coast of the Black Plain.


    In such a place previously dominated by pirates and criminals, now soldiers of the Black Plain Army were landing in the newly built harbor, happy with life for having completed the task passed down from their King...

 Chapter ?1065 Pirates Captured

    Chapter ?1065 Pirates Captured


    After several months of work, a group of soldiers sent by Minos to capture regional pirates had finally succeeded in their hunt!


    During the period since Minos'' order, several pirates had fallen to the Black Plain forces around the regional seas. However, most of them had no relation to the Blood Triangle Pirates, as was the case with the targets of that order.


    However, with months of work and constant growth of the Black Plain forces, one of the groups sent by Minos had finally gotten their hands on people with information!


    In fact, this group had just completed this mission and were stopping to rest in the city under the control of the Miller family before returning to the sea to head for the New Maritime City.


    So, as soon as this group disembarked from their warship, six people followed the well-built pier in that area.


    There, these people could see a harbor with eight ships with the Miller family symbols and another three with the Black Plain symbol. But, on the other hand, besides that port that appears to have a lot of quality, anyone there could see the city in that area''s background.


    The local port was about 5 kilometers north of the city, a place with beautiful beaches with many coconut palms along the waterfront. There, an urban area extended over a few square kilometers in a locality that was not much larger than a village.


    However, despite the small size, this place exhibited a similar quality to the cities already built by the government of the Black Plain, with streets paved in hexagonal blocks, well-signed and tree-lined.


    At the same time, the buildings also followed some standards of the Black Plain. But they had a design that was more in keeping with the coast, which already made this place unique compared to other coastal cities in the region.


    That had not been an achievement of the Miller family, who had perhaps adapted what their members had already seen in Dry City. No, this place followed the designs handed down by Minos to this family, something similar to what he had given to his other allies or subordinates.


    Minos wanted to build a state with striking cities capable of generating a tourist attraction within that region. So, using his previously inherited knowledge, he replicated every kind of practical design to construct his cities.


    That''s why this place looked so different, making each newly arrived individuals look at the surroundings with a sparkle in their eyes, already looking forward to the future.


    ...


    Upon arriving in that small city, the group led by Dumas, level 51, was soon passing by the main avenue, which had two lanes separated by a line of trees. These two separate areas were extensive, with enough room for up to six carriages to circulate simultaneously.


    Anyway, while walking along there, these people were looking at the buildings in the area that did not exceed five stories in height, the limit allowed for this place.


    On the other hand, even though the place was of high quality, they encountered a lot of dust in some spots now and then. But there was nothing to be done about it. After all, this area was also developing like the other places on the Black Plain.


    The Miller family did not have as many funds as the Black Plain, but still, they could develop this place to a much higher level than it is now. As such, since they were already expecting many migrants soon, this place was being developed with much effort on the part of Abby''s family.


    Noticing this, those individuals soon entered the local government building, where the Miller patriarch was.


    Not all of the Miller family were in this place. In fact, more than two-thirds of that organization was scattered around this state, with many of them in Dry City to protect the capital.


    But many influential members of the future queen''s family were already there, among them the patriarch and several other Spiritual Kings.


    ...


    "Lieutenant Dumas, I heard you wanted to talk to me?" Patriarch Miller, level 58, asked the middle-aged man in front of him, inside the luxurious office overlooking one of the local beaches.


    "Hmm."


    "My group has completed a mission passed down by His Grace, so I want to send that information to Dry City as soon as possible."


    "Can you help me with that? We lost our crows during a recent storm."


    "Oh? That''s it? Haha, leave it to me. I''ll send a crow to Dry City notifying them of your accomplishments."


    After smiling and saying that, that expert then asked. "By the way, how is the situation with the pirates in this area? We have fought repeatedly against groups of them, but unfortunately, the wretched ones can hide better than cockroaches."


    "Hmm. There are many pirate groups in this region, and some of them have headquarters on islands."


    "Also, because not all of them know that this area formerly dominated by outlaws is now under our control, many still come here ignorantly."


    "But patriarch Miller, don''t worry, this place is already starting to gain a reputation among outlaws. So, it shouldn''t be long before they give up coming here."


    "I see..."


    "As for their numbers, I''m afraid it''s impossible to estimate them for sure or even to eliminate them completely."


    "At least for the moment..."


    The eyes of that blue and white-haired man shone with that comment as the Black Plain grew by leaps and bounds. Because of that, even something impossible in the present might not be in a few years.


    "Well, let''s continue with the previous arrangements then..."


    ...


    While the group of Black Plain soldiers was resting in the city ruled by the Miller family, the other cities in this territory also organized themselves through the actions of subordinates and allies.


    The abandoned Yellow City had already undergone a complete renovation in the area formerly part of the Kingdom of the Waves. As a result, it no longer looked like the place Minos had met Emlyn almost ten years ago.


    In that city was one of the Black Plain Army camps, where thousands of migrants passed through every day, most going deeper into this state but dozens of them staying there.


    And besides the expansions that such a place was also experiencing, unlike the Miller family city, in Yellow City, there were workers building parts of a road to Dry City.


    Traveling through the northern part of the Central Continent was extremely dangerous for ordinary people, not only because of the presence of wild beasts in certain areas but primarily because of the human actions in others.


    Minos had experienced this more than once in his travels through the region, so he had already put the development of safe roads into his plans.


    Therefore, the cities closest to Dry City, such as Yellow City, New Maritime City, and the City of Waters, were already building such routes.


    That was a way to cheapen travel within the state, improve safety, decrease travel time, and even improve the efficiency of the means of transportation. After all, items and people were usually transported by carriages, things that could be damaged!


    All added costs to travel, which a road could solve very practically.


    Thus, tens of kilometers of roads were already being made daily in that state, gradually improving the quality of travel for migrants and citizens of the Black Plain!


    That could be seen most significantly in the City of Waters. This place had advanced the most in Minos'' developmental projects.


    But this was not for nothing. After all, such a city was one of the least affected by the war for many months, where two noble families formerly part of the Cromwell Kingdom had come together to lead the place.


    With the establishment of the Black Plain as a state, the Hayes family had left this place to rule another area of the Cromwell Kingdom territory annexed to the state of Minos. Still, even so, the effects of their joint actions with the Stokes family had remained.


    Because of this and the fact that this place already had well over 100,000 inhabitants even before the current migrations, the City of Waters had already finished its part of the construction of the road to Dry City. At the same time, the renovation work in this urban area was also nearing completion.


    With this, only the Black Plain cities that were previously part of the Brown Kingdom were left to follow Minos'' development projects.

 Chapter ?1066 Confirmation

    Chapter ?1066 Confirmation


    In the Black Plain cities annexed from the Brown Kingdom, the situation in these areas was somewhat different from that found in the other parts of this territory. That is, there was a prominent resident population there, with already well-developed economies, and most importantly, this was the only part that had not been affected by the war.


    Some of these cities were previously ruled by the Gill, Austin, and Parkinson families. And in these, the actions of these organizations had been happening more naturally.


    However, in the other cities, particularly those in the Red Valley region, there was some resistance on the part of the communities to follow Minos'' plans with all sincerity.


    Of course, they were not foolish enough to stand in the way of the actions of the dictator, who was now their leader. But many made structural changes difficult, refusing to sell land to the new governments, etc.


    At the same time, these areas were the farthest from the central part of the Black Plain, so not all of Minos'' ideals would reach there. Hence, little investment had been made in this part of his territory.


    The main focus of the state government for this area was not to totally change the place, build roads, and the like. That was even in the plan for the future, but not at the moment. Instead, the focus for these areas was to organize the governments, bring in new rules and review the structure of some institutions.


    At the same time, the forces of Minos continued to enlist citizens interested in migrating to the central part of the Black Plain, sometimes also trying to discourage populations from leaving for other states.


    Yes, people were fleeing from the ''cruel clutches'' of Minos, heading to the new Brown Kingdom, Cromwell Kingdom, or Kingdom of the Waves.


    In any case, Minos did not want disinterested or ill-willed people in his state when millions were striving to join him. So, apart from warning these people to think twice about that, his forces had not stopped anyone from leaving those areas.


    So, little by little, this new state was taking shape, with many cities being built, others being redeveloped, and many population movements!


    ...


    A week after Dumas had passed through the Miller family city, his group had already arrived in Dry City.


    After sailing to the first naval base of the Black Plain Army in New Maritime City, his group traveled along the road between there and Dry City.


    This road was only 50% complete, but this was already enough to improve the quality of local travel and increase the speed of the same.


    So, after Minos received the warnings from his staff of the arrival of Dumas and the captured pirates, this king wasted no time and went with Abby to the local prison.


    After many months of doubt as to whether the map in his spatial ring was the one sought by the Blood Triangle Pirates and the purpose of this, Minos had people with answers to give him.


    So, as they passed through the prison corridors, the couple wasted no time observing the surroundings full of war prisoners, who were silent at the moment. They just walked at a brisk pace until they reached their destination.


    In that place, an interrogation room with only one table and three chairs, three chained men were standing beside a wall, observing the area with arrogant and cruel looks in their eyes.


    At the same time, some soldiers from the army who had brought them there were standing at the four corners of that room while police officers from this prison watched over the entrance door.


    "Your Grace!" A local police officer said as he noticed Minos'' arrival, respectfully making room for the couple to pass.


    "Dumas, you did a good job this time." Minos immediately spotted the soldier who had led this capture, stopping beside him and tapping this man twice on the right shoulder. "Pick up your rewards at headquarters and take a few days off."


    "Thank you, Your Grace!" Dumas said in an honorable manner, just before leaving with his men, going to celebrate this successful mission.


    As for Minos and Abby, they drove all the soldiers and police out of that interrogation room, leaving them alone with those three lawbreakers.


    Minos sat next to his woman at one side of that table and said to those men. "Well, from now on, we will talk about some of my doubts. But, if you are sincere, perhaps there is a future for you..."


    "Anyway, my soldiers told me you were doing work for the Blood Triangle Pirates group. Is that true?"


    "Tsk!"


    "That''s right. We work for the glorious Blood Triangle Pirates!"


    "Well, are you still going to keep us here? Don''t you know how powerful they are?" A thin, tall man with an ugly look said this in a tone full of prepotency.


    Seeing how those individuals behaved, Minos closed his eyes momentarily, thinking how foolish these people were to trust an outside power that was not there to save them.


    "I don''t think the Blood Triangle Pirates care about you." Minos laughed, making those three feel like idiots. "And even if that were the case, I''m already taking action against their third-party pirates. Do you think your threats scare me? Do as I say, or regret it later."


    "Your choice."


    He then took out the map in his spatial ring and asked. "Well, let''s get on with the most important thing. Is this the item you are in search of?"


    Seeing it in Minos'' hands, each of the pirates lost their expressions from earlier, becoming wide-eyed and mouthed now as they swallowed their saliva in agitation.


    "This..."


    "That''s that map!" One of them said in a tone laden with nervousness but containing greed that was hard to hide.


    "Hey! Hey, that map... Kid, that map is what the Blood Triangle Pirates are after!"


    "If you agree to let us go and split some of the prizes from that, we can pass on such a thing to that organization!"


    "Hahaha, we''re rich! With this map, even becoming Spiritual Emperors is not out of our prospects!" They began to celebrate among themselves, sure that someone like Minos would also want ways to achieve such a thing.


    "Kid?" Minos felt a sudden urge to deal with that person but held back for the sake of his doubts.


    Abby then said. "It seems that the value of this map is much greater than we thought."


    "That organization is even willing to make such generous pledges to regional pirates..."


    "Hmm, that must be the case." Minos nodded in agreement.


    He then continued his interrogation. "So what is the purpose of this organization in finding this map? Is there any relevant information they have passed on to you to facilitate your search?"


    "What? What are you talking about? Come on, release us, and we can make a good deal for all of us!" The middle-aged man who had called Minos a boy, said this, not understanding the calmness of the people in front of him.


    He knew this must be Minos Stuart, a dangerous person in this region. But what could the mere Spiritual King do about the possibility of becoming a Spiritual Emperor?


    There were rumors that Minos had strength equivalent to a person of this stage, but these criminals did not believe in absurd like that. To them, this young man''s strength was limited to the regional level!


    On the other hand, even if he was as good as the rumors said, so what? He was still a mere Spiritual King and would remain so if he stayed in this region without taking advantage of such an opportunity.


    "Humph!"


    "Looks like you guys don''t value your life, huh?" Minos commented, finally making up his mind regarding the future of those three. "Previously, I had thought of destroying your cultivation and making you stay a few decades stuck here as punishment if everything worked out."


    "But since all of you are lost to greed, don''t know how to respect the one who decides your life and death, then so be it!"


    "Abby, make them talk." He said in with murderous intent on his voice. "Whether you like it or not, I will find out everything you know..."


    "After that, you guys are going to the Puller!"


    "What?"


    "You bastard! What are you talking about? Stop this nonsense..." One of them was saying this, but suddenly a blue fog hit his feet, making him shiver uncontrollably.


    Abby''s innate ability had not evolved in this period on the Black Plain. But her level had increased dramatically since her first time with Minos. So, she already could use her nerve manipulation skill from a distance without having to touch her targets.


    And with that, those men soon lost all their last will, becoming totally under Abby''s control, as if they were dolls without feelings, existing only to answer questions.


    "All ready, my love. Ask your questions..."

 Chapter ?1067 Revenge

    Chapter ?1067 Revenge


    After Abby left those individuals in a helpless state, Minos asked all the questions in his heart, quickly having discovered what those pirates knew.


    That indeed was the map the Blood Triangle Pirates were after, an item that was supposedly from over 2 million years ago. Such a thing was assumed to be in one of the ancient ruins of this region, where an ancient organization was formerly based.


    However, the map had been lost in time due to numerous expeditions by people from this and other regions. Because of this, after directly searching the area for the map at the first moment, the group hired pirates and regional criminals to do the job for them.


    The map could literally be anywhere, even traveling with poor individuals of little power. In this case, criminals and pirates, who usually dealt with robberies and murders of travelers, as well as hiding in the most unbelievable places in the region, were best suited for the job.


    From then on, many regional outlaw groups had gained an additional purpose in their journeys, to find the lost item of that organization.


    Regarding where it led, well, those pirates only knew that the map was important to the Blood Triangle Pirates and was from somewhere in the Evergreen Empire.


    Besides that, they only knew how to identify that item since such a map was incomplete, and its other half emitted spiritual fluctuations similar to that of Minos.


    Anyway, with this unhelpful information, Minos ended his business with those three individuals and ordered his subordinates to send them to the area of this prison responsible for executions.


    "Well, at least we could confirm this map is their item of interest..." Abby commented to her man as she stood behind where he was sitting.


    Minos nodded in agreement and said. "In any case, it wouldn''t make any difference if we knew more for now. We''re still too weak to get involved with that Evergreen Empire organization."


    "But it''s good to put that doubt out of my mind. Now at least I can prepare myself for the developments in this matter."


    "Hmmm. What about our actions against the regional pirates? Won''t that cause that organization to keep an eye on us?" She asked about that relevant point.


    They were acting against the eyes and ears of that organization in that region. So, Abby soon pondered the problems that this could bring to them.


    "For now, we are only fighting a portion of the regional pirates, and our actions are justifiable. After all, we are establishing our dominance over certain areas."


    "Conflicts like these are normal, so I don''t think people from that organization will see our actions as hostile to them..."


    "But you''re right. It''s good to avoid overreacting in our actions." He looked into her eyes and then said what should be done. "Then, we will continue to act against pirates and criminals who enter the Black Plain or our territorial sea."


    "But we will no longer pursue those who stay away from us."


    "That should be enough to avoid suspicion and greater danger." He said before sighing deeply.


    "Hmm, I''ll give those orders to headquarters later." She nodded in agreement, finding Minos'' plan appropriate for the situation.


    After that, they headed back to their official business, with Abby going to army headquarters and Minos to the state government.


    ...


    "Your Grace, we have just received a letter from the Carline family regarding Lieutenant Barbara." Joey said this after entering Minos'' office, smiling at having received news from that woman.


    "Oh? How did things turn out?"


    "After going to the Kingdom of the End for her revenge, Barbara reached level 52 and soon after acted against the Hargraves family, having eliminated all the Spiritual Kings of that organization in one night."


    "After that, she spent days hunting the surviving nobles before moving on to two other families who participated in the siege against House Schmidt years ago."


    "I see..." Minos closed his eyes momentarily, imagining the battles that woman had faced to put an end to her vengeance. "So?"


    "She collected the Schmidt family belongings looted by the three families she ''visited'' in that period. Ultimately, she did not eliminate those last two families but extorted compensation from them for the tragedy of years ago."


    "Now she is already on her way back to the Black Plain, bringing all those belongings she says she wants to donate to the army." Joey said with a satisfied look, happy for this outcome.


    Of all Minos'' subordinates, he was the most peaceful. But still, Joey understood the motivations behind Barbara''s action. And so, the deaths of hundreds of people at her hands did not bother this man, who was happy to absorb the resources she was bringing in.


    "Oh? Barbara is truly generous..." Minos laughed, pleased at that. "But what about the Carline family? Did they say anything in that letter?"


    "Nothing significant, Your Grace. Just that we should no longer worry about former allies of the Scourges of the Devil in that state."


    "I see. That''s better..." After saying that, he moved his neck, making some noises, and thought of something, he should do in the next few days. "How are the preparations for the next military exercise? Have the personnel who will be standing by that day arrived in Dry City?"


    "About that, Your Grace, we have almost everything ready. The level 59 siblings of the Stone family, some Stone Island patriarchs, and our high-ranking subordinates have already arrived in the Dry City to assist us."


    "As for the soldiers, they are already prepared to train with Your Grace for the next two days."


    "With that, the terrain 40 kilometers north is almost ready to host this event."


    "Good. Let me know if there are any problems."


    ...


    While Minos was settling his government affairs in Dry City, in one of the northernmost areas of the Flaming Empire, a meeting regarding him was being held.


    In that place where there was a flying island, half a dozen people were gathered near one of that island''s cliffs, each with deadly expressions on their faces.


    While the strong winds there would make peak Spiritual Kings tremble with fear, people dressed in armors of different colors and designs were discussing their plans.


    "As you know, more than 15 members of our sect were killed on the damn Black Plain, probably at the hands of the cursed Oswald''s grandson." A purple-haired woman said this in a tone laden with murderous intent.


    "Among them, half were people with no families to count, just disciples of our sect. However, the rest were members of our families!"


    Hearing that, a bald man nodded and said. "Even my great-grandson was killed in this assassination mission!"


    "Yes, our three families have lost loved ones or even important pillars for the future. So, we must do something about it to cleanse the honor of our houses and avenge those deaths!" Another woman there, one dressed in white bone armor, suggested.


    "But how are we going to do that? Even before the recent change in the Spiritual Church, it would be difficult for a Spiritual Saint like us to go to that region without drawing attention..."


    "The damn Gray Clouds Sect is watching us closely!"


    "Hmm, I have an idea..." The purple-haired woman said while smiling devilishly. "It''s too dangerous for Spiritual Saints to act. Even if we got our revenge, we would probably be killed days later."


    "However, we can use the enemies of the empire to act. So even if those people are caught, our connection to the incident will be ignored."


    "Oh?" Everyone else in that dangerous place made the same sound, interested in this idea.


    The Flaming Empire bordered eight states, four of which were their enemies, those bordering the northern region of the Central Continent.


    But this was not a coincidence. After all, the other states bordering this empire were all more substantial than it. In this case, there was no way that the Flaming Empire could stand against them and continue to exist!


    In any case, the four states to the north of the Flaming Empire were its enemies and were allies against it. Individually speaking, they were a little weaker, but together they could fight.


    So that woman wanted to use one of those enemies of the empire, using the brave people in those states, individuals who were capable of doing crazy things for resources or other things that Minos'' enemies had.


    "How long will it take them to solve this problem?" One of the people who had been silent until then asked.


    "Well, the problem of it all is making our contacts without alerting the Gray Clouds Sect and the assassins getting into that region in secret."


    "So, it might take us up to two years to get one of the assassins inside the Black Plain."


    "That''s not much... For me, let''s do it this way."


    "Yeah, two years is nothing!"

 Chapter ?1068 Glorias Arrival for Wedding 1

    Chapter ?1068 Gloria''s Arrival for Wedding 1


    Two days later...


    On a battlefield 40 kilometers north of Dry City, more than 100 Spiritual Kings were on the outskirts. But instead of preparing for something, they had just finished what they were doing.


    Some of them were slumped in ravines, others on their knees in the scorched ground of the area, or even standing, but with their tongues out due to the great exhaustion in their bodies.


    At the same time, many bloodstains could be seen near those people, most of them with their clothes torn and superficial cuts all over their bodies.


    Among these people were Peter, Grace, Mirya, and Eduard, all the high-level soldiers of the Black Plain Army.


    On the other hand, King Stuart was in the middle of that semi-destroyed area, where pieces of rock from the local underground could be seen.


    He also had his clothes in tatters, an exhausted look on his face, and some bruises all over his body. But unlike his soldiers, he still had enough energy left to say a few words. "We had a unique experience here today, with several of you having experienced the first test against me and others once again having faced me."


    "I hope you remember that feeling well since it will be something similar or worse when you fight against Spiritual Emperors in the future." He said, looking at the people new to military exercises with him.


    Among them was Neal, Brooke''s ex-husband, and this woman, who had already overcome her previous sorrows alongside her good friend...


    Minos then continued. "Due to the current circumstances in which we cannot yet fight with all the high-level members of the army, you were at a disadvantage today, and the result was this draw."


    "But don''t get down on yourselves. Your joint formation is already at an enviable level, capable of dominating any organization outside the Black Plain in this northern region!"


    "With that, use today''s experiences in your cultivation and training."


    "We will have more opportunities to face each other again in the future!" He finished his words when Abby and Ruth stopped beside him, coming to support him.


    "Good thing I didn''t allow you two to participate in this exercise, or I would need medical treatment..." Minos joked with the two.


    Ruth had already joined the Black Plain Army, having begun learning about this organization and its functionality. For the moment, she did not have much power yet, but as Minos'' woman, she was bound to become number three in this force.


    In any case, Minos knew that both Ruth and Abby had a Golden-grade combat technique and could significantly hinder the soldiers'' training on this occasion. That is why he had not allowed them to participate in such a thing.


    "You say that now, but it is you who bullies us almost every day..." Ruth pouted at him, remembering how he used to push the two during their training together.


    Abby had a Golden-grade defensive technique and Ruth an attacking one. But even considering their combined strengths, they still had difficulty fighting Minos.


    With that, Ruth, who had once been the one pushing that guy, could not help but complain about it.


    After Abby laughed at those two, they headed back to Dry City for their man to rest, passing through the many soldiers in the surrounding area.


    Seeing a fight like the previous one was a privilege for anyone in this region, as this had been a battle of a level higher than that of the region. So, thousands of lower-level soldiers had watched the military exercise that had just ended. That was also true for some high-level Spiritual Kings who were most interested in the gains of seeing such a confrontation.


    Among them were the peak Spiritual Kings, those most eager to advance their cultivations.


    "That kind of event is fascinating, sister." Lorelei Stone''s younger brother said this as he watched the people slowly leaving that area.


    "Hmm, maybe we should replicate that kind of event in our state. Besides helping those involved to improve their understandings of their respective techniques, it might also help viewers." She agreed as she nodded in the direction of supreme elder Miller and other peak cultivators in that area.


    "Well, let''s return to our positions. When we are liberated, we will pay a visit to Minos before returning to Stone Island."


    "Let''s see if we can arrange joint training of our forces to stimulate the competitive side of both parties."


    "Oh? That will be interesting..."


    ...


    A month passed in the blink of an eye...


    After the previous event, several Black Plain allies and subordinates had learned a little more about why this state of Minos was so strong, even with its low numbers.


    While they had returned to their organizations with that learning, Minos had agreed with some regional powers representatives to create training between local and outside teams every few years.


    Not only had Lorelei thought of this. But others present during the previous military exercise had realized that only by fighting people from this place could their organization members get the best results.


    Since Minos considered the whole region with the potential to help him in the future, he had no reason to refuse such a suggestion. So, he had already left it up to Ruth and the leaders of those organizations to arrange such an event.


    In any case, time had not stopped, and while the Black Plain continued to develop, the royal wedding date was getting closer!


    The entire Dry City was already preparing for this event, with the local population more excited than ever, already celebrating this extraordinary event.


    At the same time, regional families were working frantically to at least send their gifts, anxious that their items would be sufficient not to offend the tyrant.


    On the other hand, Minos and his woman were more relaxed than ever in this period, working on their duties and cultivating inside the Spatial Kingdom.


    This event would be exceptional for all of them. Still, given their personalities and how they already lived, they were not nervous but delighted that this moment was coming.


    And with only a week to go, Abby and Ruth had already left their local functions to entirely focus on this while Minos was still dealing with his local affairs.


    ...


    In the Spatial Kingdom, the group of soldiers from the Elite Squad was still there as usual, alongside some Lieutenants, those army instructors.


    Kyla was cultivating in the middle of one of the forested areas there, while Virtus focused on his step advance in the most deserted part of that area.


    Thus, not many people were near the lake house, where Abby and Emlyn were sitting at the entrance, chatting quietly while feeling the sun''s rays warming them.


    "Emlyn, you rarely talk about your homeland..." Abby commented without looking at that fox while holding a cup with a drink in her right hand. "Why don''t you tell me about that place? I''ve always been curious about the fantastic Continent of the Beasts."


    "Well, since we''ve known each other, we''ve always been busy with Minos'' wars and plans..." Emlyn said with an expression on her face that indicated she was laughing. "So, I rarely talk about things that don''t have much bearing on our present problems."


    "But I have no problem talking about my homeland."


    "So? What special thing can you tell me about that continent?" Abby asked in an interested tone.


    "Well, even I can''t talk about everything about there since I haven''t had the chance to explore the whole continent. I was weak when I was still living on the continent, and that place is definitely more dangerous than, for example, the Flaming Empire."


    "But anyway, if you ask me, the continent is beautiful, with magical forests that seem alive. There are many floating islands, some submerged cities, and cities like these of humans in this area."


    "There are high-level beasts capable of transforming into their humanoid forms. So, many of them use the practical methods of humans to live and do business in cities, not so different from Dry City."


    "I think the big difference is that while you humans are always plotting against each other, that''s rarer among us."


    "Oh? Aren''t there beast groups trying to ascend on the Continent of the Beasts?" Abby asked.


    "There are, but the dragons rule the continent with an iron fist, and the hierarchy there has been virtually immovable for millions of years. So, plots like those of humans are rarer to happen, and apart from the problems between tribes, a war like the one we fought recently hardly ever happens there."


    "Dragons, huh? What does a dragon look like, Emlyn? Are they as powerful as the legends say?"

 Chapter ?1069 Glorias Arrival for Wedding 2

    Chapter ?1069 Gloria''s Arrival for Wedding 2


    Emlyn then began to answer Abby''s questions. "Yes, dragons are powerful. In fact, their race is the third most powerful in the entire Spiritual World."


    "Only the third?" Abby''s eyes widened in surprise, as she had not expected to hear something like that.


    From the legends that reached this part of the Central Continent, dragons were supposed to be ultimate existences to which only elves could compare themselves. Not only did they have majestic bodies, with scales as powerful as the strongest metal alloys of this world, but they were endowed with unique spiritual abilities.


    But surprisingly, Emlyn said there were two races above that of dragons...


    That was unexpected!


    "Yes, there are two races. The first one is that of elves. I don''t know what kind of rumor is circulating around this region, but elves are more powerful than dragons."


    "Every elf, even those of lower bloodlines, are already born with an innate level of power. Some of the most talented are already born at level 20!"


    "Dragons are also born with innate power, but in general, this is less significant than is the case with elves."


    "On the other hand, dragons spend most of their lives sleeping, while elves only sleep as much as humans. So, that''s another advantage for this race of heaven''s chosen ones."


    "Also, this race''s compatibility with spiritual energy is almost similar to that of plants. That means they can live much longer than fellow members of other races on the same level as them. Because they can live longer, they can accumulate more strength than dragons..."


    "For any race, it''s hard for us to find Gods. But as far as Spiritual Demigods are concerned, almost any elf with above average talent can reach that stage."


    "That''s what makes them so powerful!" Her eyes widened as she remembered the teachings of the elders of her Nine-tailed Foxes tribe.


    That was a proud tribe of powerful beings relative to the average power of this world. But even so, the elders of her tribe taught their youths from an early age not to get involved with elves unless they had to, and if they had to, never to stand against one.


    They were creatures blessed by heaven, chosen by spiritual energy!


    "Anyway, besides the elves, there is also a race of sea beasts that I don''t know their name. I only know that it is a type of whale. Anyway, that one is definitely the strongest of all in terms of raw power. They are not as talented as elves, nor can they live as long as elves. But their power is matchless."


    "Uh? Whales? I''ve never heard of whales before." Abby commented as she rose from her seat.


    "Hmm, whales. You''ve never heard of them because sea beasts are less famous in the Spiritual World than land-based ones. Besides, they sleep even more than dragons..."


    "But whether you believe it or not, whales of that breed are terrifying. It is said that if they all went crazy, they could even create tsunamis capable of covering even the highest peaks of the Spiritual World!"


    "This race is the only one that could truly destroy the entire world if they wanted to!" She said this with a sparkle in her eyes, the pure respect she had for beings of that divine species.


    "Anyway, lucky for us, those whales are extremely weakened on land, just like other races of sea beasts. So, rarely would one of them step foot on the mainland."


    "Then, you don''t have to worry about their incredible power. They are also known as very friendly and quiet."


    "Really? That sounds strange. Beings that powerful are usually more violent, no?"


    Emlyn smiled and said. "That''s because of the dragons. They are very proud, have a lot of power, and members of their race are fanatical about battles."


    "But not everyone is like them. For example, Qilins, in general, are as peaceful and quiet as those whales. Unless someone acts against them first or violates their principles, they hardly cause trouble on the continent, even considering they are one of the strongest races."


    After she said that, suddenly Minos'' voice sounded in both of their ears. "Abby, I will take you to meet some of these beasts in the future..."


    "Oh? My love, what are you doing here? I thought you were working." Abby rushed to his side.


    "Hmm, I came to tell you that Gloria just arrived in Dry City."


    "Do you want to go talk to her about the details of the wedding?"


    "She finally arrived?" Abby asked with a wide smile on her face, feeling a little anxious about working out the details of the wedding with that woman.


    "Hmm, I just got a notification that she landed on the city''s south side and is coming right now."


    "Is that so? Then let''s go. I want to get this sorted out as soon as possible..."


    "You don''t know how much my mother is bothering me these days." She pouted as she hugged her man''s waist.


    Minos laughed and then said goodbye to Emlyn. "See you later..."


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the area under construction on the south side of Dry City, Gloria had just landed on the outskirts and was already in a carriage heading toward the area protected by the local dome.


    "Incredible!" She muttered under her breath, seeing thousands of people in her surroundings working.


    People were working on constructions that had only the underground completed, little by little rising to the skies. Yet, at the same time, when walking toward the dome, anyone could see that the situation developed, and the foundation work changed to painting and decorating.


    Finally, in the areas within 300 meters of the dome, there were no more buildings under construction but places ready to live.


    There was already a typical movement of functional places there, with several carriages passing through the streets, people walking along the sidewalks minding their own business and affairs unrelated to construction.


    Noticing all this, Gloria was mesmerized, positively surprised at how fast Minos was in developing this place.


    ''I was right all along...''


    ''The rise of the Black Plain is a chance for the entire northern region to experience a qualitative breakthrough!''


    ''It''s just a pity that the fools in power in this region needed a war to understand that they shouldn''t fight against Minos...'' She lamented, remembering that she had advised the local powers to accept Black Plain independence on more than one occasion.


    On the other hand, Gloria was feeling pretty good. After all, she had made a great deal with Minos, and this place seemed to be growing faster than she had estimated necessary for his promises to be fulfilled.


    ''Thinking about that, now I feel I''ve underestimated this place a bit...''


    ''Could it be that Minos has fooled me?'' She laughed, finding that possibility interesting.


    She was obviously acting for the church''s good, but she had already signed an agreement with him. On the other hand, the church would undoubtedly gain from Minos. So even if their gains were not the best possible, she was okay with it and laughed at the possibility at hand.


    After that, her carriage entered the part of Dry City protected by the local dome, where she immediately felt the difference in her surroundings.


    ''Hmm, the people in this place are much more vibrant than before, without that war tension...'' She observed her surroundings, realizing that not many changes had happened in the months since Minos'' coronation.


    ''I wonder how he is doing?''


    But her question was soon answered when her carriage stopped beside the local government mansion, a place that was currently already ten times the size of it when Minos took over the Black Plain.


    Upon arriving there, Gloria noticed the presence of level 59 Spiritual Kings in Dry City. Still, she put that aside to pay attention to the handsome level 55 man who was waiting for her next to two women at the entrance of that estate.


    "Your Grace, I''m glad to see you looking so well." She said formally, laughing gracefully at having to use those titles to talk to Minos.


    Minos laughed as well, nodding to her in appreciation.


    After that, she looked at Ruth and then at Abby, feeling slight envy in her heart at the position of the two. "Well, your wedding is just around the corner, so let''s talk about the details..."


    "I think you''d better get on with your business, Your Grace. I will come and talk to you later."


    "That''s better, hehe..." Minos avoided his responsibility, quickly letting those three women move on to his residence while he went to his work.

 Chapter ?1070 Advancing Before the Wedding

    Chapter ?1070 Advancing Before the Wedding


    While Abby, Ruth, and Gloria were dealing with the affairs of the royal wedding, thousands of spiritual beasts were crossing the borders of the Black Plain, traveling toward the central part of this territory.


    After days since Minos'' order for the local government to lead the reforestation operations of the central area of this state, the initial plans for that goal were already beginning to come into operation.


    The beasts of the Flooded Valley, along with the races of that area and other beasts from other parts of the northern region interested in the Black Plain, had already begun to move toward this state. Not only that, many of them had already organized essential resources for the reforestation of that area. As such, several carried all sorts of items as they traveled through the region.


    Some were traveling with massive tree trunks, as seen with a group of Diamond Monkeys crossing the Black Plain right now with a 200-meter-long trunk on their backs.


    On the other hand, others brought precious minerals, dead vegetation, and even fewer animals to graze the areas to be reforested.


    With this, in some regions of the Black Plain, colorful waves of migrating living beings could be seen at any time of the day, sometimes tens of thousands of humans traveling side by side with thousands of wild beasts.


    It was a situation not often seen!


    But this was what any visitor flying over the Black Plain would see in the four counties of this state at almost any time of the day!


    That was the local development effort, Minos'' plan to make this place a gigantic fortress.


    ...


    As beasts and humans continued to enter the Black Plain, a few days passed, and the royal wedding got closer.


    However, while the development and satisfaction of the entire local population broke records daily, an early wedding gift arrived for Minos!


    While he was sleeping next to his women in the lake house of the Spatial Kingdom, Emlyn was awake next to her daughter, watching Virtus with wide eyes, surprised at what was unfolding in front of her.


    ''I didn''t think he would move so fast...'' She watched the large body of that Feathered Serpent vibrating with the explosive spiritual energy in its body.


    Virtus had already been at absolute regional peak for months, having for many weeks trained hard in this cultivation sanctuary and fed on King-grade spiritual medicines provided by Minos.


    Because of this, he could literally advance to the 7th stage at any time!


    He had not advanced until then, not because of a lack of energy in his body, as this had already been solved by coming to this place. No, the problem had been something else, his own potential.


    If it had been Emlyn in Virtus'' condition, upon reaching the peak of the 6th stage, she would have immediately advanced to the 7th stage since her talent was superior to his. However, that serpent had to be calmer than her and more calmly understand the Natural Laws of this world to make such an advance safely.


    Therefore, Minos had wondered if Emlyn could overcome such a Feathered Serpent and become the first creature to become a Spiritual Emperor of his forces.


    Virtus could advance any time, but that could be in a day or a year!


    In any case, this serpent had reached the best state to advance just on the eve of Minos'' wedding and was currently in the middle of its advance to the 7th stage!


    With that, as two similar furry foxes lay side by side, watching that serpent coiled up in one of the troves of trees in that area, pulses of energy were leaving that body, drawing the attention of the soldiers in the surrounding area.


    "Look at that! It looks like elder Virtus is about to advance!" One of the Elite Squad members said this out loud, in a tone filled with reverence and happiness.


    He and others there felt incredible to witness the ''creation'' of the first Spiritual Emperor of the Black Plain. But not only that, watching the advancement of any living being could stimulate weaker cultivators!


    That was noticeably better if the advancement was from beings of the same species or even practitioners of the same type. But an advance by itself already made a lot of difference, even for beings of different races.


    That was particularly true for most of those soldiers, individuals at the latter part of the 5th stage, those levels far below Virtus''.


    With that, soon, each of them was sitting on the outskirts, eyes closed, as they tried to feel the laws resonating with that being.


    The same was true even for the instructors of these individuals. Among them were Eda, level 55, and Viola, level 52.


    ...


    When Virtus'' advance was almost ending, the trio in the main room of that lake house finally realized that there was something ''wrong'' going on due to the constant pulse lighting up their room.


    Because of this, Minos was the first to get up to see the problem, quickly noticing their wedding gift.


    "Virtus will become a Spiritual Emperor in 5 minutes..." He casually commented to his women, causing them to get up from that bed suddenly.


    After running to the window side of their room, the two saw Virtus'' body, which now seemed to have gone into a scale-swapping mode.


    "Unbelievable!"


    "I didn''t think he would get that so soon!" Ruth was the first to comment since she was the one most aware of the difficulty of beings of this region or average talent advancing to that stage.


    "Hmm, shall we take a closer look?" Abby asked the two before they all left that place in hurried steps.


    ...


    After a few seconds, Minos was already at Kyla''s side, massaging that fox''s large ears, while he and his women watched the completion of Virtus'' advance.


    Shortly after arriving there, the pulses emitted by Virtus'' body ceased, while a gigantic cocoon seemed to form around his body.


    After that, such a thing sucked in a large amount of spiritual energy from the surroundings until it began to move, with many cracks spreading through various parts of the cocoon.


    Crack!


    Then the 30-centimeter thick cocoon exploded into countless pieces, exposing a serpent of colorful scales, wings opening to a length as long as its own body. Finally, its large head seemed less crude than before, with a refinement hard to ignore.


    As he opened his large vertical eyes, an incomparable glow broke from them, making all the people there watch these changes in his figure with open mouths.


    "Hahahaha, finally! I finally made it!" He shouted in his spiritual voice, spreading his great satisfaction with himself, feeling more vital than ever.


    Finally, Virtus'' cultivation base had stabilized at the beginning of the 7th stage, officially making him the first spiritual beast of this strength range in the Black Plain!


    "Congratulations to elder Virtus for reaching level 60. From now on, we will be able to do much more for the future!" Then, Minos approached that individual and said sincerely, smiling as if he was the one who had the breakthrough.


    After that, Abby, Ruth, and Emlyn expressed their words to that being, happy for his advancement.


    "Haha, thank you. Well, if it weren''t for young Minos bringing me to this place, it would have been impossible for me to reach this level so soon..."


    "Then it''s all due to that opportunity you created!" He was sincere, showing his gratitude to Minos.


    "Well, now that you have advanced, how about staying in Dry City for the next few days to attend my wedding? After that, I will discharge you to go and join the rest of the Feathered Serpents dealing with that matter on the Black Plain."


    "Oh? That sounds good to me!"


    "Hmmm." Minos nodded to Virtus before looking at the soldiers in the surrounding area and saying. "Well, it''s time for you all to get ready to leave this place!"


    "The Spatial Kingdom will be closed to all of you for the next 30 days, so get your things before we head back to Dry City."


    "Yes, Your Grace!" Almost all the humans there shouted simultaneously, quickly heading towards their tents.


    Many would like to stay there as long as possible, but with the gift Virtus had given them all, they had a lot to digest over the next few weeks.


    So, staying away from this place during Minos'' honeymoon would not be missed much by them. Hence, they had smiles on their faces as they gathered their things, already preparing to celebrate this extraordinary moment on the Black Plain with their families!

 Chapter ?1071 Royal Wedding 1

    Chapter ?1071 Royal Wedding 1


    Time passed, and it was finally time for the royal wedding of Minos, Abby, and Ruth!


    As the sun rose over Dry City, the streets of this place dawned quiet, without any noise from construction so common in the surrounding area.


    While the havens helped this day with entirely blue skies, providing a sunny day for the local people, the main streets of this city were decorated for the ceremony later in the day.


    There were flowers on the street lamps, with ribbons of different colors around them, creating a significant backdrop for the citizens who would have the opportunity to see part of the event.


    Several railings were well placed beside the sidewalks of the main avenues of this city, where the army parade would pass along with the royal entourage.


    The royal entourage with the brides was scheduled to leave the local government mansion at noon and head for the wedding location.


    Originally, such an event was to occur inside a Spiritual Church branch. But since there was no such place in Dry City, this royal wedding would occur in one of this city''s government buildings, a place previously prepared for this event.


    In any case, many police officers and soldiers were already on the streets, taking care of the event''s security. At the same time, part of the population began to arrive from the side streets, and many formally dressed as if they were the ones getting married.


    While the ordinary people were beginning to gather in this pleasant-looking and flower-scented place, the important guests were already leaving their homes or local hotels.


    Among them, Elen was leaving her family''s branch in this city, heading towards the interior of the defensive dome alongside the most important members of House Nash in this place.


    She was dressed in a beautiful light green dress, her wavy blond hair was loose, and her pink lips were more attractive than ever.


    Next to her, Elena was wearing something different from the armor of the local forces, highlighting her graceful body, similar to Elen''s in certain parts.


    "How are you doing for today? Anxious?" Elena asked her friend, smiling so that anyone who saw her would think this angelic woman was incapable of hurting other living beings.


    "Hmmm, besides being a happy day for the local forces, this is an important step for the Black Plain to become even more attractive." Elen said that as she did not overlook the positives of this occasion for his local business.


    "The regional population naturally views a leader with a queen, family, etc., more favorably. As such, this wedding is essential for the image of Minos and the Black Plain outside of this state."


    "Really?"


    "Hmm, it would be even better if they could produce an heir during their honeymoon..." She smiled, a little flushed.


    "Haha, Elen, you truly care a lot about your work. But I don''t think that will happen so easily..."


    "Although I would like to see Minos'' children."


    "Oh?"


    They continued their conversation inside a luxurious carriage of the Nash family, following the main avenues outside the local dome.


    ...


    At the same time, at Minos'' residence, this man had already left the night before to make room for his two women to get organized.


    And with that, by now, the two were already beginning to get ready, with their hearts beating restlessly, finally feeling nervous.


    "Abby, I''m glad this day is finally here..." This woman''s mother said this as she wiped one of her eyes with a handkerchief. "I hope you will be very happy and beget some grandchildren for your father and me."


    "Mother..."


    "No, you can''t cry now, Abby, or you won''t be in your best state for Minos." She hugged her daughter before looking at Ruth and taking responsibility for this woman''s family.


    "Ruth, you and Abby will soon be married to Minos and be in the same family. So, since you will soon be sisters to me, why don''t you hug your second mother?" She opened her arms, smiling at that young black-haired woman.


    Ruth was touched by this and hugged Nicole, leaving Mia''s side, who was also there with Eda, Robin, Brooke, and Mona.


    All of them were there to help the two women prepare for this great day as they were the closest people to Minos and his women.


    Eda was a former bodyguard for Abby, while Mona and Brooke were close friends of this woman. Mona was also friends with Ruth, as both had been disciples of the Grey Clouds Sect until recently.


    Mona, in particular, had left that sect after receiving Abby''s advice that she would have a better future returning to the northern region of the Central Continent.


    As for Mia, she was the one who had the most contact with those two brides, and with her pregnancy, the relationship between the three had only improved.


    Abby and Ruth wanted to know if there were any secrets to getting pregnant faster...


    Anyway, soon, the touching moment passed, and they turned their attention to making those two women more beautiful than ever for King Stuart.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Minos was finishing dressing in his office, alongside the butler Dillian and his father-in-law, Eliot.


    "Haha, Your Grace, congratulations. You''re finally getting married!" Dillian tapped Minos'' right shoulder as his mustache twitched with a smile on his face.


    "Hmmm." Minos smiled, pleased.


    As Minos looked at himself in a mirror, Eliot nodded to his son-in-law, pleased that his daughter ended up next to this young man and not some ordinary person from this region.


    "Young Minos, today I will give my sweet Abby over to you entirely. So, I hope you will take good care of her in the future, no matter what happens."


    "I will, father-in-law. Abby, Ruth, and I are very close-knit, and I will certainly give both of them a great life."


    "Good, good!"


    "Well, you don''t have to get too hung up on having kids, but if it happens, you can leave it to grandpa here to spoil them very well, hahaha." He laughed as he pulled out a large cigar from his spatial ring, feeling good for the day.


    Abby had grown into a woman so quickly. In addition, she was already stronger than him, making Eliot tremendously proud of his daughter. So, as much as no father would like to give his sweet daughter to another man, he was happy with where fate had brought them.


    It was a much better outcome than he had ever imagined!


    Hence, there was no way he could not smile!


    "Well, are you guys ready?" Minos finished what he was doing and asked the two of them. "Let''s go!"


    Afterward, the three men left the local government mansion, heading towards the wedding venue in a chariot.


    Soon, the three were watching the streets filled with people, where thousands were waving at them, shouting congratulations to Minos.


    ...


    Arriving at the wedding venue, Minos walked across a red carpet in front of Dillian and Eliot, passing alongside many acquaintances.


    As he walked towards his place, soldiers and subordinates of his on the way to where Gloria was at the moment bowed their heads as he passed them.


    After shaking many hands, waving to some people, and greeting more warmly some women in the area, Minos arrived at Gloria''s side with a smile on his face.


    "Gloria, last night was interesting... When can we see each other again?" He said softly, remembering the fun time the two had had recently.


    "Minos!"


    "Don''t you think it''s wrong to talk about this on your wedding day?" She blushed, moving closer to him so no one else could overhear that conversation.


    "Abby and Ruth know of my intentions toward you, Gloria. Thus, none of that bothers me..." He said as he looked into her beautiful light green eyes.


    He thought of something and laughed. "I have a curiosity that only you can satisfy..."


    "Oh?"


    "If it were you in Abby and Ruth''s place, who would be here in the Spiritual Church position?"


    Gloria''s eyes widened as she realized he was suggesting the idea of them getting married in the future, and her heart started beating at more intense frequencies than usual.


    Gulp!


    "If the wedding were to occur within the Spiritual Church, a Patriarch would perform the ceremony. But I have never heard any case of church members marrying kings..."


    "Is that so? Then that would make you the first." He winked at her, making her even more embarrassed.


    ...

 Chapter ?1072 Royal Wedding 2

    Chapter ?1072 Royal Wedding 2


    "Tsk!"


    "You truly like playing with me, huh?" Gloria embarrassingly looked at him. "But are you that committed to this? Now you will have two beautiful women, time and peace to be by their side, while I will be away..."


    "Won''t you forget our brief relationship after a few good years?"


    "Years?" Minos was surprised. "Gloria, if you stay years away from the Black Plain, you might find a new world here when you return, haha."


    "As my business partner and the Spiritual Church representative for this region, you have plenty of reason to make periodic visits."


    "What''s more, we will soon have cultivation rooms with low-level grade-3 arrays, so even people at your level won''t miss much when visiting Dry City in the near future."


    "Is that so? What about our agreement for the Church to stay out of the Black Plain for 20 years? Wouldn''t I be breaking it by doing that?" She smiled at him.


    "It would only be you, and the church wouldn''t have a building on my territory, so no."


    She was silent for a moment and then asked. "What about these grade-3 arrays? Where do you intend to find them? I know that even high-level grade-2 arrays are difficult to produce or buy in this region..."


    "Well, that naturally has a little to do with our constant visitors..." He smiled, not hiding the enemies always arriving in his territory as she should know about it. "They brought us several useful arrays and materials."


    "But even if there weren''t any useful arrays for cultivation rooms, those items are enough to help us produce low-level grade-3 array masters."


    Her eyes widened in surprise at this statement from Minos. "How long do you think this will take? I mean, how long will you need to produce an array master of that level?"


    "Hmm, let me see..." He put his hand on his chin and looked up thoughtfully. "Well, our highest level array master is at level 56 and is about 500 years old... Hmmm... I guess about five years if I don''t get a better array master than him in that time."


    "But I will be bringing the best professionals in the region to the Black Plain soon, so the time needed for that is probably less." He said in a confident tone.


    "Interesting... Then let''s make a bet." She winked at him, smiling graciously. "If your Black Plain has a low-level grade-3 expert for every spiritual profession in five years, then I will give you whatever you want and still move to this city."


    "What do you say?"


    "Oh? Interesting..."


    "Are you sure you want to make this bet? I don''t want to take advantage of you. He bit his lips, looking down at her lips.


    She smiled at him and said. "I''m confident in my judgment."


    "Hehe, so tell me something. What if I lose? What will I have to do?"


    "Well, we will cancel that agreement from before, and the church will enter the Black Plain after those five years."


    Minos laughed for a moment, but he calmly analyzed the situation to estimate how much risk there was for him in this bet. "I am willing to go through with it if you accept one condition of mine..."


    "What is it?"


    "Spiritual judges are not included in that bet."


    "Oh? It seems that your confidence is not as great as I imagined..."


    "No, the case of spiritual judges is sensitive. The youngest of them in our region with a chance of reaching level 60 is already over 1,400 years old..."


    "I am confident, but to think that a person who couldn''t understand the laws necessary to advance to the 7th stage after 1.4 thousand years will do it in 5 is ridiculous."


    "It would be easier for me to reach level 70 in that period..." He joked.


    Gloria did not think much about it and soon agreed with him. "Fine, I''ll make that exception."


    "Great!"


    ...


    While those two were talking, all the guests for the ceremony had already seated in the vicinity of the place where Minos and Gloria were.


    There were rows of long benches of rare materials, a red carpet that paved the paths, and many curtains in the surroundings adorned the area with flowers.


    At the same time, behind the main point of the ceremony location was a beautiful view of one of the artificial lakes inside Dry City, where small boats passed from one side to the other.


    Only special guests would participate in this part of the royal wedding, so some citizens who arrived early at that lake and got small boats were watching from afar.


    Later there would be the coronation of Abby as the Queen of the Black Plain, the public part of the event. But still, that more private part was definitely more significant, so more than a dozen small boats were on that lake.


    "Looks like it''s almost time to start..." Todd Cohen said to his grandfather as he looked back and saw that the brides'' attendants were already taking their places. ''Ah, if only I could win the favor of one of them...'' He looked at Mona''s side and sighed.


    At the same time, the core of the Nash family and Miller House, who was sitting in one row, turned in the direction of the entrance of that place, seeing the soldiers on the outskirts taking their positions.


    But as they did so, several experts in the surrounding area almost had their eyes pop out of their faces when a giant serpent appeared on one of the banks of that lake.


    Seeing Virtus, none of them were shocked that the leader of the Feathered Serpents had attended this event. But they were shocked to realize that he had already become a Spiritual Emperor!


    Recently they had seen many experts of that level. However, those people came from outside the region!


    On the other hand, Virtus was a beast that had been allied with Minos for years. Not only that, this was a being that genuinely could only have advanced in this region.


    In other words, that region''s first known Spiritual Emperor had been born on the Black Plain!


    ''Unbelievable!'' Lorelei Stone looked at that figure with her eyes shining, also seeing two big foxes lying near one of the nearest banks of that place.


    "It looks like we will soon have many Spiritual Emperors appearing here..." Patriarch Nash commented in a low voice, more excited about his family condition than ever.


    On the other hand, the Miller family members were more than happy to see that beast, each of them grinning from ear to ear.


    ''All ended well in the end...'' Supreme elder Miller smiled, satisfied.


    If Virtus had achieved such a thing, then it was only a matter of time before he did too!


    In any case, murmurs spread through that area until a beeping sounded, ceasing all talk. Then, all heads in that place turned in the direction of where in a short time, Abby and Ruth appeared side by side.


    When they appeared there, everyone present, including Minos and Gloria, saw those two more gorgeous ladies, who were more beautiful than ever, and had warm smiles on their faces. Meanwhile, distinctive dresses marked the best qualities of each of them, perfectly matching their haircuts.


    Abby had her long blue hair tied up in a knot on top of her head, with a golden tiara there. On the other hand, Ruth had her black hair partially loose, but with her beautiful ears showing, while a silver tiara rested on top of her head.


    Also, while Abby''s dress was more reserved, showing less of her body, only giving the impression of what was there, Ruth''s showed a bit more, with a lovely neckline and a side slit on the side of her left leg.


    Seeing those two goddesses, each one there praised them in their minds, thinking how lucky Minos was to make those two accept each other.


    Beautiful and talented women like them used to be very demanding and proud. So, it was not usually easy to get them to accept sharing.


    But not only were the men there giving mental compliments, even the women could not help but be attracted to the appearances of the two.


    ''Ah, too bad Minos and them don''t mix their relationship with ours...'' Mendy thought of this as she bit her lips, imagining what it would be like to simultaneously sleep with all three of them.


    And similar things were going through Viola''s, Elena''s, and Mirya''s minds as Gloria pouted, not looking too much at the two and soon focusing on Minos.


    ''This fellow...'' She saw him looking with a sincere smile on his face at those two, amazed by his women. ''Looks like you''re no good, huh?''


    ''A minute ago, you were flirting with me, but still...''


    ''Ah, I have to talk to those two and learn to deal with my jealousy in the future...'' After Gloria thought about it embarrassingly, the trio was side by side, ready for the ceremony to begin.


    ...

 Chapter ?1073 Four Years

    Chapter ?1073 Four Years


    After Abby and Ruth stood on either side of Minos, the wedding ceremony quickly unfolded.


    First, they said a few words to each other, sometimes making the guests laugh softly, sometimes making the more emotional ones wipe away their tears.


    In particular, Nicole spent more than half of the ceremony with a handkerchief on her face, while Eliot hugged her waist, supporting her on this important day for their daughter.


    Gloria was also a bit emotional about the whole thing, having led this type of ceremony for the first time, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.


    After more than an hour, Minos, Ruth, and Abby were officially married when they finally kissed in front of the audience.


    It had been a slightly different kiss than usual for such occasions, with Minos hugging both of them simultaneously and then kissing each. But still, everyone in the surrounding area laughed and enjoyed the moment of togetherness of those prominent young people.


    After this moment of the royal wedding, the people in that place enjoyed themselves for a few more hours, with drinks, food, and most importantly, a lot of talking.


    It was undeniable that everyone was there for the leader of the Black Plain and his wives. But the most influential regional leaders were there too!


    Therefore, many Spiritual Kings took the opportunity to make new contacts, to create what could become the beginning of meaningful relationships for their families in the future.


    Of course, each talked to the newlyweds, congratulated the trio, and reinforced their intentions regarding the Black Plain.


    At the end of this occasion, only the intimate people of the three remained in that place, where they promptly opened some of the gifts, particularly those from their loved ones.


    Obviously, the gifts had their value to the Black Plain, and Minos and his wives valued them. But they would not waste their time counting items sent by regional royal families or from organizations so far away from them.


    No, the gifts they opened at this time were those given by their friends and family members, items that, regardless of financial value, had much emotional value.


    With that, Minos and his wives opened gifts from the Nash and Miller family, Dillian, Mia, in short, from those closest to them. There were even some gifts from the Flaming Empire, which were arranged between Dillian and Maisie.


    But these gifts were opened by Abby and Ruth while Minos was drinking next to the family of his future queen.


    Anyway, after the start of the afternoon in that area next to that artificial lake, it was not long before the trio headed in a chariot back to the local government mansion.


    At that place, a stage was waiting for Gloria to do the public part of Abby''s coronation as queen of the Black Plain, something less important to the trio but highly relevant to the local citizens.


    So, the party went on until the end of the day in Dry City, when fireworks decorated the skies, ending this day that would go down in local history for countless millennia!


    ...


    After finishing their official business, the trio quickly made their way to the Spatial Kingdom to finally begin their long-awaited honeymoon!


    At this point, the Spatial Kingdom was already empty, with all the soldiers and beasts in Dry City. Follow current novels on Free?ebnovel.c?m.


    With all the privacy they now had, the three of them soon made their way to the lake house, eager to take off their clothes and begin a marathon sex session!


    Not only was this a chance for them to be together without any more problems to bother them, but it was also a chance for them to focus all their love on trying to get pregnant!


    With that in mind, it did not take long, and the three of them were soon in the main bedroom, naked, inside a large bathtub, relaxing after a few hours of fun.


    "Abby, Ruth, I hope we have great times from now on..." Minos stood up, showing his rod to the two while holding a cup with a drink in his right hand. "For starters, I hope we can make some babies in the next few weeks, haha."


    After those words, they made a quick toast, with the two beauties with faces red with excitement, feeling a burning heat in their bodies.


    Abby and Ruth then moved closer to Minos, hugging him joyfully. "No matter how long it takes, we will definitely make it!" The black-haired woman said in one of his ears as the blue-haired one stooped down.


    After that, Minos felt his little brother enveloped by a warm, wet velvet mouth as he played with Ruth''s boobs and kissed her.


    Then, they began to fuck in delight, sometimes Minos penetrating Abby, sometimes doing it with Ruth, and at times both women eating the other''s flower along with his movements.


    That was the beginning of their honeymoon, a situation that would be repeated many times over the next 30 days in which they would use every inch of that house to enjoy themselves.


    Most of the time, they would fuck like animals, with lots of fire and energy. But now and then, they would simply make love, slowly and quietly, sometimes extending it for 5, 6, or even 7 hours.


    Thus, time began to fly, and four years had passed in the blink of an eye!


    ...


    In one area of the Black Plain, rows of carriages could be seen heading towards Dry City on one of the many roads connecting this locality to other parts of this state.


    There were migrants among the new arrivals there, but the vast majority of people in these carriages were either residents of the Black Plain or tourists arriving in the capital of this state.


    After years since independence, the Black Plain had grown a lot, with each of the roads, forest parks, and satellite cities of Dry City having been completed.


    Precisely because of this, the people in one of those carriages had mixed feelings of anxiety to get to this place, but also a bit of irritation at having gone through so many barriers.


    "Big sister, this place is full of arrogant people!" A young man who looked to be around his 15th birthday said this to the red-haired beauty next to him. "We''ve been stopped from traveling through the local forests, we''ve been stopped in every single place we''ve passed, and we''re still in this damn sorting line at Satellite City G!"


    "Sigh..."


    "But what do you want, Francis? Did you want to enter a forest where every single beast is allowed to kill us? Besides, there are Spiritual Emperors among them!"


    "You want to kill us?"


    "Tsk!" The young man crossed his arms at chest height in discontent. "I don''t believe that. Those warnings are just to scare us!"


    "On the other hand, don''t you follow the regional news? Bandits coming from outside the region have constantly targeted the Black Plain for the past two years."


    "I think all this security protocol is because of these parasites from outside the region who are trying to rob the Black Plain!" She said as she remembered the constant influx of Spiritual Kings from the kingdoms surrounding the northern region in recent years.


    After the rise of the Black Plain, it did not take long before those rogue cultivators from outside the northern region, coming from the high-level enemy kingdoms of the Flaming Empire, started visiting these areas more and more.


    And since they were only people without prominent pasts, individuals with similar power to the region, no one had forbidden them to enter these areas.


    To make matters worse, some of them were members of criminal gangs, who quickly began to prospect the Black Plain''s riches!


    As such, the scheme set up by Minos years ago had become even more judicious in this period, undeniably making it more difficult for tourists to enter this territory.


    "Anyway, sister, is this place as good as our parents said?" The boy asked as he remembered the stories he had heard since he started his cultivation journey more than four years ago.


    From his family''s stories, the Black Plain was a practically deserted place 5 or 6 years ago. But in the blink of an eye, more than 40% of this state had been recovered, with great forests scattered from north to south, as well as lakes and rivers that facilitated the movement of people and resources in this place.


    There was even a sizeable artificial river that connected the City of Waters to Yellow City, and this last connected with the Miller family city!


    At the same time, roads connected the towns on the Black Plain with the more important cities, from which parted the main roads to the capital, Dry City!


    In the middle of this place that did not even have 1 million inhabitants six years ago, there were now 30 million citizens just in this main territory!


    But what was even more impressive was the strength of this place, which had already wholly transcended regional boundaries.


    "Yes, the Black Plain is impressive." His sister nodded in agreement. "You don''t remember, but there was a great war here. Then, after that, in just three years, a dozen Spiritual..."

 Chapter ?1074 Infinite City

    Chapter ?1074 Infinite City


    "A dozen Spiritual Emperors have emerged in our region!" She said with eyes shining in excitement, wondering if one day she too could reach the 7th stage.


    "Haven''t you seen the recent news from Stone Island? No one knows the exact total power of the current Stone family, but it''s no longer a secret to anyone that King Stone has reached level 60!"


    "As for the Black Plain, several Spiritual Emperors of His Majesty, Minos Stuart''s organization, are known throughout the region."


    "So, even so, you still ask if the Black Plain is everything our parents said?" She looked a little irritated at her younger brother. "Francis, behave yourself while we are in this place!"


    "The Black Plain is so amazing that our origins have no importance here!"


    "If you are careless, our entire family could be destroyed!" She grabbed the right wrist of the young man in front of her, emphasizing that point.


    "Tsk!"


    "Sister, do you believe that? If that is true, then why has the king not shown his face in public for almost three years?"


    "Humph!"


    "Little brother, you should read more!" She said in an annoyed tone. "The major cities in the Black Plain main territory already have teleportation arrays for high-level people."


    The current Black Plain already had more than half a dozen cities with more than 1 million inhabitants each. And precisely those locations near the borders of the Black Plain''s main territory were the teleportation arrays in question.


    "So just because no one has seen His Majesty traveling around doesn''t mean he''s standing still or hiding."


    "Teleportation arrays?" The young man rose from his seat, surprised to discover such a thing. "But isn''t that kind of array classified as grade-3?"


    "How can they have something like that?"


    "There are low-level grade-3 professionals in Dry City. Why do you think our parents come here twice a year?" She felt even more disappointed by her brother''s ignorance. "They are trying to make deals with these professionals, but getting close to one of them is a great difficulty!"


    "Few people have access to Old Dry City, the capital''s core."


    Old Dry City was nothing more than the original part of this city, the area protected by the local dome.


    After these years, this area had become the home of the upper echelon of the local forces, where most of the region''s Spiritual Emperors lived and where the grade-3 professional stores were.


    Such a place had become so important that the government made property purchase programs to encourage citizens unrelated to the government to leave the area but still with the privilege of access to it.


    As a result, the area had lost a lot of population, increased the concentration of residents connected to the local forces, and had become almost a headquarters city.


    Anyway, after the brief dialogue of the siblings, their family''s high-standard carriage finally left the stop-post and entered the satellite city ahead.


    Today, the belt of satellite cities of Dry City had already been completed, with a fully built urban ring only a dozen kilometers from the capital''s outer area.


    In this gigantic ring, a grand boulevard circled the entire area in a course without end or beginning, from which the more than 7 million citizens of the belt could move as they wished.


    Their carriage then entered this grand avenue. There were two lanes separated by a corridor with trees, where there was also a lane for people to run. At the same time, each lane could hold up to three carriages passing side by side simultaneously.


    Watching this place from side to side, the two felt their hearts beating faster while their eyes shone in excitement.


    "This place is so beautiful!"


    "Just look at those buildings... I''ve never seen any models like those!" The woman said this to her brother, pointing toward a theater near their carriage.


    On the other hand, her brother was looking at the front of the carriage, where he could see an endless avenue. "This place truly is the Infinite City!" He commented in a low voice, remembering the fame of this urban area.


    The belt of satellite cities had its limits. But if a person did not stray far from the main avenue, he could easily think that such an urban area has no end!


    As such, this place had earned the reputation of an Infinite City. This chapter is updated by Free?ebn?vel.c?m.


    "Look at that, sister. There are even casinos around here!" The young man pointed toward a building with a giant scoreboard advising of the previous night''s results.


    "Of course, apart from brothels, there are all kinds of businesses related to the entertainment of the population in this place."


    Minos had nothing against brothels. But since no one had taken the initiative to build such a business in his state, there were no such places around.


    As to why this was so, no one knew for sure.


    There were theories among the younger people of this state that the women of the Black Plain simply had much better opportunities here than using their bodies to satisfy other people.


    But there were those rumors that this was due to the queen, who did not want any service related to this in her territory.


    In any case, the fact was that there were no brothels in the principal area of the Black Plain!


    "Why did you decide to come with me? The way you talk, you sound as if you don''t know what''s good here..." She spread her arms, finding it strange that her little brother had come to this place without knowing about the many local tourist wonders.


    "Tsk!"


    "I was only interested in learning about the strongest state in the region..." He said unhappily. "Anyway, where will we stay, big sister?"


    She then replied. "There''s a big hotel called the Four Seasons Hotel in this G City. I''ve heard that the rooms on the top floors have a magnificent view of the plantation areas to the south and the parts of the ring of cities."


    "Then let''s go there!"


    "OK!"


    ...


    As those siblings followed their path, in the now Royal Palace of the Black Plain, Minos and the most important people of this state was in a large dining hall.


    Some people were eating and talking there in that very well decorated place, with high plants on the sides, paintings painted by King Stuart on the walls, and a big table with several dishes.


    Minos and his wives were sitting at the end of the table, with Abby on his right side and Ruth on the left.


    At the same time, Dillian, Eda, and Mia were near the trio, across from Abby''s parents.


    Besides them, some high-ranking royal guards stood at the exits of that area while a man dressed all in white pushed a metal cart containing some desserts.


    "Your Grace, Your Majesties." This cook, who surprisingly was already at level 60, said to Minos, Abby, and Ruth as they discovered the dishes on that cart.


    "Oh? It looks like you made a new dessert, Alex?" Abby asked with a sparkle in her eyes, already wanting to taste the delicacies prepared by that man.


    This man was Alex Shepard, the spiritual cook whom Minos and Abby had met years ago when they first traveled to the Kingdom of the Waves in search of spiritual techniques.


    The two had been to Alex''s restaurant in that state and had subsequently done business with him.


    In any case, Minos had invited this man to become the royal cook after the establishment of the Black Plain as an independent state and the end of the royal honeymoon.


    At the time, Alex readily accepted that. Thus, he had already been serving the Black Plain royal family for over three years.


    "Yes, Your Majesty. As you recommended, I have developed a new dessert based on the pineapple fruit." He said politely, delighted with his new position.


    Without Minos'' help, he would never have become a low-level grade-3 cook. Consequently, his gratitude for this king was immense.


    Minos, who had reached level 60 two months ago, tasted that dessert and said. "It''s delicious, Alex. Keep it up."


    "Thank you, Your Grace!"


    After that, while the trio was already savoring that dessert, Alex distributed the dessert to the other people without interrupting those people''s conversations.


    Abby''s father, level 59, then said. "Minos, after Ruth''s advancement to the 7th stage a year ago..."

 Chapter ?1075 Problems Faced in the Four Years

    Chapter ?1075 Problems Faced in the Four Years


    "... Those people from Albano keep entering our territory through the Red Valley. There are reports of hundreds of Spiritual Kings coming from that kingdom into our state." Eliot said this as he observed the man who had gained an even more remarkable appearance after his advancement.


    Minos was currently in his 29s, 1.9 meters in height, with large and well-defined muscles, but without being exaggerated to look strange. And with this, his face was already much more refined, showing an appearance that no longer had anything of the young man just coming of age.


    And with his advancement to the 7th stage, he had improved his qualities, reaching a level of attractiveness that could place him first in the entire region.


    Something similar had happened to Ruth, who had been amazing before, but whose current version seemed to humiliate her previous one.


    Finally, Abby, who was also in her father''s field of vision, was still struggling to reach that stage, being at level 59, still much like her previous version from when she had become the queen.


    Anyway, Minos listened carefully to his father-in-law''s words since this was indeed one of the two major problems of the Black Plain today.


    After independence and the royal wedding, the Black Plain went through a period of peace, which lasted 18 months. During this time, no one had come from outside the region to cause trouble for them, and both this territory and the rest of the region had developed quietly.


    However, after this interval of time, problems began to arise. Among them was the problem concerning the neighboring kingdom, Albano, which bordered the Black Plain through the Red Valley area.


    From this state, groups of Spiritual Kings had been trying to infiltrate the Black Plain for various purposes that Minos'' government was not sure whether it was just a natural migration or something more.


    In any case, the current Black Plain had over 2 thousand Spiritual Kings and 22 Spiritual Emperors, and the state was under the government''s control.


    "Hmm, I understand that such a thing is a problem, father-in-law. But for the time being, it''s better to continue improving our forces quietly. On the other hand, Albano''s strength is awe-inspiring, so for Spiritual Kings without many prospects in that place, it might be a good thing to come to the Black Plain or even other states in the region."


    "Previously, the region could not attract the attention of outside Spiritual Kings because of its limitations. But with the possibility of advancing to the 7th stage even in this poor region, many will surely be interested in coming here."


    "But if the situation escalates to dangerous levels, I will pay a short visit to that state." He said peacefully, but his words had a power that people in the surrounding area could not doubt even if they wanted to.


    For those who had learned about Minos'' 7th ability, these people did not doubt the destructive power of this monarch!


    That was particularly true for Abby and Ruth, the only people who had ever heard about the card up his sleeve, the mass destruction weapon he had achieved...


    Ruth then said. "But I don''t think these people who have come to Black Plain so far are the problem we should be most concerned about."


    "Those assassins who came here a little over two years ago are the most worrying." She remembered the situation that first brought the Black Plain out of peace when a Spiritual Saint had come after Minos!


    Luckily for them, Dry City already had low-level grade-3 arrays at that time, which enabled that individual to be wounded and forced to retreat.


    Subsequently, other attacks happened, but with the constant improvements of the local forces, the risk posed by low-level Spiritual Saints had diminished considerably.


    With the high-level artifacts left behind by Henricus Longos, plus the half-dozen Spiritual Emperors that had already appeared at that time, the forces of Minos had made it through the many trials they had had up to this point.


    In any case, that had been one of the reasons Minos rarely left Dry City in the period, having most traveled to his cities connected to the capital via teleportation arrays.


    "Hmmm." Minos nodded in agreement with Ruth''s words. "That is already under Church judgment, so as long as we maintain our position, it will resolve itself."


    The Spiritual Church had promised to keep high-level monsters out of the region for 20 years, even if Spiritual Emperors appeared in those areas. Because of that promise, when the Church headquarters in the Flaming Empire found out about that Spiritual Saint''s bold action, they immediately began investigating the matter with vigor.


    On the other hand, in the four years that had passed, Maisie had come to this region three times to visit Minos and her former disciple. Because of this, Ruth had told her about the problems faced by her husband, which had caused the Gray Clouds Sect itself to get involved in the problem.


    Because of those reasons, Minos knew that even if he did nothing, those daring people would eventually be eliminated.


    "But anyway, if those people return, we will give them a nice surprise." He smiled as he remembered the artifact he had obtained through the Edwardstone family.


    Hearing his son-in-law''s confident tone, Nicole, currently at level 57, sighed in relief and commented. "Well, for now, let''s keep our actions less flashy. When we have more Spiritual Emperors, it will be time for us to solve the problems generated by these enemies."


    "Hmmm. Ms. Miller is right." Eda nodded while standing next to her husband.


    This former subordinate of Miller House and Abby''s bodyguard was already at level 59, one level below her husband, the attractive man dressed as a butler sitting next to her.


    Dillian had become the first low-level grade-3 doctor in this region a few months after Ruth had reached the 7th stage. And at level 60, he now showed a youthful appearance, not so different from Minos.


    Eda then continued as she looked at her husband and then at Mia, "Mia, Dillian, how are our numbers? How many Spiritual Emperors can we expect in the coming months?"


    Mia, currently at level 51, then answered that woman. "Well, the army currently has over 300 Spiritual Kings, but less than 30 of them were between levels 58 and 59."


    "So, the number of Spiritual Emperors we can expect for the time being is within that range."


    "But I believe our main problem is not fighting against high-level cultivators." She said, presenting her point to those people. "It is true that high-level warriors carry great destructive power and are a threat. But few of them would be willing to come to the region or act."


    "On the other hand, there are potentially millions of Spiritual Kings in the surrounding states of our region. So, I believe that problem is the main one." She looked at Minos.


    After seeing his satisfied nod, Mia continued. "However, we currently have over 85,000 Spiritual Generals, with over 10,000 of them close to becoming Spiritual Kings."


    "With that said, the numbers that truly matter at this point are still those of cultivators at the 6th stage."


    Dillian nodded and said. "Mia is right."


    "It''s impossible for us to think about creating many Spiritual Emperors in a short time. But we need people at the borders and other cities in the kingdom to block the entry of these troublesome migrants."


    "And it turns out that we have the means to produce tens of thousands of Spiritual Kings in a few years, even when we consider just the army..."


    "So, if we look at this situation from that point of view, our situation is not as worrying as it seems." He said in an optimistic tone.


    Abby then commented. "With the increasing amount of candidates able to join the army and the improvement in our funds, we will be able to solve this problem faster than we imagine."


    "The army may only have ten thousand individuals close to becoming Spiritual Kings, but if we consider the data from the Black Plain main territory, that number increases by ten times!"


    "So, with our current production capacity, these potential soldiers, and our allies, I believe we can handle Albano''s migrants in less than two years."


    "We just need to use what we have built up so far, and we will naturally achieve our goals."


    ...

 Chapter ?1076 How to Create More Spiritual Kings

    Chapter ?1076 How to Create More Spiritual Kings


    By now, the Black Plain had reached a high level of development compared to the immediate period after the independence.


    There was still plenty of room to grow, many areas to recycle, cities to build, and plantation fields to develop. That''s only considering the Black Plain''s main territory, which represents less than 20% of the entire area of this state today!


    But even so, the main territory of Minos had reached the mark of 6 million farmers who cultivated more than 212,000 hectares daily, generating about 7.1 billion low-grade crystals annually.


    However impressive this number might be, it was still small. That''s because, during these four years, much of the state government''s efforts had been focused on developing the cities, not just the plantation fields.


    Because of this, this productive sector of the Black Plain had not developed as well as might have been expected, having grown only ten times in this period.


    However, this relative growth in agriculture, coupled with the continued recovery of the spiritual root of this area, plus the growth of the Black Plain Sovereign Fund, already guaranteed large reserves of crystals for this state.


    Considering the over 100 billion they had to make investments, Abby was confident that their forces could multiply the number of local Spiritual Kings quickly.


    She then continued her previous words. "We last made the selection for new soldiers six months ago, but we currently have over 300,000 citizens with the requirements to compete for positions in our forces."


    "So, I think we should launch a new selection and try to recruit at least another 50,000 or so soldiers. That way, we can improve the supply of Spiritual Kings in the army." Abby said as she looked at her husband.


    "That can be done..." Minos commented as he wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin. Then, he looked at Mia and asked. "How is the migration rate of people coming here from the other states in our region?"


    "Currently, about 1 million new migrants arrive in the Black Plain each month, Your Grace."


    "1 million... So, we will do as Abby said. But we''ll do it every three months to increase the entrance of new soldiers into the army."


    "On the other hand, it''s almost time for us to have our own Spiritual Tournament." He smiled, remembering that such an event had already taken place on Stone Island in that period, and Warner had already come to visit him two years ago to talk about such a competition.


    They agreed that such an event could take place on the Black Plain after the event''s next edition. But after that man had come to the region to settle the affairs of the next edition, which would be in the Kingdom of the End, he discovered some of the development of Minos'' territory and tried to advance the agreement.


    But Minos was impassive, having used the pretext that his state had only grown in appearances and still had much to do...


    He already had plans to stop the outflow of regional talent into the Flaming Empire, so there was no reason for him to complicate his situation!


    "Oh? Are we going to do that already?" Dillian asked, interested in this event.


    In the previous four years, competitions had occurred in stadiums of the Black Plain. But these events had not been intended to recruit but to test cultivators allied to the local forces.


    As Minos had promised earlier, his forces held various military exercises alongside groups of allies or subordinates. But eventually, the simple military exercises turned into a more significant competition, played out in public arenas and with prizes for the winners.


    Given the good results of these events, Dillian could not help but be interested in the possibility raised by Minos.


    By doing this, the army could finally get regional-level talent, people different from the humble population of the Black Plain.


    The people of this territory had undeniably become more vigorous, with many specialists rising among groups of former farmers, former workers without a promising future. But, of course, this was good for the state and would remain a possibility for many in the future. Yet, that alone was not enough!


    The Black Plain needed people with Black talent, something still hard to find locally.


    After all, the majority of the population of this state was made up of low-level talented people who were needed in ordinary jobs for local development.


    But those people with Black talent that Minos wanted in his forces, except his subordinate or allied families, there were hardly any numerous groups of such people on hand for his forces to absorb.


    As such, he could not simply rely on the population of the Black Plain. Instead, he needed to open the doors of his forces as the sects of the Flaming Empire did!


    Minos nodded to Dillian and said. "I think the regional population already understands that there are as many or more opportunities here than in the empire. So, I believe there are many potential competitors, even considering our recent victory in the war."


    Naturally, Minos'' group expected resistance from the regional population to trust their forces, as they already trusted the empire''s sects. That was because, besides the fact that the empire was far more powerful and wealthy than this Black Plain territory, there was a whole history between those organizations and the region.


    On the other hand, the Black Plain Army was a force less than 15 years old and that only a few years ago had massacred countless millennial organizations in this region...


    Indeed, resistance was expected from the regional forces!


    However, after the emergence of several Spiritual Emperors in the ranks of allies, subordinates, and the army itself, the image of the Black Plain for the region had changed considerably.


    Many were still afraid or distrustful, but it was undeniable that the Black Plain had achieved a foolproof method of producing Spiritual Emperors. And as much as that alone was not enough to put it ahead of the sects of the Flaming Empire, everyone in this region knew that their descendants who managed to go there usually did not go much further than the 7th stage.


    To make matters worse, those who went to the empire could not fight alongside them, and even sending resources was complex.


    However, with the Black Plain, it was different!


    The church did not limit the Spiritual Emperors of the forces connected to this place. Even more, the Black Plain was many times less dangerous than the empire, which meant that the chance of talented soldiers reaching the 7th stage was very high.


    In other words, this could be all that was needed for these regional organizations to make a loose grip on power!


    Knowing this, Minos already had the confidence to launch this competition for his army without the fear of no competitors in it.


    He then said. "Perhaps organizations badly hurt by us in the war will show some resistance and even try to discourage other families from sending their members. But I am sure small noble houses will not miss this opportunity."


    Seeing the smile on the corner of her husband''s face, Ruth shook her head, thinking about how this action of his would create revolutionary flames in a few years. "Are you trying to replace the royal families of this region? Don''t you think that will create too much chaos?"


    "Change the royal families? Why would I do that? They are already my subordinates. That would be a mistake on my part..." He opened his hands and looked at his wife.


    "That..."


    "But that will happen when one of those small families gets a Spiritual Emperor, and the royal family of that state doesn''t have anyone like that." She said.


    After hearing that, Abby''s parents and Eda nodded in agreement, worried about it.


    Abby then answered for Minos. "If they don''t want to be surpassed, they can just send their talents here too. These people naturally won''t have a chance to become Elite Squad soldiers, nor learn Silver-grade cultivation techniques, but they can still be ordinary soldiers."


    "Considering the still large power difference between the royal and noble families in the region, there are full conditions for these organizations to maintain their positions."


    "Oh? But little Abby, I don''t think there''s any chance of that happening... Do you think the Brown and Cromwell families will do it?" Nicole asked.


    "That..." Abby looked at Minos in doubt.


    He then said. "In the case of these two states, there truly is a chance for changes to happen, but for the rest of the region, things should develop, as Abby said."


    "As for the possibility concerning the Brown and Cromwell families..."

 Chapter ?1077 Competition

    Chapter ?1077 Competition


    "Well, I don''t want to face trouble in the region or cause unnecessary chaos. But I also can''t give up regional talents just to help these royal houses maintain their power."


    "I need young talents, and the regional families have those people. So, if this will eventually change the power structure outside the Black Plain, we can only blame fate for that."


    "Obviously, I will limit the future soldiers who come through the competition format we will launch. But if those families still fall, we will just get new sovereigns."


    His eyes sharpened, and after a brief pause, he said. "If that happens in the Brown Kingdom, the Black Plain will absorb what remains of that kingdom."


    After he finished saying that, silence filled that dining room as everyone thought about Minos'' words.


    ''Sigh... There truly isn''t anything to do. We need talented subordinates, and we can''t be blamed for the weakness of others.'' Eliot pondered with his eyes closed, not disagreeing with Minos'' plans.


    As for Dillian, he was not worried about possible regional problems. After all, with the army''s rules for the soldiers and the Black Plain laws for the region, any problems concerning this situation would probably not generate the chaos Ruth had commented on.


    ''At most, this would be decided in a combined war, bet, or contest. There is no problem with that. On the contrary, it is good that there is competition between the powers of the region.''


    ''Only then will more talents emerge!''


    Minos then said. "In any case, let''s get on with the planning for this competition and the selection among citizens for places in the army."


    "For now, we can only deal with the problem of Spiritual Kings entering the region from abroad by creating new Spiritual Kings."


    "Since those are the few alternatives we have, let''s focus on that."


    "As for the matter of the Spiritual Saints, let us wait in silence."


    "Yes, Your Grace." Mia and Dillian replied simultaneously.


    After that, some of Chef Alex''s team members took the dishes from that table, while Abby''s parents left to settle their affairs.


    Abby then looked at Mia and smiled. "How are things with little Sophie?"


    Sophie had been the name chosen by Peter and Mia for their daughter, who was born three years ago.


    Abby and Ruth had not yet been able to get pregnant, but with their intention to have children, they were very fond of Mia''s daughter, who had grown up for quite a while in the old local government mansion.


    Currently, Peter and Mia were no longer living in Dry City, as they had been given positions in one of the new cities on the Black Plain, as promised earlier. So, Abby was curious to know about that young girl who that countless times she had picked up on her lap and even fed.


    Mia smiled and said. "She is with her father at Crossroads City. She wanted to come with me this time, but since I had to use the teleportation array, I had no choice but to leave her there."


    Teleportation arrays were not a pleasant thing to travel in. There were certain dangers, and a child without spiritual cultivation to protect herself definitely could not travel through one of those.


    "Anyway, she misses you two..." Mia talked with Abby and Ruth for a few minutes while Minos watched them silently.


    After they finished talking about Sophie, Minos asked. "How is Crossroads City? Any problems? And Peter?"


    "Your Grace, the city is doing well. We already have over 700,000 inhabitants, and because of our position, the local commerce has been developing strongly."


    "Oh? That''s good."


    "As for Peter, he recently advanced to level 56." She smiled, proud of her husband.


    "Level 56, huh?" Minos then remembered the two talents he had nurtured since his arrival in Dry City. "Tell him not to relax. It would be a shame for him if Lee and Alison surpassed him..."


    "Lee and Alison?" Mia repeated those two names, curious to know how they had grown since she had not seen them in over a year. "What level have they reached, Your Grace?"


    Ruth then answered in Minos'' place. "I saw them recently in the city my husband gave them to rule. They are both at level 55, and Lee should reach level 56 in no more than eight months."


    "That fast?" She was glad to hear that as she had advised those two many times in the past.


    Not only had Minos taught that youngest Duke and Duchess couple in the region, but Mia and Dillian had also done so. After all, they were trained from an early age to rule on behalf of the local sovereign.


    With that, Mia had a great relationship with that couple.


    "Well, I''m glad they are doing so well. But we won''t take it easy on them when we go to dispute resources in the future." She stood up, saying this in a determined tone. "Crossroads City will become the number one province in the kingdom!"


    "Oh?" Ruth and Abby made similar sounds, interested in Mia''s words.


    Naturally, the Black Plain needed to distribute its investments across its territory in a way that favored the places with the best results. After all, investing equally in all places was a formula for failure, quickly leading to neglect and other productivity problems.


    As a result, this state had been divided into several provinces, except the capital and its satellite cities, which accounted for every bit of this state.


    With that, there was an informal competition between the Black Plain provinces, where each Duke or Duchess used their results to ''fight'' for more resources for their territories.


    So, Mia and Peter were rivals to Lee and Alison and several other local powers.


    "Haha, good luck with that." Dillian laughed, still sitting in his chair. "Recently, patriarch Gill has reached level 60. I''m sure he''s the one who won''t make it easy for you..."


    "What? Did he get that?" Mia looked in surprise at Dillian.


    After the war, Minos released several advantages to his subordinates on the Black Plain, namely the Gill, Parkinson, and Austin families. Not only them but also the allied families in the war, now vassals of House Stuart, i.e., Miller, Hayes, Cohen, and Stokes families.


    The main advantage was the possibility for high-ranking members of these organizations to learn Silver-grade cultivation techniques!


    Previously Minos'' agreements with allied families during the war had limitations concerning the numbers of people who could learn Silver-grade techniques. However, in the case of the subordinate families, they were not even entitled to anything.


    But with the independence and new challenges of the Black Plain, Minos had at least released the Silver-grade cultivation techniques for the talented and powerful people from those families. With that, even without high-level combat techniques, those people could reach the 7th stage, something still challenging to achieve in those areas without techniques of that quality.


    Because of this, the patriarch Gill and other high-level elders of the vassal and subordinate families of House Stuart had achieved members breaking the regional limitation!


    In the case of the Miller family, Abby''s house already had three Spiritual Emperors, the same number as the Nash family and House Stone of Stone Island!


    Dillian then said to Mia, "Yes, he did it. And he is the most excited among our subordinates to improve that area formerly belonging to the Brown Kingdom."


    "Then he will be a great competitor for you... Good luck."


    "We won''t lose!" She clenched her fists, determined to develop that area where Minos had passed the responsibility to her and Peter.


    As for the Miller family, Mia naturally did not dream of competing with the queen''s family...


    In any case, second place would already be perfect for building the future of little Sophie.


    After these words, both Dillian and Mia left the royal palace, with him heading to the General Hospital and her to the teleportation site at the army headquarters.


    Meanwhile, a young woman who appeared to be in her 20s, level 46, Peter''s younger sister, Lizzie, stopped beside Minos and handed him a list. "Your Grace." She said in a low voice as she addressed her boss.


    She had become one of Minos'' secretaries after Mia''s departure. As such, she was there to help the sovereign with his schedule.


    Seeing what Lizzie brought for him, Minos soon noted the most critical point there.


    "Then it''s time for me to fight them a little, huh?" He smiled, feeling even more like fighting now that he had his 7th ability.

 Chapter ?1078 Dillians Fame and Divine Ability

    Chapter ?1078 Dillian''s Fame and Divine Ability


    While Minos went to settle his agenda alongside Lizzie, Abby, and Ruth, Dillian made his way through the central streets of the Dry City core until he reached the General Hospital.


    After years at the command of this institution, he had become a renowned doctor not only in Dry City but throughout the northern region of the Central Continent.


    After his advancement to the 7th stage, this man had become someone of no less fame than Minos, Abby, or Ruth. But, in fact, to some people, he was even more important than these young people due to his ability to improve the quality of life of his patients.


    In the entire northern region of the Central Continent, Dillian was the only doctor able to regenerate lost body parts!


    He had this divine ability previously thought possible only in Spiritual Saints or a medium-level grade-3 doctor. But even though he was only a low-level grade-3 doctor, Minos'' butler had achieved this impressive feat, significantly improving the reputation of the Black Plain and himself.


    Because of this, virtually all the regional families valued Dillian, many of them interested in maintaining good contacts with the Black Plain just for the possibility of their members being treated by him in case of need.


    Other than those involved in the war, no one in the region was obligated to maintain relations with the Black Plain or do things for Minos. Because of this, some powers still avoided unnecessary contact with the regional tyrant.


    But with Dillian''s existence revealed months ago, even the most reclusive regional powers were already watching this state with different eyes, interested in maintaining cordial contacts.


    And so, Dillian greeted several regional nobles as he passed the reception area of the General Hospital, where those people undergoing treatment or accompanying patients usually stayed.


    ...


    After arriving at his office on one of the upper floors of the main building of the General Hospital, Dillian immediately came across a person waiting for him there.


    "Oh? Young Davy? I didn''t think you had arrived yet." He casually commented as he walked over to Vivian''s brother and sat in an armchair behind his office desk.


    Hearing Dillian''s comment, Davy greeted him back. "I just got here. I spent the night at my sister''s house in the Dry City core. So, I''m a little early. Anyway, I''m looking forward to that last treatment session."


    "Hehe, as expected." Dillian laughed.


    After reaching level 60 and learning his 7th technique, Dillian had achieved the complete cellular regeneration skill, capable of rebuilding lost limbs.


    So he had been treating people and beasts related to the local forces ever since, among them, those affected by the loss of one or another part of their bodies.


    Dillian had been helping Emlyn, who had lost part of one of her paws even before she joined Minos. On the other hand, Elen''s father, Richard Nash, currently at level 60, was also undergoing treatment with this doctor to recover the part of his body lost during the war against the Allen family.


    Finally, Davy, who Leroy Chambers had tricked into fighting Minos during the Spiritual Tournament, had been having cellular regeneration sessions with Dillian for the past four months to recover his lost arm.


    After these months of weekly treatment, the arm Minos had cut off at the base of one of Davy''s shoulders had recovered to the palm of this fellow''s hand.?


    And feeling that he could finally exert the full strength of his level 56, Vivian''s brother could not help but feel thrilled, eager to return in one piece to his family.


    "Well, sit here." Dillian indicated a stretcher for Davy.


    After that, this famous regional doctor sat down on a stool and activated two of his techniques simultaneously, each ranked as Golden-grade.


    Seeing Dillian''s hands glow as golden beams of light appeared from his fingers, Davy smiled and closed his eyes, beginning to feel the nerves in his fingers.


    Dillian then continued to do that for some time, periodically talking to his patient about other matters unrelated to the treatment.


    "How is your family? Have you decided to return to the region for good?"


    "My family is doing well. My father reached level 61 two months ago, and my sister is already at level 56." As he said this, Davy''s voice had a tone of pride.


    "Hehe, good. The Hayes family is making good use of the position they got."


    "Hmm, as for me, I am in the process of leaving my sect. So, it should still be a few months before I can move back to the area once and for all."


    Just like Mona, Davy, and also other members of families subordinate or allied to Minos, people below level 60 were returning from the Flaming Empire to this region.


    The reason these people had initially left this region had been because of the regional limits that limited their talents. But with one of those limits having been removed by Minos, there was no longer much reason for these descendants to remain in such a dangerous and crowded place for mere Spiritual Kings.


    As there were methods for disciples to leave their sects, many of these people had already returned to this region to strengthen their families and grow more peacefully.


    This action had been encouraged by Minos, and even the Spiritual Church saw no problem since only Spiritual Kings had no way to influence the current regional power dynamics.


    Hell, they were allowing Spiritual Kings from Albano to enter this region, so why would they cause problems for these legitimate regional descendants?


    "That''s better. The Black Plain needs good talents, and this place will get you better results than the Flaming Empire." Dillian commented, still looking at Davy''s hand, which by now had two fully grown fingers.


    After some time, when the fourth finger was finishing growing on his hand, Davy asked in a tone laden with curiosity. "Dillian, is it true that Minos has already reached level 60?"


    Not everyone knew about Minos'' advancement a few months ago. Only the core of the Black Plain Army and a few other influential individuals from that region were aware of his advance.


    Because of this reality, Davy was unsure if the rumor he had heard over the past few days around the Black Plain was true.


    "Where did you hear that?" Dillian asked with a smile on his face.


    Rumors like this had been circulating the Black Plain for quite some time, even before Minos'' advancement.


    Part of the population liked to boost the stories of their knowledge...


    "I heard it at a tavern on the road between the City of Waters and here." He was sincere.


    "Well, I have the impression that the current level of His Grace will not remain a mystery for long. So, don''t rush to find out the truth..."


    Upon hearing those words, Davy soon assumed that Minos had advanced to the 7th stage and clenched one of his fists in determination, remembering the past. ''Back then, while I was at level 43, he was only at level 39 when he faced me...''


    ''Sigh... I don''t think I can even safely watch him on the battlefield from now on.''


    ''He has already completely surpassed the greatest geniuses of our generation in this region.'' He pondered, remembering Troy, who was currently at level 58.


    ''Even Dennis Red is probably no match for him...''


    ''What a monster!''


    After that, the last missing finger on his hand finished growing, and Davy put his thoughts regarding Minos aside to firmly shake that hand.


    The treatment used by Dillian not only depended on this man but also used a lot of the patient''s energies. But even though he was exhausted at this moment, Davy was experiencing incomparable happiness, full of excitement for fully recovering his lost arm.


    ''Now, I only have to train for a few weeks, and I will regain my combat proficiency!''


    ''I''ll finally be able to use my full power!'' He vibrated in excitement, feeling something similar to what Emlyn and Richard had experienced with this same treatment.


    "Thank you for your help, Dillian. I''ll never forget it!"


    "Hmm, you don''t have to worry. I just did as promised to your sister and family..." Dillian sat down in his armchair, feeling slight fatigue in his body. "What are you going to do now?"


    "Well, I intend to return to the empire and finish settling my affairs..." He remembered something and then asked. "By the way, when will citizens be able to use the teleportation arrays? Do you intend to connect the Black Plain with states outside the region?"

 Chapter ?1079 Progress with Weapons

    Chapter ?1079 Progress with Weapons


    Hearing Davy''s question, Dillian replied. "For now, only the army and some special citizens can use the teleportation arrays since their cost is high and only worth it in a few cases."


    "But when we have more powerful array masters on the Black Plain and get more powerful and efficient items, we will offer this service you are searching for."


    The current teleportation arrays suffered from the problem of the low level of their developers and even regional spiritual poverty.


    Arrays could convert the free energy in the atmosphere to use in their processes. However, since the Black Plain was still far behind the Flaming Empire, the government of Minos had to spend more medium-grade crystals on these items than organizations in that state would have when using identical arrays.


    That made the process more expensive, making it impossible to offer this service to citizens.


    On the other hand, low-level grade-3 teleportation arrays did not have a good range. So, it would be difficult for Minos to connect his cities to places outside the Black Plain by now.


    "Until then, only cities in the Black Plain will have that option, and only important people will be able to use them." Dillian laughed, imagining Davy was interested in quickly getting back and forth from the Flaming Empire.


    "I see... Makes sense." Davy said before saying goodbye and making his way back to his family in the southeastern part of this state.


    As for Dillian, he soon returned to his affairs at the hospital.


    ...


    At the same time that Davy had finished his business with Dillian, Minos and his wives were walking through the halls of the headquarters, following through with their appointments.


    They had already sent Lizzie to take care of some business when they reached the area used by the blacksmiths in this building.


    Arriving there, they promptly found Doug, level 58, one of the best blacksmiths in the army, someone who had come with Elena from Stone Island years ago.


    "Your Graces, this way..." That elderly man showed the way for the three until they entered an area where a young Spiritual King was working.


    This young woman was in a sizeable gray-walled room with many items stacked in a bucket. At the same time, several containers were spread out symmetrically, each of them with powders of different colors and properties inside.


    Several old men were sitting at different points in that area while she was in the center, doing her work. Each time this young woman touched an item, and it turned into particles, the blacksmiths in the surrounding area used their energies to differentiate the particles, directing them to the appropriate containers.


    "As you can see, young Alina has already become a level 51 Spiritual King and is currently disintegrating medium-level grade-2 artifacts."


    "With her current capabilities, the army is already capable of supplying all of Dry City''s demand for high-level grade-2 artifact materials, Your Grace." Doug excitedly said as, after years on the Black Plain, he finally had infinite resources to produce artifacts.


    Previously it was difficult for high-level grade-2 blacksmiths like himself to produce artifacts of their same rank, given the regional poverty. But with Alina''s level advancements and the many artifacts collected during the war, blacksmiths like him now had immense quantities of resources!


    On the other hand, with the buy-back program for damaged items that the local government had for the entire region, resources for grade-2 and grade-1 blacksmiths were no longer a problem, even for those not affiliated with the army.


    Because of this, many of the experts on the Black Plain currently had items of quality equivalent to their capabilities, which was rarely seen in this region for hundreds of thousands of years!


    As for the low-level grade-3 artifacts, these were still in the early stages of production. The Black Plain had only one blacksmith at level 60; someone Minos had brought from Stone Island in those four years since his marriage.


    In any case, such a man did not have that many resources due to the lack of them in this region and the high cost of importation. But on the other hand, the production capacity of just one blacksmith was not great, and it could take weeks to months to produce just one artifact.


    Because of this, the Spiritual Emperors in this state mostly had to use high-level grade-2 items rather than those of quality equivalent to their levels.


    Except for Minos, Ruth, and two army soldiers, no one else had low-level grade-3 items in this region.


    Henricus Longus had not left many items of that quality, so for the time being, Minos and his forces had to hold out until more blacksmiths of that classification appeared.


    That was also the situation, except for spiritual judges, for the other spiritual professions, who already had at least one person at level 60 in Dry City.


    Minos then said. "High-level grade-3 items, huh? That''s good!"


    Ruth laughed and said. "With the current army capacity, with just a half dozen people, we would already be able to take all the regional powers, even considering their pre-war numbers."


    "That''s the force of high-level Spiritual Kings armed with high-level grade-2 artifacts!"


    "Tsk!" Abby made a tongue-tied sound due to Ruth''s comment. "You think of that when you hear about our capabilities? Poor regional leaders..."


    "If they heard that, they''d be sleepless for months, afraid of the decisive Ruth from House Stuart."


    Doug was silent as he listened to those two while Minos smiled.


    He then said. "Alina is doing well, but keep training her vigorously. Now that she has already become a Spiritual King, it will take longer before her disintegration ability evolves again."


    "However, level 60 is not that far away."


    "I will give you a decade to raise her to that level."


    "All right, Your Grace."


    "On the other hand, how is the development of our future low-level grade-3 blacksmiths? Are any of them close to breaking through their bottlenecks?"


    "Unfortunately, no, Your Grace. Besides myself, three other blacksmiths in the army are between levels 58 and 59."


    "So, it will still take 1 to 3 years for a new low-level grade-3 spiritual blacksmiths to be born among the current army members."


    "I see..."


    "Well, keep working hard. I will go on a tour outside the region in the future and try to bring Silver-grade techniques for you."


    "Oh?" That man''s eyes sparkled in joy.


    "In a year or two, I should leave this region for that, so don''t be so anxious..." Minos waved one of his hands at that fellow, already walking with his wives toward another place.


    As they did so, they came across Eduard, who seemed to have just returned to headquarters, still having a low-level grade-3 armor on his body.


    Eduard had already reached level 60 and was currently the fourth strongest in terms of brute strength in the Black Plains Army, behind only Minos, Emlyn, and Ruth.


    Emlyn was at level 61, the same level as the strongest human regional leaders, Lorelei Stone, Hadwin Hayes, and Vince Miller.


    And as much as others in the army were already at the 7th stage, all the others were spirit professionals, like Regina, not warriors, like Minos. As such, he was the fourth strongest in that organization.


    Anyway, seeing his leaders in his path, Eduard promptly greeted them, bowing his head to them.


    "Your Grace, am I too late?"


    Minos then said. "No. Actually, I''m getting ready to go to the Spatial Kingdom right now."


    "You can accompany us. I''m about to start the military exercise with you all."


    It was on this sovereign''s agenda to fight with the highest ranking soldiers in the army today, something that even Eduard, Emlyn, Ruth, and Abby would participate in.


    Previously Minos would have trouble facing all these people together, but now with his 7th technique, he felt relaxed about training his soldiers...


    Hearing that, Eduard sighed, but no one there knew if it was out of relief or sadness at not having escaped fighting Minos.


    "Come on! I haven''t seen some of these soldiers in months. I''m curious to see their current strengths."


    ...

 Chapter ?1080 Minos 7th Technique 1

    Chapter ?1080 Minos'' 7th Technique 1


    After walking around the premises of the Black Plain Army headquarters, Minos'' group arrived at an area where several soldiers were waiting for him.


    Upon arriving at this place''s highest level training area, they immediately encountered a group of about 30 people, silently sitting at different points of a grandstand.


    After passing through the entrance door of this place, Abby immediately saw some old faces, among others recently added to her forces.


    At level 59, Angela and Celeste were amidst the group waiting for Minos, each more eager than ever to fight with the local sovereign.


    Like many high-level soldiers of this organization, they had the disadvantage of age on their side, which was why even Eduard had outgrown them in this period. Because of this, they always worried about being able to push their conditions further, fighting seriously against Minos, one of the few who could stimulate the maximum of their potential.


    But not only were they excited about training with King Stuart. Ernest, Grayson, Grace, level 57, Mirya level 59, Viola level 56, Elena level 58, Brooke level 55, and several others were also looking forward to this situation.


    Obviously, it was excruciating to fight Minos, but the advantages were undeniable. After all, none of them had his talent, so they needed all the external stimulation possible to climb the cultivation ranks.


    In this case, suffering a little at his hands was a practical way to bring out the best in them!


    Seeing that group of people, Minos observed the surroundings and probed the cultivation level of each of them. ''Hmm, Celeste, Angela, and Mirya are close to climbing to level 60.''


    ''Especially Mirya.'' He looked in the direction of Viola''s mother and blinked, interested in the day that woman would move up a stage.


    She still had some scars from the accident years ago, when the assassin members of the Scourges of the Devil had sacrificed, trying to kill Minos'' group. But with her advancement to the 7th stage, Minos knew that she would finally make a full recovery.


    ''I think you will soon overcome your demons, Mirya.'' He remembered how this woman had for all this time closed herself off to relationships with others, be they men, women, Minos himself, and even her daughter, Viola.


    Seeing Minos'' signal in her direction, Mirya understood what he meant by that signal and smiled softly, looking forward to the day of her breakthrough.


    These years had been difficult for a person as sexual as she was. But luckily, there were always plenty of things going on, and most of the time, she did not have to think much about her abstention.


    ''Ah, Minos is so kind to me...'' She thought as she blushed. ''Even after all these years, he still looks at me with desire...''


    ''I''m decided!''


    Mirya then clenched her fist, determined like a few times she had been in her life. ''Apart from other women, I will not have sex with others but him!''


    Simultaneously, Abby looked in that woman''s direction and noticed the rosy hue in Mirya''s cheeks. ''Uh? What''s wrong with her? Is she sick?''


    If she had been one of Minos'' several sex partners in that place, Abby would have correctly understood Mirya''s flushed face. But he and this woman had not touched each other in years, so Abby did not correctly understand the situation, which did not irritate her...


    She tolerated all those women with her man but did not like them acting intimate with him around her. Unlike Ruth, she was always concerned about keeping other women away from this man full of love to give.


    Hell, she had even banned brothel services in the Black Plain just to ensure that her man had no indirect contact with the affairs of such places.


    She trusted him entirely, but there was no way to guarantee that no slut would approach him on her own. As such, Abby had a team working to avoid such problems. Not only that, she had already set standards for how women should behave in the king''s presence.


    And in a way, her methods had worked well since, besides his old partners, Minos had not slept with anyone else in these four years!


    Anyway, Minos did not know what his queen was thinking at the moment, so he went straight to the point when he saw those people. "Come on, hold hands. We''re going to the Spatial Kingdom now."


    Then everyone there took the hands of at least one of their colleagues, with the last of them touching Minos'' shoulder, Abby and Ruth holding his hands. After that, he activated the Spatial Kingdom ring, quickly teleporting everyone to his cultivation sanctum!


    ...


    As they appeared in the vicinity of the lake house, the newly arrived group saw some Elite Squad soldiers in the vicinity and the spiritual beasts of the Black Plain royal family.


    Emlyn and Kyla were not from the royal family, as they were officially members of the Black Plain Army. In any case, they were both there, with the mother fox taking care of the Spatial Kingdom, her function, and the daughter chatting with her friends.


    Next to Kyla, level 54, were Abby''s mount, Ebba, currently at level 55, Ruth''s mount, White, level 55, and Minos'' mount, Maida, level 59.


    They were all going to participate in this training with Minos and the high-level army soldiers, so they immediately ran close to their masters when they saw them.


    "Oh? Is it time already?" Emlyn opened her eyes and looked in Minos'' direction, interested in finally being able to fight with her recovered body.


    Minos laughed upon hearing her excited tone and commented. "Yeah, I hope you don''t lose your animation later, haha."


    "We''ll see..."


    He then looked in the direction of the soldiers training in that area and the instructors there, Eda among them. "Well, get ready to observe our combat. It will be precious to you!"


    "Yes, Your Grace!" As the hundreds of people rushed toward the outskirts of the Space Kingdom''s main combat area, many voices broke out.


    Minos then looked at his wives and commented. "Come on, time for you to join them in trying to stop me, hehe."


    "Tsk!"


    "You''re going to intimidate us..." Ruth said as she pouted and ran to her place.


    On the other hand, Abby kissed one of her husband''s cheeks and joined the rest of those nearly 40 of his opponents, smiling at what was about to happen.


    Not everyone there knew King Stuart''s 7th technique in practice, so many would probably be shocked to feel it for the first time, even if they had heard of it from their companions.


    "Ready?" Minos looked from one side of that place to the other, seeing the nervous expression on Eduard''s face, one of the few there who had trained with him since his advancement to the 7th stage.


    "Hehe, then let''s get started!"


    As he said this, Minos activated his first four com combat techniques with a low-level grade-3 sword in his right hand.


    Devouring Art!


    The moment Minos activated this technique, immediately everyone with spiritual energy in their bodies within 400 meters of him was at his disposal to yield their energy to him.


    At the same time, the conversion rate of this technique, which at the beginning was only 20%, now gave Minos 40% of all the energy his technique absorbed.


    However, this was not the only advantage of this technique after he reached the 4th phase of it. No, he could now directly absorb the energy of energy attacks against his body, making him invincible against attacks up to 100% stronger than him!


    Previously, if someone like that hit him, his defensive technique would absorb the damage without harming him by using his energies as fuel. However, now if someone within that strength range attacked him, his defensive technique would use none of his energies, and he would still gain something!


    Thinking about it, Eduard was unhappy about facing an opponent who only had a victory as a possible outcome in his fights. ''It is useless for us to try to hit His Grace''s body with energy blows. Only long-range blows that do not contain spiritual energy can affect him.'' He thought of this as he promptly activated his movement technique.


    However, as he did so, he suddenly felt a certain nostalgic feeling. "Damn!"


    ''Is he going to start with that already?''


    Chaotic Gravity: Attraction!


    ...

 Chapter 1081 Minos 7th Technique 2

    Chapter 1081 Minos'' 7th Technique 2


    The moment Minos activated his 7th technique, one capable of manipulating gravity in a space up to 100 meters away from him, each of the people there felt terror over their bodies.


    Using the gravitational pull to his advantage, Minos caused several people to start flying towards him, each screaming in surprise, shocked that they had suddenly lost their footing on the ground.


    Simultaneously, Minos floated into the air, opening his arms and seeing all those people in his vicinity flying closer to him, not having the slightest chance to retreat.


    What could they do? In that place, few of them could fly like Minos. So, as they lost contact with the ground, even using their offensive techniques became more difficult.


    Not only that, they were not simply floating but flying at high speed towards Minos.


    ''Damn it! What do I do?'' Brooke felt terrible that she had been taken so by surprise by Minos'' movement. ''Ah, all left is for me to accept my fate.'' She opened her arms, feeling that she could only accept this, embrace Minos and lose this battle.


    "Naive!" Minos smiled at that.


    Spatial Sword!


    Suddenly, the hectic movements of those people flying towards him froze, while everything in a space up to 320 meters away from him came under his spatial restraint.


    In sequence, he danced in the air with his purple-bladed sword, creating a series of blades of energy directed at the few who had saved themselves from his attraction.


    Swooish!


    Seeing this, Abby, who was on Emlyn''s back as this beast flew, activated her defensive technique around the bodies of those who had saved themselves.


    As for the others, those near Minos had already lost this confrontation. Within the space of influence of his 7th technique, only a level 68 Spiritual Emperor with a complete set of Silver-grade techniques would be able to escape his clutches!


    Within that space, gravity would be totally in chaos and would obey the technique user'' will!


    That was how terrifying this Golden-grade technique created by Henricus Longus was!


    Chaotic Gravity: Float!


    After his sword attack, Minos made each of those bodies flying towards him stop midair, beginning to float in his surroundings.


    "Minos! Let me go! Why don''t you let us fight for real!" Brooke complained loudly, feeling annoyed that he had spoiled their plans.


    "Hehe, Brooke, now you can fight alongside me by giving me your strength. Don''t you think that''s nice?" He teased her, absorbing their energies and making them follow his body as he flew by.


    Explosive Steps!


    Activating his movement technique, Minos began to fly at a speed three times greater than others of the same level as himself.


    Doing so, he headed towards the mirrors protecting his wife and Emlyn, making a fist movement towards it.


    Indestructible body!


    Internally and externally, his body suffered a significant boost in its characteristics when this fellow finally touched his fist with that mirrored surface.


    Crack!


    Boom!


    In a single second, the mirrors in front of Emlyn and Abby exploded into infinite pieces, revealing that big fox and the human on his back.


    Seeing this, they both felt a chill run down their spines as Emlyn risked everything to attack Minos.


    She was already within his space of influence, so there was nothing else for her to do but to strike one last blow.


    Minos then laughed, seeing the defeated smile on Abby''s face.


    Chaotic Gravity: Repulsion!


    "Ahhhhhh!" All those people standing still until then started flying in the opposite direction of Minos, while Emlyn fell a few meters in the air, missing her move.


    At the same time, Minos spun in the air and landed on her back, hugging Abby from behind. Then he flew back up, away from the many falling bodies.


    Then all those under his influence fell to the ground, with many feeling as if they had been crushed, but others were not feeling that much pain.


    Minos used only sufficient force to make it impossible for them to continue in the fight, not something to kill them. But if he wanted to, he could completely crush that people''s bodies with a single handshake by using his 7th technique.


    "Minos!" Abby tried to escape his grip, but in his arms, her strength alone was not enough for that.


    However, as the queen of the Black Plain, she could not just accept the situation. So, she soon activated her innate ability, trying to influence the man hugging her.


    "I''m sorry, Abby, I''ll use this energy to keep fighting." Then, the blue mist around his body disappeared, while a pure energy source flowed inside him, something possible due to the skill of the Devouring Art 4th phase.


    Seeing her mistake, Abby smiled and gave up the fight, hugging her man back. "I''m sorry, folks, there''s nothing more I can do..." She said in an embarrassed tone.


    However, in that instant, when groans of pain broke from the ground in that area, several whips struck Minos'' arms and legs.


    "Oh?"


    Eduard then said aloud. "Pull as hard as you can! If we don''t immobilize His Grace, it will be impossible to beat him!"


    Upon hearing that, the less than ten remaining individuals, Ruth among them, nodded in agreement and put their strength into immobilizing King Stuart.


    "Unfortunately for you guys, I still have my 6th technique... You fellows haven''t forgotten it, or did you?" Minos made Abby float in his surroundings with his 7th technique while getting each of his limbs stretched to the limit due to those whips.


    "6th technique..." The level 58 and 59 Spiritual Kings looked at Minos in concern but soon saw this man''s eyes glowing in rainbow colors.


    Infinite Dream!


    Minos looked in the direction of Ruth and Eduard, causing them to go unconscious before they even noticed his eyes.


    ''Damn it!'' Eduard found himself in the middle of a forest, where a gigantic beast stomped toward him.


    Meanwhile, Ruth had appeared in a peaceful place, full of flowers, where no danger was in her surroundings. ''Ah, how are we going to fight someone like that? That is unfair!'' She complained.


    When Minos fought with her and Ruth, he restricted almost all his techniques. But by starting this training today, he had suddenly shown some of his true abilities, destroying the plans of those almost 40 individuals.


    Thus, she could not help but feel a little annoyed with her husband. ''He will pay me later!''


    Meanwhile, in reality...


    Seeing those two individuals starting to fall, Minos used much of his strength to get rid of the Spiritual Kings holding him down with those whips and move towards Ruth''s falling body.


    Chaotic Gravity: Float!


    At that instant, after he brought Ruth close to him, along with Abby, Minos'' one-sided ''fight'' ended, with all the participants exhausted, several of them with minor injuries, lying on the ground, not knowing what to think or do.


    ''How can this be? Has the difference reached that level already?'' Mirya wondered as she felt exhausted by Minos'' parasitic technique.


    Minos had foiled their plans as he captured more than half of his opponents at the beginning of the fight. Because of this, they could practically not do anything against him, only having fled and then tried to restrain him for a few seconds.


    "Unbelievable!" One of the Elite Squad soldiers said in a tone full of admiration and reverence.


    "Hmm. His Grace has already reached a level that he can make all the peak soldiers in the army look like children trying to fight him."


    "That''s because he''s not using all of himself yet!"


    "What? How can that be?" Others there asked the young woman who said that.


    "Of course, he is not utilizing all of himself. Can''t you see that His Grace hasn''t even broken a sweat?" She pointed to Minos, slowly landing on the ground with Abby and Ruth in his arms.


    Eda heard those people talking and sighed, ''Indeed.''


    ''That level of power is still not all he has... I suppose that within the 7th stage, no one can truly defeat him.''


    ''He didn''t need to use his 7th technique in this confrontation. Infinite Dream alone would already be enough to make a dozen people sleep.''


    ''Sigh... It seems His Grace wanted to show off his power level to these new high-level soldiers.'' She looked in the direction of some level 58 and 59 individuals who were pale on the ground.


    ''To be feared by one''s enemies, one must first be feared by one''s allies and subordinates...''


    ''How can one not fear someone who cannot be touched?''


    ...

 Chapter 1082 Hard Training

    Chapter 1082 Hard Training


    After the end of the one-sided match in which practically only Minos had a chance to act, the soldiers of this man were sitting on the outskirts of where they had fallen. In that area, they were sighing as they massaged their injured parts.


    Seeing this, Minos did not take the time to say a few words to them. "I just showed you the worst you can encounter when facing people at the end of the 7th stage."


    "Obviously, not everyone will have techniques as complicated as mine, so you don''t have to think it''s impossible to fight against them. But since I didn''t use everything I had either, thinking that the difficulty of a fight against someone at the end of that stage would be the same as this occasion we had is not incorrect."


    "I restricted you completely, but others probably wouldn''t be able to do the same. However, other people could push you with brute force, speed, regenerative ability; in short, there are all sorts of possibilities of specialization that someone like that could use to defeat you."


    Most there listened to Minos'' words silently, with some having solemn expressions on their faces.


    Some thought that after reaching the end of the 6th stage, their strength was already extreme due to their Silver-grade techniques. Moreover, their confidence had reached a high level due to several victories against Spiritual Emperors right after independence.


    But seeing how weak they were compared to Minos, who had just reached the 7th stage, they could not help but reconsider their strength.


    Ruth then said. "Don''t be discouraged now just because of that. Minos was showing you all something to inspire you to keep moving forward."


    "I''m sure we''ll continue this fight in a few minutes without him using such complicated techniques..." She looked at him, seeing him smiling and nodding.


    "In any case, even in the Flaming Empire, there are no people known to have such unusual abilities. Even considering the powerful Spiritual Saints."


    Hearing Ruth''s words, those soldiers felt much better. If only their leader were that monstrous, this was not such a bad thing. But instead, they were worried about the possibility that millions of potential enemies were so much stronger than them.


    Abby then said. "This previous training was to show you the worst, but now it will help us train our mastery to the limit. So, raise your heads and prepare for a fight!"


    The soldiers'' spirits improved considerably as the group of almost 40 people slowly returned to fighting formation.


    ...


    While the real part of those soldiers'' training in the Spatial Kingdom was beginning, Grant was leading a training session in one of the arenas in the headquarters.


    This former Spiritual Saint had been working as a royal instructor for over four years, having already trained the Black Plain''s most outstanding specialists.


    In fact, from time to time, people like Celeste, Angela, and Eduard, would visit him in his area within the headquarters, seeking cultivation tips or how to improve their combat proficiencies.


    As someone with a powerful soul sense and experience, he had a lot to teach these ordinary people from the northern region of the Central Continent.


    And that was what he was doing while observing a Battle Royale.


    In that arena he was in, several Spiritual Kings, low-level lieutenants in the army, were on the outskirts fighting to demonstrate their prowess and failures to Grant.


    Among them was Neal Ryan, level 53, Maxwell, Robin, Elmer, all three at level 54, Dumas, Barbara, Mona, Humbert, at level 55, and several other soldiers who were between those levels.


    As he watched them fighting, Grant had a relaxed expression on his face, as it was not difficult for him to evaluate these people.


    He then stood up from where he was standing and made hand gestures, imitating one of those people. "No! No! You''re doing it wrong! Look at that!"


    Grant had already regained his lost limbs, which had been achieved with Dillian''s help. So, now he could walk normally without the help of wheelchairs or people.


    As he increased the difficulty of training those people, making them sweat profusely, one of the soldiers with the least willpower said. "Royal instructor, that''s my limit... Hah... I can''t stand to take even one step anymore..."


    After that voice sounded in the surroundings, causing the noises of fighting to diminish, many of the soldiers on the fighting stage looked in the direction of such a person.


    "Oh? That''s how little willpower you have?" Grant asked as he noticed that person drenched with sweat. "Sigh!"


    "If you can''t take it anymore, leave the fighting stage. But know that anyone who leaves this place will miss important lessons..."


    "You may miss the teaching that could save your life in the future!" He said as he closed his eyes and remembered a situation about two years ago. "Do you remember when we were visited by an enemy Spiritual Saint years ago?"


    "Yes..."


    "How could I forget? The entire Dry City trembled that day..."


    "Yes, I almost shit myself with fear."


    Several voices rose in the surroundings of that training area.


    Grant then said. "Well, do you guys know why no one died that day?"


    "Because of the grade-3 arrays?" One of the youngest female soldiers in that organization in this group said in a tone of doubt.


    "The grade-3 arrays played a powerful role, which helped us in that situation." Grant nodded in agreement and continued. "But that doesn''t explain the absence of deaths on our side..."


    Robin then said. "The training with the royal instructor prepared us for that."


    Grant laughed in satisfaction. "I don''t want to brag, but that fellow who came to Dry City was much weaker than me in my best days."


    "Because of that, all the soldiers who participated in my training before that fellow''s visit could withstand the pressure of dealing with someone at level 70. So, unless you are prepared to give up the teachings that can save your life in a moment like that, then you can give up."


    He looked serious again. "Otherwise, as long as you are breathing, I advise you to ignore the pain in your body and continue. Others like that fellow will surely come to Black Plain in the future!"


    ''In fact, people even stronger than him will come here in the future...'' He quietly thought as he remembered the terrifying strength Minos had already gained, being only at level 60.


    Grant did not know the powers of the high-level kingdoms neighboring the northern region of the Central Continent. But he knew that once a Spiritual Saint had acted, it meant that there was at least an entire organization from one of those kingdoms against Minos.


    After all, the power of those kingdoms neighboring this region was somewhat less than that of the Flaming Empire. In other words, Spiritual Saints were at the peak of power there, making that expert''s visit impossible to be a simple individual action.


    In this case, when someone discovered the level that Minos had reached, that mysterious enemy would certainly act forcefully to eliminate such a threat.


    They had already made quite a gamble in sending a Spiritual Saint after Minos, which had undoubtedly earned them their share of trouble. Thus, to prevent another problem against them from developing, eliminating this enemy they had made would be the best thing for them.


    If the enemy in question were already so strong at level 60, then that would only give them more reason to act without further caveats.


    Grant knew this because of his vast experience. Thus, he was sure it would not be long before more threats hit the Black Plain.


    That was why he was training these soldiers so vigorously!


    ''Anyway, Minos is brilliant, and there is much room for growth in this place.'' He smiled, pleased that he had joined the Black Plain years ago.


    ''He even has a level 62 helper...'' The image of a sizeable Feathered Serpent appeared in this fellow''s mind as the soldiers in the surrounding area finally returned to training with vigor.


    "Very good! Keep it up, and maybe you will have the opportunity to see Spiritual Saints falling in the future!"

 Chapter 1083 Infiltrators in the Outer Areas 1

    Chapter 1083 Infiltrators in the Outer Areas 1


    A few weeks later, in the city belonging to the Gill family...


    In the territory formerly owned by the Gill family within the Brown Kingdom, that organization was now governing on behalf of Minos those areas.


    Not only were they slowly putting Minos'' policies into practice, such as Blue-grade techniques for the ordinary people, but they were also making local improvements.


    For example, in addition to the many Spiritual Kings that had emerged in the post-war period due to the release of Black-grade techniques to their subordinates, this family had also been improving the quality of local services.


    That was an effort to ensure that the local population did not leave the Black Plain for other states and to decrease the number of those interested in migrating to the main area of Minos'' territory.


    Thus, many jobs had sprung up in these areas in the four years, many of them associated with infrastructure construction and the mining of local resources.


    The Gill family was located in an area rich in various minerals necessary for producing grade-1 and even grade-2 spiritual items. Thus, considering the great demand for resources in the central area of the Black Plain, this place had improved dramatically since the end of the war.


    As a result, people passing through the principal city of this Gill family territory could already see similar models to the cities of Minos, with well-paved, clean streets, with unique building models.


    In this place that had improved a lot in the last years, Lionel Gill, former principal of the Black Star Academy of Dry City, was finishing with his advance to the 6th stage!


    On the outskirts of the courtyard of Lionel''s residence, young Ralf, who had given up joining the Black Plain Army along with Lee and Alison due to his father, was with this man, Railan, waiting for the advancement of that Gill family nobleman.


    Ralf had reached level 42 after all these years, which was quite good considering he was only 24. But compared to Lee and Alison, he had fallen far behind, and there was not a day when he did not regret his father''s choice.


    Railan, on the other hand, had reached level 44 recently, a level that he had never imagined he would reach when he was a resident of Dry City. But, like his son, he also greatly regretted his mistake years ago.


    Anyway, there was no going back to the past and changing what had already happened, so they were leading their lives as best they could along with the Gill family.


    All of them, Lionel, Railan, and Ralf, had been penalized for ten years of labor in the fields of the Black Plain for having put the Gill family against Minos years ago. And despite all that had happened, they had not been pardoned and were still doing their work.


    The difference was that there were only labor camps around Dry City before. But now, with the Black Plain having grown so big, they had been transferred to work at this Gill family site.


    With this, even though they were Spiritual Generals and Lionel, who was about to advance to become a Spiritual King, would continue their unpaid jobs for a few more years.


    But they had already gotten used to this life, and considering there were less than three years left for their punishments to end, they were looking forward to the future.


    "Look at that. Mister Lionel has finished moving forward!" Railan commented to his son as he saw the physical improvements appearing externally in Lionel''s body.


    After a few breaths, a few liters of impurities stopped draining from that man''s pores when he finally opened his eyes and breathed as if he had recovered from a long cold.


    "Ah, it''s magnificent to advance to the 6th stage!" He muttered under his breath, feeling accomplished at the moment.


    "Mister Lionel, congratulations on advancing to the 6th stage and becoming a regional expert!" Ralf and his father said similar things, both happy for their leader''s advancement.


    But even if that was a happy thing as he had improved his vitality, Lionel did not feel complete. On the contrary, there was a strange feeling in his heart, as if after so much work, he had discovered that his efforts had only been for something ordinary.


    "Sigh..."


    "What''s so great about becoming a Spiritual King? There are over 2,000 of them in the Black Plain alone..." He said in disappointment, feeling the weight of being part of a powerful state.


    Previously the northern region of the Central Continent, when considered in its entirety, had around just 3,000 Spiritual Kings. And since these people were well distributed over tens of millions of square kilometers, each Spiritual King was a rarity and could be considered a regional expert.


    However, times have changed, and despite the many deaths in the Black Plain War of Independence, the region now has nearly 6,000 Spiritual Kings.


    In particular, more than 2,000 of them were on the Black Plain, a place with only a tiny fraction of the regional area and population. In other words, this place''s amount of Spiritual Kings per inhabitant was considerable, which no longer made these individuals experts.


    To get an idea, five years ago, people from these areas still dreamed of being able to become a cultivator at the 6th stage. But after the appearance of several Spiritual Emperors, today, everyone dreamed of reaching the 7th stage, not the 6th.


    To make matters worse for Lionel, his family, which had less than 20 Spiritual Kings before the war, had recently reached the mark of 52 cultivators at this stage.


    For all that, his satisfaction at having reached this stage had been significantly damaged by contemporary reality!


    ''Sigh!''


    ''Ten years ago, this advancement of mine would have given me elder status and even guaranteed me great respect throughout the region... Now, on the other hand, I will continue to pay my punishment and at most become a high-level guard.''


    ''How degrading...'' He shook his head as he sighed.


    "Forget it." He said as he walked towards the bathroom. "Hopefully, I''ll have a chance to become a Spiritual Emperor in the future. Otherwise, I will be nothing more than someone ordinary, even within the family."


    The two individuals could not disagree with that and soon followed their leader.


    "Sigh..."


    ''Lee and Alison will probably become Spiritual Emperors before I become a Spiritual King...''


    ...


    While those three had their disappointments in mind, the upper echelon of that family was at the local government headquarters, dealing with the administration of their territory.


    Just as Dillian had warned Mia, the patriarch of this family was trying his hardest to generate results, seeking one of the best positions for his province within the Black Plain.


    Precisely because of this, as on the current occasion, he daily had meetings with the upper echelon of this family, consisting of him, level 60, and some cultivators between levels 57 to 59.


    "... As I said earlier, we must focus on mineral extraction in our area. The main territory of His Grace has a lot of growth potential, and we will certainly be able to export whatever we can extract here to there."


    "This will be our chance to get resources to invest in our cities and population!" A level 59 Spiritual King said this in a tone devoid of doubt.


    Another then nodded in agreement. "Indeed. The main territory of the Black Plain has only 30 million inhabitants, but the total area of our state is already over 70 million."


    "With those numbers, it is certain that the other provinces in that area formerly belonging to the Brown Kingdom will lose their populations. That means we will gain more consumers of our minerals in the main part of our state."


    "Patriarch, that will be the quickest way for us to gain recognition from His Grace and thus, perhaps, obtain a territory within the main area of the Black Plain."


    "Hmm, I agree." Liam Gill, level 60, said.


    The Gill family had the current goal of getting an area, no matter how small, within the original part of the Black Plain.


    The reason for this? Simply because with the recovery of the spiritual root of Dry City, that area of the Black Plain had already surpassed all others in the region in terms of spiritual energy density.


    With that, to have a better future, something easier to achieve in a place rich in spiritual energy, this organization''s core was trying its best to get a place in that area!


    "Well, let''s..."

 Chapter 1084 Infiltrators in the Outer Areas 2

    Chapter 1084 Infiltrators in the Outer Areas 2


    "... Let''s focus on mining in our territory. That''s a business with no risk of going wrong, so all our investment will pay off one way or another."


    "The only doubt here is whether this will be enough to put our province in the lead of the areas around the Black Plain." The patriarch said in a firm tone.


    He did not have the first place as his goal since the Miller family would certainly achieve that. After all, in addition to this organization being based in the central part of the Black Plain, it already had 3 Spiritual Emperors in its ranks to secure its future.


    Hell, that was not even all. With the queen close to advancing to the 7th stage, plus her father, Eliot, the Miller family could soon become the second organization with the most regional experts!


    In this way, Liam had no interest in the first position. However, to the other Black Plains powers, he showed no intimidation. All the other powers had only one Spiritual Emperor, while the number of Spiritual Kings was not that different, although the disadvantage was on his side.


    Thus, he wanted to pursue this development strategy and perhaps secure his family''s future within the Black Plain!


    ...


    While the Gill family leadership was discussing the options for the development of their territory, in a quiet part of that city, a group of five people was gathered in a basement.


    In that place, there were not many decorations, only what was necessary for the people there to sit with a minimum of comfort while they were there.


    And just as they were sitting on the outskirts, these people were talking in whispering tones in this poorly lit place.


    "So? How are the positions of your group? Mine recently arrived in this place, so I want to know what problems and facilities we can expect..." A relatively young-looking woman asked the three individuals in front of her.


    One of them, a man with a black beard and mustache, answered her. "The facilities are what you have already experienced with your group. Enter this place through the border with our state. However, the facilities end in this territory we are in."


    A middle-aged man continued his group mate''s comment. "Hmm, from here on out is where the problems are... In the main part of the Black Plain existed several defensive mechanisms that are complicated to overcome."


    "The people in that place have developed their defensive systems well. Without us traveling on the roads guarded by the soldiers of the Black Plain Army, the chances of death for Spiritual Kings are more than 50%."


    After hearing that, the other woman there, a companion in the group of the one who asked the question earlier, then asked. "Why is it like that? Something special? Are the forest regions of this place that dangerous?"


    The third man replied. "They''re not forest regions. From what I''ve heard, the Black Plain had no vegetation or powerful beasts until a few years ago. So, these ''forests'' are actually big headquarters of local government spiritual beasts, where each of them provides border protection service."


    "In other words, anyone who tries to infiltrate one of these forests will have to prepare to face all the living beings of such places!"


    Upon hearing that, the faces of the two women paled while their mouths opened in shock. "Are you serious?" One of them asked. "How can that be? So this Minos'' guy controls all these spiritual beasts?"


    "Isn''t he just a Spiritual King?"


    "Hmm, supposedly, yes..."


    "But local rumors say he can fight against Spiritual Emperors."


    "Tsk!"


    "Nonsense!"


    "Do you believe what these bumpkins say? And even if he can fight against ordinary Spiritual Emperors, what can only one person do?" The other woman said.


    "That''s another problem. It''s not just one person." The elder there shook his head, sensing the difficulty of this mission they were on. "There is at least one Spiritual Emperor in each of these forests. But, on the other hand, in each of the major cities in this state, there is also someone at that stage."


    "Finally, there are teleportation arrays at the most important points in this territory. So, even if those places'' protectors are eventually destroyed, reinforcements would arrive in a few seconds."


    "That..."


    "If that''s true, how will we get into Dry City? From what you guys are saying, it seems like we can''t rob that place." The first woman said in an irritated tone.


    These people were criminals from Albano, individuals drawn to the Black Plain because of the growing wealth of these areas.


    They recently heard rumors that there was a place with billions of low-grade crystals in the Black Plain, so they decided to infiltrate this territory.


    But this was not the only rumor circulating in the Albano underworld...


    One of the men then answered that woman. "It seems that it is impossible indeed... At least for people of our level."


    "Maybe if we get support from bigger criminal groups, we might have a chance of getting some Spiritual Emperors to join us."


    "Tsk!"


    "That''s a terrible idea!"


    "Even if we succeed, we won''t get anything. Or do you think criminals that are so much stronger than us will share their prizes?"


    "We''d better try to rob this city''s bank."


    The Bank of the Black Plain had developed in recent years, having reached every city with more than 500,000 inhabitants in the Black Plain. As such, this institution had a branch in the Gill family city.


    "It won''t do any good." The old man commented. "We''ve already researched this, and branches of that bank always send more than 80% of the crystals from local clients to Dry City."


    "In other words, the risks don''t pay off."


    Those two finally lost patience and asked. "So why did you guys invite us here?"


    "Come on, calm down. Of course, we alone won''t make it, but I''ve heard that the number of Spiritual Kings coming from Albano has increased every month."


    "So, let''s wait for the chaos to occur so we can take the opportunity and act!"


    "Oh? That''s it?" Finally, the two felt better, as they were both aware that at least 100,000 criminals in Albano were Spiritual Kings.


    In that case, if only a portion of them came to Black Plain, then it would only be a matter of time before their numbers reached values for them to force their way into the core of that state.


    "By the way, while my group was coming here, we heard another rumor about the riches of this state..." One of them smiled as she said that.


    "What?"


    "From the looks of it, high-level plantations are growing in great quantity in this main area of the Black Plain... I''ve heard that such a thing is the reason for the development of this place."


    "Oh? That sounds true. The local food is excellent..."


    "Come to think of it, if our groups agree, we could take this place..." She reduces her tone, feeling that so many criminals could not enter such an ambitious agreement. "No, that''s impossible."


    "Maybe..."


    "In any case, how many people are in your group?" The leader of the newly arrived group asked the men in front of her.


    One of them answered. "50 Spiritual Kings, half of them being at the beginning of the 6th stage, half in the intermediate levels."


    "Not so different from ours..."


    "Well, let''s keep waiting, as you suggested. When we left the kingdom, there was a lot of movement in the shadows."


    "So, let''s bet on chaos!"


    "That''s our only option..."


    This group of criminals stood there for a while longer, discussing the many positive reports from the Black Plain that had come to Albano in recent years.


    The Black Plain, in the opinion of many of them, looked like a great treasure box protected by fools, waiting for the strongest to dominate.


    At least that had been the idea propagated by the Albano underworld...


    Anyway, these people were greedy and could not ignore the wealth that could even turn their groups into gigantic sects!


    So, they were determined to usurp the possessions of the Black Plain, to rob the newly risen young king, whom none of them feared, as they feared the old monsters of Albano.


    Whether or not they would succeed in their journey, only fate could tell. But it was a fact that they and many others had started a journey of no return on this peaceful Black Plain.

 Chapter 1085 Promises Being Fulfilled

    Chapter 1085 Promises Being Fulfilled


    A few days later...


    In the core of Dry City, two couples were finishing dinner at one of the local restaurants, enjoying the quiet evening to relax after work.


    Of these four people, all were middle-aged individuals, with the two women appearing younger than their husbands.


    Regardless of how young they looked, they all had parts of the Black Plain Army uniform still on their bodies, even though they had already been in this restaurant for more than an hour.


    But they had not forgotten to take off their uniforms because of their pride in being part of this organization. They were proud, of course. But the main point was that they were so used to dressing in such a way that after leaving the headquarters for this meal, they had forgotten to take off parts of their uniforms.


    However, others in that restaurant also had uniforms on their bodies, so nobody there looked at them with the admiring glances commonly seen by ordinary citizens to these soldiers.


    But this situation of this group was not unique. After all, most of the people within this area protected by the local defensive dome were somehow connected to the army. So, it was pretty common to find soldiers in places like this at all times of the day.


    The two couples were talking about their families while waiting for the bill.


    "Tasia, how is little Alison doing? I heard you recently visited her and Lee''s territory, right?" Peter''s mother, Rita, level 50, asked Alison''s mother.


    Just as Minos had promised Lee and Alison''s families, he had helped the families of his most prominent soldiers to develop, even making room for them in the army.


    Because of this, Alison''s parents, Peter''s parents, and Lee''s siblings had all gotten opportunities in the Black Plain Army and grown considerably in the past years.


    For example, Lizzie had become a secretary for Minos, while Lee''s older brother, Gryff, currently at level 49, was working with his brother in Alison''s city. Lee''s younger sister, on the other hand, at level 44, had been studying within the headquarters, preparing herself to one day be given a leadership position like her brother.


    Upon hearing Peter''s mother''s question, Taisa, level 50, smiled and said. "Yes, I did. She is doing very well. Hopefully, Lee will reach level 57 by the end of the year, and the two of them have been working to give us grandchildren."


    Hearing that, Pollo, level 51, smiled in satisfaction at Alison''s situation. He liked Lee and could not wait for those two to give birth to an heir. "When our grandchild is born, we will ask the army to transfer us to their city..."


    "Haha, Pollo, you are behind me regarding grandchildren." Peter''s father, Wade, level 51, grinned from ear to ear, thinking about how envious Pollo was of his granddaughter.


    The group then continued their conversation in that restaurant with virtually only 6th-stage customers.


    Like the four individuals, many there were people who had been on the Black Plain for at least ten years, some of them, like Alison''s parents, having been there since before Minos arrived.


    All of them, at that time, were just Spiritual Warriors. But with all the opportunities their families had received in the more than a decade under Minos'' rule, they had all managed to break through to the 6th stage.


    Considering that Minos had promised to help them with even more critical breakthroughs, those two couples were happier than ever in their lives, seeing things working out for their families.


    Minos'' promises had significantly been exaggerated when he arrived at this place. But after these last four years, no one doubted their chances of actually getting to where he promised.


    With this, these people, who previously were just ordinary individuals in this region, now live better than even some regional leaders!


    In any case, their families had a prosperous future ahead of them, and they had every reason to laugh and enjoy themselves on the local nights!


    ...


    While Peter and Alison''s parents were having fun in the core of Dry City, in the common area of the Black Plain capital, Elen was dealing with Nash family matters.


    After years since the creation of the local branch of the Nash family, this place had become as important, if not more important, than the headquarters of that organization on Stone Island.


    In fact, the Nash family was so serious about the Black Plain that 2 of its 3 Spiritual Emperors were currently living in Dry City, standing by to protect this place in case of need.


    Among them was Elen''s father, Richard Nash, level 60, this fellow newly recovered by the butler Dillian.


    "Elen, how is your progress?" Sigmund Nash, the other Spiritual Emperor of this family, asked the woman sitting in the leading position in their meeting room.


    Upon hearing that, Elen observed the elders in the surrounding area and smiled. "I reached level 59 two months ago, so I still have a long way to go to level 60."


    "However, I think I can get there within the next year."


    "Oh?"


    "Excellent!"


    "In that time, if we count on Elder Quinn''s possible advancement, our family could reach the mark of 5 Spiritual Emperors!"


    "Haha, we''ll be able to keep our current power level on par with House Stone and Miller!"


    Several people there commented in satisfaction, feeling that the family''s future could not be stopped.


    The Nash family was a mercantile power, but one of the most critical points for this type of organization was still power. After all, with influential members, they could more easily guarantee the safety of their traded items, lower travel costs, etc.


    With more power, more people would trust them, and thus the family would get more resources.


    Because of this strategy, each of those elders was happy with the progress of the family''s most extraordinary talents.


    "It''s just a pity that young Luke returned to the Western Empire and hasn''t sent news all this time. If he were here, we could also nurture him to become a Spiritual Emperor in the future..."


    "Ah, it''s a pity..."


    "In any case, we should continue with the matter concerning the Black Plain''s trade opening to the rest of the region." Elen drew those elders'' attention back to the main issue discussed there.


    All this time, the Black Plain had hardly exported its resources to the rest of the region. Instead, the government of Minos was still focused on trading with Stone Island and supplying the demand for resources within their state.


    The Minos government, of course, was importing resources from outside, but that was about it so far. However, with the current growth rate of the plantation fields on the Black Plain, the king had already indicated to Elen his intentions to export his food to the rest of the region.


    With that, she was already working to follow the wishes of the leader of this state!


    "It won''t be easy for us to export local resources throughout the region, so we will partner with House Miller to begin our plans as soon as possible."


    "The products that will be exported to the other states in the region will have a rate 10% above those that go to Stone Island, so the generation of resources for the Black Plain will be even greater."


    "That will be critical in continuing local development," So, Elen explained to those elders, the weakest one at level 58.


    "Hmm, that''s right." Richard nodded, considering that as much as it would be more profitable for his family to handle this without aid, increasing the speed of local development was what could help them grow further.


    At an early stage of development, the costs were much lower. After all, building apartment towers, houses, and ordinary streets were not expensive. The problem lay in investing in infrastructure for cultivators, such as Cultivation Towers.


    Even if the state of Minos already had tens of billions of crystals on hand, this was not much considering the cost of grade-3 items. Hence the need to increase the government''s profit.


    "We will begin our communication with House Miller. We will prepare for that to happen as soon as possible!"

 Chapter 1086 The Progress of the Walker Family

    Chapter 1086 The Progress of the Walker Family


    Capital of the Kingdom of the Waves, the royal palace...


    In this place of great importance to this state, the moods of the people who usually lived there had improved considerably in the last four years.


    Previously there had been an atmosphere of mourning and uncertainty among the members of the Walker family, something originating from the massacre caused by Minos and the subsequent surrender of this state to the Black Plain.


    But as time passed, the mysteries about how Minos would rule the region faded. Many now knew that he would not simply interfere in their lives for no reason. In fact, in all these years, apart from charges concerning promises and information about local development, the Minos government had never interfered in local affairs.


    At many times, the people of this government and others in the region could even forget that the Black Plain had won the war and was now the region''s leader.


    That was a good thing for those powers that were so afraid of losing their privileges and freedoms, and it was critical in improving spirits not only in this state but in the entire region.


    With that, while walking through the corridors of this place, royal guards or even the relatives of Blake and Wilfred could feel a lightness in the air, along with tranquility on many faces.


    But this had not been caused only by the ''relief'' of the nobles and members of the local royalty. In addition to the Black Plain not abusing its position, the many investments made by the Walker family had benefited many subordinates or members of the lower royalty.


    Minos had not spent a crystal on investments outside the Black Plain during this period, but his many resource imports into his state had generated grand sums for regional families.


    With these resources and the reserves these organizations already had, many of them had invested in the war survivors and their respective cities.


    In the case of House Walker, this organization had lost many high-level members to Minos, so they had focused on improving their strength in this period.


    Among the measures, this family took to accomplish this were making their Black-grade techniques more accessible to subordinates and investing in resources to raise the cultivation of their members.


    No regional organization knew how strong the Black Plain had become. Still, everyone was aware that the power level of this region before Minos could no longer be a standard. If more Spiritual Kings did not emerge in a few years, even ordinary citizens of that state could wreak havoc throughout the region!


    In this case, regional powers could no longer think that having 20, 30, or 50 Spiritual Kings was good or enough. Hence the motivation for heavy investment in subordinates, even if Minos had not directly pressured any of these organizations to do so.


    Consequently, the current Walker family had more people who were satisfied with the present time than individuals who were rancorous about the events of the war.


    Hell, for some subordinates who had grown significantly in that period, the death of their comrades to Minos had been the best thing of their lives!


    So, as he made his way to the royal throne hall, Blake could not help but notice the many smiles on his way, particularly on new royal guards.


    ''I thought my rule would be one of the most difficult in the family''s history given the adverse conditions that came my way... But who knew? Things are developing easier than I had thought!''


    ''Even Wilfred''s mother is surprised at all the peace we''ve had to deal with the kingdom these years.'' He smiled as he observed his surroundings, sometimes waving to the people in his path.


    Besides the happiness within his organization, something that could also be seen in other regional powers, the peace Blake thought was another of the benefits brought by Minos.


    After hundreds of thousands of years, the northern region of the Central Continent finally had a local leader recognized by the entire region.


    Because of this, all the states were working with 100% of their attention on solving their problems. Many of them had even ignored old intrigues to act together in cooperation rarely seen outside periods of war.


    Because of this, a great harmony had emerged among the regional states in these four years, something that undeniably facilitated the recovery of many local organizations.


    On the other hand, the Black Plain had since independence been chasing and punishing criminals at rates never before seen in the region and had considerably decreased crime rates in all the states in that area.


    ''Well, I suppose these are the benefits of having a tyrant leading the region.'' He closed his eyes and found his thought funny, even though he knew he was probably right. ''When we had no one limiting us, we had many possibilities that undeniably brought us problematic consequences.''


    ''But with the limitation of our freedoms, the responsibilities also decreased...''


    ''Sigh...''


    ''Now, we don''t have to worry about 2, 3, or 4 troublesome neighbors that are potential enemies. Now there is only one state we have to worry about!'' He walked into his workplace and saw some people he expected.


    Among those people were King Walker''s older brother and the former queen of this state.


    "Oh? You finally reached level 59?" Blake asked Wilfred, surprised that his brother had reached that decisive level so quickly.


    The Walker family had not forgotten the promise of Minos. That was why they had invested what they could to force Wilfred''s advances. For this reason alone, this fellow had advanced so many levels in such a short time, even surpassing the growth speed of some of the soldiers in Minos'' Elite Squad.


    However, such a thing had not come without cost!


    "Yes, I advanced a few days ago... But, in any case, even if I have reached father''s level, with my current foundations, even you at level 56 could defeat me." He said in a deprecating tone.


    Hearing this, this man''s mother sighed and said. "We can''t cry over spilled milk, Wilfred. It is indeed a shame that this destroyed your potential, but at least this way, you will have a chance to reach the 7th stage."


    "When that happens, even with problematic foundations, you will still be stronger than high-level Spiritual Kings." She looked more seriously at her son and said. "More importantly, only then will we get something from the treasure our family has had possession of for so long."


    "I won''t be able to do that myself since even though I''m at level 59, there isn''t enough time left for me." She sighed in disappointment that she was so old to be able to advance during the remaining time.


    They had no information on Abby''s current level to know how much more they had until Minos'' visit. But considering the advancements of some of the Black Plain''s high-level soldiers, these people knew they had just over a year to get a Spiritual Emperor.


    "Sigh..."


    "I know," Wilfred said in a low voice and looked at his brother. "Forget about that for now. I came here to talk about this communiqu¨¦ that the Black Plain sent out recently."


    "That..." Blake tried to remember what his brother was talking about.


    "About the Bank of the Black Plain branches."


    "Oh? So that''s what this is about..." The king sat on his throne and looked at the two people in front of him. "What is there to talk about? Minos wants to spread his bank throughout the region. So, we will cooperate."


    "In any case, the ones who have to worry about that are the powers of the Kingdom of the End. We don''t have any bank to worry about that."


    Wilfred''s mother shook her head negatively and said. "That''s not what we want to talk about... The point here is, will the Black Plain open the possibility of investments in that territory to the regional population? Until then, only citizens and allies of Minos could do that."


    "Hmmm." Wilfred agreed with his mother. "Also, I think we should take the opportunity and talk to the government of the Black Plain to see the possibility of financing our projects with that bank."


    "We don''t have what it takes to get that much trust from our citizens, but this bank does. But, on the other hand, since it will be here anyway, why don''t we take advantage of the opportunity?" Wilfred opened his arms and smiled. "That could be the answer to many of our problems!"


    ...

 Chapter 1087 Repentance

    Chapter 1087 Repentance


    "Oh? Is that what you are talking about?" Blake''s eyes sparkled in interest as these points raised by mother and son could change the Kingdom of the Waves.


    Suppose the Walker family could get with the Bank of the Black Plains collective funding options for the Kingdom of the Waves. In that case, their organization could gather crystals with its citizens without relying solely on taxes or savings.


    That could accelerate local growth considerably!


    On the other hand, even with all the difficulties in the war period and the investments in recent years, the Walker family still had a robust crystal gathering capacity. In other words, if they were allowed to invest in the Black Plain through this bank, their future earnings could be enhanced.


    After all, as much as investing in one''s own business usually had the most significant potential among all types of investment, the Black Plain undeniably had much more room to grow than this kingdom. In this case, betting on Minos could bring much better results for them in the future than investing in themselves!


    Thinking about this, Blake soon became anxious about the matter. "This is truly something significant!"


    He then looked in the direction of some subordinates and gave his orders. "Start the dialogue with the government of the Black Plain. Let''s see what we can expect regarding these branches opening in the regional state capitals."


    "But don''t forget to mention the possibility of creating investment funds with a focus on our state."


    "Yes, Your Majesty!" Some people there said simultaneously before leaving to write messages.


    After that, Blake looked at those two level 59 Spiritual Kings and said. "I don''t know if Minos will allow his enemies'' organizations to invest in the Black Plain. But he will certainly allow other powers to do so, or he would not have started the expansion of his bank."


    "There is no reason he should not replicate his success on the Black Plain throughout the region..." He said, remembering how much that state had developed in recent years, which only that bank could explain.


    They had not been to the territory of Minos in this period. Still, various tourists and regional travelers who had passed through there in this period from time to time helped update the region on the prosperity of the Black Plain.


    Because of this, these people knew that Minos had hired more than 70% of the migrants who had come to the Black Plain since independence, something ridiculously costly.


    Wilfred''s mother then said. "I agree. But I hope he won''t be so stingy to refuse our crystals..."


    "That..." Blake did not know what to say, uncertain whether Minos still harbored grievances against the regional powers.


    Wilfred said. "That''s what we can''t be sure of... But when the possibility of us using the bank to finance our projects, I think it extremely likely that he will accept that."


    "At most, the Black Plain will get a fat slice of the profits..." He laughed. "But that is acceptable. After all, we would be improving our state with resources that would originally be unaffordable."


    "That''s true..."


    ...


    While the previous group was discussing the future of their kingdom, a young guard from the local royal family had just finished her service and returned to her residence.


    As she passed her family, she suddenly saw a headline in the periodical her father was reading in the living room.


    ''So humble Spiritual Tournament competitor years ago, now Duke on the Black Plain: Peter Freeman.''


    Seeing that briefly, Ava''s body shuddered at the thought in her mind. ''Peter... Is that you?''


    Seeing the look of astonishment and doubt on his daughter''s face, Ava''s father sighed and said. "You are thinking right, Ava. That is young Peter. After being elevated to the Black Plain''s nobility, he earned the surname Freeman."


    "That..." This level 50 woman froze where she stood, feeling her heart beating faster. ''He became a Duke? Peter?''


    Her father then sighed but said nothing. It was not his right to get involved in his daughter''s affairs, so he merely left that sheet of paper there for her to read.


    He was very fond of Peter at the time when that young man and Ava had studied together. But his daughter''s preferences and decisions were not under his power, so he had never said anything excessive to her. But on the other hand, he did not even know about his daughter''s plans during the period that Charles had been the successor of the Walker family.


    With that said, in this situation where Peter was doing so well, and she was just an ordinary subordinate of House Walker, he would not say things to her to make her feel even worse.


    But that was not even necessary. Ava was very strict with herself, and reading that Peter was already at level 56, married, and with a daughter, she could not help but regret her decisions.


    She fell to her knees with that sheet of paper in her hands, vigorously shaking as she bit her lips in disappointment. ''Damn it!''


    ''Damn it, I bet so much on Charles and the Walker family, but Peter, who was right next to me, is the one who did better in the end!''


    ''He will probably surpass the entire Walker family in a few years, just considering his current position on the Black Plain!'' So, she correctly assessed the situation, making her disappointment grow even more.


    Then, as tears flowed from her eyes, she could not help but conclude that she was doomed to failure in her attempts to rise to power through other people.


    She wasted her contact with Peter, then saw her bet destroyed right in front of her. Then, in the intervening four years, she tried to approach the king several times, but even though she used her body, she at most got a ''thank you'' from Blake.


    As for Wilfred, this guy fucked her once and never brought it up again, as if he had just used a defective product and discarded it.


    Thinking about how she had used her body to try to connect with powerful men, Ava finally regretted getting dirty with people she had no feelings for. She had sold out for her bets, ''played on a merry-go-round,'' and then ended up in her current position, alone, with no prospects.


    If only she had stayed with Peter...


    Unfortunately for her, the ''if'' did not exist, and now she had to live with the weight of her past choices!


    "Ahhhhhhhh!"


    She bellowed aloud, putting out all her disappointments as she tore up that paper, full of anger at herself.


    ...


    While Ava was going through her moment of great difficulty, having hit rock bottom, other people in this region were almost as sad as she was.


    In particular, in the Brown Kingdom, the ruling family of that state was experiencing a decline never before seen in its history.


    The situation had improved in the last four years, but after the sacrifices made by the Spiritual Kings of that state, it was impossible to recover in just four years.


    Only 2 Spiritual Kings had remained then, while the state had lost a large part of its territory, meaning it had lost a lot of taxes. Thus, the situation was not encouraging!


    However, the Brown Kingdom had improved. After all, it would be difficult to get worse from that terrible situation...


    Like the other states in the region, this place had invested vigorously in its subordinates, considerably decreasing the difficulty of obtaining Black-grade techniques.


    Because of this, 2 Spiritual Kings had increased to 70!


    Unfortunately, these were low-level Spiritual Kings, individuals different from the many invaders from Albano, people who were not just going to the Black Plain...


    Thus, King Brown was full of trouble on his mind, while his older sister, Diana Brown, could not help but feel anger at Minos'' deeds, especially at his inability to act.


    ...


    "Damn it!" Diana exclaimed in a tone full of anger, just after she finished hearing from her mother about the situation in the kingdom. "Even though I have reached level 60, I can''t do anything to help the family!"


    "That is so unfair!"


    She then looked at her mother, level 56, and asked. "What will we do? At this rate, our state will be ruined by these invaders from Albano!"


    ...

 Chapter 1088 Albanos lnvaders and the Sin of Minos

    Chapter 1088 Albano''s lnvaders and the Sin of Minos


    After hearing her daughter''s question, the Queen Mother of the Brown Kingdom shook her head, not knowing what to say.


    During the four years that had passed, their situation seemed to improve slowly, both because of the time of regional peace and because Minos had never shown abusive behavior. In fact, their relationship with the Black Plain was dozens of times better than they had thought after the sacrifices of their members years ago.


    That was so impressive that many people in this state questioned whether the late Thomas Brown had not made a mistake. What had they fought for? For a territory that never mattered to the kingdom itself? Fought against a dangerous fanatic?


    After what had happened in the years after the war, many wondered about the unnecessary Black Plain War of Independence.


    Anyway, because of their autonomy in this period, the royal family and the noble houses of this state had peace of mind to start recovering while relaxing a bit after so much trouble.


    However, as soon as the recent troubles began to hit the Black Plain two years ago, other neighboring states of Albano and Minos'' territory began to suffer from the influx of Spiritual Kings from outside the region.


    That was the case for the Cromwell Kingdom and also the Brown Kingdom!


    Due to the difficulties for these Spiritual Kings to enter the Black Plain, some of them had begun infiltrating the neighboring states to go to the less problematic areas of the Minos territory.


    Because of this, the Brown Kingdom had been caught by surprise by hundreds of Spiritual Kings coming from Albano, people who were slowly bringing chaos to this state.


    Upon entering this territory, those individuals soon took areas to establish camps near the border with the Black Plain. At the same time, they began to demand fees for not attacking local organizations, along with the obligation of these powers to provide food and other items for them.


    Due to situations concerning these troublesome people, the Brown Kingdom, until two years ago, had been improving, had considerably reduced its recovery. Not only this, but each month the costs for them not to be attacked became higher, gradually pushing the local powers to their limits.


    Because of this worrying situation, the local royal family was on full alert, with many members totally distraught, not knowing how to survive this ordeal.


    One of the most worried people was precisely Diana, who, despite her power, was the only one who could not act given her connection to the Flaming Empire.


    The Queen Mother then said. "I don''t know what we''re going to do... We can only hope that the Black Plain can scare these people away."


    "Black Plain?" Diana felt annoyed at hearing this, remembering that part of her state''s current weakness was due to Minos'' unreasonable punishments.


    She owed Albert a significant debt, but she could not ignore that Minos had killed her father. So, she hated him.


    But Diana was not ignorant about war affairs and knew Minos and Thomas had been enemies for years. In this case, her father''s death was something that could not be questioned. However, what happened after the surrender of the Brown Kingdom was something, in her view, unnecessary, indefensible cruel action.


    She then said. "How can you say that, mother? Have you forgotten what Minos did to our family, to our state? How can you put our hopes in a dictator covered with the blood of our comrades?"


    That middle-aged woman sighed upon hearing that, but there was no other possibility. "Unfortunately, Diana, we are forced to live with what we have."


    "The Black Plain, as cruel as it is, is the only one with the slightest ability to stop these people. So yes, I can only hope such a state can do something about these invaders. Otherwise, we''re finished."


    "That..." Diana clenched her fists tightly until noises arose from her bones. "Worst case scenario, I will take you and my brother to the empire. That at least I am capable of doing."


    Unlike the Cromwell Kingdom, the Brown Kingdom had become too small for the royal family to be able to protect themselves while hiding in their territory.


    With the lands taken by Minos and the fact that over 70% of the borders of this state bordered the Black Plain and Albano, almost the entire area of this kingdom was under invading interest. Because of this, if the local royal family were threatened with an attack, they would have no alternative but to abandon their state!


    And knowing they would have no place in any other kingdom in the area, Diana was already considering the worst possibility and planning her family''s escape with her.


    "I hope it doesn''t come to that..." The Queen Mother commented as she closed her eyes, surrounded by dark circles.


    ...


    While mother and daughter were talking about the doom of the Brown Kingdom, the King of this state was in the royal throne room, working hard as he had been doing for the past two years.


    Raynard Brown had reached level 57 recently after using a lot of his family''s resources, but not to the extent that, like Wilfred, he had damaged his foundations.


    In any case, he was currently the strongest person in his organization and had many concerns on his mind, something that could easily be seen on his sad face.


    But not only did he seem under a lot of stress, but all the royal guards and people there in that royal hall were also too.


    He then asked while sitting on his throne. "How is the recent news? Are there any more invaders?"


    "Unfortunately, yes, Your Majesty." A middle-aged man replied in a solemn tone. "One hundred more Albano Spiritual Kings have entered the kingdom this month, counting over a thousand asserted around our state''s border with the Black Plain."


    "Over a thousand?" Some guards in the surrounding area repeated the same question, shocked that so many Spiritual Kings were already around the Black Plain.


    "Will the Black Plain be able to withstand that? Or rather, will the region survive this invasion?" One of the strongest Spiritual Kings there, a level 52 man, asked such a thing full of concern.


    Silence filled that area as cold sweat began to drip down the backs of the various people there.


    Indeed, this was a paramount concern. How would the region survive if the number of invaders continued to increase as it had been?


    Raynard frowned and said. "As long as Spiritual Emperors don''t invade the region, I think the Black Plain will stand a chance against these invaders..."


    "If those numbers don''t grow significantly in a short period." He said, concerned about the numbers of invaders escalating to tens of thousands in a matter of months.


    If that happened, even the Black Plain would be at a disadvantage!


    The King then said. "In any case, keep communicating to the government of the Black Plain about the troublesome situation of these invaders. We are only their subordinates, but if we fall, the problems for them will be much greater!"


    "Yes, Your Majesty!"


    "On the other hand, let''s communicate to the other states in our region about what is happening. Maybe they are not being invaded like we are, but if the Black Plain eventually falls, the whole region will be under the control of these invaders."


    "We can''t let that happen!" He slammed one of his fists against the right arm of his throne.


    The people then discussed this matter for some more time, each worried about the state''s survival and their families in the event of a confrontation even more nightmarish than the previous war.


    ''The Black Plain almost destroyed us, but now this...'' One of the Spiritual Kings there sighed in defeat. ''Could it be that the heavens have something against us? Have our ancestors committed some great sin for us to deserve this?''


    Unfortunately, Minos had committed a great sin that they were all in danger of paying the price for!


    What sin?


    Simply the sin of prosperity, of having what you should not have without possessing a shocking force known to the parasites waiting to attack you.


    Because of this, now the whole region was in danger!

 Chapter 1089 Some Plans of Minos

    Chapter 1089 Some Plans of Minos


    A few weeks passed...


    While the Brown Kingdom and the Cromwell Kingdom were dealing with the problem of invaders, Minos was taking care of these matters at the local government headquarters.


    "Your Grace, the Brown and Cromwell families have already finished passing on the update on the numbers of invaders in their states." A middle-aged woman said this as she respectfully looked toward the royal throne. "To the north of our state, there are already at least 3,000 Spiritual Kings, while to the south, 4,000 people at the same stage, all of them coming from Albano."


    Another person then commented. "On the other hand, the army estimates that a few hundred invaders have successfully infiltrated the area east of the Black Plain. Unfortunately, we do not have the exact location or information of these people, Your Grace."


    The royal guardsmen in the surrounding area sharpened their eyes upon hearing this, while Minos remained in his seat without much change.


    "Looks like these individuals are not just migrating, eh?" He commented in a low voice, but everyone there understood his opinion perfectly.


    An army soldier then commented. "Yes, otherwise, they would not need to camp outside the Black Plain or secretly enter our state... That is a warning sign!"


    "It seems that forces outside the region are already coveting us..." Another person commented.


    "What do we do about it, Your Grace? We''ve barely managed to get in their way on the Black Plain..." Joey, who was also standing there, asked.


    Minos closed his eyes momentarily and said. "For now, let''s let them continue to group up. If they truly have negative intentions towards the Black Plain, it will be easier to deal with them this way..."


    Eduard, standing quietly there, swallowed his saliva and asked. "Does Your Grace intend to act on your own?"


    The eyes of several of those people opened wider, while some of the less intelligent ones understood the situation. ''He''s going to allow them to get together to facilitate a slaughter!''


    Minos nodded in agreement. "Acting against them while they are scattered throughout the region will be difficult. After all, I am only one person. But if they are in the same location, that will make things easier..."


    "Anyway, let''s see how the situation develops. I want to avoid showing the full power of the Black Plain to organizations outside the northern region as much as possible. But keep an eye on the movements of these invading rats."


    "If they abuse my compassion, we will act!"


    "Yes, Your Grace!" Several voices sounded before some soldiers and government agents took their leave.


    After the royal throne hall became a little emptier, Minos looked at Joey and ordered. "Send messages to the Snow Kingdom and Kingdom of the End. I want Linette, Jade Carline, and Adam Snow to come to Dry City as soon as possible."


    "I will help them get to level 60."


    "Oh?" Voices charged with surprise arose in the surroundings.


    Joey asked. "Does Your Grace want to increase the power of these subordinates so they can help us with problems in our future?"


    "Hmmm." Minos nodded in agreement. "Some subordinates are naturally more valuable than others. So, it won''t be unfair to give them that opportunity. But on the other hand, I want to place Spiritual Emperors in the four corners of the region."


    "For now, only the Black Plain, Stone Island, and that place of cowards in the Endless Snow Mountain Range have Spiritual Emperors."


    "That''s not good enough." He said as he made a solemn expression.


    Other than those with good relations with him, like some Stone Island powers and vassals of his, no one else in the region was able to advance to the 7th stage these past years.


    In fact, the Stone Island powers could only do so because Minos allowed them to use the low-level grade-3 cultivation room in the Dry City Cultivation Tower. As such, those who did not have access to the Black Plain''s capital core in this period were still limited by level 59.


    That was the case for those two women and also for King Snow.


    "With that, I will help those three advance, which will help us improve our position across the region with people powerful enough to protect and observe movements in those states."


    It would be good for him to allow more people to have that chance, but other than King Carline, there were no other high-level Spiritual Kings outside of the Black Plain capable of breaking the regional limit in a short time.


    He knew that Wilfred had improved significantly in recent years, but someone with problematic foundations was not good enough. As for this man''s mother, she was not so bad, but her age and how she reached level 59 was a problem.


    On the other hand, the Brown Kingdom and the Cromwell Kingdom had no one close to level 59, so there were no other people for him to bring over to his side.


    "All right, Your Grace. I will communicate with the Snow and Carline families immediately!" Joey left after saying those words.


    After settling these matters, Minos chatted with Lizzie for a few moments and left for the residential area of his royal palace.


    He then had fun with Brooke for a few minutes, and before sunset, he made his way to the Spatial Kingdom, where Abby and Ruth were.


    Upon arriving in that place full of Elite Squad soldiers, Minos went directly to his wives'' training grounds, where Abby was cultivating and Ruth was testing her techniques.


    "Abby will take long?" Minos asked Ruth as he approached from behind that black-haired beauty.


    "No." She smiled at him and stopped what she was doing to melt into his arms. "Too much trouble? I see you''ve been having fun before you came to train with us... That''s unusual."


    "Hmm, but for the moment, there''s nothing I can do... At this point, the best thing to do is to let things develop without interference."


    They then kissed after Minos sighed, standing there hugging until Abby''s voice interrupted them. "Very good! Enjoying your time while I cultivate, huh? And what do I do now?"


    Seeing the smile on his queen''s face, Minos waved one of his fingers and made her float to his position. "If you want, I can give you a taste before we begin..."


    "Oh? Have I ever refused you?" She joked.


    "Several times in the past..."


    After that, he kissed her intensely, making the beautiful blue-haired woman almost lose her breath and feel her body warming up considerably.


    "Minos..."


    "Hmm, let''s do that later after you level up." He smiled as he realized the condition of Abby''s cultivation. "After this training today, I feel that there is more than 80% chance that you will reach level 60 when you go to cultivate later."


    Abby''s eyes sparkled at that comment. Of course, she already felt the same way, but hearing that from him was even better than just trusting her intuition. And considering how much she longed for that breakthrough, she could not help but smile happily.


    "OK then. But we''ll have some time alone before we get on with our things..." She looked at Minos and then at Ruth, making her goals clear for that woman.


    "No need to say it. I already figured you''d want to do that." Ruth chuckled graciously, not the least bit annoyed.


    After moving forward, Abby would change her entire body. So, Ruth already imagined that Minos'' queen would want to give all her best to him later...


    "Well, shall we get started then?" Minos asked the two, indicating the sides of their fighting stage.


    The two looked at each other and nodded in agreement, running to their positions.


    He then said. "I will only use my defensive technique to fight you, while I will use some of the Infinite Dream to temper your mental strengths."


    "All right?"


    The two nodded, already in fighting stances, waiting for his signal for the fight to begin.


    Minos could be in a disadvantageous position by having so many of his powers out of play in this match. But even so, he could still put pressure on both of them. As such, they were serious about this training!


    "Start!" He shouted as he circulated his energies into his Indestructible Body.


    ...

 Chapter 1090 Training and Advancing

    Chapter 1090 Training and Advancing


    After Minos gave his signal for the start of the fight, he saw his women running towards him at great speed, following the strategy they had learned after years of training together.


    This strategy basically divided their roles in a fight, with Abby taking responsibility for defense and Ruth for the attack.


    With that, as they ran at him, they both activated their techniques of different natures, prepared to press him as hard as possible from the start.


    Instant Steps!


    Ruth used her movement technique to get closer to Minos while sending a series of fist strikes.


    Fists of Pain!


    Seeing this attack from Ruth, Minos moved around that fighting stage, using his defensive technique to counter his wife''s fists by simply punching in the direction of her spiritual attacks.


    However, just as his fist was about to touch one of the energy fists launched by Ruth, mirrors appeared in his path, dampening his blow.


    Crack!


    In the blink of an eye, large fissures appeared in the swirling mirrors of Abby''s defensive technique until they exploded into infinite pieces.


    But that had been enough to take some of the attack power out of Minos'' right fist, easing the blow sent by Ruth.


    ''Not bad!'' Minos realized he could not avoid Ruth''s spiritual punch and put his left arm in front of his face, ready to bar the impending attack.


    Pow!


    After that, his right fist could not withstand the full power of her attack, and he was pushed back a few feet, feeling a slight numbness in the affected parts of his body.


    Cursed Chains!


    Before he could even do anything, Abby used one of her combat techniques specialized in restraint, causing several chains to leave the palm of her right hand.


    With that, King Stuart was surrounded by purple chains in the blink of an eye, with several of them trying to bind his wrists and ankles.


    Thunder Fists!


    Several small blue lightning bolts spread out in Ruth''s surroundings, forming an image that made her look like a goddess of war as she threw a punch against the air.


    Then a powerful bolt of lightning broke from her fist, rushing towards Minos at a speed he could not react to in time.


    Seeing this, he took a defensive position and accepted Ruth''s attack while feeling Abby''s chains hugging his body like snakes.


    "Good combination..." Minos complimented the two after the ray from earlier disappeared, swinging his neck as if he was getting ready to start fighting seriously.


    As he did so, he forced his arms and legs against Abby''s chains, making them creak for a few moments until they exploded into several pieces.


    "Unfortunately, Abby is still at level 59, or those chains could give me some trouble." He casually commented as he ran into her, focusing his mental technique to distract her in that instant of counterattack.


    Seeing this, Ruth frowned and promptly began to run to defend Abby, managing to outpace her husband''s speed and appear in front of the blue-haired woman.


    Minos smiled at Ruth''s movement and began to exchange blows against her, pushing her out of his way with well-matched punches and kicks.


    Ruth was an expert in hand-to-hand combat, so she did not do so badly by staying in this position. But unfortunately, even though her cultivation was still a bit higher than his, Minos had an innate ability that increased his energy.


    Thus, even when using only the Indestructible Body, his blows were still stronger than hers, forcing her back little by little.


    Pow!


    Ruth tried to punch Minos in the face, but he deftly deflected before grabbing her wrist and throwing her away.


    After making this move, Minos ran into the confused Abby, who was surrounded by mirrors, as her chains circled the surroundings at high speed.


    He then moved to catch one of those chains, feeling a great force hindering the process but not enough to stop him.


    When he finally got a good grip, he pulled on the thing with all his strength, causing the chains to stop circling the area around Abby and shattering the many mirrors there.


    "Not so fast!" Ruth floated into the air and hurled another bolt of lightning in Minos'' direction, finally wiping out her energy reserves.


    Boom!


    This time, King Stuart had already seen his wife''s blow from afar, as he used only one palm to defend himself while his other hand brought Abby to his side using that chain.


    The smoke left Minos'' open hand when finally Abby''s body stopped with her face only a few millimeters away from his fist.


    In that instant, she felt the mental pressure on herself disappear as a spatial force made her float in front of Minos. "You lost." He said to Abby, seeing the sweat dripping down her face.


    "Hah... Hah... You can''t beat someone you can''t even hurt..." Ruth said amidst her erratic breathing.


    Minos then caught Abby by her waist, keeping her from falling to the ground due to the exhaustion of her strength. "Hah... He still took it easy on us... At the beginning of the fight... You let us attack so you could push me in the final part, right?" Abby asked as she leaned on him and breathed irregularly.


    "Hehe, the worse your situation was when I pressed you, the better the stimulation under your body for your attempted breakthrough later." He said in a low voice as he ran one of his hands over her forehead.


    After that, Abby sat in a meditative position, with Minos and Ruth sitting a few feet away from her, resting and waiting for this woman''s breakthrough.


    Training such as the one they had just finished did not need a direct physical stimulus to generate results. After all, at their level, most of their power came from the soul and not from their bodies.


    In this case, working on the soul by constantly activating their combat techniques was the best way to stimulate it to get ready to ''inflate.''


    Since in regular training, one could hardly get the surprise factor from battles, just training techniques individually did not generate benefits for cultivation. That was a good thing for improving one''s understanding of the Natural Laws involved in their techniques, but not for preparing the soul to be ''inflated'' without the risk of an ''explosion.''


    Thus, even though Minos barely touched Abby during the fight, he stimulated her from the beginning to the end, especially in the final part of the match.


    In this way, as she began to cultivate under the eyes of Minos and Ruth, Abby felt it easier to absorb spiritual energy from the medium-grade crystals in her surroundings. That was not only because of the exhaustion of her powers but also because her soul had gone through all the stress generated by her husband.


    With her solid foundation, low age, Saint-grade physique, and presence in a cultivation sanctuary, Abby began to feel like her soul was about to break through its limits.


    Crack!


    A distinctive sound spread through the area simultaneously as unique energy surged through Abby''s body, intensely sucking the spiritual energy in the surroundings into her body.


    While this was happening, the Natural Laws in the environment participated in this process, merging with the energy quickly absorbed into her soul.


    After a few minutes, Abby''s body shook vigorously, and several black spots appeared from her pores while the toxins left her body as an effect of the spiritual cleansing.


    As black drops of a gelatinous substance dripped from her body, she unconsciously began to float in the air, still sitting in a lotus position.


    Seeing this, several people in the vicinity understood what was happening and began celebrating.


    "Your Grace is finally at level 60!"


    "Now the Black Plain has a queen at 7th stage!"


    "Hehe, the army will get stronger!"


    "Ah, I can''t wait to get to level 60..."


    While the people there were commenting one after the other, Eda was watching Abby with tears in her eyes, happy that this woman had achieved such a significant advancement.


    ''Congratulations, Abby...'' She quietly thought as she saw the queen''s eyes open.


    ...

 Chapter 1091 lmprovement (*)

    Chapter 1091 lmprovement (*)


    When Abby opened her eyes, she momentarily seemed to see a new world in front of her. This queen felt as if she had long lived in darkness, and now she had finally caught a glimpse of the beauty of this world.


    As the impurities on her skin burned with this woman''s unconscious act, she was floating and trying to understand exactly how this worked.


    ''Hmm?''


    ''That''s as if I can unconsciously change the characteristics of my body to repel gravity...'' She looked down at her hands and felt like ''threads'' of laws were wrapping around her body.


    ''That...''


    ''No, I''m actually connecting the laws in my body with those of the surroundings to float?'' She tried to move and realized something else. ''Actually, my movement technique has evolved to such an extent that the laws related to it help me to float and move in the air!''


    ''That''s amazing!'' Her eyes sparkled as she realized how much stronger she had become, already enjoying this flying ability immensely.


    Flying was not something so impressive for high-level cultivators. But for newcomers to the 7th stage, achieving this was similar to someone achieving their freedom after many years in prison.


    On the other hand, few beings could fly, even considering other species of living beings in the Spiritual World. So, there was a certain mysticism behind this ability of Spiritual Emperors, which turned this ordinary thing into something impressive.


    But although she was momentarily impressed by her first flight, Abby soon turned her attention to the changes in her body and the improvements in her other techniques.


    Physically her body had improved so much that she could hardly believe the sensations she felt while flying around. That was so impressive that it was as if she had suddenly changed bodies!


    Her muscles had become more refined, with some parts of her body becoming more flexible and soft while retaining powerful characteristics beneath their fragile appearance. But, on the other hand, her skin seemed to have been completely changed, giving it a much silkier feel than before when touched.


    Furthermore, there was so much power in her body that she felt that even if she stood still doing nothing and were attacked by a level 50 Spiritual King, nothing would happen to her.


    That might not sound like much, considering she had just reached level 60. But in practice, this meant that even if she were utterly exhausted, it would be impossible for someone weaker than that to cause danger to her!


    Only someone more substantial than that could overcome her body''s resistance and eventually put her at risk.


    That was the impressive thing about it!


    As for her techniques, she felt she should show Minos how much she had improved.


    Infinity Mirrors: Mirror Prison!


    When she activated this technique, a series of mirrors appeared in the vicinity of Minos and Ruth, quickly turning into a large sphere enveloping them.


    Cursed Chains!


    Instead of the purple chains coming out of her hands, they came out of the faces of the mirrors surrounding Minos and Ruth, going at high speed from the inner face of the mirror sphere to their wrists and ankles.


    Sensing this, Eda and the strongest ones there were shocked at Abby''s new abilities, imagining how terrible it would be to fight her at the moment.


    ''Incredible!''


    ''With a single thought, Abby made a sphere cover Minos and Ruth!'' Eda pondered the situation.


    "Your Grace is amazing!"


    "Hmm, I wouldn''t be surprised if she is now already stronger than all the other Spiritual Emperors in the region!" Several people commented similar things while watching in appreciation of that move.


    Only Minos and Ruth saw the concrete results of Abby''s act, but both were happy to note the advancement of her powers. With this new possibility, she could easily restrict and eliminate high-level enemies.


    Now her defensive skill had undergone a qualitative change and could enable her to go beyond just defending!


    On the other hand, Abby could learn one more technique with this advancement, and her other three combat techniques should have significantly improved as well.


    Thinking about it, the two of them were happy for her.


    "Hmmm, very nice, but not today, dear." Minos laughed before making a finger motion, causing gravity to repel whatever was in the vicinity of him and Ruth, destroying the mirrors and chains.


    After sensing that, Abby pouted, annoyed that she had not restrained her husband in this surprise attack.


    But she was quick to fly towards him, already wholly cleansed of the previous impurities. "Minos~" She smiled lovingly at him and hugged him tightly, momentarily ignoring everyone else in the surroundings.


    "Abby, congratulations on your breakthrough. Now we can do so much more together, dear..." He smelled the delicious scent of her hair as he played with one of her ears, massaging its lobe and blowing gently. "This new ability of yours with the Infinity Mirrors can be combined with one of my fusion of techniques."


    "Oh?" Abby was happy to hear that.


    He explained. "Remember that weapon of mass destruction I talked about? Well, now you and I can do something similar together. The only difference is that, unlike that weapon, our combination can''t postpone certain effects."


    "But that won''t be a problem most of the time. After all, that weapon can only be used once, but our joint ability could be repeated countless times." He smiled.


    "That truly is the best!" She kissed his lips soon after, feeling too excited, and started taking care of her husband there.


    But before the two of them went to a room, Minos said to her. "Your 7th ability will be a mental type. I believe you will probably be able to combine it with that mirror sphere and make your enemies suffer mental damage while being trapped by that thing."


    "Is that possible?" Ruth, still standing next to them, asked in doubt.


    Minos nodded in agreement. "Yes, because she could connect another of her techniques to those mirrors. So, doing such a thing won''t be that much harder."


    "Impressive!"


    Hearing Ruth''s praise, Abby smiled at her but soon took one of Minos'' hands and signaled to her with the other hand in a bye sign. "Ruth, you can go train now. Minos and I have some business to take care of."


    "Tsk!" Ruth shook her head from side to side, letting those two leave for the lake house.


    After that, Abby waved to Eda and some soldiers, who were in the vicinity, before running with Minos to the house''s main room.


    "My love, what do you think of me now?" She asked after a few minutes of kissing in that room, already completely naked.


    As he watched his beautiful wife making a sexy pose for him, Minos bit his lower lip in desire. He watched, full of desire, her smiling face, her firm and slightly bigger breasts, her flawless ass, and her moist little flower from a prime angle. "You look perfect."


    "Hehe," She laughed softly before kneeling in front of him. "Well, before we continue, I want to take good care of you, my love..."


    "You may feel something different today." She ran her tongue over her upper teeth, smiling at him.


    Then, as she looked at him intensely, holding the rod of this naked man with her two hands, she put her pink tongue out and touched the head of that pulsating piece of flesh.


    After that, he felt that heavenly sensation and could not help but place one of his hands on the back of Abby''s head, massaging it gently.


    Then, still looking into his eyes, Abby slowly started to put King Stuart''s rod into her mouth, showing him the new features of her soft, moist, and warm mouth.


    "Oh, Abby~."


    After feeling her move her hands to his buttocks, it was not long before Abby increased the speed of what she was doing, feeling good about being able to please her man to the point where she was already wet.


    She felt her man''s body tremble sometime later, and something hot came up in her mouth.


    "Abby, that was amazing~" Minos commented as he lovingly played with her hair.


    She smiled at him and said nothing, having just wiped his rod with her tongue before slowly swallowing every drop of that precious liquid.


    She climbed up on the bed behind Minos and pushed her ass up, getting on all fours for him. "Come, my love. Now I want you to make me have orgasms while you impregnate me~"

 Chapter 1092 The Black Plain Tournament 1

    Chapter 1092 The Black Plain Tournament 1


    After a few hours, Minos and Abby had had a great time together, and Ruth had joined them, having also enjoyed this happy day.


    Then, upon finishing their things at the Spatial Kingdom lake house, the trio returned to Dry City, where they celebrated alongside Abby''s family the advancement of the queen.


    The next day, Minos awoke early and got on with his work in the royal office, where Dillian and Lizzie were with him at the moment.


    "Your Grace, we have received a communication from the Walker family regarding the branches of the Bank of the Black Plain." Lizzie said this after Minos sat down in his chair while she stood beside him, between him and Dillian.


    "Oh? What do they want?"


    "They are in doubt whether we will allow families from outside the Black Plain to invest with us. They also want to know if there is a chance to launch funding programs for locations outside our state."


    "They want me to invest in their kingdom?" Minos asked in surprise.


    "No, Your Grace, they want to know if there is a possibility that investments in the Kingdom of the Waves will become available to the people of that state." She corrected him. "They want the Bank of the Black Plain to become the intermediary between them and their population."


    After hearing that, Dillian''s eyes widened in interest at that idea. "That''s not a bad idea. We''ll be able to facilitate regional development without having to invest outside the Black Plain."


    Minos nodded in agreement. "That''s true. Well, I can accept that. But they will have to hand over a 20% share of the profits from the businesses financed by this option to the bank. On the other hand, the investors will get 70% of the profits."


    He looked into her eyes and continued. "Inform them that this is the only option for this possibility to become a real thing. In fact, inform all the other royal families in the region that we will make the same option available to them."


    "OK, Your Grace."


    He then answered House Walker''s first question. "As for who can invest in the Black Plain, obviously anyone with crystals in the region will have that possibility."


    "I don''t care if part of the crystals that will develop the Black Plain will come from former enemies. They at most will have a small share of the profits anyway, so nothing to worry about." He smiled.


    The investment model provided by Minos'' bank only made profit sharing possible but did not give any kind of voting rights or privileges. As such, the final say in any of the businesses financed by the Bank of the Black Plain was the government of King Stuart, so past enemies would have no influence, even if they became significant investors.


    After Lizzie wrote down Minos'' decisions to sort it out later, Dillian asked. "Your Grace, what will we do with the crystals accumulated by these branches that will open in the coming months?"


    "About that, we will put teleportation arrays in those banks. Unfortunately, we don''t have any arrays capable of teleporting people or items those distances, but nothing stops us from creating special pathways."


    "We can connect, for example, the Kingdom of the Waves capital with the Kingdom of the End and the Snow Kingdom''s capitals through just one stop. Then we only need to have two more branches between those three capitals. From then on, the crystals in the Kingdom of the Waves would go to Yellow City and then here."


    "As for the Brown Kingdom, Cromwell Kingdom, and Stone Island, their capitals are already close to our cities. So, we wouldn''t need any stopping points."


    "That truly sounds like the best..." Dillian sighed. "It would be a problem if we had to take care of the crystals of so many customers around the region. It definitely wouldn''t be worth the risk."


    "Hmm," Minos nodded in agreement. "Even Spiritual Emperors wouldn''t be able to defend those places. But, on the other hand, we can''t afford to send away any of our 7th stage cultivators just to do a basic protection job."


    With that matter decided, they continued with other local problems, some connected to the problems of the invaders, others unrelated to that.


    ...


    A few days later...


    After Minos decided on how to increase the number of Spiritual Kings in his state, the powerful families of this region soon gained knowledge of the Black Plain Tournament through the regional periodicals.


    From the published information, this competition would take place every four years on the Black Plain, opening up the possibility for regional talents under 18 to join the Black Plain Army.


    Along with this possibility, the regional periodicals also explained that such an opportunity would function similarly to the Spiritual Tournament. Members of regional organizations who became soldiers of Minos would still have their freedoms and even remain members of their original organizations.


    Furthermore, since there were no church restrictions on powers from the northern region, then in case of need, those organizations could get their descendants'' help without having to depend on church approval!


    With that, if any family member became a Spiritual Emperor, such a family could benefit directly from that!


    In any case, the publication also communicated the region of the soldiers'' salaries, the exclusive possibilities existing only on the Black Plain, and the date of this competition''s first edition.


    Such a thing had been scheduled to occur in six months in the capital of the Black Plain.


    ...


    Stone Island''s royal palace...


    "Sister, have you seen this news? Minos is recruiting soldiers from outside the Black Plain!" King Stone said this in an excited tone, already full of ideas regarding who to send from his family.


    "Hmm, I just heard that," Lorelei said as she entered her brother''s office, smiling as she had been doing since she arrived at the 7th stage.


    Lorelei previously had a somewhat aged appearance given her advanced age. And like every woman, she naturally missed her younger days when her beauty was enough to move kingdoms.


    Consequently, after she advanced to the 7th stage and went through her rejuvenation, she could not help but feel happy to see some of her ''young'' self. She still looked like a middle-aged woman but was much closer to her stunning beauty.


    So, even if she had not received this good news coming from the Black Plain, she would still have a genuine smile on her face.


    "In any case, this is a great opportunity for the family to solidify our relations with the Black Plain. Once we have members in Minos'' army, our future will be assured, even if the three of us are not around for much longer." She was sincere.


    "Yes," Eugene said in an excited tone. "In fact, I already have some names in mind. How about we take care of that now? I think we''d better form this group and immediately send them to the Black Plain. We might improve their chances of being accepted into the army..."


    They continued talking about this for a while until they left the palace to settle this matter as quickly as possible.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the capital of the Snow Kingdom...


    After finishing reading a statement coming from the Black Plain, Adam looked at his son and said in a deep tone. "Minos wants me to go to Dry City immediately."


    Gulp!


    "I wonder what he wants? He has barely spoken to us in the last four years..." Ambrose Snow, level 55, asked in a worried tone.


    "I don''t know. That notice doesn''t talk about that. Just that it''s an urgent matter."


    "That..."


    "Anyway, I''m leaving tonight. When I get to Dry City, I''ll find out the problem."


    "But..." Just as Ambrose was about to say something, his wife, Misty, level 51, came running into the courtyard where the two were talking, carrying a newspaper in one of her hands.


    "Honey, I have good news coming from the Black Plain!" She said in an excited tone, already beginning to plan her future.


    She had done many meritorious services for the Black Plain and could not help but imagine the day she would see Minos again. Would he reward her? She did not know.


    "Good news?" The two looked at each other strangely since there were full of doubt about Minos'' call just.


    "Yes, great news, I would say." She reached over to their side and opened the front page of that newspaper. "Minos is opening up slots in his army for talent from all over the region!"


    "We''ll be able to send our most promising men to the Black Plain!"

 Chapter 1093 The Black Plain Tournament 2

    Chapter 1093 The Black Plain Tournament 2


    Meanwhile, in Mirabella...


    After receiving Minos'' call to go to the Dry City, Linette and Jade promptly guaranteed their husband that this would probably be no bad thing.


    At first, he was concerned about this as even considering Minos'' relatively respectful actions over the past four years, that was no guarantee trouble would not come in the future. King Carline would not forget the terrible things the ruler of the Black Plain did in the past!


    But being assured by his women, he felt that perhaps there was not so much danger and sighed.


    Unfortunately, those two could hardly hide their excitement at being able to meet Minos again after more than four years without seeing each other. And King Carline could not help but notice the redness in their cheeks.


    He clenched his fists, considering what such a sign meant. ''They are scared internally but still calm me with their words. I truly don''t deserve women this good!''


    ''Ah, I hope nothing bad happens...''


    While he had thoughts regarding those two, both harem sisters silently thought about Minos.


    ''I wonder how he has grown in that period? Has he reached level 60?'' Jade wondered as she looked at the trees in their garden.


    On the other hand, Linette felt a slight heat in her body, with her head so hot that sweat was already dripping down her pores. But she was not only excited but apprehensive. ''Will I still be enough for him? Jade is still very young, but I''m past my prime.''


    She swallowed her saliva in nervousness. ''If Minos has already reached level 60, I''m afraid he won''t see me the same way as before...''


    King Carline then sighed and said. "In any case, be careful on this trip. Even if Minos is not plotting against us, I have heard some frightening news coming from that place."


    "Oh?" The two put their forbidding thoughts aside to pay attention to their husband.


    The king continued. "Countless Albano Spiritual Kings are infiltrating the Black Plain, Cromwell Kingdom, and the Brown Kingdom. From the news, this does not seem to be something friendly, and the government of Minos is already considering the possibility of a major confrontation happening in the next few years."


    "Them, be careful on this trip. Former regional peak specialists can no longer travel freely through the region. The dangers there cannot be underestimated!" He said firmly, looking at the two women sitting on a wooden bench.


    Jade nodded in agreement after KIng Carline finished speaking. "Don''t worry. We have never been so bold as to move without caution."


    "Hmm," Linette then said. "On the other hand, we will be traveling through the northern part of the Black Plain, an area away from these troublesome border areas. So, we should have no problem getting safely to Dry City."


    "I hope so..." He sighed in defeat, as he could only accept Minos'' orders. ''If only I were stronger... Damn it!''


    Jade then remembered the subject they were dealing with earlier. "And what will we do about the Black Plain Tournament? I have a feeling that the talents who join Minos'' army will become the bases for future regional leaders outside that state."


    "Hmm, if we don''t move, we will lose our position." Linette agreed, already with the Stone Island changes in her mind. "If we don''t get Spiritual Emperors, it will be a matter of time before Minos occupies our state and then take away our position."


    "Uh? But what about the agreements we signed?" King Carline did not quite understand what his wife was getting at.


    She laughed and said. "Minos obviously won''t act directly against us, but what will happen if other powers do?"


    "That..."


    She continued. "On the other hand, MInos might simply use the excuse that he needs to have high-level people protecting our kingdom. From then on, it would be a matter of time before we would be controlled by the people positioned in our state."


    "Finally, we would be replaced by a higher level organization when our contract with him spirals." She finished.


    Jade saw no problem with Linette''s theory and said. "That''s why we must have our members in the Black Plain Army. That''s the only way we can jump levels and maintain our regional position."


    "Sigh..."


    "Well, that''s fine. I was already thinking about sending people to this tournament anyway, so let''s just give it a little more importance." King Carline made up his mind.


    He remembered the recent letter he had received shortly after Minos'' call and said. "At least, in general, Minos'' actions will not be so unfair to the region... That bank of his might helps us more than it hurts."


    "Hmmm." Linette nodded and said. "I thought we would have problems with our business, but the Bank of the Black Plain will help us a lot."


    Their family specialized in regional crystal trading, being behind the most prominent regional bank before the rise of Minos.


    But even if Minos'' bank was a competitor that would eventually destroy their business due to his decisions, this was not a problem for regional banker families.


    After all, bankers were known to have almost unlimited funds, which guaranteed that if a dangerous competitor emerged one day, they could use their advantages and buy out the other side.


    In the case at hand, they could not buy Minos'' organization, but they could become partners with a large share of the profits of that organization. With their ''infinite'' crystals, they would naturally get good dividends!


    At the same time, they could get away from the risks of this kind of business, making the wealth of hundreds of thousands of years secure the future of their families.


    On the other hand, with the possibility of financing their projects through this bank, the Carline family would gain much more than they would lose in this change brought about by Minos'' policies.


    Therefore, they and other banker families in this state were not worried about the Bank of the Black Plain expansion!


    "Anyway, when are you leaving?" The worried husband asked as he looked sentimentally at his wives.


    "Right now!" Jade stood up and said that decisively. "We already have everything prepared, and Minos doesn''t want us to delay. So, let''s leave right away."


    "Hmm, my love, Jade is right. We have to say goodbye here to avoid trouble." Linette also prepared to leave, approaching that man and kissing one of his cheeks.


    "Don''t worry. We''ll be back."


    ...


    On the other hand, in the Cromwell Kingdom, the royal family of that place had not received the news of the Black Plain Tournament well.


    For that organization, that was a bad sign. Unlike other royal families that had maintained the difference in power between themselves and their vassals, this royal house had not achieved this after the previous war.


    The Brown family had maintained its power due to the extermination of all the other Spiritual Kings in their state. On the other hand, the Carline and Snow families had been the least damaged royal houses in the war. As for House Walker, several of their vassal families had been exterminated or moved to the Black Plain.


    But House Cromwell was not as fortunate. Besides losing most of their high-level Spiritual Kings, their subordinates had not weakened as much during the war or even with Minos'' punishments. Because of this, an unusual situation arose in this state, where today, royal power and a few noble houses had practically equivalent forces.


    Thus, Cade Cromwell, level 57, feared the day when these families would overtake him and eventually rebel!


    That was the problem with the tournament of Minos, the possibility of rising vassal powers in this state!


    Because of this and the possible high-level confrontation with the Spiritual Kings coming from Albano, Cade could hardly sleep lately, being stressed about the future.


    ''What can I do now?'' He thought as he watched the dark ceiling of his room, ignoring the two women lying beside him. ''I guess I can only act the same way these families will act...''


    ''Help Minos get even stronger in the hope that something good enough will be left for my family.'' He sighed.

 Chapter 1094 Alliance of Bandits

    Chapter 1094 Alliance of Bandits


    A few weeks later...


    While powers from all over the northern region of the Central Continent were sending their top talents to compete in the Black Plain Tournament, the number of migrants leaving Albano had increased!


    Such a thing had already reached the point that the royal guards at the border of this state with the northern region had already noticed the recent strangeness.


    Precisely because of this, a group of soldiers on guard at the border with the Cromwell Kingdom were at this moment at their post discussing the matter.


    "I think something is going on, guys. Why have so many Spiritual Kings left the kingdom in the last few weeks? I know this is only an insignificant fraction of the 6th stage cultivators in the kingdom, but this has never happened in the past!" A man dressed in black and white armor, similar to his companions, said this.


    Hearing that man''s worried tone, the people sitting around a long oval table in the main tent of that camp looked at each other in silence.


    One of them then said. "Really, we must look into that matter."


    Another of them said. "So many Spiritual Kings heading towards these three neighboring kingdoms, but hardly any of them have returned during these past few months. There''s definitely something going on!"


    They were unsure of the reason for the movements of Spiritual Kings from their state to the Black Plain since, other than the news of that kingdom''s independence, nothing else from this region of Minos had leaked out to the high-level states.


    Naturally, it was not common for people from Albano or other high-level kingdoms to go to the poor northern region of the Central Continent. But on the other hand, it was even less common for people from these poor areas to venture outside the region. Consequently, it was not so simple for news regarding Minos to run around these areas.


    And since Albano''s own royal family was not related to these actions, none of those guards at this border post knew the motivation for these unnatural migrations.


    Moreover, considering the increasing flow of Spiritual Kings into these areas, they were slowly beginning to worry that some organizations in their state might be related to this.


    Another royal guard then suggested. "How about we send someone to infiltrate amidst these groups? Maybe we can find out their purpose if we do that!"


    "Oh? Good idea! If we don''t do anything dangerous, it won''t bring any trouble to the royal family..."


    They continued talking about this question for some time, vigorously debating the possible problem behind this strange phenomenon.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in an area of the Cromwell Kingdom near the borders of this state with Albano and the Black Plain, a large camp was set up amidst the green valleys of this area.


    There was not even a single individual below the 6th stage, and the number of people in the vicinity had already exceeded 6,000.


    While the majority were only low-level Spiritual Kings, there were a few hundred individuals between levels 57 and 59 in such a place.


    With this, while the weaker ones were dealing with the ordinary matters of such a camp, that is, vigilance and management, the stronger ones debated this great force''s future.


    In the main tent of this camp, several people were sitting on chairs arranged around platforms of different heights, which circled the whole place, like the small bleachers of a round arena.


    From this place, the hundreds of high-level Spiritual Kings could easily discuss with their peers, from where they could observe almost everyone from their respective positions.


    "I propose that we unite to take the Black Plain!" One of the strongest there said this, making the diagonal scar on his face twitch with his cheeks. "That place is much richer than the rumors we heard were saying!"


    "Hmm, I agree." A red-haired man said as he rose from his seat. "I know that everyone here is a fellow outlaw, known for not caring much about conquering through work their goals. But we must change that while that treasure is free!"


    "We must take the Black Plain and form a strong government capable of keeping that place in our hands!"


    "Yes!" A bald old man commented, still sitting in his seat. "I have heard magnificent things about this Black Plain that have made me reconsider the more than 500 years of crimes I have had."


    "From what I''ve heard, this place is worth hundreds of billions of low-level crystals, can produce food rich in spiritual energy and give birth to Spiritual Emperors..."


    He opened his arms and smiled. "That is, if we take this place, we can live lives of kings in this region and still have the chance to reach level 69!"


    "Once that happens, even if we return to Albano, we will get high-level positions in major sects and eventually be able to reach the 8th stage."


    "For all this, we must dominate the Black Plain before others realize the local potential!"


    After these words were spoken, everyone in the surrounding area smiled and nodded, satisfied that even though they were criminals, each agreed with this noble ideal.


    Minos had united chaotic individuals into a group with one goal: to destroy him!


    One of them then raised one of his questions. "And what will we do about the Spiritual Emperors of Albano who came into contact with these rumors? I''m sure high-level criminal groups are also interested in that place."


    One of the several women there decided to answer that question. "They can''t act openly in this region because of the Spiritual Church. So naturally, we won''t have much trouble with them."


    "On the other hand, when all our groups get together, even the most prominent outlaw groups in Albano will have to think twice before acting against our alliance!"


    "In that case, we just have to take the Black Plain and quickly raise our powers. Then, we can reach a level that would permanently secure our position in this region in a few years!" She finished her comment, feeling goosebumps all over her body, given the excitement she was feeling.


    She then looked at one of the most handsome Spiritual Kings there and blinked at him. ''Ah, just thinking about my future makes me all wet... After this event, I''m going to have some fun, hehe.''


    Then, one of the people who were previously in Gill''s family city stood up and said. "Since everyone seems to agree with the formation of our alliance, I want to know exactly how you guys think about acting. What do you think of Minos? They say he''s a scary demon who has killed tens of thousands on the battlefield."


    "And there are already rumors that he has reached level 60!"


    "Tsk!"


    "Those people in the northern region exaggerate a lot. How can someone who was at level 54 four years ago have reached level 60? Impossible!"


    "If he is already a Spiritual Emperor, then my name is not Jeremy Bates!"


    Another person laughed and said. "Besides what this friend just said, even if he has killed tens of thousands, so what? They are just weak people from this region! Can they compare to us?"


    "At the end of the day, he is just one talented person, but we are thousands of high-level Spiritual Kings! Our triumph is impossible to stop!"


    Several voices broke out in the surroundings, with almost everyone agreeing that Minos would not be a problem and that no matter how strong he was, he would not stop them.


    That was just one of the criminal camps in these areas, while more of their companions continued to come from Albano. With that, they intended to march against the Black Plain when their numbers passed a few tens of thousands, enough even to wipe out groups of Spiritual Emperors.


    With them knowing these plans, none were concerned about the region''s fear of Minos or the respect he deserved. On the contrary, to them, this sovereign''s days were already numbered!


    So, after hours of debating in that place, the leaders from the other camps left that area, heading for the places where they would continue to build their forces.

 Chapter 1095 The Reason Behind Albanos Migration Movements

    Chapter 1095 The Reason Behind Albano''s Migration Movements


    While Albano criminals infiltrating the northern region of the Central Continent were moving, in a coastal state neighboring the southern part of the Cromwell Kingdom, the fate of Minos was being discussed at this very moment.


    In this kingdom, Vogel, a group in the royal palace, gathered to discuss their plans regarding one of their recent actions.


    There, the state''s crown prince, Abe Vogel, level 69, was with his top advisors and the royal guard responsible for his protection, someone at level 74.


    "Your Highness, our recent plans have been developing just as we had assumed." A bearded man with no hair on his head reported with a smile as he sat in one of the three chairs on the opposite side of Abe''s desk. "Those criminals are heading toward the Black Plain and already beginning to covet that place."


    Hearing this, the young-looking man with blond hair and green eyes on the other side of that desk smiled in satisfaction. "That''s better. After the failures two years ago, we couldn''t just give up on solving that problem."


    The man standing behind the prince said nothing but could not help but nod in agreement. ''What those people promised us is simply too tempting.''


    ''If His Highness gets that, he''ll have a chance of surpassing His Majesty!''


    The prince continued. "In any case, let''s allow those criminals to distract that fellow for the hour. He can''t do anything against so many people in so many different places, so eventually, the numbers of Spiritual Kings in that region will pass the limits he finds acceptable."


    "When that happens, he will come out of hiding!" Abe clenched his fists, imagining the day when he could overthrow Minos.


    This Vogel heir had been contacted by Minos'' enemy, families of the Saints Killing Sect, years ago to deal with him.


    Because of the resources offered, Abe had agreed to get involved in the matter and had even sent one of his Spiritual Saints to try to deal with that fellow on the Black Plain.


    Unfortunately, King Vogel knew nothing of this, so this prince had not been able to send any Spiritual Saints stronger than level 70 people, those less important for his father to pay attention to.


    On the other hand, someone much more powerful could also have drawn the Church''s attention more than they planned. Hell, at first, the Church was not even supposed to know anything since that task should be an easily solved one.


    However, plans do not always go as planned, and even someone not so flashy created problems and caused them to slow down their actions in this period.


    Not only had the Church begun investigating the matter, but the Gray Clouds Sect was also searching for the Spiritual Saints who had attacked the Black Plain.


    Because of this, that person had gone into seclusion to hide, while Prince Abe''s team had changed their strategies to something more ''soft.''


    Such a gentle way was basically to play other forces against Minos, to make this king suffer with more enemies than he could handle!


    And then...


    "When he comes out of his hiding place, we can finally deal with him once and for all!" Abe commented on this crucial part of his plans.


    His subordinates had failed because of the arrays scattered across the Black Plain and how cautious Minos had been in recent years. But if he left his safety area, this prince was sure he could easily get rid of this target.


    "Hmm, we already have a Spiritual Saint keeping an eye on that area, waiting for Minos Stuart''s movement. Once he comes out of his hiding place and exhausts himself fighting those Spiritual Kings, our man will make a deadly attack." Another man there, someone at level 71, commented with a look full of certainty on his face.


    "Good!" Abe nodded and ordered. "Keep spreading news in the Albano underworld that there are many good things in the Black Plain. Let''s get more people from that state to let their greed control them to go to his state."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    Abe could do that in his kingdom. But since it was much better not to shit where you eat, he had chosen his minor friendly allied state for it. That way, if something goes wrong, he would be much further away from the problem!


    .


    On the other hand, he was afraid that his father would find out about his boldness and think he was making moves because of a possible coup in the future... So, it was simply better not to do this in his kingdom!


    ...


    At the same time, on the flying island of the Saints Killing Sect, two of the people who planned to use one of the enemies of the Flaming Empire against Minos were talking about this matter.


    Near one of the free falls on that island, where they could see the clouds below where they were standing, a man and a woman had unpleasant expressions on their faces.


    "I can hardly believe that a mere Spiritual King is giving us such a headache..." The woman said in a sighing tone, feeling the helplessness of not being able to go to the Black Plain and solve the problem.


    "It is not for nothing that the descendants of our families have perished in that place. That fellow has his ways." The man beside her expressed as he observed the surroundings and felt the refreshing wind from that area.


    "By the way, have you heard from those people from Vogel recently? Are they doing anything to solve the shit they''ve done?" The woman asked without looking at the man beside her.


    "Hmmm." He nodded. "After several failures, they are excited about the new plan to deal with that brat."


    "Oh? How''s that? Do you think they can succeed?" She looked at him with interest in her eyes.


    "The plan is not bad. They..." He quickly summarized what Abe''s group was doing to ruin Minos and the Black Plain, little by little putting a smile on this woman''s face.


    "This isn''t bad. This plan has a great chance of working out!" She agreed with his opinion, feeling that this burden would finally be removed.


    She and all the other representatives of families in this sect that had matters to settle with Minos were quite upset by Abe''s failures over the past two years. After all, this target of theirs was only a Spiritual King, so the inability of Vogel''s forces to eliminate King Stuart was upsetting.


    They had thought that it would be enough to wait the time it took for someone powerful to act against that target, and everything would be solved in one night. However, fate had played with them and shown that dealing with their target was much more complicated than they thought.


    Due to the failure of the Spiritual Saints of Abe''s team, now not only the Gray Clouds Sect was involved in the matter, but also the Spiritual Church.


    The problem with that?


    Well, if their plan had worked, such an act would be unlikely to bring trouble to them. Someone would certainly suspect that a high-level assassin had dealt with it, but tracking down the ultimate minds behind this crime would not be easy!


    But since their plans had gone wrong and irrefutable evidence had been left behind, now everyone involved was at risk.


    With that, they were anxious for this problem to be solved!


    And so, besides taking extra care in dealing with the situation, they wished more than ever for Minos'' death. If they could achieve this, such a thing would at least ensure that their efforts were not in vain!


    "Well, let''s wait for further information from that family. I think they will probably succeed, so let''s just focus on the problems with the Gray Clouds Sect." She said after a few moments in silence.


    Tensions between these two sects had increased dramatically over the past four years, with them even getting involved in an incident regarding a valuable resource that appeared a year ago.


    With the troubled past between these sects and the sending of people to kill the grandson of the Gray Clouds Sect''s master, the tension between the two parties had increased considerably.


    For all that, these two organizations were almost going to war against each other!


    "On the other hand, there''s still the matter of that little fugitive..."


    "Ah, don''t even tell me about that..." The two continued their conversation as they returned to the main city on that island.

 Chapter 1096 Grandparents

    Chapter 1096 Grandparents


    A few days later, at the headquarters of the Gray Clouds Sect...


    In the home of the master of that organization, Oswald was lying next to his wife, relaxing after the nightly ''romp'' he always did with his old woman.


    He might be over 5,000 years old, and many of his worldly desires had already disappeared. But this fellow still took daily care of Maisie''s mother, always satisfying her and leaving something in the hope of a pregnancy.


    But such a thing was challenging at the age and level of these two, so the focus of the whole thing was really on the satisfaction they still felt...


    Anyway, whenever they finished their evening''s fun, they talked a bit about various subjects, especially those related to their family.


    And they were doing that at the moment.


    "Recently, little Maisie advanced to level 71. Aren''t you happy, Oswald? If she keeps growing like this, she might get enough to replace you in a few decades." Minos'' grandmother commented with a smile on her face as she hugged her husband.


    "If all goes well, we can retire and still have time to roam the Spiritual World, as we have planned in the past."


    "Oh? That''s what you''re interested in, huh?" He laughed, making his beard stir as he looked down at the head resting on his right chest.


    "Of course! Or do you want to die as master of this sect?" She looked at him with a stubborn look. "Not to mention that if we get the chance to live for ourselves, we can go to the Divine Continent and keep growing."


    Maisie''s mother was much younger than Oswald, but she was already worried about her survival since she was already more than half past her current life expectancy. Since she also did not want to have to live without this man, she already had plans on how to pursue the 9th stage for both of them to continue in this world.


    "Hmm, that''s true." Oswald agreed before stating his opinion on the matter. "But I don''t think Maisie will be the most suitable to replace me."


    "Oh? And who would that be, dear? Would you by any chance want Angelica to do that?"


    "Minos." He said as he remembered the young man who always gave him surprises. "I recently went to the Black Plain to look at his situation and saw that our grandson has already reached level 60."


    "Minos has reached level 60?" She asked in surprise, turning to look into her husband''s eyes.


    "Yes, that girl, Ruth, has also reached level 60. In fact, he already has a dozen Spiritual Emperors on his side."


    "It''s pretty impressive." He laughed, satisfied.


    "How? How did they do that?" She asked, still not understanding the situation.


    "I don''t know. He must have found a great inheritance after his coma." Oswald commented on his suspicion. "In any case, at his current growth rate, Minos will become a Spiritual Saint before Maisie reaches my level."


    "Then I think we''d better pin our hopes on him completing that goal of yours, Patience."


    Patience made a doubtful expression, not believing that would be enough. "Do you think little Minos at level 70 will be stronger than his mother at level 79?"


    "I think so..." He smiled and then remembered how impressive the Black Plain had become in just 15 years under Minos'' control. "Even if he isn''t, his skills in managing and developing his force are better than mine."


    "Actually, I don''t think I could do what he did in that place."


    "Then I believe Maisie is not the best candidate to replace me."


    Minos'' grandmother''s mouth dropped open upon hearing this from her husband. "That..."


    "What if he doesn''t accept?"


    .


    "Why wouldn''t he accept? Is there any reason for him to refuse to gain control of a sect with dozens of Spiritual Saints, tens of thousands of Spiritual Emperors, and millions of Spiritual Kings?"


    "For him, this will be the chance for the Black Plain to continue growing towards, who knows, a level higher than the imperial family..." He said that part in a low voice, afraid that the walls would hear him.


    "And what is the advantage for the sect? The elders won''t just accept this if they realize that the Black Plain will be the biggest beneficiary..."


    He laughed and said. "The advantage for the sect is precisely the rascality of that young man, his cleverness in developing his territory. He did all that with only resources from that region, so what would his potential be with resources from the empire?"


    "The elders will see that when the time comes, so I''m not worried about them."


    "Sigh..."


    "Do what you want, but Maisie will be extremely disappointed. She has always strived for that position, and her ambition even made her let little Minos grow up with his father in that region. If she hadn''t grown up with those expectations on her shoulders, she might not have made the same choices."


    Oswald closed his eyes momentarily and said. "I have already spoken with her, and she agrees. As for that problem, Minos is just a child. Naturally, in a few centuries, he will forget about it and forgive his mother."


    "You are right..." She sighed and rested her head on her husband''s chest again. "So, you intend to hand little Minos a sect with or without problems? Who knows how long it will take before our current problem with that sect ends..."


    "Maisie told me that he already has an enmity with the Saints Killing Sect... So, won''t it be perfect for giving him a chance to participate in the conflict?" He laughed, feeling his blood heat up as he imagined the battles he would have in the future.


    Just like Minos, or rather, this young man had inherited the hot blood of his grandfather, this guy who loved the feeling of battle. Hence, Oswald did not feel bad about fighting a war, although he preferred peace.


    And considering what he knew of Minos'' accomplishments, he was sure that his grandson would love to join him in dealing with that sect in the future.


    "Tsk!"


    "You''re crazy!"


    "How can you think up such grand absurdities, Oswald? Do you want to hand over the sect to Minos to deal with your unfinished problems? And still, make a child fight for us?" Her blood heated up too.


    "I..."


    "I don''t want to hear a word from you. You will sleep on the sofa tonight!" She pushed him out of bed, irritated at her husband''s lack of zeal for their family.


    ''Our daughter can only have inherited her bad side with you!'' She thought as she threw things at her husband. ''If it had only been up to me, I would have kidnapped that fellow who got my daughter pregnant and made him live here!''


    ''If Maisie weren''t as hard-headed as you are, Minos would have grown up next to me and not in that poor place!''


    Amidst his wife''s fit of rage, Oswald gave a bittersweet smile before heading toward the sofa.


    ...


    While Minos'' grandparents were arguing, a young man of level 66, with hair and eyes red as blood and a vertical scar on his forehead, was sitting in a coffee shop in Albano''s capital.


    In that place where many people gathered in groups, he sat alone next to a large window while reading some information in a local periodical.


    ''Black Plain, huh? It looks like this place has become a big kingdom in the northern region...'' He thought about the article that talked about regional curiosities, which featured the Black Plain royal family in that edition.


    ''Interesting!''


    ''I wonder if this information I heard recently is true? If so, this place is much better than these periodicals make it seem.'' He looked down the street where this establishment was, thinking of the Black Plain. ''Sigh, but no big local organizations are moving, so maybe it''s not true...''


    ''I''ll wait a little longer to decide whether to go there or not.'' He made up his mind but suddenly remembered something. ''Come to think of it. I think I''ve read about this Minos somewhere...''

 Chapter 1097 Future Regional Specialists

    Chapter 1097 Future Regional Specialists


    A month later...


    After weeks since Minos'' call, Adam Snow arrived in Dry City a few days ago.


    At the time, he was still a bit worried about what Minos wanted, but soon after talking with the king of the Black Plain, King Snow sighed in relief and happiness.


    Minos did not want trouble with him, but the opposite. He wanted to give Adam a chance to advance to the 7th stage. So, that man soon settled into one of the local hotels and started his training routine at the Dry City Cultivation Tower.


    The Dry City Cultivation Tower had expanded dramatically since the growth of the outer area of the capital. Such an institution had opened several branches in this city to serve the growing number of inhabitants.


    And with this, this local institution already had more than 57,000 cultivation rooms in the Black Plain capital, 5 of them being low-level grade-3 ones, areas able to receive cultivators below level 67.


    In any case, currently, the Dry City Cultivation Tower can receive 700,000 people at once. Of those numbers, this institution could comfortably accommodate all of the region''s Spiritual Emperors and those individuals at the peak of the 6th stage who were not members of the local army.


    Because of these capabilities, King Snow had no problem starting to attend the base of the Dry City Cultivation Tower, where the strongest in the region trained.


    But of course, this had not been for free!


    Minos was giving him this great opportunity, but King Snow was wealthy. So, there was no reason for him not to be charged the average price for that cultivation room.


    And so, Adam had been training for days in that place when King Carline''s two women finally arrived in Dry City.


    ...


    "Your city has truly turned out amazing, Minos!" Jade commented to the naked man lying between her and Linette as she watched the glass wall of that room they were in, on the 10th floor of a hotel in the core of Dry City.


    Due to the prime location of that room, even though she was lying with Minos and Linette in that large bed, Jade could clearly see the large urban area that seemed to have no end in front of her.


    Hearing her harem sister, Linette nodded in agreement as she massaged Minos'' abdomen with one of her hands and looked at his handsome face. "I was shocked when we arrived earlier..."


    "For a moment, I thought we had left the region and arrived in a high-level kingdom! This place looked so beautiful!"


    Jade continued her harem sister''s speech. "Besides the metropolitan beauty, the level of the citizens, as well as the local purchasing power, only makes it more impressive."


    Minos smiled upon hearing the compliments of these two, pleased that his work was appreciated so much. "That''s nothing. You have to wait and see how this place will look in the future, hehe."


    "We''re going to grow a lot more, and the level of the local spiritual density will reach a point you can hardly imagine."


    "Really?" Jade lifted her upper body to look at him, making her beautiful boobs sway to King Stuart.


    "Hmm, yes, I''m serious." He massaged one of her buttocks with one hand as he said this.


    After arriving in Dry City an hour and a half ago, Jade and Linette had been brought to this hotel by Minos. So, they had spent all that time in that room, doing something they had not had the opportunity to do in years.


    Considering that Minos had moved up a level in this period, he had found it relatively easy to dominate them now, having reached this point without even breaking a sweat. But on the other hand, the two naked beauties next to him were still drenched in sweat from their high-intensity physical activity.


    In any case, they were satisfied to a degree they had not thought possible, and as they talked to him, they both felt that every month of waiting had been worth it.


    Combined with the fact that both had already found out about his desire to help them to level up, they were now on cloud nine.


    .


    After talking about the beauties and the future of Dry City for a few moments, Jade suddenly asked Minos something a little more serious. "By the way, aren''t you going to allow our husband to come here? I think he deserves a chance too..."


    Even though she was cheating on her husband, Jade still had great affection for him and could not help but worry about the advancement of her daughter''s father.


    Minos saw the look of concern on Linette''s face and said to the two of them. "It''s not that I don''t want to give him a chance. It''s just that I decided to offer this to you first. He can come when one of you advances and returns to the Kingdom of the End."


    "Sigh..."


    "Glad to hear it," Jade said before kissing one of Minos'' cheeks, feeling less guilty about what she was doing... "Anyway, I can''t wait to advance to the 7th stage!"


    "Hmm," Linette let the worry in her eyes and became excited about the future. "I want to know how much we will improve... Unlike Minos, who is so young, we have many points to be improved with an advancement."


    "Linette, I am sure you will look even more beautiful than you were in your prime." Jade winked at her and then used one of her hands to squeeze Linette''s thigh above Minos'' crotch.


    But both were exhausted because of the beast called Minos, so they could not continue their adventures. Hence, it did not take long for the three to leave that bed, clean themselves up, and then wear appropriate clothes.


    While they were doing that, Minos asked them. "How is the Kingdom of the End? Have you made progress during this period? I must say that the rest of the region has improved greatly..."


    "Yes," Linette began to speak. "After the Independence of the Black Plain, many things changed in the region, and no state was free of certain needs."


    "As such, our state underwent many investments from each of the remaining powerful families, with all organizations making it possible for subordinates to learn Black-grade techniques."


    "We have imitated many of your decisions for Dry City, which has decreased our profits but has already brought many results in terms of raising the level of our people."


    After Linette finished saying that, Jade said. "Because of these actions, the number of Spiritual Kings in our family previously in two digits has now passed three."


    "The numbers of 6th stage cultivators in the entire state, on the other hand, have almost doubled in those four years. All because of your actions, Minos." She turned to look at him after she finished buttoning up her clothes.


    "Very good." The brown-haired young man sitting in an armchair commented in satisfaction. A curiosity arose in his mind, and he asked Jade, "By the way, have you heard from Kara? How is she?"


    Jade smiled as she thought of her daughter and replied. "She is fine. Kara is still in the Flaming Empire, and her power has already reached level 57. So it is likely that she will pass her mother in a few years, hehe."


    "Oh? That''s not bad at all. She must have achieved a good standing among the disciples in her power range to have already reached that level..." Minos praised as he remembered that redhead. ''I wonder when I''ll see her again?''


    "Anyway, shall we get going? I''ll introduce you to the place you''ll be training from today and then get on with my local business."


    "Okay." The two agreed simultaneously.


    Linette then felt her face heat up but could not help but ask the obvious, "When will we do this again?"


    Minos laughed and said. "Once a week, I will meet you here at the same time as today. Is that okay?"


    The two nodded as they thought this would be enough time to focus on their training and recover from today''s action.


    They were not like Ruth and Abby, who could keep up with Minos'' pace...


    "Speaking of cultivation, how long do you think it will take for us to move forward, Minos?" Linette questioned him shortly after they arrived in front of the Dry City Cultivation Tower building.


    "It depends on you. If what is holding you back is simply a problem of lack of energy, then you can move forward today. But if you need to improve your understanding of the Natural Laws, it may take weeks, months."


    "That..."

 Chapter 1098 The Blind Justice of Minos 1

    Chapter 1098 The Blind Justice of Minos 1


    "All that?" Linette asked in surprise. She then turned to Jade, concerned. "What will we do about our husband? He''ll be worried if we stay here so long."


    "Hmm," Jade nodded as she thought of something. "Let''s send a crow to Mirabella with a message warning him about our situation. I''m sure he''ll understand and not get agitated no matter how long it takes."


    Minos then helped them pass on a message for an army soldier to send such a thing via a crow to the capital of the Kingdom of the End.


    They then said their goodbyes, with Minos returning to his palace alongside the soldiers of his royal guard. Among them, Mirya was watching their leader with eyes full of determination, waiting for her advancement.


    ''Soon, I will pass those two and be able to serve Minos with everything I have again...'' She looked in the direction of those women entering the Cultivation Tower, feeling slightly envious, but determined to surpass the two.


    ''Next time, I hope I don''t have to stand outside waiting...''


    ...


    Meanwhile, Jade and Linette walked up to the 6th floor of the Cultivation Tower, where they immediately came across a corridor with this place''s five low-level grade-3 cultivation rooms.


    They then swallowed their nervousness and entered the room they had been assigned at the reception, quickly meeting some acquaintances and other strangers.


    "Adam?" Jade saw that old man drinking water from a glass bottle, with an energetic expression on his face, although he was sweating considerably due to his training.


    "Jade? Linette? Minos also called you?" He saw the two beautiful women standing beside the entrance door of that large cultivation room.


    On the other hand, as they recognized each other, the other six individuals in that place, who were not meditating at the moment, gave momentary glances in the direction of those two.


    All of them were at level 59, being the group of people outside Minos'' army with the highest chances of becoming Spiritual Emperors in this region in the coming months.


    Among them were David Parkinson, Brooke''s father, Celeste''s ex-husband, Archer Miller, some individuals from Stone Island, and other vassals from House Stuart.


    ''That''s the queen of the Kingdom of the End!'' David thought to himself as he looked toward the relatively young, black-haired woman, this beautifully curvy beauty with a nice round ass.


    ''Ah, too bad Jade is married to King Carline. Otherwise, I would try to approach her...'' His cheeks warmed a little as he looked at that beauty.


    On the other hand, the old elder who had first come from the Miller family headquarters to Dry City years ago looked at the new arrivals with something different in his mind. ''So, Minos is raising the forces in the region, eh? It seems we are facing an unparalleled danger...''


    After a few moments, Jade and Linette greeted everyone there, seeing how they were at a disadvantage compared to Minos'' closest allies.


    ''Hardly any of these people were relevant in the region a few years ago, but... But now they are all close to our level.'' Jade paid attention to those people, feeling frightened by the increase in power that Minos could promote in his underlings.


    Linette then saw the look in her harem sister''s eyes and said in a low voice. "We must find a way to get as many of our family members into the Black Plain Army as possible."


    "Yes."


    "When the first group of them gets here, we''ll take good care of them..."


    "Hmm, good idea..."


    As they prepared to start cultivating, Adam had already figured out what was on their minds and was planning to do precisely the same.


    ''I wanted to retire and live out my last years in peace, but with this advancement, I will soon have the opportunity to achieve, and with the chaotic future of this region, I have to go back to striving to strengthen my family!''


    ''The older generation probably won''t be able to keep up with the talents of the Black Plain, so I can only invest in the young people of my family!''


    ...


    The days continued to pass peacefully in Dry City, with more people arriving each day.


    Not only was the regional migration continuing, but the talents of the major organizations were moving to the Black Plain to participate in its tournament, with some even having already reached the capital of this state.


    That was the case with those sent by the powers of Stone Island and some powers of the Brown Kingdom, these two states closest to the capital of Minos.


    At the same time, the typical regional tourists in this city had become even more frequent to see there. After all, tournaments like those held by the Flaming Empire sects attracted competitors, viewers, and organizations interested in talented people.


    Not every competitor in such an event passed the tests, but many rogue cultivators appeared on such occasions. In other words, it was an opportunity for families from all over the region to recruit more people to their side!


    So, the hotels in Dry City and even in the belt cities of the capital were already becoming full, with many tourists coming from all parts of this region.


    ...


    The area outside the capital''s defensive dome...


    In one of the local squares, there was a line of tourists waiting to see a musical concert in a small public theater, where every two hours, the audience rotated, making room for more people.


    In this place, a young man dressed in noble clothing and with a confident look stood beside his group, waiting for his turn.


    "Damn!"


    "What''s wrong with this place? Why does someone like me have to wait behind ordinary people like them?" He said impatiently, pointing his finger from side to side as he spoke to his group.


    "Hey, you, redneck, why don''t you get out of line and give me your seat?"


    "Hey, Gary, stop with this!" A young black-haired woman said this as she tried to use her hands to put her group mate''s arms down. "Don''t you know that you can cause trouble for all of us if you misbehave around here?"


    "Tsk!"


    "Do you believe that?" He looked at his colleague and then at the other three in his group, all of whom were there to watch the Black Plain Tournament on behalf of an association of array masters from the Kingdom of the End.


    He continued. "The Black Plain has these cute little rules, but that''s only in appearances. Do you think the locals would punish the son of a grand high-level grade-2 array master like me?"


    "Humph!" He then looked again at the person from before, who was standing near the beginning of the line, and said. "Come on, an ordinary person like you has what to lose by waiting a few hours longer? With your poor aptitude, I''m sure it won''t make a difference to hear a musical concert..."


    "What did you say, you wretch?" The simple man, dressed in ordinary clothes, said this angrily.


    "What did you call me, insect? I dare you to say that again!" The young man shouted at that person, already walking out of line to get a better view of the person who did not understand whom he was talking to.


    At the same time, two of Gary''s group mates walked away from there, sensing that things would not end well if they stayed close to that arrogant fellow.


    Another young man in that group then said. "Sibley, what do we do? Gary is stronger than us, so we won''t be able to stop him if he decides to do something stupid."


    The woman from before frowned and saw that some policemen were already watching in their direction. "It''s too late now... If we get involved, we could be implicated in whatever he does. So, let''s just walk away."


    The man from before then looked at Gary and said in a contemptuous tone. "You''re a..."


    But before that person even dared to swear at him, Gary grabbed this man''s neck and threw him away, causing him to hit some plants in the surrounding area, partially destroying some of the flowers there.


    Seeing this, the police officers ran towards Gary, one of them said. "Put your hands up and get down on the ground!"


    "What?" Gary looked at the three similarly dressed men and laughed. "What is it? Some show? This man was annoying me. What''s wrong with me teaching him a lesson?"


    "We will not repeat ourselves!"


    "Do as we order, or accept the consequences!" The leader of that small group of police officers from the local patrol said solemnly.


    "Humph!"


    "Bunch of rednecks. Do you know who I am?"

 Chapter 1099 The Blind Justice of Minos 2

    Chapter 1099 The Blind Justice of Minos 2


    When Gary resisted the local police officers'' order, the three individuals prepared to jump on him and force him to the ground.


    He had just committed two infractions by throwing the previous individual, and with his insubordination, there was no reason for these officers to give him the chance to follow them on foot to justice.


    Seeing that they were going to act against him, Gary drew his weapon from his spatial ring, ready to fight for his freedom against these foolish people who thought he was someone ordinary.


    "I want to see what you weaklings can do! I have a large family on my side to support me, but you are mere subordinates!" He laughed as he slashed with his sword toward the police officer holding a metallic-looking rope.


    When the Dry City citizens on the outskirts of that area saw this, several began to shake their heads in disapproval, already imagining what would happen next.


    In the recent past, not only in the last four years but even before the Black Plain''s War of Independence, insubordination, petty crime, and local misdemeanors happened in Dry City.


    Since the completion of the local prison, that place, most of the time, always had some citizens because of some people''s transgressions.


    Also, with the independence of this state and the arrival of tourists, now and then, someone like Gary, thinking he was in his home, would show up and then act against the local laws.


    Because of this, many citizens of the capital of Minos had already witnessed the fate of people who disregarded the local laws.


    .


    They could be children of great noble houses, wealthy merchants, or even orphans without a place to call home. Everyone breaking the local rules would end up suffering punishments ranging from a few days in prison to even the death sentence!


    And seeing this guy acting against members of the local forces, many there already knew what would happen to Gary.


    ''Ignorant idiot. You will bitterly regret this foolish decision.'' A middle-aged lady watched Gary struggling with the three police officers as she remembered the local laws and punishments.


    - ''Infraction: resisting detention and fighting government agents when they are performing their duties.


    - Punishment: 3 years in prison, 100,000 low-grade crystals, work in farm fields for five years without payment, and renounce the right to compete for spots in local organizations.''


    After a few moments of struggle amidst the crowd of people waiting for the music concert in that square, Gary saw two of the three police officers lying on the ground, with several cuts across their bodies.


    "That''s for you to learn where you belong!" He laughed as he saw those two groaning in pain while the third was kneeling, breathing hurriedly.


    But as Gary was slowly moving away from those men to return to the line, a man dressed in army armor jumped down from a nearby roof and landed beside those people.


    Seeing the emblem of Lieutenant on this person''s left chest, the citizens finally began to murmur among themselves, waiting for the resolution of the conflict.


    "Ah, the show is over..."


    "I wonder where this idiot came from? Did he come to Dry City just to spend a few years in prison and pay tens of thousands of crystals to the government?"


    "That must be one of those arrogant idiots who depend on their family in everything they do..."


    "Tsk!"


    "People like that deserve to suffer!"


    Hearing some comments from people in the surrounding area, Gary frowned and felt angry. But under the gaze of the Spiritual King approaching him, he decided not to pay so much attention to these people.


    "You''re pretty bold, huh? But so what? What are you going to do now?" The level 53 soldier approached that fellow calmly, circling the surroundings and smiling.


    Seeing the name inscribed on that person''s armor, Gary thought for a moment and said. "Senior Neal, these people tried to act against me, so I defended myself. What''s wrong with that?"


    "Oh? What''s wrong with that? These are police officers from Dry City, from the most important order of the Black Plain Police. You committed a serious crime by raising your weapon against them." Brooke''s ex-husband said, just before informing Gary of part of the punishment he was about to undergo.


    "I hope you don''t have a wife. Otherwise, it will be a long three years for her... That is if she has the patience to wait for you."


    "What? Are you saying you''re going to keep me here for three years? Do you know who I am?"


    "No." Neal smiled. "Who are you?"


    "I am the son of Winton Parham, one of the greatest array masters in the region!" Gary said proudly. "Then, forget what happened here since I won''t be imprisoned in this place!"


    "Oh? I don''t know this person either... By any chance, is he more important than the regional kings?" Neal looked at the surroundings and smiled, seeing everyone there nodding no.


    "A pity then, because even if a regional king committed your crimes, he would still be arrested and have to receive the full punishment."


    Neal snapped his fingers and started to approach Gary, causing that young man to break out into a cold sweat as he backed away.


    "You can''t do this to me! I am the only son of a high-level Spiritual King!"


    "You don''t know what can happen to you if something happens to me!" Gary bellowed in nervousness as he looked around for the people in his group. "Sibley, tell him what will happen to him if something happens to me!"


    But his group mate just hid in the crowd, leaving this fellow talking to himself.


    "You rely too much on other people''s powers, huh?" Neal made a serious expression before deciding to act. "Then let me teach you something..."


    Pow!


    He punched that offender''s belly hard enough to make Gary bawl in pain, but not to the point of putting his life at risk. "Your father is not here."


    Pow!


    "Your family is not here."


    Pow!


    "Even if your father were here, he would either see you get beaten, or he would get beaten along with you."


    Pow!


    ...


    Pow!


    After beating the offender for more than 10 minutes and showing other tourists in that place what would happen if any of them raised their weapons to government agents, Neal finally finished his service.


    He looked at the police officer, who seemed in a better condition of the three, and said. "Go report what happened here to your superior and then go to the hospital."


    "Yes, Lieutenant!" He said before helping his companions.


    After that, Neal picked up Gary''s unconscious body from the ground and placed it on his back, intending to leave that area to send this fellow to prison.


    "Lieutenant, may I ask you a question?" A female voice came from the crowd.


    "Oh? What do you want?" Neal turned to one of the women in Gary''s group.


    "What''s going to happen to him?"


    "He resisted detention and acted against local police officers. In addition, he participated in a fight and destroyed public property... As a result, he''ll get more than three years in jail, work a few more years in the local fields, and pay a big penalty."


    He saw the concern on that woman''s face and laughed. "Don''t worry. If he doesn''t have the resources, we will send someone to collect on his family."


    "You don''t have to worry about bearing the cost of your teammate."


    After hearing that, the members of Gary''s group watched Neal disappear into the crowd while the tourists in the surrounding area continued to open their mouths in amazement.


    "It is like everyone says, the Black Plain has a blind justice that doesn''t care where the offenders come from!"


    "Hmmm."


    "One can''t be too careful in this place. We can''t take chances just because of our pasts."


    "The people here are challenging..."


    Comments continued to pour in that area as young people who would compete in the Black Plain Tournament passed by and learned more about this place.


    ...

 Chapter 1100 He Suffered for Us

    Chapter 1100 He Suffered for Us


    "Did you see this?" A cold-looking but very noble young woman asked the five people in her group as they walked toward a local hotel.


    "Truly unbelievable!"


    "I didn''t think nobles were treated that way here!"


    "Hmm, it seems that the rumors are indeed true. The local government does not give preferences. Any local rule breaker has to pay for his deeds..." A tall, muscular young man commented to his companions.


    "I''m glad we saw all this happen right before us. Now at least we know more about our limits..." A girl who appeared to be in her 14 commented, as her cheeks with marks from her recent childhood swayed.


    One of the bodyguards of this group then laughed. "We should thank that fellow for sacrificing himself on behalf of all the newcomers to Dry City."


    "Haha, what a kind fellow!"


    "He did us all the favor of testing the local forces!" The guards laughed among themselves, satisfied that at least with that event, none of their young masters or mistresses would make a mistake that would also put them at risk.


    If even kings had to obey the local laws, then mere bodyguards like them would not escape a good beating like the one Gary had taken if one of their bosses did something foolish.


    .


    With that, they were thankful that those young talents from the Snow Kingdom had seen Gary''s beating.


    "Your Highness, what do you think of that? Isn''t it an exaggeration what these locals do? I guess certain privileges aren''t bad..." A young woman commented to the beautiful blonde woman leading their group.


    After hearing that, Misty, who had come from the Snow Kingdom with the Snow family group, could not help but shake her head negatively. "Maria, don''t talk such nonsense. His Majesty Minos Stuart is wise and knows what he is doing. If he wants blind justice in his territory, then he is right."


    "But... What is your opinion, Your Highness?"


    Misty made a ''humph'' sound and closed her eyes. "Who has Spiritual Emperors? We who have followed those privileges for tens of thousands of years or he, who is less than 30?"


    "That..." Maria turned red with embarrassment at the thought of this, still a bit uncontentious that Misty would agree with Minos'' leadership blindly without question.


    ''Ah, that must be because of all the family experts'' fear of Minos Stuart...'' Maria pondered but could not help but see the logic behind Misty''s justifications. ''In any case, this place is better than the rest of the region in every way... So, maybe decreasing some privileges is not a bad thing.''


    While the young woman who was there to compete in the Black Plain Tournament with other Snow family talents was changing her concepts, Misty was thinking about Minos. ''Ah, I finally get to see that tough, bold fellow. I wonder how he is doing? I hear he hasn''t left Dry City in years...''


    ''That''s probably because of the current regional problems...'' She pondered as she took the opportunity to observe the surroundings of the capital''s common area.


    ...


    Three days later, Misty''s group had already found a place in this city and started living their routine of intense training for the tournament that would take place in a few more weeks.


    At the same time, Adam had received news of the arrival of these youngsters and had spared no effort to provide them with the best resources he could afford. Not only that, he decided to train those youngsters during some of his training breaks.


    Thus, at this moment, he was already advising the young people sent by his family in one of the branches of the local Cultivation Tower.


    On the other hand, while those people were training hard, Misty had received permission to enter the core of Dry City, where she had walked all the way to the royal palace without delay.


    ''There are so many powerful auras in the surrounding area...'' She thought about this as Lizzie escorted her into the royal throne hall.


    After realizing that there were two Spiritual Emperors in the area she was about to enter, Misty swallowed her saliva, curious to find out if one of them was Minos.


    But her doubts did not last long when finally Lizzie introduced her to Minos in that place where several royal guards were stationed.


    "Misty, future queen of the Snow Kingdom, Ambrose Snow''s wife, is here to visit Your Grace." Peter''s sister said as she made a formal stand for Minos.


    .


    "Hmmm." Minos nodded as he saw that beautiful woman, interested in what she wanted with him.


    On the other hand, Misty had a friendly smile on her face, not so much surprised to realize that Minos was already at level 60 but quite impressed with how much he had improved physically. ''He was handsome before, but now...''


    "Your Majesty..." She said in a low voice, walking towards the steps that separated her and Minos.


    As she did so, each royal guard moved against her, aiming their weapons at Misty''s vital points as they emitted their cultivation pressures on her.


    Minos then raised one of his hands, allowing her to continue toward him.


    With that, the guards from before returned to their places as if nothing had happened, while Misty broke into a cold sweat, shocked by the fright she had taken. ''A Spiritual Emperor is serving as a guard? That''s ostentatious!''


    ''Good thing I''m relatively calm, or I wouldn''t be able to go through with it.'' She felt her heart leaping in her chest.


    After coming closer to Minos, she listened. "Do you have something to tell me?"


    Gulp!


    "Your Majesty, I am here to report all I have done on behalf of the Black Plain in the past few years. I..." Her face flushed. "I have tried hard to follow your previous words."


    "Oh? So, you want to be rewarded, huh?" He laughed.


    "No, it''s not that. On the contrary, I am happy to help Your Majesty establish your dominion."


    "So, you don''t want anything?"


    She looked away and said softly. "If I win something, I don''t think it will be bad..."


    Minos laughed upon hearing those words and gestured for everyone else to leave the royal throne hall.


    After a few moments, they were alone, with Minos sitting on his throne and Misty on one of the steps five meters away from the king.


    "Come closer." He said in an authoritative tone, soon being obeyed.


    "Kneel." Misty did as he said without hesitation, finally getting on her knees right in front of him, from where she could smell the masculine scent of Minos.


    Seeing her face practically between his legs, Minos narrowed his eyes and asked. "You don''t have to tell me what you did. I know about your efforts... However, I have a question."


    "I will answer anything, Your Majesty!"


    "Why are you doing this?"


    "I killed your first husband and then your brother-in-law, with whom you seemed to be having an affair... And now, you are married to Ambrose, a king in our region. But yet, even without the slightest chance of becoming my wife, you still want to do this? Why?"


    She looked down and began to answer him. "I know I am pathetic, Your Majesty, but I simply cannot stop thinking about you."


    "You killed my first husband, but that happened so many years ago, and somehow I spent more time thinking about you than about him..." She felt embarrassed, but she was being sincere. "As for the rest, I have a lot of affection for Ambrose. He helped me when I needed the most, so I gave myself to him, and in the future, I will give him a family, but..."


    "But I don''t love him." She then looked at Minos'' face. "I am not attracted to him either, not even 1% of what I feel for Your Majesty."


    "Oh?" Minos made a hand gesture, telling her to come closer.


    Seeing this, she continued kneeling but finally got part of her body resting on Minos'' legs and her face a few inches from his groin.


    "As for Your Majesty, I expect nothing but the chance to be able to satisfy you, even once."


    "I know I have no chance of being part of your harem..." She swallowed her saliva as she realized that Minos seemed interested in her.


    "All right, do as you wish." Minos looked at her with a bold smile on his face just before he watched her quickly remove his underwear and begin her worship...

 Chapter 1101 Poor Ambrose and Important Decision (18+)

    Chapter 1101 Poor Ambrose and Important Decision (18+)


    After removing Minos'' pants and seeing the ''gift'' waiting for her, Misty was unceremonious and stuck her tongue out, licking that rod like it was her favorite candy.


    As she moved her hands over the base of Minos'' rod, she felt her whole body quiver as her little sister drooled in anticipation.


    ''Is he enjoying it? Am I doing it right?'' She wondered as she momentarily looked into his eyes and put more energy into this work.


    After a few moments, she finally managed to work all of Minos'' rod into her mouth until that piece of meat reached her throat.


    ''Will he fuck me after this?'' She wished in her heart as all her past faded from her mind, given the wild desire of this moment.


    And it did not take Misty long to find out how far her prize would go.


    As she used all her enthusiasm to satisfy King Stuart, he removed the garments covering her beautiful body, revealing her tanned white skin, firm buttocks, and medium-sized breasts.


    Seeing this naked beauty on his knees before him, Minos finally came as his little brother kissed Misty''s throat.


    "Uh?" She felt what was happening and pulled part of that rod so she could taste this man''s seeds.


    ''Ah, it''s much better than I had imagined...'' She savored that before swallowing and cleaning up the ''mess.''


    After that, Minos did not have much more patience and brought her onto his lap until her breasts were at his face height, in a privileged position.


    She looked up at him in excitement and then felt his movement as he began to suck on her left nipple while one of his hands played with her little sister.


    "Ahhhhhh~"


    Amidst this woman''s moans, she began to remove her lover''s clothes, burning like fire at that moment in desire for the final step of the two of them.


    "You have a pretty sensitive body, huh?" Minos asked as he felt the steady flow between her legs, looking like he had just opened a dam.


    "Not always~" She replied as she kissed his neck.


    "Well, you''ll get what you want in a minute..." Minos used his two hands to take Misty''s waist, directing her body so that her little flower would be in a position to be penetrated by his rod.


    Feeling Minos'' little brother''s head rubbing against her vulva, Misty no longer held back and pressed her body down after using one of her hands to perfectly position his rod.


    "Ahhhhh~ Your Majesty~ Ahhh~"


    "Ahhh~ I feel like I''m losing my virginity for the second time~"


    Misty began to moan wildly after fully connecting with Minos, quickly beginning to rub herself against him, feeling an unusual strength surge in her lower body.


    From that moment on, she moved like an animal in heat, barely feeling the fatigue in her body, only the great pleasure of having sex with this man she had desired for years.


    ...


    After more than an hour of wild sex, Misty had had 12 orgasms, while Minos filled her three times in that period, finishing the last one at this very moment.


    There, beside the steps between the royal throne and the lower part of this hall, Minos was on his knees behind Misty while she was on all fours in front of him.


    He had his two hands firmly gripping Misty''s hips while this woman had been shaking vigorously, with an expression of satisfaction and happiness on her face.


    As for Minos, he was smiling at the sight of this woman''s sweaty back, enjoying the final moans of this fun occasion.


    Pa!


    He slapped her left buttock and helped her lift her upper body by pulling her blond hair.


    .


    "Ahhh~"


    "Was that a satisfying gift, Misty?" He mischievously chuckled as he asked that in one of her ears.


    "Yes~" She replied in her tired voice, breathing hurriedly.


    "Will you continue to work hard for me?"


    "Always~ Your Majesty~"


    "Good." He finally released her long hair and disconnected himself from her as he rose from that position.


    "Ahh~" She felt an excellent sensation throughout her body while a white stream ran down her little flower.


    ''Ah, I don''t know if that was a good thing...'' She imagined as she looked at her body''s situation and then at Minos. ''Ambrose will not be able to satisfy me, no matter how hard he tries.''


    Minos then gestured to her and said. "Help me clean myself up. Then you can leave."


    Hearing this, she ignored the weakness in her legs and walked over to Minos'' throne, quickly cleaning his little brother with her mouth, happy to be able to do so.


    ''The hell with it! Even if Ambrose can''t compare to Minos, at least I experienced it once in my life! That''s good enough!'' She clasped one of her hands in determination.


    Misty then listened. "Work hard, and when you reach level 60, I promise I will give you 12 hours of pure pleasure."


    "Oh?" She looked at him with surprise in her eyes before smiling and thanking him by prostrating herself in front of him. "Thank you, Your Majesty! I will do my best not to disappoint you!"


    "Hmmm, now you can go."


    Misty then quickly put on her clothes, and before leaving the royal throne hall, she looked at Minos once more, full of desire to cultivate and grow stronger. ''I will return!''


    ...


    A few days later...


    As the Black Plain and the region prepared for this state''s tournament, three more Spiritual Emperors emerged, among them, Mirya, currently a member of King Stuart''s royal guard.


    After her breakthrough, Viola''s mother had undergone a total transformation, fully recovering the scars on her body. At the same time, her appearance as a mature woman had rejuvenated without losing the better measurements of her mature body, which Minos greatly appreciated.


    With this advance and improvement, this woman had regained all her confidence in herself, having broken years of sexual abstention in an entire afternoon with Minos and her daughter, Viola.


    At first, she had given herself to him alone since she felt she could not let herself be touched even by her daughter before this man who treated her so well. Then, for more than 3 hours, she ''lost'' her virginity for the second time before finally having a threesome with Minos and her daughter.


    Viola had agreed to the whole thing, and when she joined the two, she had one of the best sexual moments of her life, finally getting back to eating and being eaten by her mother.


    Such an experience had been unique for each of them. At the end of it all, after Minos had left, Viola agreed with her mother''s decision of not giving themselves to another man besides Minos.


    Viola naturally had not slept with other men in years since Minos took care of her needs every week while she was in Dry City. But she had never thought of devoting herself only to him before since their relationship, other than professional, was just pure fun with no other meanings.


    However, she agreed with her mother that she could not dishonor the figure of Minos with her availability to other men. They both owed him a lot, and they had already become addicted to the feeling of being with him.


    That was so intense that Viola herself had said she did not know if she was still capable of feeling pleasure with men other than Minos.


    So, they made a secret vow that until the day of their deaths, they would only be available to Minos or other women in his sexual circle.


    Minos knew none of this, but he had returned to his palace very happy. He might not love Mirya, but that did not mean that he did not have a special affection for her.


    He cared for each of the women with whom he had frequent relations, and naturally, he would not wish any of them to become as depressed or isolated as Mirya. So, after her recovery, he could not help but smile in satisfaction, feeling good for her.


    Anyway, today he was going out on a mission, so soon his smile faded as he met up with his team...

 Chapter 1102 Invading an Enemy Camp

    Chapter 1102 Invading an Enemy Camp


    Upon arriving at the location from which he was to depart in a few moments, Minos met up with Dillian, Eda, Abby, and Ruth, the latter two who would accompany him that evening.


    "Eda, you have reached level 60. Congratulations!" Minos smiled as he saw the relatively young woman standing next to Dillian, one of the three people in his forces who had recently advanced.


    "Hehe, thank you, Your Grace." This brown-haired woman said happily, first looking at Minos and then winking at the mustachioed man at her side.


    Seeing his wife winking at him, Dillian closed his eyes, already imagining what the evening would be like. Eda had looked good before, but now she no longer had any sign of age on her body, looking almost as young as Ruth and Abby.


    Consequently, he could not help but think of his beautiful wife as he finished another day of service. ''His Grace will be gone for at least a few hours, so there is plenty of time...'' He thought about this in silence as Minos'' wives also praised Eda.


    "Anyway, I hope I don''t have to act tonight, but if our mission goes wrong, we may have to do something more flashy," Minos commented as he became more serious.


    "Hmm." Abby nodded at him and said. "This place we''re going doesn''t seem to be big. So, even if we have to act against those people, at most, we''ll have to take out a small group."


    But Ruth did not think that was so simple. "But we have to make an effort to make it all work out. Even if we can deal with that group, causing something flashy over, there will alert all our enemies."


    "Yeah, that wouldn''t be good." Dillian agreed. "By the way, Your Grace, why don''t we act right away against these migrants from Albano? There are already camps of them with thousands of enemies."


    "I think we can already do a lot of damage..."


    Minos then thought quietly for a few seconds as they stood in the middle of a garden. "Let''s see what we can find out today. I think we''re better off letting them underestimate us for a while longer."


    His eyes then grew cold, and he commented. "I still think their current numbers are too low. It would probably be a waste of our position for me to show myself while there are so few enemies..."


    Eda and Dillian momentarily looked at the ground, thinking on that point of Minos.


    "In any case, if we scare them off too much, things may become more worrisome at a more accelerated rate. So let''s keep a passive position for a while, give them a chance to underestimate us a little more, and prepare more significant numbers."


    "Once we are close to the limit, we will act decisively against these invaders!"


    The four people there with him nodded in agreement just before Eda and Dillian took their leave of the trio.


    Then, Minos and his two women went to the place where the teleportation array of this city was. From that place, they set off toward one of the border cities of the Black Plain''s main territory.


    ...


    After a few breaths, three people appeared in a small square inside one of the headquarters of the Black Plain Army of this territory.


    At first glance, this place looked like an ordinary fighting stage with many trees. But on this stage, several metal rings circled the surroundings at different angles and positions, going underground and then through the air.


    At that moment, the rings stopped their circular movements, while a colorful flow of spiritual energy covered the surroundings, making this place lose its ordinary appearance.


    Some soldiers were near that place, and when they saw the three people appearing in the middle of that stage, they rushed there and made the customary greetings.


    "Your Graces!" They bowed their heads as they said this aloud.


    Seeing that the teleportation array had entered a waiting state, Minos and his wives walked out of that area, waving to those people.


    "In what direction is the enemy camp?" Abby asked one of those soldiers.


    "Your Grace, follow this direction, and you will come across the site." One of them pointed towards the northeast.


    After hearing this, the three jumped toward the skies, quickly beginning to fly to the indicated location, leaving the soldiers eating dust.


    .


    "Honey, how will we get into the enemy camp without being noticed?" Ruth asked as she flew a little behind Minos.


    He then looked at Abby and blinked. "We''ll use Abby''s innate ability and my mental technique to trick the enemies working on patrol. Then, we will infiltrate that place and take what we want."


    They were not on this mission to destroy an enemy outpost. On the opposite of that, they wanted to avoid such a thing and just interrogate some high-level members of the opposing force to solve some of their doubts.


    Minos and his forces had not done this so far because until a few months ago, there was no enemy camp in this region. As a result, most of the invaders were scattered, and it would not be easy to get someone with information without significant action on the part of the army.


    But with the change that had been happening, with more and more enemy camps forming around the region, it had now become more affordable to break into one of these places and get someone with such information.


    Because of this, they, the strongest group with the best ability to act on the Black Plain, had set out to solve this problem now that several conditions had been met.


    "Won''t anyone else notice us?" Ruth worried since Spiritual Emperors did have much more powerful presences than Spiritual Kings.


    Abby then replied. "We''ll probably sort it all out before anyone notices. We are flashy, but most people in a camp like this leave watch duty to the guards on patrol. So, as long as we''re quick, there shouldn''t be any problems."


    After a few moments of silence, Minos spotted the bright spots around a desert area of the Cromwell Kingdom, near the border with the Black Plain. "Get ready!"


    "Yes!"


    Then, they followed an almost vertical trajectory, descending at great speed at one end of that camp.


    But in doing so, they did not land immediately but rather floated in the air a few meters above one of the posts where there were lookouts in the surrounding area.


    With this, Minos activated his mental technique and made all those people fall asleep simultaneously. Then the three of them landed and, without delay, went on with their plans to incapacitate the guards around this camp.


    Minos went alone, circling that area and taking down his opponents, while Abby and Ruth used the opposite direction to go through the outer areas of the camp.


    After some time, the three met again when they had finally solved the problem.


    "Come on. We don''t have much time." Minos commented as he realized the location of the strongest person in this camp with about a thousand Spiritual Kings stationed.


    ...


    Inside the main tent of this camp, three level 59 Spiritual Kings were sitting around a table, where maps and various symbols were scattered disorderly.


    Each of these men seemed to be in their middle age, but they were all wearing armor of different types. However, they had more in common, such as, for example, the anxious expression on their faces.


    "Our alliance command expects that another 10,000 brothers in arms will arrive at the borders of the Black Plain in the next two months."


    "At this rate, we will be able to attack this place in less than six months." An extremely thin man said this, smiling in anticipation of the day they would attack the Black Plain.


    "When the time comes, we will simultaneously attack that entire territory without giving the local forces a chance to survive!" The other said in a low voice, but not low enough not to be heard by the ''walls'' of that place.


    ''Let''s see who won''t have a chance of survival...'' Minos thought in his mind as he touched the right shoulder of the blue-haired beauty at his side.


    After receiving the signal from her husband, Abby opened her arms and activated her innate ability, causing a blue mist to travel towards the ground against those three.


    At that instant, the three realized something was wrong and turned in the direction of where Abby was standing.


    "What?" The farthest of the blue mist said in perplexity, not understanding where that goddess had come from.


    However, before they had a chance to try to escape or alert others, Minos appeared behind two of them and Ruth behind the third, holding them by their necks.


    "Let''s talk..."

 Chapter 1103 Spiritual Attraction

    Chapter 1103 Spiritual Attraction


    Those three panicked as they felt their necks being held tightly by people so much stronger than them. After all, they, people at the peak of the 6th stage, could not be restrained by nobodies of this region.


    So, if people were restraining them to that extent, then such people could only be Spiritual Emperors, individuals too strong for them to handle!


    Gulp!


    ''Damn it! Invaders!'' One wanted to scream but could not express a single word.


    Minos and Ruth held them tightly so they could barely breathe, so it was out of the expectations of these people to ask for help.


    ''Who are these people? Why did three Spiritual Emperors appear in the middle of our camp?'' The three were slowly getting more and more desperate.


    However, their desperation did not last long when Abby''s ability made them vigorously shake until the will disappeared in their eyes.


    "My love, you can let them go now." Abby smiled at Minos.


    Ruth then did the same as her husband, releasing the neck of the man she had been holding.


    Then the three of them stood in front of Minos, Ruth, and Abby, and then the questioning began.


    Minos asked. "Who are you? Why are you targeting the Black Plain? Is this the action of an organization? Perhaps the royal family of Albano?"


    The one he was looking at then replied. "We are criminals in Albano."


    "That is also true for all the people in this camp and most of our alliance."


    "Criminals?" Ruth frowned, not expecting that would be the case here. "I thought they were part of an organization..."


    "Hmm, but what about this alliance? What is it about?" Abby nodded to Ruth and asked the criminal from earlier.


    He then said in a voice devoid of emotion. "We, the criminals of Albano, have allied to control the Black Plain."


    "So that''s it..."


    "And what''s the reason for all this? I''m sure the Black Plain is just an ascending place by regional standards to most people outside our region." Ruth said.


    Another of those three then answered her. "Rumors are going around the Albano underworld that the Black Plain has many good things for Spiritual Kings like us, able to act..."


    "Oh?" Minos uncrossed his arms, confirming his theory that someone was arming against him.


    ''Who is doing this? Is it an Albano organization trying to hide its tracks from the Spiritual Church? Or is it someone behind the Spiritual Saints who have attacked me these past few years?'' He wondered. ''Maybe they are the same?''


    "Well, Gloria will be coming to the area before long, so I''ll talk to her about this person or organization spreading rumors about the Black Plain." He commented in a low voice. "In any case, when will your group act? How many more of you can we expect?"


    The third criminal replied. "We will act when we have at least 60,000 Spiritual Kings in the region."


    "60,000?" The two women said in surprise, both finding that number absurd.


    "All of them are criminals?" Minos frowned his eyebrows.


    "Most of them. But others are probably just mercenaries."


    "Unbelievable!" Abby exclaimed as she looked at Minos.


    That man saw that Ruth was also watching him and sighed. "It''s a pity these many Spiritual Kings are scum who have nefarious intentions against us. Otherwise, we could gain a lot from them."


    He then slowly turned one of his hands, pointing his palm upwards. He then closed his fist and clenched his fingers tightly.


    .


    Chaotic Gravity!


    After Minos'' spiritual energy covered up the bodies of those three, in the blink of an eye, they were completely crushed, with only a strange lump of flesh the size of a human torso remaining.


    Seeing this, Minos threw it towards the fireplace in the large tent, allowing it to burn.


    Abby and Ruth just watched this in silence, impressed with Minos'' ability to deal with people at just one level below him. They knew how strong he was, but since his advancement, few times had he demonstrated his full powers.


    So, seeing him crushing those people with a handshake, they could not help but admire their man''s strength!


    "Let''s go." He said to the two with an ugly expression, angry that he could not convert any of those enemies.


    "It''s truly a shame..." He said before explaining to his women his thoughts. "If they weren''t greedy criminals, we could have a chance to bring some of them over to our side."


    "Oh? Are you sure it would be good to bring people from Albano to the Black Plain?" Ruth asked as they were already flying back to the city from earlier. "Did you know? Albano is an enemy of the Flaming Empire..."


    "But we have nothing against Albano, at least not for the moment..." Abby laughed since the Flaming Empire was not their ally for them to worry about. "On the other hand, having good relations with someone doesn''t put us on the same team as him."


    "Tsk!"


    As Ruth made a tongue-tied sound to Abby, Minos replied. "If they were genuine immigrants coming to the northern region to have a harmonious life here, I wouldn''t think it bad to welcome them. But, obviously, I wouldn''t make deals with the royal family of Albano to facilitate such a migration..."


    "But it wouldn''t be bad for us to welcome Spiritual Kings interested in developing in our territory. Of course, they would come here with their interests, but isn''t that also true for the people of our region?" He looked at Ruth. "Besides, we have enough strength to control Spiritual Kings, so their numbers wouldn''t be a problem."


    "However, the main point is what we could create if we get many Spiritual Kings to inhabit our cities..."


    "My love, what are you getting at?" Abby asked in doubt.


    "Well, have you ever heard of something called Spiritual Attraction?" He asked them.


    "Attraction?" Ruth''s face flushed, but she soon returned to normal as she heard Minos'' laughter. "That''s not what you''re thinking..."


    He became more solemn and began to explain. "In any case, what I am talking about refers to an effect concerning the density of spiritual energy in a given area. This effect increases the spiritual energy density of that area in question due to the mere presence of many high-level people."


    "That..."


    Spiritual Attraction was a field effect whereby when many people of the same stage gathered in a relatively small area, their presence created an attraction to the free spiritual energy in the atmosphere.


    The result of this?


    The spiritual energy generally dispersed in the atmosphere in variable densities could be drawn into a given region of space. That undoes pockets of energy in certain areas, for example, unreachable to humans, bringing these pockets to locations near beings capable of cultivation.


    Thus, it could make even a weak location evolve into a cultivation sanctuary for people weaker than these experts creating such effects.


    In the case at hand, Minos thought it was a pity that these people were criminals because otherwise, they could populate his cities. Consequently, his cities could raise their spiritual energy densities and become more fascinating places for people to train, mainly to those of the first four stages.


    That had no significant effect for people of the same stage as those generating the Spiritual Attraction, nor for those of higher levels. But even so, it was already beneficial to have in one''s area as it could raise the cultivation speed of the population.


    Therefore, Minos was lamenting the current situation!


    "So that''s it..." Ruth understood why Minos found it a pity that they had bad intentions towards the Black Plain and were probably unable to listen to the voice of reason.


    Even if not-so-troublesome migrants did not join the army, their very presence on the Black Plain could already result in a good thing for the government of the three.


    "Well, there''s nothing to do, these people only came here because of these disturbing rumors, so they''re going to fight no matter what," Abby commented.


    "Hmmm, anyway, let''s go home. Let''s allow those criminals to build up their strength a little more before we act."


    "Yes!"

 Chapter 1104 He would Be Mine Alone

    Chapter 1104 He would Be Mine Alone


    Three weeks later...


    At this point, several people were formally positioned on the Black Plain royal throne hall, with Minos seated on his throne, Abby on his left side on a throne similar to his, and Ruth on his right side.


    In addition to this trio, there were 15 other Spiritual Emperors there, all of them dressed in the armor of the Black Plain Army.


    Some of them were profiled on the right side of the room, holding banners with the royal family crest.


    This crest was a little different from the symbol of the Black Plain. Instead of just a golden tree, there were also a pair of swords and a serpent wrapped around the tree trunk in it.


    In front of these people holding such banners were the other individuals, each with a different coat of arms on their armor, indicating that they were of different orders within the army.


    Besides these people standing silently at the sides of that place, in the middle of the space between them, the stairs to the throne and the exit from that place, was a red-haired woman.


    She had light green eyes and wore a beautiful white dress with openings at the sides that showed a little bit of her well-toned legs. But the most impressive, besides her divine beauty, was her level.


    Level 68!


    "Gloria, you''ve gotten stronger in this period..." Minos casually said, smiling at this newcomer to his city. "It seems that the Flaming Empire is not so bad... Or is it your talent that is way above average?"


    Upon hearing Minos'' words, Gloria closed her eyes and gave him a bittersweet smile, feeling a mixture of joy but worry at that instant. "I see that I lost my bet... You set all this up for that, right?" She looked at the nine people with different crests on their chests.


    Each was a spiritual professional from the ten different spiritual professions, with only one spiritual judge absent, a profession that had been left out of Minos and Gloria''s bet.


    Watching these people together with Dillian and Regina on her left side, Gloria could not help but admire Minos even more. ''It''s truthfully amazing! Some of them are already close to level 61!''


    She then looked at her right side. ''There are also six other Spiritual Emperors here... They must be warriors.''


    ''Besides, the three lovebirds are all at the 7th stage...'' Her eyes focused on Ruth, who at the moment had already reached level 61.


    ''Impressive, really impressive!''


    ''Has he solved the problem in this region?'' She wondered before hearing Minos'' voice. "It is as you say, dear Gloria. All my soldiers are here to mark my victory in our bet..."


    "Now, I hope you have come prepared to stay in my city."


    After hearing that, most of those Spiritual Emperors who did not know what was happening there finally understood the situation, as they looked at Minos in admiration.


    ''Our King is truly domineering! He even wants to bring an Archbishop of the Spiritual Church into his harem!''


    ''Fantastic!''


    ''That''s how a man has to be! He must not be intimidated by any woman and act only according to his wishes!''


    ''If the Archbishop marries His Grace, the Black Plain will become stronger...''


    Various thoughts passed through the minds in the surroundings as Gloria looked steadily in Minos'' direction.


    "I promised to come and live here, didn''t I? Then I won''t embarrass myself and change my mind now." She walked toward him, but no royal guards tried to stop the one doing such this time since they already knew Minos'' intentions toward this woman.


    She reached a step below the level on which Minos and his women stood and asked softly. "But will the King of the Black Plain accept having a person from another organization who is stronger than him in his territory? I hear he is pretty brutal with threats to himself..."


    "Stronger than me?" Minos laughed, not finding her teasing terrible. "I''m not sure about that, dear Gloria."


    Her eyes widened in interest upon hearing that, but she did not question it.


    "In any case, you will soon become part of my family, won''t you? So there''s no problem having someone that strong in my state." He made the three women in his surroundings blush, one looking at the other in an embarrassed manner, while the Spiritual Emperors there tried to breathe lower so as not to draw attention.


    "Pardon?" Gloria finally said something.


    "Minos!" Abby said softly, looking at him meaningfully.


    "All of you, get out!" Minos said as he realized that his two women were almost losing their patience.


    Then, in the blink of an eye, only the four stood there, while the temperature in the air seemed to have cooled a little.


    "Minos, how can you say something like that?" Abby asked. ''I don''t like this woman!'' She looked coldly at Gloria.


    Realizing this, Gloria frowned her eyebrows and took the last step up that flight of stairs. ''What''s wrong with her? She always stays with him, but she acts like I''m getting in her way!''


    ''Humph!''


    ''It''s only because of you two that I''ve spent four years suffering with the idea of having to share him...''


    Minos then heard Ruth''s voice. "Honey, you shouldn''t say things like that in public. We should have talked it over in private first."


    "Hmm, but you two already know my intentions toward Gloria."


    Minos looked at each of his women and then focused on Gloria. "I know you have feelings for me, and I have for you as well. So, I won''t let us continue to waste time. I want you to become my third wife, Gloria."


    "Minos..." Gloria blushed and forgot Abby, feeling touched. "But... What about the difficulties I already told you about? We can''t just get married..."


    "Hmm, those difficulties don''t matter. I don''t need anyone''s approval but yours to make you my wife. So, as long as you want to, we can solve any problems." He rose from his throne and stood face to face with her.


    As she thought about his words and felt that doing this informally would not cause any problems, Gloria clenched her fists and then embraced the handsome man in front of her.


    "Let''s talk about this alone later..." She whispered in one of his ears before kissing the lips she had dreamed of for months.


    Gloria had come to the northern region of the Central Continent twice in the last four years. But the last time was almost a year and a half. So, she had been all this time repressing her desires, which at this moment were not contained, even in the presence of Abby and Ruth.


    "Mmmmmmmmmm~" She fervently kissed him as he embraced her, full of desire to be with this woman.


    "Minos!" Abby shouted her husband''s name and then used one of her hands to pull him out of Gloria''s arms.


    Gloria felt angry at having her moment disrupted and said. "Why did you do that? You''re already with him every day! Don''t you feel ashamed to stand in our way? I haven''t seen him in months!"


    "What?" Ruth exclaimed.


    "Minos is my husband, so what if I stay with him daily?" Abby took the lead from her husband, ready to control the situation since Ruth seemed too weak to do anything about it. "But as far as I know, you''re an outsider. So, I don''t want you kissing him in front of me."


    "Tsk!"


    "Then why don''t you leave us alone?" Gloria retorted, not going too far as this was Abby''s home, and in a way, it was the queen who had reason on her side.


    ''It''s because you are his wife that you are still breathing...'' She looked coldly at the blue-haired beauty in front of her.


    ''Bitch!'' Abby thought in her mind, feeling an itch in her hand to slap Gloria''s face.


    Seeing Abby''s hand moving, Minos remembered one of his queen and Ruth''s first encounters years ago and smiled.


    He rushed over and stood between the two, promptly using one of his hands to hold Abby''s moving wrist.


    "Darlings, let''s not get carried away." He softly said as he brought those two into his embrace.


    "Tsk!"


    "Minos Stuart, I will not accept that you keep bringing women into our home!" Abby looked him in the eye but did not refuse his embrace.


    "That''s something I can agree with you on." Gloria stated, feeling bad for having to use the word ''agree'' with Abby. But she did not remain ''friendly'' with the queen for long. "But I believe that is your fault, no? If you hadn''t allowed him to be so promiscuous, none of this would happen."


    "What did you say?" Abby angrily glared at the woman on the other side of Minos.


    "If I had met Minos in your place, he would never have been with so many women... He would have been mine alone. But you..."


    "Tsk!"


    "You couldn''t keep him at home!"

 Chapter 1105 A Different Punishment

    Chapter 1105 A Different Punishment


    Abby tried to escape from one of Minos'' arms to hit the woman on the other side of him. "You, a woman trying to get involved with a married man, are trying to teach me how to restrain my man?"


    "Humph!"


    "You have no right to say those words!"


    "Minos, let me go. This bitch deserves a beating for saying those words!" Abby said, incensed.


    At the same time, Gloria was holding back from teaching this blue-haired woman a lesson, so she just used her words to counterattack. "Well, someone needs to say that to you because you obviously don''t know how to keep him..." She sniffed Minos and laughed. "I can even smell other women''s scents on his body. Humph! You truly are weak!"


    Ruth was watching all of this from the side in silence as she remembered that she and Abby had had a tense encounter because of Minos years ago. ''Abby is possessive about our husband... Ah, if only I were more like her, we could have been able to restrict him completely.''


    ''Maybe it''s not a bad thing that Gloria will join us. At least Minos will have less time for the others and will slowly accept the idea of just being with us.''


    As for Minos, he was not enjoying the moment, so before the two took things any further, he made up his mind about how to handle the problem. "You two, immediately stop what you are doing!"


    "But..."


    "Minos, she..."


    He closed his eyes momentarily and then made a quick movement, throwing the bodies of the two on his shoulders. After that, he headed toward the residential area of his palace, followed closely by Ruth.


    "Abby is right. We need a proper punishment." He said in an angry tone while having his arms wrapped around the legs of the two.


    "Minos! Stop it! You''re embarrassing me!" Gloria said, already with her face completely red, as she saw the royal palace officials watching them.


    Halfway to his house, some officials and soldiers in the vicinity were watching Minos carrying two women on his shoulders, both of them quite agitated.


    Abby felt her anger at Gloria diminish a little and then commented. "My love, why are you doing this to me? It is this woman who needs to be taught a lesson! I am only protecting our home!"


    "Tsk!" Gloria made a tongue sound in displeasure but said nothing.


    Minos then commented. "Gloria truly needs to be punished for treating my queen like that, but you can''t behave like that, Abby. If you don''t like each other, you need to work it out by talking. I don''t want any kind of violence between my women!"


    "That is simply unacceptable!"


    "That..." Abby tried to say in a low voice but soon accepted what her husband said. She then said in a teasing tone to Gloria. "In any case, this situation is no big deal to me. So what if others see me being carried by Minos? We''ve done similar things in public several times. But what about you, Miss Archbishop?"


    "Your..." Gloria angrily looked into Abby''s eyes.


    "Hehe, if you get too embarrassed, why don''t you return to the Flaming Empire? That way, you can..."


    "Abby!" Minos said, just before they reached his house.


    Ruth then asked. "Honey, what do you intend to do?"


    "We''re going to increase our bonds, naked!" He finally left his angry tone behind, saying this with a sly smile on his face.


    Then, as the two women on his shoulders stood frozen in doubt at what would happen, Minos placed them side by side on his bed.


    After this, as the two lay there, leaning on their arms, looking at the man standing before them, Minos began to take off his clothes.


    "What do you want?" Gloria looked at Minos'' well-defined abdomen and swallowed her saliva in anticipation.


    She had already lost her virginity to Minos the last time she visited Dry City and had several experiences with him then. That was one of the reasons she hadn''t been angry about the earlier proposal. Not only that, but because of this, in the more than a year that she had been away from him, this redhead discovered that she was in love with him.


    So, after seeing him taking off his clothes there, she could not help but feel a little aroused. However, she was still a little uncomfortable because of Abby''s presence.


    Abby was also a little uncomfortable since, other than Ruth, she had never done anything with Minos in front of others.


    "My love, you..." She was saying but was interrupted by him.


    "Ruth, take off your clothes too." He said as he finished taking off his underwear, showing the three beauties with him his fully erect rod.


    He looked into Abby''s eyes and said. "I know you don''t like being with me and others, besides Ruth, simultaneously, so I won''t overstep my bounds. But I want you both to be naked. So we will talk in the bathtub and improve our relations naked."


    "That will be your punishment."


    "Now, would you prefer to undress yourselves, or should I do it for you?" He looked at each of them, smiling.


    Gloria then removed her white dress while Abby opened her arms to him. "If this is my punishment, then do it, my love."


    As he went to remove his wife''s clothes, Abby suddenly moved, pinning her legs behind Minos'' back and her arms holding onto his head. She looked at Gloria and grimaced at her before kissing him.


    "Mmmmmmm~"


    Sensing this, Minos laughed internally but did not back down. He wanted to punish his wife for the previous situation but could not refuse her affection. So, he kissed her back while quickly removing Abby''s clothes.


    When they were both completely naked, Ruth suddenly asked. "Am I being punished too?"


    Minos broke his kiss with Abby and laughed. "No, but wouldn''t it be unfair for me to be with both of them that way and not with you, dear?"


    "That..." She sighed, but that was better.


    Minos then looked at the redheaded woman lying naked next to him and Abby, feeling the urge to jump on top of her and devour her. But he held himself and waved one of his hands. "Shall we?"


    Gulp!


    Gloria first looked at Minos'' pulsating rod, swallowed her saliva, and followed his lead, while Abby held her husband''s other hand, making her way to the bathtub in the courtyard of that residence.


    ...


    After some time of talking, the four of them were very close to each other inside the large bathtub of Minos'' house. The tense atmosphere had significantly reduced, but there was still a certain strangeness in the air.


    However, while occasionally looking at that man''s waist, Gloria no longer held back and said. "Minos, even if you are punishing us, you should not suffer for it. Why don''t you let me take care of your situation?"


    She then ran one of her hands down his right leg, quickly going to the rod she had been craving for months.


    Seeing this, Abby promptly made her move and stopped Gloria from getting what she wanted. "If anyone has to take care of my man''s suffering, it''s me."


    Minos narrowed his eyes and asked. "You wouldn''t mind doing that in front of Gloria?"


    Abby laughed and said. "Maybe a little, but I think she will lose all confidence in herself after she sees me doing it to you, my love."


    Ruth laughed as she heard that, drawing the attention of the young redhead who at the moment had a solemn look on her face, as if she had been challenged. "I doubt it!"


    "Oh?" Abby then moved, helping Minos to sit on the edge of the tub they were in, quickly trailing her face to his crotch.


    Her perfect buttocks stuck out of the water as she did so, revealing her little flower to Gloria and Ruth from a prime angle.


    But before she could continue, Minos stopped her and said. "Well, I guess you haven''t been punished enough yet, Abby. So, as a final punishment, you and Gloria will have to watch me make love to Ruth."


    Ruth opened her mouth in surprise as Abby looked at her man seriously. But she did not question him since that would be better than him doing it with Gloria.


    In the blink of an eye, Abby and Gloria were sitting there, watching Minos and Ruth fucking wildly on the edge of that tub.


    Ruth was already moaning in satisfaction at being able to have fun with her man, not the least bit embarrassed to do so in front of Gloria as she saw no problem with such a woman joining her and Abby.


    ...

 Chapter 1106 Foursome (18+)

    Chapter 1106 Foursome (18+)


    "Ahhh~ Darling, like that~" Ruth cried out in satisfaction, feeling her man on top of her while her legs were resting on his shoulders.


    At the same time, he was penetrating Ruth''s gluttonous flower with vigor, creating characteristic sounds in that area, teasing the two beauties in that tub.


    To make matters worse, in addition to the sounds the two were making, Abby and Gloria watched all this from the front while Minos was facing them, focused only on the black-haired woman below him.


    Seeing how Ruth was getting there for the fourth time in a row, Gloria was feeling excited, wanting to jump down from where she was standing and steal Minos for herself. But she managed to control herself and ran one of her hands down her body, slowly beginning to touch herself, but doing it slowly so Abby would not notice her.


    Her nipples were stiff, her face flushed, while her little sister was burning with desire. And while her breathing rate was agitated, her mouth was slightly open, letting out sounds that sounded a lot like moaning.


    But even though Gloria was making noise and emitting all these signals, Abby did not notice anything as she was paying attention to Minos and Ruth''s fun.


    ''Ah, screw it! I want to have fun with my husband too!'' She clenched her fists after enduring this situation for several minutes, no longer able to bear having to watch this without being able to join him.


    She then got up from where she was and walked toward the two. "My love, I can''t watch anymore. Will you give me what I want?" She asked as she knelt in front of Ruth and Minos.


    Minos continued enthusiastically penetrating Ruth and looked at Abby, "Gloria is still here..."


    "I don''t mind! I''ll do it just this time, and then I don''t want to see that annoying body of hers again!" She said as she stepped forward, positioning herself with her little sister on top of Ruth''s face while making Minos lift part of his body to kiss her.


    In that instant, Minos adjusted himself to handle his two women more comfortably and then began kissing his queen.


    "Mmmmm~"


    As he made Ruth come to another orgasm, this woman used her two hands to massage Abby''s lower cheeks before she began kissing the little pink flower of the Black Plain''s queen.


    Seeing this scene in front of her, Gloria swallowed her saliva, not knowing what to think seeing those two being so intimate in front of her.


    ''I didn''t know they do that kind of thing!'' Gloria then left the water, sitting on the edge of the tub as she touched herself. ''Do they do that to him? Does he like that?''


    When Ruth finally got there and let Abby receive King Stuart''s rod, Gloria heard from Minos. "Come join us. It will be good for our relationship if we do this together."


    As Abby was on top of him, feeling Minos'' hands firmly on her buttocks, holding her still as he moved his lower body rapidly, she looked at his face seriously amid her moans. "You are shameless~ Do you want to have~ Do you want to have all three of us simultaneously? Ahhh~"


    "Hmm, you will be harem sisters, so let''s enjoy that and live in harmony, okay?" He moved one of his fingers into Abby''s second hole, making her eyes roll as she had another orgasm.


    "Ahhhhhhhhh~"


    ''Bastard! You made me all sensitive just to beat me at this moment!'' She realized his move as she vigorously shivered.


    At that instant, Gloria was already beside him, not knowing what to do in such a situation.


    Minos then lifted Abby''s body, making her ride on his rod on her own, making room for Gloria. "Climb on top of my face."


    Gloria did as he said, leaving her burning little sister beside his mouth as her fragrant nectar made him smile.


    "Ahhh~" She moaned as she felt Minos'' warm tongue and his clever hands.


    After a moment, Minos said. "Abby, Gloria, I want you two to kiss each other."


    Gulp!


    The two women on top of Minos, each with their faces at about the same height, less than thirty inches apart, looked at each other in silence.


    Ruth then approached the two, using one of her hands to massage one of Abby''s buttocks and the other on Gloria''s waist. "Come on, girls. We can''t let our man down."


    Ruth then lowered her body and kissed Abby''s left nipple while moving her other hand up Gloria''s body until she reached this woman''s right boob.


    "Ahhhh~"


    "Ahhhhhhhh~"


    The two groaned at the movements of Minos and Ruth, both confused at that moment.


    Abby then closed her eyes and convinced herself, ''I will do it today, only.'' She then looked down at Minos'' chest, staring at this man''s face buried between Gloria''s legs. She said. "Today is your lucky day since I misbehaved earlier."


    "But don''t ask for it later!"


    "Hehe, okay." Minos moved his lips away from Gloria''s luscious flower, grinning in satisfaction.


    Gloria then swallowed her saliva and asked. "Are you sure about that? I can''t guarantee that we''ll get along well after today..."


    Abby ignored Gloria''s speech and used her hands to bring this redhead''s head close to hers, looking at her for a second and then touching their lips.


    "Mmmmmm~" The two finally kissed, first with no tongue movements, but soon evolving into a typical kiss, full of saliva and heat.


    After a few moments, Minos filled Abby''s cavern with his special liquid, breaking the fiery kiss between his queen and Gloria.


    "Ahhhhhhhh~" Abby came once again along with him, feeling her whole body weakening.


    After that, she got off Minos with Ruth''s help, making room for Gloria.


    "Minos..." She looked up at him as she positioned her little sister on his still erect rod, full of desire in her eyes.


    "Gloria, isn''t that better?"


    "Yes~"


    He brought her face closer to his as he felt the flaming interior of this redheaded woman. "I don''t want you and Abby to fight again in the future. Okay?"


    "All right~ Ahhh~"


    "Good, now let''s take care of your needs~" He hugged her waist tightly and kissed her, beginning to move his waist energetically, making his little brother reach the greatest depths of her wet cavern.


    "Mmmmmmmmmm~"


    After making Gloria reach there twice as his little brother invaded a wet, damp, hot terrain without tiring, Minos finally moved her body, changing positions.


    At that moment, Gloria was on all fours in front of Minos, receiving his movements with pleasure, while Abby was lying with her legs spread in front of this redhead.


    This time, Gloria did not hesitate, and soon she was tasting Minos'' seeds directly from Abby''s wet little flower, trying to hold back her moans as she did so.


    On the other hand, Ruth was on top of Abby''s face, feeling this woman''s tongue cleaning her little sister, making her moan as she looked directly into Minos'' eyes.


    "I love you, darling~" She said amidst the sounds of pounding flesh and moans, making him smile back at her.


    "I love you, too, Ruth~"


    "I love all of you, my women~" He filled Gloria''s cave again, making this woman shiver in happiness at his words.


    So, the three continued in that place for the rest of the day, each tasting the other several times, making a big mess in that courtyard of the king''s residence, where heavenly moans could be heard for hours.


    Unfortunately, no one had the opportunity to see these four fucking like animals in the heat since every room in Minos'' residence had sound isolation arrays.


    He had already used practically every area of his house, so this was necessary...


    Anyway, Abby and Ruth could not keep up with Minos and Gloria until the end, so they were the first to stop the fun. But those other two did not continue for long, as they had exhausted themselves quite a bit on this fantastic day.


    At the end of it all, they returned to the tub to relax, this time much friendlier to each other than earlier...

 Chapter 1107 Family

    Chapter 1107 Family


    In that bathtub in the courtyard of Minos'' residence, the three women were close to each other as they stood together with him.


    Abby was hugging Minos'' left arm, while Ruth was hugging his right one. On the other hand, Gloria was on top of this individual, with her head resting on his chest.


    "Minos, thank you~" Gloria commented in a somewhat sleepy tone, feeling like just finding a bed and sleeping after today''s adventures.


    "Hmm, don''t forget, don''t fight anymore. You can settle your differences with dialogue, but I won''t allow you to be violent with each other." He said in a low voice as he looked at Gloria and then at Abby.


    "All right..." The two replied as Ruth felt Minos massaging her waist.


    "For now, I''ll give you a room separate from ours in this residence, okay, Gloria?"


    "Oh? You want me to stay here? Don''t you think people will find it strange that someone from the Spiritual Church is sleeping in your house?" She turned her face slightly to look at him.


    "Other people''s opinions don''t matter. As long as it''s okay with you..." He smiled, smelling the scent of her red hair.


    "Okay then." She blushed.


    He continued. "Besides, we''ll see how the rest will work out day to day. But don''t hesitate to talk about it so we can find a better way for our relationship to work."


    The three nodded at hearing his voice, pleased with the situation.


    Of course, each would prefer to have Minos all to herself. But that was impossible, so working together and trying to be happy like the last few hours was already perfect for these women.


    And for better or worse, three of them could handle the beast called Minos much better than just one or just two.


    They had all figured that out by now, even Abby, who saw how she and Ruth had lasted longer on that occasion earlier because of Gloria''s presence.


    ''I truly failed to keep him home... Maybe this woman really can help us...'' Abby looked at Gloria, still feeling a certain discomfort in her heart but much more okay with that.


    "Anyway, from now on, you will be living in Dry City. Have you decided how you will handle Church business from here? I still won''t welcome your organization in my city, even with our relationship..." He looked at her and tried not to smile.


    "Sigh..."


    "Well, no problem. I already led this region from the Flaming Empire, so I just have to get the local branches to notify me here in the Black Plain, not where I came from." She said after a soft sigh.


    "But there isn''t that much to do. Since the region is still fragile, I''ve hardly had to get directly involved in regional affairs in the past. So, in general, I just keep an eye on the region on behalf of the Church."


    "Oh?" Abby said in surprise. "It does seem like an easy job... No wonder you''re already at level 68, huh?"


    "You have plenty of time to train."


    "Still," Ruth shook her head negatively. "Even with that much time, Gloria''s talent has to be pretty good for her to have reached that level so young."


    "My master, when she reached that level, she was already over 120 years old."


    Gloria looked at Ruth and smiled, pleased that this woman understood the situation. But she soon put that thought aside to praise them. "But you are doing much better than me..."


    "At this current rate, you will all reach level 69, younger than me." Gloria looked at Minos, curious to know about his secrets.


    Minos laughed at that. "Gloria, if you are interested in how we did it in this region, I''m afraid you will have to choose me over the Spiritual Church. Otherwise, let''s leave that matter for later."


    She frowned her eyebrows and finally moved away from him. "Why?"


    .


    "If one day you can make that choice or keep your man''s secrets from the Church, I will answer you. But, until then, it''s best if we don''t even talk about it."


    "That..." She looked down, trying to find an alternative. But the only one there was Minos would definitely not accept. "All right, I''ll wait."


    "Fine. But speaking of the Spiritual Church, I have some official business to resolve with you."


    "What is it? Is it about these people coming into the region?"


    Abby answered in Minos'' place. "Yes. We found out that the people entering the region are criminals. They got word of our territory''s amazingness through a rumor in the Albano underworld."


    "We believe that someone is arming against the Black Plain to weaken us in a conflict with these criminals."


    Gloria''s eyes widened in surprise at this information, as she did not expect something like this from such a situation. "Well, I can''t do anything against these Spiritual Kings as they are technically allowed to do what they are doing."


    "But I can communicate with the Church branch in Albano and see if I can get any information of movements of local powers. We''ll sort it out if it''s something orchestrated by a large organization."


    Ruth then asked. "What about those behind the Spiritual Saints who have come to Black Plain in the last two years? Maybe this is related to them."


    Gloria then got out of that tub, grabbed one of the towels on a table, and began to dry herself off. "About that, we have started an investigation into this situation, and we already know that these people left Vogel before coming to Black Plain. But the investigations are only in the preliminary stages, so it might take another two or three years before we catch the culprits."


    "Two or three years?" Minos frowned his eyebrows. "All that?"


    "All that?" She repeated, laughing as she watched the other two women drying themselves off beside her. "That''s already too fast. Spiritual Saints can live over 6,000 years, but our investigation will catch and end this person in less than three years."


    "That''s too fast!"


    "I don''t think so..." Minos raised and lowered his shoulders.


    "Tsk!"


    "In any case, a Spiritual Saint is not an ordinary person. Then, the kind of investigation needed to find one is complex. Only other Spiritual Saints or stronger individuals can investigate someone like that. Therefore, few people can work on the matter..."


    "Hence the reason we need a few years to locate them." She explained. But after saying that, she remembered something and commented. "But maybe that will be solved faster. I heard that the Gray Clouds Sect is investigating this and even attacked a sect in Vogel during this period."


    "Then maybe your mama will shorten the resolution of the problem."


    Minos made an unhappy expression upon hearing that. "It would be better if we settled this between us..."


    "How proud!" Gloria laughed. "Why act like this? I hear your mother has already reached level 71! She can help you a lot, especially now that her position as heiress of the Gray Clouds Sect is more solidified."


    "Level 71?" Minos asked as Ruth smiled in happiness at Maisie''s advancement. "Well, good for her and her sect. But I don''t care about their good deeds..."


    "Why? Aren''t you trying to get my help with the Church?" She smiled. "What difference does it make to get help from your family?"


    "Abby, Ruth, and now you are all my family. So, obviously, I will use your skills since we are building a future that will serve all of us and our descendants."


    "That''s different from that sect. I don''t want to owe those people anything." He said as the three blushed, happy that he was so decisive about them.


    "Minos..." Gloria softly said as she helped him finish getting dressed.


    Ruth and Abby were also buttoning the clothes on Minos'' body while looking at him with eyes full of affection.


    Gloria then said after a few seconds. "All right, let''s try to deal with it on our own."


    "But about the possibility that this enemy in Vogel is behind the rumors in Albano, this really exists. But for now, I have no way to do anything about it. I will just add that suspicion to those rebels defying the Church."

 Chapter 1108 Glorias Dream

    Chapter 1108 Gloria''s Dream


    After they finished dressing and talking about that earlier matter, Minos'' group made their way through the halls of his house, heading for the dining room.


    It was already night in Dry City, and after several hours of intense sex, the four were starving. Not only that, as soon as they left the place where everything had happened, they smelled the delicious fragrance of dinner.


    So, in the blink of an eye, the four arrived at the dining room, where Abby''s parents, Dillian and Eda, came to dine with Minos and his wives every night.


    Sometimes some high-ranking soldiers, or people close to the three leaders of this state, as in Brooke''s case, would come to have meals there as well. However, on this day, none were around, only those four people closest to the royal family.


    "Young Minos you..." Nicole was about to say something to the king of the Black Plain when she saw the figure of a beautiful redheaded woman walking behind him, along with Abby and Ruth. "Archbishop Frost!"


    Everyone there looked at that beauty, surprised to see her in this place.


    They knew of Gloria''s arrival, obvious. But not everyone in the royal palace knew that Minos had carried her on his shoulder earlier and come to this residence.


    And since they thought Gloria would be staying in some local hotel, they could not help but be surprised to see her there.


    "Archbishop Frost, will you be joining us for dinner?" Abby''s father asked respectfully.


    Dillian continued beside Eda without saying anything, while his wife more or less understood the situation. ''It seems that these four were not just talking...'' Her cheeks turned red, and she looked at Nicole.


    Nicole looked back at Eda, also blushing, extremely embarrassed to ''notice'' her daughter''s sexual affairs. ''Abby, why aren''t you more like me?'' She looked at her husband at her side. ''Eliot has always been in line since I met him.''


    ''Ah, Ruth is a good girl, but it would have been so much better for you to be his only one... I failed as a mother!'' She felt depressed.


    On the other hand, hearing her father-in-law''s question, Minos answered in Gloria''s place. "She will be living with us from now on, so she will be dining with us."


    "Oh?" Eliot opened his eyes wide, while only Dillian was not surprised by this information.


    Even Eda was surprised. After all, these four having fun together was not a condition for Gloria to come and live in the same house as Minos and his wives!


    Gloria blushed after Minos said those words but was even more embarrassed by his following line. "From today, Gloria will be my third wife. But publicly, we will not marry... At least not for the moment."


    "Hehe, congratulations, Your Grace!" Dillian stood up and greeted Minos, pleased at this young man''s success with this woman.


    "Congratulations, Archbishop Frost, or rather, Your Grace..." Eda greeted Gloria as they moved to make room for this woman to sit near Minos and his first wives.


    "Hmm, thank you. You can just call me Gloria." She said in an embarrassed tone.


    Gloria might be a high-level Spiritual Emperor, but when it came to matters of the heart and relationships, she was an amateur, less experienced than some young 16-year-old lasses.


    Hell, Alison, at that age, had probably already had months of experience at the side of her man, Lee.


    Whereas this woman of just over 60 could not take this situation with the same composure as in other times and naturally felt a little embarrassed. Especially considering that the parents of Abby, a competitor for Minos'' affection, were there...


    "Well, Gloria, I hope you like your new home," Nicole commented after putting her earlier lamentation aside.


    She then smiled and pointed to one of the plates on that large dining table between them. "Please try the food prepared by chef Alex. Of course, we still can''t compare to the Flaming Empire, but the food prepared by our low-level grade-3 cook certainly won''t embarrass us."


    After that, they began to eat, sometimes chatting about everyday matters and the Black Plain.


    "Your Grace, we already have reports of possible competitors coming from dozens of regional families arriving in the satellite cities of Dry City," Dillian commented about the upcoming tournament.


    Hearing that, Eliot added. "Even the powers of our state are sending many members to compete for spots in the army, young Minos. My Miller family is sending over 20 youths."


    "That''s not bad at all..." Minos smiled as he picked up his drink and tasted it.


    Gloria looked at him and asked. "Are you going to have a tournament?"


    "Yes. I need talented people on the Black Plain, but my population alone doesn''t have what it takes to provide me with that." He explained to her.


    Ruth, who was organizing this event, then added. "Besides, this is not only a tournament for us to bring new talent to our side. It''s also a method for us to connect with regional powers without relying solely on the region''s fear of us."


    "This is a chance for us to create grateful relationships and improve our ranks'' average quality."


    "Oh? It looks like you intend to take all the Spiritual Tournament targets then..." She smiled as she looked at Minos. "Are you trying to replace the sects of the Flaming Empire?"


    "No, I am only creating the means for the regional powers to strengthen themselves while their descendants have the chance to grow up in their own homes and later give back to their families."


    "Still, the sects of the empire will see you as a competitor..." She insisted.


    Abby then asked. "Is there a problem with that? What fault will we have if the people of this region eventually prefer to stay around here rather than taking their chances in the empire?"


    "Say what you want. The Edwardstone family will not look kindly on this Black Plain action. To them, this region is a testament to their power and name, something they even dispute against the high-level kingdoms neighboring this region."


    "So, you think this family will ignore this?" She asked Abby.


    Everyone there was silent after she said that, thinking that, indeed, this had its potential to create trouble.


    Minos then said. "No matter, the last Spiritual Tournament just happened, and naturally, it will take some time before the effects of my competition become noticeable."


    "Besides, not everyone in the region will have the ability to join my army. In that case, there will still be people competing in the Spiritual Tournament."


    "The difference is that more talents in this region will have the chance to join an organization that can nurture them beyond the 6th stage. So, at most, the next Spiritual Tournaments will have smaller numbers of highly talented people."


    "By the time they realize that it''s my fault and not that a bad generation was born in this region, we will have completely settled down." He smiled confidently.


    Not knowing how to counter the points raised by Minos, Gloria sighed and accepted that this could indeed take a while to generate some disagreement with the imperial family of that state.


    .


    She remembered her agreement with Minos and thought he would also steal the Church''s future targets. "Will my organization get anything from the Black Plain after this 20-year agreement of ours?"


    Hearing this, Minos looked at the people around his table and smiled. He then focused his attention on Gloria and said. "Sure, after all, we will have much more talent when this agreement is fulfilled. But you probably won''t get the best ones..."


    "That''s what I thought..." She laughed at her own mistake, but there was nothing she could do in this situation. Minos had not broken the contract, and she was in love with him, so she could only find this all funny.


    ''Ah, no problem. The Church has no expectations about this deal I made, so as long as the region keeps improving, I''ll gain merit one way or another.''


    ''Besides, the stronger the Black Plain Army, the better for our future children.'' She blushed as she thought of this desire she had, which, even during her many years as a virgin, had always been on her mind.


    Gloria had never met someone like Minos or fallen in love before she met him. But she genuinely dreamed of the day she would become a mother.


    That was so important to her that she had not even bothered to destroy her gametes when she had sex with Minos.


    And with this dream of hers, Gloria naturally did not think it was terrible for Minos to strengthen the Black Plain, the state of her future children.


    ''The Church is great, but it is undeniably better to grow up in a royal family where there are few to divide resources and meritocracy is less important.'' She thought about how it would be more important to her children for Minos'' state to gain more from the agreement she signed with him.


    She then advised him. "You are too clever, but don''t try to do this to others in the future. Not everyone will be like me..."

 Chapter 1109 Rumor

    Chapter 1109 Rumor


    While Gloria was getting used to the idea of starting to live with Minos, Abby, and Ruth, rumors were already circulating through the royal palace and the Black Plain Army headquarters.


    After dozens of people had seen Minos carrying Abby and Gloria around as if ready to punish two daring children, those individuals soon began talking about the matter among themselves.


    They obviously would not talk about the king''s privacy with ordinary people, but with colleagues who knew how to keep secrets, they could not help but comment on the matter.


    ...


    In the kitchen of Minos'' residence, Wendi, level 50, a cook that Minos met on his first trip to Stone Island, talked to other female employees of that estate.


    "Did you hear that story? Our region''s Archbishop will live here!" A middle-aged woman dressed as a cleaning lady said this in a low voice, pointing her finger downward.


    "Oh? It looks like you''re late, huh? From what I hear, His Grace was seen earlier carrying Archbishop Frost in his arms!" A young cook, the same age as Wendi, said this as she looked at this old acquaintance of Minos.


    "What?" The middle-aged woman exclaimed. "So, that..."


    "Yeah, apparently she''s not just here for the Church, if you know what I mean..."


    Wendi then commented. "But isn''t that a good thing? Now we''ll have a high-level Spiritual Emperor on our side!"


    "Hmmm." The two nodded.


    "Besides, I have the impression that His Grace intends to take over this woman. Then the chances of an heir arising will be even greater!"


    "After all, three is better than two!" Wendi commented with a smile on her face.


    "Ah, I can''t wait to care for princes or princesses..."


    "Hmm, it will be so happy when children run around here." They continued to talk about this glorious future.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Eduard was resting from his royal guard duties at the army headquarters while using this moment to train in this place.


    But as he walked to a water fountain to refresh himself, Dumas and Humbert, both at level 55, arrived at his side, talking about the rumor circulating in the headquarters.


    "His Grace is truly insatiable! I couldn''t imagine even Archbishop Frost joining the royal harem..." Dumas commented while he had a look of admiration on his face. ''I wish I had the chance to take other women home... But, unfortunately, if I did this, my lady would rip my skin off!''


    "Hmmm, the most impressive thing is that none of Their Graces seem to have a problem with it, not even Archbishop Frost. His Grace carried them to his house earlier, and they just accepted it, without much fuss..." Humbert remembered what he saw, catching Eduard''s eye.


    "What are you guys talking about?" Eduard could not stand his curiosity and asked.


    "Captain Eduard!" The two made a gesture of greeting, and then one of them replied. "It seems that His Grace is getting involved with Archbishop Frost."


    "Oh? That makes sense." Eduard remembered Minos'' words earlier today.


    "Does it?" The two asked at the same time since they were not sure of anything.


    "Hmm, His Grace said that Archbishop Frost will join the royal family in the future, so that makes sense."


    "Haha, I knew it!"


    "Yes, but knowing the truth is much better than just our suspicions. Now we have a high-level Spiritual Emperor on our side!" Humbert commented with his eyes shining in excitement.


    Dumas laughed and said. "Now I want to see what those damn Spiritual Saints will do against us, hahaha."


    "Hehe, exactly." Humbert agreed. "I just want to see the face of our next enemy when he realizes we have the Spiritual Church on our side!"


    Eduard listened to all this in silence, pondering the advantage of having Gloria on Minos'' side. ''Even if she doesn''t act directly for the good of the Black Plain, her very presence in Dry City is already a big positive.''


    ''If the region knows she is here, no Spiritual Saint will have the courage to come to our city with bad intentions!'' He smiled, impressed with Minos.


    ''His Grace is the best! He turned a goddess like Archbishop Frost into his wife and still got a great advantage for the Black Plain...''


    ''Impressive!''


    ...


    A few days later...


    While the rumor of Minos and Gloria''s relationship gradually reached tens of thousands of soldiers and government agents, news of this woman had also spread throughout the region.


    In particular, each of the region''s branches of the Spiritual Church had received a communiqu¨¦ with the information that Archbishop Frost would now no longer administer the region from the Flaming Empire. Instead, she would do so directly from the Black Plain, her new home, Dry City.


    With this, all newsletters previously sent to the capital of the Flaming Empire would now have to be destined for Dry City. But not only that, with Gloria in the region, each member of the Spiritual Church already felt an added weight on their shoulders.


    After all, being in the region, she could quickly reach any church branches and exercise her dominance.


    Previously, the branches in this region had a lot of freedom, which made possible the corrupt acts before the war on the Black Plain. But now, with Gloria in the region, the local bishops would have to think twice before acting similar to their predecessors...


    Thus, most local Church members did not take this news well!


    ...


    Athela Temple, a branch of the Spiritual Church in the northern region of the Central Continent...


    In this place where most of the decisions of the Church in the region came from, some of the Bishops of this post were gathered together as they talked about the notice that had just arrived.


    "Will Archbishop Frost truly live in the region?" One of the least unsure about this information asked while he had a strange expression on his face.


    "It seems that will be the case, Bishop Scott." One of these people said in a tone that showed his negative impression of the matter. "I just don''t understand why she is doing this."


    "Is she by any chance giving up cultivation, giving up her career? What is there in this region for someone of her level?"


    "Good question..." A woman, someone who had joined this post after Gloria''s past actions in the region, said. "Perhaps she was sent here by her superiors in the Flaming Empire?"


    "Impossible!" Another of them commented. "As far as I know, Archbishop Frost signed an agreement with the king of the Black Plain, so it can only be on account of that."


    "How would the Flaming Empire branch have any interest in our region? Of course, things have improved greatly in the last few years, but still, we''re not much..."


    Another woman there then said. "Perhaps she is having an affair with Minos Stuart?"


    "What?"


    "What nonsense is that?"


    "Impossible!"


    "Where did you get this madness from?" Several of them exclaimed their opinions against such a hypothesis.


    She shook her shoulders and said. "I have heard that the king of the Black Plain is extremely handsome. But, on the other hand, his talent is the greatest in the entire region. Besides, there is this agreement between the two, and previously, Archbishop Frost seemed to want to favor his territory, months before his forces gained the upper hand in the war."


    "So maybe..."


    .


    "That better be just a theory..." The elder there swallowed his saliva in concern. "Archbishop Frost is already quite decisive in her actions..."


    "Over four years ago, many of our brothers were killed by her."


    "Hmmm." Several there nodded in agreement as they remembered the past tragedy.


    He then continued. "But compared to Minos Stuart, she is extremely gentle and harmless."


    "So, I hope Archbishop Frost is not having an affair with Minos Stuart. Otherwise, she might be influenced by that fellow, and even the Church''s actions could be focused on just helping Black Plain!"


    "It would be chaos and great danger to us all if that happens!"


    Gulp!


    Several saliva-swallowing sounds reverberated through that area as the men pushed such an idea out of their minds, but the women there feared that this was indeed their reality.


    ''I saw King Stuart at the Church camp years ago... Besides being handsome, I remember the way Archbishop Frost looked at him...''


    ''That was no ordinary glance!''

 Chapter 1110 Opening of the Black Plain Tournament 1

    Chapter 1110 Opening of the Black Plain Tournament 1


    In the blink of an eye, a few weeks passed...


    After several months since the announcement of the Black Plain Tournament, finally, the start of this competition was coming!


    The participants and those interested in this competition had already arrived in Dry City and were eager to celebrate this event.


    That would be the first edition of this competition that could in the future become the most important in the region. As such, many had come to this place, filling the hotels and inns of the satellite cities of Dry City and the capital.


    So many people had arrived in this kingdom area that the local forces had organized a camp to accommodate tourists a few kilometers away from the ring of cities.


    Not everyone had secured seats in the local hotels and inns, but because of the tournament format, many knew they would be able to attend the events. Thus, even so, these people did not return from whence they came because they could not find suitable places to stay.


    The Black Plain Tournament would take place in three phases, each of which would be open to the public in the 20 stadiums in the capital and the satellite cities of Dry City.


    Because of this large number of areas for the event to take place, more than a million people would be able to follow the competition daily directly from within the stadiums.


    At the same time, spiritual arrays capable of transmitting the competition were spread out in the main local squares. There, tourists and citizens could follow the competition for free while enjoying the local attractions.


    Then, even with so many people interested in following this first Black Plain Tournament, everyone who came to this place could enjoy and complete their travel objectives without too much trouble.


    Thus, this whole area was in a festive mood on the eve of the opening of this competition.


    ...


    While various festive activities were going on around the common area of Dry City, in the core of the capital, Minos was receiving great news.


    After the weeks that had passed since Gloria''s arrival, five more Spiritual Emperors had appeared locally, three of them from the army, two from vassal forces of this state.


    One was from the Feathered Serpents Tribe, which now had four Spiritual Emperors scattered throughout the headquarters forests of Minos. The other was the supreme elder of the Hayes family, the third vassal power of the Black Plain with the most Spiritual Emperors and the sixth most powerful organization in the region currently.


    As for the army members, two of them were the women who had already been at the peak of the 6th stage for almost two years, Celeste and Angela.


    After all the difficulty generated by their ages, they managed to break through level days ago, helping to increase the brute power of Minos'' organization.


    As for the last one to advance, he was standing in front of Minos, smiling at his son-in-law.


    "Congratulations, father-in-law," Minos said to Eliot, who had joined his army after the independence of the Black Plain.


    Shaking one of Minos'' hands, Eliot smiled at this man and ran one of his hands over Abby''s head, who was overjoyed by his advancement.


    "Hehe, without you to support me, I wouldn''t have gotten to this level." He thanked his daughter for marrying a man so concerned with helping her family.


    As Abby turned red with embarrassment, Eliot looked at his wife, level 58, and winked at her, indicating that neither of them would sleep tonight.


    "Ah, Nicole, you and I are still young... Maybe giving Abby a little brother won''t be impossible for us." He said as he hugged his wife, further embarrassing the beautiful Abby, who had her face hidden in Minos'' chest.


    ''How can you say such things in front of us?'' Abby wondered as Minos hugged her, and Ruth and Gloria watched the situation with smiles on their faces.


    After more than a month, they had already adapted to living together. In many situations, they came to the royal throne room to follow Minos'' work and even participate in some decisions.


    Ruth had her own knowledge and specialties, usually taking care of things related to managing the army at events and the like. So, she occasionally stood next to the queen and her king in that elevated area of the throne room.


    On the other hand, Gloria was the representative of the Spiritual Church and had even more experience and knowledge than the official wives of Minos. Thus, she was also relevant in this place and usually stood in that elevated area, only closer to the stair steps.


    But this time, when the workday was over, and they were just talking to Nicole and Eliot, they were standing next to these two, not in their formal positions.


    Anyway, Nicole was not bothered by her daughter''s embarrassment and said. "When I get to the 7th stage, we''ll take care of it, dear. Until then, you''d better behave yourself."


    "Yes, ma''am."


    While the two lovebirds were planning to give little brother or sister to the queen, everyone started to make their way out of that hall, and Gloria said to Minos. "Congratulations, your army now has over 20 Spiritual Emperors."


    "If others outside the Black Plain knew that, you would probably shock even the leaders of the sects of the Flaming Empire..."


    "Hehe, it''s not just 20. With our vassals, we already have more than 30. If we consider our allies, it''s almost 40 Spiritual Emperors." Abby said provocatively, showing Gloria that she was still underestimating them.


    Gloria laughed and said. "As I said, it''s impressive."


    Ruth then asked Minos. "Darling, when are you going to advance in level?"


    "Hmm, I guess in about four months." He answered after doing some math.


    "Just that?" Gloria asked, surprised that he was so fast cultivating.


    "Hehe, my talent is a little high, Gloria." He smiled at her before changing the subject. "Anyway, will you attend my tournament''s opening tomorrow?"


    Gloria put her doubts aside and answered him. "Of course! I want to see how good this tournament of yours will be." She then looked at Ruth. "You''re the one who organized it, right?"


    "Hmm."


    "What will this competition be like?"


    Ruth replied. "There will be three parts in this tournament. All will be open to the public and take place after confirming the participants'' ages through the marrow test."


    "Also, a competitor does not necessarily have to participate in all parts. As long as one does well in one, there will already be chances for him since, in practice, each part tests different things."


    "Oh?" Gloria found that curious. "So, it won''t be an elimination competition?"


    "It will be, but only within each part of the tournament. Outside of it, whoever fails at one will be able to try the others." Ruth said before explaining the basics of what would happen.


    "The first part will test spiritual professionals."


    "The second part is made up of group battles. The army places a high value on collective strength, so we''ll give chances to people who do well in collective battles but might not be strong individually."


    "The third part tests the individual combat skills of our candidates. It is a typical fighting tournament, where we will have several groups with ''n'' competitors who will fight each of their group members. The top winners from each group will then fight the best from the other groups until they decide the rank."


    "Interesting..." Gloria commented. "But why don''t you do a survival test? Those are truly good, but they don''t test the ability to survive in the wild, where the event organizers can''t control the fights."


    "First, because we don''t have a place for that. Second, we don''t have enough staff. Third, we don''t want to risk the lives of our competitors." Ruth explained.


    .


    "Funny..." She looked at Minos, not understanding that last part of what Ruth spoke.


    Minos then said. "Testing the survival of candidates in a tournament like this is actually a good thing."


    "But at the moment, anyone with Black talent can make a difference in my forces. So, there''s no sense in me risking the lives of the few with that degree of talent in my region."


    "As long as they pass the normal tests and don''t have a complicated background, I will accept them into my forces."


    "That makes sense..." She understood his point and no longer questioned it. "Well, your tournament looks like it will be terrific. Not only because of the management but because of the liveliness of the people here."


    "Then I''m looking forward to following the opening tomorrow. But answer me something, how do you intend to keep your level a secret?"


    "Ruth and Abby have prepared spiritual arrays to protect the area we will be staying in. And with so many Spiritual Emperors attending this event, I doubt anyone will notice my movement to the stadium of the opening."


    "Then I''m not worried about people discovering my current level."


    She sighed in relief upon hearing that. "Good. Then, I hope everything works out, and many talents have come to your competition."


    "I''m looking forward to seeing the army getting more Spiritual Emperors."

 Chapter 1111 Opening of the Black Plain Tournament 2

    Chapter 1111 Opening of the Black Plain Tournament 2


    The next day, after a noisy breakfast with many people at his residence, Minos and his group made their way to the stadium for the tournament''s opening using a special carriage with several arrays.


    That was not the only carriage that departed from the royal palace. There were several of them in this convoy, half in front and the rest behind Minos'' carriage. Then, they followed a unique path, watched by the citizens.


    First, they passed through the core of Dry City, where most of the people there had connections with the army and were already used to seeing the local leaders. But in a second moment, when this set of vehicles left the area protected by the defensive dome, they immediately ran into crowds on the sidewalks where they passed.


    The entire path that was to be used by the king''s carriage had already been marked out the night before, so thousands of people had gathered around these streets since sunrise.


    Many there were tourists there who came from different parts of the region and newly-migrated citizens who had never had the opportunity to see the most outstanding local leaders, particularly Minos.


    Hell, most of these people had never seen Spiritual Emperors in their lives, let alone the infamous regional dictator!


    Hence, as expected on a day like this, crowds were standing between the east exit of the dome and the stadium where the Black Plain Tournament would have its opening.


    And even though they almost did not get to see some of the most influential people in this convoy, the tourists and new citizens waiting for their passage had not been disappointed.


    "Look at that. Two Spiritual Emperors are driving the royal carriage!" Someone excitedly said, looking with eyes shining in admiration at Eduard and Mirya.


    On the other hand, someone did not fail to observe in the direction of Dillian''s carriage. "Not only that, there are five Spiritual Emperors in the Divine Doctor''s carriage!"


    "Impressive!"


    "So, that''s the power of the Black Plain?" A young woman beside her younger brother said this reflexively, her eyes wide open as her hands trembled.


    "I didn''t expect that there were so many experts here..." An old Spiritual King watching the area from the middle of the crowd swallowed his saliva in recognition of the local power.


    Someone then shouted euphorically. "Look, the queen is waving in our direction!"


    At that instant, the windows of Minos'' carriage had their curtains open, giving a view of the four people traveling there. So, when Abby waved in the direction of some children, immediately many people there paid attention to her direction, waving and shouting her name.


    Meanwhile, many soldiers from the Black Plain Army were stationed every 50 meters in the path of the royal convoy, facing away from the street, watching the crowd there.


    Apart from them, each carriage had at least one Spiritual Emperor escorting it, practically forming a military parade for the public to see some of the Black Plain''s might.


    But those 7th stage experts were people that the regional forces already knew about their advances or had a high probability that they had already broken through.


    It was no secret that even high-level Spiritual Kings from the Stone Island families had advanced to the 7th stage, so no one would doubt Minos'' soldiers had similar or better achievements.


    The Black Plain''s War of Independence had made many of Minos'' soldiers and subordinates famous throughout the region, so there was no way to keep these people''s advancements a secret.


    Because of this, Minos was not trying to hide the advances of the people already famous for their remarkable power before these four years.


    Seeing this, one of the elders from a regional family who had come to accompany the tournament looked in the direction of Minos'' carriage and frowned. "Are they trying to hide the level of the core royalty?"


    "Is that because they have already advanced? Or because they want to hide that they haven''t advanced yet?" This person said in a low voice, drawing the attention of another elder of his family who was also standing there.


    "Hard to say. Both things are possible. Hiding your cards up your sleeve is a basic strategy. But making enemies think you are stronger than you are is also a useful thing..." That other old man commented casually.


    "Anyway, it seems that the rumors are true. Archbishop Frost is in Dry City."


    "That will lessen any chance of an outside power attacking this place..." The first old man to speak said in a depressed tone.


    They were from the Cromwell Kingdom and naturally had contracts that prevented them from acting against this place. But that did not prevent them from hoping that some outside force, such as the invaders from Albano, would deal with Minos.


    Consequently, these survivors of Minos'' punishments to the organizations of the Cromwell Kingdom could not help but lament Gloria''s presence in this city.


    New novels chapters are published ?n !


    On the other hand, a Spiritual General, a native of this region, who was there as a tourist coming from the Cromwell Kingdom, observed Gloria with an ugly expression on his face. ''I have to inform the boss as soon as possible!''


    ''His group definitely can''t come to Dry City, or it will have the whole Spiritual Church after it!'' He remembered the Spiritual Saint who had hired him to come to this place.


    ...


    Inside Minos'' carriage, Gloria was observing the surroundings with interest on her face.


    "It''s awe-inspiring the number of people in the surrounding area just to see this carriage!" She looked at Minos. "Looks like you three are famous around the area, huh?"


    Ruth laughed upon hearing that. "I guess just the two of them."


    "I wasn''t here during the war, so I doubt they''re here for me."


    "Of course, they know you, dear. How could they not wish to see a bit of my beautiful wife?" Minos played with her waist, laughing.


    Ruth shook her head negatively and said. "No. These people are watching for the most feared person in the region, you, darling. The others are watching for the region''s most loved and kindest person, Abby."


    Minos and Abby were like a demon and angel couple in the minds of many people in this region.


    Everyone knew how noble and protective the queen had been during the war, having eliminated few people, but saved countless lives with her defensive capabilities. On the other hand, not much needed to be said about the king''s fame. Having eliminated almost all the Spiritual Kings of the Brown Kingdom by itself showed who he was.


    Thus, many wanted to see the monstrous tyrant and his angelic wife, someone from this region, originally a noble of the great Miller family.


    Gloria nodded in agreement and said in a teasing tone. "Even I, an Archbishop of the Spiritual Church, is not as famous as the sweet and gentle Abby..."


    "Little do they know how their heroine is obsessed with her husband and loses her reason when it comes to him..."


    "Tsk!"


    "Look who''s talking..." Abby commented, with her eyes closed. "Do you think I don''t see the looks you give Elena, Mirya, and other ''friends'' of Minos?"


    The conversation stopped there, with Gloria ignoring Abby for the rest of the trip and Minos smiling at the situation.


    Then, they arrived at the stadium for the opening of the Black Plain Tournament, quickly making their way toward the royal area.


    ...


    After a few moments, Minos came to a large place, from which several balcony-like areas could be seen on one side.


    There, in the central part of it, was a place with creative decoration, several sofas for people to sit and talk, and tables with food and drinks.


    Precisely in this place, some authorized visitors were already waiting for Minos'' entourage.


    "Elen, level 60 looks good on you." Minos hugged the blonde woman who was among the people waiting for him.


    Smelling Minos'' scent, she blushed a little, remembering the many experiences she had already had with him. "Perhaps we can meet this week to talk about my advancement..." She suggested. "I have many questions regarding my new features. Perhaps some training with you is what I need."


    Understanding this, Minos smiled. "Yes, I definitely need to train you and assess your situation... By the way, have you been doing that with Elena? I guess she must be pretty excited, huh?"


    She nodded at him. "Yes, after reaching level 59 and seeing me advancing, she is eager to advance to the next stage. Maybe we can get together for a special ''dinner'' when that happens? What do you think?"


    "Perfect. You can arrange it with Lizzie later." He winked at her as his wives greeted the other experts there.


    Among them were Elen''s father, Elena''s father, the leaders of Minos'' vassal families, and some people from Stone Island, such as Lorelei Stone.


    Minos lifted a glass of wine and used a fork to touch this crystal item. "Well, since you are here, let me say a few important words to you..."

 Chapter 1112 Opening of the Black Plain Tournament 3

    Chapter 1112 Opening of the Black Plain Tournament 3


    Minos looked at that place with most of the Spiritual Emperors in the region and said. "... We will soon face these invaders coming from Albano. Then I hope your forces will start preparing to act."


    "Are we going to fight them already? So soon?" Lorelei asked in surprise.


    Everyone there knew what was happening in the region and the information that Minos and his wives extracted from criminals coming from Albano. But those outside the Black Plain Army did not yet know about Minos'' latest plans.


    Minos then answered that woman. "Yes, their numbers are increasing extremely fast, so we will have to act in a few months, or it will be difficult to stop them."


    Everyone there was silent as they heard this, worried about the future.


    "Then why don''t we act immediately while the numbers are low?" Hadwin Hayes, level 61, asked.


    Abby then answered for her husband. "It would be a waste to demonstrate our full power to our enemies considering their current numbers."


    "My husband can handle almost all of them alone at the moment..." She proudly smiled.


    Hearing this, some wondered what Minos'' capabilities were at this moment, but then someone looked at Gloria and realized they were talking about secretive matters with a member of the Spiritual Church there. "But..." Liam Gill pointed at her.


    Minos laughed as he saw the doubtful expression on patriarch Gill''s face. "Don''t worry about her hearing these things. Gloria is my woman, so naturally, she will not leak such information."


    "What?" Several men looked at Minos in surprise.


    Meanwhile, the redheaded beauty next to Minos blushed, looking at him, not knowing what to say. ''You could say that less shamefully!''


    ''Master is truly unbelievable! He has managed to conquer Miss Frost!'' Lee, level 56, looked in the direction of the royal family with a smile on his face, expressing admiration.


    Seeing this, Alison, level 56, standing next to him, looked thoughtfully at her husband and pinched him on the belly. "Wipe that smile off your face. I don''t want you even thinking about praising our master for the growth of his harem."


    "Ouch!"


    "My love, I wasn''t thinking anything wrong! I''m just happy for him!" He swore at her, showing a look of injustice on his face.


    "Humph!"


    "Who do you think you''re fooling? I know you too well, Lee!" She gave a killing look in his direction. ''Don''t even think about having more than one woman, or I''ll cut your thing off!''


    Seeing the look on his wife''s face, Lee bowed his head and remained silent while the people in the surrounding area went back to talking about serious matters.


    Minos then said. "Anyway, I want you to get ready. In some weeks, maybe a few months, I want most of our forces'' high-level Spiritual Emperors and Spiritual Kings to attack the enemy camps before they attack us."


    "Unfortunately, I can only attack one of their camps at a time. So, I will need your help."


    Vince Miller, level 61, then smiled and tapped one of Eliot''s shoulders. "Don''t worry, Your Grace, we''ll be prepared to handle it. That will be a good opportunity to test our new powers."


    "Hmmm."


    "Yes, unlike the soldiers of the Black Plain Army, most of us don''t have anyone to fight seriously with..."


    "Training alone is not enough to temper our strength!"


    "Haha, I''m looking forward to returning to the battlefields!"


    Several of the strongest people there agreed with the Miller family''s supreme elder. As for the other Spiritual Emperors and even Spiritual Kings like Lee, they too were pleased with Minos'' arrangements.


    Fights like these were opportunities to grow stronger through battles, but also because of the enemy resources that the victors could acquire.


    As such, they were not unhappy about having to return to fighting only four years after peace.


    On the other hand, unlike the Black Plain''s War of Independence that several of them had fought, this situation was completely different. Now they still had the numerical disadvantage, but they had the advantage in terms of cultivation level!


    Since Minos'' forces had fighting proficiencies far above the ordinary, their chances were much more significant than in the previous war. And since cultivators loved promising chances to get resources, they were pretty excited to go along with King Stuart''s proposal.


    New novels chapters are published ?n !


    Anyway, after this moment of meeting, each of the regional experts headed towards their balconies, from where they would watch the opening of this tournament.


    Minos, his wives, Dillian, Eda, and Abby''s parents did the same, settling down on a large balcony located in the stadium''s best position.


    From there, they could see much of the local audience in this place with a capacity to hold more than 100,000 people simultaneously. Moreover, the central stage, where hundreds of young people were now divided into many rows, could easily be observed by them even without using arrays.


    Their proximity was such that everyone on that balcony could see the details of the faces of the young people on that stage.


    Ruth then explained to her group. "These youths are representatives of each of the families and organizations participating in the Black Plain Tournament."


    "We couldn''t bring every single participant since over 50,000 people were able to register for our tournament successfully. But their representatives are there for the opening ceremony."


    As she spoke, the narrator of the competition explained the rules to the representatives of the participants and the audience present.


    Such a person said what Ruth had already explained to Gloria about the format of the competition and some critical details of this event.


    "... Also, the Black Plain Tournament does not have a specific number of ''winners.'' If there is only one suitable candidate, only he will have the chance to join the army. If there are 100, then 100 lucky ones will get that chance."


    Shouts of joy and determination burst from the crowds watching the opening ceremony, not only in that stadium but also in the squares of the capital and satellite cities of Dry City.


    "Wow!"


    "There isn''t a limit!"


    "So anyone with special skills can join the army?"


    "Tsk!"


    "That''s good, but it''s not that easy! Do you think they will call ordinary people? That only makes a difference to the most extraordinary ones!"


    "Still, that''s already amazing!"


    "Yes, at least these people won''t be vying for the army slots offered by the selection of soldiers among the locals..."


    Many spectators began to debate the matter, while the representatives of the participants had smiles on their faces.


    ''This is better!''


    ''With so many participants from all over the region, there are more high-level competitors than I had thought I would find here.'' One of the young women who had come with Misty''s group clenched her fists in determination, knowing that her chances of getting a spot in the army would be more significant now.


    At the same time, Misty was with King Snow''s group in one of the VIP areas in this stadium, watching in the direction of the main balcony.


    "It looks like His Majesty is getting ready to expand the number of talented people in his organization to the maximum." She commented in a low voice, catching Adam''s attention, this man who had not yet managed to advance a stage.


    Linette and Jade were not far away from them, discussing the future consequences of this.


    "It looks like a generation of young people will soon overtake us..." Linette commented to her harem sister. "Those of us who don''t get to the 7th stage quickly will only lose the difference in level to these youngsters."


    "Hmmm." Jade nodded in agreement. "That will create hundreds of Spiritual Emperors in just over a decade. We will fall completely behind in the region''s leadership if we don''t move fast!"


    "Sigh..."


    "But at least we''ll have a chance that some of these young people will be our family members." Linette looked in Minos'' direction. "That fellow likes to play with us. He gives us hope, but it also puts more burdens on our shoulders..."


    The narrator finally pointed to where Minos was standing and said. "... Now, let''s hear some words from His Grace, Minos Stuart, the King of the Black Plain."


    Minos then stood up from where he was and stood beside the glass of his balcony. He waved to the people in the surroundings and the array broadcasting the event. "Well, this tournament will determine not only the future soldiers of my army but also the future Spiritual Emperors of our region."


    "My wives and I are curious to know who will be the first of this generation to advance to the 7th stage, as well as who will break the current record..." He laughed.


    "Well then, I declare that this ''race'' to level 60 is on, and I wish all participants to do their best. We will give good prizes to the first to achieve such a feat."


    ...

 Chapter 1113 A Sign

    Chapter 1113 A Sign


    After Minos'' words regarding this new regional dream, reaching the 7th stage, the eyes of every person following this event shone with hope.


    So many there had dreamed just a few years ago of one day becoming Spiritual Kings, but now the person behind many Spiritual Emperors was promising advancements to those who joined his forces.


    It was something exciting for these people!


    "Damn! Why didn''t this happen when I was younger? Now how will I ever join the Black Plain Army?"


    "Forget about it, old man. Your hopes are your children and grandchildren..."


    "Yes! We can only rely on the younger generation and, who knows, take advantage of their possibilities. I''ve heard that the families of local soldiers are very well taken care of..."


    "Ah, damn it! I''m already 23 and can''t compete in this competition, and I don''t have a wife to have a child!" A young man pulled his hair in anger at himself.


    "What will I do?"


    "Become a citizen of the Black Plain. That''s your only chance..."


    People of all ages and social groups began to discuss the matter in the stands of that stadium.


    At the same time, the competitors scattered around the city were full of desire in their eyes, determined to do their best in this competition.


    ''7th stage, this is the chance for me to become a Spiritual Emperor in the future!'' A level 40 young man clenched his hands tightly as he looked at the screen that still showed the balcony where Minos and his family were.


    On the other hand, one of the most talented of this current generation, level 42, was smiling, already imagining his future. ''As long as I''m careful, I might have a chance to take first place and eventually be the first Spiritual Emperor of this group.''


    ''That will be my big chance to establish myself on the Black Plain!'' This young man from the Stone family thought about it silently.


    ''Besides, I won''t have to take any unnecessary risks by going to the Flaming Empire.''


    "Perfect!"


    Going to the Flaming Empire was a destination of no return for many talented young people who left this region. Not only because of the difficulties generated by the Spiritual Church but because many of them would die shortly after joining those sects!


    They would leave the region when they were only at the 5th stage and go to a place with hundreds of millions of Spiritual Kings...


    It was a difficult place to grow up without their families'' support!


    Hence, the opportunity to become a Spiritual Emperor in this region, close to their families, was very tempting for every person there.


    So much so that even some of the descendants of organizations significantly weakened by Minos could not help but see this fellow a little better.


    "This is a great chance!" A member of the Brown family said in a low voice with his companions.


    Most of them had smiles on their faces at the moment, many being subordinates who had grown up a lot after the punishments this royal family suffered in the post-war period.


    On the other hand, others there, members of the royalty and children of survivors of the war, had no reason to hate Minos.


    After all, they were low-level royalty. Their parents and grandparents were only level 49 Spiritual Generals, so they had not suffered as much from their family''s punishments and even gained a lot of ground in the post-war period.


    ''Very good!''


    ''That will be the chance for me to elevate my position in the royal succession!'' A young brunette woman from the Brown family thought about it as she looked in Minos'' direction with a smile on her face.


    ...


    As the hundreds of thousands of people following the opening of the Black Plain Tournament continued to ponder King Stuart''s words, the competition finally began!


    After a quick draw in which the representatives of the competitors took their group sheets and the order of the individual competitions, the first part of this competition soon began.


    This part of the competition judged spiritual professions, but it was not just standard tests, like simply preparing a pill in a comfortable and quiet room.


    No, such tests involved using the skills of these professionals in problematic situations, such as dealing with poison in their own bodies, taming wild beasts, assisting in battles, etc.


    Each profession had its limiting characteristics, so the tests were different for each group of spiritual professions. However, none of the tests followed the standard protocol of these activities. Instead, it tried to estimate the potential of these young competitors in stressful situations, where they could show their weaknesses.


    While they were following that, Abby asked Ruth. "This is very interesting, but how long will we have to be present in this place?"


    Gloria then laughed at Abby''s question. "Haha, are you bored already? And I who had to put up with your wedding for a whole day..."


    "Tsk!"


    Ruth then said. "We don''t have to stay here all day, but I think it''s interesting that we follow this for at least the first 3 hours. It shows the population that we care about this event."


    "Oh? Well, that''s not so much, so that''s fine..." Abby sighed.


    "But at the finals, we will have to attend the whole occasion. So, that means we''ll be doing this for a whole day on the last day of the tournament." Ruth said with a look of sorry at Abby.


    "Sigh..."


    Minos saw his queen sigh and massaged the middle of her back. "All right, when we deal with that final, we''ll make a special occasion for everyone to relax."


    "Oh?"


    Minos then picked up some drinks and snacks for his women, offering Gloria a cup of drink. "Drink up. This drink here is specially made on the Black Plain."


    "Let me try..." So she went to taste that golden liquid, but when she smelled it, she suddenly felt nauseous.


    Seeing the expression on her face, Minos frowned and took the cup back. "Is there a problem, dear? Maybe it''s not your taste?"


    She nodded at him. "Hmm, strangely, I felt dizzy just smelling this drink. I guess I''d better not consume it."


    Abby heard that and continued to drink from her glass, looking strangely at Gloria. ''Don''t tell me you''re too good to drink our wine? I hope you don''t get hard to please with our products...''


    Thus, quickly the time began to pass, and in the blink of an eye, the first day of competitions on the Black Plain ended.


    ...


    While tourists and citizens in the capital of the Black Plain were celebrating the beginning of the local tournament, a few hundred kilometers away from this city, a bird landed on a mountain peak.


    When this crow landed there, a relatively young-looking black-haired man awoke from his meditation. Then, with a finger gesture, he made the scroll tied to that bird fly into his right hand.


    ''That is a message from one of the people I paid to enter Dry City...'' He pondered as he saw the symbol on that paper.


    After that, this man read the contents of that letter, confirming some news circulating in the region.


    ''So this woman truly moved to this damn place?'' He noted Gloria''s name on that paper, and his face turned considerably dark.


    ''What does this mean? What is this woman doing? Don''t tell me that the Church sent her to respond to our actions?'' This level 70 Spiritual Saint wondered while he had an ugly expression on his face.


    "Damn it!"


    "I have to report His Highness!" He immediately stood up and wrote a letter, sending it in another crow shortly after.


    ''For the time being, I will stay in my position, still awaiting the movement of this fellow.''


    ''I don''t think he will stay in his city much longer, considering the numbers of vermins spreading around his territory...'' He remembered the camps he had been watching on the borders of the Black Plain.


    ''That woman probably won''t keep up with him if he leaves that city...''


    "I guess." He swallowed his saliva. ''If she accompanies him, I will have no choice but to give up my mission.''


    ''But if she remains in Dry City, I''ll have to guarantee his death when he leaves! After that, I will flee to another continent!'' He clenched his fists, determined to do his best to ensure the success of his superior.

 Chapter 1114 Going to the Black Plain 1

    Chapter 1114 Going to the Black Plain 1


    A few days later, in the capital of the Flaming Empire...


    In one part of this great metropolis, the majestic temple of the Spiritual Church, similar to those in the northern region, only much nobler and larger, stole glances from people passing by on the nearby streets.


    The culture of the Spiritual Church was much more mixed with that of this empire than that of the northern region. So, there were a more significant number of devotees in this place than in the region of Minos.


    That could be seen at any hour of the day in the temples of the Church, from where tens of thousands of people came and went at all hours to exercise their faiths.


    Not only this, unlike in the region of Minos, where few sought to become members of the Church, this organization was definitely the most attractive to the local population in this state.


    Not only because of the natural power of this organization but also because of the proximity of the Flaming Empire to the headquarters of the Spiritual Church, which was in the southern state, the Evergreen Empire.


    The Evergreen Empire was a high-level empire not limited by the 8th stage like the Flaming Empire. In such a state, there were Spiritual Demigods and countless Spiritual Sages, one step above the state of Gloria.


    Because of this, naturally, the people of the Flaming Empire saw this institution as their focus, and the local temples were highly well-liked by the population.


    In the middle of this place, where thousands of people were demonstrating their faith by kneeling around one of the statues in the common area, a silver-haired woman was running in a hurry. As her hair swayed in the air, she had a red flashing object in her hands, and a strange look could be seen on her face.


    ''I don''t believe it! Is it really true? How?'' She swallowed her saliva as she reached her aunt''s property.


    "Hmm? What are you doing here, little Zoe?" A Spiritual Saint sitting outside that property asked her. "Your uncle is not around here..."p


    "My uncle isn''t here? No problem, I want to talk to my aunt!" She agitatedly said, running into that property.


    This watchman did not bother to stop her, but seeing the object in her hands, he could not help but suspect something. ''Is that a soul lamp? That red color, that...''


    Gulp!


    ''I wonder whose that is? Don''t tell me that ...''


    ...


    While that old fellow had his theories in mind, Zoe came to the side of her aunt, a woman who looked young for someone with a head full of white hair.


    And she was indeed as old as her hair showed, despite how soft and smooth her skin looked.


    But this was not surprising. After all, how could a high-level Spiritual Saint like her be young?


    In any case, with her ability to use her spiritual energy to alter her body, this 5,000-year-old woman looked slightly older than Eda.


    "Aunt Margot, something has happened. Look at this!" Zoe agitatedly said as she reached the side of this level 77 beauty, who was playing a musical instrument.


    Margot then opened her eyes and looked at her only sister-in-law''s daughter. "Zoe, what are you..." So, she was saying when she saw that rare sign among this organization''s people.


    "That is a soul lamp! This color..." She remembered the capabilities of this item.


    Soul lamps usually held the vital sign of their owners, which could indicate to people far away from such an individual whether he was alive or dead. But arrays with this proposal that was of a high level, like that item, could indicate more than that.


    For example, if the owner of one of these became seriously injured or ill, it could indicate this by flashing black. As for that red color, there was only one possibility...


    Gulp!


    "Whose soul lamp is that, Zoe?" The woman swallowed her saliva, thinking of the most important person to her.


    Seeing the smile on this silent woman''s face, Margot clenched her fists and trembled before flying away from there towards her target.


    Boom!


    Several glasses in the surrounding area exploded due to her movement, drawing the attention of the guard in that house.


    "Ma''am, what happened? Where are you going?" The guard from before, level 74, tried to keep up with her.


    .


    While flying at speed, she did not say much as she showed that item to the guard at her residence. "I''m going to see the person behind this here! Tell my husband not to worry about me."


    "I''ll make the bastard behind it come with me and take responsibility!"


    ...


    As one of the strongest members of the Spiritual Church in the Flaming Empire departed from that temple, causing a commotion, Emperor Edwarstone received an unusual visit to his palace.


    In that imperial throne area, as usual, several Spiritual Saints of the imperial guard were in their positions, along with the emperor''s advisors and this individual on his throne.


    Harold Edwardstone then looked up from his throne at the beautiful brown-haired woman on bended knees in the middle of that hall. "Young Maisie, you truly are talented. You have already reached level 71 at such an age... It might not be impossible for you to reach my level in the future."


    "Your Majesty is exaggerating. My father didn''t take much longer than me to reach the 8th stage, but it took him more than 4,000 years just to reach level 79." King Stuart''s mother said sincerely.


    In the Flaming Empire, reaching the 8th stage was not difficult for people with Silver talent, with good techniques and resources, as in Maisie''s case and Ruth''s.


    That was similar to what happened before the rise of Minos in the northern region for cultivators with Black talent, with good techniques and resources by local standards, to reach the 6th stage.


    Because of this similarity, reaching level 80 was challenging in this state, and each higher level of the 8th stage took much longer than the previous ones.


    Therefore, she was not just humble in the presence of the emperor, the only man at level 80 in this state.


    Hearing Maisie''s response, the emperor laughed and asked. "So, what do you want with me? Heirs of sects or great families rarely come to see me in place of their leaders."


    Maisie then went straight to the point. "Your Majesty, I come here to ask permission for my sect to attack the royal family of Vogel!"


    "What?"


    "Miss Coleman, do you know what you are talking about?"


    "Nonsense! You want to incite another bloody war?"


    Several of the emperor''s guards and advisors demonstrated their thoughts contrary to what Maisie had just asked.


    Emperor Edwardstone frowned his red-headed eyebrows and watched Maisie in silence for a moment. "Why do you want to attack one of our enemies like this now?"


    "Answering Your Majesty, I suspect someone from the Vogel family has sent a Spiritual Saint to the northern region to attack my son. I want to attack the Vogel family to get proof of this so we can turn them over to the Spiritual Church." She said.


    The Gray Clouds Sect had vigorously attacked that state recently, even battling against one of Vogel''s large organizations.


    Since she had participated in these attacks and the investigations regarding the people who attacked the Black Plain, Maisie had noticed certain strange coincidences regarding the Vogel family.


    Because of this and her instincts, she felt she could get the truth by attacking that organization and finding a witness.


    "That''s a grave accusation!"


    "It doesn''t make sense! Why would the Vogel family risk everything for a mere Spiritual King?"


    "It''s bizarre..."


    "Sigh..."


    "That son of yours causes a lot of trouble, huh?" Harald commented as he smiled oddly, remembering that even the womanizing Oswald did not cause that much trouble in his days.


    Maisie did not accept this comment and said. "No, Your Majesty. My Minos is just living his life in peace. It''s other people who like to bring trouble to him."


    "Is that so?" He laughed, watching Maisie defending her ''cub.'' But after that, he became serious and said. "I would love for the Vogel family to disappear since that would weaken the alliance of these enemy kingdoms."


    "But if I authorize your action, we will all be at risk of a new bloody war with the four kingdoms to the north." His eyes narrowed. "We already lost a lot in the fight three thousand years ago, so we can''t have another one now."


    "I refuse your request and forbid the Gray Clouds Sect from pursuing this matter further. Of course, if you want to investigate the innocence of the Vogel family, I don''t mind. But no further actions outside the empire."


    ...

 Chapter 1115 Going to the Black Plain 2

    Chapter 1115 Going to the Black Plain 2


    After the emperor''s order, Maisie stood for a few moments in that place while people in the surrounding area commented on how irrational her request had been.


    If what she was saying was true, then it would be great, and in no time, an enemy of the empire could be exterminated by the Spiritual Church. But they did not want to engage in such extreme actions as the one she was suggesting.


    The Flaming Empire had already had complicated relations with the kingdoms to the north for a long time. But after the last major conflict, they had kept hostilities at an ''acceptable'' level, with only problems happening on the borders.


    There was an area within a few hundred kilometers of each border where the peace agreement signed at the end of the last war was invalid. In this large area, everyone on either side that crossed the borders suffered unimaginable dangers due to the tensions on both sides.


    Even low-level people were no exception since there was no way for either side to know who would become a new expert in the future.


    For example, the recent attack by Maisie''s sect had happened in this area, and for this reason alone, no one had stopped them. But the Vogel family was in a location in the middle of that state, so attacking it would be an actual declaration of war!


    And since they wanted to avoid a new war at this time when they had not yet fully recovered from the last one, these people from the imperial family could not help but look down on Maisie''s request.


    "Sigh..."


    ''So, now I can only return to the Black Plain to discuss this with my son and protect him.'' She thought, still in that place.


    ''I heard that Gloria went to Dry City, but will she alone be able to do anything? Not to mention that she is from the Spiritual Church and not someone I can trust...''


    After thinking about what she should do, Maisie said goodbye to the emperor and made her way to the northern region of the Central Continent.


    ''Well, it won''t be bad to see my son now. I haven''t seen him for a while, and I want to see how Ruth has grown after reaching the 7th stage.''


    ...


    Meanwhile...


    A few days passed, and the local Black Plain Tournament reached its halfway point.


    In the meantime, countless fights and hotly contested matches had taken place in the stadiums of the capital and satellite cities of Dry City.


    It had been so well disputed that many tourists and citizens were already commenting on how this competition had already started better than the last editions of the Spiritual Tournament.


    In particular, the Minos tournament had been more impressive than the edition of this Flaming Empire sect competition that had taken place only a few years ago.


    At that time, the event on Stone Island was one of the weakest in hundreds of years. But it was to be expected. After all, the Black Plain War of Independence had significantly weakened the region and required the local families not to send their most talented youngsters away.


    They needed to replace the fallen Spiritual Kings!


    So, coupled with the recovery during the peace and the possibility of these talented youths staying in the region, there was no way that the Black Plain Tournament would not have more exciting moments than that past event.


    The format of the competition run by Ruth was also different from the other one, so naturally, the regional population had greatly appreciated such an event until then.


    Anyway, Minos and his family had been following the data of this tournament that aimed to bring new soldiers into his army. But they were doing this from the royal palace with the notes of administrative soldiers and even the royal instructor.


    ...


    "... So that''s what I had to talk to you about today, Minos," Grant said as he stood up, intending to return to his training job in the army.


    Minos did not look at that man. Instead, he just continued focusing on the list Grant had left for him to review. "Hmm, I''ll talk to you tomorrow." He said as he waved a hand.


    Meanwhile, Abby and Ruth were also reading the reports of the most compelling competitors, helping Minos keep track of the individuals with the most potential to join the army.


    "With this competition, I think we can bring over 200 young people with Black talent into the army..." Ruth commented as she finished reading the papers in her hands.


    Abby then nodded and said. "There are even three people with Silver talent... Not bad for our first competition!"


    "Hmm," Minos nodded to the two. "But several of them are from regional royal families, so we have to put some restrictions on them within the army until we have more power."


    Ruth then suggested. "We can raise the standards for soldiers trying to get into the Elite Squad. With the recent army selection and the promotion of several soldiers, it''s time for us to do that."


    Abby nodded. "We already have over half a million soldiers, so raising the standard to make it harder for certain soldiers to get promoted is the best we can do."


    "On the other hand, those future soldiers who have no problems on their record, we can just promote them as a reward or something."


    "Yes, let''s do that." Minos liked the idea of his wives.


    After a few moments of dealing with this issue, they finished talking about the future soldiers that would be added to their forces through the current tournament.


    Then, Gloria appeared in that place, something quite common to happen at this time of the day since her arrival in Dry City. She had been given an office not far from Minos'' and even some people. So, she would come to see her man whenever she finished her services.


    "Gloria, what have you been doing recently? You look more beautiful than ever!" Minos looked into the eyes of the woman who had just sat on his lap.


    She smiled but only considered that such a thing was another one of his compliments. So, she did not answer him with words but with a kiss.


    "Mmmmm~"


    Abby looked at Gloria strangely, thinking that Minos'' comment had not been casual. ''She does look prettier...''


    But Minos'' queen soon made those two stop by touching on a serious subject. ''My love, what will we do about the trade of techniques in our state? There are already a large number of copies being traded across the Black Plain. Even several experts have started producing and selling their techniques."


    Anyone with a good understanding of Natural Laws could develop techniques. With this, since there was already a large number of Spiritual Kings in this region who did not focus their time on spiritual professions, nor were they warriors, some had been focusing on developing techniques.


    Spiritual Kings could develop Blue-grade techniques and make copies of Black-grade ones.


    With this ability and the great regional demand for techniques of that quality, a new market had arisen due to the increase in cultivators capable of producing it.


    Ruth then commented. "Previously, original techniques were costly, as only the large regional families had Spiritual Kings to produce them, and they hardly sold them. But with many rogue Spiritual Kings appearing in our state, the supply has increased so much that even small rich families can now buy these techniques."


    Unlike the Black Plain, the rest of the region still lacked Blue-grade techniques for its inhabitants. In some places, these techniques were already being distributed free of charge to their population, but hundreds of millions still would love to buy techniques of this quality.


    With that, this new market had been developing, and these two could not help but talk about it with Minos.


    "Well, naturally, we will tax that market." He smiled. "The Black Plain is opening doors for these people, but they also have to give us something in return when they are successful..."


    They momentarily laughed as Gloria looked into Minos'' eyes with plenty of affection in hers. "What about higher grade techniques? You need a trade for those too, right?"


    He continued holding her waist and said. "Yes, but only by leaving the region will I be able to get in touch with groups or companies that specialize in creating spiritual techniques."


    "It will still be a few years before my army has anyone capable of producing anything of the sort... Perhaps you will be the first when you reach level 70." He briefly kissed her lips, smiling.


    "Unfortunately, I won''t be able to do that. I''m sorry..." She smiled bitterly. "But I can point you to several places in the Flaming Empire for you to visit. We will be going there in a short time, right?"

 Chapter 1116 End of the Black Plain Tournament

    Chapter 1116 End of the Black Plain Tournament


    "Yes, after we resolve these issues with these criminals and stop by the Kingdom of the Waves to work something out, we''ll head to the Flaming Empire," Minos commented as he looked at Gloria and winked at Abby.


    As Abby smiled at Minos, Gloria continued to play with his hair and asked. "Do you think we will resolve this situation in a short time? Considering your last war, why don''t you imagine resolving this will take several years?"


    He then answered her. "The Black Plain''s War of Independence and this situation are different. Before, I had no power, no influence, not enough allies to fight and win a confrontation in a short time."


    "But today, I have all that, and I still have you and your Church to ensure the region''s safety. So, unless countless people start defying the laws of the Church, I am confident of ending this situation in a short time."


    "Oh? You have that much power on your side?" She smiled curiously. "From what I heard, there will be tens of thousands of enemy Spiritual Kings, right? How are you going to deal with that many people? Spiritual Emperors are strong, but even I would die if I tried to face so many opponents."


    "As I said before, dear Gloria, I''m a little stronger than you, hehe." He squeezed one of her thighs as she looked at him intently.


    "Is that so? And why don''t we train together so you can show me that? I don''t want to hear you repeating those arrogant things without having proof."


    He noted the slightly annoyed look on her face, but still with the loving expression typical of this beauty. "I would love to do that, but before such a thing, you must choose between the Church and me. Only when you can keep my secrets from the people in your organization will I show you all that I am capable of."


    ''What does that mean?'' She looked at him, full of curiosity in her eyes, not understanding what Minos was so afraid of.


    He then continued his previous words. "In any case, as long as there aren''t dozens of Spiritual Emperors or a Spiritual Saint among the opponents, we will be able to deal with these criminals in no time."


    "Then, after we settle Abby''s affairs in the Kingdom of the Waves, we will travel to the Flaming Empire."


    Gloria and Ruth already knew about the inheritance from the Goddess of Life, so when Minos mentioned such a thing, they both readily understood what he wanted to find in the Kingdom of the Waves.


    There were still some months until the deadline he promised the Walker family would expire, so Minos was in no hurry to take his wife to that place just because she had already reached level 60.


    Gloria then said. "All right, I will take you to order your Black-grade techniques and buy copies of Silver-grade techniques when the time comes."


    "I''ll be your tour guide..."


    They smiled at that comment and soon began to plan this trip. "But don''t get too excited, Gloria. When we leave the northern region, we will travel little by little through those states neighboring our region and the empire..."


    ...


    A few more days passed, and finally, the last day of competitions on the Black Plain ended.


    After almost a month of fighting and daily matches, 99% of the competitors had been eliminated, leaving only the finalists who fought on this day.


    The final had been a memorable one, with several battles that would probably remain in the memories of the millions of people who followed this event on the final stage or in the streets of the capital.


    On the other hand, Minos and his family had followed the last day of this event from start to end, and as much as they were not impressed with the level of this type of competition, they had seen good things today.


    Because of how successful their initiative had been, the core of the local royalty had not been too bored with having to follow the event planned by Ruth.


    With that, as the audience of over 100,000 people continued in their seats in the Dry City Stadium, Gloria walked ahead of several young people, heading for the VIP area, where Minos was.


    Minos, Abby, and Ruth continued in that VIP area protected by spirit arrays, hiding their levels from the curious while they waited to award those young people.


    After this day, each of them would become a soldier in the local army, and they would already have to follow the rules of such an organization. So, allowing them to sense Minos'' level would not be a problem.


    In any case, Minos intended to act in a few more days, so holding these people would not be a problem.


    Anyway, after the narrator finished announcing all the names of the competitors who would have the chance to join the army, more than 150 names, the group of young people who achieved first place finally entered Minos'' area.


    This group had competitors who reached first place in each tournament stage. In this group were nine spiritual professionals, one individual warrior, and four warriors from the group that won the collective battles.


    When they met the royal family on that special balcony, the 14 youths swallowed their saliva as they watched the three young Spiritual Emperors in front of them.


    ''All of them are already at the 7th stage!'' A young woman from the Kingdom of the End looked at Minos'' handsome face and blushed, confirming why her state had lost in the war and subjected itself to this person. ''Not for nothing! He is amazing!''


    On the other hand, the young man from the Stone family in that group was not so surprised by this. He did not know anything about it, but he already expected Minos to be a Spiritual Emperor. ''It will be impossible to beat his record!''


    ''He''s under 30 and is already at that level. Who among us will achieve that?''


    As Minos and his wives were already handing out those youths'' medals, this being broadcast to the people in that stadium and the city, a young man from the Cromwell Kingdom, asked. "Your Majesty, how will we beat the record? That is impossible."


    "Is it?" Minos laughed and pointed in Lee''s direction. "That one over there is about five years younger than me, and already at level 56, he''ll have a chance to do the impossible, even though he only has one Black talent."


    Abby then complemented her husband''s line. "So, don''t worry about beating Minos'' record or mine. Just think that your competitor is that one over there."


    All the youths there looked toward the individual getting a tug of the ear from a beautiful woman. ''Duke and Duchess Hunt!'' They recognized such a prominent couple.


    After that, each of those young people greeted the rest of the people there, such as Abby''s parents, Dillian and Abby.


    Meanwhile, the audience was finally starting to leave the stands, happy for all they saw and sad that such a competition was over.


    "Oh, that was so awesome! I never thought it would be so cool!" One young man commented to his group on one of the exit stairs.


    "Hmm, my grandfather always told me about the Spiritual Tournament and how I should watch it one day... And indeed, watching this kind of competition up close brings an incredible feeling to the soul!"


    "I feel motivated because of it!"


    A group of elders in another part of that stadium was also discussing the competition days. "It was terrific!"


    "Hmm, even more so considering that many young rogue cultivators showed up at this event, and some of them were not called up by the local army."


    "That''s our chance!"


    Minos'' team had chosen the best candidates to join his army. But those who, even with potential, did not show some results in the competition naturally lost their chance to join this organization.


    Because of this, many people were now available for these regional families to attract to their sides.


    The best of all?


    Since it made no difference whether or not they were part of regional organizations to enter the army, they would most likely join these powers to try to enter the army again in the future.


    With that, many had won in this competition period and were now preparing to return to their homes and states with their winnings or experiences.


    "Luckily, this competition will take place at shorter intervals than the Spiritual Tournament... I''ll have a chance to return in a few years!" One young man who did not get one of the spots clenched his fists in determination as he watched the group of winners bid farewell to the royal family.

 Chapter ?1117 Attack Time!

    Chapter ?1117 Attack Time!


    A few days later...


    In one of the many artificial forests made by the Black Plain in this territory, a large group of humans was assembled at one of the edges of this place.


    In this region near the Black Plain''s border with the Cromwell Kingdom, several small camp structures were in the surroundings, near the many secret entrances to this forest.


    But not only humans were in this area, but beasts of various kinds were also stationed there, waiting for the moment to act.


    There were birds so big that they could carry up to six people on their backs, tigers the size of two-story human houses, and the famous Feathered Serpents. Also, in this area was a group of red-furred monkeys.


    One of these monkeys, one at level 60, then looked at the leader of this place and asked. "Elder Virtus, when are we going to act? My hand is already aching!"


    The great Feathered Serpent leader of this forest, level 62, then looked at that Diamond Monkey and replied. "I don''t know. We have to wait for Minos'' signal. Anyway, it shouldn''t be long..."


    Hearing this, the leader of the Diamond Monkeys, a tribe living in a part of the Endless Snow Mountain Range within Minos'' territory, became silent.


    This group had been gathered a few days ago when Minos received the information from his spies that a large assembly of the criminals of Albano was going to take place on this day. Because of this, the King of the Black Plain had already given his orders for the allied and vassal forces to gather in the forests of his state.


    Not only in this post where Virtus was, there were people from Minos'' forces, but in every forest and region close to the enemy camps, there were groups like this one.


    In this place was Virtus, that Diamond Monkey, and six more Spiritual Emperors. At five other points in this territory were Emlyn, Abby, and Ruth, in short, except Gloria, all the Spiritual Emperors of this state.


    Even those individuals of Stone Island were at this instant preparing for battles at the borders of the Black Plain. Except for King Stone, all the top experts of that state had obeyed Minos'' call to fight in this place.


    On the other hand, more than 2,000 Spiritual Kings were together with these experts, each ready to help deal with the tens of thousands of enemy Spiritual Kings.


    The difference between their numbers was huge, but each had spent at least four years training in teams, aiming to improve their weaknesses through the collective. In addition, they had the advantage of their positions, arrays, and weapons suited to their strengths.


    So, even in this complicated situation, determined looks could be seen among the many humans in the surroundings of these camps.


    In the case of the beasts, they naturally viewed the battlefield more positively than the humans, so they were the least concerned.


    Even Kyla was in one of these groups, eager to be able to fight and demonstrate her level 55 powers.


    As for Gloria, she naturally knew about all of Minos'' planning, but as a member of the Spiritual Church, she had stayed in Dry City.


    At first, she did not want to do such a thing since watching the battlefield was not precisely a limitation for her. As long as she did not get involved in helping either side, there would be no problem with her watching everything.


    But Minos had insisted that she stay in Dry City and ensure the safety of that place in his absence. Because of that, she was not around.


    "Will we be able to win?" Robin, level 54, asked Barbara, level 55, and Peter, level 57, who were standing nearby.


    Peter then massaged his friend''s shoulder and said. "Of course, with His Grace on our side, we will win in no time. We just have to deal with the situation until he or the other groups finish with their tasks."


    Each team was going to attack a different enemy camp since the enemies were spread out in several groups around the borders of the Black Plain. So, naturally, the strongest of this Minos'' force would support other groups once they finished their missions.


    Since several powerful people were on Minos'' side, Peter was confident of victory for the Black Plain!


    Barbara then commented. "Robin, don''t doubt our strength. Every soldier in the army above level 55 has combat proficiencies similar to the strongest Spiritual Kings on the enemies'' side. But most of them are not at that level. Many are of lower levels than yours!"


    "Thus, we have more of an advantage than you think!"


    Brooke, who was also standing there, then said. "And don''t forget that we have several levels 61 and even some level 62 Spiritual Emperors on our side!"


    "Each of them can easily kill a hundred enemy leaders with ease!"


    Hearing this, Robin felt reassured as she continued to lie on a plot of land near the enemy camp they were going to attack.


    ...


    At the same time as that, in another forested region, near the border with the Brown Kingdom, Ruth and Abby were leading the group in that place.


    "Your Graces, isn''t it better for you to return to Dry City? I think it is too dangerous for you to participate in this confrontation."


    Gaia, a level 60 Feathered Serpent, said as she looked at those two humans near the front point from where their attack would depart.


    Those two women were not with Minos, so that beast was naturally worried that something might happen to them.


    "Don''t worry, Gaia," Abby said with a smile on her face. "Ruth and I have instantaneous teleportation arrays with us. So, if someone powerful shows up on the battlefield, we will flee immediately."


    Ruth nodded and said. "Besides, we have our royal guard with us."


    Besides Abby''s father, who was there, the members of the royal guard, Eduard, Mirya, Celeste, and Angela, were also in this group. Their job in this place was naturally to eliminate enemy Spiritual Kings. But if anything unusual arose, their priority was ensuring the King''s wives'' survival.


    Besides them, Dillian was also there to take care of any possible problems regarding them.


    Anyway, listening to Ruth and Abby''s explanation, Gaia did not know what else to say, but she still did not like risks as significant as these.


    "Don''t overthink about it. After Minos, we are the strongest in the region." Abby commented in a confident tone. "Unless a Spiritual Saint shows up to hunt us down, we have enough strength to at least escape in time."


    "Sigh..."


    "Fine. But let my group begin the attack."


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the camp led by Emlyn, Kyla was standing next to her mother, anxiously waiting for the attack to begin.


    "Mom, where is big brother? Is he going to attack with us?" She asked, amidst the group of Spiritual Emperors in that area, among them, Lorelei and other people from Stone Island.


    Emlyn, who advanced two days ago to level 62, then answered. "Minos will attack the enemy''s main camp, so he is not around to fight on your side."


    "Ahh..." The ''little'' one next to Emlyn lamented as she looked at the spiritual beasts at the peak 6th stage who was there.


    As she began to make her plans with her friends, Adam Snow and King Carline''s women were also in the area, but they had not yet advanced to the 7th stage.


    He asked. "Who will attack with Minos? I saw him leaving alone earlier..."


    Some 7th stage beasts and humans then looked in the direction of this fellow and laughed.


    "He will naturally attack alone." Someone said this in a funny tone.


    "What?" The two harem sisters felt worried upon hearing such a thing. "Isn''t that dangerous? I would be willing to go with him if he wanted to!" One of the two said.


    Elen, who was in that group, then declared. "The main camp of the enemies should have around 10 to 15 thousand Spiritual Kings."


    "It''s truly a danger to us, but not to him."


    Elena, standing next to Elen, then laughed and said. "You two are underestimating Minos!"


    "He can finish off his enemies and still come to help us..."


    "Impossible!"


    "No way!" The two exclaimed as neither of them was aware of Minos'' combat proficiency after he reached the 7th stage.


    ''A Spiritual Emperor can do all that?'' Jade looked in the direction of Emlyn, the strongest in this place.

 Chapter ?1118 Intruder and Capture 1

    Chapter ?1118 Intruder and Capture 1


    While many groups were scattered around the borders of the Black Plain, some of Albano''s royal guards had already left the camps they had infiltrated.


    They had already gathered a lot of information among those criminals, and, more importantly, upon realizing that something was about to happen, they could not help but hurry their departure.


    After all, unlike these criminals and mercenaries without a background that could complicate the situation, they had the great royal family of Albano behind them. So, if they were caught doing what they should not in this region, their entire organization and families could be compromised!


    Hence, even before sunrise, they had already left the various camps around the borders of the Black Plain.


    Specifically, one of these groups was, at this moment, rushing back to Albano.


    "And to think that so many criminals would go so far as to organize themselves like this..." One of the three individuals returning to Albano commented in a tone full of wonderment.


    They had never heard of so many criminals coming together for the same purpose, following orders like soldiers, as was happening with that large group about to invade the Black Plain.


    "Well, but it''s not for nothing. If everything they say about the Black Plain is true, then this place is a great opportunity for Spiritual Kings like us who don''t have great expectations in the kingdom." The strongest of the three commented in an interested tone.


    "What are you thinking, boss?"


    That man then said. "First, we obviously have to inform the royal family about all this. We don''t know how this situation might impact us in the future, so our experts must learn about it."


    "Whether it''s these criminals or House Stuart, if what we learn from the Black Plain is true, a powerful force will emerge on our border."


    "That is not a simple thing!"


    "Yes, that could bring chaos to the kingdom in the future..." The two individuals commented on similar things.


    Spiritual Kings could not influence the power dynamics of a state with Spiritual Saints, as was the case with Albano. But if every high-level Spiritual King in that region eventually reached level 69, as the criminals seemed to believe was possible, then yes, that could influence that state.


    Hence the concern of these people!


    Their leader then smiled. "Second, why don''t we take advantage of those opportunities from that place?"


    "What? Are you crazy, boss?"


    "Idiot, think it over!" The boss laughed. "We are connected to the royal family and can''t get involved. But what about our parents and grandparents? None of them are part of Albano organizations. They are just Spiritual Kings with no prospects."


    "So, sending them to this region won''t cause any problems for the royal family or us!"


    "Oh?" The individual from earlier said in surprise, understanding his boss'' point.


    "We can do that!"


    "But boss," The other looked doubtfully at that man riding a beast that seemed like a horse. "Won''t it be dangerous to do that? Criminals will soon overrun this place..."


    "We don''t know that for sure." He said in an uncertain tone. "There are many Spiritual Emperors in the Black Plain, and regardless of who wins the conflict, it is undeniable that they will need high-level people for all kinds of service in this region."


    "Besides, our family members are not criminals. So, they are unlikely to be involved in trouble when they come here."


    "Hmm, that''s a good idea!"


    "Yes, I don''t think the risks are that great. Besides, some of my relatives won''t live much longer if they don''t get advancements. So, maybe they will be okay with the risks themselves."


    "True. My old man will only live another 200 years if he stays in Albano..."


    They continued to talk about this as they walked quickly away from the camp they had left.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the main camp of the invaders...


    In this part of the Cromwell Kingdom, near the Red Valley of the Black Plain, more than 13,000 Spiritual Kings were in the area, preparing for the invasion.


    The number of Black Plain enemies near this state''s borders had already passed 60,000. Therefore, the moment of confrontation of these forces with Minos was imminent.


    Because of this, a meeting between the most vital criminals of this alliance was taking place this day in such a main camp, which needed to happen before the invasion began.


    After all, even with significant numbers, they could not take the Black Plain in a single day. No, even if everything went according to their plan, it would take them at least a few months to deal with the entire presence of Minos'' forces there.


    Hence, they needed to have their plans well reviewed to begin this invasion war!


    Anyway, they were doing this in the main tent, where over 100 people were talking.


    "... With that, we are almost ready to begin the domination of the Black Plain!" One of them finished explaining the basics of what they would be doing as he looked at the people in the surrounding area.


    After that, while many were laughing and looking forward to the battles, one of the strongest stood up from his seat and walked to the center of that area. "My friends, before we finish this, I have some guests to introduce to you."


    The place became silent after such words, and that man then pointed toward one of the exits of that tent. "Friends of Furious Shadows, please..."


    After that, three Spiritual Emperors from that Albano organization walked over to where that person was standing.


    After seeing that, many eyebrows drew together tightly. "What is the meaning of this, Daniel?" One of the many women there asked.


    "Fellows, calm down." He gestures to the people who seem to be starting to doubt his initiative. "Everyone here should know that Furious Shadows is actually after several high-level criminals from our state, right?"


    He saw several people nodding and continued. "Well, this sect discovered the rumors about the Black Plain and was already preparing to act. But then they found out about our plans."


    "After a few conversations, they decided to join us!"


    One of the three Spiritual Emperors, a level 62 old man, said. "Originally, we were going to risk angering the Spiritual Church by acting in this region. But because of your initiative, we can easily hide our involvement and still help you."


    "That way, we want our Spiritual Emperors to deal with the enemy experts during the invasion that will begin soon. In the meantime, you will have room to dominate the Black Plain quickly."


    One of the women there then commented. "That sounds tempting... But how much will we lose because of it?"


    Several cold stares broke out against those three and the Spiritual King who brought them there.


    One of the level 62 old man''s companions laughed and said. "Don''t worry. We can''t get too involved. Otherwise, we will alert the Church. So, you will still get most of what the Black Plain offers."


    "We only want 20% of the crystal revenues from that place."


    "20%?"


    "That''s a lot!"


    "Is it? We will have the help of Spiritual Emperors by the shadows..."


    "We can''t be sure of that..."


    The criminals there began to discuss the matter, continuing o this for several minutes until someone commented that eventually, more Albano groups would make similar decisions as Furious Shadows.


    In this case, it would be better if they were already connected to that organization!


    They would at least have a relatively mighty power on their side to help them deal with other organizations interested in the Black Plain.


    After that, one of the more doubtful ones there sighed and said. "Well, there don''t seem to be any alternatives, so I agree. But I would like Soul Contracts guaranteeing us those conditions."


    "Hmm, I want that guarantee too..."


    The old Spiritual Emperor smiled upon hearing those things. "We can do that."


    Then the mood in the place improved considerably, with them quickly starting to act like allies before the war started.


    "So, when are we going to attack? I can''t wait to start enjoying the local riches!" A red-haired man asked.


    "We can start that in another five days. By that time, our brothers will be here to join us." A level 60 Spiritual Emperor said.


    "Haha, at this rate, we will take the Black Plain in less than a month!"


    Laughter arose in the air until suddenly, a young, cold voice emerged from the ceiling of that area. "I wouldn''t be so sure, invaders!"


    ...

 Chapter ?1119 Intruder and Capture 2

    Chapter ?1119 Intruder and Capture 2


    The moment Minos'' voice came up from the ceiling of that place, all the people there looked up and saw the figure of this young man.


    Upon seeing him, each of them opened their mouths and eyes wide, seeing a level 60 Spiritual Emperor wholly equipped with low-level grade-3 items.


    That was extremely rare to see, even in Albano!


    Minos wore a dark-gold body armor that protected his abdomen, chest, back, thighs, and shoulders with thick metal plates. At the same time, he had a purple-bladed sword in his right hand, and only his face was uncovered, revealing his brown eyes and hair.


    Seeing this handsome young man who seemed to be wealthy, the people there finally regained some of their calm to understand this situation.


    "What''s going on?"


    "Who are you?"


    "Why are you in our camp?" A Spiritual King next to the three Spiritual Emperors asked as those three looked cautiously at Minos.


    They should be stronger than this newcomer, but Minos was well protected, so they knew they had to be careful!


    Minos ignored the questions of the people in the surrounding area and then looked at the three Spiritual Emperors there, smiling. "You have no idea how much easier you have done my job by joining these criminals..."


    The leader of the three felt a bad feeling and decided to act. "You two, with me!" He shouted as he drew his weapon.


    Infinite Dream!


    Unfortunately, after his words left his throat, his two companions suddenly fainted, falling face down on the ground.


    Devouring Art!


    Indestructible Body!


    Chaotic Gravity: Float!


    Minos did not wait for anyone there to act and activated several of his techniques, bringing chaos to that place suddenly.


    The moment he did this, the more than 100 people there began to float in the air as they felt their energies being sucked away rapidly.


    At the same time, that still conscious Spiritual Emperor unconsciously shivered as he realized how powerful this opponent was.


    "Damn it. We''re dead!" He screamed in terror, but I could not do anything about his floating state.


    "Most of us are, but not you. At least not today..." Minos mischievously grinned before using his movement technique to get to that old man''s side and then punch him right in the height of his navel.


    "Cough!"


    That man coughed up blood as he felt like a hole had been punched into his body, quickly losing consciousness. "How?" Such was his last word before darkness surrounded his eyes.


    Minos then placed spiritual arrays on the necks of those three individuals to seal their cultivations. He then sent them to the Spatial Kingdom, where there were people to hold them somewhere.


    Seeing all this, the dozens of high-level Spiritual Kings in that place broke into a cold sweat, feeling that if those men had fallen so easily, there was no hope for them.


    "Why? Why are you doing this?" Someone asked.


    "Why?" King Stuart repeated.


    "Oh, I almost forgot. You wanted to know who I am, right? Well, I''ll tell you. I am Minos Stuart, the King of the Black Plain. Is there anything else you need to know?" He looked at the one who asked and then others in the vicinity.


    "Bastard! You can kill us, but you will have to deal with every one of the Spiritual Kings in this camp!" The strongest one in that area shouted while floating in the air with no control over his body.


    "That is what I was planning!" Minos said as he viciously looked at those people and moved his left hand, using his 7th technique.


    Chaotic Gravity!


    Heads started exploding in the surroundings, shocking those people even more to the point that some started clamoring for their lives.


    "Please! Please spare me! I''ll do anything you want, including being your wife! No, even being your slave will be good!" One of the most beautiful ones there said in desperation.


    Minos then looked in the direction of that woman and said coldly. "I don''t need you."


    He then slashed with his sword towards her neck, causing this person and several others in the surrounding area to die from the energy blade he launched.


    At the same time, a massive slash appeared in that tent, finally giving sight of the tragedy happening there to hundreds of people in the surrounding area.


    "Help us! This demon will kill us all!" One of the few leaders still alive said in terror, alerting countless people in that camp.


    And as Minos killed a few more of them, emergency alarms began to sing in the surrounding area, drawing the attention of the thousands of people there.


    "Enemy invasion! I repeat, an enemy invasion!"


    "A Spiritual Emperor is attacking the center of the camp!"


    Many voices sounded from one corner of this place to another, quickly alerting everyone in the area.


    As the many enemies ran toward him, Minos finished killing the enemy leadership, stopping for a moment before continuing his work there.


    ''Time to test the limits of my abilities...'' He looked at the hundreds of people running toward him with horrified expressions.


    "Come, invaders!" He laughed and shouted loud enough for everyone there to hear his voice.


    The next moment, he raised his left hand in the air, palm up, and quickly closed it.


    Chaotic Gravity: Attraction!


    The next moment, hundreds of people began flying wildly in his direction.


    But Minos did not stand still. Instead, as he floated in the air, he began to dance with his sword, launching a series of blows from different angles against the pile of bodies coming toward him.


    Swooish!


    At that moment, as sounds of air being cut spread through the surroundings almost continuously, pieces of bodies began to fall from the sky.


    "Ahhhhhhhh!" Someone shouted in terror as he saw this happening to his companions.


    Unfortunately, a second later, his body was sliced by one of the many blades sent by Minos, ending his suffering.


    Infinite Dream!


    Minos also used his mental technique to knock several people out of range of his 7th technique, considerably frightening the enemies there.


    "That..."


    "How can this be? How can this be happening?"


    "Is he human?" Several terrified voices arose as many stopped running in Minos'' direction.


    It was only the beginning of the fight, but Minos'' first move had already killed over 400 of them!


    Because of this, everyone who could perceive this began to doubt reality, fearing their demise.


    They were not afraid to face anyone a few seconds earlier since even a high-level Spiritual Emperor would have to be careful when attacking that many people. But seeing how the enemy eliminated them, they could not help but reconsider the situation.


    "Guys, don''t go near him, or we''ll be under the effect of his techniques!" One of the elders there shouted as he broke into a cold sweat.


    "Launch your techniques against him!" Another yelled as he shot arrows in Minos'' direction.


    Puff!


    When one of those spiritual energy arrows hit Minos'' armor, it did not even make a scratch on such a thing, only having caught his attention.


    "If you will not come to me, then I will come to you!" He flew through the area, getting closer to another group of opponents.


    "Damn it!" The man from earlier felt Minos'' terror as he suddenly froze in his position and saw this young man slashing toward his neck.


    "Hell!"


    "There''s no point in staying away from him. He''s too fast!"


    "Our only chance is for all of us to stay within the range of his technique to overwhelm it!" Another person there shouted amid cries of pain and attacks being launched.


    And with that, they rushed with everything they had against Minos, quickly making over 2,000 people enter the space of influence of his techniques.


    Because of this, soon King Stuart felt the limitation of not being able to deal with all of them at once, giving some of the enemies room to attack him.


    ''Spiritual Kings of Albano are truly different...'' So, he thought with a smile as he began to fight on the ground, constantly absorbing the opponents'' energies and killing part of his many opponents.


    Meanwhile, he was running from side to side, dodging many blows, and even using hand-to-hand combat to eliminate those who got rid of the effect of his 7th technique.


    ...


    As Minos soiled his armor with the blood of his opponents, making a mess in the middle of that camp, someone was watching him in complete shock.


    "How can that be?" The level 70 Spiritual Saint muttered incredulously, not believing his eyes. ''What kind of monster is that?''


    ''He''s only at level 60?''


    Gulp!

 Chapter ?1120 Beginning of the Battles 1

    Chapter ?1120 Beginning of the Battles 1


    While Minos was attacking the main post of the invaders coming from Albano, the observers from that main camp had already noticed the beginning of the confrontation.


    Because of this, several warning signs were already going off at each post where the Black Plain forces were waiting to attack!


    ...


    When their group''s sound warnings went off, Abby and Ruth immediately flew together with the other Spiritual Emperors towards the nearby enemy camp.


    They were about to face the second strongest camp since they were the strongest group on the Black Plain in action this day. Considering this, both Minos'' wives wanted to resolve the situation there as soon as possible so that maybe some of them would have a chance to go to the other enemy camps.


    Thus, after flying for a few moments, when many cannon attacks by their group targeted that camp, they got close enough to their prey!


    In that instant, each of them distanced themselves by a few dozen meters from each other and began to circulate their energies in their attack techniques.


    One Thousand and One Spears!


    Eduard was one of the first to form his attack, creating a series of spears made of spiritual energy to attack the many opponents beneath his feet.


    Stellar Destruction!


    At the same time, Celeste took charge of one of the boundaries of that camp, hurling a reddish ball of energy at the many enemies trying to figure out what was going on.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhh!"


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Shouting sounds spread to the surroundings, finally causing everyone there to start gathering to fight back against this surprise attack.


    While the Spiritual Emperors were attacking from the air, the Spiritual Kings in that group were being led by Gaia by land, with many following behind this creature.


    With the chaos generated by the Spiritual Emperors, several invasion points in that place had arisen for these people. With that, they took advantage of the opportunity created to kill the weakest in their path, many of them using all their strength for the first time in years.


    "Kill every one of them! Don''t let even one escape!" Some of Minos'' soldiers gave shouts of encouragement to the people in the surrounding area.


    On the other hand, the other side did not know what to do in this chaotic situation where they were attacked from all sides in their camp. They were just desperately fighting for their lives!


    "Damn it! How can this be happening?"


    "Who are you?"


    The leaders of this place finally emerged amidst the explosions, smoke, and blood, looking in the direction of where several beings flying around the area were attacking them.


    Abby saw those people and did not miss the chance to test her 7th technique in a battle for the first time.


    Infinite Mirrors: Prison of Mirrors!


    Many spinning mirrors appeared around 10 level 59 Spiritual Kings, quickly forming five large spheres, trapping 2 of those people in each one.


    Now that Abby had learned a mental technique, her attributes related to this had considerably increased and enabled her to form multiple attacks like this!


    Cursed Chains!


    In the blink of an eye, several chains appeared from those spheres'' inner faces, firmly trapping those people''s bodies.


    Sensing what was happening inside those mirror prisons, she used her mental technique on the people there as her chains strangled them.


    Daytime Nightmare!


    As they suffered through their worst nightmares arising, not understanding what was happening, they were quickly killed by Abby''s chains.


    Abby could use her chains to butcher them if she wanted, but she thought that kind of death was horrid. So, she choked them to death by breaking their necks.


    With that, as the prisons of mirrors disappeared, revealing those corpses, it was not long before Ruth also took action against a bunch of high-level Spiritual Kings.


    Thunder Fists!


    Small bolts of lightning spread in her surroundings as she moved her fists against her opponents, causing a powerful bolt of lightning to break toward about 30 opponents.


    Boom!


    This blow consumed several people without leaving them a chance to scream in pain, but some of the peak Spiritual Kings in that place held out a little longer, feeling terrible pain all over their bodies.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhh!"


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    Abby saw this and then had an idea. "Whoever kills the most opponents today will have a chance to place an order regarding what we collect later!" She shouted for the whole battlefield to hear.


    At that moment, her enemies trembled with fear, feeling that these lunatics would slaughter them. But the members of the Black Plain forces shouted in joy, with the Spiritual Emperors looking forward to the slaughter.


    "The wealth of a group like that cannot be underestimated. So, I will take that first position!" Patriarch Hayes said in determination as he eliminated 25 opponents in one stroke.


    ...


    While Abby''s group was vigorously attacking the second largest camp of the Albano criminals, the one led by Emlyn was also advancing against another enemy outpost.


    Burning Light!


    Elena activated her primary offensive technique, making golden balls of light appear in her hands and then shoot light beams at her many opponents.


    "Kill everyone in your path! Eliminate those damned people!" One of the invaders from this region shouted in hatred as he watched his comrades being killed right and left.


    But as some of them burned with Elena''s technique, Jade and Linette joined Kyla in eliminating the group of the man who had just shouted.


    Kyla went ahead, slicing the air with her claws and sending blade attacks against her enemies in front of her. At the same time, her tails swung uncontrollably, defending her body and counterattacking enemies on her sides.


    "Die, invaders!" Then, Jade made several ice spears appear near her hands and attacked six people in her path, making each of these ice weapons penetrate her opponents.


    On the other hand, Linette defended her harem sister''s rear, sometimes taking out the bravest enemies near them.


    "This is being easier than I had thought!" She shouted to Jade as she watched from afar as Emlyn killed dozens of enemies one after another.


    Hearing that, Elen, who was standing near them, said. "It''s only natural. Every level 60 Spiritual Emperor can probably kill at least 100 enemies before he gets tired. Our Spiritual Kings are not weak at all either..."


    "They have greatly underestimated us. We are too strong for only 60,000 of them to challenge us!" She said in a confident tone, but the truth was that she had been surprised by this too.


    Earlier she had thought that the battle would be more difficult because of the differences in the number between their side and the opponents. But the truth was that a newly assembled group of outlaws was in no position to fight as a group against them!


    Because of this deficiency and the unusual ability of the local warriors, each of those ordinary people in Albano had made a big mistake in targeting the Black Plain!


    Elen then killed several more opponents, still listening to those two women.


    "Do you think Minos is going to be okay? I mean, he''s not just facing 100 or 200 opponents!" Jade said in a worried tone.


    Elen then smiled. "Unless a Spiritual Saint shows up, it shouldn''t be a problem..."


    As they talked, Lorelei had already wiped out 50 opponents and was grinning from ear to ear, feeling how intense it was to fight so many opponents.


    ''Maybe I should do a little more like Minos in the future... This kind of situation does cause a different kind of pressure!'' She crushed an opponent''s head with her hands as she thought about it.


    On the other hand, not far from this woman and her younger brother, Emlyn had just bitten off half a human body in one motion.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!" That person screamed in desperation as he felt the sharp teeth of that Nine-tailed Fox on his belly, chest, and legs.


    However, he would meet a fate far worse than many in the surrounding area, and he soon felt the terror of being chewed before that beast devoured him.


    "Ahhhhhh!"


    "Ahhhhhh!"


    People in the surroundings saw Kyla''s mother devouring that human within seconds, barely able to believe the scene in front of them.


    After that, many started running in desperation, trying to escape this damned hell.


    "Au! Au!"


    ...

 Chapter ?1121 Beginning of the Battles 2

    Chapter ?1121 Beginning of the Battles 2


    While spiritual beasts from Minos'' forces were doing things similar to Emlyn, devouring their opponents, the battles on the local borders became more and more bloody.


    Even if there was an advantage in terms of individual power for the Black Plain group, the enemy numbers were not insignificant, and it would take a while before such a confrontation would end.


    Because of this, with each passing instant, the people of Minos'' forces were surrounded by more and more opponents, finally revealing their maximum current potential while brutalizing many enemies.


    At the same time, some of the many enemies facing these people naturally managed to escape the worst and counterattack their targets, putting many of those opponents at risk.


    That was the nature of battles, which made this conflict so spectacular for those involved. They were cultivators and knew that without risks, it would be impossible to understand certain things.


    Just facing someone who could kill them, many would have a chance to overcome their bottlenecks of understanding or cultivation!


    ...


    At the enemy camp, attacked by Virtus'' group...


    At this instant, piles of bodies were already piling up in the surrounding area, while the terrain was disappearing, either because of the bodies or the blood.


    However, the number of people there was not small. As such, more than 4,000 living beings of various races were still fighting with ferocity, making dust and smoke cover the site while the smell of ashes and blood permeated the air.


    There, Robin, Peter, and Barbara were standing with their backs to each other, two of them taking turns to attack the dozens of opponents trying to kill them and the last one defending the group.


    On the other hand, while they were making the piles of bodies in the surrounding area increase, 6th stage birds and Spiritual Emperors flew above them, constantly attacking the most troublesome opponents.


    These beings had the advantage of flight on their side, so obviously, they would not waste their advantage fighting on the ground.


    They were not like Minos, who defied common sense, so they did their best to make life difficult for their opponents.


    With that, whenever someone, like those three soldiers of Minos, got close to their limit, some of those beings acted to lessen the damage that the local forces would invariably suffer on this day.


    Between them, Maida, level 59, and Ebba, level 54, were there, doing their best.


    King Stuart''s mount was constantly attacking the most potent enemies, often preventing its allies there from suffering from the actions of those people. As for the Queen''s mount, Ebba was naturally not as strong, so this beast job was more of an assisting one.


    From time to time, it would use its speed superior to even those of the strongest enemies to save its allies, but without taking any risks by counterattacking.


    "Brutal Descent!"


    Not far from those beasts of local royalty, Virtus spun his body vertically in the air, pointing his long tail low and releasing his body in a 50-meter high free fall.


    His massive body then plummeted through the sky in the blink of an eye, taking the more than 40 enemies below his body by surprise.


    "Damn it!" The only one to have a chance to exclaim something said just before Virtus'' great tail crushed more than half of them in a single second.


    As for the rest, they suffered from the damage of receiving parts of Virtus'' blow or from the surrounding enemies.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhh!"


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    Screams sounded from that area, but the symphony of the chaos of that battlefield was not affected at all. Everyone involved in this grim situation continued their deadly battles, seeking to kill their enemies.


    Some of them were already exhausted, but they kept telling themselves, ''kill just one more,'' trying to do as much as possible to eliminate their many opponents.


    And with that, more bodies appeared every second, while people who could barely stand upright used their weapons to support themselves in the hope that they could help their forces somehow.


    ...


    While many were living hell on the borders of the Black Plain with the Cromwell Kingdom and the Brown Kingdom, Gloria was standing next to the teleportation array of Minos'' army headquarters in Dry City.


    She had not gone to the confrontation. As such, she was highly anxious and concerned for Minos'' well-being as she was the only one who did not know about his abilities.


    Gloria had seen when Minos left this place dressed in low-level grade-3 armor, an excellent thing to protect him from 7th stage enemies. But even then, items like that could be damaged and eventually destroyed.


    On the other hand, she knew that Spiritual Saints had attacked the Black Plain in the past. So, she could not help but worry about this happening again!


    "Minos..." She massaged her stomach as she looked at that area with giant metal rings, feeling as if time was passing more slowly.


    ''If anyone does anything against you, I will eliminate them!'' She clenched one of her hands just before she saw those rings starting to move.


    "Someone is coming!" Voices of soldiers in the area sounded, making this beautiful redhead''s mind go blank, and she looked to the middle of that area in hopes of seeing Minos.


    But only a group of wounded soldiers appeared there.


    "Are you guys okay? What happened?" The soldiers on guard in the headquarters ran close to the people who appeared there.


    "Let''s talk about it later. Help us. One of us is with a serious injury. He needs to get to the hospital urgently!" A man with his armor soiled with dirt and blood said this amidst his agitated breathing.


    "Sigh..." Gloria sighed as she saw that.


    ...


    While his beautiful woman was thinking about him, Minos was still in the same camp as before, battling on the ground like a madman.


    He constantly moved from one side of that place to the other at a speed that none of his opponents could understand, mercilessly attacking them while feeling a great sensation in his body.


    Minos could not help but enjoy the killing!


    But that was not something easy to avoid. After all, Minos could continuously steal his opponents'' energies, slaughtering them with the fingers of his hands while exercising at high intensity.


    Like all exercises, eliminating enemies also released a series of hormones in cultivators'' bodies. And when this happens in someone who enjoyed the feeling of fighting, like Minos, it was a big job not to feel good at times like this.


    In any case, there was something that Minos liked much more than fighting...


    It was having fun with his women!


    Unfortunately, these people coming from Albano had ruined his time in his favorite activity, releasing the monster that was now eliminating them.


    If only they had not tried to destroy him, perhaps the more than 5,000 people who had already died at his hands would not have met such a fate...


    But while they realized the big mistake of trying to invade the Black Plain, the Spiritual Saint who was spying on Minos'' movements was acting!


    When he realized Minos was a monster, he felt it would not even be necessary for the Spiritual Church to eliminate his leaders. With how much the King of the Black Plain had to improve, this Spiritual Saint knew that in a few years, such a young man could on his own march against Vogel!


    In that case, even if Minos was no longer his target, he could not allow such an abomination to continue existing.


    He had to act for his own sake and the entire Vogel kingdom!


    ''It''s a shame that someone so talented has to die, but you forced my hand, boy!'' He thought about this as he circulated his energies in his 8th technique, preparing to eliminate Minos and all the people in the surrounding area.


    However, a Spiritual Saint like him could not hide his spiritual fluctuations so easily when using a technique. Because of this, Minos soon sensed that someone was targeting him and decided to move.


    He flew a few feet into the air and continued to absorb the energies of nearby enemies, looking in the direction of the opponent not far away.


    ''A Spiritual Saint, huh?''


    He put away his low-level grade-3 sword and asked. "Are you ready to take this to the ultimate consequences? Your entire organization will be destroyed because of your actions against me."


    "Tsk!"


    "That is not a concern for someone who will not live much longer!" That man, who appeared to be very young, said this as he pointed a spear at Minos.


    "Your many years of life have not been wasted. Wise words..." Minos then opened his arms and made force on his fingers as if trying to scratch the air.


    He then circulated his energies into just two of his techniques, Devouring Art and Chaotic Gravity.


    ''It''s fusion time!'' He thought about it with a smile on his face as space began to distort in his surroundings.


    ...

 Chapter ?1122 Minos Mass Destruction Weapon 1

    Chapter ?1122 Minos'' Mass Destruction Weapon 1


    The moment he lost his connection with his ''batteries'' in the surroundings, Minos finally ''grabbed'' the air and raised his arms vertically over his head.


    At that instant, the large black ring circling his surroundings progressively decreased in radius until it stood between his two hands, rotating counterclockwise while gaining a new movement.


    As this black ring began to rotate on its vertical and horizontal axes, Minos manipulated the gravity on one of the points between his hands.


    Devouring Art: Black Hole!


    Chaotic Gravity: Black Hole!


    As the Spiritual Saint launched his spear against Minos'' body, the sky suddenly darkened as the two techniques in question merged.


    Lightning began to appear on the horizon, drawing the attention of the still living invaders, who were looking at Minos without understanding what was happening.


    Suddenly Minos had turned away from them, and then that man had appeared to attack him.


    But they had not even had a chance to feel a bit of relief at seeing their enemy in trouble when shivers began to run through their bodies.


    The black ring infinitely accelerated until it disappeared completely. At the same time, the deformation over that point in space became denser and denser, generating a small black sphere the size of a fingernail.


    When this sphere was wholly formed, it shook for a moment before Minos threw it forward using almost all the remaining strength in his body.


    As he felt his body becoming much weaker, with a massive pallor appearing on his face, he laughed and muttered. "Good luck."


    Then, under the doubt-filled eyes of that Spiritual Saint, Minos teleported into the Spatial Kingdom, finally losing control over that technique.


    ''He ran away? But what is that?'' The Spiritual Saint looked at his spear flying towards the black sphere thrown by Minos, sensing that something was wrong.


    Unfortunately for him, it only took half a second for him to understand precisely how terrible that was.


    When Minos stopped restraining his black hole, it emitted a powerful pulse. Then its event horizon expanded hundreds of meters away from its center, covering that area where its enemies were.


    The instant this happened, everyone in that space felt their bodies being pulled uncontrollably by the small sphere in question, accelerating so that not even their thoughts could have time to act.


    Each of the more than 7,000 individuals still alive was sucked into that thing in fractions of a second. First, they were accelerated. Then their bodies did not resist, being completely disintegrated before colliding with that lightless point.


    Only the Spiritual Saint in that area had been able to see this since he was the only one to partially resist the gravitational effects of such a black hole.


    Because of this, he had a look of complete terror on his face, shocked that thousands had turned to dust just before the small black sphere swallowed them up.


    He was trembling with fear at the moment, but not only that. Although he had resisted being accelerated like Minos'' victims, his body had deformed in a way he did not understand what was happening.


    It was as if his body had turned into a giant noodle string!


    ''That''s...''


    ''How...''


    ''How did it... How... It... Did... That... Possible?'' He shivered as he tried to think, but other than the great fear in his heart, nothing else was right about this powerful level 70 Spiritual Saint.


    Unfortunately for him, the fusion used by Minos was not the kind that its effects passed on being used. No, the initial black hole was artificial, but it had become authentic by compressing the mass of over 7,000 people and part of the area!


    Because of this, its effects increased considerably after the complete ''digestion'' of that ''meal.''


    ''Uh?'' The Spiritual Saint realized this when the event horizon again expanded, and the gravitational force drawing him in rose to a level that now even he could not withstand.


    After that, this man felt the same as Minos'' more than 7,000 enemies, being totally disintegrated before being added to the small black hole.


    Then, only noise remained in that space of hundreds of cubic meters as the little black hole continued to spin, expelling spiritual energy.


    ...


    Meanwhile, the observers in that area were all trembling with fear.


    "What is it?"


    "What happened? Why did His Grace''s battle site suddenly turn into this lightless space?"


    Several soldiers felt bad omens, watching that horrible thing, which seemed to make their souls tremble.


    "I don''t know, but we''d better not get close. I can''t feel anything beyond that edge between the lightless region and the surrounding area." So, one of the strongest there said after trying to scan the area.


    ''What is that? How can space change like that?''


    ...


    In the camp that Abby''s group was attacking, each person still fighting there looked toward the place where Minos should be fighting.


    Great darkness suddenly appeared in that area, with many clouds and lightning in the surroundings, forming a terribly frightening area for each person there.


    "My goodness..." Some Spiritual Emperors there ignored their enemies and looked at such a thing in awe.


    "What is that? Why did it go dark in that area?"


    While many were in awe of this mysterious phenomenon, Abby and Ruth looked at it and then at each other. They knew what it meant!


    "Minos!" The two shouted in concern, as he definitely would not use his card up his sleeve to just deal with mere Spiritual Kings!


    ''He used the Black Hole... What happened? Who appeared to force him to do that?'' Abby approached Ruth, already intending to go towards that place.


    Ruth then said to the Spiritual Emperors in there. "That was Minos. We''ll go see what happened to him."


    "Your Grace!" Angela shouted as she flew towards them.


    "No! Stay here and resolve the situation!" Ruth said as she looked back and flew beside Abby away.


    Abby remembered something and shouted at them. "In any case, even if you come later, don''t go near that thing. No matter what!"


    "There is only death for those who go beyond that horizon without having Minos'' techniques!"


    Gulp!


    Sounds of saliva being swallowed arose as the last enemies there continued to die, with no time to worry about other things.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the Spatial Kingdom...


    After appearing beside his lake house, Minos fell to the ground in front of a dozen members of the Elite Squad.


    "Your Grace!" Those people immediately shouted this upon seeing the mighty king in such a frail and finished state for the first time in their lives.


    Among them, young Ayn Hunt, level 45, Lee''s younger sister, rushed to Minos'' side and held his arm. "Master!" She said in a tone laden with concern.


    At the same time, Neal and Maxwell, those two low-level Spiritual Kings who had not participated in today''s operation and were in the Spatial Kingdom looking out for this group, rushed in front of Minos.


    "Your Grace, what happened? Are you all right?" The two simultaneously said as they bent their knees in front of Minos.


    "Cough! Cough!" Minos coughed up a little bit of blood a few times, but besides extreme fatigue and minor internal injuries, he was fine.


    Unlike the last time he used the fusion, his body and soul were much better prepared for this. Hence, he was not as bad off as he appeared.


    "Uh! Cough! I''m fine..." He replied in a hoarse tone. "Uh, a Spiritual Saint appeared... I had to throw something at him and run."


    Apart from Ayn, who saw the slight smile on Minos'' lips, each of those people trembled at hearing the term ''Spiritual Saint.''


    Gulp!


    "Spiritual Saint?" Maxwell clenched his fists, feeling helpless in front of those words.


    "How can that be?"


    "What a great disgrace!"


    As the soldiers there saw the worst, Minos commented. "Don''t worry. He''s dead."


    Silence spread through the Spatial Kingdom, with only the sound of the winds in the trees and water in the lake remaining.


    "He... He''s dead?" Neal asked in disbelief.


    ...

 Chapter ?1123 Minos Mass Destruction Weapon 2

    Chapter ?1123 Minos'' Mass Destruction Weapon 2


    Minos took a slightly calmer breath and said. "Hmm, there''s about a 90% chance he died. But considering that he underestimated me, I doubt he ran away when he saw me disappear. So, he can only be dead now."


    Minos'' powers obviously limited the fusion of Devouring Art and Chaotic Gravity. Thus, that level 70 man definitely could have escaped if he had reacted in time.


    Unfortunately, once inside the event horizon of that black hole created by Minos, everything happened so fast that even someone outside the limits of that young man would suffer.


    But the main problem was not the power of Minos'' fusion but the special characteristic of the black hole, to ''devour'' the mass in the surroundings and become stronger.


    Because of the amount of matter and spiritual energy in the bodies of those cultivators, the black hole unable to devour a Spiritual Saint had evolved into one capable of doing so.


    Knowing this special characteristic of that fusion, Minos was sure that the Spiritual Saint who attacked him could only have died!


    "Sigh..."


    ''It''s a pity, but all the more than 13,000 spatial rings in that place have been lost...'' Minos lamented in his mind, feeling the damage that such a Spiritual Saint had given him.


    ''Even the valuable ring of that Spiritual Saint must have been lost.'' He felt the desolation of such a thing, lowering his face and then placing his hands on it.


    "Master?" Ayn asked.


    After a brief moment of lamentation over such a loss, he tried to see the bright side in all this. ''At least that thing is not useless to me. On the contrary, it can help me protect myself or enrich my territory.''


    "Sigh..."


    He shook his head and changed the subject. "Forget about it. What have you done with the three I sent here?"


    Seeing the look on Minos'' face, Neal promptly left his expression of disbelief to answer his leader. "We finished chaining those three and then took them to the basement of the lake house. They must still be unconscious there."


    "Well, leave them there and don''t do anything. I''ll take care of their situation later. Now..." He looked at the surroundings and smiled. "My bad, fellows, but I need to borrow your energies for a moment before a tragedy happens."


    As the people there looked at each other in doubt about what Minos meant, dozens of them felt their energies being devoured by their leader''s technique.


    Minos could not use the Devouring Art to permanently steal the power of his targets, which meant that he could not add that power to his own. But the stolen power could be used to ''recharge'' his reserves.


    That was precisely why he did not get tired when fighting so many opponents, and that was what he was doing at this very moment.


    "Ahh..."


    "That..."


    Several people there fell to their knees, feeling their energies depleted in the blink of an eye.


    After absorbing the energies of all those people, Minos felt better, with a fraction of his energies having been recovered.


    He then stood up and walked inside that house to get the artifact that he had managed to order through the Edwardstone family.


    ''Well, now I have to store that thing to avoid any major problems...'' He held a mirror sphere in his hands and teleported out of the Spatial Kingdom.


    ...


    After appearing within the event horizon of his black hole, Minos felt a strange sensation in his body, but he was not affected by such a thing as others would be.


    He had created such a black hole, so naturally, he was the only one on his level who could negate the effects of this region of space by using his techniques together, protecting his body.


    How crazy would be a fusion of techniques that even its user couldn''t control?


    But the Black Hole was terrifying, and if it were not for the fact that Minos had somewhat recovered, if he had been exhausted, as he had been before, then even though he was the creator of it, he would still be devoured!


    That was why he had fled to the Spatial Kingdom when he threw that black sphere, already completely exhausted.


    Anyway, when he appeared in the area devoid of light, where he could only see distorted lights coming from outside that region of space, Minos connected to the Black Hole and began to manipulate it.


    He put a lot of effort into doing this, using all the energy that those in the Spatial Kingdom had given him to store that black hole in the spiritual array in one of his hands.


    As he opened that mirror sphere, a medium-level grade-3 array, he slowly stored the small black sphere within such a thing.


    While doing so, he could not help but notice the rich flow of spiritual energy leaving such a region of space. ''The spiritual energy from all the mass absorbed by this is slowly being expelled.''


    He then smiled. ''At least I haven''t totally lost the billions of crystals in this place.''


    The moment he finished what he was doing, he left some parts of that mirrored array subtly open, just enough so that such a thing would not explode...


    Meanwhile, the flow of spiritual energy he felt earlier had suddenly significantly increased, now coming out through the small openings he left.


    ''That''s truly amazing...'' He smiled, still holding this stuff that could not be stored in spatial rings.


    ...


    Outside the event horizon...


    Abby and Ruth were already standing alongside many soldiers who had previously been watching this area, both waiting patiently for Minos.


    After a few minutes of standing there, they both felt that something was happening, and a few moments later, that region devoid of light began to disappear.


    Then, as the interior of that region of space became visible again, a large round crater was revealed in the ground, where nothing but the rocks of the event horizon boundary could be seen.


    But a few hundred above that crater was a young man in golden armor floating with a glass sphere in his hands.


    Seeing the smile on Minos'' face, his two wives were relieved that he was okay and flew to where he was before he collapsed from exhaustion.


    "My love, what happened? Why did you have to use the Black Hole?" Abby held Minos'' left arm, her heart beating fast.


    Ruth held his right arm, and together with Abby, they floated to the ground. "Honey, did a Spiritual Saint appear here?" The black-haired woman asked.


    Hearing this, Minos nodded in agreement. "Yes, a level 70 man attacked me while I was fighting the enemies in this camp."


    Gulp!


    "Miserables!" Abby clenched her fists in anger.


    After she swallowed her saliva, Ruth asked. "Did he run away?"


    "He died." He said, shocking them both.


    When he was in the Spatial Kingdom, Minos could only guess at the most likely situation. But after connecting with that black hole, he felt how the power of that thing was beyond what it should be after absorbing the Spiritual Kings from earlier.


    Therefore, he knew that the Spiritual Saint who attacked him had died!


    "He died?" The two asked.


    "Hmm, unfortunately, I''m still too weak. So, I couldn''t watch that. But I''m sure he died." He assured them.


    "Anyway, let''s return to our battles. With you here, I can join the battle. So, let''s go to the nearest enemy camp."


    "But..." Abby hesitated.


    The latest_epi_sodes are on_the ???????.???. website.


    "Let''s talk about everything when this day ends." He said in a determined tone.


    "Fine!"


    After that, the three flew to Minos'' next target.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the capital of Vogel...


    An elderly man ran through the halls of one of the royal palace buildings, entering that place of great importance without much ceremony.


    "Your Highness! Your Highness!" He shouted in desperation.


    "Hmm?" The crown prince of Vogel looked at that servant of his family, wanting to know what was going on for this man to enter there in this desperate way.


    The prince''s protector then glared at that man and asked in an authoritative tone. "What are you doing? State your reasons for breaking the family rules in three seconds!"


    The old man then did as he should. "Mr. Bond has just died!"


    ...

 Chapter ?1124 A New Light

    Chapter ?1124 A New Light


    "What?" both the crown prince and the men in his office shouted in astonishment.


    And how could they not do that? Bond was a Spiritual Saint who was in the northern region of the Central Continent, watching Minos'' movements.


    So, how could someone at level 70 die in that barren region? That was simply absurd. And for that, they were shocked, wide-eyed.


    The crown prince then asked. "Bond... Is Bond dead? Are you serious?"


    The old man who brought this news trembled but successfully showed Abe Vogel the Bond soul lamp. "Your Highness, before Mr. Bond''s soul lamp went out, it flashed in black color for 10 seconds."


    "What? Only that?" The strongest Spiritual Saint there asked in shock.


    The soul lamp, having blinked in black color for only 10 seconds, could only mean one thing. After being seriously injured, Bond was killed with a single movement.


    What did this mean? Well, that the enemy was much stronger than he was!


    The battle had been swift, and after the first fatal blow, it was all over in a matter of seconds.


    Considering this, that royal guard was even more shocked to learn that Bond had been killed by someone stronger than him...


    "Your Highness, that means there is a Spiritual Saint in the northern region at least at level 71!" This royal guard said, sure of his intuition.


    "That is unacceptable!" Abe brandished in anger.


    Unfortunately for him, a criminal could not seek justice when he became the victim...


    In that case, seeking the Spiritual Church was out of the question for them!


    "Leo! Leo!" He shouted to other men there, "Go immediately and find out what happened."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    "But don''t do anything if you find out the truth. Just send me a notification!" Abe said as he was green with anger.


    ...


    Meanwhile, back on the Black Plain...


    After the previous incident, Minos joined his wives and walked through two camps where battles were still ongoing.


    He skillfully fought many people in these places, single-handedly having eliminated almost half of the invaders who were still alive in those areas.


    Due to his action, his allies and vassals fighting in those two enemy camps could finish their work early and run to other locations. Thus, they joined the rest of the Black Plain attack troops, accelerating Minos'' plans for this fateful day.


    With that, five hours since it all began, every invader in the camps around the borders with the Black Plain had been killed by Minos'' group, this one who lost 50 Spiritual Kings to accomplish that.


    At the end of it all, 5th stage soldiers who were in army posts in nearby cities made their way to the battle sites and began the work of cleaning up and gathering resources.


    On the other hand, little by little, the Spiritual Emperors and Spiritual Kings of the attack groups returned to their posts from where most of them would return to their places by land.


    Only those most injured and in need of urgent care had the opportunity to use the teleportation arrays, which were still costly in this region.


    As for Minos and his wives, none of them were seriously injured, so they waited for the wounded soldiers and allies to be sent to Dry City before returning home.


    During this waiting time, they talked about everything that had happened since the moment they had been separated before the attacks began. Minos told them about the three Spiritual Emperors he had captured and, of course, explained in detail his encounter with the Spiritual Saint that forced him to use his card up his sleeve.


    ...


    Meanwhile, it was already dawn in Dry City, but the headquarters of the Black Plain Army was as active as ever.


    Many people were going back and forth from this place, some carrying stretchers to carry the wounded who arrived every few minutes.


    At the same time, several doctors from the General Hospital and also from the army were already in the vicinity of the teleportation plaza to do primary care of the wounded.


    Only 50 people died, but more than 600 were seriously injured. Because of this, this place was bustling with people coming and going, those who had a connection with the treatment of these wounded that kept arriving.


    On the other hand, soldier friends or relatives of the 23 soldiers killed today were also in the surrounding area, mourning their losses while waiting for the bodies of their friends.


    Minos had also allowed the teleportation of the corpses of soldiers killed in action, so naturally, some were already there in that place.


    Among some of the bodies already in that place, Humbert was kneeling beside the body of his friend, who had a missing arm and a deep cut on the top of his head.


    "Dumas..." He murmured in a sad tone, feeling sorry for the end of this fellow who had fought for the Black Plains for over 15 years.


    Dumas, level 55, had died fighting for the Black Plain, having killed 56 enemy Spiritual Kings before honorably falling on the battlefield.


    Humbert then took that man''s ID and remembered this fellow''s last moments. ''Don''t worry, my friend. I will take care of your daughter as if she were my own!''


    After that, he left that place towards Dumas'' house, intending to deliver the information to the family of this local hero.


    Meanwhile, a red-haired beauty was tapping her feet restlessly as she waited for Minos, nervous about such a delay.


    ''What happened? Why aren''t you here?'' '' She felt the cold late night wind hitting her sweaty forehead while her face looked somewhat pale at the moment.


    However, as Gloria felt her heart beating restlessly, another group arrived at that place, finally showing her the face she so desperately wanted to see. "Minos!"


    Seeing the exhausted look on her man''s face and the golden armor red with blood, she felt sick and stumbled as she ran towards him.


    Seeing that from afar, Minos unconsciously used his movement technique, appearing in time to hold Gloria''s body.


    "Gloria!" He called out to her in concern, not understanding how a level 68 Spiritual Emperor could stumble like that.


    At the same time, Ruth and Abby ran up to the two, sensing that there was something wrong going on.


    "Minos, what took you so long?" Gloria looked into his eyes and smiled, feeling very weak at the moment.


    "I''m sorry, dear. So many soldiers got hurt, and I let them come before me. Did I make you wait too long?" He played with her hair and sat down on the floor with her in his arms.


    "Just a little bit..." She said as she passed out.


    "Gloria! Gloria!" Minos shouted as he gently moved her body.


    He then turned to Dillian and worriedly said, "Dillian! Something is wrong with Gloria!"


    Gulp!


    Ruth and Abby swallowed their saliva without understanding the situation, but the nervousness in Minos'' voice was enough for them to feel an ache in their souls.


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    "Minos... What''s going on?" Abby saw Gloria''s pale, sweaty face and asked.


    Minos said nothing, and when Dillian, who had come with their group, came to their side, he just stared at Gloria''s face, worried. ''What''s going on? Why did she faint? Was that out of concern for me?''


    At this moment, the tumultuous surroundings of a few seconds ago had fallen into a deadly silence in which not even the sounds of breathing could be heard.


    Every soldier there, even the wounded, looked at Minos holding Gloria''s body while Dillian used his medical techniques to understand the situation.


    They could understand that something was wrong because of the apprehension in Minos'' tone, so they were all worried now.


    ''I wonder what''s wrong?'' Regina, a poison master, assisting the doctors there, looked at Gloria in doubt.


    After a few seconds of terrifying silence, a sigh finally broke from Dillian''s mouth.


    "Sigh..."


    "Your Grace, don''t worry. She''s just tired. Her situation is not worrying..." He took his eyes off Gloria and then smiled at Minos.


    Minos did not understand, but before he asked anything, Dillian touched one of his shoulders and happily said. "Congratulations, Your Grace, you will be a father!"


    ...

 Chapter ?1125 Pregnancy and Womens Decision

    Chapter ?1125 Pregnancy and Women''s Decision


    When Dillian''s words finished leaving his throat, the worried expressions in the surroundings turned into smiles.


    On the other hand, Abby and Ruth, standing right next to Minos and Gloria, almost fell to the ground upon hearing this information.


    "Excuse me?" Abby asked Dillian as she felt a lump in her throat.


    Dillian saw that Minos had a lost look on his face and said the information differently. "Your Grace, Gloria Frost, is pregnant."


    Gulp!


    Minos smiled and took his eyes off Dillian to lovingly bring Gloria''s face closer to his own and kiss her on the forehead.


    Meanwhile, Abby and Ruth stood open-mouthed, both shocked that something like this had happened to Gloria before them.


    ''How?'' Abby wondered, feeling a mixture of happiness and injustice in her heart. ''Minos and I have been trying for years... So why did she stay by his side only a few weeks and already get pregnant? Why?''


    Ruth, who was usually reserved about Minos, also felt strange about this.


    She was happy that Minos'' child was on the way. It was no different for Abby. But it was undeniable that she would rather be the mother of her husband''s first child. ''Is there something wrong with me? Why is Gloria so lucky?''


    Meanwhile, in that area, the many soldiers there happily hugged each other, barely remembering their hard battle.


    "Haha, we will finally have a prince or a princess!"


    "The heavens truly bless the Black Plain! Only four years of existence, and we will already have an heir!"


    "Hehehe, I can''t wait to see His Grace''s children coming to study under my department..."


    Whispered comments spread around as Dillian used some techniques to improve Gloria''s tired condition.


    All the while, Minos stood silently watching his woman''s beautiful face, imagining this new reality he had encountered upon returning from the battlefield.


    ''Don''t tell me this happened right after she returned? Was it that day?'' He pondered this since only when he had a foursome with his wives had he not destroyed his gametes with Gloria.


    He and Gloria had not yet talked about having children, so naturally, when he was alone with her, he did that. However, on that day in question, as well as the other three times they had experiences like that with his wives, Minos never prevented himself.


    Why did he do this? Simply because he wanted to get Abby and Ruth pregnant, and because he thought Gloria was protecting herself, he had not bothered to get her pregnant accidentally.


    But little did he know that she never protected herself and, in fact, had gotten pregnant the day she had the first foursome of her life!


    Minos then thought about how Gloria seemed to be getting more beautiful and was getting more and more gentle and loving with him. ''So that was why...'' He smiled just before carrying Gloria back home alongside Ruth and Abby.


    ...


    After they got home, Abby and Ruth tried to ignore the world''s injustice and helped clean Gloria''s body and put her to bed before taking a shower with their husband.


    When they finished doing that, they did nothing and returned to their room, where Gloria slept peacefully.


    "Minos..." Abby said her husband''s name, not understanding why not her.


    Minos readily understood the problem and brought his two wives into his embrace, petting their heads as he felt them hiding their faces in his chest.


    "There''s nothing wrong with you two. It just happened that Gloria got pregnant before you did by a great fluke of fate. We really can''t control this kind of thing." He said to both of them, hearing their sobs.


    "But..." Ruth tried to say, but her voice choked with her confused feelings.


    "Shh!"


    "This child will not only be mine and Gloria''s. You will also be a mother to this baby. So, don''t be like that. Just treat it as Gloria''s turn, but sooner or later, it will happen to you too." He softly said to the two.


    "You can''t be sure of that..." Abby commented in a pitying tone.


    He then joked with them. "Of course I do. We do it so much that it''s impossible for it not to happen."


    Upon hearing such a thing, the two laughed amidst their tears, feeling that this might be true.


    "If how much we already do is not enough, then we will do even more. We can do so!"


    "Hmmm." The two buried their faces in his chest again, hugging him tightly as if they were afraid of losing him.


    As they stood there, 10 minutes passed, and Gloria finally showed signs that she was waking up.


    Upon realizing this, Minos and his wives went to the large bed in their room, with the two of them climbing up and sitting there on Gloria''s right side and him on her left side.


    "Gloria?" Minos leaned over, getting his face close to hers as he used one of his hands to play with her hair.


    As she slowly opened her eyes, momentarily blinking a lot to get used to the brightness of her surroundings, Gloria looked at Minos and asked. "What happened? We''re at headquarters and..."


    She then paused her speech as she remembered what had happened and realized it was time to discuss her suspicions. "I... Minos, I think we''re going to have a baby..."


    She had not yet sought a doctor to check her situation. Still, considering that her period had already been late for a few weeks, this woman was already suspicious about her pregnancy.


    "Hmm, I know. Dillian told me." Minos smiled at her, massaging one of her cheeks.


    Hearing this confirmation, she happily smiled as tears trickled from her eyes. "Minos... I am so happy. You don''t know how important having a child with you is to me..."


    She tried to get up to hug him but did not feel the strength to do so. Minos then got under the sheets covering this woman and hugged her. "I know. I''m happy too, dear..."


    Feeling her man''s body, Gloria felt perfect at the moment, hugging and smelling him just before finding his lips and kissing him with as much love as she had ever felt.


    "Mmmmmmm~"


    After doing this for a few moments, Gloria remembered that there were other people in the world besides Minos and turned her face to those two on her other side.


    "Gloria..." Ruth looked at her momentarily and said. "Congratulations on being the first to get pregnant. In the future, you can rely on whatever you need from me. I will raise this child as if it were my own."


    Abby said similar words. "You don''t have to worry about fighting with us for Minos or dealing with the pregnancy alone. We are your sisters now, and we will raise our man''s children in harmony."


    "Ruth, Abby..." She felt good before the two got into those sheets and hugged her, generating a pleasant little warmth.


    After the three of them shed a few more tears, Ruth suggested. "Gloria, now that you are pregnant with Minos, I feel it is unfair for you to sleep in another room..."


    "If you want, you can have my place."


    "What? But what about you?" Gloria asked.


    Before Ruth or even Abby could say anything, Minos interrupted them and answered Gloria. "There''s no need for you to worry about that. We will all sleep together."


    "How?" Ruth asked in doubt.


    "I can hold two of you, and the third one sleeps on top of me..." He suggested the only alternative where they could exchange body heat without either of them having to sleep alone.


    "Oh?" Abby''s eyes sharpened with a particular thought concerning that. "Then there won''t be room for a fourth, eh?"


    The other two women looked at each other and understood Abby''s comment.


    Ruth then said. "Well then, Minos Stuart, we will all sleep together. But, none of us will make room for another woman in the future!"


    Gloria nodded and smiled at the man hugging her. "We will not accept sleeping away from you, so get used to having only three wives. We won''t accept a fourth since there is no room for her!"


    "Huh?" Minos looked into his women''s eyes in doubt of what was going on there.


    ...

 Chapter ?1126 The Rage of a Pregnant Woman

    Chapter ?1126 The Rage of a Pregnant Woman


    After seeing the surprise on Minos'' face, the three women smiled, determined to put this man of theirs in line and control him of his many desires.


    Gloria then massaged her belly with one of her hands and pulled one of Minos'' toward that part of her body. "Now, you will become a father. So, I hope you will mature a little!"


    "You need to devote more time to your family and go out less to have fun with others." She climbed on top of him, allowing those other two to take their places.


    Abby then went to Minos'' right side and Ruth to his left, watching him intensely as they used their hands on the sides of his body.


    Gloria then moved a little away from him, getting seated on top of Minos'' little brother, who was already trying to pierce his underwear. "I hope you''re ready, honey. I heard pregnant have twice as many needs as a normal woman, if you know what I mean..."


    Gulp!


    "Are you sure? You looked exhausted earlier, Gloria." He did not know if he should start doing what was on her mind.


    Gloria then used Ruth and Abby''s help to remove his shirt and took the opportunity to feel every muscle fiber in Minos'' abdomen. "That was your fault, mister! You don''t know how worried I was to know that the father of my child was taking such a risk!"


    He felt a little bad about that as he ran one of his hands down Gloria''s thighs and felt his two women beginning to kiss him. "I''m sorry..."


    "Don''t worry. It''s natural for my man to be tough sometimes..." She laughed, feeling full of energy now that she had resolved her concerns and confirmed her suspicions.


    The fact that Minos and those two women accepted everything and were there to support her only made everything better, and she could not help but feel warm right now.


    "But now I want you to pay for making this future mommy worried..." She pulled off the clothes on her body as she felt Abby and Ruth''s hands between her crotch and Minos''.


    At that moment, Minos gently pulled her into his embrace, kissing her intensely as Ruth and Abby finished removing their clothes.


    Then they each kissed each other hotly as their hands were lost between their bodies, beginning to stimulate their targets, while all four enjoyed everything with a lot of arousal and love in their eyes.


    ...


    After a few hours...


    The four had finished the adventure they started earlier and were now lying down in the exact formation that Minos had suggested.


    Abby and Ruth were embraced by each of his arms, one on the right and the other on the left. Meanwhile, Gloria was on top of Minos, with her head resting on his chest, feeling his little brother poking her belly.


    At the same time, Abby and Ruth hugged Gloria''s back, making each of them close as they enjoyed this post-sex moment, still sweaty but wrapped in sheets.


    "Minos, that was perfect! I couldn''t imagine this day being any better..." Gloria commented in a low voice as she massaged his right chest.


    "Hmm, it''s truly amazing how well we look together..." Ruth commented, looking into her man with her eyes full of affection.


    Abby was also in agreement. "When we''re together without other things on our minds, we get along very well... In any case, we will have to take some care. After all, a pregnant woman has her limitations."


    "Oh?" Minos and Gloria looked at Abby, curious.


    Abby blushed and said. "I was planning to be the first, so of course, I''ve talked a lot with mothers and pregnant women over the past few years..."


    Minos contained his laughter upon hearing such a thing but continued to pay attention to his queen. "On that account, I know that despite a pregnant woman''s libido, she can''t do it to the same intensity as the rest of us..."


    "Oh?" Gloria understood Abby''s point, "That makes sense."


    Abby then continued. "Then we''ll have to adapt when Gloria''s pregnancy progresses. Besides, it won''t be good for her to sleep in that position, so I''ll do it in her place..."


    "What?" Ruth noticed Abby''s opportunism, "You are quick, huh? But don''t worry, I can do it in her place."


    "That..."


    Gloria laughed as she understood what Abby was trying. "For now, we can take turns... But, you can do it between yourselves when my pregnancy progresses."


    After seeing his women resolve the matter peacefully, Minos enjoyed that situation for a few moments before bringing up a serious matter. "Gloria, today during the attack in question, I was attacked by a Spiritual Saint and..."


    "What?" Gloria stood up a little and interrupted him, shocked to discover this. "How can that be? What happened? How did you get..." She became nervous, and her heart began to race.


    Minos promptly tried to calm her down. "Don''t worry. Am I not here? I''m glad of your concern, dear, but don''t get too excited. We don''t want the little one growing in your belly to suffer..."


    She looked down at her belly and massaged it, trying to calm herself for the sake of her child. As she did this, she felt hatred for whoever was after this Spiritual Saint. ''You risked my man''s life, the father of my child! Unforgivable! I will destroy you, no matter how long it takes!''


    Minos then answered her doubts. "Don''t worry so much about this person. We can''t do anything against him or track him down. But the point is that there were Spiritual Emperors in the group I attacked. I don''t know if they are from the same organization, but I captured them."


    "They are three members of an Albano organization."


    Upon hearing this, Gloria became solemn since, unlike those little criminals from Albano, her Spiritual Church still did not allow actions by Spiritual Emperors from outside that region in those areas.


    That was true even for people at the 7th who were not connected to organizations outside the region. Precisely because of this, the situation described by Minos was even more forbidden, a clear slap in the face to the Church!


    "Who was it? I will contact the Church and send an extermination group!" She said coldly, mad at the audacity of this organization that dared to risk her happiness and still disrespect the Church.


    "I heard them say they were from an organization called Furious Shadows. I don''t know much more, but we may question them tomorrow. "


    She felt she should settle this as soon as possible and asked. "Where are they? I want to see them immediately! We can''t risk anything and should act as quickly as possible!"


    Minos loosened Abby and Ruth''s embrace to bring Gloria''s face closer to his own. "Gloria, calm down. We''ll sort this out tomorrow. These people are unconscious and in a safe place. So, there''s no risk."


    "Let''s celebrate your pregnancy for the hour and get some rest from the attacks earlier."


    Hearing this, she remembered how hard the local forces worked today, the many wounded she saw earlier, and even the dead.


    "Sigh..."


    "I just don''t know if I''ll be able to relax with so many threats to my family..." She closed her eyes and hugged him, feeling strange for the positive feelings from a few moments ago and now this anger.


    Abby then massaged Gloria''s back as her hand glowed, and a blue mist appeared over it. "If you don''t resist, I can make you less nervous. That will help you get to sleep with us."


    Gloria saw Minos nodding for her to trust Abby and then accepted that.


    After a few moments, under the effects of Abby''s innate ability, the redheaded beauty on top of Minos melted over him, catching up on sleep soon after.


    "Ah, she finally relaxed..." Abby said after Gloria fell asleep and stopped emitting her killing intent. "She doesn''t know how to control herself... Or is that the pregnancy thing?"


    "It must be the pregnancy..."


    "Come to think of it, Gloria seems more emotional these days," Ruth commented, looking at the cute way that redhead was cuddling with Minos.


    "Anyway, it''s nice to relax after this long day..." Minos pressed his two women against him before he began to fall asleep. "Let''s celebrate tomorrow and then settle this matter."

 Chapter ?1127 The Mothers Arrival

    Chapter ?1127 The Mother''s Arrival


    The next day...


    After the previous day, it did not take long for the news about Gloria and Minos'' pregnancy to spread among soldiers, vassals, and even allies of Minos.


    The revelation of such a thing had happened in a public place, where those most injured in the previous operation were passing or receiving medical attention. Because of this, the people present on that occasion soon spread the news to their closest family members and colleagues.


    As there were allies and Minos'' vassals among those people, the news also reached the more prominent families of the Black Plain and Stone Island. Because of this, even though many of the local leaders were exhausted from yesterday''s attacks, they had rushed to Dry City with gifts for the future heir to the Black Plain.


    Gloria had not even married the King yet, but since no one knew if or when his wives would get pregnant, everyone already considered the coming baby of Minos and Archbishop Frost, the local heir.


    In any case, besides having eliminated more than 60,000 Spiritual Kings, with this big news coming from the capital, the most influential people in the region did not fail to travel through the early morning hours to arrive in time for breakfast in Dry City.


    That was an opportunity for them to celebrate yesterday''s victory, celebrate the many gains promoted by such an action, and improve their ties with the royal family.


    So, they all made their journeys with smiles, even though they barely got any rest.


    ...


    Upon waking up in the morning, Gloria felt her body rested as never before, followed the shower''s sound, and joined her family in a hot bath.


    After doing so, Gloria felt a hunger beyond the ordinary and was the first to depart from their love nest, following the delicious smell of breakfast.


    Halfway there, each servant of the King''s residence greeted her with sparkles in their eyes, congratulating Gloria on her pregnancy.


    And she did not think this was bad, having felt even happier as she continued until she reached the place from where the delicious smell of breakfast originated.


    When she arrived, several people who usually did not come to Minos'' residence were with Dillian, Eda, and Abby''s parents.


    "Your Grace!" They rose from their chairs, looking at Gloria even more respectfully than they would do to an Archbishop of the Spiritual Church.


    Gloria''s power or influence in the Church was not much to those who knew what Minos had done yesterday. But by becoming pregnant, she could be carrying the heir to Minos'' incredible powers in her belly!


    Thus, their respect for her had considerably increased!


    Seeing that, Gloria was surprised for a moment, but that did not stop her from grabbing something to eat, still standing up. ''Ah, how delicious...'' She closed her eyes momentarily, ignoring the people in her surroundings.


    Abby''s mother then approached Gloria and said. "Congratulations on your pregnancy, Gloria. I''m sure you are all thrilled."


    After being hugged by Nicole and then Eda, Gloria turned her attention to Elen, Elena, the supreme elder Miller, Mendy, Viola, and her mother. They were there to congratulate her and Minos.


    Others were waiting in the royal throne hall, but since these people had access to Minos'' house, they had directly come to this place.


    "You..." She was about to say, as Minos and his wives arrived at that place, quickly receiving the kind words of those people as they settled down to eat.


    After sitting down, Minos brought Gloria onto his lap, with this beautiful red-haired woman with a plate in her hand, eating with desire in her eyes.


    But not only was she eating, as Minos gently held her waist, she was feeding her man in a way that the women there could not help but blush.


    "Minos, I had no idea you would become a father so quickly..." Elena commented as she remembered his first time with her, about 15 years ago. "But I am happy for you. I know how hard you must have tried..."


    "Hmm, I can''t wait to see how your..." Mendy was commenting when suddenly, everyone there felt a terrifying spiritual fluctuation coming through the door of that place.


    ''Spiritual Saint? Who could it be?'' These people froze as they felt an even more substantial fluctuation than those who had attacked the Black Plain several times in the recent past.


    Everyone then turned their faces toward this person, a brown-haired woman that most there knew very well.


    "Master!" Ruth said as she saw Maisie''s beautiful face.


    "This woman..." Minos continued with Gloria on his lap as she ate a piece of cake and watched for her mother-in-law.


    Seeing that place full of people, who seemed in a festive mood, Maisie found it strange to see Gloria sitting on her son''s lap. Even more so when, after noticing her, that redhead relaxed in his arms and fed him like a good wife in love.


    "What''s going on?" She looked at Dillian and then at Ruth.


    Ruth felt a little bad for not being in that redhead''s place, but she did not fail her duty to inform Maisie about the situation. "Congratulations, master, you will become a grandmother soon! Gloria is pregnant!"


    "What?" Maisie''s jaw almost dropped to the floor after she heard that, not believing that an Archbishop of the Spiritual Church had gotten pregnant out of wedlock.


    Besides, she did not expect to become a grandmother so soon. After all, Minos was only about 30, and it was not easy for someone at his level to make a child.


    Gloria remembered her problems with Maisie earlier and winked at her as she smiled provocatively. "Mother-in-law, what is it? Cat got your tongue?"


    Maisie ignored that annoying girl and looked at Dillian.


    That butler closed his eyes and nodded, confirming that Gloria was indeed pregnant.


    Gulp!


    She then made a single movement, reached over to Minos and Gloria''s side, and touched her belly.


    "You... You really..." She felt a tiny being growing in Gloria''s belly, a being that had given her a very familiar feeling. ''It truly Minos'' child!'' She felt her connection to that little being.


    A Spiritual Saint like her could easily feel the part of her own genes in the little being growing in Gloria''s belly. And feeling her connection to her descendant, Maisie could not help but get emotional.


    As Gloria smiled as she looked down, Maisie finally said. "Congratulations, my son, Gloria. I hope this child is healthy and strong." She felt her eyes water as she remembered how happy she had been during Minos'' pregnancy.


    Minos tried to ignore the part of the negative feeling in his being and closed his eyes to speak to her. "Thank you."


    After that, Maisie felt a weakness in her body and sat there, forgetting what she had come to do in this place. ''She''s pregnant... How did this happen? How long have they been together?''


    After a while in silence, watching Minos'' women helping him eat while the people there chatted, Maisie finally touched on the problem of it all. "I''m glad I''m going to become a grandmother, but do you know what you''ve done?"


    She looked at Gloria with a disappointed look. "You already knew that the Church doesn''t accept relationships like yours, but you still got pregnant... Do you intend to force him to join your Church, Gloria? Did you do that on purpose?"


    Everyone was silent after Maisie asked these questions in an accusatory tone.


    Gloria did not like this and replied in an irritated manner. "On purpose? I wanted to stand by Minos and have his children. I didn''t do it for the Church, but for myself!"


    "Is there a difference?" Maisie laughed. "The Church will not accept one of its own, especially a talented Archbishop like you, staying with a man from outside the organization."


    "The Church doesn''t need to know anything. I can handle..." She was saying, looking at Minos to assure him that she had not tried this to force him to join her organization. But then an irritated female voice came up.


    "You can bet he''s going to join the Spiritual Church!"


    ...

 Chapter ?1128 Confronting the Mother-in-Law

    Chapter ?1128 Confronting the Mother-in-Law


    After an irritated voice that almost no one knew sounded, everyone stood up from their seats, feeling the power of the person who had just arrived.


    "What''s going on?"


    "Are we under attack?" Minos'' various friends said this as they put up fighting positions.


    "Level 77?" Maisie stood in front of her son and those women of his as she looked toward where that Spiritual Saint was running.


    "Who is that? How did she get into my city?" Minos looked at his mother in doubt.


    Maisie then said in an embarrassed tone. "Your defenses aren''t enough to restrain someone like that, but they weren''t destroyed either... Which means she probably followed me."


    Before Minos could say something to his mother, Gloria felt a chill and said. "That''s my mother''s voice..."


    "What, my mother-in-law?" Minos felt less bad knowing it was not an enemy.


    "Mother-in-law?" Finally, a gorgeous white-haired woman appeared inside Minos'' house''s dining room.


    She looked intensely in the direction of where Minos was standing, seeing how her precious daughter was holding one of that fellow''s hands.


    "You... Are you the one who did this?" She showed Gloria the soul lamp, trembling with the desire to beat the crap out of Minos.


    As Gloria stood in front of Minos, afraid of what her mother would do, King Stuart looked at that soul lamp and nodded in agreement. "Of course, it was me. Who would get Gloria pregnant other than her man?"


    Gulp!


    Saliva swallowing sounds rang out there as every person in this place looked at Minos in apprehension over his boldness.


    Even Gloria looked back in surprise, not expecting that Minos would have all this pose, even in front of a level 77 Spiritual Saint.


    ''Remembering well, he wasn''t afraid of me back then either...'' She remembered their first meeting.


    On the other hand, Maisie was already sweating about that woman being there since she knew that Gloria''s mother was one of the oldest members of the Spiritual Church in her state.


    And she was a fanatic about her religion!


    Margot Frost was originally from the northern region of the Central Continent. But going to the Flaming Empire after an edition of the Spiritual Tournament, she had stayed only a few months in a sect until she left it to join the organization of her future husband.


    Since then, she had grown considerably, finally becoming one of the strongest in that Church post!


    Knowing this, Maisie was already worried about Minos.


    Margot then felt more anger at this man who had contaminated her daughter and impregnated her out of wedlock. "You are bold! Where does your courage come from? What makes you think I won''t wipe the floor of this place with your blood? Do you think that just because Gloria is expecting your baby, I won''t act?"


    "Oh? And why should I fear you, mother-in-law? Even if you were a Spiritual Demigod, I would still treat you the same way!" Minos said as he took the front of his woman and looked intently at that beautiful white-haired woman.


    "Minos..." Gloria pulled at his clothes and looked at Abby and Ruth as if asking them to help her.


    But Ruth and Abby seemed very quiet at the moment, causing this redhead to look at Minos again, in doubt.


    "Demigod?" Margot looked strangely at Minos. "Besides being bold, you''re an arrogant one!"


    After saying that, she walked toward him, snapping the fingers of her hands. "I''ll give you a chance. If you can take one minute of fighting with me..."


    Minos did not care what Margot intended to say and spoke. "I''m not going to fight you. I don''t need other people''s approval for my relationship with my women."


    "What? Your... Women?" She looked at Gloria and saw this naive daughter of hers blush.


    "Minos already has two wives..." Gloria softly said.


    "Scoundrel!"


    "Now, you really can''t escape a beating, brat!"


    Maisie then said. "Mrs. Frost, aren''t you exaggerating? Gloria is much stronger than Minos. How come you act as if he forced her into something?"


    "You think I don''t know that?" Margot said.


    This part was what irritated her the most!


    She had raised her only daughter with all her love and taught Gloria about how seriously marriage and children should be treated. But still, this foolish girl had given herself to a pretty face and allowed herself to become pregnant by a man she hardly knew, who had not received her family''s approval!


    That was disappointing!


    Margot even liked the idea of becoming a grandmother one day, not least because she was already old and, depending on her bad luck, might not live to see her grandchildren. But she wanted her daughter to follow tradition, marry a good man in the Church, not just a nobody...


    She continued. "I''ll deal with Gloria later, but for now, this son of yours has committed a serious crime, Maisie!"


    But Maisie continued to insist. "Mrs. Frost, you can''t act against Minos. You must have seen the happiness in your daughter''s eyes, right? Do you want to destroy that? Do you want to break her heart?"


    "Don''t worry. He will survive." She coldly laughed. "After all, he must marry my daughter in the Church to clear her reputation."


    Margot then used her spiritual energy to seal Maisie''s body, so this woman would no longer come in her way. "Brat, who will defend you now?" She stood face to face with Minos, surprised by his determination to face her without fear in his eyes.


    ''I admit you have enviable courage!'' Her eyes narrowed.


    Minos then answered her with a tease. "Your Spiritual Church is fascinating, mother-in-law. Besides not keeping its promises to the region, now it sends a Spiritual Saint to deal with a Spiritual Emperor..."


    "We didn''t keep our promises? What promise haven''t we kept?" She ignored the second part of Minos'' speech as she grabbed this young man by his neck.


    "Spiritual Saints attack us when they want to. Just yesterday, I was almost killed by one of them." He said with difficulty.


    Hearing that, Maisie trembled with anger, but she could not say anything because of the strength of that white-haired woman.


    "Humph!"


    "We will deal with each of these rebels when the time comes. But that''s all..."


    He interrupted her again. "That''s not all. At least one Albano organization with Spiritual Emperors was trying to invade my territory."


    "If I hadn''t acted, this whole region would be under their control in no time."


    He saw this woman looking at him with irritation that he was using these matters that were unrelated to Gloria''s pregnancy to get out of trouble. But he did not care. "Even Spiritual Emperors challenge the powerful Spiritual Church..."


    "Well, perhaps that is the result of Spiritual Saints giving more importance to what their children do in their privacy than to their work." He looked fearlessly into her eyes.


    "Brat!"


    "Mom!" Gloria finally moved against her mother, trying to get her to let go of Minos'' neck. "Stop it. If you hurt Minos, I will never forgive you! Don''t make me choose between him and you!"


    "Oh?" She looked at the girl at her side, who was already in tears.


    "You destroyed all the education it took me decades to instill in my daughter in a few weeks... You are too good, brat!" She angrily looked at Minos.


    Gloria then continued. "Mother, I will stay with Minos one way or another. Even if I have to leave the Church!"


    There was only one way to leave the Church besides death, and that was for such a person to cripple their spiritual power.


    Because of this, Margot could not help but sigh in defeat after hearing this, feeling that her daughter had the same weaknesses as her. ''Sigh! Gloria is also ready to do anything for her man...''


    ''I had ignored that. What a fool I was...''


    Besides her husband, Margot had only one weakness, her daughter. Because of this, seeing that Gloria was willing to hurt herself to be with Minos, this woman relieved her anger and let Minos go.


    "Brat, you will come with me to the Flaming Empire. Then, starting today, you will serve the Spiritual Church. That is your only alternative to be with Gloria and save yourself from possible punishment."


    ...

 Chapter ?1129 Join the Spiritual Church?

    Chapter ?1129 Join the Spiritual Church?


    "Serve the Spiritual Church?" Not only Minos, but every single person in that area, where the breakfast dishes still left a yummy smell in the air, said simultaneously.


    They all had negative tones in their voices, feeling that such a thing was awful for their plans and the Black Plain. After all, if Minos joined this organization, would he not have to abandon his role as a local leader?


    Minos then said. "That is impossible. The Spiritual Church won''t limit me, and I don''t intend to stop being the King of the Black Plain until this place becomes the strongest in the Spiritual World!"


    "The strongest?" Margot could not even be bothered by Minos'' refusal because of this audacious goal.


    Gloria was also surprised to hear that, since she did not understand where this interest of Minos came from, something impossible to accomplish in her humble opinion.


    At that moment, Maisie, who Margot had already released, was also surprised at Minos but spoke up in his defense. "Mrs. Frost, my son is the future of the Gray Clouds Sect. You can''t do this! My father has already chosen him as the heir to his position."


    "What?" Ruth exclaimed in surprise.


    Minos had not even been a member of the Gray Clouds Sect for a second. So how was he going to become the master of that sect?


    Maisie knew that both her son and disciple must have been in doubt about what she had just said and expressed. "Minos, Ruth, the Gray Clouds Sect master is my father, Oswald Coleman."


    "That old man?" Minos muttered in a low voice as he remembered the Spiritual Saint who had talked with him and Ruth during their trip to the Spiritual Tournament about 14 years ago.


    "That..." Ruth was shocked to discover such information, not expecting that Minos was the grandson of that mighty fellow.


    Margot listened to all this dialogue in silence, realizing that it would be difficult for her to force a successor of another organization to join them. After all, unlike the humble Black Plain, the Gray Clouds Sect was big enough to make noise.


    "Even if he is the heir of that old man, he will still have to commit himself to the Church! The Patriarchs will not simply accept that Gloria is taken from us and have a son not committed to our cause!" She said to those people.


    Gloria then suggested. "Mother, just you keep that information from the Church. I will have my son with Minos and continue to live in the northern region as a representative of the Church. So, if we take a little care, no one will find out..."


    "What are you saying?" Margot did not like her bold daughter''s suggestion. "Do you tell lies now, Gloria? How did you become like that?"


    Gloria replied in an irritated manner. "Now I''m going to be a mother! I have to take care of my family!"


    "That''s..." Margot saw the way Gloria was massaging her belly and felt confused.


    She loved her daughter and would love to have grandchildren. So, she could not help but feel her heart soften at seeing her daughter like that.


    But unfortunately, she had already told Gloria''s father everything before coming to this place. Because of this, she could not simply hide this situation from the Church since her husband was one of the three great Patriarchs of the Temple of Payton in the capital of the Flaming Empire.


    "I can''t. Your father already knows everything, and he only didn''t come here because I decided to settle the matter myself."


    Hearing her mother''s voice, Gloria looked in defeat at Minos, feeling she had brought trouble on him. "Minos, I..."


    Minos then brought her into his arms and hugged her. "I know it''s not your fault, don''t worry..."


    He then looked at his mother-in-law and said. "I will not stop being the King of the Black Plain and stop acting for my own interests. On the contrary, I intend to continue using what I build and what I develop in the future to influence the region or the continent."


    "I don''t believe in your ideals and never will. Nor do I accept that Gloria will be taken away from me or punished."


    "If you can do something about it following those conditions, I don''t mind helping the Church as an outside member or something like that."


    "But if that''s not possible, forget it. I''m not leaving my position!"


    "In any case, I can guarantee Gloria''s safety, even if the Church considers her a traitor for not following their rules," Minos said, making that woman tremble with his words full of confidence.


    ''I have never seen anyone this arrogant in my almost 6,000 years!'' She felt like hitting Minos but managed to hold back. "You''re a good talker, huh, kid? Where does this confidence of yours come from? Or is that just good acting?"


    "Do you want to bet with me?" Minos determinedly looked at her.


    "Oh?"


    "Give me 20 years, and I will become a Spiritual Saint. If I don''t achieve this in that time, I will leave the Black Plain, join your Spiritual Church, and accept any condition you wish." He calmly said while the people who knew about the Spatial Kingdom began to relax, reassured that he did not intend to leave this place.


    "Are you that confident?" She thought such a thing was ridiculous. Even her daughter, with Golden talent and Golden-grade cultivation technique, would probably not reach that stage until she was 70. But there was Minos, saying that he would reach the 8th stage at less than 50.


    To make matters worse, this fellow seemed to want to stay in this barren place. How could he achieve such a feat in this region? Even in a high-level empire, it would be difficult to do that. Just imagine in the Black Plain?


    "What if you win?" She asked in curiosity.


    Minos smiled. "If I can win the bet, the Church will forget about this matter and release Gloria. She will be totally mine and will no longer represent your organization."


    "Uh?" Gloria exclaimed in surprise. She was a follower of the Church, so she had no desire to leave that institution. Even more so considering that she had the ambition to become the Supreme Pontiff one day...


    Margot frowned her eyebrows. "That won''t work. I can guarantee you won''t be punished, but Gloria is not leaving the Church just because of a bet."


    "Hmm, well, if she can stay by my side, that''s good then."


    "OK. But what about in the meantime? Gloria''s father won''t be happy to allow you to go unpunished for 20 years."


    Minos thought for a moment and said. "In the meantime, I won''t be a member of the Church, so I won''t be limited. But I can help as an outside member who does services for the Church from time to time. I will even defend your ideas and bring some glory to you."


    As she heard this, Margot thought about it cautiously, thinking it was not a bad idea to follow this bet.


    Minos definitely would not be able to fulfill that requirement, so in the end, he would still have to become a member of the Church and serve alongside Gloria. Besides, 20 years was nothing. He was already a Spiritual Emperor, so he could still serve the Church for at least 3,000 years, even if he never reached the 8th stage.


    So, this bet was not terrible for her!


    On the other hand, while his mother-in-law considered that, Minos was making his plans. ''I wasn''t thinking of getting involved with the Spiritual Church, but since they want to stand in my way, maybe I should conquer them...''


    ''With Gloria in that institution, I can turn her into the Supreme Pontiff and then control the whole organization!'' He smiled as he hugged his beautiful woman. ''That will make the Black Plain even stronger!''


    "All right!" Margot said.


    "Hmm, perfect!" He internally laughed as Gloria looked into his eyes, trying to understand what he had in mind.


    He then added. "Since we are going to follow this agreement, I want one small request of mine to be fulfilled. I want Gloria to be considered my wife from the signing of our agreement and be able to keep her husband''s secrets, even if it harms the Church."


    It was an old custom in the Spiritual World that husband and wife, recognized by the two organizations behind them, did not have to testify or hand over information regarding each other to their respective forces.


    That, in practice, meant that even if one spouse had an impactful secret for one of those organizations, members of such a power could not question that person''s husband or wife about that person''s secrets.


    Margot saw no problem with Minos'' request since her organization did not care about the secrets of a mere level 60 junior. But she did find his concern strange. ''Is he one of those who thinks he is more than he is? Don''t tell me my grandchildren will be the children of someone like that?''


    "OK, you and Gloria will be recognized as husband and wife."


    ...

 Chapter ?1130 Solving Problems

    Chapter ?1130 Solving Problems


    Hearing her mother''s voice, Gloria smiled over this final part of Margot and Minos'' agreement, even considering her doubt about whether he could keep his lines.


    "Minos..." She said in a low voice before kissing him in front of all those people.


    "Mmmm~"


    Margot closed her eyes at seeing that, while Maisie did not find it interesting to see her son acting so intimately with one of his women in front of her.


    ''He''s like that fellow...'' Margot remembered how Oswald was in the past.


    Before she had met Gloria''s father, she had been courted by Oswald. But since that fellow was womanizing, Margot had never paid any attention to him, even considering that he was a bit more impressive than her future husband.


    ''Sigh... What a disappointment. My daughter has fallen into the grips of a man like him.''


    After parting their lips, Minos and Gloria looked at each other momentarily, his gaze calming the doubts in her heart. Then, he looked at Margot and said. "Mother-in-law, you can take care of the spiritual judge. So, when you have everything ready, come and see me. We will sign that agreement at that time."


    She looked at Minos as if something was wrong there. ''Why do I feel as if I am working for him?''


    "All right, I''ll take care of this right away." She walked towards the o the exit of that place, intending not to give even a single day more for Minos to have a better chance of succeeding in that bet.


    But then she was stopped by that man''s voice. "There is also the matter of that Albano organization that acted against my region. Aren''t you going to do anything about it?"


    She turned around and asked. "Hand me your evidence, and if everything is OK, the Church will deal with that organization."


    "Well, I will hand you the testimony of the three people I captured. Come to my royal hall in two or three hours, and we will settle this."


    After those words, Margot disappeared from that place, finally lowering the tension of the people there.


    "Minos, you should not have promised such a thing. What if you can''t move forward in that period?" Maisie said as she came closer to him and concernedly looked at him.


    Gloria nodded and said. "I think we could have pursued a less difficult alternative..."


    Minos ignored his mother and said to Gloria. "Don''t worry. I don''t make bets I can lose. Don''t you remember anything like that, dear?"


    Gloria blushed as she remembered that Minos had tricked her.


    "I don''t know if the Church will lose anything, but I will definitely win. And since you are my wife, the same will be true for you."


    "Oh?"


    He then whispered in one of her ears. "You, Abby, Ruth, and I will rule this continent one day. The Spiritual Church will be our means of doing that..."


    She opened her eyes in surprise at this bold goal of Minos. But she said nothing to him. ''At this rate, won''t our child be the most powerful person in the world? It seems you want to build quite a future for our family...'' She laughed in her mind.


    Minos turned to his mother and asked in a serious tone. "What''s this talk about me being the heir to your sect? Was that to get Gloria''s mother away from her original ideas?"


    Maisie negatively shook her head. "Your grandfather wants you to replace him, and I agree. He will propose it to you when you go to the empire."


    The logical side of Minos told him that he should use this to his advantage, but his problems with his mother prevented him from liking this option. "I''m not interested."


    "But..." Maisie watched her son return to the seat he was sitting in earlier with Gloria and his wives. ''I''d better let this matter rest for the moment. I will talk to him again when he goes to the empire.'' She was silent, listening to the people in that place returning to their conversations and also eating.


    "Minos, you are brilliant..." Elena winked at him, finding it interesting how he had defeated a level 77 person.


    Minos chuckled back at her, giving her a brief wink.


    "Why do you two look so confident?" Gloria asked as she observed that Abby and Ruth, who loved him as much as she did, did not seem worried.


    Abby then replied with a smile. "Because Minos will become a Spiritual Saint in that period."


    "We all will..." Minos massaged his women''s backs while Gloria was on his lap, just like earlier. "You will understand this after I sign an agreement with your mother, Gloria."


    "All right." She commented, eager to find out the truth about him. After that, she went back to eating with her man and harem sisters, satisfied that things were going well for her new family.


    Maisie watched all this in silence and finally remembered what she had come to do in this place. "My son, you said you were almost killed by a Spiritual Saint yesterday? Were you serious? What happened?"


    "It''s true. I didn''t lie to keep my mother-in-law away." He said as he ate his breakfast. "But he is no longer a problem for us. He won''t be back anytime soon..." He did not go into details so as not to alert the wrong people about the fact that he could kill someone at that level using all his strength and a little luck.


    And with his words, his mother and Gloria were not only fooled, but almost everyone in that room was too. Only Abby, Ruth, and Dillian knew that such a Spiritual Saint had been killed.


    With that, Minos'' friends and the supreme elder Miller next to Abby''s parents could not help but be worried about the future. The level of fighting on the Black Plain was increasing fast!


    Maisie narrowed her eyes as she tried to imagine how her son had escaped. She clenched her fists and then said. "I don''t know if I can help you, but I''ll stick around while the Church advances this matter. Maybe they can work it all out with these Spiritual Emperors you spoke of..."


    "Do whatever you want..." Minos commented to his mother without looking at her.


    "In any case, I suspect who might be behind this." She said.


    "Who?" He looked into his mother''s eyes for the first time on this occasion.


    "Someone from the Vogel family."


    "Vogel? From the neighboring state to the south of the Cromwell Kingdom?" Ruth asked.


    "Yes, some low-level Spiritual Saints from that organization have had their whereabouts unknown in recent years." She commented on her suspicion. "But that''s not common, especially since these newly advanced people usually gain status promotion and start developing their families, etc."


    "It is also common that when a new expert ascends, an older one has the opportunity to enter seclusion."


    That was how great families and sects worked.


    Suppose there was a level 70 Spiritual Saint who took care of a family''s treasury. Then until the rise of a new cultivator of that level, he would have to focus his time on that work, not being able to go into seclusion for a few years to get stronger.


    But then, someone in the organization would break the barrier from the 7th to the 8th stage, and a shift exchange would occur, making it possible for the senior to enter seclusion.


    In this way, these big organizations could maintain their defenses and operations and still have a chance to grow stronger!


    Because of this, Maisie had been suspicious of the Vogel family since mere newly promoted subordinates had no way of having the privilege of not replacing seniors.


    "Vogel family, huh?" Minos considered this information, saving it in his mind to investigate such a thing in the future.


    Gloria then asked, with fire in her eyes. "Will we be able to get any proof of your suspicions? Only then will the Church be able to take action against this family."


    Maisie negatively shook her head. "If I had, I would have already turned it over to the Temple of Payton in the empire..."


    Minos commented. "It doesn''t matter. Now that we have a place to look, it will be easier to find the real person responsible for these attacks."


    "Hmmm." Minos'' wives nodded in agreement, pleased with Maisie''s hint.


    Ruth then commented. "But it makes more sense that the enemy is not from Albano."


    "Oh?" Abby exclaimed.


    "Vogel and Albano are the least friendly states to each other in the alliance of the four states north of the Flaming Empire. And since it makes more sense not to use your state to plot something forbidden, it makes sense that our enemy is from another state."

 Chapter ?1131 Celebration for Some, Terror for Others

    Chapter ?1131 Celebration for Some, Terror for Others


    After the previous conversation, Maisie left to get to know her son''s city better after all the recent improvements that had taken place locally.


    On the other hand, while the people who stopped by King Stuart''s residence to congratulate him and Gloria returned from whence they had come, Minos and his women made their way to the royal throne hall.


    Initially, they had to deal with the business of the previous day''s mission. Still, because the news of Gloria''s pregnancy had already spread, they had to receive the various local leaders who had come to congratulate them.


    So, soon they were in that place, where after Minos sat on his throne with Gloria on his lap, they began to receive those people and their gifts.


    ...


    "Congratulations, Your Grace, and Archbishop Frost. I hope your child is healthy and strong!" Lorelei and the other Spiritual Emperors of Stone Island said similar things while admiring Minos and that red-headed goddess.


    After that, they placed their gifts in one of the corners of the royal throne hall before Linette and Jade entered there with smiles on their faces.


    Seeing those women who had some of Minos'' scent on their bodies, his three wives, especially Gloria, could not help but watch them with frowning eyebrows.


    These married women, who were cheating on their husband, dared to come to this place and face them as if they were good people without any crime...


    "You..." Gloria was saying but felt Minos'' hands massaging her waist, and she stopped.


    After they said their kind words to Minos and his family, he allowed them to climb the stairs in front of his throne and kneel in front of him and his wives.


    "Thank you for your words, Linette, Jade. You are indeed good subordinates, concerned for the welfare of my family." Minos calmly said, but his voice had power over these women who had already surrendered to him.


    "I see you are still a bit tired from yesterday''s battle, so I will give you some time to rest. After that, I will allow you to participate in something new in the region." He thought of the black hole inside the medium-level grade-3 array.


    "Minos..." The two looked at him with bright eyes, almost managing to ignore the beautiful redhead on his lap.


    Seeing this, Gloria closed her eyes and moved on Minos'' lap, preventing those two from seeing him. "What are you talking about, honey?" She looked at him and asked.


    "You three will see this later, so don''t worry for the moment..."


    Abby and Ruth looked at him and realized that from the looks of it, he was not planning anything shameless with those two.


    "All right, then." She replied and pouted, annoyed that he simply would not tell her right away what it was all about.


    Minos then said to those two. "Go get some rest. Maybe this thing I talked about will significantly increase your cultivation speed... I don''t think it will be impossible for you to advance in half the time it would originally take."


    Hearing that, the two, for some reason, were not so happy.


    Minos saw that and smiled. "Don''t worry. I will give you some time to consolidate your foundations when you move forward."


    "All right, we''ll do our best!" Jade commented with a smile before she looked meaningfully at Minos and left alongside her harem sister.


    "How lucky Gloria is..." Linette commented to Jade after the two left that area.


    Jade agreed with an odd look in her eyes. "Besides, it must be amazing for her to go through that... If it''s already so great to be filled by Minos, getting pregnant by him would be even better."


    "That''s true... Unfortunately, it''s not for us. Anyway, it''s good enough that he treats us so well." Linette sighed.


    ...


    After a while, Minos and his wives welcomed all the visitors and their gifts, having heard various wishes about Gloria''s well-being and the speed of the pregnancy.


    Pregnancy in the Spiritual World could last different amounts of time depending on the mother''s level, talent, and the Physique of the fetus.


    Considering this, women usually had to endure between 1 and 5 years of pregnancy to give birth to their children if everything went well.


    The mother would also be in a weakened state during the entire pregnancy, which only worsened as the time of childbirth approached. For example, when pregnant women reach between 3 and 6 months before delivery, they usually could not even cultivate, as the spiritual energy was harmful to the final stage of gestation.


    For all these problems, most of the people who met Minos and his wives wished the best for Gloria, who probably could not advance a stage before delivery.


    Minos and Gloria accepted everyone''s words, and when the last person passed by, he left his two wives with his favorite pregnant and went to the Spatial Kingdom to look for the three Spiritual Emperors.


    He felt it would not be long before Gloria''s mother came back to talk to him, so he hurried to bring those people to Dry City.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Margot was flying to the capital of the Brown Kingdom, where the nearest branch of the Spiritual Church was, from where she could send her request to the empire.


    She had a communication array with her, but such a thing was connected to her husband''s and had a smaller range than those found in the Church posts.


    As for the problem of the communication arrays in the northern region posts, that was only for the local Church members, who did not have high-level crystals to supply it. But Margot had such resources. So, she took this alternative to send a request for a spiritual judge to come to this region as soon as possible.


    Moreover, for someone of her level, the distance between the capitals of the Black Plain and the Brown Kingdom was only two hours. Thus, she flew in that direction without hesitation while thinking about Minos'' annoyance.


    ''That fellow is full of nastiness... Ah, if it weren''t for Gloria being so in love with him, I would have hit that face of his at least a dozen times!''


    ''How does he have the nerve to talk to me like that? To make matters worse, I''m his mother-in-law! He should be more careful when talking to me!'' While she was thinking about this, not far away from her, another person flying in the vicinity swallowed his saliva and tried to hide.


    ''Who is that? Why is there a level 77 Spiritual Saint in this damn place?'' The Spiritual Saint sent to investigate what had happened on the previous day trembled with fear as he sensed Margot.


    He had arrived in this region so quickly because Prince Abe''s group had connected a teleportation array between the capital of that state and this region.


    That was a necessary measure. After all, they could not risk their Spiritual Saints frequently traveling from their state to the region of Minos. That would be too suspicious!


    So, when the first Spiritual Saint had failed to deal with Minos, he immediately established this connection to avoid suspicious travel.


    Hence, this man was already investigating the surroundings because of this teleportation array, already seeking to discover how Bond had died.


    Unfortunately for him, that woman appeared while he was scanning the area near one of the camps attacked by Minos'' group on the border of the Brown Kingdom and the Black Plain.


    "Uh?" Margot did not fail to notice that there was someone besides her nearby and immediately looked in the direction of the level 71 Spiritual Saint, who was already trying to escape.


    ''Level 71, huh? That fellow said he was attacked by a Spiritual Saint yesterday. I wonder if it was this person?''


    "Hmm, too much of a coincidence for me!" She decided to act.


    "Stop what you are doing, or I will kill you!" She shouted as she flew in pursuit of him, sensing that such a fellow was behaving suspiciously.


    Upon hearing that, such a man felt unimaginable terror, something he did not think he would still be exposed to after becoming a Spiritual Saint.


    But for him, this was not his lucky day!


    ''Damn it!''


    ''What do I do? Maybe I can fool this woman? But if I fail, not only will the prince fall, but my whole family will perish!'' He swallowed his saliva as he stopped flying away from Margot.


    ...

 Chapter ?1132 He Did It to Protect Us

    Chapter ?1132 He Did It to Protect Us


    "Stopped, huh?" She said as she came within a few meters of him and stopped midair, floating some distance away.


    "Madam, what do you want with me? Did this junior happen to do something he shouldn''t have?" He asked in a nervous tone.


    "What are you doing in this region? It''s not common for Spiritual Saints to stay in those areas... You didn''t seem to be just passing through."


    As he heard this, he carefully observed the woman in front of him, mainly her red clothes, which had a small symbol of seraphim at the height of her left breast.


    ''Damn it!''


    ''A Patriarch of the Spiritual Church!''


    ''What bad luck!'' He cried out in despair in his mind as he recognized the uniform Margot was wearing.


    "I... I was traveling through the region. I was going to Elves Island, madam. It just so happened that I smelled a strong scent of blood nearby and went to see what it was." He used part of the truth to lie.


    Elves Island was closest to any state on this continent when accessed through this region. So, it was usual for experts from all parts of the continent to fly through the skies of those areas towards the Snow Kingdom, from where any of them could navigate to that island.


    At the same time, there was a strong smell of blood in the surroundings since one of the massacres of the previous day had left such a mark behind.


    He finished. "I am from a righteous sect, so naturally, I felt it was my duty to ascertain the situation in the hope that there might be some survivors."


    "Oh?" Margot looked at the surroundings and inhaled the air, quickly realizing there was a strong smell of blood.


    ''Come to think of it, many people in that city seemed to have recently participated in a battle...'' She remembered what she realized after infiltrating Dry City, following in Maisie''s footsteps.


    Margot had arrived in Dry City a few minutes before Maisie, but she had not broken into that place since she had noticed this woman. After infiltrating, she first wanted to observe who was with her daughter and judge if this person was worth allowing to live.


    Only after seeing what Gloria and Minos were like realizing how lovingly her daughter fed him did she decide not to kill this fellow who had impregnated her only daughter. At most, he deserved a good beating and to take responsibility.


    Anyway, for spying on that city, she had used her powerful soul sense throughout the core of Dry City and seen the scenes of the battle wounded in the General Hospital and army headquarters.


    She frowned her eyebrows and asked. "So, you have no relation to the Spiritual Saint who was in the vicinity yesterday?"


    Gulp!


    ''She knows about it! Did she do it?'' He tried to look calm on the outside, but he was panicking on the inside.


    "What Spiritual Saint? Madam, it is not uncommon for people of that stage to rest nearby while traveling..."


    "But this person was not resting... He attacked the King of the Black Plain." She looked intently into that person''s eyes, sensing that he was not innocent. ''You decided to run away the moment you saw me, and this look on your face... That is the look of someone afraid of death!''


    ''No matter how much stronger I am than you, there is no reason for a member of the Spiritual Church to kill someone traveling through the region. There''s no reason to be afraid or run away from me!'' One of her hands behind her back gently closed, forming a tight fist.


    "Is that so? Then he is crazy. I have no relation to him, so I wish madam good luck in your hunt." He turned to leave but then heard the worst.


    "You know what? I don''t think you''re innocent. Then I''ll allow you to surrender and prove otherwise. What do you say?" She continued with her hands behind her back as the air in the surroundings froze, forming vortices of spiritual energy from her sides.


    Gulp!


    ''Damn!'' This man felt despair, knowing that if this woman caught him, that would be the end. Even if his excuses were good and she was only using her intuition, if she investigated him, she would find out everything!


    He knew this, so he made the only decision available to him!


    When he made up his mind, Margot sharpened her eyes, realizing she had hit the nail on the head, seeing that man forming a ball of black energy as he suddenly aged.


    "A sacrifice? You would rather have your existence erased than just die?" She commented, but it was already too late.


    Margot had not acted fast enough against him because the sacrifice was something few would choose. That way, that man would not be able to escape her.


    But to Margot''s surprise, even someone in her cultivation stage would make the folly of sacrificing himself to protect his ideals.


    ''Madness!''


    ''Doesn''t he know that he won''t be able to reincarnate by doing that?'' She did not move far away, only having begun to circulate her techniques to contain that person''s outburst.


    Unlike the Spiritual Kings that Minos had already seen sacrificing themselves, the sacrifice of a Spiritual Saint could destroy hundreds of kilometers from its origin!


    Considering this, to protect the many human cities nearby, Margot decided to act on her own.


    She was over 300% stronger than that man, so she activated her soul technique without fear.


    Angels Avatar!


    The moment she did this, that place that seemed to be about to freeze glowed with golden light, and a silhouette similar to Margot''s appeared from her body.


    Such a thing expanded for hundreds of meters until six large wings appeared from its back. After that, a powerful pulse broke from that figure, forming a sizeable golden sphere around that location.


    In this instant, that Spiritual Saint slowly began to turn to dust, while the spheres of black energy in his hands began to decrease in size.


    Then...


    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!


    Such a thing exploded similarly to a supernova, causing the surrounding space to tremble while tiny cracks appeared in it.


    However, Margot''s 8th technique could not be underestimated!


    As a Golden-grade technique, one of the two techniques of that rank available to the most talented members of the Church in the Flaming Empire, it gave her a power similar to that of a Spiritual Sage!


    Thus, the moment the space within that golden area seemed to want to collapse, the walls of the barrier created by Margot withstood the thud as the avatar''s hands moved against it.


    Margot made the same movements with her body, slowly pressing her hands against each other as if trying to crush something.


    Puff!


    Strong winds spread from that area as the black flames finally disappeared and Margot''s avatar''s golden light slowly faded.


    "This little wind will destroy some houses, but no one will die..."


    "Sigh!"


    "I didn''t get any of this." She complained before setting off toward the capital of the Brown Kingdom.


    ...


    Sometime later...


    "Your Highness, Lord Leo, he... He sacrificed himself!" An elder agitatedly said this as he stopped in front of the crown prince of Vogel.


    "What? How could that have happened?" The royal guard standing there with Abe and other Spiritual Saints, someone at level 74, asked in incomprehension.


    How could someone at their stage sacrifice himself?


    Only if someone terrifying came their way could that possibly be plausible. But Leo was in the northern region...


    "That..."


    "How?"


    "I don''t know..." The old man who was holding Leo''s soul lamp said. "I am only reporting what I saw, Your Highness."


    Meanwhile, the level 74 man was pale with the thought in his mind. "Emerson, what are you thinking?" Abe asked in nervousness.


    "Your Highness, let''s stop getting involved with the Black Plain and cover our tracks. That place might have connections to Spiritual Sages!"


    "What?" Everyone there exclaimed in surprise.


    "How? Why would someone like that get involved with that place?" One of them asked.


    "I don''t know. But I can''t imagine anyone else, other than someone capable of wiping out the family, being able to force Leo to sacrifice himself." He thoughtfully looked at the one who asked the question. "He did it to protect us."


    Gulp!


    "That..."


    "Disgrace!"


    "It''s not for nothing that such a place has improved so much!" They began to despair as they ran back and forth, already preparing to erase all traces of what they had done.


    "Damn you, Saints Killing Sect!"


    "You''ll pay me for this!" Abe said with hatred in his voice.

 Chapter ?1133 Good News?

    Chapter ?1133 Good News?


    After a few minutes, Margot arrived at the capital of the Brown Kingdom, where dozens of guards were startled by the arrival of a Spiritual Saint.


    Typically speaking, people in this region would not feel so afraid of Spiritual Saints since they usually only traveled through the local skies and usually did not even enter the local cities.


    Moreover, there was the Church to maintain order in the region, and they were guaranteed that none of these experts would go crazy and start causing chaos in the area.


    However, with the recent events and disturbing news coming from the Black Plain, there was no way the local Spiritual Kings could ignore the fear in their hearts of such experts.


    "Spiritual Saint! Is he here to destroy us?" Raynard shouted in surprise as he felt a powerful aura in the vicinity of his royal palace.


    Not only he, his older sister, who was still in this city, trembled in panic as she looked at her mother. "Let''s run!" She said.


    But Thomas Brown''s widow was a true patriot who would not run unless that was her last option. "Let''s look at the situation first, Diana."


    Then each of the Spiritual Kings in that royal palace headed in Margot''s direction, the Temple of the City of the Setting Sun.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the Temple of the Spiritual Church...


    "Matriarch!" Several members of that post shouted upon seeing that woman''s red clothes, promptly beginning to prostrate in admiration that such an expert had allowed them to see her.


    At the same time, the Bishops inside that building were quick to run towards her, at first startled, but soon after relieved that she was a member of the Church, not some madman.


    "Matriarch, to what do we owe this visit?" The purple-clothed people asked in nervous tones.


    Seeing the low number of local Bishops and the youthful appearances of most of them, Margot found this situation strange and asked. "Why are there so few of you here? In fact, you are too weak to maintain a post like this..."


    Gulp!


    The oldest of those people stepped forward and bowed his head to answer her. "Archbishop Frost eliminated several of our brothers a few years ago, Matriarch..."


    "We still haven''t recovered since then." Another of them, a woman, added.


    "Oh? She did that?" Gloria''s mother asked with a smile on her face. "From your tone, it sounds like you are unhappy about it. Should I change the person in charge of this region?"


    No one dared to say anything after she asked that. Obviously, they did not want a person involved with Minos leading the Church in the region!


    But what could they do? Talk badly about their bosses? Interfere in the affairs of people several levels above them?


    Madness!


    Even more so considering that the beliefs of the Spiritual Church were that one who speaks ill of others behind their backs does not deserve respect. And since Gloria had not done anything outside the rules, they would not dare say a single word.


    The old man from before replied after a while. "We don''t dare question the decisions of our superiors. It is only up to Archbishop Frost''s superiors to decide on that."


    "Hmm," Margot laughed, satisfied that these people had not answered her test wrong.


    "Well, take me to the communication array. I need to use it."


    "Please..." One of them showed one of his hands and then asked. "What should I call you, Matriarch?"


    "Matriarch Frost."


    Those people''s eyes almost popped out of their sockets as they realized that perhaps they had escaped a turbulent storm by keeping their thoughts in check.


    "That... If you don''t bother to answer, what is your relationship to Archbishop Frost?" A woman there asked.


    "I am her mother."


    "Her mother!" They simultaneously shouted, sensing that there was no salvation for the region.


    They would all come under the cruel clutches of Minos and should get used to even the possibility of taking orders from him...


    ''What a terrible thing!''


    ''That can only be the devil''s plan! How could a person as bad as he was lucky enough to get involved with a powerful family in the Church?'' The old man, one of the few old members of this post, wondered, looking up to the skies with a look of injustice.


    "Oh? Spiritual Emperor?" Margot turned around as she noticed a large number of people approaching her location.


    She was already finishing climbing the steps to the entrance of this temple, but after sensing a Spiritual Emperor among those people, she wondered if this was an enemy of Minos or not.


    "What do you people want by coming to my church temple?" She asked as she looked in the direction of the young Spiritual King, who had a crown on his head.


    "Matriarch!" Raynard bowed his head and gave a greeting.


    "We sensed your presence and came to receive the illustrious one!" He said, relieved that this was someone from the Church and not an enemy of Minos.


    "Is that so? And who are you?" she looked at Diana. "Where do you come from? From the Black Plain?"


    Upon hearing that last question, Diana felt disgusted and promptly denied it. "I am not from that cursed place, Matriarch. I am a member of the Brown family, a disciple of the Holy Sect. I am here visiting my family."


    "Oh? So, that''s it? Well, that''s okay..." She turned to walk back to her destination.


    "Matriarch, may I ask if we can expect any help from the Church in dealing with the invaders? We are in danger of extermination." The Queen Mother asked.


    "Invaders?"


    The king explained to that woman. "Yes, there are thousands of them on our borders. We don''t know what might happen, but they are strong enough to destroy us and end the peace in the region."


    "On your borders? I just passed through there, and there is no one else. I believe the forces of the brat Minos eliminated these people, so you should not worry." She commented. "Although he is annoying, he is a talented Spiritual Emperor."


    "Spiritual Emperor?"


    "No more enemies?"


    "How is that possible?" Several people in the surrounding area asked different questions about that white-haired woman''s speech.


    ''Irritating?'' Diana watched that woman with hope in her eyes, sensing that perhaps the Church''s superiors did not like Minos.


    "Matriarch, has he been injured? Then, the region can hope for some good news regarding liberation..."


    "Diana!" Raynard shouted his older sister''s name, feeling that she should not wish Minos'' harm aloud.


    "Oh? You don''t like Minos?" Margot asked interestedly.


    Seeing the nod of that young brown-haired Spiritual Emperor, Margot laughed and said. "Don''t worry. I have the impression that Minos won''t be around for long."


    Several people looked at each other in incomprehension, trying to guess the situation.


    As for Diana, she was more hopeful about the regional liberation and the resolution of her demons.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Minos had gone to his office along with the upper echelon of his forces to discuss the results of the previous day''s battle.


    At this point, his forces had already accounted for all the spatial rings and numbers relating to those involved in the conflict.


    With this, Minos and his group were getting the necessary updates, understanding the current situation of the local forces to know better what to do next.


    They still did not know what might happen, but for now, the expectation was that more enemies would come from outside the region to cause them trouble.


    Thus, they had to prepare themselves to give timely responses to potential new enemies, planning the local defenses for the chaotic future of this region.


    "Your Grace, the soldiers, vassals, and allies involved in the operation to destroy the invaders are relatively well." One soldier commented as he stood in front of Minos. "The many wounded will recover with the help of the doctors, in particular, the help of the butler Dillian."


    "As for the 50 dead, we are already looking after the families for them to receive those people''s parts from the battle prizes and their belongings."


    "Finally, with the loot results, we will be able to pay for all the mission costs and still nurture thousands of Spiritual Kings."


    ...

 Chapter ?1134 Punishment for the Rebels 1

    Chapter ?1134 Punishment for the Rebels 1


    "The results of our forces weren''t bad..." Ruth commented with a smile as she heard the details of that special operation.


    "Yes," Abby nodded in agreement. "And regardless of whether or not we will face new waves of enemies, it is undeniable that we have gained time to prepare."


    "Not only that, but now potential opponents will also be more careful. Of course, that has its downside, but at least it prevents sudden actions from happening."


    The soldiers there felt that this was indeed better.


    Facing an enemy who did not naturally respect them had the advantage of underestimation, which could make it easier to solve the problem. However, sometimes having a minimally cautious opponent was no bad thing!


    A careful enemy might be more challenging to eliminate, true. But if the other side is so strong that it can destroy its opponents if it acts with everything, then surely it would be better to have a more cautious, less rash opponent.


    That way, the weaker side could at least have a chance for salvation with the endless possibilities that time brought.


    And all the Black Plain needed now was precisely the advantage related to this.


    Time!


    Minos then commented. "We won a lot the day before and will have some time before we worry about the many potential opponents of my state. Then give the order for our top experts to go into seclusion."


    "I feel it will be a waste to leave them on alert now." He thoughtfully commented before saying in a sighing tone. "Let''s take advantage of the fear we''ve created by dealing with those criminals."


    "Yes, Your Grace!" Several soldiers and local government agents said.


    Minos then looked at Joey and expressed. "I want you to inform all the Spiritual Kings above level 57 of our allied forces that we will give them the chance to cultivate in a special cultivation room."


    "Each person will have the opportunity to do this for 30 days in this place, then after you have all their names, make the division according to the capacity of an ordinary-sized cultivation room."


    "Oh? These people are going to..." Joey found that strange, wondering what cultivation room that was.


    Minos negatively shook his head, seeing the people in his surroundings with strange expressions. He said. "It''s not what you are thinking. I have obtained a new device capable of enriching the spiritual density of contained areas."


    "I will allow these people to train in the basement room of the local Cultivation Tower, where this device will be."


    "So, that''s it..." The people there sighed in relief upon discovering that Minos had not gone crazy to send individuals outside the army to the Spatial Kingdom.


    ...


    About two hours later...


    Margot had already returned from her short trip, having sent her message asking for a high-level grade-3 spiritual judge to come from the Flaming Empire to Dry City.


    So, after entering the royal palace, she promptly headed toward where Minos was now.


    "Brat, I''ve done what I should so our agreement can be signed. Now, where are the Spiritual Emperors you spoke of? Let''s settle this once and for all." She said as she entered the royal throne hall, where he was finishing dealing with some matters along with Abby.


    As for Ruth and Gloria, the first was dealing with army matters at headquarters. Margot''s daughter was taking care of her responsibilities about the Spiritual Church in another part of the royal palace.


    "You already did that, huh?" Minos ignored some of his subordinates who were passing to him information about the migratory movements to the Black Plain.


    "Well, we can do that now." He stood up and showed one of his hands to that woman. "Please, accompany me."


    Abby then asked the people there to wait for her and Minos and, without delay, escorted Margot to an area of their palace where those people were.


    "Brat, you captured these three, but what guarantee do you have that they were acting in the area? Until proven otherwise, they may just be passersby..." She commented as she walked behind the most famous couple in the region.


    "Before I attacked these people, I overheard the enemy group talking about what they would do next. These Spiritual Emperors said they would act behind the scenes to deceive the Church and would initially send Spiritual Emperors to deal with those in my group."


    "That way, they could help the invading forces in the region to quickly dominate the Black Plain and later the entire northern region," Minos sincerely said.


    "Is that so?" She asked, feeling a little irritated da to know that someone wanted to deceive her organization but still not entirely convinced.


    "Also, their group said that other Spiritual Emperors would be arriving in a few days in the region to participate in the attacks. So, since those three haven''t died and it will take a while for the news of what happened to spread, I believe these people are still coming here."


    "You can pick up the meeting point with these people and act against them on your own." He suggested.


    She kept that information in her heart and asked. "That''s not a bad idea... But I want to hear from those three first. How do you intend to get them to tell the truth?"


    Minos looked at her and nodded to Abby. "My queen has an innate ability to manipulate nerve responses in living bodies. So, we will make them speak the truth using her ability."


    "Oh?" Margot looked at the blue-haired woman next to Minos. "That''s an outstanding ability... Aren''t you afraid to share that information about your wife with someone much stronger than you?"


    "Aren''t we already a family, mother-in-law?" Minos smiled. "Besides, you couldn''t hurt Abby with me here..."


    "Tsk!"


    ''Such arrogance!'' Margot closed her eyes so as not to o smack Minos, feeling that it would be hard to have to put up with him in the future.


    After this brief conversation, their group reached the room where the three Spiritual Emperors were bound to chains on the floor.


    When they saw Minos'' face after this man entered that room, the three individuals began to look at him with hatred in their eyes.


    "Brat, you are powerful, but you will regret what you have done!" One of the weakest of them said this, shouting. "You will soon have to face the entire Furious Shadows! Our brothers will not forgive you!"


    "Furious Shadows?" Margot appeared behind Minos, finally becoming visible to the three individuals who had their spiritual cultivation sealed but were not fools not to recognize her clothes.


    "Matriarch!" The three of them paled in awe.


    The leader of this group thought as he felt the worst approaching them. ''What is a Matriarch doing in this place? Why is she here? Don''t tell me this wretch has such deep connections?''


    She saw the look of fear on their faces and frowned, already beginning to think they were indeed rebels who deserved punishment.


    She asked. "These youths next to me are accusing you of plotting against the rules of the Spiritual Church. Is that true?"


    "No! It is a lie!"


    "That demon wants to eliminate us!"


    "Matriarch, he is the one who is a danger to the Church! You can''t imagine the terrifying power hidden inside him! He''s certainly up to something!" The level 60 individual commented in despair.


    "Yes! Yes! How could someone so strong and not up to something waste his time in this region? I think he committed a great crime, Matriarch!"


    "We call for justice!"


    "Tsk!" Abby felt irritated upon hearing those words and stepped forward to begin her work.


    At the same time, Minos let them feel a little despair by telling them a ''little secret.'' "Don''t bother to cry out for her mercy. This woman is my mother-in-law, so she won''t listen to your nonsense and stand against her own family."


    Feeling Minos touching one of her shoulders, Margot just closed her eyes, waiting for Abby''s action.


    "Mother-in-law?"


    "It can''t be!"


    "How can such injustice be true?" They cried in fear since if this were true, all of them, their families, and the organization behind them would be killed in no time.


    ...

 Chapter ?1135 Punishment for the Rebels 2

    Chapter ?1135 Punishment for the Rebels 2


    After falling under the effects of Abby''s innate ability, the three criminals were totally on hand to answer Minos and Margot''s questions.


    Minos saw Abby''s signal, so he decided to ask the first question. "Where are you guys from?"


    "Albano, Furious Shadows..." All three simultaneously answered, with no emotion on their faces.


    "And where are you guys now?"


    "Northern region of the Central Continent, presumably, Black Plain..."


    "I happen to be a member of the Spiritual Church?"


    "No..."


    "What about her?" Minos pointed to Margot.


    "She is a Matriarch of the Spiritual Church..."


    Minos smiled and looked at his mother-in-law. "As you can see, they are not being forced to say what we want them to say."


    But he did not even need to do that. With her soul sense, Margot could easily determine that Abby had only influenced them to speak the truth. She was not controlling them to self-incriminate themselves.


    Minos saw that Margot seemed OK with this and then continued. "Furious Shadows sent you to the region for what?"


    The oldest of the three replied. "To support the criminal alliance recently formed to dominate the Black Plain..."


    "And how would you do that?"


    "By eliminating the Black Plain''s Spiritual Emperors with our men..."


    "So, do you or do you not think that your actions go against the norms of the Spiritual Church?"


    That person then said without hesitation. "Yes, our actions go against the rules of the Church. We are aware of that..."


    "Then that''s it." Minos looked at the woman beside him, satisfied.


    Margot then asked. "Are there any other organizations behind the Furious Shadows scheme?"


    "No..."


    "Tell me about your organization''s plans in detail..."


    They then continued there for 30 minutes, with Margot asking those individuals many questions. Among them, she collected information about the Spiritual Emperors coming to the region to attack Minos'' forces.


    In the end, she found out everything that the three captured men knew about this transgression alongside Minos and Abby.


    In any case, the Spiritual Church did not care whether cases like these were the individual acts of a few souls or the entire organization behind these people. For the Church, it would only take one person to disregard its rules for all its fury to hang over an entire family or sect.


    Because of this, Margot did not bother trying to find out if this action by the Furious Shadows had been something orchestrated by the leader of this organization or another member of it.


    Those who rebelled deserved extermination, something necessary to keep the ideas of the more daring ones in check, thus avoiding constant problems.


    With that done, she took those three men and left Dry City, heading back to the capital of the Brown Kingdom to send a new message to the Church.


    This time she would not do this to speak to the branch of the Flaming Empire but to the headquarters of that organization in the Evergreen Empire.


    A select group in the Spiritual Church took care of matters like this. So, people like Margot or members of the Albano branch were not involved in enforcing punishments like this.


    No, at most, they would make the accusation and gather evidence. Then, after that, it was up to this group to solve the problems, judging and exterminating whoever was needed.


    Because of this, she soon rushed to that place to start the proceedings!


    As for Minos and Abby, they returned to their business, feeling one less weight on their shoulders.


    Now they would finally have a few weeks of peace!


    ...


    At the end of the day...


    After working hard and finding time to train and cultivate his techniques in the middle of the day, Minos made his way alongside his women to the Cultivation Tower.


    Upon doing so, in a few minutes, they met up with Jade and Linette, heading straight to the basement of that building, where a cultivation room was already waiting for them.


    Spiritual energy had a behavior similar to that of heated gases. It tended not to stay close to the ground but to rise from it into the skies.


    Because of this, the energy absorbed by spiritual roots returned to the atmosphere and could be used by living beings in the Spiritual World.


    Also, because of this, the room that would receive Minos'' black hole had been built underground so that any energy lost in that room would go to the upper floors of this building.


    Minos knew he would produce such a thing one day, so this place had been made with this in mind.


    So, soon he and his group arrived in that place that looked like an ordinary cultivation room.


    "What do you want to show us, Minos?" Linette asked while her heart was beating rapidly.


    ''He had brought five women to a secluded, empty place... I wonder what he wanted?''


    ''Perhaps he had found a legendary method to get advancements by having fun?'' She thought similar things as she asked that.


    Minos then showed the mirror sphere in his hand to those women before placing it on the floor in the middle of that cultivation room, which could receive up to 15 people at a time.


    He explained. "That''s a Black Hole Bomb. It''s a weapon. But if used in the right way, it can release the spiritual energy and Natural Laws of living beings absorbed by the black hole."


    "Such a thing is capable of turning an ordinary cultivation room into a pseudo cultivation sanctuary!"


    "Uh?" Gloria, Jade, and Linette, who knew nothing about it, exclaimed in surprise at Minos'' speech.


    "A bomb? Isn''t that dangerous, Minos?" Jade asked as she looked at that thing glowing and emitting rich spiritual energy.


    Minos smiled and said. "If I close those small openings, this could explode and destroy the entire Dry City. But if no one messes with this sphere, nothing will happen."


    "At most, its energy and Natural Laws will diminish over time, weakening the black hole and also the effects of an explosion."


    "But..." Linette felt slightly uncomfortable to discover that thing could destroy an entire city.


    Minos then assured them. "Well, don''t worry. As I said, it''s safe the way it is. Anyway, that black hole is not something that can be erased without someone absorbing the powers of the living things absorbed by it."


    "Then, since I don''t need a bomb at the moment, I''ll make it available to people interested in cultivating more quickly."


    Gloria heard all this with her eyebrows frowning. "What do you mean by a pseudo cultivation sanctuary?"


    "Well, this black hole was created from a fusion of techniques and then evolved into something partially independent after absorbing countless cultivators."


    "But black holes don''t simply erase what they swallow. Rather, they store information in a different form than is normally found outside of them." He said. "And it turns out that this form of information is precisely spiritual energy and the Natural Laws."


    When the black hole emerged, everything it swallowed was concentrated into its singularity, turning every law or unit of spiritual energy in the swallowed bodies into a pure form of energy embedded with laws.


    The result was an extremely rich ''reject,'' even more valuable than all the energy and Natural Laws of the absorbed cultivators!


    That''s right, the black hole made it possible to extract the powers of living beings and multiplied such a thing!


    Because of this nature, the thousands of Spiritual Kings and the Spiritual Saint swallowed by that thing had become a pure source of power to enrich a place like this cultivation room.


    Minos then finished his explanation. "But unfortunately, this pure form of radiation expelled by that black hole is not complete. After all, only a God would have all the understanding to provide a body capable of compressing all the Natural Laws. But only Spiritual Kings are part of that..."


    "So, that can''t turn a cultivation room into a true cultivation sanctuary. At most, it''s a pseudo that can greatly accelerate the speed of Law comprehension and cultivation of the people who train here."


    That was the reason behind the cultivation speed of the Black Plain Army members who have access to the Spatial Kingdom!


    Such a place had been made by a God, someone who had built that with all the existing Natural Laws and concentrated them there.


    In any way, this cultivation room with such an item could come a little close to that and enable those Spiritual Kings and even Spiritual Emperors to have breakthroughs if they cultivated in this place!


    "That..." Gloria looked in shock at Minos since she did not know that something like that was possible to make artificially.


    ...

 Chapter ?1136 Cultivation Tower Pseudo-Sanctuary

    Chapter ?1136 Cultivation Tower Pseudo-Sanctuary


    "Do you want to try it?" Minos looked at his pregnant woman, smiling at her. "Even though you are at the end of the 7th stage, I am sure you will feel the difference."


    "Really?" She took her cultivation cushion from her spatial ring and sat down next to Minos, quickly beginning to cultivate.


    Minos looked at Jade and Linette and suggested the same. "I know you are a little scared, but try this. I think you will understand how good this feels and get over such a feeling."


    "OK..." The two softly commented as they did the same as Gloria, quickly beginning to circulate their energies into their cultivation techniques.


    In doing so, just like Gloria, they soon realized how much easier it seemed to cultivate or train in this place compared to the low-level grade-3 cultivation room they formerly used.


    In that place, the spiritual energy exhaled by the mirror sphere was much denser and more straightforward to absorb than that of that other place. Moreover, there was also a continuous flow of Laws in that energy.


    That was the distinguishing feature since, in ordinary places, one would have to ''unmix'' the Laws present in the environment and then use them to one''s advantage. But in this instant, the Laws coming out of the black hole were already in the best condition to be studied and absorbed!


    As there were even the cultivation understandings of a Spiritual Saint in that black hole, even Gloria felt good cultivating here.


    ''It truly works!'' The only pregnant there felt good while cultivating here, something she had not felt since she had left the Flaming Empire.


    In the Temple of Payton, there was a special room with almost the same conditions as this room after adding the medium-level grade-3 array with Minos'' black hole.


    That place was not a room that Gloria or other members of the Church with her rank could frequent whenever they wanted. But from time to time, Spiritual Emperors like her had the opportunity to train in such a place.


    Because of this, Gloria had already experienced something similar and could not help but be shocked by Minos'' accomplishments.


    ''He achieved something so incredible? How? Who made such a black hole?'' She wondered as she felt her cultivation comprehension improving.


    Meanwhile, Jade and Linette were excited as never before by just cultivating.


    Unlike Gloria, who had a high level and was no longer as affected by the conditions created by the Black Hole Bomb, these two were mere level 59 Spiritual Kings.


    But dozens of Spiritual Kings of that level were among those absorbed by Minos'' black hole. Consequently, the effects of such a thing for them were genuinely unique to the point that all their previous fear had vanished in the blink of an eye.


    ''I can feel that my control over my cultivation technique is increasing!'' Jade smiled as she cultivated, feeling that at her new pace, she would advance in no more than half the time required in the cultivation room she was training in before.


    On the other hand, Linette was the most excited one as, unlike her harem sister, she was the one who was most looking forward to a breakthrough and the physical improvements brought about by it. ''In this place, I will finally be able to return to my physical peak!'' She felt determined to cultivate there.


    Seeing how those women seemed to have understood what he was talking about, Minos smiled at his wives, whom he had talked about all this before.


    They then watched those women for a few minutes, with Minos thinking about the black hole. ''If I had kept those people''s spatial rings, I could probably have much better results.''


    ''After all, this device can only stay in one place, it has a limited capacity, and there is a restriction on the area. But on the other hand, crystals and cultivation resources have none of those limitations, and I could have invested in many places and people on the Black Plain.''


    ''But that''s not bad at all... At least I can increase the number of Spiritual Emperors in the region with this.'' He sighed, resigned to the situation.


    By limiting the ''quantity,'' it naturally became easier to improve the ''quality'' of something. Because of this, as much as being forced to use his fusion limited him, it brought a possibility of qualitative advancement to Minos'' forces.


    He could hardly improve the cultivation speed of his Spiritual Kings or even Spiritual Emperors with just crystals.


    But with that device, he could!


    So, Minos'' plan now was to focus on the high-level Spiritual Kings to help them break through to the 7th stage. After that, he would give opportunities to his Spiritual Emperors without access to the Spatial Kingdom to use this place as well.


    That way, he could strengthen the Black Plain and the northern region before his journey to the Flaming Empire!


    ...


    A few more minutes passed, and Gloria finally left her meditative state.


    "Minos, how come you have something like this? Why didn''t you tell me before?" She asked as she put away her cultivation cushion and thoughtfully looked at her man.


    "Well, I didn''t have that until recently..." Minos commented without giving too many details. "Did you like it?"


    "Of course! I''ll cultivate here from now on!" She said in a determined manner. "By the way, why are you giving this opportunity to others and not your soldiers?"


    Upon hearing this, Abby and Ruth looked at each other, curious what excuse Minos would give this woman who was not yet committed enough to him to know about the Spatial Kingdom.


    Minos looked at her and smiled bitterly. "You will find out after your mother, and I sign that agreement I proposed earlier."


    "Until then, just consider that I have other options..."


    "But, dear, I hope you won''t use this place." He seriously looked at her. "I know it must be much better for you to cultivate here, but soon, the four of us will be traveling around the continent, so we''d better give this opportunity to people who will stay here to protect the region for us."


    "And don''t worry, I''ll reward you for it. I already have something perfect to make you stronger quicker." He winked at Abby and Ruth.


    Her eyes sharpened, and she clenched her fists, feeling bad for not knowing the whole truth about her man. "All right..."


    "Sigh!"


    "You see that, little one? Your father is so mean to your mother. He treats her like a stranger who can''t be trusted..." She looked down at her belly and massaged it, making Abby and Ruth look at her with envy in their eyes.


    Seeing this, Minos brought his three women into his embrace, staying in that place for a few more moments.


    And after Realizing that Jade and Linette were too focused on their meditations, he and his wives left after leaving a soldier to explain the situation to the two.


    Minos would let the two cultivate in this place as much as they wanted until his staff finished organizing the list of people who would have the right to use the room. After this, they would naturally have to share this space with others and even take turns using it.


    Anyway, as the two were already at the peak of the 6th stage, they would probably advance in a short time and would not be much affected by the future schedules of this place.


    ...


    In this way, a week passed, and Linette and Jade soon gained several companions to share that cultivation room in the basement of the Dry City Cultivation Tower.


    Among them, Adam Snow and several high-level individuals from Minos'' allied families went to that place, with several others already earning a place in the queue.


    With that, the first to advance in level there had already appeared. But unfortunately, this was only a level 58 Spiritual King who had reached 59.


    However, the peak Spiritual Kings were getting closer and closer to their advancement, and Minos already expected to have at least half a dozen more Spiritual Emperors in his region soon!

 Chapter ?1137 The Queen with an Inverse Harem (18+)

    Chapter ?1137 The Queen with an Inverse Harem (18+)


    A few days later...


    In the capital of Albano, there was a large palace in the central part of the city, a building completely covered in a type of rosy marble, which attracted all eyes of visitors passing through the area.


    In this place was the seat of government of this high-level kingdom, where unlike in other parts of this continent, a woman led the state, not a man!


    But this was not because her husband, the king, had died or lost his ability to rule this state with hundreds of Spiritual Saints in its ranks.


    No, this state followed the matriarchy and the highest ruler of this state was always a woman, no matter what.


    In fact, it would be impossible for a king to ascend in this place. After all, by local custom, the queen had her own reverse harem!


    And just at this moment, inside her palace, the Queen of Albano was in a room with three men, naked on a large bed.


    There, the young-looking woman with white hair was completely sweaty, while one of her partners was penetrating her little flower, standing underneath this beautiful woman with sensual curves.


    At the same time, a tall, robust, and tanned-skinned man was voraciously pounding his ''weapon'' against the queen''s second hole while using his hands to grab her perfect ass.


    Meanwhile, the queen had her oversized breasts wildly bouncing but not moaning much, given the service she was doing on her third man.


    This one was kneeling in front of her while having his ''sword'' sucked with enthusiasm by that woman.


    Slurp! Slurp!


    Pah! Pah!


    Characteristic sounds spread through the surroundings as she trembled in excitement with yet another orgasm.


    "Oh~ Your Majesty, you''re going to make me cum~" The man in front of her said as he massaged her hair while shooting a stream of white liquid into his leader''s velvet little mouth.


    Sensing this, Iris West, level 77, Queen of Albano, took her mouth off that piece of flesh, happily savoring this man''s ''milky.''


    And as she continued to be penetrated by the other two, she finally felt a long and pleasurable orgasm, just before being filled in both her holes by their seed.


    "Ahhhhhhhh~" She happily moaned, falling onto the man''s body beneath her.


    "Hah... Hah... Boys, you never let me down..." She said amidst her unsteady breathing.


    Her partners might be weaker than her, but when having intense sex with three level 75 men, there was no way she could not exhaust herself.


    That was a challenging ''battle'' to overcome without much effort!


    As such, Iris was extremely tired right now, sweaty, and with the strong smell of these men on her body. But all this was just what she needed to relax a little from her routine, which she did every day at night and in the middle of the day.


    During the nights, she served some of her husbands, but in the afternoons, well, she partied with others, from family friends, subordinates, royal guards, and even members of her family.


    The West family was extremely libertine, and with matriarchy, local moral boundaries depended greatly on the head in charge of power. If the queen was more moralistic, she usually restrained herself to her husbands.


    But when she was more libertine, it was not uncommon to find a queen who would even sleep with her family members when they had the profile that aroused her.


    In Iris'' case, apart from some of her uncles, her two daughters, and only grandson, she did not copulate with others.


    In any case, as this was the middle of the day, she had naturally restrained her desires somewhat, only having served three men, her royal guards.


    Because of this, when they had finished their duty, the three quickly let the queen rest on that bed, took their uniforms, and then left that large royal room.


    After a few minutes, a young black-haired woman dressed in royal armor entered Iris'' room and looked at her perfect ass, which had liquid dripping out of its two lower holes.


    She then sat down on one side of the queen''s bed and touched the middle of Iris'' legs, taking with one of her fingers some liquid dripping from that beautiful pink flower.


    Iris felt this movement but did not think it was bad, having smiled as she turned around calmly.


    She saw her daughter tasting the mixture of seeds from different men with a silly smile on her face and said. "Lulu, you are more shameless than your older sister! Only 100 years old, and you already have five husbands, but you still wish to taste other men''s taste of your mother''s pussy!"


    Lulu West, level 63, made a playful expression while still having one of her fingers in her mouth and said. "Look who''s talking? The woman who sleeps with my son!"


    Iris laughed. "My grandson naturally needed to learn from the best to know how to handle the desires of his future wife. So, I naturally do my best to ensure his future!"


    "Is that so? I thought it was because he''s hot..." She closed her eyes and laughed.


    "What can I do if my grandson is so gifted? I just take the opportunity to earn something while I teach him how to please a woman, hehe." She stood up and then kissed her youngest daughter before getting up and going to the bathroom.


    Meanwhile, Lulu stood outside the bathroom and became more serious. "Mom, although it''s fun to come from my city to see you, I''m here today on official business."


    "Oh? So, you didn''t come because you miss your old mother?" Iris joked as she washed her little sister. "That''s too bad. I was already thinking of having a girls'' night..."


    "We can do that later since I''m already here anyway." Lulu did not refuse this tempting proposal. "But for now, listen to this information that one of my soldiers at the border passed on to me."


    "Oh? Speak."


    "Recently..." Lulu then described to Iris every detail that the royal soldiers on the border with the Black Plain had discovered regarding Minos'' territory.


    After being alerted by her daughter about the unique possibilities of the Black Plain, Iris could not help but stop herself from wiping her body and looking earnestly at Lulu. "Are you serious? If this is true, that place will develop a strength similar to that of mid-level sects in Albano in a few centuries!"


    She nodded to her mother and said. "It''s awe-inspiring, but I''m not sure since we haven''t started investigating that area yet. However, considering the news from years ago, the way this Minos Stuart dominated the region, maybe this information is true."


    Lulu became more solemn and asked. "What should we do? I have heard that this Stuart King is a descendant of one of the sects of the Flaming Empire."


    Albano was an enemy of the Flaming Empire, which meant that they were also enemies of the sects in that state.


    Iris understood that her daughter was worried about an enemy power arising alongside them and said. "That Black Plain can''t be connected to the Flaming Empire, or the Church would have already acted."


    "That doesn''t mean they can''t be friends..." Lulu said in a low voice.


    "Sure, but that doesn''t make us automatic enemies of the Black Plain. So, before we jump deductions, let''s see what this Black Plain King wants."


    "None of us want another bloody war going on for the moment, so if he''s sensible, we might even have a good relationship with him to have contact with one of the Empire''s sects." Iris finished what she was doing and picked up a white towel to dry herself. "That will help us decrease the tensions around our borders."


    "Oh? So what do you want to do?"


    Iris stopped next to her daughter and said. "We''re going to investigate this fellow and then send someone to negotiate a deal with him."


    "It doesn''t have to be anything significant, just something to put us in touch with him and create a positive relationship between our states."


    "OK." Lulu said, "I will send some investigators to create a profile of him and the Black Plain. Then, I will visit him myself."

 Chapter ?1138 The News Spreads

    Chapter ?1138 The News Spreads


    Three weeks later...


    After more than a month since the action of Minos and his forces against the invaders from Albano, the entire region has learned of his deeds.


    Few should have known about it, but when Gloria''s mother passed on the information about Minos'' action to the people in the Brown family in the temple where she had been, such news was no longer contained.


    In the blink of an eye, the information that only a few dozen people outside the Black Plain knew about reached tens of thousands. Then someone passed it on to one of the local periodicals, alerting the region about Minos'' advance to the 7th stage.


    That had been a secret until then, which raised certain doubts about the region''s future given the new challenges. But with this information, much had changed for the most fearful in these areas!


    The powers that had already managed to send their youths to the Black Plain Army celebrated the news with vigor. As for those who did not yet value so highly the opportunity created by the previous tournament, they could not help but be determined to join this force.


    Minos was only 30 years old, but even though he lived in the northern region, he had reached level 60.


    What did this mean?


    Well, that being on his side, many could reach this stage, even if at a lower speed than his!


    For the people of this region, this was more than enough for them to put aside the sinister image of Minos in their minds to see him more favorably.


    ...


    On one of the peaks of the Endless Snow Mountain Range...


    In this place previously visited by Minos, Laura Cox, level 63, was looking at the white horizon in front of her while feeling cold winds passing through her body.


    There, next to this woman, a young Spiritual King was holding some papers in her hands, having just told her leader about Minos'' deeds.


    "Sigh..."


    "So, that crazy kid is already that strong, huh?" She muttered in disbelief, not understanding how Minos could advance so fast, even though he was in the weak northern region of the Central Continent.


    ''It took me ages to reach my level, even though I focused almost all my time on cultivation within this special place, but still...'' She clenched her fists, remembering Minos'' annoying face.


    The girl next to her then asked. "Sect Master, what shall we do? He said he was coming back in the future..."


    Hearing this, Laura put her nonconformity aside and said. "I''m glad we didn''t piss him off. If I had refused to let him into our sect, he would surely slaughter us in the future."


    "But... But what if he still decides to do that?" The young woman asked in concern.


    "Our job is to protect this place, so we will do our best, even if it is from within another organization."


    "Uh? What does that mean?" The young woman didn''t understand.


    "Carly, we have our honor and purpose. But just because of that, we don''t have to give up our intelligence and ignore reality." Laura seriously looked at the disciple of her sect. "Defending this place by fighting to the death will only kill all of us and leave this area unprotected from people committed to our purpose."


    "Then we will not try to stop a meteor with an egg."


    "If he wishes to take us, we should just join his organization and try to get the best possible deal. That is the best we can do!" She said in determination, feeling there were no alternatives but for them to surrender to Minos.


    Minos was already so strong when he was a mere Spiritual King, so Laura did not even want to imagine what kind of monster he had become. All that was left was to ensure the Immemorial Graves Sect''s survival by accepting the Black Plain''s dictator!


    ...


    On the other hand, in the Flaming Empire...


    At the headquarters of the Holy Sect, one of the three largest sects in this state, Troy and Ford Carline were sitting face to face in a common room, with a newspaper on the floor between them.


    On that yellowed sheet of paper, the representation of Minos showed how far he had distanced himself from the other regional leaders by breaking through the barrier of the 7th stage.


    And with the text that spoke of how the Black Plain forces had wiped out tens of thousands of Spiritual Kings, these two fellow sect members could not help but be momentarily silent.


    They were both shocked!


    Minos had been powerful before, and they knew their talents could not be compared to his. But not even in their worst nightmares would they have imagined that Minos would advance to level 60 so quickly while still living in that region!


    They knew it would happen sooner or later. But they both judged that he would come to the Flaming Empire in the future to solve it. Not that he would ever move on while still being there!


    So, Ford swallowed his saliva and took his eyes off that journal. "Troy, what do you think of this? Do we still have any hope?" He asked, worried that he could not get the image of Minos fucking his sweet sister out of his mind.


    For Ford, just getting revenge on Minos, teaching him a lesson, could make him forget that terrible situation from years ago. But with this news, he was losing hope.


    He had only reached level 56 after all these years, while his great friend in the empire, Troy, had recently reached level 59. Considering this difference, he no longer saw the light at the end of the tunnel for his revenge.


    Troy closed his eyes and shook his head negatively. "Impossible. At this rate of his progress and considering his above-average fighting proficiency, he''ll probably be able to fight Spiritual Saints in a few years."


    "Do you see yourself doing that?" He opened his eyes as he asked that.


    Gulp!


    "No..." Ford lowered his head in a dejected manner. ''8th stage... For someone like me, that''s just a distant dream.''


    "Sigh..."


    "Never mind. After my embarrassing defeat to him years ago, I no longer see him as my rival." Troy commented after sighing. "On the other hand, my family members survived the war, so I have no reason to continue letting this fellow''s results bother me."


    "So, from today on, I will go my way without looking at him anymore!"


    "Oh? Are you sure?" Ford asked in doubt. "I don''t know if I can forgive him. The wretch ruined my sister!"


    Upon hearing this, Troy wanted to laugh at the story Ford had told him years ago, after returning from the northern region depressed and lacking in willpower.


    ''Ah, good thing I don''t have any sister...''


    ''I''m free from facing something like that!'' Troy clapped one of his hands on Ford''s right shoulder, comforting his old friend. "Come on, get over it. Kara is a grown woman now..."


    "But if you think about it, if Kara gets closer to Minos, maybe..."


    "Bastard! Don''t even joke about that!" Ford pushed his old friend away, fearful of such nonsense happening.


    ...


    While Ford was irritated at the possibility of his little sister turning herself over to Minos and becoming his wife, Kara also received the information sent by her family.


    King Carline hated that Minos had defiled his little girl, that such a young man had made Kara do unimaginable things in the royal throne room of the Carline palace. But like it or not, it had all happened. And since Minos was so powerful, why not try to take advantage of the situation?


    If Kara could get close to Minos, perhaps the future of the Kingdom of the End would be unstoppable!


    Thus, he had found a way to send such information to the red-haired beauty in the Gray Clouds Sect.


    "Spiritual Emperor, huh?" Kara finished reading the message in question and continued watching Minos''s representation, remembering their adventures. ''I wonder how he is doing?''


    Kara had reached level 58 after these years of hard work in Minos'' family sect. Therefore, she already imagined the day when she would have the chance to advance from stage to become someone capable of flying and bringing glory to her family name.


    With that, upon finding out about Minos'' advancement, she felt happy for him and even more motivated to continue her power journey!


    ''He said he would come to the empire in the future, so I imagine it won''t take long for us to...'' She smiled, licking her lips as she imagined the emotions Minos had brought to her in the past.


    "I can''t wait!"


    AN: Fellas, help me out with a survey in the comments of this chapter on webnovel.com. If this works out, maybe I''ll give you a generous discount on next month''s privilege tier 2.

 Chapter ?1139 New Migrants from Albano

    Chapter ?1139 New Migrants from Albano


    A few days after the news spread through the region...


    Since the operation against the invading forces coming from Albano, Minos and his forces had been relatively quiet, without having any incidents or complications related to people coming from outside the region.


    With this, the Black Plain had turned all its attention to the local expansion projects, the migration that had been intensifying, and the strengthening of the local forces.


    After almost a year since Minos'' advance to the 7th stage, the local population had increased by another few hundred thousand. Not only that, a dozen more cities had been built and now had their operations going on around this territory.


    At the same time, as more and more people from the kingdoms in this region grew accustomed to their new lifestyles on the Black Plain, the population already residing there grew stronger.


    With the availability of cultivation resources, job opportunities, and local competition, the older citizens kept moving forward, helping to build a stronger Black Plain.


    To give an idea of how the local forces were strengthening, the number of local Spiritual Kings had already doubled in less than a year, reaching the 5,000 cultivators mark in this state alone.


    At the same time, nine more Spiritual Emperors emerged among the ranks of Minos'' soldiers, subordinates, vassals, and allies in this period. Among them, King Snow had been the first of King Stuart''s guests to seize the opportunity to advance while cultivating in the underground cultivation room of the Dry City Cultivation Tower.


    After him, Linette was the next to achieve this vital breakthrough, having enjoyed her time with Minos during this period and having fun with him for a few days until she returned to the Kingdom of the End a few days ago.


    As for Jade, she struggled to achieve this, so she was still in Dry City training near that device with Minos'' black hole.


    But she was not far from getting her breakthrough and was even looking forward to leaving Dry City before her husband came to train there.


    Anyway, many members of Minos'' forces were training hard, some in seclusion, seeking their breakthroughs in this period of peace.


    But while things were beginning to develop in this place, a new situation had just come to the attention of King Stuart!


    ...


    In the royal throne room in the central part of Dry City...


    Minos was with his queen receiving information from the army border posts at this instant, while Joey reported an unusual situation that had recently occurred.


    "Your Grace, the Albano border post has reported that Spiritual Kings from that state are returning to travel towards the interior of our state again." He said as he looked at Minos.


    "However, this time, one of the groups of Spiritual Kings has approached one of our posts and asked for permission to enter the Black Plain."


    "What?" Abby asked in surprise, not expecting that there would be such a situation after tens of thousands of them had illegally entered the region.


    It must be said that only recently had news regarding the extermination of those groups become popular in the region. Not only that, not everyone in Albano knew about it, so until now, smaller groups of criminals were still trying to enter the region.


    These groups were not disturbing the peace because once they entered the region, they discovered what had happened to the more than 60,000 individuals who dared to covet the Black Plain.


    Because of this, many entered and then peacefully left, which justified the absence of local concerns in this period.


    But none of these people had tried to contact the local forces, which was why Abby was shocked to discover such a situation.


    Minos was also interested and asked. "What exactly do they want? That we let criminals join our forces?"


    Joey negatively shook his head and explained the details of the situation. "Your Grace, according to the information we have obtained, these people are not criminals or members of the underworld in Albano."


    "On the contrary, these are ordinary people, some spiritual professionals, others workers, and even warriors. So, they are not searching for a place to take or take undeserved advantage. Instead, they are in search of a place to grow jointly."


    "Oh?" Minos smiled upon hearing that, interested. "Are these people trustworthy? What guarantee do we have that they are not enemy spies?"


    Old Joey said. "From the looks of it, Your Grace, they don''t seem any more suspicious than the migrants we have been receiving from our region."


    "Many of them are members of the same families and are accompanied by weaker people, unlike those criminals you see in groups of Spiritual Kings. They also seem to be of older ages, which matches their type of migrant profile."


    "Finally, we discovered that many of them are related to low-level guards of the Albano royal family. According to them, some of their family members warned them about the region''s advantages and encouraged them to come here." He finished.


    "Royal family?" Abby looked at Minos as she became suspicious of this.


    Minos thought for a moment and said to her. "It can''t be what you are thinking. Albano''s royal family would have to be crazy to place infiltrators in our state with such an easily discovered connection to them."


    "That''s probably like Joey said. Their relatives are trying to send them here as there are more opportunities here for people like that than in the competitive Albano kingdom."


    "Makes sense..." She commented as she thought about the matter. "In any case, even if the West family is not trying to target us with this, it certainly means that they are aware of what we have."


    "Those guards wouldn''t keep a secret like that from their superiors just to give their family members a chance..."


    Minos nodded in agreement. "Yes, they certainly know of our presence and probably are watching us from afar. But soon, the Church will punish the organization that dared to try to invade the region. So, the West family won''t do anything crazy against us."


    "At most, they will try to contact us to establish some friendly relationship. Other than that, they will probably prefer to keep their distance without getting involved with us."


    "So, what will we do?" She asked her man, ignoring the other people in the surrounding area.


    "We will wait. If they don''t contact us, we won''t look for trouble with this family unless they do something against us."


    After that, silence filled the royal throne room for a few moments until Joey asked. "And what will we do with these migrants, Your Grace? They don''t look dangerous, in my opinion."


    "Hmm, we will welcome them outside our main territory," Minos commented after thinking about it. "Let them come into the Red Valley and start living there."


    "We''ll pass on some services for them to help improve that area, and those who do well will have the opportunity to enter our main territory."


    "But remind them of the local rules to avoid misunderstandings."


    "Yes, Your Grace!"


    After Joey and the other soldiers left that area, Abby stood up and sat on her husband''s lap before asking. "Do you think this will create problems? In the next six months, we will leave for the Kingdom of the Waves, and after that, we will leave the region..."


    "Well, I honestly don''t think so. With the news that has broken in the region and what the Spiritual Church is supposed to do soon, I think most of the dangers to Black Plain will be blocked." He sincerely replied as he hugged her waist.


    "Besides, by the time we leave, Emlyn will probably be close to level 63, and we''ll have dozens of Spiritual Emperors. So, I think the region will be fine in our absence."


    She nodded upon hearing that. "But what about that enemy behind the Spiritual Saint? He''ll probably back off for the time being, but I don''t believe our problems with them are over."


    "Neither do I. So, when we''re leaving the region, we''ll pay a little visit to Vogel to test that woman''s theory. We''ll capture someone important from that family, and you''ll get him to talk."


    "Oh? Won''t that be risky?"


    "Probably, but with my relationship with Gloria being approved by the Church, we''ll have an alternative exit if we get caught doing something..." He laughed, already thinking about how to use the advantage of becoming an outside member of that organization.

 Chapter ?1140 Confirming the Agreement with the Spiritual Church

    Chapter ?1140 Confirming the Agreement with the Spiritual Church


    Two more weeks passed...


    As Albano''s first legal migrants began living in Red Valley, the spiritual judge requested by Margot arrived in Dry City.


    Thus, as soon as she received the contact from that person to pick him up outside the defensive dome of Dry City, Gloria''s mother soon took him to the royal palace of Minos.


    She was already starting to get nervous about staying in this region for so long, so she wanted to speed up the procedures necessary for this deal to be finalized as soon as possible.


    Not only that, she did not want to give even an extra hour for Minos to try to reach the 8th stage. Then, in the blink of an eye, as she smiled, satisfied, Margot arrived at the place where her son-in-law was waiting for her.


    ...


    "Brat Minos, this is your last alternative to turn back," Margot said with an exuberant smile on her face. "You won''t be able to do that nonsense, so why don''t you come to the Empire with me at once?"


    "It will be easier for everyone. And your punishment won''t be heavy..."


    Minos watched that woman''s eyes as he sat beside Gloria and his wives in his office. "That hasn''t been decided yet, mother-in-law. As far as I am concerned, I have 20 years ahead of me..."


    "That''s more than enough, don''t you think?" He smiled at Ruth and Abby.


    Margot closed her eyes and ignored Minos'' arrogance. "Well, don''t regret it later. I won''t give up what''s in our contract, and if you try to evade it, be prepared for lightning punishment!"


    "Don''t say I didn''t warn you!"


    "Oh? I say the same to you, mother-in-law. Don''t think of breaking the agreement once I win the bet. I don''t want my children with Gloria not to have the opportunity to meet their grandmother..."


    Margot made a bitter smile as she heard this, finding it hard to have to tolerate this fellow. ''I''m glad this is my last day here! I''ll soon have some peace as I return to my routine!''


    Meanwhile, the old high-level grade-3 spiritual judge, level 76, and Maisie, who was also there, were watching the situation curiously.


    ''That young man is truly bold. So, he''s the son-in-law of the Patriarch Frost?'' The old man, who was over 6,000 years old, looked with interest at Minos, finding it amazing not only the way he behaved in front of him and Margot but also that bold bet.


    Maisie, on the other hand, was looking at Gloria''s belly and thinking about the future. ''I have failed Minos, but I will not fail my little grandchildren! I will be there for them and help their mothers raise them!''


    Gloria was not paying attention to Maisie and asked Minos. "Are you sure about that? If you fail to fulfill that bet, you will lose the Black Plain."


    "Don''t worry, Gloria. Everything is under my control." He warmly smiled at her and then looked at Margot. "Are you ready?"


    "Tsk!"


    "Come on, senior Horace, let''s get this over with. This brat doesn''t know what''s best for him. If he wants to lose 20 years here, let''s allow him to do that and regret it!" She said to the old man beside her.


    The old spiritual judge sighed and then reread the contract of the two, confirming if everything was right. In the end, he activated his spiritual techniques and helped Minos and Maisie to confirm the words of that agreement with the witness from heaven to ensure its fulfillment.


    "Congratulations, Archbishop Frost, you and King Stuart are now considered wife and husband from the point of view of the Spiritual Church." The old man wiped the sweat on his face and said so as he finished his work.


    As Gloria hugged Minos in happiness, the old man said to Margot. "The contract is already valid, so once the 20 years is up, if he is not at least level 70, he must arrive at the Temple of Payton by 60 days after that period."


    "Hmmm, I am aware." She looked at Minos and laughed, feeling that although he had bought some time, it would soon be in her hands to pay for putting his fingers on Gloria.


    "When my progeny is about to be born, notify me. I''ll be coming with some doctors to deliver your baby." She commented as she got up to leave.


    "Hmm, okay..." Minos commented without looking at her as Gloria made him massage her belly.


    "Gloria," She looked at her daughter. "I hope you will raise this child following the principles of the Church. Don''t let the father''s vices contaminate them."


    Gulp!


    "I will do my best..." She answered in a low voice, without refusing but also without committing herself to it.


    After that, Margot and the newly arrived spiritual judge in Dry City left back to the Flaming Empire without looking back.


    As for Maisie, she saw her son and daughters-in-law leaving towards the interior of the royal palace, looking as if they were going to do something intimate...


    Because of this, she made her way to the outskirts of Dry City to give them a little privacy at this moment.


    ...


    "Gloria, are you ready to find out the truth?" Minos asked the redheaded beauty in front of him while Abby and Ruth stared at her.


    "Yes, what do you have to tell me?" She ignored her two harem sisters and looked into Minos'' eyes full of curiosity.


    As she felt her heart beating faster, Gloria saw Minos approach her and touch one of her shoulders.


    Next, Abby and Ruth touched Minos'' shoulders as he said. "First, I will show you..."


    Zum!


    Gloria felt her surroundings intensely vibrating, realizing that Minos was teleporting her somewhere. ''Where is the array...'' She was thinking about it but soon lost her train of thought, finding herself in the middle of a forest.


    "Gloria, welcome to my Spatial Kingdom!" He opened his arms and smiled, looking at Gloria''s face full of doubt.


    "Spatial Kingdom?" She unconsciously repeated those words while already feeling the most extreme spiritual density she had ever felt in her entire life.


    ''What? That... Is this truly a cultivation sanctuary?'' She opened her mouth in shock, roaming through the place that Minos had brought her.


    Ruth and Abby silently watched that redhead meet this place for the first time, showing a similar demeanor to theirs when finding out about this place in the past.


    "That... How?" She looked at Minos in surprise, shock, and amazement.


    The Spiritual Church had a place like that since it had had Gods in its ranks in the past. Because of this, Gloria knew perfectly well what a place like this meant and its possibilities.


    Hence, she could not help but look at her husband with a look full of doubt, not understanding how someone from the northern region of the Central Continent had gotten such a place.


    "Well, it''s a long story. But in short, I was lucky enough to get this Spatial Kingdom about 20 years ago, when I was seriously injured..." He told the basics of his story, something Gloria already knew due to the many conversations they had had since their first meeting years ago.


    "After I got this place and started cultivating, I''ve been using it to develop my powers and the Black Plain." He explained, seeing how shocked she was to notice the medicines in the surroundings.


    "This what you are seeing is indeed what you are thinking. Unlike other Spatial Kingdoms that are probably made to host organizations'' headquarters, this place was made to receive spiritual medicines."


    "On that account, all these plants you see here are Saint-grade medicines, and some are Divine-grade."


    ...

 Chapter ?1141 Glorias Ambition

    Chapter ?1141 Gloria''s Ambition


    "What? Divine-grade?" Gloria''s jaw nearly dropped to the floor upon hearing that nonsense.


    Divine-grade medicines were so valuable and hard to find that level 99 Spiritual Demigods would fight wars just for the news of one of them.


    After all, that was the only hope for someone like that to break through to level 100 and double their life expectancy!


    And even though some high-level organizations in this world had plantations with medicines capable of reaching that level, such plants took so long to grow that most could not wait.


    Human Spiritual Demigods could live at most just over 25,000 years. In comparison, elves, the creatures of the Spiritual World of the same stage that could live more, could only live 150,000 years. But such medicines needed at least 300,000 years to mature, and only someone at level 99 could use them for a soul breakthrough.


    Because of this, even if some of these organizations had plantations of one or two of these medicines, this was no guarantee that one of their members would be able to reach level 100.


    Most would die long before they had the chance!


    Therefore, mature medicine was precious, and any high-level specialist would do anything to get one of these!


    Because of this reality, Gloria could not help but feel shocked to hear from her husband that there were some Divine-grade medicines in this place.


    "Are you serious?" She looked into his eyes, trembling in excitement.


    Minos smiled at her and said. "Of course. Now, do you understand why I bet with your mother? There''s no way I could lose that!"


    "Hell, I probably won''t even need the 20 years. I''ll become a Spiritual Saint in less than 15."


    "Minos..." She smiled and massaged her belly before moving closer to hug him. ''Our children will have a great future here!'' She imagined the bright future ahead of them.


    "What are you going to do? Are you truly going to try to take the Church for yourself?" She looked up and saw his brown eyes. "With this place, I don''t doubt you are capable."


    "Hmm," Minos nodded at her, looking down. "I will help you cultivate and make you the greatest genius in the Spiritual Church. Then, when you become a Spiritual Demigod, we will gain the position of Supreme Pontiff and bring the Church under the control of the Stuart family."


    "Do you see a problem with that, dear?" He fondly massaged her back.


    "No." She answered without hesitation.


    Gloria truly was a devotee of the Spiritual Church, a member committed to taking that organization to greater heights. Not only that, she was someone with the ambition to become Supreme Pontiff and naturally treated that organization as her own.


    However, each person who rose through the ranks of power in that organization would always act for the good of their own family, using the possibilities at their disposal to nurture their people.


    Everyone was like that, and it was no different for Gloria.


    As such, once she came to power, she would already use the Spiritual Church to favor her family members. So, there was no way she could see a problem with Minos wanting to use the Church in his power project!


    For her, it was only natural that she would help her husband as best she could and eventually have the Church protect them, securing her family''s future.


    And as a member of the Church, she would use her position and her opportunities to rise within that organization and then bring benefits to Minos and his children.


    But she would not simply suck the power from the organization that had nurtured her for many years. She would profit from whatever position she could get in the Church, but she would also carefully govern it, aiming at its growth and perpetuation.


    Since one thing did not go against the other, she was okay with Minos'' plans!


    Minos and the Black Plain had a lot of future with the Spatial Kingdom on their side. So, Gloria knew the Church would not be taken down if she gave it to him.


    Minos smiled at her, satisfied. "Perfect!"


    "So, what will we do from now on? It won''t be easy, nor will it be quick to get to the point where we can use the Church for our good." She commented as she looked at her harem sisters and Minos.


    Abby then said. "Well, Minos decided to do this recently, so we still have to plan how we will do this. But with your help, I think we can better figure out what steps will be needed."


    "Hmmm," Ruth nodded in agreement. "We have plenty of time to do this, so we don''t need to despair about it."


    "Well, I''ll do my best to plan that well." She clenched her fists in determination.


    Minos then said. "Let''s focus on our cultivation and the Black Plain. Once we get stronger and our status grows, we will naturally have an easier time dominating the Church from the inside out."


    "Yes." All three said simultaneously.


    He continued. "We can start by creating a good relationship between the Black Plain and the regional branches of the Church. This region will be our home, so we must have their allegiance, even if they are weak."


    "After that, when we reach the 8th stage, we will advance our contacts and actions by the branches in neighboring states and the Flaming Empire."


    "Eventually, we will have enough support for you to fight for the position of Supreme Pontiff."


    "Anyway, until then, let''s not get too involved in this matter. Let''s do the planning and continue with our normal routine. We have a baby on the way, so it will still be a few years before one of us reaches the 8th stage."


    Hearing that, all three were in agreement, and while Gloria saw no problem with not being able to move forward because of her baby, she remembered something and asked. "This place is great, the best. But that still doesn''t justify your comment, ''I''m stronger than you, honey.'' Why do you think you''re so strong, darling?"


    He smiled, noting that she did not like being considered weaker than him. "Well, I have a full set of Golden-grade techniques and an innate ability that continuously increases my energy."


    "So, I''m much stronger than people of my level and even geniuses like you, dear."


    "Uh? So, those techniques were here?" She was not shocked since Golden-grade techniques were nothing close to the Spatial Kingdom.


    "Yes, among other things..."


    "What exactly is your strength? How do you know you would beat me? I also have Golden-grade techniques." She provocatively looked at him.


    He liked the look on her face and replied. "The difference between you and me is that, in addition to my innate ability, my techniques are designed to be used together. They are not simply Golden-grade techniques!"


    "They complement each other. That means they are more efficient and can be fused. That''s what makes me stronger than any other Spiritual Emperor."


    "What? Is that possible?" She opened her mouth in shock.


    Fusing techniques was challenging, and only techniques with compatibility could be fused. Because of this, even high-level cultivators had difficulty performing the fusion!


    "Hmm, it is possible. Do you remember the black hole I showed you a few weeks ago? It is the fusion of two of my techniques, something that even devoured a level 70 Spiritual Saint!" He revealed this information to her.


    "What?"


    Abby explained. "The Spiritual Saint who attacked Minos back then did not simply run away. Instead, he was killed by our husband''s fusion."


    The redheaded beauty opened her mouth, not knowing what to say, shocked by this.


    Minos then finished. "I probably can''t beat you, dear. After all, I would never use my full strength against you. But I can definitely take on stronger opponents on the battlefield."


    "That''s why I said that."


    ...

 Chapter ?1142 Time for Punishment

    Chapter ?1142 Time for Punishment


    "So, that''s it..." Gloria looked intensely at Minos, happy to know the truth about him and remove the doubts she had in her heart.


    She moved closer to him and kissed him before commenting. "Well, when our baby is born, you will be stronger than me in every way... That''s not bad. It''s good that a father can protect his children and wife."


    Minos laughed upon hearing that before finally leaving with his three women to walk around the Spatial Kingdom and show Gloria a little more of this place.


    After doing that, he would show her their home, where they would spend a lot of time in the future when they traveled around the region and when their baby was delivered.


    Finally, with no more momentary worries, they would stay there for the rest of the day, having fun in the house''s main room and then training and cultivating.


    ...


    One month later...


    While the northern region was experiencing its recovery from the previous invasion and the Black Plain continued to receive regional and Albano migrants, an unusual visiting group, arrived in this high-level state.


    This group had a person wearing silver robes as their leader, who had a youthful appearance that was hard to ignore, especially considering his look that indicated a lot of experience, contrasting with that characteristic.


    But the most impressive thing about this person floating above the skies of a large city in this state was his incredible spiritual power, which had already reached level 81!


    At the same time, each of his six teammates, all dressed in red robes, between levels 75 and 79, were floating in his vicinity, awaiting his order.


    "Cardinal! What is the meaning of this visit? Why are you looking down on us in such an unfriendly manner?" A level 73 Spiritual Saint, dressed in West family armor, asked as he felt fear at being in the presence of that being.


    Meanwhile, thousands of people were watching the situation from the streets of that city, particularly the members of one of the largest organizations there.


    The Cardinal of the Spiritual Church then closed his eyes and said. "I don''t know who you are, nor do I care about your connections, so don''t waste my time."


    "We are here for the rebels of the organization called Furious Shadows. You have dared to disobey the laws of the Church, so prepare yourselves for annihilation!"


    "What?" The master of that sect, standing next to the city lord, cried out in fear, feeling that his actions had resulted in the worst.


    He had given the order for his organization to get involved in the affairs of the northern region after finding out about the possibility of creating a legion of Spiritual Emperors on the Black Plain.


    His sect was prominent in this city but only had a handful of Spiritual Saints. But if his actions in the Black Plain proved fruitful, Furious Shadows could even increase the number of experts at the 8th stage by tens of times in a few thousand years!


    And all this just by secretly taking over that weak region...


    It was very tempting!


    But he never expected to be discovered without even having acted meaningfully.


    ''Damn it! What happened? Is that why none of the Spiritual Emperors I sent returned with the news?'' He sweated cold as he remembered that fact.


    All this time, the Spiritual Church had kept alive the three men captured by Minos and then the group captured by Margot. Because of this, this person had spent the last two months thinking that his plans were developing in the northern region...


    Unfortunately for him, this was not the case!


    "Cardinal, I don''t know what you are talking about! How did we do something wrong? There can only be a mistake! There''s no way we failed at anything!" He shouted, showing desperation in his voice.


    "Humph!"


    "Mistake? Are you saying that the Spiritual Sages who investigated the matter made a mistake?" One of the Patriarchs in this Cardinal''s group asked sarcastically, contemptuously looking at that man.


    That was one of the extermination groups of the Spiritual Church; a force used to discipline rebellious powers in their territories. Such a force came directly from that organization''s headquarters in the high-level state, Evergreen Empire.


    Therefore, each of these people knew there was no error and despised that man for trying to lie in the face of justice.


    Gulp!


    "That..." The master of Furious Shadows looked around in fear, asking for help with his gaze.


    But after the Cardinal said they were there to exterminate this organization, all the non-members of Furious Shadows walked away without looking back, fearful of being involved.


    Some Furious Shadows members also tried to do this, but the Cardinal paid attention to everything and promptly blocked the escape routes using his spatial manipulation.


    Spiritual Sages could manipulate space and travel through wormholes fully controlled by their powers.


    So, upon noticing the individuals marked with the sign of death invoked by another Church expert, that man simply stood where he was and manipulated space with his two hands.


    In doing so, his hand would appear in different places every few seconds, squeezing hearts and crushing heads.


    The Cardinal then looked in the direction of that sect master and said. "No more talking. You have committed a crime against the heavens, so get ready!"


    "Attack!" He shouted to his subordinates, causing each man dressed in red to fly into the enemy headquarters, mercilessly attacking the enemy.


    Furious Shadows only had a few Spiritual Saints, the strongest of which was only at level 73. Because of this, even without much involvement from the Spiritual Sage, the massacre soon formed in that place.


    At the same time as this, the resident Spiritual Saints swallowed their saliva in fear, watching the end of that organization as they broke into a cold sweat.


    The Spiritual Church seemed peaceful on the surface, but once it went into action, it was utterly ruthless!


    An example of this was precisely this group led by a Spiritual Sage.


    There were no Spiritual Sages in Albano. The Church knew this very well. But still, the headquarters of this powerful organization had sent someone like that to this state.


    The reason for this?


    Simple, it was to make sure that there would be no survivors, that no one would get in the way of the agents of this organization!


    Because of this, even if this entire state decided to side with the rebels, all the forces in the path of justice would be slaughtered by the group''s Spiritual Sage.


    Seeing this in person, the many 8th stage experts in the surrounding area, among them subordinates of House West, watched everything in silence, impressed but also terrified.


    But some of them were grateful for this tragedy. That''s because sometimes peace lasted so long that some would forget the terror of war and how much they should respect some organizations.


    And with this situation, several states and countless organizations would notice that the Spiritual Church could not be challenged, or they would continue to be reminded of the power difference between them and such power!


    ''Good thing I was cautious about that rumor!'' A local leader thought about it while his back was already drenched with sweat. ''I narrowly avoided guaranteeing the end of my own family!''


    Gulp!


    ''Good thing that fool dared before me!'' He looked in the direction of where the Furious Shadows master''s body was already lying.


    Thus, in the blink of an eye, that entire organization was wiped out by the forces sent by the Spiritual Church. And when the Cardinal''s group finally left that city, it did not take long for the news of what happened there to travel out of control.


    That was a shocking event, something rare to happen in these areas!


    And soon, the entire kingdom and even members of the alliance against the Flaming Empire received the news of the end of Furious Shadows!

 Chapter ?1143 Terrifying News

    Chapter ?1143 Terrifying News


    Hours after the action of the Spiritual Church...


    It did not take long for the news to reach the capital of Albano, in the royal palace of the West family.


    In this place, the queen was not doing any immorality at this instant, being in her office with her staff, receiving the daily updates.


    Only women could be seen there, each of them very beautiful and young-looking, some standing near the throne where Iris was, others on bended knees in front of her.


    "Your Majesty, we bring news from the Spiritual Church." One of the women with bent knees in front of Iris solemnly said, alerting the monarch that there was a problem.


    "Spiritual Church?" Iris'' eyebrows drew together, but she could not imagine what kind of problem would be related to such an organization. "What happened?"


    "Your Majesty, Furious Shadows was exterminated by a group led by a Cardinal of the Spiritual Church this afternoon." So, the same woman from before said after taking a deep breath.


    When she heard such absurdity, Iris'' eyes almost jumped out of her face as she stood up in shock, not believing such a thing. "What? How? Why?" She unconsciously asked.


    "Answering Your Majesty, it seems that Furious Shadows was plotting to act in the northern region of the Central Continent. They even sent a group of Spiritual Emperors to the Black Plain to deal with King Stuart''s forces."


    After the incident, the powers in the city formerly home to Furious Shadows quickly asked for details of that organization''s crime to the Church.


    Such people did not dare to ask for detailed information from the Cardinal''s group, but talking to local people they knew was not that difficult. So, to confirm what had happened, many had sent their questions to Church branches in this state.


    Among the powers that received answers from that organization was the royal family of Albano. For that reason, such a woman correctly informed the queen about that detail.


    "They what?" Iris felt her heart beating faster as she could not contain her anger at this organization that dared this absurdity.


    "It seems that this organization found out about the rumors regarding the Black Plain circulating in the local underworld. Perhaps they wanted to absorb the power of that state..." One of the women standing near the queen commented in a low voice.


    Hearing this, Iris remembered her youngest daughter had already left towards the Black Plain to visit Minos and worried. ''I hope Lulu doesn''t do anything foolish...''


    "Damn!"


    "How those bastards dare to attract the fury of the Church to my state? Now we will come under suspicion from that organization and still risk extermination!" She muttered, feeling the headache of having such incompetent and crazy vassals.


    The Spiritual Church had no reason to act against this royal family.


    But every large organization always had some kind of contact with the leader of its state. So, it was natural for Iris to think that her movements would be watched and any mistake on her part could cause big problems.


    On the other hand, with the destruction of Furious Shadows, her state had now lost experts and become subtly weaker!


    As such, she could not help but feel angry, infuriated by those people''s audacity.


    "Your Majesty, what should we do?" One of the subordinates there asked.


    She tried to calm down for a few moments and then said. "First of all, send a message to Lulu. We can''t let her get to Black Plain without knowing what happened."


    "This new neighbor of ours is strange and is probably behind the complaint against this damned organization. So, she must be careful dealing with this Minos Stuart guy."


    "He may be young, but someone capable of making as much noise as he can''t be simple!"


    "Yes, Your Majesty!"


    ...


    A day later, the news of the extermination in Albano reached the other states of the alliance against the Flaming Empire.


    Two of the three states allied with Albano reacted in surprise at what had happened, shocked that such a plot had been orchestrated against that state in the impoverished northern region.


    These states were aware of a new state in that region, but no one was paying attention to Minos'' local affairs. However, with this shocking news, many were already researching King Stuart and his state to understand better what had motivated Furious Shadows to commit this crime.


    But in one of these three states, the situation was not pleasant for one of the few who understood what had happened in the Albano underworld.


    ...


    "Your Highness, the Spiritual Church has wiped out an entire organization!" One of Abe''s subordinates said as he broke into a cold sweat, remembering that they had done much worse than Furious Shadows.


    As the crown prince of this state trembled in terror, his bodyguard gave voice to his worst nightmare. "Your Highness, I fear that Leo, perhaps even Bond, have their deaths related to this event!"


    "What?" The people there exclaimed, fearing that this was true.


    The possibility of a Spiritual Sage on Minos'' side was frightening enough. But the Spiritual Church being behind all that was countless times worse!


    After all, they could run away from a single Spiritual Sage. But from the Spiritual Church that was spread all over the continent, that even had Spiritual Demigods in its ranks, well, they could not run away, at least not for long.


    Considering this, several of them began to panic, not knowing what to do given such a threat.


    The bodyguard then said. "Your Highness, that makes the most sense! We have to do something, or I''m afraid we won''t have a chance even to defend ourselves, as happened with Furious Shadows!"


    Abe swallowed his saliva in fear upon hearing that, regretting that he had let his greed speak louder, and listened to the diabolical words of the Saints Killing Sect.


    "Damn it!"


    "Prepare our escape and alert the rest of the family to the slightest sign of suspicion of our involvement in these matters by the Spiritual Church or even other powers." He said in an agitated tone.


    "On the other hand, prepare hints to be left to the case we fail. If the Church finds out about everything, we''ll leave the evidence that those damned Flaming Empire people were behind it all!"


    "They brought it to us, so let them prepare to suffer with us!"


    "Yes, Your Highness!" The people there responded before leaving in a hurry to follow Abe''s orders.


    Meanwhile, Abe felt the bitterness of defeat, ''seeing'' the plans and ambitions he had nurtured for nearly 200 years crumbling as if everything was a sandcastle.


    ''Damn! Bloody Saints Killing Sect! Damned Black Plain!''


    ...


    Albano''s news also reached Black Plain!


    There were no periodicals from that state delivering news in that region, much less people from Minos to gather information there and bring it to Dry City. But with Gloria around, it was not difficult for her to communicate with one of the Church posts in that state and then bring the news to her man.


    "So, our enemies have been eliminated, huh?" Minos smiled as he finished hearing from his favorite redhead what had happened in Albano.


    "Gloria, the Spiritual Church isn''t so bad. That was a pretty quick response, which will give us the time we need to get seriously involved with these troublesome neighbors."


    "Hmmm." She nodded in agreement to him, feeling relief in her heart. "And what do we do now?"


    He answered her without much thought. "For now, we will continue leading our lives as normal. After my advancement to level 61, we will visit the Kingdom of the Waves."


    Hearing that, Abby smiled, already wondering if she could finally relieve the urge she had to solve the mystery of the Goddess of Life''s heritage.

 Chapter ?1144 Visitor from Albano

    Chapter ?1144 Visitor from Albano


    Three weeks later...


    Outside of G City, from the belt of cities around Dry City...


    In this place, a flying beast that looked like a giant turtle, with what looked like a house on its back, was surrounded by local soldiers.


    In the vicinity of G City, that creature was creating a large shadow as it maintained its floating position and was observed with eyes of curiosity and strangeness by the people in the surrounding area.


    "What is this creature?" Some tourists passing not far away were looking at that marvelous turtle, incredulous that there was such a massive living being in this world.


    Meanwhile, the soldiers of the Black Plain Army were worried about the arrival of this being and could not help but sweat at such a presence.


    ''What the hell is it? How can it be so big? It even carries a house on its back!'' One of the Spiritual Kings in the surrounding area was silent, a little fearful.


    Spiritual beings depended not only on their level to determine their strength or capabilities. The level was obviously the most important, but size also made a big difference.


    That was not significant for humans since the difference in size between beings of this race was not enough for the effects to show themselves. But creatures of the same level and different sizes always had distinct strengths, with the larger ones having the advantage.


    Some creatures with exaggerated natural size could even challenge others of higher levels!


    As such, seeing that creature that must have weighed at least a few hundred tons, the Spiritual Kings there could not help but fear the strength of this strange level 59 turtle!


    If it went crazy and decided to attack the city, it would not take long before tens of thousands of people would die!


    ''But how did this creature get so close to Dry City? Don''t tell me it came flying all over our territory at high altitudes?'' One of the soldiers wondered.


    That had been the case. The Black Plain already had many observation posts, but this state was still not considered big in terms of area. Because of that, it was not impossible to traverse much of it on high-level beasts without having to make stops.


    Thus, the people behind this great tortoise had no difficulty getting close to this capital city.


    Anyway, because of the surprising appearance of this giant creature, all the soldiers in the vicinity rushed to check the situation before they even realized the level of the people behind it.


    "Calmly leave the house and identify yourselves!" A level 59 Spiritual King said this loudly while standing on the back of one of the many flying beasts of the army.


    The turtle ignored the noises in the surroundings and continued with its eyes closed.


    It was too strong to care about these people and was not there for trouble either. Hence, it remains silent.


    But while the turtle did nothing, the door of the house above that creature opened before three people left its interior and then flew close to where the previous soldier was.


    The man dressed in the armor of the Albano royal guard then said. "This is Your Highness, the second princess of Albano, Lulu West."


    "Oh?" The soldiers in the surrounding area flying over winged beasts opened their mouths in surprise, shocked that someone from the royal family of that state had appeared in this place.


    But sensing that there were no Spiritual Saints among them, with that man being only a level 69 Spiritual Emperor, Lulu, level 63, and the other woman, level 65, the soldiers there calmed down a bit.


    Level 69 was too high for them but not for Maisie, who was still in Dry City. But, on the other hand, Gloria was also in the capital, so even if these people were crazy, they could not cause chaos in this place.


    The leader of those soldiers then asked. "Princess Lulu, what do you want here? Unfortunately, we have not been given any information about the arrival of a royal entourage."


    "Did you by any chance enter the Black Plain uninvited nor declare your intention to visit?"


    The woman next to Lulu frowned as she saw that a mere Spiritual King had so much courage to question them like that, but she said nothing. Instead, she just looked at her leader in doubt.


    Lulu found the situation interesting and then said. "I am sorry for my intrusion... But we recently learned of how promising King Stuart is. So, I decided to meet him."


    "I am here to talk with your king and see if we have an affinity."


    "Well then, order your spiritual beast to retreat and land..." He then specified what that turtle had to do for the army to take care of it properly.


    "... Finally, you will have to wait for the order from the capital to move on, so settle in the outskirts. When we have news, we will let you know." He finished as he gestured for some soldiers to send the news to Minos.


    After hearing that, Lulu asked his bodyguard to take care of all this, as he heard his secretary''s question. "Your Highness, this treatment for our group is rude! I feel that these people are despising the whole West family!"


    "You think so?" Lulu laughed.


    It was really annoying to have to wait there in that ordinary place for orders to move on. Besides, this procedure made it look like they were dangerous criminals trying to usurp local power.


    But she knew that she was in the ''house'' of Minos and that she had to follow the local customs, not her own.


    So, she just laughed at her misfortune while looking forward to meeting the local leader.


    ...


    After more than an hour, Lulu and her team finally faced Minos in the royal throne hall of Dry City.


    In that place, Minos sat on a throne with a red-haired woman dressed in a black blanket beside him, between his throne and Abby''s. On the other side, Ruth was standing on Minos'' left side, as was Gloria.


    Seeing those four, Lulu frowned as she noticed that Gloria was an Archbishop of the Spiritual Church but still seemed to be standing beside Minos as a wife, not a member of that organization.


    ''Is that it?'' She wondered as she remembered the situation of her state''s sect that the Spiritual Church had wiped out.


    "Are you Lulu West?" Minos asked as he looked into the eyes of that black-haired woman, who had a high-level beauty but lagged behind those of his wives.


    Lulu focused her attention on Minos, seeing his handsome face that naturally put a smile on hers. ''This man seems to be the type who dominates his women...'' She felt her instinct acting up.


    But Lulu held back the desires she usually did not contain and said. "That''s me, Your Majesty. I''m here to meet the person behind the Black Plain, who has revived this area that had long been dead."


    "Oh? And what do you want after meeting me? As far as I know, your state is at least indirectly related to two recent problems in my region." Minos said. "Lulu West, are you here to apologize on behalf of your family for the actions of your vassals?"


    Upon hearing such a question, the bodyguard of the second princess could no longer bear it and said. "Your Majesty, you should refer to the princess as Your Highness. She is not an ordinary person but the daughter of Queen West!"


    "A..." He tried to step forward, but the several Spiritual Emperors there pointed their weapons at him.


    "Behave yourself in the presence of Their Graces!" They said at the same time.


    Minos then said to Lulu. "Control your minion. This is not a place for him to speak when he is not called upon."


    Gulp!


    That fellow swallowed his saliva in anger, but because of Lulu''s signal, he returned behind her in silence.


    "I''m sorry about that, Your Majesty. But you are right, one of our vassals has made a grave mistake, so naturally, I ask forgiveness for that."


    "In return, I have brought some gifts to settle the situation and, who knows to initiate an amicable relationship between our families." She said as she gestured to her secretary.


    ...

 Chapter ?1145 Negotiating with the West Family 1

    Chapter ?1145 Negotiating with the West Family 1


    After seeing her boss'' gesture, that secretary approached one of Minos'' royal guards and handed him a spatial ring.


    Lulu then said. "In this spatial ring, there are several low-level grade-3 arrays, pills, and some weapons of the same rank. Our family offers this to King Stuart in the hope that we can restart our relationship as if that past didn''t exist."


    "Oh?" Minos opened his eyes in surprise, liking how these people handled the matter. "That''s better." The expression on his face improved.


    Lulu sighed in relief, but she did not feel much for having to give these resources to Minos. After Furious Shadows'' destruction, her family collected many items from that organization.


    Also, with one less power in the kingdom, they had auctioned off the area of the headquarters of such an organization to another power.


    Because of this, the West family had gained much more financially than they had given Minos as an apology for the actions of those vassals.


    Lulu knew this since her mother had communicated to her about everything that had happened and given the order for her to give these gifts to Minos.


    She then said. "So, Your Majesty, would you be interested in discussing business with my estate? We have many things to offer that can probably help you on your journey."


    "Business, eh?" Minos interestedly looked at Lulu. "I enjoy doing business, but for now, I don''t have much to offer them in return. So, answer me something. What do you want?"


    "I''m not interested to hear that you want to be my friend. You could just remain silent and wait for me to grow more to make a friendship. So why now? What do you want?"


    Every benefit would come with a problem, responsibility, or negative point. As Minos knew this, he wanted to understand precisely what these people expected from him.


    Minos'' wives and the royal guards in that place continued to look at those three people, and Lulu said. "I can see that Your Majesty is direct in your actions, hehe."


    "Then I will also be direct. Our state and the Flaming Empire, your family''s home, have never had good relations. In fact, we are enemies."


    "But we don''t want a war with that place, so we want to have more friendly connections with forces capable of keeping the peace."


    "We know you are not part of that sect of your family, but you certainly have an easier time communicating with them than we do." She gestured with her hands, speaking in a solemn tone.


    Ruth looked at that woman with hair the same color as hers and understood what they wanted. "So, you want to use my husband to create a means of dialoguing with the forces in the empire, huh?"


    Minos and Abby heard that, but before they could say anything, Gloria stepped forward and said. "I hope you aren''t considering involving the Black Plain in your problems."


    "I will keep an eye on your family''s every action, so don''t overdo your wishes, or the Church will deal with you too."


    Gulp!


    The two people and Lulu swallowed their salivas. They did not care about the people of the Black Plain, but Gloria they respected tremendously. So, being threatened by her, they could not help but feel a little fear in their hearts.


    Lulu bitterly grinned and said. "We expect nothing but a peaceful means of communication. As for everything else, even if it all goes wrong, we won''t blame the Black Plain for that."


    Minos then said. "Well, that can be done. I can''t promise much since I don''t have such good relations with those people in the Gray Clouds Sect. But if you are sincere with our business, I can eventually try to speak on your behalf."


    "Hmm," She nodded in appreciation. "And what does Your Majesty need most? Minerals? Food? We have a little of everything, so we are willing to negotiate good prices for your state."


    The queen then said. "We have many things of interest that your state can export to the Black Plain. But what we are looking for most at the moment are people of common origin who are interested in our region."


    "What does that mean?" Lulu did not understand what kind of strange business this was. ''Do they want slaves?''


    Minos then took the word of his queen. "Lulu West, your state has many useless people over there, but who would make a lot of difference in my state."


    "I want only a fraction of them." He paused, thinking of a plausible number that he could safely receive, control, and still turn into Black Plain supporters. "I won''t ask too much. Fifty thousand Spiritual Kings will work."


    "What?" The three individuals exclaimed, causing saliva to leave their mouths and spread through the air.


    The bodyguard looked at Gloria and asked. "Aren''t you going to say anything? He''s asking for outside interference! The Church will not accept that!"


    Lulu''s secretary agreed. "Are you trying to trap us? This kind of thing is impossible to ignore!"


    As Lulu looked at Minos in amazement, Gloria said. "You can''t send your people here. We will consider it a disregard for the laws of the Church. But my husband can ask for whatever he wants."


    "Husband?" Lulu questioned Minos, surprised that her wildest suspicions had been confirmed.


    Minos laughed as he saw Lulu''s expression and brought Gloria onto his lap. "Soon, we will have an heir of the Black Plain who will also be a member of the Spiritual Church... Isn''t that great, Lulu West?"


    The eyes of the three opened wide at the meaning of Minos'' words.


    This young king was basically telling them that he had the Church on his side and that they had better be careful with their actions!


    He was threatening them by announcing to them that he was expecting a baby!


    Lulu then forced a smile and said. "That''s amazing, Your Majesty, Archbishop."


    "Congratulations." All three said almost simultaneously, making some of Minos'' royal guards smile in satisfaction.


    Gloria then continued. "So, you don''t have to worry about that. As long as you follow the orders of our state, these 50,000 individuals won''t cause you any trouble."


    She coldly looked at Lulu and finished. "But don''t even think about putting spies among these people!"


    "Of course. We would never do that..." She said in a sighing tone, noting how difficult the Stuart family was to deal with. ''I didn''t realize he would actually be so connected to the Spiritual Church.''


    ''Sigh!''


    ''But that''s a good thing too. At least the chances of him managing to become someone capable of keeping the peace between the Flaming Empire and us will be greater!''


    ...

 Chapter ?1146 Negotiating with the West Family 2

    Chapter ?1146 Negotiating with the West Family 2


    After discussing the previous point, it did not take long for Minos to invite Lulu to his office so they could continue talking about this agreement between the kingdoms.


    That had only been the beginning of the talks, and now that both parties had shown interest in continuing, they would discuss the details of this agreement.


    "So, Your Majesty, how do you intend to receive these 50,000 Spiritual Kings?" Lulu asked as she sat face to face with Minos and his wives.


    As for her companions on this trip, the two were standing behind her, silently watching everything.


    "You can send 50 groups of a thousand people over the next 100 weeks. That will be enough for us." Minos replied. "Those people must be individuals never before connected to powers in your state."


    "Not only that, I prefer those over the age of 600 and who have families to care for. Each of them will be able to bring up to 20 family members at first and may be allowed to bring all their family members in the future..."


    "We will talk about that with those coming here."


    Hearing these requirements, Lulu frowned, not understanding what Minos was getting at. "600 years old? Spiritual Kings at that age are not talented... Why do you want people like that? Isn''t it better for me to find those under 100 years old?"


    Abby smiled upon hearing that woman''s doubt. "We are not looking for the strength or talent of these people. We are looking for people who can fill certain demands in our state and who can create new generations of local talent."


    Minos did not want to bring in highly talented people from outside the region in such high quantities. Something like that would create an imbalance in the Black Plain and put the regional population at a significant disadvantage.


    So he wanted older, i.e., less talented people among Albano''s population, people without high expectations, able to help accelerate local development without putting the regional population in its shadow.


    Not only that, even outside the northern region of the Central Continent, most people who reached the 6th stage usually had Black talent. Thus, this was a way to increase the number of people capable of generating new citizens with that talent.


    There was also the issue of Spiritual Attraction and, finally, the need for these people to have more ''peaceful'' profiles, that is, who the repressive forces could control.


    "Hmmm," Ruth nodded and completed Abby''s speech, "Also, even if they are not talented by your state''s standards, here they will be. Also, many will advance to the next stage even considering their advanced ages. And for us, that''s more than enough."


    Hearing that, Lulu was not sure what Minos'' goal was, but she thought it was not inconsistent that he wanted ordinary people. ''With this strength, he will be able to secure dominance of the region and still stay in power...''


    ''If the local rumors are true, then his army can easily handle a force like that. And if those people aren''t greedy like those criminals, everything should be fine...''


    After thinking for a while, she commented. "Fine, we''ll attract Spiritual Kings by following your instructions. So, it won''t be difficult."


    "Good!" Minos smiled and then moved on to the next subject, something he was eager to get for the Black Plain. "The next thing I want to negotiate is the service of the members of the Giant Turtle tribe."


    "What?" Lulu''s bodyguard said in surprise.


    The Giant Turtles were a special breed of beasts due to their size outside of common sense, beings with fantastic defensive abilities and high flying skills.


    And they were native to the Albano region, being a race of beasts allied to the royal family of that state since the early days of such a kingdom.


    Then, upon hearing from Minos about his desire regarding the Giant Turtles, that high-level Spiritual Emperor could not help but be surprised. Such beings only work with the West family. How could King Stuart covet them?


    "Do you know about the Giant Turtles?" Lulu asked while her eyes narrowed.


    "Sure. They are great at taking care of transport. A single beast like that at the 6th stage can travel hundreds of kilometers a day and still carry hundreds of humans on its back." He spoke, looking at Lulu.


    "It''s a real waste that one of them is only being used by three humans..."


    Lulu closed her eyes as she heard Minos'' criticism. "It''s not just us. We also have a group of cooks and female employees in that house..."


    "Still, it''s a waste," Minos replied. "In any case, those beings are perfect for creating small headquarters in the skies of the Black Plain."


    Gloria nodded in agreement. "It would be of great help to our soldiers if they could patrol the Black Plain with these beings."


    Lulu turned her gaze to Minos and said. "It doesn''t matter if you know about them. My mother won''t agree to it. Do you want us to give up our spiritual beasts?"


    "You don''t get it. We just want to hire the service of these beasts..." Minos said while he had a smile on his face. "A dozen of them would already help us a lot. Do you think that''s impossible?"


    "Hire? And what would you give us in return?" She asked in a slightly more agitated tone, thinking Minos was exaggerating on this point.


    "The 6th stage beasts that come to my territory will stay here for 100 years. In that time, we will invest in them and help them reach the 7th stage. That will be the payment. We will return stronger beasts to you."


    "Oh? Are you serious? It''s not easy to raise the level of these turtles. The amount of resources they need is proportional to their size." Lulu''s secretary unconsciously said.


    "I know..." Minos nodded in agreement.


    He knew more about these beasts than the three people in front of him. But he thought it was worth making that investment since there were not many races of spiritual beasts with similar characteristics.


    Since he wanted to continue strengthening the weak points of his state, this would be an essential way to increase the army''s vigilance around at least the capital.


    For example, he wanted to avoid surprises like the arrival of these people. But something like this could only be done if lookouts were in the Black Plain''s skies.


    Unfortunately, there were not so many beings capable of flying in the ranks of Minos'' forces, and most of them could not waste their time doing this kind of service. So, the best way to resolve this issue would be to use something capable of suppressing this demand without harming the strongest individuals in his organization.


    Since Minos had far more resources than these people thought, and the local spiritual root continued improving, he knew he could easily handle such an investment.


    Lulu then responded. "That''s very tempting, but I''ll have to talk to my mother about it."


    "OK. Then let''s move on to the next item..."


    They continued in that place for another hour and a half, talking about various resources that the Black Plain was interested in obtaining.


    The state of Minos imported things from the Flaming Empire, but Albano was much closer to the Black Plain. In this case, King Stuart wasted no time in starting to attach more importance to imports from this neighbor of his, which could lower the costs.


    So, he soon mentioned a hundred special seeds for everyday food production, as well as medicines, ores, and other essential materials.


    But he did not talk about more valuable things like weapons, pills, and arrays. Not because the Black Plain did not need them, but because he wanted to develop most of these resources in his state, where more and more spiritual professionals were emerging.


    Anyway, in this way, the initial negotiation of House Stuart and House West finally ended!


    ...

 Chapter ?1147 Great Agreement with Albano

    Chapter ?1147 Great Agreement with Albano


    After they finished negotiating, Lulu looked at Minos slightly differently and winked at him. "I think we should celebrate this agreement..."


    "Is that so? How about we arrange a small occasion after we sign the papers? We can have something to drink on that occasion." Minos said without any hidden meaning.


    "Hmm, that will be good. But I was just talking about that..." She licked her lips, looking at those women beside Minos. "Why don''t we have some fun together? My secretary and bodyguard can participate too if you want."


    After those words were spoken, Minos'' three women looked strangely at that princess of Albano, not believing that she had quoted such nonsense.


    "Are you crazy?" Abby asked, finding such a thing unbelievable.


    Minos then looked coldly at the people in front of him and said. "I know Albano has its strange traditions, but if you suggest something like that again to me or my women, Lulu West, prepare to face my full wrath."


    "There are many losers in your state who accept your family''s methods. But a real man doesn''t divide his woman where I come from." He said in a tone that showed his disgust. "That''s just pathetic."


    That bodyguard felt particularly attacked by Minos'' words, while Albano''s two women bitterly smiled.


    Minos then focused his attention on Lulu and released his killing intent. "One more warning. Look at my women like that again, and it will be the last time you ever look at anything."


    "That..." She felt a strange dread in her soul, for some reason thinking that Minos was the worst of everyone there. "I''m sorry, I thought you would have fun as we..."


    She stood up and bowed her head in sincerity.


    Gloria then said. "If we ever come to your state, make it clear to your queen and people in your organization how they should behave with our family. I don''t even want to hear about you looking at our man!"


    Ruth and Abby nodded in agreement.


    They already disliked Minos getting involved with other women who had been close to him for years, so when they noticed this opportunity, they used it to scare Albano''s women.


    "Wooing our husband will be like getting the hostility of the Black Plain. Any good relationship we could have will end if you cross the line!" Abby firmly commented.


    Hearing all this, Lulu sighed in disappointment, as she had found them all very attractive and wished to have fun with these four, particularly Minos. ''Sigh... I should have just talked to him!''


    ''Damn it!''


    ''I was a fool. People from outside the kingdom don''t like to share their women...'' She regretted her lack of experience in diplomatic matters like this.


    Meanwhile, Minos saw no problem with his women''s threats. He enjoyed his relationships with beautiful women, and Lulu seemed perfect. But the way this princess had looked at Gloria, Ruth, and Abby did not seem like a woman''s look but a man full of desire.


    Unfortunately for Lulu, Minos was highly possessive of his women and was capable of killing anyone who disrespected one of them in such a way.


    If it were not for the fact that she was a woman, the princess of Albano, and also had agreed to a deal with him, Minos would have killed her there.


    For all that, any attraction he might have had for her was replaced by a great disgust, which prevented him from caring about his women forbidding Lulu and women of that state from approaching him.


    "I''m sorry, that won''t happen again..." Lulu said before leaving Minos'' office with her two companions.


    As they left Minos'' palace, the princess'' secretary commented with a smile on her face. "They don''t know what they are missing... One man can hardly satisfy a woman."


    Upon hearing this, the bodyguard felt a pain in his chest, as if the world was conspiring to make him feel diminished...


    "Sigh..."


    "I''m not sure that''s the case," Lulu reflexively commented. "My mother once said she slept with a man from the Western Empire. She said that had been the only man who had ever completely satisfied her in bed."


    "What?" The bodyguard asked in surprise since he knew of Iris'' great sexual appetite.


    Lulu continued. "According to her, if she had met a man like that while she was young, she might not have had so many husbands and partners."


    "Really?" The secretary asked in disbelief. "Who is this person? Why have I never heard of him?"


    "Simple, he didn''t stay long in our kingdom. According to my mother, that man liked her but would not accept sharing her with others. My mother already had five husbands at the time, so that fellow only stayed with her once and then left without looking back."


    "Anyway, because of that story of my mother, I believe that maybe men outside our state, or powerful men from outside our state, have the capacity for that." She commented on her point. "Perhaps our culture has weakened the personality of the men from our homeland, and this caused a decline in their performance..."


    "Oh?" The secretary opened her mouth, thinking that might make sense. ''Regardless of culture, we all seek pleasures. But outside of our state, the idea of reverse harems is not common...''


    "That makes sense! They are a bit fragile..." They continued talking, every few moments striking an invisible blow to the confidence of that level 69 man.


    ''How can that be? I''ve always done my best!''


    ''Why do they think I''m so weak?'' He did not understand the problem, especially considering that they seemed so content on the occasions they had during their months of travel...


    ''Were they faking it?''


    ...


    A month later...


    After the previous uncomfortable situation, Lulu and Minos eased their tensions by coming face to face, having had several conversations in the following days.


    They did nothing, as expected, and aside from sighing in disappointment, Lulu kept control over her impulses, leaving the Stuart family alone.


    In the end, after they signed a Soul Contract, her group left back for Albano, ready to start putting the previously agreed terms into practice.


    Their agreement was long and complex, with several parts that would take years to fulfill but others that could already begin to be put into practice. Like, for example, the part concerning the Giant Turtles.


    The queen had accepted Minos'' proposal concerning these beings. Because of this, they had not had to renegotiate, having signed the contract and already being on the wait for these beings.


    The Black Plain was also already preparing the resources for the first payment for the resources that Albano would export here, which would come along with those spiritual beasts.


    In the meantime, Minos had finally reached level 61 and was ready to go to the Kingdom of the Waves with his wives!

 Chapter ?1148 Time to Depart for the Inheritance of the Goddess of Life

    Chapter ?1148 Time to Depart for the Inheritance of the Goddess of Life


    After dawn in Dry City, Minos and his three wives departed this place on the back of a black-furred winged beast, Maida, level 60, heading north.


    They had already bid farewell and organized Dry City for their time in the Kingdom of the Waves, something none could be sure of due to the mysteries of the inheritance of the Goddess of Life.


    Therefore, Minos had left Dillian, level 61, in charge of that place, with Emlyn, level 62, responsible for security in the state.


    In the period after the departure of Lulu and her group from Dry City, Maisie had already returned to the Flaming Empire since there did not seem to be any more dangers to her son.


    Albano had become a partner of Minos, the neighboring kingdoms in the region were terrorized by the Church, and the region was under his control.


    So, she had quietly left this place with no more great problems in sight in the short term. And because of this current reality, low-level Spiritual Emperors staying in these areas were already more than enough to protect the territory without the king or stronger people.


    In any case, this was not the last time Minos had left Dry City before going to the Flaming Empire. No, he would still return to spend a few days there before his trip.


    Therefore, they flew to the Kingdom of the Waves without much worry, enjoying the trip without haste since there was still some time left before the Walker family''s promised deadline ended.


    ...


    A few days later...


    While Maida waited in the vicinity of a forested area of the Kingdom of the Waves, Minos and his wives were cultivating in the Spatial Kingdom.


    At this place, several Elite Squad soldiers and some beasts were in the vicinity, as they would still have a chance to return to Dry City in a few more months.


    For his trip to the Flaming Empire, Minos would not take any of these people or beasts since it was essential to leave them serving on the Black Plain. But as he would probably be gone for more than two years when he left the region, he wanted to let these beings make the most of the time left until then to train in his cultivation sanctuary.


    Hence, even though he was traveling to the Kingdom of the Wave alongside his wives, dozens of people were in that place at the moment.


    And just when several of these people were watching for them, Gloria had a breakthrough and reached level 69!


    Crack!


    Upon hearing that characteristic sound, Minos, Abby, and Ruth opened their eyes and looked at Gloria, this red-haired beauty who was not yet showing her pregnant belly.


    By Dillian''s estimates, Gloria''s pregnancy would last from 24 to 50 months. So, it was still too early for her to show any signs.


    Also, because of this special gestation period, she could still cultivate at the present moment, having achieved this significant breakthrough.


    "Congratulations, Gloria!"


    "Now, you just have to get to the peak of the 7th stage and wait for the birth of our baby." Minos commented as he reached her side, happy that his wife was getting stronger.


    "Congratulations..." Abby and Ruth also said a few words to that redhead, happy for Gloria.


    "Hehe, thank you!" She stood up and smiled at them, happy to be moving forward and getting closer to becoming a Spiritual Saint.


    She then lightly punched one of Minos'' shoulders and asked. "Now, who will be stronger, eh, dear?"


    "You are the strongest..." Minos laughed as he hugged his wife and then whispered to her. "But I''ll give you a taste if you want to do a little test."


    "Oh? Challenging me?" She looked up at him, smiling. "Tell me the place and time, and I''ll make our baby feel how mommy is stronger than daddy!"


    "Then let''s do it now..."


    ...


    While Minos and Gloria were training together in the Spatial Kingdom, in the Kingdom of the Waves capital, the Walker family was preparing for a special moment.


    After years of preparation, Wilfred had reached the peak of the 6th stage, having consumed vast amounts of wealth that could have formed dozens of Spiritual Kings if they had been applied wisely.


    But the family''s goal was not simply to increase the number of Spiritual Kings but to achieve the first Spiritual Emperor!


    That way, with the arrival of this young man close to level 60, no one in this family thought that the decision of King Walker, level 57, had been wrong.


    Because of this, they were already preparing for Wilfred''s attempted breakthrough, which needed to happen soon since Abby had already reached the 7a stage for months.


    Their deadline was only a year after her breakthrough. So everyone in this organization was already preparing for their time to expire in weeks, at most, months, and were rushing his advancement.


    But unlike the failed attempt by Wilfred and Blake''s father, the advancement of the new supreme elder of this family was less risky.


    The reason for this?


    Well, with the development of the Black Plain, the entire region had gained access to better quality resources.


    Among them were spiritual arrays and cultivation pills, items with great potential to help people overcome their cultivation bottlenecks.


    Since House Walker had prepared for this moment, they had the resources at their disposal and could not help but be hopeful of getting a Spiritual Emperor!


    ...


    In the royal palace of the Kingdom of the Waves capital...


    Blake, Wilfred''s mother, and other widows of William Walker were in the vicinity of a large cultivation room surrounded by glass walls.


    In that place, dozens of other members of that royal family were also there anxiously watching in the direction of the black-haired young man sitting in a lotus position in the middle of that area.


    "Do you think he will make it?" One of the women asked her harem sister, drawing the attention of Wilfred''s mother.


    "I think his chances are better than our late husband''s. But I believe they are still less than that of the Spiritual Emperors who advanced on the Black Plain." Another harem sister said as Wilfred''s mother clasped her hands.


    "Are you nervous?" Blake asked, concerned for this woman since she had been the most focused on this project now reaching its climax.


    "A little..." She did not lie.


    The former queen of the Kingdom of the Waves was a patriot who defended her state and family to the best of her ability. But it was undeniable that risking her son''s life put her in a fearful state, even considering how much good an advance from him could do to this organization.


    So far, she had not worried too much since their actions did not endanger her son''s life aside from damaging Wilfred''s cultivation foundation. But now, in attempting a breakthrough, something that had already resulted in the death of the love of this woman''s life, she could not help but feel nervous.


    The king then said. "Don''t worry. Even my father didn''t suffer all the consequences of his failure immediately. So, even if Wilfred fails, I think we will have time to beg the Black Plain for the help of the Divine Doctor Dillian."


    "Then I don''t think he will suffer the same fate as my father!"

 Chapter ?1149 Time to Start the Inheritance!

    Chapter ?1149 Time to Start the Inheritance!


    Seven weeks later...


    After traveling peacefully through the Kingdom of the Waves, Minos'' group finally arrived in the vicinity of Athela, where local forces were already waiting for them.


    No one knew when Minos had left Dry City. Yet, with the many vassals and subordinates of House Walker, that organization had found out about his group''s passage through various cities in this state. Because of this, all preparations were already in place to welcome him.


    "It seems this state has improved a lot since the last time I was here..." Gloria commented in surprise as she sensed more than 400 auras of Spiritual Kings in this capital city.


    It was customary in capital cities to have more experts since not only was the royal family located in such places, but the services were also better, which attracted people from other families.


    But previously, this city had less than half that number of Spiritual Kings. So, Gloria was surprised to discover this place so well after Minos'' violent passage there years ago.


    Abby nodded and said. "It''s only natural. With the existence of the Black Plain, the regional powers can no longer focus their resources only on their privileged members."


    "Now meritocracy is finally in effect, and whether nobles or people of common origin, everyone with talent is getting what they deserve in the regional states."


    "Oh?" Gloria looked at Minos, impressed that he had generated this. "I guess some bad things come to good, don''t they, dear?"


    Ruth laughed upon hearing that but could not help but agree. "The region needs someone strong to run it..."


    Minos did not think that bad and said. "If we compare this region to the Flaming Empire, there isn''t a big difference in area or population. The only problems here are the density of spiritual energy and the separation of the states."


    "But with me here, everything will be different. I will solve the spiritual energy problem, while the previous war already solved the separation of powers."


    "I thought the previous war was only for the independence of the Black Plain..." Gloria commented as they flew into the center of that city.


    "It was," Minos calmly commented. "But it is undeniable that my actions corrected such a problem."


    "There was a lot of freedom in that region, which brought insecurity, chaos, and uncertainty to everyone. But with a ruler in power, many possibilities have disappeared, and now everyone can focus their attention on what matters."


    "Getting stronger, peacefully, and sustainably developing the region!" He finished his words, not feeling bad for having stolen freedoms from the people in this region.


    Gloria nodded as she heard everything Minos said but said nothing. ''Everything in this region has worked since his ascension. Even powers without support from the Black Plain are thriving, even though the supply of resources hasn''t increased that much.''


    ''Sigh...''


    ''The human collective is a mess. Without the presence of a leader, people get crazy, lazy, greedy, do the unimaginable.''


    ''With freedom, they have so many possibilities that they don''t know what to focus on. But with restrictions, they get right out and stop wasting time on foolishness and stupidity.'' She looked thoughtfully at Minos.


    Previously, Gloria had thought Minos'' methods were a bit harsh. But the more she stayed with him, the more she realized that he was right and saw the advantages of acting like him.


    And so, she could not help but admire him even more, feeling proud that this was the father of her baby!


    "Hmm?" Minos did not notice how Gloria was looking at him, but he sounded surprised as he sensed something unexpected. "There is a Spiritual Emperor in this place. Could it be..."


    "Wilfred?" Abby noticed that spiritual fluctuation and asked aloud, completing what her husband was about to say.


    "Looks like it''s him." Minos smiled, noting the family had been lucky to complete the requirement necessary to participate in the advanced stage of the Goddess of Life''s inheritance. "They were fortunate. They narrowly missed out..."


    "But isn''t that better?" Ruth asked. "Now we won''t have to wait for the deadline you gave them. We can just get started on that inheritance right away!"


    "Hmmm." Abby nodded in agreement as their group finally arrived in front of the local royal palace.


    "Your Majesties, welcome to our humble city!" Blake welcomed Minos'' group with the necessary reverence.


    As he did so, the Spiritual Kings in the surrounding area swallowed their saliva as they looked in shock at Minos. ''Level 61? He''s already achieved a breakthrough?''


    Only recently had news of Minos being a Spiritual Emperor spread throughout the region. Consequently, almost everyone thought King Stuart was just a newly promoted 7th stage cultivator.


    However, now these people could personally see how wrong they were!


    ''That fellow truly is a monster!'' Wilfred''s mother looked at Minos in admiration of his incredible talent.


    She did not hate him that much. After all, despite the heinous things he had done against this family, none of this woman''s loved ones had been killed by him.


    And considering how fairly he had treated them in the post-war period, she no longer felt hostility towards him and even respected him for some of his actions.


    And hell, it was awe-inspiring!


    But not only does she think that.


    ''Fucking hell!''


    ''I damaged my foundation and did everything possible to reach the 7th stage, but even so, Minos still surpassed my cultivation speed!'' Wilfred looked open-mouthed at the brown-haired young man.


    "Sigh!"


    ''At least I didn''t die, and now I''m a Spiritual Emperor...'' He felt terrible.


    Wilfred had advanced a few days ago, narrowly having survived his advance. But, in any case, he had accomplished his mission and was ready to represent his family in the inheritance of the Goddess of Life.


    As such, he soon put his defeat to Minos aside to listen to this fellow.


    "Your family isn''t bad, Blake. You got a Spiritual Emperor in the time limit I gave, so I''ll keep my word to let you participate in the inheritance."


    "Oh? I''m glad..." Blake said sincerely.


    Meanwhile, a young level 51 Spiritual King was steadily looking at Minos. ''Ah, I still feel afraid seeing this person...''


    ''At least this time, he''s not here to kill anyone.'' Ava sighed as she saw Minos and his wives walking peacefully with Blake''s group.


    Minos then greeted Wilfred and this fellow''s mother. "I wish you good luck, but if you have to compete with Abby, you will lose."


    "I understand..." Wilfred did not feel bad since this was indeed a possibility that, after his advancement, everyone was worried about. "I hope that doesn''t have to happen, but if it does, I will quit."


    "Hmm, that''s better," Abby commented in a low voice.


    Minos then looked at that level 59 woman. "Go to Dry City after this inheritance is over. I will let you train in a special place for you to get to level 60."


    "That..." Wilfred''s mother looked at Minos in surprise, not expecting him to give them such an opportunity. "Thank you, Your Majesty. But..."


    "May I ask why? Before, there was no such possibility for us..."


    "Because you have already fulfilled the previous requirement within the deadline." He laughed. "On the other hand, I want to strengthen the whole region, so it will be good if your state doesn''t lag behind."


    "By the way," He looked at Blake. "Any Spiritual King from your state who reaches level 59, send them to Dry City."


    "Thank you, Your Majesty!" Blake said with eyes full of emotion.


    "OK. Now let''s go to the crypt where the inheritance of the Goddess of Life is. I want to start whatever is there immediately!" Minos said aloud.


    ...

 Chapter ?1150 The Beginning of the Inheritance

    Chapter ?1150 The Beginning of the Inheritance


    After a few moments, Minos'' group reached the Walker family crypt, where the statue of the Goddess of Life that Minos and Abby had seen earlier stood.


    The place looked as it had before, without any transformation. Even the dust in the surroundings was the same as when the two had passed in this place.


    But that was expected. After all, people rarely entered that place, and since Wilfred would not have dared to start such a thing without Minos'' presence, he had not yet returned to that place since that time.


    "Oh? Is there something like that in this region?" Gloria observed the area with interest, noticing some molds and inscriptions that looked like very high-level people had made them.


    "Yes, not everything left in this region was taken, discovered, or collected during the Great Migration," Minos commented.


    He then turned to his queen and asked. "Anyway, Abby, are you ready?"


    "Hmmm." She nodded with a smile on her face, eager to sort this out.


    On the other hand, Wilfred approached that statue, also full of curiosity as to what would happen next.


    He was the first in his family to complete the minimum requirements to move forward with the tests left by this inheritance. So, naturally, there was a certain sense of pride in his being and determination to achieve something for his family.


    ''Finally!'' He clenched his fists, ready to get on with the procedure necessary to start with this event.


    "Well, according to the instructions in this place, all we have to do is infuse our energies into this statue, and it will teleport us into the interior of the Secret Tomb." Wilfred said to the two, waiting for Minos'' order.


    Upon hearing that, Minos stood behind Abby, hugging his queen''s body as he spread his energies around her.


    He was also a candidate for this inheritance, but in addition to not having a Saint-grade Physique, he ran the risk of being teleported to a different place than his wife. Since he wanted to avoid this at all costs, Minos soon connected his and Abby''s bodies with his energy, something he knew was effective due to memories of Henricus Longus.


    "Comfortable, dear?" Abby blinked at him as she looked back, feeling good to be enveloped by her man.


    "Hmmm, you can start now. I''m ready." He said as he also prepared to send some of his energy into that statue.


    So, the three individuals did what they were supposed to do, infusing fractions of their powers into that thing, causing it to begin to glow.


    As the statue seemed to be coming to life, the Spatial Kingdom ring in one of Minos'' hands shook briefly, spreading a semi-transparent mist over him and Abby.


    With that, the statue changed position, making symbols with its hands while creating wormholes under Abby and Wilfred.


    The moment the darkness of the wormholes appeared on the ground, the three individuals fell through, quickly disappearing from that area.


    After that, the statue made symbols similar to the previous ones before finally returning to its position, while the wormholes disappeared as if they had never been there.


    "It started..." Gloria commented to Ruth as she looked around for any change.


    Wilfred''s mother then commented. "Now, it will be a few months before the tests are finished. So, we''d better not wait for them here..."


    "No, let''s watch for a little longer," Gloria commented when she finally saw one of the walls starting to glow.


    She had never been in an inheritance like this before. But she knew how tests similar to this worked. After all, the Spiritual Church had all kinds of information about the Spiritual World!


    So, she already knew they would be able to follow Minos and Abby''s journey to some degree.


    "That..." Blake looked at his stepmother in doubt, not understanding what was happening.


    At that instant, a blackboard with four dots appeared on that glowing wall.


    Of these dots, three were red, and one was gold. Two of them were together. One was alone near one end of the square area, with the golden one alone in the middle of that area.


    ...


    While the people outside the Secret Tomb were watching the board that appeared on that glowing wall, Minos and Abby were falling through a dark, cold tunnel.


    "Minos, I wonder what this is?" Abby asked as she saw that darkness that seemed to be an absence of light and a strange fluid.


    "That is a space path created by the wormhole, and this black stuff is decompressed space. When a wormhole is created, it creates a special region in space." Minos began to explain. "Think of space as a sheet of paper. The wormhole creates a unique path through that paper, connecting two different places."


    "But space is not a piece of paper since it has several dimensions and is infinite..." As he said this, the two finally got ''spat'' out by the wormhole into a shady place that looked like a cemetery.


    As they fell from the sky towards the ground, Minos quickly used his flight skill to slow their fall while slowly landing.


    As he did so, Abby observed the surroundings, the stars in the sky, while feeling the windy surroundings, the light temperature of the place, and the eerie silence.


    ''I''m glad Minos came with me. This place looks strange...'' She felt safe as she lay in her man''s arms.


    Minos also observed the surroundings, having paid attention to the many graves in that cemetery that seemed to have no boundaries.


    ''What is this place? There seems to be a lot of negative feelings around here...'' So, he felt something easy to notice as he had already killed enough to feel some emotions.


    The moment their feet touched the ground, stronger winds formed while strange sounds came from the direction of one of the graves near them.


    Then the steel plate on top of that grave was kicked off by what was inside it, making such a thing fly for dozens of meters.


    Minos and Abby then saw the skeleton rise from its own grave while it still had its low-level grade-3 silver armor on its body.


    It stood in the middle of that grave, looking in Abby and Minos'' direction, while its neck was slightly bent to the right side as if it was in doubt.


    "You shouldn''t be here..." It opened its jaw, and, unbelievably, a voice came out, even though he did not have the muscles to do so.


    "Does he talk?" Abby swallowed her saliva in surprise.


    "Hmmm," Minos stated as he looked at that creature. "Are you talking about me? Why shouldn''t I be here?"


    "Yes, you don''t seem right... I feel strange to you. You don''t seem to have been chosen by the Goddess." So, it said, but it did not show any hostility. Not because it was nice, but because it felt a terrifying sensation coming from one of Minos'' fingers, something even more shocking than the power of the Goddess.


    "What about her?" Minos pointed to the woman in his arms.


    "She''s all right. She has the mark the Goddess said her representative would have." The skeleton walked out of its grave.


    "So, what do we do? I will not leave, nor will I part with her." Minos'' eyes narrowed as his killing intent spread to his surroundings.


    After sensing that, that skeleton''s jaw nearly dropped to the ground, feeling terrible. ''All this? That person has killed at least a hundred thousand people!''''


    ''How can that be? A mere level 60 Spiritual Emperor who looks so young could do that? Don''t tell me he''s been killing since he came out of his mother''s womb?'' The skeleton wondered in doubt as it knelt in front of Abby.


    ...

 Chapter ?1151 Basic Information

    Chapter ?1151 Basic Information


    "You may accompany her, but you will gain nothing from this place. Everything that can be taken from here can only be passed on to those marked by the Goddess." The skeleton said, kneeling in front of Abby.


    "That''s not a problem..." Minos looked at the creature kneeling in front of him and Abby.


    Abby then asked. "What are you doing?"


    "Answering the one chosen by the Goddess. In life, I was a follower of the Goddess of Life. In death, I chose to represent her one last time in this special place. Since you bear the mark of the Goddess, I am naturally under your orders." He respectfully said.


    "Can you do that? Continue serving someone even after death?" Abby asked in surprise.


    "Hmmm, by his own will, no. But that Goddess of Life could probably do something like that." Minos answered in place of that skeleton who seemed to want to answer her.


    "She probably had a high-level technique that reached its limit, or an innate ability coming from a Divine-grade Physique. Either way, she must have cast her ability on this fellow."


    The skeleton looked at Minos while its jaw was open to the max, surprised that the young Spiritual Emperor understood the situation so well. ''Who is this person?''


    "So, that''s it..." Abby understood and looked at that skeleton again. "Why do you say I have the mark of the Goddess? What does that mean? And more importantly, what is this place?"


    The skeleton set its jaw in place and answered. "Answering the one chosen by the Goddess. My mistress had a powerful and unique soul sense. I naturally sense some of that coming from you."


    He remembered the last things he had learned before he died and said. "You probably call it the Genetic Key. That''s actually a remnant of the Goddess'' soul, something that will help you receive the ultimate inheritance of this place if you pass the tests, of course."


    "I see..." Minos understood the situation. ''Henricus Longus had left a soul fragment. Is that any different from that?''


    But then he heard that creature continuing with the answers to Abby''s questions. "As for the meaning of being the chosen of the Goddess, that is what you think. The chosen one to inherit the powers of the Goddess and her wealth left in this place."


    "The Secret Tomb is a space created by the Goddess after a great tragedy happened in her homeland while she was away. In this place are the bodies of over 240,000 people, among them the bodies of the 40,000 enemies who massacred those loyal to the Goddess."


    "After returning from a trip and noticing the end of her homeland, the Goddess eliminated those people and used her innate ability to leave her legacy here, using the dead to secure the tests."


    "Oh? For a Goddess of Life, she''s pretty cruel, huh?" Minos smiled as he joked about it.


    "How? The Goddess was kind in everything she did in her life! This is nothing considering the pain they caused her!" The skeleton said in an irritated tone.


    "It''s okay. You don''t have to care about that..." Abby said, trying to return to the main thing. "Why did this Goddess create a legacy?"


    Minos then answered in the skeleton''s place. "She probably didn''t want to be forgotten..."


    "Why?" Abby turned to him in surprise.


    "Powerful people are more afraid of dying than ordinary people think. Especially those who have not yet reached their limit. For them, even though they live long lives, they feel incomplete for not taking the final step."


    "In a way, it''s a great waste to live thousands of years, only to die when you were so close to the apex..." He said and looked at that skeleton, noting that it seemed to have something similar in mind.


    "So, they leave relics to ensure that they will be remembered and that some of their powers will continue to exist, even after they are gone."


    The skeleton then raised its voice. "That is true. But some high-level cultivators believe that if someone inherits their powers, they will have the chance to see those people''s journey in their eternal sleep."


    "Some even believe they can revive if their heirs reach the peak."


    Minos shook his head and said. "That''s nonsense. It''s not possible to do that."


    "How can you say that? Maybe it is possible!" The skeleton insisted on this, hoping the Goddess could see it through Abby''s eyes.


    The skeleton looked into Abby''s blue eyes and said. "Anyway, the Goddess created this place to leave a part of herself before she perished, but also someone to avenge the people of this place."


    "Avenge? Do you realize how long it has been since this place was created?" Minos looked strangely at that creature. "Let me tell you, in our time; there is no record of someone called the Goddess of Life."


    "There are records of over 50 human Gods, but none of them had that nickname."


    "What, 50?" The creature looked at Minos in shock once again. "In my time, there were only 10!"


    "Oh? It''s been a long time, huh?" Minos was surprised by this information.


    He had expected a lot of time to pass, but he had not expected to talk to someone from millions of years ago!


    Abby then asked. "Why are there no records of your Goddess?"


    "That..." The skeleton looked at the ground, trying to remember. "Actually, I don''t know. When I died, the Goddess was not yet an 11th stage cultivator. She was at level 98."


    "What? And why do you call her a Goddess?" Minos asked although it was pretty impressive for someone of that level to have created something that lasted so long.


    "98?" Abby swallowed her saliva in admiration since such strong cultivators would not be so different from Gods to her.


    "What do you know?" The skeleton brandished at Minos. "The Goddess was known that way for her benevolence, for having saved countless lives with her abilities."


    "On the other hand, who says she hasn''t reached level 100? I can''t be sure about that since I died before she had the chance. But I''m sure someone with her talent has reached that level!"


    "Hmm, I don''t think so..." Minos and Abby muttered since there were no records of a benevolent God who saved countless lives in their time.


    There were stories of Gods of war, individuals who brought chaos to the Spiritual World, those who tried to dominate the continent, and so on. But there were not many stories about good Gods who acted for the good of others.


    Each God was highly respected, and their actions were seen, most of the time, as positive for the cultivation world. But it was no secret that they were not friendly.


    Even Henricus Longus, this figure so crucial to Minos, was an individual who only cared about his people, who once massacred an entire kingdom for a trivial reason.


    Gods were such strong creatures that they could not see themselves as equal to ordinary individuals. Even level 99 cultivators were nothing in their eyes, something that reinforced their sense of superiority.


    So, they acted as they pleased, sometimes doing some good, like leaving an inheritance, enriching a state, and leaving teachings. Sometimes they did evil, bringing chaos to those who stood in their way.


    And having read the Spiritual Church history books, Minos and Abby knew that there was no such person in history.


    "What are you talking about?" It felt terrible for how little trust they had in the Goddess.


    "Forget about it," Abby commented. "So, what do I have to do in this place? What are the tests of that inheritance like?"


    ...

 Chapter ?1152 The Goddess First Test 1

    Chapter ?1152 The Goddess'' First Test 1


    The skeleton remained kneeling and answered Abby. "Answering the Goddess'' chosen one, the inheritance has three parts."


    "The first, you will have to help the 200,000 innocent dead take revenge on the 40,000 enemies." He looked back and pointed in the direction of that large cemetery. "In a few minutes, all the bodies in this place will awaken, just as I did."


    "They will have a power close to 20% of their original, so don''t underestimate them because of their appearance."


    "Oh? Why did you awaken first? What''s the difference between you and them?" Abby asked.


    He explained. "I, as well as other members of the Goddess'' forces who died along with the innocents in this place, were left here to help the chosen ones."


    "The others must be coming here right now or to the location of the other chosen one."


    "So, you sense the presence of that fellow..." Minos muttered since he could not sense anything but the three of them.


    "Regardless of how far that person is from us, I can sense him, as can my companions. After all, the sign of the Goddess'' soul is impossible for us not to identify."


    Minos ignored this and asked. "Anyway, so we only have to deal with 40,000 enemies? How strong are they?"


    "There are 3,000 who have power similar to Spiritual Emperors, and the rest, Spiritual Kings."


    These individuals were neither Spiritual Kings nor Spiritual Emperors. But due to their physical and vital conditions, their strength diminished to that point.


    The skeleton then said, looking at Minos strangely. "But you can''t get involved. You are not a competitor."


    "Neither are you. But you''re going to help the Goddess'' chosen one, right?" Minos laughed. "Abby is my wife, so of course, I''m going to help her. Besides, I''m a competitor too. I just can''t get the inheritance, but I have the option to do what I want."


    "No, I don''t think that''s right..." It looked indignantly at Minos. "How can you be a candidate? I don''t sense anything of the Goddess in you."


    "Then how did I get in here?" Minos asked.


    Abby then said. "My love, you had better follow the rules of the place..."


    "No, Abby. We''ll do it my way. I said, didn''t I? We would do it only when I felt ready, and I would be by your side." He held her waist, squeezing gently. "There is no going back now. You will do as I say."


    "All right..." She blushed as she looked away submissively.


    Meanwhile, the skeleton was looking at the two in surprise, seeing a woman obeying her husband for the first time in his life. ''This fellow is truly abnormal!''


    "I don''t feel any restraint in this place, so that must mean that this Goddess recognizes me. Then I''ll help you clear the battlefield so that we can shorten our time here."


    The skeleton then said. "I wouldn''t do that. The first test serves to help the innocent achieve justice and strengthen the Goddess'' chosen ones. So, if you fight for her, the next two phases will be harder than they should be."


    "I see..." Minos looked at the beauty in his arms for a moment and found the solution. "Then I will help you keep the number of opponents within your limits. That way, you will train with those opponents, but without any serious risk."


    "Hmmm." She agreed with her man. "What about the other tests?"


    The skeleton paused for a moment, stopping to look at that subject, and then answered Abby. "I''m not sure of the details of the third test, but in the second one, you will have to resolve a past situation in the Goddess'' homeland."


    "Depending on your answer to that problem, you will either be thrown back into the crypt from whence you came, or you will move on to the third test."


    It then displayed its seriousness in its aura. "I don''t know how the first test can help you in the second. But the third is the end of the inheritance, and the more you can ''kill'' in this first test, the better your results will be later on."


    "I see..." Minos more or less understood why Abby had to fight as hard as possible in that part of the inheritance. But then, he remembered something and asked. "You had said that this inheritance is about revenge. Is the revenge only from those dead inside the Secret Tomb? Or something else?"


    "I''m not sure. But if you want my opinion, I think both."


    At that instant, the graves in the surrounding area began to make noises, showing that the time was slowly coming for the test to begin.


    "What do we do now?" Abby asked.


    The skeleton then said. "Well, we better get out of here and meet up with our allies further on. In this place we''re in are a lot of the enemies..."


    "No, let''s stay and fight. Aren''t they mere Spiritual Kings and Spiritual Emperors?" Minos said, keen to start fighting as soon as possible.


    "But they are in superior numbers to us. Besides the three of us, there are almost no allies in the surrounding area and a thousand enemies! Also, our allies are weaker, and most have the strength of only low-level Spiritual Kings!" The skeleton exclaimed.


    Minos laughed and ignored that fellow. "Abby put on your armor. I will defend you and make the fight easier, but you had better be fully protected."


    "OK." She took the low-level grade-3 armor and began to put it on over her clothes.


    Minos did the same as her and was soon dressed in his golden armor. "By the way, why are you wearing the armor of this level? Weren''t you stronger when you died?"


    The skeleton answered him. "That must be a goddess thing. If my companions and the enemies wore higher level armor, then no inheritance candidate would have a chance to win."


    After hearing this, the pair finished putting up their defenses, while some figures appeared flying nearby.


    "Are those your companions you said earlier?" Abby asked as she saw the skeletons approaching them.


    "Yes, they are some of my companions." This skeleton saw the six individuals approaching them.


    After a few moments, the seven skeletons came together, each demonstrating power similar to level 64 Spiritual Emperors.


    "It''s been a long time, huh? I didn''t think I would see you again after I died." The skeleton who first spoke to Minos said this to its companions while moving its large jaw.


    "Hehe, we''ll finally be able to get revenge on those bastards!"


    "I''ll get a taste of the battlefield one more time before I disappear..."


    They commented on different things to each other until they turned to greet Abby.


    But the moment they did so, they felt the same annoyance that the first of them felt about Minos. "Who are you?" One of them asked.


    Minos smiled. "I am the husband of this beautiful woman who will inherit the things of this place."


    Abby looked into Minos'' eyes and ignored those inexpressive skeletons. "My love, you are making me blush..."


    "Hmm," He ran one of his hands through her blue hair and then looked at those individuals. "From now on, you will obey me."


    "I will command you on the battlefield."


    "But..." One of them was going to protest, but the first skeleton to meet Minos and Abby stopped it.


    Seeing this, Minos was pleased and then looked in the direction of where several bodies were beginning to emerge from their graves.


    "Well, let''s get started..."

 Chapter 1153 The Goddess First Test 2

    Chapter 1153 The Goddess'' First Test 2


    The moment hundreds of skeletons began to appear in the area he was in, Minos looked at one of those individuals next to him and Abby and asked. "Are they all enemies? For that matter, how do I differentiate between you? To me, you are all the same."


    Those subordinate skeletons of the Goddess of Life looked at Minos seriously, as there was a lot of difference between the two sides.


    "Do you see us as them? How is that possible? How can you not tell the difference?" One of them asked.


    Abby then said to her husband. "My love, almost all of those around us are enemies. They have a different energy than those on our side."


    "Is that so?" His eyebrows arched. "Well, I''ll try not to kill them without knowing, but you''d better let me know about the enemies..."


    He then changed his mind. "No, stay away from Abby and me. I will consider anyone within 300 meters of us enemies."


    Upon hearing that, those skeletons looked at each other, but since Abby seemed to obey this person, they agreed to follow those arrangements.


    Then Minos and Abby flew towards the enemies, a group of a few dozen low-level Spiritual Emperors and hundreds of high-level Spiritual Kings.


    As they did so, Minos was the first to make his move, using his techniques to select Abby''s opponents.


    Devouring Art!


    A black ring emerged from Minos'' body, expanding and then beginning to spin as it stole the energies of the opponents entering its space of influence.


    Almost immediately, Minos used his hands to ''squeeze'' the air, activating his most impressive technique.


    Chaotic Gravity: Attraction!


    Many skeletons uncontrollably began to fly toward Minos'' hand, where small black quivering balls appeared on his fingers.


    At the same time, as more enemies entered the space of influence of that technique, more skeletons flew at him, increasing the number of targets for Abby.


    "Now!" He said to his wife, so she floated beside him, ready to attack when the time was right.


    As they watched this, the seven skeletons looked at Minos in shock, not understanding how this young man could possess such challenging abilities!


    "This guy... He''s influencing hundreds of opponents who aren''t that much weaker than him!" The most talkative skeleton commented in an incredulous tone.


    "That technique is formidable! It''s not for nothing that he thinks we can take on all these opponents fighting without reinforcements!"


    "Hmmm, we''d better not weaken, or we won''t be of any help!" The skeleton wearing black armor commented as it began to fight the opponents in its surroundings, outside the space of influence of Minos'' techniques.


    Meanwhile, upon receiving her husband''s order, Abby immediately activated her most essential techniques.


    First, she used a mental one to knock out the strongest while large purple chains flew wildly through space.


    Infinite Mirrors!


    Cursed Chains!


    By combining these two techniques, Abby did not make the mirror spheres she had learned to make after reaching the 7th stage. No, this time, she produced hundreds of small hexagonal mirrors in the surroundings up to 200 meters away from her.


    With that done, she infused much of her energy into her restrictive technique, causing relatively small chains to emerge from these many mirrors.


    Then, under the movements of her fingers, the countless chains messed up the surroundings, heading towards the fists of those stronger skeletons affected by her mental technique.


    On the other hand, Minos did not just stand by and watch. As he saw many skeletons being broken in half by the tension generated by Abby''s chains, he took many of them hostage.


    Chaotic Gravity: Float!


    The many skeletons flying uncontrollably towards him slowed down until they stopped altogether, floating without being able to move.


    Abby took the opportunity created by her man and created even more chains, quickly annihilating the opponents her husband held for her.


    ''Unbelievable!'' The skeleton who first encountered Minos and Abby looked at that from afar as it faced its opponents. ''This guy simply made the battlefield become an area for the Goddess'' chosen one to test her aim...''


    The other skeletons also saw how the enemies under the influence of Minos'' techniques had almost no resistance, simply waiting for their deaths, practically motionless.


    Many of them already lost their energy when entering the space of Devouring Art''s influence, but once they came under his gravitational control, they had no choice but to wait for their destruction.


    And as much as the Spiritual Emperors there had minimal abilities to move, they had been the first to be attacked by Abby''s techniques.


    Because of this, bones could soon be seen falling in that area where they were, terrifying the remaining skeletons Minos'' techniques had not yet influenced.


    "Damn it!"


    "Who are those two? How can they destroy our brothers in such a brutal way?" One of the skeletons in the enemy group brandished in fury as it flew over the area.


    "Stop running at them immediately! Let''s allow these people to lose their energy!" Another of the stronger ones there said.


    "You scoundrels!" One of Abby and Minos'' allies shouted in anger, feeling that that enemy should not say such things.


    "Die for me, you bastards of the God of Death!"


    "Ahhhhhh! I hate you!"


    Shouts from both sides continued, with the fight becoming even more agitated.


    The enemies who had massacred the Goddess of Life''s homeland were subordinates of the God of Death.


    These two primordial experts were enemies back then, having fought against each other for thousands of years.


    In fact, their relationship was so bad that the title of the Goddess of Life had not come from the fact that she was kind. But from the fact that she was the mortal enemy of someone with the title God of Death!


    The skeleton from earlier did not know this, so he had told the most popular rumor among the Goddess'' followers.


    Anyway, they were mortal enemies, and even in death, they still hated each other, so they fought bravely in this place, even though they knew that this was all a setup by the Goddess.


    Meanwhile, after a few minutes from the beginning of the fight, Abby finally eliminated skeleton number 300, this being her first time killing so many opponents in one battle.


    And since she did not have Minos''s techniques, the Black Plain queen soon turned pale and sweaty from her high-intensity action.


    "Abby, start cultivating. I''ll ensure those opponents are ready to die at your hands once you recover." Minos said this as he used his technique to make her float beside him.


    Upon hearing that, Abby smiled and did what he said without delay.


    She relied entirely on him to distract herself from the battlefield while cultivating. Soon, she was circulating her energies in her cultivation technique, feeling the medium-grade crystals in her surroundings helping her recover.


    Minos then looked at the battlefield and saw that there were still a few hundred opponents left, even considering those eliminated by their helpers.


    ''You are afraid to come to me, but that is not enough to save you...'' He thought with a smile on his face.


    After that, he moved quickly, carrying Abby with him without causing any disturbance to her current state.


    With that, in the blink of an eye, hundreds of opponents stood over the space of influence of King Stuart''s techniques!

 Chapter 1154 The Goddess First Test 3

    Chapter 1154 The Goddess'' First Test 3


    As Minos moved closer to his targets, a special kind of energy was leaving the destroyed skeletons and slowly approaching Abby.


    She was cultivating, but soon she felt this kind of unique energy approaching her, not giving off any negative feelings.


    Noticing this, she realized this was similar to the Genetic Key already in her body and understood what that was. ''That''s why that fellow said I should strive to defeat the opponents without much help from Minos!''


    ''Only the opponents killed by me released this special energy.'' She felt that those killed by the other skeletons were simply falling apart, leaving no trace behind.


    ''But what could that be for?''


    While Abby was wondering about that, Minos used his mental technique on several opponents, making them pass out one after the other without dying.


    At the same time, he skillfully controlled the Devouring Art to exhaust the energies of dozens of individuals while sending out attacks just to immobilize or weaken the opponents.


    In doing so, Minos took down a hundred opponents in the blink of an eye, while hundreds suffered from his attacks, primarily aimed at arms and legs.


    ''How can this be? How can he dominate us so easily?'' A skeleton with power equivalent to that of a level 64 Spiritual Emperor wondered in astonishment.


    And not only were the enemies looking in surprise at Minos, the seven skeletons fighting beside him were, too, as they did not expect him to be this strong.


    ''This person... He already has a power equivalent to that of someone at the end of the 7th stage!'' The first skeleton to come into contact with Minos let its jaw drop as it saw the hundreds of opponents decline to dozens.


    Meanwhile, Minos did not have even a drop of sweat dripping down his face, looking as good as he did at the beginning of the fight.


    ''Hmmm, most of them have been overpowered and may be eliminated by Abby once she recovers a bit...'' Minos controlled the gravity in his surroundings, making the last opponents in the area float under his wish.


    ''That easy?'' One of the skeletons in Minos'' group wondered, seeing that it and its partners had barely served to help the Goddess'' chosen one.


    "What are we going to do now? Aren''t we going to eliminate these opponents?" One of them asked.


    "Abby will eliminate them when she recovers," Minos replied to that individual.


    "You have no interest in them? When these individuals are killed by one of the inheritance candidates, they leave something useful for the tests ahead." The same skeleton as before said.


    "I don''t need this inheritance, and my wife is already here competing. So naturally, I will help her."


    "You don''t need it?" That skeleton looked at one of Minos'' hands and felt that this made sense.


    ...


    A few minutes later, Abby finally finished recovering.


    When she saw the state of the surroundings, where many skeletons were lying on the ground, she smiled at her man and stepped forward.


    Then she used her skills again, taking advantage of the passive state of her targets to destroy each of their bodies.


    Ultimately, she managed to eliminate all those beings captured by Minos, again becoming exhausted from using so much of her abilities.


    "How are you?" Minos asked as he held her by his wife''s slender waist.


    "Tired, but content..." She leaned her face against his right chest and slowly inhaled the air, smelling the masculine scent of her man.


    "Well, cultivate again and gather the energy left by these opponents. When you''re done, we''ll go find another group of enemies to attack them."


    "OK." She said as she sat down on a cultivation cushion.


    Meanwhile, Minos looked at those skeletons and asked. "Where should we go now? Where will there be more of those opponents?"


    The first skeleton to have talked with Minos and Abby stepped forward. "We must rally the forces of the Goddess. I already know that you can handle the enemies alone, but this mission is not just about eliminating them."


    "Only if the innocents of this place have a chance to participate in the final conflict will they have a chance to disappear in peace."


    "Oh?" Minos pondered this and sighed. "All right, let''s do this, so nothing goes wrong."


    "But where will these victims be?" He asked as he took his eyes off his wife and looked at the skeletons.


    One of them then answered him. "Most of the citizens of the Goddess'' homeland were massacred in the northeast of this place, where the city stood."


    "They were massacred?" Minos found that strange. "Are you telling me that their forces are very different from their enemies?"


    "Yes, that is the case." Another skeleton began to explain. "At that time, the Goddess'' homeland was at one end of her territory. Such a place was not home to powerful warriors, but a village that grew into a city but retained its modesty."


    "Because of this, the inhabitants of that place were only Spiritual Emperors or weaker cultivators when alive. So, their post-death strength must be inferior to that of low-level Spiritual Kings."


    "Really?" Minos asked. "And why did the Goddess of Life put them up as help for potential heirs? You guys don''t think these people can help with anything, right? At most, they will die one more time."


    "Besides, how could an ordinary level 60 person survive this test?"


    The seven skeletons looked at each other in silence at Minos'' questions


    One of them said. "Well, that strength wouldn''t help the combat so much as to unbalance the battle in our favor. But the living and the dead have differences, with the advantage on the side of the living."


    "On the other hand, the Goddess candidate has to be special and intelligent. So, the difficulty of that test is not so ridiculous..." Another of them commented.


    Finally, the strongest one there said. "As for those victims, as long as they have the opportunity to fight and eliminate some opponents, they will disappear in peace, even if they lose in the overall context."


    "Even if hundreds of them have to die, as long as they manage to eliminate one of the enemies with their sacrifices, that would already be a liberation for them."


    "I see..." Minos scratched his chin as he pondered the situation of this place.


    "What happens in case a competitor dies during the inheritance? Is there something to protect him, give him a second chance?"


    "No. If a contestant dies, their corpse will be thrown back to where he came from."


    After hearing that, Minos looked at Abby, pleased that he was here to take care of her. ''In the future, I have to make my women take more care. Abby got that from a simple tap on a map...''


    "Sigh!"


    ''And that guy, how is he doing? He didn''t have much luck coming to this place with that shaky foundation of his...'' He thought of Wilfred, wondering if that person would survive the first test.


    "But can you give up that inheritance? From the tests?"


    "Yes, but not during the tests. So, none of you can give it up until the first test is over."


    "I see..."


    After that, Abby quickly finished recovering, and their group departed from that area full of bones in the surroundings.

 Chapter ?1155 The Fearsome Power of the God of Death

    Chapter ?1155 The Fearsome Power of the God of Death


    After some time, Minos and Abby''s group encountered several more of their opponents in their path, having done as before, exterminating their enemies.


    At the same time as they did this, they reunited several innocent citizens who had been killed by the forces of the God of Death.


    Many of them had fought far from the previously existing city in that area, so some had awakened amidst the opponents.


    But with the help of the seven skeletons and Abby, Minos distinguished such people from the enemies and had not attacked them during this period.


    Because of this, of the approximately 40,000 opponents, in less than a day, 5,000 of them had already been eliminated by the joint efforts of Abby and Minos!


    And with that, a group of a few hundred skeletons was already following them, heading towards the area where most of the 200,000 dead from the Goddess of Life''s homeland should be.


    ...


    While traveling through that gigantic cemetery, Minos'' group stopped to rest.


    Not that the skeletons needed it, but the two living beings there needed to stop from time to time to feed.


    With that, as they traveled, every few hours, they would stop for a few minutes, long enough for Minos and Abby to eat something and recover from the mental fatigue of having to fight constantly.


    That was what they were doing at the moment, where Minos and Abby were sitting on a large gravestone while the skeletons gathered in their surroundings, talking.


    "The wretched God of Death''s followers!"


    "These damned need to be wiped off the face of this world! Their existence is a sin!"


    "Yes! Yes!"


    "The worms kill left and right, acting as if they were the lords of life and death." A skeleton with no clothes nor armor said this in an indignant tone.


    "God of Death?" Abby heard that for the first time in this place, while Minos was also surprised to hear it from these people.


    "What are you people talking about?" Minos asked, making those skeletons silent due to their respect for him.


    One of the seven subordinate skeletons of the Goddess of Life then said. "Those who caused the tragedy of the Goddess'' homeland were men of the God of Death."


    "Oh? So, you were enemies?" He asked, not expecting it.


    One of the more robust skeletons there found Minos'' question strange and asked. "Have you ever heard of the God of Death? How can that be? Don''t tell me the bastard turned into a real God?"


    Minos understood the misunderstanding and explained. "We don''t know him, nor his history. As far as we know, there is no one with that pseudonym among the human Gods. But we once met their followers."


    "Met? So, they still exist?" One of them asked in an irritated tone.


    As each of those creatures looked at them, Abby replied. "We don''t know if they exist or not. What we found were worshippers of the God of Death. But we don''t know about their connection to the organization behind this enemy of the Goddess of Life."


    "In any case, they were our enemies, so my husband exterminated them. As for news of the God of Death, these followers of his supposedly believed that organization had collapsed hundreds of thousands of years ago."


    "Oh?" The skeletons seemed much happier upon hearing this good news.


    "Hahaha, they deserved it!"


    "It''s good to know that the bastards died!"


    While some commented on the end of the God of Death, others looked at Minos and Abby with even more reverence.


    "As expected from Lord Minos. Not only is he helping the Goddess'' chosen one, but he had been an enemy of the God of Death for a long time!"


    "Yes! No wonder the Goddess chose his wife! She has a lot of affinities!"


    Comments of all kinds circulated around that area as Minos and Abby watched this in silence.


    The first skeleton who encountered Minos and Abby then answered his earlier question. "Anyway, we were his enemies."


    "The God of Death was as you might expect. A cruel person who bathed in the blood of his countless victims, cultivating a diabolical path that depends on others'' sacrifice."


    Abby''s eyebrows arched, and she asked. "Are you saying he could get stronger by killing people?"


    "Not only him, but his most loyal followers, those who received his creations, could too." A skeleton said in a solemn tone. "They were terrifying. They mercilessly slaughtered entire cities, sometimes without even being offended or anything like that."


    "All they had to do was be at the right time, and they would annihilate a city so they could cultivate faster." One of them said as the many skeletons stared at the ground angrily, clenching their fists.


    "Right time?" Minos questioned that.


    "Yes, they couldn''t do that at any time, thank heavens..." The stronger skeleton said in a sighing tone. "Otherwise, they might have annihilated the whole continent!"


    "It doesn''t make sense. How could they do that? Shouldn''t it be easy to recognize a cultivator who uses such a method?" Abby questioned in doubt.


    "No. These people were easy to distinguish on the battlefield. But in cities, especially in a place where they weren''t the strongest, they would behave well so as not to attract attention." Someone began to explain.


    "They would join organizations, be loyal members, and sometimes never draw attention. Meanwhile, they would kill and grow stronger in secret. That would go on until it was too late, and then tragedies would happen..."


    Another skeleton sighed and said. "They were lost people, who pretended to be great, but who were actually ready to kill even wives, children, in short, anyone in their way."


    "The possibility of the power they had was simply terrifying!"


    "Yes, there was no way they could control themselves knowing that they could get stronger just by killing..."


    Several comments came up there as Abby understood the situation.


    She then asked. "So, how did you fight people like that? It must have been tough, right?"


    A skeleton shook its head negatively and explained. "Actually, their strength was very ordinary. The problem was their cultivation. Most of them cultivated too fast because of those devilish techniques."


    "But when they were caught, they generally faced quite difficult situations. Because of that, there were ways to fight them."


    Minos found this interesting and asked. "How fast was this God of Death in his cultivation? He must have been the most proficient in those techniques, right?"


    "Yes, he was the most talented in our time. And because of those techniques, he reached level 90 at 300 years old." Someone said.


    Upon hearing that, Abby''s jaw almost dropped to the floor, as such a thing was awe-inspiring.


    A Spiritual Demigod could live for more than 25,000 years, so reaching this stage in a few centuries was challenging.


    And thinking about it, she could not help but question. "That being the case, that person must have reached level 100, right?"


    "I don''t know..."


    "I died before him, so I can''t answer..."


    Several of them said similar things.


    But Minos then broke his silence. "Impossible. He died at level 99."


    "Oh? Why do you say that?" One of the skeletons asked.


    "Simple, this is an artificial method of cultivation. And like any such method, it is impossible for someone using it to reach the top, since this is not an earned power, but rather, rented."


    "When you cultivate hard over the years without shortcuts, all that power is yours alone. So, during breakthroughs, you have an easier time surviving and reaping fruits. But when you overuse resources, you create a dependency on them and lose independence over your power."


    "Because of that, it''s impossible for someone like that to have broken through to level 100."


    "The God of Death was weak and pathetic to endure something so difficult."


    "Thus, he died as a mere Spiritual Demigod." Minos said with his eyes closed, with a slight smile on his face, confident this was the case.


    ...

 Chapter ?1156 Arriving at Destiny

    Chapter ?1156 Arriving at Destiny


    Hearing Minos'' confident words, those skeletons looked at him incredulously, impressed by how this young Spiritual Emperor spoke of a Spiritual Demigod...


    ''This fellow... He talks about the God of Death as if such a person was a loser...'' One of them shook its head, feeling funny since it had never thought it would have any good thoughts about that enemy.


    The God of Death might be its mortal enemy, but this skeleton recognized the terrifying power of that man!


    If he was not powerful, how could he have done so many terrible things and still reached the 10th stage?


    As such, not only that skeleton, but many there thought Minos had a rigorous view and was wrong about the God of Death being pathetic.


    But they all understood the logic behind Minos'' words, so they agreed that the God of Death had not reached the 11th stage.


    The quality of the cultivation base was essential during breakthroughs, even more so for the last step, which could not be taken without the help of external items.


    In this case, it made sense that someone who had depended on external aids all his life would have difficulties attempting the most challenging breakthrough, using not only another external item but one different from the one usually used.


    What happens if someone uses a medication a lot?


    Of course, it would lose effect with time.


    But what if such a person simply changed medications?


    That was not good either since such a person might have achieved an addiction that prevented him from making the change.


    In any case, the God of Death had abused his powers, so he could not compare himself to a cultivator with the ability to become a true God.


    Minos knew this because Henricus Longus, one of the most talented cultivators of the Golden Era, had taken two thousand years just to reach level 90 and another thousand to reach level 100. And even so, that guy''s path had been complicated, with many occasions when he almost died.


    And even though the cultivation world had evolved a lot in the millions of years following Henricus Longus'' death, the difference between his era and the age of the God of Death was not as significant as that Golden Era and the current one. So, it should not be possible for the enemy of the Goddess of Life to have cultivated so fast by the traditional means or achieved the requirements to reach level 100.


    Moreover, even if he had exceeded the natural limits of this world and overcome the barrier to reaching level 100, there would have to be many marks of his existence. After all, his power was extraordinary. So, if someone like him had become a true God, there would have to be historical records about the deaths of many experts in that time.


    Only then could someone like him be sure he could not get stronger than level 100...


    But there was nothing of the sort, and other than the two times when humans and beasts nearly destroyed each other in the last 5 million years, never had a large amount of high-level Spiritual Demigods died in confrontations.


    ''It truly doesn''t make sense that he reached that level...'' One of the skeletons in the surrounding area sighed in satisfaction, glad that such a tragedy did not happen.


    It could not have reached Minos'' conclusions while it was alive, but hearing the young man''s words, it understood perfectly well.


    Like it, many others there ignored how Minos spoke about Spiritual Demigods to feel good that the God of Death had failed.


    And among everyone there, only Abby understood why Minos was arrogant. ''With the heritage of a true God and knowledge of that person''s life, he can''t talk about a Spiritual Demigod and see how impressive such a stage is.''


    ''All Minos sees is the gigantic difference between Spiritual Demigods and Gods...''


    As different thoughts traveled through the minds in that area, Minos stood up from where he was. "Anyway, let''s continue our journey."


    "Oh? OK!" Several of them began to return to their formation on this trip to the area where most of their companions were supposed to be.


    Meanwhile, Minos asked one of those seven skeletons. "By the way, where did the hostility of the Goddess of Life and God of Death come from? I know it would be easy to stand against someone with such power, but the opposite is not impossible. After all, if one is everyone''s enemy, hardly one could make it that far..."


    The strongest among those subordinates of the Goddess helping Abby then said as they were already walking with the group through that area of the cemetery. "From what we know, it all happened during the youth of the two of them."


    "At one point, the God of Death was a member of the same organization as the Goddess. But then, he almost eliminated that organization, resulting in the death of all of the Goddess'' family and friends." Such a skeleton said in a tone laden with melancholy.


    "How awful..." Abby commented in a low voice.


    "But by a coincidence of fate, perhaps her luck, the Goddess was on a mission away from that organization when this happened. That''s why she survived to find the headquarters of the power behind her ruined, with beasts devouring the bodies left behind and thieves stealing the sect''s belongings."


    Another of them then added. "In addition, she found her mother''s corpse and remains of what should be her siblings... Ah, I''m sure that was a tragedy for her that must have been hard to overcome."


    And indeed it had been. The Goddess of Life and the God of Death had approximate ages. But while that man took 300 years to reach level 90 and then thousands of years to reach 98, that woman took 4,000 years to become a Spiritual Demigod.


    In the meantime of all this, she swallowed her hatred, worked hard, and eventually approached the power of her great enemy. Only then had she fought against him and became the great enemy of the infamous God of Death.


    That was the size of her hatred and trauma, which had moved her for thousands of years, even when the difference between her and her opponent was more than 40 levels!


    "That''s a long history of hatred, huh?" Minos muttered to himself, impressed with the history behind these ancient experts.


    ''The purpose of this inheritance is probably to continue the struggle between the Goddess of Life and the God of Death...'' He pondered as his group moved at speed toward their destination.


    ''Well, that won''t be so bad. The groups of the two are probably gone, so Abby will inherit things from this place without having to go through too many trials...''


    As he thought that, it was not long before their group arrived in the vicinity of where a crowd of skeletons was gathered.


    Seeing the white sea in front of them, Abby opened her mouth in shock, seeing numbers like that for the first time in her life.


    "There must be over 100,000 individuals there!" She commented to Minos.


    "Hmm, let''s see what we do here..."

 Chapter ?1157 Gathering of Allies

    Chapter ?1157 Gathering of Allies


    As Minos'' group arrived at the part of the large cemetery where tens of thousands of skeletons were gathered, many soon began making room for them.


    They did not know each other since many of them did not even know each other in life, so most could not recognize any of the skeletons in Minos'' group. But these skeletons knew how to distinguish between enemies and allies, people connected to the Goddess.


    As such, upon realizing that some skeletons in Minos'' group were subordinates of the Goddess, as well as this woman''s chosen one, many saw no problem with the arrival of the group in question.


    Instead, upon seeing Abby and the seven skeletons beside her, the masses of innocents who had died in this place began to celebrate the arrival of their reinforcements!


    "The Goddess'' other chosen one has arrived!"


    "Haha, and she came accompanied by several Generals of the Goddess!"


    "Very good! Now we can set off for the counterattack!"


    Several comments circulated in the surroundings as Minos'' group walked towards the central area, where the leaders of these skeletons were supposed to be.


    While they were doing this, they also heard people commenting about the presence of that unusual person, who they did not feel was an enemy but were indescribably afraid of.


    "Look at that living being..."


    "How did he manage to get in here? And what''s with him?"


    "I don''t know, but look at that... The Goddess'' chosen one is holding one of his hands like she is his girlfriend..."


    Hearing this, Abby smiled and looked at Minos. "You draw attention everywhere you go, my love."


    "Not as much as my beautiful wife..." He squeezed her tiny waist, making her blush that he was so intimate amidst so many individuals.


    Continuing for a few more moments, their group finally reached the spot where several skeletons were sitting on gravestones, with many others standing around a large circle, giving space to their leaders.


    There, those beings were discussing a recent problem.


    "What are we going to do, city lord? The Goddess'' chosen one on our side is extremely weak..." One of them said as he looked at a young man with black hair.


    Another then commented in a low voice. "If it weren''t for our group, he would have died right at the beginning of the Goddess'' test..."


    Upon hearing such a thing, Wilfred was embarrassed by this situation but grateful that he had survived the previous crisis.


    After being teleported to the Secret Tomb, Wilfred appeared at a point that was a little closer to that place than the one Abby and Minos had arrived at.


    And with that, a larger group of the Goddess'' minions had come to him and then led the way to this place.


    But in the meantime of Wilfred''s journey of just over a day, he and his group had to fight three times, the last one with this young man almost being killed!


    If it had not been for the fact that the Goddess'' subordinates had decided to flee in time, he would have died in such a place!


    Considering that and the fact that he had practically been a burden to these skeletons, Wilfred could not help but feel humiliated, feel like a worthless person.


    ''Damn it!''


    ''I thought this place would just give me the prizes and then release me with a mission...'' He lamented in his mind, having already realized that this test was not easy.


    The skeletons continued debating. "We must form a strike group as soon as possible. Our enemies are only a few kilometers from us right now. Then we will soon have a big confrontation..."


    "Oh?"


    "Of confrontation, we like..." The voice of Minos came up from the surroundings when finally, the skeletons arguing there paid attention to the group that had just arrived.


    "Minos!" Wilfred commented aloud, feeling happy to see that fellow in this place.


    ''Who knew, huh? The day would come when I would be thankful that Minos was around!'' He sighed in relief, knowing that everything would be settled with the dictator of the Black Plain in this place.


    "You..." The City Lord looked at Abby and recognized her as the Goddess'' other chosen one, but soon saw Minos and had his attention distracted.


    "Who are you?" Another skeleton in that place asked in a tone laden with doubt.


    "I am the husband of Abby, this beautiful woman who will inherit what the Goddess of Life has left in this place." Minos of this out loud, smiling and embracing his queen.


    "The chosen one''s husband?" Many murmured, curious why the Goddess had allowed this strange person to enter the Secret Tomb.


    But since he was by her side and seemed determined to help her fulfill this test, they did not waste much time talking about Minos.


    "Chosen one, we are in serious trouble... Enemies are approaching us. Will you be able to help us?" The city lord asked in a concerned tone.


    He was not only worried about the proximity of the enemies but about the possibility that Abby was, like Wilfred, weak...


    If that were the case, this would be a tragedy for them!


    Upon hearing the question from that skeleton dressed in black armor, Abby promptly answered him. "Don''t worry. We''ll take care of everything from now on."


    She turned to Minos and indicated him with one of her hands. "From now on, obey my husband, and we will settle this battle in no time."


    After those words were spoken, silence spread over miles of that place, with all the skeletons looking doubtfully at Abby.


    "Are you serious? But you are the one who is the Goddess'' chosen one, not him..." Someone said in an uncertain tone. "That way, you''ll probably lose points with the Goddess."


    "Minos is my man. He is more important than the Goddess to me." She said without hesitation, making many of those skeletons shiver.


    Meanwhile, Wilfred sighed in relief, hoping to get out of this place safely. ''I can''t return home until this test is over, so I''ll try to make the most of opportunities to get items...''


    Most of the skeletons had nothing with them. But hundreds of individuals on both sides of this confrontation wore armor, had weapons, etc.


    Knowing this, Wilfred wanted to gather whatever items were left in his way to at least take something back to his family.


    Minos then said. "I promise you that if you follow my words, we will solve all the problems of this first test in a few days."


    "Oh? And how are we going to do that?" One of the leaders asked.


    Chaotic Gravity: Float!


    Upon hearing that, Minos no longer spoke and activated some of his techniques, causing thousands of those individuals to float under his control.


    "Ahhhh!"


    "What''s that?


    "What''s happening?" Several voices spread from north to south, east to west, showing the shock and surprise of those victims of the subordinates of the God of Death.


    Minos then said. "This is how we will defeat the opponents!"


    "Join me, follow the formation I will give you in a few moments, and we will slaughter the enemies in no time!"


    "Perhaps many of you will even have the chance to see the end of those opponents who once ruthlessly eliminated you!"


    Upon hearing Minos'' words of encouragement, the morale of those tens of thousands of skeletons rose considerably.


    "Hmm, I believe him!"


    "Yes, in the next few days, we will have different results than when we were alive!"


    "The Goddess brought this man here, so he acts for her sake and ours!"


    "Let''s follow him!"


    In the blink of an eye, everyone there agreed to follow Minos'' words, preparing for the confrontation.


    Meanwhile, a dark cloud in the sky suddenly shivered. ''That feeling...''

 Chapter ?1158 A Mysterious Observer

    Chapter ?1158 A Mysterious Observer


    In the skies above the area where Minos'' group was, a dark cloud was flickering while something that looked like eyes looked down.


    ''That feeling is that of a God!'' This thing observed Minos, feeling the reverence that naturally anyone would have toward anything related to the 11th stage.


    ''Who is he? Some heir to a divine legacy? Why does he have such a powerful aura with him?'' It looked at Minos with interest while feeling helpless, as if something forced it to bow its head to him.


    ''Did he force his way here? I don''t feel a connection with him...''


    As it watched in Minos'' direction, this young man and his group began to move toward the area where the enemies should be approaching them.


    As they did so, the tens of thousands of skeletons were already following a specific formation, obeying Minos'' orders.


    And seeing how the only two candidates for this inheritance seemed submissive to Minos, that dark cloud could not help but sigh.


    ''Well, luckily, this person won''t get in the way of my plans and make me waste millions of years of waiting...''


    After that, the cloud in question cleared away, leaving nothing to indicate its presence behind.


    ...


    After some time, the group led by Minos arrived in the vicinity of the opposing team, which had almost 15,000 individuals.


    Many of the opponents and allies in this place were in different locations, scattered throughout this large graveyard. However, most of the innocents and subordinates of the God of Death were near this area, where the great tragedy of the Goddess of Life''s homeland had happened.


    Because of this, Minos had not divided his group and planned to eliminate each enemy group without splitting his forces.


    This strategy had a downside. For example, those innocent skeletons away from this group would not have their protection and would probably ''die'' again when facing their opponents.


    But since Minos already knew that many of them would fail in one way or another, he had decided to abandon a minority of these skeletons. In this way, he would use the collective strength of that large group in the coming battles to solve this problem quickly.


    In doing so, he could ensure a higher ''survival'' rate among these poor innocents and a greater quantity of the energy released by the enemies to Abby.


    Thus, he flew alongside his wife, followed by Wilfred and the subordinate skeletons of the Goddess of Life, while the tens of thousands of innocents ran in different groups behind them.


    "Sir, what do I do to quit after this test?" Wilfred asked as he looked at one of the skeletons in front of him.


    Upon hearing that, the skeleton in red armor looked at Wilfred, and even though it had no facial expressions, it made an unmistakable gesture that showed its disappointment. ''This fellow is a disgrace...''


    ''And to think that someone like that would have the courage to start an inheritance like this...''


    "Well, when the test is completed, something will happen, and you will have the option to quit. So, don''t worry about it too much. You''ll know what to do." He said solemnly, regretting that Wilfred was a competitor, not Minos.


    After a few moments, this group finally ran into the enemy group, stopping face to face, about 5 kilometers away from each other.


    "Looks like the losers have come to die for a second time, huh?" A skeleton riding what appeared to be a bone elephant said in an arrogant tone, glaring at the enemy group.


    "We are in the cursed inheritance of the Goddess of Life, but we will fulfill our role..." Then, one of them said, not bothering to be used by an enemy, "Let''s get in the way of this as much as possible by killing that bitch''s candidates!"


    "Hahaha, let''s show her how we''ll defeat her followers again!"


    "Hey! Don''t you guys feel bad? Your beloved Goddess did all this just for you to die again... How cruel isn''t that?"


    "Tsk!"


    "Shut up!"


    "God of Death''s dogs, we''ll settle our differences today!" The city lord said in an angry tone.


    "Today, we will cleanse our honor with your diabolical bones! Then, we will finally send you to the underworld, where your leader is this instant!"


    Minos and Abby watched the exchange of offenses, seeing some of the hatred of the forces of two mortal enemies from millions of years ago.


    "I guess we will have some enemies like that in the future..." Minos commented in a humorous tone as he winked at his wife.


    He might not be as terrible as the God of Death, but his enemies saw him as being just as evil.


    That way, it was only a matter of time for Minos to gain a similar hatred as these skeletons, who could not overcome their rivalries even in death.


    Abby laughed. "I think we already have, my love."


    "Really? I think there is little time for that..." He laughed. "Only time will show who, in fact, is an irreconcilable enemy..." He said as he remembered Misty.


    Misty was supposed to hate him since he had killed her first husband and then her brother-in-law/lover. But she had developed her hatred in a storage way, falling in love with him, having already been overwhelmed by the pleasures that only he could provide.


    Hence, Minos did not think he had enemies like that for the moment since only time could develop something of that level.


    Abby nodded in agreement and watched her man step forward. "Well, if you hate each other so much, why don''t we just fight?"


    Hearing him, the skeletons in his group immediately began to get more serious, preparing themselves psychologically to begin the battle.


    As for the enemies, they could not help but look in the direction of that level 61 Spiritual Emperor.


    "Who is that? He doesn''t seem to be related to the Goddess of Life." Some of them were surprised at seeing such a person in this place.


    One of the leaders of the God of Death group then said. "Kid, if you change sides, we''ll give you the probable location of our glorious leader''s inheritance!"


    "How about that? We have no reason to be enemies!"


    Minos ignored the questions of those beings and continued flying toward the strongest ones there, his initial targets.


    Devouring Art!


    Infinite Dream!


    With that, he soon used his mental technique against the one who had made the previous proposal to him, curious to find out about such a thing. ''I can find out about such a thing on my own. I don''t need to do anything for you!''


    And with that, such a skeleton found himself in a lava world, where he soon began to be mentally tortured by Minos, even though this young man was fighting with everything outside this dream.


    "Tell me where this place is, and I''ll give you a quick death." He said as he floated on top of that opponent.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    "Ahhhhhh!" The skeleton screamed in pain, not understanding how it could feel so bad, even though it did not have much of its body.


    But unfortunately for this creature, the illusion created by Minos'' technique could even recreate nerve connections, making its victims believe perfectly well things that should not be possible.


    Thus, it felt its skin burning, even though it no longer had any skin on its body!


    "Come on, just tell the truth right away, and everything will be over..." Minos calmly said as he felt the sensations of the battle in reality. "Your group will soon be exterminated. You do not wish to be the last, right?"


    "Ahhhh!"


    "I will speak! I will speak!"


    "But you will regret it, brat! The God of Death will sense your connection to the cursed Goddess of Life!" It said in terror while its white jaw trembled.


    ...

 Chapter 1159 The Probable Location Of The Death Gods Inheritance

    Chapter 1159 The Probable Location Of The Death God''s Inheritance


    ¡°That¡¯s not for you to worry about!¡± Minos snidely said. ¡°Speak up at once, and we¡¯ll finish this!¡±


    The skeleton trembled with anger, but under Minos¡¯ rule, it had no escape. As such, it opted for its only chance to escape having to be tortured even further by giving that living being potentially dangerous information.


    ¡°All right. My lord¡¯s inheritance is probably in the vicinity of Graycastle, the old home of the Ancient Folk.¡± He said at once.


    ¡°Ancient Folk?¡± Minos muttered.


    Minos did not know what or where Graycastle was, but the home of the Ancient Folk was in the vicinity of Albano during the time of Henricus Longus.


    Since the Ancient Folk had long since been instinct in the time of that God, Minos knew more or less where such an area was.


    ¡°Yes, that was my lord¡¯s homeland, where he founded his first secret organization of assassins.¡± The skeleton said while trembling in pain.


    ¡°Are you sure that such an inheritance is in that place?¡± Minos looked thoughtfully at his opponent.


    ¡°I cannot guarantee it, but that is the most likely place. My lord wanted to leave something behind, and when I died, there were rumors that he often visited that area, even without much reason.¡±


    ¡°Then I judge it extremely likely that his inheritance is near where I said.¡± It said.


    The God of Death had not had any children. And since he had reached the highest levels possible to reach very quickly, he had become infertile without even realizing it. Therefore, as a mortal who knew that one day he would disappear, he was very likely to leave an inheritance as a mark of his existence.


    Also, considering the legends and myths behind inheritances, that skeleton was confident there would be an inheritance from that being.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be lying¡­¡± Minos commented before questioning his enemy about details. ¡°Tell me how to find such a thing. Is there something that might make my crusade easier?¡±


    The skeleton thought for a moment and answered. ¡°Each inheritance has its characteristics. Some will simply go after their potential heirs, while others need to be found.¡±


    ¡°My lord was extremely decisive and valued those able to do what it takes to get stronger. So, as long as you have the affinity, a powerful killing intent, or a lot of blood on your hands, the path will likely show itself to you.¡±


    He looked at Minos so that, even without a face, it was easy to understand that it was trying to provoke him. ¡°If you want my advice, massacre a city of a few hundred thousand people in the vicinity of the place I told you about. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find your way there.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Minos laughed since he had kind of already completed such a requirement. ¡®It seems we have a lot of affinities¡­¡¯


    ¡®Except he depended on other people¡¯s power, of course!¡¯


    The skeleton shook with anger as he saw the smile on Minos¡¯ face, feeling as if this enemy was making fun of his face. ¡®You can wait!¡¯


    ¡®When the soul fragment of the God of Death recognizes the ¡®smell¡¯ of the Goddess of Life on you, that will be your end!¡¯


    ¡®You definitely won¡¯t be able to survive his inheritance!¡¯ So, this skeleton thought, without feeling the slightest sign of threat coming from the ring of the Spatial Kingdom of Minos, as was the case with the subordinates of the Goddess of Life.


    That way, it could not help but laugh in its mind since its lord would not allow someone with a connection to his greatest enemy to inherit his powers!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Kill me once and for all!¡± It shouted, preparing to disappear from this world.


    ¡°But don¡¯t forget what I told you.¡± It laughed. ¡°When you stand on the precipice of death, remember me, brat! Remember how you got yourself into this¡­¡±


    Crack!


    Minos¡¯ body in the real world destroyed that skeleton, ending the illusion of earlier without giving any chance for such a fellow to make further threats.


    Meanwhile, in the surroundings of that area, thousands of skeletons, mainly from the side of Minos¡¯ group, had already been destroyed, ¡®killed¡¯ in combat.


    However, more than 5,000 of their opponents had already perished, a large portion of which had been destroyed by Abby¡¯s cursed chains.


    Seeing the surroundings, Minos was pleased with this and was quick to help his wife recover as he continued taking down enemies.


    Minos was not killing these skeletons. No, the previous case had been one of the few exceptions, as that skeleton would not be killed by Abby¡¯s techniques, given its physical power.


    As such, he had eliminated the strongest skeletons and only put the remaining opponents in their surroundings into unconscious states.


    At the same time, the tens of thousands of innocent skeletons were pressing down on the weaker enemies, along with the subordinates of the Goddess of Life and Wilfred.


    This young man in question was almost completely exhausted, slowly retreating to a less chaotic area of this battlefield.


    But he had managed to kill a lot of 6th stage skeletons and even got some high-level grade-2 items.


    Due to the Black Plain¡¯s advances, such quality was no longer a big deal for the northern region¡¯s forces. However, for the Walker family, who still had a long way to go, high-level grade-2 items were precious.


    So, he wasted no time collecting the items from those opponents who had things on him, happy to get something in this place.


    Meanwhile, Minos¡¯ enemies were terrified of this young man¡¯s strength, many of them feeling the sensation of being oppressed for the first time in their ¡®lives.¡¯


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    ¡°The opponent is too strong! Retreat!¡±


    ¡°Retreat¡±


    Shouts of despair spread through the area, with many skeletons already running with everything they had away from there.


    They were already dead and had no chance of eliminating the chosen ones of the Goddess of Life, but they still did not want to fall!


    ,m As enemies of that woman, all they could do was to make it as difficult as possible for these people to be tested, running away and, who knows, perhaps diminishing the performance of the competitors of this inheritance!


    ¡°Wanting to run away, huh?¡± Minos saw that not being able to do much against these opponents.


    He had many techniques to help him make these enemies¡¯ escape difficult. But there were too many of them, and he could not act with all his might against them.


    But still, Minos tried his best to keep them from escaping, knocking out hundreds while trying to eliminate those with the best chance of escaping.


    Spatial Sword!


    He sliced through the air with his low-level grade-3 sword, creating dozens of energy blades aimed at the enemies farthest from him.


    Swooish!


    Meanwhile, the innocents killed by those individuals in the remote past could not help but have their morals raised by a few degrees as they watched their opponents despair.


    ¡°Haha, damn dogs! Run! Run, or we¡¯ll destroy you!¡±


    ¡°Finally! Finally!¡±


    ¡°Today, I will unleash all my hatred against those who slaughtered my family in front of my eyes!¡±


    ¡°Ahh! Kill!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let even one of them escape, even if it costs your ¡®lives¡¯!¡±


    Shouts of all kinds spread throughout that area as Minos¡¯ side grew in this decisive moment of the battle.


    ¡­

 Chapter ?1160 Before the End

    Chapter ?1160 Before the End


    The tens of thousands of skeletons quickly began to attack the enemies trying to escape, forming what looked like a wave of bones, ready to swallow whatever was in their path.


    Seeing this, Minos did not fail to use the movement of these skeletons allied with him to maximize his results, knocking out as many enemies as possible.


    He attacked the strongest of those who tried to flee, destroying the arms and legs of countless opponents with blades of spiritual energy.


    At the same time, every time he looked toward the direction of the battlefield from a distance, energy was fired from his eyes, knocking out those he wanted to keep for his wife.


    On the other hand, a few hundred skeletons floated motionless in Minos'' vicinity, serving as his batteries while he did all this.


    These batteries would eventually discharge and lose their danger. With this, they would be abandoned, other skeletons would take care of them in Minos'' name, and new enemies would replace them.


    In this way, the battle lasted for almost two hours. In the meantime, Abby has recovered and eliminated a bunch more enemies before returning to her meditative state.


    So, of the 15,000 or so enemies, 11,000 of them were eliminated, while of the survivors, more than two-thirds were unconscious, waiting for Abby''s recovery for them to meet their end!


    Unfortunately, not only did they perish in this place. On the side of Minos'' group, more than 30,000 skeletons had ''died'' in the chaos of this great battle.


    But as told by the subordinates of the Goddess of Life, those beings were more than happy to have a chance for revenge. As such, they had departed in peace, leaving this world of the living for good without further regrets.


    "Sigh!"


    "It''s finally over!" Wilfred fell backward onto the ground, extremely exhausted from this great battle.


    He had luckily survived this great confrontation since, besides Minos and Abby''s unusual powers, the skeletons in his group were decisive in ''killing'' their opponents.


    Thus, even though he had weak foundations, the now supreme elder of the Walker family was alive and well!


    "Yeah, it''s great that we''re done with that group!"


    "Haha, I didn''t expect us to defeat so many of them in such a short time!"


    "It truly is a glory! At this rate, we''ll be able to finish our business in less than a week..."


    The many ''surviving'' skeletons began chatting in the surroundings while the subordinates of the Goddesses of Life approached Minos and Abby.


    "What do we do now?" One of them asked Minos as the beautiful blue-haired woman cultivated peacefully.


    Minos then replied. "We will finish our business in this place and leave in search of the enemy survivors."


    "Right, 10,000 to 14,000 of them should still be scattered around this graveyard." One of the skeletons dressed in armor commented as he thought about it.


    "Yeah, the biggest group must be west of here..." Then, they started talking about their enemies, deciding the next steps they would take.


    ...


    While Minos'' group continued in that place, Ruth and Gloria were still in the same crypt as before, watching the screen that showed the luminous dots slowly moving in that place.


    "I think we''d better go back... I don''t think Minos and Abby will return from that place soon." Ruth commented to Gloria.


    They had stayed almost two whole days in that place, having even been left aside by the people from the Walker family, who only stayed there for a day.


    But as time passed, Ruth could not help but notice that this inheritance would not be so simple and quick to resolve.


    "Let''s stay a little longer..."


    Ruth then took one of Gloria''s hands and stopped her from speaking. "No, let''s go back. You''re pregnant and can''t stay in a place like this for days."


    Gloria looked at her belly and then at her harem sister. "I haven''t yet reached the stage where I''m a weak woman, Ruth. I am still capable of battles and more. So, how I can''t stay here?"


    "I don''t know, but do you want to risk stressing out your baby?" Ruth used her best ''weapon'' to convince this stubborn woman.


    "Sigh..." Gloria sighed as she massaged her belly, which did not even look like that of a pregnant woman. "All right. Let''s see what this family has prepared for us..."


    They then left that place, heading back to another part of the Walker family palace.


    ...


    Three days later...


    After the previous great battle, Minos and his group had eliminated more than half of the surviving enemy skeletons and were only moments away from finishing the first test of this inheritance.


    A few tens of thousands more of their allies had perished, but instead of their group shrinking in size, it had increased.


    Halfway to the present moment, they encountered several other groups of skeletons, adding them to their forces.


    And so, their group was surrounding the last enemy group, where in a few moments, they would finalize their revenge with the help mainly of Minos and Abby.


    "Are you ready?" Minos asked the subordinates of the Goddess of Life and the leaders of those innocent skeletons.


    "Yes, we are ready!" The skeletons wearing low-level grade-3 armor said at the same time, full of determination in their voices.


    "I can''t wait to join the rest of my companions!"


    "So much time has passed, but I believe that in death, it won''t make that much difference..." One of them commented in a melancholy tone.


    "Sigh!"


    "But if reincarnation is possible, I don''t think we''ll have a chance to see our loved ones again... After all this time, they must have gone through the reincarnation cycle a few times."


    "No matter. At least now we''ll be able to rest after fulfilling our duties!"


    As the Goddess of Life''s subordinates talked, the city lord thanked Minos. "Lord Stuart, chosen one, we are grateful to know such talented and capable people as you before our absolute end."


    "So, do what you must, and don''t worry about us. We are fine with the near end, even if our ''awake'' time has lasted so short."


    Hearing that, Abby felt a little moved. But she knew that these victims of the God of Death''s minions had already died and only had small fractions of their consciousnesses ''active'' because of the Goddess of Life''s ability.


    And considering how much they valued their revenge against their killers, she knew that each of them was genuinely pleased with how things had developed.


    Therefore, she clenched her fists and nodded to those beings. "We will do our best."


    "Hmmm." Minos agreed as he massaged one of his wife''s shoulders, already curious to know what the next test would be like.


    Meanwhile, Wilfred stood with his head down near those two, not receiving any attention from the many skeletons in the surroundings.


    "Sigh..."


    ''I feel like a fish out of water...'' He lamented in his heart, wishing he was stronger.


    ''At least I got a bunch of valuable items for my family... So it wasn''t a wasted journey!'' So he convinced himself just before he heard Minos'' voice.


    "Well, if everyone is ready, prepare for the attack!"


    "Let''s finish the damn enemies!"


    "Ah! Kill!" Countless skeletons shouted in excitement, eager for the battle to begin.


    "Kill everyone in your path!"


    Soon after, they rushed toward the lowest point of what looked like a valley, where their opponents were.


    ...

 Chapter ?1161 The End of the First Test

    Chapter ?1161 The End of the First Test


    After an hour of combat, the last enemies in that place finally died'' in the face of the group led by Abby and Minos!


    At that moment in question, there were still about 50,000 skeletons alive on Minos'' side, each of them excited about having eliminated their opponents and still ''sighing'' for one last time.


    It was genuinely pleasurable to carry out its revenge and still have the chance to observe its deeds, calmly ''breathing.''


    ''They are finally dead...'' So, the city lord thought, as little by little, his consciousness was diluted.


    At the same time, the weaker ones in the surroundings were already falling unconscious, leaving lifeless skeletons behind.


    Seeing this, Abby, who had not yet begun to cultivate and was quite exhausted, focused in the direction of the skeletons who had helped them and felt sorry for them.


    One of them made a hand gesture, indicating that everything was fine. "Good luck to you..."


    "We hope that you will be able to complete this inheritance..."


    "Best..."


    Several of them said their final words as they began to lose control over their bodies, equal to the thousands of skeletons in the surroundings.


    Abby''s eyes grew watery as she watched the end of these creatures, with her leaning on her man''s chest to keep from falling to the ground.


    Then, as Minos held Abby by her tiny waist, the last of those skeletons finished falling to the ground before their yellowish bones began to crumble.


    Not only the bones of their allies suffered this effect, but also those of the bodies of their enemies, not only in that place but in all the areas they had passed through in the last few days.


    In that instant, their bones turned into small light particles, heading towards the sky before disappearing without a trace.


    In the end, only the three living beings were left behind in that great graveyard, while the unique energy of the dead enemies waited to be absorbed.


    "Sigh..."


    "They are all gone..." Then, Minos observed the area, where only the traces of battle showed that those beings had once been there.


    Other than that, nothing indicated that just moments ago, tens of thousands of individuals had fought bravely in this place.


    "What do we do now?" Wilfred asked in doubt as he noticed that his acquired items were still in his spatial ring. ''Good thing they didn''t disappear along with the skeletons...''


    Minos looked at that black-haired fellow and then turned his attention back to his wife. "I think that until you finish absorbing this special energy, we won''t be able to move forward..."


    "Hmmm, I''ll do that now." She understood what she had to do and, without delay, picked up her cultivation cushion and sat down next to where her husband was.


    As for Wilfred, he had already absorbed the unique energy of all the enemies he had killed, so there was nothing left for him.


    So, while Abby was recovering and absorbing that unique energy, he approached Minos and handed this King a spatial ring.


    "As you ordered, I have collected all the items left behind from the ones killed by Your Majesties." He said while he had a look of admiration on his face.


    The number of items in that ring was 100 times greater than what he had managed to gather in this place!


    Not only that, while he had only gotten high-level grade-2 items, part of the things that Minos and Abby had conquered were low-level grade-3 ones!


    Knowing this, this fellow could not help but feel a little envious.


    But that was not all. No, Wilfred knew that the Black Plain did not have many grade-3 items as very little time had passed since the first professionals of that rank appeared in such a territory.


    In other words, Minos and Abby''s gains in this place had been highly significant to the Black Plain and could make that territory even more powerful!


    ''Sigh!''


    ''How far will the Black Plain go?'' He wondered as he watched Minos analyze the items he had collected in the previous days. ''I don''t doubt that Spiritual Saints will appear there in a few years...''


    ''After everything I''ve seen here, this is no longer an absurd dream but something that will happen in a matter of time!'' He sat back as he waited for the end of this test.


    ''I wonder how the region would react if they discovered his real power...''


    ...


    After dozens of minutes, Abby finished absorbing the last remnants of the unique energy left by her enemies.


    When she opened her eyes and got up, not only she but Minos and Wilfred saw the skies of that area getting agitated, as if a storm was forming.


    But this was no storm!


    A giant black vortex quickly formed in the sky above them, giving off a strange feeling to the two next to Minos.


    "I think we need to fly in that direction, my love," Abby commented to him as she looked into the ''eye'' of the vortex.


    Wilfred also felt the same way: to continue for the second test of this inheritance, one would have to fly through the middle of that thing. But since he did not want to continue in that inheritance, he stood firm on the ground.


    Minos then nodded to Abby and hugged her waist before taking off towards his target.


    In mid-flight, he spread his energies around her body, just as he had done when entering the Secret Tomb.


    Thus, the two soon disappeared amidst those dark clouds, leaving Wilfred behind.


    ''You did not achieve an honorable performance in my inheritance but only took the artifacts left behind by the enemies you killed.'' A noble voice arose inside Wilfred''s head, making him tremble.


    Gulp! The latest_epi_sodes are on_the Libread.com. website.


    ''That...''


    ''I see you''re giving up, eh?'' The voice became somewhat more disappointed. ''Well, at least that girl seems to have what it takes to complete my inheritance. So, I will release you...''


    ''But be careful the next time you step into legacies like this, little boy. Others in my place would lock you up forever for disrespecting them with your unstable cultivation foundation.''


    Wilfred shivered upon hearing that, feeling his family had underestimated the Secret Tomb.


    ''But since I already have a better candidate, go away!''


    After the voice said this in his mind, a wormhole appeared below Wilfred''s feet. Soon after, he fell through the thing, experiencing the same effects he had felt days ago.


    Just like that, in the blink of an eye, the other side of the wormhole appeared above where he had left the previous crypt, next to the statue of the Goddess of Life.


    "Ahhh!" He cried out in excitement as he fell to his knees.


    With this unexpected arrival of Wilfred, the guards in the surrounding area, the only ones there at the moment, looked at him in surprise, shocked that this person had returned so soon.


    "Supreme elder!" They shouted as they rushed to Wilfred''s side.


    "Supreme elder, are you all right? What happened? How did you return so quickly?" One of them asked in fear that the worst had happened.


    "I am fine. I was just forced to give up the inheritance..." He said in a humiliated tone as he looked at his surroundings, realizing that no one from his family was there.


    "Take me to Their Majesties, the wives of the King of the Black Plain. I will explain what has happened in the last few days!"


    ...

 Chapter ?1162 The Second Test

    Chapter ?1162 The Second Test


    After a few moments, Wilfred arrived at the residence where Gloria and Ruth stayed inside the Walker family''s royal palace.


    In that place, the two were sitting in different parts of a large cultivation area, each meditating with their eyes closed.


    But they were not cultivating since there was no spiritual energy density as good as that of Dry City, nor even quality arrays in that place.


    Because of that, the moment the guards took Wilfred nearby, they both opened their eyes, noticing the visit.


    "You? Already?" Abby shouted in surprise as she looked at Wilfred while still sitting on her cultivation cushion.


    "Where is Minos? Why isn''t he with you?" Gloria questioned.


    After hearing those two beauties'' words, Wilfred dared not continue watching them from above and bent his knees, followed by his family''s royal guards. "Your Majesties, the king, and queen, are not here because they are still taking the tests for the inheritance of the Goddess of Life."


    "I was too weak for that inheritance and couldn''t continue, so I managed to leave before my life was even more in danger."


    "Are they still doing the inheritance?" Ruth looked at Gloria, as this pregnant woman was curious to know what had happened so far.


    "You said your life was in danger. What happened? And Minos and Abby?" That redhead from the Spiritual Church asked.


    "The king and queen are fine. At least that is the truth for when we parted at the end of the first test of the Goddess of Life''s inheritance." He was sincere while getting straight to the point. "Anyway, the first test was easy for them but difficult for me."


    "In it, we had to..." Then, as he laughed bitterly, this black-haired fellow told the resume of what had happened over the past few days.


    While he was doing this, his mother and younger brother arrived at that place, promptly approaching the area where Ruth and Gloria were, without interrupting his narrative.


    "In the end, I was lucky that the Goddess of Life was a kind woman in life, who left something not so evil behind..." He sighed, remembering the fear he had felt upon finding out what might have happened to him.


    "So, that was it..." Ruth and Gloria commented, pleased to find out that Minos and Abby were fine and that they were already taking the second test.


    "If that''s true, then we won''t have to stay here for months, as the Walker family assumed," Ruth commented to Gloria in satisfaction.


    Hearing that, Wilfred''s mother, who was still open-mouthed at seeing her son return so quickly, said. "That must be because of His Majesty''s presence in this test. He is much stronger than the minimum needed to start the exam, so the process has been accelerated."


    "Yes," Wilfred nodded. "If it weren''t for him, it would probably take weeks for someone to complete the first test..."


    "Or rather, no one would complete that. A person without his abilities and only at level 60 would die in that place!"


    Blake listened to this carefully, startled that even Spiritual Emperors were so fragile in such a situation. "Then I can assume we failed, eh? Too bad..."


    But upon hearing that, Wilfred said in pride. "I failed to follow that inheritance, but not before getting things for our family!"


    "Oh?" His brother and mother looked at him in surprise, slowly with smiles forming on their lips.


    He tossed the spatial ring he had loaded with items from that place for the two to check out while turning his attention back to Minos'' wives.


    "Your Majesties, I don''t know exactly how the last two tests of the king and queen will go. But from what I heard from the skeletons in the first test, the next challenges shouldn''t be like the last one. That is, they shouldn''t be battles."


    "So, I believe they won''t take that long to return, even considering that the next tests will be of a higher difficulty level than the previous one." He said.


    The two looked at each other, pleased to hear this information.


    Then Gloria said to Wilfred, "Tell us what you heard from these skeletons these days. I want to hear the story behind this place..."


    After that, it did not take long for Minos'' two wives, Wilfred''s mother and brother, to pay attention to what he had to say.


    ...


    Meanwhile, inside the Secret Tomb...


    After flying toward the vortex of dark clouds from earlier, Minos and Abby flew for a few minutes without knowing exactly where they were going.


    They did this until the clouds in their surroundings decreased in density and appeared in a place where they seemed to be flying from the sky to the ground.


    "That''s weird..." Abby commented to him.


    At all times, they had been flying upwards. But somehow, they were now flying downwards, towards a different place from the previous cemetery.


    Instead of a dimly lit area or a simple place with many graves, there was a wooded area with rivers and lakes, warm colors, and natural lighting.


    But not everything was perfect. Although it was not a darkened environment, gray clouds filled the skies, giving a melancholy look to anyone observing the area.


    "What will this test be like?" Minos murmured in one of his wife''s ears as he slowed his flight speed to land in the area, not far from a village.


    "I am not sure, but I feel we will find our answers in that village ahead." She said as she watched in the direction of the simple houses in that place.


    With that, when the two of them put their feet on the ground, they soon made their way towards that village, noticing that there were animals and other beings that seemed to be alive in that place.


    And with that, they soon realized that this village was not the home of skeletons resurrected by the Goddess of Life technique but a place where fleshly, breathing people were!


    But they did not have much time to think about the difference between this and the other test when they heard the screams coming from that place.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhh!"


    "Ahhhhhh!"


    "Help me! Help me! Get him off me!"


    "Ahhhhh! It''s killing me with pain!" A woman''s voice echoed from a house as dozens of village residents crowded in front of the blue house on one of the lower hills there.


    Hearing that, Minos and Abby ran near that place.


    "What''s going on here?" Abby asked in curiosity, still hearing many screams coming from inside that house.


    "Ahhhh!"


    "Calm down! Breathe slowly! You just need to push, Sarah!" A female voice, which had a touch of age in it, sounded, more or less giving Minos an idea of what this was all about.


    One of the residents gathered on the outskirts of that house commented without looking at Abby. "Sarah, that shameless woman, got pregnant by another man while her husband was traveling, and now she''s in labor."


    "But it seems her little bastard doesn''t want to be born!" He maliciously said.


    Upon hearing that, Minos was a little surprised that someone would speak the whole truth of another person that quickly and almost laughed.


    As for Abby, she opened her mouth in shock, both from hearing such gossip and from finding out that someone was in labor.


    On that account, she took one of Minos'' hands and forced their way closer to that house.


    ...

 Chapter 1163 First Difficult Choice

    Minos and Abby saw the commotion inside that place as they came to the side of one of the windows of that woman''s house.


    A few women were coming and going from one room to another, sometimes carrying white cloths soiled with blood and bowls of water.


    Besides what they carried in their hands amidst their hurried steps, they had in common expressions of doubt and fear due to the abnormal situation they were witnessing.


    At the same time, an old woman leaning on a crutch and having several necklaces around her neck was standing by the laboring woman''s room door.


    This old woman was saying words repeatedly, praying for something to go wrong. "This will be an abomination! How could you have gotten pregnant outside your marriage? Worse, this little bastard will not be a good thing. I can feel it!"


    "Lady Fraley, if you don''t want to be here, why do you bother coming to tell us this nonsense?" One of the women inside that room asked in an irritated manner.


    It was worrying enough to have to deal with demanding labor, but the presence of that old woman there only increased the tension in this place even more.


    After seeing and hearing that, Minos and Abby''s curiosity grew, and they slowly tried to enter that place to take a closer look at the situation.


    ''Hmm? Won''t these people stop us?'' Minos noticed that no one seemed to be looking in their direction. ''That''s strange...''


    Abby then walked into that place in front of him, carrying him held by one of her hands, not even bothering about the people in the surroundings.


    They then arrived inside the room of that pregnant woman, where that person was lying with her legs spread in the middle of a large bed.


    A red trail of blood could be seen between her legs and the white sheet of that bed, while a pale face with an expression of extreme pain was on her face.


    ''That...'' Abby looked at Minos as she saw the face of that redheaded woman, as it was highly similar to Gloria''s.


    Minos was also shocked, staring intensely at that face he knew so well. "How can that be? She has the same appearance as Gloria!" He exclaimed, but only Abby noticed his voice.


    "Push!"


    "Push hard!" The midwife said as she stood with her knees bent in front of that bed, looking directly between the pregnant woman''s legs.


    Minos did not want to look at that so as not to spoil the beautiful image he had in his mind, but Abby looked closely, feeling a chill in her belly.


    ''Is this what childbirth looks like?'' Her eyes opened wide, and she felt a little afraid, even considering her great desire to have a child.


    Meanwhile, two of the midwife''s helpers stopped beside Minos and Abby and commented to each other, "I don''t think she will survive..."


    "Yeah, we''ve been at it for over three hours now... At this rate, even a Spiritual Emperor like her will die of hemorrhaging."


    "What will we do? Will we be able to save the baby?"


    The old woman heard that and said aloud. "Definitely not! Save the mother! If she dies and that bastard lives, we will face the worst! Believe me!"


    "Tsk!"


    "Get that old coot out of here! She''s full of shit!" The midwife finally said this in anger, feeling the difficulty of having to make a difficult decision.


    She then looked at the pregnant woman in labor and saw the desperate look on her face. But amid the desperation, there was a certain brightness in her that seemed to say that such a woman would be more than happy to die to give birth to the child of that man, her lover.


    "Come on..."


    Just as the midwife was about to say something, all the people in the surrounding area froze in their positions, and a voice came into Abby''s mind.


    ''This is the beginning of the second test, the first of three decisions you will have to make.''


    ''1. Save the mother.''


    ''2. Save the baby.''


    ''3. Let them die.''


    ''You have 10 minutes to make up your mind.'' The female voice ceased, leaving a highly tormented Abby having to make such a difficult choice.


    "Abby, what is it?" Minos asked since he had not heard anything.


    "The Goddess of Life wants me to choose how this situation will end..." She said, already a little pale from having to be involved in the death of at least one of those two.


    Minos'' eyebrows frowned at that information. ''What is the meaning of that?'' He tried to understand but soon heard from her that there was a time limit.


    "My love, what do I do? Unfortunately, I don''t have much time to decide."


    He looked seriously in the direction of the woman who had Gloria''s appearance and felt this was a provocation to him. "Save the mother, Abby."


    "The mother? But what about the baby? Don''t you think he deserves a chance?" She looked into his eyes, remembering what she had heard outside this residence. "Didn''t you hear? She''s an adulteress! How can we save someone like that instead of an innocent little baby?"


    He also remembered something and said. "Maybe this baby doesn''t have a good future, or rather, maybe its survival will bring evil to this place. Didn''t you listen to that woman from before?"


    "Do you want to listen to that old woman''s mean comments? Who can assure you she is not trying to harm this redhead?" She argued.


    "Because she was trying to keep her mother''s life." He said. "That old lady knows the mother would hate her once she recovered and found out she lost her baby. But still, such a person was here to do something."


    "That..." Abby looked to the side, from where the old woman from before was no longer standing due to the woman who kicked her out a few moments ago.


    "Besides, regardless of whether she''s good, the baby could die without the mother, even if we save him. So, there is no guarantee that he will survive. But the mother is here."


    "She can be saved!" He exclaimed.


    Abby then looked seriously at Minos and asked. "If this woman was Gloria and her baby, would you still make this decision?"


    Minos clasped his hands together and answered truthfully. "If it were Gloria here, or you, or Ruth, I would choose a million times to save you, even if you would hate me for abandoning our babies."


    "It would be a shame for our children, but my love for you cannot be compared to my feelings for a child who wouldn''t even have been born yet."


    Abby understood Minos'' words, but her desire to be a mother made her feel strange.


    It was against her instincts to abandon the baby!


    All she had wanted for the past ten years was to have children with Minos. Because of this, she understood the desperation of this woman in labor, who seemed to be longing to have her baby in her arms.


    Even if it cost her her own life!


    "My love, if that ever happens to me..." She was about to say, but he would not allow her.


    "No, Abby, I won''t do that. I won''t risk losing you, no matter what. You need to accept that." He held her in his arms, feeling bad that he had to see Gloria''s look-alike in that situation. "If you want to have children with me, you must accept that."


    "You are my priority, and I will choose you for endless times if we have to go through this."


    Gulp!


    She swallowed her saliva and felt that Minos would not change his mind and that he might even stop trying to get her pregnant if she was too stubborn. "Okay." She said as she shed a tear from her left eye, feeling that she had to understand her man''s side.


    ''Hopefully, we won''t have to worry about that...''

 Chapter 1164 The Second Difficult Choice

    After cuddling with Minos for a moment, Abby clenched her fists, mustering the strength needed to give her answer.


    ''I choose to save the mother!'' She said in her mind as she closed her eyes, feeling the contradiction in her heart.


    The moment Abby gave her answer, the Goddess of Life did not answer her back, but the people who seemed to have frozen in time a few moments ago moved again.


    "Let''s save the mother!" The midwife said in determination as her helpers began to make the necessary preparations.


    "No! Don''t do that!" The pregnant woman broke into despair, feeling relief at not having to die but much more sadness in her being at having to lose her baby.


    "Please save him..."


    But the women there ignored her pleas as the midwife used her instruments to remove part by part of the baby from the mother''s womb.


    ''What a terrible thing...'' Abby hugged Minos and hid her face in his chest, not believing that that was the way to save the mother.


    Abby would never have thought that in saving the mother, the baby would have to be killed like that!


    Hence, she could not help but feel bad at the moment as her man hugged her. "Stay calm, Abby. I''m sure none of this is real. That is just a test."


    He had said that, but he also felt a little strange. Even more so considering the tiny body parts, the midwife had already piled into a basin in front of them.


    ''Brown eyes, huh? That''s truly a tease!'' He looked awkwardly at the floor. ''Are you trying to compare this to my baby with Gloria? It won''t work. I know none of it is real!''


    After that, Minos took Abby in his arms and tried to leave that place. However, when he did so, the scenery in the surroundings suddenly changed.


    It was still the interior of the same house as before, but instead of a room with open, well-lit windows and lots of bloodstains, there was a shaded place with candlelight.


    In this place, there were red flowers scattered on the floor and no traces of blood or the pale woman from earlier.


    There were no people there now, just a messy bed, indicating that someone had used it.


    "That..." Minos muttered in a low voice, drawing his wife''s attention to the change in the situation.


    "Now, what''s in here?" He asked as he watched her dry her little watery eyes.


    But as he asked that, he suddenly heard a moan coming from another part of that house.


    "Ahhhh~"


    They both looked in the same direction, putting aside their thoughts about the difficult choice from earlier.


    After that, they looked at each other, already knowing that a couple was having fun in that place.


    "Let''s see what''s in here. Maybe that''s the next part of this test." She left his arms and took a step forward.


    After walking slowly, the two reached the end of a hallway, where they saw a man and a woman having sex like animals.


    But again, the two looked at the woman''s face in surprise, seeing a look they knew well in that black-haired woman.


    "That''s Ruth''s appearance..." Abby commented as she looked at her man, sensing that the Goddess of Life was testing him on the appearances of these people.


    Minos closed his eyes and cursed the person behind this inheritance. ''Looks like you were a slut in life!''


    But besides being a little irritated, he did not lose his composure since he knew this was a little game for the Goddess of Life.


    "Ahhhh~ fuck me, Jake~" That black-haired woman screamed in excitement as she felt her precious part being rudely invaded by a merciless rod.


    "Minos!" Abby exclaimed as she saw someone else besides them watching all this, a man standing outside that house, watching everything through the window.


    More importantly, the man in question looked like an old version of Minos!


    King Stuart opened his eyes and saw the reason for Abby''s exclamation, noticing this person who seemed to be boiling with anger.


    But he had already understood what the Goddess of Life was doing and just thought of something else. ''We are in front of him... But he doesn''t see us. Is that because we are invisible? Or he is simply too shocked to pay attention to us?''


    While he was wondering about this, that man broke the window and entered that part of his house, furious at catching his wife in the act with their neighbor.


    "You bitch!"


    "How could you?" He shouted with hate as part of his hands bled from the force he was squeezing them.


    Hearing that, the two lovers lost attention on what they were doing and jumped in opposite directions, disconnecting their bodies.


    "My love, it''s not what you''re thinking!" The black-haired woman said with nervousness, not knowing how to escape that situation. "It''s not what you think. He was raping me!"


    "What?" Both men shouted at the same time in surprise at that woman''s shamelessness.


    The lover then said. "Man, don''t listen to this woman. She is the one who seduced me!"


    "Bullshit!"


    "My love, this man forced me to have sex with him, or he would hurt me!" She began to cry as she crawled to her husband''s side, showing Minos and Abby her dirty ass with the seeds of that individual coming out of her two holes...


    At that instant, the three froze their movements while Abby again listened to the noble voice from earlier in her mind.


    ''That is the second of three decisions you must make.''


    ''1. Forgive the wife and let the lover go.''


    ''2. Kill the lover and forgive the wife.''


    ''3. Kill the wife and let the lover go.''


    ''4. Kill them.''


    ''You have 10 minutes to make up your mind.'' The female voice ceased, leaving Abby not as surprised as before, but still tormented by having to decide the fate of more people.


    While Abby was getting those options, Minos was thinking about the Goddess of Life. ''I bet the last test I will find someone with Abby''s face...''


    ''Tsk!''


    ''What a crazy expert! She hasn''t even reached Henricus Longus'' level, but she keeps decorating her tests like that...''


    Abby then explained to him the choices in front of her. "What do I do now, dear? Unfortunately, I seem to have to choose what the betrayed husband will do."


    Minos frowned his eyebrows and then looked at his wife thoughtfully. "In the previous test, I shouldn''t have said anything. I let my emotions get in my way when I saw Gloria''s face. But now, on second thought, I think you should make your own choices, Abby."


    "Oh?" She opened her mouth and looked at those three people, realizing that this was her test, so even if the Goddess of Life wanted to provoke Minos, she had to make her decisions on her own.


    ''Well, I have to set something that would align with my personality, but with Minos, Ruth, and Gloria as well...''


    ''We''re partners, so we can''t make decisions without thinking about how they would affect others!'' So she thought just before giving her answer.


    ...

 Chapter 1165 The Normal Of A Cruel World

    "I will choose to kill them both!" She made up her mind and said it aloud for Minos to hear.


    For Abby, a betrayal was something unforgivable, and if any of her harem sisters did such a thing, she would kill such a person herself!


    For her, nothing was more significant than her love for Minos, so she could not forgive the idea of an adulteress by his side.


    A woman who cheats on her husband was not only someone who did not respect him, who despised him and cheated. She was also someone who brought risks into the home. For example, what if the lover decided that the adulteress'' spouse was getting in their way and his death was the best thing?


    Not only that, there was the risk of pregnancy, bad influences within the home, etc. In addition, a person who cheats would typically add one or another custom of the lover, which could negatively affect the dynamics of a family.


    Such a thing could evolve to a state where an entire house could be ruined because of one person''s desires!


    Knowing this, Abby chose the option where she protected the innocents of this incident, penalizing only the two involved, the culprits of that immoral act.


    ''If you wanted to be with others, end the relationship and move on with your life. But since you chose to cheat, accept the consequences!'' Abby thought as she glared in the direction of the woman with Ruth''s appearance.


    Meanwhile, Minos hugged his dear wife''s tiny waist, satisfied with the response she had given to this situation.


    He did not want to say, but that was the only alternative, in his opinion.


    In a violent world like this, just forgiving was not enough. Even that individual abandoning his wife and trying to move on was not enough to wash away the great humiliation he had suffered.


    And since the more significant the love, the greater the hate, someone with real power at hand might find it very difficult not to act in the heat of the moment!


    ''In a situation like this, the worst of all is the great disrespect of one party towards the other...'' He thought about this as he saw the three people moving again, with the black-haired woman still heading towards her husband.


    At that instant, the husband trembled in hatred, his face so hot one could almost see smoke coming out of his ears as he pulled out an ax with a 2-meters long handle.


    Seeing this, the two naked people opened their eyes in shock, but even that man, who was not much weaker than he was, did not have time to react in time!


    Before he knew it, the sharp part of the enemy weapon pierced his chest, destroying his ribs and heart in one hit.


    "Ahhhh!" He screamed as he was thrown backward, already coughing up blood as he lost consciousness.


    "My love, please, we can work it out!" The wife saw the murderous look in her husband''s eyes and became afraid, not taking long to start crying out as she prepared to run.


    But she knew she would not get far as she was weaker than him. Thus, she invested in the only alternative she had!


    "Let''s talk, my love! I can get better. I promise it won''t happen again!"


    She bawled amidst her tears, lying. "I should have told you when he raped me, but I was scared! I thought you would feel humiliated, and it would be easier to hide the truth!"


    "I feel humiliated and disgusted!" He said as he held his ax in front of her while tears flowed from his eyes. "I loved you with all my heart. I gave you everything of myself, but still, you betrayed me with the neighbor while I was at work!"


    "No, my love. I didn''t cheat. It was just sex! And he who forced me! But I still love you. Believe me, please! We can make it work together!" She pleaded, no longer seeing a way out, as she hugged his legs in desperation.


    "Too late. Now I don''t trust you anymore!" He said before striking a blow with all his strength and decapitating his wife.


    Then, while Minos and Abby felt terrible for the situation, the man sacrificed himself.


    Seeing the black ball of energy appearing in his hands, Minos moved to walk away from there with Abby, but as he did so, once again, the scene changed.


    This time, instead of appearing back in that same house, the two noticed that, although they were still in the same area as the last village, there was no construction there. Only the native vegetation could be seen covering the surroundings, without any sign of human construction.


    But in the middle of that place, three people, two men, and a blue-haired woman were standing, each in a combat stance, with two of them on one side and one as the opponent.


    After seeing that, only Abby was surprised to see someone with her appearance facing a man with Minos'' appearance, as this young man had already expected something like that.


    ''What a dull little game, huh?'' Minos shook one of his hands but did not say anything. Instead, he just paid attention to the dialogue of those people.


    "Come on. He''s already seriously wounded. We just need to hit one more blow and we can get everything we want!" Her ally said this as he saw the face of the idiot who had fallen into their trap.


    "After we kill this guy, we will get enough to reach the 8th stage, and who knows, maybe even dream about the 9th!" He said in excitement to this woman he had met weeks ago.


    After hearing this, that woman''s blue eyes sparkled as she thought about it. ''Until a month ago, I was content with my life and happy to be by his side. But the chance to become a Spiritual Saint, something currently impossible, is hard to refuse...''


    Meanwhile, the poor man who had been poisoned and then wounded in the brief fight against those two, having been surprised by his wife halfway through, was looking bleakly at her.


    "Why? Why did you attack me and stand by this stranger? What about our love?"


    She clenched her fists and said nothing while her ally laughed. "Idiot!"


    "While you were the best she could have, she was genuinely yours and loved you." That individual said, laughing. "But now she has vast options, possibilities which she only needs to sacrifice you to succeed!"


    He turned to the blue-haired woman and said. "Don''t worry about your feelings for him. Even if it is a little difficult, I guarantee you will have forgotten about him in a year!"


    "Believe me. Women are adaptable like no other being in the Spiritual World! There are several such cases in our sect, including my master''s current wife!"


    "And hell, when you meet my master, you might join his harem in less than six months!" He said this on purpose so that his opponent would hear him.


    "Are you going to do that? Are you going to kill me?" The betrayed spouse asked aloud, ignoring that man.


    That blue-haired woman closed her eyes and thought about how she had already gone too far to turn back. Then, with this in mind, she pointed her weapon forward and prepared for her next move.


    At that instant, the voice of the Goddess of Life came into Abby''s mind. ''That will be your last decision...''

 Chapter 1166 Getting To Know The Soul Fragment Of The Goddess Of Life

    ''This is the third of the three decisions you must make.''


    ''1. Kill the husband.''


    ''2. Do nothing and let your accomplice kill your husband.''


    ''3. Kill the accomplice and save your husband''s life.''


    ''4. Repeat the last option and then commit suicide.''


    ''You have 10 minutes to make up your mind.'' The Goddess'' voice sounded in Abby''s mind, making her shiver at the options.


    "This Goddess of Life is decisive. Only tragedies in our path!" She commented to Minos before explaining to him the options she had.


    "Hmm, I''d say she died a virgin by her actions." He teasingly said as the clouds in the sky trembled.


    But then he became more severe and questioned his queen. "What will you decide?"


    Abby looked at him and then at the three people there, seeing the smile on the accomplice''s face, the desolate expression on the husband''s face, and the mysterious countenance on the face of her look-alike.


    For her, it was not possible to choose the first option. After all, she genuinely loved Minos and would be willing to sacrifice herself for him if that were necessary. So, she would never raise her weapon to him.


    The second option would not be her holding the weapon and delivering the final blow, but the result would be the same, his death. So, she could not choose that alternative either.


    As for the third, as much as that would be a good one already, Abby felt that her look-alike had already betrayed the husband by standing against him in part of this plot and, in a way, worked against the enemy.


    From what she could sense, the husband was poisoned, and considering the situation, only his wife could have done this!


    In this case, going back on her ideas or not, her look-alike could not forgive herself if she really loved her husband, as Abby loved Minos.


    She then said to him. "I''m going to choose the last option!"


    "In a situation like that, just saving the betrayed husband and then killing yourself has the potential to wash away that person''s crime."


    Minos nodded upon hearing this, understanding Abby''s point. ''Even going back on your decision, after a situation like this, the container called marriage could never be remolded, no matter how much resources were poured into it.''


    ''There would always be a crack indicating that the other side had already done something terrible, and that mark would remind the other party of something important...''


    ''Could that happen again?''


    ''From the moment you no longer have the peace of mind necessary for a relationship, it is best to simply end it.'' He pondered. ''Considering her side, true regret can be hard to overcome...''


    ''Sigh...''


    ''But I''m not sure there''s a need for that extremism.'' So he considered as he saw those people moving again.


    When that happened, instead of Abby''s look-alike attacking her betrayed spouse, she used everything she had to eliminate her accomplice, striking a blow from behind that man''s back.


    "Cough! Cough!" He coughed up blood as he felt the icy blade of his ally''s sword go through his heart.


    After seeing that, the spouse was shocked by this change of circumstance, finally lowering his guard to fall to the ground in exhaustion.


    After killing his accomplice, Abby''s look-alike rushed to her husband''s side, crying gallons as she tried to help him. "Forgive me. I made a terrible mistake!" She said as she lifted his head onto her lap to help him drink the antidote of the poison she had put in his food.


    He said nothing, just accepting this situation for the moment.


    "I know I don''t deserve your trust anymore, but please forgive me." She cried as she hugged his face. "I am a pathetic woman who was seduced by that man''s words..."


    "I didn''t mean your harm, but when I saw, I had already done more than I should have and kept going..." She tried to explain herself, but her husband barely understood half of her words.


    After a while, having verified that he was no longer in danger, she turned away from him and smiled. "I''m sorry, honey. But you will have to go on without me..."


    A second later, she used her sword to cut her belly, letting her intestines fall out as she screamed in agony.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhh!"


    "Ahhhhhhhhhh!"


    Her screams went on for some time, with her falling to the ground and the light in her eyes disappearing along with her life; the last image she saw was her husband''s horrified expression.


    After seeing this while feeling a terrible sensation in their bodies, Minos and Abby saw the clouds above that area begin to swirl, as they had earlier.


    With that, they were quick to fly towards that place, ready to move on with the last test of this inheritance.


    "I wonder what''s in our way now?" Minos asked Abby as he flew with her in his arms.


    "I don''t know, but we''ll find out in a moment..."


    ...


    After some time flying, Minos and Abby found themselves in a similar situation as before, flying down, only in a completely different place than before.


    That was an almost entirely white space, surrounded by clouds, with a giant golden statue of the Goddess of Life in the center of that area.


    Seeing this, Minos flew with Abby, not taking long to land in the vicinity.


    As they did so, the two saw black clouds entering the body of that statue as if the statue''s ''skin'' was absorbing it.


    A second later, that thing looked down and came to life. "So, you passed my second test, huh?" It said in a playful tone.


    Upon hearing this, Minos looked away and clicked his tongue.


    Abby then asked. "Goddess of Life, what is the meaning of that last test? Why did I have to make those decisions? Wasn''t that too easy?"


    She looked at Abby and smiled. "Too easy? They may have been easy for you who have a strong mental strength and know what you want..."


    "But an unstable person, who has no idea what they want out of life, would be very tempted to make different decisions on that test, even considering the common sense." She looked at Minos. "You may not have felt it, but during that test, I poisoned you with a substance that forces you only to speak and think the truth."


    "Oh?" Minos opened his mouth, this being the first time he had been poisoned without having the slightest notion.


    But looking at his Spatial Kingdom ring, he knew that the reason for this was simply because the Goddess of Life had not threatened his life.


    ? The Goddess of Life then continued. "As for the meaning of those choices, well, that was to test the mental toughness of my chosen ones."


    "Originally, the test was supposed to be different. But when I saw your relationship and your little boyfriend''s influence in your life, I realized that testing you in this way would be more appropriate."


    "If you were not compatible, it would be better to find out now and separate further down the line than to have destructive surprises in the future." She looked at the two of them seriously. "Sometimes there are times of crisis in a relationship. And in those times, if both parties lack certain characteristics, the ability to make difficult but necessary choices, only failure awaits them."


    "So, I gave you a test that involved the situation of one''s dream, the worst that could happen to the other, and the end of both."


    "The first choice tested the couple''s ability to continue together, even in the necessity of sacrificing a baby." She looked thoughtfully at Abby, "As my heiress, I can''t let you kill yourself for a child."


    "The second was a test of whether you, Abby, would be able to help your man solve the problem, even if in a cruel way." She looked at Minos. "A betrayal can be catastrophic... You have no idea!"


    "As for the last one, that was your proof of love towards him, something that will serve to pave the complicit relationship you need to have."


    "Only then will you both reach your respective peaks, and my inheritance not be wasted." She smiled, showing her ultimate goal.


    ...

 Chapter ?1167 Decisions that Could Prevent the Worst

    Chapter ?1167 Decisions that Could Prevent the Worst


    "So, that was the reason..." Abby reflexively commented as she placed one of her hands on her chin. "Were those situations just simulations to provoke us? Why did they have the appearances of Minos'' wives?"


    Upon hearing this, the golden statue smiled and looked at Minos. "I manipulated their appearances to pressure your little boyfriend, Abby." Then, she looked at her chosen one. "The worst thing a man can do is allow himself to be destroyed by a woman."


    "When they do that, not only do they go bad, but all those who are with them suffer the consequences."


    Minos listened to this in silence, just watching that statue that seemed to have the soul fragment of the Goddess of Life.


    Soul fragments could last longer if they inhabited receptacles, so it was not strange for them to come across that statue and recognize it.


    "So, it was a test for Minos..." Abby looked at him, understanding that.


    The statue then continued. "Anyway, apart from those appearances you saw, everything else happened in my time."


    "What?" Abby and Minos exclaimed in surprise.


    The Goddess of Life explained further. "It did not happen as you saw it since you made the best possible choices for such situations, in my judgment. But each case occurred in my homeland and had great consequences for everyone involved at the time."


    "What happened?" Minos asked as his eyes narrowed.


    Abby was also curious and heard from the Goddess. "Well, let''s start with the first choice you made."


    "Do you remember the old woman on a crutch who tried to get the midwife to save the mother?" She asked and saw the two of them nod their heads. "Well, she was right. She was a very capable seer, but the people in that village did not know it and mistook her for a madwoman."


    "She saw that if the child were born, that woman''s betrayed husband would kill the entire village upon discovering his wife''s accomplishment. But he could not kill the bastard."


    "Not only that, that little bastard eventually grew up to become... Do you know who?" She looked at them solemnly.


    "Don''t tell me that..." Minos muttered as he thought of that woman''s great enemy.


    "Exactly. The little bastard was the one who would become the God of Death, my mortal enemy." She said with certain resentment in her voice.


    "That..." Abby opened her mouth, not expecting that to be the outcome.


    "Sigh..."


    "It''s just like you think. The God of Death and I are from the same area, the only difference being that I was a few decades older than him. Anyway, because he was born in that area, the sect closest to there, the organization I belonged to, naturally rescued him."


    "Eventually, things happened, as you have heard from my subordinates."


    "Wow!"


    "So, the midwife saved him, his mother died, and many tragedies happened because of a single birth..." Abby muttered, finding it unique how one decision could tremendously change the fate of countless souls.


    The Goddess nodded in agreement. "If he had not been saved, everything he did in his life would not have happened. Not only that, the betrayed man would have forgiven his wife, who would still be alive, and the village would have been saved."


    "Only he, a monster, would have died."


    Minos looked at her and asked. "How do you know all this?"


    She looked at him. "I talked to that old seer during my investigations regarding the person who destroyed my family."


    "When she learned that the bastard had been saved, she fled that place and survived. But she couldn''t see how terrible he would become..."


    "I see..." Minos looked down thoughtfully.


    She continued. "In the second choice, on the other hand, that situation happened about 30 years before the birth of the God of Death, when I was still living in that village."


    "At that time, I was just a girl, younger than you, Abby." She looked at the blue-haired young woman. "But even so, I remember very well when one of the strongest workers in the village became famous for being a cuckold."


    "He not only found out what his wife had done, but he also forgave her and let her lover get away." She looked at Minos. "That poor decision ended his life and half a dozen people close to his family."


    "What happened?" Abby asked.


    The Goddess explained. "At first, nothing. They lived together for about six months as if her cheating on him when he left for work was a necessary thing in their relationship."


    "But after that period, she had fallen in love with her lover and stopped having feelings for her husband."


    "When her husband touched her, she felt like she was cheating on her lover..." She laughed, remembering the things she saw and heard, being the neighbor of that family.


    "The day came when the lover no longer wanted to be just a lover, but the spouse. So tell me, what did they do?" She asked the two.


    "Did they run away together?" Abby naively asked.


    "That could have been done. But neither the woman nor her lover had any money or anywhere to go. They were two good-for-nothing people who depended on their families."


    "What happened? Simple, she knew that her husband had assets, many crystals with him, the necessary for them to live together. With that information and her wishes, it wasn''t long before the two lovers plotted the death of the poor husband''s entire family."


    Gulp!


    "How awful!" Abby exclaimed as she hugged Minos.


    "Yes, it was a horror. Even his and the adulteress'' son was killed by her lover..."


    "Sigh!"


    "That woman was lost."


    "Anyway, eventually, the lovers got married, had children, and all died because of that betrayed husband by the mother of the God of Death."


    "Fuck." Minos said in surprise, not expecting such a connection.


    But he frowned his eyebrows and asked. "They kept living in the same village after they killed an entire family? Isn''t that strange? Didn''t anyone do anything about it?"


    She smiled as she realized how clever Minos was. "Well, that should be the case. But apart from a half dozen people, myself included, no one else knew about it."


    "I don''t know exactly why that was. I was just a little girl at the time. But that was a secret that didn''t get out." She commented as she looked at the horizon as if seeing back those scenes from her remote past.


    She put aside her nostalgia and finished talking about that test. "As for the third choice you made, Abby, I heard that story from the mouth of the woman who sold her husband for a chance to move ahead."


    "She didn''t make your choice. Instead, she coldly killed her husband that day, having swallowed her feelings for him dry and done what her reason said was best for her."


    "She loved him, but she always loved herself more. Because of that, she had the strength to do that, to kill her husband and follow through with the organization that had set that up."


    "She kept him in her heart and felt terrible for about four months. But then she met the master of the man who had partnered with her and eventually gave herself body and soul to him and later became that person''s wife."


    "At first, she had only sold herself to such a person for the opportunities she would have. But she eventually learned to like him and even fell in love." She sighed. "This woman was the greatest ally of the God of Death in my time. She told me this story before I killed her."


    She looked at Abby and Minos. "You can imagine how much damage she must have done for allying with that bastard, right? She was one of the few people who made the path of that curse possible."


    Minos and Abby nodded, understanding that although their choices had been cruel, they would undoubtedly bring less negative results than what happened.


    "Anyway, don''t forget those stories, make the hard choices when necessary, and don''t forgive anyone."


    "People will always do what they want, so never believe someone will change for you. It never happens."


    "So, let''s finalize this inheritance..."

 Chapter ?1168 Soul Fragment Absorption

    Chapter ?1168 Soul Fragment Absorption


    The Goddess of Life looked seriously at Abby and then said. "Are you prepared to receive my inheritance? There will be no turning back once the last test begins."


    "Yes, I am." She stated in determination as she felt safe having one of her hands wrapped around Minos'' left hand.


    Minos watched as the golden statue looked down at them from her superior position. "Very good." She said as she moved one of her hands toward Abby''s forehead.


    "The third test of my inheritance is a little special. You will receive my inheritance but must fulfill a mission outside of here. If you fail, you will die. If you succeed, you will permanently have these powers and characteristics I will give you."


    Minos'' eyebrows drew together tightly at that. "What mission is that? We won''t accept it if it''s something too ridiculous."


    She glared at him, but it was not against this young man. She knew Minos had the power to decide things in that blue-haired young woman''s life.


    "You will have to erase the last traces of the existence of the God of Death from this world. Exterminate everyone who carries his lineage or who has his powers. Erase the techniques and destroy the inheritance he left."


    "Did he truly leave an inheritance?" Minos questioned, only to confirm the questioning he had done earlier.


    The statue nodded at him. "Yes, he did. I can feel the sickening sensation of him coming from the northeast of this area outside the Secret Tomb."


    ''That must be Albano...'' Minos considered, realizing that the skeleton from earlier really was not just making a wild assumption.


    She turned back to Abby. "Anyway, I was that bastard''s greatest enemy, so my heiress will continue my crusade until you finish my business with him or die trying."


    "In return for that, Abby, I will pass on two techniques to you that, when learned, will give you a fusion that will have 5% of the original power of my innate ability." She smiled. "And don''t worry, they are Golden-grade techniques, so you won''t have to give up better things that your little boyfriend might be able to give you."


    Gulp!


    She swallowed her saliva in anticipation since this woman''s skill was compelling. "Will I be able to create an army of undead like you did?"


    "Hmm, among other things..." She casually replied while making a stance that showed her pride.


    "But what I will give you best will be my soul fragment." She said a little louder, already beginning to prepare to be absorbed by her chosen one.


    "Oh? Are you going to do that?" Minos'' eyes sparkled in joy, as there was only one method known among the great experts of this world in increasing one''s talent.


    Letting your soul fragments be absorbed by someone else!


    That had happened to Minos more than 15 years ago, when Henricus Longus'' soul fragment had fused with his soul, becoming a powerful nutrient for it.


    That had raised Minos'' talent to a higher degree than Golden and left all the essential knowledge of that being to him.


    Because of this, he could not help but feel excited to discover that Abby could achieve something similar here.


    "Minos?" Abby asked him in doubt, not understanding the situation.


    He smiled at her and explained. "Abby, when the soul of a living being comes into direct contact with a soul fragment of someone who has already died, the living side dominates and absorbs the other."


    "In doing so, such a person achieves the rare spiritual cleansing of the soul, as well as the nourishment of the soul." He hugged her in happiness. "That means your talent will increase, just as the degree of your Physique would increase after you absorb the energy of a medicine of a certain rank!"


    "Hmmm." The statue nodded.


    That was ancient knowledge of how to increase one''s talent. But, unfortunately, the only way this could work was if the expert behind the fragment had already passed level 90 and sacrificed part of his soul before he died!


    Since everyone wanted to live as long as possible and did not like the idea of sacrificing part of themselves, most would not leave behind fragments capable of being absorbed. What they did leave in their inheritance, when they did it in time, was a kind of fragment containing their memories, not their soul.


    Because of this, the evolution of an individual''s talent was extremely rare, and most people thought such a thing was even impossible.


    Upon understanding this, Abby cried joyfully, happy that she could solve one of the problems that troubled her the most.


    She knew her talent was far inferior to that of Minos, Ruth, and Gloria. She felt this every time she trained, sometimes having much more difficulty than her harem sisters in understanding her techniques.


    At the same time, Abby knew that there would come a day when Minos and those two would continue to advance while she would be forced to stay behind, frozen in time, aging.


    That frightened her terribly!


    Even though she still had a long time left to experience it, the idea that one day she would die and Minos could still stay in this world for tens of thousands of years haunted her. What would happen in such a situation? He would forget her, she was sure!


    The most she could go with her Black talent and all the resources of the Spatial Kingdom was level 89. But that would only give her a little over 12,000 years of life. Minos, on the other hand, Abby was sure he would become a God and eventually stay in this world for over 51,000 years.


    The difference was too significant!


    So when Abby found out she had a chance to solve this problem, she jumped for joy, forgetting that if she failed, she would die...


    After this moment of delight, she looked into the eyes of the statue and thanked it. "Thank you for the opportunity, Goddess of Life. I will do my best to eliminate the remnants of the God of Death!"


    "Hmmm." The Goddess nodded as she gestured for Minos to move away from Abby, "I will now pass on my inheritance to you."


    "Luckily, your little boyfriend helped you in the first test, and you absorbed much of my soul power left in the enemy bodies. So, that will improve our results now!"


    "Oh? So, that''s what that thing was for?" Minos questioned in a low voice.


    At the same time, the statue of the Goddess of Life left one of her hands above Abby, fully open, slightly distorting the space around Minos'' wife. Her other hand then began to disappear as if it were coming apart.


    But as this happened, a silver staff emerged from where her arm disappeared and flew towards Abby.


    After it lightly sliced across her forehead with its sharp part, the silver staff glowed internally, and its golden gem turned utterly blue.


    The Goddess then explained. "This artifact will help you control the fusion of the two techniques you inherit. In addition, it will give you stability and other advantages needed to use such a magical skill."


    After saying this, the statue looked at Minos and nodded as if saying goodbye.


    "Good luck, Abby. With his help, it may not be hard for you to complete this mission and surpass me one day..."


    "Sigh!"


    "Unfortunately, I died trying to advance to level 100, failing in my last step." She revealed her biggest defeat. "But maybe you will have a better result."


    "I''ll be supporting you on the other side..." Her voice trailed off as the entire statue suddenly turned to dust until it disappeared along with the drop in lighting in the surrounding area.


    Meanwhile, Abby fell into a meditative state, with a golden cloud glowing in her surroundings.

 Chapter 1169 Time Of Seclusion And Return

    After watching Abby fall into a deep sleep, Minos knew this would take some time to resolve, just as it had with him.


    Obviously, the two things could not be compared since Henricus Longus and the Goddess of Life, as well as the level 0, 9-year-old him, and the level 60, 31-year-old Abby, were quite different.


    But even if such a thing was not going to take six years to resolve, Minos was sure that it was not something that would be resolved in a day or two.


    However, while thinking about what to do, a giant wormhole appeared below him, opening the way for the two of them to leave this place.


    Seeing this, Minos promptly made Abby float under his command, controlling her body so that she would not fall or leave her state when they returned to the crypt of the Walker family palace.


    And with that, in the blink of an eye, the two appeared in that place in the same way that had happened with Wilfred, drawing the attention of the guards in position.


    "Uh? The statue of the Goddess is gone..." One of them commented, just before he saw the two dressed in armor landing in that place.


    "Your Majesties!" They all ran closer to Minos and Abby in reverence, happy that the two had returned well.


    They did not give a damn what happened to the Black Plain royal family in everyday situations. But with the presence of Gloria and Ruth in their family for the last 15 days, they could not help but be concerned about Minos and Abby''s situation.


    What would happen to them if Minos and Abby did not return?


    They were worried about that, so they were happy to see the two of them safe and sound.


    "What''s the matter with you? Why all this excitement?" Minos asked with a smile on his face.


    "Answering Your Majesty. Days have passed since the supreme elder''s return and this moment. So, your wives were already getting worried." One of them promptly replied.


    "Oh? Days?" Minos asked in surprise. "For me, it hasn''t even been two hours since I last saw Wilfred."


    "Two hours?" The people there looked at each other, amazed at the difference in the passage of time between the two sides.


    And in fact, each test of that inheritance took place in a different part of the Secret Tomb, where time worked differently.


    Certain combinations of Natural Laws could result in unintended effects, creating this kind of situation.


    In this case, how the Goddess of Life had created that inheritance and how she had placed Abby and Minos in an illusion, messing with their senses, had generated such an effect in time and space.


    Because of all this, days had passed since Wilfred''s return!


    "Well, take me to my wives. It''s time for us to leave this place!" He said as he walked with Abby floating in front of him, along with the golden cloud in her surroundings.


    "Right away, Your Majesty!" One of them said as he took the lead and directed Minos to the right place.


    As another set off to report Blake and company, it did not take long for Minos to arrive at the residence where Gloria and Ruth were eating at this very moment.


    "Minos!" Gloria saw the face of her baby''s father and ran up to him, smiling at finally being able to be with her man.


    Ruth also got up and went towards him to hug him, but she could not help but notice Abby. "What happened to her?"


    While hugging his favorite pregnant, Minos replied to Ruth. "We finished the main part of the Goddess of Life''s inheritance, and now Abby is absorbing her gains."


    "Oh?" Ruth smiled at that, genuinely happy that the queen of the Black Plain had accomplished something so good.


    "Have you finished the main part? Is there still more?" Gloria asked as she looked up and saw her husband''s face.


    "Hmm, we still have to pursue and eliminate the traces of the God of Death, the great enemy of the Goddess of Life." He replied.


    "God of Death? The same one who was worshipped by the Scourges of the Devil?" Ruth asked in surprise.


    "Yes, the said one."


    "God of Death... I don''t remember anyone like that. Even after the stories Wilfred told about that place. I still don''t remember anyone like that in history." Gloria commented.


    "Well, he had pretty impressive powers. So, maybe there''s some sort of secrecy about information about him." Minos commented, considering that it could be hazardous if ambitious people found out about that man.


    ''The Spiritual Church must have kept his information to the higher up... And the same must be true for the Goddess of Life. They were mortal enemies, so if information about her were available, there would be an indirect way to find out about him.'' He finally understood why he knew nothing of these two experts before he entered the Secret Tomb.


    "So, what do we do?" The beautiful redhead in his arms asked.


    He hugged Ruth along with Gloria and answered. "I discovered that the God of Death''s inheritance location is somewhere in Albano. So, when we return from the Flaming Empire, we will go through that state to sort it out."


    "Albano? Are you sure?" Ruth asked in doubt. "Aren''t you trying to find an excuse to pass through that kingdom of depraved people?"


    Minos almost laughed at his wife''s concern. "One of the enemy skeletons in the first test told me about it, and the soul fragment of the Goddess of Life indicated that there was a mark of that fellow''s power in Albano''s direction. So, I am certain that such a thing is in that area."


    "And how will we find it?" Gloria questioned.


    He mysteriously smiled. "I already have a method of solving it. When we return from the Flaming Empire, it probably won''t be hard for us to find the way..."


    Ruth realized a problem and then asked. "If you haven''t finished this inheritance yet, what is the deadline for us to fulfill this requirement?"


    Minos'' eyes widened in surprise while a bitter smile appeared on his face. "Good question. She didn''t say that to me, but I think Abby will know when she wakes up..."


    "In any case, doing something like that shouldn''t be easy, even more so considering Abby''s level. So, I don''t think the time frame is short, or the Goddess of Life would be unrealistic with the person she left her powers to."


    "Makes sense..." The two beauties hugging him commented as they looked at Abby.


    "How long will she stay like this?"


    "I don''t know. It''s hard to say, but I estimate from a few weeks to months." He said to Ruth, seeing her surprised look.


    "So what do we do now? Do we wait for her to wake up?" This black-haired woman asked.


    "No. We''ll return to Dry City, settle some business there, and leave for the Flaming Empire. I''m sure Abby will wake up in time to enjoy the trip alongside us."


    "OK!"


    When the two agreed, Blake and Wilfred arrived at that place, curious to find out what had happened in the latter part of the inheritance.


    Wilfred''s mother had already left for Dry City, so only those two were there to talk to Minos.


    "Your Majesty, did you make it?" Wilfred asked as he saw the golden cloud around Abby, indicating a good thing.


    Minos nodded and said. "Yes, we have finished our business in this place and will leave for our state in a moment."


    "Already?" Blake asked, hoping they would at least stay for a celebratory feast.


    His family had gained much from Wilfred, so Blake could not help but feel indebted to Minos, who had made the supreme elder''s return possible.


    "No, thank you. We''re leaving your city right now. See you later!" Minos said this, bringing the floating Abby to his side as he headed toward the exit of the royal palace.


    ...

 Chapter 1170 Back Home

    After saying goodbye to the two brothers, Minos and his wives left the Walker family''s royal palace and flew to where their mount should be waiting.


    "Minos, what will we do with Abby? We can''t travel with her like this..." Gloria commented without giving it much thought.


    He smiled at her. "Don''t worry. As soon as we leave Athela, I will take her to the Spatial Kingdom and leave her in our room."


    "We''ll be on our way together after that."


    "All right, then." She commented in a low voice while already thinking about their trip to the Flaming Empire. "How many days will we stay in Dry City before our trip? For that matter, how will we make the journey there? There are some pretty quick methods of getting us to the capital."


    Ruth said to her in Minos'' place. "Minos likes to sightsee on his trips, so he naturally wants to travel slowly."


    "Sightsee?" He repeated her. "I like to fight opponents on my way! And what''s wrong with seeing some different places while training?"


    "That''s what I said. He likes to train while traveling." Ruth commented with a smile, looking at Gloria.


    "And where will we start our sightseei... our training trip, honey?" The beautiful redhead asked as the three of them flew through Athela.


    He answered her. "We will depart the region through the Cromwell Kingdom, traveling through Vogel. We will take the chance to approach the royal family and try to kidnap someone capable of speaking."


    "After we resolve that, we will continue traveling through Rosser and then enter the Flaming Empire through the territory of the Holy Sect and then leave for the capital. We will only stop by the Gray Clouds Sect to get to know that place after all this."


    "Oh? It looks like you''ve already thought of everything..." Ruth commented.


    "Hmmm." He nodded. "We will also take the opportunity to meet some branches of the Spiritual Church on the way to the empire. Let''s start our connection with them for the sake of the future."


    "How do you intend to do that? Aren''t we too weak for that at the moment?" Gloria looked at him.


    "Weak? With spiritual crystals, that has no influence." He laughed. "In any case, we won''t start our relationship with these Spiritual Church ranks by already going to talk to their leaders. First, we will bring medium and high-level Spiritual Emperors to our side."


    "They will have more influence in the short time, but they will be more available to associate with Black Plain."


    "Oh?" She opened her mouth, liking how Minos handled this, which was even a little better than she had planned for her rise in the Church.


    "What will we do about these enemy states of the Flaming Empire? That problematic relationship of them may hinder our advances with the Church branches of that area." She commented. "Our branches have never been very united because of this."


    "That will be resolved in time." He looked into her eyes and said. "When they realize they are in the same boat, those problems will be over."


    "Our boat?" Ruth laughed because of how Minos saw things...


    "Exactly!"


    ...


    A month and a half later...


    After traveling without much haste, but also without being slow, Minos'' group arrived in Dry City early this morning!


    Abby was still in an unconscious state within the Spatial Kingdom, so Minos arrived in his city and received a glorious welcome from his forces, accompanied only by Ruth and Gloria.


    In doing so, he discovered that some visitors had arrived in Dry City while others had left due to their advances. That was the case with Jade, who had advanced to level 60 in this period, leaving this city shortly before her husband arrived to begin his seclusion there.


    On the other hand, Minos was surprised to learn that one more of his soldiers had broken through to the 7th stage, Elena, that woman so close to him.


    Besides that, almost none of Minos'' high-level soldiers or even allies and vassals had made advances in this period, so he did not notice anything significant in his arrival.


    But not only he but Ruth and Gloria had noticed during their trip that the Black Plain had developed more in the months they had been away.


    More cities and green regions were visible from the skies of these areas, demonstrating the population advances that kept happening.


    And it was not long before they put their experiences observing this territory during their return to the test along with the soldiers and members of the local government.


    ...


    "Your Grace, we have officially reached the 40 million population mark in the main area of the Black Plain and 80 million in our entire state." A local government member proudly said.


    "Hmm, we are growing at an accelerated rate..."


    "At this rate, we''ll reach our neighbors'' mark in less than five years!"


    "Hehe, we''ll be the largest state in population very soon!"


    Several comments spread throughout the royal throne hall, where Minos and his two wives were receiving the updates.


    He then said. "That''s good. We will keep the migrations as planned until we reach 200 million inhabitants. But once that happens, I want to close the Black Plain."


    "Oh? What does Your Grace have in mind?" A member of the government asked.


    "Once we have all the labor needed to develop our territory, there will no longer be a need for us to bring ordinary people here. Then we will make it harder for them to migrate to the Black Plain to improve our state''s quality." He said.


    The people in that place nodded in agreement, aware that such a thing was necessary.


    "But we will begin our development projects outside the Black Plain once we reach that mark." He continued. "We''ll start that on Stone Island, then the Kingdom of the End, and the other states after that."


    "That way, we will give the regional population reason not to depend solely on the Black Plain and come under our migratory controls."


    "We will do that, Your Grace!" Some men there said, surprised at Minos'' commitment to maintaining law and order by developing other parts of the region.


    After a few more minutes of conversation, one of them brought up an important subject for discussion. "Your Grace, the first Giant Turtles are already on the Black Plain."


    "Oh?" The two women next to Minos opened their mouths in surprise at Albano''s efficiency in sending those creatures.


    "That was quick." He smiled.


    "Hmm, we have already started doing business with that kingdom, and the three turtles in our state are already working with the army forces." A soldier reported.


    "They fly a few kilometers above the security area of the capital''s belt of satellite cities, Your Grace."


    "That''s good." Minos nodded as he looked at that person. "I''ll be leaving soon to travel to the Flaming Empire, so it is better that this defensive line is already working."


    "Will you travel already?" Abby''s father, who was also there, asked in surprise since he already knew about his daughter''s situation. "What about Abby?"


    "She will be going with me. I think she will finish her ''seclusion'' before my group leaves the northern region. So, she won''t miss anything." He said as he looked at that man.


    "Sigh..."


    ''I was more concerned about talking to her before she left for such a dangerous place...'' Eliot sighed after hearing Minos'' response.


    Minos then stood up and said. "Anyway, I want the regional leaders in my state to come over here because I have something to talk to them about." He ordered. "Also invite the highest level members of the regional branches of the Church. I have things to talk to them about as well."


    "Yes, Your Grace!"

 Chapter ?1171 Big Meeting in Dry City

    Chapter ?1171 Big Meeting in Dry City


    Two weeks later...


    After Minos'' call, the regional leaders who were already in the Black Plain, and those closest to this state, moved to Dry City to hear what he had to say.


    The same had happened with the principal regional Bishops, those members of the Spiritual Church that Minos had invited to his city.


    And just one of the last Bishops to arrive in Minos'' capital was reaching the Stuart family''s royal palace at this very moment.


    "This city is imposing!" The old Bishop in charge of the main temple of the Snow Kingdom commented on this to his two followers as he saw the surroundings of the central area of this capital city.


    From where they were standing, one could see the Black Plain Army headquarters, the bank of Minos, the local government, the central square, and the royal palace.


    Everything there differed from what one could generally see around this region, with oddly shaped buildings, wide streets, and distinctive trees.


    Also, the fact that everyone in the surroundings looked strong and well-dressed helped to create a special feeling in people seeing the place for the first time.


    But it did not take long for that Bishop''s group to be escorted inside the palace, where the meeting arranged by Minos was about to take place.


    "This way..." The soldier showed one of his hands as he stepped out of the way of a large doorway to those individuals.


    Seeing that, the three members of the Church paid attention to the sounds of conversations, typical of those crowded places, coming from inside the area they were about to enter.


    As they moved forward, they soon came upon what looked like a small amphitheater, where about 40 people were seated in three rows of seats there.


    This Bishop and his group soon noticed their colleagues, individuals dressed in purple robes among those people.


    "Do you know what is about to happen?" They heard this as they sat in the middle of the group of those individuals from the Church.


    "No... Actually, I''m trembling with fear." One of the younger people there answered that middle-aged man''s question while showing his hands to his colleagues.


    A woman then said. "I get the impression that we are here to be recruited..."


    "Impossible!" An old man commented in a slightly altered tone since he was one of the individuals from when the Church Bishops were against Minos. "He wouldn''t dare!"


    As they talked among themselves, the individuals from the large regional families there watched the Bishops and talked among themselves in doubt.


    Among them were King Carline, King Stone, representatives of the Cromwell, Brown, and Snow families, Wilfred''s mother, and members of Minos'' forces, particularly his vassals.


    Liam Gil was one of them, someone who 15 years ago was only a regional mid-level Spiritual King, without much influence, but was now among the strongest, level 61.


    Because of this, he was one of the most smiling people there and only bowed his head to Minos'' soldiers, the patriarch Nash, Hayes, Cohen, Stokes, and Miller, who were on the same level as him.


    And seeing Wilfred''s mother there, this man could not help but lick his lips.


    "Miss Walker, you look more beautiful than ever..." He commented as he sat behind this level 59 woman.


    "Patriarch Gill is exaggerating." She smiled as she looked back. "I''m old now, and I don''t care for myself like I used to..."


    "No, Miss Walker''s beauty is like fine wine. It only gets better with time." He winked at her. "I''m sure you still have many admirers and possibilities."


    She smiled, not finding this powerful man''s flirtation bad.


    Wilfred''s mother loved William Walker, the late King of the Kingdom of the Waves. But more than six years had passed since that man''s death, and with her near increase in power, she knew she could still have a long life ahead of her.


    Also, it was important for her family to have contacts outside her state, especially with Black Plain powers that had a lot of power or potential.


    That was the case with House Gill!


    And hell, she was a woman who had her needs!


    Some might think that those who love someone intensely would eventually abstain in that person''s death, but this rarely worked.


    Human beings were the most adaptable creatures in existence, beings who knew how to overcome loss and move on.


    And often, this happened, with women or men finding new love interests, overcoming past ones.


    Was this sad?


    No, because, in general, overcoming did not mean forgetting, and would not it be worse to live in lamentation, ''attached'' to something that no longer existed?


    That was the idea that people all over the Spiritual World unconsciously knew, as in the case of King Walker''s widow, who was now able to enjoy flirting with other men.


    She would naturally feel a slight resistance to relating to others, but such a thing would weaken until she once again fell in love.


    That was how the heart worked, and because of that, it was not long before that man invited her to the Gill family headquarters for a visit.


    "Yes, I will do that when I have time." She smiled at him just before becoming more serious due to the beginning of the occasion they were on.


    Eduard walked around the sides of the area in front of the rows of armchairs in that small amphitheater and announced. "Your Graces, Ruth Miles and Gloria Frost, royal consorts!"


    The two women entered and stood on two different sides of a small piece of furniture that had the Black Plain symbol on it.


    Mirya then moved, showing her beautiful body in her golden armor, and said. "Your Grace, Minos Stuart, the king of the Black Plain!"


    Minos walked through that small area, attracting the stares of everyone there, along with the absolute silence of those who were either very respectful or afraid of him.


    He stood behind the small piece of furniture, with Ruth on his right side and Gloria on his left, looking from one side of that place to the other.


    He smiled and then began to speak. "I will soon be leaving the northern region to visit some of our neighbors and the Flaming Empire."


    "I will be doing business in these places I pass, which will change the region even more, so prepare yourselves for the future. Spiritual Emperors won''t be much of a thing in these areas in a few decades."


    Everyone there listened to him with surprise and a bit of shock. As impressive as Minos was, none thought the region was ready to get involved with outside powers. Even more so considering how he seemed to want to...


    At first, they thought he would leave the region for his own sake, not because he wanted to bring even more outside trouble into these areas!


    With that, many there were open-mouthed at Minos'' words.


    He then became more serious and said with a bit of his murderous intent in his tone. "Since I will be gone for a few years, I want everyone here to be aware that if any of your organizations cause trouble in my absence, I will show no mercy!"


    "Spread the word to your higher-ups. Anyone who disregards the orders of the Black Plain or hinders the progress of my government will have their entire family sentenced to extermination once I return."


    "Take this seriously because I am not joking!"


    He then smiled and dispersed his murderous intent. "But those who play by the rules, I assure you they will not regret it and will have chances like the ones I have given to peak Spiritual Kings in recent months."


    "Any questions?"


    ...

 Chapter ?1172 New Leadership

    Chapter ?1172 New Leadership


    After Minos'' question, no one there showed any displeasure at being threatened in that way.


    Many there already knew Minos'' ways and expected no different from him. As for the others, they no longer had terrible intentions against the Black Plain for several reasons. So, although they felt a little afraid, they were not worried.


    All they had to do was control their families, keeping the information of Minos'' absence among the higher echelons so that their forces would continue the paths they were already following.


    On the other hand, even in Minos'' absence, the Black Plain was much stronger than all the rest of the region, so it did not make much sense to think of rebellions.


    Hence, no one questioned King Stuart''s unfriendly warning, only nodding in agreement, indicating that they understood what he had said and would follow his orders.


    Minos smiled as he saw those expressions and signs, satisfied. He then paid attention to where the many Bishops of the Spiritual Church were standing. "As for you, friends of the Church, I have good news for you..."


    Gulp!


    Sounds of saliva being swallowed reverberated through that area, with many people there already wondering what Minos was up to against the Church.


    "For those interested in joining my wife''s faction, we will open certain doors on the Black Plain for you." He opened his arms wide as he said this. "All you will have to do is listen to the words of the Stuart family, and we will get along just fine."


    "That..." The people there looked at each other in doubt as to whether they saw Minos trying to involve himself in the affairs of the Spiritual Church.


    "Your Majesty, I don''t quite understand what you are suggesting..." One of the older Bishops there said this strangely.


    "Don''t you know?" Minos laughed as he picked up a Spiritual Church ID. "Gloria and I have been recognized as wife and husband by the Spiritual Church. Do you know what that means?"


    "It can''t be..." Some of Minos'' former enemies in that organization stood up in shock.


    Meanwhile, the women there more or less confirmed their assumptions.


    Minos closed his eyes and nodded in agreement. "I am not like you, but even though I am an external member, I have privileges in the Spiritual Church..."


    "As someone at the 7th stage, I naturally can command all of you..." He opened his eyes and saw the pale expressions of those people who finally saw Minos dominate this region''s last remaining remnant.


    At the same time as this, the members of the regional nobility and royalty were watching the members of the Church in surprise, shocked to discover that Minos had become someone from that organization.


    To make matters worse, those individuals seemed to have no options in front of him, as if he was a superior, not just someone stronger.


    Gloria then opened her mouth to speak for the first time on this occasion. "Don''t be so depressed. That is also my intention. Don''t you wish for something more than being Spiritual Kings in this region?"


    "In the future, Minos will raise the regional level, and the time will come when even you will lose your places here to people from outside. So, don''t waste this opportunity we are giving you."


    "Come over to our side, and we will give you opportunities to become Spiritual Emperors in a few years like these other people here are having!" She nodded in the direction of the regional nobility and royalty.


    One of the purple-clothed women swallowed her saliva and asked the obvious. "Is it okay if we discuss this in front of people outside the Church?"


    Ruth stepped forward and explained Minos'' goal with all this. "It''s not a secret to the Church that our family is an outside member. We even have powers that can be used to command members of the Church..."


    "But beyond that, we want your groups to know that you are all in the same boat along with these Church members. We want you to work together to organize, strengthen and protect the region."


    "That''s why we held this meeting with all of you simultaneously."


    Minos massaged one of Ruth''s shoulders and said. "It''s like Ruth said. We''re all in the same boat... The recent threat we faced is just one example of that."


    "What do you think will happen if the Black Plain falls?" He asked seriously, looking in the direction of King Carline.


    That man saw that and sighed before answering. "Chaos and destruction. The region has grown accustomed to the new times, and the hypothetical fall of the Black Plain would throw the entire region into war for the resources that would be missing or left at hand."


    "Hmmm." Several people agreed.


    Wilfred''s mother then said. "With the possibilities of the Black Plain, an external enemy would probably try to impose itself on us through not so pleasant methods..."


    Minos then continued after a few more comments. "But what will happen if the Black Plain continues to prosper?" He looked at one of the women members of the Spiritual Church.


    She then replied. "The region will keep getting stronger, along with the regional powers and eventually even us..."


    Gloria then said. "Let''s be realistic. Eventually, some powers that currently exist will lose ground in the region. But everyone will have growth opportunities as long as the Black Plain can prosper and our conditions are not that hard to follow, right?"


    "So, that''s the point. We are in the same boat, and external threats will try to stand in our way. You have only two choices, fight for a bright future of opportunity or stay behind and suffer the negative consequences of our boat sinking."


    Minos opened his arms and gestured with his hands. "That''s why all of you are here. I am being open with all of you by showing you my plans and clarifying who will be on our side."


    "Now, it is up to you to decide whether or not you want to be part of our faction and have an entire region on your side." He said, looking thoughtfully at the members of the Church, while even the nobles and members of the royalty felt that these people had to agree.


    Even if some did not like Minos, as in the case of the people coming from the Brown Kingdom, they could not ignore the threat of the migrants from Albano.


    Those were just common criminals in Albano, but they had gathered a force capable of annihilating kingdoms in this region!


    But there were millions of people like that in Albano alone, and the northern region of the Central Continent still had three other states of the same level as this one bordering it!


    In this case, these people had become much more aware of the external dangers and their defenselessness. And with the knowledge of what was in the dark, they could not just close their eyes and hope it was not real.


    They could only think that being with the Black Plain was the best and that they needed the branches of the Spiritual Church on their side!


    "All right, my branch will go along with the plans of Archbishop Frost and her family..." One of them said after standing up.


    Then, each representative of the regional branches of the Spiritual Church did the same as that old man, declaring their intention to participate in Minos'' plans.


    "Good!" He commented in satisfaction. "We will be signing some contracts in the next few days, but you can already take advantage of the local services to get stronger."


    "We''ll have a long journey ahead of us, so don''t hold back." He said before grabbing the waists of his two women and slowly leaving that area.


    And so, some people there soon began to discuss, some thinking about alliances and partnerships, taking advantage of the opportunity to be near many important people.


    As for the members of the Church, they soon left the area to search for such local opportunities!

 Chapter ?1173 Intention

    Chapter ?1173 Intention


    Three weeks later...


    After the previous situation with the members of the Spiritual Church of this region and members of large regional organizations, Minos confirmed his agreements with those Bishops.


    At the same time, each of those nobles or members of the regional royalty had sent messages to their powers regarding what had happened in the royal palace of Minos.


    They were on this dangerous journey together, so none of them failed to alert their more powerful companions about those points.


    And with that, Minos and his family were preparing to leave the Black Plain, settling the last matters in Dry City.


    Abby was still sleeping in the Spatial Kingdom, but no one was worried about her situation since all this was already expected.


    With that, the Elite Squad soldiers who were training in the Spatial Kingdom and most of the royal family''s beasts left that place to return to Black Plain.


    Besides Abby, the only living beings that continued to live there at this point were Maida and Kyla.


    With this trip to the Flaming Empire that Minos was about to make, he had decided to allow the Nine-tailed Fox to accompany him.


    She was already level 57, very close to becoming a Spiritual Emperor, having enough strength to accompany Minos'' group.


    As for Emlyn, level 62, she would stay to take care of the Black Plain alongside Dillian and was not worried about having to part with her daughter.


    She knew Minos very well and knew that Kyla would not be at risk of being at his side.


    And so, the time for their journey was approximating, with Minos making his last territory inspection today, the day before his departure.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in an area in the vicinity of the capital of the Black Plain, a young man with blood-colored hair and eyes was floating on the outskirts, looking down with interest.


    The vertical scar in the middle of his forehead trembled from time to time as he smiled, feeling that this place indeed was, as the rumors said.


    ''The energy here is much better than the rest of this region...'' He pondered as he felt the natural spiritual fluctuation of the surroundings and remembered the things he had seen in the past few days.


    ''The food here is excellent, and there is a constant growth and development of local services...''


    "This place is perfect for me to hide!" Then, he made up his mind, muttering in a low voice as he clenched his fists.


    This level 67 individual was evading his former organization, the Saints Killing Sect, which had backstabbed him and tried to kill him because of his innate ability.


    He had been a member like any other, loyal and hardworking. But then, one day, his special trait was discovered by a dorm-mate, who eventually brought trouble to this young talent.


    Unfortunately for him, instead of being nurtured and appreciated, that sect was planning a special ritual to steal his third eye and pass it on to the sect master!


    He discovered such a thing and abandoned his family and sect, having fought many times in the past six years, finally having arrived in this region to continue hiding from his persecutors.


    This fellow had heard about the Black Plain when rumors about this place were spreading in the Albano underworld. After such things were confirmed, including an agreement between that kingdom and this state, the young man in question decided to come and investigate the areas commanded by Minos.


    He felt that hiding in the poor northern region of the Central Continent would give him an advantage since it would be more difficult for his old sect to track him down.


    With fewer high-level experts around, it was easier to identify opponents and more difficult for the enemy side to keep an eye on him and receive information from third-party organizations.


    So, with the possibility of peacefully cultivating in this region without great danger, this man could not help but smile as he looked down.


    But in life, things don''t always go as planned!


    While admiring his new home, a gigantic turtle appeared among the clouds, looking at him strangely.


    "Uh? This beast?" The man noticed the gigantic creature looking down at him from above while many winged beings departed from its shell to fly over his surroundings.


    That was the first group of the Black Plain air force!


    But among these individuals flying in the surroundings, not all were on mounts, and a royal entourage was there at this very moment.


    "Hmmm?" Minos, who was checking that area, looked at the red-haired young man, surprised that someone so strong would appear on his territory.


    "What is a level 67 Spiritual Emperor doing in my territory without asking permission to enter nor notifying his passage?" Minos said in an authoritative tone, looking down.


    The man frowned as he heard Minos'' confident tone, surprised that there was not even an iota of reverence in that brown-haired fellow''s voice.


    Minos was on his land, so it was fair that he should have a little pride and act by his position. This red-haired man understood this. But the usual thing in situations like these was for the weaker side to show respect for the other, even in the case of a misunderstanding.


    Thus, he found this local reception strange.


    "I was traveling through the Black Plain and realized how good this place is..." He looked into Minos'' eyes and said aloud. "I have decided to live here for the time being. I hope you guys don''t mind."


    "Oh? Bother? Of course not. All you have to do is sign a commitment to the Black Plain, and naturally, we will welcome you." Minos smiled. "Otherwise, you can get the hell off my land!"


    "What if I don''t want to?" He let a little of his fighting intent spread to the surroundings to threaten these people. "I heard that the Archbishop of the Spiritual Church in this region is in Dry City. Is she the one to give you that courage?"


    The people in the surrounding area looked seriously at that individual, realizing that although he was arrogant to stand in front of all of them, he knew what he was doing.


    He was not a fool!


    "Naturally, no. How would I let a pregnant woman protect my territory?" Minos casually commented, releasing some of his murderous intent, only for that fellow to feel the terror.


    "That..." He looked more seriously at Minos, sensing that from someone younger than him for the first time in his life. ''Who is this person? How many has he killed to get to that?''


    Murderous intent was not a simple thing. It was not enough to kill to achieve such a thing. No, one who wanted to have strong killing intent needed to kill opponents one at a time.


    That is, using a technique that kills dozens at once would not serve to develop murderous intent as much as slow, cruel killings would.


    The victim''s situation was all-important for such a thing, and the more aware he was of his death, the better it was to strengthen the killer''s killing intent.


    As Minos had not only killed many people but directly eliminated many of them, one at a time, his killing intent was particularly impressive.


    And this fellow understood this the most since he had already butchered a few tens of thousands.


    With that, it did not take long for his blood to start boiling, and he put up a fighting stance to experience the powers of this cruel person in front of him.


    "If you beat me in a fight, I will sign whatever deal you want." He said loudly as a red mist began to leave his body.

 Chapter ?1174 Shaking Reality 1

    Chapter ?1174 Shaking Reality 1


    "Oh? Are you challenging me?" Minos said with a smile on his face. "A level 67 Spiritual Emperor challenging a level 61? What will happen to your honor when you lose? Will you give up your life and hide under a rock?"


    "When I lose?" That fellow laughed, finding the size of the confidence of the person in front of him interesting. "If I lose, my honor will no longer have any value since I will serve this place according to your proposed contract. So, it is meaningless!"


    Minos looked sideways and gestured for his men to move away. "If he wants to surrender and become one of you, what can I do but show him his place?" He laughed as he circulated his energies.


    As Minos did so, a golden armor appeared in his surroundings, commanded by this king''s mind to connect the right parts of his body.


    Then, a sizeable purple-bladed sword appeared in his right hand, with him already fully prepared for this combat.


    "Are you prepared?" The red-haired man asked.


    He had given Minos time to prepare since it would not be the least bit fair to be challenged by someone of a higher level and still not have the chance to at least use his artifacts.


    On the other hand, it did not make much difference to this man those items from Minos as he just wanted to challenge this person to get a feel of how someone with that murderous intent fought.


    Minos did not answer right away and asked. "What is your name? I want to know where the fool in front of me comes from."


    "Tsk!"


    "My name is Gavin Rowse. As for where I''m from, I''ll just say I''m from the south." He said as he waited for Minos to signal the start of this fight. "What about you?"


    "Who do you think I am?" Minos replied with a question, preparing to act.


    "Minos Stuart..." He frowned, looking with interest at his opponent. "They say you are a monster..." He laughed. "Where I come from, people also call me a monster..."


    "Who will be worse?"


    "We''ll see!" Minos said before moving his fingers against the air, making little spots appear over space as he used his 7th technique.


    Chaotic Gravity: Attraction!


    When Minos activated his technique, Gavin lost control over his flight and found himself heading towards his opponent''s right hand, faster and faster towards the impact.


    "What?" He was surprised by this.


    But as he felt shocked at being drawn in such a way, a black ring appeared around his body, sucking his energies like a parasite.


    Infinite Dream!


    Spatial Sword!


    Minos shot an invisible beam of energy through his eyes as he delivered a killing blow into the air with his sword, hurling a powerful blade of spiritual energy at his target.


    Being attacked with everything at the beginning of the fight, Gavin felt that his situation was not simple!


    That was not the power of someone at level 61, but something that he at level 67 had to be wary of, or he could be hurt!


    At the same time, he felt he could not easily escape the parasitic technique acting on his surroundings. Not only that, he was feeling ''stuck'' in the attraction, making him fly so that with each passing instant, it seemed to get harder for him to use his movement technique.


    ''How is this possible? I can''t do anything against this attack?'' He opened his mouth and saw that he was almost colliding with the blade sent by Minos.


    Simultaneously, he could feel that his mind was suffering a considerable mental burden while Minos seemed to be saying voices in his head.


    ''Give up...''


    ''Submit to the Black Plain...''


    ''Use your powers for a higher purpose...''


    "Bastard!" He shouted with all his might as he gave up holding back, promptly activating his lineage ability.


    The moment he shouted, drawing Minos'' attention, seven circular patterns around his pupil began to glow, circling in different directions from each other.


    With that, as the scar on his forehead seemed to tremble, wanting to open, Gavin teleported 100 meters away from where he was standing, sweating as he had narrowly escaped the enemy blow.


    Minos saw all this from his position, identifying that individual''s powers through the memories of Henricus Longus.


    He looked again at his opponent''s forehead and realized the situation.


    "Destruction Eyes, eh? No wonder you came to the northern region. You are preparing to hide from those wanting to steal your powers, right?" Minos asked.


    Destruction Eyes was an extraordinary power of the Rowse family, a power that appeared in the form of a third eye on the forehead of its host.


    Such a thing rarely appeared, being considered an ancient curse that only struck those marked by tragedy.


    And precisely because this power was not as simple as an ordinary innate ability, it was compatible with anyone with exceptional sensitivity, shared among that family.


    Such a thing was marked by the circular patterns around the pupil, which in ordinary family members was the sign of their lineage power.


    Because of this possibility, those born with the ''curse'' of the third eye had to worry about their relatives trying to steal such a thing from an early age!


    Henricus Longus had known the history of this family in his time, so Minos had readily understood Gavin''s situation.


    "What? Did you recognize this?" That red-haired fellow''s eyes opened wide as he felt fear rise in his heart.


    "I read a book about it..." Minos flew closer to that fellow, once again attacking him.


    But this time, he made no ordinary attacks. Instead, he prepared to fuse some of his techniques.


    "Let''s get this over with!" He said as he dropped his sword and brought his two hands close to his eyes.


    As he did so, the fingers of Minos'' hands trembled as if there was an invisible ball forming between the space in front of his eyes. Yet, simultaneously, his eyes glowed in rainbow colors, shining brighter and brighter as if it was getting ready to shoot.


    Infinite Dream: Shaking Reality!


    Rays of energy shot from Minos'' eyes, hitting the invisible sphere being compressed by his two hands.


    That created what appeared to be a small universe filled with glowing stars.


    Chaotic Gravity: Shaking Reality!


    The moment Gavin saw this forming, he felt a bad feeling in his being, as if he was about to face the worst nightmare of his life.


    Not only was what Minos was preparing dangerous, but the fact that his opponent had information about his innate ability was a danger in itself.


    So, he had no choice but to use everything he had!


    Destruction Eyes!


    His third eye opened, revealing an eye with the same circular patterns as the others, but did not have a pupil.


    The circular patterns in the three eyes began to rotate as pulses of energy surged from him, destroying everything in their path.


    Unfortunately for this fellow, Minos had not only been faster but had also used the one weak spot in those eyes!


    "Uh? What''s that?" Gavin realized something and shivered in fear as he felt the worst sensation of his entire life.


    ...

 Chapter ?1175 Shaking Reality 2

    Chapter ?1175 Shaking Reality 2


    When the fusion of Minos'' techniques showed its effects, Gavin felt as if his soul had left his body, as he shook uncontrollably.


    His mind had been ''pushed'' out of his body, with the surroundings swaying as if light and gravity had stopped functioning in normality.


    ''What''s happening?'' He panicked for the first time in a long time, noticing how powerless he was to move or react against Minos'' attack.


    Even the powerful innate ability he was unleashing had stopped working amidst the great mental confusion he was experiencing.


    His power was extreme, but it had a weakness, something also behind its great strength.


    The mental condition of its user!


    Gavin''s innate ability could be considered a mental one. Therefore, it depended on the mental strength of its user to be powerful and provide as much power as possible.


    But precisely because this was its strength, when its user''s mind was altered in the way that Minos had done to him, this powerful ability lost its strength!


    Since the fusion of Minos'' techniques was much stronger than Gavin''s powers, he lost all control over himself. He fell into an illusion where his soul was outside his body while he was in a shaking world!


    ''Hmmm, that works perfectly.'' Minos watched the situation with a smile on his face as he felt the exhaustion of having to use such a fusion.


    But Minos wasted no time admiring Gavin trembling as foam came out of his mouth. No, King Stuart flew close to the floating body of his opponent, quickly placing handcuffs around the redhead''s body.


    Since he had won the fight, Minos would not release Gavin and would force this person to sign agreements with him!


    Gavin had promised he would do such a thing, but Minos had seen how this guy had teleported using an ability of his physique.


    To avoid surprises, he quickly sealed off his opponent''s cultivation!


    Meanwhile, Minos'' many subordinates in the surrounding area looked at all this with a twinkle in their eyes, amazed and even more respectful of the king''s power.


    In a few seconds of battle, King Stuart had defeated a level 67 opponent, someone who seemed to have a very dark innate ability.


    "Did you guys feel those pulses from earlier?"


    "Yeah, I thought that would kill me, even considering how far away we are from them..." Someone said while standing atop a large white bird.


    "But the fusion of His Grace is awe-inspiring!"


    "Did you see how the enemy became a convulsing idiot after being hit by the colored lights earlier? He didn''t even have a chance!"


    "Yeah, it was like his soul broke in the blink of an eye..."


    The people in the surroundings continued talking as Gavin finally lost consciousness and collapsed, falling at great speed.


    Minos then absorbed the energies of some of his soldiers and made that redhead''s body float in his surroundings.


    He then flew to the turtle''s shell where he had been earlier.


    On top of that turtle was a three-story rectangular building, where a hundred or so soldiers of the Black Plain Army were working.


    Around that building were surveillance rooms, where most of the soldiers were. But to the inside of the building was all the basic structure present in outposts of forces like this.


    And soon, Minos arrived at an interrogation area inside this building, where he put Gavin in a chair, locked in a room.


    After that, he returned to doing his jobs there, while the soldiers also returned to their duties that Gavin had diverted.


    ...


    Sometime later...


    "Damn it!" Gavin screamed as he opened his eyes, remembering that he was in the middle of a fight with Minos, and then, boom, he was in this place.


    ''I''ve been defeated and captured! I''m dead!'' He thought about it as he looked from one side of that room to the other, feeling that, ironically, he would fall into the northern region of the Central Continent!


    He had fled from pursuers of his sect across the empire and several high-level kingdoms, yet he would still fall in this weak place...


    His reality was unfortunate!


    But as he was thinking about what might happen, the door of that place opened, and the brown-haired, level 61 young man walked in there with a smile on his face.


    "Are you ready to submit to the Black Plain? If you are not, I have no choice but to kill you." Minos was straight to the point.


    Gavin''s ability was outstanding and could do significant damage once he got stronger. For this reason, Minos preferred to have someone like this on his side, working for him.


    But also, for this reason, he would not allow Gavin to leave alive in case of refusal!


    After all, that was a dangerous ability, which could cause a lot of trouble if Gavin became an enemy of the Black Plain in the future. In this case, it was simpler to eliminate this threat now!


    Gavin looked at Minos and smiled, seeing that the individual across the table was not to be trifled with and was ready to kill him right there and now if necessary.


    "I can submit. I said I would sign that agreement if I lost, after all..." He said in a stern tone. "But since you already know about my ability, then you know that it will attract trouble, right?"


    "The very fact that I breathe attracts trouble for me," Minos casually commented. "But I will not stop my plans just because there is opposition or even resistance to me."


    "Only a weak person would fear moving ahead because of the potential dangers."


    "Oh? But certain steps forward need to be taken with caution, or they could lead you to a precipice." The red-haired man said in a provocative tone.


    Minos smiled. "The Rowse family has never been that great, even in the past. So, I don''t think it will be a problem..."


    That family had the potential to awaken tremendous power, but that did not come without a cost!


    And the cost of that was precisely the potential of its members, who, when they did not have Gavin''s ''curse,'' could not reach level 100.


    In this case, there was no reason for Minos to fear a second-level organization, which probably did not even have Spiritual demigods.


    He asked. "Where is your family?"


    Upon hearing this and Minos'' earlier comment, Gavin looked strangely at the person in front of him, not understanding how he was talking about the Rowse family without even knowing their location.


    "Flaming Empire." He replied.


    "Oh? That''s it? It seems your family has gotten weaker over time..." Minos muttered. "Answer me, what happened to the last ''cursed ones'' in your family?"


    Gavin''s eyes narrowed. "I found out that there were ten before me. Of those, only the first two ruled the family. The rest were either killed prematurely or had their powers stolen."


    "Those who stole the powers of these individuals didn''t last long either..."


    "I see... So, that''s why." Minos understood how this family had become weaker from the time of Henricus Longus to the present day.


    The Rowse family was limited, but they had Spiritual Sages in the time of Herincus Longus. However, that power was now in a state dominated by Spiritual Saints...


    It was a significant weakening!


    "Is your family connected to any organizations?" Minos asked.


    Gavin looked into the brown eyes of the fellow in front of him and said. "Saints Killing Sect."


    ...

 Chapter ?1176 A New Protector For The Black Plain

    Chapter ?1176 A New Protector For The Black Plain


    "Saints Killing Sect, eh?" Minos muttered as his eyes narrowed. ''The enemy of my enemy...''


    Gavin understood what was in the mind of the person in front of him. "What are you going to do to me? I am part of an organization that has tried to kill you a few times and has certainly felt the deaths of the disciples you have killed."


    "With you? Nothing. Why would I? You are not strong enough to have influenced such a thing, and now you are persecuted by them..." Minos casually commented. "You are definitely the priority for them, so your enmity with this sect is greater than mine."


    Indeed, that was the truth. His own family members had betrayed Gavin. Even his mother had sided with the sect master, who had a weak Rowse family lineage and could absorb his powers.


    At first, Gavin''s father wanted to absorb his powers when he found out about such a trait in his son. But unfortunately for him, the sect master had been too quick and prevented this from happening.


    That situation had also given Gavin a chance he needed to escape, bringing him to the present moment where he hated his family and sect.


    "But it turns out I also have great enmity with that sect of yours," Minos said, suggesting what this fellow should do. "I believe that there are situations in which one can negotiate. But when certain limits are crossed, the best thing to do is to eliminate the other party."


    "For me, the Saints Killing Sect has already exceeded my limits, and once I have the necessary power, I will march against it."


    "You want to be on my side?" Minos smiled as he showed his right hand to Gavin.


    "Are you serious?" The man with red hair and eyes asked in disbelief. "Do you know that the leader of this sect is at level 79? Other than him, there are dozens of Spiritual Saints in that organization."


    "How do you, someone from the northern region, intend to face such a colossus?" He asked in curiosity.


    "I have a better chance of doing that than you. I am sure of that." Minos laughed. "Since I am stronger than you, I will also be able to do it sooner, which means you will have to hide for less time than you originally planned..."


    Gavin looked seriously at Minos, feeling that, indeed, that must be the situation.


    Gavin did not think Minos was stronger than him since the other party had many advantages in his favor in the previous fight. But the difference between the two was insignificant, and the king in front of him was more talented than him.


    Considering that King Stuart had his state, army, vassals, and subordinates, Gavin could not help but consider that this person was his best chance.


    And hell, who else but a madman like Minos would help him face his pursuers?


    As the enemy of his enemy, Minos seemed a natural ally for him!


    "Having help wouldn''t be bad." He said. "I already have to hide in those areas, so allying with you might be a good thing."


    Minos then shook one of that individual''s hands, pleased for another addition of power to his forces. "Perhaps you will become the first Spiritual Saint of the Black Plain. Then prepare yourself for some responsibilities."


    "In my absence, your duty will be to protect this territory. You won''t need to get involved in anything other than acting as the ultimate weapon."


    "What do you think of that?"


    Gavin nodded in agreement. "It sounds good. In any case, I doubt that any trouble will show up to disturb me..."


    "I wouldn''t be so sure, but it makes sense." Minos closed his eyes and nodded without specifying that Spiritual Saints had already attacked his territory.


    Few organizations knew of the incidents that had occurred on the Black Plain in recent years, so Gavin had no idea of such information.


    In any case, Minos was not obligated to give this kind of important information to Gavin, so this fellow could only consider that the person in front of him was playing with him.


    ''Well, I came all this way to cause trouble, so maybe he''s talking about threats like that...'' Gavin pondered.


    "So, what do I have to do for us to work it out? I don''t like getting my cultivation sealed up."


    Minos smiled and stood up. "I''ll get a spiritual judge, and we''ll sign an agreement later today. So, don''t worry too much about it. You will soon be ''free.''"


    "In any case, I will leave for the Flaming Empire tomorrow, so your responsibilities will begin immediately."


    "What? You will do what in that place?" He opened his mouth in shock, finding it unnecessary that someone connected to him was going to such a troublesome place.


    What if Minos attracted problems?


    Minos then replied. "Unlike you, I am not a public enemy of your state''s forces. Besides, I have a business to attend to over there..."


    "I am a leader of a state, after all."


    "But for the time being, I will not get involved with the Saints Killing Sect. I will only settle ordinary Black Plain matters on this trip, not vendettas."


    Gavin then warned him. "The Gray Clouds Sect, your family''s sect, is at war with the Saints Killing Sect. So, be careful when visiting your family in the Flaming Empire."


    "They can identify my powers through certain spiritual fluctuations I emit." He seriously said. "Since we fight, they will be able to identify such a thing in you if you are careless."


    "Oh?" Minos remembered this point because of Henricus Longus'' memories, but he did not worry.


    "Don''t worry. I won''t be at that sect''s headquarters in less than a year. So, I doubt your relatives can identify any remnants of your powers."


    "Tsk!"


    "A year? You will be traveling there on horseback?" He sarcastically asked.


    "No. I''ll do a little tourism while I fight my way through." Minos stated as he walked out of that place. "There''s nothing better than training and traveling!"


    "What? Tourism?" Gavin doubted whether he should be on the same side as that individual.


    How could someone think that way while being the leader of a state? How could someone with such powerful enemies afford to take a calm trip?


    ''He''s an idiot!''


    ''How could someone so strong and talented wish to do such trivial things instead of quickly increasing his powers and influence?'' Gavin slapped his forehead against the wood of the table in front of him.


    But other than having no alternatives there, siding with Minos seemed the best option for him to ally himself with at the moment.


    In this way, Gavin tried not to overthink what Minos intended to do and focused his attention on hiding and dealing with the problems in his grasp.


    So, hours after being defeated by Minos in a way that could even be considered humiliating, he soon signed the agreement with King Stuart and was released.


    Following this, while the people in Dry City were out enjoying the night, this red-haired fellow went to see his new home in the place built by Minos.


    "Dry City, huh? This place looks pretty good by regional standards... I guess living here for a few years won''t be so bad." He muttered to himself as he walked through the central part of this capital.


    And following his instincts, he soon arrived at the local Cultivation Tower, where the underground room of this place was attracting him.

 Chapter ?1177 Leaving the Northern Region of the Central Continent

    Chapter ?1177 Leaving the Northern Region of the Central Continent


    After dawn in Dry City, Minos and his two wives quickly gave their parting words to those closest to them.


    There were not only the core of the local administration, but several high-ranking soldiers, allies, vassals, and many women who played with Minos.


    Mirya, Viola, Elen, Elena, Brooke, Regina, and Mendy, in short, were all there to say goodbye to this man they would not be able to see for some years.


    But since Minos had taken such good care of each of them in the past weeks, they could not complain about the situation. But not only that, most of them had already lived much longer than him, so this period of his absence would not be so long for them.


    That was especially true for Mirya, who had gone years without action due to her past injuries.


    Hence, besides being a little depressed internally, they had smiles on their faces as they said goodbye to this fellow.


    They hoped that time would fly by in this period and that he would return even stronger so that he could have the peace of mind to remain in Dry City.


    But they knew that time would undoubtedly run since they had to keep getting stronger, and there were many things to improve on the Black Plain.


    And with the improvements Minos would surely bring, they could not help but look at the glorious future ahead of them and ease their feminine feelings.


    On the other hand, Emlyn was there to say goodbye to her beloved daughter, who would be away from her mother for the first time since her birth.


    "OK, OK! You can stop now, mom!" Kyla barked in her language as she felt her mother''s tongue wiping her face.


    "Obey your big brother, and don''t do anything silly!" Emlyn advised her daughter as she sniffed that ''little'' creature.


    "OK..."


    Seeing this, Minos finished saying goodbye to the local leaders and waved to Gavin, who was watching all this from afar.


    "Come on! Time to go!" He commented to his wives as he signaled them to climb on Maida''s back.


    Meanwhile, Kyla turned away from her mother and prepared to run side by side with that giant black-furred tigress.


    "Big brother, I''m sorry I can''t fly yet..." Kyla said in a low voice, but without showing much guilt.


    Minos massaged Kyla''s large head and said. "Don''t worry, traveling by land isn''t bad. It will give us opportunities to see and feel many things."


    And with that, Minos stood behind Ruth, hugging this woman who was behind Gloria.


    The three looked back and waved their hands just before those two beasts began to run southward.


    Seeing that, Dillian sighed, seeing the day that Minos would go to the Flaming Empire finally come.


    "Sigh..."


    "He''s finally doing it." The butler muttered as he remembered his old master.


    Originally Albert and Maisie''s plan was to let Minos grow up in the northern region of the Central Continent, a peaceful and safe place... And then, when he was an adult and had cultivated to a certain level, they would take him to the Flaming Empire, where he could grow up with his mother''s family.


    But things had turned out a little differently than planned!


    Minos was leaving much later than Albert and Maisie had planned, and he had a power many times greater than they thought would be necessary for this moment.


    And seeing all this, the butler Dillian could not help but nostalgically sigh, wondering what it would be like if Albert were still there.


    "How strong will they be when they return?" Eda asked as she had one of her arms around his left arm.


    Dillian replied, still looking in the direction from where Minos had already disappeared. "Probably strong enough to fight Spiritual Saints without fusions..."


    "What about Abby? I didn''t even get the chance to say goodbye to her... I wonder how she will be after she wakes up?" She sighed as she thought of her former young miss in the Miller family days.


    "She will be fine. Who knows, maybe she''ll become more talented and even come back with an heir in her belly..." He laughed.


    Everyone knew that the difference in talent between husband and wife made conception difficult.


    And it was not for nothing that, of all Minos'' wives, the one who had become pregnant first had been the one with the closest characteristics to his!


    With this line of reasoning, Dillian thought that when she finished absorbing her inheritance, Abby would be more compatible with Minos and perhaps finally get the gift of becoming pregnant!


    Since she was the queen, her children would naturally be the first heirs of the Black Plain, an essential thing to have in any state.


    "That would be great... But I think you must worry about babies in another belly, honey." She laughed as she said that since they had been trying to conceive themselves.


    "We''ll take care of that when we get home. I still have some time before my shift starts..." He whispered in one of his wife''s ears.


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, four weeks had passed...


    At this point, Abby was still in the Spatial Kingdom in her unconscious state. But after all this time, Minos knew that it would not take long for her to awaken, as the glowing cloud in her surroundings had almost disappeared by now.


    And while she was absorbing her inheritance, Minos and his other wives had crossed the entire Black Plain and Cromwell Kingdom, finally reaching the border of that region with Vogel!


    They had not wasted much time on this first part of their journey since there were no challenges in the Cromwell Kingdom for them, and they already knew this place. So, they traveled quickly, and only Kyla enjoyed getting to know a new place on this part of the trip.


    However, even though this was the most peaceful part of the trip they had started, Ruth had managed to advance to level 62 during these days!


    The region they had passed through was weaker than the Black Plain, but with the advantage of the Spatial Kingdom, everything had gone well for the three of them.


    They not only rested and enjoyed themselves in a safe place during this period but also trained hard in that cultivation sanctuary.


    They could do this since, with Maida, level 60, waiting for them outside the Spatial Kingdom, there were no dangers in traveling from that place to the northern region.


    Thus, these first few days of travel were peaceful and fruitful for the trio of humans who were now preparing to enter Vogel!


    "Are you ready?" Gloria looked at the two individuals behind her, smiling at Minos since this was his first time leaving the northern region.


    Ruth nodded and looked at her man, happy to finally be heading toward the Flaming Empire, where Minos could meet her family.


    Minos answered Gloria. "Yes, let''s go. I want to see what we''ll find outside the northern region."


    "Hehe, probably not much..." Gloria laughed. "That''s true, at least for the moment."


    "Once we advance some 300 kilometers south, we will indeed be in Vogel, a high-level kingdom!"


    A boundary line did not simply separate a strong and weak place, where on one side were Spiritual Kings and on the other, Saints.


    No, the border was simply a cartographic division used to facilitate the administration of the territories.


    In practice, the first few kilometers on either side of the borders of these two states and others were always similar, and there was no way anyone could find powerful beings there.


    And indeed, after entering Vogel, Minos only found an area of strength equivalent to the one he had left in the northern region.


    But that would soon change!


    ...

 Chapter ?1178 Plant Organisms

    Chapter ?1178 Plant Organisms


    As they traveled a few kilometers into Vogel''s territory, heading ever southward, Minos and his group soon came across creatures native to the area.


    The first creatures in their path were only low-level beasts of varying species, creatures Minos had only known from his memories of Henricus Longus.


    At the same time as new creatures appeared in their surroundings, the woods there also became more and more impressive, leaving behind the typical image of the woods in the northern region.


    There were trees hundreds of meters high and plants that grew in the air above waterfalls, where the water droplets formed a beautiful rainbow.


    Not only this, many plants there had colorful ''veins,'' some were shiny in a way that Minos could not help but open his eyes and mouth in surprise.


    "This place is fascinating!" He commented with a smile on his face as he observed the vibrant area in front of him.


    Gloria smiled at him and explained some of the vegetation of this place. "Do you see that?" She pointed to a flowering plant floating on top of the waterfall. "That''s a plant called Light As Air, one that only reaches that state once it gets past level 60."


    Plant organisms could also be classified using the cultivation classification of beasts and humanoid beings. But usually, they were not, as few of them gained consciousness.


    Most just cultivate unconsciously, gathering large amounts of spiritual energy in their bodies without having intelligence.


    These were called spiritual medicines.


    But some plants could become conscious beings, which were classified differently from medicines.


    However, if one wished to consume or use them to produce artifacts, perhaps pills, they were just as valuable as spiritual medicines!


    But this was also true for humans or any other living beings in this world.


    Cultivators usually did not use humans or other beings to produce artifacts was merely a moral issue, not something generated by the impossibility of using such bodies.


    For example, Minos knew that the bodies of dead cultivators could be used to nurture spiritual roots.


    He had only never done something like this before because he did not have any high-level corpses on his hands. Otherwise, he would do the same thing he did with the Divine-grade medicine he used on the spiritual root of Dry City years ago!


    Anyway, Minos knew that, and when Gloria talked about that being who was a Spiritual Emperor like them, he looked with even more interest at that creature.


    ''It will be interesting if we have such organisms on the Black Plain in the future...'' He looked at the large body of that creature, thinking of cutting off just a piece to bring with him.


    Gulp!


    "What are you looking at, human?" That plant realized the strange intent of that human standing next to a level 69 Spiritual Emperor, someone too strong for it.


    Minos laughed as he realized that that creature''s senses were fantastic as the memories in his mind said. "I thought that maybe you want part of your body to migrate to a better place... I am willing to give you a ride."


    "What do you think? I''m sure your branches will grow faster in this place..." He opened his arms and jumped off Maida''s back, with the two humans and beasts in his group looking at him.


    Sentient spiritual plants were different from humanoids and beasts. They could divide their bodies into many parts and maintain communication between all of them.


    Also, they could benefit from cultivating a distant part and thus climb the cultivation ranks more efficiently.


    These were the beings with the most excellent compatibility with spiritual energy, organisms capable of living for millions of years when they reached level 100!


    They were challenging, their only disadvantage being their little offensive power and movement limitations.


    For example, a sentient tree could hardly travel for long since its roots might have limitations to soil types, among other characteristics.


    On the other hand, many of these beings were hunted as medicine, so it could be dangerous for them to move freely!


    To get an idea, Gloria had only recognized that creature because she had inside information from the Spiritual Church and was one of the few people in the vicinity who could identify such a creature.


    If it were not for that and Minos'' presence there, that plant could pass itself off as an ordinary plant organism and get rid of the predatory hunting of itself!


    Because of problems like this, these magnificent creatures did not dominate the world, even considering their advantages in cultivation.


    That creature looked strangely at Minos, doing so through its spiritual sense since it had no eyes.


    There were advantages to having parts of its body scattered around the world. But there were also risks!


    For example, certain poisons could affect the soul, which would basically hit every part of its body in case of contamination. Because of this, it was not so simple for beings like this to accept having their parts taken away by humans.


    They usually left parts of themselves in carriages and allowed themselves to be taken to new places without other organisms noticing.


    How was this possible?


    Well, these plant organisms had very high abilities over their bodies, which could even hide the presence of their parts.


    The only weakness of this ability was if someone who knew their characteristics looked at them. Thus, their ability would lose its camouflage effect.


    "Why would I do such a thing? I''m fine where I am, and I don''t know what kind of things you can do to me if I accept such a thing!" So, it said in a somewhat childish voice, typical of these remarkable plants.


    Most of them did not mature until a few tens of thousands of years, so many of them could be compared to human children in their early moments.


    "Come on, if you give me a small part of your body, I''ll let you inhabit the space between two floating islands in the future!" Minos smiled and made a gesture as if trying to seduce that plant.


    Upon hearing that, that creature''s ''eyes'' sparkled in interest. "Really?"


    Floating islands were like the dream place of Light As Air plants. That was because such islands were synonymous with places with dense amounts of spiritual energy!


    After all, such an island only floated because of the rare metal found in its foundations, which was repelled by spiritual energy.


    When such areas with this metal were in regions with a high density of spiritual energy, what happened was that these pieces of land would ascend to the skies!


    Because of this, the level 67 plant there soon became interested in the trap of Minos.


    ''What a guy with no morals! He is manipulating the poor Light As Air to follow him because of this promise...'' Ruth looked at that and shook her head.


    As for Gloria, she was curious to know where these floating islands he was saying were. "Ruth, what is he talking about?"


    The beautiful black-haired woman then replied. "Oh, about that, some cities on the Black Plain were built on top of Medratium deposits. So, Minos expects many floating islands to appear in the future in our territory."


    Gloria''s eyes sparkled as that creature looked interestedly at Minos.


    "And why do you want me to go with you? What do you get?"


    ...

 Chapter ?1179 First Battle at Vogel

    Chapter ?1179 First Battle at Vogel


    Upon hearing the immature little plant''s questions, Minos answered without delay. "Naturally, I want to have someone so strong and with such potential in my territory!"


    "You may not be an exquisite warrior, but with your unparalleled senses, you will be able to help my forces maintain vigilance under certain areas."


    "At the same time, spiritual medicines grow more easily near sentient plant organisms. So, I have many benefits to having you by my side." Minos smiled, approaching one of the branches of that plant.


    "Ahh~" Feeling Minos'' touch, it let out a brief groan of surprise, not expecting this human to touch it without warning.


    "But... How can I believe you won''t eat me?" It timidly asked.


    "Simple, if I wanted to eat you, I wouldn''t ask you to give me a part of your body. I would simply eat everything in front of me without asking for permission." He said in a sincere tone while Kyla watched the situation with interest.


    To this young Nine-tailed Fox, that little plant was nothing but food. So, she could not help but look at it with interest since this was her first time seeing food talking.


    The little plant saw a giant drop of saliva drip from the half-open mouth of that creature with colorful fur and shivered.


    "If I give you a small piece of me, will you promise not to poison me?" It asked Minos, feeling it was better to give in once and for all and save itself from that animal.


    As long as Minos did not poison it, it would be fine, even if it lost a piece of itself.


    And it did not make sense that such a human would approach it just to take a branch from it and then poison it.


    If he wanted to kill it, it would be better just to do it once and for all.


    With that in mind, it was already willing to offer a small part of itself to this group led by Minos.


    "Sure, I promise the God of Trees that I won''t hurt you on purpose!" He said with a smile on his face as he quoted the most famous entity among plant organisms.


    The God of Trees had been a true God, one of the first to reach level 100 among all living beings in the Spiritual World during the oldest era, with records still existing.


    Few knew of this entity, but Henricus Longus had left memories about such a being for Minos.


    "All right then, I will leave you a small branch with 1% of my being." It said, pleased to have heard Minos'' oath. "As long as you do as promised, it will be able to grow and become even stronger than me."


    Then its flowering branches moved through that area until, after a strange dance, a small fraction of it, the size of a human hand, broke off, forming a small flower.


    It glowed intensely and gradually began to emit a spiritual fluctuation similar to that of a being at level 41.


    That was the magical ability of these plant organisms!


    They could split up into fractions of themselves and send smaller parts to cultivate at a distance without sacrificing their own power.


    This Light As Air had only decreased its spiritual energy and soul power by 1%, something insignificant to it. Still, it had produced a miniature version of itself that was already at level 41!


    That was not much, but since it could cultivate at the same speed as its main part and eventually add up the powers of both, that was a remarkable feat worthy of envy!


    Plus, the glorious Light As Air could simultaneously keep her consciousness in different places, being particularly powerful in surveillance and communication.


    Minos looked at the little flower in his hands and massaged it with one of his fingers, feeling pleased that this little creature did not make it difficult for him. "Very well, you will not regret it."


    "Once we return to my territory, I will plant your little part in a place that will be very rich in the future!"


    The little plant felt good to notice the excellent humor in Minos'' tone, which indicated that the risk of it being eaten had diminished considerably. "I will trust you..."


    After that, Minos pulled the hungry Kyla from there, giving her some fruit to eat while his group returned to the road.


    "Minos, you are a rascal," Ruth commented in a low voice to him as she held the flower in her hands.


    Minos obviously would not take that little creature to the Spatial Kingdom since other parts of that plant away from him could sense that place and eventually spread the news.


    So, it would naturally travel in their hands or with those two beasts.


    Ruth continued. "Don''t you think it''s wrong to force that little creature to follow us? I think we could have invited it to our side in the future."


    Minos said. "I gave it a chance to be by our side from the beginning. So, what''s wrong with that? And we may not have time to spend here on our return, so it would be a waste to leave something so valuable in the way."


    As they talked and continued to travel south, it was not long before they came across a battle on their way!


    In that forested area, three great beasts were battling each other, two of them on one side and the third facing the other two.


    Of these beasts, one of them was a great black and white eagle, while the other two were members of the same species, six-colored snakes.


    The two snakes were at level 65, while the great eagle was at level 67.


    "Bastard, you ate our brother! We''re going to kill you!" One of the snakes shouted in its spiritual voice as it launched a blow with its long tail, which was more than 8 meters long.


    At the same time, the sister of this creature spat its potent venom at its opponent from a different angle of attack than its brother.


    Sensing the snake''s blows in its surroundings, the great eagle, which was a little larger than Maida, swung its enormous wings and made gusts of wind form against its opponents.


    Not only that, it opened its beak and let a high-pitched sound escape, making the surroundings tremble with such sound waves produced by it.


    Amid all this, Minos'' group was caught with the remaining attacks, but this fellow protected his women and beasts.


    He jumped in front of his group and let the rest of the enemy attacks hit his body, which could absorb the powers behind it without difficulty.


    While doing so, he used the excess energy in his body and intensified the gravity in the surroundings of the creatures in front of him, suddenly causing them to fall from their positions toward the ground.


    "Ahhhhhh!" The three creatures felt like they had been pushed by an invisible force toward the ground, uncontrollably falling until they crashed into that piece of land.


    But as they had fallen, the bodies of the two serpents had moved toward that of the great eagle, something that gave them the advantage to start strangling the body of that eagle.


    "Bastard!"


    "You dare to get in the way of my battle?" The bird shouted as it felt those two sticky beings wrapping themselves around its body, not so worried since it was stronger than the two.


    With that, it had the chance to look in the direction of Minos'' group and threw a deadly glare at them.


    "Looks like someone wants to turn into a roast chicken..."

 Chapter ?1180 Asking for Information

    Chapter ?1180 Asking for Information


    "It looks like someone wants to turn into a roast chicken," Minos commented as he noticed the angry look of that creature.


    Upon hearing that, the great eagle was not slow to notice Gloria''s spiritual fluctuation, realizing that this person was stronger than it could handle.


    With that, it lowered its tone while making those two snakes move away from its body. "I''m sorry for involving you in my battle. I will take my leave..."


    As that beast tried to leave and the two snakes struggled in pain from their injuries, Minos used his seventh technique to stop that being from escaping.


    "Wait!"


    "Do you think you can attack others with your powers and leave like that without any punishment?" Minos asked loudly, surprising that creature.


    Battles like the one there were regular not only in this area but all over the Central Continent and Spiritual World.


    Beasts everywhere lived fighting natural predators, fighting for revenge, and plots similar to those of humans, as in the example of territorial disputes.


    As such, it was not strange for travelers to encounter situations like the one in question, where a third party ended up being involved in the problems of the other two.


    But even if this were a routine situation, Minos would not simply accept that a third party attacked him and his group and then left as if nothing had happened.


    What if he was not strong enough?


    Well, he would have been seriously injured, maybe even killed by the remnants of those beings'' battle!


    Because of this, he could not just let the matter end there as if nothing had happened!


    The great eagle looked fiercely at Minos but did not expound its thoughts. "What do you want? We were just fighting. I didn''t want to get you involved in this." It looked at the man and then the red-headed woman, who probably was the leader of this group of humans.


    At the same time, the two snakes rose from the rubble and looked in Minos'' direction in doubt as to whether or not they could leave.


    Minos looked at those two beings who would probably die in the claws of this eagle and decided to give them a chance.


    "Go away." He waved one of his hands. "I believe the strongest should take responsibility for problems like these."


    Seeing Minos'' gaze in its direction, the great eagle clenched its beak tightly, annoyed at this human.


    But the two snakes quickly did what Minos had said, a little upset that they could not fight this eagle that had killed their brother.


    However, as beings with good instincts, they knew that they had escaped death and that it was better not to anger those humans.


    So, as those two creatures disappeared from that area, Minos looked at that great bird and said. "Since your battle has caused us trouble, it is up to you to give us some compensation."


    "What do you want?"


    "Not much. For starters, we are not from Vogel, so we would appreciate the help of a guide to facilitate our tourism trip..." He smiled as he saw Ruth and Gloria looking at him.


    "You are not from Vogel? And where are you from?" It looked at Gloria.


    Before that redhead could answer, Minos lied. "Divine Continent."


    "What? Are you serious?" The great black and white eagle shivered in fear, not doubting that this was true since a mere level 61 cultivator had prevented it from escaping.


    "Sure, do I happen to have the face of a liar?" Minos said as Ruth closed her eyes and struggled not to laugh.


    The eagle looked back at Gloria and no longer dared question it. It was likely that they were from that legendary continent, where Spiritual demigods were as common as Spiritual Saints in Vogel!


    In this case, to avoid trouble, it said. "So, you are visitors coming from the Divine Continent. It''s not for nothing that your auras are so noble..."


    "Well, I would be flattered to tell you a little about my homeland and even show you the area if you choose."


    Minos showed one of his hands to that individual, indicating for him not to get worked up. "We just want to hear some relevant information to avoid trouble... We don''t want your company."


    The great eagle was not offended by the end of Minos'' speech. The opposite of that, it felt relieved, as it did not want to be around dangerous people like these.


    ''The weakest of those humans have this terrifying power, and there is even a beast with a stronger lineage than mine among them...'' It looked at Kyla, not knowing what race this beautiful creature belonged to.


    All it felt was a sense of oppression coming from that fox, while at the same time, it was highly attracted to its charm.


    Gulp!


    ''It is lovely!'' It blinked at Kyla without realizing it.


    But then it shook its head and turned its focus back to the main subject. ''Anyway, they''re not simple, and I''d better keep my distance as much as possible!''


    "All right, I can talk about the area we are in and a bit of the human part of Vogel..." It said in a clear tone. "I''m not someone who gets involved with humans much, but I know the basics that can help you avoid trouble or reap benefits."


    Minos'' group did not know much about the neighboring kingdoms in the northern region. They even had some idea of the main strength of each of these states and the average power of the leaders, but they did not know the details.


    For example, the area they were in was dominated by whom? What kind of problems might they have while traveling on the path they had planned?


    They had some information, but these things could not be compared with what a native of the area knew. Hence, Minos used this opportunity to get better information from this creature.


    Ruth and Gloria only knew detailed things about the Flaming Empire, and since the Church branches of those states and that empire were not so close, their trip would not be easy if they relied only on the contacts of this redhead.


    Ruth then asked. "Who owns this area we are in? We will have more problems if we follow this path..." She gave some directions to that being.


    "This area is nobody''s, but there are several groups of beasts that constantly fight around here." It answered. "Some groups of beasts will try to cause trouble for you if you continue on this path."


    "Unless, of course, you demonstrate that you are not worth approaching."


    "What is the level of these problems?" Minos asked while having his arms crossed at chest height.


    "My level, more or less." The creature replied as it looked away.


    "Hmm, that won''t be bad then. If they seek trouble with us, we will simply treat them a little rudely." Minos smiled. "What about the city nearby? Is there anything special about that place? Any recurring problems?"


    "The nearest city is the first one with royal family posts in this state due to its proximity to the capital. So, the main point of that place is the royal family forces."


    "As for special things, there is only one. This place is particularly famous because of stimulating plants that grow around here." He looked strangely at Minos. "That makes quite a hit among you humans."


    ...

 Chapter ?1181 Aphrodisiac Shop

    Chapter ?1181 Aphrodisiac Shop


    "Stimulant plants?" Gloria and Ruth asked, frowning their eyebrows without understanding what this meant.


    Minos more or less understood the situation due to the knowledge of local geography left by Henricus Longus. "Don''t worry. You will get a chance to understand this later..."


    Vogel was in an area where some plants capable of stimulating unique reactions in men and women grew.


    Because of this, this state had great aphrodisiac products and exported such items to various parts of the Central Continent.


    But neither Gloria nor Ruth knew this because most of those who sought these were men or women with more experience in their baggage...


    Young women who were virgins until a few years ago would not look for information about this kind of trade, so naturally, the two were ignorant of the subject.


    Since both were from the Flaming Empire, an enemy of Vogel, they did not have much information about this place either, which was another reason for their ignorance about this local product.


    But they were both curious about this thing now that Minos had said that.


    "We''ll see about that later..." He smiled at them before turning his attention to the great eagle there. "Tell us more about this state."


    "Well..." It then explained the basics of Vogel, from the dangerous tribes they could encounter on the way to the capital to the high-level noble families in the human cities.


    Vogel was smaller than the current Black Plain in terms of area, so there weren''t as many powers or tribes for Minos'' group to worry about as would be the case with the Flaming Empire.


    The entire Flaming Empire was about the same size as the northern region, a colossus, one of the largest states in the Spiritual World in terms of area.


    Because of this difference, they soon learned the basics from that spiritual beast, understanding a little better about the information they already had, about where to pass and what to avoid.


    "So, that''s it..." Minos sighed as he opened his arms and felt it was time to get back on his way. "Well, I won''t make your life difficult since you said all that."


    "Leave some of the medicine you have with you and go away." He pointed to a pouch that had wrapped around the neck of that big bird.


    Spiritual beasts could also use artifacts produced by humans.


    That was rare in the northern region of the Central Continent as there were not many interactions between beasts and humans in those areas. But in places like Vogel, interspecies relationships were much more common, and it was not strange to find beasts with spatial bags or other items.


    Since Minos could recognize that this was the storage item usually used by beasts, he did not miss the opportunity to extort this eagle.


    Beasts valued medicine much more than spiritual crystals, so it was natural for him to assume that there were some interesting things with that eagle!


    Upon hearing that, that creature clawed the ground with its nails, but it did not take long to deliver some King-grade medicines to Minos as payment for its misdeeds.


    "Hmm, perfect, big brother!" Kyla jumped in front of Minos and devoured those medicines, filling her belly in a few seconds.


    After seeing this with pain in its heart, that creature took Minos'' permission and flew away from there, angry at the two snakes that had put it in that situation.


    As for Minos'' group, they did not waste much time and were soon back on the road, making their way towards the first Vogel city they would pass!


    ...


    After two days of traveling through the sizeable forested region that separated Vogel from the Cromwell Kingdom, Minos and his group finally arrived in a city called Damiana.


    At this point in their journey, they left the two beasts traveling alongside them in the Spatial Kingdom for training and resting since there was no need to have them around inside a human city.


    Abby was still in the main room of the lake house, but since Minos could do nothing about her situation, he and his two other wives headed off to visit Damiana.


    Before reaching this city, they had fought many times along the way, just as the eagle from earlier had warned them would probably happen if they did not take certain precautions.


    But that was just what Minos wanted, fights to train for during this trip to the Flaming Empire!


    So, he, Ruth, and Maida had taken advantage of these two days and fought against beasts and even a group of humans.


    Because of this, they already felt their cultivation speeds were improving, as they now had stronger opponents to press them, which was impossible to find in the current northern region.


    And so, the trio decided to get to know a little of Damiana to relax from the days of fighting!


    With that, in this instant, Minos was walking hand in hand with Gloria and Ruth through the central sidewalks of this great human city, getting to know this place that none of them had ever been to.


    "This city is truly different from those we find in the northern region or the Empire," Ruth commented to her companions as she looked at the building model and the manners of the people in her surroundings.


    "Hmmm." Gloria nodded in agreement. "Just look how coyly the women here dress..."


    Upon hearing that and seeing the gestures of his favorite pregnant, Minos looked in the direction of a few women in the vicinity, all of whom were wearing clothes that hid much of their bodies.


    In general, only the hands, faces, and feet could be seen unprotected on the women walking through the city''s central streets.


    At the same time, most men were dressed formally, as if everyone there was a businessman.


    As for power, most people on the streets they passed were Spiritual Kings, with significant amounts of Spiritual Emperors coming and going.


    And while Minos noticed these things, the people in the surrounding area also noticed them since, unlike many places in the Spiritual World, monogamy prevailed in Vogel!


    As such, upon seeing the intimate hand-holding behavior of this group, some could not help but notice that these could only be foreigners.


    ''How do they accept this?'' A middle-aged woman cleaning the windows of a store wondered as she looked in the trio''s direction. ''This is a real humiliation!''


    ''I myself would rather castrate my husband than see him with another!''


    As people in the surrounding area judged them, Minos and his wives entered a herbal store in the central part of this city, where he had already received the recommendation when checking into a local hotel earlier.


    ''Love House.'' Ruth read the sign above the front of that store, wondering what the stimulants that eagle had mentioned were.


    But as they entered, it did not take long for her and Gloria to realize what Minos was talking about!


    When they smelled some herbs there, they soon began noticing some strange sensations in their bodies, which, although faint, were noticeable.


    ''This...''


    Gloria, who was particularly sensitive due to her pregnancy, felt a slight wave of heat as she subtly thought of some special memories with Minos.


    "Minos, how do you bring us to a place like this? Don''t you think this is wrong?" Ruth stood before him as she noticed Gloria''s situation just because they had walked in there.


    Minos laughed and hugged Gloria''s tiny waist while playing with one of Ruth''s hands. "Don''t worry. Some of these herbs have no negative effects on pregnancy and even have the potential to increase the couple''s power after the act..."


    "Don''t you want to try it? It''s not impossible to become about 10% stronger during the period of effect of these substances."


    "That will be very useful in the coming days." Although true, he used that point, which was not the main reason he wanted to try such possibilities...

 Chapter ?1182 Local History

    Chapter ?1182 Local History


    Upon hearing what Minos wanted by bringing them to this aphrodisiac store, Gloria and Ruth looked at each other in curiosity, trying to understand how sincere he was being.


    Neither of them knew about things related to the kind of stimulant Minos was talking about, but they knew their husband well.


    "Are you making this up?" Gloria smiled at him as she squeezed his belly through his shirt with two fingers.


    Minos looked unjustly at his wife and called one of the attendants in that unique store.


    "Hello, how can I help you?" A woman dressed in red and black, extraordinarily sexy but without being vulgar, approached them with a smile on her face.


    Minos then said. "I want you to tell me a little about Always Up herb."


    Upon hearing the name of the most famous product in this store, that attendant looked at the two women next to Minos and momentarily closed her eyes. "The Always Up herb is a powerful aphrodisiac famous for its reaction in men..."


    "This powerful herb was discovered in the remote past when the first state in this area was founded." She began to tell the local history to them. "At that time, the Vogel family had not yet been founded, and another house dominated this area."


    "But the family that would become the first royal house of these areas was formed in this region after being deeply affected by the Always Up, which happened to be named not for its obvious effect, but for what happened at that time."


    Gloria and Ruth seemed interested in such a story, while Minos just watched his wives'' expressions.


    She continued. "After a great calamity, the one who would become the first king of this area had to flee with his brother''s wife after a great siege of his family by an enemy power."


    "While fleeing, they spent days without access to food until not only the future king, but his sister-in-law ate the said herb without knowing the effects." She strangely looked at the trio in front of her.


    "So, he and his sister-in-law..." Ruth was about to say but did not even have to finish her question.


    "Yes. This herb made them both extremely horny, which invariably led them to spend days having sex in a cave in the area." She smiled and said. "If you want to know, such a cave has been preserved and is called the Cocoon of Love."


    "It is in the capital of our kingdom and can be visited daily."


    Ruth and Gloria were surprised by this, but Minos, who already knew the story, did not find it impressive that such a place had become a tourist attraction.


    "Anyway, after that taboo situation the two had, they felt the effects of the herb and returned to help their family. And as expected, they got good results and eventually saved their own house, taking the first step towards the rise that would happen a few years later."


    "The herb was named that because they both stood on their feet from start to finish on their return to battle, having fought for hours without faltering."


    Ruth was open-mouthed but then asked. "What happened to those two after such a situation?"


    Minos answered in that woman''s place. "The future king''s sister-in-law became pregnant in that situation, and when her husband found out, he tried to kill her."


    "Unfortunately for him, the future king and the future queen were already in love at the time and acted together against him..."


    The attendant nodded and continued. "But both the first king and the first queen were aware that they had betrayed that person''s trust and did not kill him. They just imprisoned him for 100 years while they consolidated their power."


    "Once the state was formed, and they had overcome for a whole stage the betrayed man, they released him... Anyway, because of this, such a herb became the biggest symbol of this area, and to this day, it is worshipped."


    "Every local child learns about its history during the spiritual academy and eventually carries it into their adult lives. There are even some days of the year when couples usually use it in their activities..." She smiled.


    "As for its effects, once a man takes it, he will have to stay in bed for two days to relax his little friend..." She blushed a little, even though she was used to working in this place.


    "However, as much as this herb is famous for its action on men, it can also be used on women and is just as meaningful on them as on men. The difference is that it''s not as visual on them if you know what I mean..."


    Gloria and Ruth blushed as they looked at that woman, sometimes spying on Minos with penetrating glances.


    The attendant then finished her explanation. "In any case, Always Up has stimulating effects on both men and women and can cause both parties to spend two days in a bed to relieve their ''symptoms.''"


    "After this period of extreme pleasure, those who satisfy all their needs will enter a state of ''enlightenment,'' which can make them stronger by up to 10% depending on their talents and other characteristics."


    "The only drawback is that this can only be used once for each stage of cultivation, as the body creates a resistance to this drug, which is only eliminated after spiritual cleansing during breakthroughs."


    "Oh?" Ruth opened her mouth in surprise. "Can that happen? What about the duration?"


    That woman in red and black answered without delay. "Yes, this herb is very potent. As for duration, that depends on the level of the one who consumes it."


    "The herb has more prolonged effects on people at the 6th stage. Above that, the effects will drop until it zeroes out for Spiritual Demigods."


    "For Spiritual Emperors like you, the effects should last two to three weeks." Then, she noticed their powers, noting that Minos and Ruth were at very close levels, but Gloria was far above them.


    ''It is unusual to see someone so strong planning to have fun with weaker people...'' She silently thought as she judged the trio in front of her. ''But it''s impressive enough that they are here together... I wonder if they will have a threesome?''


    Gulp!


    She swallowed her saliva, imagining these three making this dream of hers, but it was practically unfeasible to her in this society.


    "So, it''s true..." Ruth looked at Minos, realizing that her husband was still trustworthy, even in situations involving his greatest weakness.


    Gloria ignored her harem sister and asked. "What about pregnant women? Is there a problem with using this herb?"


    Seeing how the redhead was massaging her belly, this attendant understood the problem and explained. "No problem, unless the pregnant woman is close to giving birth. After all, this herb causes certain impulses that need to be satisfied. Otherwise, the person consuming it can even go crazy."


    "But for pregnant women who are still far from giving birth, the only negative effect is regarding the duration of the temporary power bonus." She looked into Gloria''s eyes. "The duration of these effects will drop from weeks to days."


    "Oh? It''s not so bad..."


    After listening to that attendant''s explanation, Minos convinced his women that using it once would not be harmful and soon bought that for them.


    He also bought something for Abby for when she woke up.


    With that, the three left that aphrodisiac store and headed to a restaurant in that city.


    ...

 Chapter ?1183 The Awakening 1

    Chapter ?1183 The Awakening 1


    After arriving at the main restaurant in the city they were in, Minos and his two beautiful wives soon found a good place to sit and wait for their meal.


    As they stood there talking in low voices, they suddenly heard the comments of two men passing by, heading toward another table in their surroundings.


    "The royal family has been acting strange lately, don''t you think?" One of the two asked.


    "Yes. I have heard that they have scaled back their outside actions, calling back special envoys and the strongest guards to headquarters..."


    "I wonder what they are planning?" He asked his co-worker as they arrived near their table.


    "I don''t know. Maybe some kind of breakthrough?"


    "Impossible!"


    "What breakthrough would make an entire royal family go on alert? King Vogel is nowhere near the end of the 8th stage, so it doesn''t make sense."


    "Maybe they have discovered something valuable and are preparing for a hunt? It''s happened before in neighboring states." The stronger of the two commented as he heard his friend''s sigh.


    "Sigh!"


    "I just hope this isn''t a sign of a new bloody war against the Flaming Empire. I heard that before the last occasion of the kind, some royal families in our alliance behaved that way..."


    "I hope that is not the case." The other commented, feeling a little worried about the future.


    Minos and his wives carefully listened to all that while pretending to be watching and talking to each other.


    "Did you hear that?" He asked without taking his eyes off the two beautiful women beside him.


    "Yes, it sounds suspicious..." Ruth commented as she looked at Gloria and Minos as she swung a glass of wine in her right hand.


    "It looks like they are afraid of something." Gloria''s eyes narrowed, and she looked at Minos. "Just when the Church acted in Albano, and that Spiritual Saint died at your hands..."


    "That''s too much of a coincidence." He agreed with his wives, thinking that moment of the Vogel family''s strange behavior was too close to those situations involving the Black Plain.


    Since they already had the suspicion that Maisie had passed them over, they soon concluded that there was a high probability that House Vogel was to blame for the criminal actions of Spiritual Saints on the Black Plain!


    That obviously was not enough for them to sentence House Vogel or be sure that this organization was an enemy of the Black Plain. But hell, none of them were speaking for justice but themselves!


    As such, all they needed was suspicion, and now they were even more motivated to act against members of such an organization to find out more.


    Minos then said. "We will be heading to the capital in the next three days. When we get there, we''ll use our relationship with the Spiritual Church to get closer to the royalty and find people to talk to."


    "Fine." The two agreed with him as a waitress came to deliver their meal.


    "Oh? The smell of that is magnificent!" Gloria put aside the previous situation and behaved like a pregnant woman with desire, showing on her face her desire to devour those dishes.


    Seeing his wife beginning to eat an amount capable of feeding two people, Minos smiled as he watched her still little belly.


    ''It looks like my child will be quite talented.'' He closed his eyes and imagined such a thing because of the knowledge left by Henricus Longus. ''Such intense signs of desire in early pregnancy usually signify a strong talent.''


    Talent was associated with the soul and the Natural Laws. Since such a thing was formed from a fraction of the soul of the mother and father, ''mixed'' with the laws, this needed some catalysts to form fully.


    Because of this, the stronger the talent of a fetus, the greater the mother''s desire during pregnancy for rich and unique foods, those with the potential to mature the embryonic soul of the fetus.


    Considering how much Gloria had been eating in the first months of her pregnancy, Minos knew their baby would be no ordinary!


    As such, he could not help but feel a particular pride and smile as he enjoyed this meal with his two beautiful women.


    ''I wonder if it will be a boy or a girl?''


    ...


    After finishing at the previous restaurant, Minos and his wives went to rest at a local hotel, from where they promptly left for the Spatial Kingdom.


    With that, it did not take long for them to test the aphrodisiac herb purchased earlier since they did not have much to do due to the proximity of this place to the capital of Vogel.


    As long as they wanted to, they could reach that city in a few days from where they were. So, to take advantage of the special effects of Always Up, they decided not to waste much time!


    Because of this decision, the three of them did not take long to enter a state of unusual excitement and join in a long, heated session of animalistic sex.


    As they consumed the stimulating herb, all left in their minds was to mate, breed, and feel pleasure.


    Every part of their bodies was adequately prepared by that herb for the best result, with certain mechanical impulses for Minos and lubrication for Ruth and Gloria.


    At the same time, their organs received impulses to keep them from getting sore from their activities, while their resistances rose to levels they had never felt before.


    Because of all these stimuli, the three spent two whole days having sex, not even stopping for water or food!


    But they did not truly need to do this often at their current levels, so they had not missed these mortal needs.


    All in their minds was a primal desire, something they skillfully enjoyed using in every room in the large lake house within the Spatial Kingdom.


    The only place they did not enter during these two days of pure pleasure had been the room Abby was in since they did not want to disturb her with their bestial sounds.


    But they had not been so successful in this noble goal...


    As they finished taking care of their needs, Abby, who was sitting in a meditative position on the family bed, suddenly opened her eyes.


    ''Uh? Am I in the lake house?'' She looked at her surroundings as her eyes adjusted to the brightness of that room she was in.


    But as she did so, she remembered everything that had happened, noting that she had finished receiving the inheritance from the Goddess of Life.


    ''Minos must have brought me here after we said goodbye to that soul fragment... Hmm, now I have a thousand years to complete the mission of eliminating the traces of the God of Death from the Spiritual World.'' She noted this message left by the Goddess of Life in her mind.


    Like Minos, Abby now had part of that expert''s memories, only in a much smaller amount than he did.


    But that was to be expected. After all, the Goddess of Life was weaker than Henricus Longus, had lived less, experienced fewer Natural Laws, and had fewer worries.


    Henricus Longus was concerned about the continuity of his descendants in a world dominated by invaders. But, on the other hand, the Goddess of Life just wanted to finish her revenge.


    As such, the type of memory left by that man was much more complex!


    In any case, Abby could not pay attention to these things for long, ignoring that she now had a peak Silver talent because of Gloria and Ruth''s moans.


    "Mmmmm~"


    "Ahhh~"


    ...

 Chapter ?1184 The Awakening 2 (18+)

    Chapter ?1184 The Awakening 2 (18+)


    "What is that?" Abby asked herself as she looked toward the door of that room after hearing the cries of pleasure coming from outside that room.


    She knew what was going on, but as someone used to hear the sounds made by her harem sisters, she could not help but wonder at the tones in those two''s voices!


    Because of this, after having her attention drawn to them, Abby used her spiritual energy to purify the impurities that had gathered on her body and clothes over the past few months and left that place.


    "Ahhhh~ Minos, faster, faster~"


    "Ahhhhhhhhh~"


    When Abby came out of her room, she immediately faced the immoral scene of those three having wild sex. They were in the room across from the one she was in, with the door open, showing everything going on there.


    Ruth was lying on the floor below Gloria in a ''69'' position. At the same time, Minos was on his knees behind Gloria, moving his little brother in and out of this redhead''s precious flower.


    As he vigorously moved his hips, drops of an immortal liquid energized the black-haired woman beneath this redhead, with herself feeling the delight of Gloria''s fingers.


    Abby saw all this from a vantage point, from where she could see Minos'' rod moving in and out of that redhead''s wet cavern, as she saw this woman''s face buried in Ruth''s open legs.


    "Ahhhhhhhh~ I''m cumming~" Gloria lifted her face and screamed in delight, not being able to contain the sensation in her body and stopping playing with Ruth to look back.


    Abby then saw Minos also getting there, with a hungry look on his face.


    "Ohhh~"


    Minos finally stopped shaking as he held Gloria''s beautiful buttocks firmly, his skin glistening from the sweat on his body, a little reddened given the heat generated by Always Up.


    Gloria''s body fell over Ruth''s, and Minos'' rod slid out of her hot cavern, giving the black-haired woman a chance to taste the mixture of his seed and the redhead''s nectar.


    "Mmmmm~" Ruth kissed her harem sister''s flower, giving this pregnant woman even more pleasure.


    "Minos, what are you doing?" Abby asked after a moment, still watching as they looked like animals in heat, much wilder than they usually looked.


    Upon hearing Abby''s sweet voice, they all looked in her direction and finally realized that someone else was with them there in that room.


    "Abby!" They simultaneously shouted while smiling with joy that she had finally awakened.


    Minos then got out of that bed and walked over to her, still with his erection, making his queen look at that thing with interest.


    "Abby, how are you? Did you gain much from that woman''s inheritance?" He hugged her and asked that as his fingers ran down the buttons of her clothes.


    "Yes, now my talent has increased, and I have a lot of knowledge to help me become stronger..." She saw those two women looking at her, their skins reddening from the heat they felt in their bodies.


    "What is wrong with you all?" She asked as she raised her arms to make it easier for Minos to remove her clothes.


    Gloria smiled at her and said. "Minos bought a little something for us, and we''ve been like this since the day before yesterday..."


    Ruth added. "The effects are starting to subside, but we''ll still be like this for at least another couple hours. Will you be joining us?"


    Abby laughed and looked at Minos, who had already wholly undressed her. "Do I have another option? I think I''m about to be eaten by our husband..."


    Minos laughed when he heard this but continued kissing the body of his queen as he felt her playing with his rod.


    She then passionately looked into his eyes and jumped into his arms, quickly wrapping her legs around his waist as he held her.


    "What about me? Can only Ruth and Gloria have fun like this?" She asked as she looked into his eyes from a higher position than his.


    "I saved some for you, don''t worry." He laughed. "But we''d better leave it to use later..."


    "Oh? All right, then..." She replied, before attacking her husband''s lips in a heated kiss, something she had not felt in months.


    "Mmmmm~"


    As they kissed, Minos slowly walked over to that bed, bringing Abby into the midst of the mess they had been enjoying for the past two days.


    ...


    After another three hours, the four finished their fun, currently lying on the same bed as before, in the position suggested by Minos months ago.


    Gloria was on his left side, Ruth on his right, and Abby on top of this man, with her head resting on Minos'' chest.


    She was smiling at the moment, feeling a good sensation that she had woken up and had been blessed with the service of her husband and the love of her harem sisters.


    She could have woken up during their absence and stayed alone in the Spatial Kingdom for hours. So, it had been fortunate for her to have awakened at such an opportune moment.


    On the other hand, the other two women and Minos were exhausted, finally feeling the initial effects of Always Up wearing off.


    "That herb was extraordinary..." Ruth commented in a low voice as she listened to the breathing sounds of her three companions. "Even after two days of intense mating, my privates are not sore even a little."


    Gloria smiled as she blushed, "I don''t feel anything either. I''m just worried that Minos has ''drowned'' our baby..."


    The other two women laughed, feeling extremely relaxed in this moment of tranquility.


    "When will it be my turn?" Abby asked her man as she massaged parts of his body.


    "Let''s do it in a few days. But, for now, let''s hold back a bit..." He said that but remembered that Abby did not know where they were. "By the way, we''re already out of the northern region."


    "What?" She stood up a little, looking him in the eye.


    He continued. "You were in a meditative state for months. Because of that, we have already arrived in Vogel and are approaching this state''s capital."


    "Vogel?" She asked as she remembered Minos'' travel plan. "So, we are still at the beginning of the journey?"


    "Hmm, we officially left the northern region less than a week ago," Ruth commented to Abby, reassuring this blue-haired woman that she had missed almost nothing.


    "Sigh..."


    "Good. I thought you had forgotten that I wanted to make this trip too!" She looked at Minos and pouted, but she was relieved.


    Minos smiled and said. "I already figured you would awaken soon, so I decided to start our trip before your awakening."


    "But everything worked out, didn''t it? I even carefully planned for us to do the earlier experiment because I already imagined that you would awaken before we reached the capital of this state."


    Gloria and the other two women there looked at each other in doubt. "Was that right?" She asked in a low voice, doubting that her husband had done that math.


    "He probably wanted to sleep with us and use that herb. But now that Abby has coincidentally woken up, he''s saying that..." Ruth shook her head from side to side with her eyes closed.


    Abby laughed and then closed her husband''s mouth with one of her hands. "Don''t worry, my love, I believe you."


    "Anyway, time to talk about serious matters. The Goddess of Life has left some messages behind..."

 Chapter 1185 Leaving For The Vogel Capital

    "Oh? What''s the deadline for us to complete that mission?" Minos questioned the main point.


    Abby then answered him without delay. "A thousand years."


    "All that?" Minos smiled, feeling that this was enough for him and his group to solve such a problem.


    "All that? You think erasing the remnants of someone who supposedly reached level 99 is easy?" Gloria asked him.


    "In a thousand years, I will already be at level 100, so yes, it will be easy," Minos answered without false modesty, confident in his abilities.


    "Even if that happens, do you think you can circle the Spiritual World and wipe out a person''s tracks is easy? Who can assure you that there isn''t a cult hidden in the far reaches of the world where we won''t be able to investigate?" That redhead questioned him.


    "It''s true..." Ruth commented as she looked in concern at Abby.


    Minos massaged his queen''s face and said. "That won''t be a problem. I will get a fusion that will give me part of Henricus Longus'' innate ability in the future. That will be enough for me to ''see'' the remnants of that God of Death."


    "Is that so?" Abby asked, confident in her husband.


    Meanwhile, Gloria was curious about that. "What was his innate ability?"


    "He could see the future." Minos smiled at her. "At that time, he predicted something that hasn''t even happened yet in our time..."


    "Is that true? How could it? A God has such challenging abilities?" Ruth asked without understanding how a mortal''s power could be so extreme when seeing things that would happen millions of years in the future.


    Minos nodded while Gloria remained silent. He said. "In his time, humans and spiritual beasts did not get along and had almost exterminated each other in the past. But do you know why the wars ended?"


    He saw the curious looks of his two less powerful wives and continued. "It was because Gods began to appear among humans..."


    "They didn''t know what would happen if Gods fought, so gradually tempers calmed down, until the situation became more peaceful, as it is now." Gloria finished Minos'' speech by demonstrating that the books gathered by the Spiritual Church along the river of history were not useless.


    Minos agreed with her. "At least in the time of Henricus Longus, there was never a battle between Gods. So, no one knows exactly how powerful they are."


    "But their powers are certainly incomparable, and the fear these Gods had of facing each other was real." He thought about the skeletons on Endless Snow Mountain Range, wondering if that had been the problem...


    "In any case, I will be able to see the remnants of this fellow. So we can complete this task in time. But, on the other hand, I think I can dispute his inheritance and more easily get the location of his last marks in this world." He said in a relaxed tone, reassuring his women.


    Abby relaxed in his arms and continued talking about the Goddess of Life. "Do you think it''s a good idea to do that? It seems that those two hated each other, and the moment you find his soul fragment, he will realize the spiritual fluctuation of the Goddess in your body."


    "Don''t rely so much on the memories of the Goddess of Life, Abby. She was, after all, only a level 99 Spiritual Demigod. Her ''scent'' won''t stay on me, even if I slept with her." He softly said. "I have a ''cursed'' item that will not allow such a thing..."


    ''In fact, the Goddess of Life and her subordinates only realized this because of her special power. But the God of Death will not be capable of that...'' So he thought as he looked at the Spatial Kingdom ring in one of his hands.


    ''On that account, the ring will erase those traces, along with her presence.''


    After hearing that Minos had protection, the three women felt better, while Gloria smiled at the thought of how confident Minos was talking about someone of level 99. ''I wonder if my child will have 1% of their father''s confidence?''


    After a moment of silence, Abby sighed and said. "Besides, the Goddess of Life asked me to look for the descendants of her family. She had no children, but her family still existed when she failed in her advancement."


    "Oh?" Minos thought that maybe that woman had died a virgin...


    Ruth then asked. "Do they still have living descendants? So much time has passed, and where she left her inheritance hasn''t even had people looking for it..."


    ''Looking for...'' Minos thought of something.


    Abby then said. "I think with the Great Migration, her family must have disappeared from the area and lost their roots. But, according to her, she didn''t leave that heritage to her family since she wanted someone else to continue her revenge."


    "So, they probably don''t even know that."


    "That''s it..." Ruth muttered.


    "What if they still exist?" Gloria questioned. "What did the Goddess of Life wish you to do?"


    "She wanted me to take a look at the family situation. Help if needed and eventually take them back to their homeland, where their ancestors are buried in our region." Abby said as she watched her husband with a thoughtful expression.


    ''Do the people behind the pirate groups searching for the map in my spatial ring have any relation to these ancient ''Gods''?'' He wondered as he thought of this possibility for the first time.


    Minos had never thought about this possibility before, but with Ruth''s question and the things he had learned about the past in recent months, he had finally pondered it.


    The northern region did have a lot of history buried underground, and powers around the entire Spiritual World could have departed from this place at the time of the Great Migration.


    Among these powers, some might have forgotten their origins, but others might still be searching for the inheritances of their ancestors!


    Thinking about this, he could not help but consider the possibility that the Blood Triangle Pirates group might be connected to the heritage of one of the ancient ''Gods.'' After all, the map in his possession was something unique, similar to things he had already found in the heritage of the Goddess of Life.


    In other words, such a thing had probably been found for the first time in another ancient ruin in that region!


    ''What does it lead to?'' As he thought about this, his women continued talking about the Goddess, with Abby answering various questions of Ruth and Gloria.


    Thus, time began to pass, and soon the group finished their rest, each dressing after a brief shower, preparing to return to the previous city.


    Now that they had settled their carnal affairs and Abby had awakened, it was time to continue towards the capital of this state, where they could begin their plans against the Vogel family!

 Chapter 1186 Scaring Someone

    A few days later...


    After leaving the previous city, Minos'' group traveled quickly to the vicinity of the capital of Vogel, where they were about to arrive at this time.


    This state was not grand in size, and its capital was closer to the northern region than to its great enemy, the Flaming Empire.


    With this, even considering the forests with high-level beasts in these areas, this group''s journey from the Black Plain did not take longer than it should have.


    The four humans and two beasts had fought several times during this period, but this had not been anything that could hinder their travel plans to the Vogel family headquarters city.


    And in those days, Abby, who was already very close to a breakthrough before she even reached the crypt in the Kingdom of the Waves, had reached level 61 the day before!


    Her talent had increased, and she was already close to a breakthrough. So, with the fights she had a chance to have these days, she had reached the same level as her husband.


    As for the two beasts in this group, Maida was not as talented, so she did not have much expectation of advancing in the coming months. Kyla, on the other hand, had advanced just before leaving the Black Plain with her companions, so she needed a few more months of training to reach level 58.


    Anyway, they were getting ready to pass through the border control of the capital, where several carriages and people on beasts like theirs were lined up in long lines.


    There were all kinds of creatures in the vicinity, with humans between levels 45 and 55, close to the average power of this high-level kingdom.


    "Let''s go through that other line..." Gloria commented to the two beasts in her group, indicating one of the VIP entrances to this grand city.


    "Are we going to use the Spiritual Church to our advantage?" Abby asked as she smiled at her harem sisters.


    Minos then took something from his spatial rings and handed it to them. "Put those masks on. Let''s hide our faces while we are in this place."


    They wore hoods until then, and since they were the last in the line they had just left, no one had noticed them yet. Thus, to avoid being recognized by potential enemies, Minos had thought of this when he saw the royal family guards at that entrance post.


    His three wives promptly obeyed his order and put on masks similar to his own, hiding their beautiful faces.


    With that, soon, the two beasts arrived at the side of a particular entrance post, where only one carriage besides their group was passing at this moment.


    "Oh? This smell..." A young man inside that carriage felt a unique scent coming from outside his means of transportation and felt interested in that Spiritual Emperor emanating such a thing.


    He was an aristocrat who liked the smell of every ''flower,'' but some emitted certain fragrances that showed their outstanding quality.


    He had a theory that a woman with a distinctive scent had characteristics that were just as unique. As such, he could not contain his curiosity to see such a rarity.


    As he stuck his head out the window on the right side of his carriage, he saw three women and a man standing on top of a black-furred tigress.


    Unfortunately, each of them had a mask covering their face, and he could only tell the quality of their beauty just by their fairy hands and high-standard bodies.


    "Hello, my name is Morton Wolf. Can I know from where the ladies came from?" He asked as he stepped out of his carriage, ignoring the guard about to attend to Minos'' group.


    Minos looked in the direction of that fellow and then gave a short, thick answer. "We are of the order of Iron Hearts from the Sacred Hill." He then showed a symbol of the Spiritual Church that he had received from Margot.


    Upon hearing Minos'' comment and seeing the symbol of the Spiritual Church, each guard in the surrounding area took a step back. At the same time, as the young man widened his eyes, one of his servants came to his rescue before he met his end.


    "Iron Hearts?" He swallowed his saliva as he uttered the name of the order that formed the extermination groups of the Spiritual Church.


    Every person who came from the headquarters of the Spiritual Church on Sacred Hill was feared because of their potential within that organization. But those from Iron Hearts were much worse, as they were the enforcers of this grand organization.


    They not only punished, they judged, and also sentenced the punishments they imposed on rebels and enemies!


    Therefore, when they heard from Minos that his group had this origin, the people in the surroundings trembled with fear of these dangerous beings.


    Meanwhile, Gloria was surprised that Minos would say that name. ''I never mentioned that order to him... It seems my husband''s knowledge of the Church is quite profound.''


    "Sorry for the delay, Your Excellencies. You may enter now!" A guard said this as he opened one of the entrance gates to that city while the others in that area were still scared to death.


    Gulp!


    "Why are these people here?" One of the guards muttered to his closest colleague.


    The colleague then replied. "I don''t know. Maybe they are in training. Don''t you see? One of them is much stronger than the others, and she wears the robes of the Church, but the other doesn''t."


    As Minos and his group moved off, the young man from before managed to get into his carriage after much difficulty and help from his servant.


    ''How could this be? Such a distinguished group came from such a dark place?''


    Gulp!


    ,m ''To make matters worse, from that guy''s tone, he sounded angry!'' Finally, he paled in fear and looked at his servant. "Let''s go away! Let''s return home!"


    "What? What about the family business?"


    "Screw it! That guy will kill me if I stay here. I''m sure!" He shouted in nervousness. "I didn''t see his face, but I''m sure he looked at me like I was a dead animal!"


    "To make matters worse, the family could get in trouble if we get involved with such dangerous people!"


    ...


    Meanwhile, Minos and his group were quietly making their way into the interior of the outstanding capital of Vogel.


    "Minos, what was that back there? Why did you say that?" Abby asked in curiosity since she was the only one who did not know about that information from the Spiritual Church.


    Minos laughed and said. "I just scared that person a little. He was looking at my women, so I just took a few nights of sleep away from him, hehehe."


    Gloria then explained to Abby. "Iron Hearts is the order that forms the members of the Church who are responsible for carrying out punishments, among other things."


    "It was one of the groups in that order that wiped out that sect in Albano."


    "Oh?" Abby gasped in surprise as Ruth looked at Minos and smiled beneath her mask.


    This black-haired woman already knew about such a thing, so she had not questioned Minos about it. "But don''t you think pretending to be part of such a powerful group is dangerous?"


    "No," Minos said. "There aren''t many in that order, and those people are too far from Church headquarters to do anything about it."


    "Finally, we are visiting the local temple with our identities protected. So there''s no danger."


    "Sigh!" Gloria then said. "Anyway, don''t go off saying such things easily. Next time, let''s solve our problems without taking any major risks..."


    "Hmmm." He nodded just as they were about to reach the central square of the capital, where the Spiritual Church temple and the royal palace were!


    ...

 Chapter 1187 Situation Of The Empire And Its Four Enemies

    Upon arriving in that area of Vogel''s capital, Minos'' group encountered a place filled with high-level Spiritual Emperors, where they could even sense the presence of Spiritual Saints.


    Obviously, they could not sense all the experts in the area since certain places with unique spiritual arrays could block the spiritual probing of people outside their action spaces.


    But for Minos and Abby, who were not used to places like these, the number of experts in the surrounding area was already quite impressive.


    States like Albano, Vogel and Flaming Empire were considered second-rate in the Spiritual World, while the Black Plain and the northern region were third-rate. But even so, places like these that Minos was in were quite strong and had experts that would rank well anywhere on the continent.


    In the Spiritual World, regardless of where someone was, being above level 70 already meant an outstanding achievement worthy only of experts.


    Therefore, being in such a place was a new experience for them, even considering the memories they had in their minds!


    And considering that this city of 5 million people had almost 100,000 Spiritual Emperors, they could not help but observe the area and feel what their state would be like in a few more decades.


    "This place is pretty strong, huh? Is the Flaming Empire stronger than this?" Abby asked as they walked toward the stairs of the Spiritual Church temple.


    Hearing that, both Ruth and Gloria smiled from under their masks.


    "Sure, much stronger," Ruth commented. "In terms of cultivators, below level 70, the difference is only in numbers. Precisely because of this, the neighboring states to the northern region are allies against the Empire."


    Gloria nodded and continued Ruth''s explanation. "But when it comes to experts, the numbers quite different, but also the quality of these individuals."


    "Many of the Spiritual Saints from Vogel, or the other three kingdoms north of the Empire, don''t have complete sets of Silver-grade techniques, nor do they even have Golden-grade techniques. So, they lose out on quality to those in the Empire."


    "Also, the Empire has a greater variety of low-level Spiritual Saints, with professionals of all ranks, many of them to be precise."


    "In Vogel, it''s not like that. There are even professionals of all ranks, but they are scarce, and there are no high-level grade-3 professionals around here, something that there are in the Empire."


    "Finally, while the Emperor is already a Spiritual Sage, the king of this state is only a Spiritual Saint."


    Minos and Abby listened to all this carefully, getting some new information from these lines from Gloria.


    He then asked. "Why doesn''t the Emperor act against these kingdoms and end the problem between them?"


    She looked at her husband''s mask and laughed at his comment. "Because he is not you, dear. If he were, he would have already unified those four kingdoms and expanded the Empire''s forces."


    "Hmm, you know me well..." He made his three women laugh.


    Gloria then continued. "Besides not being as impressive as you are, the Emperor has two major problems."


    "Oh? What are they?" Abby asked.


    Ruth said the first. "In the past, the Emperor won a bet with a high-level sect of the Flowers Kingdom. That helped him gain a protector, but also a problem."


    The Flowers Kingdom was between the Flaming Empire, Evergreen Empire, and Eastern Empire, a state ruled by women, where men only served for reproduction.


    That was the third smallest state in the Central Continent in terms of area and population, but it was one of the strongest in raw power.


    Ruth continued while speaking in a funny tone. "If he ever leaves his state, he will have to marry the leader of that sect. Meanwhile, she, a high-level Spiritual Sage, is protecting the Empire from stronger opponents, fulfilling her promise to him in the past..."


    "Uh?" Abby did not understand. "Then why is it a problem for him to leave the Empire? Wouldn''t marrying a high-level Spiritual Sage be good for him?"


    Gloria laughed and explained. "No, because the leader of that sect is rather special..."


    Ruth said. "Let''s just say she''s not the kind of woman men are normally attracted to... So, it would be torture for the Emperor to be with her."


    Minos looked in curiosity at those two women coming from the Flaming Empire. "Just say what the problem is."


    Gloria said. "She is 3 meters tall, weighs about 200 kilograms, and is said to have an innate ability that when she mates, she devours her lover''s testicles."


    "What? Does something like that exist?" Abby''s eyes widened.


    "Hmm, all her husbands have turned eunuch after sleeping with her... But in contrast, she can get pregnant after once with a man. Because of this, she has more than 50 children, a true record in our world." Ruth said.


    "Geez!" Minos exclaimed in surprise. ''It''s a miracle this woman is still alive!''


    Abby was shocked at such gossip, but she did not forget the other problem. "What about the second reason he can''t act?"


    Gloria then spoke of the second problem. "The kings of the four states north of the Empire have sacrificial techniques that, when combined, can be used to activate a low-level grade-4 weapon that the Emperor is susceptible to."


    "So, if he took the risk of fighting, he would have a very high risk of dying along with his enemies."


    "Because of these reasons, the Emperor does not act directly against these kingdoms. But it wouldn''t be advantageous to fight either. All the states are more or less trying to avoid trouble because of the last war that happened."


    "Such a war was so brutal that the power that existed at that time has not yet been fully recovered, even though thousands of years have passed."


    "I see..." Minos muttered to himself, more or less understanding the situation these four states and the Flaming Empire were in.


    ''Well, if the Vogel family did something against me, then all that will change soon...'' He pondered as his group approached members of the Church who were on the path to the inside of the temple in front of him.


    ''I will try to destroy this family with the Church, which will screw up the balance of power of these states. As a result, the Flaming Empire will have to consider the opportunity to eliminate the opponents, and the other three kingdoms will also be on alert...''


    He frowned his eyebrows as he remembered something. ''But I have to help Albano. With the contract I signed, I must at least speak on their behalf and try to avoid trouble.''


    "Sigh..."


    ''What a complication!''


    ''It would be better just to let them fight and open up opportunities for the Black Plain...'' He regretted that he had already signed such an agreement.


    ''Well, I''ll have to find a way to resolve any kind of imbalance peacefully.'' He saw the Church symbol on the uniforms of the people in his group''s path and thought. ''I''ll have to use this organization!''


    "Welcome to the local temple. Please, your IDs..." Minos heard the voice of one of those men dressed in black.


    ...

 Chapter 1188 A Bit Of The Spiritual Church

    When they were stopped by the guards at that Spiritual Church post, Minos and his two first wives remained silent while Gloria spoke in their place.


    "We are from the Temple of Payton. We are passing through the area..." She gave a brief explanation as she presented her identification.


    Noting that she was at the peak of the 7th stage and could soon become a Matriarch, those Spiritual Emperors did not make it too difficult for Gloria.


    "So, you are friends of the Flaming Empire..." Someone said with a smile on his face, but not so sincere.


    The Spiritual Church was an organization that had its ideals above those of states like those in the northern region, Albano, Vogel, Flaming Empire, etc. But every power consisted of living beings with their freedoms and preferences.


    As such, there were factions within the Church, groups that could be more or less friendly or hostile to others.


    These groups could be influenced by power disputes within the Church or other problems. For example, some factions more or less behaved more favorably toward the nobility and royalty where they were located. In other words, they took the problems present in those states and brought them into the interfactional relations of the Church.


    Case in point, the Church branches in the four kingdoms north of the Flaming Empire were of the same faction, one opposed to the one in the Flaming Empire.


    Hence, the people of that temple naturally did not look favorably upon the presence of Gloria''s group there, despite their respect for someone of her level.


    In the future, she could be strong and leave her faction in the Flaming Empire, but even though it was positive to have relations with someone like that, they preferred not to have her around.


    One of them then questioned. "Why are the people in your group hiding your identities? In fact, we want the IDs of each of you."


    Minos then massaged one of Gloria''s shoulders, indicating for her to step back and make room for him.


    At the sight of this, the stronger ones there frowned.


    How could a weaker individual be so intimate and still tell the stronger one to get out of his way? It was truly remarkable behavior that indicated how unusual these people must be.


    Therefore, the elders there paid twice as much attention to Minos, even considering his low level.


    "I am an outer member of the Church. These are my wives." Minos showed the token Margot had given him while he pointed to his three women with his other hand.


    "What, outer member?"


    "That''s the first one I see..."


    "He married an Archbishop who is stronger than he is?"


    People in the surrounding area commented, finding the situation unusual.


    ''Outer member... Only someone with a lot of merits, potential, or greatness has what it takes to get the status of an outer member.'' One of the elders there, a white-haired man, thought about it.


    The same man who had asked Gloria the previous question then insisted. "And what''s wrong in showing your identities?"


    "That you don''t need to know," Minos said as he looked in the direction of that person''s eyes.


    "What? I think I do need to know!" He stepped forward, annoyed at the arrogant manner of these strangers. "We will not allow unknown people into our temple. So, show your identities, or you''d better leave!"


    Minos then raised his head as if looking up at the blue sky above this area. He then said. "According to the rules of the Spiritual Church, an outer member like me can command those weaker than him in any place."


    "Of course, as long as his orders are not contrary to the laws of the Church." He smiled from beneath his mask and looked at the stronger man there. "Are you contradicting your superior?"


    The man who had asked such questions looked at the old man behind him, waiting for that individual to give the order for them to expel these people.


    The white-haired old man looked with narrowed eyes at Minos and questioned. "Are you saying that you are stronger than all of us? Is that it, or did I misunderstand?"


    Minos looked at these Spiritual Emperors who worked as guards in this place, knowing that, unlike Gloria, they had humble backgrounds.


    Spiritual Emperors were not necessarily the same. Some were already at their full potential, like the old man who asked Minos such a thing. Others had a long journey ahead of them, like Gloria.


    As such, while she was the leader of an entire region, these people had the humble job of ensuring the safety of this temple.


    So, their knowledge was undoubtedly different from Gloria''s since, while she was groomed to lead, they just grew up to become pawns.


    "Do you want me to show you?" Minos asked, but he did not even wait for the answer from that level 65 man.


    Chaotic Gravity!


    He activated his 7th technique and pointed one of his fingers downward, instantly making the half dozen guards kneel.


    ,m "What?"


    "How can it be?"


    "Something is attracting me to the ground..." Someone spoke in difficulty, barely able to breathe. "It''s as if my body is heavier..."


    "Ahhhh!" Some of them let out sounds of pain as their bones made strange sounds, and it seemed as if their bodies might explode at any moment.


    Some of them were only one or two levels above Minos, so if he wanted to, he could even kill them by using gravity to crush their bodies!


    Thus, the current situation was uncomfortable for these Spiritual Emperors dressed in black!


    Minos continued to hold his finger in that same position for another second before looking in the direction of that strongest fellow in that group. "Are you still going to make things difficult for us? Will I have to punish you for your disobedience?"


    Outer members were highly valued in the Church, as only people who deserved it or had a lot of potentials earned that status.


    Why had Margot given such a thing to Minos? Besides him being the father of the baby in Gloria''s womb, she knew he was talented. So, it was beneficial for the Spiritual Church to connect with him this way!


    As such, Minos was using his advantage at this moment, something those individuals knew could harm them since this masked man was stronger than all of them.


    "No, Your Excellency need not worry..." That white-haired man said with difficulty as he looked at Minos'' feet.


    With that, Minos raised his finger, and the tremendous pressure on the bodies of those individuals passed, causing some of them to fall to the ground while hurriedly breathing.


    The man who had caused trouble for them looked in Minos'' direction with terror in his eyes while ignoring the sounds of smiles coming from Minos'' three women.


    ''Does this fellow have such tremendous power?'' He swallowed his saliva in fear.


    He had never witnessed anything so terrifying in his life!


    Not only were they more numerous than Minos, but they were also all stronger in terms of level than this masked young man. In other words, such a person was defiantly off limits and still possessed a power that was extremely difficult to counter.


    That was why this man had been so shocked to realize who he had angered!


    As Minos departed that area, another person who had been watching the situation from afar smiled, finding it all interesting.


    ''Who is that? He has a lot of personality and confidence!''


    ...

 Chapter 1189 First Steps To Build Your Own Faction

    The woman who had seen all of Minos'' actions from afar continued to watch his group entering the Church temple, interested in these visitors.


    She had seen when Minos showed the Church symbol, so naturally, she did not think he was there to cause trouble. So, she saw no problem in him teaching those individuals a lesson.


    The people in this organization placed a high value on hierarchy. Since Minos was stronger than those individuals and had a special status, he naturally had the right to act that way.


    Even more so considering that he had not overstepped his limits.


    With that, she soon walked towards him, curious to meet this person.


    "Hi, my name is Louise. Do you need any help?" She asked as she approached Minos'' group.


    Hearing that, the four people looked at this blonde woman, level 67, wearing an outfit similar to Gloria''s.


    Gloria looked at her and said. "We need to collect some local information. So, you can take us to the area responsible for that."


    "Oh? Don''t you know the kingdom? Where do you come from?" She looked at Gloria, but she was interested in Minos.


    "Flaming Empire."


    "Oh? It is unusual for our temple to receive people from this place..." She commented as she looked ahead and began to lead their group. "Why would a group from the Flaming Empire come to our state? Any problems?"


    "Several problems..." Gloria commented without giving details.


    Minos then said. "Louise, in addition to seeking information, we are searching for Spiritual Emperors of this post who are not so involved in local affairs."


    "Can you help us with that? I want to meet my wife''s colleagues in this place who can help me regarding something."


    ''Your wife''s colleagues?'' She looked at Gloria, who was wearing a church uniform similar to hers. ''So she is your wife...''


    She then asked. "People without much involvement in local affairs? There aren''t that many people. After all, it''s hard not to get involved in one''s own reality..."


    "Can you explain more about this to me? I am interested in what you intend with these Spiritual Emperors." She looked at him with interest.


    Louise had her local involvements, but as someone who was only at level 67, far from the peak of local power, she was still not influential. At least not to the point of being fully committed or limited by local powers.


    Minos then said. "We are not from the Flaming Empire. We''re just temporarily part of that state''s branch."


    "Is that so?"


    "We are trying to develop our contacts in other branches of the Church so that we have certain options when we are no longer in the Empire." He left out of his comments the northern region and the fact that he was trying to form his own faction.


    Naturally, there was a power struggle within the Church. Thus, faction members would not simply help develop or allow new competitors and divisions to emerge.


    Therefore, to avoid people trying to sabotage him, Minos wanted to appear as just an individual concerned with his influence within the Church, with the contacts that could help him establish himself away from his ''homeland.''


    And that was what Louise understood from his comment, finding it appropriate for a person in his situation not to limit himself only to the contacts he had in the Flaming Empire.


    "Where will you go?" She asked.


    Minos smiled, making that clear to Louise in his tone of voice. "A place that the Church does not yet have a branch..."


    She stopped walking and looked at him with interest since there were few places in the Central Continent where the Church did not have its feet planted.


    Moreover, if such a thing were true, would not that mean the Church was working on an expansionist project?


    That was important!


    ''Is it the western region?''


    ''Apart from the Flowers Kingdom, only states in the western region are free from the Church''s presence.'' She pondered while looking seriously at Minos'' mask.


    The western region had three states without the presence of the Spiritual Church. Among them were the two colossi, the Western Empire and Eastern Empire, which were so strong that they only cared about one dominating the other, not caring about the rest of the region.


    And considering that in the past, they were one, as well as one of the strongest states in the entire Spiritual World, it was no wonder that the Church had not been able to enter such territories.


    The third state without the presence of the Church in that region was the neighbor to the west of the Western Empire. Such a kingdom did not border any other state and heavily depended on this empire. So, naturally, it had stayed away from the ''clutches'' of the Spiritual Church.


    As for the Flowers Kingdom, that state was unique, with connections in virtually the entire Spiritual World. Thus, without the Queen''s own will, the Church would never attempt to set foot in such a place.


    That would be looking for trouble over something small!


    The population of the Flowers Kingdom was very loyal to its state, so even if the Church had a post there, it would probably have no gain, only costs.


    Knowing all this, Louise could only think that Minos'' comment indicated shocking changes, probably related to the westernmost state on this continent.


    "The headquarters chose you for this? Are they already so far along with the planning that Spiritual Emperors are already being sent?" She seriously asked.


    "You could say that," Minos casually commented. ''Gloria truly has been chosen to command the northern region...''


    "So, you want to have contacts beyond the Flaming Empire to facilitate business with other states?"


    "Not exactly." He replied. "We want to grow within the Church from this post. So, we need contacts with factions in other areas..."


    p "I see..." She pondered, not finding Minos'' line problematic since someone growing within a Church post would hardly affect the dynamics of factions in that organization. "I am interested."


    "I can see that your future will be great. Besides, I''m sure your wife will go very far in the future." She commented in a low voice to Minos while his wives looked strangely at her.


    ''Do you really understand?'' Abby wondered.


    As they walked back down a long corridor in that temple, going to the place Gloria had requested, Minos said. "If you are interested, help me find people as I told you. For now, if you can get a half dozen people, it will be fine."


    "I will make an offer to you, and we will leave the growth of our network in this post for the future."


    She nodded at him. "OK, I can do that."


    After that was decided, she left them at a library, where the local information they wanted access to was located.


    In this place, Minos and his three wives soon began to learn different things about the Vogel family and the kingdom, which was necessary for them to approach this organization.


    ...

 Chapter 1190 The Opinion Of The Experts

    While time was passing inside the library that Minos and his wives were in, in another part of that temple, some Spiritual Saints were talking about the arrival of this group.


    They were in a large living room, where two brown leather sofas were facing each other, next to a glass wall that overlooked the central area of this city.


    At the same time, there was a piece of furniture between the two sofas where several snacks were available in case they wanted to eat something.


    Finally, three people were sitting cross-legged there, dressed in red clothes, while people in black stood at this place''s sides in silence.


    "So, visitors from the Flaming Empire have arrived at our temple, eh?" One of them commented.


    "And this level 61 fellow even overpowered some of the guards posted at the temple entrance... That person looks pretty impressive. Didn''t he identify himself?" A white-haired woman asked one of the Spiritual Emperors who had seen Minos'' action from afar.


    After hearing his superior''s questioning, that man lowered his head and said what he had heard from the guards who had suffered a bit from Minos'' 7th technique. "From what I heard, Matriarch, they didn''t identify themselves."


    "One of them seems to be a member of the Church in the Flaming Empire. She is at level 69. As for the others, two of them, and the Archbishop in question, are wives of the man who is supposedly an outer member of the Church."


    "When questioned about their identities, they refused to discuss why they hid them. Since that man was stronger than the guards in place, they had to accept their defeat and retreat." That person finished explaining the previous situation.


    The third of those people sitting on one of those two sofas, a man with blond hair, then asked. "How did a level 61 Spiritual Emperor overpower six higher level guards, one of them level 65?"


    The same man from before answered with a slightly nervous tone. "I saw it all happening, but I''m not sure how he did it. First, he moved one of his fingers down, and then there was a disturbance in the spiritual energy in the surroundings."


    "Then those guards were pressed against the ground, some of them barely able to breathe as they thought they would explode due to the weight of their bodies."


    "In the end, he raised his finger, and everything seemed to return to normal."


    "Oh?" The woman looked at her two companions on the sofa across from hers. "An innate ability or a technique?"


    "If it''s a technique, it''s a Golden-grade one." The blond man who asked the previous question replied, thinking of the more likely hypothesis.


    "If that is the case, then it is not for nothing that this young man has been given the status of an outer member. He will have a great future and serve to help the Church." The second man said, thinking how powerful every person with techniques of that quality was.


    Ordinary people did not know, but these Spiritual Saints, who had at least one Golden-grade technique, knew there was a vast difference between the power released by Golden-grade and Silver-grade techniques.


    Not only did the energy conversion efficiency have a 100% difference, but the laws involved in each Golden-grade technique were more profound.


    That meant that their power was extraordinary, had greater compatibility with fusion, required less power to use, and released more destruction, even though they consumed less energy than those of other ranks.


    But not only this, when a cultivator learned techniques, they became part of their spiritual journey, which would influence their soul.


    Not only the cultivation technique could influence such a thing!


    When someone spent a thousand, ten thousand, twenty thousand years using an attack technique, that technique naturally influenced that cultivator''s soul in a certain way.


    The result of this? Having Golden-grade techniques from a young age meant that such a cultivator could have his soul affected for longer, which would raise its quality.


    And with that, a breakthrough to the 11th stage was more likely to happen in the future!


    These Spiritual Saints knew this, so each of them understood what it meant if Minos did have techniques of this rank at his current level.


    ''That must be the case!'' The woman there thought. ''It is no wonder such a girl''s post allowed her to marry outside the Church. They must expect a lot from that boy.''


    She had no idea about Minos and Gloria''s ages, but compared to her own, those two Spiritual Emperors were no more than children.


    But unfortunately, she and her two companions had ignored the slight possibility that Minos had impregnated Gloria because of it, had become an outer member of the Church...


    He was indeed talented, and Margot knew that he had the potential to bring some benefits to the Spiritual Church. But the biggest reason he had that special status was for Gloria''s honor, not his fantastic future.


    "Well, this fellow has the right to be arrogant and act against these daring guards!" One of the two men there said while having a smile on his face.


    The blond man agreed. "Yes, there is nothing wrong with what he did. In fact, help this young man get what he wants here."


    "We''re not friendly to the Payton Temple people, but we don''t need to be hostile either." The white-haired woman, level 76, agreed with her two colleagues. "At the end of the day, we are all members of the Church, so treating our friends well is important."


    The Spiritual Emperors in the surrounding area heard all this with wide eyes, surprised that these millennial experts could speak comments of that nature over a level 61 young man.


    ''Are they giving importance to that fellow? Do they need to speak those excuses to try to get on his good side?'' One of those people thought about it in silence, surprised that his bosses seemed to want to have a good relationship with Minos.


    But even if they wanted that, those Spiritual Saints were not willing to bother associating with Minos right now. It would not be suitable for their images if they gave relevance to a level 61 young man.


    So they would let their subordinates take care of the matters related to this for the moment, and who knows when Minos became someone of their stage, they would sit at the same table.


    By then, the help from afar should be good enough for them to maintain positive contact with this promising young man.


    With that, it was not long before the subordinates of the three Spiritual Saints left there to carry out their orders.


    They would pass on the order for people from this temple not to stand in the way of Minos'' group and even help them in their local affairs.


    ''Hmm, I will tell them about the Vogel family event that will take place in a few days. Maybe they will be interested...'' One of the Spiritual Emperors thought of this as he moved to where Minos and his wives were supposed to be.


    ...

 Chapter ?1191 How to Enter the Royal Palace

    Chapter ?1191 How to Enter the Royal Palace


    After they finished studying the basics about the local powers and the Vogel family, Minos and his wives were chatting in the same library as before.


    "It seems that soon the Vogel family will give a celebratory banquet for the kingdom''s independence..." Minos commented as he closed one of the books before him and looked at the three women in front of him.


    Like any other state in this world, Vogel had its national holidays, moments of celebration for the population. However, these were also times to remind everyone of the most important events in local history.


    The population needed moments of rest and celebration to function without too many problems during the year. Some people could only give meaning to their lives if they had moments like these and could even lose the will or become rebellious without it.


    So, to keep the psychology of the most ordinary and numerous people in the state in check, the local leaders used these occasions to cheer up these parts of the population on days like these.


    On the other hand, a state without memory was doomed to repeat the same mistakes. Thus, these were also times to think about history and the mistakes and successes of their predecessors while using this to stimulate the patriotic sense of their population.


    A population proud of its history was less likely to rebel and more likely to defend the state in case of need!


    Therefore, even though Vogel had existed for hundreds of thousands of years, the royal family still celebrated the date of the state''s independence.


    By coincidence of fate, such a festive occasion was to take place in the next few weeks, precisely during this passage of Minos and his wives through this state.


    "Do you want to act against them during this occasion?" Abby asked her husband.


    "Yes. There will be many visitors that day, and this state''s important figures must show themselves." He said in a low voice while moving his fingers through a brush. "It will be interesting if we act at that time."


    "Don''t you think it will be more dangerous?" Ruth asked.


    "We don''t need to act immediately that day..." Minos looked at her and smiled from under his mask. "We can work out a way to participate in this event, choose some targets, and act against them after the festive occasion."


    "Oh?" Gloria opened her mouth, "So when you said you want to act on this occasion, is it just to get in touch with people who can help us get closer to individuals who can talk?"


    "Yes. There will be many important people and their most loyal subordinates at that event." He said, so no one but them could hear. "We will use that moment to mark them. Then we will act against those weaker people and make them talk."


    "If necessary, we will make them help us contact their leaders."


    "But how will we participate in this event? I imagine that only authorized people can get close to the places where important people will be." Abby commented.


    As they looked at each other, trying to find a solution to this question, one of the subordinate Spiritual Emperors of those Spiritual Saints from before approached them.


    "Your Excellencies, are you in need of anything? There are many things we can help you get." That man respectfully said, drawing the attention of those four people.


    ''What''s that? What a change in behavior!'' Ruth watched that man, curious to know what was going on.


    While Gloria and Abby were thinking similar things, Minos already had it in his mind that someone powerful was making things easy for him. ''Well, I''ll just use the opportunity...''


    ''I''m already here to make contacts anyway. Then it won''t be bad to associate with the people in this place.'' So he thought before asking that Spiritual Emperor. "How do we participate in the Vogel family celebrations in the coming weeks?"


    That man then smiled and said. "That will be easy to do. The Church will send members to attend this event. Then you will be able to access the celebrations with ease."


    "Won''t there be problems because we are not part of the local branch?" Minos questioned.


    "No, as long as you don''t try to get directly involved with the leading members of the royalty, there won''t be any problems." That man replied, curious as to what they wanted to find.


    "Oh? Then it will be fine. We have no interest in getting too close to these people..."


    "Is that so? And what exactly is Your Excellency looking for? Perhaps we can help you solve that more easily."


    Minos replied. "Nothing much. We''re just after someone capable of identifying something strange..."


    "Something strange?"


    "Hmm, we are seeking information from a fugitive. I believe he has made contact with some high-ranking member of the Vogel family." Minos made such a thing up. "But since we don''t know if this family was ''forced'' to help him, we don''t want to ask them directly."


    "We just want to probe such trouble from the shadows..."


    ''A fugitive? Well, things like that are not strange, but why would someone like that contact the Vogel family? And how would he be able to force them to do anything?'' This fellow did not quite understand how that was possible.


    But as a good subordinate, he knew not to question his superiors'' wishes too much. "All right. I''ll see if I can get some information regarding strange people approaching the Vogel family without alerting them to it."


    "Hmm, thanks." Minos smiled from beneath his mask, wondering if this lie he had used would serve any purpose other than to prevent the people of this temple from knowing his real motives.


    ''I have no history with the Vogel family, so if their leadership decided to act against me, it must have come from others...'' He looked silently at that man walking away. ''Sending a Spiritual Saint to the northern region was too big a risk...''


    ''That means they judged it worth the risk, or their grudge against me was too great. In either case, someone other than the Vogel family, in case they are guilty, needs to be connected to it.''


    Minos had invented a situation to get the previous man away from them, but while avoiding letting this branch of the Church know his plans, he set them to research something that could be useful to him.


    He had not simply invented a lie out of thin air. Instead, that was based on his conjecture, suspicions of the involvement of more organizations, and his confidence in the Vogel family''s guilt.


    If he were wrong, it would not negatively affect him and his women. However, it would confirm his suspicions and uncover something else if he were right.


    So, after making his move and getting a method to enter the VIP area of the occasion the Vogel family would host in weeks, Minos stood up and prepared to leave that library with his wives.


    "Come on, let''s get to know some of this city, escape routes, etc." He said as he waved one of his hands. "Let''s pretend to do some tourism while we find the weaknesses and strengths of this place."


    "Pretend, eh?" Ruth asked as she took one of her man''s hands. "Will we have to use those alternatives?"


    "Maybe..." He commented without being too sure. "It depends on how guilty the Vogel family is, whether they will discover our actions, etc. In any case, we''d better prepare while we wait for that occasion and the action of that woman we met earlier."


    "OK!" The three replied, already walking with him out of that temple.

 Chapter ?1192 Conversations with Church Members

    Chapter ?1192 Conversations with Church Members


    After a few days in the capital of Vogel, Minos and his wives had gotten to know the basics of that city, ways to escape safely, and also got to know the local branch of the Spiritual Church better.


    This branch was closely intertwined with the local powers, similar to what happened in the northern region before Minos'' rise and how he planned the future with his actions before his departure.


    Because of this, he and his wives realized that as much as the people in this branch of the Church helped them with no doors closed, they had to be careful.


    Because of this, they had spent these days of waiting for the local holiday working in secret, minimally involving the members of that branch and not drawing too much attention.


    On the surface, they seemed to enjoy getting to know a new place while waiting for the moment to talk to the royalty members about the ''person'' they were searching for.


    So, nothing had gotten in the way of their actions during this period, and their group had no problems or challenges.


    And with that, besides that business of the four of them, they had met a lot of local services and even gone out shopping.


    Minos'' focus on this trip was to help the Black Plain, and as much as he was going to do his business, preferably in the Flaming Empire, where there were more options, that did not stop him from taking advantage of opportunities on his way.


    Each state traded more or less the same series of products, with slight variation from one place to another in terms of versions. Naturally, there were differences in quality, but one would typically be able to find every kind of product when traveling through this world, regardless of which state one was in.


    But in each state, there were peculiarities, products, and sometimes services that could be difficult to find outside that area. An example of this was the aphrodisiac trade, one of the vital sectors of this state.


    So, Minos had taken the opportunity to buy in this state seeds and other materials related to specializations that were difficult to find in the Flaming Empire.


    But while he was getting essential items for the Black Plain and getting to know the place better, Louise had already gathered a group of Spiritual Emperors to talk to Minos.


    She had taken a few days to select those who had profiles similar to the one requested by Minos. After that, she still had to talk to each of them and set up a meeting with that fellow to present what he had in mind.


    But finally, she had the opportunity to have all these people and Minos in one room, where they were meeting now.


    ...


    "So, you are here because you are interested in what Louise told you? Are you interested in joining my group?" Minos asked as he and his wives were seated on the same side of a large table, opposite the six people in Louise''s group.


    Upon hearing the masked individual''s questions and observing the four of them there, those six people, Louise among them, nodded, waiting for Minos'' following words.


    "Well, you have made the right choice. Those who ally themselves with my wife''s group," He pointed to Gloria. "will definitely get excellent results that will take you beyond your current goals."


    "I dare say that the 9th stage will not be impossible for you if you do your job well." Minos said, showing them what he intended to deliver them if they were on Gloria''s side.


    "9th stage?" Louise and another woman there repeated simultaneously, impressed at how high Minos had already started.


    It might not seem far to talk about level 80 onwards when someone was already above level 65, like most of these Spiritual Emperors. But the distance between these levels was many times greater than between levels 0 and 65!


    That was especially true for these people from Vogel and even the Flaming Empire, where the strongest and most talented had cultivated for thousands of years and ''only'' reached the peak of the 8th stage.


    Because of this, instead of dreaming of such a difficult stage to reach, these ''youngsters'' aimed to become as strong as the leaders of their post, high-level Spiritual Saints.


    So, Minos had offered them something far beyond what they thought they could achieve in their lives, and they could not help but be shocked.


    Minos smiled from beneath his mask and said. "That''s right. But that depends on your limitations and efforts. It will be impossible if someone here has messed up their cultivation foundation or cannot work hard."


    "But if you have the potential, then I guarantee that if you put in the effort and don''t die prematurely, it''s only a matter of time before you get there."


    One of the more attentive men among those six people then asked. "And how would you help us with that? Do you have any way to prove that you can do that?"


    Minos looked at the dark-skinned, long-haired man and said. "I won''t prove it since that would attract trouble for me. Just imagine a Spiritual Emperor talking about the 9th stage..." He spoke in a tone of a joke. "But I won''t ask for disproportionate things from you either."


    "The more we ask, the more we will deliver. If one day we don''t deliver enough to prove that we can keep this audacious promise, you will naturally have the option to stop your services."


    "In any case, we will do this through resources, artifacts, and opportunities." He opened his hands and gestured. "We have a great infrastructure and organization on our side that will facilitate everything."


    "Do you need proper armor? We can do that by developing one for you or even sponsoring you. Do you need doctors? We have promising people on our side and contacts that can bring you closer to high-level doctors from other organizations. And so on for everything you can think of."


    "But of course, some of those things will grow with us. But that''s kind of self-evident, right? I wouldn''t be talking to Spiritual Emperors if I could attract Spiritual Saints..." He was sincere, but without harming himself by talking about weaknesses.


    His main promise was ambitious. But as he said, if he were already capable of doing more incredible things, there would be no sense in wasting time on weaker people.


    And since those people knew that Minos had challenging powers and seemed very young, he certainly had growth potential.


    So, knowing that he and those behind his group needed time to mature as needed to fulfill that promise was not a bad thing. In fact, it was the opposite, a good thing!


    After all, it was better to grow with an organization than to already be in a developed power that may no longer create significant opportunities for people at their levels.


    Thus, being with a growing power could give them the advantage of being valued, even considering their ''low'' levels.


    They were silent after Minos'' words, thinking on the subject.


    One woman then asked. "And what exactly would we have to do for this opportunity? I imagine the ''costs'' of such a chance are not small, right?"


    ...

 Chapter ?1193 Agreement

    Chapter ?1193 Agreement


    There were no free lunches in this world, and every benefit came with its share of problems.


    The woman who asked Minos that question and her companions knew that. So, none of them would believe that these people would give them a chance to reach the 9th stage without the costs being sky-high.


    Hence, they all paid attention to Minos when he started talking about it. "Well, initially, not much. Your job will be more bureaucratic, sending information, relaying, or representing our thoughts locally. And, of course, recruiting more people who are reliable and interested in our proposals."


    "Oh? That doesn''t sound so complicated..." Louise said in a low voice.


    "Yes. For now, for the next few years, our goal is to create a network, intelligence, and structure that will be useful further down the line. Thus, there won''t be many risks, missions, or major efforts on your part in the short term..."


    "And then what?" One of the men in Louise''s group asked.


    "Well, then, naturally, we will have more functions for the network we are beginning to build." He vaguely said. "But our actions will not be against the rules of the Church, or even against the good of that organization. Nor will we try to influence those we shouldn''t so be unconcerned about that."


    "Anyway, your main job eventually will be to support my wife in some actions within the Church." He pointed at Gloria as those people looked at her.


    "Like a faction?" Another man commented as he realized the similarities of what Minos wanted with factions.


    "I prefer to call it a group united by a common goal..." Minos said in a humorous tone.


    "What goal?"


    "To grow within the Church, of course."


    Louise then asked. "And how is this group different from a faction?"


    Gloria finally said something for the first time in this meeting. "Factions have that goal, and they function similarly to what my husband has talked about. But Church factions are complicated, involved with outside organizations, past grudges, etc."


    "We are neither for nor against any faction. We want to work with everyone who has the goal to grow and add. And we have no intention of opposing anyone. If someone is better than us, we will not act against that person or faction unless they act against us first."


    The people there were surprised to hear this since they thought that as people coming from the Flaming Empire, Minos'' group would have some kind of prejudice and act with preferences.


    But from what Gloria was saying, they were after a type of faction that would be more on the fence, not getting involved with either side of the internal power conflict in the Church.


    And, thinking about it, they did not think it terrible that Minos wanted to create this ''group united by a common goal.''


    Abby then added. "Also, our group will be tranquil and act mainly from the shadows. So, it''s possible that our existence won''t even be noticed even when you have to start acting more vigorously."


    The people there looked at each other as Ruth suggested something. "In fact, I think we''d better put a limit on the number of people in our group. I think 30 or 40 members in each major Church post will be the most interesting..."


    "More than that, we might draw too much attention."


    "Hmmm." Louise nodded in agreement. "Besides, there''s no need for everyone from one post to be in the same group."


    "As long as some of us succeed and ascend locally, others will have to obey our orders, as the guards stopped by you earlier." She said, looking at Minos'' mask.


    "Yes, with few involved, it will be better. It would be problematic to invest in an extensive group..." He commented, setting things that way.


    With that, it did not take long for them to talk over a few more points, agreeing on the formation of this group.


    After a brief analysis of the risks and potential returns, those six individuals judged that they would make a good profit from this move, so they did not hesitate to show their interest in going ahead.


    In the end, Minos and his wives would still be staying a few more days in this city, so they would make this deal official with them little by little during this period.


    As for the beginning of their relations with Minos'' investments and the initial actions of these local members of the Spiritual Church, this would only happen after one year.


    Minos stipulated that it would take that long to communicate with the Black Plain and its subordinates in that place to start acting for such an arrangement to work.


    There was a time required to transport resources from one side of the continent to the other!


    But this was not a problem for those who had already lived much longer than Minos and did not think a year was a big deal.


    Hence, they departed from that meeting place inside the main temple of the Church in this state, going on to their business-related or not to this agreement.


    As for Minos and his wives, they returned to their area to train and cultivate, something they had been forced to do outside the Spatial Kingdom in the previous days.


    They could teleport to the Spatial Kingdom from wherever they wanted, but doing so near a place with several Spiritual Saints could become a problem.


    To avoid unnecessary dangers, they had been training in a cultivation area of this temple, which, by the way, was not bad at all.


    It was not a place that came close to the quality of the Spatial Kingdom, but compared to the northern region, it was hundreds of times better than that area!


    That was a domain with areas of high spiritual concentration, after all!


    Therefore, Spiritual Emperors like them felt no difficulty training in the area and continued to do so without any problems as they waited for the local celebrations to arrive.


    ...


    A few more days passed, and finally, the time had come to celebrate Vogel''s Independence Day!


    Because of the arrival of this great day for Vogel, the capital dawned in a different mood than usual, with many people taking to the streets early in the day, not to work but to celebrate.


    At the same time, parts of the city had been decorated for the festive occasions of the day, among them the parade of the royal guard and army, an attraction particularly beloved by ordinary citizens.


    But as the day began with the aroma of breakfast in various corners of this great city, Minos and his three wives were finishing dressing for the event they were to attend later.


    They had been given the opportunity to attend the event''s opening from inside the Vogel family''s royal palace, where the state''s most powerful people would be.


    Since their group had to accompany the Church team participating in such an event, they had to report early to the meeting place. Because of this, they soon finished getting ready and left for their appointment.


    "Honey, will we be able to find our targets today?" Ruth asked as she walked beside Abby and him.


    Minos continued holding one of his pregnant wife''s hands and commented. "Surely..."


    "If they are to blame for something, we will certainly have contact with people related to the culprits!"


    So, they soon disappeared amid the crowds going in this great city''s streets, proceeding with other members of the Church to the royal palace.

 Chapter ?1194 Doubts of the Crown Prince

    Chapter ?1194 Doubts of the Crown Prince


    After some time, Minos'' group arrived at the royal palace, where the Vogel family was preparing to receive their guests for this great day.


    The festival occasions of Independence Day ranged from early in the day to late at night, moving between public and more private events to which only the local high state hierarchy had access.


    There were many public events around the city, but most were just for the population to enjoy and relax.


    The only public event in which the royalty and the leading local powers participated was the opening of the parade of the royal forces and state army.


    Such a thing was to begin in a few more hours, even before noon in this region of the Central Continent, after the royalty''s breakfast with their top vassals and allies.


    Events like Independence Day for states worldwide were not just about the past or popular celebrations. No, such days brought local powers together, creating many opportunities for conversation between people who rarely saw each other.


    Because of this, many negotiations took place around the capital on such days, sometimes resulting in conflict resolutions, alliances, and even marriages.


    So, as they made their way with the Spiritual Church group to the royal palace, Minos and his wives knew that the royal breakfast was not insignificant!


    Important people would undoubtedly be there, which meant that the chance of their enemy being there would not be slight either!


    With that, they were prepared for a long day ahead, but with sensitive eyes for the direction, they were looking for.


    "Your Excellencies, we will enter the royal palace now, so try not to get involved with people above the 7th stage or who wear that brooch..." One of the Church members in that group guided Minos and his wives while showing the symbol on the armor of a royal guard.


    "So we can''t even talk to the guards?" Abby asked in surprise.


    The man laughed at his mistake and explained. "You can. You can talk to people with that symbol on their clothes or items. But those who wear a gold brooch with that same symbol, no. Only people of utmost importance in the royal family have things like that."


    "Oh? I see..."


    "In any case, these people will not try to cause any trouble for members of the Church, but it is better not to get involved with them. Some are close to local Matriarchs or Patriarchs, which could cause problems to you..."


    Gloria then said. "Don''t worry about that. We won''t talk to any of them unless one of them talks to us first."


    "Hmm, our primary goal today is to observe those who might have the information we seek..." Minos said. "By the way, any news about what you promised us earlier?"


    This Church member they were talking to was the same person who had told them that there was this possibility of them attending this event. On that previous occasion, Minos had told this person about what they ''wanted,'' and this person had promised him that the local branch of the Church would investigate suspicious signs of the Vogel family.


    "The people responsible for that are still working. So, it might take a few more days before we get a result." He replied.


    "OK."


    After this brief dialogue, their group passed through a post of the Vogel family''s royal guard, where they entered the palace''s interior without difficulty.


    Then, they soon made their way through the long corridors of that high-standard place, making their way to the area where breakfast was being hosted.


    Two Spiritual Saints were leading this group, so it was obvious they would have access to the most important people at the start of today''s events!


    Then, as they stood silently observing their surroundings, their group quickly approached a place where several voices were mingling, and a delicious smell of food emanated.


    "Your Highness is promising! Only 200 years old and already advanced to the 8th stage!"


    "It is truly a blessing for the kingdom!"


    "At this rate, it won''t be impossible for us to counter the bloody Flaming Empire in a few centuries!"


    Several congratulatory voices sounded from around a large hall, where tables were connected to form something similar to a ''U,'' with the prominent individuals there near the end where there were tables.


    There, Minos and his group saw several people with brooches similar to the one the previous man had told them to pay attention to and not to get involved with such individuals.


    Among those people sitting around one side of the most critical tables, there was a white-haired man who emitted a noble, level 77 aura. To his right was a woman who should be of the same generation as him, probably his wife. Finally, to his left side was a smiling young man, who was nodding at the kind comments about him.


    "You people flatter me. I''m not that talented, but I hope I can cultivate fast enough to at least help my royal father and the kingdom!" Abe, level 70, said for everyone there to hear.


    In that instant, Minos and his wives came across those people, while the two leaders of their group drew the attention of the many people in the surrounding area.


    That place was packed. Not only were almost all the seats around the tables there occupied, but many underlings of the local leaders who were there were waiting at the sides of this area.


    So, when those two Patriarchs of the Spiritual Church appeared at the entrance of that hall, several heads turned in the direction of Minos'' group.


    "Patriarchs, it is our happiness to welcome you to my humble abode for another year!" King Vogel commented with a smile on his face as he raised a cup in the direction of those two.


    The Church always sent people to participate in events like these, but usually, these individuals took turns. So, when the king saw those two faces he had not seen in decades, he could not help but welcome them warmly.


    It was important to have good connections with each of these individuals!


    Some might have the opportunity to go further than they could in this state, which he himself, the king, could not do given his limitations.


    Thus, being friendly with these people was something he always tried, especially with people he had less contact with!


    The two Patriarchs appreciated the warm welcome from King Vogel and soon greeted several of the experts in the surrounding area after exchanging a few words with the local sovereign.


    They also congratulated the crown prince on his advancement to the 8th stage, an essential step for this local crown successor.


    As they did so, Minos and his wives paid attention to each of the members of the royalty since if anyone had sent a Spiritual Saint to their state, it had most likely been one of these people!


    On the other hand, Abe, who had been fretting over the actions of the Spiritual Church like a cornered animal, looked at the four people wearing masks, dressed somewhat differently, and looked strange.


    ''Who are these people? Why are people from outside the Church accompanying this group? And why are they wearing masks?'' He wondered since Minos, Abby, and Ruth were not wearing the Church uniform, besides being disrespectful to wear masks in front of royalty.


    ''Are those the people from Iron Hearts?'' He thought about what he had recently heard...

 Chapter ?1195 Throwing a Bait

    Chapter ?1195 Throwing a Bait


    Abe received information about every strange movement around his city. As such, Minos'' earlier prank had reached his ears and scared the hell out of him.


    After all, who would joke with Iron Hearts? No one in the Spiritual Church would do such nonsense!


    And since these people kept their identities secret, he could not help suspecting that they were of such an order and were there out of suspicion against him!


    So, as he stood facing these people, his heart began to beat faster, and he thought he had to try to probe the matter further by talking to these people.


    "May I know who you people are? It is not common for members of the Spiritual Church to wear masks and ordinary clothes like you do." He stood up from his seat and said this while drawing the attention of several people in the surrounding area.


    Upon hearing that, the three women of Minos were surprised, but none responded to Abe, even though this prince was addressing one of them. Instead, they all looked at their husband, who was currently staring at that person.


    The two Patriarchs also looked in Minos'' direction since they knew this young man was not ordinary.


    They were not the same individuals who had discussed Minos'' group earlier, but they knew about this person and had their curiosities.


    Minos then surprised Abe by answering in place of his wives. "Your Highness, the Church clothing code doesn''t apply to us, and there aren''t any rules about wearing masks. So, we naturally behave in such a way."


    Some of Abe''s vassals looked strangely at Minos, not liking that this fellow was still making excuses instead of simply removing the mask from his face.


    "Is there a special reason for that? I feel it is disrespectful against my family for outsiders not to identify themselves when coming to our event." Abe pressed, probing what the problem was.


    "Of course there is..." Minos sincerely said. "We are searching for someone, but that person may be in disguise since he has the power, an extraordinary power..."


    "A person?" Abe began to feel better, thinking that a chase was less bad than an investigation.


    As Minos'' eyes narrowed, he tried to test the prince. "The clues left by that person run through here nearby... I believe he is fleeing to the Black Plain."


    "Recently, fanatical madmen think they can go into that place and act as they wish..."


    Hearing about the Black Plain made Abe''s heart beat harder, but as someone who was used to the plots of a royal family, he restrained himself from showing his fears.


    Minos saw this but was not naive to think that such a person would hand him his own head on a platter. Instead, a high-level culprit would naturally exhibit unusual behavior that was difficult to unravel.


    At the same time, some people in the surrounding area who were already finding the situation strange looked at the two Patriarchs with doubt in their eyes.


    The King asked. "Who are those?"


    One of them bitterly laughed and said. "I don''t know. They have not given their name though they are passing through the kingdom."


    "They didn''t?" Some people in the area found this strange.


    ''How can mere Spiritual Emperors keep the secrecy of their information even from Spiritual Saints?''


    One of Abe''s subordinates then asked. "What''s your name? Perhaps we can help you find this person."


    "My name is Pyke," Minos said, remembering that there were people with that name in the Church at the time of Henricus Longus.


    "Pyke?" The King exclaimed in surprise. "I''ve strangely encountered someone called that coming from the Church''s headquarters..."


    Minos laughed and said. "I come from a long line of Pykes, Your Majesty..."


    With that, the people there realized that Minos would not give his real name and that this was probably a custom where he had come from.


    But since they were just Spiritual Emperors, apart from the worried and guilty Abe, no one else there gave much thought to Minos'' group.


    They were curious, of course, but with so many experts in the area, high-level people in this state with the power to change their projects, they soon put the matter aside.


    But Abe was still worried because Minos had mentioned the Black Plain.


    As such, he could no longer maintain his previous good humor and was worried about potential dangers.


    While he became much less talkative, Minos did not fail to notice such a thing, seeing from time to time how this prince seemed more natural before his group''s arrival.


    ''Looks like this guy is afraid of something...'' He pondered, not only watching Abe so as not to attract attention.


    His wives also paid attention to their surroundings, noting who was subordinate to whom so they would know who to act against after this occasion.


    They sensed that Minos seemed to have many thoughts on his mind, but they did not try to talk about it with him to avoid attracting attention from the people in the surroundings.


    That was a dangerous place, where the walls had ears and eyes too!


    So they behaved according to the previous Church member''s advice. They did not try to talk to people with the brooch with the royal symbol of the Vogel family, while they behaved so as not to attract more attention than they should.


    ...


    An hour and a half later...


    The royal breakfast was finally over, and everyone present was soon directed to the VIP area built on one side of the estate where the royal palace was.


    Now it was time for the beginning of the public event to be opened by the royal family, something that would take place in front of the main square of this city, from where the parade of the royal guard and the state army would depart.


    With this, Minos and his wives followed along with the other people with access to this area, passing by one side of a large garden while they were far behind in the group.


    The more powerful ones were naturally further ahead, while Spiritual Emperors like them were far behind.


    Because of this, they also got a little more privacy to talk to each other.


    "Honey, what do you think of the previous situation? I noticed that you were very focused..." Ruth commented as she spoke next to one of her husband''s ears.


    He then said in a low voice. "My instincts are telling me that that woman was right. And I already have an idea where to start."


    "Oh?" Gloria, who was on his other side, opened her mouth, curious to know if such a suspect was who she was thinking.


    "Just to be sure, we''re going to act against more than one person to throw off any kind of suspicion on us. But I think the culprit is the one you are thinking of."


    So, while chatting, they soon arrived at where they would be staying at the beginning of that public celebration.

 Chapter ?1196 Time to Fish 1

    Chapter ?1196 Time to Fish 1


    After the previous situation, the day of celebration in Vogel went smoothly, with the public feast quickly unfolding to the citizens'' happiness.


    The more private occasion for the high-ranking people of this kingdom also continued for several hours, following the opening of the parades, to a large banquet that took place later in the royal palace.


    Minos and his wives attended every part of this event, mostly paying attention to the behavior of those present, particularly those of high rank.


    They did not miss the opportunity for conversations with royalty and low-level nobility members who attended the event. But those conversations mostly covered their purpose of spying on the Spiritual Saints in those areas.


    But after breakfast, their group had little result in looking for suspicious signs. Instead, they at most finished identifying each of the underlings of the royalty present at that event for their action that would come in the next few days.


    And so, after a long day of celebrating with the royal family, the Spiritual Church group returned to the local temple with Minos and his wives.


    "Well, now that we have the basic information about our targets, this city, and local powers, let''s get ready to act in the coming days," Minos commented to his wives as they walked at the end of the church group.


    "Do you think ''he'' is the culprit?" Abby asked, already knowing who Minos'' suspect was.


    "I don''t know, but he is my main suspect. After I mentioned the Black Plain, he did not show any signs. But I noticed that for the rest of the event, he seemed to have had his mood affected by something..." Minos said as he looked at Abby.


    "It could be that it is something else, and he has no involvement in it. But I don''t know. He seemed odd to me."


    "But what about you?" He looked at Gloria and Ruth.


    Gloria then said. "I noticed a few Spiritual Saints watching in our direction during the event. Some were probably just curious about us, but others seemed to have something on their minds."


    "Hmm, I noticed the same thing," Ruth said. "Some subordinates of the royalty also did the same."


    "Let''s get ready to act as soon as possible. If the other party is guilty, they might try something too!" Minos said before their group entered the Church temple.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the royal palace of the Vogel family...


    Abe was with his staff in his office at this very moment, expressing his problems in his expression.


    Each of the six individuals in that room knew he was not in a good mood and waited for his orders in silence to avoid irritating him with other problems or possibilities.


    After a while like this, he opened his mouth and said. "Did you guys notice that group of four masked people from the Spiritual Church? They looked very suspicious to me... I can''t tell, but the way that person talked to me seemed like he wasn''t afraid of me."


    "Oh?" One of the men who had not been present at most of today''s celebrations exclaimed upon hearing that. "But that''s normal, isn''t it? He''s a member of the Spiritual Church from a branch outside our state. So, it should be normal not to be afraid of the local royalty."


    Another who had heard Minos'' comments earlier disagreed. "No, I think His Highness is right. When he answered the earlier questions, his words seemed to have a trace of defiance or audacity."


    Silence returned to that place until Abe stated. "And their identity is very mysterious. The Church members themselves did not want to talk about it for some reason..."


    "I''m afraid they are the ones who said they were part of Iron Hearts!"


    Hands clenched together, making the sound of leather rubbing together, as sweat began to form around the bodies of those individuals.


    Abe ordered. "Keep an eye on their movements. At the same time, try to find out as much as possible about them in the next few days and prepare a plan of action if the threat becomes true."


    "If they are just after someone unrelated to us, leave them alone. Otherwise, we''ll have to blow it up and risk everything on our emergency plan!"


    Gulp!


    The people there swallowed their saliva, praying so that they would not need to go to such an extreme.


    "We will do our best, Your Highness!" They said before leaving in a hurry from that office, leaving an anxious and sighing man there.


    ...


    On the other hand, at King Vogel''s residence, this man was standing next to his only wife, sipping a glass of wine as they stood in the bathtub in his courtyard.


    "I feel that Abe did not enjoy the party today..." The crown prince''s mother commented while she had a worried look on her face.


    "Are you worried about the rumors going around?" The king questioned his wife while having a relaxed expression on his face.


    She nodded in agreement. "The bad tongues say that our son is planning something big and that it may not be favorable for you, dear..."


    "Sigh!"


    "Even a coup has already been suggested as a possibility among our intelligence experts." She sighed, thinking that her family was in a delicate situation.


    That was a problem constantly faced by royalty around this violent world.


    Princes and sometimes princesses were born on the premise that one day they would become pillars of their state, surrogates, and natural heirs to their parents'' positions. And as much as some of them were not interested in positions of power, there were almost always those who were ambitious and strove to reach the top.


    Unfortunately, reaching the top meant replacing at least one of their parents, something problematic in a world where parents could live for thousands of years...


    There was a real risk that the children of a king would not have the opportunity to rule, often this being the award to their children, not themselves.


    Because of this, sons who wished for their parents'' deaths or acted to hurry their deaths were not uncommon, leading to that woman''s concern.


    "And from what I''ve been told, he''s playing with some hazardous things so that he can rise to your position..."


    The king then stopped his wife from continuing. "That can''t be true! He wouldn''t be able to risk the whole family''s good and still betray us!"


    "Perhaps..." The queen said in a low voice, regretting that her husband did not see the true colors of their eldest son.


    But she, who had a personality more like Abe''s, was not wrong. ''I have to do something to protect my family, even if I have to act against my own son...'' She looked at the king. ''I can''t lose the only person I''ve ever really loved in this world!''

 Chapter ?1197 Fishing Time 2

    Chapter ?1197 Fishing Time 2


    Three days later...


    As Minos and his wives were preparing to act, having already begun to watch their targets, a Spiritual Emperor from the local Church post came to them with information.


    They were currently drinking spiritual tea in a store where one of the subordinates of the local royal family came every afternoon. In this place, they were at a table next to a glass window that overlooked the avenue in front of this establishment.


    And just at this place they had been visiting for the past three days, the member of the Church who had talked to them about what they were looking for stopped beside them with a worried expression.


    "What is it?" Abby asked as she looked at the man, who had an unfriendly expression and was holding a black envelope.


    Minos and his other two wives also looked at this man, curious about this unusual visit. "Do you have something to talk about, or are you just here for attention?" The masked man asked, causing that individual to swallow his saliva and look at him.


    "The investigation I had promised, about attitudes... Cough! Cough!" He coughed and then began to speak more quietly as he crouched beside that table. "About that family''s strange attitudes. We''ve already had results regarding that!"


    "Oh?" Minos opened his mouth in surprise. "What did you guys find out to make you so alarmed? Is it as we thought? Is something wrong?"


    "Yes, there is a strange situation." He said, drawing the attention of those four, who at the moment simply began to ignore the person they were watching.


    That Spiritual Emperor then handed the black envelope to Minos and said. "We have not been able to find anything about the fugitive you are after. But that family seems to have had some strange movements in the last few years."


    "Our investigators were not sure whether or not this could have any bearing on what you are looking for. But since our branch had promised to investigate strange acts by this family, we are handing you the results."


    "The rest is up to you..." After he finished saying that, he looked at those four once more and left that place as quickly as he had arrived.


    But Minos and his wives were not bothered by this. On the contrary, they soon turned their attention to the target in that store, while he opened the envelope and read the information compiled there.


    "Hmmm." Minos made a brief sound with his mouth closed, attracting the attention of his wives.


    "What is it? What''s in those documents?" Gloria asked as she looked out the window next to their table, observing in the direction of those chasing them.


    Minos and his wives knew that people were chasing them or, more accurately, watching them. After all, such a thing was already expected to happen, and their opponents had tremendously underestimated the abilities of the four of them.


    As people with Golden-grade techniques, talents of at least Silver, and many resources at their disposal, they noticed the three people ''following'' them whenever they left the local temple.


    Because of this, Gloria watched these individuals while her two harem sisters kept an eye on their target.


    Minos heard the question from his pregnant wife and, like her, did not change his focus, as if he was reading a newspaper while having a quiet moment in this store.


    He then answered. "There have been abnormal movements of low-level Spiritual Saints and high-level Spiritual Emperors from this family in the last four years."


    The Church recorded the movements of the high-level forces in the places it was located in case that kind of information was needed in problematic situations. Because of this, when the investigative group that produced that document began their work, they used such information and analyzed it according to the problem reported by Minos.


    "Some low-level Spiritual Saints are away from their normal duties, presumably in seclusion. But some of them, when they appeared in public in recent years, was always at the Crown Prince''s side..."


    "Before these strange movements, one of these Spiritual Saints was seen meeting with a group coming from the Flaming Empire and then returned with a ship full of resources days later," Minos said in a grave tone.


    The Flaming Empire did not do business with any of its enemy kingdoms. As such, it was highly unusual for trade relations between powers from those states to happen.


    It was even less common for someone from the royal family of one of those states to agree to get involved with people from the empire!


    These states were mortal enemies, something that went back to their primordial days. At that time, an ascendant force, the leader of the state formerly located in the central part of today''s Flaming Empire, attacked the four kingdoms to the north and took large portions of their territories.


    Since then, battles motivated by revenge or attempts to recover these taken lands have taken place in these areas.


    Eventually, the opposing side also lost many people and began to seek revenge and complete domination of these enemy states.


    Because of this, many wars had already taken place in these areas, and the hatred that one side felt for the other was not so simple that deals were made as casually as described on the papers in Minos'' hands.


    Something could happen, but great reasons would have to be behind it. Whether they were risks or opportunities, something big had to be behind a ''fraternization'' action between old enemies who would normally kill each other at first sight!


    Because of this history, that information was somewhat strange and aroused suspicion from the investigators who noticed this record and Minos.


    "On the other hand, there was a recent situation where several high-level Spiritual Emperors from that family were reported killed in an ''accident'' while the Crown Prince''s group was hunting..." He finished telling his wives what was in that dossier.


    "A file burn?" Ruth asked as she thought about the tone Minos had used to speak the word ''accident.''


    "Maybe. Anything can happen in a hunt, but considering the dubious history generated by this fellow, it''s not unlikely that this is a file burn..." Minos said as he remembered that he and his wives had learned about the local rumors.


    The local underworld and high-level organizations, such as the Spiritual Church itself, took for granted that Abe Vogel was ambitious, ready to act towards his goals.


    Because of this reputation, many said that sooner or later, he would act more loudly to achieve a higher-level position. That is, of course, if his father did not gently make room for him by handing him the throne.


    Even a ''wing'' of the local royal family was already siding with the Crown Prince because, supposedly, King Vogel was a weak person in terms of personality.


    He had power. After all, he was a high-level Spiritual Saint. But he was supposedly too ''nice'' for his leadership role.


    Because of this, evil tongues attributed quite a track record to Abe!


    "Anyway, there are a lot of coincidences here, from the period when our troubles started and the end of that sect in Albano..." Abby said in a low voice.


    "Hmm, so what are we going to do now? That person probably doesn''t know anything, or he would have been erased along with the others..." Gloria looked at their target and then turned her attention to the street again.


    Minos then said. "We don''t have a choice. Our suspicions are not enough to play the Church against them. So, we can only go ahead with our plans!"


    "At worst, nothing will happen. At best, they will not stand still and show themselves!"


    ...

 Chapter ?1198 Fishing Time 3

    Chapter ?1198 Fishing Time 3


    With Minos'' last words on the subject, his three wives soon became more profound as they began to prepare to deal with the enemy.


    Their suspicions, the coincidences, and the strange behavior of part of the Vogel family were not proof of its guilt. At least, this would not be enough for the Spiritual Church to send an extermination group and free Minos of these opponents.


    But they could not just leave this place without doing anything about it, waiting for the will of the enemy or the insecurity of ignorance.


    Perhaps those who had sent Spiritual Saints to the Black Plain had given up on the idea for good. Or maybe that was temporary. But, one way or another, knowing nothing was a massive risk for Minos and the Black Plain!


    The truth could get them into trouble, but with the knowledge of reality, they could at least act to try to control their destiny.


    With ignorance, they would be like people lost in the middle of a desert during a storm. Where they would end up would depend on what fate chose, which was no different from gambling one''s life!


    But in the view of Minos and his wives, only a fool goes where the winds take them!


    They would rather have a hard time but be in control of the situation than an easy time when they would not know whether they would be on the edge of a cliff or in the middle of the valley.


    And as such, they would instead act against the target they had been watching!


    "So what do we do now?" Abby asked as she sipped some tea.


    "We''ll follow him after he leaves this store. We''ll knock him out and interrogate him in an empty nearby building." Minos said so that only the people at their table could hear.


    "What about our ''friends''?" Gloria asked. "There is a Spiritual Saint among them. I don''t think we''ll be able to fool that person."


    Ruth then said. "These people are cautious... They put someone at level 70, with two level 69 cultivators to watch people of our level."


    Abby smiled from under her mask and commented. "That''s probably on Gloria''s account. They want enough strength to act against us in case of need..."


    "But it''s a lot of power just to keep an eye on us."


    Minos then said before answering Gloria''s question. "Someone from the local branch of the Church has probably already sold information about me. So, those people are good for that too... But anyway, they are certainly more concerned about Gloria."


    "In any case, we have no choice but to see what they will do in that situation." He looked briefly outside that establishment. "We truly won''t be able to fool them, and we won''t just give up our plans."


    "But will they act? If so, we won''t need much to convince the Church headquarters anymore." He slowly commented as he brought a cup of tea close to his mouth.


    "And in the negative case? What if they do nothing?" Ruth asked.


    "Impossible!" Minos said. "They are watching us and will act in case of need. And since this family probably thinks they can destroy us without a trace using just those three, I''m sure they won''t hesitate."


    "Makes sense..."


    When Ruth commented on that, their target finally got up and left that store after paying for what he had consumed.


    Seeing that, the people in Minos'' group also moved, leaving the medium-grade crystals as payment for what they had consumed, and headed for the exit of that establishment.


    As they walked along the central sidewalks of this capital city, following the same path as their target, their enemies were also moving.


    "Where are they going now?" One of the two Spiritual Emperors asked as they followed above the buildings in that area.


    "From what we''ve seen in the last two days, they''re going to go to Sector 23 and then return to the Spiritual Church temple." The Spiritual Saint commented as he had a calm look on his face.


    ''So far, they don''t seem to progress in their investigations or whatever they are doing here.'' So he thought as he looked intently at the group of four people who were almost to the place from where they usually returned to the local temple.


    "Oh? They''re not returning!" The other Spiritual Emperor exclaimed, already a little more excited to see something different happening.


    It was boring to chase someone who followed the same routine every day. So when people in the position of these three were watching someone''s tracks, they would cheer for such individuals to do things differently than usual.


    And with that, upon noticing the change in the routine of those four, these three individuals soon increased their speeds and attention to their targets.


    As they did this for about five minutes, the Spiritual Saint finally realized that Minos'' group was not just making a simple course change!


    "That person..." He looked in the direction of someone who seemed to have been ahead of Minos'' group for the entire time since the four left the previous tea store.


    "They''re chasing that person! And that individual works in the area of His Highness''s office!" He exclaimed to his companions as his heart began to beat faster.


    "What do they want? Why are they doing this?" One Spiritual Emperor asked the other, as they still watched and chased Minos'' group.


    Unlike the Spiritual Saint who was there with them, these two did not know of Abe''s plans, of what this local heir had done in the recent past. As such, they did not feel the same nervousness as this expert, who was aware of what could happen to the entire royal family in case Abe''s orders were discovered!


    He was not nervous because the Spiritual Emperor, Minos, and his wives were pursuing, had some crucial information. Such a person did not, since all the Spiritual Emperors with information of the kind had already died in ''accidents.''


    Only Spiritual Saints like this one had not experienced the same, as they were less numerous, more powerful, and family-relevant individuals.


    What scared this Spiritual Saint was the possibility that Minos and those women were suspicious of the Vogel family!


    It would only take one high-level Spiritual Saint from the Church to investigate them closely for everything to go from bad to worse and for the end of them all to come!


    As such, this man could not help but break into a cold sweat at this critical moment, remembering Abe''s orders for him to get rid of these people in case the worst unfolds.


    And just at this challenging moment for him, when he needed to make a decision that could not be reversed later, Minos and his wives acted!


    When they were close to a little crowded area, Minos and his wives ran towards that man while his body slowly fell to the ground.


    Minos knocked out this level 66 Spiritual Emperor with a single mental attack and promptly acted alongside his wives to ''rescue'' this citizen ''falling ill.''


    ...

 Chapter ?1199 Fuse 1

    Chapter ?1199 Fuse 1


    Watching the action of Minos'' group unfold, the Spiritual Saint chasing them stopped for a moment as he pondered the matter.


    ''What do I do now?'' He wondered, uncertain between acting and doing nothing about the matter.


    Abe''s orders were quite clear.


    Kill the enemy if they demonstrated they were in search of something related to him, to his crime.


    However, this Spiritual Saint could not help but hesitate at this moment because of the consequences of such an action.


    ''If I get involved with a conflict with them and eliminate them, there is a risk that the family''s position will get even worse and suspicions against us will increase to the point that we will have no escape.'' So he looked at one side of that situation.


    ''And even if no one finds out anything, I don''t know if it''s worth the risk of attracting a missing people investigation to our city just because of a Spiritual Emperor who doesn''t know anything...''


    The man chased by Minos'' group did not know about the crimes of Abe and the Spiritual Saints involved in the Black Plain plots. Moreover, since they knew what was happening there, it would be easy for the Crown Prince''s team to isolate such a person and prevent the enemy''s plans.


    So, this Spiritual Saint could not help but consider the other alternative!


    ''On the other hand, letting these people leave after acting against us and allowing this Spiritual Emperor to go back to work also has its dangers.'' He clenched his fists. ''They may somehow compromise the security of the royal palace and eventually increase their suspicions if they realize that ''their'' man has accomplished nothing.''


    ''Having people with suspicions of us alive could become a problem. After all, an investigation may lead to nothing, but a focused enemy with suspicion will always be a potential danger!''


    Having a powerful enemy like the Spiritual Church with suspicions against you was like having a woman suspicious of her husband''s betrayal. She would test her man continuously, and as time passed, instead of losing her suspicions, she would become more shrewd, and the chances of him exposing his secrets would increase!


    Since the people in Minos'' group were talented, with one of them already being close to the 8th stage, this man could not help but imagine the potential of this problem!


    ''If I let them get on with their business, they won''t find out anything. But will they forget whatever they are looking for?'' He wondered. ''If they don''t forget, even if they eventually drop the matter, they will grow stronger in a short time. By that time, their influence will increase, and it will be harder to stop them if they decide to stand against us!''


    What he was most concerned about was not Gloria. After all, that woman would not have a great cultivation speed after reaching the 8th stage. But Minos, on the other hand, could advance easily to the beginning of the 8th stage!


    Minos was only at level 61, and for talented people in this state or most of the Spiritual World, reaching the end of the 7th stage was not difficult.


    That was, of course, considering that he was talented.


    But because of the information the royal family had obtained from Minos'' action at the local Spiritual Church temple entrance, this person knew that such a masked man must be highly talented.


    Who would have a powerful ability to oppress those stronger than him without great talent?


    No one!


    Such a thing would go against Natural Law!


    The more impressive someone''s abilities were, the higher his talent should be, or he would be unable to expose such things.


    A person might think that having techniques of outstanding quality was enough to reach the top of the world, but that was a foolish mistake!


    A golden scroll would be nothing more than a valuable treasure to brag about if its owner did not have the necessary understanding to learn the technique inscribed there!


    In this way, this man did not need to know how long it took Minos to reach level 61.


    He knew that such a person was talented!


    But Minos already had a power capable of dominating those of several levels above his by only being at level 61, so what would happen if he became a Spiritual Saint?


    Thinking about how this fellow could probably reach level 70 in a few decades, this Spiritual Saint trembled with fear. ''If that happens, even if we want to fight with everything, we probably won''t be able to stop the information from leaking out without much damage!''


    ''Even His Majesty might have trouble stopping this person from obtaining this information if we give him the chance to grow up...''


    ''By that time, it will all be over!'' So he pondered, already almost entirely sure of what he should do.


    Not acting there seemed the best decision in the short term. Nothing would happen, and the family would be able to live in peace for a few more years.


    But the potential of a living enemy was many times greater than the problem of a dead enemy!


    Acting there might attract people from the Church, but even an investigation by experts might lead to nothing. However, if Minos were determined to go after them, then doing nothing today would be like waiting for the end.


    In this situation, this level 70 man decided to act!


    "Let''s see what they will do. If I realize these people have bad intentions against the family, we will act!" He said in a low voice to his two companions as he prepared to secretly enter the building that Minos'' group had entered a few moments ago.


    Gulp!


    "All right!" The two soon began to follow this Spiritual Saint, fearful of having to act against members of the Church but sure that there must be a solid reason for this irreversible decision.


    ...


    Meanwhile, inside that empty building that Minos and his wives had entered...


    The five people there had already reached an area that looked like a large empty basement, where a lot of dust could be seen on the floor, and the typical smell of closed places was in the air.


    But as Spiritual Emperors, they could ignore these signs and just focus on what they were about to do.


    After Gloria, Ruth, and Minos started watching the surroundings, preparing to act if the enemy decided to act, Abby activated her innate ability. She made a blue fog come out of her fingers and envelop that man''s body.


    She then used her nerve control ability to wake this person from his faintness caused by Minos before stimulating reactions to make him tell the truth.


    After a few moments, she felt that such a person was ready to talk and asked some basic things, such as his address, family, and essential things in his life.


    They were going to threaten him, so it was important to know what they could best use to control him!


    "Well, now tell me about your work. Do you have contact with any high-level members of royalty?" She asked, not wanting to demonstrate right away who their target was.


    They were not sure if the enemy would act immediately, so in case they did not, it would be better to keep their main suspicions secret.


    "Yes, some members of the royalty. But I don''t have close contact with any of them, even though I work with the staff of His Highness, Abe Vogel."


    "Is that so?" Abby took her cue. "What can you tell about him? Is he as ambitious as people say? Do you think he would be able to do something outside the rules for the sake of his power?"


    ...

 Chapter ?1200 Fuse 2

    Chapter ?1200 Fuse 2


    Upon hearing Abby''s question, that man could not contain himself and said what he thought or knew under the effects of her innate ability. "I don''t know His Highness to say if yes or no, but he can probably be considered an ambitious person."


    "He seems very focused in his activities and does not tolerate mistakes."


    "Would he violate the rules of the Church to get a higher position?" Abby rephrased her question.


    "I don''t know..." That Spiritual Emperor answered sincerely, while his body trembled from trying to reject the manipulation caused by Abby''s powers.


    Meanwhile, the three opponents of Minos'' group were already in the surroundings, silently observing that area with several pilasters and low light.


    Only a small side window on top of one of the basement walls allowed light to pass into that space.


    ''They are talking about His Highness!'' The Spiritual Saint''s eyes widened as his heart beat faster and faster at the possibility of what would happen there.


    He heard Abby''s voice. "You don''t know anything compromising?"


    "No."


    "And who would know? I bet there are Spiritual Emperors who are closer to him, no?"


    He continued to tremble as he said with difficulty. "That would be his secretary. But that person took her post just recently, so even she won''t know much..."


    "Only those above level 69 would have sensitive information." He commented, startling the Spiritual Saint and the other two men by his frankness in telling the truth so quickly.


    ''Is he on drugs? Are they forcing the truth out of him?'' The Spiritual Saint noticed the bluish fog in the surroundings of that subordinate of the royal family.


    ''Damn it!''


    ''Those bastards of the Spiritual Church even have someone with such a good ability!''


    ''With that, they only lack the strength to be able to remove the truth from someone who knows something!'' He clenched his fists and began to breathe faster.


    "Boss..."


    As his companions tried to warn him that he was making too much noise, Minos and his wives turned toward them, already in fighting positions.


    "Who''s there?" Minos asked, but he already knew who these people were.


    He had no idea of their identities, but he was aware that these people were the ones who had been watching them for the past few days.


    Abby then used some of her strength to end that hostage from them and positioned herself next to her team.


    At this decisive moment, the two Spiritual Emperors were in doubt about what to do, but soon their leader stepped forward out of the shadows.


    "What is the meaning of this? What is the Church doing kidnapping a subordinate of the royal family?" He asked, pretending he had not heard their questioning.


    Minos and his wives stood almost face to face with those three men, none of those three hiding their faces, despite the camouflage clothes they wore.


    The leader of the Black Plains then said in a grave tone, trying to compel these people to act. "I suspect that your family has committed a heinous crime. So, naturally, we are investigating the matter. Why? Are you here to talk?"


    "Heinous crime?" The two Spiritual Emperors looked at each other, not understanding what this was all about but certain that there was more there than meets the eye.


    The Spiritual Saint sensed that Minos was looking for the crime committed by Abe''s group, which could end their entire organization. "You are making unfounded accusations! What proof do you have? How can you act against one of our own without any evidence or witnesses?" He asked in a more agitated tone.


    But he did not give Minos a chance to answer.


    "I think you''re trying to harm us on purpose!" He said before looking at his two companions. "Did you see what this woman did? She was manipulating our subordinate!"


    He looked at Minos'' group again, pointing one of his fingers as if he was showing those two the world''s most remarkable criminals. "I bet they''re up to something nefarious! They were probably going to manipulate our subordinate into confessing to lies!"


    "What?"


    "It can''t be! Why?" The two exclaimed, realizing that Abby''s powers seemed sinister and this group was trying to sabotage the Vogel family.


    A spear appeared in one of that Spiritual Saint''s hands, and he said. "I feel you are enemies of House Vogel and traitors to the Spiritual Church. Surrender now peacefully, or we will have to act in self-defense!"


    "Oh?" Minos opened his mouth, pleased that such a person had decided to act.


    It would have been much harder for him to prove the Vogel family guilty if they had ignored him. But with this Spiritual Saint willing to act, that showed all the guilt of this organization, enough for the Church to consider action against them!


    That was why he had said the previous words and was happy with the enemy''s stance.


    As for the power difference between their groups, he did not think he was at such a disadvantage there.


    Minos then smiled and said. "I''ll give you the same chance. Surrender now, and you may be able to save yourselves. Otherwise, prepare to face extermination!"


    "You have sent Spiritual Saints to Black Plain, a far more heinous crime than the one committed by Furious Shadows!"


    As the two Spiritual Emperors frowned, the Spiritual Saint''s face became darker, with him realizing that the opposing side had already figured it all out.


    "Fallacy! You''re crazy!" He shouted as he circulated his energies, already preparing to act. ''First, I''m going to kill this wretch just to make sure that bigger problems don''t happen!''


    "Men, these people don''t listen to the voice of reason. So use lethal force. There''s no need to spare any of these people!" He said as Minos'' group also prepared to act.


    Minos looked at Abby and Ruth and then said without delay. "Do as I instructed earlier. But don''t hesitate. This battle will be over in a heartbeat!"


    "All right!" The two replied while Gloria was in anticipation to see what difference Always Up would make to these three at this point.


    The effects of that herb on her body had already passed, and only Abby, Minos, and Ruth could still experience such a thing.


    But since the difference between her and that Spiritual Saint was only one level, and she probably had better techniques than his, she knew that the battle was not so unfavorable to her group.


    That even considering that there were two other opponents there who, in typical situations, would be strong enough to cause danger to them.


    Hence, despite being pregnant and at a disadvantage in terms of level to her group, Gloria was somewhat excited and curious if they could achieve Minos'' ambitious plan.


    Minos saw that the enemies were about to attack and commented provocatively to that Spiritual Saint. "If you will not surrender now, prepare for the ultimate consequences. We will kill these two and force you to talk!"


    "Tsk!"


    Without another word, the three flew towards Minos'' group as black rings began to appear from the bodies of those two Spiritual Emperors.


    Devouring Art!


    ...

 Chapter ?1201 Sacrifice?

    Chapter ?1201 Sacrifice?


    When the battle between the two groups began, Minos activated his support technique to devour the energies of the two Spiritual Emperors.


    Minos was under the effects of Always Up and had several other energy advantages on his side, such as his innate ability. Because of this, even though there were eight levels of difference between him and them, the Black Plain King was able to affect them immediately!


    The moment the two rings appeared around their bodies, those peak Spiritual Emperors felt their energies being sucked out at a rate that was difficult to bear in peace.


    It was not something worrying to the point that they would be exhausted in a few moments, but it was enough for both of them to grow weaker and worry about this situation.


    "What the fuck!"


    "Damn it, can he do that?" One of them shouted as he flew towards Minos'' group.


    But in that instant, not only he but his two companions as well suddenly felt a strong force pulling them towards the ground.


    Chaotic Gravity!


    One of Minos'' fingers pointed downward as the gravity in their surroundings ceased to operate normally, with those three under the effects of increased gravity while his group did not.


    At that instant, Abby activated two of her techniques, causing dozens of hexagonal mirrors to appear in the surroundings of that basement.


    Then purple chains began to flow out of them, running towards the wrists and ankles of the two enemies.


    On the other hand, Gloria used her innate ability to create mercury arrows and then launch many of them towards the enemy Spiritual Saint, while Ruth launched a strong punch towards that same target.


    Pow!


    Her punch made a loud bang, forming an energy blow that quickly began to fly towards the chest of that individual limited by Minos'' technique.


    ''All that?'' The Spiritual Saint''s eyes opened wide as he felt that Minos and everyone in that group were monsters.


    Minos was definitely the most impressive, even being able to affect him, even with nine levels of difference between them. But Abby, Ruth, and Gloria were also shocking, with the first being skilled at combining two techniques, the second fast and accurate, and the third ruthless with her hard-to-counter ability.


    And while his two companions were trembling with fear, given their almost indefensible situation, this man used most of his strength to defend himself and try to repress Minos'' move.


    Steel Wall!


    He made a few finger gestures and punched against the ground, immediately making a metallic wall ''born'' from the ground as if it were cells dividing.


    Boom!


    Ruth''s blow struck such a thing straight on, forming a fist-shaped dent at the same height as that Spiritual Saint''s chest.


    At the same time, Gloria''s arrows stuck against parts of the steel wall, while the Spiritual Saint seized the moment to launch an attack.


    Cruel Meteors!


    He punched the air a few times, made several energy points form, and then flew towards his opponents.


    At the same time, his two allies were helpless, feeling their energy vanish as they struggled with their fists and ankles locked.


    Infinite Dream!


    Daytime Nightmare!


    Minos and Abby simultaneously used their mental abilities on those two, quickly knocking them out.


    There was no way for them to know what would happen in the battle, so it was better to knock those two out now than to wait and risk them sacrificing themselves!


    Since they were already restrained, losing their energy to Minos, and worried about their group''s passive situation at the beginning of the battle, it was relatively easy for the couple in question to knock them out!


    "Damn it!" The Spiritual Saint shouted as his attack finally reached the vicinity of the opposing group.


    Infinite Mirrors!


    A large mirror appeared in front of Minos'' group while Abby turned pale.


    But it was destroyed into infinite pieces after being touched by the meteors launched by the enemy.


    Nothingness!


    Ruth then used the Golden-grade defensive technique she had learned after understanding the Spatial Kingdom, standing in front of her group while a red sphere covered her and her companions.


    When this sphere appeared, and the opponent''s attacks came into contact with it, nothing happened, and each of those meteors passed through them as if they were made of gas.


    Seeing that, the Spiritual Saint firmly frowned his eyebrows, sensing how challenging that woman''s ability was.


    ''Crap!''


    ''If I can''t kill them here, it will be the end! Even if the Spiritual Church doesn''t do anything against the family, they alone will destroy us in a few decades!'' He saw the future at his most crucial moment, facing a difficult choice...


    But Minos'' group did not stop to give the enemy time to gather the courage to do what was necessary. No, when the effect of Ruth''s technique wore off, and she turned almost as pale as Abby, Gloria, and the husband of the three acted.


    Minos activated his 7th technique again, attracting the two Spiritual Emperors toward him since Abby''s chains were already gone and the two were not yet dead.


    On the other hand, Gloria activated one of her techniques, Angelic Flames, blowing golden flames in the direction of the Spiritual Saint.


    Ssss!


    Earth Avatar!


    The Spirit Saint activated his 8th technique, causing a prominent being to grow from within his body, appearing externally and growing over 5 meters tall, the height of that basement.


    This being had a body similar to his, completely brown, only semi-transparent, made of a strange kind of gas.


    However, it could not be underestimated, and the moment it opened its mouth, the air in the surrounding area shook along with the structures of that building, with the sound wave counteracting Gloria''s flames.


    The two exhausted women in Minos'' group felt the shock of those attacks and fell at his feet, shocked at the full power of a level 70 Spiritual Saint.


    Minos and Gloria were also affected by that, but both held on as they had their arms in front of their faces, feeling the gusts of wind caused by that spiritual attack.


    "Bloody hell!"


    "It looks like I''ll fall here!" The Spiritual Saint felt he could not gain the upper hand against those two and shouted this in frustration.


    He then looked in Minos'' direction and asked. "Since I will lose here, can you at least tell me your names?"


    Minos then dryly said. "You''ll find out when you testify against House Vogel to the Church investigators!"


    That man bitterly laughed upon hearing that, but he would rather have a different fate than that!


    "Then you will die as nameless fools!" He shouted with all his might while directing his energy in the usual pattern towards sacrifice!


    Due to his desperate movement, a ball of black energy began to form in his hands in the blink of an eye, while its appearance aged at speed visible to the naked eye.


    "I will take the four of you with me!" He maniacally shouted.


    "Sacrifice?"


    ...

 Chapter ?1202 Black Hole vs Sacrifice

    Chapter ?1202 Black Hole vs Sacrifice


    When Minos saw the Spiritual Saint using the sacrifice, he immediately became more grave and made his three wives come closer to him.


    Chaotic Gravity: Attraction!


    The bodies of the three quickly came towards one of his hands as they shouted his name. "Minos!"


    But he paid no attention to them and teleported them into the Spatial Kingdom while absorbing the energies of the two Spiritual Emperors.


    ''Now that they are safe, it''s my turn to act!'' He decided to counterattack that opponent to produce something that could become useful to him later.


    It was risky for him to show his powers in this place, the capital of his currently biggest enemy power. But the sacrifice of that Spiritual Saint could no longer be stopped, and one way or another, this moment would draw the attention of influential people to this place.


    Since he would have to return from the Spatial Kingdom alongside his wives to this place in question later, it would already generate suspicion against him. Therefore, he preferred to launch an alternative for him before the worst happened to have more possibilities after this decisive moment!


    Thus, he soon moved his fingers and ''grabbed'' the air, raising his arms vertically over his head.


    The two small black rings circling his hostages disappeared until one of them emerged from his feet, climbing up his body until it was between his hands, spinning counterclockwise.


    As the ring began to rotate on its vertical and horizontal axis, Minos concentrated all gravity on one of the points between his hands.


    Devouring Art: Black Hole!


    Chaotic Gravity: Black Hole!


    As the Spiritual Saint felt weaker and weaker with his sacrifice, watching this person''s movement with curiosity, the sky darkened under that area along with the combination of the two techniques.


    Lightning began to appear on the horizon of Vogel''s capital, drawing the attention of every single local citizen, many of them on the streets looking up at the skies in doubt of what was happening.


    The black ring accelerated until it disappeared completely. At the same time, the deformation over that point in space became denser and denser, generating a small black sphere the size of a fingernail.


    When that sphere formed, it shook before Minos hurled it toward that Spiritual Saint with all the remaining strength in his body.


    As he did so, he felt his body becoming much weaker, and pallor appeared on his face. "You will die alone and still give me your powers!" He shouted before disappearing from that place with a smile on his face.


    The Spiritual Saint saw all this in his last second of life, feeling a little disappointed, but given his situation, there was not much else to think about.


    ''What could that be?'' He saw the black sphere flying towards him, something even more sinister than the ball of energy generated by his sacrifice.


    Meanwhile, the two Spiritual Emperors woke up from their states.


    "Ahhh, what a pain!"


    "What happened? I..." One of them was about to ask when he saw the situation of their leader.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the temple of the Spiritual Church in the capital of Vogel...


    "Uh?"


    "Did you guys feel that?" The three strongest Spiritual Saints in this place looked at the same time in the direction of a part of this city, sensing something strange.


    "That looks like a..." One of the three opened his mouth, shocked that someone at their cultivation stage would do something like that in the middle of a city with millions of people!


    "A sacrifice!"


    "Damn it!"


    They immediately flew from that place to where an unprecedented tragedy was about to happen!


    ...


    The royal palace...


    The king was just this instant finishing up some of his business in the royal throne hall when he suddenly felt his spine go cold.


    "What?" He looked in the same direction that each of his royal guards was already looking in with wide eyes.


    "No way. Who would do that?" He rose from his throne and prepared to fly.


    "Guards, with me!"


    "We must stop this, or hundreds of thousands of people will die today!" He shouted in a deep tone, feeling a horrible sensation at being challenged in such a way.


    He was already starting to get angry, but in front of this situation where millions of his citizens could be affected and many of his troops injured, he could not expose his hatred now.


    No, he had to get together with the other local experts as soon as possible to contain the destructive explosion of sacrifice by the hallucinated terrorist attacking them!


    But in his subconscious, he was already shaking with rage, feeling so angry at someone''s attitude for the first time in his life.


    ''Who is this? I will kill his whole family as punishment!''


    ...


    "That..." Abe, who was also in the royal palace, looked out one of his office windows and felt a chill run through his soul.


    His advisors and bodyguards also felt the ominous sensation of the sacrifice of someone at level 70 and could not help but open their mouths.


    "Damn it!"


    "Let''s get to that place immediately! We can''t let an explosion of that level hit the city!" Abe shouted in a hurry, knowing that the sacrifice of someone so strong could damage almost his entire city!


    Obviously, the most luxurious and high-end properties, such as the royal palace and the Spiritual Church temple, would not be destroyed easily. But almost all the buildings and people below the 8th stage in this city would be at risk from this incident!


    Considering this alone, none of them hesitated to set out from there to act together with other local forces to contain the destructive explosion of such a sacrifice.


    But while they were doing this for the sake of the local forces and honor of the royal family, one of them was beginning to feel a dreadful premonition!


    "I hope this sacrifice is not Gregory''s doing..." One of them said the name of the Spiritual Saint who had faced Minos'' group.


    Gulp!


    ...


    As Spiritual Saints from all over that city flew to the focus site of Gregory''s sacrifice in the basement of that building, the decisive moment finally arrived.


    The black ball of energy created by Gregory''s assertive act shrank in size and then concentrated all its energy, trying to get ready to explode with everything it had.


    But while this was happening, the black hole of Minos was engulfing the space in its surroundings, with the two Spiritual Emperors being sucked into its interior like macaroons.


    In this unique situation, the dried corpse of the Spiritual Saint disintegrated until only his artifacts remained, which soon flew toward that lightless spot.


    And as one side of the black energy ball exploded, the other was swallowed by that strange thing, creating mighty energy waves in the area, making everything in the surrounding area tremble.


    But even though the building in question was falling, it all headed toward Minos'' black hole, which did not distinguish between spiritual beings, energy, matter, or whatever. It simply swallowed whatever came in contact with its event horizon, including the powerful explosion generated by the sacrifice of that Spiritual Saint!


    Thus, in the blink of an eye, dozens of Spiritual Saints faced the most extraordinary situation of their lives, the first sacrifice they had seen that did not create a devastating explosion.


    But the thing that appeared in the sequence was even worse!


    ...

 Chapter 1203 The Ability Of Spiritual Saints

    By the time the first Spiritual Saints reached the area where everything had happened, instead of scrambling to try to contain the explosion, there was no big explosion there for them.


    They even saw black flames on one side of that area appear, threatening to cause destruction. But at the same time as this was happening, the other half of the flames were swallowed up along with the debris of a building by a rotating black sphere.


    Such an image was the most impressive they had ever seen, with matter disappearing into that strange thing like water down a drain.


    But this was somewhat unique, as not only what was on top of the black hole was being swallowed up, but also the sides, the bottom, and every possible angle.


    Because of this, in the blink of an eye, several buildings in the vicinity had disappeared, while the region of space devoid of light gradually increased in size.


    "What the fuck is that?" One of the several Spiritual Saints already floating in the area asked in a highly shocked tone, feeling chills run through his body.


    "I don''t know." A woman replied. "I came here after sensing the beginning of a sacrifice from someone at level 70, and then I came across this."


    "It looks like that thing is swallowing the Spiritual Saint''s sacrifice..." Others commented similar things as I saw the sacrifice of Minos'' enemy slowly disappearing as the black hole became larger.


    At that instant, while this strange fight was going on, the King and the members of the Spiritual Church arrived in that area along with their troops.


    "What is that?" King Vogel asked in surprise as he saw that more than an entire block in that area had already been devoured.


    Several people had already died at this point, some by the black flames, but most by the overwhelming action of one of nature''s most extreme forces.


    "Your Majesty, we don''t know for sure, but that thing swallowed the Spiritual Saint''s sacrifice!" One of the Vogel family vassals who had arrived before the King''s group said this.


    "But I don''t know if that''s a good thing..." Another of them commented.


    The explosion generated by the sacrifice of someone at level 70 could affect this entire city. But Minos'' black hole had so far only affected one block of that area.


    Hence, at first glance, this should be the best result. But for some reason, that man felt terrible about this strange thing, as if this was more threatening than the sacrifice of that Spiritual Saint.


    The high-ranking members of the local Church post then realized that there was something wrong going on.


    "Hey, look at that! It looks like something is about to happen!" The woman who had talked about Minos previously commented as she noticed something.


    The more than 40 Spiritual Saints in the surrounding area stopped talking after hearing her and prepared to try to contain it.


    "That thing is expanding!" One of the Spiritual Saints in Abe''s group, who had already joined the other individuals in that place, shouted as he noticed the lightless space increasing in size very quickly.


    "That thing... If we don''t do something, it will keep devouring the city until there''s nothing left around here!" Someone from the King''s group commented as they saw more and more buildings disappearing in the area.


    At the same time, thousands of people could already be seen and heard running in desperation in the streets, terrified of the situation.


    The black hole could increase in size, and as it did so, more objects were left in its space of action for it to devour. But this was not done uniformly!


    Because of this, several buildings in the surroundings were already collapsing as crucial parts of their structures were devoured, creating chaos in the surroundings.


    And with the humans disappearing, being sucked up by that thing in front of their companions and family members, the others soon panicked, terrified.


    "Ahhhhhh!"


    "Save me! Save me! I''m stuck, and I can''t get out!" Someone amidst the debris of one of the buildings shouted in a frightened tone, seeing the darkness of the black hole approaching him.


    "Ahhhhhh!" Someone who had just noticed the problem tried to run, but after a few moments, it turned into a thread of energy following into the singularity of that thing.


    After noticing the trouble in the surroundings, those Spiritual Saints realized they should do something about it.


    "Let''s stop it!" A level 73 man said this as he formed a spiritual energy barrier in front of him and tried to push the event horizon...


    Several others heard him and thought about doing the same, but just as that man was about to start, someone shouted. "Wait!"


    Unfortunately, that Church Spiritual Saint took too long to say anything, and such a man had already reached the event horizon.


    When that happened, he felt a tremendous force drawing him into the singularity of that black hole, with parts of his body beginning to deform!


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" He cried out as he felt an unparalleled sensation, shocked that even though he had not touched anything, he had suffered from its act.


    But that was not strange!


    The black hole formed by Minos should already be capable of swallowing level 69 Spiritual Emperors in normal situations. But after devouring two such individuals and the sacrifice of the level 70 Spiritual Saint, such a thing had evolved considerably!


    A sacrifice was not just any method that followed ordinary rules!


    Such a thing burned the very soul of its user and used all the vital power of the body to generate a super explosion of proportions beyond the level of the one using it!


    Because of this, what Minos'' black hole had swallowed was not simply something of level 70 but something higher than that. And with the addition of all the buildings and people in that area who had suffered the same fate as Minos'' three opponents, such a fusion of techniques had reached the level to affect the level 73 man!


    When they saw that man''s body turning into a noodle and heard his terrifying scream, almost everyone there felt afraid.


    But when the King saw the soul of his subject coming out of the body, which was already very deformed at the moment, he decided to act.


    "Quick, use your soul forces to pull him back!" He shouted as his avatar appeared.


    As that level 73 Spiritual Saint tried to fly in his soul form out of that region of space, several avatars appeared nearby, throwing energy loops in his direction.


    As they did so, it did not take long for the group of dozens of Spiritual Saints to successfully rescue that person''s terrified soul.


    "Hah... Hah... I thought I was going to die!" He cried out as he got rid of that situation, shocked that he had had to abandon his own body.


    That was a characteristic of Spiritual Saints and above. These beings could temporarily live without a body in their soul form!


    Only because of this had he been able to survive this unprecedented threat!


    With that, that individual soon departed that area in search of a body to possess, leaving his remaining companions after thanking everyone who had helped him.


    "Your Majesty, what shall we do now? This thing seems to be getting more powerful... I don''t know if it will be safe for us to get involved with it!"


    ...

 Chapter 1204 Preparing For The Consequences

    After hearing the question from one of his soldiers, King Vogel was momentarily silent, considering the tragedy and the previous situation.


    ''That fellow almost died from simply touching that thing...'' He clenched his fists, having no idea how to stop the advance of Minos'' black hole. ''How could this happen? How does a sacrifice bring these consequences?''


    He could feel that the black hole in front of him worked through a strong force of attraction. But he had no idea how to produce something that would counteract that.


    If that thing was material, they could simply use the idea of that Spiritual Saint to push that thing back, pressing it with their powers. But since the thing did ''not'' have a body, how would they act against it?


    In this situation, he noted that such a region of space did not seem that difficult to deal with as long as they stayed away from the edges of it.


    "Everyone here, listen to this." He shouted. "Let''s evacuate the area and maintain a safety perimeter of this thing. I believe we will avoid human loss if we do that."


    One of the high-ranking members of the local Church post agreed that this was the only way they could act right now. "Let''s do that while we think of something. I''m sure there must be an explanation behind it, something that will help us save the city."


    "Yes, I don''t believe that something that forced a low-level Spiritual Saint to sacrifice himself is impossible for us to solve..."


    Several comments arose in that area while the weakest of these Spiritual Saints were already flying off to carry out the king''s orders.


    Meanwhile, Abe was with his group around where the king was, shocked by this event.


    "Your Highness, I am feeling bad about all this..." One of Abe''s advisors said in a low voice.


    The prince''s bodyguard then solemnly asked. "Do you truly think Gregory caused this situation?"


    "I don''t know, but he had the same level as the person who sacrificed himself here. But, on the other hand, if those people know about something we did and he found out, I think it''s quite likely that he would do something so drastic." Such an old man with a white beard nervously said.


    Abe clenched his fists and commented. "I want one of you to go and analyze Gregory''s vital status. Then, if he has died, make all preparations for our escape and alert the rest of the family."


    He looked at his bodyguard. "In the meantime, we will stay here to monitor the situation. Even if he has sacrificed himself, something else has happened in this place!"


    "Yes!"


    ...


    While the situation was chaotic in that part of the Vogel capital, Minos and his wives were in the Spatial Kingdom looking at each other, slumped on the ground.


    Abby and Ruth were exhausted from the previous fight, while Minos had almost no energy left in his body because of the fusion of his two most important techniques.


    Only Gloria was better, being only a little sweaty from the intense exercise she had practiced fighting in that basement that now no longer existed.


    "Minos, what were you thinking?" Abby asked as she looked at her husband, who had been bold enough to send them here and not come along with them.


    Minos took a deep breath and saw the look on his wives'' faces. He knew that what Abby and those two wanted to know was not what technique or fusion he had used. But instead, why he had risked staying behind.


    "We can''t stay here until we reach level 70. That wouldn''t be good for our plans, the Black Plain, or our baby." He said as he looked down at Gloria''s belly. "So, for us to get safely out of here, I had to do something at the site of that man''s sacrifice."


    "If I hadn''t acted to limit the damage from his act, hundreds of thousands would have died, and it would be tough for us to justify the situation and escape bigger problems later."


    "Oh? And what you did have changed that?" Gloria, who had not yet seen the effects of the black hole, asked in doubt.


    "Probably..." He said, still exhausted. "I did a fusion and threw a black hole at his sacrifice. That must have swallowed the sacrificial explosion."


    "But what about the area that was probably swallowed by the black hole?" Ruth questioned that.


    He replied. "Don''t worry. While that sacrificial explosion could affect that entire city, the black hole at most increased by a few tens of meters in radius. So, at most, a few blocks were affected by it."


    After hearing that, the three understood Minos'' movement and felt better.


    It was a shame that the people in the vicinity of that area where everything had happened had been affected. But the culprit of it all was the Spiritual Saint who had decided to sacrifice himself!


    Their plan was only to capture him, so all those deaths could have been avoided. But with the sacrifice, all those people would already have to die alongside many others in that city.


    Thus, Minos'' act significantly diminished the local tragedy''s scale!


    Understanding that, none blamed him or felt remorse for acting as they had.


    "I see..." Abby sighed as she grabbed some fruit from her spatial ring.


    Ruth did the same as Abby, already sitting in a specific position to meditate and regain her energy. As for Gloria, she went to help Minos since she did not have to worry about herself as much as they did.


    "Sigh..."


    "Now we have many things to do," Minos commented as he felt his wife helping him eat. "But first, I have to recover a bit..."


    Unfortunately, there was no one there besides them to help Minos recover using the Devouring Art. So, he could only use traditional methods and do it slowly.


    "What are we going to do now? That area will probably be full of experts." Gloria commented as she put something in her husband''s mouth.


    Minos chewed on it and said. "First of all, you all will not be able to return with me right away due to the action of the black hole. So, I need Abby to do something for me, and I will handle the situation outside by myself."


    "But..." Gloria hesitated, not liking that at all.


    "Don''t worry. I believe there will be Church people outside, and I''ll have the black hole with me." He smiled at her, even though he was pretty weakened. "I won''t accuse anyone immediately either, and I''ll find a way to talk to the Church Spiritual Saints first."


    "After that, we''ll see the hardest part of it all..."


    "Do you think King Vogel will accept it that way? Part of his city was destroyed in the process, and everyone will see you as a threat because of that black hole." This redheaded beauty commented while Abby and Ruth already had their eyes closed, meditating.


    Minos nodded in agreement, knowing that the situation was not one of the most interesting. "I''ll try to fool them. But at worst, if they force me, I will use my mass destruction weapon."


    "But it''s their choice. I will destroy their city only if they so decide." Minos said without much emotion, psychologically ready to do the worst!


    ...

 Chapter 1205 The Possibility Of Spiritual Techniques

    After his brief conversation with Gloria regarding what he would have to do after leaving the Spatial Kingdom, Minos focused on recovering from the previous energy expenditure.


    So, soon the four people in the Spatial Kingdom meditated for two hours, recovering the minor damage they had suffered in the previous battle and their energy reserves.


    The battle had been quite demanding for them in terms of power, as they had had to use large portions of their strength against opponents of several levels above theirs. Because of this, their recovery had been slower than it would have been in other situations.


    But when they finished, Minos'' first two wives heard from Gloria what he intended to do, and neither of them tried to convince him otherwise when he finished his meditation.


    "Gloria said you want me to do something..." Abby said in a low voice, trying to understand if this was what he had told her before.


    "Hmmm." Minos nodded at her and explained. "As I had said when you advanced, your technique, Infinite Mirrors, is compatible with my fusion. So, I want you to make something similar to that mirror sphere you sometimes use, only in a smaller size, and also that can last away from you."


    Ruth and Gloria understood what Minos was talking about, but the queen of the Black Plain still had doubts in her mind. "But how will that work away from me? That''s just a spiritual technique..."


    Minos laughed and said. "You still don''t understand all the knowledge of the Goddess of Life... Anyway, when you learn a technique, Abby, you can manipulate the Natural Laws behind it and produce real objects, not just things made of energy."


    That was true. But in typical situations, warrior techniques, like these people''s, were used in fights, and cultivators did not worry if their attacks would disappear out of their range or after a while.


    These attacks were real as long as they had the energy to sustain them, so there would be no sense in wasting time on the idea of making them more physical, lasting as non-spiritual objects.


    But it was possible to use these techniques to produce, for example, real mirrors with this blue-haired woman''s technique.


    "If your knowledge is deep, you can make, for example, mirrors from the atoms in the sky and on the earth. That''s how I produced a black hole that can exist in my absence." He explained to Abby, also opening Ruth and Gloria''s eyes.


    "But if your understanding has not yet reached that level, all you have to do is have the materials necessary for a mirror and try to activate your technique on those materials. The result will be the same as you would have activated your technique normally, except that such a thing would continue to exist after you are done."


    "Oh?" Abby''s mouth dropped open in surprise at that possibility. ''On second thought, it seems that woman knew that...'' She thought about the memories of the Goddess of Life.


    Minos was already used to using Henricus Longus'' memories since he had been doing that for over 15 years. But Abby had just awakened from her heritage, so she still needed to thoroughly analyze some of the Goddess of Life''s memories before using them.


    Ruth then asked. "If that is true, does this item left behind have the same characteristics as when the technique is activated? For example, do they have defensive characteristics in the case of Abby''s mirrors?"


    He nodded in affirmation. "That''s right, that''s the most amazing part of this. In fact, another user of this technique from the past once produced countless such mirrors."


    "Eventually, he didn''t even need to activate this technique in a life and death situation. Instead, he used his previously built mirrors to defend himself and fight off his opponents."


    Minos looked at his queen and finished his comment. "If Abby does what he did, she will be able to use those mirrors with her chain technique the same way she normally does, only without having to activate the mirror technique."


    All three of his wives were excited about the possibilities behind this, eager to start experimenting.


    Gloria asked. "And why don''t you normally do something like that?"


    He laughed. "There are techniques that such a thing doesn''t work. For example, one can''t do something like that with techniques that don''t use material means. As an example of techniques like that, I have Devouring Art, Infinite Dream, Chaotic Gravity, Explosive Steps, and my cultivation technique..."


    "My defensive technique acts on my body, so it doesn''t work either. Finally, I see no advantage to producing real blades from my sword technique..."


    "Then none of your techniques are useful with that..." She muttered, understanding his situation.


    "Some of their fusions are, as in the case of the black hole," Ruth commented in her husband''s place.


    Minos nodded to Ruth. "In any case, that''s how it is... Anyway, I already have the materials for you to do that for me, Abby."


    "All right..."


    He took the items from his spatial ring and gave them to her to do what she needed. Meanwhile, he said to the other two. "You can do your tests around here for the next few hours. I think it will take some time before I can return."


    "OK!"


    With that, it did not take long for Minos to accompany Abby in producing the mirror sphere he needed.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the capital of Vogel...


    Minos'' black hole had already expanded its event horizon by a few more meters, having already devoured three blocks of that area of the capital. But no one else had died since King Vogel''s order, so there were only material losses in that area.


    With that, many Spiritual Saints were still in the vicinity, while hundreds of Spiritual Emperors watched over the area''s security perimeter.


    Among the Spiritual Saints were the King, the Crown Prince, members of the Church, and several local experts on a terrace of an abandoned building in the area, talking about the matter.


    "How should we resolve this?" Someone there asked, looking toward a Spiritual Saint who looked like an old man as old as Oswald.


    That man, Vogel''s famous creator of spiritual techniques, opened his eyes and said in a grave tone. "That thing acts through a strong force of attraction. So, the only thing I can think of is to counter that force with an even greater one."


    "Are you sure about that?" A local high-ranking member of the Church asked. "Because it seems that such a thing will get stronger if we increase the pressure against it. I mean, the thing already seems to press against itself."


    "Hmm, it''s bizarre!"


    "Common sense doesn''t work with that..."


    Comments erupted in the surrounding area, with several people doubting that local expert''s proposal.


    "Then we can do the opposite..." Someone suggested. "Let''s produce an even greater force of attraction next to it to destroy it."


    While the people there were thinking about this possibility, still under the darkened and cloudy sky, with several rays falling on the horizon, Minos appeared inside the black hole.


    The people outside it could feel no such thing and thus had no idea that he had teleported from the Spatial Kingdom to that place.


    But when he began to manipulate the black hole, everyone in the area sensed something was about to happen!


    "What?"


    "What''s happening?" Several of them turned toward the black hole, filled with anticipation in their hearts.


    ...

 Chapter 1206 Shocked!

    While more than 30 Spiritual Saints were on alert with the changes happening in the surroundings due to the black hole, little by little, the region devoid of light began to become transparent.


    With that, it did not take long for the experts and Spiritual Emperors in the area to notice the large crater that had formed in that place, where they had no idea what was there before.


    They saw a big black dot in that place, and everything that leaned against it was sucked in. But strangely enough, at first, from the previous Spiritual Saint''s comments, such a thing was not material.


    So they had many doubts about what was in that region of space, and when it started to disappear, they opened their mouths in surprise to see an empty place.


    Only the contours of the ground close to the event horizon were there to ''tell'' the story, forming a large crater with a ring shape.


    However, as the skies in the surroundings cleared up again and the lightning on the horizon disappeared, the people there began to pay attention to the sky, where a person was floating at this instant.


    "What? Was there someone there?"


    "How could that be? We all saw how terrible that thing was!"


    Voices arose among several Spiritual Emperors and Saints, all shocked by this development of events.


    But one of the Church members then noticed the mask on the face of that person dressed in golden armor. "That person..."


    Abe''s eyes widened at seeing Minos there, even more so considering that by now, he knew that his subordinate had been the one who had sacrificed himself!


    ''It can''t be!''


    ''How did he survive? How?'' He almost felt like hitting his head on the ground to try to understand the reality, but he restrained himself and avoided giving suspicious signals to the people in the area.


    His subordinates were also shocked, their mouths hanging open at the sight of that person.


    As for King Vogel, he remembered that fellow at his party days ago but put his shock aside to pay attention to the sphere that Minos was manipulating.


    The young man dressed in golden armor had just put the singularity of his black hole inside that thing and was using parts of his energy to control it.


    Abby''s improvised device was not as good as the array he had used with the previous black hole. So, it was giving him a bit of work.


    However, he was okay with that...


    "Hey, you!" One of the royal guards shouted in Minos'' direction, but no one approached this young man, still afraid of the black hole.


    "You! Identify yourself right now! Tell us what happened here and turn this thing over to us!"Then, several soldiers raised their weapons against Minos, preparing to act on the command of the person who was saying this.


    The King approved the words of his soldier and continued to watch in Minos'' direction with a terrible expression, angry at what had happened here but still cautious. Not only because of the black hole that such a person had magically controlled but also because of the Spiritual Church.


    Anyway, Minos watched the people looking at him with unfriendly expressions and focused his attention on the groups of the King and the Church.


    He saw that Abe had already disappeared from the area, but he was not bothered by this. "I will not surrender, nor will I identify myself. I am not part of the jurisdiction of this state, so its laws do not apply to me." He said in a tone devoid of fear or reverence.


    "Plus, I''m afraid I''ve saved hundreds of thousands of people with my action. So, I guess the least I deserve is a fucking thank you."


    Many of the Spiritual Saints there looked at this level 61 Spiritual Emperor with wide eyes, not believing the arrogance of such a person.


    ''He has his methods for controlling that, I admit it... But he''s too full of himself!'' Someone thought about it in silence.


    "Should we thank you?" The King asked in an irritated tone.


    Minos nodded in agreement. "A Spiritual Saint sacrificed himself here. If I had not acted, his action would have killed hundreds of thousands."


    "Oh? And your action didn''t kill many people anyway? And who said we needed your ''help''? We would have had fewer casualties if we had acted alone!" A general of the royal guard shouted at Minos.


    Minos smiled from under his mask, letting some of the sounds of his laughter escape for the people there to hear him. "Well, anyway, it''s not my fault what happened here. I just defended myself. So, I won''t take any responsibility."


    "Do you think you are in the position to speak here?" The King asked as he began to move toward Minos.


    Minos then looked at the Church group and said as he looked back at the King. "I have things to report to my friends of the Church, and some of that information is critical... Then we can send a report from me to your group another time, so we don''t delay it."


    The Church members grew more serious upon hearing Minos'' tone, but they still did not know which side to take.


    "Humph!"


    "You can talk to the Church after being questioned by my group! There is no talking here. If you don''t come with us..."


    King Vogel was about to make his threat, but Minos released his murderous intent and said in an icy tone. "If you insist on this path, I will use what is in my hands."


    Gulp!


    Many trembled just by feeling Minos'' killing intent, admiring the terrible background this person seemed to have.


    ''Incredible!''


    ''This fellow must be a killing machine! No wonder he''s valued by the Church!''


    Several people also swallowed their saliva of nervousness after they looked in the direction of the sphere that was in Minos'' hands.


    As they paid more attention to it, some of them soon felt drops of sweat dripping down their bodies.


    ''The energy of that thing is increasing as we speak...'' The leader of the local Church post thought about this as her eyes narrowed. ''What''s going on? How can he control something so sinister? And why does that thing seem to be getting stronger?''


    On the other hand, the King stopped his movement and clenched his fists. "Are you threatening me? Do you truly think I''m like..."


    Minos interrupted the King''s speech once again and said. "If you think the sacrifice of someone at level 70 is bad, the weapon I have in my hands is ten times worse. If I use it, I fear that no one in this city, not even my friends of the Church, will survive..."


    Hearing that, the members of the local Spiritual Church post felt they must act, or terrible things might happen!


    So, while everyone in the surrounding area felt anxious, the three most influential people from the local Church post flew to the vicinity of King Vogel.


    "Your Majesty, let us talk to him first. We are sure Pyke has a good justification and is just nervous after this situation." The white-haired woman commented while having an apologetic smile on her face.


    The other two also said a few words to calm the King down and resolve the situation as peacefully as possible.


    Seeing this, Minos felt slightly better, but he was also sorry. ''Sigh... That fellow knows what I know, so he''ll run away and probably alert his family.''


    ''It would have been easier if those people had attacked me...'' He thought, considering that he did not want to have to use the Black Hole Bomb on his hands in this city without being threatened.


    Millions of innocent people would die, so he did not want to use it casually. But it was also a shame that it meant he would have to give his enemies a chance for them to escape!


    ...

 Chapter 1207 The Vogel Family Crime

    After a few moments of insistence by those three people from the Spiritual Church, King Vogel felt pressured to make room for them to talk to Minos before he did.


    He was the king of this state and should have priority in matters like these, even more so considering that his city had been affected by an unexpected tragedy. But the Spiritual Church was far above his small kingdom and, in past situations, had never stood against him and even helped him.


    That way, he could not but agree to let Minos leave alongside those three, staying behind as he sighed in frustration.


    ''At least the problem with that thing was solved...'' He thought about it as he flew back to his group, ready to return to the royal palace to wait for the Church''s explanation.


    As he did so, some of his vassals and even subordinates who saw the situation unfolding felt a little contempt for his lack of strength.


    ''If prince Abe were in his place, I bet we wouldn''t have to accept this humiliation...'' One of the Spiritual Saints flying nearby thought about this while he had an ugly expression on his face.


    ''It''s no wonder the royal family is divided... The king is too weak!'' A woman, someone who was undecided about which side to take, pondered silently, not liking the situation at all.


    But there were others there who did not see the situation that way!


    ''Good thing His Majesty is not overly brave...'' A bearded old man swallowed his saliva as he thought about what might have happened if Minos had been challenged.


    ''That could have been the end of Vogel!''


    ...


    Meanwhile, Minos''s group and the Spiritual Saints from the local post of the Spiritual Church had already landed at the temple.


    When they arrived there, the woman immediately looked at Minos and asked. "Is what you said back there true? Can this thing destroy this entire city and even us?"


    The other experts there looked cautiously at the sphere in Minos'' hand in anticipation of his answer.


    He looked at that beautiful white-haired woman and answered. "Yes, I estimate that if I were to use this thing, everyone below level 75 in this city would die. Those above would probably not die immediately, but the injuries would be fatal."


    Gulp!


    "And what are you going to do with it?" Another of the high-level Spiritual Saints there asked.


    Minos bitterly laughed and explained. "I can''t do anything about it. This thing is a ticking time bomb. Once I stop controlling it, it will detonate after a few minutes."


    Upon hearing that, several of them took steps backward, fearful of what would happen if they stayed near him too long.


    "So what are you going to do? It''s too dangerous to have that thing! Isn''t there a way to eliminate it?" Another asked.


    Minos nodded in agreement. "Yes, if I use this, I can eliminate it. But, other than that, I can only contain this bomb for a while."


    Gulp!


    "Use it?" The leader of this post asked in doubt, not liking that only alternative.


    Minos then sighed and spoke. "Don''t worry. This thing won''t go off that easily as long as I am well. I will only keep such a thing with me to guarantee that I will have no problems on my journey until I enter the Flaming Empire and get out of enemy range."


    "After that, I will find an empty area and detonate it."


    The people there did not feel much better hearing him, but they realized there was more trouble than just the bomb in Minos'' hands.


    "Enemy? What are you talking about? Is that what you wanted to talk to us about?" A level 76 Spiritual Saint asked while they were already in a reserved place in the temple, where only the strongest of this post had access.


    Minos looked at the people in his surroundings, knowing that among them were friends of the Vogel family. But he still decided to tell the truth to everyone there. "The person who sacrificed himself was a member of the Vogel family, a subordinate, to be precise."


    "What?"


    "How can that be?"


    "Why would a royal family member attack someone related to the Church?"


    Several doubts appeared in the shocked voices of those people, all of them finding what Minos had just said unbelievable.


    He then explained. "My group and I came to this city to investigate the Vogel family. Someone close to us suspected that such a royal family was behind the Spiritual Saints sent to the Black Plain in recent years."


    "One of them was even killed by a Matriarch of the Flaming Empire outpost passing through that region months ago."


    "Anyway, after investigating this family for days, my group began to be watched by a group of two level 69 Spiritual Emperors and the Spiritual Saint who sacrificed himself." He said as he saw the strange expressions of those individuals.


    "Earlier today, we were acting against a subordinate of the local royalty to interrogate him when the group in question attacked us." He took the spatial rings of the two Spiritual Emperors he had defeated before throwing the black hole at that Spiritual Saint.


    "That is the proof I have about such an attack." He said as he threw such rings in the direction of that woman, the leader of the local temple.


    Realizing that Minos was not just making accusations, the people there began to be even more silent, sensing that perhaps the worst had happened.


    Someone in the royal family had gone mad and done unforgivable things!


    As that woman was checking the belongings of those two individuals, another of the three strongest Spiritual Saints in this temple asked. "If what you say is true, why did the Spiritual Saint sacrifice himself? And why are you the one who is alive here?"


    Minos understood that this was the doubt in most people''s minds there and gave his explanation. "My group is a bit special... We had the upper hand during the fight and managed to eliminate the two Spiritual Emperors from the battle in the first few moves."


    "Because of that, that Spiritual Saint found himself in a passive situation where he couldn''t get the upper hand against us and knew I was there to capture him as a witness... So it''s not hard to understand why he sacrificed himself."


    "He wanted to protect his family..." Someone there said in a low voice.


    "Maybe trying to take down the enemy while turning a hero..."


    "But how did you survive? Is it because of that thing? What about your companions?"


    Minos looked at the person who asked him. "I can control that thing, so yes, that''s why. As for my women, they are fine. They used a teleportation device to escape when that person started his sacrifice."


    "So that''s how it was..."


    ? "Sigh... At least none of us died..."


    As the people there chatted about the situation, the white-haired woman finally confirmed the identities of the owners of the two spatial rings Minos had handed her.


    "These two are members of the royal family..." She said, silencing everyone there with her comment, which had great concern in her tone.


    ...

 Chapter 1208 Decision 1

    "Is that true? Did the Vogel family attack a group from our organization?"


    "How can that be? That''s pure madness!"


    "But are those rings really from the people who attacked you? What guarantee we have that these IDs were not planted to harm the Vogel family?" Someone deeply connected to that family questioned aloud.


    Upon hearing that, the strongest Spiritual Saints there looked at Minos since this was a possibility.


    He then said. "Well, it doesn''t matter. My wife is an Archbishop of the Church, and that Spiritual Saint attacked her. That''s enough for us to start an investigation against the Vogel family."


    "In addition to those rings, she will be able to describe the enemies'' faces and confirm that they were indeed the owners of those rings, thus confirming the Vogel family''s involvement in an assassination attempt against members of the Church. That will be enough to get the people of Iron Hearts moving toward this city."


    The people there again swallowed their saliva, this time after hearing the name of that ancient order responsible for the punishments of this organization.


    "That..."


    "Isn''t that a bit much? You want to exterminate an entire family because of three people?" One of the defenders of the Vogel family there said in a worried tone.


    Minos then coldly said. "It''s not just those three people. I am sure the one who gave the order for this situation and sent the Spiritual Saints to the Black Plain was the Crown Prince, Abe Vogel."


    "In that way, considering the rules of the Church, yes, such a family deserves extermination."


    "The prince?"


    "How is that possible?"


    "Still, I think that''s a bit much... We should talk to the royal family before we do something drastic."


    They exchanged a few words with each other, worried about what would happen to the kingdom if one of the Iron Hearts groups came to work in this place.


    It was not a simple situation. This kingdom was part of the alliance of states against the Flaming Empire, and its collapse could spell disaster for billions of people.


    Not only that, Vogel''s economy and defense would be in tatters if the royal family were destroyed, creating a civil war or invasion war by other states.


    One way or another, the end of the Vogel family could mean the end of these people''s stability and the end of the peace of tens of millions in this state!


    Hence the worries of these people!


    Minos then commented to them. "When I was controlling the black hole earlier, the prince was along with your group. But when I had finished, he was already far away... What do you think he was doing?"


    The people there realized that, in fact, Abe was close to King Vogel until the moment before Minos appeared, and then such a prince disappeared soon after.


    "Are you saying he''s running away?"


    "Hmm, he ordered everything and knew that my group was investigating him. So when he saw me, he immediately decided to escape." Minos nodded, trying to convince these people of what needed to be done.


    "But..."


    When someone else there wanted to question him, this masked man lost his patience and said. "You see, right now, Abe Vogel is on the run, with the royal family possibly having already received his warning. So, there are two alternatives here. Either they will flee or try to stop us from leaking the information."


    "So make up your minds now. Are you going to become traitors to the Church and not do what you must? Or will you pass the message to headquarters asking for a group of Iron Hearts?"


    Minos had no access to communication from that place to Church headquarters, and even Gloria would have a hard time doing that since that was not her station. Hence, he depended on these people to inform the Church headquarters about the problem.


    On the other hand, he felt that the longer they stayed there, the more members of the royal family would flee, making eliminating them difficult. Thus, he did not want to wait for these people to debate the issue further because of their weak resolve to follow the Church''s rules.


    The leader of this post then sighed and said. "All right, we''ll pass on the message to headquarters to send out an investigation group. But this will destroy the entire kingdom. Are you aware of that?"


    She knew Minos'' suspicion was enough for an investigation since Gloria had her life threatened and was a high-ranking member. Therefore, she could not stand in the way of King Stuart''s plans. But she was concerned about the citizens of this state, which would soon be in chaos.


    Minos then said. "Let''s blame the genocidal Abe, the destroyer of peace and his own family. But..."


    "But if the Church wants, there is an alternative salvation for this state." He suggested, as he walked over and looked at the garden he was in, with his back to those people.


    "Alternative?" Someone asked.


    "The Church has never had to eliminate a royal family before, so this will be the first case in history. That way, to avoid the chaos of such an action, the Church can use this justification to temporarily take over power from this state and help choose a new sovereign." He suggested, thinking of something fantastic. "That will guarantee peace in the short term."


    The people there agreed with his comment, but one questioned him. "But eventually, the result would be the same. No family in this state compares to the royal house. So how will they escape the terror of war when we return the state to a local family?"


    Minos turned and smiled from under his mask. "This place unjustly attacked the Black Plain. Therefore, I believe the Stuart family has the right to participate in the power struggle."


    The people there were shocked at Minos'' suggestion, but he continued. "If the royal house of the Black Plain wins the contest, the neighboring kingdoms will not covet Vogel, and the Flaming Empire will not start a war against the three remaining states."


    "What?"


    "What nonsense are you talking about?" Someone asked, trying to understand Minos'' craziness.


    Talking about the Black Plain right now was absurd, even considering the connection of that place to the current problem. But even if we left that aside, how could the Black Plain avoid any trouble?


    That place was much weaker than the weakest noble family in Vogel... How could such an organization prevent a war?


    Minos then said. "If the Black Plain''s King becomes the sovereign of this state, Vogel will automatically have a leader with a connection to the Flaming Empire through the Gray Clouds Sect."


    "Not only that, this King is an outer member of the Spiritual Church, which means that his influence alone might be more valuable than the power of the Vogel family, enough to keep the peace!"


    "What?"


    ? "I didn''t know that..."


    The Church had many outer members. So Minos talking about it did not reveal his identity or integrity in suggesting such a thing...


    And since he was already there, trying to move the hearts of these people, Minos had not been able to pass up the opportunity to get a chance at dominating this place.


    He was not strong enough right now, but the Church would have to dominate this state for some time until the decision of the new royal family was decided. Hence, he had put himself between the options!


    And with that, the people there soon fell into their thoughts, while someone had already left to notify the Church headquarters!


    ...

 Chapter 1209 Decision 2

    After hearing Minos'' unparalleled suggestion, the Spiritual Saints in that area of the local Spiritual Church temple stopped for a moment to ponder the matter.


    Minos had spoken some nonsense, but the idea of the Church taking over the state for a finite time was not bad. If this were to happen, they would have their advantages and could still stay out of trouble among the candidates for the new royal family.


    Many there were ''friends'' of the Vogel family, but they were only friends with their interests. Once they had a better chance with others, they would not feel bad about having to move!


    As such, many there had already accepted that House Vogel had sentenced itself to destruction, and now they were thinking about what they could best do for their future.


    ''If we take over this state, we can manipulate some resources and taxes in our favor without anyone knowing...'' Someone thought as he looked at the ground.


    ''It will be easy to take advantage. After all, we''ll be able to justify that anything missing was the fault of House Vogel, who ''destroyed'' their estate before it fell...''


    ''We will also be able to control the direction this state will take from the contest for the royal family seat...'' A woman looked at the surrounding trees and imagined the bright future ahead of her. ''That will be my chance to leave this state!''


    As for the part of the Black Plain, the people there understood that if Minos were an outer member of the Church and had the support of the Gray Clouds Sect, it would be possible for him to help this place. But they did not see how the newly established Stuart family could join the conflict and become the victor.


    So they ignored that part of what Minos had talked about while they thought of alternatives to solve the problematic situation that this state would be in before long.


    "Sigh..."


    ''We''ll still have months, years to think about it. So, we don''t need to find something now.'' One of the strongest in this post thought, trying to put that aside for the moment to go and resolve the pending matter.


    These Church Spiritual Saints did not think of the good of ordinary people out of pure altruism. No, it was in the interest of this organization that peace prevailed in its territories, so its members always sought to maintain a certain level of stability in their states.


    Thus, there were several of them thinking about it, although others were considering their gains.


    "Anyway, we have to act against the Vogel family now," Minos said to them as he felt the need to hurry.


    "What? Do you want us to move? That is not our responsibility. That is the purview of the Iron Hearts groups..." One of them was saying, but Minos interrupted him.


    "I''m not saying we should go and exterminate them now. But if we do nothing, when the group from headquarters arrives, there will be no more criminals to be punished." He seriously said. "Worse, maybe those outlaws will try to kill you before they escape!"


    The people in that area frowned at this possibility, fearful of the worst happening but uncertain whether they should act even before the investigations.


    "If you have doubts, let''s just visit them. I bet many have already escaped, so this will be the final proof for you to accept reality." Minos said as he walked out of that area.


    With that said, the white-haired woman, the leader of this post, sighed and gave her orders. "Gather all our post''s Spiritual Emperors and Saints in the vicinity of the royal palace in the next 30 minutes."


    "If I give my signal, everyone should act to put into custody as many people as possible in that place!" She said as she looked at the strongest people and waved her hands for them to follow her. "You will go with young Pyke and me."


    "Yes, Matriarch!" Several of them shouted as they felt their hearts beating faster, given the excitement of starting something unique in the history of the Church.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the royal palace...


    King Vogel had just returned from the site where Minos'' black hole had terrorized the capital of his kingdom.


    He was furious and went directly to his residence while being accompanied by his highest-level generals, each of them silent given the king''s mood.


    Unfortunately, upon arriving at that place, these people did not find the peace they would typically find there. Instead, several handmaidens were running around with things in their hands, while the queen''s aura showed that there was something wrong going on.


    Sensing this, those men accompanied King Vogel into the courtyard of that residence, where they soon found this woman holding a head in one of her hands.


    Blood was dripping down that piece of a human body, which still had its eyes open but had an expression of utter terror that indicated that it had died by strangulation.


    And, in fact, the queen''s hand was in part strangled in the neck, which had been forcibly removed, not cut.


    Blood could be seen on the queen''s white dress, with traces spattered up to her face and on several plants nearby.


    When they saw the headless body of one of Abe''s bodyguards lying at the queen''s feet, these people swallowed their saliva and felt that something was very wrong there.


    "What?" The king exclaimed in surprise, shocked to see his dear wife with an expression of pure hatred on her angelic face, not understanding why she had done that.


    Hearing her husband''s voice, the queen turned to him and threw that head on the ground as if such a thing were worth no more than old rags. "Honey, Abe has done a great dumb thing, and now we are under the threat of extermination!"


    "That ungrateful son betrayed us and conspired with powers of the Flaming Empire against the Black Plain, sending Spiritual Saints to that damned place!"


    The men in front of her opened their eyes and mouths wide, unable to believe such a thing had happened.


    The queen continued. "And not only did he and his minions fail in their actions, but they have also done something in our city because an investigative group had suspicion against them!"


    Gulp!


    "Don''t tell me that..." King Vogel understood what this was about, remembering how aggressive Minos had been against him, and used all means to talk to the Church people first.


    ''If this is true, by now, the fucking Spiritual Church headquarters must have received notice of the suspicion against us...'' Cold sweat began to drip down this man''s back as he imagined the worst.


    The queen answered her husband before he finished. "Yes, the person who sacrificed himself earlier was one of his men!"


    "No, it can''t be..."


    "How dare His Highness?" Those men in the king''s group muttered together as they felt their legs weakening.


    Some of them were even at Abe''s party. But few knew about the daring operations of the ambitious man who had risked so much...


    As such, these people felt one of the worst feelings of their lives in this instant!


    "Where is he?" The king asked as he clenched his fists tightly, speaking in a thick tone that he had never used in his life until this moment.


    "He has already escaped!"


    ...

 Chapter 1210 Guilty!

    "That ungrateful son ran away without even giving us a chance to talk. He just sent one of his bodyguards to come and tell me what he had done and that we should run away while there was still time." She said with great disappointment in her voice, feeling the weight of the death sentence that her son had thrown on her shoulders.


    This woman loved her son, but not as much as she loved herself or her husband.


    Considering this and that she was already planning to act against him to prevent a betrayal from happening within the family, she could not help but be furious in this situation.


    Her son had ensured her demise and that of the entire family!


    Their reign was over.


    There was no way they could continue in this place, or sooner or later, the forces of the Spiritual Church would eliminate them. Worse, even if they ran away, there was no guarantee that they would last, and they would most likely meet their end in the long run!


    With that, when King Vogel heard his wife, he lost all his remaining patience and shouted with hatred, feeling that he had been too soft on Abe.


    "What a bastard! How could he?" He shouted angrily, making the entire residence shake with his mighty force.


    The Spiritual Saints in his group were full of negative feelings as well, but they were colder than the king, and soon one of them said something. "Your Majesty, what shall we do now? Although this is a hard betrayal to accept, we cannot wait to act! The Church forces could come after us at any moment!"


    King Vogel looked at that man and shook vigorously for a few seconds, turning all red as his head felt like it was going to explode.


    "Honey, I have already ordered the family to withdraw. The most important members are already being told to escape." The queen approached him and said in a softer tone. "Now we must leave. We can''t look back, or the worst may happen!"


    "But what about the local members of the Church? They will notice our action..." He commented as he felt it difficult to let go of the crown.


    "If they stand in our way, we must eliminate them!" She said with determination. "If they try anything, it means the worst has already happened. In that situation, we can only eliminate them to ensure our escape is as successful as possible!"


    The generals of the royal guard agreed with the queen, feeling that it would be a shame to have to fight some of their friends but that it would be necessary in case those individuals stood against them.


    "All right, let''s do it..." As he sighed, the king finally made up his mind, feeling terrible for all the things that had happened today.


    That seemed like another day to him in the early morning, but who knew? Everything had fallen top to bottom in just a few hours, with the quiet King Vogel reaching the point of having to relinquish his crown!


    ...


    Within moments of the queen''s conversation with the king, citizens of the Vogel capital could see groups of Spiritual Church members gathering in the vicinity of the royal palace.


    ? But considering the unexpected event that had happened earlier, many of the local citizens just watched the situation with curiosity, thinking that this must be related to the phenomena from earlier.


    Even royal guards and high-ranking Vogel family vassals in the vicinity looked at this movement with interest, many stopping what they were doing to follow it.


    And as the groups gathered on the outskirts of the royal palace, a few people landed at the entrance to this estate, most dressed in red and one wearing a mask and golden armor.


    "Patriarchs, Matriarch, to what do we owe the visit..." One of the royal guards nearby was just about to ask them that, ignorant of his situation, when he was interrupted by the leader of that group.


    "Where is King Vogel? Where is Abe? Bring them here immediately! We have an urgent matter that needs to be taken care of!" This white-haired woman said this while feeling the nervousness of having to do something like this for the first time in her long life.


    What she feared most was that everything Minos had said was true, that the Vogel family was on the run at this very moment.


    She would be angry if Minos tried to use them to deal with the Vogel family unfairly. But this woman would prefer this instead of what he said, that he was lying!


    But she was bound to be disappointed!


    "Damn it!" One of the Spiritual Saints who already knew what was happening saw Minos'' group from afar, particularly this young man with a mirror sphere in his right hand. ''They''re already here! They won''t make our escape any easier, Your Majesty!'' He said as he used his innate ability, Spiritual Voice, to communicate with the king.


    He had an instrumental communication talent, so his post was naturally that of the chief watchman of this palace, who gave the information about the security of this place to the king.


    So while the core of that organization was making its way to its escape, he was communicating with its leader.


    "Shit!" King Vogel heard the voice in his mind and cursed, feeling that a fight would be necessary.


    It would do no good if old people like himself and his wife fled this place, and the young people who could continue the family perished because they did not have a chance to escape. So, naturally, he would not simply leave and was willing to buy more time for the descendants of his family!


    His wife understood this and would not let her husband stay behind fighting alone. Hence, she soon went over to his side, intending to join the stronger ones on this estate to buy time for the weaker ones!


    Meanwhile, Minos'' group noticed that such an estate seemed very agitated in a region opposite where they were, with a lot of spiritual energy flowing away from them.


    "They''re running away!" One of the Spiritual Saints finally said this as he was sure that such movements were those of an escape, not something else.


    With that said, those people became more severe, and the woman gave her signal.


    She picked up a small statue of a six-winged angel and then broke such a thing by throwing it on the ground.


    When that leader of the local Church outpost did that, a unique energy flow broke from that thing, forming the image of a giant golden seraph in the sky above that area.


    "Perry Vogel!" She shouted with all her might, causing even the people outside that palace to hear the king''s name being shouted by that angry voice.


    "You damned traitor! Surrender now! I am taking custody of this property. You are all under arrest!"


    "I want to see if you can escape like your son!" Her voice spread for hundreds of meters as every single member of the Church outside that palace realized that the worst had happened.


    Her voice then rang out once again. "Men, attack with everything you have those who do not surrender. Don''t let a single one escape! The Vogel family has committed a grave crime and is now under judgment by the Spiritual Church!"


    ...

 Chapter 1211 Time To Accept Consequences

    When that woman''s voice spread to the surrounding area, everyone who did not know what was happening, whether they were members of the Church or royal guards, was surprised.


    Apparently, something terrible had happened, and the Spiritual Church was turning against the Vogel family, something extremely shocking to every person in the vicinity of the royal palace.


    With this, the members of the Church were slowly tightening their fists as they prepared to obey their leader''s command, even if they still did not understand what had motivated this.


    The royal guards also began to move, fearful for their own lives, considering the size of this enemy.


    The local Church outpost did not have significant numbers of experts to put this entire organization at risk, but there were people strong enough to cause chaos for the Vogel family.


    So, quickly those who knew nothing began to take up fighting positions.


    On the other hand, the Vogel family''s vassals near the royal palace were open-mouthed, not knowing what to do. Of course, they should stand by the royal family, but considering that the Church was the enemy of the day, they did not want to get involved.


    What would happen if they defeated or even killed people from the Church?


    Surely some kind of revenge would happen!


    Therefore, to protect themselves, many did not even wait to see how the situation would develop and already left from there towards their headquarters.


    ''Time for me to go into seclusion!'' An old Spiritual Saint flew south without looking back.


    Meanwhile, citizens in the vicinity of the capital''s central square were already rushing away from that area, fearful of what was about to happen.


    From the tone of the voice reverberating through the surroundings earlier, an expert conflict could happen in the middle of this city. So each one who heard that wasted no time and soon began to run away, little by little creating turmoil in that part of the city.


    "Run! Run!"


    "There''s a problem in the royal palace! The Spiritual Church is acting against the royal family!"


    Shouts rang out from around the area as a few concerned citizens tried to warn those farther away from the palace.


    As the ''weather'' in that area adjusted for the ''storm'' about to form, King Vogel, his wife, and a few more Spiritual Saints appeared a few hundred meters from Minos'' group.


    "What is the meaning of this, Clarissa?" He asked the Church leader in this state with a deadly expression on his face.


    The queen was also looking at that white-haired woman, clenching her fists tightly, while feeling angry that this woman she thought was a friend was acting against them.


    "Clarissa, how can you say those words?"


    "I don''t know what kind of fantasy you have in mind, but our centuries of friendship not even give us the benefit of the doubt? You could have come to us in private before you spoke such things and made us look like criminals!" The king''s wife said, clearly with many negative feelings against that person.


    Clarissa looked at them and felt a little strange, knowing that they did indeed deserve the benefit of the doubt. But it was hard for her to ignore that the family of those people had stabbed the Church when, for hundreds of thousands of years, such an organization had had good relations with them.


    At the same time, Minos had a mighty weapon in his hands and was determined to act against these people. So how could she give them the benefit of the doubt?


    In other scenarios, she could even have come over there to talk before something more radical, but Minos had Gloria on his side, and they would be able to denounce this family with or without her help. Since she did not want to be harmed by the crime of House Vogel, she had decided to put aside her friendship with these people and act against them!


    And thinking how they were secretly running away when she and her group arrived there, Clarissa could not help but respond, irritated. "When I came here, I had only suspicions, Alice. But considering your nervousness and these people running away, it seems that everything young Pyke said was true..."


    "You have dared to disrespect the Church and even plotted against one of our own!"


    "That crime is unforgivable!"


    The people in the surrounding area who still knew nothing finally realized the problem, many of them beginning to look at the figure of their leaders with questioning looks.


    They wanted to know why these people had done such a stupid thing!


    King Vogel looked at Minos and felt terrible that a level 61 insect had put him in this situation. "Brat, what''s wrong with you? Why are you trying to destroy my family? What grudge do we have?"


    Minos calmly said. "How about one of your Spiritual Saints trying to kill my wives and me? That person even sacrificed himself, putting my pregnant wife at risk!"


    "Is that reason enough for you?"


    King Vogel closed his mouth after hearing Minos'' words, knowing that this was enough, even more so, considering that they were part of a power of a higher level than that masked person.


    Great organizations did not need to impose respect by eliminating families. But they occasionally did similar things. The reason? Simple, so they would not have to do it again.


    Some people simply would not follow the rules and would cause trouble. But a criminal only commits a crime if he has no alternative but to commit it or is confident that they can get rid of the negative consequences of it.


    So, to decrease the number of possible offenders as much as possible, great powers would punish exemplarily to avoid having to repeatedly deal with the same problems.


    Because of this, although it may not seem enough that the acts of one person or a few people put a death sentence on an entire organization, this was what the powerful in this world deemed necessary for their peace of mind to exist.


    Minos thought so, and so did King Vogel.


    Because of this, this man could not say hypocritical words to try to show that this young man could not see things this way when he had already dealt with others like this.


    The queen then said. "None of this is our fault. We didn''t even know about your problems until a few minutes ago! So how will we have to deal with it now?"


    Minos replied. "I don''t know. I just know that with my children, I will teach them not to be such idiots as to act against innocents while disrespecting a power far greater than their own."


    ? "You know? The world has its balance... Abe Vogel disrespected such a thing by sending Spiritual Saints to the poor Black Plain for no apparent reason."


    He then said in a provocative tone. "Poor Vogel family royalty... How unfair of them to have to pay for their heir''s crime... But the Stuart family, haha, that should have just disappeared. They were very dangerous demons, right? If they died for no reason, would anyone cry out for the world''s injustice?"


    "Yeah, well, your family almost wiped out another for no reason while defying the laws of the Spiritual Church. So, now don''t complain about this nonsense and accept the consequences!" He said in an irritated tone, making everyone look at him in silence due to the truths in his speech.


    ...

 Chapter 1212 Battle

    Upon hearing Minos'' words, the people there felt the weight of his words, feeling less worse for putting the fate of an entire family at risk because of the crime of a few.


    The Vogel family was many times more powerful than House Stuart and, as far as anyone there knew, had never interacted with the Black Plain''s royal family. Thus, there was no apparent reason for action by one side against the other.


    And thinking about how Spiritual Saints had been sent to threaten a place where the majority were just Spiritual Kings, many of the Church group even felt that the current action was not at all unfair.


    It was not necessarily justice being done since there was no such thing. But the Vogel family''s situation in this instant was not undeserved!


    As for the royal guards there, they could not help but internally regret that they were facing all this trouble over something as small as the Black Plain.


    The queen understood Minos'' words and could no longer say anything against this fellow, feeling anger at him but also at the rat that had run away after causing all this mess.


    ''Damn Abe!''


    ''If we survive today, you will no longer be my son, and if I find you...'' She clenched her fists, full of hatred in her heart.


    King Vogel realized that the Church group was on Minos'' side, even those old guys who got along so well with him and received resources from his family.


    So he stepped forward and asked. "Very well, I see you are determined to follow this path of no return..."


    He and his wife were not refusing anything since it was pointless to do so at this point. They were clearly in the middle of an escape, while it was enough for Minos to identify those who attacked his group to justify forceful action by the Church.


    Hence, at this point, trying to play innocent was already useless, and the king could only worry about buying time.


    "So what will they do now? Are you going to execute us here and now without any judgment? Are you usurping power in my state?" He asked, speaking loud enough for people in the streets to hear him.


    ''If you are going to overthrow me, I will at least plant a seed of doubt in the hearts of my citizens!''


    She then replied. "Of course, we won''t execute you now. Surrender, and we''ll put you in custody until the people responsible for investigating and judging your crimes do their job."


    "Humph!"


    "Don''t you want us to hand our heads over to you on a silver platter as well?" The queen asked, feeling that woman was crazy if she thought they would surrender to their death.


    Who would choose such a thing? Even if the enemy were a God, it would be better to die fighting or trying to escape than to wait for the act of the superior being!


    As such, both she and her husband took their weapons and pointed them in the direction of those people.


    "If you want to take us down, Clarissa, you will have to do it the hard way!" King Vogel shouted in determination. "We will never surrender or accept our downfall for something so small!"


    "Men, with me!"


    "Fight for your lives! Fight for your families, for the Church will not spare even the children in our homes!" He shouted in determination as he began to float in the air, ready to attack the enemy group.


    Clarisse and the Spiritual Saints of the Church in this state grew more serious as they saw and heard King Vogel, also preparing to begin the fight in this place.


    Their goal was not extermination, but still, given the enemy''s strength, they would have to seriously fight if they wanted to keep these people to pay for the offenses committed by their organization!


    "Get ready..." She shouted, causing her voice to reach the Spiritual Emperors on the outskirts of the palace as well. "Do not hesitate when fighting against these people. They are not friends but opponents who have stabbed us when we least expected it!"


    With that, the two sides in this place looked at each other for one last time until they began to move against each other, ready to fight for their goals.


    Meanwhile, Minos had no desire to participate in this battle and began to fly upwards, intending to leave the area through the skies.


    Some individuals noticed this and tried to act against him since he was not only part of the Church group but also responsible for this situation.


    "Ah, die, you damned devil!" Dozens of royal guards began to charge toward Minos.


    But as they did so, not only the group of Church Spiritual Saints shouted, but also the high-ranking members of the Vogel family. "No!"


    "Stop those idiots!"


    "Let him go!" King Vogel shouted to the surprise of the vast majority in his group. "We will deal with that person another day!"


    All the high-level individuals in that place knew how dangerous the mirror sphere in one of Minos'' hands was. So none of them wanted to test the power of that thing by endangering that young man''s life or even trying to keep him in place. On the contrary, each of them sighed in relief when they saw that Minos intended to flee with that mass destruction weapon!


    Minos was the one they hated the most, but this man could endanger the lives of every person there. But, on the other hand, the Church group was something they could take on and buy time for their weaker descendants to escape.


    Thus, soon some of them prevented the attacks of their weaker allies from holding Minos on the battlefield, allowing this Spiritual Emperor to escape.


    "Sigh..."


    ''These people are sensible...'' He sighed as he looked back and saw the battle raging on the outskirts of the royal palace.


    Several soul avatars appeared in that place, causing giant, colorful creatures to start fighting in the skies as if they were gods battling.


    Each movement of the soul techniques of these experts generated great movements of spiritual energies in different forms there. That turned that area into a true center of spiritual pressure, where those below level 60 would faint if they got too close.


    And with that, sounds of explosions and magnificent visual effects appeared in the skies of Vogel''s capital in the blink of an eye as Minos flew eastward in a hurry.


    He did not think he would be pursued, but that was not impossible to happen either. Hence, he was careful in his escape as he headed for where he had left Maida and Kyla.


    The two were not in the Spatial Kingdom but a park for beasts, a place made for beings like those two companions of Minos.


    Since everyone was preoccupied with the conflict of unbelievable proportions in that city, no one even noticed when Minos flew out of there with a giant fox on his back, next to a black tigress.


    "Big brother, where are we going?" Kyla asked.


    "We are leaving. Time to continue our journey to the Flaming Empire." He replied as he pulled Kyla''s fur from his eyes with one hand and held the Black Hole Bomb with the other.


    "What about Abby? What about the others?"


    "When we get to a safe place, I will bring them back from the Spatial Kingdom."


    "And our local affairs?"


    He replied. "Everything that could be done here has been done. Now let''s allow the Church to deal with the rest!"


    In this way, in a short time, their group soon left that city behind, missing the great battle that would soon shock the entire continent!

 Chapter ?1213 News from Vogel

    Chapter ?1213 News from Vogel


    A few days after Minos'' escape from the capital of Vogel, he and his wives were already in the neighboring kingdom to the east of that state, Rosser.


    After his departure, Minos had no problems with potential enemies and had found a safe place from which he quickly went and returned to the Spatial Kingdom. With that, he and his wives briefly discussed the post-sacrifice events and then proceeded with their journey toward the Flaming Empire.


    In sequence, they traveled smoothly, having been involved in minor messes, but nothing related to the Vogel family nor high-level powers. That power had more significant problems when Minos left that city, so this individual''s group had not had to deal with the negative consequences of his actions.


    So he and his wives arrived this morning in the city they were currently in, where they had finally received news of the shocking events in that state!


    When they stopped at a coffee shop to have breakfast after days of traveling in the jungle, they found the local newspapers talking about the most popular topic of the moment.


    The collapse of Vogel!


    After Minos''s departure, the Spiritual Church post battle in that state against the Vogel family had reached proportions rarely seen outside of times of war. On that occasion, the capital''s core had been destroyed amidst the chaos generated by those involved.


    Thousands of people had perished, most of them innocent citizens of the capital who had not been able to escape from the core of the conflict in time.


    On the other hand, the battle that had lasted more than an hour resulted in massive losses for the Church post, which had lost half of its men in that conflict.


    Several Spiritual Saints and thousands of Spiritual Emperors had fallen to prevent the enemies from escaping, who mostly managed to escape with the weaker ones.


    Royal families were usually stronger than the Church posts in their states, so that had been the most likely outcome of the conflict!


    In any case, House Vogel had suffered, even considering the many members of royalty who had escaped the Church''s siege. Several Spiritual Saints had died to allow the weaker ones and the King and Queen to escape, those two who had suffered considerable damage in the battle.


    They were undeniably the Church''s primary targets since they led the organization that had committed the crimes mentioned. Thus, during the conflict, they suffered the most from the actions of the enemy experts.


    Because of this, they had both been seriously wounded, having had to escape at the cost of the sacrifice of their men who either died in battle or were captured by the Church''s survivors.


    That was the battle''s end, but only the beginning of Vogel''s downfall!


    After the conflict ended and the remnants of the Church withdrew, chaos spread throughout the kingdom due to the wave of fear that everyone felt.


    The Church had declared the crimes of the Vogel family and the fact that it would temporarily keep the kingdom under its control. But even in this situation, instability and fear had already spread due to the news of what had happened.


    Not having absolutist power to command the state was terrible not only because it meant that they were weaker in the face of their enemies but because, with the power vacuum, the greed of those with a thirst for power would lead this state into the madness of civil war.


    All power relations before the Vogel family crime would cease to be valid, and new alliances would emerge, which could even lead to the de-supply of some areas.


    At the same time, the uncertainties of what would happen next with this state already moved the external allies, who would now not want to get involved with this hornet''s nest.


    And with that, many in this state could already imagine the negative cycle they were initiating, something that, when the Church ended its temporary regency, would explode uncontrollably!


    Because of all this, everyone was pessimistic. Some were already leaving Vogel, while many organizations had closed themselves off to the world, preparing for their movements.


    Amidst all this, news concerning the matter spread, reaching not only allied and neutral states but also enemies.


    Thus, the kingdom that still existed was slowly collapsing towards its end, with the Church, who had put it in this situation, being the only one helping it not to fall off the cliff.


    Minos and his wives learned all this from the periodical they had in hand, reading while they finished eating their breakfast.


    "Now we won''t have to get involved in that subject anymore," Gloria commented as she looked at Minos. "Just this act of fighting by the Vogel family against the Church people will be enough for groups to be sent from headquarters to deal with them."


    "They have shown themselves guilty and have committed even worse crimes with that action..." Ruth commented as she sipped a hot drink.


    "Sigh..."


    "I just hope the people we talked to weren''t killed," Abby remarked as she looked at the part of the newspaper in her hands that talked about the losses from the Church post. "It says here that to prevent the escape of every one of that family, more than half of the Spiritual Emperors in that post died in combat."


    Minos nodded in agreement. "Hmmm, it will be a shame if they all died... All our efforts will have been lost."


    Abby then looked at Gloria and asked. "What happens now? Many Church experts in that state died in that mess."


    Gloria made a profound expression and explained to her group. "Well, at this point, I believe that the reinforcements sent by Church headquarters are already in that state, as well as the Iron Hearts groups."


    "Then the reinforcements will replace those fallen in combat and help organize that state during this regency period. Meanwhile, the Iron Heart groups will investigate the situation, interrogate the individuals who failed to escape, and pursue the enemies."


    "Will they be able to finish off the Vogel family core in time? I mean, Spiritual Saints can escape pretty quickly..." Ruth asked in doubt.


    "It''s hard to say... As you said, experts of that level can move quickly. And since they had a few days in front of the investigators, they may already be far from Vogel." Gloria commented in a pessimistic tone.


    Minos then said. "Don''t worry. Even if the Vogel family manages to escape for a while, now that they have hurt the Spiritual Church, they will have to live away from human cities on the mainland for the rest of their lives."


    "If they dare to show themselves in any city, it will lead the Church to them in the blink of an eye."


    "Besides, the Church investigators will find a part of them, at least..." He pondered the chances of that family. "Unless, of course, they escape across the sea. In that case, they may escape."


    "But anyway, that''s not a concern for us in the short term. Now that they have killed members of the Church in public and even left witnesses behind, they will have bigger problems than us to worry about." He rose from his seat, ready to leave.


    "Shall we go? Let''s continue our journey."

 Chapter ?1214 Reaction

    Chapter ?1214 Reaction


    Meanwhile, in the capital of Albano...


    Lulu had just discovered, alongside her mother, the queen, the terrifying news coming from Vogel.


    And it was indeed terrifying for them. After all, the alliance against the Flaming Empire depended on each of the four states involved.


    At the same time, each state depended significantly on its royal families, the greatest powers in these kingdoms.


    So the downfall of the Vogel family was not as different for them as losing a leg in a chair. This event brought to their alliance an imbalance that could bring down all these states and their royal families in no time!


    Could this chair support itself with only three legs?


    Maybe temporarily, as long as the Church was taking care of Vogel. But no one on the side of this alliance was confident that they would get through this incredible challenge unscathed.


    Considering the fear of a full-scale war against the Flaming Empire, the core of the West family was shocked. Everyone seemed to want peace and to avoid a war, but then, boom, a fool named Abe Vogel had poked a hornet''s nest and ran while leaving the innocents behind to get screwed!


    With that, some in the royal throne hall were depressed about the challenging times ahead, others felt a sense of urgency, and others felt anger at House Vogel.


    "Damn!"


    "Damn lunatics!" The Crown Princess of this kingdom, Iris West''s eldest daughter, Joan West, level 70, shouted as she stepped on the sheets of paper she had just thrown on the ground. "How are they so crazy as to do something like this? What kind of idiot would defy the damned Spiritual Church?"


    "Abe Vogel..." Lulu replied in a low voice, feeling terrible about the whole thing, even more so considering that things were starting to develop better with the agreement with the Black Plain.


    The Black Plain was still far from making a positive difference for Albano. But such a place had great connections with the Flaming Empire, so with their relationship with Minos'' government improving, the West family had excellent prospects ahead of them.


    Unfortunately, Abe seemed to want to ruin the plans of this female-led family!


    The queen then commented in a low voice. "No wonder there were so many rumors in the underworld of my state about the Black Plain... That little bastard was trying to endanger my family with his affairs against this young Minos!"


    The news regarding Vogel''s troubled situation did not just talk about the previous conflict or local fears. No, there was also information about why the Church had acted against the royal family of that state.


    Because of this, everyone who came into contact with the recent news from Vogel discovered that such a family was behind the Spiritual Saints that had disturbed the Black Plain in recent years.


    The matter of the Spiritual Saints going to the Black Plain to try to deal with Minos was old news. After all, both the Church was investigating the matter, and the Gray Clouds Sect had acted on several occasions.


    So, naturally, people who closely followed continental news were aware of the problem on the Black Plain, and Iris readily associated such a thing with the previous rumors in her state.


    Such rumors had caused thousands of criminals from Albano to head for the Black Plain and even a vassal organization of theirs to dare to act against the laws of the Spiritual Church.


    So, upon understanding who had created problems for her and tried to make her life difficult, this queen could not help but feel betrayed by these allies.


    She then gave her orders concerning this problem. "Put a bounty on Abe Vogel''s head for me! If he is caught, I want to personally rip the head off the bastard who tried to involve my kingdom in his troubles!"


    "Yes, Your Majesty!"


    "On the other hand," she looked at Lulu. "Contact the Black Plain. I want those people to try to contact the Gray Clouds Sect. We need to immediately start talking about how to avoid a war!"


    "All right, mother."


    ...


    Not only was the West family lamenting the storm that House Vogel had attracted for them. Blackrock and Rosser had also reacted negatively to the recent news, with many high-level experts leaving for Vogel to monitor the situation closely.


    At the same time, each of these states, including Albano, had already increased security on their borders, fearing a sudden invasion by the Flaming Empire.


    Vogel would not be attacked in the short term since the Church had temporarily taken over that state. But those other three alliance kingdoms were unprotected, without the help of the Church or the partnership of its allies from that state now in chaos.


    Thus the empire''s border area with these states, which was usually already under conflict, had suddenly gained many additions and had its tensions raised considerably.


    But until now, nothing else unusual had happened, with each side just being in great tension of the hard times that could start at any moment.


    All it would take is one action on the part of the empire, and chaos would spread!


    And just as everyone in the alliance was preparing for such a thing, the emperor received such news!


    ...


    "Hahahahahahahahaha, the brat of Oswald was right!"


    "The damned Vogel dared to act against the Spiritual Church!"


    "I didn''t think they would make it so easy for us. It''s as if they were working to help us unify the entire central area of the continent!"


    "Maybe that Abe guy wants to see our rise!"


    Several high-ranking generals of the imperial guard commented, while the mood was festive in the throne hall, where that red-haired fellow, the emperor, was sitting on his throne with a newspaper in his hands.


    ''This is fascinating!'' This man, who looked young, but had eyes marked by the experience of millennia, had a sparkle in his eyes as he read the words on the paper in his hands.


    ''Why would they do something like this? What would they gain by acting against the Black Plain and even fighting against the Church?'' He wondered since the Vogel news did not talk about the Vogel family''s act against Minos, which motivated all that action on the part of the Church.


    What was in the news about it was the strange phenomenon that had appeared in the Vogel capital hours before that historic conflict. There was also information about a masked subject, level 61, who had taken part in the pre-battle discussions and had insinuated various accusations against that family.


    Hence, the emperor had no way of knowing the exact situation that had made the Vogel family desperate enough to fight without even trying a diplomatic route.


    Therefore, he was very curious, not as pleased about all this as his subordinates discussing the matter.


    ''Anyway, there is something wrong in all this, and the Church has even taken over power in that state, doing something like that for the first time in history...''


    ''So is it better for me to act immediately? Or maybe wait for the Church to return that state to a local power? Surely there will be chaos after that...''

 Chapter 1215 A Cardinal Of The Spiritual Church

    The emperor was not as hasty as some of his generals there in that throne hall, who were commenting as if their victory was in his hands.


    He knew that even with Vogel''s fall, it would not be easy to eliminate resistance to him in those other three states. After all, the state now under Church control represented only a fraction of the enemy forces.


    Vogel had only over 27% of the alliance forces opposed to the Flaming Empire, the second smallest state in the alliance.


    But a previously balanced 4-on-1 fight would not change significantly by becoming a 3-on-1 fight.


    That was a significant loss of power which would make a victory for the Flaming Empire side much more straightforward. But it was not synonymous with an easy victory or extraordinary imbalance.


    That was the difference between a fight where everyone involved could die in conflict and one where one side would suffer losses for an ''acceptable'' victory.


    Harold Edwardstone knew this and understood that even if the enemy side could no longer use the combination of the sacrificial techniques of the four kings, the battle would still be hard fought.


    The enemy side probably could no longer use 100% of the weapon he was afraid of, but that did not mean such a thing would be useless.


    Since he was not sure of this, this man had to be careful!


    He then said, silencing everyone in that area. "Send troops to our borders with the three allied kingdoms of Vogel. I want our forces to be ready if I invade those states."


    "Yes, Your Majesty!" Someone said, looking forward to the battles of conquest they would soon fight.


    But then another of the high-ranking generals of the imperial army asked the emperor. "Your Majesty, aren''t we going to attack immediately? Right now, with the Church in Vogel, there is no chance for the families of that state to get involved in the conflict."


    "Yes, that is true." Harold knew this and readily agreed with his man. "But first, I want some of our groups to test the enemies and check the sacrificial weapon situation of those states."


    "We won''t act on vigorously starting an actual war until we have some information about it."


    ''With 100% of its power, that weapon would kill me. But only half of that power would be enough to injure me...'' He thought, considering the precautionary measures he needed to take.


    A level 80 Spiritual Sage like him was much stronger than high-level Spiritual Saints, as in the case of the enemy kings. But if he was seriously injured, Harold knew that even an intermediate-level Spiritual Saint could threaten him!


    So he would not act until he had at least the minimum of information regarding the enemy weapon, which surely should already be in the hands of those kings.


    The Spiritual Saints there understood the emperor''s point, knowing he had to be careful.


    ''Even if those kingdoms are weakened by Vogel''s fall, His Majesty still has to worry about the Flower Kingdom...'' Someone there pondered this problem.


    And so, it was not long before those individuals there no longer questioned the emperor and went ahead with his order!


    ...


    Meanwhile, in Vogel...


    After days since the historical incident involving this state''s royal family and the local post of the Spiritual Church, reinforcements from that organization had arrived to control the situation here.


    Several Spiritual Saints from headquarters had been sent to this place, while Spiritual Emperors from neighboring states had been transferred to take the positions of those killed in combat.


    But not only that, due to the change in status of this kingdom, a Spiritual Sage had arrived at this place to command Vogel during the Church''s regency period.


    The reason for this? Simple, to control the local powers and protect the borders of Vogel until a new royal family was chosen and the regency ended.


    So, the Church was slowly beginning to act to bring this state back to normal, already working with the succession of power directly from the local temple.


    In this place, the reinforcements were working on miscellaneous matters, while the Spiritual Sage was in the main temple hall with the surviving leaders of this post.


    Of the three strongest in the Church in this state, only two, a man and a woman, had survived.


    And precisely those two were standing in front of an individual dressed in a silver robe, sitting in an armchair.


    "So that''s what happened..." He commented as he finished listening to these two juniors'' accounts of the events of that day. "And where is this fellow? I want to see this so-called ticking time bomb of his."


    The white-haired woman then said. "Cardinal, after that day, we had no further information from him or his group. After he left the battlefield, we only know that he departed with his beasts, heading east."


    "Oh? And how does he intend to justify his accusations against the Vogel family?" He asked, finding it interesting that such a fellow started this whole problem and did not even stay to talk about his accusations.


    It was no longer necessary for Minos to denounce such an organization since the Vogel family had gone too far in fighting against the Church. But still, this man wanted the person responsible for everything to be there to talk to him.


    "I think he will probably do that in the Flaming Empire. His wife is an Archbishop who said came from that place..." The man next to the white-haired woman commented.


    "Flaming Empire? You said he is an outer member, right? What was his name again?" That figure asked while his eyes narrowed.


    "He said his name was Pyke."


    "Pyke, huh? A very common alias within the Church..." He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to wonder if Minos had a connection to the people of Iron Hearts.


    Only the people of that order followed traditions of false names, Pyke being one of the most common among them.


    "Well, I want you to contact the post of the Flaming Empire and tell this fellow to return here immediately. I''ll be waiting to take his statement." He said as he stood up from his seat, feeling the spiritual fluctuations of several level 79 Spiritual Saints approaching this city along with someone stronger than him.


    "That..." The two strangely looked at each other.


    "Maybe that will take a few months, Cardinal. He''s only a Spiritual Emperor, and it might take a while just for him to get to that place." The woman said in an uncertain tone.


    "No matter. I''ll probably be here for a year, so there''s enough time for him to come here... Or maybe I should go to him? It doesn''t seem appropriate, but it would only be a few minutes trip..." He said to himself, ignoring those two.


    "I''ve changed my mind. Have the post at that place let me know when they have this young man''s location, and then make him wait for me." He said before disappearing from that place as if he had never been there.


    The two Spiritual Saints looked at each other and smiled, sensing that such a Cardinal was somewhat unusual.


    They had no desire to meet with Minos while they were just Spiritual Saints, but that Spiritual Sage was willing to go to this young man!


    ...

 Chapter 1216 Escape

    Chapter 1216 Escape


    While those two were still in the same part of the Spiritual Church temple in the capital of Vogel, the Spiritual Sage in question appeared tens of kilometers from there through a spatial crack in the sky.


    Appearing in that place where he could see the capital''s lights forming a beautiful picture overnight, this fellow stopped in front of a group of 7 people.


    "Oh? What are you doing here? I thought my group was the first to arrive..." Immediately upon being stopped by this fellow, the level 83 Spiritual Sage commanding that group asked after seeing the level 81 individual in front of him.


    The members of the Spiritual Church coming from the Iron Hearts order could not be distinguished from other members of that organization by their clothes alone. So there was no way for that individual to know if the one in front of him was not a fellow order member.


    "You misunderstand, Cardinal. I am here to administer this state..." That fellow made a gesture of greeting, smiling at those people. "Are you here to hunt down the Vogel family? I''m sorry to inform you, but those people have already fled, and we have no idea where they are."


    "Administer this state? They have fled?" The leader of that group asked, finding this all very strange.


    This group had spent the last two days traveling through a wormhole between the Evergreen Empire and Vogel, so they were not up to date on recent news. All they knew was that they were supposed to investigate the Vogel family for terrible crimes.


    That Spiritual Sage then briefly explained the situation. "Well, you guys are here because of the Vogel family''s alleged action against one of our members, right? So, after that, a great battle incurred in this state, resulting in the death of thousands of our organization members."


    "So you guys don''t need to investigate the matter. The royal family of this place has already committed serious crimes and fled after attacking our members and forcing their escape."


    "We have arrested a few thousand of them, but these are low-level individuals... The most important ones are already far away from this city." He finished explaining, seeing the serious expressions of those men who expected nothing of the sort.


    "Are you serious?" One of the Spiritual Saints there asked, finding it all very unbelievable.


    The Spiritual Sage in question nodded in agreement. "Unfortunately, I am. Precisely why we have taken over this state and will eventually have to help the local powers choose a new ruler..."


    "Sigh..."


    The leader of that group frowned, not thinking that the day would come when he would hear such absurd things. "Well, we''re going to have to investigate anyway since they got away... Where are the strongest of the individuals you arrested?"


    He replied. "At the local temple."


    The level 83 individual then pointed to four of his subordinates. "Interrogate those people and find out as much as possible about the enemy."


    "Yes, Cardinal Pyke."


    "As for you two," He looked at those who continued to stand there while the others flew away. "I want you to start investigating the battle site... Find the tracks of the enemies."


    Those two accepted that person''s orders, quickly heading towards their place of interest.


    Then, the weaker Spiritual Sage looked at that person and said. "Pyke, huh?"


    "Yes, that''s my name."


    "Anyway, Pyke, I have a tip for you."


    That man''s eyes narrowed. "What is it?"


    "In the rubble of the local royal palace, the survivors of the previous battle found some suspicious traces."


    "Suspicious traces? Of what?"


    "We strangely found traces of contact of the local royal family with a sect of the Flaming Empire, even considering the unfriendly relations of the two sides..." He said, looking strangely at his superior.


    "Which sect?"


    "Saints Killing Sect." The tall, strong man, level 81, said. "We don''t know what happened between them, but there was some strange communication between the crown prince''s group and people from that organization."


    After saying that, he handed some documents to that man.


    "I will check it out..."


    As he saw this man losing focus on him, the Spiritual Sage who wanted to meet Minos looked toward the horizon, toward the Black Plain.


    ''Stuart family, eh? I wonder why that fellow suggested such a thing?''


    ...


    As the investigations of the Spiritual Church group began, Abe Vogel was with his most loyal subordinates.


    After days since the catastrophic events for his family, this level 70 young Spiritual Saint had managed to leave the boundaries of his state, successfully entering the western region of the Central Continent.


    And with that, he was planning his subsequent acts while hiding in one of the great forests of that place, a neighbor of a state that did not have the presence of the Spiritual Church!


    "Your Highness, I wonder what happened?" One of his subordinates asked as they stood inside a cave, around a campfire.


    They had avoided human cities for this entire period, so none of them had any idea of the events after their departure.


    Abe then said. "There''s no sense in thinking about it now. What was ours is now gone, and it will be a matter of time before the Church puts a bounty on our heads..."


    Gulp!


    "Then we must flee as quickly as possible to the Western Empire, where we will have a chance to stand up!" He clenched his fists, imagining a future where he could get revenge on the bastard who put him in this situation.


    He was so close to achieving his life''s dream of becoming the king of Vogel, but then a little masked bastard got in his way, screwing everything up and putting a death sentence on his head!


    As such, Abe could not forgive Minos and already planned one day to return, to take revenge when he was strong enough to protect himself from the Church!


    ''I will become an ordinary person in this state where there are even Spiritual Demigods, but I will be able to go further than I could in my homeland!'' He clenched his fists in determination.


    ''Just wait for me, Pyke!''


    ...


    At the same time, on a ship sailing west of Vogel, the leading royalty members of Abe''s family were traveling there with terrible expressions on their faces.


    Among them, the king and queen were watching the calm sea in the surroundings from the highest point of this ship heading towards the westernmost kingdom of this continent.


    "What will happen from here on out, dear?" The queen asked as she tried to forget everything that had happened on that fateful day.


    King Vogel closed his eyes and said. "Right now, we are no longer sovereigns but criminals wanted by the Church. So our only hope is to escape the domain of that cursed institution."


    "After that, we''ll see what to do... Then, we will find a place for the descendants of our family to develop in peace and maybe one day seeks revenge."


    "At the very least, we must settle our grudges against the Black Plain and the cursed Saints Killing Sect!" He said with hatred in his eyes, remembering the information his wife had collected before killing one of Abe''s minions.


    She agreed with her husband, thinking of returning the blow of these people who had acted against them.


    "Maybe even the Spiritual Church..." She commented in a low voice, remembering Clarisse, this false friend of theirs.

 Chapter 1217 Different Interests

    A few days later, news of the incident in Vogel reached the Black Plain, along with Lulu West''s message.


    Dillian was at this instant in the royal throne hall with the journal that spoke of such an incident and Lulu''s letter in his hands, speaking to the core of the local administration.


    "From His Grace''s previous statement, this incident in Vogel can only have been initiated by him," Dillian said as she looked at the Spiritual Emperors there. "Not only was His Grace in that state''s capital before the incident, but this strange phenomenon reported in the news can only be one of his fusions."


    "Then we can be sure that His Grace orchestrated this act..." Someone there commented, feeling that this would be best for the Black Plain since Minos always acted in search of the best results for his side.


    At the same time, they could not help but feel an even greater admiration for Minos, considering that even after leaving the northern region, he was still quite decisive.


    Hell, he dared to act even against Spiritual Saints!


    Thus, for those people who were at most low-level Spiritual Emperors, Minos'' accomplishments were satisfying!


    Dillian nodded to that person. "Yes, then we must accelerate contact with the Church Spiritual Emperors in that state who have made agreements with him to stabilize our influence there."


    "Also, immediately send a message to His Grace. We need to alert him about Albano''s request for him to assist in dialogue to avoid a war."


    Chaos was perfect for creating opportunities. But besides the fact that Minos was committed to that state in helping it in situations like the current one, peace was not bad for them either.


    After all, the Black Plain kept growing and, day by day, became richer in crystals and spiritual quality. Hence, as long as this state had time to grow, sooner or later, it would surpass even these troublesome neighbors in the northern region!


    Therefore, Dillian wasted no time ordering the notification to be sent to Minos.


    Meanwhile, he was delighted with Minos'' performance on his trip since even a high-level kingdom had been thrown into chaos by the actions of such a person.


    And considering how Dillian knew Minos, this local doctor was sure that his leader must have some plans in mind!


    ''The Black Plain is probably going to be involved in this Vogel matter and the tensions between the Flaming Empire and the other states...'' He pondered. ''I just don''t know how yet.''


    Meanwhile, Gavin Rowse, the young man with the Eyes of Destruction, listened to all the dialogue of that group, interested in the adventures of Minos.


    ''That fellow is imposing! His courage to face those stronger than him is truly the greatest I have ever seen.'' He thought about this while he had a version of one of the journals reporting on the incidents in Vogel.


    ''At this rate, I may get rid of my enemies sooner than I thought!''


    ...


    At the same time, Maisie had already found out about Minos'' actions in Vogel, even though she had no information about his departure from the Black Plain or King Stuart''s plans.


    She might not have his information, but she knew that her son was the only one who had reason to distrust the Vogel family because of the tip she had given him. And as the one most interested in solving the mystery behind his mysterious enemies, Minos was the most likely to try to act to bring down that royal house.


    But not only that, as it had been revealed in the recent news that the Vogel family had been accused by a level 61 masked young man of ordering Spiritual Saints to the Black Plain, this woman was sure who such a person was!


    Thus, she was confident that her son would soon arrive in the Gray Clouds Sect!


    ...


    "Father, little Minos is coming here," Maisie said as she found her father after days of this individual outside the sect.


    "Oh? I didn''t expect that." Old Oswald replied in surprise, interested in this. "Tell me more about it. I want to settle some matters with my grandson as soon as possible..."


    ...


    While those most directly affected by the tensions in Vogel and on the northernmost border of the Flaming Empire were moving, the movements of the Church had come to the attention of people in the Western and Eastern Empires!


    These two states were enemies, but they also had rival relations with the Evergreen Empire, the home of the Spiritual Church.


    Since the Evergreen imperial family was actually the most powerful branch of the Spiritual Church, the movements of this institution were seen as an extension of the actions of the rivals of these two empires.


    Thus, given the unprecedented occupation by the Spiritual Church, both of these colossi to the west of the Central Continent were paying attention to Vogel, despite the insignificance of this kingdom.


    In particular, the Eastern Empire, home of the supposedly strongest man in the world, was concerned about this incident!


    ...


    Capital of the Eastern Empire, Nox...


    In this incomparably stunning place, vibrant to the point that even the clouds seemed unique, two men were talking, sitting on thrones made of clouds above the sky.


    "Have you heard these recent rumors?" A blond fellow, skin tanned in a way that seemed to glow golden, asked his partner, playing spiritual chess with him.


    The man, who had black hair and a muscular and violent appearance, said. "I heard... Maybe this has something to do with that problem?"


    The blond man then drank a special drink from a bottle. "Probably. In recent years, I''ve heard that that troublemaker group has been looking for the key to that place..."


    "Oh? Is that true?" The other looked at this blond fellow. "Maybe I should pay more attention to that matter. If that secret order of the Church finds such a key, it will be a walk in the park for them to free that person."


    The blond man closed his eyes and said. "That''s right. And if that happens, even the old men of the Divine Continent will be in trouble... That fellow was only a short step away from ascending, so I don''t even want to imagine what will happen if he is released."


    "All this when we already have to worry about the bastards in the Western Empire... Sigh, these are chaotic times." The black-haired man said before making his move on the game.


    ...


    Meanwhile, near one of the Western Empire''s borders with the Eastern Empire, a young-looking man was floating above the clouds, his eyes closed, meditating.


    But as he was doing so, he suddenly opened his eyes, finishing receiving mental communication. ''Spiritual Church, huh?''


    He then smiled and muttered to himself. "Well, chaos is what I need! We won''t accomplish anything if the damned in the Eastern Empire is at peace!"


    "Then I can only wait for the cursed Spiritual Church to find what they are looking for and expand their delusional plans."


    "Let''s allow them to weaken, and finally, the true Ancient Empire will come back into existence in the Central Continent!" He looked to the horizon as heavy clouds formed in the surroundings, little by little releasing their charge.

 Chapter 1218 New Order Of Minos

    A few days passed...


    After the first human city in Rosser that Minos'' group passed, they continued on their way while part of the continent was impressed by recent events.


    The four humans and two beasts continued on their way towards the Flaming Empire, at this very moment close to the border with that state.


    The neighboring kingdoms north of the Flaming Empire had no significant areas. So, the part of Minos'' group''s journey passing through some of these states was naturally short.


    In any case, they took advantage of the days they had to continue practicing their skills with beasts and even humans of similar levels to their combat proficiency.


    And as expected of talented people like them, they were all improving their strengths and resolving their weaknesses, with Minos nearing the peak of level 61.


    But it was still some time before he reached a breakthrough, so nothing new happened during their journey through Rosser until now.


    Finally, the Block Hole Bomb was still with them since, due to Rosser''s small size, they had not found a good place to detonate such a thing.


    Anyway, Minos could control this device as long as he had spiritual energy, so this had not caused any problems for his group so far.


    But just while they were resting in a large forested area of Rosser, near the border with the Flaming Empire, Minos received a communication from Dillian.


    The Black Plain already had spiritual crows of a higher level than those of the past, with better abilities to travel outside the northern region.


    The state of Minos also had telecommunication arrays, but considering how far they were from Dry City and the grade of their devices, such things would not work. Thus, naturally, the strongest crows on the Black Plain were the only options for quickly sending messages to his group.


    But since both parties already knew this and had even used this during this journey of Minos'' outside the northern region, one of the crows had reached him without difficulty.


    p "Your Grace, here it is..." The black crow, a little larger than a human baby, said to Minos as it showed one of its legs.


    Minos then promptly took the metal cylinder attached to that part of the beast''s body while his wives were eating beside a fire in the middle of that forest.


    After opening such a device and taking the scroll there, King Stuart quickly began to read the message sent by Dillian.


    "It seems the West family is concerned about recent events and is seeking our help..." He said in a low voice to his wives, still reading that scroll.


    "That was expected..." Ruth commented, not a bit surprised about that.


    They already had it in mind to help Albano in talks with the Flaming Empire as soon as they reached the capital of this state. After all, Minos was fully aware of how their previous action would affect their neighbor and trading partner.


    "But what are they asking for in specific?" Abby questioned her husband.


    Minos then said. "They want me to use ''my position'' in the Gray Clouds Sect to try to move the emperor not to attack them, at least temporarily."


    "That''s easier said than done..." Gloria smiled upon hearing such a thing.


    "Perhaps..." Minos said in a low voice as he thought of something.


    "Perhaps?" Gloria looked into her husband''s eyes. "Do you happen to have a special method of talking to the emperor and still convincing him of something, dear?"


    "No, the only way we can prevent an all-out war between these states is to reestablish Vogel so that the alliance against the Flaming Empire can recover." He commented, still working out something he had just thought of in his mind.


    "And how to do that? I don''t think it''s possible to reestablish Vogel in the short term." Abby commented, feeling that a war was inevitable.


    Minos then said. "I don''t know if that will work, but I can speed things up..."


    "Oh? What is it?" Ruth stood up and walked closer to Minos.


    He answered her, attracting the attention of his three wives. "Well, I will have to help Albano help me. The only way to reestablish Vogel is with a new royal family. So, our house needs strong support to gain that position..."


    Gloria understood what he was getting at and frowned. "You want Albano to support our family in the royal succession of Vogel?"


    "Exactly!" Minos smiled. "The families of Vogel know that they risk extermination or domination if they take too long to reestablish themselves."


    "After all, the Empire will not let the opportunity pass!"


    "And since the Church will one day leave them, taking too long to choose a leader will be a serious problem..." He looked at Gloria. "What will they do if all their allies have been overpowered when they gain a new royal family?"


    "Worse, if they have to fight a civil war, everything will only worsen when that happens." He said, gesturing with his hands as he presented his ideas to these women. "That''s where we come in."


    "I''ve already put the idea of the Black Plain having rights over that state into the minds of important people there. And since we''re outsiders, with Albano''s potential support and still some favorable decisions for local families, we can be the best alternative for them!"


    "Oh?" Abby opened her mouth in surprise.


    Ruth then questioned. "Do you think they will accept that? It will be a humiliation for them to have a ruler of a lower level than theirs... Not to mention the many uncertainties they will have of our capabilities."


    Minos smiled at her. "It is just the opposite. They will see us as an easy family to manipulate, which we will look like since, in addition to being weaker at level, we will promise many liberties to the powers of that state..."


    "Temporarily while we get stronger than them." Gloria completed her husband''s sentence, knowing what he wanted to do.


    Minos continued. "We will give all sorts of advantages to the organizations in that state. Meanwhile, all we will do regarding Vogel will be to be the leaders in name and those who maintain order among the local powers. Besides that, each family will have plenty of freedom, as we will promise them..."


    Abby then said. "That''s not a bad plan... But we will be better off with more support than just Albano."


    Minos nodded to her, quickly grabbing some items from his spatial ring to write some letters.


    After writing down his new orders, King Stuart placed them in the cylindrical container from earlier and ordered the crow to take that back to the Black Plain.


    "We will let our people and the West family take care of this matter." He said as he watched that bird moving away from them. "That family will act to convince Blackrock and Rosser to support me."


    "Once that is done, we can take Vogel for ourselves in months!" He smiled, eager to increase his power and influence, moving closer to his ambitious plans.

 Chapter 1219 Some Peculiarities Of The Spiritual World

    After Minos sent his orders to the Black Plain, it took his group a day to reach the last point on the border of that state with the Flaming Empire, where the capital of Rosser was.


    This part between Rosser and the Flaming Empire had a mountain range marked by the extremes, where there were places that were very difficult to access unless one used a unique route.


    Since there was no other point like this in Rosser, the royal family of this state had decided in ancient times to build their headquarters there, even considering the border with its number one enemy.


    But having chosen this location to be its home, this organization had taken steps to secure its location, having developed a complex security barrier.


    Such a thing was made up of special spiritual arrays placed on floating islands nearby, creating a region of restricted flight!


    That was like a thermos, which had the outer limit, the inner limit, and the empty space between the two. So this flight restriction layer was between the outer and inner limits of the capital''s security space, separated by a few kilometers.


    Because of this, no being, winged or wingless, could fly in this space, and if they tried to force their way into this security space, they would plummet and be at the mercy of the royal guards on the ground.


    Thus, even though this capital city was in such an extreme location, near the conflict area of the border, it existed as normal, with millions of people living without much concern regarding its location.


    Only a Spiritual Sage could enter there, considering all its defenses. But someone like that could enter any other capital of their allied states, so this location was not a problem.


    Minos and his wives were able to experience this as they entered this area, quickly passing through this security space where they really could not fly.


    "That''s very interesting!" Abby commented to Minos, eager to do something similar on the Black Plain.


    Minos smiled at her and said. "This is only effective for those below the 9th stage.... Above that, cultivators can manipulate space and open wormholes to places they''ve been before or are within a certain distance of them."


    "So it wouldn''t work to do something like that?" Abby asked, feeling frustrated that her idea was refuted so quickly.


    "Not in that way they use here," Gloria commented.


    Minos then said. "To stop people from higher levels, only a dome with space stabilization arrays could bring the expected result..."


    "Oh? Then we just need arrays of proper level to increase the security of our headquarters." Ruth commented as she thought of the Dry City Defensive Dome, which today protected only the core of the Minos government and army.


    "That''s right." Minos agreed with his wife, thinking it would be useless to copy Rosser since they would have people even stronger than Spiritual Sages on the Black Plain in the future.


    As they talked, they passed through the checkpoint of that place, quickly gaining access to the capital by having identities related to the Spiritual Church.


    With this, they soon arrived at a city with a very different construction style, extremely steep given the mountain it was located on.


    There were many stairs in this place, and in some parts, the streets where carriages passed, the pedestrian sidewalks, were the roofs of buildings or houses.


    Noticing this, how this place seemed to be a grandiose construction, Abby and Ruth, who had never seen anything of the kind, were open-mouthed, watching everything with interest.


    As they did so while walking through the narrow streets of this city, each of which had magnificent views, Gloria was telling them some of the local histories.


    "... Anyway, this place maintained its matriarchal tradition after this happened, with women ruling this state." She said, after talking for minutes without stopping.


    Abby then commented. "I didn''t expect that Albano and Rosser were parts of the same state in the past..."


    "Hmmm." Ruth nodded to Abby. "The traditions here are all the same as in that place? Do they have reverse harem too, like the West family?"


    Ruth was from the Flaming Empire, like Gloria, but she did not have the same information or experiences as this Archbishop of the Spiritual Church.


    Aside from the nearly half-century difference in their ages, Ruth had never toured the enemy states of the Flaming Empire or had time to learn more detailed information.


    She had just over ten years as a cultivator in the Gray Clouds Sect, leaving that place when she was not yet relevant. Hence, she naturally had not taken on significant enough responsibilities in that sect to learn some information about its enemies.


    Ruth knew that Rosser was like Albano, a matriarchy. But other than that, she knew as much as Minos and Abby.


    So the three of them looked at Gloria, and she answered their doubt, strangely smiling. "Not exactly."


    "What do you mean?" The beautiful blue-haired woman questioned her harem sister.


    That favorite redhead of Minos then said. "Here, the queen has a common harem. That is, she has several women..."


    "What?" Abby exclaimed in surprise as Minos'' eyes opened a little wider.


    Ruth opened her mouth and asked. "And what is the royal succession like? How could she possibly have an heir? She''d only have bastards if she slept with men who aren''t her spouses!"


    Gloria smiled, considering that the local traditions indeed were strange. "Well, the local succession is done, as you said. Through bastards of the queen."


    "In the royal family of this place, there is usually a period of the year, something that happens every year until at least two princesses are born, where the queen has sex with men chosen by her principal wives."


    "Generally, they are people from large families, individuals who can support potential successors to the local throne if they can get the queen pregnant," Gloria said as her group viewed the local royal palace on top of the mountain.


    "In some cases, such a person might be the brother or father of one of the queen''s wives, since some of them are from pretty powerful families... Anyway, the local traditions are way out of the curve. Some people say that things here are almost as impressive as those in the Flower Kingdom."


    Minos and his two wives were stunned by this. A woman with a harem of women was already something extremely unusual. But a woman with such a thing and still slept with men other than a husband was even more surprising.


    In the Spiritual World, women who had preferences like that did not have children and did not want them either. So those three found such a situation strange.


    "Unbelievable!" Minos muttered as he watched the sunset above that palace on the peak of the mountain they were on.


    Gloria nodded at him. "Hmm. The current queen supposedly has 12 wives and 3 children, two of them being men and the other a girl. Of those three, their parents are two men, one is her first father-in-law, and the other is a patriarch of a large local family."


    "My goodness..."


    "There are all kinds of strange things in that world!"


    Gloria laughed at those two. "You wouldn''t believe it... But anyway, let''s go to the local temple. Maybe we can get more agreements here as we did in Vogel."


    ...

 Chapter 1220 Battlefield 1

    After saying her words, Gloria led her group to the local Church temple, where she had previously been.


    Archbishops of the first-class, like Gloria, that is, people with a leadership position in the Church and who were at the 7th stage, usually received different training from the other members.


    For example, a second-class Archbishop would not rule but would be at the disposal of a first-class Archbishop, usually in minor administrative roles. On the other hand, the third-class had almost no chance of growth and usually served in roles such as the guards that Minos had defeated in the church temple in the capital of Vogel.


    In all the hierarchies of the Spiritual Church, there were divisions like this. Obviously, this was less significant with low-level or very high-level people. But most members of this organization fell under this division of power.


    Because of this, Gloria had received special training during her initial years as Archbishop, having traveled to various branches of the Church outside the Flaming Empire to learn about the world.


    She had focused on doing this with the states most connected to the Flaming Empire since her future was probably to become a second-ranking Matriarch in the Payton Temple as her mother.


    With that said, Gloria knew well about the history of the four kingdoms north of the Flaming Empire, which was why she had been able to tell the previous history to her family.


    She had lived for almost a year in the city they were currently passing through, so she knew this city''s local gossip and paths very well.


    So, even though being in this city that was built somewhat differently from most others that the people in this group had been to, her group soon arrived at the local temple.


    As for the previous matter, their group soon put such a thing aside to focus their attention on making connections at this church post.


    ? What they had heard earlier was unusual, but the Spiritual World had all sorts of strangeness to more traditional people.


    There were harems of men, women, and beasts, with ''owners'' who could be men, women, beasts, elves, in short, every kind of intelligent being sexually capable of intercourse in this world.


    There were even cases of extraordinary people, like some women in the Flower Kingdom, who basically castrated their sexual partners after the act.


    And, of course, many strange relationships went beyond the sexuality of living beings in this world. So for them, who knew a little about these curiosities, the discovery of the reality of Rosser''s royal family was not enough to move them to the point where they could not focus on their interests.


    That was strange, but it was within what they knew they could find when traveling!


    So they soon focused on the local Church outpost, where they faced a less problematic situation than when they were in Vogel.


    ...


    One week later...


    After a few days in the capital of Rosser, Minos and his wives made important contacts with members of the local Church outpost.


    That had not been as easy to achieve as they had done in the temple in the capital of Vogel since, in this place, Minos did not demonstrate his abilities to prove himself.


    Because of this, they received less attention in their passage through this place, especially considering that they were no longer hiding their identities.


    The purpose of hiding their identities was not to alert the Vogel family of their passage through that state and their suspicions and investigative intentions. After all, if someone from that family wanted Minos'' head, entering that organization''s city without hiding their own identity would be foolish.


    But now that everything had been settled, Minos no longer demanded such precaution from his wives and himself, having dropped those items.


    Thus, not only did they not draw attention for their excellence in battle, but they also looked nothing like the people that the Spiritual Sage dealing with Vogel was searching for...


    And with that, none of the Spiritual Saints at that post paid attention to them or asked their subordinates to help this group have an easier time locally.


    But it was not even necessary. Gloria used her connections from her time in this city to get in touch with people she thought were trustworthy, individuals she had previously planned to associate with.


    This woman was ambitious long before she met Minos, already wanting to go beyond her limits decades ago. So, she had plans to build her influence network, which helped their group more easily find their way in this state.


    After days of talks, some failures, and a few victories, their group finished signing agreements with three local Spiritual Emperors, two mid-level and one low-level.


    That was not much and had even been less than what they had achieved in Vogel. But for the moment they were in, it was enough. With this move, they had planted their seeds in Rosser, which could provide exciting fruits for their purpose in the future!


    So, this morning, after finishing their business, Minos and his wives left the capital of Rosser, finally heading for the Flaming Empire!


    The distance between that city and the empire''s first area of the human rule was only a day of travel, so the dangerous journey ahead of them at the border of the two states would not be long.


    Therefore, they soon left the security space of that city, heading southeast!


    ...


    Hours later, Minos'' group was passing through a large forested region, the border between Rosser and the Flaming Empire.


    However, neither Kyla nor Maida was by their side at the moment, both of them waiting for them in the Spatial Kingdom, as this region was too dangerous for them to travel alongside this group.


    That was the area of fighting between those two states, where trouble was constantly happening, people killing each other for no reason other than old grudges. But, at the same time, beasts that enjoyed violence could always be seen in the surroundings, seeking the blood of the defeated, a powerful nutrient for them.


    Beasts could get stronger by devouring freshly, so naturally, some of the more ''active'' species, shall we say, was very fond of areas like this. As such, the danger in the surroundings was great, something low-level beasts like those two could not handle!


    As for Minos and his wives, they were carefully traveling around the area, avoiding fights, but dealing with what came against them.


    Luckily, no problems beyond their capabilities had emerged and threatened them so far.


    Anyway, as they flew carefully through the area, Abby asked. "When are we going to detonate this thing? I know you can control it, but I always get uncomfortable looking at it..."


    Minos then looked at Gloria and asked. "Where can we do that? I think this detonation will be stronger than a sacrifice of someone at level 75."


    Considering the scale of such a sacrifice, Gloria soon began to think about a place with few living things in hundreds of thousands of square kilometers, a good place for Minos to do that.


    "Well, let''s..."

 Chapter 1221 Battlefield 2

    "Let''s go to..." As Gloria was going to make her suggestion regarding the place for the detonation of the Black Hole Bomb, a strong wave of energy went towards them as it destroyed what was in its path.


    But what most caught the attention of the four humans there when they felt such a thing was not the surprise attack but the power of this blow coming at them.


    Such a thing was so strong that it could even kill a level 74 Spiritual Saint!


    Because of this, the moment the four noticed that attack, they all moved without delay, putting their previous matter aside to escape that wave of energy.


    Since they had noticed it early enough, Minos did not even need to teleport his group to the Spatial Kingdom. Instead, they just flew around in directions that enabled them to escape in time from that powerful blow.


    BOOM!


    Finally, such an attack crashed into a mountain behind where Minos'' group was passing, blowing that piece of land into a ground-shaking explosion for tens of kilometers away from its focus.


    Strong wind waves formed in the surrounding area, hurling parts of the debris away, while the trees in that area swayed in the opposite direction of the blast.


    Meanwhile, Minos and his wives had their arms in front of their faces, protecting themselves from the devastating effect of that explosion.


    "Hahahaha, you bastard. You missed me, so accept that!" A level 75 Spiritual Saint said this as he attacked an opponent, someone of the same level as him.


    At the same time, beasts appeared in the surroundings, several of them wearing armor and with weapons in their hands, fighting against groups of humans in that area.


    Minos and his wives finally saw where the previous attack had come from, a battle between Spiritual Saints in the middle of that area they were passing through.


    Half a dozen humans were fighting each other, with the beasts of a humanoid race attacking everyone who was one or two levels above them.


    Seeing that, Gloria frowned, finding it strange that such a strange battle was happening in their path.


    "What''s going on here?" She asked in a low voice to her companions.


    However, Minos was looking at the human who had thrown the blow that had almost hit them, with one of his hands clasped around his mirror sphere.


    "Hey!" He shouted at those people fighting, looking for an explanation for the previous situation. "What are you people doing? Do you realize that you almost killed us?"


    One of the humans did not ignore Minos'' questioning and said to his companions. "These people didn''t die in the previous remnant attack, but we can''t let them leave. Otherwise, someone might find out what we just did!"


    "Someone already found out!" A partner of this individual, looking in the direction of Minos'' group, commented as he fought bravely with the enemy group.


    They had just found a wild Saint-grade medicine in the area. But just as the group of these individuals speaking were about to harvest such a resource, the other human group appeared, followed by the team of beasts now attacking them.


    After the brief encounter of the three competitors, the earlier battle had begun, with the humans focused on killing their adversaries of the same species due to the possibility of escape.


    Beasts could run away, but spiritual beasts were unlikely to bring numerous groups to deal with revenge or theft of an item. Instead, humans did this more effortlessly, so each group formed by humans was focused on eliminating the other!


    As for the beasts, they wanted the medicine for themselves, so naturally, their group was there to eliminate all the humans!


    Because of this, neither side found it interesting for other people to discover Saint-grade medicine, something that could not only be used for pill production and Physique evolution but also for planting new medicines!


    Because of the incomparable value of this resource, one of the Spiritual Saints battling there had purposely attacked one of his enemies in order to direct the remaining attack toward Minos and his wives.


    One of the beasts then shouted in its natural language. "Kill them all! We can''t let these damned humans take our resource!"


    "Ahh, kill!"


    Some of the weakest of those beings attacked in the direction of Minos and his wives, using their spears to try to eliminate these mere Spiritual Emperors.


    Minos heard and saw all this, quickly beginning to get even angrier at these beings who wanted to persecute them for no reason.


    So he put aside the fact that he had been ignored by those enemies of his group and made up his mind. "All right, let''s detonate this thing here!"


    "Uh?"


    "What? Are you sure?" Gloria questioned her husband while Ruth and Abby looked at Minos, curious to know how powerful that bomb would be.


    "I wasn''t going to endanger the lives of everyone on this battlefield, but since these people want to die, let''s put the useful with the pleasant!" Minos said as he used his 7th technique to make his wives come closer to him.


    When he formed the black hole, Minos had to flee to the Spatial Kingdom due to the energy exhaustion he suffered at his low level. But he could stay in if he still had energy left. However, in this case, that would not work!


    A bomb would explode and destroy everything in its path, regardless of whether its creator wanted it to.


    Hell, even the one detonating a bomb could be killed by it, so there was no way he and his wives could stay to watch the show.


    With that, as the three touched different parts of his body, Minos stopped suppressing that thing and threw the mirror sphere in the direction of where the enemies were.


    In that instant, all the beings fighting there, whether those trying to attack them or the others, all realized that there was something wrong with that sphere.


    "What is that?" One of the level 75 Spiritual Saints asked as he felt his spine creep up in a way he had never felt before.


    On the other hand, the spiritual beasts were much more sensitive to all kinds of energy, so they readily realized they would face the end if they stayed there.


    "Withdrawal!"


    "Withdrawal immediately!" The group leader shouted in a desperate tone, already flying as far as he could to try to escape that terrifying thing, which seemed to glow brighter and brighter.


    As their fighting stopped due to this interruption, Minos looked toward the man who had exposed his intentions to eliminate them.


    "Until next time, assholes!" With those words, he wasted no time and teleported to the Spatial Kingdom alongside his wives, watching the blow of the beasts coming towards him before disappearing from there.


    As soon as Minos disappeared from that place with Abby, Gloria, and Ruth, the mirror sphere emitted an intense glow before shaking vigorously and reaching its peak state.


    "Shit..." One Spiritual Saint there said this as he felt it was already too late.


    In that instant, something that would be felt thousands of miles away erupted between the borders of Rosser and Flaming Empire!


    ...

 Chapter 1222 Shocking Explosion!

    KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!


    The instant the Black Hole Bomb exploded, a flash appeared in that area where the Spiritual Saints and Minos'' group had previously been.


    With that flash, everything that existed for tens of kilometers was erased from existence; not even dust remained from the bodies charred by that intense light.


    All the Spiritual Saints there, be they humans or beasts, died in the blink of an eye, unbelieving that they could be destroyed so easily at their level.


    At the same time as the people causing this situation died, all the trees, rocks, and everything in that area were destroyed by the gigantic explosion of Minos'' mass destruction weapon.


    At first, after the destructive light annihilated everything within a radius of tens of kilometers, the shockwave spread for hundreds of kilometers in a matter of seconds, causing chaos in the vicinity of that area.


    Because of this, all the cultivators below the 8th stage fighting on the battlefield of Rosser''s border with the Flaming Empire were killed mercilessly by Minos'' weapon.


    But unlike the culprits of the situation, the other victims of Minos'' weapon had left shattered bodies behind, along with totally razed forests.


    Following these catastrophic effects, earthquakes spread from the focus of the explosion to thousands of kilometers away, slowly alerting the most distant experts of this shocking explosion!


    ...


    In the capital of Rosser...


    At this instant, this entire city that looked like a single building began to shake, with many citizens holding on to whatever they could find in their way so as not to fall, both in the streets and in their homes.


    Along with the millions of citizens taken by surprise by the strong earthquake just now, the Spiritual Saints of this place soon realized something was wrong.


    "What is it?" One of them, in the Spiritual Church temple, asked aloud as he looked toward where the focal point of this earthquake was coming from.


    At the same time that such an individual was wondering, in the local royal palace, the queen was looking at the clouds in the sky, which were being pushed by the wave of smoke and dust coming from the southeast of her city.


    "That..." She clenched her fists, afraid that this might indicate the beginning of an attack by the Flaming Empire!


    But not only was she worried about that!


    ...


    On the other side of the border, in a camp of troops of the Flaming Empire''s imperial army...


    At this instant, some of the individuals in that camp, who had been quickly formed due to the emperor''s orders, were standing outside their tents, looking at the flash that had appeared on the horizon a few moments ago.


    "Did you guys see that?" One of the strongest there asked with a look of terror in his eyes.


    "Hmmm, for a few moments, something as bright as a star appeared in the northwest direction, having even eclipsed the star that illuminates our world!" Someone said that as he could not believe that he had had the opportunity to see something so unusual.


    But while the Spiritual Saints were talking about such a thing that could even threaten the life of the strongest of them, some Spiritual Emperors there were screaming in terror.


    "Ahhhh! My eyes! I can''t see! I can''t see!"


    Someone clutched his head with his two hands, panicking that he could no longer see anything after observing the previous phenomenon.


    Many there were suffering from the same problem since the brightness of the previous explosion had been so intense that those in this area who were below level 70 and observed it had their retinas burned out!


    Some Spiritual Saints noticed their companions'' desperation and began to feel bad about it all.


    "Quick, fall back! Fall back!"


    "Whatever happened at the border, that is coming here!" One of the camp''s leaders shouted with all his breath, feeling that such a thing would cause even more trouble for them.


    And with that, the individuals in this place soon began to move, delaying the emperor''s plans.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the capital of Vogel...


    "Hmmm?" The Spiritual Sage, who was there to lead the regency of the Church in that state, looked in the direction of where the incredible explosion had happened.


    ''What is this disturbance? Did some high-level Spiritual Saint sacrifice himself at the border?'' He wondered as he got up from his seat to go and see what had happened.


    The borders of Vogel and Rosser with the Flaming Empire were not that far from each other, so instead of thinking that something had happened in Rosser, this Spiritual Sage thought that someone else was challenging the Church in Vogel.


    ''Let''s see what happened...''


    ...


    Flaming Empire, northwest region, Holy Sect...


    In the headquarters of this high-level organization, the stronger individuals also felt the lingering effects coming from the border with Rosser, promptly noticing that something shocking had happened.


    "I wonder what happened?" A woman asked the old elder, who had just come out of his meditative state in the central area of this organization, to fly over this sect.


    He frowned as he looked in the direction where a small star had appeared on the horizon for a few seconds. This man had just felt that what was behind that phenomenon was so bad that even he, level 79, would suffer some injuries if he were near the focus of the explosion.


    "I think something terrible may have happened on the border with Rosser..." He muttered in a low voice, wondering if the emperor had taken hasty action against that state and suffered some brutal counterattack.


    With the thought that perhaps his leader was in danger, which meant that the entire empire would be as well, this man quickly began to fly in the direction from which Minos had departed earlier.


    But he did not forget to leave a message for the previous woman. "Have the elders lift the barrier. The lingering effects of this explosion will endanger the weaker disciples if we do nothing!"


    "Yes, sect master!" She said, as she also moved in pursuit of her goals.


    While these high-level figures were moving, Ford and Troy were living their lives peacefully, not imagining that Minos was causing terror just a few thousand kilometers away.


    But while training alongside his mate, Ford suddenly became distracted and was punched in the face.


    ,m Pow!


    "Ahhhhhh!" He yelled as he brought his hands to his face, not understanding why his friend had done that.


    "What''s your problem?"


    "My problem?" Troy questioned him with a strange look on his face. "I ask you the same! Why did you stop so suddenly?"


    Ford then felt the same feeling as before and became more serious. "I feel as if a great danger is approaching me..."


    ...


    A few minutes later...


    Minos and his wives finally left the Spatial Kingdom to return to the place they had left, which now looked nothing like a forest.


    No, now that place looked like the top of a gigantic volcano, from where the earlier explosion crater had released some of the magma from underground, turning that forest into a scalding volcano!


    "Unbelievable!"


    ...

 Chapter 1223 Volcanic Region 1

    After appearing in that red place, scorching to the point of making even they, Spiritual Emperors, sweat, the wives of Minos looked at the area with wide eyes.


    That was particularly true for Ruth, who had never seen transformations of the kind in her life. As for Gloria and Abby, although neither had seen anything like this personally in their lives, they had heard stories or memories of analogous situations.


    But still, they were surprised to see such a shocking transformation.


    That previously green area, full of mountains, and unique landforms, vibrant with life, had turned into a place without much variation in the blink of an eye.


    It was now just a gigantic crater, which they could not even see the edges of, giving them the feeling that such a thing was not a crater but a small sea of magma.


    Streams of this scalding material could be seen passing from one side of this ''sea'' to the other, with stress points where lava was gushing out as if there were springs there.


    "Unbelievable!" Ruth exclaimed as she circulated her energy to protect her body from the intense heat it was doing where they were flying, even considering they were over 100 kilometers from the lava.


    The crater formed by the explosion of Minos'' mass destruction weapon had destroyed the surrounding area. So, obviously, such a thing had created a crater whose deepest point was over 100 kilometers deep.


    Considering that Minos and his wives were flying a few meters above the ground when he threw the previous mirror sphere, as they escaped to the Spatial Kingdom and returned from there, they were about 100 kilometers from the deepest point of that scorching area.


    "It''s pretty impressive. I didn''t expect it to be so extreme..." Minos smiled as he observed his creation with Abby.


    But he knew that this power was not his. Without the stupidity of the level 73 Spiritual Saint who had given his body to that black hole or the many bodies swallowed earlier, that bomb would not have produced something so shocking.


    He knew that his black hole should not be able to threaten the life of a level 70 Spiritual Saint until many bodies or powerful beings fueled it. That also meant that the Black Hole Bomb would not be as potent in a ''normal'' situation.


    But still, he could not help but admire the destructive power of his most powerful weapon.


    He alone could not develop something that powerful at the moment, but besides being able to eventually reach the requirements for it, there were ways for him to ''fatten up'' his black holes. So, he did not attribute this event to luck!


    "Well, let''s go..." He was saying to his wives when suddenly, the tip of a wormhole appeared a few hundred meters from where they were.


    Seeing that, the four of them understood that a Spiritual Sage was coming!


    They had two alternatives now. Escape to the Spatial Kingdom and be stuck in that place indefinitely, or stay and receive that person.


    Since they were weak to the point that they had a high chance of being ignored, they decided to stay after looking at each other.


    ''That person didn''t come here by chance...'' Minos pondered as he slowly saw a body coming out of that wormhole. ''This Spiritual Sage was nearby, so he probably comes from Vogel.''


    ''That person probably comes from the Church...'' He then had his thoughts confirmed when the level 81 Spiritual Sage, who was looking after Vogel on behalf of the Spiritual Church, appeared in that place.


    ''Uh?'' Such a person looked at the surroundings and saw how this bit of the border of Rosser and Flaming Empire had changed.


    ''So the attack from before was not on the Vogel border...'' He pondered this as he noticed that he had mistaken the location of the explosion by a few hundred kilometers.


    He was not from the area, and it could be challenging to analyze the origin of something thousands of kilometers away.


    But while he was relieved that this occurrence was not a challenge to the Church, he noticed the group of four Spiritual Emperors flying toward the southeast, passing through the middle of such an area.


    "Hey!" He shouted to the four, curious to know how Spiritual Emperors had passed this place before him.


    The explosion from earlier had been shocking. He could tell that just by the appearance of this place. So any living being below his level should have at least been injured to withstand something so extreme. But their group was unharmed and was composed of mere Spiritual Emperors.


    On the other hand, the explosion had just happened, so if they had come from outside the blast radius, how had they gotten there so quickly?


    A Spiritual Sage like him could traverse space and significantly shorten distances. But mere Spiritual Emperors could at most fly.


    Then doubt arose in his heart. "Where did you come from? How can you be here in this place? Do you have any relation to the event that occurred here?"


    Gloria was not dressed in the uniform of the Spiritual Church at the moment, so there was no way that man could connect them to such an organization.


    That''s why he questioned them so actively, while his hands appeared to manipulate the space in the surrounding area so that if those individuals tried to escape, he would arrest them.


    ,m Minos and his wives stopped flying towards the Flaming Empire, and he responded while looking at that man. "Sir, we were passing this place a few moments ago when we saw something shocking. After that, we all used our teleportation devices to escape."


    "Since we are in the middle of a journey, we teleport back after the time needed for the main effects of that explosion to pass."


    "Teleportation?" That individual''s eyebrows frowned as he realized there really was a spatial disturbance in the surroundings beyond the one he created.


    ''Really, someone teleported from this place...''


    "But how did you get back here so quickly? Teleportation items usually use marked places to work."


    Minos nodded and said. "Yes, we marked our last camp in the surrounding area. Then since we weren''t sure if it would be destroyed during the explosion, we teleported to another place during our escape. After a few minutes, we testes with such a location had not been destroyed and luckily teleported to a place about 300 kilometers from here."


    "Oh?" The Spiritual Sage believed the story Minos told since it made no sense to think that Spiritual Emperors would have anything to do with what happened in this place.


    At the same time, as much as the levels of these four, as well as the formation of this group, three women and one man, were similar to that of the young man who had a weapon supposedly capable of doing something like this, this Spiritual Sage did not even consider such a possibility.


    There were millions of Spiritual Emperors in this part of the Central Continent, so it was not impossible that a group so similar to that of the young Pyke would appear there.


    Considering the spatial fluctuations of the area that indicated teleportation, he believed the lie and let his guard down for these youths.


    "All right, go away. I don''t want you to contaminate the area any further." He waved one of his hands, causing them to suffer a space ''jump'', appearing hundreds of kilometers ahead of that place in their flying direction.


    With that, Minos just smiled at that fellow''s help, not giving much thought to the matter, before heading alongside his wives to the first area of the Flaming Empire they would pass, the territory of the Holy Sect!


    ...

 Chapter 1224 Volcanic Region 2

    As Minos'' group went on with their journey, little by little, the experts who had previously felt the effects of his bomb began to arrive in the area where everything happened.


    The first of them was the master of the Holy Sect, one of the strongest and closest to that area.


    But almost at the same time as him, with a difference of minutes, the queen of Rosser also appeared in that place, worried about a possible attack by the Flaming Empire.


    The leader of the Holy Sect was also worried about something like that, but when they arrived there, they soon noticed that the situation was a little different than they had imagined.


    If the emperor had been involved in something, as they had thought, there should be survivors in the surroundings, as well as the destruction could not be so ''uniform,'' as if nothing had gotten in the way of it.


    Considering their fears, high-level individuals should have been fighting there. But there was no mark of the presence of such beings, something easily seen by the total devastation of the area.


    ''My border has turned into a volcanic region...'' The queen pondered just after observing the red sea in front of her.


    But while doing so, she was also impressed, since what happened there would be enough to injure her seriously!


    Hence, she could not help but shiver in fear.


    As for the leader of the Holy Sect, he was shocked but much more relieved that there was no sign of a high-level battle there.


    ''It seems this place has suffered from the sacrifice of some intermediate-level Spiritual Saints...'' He pondered, knowing it was absurd to think of such a possibility.


    A Spiritual Saint sacrificing himself was an infrequent event to happen. Thus, to think of several such individuals involved in such a crazy act would be absurd. However, there was no other possibility there. Hence, this fellow soon considered that hypothesis to justify such destruction.


    But while thinking about it, he noticed the Spiritual Sage and the queen of Rosser in that area along with him.


    He said nothing to that enemy of the Flaming Empire, turning his attention only to the Spiritual Church Cardinal.


    "Cardinal, what happened here? Did you witness such a thing, or..."


    That fellow replied without giving the Holy Sect master time to finish his words. "I arrived here after everything happened, so I''m still trying to understand the situation."


    The queen of Rosser then asked him. "Did the Cardinal, by any chance, come from Vogel?"


    "Hmm, I was appointed to handle the situation there..." He replied, still focused on the red sea in that area.


    ''That was quite a bomb.'' He pondered, considering that the stream of destruction seemed to have started from a single starting point.


    Because of that, he did not make the same mistake as the level 79 Spiritual Saint.


    Meanwhile, the queen felt a little better that such a figure was there since this would prevent any kind of action by her enemy. But not only that, if it were not for the Spiritual Church''s attitude toward Vogel, that kingdom would already be lost, and that would be even worse for her condition.


    After all, temporarily, Vogel had only lost the royal family. But the entire power structure of that kingdom remained unchanged.


    However, if the Church had not seized power in Vogel, that state would be now at civil war, at the mercy of the Flaming Empire.


    Therefore, for not having lost this remnant of her allies due to the Church''s actions, she could not help but feel grateful to this organization.


    As she had also noticed that her previous fears were unfounded, her heart calmed, and she changed her position.


    "Kevin," She shouted in the direction of that man, still keeping a reasonable distance between them. "Let your emperor know that we don''t want war. But if he attacks our alliance, even if weakened, we will ensure that half of the powers in your state perish."


    "Then don''t make the mistake of acting rashly now!"


    She did not wait for an answer and departed from there as quickly as she had arrived, leaving aside the boiling sea bordering Rosser and the Flaming Empire.


    Many had died there, including people from her vassal, allied, or subordinate organizations. But none of this was worth the risk of war, so this woman left feeling much better.


    p As for investigating what had happened, well, she would worry about that later since she had much bigger problems in mind.


    Kevin watched in the direction she had gone in silence. He preferred peace but knew that this was the Empire''s opportunity to eliminate the significant problems that had bothered them for hundreds of thousands of years.


    So his pacifist thoughts, or perhaps fears of the danger that war posed, were suppressed by the advantages that had presented themselves to the Empire after the fall of Vogel.


    ''A war will certainly be destructive, but such is life.'' His eyes narrowed as he prepared to leave. ''For a new life to be born, another must perish to provide its nutrients, energy, etc.''


    ''As long as the Empire and the sect continue to exist, it will all be worth it!'' He clenched his fists just before flying back to his territory.


    After that, other Spiritual Saints appeared in the area, while the Spiritual Sage from earlier also left, heading back to Vogel, where he could not stay away for long.


    So, soon the investigative groups of the Spiritual Church, Rosser, and Flaming Empire joined together to study that area and try to determine who had perished during the explosion.


    But not only were investigators looking to identify the dead there were among the people watching the area. No, those responsible for spreading the news were also doing their job.


    So it did not take long for the region to learn about the new volcanic area between Rosser and Flaming Empire, a place that would surely become legendary in the future.


    ...


    As stories about the new volcanic region spread throughout the central region of this continent, a crow with a symbol of a golden tree on its body arrived in the capital of Albano.


    With that, the message carried by this being was soon brought to the upper echelon of this organization, which soon reacted to the ambitious proposals of King Stuart.


    "He wants what?" Lulu West''s eyes almost popped from her face after she finished listening to one of her mother''s subordinates explain what the Black Plain had suggested.


    That subordinate then repeated. "The King of the Black Plain wishes the support of the three allied states against the Flaming Empire for the Stuart family to take power in Vogel."


    Gulp!


    Lulu swallowed her saliva and looked at her mother, who was open-mouthed at this instant.


    "How is that going to help us stop the Flaming Empire? For that matter, how dare he think up such an absurdity?" Lulu questioned her mother after a while as she remembered Minos'' face.


    The queen then closed her mouth and pondered over it. ''It is absurd, but it is a better craziness than the overwhelming reality upon us...''

 Chapter 1225 Vogel Succession Discussion

    "It seems that this fellow is quite clever..." Iris commented to her youngest daughter, surprising Lulu.


    "What? What do you mean?" Lulu looked at her mother doubtfully, not understanding how the queen could make positive comments about Minos when this fellow wanted such absurd things.


    The queen then said. "It seems improper for him to want to rule Vogel with his little power. But that is why he is clever. He wants to use the situation of the three kingdoms under threat from the Flaming Empire to consolidate his position as a candidate for the leadership of that state."


    "In other words, he wants to force us to help him get that place, which will undeniably enrich the Black Plain and take him further into the future!" She rose from her throne as she spoke about this, impressed by Minos'' move.


    Such a thing did not go against his agreement with Lulu. On the contrary, by making this move, he would be indirectly helping Albano through Vogel''s organizations.


    But considering how he would be the great beneficiary of it all, Iris could not help but be impressed by the movements of a young man of just over 30.


    ''Why do I feel like I''ve been fooled?'' She wondered as her daughter watched her along with the subordinates in that hall.


    Lulu then questioned the obvious. "Wait a moment! How is Minos going to apply for that position? What does the Black Plain have to do with Vogel? Plus, what difference does it make that we support him in this? How is that going to help us?"


    A subordinate then answered in the queen''s place. "With a royal family in Vogel, there would not be a need for a civil war to choose a new sovereign. That way, the families of that state would have a chance to turn their attention to our problem."


    "Oh?" Lulu understood the point. "Could our support help him achieve that?"


    "Maybe..." That subordinate dared not assert anything since it was tough to say. ''If many concessions are made, it is not unlikely...''


    The queen then commented. "I don''t know exactly how he''ll go about it, but he must have his means. As for how it helps us, it is, as Adele said. As long as order and harmony exist among the powers of Vogel, we can count on their support in an eventual fight against the Flaming Empire."


    "But there are still other factors. For example, Minos has relations with the Gray Clouds Sect and the Spiritual Church. So he naturally has options that no family in that state has. That will give him some advantages in an eventual conversation both to become the king and to avoid a war." Iris said in a low voice.


    Lulu''s eyes sparkled with hope. "So what are we going to do? That seems to me to be the best alternative for us."


    "Hmm, indeed." Iris looked at the subordinate who had read the message from the Black Plain. "Send messages to our allies in Rosser and Blackrock. I want to begin conversations with them regarding this support for Black Plain before we send people to talk to the greater powers of Vogel."


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    Iris turned her attention to her youngest daughter. "Go to the Black Plain. Then, when things are settled between the other monarchs and me, you should accompany someone from Minos'' government to Vogel."


    "Let''s take advantage of the fact that the Spiritual Church is keeping that state under protection so we can negotiate with the local organizations."


    "OK!"


    ...


    Three days later ...


    After Iris discovered Minos'' intentions, her people acted quickly. They managed to notify the other two royal houses under the threat of destruction due to the risk of a new war.


    So, while the queen of Rosser''s investigation group was working in the new volcanic region of this state, this woman was in her palace thinking about this possibility alongside her wives.


    She knew little about Minos until a few moments ago, but now she would have to decide if she should support this young man who should only be a Spiritual Emperor to become the king of Vogel...


    That was a lot for her!


    However, this woman was aware of the precarious situation for the three alliance states against the Flaming Empire. So even though she did not like giving so much power to someone weak and little known, she had to consider it carefully.


    "What do you think?" This woman asked three of her wives as they stood in a garden of the queen''s residence.


    One of them played with a flower next to the stone bench they were sitting on and said. "There''s not much to think about here. It''s not like we have any choice..."


    "Hmm, Sharon is right. Now is not the time to be careful with a mere Spiritual Emperor. If he can help us get more support to persuade the Emperor not to act rashly, it will be worth giving Vogel to him." Another woman commented before the third woman smiled.


    This smiling woman then said. "Besides, he is the one who will have trouble relating to that state. How will the Church react to someone like him owning two states simultaneously? Will the Church rules for the northern region change? Also, he will get involved with people of much higher levels than his own..."


    "Who knows what might happen?"


    But the queen did not agree with these suggestions of how foolish Minos'' idea was. "That young man is Oswald Coleman''s grandson. Will anyone in that state have the courage to do anything against him? Even more so considering that it is more advantageous to have him on their good side..."


    The woman from before closed her eyes and shook her shoulders. "You know how men are. They think they''re rational but use their emotions to decide their lives... How will the experts in that state feel about having a weak leader and grandson of a famous enemy?"


    ...


    A similar discussion was happening in the capital of Blackrock, where the king of this state was dialoguing with his top advisors.


    "Let''s support the queen of Albano, Your Majesty." A gray-haired man said in a tone full of certainty. "We have nothing to lose by that. The Vogel family is already lost, so helping to choose a new royal family for that state is already the best we can do."


    "Hmmm, true." Another agreed. "If this young man can at least keep that kingdom together in the short term, that will already be well worth it, even considering that his family does not have enough power to help us."


    "But what about his relationship with an ancient enemy? I feel strange considering giving one of our states to the grandson of an enemy..." A middle-aged woman said, reminding her colleagues of this critical factor.


    Upon hearing that, the king sighed and commented on what he had learned about Minos earlier. "Perhaps that is not as much of a problem as you think, although it is a nuisance."


    "Oh? Your Majesty?"


    The king then explained. "This Minos seems to have been raised in the northern region, in the Brown Kingdom. He has no connection to the Gray Clouds Sect and supposedly has a bad relationship with his absent mother."


    "So maybe he doesn''t have the culture of the enemy..."

 Chapter 1226 Stay Away From Me

    Days later...


    While the royal families of Albano, Rosser, and Blackrock were acting for the sake of their interests, Minos and his wives were finally arriving in the first major human city of the Flaming Empire!


    After fleeing the new volcanic region between this state and Rosser, they traveled without much trouble after entering the ''peaceful'' region of this area further northwest of the Empire.


    Obviously, there were countless dangers on the way, as the living creatures in this state were of a much higher level than those in the northern region, where they could move around without danger.


    But given the fighting proficiency of everyone in that group, counting Gloria, who was at the end of the 7th stage, few problems could stand in their way.


    The Flaming Empire had high-level Spiritual Saints in large numbers, compared to what was happening separately in the northern realms of this state. But most of these beings were at their organizations'' headquarters, in their homes, not randomly traveling around the state.


    And even those of low level was not so easy to find. After all, Spiritual Saints in the Flaming Empire were like Spiritual Kings in the northern region before the rise of the Black Plain.


    As such, problems like the previous one at the border were hard to find within that state, and Minos'' group had thus been able to travel somewhat smoothly these past few days.


    In any case, now that they had entered the Flaming Empire, it was finally time for them to get on with their business travels in this state.


    Minos had some side interests in coming to this Empire, such as meeting the families of two of his wives and the Gray Clouds Sect.


    But until they reached these goals, they had a long journey, with many stopping points to place orders for the spiritual techniques that his state desperately needed.


    Minos had good techniques for warriors. After all, not only had Henricus Longus left a significant inheritance to him, but many enemies killed so far had helped the Black Plain collect more techniques.


    But these were techniques for fighters, not spiritual professionals, just what he had been seeking by coming to this state!


    And with the help of Gloria and Ruth, he already had a route to follow through the Empire, through the places he would have to pass to find the best spots to buy what he wanted.


    Among those places was the city his group had arrived in the night before.


    That was the headquarters of the Holy Sect, one of the eight high-level organizations in this state that were below only the imperial family.


    In this fantastic place where Minos and Abby were impressed by the local beauty, partly because of the floating neighborhoods that made the scenery somewhat magical, they spent the night together to rest.


    Gloria''s belly was slowly starting to show, but the four of them still kept their fun days in whenever they had a chance to be in a city. So instead of going out to do business the day before, they had relaxed between the Spatial Kingdom and this city.


    But as the day began, the four of them soon left the hotel room they had rented to get on with their business in this city.


    "Minos, where do we go first?" Abby asked as she held one of her man''s hands.


    He looked at the street in front of them, a large tree branch connecting two floating neighborhoods, and said. "Let''s find a place to get something to eat. Then, after we satisfy our hunger, we''ll go to the place Gloria mentioned earlier."


    "Hmm, I am starving." Gloria massaged her belly and commented to them, feeling the intense hunger that had only been intensifying as her pregnancy progressed.


    But that was not the only reason for her hunger. Neither of them was good at cooking, so naturally, they did not have an easy time traveling through forests for days...


    Fortunately, at their level, their bodies had little demand for food.


    So the four of them made their way to a cafeteria from which a delicious smell wafted, a not very busy place, but where the customers seemed to eat with enthusiasm.


    In particular, a brown-haired woman was eating alone at one of the tables at the entrance of this establishment as if she were tasting a divine gift after months of starvation.


    Minos looked at that woman, feeling he had seen her before, and then decided to probe such a person.


    ''Hmm? That''s King Brown''s daughter!'' He remembered Diana, the eldest daughter of this old enemy, who had confronted him years ago during the attempted peace negotiation led by Gloria.


    But not only Minos had noticed someone there. The moment he had laid his eyes on her, Diana, who had returned from the northern region after the resolution of the problem with Albano, looked at him, sensing something wrong.


    As she looked into Minos'' brown eyes, she immediately let her fork fall to the ground as she recognized her father''s killer.


    "Minos!" Diana, level 60, angrily stood up from her seat, already with her fists clenched, looking at this enemy with hatred in her eyes.


    "Diana, huh? What a coincidence to find you here..." Minos commented as his three women looked at the sister of the current king of the Brown Kingdom.


    Gloria and Abby remembered Diana very well, but Ruth, who was not with Minos then, could only look at the beautiful Spiritual Emperor there with curiosity.


    "Coincidence? That''s my place, my home. How is it a coincidence?" She asked in an irritated tone. "Don''t tell me that now you intend to take this place too? Have you had enough of the northern region?"


    "Why so angry at me?" Minos said in a provocative tone. "All right, I killed ... No, I didn''t kill your father. He died from a high altitude fall."


    "You bastard! Don''t you recognize what you''ve done?" She indignantly looked at him.


    Minos laughed. "Diana, your father and I were enemies. He tried to kill me several times and would have done it if he had the chance. So why do you treat me like I have committed an unparalleled crime? I merely protected my life from a power-crazed person."


    "Son of a..." She took a step forward, feeling like punching the face of this dictator who oppressed the northern region of the Central Continent.


    But at the same time, she remembered the words of the Matriarch of the Spiritual Church, who had told her that Minos would not stay in the northern region for long. ''It looks like she was right. He must have gotten tired of that place, and maybe he''ll leave my region alone!''


    She felt her mood improving a little, but she still had anger for being around her father''s murderer. "Minos, don''t think you can do what you want here. This is the territory of the Holy Sect, and I am a disciple!"


    "Then stay away from me, or I''ll cause trouble for you!" She threatened him, feeling good that she finally had the chance to do that.


    ...

 Chapter 1227 In Search Of Original Scrolls

    After hearing Diana''s threats, Minos looked at this woman and smiled, feeling she was making an unsupported threat against him. "And why would I try to approach you? I just found you here by chance..."


    "Do you think I''m after you?"


    She glared at him, knowing that the one who kept thinking about him was she, who hated him to her soul. As for Minos, this woman knew he would not waste his time thinking about her since he had too many things to do.


    Thus, Diana was aware that he was not there for her.


    But she would not give Minos any answer, so she ignored his question to ask him. "What do you intend to do? Are you going to liberate the northern region now that you are in the Empire? Will you stay in your mother''s sect?"


    "Liberate the region?" Abby asked as she looked at that woman, feeling somewhat wronged by this unreasonable treatment they were getting from this woman.


    Minos then said. "Why would I do something like that? The Black Plain will rule the northern region for millions of years!"


    "What?" She took a step back as she remembered Margot. "But the Matriarch of the Spiritual Church said you weren''t going to stay there long! And at your level, why would you want to stay in a place like that?"


    "Matriarch?" Gloria''s eyes narrowed as she realized this could only be her mother, the only one from that hierarchy who had recently visited the northern region.


    Minos laughed as he heard those words, realizing that his mother-in-law had some crazy dreams. "I don''t know what this woman has told you, Diana, but I have tricked her into a bet she has no chance of winning... In any case, I will not leave the Black Plain, and the northern region does not have the same desires as you."


    "What? How dare you? Do you think the hundreds of millions of oppressed people in my region do not wish to regain their freedom?" She stepped forward, regaining some of her courage as she brandished for ''justice.''


    Ruth then said. "Of course, they have never been as prosperous in their lives as they are now under my husband''s government. The whole region is at peace, the kingdoms function harmoniously, and Spiritual Emperors constantly arise."


    "That region is vibrating in growth and opportunity. How would those people wish to return to what they were before Minos?"


    "But..." Diana stammered. "But you have taken away people''s freedom! You make us accept these things!"


    Gloria laughed and then said. "It seems that you would prefer a poor northern region, but one that is an area where your family is one of the dominant ones..."


    "Now that you are just ordinary among many others who are stronger or equal, you cry out for the justice and freedom you never gave your citizens."


    "Hypocrite."


    Hearing Gloria''s sharp and surgically precise words, Diana turned red with embarrassment, her mouth hanging open, not knowing how to defend herself.


    And in fact, on second thought, she was only considering the Brown family''s freedom, not what was best for the Brown Kingdom or the northern region of the Central Continent...


    Her interests were clear, and she could not help but lose her nerve as she realized that she was equal or worse to Minos, who was in power now, a position even higher than her family''s in the past.


    Minos saw how the willpower in her eyes had weakened considerably just because of Gloria''s words and nodded to his wife in appreciation.


    He then drove the final nail into the coffin. "Anyway, I at least will not abandon my region, as you did..."


    After that, Minos and his wives made their way to one of the tables in that cafeteria, eager for their breakfast, leaving Diana standing where she was, staring at the floor with a blank look on her face.


    ''Damn it!''


    ''How could this happen? I was humiliated by someone as terrible as Minos!'' She clenched her fists in frustration. ''No, no, he gave me a moral lesson! Him, a genocide!''


    ''How pitiful!''


    After thinking about it, she left that place in a hurry, feeling ashamed of herself as never before in her life.


    Meanwhile, Minos and his wives began to eat in that cafeteria, where Gloria ate almost as much as her three traveling companions.


    "How long will it take for the person we will look for later to produce our techniques?" Abby asked as she thought about the professional they would visit to order techniques for spiritual judges.


    Gloria then said. "That depends. Professionals who focus on the theory behind their fields act distinctly, which generally means that each of their works takes longer to get ready."


    "Considering that there is certainly the possibility of a waiting list, that could take us even a few years to receive these techniques."


    "A few years?" The blue-haired woman asked in surprise. "What are we going to do then? Are we going to return to this state just to get those techniques?"


    Minos answered her. "Well, these techniques we will order will be with the original scroll, so it truly might take a while for them to be ready. But that''s okay. The important thing is that we do this now so that these resources become available as soon as possible."


    ? They did not just want to buy simple copies of techniques since such resources had an expiration date, the decay time of their materials. But the original scroll, which could also be used to produce countless copies, was virtually indestructible considering decay alone.


    The only way to destroy the original scroll of a technique was to use brute force equivalent to its level. So, an original scroll could endure until the end of time, or at least that was the theory believed by everyone in the Spiritual World.


    But even if it did not, it would not make any difference. Minos knew that original scrolls could last for millions of years, so he wanted to invest in things like that for his organization.


    Depending on copies might be viable in the short term, but considering that his state would be forced to buy copies from vendors over time, he did not want to use this alternative solely.


    Hence, he came to the Flaming Empire interested in placing orders for original techniques made especially for his state!


    But Minos would not only buy these techniques. He knew that the Flaming Empire was too weak to produce original scrolls of Silver-grade techniques, so he would naturally buy copies of techniques of such classification.


    "And how will we receive these techniques? Do these stores that sell such things deliver them?" Abby asked.


    Ruth then said. "I can ask my sister to pick up these techniques when they are ready. She is reliable and strong enough to travel to the northern region."


    "Oh?" Minos remembered that he had a sister-in-law, whom he was looking forward to meeting. "Let''s do it this way then."


    After that, they leave that cafeteria and head toward the place where the spiritual judge they were in search of was supposed to be, in the commercial area of the Holy Sect!

 Chapter 1228 He Fucked My Sister!

    While Minos and his wives were heading to the place in the Holy Sect where they could order their techniques, Troy and Ford were walking around the outside area of that sect.


    The Holy Sect had a headquarters city where most of its members lived together with the locals. There were focal points in this city where only authorized people could go, but places such as the commercial area and others were freely accessible.


    In the case of where these two individuals were at the moment, this was where the stores of the elders and their disciples were located, one of the most important places in this city.


    This area was open to anyone since this organization, like others in this state, was open for business and did not limit who its members did business with.


    Each member of the Holy Sect knew its rules, as well as the laws of the Empire. So, if one of them thought it was worth doing a business, then such a person would be taking all the risks, and the sect itself would not limit them.


    Because of this characteristic and the lack of many spiritual judges available to do what he wanted, Minos was in this city to do business.


    As for Ford and Troy, these two were just walking towards a training site of this sect, which happened to be in the vicinity of the commercial area of this city.


    "Hey, look who''s coming over there!" Ford commented to his friend as he had a smile on his face after seeing the beautiful brunette woman coming their way.


    Ford liked that person, so he could not help but be pleased to see her little face this morning.


    On the other hand, Troy saw the expression on Diana''s face and thought something was odd. "Hey, Diana, what''s up with you?" He waved one of his hands and asked her without having to speak up since she was already right next to them.


    Hearing that question, Diana finally looked toward these two, whom she had not even seen until that instant.


    But she could not ignore them because Troy was even more talented than her, someone who had already reached level 60 at only 33 years old.


    "Troy, Ford, what are you guys doing here?"


    Ford, currently at level 57, smiled at her and answered subserviently. "We will train in the coliseum. What about you?"


    She understood where they were going and said. "I''m going to train too. Unfortunately, I''ve just come across something terrible, and I have to vent some of my energy..."


    "Something terrible?" Troy asked with interest.


    Diana looked despondent. So, this fellow from the Cromwell Kingdom could not help but think that this was a northern region thing, this woman''s biggest concern. ''Could it be that something has happened to the Brown family? Maybe something happened to my state too?''


    The Brown and Cromwell Kingdoms had been the most affected and subsequently least benefited at the hands of Minos and his government. So, this fellow knew that if Diana''s family''s kingdom was going badly, his family''s state might also be experiencing similar problems.


    Thus, he soon began to worry about the situation of the Cromwell Kingdom and, consequently, his family.


    Diana sighed and then cleared up the doubts of those two. "I just ran into Minos Stuart in a cafeteria on the city''s south side."


    "What?" The two exclaimed, both losing their previous expressions to be incredulous at this information.


    Ford had lost her silly smile, while Troy''s concern had changed to one of uncertainty and a little curiosity.


    She then said. "The bastard is around here, but he said he will not liberate the northern region. Do you guys believe that? He said he would not abandon that place as I did!"


    "He said it like I''ve committed a crime or something! Do you think he can judge me, no, judge us like that?" She asked in an indignant tone.


    "He said that?" Troy asked with his mouth open.


    Meanwhile, Ford''s mind quickly took him back to his family''s royal throne room, when Minos and Kara had done things he would never forget.


    "Shit!"


    "That asshole is certainly going after my sister!" Ford''s face darkened with anger, sensing that Minos was there to taunt him.


    Troy then asked as his friend trembled with anger. "What level is he at now?"


    "Level 61. But he''s almost at the top of this level..." She said in a sighing tone, feeling it was a shame that someone so repulsive had such superb talent.


    ''He managed to do something so extreme in the northern region... Meanwhile, I still haven''t managed to reach level 61 being here in the Empire, even considering that I reached the 7th stage before him.'' She felt frustrated that she had such a powerful enemy.


    But Diana knew that Minos'' level was just the tip of the iceberg, so her disappointment was even more significant than expected just from the speed of advancement he had at the 7th stage.


    "Diana, where is he? I want that bastard to answer some questions for me!" Ford asked angrily, feeling confident about going to talk to Minos.


    Troy frowned and looked at his friend, "What are you talking about? Why don''t you get over this issue? What''s the point of going on about it?"


    "He fucked my sister in front of me! How can I get over it?" Ford growled as Diana looked at him with wide eyes.


    ''No way! Is that fellow so disgusting as to do that?'' Her mouth opened, but no words came out of it.


    Diana felt moved and then said. "I don''t know where he''s going, but he was..."


    After she told Ford the place she had passed earlier, Diana saw that fellow running from there while Troy stayed behind, shaking his head in disappointment.


    He then said to her. "Just so you know, Kara, this fellow''s sister, had sex with Minos because she wanted to. As for Ford, this fellow, unfortunately, saw ''part'' of the process... But it''s not like Minos forced anything."


    Troy had already gotten over his issues with Minos, so he would not let the image of his former ''rival'' be soiled because of a misunderstanding.


    He had noticed the disgust on Diana''s face, so he promptly made that comment before preparing to go after his foolish friend.


    ''So that was it...'' She sighed in relief for Kara but still felt terrible for Ford since this poor bastard had seen his sister with an enemy.


    ''Good thing I don''t have any sisters, nor was my mother forced to fight in the war, or that bastard would try some mischief!'' She pondered before continuing on her way to a training site.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Minos and his wives had just arrived at the spiritual judge''s store they were searching for, a place that looked like a large school.


    "Welcome to the House of Laws. How can I help you?" A young attendant came up to them to welcome those four...

 Chapter 1229 VIP Treatment

    As they were greeted by one of the store attendants they had entered, Minos'' group soon declared their interest there.


    "So you are here to order spiritual techniques..." She repeated what she had heard from them, something quite common there, even considering that such a store also sold copies of techniques.


    She then asked Minos. "What kind of techniques are you in search of? And what grade are they?"


    Minos ignored the surroundings of the entrance of this store, a place with several glass shelves, which arranged the best-selling techniques there, to observe this young attendant. "I am searching for a complete set of Black-grade techniques for spiritual judges. But I don''t have anything specific in mind, so I will rely on the guidance of whoever is responsible for producing the techniques."


    Black-grade techniques were very relevant to the Black Plain. After all, most people with the best techniques in that state or the northern region used techniques like that.


    But not only that, even the Flaming Empire and the four enemy states of this place that Minos was in depended significantly on techniques of that quality.


    Silver-grade techniques were not common, even considering those being sold in places like this store. They were difficult to produce even copies of, and the originals were not sold by common means as they were only produced by high-level people who did not even exist in this state.


    As for one of these copies, a single one could cost more than 60,000 medium-grade crystals, a very high amount for people who were not members of large organizations, like most in this world.


    Not everyone was like Minos, who had an entire state to support him!


    And even if someone had those coins, it was not every kind of Silver-grade technique that was sold!


    Only those of spiritual professions, not very useful in battles, were sold easily, as in the case of those for spiritual judges, like those in this store.


    Those applicable to alchemists, array masters, blacksmiths, and poison masters were only traded between their owners and interested parties. But rarely would anyone see a store selling them.


    They had too great a potential to strengthen possible enemies, so their owners were cautious with whom they traded their copies.


    Because of this, Minos wanted to go to the Gray Clouds Sect since this would be the only way for him to get all the copies of techniques of that quality on this trip.


    Thus, having the original scrolls of Black-grade techniques was essential to the Black Plain, especially considering that such a state had almost no original techniques.


    "Original Black-grade techniques... Complete set..." She wrote this down on a piece of paper and then asked Minos. "Is there anything else you are in search of?"


    Abby then answered in her husband''s place. "We want a set of copies of Silver-grade techniques for spiritual judges."


    "A set?" That attendant opened her eyes in surprise.


    As much as orders for original techniques were common, an original scroll of a Black-grade technique cost only 3,000 medium-grade crystals.


    The difference in price from a Silver-grade copy to the original Black-grade was colossal!


    So, upon hearing the interest of these people, something that would generate tens of thousands of crystals as a commission, this attendant could not help but think that she had misunderstood.


    How many techniques did a complete set have? Well, since this was the Flaming Empire, a place where the strongest were only at the 8th stage, that meant eight techniques.


    That was 480 thousand medium-grade crystals!


    Gulp!


    ''If that''s true, I''ll earn 48,000 low-grade crystals just by attending to them!'' She watched Abby, hoping this was not a joke.


    "Hmmm, that''s right. We''ll take a full set of 10 techniques." Minos nodded, as he would not limit himself to just the 8th stage.


    He did not think a spiritual judge could reach the cultivation peak since that was the most challenging spiritual profession. But someone like that could become a Spiritual Demigod. So, he already wanted to solve the problem of Black-grade techniques immediately!


    Maybe his state would not need those techniques that much in the future, but there would always be young people in his ranks who would have to prove themselves before getting more valuable techniques.


    On the other hand, he wanted to release Black-grade techniques to his population, so buying those would not be a waste, no matter how far the Black Plain would go in the future.


    And with that, the young attendant was even more surprised, seeing that she had the possibility of earning 12,000 more crystals than she had thought!


    "Please, come with me." She led the way for them, making polite gestures while maintaining her composure.


    At the same time, she looked at Gloria and noticed that this gorgeous redhead''s mouth seemed to be dry. "Would you like something to drink? Water, or perhaps a cup of tea? We have a room for clients, so you can relax while I bring the techniques for you in a few moments."


    "Oh? This place is truly nice..." Minos commented as his wives showed interest in the proposal.


    "Well, I''ll have some tea." Gloria smiled as she played with her dress at the height of her belly.


    After that, they were quickly placed in a VIP room on the second floor of the store building they were in.


    That was a store owned by one of the elders of this sect, a place that sold the techniques produced there and taught the art of this profession to his disciples and his disciples'' disciples.


    With that, after showing a bunch of Silver-grade techniques for Minos and his wives to choose from, the young attendant went to one of the upper floors to find someone to talk to them.


    The production of an original Black-grade technique would require a Spiritual Saint, so only someone like that could talk to Minos'' group about what they were in search of.


    Therefore, it did not take long, and soon one of the disciples of the spiritual judge behind this store came over to Minos'' group, who were quietly drinking tea in the VIP room.


    ...


    While Minos'' group was doing business, Troy finally caught up with Ford when this man was already following the leads of his target after he had left the cafeteria that Diana had talked about.


    Since Minos had not bothered to keep his identity secret or hide his tracks, Ford soon found his way to that store for spiritual judges.


    But as he walked hurriedly to face his nightmare, this fellow listened to Troy''s advice.


    "Ford, I think you should let it go, man. Kara is just your sister! What difference does it make if she had sex with Minos? She must do it with a bunch of idiots back at the Gray Clouds Sect!"


    "Minos, at least, is a talented and well-known guy... It''s not as bad as you make it sound." He said, not understanding what his friend''s problem was.


    Ford did not like hearing that, but he would not admit to anyone that he loved his sister in a not-so-fraternal way...


    "You don''t understand me. I have to say some things to that fellow!"


    ...

 Chapter 1230 You Watched Because You Wanted To

    After a few minutes, Minos and his wives left the previous VIP room with an agreement with that Spiritual Saint for him to produce the techniques they wanted.


    They left the payment for their orders and picked up the copies of Silver-grade techniques specialized in this profession of spiritual judges.


    The original Black-grade techniques would take a few months to be ready, so Minos had also already arranged with that person that someone from the Gray Clouds Sect would pick up such things in the future.


    So, after saying goodbye, they were led by the same attendant as earlier towards the exit of this store. But as they were leaving to go on with their business in this city, their group came across two men waiting for them at the exit of that establishment.


    Ford and Troy knew they could not cause a stir inside a sect elder''s store, so even though Kara''s brother was nervous, he had waited for Minos there with his friend.


    Then, Gloria saw those individuals for the first time in her life while Abby and Ruth reviewed these people they had not heard from in years.


    "Troy? Ford?" Ruth was the first to exclaim since, after the Spiritual Tournament, she had heard of these individuals several times because of Kara and Mona, who were in the Gray Clouds Sect with her at that time.


    Kara was Ford''s sister, while Mona was in love with Troy then.


    Coincidentally, Kara had been estranged from her brother because of Minos, while Mona had lost her love for Troy after experiencing King Stuart''s rod.


    Minos had slept with Mona in some situations before he left the Black Plain, something that Abby herself had authorized him to do, even if there was no need for it.


    In Mona''s case, she was Abby''s best friend, so this queen, like a good friend, let that woman experience a great man as her first partner...


    In any case, Ruth had heard their names a lot from those two in her time in the Gray Clouds Sect after the Spiritual Tournament. Thus, after so many years of not seeing them, she could not help but be surprised to find them here.


    As for Abby, she was also wide-eyed in surprise at these two, especially seeing Troy, who had stood out in the Spiritual Tournament she had participated in.


    ''That fellow has reached level 60...'' She thought as she recognized Troy''s talent and effort, as he had achieved an incredible feat, probably more impressive than Dennis Red''s.


    On the other hand, while they looked surprised at those two, the two had also recognized them. Abby was the queen of the Black Plain and had participated in that Spiritual Tournament edition. Meanwhile, Ruth had always been by Minos'' side in that competition.


    Therefore, although the two had improved their levels quite a bit and surpassed them entirely, Ford and Troy recognized those women easily.


    And, of course, they were both impressed with Minos since they knew that these two had married him.


    ''What a lucky bastard!'' Troy thought about this as he looked at Minos, seeing how impressive his former rival had become, not only in terms of level but in the quality of his companies.


    Ford was also focused on Minos, only with a slightly less friendly expression than his friend''s. "Minos!" He said while having his teeth pressed against each other, recalling all the feelings from years ago in his family''s royal palace.


    Minos was as calm as before seeing these individuals and simply asked as if there was nothing to discuss with them. "Ford, Troy, what are you doing here?"


    "We are disciples in this sect..." Troy was saying in a low voice, but Ford shouted. "Minos, what are you doing in the empire? You''re going after my sister, right?"


    "Sure, it''s part of my plans to see Kara..." Minos said while he had a smile on his face, speaking the truth since he was going to look for that beautiful woman upon arriving at his family''s sect.


    As his three wives watched him, Ford almost pulled his hair out in anger at this fellow. "Bastard! How dare you? Don''t you think you''ve messed with my sister enough? Leave her alone!"


    "Ford, calm down, man..." Troy tried to help, but then Minos asked. "Ford, what are you talking about? When I did something against your sister? She, like all my women, chose to stay with me. Our relationship was mutual, or she wouldn''t have come to me on other occasions..."


    "Then don''t talk as if I have done her any harm. I am sure that I, unlike you, can provide a healthy relationship for her..." He smiled as he suggested Ford and Kara''s forbidden relationship.


    Ford turned red with anger upon hearing this and said. "Minos Stuart, I saw it when you broke into my family''s palace and forced her to have sex with you in our royal throne room!"


    The people in the surrounding area began to stop what they were doing, turning their attention toward those people.


    "What a shameless..." Someone commented as they looked at the situation, almost as if they were watching a show unfolding in front of that store.


    "My goodness!" A woman brought her hands to her mouth.


    "Minos Stuart? Isn''t that the name of the King of the Black Plain?"


    "That must be the case..."


    "I can''t believe that kind of thing is happening in the northern region..."


    Comments erupted in the area as Ford boiled with anger.


    Minos then said. "Ford, you know very well that it is not how it happened. Don''t you? You were there, after all. You made a point of watching the whole thing from beginning to end while pathetically..." He stopped at this point, laughing at what this fellow had done at the time.


    ''If this guy knew what I did to his mother, he would kill himself...'' Minos closed his eyes and remembered Linette''s mature body, which he had already played with in every possible way.


    "Bastard!" Ford exclaimed as Troy held him back, a little surprised by Minos'' words.


    "Anyway, you watched it because you wanted to, so don''t come complaining to me about your traumas. What Kara and I were doing at the time was none of your business..." Minos shook his shoulders, noticing how Gloria looked at him, wanting to know what this was all about.


    "But don''t keep saying such things in front of my wives. Don''t you think it''s rather inelegant to talk about my adventures with your sister before my pregnant wife?" Minos hugged Gloria''s waist as he spoke this, surprising those two.


    "What? Her too?" Troy opened his mouth in surprise, not expecting that even this Spiritual Church woman had fallen into Minos'' net.


    ...

 Chapter 1231 Rivalry

    While Ford was angry at Minos, Troy was shocked that such a person had not only married Gloria, a woman so beautiful that she could be called a goddess, but had also impregnated her.


    He did not know Gloria well, but he knew she was in charge of the Spiritual Church in the northern region. Since she was already at level 69, he was sure she was very talented and would have a great future within such an organization.


    Thus, upon learning that Minos had impregnated her, Troy was already considering the power of influence this would give Minos, something necessary for anyone to prosper in this world.


    ''This fellow is doing very well indeed!'' He thought as he looked in the direction of Gloria''s belly.


    Ford also looked at that woman and said. "Will you allow your man to keep going after my sister? Hell, he will be a father, and you accept this behavior from your husband?"


    Ruth did not like Ford''s intrusion into their relationship and stepped forward. "Ford, don''t talk as if you know anything about us. You just have your ego bruised because the woman you love gave herself to our husband."


    "Then don''t come with this foolish talk. Talk to Kara and leave us alone if you want your sister back. We have nothing to do with your disgusting relationship."


    p "What?" Troy opened his mouth as he heard the black-haired woman''s words, finally understanding why his friend was so passionate about Kara.


    "Did you hear that?" Someone in the vicinity asked as he laughed and covered his mouth.


    "What a thing, huh? Sister and brother..."


    "I didn''t think someone like him would have that kind of relationship."


    "Tsk!"


    "In some parts of the continent, it''s common for things like that to happen... They say there are whole families focused on inbreeding, in some extreme cases even with cases of mothers with their sons, fathers with their daughters." Someone commented on this continental curiosity.


    "How awful..."


    As the comments spread to the surroundings, Ford finally could not say anything more to those people, feeling partially ashamed to have his secret exposed like that.


    But since this kind of relationship was not forbidden anywhere on the continent, he was unlikely to suffer negative consequences because someone revealed his secret, apart from a few rumors, of course.


    That way, he ran from that place in a hurry, with Troy following soon after.


    ''Unbelievable!''


    ''So Ford and Kara were doing that?'' Troy thought about such a thing. ''Fuck, but if I had a sister like Kara, I don''t know what I would have done in his place...''


    Those two finally cleared the passage of Minos'' group, who soon after left the entrance of that spiritual technique store.


    "Come on. I want to sell these items we collected during the trip here..." Minos said as he smiled at his wives, remembering the spatial rings they had collected over the past few weeks.


    Not all the items in those rings were necessary for the Black Plain, so Minos naturally would not take them back to his territory just because they would not get in their way. No, it would be wiser to sell them and use the crystals generated by them to fund things that could make a positive difference to his state.


    So Gloria, Ruth, and Abby soon followed him through this Holy Sect city streets, leaving the people in that previous area talking about what had happened.


    ...


    In a quiet area of that city, full of high-standard houses, a woman was drinking spiritual tea on the second-floor balcony of her house.


    There, she was observing the landscape of the sect''s headquarters city while listening to the rumor that had already spread among the sect''s disciples.


    "Young miss, it seems the King of the Black Plain, son of Maisie Coleman, is in our city right now." A middle-aged man with short, gray hair said in a low voice while making a subordinate stand.


    "Oh? Is that woman''s son here?" this beautiful level 70 Spiritual Saint with green hair, white skin, and a proportionally perfect body asked as she turned to look at that man.


    The Holy Sect and the Gray Clouds Sect had a rival relationship, but without deep hostility, as was the case with Minos'' family sect and the Saints Slayer Sect.


    Because of this and the fact that this beautiful woman was of the same age group as Maisie, she had a history with Minos'' mother and was interested in this fellow.


    The man then said. "Yes, young miss. There was an argument in front of a store in the central part of the city where two of our disciples from the northern region confronted a group of three women and one man."


    "The disciple Ford seems to have recognized the King of the Black Plain, and then they debated some problems in that region." He said, remembering the information from the Black Plain War of Independence, something that had come to the attention of even the sects of the Flaming Empire.


    That conflict had hindered the interests of those sects in that region, so naturally, the people in those organizations knew the basics of such a confrontation.


    Since this man was aware of the situation in the states of Troy and Ford during and after the war, he knew that the topic of their discussion showed that such a person was indeed King Stuart.


    Upon hearing his subordinate''s confirmation, this woman, Maisie''s rival and one of the candidates for the position of the successor of the master of this sect, stood up with a smile on her face.


    "Well then, bring him over here! He, a member of a rival sect, has entered our city without notifying our forces. So he will have to justify himself in my presence, or he will be arrested!"


    "As the young miss wishes." That man said before leaving in a hurry to settle the matter.


    ''I want to see what this son of yours looks like, Maisie...'' She smiled as she looked at the horizon. ''Does he compare to my daughter? Hehe, I don''t think so... You open your legs for a bumpkin from the northern region, so he probably doesn''t compare to you, even considering his excellence in that poor place.''


    ...


    Meanwhile, another person had found out about Minos'' presence in the Holy Sect and was running after him at this very moment.


    Such an individual had red hair like Ford''s, light brown eyes, and was at level 68. Moreover, he was dressed in the robes of an elder of the Holy Sect, a position available to the most talented of that organization when they reached some parameters.


    ''So such a person is here, huh?'' He thought as he ran after the tracks left by Minos and his wives after they left the previous store. ''I want to see how the person who destroyed my home state and made havoc in the northern region is...''


    ''At the same time, he is the son of that goddess...'' He remembered his crush, who, unfortunately, had never paid attention to him.


    After some time, he finally found his target.


    "Minos Stuart, Dennis Red is here to challenge you!"


    ...

 Chapter 1232 Challenge?

    Upon hearing the name of that famous figure in the northern region of the Central Continent, Minos, Ruth, and Abby immediately turned to see the person who had called for him.


    As for Gloria, she knew almost nothing about Dennis Red, the man who had won a past Spiritual Tournament and brought his family from the Red Valley to this state.


    "Dennis Red? From the Red family originally part of the Brown Kingdom?" Abby asked in surprise as she looked at that red-haired man, supposedly one of the most talented from that kingdom in the last thousand years.


    Dennis Red had placed first in the Spiritual Tournament he had participated in decades ago. After that, with his success in the Flaming Empire, having become an elder in this sect, his achievement of raising the Red family to a new level became almost a legend in the Brown Kingdom.


    People still remembered and told stories about him until just before the Independence of the Black Plain. After all, the guy was like a hero to many, an example of the success that was possible to achieve even from a ''humble'' background.


    Ruth knew the story of this individual because her master had told it to her. Thus, even though she was not from that region, she could not help but look at that man with a bit of respect for his accomplishments.


    ''Is this Dennis Red?'' She wondered, impressed that such a fellow was already at level 68.


    But next to Minos, such a person was no big deal, and how impressed those two were was very much controlled by the magnificent things King Stuart had made them see and feel all these years.


    "Yes, this is me!" He smiled as he realized that his name had not been forgotten, even after decades since he had last been in the Brown Kingdom.


    Minos looked at that fellow and said. "Because of you, the Red Valley became free, which eventually gave me the excuse to take over half the territory of the Brown Kingdom."


    "Thank you. You helped me make my state much bigger."


    Upon hearing this comment, Dennis did not feel that Minos was showing any gratitude to him but rather was trying to provoke him.


    "Tsk!"


    "Don''t talk as if I had any relation to what happened in the northern region. You did what you wanted, so don''t involve me in it." He said as he looked into Minos'' brown eyes, which reminded him of Maisie.


    But even though he was in love with Minos'' mother and would do anything she wanted if she stood before him, he felt incredibly frustrated at seeing her son, another man''s son.


    Maisie had never given him a chance, so he could not help but feel a little hurt to see her son with Albert, someone he had wholly outgrown.


    "Anyway, you heard me. I''m here to challenge you!" He shouted while ignoring the people on the outskirts of the square they were in, who were already looking in his direction. "Fight me, Minos. I want to see what is the level of someone who has messed up the northern region!"


    Minos looked at that person strangely, trying to understand what this crazy dude wanted. "What''s in it for me? For that matter, don''t you feel bad about challenging someone from the younger generation who is several levels weaker than you?"


    "Don''t give me those excuses. I''m not challenging you to mortal combat or challenging your honor. I just want a match to know how my state''s younger generation fights." He said, not feeling embarrassed for challenging someone of a lower level.


    Minos smiled, thinking that this fellow had given him a good answer. "And what do I win? I mean, I don''t care about your goals. So, I won''t fight with nothing at stake..."


    Dennis'' eyes sharpened, and he thought of something. "How about this? Let''s have a friendly match, and if you can withstand my blows for three minutes, I''ll give you a medium-level grade-3 armor."


    "Medium-level grade-3 armor?" People in the surroundings commented on this since something like this was not cheap, and usually, only experts in the empire would have things of such quality.


    But for an elder of the sect, someone not far from the 9th stage, this was not that unusual, so Dennis had used this possibility to lure Minos into his trap.


    "Oh?" Minos became interested in that. "You are very generous for wanting to give me armor without I have done anything... Is everyone here that kind?"


    Some people in the area laughed upon hearing Minos'' provocative tone.


    This brown-haired man then asked. "And if I lose, what will you want?"


    Dennis smiled and ignored the provocative comment from earlier. "You will arrange a meeting between your mother and me."


    "What?"


    "How does he have the nerve?"


    "What a strange fellow... Asking for help from a son to get closer to his mother."


    While the people were commenting on this, Gloria and the other two women looked strangely at Dennis.


    ''Is this guy serious? Is he doing this just to get closer to Maisie?'' Abby wondered.


    Minos then made a strange expression, not because he was jealous of his mother or realized his mother was attractive to other men. But because he did not want to have to deal with situations generated by her, with people attracted to her, or even enemies.


    He had his own life and had almost no connection with Maisie. So, it was a big bother to him for anyone to think they could get in his way because of that woman.


    "I don''t know why you think I can help you, but that''s okay." He said as he took a step forward. "Where would you prefer to be knocked out? By the way, leave the armor off your spatial ring or I''ll have to take everything you have."


    "Wow!"


    "He must be upset!"


    "What an angry fellow!"


    "But that''s to be expected... The man almost asked this youth to deliver his mother to his bed..."


    "It''s truly annoying."


    Dennis laughed at Minos'' response and indicated with one of his fingers an area near where they were, right there in that public park, where people training could be seen here and there.


    When they reached a place where they could fight without disturbing or endangering the other people in the vicinity, Dennis chose one of the people who was accompanying their group.


    He gave that individual, another member of the Holy Sect, the armor he had promised Minos and then looked at this opponent of his. "So? Any questions? Any rules you want to add to this duel, speak up now while there is still time."


    Minos, whose eyes were closed now, said in a low voice. "There is no need. I''ll be done with this in a heartbeat, so it''s up to you to think about the rules and try to protect some of your reputation that''s about to be destroyed."


    Hearing this, Dennis made a disgusted expression, feeling that these could only be the genes of the bastard who had ensnared Maisie.


    "All right, let''s get started!" He prepared to teach Minos a lesson, wondering whether Maisie would come for revenge or to fulfill the bet.


    ''Either way, I''ll have a chance to see her again...'' He thought when Minos finally acted!


    ...

 Chapter ?1233 Public Humiliation

    Chapter ?1233 Public Humiliation


    As the fight was about to begin, Dennis gave the signal indicating to Minos that he could act first, and King Stuart just stood in his place while his eyes glowed in rainbow colors.


    Infinite Dream!


    An invisible beam of energy went from Minos'' eyes straight to the head of the red-haired individual, surprising Dennis considerably with the strength of this blow.


    Dennis was unprepared for this level of power used by Minos, which could even knock out people of his level who had the complete set of Silver-grade techniques.


    Unfortunately for Dennis, he only had three techniques of that quality, none of them being of the mental type which could help him protect himself from Minos'' unmerciful attack!


    So the moment King Stuart''s blow hit him, Dennis immediately plummeted toward the ground, falling as if all the life in his body had gone.


    But he had not died, of course. Minos would not act so ruthlessly or carelessly against an elder of an organization whose headquarters were in his vicinity...


    Minos had only sent that fellow''s mind to a place where Dennis could suffer the worst nightmares to make him learn his place.


    Minos had been quite annoyed at being challenged on Maisie''s account, even more so because that fellow thought he could get a date with that woman by using him. Thus, this brown-haired man did not hesitate to make that person humiliate himself in front of dozens of people in the area while suffering a powerful mental blow.


    "Wow!"


    "He truly did! He said he would end it all in the blink of an eye, and he did!"


    "Hmm, that''s impressive! I almost didn''t feel this young man''s blow, but he knocked out his opponent with a mental technique..."


    "Tsk!"


    "That elder destroyed his reputation in seconds... That must be a new record!"


    Comments and laughter erupted in the surroundings as Minos walked toward the man Dennis had handed the bet armor.


    That fellow saw Minos walking towards him and slowly closed his mouth, still shocked at the outcome of it all. ''This guy is a monster! No wonder he''s a dictator in the northern region!''


    Several people had overheard Minos and Dennis'' conversation earlier, so recognizing that person as the King of the Black Plain had not been difficult for this man in question. As such, he now understood more about the sporadic news from that place that reached the Flaming Empire.


    "I believe that armor belongs to me, no?" Minos asked such a person as he placed his hands on that item.


    He did not need that armor since he had others of that rank and even higher in his spatial ring. But such things would only fit him and, at most, his wives. So, the armor in question was precious to the Black Plain, which still had a long way to go before it could produce something of this rating.


    With that, Minos felt a little better about it all after putting such an item in his spatial ring and turning to his wives.


    "It looks like you have now surpassed all the heroes of the northern region, Minos..." Abby commented as she smiled at him.


    "What are we going to do now? It looks like this whole sect already knows we''re here." Gloria said as she noticed how easily Dennis had recognized them, indicating that the rumors after the discussion with Ford had already spread.


    "Well, we don''t have much else to do around here, so we may as well leave this city..." Minos was saying this when suddenly, the man who had handed him the previous armor shouted something in their direction.


    "What have you done with him? Is he alive?"


    Minos turned and looked at Dennis'' passed-out body. "He is trapped in an illusion, but he is not at risk. In a day or two, he will be able to break through his current state and recover from the damage..."


    Mental attacks were mighty. If one did not have protections against this kind of attack or great mental strength, a single attack could keep such a person for days, sometimes weeks, in a coma.


    Of course, if the attacking side did not try to kill the other side!


    Because of this, even considering that every kind of technique had a period in which its effects would last, that blow was enough to keep Dennis unconscious for that period.


    "That..."


    After those words from Minos, he turned his back on that man and started walking away from there, ignoring the many curious people in the surroundings.


    But just as they were about to leave the crowd behind, a high-level Spiritual Emperor shouted in their direction. "Wait a moment!"


    Gloria and the other two women of Minos turned to look in the direction of whoever had called them and promptly saw a group of 6 high-level Spiritual Emperors with weapons and armor.


    Minos then asked. "What do you want? Can''t you see that we are leaving? This guy is the one who challenged me, and I''m sure anyone here can tell he''s fine."


    "Your Majesty Minos Stuart, you have entered the headquarters of the Holy Sect irregularly, so we are here to escort you to a person capable of judging your crimes." The subordinate of Maisie''s rival shouted, drawing the attention of everyone in the area.


    Minos'' eyebrows frowned, and he said. "What is this nonsense? Did I come in irregularly? How? I passed through your border post."


    His wives looked seriously at that individual, and Gloria asked. "There is no rule preventing visitors from entering your city. So what are you people trying to do?"


    The man from before then said while pointing at Minos. "That person is part of the Gray Clouds Sect, a rival of our organization. So, how could you have entered our city without notifying us and thinking everything would be fine?"


    "I''m from the Gray Clouds Sect? Since when?" Minos said incredulously, finding it amusing how absurd that person was talking to cause trouble for him.


    "If that is the case, what is the Spiritual Church doing? Why haven''t they yet exterminated the entire Gray Clouds Sect and my family on the Black Plain? If I am a member of that organization, wouldn''t my situation in the northern region be a disregard for the Church''s laws?" Minos asked, showing everyone in the surroundings that such a fellow was looking for excuses to cause trouble for his group.


    "Humph!"


    "I entered your city as a member of the Spiritual Church. So you want to continue with that?" He took the Church symbol that Gloria''s mother had handed him and thoughtfully looked at that man, threatening such a person.


    The subordinate of Maisie''s rival finally trembled, not knowing what to do in such a situation.


    ''Damn it!''


    He did not expect that Minos would show such resistance and even expose a remarkable piece of information, something shocking, by the way.


    ''This brat is a member of the Spiritual Church? Since when? How is this possible? Plus, what about his relationship with the Gray Clouds Sect?'' He asked himself several questions, trying to understand the situation and decide what to do.


    ...


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1234 Bad Idea

    "But..." He tried to say something to stop these people from leaving while his teammates looked at each other, not knowing what to do.


    They were there to support this individual, but they did not want any trouble with a member of the Spiritual Church who was just passing through this city.


    As for that individual, he was following orders, trying to get Minos'' group to his boss.


    "But, are you telling the truth? If you are a member of the Church, how come you are still the King of the Black Plain?" He managed to think about it in the short time he had until then.


    Gloria then said. "I assure you that my husband is a member of the Church. As for the details, you don''t need to know."


    People in the area heard this and were impressed. But no one suspected the veracity of Gloria''s words since this woman was dressed in her black cloak, the distinctive Archbishop''s uniform.


    "That... But I ask you to come with me. There is a person who wishes to meet you." He said in a low voice, feeling quite insecure in this situation of trying to deal with these young Spiritual Emperors.


    Minos looked at that man and asked. "What is this about? Speak honestly, or I will leave without paying more attention to you."


    Since he was inside the sect of these people, Minos was willing to listen to whatever was behind this situation. Of course, he would not accept being bullied like earlier, but he was well-behaved enough to at least listen to the other party and consider what to do.


    Hence, he had not been unreasonable and gave that group a chance to prove more friendly to him and his wives.


    The man sighed upon hearing that and said. "My young miss wants to meet you. She has a past wi..."


    Hearing where that comment was going, Minos immediately realized what such a person intended to talk about and turned to leave. "Tell her I''m not interested. I don''t care about the relations between you and the people of the Gray Clouds Sect."


    "As I said, I am not a member of that organization, and I will not deal with your history''s problems."


    Seeing that, Minos'' wives followed him while Ruth asked. "Why didn''t you at least wait for him to finish speaking?"


    "I got the impression that, like Dennis Red, those people were going to talk about Maisie or some member of her family..." Minos said while having an unfriendly expression on his face. "I don''t have the patience to deal with those people. If they want to talk, cause trouble, or make friends with me, they will have to approach me like normal people. Trying to approach me using their relationships with people I barely know won''t work."


    His wives readily understood his point and did not try to convince him otherwise. They were there for the Black Plain and had no relationship with the Gray Clouds Sect. So, how could they let problems related to Maisie or others get in the way of their trip?


    It would go against their goals, so the three women agreed with the idea of leaving this place and avoiding getting involved with what was unrelated to them.


    As they were leaving, the subordinate of Maisie''s rival stood back with his mouth open, not knowing how to justify the situation to his boss.


    ''What a terrible person! He''s not the least bit civil!'' He clenched his fists in frustration at how annoying Minos was. ''The fellow didn''t even let me finish speaking!''


    "Boss, what are we going to do? Are we just going to let them go?" One of the high-level Spiritual Emperors in his group asked as he saw the crowd near the place Dennis had been humiliated dispersing.


    As some disciples of the Holy Sect were slowly rescuing that red-haired man, that man said. "Leave them. We have no choice, and I''m sure the young miss wouldn''t want unnecessary trouble just on their account."


    "Sigh!"


    "Just return to your posts and forget about it..."


    ...


    "... And that''s what happened, young miss." The man who had stopped Minos'' group earlier explained the previous situation to the beautiful woman who had ordered him.


    As she finished listening to that narration, Maisie''s rival had an ugly expression on her beautiful face, shocked that a little bastard had managed to get past her and spoil her plans.


    ''He has no power, but he''s pretty smart about using whatever he has at his disposal to get out of trouble...''


    "Tsk!" She clenched her fists and felt angry at herself for not going on her own.


    ''You win this one, Maisie''s son!'' She clenched her teeth against each other, but then a young woman similar to her appeared where she and that man were standing.


    "Mother, you called me?" This young woman, who must have been a few years older than Ruth, asked, curious to know why she had been called urgently.


    Hearing her precious daughter calling her, that woman lost her previous thoughts and looked at the young woman she had called to face Minos.


    "Naomi, I called you here for you to fight one person, but the coward found a way to escape." She said as the subordinate there looked away, thinking this truly was not a lie.


    "Fight? Escaped? Who are you talking about, mother?" The beautiful young woman, about 1.7 meters tall, slim body but with thick thighs, and small breasts, asked in doubt.


    "Yes, I heard that Maisie Coleman''s son was in our city, and I tried to arrange a fight between you two... But who knew that kid would get scared and leave this place as soon as he found out about my intentions?" She suggested as she clapped one of her hands on one of her daughter''s shoulders.


    "Is that so?" The girl understood the situation since she already knew her mother''s history with Maisie.


    Maisie was gorgeous, and in the past, a man that this woman from the Holy Sect had a love interest in had fallen in love with Maisie, leaving her aside...


    After that, she formed a great rivalry with Minos'' mother, having fought against that woman several times during competitions for the younger generation in the Flaming Empire.


    Since local traditions said that the grudges of one generation were passed on to the next, this person wanted to use her daughter to defeat Minos and thus target Maisie...


    "Yes, but now he and his little group are leaving the city... Sigh, what a coward! Too bad it''s not suitable for me to teach him a lesson, Naomi..."


    "Oh?" This beautiful young woman''s eyes widened. "Do you want me to look for him, mother? Maybe I can reach him and show him what the word honor means!"


    A smile appeared in the eyes of that green-haired woman. "Very well, you haven''t forgotten the family tradition..."


    "Now go, defeat that fellow and let him return to the Gray Clouds Sect with a great lesson in his record."


    "Yes, mother!" Naomi said before flying away from there, leaving behind her mother and the subordinate from before.


    "Young miss, I don''t think that was a good idea..."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1235 Motherly Treatment

    "What are you talking about?" That green-haired woman asked her subordinate, looking at him strangely, not liking to have her orders questioned.


    That man then explained himself. "Young miss, when I arrived at the place where Minos Stuart was to bring him here, he seemed to have just finished fighting an elder of the sect, someone at level 68."


    "What? Did he fight an elder? And why didn''t you use that excuse to arrest him?" She made an annoyed expression, not liking this man''s incompetence.


    The subordinate then defended himself. "It wasn''t like that. He didn''t attack the elder. From the rumors I could hear in the surroundings when I arrived at that place, he seems to have been challenged by that elder..."


    That beautiful woman continued to stare at him with eyebrows firmly drawn together. "Did you see him fighting?"


    "No, he had already finished the fight when I arrived. But I could notice that the King of the Black Plain didn''t seem to have expended any energy, even though he faced someone seven levels stronger than him... And since young Naomi is only at level 67..."


    "Tsk!"


    "Don''t compare my daughter to a mere level 68 elder!" She said in a tone laden with rejection at the idea that her daughter would be weaker than Maisie''s son.


    ''It can''t be! How can a brat from the northern region be stronger than my Naomi?'' She wondered in her mind as she began to sweat at the thought of the possibility of having yet another defeat for Maisie.


    "But... Everyone commented on how he defeated that elder with a single look." Her subordinate advised since he knew it was his job to prevent his boss from making a mistake that might make her regret it later. "I wonder how strong he would be if he had fought with everything against that guy..."


    "What are you saying? Do you think Maisie''s son is already stronger than her and me?" She looked at that man, thinking he was making fun of her face.


    "Prodigies appear every day, young miss." He did not back down. "That''s why I''m informing you. The boy looks like a monster. He does not respect his elders and uses his position to gain advantages... So what can he do with young Naomi?"


    He finally managed to push this woman to question whether or not she should allow her daughter to go after Minos.


    ''Damn it!'' She clenched her fists and quickly flew toward where her daughter had left.


    ...


    But Naomi found Minos and his wives too quickly for her mother to stop her.


    Due to this woman''s innate ability, one capable of identifying the position of spiritual fluctuations over long distances, she had flown directly to where the four were moving out of this city.


    And with that, by the time her mother reached her, she had already caught the attention of Minos'' group!


    "Minos Stuart!" Naomi shouted at the brown-haired young man, pointing at him with one of her hands, with a bold look on her face. "I am here to challenge you!"


    "I heard from my mother that you ran away from our fight, so I am here to teach you the value of the word honor! Perhaps you will become a real man after today!" She finished her strange words, successfully drawing the attention of Minos'' wives.


    "Who is that?" Abby asked Ruth and Gloria.


    "Who knows..."


    Minos looked at that green-haired young woman, who was quite cute, by the way. But unfortunately, she was crazy. "Who are you? Who is your mother?" He asked aloud, trying to understand the situation.


    ''It seems that the Holy Sect is full of strange people...'' He considered as he looked at that woman floating about 50 meters ahead of where they were on Maida''s back.


    "Don''t play dumb, Minos! My mother told me you ran away, but I won''t let it end like this!" Naomi shouted. "Unlike you and your family, we follow traditions in my house!"


    "Since you have entered our territory, it is only natural that we, the children of two rivals, Maisie and my mother, fight for the honor of our houses!"


    Minos'' eyebrows drew together as Gloria and Ruth looked at him.


    The redhead said. "Minos, the people in this sect are great rivals to the people in the Gray Clouds Sect..."


    Ruth added. "My master has already told me stories of her opponents, and I think this girl is the daughter of one of them."


    ''This again?'' He closed his eyes, wondering if he would have to deal with this kind of problem everywhere he went in the empire.


    He then looked at that green-haired woman and said. "What is your name?"


    "Naomi!"


    "Naomi, I honestly don''t know what you are talking about. I am not intimate with this woman, Maisie. She just delivered me and left me in the northern region. So I don''t have the customs you seem to think I do." He sincerely said, using this different strategy to solve the problem.


    "So I don''t know what''s happening here, and I have no intention of fighting you."


    Hearing all this, Naomi felt confused, not knowing if Minos was lying or if her mother had made a mistake in sending her after this person who did not seem to know anything.


    ''What''s going on here?'' She looked into Minos'' beautiful eyes and felt bad for him. ''Has he been abandoned in the northern region? So he doesn''t know anything about our history?''


    But while thinking about that, her mother came down from her position to deal with the situation.


    "Sigh..."


    "Maisie didn''t teach you anything? Is that true?" The Spiritual Saint asked as she stopped in front of Minos, seeing her rival''s eyes on this young man''s face.


    The truth was that Maisie had tried to teach little Minos about her culture the few times she had visited him in the northern region before Albert''s death. But her son had not had enough time to learn while he was young as he lived in a completely different environment.


    Since Maisie''s contact time with him had been brief, Minos had forgotten those stories.


    Later, before Albert''s sacrifice, between the ages of 7 and 9, Minos already had a grudge against his mother and no longer listened to her stories.


    In that way, he did not know much about the Flaming Empire or the Coleman family and their customs.


    p "It''s true," Minos replied as he looked at this beautiful woman with big breasts.


    She saw Minos'' eyes and knew that he was not lying. Since she was a great mother, she stepped forward and hugged him, feeling sorry for this fellow who had grown up not knowing what it was like to have someone to tell him a story, the customs of generations.


    "Oh, my baby, how could that woman have done that to such a handsome young man? What a cruel person! I always knew she was no good!" She said as she massaged Minos'' face against her breasts, feeling moved.


    "Huh?"


    ...


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1236 Almost Surpassing

    "Huh?" Minos'' three wives and that specialist''s daughter said simultaneously, not understanding how the current situation had come to this point.


    Meanwhile, Minos was smelling the unique scent of Naomi''s mother''s body, who was warmly massaging him as she hugged him.


    "Baby, how could Maisie do this to you? You look so much like her... Sigh!" She said to Minos as she felt his hands on her back, but without squeezing her hard.


    Minos was too emotionally controlled to be overwhelmed by such unusual behavior. As such, besides taking advantage of this woman and enjoying those breasts, he was finding the situation just as strange as his women''s.


    "Who... Who are you?" Minos managed to say after struggling to get his lips away from this person''s left breast.


    "Oh?" The Spiritual Saint finally realized that she had not formally introduced herself and pulled Minos'' body away so she could look him in the eye.


    "My name is Sibley Banks. I am the Young Miss of the Holy Sect, a former rival of your mother, Maisie Coleman." She said with a smile on her face and then pointed at her daughter. "That''s my only daughter, Naomi."


    "And why did you want to see me? Why did Naomi want to fight me?" Minos asked in curiosity.


    This woman seemed to have a rather strange temperament, so he could not help but feel odd in this situation and try to take a step back.


    Against crazy people, it was better to be careful!


    "I thought you and your mother had a normal relationship, so naturally, you and Naomi would become rivals. But since that vile woman didn''t raise you the way she should have, let''s forget about it." This expert said, being somewhat honest but also dishonest.


    Sibley was surprised to discover that Maisie, who seemed so good at everything she did and so committed, had such a flaw in her status as a mother. And knowing this, she genuinely felt sorry for Minos since she could not imagine her daughter growing up away from her.


    But Sibley was also acting for her daughter''s sake, not to allow her to fight and perhaps lose to someone several levels below her.


    In the cultivation world, a person''s progress depends significantly on their birth talent. But some external factors could interfere with a given person''s development, something that could distinguish between having a final bottleneck at the 6th stage or the 9th.


    One of the many factors that could negatively affect the progress of a cultivator''s spiritual cultivation was confidence in himself, in short, the stability of his heart and mind.


    It was not easy to mess with the confidence of cultivators, but very talented people, when faced with extreme situations, were subtly vulnerable to such a problem.


    In Naomi''s case, she was one of the most talented of her generation, someone who was famous for having a potential that was supposedly greater than that of her mother. But Sibley herself was already very talented, even having the chance to become the master of the Holy Sect in the future.


    So, if she fought and lost to Minos, someone several levels weaker than her, her high position and confidence could generate a substantial rebound!


    Sibley knew this and wanted to avoid the worst after being warned by her subordinate.


    "So that''s it..." Minos sighed upon hearing that these troublesome people would no longer bother him because of Maisie. ''Well, sometimes fighting is not the way.''


    But Sibley then spoke up. "Why don''t you stay a few more days in our sect as guests? I would like to hear your stories. A lot of news from the northern region has reached the empire in recent years..."


    "I can imagine..." Minos muttered but soon declined this person''s offer. "I appreciate it, but we have a long journey ahead of us, and I don''t want to be late returning to my state."


    "Is that so? Too bad then..." She sighed but then decided to give Minos some advice. "Well, since I caused this misunderstanding, let me give you some warnings."


    "Oh?" Minos looked with interest at that woman while his wives continued to stare at Sibley, still standing over Maida.


    "The Gray Clouds Sect is at war with the Saints Killing Sect, so avoid passing through the area..." She informed Minos'' group regarding the places of tension between those two organizations.


    "... Also, try not to get involved in trouble like the previous one in our sect. You have no enemies here, but if you are careless, you will encounter deadly problems by being recognized by enemies of your family."


    "So try to hide your identities when going through big cities and try not to use your real names." She advised.


    "Hmm, that makes sense." Minos nodded in agreement. ''Well, if it weren''t for Ford, no one would realize who we are. After all, I''ve never been in this place before, and few in the empire know me.''


    ''But that tip about the Saints Killing Sect is handy.''


    Sibley sighed and said. "Anyway, also beware of your potential competitors in your mother''s sect. You may have grown up in the northern region, but when you get to the Gray Clouds Sect, all that the candidates for succession in power in that organization will see is a new competitor."


    "And you don''t have to wait to get to that sect. Some of them will notice and maybe even try to act against you before you get to headquarters!"


    "Is that so?" He asked as he looked at Ruth.


    "Don''t ask me. I was only a Spiritual King when I left the sect..." Ruth said without delay, understanding what he wanted to know.


    But Gloria then commented. "I heard that Maisie would be your grandfather''s successor, but she has competitors, and some might try to make it difficult for you, Minos."


    "Sigh..."


    "All right, I''ll be careful." He said before making a gesture of thanks to that beautiful green-haired woman.


    After that, the four lovers set off on Maida''s back, making their way southeast towards the following stops, where they would buy more techniques and eventually reach the empire''s capital.


    As they flew away, this time without further trouble, Sibley continued to watch for them as her daughter floated beside her.


    "Why did you hug him like that, mother? What would my father think if he saw you like that?" Naomi asked, as her face reddened.


    Sibley laughed at her daughter and said. "What''s wrong? He''s just a child in my eyes, just like you!"


    "Hmm, I know... There are women much older than you getting into bed with young men that fellow''s age." Naomi pouted, sensing that her mother was playing with her.


    "Anyway, that was the best thing I could have done." That expert sharpened her eyes as she continued to look at the trail of Minos'' group. "I don''t know how to explain it, but when I saw him, I felt like even I would be in danger if he fought with everything he has!"


    "What?" Naomi opened her mouth in utter shock, not expecting her powerful mother to say something like that.


    "Hmm, I guess he''s already close to surpassing his mother..."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1237 Negotiations At Vogel

    Two months later...


    After many weeks since the West family''s talks with the Blackrock and Rosser royalty had begun, Lulu had already gone to the Black Plain and left that state for Vogel.


    At the same time, the powers of those two states had concluded that Minos'' plan was worth investing in, even considering his dubious past.


    They did not have many alternatives to avoid a war against the Flaming Empire, so they naturally accepted the risks concerning him to at least have one more chance for peace.


    Because of this, when Lulu and Elen Nash arrived in Vogel to begin talks with the local noble houses, Albano, Rosser, and Blackrock groups were already in such a state to do the same.


    Elen was one of Minos'' partners who specialized in doing business and was little needed in the current Black Plain to maintain its security. Because of this, she was the one representing King Stuart''s state, along, of course, with other members of the army who were there for the bureaucratic process.


    In any case, Minos had communicated with his state during this period and given Elen some liberties to act on his behalf.


    Thus, this woman was already preparing to start putting her skills to use in a state of a higher level compared to her homeland.


    She had never left the northern region in the past, but still, as someone who had seen so many amazing things on Minos'' account, she was facing the current situation firmly, ready to do her best.


    And that is what she and her group were doing at the moment, talking to one of the noble families of Vogel!


    ...


    "Let me get this straight..." A man who looked to be the same age as Elen, tall and strong, level 70, said this while having a funny smile on his face. "You want to convince us that the Black Plain royal family has the right to become our royal house?"


    "Not only that, but they are also saying that if that happens, House Stuart will magically solve all our problems, brother..." A woman sitting next to that Spiritual Saint, level 69, said, also smiling wryly at Lulu and Elen, sitting across from them in a business room.


    Lulu closed her eyes as she noticed that those two representatives of the family they were visiting today did not take them seriously. But Elen did not react that way, having just quietly stayed in her seat, watching the expected reaction of those people.


    This blonde woman then said. "You got it right. That is what we propose. The Stuart family became Vogel''s royal house and will guarantee the peace of the four kingdoms north of the Flaming Empire."


    The other three individuals in that room besides these four, one from Rosser, one from Blackrock, and someone else from Albano, silently stood there as they heard that, watching those two local nobles.


    The man and the woman there looked at each other, finding the whole thing absurd.


    She looked at Elen and asked. "Are you drunk? How do you think something like that is possible?"


    Elen then answered her. "Miss Rose, we are not proposing something impossible. On the contrary, when the Vogel family attacked the Black Plain, disobeying the rules of the Spiritual Church, it set a precedent that guarantees us a spot in the local throne contest."


    "We already have the support of the three royal families of your states'' alliance against the Flaming Empire, something no other Vogel family has. So, what''s so absurd about my proposal?" She asked sincerely.


    "Tsk!" The man did not like it and then asked while making a mocking expression. "And how many Spiritual Saints do you have? Or do I intend to lead us with Spiritual Emperors?"


    "When King Stuart conquers Vogel, we will have every living Spiritual Saint in this state," Elen calmly replied, understanding that individual''s problem. "But don''t worry about that. Our leader doesn''t think you will give us absolute powers."


    "We only ask for the position of administrator of the kingdom, the one who will regulate local activities and maintain stability among the organizations of this state. As for other factors, we will guarantee economic and political freedoms to all noble families who support us." She spoke seriously.


    One of the representatives of the allied royal families of this state then said. "In addition, we have already spoken with Miss Nash, and she has told us that King Stuart is willing to return his position after our states'' moment of greatest weakness has passed."


    "Then, in a few decades, the local noble families may unite to strip him of his position as king and begin a new royal succession process when the situation is favorable!" Another person completed his colleague''s speech.


    The brother and sister looked at each other after these words from these visitors to their home, pondering the situation.


    It was tough to accept the idea of outside power and, worse, weaker than the weakest of the local noble organizations, becoming the royal sovereign. Even more so considering all the local disputes, from families who were already interested in this position for themselves, from others who just wanted to hide until the storm passed.


    But thinking about all the points raised, they could not help but agree that there were exciting things in this whole thing that could be beneficial, or rather not harmful, to them.


    It would be humiliating to go through with all that, but their fear of facing the Flaming Empire without the help of their allies was much more significant than this problem.


    Since time was not on their side, they had to give these people at least a chance to talk and maybe even negotiate the best possible deal for this to become a reality.


    The man clenched his fists and looked at the representatives of the royal families of his allies. "Are you going to support the Stuart family? Does everyone here realize that this organization is only interested in its own good?"


    Elen was silent while one of them said. "It would be strange if someone trying to help would not be doing it for some benefit ..."


    Another of them commented. "That''s true. There is a cost for them to help us, so it''s only natural that this organization would want to take advantage of Vogel. But what can you do? Even though they are weaker and have fewer resources, they have a better chance than you in making peace possible."


    "Or does anyone here think that a local family can play that role? With this Minos Stuart, you guys will at least have a chance to use him temporarily and get him out of power later. With a local family, that will never happen since they would try to take the state for themselves and have the conditions to do that during the period of tension with the Flaming Empire."


    "In short, the Stuart family is the least bad alternative for you Vogel people!" She said as Elen stared at the ceiling, trying to restrain herself from laughing at these people who did not know Minos.


    Lulu watched her, but she had no idea what Elen had in mind. "What''s the worst that could happen?" She asked those two. "Minos is only a level 61 Spiritual Emperor. It will take decades for him and his state to reach enough to have the power to compare to one of your families..."


    "Then take your chance and accept this fake sovereign!"

 Chapter 1238 Arriving At The Capital Of The Flaming Empire

    Two more weeks passed...


    After leaving the territory of the Holy Sect, Minos and his wives traveled throughout much of the Flaming Empire.


    During this period, they had made several deals concerning other spiritual professions besides that of spiritual judges which they had purchased techniques from the headquarters city of that sect.


    With this, they had gotten new orders of original techniques and Silver-grade copies to take back to the Black Plain when they returned from this business trip.


    But they were still missing more than half of the techniques they intended to buy or order in this state since, most of them, they could only get in the capital or the Gray Clouds Sect.


    Thus, during the past few weeks, they still had not settled all the deals regarding techniques in this state, even though they had practically crossed half the Empire.


    But in addition to getting closer to their goals in this period, they took the opportunity to get to know many places in the Flaming Empire while training their skills.


    Because of this, Minos was already at the peak of level 61, a few weeks from his advancement to level 62.


    As for his wives, they kept pushing themselves as hard or harder than he did, but no one had advanced in this period since they were further away from such an opportunity.


    Only Kyla had made a breakthrough in these days since their departure from the Holy Sect, having reached level 58 last week.


    At last, after months of travel, they were finally in the vicinity of the capital of the Flaming Empire, one of the most important stopping points of their journey!


    ...


    "Minos, how do you think the families of Vogel are dealing with that thing?" Gloria asked her husband as she and her group stood on the back of Maida, seeing a large city kilometers ahead of them.


    Their group had been exchanging information with the Black Plain about the negotiations in Vogel, so they knew that Elen was already there to deal with their plans.


    Since this was their big move, which could put them at the continental experts'' table, Gloria was very curious about their chances.


    Minos looked at his third wife and then answered her. "I am positive about that matter. Those families of Vogel will probably have some resistance to us, but eventually, they will accept..."


    "They have no better alternative, after all." He smiled, considering the vulnerable position that state was in after his brief stint there.


    "So how long until we are chosen as the royalty of Vogel?" Abby asked while hugging Minos'' left arm.


    "That I don''t know..." He sincerely said. "It depends on the Spiritual Church. They are the ones who will decide when they will leave that state. But, on the other hand, it will take a few months before we finish our business here in the Empire. So, it might take more than a year."


    "And what happens in the meantime? What if the Flaming Empire decides to start a war in the meantime?" The beautiful blue-haired woman pressed the issue.


    Gloria then said. "Just because the Church is taking over Vogel doesn''t mean that the powers of that state are obliged to stay away from a possible war."


    The royal families of Vogel''s three allied states against the Flaming Empire were not counting on the help of these Vogel organizations because of the absence of centralizing power and ally of theirs.


    With Vogel''s current position, the normal thing to expect from the local families would be for them to hide or join together in factions in the struggle for power in that state. Thus, there was no way those states could count on the help of those powers.


    However, if those families decided to support them, even without a centralizing figure in Vogel, they could have much more help in an eventual war against the Flaming Empire!


    Minos then completed Gloria''s speech. "If we can at least get a verbal agreement with the families of Vogel, then those organizations could join with Blackrock, Rosser, and Albano to intimidate the empire..."


    "Maybe that will be enough to delay an eventual war." He said, pondering the many possibilities ahead of them. "After that, we''ll see how to deal with the problems of becoming the royalty of that place."


    Abby understood all this and continued thinking about it as she watched the capital of the Empire get closer and closer to them.


    "Minos, what do you intend to do about that Church Spiritual Sage? Are we going to look for him at the local post?" Ruth asked as she remembered the information they had received over the past few weeks.


    During the more than two months since their departure from the territory of the Holy Sect, they had taken the opportunity to make more ''friends'' in Church posts scattered throughout the Flaming Empire.


    Because of this and their allies in Vogel, who had luckily survived the day of that former royal family''s escape, their group had discovered that the Spiritual Sage taking over that state wanted to talk to him.


    Minos then answered Ruth. "No, let him find us on his own. I have no interest in letting him get in the way of our affairs."


    Minos and his group had not followed Sibley''s advice to hide their identities during their travels throughout the Empire. Because of this, it would be pretty difficult for that Spiritual Sage or others in the Church to associate them with the people who had caused Vogel''s downfall.


    ? It was not impossible, and Minos knew that such an individual could eventually find them. But he would not make this person''s job any easier, even considering there should be no significant problems in talking to a Cardinal.


    ''It is best to avoid associating the figure of the King of the Black Plain with that of Pyke...'' He thought, considering that such a thing might harm his request for the Stuart family to participate in the royal succession of Vogel.


    Anyway, while they were talking about it, it did not take long for Maida to slowly make her way to the ground, planning to land outside the Empire''s capital.


    Minos planned not to use the Spatial Kingdom within that place, so he wanted to take the opportunity to send Maida to stay in that place alongside Kyla.


    With that, after he sent that giant tigress to the Spatial Kingdom, Minos and his wives flew to that city, following the lead of Gloria, who was leading them toward the Temple of Payton.


    They had a lot of business to attend to locally, but they would start with the family affairs of the group, namely, Minos meeting the family of his beautiful third wife!


    As for Ruth, her family was at the headquarters of the Gray Clouds Sect in the far southeast of the Flaming Empire. Hence, it would still be a few months before Minos would have the opportunity to meet most of her family and revisit a person who had played a trick on him years ago...


    With that, while Gloria was breathing hurriedly, feeling anxious, Minos was sighing, trying to prepare himself to see his mother-in-law again and meet his father-in-law.


    ''Sigh...''


    ''I wonder what they will try to demand from me? Or will they fully respect my agreement and pretend to be normal parents?'' Minos wondered what the next few minutes would be like as he observed the surroundings of this city, the most beautiful he had ever been.


    That was also the strongest place he personally saw, filled with low-level Spiritual Saints, where he could even feel the aura of level 79 individuals.


    ''Flaming Empire, huh? That must be the power that sustains this state against four high-level kingdoms...''


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter ?1239 Frost Family 1

    ?1239 Frost Family 1


    After a few moments of running through the lanes of Payton, Minos and his wives arrived at the Spiritual Church temple in the capital of the Flaming Empire.


    This place was near the imperial palace, as was usually the case in every state where this organization was present.


    But due to the size of Payton, a city of more than 10 million inhabitants, the central square was quite large, and from where the church temple was, the Edwardstone family palace could not be seen.


    In any case, their group was not there to visit the imperial palace, and when they entered the Spiritual Church property, Minos and his wives found a place similar to others they had passed.


    There were differences in terms of size, number of people, and experts in the surroundings since the Flaming Empire was stronger than Rosser and Vogel. But the construction models and areas of this temple were like any of the other outposts of this organization that Minos had already passed.


    And with that, they soon reached the area where they had to identify themselves, near where only the members of the Church could access.


    "Archbishop Frost, are you back? It''s been years since I''ve seen you around here..." A middle-aged man, level 68, approached her group, smiling at the sight of this young woman he had watched grow up.


    Gloria was the daughter of powerful Spiritual Saints of this place, so naturally, all the people older than her in this place knew her.


    But this was not only true because of her position as the daughter of experts. Gloria''s talent and results put her in the ''spotlight'' and made her even more famous among the younger generation of the Temple of Payton.


    Gloria smiled at that fellow''s exaggerated comment and then said. "Uncle Russell, I am here with my husband and sisters."


    "What? Husband?" The old man opened his mouth in surprise as he looked in Minos'' direction.


    But while he was surprised by this information that only the higher-ups at this post were privy to, the other Spiritual Emperors at that temple entrance looked at Minos with envy.


    ''Harem sisters?'' One of them looked at Ruth and Abby, noting that they were gorgeous but not on the same level of beauty and cultivation as Gloria.


    ''Archbishop Frost accepted that? Are you serious?''


    Gulp!


    ''What''s so special about this boy? He looks good, but I''ve seen better...''


    ''What a lucky guy! He was born with his ass turned to the moon!''


    ''Bastard! How did he do it?''


    Every one of the guards, even women, looked at Minos with doubts in their minds, impressed by the shocking words of Gloria, one of the most beautiful of this city''s young generation.


    Gloria was lovely indeed, the kind that could charm even heterosexual women to the point of making them doubt their preferences. And since she had above-average talent and a kind heart, there was not a single living soul who did not like her.


    Considering her position as the little princess of this post, every person there had a little respect and anger at Minos for touching this goddess.


    Gloria then nodded to Russell and said for everyone there to hear. "Yes, he is my husband and the father of my baby."


    "What?" Several voices exclaimed as everyone there looked at Gloria''s right hand massaging her belly, which actually looked a little larger than usual.


    Since everyone there knew that there was no way a woman like Gloria could gain weight at her level without being ill, they immediately realized that she was indeed pregnant.


    "So fast? Gloria must be around 70, and she already..." Some women in the surrounding area commented, looking enviously at her but also happy.


    Russell then closed his mouth and regained his posture, still looking at Gloria and Minos, who were right behind her. "Please..." He said as he cleared the way for them to pass.


    ''Husband, eh? And harem sisters...'' He watched the group of four people heading inside that exclusive area, surprised that he would see a female member of the Church accepting to be part of a harem. ''This younger generation accepts all sorts of things.''


    ...


    After a few moments of hurried walking through the area where most of the Spiritual Saints of this post resided, Minos and his wives arrived in front of Gloria''s parents'' house.


    There, the person looking after the security of the Frost family estate promptly took his gaze from a newspaper in his hands to look at the newly arrived group, who was watching in his direction.


    Immediately he stood up and said. "Young Gloria? It''s a surprise to see you here! I thought you had..."


    He then stopped his sentence halfway through when he saw Minos standing at Gloria''s side, more or less understanding that this was the man who had managed to steal this young lady.


    "Are you Minos Stuart?" He asked in a thick, not very friendly tone to this fellow who had impregnated Gloria without having any commitment to her first.


    Minos nodded to that man and introduced himself. "That indeed is me... And who are you?"


    "You? It''s mister to you!"


    Gloria then said in that man''s place, "Minos, this is old Harlan. He worked with my father for a few centuries, so he''s a bit overprotective but very friendly."


    Minos smiled upon hearing that and seeing that fellow''s face in front of him. "Mister Harlan, it''s nice to meet you. You must have helped take care of my wife for some time, but now you don''t have to worry anymore. She and our baby are in good hands." He said as he pointed to himself.


    "Tsk!" Harlan did not like that very much, but as he looked at Gloria''s belly, he could not help but feel moved to see a child he had watched grow up already pregnant.


    ''I''m just not going to teach this person a lesson because of this innocent baby!''


    After that, Gloria introduced Ruth and Abby to that fellow before the four of them entered that property, heading towards where Margot was at the moment.


    But just as they were about to enter the recreation area where Gloria''s mother was at the moment, a silver-haired young woman, somewhat resembling Minos'' redhead wife, appeared to greet them.


    "Big sister Gloria?" She opened a large wooden door, grinning from ear to ear, gesturing to her cousin, whom she had not seen in ages.


    Immediately upon seeing that person who had the Frost family lineage, not her mother''s, as was her case, Gloria smiled and said. "Zoe, you have become a Spiritual Emperor. Congratulations!"


    Zoe Frost, level 60, daughter of Gloria''s only aunt, then jumped toward her to hug her tight, happy to see such a woman, her best friend, and former teacher.


    But then, just when she thought she was going to hug the beautiful redhead in front of her, Zoe felt her body stopping midair and floating without having any control over herself.


    "Huh?"


    "Be more careful when approaching my wife. Look at her condition!" Minos said, but without showing irritation in his voice.


    ...


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter ?1240 Frost Family 2

    ?1240 Frost Family 2


    The moment Zoe heard Minos'' comment, she looked at this fellow and then at Gloria''s belly, which was already showing, even considering her clothes.


    "Big sister! Your belly is already showing!" Zoe shouted as she returned to the ground after Minos deactivated his technique.


    "Hmm, I''m slowly gaining this new shape..." Gloria commented with a smile on her face as she saw her cousin approaching her.


    After a moment with this young woman ignoring Minos, Ruth, and Abby, she finally embraced that beautiful redhead, gently massaging Gloria''s belly with this woman''s permission.


    Zoe then looked at Minos and made a serious face. "So you are the father... You were very clever to get my cousin pregnant to tie her to you!"


    "Wasn''t it the other way around?" Abby asked in a low voice while Ruth involuntarily smiled in agreement.


    "What are you people saying? Do you think my cousin would do something like that?" Zoe let go of Gloria and commented in defense of this woman.


    Minos then said. "Well, I guess you didn''t study physiology at the spiritual academy, huh? Don''t you know that a woman has total control over her fertility?"


    "That..." Zoe turned red, but then she heard Gloria''s voice. "Don''t talk such nonsense, Zoe. My pregnancy was a good accident for both of us. Minos didn''t do it on purpose."


    ? "Anyway," She shook her cheeky face and looked at Minos. "Are you here to assume your responsibilities? Did you come to give up the bet you made with aunt Margot?"


    "Of course not," Minos casually replied. "I will win the bet I made with that woman, so why would I give it up?"


    "Tsk!"


    A distinct sound came from where Margot was listening to their conversation on the other side of that property.


    Zoe, who her aunt had warned of the arrival of these people earlier, then ignored Margot''s sound of displeasure and asked. "So, what are you doing here?"


    "I have my freedom to go wherever I want... So why wouldn''t I come? I am a leader in my region, so I am here to enjoy the advantages of the Empire." Minos commented while he led his group into the interior of that residence.


    ''What an intrusive person! I didn''t even invite him, and he''s already walking in!'' She thought about it as she observed Minos'' manner, ignoring his comments regarding his job as leader of the Black Plain.


    But then she turned to Ruth and Abby, "What about you? Who are you?"


    Just as Gloria was about to introduce her harem sisters, Margot appeared coming down a hallway, answering her niece''s question. "Those, Zoe, are the other wives of your cousin''s husband."


    "Other wives..." She made a slightly more serious expression, still not believing that Gloria had accepted such humiliation.


    "Hmm, my name is Ruth..."


    "And I''m Abby."


    The two introduced themselves shyly, feeling embarrassed to introduce themselves to someone from Gloria''s family.


    But then Margot ignored these women and looked at Minos. "So you''re going to win our bet, huh?"


    "Sure, it''s only a matter of time before that happens..." He smiled as he sat down on a white sofa, certain that such a woman would realize that he was not just being confident.


    And indeed, Margot realized this as she sensed that Minos was almost at level 62.


    Considering the time that had passed since his passage through the Black Plain, she could see that he had had an incredible pace at the 7th stage even though he had spent most of his time in the northern region.


    ''This little boy... He''s not bluffing!'' She silently looked at him, feeling that the odds were against her on that bet. ''If he continues at this cultivation speed, he will reach level 70 before the end of our agreement!''


    "You tricked me." She said in a low voice as she looked thoughtfully at Minos.


    "I tricked you?" Minos smiled. "I made a bet because I knew I would win. What kind of idiot bets on something as problematic as that without having great odds in his favor?"


    "Not to mention that you are the expert with thousands of years of experience, not me..." He suggested that this was all her fault for making a bet with a young rascal.


    Margot closed her eyes as she heard this, feeling the weight of Minos'' words and wanting to punch him a little.


    But then Gloria took one of her hands and placed it on her belly. "Feel that, mother. My baby is already starting to grow.


    Margot calmed down as she felt the little creature growing inside Gloria''s belly and looked at her precious daughter.


    "A girl, huh?" She murmured in a low voice, revealing something that Minos and his women did not yet know.


    "A girl?" Ruth and Abby looked at each other, while Gloria looked at Minos with a smile on her face.


    After hearing that, Minos had lost his usual calm look and now seemed a little more agitated by this information regarding his first offspring.


    He had not yet thought about the sex of the baby, but with this information, he could not help but feel closer to her, already starting to think of names.


    Meanwhile, Gloria sat on his lap and hugged him, quickly bringing her lips to his, feeling good about finding out such information.


    If someone asked her, Gloria would say that she would prefer a boy since she wanted to give Minos an heir, as well as someone who reminded her of him. But she had not been raised in a place where gender mattered in the line of succession, so knowing that she would have a girl was not bad.


    Whether a girl or a boy, this baby would be her and Minos'' child and would invariably have characteristics of the father to remind her of the great times she had with him.


    So, she gave Minos a passionate kiss, happy, while ignoring her family in the area.


    "A granddaughter, eh?" A deep, husky voice sounded in that place as a man with white hair, who looked young, appeared next to Margot while he had a serious expression on his face.


    "Father!" Gloria cried out in surprise as she parted her lips from Minos'', feeling embarrassed that such a man had seen her on her husband''s lap, kissing him in that previous manner.


    Hence, she quickly stood up and pulled Minos by one of his arms so he could stand next to her in front of that level 79 individual.


    "Minos, this is my father, Joseph." She indicated to him while trying to contain the redness on his face.


    "Oh? So that''s my father-in-law..." Minos smiled and showed one of his hands to the white-haired fellow in front of him, not feeling intimidated by his presence.


    "You must be Minos Stuart..." Joseph Frost looked Minos up, down, and then up, trying to judge the figure of this young man.


    But he could not understand why Gloria had chosen this person or why Minos was so talented. Not only that, the fact that such a person had impregnated his daughter so easily was a surprise to him, considering the high talent and considerable level of this young redhead.


    ''Maybe he was blessed by the heavens with a lot of luck?'' He wondered as he looked quizzically at Minos.


    ...


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1241 Minos’ Growing Influence

    "Minos Stuart, what do you intend to do to pay for your boldness?" Gloria''s father asked after a moment, looking at this son-in-law he had never expected to have.


    Joseph had nothing against Minos as a person. In fact, he even admired this young man, as the Stuart King could do what was necessary to complete his own goals, someone who did not depend on family to get what he wanted.


    But Minos was far from what he wanted for his daughter, even more so considering this young man''s other two wives, something Joseph did not like since this meant less attention for Gloria. And like a good father, he wished the best for his only daughter.


    He wanted Gloria to marry another member of the Spiritual Church, someone with similar talent as hers, as well as goals and customs. But, at the same time, it would be best if such a person were monogamous, as were most members of the Church.


    But unfortunately, his beloved daughter had fallen for the wrong young man, and now she was no longer able to part with him due to an unplanned pregnancy.


    Because of this, he naturally had a certain resentment against the young man who had disrupted his daughter''s life and wanted such a person to make some commitments!


    "What do I intend to do?" Minos repeated this part of his father-in-law''s question and then looked at Margot. "I think I''m already doing everything I should, no? Didn''t my mother-in-law tell you about our arrangement?"


    Margot made a frown at Minos as her husband said. "She did..."


    "Then what more do you want?" He asked and then looked at the redheaded woman at his side. "Gloria, are you by any chance unhappy? Do I mistreat you? Abby? Ruth?"


    "Of course I''m happy." She replied as she looked at her father. "Father, Minos is very good to me. He is a much better man than I could ever imagine having. As for Abby and Ruth, they are always by my side and give me full support. We are a close-knit family!"


    Margot looked at her daughter and felt immensely disappointed. ''How can she say that? Doesn''t she have to share her time with him with these two?''


    Meanwhile, Joseph was as calm as before, still looking at Minos. "That''s not what we''re talking about here. If my daughter weren''t happy, you wouldn''t be here talking to us so peacefully."


    "The point here is, you are harming the Church through Gloria! She should be cultivating diligently to be promoted to the position of Matriarch, but now, in addition to living in the northern region, she is pregnant and cannot cultivate."


    Gloria did not like to hear this and asked. "What do you mean? Are you saying that my baby is a retard?"


    "Honey, you know your father didn''t mean that." Margot gestures for Gloria to be reassured while Ruth, Abby, and Zoe stand silently, watching everything as if they were watching a show.


    Joseph then said. "I am happy that I will become a grandfather. But that doesn''t change the fact that you will have your journey delayed by a few years when you are still only a Spiritual Emperor."


    Minos then said to his father-in-law while massaging Gloria''s waist for her to let him handle everything. "That''s not a problem. Gloria''s cultivation speed is excellent, and she will naturally make up for the lost time in less than a decade."


    "A decade?" That fellow looked at Minos, wondering where this lad got the confidence to talk about being able to cultivate to the 8th stage and now about this.


    But Minos did not explain. "As for the rest, even if it doesn''t happen, it doesn''t matter. You know that just one or two levels won''t change Gloria''s status much. Plus, she can become much more powerful if she has political support, not personal power. So, pregnancy is not an issue."


    "Oh? And where will she get that political support from? From you?" Margot asked as she smiled at him, indicating that he still thinks very highly of himself.


    Joseph''s eyes sharpened as he looked at Minos, waiting for this bold fellow''s answer.


    "Sure, who besides me has a state on their hands? I guess you don''t, eh, mother-in-law?" Minos smiled back.


    "Tsk!"


    "With your little Black Plain, what can you do for Gloria? She is already one step away from becoming a Spiritual Saint!"


    Minos paid no attention to his mother-in-law''s comments and said. "The Black Plain still has a long way to go. But what about Vogel?"


    "Vogel?" Joseph''s eyebrows frowned even more as he remembered the incident on that state''s border with the Empire and the problems of that place after the fall of the royal family.


    The Church groups in that state, including one of the Iron Hearts, had already made many changes in Vogel. In particular, the royalty members who had stayed behind were executed.


    On the other hand, the Church members led by the Spiritual Sage who wished to find Minos had already organized much of that state and were almost putting it back to normal.


    Joseph knew about all this and more but not about the negotiations between the noble families of that state and Minos'' representatives. Hence, he was interested in what his son-in-law had to say.


    Minos then replied to him. "Yes, Vogel will soon have a new king. And it just so happens that the best candidate for such a position is standing in front of you, father-in-law!"


    "You?" Margot asked as she strangely looked at Minos.


    She and her husband knew that the Stuart family name had come up among the possibilities, but no one in the Spiritual Church was taking such a thing seriously!


    Therefore, after hearing Minos'' confident tone, she and Joseph found his comment strange.


    "Yes, I already have the support of the royal families of Blackrock, Albano, and Rosser." Minos smiled, showing some of his influence to get these people to stop bothering him. "My representatives are already in that state negotiating with the local families. So it''s only a matter of time before your Church consecrates me as King of Vogel!"


    Zoe, Joseph, and Margot heard this with open mouths, surprised by such a thing but also doubtful of the veracity of the words of this young man they barely knew.


    But then, before they even questioned him, Gloria stepped forward to defend her husband. "Minos is speaking the truth. The Black Plain already has a trade agreement with Albano, and my husband is the best chance for Vogel not to fall into a civil war and get together before the Empire destroys their allies."


    "Oh?" Joseph, the leader of this Spiritual Church post, opened his mouth upon hearing that and realized there was a bit of reason in his daughter''s words.


    ''This fellow could become the one who keeps the peace at this crucial moment if he were to renounce many of the powers conferred on a monarch...'' He closed his eyes and imagined that Minos was smart enough for that.


    ''Then he will at least have some advantages to improve his state''s position with this move, which is enough to give him access to the leaders of 5 states of a higher level than his...''


    ''In other words, he can get a lot of political influence out of this!''


    ...


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1242 The Ambitious Black Plain Project

    "So you want to become the King of Vogel, huh?" Joseph asked as he looked at Minos, thinking of the consequences this young man was ignoring. "And what are you going to do about the Flaming Empire?"


    "What about the Empire?" Minos questioned.


    "There is a conflict of interest here, no? Your family is part of the Empire, but you want to take command of an enemy state..." Minos'' father-in-law cited this problem. "How will you handle it?"


    The women in that place looked at Minos along with this man, and this young man answered. "I have no problem with the Flaming Empire, so I will find a way to solve these old problems when the time is appropriate. But until then, the powers of Vogel will be free to act as they wish."


    "That really won''t be under my control."


    Margot frowned, thinking that this answer was not good enough. "If you become the ruler of that state, you will naturally be seen as an enemy of the Empire."


    "I don''t see it that way." Minos shook his head, indicating that this was not right. "In any case, the Emperor won''t be able to do anything against me without breaking Church rules or risking being caught by the women of the Flower Kingdom. Then my family and I will be fine."


    Margot shook her head in disappointment, seeing this young man using the barriers of the Church to defend himself rather than thinking of a solid solution.


    But then she looked at Gloria. "What about you? What are you going to do? Are you going to stand against your own state?"


    "I will side with my family, of course. I have nothing to do with the Empire''s disputes with the four kingdoms to the north." Gloria said without hesitation.


    They were members of the Spiritual Church, but most in this temple were natives of the Flaming Empire. As such, they had some of the history and culture of the people of this state, which put many of them against the kingdoms to the north.


    Because of this history behind them and the education, Gloria had received from her father''s family, Margot was in doubt about her daughter''s position in all of this.


    Joseph looked at his daughter similarly to Margot, seeing that this young woman was focused on her marriage, not their history.


    But he did not press her. Instead, he just turned his attention to Minos'' project. "So what are you going to do to repair the cultivation time Gloria will lose? What will you do if you become the King of Vogel?"


    Minos answered him without delay. "The Black Plain will benefit from all this, and I will extend my influence, as well as Gloria''s, across the four enemy kingdoms of the Empire. This will give us access to Church members in each of the posts in those states, which will help me crates good support for my wife."


    The Church was one organization despite its divisions. So any member who had more support, even if not necessarily from their main post, could reap greater benefits.


    After all, members of that organization could be sent to new posts, not necessarily being fixed in their home states.


    So if Gloria had the support of all the Spiritual Saints from the posts in those four states, for example, even if she did not have support in the Temple of Payton, she would still be just as influential as the local leader.


    In fact, the chances of her getting a promotion to another Church post, perhaps even headquarters, would become more significant if she had support from many Church members beyond her state.


    The leader of a post, as in the case of Gloria''s father, was not chosen by the local members of that temple. No, the decision came from a vote among members one level above, that is, the rank in charge of that branch.


    In the case of the northern region, the post that oversaw that area was the Temple of Payton. As such, the Spiritual Saints of this place were the ones who decided the Spiritual Emperor to guide that area.


    As for the Spiritual Saint who commanded the Temple of Payton, that individual was chosen by a council of Spiritual Sages in the Evergreen Empire.


    But these individuals on the council oversaw various other posts, such as the cases of the temples in the capitals of each of the four enemy kingdoms to the Flaming Empire.


    Thus, Gloria''s morals with people outside the Empire were as relevant or more relevant than her having the same in the Empire!


    Joseph was silent after Minos'' reply, while Margot looked at him with an advisory look. "You think it will all work out, but the Emperor will cause problems for your family''s sect if you become the King of Vogel..."


    Minos laughed upon hearing that. "Good thing I have the protection of the Church for a few more years, right? As for the Gray Clouds Sect, I''ve never been to that place, so I have no relationship with them."


    "Any trouble that happens is between the imperial family and them..."


    "Really? What about that talk about you becoming the successor of that sect?" Margot remembered Maisie''s comment when she had passed through the Black Plain.


    Minos frowned and said. "That was the first time I heard that too. What can I do? They think they have some power over my destiny. But they didn''t ask me if I wanted to."


    "Anyway, all these problems can be solved or delayed if you help us..." He smiled as he showed them the way. "Just delay the Empire a bit, and the stability that existed before the fall of the Vogel family will return."


    "One way to do that is to get me to the imperial palace..." He suggested.


    "What?" Margot exclaimed in surprise.


    "What do you want to do?" Joseph asked as the women in that place watched Minos.


    Minos then said. "Nothing much. As Albano''s trade ally, I promised to help keep peace in the region. So I am on a quest to fulfill that promise. If I can talk to the Emperor, maybe I can get something done without him knowing I will become the King of Albano..."


    Abby and Ruth looked at Minos as they heard this for the first time, trying to imagine what he had in mind to attempt such a meeting. But knowing that their husband was a very capable man, they did not doubt that he could gain some benefit by having access to the Emperor.


    "Well, that can be done." Joseph did not refuse Minos'' request since diplomacy was part of the role of members of the Spiritual Church in the states where that organization was present.


    Since it could also help Gloria to some degree, he was not against trying to use his influence to put Minos in contact with the local sovereign.


    Minos was a descendant of the master of the Gray Clouds Sect, so it would not be entirely strange for him to meet with the Emperor. Even more so considering the mess, such a lad had made in the northern region a few years ago.


    With that, Minos smiled that his father-in-law did not seem as foolish as his mother-in-law, who had given him a bit of a challenge during the previous visit.


    ''Very good!''


    ''Now I have to negotiate with this Emperor and eventually get peace...'' He laughed internally at the thought that the responsibility of securing peace had fallen into the lap of just him, a revolutionary!


    ...


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1243 Tension In The Saints Slaying Sect

    After finishing their previous conversation, Minos and his wives were relieved when Margot and Joseph left them to continue their business.


    The two were very important in this Temple of Payton, so as soon as they had that brief talk with Minos and saw Gloria, they returned to their jobs.


    But both had promised to return to their conversations from earlier during dinner, and from their tones, Minos knew that the two would still try to pressure him in some way.


    However, after meeting his father-in-law, he also had the impression that he had favorably impressed such a person, which meant that his time would be easier in this place.


    Thus, the four were left alone with Zoe, Gloria''s cousin.


    "You are very ambitious for a person only at level 61..." Zoe commented as she looked intensely at Minos.


    But she couldn''t look at him like he was a fool talking nonsense since she had heard all of Minos'' arguments with those two millennial experts. He knew what he was doing and could even argue against her uncle and aunt.


    So, Zoe was naturally interested in this husband of her cousin''s.


    Minos winked at her and said. "I started planning the independence of my state when I was at level 0... So, my current situation is much better than you think."


    Ruth and Abby smiled as they heard Minos'' humorous tone while Gloria said to her cousin. "Everything is going to be fine. Just watch how my husband handles things, Zoe."


    "You all are confident..." The silver-haired young woman said in a low voice, not understanding how they could do all that while having so little.


    Not only that, considering the strength of the Empire, of Vogel, of various organizations they would have to get involved in, she could not help but think that it was all hazardous.


    But while Zoe had many things on her mind, Gloria said. "Minos, let me show you this place..."


    In this way, soon, they all departed from the entrance hall of Gloria''s parents'' residence, with this beautiful redhead showing every part of this grand temple to her family.


    ...


    Meanwhile, at the headquarters of the Saints Slaying Sect...


    This place was going about its days as usual, with many disciples training in the training places around the floating headquarters of this organization. At the same time, elders handled bureaucratic matters, sending and receiving orders.


    But some elders from families in this organization had been a bit worried in the last months, fearful about what had happened to the Vogel family.


    Some of them were responsible for putting Abe against Minos, so since the fall of the Vogel family and the beginning of the Spiritual Church investigations in that state, those responsible for that had hardly slept.


    But that was not the only problem with the people in this place!


    "Do you have any news of Gavin?" One of those concerned about the Spiritual Church, who was also in search of this young man, heard the question from the leader of that organization.


    He then looked at that powerful person, who had the matters of the war against the Gray Clouds Sect in mind at the moment and was not so focused on this Gavin Rowse matter. "Sect master, we haven''t heard from that fellow since he left Albano."


    "That brat hid in this enemy state of the Empire for a few months after his departure but escaped shortly afterward. Since then, we''ve lost track of him." This person said while trying to keep his worries in check.


    ,m Then, another person in the sect master''s office stepped forward and spoke. "Sect master, we suspect Gavin is hiding in the northern region. But we have no contacts in those areas, so we are far from reaching any pointers."


    The sect master grew more serious upon hearing this, not liking that his target had gone into hiding in such a troublesome place.


    The problem with the northern region was that, considering its size, finding a person there would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Also, due to the weakness of the inhabitants of such a region, finding clues about a Spiritual Emperor would be difficult. After all, someone like that could fly!


    But then one of the sect master''s trusted men said something positive. "If that brat went to the northern region, he won''t be able to advance to the 8th stage. In that case, we just have to send groups to investigate him and keep our friends in the four kingdoms bordering such a region to watch for his eventual escape."


    "He will try to seek a stronger place when he reaches level 69!"


    "Oh?" The sect master looked at that man, finding that suggestion interesting. "Very well, let''s send some Spiritual Emperors to investigate that region. But let''s not take any rash action. The Spiritual Church has been very reactive lately..."


    Gulp!


    The two people who were most afraid of that organization among everyone in that office swallowed their saliva in fear, again imagining Vogel''s situation.


    After that, the sect master freed all of them to handle the affairs of the war with the Gray Clouds Sect, while those two left that area together.


    "What are we going to do if the Church notices something? Should we alert the sect master?" The man asked the woman at his side.


    The woman looked at him with wide eyes and said. "Are you crazy? The sect master will kill us all if something like this comes to his attention!"


    "But what do we do? The Church will eventually find out something!" He said, worried about living with that fear for his entire life.


    "Maybe not. Even if they suspect something, what proof will they have? The words of someone from that organization will only create suspicion. But we didn''t give any direct orders. Everything was handled through personal conversations." She said, hopeful that the Church would get nothing to sentence them to death.


    ''Damn it!''


    ''After all that, we couldn''t kill the damned Minos, and now we''re living this drama!'' The man thought to himself, remembering that the deaths of his family members had not been avenged after the whole plot.


    ...


    Meanwhile, the master of this sect was finishing listening to updates on the battles between his organization and the sect of Minos'' grandfather.


    The two organizations were not at total war, as the Flaming Empire would not allow that. Instead, the war between the two organizations was more like a partial conflict in which they fought on a pre-established battlefield.


    That way, the two parties could assure the imperial family that they would not bring chaos to the Empire and everything would be resolved involving only the two organizations.


    Since the two sects had close territories, the battle took place in a part of the Flaming Empire''s border with the Evergreen Empire, where there were no living beings for hundreds of square kilometers.


    "So that damned Oswald is thinking of intensifying the battle, eh? Fine by me!" He said in a firm tone. "Send more troops to the border. I want to wash that place with the blood of those damn gray clouds toads!"


    "Yes, sect master!"


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1244 Inevitable

    The next day...


    After a quiet night in the capital of the Flaming Empire, Minos and his wives had gotten to know a bit of that city and the local temple.


    They had not yet gone out to do business but instead visited the local library of the Temple of Payton, a place that Minos wanted to stop by to look for some information.


    Minos had been looking for information on organizations outside the northern region of the Central Continent for some time but had not had many opportunities in the past.


    In his recent passage through Church posts in Rosser and Vogel, he had other problems in mind in such situations and had not found anything useful either.


    But still, Minos had not forgotten about the Blood Triangle Pirates, who were behind the map in his spatial ring. At the same time, he had an enmity with the people of the Saints Slaying Sect, so that was another organization he sought information from.


    There was still the mystery of the North Sea, but Minos had no hope of getting information about such a place in the Flaming Empire.


    After all, even Grant, the Storyteller, a native of the Western Empire, had lost a high-level companion in that place. So, how could a lower-level Empire have the answers he sought?


    With that, Minos and his wives had spent some time in the library of the Temple of Payton the night before, having already obtained some hints and information that would be useful to them on their journey.


    But they still had not gotten the best information, just enough to know there was something else to investigate in this place.


    So after leaving the library the day before, they decided to return a few more times to this place in the coming days while they were doing business in this city.


    It seemed that some organization in the Evergreen Empire was on to something important, but they needed to talk to more people to get less vague information.


    With that, they had dined with Gloria''s family and spent the night in that residence, where they woke up this morning when they would begin their business at this place.


    ...


    "Good morning, mother-in-law..." Minos said as he faced Gloria''s mother in that residence''s kitchen, seeing his wives already starting to eat.


    Seeing this young man who still had his hair messy, Margot remembered something and smiled at Minos.


    "How long do you intend to stay here?" She asked him as he strangely looked at her.


    "Just long enough for us to settle some business. I think about three or four days. Why?" Minos asked before putting a piece of toast with jam in his mouth.


    "Hehe, I don''t think you''ll be here that long..." She smiled as she prepared another plate for Gloria. "Don''t you want to become the King of Vogel? I think you will soon return there..."


    Minos and his wives did not quite understand what this woman meant and just watched her in doubt.


    He then ignored her comment and said. "If you want me away fast, you can start by giving me some information about the Blood Triangle Pirates. I couldn''t find out everything I wanted to because of the censorship in the local library books..."


    "Blood Triangle Pirates?" Margot looked at Minos with a bit of interest. She knew a piece or two of information about this organization, so she wanted to know his motives. "Why do you want to know about them?"


    Minos then answered her. "I just noticed some groups of pirates in my area claiming to be working for this organization in search of something. So, I became curious about them. After all, what is there for an organization from the Evergreen Empire to look for in those areas?"


    Margot looked at him and said. "Forget about it. There is nothing for you to want to get involved with that organization just because they are looking for something."


    "But can''t you tell us a little about them, mother?" Gloria asked.


    "No, you don''t need to know." She replied, considering their own good.


    ''This is an arm of the imperial family of that place, which has a connection with the Church. Then, you''d better not know anything, so you don''t get into trouble.'' She pondered in silence.


    Margot was too weak to know the most detailed information about this organization. Hence, she did not know what the Blood Triangle Pirates were after, nor the exact relationship of this organization to the Church.


    Therefore, she could only suspect that it would not be the best thing for Minos and her daughter to get involved with things that even she, at level 77, could not access.


    Meanwhile, Gloria was looking at her mother and pressing her jaw, feeling her mother was trying to slow them down. ''Alright! I''ll find out when I get to the 8th stage!''


    As for Minos, he just realized that the problem with this organization was much worse than he had thought. ''Maybe they are connected to a high-level group in the Evergreen Empire?''


    ''Well, considering that such a group even acts in the Continent of the Beasts, even considering the danger of going against the dragon laws, there must be something powerful on their side.'' He considered.


    He then asked. "Then tell me about the Saints Slaying Sect. Who is stronger, that sect or the Gray Clouds Sect?"


    He could ask Gloria and Ruth that, but the two had not yet reached the level of experience to answer that question with the same expertise as Margot. So Minos was counting on his mother-in-law for that.


    She looked at him as she realized he was worried about his family. "Don''t worry. The Gray Clouds Sect won''t fall to the Saints Killing Sect. They are not that different in terms of power, and the emperor would never allow such a thing."


    "I''m not worried about that..." Minos said. "I just want to know how hard it would be to destroy the Saints Killing Sect using the Gray Clouds Sect."


    "Tsk!"


    "You like to think absurd thoughts!" She said, feeling a little irritated at this young man who was so full of himself. ''Just you wait, you rascal. You''ll soon lose that facade!'' She controlled herself not to hit Minos at the thought of what would happen.


    So Minos went back to eating with his wives, while one of them would ask Margot about the previous subject now and then.


    But Gloria''s mother would only answer questions concerning the Saints Killing Sect, leaving organizations from places stronger than the Flaming Empire aside.


    That was until, just as they were about to leave that estate to go about their business in this city, a spatial disturbance appeared above the Temple of Payton, and they all noticed it.


    "Pyke! Get out now. I''m here to get you!" A Spiritual Sage said this in a tone loud enough for everyone in that temple to hear him.


    While Minos felt that this was probably for him, Margot laughed and said. "It''s your time to talk to him, isn''t it, ''Pyke''?"


    Hearing this, Minos understood everything and looked at this woman as if saying she would pay for it.


    "Pyke! Come now! It is inevitable. You will not run away from me today!" The Sage said once again as he looked in the direction of Margot''s house, who had reported this fellow.


    ...


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1245 Mystery Solved

    The moment Minos and his wives left the kitchen of Margot''s residence, the Spiritual Sage looked directly at the lawn of that estate, where they were.


    When he saw the same faces he had seen months ago between the border of Rosser and the Flaming Empire, he immediately frowned.


    "You?" He asked aloud, finding it an incredible coincidence that they were standing there. Even more so considering that Gloria was not in her Church uniform that day and had not even identified herself to him.


    At the thought of this, this level 81 man soon began to feel that they had somehow disrespected him and made a frown as he looked at them.


    Margot then pointed at Minos and said. "Cardinal, this is the young man who pretended to be Pyke during the situation in Vogel..."


    Minos then looked at his mother-in-law with a surprised expression, upset that such a woman was scheming against him when he had done nothing against her.


    But he was also surprised that Margot had found out about his time in Vogel when he had been careful to cover his tracks so many times.


    Unfortunately for Minos, as much as others could not access Gloria''s identification, Margot could. Because of this, she realized that her daughter had passed through the capital of Vogel just when ''Pyke'' had been acting in that state.


    With that, she connected the dots and identified Minos as ''Pyke,'' whom this superior of hers was searching for.


    After discovering this, it had only been a matter of hours before the level 81 Spiritual Sage received her message and came to this city.


    "You?" That man opened his eyes wider upon hearing Margot''s comment, feeling even more deceived by that brat.


    "Kid, you tricked me! I was looking for you months ago, but you dared not identify yourself even though you were standing before me in that previous situation!" He said as he approached where Minos was.


    At this moment, several experts in that temple were already watching them, trying to understand the situation. But not only that, even people from the royal palace on the other side of Payton''s central square were focused in that direction, as it was unusual for someone of that man''s level to appear in this state.


    Unfortunately, Minos had no time to pay attention to the many eyes watching in his direction. "Cardinal, I don''t know what you are talking about. How was I to know that you were after me? I was just following my journey here."


    "Humph!"


    "It was your duty to wait for someone sent by the Church to that state for you to give your statement. So why didn''t you wait?" He asked, dissatisfied with this boy''s excuses.


    Minos then said. "I thought it could be done here in the Flaming Empire. What difference does it make if I report what happened here or in Vogel? At the end of the day, the information will still reach the Church command."


    "Tsk!"


    "You''re good at excuses..." Margot said, trying to make it difficult for her son-in-law. "Be a little more honest, Minos."


    "Minos?" That Spiritual Sage finally understood the identity of the rascal who had tricked him. "Are you the King of the Black Plain? It''s not for nothing that you wish chaos in Vogel! You have your eyes set on that place!"


    Minos cursed Margot in his mind as Gloria glared at her. This young redhead then said. "You are wrong, Cardinal. My husband never thought of Vogel until they attacked the Black Plain without any justification."


    Ruth also said something. "And they were the ones who acted first that fateful day in Vogel. My husband was only protecting his state and even the Spiritual Church since the enemy was plotting against such a noble organization!"


    Abby nodded in agreement. "They fooled the Church for years... I bet they were making secret toasts and laughing at this great organization."


    The Spiritual Sage closed his eyes, feeling irritated by the defenses of those young women, but all that was reasonable to say, even considering that they were only defending Minos.


    "None of this changes the fact that you are coveting a new state, Minos Stuart." He said before turning his attention back to Gloria. "And you, little girl. You stood in front of me and did not identify yourself. May I know the reason for this disrespect, or will you accept your punishment?"


    But before he let her answer his question, he remembered better the information from ''Pyke'' and what had happened in that now Volcanic Region. ''It was them!''


    He looked back at Minos and asked. "You caused all that destruction? So it was your so-called bomb?"


    Gloria closed her mouth and looked at Minos, while Margot was also surprised at such a thing.


    Minos then replied. "Hmm, we were attacked by Spiritual Saints while looking for a place to blow it up safely. So, I was forced to use that thing in that place to protect my family."


    Minos had no problem talking about it with these people. After all, the information about the power of that Black Hole Bomb was already known to the many who he had threatened in Vogel.


    Since Margot had already handed him over on a platter to this Spiritual Sage, there was no longer any reason for him to hide the truth. But, on the other hand, he could very well use an unfavorable situation to his advantage!


    Influence was worth a lot to powerful people, and his Black Hole Bomb gave him much of that!


    Thus, he had surprised many people in the surrounding area, even Gloria''s father, who had just appeared there because of the arrival of that expert.


    "You did that? How?" Joseph asked in surprise, looking at Minos like many Spiritual Saints were doing.


    Minos sighed and said. "I won''t go into details, but I can make a fusion that results in something real that can grow independent of my powers."


    That Spiritual Sage felt a little less offended by Minos'' actions upon finding out about this, already considering that such a fellow was exceptionally talented for someone so ordinary.


    Margot was amazed to hear all this and questioned him. "Is something like this possible? I''ve never heard of something created by a level 61 Spiritual Emperor becoming so strong!"


    Minos shook his shoulders and said. "Ask the Spiritual Saints in the capital of Vogel. They all saw when I controlled that thing."


    The level 81 man closed his eyes upon hearing this, having already heard such a thing from the people he had interrogated in the previous months.


    ''So this kid can do something like that?'' He wondered. ''The King of the Black Plain is much more defiant than the rumors say! With something like this, he can threaten practically all the neighboring kingdoms in his region...''


    ''Could that be why the royal families of those three states are working for him in Vogel?'' He wondered, not knowing the reality behind the negotiations in Vogel.


    As the temporary regent of that state, he knew about the movements between the local noble families. In that way, he was aware of the actions of the Black Plain in trying to dominate that place.


    "Sigh..."


    ''What do I do now? He clearly has a lot of advantages to take that place, but maybe he doesn''t deserve that after all he''s done...'' He pondered in silence while several high-level Spiritual Saints from this temple questioned Minos.


    ...


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1246 He Deserves A Medal

    ''On the one hand, he is probably to blame for part of what happened in Vogel. But, on the other, he has a right to have done that. After all, we don''t forbid the powers of the northern region to act against those from other parts of the continent...''


    And not for nothing. After all, what could mere Spiritual Kings and very few Spiritual Emperors do outside the northern region?


    Because of this, only that weak region was protected from outside powers, and Minos'' actions did not go against the Church''s rules. But Vogel, on the other hand, had disrespected that noble institution and committed serious crimes that they knew would bring wrath upon themselves.


    So was it wrong for Minos to move into that place to help the Church discover the Vogel family''s plots and still wish to seize local power?


    From the point of view of the rules of the Spiritual Church, Minos actually deserved to receive a medal, while House Vogel should be hunted down and exterminated!


    But even knowing this, this Spiritual Sage did not like this situation at all, feeling as if it was wrong not even to question this person acting for his own interests.


    ''Never mind. I wash my hands of this problem.''


    ''The Vogel family attracted this little devil into their home, so it''s only fair that they ended up like this...'' He pondered after considering the matter for a few moments.


    But then he remembered Minos'' level and laughed. ''Hell, they''re incompetent!''


    ''Even if this young man is out of the ordinary, the difference between levels is too great!''


    ''Then they can only blame themselves for being negligent and ending up in the current situation because of someone of level 61.''


    As for the situation involving Minos and the other three neighboring states in the northern region, this man could not do anything about it. And he didn''t care either.


    The Church would try to avoid conflicts in their states, but at the end of the day, they were not totally against conflicts and problems like this man thought. So if Minos was using a weapon like the one that created the Vulcanic Region to threaten Rosser, Albano, and Blackrock, that was those states'' problems with the Black Plain, not the Spiritual Church''s.


    Hence, this Cardinal soon put this matter of Minos blackmailing such kingdoms aside and turned his attention to those four people who had deceived him about the previous matter.


    First, he turned his attention to Gloria, who had not yet answered his question.


    The people in the surrounding area realized he wanted to hear these people, so they stopped asking questions, making room for Gloria to say something.


    "Cardinal, I was not working that day, so I was without my uniform. As for not identifying myself, I am pregnant, so I just wanted to avoid our trip back here being delayed by any mishaps."


    He heard this and realized that Gloria was pregnant, even considering her young age. "You truly are pregnant... And is a very talented little girl." He murmured, feeling the age of the fetus growing in the belly of this level 69 cultivator.


    "All right, I''ll forgive your disrespectful actions that day, but I still want to hear your statement about what happened in the Vogel capital." Then, he made a finger gesture, causing those four to float toward him.


    Minos realized what he wanted to do and shouted. "Wait a moment. Let''s do it here. There''s no need for us to go to Vogel!"


    "That will be your punishment for deceiving me!" The old Spiritual Sage smiled as he opened a wormhole to Vogel, quickly taking Minos and those three with him.


    ''Damn it!'' Minos shouted in his mind, already finding himself inside that strange path commonly used by Spiritual Sages and stronger ones to travel.


    ''All on account of that woman! What a motherf...''


    ...


    As the five people disappeared from that temple in the capital of the Flaming Empire, Joseph looked at his wife and saw that she had an ugly expression on her face.


    "What is it, dear?"


    "I didn''t think he would take Gloria too." She replied, feeling it was a shame that all this had happened.


    Margot thought she could make that fellow suffer a little by arranging to send him to Vogel while Gloria would stay home for the next few months, away from Minos. But, unfortunately, she had not counted on the overreaction of the Spiritual Sage in question.


    "It''s too late now..." Joseph smiled at her, but he was still thinking about the information brought by that Spiritual Sage. ''So Minos can do something of that level? Not bad!''


    ''It seems he is more talented than I had thought.''


    But for Margot Minos'' talent and power did not change his status much in her mind since this fellow had impregnated her precious daughter without giving Gloria a chance to do other things in her life.


    Anyway, while the people in the surroundings of this temple were talking about what had just happened, the emperor of this state was still watching in the direction of such a place in curiosity.


    As a level 80 Spiritual Sage, he had been the first to notice that level 81 man''s arrival and begin to observe the situation from afar. Thus, he had followed all the discussion in that place and was curious to talk to some of his old friends about the young man who had been taken to Vogel.


    "Invite the Frost family to a dinner party at my house in four days." He gave his order to one of the imperial guards in his throne hall.


    Harold did not like the idea of Vogel recovering and returning to the side of those other three states, almost unaffected. But Minos taking over that state differed from a local family doing that!


    At the same time, like the Cardinal of the Spiritual Church, this old ''fox'' had thought that Minos was blackmailing other states to speak on his behalf.


    He had informants everywhere, so he was aware of the negotiations going on in Vogel with the royal families of Rosser, Albano, and Blackrock working for the Black Plain.


    Then, Harold had ''understood'' Minos'' movement against Vogel and could not help but wish to talk to that young grandson of Oswald to hear some of his ideas.


    If possible, he wanted to act with King Stuart to finish his historical enemies more easily!


    ''That young man is interesting...'' He pondered as he returned to his training area. ''He has just won a war of independence and is already aiming to expand his domains.''


    ''I wonder what his potential is? And what is he planning? Will I be next?'' He laughed as he thought about that last question, knowing it was impossible for Minos.


    ...


    So, in the blink of an eye, dozens of minutes had passed since the departure of Minos'' group from Payton.


    And just at this instant, a spatial distortion appeared over the capital of Vogel, with the appearance of five people in that place soon afterward.


    "Well, welcome back to Vogel!" The Spiritual Sage said while the Spiritual Saints that Minos had met before were on the outskirts of that place, already waiting for them.


    "You want to become the king of this place, don''t you, Minos? Then I am confident you will not find it bad to visit your future city for a few more days..." He said with a smile on his face, as people in the surroundings were surprised by this information.


    ...


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1247 Back To The Capital Of Vogel

    When the people on the outskirts of that area above the Vogel capital temple heard the Spiritual Sage referring to that young man as Minos, they soon connected the dots and understood the situation.


    "Minos?"


    "The King of the Black Plain?"


    "So it was that fellow who was here at that time? No wonder he acted so vigorously against the Vogel family! He already wanted to take that kingdom for himself!"


    The people there commented on the matter briefly, while the Spiritual Emperors in the surrounding area also watched everything from afar.


    The Spiritual Sage had left this city earlier, and everyone there had stayed on the outskirts waiting for him, as this man was the local ruler and could not stay away for long. As such, among the many curious to see this group returning, the woman who had made the previous deal with Minos was there watching them from afar.


    Seeing his face without a mask covering it and learning this person''s identity, she was surprised that King Stuart was behind everything that happened in this place back then.


    ''I wonder where the resources he promised to come from?'' She wondered, but already with an agreement signed with Minos, there was nothing else for her to do.


    Besides, if he could not fulfill such a thing, he would be the one to suffer the consequences, not her nor her companions. So, Louise was not worried about him keeping the promises made earlier.


    ''Did he do that considering that he would take the kingdom?'' She opened her mouth in surprise, unable to believe Minos'' risky move. ''What a dangerous thing! He''s risking his own life with such a deal!''


    Meanwhile, Minos looked at the surroundings of that city and felt the frustration of having to return to this place that was months away from Payton.


    ''Damn, now I''ll have to pay to use the teleportation service!'' He complained in his mind, feeling that this was the only way he could shorten his return to the capital of the Flaming Empire.


    "Sigh..."


    ''I guess I''ll have to make the most of this situation!'' He accepted his new circumstances and soon considered visiting the local noble families to try to speed up those organizations'' agreements with the Black Plain.


    Minos was more than happy with the royal families of Vogel''s three allied states and Elen''s team negotiating in this kingdom. But since he was in this place now, there was no harm in participating in the talks to speed up the whole process of royal succession.


    With that, his forced return to this place would not be wasted!


    "There was no need for that. We could have talked in the Flaming Empire..." He muttered in a low voice, knowing that figure would hear him.


    But that Spiritual Sage ignored him and said to the Spiritual Saints in the area. "You may return to your duties now. I will take the statements of these people, and then you can talk to them."


    "Yes, Cardinal!" Several replied as they looked carefully at Minos before departing from there.


    Some of them were the reinforcements sent by the Church after the battle against the Vogel family, so they did not know Minos. But others there, like the original leader of this post, Clarissa, had been with him before and could not help but watch him twice as closely.


    Minos saw this and smiled just before following the Spiritual Sage toward one of the many rooms in that temple.


    After a few moments, the four youths sat side by side while that old figure had his back to them, pouring spiritual tea.


    "Let''s start with where you got the information that Vogel''s family was behind the actions in the northern region..." He said as he placed the cups of tea on a small table in front of those young people and drank some from his cup.


    Gloria then said. "Minos'' mother, Maisie Coleman, said she had suspicions against the Vogel family. Hence we decided to investigate that organization further."


    "Just for that?" He asked in surprise.


    This man wanted to know about this because the Spiritual Church had investigated the matter for some time before their actions, but nothing relevant had emerged. Thus, he naturally wanted to know how these children had bypassed the Church''s investigators.


    But upon hearing their answer, he could not help but be disappointed. It had only been instinct, luck that had led them to the real culprits of this crime!


    Minos then replied. "That was enough. After all, we didn''t need to justify our actions against this family and were willing to cause mayhem with a possible innocent."


    It was better to kill an innocent than to let a guilty one loose. Minos believed this, so he had rather risk creating enmity with the Vogel family than let this organization pass itself off as innocent when it could not be.


    That man understood their point and went on. "So what did you do to ensure the Vogel family was guilty?"


    Minos laughed and said. "I think it was when we were just trying to kidnap one of Abe Vogel''s men, and a Spiritual Saint tried to sacrifice himself to kill us."


    The old man closed his eyes upon hearing that. "I already know that. The temple survivors have told me everything you said that day. When I asked that question, I was referring to what made you decide to act against this family even before that. Only your mother''s instinct?"


    Minos replied. "We met Abe Vogel days before that situation. On that occasion, he seemed upset when I mentioned the Black Plain. But that didn''t even matter since we had already decided to interrogate members of that family before we even met him."


    "So that''s it... But tell me, did you have any other suspects who were after the Spiritual Saints who traveled the northern region? For that matter, what is the reason for House Vogel wanting to act against you? Is there some kind of old grudge between you?" The old man dressed in silver asked after he finished drinking his tea.


    "There was no grudge between us. In fact, we always thought that the Vogel family was acting on behalf of others. But we have no idea who might have convinced this family to do something so foolish, nor the motive of this person or organization that did it." Minos seriously commented.


    The Spiritual Sage''s eyes narrowed, and he quoted a piece of information that had come to his attention during his time in Vogel. "One of our groups found a trace that connects the Vogel family with the Saints Killing Sect, two supposedly enemy organizations..."


    "What?" Minos and his wives exclaimed in surprise upon hearing such a thing since, unlike House Vogel, the Saints Killing Sect had more than one reason for wanting to act against Minos!


    They were enemies of the Gray Clouds Sect, which Minos'' family led. Such an organization had also sent several people to the Black Plain during the latter part of the Black Plain War of Independence to kill him.


    Unfortunately for these groups, they had all been wiped out, which invariably created a new justification for at least part of this organization to wish for Minos'' downfall!


    ...


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1248 Talking To Local Leaders

    "That''s what came up. But there is nothing concrete of the Saints Killing Sect''s involvement with the past acts of Abe Vogel and his group." That Spiritual Sage told them this bit of information not to help them but to try to understand a possible motivation for such acts.


    Abby then exclaimed. "So that''s why that royal family attacked us! That damned sect wanted to take revenge on the Spiritual Emperors who died on the Black Plain during the war!"


    "That must be the case..." Ruth nodded in agreement, feeling that it all made sense now.


    "But if that is the case, it is surprising that Abe Vogel agreed to connect with a power of an enemy state and still take such a risk. I wonder what they offered him?" She asked Minos.


    This brown-haired young man then said. "It must have been some help to replace his father or to make him stronger. He was very ambitious, after all."


    The Spiritual Sage heard this exchange of words between these youths, but none of this was enough for the Church to knock on the doors of such a sect and destroy them. However, this was helpful information to add to the investigation into the Vogel family''s rebellious action.


    The Church was naturally concerned about two organizations performing unusual acts against them within a few years of each other. Thus, they were looking for reasons to justify such acts, perhaps something to direct them in policies that might prevent further acts of this kind.


    But besides keeping this information in his mind, this Spiritual Sage could not help but find Minos'' line amusing. ''The dirty talking about the unwashed, eh?'' He laughed at how King Stuart had talked about Abe being ambitious.


    While this man was thinking about it, Minos was already considering the matter of the Saints Killing Sect more seriously. ''I was right to mark that organization as an enemy to be destroyed!''


    ''I only defended myself against the people they sent, but even so, they went so far as to do something like that...'' He pondered, not even needing a confirmation that such a sect had indeed given orders to Abe.


    Unlike the Spiritual Church, Minos did not need a reason to mark someone as an enemy since he did not care about his public image or whether other organizations would think him fair. For him, his suspicion was enough to move him to that organization!


    Therefore, he already considered the leaders of such a power as his mortal enemies!


    ''Very well, I was going to eliminate them before on account of my subordinates who died at their men''s hands, but now that will be a personal matter!'' He clenched his fists, already considering how to achieve such a goal.


    Gloria, Ruth, and Abby were thinking similar things, but they soon returned to answering other questions from that Spiritual Sage.


    ...


    Sometime later, Minos and his wives finished their interrogation with the expert in charge of this state and were released by him.


    p In theory, they could now return to the Flaming Empire without further worries. But since they were in this place, they decided to stay for the next few days to try to talk to some local leaders.


    But before that, as they were leaving the area where the level 81 Spiritual Sage was, they were stopped by some people from this temple.


    Among them were Clarissa and Louise, as well as others they had seen before.


    "Are you really the King of the Black Plain?" Louise, who already had more intimacy with Minos and those three women, was the first to ask, even considering she was one of the weakest there.


    "Yes, this is me. And those are my wives..." He said, smiling at those people.


    Clarissa then stepped forward and remembered how everything had happened. "You used the Church to conquer this kingdom? How did you have the courage? Do you know how many of our people died?"


    Gloria then stood in front of Minos. "You talk as if it''s our fault. But it was the Vogel family who decided to do all those things! We just reacted against them!"


    But then Minos held one of Gloria''s wrists and stepped forward. "As my wife said, the Vogel family is to blame for everything. As for the rest, it makes no difference. I helped the Church identify an enemy who would eventually try to get in its way."


    "Tsk!"


    "You don''t deserve to compete for the position of the local sovereign!" Another person commented, feeling frustrated by the friends he had lost on both sides of the conflict.


    Minos shook his shoulders and said. "It''s too late now, I suppose..."


    Minos initially did not want people to find out about his identity because it might somehow get in the way of his legitimacy in contesting the local throne. But since the local negotiations with Elen''s group were already advanced, something he had discovered through the Spiritual Sage, this concern of his had disappeared.


    Now even if the people of this Church post raised doubt about Minos'' intentions regarding this state, it would do little to affect the agreements that were about to be confirmed.


    The local families were afraid of going to war against each other, while they were even more afraid of a future in which their allies no longer existed. So, considering the alternative that had emerged in recent weeks, many had already convinced themselves that with Minos, they could continue living as before the fall of the Vogel family!


    Hence, Minos was confident in speaking in such a way in front of these local temple Spiritual Saints.


    And with that, Louise could not help but be more hopeful about her deal with him since, as the King of this state, Minos would undoubtedly help her with many things!


    ''Maybe I can become the next local leader with his help!'' She clenched her fists in satisfaction.


    Meanwhile, some there felt uncomfortable, but remembering how Minos had started all this, they felt a little afraid of the Black Hole.


    They knew this young man could not create such a thing to be already instantly as powerful as that Black Hole they had seen. But nothing stopped him from creating something and feeding it until it reached the level of that abnormality!


    Hence, they also had a certain level of respect for Minos that could not be ignored!


    So Minos and his wives talked to some of those people for a while until they sent Louise and others of their local allies to arrange some meetings for them.


    Many leaders in Vogel lived in this city, so Minos wanted to notify them of his presence to get a chance to talk to some of them about his intentions regarding this state.


    Elen was very good at what she did. He had confidence in that. But there was no comparison between talking to a representative and doing it with the de facto leader of an organization!


    With that, it did not take long, and hours later, the King of the Black Plain and his wives would soon meet with local leaders in the area of the destroyed royal palace of the Vogel family!


    ...


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1249 Difficult Choice

    When it was already night in the capital of Vogel, Minos and his wives arrived in the area where the royal palace of this kingdom formerly stood.


    There, a place not as well lit as the local squares but well enough to observe the ruins of this place, Minos and his wives settled down in a not-so-affected part of this area.


    Several temporary lampposts were there due to the restoration actions the Church was promoting in this city that had suffered so much from the Vogel family''s escape. Also, for this reason, the worst debris had already been removed, and parts of the old palace could be accessed easily by credentialed people.


    Not everyone could enter there, as the area could be dangerous for weak people. But since Minos had a connection to the Spiritual Church and his guests were local experts, each person who came to this place to meet with him could get there easily.


    That was true even for Elen''s group, who were near this city when Minos sent his message.


    Thus, slowly the royal throne room of this state, which had only been partially destroyed, was filling up with more than a dozen people, primarily Spiritual Saints.


    "Minos, I didn''t expect you to show up here..." Elen said as she approached the throne of this place, where Minos was comfortably seated at this instant.


    Minos bitterly smiled upon hearing that. "Me neither... But anyway, I was forced to come to this city, so let''s see if we can speed up our plans."


    "Hmm, with you here, that is certainly possible." She said as she heard the murmurs in the surrounding area from the local experts who were already there.


    Elen then looked at Gloria''s belly and noticed the difference between the months since their group had left Dry City. "You are getting more and more beautiful..." She complimented this redheaded woman as she exchanged a few words with Minos'' wives.


    Meanwhile, Lulu kept an eye on Minos, remembering the last time she had seen this young man when he was only at level 60. ''These people from the Black Plain truly cultivate fast... How do they do it?''


    ''Maybe it''s because of that place in Dry City?'' She wondered as she remembered the strong spiritual fluctuation she had felt coming from the Dry City Cultivation Tower on her passage through such a city.


    But since, in addition to Minos, Ruth, Gloria and Abby had also improved since she had last seen them, she knew that the issue here was not as simple as a supernatural talent on his part.


    With that, she kept paying attention to the four of them as the last guests of this occasion arrived in those ruins.


    At the same time, the local nobles were looking at Minos with various expressions on their faces, trying to read the figure of this unique young man who had appeared in their lives in recent times.


    "Is this fellow the same as the one from that day? No mistake about that?" Someone asked in a low voice to the others, already waiting for the conversations to begin.


    "The Spiritual Sage of the Spiritual Church who recognized him, so it must be true..."


    "But doesn''t that just make it worse? If he''s the same person as before, doesn''t that mean he has something terrible to use against us?" Someone gestured without making too much noise so as not to draw Minos'' attention.


    "That is indeed a concern... We thought he would be harmless, but the truth is not so simple!"


    "Yes, we have to review all our concepts..." So someone was saying this when Louise indicated to Minos that all the guests, local nobles, and representatives of the royalty of Albano, Rosser, and Blackrock were already there.


    Elen then returned to her group''s side, while only Minos and his wives remained in that central place in the royal throne hall.


    Minos raised one of his hands, asking for attention from the more than 20 people there, and said. "Well, thank you for answering my humble request and coming to this meeting..." He waved to some he had already seen during the situation months ago in front of his Black Hole.


    He also paid attention to those he had not seen, among them a young man with an ugly expression as he looked at him. "I didn''t plan to be here today, but since fate has brought me to this place, let''s take the opportunity to talk business."


    As he finished saying this, one of the local leaders, the patriarch of the 3rd most prominent family in this state, asked Minos. "What does Your Majesty propose that differs from what Miss Nash has already told us?"


    Minos smiled at that fellow and said. "Nothing, I''m just here to remove your doubts and convince those still uncertain about me. The Flaming Empire is powerful, so perhaps it is in all of our interests to resolve this situation as soon as possible..."


    Some people there were satisfied with this since part of them already feared that Minos would try to extort them somehow because of the weapon up his sleeve.


    The man who was making an unfriendly expression as he looked at Minos then asked. "What about that thing? How can we trust you when you have something so scary? Who will guarantee that you won''t use such a weapon up your sleeve against us in the future? Will we be able to claim our freedom in the future?"


    Minos had already noticed this fellow and heard Louise explaining in one of his ears. "This Spiritual Saint had his original body swallowed up for that thing. So he has a bit of a grudge against you..."


    "Oh?" Minos looked interestedly at that fellow who was now at level 72, weaker than when he had almost died due to the Black Hole.


    King Stuart then momentarily closed his eyes, not blaming that man for that. "I promise that unless you try to act against my state and family, I will not use that against you. At worst, you will have to deal with my other powers..."


    After hearing that, the people there felt much better.


    ''Without that, he''s just a Spiritual Emperor... He''s not a threat!'' Some of them thought similar things.


    Minos then continued. "As for this question of your status, I feel it''s too early for us to talk about that, no? You guys haven''t even made up your minds to accept me as the local sovereign, and you''re already thinking about the day you''ll overthrow me?" He laughed.


    "I think you guys should worry about the Flaming Empire, not me." He made a more serious expression. "And at the end of the day, what other choice do you have here that is even remotely comparable to my family taking on this state?"


    "Will you prefer to be dominated by the Flaming Empire? Or perhaps fight amongst yourselves while your allies suffer what you will suffer in a matter of months or years? Maybe choose one family among your own to lead this state and end up getting a tyranny in a few decades?" Minos played out the options for these people to feel the drama they were in at the moment.


    "No... I don''t think so, right? You are smarter than that!"


    ...


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1250 The Future Assembly Of Vogel

    Hearing Minos'' justifications, the people there could not help but make a brief silence as they looked at each other, looked at the ground and the rubble there.


    They had all thought about it. But, unfortunately, the odds were not on their side, and all the alternatives, besides Minos, ended in risks to them that were far more significant than what this young man represented.


    Finding out that Minos was the ''Pyke'' who had appeared in this city before the Spiritual Church''s battle with the Vogel family had guaranteed them a new doubt about him because of the Black Hole.


    But even considering this, Minos was still the best option for them since they did not want to surrender to the Flaming Empire.


    As for the other options, a local noble family taking over the kingdom would be like giving the key to a chicken coop to a wolf. They would take this state for themselves and use a possible confrontation against the Flaming Empire to diminish rival forces and increase their power. Eventually, it would be impossible to recover the state of such an organization with a chance for others to rise to power.


    On the other hand, they had the option of subdividing that state into several autonomous regions and eventually fighting alongside the three allied kingdoms against the Flaming Empire. But this would put them in a situation where some could stay out of this conflict, affiliating with other states, such as the Empire itself.


    None of them wanted to be dominated by the Empire. But if one of them received a very generous offer to weaken the others, none of them were sure that all their organizations would refuse the Flaming Empire.


    In short, many uncertainties would arise with a possible subdivision of Vogel, which might be against the interest of these local organizations.


    And even if this did not happen, the option of moving forward with Minos was much more promising.


    Besides the fact that he had contacts with the Church and the Empire, something that could help maintain peace in the region, he was just a Spiritual Emperor from the Black Plain. So, with him, these families would at least have a chance to compete for local power in the future on better terms than at present.


    Since more than four major local organizations had an interest in eventually taking over this state, all of them and their main partners preferred the option of relying on Minos!


    But, of course, even noting this option as the best, they would not accept such a thing without at least negotiating the best possible terms and some guarantees.


    "You''re right." Another local leader, a level 75 Spiritual Saint, said this while playing with some debris in his hands. "You are the best option for Vogel and our families at the moment. But how long will that be? And how much exactly are you willing to offer?"


    They had all already heard Elen''s introductory offers, but they wanted confirmation from Minos and also something more.


    The representatives of the royal families of those three kingdoms paid attention to Minos'' direction and then listened along with the other people there. "Well, recently, I bet with someone from the Spiritual Church, which will be decided in less than 20 years. So we can put a preliminary agreement for that same time."


    He continued. "We will form an assembly in this state that will have great powers to legislate and even counter my orders as king. It will also be able, every 20 years, to vote for me to remain on the royal throne."


    "Then you can choose my permanence or removal for the first time when this bet expires." He opened his arms, gesturing to the people there.


    The most influential individuals in that hall opened their eyes to Minos'' offer, something enormously interesting to them.


    "And what would that be like? How would we be represented?" One of them questioned.


    Minos thought of something and said. "Each local noble family will have a representative on this council for every five Spiritual Saints in their ranks. Each family can choose these representatives, and there is no obligation regarding their level."


    "If someone feels that a Spiritual King can represent the family well, so be it."


    "But each representative will be entitled to one vote, which will carry equal weight regardless of who the representative is. The joint decisions of this assembly will be passed with a simple majority." He explained, adding. "But to unseat the king, at least two-thirds of that group will have to choose such an option."


    Those local leaders received these comments from Minos positively, feeling that this would be a fair system for their families, giving them power equivalent to their current positions, somewhat fair.


    Since the time frame for deciding whether he would continue as king would also be relatively short, they did not see a problem with that either.


    What could Minos do in 20 years?


    Hell, at higher levels, that time interval was not even long enough to advance a single level!


    So, Minos'' rule and the advantages that the Black Plain could have with Vogel would be limited.


    Moreover, if their families could decide the state''s future through this assembly, they would take a slight risk of being ruled by an incompetent or unprepared young man.


    Thus, with the assurances that Minos was willing to give them, they could not help but view this situation more positively and have some of their worries diminished.


    "Well, I agree with those conditions..."


    "Me too..."


    "Yeah, it''s not bad."


    Several of them voiced their opinions on this matter.


    Minos then continued. "Apart from this matter concerning the local powers, I will keep the taxes already levied by the Vogel family, but the share remaining with the royal family will be reduced to 10% of the original amount. The difference in that amount will be at the disposal of this assembly for the best use for the benefit of Vogel."


    "Furthermore, we will have no further additions or demotion of noble families until the first vote on my continuance as King of Vogel. Then, finally, we will give you all the advantages already promised by Elen."


    After he finished speaking this, the people there started talking among themselves, arguing among their families, and then with those opponents, they respected the most.


    But, in general, except for a few points, everyone agreed with what Minos had to offer and thought that going ahead with him would not bring any significant risk to their organizations.


    The big risk to their organizations was not a young Spiritual Emperor, even considering his powerful weapon. After all, at the end of the day, none of them had significant grudges against Minos or the Black Plain. Instead, their problem was a war with the Flaming Empire, so this whole negotiation went more smoothly than one would expect from a meeting that would become known as the one that decided the future of this state.


    With that, when they had been in that place for more than an hour, those Spiritual Saints began to leave the area, promising to send their definitive answers in the next three days.


    Some of them still wanted to discuss the state''s future with other relatives, so evidently, they would not promise something just after this one conversation.


    But Minos and his wives felt that most of them were already convinced to stay on their side, so they left satisfied with all of this.


    ''Now I just need to sign some agreements and check with the Church when this state will have its freedom to officiate a new ruler!'' Minos smiled as he flew back to the local temple.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1251 The Future Of Vogel

    The day after the local leaders met with Minos, he and his wives received representatives from smaller Vogel families, which also participated in the local political game.


    All noble organizations with at least 5 Spiritual Saints in this state would be entitled to representatives in the future Assembly of Vogel. So, more organizations than were at the meeting the day before deserved to have their questions answered by him.


    But that was the easiest part to negotiate with. Larger families that had a chance to get the local sovereign position were harder to talk to because of the greed of being so close to making a big step in political power.


    Hence, if organizations like this that would be most affected by this state falling into Minos'' lap had found his terms acceptable, it was unlikely that more minor powers would try to stand against him.


    In this way, Minos and his wives were only resolving doubts from less prestigious local leaders, but without being in a position of having to appeal to strategies to secure more support for their cause.


    At the same time, Elen and her group were doing similar things, only with other types of powers in this state.


    Not every family or organization in a kingdom had titles of nobility. In addition, there were ascendant bourgeois powers with economic and military power, which were also relevant to the state''s future.


    Therefore, Minos'' party had not forgotten about these relevant players and was working on all possible fronts to make his local ascension as smooth as possible.


    And so, at the local lunch hour, he and his wives got a moment to speak with the Spiritual Sage in charge of this state.


    ...


    "What do you people want here?" The old fellow asked as he sat behind a desk full of documents with orders to be issued.


    Minos, standing in front of this fellow, next to Ruth, Gloria, and Abby, then said. "I want to know if you have an estimate of how long the Church will be in charge of this state. Do you have any idea?"


    This man did not care how Minos referred to him and closed his eyes. "Are you in a hurry to take over this kingdom? But it was your idea for the Church to take the reins of this state temporarily, wasn''t it?"


    "My husband only wants to know about it so that we can better prepare ourselves for the consequences of the end of the Church''s regency period..." Gloria said.


    That Spiritual Sage then took his eyes off these four people in front of him and looked at the papers on his desk. "Sigh!"


    "I don''t know how long I will stay here. Since the royal family of this place has acted against the rules of the Church, the groups sent to this state must investigate all the operations of the current generation of that organization to make sure there are no more problems here."


    "Then until we are sure that other local organizations have not been used against the Church, that there are no more culprits among the local leaders, we will not leave here." He seriously said as he pondered how much work there was for him and his subordinates to solve.


    "It looks like that''s going to take a while..." Ruth commented in a low voice.


    "Hmm, at least one year. Probably more." Abby gave her opinion, considering how many people this organization would have to check out.


    Minos placed one of his hands on his chin, pondering what would happen to the local forces in this period. ''By that time, I will probably have finished my journey and will be in the Black Plain...''


    ''But until this kingdom makes its new leadership official, there will be uncertainties that could intensify the Flaming Empire''s threat of war with those other three kingdoms. In that case, the local families must move in this period to secure support for their allies and demonstrate their position to the Empire!''


    Until the Church crowned him, all the news about him would only be rumors. And as such, the threat that a united kingdom in agreement with its allies would pose to the Flaming Empire would not be so intense as to frighten its enemies.


    In this situation, there would undoubtedly be those people believing in the weakness of a leaderless state, in the enemy''s game of narratives to delay their movements, in local disunity, etc. As long as the kingdom did not have a king and royal family, many doubts would exist, indicating an opportunity for attack, even in a relatively quiet situation such as the current one.


    So, in Minos'' opinion, the local powers would need to be prepared for the tests that the Empire would certainly try to impose to ascertain the rumors!


    On the other hand, a state had its own economy and local dynamics besides war. Uncertainty decreased productivity, something that could negatively impact his plans. Thus, King Stuart already had in mind to talk about how the local families should act in the meantime to minimize the risks and damage to the kingdom.


    He wanted to enjoy the benefits he would have as much as possible as a local ruler, so this was of utmost importance to him.


    "Well, let''s prepare the local families to endure this period..." He remarked before his group bid farewell to that Spiritual Sage to go settle related matters in this city.


    ...


    Two days later...


    After the period promised by most of the local leaders, they and several other relevant people in the kingdom returned to the destroyed palace in the central part of the capital of Vogel.


    In this instant, they were all there to give their answers regarding Minos'' project for this kingdom.


    And with that, as more people finished arriving, some who had not been there before were talking among the members of their respective families.


    "Patriarch, is it truly interesting that we accept this person as king?" A Spiritual Saint who had only heard of Minos'' proposals in the past two days asked this of the leader of his family. "I mean, he''s not even from our kingdom... How will we put someone like that on the royal throne?"


    "Besides, his level is shallow..." Another person from that group commented.


    But then the patriarch of that organization said, after sighing. "That part about his level doesn''t matter since the representatives of local noble families will be the ones ruling the state... As for that other question, that is a humiliation we must accept if we want to survive against the Flaming Empire."


    "But eventually, we will have a chance to remove him from his throne and choose someone who knows and shares our history." He looked at the empty throne, which was still waiting for Minos to arrive for this day of deal-making.


    While this local patriarch coveted that symbol of local power, others in that place were doing the same thing, imagining themselves sitting in such a place in a few decades.


    ''Let''s allow this fellow to sit on the king''s place for a while, while things settle down. But eventually, I will be the one to lead Vogel!'' A level 76 Spirit Saintual thought as he saw Minos and his wives arriving for the start of this occasion.


    ...


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1252 Agreements And Journey Back To Payton

    After Minos'' group arrived, preliminary talks quickly got underway, with several of the patriarchs and leaders of local organizations voicing their support for King Stuart''s plans.


    With much of the local support, no one there would attempt to bar the agreement that was about to be signed, so no one among those present attempted to question Minos on previously discussed matters.


    Because of this, within a short time after the talks began on this day, Minos and his wives were already signing Soul Contracts with those Spiritual Saints.


    But on this occasion, not only the confirmation of their agreements was taking place. No, such a thing would take all day to be finalized due to the need for rest for the people in Minos'' group. As such, many local leaders took the opportunity to determine certain matters concerning the Assembly of Vogel.


    "Your Majesty Minos Stuart, when exactly will this assembly starts its operations?" One of them asked him while that young man was resting after signing some contracts.


    "That depends on you," Minos replied. "The Church is running the state for the moment, but you can already meet to discuss some issues."


    Abby then said. "Pick the location where this assembly will be, and create special rules and events to connect your families with this new form of government. And then, while the Church still has powers over this state, use this location to decide joint actions."


    Minos nodded. "You don''t need to wait until my coronation to act as a united kingdom in the face of your external adversaries. From now on, act according to our plans and plan together your internal and external movements in this assembly."


    "That will be crucial for Vogel''s survival without a strong royal family."


    Hearing this, several of the Spiritual Saints agreed with these points.


    That might seem obvious, something that someone with common sense could conclude easily. But the truth was that for these people who had for thousands of years followed the Vogel family or at least respected their orders, it was problematic to accept the command of others just like them.


    And this could become highly problematic in a scenario where they had to protect themselves against the mighty Flaming Empire, which would show no mercy whether they were in a moment of weakness.


    There was a very significant risk that the ego of some would speak louder, and they would ignore the situation they were in to avoid having to take orders from someone who, until recently, was an equivalent person or power.


    The figure of the king and the royal family was crucial, going far beyond a state symbol. Such institutions maintained the state''s balance and made certain relationships work almost mystically!


    Therefore, without such mechanisms, it was not easy for these people to act as expected, and Minos and Abby''s advice could be helpful for them.


    Since they would have to rule this kingdom through the assembly anyway, starting to act together, even before the Church finished its regency, would be of great importance for their unity as a state!


    "Perhaps we should already choose our representatives and send them to talk to our allies..."


    "Yes, a place like this will be ruled by the most influential groups, so it is of utmost importance that we form our alliances within this assembly."


    "Well, our family will send Spiritual Emperors for that representative function."


    "Haha, I will not waste my time on such a thing. I have to cultivate and take care of my family..."


    "Same for me..."


    Conversations spread throughout that area in much more tranquil tones than could be seen later in the families of this state and Vogel''s allies.


    Seeing the smiles in the surroundings, the representatives of the royal families of Blackrock, Rosser, and Albano could not help but be pleased but also surprised at how things had developed.


    ''The problem seems to have been solved easier than I had imagined...'' Lulu watched the local leaders arguing as if at an end-of-year party.


    ''The model this guy presented is not bad at all. It empowers the local organizations, takes the weight off his shoulders, and he is still the least bad possibility for everyone.'' She looked at Minos, trying to understand what was in this person''s head.


    ''But I wonder what he has in mind? Is he going to go through with these agreements? Or is he taking one step back to take two forward in the future?'' She was curious about this, knowing that Minos was ambitious and had a habit of making dubious moves.


    Lulu had studied a little about how Minos acted during the Black Plain''s War of Independence, but she had also seen how he did business. He had suggested the Giant Tortoises deal, which seemed highly favorable to Albano, but something told her it was not so simple.


    On the surface, it did not seem so, but she felt that Minos would gain far more from that deal than her family would. And right now, she felt the same way about Vogel, feeling that all these people were underestimating the king of the Black Plain too much.


    Minos realized that he was being watched by her and just nodded, remembering that on his way back, he would pass Albano to look for the inheritance of the God of Death.


    So, while some experts talked about the local assembly, other people thought about their plans for the royal throne, hours passed, and all the agreements were signed.


    In the end, each person who participated in this event returned whence they came in a hurry to begin to settle the affairs of the Assembly of Vogel, which they wanted to make real as soon as possible.


    As for Minos and his group, they bid farewell to Elen and her team, who were to continue in this state until his coronation, to help the formation of the future Stuart family government.


    Elen was also going to start some business between Vogel and the Black Plain, so she had a lot of work ahead of her in this state, and it would take a few years until she returned to Dry City.


    Finally, for the next day, Minos and his wives agreed to use some teleportation posts for their trip back to Payton.


    The Church''s Spiritual Sage had already assured them that he would not help them return to that city, so they had no other options but to do this so as not to have to repeat the same trip as before.


    Since Ruth and Gloria were well aware of this service available in these states and the Flaming Empire, they would only have to travel a few days until they reached Payton!


    For this, they would have to spend a lot of their medium-grade crystals since such convenience did not come without a cost.


    But Minos accepted such a thing while storing in his mind the memory of each crystal to one day return this ''gift'' to Margot.


    ''You thought you were going to keep me away and still get in my way, but you will be shocked to find that you have only accelerated the strengthening of my state...'' Minos thought about this as his group moved to the first stopping point.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter ?1253 Dinner with the Emperor

    ?1253 Dinner with the Emperor


    While Minos and his wives were traveling back to Payton, in this city, Gloria''s parents were currently in the imperial palace, heading for a meeting with the Emperor.


    After the quick passage of that level 81 Spiritual Sage through this city to take Minos and his wives back to Vogel, the Emperor had invited these two to his residence for dinner.


    Since they had no reason to refuse the invitation of this most crucial figure in the empire, someone they had known for millennia, they had followed the Emperor''s arrangements and gone to meet him.


    So when they arrived at the Emperor''s residence, they greeted some old acquaintances and were soon led into the dining hall, where a wonderful smell wafted out.


    From that place, women''s voices could be heard in the distance, while the aura of this state''s level 80 Spiritual Sage indicated he was not around yet.


    "Matriarch, Patriarch Frost, His Majesty should not take long. So, please, make yourselves comfortable." The butler of that residence said as he opened the door to the dining hall.


    Upon entering the dining hall of the Emperor''s house, Margot and Joseph immediately saw three young-looking women in that place talking.


    One of them was the Empress, the Emperor''s first wife, a blonde woman, about 1.7 meters tall, slender body, and one of the most beautiful in the empire.


    The youngest of the three was the daughter of the other woman there, heir to the imperial throne, a redhead like her father and mother, only 1.6 meters tall, with voluminous measurements that would make men of all types desire her.


    Finally, the last beautiful woman there, a redhead, but not because of the Edwardstone lineage, was Harold''s second wife, with whom he had been lucky enough to have his only daughter.


    The Emperor had other wives, but they were only concubines, women who were part of his harem but did not have many rights, such as the right to be in the imperial succession.


    In the Flaming Empire, the Empress'' children did not necessarily have advantages over other children of the Emperor with other wives. So even if he had children with that blonde woman, the princess born from his second marriage would still have advantages, which is why she had already received the title of Crown Princess.


    Seeing these three chatting while waiting for Harold''s arrival, Margot and Joseph immediately greeted them.


    The Empress, level 78, looked at these old acquaintances and asked. "How are you, Margot, Joseph? I heard that your daughter recently got married..."


    The two redheads there, level 77 and 70, looked at those two church members with curiosity regarding this information their family had obtained after Minos'' flashy exit days ago.


    Harold had not told them much about what he wanted with this dinner, so they could only wait for him while they learned about this strange fact that had happened in the local temple of the Spiritual Church.


    Margot and Joseph smiled upon hearing that, and then she said, while sitting across the table from where these women were. "It''s true, Gloria married the King of the Black Plain..."


    "Really?" Isabella, the Crown Princess of this empire, asked in interest, considering the difference in status between Minos and Gloria.


    But not only that, all of them knew about the customs of Church members, so a bit of doubt or curiosity about it was to be expected.


    "Yes, that girl was somewhat irresponsible, and he was fortunate to get her pregnant..." Margot was sincere, not caring to talk about it with these women. "If it weren''t for that, I would never have agreed to such a thing!"


    "Margot, don''t be so harsh. That young man isn''t that bad..." Joseph said, considering that Minos had the most outstanding talent he had ever seen and that this would be positive for Gloria.


    As Gloria''s father, he was hardly going to like any man she related to. After all, she was his little girl, who he did not want to know was running around ''making babies''...


    But if her partner was talented and capable of giving her a promising future, he was fully capable of putting up with such a person and accepting him into the family.


    Since Minos could be considered quite strong considering the Black Hole, Gloria''s father''s opinion of this young man had significantly improved over the past few days!


    Margot seriously looked at her husband, while Harold''s second wife Audrey said in surprise. "So that little girl is already going to be a mother? I can''t tell if that''s lucky or unlucky..."


    Gloria had been brought to this place a few times in the past, so all three of these women remembered the time when she was just a child.


    "Of course, it''s luck!" The Empress said this, feeling as if Gloria had completely outgrown her in this instant but happy for this young woman. "A pregnancy is the greatest happiness a woman can have!"


    The people there looked at her and nodded in agreement, knowing that all Madeline wanted most was to one day be able to get pregnant.


    Unfortunately, she and the Emperor were already at advanced ages, high levels, and had high-quality talents and Physiques. Thus, it would not be easy for them to achieve something as complicated as that, even though they tried almost daily.


    Isabella then commented, smiling but a little embarrassed. "But it''s truly impressive. Little Gloria got married and pregnant before I did..."


    "Don''t talk like that. You talk as if you have some experience in the matter..." The princess'' mother played with her, making Isabella blush with embarrassment that she was still a virgin, even though she was over 150 years old.


    But as Isabella unjustly looked at her mother, the Emperor''s voice sounded in all their ears. "Don''t say such things to my daughter. What do you want, Audrey? To encourage Bella to go out and get a man? Not even over my dead body!"


    Hearing the Emperor''s humorous voice, Margot and Joseph rose from their seats as this man walked to the seat at the end of the large dining table in that hall, where all the dishes were already served, with several trays protecting the food.


    "Your Majesty!" The two bowed their heads simultaneously as the servants uncovered the plates, revealing the banquet prepared by high-level grade-3 cooks.


    "Sit down. You know you don''t have to make that kind of gesture when we are in private..." The Emperor said with a smile on his face before he sat down and poured himself a glass of wine.


    Joseph and his wife sat down soon after, along with those three women starting to serve themselves.


    "So, your daughter is pregnant with this Minos Stuart guy, huh?" He asked, continuing the conversation on where they were. "How much do you know about him? Is it true that he plans to take over Vogel and become the king of that state?"


    Hearing this, Gloria''s parents finally understood what the Emperor wanted with them and smiled at each other, remembering that Minos also seemed interested in knowing this person.


    ...


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter ?1254 Dangerous Suggestion

    ?1254 Dangerous Suggestion


    "So Your Majesty is already aware of Minos..." Joseph smiled as he put some salad on his plate.


    "Hard not to be after that Church expert''s visit..." Harold commented. "On the other hand, he is the grandson of an old acquaintance, so I had heard of him at one time or another..."


    Joseph then spoke. "Well, I can''t say exactly how much Minos wants, but it looks like he will try to become the king of Vogel."


    That was not confidential information, so Gloria''s father saw no problem speaking the obvious with Harold.


    "He what?" Isabella found this incredible and could not help but ask. "Isn''t this Minos Stuart just a Spiritual Emperor? How is he going to become the King of Vogel? Besides, what about his grandfather''s relationship with our state?"


    Isabella was the local heiress, but besides not being interested in taking the place of her father, someone who was still going to live a long time, this woman was not involved in the external affairs of the Empire.


    For now, she had only been training and dealing with internal affairs, preparing herself for the future in which she would probably have to lead this state.


    Margot knew that and was not surprised by the Crown Princess'' questions. "He is ambitious and not the type to bow down in the face of danger... The first time I met him, I wanted to teach that brat a lesson, but even though he saw me furious, he showed no fear."


    "Oh?" The Empress found this information interesting.


    "So he dares to covet Vogel on his level?" Isabella''s mother asked. "How will he do that?"


    "With the help of the other kingdoms, right?" The Emperor asked the two members of the Spiritual Church, something his spies had already informed him of.


    Joseph bitterly smiled, feeling that he did not need to hide anything from Harold. "That must be the case... Even though he is only at level 61, he is probably the best chance for the survival of the alliance of these states. So, he''s probably using that to his advantage."


    "That''s problematic..." The Empress looked at her husband as he looked back at her.


    "What is he going to do when he succeeds?" Harold asked Joseph and Margot.


    Gloria''s mother then said. "That we do not know. But I believe Your Majesty will be able to ask him that personally."


    "What do you mean?" Madeline''s eyes narrowed.


    That white-haired woman said. "He wants to meet with His Majesty..."


    "He wants to meet me?" Harold''s eyebrows rose while a slight smile appeared on his lips.


    "Hmm, he wants to use his position to talk with Your Majesty and at least temporarily resolve the tension between the empire and these states," Joseph confirmed what Harold wanted to hear.


    ''That little boy is bold!'' Harold was silent after Joseph''s words, imagining that it would take a lot of audacity for the future leader of an enemy force of the Empire to want to visit him. ''But I wonder what he has in mind? Does he want to help me defeat these four states for some benefit?''


    But since Minos already wanted to meet him, this man no longer needed to use his influence to get these two to put such a person in contact with him.


    Then, he just agreed to such a thing. "Well, if he wants to meet this old man, I have no problem welcoming him to my house. Then, when he returns from Vogel, send me a message, and we''ll set up a meeting for me to encounter Oswald''s grandson."


    "Yes, Your Majesty." The two nodded in agreement as they pondered how long this would take.


    As for any problems it could be with this meeting of Minos and Harald, the two were not worried, at least not for the moment.


    The Flaming Empire was Vogel''s enemy, but that did not mean the parties were passionate in their interactions, unable to peacefully dialogue.


    Moreover, Minos was the grandson of the Gray Clouds Sect master, as well as having no deep relations with Vogel. So, there would be no reason for Harold to see him as an enemy and become a danger to the father of the little girl growing up in their daughter''s belly.


    Isabella then commented. "I want to meet this Minos. Even though he is from the northern region, he seems pretty impressive."


    "Well, he has the Coleman family genes, so to say he is from the northern region is a bit of an exaggeration." The Empress commented to her stepdaughter.


    Meanwhile, Margot strangely looked at the princess, thinking this was not a good idea. ''I hope that scoundrel doesn''t covet the emperor''s daughter...''


    But the Emperor, although very well-informed, was ignorant about Minos'' womanizing character. "It''s good that you want to meet him. He seems very capable in combat, so it will be good if you challenge him to a match, Bella."


    "Do you think so, Father? Wouldn''t it be a shame for the whole family if I challenged someone so much weaker than me? They''ll think I''m oppressing the weaker ones!" She did not like that suggestion.


    She was just curious about the King of the Black Plain, this figure that had become famous for his actions in the northern region, having even gotten pregnant and married Gloria, a little girl she had held in her arms decades ago.


    Her mother then suggested. "Just tease him a little when you two meet. I''m sure someone like him has a big ego and will challenge you."


    "Great idea, honey!" Harold laughed as he sipped his wine with Joseph.


    ''That''s a terrible idea...'' Margot closed her eyes and swallowed her saliva, but now that the Emperor had said such a thing, she could not say the words in her mind.


    She could only pray that those three women were taking good care of Minos so that he would not be interested in the beautiful Isabella and consequently anger the Emperor.


    "Sigh..."


    "Fine, but I don''t like it." Isabella pouted at her parents, wondering if Minos were everything these people were talking about or a wimp she would have to entertain.


    ''I hope he''s not like most of these young men who get the chance to train with me...'' She sighed, thinking of how many people were in love with her in the Empire.


    And with that, the Emperor felt a slight chill on his back, but without understanding why, he tried to ignore it while talking to Margot and Joseph.


    Although they lived in the same city, separated only by Payton''s central square, they usually did not see each other often.


    Hence, besides talking about Minos and Gloria, they did not miss the opportunity to update each other on relevant facts about the state, but also old things, family, and friends.


    All of them were already ancient, so news of one colleague or friend from the old days dying was not uncommon.


    Therefore, they spent some time talking in that residence before Gloria''s parents left with the promise to bring Minos to this place as soon as possible.


    And so two weeks passed in the blink of an eye!


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1255 Level 62

    After the departure of Minos'' group from Vogel two weeks ago, he and his women finally managed to return to the capital of the Flaming Empire.


    The four used a teleportation point between Vogel and Rosser, traveled to the territory of the Holy Sect, having passed through the Volcanic Region, and then used teleportation arrays twice more within the Empire.


    Tens of thousands of medium-grade crystals were spent to make these three trips while they traveled with Maida and Kyla the rest of the time, taking the opportunity to see some new places.


    But they did not do any business in this period since they would only have to do this in Payton and the Gray Clouds Sect due to their previous trip through that state. At the same time, they had not had to fight beasts or cultivators from the Empire in this period since they had traveled by safer and faster routes.


    And with that, they had trained hard during this period, with Minos finally reaching level 62!


    Not only had Minos advanced, but Maida had reached level 61 in the days that had passed.


    And so, their group again reached Payton, this time through a teleportation port in the middle of this city, not through the skies, on the back of that level 61 beast.


    ...


    After arriving in the capital of the Empire, Minos and his wives went directly to the temple of the Spiritual Church, where without delay, he came face to face with Margot.


    "Thank you for the great gift, mother-in-law. You don''t know how beneficial it was for us to return to Vogel!" He said as he looked thoughtfully at that woman.


    Margot clenched her fists and made a serious expression at Minos, feeling like slapping this provocative young man.


    But seeing how her daughter was looking at her, Margot tried to ignore Minos, feeling disappointed that her plans had failed.


    Joseph, who was still around as it was only the beginning of the day, said. "We spoke to the Emperor a few days ago, and he invited you to his house."


    Minos forgot about the matter involving his mother-in-law and took an interest in this. "Is that so? When will I be able to do that?"


    "I think probably tomorrow. I will pass a message to his staff about your arrival, and when the time is right, we will take you to the imperial palace." He answered without reeling.


    "OK, thanks for that." Minos grinned, already imagining what it would be like to negotiate with the emperor of this state. ''If I can solve the problems of the four kingdoms with the Empire, I will be able to live peacefully on the Black Plain for several years.''


    ''I''ll just have to eventually deal with the Saints Killing Sect and that damned fugitive, Abe Vogel!''


    ''After that, I''ll just have to keep an eye on the Blood Triangle Pirates, with no more enemies in these nearby states.'' He imagined the bright future ahead of him.


    But then Joseph asked him. "What do you intend to talk to the Emperor about?" This individual took his eyes off Minos and looked at Gloria. "And what exactly have you accomplished in Vogel?"


    Gloria was the first to say, smiling in a satisfied manner. "We secured the sovereignty of that state for our Stuart family, hehe."


    "Oh?" The two experts there opened their mouths in surprise, not expecting such a thing.


    Only those whom Minos wanted to have the chance to participate in the negotiations with him. But all those people, including those from the Spiritual Church, were individuals who had a vested interest in keeping what happened in those days between them.


    Since it was still too early for the joint actions of those organizations to take shape, people from the Spiritual Church in Vogel did not know what Minos had done in that state. So, naturally, these two experts in the Flaming Empire did not know anything yet.


    "Minos temporarily gave a portion of the king''s power to those families, and they accepted to crown him as king as soon as the Church ends its regency." She finished.


    "A portion? Temporarily?" Joseph frowned his eyebrows.


    Abby then said. "In time, we will get back what was given up for the time being..."


    "Eventually, they will realize that we have given them too much power and will gladly give it back to us." Ruth completed her harem sister''s speech.


    The two elders looked at each other until they focused on Minos.


    As long as there was an advantage for those organizations, they would naturally find it very normal and even obligatory for Minos to give up so much for the position of king. But once this imbalance was balanced, changes would be inevitable!


    Since they were not just good people helping to rescue Vogel, nor even mercenaries selling their help for a price, the Stuart family would naturally take whatever it felt was its due!


    And with that, Minos smiled at his wives, who knew his plans for domination well.


    "Soon I will become the King of Vogel, but I will not have many advantages, despite my suffering with the weights of that state''s troubles on my shoulders... Then, eventually, my vassals will recognize my efforts and return to me what I have lent them for the time being."


    "But of course, I will do everything as promised to them, so there will be no problems." He said, just to ensure his contracts would not be broken.


    For a Soul Contract, it did not matter if a person planned to use methods to break the validated one. In a contract, if one did not act against the promised points, there would be loopholes one could use without being punished!


    Minos knew more about this than the people who signed agreements with him, but the other side knew a little about it. Not only that, they were ready to act according to their interests and eventually get King Stuart out of the temporary position he would have.


    Since Minos already imagined that there were patriarchs in Vogel thinking of replacing him in the future, he had no problem making his plans for that state.


    ''In the future, the Black Plain will become a great empire...'' He imagined this before finally answering his father-in-law. "As for what I want with the Emperor, that is to stop him from going to war."


    "And how are you going to convince him?" Margot asked, putting aside the bold plans of these children for Vogel.


    "You will figure it out..." Minos said as he turned his back to them, ready to start doing business in this city.


    Abby, Ruth, and Gloria followed him to go shopping for the spiritual techniques they could obtain in this city, going ahead with their old plans.


    Meanwhile, Margot and Joseph were standing in their house''s kitchen, looking in the direction from which Minos'' group had departed, not knowing what to say about their plans.


    "What do you think he has in mind, Joseph? Even our daughter is plotting against independent states..." Margot said as she gestured with her hands. "If others find out about this, they''ll think she''s trying to influence other states! They''ll think she''s committing a crime!"


    He was silent for a moment and then said. "No... Gloria is married to Minos, and he is not an internal member of the Church who has to follow our rules. So, she can''t be guilty of being involved in her husband''s life, who happens to be a conqueror."


    "Not to mention that her position within the Church is relative to the northern region... If she can influence the situations of higher level states than hers with that alone, then the headquarters are more likely to send her a merit badge than punish her." He laughed.


    "Sigh..."


    "I hope so."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1256 Time To Meet The Edwardstone Family!

    A day later, the emperor had already been notified of Minos'' return to Payton and authorized Gloria''s parents to take this young man to his home for lunch without delay.


    With this, Minos and his wives were already preparing to go and visit the most important person in the entire Flaming Empire, having already settled some business concerning spiritual techniques.


    But while they were getting ready, Zoe was nearby, talking to them about this moment.


    "You have to be careful. The imperial family is unlike organizations where you can behave as you please!" Gloria''s cousin said to Minos and Abby, these two young people from the poor northern region.


    Ruth and Gloria did not need to be told about this since they were from the Empire and certainly knew how to follow local etiquette and fear the right people.


    "We know, Zoe..." Abby commented. "Do you think we''re just going to walk into that palace like we own the world? We have common sense!"


    "I don''t know..." That silver-haired young woman laughed. "But be careful not to let that man near the princess. She is gorgeous, and a womanizer like him could end up bringing trouble to all of you by not knowing how to control himself."


    Zoe had talked to Gloria several times about Minos in the past and had heard stories from Ruth and Abby since she met them. So, she knew how the husband of these women was, having even seen that he did not forgive even her...


    Minos always seemed ready to flirt with her when they met, always making her feel curious and wanting to get closer to him. Thus, even though she had known him for such a short time, she already understood that this guy was dangerous around women and would not let any beauty pass by him.


    He laughed as he heard Zoe''s comment, winking at her.


    As Zoe blushed, the three wives of Minos looked at each other, worried about this princess. Especially Gloria, who knew Isabella.


    ''Bella has a perfect body, one that has Minos'' favorite measurements...'' She remembered that woman who had played with her when she was a child and met her in various situations during her years here in the Empire.


    Gloria, as well as Abby and Ruth, knew well Minos'' preferences. So, it was easy for this redhead to know that her husband would be attracted to Isabella...


    Hence, she showed her concern in her gaze at those other two.


    ''We don''t have anything to do. We had enough fun earlier today...'' Ruth thought about it as she showed her inability to think of something for them to do in her expression.


    As sexually active spouses, they did their activities at least twice daily. Besides, sometimes Minos would look for one of them when the others were training or busy, so he had even more action in his days.


    In this way, they were already doing their best to calm the burning flames in Minos'' heart, and Ruth, like those two, had nothing else to do in this situation.


    Abby then looked at Minos and said. "You better put your thoughts away when you meet this woman. Don''t go causing trouble for all of us, OK?"


    Minos unfairly looked at Abby and said. "When have I ever caused trouble with this? Why are you acting like this? I''ve met plenty of beautiful women I haven''t connected with!"


    "Really? Name one name." Ruth questioned her husband.


    "Angela!" Minos remembered this soldier from his army, the former bodyguard of Regina, his poison master. "She''s a virgin, yet I''ve never tried anything with her..."


    "The same goes for Celeste. Although married for years to Neal, that woman has always tried to seduce me into going to bed with her." He showed another proof that his wives exaggerated their reactions to his joys.


    "Tsk!" Abby turned away, not knowing what else to say to him.


    That was true. Minos did not run after every woman that appeared in front of him. But considering the number of women he was in relationships with, people in his surroundings could not help but judge him as a typical womanizer.


    "So nothing will happen between you and the princess, right?" Ruth''s eyes narrowed as she looked at him.


    Minos'' eyebrows arched, and he said. "How would I know? I don''t even know her! Come on, don''t think about such things. You know I''m not the type to force myself on such things..." He walked to their side, trying to finish this conversation.


    "Humph!"


    "You tried to get me into bed for months, Minos Stuart." The queen of the Black Plain said this as she looked at him thoughtfully.


    "Something similar happened to me..." Gloria nodded to Abby.


    Gulp!


    Minos was silent for a moment and said. "You are exaggerating. Everything happened naturally between us, so don''t think about the princess and me. We haven''t even met. Maybe I won''t like her..."


    "We''ll keep an eye on you!"


    "Sigh..."


    ''I have to put up with that for a woman I haven''t even taken to bed yet...'' Minos sighed as he closed his eyes, wondering if that was what marriage was all about.


    Luckily, his wives rarely did such a thing, so his married life was terrific.


    "Come on. Now that you have talked so much about her, I''m curious to meet this woman..." He said with a cheeky smile on his face before running from there so as not to get caught by his wives.


    "Bastard!"


    ...


    Half an hour later...


    After arriving at the Edwardstone family''s imperial palace, Minos'' group soon followed Margot and Joseph to the emperor''s residence area, passing through several checkpoints.


    On the way there, many people were watching for Minos, as the visit of the King of the Black Plain was already expected.


    Since Minos was almost a celebrity to these people, they could not help but look at him with interest, thinking about the things he had done in the northern region.


    Stories of the war in the northern region had become a fever in the Empire as soon as that conflict ended. Many local periodicals recounted the phases of the conflict and the accomplishments of the Black Plain Army weekly over months.


    Even a book called ''Rogue Ascendant'' was written based on the events caused by Minos in the northern region and became a great success in the Empire.


    Therefore, although he was weak, Minos was famous in parts of this state where such stories had become widespread, and those who knew he would be there in the palace could not help but watch him.


    Amidst the many looks in the surroundings, he arrived at the emperor''s residence, where a young redheaded woman with hair a little darker than Gloria''s welcomed them at the entrance door.


    "Welcome to my residence, Frost family and Stuart family." She said with a smile on her face, first looking at Gloria, then Minos'' wives, until her gaze reached this man.


    Minos looked her up and down, understanding where Gloria''s concern was coming from. ''She truly is a cutie...''


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1257 Before Lunch With The Edwardstone Family 1

    Looking at Minos, Isabella immediately realized that this was the fellow she should tease for a fight since he was the only man there she did not know.


    At the same time, she could not help but assess his figure, considering that Gloria had given herself to him, even considering her excellence and beauty of a very high standard.


    ''He is handsome, but not as handsome as I thought Gloria''s partner would be...'' She noted that Minos had a splendid form and checked his cultivation level.


    ''It''s awe-inspiring that he has reached this level being so young. How old is he? 31? 32? That''s less than half of what it took me to reach the same level...'' She put his appearance aside to realize that his talent was exceptional.


    And while using her soul sense, she noticed some of Minos'' aura in those three women''s bodies and promptly felt her cheeks warm up. ''What is this? What has Gloria gotten herself into? Even those two women have marks of her aura!''


    Isabella was a virgin, so the kind of thing the group in front of her did was not normal for her. So, she could not help but be embarrassed to realize this when she was just analyzing Minos.


    Meanwhile, Minos blinked at her, smiling as if he understood everything that was on her mind at the moment.


    But, of course, that was just the impression she got since he was only interested in this beautiful woman.


    "So you are Princess Isabella?" Minos asked after Gloria greeted that woman and introduced him, Abby and Ruth to her.


    "Hmm, that''s me..." She said, struggling to look him in the eyes.


    "My wife was right about you, haha. You are gorgeous. No wonder she was so jealous on account of today..." Minos teased Gloria while massaging Ruth and Abby''s backs.


    As this pregnant woman squeezed her hands, Isabella then looked at Gloria, not knowing what to say to him. "Don''t listen to that man, Bella. He''s too bold, so just ignore him."


    "Anyway, look at how I look. Can you believe he has the nerve to tease me when I look like this?" She ran her right hand over her belly while Isabella looked at it.


    At this moment, Joseph and Margot had already proceeded into the interior of that residence, leaving only those young people at the entrance.


    Isabella finally lost the blush on her face and approached Gloria, looking at her belly. "Gloria, your belly is already showing! I didn''t expect that!"


    "Hmm, probably in another two years, I will be able to deliver..." Gloria said as she looked at her belly, already with a smile on her face.


    While those two were talking about Minos'' baby, Ruth and Abby looked at him with unfriendly expressions.


    "Don''t be like that. I just made a joke..."


    "Humph!"


    "You''re thinking of more than just a joke." Abby''s eyes narrowed.


    Minos looked at Abby and then at Ruth. "How? She seems so shy to me. You are exaggerating..."


    He then walked closer to Gloria and asked. "Princess Isabella, I have heard you are the Emperor''s only child. Is that true?"


    "Hmm, it is..." She said, still looking at Gloria''s belly with a curious expression.


    "So you will succeed your father in the future... I look forward to working side by side with you for the best of my state and the Flaming Empire." He said, catching Isabella''s look.


    p "I don''t know about that, huh... My father still has plenty of time to lead the Empire." She finally managed to look at Minos without blushing. "Why do you say that? Are you thinking of a deal with my father?"


    "Sort of..." He smiled. "The Black Plain will be a big state in the future, so it''s important that we have a good relationship, right? Even if your father has a long way to go, considering your level, it won''t be long before he gives you more responsibilities."


    "Then you can look me up. I guarantee I''ll be a good ally to grow with you."


    She looked more seriously at Minos, impressed that he spoke these things as if he were an equal of her or her father. ''Impressive! He truly is courageous. And there is not an iota of doubt in his voice...''


    ''But if he can have Vogel on his side, he will become relevant.'' She reminded herself of that point, remembering that each of those kingdoms was more relevant than the great sects of the Empire.


    The great sects of the Flaming Empire had even more powerful cultivators than those four kingdoms to the north. But the number of the 8th stage cultivators in those states was more significant than in the eight great sects.


    So, naturally, one of these organizations would not have an easy time fighting against, for example, Vogel. Knowing this, Isabella was not unaware of Minos'' potential and gave him credit for having achieved all this without his family''s help.


    She then agreed with him. "It will be good to have a good relationship with you. But I wonder, is the King of the Black Plain as strong as the rumors say? Or is that just to scare people?"


    Minos did not fall into Isabella''s trap. "I am not as bad as they say. Just look at my wives. They all have sweet hearts and are even treated like kind angels in my region. Do you think someone so troubled would be able to win them over?"


    "Still, you can be different on the battlefield..." She commented.


    "Indeed, but since we are not enemies, I think you will see me more as my wives see than as enemies..." Minos winked at her once again while his three wives ignored him.


    Isabella did not quite understand what he meant and said. "I prefer it that way. Your family is already part of the Empire, so it''s only natural that we have a good relationship."


    "It can be a great relationship... It just depends on you." Their group started to follow in her footsteps right after Minos said that, making Isabella feel a little uncomfortable with his way of speaking.


    Minos was not careful to treat her like a princess, talking to her as if she were just another ordinary woman. Since he also constantly showed his confidence and no fear of the Edwardstone family, she was curious about him, with many questions to ask Gloria later.


    In this way, it was not long before the group arrived at the dining hall of the Emperor''s estate, where the servants were already starting to bring in the dishes for their lunch.


    Joseph and Margot were not around, as both had gone directly to speak with Harold, but Isabelle''s mother soon arrived to welcome Minos and his family.


    "Young Minos, it is a pleasure to welcome you to our home..." That red-haired woman said this with a smile on her face, looking into the eyes of this brown-haired young man, who reminded her a bit of Oswald.


    ...


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1258 Before Lunch With The Edwardstone Family 2

    "Minos, Ruth, Abby, this is my mother, Audrey Cummings." Isabella stood next to that level 77 woman, showing such a person with one of her hands.


    Hearing that, those three people greeted Harold''s second wife before she turned her attention to Gloria.


    ? "Gloria, your belly is already showing..." She walked over to the young pregnant woman''s side. "Come, give me a hug..."


    After a moment, Audrey was still massaging Gloria''s head, but then she looked at her daughter and King Stuart. "Young Minos, you have eyes like your grandfather''s... Did you know that? In the past, he and I competed in a tournament together, and he even eliminated me."


    Minos closed his eyes and said. "Is that so?"


    "It''s true. At the time, I was not part of the imperial family, just another member of one of the many noble houses of the Flaming Empire... In any case, I never had the opportunity to fight him after that." She looked again at Isabella, and Minos understood the situation.


    "I know that some organizations in the Empire have customs of rivalry that transcend generations, but I have no relationship with that person..." Minos said, trying to dodge any issues concerning his grandfather.


    But before he could finish, she said. "I know that. Rest assured. I was just going to suggest that you and Bella get to know each other better by fighting a friendly match. Maybe you both can gain something from it."


    "What?" Isabella asked as she looked at her mother, realizing that this woman was distancing herself from the arrangement. ''Wasn''t I supposed to tease him?'' She thought, making an expression at her mother.


    ''You don''t look like you''re going to be able to push him... Just look at his position. Comfortable as if he were in his own house.'' She thought, making a few movements with her eyes and eyebrows.


    Minos ignored the stares from the two and said. "I don''t think it will work out. If I fight seriously, I''m afraid I''ll hurt the princess. And if I don''t fight seriously, the princess will think I''m underestimating her and get angry."


    "What?" Isabella stepped forward, taking her mother aside. "Are you saying you can hurt me if you try?" She did not like hearing the suggestion that he could do such a thing, even though there was a difference of 8 levels between them!


    Audrey liked Minos'' answer and did not interfere. It was good to let her daughter deal with this on her own.


    "I''m not sure, to tell you the truth. But I don''t want to risk hurting the princess and being chased by the Emperor later." Minos replied, looking into Isabella''s beautiful eyes.


    "I challenge you!" She shouted at him, ignoring everyone in the surroundings and advancing against the collar of his shirt. "Show me that impressive power, and I will marry you if you can scratch me!"


    "What?" Minos'' wives shouted simultaneously with Audrey, who thought her daughter was exaggerating too much about this.


    "Is that so?" Minos smiled. "Princess Isabella, I must say that my wives are very possessive. I''m afraid that even if we get married, I won''t be able to sleep with you every night..."


    "Fine, by me!" She said in determination. "If I''m incapable of protecting myself from a mere level 62 Spiritual Emperor, I don''t mind becoming your fourth wife and not even having the priority."


    Minos saw Isabella''s mother''s expression and to not attract trouble for him, he said. "Marriage is a bit too much just for a challenge. So how about this? If I manage to hurt you, not only will you not ask the Emperor for justice, but you will also kiss me. So? Easier than marrying me, right?"


    ''Scoundrel!'' Abby, Ruth, and Gloria thought it simultaneously but were relieved that he would not accept such nonsense.


    Audrey felt relieved about this since it would be a disaster for the heiress of the Flaming Empire to accept such humiliation over a silly challenge.


    ''What''s wrong with this girl? Why is she so emotional now?'' She looked at Isabella with concern.


    "Okay!" She remained with her angry expression, confident in her abilities. "If you can at least cause me a scratch, I''ll give you what you want. But if you can''t, what will I get?"


    "Nothing." Minos laughed. "It is you who are challenging me. Why would I promise you anything?"


    "Very well, you rascal, you will at least learn the difference between our powers!" Her eyes sharpened as she tried to wipe the irritating smile off Minos'' face.


    "Wherever and whenever you want, dear." He said as he noticed her loosening the collars of his clothes.


    Hearing this, Isabella looked at her mother and then listened. "You two can go to the courtyard of your residence. Your father is finishing up some business, so there is plenty of time for you two to have your match."


    She then looked at Gloria, Ruth, and Abby, "As for you three, let''s sit down and talk here. I''m curious to hear a little about Oswald''s grandson..."


    "That..." The three looked at each other, not liking that at all.


    "Isn''t it better if we go with them? What if Minos hurts the princess? Maybe someone will misunderstand the situation and create a mess over it." Ruth was the first to try to convince this woman otherwise.


    "Don''t worry, training is common among young people, and Isabella doesn''t have a bad character to try to cause trouble for your husband..." Audrey said, smiling at the confidence these women had in Minos. "Not to mention that it won''t be easy for him to succeed in hurting her."


    "I wouldn''t be so sure." Abby looked down at the floor, worried that Minos and Isabelle would soon kiss somewhere in this palace.


    "Sigh..."


    ''I wouldn''t want to see it anyway, so I can only regret that these people are too strong for me to stop this nonsense.'' Abby considered, finding it a shame the difference in level between her, Audrey, and Isabella.


    Meanwhile, Isabelle led the way to Minos, quickly making her way to her residence.


    "This is truly a good day..." Minos commented to her, watching the swaying of the princess'' body.


    "What are you talking about? Is it a good day for you to learn a lesson?" She teased him without looking back.


    "I thought I would just be doing business with an old man, but it turns out that I will soon be kissing a beautiful princess... Ah, how many wouldn''t envy me if they knew that?" He spoke in a funny tone, causing Isabelle to turn to him.


    "I thought you were a great leader, but it turns out you''re an idiot!" She opened the door to her residence and locked it so he would not run away. "So, King Stuart, will you show me what you''re capable of? Or are you already thinking of running away now that the situation is nearing its end?"


    Minos looked at this beautiful 1.6 meters tall redhead and said. "I ask you the same. Can you kiss me now and not go through the trauma of losing to me, or go down this boring game... But anyway, your choice."


    "I don''t know what Gloria saw in you!"


    "Don''t worry. I''ll show you." He smiled as he showed one of his hands to her as if calling her to fight.


    ...


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1259 Defeat

    Seeing Minos'' gestures to her, Isabella felt challenged, feeling that such a Spiritual Emperor in front of her deserved to get beaten for his boldness.


    Minos was too cocky for her liking, thinking he could do something against her, a level 70 Spiritual Saint. So even if he was there for friendly talks with her family, she was more than willing at this instant to wake him up to reality.


    "Well done! I see you have faced some opponents that have given you confidence, so I will show you the difference between us!" Isabella made a defensive stance, preparing to let her opponent make the first move.


    Even if only she and Minos were there, she would not let anyone, not even him, think she would be taking advantage of someone weaker than her by attacking first. Thus, this princess would naturally let her opponent attack first!


    Minos saw this and smiled at Isabella''s confidence, feeling that it would be easier to earn a kiss from this beauty than he had expected.


    "Well, you''ll be the first Spiritual Saint I ever kiss!" He said as he smiled, preparing to end this quickly.


    If this were a life-and-death battle, his only chance against Isabella would be by using his fusions of spiritual techniques. Besides, his combat power, not even considering his weapons that could increase his strength, would be enough for him to beat her.


    But with his advancement to level 62, Minos could already be considered one of the strongest Spiritual Emperors in this city. Only someone at the peak of this stage with a complete set of Golden-grade techniques could challenge him. Other than that, the advantage would be all in his favor!


    Therefore, even without the strength to defeat Isabella in a serious battle, Minos was aware that he was fully capable of hurting her enough for him to win the match. After all, Spiritual Saints were not indestructible people to opponents, with only the difference in power between them.


    He could be compared to someone at level 69, so he certainly had enough to at least impose some injuries on someone at level 70!


    Since Isabella was generous enough to allow him to attack first, Minos did not doubt that he would be able to beat this angry woman.


    "Tsk!"


    "We''ll see!" She said to him just before she began to feel the effects of Minos'' techniques.


    Chaotic Gravity: Attraction!


    Infinite Dream!


    Devouring Art!


    Indestructible Body!


    Minos activated several of his techniques at once, causing that woman to start flying towards him as she was mentally attacked and her energies eroded.


    But due to Isabella''s high level, the amount of spiritual energy she was losing to Minos'' technique was practically negligible. Meanwhile, her mental distress was less than what someone feeling the urge to scratch would feel when being prevented from doing such a thing.


    As such, Isabella had the condition to open her mouth in surprise at Minos'' blow, which, however, was not all that effective, but it successfully surprised her by affecting her despite their differences.


    ''How can that be?'' She wondered as she felt a bit of difficulty in countering Minos'' gravitational technique.


    But as she flew slower and slower closer to him. Minos moved using his movement technique, quickly moving closer to her while giving a kick in the direction of one of her shoulders.


    Isabella saw this and felt annoyed at being attacked on so many different fronts and finally used her techniques to counter Minos.


    Angry Flames!


    She clenched her hands and then opened them, making balls of fire appear on her fingers. In a second moment, these flames intensified, circling her body as they protected her from Minos'' foot approaching her shoulder.


    Minos saw this but did not stop, confident in both his armor and the ability of his Devouring Art to defend his body.


    Pow!


    Finally, his attack hit her shoulder, surprising this woman who did not expect that he would actually have the courage to attack her flames.


    ''He doesn''t respect my flames, so he can''t complain if his foot gets burned after that!'' She thought about this as she felt discomfort in the shoulder attacked by Minos.


    Unfortunately for Isabella, Minos did not get burned since his body had three layers of defenses, something a little above her flames that still needed to mature.


    The difference between the two was not as significant as she had imagined, so he managed to surprise her by attacking her without getting hurt!


    Since he had already felt how much his blow had inflicted on his opponent, Minos immediately stepped back after removing his foot from Isabella''s flaming body.


    "What are you doing? Come on! Fight me!" She shouted as she felt her opponent backing away, not liking this reaction right after such an exciting start to the match.


    Isabella wanted to teach Minos a lesson. But it was undeniable that she had been positively surprised by his abilities and wanted to see more of this man in action.


    But Minos had different plans and said right after deactivating his techniques. "I think I''ve already beaten you haven''t I? Then there''s no need for us to continue this."


    "What?"


    She looked at her shoulder, feeling slight discomfort like anyone would feel after receiving a blow to some part of their body and a bruise appearing there.


    Minos laughed as he saw her reaction. "I think we were supposed to get engaged now, but you''ll just have to kiss me... Hmm, I didn''t make a good deal here."


    "I almost won the Flaming Empire, hehe, too bad!"


    Gulp!


    Isabella did not retort to Minos'' teasings, realizing that she had lost the match following the parameters she had created.


    Thinking of the humiliation of losing to someone of a lower level than herself and still having to kiss him, she felt lost, not knowing what to say.


    ''What will I do now? How can I have lost? How will I kiss a man I don''t even know?'' She fell to her knees on the floor, feeling like she was waking up from a nightmare.


    It had been easy for her to do the challenge earlier and agree to kiss Minos if she lost since she did not see how such a thing could happen. But now that it had happened, she could not help but hesitate, feeling the weight of her words.


    And with that, tears flowed from her eyes, lamenting what had to happen now.


    Minos felt terrible to see a girl crying because she would have to kiss him and sighed as he approached her.


    "We can forget about it if you want..." He suggested as he stooped down next to her in the middle of the combat area of the exclusive courtyard of Isabella''s residence.


    ''I didn''t think she would cry about it... It seems the emperor spoiled her, and she is still a pure maiden, even considering her age.'' Minos closed his eyes as he massaged Isabella''s upper back.


    After hearing his words, she looked at him momentarily, tempted to give up her promise. But remembering that she was the local heiress, who should cherish the value of her own words, Isabella clasped her hands and refused.


    "No. I put myself in this situation, so I will do what I promised!" She looked at him, quickly moving her lips toward Minos''.


    ...


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1260 The First Time

    Seeing Isabella''s movement, Minos was surprised that she had such a firm conviction and was decisive in keeping her promise.


    Since Minos was no fool and knew this was Isabella''s decision, he did not refuse her, promptly preparing to give her the best first kiss she could ever have.


    And with that, as Isabella''s lips touched his, this woman felt goosebumps while her eyes opened as something soft, wet, and warm entered her mouth.


    ''What is that? Is that his tongue?'' She wondered in curiosity but did not flinch.


    She had promised to do what he wanted regarding the kiss, so the princess was committed to following Minos'' lead in this awkward moment. Thus, when she let her tongue dance with Minos'', she slowly closed her eyes again, feeling how good this experience could be.


    ''That''s not bad...'' She pondered as she unconsciously moved her hands to Minos'' head, trying to find a more comfortable position for her. ''I could get used to this.''


    "Mmmmmmm~"


    As they kissed, Minos'' hands started searching Isabella''s body as he liked to massage his women''s bodies in such moments.


    And in the middle of that training place, where the two were kneeling, it was not long before they changed positions, with Isabella slowly lying down on the floor and Minos getting on top of her.


    They would stay like that for a few moments until they changed positions, reversing the roles of who was on top.


    The whole time, despite the position, Isabella would feel the bulge in Minos'' crotch, but she tried to ignore such a thing while blushing with embarrassment.


    And in this situation, she wondered if this was the kind of thing Minos did with Gloria and those women and how they all did it together, as it seemed to be their reality.


    "Mmmmmm~"


    "Ahhh~" Finally, when their lips parted, Isabella let out a soft moan as Minos squeezed her left breast, something she accepted after a few minutes of kissing.


    What would be wrong with letting him play with her breasts if he was already kissing her? They were just breasts, after all.


    This way, they had gotten to this situation where she could not help but show the sensations she was feeling in her body.


    "I guess you''ll never forget that first kiss, huh?" Minos smiled at her as he ran his hands down this woman''s waist.


    Isabella opened her eyes, feeling hot but understanding why Gloria was with Minos. Of course, she could not compare him to others, but these moments with him were enough for her to understand that such a pregnant woman should feel amazing with him.


    So she had truly learned what he said he would show her.


    "Hah... You''ve left me breathless... Hah..." She waved her face with her hands as she deeply breathed, sitting on the bulge in his crotch.


    Then she said with a playful smile as she felt him massaging her waist. "You are remarkably bold, Minos. If my father finds out how you touched me, he will castrate you!"


    "Lucky for me, you won''t know, right?" Minos winked at her as his right hand went down her waist until it reached this woman''s voluminous ass.


    Isabella felt that part of her being squeezed by him, but considering the thing poking her, she could not be bothered with just that. "No, not for now."


    Isabella bent down, looking at his lips, forgetting her irritation from earlier. "I kissed you only because I am committed to my own words. But I can''t deny that I enjoyed it."


    She then proceeded to give him a few kisses, playing with Minos. "So I won''t tell my father about it yet..."


    "Yet?"


    "Yes, he deserves to know that you did, no? After all, you stole his daughter''s first kiss, someone who was supposed to marry pure."


    "What?" Minos did not like that. "But you were the one who kissed me."


    "That doesn''t matter. You accepted the kiss." She laughed, kissing him and smiling. "Besides, the way you touched me... Ah, it would have been better if you had profaned the local relics than to have touched me like that."


    Minos could no longer enjoy the moment and asked. "What do you mean?"


    Isabella laughed at seeing the desperate expression on Minos'' face, like that of a man who did not wish to have a child and found out that his wife was pregnant. "Hehe, I like this look. It''s much better than when you were teasing me earlier."


    Gulp!


    "Isabella, let''s keep this matter between us. Your father and I will take care of business soon. Let''s not irritate him with something like this." Minos felt that this woman was more dangerous than he had thought.


    "Don''t worry, silly. I won''t tell him anything for the moment..." She lifted her face, further sitting on top of him. "That will be our little secret while we continue to get to know each other better."


    "But you will eventually have to take responsibility for putting your hands on me." She closed her eyes and kissed him more intensely while Minos returned the kiss but looked up at the ceiling of that place with a lost look.


    ''This woman is crazy! No wonder she offered herself to marry me if she lost a damn battle! She doesn''t have a fucking clue!'' He realized the hint he had ignored, and now he could not help but regret that it had come to that.


    ''Hell, now the only thing I can do is enjoy the situation...'' He dropped his inhibition after a while, thinking about how to satisfy this woman so she would not say anything to Harold until he at least left the Empire.


    ...


    After a while, Minos and Isabella tidied their clothes and returned to the Emperor''s residence, with him asking her several times what she would do.


    And upon arriving in the dining hall they had left earlier, Minos'' wives soon noticed the look on his face, as they saw Isabella smiling as if the previous situation had not happened.


    "Isn''t it possible that he lost?" Ruth asked as she opened her mouth, doubtful that something like that would happen with such a simple bet.


    Gloria and Abby were also surprised to see Minos'' despondent expression, but Audrey then laughed and said. "That was expected. You are underestimating Spiritual Saints because of some past situations... But don''t get down about it. It''s normal that..."


    But before she finished her sentence, Isabella said. "Minos didn''t lose. I lost the bet."


    "What?" Audrey stood up in astonishment, not believing that this was even possible. ''If that''s true, why are you smiling so much? Aren''t you ashamed of losing to a mere level 62 young man?'' She thought about it, not understanding the situation.


    And then this woman looked at Minos, who looked like he had had a big defeat. ''And why does he look so depressed?''


    "So you... You..."


    "That''s a secret, mother. You don''t need to know what happened." She vaguely answered, blinking at Minos.


    ...


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1261 Negotiating With The Emperor 1

    Audrey did not suspect anything hearing her daughter''s answer and looking at Minos, as this young man looked very unhappy. ''He is probably upset because she did not keep her promise, maybe even having attacked him for losing...''


    Meanwhile, Minos'' wives approached him, curious about what had happened.


    But then Isabella approached Gloria and commented in a low voice. "Younger sister Gloria, it''s not for nothing that you got pregnant so quickly... If I were in your place, I would do that as much as possible too."


    Gloria looked at Isabella with surprise and saw how this woman blinked at her. ''So she kissed Minos, and now she is interested...''


    ''But why does he seem depressed?'' Gloria did not understand the situation. Usually, Minos happily dates attractive women, so seeing him like this after kissing Isabella was somewhat unexpected.


    ''What did she do?'' As Minos tried to recover from Isabella''s ''attacks, Abby and Ruth wondered.


    But before Isabella, he could not say anything to his wives. Thus, Minos just kept to himself how different that princess'' personality might be in such moments from how she acted in other situations.


    And with that, they sat around the dining table in that area, where before long, the Empress arrived, followed minutes later by Margot and Joseph.


    Finally, Harald Edwardstone appeared at that area''s entrance, attracting everyone''s attention, who promptly stood up to greet him.


    Harold ignored most of the people and looked directly at Minos, who was sitting near his seat at one end of the table in front of Isabella.


    ''So that''s this Minos Stuart guy?'' Harold thought this fellow looked a bit like Oswald, although such a person obviously had a superior cultivation talent than that old man.


    "Minos Stuart, it''s a pleasure to meet someone so famous." He said as he stopped at the end of that table, where King Stuart was standing next to him.


    "It''s nice to meet you too," Minos said without formally speaking since he was also a sovereign and did not need to refer to such a person as Your Majesty.


    Even knowing this, Margot and Joseph felt slightly annoyed to hear the casual way Minos answered the Emperor while this man''s two wives looked at the brown-haired young man.


    But Isabella did not think it terrible, already expecting something like this from the man who had dared to touch her so intimately. "Father, King Stuart and I fought a bit, as you suggested."


    "Oh? Is that true?" Harold looked at the nervous Minos.


    Minos bitterly smiled and said. "Princess Isabella is exaggerating. I just learned a few moves from..."


    He was still saying when Isabella said. "You can call me Bella if you like."


    Gulp!


    Harold looked at her, finding it inappropriate for his daughter to behave that way. "It seems that you two have gotten to know each other quite well, no? You''re even suggesting something so intimate."


    "So what was the result? How impressive is King Stuart?" The Empress asked Isabella.


    Isabella saw her father''s look but said nothing relevant. "He only showed a few simple movements. So I can''t say for sure, but I have the impression that the rumors about him are true..."


    Harold sighed as he realized that his daughter had not understood what he wanted. He wanted her to fight Minos so that he would know what this young man''s power was like. But Isabella had only had fun with this young man and only seen the basics.


    Harold could not help but be disappointed!


    Minos ignored their comments, while he was relieved that Isabella did not say anything about the things they did, nor about his techniques.


    He then tried to steer these people away from matters troublesome to him. "So, Emperor, I wonder if you wouldn''t be interested in an agreement between our states? I have some things in mind that might solve the problems on the northern border of the Empire and generate benefits for both sides."


    "Oh? And what would that be?" Harold asked, as everyone was already seated, beginning to eat what had been prepared for this meal.


    Minos cut a piece of red meat on his plate and said. "In the future, the Black Plain will become much more influential than it is now. For starters, my family will lead Vogel and eventually control the alliance of those four states."


    "We already have everything in place for that to start being put into practice, and in a few decades, the realization of such a plan will be achieved."


    "Is that so?" Harold looked with interest at Minos. "And what would I gain from that? Do you understand that these states are my enemies? Why do you think I would want someone leading them against me? I''d rather they stay separated."


    The people there became a little tenser upon hearing that, with only Minos and Harold well enough to continue eating and arguing.


    Minos said. "The Black Plain will be stronger than these four states in the future. So what would happen if they stood between my state and the Empire when we were allies? They would have no option but to give up their opposition!"


    "That''s what I propose. Permanently solve the Empire''s problem with these states without much bloodshed."


    The Flaming Empire was in an advantageous position with the fall of the Vogel family. But to dominate those states, this organization would still have to sacrifice many men, which was not so interesting.


    If they could dominate opponents using only fear, without actually clashing, it would be the best thing for the Edwardstone family.


    "That sounds promising..." The Emperor muttered as Minos'' wives chewed their food slowly, trying not to create any sounds to disturb these two. "But what about the Black Plain? From what you are saying, you intend to become as strong or stronger than the Empire..."


    The Emperor''s wives, Isabella and Gloria''s parents, looked at Minos, understanding that Harold was already thinking about what would happen if he allowed this problem to be solved but also to create a competitor.


    "I heard that your state is already doing a competition in your region that competes with the Spiritual Tournament." He commented on this information that had reached his ears.


    He sincerely doubted that the Black Plain would become as big as the Flaming Empire in the future. After all, not long ago, that place was impoverished.


    How would such a transition happen in that place?


    But since Minos was there, Harold decided to go along with what this young man was proposing to find out exactly what he wanted and whether it would be to the Empire''s advantage to side with the Black Plain.


    Minos smiled upon hearing that. "Well, many states are stronger than the Flaming Empire in the Central Continent. So why would it be a problem for there to be one more? If it is an ally, that could very well mean that the Empire will have an easier time dealing with higher level states."


    "We may even resolve the situation with the Flower Kingdom."


    ...

 Chapter 1262 Negotiating With The Emperor 2

    Upon hearing Minos'' words, Harold and his wives looked at him thoughtfully, feeling as if this young Spiritual Emperor was saying they were weak and needed his help.


    Isabella found it impressive that Minos spoke that way to her father and noted that his manners were not inconsistent at all. If he could be that way with her, someone so many levels above him, then it was not so strange that he displayed such confidence in front of Harold.


    "So you''re going to get stronger than the Empire and then help us?" Harold asked, earnestly looking at Minos.


    Minos laughed and said. "Not exactly. The Empire will help us strengthen, and eventually, we will return the gesture by helping the Empire. One hand washing the other, that''s what I''m suggesting."


    "And how will we do that?" Isabella asked as she noticed that her father was irritated.


    Minos became more serious when he saw the look on her face and said. "First, by not going to war against those four kingdoms. But it will be interesting if you behave as if war could start at any moment, from time to time threatening those states."


    It would not be good for him if peace came and each of those kingdoms ceased to need his help. So Minos wanted to keep the tension between those states so that the Black Plain would have the opportunity to reap the best benefits!


    The people there realized his plan and looked at him with wide eyes. Only his wives were not showing the same reaction.


    Minos continued. "As long as they fear war, they will trust me to solve the problem. But I won''t have to do anything since, in this situation, we will already have an agreement that nothing more serious will happen. That way, the Black Plain can use these four states to get stronger and eventually help solve the problem in the region."


    Harold was impressed with how far Minos could go but was also interested in this plan. Before, he could not even consider something like this because the northern region was off-limits to him.


    But with Minos offering to do this service, and even having already gained the means to put this plan into practice, Harold could not help but see the positives in all this.


    The same was true for Joseph and Margot.


    "So you''re deceiving these states..." Margot said with a contemptuous expression on her face.


    But Gloria defended her husband. "Of course not. Minos is preventing a war from happening. He is saving the lives of these people!"


    "Yet he wants to take those states for himself and still help the Empire instead of them, as he must have promised," Joseph muttered, feeling that such a move was too low.


    Abby disagreed. "Negative. We''re going to help both sides. It''s just that both sides in this conflict can''t take a step back because of centuries of rivalry. But by following our directions, we can achieve something good for everyone."


    Ruth then said. "On the other hand, our agreement with them never prohibited us from making a deal with the Empire..."


    Hearing this, Isabella then asked. "So that''s all we have to do? Is there something else?"


    Minos said. "That''s all there is. Any resources we need, we will do business with those states or even the Empire. So I won''t be asking for any additional support. We''ll be fine if you don''t commit to a major conflict with them."


    "Then I think it''s worth going through with it, father," Isabella said to Harold, smiling, as this was a great deal for them.


    Harold also liked what Minos was suggesting, but not how his daughter was so supportive of it without them even having a chance to talk further.


    But Isabella had other things on her mind and winked discreetly at Minos, making him feel goosebumps creep up his back.


    "Let''s take it a little easy, Isabella." Her mother said as the Emperor turned to ask Minos. "And what exactly will we gain by not acting against these states? It''s not just an end to local tensions or the promise of partnership you made, right?"


    "Well, we can divide part of those states between the Black Plain and the Empire. But the families in those places will have the option to choose to affiliate with your state or mine. In other words, the territories won''t necessarily be transferred with their current populations." Minos replied but did not intend to keep that part of the agreement.


    The Emperor did not know what was on Minos'' mind and thought this would be good enough. To increase his area of exploration and still end an old problem, as well as to have the friendship of the Black Plain in case this territory developed.


    Since he also did not want to risk losing much of his forces in a war, nor in having to risk leaving the Empire and being kidnapped by women from the Flower Kingdom, he said. "All right, we can agree with that."


    After those words, Minos'' wives and Isabella smiled, while Margot and Joseph could not help but be surprised at this outcome.


    They knew that Minos had his chances since having good relations with those four states and being close to becoming the King of Vogel were outstanding advantages for him to use there. But the Emperor was unpredictable, and with such a slippery young man, things could quickly go from bad to worse.


    Luckily the princess seemed to have liked Minos'' plan and helped ease the tensions in the negotiations during the most delicate moment.


    And so the mood in that dining hall significantly improved, with the people there returning to eating without further worries.


    Meanwhile, Harold was talking to Minos about his family. "Young man, you look a lot like Oswald when he was younger. And from what I can see, your personality is sharper than his..."


    Minos did not know what to say and just nodded in agreement.


    "But your talent is truly splendid. At this rate, even I will be surpassed." Harold gave that praise, similar to the one he had already given Maisie.


    But Minos responded entirely differently from that woman, who had once been quite humble in front of this Spiritual Sage.


    "Hmm, my goal is to go as far as possible." Minos casually responded to that man''s compliment.


    Harold looked at him and saw that he did not have Maisie''s noble attitude in refusing the compliment. ''What a confident fellow! He doesn''t show any humility in talking about surpassing a Spiritual Sage being only a mere Spiritual Emperor!''


    But then Isabella asked, drawing the attention of the people there. "So, King Stuart, you already have three wives... Do you intend to have more? Usually, great figures like you have great harems."


    Minos'' three wives turned to him and answered in his place. "There will be no others. He agrees to that."


    "Is that so?" Isabella looked at Gloria. "Not even if she is a friend of yours? A family with only three women is so little for a king..."


    Harold agreed to that. "Well, I''m not against it myself. But that''s up to them, Isabella. Don''t try to pressure them."


    ...

 Chapter 1263 Information

    "Did you hear that, King Stuart? My father is not against..." Isabella said, suggesting to Minos that Harold was allowing something else.


    Minos nodded as he kept quiet, not investing in the subject, hoping these people would stop talking about it.


    ''What is it with this woman? Did she fall in love after a few kisses?'' He discreetly looked at that redhead that had a practically perfect body, but since she was also watching him, he quickly looked away.


    ''How can someone be like that? I''ve been with many virgins, and none of them behaved that way, although they usually get attached more easily... Maybe she is doing this because of her position?''


    ''She''s the local heiress, and so she''s forcing herself on me because I touched her and ''took away'' the purity she should keep for her husband?'' Minos tried to understand if this was related to Isabella''s upbringing in the Edwardstone family as the lunch continued.


    ''Sigh...''


    ''I can only deal with that now. But in the future, I won''t act against women who are members of imperial families!'' He convinced himself that he could not risk ending up with problems like that every time he got involved with a woman.


    ''I will have to make sure that my future partners understand the word casual well before I go any deeper with them...''


    And without knowing it, Isabella helped Minos'' wives to make this womanizer much more selective, consequently helping them to decrease his possibilities with others!


    They did not know this yet and were even worried about Isabella, but in the future, they would feel the positive changes in their favor regarding this characteristic of Minos.


    But for now, they enjoyed this lunch as much as possible, talking with Isabella and Harold''s wives, while from time to time, Minos had discussions with the Emperor and his in-laws.


    The agreement he had suggested was the essential point to be discussed. But other details of their future relationship needed to be clarified.


    As future allies, knowing a little about each other''s plans was a must for both parties. Thus, they also discussed such things, even when they were unrelated to those four states north of the Empire.


    This way, it was not long before this lunch was over, and Minos promised to return in a few days to make the formal procedures for confirming their alliance.


    Unfortunately for Minos, Harold had left Isabella in charge of signing the agreements with him, which would put him in contact with this woman for the next several days.


    '''',


    ...


    "What happened between you two?" After they left the imperial palace and separated from Margot and Joseph, Abby asked Minos while Ruth and Gloria looked at him curiously.


    Minos saw the expressions of his wives and bitterly smiled. "I think I made a mistake. I shouldn''t have suggested to Isabella for her to kiss me in that challenge."


    "Uh?" Ruth was surprised at this, considering how well she knew Minos. "What''s the matter? Was it bad?"


    "No, of course not... The problem is that she''s crazy!" He looked at them and laughed at his misfortune. "That woman wants commitment after a simple kiss!"


    "Was it just a simple kiss?" Gloria questioned him as her eyes narrowed.


    "Well, you know me..."


    "Tsk!"


    "Then it was your fault!" That redheaded beauty said in frustration. "You took advantage of the princess by putting your hands on her body, and now she rightly wants you to take responsibility."


    "Huh?" Minos looked at his pregnant wife in doubt.


    Abby was also curious, but then Ruth said. "Minos, Princess Isabella had been saving herself for decades for her future marriage. But, at the same time, she was raised by a family in which all her father''s wives had him as the only man in their lives..."


    Gloria added. "She probably thinks you have taken away her purity by touching her parts... Not to mention that she is a bit special."


    "Special?" Minos did not understand such a thing.


    Gloria explained. "Her personality is slightly different from what you usually find out there. She is the kind of person who is adorable or hateful to those in contact with her. So, when she starts to like someone, she gets close to that person very quickly."


    "The reverse is also true."


    "And why didn''t you tell me any of this?" He looked at her in incomprehension.


    '''',


    "I thought she wouldn''t like you after your confident words earlier..." Gloria regretted her error in judgment. "I have known Isabella since my childhood. Since then, she has always been disgusted by men who desire her physically."


    "When you suggested kissing her, I didn''t think she would behave any differently. But it seems that what you gave her was more valuable than the contempt she must have felt from you earlier."


    In the past, no one had ever suggested what Minos had to Isabella. But, at the same time, she had always been one of the most talented of her generation, so she had never had a defeat like this one.


    Thus, in the past, no one had the chance to do what Minos had done today to give Gloria a chance to understand her friend correctly.


    Understanding this with the help of his wives, Minos regretted his careless move. ''Well, now I will have to accept what this woman wants, not to spoil my deal with the Empire...''


    "Sigh..."


    ''I should look to the bright side of all this. At least I will have her in my bed and get a deeper relationship with this state.'' Minos closed his eyes and tried to imagine what would happen ahead.


    And so they continued their search for spiritual techniques in this city, the focus of their passage through Payton.


    ...


    In the following days, Minos and his wives would do business in Payton and communicate with Isabella''s team almost daily.


    This woman would also meet with King Stuart during this period and use her time to get involved with him.


    And knowing his situation with her, Minos did not miss the opportunity to use this woman for him to obtain the information he had not been able to get from the local Church temple regarding the Blood Triangle Pirates.


    Because of how interested Isabella was in him and the fact that the local imperial family had some more information than the Payton Temple people, it did not take long for Minos to get something!


    According to Isabella and the Edwardstone family, the Blood Triangle Pirates were working for the imperial family of the Evergreen Empire. But not only that, this organization was searching for a key to something related to an ancient expert of that state.


    Supposedly, such a key could change the political game on the continent, something of great value for that state and its enemies!


    But that was all they knew, and as such, Minos was still left with several questions in his mind. In any case, this was already a significant advance, something he kept in his mind for the future!

 Chapter 1264 Agreement Confirmed

    After a few more days in Payton, Minos had finished signing the agreements with the Edwardstone family and buying copies of Silver-grade spiritual techniques.


    At the same time, all the original Black-grade techniques he could order in this city had already been ordered. So, it was almost time for Minos and his wives to leave this place to continue their journey toward the Gray Clouds Sect!


    However, before this, Minos had one more conversation with the Emperor, confirming everything that had happened these days and some points that needed to be followed.


    It was crucial that it appeared to everyone that the Flaming Empire could go to war with those four states at any time, so many things needed to happen in the right measure.


    After all, people could die due to this scheme, and both parties were interested in diminishing potential losses relative to this pretense as much as possible.


    And so, when he had finished speaking to the Emperor, Minos said goodbye to this person and left the imperial palace at Isabella''s side.


    As for his wives, they were finishing preparing some things in the Church temple, so they were not around.


    ...


    "I hope you won''t say anything to your father about us when I leave," Minos said in a low voice, already walking outside the Edwardstone family palace.


    Isabella smiled at him and continued leading the way, heading to a specific location. "That depends on you... Will you give me what I want?"


    Gulp!


    "Isabella..."


    "Call me Bella." She corrected him.


    "Bella, do you think that''s a good idea? Don''t you think it''s better to stop what we''ve done? I''m sure some men wouldn''t mind that you kissed and touched..." He was pointing out their actions over the past few days, but she interrupted him.


    '''',


    "I don''t care about other men. You took me. You made me..." She moved closer to his face, speaking lower. "You kissed me down ''there'' and made me do the same to you! Do you think I can still marry another man?"


    "I think so..."


    "Tsk!"


    "It doesn''t matter what you think. I would feel impure at the thought of being with another. And even if I accepted your suggestion and hid the truth about us from this ''other,'' it would distress me!" She seriously said to him, showing how important it was for her to be with him.


    Upon hearing this, Minos felt a little bad. The other women he had been in a relationship with without commitment had no problem being with him without guaranteeing they would be together.


    At the same time, as much as they enjoyed being with him even without commitment, if one day he left, they would not feel contaminated to meet other people. And so they would give themselves to him without fear of becoming impure, following the example of Kara, who had had her adventures with Minos and yet decided to continue with her life in the Empire.


    ''It looks like I''ll have to deal with what I''ve done...'' He sighed, realizing the danger of seducing someone he did not know. "Okay. I understand your point."


    "Really?" Isabella''s eyes sparkled as she looked at him in anticipation. "Will you give me what I want?"


    "Yes, it will be good..." He smiled, but it was not insincere.


    In the past few days, Isabella had tried to go further with him, but he had found a way to hold back his desire to fuck her so as not to make his situation worse. But because she was different and he wanted to avoid trouble did not mean that Minos did not want to do it with this woman!


    He was a man full of energy, and she was the kind of woman that attracted him the most. So, having played with her during the days that had passed had built up a great desire within him.


    And so, Isabella quickly directed Minos to the spot they had been using, eager to give herself to him.


    She wanted to be with him because he had made her feel good, and she truly could not imagine being with anyone else. But Isabella was not stupid. She had seen how talented Minos was. Unlike her father, she did not think this man''s limits were low.


    Hence, she naturally wanted to put the good and the helpful together, to give herself to the man who had dominated her, making her feel good, and to secure her family''s future.


    Having sex with him was the bonus, something she had sincerely been craving after learning of King Stuart''s depravities.


    ''.'',


    With that, in the blink of an eye, the two were in one in a local hotel room, quickly making their way to the bed, where they began kissing, their hands working each other''s bodies.


    "Mmmmm~"


    But the fire of the two was so intense that they did not take long kissing and were soon in a ''69'' position, giving each other pleasure.


    "You don''t know how much I''ve held back the last few days~" Minos said amid tasting that delicious pink flower.


    "I was also looking forward to it~" Isabella took her mouth off his rod and licked the sides of that fiery piece of flesh. "I want to feel your seeds inside me. I want you to impregnate me, Minos Stuart~"


    "Huh?" He removed his tongue from Isabella''s crotch, surprised by this.


    "I don''t want you to hold back. Can you do this for me? If possible, I want to get pregnant after this time~" She said in a melodic tone, making some tongue movements that she had heard from the servant girls in her residence.


    Minos pondered this, and given the difficulty of it happening; he did not refuse this woman''s wishes. "All right, I will not hold back."


    Hearing this, she blushed at the thought of becoming just like Gloria and got off Minos'' back. "How do we get started?"


    "Let me go on top while you learn..." He suggested, knowing there was no need for that considering the physical pain there could appear since a Spiritual Saint like her could easily undo her hymen on her own and avoid pain. But still, it would take a woman a while to understand what would satisfy her most in bed, so it was best that he initiate the whole thing, even if there was no need.


    With that, Isabella lay down with her legs spread for Minos, nervously smiling as she looked at his rod. "Will it... Will it fit? I''m so tiny, while your thing is so big."


    He felt even more eager as he heard her voice and nodded. "Rest assured. You will love every inch of it."


    So, Minos positioned his little friend at Isabella''s cave, little by little invading these new territories while she felt euphoria in her heart.


    "Ahhh~"


    But Isabella would soon learn how pleasurable this activity could be, quickly getting used to the whole thing, unconsciously wondering what to do to improve the experience.


    They would do this for hours in this hotel room, try various positions, with Minos filling Isabella''s womb with his most fertile seeds.


    Eventually, the two would say goodbye, with her returning happily to the imperial palace after promising to visit him in the Gray Clouds Sect or the Black Plain. As for Minos, it did not take long for him to join his wives and leave this city!

 Chapter 1265 Arriving At The Grey Clouds Sect

    Two months passed in the blink of an eye...


    Minos and his wives traveled in this period from Payton to the region where the headquarters of the Gray Clouds Sect was, in the southeasternmost part of the Flaming Empire.


    In the meantime, the most relevant fact of their trip was not possible battles or problems they could have on their way. No, they did not face much of that since they had taken care to protect their identity due to this part of the state having more movement of Saints Killing Sect forces. But the most striking thing about this period was Gloria''s ''advancement'' to the peak of the 7th stage.


    She had not advanced in level. After all, her pregnancy prevented her from advancing since spiritual cleansing could endanger the life of the baby in her womb. But still, Gloria had managed to reach the absolute peak of level 69, and now all that remained was for her to give birth to her daughter in order to advance a step.


    Meanwhile, while Abby struggled to reach level 62, Ruth was almost at level 63 and has significantly improved in the intervening period.


    Only Minos was far behind in his advancement since he had just achieved something like this before arriving in the Empire''s capital.


    In any case, during this period, when they peacefully traveled and got to know the Flaming Empire more, the actions on the borders of this state had taken the ''shape'' desired by Minos. The four states were constantly alert because of the Empire''s tests, worried about a possible war.


    Along with this, Vogel was slowly showing its future with the formation of the assembly suggested by Minos, which was already holding meetings to organize this state.


    The Church was still in charge of that kingdom, but the assembly was already performing to gather the noble houses and even ascending powers to unite for the sake of Vogel''s existence.


    And with that, the idea that Minos would become King of such a place within months or years had already spread throughout the region, impressing and startling many in the Empire and those four states.


    Few knew of Minos'' agreement with the imperial family, so many sects reacted to such news with concern in the Flaming Empire. King Stuart was not great, but the existence of a leader in Vogel was terrible news.


    At the same time, many already suspected future problems involving the Gray Clouds Sect, which could lead to the destabilization of an essential power in the Empire.


    ''?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? Novel(B) in.??? ?? ?x???????? ??s??? ?????? s????.'',


    In any case, the news coming from Vogel was worrying for these local organizations, especially the Saints Killing Sect!


    This organization had a history of hostility with the Gray Clouds Sect and was even at war with such an organization. But at the same time, such a sect had already tried to kill Minos in the northern region of this continent. So the fact that this young man, son of the Coleman family, was rising in power in Vogel was already seen as a big negative point for this sect.


    On the other hand, although the influential families of the other three Vogel allies felt humiliated by their situation, they received this news positively.


    Everyone was preparing for war and afraid of not having as many of their allies as possible. Thus, it was positive to find out news about the royal succession in Vogel and the distancing of this state from a civil war.


    Amidst all this, the Black Plain had been the only state to receive only good news in this period. Not only had it gained more leverage to negotiate with these neighboring states, but it was already beginning to receive the benefits of soon having its royal family as the sovereign of Vogel.


    There was no need for Minos'' group to wait for Church''s departure and his officialization as King of Vogel. With Elen in such a state, several agreements had already been signed, things that would strengthen the economy of the Black Plain!


    And so, Minos and his wives arrived in the territory of the Gray Clouds Sect in a great mood due to the favorable winds for their plans!


    ...


    Upon arriving in the vicinity of Clouds City, Ruth took the lead of their group to direct them to where the Gray Clouds Sect''s headquarters was.


    Minos and his wives were there to do business and visit this organization, so even considering the lack of sentimental ties between him and the Coleman family, there was no reason for him to delay his meeting with Maisie''s family.


    And honestly, Minos was somewhat curious about this place, considering that he had hated such a sect for several years when he was a child.


    Then, without further ado, Ruth led her family to the entrance gates of the Gray Clouds Sect, through which disciples and visitors had to pass to access that organization''s headquarters.


    Upon arriving at that place on Maida''s back, they were stopped by the guards on the outskirts, high-level Spiritual Kings, and some Spiritual Emperors.


    ''Follow current novels on No v elBin.'',


    "Identify your identities and purpose in coming here!" One of the guards who was ready to meet Ruth''s group shouted, obviously not recognizing this woman.


    Ruth was from one of the noble families behind the Gray Clouds Sect, but she was only one of the hundreds of young people from those families. At the same time, hundreds of thousands of people were in the sect, and the guards constantly changed roles in this post. Hence, such a person did not recognize her.


    She then introduced her group. "We are here for family matters. My name is Ruth Miles, and this is my family."


    "Miles?" The guard opened his eyes in surprise. "From the Miles family of our sect?"


    "Yes." She said.


    "Can you hand me your identification?"


    "No, I haven''t been part of the sect for a few years now." She said, causing that man to frown and look at them strangely.


    It was infrequent for someone to leave the sect. And usually, when that happened, it was through punishments relating to crimes committed by such people. So this man immediately thought that Ruth had done something heinous and perhaps her presence was not welcome.


    "That... Well, without an ID, you can only access the headquarters as business visitors." He seriously said, not turning them away immediately.


    There were two areas in this headquarters. One for sect members only, and another for allies, friends, service contractors, etc., to do business.


    This man pointed out such an option to them since it was better not to allow a potentially troublesome woman into the exclusive area for members of this organization.


    Ruth frowned her eyebrows as Gloria and Abby looked at her and Minos at that man.


    "You see, I wasn''t kicked out of the sect. I just left my family to marry my husband, the current King of the Black Plain." She pointed to Minos, explaining the situation to that guard.


    "The King of the Black Plain?"


    ...

 Chapter 1266 Unreceptive

    "The King of the Black Plain?" That guard looked at Minos, knowing who such a person was, not only from the stories circulating in the Empire but because such a name was always associated with his organization.


    Few disciples or low-level members of that sect knew of the hierarchy of the highest echelons in that organization. Many even knew who the sect master and other important elders were, but knowing which families they belonged to was more challenging.


    The Miles family case was different since this house had no governing powers in this sect and no high-ranking members. So there was not much secrecy about that family.


    But the Coleman family and others in this sect were quite mysterious. Generally, they did not get involved in ordinary matters, which protected their noble name from ending up on the lips of the many members of this sect.


    Because of this, few knew why Minos Stuart was associated with this sect, as with this guard.


    He knew who Minos was for the northern region but did not know that such a person was the son of the successor to the sect master, Oswald''s grandson. As such, he could not help but find it strange that this fellow was there to deal with family matters.


    "That''s me..." Minos said as he looked at that individual, making him shiver with fear. "So, will you let us in, or will we have to cause trouble?"


    Gulp!


    "Cause trouble?" Such a guard did not like to hear that and was cautious because he already knew how slippery Minos was.


    Even news of Minos plotting against Vogel had reached the ears of ordinary people in that sect. So it would not be this guard, a mere Spiritual King, who would doubt the power of King Stuart!


    As he moved into a defensive position, several other guards in the surrounding area looked in the direction of Minos'' group, with some even beginning to move.


    Spiritual Emperors soon appeared there, sensing that trouble was about to appear in this place today.


    "What''s going on here? Why is our man on the defensive against you?" A level 64 Spiritual Emperor asked Minos'' group, looking mainly at the woman dressed all in black, an Archbishop of the Spiritual Church.


    ''What does someone from the Church want here?'' He wondered in incomprehension.


    Minos looked at the dozen or so guards in their surroundings and smiled at Ruth. "Your sect is not receptive, dear... And so many people still want to associate me with this place just because I share blood ties with some individuals here."


    "Chief, that''s Minos Stuart. He said he will cause trouble if we don''t let them pass." The guard shouted to the strongest Spiritual Emperor in their group, pointing in the direction of King Stuart.


    '''',


    When they heard such a thing, the people surrounding them put their hands on their weapons, knowing that Minos was a talented warrior.


    Minos had no power to cause chaos within this sect, but their duty as guards was to prevent trouble from entering the headquarters. Hence, they were taking this threat seriously.


    The disciples in the area noticed the tension in the air rising; some were afraid, but many were curious to see blood being spilled.


    "Minos Stuart..." The level 64 Spiritual Emperor muttered this person''s name, looking at the level 62 brown-haired, tall, muscular young man. ''So young and so strong... And he did it all by living in the northern region.''


    Gulp!


    "Minos Stuart, what is your purpose here?" He finally asked while Abby and Gloria quietly looked at the surroundings and Ruth felt embarrassed by it all.


    Minos looked at that person and said. "I am here to visit an old man named Oswald, the one you call the sect master. Tell him I''m here."


    "What?" The people there asked at the same time, identifying the name of the sect master.


    ,m They might not know Oswald''s last name, but they knew his first name. Moreover, Minos had done them the favor of pointing out that such a person was the sect master, so there was no way there could be any confusion there!


    "He called the sect master an old man?"


    "How disrespectful!"


    "Yes, no matter who he is or how talented he is, he can''t talk about the sect master like that! Our leader is a glorious high-level Spiritual Saint!"


    People argued, even though none of them knew what Oswald''s cultivation level was.


    Meanwhile, the guards were startled by Minos'' disrespect. "Minos Stuart, are you offending our sect? How do you have the nerve to call our leader an old man?"


    Minos smiled as he closed his eyes. "He is old... Anyway, I''m not going to waste my time with you. Get out of the way and let him know I''m here."


    Minos stepped forward as all those people removed their weapons from their spatial rings or belts.


    They all prepared to fight in defense of this place, but when they least expected it, they were pressed against the ground until they were on their knees.


    '''',


    Then Minos gave one of his hands to Ruth, indicating her to continue leading them toward their goal.


    He and his wives passed through the entrance gates of this headquarters simultaneously as hundreds of guards and disciples in the area were on their knees on the outskirts.


    "What is it?"


    "How can it be? I didn''t even see him activate a technique!"


    "Not for nothing! The wretch is a monster!"


    "But still, his courage to talk about the sect master is ridiculous..."


    The people sweating from the pressure on their bodies exchanged comments as Minos, and his wives walked away from the area, heading towards Ruth''s family residence.


    ''Damn it!''


    ''What a humiliation!'' The level 64 guard clenched his hands, feeling that he should do something against Minos as soon as possible.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Minos and his wives flew toward their first stop at this place.


    "Minos, isn''t your behavior going to cause trouble here?" Abby asked her husband.


    "No, why would it? Aren''t I supposed to be the heir to this sect? Then everything will be fine. Punishing guards for standing in the way of the ''future'' sect master is not a strange thing to happen." He joked about the rumors circulating among the leaders of the major organizations in the Empire and those four states.


    Abby then said. "I''m not talking about that. I''m talking about this attitude causing problems for us because the elders of this sect will have a negative opinion of you."


    Gloria nodded in agreement. "We have a business to do here, after all..."


    As Ruth also looked at him, Minos sighed and said. "It''s not as if we''re here to ask for favors. We''ll do business with them, so there will be advantages for people interested in making deals with us."


    "Anyway, forget about it. I''ll deal with any problems that arise... Now let''s focus on Ruth''s family. Time to meet my other in-laws." He smiled as he winked at her.


    With that, as the guards from earlier ran to call for reinforcements after Minos left that area, he and his wives quickly reached a particular area of that sect.


    ...

 Chapter 1267 Trouble

    When they arrived at one of the villages in the headquarters of the Gray Clouds Sect, Minos'' group did not have time to make their way toward one of the many high-standard houses in such a place when guards appeared.


    They had entered this headquarters irregularly, so it was to be expected that other groups would bother them about this matter!


    Then, before their group could enter Ruth''s parents'' house, a place at the end of the street they had just entered, 20 high-level Spiritual Emperors surrounded them.


    "Stop right there!" One of them shouted while he had his sword in his hands, looking at Minos with narrowed eyes.


    The guards from earlier had warned this group, so they knew who Minos was and what these people''s violations had been. That way, they were there to arrest these people!


    "Surrender now, or accept the consequences of invading our sect!"


    The guards on the outskirts kept looking at the four individuals as their leader spoke, feeling like having a little fun teaching these daring youths a lesson.


    Minos could be the King of the Black Plain, who supposedly had a connection to this sect. And Gloria could be a member of the Spiritual Church, a power such an organization had to respect. But none of this mattered since they had invaded this headquarters!


    These men obviously would not take this matter so far as to threaten the lives of these four youths, but they had every right to teach them a lesson and arrest them!


    ,m Thus, no one there feared Minos'' or Gloria''s past. As for Ruth, the men from before were so impressed by King Stuart''s act that they forgot to warn these people about her identity...


    "What consequences are we talking about here?" Minos smiled and asked, causing trouble in his family''s sect in amusement.


    The leader of those men, level 69, pressed his teeth against each other, sensing that Minos had no respect for him. "We''re going to beat the crap out of you until you learn to respect our organization... So, will you surrender now or keep pissing us off?"


    Meanwhile, the Spiritual Saints in that village, some of them residents, others just guards of the strongest residents there, were already looking toward these people.


    "Someone has broken into the sect?"


    "How is that possible? How did these children get here so quickly by invading us? Do they happen to have the map of our sect?"


    ''


    "Probably..."


    "Hey, don''t you think that black-haired girl looks like someone?"


    "Hmmm? To tell you the truth, the brown-haired young man is no stranger to me either..."


    While several experts watched the situation from afar, Minos continued in front of his wives with a smile on his face, wanting to see where this was going.


    People from this sect invited him a few times to come to this place. But when he finally arrived here, he and his wives were treated as strangers who should keep their distance. Even Ruth, who was born in this sect, had been ignored.


    Since he already did not have a good impression of the Coleman family, he promptly felt like causing a ruckus there for this little problem.


    "Get out of my way." He said, showing those guards that not only was he not afraid, but he was also threatening them!


    Those men felt extremely provoked by this, but they just stood still without the opposing side making a move.


    ''Why is he so confident?'' The leader of those men thought worriedly.


    That was not a simple place. If his group lost to Minos, another one with Spiritual Saints would be coming, which would continue to happen until the sect master, level 79, decided to act.


    Thinking about where this might end up, this man could not help but question Minos'' confidence, thinking that the King of the Black Plain was not just an idiot causing chaos.


    No one could be that dumb!


    So he decided to ask. "Why are you doing this? What is your purpose in invading our headquarters?"


    Ruth stepped forward, feeling that her husband would not help these men understand the situation correctly. "We are here to visit my family. I am Minos'' second wife, Ruth Miles."


    "Miles?"


    "Ah, so she''s Elise and Vince''s youngest daughter..."


    ''???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? N ovelBi(n)'',


    "If she''s little Ruth, that must be Minos Stuart, Maisie''s son..."


    "So that''s him?"


    The experts in the surrounding area identified Minos'' group, interested in this young King they had heard about for years.


    The level 69 Spiritual Emperor did not know who Minos was, but he recognized Ruth. He knew this level 62 woman because a few years ago, a young woman had left the Miles family to go and live in the northern region.


    That story had become quite famous among the security staff of the sect since they were the ones who handled the incoming and outgoing disciples of this organization. As such a thing had not happened for millennia, it would be difficult for anyone involved to forget this fact.


    Thus, he readily realized that Ruth was not a renegade trying to return to the sect, as the previous guard had considered. Instead, she was just there to visit her family, which was justifiable.


    "So you''re the young Miss Miles. We didn''t know." He said, lowering the spirits of the people in his group.


    Hearing that man''s softer tone, Ruth sighed and said. "Anyway, I want to introduce my family to my parents... Can you leave us alone now? I''m already embarrassed that I have to put my husband and sisters through this situation in my home."


    Some Spiritual Saints in the surrounding area felt uncomfortable about this, especially considering who Minos and Oswald were.


    None of them thought Minos being bold in the northern region was strange, even after so much strange news. That was because Oswald himself had made a name for himself in the past, causing a lot of trouble during his youth.


    So they could already imagine that this situation would not end well if more trouble arose.


    However, before one of them approached those people, the level 69 Spiritual Emperor said. "I understand, Miss Miles. But your husband attacked our guards at the sect gate... So we can''t just make way for you as if nothing happened."


    "Then what are you waiting for?" Minos asked. "We''re not going to surrender. Do your job, or get out of our way!"


    Infinite Dream!


    But he did not give these people time to attack them. Instead, after he finished speaking, Minos immediately activated his mental technique, intending to take down the strongest of the opposing group to deal with the rest later.


    The rest of the guards were only level 67 and 68 Spiritual Emperors, so it would not be difficult for him to defeat them after immobilizing the level 69 man.


    Like that, invisible energy shot out from Minos'' colored pupils, heading towards that man looking at him thoughtfully.


    ...

 Chapter 1268 Meeting The Miles Family 1

    As that man was struck by Minos'' blow and fell unconscious, a level 70 Spiritual Saint appeared at his side and stopped him from falling face to the ground.


    Several experts had realized who Minos was, but they wanted first to see what this young man intended to do against someone at level 69. But none of them expected that the young King Stuart would take down that head of the guard with just one look!


    Since many there did not want this to develop further, the moment the quickest to move among them realized that such a level 69 person was already unconscious, he promptly acted to stop that.


    "Alright, everyone, back to your posts. The fun is over!" This level 70 Spiritual Saint threw that man''s body onto one of his shoulders and said so, looking at the guards in the surroundings. "That was just a misunderstanding. There is no need to continue with such a thing. This group has the right to enter here."


    At the same time, other Spiritual Saints observing the situation appeared in that place, looking interestedly at Minos.


    "So you are young Minos..." A green-haired, level 69 woman, who was in her family''s home before, ran up to this young man with a smile on her face.


    Ivy Lawson was Maisie''s best friend, who, the last time she had seen Minos, had even held him in her arms. So when she saw him in her family''s village, this big-breasted ''young lady'' ran up to him to hug him.


    Ruth saw this and indicated to her harem sisters that it was all right since she knew such a person.


    But Minos looked hypnotically at those swaying breasts, surprised to see the largest of the kind he had ever seen and remembering Isabella. ''I have to resist...''


    Before Minos could deflect, Ivy hugged him, squeezing his head between two large soft masses, which made this man feel an exceptional sensation.


    Only those who have experienced being ''smothered'' by big tits could understand the sensation Minos was feeling at the moment!


    And feeling the pleasant smell of Ivy, Minos forgot the previous situation as he lightly hugged the back of this beautiful woman. ''Who is that?''


    At the same time, others approached their group to talk to Ruth while the guards in the area slowly backed away, not understanding the situation.


    "Ruth, I didn''t think I would see you here so soon..."


    ''?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? Novel(B) in.??? ?? ?x???????? ??s??? ?????? s????.'',


    "Hmm, but judging by your level, it seems you didn''t harm yourself with that choice of yours..."


    "She looks so healthy. It looks like Maisie''s son inherited the sect master''s genes..."


    Women who knew Ruth and were friends with her mother began to talk things among themselves, sometimes leaving this young woman blushing with embarrassment.


    As one got older, people lost some of their inhibitions. So for a young woman like her, hearing those women say intimate things in public was rather embarrassing!


    "Oh, Minos, you look so handsome..." Ivy felt her eyes watering as she squeezed this young man into her body. "Did you know? You still sniff me the same way you did back then when you were still a baby... It seems your instincts are still the same."


    Gulp!


    As he heard this in one of his ears, Minos swallowed his saliva, wondering who this woman was.


    But then she said softly to him after giving a smile that only he heard. "Don''t tell your mother, but you truly are something... If you weren''t a friend''s son, I''d take you to a room, hehe."


    ''Friend?'' Minos'' eyes widened as he stared at this woman''s cleavage, with a little smile gradually forming on his lips. ''So you''re a friend of Maisie...''


    "Hmm, that would be a magnificent experience." He answered for her, making Ivy look him in the eye and smile.


    ''What a bold young man!'' She winked at him but did not think Minos was serious.


    After being released from Ivy''s breasts, Minos looked at the surroundings and saw the Spiritual Saints there talking to his wives and looking at him.


    "Minos Stuart, are you here to see your mother? Your family? We can direct you to the place..." One of them was saying but was interrupted by this fellow.


    "No, they will eventually find me. I''m here to meet my wife''s family." Minos replied.


    He was going to visit this family of his. That was in his plans. But he did not need to go after that. Eventually, the news of his arrival would reach the ears of Maisie, so they would come looking for him.


    '',


    From then on, he would deal with the situation of meeting these people who were strangers to him.


    Upon hearing this, some people in the vicinity were surprised that Minos gave Ruth''s family more weight than his own, but others understood the problem.


    That was particularly true for Ivy, who had already heard from Maisie about the relationship Minos and she had.


    ''Hmm, sounds like they need to talk a lot...'' She looked down at the floor and wondered if she could help with anything.


    "Aren''t you going to go see the sect master?" One of those who cared the least about this family issue and cared only about the rules of the sect asked. "That''s not appropriate! The sect master holds you in high regard! He is even thinking of giving you his successor position!"


    Minos looked at the white-haired man, some elder of that sect, and said. "I don''t know what you are talking about. I have no obligation to go to him just when I arrive."


    "Anyway, I''m going to meet my wife''s family first... Ruth?" He took one of the hands of this black-haired woman and started walking away with her, leaving that man talking to himself.


    Since he could do nothing against Minos, that fellow felt frustrated that the sect master had such an ungrateful grandson.


    ''What a little fellow! He doesn''t value his own family!'' He stomped hard on the ground as he turned to leave, planning to inform the sect master.


    Meanwhile, the other Spiritual Saints left from there to inform their respective families. Some families in this organization were competing for the position that should be Maisie''s. On the other hand, others needed to know this kind of information to manage their future.


    There was a political game behind every organization in this world, where brute power was the most relevant but not the only variable.


    So, naturally, the pillars of a sect had to consider various scenarios when supporting someone, so they needed all kinds of information.


    Minos was unaware of the power disputes in the Gray Clouds Sect and how this would affect him. Hence, he simply followed Ruth to her family''s home while Ivy left for Maisie''s residence.


    With that, in the blink of an eye, the four came across a young woman with black hair and a black and white cat.


    ...

 Chapter 1269 Meeting The Miles Family 2

    "You?" Minos said in surprise at the sight of Talia''s face, while Ruth''s older sister quickly turned red with embarrassment at the sight of his face.


    Gulp!


    "Minos!" She cried out in surprise, her eyes wide at seeing this man she had dreamed of seeing again for so many nights...


    Years ago, Talia pretended to be Ruth in the northern region and almost went to bed with Minos. But as he was busy then, nothing had happened, and she had returned ''entire.''


    However, Minos had stirred the feelings of the pure Talia, and she had thought about him for quite some time.


    So, seeing this man at the front door of her family house, she could not help but be surprised while feeling ashamed for what she had done.


    "Talia? Have you seen Minos before?" Ruth asked in surprise since she knew nothing about it.


    Upon hearing this, Minos understood everything that had happened back then, realizing that Talia had passed herself off as Ruth and told this woman nothing.


    As Talia looked at him and her sister, so shocked and ashamed that she could not react to the surprise of seeing Ruth again, Minos answered in her place. "She went to the Black Plain once... I think she wanted to know more about the man you were getting involved with, Ruth."


    "That..." Talia hesitated, afraid her sister would hate her if he told her more.


    "Is that so?" Ruth looked at her sister and Minos while Abby and Gloria watched that woman with a black and white cat in her arms with strangeness.


    Minos laughed and said. "Yes, after she ''sensed'' how remarkable I was, she convinced herself and left, didn''t you, sister-in-law?"


    p "That''s what happened..." Talia said in a low voice, knowing this was not a lie. ''He did indeed make me sense many things.''


    "Well, you should have told me..." Ruth said as she came closer to her sister and hugged her before taking that ball of black and white fur from Talia''s arms.


    "Milo..." She lifted it in the air with her two hands, seeing the little face of that adorable creature.


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    "Meow!"


    Then, as Ruth placed her family cat on her shoulder and Abby and Gloria looked at it, Talia shook her head and tried to overcome her embarrassment. ''I''ll talk to him alone later to resolve that situation...''


    "Uh, anyway, welcome back, Ruth." She said as she looked at her younger sister before turning to the other two women there. "You too. It''s nice that you all came to visit us. You must be Abby and Gloria, right?"


    "Hmmm," Abby nodded to her.


    Talia knew about them since her family monitored the Minos and Ruth situation in the northern region. So it was easy for her to assume that these two women could only be his other wives.


    And seeing Gloria, she could not help but focus on this woman''s belly. ''She is pregnant!''


    They then talked among themselves for a few moments while Talia tried to ignore Minos to avoid blushing with shame for having betrayed her sister. At the same time, they went deeper into that residence, quickly settling into a living room.


    "So, where are our parents?" Ruth asked while she had already let that furry cat out of her arms to approach Abby and Gloria.


    Milo had sniffed them both, but it did not take long for it to lay on Gloria''s lap, licking the clothes around her belly.


    Talia watched that and replied to Ruth. "Mother and father are out working. I don''t know what time they''ll be back."


    Talia and Ruth''s parents were elders of the sect but not the most powerful. Elise was only level 71, while Vince was at level 75. So the two of them had various matters to take care of around the headquarters and sometimes even away from that place. Hence, when Ruth heard Talia, she did not find it strange and took it as usual.


    "Well, I hope they won''t be long. I want them to meet my family..." She said before the four women started talking again, getting to know each other better.


    As for Minos, he participated in this conversation from time to time, always looking interestedly at that woman who was currently at level 65.


    ''Talia has improved a lot in that time we haven''t seen each other...'' He remembered that moment between them when he did not even know that such a person was his sister-in-law.


    ''But who knew... She wanted to test her sister''s then-boyfriend by going to bed with him.'' He internally smiled, interested in this sister of Ruth''s.


    Talia had not intended to do such a thing at the time, but it would make no difference to Minos, even if she explained it to him. She had acted in such a way and even insisted that they continue their things somewhere... It had just been a pity that the time and place were not the best, and nothing more profound had happened between them.


    '''',


    She could see that there was something on his mind, but she did her best to stay focused on getting to know Abby and Gloria and listening to her sister''s stories.


    ''Why does he keep looking at me? Does he desire me?'' She smiled at those three women. ''No, Minos, we can''t! Ruth is my sister! It would be wrong for me to give myself to you!''


    Soon, Talia felt as if two entities were in her mind trying to direct her to make totally opposite decisions regarding Minos.


    ''Oh, that is so wrong!''


    ...


    At the same time that Talia was being tested, Maisie was welcoming Ivy into her home.


    "Ivy? What are you doing here?" Minos'' mother escorted that green-haired woman into her residence, seeing the smiling look on that person''s face.


    "Maisie, guess who just arrived at the sect?" Ivy asked while she could not stop thinking about little Minos.


    Maisie was not dumb and knew that Minos was coming to this place. Since the time coincided with when he was supposed to arrive, she said. "My son?"


    "Exactly!" Ivy exclaimed. "I just met him near the Miles'' house. I even hugged him tight after so long without seeing him!"


    "You did?" Maisie smiled as she was already starting to get excited about introducing her son to the rest of the family.


    She was not in such a hurry and would not be rushing out of this place to Minos. After all, she was aware that this would irritate him. So first, she would talk a little with her friend and give him time to learn about that family before she approached him.


    Ivy nodded. "He looks so handsome. He doesn''t even look like the baby I held in my arms so long ago..." She gave a slightly different smile as she remembered the teasing words from earlier.


    "You haven''t tried anything with my son, right?" Maisie closed her eyes and asked, already knowing what her friend''s personality was like.


    "Of course not! He''s just a boy in my eyes!" Ivy defensively said, smiling, not feeling offended.


    "I hope so. I don''t even want to think of you putting your hands on him..." Maisie sighed, thinking that this woman would be dangerous around someone with Minos'' personality.

 Chapter 1270 The News Spreads

    Meanwhile, at the residence of the sect master...


    Oswald was currently in the bedroom with his wife, Patience, fulfilling his responsibilities as a man, something he loved to do, even in his old age.


    At the same time, Angelica Coleman, Maisie''s younger sister, was in another part of that residence, meditating in her old room while waiting for her parents for dinner.


    It was the end of the day in this part of the Flaming Empire, and many members of that organization were already in their homes, preparing for the night. But this ''young'' lady had a matter to take up with her old parents, so she had left her residence and come to this place.


    Since she could not sense their auras anywhere, she could only wait for them in her old room, knowing they were rarely late for dinner.


    However, while the cooks at that residence were preparing dinner, the man who had questioned Minos earlier arrived at that residence.


    "What do you want here?" The Spiritual Saint, who was watching the surroundings of that residence, asked such a newcomer.


    "Senior, I am here bringing urgent information about the sect master''s grandson!" He said in an agitated tone, still incredulous at Minos'' behavior.


    Upon hearing that, the guard looked seriously at this person and asked. "What happened?"


    "Minos Stuart came to the sect and refused to come to see the sect master! Do you believe that? He said that we should inform our sect master and that it was his grandfather who should go to him!" Such a person said while waving his hands at that person.


    "Is that so?" Oswald''s family guard said, feeling this was not strange.


    "Well, I will pass on the information to the sect master as soon as possible." He stated, knowing that, at the moment, Oswald was unavailable since the arrays around the room in that house had been activated.


    Such arrays prevented anyone from checking what was happening inside that place, so besides knowing that Oswald did not want to be disturbed, this man had no idea what was going on there or how long it would take.


    That man was not happy to find out that he could not speak directly with the sect master, but upon finding out that such a person was busy, he did not take long to leave.


    On the other hand, the guard in question did not wait to break the news to Angelica.


    '''',


    "Young lady, your nephew is in the sect. Do you want to visit him? He is at the estate of elder Vince Miles..."


    "Oh? Is Minos here?" She opened her eyes and heard the announcement from the person who had not even left his post outside that residence.


    ...


    On the other hand, the news about Minos'' arrival had also arrived in one of the estates of the families behind this sect.


    "Patriarch, Minos Stuart made a mess while entering the headquarters and is now on Vince Miles'' property." One of the people who had seen King Stuart earlier near the village of some mid-sized noble families of that organization were located informed his family leader.


    Upon hearing that, the man behind that family, which was almost as strong as House Coleman, looked thoughtfully at that Spiritual Saint while the people in the surrounding area looked interested.


    A young man who was standing there then smiled and said. "That''s great news!"


    "Hmm, with this fellow here, the sect master will probably change his successor. With that, Maisie will no longer be a competitor!" An elder there nodded in agreement, seeing this situation as their big chance.


    The young man clenched his fists. "I may not stand a chance against her, but this Minos Stuart is just a kid coming from the northern region. With his appointment, we will finally have more support from the elders who supported Maisie until now!"


    The patriarch of this family agreed with the comments of these two individuals.


    A sect was an organization composed of several families and people not necessarily related to these noble houses. Because of this structure, the position of the main leader was not simply given to the son of the last sect master. Instead, this position was passed on by voting!


    p Therefore, whoever had the most influence and support from the elders, the ones who had the right to vote, had the best chance of becoming the sect master.


    Since Maisie had a lot of support, given her talent, education, good background, etc., almost no one had a chance to compete with her. But if she dropped out of the contest to make way for Minos, then it would only be a matter of time before that support would be diluted among the various competitors!


    In this case, this family and others trying to prepare young people to lead the sect would have a better chance of succeeding in their ambitions.


    Having the leader of an organization on your side, be it a sect, a family, or any institution, always had its advantages. So no family part of this organization would pass up the chance to put one of its own in the central position of power!


    As such, these people could not help but be pleased with the arrival of Minos, who could change many things in this place.


    '''',


    The patriarch then said. "Prepare our offerings. Let''s try to move the hearts of the elders in the Coleman family faction once again!"


    "But not only that. Spread the stories of how troublesome this young man is and how he has already arrived, causing mayhem at headquarters. We must convince everyone that they should support our family, not the sect master''s irrational decision!"


    "Yes, patriarch!"


    That same man from before left the place to settle the matter along with the other elder who was there.


    Then, when only the patriarch and the young man from before were left there, that older individual said to the junior. "Lance, you must seek out this King of the Black Plain and challenge him. Show everyone who is the strongest."


    Lance smiled at the patriarch and left there right after promising to do his best.


    ...


    Sometime later, Ruth''s parents finally arrived home and found a big surprise in their living room.


    "Ruth?" The two exclaimed to that young woman they had not seen in years.


    The moment they heard the voice of those two people, Minos, and his wives took their eyes off each other, finally spotting Ruth''s parents.


    This woman rose from her husband''s lap in surprise and ran her hands through her clothes. "Mother, father!" She said, not expecting her parents to arrive without giving them any signs.


    Good thing Talia was there, and they were not doing anything...


    But that sight had been enough to mark a few wrinkles near Vince''s eyes as he looked at the young man who had taken away his little girl.


    Elise was also surprised, but as she looked at those people, she realized that her daughter was humiliated by a man she had to share with others and had to accept that Minos had already impregnated another woman.


    She could not ignore Gloria''s belly, where Milo seemed to have found his place to sleep.


    But then she heard something. "Father-in-law, mother-in-law, nice to meet you..."

 Chapter 1271 Conversations

    Upon seeing Minos for the first time, Ruth''s parents unhurriedly looked at him, assessing this person who had made their little girl leave home.


    But considering the stories the two had already heard about Minos, they no longer underestimated this young man from the northern region.


    All the Spiritual Saints of the Gray Clouds Sect already knew about the rumors of Minos being about to become the king of Vogel. That was impressive, something that could eventually put him in an advantageous position similar to leading the most prominent sects in the Empire.


    That''s even considering that he would not have full powers!


    So even if he had no future within this sect, Minos was still quite promising, considering Vogel.


    But he did not just have that. Minos could also already be considered quite strong and talented, given his level and age. Thus, Vince and Elise''s opinion of him now was different from the one they had years ago when Ruth left.


    Before, they thought that Ruth was making a mistake in marrying Minos, that she deserved someone more capable, another youth from the Empire, preferably. So much so that they had not even attended their wedding since such a thing went against what they believed was best for her.


    But they had allowed Ruth to go since, in the Spiritual World, few powers used the idea of arranged marriage. Usually, people decide who they will marry or have relations with. Then, it was unusual for families to get in the way of relationships like the one these two had or the one Minos'' father had with Maisie.


    However, parents would always have their opinions of what would be best for their children regardless of whether or not they accepted their children''s ''mistakes.'' So these two had not previously agreed with Ruth''s decision and let her go without giving their blessing.


    And because of this, they felt a bit strange at the moment, seeing how Minos had exceeded any expectations they might have had and still helped Ruth reach level 62.


    When Ruth left for the northern region to live there, they even doubted if she would be able to reach 7th. But, seeing this woman not far from level 63, they were impressed with her level and Minos, the one likely responsible for this.


    Vince then sighed and showed one of his hands to Minos. "The pleasure is all ours, young man..."


    Minos and his father-in-law shook hands, as Elise said. "You have turned out better than I had thought... But it is a pity my daughter was not as lucky as this young Archbishop."


    Gloria blushed as she saw the look on that woman''s face, who was clearly unhappy to see Ruth''s ''competitors'' there.


    Minos then laughed and said. "Don''t worry, mother-in-law. We are working on giving you some grandchildren."


    '''',


    Hearing this, Talia, sitting on a sofa, looked at her parents, incredulous at what Minos was talking about. ''Is he saying he will have fun with my sister for our parents?''


    Vince closed his eyes and tried to ignore the meaning of Minos'' comment, looking only on the bright side. "I hope you will be successful. But there is no need to rush. There is plenty of time for you."


    But Elise had something different in mind as she looked at Ruth.


    She whispered to her daughter. "Don''t listen to your father. Do as much as possible and get pregnant before that blue-haired girl!"


    "Mom!" Ruth blushed.


    "What? Do you want your children to be left behind in the succession of this family of yours?" She smiled at her daughter. "I already know you do a lot of that, so just focus on putting the pleasant together with the helpful!"


    Vince did not listen to his wife and daughter''s comments and asked Minos. "What do you intend to do with Vogel? Are you truly going to rule this state?"


    As Minos'' father-in-law, Vince''s most significant interest was in this young man''s success since this would mean that his daughter would be well off. As for other matters that were of minor importance to him, things his wife would be the one to worry about.


    Ruth seemed happy, so everything else was irrelevant to him apart from the Stuart family position!


    Hence, as they relaxed in that living room, Minos began to speak. "Well, for now, we''re going to get some benefits from that state while ensuring peace in the region... Then, after things settle down, we''ll see what happens."


    "Oh? And how are you going to do that?" Elise asked, interested in how someone at the level of Minos could accomplish something so difficult to accomplish.


    Minos laughed and looked at his wives. "We''ll figure it out."


    They smiled, knowing he did not want to discuss his agreement with the Emperor to prevent it from spreading.


    To fool an enemy, sometimes you had to fool your allies first!


    Since the four northern states were enemies of the Empire, the imperial family had to keep their plans secret even from their vassals and subordinates. Otherwise, information could leak out, and Minos'' plans could go from bad to worse.


    Vince and Elise tried to press Minos for some more time, but he and his wives cleverly avoided giving details about their plans regarding such a thing.


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    After this, the two experts gave up probing the matter and asked questions concerning the Black Plain and the Stuart family.


    They wanted to know why Minos did not move to the Empire or if there was a possibility that he would go to live in Vogel, a much better place than the Black Plain.


    But Minos and his wives explained to these people that the situation in the Black Plain was not as bad as they imagined. Not only that, Ruth even said that they should pay a visit before giving a definite judgment about such an area.


    Abby and Gloria added several positive pieces of information about the Black Plain to the conversation, showing how much that place had grown in recent years and its potential.


    After talking for some time, those three relatives of Ruth''s understood her situation on the Black Plain better. But before the conversation was over, Talia led Minos into the kitchen for him to drink some water.


    ...


    "Talia, I didn''t expect that you were Ruth''s sister..." Minos commented to his sister-in-law as he drank his water. "At that time, I realized that your kiss was different from hers, but I had no idea of your identity."


    "Shh!"


    "Don''t talk about it!" She said in a low voice, a little nervous.


    "And when are we going to talk about it?"


    "We''d better forget about it! You know how wrong it was. So we''d better just pretend it never happened." She said, speaking close to him to ensure that only the two would hear that.


    "Are you sure about that? You seemed to want it so much more back then..." He suggested after placing the crystal glass on a table there and approaching her.


    "That was many years ago. And I was out of my mind at the time!" She defended herself, not wanting this man to have the wrong image of her.


    "I don''t think so..." He put her against a wall and grabbed her slender waist.


    Gulp!


    ...

 Chapter 1272 Tension

    After swallowing her saliva in nervousness, Talia looked at Minos'' lips close to her face and felt a chill in her stomach.


    This black-haired beauty, similar to Ruth, then unconsciously moved her hands to his neck, slowly massaging this part of Minos'' body.


    Then the two of them closed their eyes, and their mouths came closer together, with her feeling chills through her body the moment their lips touched.


    "Mmmmm~"


    Minos and Talia quickly exchanged saliva in a tongue dance that was complicated to understand, with this woman shivering as he tightened his grip on her waist.


    But just as they were beginning to get excited, the front door of that residence was slammed a few times, alarming the two engaging in this forbidden relationship.


    Talia promptly pulled away from Minos, breathing faster as she turned red. "You shouldn''t have done that!"


    "You wanted to..." Minos blinked at her, straightening his clothes, the same thing this woman in front of him was doing.


    Then, as the two looked each other in the eye, a different voice than they were hearing from that living room reached their ears.


    "Elder Elise, Elder Vince, I heard my nephew is here. Is that true?"


    "Hmm, it''s true, Angelica." Elise, who had opened the front door of her residence, said as she looked at the brown-haired beauty in front of her, who was alone at the moment.


    Upon hearing that, Minos'' aunt smiled and entered that residence immediately after being invited, looking for Minos with a smile on her face.


    Upon arriving in the living room of that house, she came across Ruth, Abby, and Gloria but did not see her nephew at first. However, when she heard the sound of footsteps coming from a hallway next to that room, Angelica immediately turned her face and saw two people coming there.


    Talia was in front, and right behind came Minos with a calm expression on his face, as if nothing had happened in that kitchen.


    '''',


    "Minos!" Angelica shouted as she saw her nephew''s face, already running towards him.


    Minos saw this level 68 woman and frowned, wondering if more and more beautiful women would come to harass him today.


    ''Ah, too bad this woman looks a lot like her sister.... Otherwise I''d take her to bed too.'' He thought as he saw his aunt''s gorgeous little body approaching to hug him.


    Maisie and Angelica were not very similar in terms of measurements, but they had similar faces. So, Minos could not fail to realize that this woman was his relative.


    "Minos, how long has it been since I''ve seen you?" Angelica shed a few tears as she pressed her face against Minos'' chest.


    She was only 1.6 meters tall, so as she embraced Minos, Angelica stood with her face below his, in a position that many would consider ideal for a man and woman to be in this situation.


    Minos then squeezed her waist provocatively, at a height that nephews should not touch but with no nefarious interest, intending only to annoy such a person.


    Angelica felt some of his fingers on the upper part of her buttocks but was not bothered. "You have grown so much, and now you are a ready man!"


    "Hmm, it truly was a long time." He commented in a low voice, remembering the last time he had seen his aunt when Albert was still alive.


    Angelica had gone to the northern region a few times at Maisie''s side then. Thus, Minos remembered that aunt and readily recognized her after seeing her running toward him.


    "Of course, you decided to spend so much time away..." He did not hold back his words, commenting for Angelica and everyone there to hear him.


    Gulp!


    Silence spread after Minos'' words, as Ruth''s family avoided looking at the aunt and nephew still hugging, and his wives closed their eyes.


    Angelica felt the temperature in her surroundings suddenly decrease at Minos'' comment and slowly moved away her face from his chest to look at him.


    "That... That''s not quite right."


    '''',


    " Is that so? And how is it?" He asked, looking into her eyes with an expression on his face that matched his sarcastic tone well.


    Angelica felt vulnerable at being looked at like that and tried to get out of Minos'' arms so she would not have to look him in the eyes so closely. But as she tried to move, she realized she could not take his hands off her body.


    "Sigh..." She looked away before pressing her face against his chest again. "It''s not that simple, Minos. I''m part of the Gray Clouds Sect. I couldn''t keep leaving headquarters to go to the northern region whenever I wanted."


    "The Empire has powerful enemies who could at any time endanger my life when I was fragile. After that, I had too many responsibilities to fulfill..."


    What she spoke was not a lie. If Minos had grown up in this place, she and her family would still be busy. But because of their proximity, seeing him daily for a few minutes would not be difficult.


    But Minos had grown up in the northern region, where weaker people would have to travel for weeks to months just on the one-way trip, so she had not had many chances to be there for him.


    Of course, none of this was Minos'' fault, so he had every right to feel ''offended'' that these people had left him there without maintaining more frequent contact.


    But in any case, he was not teasing Angelica about the fact that she and his mother had not been present in his childhood. That had bothered him in the past, but Minos had gotten over it several years ago. No, what made him start this tough conversation was how this woman treated him as if nothing had happened.


    That was what irritated him!


    What he felt at the moment was similar to what a person would feel when one made an appointment, and the other person did not show up, not even sending a message or explaining why.


    In situations like these, the worst thing was not that the appointment did not happen, but the lack of consideration from that person, who did not even try to tell the other that they would not be there.


    Sometimes such a thing could even be justified since problems happen and could make people late or even miss their appointments. But everything could be solved with a simple warning, a conversation.


    In this situation, sometimes, one party did not warn the other that they would be absent, and the one who waited would be exceptionally disappointed. What Minos felt was similar to this. He had never heard such justification, only encountered Maisie and Angelica in situations where they treated him as if they had never done anything wrong as if the problem did not exist.


    So he felt very irritated to hear something similar to what she said, considering that she was the one who chose not to see him for many years.


    Thus, Angelica''s belated justification was of little importance to him!


    ...

 Chapter 1273 What Minos Wants From His Flaming Empire Family

    After hearing Angelica''s justification, Minos smiled and released her, turning his attention back to his wives.


    Angelica could say whatever she wanted to him. It did not matter now. Minos had only provoked her because of his earlier irritation, but he did not feel it was worth discussing.


    Where would they get by doing that? She had her reason, which was reasonable. Minos knew that. But he had his side too. Besides, he was already an adult and had his life on track, with goals to pursue, a daughter on the way, and essential things to take care of.


    Hence, he did not care or want to find a way to solve his problems with these people so that he could live with his maternal family as if he had a need.


    He was not a child to care about such nonsense at this point!


    He had no issue establishing a friendly connection with the Coleman family as long as those people did not mistake him for one of them due to his bloodline.


    Just as he could create a positive relationship with a stranger, he was fully capable of doing this with these relatives.


    The key to everything lay in these people understanding that he would not treat them as relatives just because of their genetic heritage. Their history was not good. He had problems with how his mother and family had handled his situation. Plus, he did not like having to deal with people who pretended as if nothing had happened.


    If he had to deal with that, he would continually have problems with those people. But suppose they acted like people who could accept the weight of their decisions without pretending the problems did not exist. In that case, he could act like a mature person and dialogue with them.


    He would not treat them like family members but would not provoke them as he did with Angelica.


    Novel Top1.OR G


    Thus Minos left his aunt looking at the floor and sat down between his wives on the large sofa in that living room.


    As silence filled that place, Ruth''s parents and sister looked at the floor, pretending they had not seen this delicate situation.


    ''What a strange situation...'' Talia made a bitter expression, slowly turning her face towards Minos.


    As she did so, she saw Ruth and Abby looking at Angelica with complicated expressions. Yet, at the same time, Gloria seemed to be the least affected.


    Angelica then felt as if immense weights had sprung up on her shoulders, noticing that Minos had ignored her justification without saying anything.


    That only made it worse for her!


    She would prefer he had acted childishly and engaged in an argument with her. That would at least indicate that he cared about his family. But in this situation where he just ignored her, all she felt was that it made no difference to Minos to talk about it anymore since he did not care.


    And while a heated discussion could be complicated, it also opened up spaces for reconciliation. After all, people who did that usually only engaged in such a thing because they cared too much.


    But one person not refuting an answer and not showing commitment to making their point was an absolute indication of disinterest!


    And well, it could be impossible to change the mind of someone disinterested!


    So Angelica felt doubly bad at the moment, with a mixture of guilt and regret in her heart, since she cared about Minos.


    But while she was thinking about this and the people there were silent, someone knocked on the door of Ruth''s parents'' house.


    Pa! Pa!


    Hearing that, Vince wasted no time and went to see who it was, thanking the heavens for sending someone to put an end to this suffering.


    "Sigh..."


    He then opened the door and took a calmer breath before seeing three people standing there.


    "Vince, is my grandson here?" Oswald walked in after the door in front of him opened, not giving Ruth''s father time to say anything.


    Vince smiled at the sight of the sect master, looking at Maisie and Patience, who entered shortly afterward when they saw his hand gesture. "He is, patriarch. Please make yourselves at home."


    With that, Angelica finally calmed down and looked back to see her family arriving in that living room where Minos and his wives were settled together with Talia and Elise.


    Milo was also there, this time hunting the fingers of one of Minos'' hands, wriggling on top of his right knee.


    Oswald saw Minos between Gloria and Abby, with Ruth next to this blue-haired woman, and smiled. "Hahaha, you''ve improved a lot since the last time I saw you, kid!"


    Minos looked at that white-haired figure and nodded.


    Patience looked at him with affection in her eyes, thinking that Minos looked a lot like Oswald when this fellow was younger. "You look very well for someone who has suffered so much, my boy..." She moved closer to him, not giving her grandson a chance to refuse her embrace.


    "Hmm, dear, those barbarians of the Coleman family mistreated you..." She swayed Minos as she hugged him, kissing his right cheek and giving this young man no chance to escape her.


    As she did this and Oswald tapped one of Minos'' shoulders, pleased with this young man''s cultivation level, Maisie sat down next to her disciple.


    "Ruth, you have improved a lot..." She started talking to the black-haired young woman and the other two wives of Minos without trying to invade her son''s space.


    Oswald then said, while his wife still had her face close to King Stuart''s, sniffing this young man. "Minos, Maisie must have already told you, right? I am your grandfather, and this is your grandmother, Patience. We are the leaders of the Gray Clouds Sect and the Coleman family..."


    "That makes you the heir to this family and sect!"


    Minos closed his eyes upon hearing such a thing while making a displeased expression, but without moving since Patience was holding his head while caressing his hair.


    But he did not remain silent. "I am the King of the Black Plain. I have no interest in becoming a subordinate of the Emperor, much less coming to live in this place."


    But Oswald did not mind that. "It doesn''t matter. When you become a Spiritual Saint, traveling between the northern region and here will be like a walk. As for something else, don''t be silly. What''s wrong with being a subordinate of the Emperor? That doesn''t mean you''ll be stuck in this place for your whole life!"


    "I just want you to lead the sect, but when you find a worthy substitute, you can leave your position, just as I intend to do." He continued smiling, not considering that his grandson might refuse him. "So? Will you accept? You will have many more advantages here than becoming the King of Vogel!"


    Minos finally had his body released by Patience and looked at the old figure standing beside him and this woman.


    ...

 Chapter 1274 I Sincerely Doubt That

    "I sincerely doubt that," Minos commented as he looked at that old figure. "What advantage will I have in that? Vogel will be mine in the future, and I won''t have to bend my knees for anyone. Not to mention that such a thing would bring trouble for me with those four enemy states of the Empire."


    The wives of Minos watched this young man while the other people there looked at Oswald. He then said. "What are you saying? Are you going to become an enemy of the Empire? Don''t be ridiculous!"


    "You have to do the right thing. That is, lead the family when I''m no longer around!"


    Oswald was not the kind of person who would give much thought to Minos'' problem regarding Maisie since the sect was more important than such nonsense to him. So he saw in his grandson a new leadership for his organization, something he appreciated very much. That was particularly true, considering he did not have much time left to be around.


    He was pretty old, so naturally, he did not expect to live much longer.


    Then, for Oswald, the most important thing was not that Minos and Maisie had a good mother-son relationship. But that they would take over his responsibilities when he was not around.


    Others could undoubtedly lead this sect and even the Coleman family, as this organization had no talent shortage. But he sincerely believed that Minos was the best option, considering what had happened on the Black Plain.


    Thus, this old guy wanted to pass his position to his grandson as soon as possible!


    Minos laughed and then answered Oswald''s question. "If need, I will be an enemy of the Empire. But first, I will try to keep the peace in my domains."


    "Tsk!"


    Oswald looked at the young man in front of him as Maisie rose from her seat. "Don''t say crazy things. You''re going to be a father now, Minos!"


    Ruth then commented. "Don''t worry, Minos is just chitchatting. We have no intention of fighting the Empire."


    "What about the sect? Would you rather lead a state with several organizations that are enemies of ours than do that to your own family?" Oswald questioned.


    Minos dryly said. "I will not need to live in Vogel even when I am proclaimed the king. Besides, I will have several advantages in that place that I would not have here..."


    "What advantages?" Oswald frowned his eyebrows. "Do you believe they will give you anything? At most, they''ll leave you pointing pencils in the northern region while they rule!"


    Minos retorted. "I gave them many advantages, but they accepted I would eventually use that state to benefit the Black Plain. Would the Gray Clouds Sect be willing to do the same?"


    "Besides, what has been given, can eventually be taken back... I have a much longer way to go than those people from Vogel." He smiled, shaking his shoulders, showing his grandfather that he already had a better deal.


    "Arrogant fool!"


    "They''ll just use you and throw you away when they don''t need you anymore!" Oswald stomped hard on the floor as the tension in that house increased considerably.


    "Sect Master, do you think the people in this sect wouldn''t do the same to my husband?" Gloria asked while still sitting in her seat. "I doubt that Minos will be well-received by this sect''s elders. When you depart, they will probably use the excuse that he is from the northern region to contest every difficult order he gives."


    Oswald turned his face to Gloria and saw this woman''s belly. Because of this, he was not irritated by being refuted and smiled at her. "That''s normal, little girl. That''s how high-level powers work. But here he will have support, in Vogel, not."


    Patience nodded in agreement. "Minos, Maisie, and the Coleman family will help you lead the sect. It will be difficult for a while after we leave. Still, eventually, you will gain the confidence necessary to rule as Oswald."


    Minos then looked at his mother and asked. "And why doesn''t she take that position? She must have been prepared for it, right?"


    Oswald and Patience looked at Maisie and this beautiful brown-haired woman to her son. "Because you can handle that kind of role better than I and can take the sect to a new level." She smiled as she said this. "I will at most do what my father has already done. But you can make significant changes."


    That was the truth. Minos was someone from the outside, who had managed to transform the Black Plain single-handedly, yet he had their lineage, and they loved him. So, he was an excellent candidate.


    On the other hand, Maisie was raised to follow the rules and standards her family and relatives taught.


    And even if she could innovate in some things, such things would be one-offs, nothing that could make this sect go through a level jump in a generation.


    But Minos was different. If he used the resources of this sect and had at least 1% of his success on the Black Plain, that would be enough to change everything about the reality of this organization.


    Oswald, Maisie, and Patience thought so, so they could not help but agree that their descendant was the most capable of assuming the role of sect master.


    Minos understood their point and decided to ask something that popped into his mind. "And what happens to the Imperial family? Will it accept the Gray Clouds Sect having an increase in power with me ruling it? I don''t think so..."


    "Not in normal situations, no. But since we''re at war with the Saints Killing Sect and there''s a risk of experts on both sides perishing, it''s possible that the Imperial family won''t do what you think." Maisie said, also using this information to bring her son closer to them by citing a common enemy.


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    Oswald agreed. "Changing does not mean we will be dangerous to the Empire''s integrity. As long as a Spiritual Sage is leading Payton, no one will be able to cause that kind of fear you speak of to the imperial family."


    "Hmmm." Patience nodded. "The level jump we are talking about is not the emergence of Spiritual Sages in our sect..."


    When she said that, all the Spiritual Sages there laughed, knowing that such a thing was tricky and none of them expected that Minos would achieve something like that by leading them.


    Angelica and Talia were smiling, only more restrained than those experts.


    Only Minos and his wives remained serious, knowing his concern was genuine since the chance of that happening was not small if he took over such a sect.


    After all, even if the Empire had a little condition to nurture more than one Spiritual Sage, the Black Plain and the Spatial Kingdom had the potential to surpass this sect!


    So they could only watch these smiling people and notice how much they underestimated them.


    Minos then sighed and tried to change the subject. "Well, I''m not interested in taking over this sect, but this matter of the Saints Killing Sect interests me. Can you tell me more about it?"


    ...

 Chapter 1275 Conversations About The Future

    Hearing Minos ask about the Saints Killing Sect, Oswald left the other subject for later and said. "What do you want to know? We are at war with them, but this is unlike the chaotic war you provoked in the northern region. We have a place where the fighting happens."


    "Huh?" Minos looked in surprise at his grandfather. "And why don''t you just attack each other''s headquarters or territory?"


    "The Emperor wouldn''t allow something like that," Maisie said.


    "Not to mention that the power difference between our sects is not great. So, a conflict like the one you suggest would be catastrophic." Vince stated as he stood next to where his wife was sitting.


    "Their territory is also quite complex. That area is in a region of floating islands, which are very difficult for outsiders to access." Oswald commented on this important factor.


    Even though they could fly, Spiritual Saints and Spiritual Emperors could have vulnerabilities when trying to invade certain areas. After all, there were ways to secure the airspace of a location, with traps and people in advantageous positions to attack unwanted visitors.


    So it was challenging to invade a flying island, especially when the opposing side was of the same level as the invader!


    "So that''s how it is..." Minos placed one of his hands on his chin, understanding that it should be difficult to attack such a place.


    He even had a map of that area because he had killed several members of such a sect. But this would be of little help considering how easy it was to protect territory located on flying islands.


    So even if he had a way to get to that place, he probably would not be able to overcome the enemy defenses.


    "Well, since you can''t destroy them, it''s useless for me to offer my help..." Minos said after thinking for a while and sitting back down. "I was thinking of taking revenge on this organization with your help, but you clearly won''t be able to do that."


    "Your help?" Patience smiled at King Stuart, finding it amusing that her grandson wanted to help them. "How would you do that, little Minos?"


    Many influential people in the Flaming Empire knew about the rumors that Minos was to become the King of Vogel. But few knew that he was the masked young man who threatened the experts of that state and also created the Volcanic Region between Rosser and the Empire.


    Hence, the people in the living room of Ruth''s parents'' house did not know that Minos had a mass destruction weapon capable of annihilating such opponents!


    "I have my ways. I could talk to you if you were willing to annihilate your enemies. But since you are not free to do that, let''s forget about it..." He smiled, again showing them why he did not like the idea of becoming the young master of the Gray Clouds Sect.


    "If you can help us on the battlefield, why don''t you do it right away?" Maisie asked.


    "If I do that, I will lose my advantage to attack them in the future..." Minos promptly answered.


    Oswald did not ask anything about it since he did not expect his grandson to have something so decisive to help in such a confrontation. Then, he just turned to get out of there.


    "Think about for the next few days what I have said. Then, I will introduce you to the sect elders on one occasion after that." Then, he left while Vince accompanied him to the exit of that residence.


    Meanwhile, the women stayed behind to talk with Minos and his wives, this time not about grave matters but their lives. In particular, Maisie, Angelica, and Patience wanted to know about Gloria''s pregnancy.


    On the other hand, besides talking about their life on the Black Plain and their plans for their own family''s future, those women asked about their goals in this sect.


    Abby then answered the question of one of those relatives of Minos. "We need to order original Black-grade techniques for spiritual professions and also Silver-grade copies."


    Ruth nodded and said. "We have already bought techniques for most spiritual professions, but we still miss those for blacksmiths, array masters..."


    They continued talking about this subject for a while until dinner at Vince and Elise''s house was served.


    ...


    While their group ate, Oswald was already with some of the leaders of the families of his sect in a courtyard of the central building of this headquarters.


    In this place where the strongest of this organization worked, where the most valuable resources were, these high-level Spiritual Saints had gathered after their leader''s call.


    "Sect Master, what happened? Why did you call us here?" One of them asked, already imagining it was related to Minos'' arrival.


    They already knew about King Stuart''s flashy arrival, so they had their suspects about Oswald''s call.


    Minos'' old grandfather then said. "It''s about my grandson. He has come to the sect, and I hope that before his departure, he will be recognized as my heir."


    "Oh? Is the sect master going to go through with this idea? I think Maisie is quite capable for that position..." The second in command of the Coleman family said this, worried that his family might lose the position of sect leader because of Minos.


    The others there were silent as Oswald looked at that level 77 fellow.


    "Minos will be able to do more than Maisie. And his talent is greater. He is only slightly over 30 years old and is already at level 62. Plus, he already has the experience of leading a state and winning a war." Oswald moved his hands, speaking proudly of his grandson''s achievements.


    "Who in our sect besides us old fellas has a record similar to his? He even dares to negotiate with the powers of Vogel to become the King of that state!"


    The people there were silent for a moment, understanding that, indeed, Minos'' achievements were awe-inspiring and his level was high for his age. But none of this changed the fact that he had not grown up in this organization, and his victories in the northern region might be contestable, considering the low level of that region.


    Because of this, several elders had conflicting thoughts about Minos and his background, understanding the positive points Oswald saw but unable to ignore the negatives.


    At the same time, past results were no guarantee of future ones, so accepting Minos as their leader could be risky!


    "Sect master, I believe in your judgment. But young Minos needs to at least pass the tests our most talented disciples passed when trying to compete for this position. That way, no one will contest his nomination." One of them said, while the others silently agreed by nodding their heads.


    "Yes. If he doesn''t do that, I feel that even if we support him, there will be no guarantee that the next generation of elders will be on his side..."


    "In particular, those young people who disputed with Maisie. They will feel wronged by the difference in treatment and perhaps create a hard-to-resolve grudge against young Minos..."


    Two other individuals showed their points while thinking that Minos would fail to compete for this position, considering his low level.

 Chapter 1276 Challenge

    After some time, Minos and his wives finally parted ways with those women who wanted to know about them.


    His group would be in this sect for several days. So, those women did not need to ''suffocate'' them with their doubts or desire to be close to Minos. Then, Maisie, Angelica, and Patience released them so that they would have a chance to get to know the sect.


    The headquarters of this organization was like a town within Clouds City, with several places to visit.


    Ruth knew these sites, so even though her sister had left with them, she was leading the way to show her family this place where she had grown up.


    As it was already evening and most of the stores related to the spiritual techniques trade were closed, they would not do any business today. Thus, besides showing them a few places, Ruth only took them to see the area and have fun.


    Meanwhile, Talia followed her sister''s group, occasionally looking at Minos with interest in her eyes. She knew it was wrong, but hell, she desired her sister''s man!


    So even though she felt guilty, Talia thought of Minos in ways no sister-in-law should...


    ''I can''t wait to get some time with him...'' She pondered as she saw him winking at her.


    But then Abby talked about a serious subject. "Minos, I think you should stop resisting becoming the heir to this sect."


    "Uh?" Talia was the first to be surprised, putting aside the sensations she had experienced earlier to look at that blue-haired woman.


    "I think so too." Gloria agreed. "With the Gray Clouds Sect, it will be easier for us to complete our goals without risking too much while we are still weak."


    Minos understood why they thought that way, but he also kept in mind his pride and the downsides of doing so. "Such an attitude would greatly complicate our relations with the Empire and those four states..."


    Abby nodded and said. "Yes, but if we keep the secret about it until you reach level 70, we can enjoy the positives without risk... And by that time, it will be tricky for those other organizations to create problems for us."


    Ruth then stated her opinion. "You can talk to your grandfather so that he will announce your position as his successor when you reach level 70. Then, the news won''t leak out, and all the other powers will have will be the rumors that already exist now."


    Talia heard these comments and interfered in their conversation. "What are you talking about? Why would there be problems for Minos to become the successor to the sect master?"


    They looked at Talia and were silent while Minos thought about the matter.


    In Minos'' view, everything would be complicated because he already had an agreement with Vogel and the Edwardstone family. But if he became the Gray Clouds Sect master, he would have responsibilities as a vassal of the Emperor, even though he was an ally of ''even'' rank, a head of state.


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    In the middle of all this, there was still the ''crazy'' Isabella, who could diminish his reliability to those four states along with the position of master of that sect.


    Their whole situation could be complicated to a new level if Minos accepted Oswald''s suggestion. They all knew that but were not going to explain it to Talia.


    Minos then said to his sister-in-law. "Follow the news in the future, and you will understand this..."


    ,m "Anyway," Ruth said. "If you do this, we will have the sect, Vogel, and the entire northern region on our side in about ten years. We''ll be able to raise the level of the Black Plain without having to nurture our soldiers over the years slowly."


    Abby added. "And with that, our position will be less vulnerable when other states start paying attention to us."


    ''That''s true...'' Minos considered, feeling that if he added this sect to Vogel''s forces, he would have an increase of about 30% in terms of the total power of his network of influence.


    "Let me think about that for a few days." He commented after a few moments, satisfying his wives, who had already decided to convince him about it.


    Talia remained curious about what they had in mind and interested in the fact that they talked as if the sect was smaller than the Black Plain.


    ''They act as if we are the ones who will join them and not the other way around...''


    As Talia considered this and their group continued walking around the interior of the large headquarters of this organization, three people approached them, coming from the opposite direction.


    Talia was the first to see that such people were there for them and the only one to recognize the other party. "Ruth, these people will probably cause trouble for you all."


    Upon hearing that, Ruth and her family looked at the faces of the three individuals approaching them, two men and one woman.


    They all looked young and had good looks and noble auras. But considering their cultivation level, one could not tell much about their ages or backgrounds. Of the three, two were at level 70, and the woman was at level 69.


    "Minos Stuart, I presume?" The young man in front of the three asked as he looked into Minos'' eyes.


    He had never seen the King of the Black Plain before. Still, considering this person was standing next to Vince and Elise''s daughters, it was not difficult for him to surmise such a thing.


    "That''s me. Who are you?" Minos looked at that person and then at the two individuals behind this black-haired young man.


    He then made a noble gesture with his hands and said. "This one here is called Lance Terry. These are my companions and friends, Leopold and Megan."


    He then looked at the women beside Minos and Talia and asked. "I suppose those are your wives?"


    "You are quite perceptive..." Minos said, curious to know what these people wanted with him. "So? What do you want?"


    "Hehe, straight to the point. I like it." The young leader of this group said as he formed a smile on his face. "I am curious to meet the famous King of the Black Plain, of course. There are many rumors about you, the future King of Vogel..."


    "I would like to know if they are true and also, what do you think about a friendly match? Would you be interested?"


    "Friendly match?" Minos looked interestedly at this person just before Talia said in a low voice in his ear. "This person competed with your mother for the position of successor to the sect master. I bet he''s here looking for trouble."


    ''Really?'' Minos'' eyes sharpened, understanding that this guy was there to test him.


    He then said. "I don''t know what you in the Gray Clouds Sect normally do. But I rarely show my skills to anyone other than my family, subordinates, or enemies on the battlefield."


    "I don''t get involved in friendly battles unless there is some kind of advantage at stake."


    "Oh? Do you want to make a bet?" Lance''s eyes widened, finding interesting what the fellow in front of him seemed to suggest.


    ...

 Chapter 1277 The Difference Between The Two

    "Bet? And what would you have to offer me? I already have plenty of stuff, and I doubt anyone at your level has anything capable of impressing me." Minos said, acting as if he was the higher level one there.


    Upon hearing that, those three people opened their mouths in surprise, shocked at how high Minos thought of himself.


    "Minos Stuart, you are talking nonsense! Do you even know who we are?" The level 69 woman was the first to say something, showing irritation by stepping forward.


    Her two companions gradually formed strange expressions and watched Minos answer their companion.


    "You are right. I don''t know who you are." He said to her while Talia felt like laughing.


    "Bastard!" The other level 70 individual clenched his fists as he muttered this, knowing that Minos was teasing them.


    "Tsk!" Young Lance then was less courteous this time and said. "Minos, don''t mistake my good manners for subservience. I have competed with your mother for decades. So, I think, as your elder, I deserve more respect, no?"


    "No, you don''t," Minos said, looking into the eyes of this arrogant person who thought he could get in the way of such a group and tell them what they would have to do. "I don''t care who you are or the relationship you may have had with that person. That has nothing to do with me."


    "And if you want to fight, you''re going to have to find a way to get something awe-inspiring. Otherwise, forget it."


    This time even Lance felt himself getting irritated, wanting to attack Minos right there. But, unfortunately, the sect did not allow unauthorized battles outside the fighting sites, and he would not risk casually attacking the sect master''s grandson either.


    So he could only provoke this person. "Then, let me tell this to you. Without the support of sect families, you will not achieve the position of sect master. And if you hide from battles against disciples, you won''t get support even from your family elders!"


    "Oh? Is that what this is all about?" Minos laughed. "Don''t worry. I''m not interested in this sect... But even if I were, something like that wouldn''t stop me. I''ll take what I want, regardless of whether others like it."


    "This elder support thing is only for the weak anyway..." He looked down at that person in front of him, indicating to the people there that Lance was a weakling in his eyes.


    "What are you saying?" Lance turned red with anger and took a step forward. "Are you calling me weak? Even Maisie doesn''t dare to say something so absurd!"


    "If you can''t take that position for yourself with your power, then you are weak." Talia opened her mouth upon hearing this, watching Minos'' teasing those people with great interest and admiration.


    It took courage to call a Spiritual Saint weak in front of such a person!


    Lance''s two companions began feeling awkward about this situation and put their hands on this man''s shoulders, afraid he would attack Minos.


    At the same time, they could not help but realize that they had lost in this first encounter with Minos.


    ''The bastard is bold!'' The woman thought.


    Novel Top1.OR G


    The man then muttered to Lance. "Let''s not lose our calm. This guy is full of shit. Can''t you see that his only chance here is his grandfather?"


    ''That''s right. Without Oswald, this little bastard probably would have died in the northern region by now!'' Lance thought to himself as he saw Minos'' annoying smile and the way the King Stuart women were looking at him.


    They looked at him as if he was some trash standing in their way!


    "Humph!"


    "You do talk big! Your small victories in the northern region have given you a lot of courage! But let''s see what you''ll accomplish here. Hiding like a coward, you won''t get any support..."


    Minos then stopped him from continuing to speak. "If the day I want to lead this sect comes, I''ll take this place. There is no need for the elders to be on my side. They will have to obey me."


    "But until then, you can play your little games with others like you. I''m not interested." Minos started walking with his arms around Abby and Gloria''s waists. "I have more important things to deal with..."


    Ruth and Talia followed Minos'' movements while this level 65 woman looked at those people with a satisfied expression.


    But the three individuals were not happy at the moment. The level 69 woman and the man trying to calm Lance were staring open-mouthed at Minos while their leader tightly clenched his fists, trembling with rage.


    His neck veins were exposed, and he looked at the ground with a lost look, still not understanding the random ''slap'' that Minos had just given him.


    Lance had come to Minos thinking he would scare this young bumpkin and show the sect elders that such a person was unfit to lead this organization. But who knew? He had been provoked and annoyed while the Black Plain brat left majestically after pointing out his ''weaknesses.''


    ''Damn him! No wonder his family abandoned him at the end of the world! He''s an uncivilized barbarian, a brute who doesn''t understand his insignificance!'' Lance began to think all sorts of negative things about Minos as he stomped hard on the ground nervously.


    Unfortunately for him, someone other than the people in Minos'' group and his had seen this situation.


    ''This young man spoke some absurdities, but he managed to get into Lance''s mind without even using his techniques...'' An elder monitoring Minos thought about this, considering it a great shame for a level 70 cultivator to be irritated by someone of level 62 so easily.


    ''On the other hand, the sect master''s grandson truly has the personality of a conqueror. With him in charge, his organization would never bow to other powers...'' He realized this characteristic of Minos.


    ...


    N0 v el Next. CoM


    "Minos, I thought it was pretty cool what you did back there, hehe." Talia commented after they had distanced themselves from Lance''s group.


    "That was nothing." He winked at her. "Even that old man can''t push me, so a mere level 70 Spiritual Saint isn''t going to get anything out of me."


    "Hehe, you are really confident." Talia smiled, having fun with her brother-in-law.


    "But don''t you think that will hinder an eventual change in your thoughts about leading this place?" Gloria asked.


    "The opposite. It will help us look like we are not interested and that Maisie remains the heiress." Minos answered his wife. "In any case, no one will take my words seriously. They don''t know anything about me, so for now, it won''t have any problem other than them finding me arrogant."


    "Anyway, at least we will keep others from approaching us and trying to challenge me just to show they are stronger."


    Minos understood Lance''s goal very well. And since he was not yet strong enough to have a friendly match with such a person, he had used the previous words to create a better justification for not having to fight.


    Thus, instead of showing his ''weaknesses,'' he had broken the mental stability of someone stronger and came out on top in the previous situation.


    For a proud person like him, this had been worth it, even considering that he did not even care about this sect!

 Chapter 1278 Reunion

    The next day, Minos and his wives were heading to one of the places where they would do business in this sect when suddenly they met an old acquaintance.


    Ruth was a former member of this sect who had lived with Kara and Mona in this place for some time before her final departure. So when she went to direct her family to one of the places her parents had suggested, she used an old path.


    Because of this, they eventually ran into the beautiful young redhead from the Kingdom of the End, Ford''s younger sister, Kara Carline!


    "Minos!" She saw this man''s attractive face and shouted before forming a smile on her lips and walking towards him.


    On the other hand, seeing Kara, Minos noticed that this woman was already at level 59, not far from reaching the 7th stage.


    "Kara, you seem to be doing well here, huh? You''re already close to becoming a Spiritual Emperor!" He exclaimed to her as he opened his arms to hug this woman.


    Ruth and Abby also paid attention to Kara''s cultivation and congratulated this woman they had known for almost two decades.


    Only Gloria was not intimate with Kara due to the time when this other redhead entered Minos'' life, near the latter part of the Black Plain''s War of Independence.


    "Hehe, thank you. Even though I didn''t choose to follow you, I still maintain a good cultivation speed around here..." She said to them, impressed with the levels of her three old acquaintances, who had gone further than she had guessed.


    "Hmm, you can change sides whenever you want..." Minos commented to her as he remembered Kara''s mother and stepmother. "Your family in the Kingdom of the End must have about three Spiritual Emperors by now."


    "Yes, I recently received a message from my father. He advanced a stage after receiving the opportunity to cultivate in Dry City." She said in a grateful tone, prepared to give Minos a special gift as soon as he wanted it...


    Minos smiled at Kara, but seeing her looking toward Gloria''s belly, he introduced his wife to this woman.


    "Kara, this is Gloria, the Archbishop of the Spiritual Church for our region. She is my third wife and is currently pregnant with our daughter."


    "Huh?" Kara''s mouth dropped open in surprise as she stared at Gloria''s belly. "You''re already going to be a father? That''s so sudden!"


    "Hmm, things like that happen," Minos said, remembering that he had tried for several years to achieve such an accomplishment with his women.


    "Anyway, nice to meet you..." Kara greeted Gloria more formally, feeling a little embarrassed about what she wanted to do with Minos now that she had discovered this information.


    They then walked together for a few minutes, talking about minor matters, such as Minos'' disagreement with Ford during his time at the Holy Sect. In addition, his group heard how she had spent the last few years in this place and talked a bit about their lives in the northern region.


    That developed until Kara asked Minos something more relevant. "Is it true that you will become the King of Vogel? I heard that rumor from my master and couldn''t help but be shocked..."


    "Hmm, it is true." Minos'' three women answered before him as he shook his head affirmatively.


    "How did you do that? How is it possible for someone from the northern region to become the successor of Vogel?" She questioned, looking into Minos'' eyes.


    "Well, many things happened... To put it simply, the former royal family of that state attacked us and then had to flee. That opened up this option, which I quickly grabbed." He explained, always with a smile on his face. "Now I will become the king of that place, hehe."


    "Unbelievable..."


    Kara then remembered the things Minos had done in the northern region and the situation of the four states north of this Empire. She then asked in a low voice. "You''re not thinking of another war, are you? It would be crazy to aim for that!"


    Minos then said unfairly. "What do you think of me, Kara? I am striving to ensure the peace of these five states!"


    "Sigh!"


    "I can''t believe an old friend would think so badly of me..."


    Minos'' wives smiled as Kara looked accusingly at him, knowing he was a bastard for having the nerve to play the good guy for her.


    "I hope you are not aiming that high... The Empire is too dangerous for people below the 8th stage to think of such risky things." She commented, knowing the mentality that royal powers had.


    Kara was a princess, so she knew organizations like Minos'' were always looking for development and sometimes tried to ''eat'' more than they could ''digest.'' That way, she had to warn these people to be more careful in this dangerous state.


    "Don''t worry, Kara, we won''t try anything crazy," Ruth commented to her old friend as she tapped one of Minos'' shoulders, and he nodded.


    "Anyway, what are you doing here? Visiting family?" She asked, knowing that Minos'' mother was from this sect but having no idea that the sect master was Minos'' grandfather.


    "Yes, but we are also here to do business," Abby replied in place of her husband. He was sighing, just thinking about the problems he already had and would have in this place because of his maternal family.


    "I see..." Kara looked at the blacksmith store near where they were arriving, understanding that this was supposed to strengthen the Black Plain.


    ''That place will develop well with Minos leading it... Even my family could gain a lot from it.'' She pondered silently, wondering how different Dry City had become after all these years.


    And with that thought, she could not help but feel the urge to return to that place grow in her being, curious to see a new northern region.


    The last time she had been to those areas had been when she had said goodbye to Minos a few days after the attempted peace negotiation led by Gloria. So the northern region and the Black Plain she had seen in her last passage through those areas were still the same as in her childhood.


    That made her feel nostalgic but also anxious for the future, deciding that she had to return to visit her family and see for herself the changes brought about by Minos.


    "Well, I''ll let you get on with your business." She said with a smile to Minos'' wives before looking him in the eye. "I think I will visit the Black Plain after I advance a stage. So even if we don''t see each other again in your time here, it won''t be long before we meet again..."


    "Hehe, I''m looking forward to it." He winked at her before saying goodbye and taking his wives inside the blacksmith store in that area.


    It was time to do business!


    ...

 Chapter 1279 Possible Difficulties

    Upon entering the blacksmith store in that part of the headquarters of the Gray Clouds Sect, Minos and his wives were soon attended to by a young disciple.


    Since their identity was somewhat remarkable, they were soon taken to one of the people responsible for producing spiritual techniques in that place.


    Thus, in the blink of an eye, they were in a business room, sitting around an oval table where the designated Spiritual Saint had just greeted them.


    "So you''re the grandson of the sect master, Minos Stuart, huh?" A woman, 1.5 meters tall, said while having a friendly smile on her face. "You want to order original Black-grade techniques. Is that it?"


    "Hmm, that is my goal here," Minos stated while being closely observed by such a person who seemed to be evaluating him.


    ''Why is he trying to do business now? Wouldn''t it be better to develop his influence in the sect to get those techniques for free further down the line?''


    But she did not understand Minos'' great pride. This man could even use this organization for the benefit of the Black Plain if he took such a place. But he would never accept favors from these people just because his family led this organization and tried to promote him to power.


    So Minos would not take advantage of ''his'' position and proudly stood there to do fair business with the local spiritual professionals.


    She then asked. "Young Minos, your grandfather is the sect leader. Isn''t it better that you negotiate this with him? In any case, I can''t sell original techniques of my profession to you without him or the council of elders agreeing to sell to you."


    Spiritual techniques of critical professions in this world were not easily traded, even more so considering original scrolls, items that could last indefinitely.


    Then, powerful sects and organizations naturally limited the trading of original techniques.


    Minos then explained to her. "I want to go through the natural negotiation procedure with you. I don''t want to receive any advantage in this place because of the Coleman family or that old man''s goals."


    "Old man?"


    Minos continued. "If the sect does not agree to do this deal on the fair terms I propose, then I will look elsewhere... In any case, I will become King of Vogel soon, so it''s up to you."


    This woman''s eyebrows drew together as she thought about what he might be saying to her. ''What does he mean by that? Is he threatening us by saying he will get closer to Vogel than us? Or perhaps use his influence to suppress us?''


    "That... What is your intention in saying that?" She asked as she considered the rumor already circulating among the elders.


    Many were already discussing Minos'' misbehavior with the sect guards and Lance. However, the version of the story they knew was not the real one but the one that man had spread, saying that King Stuart was a fanatic with delusions of grandeur.


    So, she could not help but worry!


    Minos then said while his wives looked seriously at that woman. "The truth is that this sect and I don''t have a connection. Only your side thinks we do. So I am allowing you to become friends with the Black Plains while we are still small."


    "At the same time, I want to do this while I do not influence you, with a fair deal for both sides, to start our future relationship right." He shook his shoulders. "But that''s not up to me. If you don''t want to accept that gesture, that''s fine. I''ll find someone who does."


    ''Does he think that us having a good relationship with the Black Plain is a big deal?'' She looked at him in silence. ''Even considering Vogel, it doesn''t change his status much. After all, he will only be a decorative King. So what does he think he can achieve?''


    This woman had nothing against Minos, but she knew that some families in this sect would cause problems for him in negotiations like this. So she did not see how he could convince them to do business with the Black Plain.


    One of the reasons for not easily trading techniques like the one they wanted was to prevent the progress of opposing forces. So his justification that the Black Plain was still small as if it would not be in the future could be used as a pretext by his rivals to stop negotiations.


    "I see... So do you intend to buy techniques of more professionals or just blacksmiths?" She asked in curiosity.


    "We will also deal with matters with array masters, poison masters..." Ruth said everything they were in search of in this passage through the Gray Clouds Sect.


    After hearing everything and thinking for a moment, that woman said. "Look, I don''t think it will be easy for you to negotiate like this. You''ll have to get the approval I already talked about to buy or order those techniques. Still, if the seller isn''t interested, it won''t happen."


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    "And it turns out that some of the businesses you mentioned are majority controlled by one family in our sect, which is a rival of your Coleman family. So you probably won''t be able to do all your business here."


    "Is that so?" Minos said as he looked at her and then at his wives. "Well, that doesn''t matter. We''ll work that out later... But, will you do business with us? I''m willing to pay..."


    He then laid out his offer, which was about 20% above the average price generally used for a business like what he wanted with this negotiation.


    "Well, we can start with..."


    ...


    While Minos was negotiating with that woman, in another part of the sect, ordinary people had already discovered his group''s arrival.


    Ruth was an old member of this organization, and Minos was the notorious leader of the Black Plain. Thus, the news quickly spread to many young talents in the same generation as them or the same power rank.


    While few knew Minos'' real connection to this organization, many believed he was there to visit Ruth''s family and perhaps do business. Hence, many thought this was a chance to duel with a famous person, challenge a rival, or try to make friends with him.


    Therefore, groups of young people were already moving around this sect. That was particularly true for the group of ''fans'' of the young and beautiful Ruth, a prodigy of this organization who had ''spoiled'' her future by going to the Black Plain.


    "So this person who bewitched Miss Miles is here?" A strong, blond young man asked his friends, while a smile appeared on his face.


    "Yes, Chief Garrick. I heard he was seen with his three wives in area 12 earlier today." One of them said.


    "Three?" That person looked at his friend with an incredulous look on his face. ''How can someone with Miss Miles think of others? How? If it were me, I would treat her like a goddess!''


    He then clenched his fists, feeling as if the world was unfair and a bad boy like Minos did not deserve the glorious Ruth...

 Chapter 1280 Plots

    Meanwhile, in one of the areas of the high-ranking families of Gray Clouds Sect, three beautiful women were drinking spiritual tea while chatting.


    "Is it true what they are saying? Does the sect master want to give his position to that Minos Stuart? An outsider?" One of them, a black-haired woman, asked while looking at her friend across the table.


    The other woman there, also looking at the blonde woman who had her eyes closed at the moment, then said. "That is very unfair! The older sister battled Maisie neck to neck for decades, and now this Minos comes along and takes everything. What is the sect master thinking?"


    The black-haired one nodded. "Hmm, it''s bizarre. This Minos doesn''t know anything about us. And from what I''ve heard, he''s a barbarian who loves battles and licks the blood of his enemies on the blade of his sword!"


    "Yes!" The young brunette agreed. "I''ve heard that he enjoys the suffering of others and has even forced a family to commit collective suicides in the Brown Kingdom! Do you believe that? How can a fanatic like him lead us? Even Lance seems to have suffered with him."


    "A coward with delusions of grandeur and who loves the blood of the weakest..." Finally, the blond-haired woman said as she smelled the sweet aroma of her tea. "Is that the truth? I heard that he is already at level 62. But I remember that Maisie was pregnant with him just a few decades ago..."


    She opened her eyes and looked at the garden next to where they were. "I was already a level 60 back then, but even so, I only reached level 71, while he didn''t cultivate for half the time and still reached level 62..."


    "Is he truly a coward like Lance says?" She asked her friends and supporters.


    The sect had three major candidates to succeed Oswald in Maisie''s generation. Among them was Minos'' mother, Lance, and that blonde, Ivory Moss.


    Nove l B(in).C OM


    Maisie had always been the favorite because of her superior talents to these people older than her and her relationship with Oswald. But Lance and Ivory, although the blonde did better during the competition with Minos'' mother, did not have a big difference in terms of support on those days.


    Ivory was quite different from Maisie in terms of profile, and this only intensified as time passed. So she attracted more of those who did not want Oswald''s daughter in the position of sect master.


    On the other hand, Lance was not so different from Maisie in terms of goals. Still, he had the support of his family, which was focused on producing spiritual arrays, important defense mechanisms for this sect.


    At the time of the competition with Maisie, Ivory was stronger than Lance. Also, the sect was not going through a time of need for defensive items. Thus, her influence was more significant than his, and she had more opportunities to ''duel'' against Minos'' mother.


    The situation had changed with the war against the Saints Killing Sect and the difference in levels between them diminished. Therefore, currently, Lance was potentially Minos'' biggest competitor, not Ivory, who had been Maisie''s most prominent challenger.


    Anyway, Ivory knew this and was in doubt about the rumors that Lance''s group had started spreading the night before.


    One of her friends then answered her question. "Him being talented doesn''t change his personality! It is a fact that he is a violent monster terrorizing the northern region!"


    "Tsk!"


    "He has much more affinity with the damn Saints Killing Sect than with us!" The other said as she made a disgruntled expression.


    "It could be..." Ivory commented as she remembered the information she had gotten about Minos and Maisie. ''The two are quite different and have several problems.'' Her eyes narrowed. ''Maybe I can use that to my advantage to get closer to him!''


    Meanwhile, her two friends continued to discuss how terrible Minos was, making him look like a dreadful monster who would scare little children.


    ...


    Sometime later, Minos finished his negotiation with the woman from earlier, with whom he had reached an agreement that needed to be approved by her superiors.


    After this, he and his wives left that store intending to continue doing business, to buy items for the Black Plain, and to get to know more of this place.


    Unfortunately for the peace of that family, they were barred by a group of high-level Spiritual Kings and low-level Spiritual Emperors who wanted to approach them.


    "Minos, you dictator! Free the northern region!"


    "That''s right. We don''t like people like you!"


    "Long live democracy!"


    "Minos, I love you! Give me your children!"


    "Man, you are indeed outstanding... Want to have a friendly match with me?"


    Several people approached them, while the vast majority were silent, merely watching them with smiles or severe looks on their faces.


    Minos heard those things and laughed while his wives, particularly Abby, looked in the direction of the woman who had said those absurd words.


    ''What a bitch! How does someone have the nerve to say things like that?'' Abby made a deadly serious expression, feeling that she should beat that person up.


    She could not do anything against the women Minos decided to relate to. But some random stranger, well, that was different!


    This queen was already oppressing women who had access to Minos, forcing subordinates in her organization to dress discreetly and keep their distance from the King. At the same time, she prohibited certain unfit attitudes from happening in her state. So it would not be a person from the Empire who would stop her from armoring her husband!


    While Minos was laughing at the idiots calling him a dictator and demanding the independence of an area they had never visited, he heard something that ended his mood.


    "Minos Stuart, I challenge you to a fight!" A young blond man said this in a heroic tone. "Miss Miles deserves someone better than you, a man who won''t humiliate her the way you do!"


    Ruth looked in the direction of that person along with Minos, readily recognizing one of the men who ran after her in her time in this sect.


    "Garrick? What do you think you''re talking about?" She asked, looking at him, a childhood friend who had become another of the many interested in her.


    To his misfortune, Minos had taken this woman''s ''heart'' for himself before he could genuinely approach her!


    Garrick and Ruth had an age difference of only one year. At the time Minos met her, she was only 18, and he was 19 and still thought he would have plenty of time to try to get close to her.


    Unfortunately for him, he had taken too long, and by the time he had worked up the courage to ask her out, Ruth had already realized her crush on Minos.


    Because of this, he had come to this situation, becoming frustrated but still having Ruth as the ''goddess'' of his life, whom he wanted to ''serve.''


    "Who is this goofball?" Minos asked.


    ...

 Chapter 1281 Challenge? You Don’t Have The Qualifications

    Hearing Minos'' voice, Garrick pressed his teeth together, feeling a mixture of envy and anger at this person next to Ruth.


    "Honey, this is an old childhood acquaintance I have here. His name is Garrick." Ruth explained to her husband as Abby and Gloria ignored the people on the outskirts trying to talk to Minos.


    "An acquaintance? And who do you think you are to want to challenge me?" Minos questioned such a person, looking into his eyes. "Besides, who gave you the courage to discuss my relationship with my wife?"


    Garrick, level 60, felt like hitting Minos in surprise. Still, given the level difference between the two, he knew he had to be careful. A two-level advantage in the 7th stage was not impossible to reverse, but it was not something easy to do either.


    So he did not attack right away, trying to stick to what he had gone there to do, challenge Minos to a match where he would control the outcome!


    ''This bastard doesn''t deserve someone like Ruth!'' He felt his blood boil as he thought of the nightmare of this black-haired young woman giving herself to Minos but also crying when King Stuart was going to have fun with the others...


    At the same time, when he saw how beautiful Abby and Gloria were, he could not help but curse Minos in his mind. The two were true goddesses, beautiful in face and body and talented.


    Unfortunately, they had all fallen into the clutches of the vile Minos while he, Garrick, a good man, was alone...


    It was simply too unfair!


    ''This is unacceptable! He has three wives! I only wish I had one, Ruth!'' He turned red as people in the surrounding area noticed the tension in the air rising and lowered their yells to pay attention to them.


    "Tsk!"


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    "Never mind! I challenge you to a battle! Do you dare to accept?" He shouted, trying to focus all his attention on this bastard who did not deserve to be surrounded by women.


    "Uh..."


    "Ihh!"


    "Looks like the senior brother is truly pissed off with this outsider from the northern region..."


    "I wonder what''s going to happen?"


    "The King of Black Plain''s level is higher than Garrick''s, but his techniques are probably at most Black grade..."


    "Hmm, maybe King Stuart will learn a lesson in this place!" Comments circulated through the crowd of disciples. At the same time, people in that business area were already starting to pay attention to them.


    "Hmm? Isn''t that Minos Stuart?"


    "It looks like..."


    "Is some disciple challenging the sect master''s grandson? Is he stupid?" A Spiritual Saint nearby questioned in a low voice, watching from inside his store the movement on one side of the square.


    "Challenge me?" Minos laughed, looking at that blond individual as if he were watching a clown. "You don''t have the qualifications to challenge me! Even if you attack me with all your powers, you couldn''t hurt me even if I stood here, motionless."


    "What?"


    "How can that be?"


    "Is he bluffing? How can someone at level 62 withstand something like that?"


    Incredulous comments rang out over there as Garrick felt this invisible ''slap'' that Minos had given him by speaking those arrogant words.


    He then gave a strange smile and said. "Well, let me attack you once! Then, if you''re that good, I''ll go back from where I came rolling in, and I won''t bother you anymore!"


    "Oh?" The people there opened their mouths, interested in whether Minos would accept this ridiculous bet.


    "If you lose, you''ll have to free Ruth!" He shouted as drops of saliva fell from his mouth.


    Ruth frowned her eyebrows. "Who do you think you are? Do you think you can decide who I stay with? Stop dreaming, Garrick. I love Minos, and I''m with him because I want to be."


    "Wow, he could sleep without that one!"


    "Poor guy, being rejected in front of dozens of people..."


    "Well, he asked for it, didn''t he? He tried to get involved in other people''s affairs..."


    "Hehe, I thought he deserved it!"


    "Ruth..." Garrick looked at that woman and felt terrible. Still, considering Minos'' viciousness, it was not impossible to think that such a person was manipulating her.


    ''That''s right! Scumbags like him are even capable of drugging their women and making them sex addicts!'' At that thought, he got an even uglier expression to think of the depravities Minos had probably made Ruth do.


    "Do you accept or not?" He shouted at Minos as some of his killing intent spread to the surroundings, scaring the weaker disciples.


    Gulp!


    "Is he thinking of fighting here?"


    "That''s crazy! Has he forgotten the sect rules?"


    Minos ignored the people''s comments and took two steps ahead of his women. "Come on, worm. Feel the difference between us... But don''t regret it later." He said, opening his arms and showing his unprotected chest to Garrick.


    Minos was without his armor, so when people saw his gesture, many put their hands to their mouths, afraid of the blood that would soon fly through the air from his body.


    At the same time, some of Minos'' fans were looking doubtfully at his wives, who had shown no concern about what he was doing.


    "What ungrateful women! If I had such a man, I would never let him get into such a ridiculous dispute!"


    Meanwhile, Garrick laughed maliciously at Minos. He intended to strike a blow not necessarily to kill but to leave an incurable wound for people at their cultivation stage.


    ''With this, you will not only be deformed, but you will no longer be able to lie with these goddesses!'' He thought as he took his spear from his spatial ring and prepared to strike Minos.


    He then spun that weapon several times through his arms, as if in a dance, as he approached Minos.


    After a few steps, he infused much of his spiritual energy into the tip of that weapon. Then, he slashed toward Minos'' face, intending to leave a diagonal cut from one side of his opponent''s face to the other.


    Upon seeing that, Minos stood with his arms open, circling his two proper techniques in defense, Devouring Art and his Indestructible Body.


    He had promised to stay still, and he was. But that did not mean he would accept a blow from an enemy without using his spiritual techniques!


    So he promptly put some fraction of his energy into these techniques, making his body stronger. At the same time, the Devouring Art passive ability increased its intensity.


    Just as the blade of Garrick''s spear was about to touch Minos'' face, some women hid their eyes with their hands, and young men watched with excitement this blow. Many were expecting to see some blood, especially considering that the one being attacked was the famous King Stuart, not just a nobody!


    Unfortunately for those expecting a bloody show, none of this happened. When the blade of Garrick''s spear touched Minos'' face, only the sound of his weapon meeting something rigid rang out, along with the appearance of a strange expression on the attacker''s face.


    In that instant, he felt like he had hit a wall, not someone''s face!


    "What?"


    ...

 Chapter 1282 Ending The Challenge

    When Garrick felt the spear in his hands trying to go in the opposite direction of his attack, he tightened his hands around it, trying to press Minos'' face with that weapon.


    But even with the blade of that weapon being in contact with Minos'' forehead, he could not even make a scratch on him.


    The spiritual energy of his attack had been absorbed by the invisible protective layer of Minos'' body that the Devouring Art created. At the same time, the blade did not cut King Stuart''s face due to the hardness of his skin with the Indestructible Body activated.


    Garrick felt and saw the difficulty in attacking Minos and was in shock, incredulous at this situation that he had never imagined he would encounter in his entire life.


    On the other hand, Minos had a severe expression on his face, wondering what to do as the people in the surrounding area looked on in amazement.


    "Amazing!"


    "This guy truly has tough skin!"


    "With a body like that, how can his wives stand it?"


    "What? What are you thinking, you pervert?"


    "I mean, if he''s so strong, he should hurt them, right?"


    "Tsk! Get away from me!"


    Pa!


    "Ouch!"


    "Why did you slap my face?"


    N0 v el Next. CoM


    Garrick could not hear any of the comments in the surroundings. Instead, he just felt entirely humiliated. Because of this, he focused all his energy on trying to attack Minos, beginning to make chaotic movements toward his opponent''s defenseless chest.


    Swooish!


    A blow...


    Swooish!


    Ten blows...


    Swooish!


    Swooish! Swooish!


    ''Damn!''


    ''Why? Why can''t I do a single damage to this bastard''s body?'' He began to sweat as he attacked Minos with less and less force, humiliating himself even more in front of dozens of people.


    By this point, no one else expected any positive outcome for Garrick in this challenge. Instead, they were only there to observe how far his humiliating defeat would go.


    In particular, Ruth, who previously even had some respect for him, could not help but despise this person. He thought he could interfere in her love life with Minos, but was that weak...


    He was a disgrace of a man!


    ''What kind of man challenges someone stronger without even doing some research first? What kind of a fool is he?'' She wondered as she waited for this situation to end for her and her family to leave.


    On the other hand, Abby and Gloria were worried about what Minos would do with that fellow. After all, their husband was not someone who forgives his adversaries!


    And they would soon have their answer!


    When Garrick finally stopped making his attacks against Minos'' bare chest, this man ignored his torn clothes and looked at the person leaning on the knees in front of him.


    "Is this all you have?" Minos spoke for the first time in the two minutes of challenge, surprising the people in the area who also wanted to know the outcome of this situation.


    Garrick swallowed his saliva and looked at Minos with fear, no longer remembering the determination he had had earlier in coming to challenge this person.


    A young passion could be strong and mess with people''s rationality. That was particularly true for men. But there was no better eye-opener than public humiliation, which was shocking when combined with the danger of death!


    So he remained silent, not knowing what to say in that situation.


    But Minos wanted no answer, only to confirm that he had exhausted his opponent just by being attacked, a shocking way to win a fight.


    "Okay, you''ve pissed me off for two minutes. Now it''s time for us to finish this." He said as he took two steps toward that young man, startling everyone in that area.


    "He''s going to kill him!" Someone shouted in fear, while even the Spiritual Saints watching the situation prepared to act.


    But instead of activating a technique or grabbing a weapon to attack his opponent, Minos swung his right arm. Then he hit Garrick in the face with a slap, using the outer side of his right hand.


    However, this slap was not weak!


    The moment Minos''s right hand touched one of Garrick''s cheeks, this young man''s face deformed, and he fainted before his body flew away toward the wall of a building.


    Every person in the square turned their face toward where Garrick''s body had been thrown and saw the wall of one of the stores cracked open while a bloody human was trapped there.


    One of the Spiritual Saints who did not intervene felt her heart beat quicker as she saw that. As she did not see Minos using any strategy other than the one he employed during the 2 minutes, she decided not to act.


    ''Was that just a slap?'' Her mouth was open as she looked at the bloodied Garrick, who had suffered several fractures and many injuries to his body from that simple blow from Minos.


    The young men who had been trying to irritate Minos earlier in that square felt chills run down their spines at the sight of this, shocked to their souls.


    ''How can a Spiritual Emperor be so strong?'' Someone thought as they remembered that Minos had not used any combat techniques and slapped with the outer side of his hand!


    "Amazing!" One of the women there said as her eyes sparkled, feeling even more admiration for this manly, virile man.


    "It''s not for nothing that he''s a king! He had to be impressive, after all!"


    "Hmm, I already knew from the beginning that this would be the result..."


    Conversations continued while Minos had already put on a new shirt and turned back to his wives'' side to depart from there.


    But as Ruth tried to explain to him that there were some fools like Garrick in this sect, but that she would deal with them if they crossed the line like this person, a Spiritual Saint approached them.


    "Minos Stuart, don''t you think that was a bit of an exaggeration? You could have killed that disciple..." An elderly-looking man said this as he stood in front of them.


    "If you didn''t want that to happen, you shouldn''t have kept watching the whole challenge, old man." Minos said as he looked into the eyes of this stranger. "Since you enjoyed the show, why are you complaining now? You are far more to blame than I am. After all, I''m just a challenged outsider, but you... Tsk, you let one of your own get beaten up by me."


    The old man bitterly smiled upon hearing this youth''s response. "You have a sharp tongue, that I admit! But your excuses do not justify your violence toward a member of your family''s sect!"


    "No?" Minos laughed as his wives looked at that level 75 man, who should be an important figure in this place. "Well, on the Black Plain, I duel with my soldiers from time to time. Sometimes they come out much worse than that fool. So what''s wrong with that? I taught him a valuable lesson."


    "No, in fact, I think I just saved his life. After all, with such foolish behavior of wanting to get involved in other people''s love affairs, he would die for that."


    "Then a fucking thanks would be appreciated!"


    ...

 Chapter 1283 Getting To Know The Coleman Family 1

    Nove l B(in).C OM


    Hearing Minos'' bold speech, that elder closed his eyes to calm down but agreed with him. ''It is indeed the behavior of imbeciles that can lead to death... Only a fool would lust after a married woman.''


    To this elder and many other experienced people in this world, one desiring a married woman was not only an indication of an extreme lack of morality but also of dumbness.


    If the woman in question abandoned her husband for this third person, what guarantee would there be that she would not do the same to him in the future? That is, what made such a person special compared to others?


    There would always be people better than you in this world if you were not number one in trillions. So the probability that someone better than you would come along and take this woman away from you the way you already did was not small!


    If she could abandon her first husband, the first lover would have to consider that she could do the same with him. But, at the same time, if he could desire a married woman, he had to assume that others would be too. In this case, he had to presume the worst, that this woman would make the same choice again as long as she had the opportunity.


    A woman capable of exchanging her current husband for another man was weak. She certainly was someone who did not know how to choose, got married for the wrong reasons, or did not know how to deal with the weak moments in a relationship. In this case, she was necessarily dangerous, someone who would have a great chance of repeating such problematic behavior.


    So who, besides a fool, would covet a married woman? Hell, that was like wishing to be betrayed and replaced!


    And since this was not a peaceful world, the fate of a fool who followed this path was death!


    Sooner or later, he would meet an opponent outside his boundaries who would finish him off!


    In a way, Minos saved that disciple''s life by teaching him not to get involved in other people''s love affairs.


    He had only questioned whether Minos was worthy of Ruth, but he had been ''beaten'' and humiliated. What would happen if he had tried to seduce a married woman?


    Well, that old man did not have to think about that since the traumatic way Garrick learned from Minos would never allow him to do such an absurd thing in the future.


    ,m Humiliation, rejection, etc., was the best way to learn. So, in a way, Minos deserved congratulations!


    "Cough!"


    "Your manners are harsh, but you''re right. You taught that disciple an important lesson." The elder said after sighing. "But you should not speak to one of your elders with such disrespect! Where is your education?"


    Minos looked at that figure and said. "I treat all those in my surroundings as they deserve. If someone points a finger at me, accusing me, I usually attack them back. Especially when they are hypocrites..."


    "Tsk!"


    The elder looked down at the ground, feeling that it was not easy to talk to this junior, as it usually was for him when dealing with juniors in his sect.


    Minos looked like an old demon in a young man''s body, acting as if he were equal or even superior to those in his surroundings. So for this figure, who Spiritual Emperors respected, it was somewhat annoying to deal with Oswald''s grandson.


    "Anyway, I am here on behalf of the Coleman family. So far, you have shown no interest in getting to know this house... What''s the reason for that?" He asked.


    He was a high-ranking elder of this family, someone who was concerned about the succession of power in this house due to the appearance of Minos.


    He had supported Maisie in taking that position since she knew everything about them. But he had to admit that Minos was an impressive little monster.


    As part of the committee in charge of preparing the leaders of this family, he could not help but approach this young man to introduce him to the history of his ancestors.


    Minos heard that and replied. "That is not my priority. I enjoy learning about curiosities, but I have important business to do on behalf of the Black Plain."


    "Curiosities?" That elder moved his head, finding it strange how Minos handled the subject.


    Ruth then tried to interfere in this conversation. "Elder, my husband is just busy with other matters. But, eventually, he will have time to get to know House Coleman."


    "So the Black Plain is more important than House Coleman?" He asked Minos.


    "Of course. Is there any doubt about that?" Minos smiled, looking at his wives.


    That elder of the Coleman family turned red upon hearing this, feeling incredibly offended.


    Gloria then said. "Why are you so interested in making Minos accept these positions? He doesn''t even know about your history. Plus, the sect and the Coleman family are different organizations. Isn''t it better to give someone else one of these positions?"


    Abby agreed with Gloria and said. "Maisie seems much more compatible with the leadership of this family. I understand that the sect master position is more compatible with my husband. Still, this other one wouldn''t be of any great benefit to you."


    That man looked at those two and questioned. "Are you saying it would be better for the Coleman family to stay with Maisie as the leader and the sect with Minos?"


    Ruth nodded, understanding her harem sisters'' plan. "The sect and this family don''t have to have the same leader. If Minos accepts the position of sect master, it would already positively affect House Coleman. So you should focus on my master."


    Minos'' wives suggested this because it was a better way to subdivide these powers and for their husband''s peace of mind.


    They knew Minos would be very stressed if he had to deal with so many people pressuring him to take positions in this sect. So something they could do to help him was to take one of these ''weights'' off his shoulders by showing these people that at least the Coleman family should not be after him.


    And thinking about what they said, that elder could not help but imagine this situation. Historically, the Coleman family usually had the same leader as the sect, when a descendant of it reached that position, of course.


    But the idea of those girls was not bad. It would keep the family from falling into the hands of someone who did not know them, but it would also benefit them with the leader ''being'' one of them.


    ''Maisie is the best for this position...'' He looked at Minos before sighing and saying. "You are lucky. Your wives help you escape responsibilities like few others!"


    The three women smiled as that elder continued to look at Minos'' face. "However, you still have to find some time to get to know your family. So will you accompany me now? Or would you prefer that I carry you there?"


    Minos closed his eyes as he realized the purpose of this person. ''That''s why he wanted to blame me for that fool''s situation... To take me by force to that family.''


    ...

 Chapter 1284 Getting To Know The Coleman Family 1

    After being ''invited'' kindly by that elder, Minos could not help but accept such a thing with a smile on his face. Therefore, he and his wives walked after this person, heading towards House Coleman estate.


    As they walked, the elder in question was telling them about the history of this family. "Minos, you must understand that our family is crucial to sect. Hundreds of thousands of years ago, our family and Houses Moss, Terry, and Vega created the Gray Clouds Sect..."


    At some point in the past, the area of the Flaming Empire was composed of a collection of disorganized independent regions that lived in chaos with each other.


    In a way, these areas were similar to the northern region, only without the existence of royal families to maintain order. Because of this, many powers had leadership powers in this place, each of which acted in their way, bringing instability to the lives of ordinary and influential people.


    In a kingdom, for example, the King decides something, and the whole state follows. Of course, some individuals or organizations might contest it and even violate rules and decisions. But the vast majority would follow them, which created stability and predictability for citizens and powers.


    Chaos was perfect for taking advantage of opportunities. Still, it also had dangers equal to or even more significant than the opportunities!


    Since it was possible to grow in ''peace,'' the majority preferred to avoid chaos. So, there were benefits to having businesses or living in a state with centralized power.


    Obviously, there were alternatives to maintaining order in an area. Still, in a world where people had so much power in their hands, no other alternative was as viable as the centralization of power.


    Because of this, the tendency in this world was the formation of families, organizations with blood ties or similar purposes, regulatory institutions, and so on.


    So, at some time in the past, some families from these independent regions in the area of what was to become the Flaming Empire had come together in commercial and military alliances.


    These alliances were very similar to the ones that Minos was making today. But back then, these were the first steps for these organizations to come closer and closer together and eventually form the sects that exist today.


    But of course, none of this was without an encourage!


    At one point in history, the Edwardstone family, one of the many that led areas of the independent regions, had achieved advancements through a ''golden generation'' and also help from fate.


    This family had one of the wealthiest areas of spiritual energy in the area that was to become the Empire and also managed to win disputes against powers that held precious possessions.


    That provided the ''fuel'' needed to nurture their ''golden generation,'' which would eventually rise to power in a Conquest War that lasted thousands of years.


    Amid this war, those families that already had alliances and depended on each other for survival decided to form sects to ensure their survival or victory in the war.


    Those sects that stood against the future imperial family of the Flaming Empire were eventually annihilated. Meanwhile, those that stayed out of the war or made non-aggression agreements with House Edwardstone continued to exist for the most part.


    That was the case with the eight prominent sects of this state, which, after the Conquest War ended, agreed to become vassals of that family.


    That elder of House Coleman explained some of that history to Minos and those three women, two of whom already knew all that, while Abby had heard such things for the first time.


    "In the end, the Vega family became extinct in the meantime due to a series of casualties during the early years of the Empire. So, today we only have three major families behind the sect, which control that organization''s fate, such as the choice of leader." He said as they reached the area of the Coleman family.


    Each big family behind this sect had their areas in this headquarters.


    These places were not necessarily the homes of all their members but rather the command center, the teaching and training area for family members. So there were not many houses there, but notable buildings.


    Minos and his wives saw this as they walked along and listened to that old man talking.


    "In any case, as one of the three founding families remaining, House Coleman can be considered the strongest. It has been in charge of the sect more than half the time since the foundation." He proudly said before turning to Minos. "Then it is your responsibility as a descendant to continue that tradition and not let the other two families take the leadership position in this current dispute!"


    If this sect were challenged by others or had a difficult time facing a calamity, the families behind this organization would waste no time arguing with each other and would do what was necessary to continue existing.


    There was a selfish reason for noble families to ''give away'' part of their independence by participating in a sect. That is, they had more power and received more benefits together, even if they had to accept rules that might not be so good for one or the other.


    But during the ''peace,'' they did not have to use everything they had to ensure their survival, so they disputed power internally.


    That''s why each of the three remaining founding families competed hard for the position of sect master and even battled for it!


    As the Coleman family had been one of the strongest since primordial times, the proud members of this house did not want to lose their prestigious position to their sect ''brothers.''


    Minos then internally laughed upon hearing the words of that elder. ''The one who would benefit the most from my hypothetical rise to the position of sect master would be the Black Plain, not the Coleman family... Why do these people think I will help them? There is no debt between us.''


    As they walked along one side of the Coleman family command center, three well-dressed women were walking near them in a wooded area that separated this place from the other two families'' areas.


    The place in the sect where these three families were was the central hills of this area, separated by a triangle-shaped place full of plant life, with each of these organizations at the ''edges.''


    Because of this, it was not unusual for someone to see people from other families walking in the vicinity of their headquarters, as this was a tranquil and beautiful recreation area.


    But the women walking that way were not there by coincidence, and they soon identified Minos.


    "Minos Stuart, the King of the Black Plain, protector of north and future ruler of Vogel... Is there a title I''ve forgotten?" The woman in the central position of this trio, blonde and tall, asked as she smiled and looked at that brown-haired young man, causing that Spiritual Saint to stop talking.


    The other two at her side looked cautiously at the ''monster'' from the stories they had heard in the past years, feeling strange that such a dangerous person looked like someone peaceful.


    Minos and his wives looked toward these 8th stage women before listening to that old Spiritual Saint.


    "Ivory..."

 Chapter 1285 A Competitor?

    "Ivory, what do you want?" The elder asked the blonde woman between those two others.


    "Elder Nicholas, we were just walking around the vicinity when we saw your distinguished group arriving." Ivory said, smiling at that man as if she was not there on purpose. "There''s no harm in meeting a young descendant of your family, right? Troubling rumors are circulating around the sect, and as a member of House Moss, I''m naturally eager to meet him."


    Minos then ignored the old individual, who had a severe expression on his face, and asked. "Who are you?"


    One of this blonde''s friends then introduced this woman to Minos. "This is Ivory Moss, the young lady of the Moss family, a candidate for the position of sect master who competed against your mother."


    "Oh? So you are here to challenge me like that other one?" Minos asked with an expression of disinterest. "I''m not interested."


    Ivory then stepped forward to speak to Minos. "I''m not going to challenge you like Lance. But you don''t even want to talk to me? Do you think you will become the sect''s leader just like that?"


    "What makes you think I want to become the leader of this sect?" Minos'' eyes narrowed.


    "Don''t you want to?" One of Ivory''s friends asked in surprise. To her, a little monster like Minos should be drooling at the chance to become this sect''s leader.


    It would give him more power and even guarantee his forces high-level Spiritual Saints, something Vogel did not have!


    So how could he not covet this position? It made no sense!


    Ivory then said. "Last time I competed with Maisie, but now that she will give up her chance for you, the favorite to receive the support of the elders is Lance. So if you won''t even agree to talk to people like me, I''m afraid you won''t have a chance to win the competition."


    Minos closed his eyes as Abby stepped forward to speak on his behalf. "My husband has already said he doesn''t need this. You and this Lance can compete with each other. If we change our minds one day, we''ll ''convince'' the elders to accept what we propose."


    Upon hearing this, Ivory, her friends, and the elder Nicholas strangely looked at Abby, thinking she could only be joking with them.


    But Ivory was not there to challenge Minos but to get in Lance''s way.


    Due to the current circumstances, Lance''s chances of receiving the support of most of the sect elders were more significant than hers. So, in order not to facilitate her rival''s rise to power, she wanted to talk to Minos to help him.


    Nove l B(in).C OM


    Of the three founding families of this sect, House Moss was the weakest in this generation. Thus, as part of that power, Ivory would do everything to prevent Lance''s victory so that at least their gap to House Terry would not increase.


    And with that in mind, it made perfect sense for her to help Minos overcome Lance!


    On the other hand, her move could also be a temporary setback, aiming for future advances. Minos was unknown, coming from the northern region and probably with some limitations. So her staying by his side could guarantee her a comfortable position in the future.


    Even the position of sect leader would not be out of her reach, considering that this world had always been unpredictable...


    That''s why she was there, insisting on talking to him!


    ''Competing between us won''t work! Lance will beat me, so I would stress myself out following something like that.'' Ivory thought about this as she judged how to attract Minos.


    She then said. ''You must have interests in doing business for the Black Plain, right? We can talk about that later. My family has several resources and professionals capable of generating good fruit for your state."


    "So if you sit with me to talk, we can build more than a relationship based on sect power disputes."


    Minos opened his eyes, less irritated. ''Finally, there is someone reasonable!''


    As long as he had not made up his mind about this sect, it was not part of his concerns. So he naturally did not want to get involved with the people in this sect who only intended to approach him because of something unrelated to his interests.


    Minos had no problem socializing with anyone, but he also did not want all the time to have to deal with people like Lance.


    "That''s fine. We can talk a little another time." He expressed before saying goodbye to them to continue with their tour.


    After that, those three went back their way, talking among themselves.


    "That Minos and that woman are very arrogant!"


    "Yes, they think they can do whatever they want!" The other agreed before turning to Ivory and asking. "I don''t think we will get anything out of him. What do you have in mind?"


    "Maybe nothing. But now I have nothing left to lose..." Ivory said. "And the sect master is not a fool driven by emotions. He probably wants to appoint his grandson for some reason. So I think we have something to achieve by being around him."


    ...


    Nove l B(in).C OM


    Meanwhile, elder Nicholas was directing Minos'' group but also advising them.


    "Minos, that woman cannot be trusted. She fought your mother for decades when the sect master appointed Maisie as his successor." He commented, looking thoughtfully at this young man. "Then don''t think she will come to bring you benefits for free. She certainly has something in mind."


    "Hmm, everyone always has something on their minds," Minos commented, not the least bit bothered by this, reassured about the future. ''As long as she facilitates my business in this sect, I''ll listen to her.''


    Nove l B(in).C OM


    "Anyway," The old man continued. "You shouldn''t be so trusting. Lance has the Terry family, a house of many talented array masters, on his side. So the support he will receive in this time of war we are experiencing will not be small."


    "Array masters?" Ruth repeated this, considering that they were seeking business with individuals of that profession.


    They had not yet had the opportunity to visit one of the array masters'' stores in this headquarters, so they did not know about such a fact.


    However, once they did that, they would immediately realize it since the Terry family had forbidden all array masters from doing business with the Black Plain.


    House Terry had only a fraction of the professionals in this field in this sect. But since it held a monopoly on specific techniques and materials, it influenced almost every group in this profession in this place!


    "Yes, that is the specialty of that family." That Spiritual Saint confirmed.


    Hearing that, the three women there looked at Minos, knowing that this would bring trouble for them.


    But Minos did not regret his words to Lance. "Don''t worry. We''ll find a way to work this out... And in the worst-case scenario, we still have Vogel on our side."


    "I''m sure they''ll have no problem negotiating some techniques with their future sovereign."

 Chapter 1286 Adversaries’ Dinner

    After some time, Minos and his wives learned a little more about the Coleman family and the command area of that organization.


    They had encountered some elders on their way. Still, Minos had not accepted pressure from any of them, having just chatted with those who wanted to get to know him.


    After an afternoon there, Minos met some of his cousins, distant relatives of his but with whom he was close.


    Besides business, there was not much for them to talk about since, besides the years of distance, many of these people were elders of the same generation as Oswald. So they did not have much in common.


    In this way, the four left that area for another of their points of interest, where they intended to do business with alchemists.


    Minos had left the array masters area for last because he had learned that this would be the most challenging place to do business in this sect.


    ...


    The sunset embellished the horizon of Clouds City, while a young couple was at this very moment eating in one of the high-end restaurants in this city.


    This restaurant had nine beautiful stars, indicating that the head chef there was someone of high-level grade-3 classification!


    As such, everything there, from the floor to the fixtures, was of a high standard, a luxury for few in this world, where the simplest dishes served could induce breakthroughs in low-level people.


    Right next to a large glass window, to which the people there could see the beautiful view of this city and the sunset, Lance and Ivory were eating together.


    "I heard that you tried to meet with that Minos..." Lance said as he cut a piece of meat on his plate and had a little smile at the corners of his mouth.


    Ivory heard this and looked at the glass of wine to her right as she stopped chewing what was in her mouth.


    She closed her eyes, swallowed her food, and looked at Lance. "Yeah, you did that too, didn''t you?"


    "Sure, but he hid like a coward so he wouldn''t face me..." Lance said before bringing up the main point. "But my point is, what''s the reason for that? Ivory, there''s no reason for us to fight over it. I''m going to become the sect master. This person won''t be able to compete with me, and..."


    "And you won''t stand a chance as long as we are at war against the Saints Killing Sect."


    She did not answer anything right away, and then he said. "Why do you want to make things difficult? We can unite and lead the sect together!" Lance placed one of his hands on Ivory''s right hand as he said such a thing.


    "Tsk!"


    Ivory did not like such an attitude and removed her hand from that place. "Don''t talk nonsense. I''ve already said I won''t marry you."


    "Why not? Is there anyone better than me? Why do you reject me so much?" He questioned her, feeling bad that, once again, this woman refused him.


    Novel Top1.OR G


    He had been trying to win Ivory''s favor for over 30 years. But, unfortunately, in all that time, the most he had managed was to become close enough to her that they would go out to dinner or similar things.


    But there was no reason for her to accept him since she had no attraction or favorable enough feelings to make her even consider it.


    Being loved was nice, but one person''s love was no reason for another to love them back!


    Ivory felt that Lance was not so bad, and despite her rivalry with him and the Terry family, she even considered him a friend. But that was all. She had never allowed him to touch her body, nor would she marry him.


    And with that, she even felt a little bad for this fool, who had pursued her for so long, having even maintained celibacy for all that time.


    "Sigh..."


    ''Why doesn''t he just understand?'' She sighed. ''This insistence only makes me lose more respect for him and creates these unnecessary tense moments.''


    She placed her forks on the table and sipped some of her wine. After about ten seconds, Ivory said. "I have told you many times what I think. Do we need to talk about it again? Move on, Lance. There are other women besides me in this world."


    ''While you were keeping your celibacy, Minos was born, grew up, got three wives, and still managed to get one of them pregnant.'' She made this comparison without controlling her thoughts, trying not to laugh.


    Lance clenched his fists upon hearing that, but as a person determined to follow through with his goals, he did not give up. ''When I become the sect master, I will try again!''


    ''At that time, she will not refuse me!''


    After thinking about it, he drank the red wine from this restaurant before saying. "In any case, I will win this dispute. So I advise you not to do anything strange with that brat. I can be kind to you, but I won''t be able to give you a good position if my elders see you allied with that person."


    She then lied. "What are you talking about? I just want to meet this fellow. There is shocking news about him, and his situation is not simple. But all I want is to meet King Stuart. I''m not thinking about the contest for sect master."


    "Really?" Lance did not believe any of it.


    "Of course!"


    "I know very well that I don''t stand a chance against you right now, even though I''m stronger, hehe." She smiled. "And what could I do with him? He doesn''t want this position, and even if he did, it would be him sitting in the sect leadership, not me."


    Lance''s eyes narrowed. ''You look so beautiful trying to fool me, Ivory...''


    He might be in love with Ivory, but Lance knew how to distinguish between love relationships and business. So he naturally did not believe a single word this woman said concerning matters like this.


    But he did not say anything to her about it. "Be careful with him. I''ve heard some rumors that he''s a wild beast who can''t stand to keep his hands off women."


    "Oh?" She smiled upon hearing this curious information about Minos. "Do you think I can''t take care of myself? Do you think I will be attracted to Maisie''s son?"


    "Of course not, but that doesn''t mean he won''t try..." He said, confident that the goddess who had refused him for so long would not give herself up to a cowardly barbarian like Minos.


    ''He already has three beautiful wives. Why would he do something like that when they are traveling with him?'' She closed her eyes and ignored Lance, sure that a ''child'' like Minos would not do something like that to her.


    Hell, she was Maisie''s rival. How could he flirt with an opponent of his mother''s? Wouldn''t that be a betrayal?


    Thinking about it, she just disregarded Lance''s lines!


    ''I will send someone to Elder Vince''s house to arrange a meeting with Minos...''

 Chapter 1287 Maisie’s Strategy

    The next day, Minos and his wives did business in the morning, having also trained and cultivated in a training area of Ruth''s parents'' residence.


    They stayed in that house where they felt most comfortable, and those two individuals had no problem hosting them.


    The only one who was having some difficulty with all this was Talia. She did not find any justification for sleeping in her parents'' house to be closer to Minos...


    She already had her residence, just as Maisie had before advancing to the 8th stage. So her goal of getting closer to her handsome brother-in-law had not been helped by Minos'' stay at her and Ruth''s parents'' residence.


    But on the few occasions they had since their reunion kiss, Minos and Talia would flirt with each other, sometimes kissing when no one else was around.


    It was just a shame, Talia thought, that nothing else had happened so far due to a lack of better opportunities.


    In any case, this woman was keeping an eye on the routine of Minos and his three wives, being this instant following them from afar as they left a restaurant.


    But as Ruth''s older sister watched their group from afar, Angelica approached them, intending to take them somewhere.


    "Little Minos, my father wants to see you and has asked me to come and escort you to our family residence." She said as she stopped beside Ruth and Gloria and looked into the brown eyes of her nephew.


    Minos remembered what that old fellow with white hair and a beard had told him the day their group had arrived at this sect. Because of this, he did not insist on refusing this and was ready to discuss the future with that person.


    Abby and his other two wives understood perfectly what this was all about, and as they followed Angelica, they asked him. "What are you going to do? Have you made up your mind?"


    Minos continued with a relaxed expression on his face and shook his head negatively. "No. But I can talk to the people he wants to introduce me to."


    After they discussed this among themselves, they made their way to Oswald''s residence, talking to Angelica about various issues relevant to their relationship. This woman had already learned from Maisie in the previous days that she should not act as if their relationship with Minos was normal.


    Maisie knew that their relationship was not normal. From the times she had been with him, he was always much more approachable when she tried to suppress some of her maternal instincts. When she treated him as a person she had good feelings for, but he had no ''obligation'' to return them, he was always more willing to talk.


    In fact, this was Maisie''s strategy to fix her relationship with her son. To approach Minos without demanding too much or expecting him to consider her as a mother, but eventually gain some of his trust.


    If she could become his friend, she would be already delighted!


    Angelica had heard something like this when talking to her older sister after her first meeting in years with Minos days ago and was now following that same strategy.


    That way, they had no problem reaching the sect master''s residence!


    When they arrived, the Spiritual Saint on guard in the vicinity immediately focused his eyes on Minos, recognizing Oswald''s grandson.


    ''That boy has a determined look in his eye!'' He praised quietly, having nodded to Minos in recognition.


    So Minos and his wives entered his grandparents'' house, where Patience, Maisie, and Oswald were eating in the dining room of that residence.


    Spiritual Saints did not have to eat, but many would do so either out of habit or to enjoy the culinary experience.


    High-level dishes could also help them cultivate, which was another important reason for people like these three to do this.


    "Minos, sit here! Let''s eat!" Oswald said as he noticed that his grandson was over there, waving one of his hands and indicating for that young man to sit next to him.


    Minos'' group went towards that place but did not sit down since they had just finished eating.


    "We just finished eating, so let''s leave it for another time..." He said, ignoring the delicious smells of the dishes on that big table where the three Spiritual Saints were eating.


    But then Angelica and Gloria sat down on chairs over there and promptly started eating.


    "What? I''m hungry..." Gloria said as she saw the look on her family members'' faces, seeing her holding a red vegetable in her hands as she ate it.


    Seeing that, Patience ran one of her hands through Gloria''s red hair and said. "It seems that our great-granddaughter is quite talented. This young lady has an admirable appetite!"


    Meanwhile, Maisie watched Gloria''s belly, imagining the day she could hold her granddaughter in her arms. ''Ah, soon I will be able to feed my granddaughter...''


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    Spiritual Saints could produce milk in their breasts of their own volition, even without becoming pregnant. So, feeding Minos'' baby would be easy for women like Maisie and Patience.


    But something like that was impossible for men, even considering the physically altering ability that Spiritual Saints had.


    A man in the Spiritual World could even change his appearance to look like a woman if he so wished after passing level 70. But this would not change his original sex, so he could not become pregnant or breastfeed.


    The reverse was also true. A woman could change her body to look like a man, but she could not impregnate other women.


    Anyway, Maisie was aware of her capabilities and could not help but wait for this moment when she could bond with her granddaughter.


    Minos'' other wives probably would not have the opportunity to make it to the 8th stage in time, so she would not have to compete with these women!


    Minos and his wives had no idea of Maisie''s plans and just laughed at Gloria, who was getting bigger daily as her pregnancy progressed.


    They then sat around and talked among the people there until everyone finished eating.


    "Minos, have you made up your mind?" Oswald asked as his back relaxed on the support of his chair. "I plan to introduce you to the high-level elders of the sect so you can get to know who you will be working with very soon."


    "Very soon?" Minos found this unexpected. "Is it in your plans to leave the sect in the ''lap'' of your successors in a short time?"


    "Yes. When you reach my stage, I will leave the sect with you and go for the Divine Continent with your grandmother." He said with a smile on his face.


    "I haven''t given my answer yet, so you shouldn''t make plans this far ahead," Minos commented as he saw the smile on that old fellow''s face.


    ...

 Chapter 1288 The High-Level Elders

    After smiling for a few moments confidently, Oswald rose from his chair. He called his grandson to follow him toward the command center of the sect.


    Minos followed such a man soon after, leaving his wives in that place with the rest of the women.


    They then left that residence under Talia''s watchful eyes, flying off to another part of the sect, not far from there.


    As they were fast, they reached their destination after less than 3 minutes of flight. They landed in one of the side areas of the building where the strongest elders of the sect were already waiting for them.


    Oswald had arranged a meeting with these people to introduce his grandson on this date. So no one would be late, and everyone was already in their seats in a large hall when they arrived.


    When Minos entered there right after his grandfather, he found himself in a relatively small place where a dozen people were watching him from their seats.


    Each of these people was either at level 77 or level 78, the highest cultivations within this sect, inferior only to Oswald, the strongest in this place.


    Oswald then stopped in the center of that area, face to face with his old companions, and showed Minos to them using one of his hands to indicate his grandson.


    "Elders, we are here. This lad is Minos Stuart, Maisie''s son, my only grandson." He said in a humorous tone as the white-haired individuals in that place, eight men and four women, checked King Stuart from top to bottom.


    Each had heard the stories of Minos from the northern region, the rumors of Vogel, and the recent news of his deeds within this sect. But even with so much information, they still needed to get to know him to reach a final opinion about this controversial person.


    At first, Minos seemed very good to his side, which was a good sign, considering the sect master''s interests. But he was also constantly involved in problems that affected those close to him.


    There were benefits to being on King Stuart''s side, but was it worth it? That was what they wanted to decide by talking to this person.


    Of course, that was if he wanted to accept Oswald''s plans, something he was under no obligation to do, and many in that sect would defend his right to refuse.


    Oswald looked at Minos and said. "Come on, boy. Introduce yourself to your elders!"


    Minos closed his eyes momentarily and stepped forward from standing a few centimeters behind Oswald to stand beside this individual. "I am the King of the Black Plain. Pleased to meet you, elders." He said without much animation.


    Oswald then introduced each of those 12 people to him, indicating where they were from to his grandson.


    Of these individuals, 9 were members of the three still existing founding families of this sect. As for the others, these three people were members of other noble families of this organization, only less prestigious than Houses Moss, Terry, and Coleman.


    Minos heard each of the names of these people, and after waving in greeting to everyone there, he saw a man getting up from his seat to say something.


    That person said. "Minos Stuart, I heard from one of my family members that if you want to lead the sect, you won''t need the approval of us elders and will do it by your strength... What do you intend with such lines? Do you have authoritarian interests against our organization?"


    The people there paid attention to Minos while this young man''s grandfather looked at him as if wondering if he was so foolish as to say such words.


    ''You have to speak that you didn''t mean that...''


    "I told a fool named Lance what I should," Minos said aloud as his grandfather almost went off balance on his left side. "I never intended to lead this sect, and I haven''t decided whether I will accept this offer. But if one day I want that, I definitely won''t need to follow the same standards as people like him."


    "Arrogance!"


    "You''re truly bold, kid!"


    "I admit you are fearless! You have to have a lot of willpower to say that in front of us..."


    They commented among themselves while Oswald closed his eyes in shame.


    None of the elders there was harder on Minos since each of them saw the sect master turning red and could start educating his grandson at any moment.


    That would already be a reasonable punishment!


    Minos smiled and opened his arms. "You''ve got me all wrong, elders. It''s not that I consider myself stronger than you or that I can take this place whenever I want..."


    "Although I don''t think it''s impossible..."


    "Cough! Cough!"


    "It''s just that there is a huge difference between me and this fool named Lance Terry." Minos said, making the patriarch of the Terry family turn green with anger at his descendant being repeatedly called a fool.


    Minos continued. "What does this Lance have to offer the sect? The support of a family that is already part of your organization?" He laughed, finding this ridiculous. "I have the Black Plain, the northern region, soon, Vogel, and I''m still friends with Rosser, Blackrock, and Albano."


    "You want more?"


    The people commenting on his boldness finally stopped as they opened their mouths without knowing what to say.


    Even Oswald opened his eyes and felt his disappointment diminish a little.


    What Minos was saying was the truth. Lance did not represent anything new. In fact, no one within this sect represented anything new. Maisie, Lance, Ivory, it did not matter. They all were members of families part of the organization who could not contribute to increased power via external ''injection.''


    On the other hand, even though his Vogel leadership was questionable, he could genuinely introduce new things to this group. That alone surpassed any elder support that those individuals could get.


    Besides, as he had asked, everyone there knew he had more than he bargained for!


    After all, Minos was married to an Archbishop of the Spiritual Church. Someone who was pregnant and could immediately become a Matriarch after giving birth!


    That was no small thing!


    Even if he had no power in the Church, his level of influence because of Gloria would be enough for organizations in the Empire itself to value any conversations with him!


    He then finished his presentation. "Finally, as small as my strength is now, that will change significantly in a short time. While most of you will still be at the level you are at now in 20 years; I will reach your stage."


    Oswald completely lost his angry expression of a few moments ago and was beginning to smile until suddenly Minos said something absurd.


    "By that time, I''ll be stronger than this old man next to me!"


    "What did you say, lad?" Oswald exclaimed as he turned to his bold grandson.


    ...

 Chapter 1289 Questions

    "What is it? What''s wrong if I get stronger than you? Wouldn''t it be good for you if I followed your plans and were stronger than you?" Minos asked Oswald, not understanding this fellow''s complaint.


    Oswald closed his eyes and bitterly smiled. "That''s not what I''m talking about..."


    ''How can he call his grandfather an old man?" He wondered since no one dared to say things like that in front of him, and he could not help but feel a little shocked after Minos'' words.


    But Minos was unaware of his grandfather''s thoughts and just stood there in silence, noticing the elders in the surrounding area arguing among themselves.


    "His words are exaggerated, but he doesn''t lie in everything..."


    "Though little, King Stuart does have new things that our youths don''t have the chance to offer the sect."


    "Our youths are just more of the same that we''ve always had here." One of the women there, part of a less prestigious noble family in this sect, commented on what was somewhat difficult for the representatives of House Terry to accept.


    They had the ''favorite'' in the dispute against Minos, so they had bitter expressions when they heard the advantage such a young man had against their candidate.


    Since they had no way to contest this, they could only remain silent for the time being.


    Then someone there asked. "But Minos said he''s not interested in the sect... Hence, what''s the point of this discussion? Besides, even if he can give something to the sect, it doesn''t mean he would!"


    "Yes, not to mention that he doesn''t respect us elders and acts in an arrogant manner."


    The people there looked back at Minos as Oswald put aside his frustration at being just an old man in the eyes of his grandson.


    He left it to the future to show Minos how amazing he was, then turned to those people. "Elders, don''t take his words so seriously. This young man is just a child in our eyes. Can''t we forgive one mistake of his? He has lived so long in the northern region that he doesn''t know about the dangers of the Empire."


    The women there nodded, feeling that these words were valid, even if Minos was even a bit annoying with his beyond-average confidence.


    The elders of the Coleman family also readily agreed since they would not go against one of their own.


    A woman there then asked. "But then, young man, are you going to seek this position or not? Your previous words hint that you are undecided."


    Minos then said. "I haven''t made up my mind yet. After all, I''ve only had two days to think about it. So how about you give me more time? A year will work for me."


    The people there looked at him with open mouths, impressed at how he made demands just to think about whether or not he would accept this opportunity...


    ''The way he talks, it even sounds like we are a big weight about to fall on his shoulders...'' Someone over there shook his head, feeling a little embarrassed.


    ''If he keeps this up, it won''t be long before he tries to pull the emperor''s ''beard'' and cause a serious amount of embarrassment for the sect!''


    ''We''re not asking you for a favor here...''


    Some of them thought of similar things, but others voiced their thoughts.


    "Tsk!"


    "What''s there to think about? Either you accept, or you don''t. So why do you make it so difficult?"


    "He wants to enhance his position to get more benefits... Tsk, though young, he''s already a cunning little fox!"


    "Minos, don''t act as if we are burdens that need to be carried!" A member of the Terry family commented, trying to show the elders there that this young man disrespected them and the sect all the time.


    Minos then said, while being watched by everyone there, "You people talk as if I am a bum without nothing to do... How can I accept that when I don''t even know what consequences this will bring to my current plans and responsibilities?"


    Minos had many plans and projects in development or waiting for the opportunity to be started. Thus, when considering his position as master of the Gray Clouds Sect, he had to study how this would affect his plans.


    The problem was that doing this demanded time, and only two days was not enough, even considering how fast the mind of a level 62 cultivator could work.


    Minos would only answer when he was sure of how the Gray Clouds Sect would affect his coalition, jeopardizing or not his present alliances.


    Doing something like this without considering the possible consequences would be irresponsible!


    At the same time, his becoming the master of this sect would bring new possibilities. That would need to be fitted with the current and future situation of the Black Plain for the best outcome for him.


    But for this, he needed at least a few months to think this possibility through!


    He then said. "I know some beings can die through their mouths after devouring more than their stomachs can handle. So I will not simply go for a new conquest when I already have too much to absorb in the short term."


    Upon hearing that, Oswald was one of the first to understand what Minos had in mind. ''You intend to focus on Vogel, so in the short term, you would be overwhelmed with just that... Besides, becoming my heir would bring problems with those four states.''


    A woman from the Moss family then said. "I understand your point. You are the King of the Black Plain and future sovereign of Vogel, so you have several commitments that may be affected by this answer, and you need time. But isn''t a year a long time?"


    "Next year, I will travel between this state and the Black Plain. So I won''t make up my mind on the matter until I get to my territory and talk to my people."


    "Traveling for a year?" The people there found Minos'' words unbelievable.


    Even the longest routes from this area where they were to the Black Plain took no more than three months to complete. So Minos saying that he would travel for a whole year seemed like a great excuse.


    He then said. "Yes, I have some matters to settle in Albano, and I don''t know how long it will take. But, on the other hand, I''m using these trips to train, then I won''t be using teleportation ports."


    The people there finally understood him. It was reasonable for youths to want to train while traveling since there were all kinds of opportunities for battle and even finding resources in similar situations.


    Most people there understood his point and no longer questioned him about it, even though some were not satisfied.


    Oswald then opened his hands and smiled, feeling that a year was not much and that this meeting should end now. "Well, none of us will feel bored in just one year. It will fly by, so let''s not make things difficult for him..."


    "Does everyone here agree to listen to Minos in one year?"


    "Yes..."


    "It won''t make much difference anyway."


    "When the time comes, one of you let me know..."


    They commented among themselves, agreeing to such a thing until one of the Terry family members asked. "And what do we do about the competition for that position?"


    "The youths will not simply accept Minos if he decides yes and does not demonstrate his abilities. But, at the same time, what do we tell the sect for next year? That we postpone that decision?"


    ...

 Chapter 1290 Daytime Fun (+18)

    Upon hearing the questioning of one of the Terry family elders, the people in that hall realized that such a thing was indeed a problem.


    After all, those interested in the position of sect master could not simply sit around for a whole year without knowing what would happen.


    They had disputed such a position in the past and were already moving back. So it would be a problem if they told these young people that the competition would stop for a year.


    They would look like Minos'' minions if they changed the rules in the middle of the game to benefit him...


    On the other hand, while a year might not be an exaggerated period, and there were ways to circumvent problems related to this, Minos was still unknown.


    So the young talents of this sect, who would become elders in the near future and eventually replace these twelve individuals, did not know whether or not Minos was capable.


    Would they accept a successor who was never tested? Someone they do not know about leadership and combat skills? That was quite a problem!


    Minos then said. "You people are worrying too much. Let whoever wants to compete, compete. Then, if I make up my mind favorably to you in a year, I''ll take the reins of the situation and overcome whoever is in the lead. Otherwise, you can go on with your plans."


    The individual from the Terry family who had made the previous inquiries looked at Minos and clenched his fists, feeling that this young man was either too confident or underestimating them.


    Minos had no idea what was in the mind of such a person and continued. "As for the others, it doesn''t matter what they think. If I accept this role, let them doubt me. There is no problem at all. It''s not as if there are no struggles to be fought to set an example for them."


    "But I won''t do any ridiculous tests."


    In Minos'' view, sect tests, tournaments, etc., were events for juniors with much to prove. But he was not a junior and already had many responsibilities. At the same time, he was influential and could move organizations to support him politically.


    So what was the point of a ridiculous exam where he might exhibit his skills and abilities to individuals he would not even converse with?


    In his opinion, the only ones who needed even minimally to respect him and believe in his strength were these 12 old people who could positively influence his plans. As for the young people of this sect, unfortunately, they had a long road ahead of them, and it would take decades for them to achieve the influence of these individuals there now.


    So Minos was not worried about whether people like Lance would support him if he took Oswald''s place.


    The elders there realized that he would not show any power to the talented youths of the sect and sighed.


    They could not force Minos to do such a thing. Then, they could only regret that this young man had such a closed mind.


    How could he dislike the tournaments and demonstration of power? Was it not natural for the younger generation to puff out their chests in pride and show their strength to the crowds?


    But even if they disagreed with Minos, in the end, Oswald stood by this young man and convinced the elders in that place to give the year his grandson wanted without further compromises.


    As for the competition that Lance was preparing to fight, they soon agreed that they should go with the situation as it was, just as Minos had suggested.


    So, after some time, Oswald freed Minos, staying behind to take care of other matters with his high-level colleagues.


    On the other hand, this young man sighed in relief at finally being released and quickly made his way out of that sect command building to return to where his wives were.


    However, just as he intended to fly to the place he had come alongside Oswald earlier, Talia appeared, running toward him.


    "Minos!" She said his name to draw his attention to herself, glad that her work had yielded results. ''Finally, I found him alone!''


    "Talia? What are you doing here?" Her brother-in-law asked as he saw this woman smiling and approaching him in a practically deserted area of that sect.


    Forests surrounded the building where the command of this organization was located, so the place he was in was quite secluded.


    Talia then said as she came face to face with Minos. "I was looking for you. We''ve barely had time to discuss our affairs over the past few days... Don''t you think we should find a place to talk alone?"


    "Talk? Alone?" He smiled, understanding the intentions of this shameless Ruth''s older sister. "Well, I guess it''s okay to talk somewhere comfortable, but I don''t know this sect..."


    She licked her lips and took one of his hands, not taking time to lead him toward some caves not far from there.


    The area of this sect''s headquarters was large. So, there were small urban centers here and there, isolated buildings, like the one Minos was in earlier, and even forested areas with caves and rivers.


    Talia knew this place like the back of her hand and knew that certain areas were only used by young lovers dating and that curious people rarely went there.


    So she did not hesitate to take her sister''s husband to one of these places, where she knew there would hardly be anyone in the middle of the afternoon.


    Talia was no saint, after all. She had already had her flirtations with young men of this sect, so she knew very well where to go and when was the best time.


    So, in the blink of an eye, she and Minos arrived at a cave, where they barely talked and began to kiss, each tearing at the other''s clothes in desire.


    Talia looked like Ruth, so Minos had an unusual hard-on at the thought of having sex with his sister-in-law because it was forbidden and the fetish he had regarding the sisters...


    He knew it would be difficult to achieve what he wanted, but fucking Talia in this place was a start to it!


    So he and Talia were soon naked, rubbing their skins against each other, while immortal sounds came from their mouths and nether areas.


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    As he drove his rod deep into Talia''s wet cavern, Minos saw her eyes widen in satisfaction as a moan escaped her little pink mouth.


    "Ahhhh~"


    But he did not stop there. Instead, he slowly increased the pace of his movements as he played with one of Talia''s nipples, sucking it in a way that she could only cry out in pleasure.


    "Ahhh~ Suck me this way, Minos~"


    "Ahhhhh~ Make me your slut~"


    Pah! Pah!


    Sounds of pounding flesh were mixed in with Talia''s constant talking, a characteristic of this woman who liked to talk dirty in her intimate moments.


    And with that, Minos eventually defiled this woman with his seeds, but not before he had made her cum wildly in pleasure for several minutes straight.


    All this happened in a secluded cave in this headquarters, where only the birds would know about Talia''s words when she was fucked by her brother-in-law in ways that prostitutes would be ashamed of...

 Chapter 1291 Moment Of Hesitation

    After a while, Minos returned alone to his grandfather''s estate, where he met his wives and returned to Ruth''s parents'' home alongside them.


    As for Talia, she rested for a while in that cave and returned home alone, satisfied that she had fulfilled several of her fantasies with Minos in one afternoon.


    Her mood had improved, and an unusual urge to sleep had arisen for her, leading her to seek her bed soon after arriving at that place.


    Luckily for Talia, she had her residence. So she would not have to worry about her family noticing how different her behavior was after getting to know her brother-in-law deeply...


    ...


    A few hours later, Minos was already with his wives at Vince and Elise''s home when someone sent by Ivory knocked on the door of that residence looking for him.


    As he went to answer such a person, Minos did not take long to hear the purpose of the servant there, who was ready to arrange a dinner between him and his mistress.


    "Does she want me to go to dinner with her tonight?" Minos asked the person, seeing him nod in the affirmative. "Let''s leave it until tomorrow. I''ve already spent the day busy with other things, and I''ll be training and taking care of other matters. Tell her that."


    Ivory''s servant felt strange to see this person refusing that woman''s initial proposal. Still, he quickly agreed to pass those words on to her. "Goodbye." He said before leaving for his leader''s estate.


    Minos returned to his wives on that property, ready to train with them and get ready for a bit of group fun at night.


    This evening Ruth''s parents had a commitment away. So, they would have this house to themselves...


    Since they could not go to the Spatial Kingdom from this place so as not to draw unnecessary attention, they could only have fun and train there.


    That way, there was no way Minos could have accepted Ivory''s invitation for tonight, and she could only wait for him for the next day.


    ...


    The next day Minos continued with his business affairs in this sect in the morning, and in the afternoon, he and his wives followed a servant of Ivory to her residence.


    Ivory seemed to want to meet only with Minos, but his wives had decided to go to this meeting anyway, and he had not tried to stop them.


    For him, it was much easier to deal with the senseless people of this sect by being at his wives'' side.


    So, in the blink of an eye, they arrived at that blonde woman''s residence, where apart from the servants and bodyguards, only she was there now.


    "Minos..." Ivory said as she came across Ruth, Gloria, and Abby, "Welcome to my home..." She hides her surprise, quickly smiling at them and showing them the place with hand gestures.


    They quickly looked around her residence and arrived at the dining room, where several dishes were already waiting for them.


    "So, Ivory, what do you intend to do to help us? And what will we have to give in return for it?" Minos remembered that she had said she could help him regarding business deals with the Black Plain.


    She finished serving her guests and smiled at him, noting that he would not roll over to start talking business. "Well, with my support, it will be easy for you to have some elders able to take on..."


    ? Minos realized where she was going, but before he could even say anything, Abby stopped Ivory from continuing. "My husband was talking about the business you can offer us for the benefit of the Black Plains, not the power struggle of this sect."


    "Hmm, I already told that fool. If one day I want the leadership of this place, I won''t need to follow your traditions." He said while tasting the wine served by Ivory.


    She closed her mouth upon hearing such words, making a bitter expression but soon returning to normal. "Well, I heard you are trying to get deals with spiritual professionals from the sect. Is that true?"


    "Yes," Ruth stated.


    "Then I can expedite the approval of part of those deals and still facilitate new business in the future." She smiled as she saw Gloria eating and the other people there looking at her.


    "Oh? That''s a good thing..." Minos said. "But what about what that would cost me?"


    She then took the opportunity to talk about what she wanted. "When you are to become the sect master, you will appoint me to a prestigious position with decision-making powers."


    Before they could speak anything against this, she opened her hands in a gesture for them to wait. "Of course, what I ask is not in return for just this initial help from me. You will have the Moss family''s support in the future in your rule as sect leader and to help your territory in the northern region."


    Hearing this, Minos'' women, even Gloria, who was actively eating, looked at him to find out what he thought of this.


    Minos was silent for a moment, noticing that this woman would find a way to bring the subject of the passing of command of this sect into their conversation.


    "Ivory, I haven''t decided if I will follow through with this. How can I agree to a deal that depends on a position I may not have in the future?" He asked her.


    "What? Haven''t you made up your mind yet? Then what were you doing at the sect command yesterday afternoon?" She asked in doubt.


    This woman and others in this sect knew that Oswald had taken Minos to meet the high-level elders. Not only did their relatives belong to that council, but they also had ''eyes'' spread throughout this headquarters.


    So as much as she had not heard such a thing from the high-level elders of her family, this woman knew that Minos had visited that place with Oswald.


    But what other reason would there be for the sect master to take his grandson to those people if Minos was not ready to declare himself Oswald''s successor?


    That''s why she was surprised and curious after Minos'' previous speech.


    He then said. "These people wanted my answer, but I didn''t give them one. So we just talked about some matters before I left that place."


    Ivory was silent as she listened to him, surprised that he had not given the high-level elders an answer but also unsure what to do now that she knew this.


    "What did they say to you? Did they accept that?" She asked.


    Minos then said, not caring to hide the truth. "They will continue with their plans without me. If I decide to take over this sect... Cough! Cough! If I take an interest in this sect master position, I will have to use my means to overtake whoever it is."


    "So that''s how it is..." She commented, feeling strange about Minos'' methods, not understanding what was in this person''s mind.


    And precisely because he was unpredictable to her, she could not help but hesitate on what to do now!


    ...

 Chapter 1292 Conversations With Ivory

    ''What do I do? Suppose I do business with him, and he will not be the sect master in the future. In that case, I won''t gain anything!'' She pondered as everyone at her dining table tasted the dishes she had ordered.


    ''But if he changes his mind in favor of the sect and I have refused to do business with him now, I will lose the opportunity. Then, he will not let me sit at the same table as him in the future...'' She clenched her fists as she hid them under the table to avoid appearing nervous to her guests.


    ''Sigh... I have no alternatives here. By helping him now, I at least won''t lose anything and will gain the possibility to get closer to him in case he decides to run for the position of sect leader!'' She made up her mind after a while.


    "All right, I can help you regarding those deals just for the promise that if you decide to become the sect master, you will follow through with that initial demand of mine." She said after much thought.


    Hearing this, Minos thought she was pleasing, enjoying seeing how decisive this woman was in making a friendship with him so quickly, even without guarantees.


    "I''m glad to hear that, but tell me something. Weren''t you Maisie''s adversary? Why do you want to help her son?" He asked as he finished cutting a piece of meat on his plate.


    Hearing this, as Minos savored that protein, Ivory answered him. "In this world, there is no ultimate rivalry. As long as interests converge, anything is possible."


    "But weren''t you the most opposite in terms of opinions toward my master when you two were competing?" Ruth asked, considering some stories she had heard recently.


    From what she had heard from Maisie, Ivory had a mindset about 90% different compared to Minos'' mother. So this woman trying to support him was a little strange to Ruth.


    Ivory then smiled. "Minos seems to be quite different from Maisie too. So what''s wrong with me trying to ally myself with him?"


    Ruth and the other wives of Minos understood her point. They even thought it immoral of this person to use a son''s problems with his mother to benefit herself.


    But Minos saw no problem with that. "Hmm, no problem here. You have a good motivation..."


    After talking about it, they did not take long to discuss the specifics of a possible arrangement between them. But since this kind of conversation could not be solved in a single conversation, they scheduled a few more meetings for the next few days.


    Then, at the end of that meal, the group left that residence, going on to their affairs locally.


    ...


    Four days later...


    Minos had not tried to visit the array masters store these past few days, having focused on his conversations with Ivory and training with his wives.


    He had enjoyed himself once again with Talia during this period, having also been forced by Ivy to have dinner with his mother for two nights without other people present besides herself and the two.


    But Ivy was playing a dangerous game with Minos, giving more and more liberties to this young man she had once taken into her arms and played with.


    She could see him as a child at first, but he was slowly beginning to play with her in a way that children did not...


    Anyway, for him, his routine was smooth in this sect, quite different from Lance''s, who was getting tense every day because of the meetings of King Stuart and Ivory.


    Lance already knew that the woman he loved would probably make contact with Minos and negotiate something with this young man. But still, he did not like a womanizer like King Stuart next to his goddess, and he was suspicious of things that might happen.


    At first, Minos had gone accompanied by his wives to the meetings with Ivory. But now, for two days in a row, he had met that blonde alone, always at her house, where no one could pass on information about what happened between them to the rest of the world.


    Because of this, Lance was nervous, even considering that he had complete confidence in the judgment of his goddess.


    ''She would never choose him...'' He thought every time he caught himself thinking about it.


    Another thing he constantly thought about was scheduling another occasion with Ivory for him to remind her of how inferior Minos was compared to him.


    But while Lance was despairing because of his unrequited love, one of Minos'' deals had been accepted!


    Because of this, he had already received copies of the Silver-grade techniques he had done business with and paid for the orders for the Black-grade techniques for blacksmiths.


    As for the other deals Minos had already made, he was waiting to sign an agreement with Ivory to receive confirmation about those proposals.


    Thus, he would still have to stay in that sect for some time before returning his way to the northern region.


    In the meantime, he and his wives made their way to the main array masters store within the headquarters of this sect!


    ...


    "So you are here to do original technique business, huh?" An official welcomed Minos'' group while smiling at them. "I''m sorry, but there is no one here capable of meeting your requirement at the moment ..."


    "If it is in your best interest, come back here later, and maybe we will have a chance to do business."


    Minos looked at his wives, and they at him, noting that this person was refusing them by giving this excuse.


    They already knew that they would have more difficulty trying to do business with people funded by the Terry family, who had an opposition against Minos. But these people, not even wanting to hear what he had to offer, seemed a bit much.


    But while Minos was thinking of something to try to get that person to stop making excuses, a blond man they had met earlier appeared.


    "Well, if it isn''t King Stuart and his wives..." Lance said in a teasing tone, smiling as if he had been waiting a long time for this moment.


    Minos and his wives looked at him and quickly understood that all this exaggeration had a finger of this person.


    Gloria then continued with her hands on her belly and said. "You are very stingy. With that personality, you will never become a real leader... No wonder you were the third choice in the last contest for the sect''s successor position."


    After these words, even Lance''s minions felt a little embarrassed by Gloria''s words that targeted the reputation of this blond person.


    Lance then clenched his fists and looked at that pregnant woman dressed in the clothes of the Spiritual Church, but before he could say anything, he heard Minos'' voice. "Are you going to get in the middle of Black Plain affairs over something so small?"


    "Humph!"


    "Who cares about the Black Plain?" Lance replied with an arrogant attitude.


    "Very well, don''t regret it later..." Minos said and then took one of Gloria''s hands and one of Ruth''s, directing his wives out of there, paying no further attention to Lance.

 Chapter 1293 Merciless Revenge 1

    Two days later...


    It was late afternoon in the region that Clouds City was in. Along with the sunset, many disciples were heading back to their respective residences or preparing to go out and enjoy the local night.


    But while the sect was animated with these people coming and going between the headquarters and the city, Minos was at this very moment at Ivory''s house.


    Abby, Ruth, and Gloria were not there, as all three were at this moment with Patience, Angelica, and Maisie at the Oswald estate.


    As for Ivory, this beautiful blonde woman from the Moss family did not have any of her friends around and was alone with Minos at this instant.


    But the two were not negotiating or talking in a living room, as one would expect from people like them. No, after days of talking about agreements, they had finished signing their Soul Contracts just the day before, making official the topics they had discussed earlier.


    Anyway, they had met once again today and were now in a part of that residence that was somewhat messy.


    Women''s and men''s clothing lay all over the floor in a disorderly fashion so that anyone who saw it would immediately identify how they had ended up there.


    At the same time, there was a certain warmth inside the room and a characteristic smell that most men and women in this world would easily recognize.


    As for the two of them, they were lying on the large bed in Ivory''s room, totally naked, hugging each other, their bodies still sweaty from the activity they had just finished.


    "Hah... Hah..." Ivory took a hasty breath, feeling the heat and satisfaction as the wind coming in through one of the windows calmed the flames in her body.


    At the same time, Minos had a mysterious smile on his face that only he knew the real reason for.


    "Minos, what did you think?" She asked after recovering some energy and looking at this man''s face.


    "It was great. You are a great lover..." He said as he looked at Ivory and remembered their actions over the past two days.


    After finalizing the previous agreement, Minos convinced this woman to celebrate such a thing with a dance. After that, the pre-existing sexual tension between the two helped things develop, eventually leading them to bed.


    Then Minos returned to this place earlier today to repeat the experience, the two once again having enjoyed for hours this time.


    Because of all this, they were both naked in that room, sweaty, smelling each other while still sharing warmth.


    Ivory smiled. "I''m glad you liked it... I didn''t think we would end up in my bed, to be honest. I never thought I would sleep with Maisie''s son."


    Minos heard this and paid attention to Ivory''s lips, doubly pleased.


    First, because he had gone to bed with an opponent of his mother, so he could not help but wonder what Maisie''s reaction would be if she knew. But second, the main reason he went through with it was to affect Lance, who he already knew was in love with Ivory.


    After days of negotiating with this woman, Minos had naturally done more than talk about important matters. From time to time, they talked about their lives, among these points, the rivalry she had with Maisie and Lance and this person''s feelings towards her.


    That way, after Lance stood in his way, Minos quickly got his revenge by having sex with this remarkable woman.


    But, of course, he had not only gotten revenge. He had had fun with Ivory, who was no saint, by the way.


    From what Minos had seen, this woman had a vast sexual experience that, although not comparable to his, was enough to put her in a high position in terms of sexuality.


    Ivory was on the same level as his wives regarding sexual experience!


    She had not had the same number of partners as those three, only Minos, but their hours of fun were similar.


    And having found that out, Minos could not help but laugh at Lance, feeling how foolish and naive that guy was for even abstaining sexually because of his love for Ivory...


    ''What an idiot...'' He smiled. ''While you''re thinking about her, she was probably in bed with a dozen men for hours and hours, not even remembering you existed...''


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    "Who knew, right? I hadn''t imagined it either... But it''s for the best, isn''t it? It would be a shame to waste your presence at dinners and lunches all the time." He said, attacking Lance''s figure once again.


    Ivory was not dumb, so she immediately understood that Minos was talking about Lance since she had told him she had a friendly relationship with this person. "Don''t talk like that. I like to do things like that too."


    "I know, hehe." He laughed. ''It''s just that some people will, at most go to dinner with you, even after trying hard for years. But, on the other hand, I brought you to bed without having to do anything of the sort after a few days...''


    While Minos had his thoughts, Ivory had hers.


    ''I feel sorry for Lance... He keeps stalking me, knowing I''m not attracted to him, and he still maintains his chastity for me, even when...'' She took her eyes off Minos and watched the window of that room.


    Ivory had been a virgin when Lance had started pursuing her. But in those last 30 years, she had met several men, among them an uncle of that young man, who had taken her virginity.


    She had not had a long relationship with that man. Still, even so, Lance had almost caught them in the act on more than one occasion during dinners between their families.


    Thinking about that and how her respect for Lance had diminished with each occasion, including this one with Minos, Ivory felt sorry for him.


    ''Sigh!''


    ''Sometimes I feel like telling him everything to see his reaction...'' She looked at Minos while she made comparisons. ''This person does what he wants, has many options, and doesn''t need the approval of others. Uh, Lance should learn from him...''


    As Ivory thought about this, she felt one of his hands groping her breasts and let out a slight moan.


    "Ahhh~ What do you want? Don''t you know I have something to do now?"


    He smiled devilishly as one of his hands began playing with her little flower. "Why don''t we give your friend a show?"


    Her eyes widened in surprise as her heart beat faster at this idea. "Are you out of your mind? Lance would freak out if he saw me with you!"


    "Is that so?" He asked as he played with her body, making her moan more and more. "Are you sure, Ivory? That fool will keep chasing you forever if you don''t do anything. So why not settle this now? Think about it. We''d be helping him! That way, he can get on with his own life!"


    "Then how about this? Send a message to one of his servants 2 minutes before your appointment with him, telling him you''ll have to miss it." Minos laughed. "He''ll probably already be next door when that happens, and he''ll get the message too late..."

 Chapter 1294 Merciless Revenge 2 (18+)

    In her moment of vulnerability, given what Minos was doing to her, Ivory agreed to King Stuart''s evil plan as she ''opened up'' to him.


    With that, Minos fell open-mouthed on her flower, kissing that beautiful part of her body as she picked up a communication array to do what he suggested.


    If all went well and Lance did not cross the line, this would lead to nothing. He would get the message and return to his own home, escaping finding her in that situation with Minos.


    Then as she received the attention of the brown-haired man, she closed her eyes and felt an intense arousal that she had never felt.


    ''What is it? Why does it feel so good?'' She asked herself without understanding the relevance of this diabolical plan to the fun she was having right now.


    In the midst of this, she came without any difficulty, having had such an intense orgasm that she spent almost 20 seconds feeling involuntary contractions all over her little body.


    Gulp!


    But Minos did not stop his attacks, trying to intensify his movements so that she could not help but moan madly.


    "Ahhhhhhh~"


    "Minos, slow down, or I~"


    "Ahhhhhhhhhh~" A colorless squirt broke from her little flower as Minos slipped one of his fingers into her and sucked her as if he were starving.


    But then he said. "Send the message~ So we won''t be late~"


    "Oh? Fine~" She tried to control herself, but he did not stop his electric movements for a second.


    A second later...


    "Miss Ivory? Is that you?" A voice came from the communication crystal in this Spiritual Saint''s hands. At the same time, she had her eyes closed, her arms crossed over her forehead, and her mouth open.


    She tried hard not to moan and said. "Please... Tell Lance that... That I won''t be able to... I won''t be able to meet him~"


    "Mmmmm~" She came again, barely able to hide what was happening.


    "Uh? Miss? Is something wrong?" The servant noticed Ivory''s odd way of speaking but did not suspect the obvious.


    "I''m fine, gulp! I''m just tired. I was training and missed my schedule... Tell Lance I won''t be able to see him today. Bye."


    Soon after she released that item, she looked at Minos with desire in her eyes. "You did it, so now bear the consequences." She pushed him onto the bed and jumped on top of him, not waiting to put that burning rod inside him.


    "Ahhh~"


    ...


    As the two continued their fun, Lance was already standing in the doorway of Ivory''s house, adjusting his suit while he had a naive smile on his face.


    As he looked at the second-floor window on the left side of the house, he saw that the lamp was on, which indicated Ivory was probably getting ready to go out with him.


    While waiting for the right moment to knock on her door, he saw the silhouette of a person appear on the wall next to that side of the house. That was as if someone was blocking the passage of light from inside her room.


    ''Is she there?'' He wondered as his communication array rang.


    He kept looking in that direction and answered the call. "What do you want, Leon? Didn''t I say I would be busy for the rest of the night?"


    "Young master, I am sorry to disturb you. But Miss Ivory has just sent me a message saying that she will not be able to meet with you. She seems to have just finished training and is exhausted..." He was explaining when Lance''s eyes sharpened.


    In that instant, he saw a second silhouette on that wall, indicating at least two people inside Ivory''s room. ''Who is she with? Could it be one of her friends?''


    But the silhouettes changed position, previously in a position as if they were standing in front of each other, now as if one was climbing up and down on something in front of the other person.


    Seeing this, Lance found it strange. He did not understand what was happening in that place. Still, Ivory did not exhibit the behavior of a tired person.


    She should be one of these two silhouettes, so why was she exercising with someone else? And who was the other silhouette that seemed so close to her?


    ''What are they doing?'' He wondered as he walked through the yard of Ivory''s estate.


    "Young master?" The person on the other end of the communicator asked. Yet, Lance ignored him before turning off such a thing to kill his curiosity.


    Those silhouettes had caught his attention, and now he wanted to find out what Ivory was doing to cancel a dinner with him. Moreover, he wanted to understand who was with her, who had even made her give up on going out with him.


    ''I hope one of those women isn''t getting in my way for silly reasons...'' He thought as he climbed onto the side roof in front of that window.


    As he did so, he slowly walked towards that room, his curiosity growing, as he started to hear strange noises...


    Ivory lived alone, and houses in this sect had good acoustic insulation. So, hardly a single woman like her would use arrays to prevent sounds from escaping her room.


    Since she was also not the type to make much noise, she had never needed anything of the sort, not having used it on this occasion with Minos.


    Unfortunately for Lance, as much as he had not heard anything at other times when he came to this place during Ivory''s funs, today he heard some things!


    "Mmmmmm~"


    "Mmmmmm~"


    Pah! Pah!


    Sounds of moaning and flesh slapping, very low-pitched, reached his ears, making the hairs on his arms shiver.


    ''What''s going on here?'' He asked himself as he narrowed his eyes and swallowed his saliva.


    He could no longer hold back his curiosity and looked into that room from one side of the window, immediately freezing as he did so.


    When he laid his eyes on what was happening there, Lance saw the goddess of his heart naked and sweaty, going up and down on Minos'' lap. At the same time, King Stuart''s rod was inside her wet cavern as his hands held this woman''s hot buttocks to help her in her movements.


    Ivory''s hands were on Minos'' shoulders. At the same time, she had her eyes closed, kissing this man eagerly and feeling her little sister squeezing his little brother constantly.


    Seeing this, Lance turned pale in the blink of an eye as his eyes and mouth opened, with him freezing in that position due to the panic in his heart.


    But the situation worsened as he felt his heart being crushed into endless pieces. At that moment, Ivory stopped kissing Minos and stood with her head pointed upwards, moaning loudly.


    "Ahhhhhhhh~ Fuck me~"


    "Make me cum again, Minos~ Ahhhhhh~"


    He heard such a thing as he saw the moment they stopped moving, and Ivory''s second hole began to blink like an eye where a speck fell into it.


    "Ahhh~ Coming~"


    ...

 Chapter 1295 Confusion And Heartbreak

    When he saw Ivory and Minos'' situation inside that room, Lance began to feel his face heating up again, with the rage in his heart beginning to get out of control.


    At first, he had been extremely shocked and disappointed to see the goddess in his heart like that. Even more so considering that it was with someone like Minos, not someone better than him. Because of this, he had been frozen in panic, watching them reach another orgasm.


    But watching Ivory cum, Lance took control over his body, overcoming the initial fright as his heart began to beat faster and hatred flooded his mind.


    He had never thought his goddess would do things like that behind his back while he was faithful to her. And now, seeing her in that state with Minos, he felt extremely betrayed.


    However, his negative feelings were much more focused on Minos'' figure than Ivory''s!


    ''I knew it! I knew that damn thing would try to corrupt my Ivory!'' He pressed his teeth against each other so hard that blood began to trickle down his gums.


    At the same time, he had his fists clenched, feeling his murderous intent bubbling up in a desire to cleanse ''his'' girl''s honor with that bastard''s blood.


    ''He did it to provoke me! He''s trying to use Ivory against me!'' He began to grow angrier as he noticed Minos'' actions, as he saw the two smiling at each other just before they kissed once more in front of him.


    But after a few seconds, Ivory finally got off Minos, letting his rod dangle in the air as a clear liquid dripped down her legs.


    Upon seeing such a thing, Lance could no longer contain himself and exploded in rage, striking out in the direction of that room.


    "Ahhh, die, you bastard!" He attacked in the direction of that window, intending to finish Minos off in one blow.


    But Minos had already sensed Lance''s presence and was fully prepared for such an attack.


    So before Lance even broke the window of that room, Minos caught Ivory in his arms and took a few steps back.


    Ivory sensed this and was surprised not long before she saw the furious expression on Lance''s face.


    "Lance!" She shouted in shock.


    Ivory knew what Minos intended, but she did not expect him to succeed. In the past, she had even fucked Lance''s friends in this house while he waited for her for arrangements. But still, this young man had never noticed anything...


    On the other hand, due to the fun, she was having with Minos, this beautiful woman had completely forgotten about this person!


    Then, seeing him appearing in the middle of her room, Ivory was surprised. At the same time, little by little, she realized the situation and felt terrible.


    Ivory did not owe him anything. They did not have a commitment, and she had never deceived him about her intentions or lack of them. But still, she felt bad, considering all the things she had already heard from him over the past decades.


    "Ivory..." He heard her call him and watched her sweaty face as she used her arms to hide her body.


    Meanwhile, Minos was holding her tiny waist, smiling as he stood behind Ivory, smelling the sweet scent of her hair.


    "Lance, go away! I told you not to come!" She yelled at him, showing no problem with being touched by Minos, but annoyed at the look on the newcomer''s face.


    "Ivory..." He looked at her and then at Minos, feeling wronged. "Why? Why did you do this with him? Why did you give yourself up so easily to him when I''ve been trying for decades?" His urge to hit King Stuart diminished in front of his doubts that only this woman could take away.


    Ivory clenched her fists and said. "I''ve told you a thousand times! Why don''t you listen to me and get on with your life? I don''t want to date you!"


    "I don''t believe it! If you don''t want me, then why him? This bastard is nothing!" He angrily shouted, trying to offend Minos, but only succeeded in increasing the smile on that young man''s lips.


    Ivory answered him. "You are a fool, Lance. You don''t have to think Minos is better than you, and he doesn''t have to be for me to be with him. I''m only attracted to him, not to you. Is that so hard for you to understand?"


    Minos noticed Lance''s momentary silence and said. "Although I am better... In every way, I would say."


    "Asshole!"


    "You have corrupted her! You have defiled sweet Ivory! She''d never say those things to me until you came along, you damn thing!" Lance was shaking with rage again, preparing to strike at any moment.


    Minos maliciously laughed and slid his hands down Ivory''s body, with one of them quickly reaching this woman''s right breast. Meanwhile, his mouth was next to her left ear as he stuck out his tongue and licked her neck.


    Ivory did not want Minos to do this but eventually gave in to his will, given the weakness in her body.


    "If you stay here, you will see much more of this corruption..." Minos whispered as Lance''s eyes turned so red and wide they looked ready to jump out of his face.


    "I''m going to kill you!" He shouted as he ran toward Minos and Ivory, not caring about anything else.


    Now, that was a matter of honor for him, clearing Ivory''s name with this person''s blood and helping his heart by crushing Minos.


    Minos saw this and threw Ivory to the bed before activating his techniques and stopping Lance''s blow with both hands.


    Pow!


    Lance''s right fist hit Minos'' right palm, while his left was behind his right, providing support.


    After the impact, Minos slid three meters backward but felt no problem other than a slight discomfort in his hands.


    "Looks like you recently advanced, huh? Your body is not as strong as Ivory''s..." Minos said with a smile on his face. "You have no idea what she can do in bed because of that."


    But Lance barely heard Minos'' comment, as he was shocked by this fellow''s resistance to receiving a blow as decisive as the one he had just given.


    As for Ivory, she, too, was impressed.


    She had been a little afraid when Minos had thrown her on the bed, fearful that Lance would hurt him. But seeing King Stuart in action, this blonde woman smiled and thought of something.


    ''The sect master would not remove his daughter from the position of sect heir if Minos were not more impressive than Maisie!'' She pondered, satisfied that she had made a more capable ally than she had previously judged.


    But while she was thinking about this, Lance decided to use all his weapons and prepared to activate his most violent combat technique, the soul technique, the Avatar!


    Ivory realized this and acted because she did not want her home destroyed.


    "Stop what you are thinking of doing, or I will deal with you myself, Lance!" She shouted.


    ...

 Chapter 1296 Repeat That If You Have The Courage

    Hearing the angry voice of that woman who had already put on her underwear in a fraction of a second, Lance looked at her as he felt the veins in his forehead twitch.


    Ivory was a level stronger than him. So she could defeat him with some ease. After all, they came from similar backgrounds, with techniques of the same quality. Therefore, the advantage was in her favor.


    "Ivory, what''s your problem? Can''t you see this person trying to play us against each other? He is a sex demon who used you! He has no feelings for you, as I do!" Lance shouted in irritation, feeling terrible.


    To him, this situation was similar to a husband coming home and finding out that his wife was cheating and him still being thrown out by her as if he was the wrong one!


    Minos remained silent, watching the discussion in front of him.


    Ivory then said, also irritated. "Lance, stop being an idiot. I had sex with Minos because I wanted to. We don''t have to have feelings for each other for this to be good and legitimate."


    "But... But you gave yourself up to a man who doesn''t love you!" He shouted, not understanding this woman''s mindset.


    "I''ve been with others besides Minos. Don''t talk as if I gave my life to him in one afternoon. We were just having fun until you came to get in our way..." She said this with cruelty, making him feel tight in his chest.


    Gulp!


    "Others?" He repeated that word as he felt his world collapsing.


    Lance thought Minos had ensnared Ivory and stolen her innocence. But who knew? In truth, that had not existed for ages...


    Meanwhile, Minos had put on some of his clothes and sat in an armchair to watch these two argue.


    Ivory saw how Minos looked in her direction and almost forgot that she was angry enough to smile at him. ''Damn it! Look what you''ve caused me...'' She closed her eyes, but even with that problem, she did not feel angry with Minos.


    She felt irritated that Lance was getting in the way of their moment. However, what irritated her the most was that he thought she could not choose anyone just because she did not follow the same lifestyle parameters as him.


    But as for Minos, who caused all this trouble, she still viewed him positively, both for his good characteristics that could help her and also for how interesting he was.


    Lance did not understand women and thought someone would like him if he was kind and helpful. But few are the people looking for servants to relate to. At the same time, sometimes, this thing called attraction could go against the rational.


    It might seem more interesting for a person to be with someone who loves and respects them. That really would be a more rational and intelligent decision. But usually, people sought to be close to those who made them feel something different, butterflies in their stomachs, a thrill.


    Sometimes this emotion came with negative points. In this case, Ivory found Minos interesting and had gone to bed with him, and even now, her desire to be with him had not diminished. But King Stuart was troublesome and had caused all this.


    Lance, on the other hand, was great for her. Still, she felt nothing positive for him, only feelings of pity, sometimes anger and contempt that he did not understand the basics.


    Relationships were about compatibility. She was attracted to Minos and was willing to forgive his problems. However, she was not attracted to Lance and was annoyed that he tried to defend her from her own desires.


    She then taught him while this young man was on his knees on the ground, devastated. "Lance, find someone like you and stop loving those who don''t love you. If you insist on coming after me, you will be a frustrated wretch."


    He turned his face toward her, his tears flowing but with anger in his expression.


    "It doesn''t matter what you say. I know Minos planned all this!" He shouted at King Stuart. "That was because of the array masters business, wasn''t it? You bastard! You got into Ivory''s mind just for that?"


    Minos continued smiling. "What if I have? What are you going to do?"


    "Bastard! You have no scruples! You did all this just because of something so small!" He shouted, feeling his heart destroyed by the previous action of these two. He then turned to Ivory. "You see? He manipulated you! Say you''re not like that, Ivory! Say it!"


    She looked at Minos, saw him blinking in her direction, and closed her eyes. "Sigh! I could have canceled our meeting by sending a message to you instead of your servant. Do you know why I did that? So you would find out everything and stop stalking me, Lance!"


    "Then stop blaming Minos. If he got into bed with me to piss you off, that doesn''t change the fact that I did everything I did of my own free will! Wake up to reality!"


    "NOOOO!" He shouted as he slammed his hands on the ground. "I''m going to kill you, bastard!"


    "I''m going to fuck everything you love and destroy you as you did me!" He made his oath while the neighbors in the area were all standing in their houses, paying attention in their direction.


    They were talking so loud that their voices reached dozens of people in the vicinity of Ivory''s house.


    Even her friends were sitting on the porch of one of their houses, sipping tea as they listened to the whole thing with their mouths open.


    "Ivory had sex with Minos, and they made Lance watch?" One of them asked another.


    "Unbelievable!"


    "I wonder how he did that? I can''t believe Ivory allowed it."


    "What? What are you talking about? I was talking about Lance watching them..."


    "Me too!"


    At the same time, Ivy, who lived in that small village of high-level disciples, was also listening to everything, open-mouthed at the plots that Minos was involved in this sect.


    ''I can''t believe he did something like that...'' She had a smile on her face, imagining the young man she had held in her arms had grown to the point of doing such a thing. ''He forced Lance to watch him fuck Ivory?''


    Ivy was Maisie''s best friend, the rival of those two. So she naturally knew quite a bit about Ivory and Lance.


    Thinking about it, she could not help but be interested in this whole story.


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    But before the dozens of people listening silently to the mess caused by Lance, Minos was annoyed by the threat made by that person.


    Minos had his limits, and his family was totally outside what he accepted was tolerable for someone to use when threatening him. So, upon hearing Lance''s previous words, he looked at that person and said. "Repeat that if you have the courage."


    Lance maniacally laughed and said. "I''m going to fuck everyone..."


    As he went on speaking and Ivory looked in Minos'' direction, not understanding this young man''s change of mood, King Stuart made a move!


    ...

 Chapter 1297 Shocking Fight

    As Lance laughed like a madman, Minos activated his 7th technique and the Infinite Dream, merging the two to attack this target.


    Minos placed his hands in front of his face, parallel to each other, as they squeezed the air as if he were squeezing an invisible rubber ball. At the same time, his eyes glowed in rainbow colors, preparing to shoot powerful energy rays.


    Infinite Dream: Shaking Reality!


    Rays of energy shot from Minos'' eyes, hitting the invisible sphere being compressed by his hands. That then created what appeared to be a small universe full of shining stars.


    Chaotic Gravity: Shaking Reality!


    When the fusion of Minos'' techniques showed its effects, Lance stopped laughing insanely to look at his enemy with a strange look.


    He felt a chill and tried to stand up to act against Minos.


    Unfortunately for him, Minos had fused his techniques so fast that this blond barely had time to circulate his energy into his techniques.


    When Lance realized the troublesome situation he was about to encounter, he felt as if his soul had left his body. At the same time, his body began to shake uncontrollably.


    His mind was ''pushed'' out of his body, and the surroundings swayed as if light and gravity had stopped functioning normally.


    At this moment, he felt in terribly bad shape, unable to understand what was happening.


    ''What is it?'' He panicked, noticing how powerless he was to move or react against Minos'' attack.


    Meanwhile, Ivory had watched every movement of the two in the last few seconds. So she saw the incredible energy that had shot out of Minos'' eyes after he placed his hands in front of his face.


    She did not quite understand what happened at first, but she realized that this was not a good thing to feel since even she felt frightened.


    But before she could unravel the mysteries of what Minos had done, this young man ran into Lance just before hitting such a person with a kick toward his opponent''s head.


    Minos had used a lot of his energy. Still, because of his latest advancement, he could control himself better during and after his fusions. Thus, he still had enough to use his techniques and fight his opponent!


    As Lance fell to Minos'' blow that he had not prepared for, he lost all control over himself. He was already in an illusion where his soul seemed to be outside his body while he felt the terror of a shaking world!


    Such an illusion was terrible. One who came under its effects would feel as if they had the greatest headache and lack of sense of balance, seeing a world where even the light trembled.


    Feeling this, Lance could not stay conscious of what was happening in the real world and soon took the first blow from Minos.


    Pow!


    Minos'' left foot slammed against Lance''s nose, causing the blond''s body to fly out of that room through the same window he had entered earlier.


    Minos saw this and did not forgive his opponent. Since this person dared to make threats against his family, he would beat such an individual so that Lance would never forget it!


    Ivory saw this and was incredulous. She did not believe how Minos had taken down an opponent eight levels above him and now come out to beat such a person who happened to be defenseless.


    ''What is going on here? How can this be?'' She wondered as she put on a few more pieces of clothing and went out to watch the ''fight'' between Minos and Lance.


    At the same time, the neighbors listening to their argument suddenly stopped enjoying the commotion. They decided to move as they heard and felt the beginning of Minos'' one-sided battle.


    "What happened? What was that attack?" One of Ivory''s friends asked her companion, as the two were already running to the front of that blonde woman''s house.


    Ivy was also moving, worried about what would happen to Minos in this situation. ''He did something terrible to Lance... That blonde idiot will probably try to hurt him!'' She imagined as she ran over there too.


    Even some of the sect guards in this area were heading to Ivory''s residence, concerned about someone breaking the rules of that organization.


    Everyone had heard the discussions of those three. Considering who Lance was, it was very likely that a fight would happen. Since it was not every day that someone at level 70 moved, even those not interested in such matters wanted to see the battle that seemed to have already begun.


    Pow!


    Pow!


    Minos began to beat the body of Lance as this man lay on the ground unconscious, already with several purple marks on his face and blood running down his clothes.


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    Seeing this, Ivory felt she should stop him. "Minos, that''s good enough. You don''t need to..."


    "No. Stay where you are." Minos said. "I''ll stop when I think it''s necessary." He delivered another kick to Lance''s stomach, causing that body to spit out a mouthful of blood as it flew back a few meters.


    Meanwhile, Lance''s face was terrible, expressing his sheer terror. Not because of Minos'' physical blows, which would hurt later, but because of the bothersome feeling of the illusion he had fallen into.


    Unlike Gavin, the young man with the Eyes of Destruction that Minos had defeated using such a fusion, Lance did not have a powerful lineage related to mental power. Thus, he was many times more vulnerable to such a fusion than that red-haired man that King Stuart had left in his territories!


    Because of this, not only was it more difficult for Lance to escape this illusion, but it was also more unbearable to endure it!


    "Oh, mine!" One of the first women to arrive there to follow the fight shouted in surprise as she saw a level 70 Spiritual Saint being beaten by someone at level 62.


    Along with her, several other people arrived at the sides of Ivory''s residence and the nearest neighbors of that house, immediately seeing Minos beating Lance.


    The fight happened in the property''s small garden, where Minos kicked Lance in the stomach and sometimes punched him in the face.


    Seeing this, Ivory''s two best friends were open-mouthed, while Ivy stopped in shock to see her friend''s son beating up that person.


    "What?" She wondered aloud, along with the more than a dozen people watching this most unbelievable situation of their lives.


    "Hey! Stop what you are doing!" One of the first guards to arrive there shouted in fright, seeing the situation in which his group would have to save that Spiritual Saint''s life!


    "Damn it. I said stop! Aren''t you listening to me?" He shouted as he saw that Minos had started to hit Lance even harder.


    ...

 Chapter 1298 Confusion in the Sect

    Chapter 1298 Confusion in the Sect


    When the guards tried to stop Minos from beating Lance, this man with brown hair used his techniques to continue his goal.


    He started absorbing the energies of those people while strengthening his body with the Indestructible Body, using his fists and feet to hit Lance and push the opponents away.


    Since the first guards to arrive there were only high-level Spiritual Emperors, they suffered as they tried to stop Minos as he threw them away from there.


    "This is getting out of hand..." Ivy muttered in a low voice, feeling that she and the other people watching should do something about the problem.


    But no one seemed in the mood to act, only to watch the situation develop further.


    Ivory realized the same as Ivy and felt that she should be the one to act since all this had started on her account.


    This woman then stepped forward, drawing the attention of her friends and Maisie''s friend.


    "Minos, let''s stop here, OK? That''s enough. I think Lance has learned his lesson." Ivory said as she tried to approach him calmly.


    At the same time, Ivy approached this young man from behind him as Ivory''s friends prepared to rescue Lance.


    Minos observed the surroundings and saw the crowd there as he felt his hands heavy from the constant punches to the body of a Spiritual Saint, dirty with the enemy''s blood.


    He was not out of his mind. He just wanted to hit Lance as hard as possible so that this person would learn who he was dealing with.


    The next time he dared to have impure thoughts towards the Stuart family, he could expect far worse punishment!


    Minos then felt Ivory trying to press him with her aura, and he tried to deflect. But as he did so, that blonde''s two friends acted to save Lance, while Ivy hugged him from behind to stop him from continuing.


    Minos felt something huge and soft supporting his back while delicate hands that could only be from a woman held his forearms. At the same time, Ivy''s melodious voice reached his ears. "Come on, Minos, you''re not going to hurt this young lady, right?"


    Minos could easily break free from Ivy''s arms, but after hearing this woman''s voice and smelling her sweet smell, he calmed down and did not act against her.


    Meanwhile, some intermediate-level Spiritual Saints appeared in that place after hearing the request for help from the guards in that area.


    "What''s going on here?" One of them asked with an ugly expression, looking first at Ivy hugging Minos from behind this man''s back. He then looked over to where Ivory''s friends were standing with Lance''s unconscious and bruised body.


    The people in the surrounding area saw the three elders who arrived there, but they did not say a single word, not so as not to harm Minos, but because they did not know how to explain it all.


    Everything that had happened seemed so ridiculous that they could only look at the surroundings and feel fortunate that they had seen and heard all this situation.


    But since there was one of the Terry family members among the three newcomers, that person soon began to ask slightly stricter questions.


    "Is that Lance? How did this happen? Who did this?" Such a person gave Ivory''s friends an ugly look.


    The people there looked at Minos, and this man said. "I taught that bastard a lesson. He thought he could talk all he wanted and learned his lesson."


    "What?" That level 75 man looked at Minos in disbelief but also irritated by the audacity of this person to say such words.


    Even if it was obviously a lie, someone like him had to control his words, at least! Did he not know that they could arrest him for that?


    The other two newcomers looked strangely at Minos. Still, since the people in the area were not laughing or expressing that this was a lie, they did not doubt anything.


    One of them then asked while Ivy was still hugging Minos. "Why did you do that?"


    Not everyone in this sect knew what Minos was like personally. So, associating his image with his story could be tricky for these people, even more so considering that he was half-naked.


    "He threatened my family, and I attacked him," Minos said as he felt Ivy''s hands massaging his abdomen.


    On the surface, it looked like this woman was trying to calm him down, but she enjoyed the situation quite a bit. ''Oh, what fault do I have if he needs this older sister to get him out of trouble, Maisie? I can only do my best, even if he is your son!'' She bit her lips behind Minos.


    "Did he threaten your family?" Lance''s relative said, feeling that this was ridiculous.


    At the same time, he knelt beside Lance and realized that this young man''s situation was not good. The life of the blond was not at risk, but he was in a deep coma after suffering so much in this place.


    "Bastard! Arrest him! He tried to kill our young master!" This person shouted as he realized he could not wake Lance.


    The other two looked at each other, shocked that someone at level 62 had so overwhelmingly defeated someone at level 70. But they had to do their duty, so they soon approached Minos.


    "Boy, you shouldn''t have done that! Now you will be arrested to pay for your crimes!" One of them said as the other prepared the handcuffs to put on Minos.


    Minos saw that and said. "Forget it. I''m not going to be arrested. If you want some explanation, seek out the old sect master."


    "Uh?"


    Ivory then stepped forward. "Seniors, that''s Minos Stuart. He''s the grandson of the sect master, Oswald."


    "Minos?" The Terry family member became even more severe, sensing that this situation had been purposeful.


    "The grandson of the sect master?" The two men looked at each other, feeling that everything had become more complicated.


    They would have to arrest people violating the sect rules in typical situations. But if Minos were the grandson of the sect master, then they would have to consider that perhaps his words were sincere!


    "Tsk!"


    "Minos! Are you using your advantage to hurt the sect disciples?" The man with Lance in his arms shouted. "I will not allow it! Regardless of your origin, you cannot oppress our disciples!"


    But as this person spoke, trying to justify an action against Minos, people in the area began to comment.


    "Minos is speaking the truth."


    "Yes, Lance was angry because he saw Minos with Ivory and attacked of his own volition."


    "King Stuart had the right to attack back. That''s called self-defense!"


    "Tsk! He felt like a cuckold and tried to act... Too bad he was weaker than his opponent, hahaha."


    Laughter began to spread through the area as the people there recalled the previous discussion in which Lance showed several people his emotional weaknesses.


    And with that, the two guards put their doubts aside and stopped their colleague from acting against Minos, ending the situation before it all got worse for them.


    ...

 Chapter 1299 Pathetic

    After the guards left that area with Lance''s unconscious body, the crowd began to disperse as Ivory and her friends approached Minos and Ivy.


    "Why did you do all this? Lance will use this to get in your way!" Ivory commented as she approached Minos without looking at his muscles, something only her friends were watching.


    "He got what he deserved." Minos coldly said. "Just because I was kind to him earlier, he thought I was someone who would accept being threatened... So, I showed him his place."


    Ivory''s friends found Minos'' words cool, and their impressions of him improved considerably.


    Women were strange beings who were naturally more attracted to men who attracted those they trusted. In the case at hand, since Ivory had given herself to Minos, these two friends of hers already thought that King Stuart must have more quality than rumors give him credit for.


    After all, who was more trustworthy? Their friend who they trusted and had similar preferences, or a strange and amorphous collective who might be being manipulated by his enemies?


    Obviously, it was their friend''s opinion!


    Since Ivory had slept with Minos, these two put their wrong impressions of him aside and began to view him favorably while admiring his half-naked body.


    ''He''s not so bad...'' One of them thought as she bit her lips.


    Meanwhile, Ivy had stopped hugging Minos'' young body but was still by his side, waiting for an opportunity...


    Ivory ignored how her friends looked at Minos and sighed. "And what are you going to do now? The Terry family will cause trouble for you because of this."


    "For me? And for you?" Minos laughed.


    Ivory''s friends immediately realized the problem, and one explained it to Minos. "Lance may be more hard-headed than you think."


    The other nodded and said. "He has possibly never seen Ivory with others the way he has seen you today. But it''s not like there''s no indication that she had her adventures in the past few decades."


    "Hmmm, someone definitely must have told him things." Ivy nodded in agreement, considering everyone in this sect knew Lance was passionate about Ivory.


    In this case, there were certainly subordinates of his who kept an eye on Ivory and passed on information or rumors to him.


    Whether he believed them or not was another question...


    In any case, since Ivory''s friends knew Lance had nearly seen her getting involved with others in the past, they did not doubt that he would not give up ''just'' because of what happened today.


    "Are you serious? Are there such pathetic people in the world?" Minos asked with a surprised expression on his face.


    It was one thing to ignorantly fall in love with someone who had several other partners or even is betrayed without knowing it. But it was quite another to go through such situations, be aware of everything, and still accept it!


    The women around Minos laughed when they heard his question since most men in this world were like that. Many did not assume themselves as such and would refute such an idea. But they were the same ones who would say they would ''die for a night with a goddess'' or who would ''save'' the beautiful prostitute, regardless of her past.


    Comments like these were typical signs of those who would rather share a beautiful woman or feign ignorance not to lose their ''goddess.''


    These women at Minos'' side knew this. They daily had to deal with dozens of men who would love to be at their side. Some even proposed marriage agreements where they would remain free to do as they wished...


    But Minos did not understand any of that since his mindset was different.


    "It''s possible he will not give much relevance to my words. I''ve been clear with him other times, but it didn''t work out... But anyway, maybe the fact that he has seen us helps a little, but I''m not sure." Ivory said to him with a self-deprecating smile.


    She wanted to get rid of Lance more than anyone. For her, this chase was a nuisance, and when talking about it, she could not help but laugh at her own ''misfortune.''


    Minos heard that and closed his eyes, smiling at the thought that Ivory would not have any significant problems even after that. ''What a strange guy...''


    "Anyway, I''ve said it before. The support of these elders is not relevant to me even if I were vying for the position of sect master. And since I''m not, there won''t be any problems that affect me. At most, I will be bothered by these people."


    Ivy looked at him with interest as she heard this, seeing that Minos was not speaking out of trust in others or because he wanted to appear more than he was. On the contrary, she felt he was sincere, speaking casually about something that was no big deal to him.


    Because of this, she could not help but feel curious about him, even more so because he beat up a Spiritual Saint being only at level 62.


    "Minos, you''re all dirty with blood. Why don''t you come with me so I can help you?" She took one of his arms and smiled at this young man.


    Before one of those women could get a chance to say anything, she asked Ivory. "You are done here, right? I don''t think there is any climate for you to continue your activities..."


    "Tsk!" Ivory felt the words of that friend of Maisie''s, which were meant to attack her somehow.


    Ivy looked Minos in the eye and joked. "Let''s go to my house. There I''ll be able to take care of you as I did in the past, hehe."


    "Hmm, okay," Minos said, quickly following Ivy''s lead to her house.


    Meanwhile, Ivory''s group stayed behind in that garden where Lance had been beaten.


    "How was it? What''s he like?" One of them asked.


    ...


    Sometime later, Minos was in a bathtub in the yard of Ivy''s house while this green-haired woman massaged his shoulders, sitting behind this young man.


    Minos could feel Ivy''s hard nipples on his back as no clothes separated their bodies.


    But still, so far, they had done nothing inappropriate, with this woman only caring for the young man she had once carried in her arms.


    As for Minos, he was resting on Ivy''s boobs, which were truly comfortable and pleasant to lean on.


    "Did you know, Minos? Around the time you were born, there was a certain day that I spent a night caring for you. That day, I bathed you almost the same way we are here today..." She said in a melodious tone.


    "Are you kidding?" He looked back, finding this conversation somewhat odd.


    "Not exactly like that, you dummy." She laughed. "I meant we were both naked. You peed my clothes, and while I was cleaning you, I took the opportunity to clean myself too."


    "Oh?"


    "After that, you tried to suckle me, but unfortunately, I could not feed you at the time..."


    Minos understood what she was getting at and could not help but internally laugh. ''What a naughty woman! She wants to use this story to get closer to me?''


    "But then? What happened?" He asked.


    She licked her lips and said. "You were disappointed to suck me off and not get your little milk. Since that time, I have had your upset expression in my mind... Will I ever be able to forget it?"


    "Maybe if you would show me a nicer expression, I can get over it..."

 Chapter 1300 Rumors Of Ruining Reputation

    "Maybe like this?" Minos asked Ivy as he turned to face her.


    He quickly took this woman on his lap and used one of his hands to take her left breast, which was too big to fit in one hand, and direct that nipple into his mouth.


    Ivy did not stop any of this, enjoying Minos'' decisive move in doing what she wanted.


    She just looked at him with her eyes shining and lips moist, wanting to do several things with this young man.


    But when Minos started sucking her nipple, everything in her mind went aside as she felt an electrifying sensation going through her body.


    "Mmmm~" She moaned softly with her mouth closed, as she had her neck tilted back, letting Minos ''feast'' on those big twins.


    "Mmmm~ Those are the biggest I''ve ever seen~" Minos said to her as he felt the pleasant sensation of sucking on one of her nipples.


    "Ahhhhhh~" She opened her mouth when she heard that and let out a slightly louder moan, feeling excellent hearing and feeling him.


    Ivy liked to be complimented even more so when the compliments focused on her boobs, her great pride as a woman.


    And seeing the ''hungry'' look on Minos'' face, quite different from the disappointment of years ago, she smiled at him, pleased with the changing times.


    ''Before, I couldn''t feed you, but now I can give you something different, baby...'' With her strange fetish, she pervertedly thought as she felt goosebumps run through her body and a good sensation in her nether parts.


    ''There are certain things a mother can''t teach her child. So, naturally, her best friend has to take on that responsibility!''


    ''Don''t worry, Maisie. I''ll teach him everything!''


    ...


    As Ivy went on with her adventures with her friend''s son, the people who saw Lance''s beating earlier had already spread the news.


    Since gossip was common even among cultivators, the little more than a dozen people near Ivory''s house managed to get the word out about it to hundreds of people in just a few hours!


    While it was still dinner time in this region of Clouds City, many elders and high-level disciples had already heard about Lance''s humiliating situation.


    Not only had he been humiliated by Minos by catching Ivory and the King of the Black Plain having sex. But he had also been rejected by her and beaten by King Stuart.


    Considering also how some of his words had become distorted by being spread, Lance''s reputation was soon trashed!


    ...


    In an area of high-level disciples of that sect...


    "Did you hear? That Lance, the ''future'' sect master, was beaten by the grandson of the current sect master."


    "Tsk!"


    "You''re too late, my friend! Actually, Lance didn''t just get beaten up by Minos. He was beaten so badly that he supposedly lost the ability to speak!"


    "What? Are you telling the truth?"


    "Of course! They say that Lance had to be carried urgently to the medical center after Minos beat him..." A young man said this proudly, with his chest puffed out, confident in his words.


    "But it was truly pathetic... I heard King Stuart''s wives had to beg him not to kill Lance..."


    ...


    Meanwhile, in another part of the Gray Clouds Sect''s headquarters...


    "... After forcing Lance to watch him deflower Miss Ivory, Minos told him to give up his position as future sect master. Then, King Stuart beat him until he lost consciousness."


    "What? Did he do that?" A low-level elder asked his colleague.


    "Yes, Minos said that if he didn''t obey him, it would be much worse next time. Then, even the women in his family would be at risk of being seduced..."


    ...


    "... After seeing his beloved being dominated by his rival, Lance cried gallons of blood and even fainted, giving his opponent a chance to pretend to beat him." A young disciple commented to his dorm mates on the story he had just heard.


    "Did that happen? Minos didn''t beat the crap out of him?"


    "He did, but only after Lance had missed the reason for his love disappointment!"


    "How pathetic... How can anyone be so fragile?"


    "Tsk!"


    "And to think that this guy wants to become the sect master... The sect master has to be tough, capable of putting fear in opponents." A muscular young man said.


    "It''s really a shame... No wonder he lost to two women in the last power struggle." Someone with more extreme thinking said.


    "I don''t think..."


    Soon they began to discuss the rumors circulating the sect, which would happen at many points in this headquarters, quickly reaching into the tens of thousands of people.


    Unfortunately for the Terry family, by the time these rumors reached them, it was too late for them to do damage control!


    ...


    "What?"


    Pow!


    The patriarch of this family destroyed his desk right after hearing the rumors already circulating from one side of the sect to the other.


    He had just found out about Lance''s situation 2 hours ago and had gone to his family''s medical center to see the young man''s situation.


    Lance was not that bad. He had only suffered injuries that would take a few days to heal, while the mind blow would leave him sleeping for a week. But he would eventually recover without permanent damage, which was good enough for patriarch Terry not to worry more than he should.


    But just as he was getting ready to visit the sect master and demand explanations from Minos, rumors degrading Lance''s reputation reached his ears!


    Such things not only told the truth and some stupid exaggerations, as was to be expected. The rumors circulating this organization also questioned Lance''s abilities as a man, a cultivator, and a potential sect leader.


    Various comments regarding his physical weakness, mental inability to handle a love problem, lack of control over his emotions, and poor judgment were already circulating through this organization.


    Many made it sound like Lance was the most pathetic Spiritual Saint in the world. A virgin who could not deal with women, and to make matters worse, a fool capable of pursuing a woman who emanated waves of contempt for him.


    Because of all this, the patriarch Terry could not help but be incensed by Minos'' low blow.


    In just one night, the little bastard from the Black Plain had destroyed Lance''s reputation that he had taken decades to build!


    "Wretched Stuart!" He shouted angrily, making the entire building he was trembling.


    "Send people after this delinquent immediately!" He shouted to his subordinates. "I want this brat to answer for his crimes! Let''s take him to the sect master, no matter where he is now!"


    "Yes, patriarch!" The men shouted before leaving from there to go after Minos.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Minos was still with Ivy, ''learning'' every teaching she had to give him while listening to the melodious, devilish sounds she made.


    "Do you like that?" She asked as she did something unique to him.


    "Yes~"


    "Hehe, hold me tight. It''ll get better... Mmmmm~" She said, smiling, as she lowered part of her body.

 Chapter 1301 Caught In The Act

    While Minos was having fun with Ivy, the news that he had beaten Lance had already reached the sect master.


    "What? Did he truly do that?" Oswald laughed as he relaxed his back into the support of his armchair.


    "Yes, sect master." The person who had heard the nervous explanation from one of the Terry family members nodded affirmatively. "It seems that young Minos has made a scheme to destroy Lance''s reputation."


    "First, he made Lance see him in bed with Ivory and then used his allies within the sect to spread rumors and gossip regarding what happened in that situation." He said, talking about the rumor the Terry family had made up.


    To control the damage that today''s rumors had already done to Lance''s reputation, the Terry patriarch ordered his family to spread stories of Minos planning such a thing.


    According to them, the incident had been something minor. Still, Minos'' men had increased it by making nasty comments about Lance''s figure.


    Even the people who had seen what had happened, almost all of them had been visited by people from the Terry family, keen to keep the true story between them.


    So even if the very rumor that the Terry family was already spreading, it would be hard to prove otherwise once these people got on their side!


    "What?" Oswald heard that and could not believe it. "That doesn''t make sense. Minos hasn''t even decided to vie for the position of my successor. Then, why would he try to ruin Lance''s reputation?"


    "Hmm, that''s what I thought..." That man placed one of his hands on his goatee, imagining that this rumor must indeed be false. "Anyway, the Terry family demands punishment for Minos breaking the sect rules and beating Lance."


    "Punishment? They are not even bothering to judge the matter and already want to go for punishment?" Oswald didn''t like that. "Tell these people they first need to show how my grandson is guilty. Until then, there''s nothing to discuss!"


    "Uh, about that. I heard that they have already sent people to arrest Minos." The sect master''s subordinate said in a low voice as he remembered that.


    "What?" Oswald stood up from his armchair. "Send someone to stop them!"


    After saying those words, he headed toward the estate of House Terry. At the same time, his subordinate sent his orders to some elders on duty.


    ...


    Almost at the same time, the wives of Minos were still in the sect master''s house, together with Angelica and Patience.


    They were quietly talking about their lives, listening to tips from the older woman there while playing and eating.


    They were not yet aware of the stories spreading through the sect since no one there had left in the last few hours, and no one had come to inform them of anything either.


    But Maisie had left this place some time ago after receiving a message from her friend earlier when Ivy was listening to the discussion between Lance, Ivory, and Minos.


    Unfortunately, Maisie had not left when she received the message, as she had only heard it a few minutes ago.


    Maisie said nothing to her daughters-in-law or family, as it would not be nice to worry them with her son''s lustful acts. So even though she knew that something between Minos and Ivory had happened, she went to that woman''s residence in secret to not worry her son''s wives.


    ...


    ''I hope I''m not late...'' She thought as she arrived at the side of Ivory''s house and noticed the broken glass around the garden of that residence.


    Arriving there, she looked for Minos but did not find his spiritual fluctuation inside that house, only Ivory''s and that woman''s friends.


    She knocked on the front door, hoping her former rival could help her.


    "Maisie?" One of Ivory''s friends opened the door and saw the beautiful figure of Minos'' mother, immediately surprised that this person appeared there for them.


    Ivory and the other beauty inside that house ran over there upon hearing this woman''s name. Still, this blonde was not so surprised at her rival''s appearance there.


    "Ivory..." Maisie pressed her teeth together as she saw the eyes of that blonde, smelling her son on such a person. "You really are a slut! How did you have the nerve to seduce my son?"


    Ivory was not offended, knowing that this was the expected reaction of a mother upon discovering that her rival had slept with her son...


    Who would like to have an enemy close to their children?


    No one would, so this blonde woman would not be offended by Maisie''s reaction!


    Instead, she smiled and said. "Did I seduce him? I think it was the other way around... He won me over and ''ravaged'' my body." Her eyes sparkled as she thought about how to tease this woman. "But I must say, Maisie, you gave birth to a real man! Every inch of him..."


    "Shut up!" Maisie almost slapped that blonde woman, not wanting to know what Ivory had done to Minos or how well-endowed her son was. "Tell me where he is! I don''t want to hear what you did to delude my son!"


    Ivory laughed, enjoying seeing the expression on Maisie''s face. "I don''t know where he is now. When things calmed down, your friend, Ivy, took him to her house."


    "Ivy? Why would she do that?" Maisie asked.


    Ivory smiled, even more, remembering Minos'' abilities. "If I were you, I would run, hehe. Maybe you still have time to stop it from happening." She said as she winked at her rival.


    Maisie did not like Ivory''s teasing, but she did not consider it impossible for that to happen between Ivy and Minos. She knew that woman was beautiful and liked to flirt, so for someone with her son''s personality, staying close to her without wanting to go deeper would be a real challenge.


    ''Damn it, Ivy! I hope you haven''t done anything irreparable...'' She ran to her friend''s house.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Minos and Ivy were still in the yard of this woman''s residence, both naked on the edge of the bathtub there.


    Ivy was on top of this man, with her flower fully connected to his rod, receiving his seeds while pouring out her nectar of love.


    At the same time, as she was controlling her little flower to massage Minos'' rod, he was sucking her tits, extremely satisfied.


    And while he was doing this and she was moving, this woman had a smile on her face, watching Minos'' face with satisfaction.


    ''I hardly had anything to teach him, hehe. It seems Minos has been having fun with some very experienced women in the northern region...'' She smiled as she finished her long and pleasurable experience with him.


    "Ahhhh~" She moaned again, but before she could do anything else, she heard someone coming behind them.


    "IVY!"


    "What do you think you''re doing?" Maisie''s voice reached the ears of both of them.


    ...

 Chapter 1302 Strange

    When Maisie walked into the yard of her best friend''s house, she immediately saw the most immoral scene of her life.


    Her best friend was on top of her son, both naked, his rod almost all the way inside Ivy''s wet cave.


    But besides this image that she had never imagined she would see, the smell of sex in that place was powerful, which went against logic since this was an open area.


    However, this only made Maisie more confident that these two had been doing this for hours, probably since the time Ivy had sent the previous message.


    Noticing all this in a split second, Maisie turned red with anger as she approached those two while shouting at her friend.


    "Ivy!" She said through her teeth pressed against each other as that green-haired woman finally looked back in surprise.


    "Maisie!" Ivy said but did not get off Minos, having just opened her mouth in surprise and looked back.


    Minos was also surprised and stopped sucking on this woman''s breasts while looking in his mother''s direction.


    "Ivy, how could you? Minos is my son! You are my friend!" That beautiful brown-haired woman said this, barely able to take her eyes off the way Ivy''s breasts were on King Stuart''s face.


    Because of their size, it would not be impossible for those twins to suffocate someone!


    But precisely because of that, men generally loved Ivy as the feeling of sleeping with a woman with her measurements was the best.


    "Don''t talk like that. Minos and I were just getting to know each other. What''s wrong with that?" Ivy said, a little embarrassed by the situation but still all over him.


    Not only that, she had fully lowered herself over Minos'' crotch and swallowed his rod, doing this so her friend would not see too much of her son...


    Minos felt how ''worried'' Ivy was as his rod was squeezed tightly by this woman. ''Don''t tell me she''s horny? What a naughty woman!'' He thought about it as he looked at her breasts.


    "What''s wrong?" Maisie noticed Ivy did not seem intent on getting off Minos and asked. "Look at that. You''re still fucking him! How dare you do that in front of me?"


    Ivy turned red and said. "It''s not like that. I''m just protecting you. It wouldn''t be good for you to see your son naked like that..."


    Maisie closed her eyes and remembered seeing Minos and Abby in this young man''s office years ago.


    While she was silent, Ivy took the opportunity to speak. "Come on, Maisie. Don''t get irritated. You know I would never do this to hurt you. I was curious about little Minos and how he grew up."


    "But now I can tell he''s grown into quite a man!" She smiled. "You should be happy, Maisie. Minos no longer needs teaching and can handle women without being tricked!"


    Minos felt strange hearing this as Maisie opened her eyes to look at this friend who had crossed the line.


    Maisie usually did not care who Minos got into bed with, although she preferred him to stay with just Abby, Ruth, and Gloria. But she did not want her son to sleep with either an enemy of hers or a friend.


    So in this situation where he had done both on the same day, she felt terrible, as if both Minos and Ivy had betrayed her.


    In her view, it was wrong for her friend to have sex with her son!


    "Minos, how did you do this to your mother? You already knew that Ivy and I are friends." She looked at him. "You did it to provoke me, right? Why don''t we talk instead? You don''t have to be like that."


    Minos had even thought of doing it to tease Maisie. But Ivy was too hot, and he had done that with her more out of desire than for that other reason.


    As for Ivory, besides her being beautiful, he wanted to affect Lance''s mind.


    So in neither case had he done it to affect his mother.


    "Not really. It just happened." He commented in a low voice, feeling as if Ivy was trying to make him cum.


    She blinked at him as she saw the look in his eyes, so he closed his eyes so he would not see his mother there.


    Meanwhile, Maisie sat down on a wooden bench and started crying, feeling terrible about the whole thing.


    Hearing her friend''s sobs, Ivy stopped what she was doing with Minos and got off him, going to Maisie''s side to comfort her.


    At the same time, Minos opened his eyes and regretted that Ivy had stopped when he was almost there and sighed.


    "I''m sorry, Maisie. It was just a casual thing. I didn''t think it would hurt you..." Ivy hugged her friend, bringing Maisie''s face to her breasts.


    Minos then quickly put on his underwear and saw his mother crying. But before he could escape from there, Ivy said. "Come over here. Hug your mother."


    "Uh?" Minos looked back and noticed the serious expression on Ivy''s face and whined.


    Maisie looked at him and saw that her son was no longer naked, feeling relief at not seeing her child''s manhood.


    He then approached those two, stopping right in front of them.


    Seeing this, Maisie stood up and ignored her naked friend, quickly falling into her son''s arms, and hugging him tightly, something she had not done in a long time.


    "Minos..." She smelled him, trying her best to ignore Ivy''s odors on this young man''s body.


    Feeling this embrace, Minos at first did not show much affection. Still, due to Ivy''s encouragement, he hugged his mother back, squeezing Maisie in a bear hug.


    While this touching moment was happening in the middle of the yard of Ivy''s residence, a noise came from the entrance of that place, and then three Spiritual Saints appeared there.


    "Minos Stuart! We are here to arrest you for your crimes!" One of them shouted before they appeared on the roof above that house.


    But when they got there, they immediately noticed the strange situation of the people in that place.


    Minos was shirtless, hugging his mother, Maisie. Meanwhile, Ivy had only her panties protecting her body, something she had just put on while those two were hugging.


    Seeing this and smelling the odors in the air, those three people, two men and a woman from the Terry family, could not help but open their mouths in shock.


    ''What was going on here?'' The woman there felt her face heating up, while the men could not keep their attention away from Ivy''s beautiful breasts.


    ''Giants!''


    Gulp!


    "Hey, who do you think you are breaking into my house?" Ivy asked without any shame as she quickly put on her bra and began to get dressed.


    ...

 Chapter 1303 A Junior Disagreement 1

    The people there were silent for a few moments as they watched Ivy getting dressed and Maisie and Minos moving away from each other.


    One of them broke free of the ''spell'' that forced him to look at Ivy''s chest and return to his reason. "We''re here to arrest him." He pointed at the young man putting on his shirt. "It''s time for you to take responsibility for your crimes, Minos."


    The woman in this group kept looking at Maisie and Minos, wondering what immorality had or would happen there.


    Gulp!


    ''What were they doing? Don''t tell me that...'' She felt her body heating up but tried her best not to blush even more as she imagined what would have happened if they had not arrived and gotten in the way of the situation.


    ''Damn it! If we had taken another 15 minutes or so, we could have seen something amazing...'' She imagined as her breathing rose in level and a slightly strange smile appeared on her face.


    One of her companions noticed this and asked in a low voice. "Are you okay, Sharon?"


    "Hmm?" She looked at that fellow and tried to disguise it. "It''s nothing. I just remembered something."


    That man did not believe her, but since he did not have such a perverted mind as hers, he ignored such a person and turned his attention to Minos, Ivy, and Maisie.


    ''It looks like the sect master''s daughter caught her son and best friend in the act...'' He thought of this as he analyzed the situation correctly and saw the expression of unhappiness forming on Ivy and Maisie''s faces after his colleague''s words.


    "Arrest Minos? What is this nonsense you are talking about?" Maisie put her earlier sadness aside and questioned these people as she stepped forward.


    Ivy was also surprised and said. "Is this because of Lance? Know that he was the one who caused all that. Minos was having fun with Ivory when your young master interfered in their affairs."


    "Tsk!"


    "That''s not true." He said, promptly starting to use the narrative invented by the Terry family. "Minos wanted to damage Lance''s reputation to eliminate his only competitor, and he set the whole thing up to hurt us."


    "Oh? Is that right?" Minos laughed upon hearing such a thing, finding it interesting how this family wanted to handle the situation. "I wanted to damage Lance''s reputation? That can only be a joke. What reputation does Lance have?"


    Hearing that, Ivy wanted to laugh, but given the seriousness of the situation, she kept silent, watching those people give Minos an ugly look.


    "Don''t try to play games with us, Minos. We know very well of your plans, and your words will not fool us." The other man there said while that woman put her fantasies aside to become more serious.


    She then said. "Let''s not make things difficult here. Don''t embarrass your grandfather. Surrender peacefully, and we''ll end this as soon as possible."


    Just as Maisie was about to defend her son, Minos began to laugh, drawing the attention of everyone there and even a few newcomers who had not yet shown themselves.


    "I am impressed with my influence every day, hehe." He said in a confident tone. "I haven''t even shown interest in this sect, but the powerful Terry family is already trembling with fear that they won''t even have a chance to dispute with me..."


    "Imagine what will happen if I change my mind?"


    The Terry family group members watched him as they clenched their fists. But Minos'' words had a power that made them listen to him.


    Minos then became more serious. "Don''t blame me for that fool''s incompetence. If he is weak and unable to handle situations like that and still suffers from rumors, then he is not good for the leadership position."


    He did not know about the rumors circulating. Still, it was not hard to imagine this was the problem since one of those people cited Lance''s reputation and the fact that Minos was acting to degrade such a thing.


    People had witnessed their misunderstanding, and the secrecy of such a thing would not be kept. Unlike this situation in which the sect master''s daughter and grandson were caught in strange circumstances, no one who had seen Lance early would hold back from talking about that.


    None of those people in Ivy''s house would dare let rumors about the sect master''s daughter and grandson spread, given the danger of retaliation. But Lance was weak, and his support was not so decisive. Then, people would talk about the previous situation out of fear.


    From then on, it would be natural for some people to increase the rumors and question Lance''s abilities.


    Minos perceived all this easily, so he did not need to listen to the rumors to know the motivations of these people.


    "If you insist on this path, you will only embarrass yourselves." Minos gave this friendly warning, showing these people not to test him.


    Hearing all this, Oswald''s envoys finally showed themselves, appearing on the side of Minos and those two women.


    At this instant, Ivy and Minos were already adequately dressed, and the odor of sex had disappeared in that area.


    Then one of the newcomers laughed and said. "Minos said it all. Don''t embarrass yourselves anymore. This situation is embarrassing enough for the Terry family."


    Another of them, someone from level 75, then commented. "Harding, go back from where you came. The sect master has already said that there will be no punishment of any kind for Minos unless you have proof of a crime he committed."


    Upon hearing this, those three felt frustrated as they looked intensely at the young man who had stood before them and spoken the previous words without hesitation.


    What Minos had said was true, but they would never publicly assume that Lance was emotionally fragile regarding Ivory. Meanwhile, this family could not allow rumors and questioning to spread, so they would naturally not accept the situation because it was the truth.


    "Humph!"


    "We''ll see!" The leader of that group tidied his clothes and said that before angrily leaving that place.


    One of Oswald''s envoys then said. "Don''t stress too much, Harding. That is just a junior disagreement. Don''t damage the reputation of an entire family just for that."


    But none of those people would heed that good advice, and so they all ran back to their headquarters, angry at Minos and the defeat they had suffered.


    As for Minos and that group, they soon left that estate, with Ivy staying behind and Maisie accompanying him and those men to a meeting with Oswald.


    ...


    Meanwhile, the sect master had just arrived at the site of the Terry family in that sect, a little angry about this unnecessary situation.


    Due to his bad mood, he could not help but feel part of his innate ability get a little out of control and oppress the people in that area!


    "Sect Master..."

 Chapter 1304 A Junior Disagreement 2

    Seeing the expression on the sect master''s face, the Spiritual Saints in the vicinity of the Terry estate did not need to feel his ability to know he was angry.


    But still, countless people in that area were feeling sick at the moment, barely able to keep their consciences in front of this man.


    Even the patriarch Terry, who ran over there upon sensing such a thing, looked at Oswald seriously, feeling the mental weight of having to endure such a thing.


    So how could the weaker ones there, far from his level 78, feel even remotely well?


    "Sect Master, please calm down. Let''s talk in my office." He said to Oswald while gesturing with one of his hands.


    "Jeffrey, what kind of nonsense were you thinking? You think I don''t know what happened, and I''m just going to let you get on with your plans?" He asked, speaking softly but having the full attention of the people in the surrounding area.


    "Sect Master, Minos has played dirty against Lance. He is targeting our young master''s reputation, so we can''t just accept that." Jeffrey said this in a determined tone, knowing that this man in front of him was angry but that he had to defend his family.


    That was not a mortal matter, so he would not back down without managing to at least lessen the damage to Lance''s reputation this night.


    "Targeting Lance''s reputation?" Oswald said this, looking up with a strange smile on his face. "What kind of bullshit is that? You heard from my grandson a few days ago what he thinks of himself and his possibilities..."


    "Then tell me something, Jeffrey. Minos, someone who doesn''t respect even us elders, would pay any attention to Lance? That is simply absurd!"


    Patriarch Terry clenched his fists upon hearing that, knowing it was true. But still, he could not give up.


    Minos had not yet decided to become the master of this sect, so he had to do his best to put Lance in that position.


    Even if Maisie was still there to compete for such a thing, times had changed, and perhaps if Lance competed with her again, he could get an advantage.


    At the same time, even if Lance did not become the future sect master, performing well in a contest for the successor position in an organization was an important thing in itself. After all, in competing for such a thing, the person in question would make important contacts and alliances for his own family.


    That is, even if Lance were to lose again to Maisie or even to Minos if he did well in the contest, the Terry family could gain something!


    Furthermore, a new candidate from this family could have an easier time in the future, and the chances of this organization nurturing a new sect master would be greater!


    Therefore, even though it was ridiculous, he had to side with Lance, his third-generation nephew.


    "Still, sect master. Lance was humiliated and beaten for no reason. Minos manipulated him, and so this young man deserves at least a punishment!" He exclaimed as people in the surrounding area admired his determination to protect his own family.


    Oswald closed his eyes, and his eyebrows drew together tightly. He muttered. "Are you going to cause all this trouble just because of a junior dispute? I don''t know if I need to tell you this, but Minos has a very vindictive personality. So I''m afraid it''s not a good idea to do that. What if he decides to ''take over'' the sect? Are you prepared for the consequences?"


    "The consequences?" That blond man''s eyes narrowed.


    Minos'' grandfather then said. "It''s hard to have to admit, but Minos will be stronger than that old man in the future. So he will most likely have the power and influence to do whatever he wants. In that case, do you want to antagonize him for so little? The boy is just doing business for the Black Plain and having fun..."


    Oswald did not wait for Jeffrey''s response and said. "Forget about that problem and let the young people settle their own affairs. If you get directly involved, what will you do if you lose to a 31-year-old lad? Will you hide under a rock?"


    "Jeffrey, I am saying this to you because I am your friend."


    That old fellow looked at Oswald and clenched his fists, knowing that, indeed, something like that would be highly embarrassing.


    But before he could say anything, Minos'' group arrived at that place, as they had been directed to do when they went out to look for the sect master''s grandson.


    "Sect master, we''re back." One of them said, while the others looked at the surroundings and saw that the people from the Terry family from the previous situation were also there.


    "Hmmm." Oswald nodded to that person as he massaged his beard and suppressed his innate ability.


    Minos noticed this and saw the people in the area with expressions of relief on their faces. "That''s his innate ability?" He muttered before looking at his mother and asking. "Is your innate ability the same as that old man''s?"


    Maisie smiled at Minos and said. "Yes, I inherited my father''s powers. As for Angelica, she is like your grandmother. She doesn''t have a combat ability."


    "It is not for nothing that the people in this sect wanted you as his successor..." He commented, noting that she must be pretty strong given how good that skill was.


    Oswald then said to his grandson. "Minos, promise the Terry family that you have no interest in damaging Lance''s reputation and will not play dirty."


    ''I''ve done that already...'' Minos closed his eyes and laughed. But then he said. "Well, I don''t need to act to damage his reputation. He can do that on his own... But I promise not to act if he doesn''t bother me."


    The people in the Terry family did not like Minos'' teasing, but they could only accept his promise since Oswald was there.


    "And what will you do about young Lance''s current condition?" The patriarch asked as he clenched his fists in anger. "You have seriously injured him."


    Minos then replied. "What I did was little. You should teach him not to threaten strangers in the future. If there is a second time, he will not end up in one piece."


    "What? How dare you?"


    "Arrogance!"


    "Sect Master, that child has no manners!"


    Several people at the entrance of that family shouted in disgruntled tones.


    Oswald then asked. "Threatening?"


    "He threatened my family and I showed him a little bit of what happens to fools like him," Minos replied, causing his grandfather to look in Jeffrey''s direction.


    "I guess the situation is settled, huh?" Oswald said. "Lance provoked this himself, so there are no question marks here for you to seek punishment for Minos, Jeffrey."


    "But..."


    "Enough!" The sect master said aloud. "I will not get involved since this is a matter for the younger ones. Then do the same. End of business!"


    And with that, the situation ''was'' resolved just before the three relatives left that area together, leaving the angry patriarch Terry behind.


    ...

 Chapter 1305 Last Days In The Grey Clouds Sect

    As they were leaving from there, Oswald looked at Minos and praised him. "You did very well to show your dominance. Lance was annoying you too much without you even competing with him..."


    "Hmm."


    "Anyway, what were you two doing? I didn''t think you two were coming here together."


    Hearing this, Maisie remembered the situation and felt the disappointment of catching her best friend in the act with her son. "Ivy called me to her house because of the previous problem, and that''s how we met and came here." She told her father.


    Minos remained silent, following them to the residence where his wives were waiting for him.


    "Is that so?" Oswald noticed the blush on his daughter''s face and that Minos had the aura of a new woman on his body. ''Hmm, it looks like Ivy doesn''t forgive anyone...'' He internally laughed but did not demonstrate his thoughts to Maisie.


    He had also experienced dating his mother''s best friends in the past. So it was not hard for this elderly figure to understand Minos and Maisie''s situation and not to demonstrate his thoughts to his daughter.


    But he could not help but feel more pleased with Minos, as they had many things in common.


    While Oswald added another point for Minos in his judgment, this young man was thinking about his affairs in this sect.


    ''It''s almost time for my group to return...'' He considered the deals he had already made and what was left for their commitments in the Empire to end. ''I just need confirmation of these last deals I have already negotiated, and it will be time to leave!''


    ''I will finally be able to return to the Black Plain!'' He smiled, imagining how much that place had improved in the meantime and what he would have to do on his return.


    ''I''ll still have more than six months to travel, but in less than a week, I''ll probably be free of responsibilities until my group arrives in Albano.'' Minos looked at the months he would have in front of him. ''After that, I''ll see some business in that state while I search for the God of Death''s inheritance.''


    His main reason for stopping by Albano was to help Abby finish fulfilling the Goddess of Life''s mission. But as he would pass through such a state anyway, Minos already had in mind to try to do business regarding array masters techniques in Albano.


    He could try to settle such a matter with Vogel through Elen, who was still in that state. But his position in that state was still too fragile. Even with his almost unstoppable ascension to power, it had yet to happen, and his powers would be limited even when that happened.


    So he thought it might be simpler to negotiate directly with the West family, which already had an agreement with the Black Plain.


    However, if that did not work, he would try his last card with that state when the Spiritual Church finally crowned him.


    Anyway, with these matters in mind, Minos quickly arrived at his grandfather''s house accompanied by those two people.


    Upon arriving at that residence, they gathered to eat and talk about the day''s problems, with Oswald and Maisie not talking about some of Minos'' doings so as not to irritate Abby, Ruth, and Gloria.


    They knew he had slept with more than one woman in the last hours. Still, they all preferred not to talk about it, especially when they were surrounded by people other than themselves.


    At the end of the day, Minos had his fun, but he always returned to them, rarely showing interest in others in front of them and loving them in unique ways.


    The others would come and go in his life, but they were side by side with this man, with a kind of attention that no others had. So they accepted such behaviors from him, even if they always acted to limit him.


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, days passed...


    After the incident earlier with Lance, most of Minos'' deals with this sect were approved, and only the deals with array masters were refused.


    With this, Minos spoke with Talia and arranged that when all the techniques he ordered in this sect and throughout the Empire were ready, she would pick them up and take them to the Black Plain.


    Since this was an excellent justification for her to go to that region, Ruth''s older sister accepted this request from Minos without any problems.


    On the other hand, in the last few days, Isabella had appeared in the Gray Clouds Sect and spent some special moments with Minos, which only they and his wives had any idea what it was really about.


    The rest of the people in the sect only considered this visit a good sign for the possible future sect master. After all, such a person needed to have a good relationship with the future sovereign of this state.


    But to the unhappiness of some people in the sect who wanted to meet the princess, among them Lance, Isabella did not seem to be interested in anyone other than Minos.


    With that, the princess'' brief passage through this area naturally impressed and annoyed different people, including Minos himself...


    But such was life. He had put his hands where they should not be, and now he could only bear the responsibility for such actions!


    In the end, Isabella returned to the capital, promising to see him in the northern region. At the same time, he had some peace of mind to be with the other women he had in this sect on his last day there.


    Maisie had not liked Ivy and Minos'' relationship. Still, in the end, these two continued anyway and she sort of accepted that there was nothing she could do about it.


    What could she do if her friend and son were two perverts?


    She at least convinced herself that soon Minos would return to the northern region, and her relationship with Ivy would not change much. On the contrary, perhaps it would even help her in the future concerning her son, who had already become a little less rough with her during this period.


    As for Ivory, her and Minos'' agreement was already in place, and they had had their experiences when they had time in the last few days.


    The incident with Lance had changed nothing for them, and everything had gone peacefully after that night.


    The only notable thing had been Lance''s attitude upon waking up, not having changed at all concerning Ivory and having his resentment for Minos increased considerably.


    But since he had woken up only a day before the time of departure of Minos and his wives from this sect, he did not even have time to cause any trouble.


    So, after the group of four had said goodbye to Kara, who had not yet advanced to the 7th stage nor had time to have fun with Minos, the fou left this area of the Gray Clouds Sect!


    There was still plenty for them in this state, but their strength still needed to be improved, so they would not get too involved in local affairs. However, Minos already had his eyes set on the Saints Killing Sect and the matters concerning the Spiritual Church.


    Other than that, he had a year to make up his mind about the future of that sect. After saying goodbye to his family in this place, he left on Maida''s back along with his wives.


    "Time to have some fun..." He remarked to them as they took off from that city.

 Chapter 1306 The Reason For The Name

    While Minos and his wives were leaving the Gray Clouds Sect, Lance met with some of his elders in another part of that organization''s headquarters.


    He had a terrible look on his face, feeling wronged.


    How would it feel to see the woman you love with another man, then get beaten up by that person, and wake up days later to find that nothing had happened to that person?


    It would be terrible, right?


    But the case in question was worse than that. After all, Minos was not punished, continued to have sex with that woman, and lived like a king while poor Lance suffered in a coma.


    The bastard who brutalized him after defiling sweet Ivory had enjoyed his time with various women in the sect. He even had no problem with his wives when he came home smelling the scent of others.


    In addition, he still gained the full attention of the princess, who treated him as if he were equal or even superior to her.


    Lance knew practically everything that had happened to Minos in these days, and this knowledge disturbed him immensely!


    This world was just too unfair!


    How could someone as vile as King Stuart be so lucky while he, a great person, suffered in his interactions with the female sex?


    To make matters worse, upon awakening from his how, this young blond had realized that his reputation was in tatters, with many questioning his ability for leadership.


    Therefore, the look on his face was terrible, and he could not simply stand by while Minos did whatever he wanted!


    "Elders, you all must assume my intention in gathering you here..." He said in a deep tone, while his face was dark as night.


    The people there knew this blond individual very well. Some of them had even worked with Lance for several decades. So they did not need to hear from his mouth what his intention was.


    "Young master, we understand your feelings. But it would not be good for us to act openly." One of the more sensitive ones there advised, feeling that dealing with this issue would be a headache.


    Lance clenched his fists and said. "I know, I''m not a fool... Let''s leak the information about his passage through our city and his return to the northern region to the Saints Killing Sect."


    Lance''s eyes cooled, and an evil smile appeared on his lips. "I''ve heard that some of the families in that sect hate him. So let''s allow them to know that the opportunity has arisen."


    "They will do the rest for us!"


    "Oh?" The people in that place, a dark office, opened their mouths in realization, noting that even though Lance was emotional, he could still make good choices.


    The Saints Killing Sect was their enemy. But it would be best if such a force dealt with Minos without them having to get involved. On the other hand, even if their plans went wrong, King Stuart could eliminate people from an enemy force of the Gray Clouds Sect.


    In other words, it was a win-win situation for them!


    Thinking like that, no one there saw any problems following Lance''s idea.


    "So what shall we do, young master?" Someone asked.


    Lance then replied. "Send a message to the battlefield between our sect and that organization. Let that information fall where there are some of our fallen disciples."


    When someone died on the battlefield, the items of such a person would be collected by the victors nearby.


    So by sending clues to the battlefield, particularly where the dead were, Lance would find a way to communicate the passing of Minos to his enemies without taking much risk.


    The only risk for him would be that no one would value this information, but this was extremely unlikely since all information was relevant in a war.


    Thus, he was confident in his plan and eventual climb to power!


    ''This way, I will regain all my prestige!''


    ...


    After leaving the Gray Clouds Sect, Minos and his wives traveled for a few days through the east of the Flaming Empire, passing through the region that gave this state its name.


    In this part of the Empire was a mountain range with intense volcanic activity. There were whole areas, more significant than the Black Plain, totally on fire.


    But the flames in this region were not concentrated in just one area. No, they moved around a region, completing the cycle every decade, renewing the vegetation where it passed, making room for new life to emerge.


    Unfortunately, this cycle prevented the emergence of common items like medicines or items focused on many possibilities. But this negative point did not come without a benefit. That was a region loved by cultivators who focused their skills on flame-influenced techniques.


    Suppose someone who used a fireball technique trained in this place. Then such a person would be able to advance their understanding much more easily by training there than if they did so in the Endless Snow Mountain Range. This other place was ideal for cultivators with ice-influenced techniques.


    But even though they were training while passing through this hard-to-find region in other parts of the continent, Minos'' group was not there to gain comprehension.


    Besides having the Spatial Kingdom on their side, none were training techniques compatible with that particular place.


    So for them, this passage in this region was just tourism. But, at the same time, they continued strengthening themselves and getting to know this state.


    But during the days of travel, Abby had finally advanced to level 62, while Ruth was close to reaching level 63.


    As for Gloria, she was entirely focused on mastering her techniques, having already stopped cultivating her soul so as not to advance a stage by accident.


    For the rest, her belly continued to grow, with her becoming more and more maternal as time passed.


    Maida and Kyla did not advance in those days. Still, the two spiritual beasts were taking advantage of the fact that they had returned to their travels, returning to having fun on the continent.


    That was particularly true for Kyla, who felt very comfortable in this region of active volcanoes and could not help but enjoy the hot springs.


    ...


    "Ahh, this place is wonderful..." Gloria exclaimed in satisfaction as she closed her eyes and relaxed in a large natural hot spring where her family was.


    High up on a mountain in that burning part of the Flaming Empire, their group had stopped to rest for a while and found a good hot spring.


    There, the women and beasts did not miss the opportunity to convince Minos to take a few hours of rest for them to relax in this burning paradise.


    The view from that place was stunning, and the feeling of the waters was superior to massages. So they soon took off their clothes and relaxed in that hot spring, which was the size of the central square of Dry City.


    "It''s really comfortable, big sister..." Kyla commented as she closed her eyes and was also inside the hot spring, with her fur entirely inside the water.


    As they casually chatted, Minos asked. "Do you know of the reason this region burns eternally?"


    ...

 Chapter 1307 Graveyard

    Hearing Minos'' question, Abby and Ruth showed in their looks that they had no idea why, but Gloria seemed to have something in mind.


    "Reason? It was a major incident in that area over a million years ago when a Demigod used a flame technique to punish an enemy in that area." That redhead said as she massaged her belly into the water of that hot spring.


    Minos smiled as he heard what Gloria had learned from the Church. "Actually, it wasn''t like that. That place was like that even before Henricus Longus was born, over 5 million years ago."


    "What? How can that be?" That pregnant woman exclaimed.


    Gloria trusted her husband, but she also believed in the Church. So she could not help but find his answer strange.


    "I haven''t heard that with the families of the Empire. That is information from the Church." She said just so he would know that this was official, not a story propagated by rumor or anything.


    Minos smiled and closed his eyes. "I can imagine. But that doesn''t change the fact that this is a lie. This place here is not so different from the Endless Snow Mountain Range in the northern region."


    Abby''s eyes widened as she recalled her and Minos'' passage through the Endless Snow Mountain Range years ago.


    Minos then continued. "This place is a graveyard of giant skeletons, a place sealed using the fusion of flame techniques of 13 ancient Demigods."


    "What?" Gloria exclaimed. "Are there skeletons here too?"


    Minos nodded and said. "Hmm, according to legend, this place was created by an enemy organization of the Immemorial Graves Sect. But unlike that place that had to have people to watch over and renew the seal, this place was created to be forever like that."


    "In Henricus Longus'' time, those flames supposedly could only be put out by a God who had mastered a technique of the opposite nature. Coincidentally, more than a million years ago, the Goddess of Water appeared, and part of the burning area was extinguished..." He remembered that the entire area of the Flaming Empire was a burning inferno at the time of that God.


    He knew about the Goddess of Water because of the history books of the Spiritual Church itself. Therefore, he associated the change in that region with that person who, unlike the God of Death and the Goddess of Life, had actually reached level 100.


    "Are you saying the Church did this on purpose and made up a lie?" Gloria asked, considering that the Goddess of Water had been a Supreme Pontiff of that organization.


    "Hmm." He stated. "The question is whether or not the seal of this place has weakened. Unlike in the northern region, in this area, someone couldn''t get close to the skeletons and see them."


    "So? Are you trying to test this?" Ruth asked, knowing that her husband did not do unnecessary things.


    Minos nodded. "There''s a skeleton near where we are. If the seal is weak, we might be able to access it."


    "And what do you want to do?" Abby frowned her eyebrows. "You didn''t want to do anything in that sect in the Endless Snow Mountain Range. So why would you want to act here?"


    "In the northern region, the seal is blocking those things, and I couldn''t do much with those skeletons either. But here, the seal might be weakened. So even if I can''t use such a thing for the moment, I''ll try to take it to the Black Plain." Minos said.


    Minos felt that those skeletons might have some relation to the threat alerted by Henricus Longus'' soul fragment. But not only that, the energy of those bones was so intense that he could not help but imagine that such a thing could be helpful.


    After all, Henricus Longus knew all this, had seen the future, and even produced techniques focused on energy absorption for his heritage... What did this mean?


    Minos could not be sure since he could not see Henricus Longus'' visions. But he felt that such a God had prepared his techniques to be used with these primordial bones!


    He already had the Devouring Art. Chaotic Gravity could be fused with such a technique. Moreover, his 9th technique would be a sealing one, which also involved energy control.


    So for Minos, the path ahead of him was obvious. Try to use those skeletons somehow!


    "Isn''t that dangerous?" Gloria asked Minos.


    "If the seal is intact, yes. But then I won''t try anything." He sincerely answered. "But if the seal is weakened, I''ll be able to transport that thing into the Spatial Kingdom."


    "Do you think that''s a good idea?" Abby asked, worried about the possible consequences of this.


    But Minos assured all his wives on that point. "Don''t worry. The Spatial Kingdom is something even more stable than our world itself. So if those bones don''t harm the continent, nothing will happen in the Spatial Kingdom."


    Spatial Kingdoms were not just cultivation sanctuaries in areas of limited access. These places were also unique because they were utterly inviolable.


    What did this mean? Well, a wormhole could not be opened from inside one Spatial Kingdom, and no one could force their way into it!


    Not even a God was capable of violating this principle!


    Three million years after Henricus Longus perished, a God became famous for trying to invade the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom on the Beast Continent.


    At that time, that man from the Divine Continent was annihilated by a mixture of lightning tribulation storms and the space collapse of part of that Spatial Kingdom.


    Such a catastrophe damaged the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom and created a pocket of unstable space that swallowed a quarter of that Realm.


    Such a pocket of space had later turned into a famous area in the Spiritual World, which opened ''doors'' into random places, sending people into a giant ruin of treasures.


    No one who had entered such a thing had ever returned, but such a place was famous and was in the history books that Minos and his wives read.


    Anyway, the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom was partially damaged, but it still exists to this day!


    Because of this, Minos knew that his Spatial Kingdom was safe and would not suffer from just one of these skeletons.


    "Is that right?" Gloria asked.


    "Hmm, don''t overthink it. We may not even have to do anything." He said as he swam a few meters and showed them a mountain about 10 kilometers from there. "The biggest skeleton in this area is in that place. Do you want to go see it?"


    The skeletons were not visible, but since Henricus Longus had located the largest of these ancient remnants, Minos knew where to find them.


    So after relaxing for a while in that hot spring, the group of humans and beasts set off toward the spot Minos had shown them.


    His women shared the same interests in adventures and potential developments for the Black Plain as him, so they all set off from there, eager to check out his thoughts.


    However, they were not the only ones in the vicinity!


    ...

 Chapter 1308 Attack Attempt 1

    As Minos and his group headed for the mountain where one of the enormous ancient skeletons in this area was supposed to be, a group was following their footsteps at a distance.


    In this group, three Spiritual Saints, two level 71 and one level 72 followed the clues from Minos'' group.


    Several days after the departure of Minos and his wives from the territory of the Gray Clouds Sect, Lance''s group had managed to pass on the information of his passage to people in the Saints Killing Sect.


    With that, the families of that sect who had orchestrated the plot with Abe Vogel to avenge their dead on the Black Plain decided to act upon coming into contact with such information. They immediately sent three of their leaders, the people who were in this group now.


    Those who had orchestrated against Minos on Abe''s side all these years were not members of the prominent families of that sect. Instead, they were people from average families, like the example of House Miles in the Gray Clouds Sect.


    Because of this, these three people were only at the beginning of the 8th stage.


    In any case, as Spiritual Saints, they were not weak, much less slow to investigate the tracks of such a careless group. Thus, they had found their way to those people with relative ease, finally reaching them this day.


    "Where are they going?" The only woman there, the group leader, asked as she frowned, not understanding why these people were wasting their time in this burning place.


    Besides the hot springs, there was nothing else of interest to visit in this area of the Flaming Empire. As if this was not enough, Minos'' group had already spent days traveling through this area and frequented several hot springs like the one they had just left.


    In addition, this place was dangerous, and none of those people seemed to have any technique or skill related to the nature of this place.


    Hence, they seemed to be wasting their time in the opinion of that woman who did not know as much as Minos.


    "It''s bizarre..." One of the men, a person with a beard and black hair, said, seeing how Minos was indicating to Maida the place they were going.


    "It looks like they are in search of something... No, it looks like they know where they are going!" The other man said, sensing that this was the case.


    Just as he said this, Minos and his group stopped in front of a large mountain almost entirely engulfed in flames.


    But strangely, no smoke was coming from that area, which looked like a giant rock over 100 meters high.


    At that point where Minos'' group stopped, there was nothing. It was just the lowest point of that burning mountain, from where the orange sky of the area seemed to blend in with some of the flames of that mountain.


    The woman and the other man chasing them paid attention to the behavior of the four humans and realized that they seemed to be going to a known place, not something unknown.


    ''What do they want here?'' The woman wondered before hearing the question from her bald companion.


    "What do we do now? Do we wait to see what they are up to, or do we deal with them right away, once and for all?" Such a person asked.


    Of course, he was curious to know about Minos''s purpose in that place. But they were Spiritual Saints, while the opposing side had only Spiritual Emperors and even a Spiritual King... So what they might be after was probably of no value to this group.


    In this case, eliminating the opponents while they had the chance might be the best alternative for them!


    The woman then replied. "Let''s follow them for a little longer. What''s the worst that can happen if we don''t act immediately? At least let''s clear up our doubts about this situation."


    The other two readily agreed, feeling nothing could stop them on this fateful day!


    Who could Minos use to save himself this time? A pregnant woman? Experts who were not around? Rumors about his powers?


    In their view, nothing!


    Therefore, they watched that group while Minos stepped forward to lead his wives.


    As he stopped in front of that mountain and walked a few meters closer to the flames, Minos said. "Even though this place was built to seal the skeletons here without the need for people watching the area, that doesn''t mean there isn''t a useful structure here."


    "In this place ahead of us, there is an entrance similar to the one in the Immemorial Graves Sect. If the seal weakens, the members of the organization behind the creators of this area should act through it to strengthen the seal." He began circulating his energies through his arms, making a few hand gestures close to the ground.


    "If the seal is weakened, the passage will open for us." He murmured to his wives as he struggled to move the invisible mechanisms in that area.


    "What if it isn''t?" Abby questioned her man.


    "Then what I am doing will have no effect, and we will leave here," Minos said, but a noise of old poles opening sounded following his words.


    When such a thing happened, those individuals who were not listening to the dialogue between Minos and his wives were surprised.


    Not only had a small earthquake started in that area, but the front of the mountain where Minos was crouching a few meters ago had suddenly transformed.


    What looked like the mountain''s base had turned into a magma field, where a very narrow passage connected to a smaller mountain within that burning mountain. Following that path, all anyone would see would be the beginning of a dark cave and nothing else.


    "What the fuck... What is that?" One of the level 71 men questioned his companions in a low voice, totally incredulous at the situation.


    None of them had the slightest idea that there was anything of the sort in this place that had existed for so long. So seeing Minos reveal a great secret to them, they no longer even remembered that they were there to kill such a young man.


    All in their minds now was to solve the mystery of this strange place!


    Minos then stood up and looked at his wives. "There are traps in this place that have been made to prevent those unrelated to such a sect from entering here. So you must move like me. Step in the same places as I do and not touch anything."


    "Is that okay?"


    "Yes." The three answered while the two beasts sat in front of that place, waiting since they could not walk down that narrow path.


    "But how do you know where to step? Was Henricus Longus part of that organization?" Gloria questioned her husband as they started down the path to that dark cave.


    "No, but he had a relationship with one of the sect masters behind the group that made this place. So he left me the memories about it..." Minos said, strolling towards his goal, being very careful.


    Meanwhile, the three individuals ran towards that place, intending to enter there as well.


    ''Nine-tailed Fox, huh? I think I''ll take that one for myself later.'' The woman thought as she looked at Kyla.


    They knocked out the two beasts so they would not alert Minos'' group and immediately entered that place!


    ...

 Chapter 1309 Attack Attempt 2

    When the first of those individuals started walking along the path that Minos and his wives had already followed, such a person made a move that he should not have.


    As he stepped outside the permitted area in that place, one of the traps there immediately activated, causing the magma field to move as if an earthquake were happening.


    But just then, a jet of red-hot liquid came out of the middle of that magma area, going towards the man in question.


    It all happened in a fraction of a second. When those three realized something was happening, the jet of lava was already about to hit their companion.


    "Damn it!" Such a person screamed upon seeing that thing coming towards him and jumped forward, quickly activating several techniques to dodge the worst and defend himself from possible remnants.


    None of them were foolish enough to think that such a place or that lava flow was harmless. No, they realized it could mortally wound even them, Spiritual Saints!


    So none of them would underestimate such a thing or act arrogantly in front of that strange place.


    Unfortunately for that level 71 man, even though he had dodged that jet in question when he went to sigh in relief, a lava wave appeared on his right side. When this happened, his friends immediately returned the way they had come, while his eyes widened in terror at the sight of the thing.


    He even tried to run away when he saw it, but the path in front of him closed so fast with the falling lava that he was engulfed in flames before he could escape!


    Due to the temperature of that gelatinous substance, this Level 71 Spiritual Saint did not even have a chance to scream. As a result, his body was utterly obliterated, without even leaving behind his bones or items such as a spatial ring.


    Everything melted with that scalding substance, ''oozing'' back into the magma field soon after.


    "Hah... Hah... Hah... What was that?" The last remaining man asked the woman beside him while sweating and breathing rapidly.


    Gulp!


    "I think he fell into a trap." She looked back, pale with fear, as she recalled that there were three of them just now, but in a split second, one of them was wiped out.


    Even that man''s soul was erased from this world, leaving nothing behind to indicate that he had once existed.


    As they looked back at that place, they noticed that everything seemed to have returned to normal, with the path from before becoming visible to them again.


    The man then asked. "What do we do now? If we make the same mistake as Cliff, it will be the end of us. None of us are much stronger than him!"


    The woman clenched her fists and said. "We have to keep going! That is the proof that such a place is valuable!"


    There were a few reasons to accept the great chance of death in this world. One of them was precisely finding a treasure to turn heaven and earth upside down, something that could transform generations of a family.


    In this situation, a traditional cultivator would hardly fear the danger in front of them. On the contrary, they would go to great lengths to overcome the problems in their path and harvest the best possible fruits!


    Only in this way could someone change from water to wine quickly!


    The man understood his partner and questioned her. "But how shall we do it?"


    "Don''t touch anything. Follow in the footsteps of those people from earlier." She said as she realized that some of the tracks of Minos and his wives had not disappeared with the earlier problem. "For the rest, be as careful as you can. If you don''t know what to do, stay still or go back."


    "All right!" He nodded, feeling that it made sense.


    ''Where the hell did Minos get information from this place? He even knows how to get in safely!'' The woman thought about this as she made a frown, already following the narrow path in that magma field.


    ...


    Sometime later, after sweating a lot on the path earlier, the man and woman coming from the Saints Killing Sect overcame that phase.


    When they arrived at the entrance of the dark cave at the base of the mountain, they saw three paths ahead right after walking a few meters inside it.


    Gulp!


    "What now?" He asked his companion, seeing tracks on all three paths.


    This level 72 woman also felt unsure when she saw this, but the greed in her heart was much more intense than fear.


    So she tried to scan the area to choose her path.


    "Let''s take the middle passage." She said after a few minutes.


    But hearing this woman''s tone, that man felt a little strange. ''What if she tries to use me as a guinea pig? She''s stronger than me, so surely she might have an extra chance if she makes me take a step she wouldn''t take just to test something...''


    "Isn''t it better if we split up?" He suggested, protecting himself from his partner stabbing him later.


    If something there were valuable, such a reality would be even more likely than her using him as a guinea pig!


    She looked at him and felt that such a person suspected her, which was the right thing to do in this situation. But she did not object to his speech. "That''s not a bad idea either. Which way do you want to go?"


    He sighed in relief and pointed in the direction he had judged to be the best. "I''ll take the left entrance."


    "All right, I''ll take the middle one." She said before making the motion to enter that tunnel.


    But after doing so, she quickly turned back from where she came, noticing that her partner had already entered the other tunnel. ''Let''s see if his way will bring trouble before I choose my own.''


    After pondering her plans and stopping at that fork location, motionless, she used her soul technique to direct that part of her being into the tunnel on the left.


    Doing so would not help if no one was walking ahead of her to show her the right way. So she preferred to ''accompany'' her companion this way, using him as her guinea pig.


    However, her journey did not last long. Only 5 minutes after saying goodbye to the level 71 man, this woman heard screams from that place.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    "Help! Help!" Her companion''s voice sounded in desperation before she even saw what was happening inside that tunnel.


    ''What happened? He was walking normally and suddenly started screaming...'' She pondered, but hearing that man increasingly desperate, this person felt fear and made her soul return to her body.


    She clenched her fists and entered the middle tunnel, deciding to follow her instincts and not stay to see her partner''s problem.


    "I hope that''s worth the trouble..." She muttered, sweating coldly and extremely pale, no longer remembering Minos'' existence given the risks in her surroundings.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Minos and his wives were at the end of that middle tunnel, reaching their destination!

 Chapter 1310 Attack Attempt 3

    "What is the point of those three tunnels? Do they lead to different areas?" Ruth asked as she followed behind Abby, who was standing behind Gloria.


    That redhead looked at her husband, continuing her path without error, as she listened to him answer Ruth. "The left and right tunnels lead nowhere. One has an array of mental confusion that will make even level 89 Spiritual Sages go crazy. As for the other one, it is filled with murderous puppets, ready to fight anyone who dares to enter there."


    "Gee, the people behind this place have put in many defense mechanisms, no? What''s the point of that?" Abby asked.


    He said. "At some point in the remote past, the sect behind this place and the Immemorial Graves Sect competed to possess every skeleton. That was their way of deciding who was the strongest and most powerful, the ability to have several of these skeletons."


    "To them, that was like having many lands." He compared such a thing that was so important for sovereigns. "In any case, there have already been reports of members of these organizations stealing the other party''s smaller skeletons. So these defense mechanisms serve to ward off that problem."


    "But so much time has passed..." Ruth said in a low voice.


    "Hmm, they made this place at a time when these mechanisms were needed. After that, it didn''t make sense to change what already worked, so they left this place behind even after they put the flame seal in the area." Minos explained.


    After he said that, he finally stopped his path and looked at them. "From where you are, you can relax a bit." He picked up his sword and gestured with it.


    Swooish!


    "As long as you don''t go beyond that space, nothing will happen." He explained, allowing his wives to sigh and walk closer to him.


    As they did so, they pointed their spiritual lanterns at the walls of that place. With that, they saw that the walls there appeared to be of a semi-transparent, grayish type of crystal. But at a certain point in this cave''s walls, white bones gradually rose up the walls, going all the way to the ceiling, where a giant skeleton stood above them.


    Minos looked up and saw that skeleton that looked very much like a giant version of a bird skeleton. "This is a primordial beast skeleton. No one knows what species it belonged to. Still, supposedly it was from the same period as those giant humanoid skeletons in our region."


    Hearing this, the three women paid attention to the size of that skeleton and the sharp teeth in the mouth of that creature, which was as big as the mountain itself they were on.


    "What kind of beast was it?" Gloria wondered. "For its size, it was much bigger than an adult dragon!"


    Among earthly beasts, dragons were not the largest. But considering that these beings were focused on brute force, they were the largest in their range of strength and brutality.


    There were more enormous beings, but they were not focused on brute force. Some were of the sensory type, others were more defensive, but no earth race had as much strength as the dragons and as close in size to theirs.


    And seeing that creature that indicated that it was pretty fierce in life, Gloria could not help but compare it with the infamous dragons.


    Minos then said. "Yes. There are skeletons of other beings similar to this one that is smaller. Supposedly the children of that race were born already the size of adult dragons."


    "How does a creature like that get hurt?" The redhead pointed toward some bones that looked damaged by something unnatural. "Adult dragons often have bodies so strong that nothing but old age can defeat them... What about something like that?"


    Abby commented. "The people of the Immemorial Graves Sect say that these creatures have brought the apocalypse upon themselves, self-destruction."


    As they were talking, footsteps came from the direction of the tunnel they entered, and they all looked back to see the arrival of that middle-aged woman.


    When they saw that, they all frowned, while Minos quickly acted to erase his group''s tracks near the security area.


    That woman finally caught up with them and laughed, seeing the splendid skeleton on the ceiling of that place. "What a magnificent creature!" She said aloud as she felt the flow of spiritual energy in those bones.


    "Hahahaha, it was all worth it! Now I have something of extreme value to take back to the sect!" She ignored Minos and the women there, laughing in greed.


    Minos frowned and moved before his wives, preparing to act against this newcomer. "Who are you?" He asked. "Were you following us?"


    Hearing that, she put the skeleton aside for a moment. Then, finally, she looked at Minos, her original target in coming to this place.


    "Minos Stuart, I am here to take your life! You have killed many of my family, so it is time for you to pay for all you have done!" She drew one of her weapons, intending to kill that young man with one blow.


    "Many people from your family? An Empire family?" Minos readily understood that this woman could only be part of the Saints Killing Sect, the only organization he actually acted against in this state.


    And with that in mind, he became much colder, no longer having any doubts about what needed to happen there.


    Seeing this woman coming towards him, intending to attack him, Minos bent down and put his hands on the ground, making special seals to activate the traps in this place.


    The point of all the traps there was to protect what the sect behind this place wanted to keep there, so it would make no sense not to have defense mechanisms at this point.


    If a lucky person arrived there by accident, anyone in this place should have the means to stop an invasion or at least make it difficult.


    A seal had not always surrounded this post, so there had been people in this and other places in the past to ensure the safety of these bones.


    So when Minos gave his commands, the surroundings there immediately began to tremble, along with the appearance of golems on the crystal walls.


    The woman in question saw such a thing and felt goose bumps, noticing the murderous intent forming in the air as those beings gained glints in their eyes, looking at her.


    "What is that?" She shouted in surprise as she saw one of the golems emerging above Minos, already leaping toward her.


    Seeing herself practically surrounded by these creatures, the level 72 Spiritual Saint shook with fear and screamed in desperation. "Minos, don''t do this! Do you know who I am? I am an elder of the Saints Killing Sect! If you do this, that will be the end of you!"


    "Am I doing anything?" Minos laughed. "You are mistaken, lady. They are the ones who will do something, not me."


    As he laughed, those golems soon grabbed that woman''s arms and legs, not taking long to butcher her as if she were a rag doll.


    In the end, she screamed for less than 2 seconds before she even had her soul destroyed by those creatures.


    Thus, the group''s surprise attack from the Saints Killing Sect failed brutally, all eliminated without touching the hair strands on Minos'' head!


    ...

 Chapter 1311 Transport To The Spatial Kingdom

    After the brutal death of that Spiritual Saint of the Saints Killing Sect, Minos'' wives watched in shock at the golems in that place.


    They had already expected this place to be dangerous because of Minos'' reminders of how they should behave here. But none of them had imagined that the traps there were so terrible as to eliminate Spiritual Saints quickly.


    That woman had not had a chance. Not even her soul escaped in time from her body before those creatures butchered her.


    A Spiritual Saint could live in soul form outside their body temporarily until they found a new body to possess. But even with that possibility, that level 71 woman was killed in the blink of an eye.


    It was horrifying!


    "That place is hazardous!" Abby commented to her harem sisters as she looked at Minos. "Are you sure we can do what you have planned here? I mean, if the protection mechanisms in this place were meant to protect the skeleton from being stolen, why would we be able to take it without being hurt?"


    Minos then said. "Well, the security mechanisms are to prevent strangers from getting here, not to prevent the removal of this skeleton from the area. So as long as someone knows how the gears in this place work, there''s no danger about it."


    Upon hearing that, the three were reassured, quickly putting that woman aside to turn their attention to the giant skeleton.


    On the other hand, Minos wasted no time and quickly took the spatial ring from that woman as the golems disappeared, returning from whence they came.


    Soon after, he turned his attention to his purpose there, the giant skeleton on this mountain.


    To remove this thing from there, he would need to destroy the crystal that served to camouflage the powerful spiritual fluctuations of those bones.


    Since he already knew what needed to be done, he immediately began to manipulate the invisible mechanisms in that area, slowly causing this place to transform.


    As the crystal melted, dripping into the area where the traps were, the gigantic skeleton slowly fell to the ground outside the area where Minos and his wives were.


    It first had its long tail resting against the ground, following that point of its body to the others until all the crystal had melted and it was totally on the ground.


    Its body was curled up when this happened, as some great beasts usually slept. But, at the same time, streams of liquid crystal flowed from that place, heading towards the magma field outside this cave.


    Seeing this, Minos realized that his work was done, and now he only needed to store this grandiose skeleton in his Spatial Kingdom!


    "Now what? How do we move it?" Ruth asked, feeling that the thing was cumbersome and could not be easily manipulated.


    Minos smiled at her and said. "Touch me. Let''s go to the Spatial Kingdom with it the way it is."


    The three obeyed their man, watching him immediately afterward place the tip of his right foot on one of the parts of that skeleton.


    With that done, Minos activated the ring of the Spatial Kingdom, causing unique energy to cover all those in contact with him before teleporting them there!


    Zum!


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, Minos, his wives, and the great skeleton appeared inside the Spatial Kingdom, in a different area from where they usually arrived or departed.


    But this was to be expected. After all, this time, Minos had a heavy load that he could not control. So, he teleported to a place without vegetation or human structures in that space.


    There, the skeleton that looked like it belonged to a gigantic bird rested on the ground, not reacting strangely in any way.


    But an earth tremor arose after Minos appeared, something related to the extreme weight of that thing that had bones with superdense spiritual energy.


    "What do we do now?" Gloria asked, seeing that such a gigantic thing seemed to have been accommodated.


    "We''ll go back and continue with our journey. There''s nothing we can do about it now, so let''s not waste more time." Minos said before touching his wives and leading them back to that area.


    As they left, some of the spiritual energy in the surroundings slowly began to transform as if connecting to something different.


    ...


    Zum!


    As they appeared back in the cave from before, now very empty due to the lack of that giant skeleton, Minos and his women soon departed.


    They made their way back just as carefully as before, quickly arriving where Maida and Kyla were passed out.


    "Did that woman do that?" Ruth asked as she stooped down beside Kyla and massaged the orange fur of this Nine-tailed Fox.


    "Probably..." Minos commented, feeling that his traveling companions needed some time to rest.


    With that, he decided to send them to rest in the Spatial Kingdom, then immediately look at their wives and signal for them to fly away.


    They were all faster than Maida, so traveling for a while on their own would not be much of a problem.


    So, without further delay, they disappeared from that area where three Spiritual Saints were exterminated as if they were nothing.


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    Minos, of course, closed the secret entrance there, making that place look like just a giant mountain on fire.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the headquarters of the Saints Killing Sect...


    Someone rushed into the sect master''s office, feeling extremely nervous while carrying three soul lamps.


    "Sect master! Sect master!" An elderly man shouted as he entered there.


    The people in the surrounding area did not stop this individual, as anyone from that person''s department could enter there unceremoniously in cases of emergency.


    And seeing the soul lamps in the hands of such an individual, soon several of them understood what this was all about.


    "What''s the problem?" The sect master frowned his eyebrows. "News from the battlefield? Have any elders died to the cursed Grey Clouds Sect?"


    "No, sect master. Something strange has just happened. Three of our low-level elders just died!" He said while sweating, feeling how bad this news was. "Elders Lyons, Parker, and Alvarez left the sect a few days ago, supposedly in pursuit of someone, within the empire."


    "But their deaths happened within a few minutes of each other, with them dying almost instantly. Only Elder Parker lasted a little longer, a minute."


    "What?"


    "Within the Empire?"


    "Instant death? Why didn''t they flee in their soul forms?"


    "Someone managed to kill them before they had the chance?"


    The people in the area commented on the matter, while the sect master had a severe expression on his face.


    These three were just low-level Spiritual Saints. But each 8th stage cultivator carried great weight in the future of the Flaming Empire''s organizations!


    Thus, losing three of these people without it even being related to the war against the Gray Clouds Sect was terrible!


    He then shouted. "Send people immediately to investigate the matter! I want to know who dared to exterminate my sect members brutally!"


    "Yes, sect master!"

 Chapter 1312 Arriving In Albano

    Four months later...


    After months since Minos'' departure from the Grey Clouds Sect, Lance was slowly starting to get nervous, not understanding why his enemy was still alive.


    They had tried to spread the news about Minos'' passage through the Empire to the Saints Killing Sect many times in this period, but still, nothing.


    Minos'' family in the Flaming Empire had a soul lamp with the vital status of this young man. That was something Maisie had had for a long time, from when Minos had started cultivating, something Dillian had given her.


    As Lance and his staff knew this, they knew that if something had happened to King Stuart, the core of the Coleman family would not be so calm in these past months.


    Because of this, Lance knew that Minos was still alive somewhere, and his hatred could not help but increase every day, making him more and more stressed.


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    "What''s going on? How can the people of the Saints Killing Sect be so incompetent against him?" He questioned his men as he paced back and forth in his office, gesturing.


    "They are so good at fighting us... But against a mere Spiritual Emperor... No, that one they can''t kill!" He said while the expressions of the people in that office were livid.


    "We are investigating the matter, young master. But it seems that the first group to go against Minos perished suddenly. After that, that sect turned its eyes to the matter and started investigating the incident." Someone said in a low voice.


    "However, as opposed to seeking immediate revenge, they seem to have given up on going after Minos..." Another person commented. "I honestly don''t understand what happened."


    But they did not know that the sect in question had found out about those families'' plans along with Abe, which at this point had already guaranteed them extermination!


    The master of the Saints Killing Sect had investigated the matter. When he discovered such madness, he went berserk and ordered that each involved should be killed.


    He had fought hard to lead his sect to become one of the three strongest in the Empire. Still, then a dozen idiots suddenly tried to destroy him by acting against the rules of the fucking Spiritual Church!


    That was unacceptable!


    Hence, he cleaned up his sect, hoping to bury the matter and remove the threat from the Church.


    As for Minos, in his view, this young man had a lot of potentials, but it was not worth the risk of being associated with Abe''s madness. So, he simply prevented more people from his sect from going after King Stuart''s head.


    At the end of the day, even with his immense potential, Minos was only a level 62 Spiritual Emperor, while the sect master was someone of level 79...


    He could not be bothered with such a tiny insect!


    Anyway, Lance and his group continued talking about it, worried about their failed moves.


    ...


    While Lance was worrying, Minos quietly traveled on Maida''s back with his wives.


    After the previous situation, Minos and his group had been traveling through the Flaming Empire, almost crossing that state to the border with Albano and Blackrock.


    In the meantime, Ruth has advanced to level 63 and Kyla to 59, which was made easier by the fights and training they had during this period of travel.


    They, of course, visited many cities and even areas dominated by spiritual beasts during this period, which were extraordinary experiences for all of them.


    In this period, they did not have to deal with problems like those Minos faced in the Gray Clouds Sect, much less potential rivalries passed down from generation to generation.


    So Minos and his wives had no headaches regarding challenges generated by situations caused by Maisie and Oswald. They had only fought in this period when they encountered criminals, violent beasts, or friendly challenges, ordinary things to encounter throughout the Spiritual World.


    Besides that, they kept receiving news from the more critical events on Black Plain and Vogel.


    According to Dillian, the Black Plain has had no problems so far, having just gone along with Minos'' development plans with no delays.


    As for Vogel, Elen had informed the four traveling through the Empire that the noble families of that state were already operating together, following the orders of the Vogel Assembly.


    Not only that, they were more confident than ever that they needed Minos as king since constantly the Flaming Empire was testing the alliance of the four kingdoms to the north.


    Because of this, the tension and fear of war were at a high level in each of those states, with them more confident than ever that they needed to stick together to face these difficult times.


    And for that, Vogel needed Minos and Rosser, Albano and Blackrock needed Vogel well...


    As a result, all was going well for the plans of King Stuart, who was traveling alongside his three beautiful wives, every day trying to get Ruth and Abby pregnant. But, of course, he was also looking after Gloria, who had already progressed a little further in her pregnancy.


    In this way, the Stuart family finally reached their next destination before returning to the Black Plain!


    At this moment, they were on Maida''s back, watching this black-furred beast decrease its flight altitude to land somewhere.


    No one could fly on the border of the Flaming Empire with the enemy kingdoms of this state since that could be considered a target for both sides in the conflict.


    So Maida followed Minos'' orders, so they could enter Albano by land and thus avoid attacks from both sides on the battlefield.


    But in doing so, Minos and his wives soon realized the tension in that area, where both sides seemed to fear one conflict with the other.


    The alliance of the four kingdoms was confident that war would break out at any moment as the Empire''s soldiers prepared to attack.


    Few people knew that the emperor had no such intention, so for the moment, the thousands of people on the borders of this state genuinely believed that a war would start soon.


    Because of this, the border area of this state with other states, which generally had many conflicts, was at the moment quiet, in sepulchral silence.


    "Hmm? Is someone crossing the border?" Both sides watched Minos and his family running toward Albano.


    Usually, people traveling between states would use unique entry locations, which were safer. Thus, their appearance there was somewhat strange.


    But both sides feared the other, so no one took any action, giving easy passage to the four humans and one beast.


    "It looks like the emperor is doing what he promised, hehe." Minos felt the news he had received, becoming satisfied with his plans.


    ''Well, I will soon reap the rewards. But before that, I must start my affairs in this state!'' He looked at Abby and smiled, ready to search for the God of Death''s inheritance.


    ...

 Chapter 1313 The Location Of The Inheritance Of The God Of Death

    As Minos and his wives moved away from the tense area where the forces of Albano and the Flaming Empire held their positions, they quickly stopped in a thicket.


    It had not been difficult for them to get there without any trouble. Almost no one, either human or non-human, had the courage to approach this border area where they passed. Even considering the two sides in tension had no reason to attack them, they did not face problems related to other beings that might exist there.


    Since Minos intended to pursue the heritage of the God of Death, he immediately decided to act when he got away from the soldiers from both sides of that conflict.


    When Maida stopped in a colorful forest, a valley with some bodies of water, a beautiful place, Minos moved away from his wives and released his killing intent.


    He had interrogated one of the subordinates of the God of Death through the Infinite Dream during the Inheritance of the Goddess of Life. On such occasion, that individual had told him something like a strong killing intent could attract the inheritance.


    According to him, the paths would open if there was an affinity between the parties.


    Therefore, Minos released all his killing intent, causing the skies in that area to become cloudy as the atmospheric pressure changed.


    Killing intent was not just a feeling that affected living beings. Such a thing had its own related Natural Law, and such a law was connected to those characteristics usually considered negative, which could evoke terror in those nearby.


    Because of this, the weather in that area soon became odd, with a large shadow covering several square kilometers of that forest. At the same time, the temperature began to drop, along with the appearance of strong air currents, which made noises that would frighten adults when passing through the trees.


    The small animals in the area, of too low intelligence to know that it was dangerous to be near a potential battlefield, were startled to sense bad omens and quickly began to run around aimlessly.


    Meanwhile, lightning began to appear on the horizon, along with Minos'' shadow vibrating in a dark haze, something genuinely frightening.


    If any unsuspecting person were to appear there at that instant, they would swear they could hear the screams of desperate people coming from Minos'' shadow.


    Unfortunately, this was something that only those who were opponents or did not know Minos as his wives would see.


    To these women or Maida, the surroundings seemed a bit depressing. Still, Minos was the same as ever, even considering the strange shadow behind him.


    Amidst all this, he opened his arms and felt sweat dripping down his forehead, as it was not easy to release so much of his killing intent at once.


    ''Come on, show yourself!'' Minos thought as he closed his eyes, trying to sense something different in his surroundings.


    ...


    Meanwhile, a group of guards from the Albano Royal Army watching Minos'' group from afar noticed the phenomenon in that area.


    As they were within the area affected by Minos'' killing intent, the six individuals trembled with fear as they shivered.


    They were all high-level Spiritual Emperors with hundreds of years of experience in this big world. But still, as they looked in Minos'' direction and heard the cries of despair coming from his shadow, each of them felt as if they were going to shit themselves with fear.


    Gulp!


    "What the hell is that? What''s going on over there?" One of them asked, feeling a weakness in his legs and a contradictory urge to run.


    "I don''t know, but it''s not good stuff!" The only woman there said. "Maybe that''s a group of evil cultivators!"


    "Is it really? But those three ladies looked so angelic..."


    "Maybe they are sacrificing one of them? I''ve heard that crazy people in those evil sects even volunteer for human sacrifices."


    Gulp!


    "It can''t be..."


    One of them then looked terrified at their leader and asked. "Then what will we do? I know it''s not fair for us to let a woman be sacrificed, but we can''t impose ourselves over someone else''s belief..."


    That strongest individual there then frowned, sweating considerably. "Everyone has to bear the weight of their own decisions..." He said, too afraid to care about the fate of three strangers.


    "Let''s go!"


    ...


    Meanwhile, back where Minos stood...


    King Stuart finally began to feel something. Such a thing was like a faint signal coming from the north, which looked like the illumination emitted by a beacon, emitting a signal in his direction every few moments.


    It was like murderous intent, full of cruelty and negative feelings.


    But with each passing instant with Minos keeping his killing intent freed, the signal seemed to grow stronger. At the same time, such a thing seemed less strange, as if it connected with him.


    While this happened, Ruth, Abby, Gloria, and Maida saw a strange phenomenon happening in Minos'' surroundings.


    A black ray struck this young man''s forehead, but it did not disturb his condition, leaving only a tiny black spot on his skin.


    However, as a negative aura spread to his surroundings, another spiritual fluctuation appeared from one of Minos'' fingers, causing the phenomenon to freeze.


    At that moment, the three humans and a spiritual beast watched a small silver circumference appear in the middle of Minos'' forehead, circling the black spot.


    Such a thing seemed to tremble as it was encircled but soon gave up its struggle, stopping in the form of a trident with half of its teeth missing.


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    When this was over, Minos finally opened his eyes. Then, he relaxed his body, stopping stimulating the negative phenomenon in that area.


    But after releasing his killing intent for several minutes straight there, it would take some time for the area to return to normal.


    So the place still seemed very depressing, while Minos processed what he had just felt through his spiritual sense.


    He looked north once more and thought. ''That inheritance is closer to the northern region than I thought...''


    Minos then placed one of his hands in front of his face and ran one of his fingers across that small symbol that had appeared on his forehead.


    ''That is the key to the inheritance of the God of Death...'' He laughed as he realized that such an individual had left behind something that was supposed to take control of the mind of the one who was suitable to become his successor.


    Unfortunately for the late God of Death''s plans, the ring of the Spatial Kingdom reacted quickly, sealing the evil part of such a key.


    With that, Minos would have no mercy on this individual''s inheritance and soon looked to his wives to continue their journey. "Come on. I''ve already found the location of the God of Death''s inheritance."


    "Oh? Is that true?" Abby was the first to ask as she approached him, curious since she had received the inheritance from the Goddess of Life and had certain negative feelings towards the God of Death.


    "Hmm, the location is a little past the capital of this kingdom. Then let''s continue our already planned journey..."


    So, after a brief conversation, they departed that area, continuing on their journey through this state ruled by the West family.

 Chapter 1314 The Weird West Family

    One month later...


    After Minos identified the location of the God of Death''s inheritance, he and his wives moved through Albano, not taking long to reach the capital of this state.


    But in doing so, they had quickly been identified by the soldiers of the local army, as there was information about Minos circulating throughout all four states of the alliance against the Empire.


    Since he and his wives had been traveling leisurely, even visiting large cities in recent weeks, news of his presence in this state had reached the queen''s ears.


    And with that, the moment Maida approached the capital of this state, royal guards appeared to welcome them before they even landed nearby.


    Then these guards promptly began to escort them through the streets of this city, where some ways were closed, and people were in the streets waiting for them to pass.


    Minos had become famous in some parts of the Empire for the stories of the Black Plain War of Independence, but also in the four enemy states of the Flaming Empire.


    In the case of these kingdoms, Minos was most famous for recent events. His involvement in the situation behind the downfall of the Vogel family and subsequent appointment as future king by the noble families of that state.


    So even though he was only a level 62 Spiritual Emperor, someone who could only be considered a little above average in this city, the people here received him happily.


    Sovereigns naturally had moments of weakness, the beginning of their journeys when they were not so strong. So many did not care if his level was low and was there to see someone so famous and with such a great future.


    One day King Stuart could become a high-level Spiritual Saint, so everyone there could tell stories of seeing such an expert when he was still in his youth.


    Thus, Minos and his wives proceeded inside a carriage of the local royal family to the palace of this organization, seeing no problems with these arrangements.


    "Minos, don''t forget where we are..." Abby commented in a warning tone so that her husband would be more careful in his actions in this place they were in.


    The West family had non-traditional methods of relationships, things that even someone with Minos'' history of sexuality might be shocked by.


    So as it was Abby''s concern, as well as Minos'' other two wives, to protect him and the family, she made that reminder to him.


    Minos heard that and remembered Lulu. "Don''t worry. I don''t like those strange things practiced in this place."


    Minos enjoyed a good time with his women and sex partners. But that was only true if he was the only man involved!


    It made no sense for him to do something like share a woman with another man. That was simply absurd!


    So, naturally, he did not like the practices of the West family at all and preferred to stay away from the people who led this organization.


    Anyway, while they were talking, the carriage taking them soon arrived in front of the royal palace, where many people were watching the area from outside the bars. At the same time, troops and bands were performing a small ceremony, which ended when Minos and his wives stepped out of that carriage.


    As they stepped first onto the beautiful sidewalk in front of the entrance rotary to the royal palace, Minos and his wives immediately encountered a group of men, and a few women lined up.


    Lulu was standing there while a woman who looked just like her, only a little taller and much stronger, stood to the right of the woman between the two.


    The woman between the two, with long beautiful white hair, beautiful in body and face, level 77, was smiling, looking at Minos as if he were a predator in his haste.


    A Spiritual Saint then introduced him. "Your Majesty, Minos Stuart, the King of the Black Plain, future sovereign of Vogel."


    Another individual said. "Your Majesty, Iris West, Queen of Albano."


    "Your Highness..."


    Each of the princesses was introduced, along with the introduction of Minos'' wives.


    At the same time, Minos discovered that all the men there, almost 40 people, were the husbands of either Iris, Lulu, or Joan, that trio of mother and daughters.


    ''Unbelievable...'' He looked at those people and felt a great sense of shame, not understanding how anyone could accept that.


    ''I would understand ordinary men accepting this humiliation, but...'' He looked at the Spiritual Saints among those men, some good-looking, the kind who could do harems elsewhere.


    To Minos, it made no sense for people like that to subject themselves to situations like these, to share a single woman with many others.


    It must be said that every man above level 65 in that place had the scent of the queen, something that Minos noticed, even though he did not know this woman well.


    So, the ''many'' were not insignificant!


    If they were ordinary people with no prospects, unable to take a woman like Iris to bed, Minos would understand. It might be worth the price for some men to agree to share such a woman. But that did not seem to be the case for the men there...


    ''Sigh...''


    ''The West family and their vassals have unique ways of operating.'' He laughed, knowing that Iris was looking at him as if she was in the mood to take him to bed.


    "King Stuart, it is a pleasure to finally meet you," Iris said as she looked into Minos'' brown eyes, ignoring the three beautiful women beside him. "My daughter has said amazing things about you. So why don''t we go and talk somewhere quieter? I know you must be tired from the trip here."


    "Hmm." He nodded and walked ahead of his wives, approaching that woman and her daughters.


    Lulu nodded to Minos and smiled while Joan winked at him, finding this person to have a more ''sharp'' bearing than rumors gave him credit for.


    In particular, the tattoo in the middle of his forehead was very cool, and she could not help but feel shocks through her body as she felt the sensation it was giving her.


    "I didn''t think you were so young, King Stuart..." She smiled as she approached him, wanting to do what her younger sister had failed to do.


    "Hmm, you all look young too." He said, indicating that they were not, despite their excellent appearances.


    So Minos and his wives went about talking to those three while their men stayed behind, just chatting and wondering what would happen.


    They had no influence to keep up with the queen, and what''s more, they knew what was likely to happen in a few moments...


    ''Lucky wretch!'' Many of them thought about it in silence.


    ''He''s going to have fun with six goddesses all by himself while we have to share them with many of our brothers!''


    ''What a terrible fellow!''


    ''Ah, but what can we do? We''re not sovereigns like him...''


    Thoughts flew in that area as Minos and his group settled into the business room usually used by Iris to negotiate with her partners.


    She wanted to have fun alongside her daughters with Minos. Still, she knew she had to talk about serious stuff first, like the issue involving the Flaming Empire!


    ...

 Chapter 1315 Conversations With The West Family

    "So, are you aware of the situation of our states against the Flaming Empire?" Iris West asked Minos as she sat next to her daughters on the opposite side of where he and his wives were sitting on an oversized sofa.


    Minos nodded as he held a cup of spiritual tea with one of his hands and the saucer with the other. "Yes, I am not irresponsible not to know about what happens to my interests..."


    "So what have you been doing in the Empire? Have you accomplished anything to lessen tensions in the region? The Emperor seems very interested in the war." She said with a slightly altered tone, doubtful of Minos'' actions.


    Minos had not promised that he would be able to solve anything. He had only sworn that he would try to speak on behalf of Albano and the other states to calm the regional tensions.


    But still, Iris felt that Minos owed her and the other sovereigns some answers.


    He then spoke up. "Well, besides resolving some matters that I intend to finalize here in Albano for the sake of the Black Plain, I had the opportunity to meet the Emperor in person."


    Minos knew that both sides had spies watching enemy movements in these states. So his meeting with the Emperor or the occasions when he was with Princess Isabella would not go unnoticed by these people.


    In that way, he would not hide his meeting with the Edwardstone family from Iris.


    "So?" She asked as she and her daughters paid attention to him, with no sign of his mundane desires that they were feeling earlier.


    "Well, I am only the King of the Black Plain, while he is a level 80 Spiritual Sage..." Minos began lying. "So, naturally, I didn''t get much."


    The three nodded, knowing that it would be expecting too much from him to think that he could solve such a big problem on his own.


    Minos'' wives kept their expressions as calm as possible, trying to act the same way he did so as not to alert those three women of what they knew.


    He continued. "Besides talking about the Black Plain and business, I talked to him about your situation and how war is not interesting to anyone. But the talks didn''t go far. He doesn''t believe that our alliance will be able to stop him. For him, my leadership in Vogel will be fragile, and they will disperse."


    His eyes sharpened as he looked up into Queen West''s face. "He will not back down without testing your strength. I sense that."


    "He wants to test us?" Joan looked at her mother, feeling that this made total sense.


    After all, who was Minos compared to the powers involved in this complicated situation? A nobody!


    Yes, he was talented, had good contacts, had experience fighting and winning a war, and was not negatively influenced by either party. But he was only at level 62, and his power came from the Black Plain.


    So besides potentials, Minos did not have what it took to be that scary, even considering his Black Hole Bomb.


    All the regional leaders knew he could produce something hazardous. But they also knew it was not as simple as activating a technique.


    In this case, as long as they were careful, they could ignore this young talent.


    So, since Minos had little impact on the present, Joan and her mother could not help but believe his words, feeling that it all made sense.


    Minos said. "Yes. He didn''t tell me that, but from the impression I got, he wants to see if the union of our forces is strong enough or only appears to be."


    Iris clenched her fists, feeling that this would not be easy.


    It was true that the noble families of Vogel had accepted Minos as sovereign and even gathered in the Assembly suggested by him. But would they behave as a state united in one goal at the critical moment, or would they weaken?


    The figure of a king or Emperor sometimes served less for his individual strengths and more for his ability to hold the collective together.


    So the doubt that seemed to be in Harold''s mind was also in the mind of Iris and her fellow sovereigns of the other three states.


    If Vogel was united, they could withstand the Empire''s tests and still scare the Edwardstone family with the damage a war could bring to it. But, on the other hand, if Vogel were disunited, the tests the Empire would run would give the Emperor confidence to go full tilt with a war!


    Lulu continued silent, watching Minos'' wives until her mother asked him. "What is your opinion about what we should do?"


    She had her thoughts, but Minos was already a partner, and he was a young prodigy. Thus, it was worth listening to what he had to say, even if she might not use it in the future.


    Minos smiled and said. "There''s not much to do other than make sure the alliance forces are united in dealing with the Empire''s tests. Having a good command hierarchy, getting Vogel to follow such, and supporting the alliance leader is the key."


    "As for negotiations, there is not much to negotiate right now. First, you truly need to regain the table space you lost with the crime of the Vogel family to have the right to speak with these enemies again." He finished his argument.


    ''Indeed...''


    ''Negotiations only happen between two equals or individuals with complementary possibilities.'' The queen''s eyes narrowed. ''At the moment, we cannot be considered on the same level as the Empire. And there is nothing we have that such a state needs...''


    ''In this case, we can only hold firm and show that we can be better than they think we are.'' She clenched her fists, sensing that the times ahead would not be easy.


    Lulu then ignored her older sister and mother, who were reflective and asked. "Why do you seem so calm? This situation is not good for Vogel, the state your family will soon rule."


    Abby then answered the princess while those other women from the West family looked at her and her harem sisters. "We will try our best, but not all of our eggs are in this basket. We have the Black Plain and never thought we would have Vogel until recently. So why should we be nervous about that?"


    Gloria added. "Not to mention that we have confidence in our husband''s ''diplomacy.''"


    Ruth nodded in agreement. "If you do the same, we can get through this situation more easily than you can imagine..."


    Minos smiled as he heard his wives showing the way to those women, trusting the hierarchy, one where he was at the top to keep those forces together.


    As those women were not stupid, they soon realized what they had in front of them, falling into their thoughts regarding the future.


    There were no easy decisions in the life of a ruler. So they would have to think about what to do and the possible consequences of their decisions before doing something that might bring irreversible problems.


    As such, they no longer focused on the matter at hand, leaving that to be decided later while they touched on another subject.


    "What exactly do you intend to end up in our state?" Iris asked Minos.


    ...

 Chapter 1316 The Black Plain Medal

    Upon hearing Queen West''s question, Minos wasted no time and got to the point. "I am in search of original techniques for array masters. Unfortunately, I couldn''t order Black-grade techniques in the Flaming Empire because of some setbacks, but I want to resolve this before I finish my trip."


    "Original Black-grade techniques?" Joan asked, knowing why Minos wanted to talk about this with them rather than doing his business directly with local array masters.


    Any array master capable of producing their techniques could trade them as they wished. But many followed the recommendations of some larger organization that held power over some necessary resources...


    At the same time, since it was not interesting to negotiate this kind of technique with anyone who had just the resources, many would simply not do this kind of business.


    In this case, instead of wasting time talking to spiritual professionals, it would make more sense to go to an organization with the decision-making ability to authorize the deal at once.


    Hence, the three women of the West family readily understood the point of Minos being there to talk to them.


    Iris then asked. "This kind of technique can cause a lot of problems. What do you intend to give us in return for this deal?"


    "I will make fair payment, of course, and we can also negotiate a bonus." He replied.


    "A bonus?" Her eyes widened in interest.


    "Hmmm, do you know what the Seraphim''s Promise Medal is?" Minos asked as he spoke of this item that had previously led to much trouble on the Black Plain.


    "Of course. The Spiritual Church is not only present in one state..." That woman said, promptly remembering the meaning behind such an artifact.


    The Seraphim''s Promise Medal was a debt guarantee that the Church would one day fulfill through the completion of a request. Of course, there were rules for this request, but in short, everything was allowed apart from crimes against the rules of the Church.


    So this was a precious item!


    Minos smiled and said. "Then we will give you a Black Plain Medal. Suppose one day you need something, as long as it doesn''t violate the principles of my organization. In that case, someone from my forces with ability will help you."


    After these words were spoken, Joan smiled and looked at Minos as if wondering if this young man thought himself a comedian to make jokes like that.


    "King Stuart, don''t be offended. But why do you think this will be valuable to us? What will the Black Plain be able to do that we cannot do with our own hands?" This local heiress asked while her mother waited for Minos'' answer.


    Minos was not offended and answered. "We will have many who will be able to do what you are not. Honestly, my forces will have a Spiritual Sage before your West family. That alone should be enough..."


    "Spiritual Sage?" Lulu rose from her armchair to question Minos, finding it unbelievable how easily he used that stage in his lines.


    "What?" Joan could not stand Minos'' arrogance either and could not help but change the confident expression on her face to one of displeasure.


    Minos laughed and asked. "I am telling you the truth. Do you doubt it? Do you think you can get it before we do?"


    None of those women thought that their family could get a Spiritual Sage. After all, even the Flaming Empire, bigger and stronger than Albano, could only nurture one individual.


    So how would they be?


    Hell, they had not even had level 78 or 79 people in this state for hundreds of thousands of years. So how could they imagine having someone at level 80 in their ranks?


    Therefore, none of them could answer Minos'' question without looking like he was right.


    "That''s not the point..." Iris commented in a low voice, finding it fascinating how annoying Minos could be when he wanted to be.


    Minos knew what they had in mind and asked. "Even if you don''t believe we will have Spiritual Sages, do you at least believe we will have Spiritual Saints?"


    Joan immediately answered him. "Of course." She looked at Gloria. "It''s only a matter of time..."


    "And you think I will stop my cultivation at the 7th stage?" He asked.


    "No. You are too talented to encounter a bottleneck at this point." Iris said.


    She did not know the level of Minos'' talent. So she had no idea how far he could go. But from his cultivation speed and age, it would be strange if he could not reach the 8th stage.


    Minos then opened his arms and said. "Then, when I reach your stage, I will be as strong or stronger than you. Won''t that be enough for that medal to have its value?"


    Iris finally realized that Minos'' arrogance was not so high that he lost his reason. His words made perfect sense. He was only at level 62 and could already speak with Spiritual Saints as equals.


    People of that stage respected him, and some even feared him.


    So what would happen when he reached that stage, reached level 70?


    She could only imagine that he would be even more impressive, and the possibility of him becoming stronger than she was was not an impossible dream. But, the opposite of that, it was something plausible. So, she could not help but consider the advantage of having the favor of someone like that for just a few Black-grade original techniques.


    After giving it some thought, she responded to Minos'' business proposal. "All right, I''ll take that medal of yours."


    "Oh?" His women opened their mouths in surprise at how quick that woman had been to see the advantage in this and believe Minos.


    Minos did have the potential to become stronger than her. But for his proposal to be good, Iris would have to believe in King Stuart''s project and that her organization would not end in the short term.


    So Iris'' answer said a lot about her views and thoughts regarding the present and the future situation.


    She added. "You can discuss the details of the deal you need with Joan, and she will solve the matters regarding your techniques and the delivery to the Black Plain when they are ready."


    Minos smiled at those words, promptly standing up to shake that woman''s hand and close the deal.


    After that moment of serious business, Iris had Lulu serve different drinks from the tea earlier for Minos'' group, relaxing the mood in that office.


    "So, Minos, I hear you don''t approve of our ways..." Iris commented with a smile on her face as she winked at Lulu. "Why don''t we change that? I don''t believe you will continue to think that our business ways are bad if you try it..."


    Her daughters smiled as they listened to Iris, hoping that Minos would accept the local traditions and give them some fun after so much serious talk.


    Minos then closed his eyes and smiled, already knowing he would face something like this with these obsessed people.


    ...

 Chapter 1317 Demons?

    "It''s not going to happen," Minos commented to those three women in a tone that showed his determination.


    "But..."


    Before Iris could even say anything in her devilish voice, Minos rose from his seat, and his women did the same, quickly walking toward the exit of this place.


    "Well, I''ll find a place to stay in this city for the next few days. You can come to me when you have official business to talk to." He spoke before opening the door and leaving that office.


    After seeing that, the three women were surprised at Minos'' overreaction, particularly Iris and Joan, who had not witnessed the situation in Dry City months ago.


    "I don''t think he''s going to change his mind..." Lulu commented. "Minos is different from the men in our family or our vassals."


    "I refuse to believe he doesn''t desire me!" Joan commented as she got up from her seat, heading out of there, already thinking about how to seduce Minos.


    On the other hand, Iris was more experienced than her oldest daughter and did nothing. Instead, she just stayed behind with Lulu, thinking about the young King Stuart.


    ''Sigh, it will be a pity if he is one of those who only relate to women of his own...'' She looked towards the exit of that place, wondering if Minos was pretending to be what he was not or being sincere.


    If it was the second case, there was nothing she could do since he was someone important to her plans, a fellow sovereign who deserved respect despite his current low level. So she could not take things too far and would have to accept that she could not experiment with that young man full of energy.


    Lulu was already skeptical about the potential success of her mother and sister''s onslaught, so she accepted the situation more readily.


    After saying goodbye to the Queen, she went directly to take care of her business, cultivating, something she had done much more since she met Minos.


    Minos cultivated very fast, and a woman like her, who was considered a local prodigy, could not help but be excited to cultivate and not get left behind.


    Before, no one outside her family could accompany her in cultivation and serve as a rival. Thus, she had been a complacent girl who did not cultivate so seriously.


    But now the situation was different!


    So, they all left that place in the blink of an eye. Minos and his group went to get to know this city while the others followed their own plans.


    ...


    Three days later...


    After the previous situation, Minos and his group spent their time in the capital of Albano without any problems. They lived in this place like sovereigns when they were not trying to leave in secret.


    The local guard paid attention to their movements, always trying to escort the group and prevent trouble from getting to them.


    But now and then, Minos'' group would escape from their watch temporarily to experience this city as ordinary cultivators.


    Right now they were doing this, all four of them dressed in clothes that hid their bodies and masks on their faces.


    He and his wives were in a local restaurant, a place of taste and refinement but with people from all backgrounds coming and going.


    Just at this place where they intended to try a typical local dish, two men sat down near the table of the four and started talking about an exciting subject.


    "Have you heard? A ship from the elves'' island was declared lost six weeks ago." A level 65 man said this to his companion while drinks and snacks stood between them on the table.


    The other person, of the same level, only with a lot of hair on his face, nodded and said. "That happens from time to time. Elves Island is not that far from the North Sea. So now and then, depending on where the ship left this island, the storms in that region may have taken another ship."


    "Hmm, the North Sea is terrible. My grandmother always said that was a home for demons..." The bald fellow said, soon afterward sipping his drink.


    When those individuals changed the subject, Minos was still interested in the words from just now. He was not looking at them to avoid drawing attention but with his pupils turned in their direction.


    Minos'' wives were talking to each other, and then one of them asked. "My love, what is it?"


    Minos looked at Abby and then at his other two wives. "I just heard about the North Sea."


    The North Sea was the reason Emlyn and Kyla had met Minos, as well as being the home of the mysteries that plagued Old Grant, the crippled Spiritual Saint of the Black Plain Army. Because of this, Minos was interested in that area and naturally would not ignore people talking about it.


    ''The home for demons, huh?'' He looked away and then considered. ''That must indeed be the case...''


    ...


    The next day, Minos finished his business with Joan, having gotten his hands on copies of Silver-grade techniques for array masters. At the same time, his order for the originals of black-grade classification had been confirmed. It would only be a matter of time before they were delivered to the Black Plain.


    After finishing his business locally, Minos was sought out again by Queen West, with whom he was walking in a local garden at this instant.


    "So, how was your journey here?" She asked him while having her left arm being held by him.


    The Queen was quite invasive and had an easy time getting into men''s space. Since she was not bold to the point of crossing other boundaries, Minos accepted her, although he did not like the situation.


    He then answered her while his wives followed behind them. "Normal... But we''re leaving in the next two days."


    "You''re leaving already?" She stopped walking and turned to him. "Are you sure about that? Training in my state for a while might be better for you before returning to the Black Plain."


    "About that, I intend to do something else in Albano before returning to my state." He said. "But that may take some time. So I will leave as soon as possible."


    She clenched her fists, frustrated at not getting what she wanted with a man for the first time in decades. "Are you sure you won''t try this lady before you leave? You know, I would make you my first husband easily if you wanted to..."


    Minos'' wives looked at that shameless woman with narrowed eyes, but they did not even have to say anything.


    "A real man would never subject himself to entering a woman''s ''realm.'' Instead, he would choose which woman to enter his." He said without much feeling, showing her how incompatible they were.


    "Anyway, don''t push it any further. It''s not going to happen."


    "Sigh..." She looked at Minos'' wives and lamented but soon followed with their walk, talking about other things.


    At the end of it all, Minos would not join Iris'' reverse harem, and days later, he would depart this capital in search of the site of the God of Death''s inheritance!

 Chapter 1318 The Heritage Site

    Three weeks later...


    After departing from the capital of Albano, the group of four humans and two beasts arrived in the vicinity of the area where Minos was sensing the sign of the God of Death''s inheritance.


    Minos did not know exactly where this place was to the extent of identifying on the map where they should go. He only felt the direction where such a place was. So their journey had not been quick, with them having to stop several times for him to understand better where they should go.


    But after three weeks of searching for the inheritance site, Minos and his wives arrived, according to their instincts, where this should be.


    In the middle of a highly silent forest was the most secluded area of Albano. In this place, incidents and tragedies had happened so often in the past that the area had become forbidden. It was famous for the terrible future and bad luck of those who passed through there.


    But upon arriving there without much fear, the four humans immediately understood that the reason for the stories about this place was the God of Death.


    There was a dark mist in some parts of the forest, where only those who passed through it could know what was on the other side.


    At the same time, the intense killing intent coming from that fog-covered area was something they had all felt when Minos received the key to this place.


    Finally, in addition to the incomplete trident sign on Minos'' forehead started trembling now, Abby felt extremely grumpy, recalling the feelings of the Goddess of Life.


    "That''s the place." She commented in a low voice, confident that that was the feeling emitted by the Goddess of Life''s rival.


    Minos was already sure of it too, but since he did not feel anything towards that person, he was just curious to know what he would gain there.


    He would do this to help Abby complete the Goddess of Life''s inheritance. But nothing would stop him from taking advantage of the situation. Thus, Minos was prepared to get some things for the Black Plain if possible.


    "What do we do now?" Ruth asked in curiosity.


    As the three women looked at him, Minos replied. "I will send the two of you with Kyla and Maida to the Spatial Kingdom. Abby and I will continue."


    "What? How can you decide that?" Gloria asked, not liking that she was being excluded from the adventure.


    "Do you intend to fight pregnant, big sister?" Kyla asked as she stood next to them, not liking the atmosphere of that area.


    She would rather return to the Spatial Kingdom as soon as possible!


    Not only was that place better than the mainland, but recently it was giving off an energy that made her feel very comfortable...


    Gloria listened to that fox and clenched her fists as she looked at her belly.


    Minos then commented. "This place has its dangers, and only I can help Abby complete her mission since you two did not participate in the inheritance of the Goddess of Life."


    "On the other hand, we don''t know what will happen. So we shouldn''t risk more than is necessary."


    "What about Abby? Isn''t that better for us to leave this for the future? I think it will be too risky on your level to do this." Ruth said in concern.


    She had no idea how dangerous the God of Death''s inheritance would be since Minos and Abby had easily managed to overcome the Goddess of Life''s inheritance. But upon arriving at this place and noticing the area covered in black fog, she could not help but think that the place was much more dangerous than they thought.


    Abby then said. "I''ll be fine. I have the weapon left by the Goddess of Life with some of her aurae. That will protect me enough for us to escape in case of need."


    "Still, how will we escape if everyone is in the Spatial Kingdom?" The black-haired woman insisted.


    Minos reassured his wife. "If we need to escape, I will launch the black hole at that place. That will clear the area and ensure a safe place to return to."


    "Why don''t we do this right away?" Gloria asked.


    The black hole could erase even souls. Because of this, it would not be impossible, in this pregnant''s opinion, that they could destroy this place just by throwing the black hole there.


    Minos laughed and said. "If I do that, we will lose anything useful that might be in this place..."


    The Goddess of Life had said that the traces of the God of Death should be erased from existence. But not every item in an inheritance necessarily belonged to its former owner.


    Like Minos, cultivators had their history, dead enemies, and many items collected along the river of time. So, naturally, there would be items not owned or ''blessed'' by the God of Death in that place.


    And those items would not need to be destroyed, which was of great interest to Minos!


    "So it''s on account of your greed..." Ruth commented, looking at her husband with a warning look.


    "Come on, don''t worry. Worst-case scenario, we''ll have to stay in the Spatial Kingdom for a while." He smiled apologetically, slowly convincing his wives.


    After looking at each other and talking for a few more moments in that scary woods, Minos sent Maida, Kyla, Ruth, and Gloria to the Spatial Kingdom.


    After being alone with his queen, he took one of Abby''s hands while this woman held a silver staff in her other hand, a weapon that had a blue gem on top of it.


    Abby took a deep breath and gathered her courage, quickly making her way with her husband into the area covered by the black mist.


    As they did so, they immediately noticed the sudden coldness of that area, which seemed to contain beings of different races in pain, screaming in agony.


    As their backs shivered, the staff in one of Abby''s hands glowed through its bluish gem, quickly covering this woman''s body.


    But this did not extend to Minos, and amidst the negative feeling in his being, he released his killing intent as much as he could.


    In doing so, Minos did not affect his wife, as she was protected by that staff, already feeling much less fearful. Meanwhile, the strange feeling in his being diminished as if that hostile environment was accepting him as part of itself.


    The sounds of screaming diminished as they continued, along with the formation of a path in front of them, something like a stairway at the edge of a cliff.


    ''This place is strange... Where''s here?'' Minos felt curious, trying to understand the surroundings covered by this strange mist.


    The continent had changed a bit since the time of Henricus Longus. Because of this, in some places, Minos only had an idea of what they were in that man''s time, so he could not determine some interesting places precisely.


    He could more or less tell the approximate location of those giant skeletons as they had unique demarcations. But other places were complicated to determine.


    But since there had been some extreme places in the area he was of the Central Continent in the past, Minos could not help but wonder where exactly they would arrive.


    So, as they walked slowly, the two began to hear footsteps coming towards them!


    ...

 Chapter 1319 Spiritual Development

    When Minos and Abby began to hear footsteps coming toward them, they both stopped following the path in front of them. However, both stood alert in case they needed to fight.


    But then, the footsteps slowed down soon after they stopped, ceasing to exist shortly after that.


    Then, as they stood still in silence, waiting for something, the dark mist in the surrounding area began to move away from them, slowly clearing the space they were in.


    Because of this, within a few seconds, they noticed that they were actually walking downstairs beside a cliff.


    This cliff had a winding shape, while its opposite side had a large area of red dirt that extended as far as the eye could see without any tree.


    From where Minos and Abby stood, this land looked like a sea of blood, even more so considering the negative vibrations of this place.


    The sky above them was orange, and there was a feeling in the air that would make anyone feel like something was wrong.


    "This place?" Minos muttered in a low voice as he remembered an area similar to this in Henricus Longus'' time.


    "Uh? Did you recognize this place?" Abby asked.


    She remembered this place from the memories of the Goddess of Life. But what she had in mind was only ''normal'' for that person from millions of years ago.


    For Minos, on the other hand, what he had in mind was a bit more shocking.


    "Yes, this seems to be the old home of the Ancient Folk''s nemesis." He muttered, remembering a bit of ancient history.


    The Ancient Folk was a primordial tribe even in the time of Henricus Longus. Even more than 6 million years ago, these people had long since been instinct.


    But still, this tribe had become famous in its time, and its name lingered in the river of history for countless years.


    Why was this so? The Ancient Folk had invented most of the Spiritual World''s cultivation rules!


    At some point in the history of this world, spiritual humans did not cultivate for the most part, and the few who did, did so by accident. But at one point, a tribe had emerged and led the Spiritual Revolution, deciphering the basic laws behind spiritual ascension.


    Such a spiritual learning process took time, having taken hundreds of thousands of years between the first to try to cultivate consciously and the one who actually was the first to do so.


    But for all this time, and by the time the process had achieved success, the Ancient Folk''s tribe had led everything, initiating the procedures that would enable the development of cultivation techniques.


    In a way, they had ''invented'' spiritual cultivation in this world!


    Thus this group of spiritual humans became famous, and even people like Ruth and Gloria knew of their existence, even without the memories of an ancestor to show them this.


    Minos continued. "At some point in history, the Ancient Folk faced a difficult enemy. In the first instance, that person suffered a terrible defeat for that group of cultivators and lost everything of value to him in one afternoon."


    "His lands were taken, his women raped, killed, and destroyed, and his family finished. All his servants, from the most loyal to the most corrupt, died in a great genocide led by the Ancient Folk."


    "But he survived, in this place, on the blood of tens of thousands." Minos pointed to the red earth, which appeared like a sea of blood when looked at due to an optical illusion.


    "I don''t know what happened in the in-between time between that fateful day and the end of the Ancient Folk. But it is a fact that such an individual made a great sacrifice in this place when he eventually reached level 70." Minos said, remembering that at the time in question, there were no people much stronger than that.


    "Anyway, after that, this area became a home of misfortune, a place that not coincidentally attracted wars and disasters, bringing out the worst in people." His eyes narrowed. "It is not for nothing that the God of Death''s heritage is here."


    When the Ancient Folk was exterminated, the strongest in this world were only Spiritual Saints. But even then, this area had been affected by something done by someone ''weak'' by today''s standards.


    The reason for this? Simply something called Spiritual Development.


    Natural Laws and spiritual energy exist in nature chaotically, without form or will of their own. But when people capable of controlling them arose, they naturally ''obeyed'' the will of those strongest.


    The problem with this? Natural Laws themselves could mature in unimaginable ways after being manipulated!


    An example of this was the Spatial Kingdoms. These unique places did not exist until the first individual capable of cultivation reached level 100.


    After the appearance of the first such place, millions of years passed until the appearance of a second one. But when the creator of the second compared his one with the first, he noticed a big difference that could not be justified by the level of the one who created it.


    That was Spiritual Development. Natural Laws were manipulated by conscious beings, which strengthened themselves over time.


    In the case of this area, the Ancient Folk''s nemesis created a curse under it, and such a thing developed for millions of years ''quietly'' undisturbed by beings more powerful than himself. The result of this? A curse created by a Spiritual Saint had become so strong that by the time of Henricus Longus, Spiritual Demigods could not undo such a thing.


    Because of this, this curse has lasted until the present day and has become a challenging existence that frightened people of all stages.


    And knowing all this, Minos could not help but draw a parallel between this place and the God of Death, a villainous being who lived by absorbing the power of sacrifices.


    For such an individual, this place had probably been a home where he felt good and could take advantage of the ''natural'' features of the area for his benefit.


    As Minos thought about this and Abby considered for the first time that this was a cursed place, the black mist in the surrounding area disappeared, revealing the base of the cliff.


    At that spot, it did not take long for the two to notice that there seemed to be a gravedigger digging a grave while sweating under the hot sun.


    He was dressed entirely in white, but the red dirt soiled his clothes.


    Or was it blood?


    Neither could tell, but they both heard his voice calling them while they were still hundreds of meters from such a person.


    "Get down from there right now. Help me dig those two graves before the sun sets." A voice devoid of emotion or signs of fatigue said, without such an individual even turning his face to look at them.


    He made two other shovels appear beside him and said. "I know one of you doesn''t like my work, but you will appreciate helping me finish this little resting place..."


    ...

 Chapter 1320 Thats Not The Inheritance!

    As they got closer to the gravedigger working in that red place, Minos and Abby looked at him strangely.


    He knew this person could not be alive since this area was unfit for people to stay in for a long time and the inheritance site.


    Minos had no way of knowing whether the God of Death''s inheritance would be similar to the Goddess of Life''s, which sent the competitors to the place where everything happened or was different. After all, each inheritance followed the rules of its creator, which could vary greatly.


    Hence, for all intents and purposes, he already considered himself to be within the inheritance from the moment he passed through the dark mist. So he felt that this gravedigger was part of the inheritance, not a person alive.


    On the other hand, she looked at that individual with strangeness in her eyes as she felt negative vibrations coming from him.


    "Who are you?" Abby asked in an attempt to confirm the theory in her mind.


    "Help me. The graves won''t open on their own." He said, still not looking at the two youths nearby.


    Minos then asked this man, who seemed to be at level 70. "What are you for this inheritance?"


    "Inheritance?" This man smiled as he stopped his movement while looking at the red dirt in front of him. "So you aren''t here to help me? When was the last time that happened? A million years?"


    Minos and Abby frowned until they saw such a person drop his shovel and look in their direction, showing his face to them.


    This person''s face looked like a patchwork, one eye black, one red, nose disproportionate, in an orange-white, distinguishable, right cheek white and left black. Meanwhile, the right half of his lips were frozen in a smiling position, and the left half was in annoyance.


    Half of his forehead was cut, and the other half had veins showing on his skin, sweat dripping from his pores.


    In addition, they could see the seams connecting each part of this person''s face, indicating that someone had done this.


    The eyes of the two narrowed as they wondered who this person was.


    "Uh?" He looked intently at Minos and muttered. "You have the scent of an old acquaintance on one of your hands..."


    Minos frowned even more upon hearing that since the God of Death could not recognize anything that was on that hand of his.


    "Who are you?" He asked louder while already holding one of Abby''s fists.


    The subject made smiled, but his expression did not change at all. "You want the inheritance in this place, right? Someone dared to put such a thing here, but everyone who came here perished before they even entered that despicable person''s test."


    "Aren''t we inside the inheritance? So how can you be here?" Abby questioned, feeling that her previous theory was wrong.


    "Inside the inheritance?" He laughed again. "The inheritance is right there." He pointed with one of his fingers to a tomb built vertically into the rocky walls of the cliff they had just walked down.


    In that tomb, the two immediately saw a dark mist escaping from the sides of it, while the symbol of a dark trident was embedded in the center of it.


    "If that''s not the inheritance..." Minos prepared to run from there, figuring that the person in front of them could only be the curse of this place.


    He had not thought he would be fooled even though he had the protection of the Spatial Kingdom''s ring. So, upon noticing the actual location of the God of Death''s inheritance, Minos felt he should escape.


    He immediately circulated his energies through the Spatial Kingdom''s ring to teleport him and Abby.


    Zum!


    As he did so, the man in front of them ran towards them in the blink of an eye, watching the change of space happen as the teleportation took place.


    When Minos and Abby appeared inside the Spatial Kingdom where Ruth and Gloria were, they looked a little pale but soon became much worse.


    As soon as they saw the surroundings of that place and started to feel better, the same man as before appeared in front of them, this time a little transparent.


    "Did he manage to follow us? How?" Abby shouted in shock while Minos'' two other wives watched the situation from afar, not understanding why they had returned so quickly.


    Minos then said. "That''s not part of the God of Death''s inheritance but the curse of that place!"


    "Even though he appears to be someone at level 70, he is above someone at level 99 in certain respects!"


    "Hahaha, you know very well." That being said, in a humorous tone, while looking at the surroundings. "So this is that human''s creation? That''s the first time I''ve seen something like that..."


    "Hmm? What is it?" Suddenly, his eyes narrowed, and the ''patchwork'' on his face, parts of the calamity that the creator of this curse had suffered, twitched.


    He had quickly probed this Spatial Kingdom and felt what reaching level 100 meant. But even though this was his first time in one of these, he could more or less understand every law behind this place and still assume how something like this was done.


    But even with all his ''development,'' he could not understand the feeling he had just experienced.


    Because of this, he took his eyes off Minos and Abby and looked away in the direction of where he had just ''heard'' a strange chant, similar to the noise of a beast.


    But that chant seemed inexplicable to him, charged with things he did not understand and an overwhelming power that made him shiver.


    "What is that?" He said aloud as he looked at the gigantic skeleton ''lying'' in the area he was looking at.


    That was the consciousness of the Ancient Folk''s nemesis curse. But even if, at the time of this tribe, the giant skeletons of this world already existed, this was not a guarantee that everyone knew about them.


    Even today, many people would spend most of their lives in a tiny area of the world. So what must it have been like tens of millions of years in the past when the population was lower and certain places might seem to be all that the world had to offer?


    At that time, the seals on these great skeletons had not yet been made, and they were lost to the world. But this was no guarantee that anyone would find them!


    Several were ground up and had only been discovered in past excavations.


    So, since the nemesis of the Ancient Folk had not known any of these fantastic creatures, he was startled to see that thing for the first time.


    But not only that, but because of his ''development,'' he felt something threatening coming from that and trembled with fear.


    ''Shit!''


    ''How dare anyone do that? How did he have the nerve to bring it into this place?'' He looked back and saw Minos, not knowing if this was the biggest idiot in the world or a damn lucky one.


    "Damn it!"


    "Brat, I''ll wait for you outside!" He ran off without waiting any longer to see what would happen if he stayed there too long.


    ...

 Chapter 1321 There Is No Alternative

    When the consciousness of the previous curse disappeared from the Spatial Kingdom, Minos finally breathed a sigh of relief, while Abby also felt better.


    At the same time, Gloria and Ruth rushed to their side, curious about what had just happened.


    "What was that? How did someone manage to get into the Spatial Kingdom?" Ruth questioned.


    "That was a curse. It followed the path of the Spatial Kingdom when we teleported here." Minos said as he used Henricus Longus'' knowledge of such a place.


    Teleportation was a quick way to go from one place to another. But when it was used, such a mode of travel created small spatial cracks that took some time to be fully corrected by the space-time tissue.


    Because of this, a Natural Law, spiritual energy, or variations thereof could enter Spatial Kingdoms through these small gaps in space.


    Another way would be through the Spatial Kingdom''s place of origin, where it ''was'' located.


    Case in point, the location of Minos'' Spatial Kingdom was not in the vicinity of that area, so the only way for that curse to pursue him and Abby would be through the crack in question.


    "Curse?" Gloria was surprised, not expecting something like that to take human form and look so much like a living being.


    "Hmm, it''s a bit complicated. Actually, the God of Death''s heritage was built on the Ancient Folk''s sacrificial site." He gave that brief summary to his wives. "That''s that curse created by that tribe''s nemesis."


    "What?" Gloria exclaimed since she had read a little about the Ancient Folk.


    She did not know as many details as Minos. Still, she knew an enemy had destroyed the tribe of the ''founders'' of cultivation as they knew it.


    So she was interested in the subject since this was a historical fact, something that naturally made anyone interested.


    Ruth had also heard of the Ancient Folk, so she was open-mouthed to hear that something so primordial still existed in this world.


    "Then why did it run away?" She asked as Minos and Abby looked in the direction of the skeleton that such a curse had looked at moments earlier.


    Neither of them had felt anything that such a curse consciousness had felt. So they could only think that something related to the majestic beast skeleton had frightened the enemy.


    Minos said as he pointed in the direction of those bones. "I think it was probably that..."


    The two looked over to where Kyla and Maida were lying among the creature''s bones, where they were pretty comfortable sleeping.


    But even focusing their attention on that, neither of them felt anything the same way Minos and Abby did. Instead, they only saw a giant skeleton full of energy and laws escaping from it.


    "What do we do now?" Abby questioned her husband. "When we leave here, it will come after us."


    Minos closed his eyes and tried to imagine how to solve the present problem. "Staying training here for a while will not help us at all. So I''ll try to find a way to resolve the situation."


    "What?"


    "This is too dangerous!"


    "No. I won''t allow you to do that!"


    The three protested against Minos'' crazy idea.


    "We have no alternative. So anyway, it''s better to try than to stay here and do nothing." He said seriously. "And I can run back here any minute for all intents and purposes."


    "But this time, it will be waiting for this!" Abby said, not liking that at all.


    "Anyway, it''s decided." Minos was firm in his conviction. "But don''t exaggerate so much. The God of Death knew what this place was, and he certainly had a hard time putting his heritage there."


    "Wouldn''t it be stupid for him to leave nothing to help his potential heirs?" He looked at her in a way that showed his idea''s logic. "Perhaps that is the test of the God of Death''s inheritance. Someone using something left by that expert to withstand the curse in the area."


    As much as they were afraid, the three realized that their husband''s words made sense. After all, if every candidate for that inheritance was just to die to the curse in that area, the God of Death was in danger of never obtaining an heir.


    But obtaining an heir was precisely the purpose of every inheritance!


    So it was expected that some trickery that could help him was hidden in that area!


    Abby then clenched her fists and said. "Be careful then."


    "Hmm, when I find a way to overcome that curse, I''ll pick you up so we can do what we came here to do." He said as he hugged her and kissed her on the forehead.


    Soon after, he hugged his other wives and teleported back to the red area from earlier.


    Zum!


    ...


    Appearing back in the area from earlier, Minos immediately looked around and saw the man dressed in white waiting for him beside the grave he was digging earlier.


    "You came back faster than I thought." It said in a calm tone, but still feeling strange from the earlier feeling. "What was that?"


    Minos'' eyes narrowed, and he answered with a question. "Don''t you know? In your time, no one had ever found one of those?"


    That curse understood what that meant. "So that skeleton already existed in my time? How can that be? So many millions of years have passed..."


    But then it became more serious and said. "I don''t know why that thing was willing to help you, but now that you are here, the situation is different!"


    "Will you help me dig the grave, or will you choose the hard way?" It asked as an extra shovel lay to its right side, this time with the markings for a single grave there.


    Minos understood the meaning of that and said. "Is that supposed to be for me? I''m sorry, but I don''t intend to die here."


    "Oh? You think you have a choice?" That creature smiled with its strange face. "I know you can escape to your pocket space. But what are you going to do? Spend your whole life in that place? I don''t think so."


    "Then sooner or later, you will have to face me, and you know that the outcome will not change no matter how long you train!"


    "Then why not accept your fate?"


    "What if I use this?" Minos showed that being a teleportation array, which could take him to a random place 100 kilometers away from where he was.


    The curse was actually very intelligent, and it realized what that was. "That won''t work here. I control the space in this location, so escape items don''t work, except for your pocket space, created by that person."


    In some respects, this curse could be even stronger than someone at level 99. That is, it could not kill someone of that level, but someone of that level could not destroy it either.


    But Henricus Longus'' creation was made by a God. It had also developed for millions of years.


    So the Spatial Kingdom of Minos was not simple and was one level above this curse, making it possible for this young man to escape from this place.


    Minos realized there was no talking to this being and decided to try something to attract any kind of help from the God of Death.


    ...

 Chapter 1322 The Help Of The God Of Death

    When Minos made up his mind, he released all his killing intent as he directed his energies to the dark tattoo surrounded by a circumference on his forehead.


    As he did so, his surroundings became a bit eerie, entering into the frequency of the dark energy of the area, beginning to connect with the mist around at different points of the cliff.


    Along with this, the curse looked at Minos and noticed that this young man was not as dumb as some people who had come to this place in the past.


    The Inheritance of the God of Death was available to anyone who committed an atrocity similar to annihilating an entire city. That could be verified either by performing such an act in the vicinity of this place or through the killing intent released within the radius of this inheritance.


    So, from time to time, some individuals with Minos'' backgrounds would appear. Over time many people have passed through this place. But the vast majority of them were total imbeciles. Many did not even know what he was and thus made the mistake of thinking they would just have to defeat a mere level 70 Spiritual Saint.


    They thought that by fighting usually, they would complete this inheritance!


    Some were even stronger than Minos. But facing it without knowing what it was or even trying to use the God of Death in any way was foolishness that had led all of them to death.


    Some had even realized when it was too late that the God of Death had created an alternative to test their possible heirs. But still, they all failed in the end.


    "You''re not so bad, kid. But your level is shallow. What can you do at level 62 and your age? Your killing intent shouldn''t be..." It stopped what it was saying, and its face contorted.


    "What? How is that possible?" It felt like a sea of souls circling Minos'' body while his shadow looked like a dark ocean, charged to the point that it seemed about to explode.


    The killing intent had levels, after all.


    Precisely because of this, it noted that Minos could already be considered a great killer who would not lose out by much to some genocidaires at the time.


    Hell, its creator had exterminated the Ancient Folk. Still, even such an individual had not killed as many people as Minos seemed to have done!


    So this curse could not help but be surprised, sensing that Minos would give him some trouble.


    "Damn it!" He immediately picked up the shovel on the ground and caused the curse to go into battle mode, causing that area to vibrate and the sky to become even more orange.


    Along with that, red energy streams emerged from the ground and flew toward Minos, along with the appearance of giant hands descending above him, but also vertically from various angles.


    The tattoo on his forehead then glowed along with the symbol on the vertical tomb in that area, finally causing the black mist around him to transform into a sizeable semi-transparent sphere.


    Along with this, the surroundings seemed to tremble, as if the curse was attacking Minos'' killing intent and such a thing was counteracting it.


    But just as Minos'' killing intent was slowly taking over the space of the curse, the tomb''s lid exploded, and a dark weapon appeared, flying toward one of this young man''s hands.


    The curse became much more severe when this happened, seeing that things had changed level completely.


    On the other hand, Minos picked up the huge black trident that continuously released a dark mist from every part of it. Such a thing was bigger than him, weighty, but filled with deadly sharp energy, the most negative this young man had ever seen.


    ''This guy was a demon indeed!'' He was struck by the chilling sensation of that thing, which had a murderous intent of its own stronger than anything Henricus Longus had ever seen in his lifetime.


    Killing intent could be passed on to items. That was not an easy process to do, but some artifacts used a lot by their owners could gain some attributes as they were used over time.


    Obviously, this only happened with high-level items that their owners had used for several millennia.


    But such a thing was possible, and weapons could carry a lot of power depending on their origins!


    Minos understood what this was for and immediately used all his strength to hold the trident of the God of Death.


    As he did so, the circumference of his forehead glowed, and unique energy covered Minos'' body and the trident, causing the thing to glow intensely.


    When this happened, a dark silhouette appeared behind Minos, looking like a three-dimensional shadow, which also held a trident of shadows.


    With that, as the curse attacks intensified, such a thing moved, beginning to dance. At the same time, Minos felt his energies being sucked away at an alarming rate.


    ''The Three Moves of Death!'' He felt it appear in his mind as the shadow made a dash with its trident, sending several blows of dark energy against the enemy attacks.


    Then the shadow made the second move, causing a sea of darkness to spread through the red of the surroundings as creatures of the shadows emerged from the ground.


    "Damn you!"


    "Bastard, will you use the bodies in the area?" That being shouted as it realized that the shadows had taken the skeletons of the dead in the area, quickly creating a small army.


    Before that army even had a chance to fight actively, the shadow behind Minos grew along with the trident, becoming as large as the cliff itself.


    After growing so large, the shadow made a blow with the trident, directing such an attack against that curse.


    Vuup!


    Furious winds spread in the surroundings, together with the appearance of dark clouds and even small black lightning bolts.


    Along with this, Minos'' enemy finally realized that, for the first time in so long, it would not be able to finish its opponent.


    ''Damn it!'' It forced its strength to intensify the curse''s suppressive effect on the surroundings.


    Unfortunately for this being, the Natural Law behind this curse was very similar to the one the God of Death had specialized in.


    Because of this, because Minos had a stronger killing intent than it and had managed to summon the Devil''s Trident, this being did not stand a chance!


    In the blink of an eye, as it was attacked by the three blows of the shadow behind Minos, the consciousness of the curse was gone, but without screaming or showing any more intense feeling.


    "Don''t get cocky..."


    "I''ll be back..." It muttered in a shallow tone, but Minos heard it.


    That curse could not be destroyed so easily, so, of course, Minos did not even for a moment think he could kill it.


    Anyway, when he saw that thing disappearing, he sighed and fell to his knees on the ground, extremely exhausted, given the energy consumption of that weapon.


    When he did that, the dark trident stopped letting black fog escape, and the surroundings began to return to normal, along with the disappearance of the three-dimensional shadow.


    ...

 Chapter 1323 The Inheritance Of The God Of Death

    When the great trident fell in front of Minos, the surroundings shook, revealing the great weight of that thing, which, if not for the help of the Spatial Kingdom ring, he would not have been able to hold.


    But as Minos stayed on his knees, breathing fast and exhausted, the vertical tomb on that cliff began to glow in white light at the place from where that weapon had departed.


    There was a skeleton sitting on a throne, which due to the glow in question, looked less and less ''dead'' and more and more alive.


    The Trident of the Devil then floated back to that skeleton''s right hand, while the black mist helped to outline that being''s body as it had been in the past.


    "You don''t have much time. The curse of this place will return to normal in a week." A voice full of depth reached Minos'' ears as that creature''s jaw moved. "When that happens, you won''t have the same ''luck'' as today."


    Minos took his eyes off his knees and looked at that seated skeleton, who was looking down at where he stood. "Who are you? Are you the God of Death?"


    "You must absorb as much of this place as possible in this period. All my techniques are here, so leave them to learn in a second moment." The skeleton said, paying no attention to Minos'' questions.


    Unlike the Goddess of Life, he could not sense that Minos had the heritage of Henricus Longus. And since the ring of the Spatial Kingdom had long ago erased the aura of that woman''s fragment from this young man''s body, this remnant did not perceive his chosen one''s connection to his enemy.


    But not only that, the soul fragment of the God of Death that was ''inside'' that skeleton thought that the person in front of him was being controlled by the ''key'' of inheritance!


    The God of Death had left an inheritance that his chosen one would be controlled by his will. Because of this, if the inheritance were completed, it would give him almost a chance for a second life!


    So, at the thought that the young man in front of him was partially in control of the ''key'' to the inheritance, that skeleton ignored Minos'' questions. Instead, he treated King Stuart as a part of himself he could not remember.


    To that end, he immediately began to coach Minos. "This inheritance was made so that the one able to activate a part of my powers sealed in the Trident of the Devil and put to ''sleep'' the curse here would get what I left."


    "So you have already passed my test by unleashing such formidable killing intent." He commented, always using a cold tone but varying in his notes to hold the attention of the person listening to him.


    Minos was not surprised to hear this, considering this was a challenging requirement. He had only completed it because he had killed countless during the Black Plain''s War of Independence. He stopped the invasion of criminals coming from Albano and had the ring of the Spatial Kingdom on his side.


    But if he did not have such points in his favor, as should have been the case for most of those who arrived here, he would not have succeeded and would probably be buried in this place!


    That creature then threw three boxes in Minos'' direction.


    "The first of these boxes contain the spatial ring where the cultivation resources, artifacts, and techniques I have collected or developed throughout my life are."


    "The second contains something called the Aura of Death, a type of mist naturally found on the Peak of the End in the Divine Continent."


    ''Oh?'' Minos looked at that second box with interest, extremely pleased at that comment. ''The Aura of Death can refine killing intent and awaken a power related to that ability in cultivators!''


    It was not easy to get some Aura of Death, as there was only one place where this existed in the entire Spiritual World. But, at the same time, such a place could only be safely accessed by Spiritual Demigods or stronger.


    Below that level, one would have a very high chance of dying trying to explore such a region!


    So receiving this ''gift'' from the God of Death greatly delighted King Stuart!


    "The third box contains most of my soul fragments. It will help you by raising your talent and giving you understanding." He finished his explanation while keeping in mind that he could finally verify his theory.


    The God of Death had specialized in using sacrifices to improve his strength during his lifetime. But he had concluded before he died that it might be possible for him to use his abilities to ''possess'' an heir in the future.


    He obviously would not be the same person since he had died millions of years ago. But his soul fragment could command a host''s body, giving him a ''second'' chance.


    And hell, if he succeeded and reached level 100 this time, maybe that would be the key to him reviving completely!


    So as he finished giving those things to Minos, the skeleton felt satisfied and could not wait to roam the Spiritual World again.


    ''When he cultivates my techniques and absorbs the soul fragment in the third box, those things will merge into the mind control behind the ''key.'' That will give me full control over his body, and it will be as if I am alive!'' He felt the part of his soul fragment outside the box, beginning to disperse.


    He then said. "Absorb the Aura of Death here. The curse here may be terrible, but it is only because of it that the Aura of Death has not dissipated outside its home of origin."


    "After that, absorb the rest of my soul fragment and try to learn my techniques..." His voice began to fade.


    "In the future, by merging two of my techniques, you will be able to replicate my innate ability... And carry my trident..."


    "Good luck..."


    After those words, the fog around the glowing skeleton dissipated. At the same time, the white glow disappeared, leaving behind a yellowish skeleton about two meters tall.


    Minos saw this and soon realized that no one else was in the area. Also, he noticed that there were some valuables inside that tomb.


    ''I will clean this place up later. But for now, I will absorb that Aura of Death!'' His eyes sharpened as he sat in a lotus position to begin with this.


    The Aura of Death was not correlated to the God of Death, so naturally, there would be no problem for him regarding the mission Abby had received from the Goddess of Life.


    n0(????(e)lbi????.n(et


    As for going pick up this wife of his, he could not do that now, or he would lose the Aura of Death.


    In any case, he and Abby just had to destroy this place. So he would rather leave it to do that later, after absorbing such a thing that could give him an extra ability!


    So, while he had a smile on his face, Minos opened the number two box, releasing a dark and threatening aura, which immediately reacted to him, attacking him.


    After that, he began the process of absorption!


    ...

 Chapter 1324 Aura Of Death

    When surrounded by a ''blanket'' of black mist, Minos immediately began to feel that thing trying to penetrate his body through his pores.


    Simultaneously, every fiber of his being was brutally attacked by that thing while he felt the sensation of having a predator trying to hunt him down.


    But Minos'' willpower was strong. He pressed his teeth together, trying to focus all his concentration on using that thing to purify his killing intent.


    That would obviously subtly change his body, so he was undergoing a tortuous process in which the Aura of Death would try to improve specific attributes.


    That was not explicitly speaking a marrow cleansing but an attempt to give a more capable body to withstand an additional soul ability.


    Killing intent could not be considered a technique, much less a Physique skill. Instead, it was a passive skill variant, something that was called a soul skill.


    The soul was still part of the fleshy body at the stage that Minos was currently at. Therefore, the Aura of Death was naturally trying to transform his body to be more compatible with a soul with that extra attribute.


    With that, while Minos was suffering from the Aura of Death trying to push his body to its limits, such a thing was acting on his soul, purifying this young man''s killing intent.


    Killing intent was like any other physical characteristic, only related to the soul. So if a body could generate a characteristic of attack, the soul could also generate one of killing intent.


    Of course, to generate such a thing, there would be a need for special training... But still, this was an ability of the soul, something related to its quality.


    So the Aura of Death affected the soul in a way that made it purer and more compatible with the Natural Laws behind murderous intent and death itself.


    And so, Minos soon began to go through a process where his body was in agony, and his very soul was suffering from the Aura of Death.


    The Aura of Death had an unfriendly name, but that did not mean that it was dangerous to those who came under its effects.


    It had this name because it had a reputation for turning cultivators into great killers, renowned individuals who followed the evil path.


    As these people usually took the lives of countless people, the dark mist found in a unique region of the Divine Continent had received this name.


    But it was not dangerous to even people with weak murderous intent, as in Abby''s case. Thus, it would not be with Minos, who had such a soul ability to protect himself, that such a thing would put one at risk today.


    That was only an external resource capable of bringing about a physical and soul improvement, naturally painful but not very risky.


    So he would endure the process for as long as it took for each fraction of the Aura of Death to wash over his body and soul, promoting his abilities connected to both.


    ...


    Five days later...


    After days inside the Spatial Kingdom, Abby, Ruth, and Gloria were already beginning to worry about Minos'' safety since he had not returned since he left.


    Unfortunately, they were stuck in this place and could not communicate with him outside the Spatial Kingdom.


    As a result, the three of them had not slept for three days and spent most of their time in front of the lake house, waiting for Minos'' return.


    None of them could think that anything bad had happened to their man, but it was undeniable that worry existed in their hearts.


    However, Kyla would come over from time to time to talk to them, and the three felt less stressed about all the waiting.


    This ''little'' fox felt a special connection to the bones there and was always talking about how comfortable it was to sleep among them and even called that skeleton ancestor.


    The senses of spiritual beasts were much stronger than those of humans, so she naturally had a slightly different impression than the humans there.


    But lucky for her or not, she could not sense the same as the curse that had invaded the Spatial Kingdom temporarily...


    ...


    "How long will it take for Minos to return? It''s been over five days!" Gloria said as she felt that her worry was already beginning to affect the mood of the baby growing in her belly.


    Ruth and Abby knew that they had to take care of this pregnant woman, so they could not be weak enough to mourn.


    "I think he''ll be back soon," Ruth said as she massaged Gloria''s back. "Maybe he''s already defeated that curse, but he ran into a problem entering the God of Death''s heritage."


    Abby nodded in agreement, trying hard to think that all was well. "When Minos and I were in the Goddess of Life''s inheritance, the first mission had to be completed before anyone could give up or do things like that. So maybe he''s stuck on the first mission, solving it."


    Ruth agreed while Gloria sighed, imagining that that must be the situation.


    But as they talked in that front of the lake house, the space a few dozen meters away from them vibrated. Then a young man with brown hair appeared there, totally dirty with a black gooey substance, sweaty, and breathing rapidly.


    "I''m back." Minos said in a cheerful tone, feeling the sensation of having a ''micro-step'' advance for having finished absorbing the Aura of Death.


    Because of this, his body had eliminated some impurities, which he had not eliminated before coming to this place due to his momentary exhaustion.


    "Minos!" The three women shouted simultaneously upon seeing him in that place, with their hearts racing and smiles appearing on their beautiful faces.


    One of them immediately used her powers to destroy the impurities in Minos'' body, realizing that he was tired.


    After that, the three hugged him, talking about how they had missed him and were worried, with Gloria even shedding a few tears.


    "I''m sorry I made you wait for me," Minos said after sighing. "After dealing with the curse, I absorbed one of the gifts that the God of Death had left for his heir."


    "It took me a few days doing that..."


    "Gifts? What do you mean? You completed his inheritance?" Abby asked in surprise, not understanding how her husband could have forgotten what they had gone there to do.


    Minos understood his wife''s question and summarized what had happened. "After I left, I used what the God of Death left behind to defeat the curse. That made me beat the inheritance and get the prizes from that place, hehe."


    "One of those prizes was perishable outside that cursed area, so I took the opportunity to absorb it during the last few days."


    The three listened to him with open mouths.


    ...

 Chapter 1325 Destroying The Remnants Of The God Of Death

    "You defeated the curse?" Gloria asked in disbelief.


    "Temporarily, with the help of the God of Death''s weapon and the features of that place." He stated without hiding the truth.


    "What about that item you absorbed? Was that from the God of Death?" Abby asked, wondering whether or not her husband had forgotten their purpose there.


    "I absorbed something called the Aura of Death. The God of Death coincidentally managed to get some of that resource out of the Divine Continent." He commented with a smile on his face.


    "I quickly absorbed that resource and improved some of my skills."


    "Aura of Death?" Abby and Gloria exclaimed simultaneously.


    The blue-haired woman knew what this was all about due to her heritage from the Goddess of Life. As for the beautiful pregnant redhead, she knew about the Aura of Death because that was a challenging resource to obtain.


    Only Ruth was unaware of it, but she quickly heard an explanation from Minos as those two continued to be surprised at their husband''s luck.


    "And you got a new skill by doing this?" Gloria asked, curious to know about the consequences.


    "Yes, my killing intent has evolved a bit, and now I can use something called Dark Sea, which can create a sea of darkness up to 200 meters away from me." He said, knowing this as he could sense everything about the skill through spiritual analysis.


    "When activated, this soul skill can suffocate targets in its range through despair. But it can also mess with the targets'' minds, making them see enemies that don''t exist or even make their allies look like enemies."


    This new ability of Minos was similar to the second attack made by the enormous shadow behind him when he fought the curse. The difference is that its power was much less than at that moment. At the same time, his ability could not summon the dead but manipulate the living.


    After hearing Minos'' explanation, the three women were happy for him, as this new ability seemed impressive and valuable for someone like him.


    Obviously, all the attributes of Minos'' killing intent had improved as well, so there was no need to point out how impressive such a thing had become after the Aura of Death.


    Due to the cleansing of his soul and physical marrow, Minos had also improved his powers somewhat, accelerating his advancement to level 63 by a few weeks.


    "What about the other stuff?" Abby questioned after a while, feeling it was time to settle her mission.


    He then replied. "The other items he handed me are more connected to him. Some techniques and resources in this box and his sealed soul fragment in this other one." He showed them the two boxes.


    "The second one has to be destroyed, but the first one, we can take the medicines and stuff like that for us. So we will only destroy the techniques and artifacts produced by the God of Death himself."


    "That looks better..." She sighed, feeling that the resolution of this situation had been less complicated than she had imagined.


    "Where will you do this?" Ruth questioned Minos.


    He said. "In that place. The curse will return in the next few hours, so we have to leave as soon as possible."


    "I''ll throw the black hole at the most massive things there after we collect the useful items in his tomb. Other than that..."


    He then debated a bit with his women until Abby said what she would do.


    "I will deal with his soul fragment." She commented, knowing that was the Goddess of Life''s primary purpose.


    Due to the vengeful plans of that goddess, she had prepared the staff she gave Abby to deal with possible remnants of that individual''s soul.


    So unlike the black hole of Minos that might have great difficulty swallowing such a thing or even become a big problem later, her staff could annihilate that fragment!


    So, soon, she was left with the responsibility of erasing that piece of the soul of the God of Death, and Minos with the role of erasing the physical items left by that ancient specialist.


    In this way, the two left the Spatial Kingdom, once again leaving Gloria and Ruth behind.


    ...


    As they left the Spatial Kingdom, Minos and Abby came across that red area from before, utterly silent given the absence of the curse and negative aura of the God of Death.


    The main thing in that area was undeniably the curse. But the black mist around this area was generated by the God of Death''s heritage. However, since this thing had already been finished, all the black mist had dissipated from the surroundings.


    So the two could see much further than before and were even more visible to nearby people.


    It was just lucky that this place had no humans around, so they both had the privacy to gather all the items to be destroyed there while Abby prepared to annihilate the enemy.


    Minos felt pain in his heart to see so many excellent and valuable items in the pile of items to be destroyed. Still, he could do nothing to save them.


    The Goddess of Life was decisive and wanted every remnant of that man erased from existence!


    With that, he sighed and looked at Abby, waiting for her to act.


    Abby finished preparing herself and circulated all her energies to the staff in her right hand, making the blue gem on its top glow brightly.


    When this happened, a semi-transparent silhouette appeared beside Abby, holding that exceptional staff.


    The being that looked like the Goddess of Life looked at the small box in front of her and understood that this was an enemy to be eliminated.


    So, as Abby''s energies were sucked up to exorbitant rates, that staff began to emit light from its top, shining the surroundings like a miniature sun.


    However, while such luminous rays were comfortable for Minos and Abby, such a thing was highly damaging for the soul fragment of the God of Death.


    When such bright rays hit it, smoke began to rise, while a strange noise spread through the surroundings, as unique torture was happening there.


    Minos and Abby could tell that the soul fragment had woken up and noticed someone wanted to exterminate him. However, he seemed trapped in that little box, totally defenseless to the high-level weapon used by the last remnant of the Goddess of Life in her spiritual weapon.


    ''Time for you to lose your last dream, you bastard!'' She thought about it in her highly unfavorable state for unnecessary thoughts.


    The Goddess of Life had planned her revenge for a long time and learned about the God of Death''s objective in death. He wanted to abduct someone and have the chance to get a second life in the future.


    Because of this, she had prepared to leave something to her heir that could eliminate such a fragment.


    Therefore, in this situation, that remnant on the silver staff laughed in satisfaction as she saw the God of Death disappearing from the Spiritual World!


    ''Now I can rest for good...'' She looked at Abby one last time as her body finally disappeared, and this woman collapsed.


    ...

 Chapter 1326 The End Of The God Of Death

    When the bluish gem atop Abby''s staff stopped emitting the intense light of a few seconds ago, such a thing began to crack as if it were breaking.


    But before such a thing exploded into infinite pieces, the box with the remaining soul fragment of the God of Death collapsed in on itself, with the end of this being.


    The entire soul fragment of the God of Death within that thing was consumed by the intense light of the gem, evaporating like water in a hot frying pan.


    When this happened, the small tattoo on Minos'' forehead, of an incomplete trident surrounded by a silver circle, also disappeared, letting a dark mist escape from it.


    Simultaneously, the circumference-shaped tattoo on Minos'' forehead turned into a beam of energy that followed back the path of the Spatial Kingdom ring.


    "It looks like that staff was quite powerful..." Minos muttered as he saw the end of that part of the God of Death, lamenting that Abby''s weapon had probably become defective with it.


    The gem on top of that staff did not explode, but several crack lines could be seen in it. Considering that the blue glow of that gem had faded with the disappearance of the soul fragment of the Goddess of Life, such a weapon had significantly weakened.


    Abby then collapsed to the ground as that weapon fell from her hands, with her highly exhausted given what had just happened.


    The Goddess of Life had given this weapon to Abby, something that even someone of this blue-haired girl''s level could hold this grade-4 weapon because of the soul fragment in it. But when such a thing disappeared, Abby felt it get much heavier and could not help but let go of it.


    She was also tired from the overuse of her energy, which made her breathe hastily with her tongue out.


    Minos saw his wife and went to her side, massaging her sweaty head as he prepared to send her to the Spatial Kingdom.


    It was time for him to erase the weapons with marks of the God of Death, so she could not be there after the black hole appeared.


    "Take the staff." He said to her. "I''ll meet you in the Spatial Kingdom in a few moments."


    "Hmmm." She nodded to him, quickly using her spatial ring to collect that item, then being sent by him to where Ruth and Gloria were.


    When he found himself alone there, Minos once again looked at the weapons, structures, arrays, etc., the items of the God of Death, and lamented.


    ''They are excellent artifacts, but they are all contaminated with that individual''s aura.'' He looked at the black trident, a weapon he judged extremely powerful and valuable.


    "Sigh!"


    "But I''ve earned enough, so I''ll have to dispose of you." He muttered in a low voice, no longer wasting his time there and soon activating his two techniques needed to create the black hole.


    Minos did not know exactly how many hours he would have to escape from this place before the curse went active again. So he could only hurry to finish his period in this desolate place.


    So, in the blink of an eye, all the energy of his being was directed to a small sphere devoid of light, which was spinning at low speed.


    But even though it was pretty small, such a thing was horrifying to the point that even its creator had some reverence for it.


    Then, when he was tired enough, Minos threw it into the artifacts pile before teleporting to the Spatial Kingdom.


    He had already increased some of his fusion control with his recent advances in levels since the beginning of this trip, but also due to the Aura of Death. But it would still be a while before he could use fusion, similarly to how he used his techniques.


    So not to risk himself while he was still weak, he would not wait to see the effect of that destructive thing.


    ''I think I''ll use that to build a new advanced cultivation room in Dry City...'' He thought as he disappeared from that area.


    By the time that happened, the black hole he launched had reached the pile of objects and began to devour whatever was in its path.


    However, each of those things was of a very high level, the ''weakest'' being a medium-level grade-3 weapon, the ''strongest'' being the high-level grade-4 trident.


    Because of how high the level of those items was, the black hole thrown by Minos did not simply devour them as if they were nothing to him.


    Upon touching some of those items, that region of space slowly began its absorption process, degrading such things little by little as if it were chewing on them.


    Some items were simply swallowed up as if they were nothing. Still, others remained motionless and unaffected, as if they did not exist in the view of the black hole.


    But it was not that they did not exist. The opposite of that, they were so dense and powerful that the black hole simply could not swallow them up by the hour.


    Fortunately, such a thing was the most extreme in this world, and the more it ''ate,'' the more it gained the ability to devour faster and more items of higher quality!


    ''What is it?'' A remnant of the God of Death in the black trident trembled as he felt the sensation that had just arisen in his being.


    ''Why is every mark left by me disappearing?'' He began to feel nervous, unable to perceive the largest fragment of his soul. ''Has someone already absorbed my main soul fragment? But I don''t sense any of my potential heirs!''


    Unfortunately, he did not have time to think much about it. In just 5 hours, the black hole created by Minos grew exponentially, reaching the mark of covering almost half the space of that reddish ground.


    When such a thing reached that level, even the highest level Natural Laws in the area began to be absorbed by it, frightening even the curse that had just awakened.


    ''What the fuck is that?'' That creature wondered while its spirit body was still transparent due to its incomplete recovery.


    It sensed when the Trident of the Devil had just begun to be devoured by that thing that escaped common sense, beginning to fear for itself.


    ''Who did this? How did this thing get here?'' It pondered, knowing that it was difficult for that to destroy it. Still, considering the rate at which such a thing was growing, it was already beginning to fear that thing would become a threat to it!


    Minos'' black hole was already absorbing the highest-level weapons of this world, which made it so strong that it could swallow even Spiritual Sages!


    Weapons and living beings were quite different, so naturally, this feature of Minos swallowing a high-level grade-4 weapon did not mean it could swallow Demigods.


    But still, seeing how that only grew, this being who could not be threatened even by Demigods got worried and started to take distance from the area.


    ''Damn it!''


    ''I hope it stops growing until at least I finish recovering!''

 Chapter 1327 Returning To The Black Plain!

    After more than 10 hours since Minos had made his black hole, he returned alone from the Spatial Kingdom, wondering if he could leave alongside his wives.


    As he appeared within the event horizon of the black hole, he held a sphere of mirrors in his right hand, an array created by a Flaming Empire array master.


    Minos knew that the sphere Abby could produce had its limitations, given her cultivation level. So he had already purchased it during his months of travel through the Empire.


    With that, he was well-prepared for this situation when he realized how much that black hole had developed.


    "Wow!" He could not help but exclaim as he noticed how much pressure that was putting on him. "It has already surpassed the 8th stage limit and can devour even someone like the emperor!"


    Luckily the creator of fusions like these had a unique connection with his creations, which helped him control such a thing even when it grew so large.


    That alone was why Minos could be there at the moment instead of being devoured by the black hole, just as had happened to all the weapons that had been left behind earlier.


    Realizing that his and Abby''s work in this place had been done, he controlled that thing with incredible difficulty. Then he did what was necessary to store it inside the mirrored sphere.


    After nearly half an hour of struggling, Minos managed to achieve his goal, causing the black hole to disappear inside such a thing, revealing the large crater that remained in that area.


    The black hole had successfully destroyed a good part of that area, having swallowed the tomb and part of the cliff so that it formed a sizeable angular area where red crystals could be seen.


    Minos tried to ignore this as he checked the area of the curse.


    But then, he sensed no such thing and quickly flew away from there, trying to get away from the area where such a thing worked.


    As Minos flew at high speed with that mirrored sphere in his hands, the area curse watched him from afar as it spied him.


    ''So it was him...'' The strange face of the curse contorted, not understanding how a level 62 man could create something so powerful.


    It was afraid to act against Minos right now as not only did the black hole already scare it, but after that thing was stored in the sphere, the threat had worsened!


    So to protect its existence, this curse gave up on that young man as it tried to understand all the strange things that had occurred in the past few days.


    ''Sigh... A small part of me has been devoured...'' It felt this as it looked toward the crater in that place, where part of the laws had been totally obliterated inside that strange thing.


    ''I hope he never comes back again!''


    ...


    After running away for a while, Minos quickly sought out his women in the Spatial Kingdom and returned to the area where he no longer had to worry about the curse.


    Because of this, they finally celebrated the end of it all, with Abby feeling a great relief on her shoulders.


    There were no more prizes for her since the Goddess of Life had already given her plenty just for the promise that she would try. But there was a threat that she would suffer drastic consequences if she failed. So, this blue-haired woman could only feel good about finishing this.


    Unlike Minos and the rest of her group, she could feel that all the resentment of the Goddess of Life had disappeared from her being, which indicates that they had completed the mission.


    "It seems he didn''t have people to carry on his legacy beyond the Scourges of the Devil." She commented to Minos and her harem sisters, confirming that all that there was of the marks of the God of Death in the world had been extinguished.


    Time was cruel and erased almost everything and everyone. So after so many millions of years, with an inheritance so challenging to access, the God of Death had practically disappeared without anyone doing anything against him.


    Since Minos had already acted against the Scourges of the Devil and now helped Abby destroy the inheritance, he had finished putting the nails in this individual''s coffin.


    "Sigh..."


    "Anyway, we accomplished a lot in this place." Minos looked at his spatial ring, considering the amount of grade-3 and grade-4 items he had gotten.


    He had also gotten many Silver-grade techniques from the items in the first box handed to him by that skeleton from earlier.


    Medicines and spiritual crystals of all qualities were among the items he had inherited, enough to enrich a family of even high-level empires.


    But since Minos had an estate to look after, his results were just enough to ensure a little more tranquility for the Black Plain.


    "So, what do we do now? Time for us to return?" Ruth asked, unable to hide the excitement in her voice at finally being able to return to the Black Plain.


    They had already been out of their state for many months, which meant they had given such territory time to develop considerably in their absence.


    In other words, upon their return, it would be difficult for them not to find a new Black Plain!


    With that, she was anxious, as were the other three of these humans and Maida and Kyla, this one who was already looking forward to seeing her mother.


    Kyla had always wanted to travel through the Spiritual World, and this time she had had plenty of opportunity to experience this big world. But she was still a cub in some ways, so she could not help but wonder how her old mother was doing.


    With Ruth''s question, Minos then replied. "We''re going back to our territory!"


    With that said, they looked at each other and smiled before settling on Maida''s back.


    Then, this sizeable black-furred tigress took off from that area of Albano, setting off toward the northern region without looking back.


    With this, their journey to the Flaming Empire finally ended. Now, they would travel for a month through that area until they entered the northern region of the Central Continent.


    On this occasion, they would find a place significantly changed by the actions of the local government and Minos'' group outside that region, now much more vibrant and joyful.


    The Black Plain War of Independence was challenging for the northern region. When Minos left for the Empire, many of the problems remaining from that period still existed.


    Had they been solved in this short period? Unfortunately, no, but grudges could be quickly forgotten with the Black Plain''s rising prosperity.


    With opportunities, people complained less and accepted the ''necessary evil'' more easily, which justified the new reality they would soon find.


    With that, the time had come for Minos and his wives to settle down in the Black Plain again, to have the opportunity to grow quietly along with who knows the birth of his first daughter.


    ...

 Chapter 1328 Birth Of The Princess

    In the blink of an eye, two years had passed!


    As a result of Albano''s migration, when Minos'' group arrived on the Black Plain earlier, they discovered a region with a much greater number of Spiritual Emperors and Spiritual Kings.


    At the same time, almost the entire territory of the former Black Plain had already been transformed at that time, with a more significant number of cities and green areas in such a part.


    But not only that, the areas of the Black Plain that had previously belonged to the Brown Kingdom, Cromwell Kingdom, and Kingdom of the Waves had also evolved significantly.


    Minos'' group had been quite surprised to see these changes before they proceeded to the capital of their kingdom, the focus of the changes.


    At that time, the Black Plain had not yet achieved its first Spiritual Saint, but Gavin Rowse had reached level 69, being one of the strongest of Minos'' forces then.


    The local trade and agriculture had also developed considerably, which had not reached the local limit but would not take long to reach that.


    Thus, Minos had found a very developed place two years ago and was highly pleased by the progress of his subordinates before finally meeting with an envoy from his grandfather.


    After many months of traveling between the Flaming Empire and the Black Plain, Minos had reached his capital. On this occasion, he met a subordinate of Oswald, who was in the Dry City waiting for his response.


    When he arrived in his capital, Minos had not yet made up his mind. Still, after weeks of conversations with that man and messages exchanged with Oswald, the young Stuart King had accepted such a thing. But it would not happen the way the master of the Gray Clouds Sect wanted.


    No, Minos had agreed to lead that organization as long as he was given time to reach the 8th stage. In the meantime, he would remain on the Black Plain, and no one but Oswald and his trusted subordinates could know about this agreement.


    Oswald had given in to the whims of his grandson at the time and agreed to everything, finally having Minos as his heir!


    After that, Minos returned to managing his territory peacefully while occasionally dealing with the Vogel situation and the allied states against the Flaming Empire.


    The tension in that border region of the Empire had not diminished in this period, so occasionally, trouble would come to Dry City, and he had to send messages to both sides.


    In any case, the Emperor was in agreement with him, so nothing out of bounds had happened, and the powers of both sides were practically intact even after two years of tensions.


    ? On the other hand, the situation between the Gray Clouds Sect and the Saints Killing Sect had come to a standstill due to the Spiritual Church''s constant eyeing of that sect involved with the Vogel family.


    Finally, the Church finalized its regency in Vogel about seven months ago. At that time, Minos had been made official King of that state, and the Vogel Assembly officially began its administrative operations.


    And so, he and his forces spent two relatively quiet years, having grown a lot in numbers but also average level. Other than that, the most important thing was that little Sarah, the name chosen by the Stuart family, was about to be born!


    ...


    "Ouch! Ouch!"


    "Hah... Hah... Ouch!"


    Breathing sounds and noises of pain were coming from one of the rooms on the second floor of the Spatial Kingdom lake house. At the same time, many people in the surroundings of that place were silent for this moment.


    There were people there like Regina, Angela, Eliot Miller, Mirya, Eda, Eduard, and Elena, all at level 63. But also several others at levels 60, 61, and 62, as in the examples of Celeste, level 62, Peter, level 61, and Lee, level 60.


    Kyla had reached level 61 during her time and was currently on the side of her mother, Emlyn, level 65.


    But currently, Emlyn could no longer be considered the strongest in level in this place. That was because just a week ago, Minos had reached level 65, matching her for the first time.


    On the other hand, Abby and Ruth''s beasts were both at level 59, not far from advancing a step, while Maida had reached level 62 a few months ago.


    Many of the soldiers who were teachers or part of the Elite Squad were also in that place, paying attention to everything. No one there dared to train while Gloria was screaming in that room on the second floor.


    "Is everything going to be okay?" Robin, level 60, asked one of her colleagues, worried about Gloria''s situation.


    "That''s normal for a birth. The mother always suffers quite a bit, even more so at Archbishop Frost''s level..." That person commented in a low voice.


    Gloria was still at level 69 due to her pregnancy, having stood still and watched Ruth and Abby move closer to her these past few years.


    Currently, Ruth was at the same level as Minos, 65, while the queen of the Black Plain was at level 64.


    These two were inside the room where all those screams were coming from, following along with Minos and a few other people at the birth of his first daughter.


    There, Dillian, level 64, and some Black Plain Army doctors of the same cultivation stage were delivering the baby. At the same time, Minos had one of his hands held tightly by Gloria.


    "Hah... Hah... Ouch!" She breathed in a rush amidst her sounds of pain, sweating while, from time to time, pushing her baby out of her body.


    Dillian then said. "Come on, Gloria. Just push!" He said as he stood in front of this redhead''s legs, watching the head of Minos'' daughter descending.


    Meanwhile, one of the doctors used his spiritual technique to induce some hormones in Gloria''s body for her muscles to push the baby more easily.


    Dillian, on the other hand, was using his Golden-grade techniques to maintain the integrity of where little Sarah was going so that Gloria could recover 100% after this event.


    Minos had not refused the doctors sent by Gloria''s mother for a bad reason, after all...


    He knew that his doctors had better techniques and that the delivery could be done more safely in the Spatial Kingdom.


    So Minos continued to support his wife while the other people in that room watched the birth of Sarah Stuart with nervousness.


    However, this did not last long. After only 2 hours from the start of the birth, Sarah finally had her umbilical cord cut by Dillian and quickly wrapped in a white towel.


    "Congratulations, Your Graces, this is your first child!" Dillian handed that little three-pound baby to Gloria, who was already holding her arms out, asking him to be quicker and deliver her daughter.


    "Hah... My baby..." She looked at that little creature who could not even open her eyes, all honeyed up with a whitish substance.


    Minos saw this and continued to stand beside his wife, looking at that baby in Gloria''s arms and smiling in pride at finally meeting his daughter.


    He gently ran one of his hands over her little head, imagining the days ahead of him.


    ''The first princess and heiress, hehe.'' He closed his eyes, wondering when he could teach this child to cultivate and fight.


    ...

 Chapter 1329 Evolution Of The Entire Region

    After everyone in that room congratulated Gloria and Minos, the doctors finished their service and left with the others, leaving only the Stuart family there.


    When they were alone, Ruth and Abby promptly approached Gloria and the baby in her arms, smiling as they looked at Sarah.


    Sarah had cried a little a few moments earlier. Still, she had already fallen asleep in her mother''s arms as Minos ran one of his fingers over her little head.


    And with that, after the first-time mommy there spent a few moments with her daughter, she handed that fragile being over to the father.


    Minos held his daughter in his arms while Ruth and Abby stood on either side of him, giving Gloria some space to rest from her labor.


    When the time came for childbirth, pregnant women stayed highly weakened, almost to the point of becoming ordinary mortals. Because of this, this beautiful redheaded woman was finished at the moment, and as soon as Minos held their daughter, she fell asleep with a smile on her face.


    "I want to hold her..." Abby commented to her husband, not expecting much and having the opportunity to do that with Minos'' daughter.


    Ruth also wanted the same since even if this was not her daughter, the love of her life, Minos, was the father.


    It was just a pity that these two were still in the middle of the 7th stage and would not have the opportunity to breastfeed this big-cheeked baby.


    Only the grandmothers of this newborn could have such an opportunity, as they were Spiritual Saints, unlike these two.


    Margot had been deceived by Minos and thought that it would still take a month for little Sarah to be born. That had been his revenge for what she had done earlier. So this woman was not yet in Dry City.


    As for Maisie, she was not yet in Dry City, but she should be there any moment now since she had a better sense of when the birth in question would be.


    Anyway, it would not be long before Minos left the Spatial Kingdom and went to celebrate with the other members of the Black Plain Army and government.


    Gloria stayed asleep in her bed to recover from the birth she had gone through, and who knows, maybe raise her level to the 8th stage. But Ruth and Abby stayed behind to care for little Sarah and help that woman in her awakening.


    ...


    "Haha, congratulations on your first daughter, Minos!" Virtus, level 66, a sizeable Feathered Serpent, said this loudly outside the local throne hall as he watched the interior of that construction through a window.


    Minos heard the many conversations in the surrounding area of the hall. Still, he did not ignore the comment from his ally, raising his glass of wine in Virtus'' direction and smiling.


    At the same time, the fact that that place was full of Spiritual Emperors was no longer a stranger to him, even considering that this was Dry City, not an Empire city.


    After years since the Black Plain''s War of Independence, this state had passed 200 Spiritual Emperors, several due to the migration of high-level Spiritual Kings from Albano. Still, a large part came from Minos'' subordinate or vassal forces.


    Many of these organizations in this kingdom had leaders between levels 62 and 64. In contrast, families such as House Miller already had more than 10 Spiritual Emperors in their ranks.


    At the same time, several royal houses in the northern region of the Central Continent already had at least 2 Spiritual Emperors. Even the first of these cultivators appeared among the noble family of these states!


    Noble families from these states were the least likely to get advantages from the Black Plain to send their members to cultivate in Dry City. But even so, many things had changed with the advances the region had undergone since Minos'' departure for the Flaming Empire almost four years ago.


    The trade of high-level grade-2 artifacts had increased exponentially, so the previous shortage of goods had ended throughout the region.


    With better artifacts for Spiritual Kings, they could fight more vigorously and naturally reap better fruits in their experiments. As a consequence, their cultivation speed increased even without other contributing factors.


    However, such a thing had not happened in isolation!


    No, Spiritual Emperors were emerging throughout the region, increasing the frequency of people of this strength traveling through the areas. Thus, regional commerce was heated by these people of superior purchasing power. Still, many got the opportunity to receive tips from these experts for token amounts.


    Many of the Spiritual Emperors in the region were members of Minos'' army who had no families behind them. Thus, when they traveled around the region, they did not miss the opportunity to make their savings by teaching some of what they knew to wealthy nobles.


    At the same time, the increase in the number of Spiritual Kings throughout the region raised the concentration of spiritual energy in certain areas, making it easier for more people to progress to this stage. With more people at the 6th stage, other factors were stimulated, making it easier for peak Spiritual Kings to advance.


    Finally, the Black Plain''s grade-3 trade had contributed significantly to the region, helping everyone with the financial ability to achieve substantial advancement.


    Thus, the number of Spiritual Kings jumped in this period, leaving the thousands to exceed hundreds of thousands. Because of this, more Spiritual Emperors emerged, even in decadent families like House Cromwell.


    When Minos stayed out of the Black Plain, some conflicts took place in two states in this region. One was the Brown Kingdom, and the other was the Cromwell Kingdom.


    In these places, noble families had fallen out with their respective royal families and the vassals who were still loyal to these powers. That had not triggered widespread war or rebellion in these states but had led to the even more intense weakening of the sovereign houses over these states.


    Both families were still the official leaders of these states at the moment. But they had to give up even more powers to the noble houses of their states.


    But amidst all this, these two houses had gotten their own Spiritual Emperors!


    The Cromwell family had done this through their descendants. As for House Brown, they had used Albano''s migration to the Black Plain to their advantage and had gotten some high-level Spiritual Kings for their family.


    That later resulted in the emergence of the Spiritual Emperors of these families, which had lessened the pressures on their shoulders but not finished.


    But, perhaps the most important of all in this period was the emergence of the first Spiritual Saint from the forces of Minos, who was congratulating him at this very moment.


    ...

 Chapter 1330 When To Attack

    "Congratulations. Having your first heir is quite an accomplishment." Gavin Rowse, level 70, commented to Minos as he stood in that local royal throne hall away from everyone else since he was not very sociable.


    "Hmm, thanks." Minos nodded as he greeted the people in the surrounding area by waving his hands and smiling.


    Gavin, this fellow with blood-red hair and unique eyes, looked silently at Minos, feeling quite a respect for this person.


    But this was not because Minos had become a father before him. No, as much as Gavin recognized King Stuart''s achievement, he had no desire to have a family. So that would not be what would make him respect someone.


    What impressed him about Minos was the cultivation speed of this man, who had quickly reached level 65 and surpassed him in terms of combat proficiency.


    Previously, Minos had only managed to beat Gavin by using one of his spiritual technique fusions. But currently, as this red-haired fellow had discovered months ago, King Stuart could defeat him just by using his ordinary techniques.


    That was when such a fellow was at level 64. But now he was at level 65!


    That way, since Minos was so strong, the man with the Eyes of Destruction admired this king and could not help but ask. "How long before we act against the Saints Killing Sect?"


    Minos heard this and did not change his expression, not stopping receiving the congratulations of the local experts.


    "About five years. Maybe less." He replied as he considered how long it would take to reach the peak of the 7th stage when he would be best prepared to fight that sect.


    ''5 years? I think I can reach level 73 by then.'' Gavin pondered this, feeling that it would be insufficient if it were just him. But since Minos was by his side, it was quite possible that he was going to get his dream revenge.


    Minos had the fusions of his techniques, which could generate powers far more destructive than his ordinary abilities. At the same time, Gavin had already experienced the Dark Sea, King Stuart''s soul ability, something terrifying.


    But not only that, Minos had the Black Plain and many allies in the alliance of the four enemy states of the Flaming Empire and the Gray Clouds Sect. So in this fellow''s view, it was quite possible that they could win in five years.


    ''People outside this region give nothing for the Black Plain, but that''s because they don''t know how fast these people advance.'' His eyes narrowed.


    He did not underestimate the Black Plain and did not think that Vogel being part of the Stuart family''s domain gave that state more weight over this matter.


    After Minos'' return, he created a new high-level cultivation room in Dry City using that black hole, which was shocking to even Gavin.


    To get a sense of how relevant this was, Gavin had never entered the Spatial Kingdom. Still, he had reached the 8th stage just by cultivating in this region... The reason for this? The special cultivation room that was nourished by that black hole!


    So this red-haired man did not underestimate the local forces and felt that having the Black Plain Army against the Saints Killing Sect would be of great help to him.


    After speaking with Minos for a few more moments, he returned to the cultivation room in question, focused on strengthening himself for the long-awaited moment.


    On the other hand, King Stuart continued in that place, talking to some important people in his army.


    "Alina, you will soon advance a step and be able to take your innate ability to new heights." He tapped one of the shoulders of a woman in an army uniform, pleased with her progress.


    It was because of this person''s disintegration ability that the Black Plain Army had been able to produce all kinds of artifacts for the soldiers over the past few years.


    Considering how much they needed high-level weapons, this woman''s advancements were more critical than ever. Thus, there was no way King Stuart could not speak with satisfaction to this person.


    "Leave it to me, Your Grace. I will do my best when I am cultivating to advance as soon as possible." She said with a twinkle in her eyes, overjoyed by her progress within the army.


    Alina had started chasing the goal of entering this organization when she was below level 30. So considering the position she was in today and her family, she could only thank Minos and work hard for the army.


    But she was also delighted to be one of the few Spiritual Kings in the army to have a chance to go over there to congratulate Minos on the birth of little Sarah.


    "Mia, are you pregnant again?" Minos asked aloud, laughing as he looked in the direction of that woman who was previously his secretary.


    Mia Freeman, level 57, wife of Peter Freeman, level 61, was standing next to her husband, a former acquaintance of Minos from the time of the Spiritual Tournament, one of the current Dukes of the Black Plain.


    "Hmm, we were lucky enough to get pregnant again, Your Grace." This woman said as Peter smiled in satisfaction.


    He already had a daughter with Mia, but now he would have his first son, which satisfied him immensely.


    "Your Grace, congratulations on the birth of little Sarah. I am sure she will be very talented." He said as people in the surrounding area could not wait to see the princess growing up.


    A royal family would not be complete until its first heir was born. So everyone who was part of that government or state was happy about Sarah''s birth, wondering what the future would be like.


    ?


    Considering the talents of Minos and Gloria, no one there doubted how far that little one could go in the future!


    And so the celebratory festivities spread from the local royal palace to all of Dry City on what had been proclaimed a national holiday.


    In this way, many people outside the core of Dry City, where the local dome was, were partying in the streets, drinking, and taking the day off to celebrate yet another local progress.


    So when some visitors from outside the region arrived in the area where the majestic Dry City was, they soon realized that today was no ordinary day in this place.


    The noise of the festivities was reaching distances of several kilometers from that urban area. At the same time, bonfires could be seen on many streets of that city.


    It was night in this part of the Central Continent, and when the newcomers got close enough to this place, they quickly noticed these signs.


    "Did something happen? What is the reason for so much celebration?" A man sent by the emperor questioned his colleagues.


    Meanwhile, a brown-haired woman in the distance was not slow to understand what the meaning of it all was.


    "My granddaughter has been born!" Maisie expressed her feelings aloud before flying at high speed to one of the entrances to Dry City.

 Chapter 1331 Gloria Reaches Level 70

    While Maisie rushed to the royal palace, eager to meet her granddaughter, another group from the Empire admired the view of Dry City at night.


    They were surprised by the festivities in this place, of course. But there was no way that the people in this group who had been there shortly after independence could not admire the transformation of the place.


    Today Dry City had almost 7 million inhabitants, with an average level of around level 48, quite a mark, considering that 18 years ago, there were no people of this level in this city.


    At the same time, when entering the built-up area, the people sent by the emperor soon noticed the amount of high-level Spiritual Kings on the streets, but also Spiritual Emperors.


    "This place has developed a lot." The group leader, Warner, level 69, commented to his companions, feeling that the Black Plain was doing better than they thought.


    "It seems that Minos becoming King of Vogel has helped them greatly..." Another one there said as he observed the quality of the streets of Dry City.


    The Black Plain has developed a lot in the last four years, reaching the mark of 160 million inhabitants in its territory, half of those in this original Black Plain area.


    Due to this growth, much has been built or repaired in the last few years, generating even more growth in terms of food production and cultivation resources.


    The local economy had grown more than ten times in those four years, and the Black Plain already had an income similar to that of some large organizations outside the northern region.


    ?


    Since it was the state behind all the local development, most of the profits came from the Minos government, which could invest faster and better than others worldwide. The result was this rapid development, coupled with the increased wealth of this population that financed the government through the Bank of the Black Plain.


    Thus, one could not help but compare Minos to one of the most impressive experts in this world. "It seems he is following the same path as Vico Travisani."


    "Is that so?"


    "Maybe... There''s still a lot to be explored in Vogel, so I wouldn''t be surprised if Spiritual Saints start appearing in this state soon."


    They continued to chat as they moved through this city.


    ...


    After some time, Minos had finished receiving the gifts and congratulations from his subordinates, vassals, and allies.


    He returned to the Spatial Kingdom to see his daughter again after hours of dealing with those people.


    But upon arriving at his cultivation sanctum, Minos immediately saw the completion of his wife''s advancement, who had finally advanced to level 70 after so long at level 69.


    Gloria had slept for a few hours and then woke up to see her daughter, who had been cared for in the meantime by Abby and Ruth.


    After cuddling her baby, she gathered her energy and prepared herself to break through a level, something that there was no danger for her to do on the same day as the labor.


    Women were weakened during childbirth but recovered quite quickly after it happened. After all, the cultivation world was dangerous, and it would be problematic for a mother to be weakened for a long time after giving birth.


    So evolution stimulated this ability for high post-partum recovery in cultivators of practically all species.


    So, this woman who had already gathered the amount of energy in her body and understood her techniques to her limit was not slow to make her advancement.


    Her talent was of a high level, so she would not have any bottlenecks in reaching level 70. At the same time, the Spatial Kingdom had many favorable conditions for similar situations, which helped her quickly achieve this long-awaited breakthrough.


    Minos saw that finishing and smiled in satisfaction as he saw his wife''s body changing, quickly healing the minor marks of childbirth that were still there.


    Since Gloria had reached level 70, she immediately gained the ability to change her body permanently, readily using this to improve the few attributes she wished to evolve.


    When she opened her eyes, a new glow could be seen in them, as she was full of energy, with her 100% to carry out her duties and desires!


    She had not been in bed with her husband for months because of her pregnancy. But on the other hand, even though she had a high level before, she could not help her family in fights or training. After all, her strength decreased during pregnancy, and she had to guard herself more during that period.


    So as she leveled up and felt in her best state, she was beaming with happiness, and soon after, she opened her eyes, she jumped toward Minos to hug him.


    "Minos~" She said sweetly as her lips trailed toward his with unparalleled desire.


    But as she kissed him and he felt the body of his wife after that breakthrough, Sarah began to cry in Ruth''s arms.


    The two parted their lips and looked at each other, then smiled together before they saw that black-haired woman bring Sarah to them.


    "I think she''s hungry," Ruth commented, as this baby''s diapers were clean, and there did not seem to be anything wrong with her little body.


    Gloria then looked lovingly at her daughter, taking Sarah in her arms and heading inside the lake house.


    As she sat down and put one of her breasts out, little Sarah took that soft ball of fat with her little hands until she found her mother''s erect nipple.


    The baby then gently bit down on that part of her mother, beginning to suck on it instinctively in search of her food.


    Gloria blushed as she felt this, happy to feed her daughter with Minos for the first time but also a little nervous, given her desire for her husband.


    It was not easy for a woman with months of abstention to feed for the first time. So Gloria could not help but feel something as she looked at Minos while breastfeeding.


    Minos understood perfectly well that his wife was in the mood and winked at her, indicating that all she had to do was to finish feeding Sarah, and he would take care of her needs.


    A mother was also a woman!


    So, as soon as Sarah fell asleep in Gloria''s arms, Ruth and Abby went back to taking care of her while that red-haired woman went with Minos to their room.


    In this situation, they would spend the following few hours exchanging fluids without disturbing the newborn child''s peaceful sleep.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Maisie had just arrived at the royal residence, where Dillian and Eda welcomed her in place of Minos, who was away.


    "Miss, it''s good to see you again!" That mustachioed and relatively young-looking fellow said this when he saw the figure of this woman who was already at level 72.


    "Where is my son? Has my granddaughter been born?" She did not want to waste any time and got right to the point, wanting to take her granddaughter in her arms.


    Upon hearing this, Dillian and Eda looked at each other, smiling in confirmation. "Yes, Princess Sarah was born a few hours ago..."

 Chapter 1332 New Challenges?

    After talking with Dillian and Eda for a while, Maisie learned a bit about her granddaughter''s situation and that Minos and his family were returning to Dry City from where the birth had taken place.


    Maisie still did not know about the Spatial Kingdom. So Dillian had to make up an excuse for this woman to accept that she would have to wait for Minos and his family to return for her to meet Sarah.


    But since she had waited years for this day, she did not see a problem waiting a few hours. So, after hearing everything Dillian had to say about Sarah, she soon settled into that residence.


    Sarah was a very healthy baby with eyes just like her father''s, but she would probably have hair just like her mother''s.


    With descriptions like that, Maisie had already made a mental picture of her granddaughter and was looking forward to feeding little Sarah as soon as possible.


    She wanted to give all her love to her granddaughter!


    ...


    Hours after Maisie arrived in Dry City, Minos and his family returned from the Spatial Kingdom, leaving only the beasts and soldiers of the Black Plain Army in that place.


    Sarah returned with them since the teleportation from the Spatial Kingdom was not dangerous for children.


    With that, when they left the army headquarters, it was not long before Maisie realized they had returned and did not even wait for them to reach the royal palace.


    In the middle of the street, in the square in front of the palace, this woman spotted her son''s family, the three women and he walking side by side, with Sarah in Gloria''s arms.


    She smiled as she saw the baby sleeping and asked. "Gloria, can I hold her? I''ve been waiting for this moment for years."


    Minos saw this woman but was not angry that she was there, seeing no problem with his mother wanting to be close to Sarah.


    Gloria noticed this and handed her daughter over to Maisie, who promptly filled that baby with love.


    At the same time, several people in the surrounding area were looking curiously in their direction, knowing that this must be the first princess of the Black Plain.


    But since this was a controlled area, where only special people or people with strong connections to the local forces could access, no commotion formed there.


    ? People merely stopped what they were doing to watch Sarah in the arms of that level 72 woman, smiling for no reason.


    But a group walking by was a little surprised by that.


    "Isn''t that Gloria? She finally reached level 70..." Warner commented as he remembered that this woman he had chased in the past was pregnant with Minos.


    He saw the baby in Maisie''s arms and understood everything, ''So that''s their daughter... That''s why there were so many celebrations in this place when we arrived earlier!''


    He and his group watched that family for a few moments until one of them approached and said in a low voice. "Your Majesty, we are here on behalf of the Emperor."


    Minos finally stopped paying attention to Maisie and Sarah and looked in the direction of those people he knew from long ago.


    People from the Flaming Empire or the four kingdoms would come to this city to talk to him and deal with their problems from time to time.


    In the case of the envoys from this Empire, on some occasions, Isabella was the one who attended, coming not only for business but to pursue her goals with Minos.


    Fortunately or unfortunately, she had not gotten pregnant even though she wanted to very much...


    On the other hand, his relationship with her and his women with her significantly improved and was no longer awkward.


    But she could not always leave the Empire to come to the Black Plain, so now and then, people like Warner and his group came to talk to Minos on behalf of the Emperor.


    "What do you want?" Minos asked as he looked at Warner, knowing that these people would not seek him out in the middle of the night if it were not something relevant.


    Warner first congratulated him before talking about something more serious. "Congratulations on the birth of your daughter, Your Majesty."


    "Hmmm."


    "But we are here to give you an alert of a strange situation identified recently."


    "A strange situation?" Minos'' wives looked at that man and repeated such a question, obviously concerned.


    "Yes, we have recently noticed a strange movement on the border side of the Empire with the four kingdoms to our north." He said in a low voice. "Some strange things have been happening in branches of the Spiritual Church in the vicinity of that route through these areas..."


    "We think they are coming toward the northern region, so we are here to warn you."


    "What does that mean?" Gloria asked, not knowing any information about incidents involving branches of the Church.


    Warner then asked them to talk about it in a more private place, and soon they all set off toward the royal palace.


    Maisie continued with Sarah in her arms, not paying much attention to her son''s affairs. But, at the same time, everyone else focused on the subject as soon as they sat in a negotiating area.


    "Well? Will you give me more details about this? I do not understand what''s going on." Minos said as he got a serious expression, hoping to find out what this was all about.


    Warnes sighed and said. "Well, some mysterious group started attacks against branches of the Spiritual Church months ago. That started on the Empire''s border with one of the high-level kingdoms of the western region."


    "In that place, a rebel organization started a movement of violent protests against the Church''s actions in Albano and Vogel in recent history, calling for justice for those unjustly killed."


    "Months later, we realized that the attacked branches of the Church left that small region, and situations began to arise in various locations on our continent. Unfortunately, that is the case with our border with these four kingdoms."


    "Due to the path drawn from the attacked Church outposts, I feel that the enemy is coming to the northern region and may cause trouble for you soon."


    Minos and his wives were surprised by this, especially Gloria since she had not received any updates regarding this.


    However, she did not know that her mother had prevented her from knowing this information because of her pregnancy.


    On the other hand, the allies they had made in Church posts on the previous trip were not influential individuals yet. So since few individuals knew about these attacks so far, this information had not reached them through such individuals.


    Minos thought about it and asked. "Do you think they are coming in search of me because I am related to these situations in Albano and Vogel?"


    "Yes, we think so," Warner said, the main reason the Emperor had sent them to speak to King Stuart.


    Hearing that, his three wives looked at him, and each tried to think about why that was now and the problem they would possibly have to face.


    "Well, thank you for informing us about this problem," Minos said sincerely. "We will do our best to deal with these enemies if they come to the Black Plain!"


    ...

 Chapter 1333 Plan Empire

    After thanking those individuals, Minos heard from Warner that they would take advantage of being around the Black Plain to take care of other matters. Examples of this were the trade between their states and the tensions in the border region of the four kingdoms with the Empire.


    However, as it was late at night, Minos sent them away, leaving them to deal with this the next day when he would be working.


    With that, those individuals sent by Harold soon left, leaving only Minos'' family in that office.


    "I wonder what this situation is that they reported to us?" Ruth asked, not understanding how there could be forces opposed to the Church to the point of attacking that organization because of the recent Albano and Vogel cases.


    But she was unaware of the rivalry of certain states in the western region of the Central Continent with the powers of the Evergreen Empire, home of the Spiritual Church.


    In the distant past, a large state in the western region was among the strongest in this world. It was a historical rival of the Evergreen imperial family, the main arm of the Spiritual Church.


    The Ancient Empire had fallen and transformed into two great states, Western Empire and Eastern Empire. Still, the tradition of hostility with the Spiritual Church had continued in these places.


    Hell, even the sphere of influence of the Ancient Empire, states that still existed in the present, still had terrible relations with such an organization.


    Then, there were powers in opposition to this great organization in the Central Continent, which had no problem attacking the ranks of their rivals if a good reason arose.


    So that black-haired woman, who did not know the same things as Minos, Abby, and Gloria, could not help but ask her previous question.


    Gloria then said. "I don''t know. I don''t think it makes sense to attack the Church just because of the situation in Vogel and Albano. Neither of those organizations had relations with forces in that region, and that sect and the Vogel family could be considered weak in the eyes of the high-level powers with enough to do that."


    Minos thought about the matter silently for a while but could not conclude what this was, what the real purpose was, and who would be behind it. "Well, there''s not much we can do beyond what we already do. So let''s keep that problem in mind and continue with our training."


    "Anyway, we have enough dangerous stuff to encourage us to get stronger..."


    "Hmmm." The three nodded as Maisie continued to hold her granddaughter, who was sleeping peacefully in her arms.


    "Sigh..."


    "We are getting stronger, but trouble keeps coming." Ruth sighed, remembering the regional problems that had arisen in recent years. "Even in our region, problems arise. Brown Kingdom and Cromwell Kingdom, as well as the situation in the Endless Snow Mountain Range."


    The situation in these two neighboring kingdoms of the Black Plain was not so good. From time to time, some battles would take place between the remaining powers of those states, reaping some of the regional experts.


    On the other hand, in the Endless Snow Mountain Range, after the leader of the Immemorial Graves Sect bent the knee to Minos, the other sects in that area started to fall out, generating more clashes.


    These powers did not dare to fight when soldiers from the Black Plain Army showed up to appease the situation. But since this organization had to worry about the circumstances in its own territory, often such soldiers would leave, and the conflicts would return.


    The Black Plain had grown a lot in the last four years. However, this was still not enough for this state to compare to the power of the prominent organizations of, for example, Albano. As such, Minos needed his army to stay on his main territory to protect his interests.


    And because of this, they constantly heard complaints of conflicts happening in those two states or in that mountain range, which was already tiring them out.


    Minos'' eyes narrowed, and he said. "Maybe it''s time for us to do some more changes in the region."


    "Oh?" Abby looked at her husband with interest. "You mean the Empire Plan?"


    "That''s right." He stated.


    The Empire Plan was the project to turn the Black Plain into an empire.


    Empire and kingdom in the Spiritual World were differentiated not by the strength of their leaders but by their size regarding area and population. So to turn a kingdom into an empire, anyone would need to increase their territory and absorb new populations!


    "These powers in these places are not behaving well and find it unfair to be led by families not so different from them. So, let''s give them a real sovereign." Minos said in a calm tone. "First, we will turn these two states into semi-autonomous parts of the Black Plain. Then we will occupy the Endless Snow Mountain Range."


    What Minos had started in Vogel had been working so well for him that he had thought about doing it for the rest of the northern region. That is, he wanted to become the true ruler of all these states but give some of the power to a council made up of noble family members.


    At the same time, he would retain the title of kingship for the royal families, placing kings or queens as leaders of these regions, overseen by their respective assemblies.


    Above them would be the Black Plain, which could intervene or not in their affairs.


    Minos had been experimenting with this with Vogel, with the slight difference that the assembly of this state had more powers than he did. But, in any case, such an experience, that is, having advantages and not having to worry about actually ruling, had pleased him very much. So he was already planning to do something similar in his region and thus form an empire!


    The three women of Minos already knew the details of his plan, so they immediately understood it was time for such a thing to be put into practice.


    He then said. "Abby, give the orders tomorrow. Send groups to these three places to organize the new order of things."


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    "Hmmm."


    "As for you, dear, take care of the bureaucracies regarding the Spiritual Church." He said as he looked at Gloria.


    "All right."


    The Spiritual Church was the one that made divisions, unions, new reigns, etc., official in this and other regions. It gave legitimacy to governments in front of the continent''s population. But this organization did not prevent independent powers from acting against each other, and conquests were entirely acceptable.


    Sometimes one power might have a good connection with members of the Church and thus be able to slow down some processes. But at the end of the day, what decided the state of things on this continent was still the strength of those with the will to change.


    Hence, since Minos'' plans did not go against the Church''s rules, Gloria could help her husband in this regard.


    Minos'' wives put this matter in mind to resolve the other day before leaving for their residence together with Maisie and Sarah.


    Halfway there, Maisie, who had overheard her son''s conversations, asked him. "How do you intend to do these things and keep your promise to your grandfather?"


    ...

 Chapter 1334 Black Plain Situation

    Maisie had naturally heard from her father that Minos had agreed to become the master of the Gray Clouds Sect. So after hearing him talk about such plans, she could not help but question the validity of his words.


    After all, if he was going to become the leader of that sect, how would he have time to lead an Empire in this region? Hell, she already thought he should leave the Black Plain to focus his attention on the sect, so now she could only worry.


    "What does one thing have to do with the other?" Minos questioned in incomprehension at his mother''s question.


    Maisie frowned her eyebrows and said. "You will have to go to the Empire to live there. That will make it difficult for you to lead from that place or whatever you have in mind."


    Minos smiled and shook his head negatively. "Who says I''m going to live in the Empire?"


    "Then how will you lead the sect?"


    "I will do that from the Black Plain, of course." He answered.


    Maisie''s eyes narrowed even more, and she stopped to look at her son. "Your grandfather won''t let you."


    "It doesn''t matter. When I am the sect master, I will give the orders for the sect command to move to Dry City. Then there won''t be any problem." He said quietly, shaking his shoulders.


    After those words, Minos went to his room next to his wife and Sarah, leaving Maisie alone with her thoughts.


    ...


    The other morning, when he went out for breakfast before his morning work, Minos came across a strange situation in the kitchen of his residence.


    In that place, Maisie was with Sarah in front of her while taking off the top of her clothes, revealing her right breast. Then, without noticing that her son was there, she brought her granddaughter into her arms and prepared to realize her grandmotherly goal.


    "What are you doing?" Minos asked in surprise, not expecting to see his ''old'' mother''s breasts as he got up to eat something in the morning and still saw her daughter being ''abused'' by Maisie.


    Maisie was not bothered by Minos and felt little Sarah beginning to suck the milk she had produced for her granddaughter. "I am going to feed my first granddaughter. What do you think I am doing? Showing my breasts to you?"


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    Minos was a little annoyed by this but could not say anything, only managing to get a few laughs from his mother. "Although you''ve seen it all before, haha."


    With that comment, he left the kitchen of his residence before he could get traumatized. He left to kiss his daughter later when little Sarah would not have the smell of ''old'' Maisie''s breasts.


    ''Now I''m going to have to see her walking around half-naked?'' He wondered as he sighed.


    ...


    After a while, Minos was in his office, dealing with the Black Plain situation.


    After four years, this state had developed massively, something that had happened because of the number of people working locally and the quality of their services.


    With business done earlier in the Empire and Albano, months after the return of Minos and his family to the Black Plain, Ruth''s older sister had brought each of the techniques ordered.


    With this, plus those copies of Silver-grade techniques that King Stuart had purchased, the quality of the local professionals had risen considerably.


    That naturally caused an increase in the cultivation speed of the Black Plain''s population, which also helped maintain population increases, even when this place already had so many people.


    To get an idea, even now, the state of Minos still receives about 1 million immigrants per month, not only from the northern region but also from Albano, Vogel, Rosser, and Blackrock.


    However, because of the growth in population and the increasing quality of the cities and services in this state, the criteria for entry to this state have risen considerably in these years.


    Currently, only Spiritual Kings above level 55 could come from these domains outside the northern region to the Black Plain. At the same time, locals from this part of the continent could only compete for a migration opportunity if they were at least level 45 cultivators.


    So, the average quality of the local population had already been considered, and not just anyone could move to the state ruled by Minos.


    But that did not mean that those people with characteristics below King Stuart''s requirements were completely left out. No, with the development of the Black Plain, all the states in the northern region benefited from it. In particular, Stone Island was the only one that was not a subordinate but an ally of Minos and was growing significantly.


    Because of this, those who had no chance of coming to the Stuart family state were striving to grow in their respective kingdoms. On the other hand, people from outside the northern region were already migrating to places like Stone Island, hoping to surf the region''s growth.


    Even if they had no chance to be with Minos, they at least wanted to take advantage of the opportunities for growth in these still-weak states!


    With all this, even after the Black Plain had passed the 150 million population barrier, the other states in the northern region had not weakened. Quite the opposite, practically all of them were stronger and had managed to lose fewer portions of populations than their leaders had imagined before.


    But that was easy to understand. That is, people who passed Minos'' requirement and migrated from one of the four enemy kingdoms of the Empire to the Black Plain had families. But while their family members could no longer enter this state, they could hope, or rather, grow up in the neighboring states in that region.


    So millions of people had migrated from those four states to different parts of the northern region, creating a migration flow that had been slowing the population decline of those other areas.


    In this reality, Minos currently had over 3.5 million soldiers in his army, about 50,000 of them being Spiritual Kings, a considerable fraction of the number of such individuals in the entire region.


    There were currently over 300,000 Spiritual Kings in the northern region of the Central Continent, an extremely high number considering that 15 years ago, the number was barely over 3,000.


    Anyway, Minos once again dealt with this reality at the beginning of the day, analyzing the overall numbers of his state and army and hearing from his subordinates the main points of the day.


    That would last until Warner''s group arrived to see him again. They quickly sat down to deal with business and serious matters related to the tense situation between those five states.


    Minos was the leader of Vogel. So it was natural that he would be used in talks to avoid possible escalation of the conflict between the parties.

 Chapter 1335 New Business For The Black Plain

    "So things are like this..." Minos commented as he relaxed on his armchair, pleased to hear that the tensions between those states continued as he wanted them to.


    Once in a while, in those areas, there would be occasional conflicts that would end with a few deaths but nothing grand or significant to the point of a war breaking out of control.


    Since it was beneficial to him to have the four kingdoms afraid of the Empire and this state giving him time, King Stuart was pleased with the situation in that region.


    "Well, none of the states on my side want a war." He said to the men in Warner''s group. "Then let''s deal with this situation to calm tensions in the area."


    Warner heard this and wondered if Minos was being sincere since sometimes this person looked like an old man plotting what was happening in the world behind the curtains of the scene.


    ''This young man looks like an old fox...'' That level 69 individual thought that, but he did not have much to say to Minos.


    Minos had his status as a sovereign, was favored by Princess Isabella, and still had unbelievable talent in cultivation and governance. So he could not pressure this person and just thanked King Stuart for his goodwill.


    "Hmm, thank you for the consideration. We hope to resolve this situation so that more incidents will not be repeated." Such a person said before sighing and preparing to discuss the trade matters he was there to handle.


    Among those trade agreements was the sale by the Empire of strategic resources for the development of the Black Plain, particularly items for the spiritual professions. But for the first time in its history, the state of Minos would start selling a product of its own outside the northern region.


    That was not food grown on the Black Plain, nor items normally made by spiritual professionals.


    The first product with the mark of the Black Plain would be a wine from the time of Henricus Longus, which had been lost on the continent, as Minos had found out from the people of the Empire.


    He had started producing this unique wine in the last two years in his territory and had made visitors taste it on several occasions.


    After these experiences, Minos discovered that such wine no longer existed throughout the Central Continent and took the opportunity to launch his brand to market this ancient product.


    Many of his allies outside the northern region had liked it, so he was already about to start exporting this wine, having made an agreement regarding this official on this day.


    Hence, Minos had begun his efforts for the Black Plain to not just depend on ordinary things that anyone could make by starting to create unique products.


    Before, he could not do that, given the difficulty and danger of having something too good for his own power. But now that his situation had risen considerably, he wanted to put such a plan into practice and turn his state into an exporter of high-value-added products.


    The group discussed business for some time until one side stood up and greeted Minos before leaving with the definition of these agreements.


    ...


    While Minos was working in Dry City, his wives had already ordered army soldiers to carry out his plans in the two neighboring kingdoms to the Black Plain.


    Since this state had teleportation points and the soldiers sent were quite strong, in a matter of hours, the groups sent were already at their targets to begin their work.


    One of them went to the capital of the Brown Kingdom, another to the principal city of the Cromwell Kingdom, and the last one was already reaching the Endless Snow Moutain Range.


    ...


    Capital of the Brown Kingdom...


    The group of 10 people led by Eduard, level 63, had just arrived in this city after flying to this place on 6th stage winged beasts.


    As they made their way through the streets of this capital city, people in the surrounding area looked at them with countenances of admiration, noting the glorious armor of the Black Plain Army.


    At the same time, Eduard was a Spiritual Emperor at level 63, someone still hard to see outside the Black Plain in this region. So there was no way that young and weak people could not look up to him and feel respect and desire to one day become like him.


    That was particularly true for the current citizens of this place who had come from outside the northern region and were waiting for the moment they could migrate to the Black Plain.


    But not everyone admired the arrival of this group. No, the local royal guard had received no warning that a group of 10 Spiritual Emperors would come to this city on this date. So the leaders of this local force could not help but be annoyed and promptly ran up to these people right after sensing their spiritual fluctuations.


    "Captains, what are you doing in our city? Is there a problem?" One of the Spiritual Emperors of the Brown family asked those individuals from Minos'' army.


    They stopped in the middle of the street where they were walking towards the local royal palace and looked for a moment at that man who blocked their passage.


    Eduard then said. "We have a business to attend to with the local nobility and royalty. You will learn with rest later."


    That man frowned, not understanding what was going on since, in recent years, the Black Plain Army had never sent a group like this to deal with such a matter.


    But since he was weaker than the weakest in that group, this man had no choice but to accompany these people as he tried to figure out what was happening.


    "Captain Eduard, can''t you tell me what is going on?"


    Eduard walked up the stairs of the royal palace along with the rest of his group. He then said when he saw King Brown and some members of the royalty looking at them strangely from the palace entrance. "The instability of this kingdom has displeased His Grace for some time now."


    Raynard Brown, level 60, the current king of this state, looked at Eduard and swallowed his saliva, dreading what was about to be said.


    His mother and wife, who were also there, realized that it would not be a good thing for them and felt sweat dripping off their backs.


    "His Grace wants to solve the problem once and for all, so we are here to end the local instability. Therefore, from now on, we will take this state and form a new government that can ensure the safety of the citizens and local progress!"


    After they heard that, the members of this royal organization there felt chills running through their bodies, fearing Minos would kill them coldly and mercilessly.


    ''I knew it!'' King Brown thought, feeling highly uncomfortable about not running away when he had the chance. ''I knew that one day he would turn his claws on us! He was only playing with us!''


    While many were thinking about running away, one of the Spiritual Emperors in that group from the Black Plain said. "From today, the Brown Kingdom will no longer be a state as it was. Instead, this place will become part of the Black Plain and will be legislated by an assembly made up of local nobles and ruled by the Brown family."

 Chapter 1336 New Regional Order 1

    Meanwhile, in the capital of the Cromwell Kingdom...


    The local nobles had just met with the group sent by Abby to this state to hear what Minos had to say about the local situation.


    Eda, level 63, was leading her group and was speaking with these local nobles at this very moment.


    "Starting today, we will allow this state to join the Black Plain and keep part of its autonomy." She said as her eyes narrowed. "Whether that will last or not will depend on you."


    "Join the Black Plain? I thought we were already subordinates of the Stuart family." Someone in that place commented, trying to understand what would change from now on.


    When Minos had dominated the Cromwell Kingdom and the Brown Kingdom, he had done so under several conditions to not completely take over those states. Among them was that the royal families of those states were his subordinates.


    But Minos had always given plenty of liberties to these subordinate states of his and only interfered or ordered actions on their part in delicate situations. So, apart from these moments, it was almost as if these kingdoms were still independent.


    Viola, level 61, who was also in that group, then said. "You are currently not part of the Black Plain. Thus, this move will give you some benefits since we will invest locally."


    "Oh?" The people in the surrounding area opened their eyes in interest since they knew the size of the Black Plain''s current economic power.


    ''If we are part of the Black Plain, our state will develop greatly in a short time...'' A patriarch there considered this in silence.


    The northern region currently had 300,000 Spiritual Kings. But of that number, more than 240,000 were residents of the Black Plain!


    So despite the regional development, much of the positive data in this region came from the Black Plain, and the other kingdoms were far behind the state of Minos.


    With that said, the chance to join the Black Plain was the best thing that could happen for those states, even if they were to lose some of the autonomy they currently enjoyed.


    "But even so, will we still retain our independence? How is that?" One of the more intelligent individuals there asked.


    Eda then spoke again. "We will form a local assembly that will decide some of the most important decisions locally and will be able to contest the governance of the royal family. But, of course, there will still be a king who will be below His Grace. But he will have to answer that assembly and may have his actions overturned."


    "So we will oversee the royal family?" A woman asked.


    "Yes, they will do the normal work they already do, but you will be able to question, change those actions and decide together the future of the state."


    "So we will be the highest power locally?"


    Viola replied. "No, you will be below His Grace. This place will be part of the Black Plain Empire, while His Grace''s wills are going to be above your local assembly''s."


    Those people understood what the future would be like but did not complain. That was the for the cultivation world, and it was only natural that a person much stronger than them could decide their future.


    They knew that Minos was already at level 65 and probably would not stop getting stronger any time soon. So, having him above their assembly was not unfair!


    The most important thing for them was that they could question the actions of the local royal family, which was not strong enough to challenge them if they rebelled.


    They had not rebelled so far only because they feared the Black Plain acting against them!


    They felt highly wronged to have to obey orders from people and an organization that was not so different from them or their forces. So, upon hearing that they could begin to protect their interests contrary to the wishes of royalty, they could not help but be pleased.


    "Well, it''s fine for me that way..."


    "I also agree with His Grace''s wishes. The current situation in the state isn''t good, and changes are needed."


    "Yes, the assembly idea is excellent. As expected from His Grace!"


    Several people began to speak well of this action ordered by Minos, not only to get along well with these soldiers but also because it was the best for them.


    "But how will this happen? How many representatives will our families be able to send?" Someone asked after some time of humorous comments regarding how brainiac Minos was.


    Eda then explained. "For now, you will be able to have one representative for every 50 Spiritual Kings you have in your forces. But in the future, it will be one representative for each Spiritual Emperor... But, that might change too if many experts emerge in the future."


    The people there understood and liked this guidance, as stronger families could keep their decision ''power'' in the future as long as they remained influential. On the other hand, smaller organizations could increase their positions by investing to increase their numbers, so this was not unfair to them.


    ...


    While the nobles were celebrating and had their questions answered by Eda''s group, the core of the royal family was gathered in the royal palace, lamenting the situation.


    They had heard the message from Eda''s group earlier. Then they left, feeling betrayed that Minos was taking power away from them at this time.


    The local royal family faithfully believed that Minos would not get involved in this problematic situation in this way since he had never vigorously interfered in this state in the past.


    Unfortunately for them, the experience in Vogel had been quite fruitful for the Stuart family, making Minos wish to try the same in the northern region.


    Obviously, he would not get the same results in this region, and they would not be immediate. But with investment, these states could become major dividend payers for the Black Plain in the future, even when Minos'' government no longer had to strive for such places.


    Hence, Minos now wanted to make better use of the potential of these states, having begun his plans that went against the interests of the local king, Cade Cromwell, level 61.


    "What shall we do now, Your Majesty?" One of Cade''s chief advisors asked, knowing how difficult the situation would be for this family to develop with the eventual realization of Minos'' plans.


    This family could develop considerably as long as it had the sovereignty of this state. After all, the growth of the Black Plain was driving the entire region.


    What was the result of this? The royal family''s revenues were going up!


    So losing some of their power over resource allocation and local measures would be like losing control of a gold mine! That would distance them from their goal of becoming a great family again!


    None of the people in this family wished to reach the Black Plain or take revenge on Minos. That would be pretty impossible for them since the state of King Stuart kept developing.


    But they wanted to become much stronger again than their vassals and at least have control over things within their state.


    Unfortunately, Minos'' action went against all that and would ultimately equal them with these local organizations!


    "What can we do? Minos will come here and kill us all if we refuse something!" Cade said in a stressed manner, remembering the sacrifices of years ago.

 Chapter 1337 New Regional Order 2

    While the two kingdoms receiving Minos'' ''proposal'' had different reactions, Elena Neel, level 63, and her group arrived at the Endless Snow Moutain Range.


    At this place, the ten Spiritual Emperors went directly to the headquarters of the Immemorial Graves Sect. At the same time, they quickly sent out warnings for the other two sects in the vicinity to attend to meet them.


    In this way, that blonde woman native to Stone Island soon met with the leader of that sect that Minos had previously visited, Laura Cox, who was currently at level 65.


    This woman had seen the rapid development of the Black Plain before Minos'' trip to the Flaming Empire. And at that time, she had already decided to subordinate herself to him.


    He had exposed his intentions to return to her sect cave and somehow use those skeletons, so she could not stand against him since her forces could not compete.


    The Black Plain Army was powerful on its own. Thus, a contest would result in calamity for the Immemorial Graves Sect.


    Since she was smart and would not fight a losing war, she joined Minos as a subordinate, bringing that organization into the network of influence of the Dry City government.


    Because of this, she had been able to access the two highest-level cultivation rooms in Dry City and had achieved significant advances in the years that had passed.


    Also, because of this, today, she had a more cordial relationship with Minos and his forces, despite her disagreement about his violent methods.


    "Elena, good to see you again." She greeted that blonde beauty by placing a kiss on the right cheek of this Black Plain Army Captain.


    "Hmm, you are getting younger as your strength progresses..." Elena commented as she blinked one of her eyes at Laura, making this woman blush as she remembered the things the two had already done...


    Laura then touched on a serious subject to remove her awkward relationship with Elena from the conversation. "What do you intend to do here this time? What are his orders?"


    Elena became more serious and said. "We are going to take this area of the Endless Snow Mountain Range as an outpost of the Black Plain Army and absorb the organizations in that area."


    "Oh?" Laura was surprised to hear that. "What exactly is the purpose of that?"


    "To stop local conflicts, protect what''s in that area for the army''s interests, and ensure regional control by the Black Plain." Elena was direct, knowing that this woman was part of Minos'' sphere of influence.


    "On the other hand, this location is closer to the capitals of the Kingdom of the Waves, Kingdom of the End, and the Snow Kingdom. So if we have a post with a teleportation port here, we can send troops to those areas faster."


    The Black Plain could not yet produce teleportation arrays that could cross the region. So the government of Minos needed outposts throughout the region to connect certain places to his capital.


    He did not yet have a well-developed network to quickly go from one side of the region to the other in a short time, but this was in his plans for the near future.


    Wormholes would be much more interesting for long-distance travel, but such an alternative demanded 9th stage cultivators. So investing in arrays was well worth it for him, even if something like a wormhole port might appear on his territory one day.


    Everything Elena said was true, and Laura believed it, quickly imagining what a well-connected northern region would look like.


    ''That will increase regional security against outside threats...'' She pondered over this, which was her greatest fear.


    Previously the northern region was a ''dead'' place for most of the Spiritual World, unattractive to influential people who might have interests in what her sect protected. But with the changes brought about by Minos, more and more experts have been visiting the region.


    Hence, in this woman''s opinion, it was only a matter of time before trouble approached her sect.


    In this case, knowing that Minos was trying to improve the region''s security was of great importance to her!


    Anyway, soon all the representatives of the other two sects in the Endless Snow Mountain Range arrived at her sect, quickly joining them in a prominent business area.


    Recently the parties involved had not been on good terms with each other. Still, they were pretty respectful towards Minos'' organization, which could destroy them at any time.


    ? That was not only due to the Black Plain Army''s raw power. No, it went far beyond that. After all, a ''weapon'' might exist, but its owner might not use it. So what was usually scary was not the ''weapon,'' but its owner''s ability to use it!


    And as everyone knew, Minos was very capable of using his forces to oppress those who stood against him and tried to sabotage him...


    Because of the fame, he had made for himself, Elena and her group had no difficulty presenting the new regional reality to those leaders of the few sects in this region.


    As for these people, they naturally accepted everything since they had no options.


    What could they do against the wishes of an organization with hundreds more experts than they did?


    Only the group sent by Abby was capable of annihilating them all if Elena wanted to!


    So without difficulty, her group explained what would happen and ''won'' the approval of the local leaders as well as the assurance that they would cooperate.


    ...


    Two days later, the whole region was already aware of the actions of the Black Plain Army in the Brown Kingdom and Cromwell Kingdom.


    The news was spreading fast in this region with as many Spiritual Kings as it currently had, but also due to the emergence of new regional journals.


    The local purchasing power had increased recently, so more people were investing their resources to stay abreast of the news. Consequently, more such organizations sprung up regionally to meet the demand for such a service.


    With this, as some individuals were not so satisfied with the reality that Minos wanted to bring to them, such people naturally ''leaked'' the information about what was happening in their kingdoms.


    The result of this was already spreading throughout the region, with the five major regional periodicals carrying the news of Minos'' desire to form an Empire and the risk this posed.


    Would he end his desires with those two troubled states? Or perhaps this was just the first act of regional domination?


    Many of the periodicals made a point of bringing up this doubt in their articles, and now a good part of the more than 2 billion inhabitants debated the future they feared or desired.


    Some were already celebrating in the streets, while others began reviewing their actions and plans to find a way out in case they had to give up even more strength.


    But just as in the Brown Kingdom or the Cromwell Kingdom, the noble families celebrated such news without exception!

 Chapter 1338 New Regional Order 3

    In the capital of the Kingdom of the End...


    King Carline was at this moment with his two wives in an office of the royal palace, looking at the journal in front of him with a blank look.


    He had no mercy on the troubled kingdoms about to be overrun by the Black Plain, but he was pretty afraid of what Minos'' action would bring to his state.


    After all, the local nobles would not ignore this fact!


    What would they think of it? That was obvious. They would desire Minos to do the same in their states to increase their powers in front of the powers of their respective royal families!


    For King Carline, with the formation of the Black Plain Empire underway, it would only be a matter of time before the local families would begin to rally against his house!


    Such noble organizations would probably initiate talks directly with the Black Plain Army. Or, in the best case, try to give the royal family an ultimatum to ask Minos for them to join his state.


    In any case, he and his organization would lose power due to Minos'' ambitious move!


    ''What a greedy wretch!'' He thought as he clenched his fists tightly, feeling what it meant to be weaker and unable to do anything about the injustices of the world...


    ''He said that we would be his subordinates only for a while, and then we would have the option of returning to what we were before.'' He remembered the proposal Minos had made to Kara years ago. ''He even gave us a lot of freedom during the last few years, only to now take everything away from us!''


    ''How can he be such a jerk?'' He felt betrayed, even forgetting that because of Minos, he had reached level 61 while Linette and Jade were already at level 62.


    Jade, this black-haired woman, realized the problem in her husband''s mind and sighed.


    She loved giving herself to Minos, but she still loved her husband and had economic interests. Thus, at the moment, she and Linette had conflicting thoughts in their minds.


    On the one hand, they knew the positives of becoming part of the Black Plain and how ''impressive'' Minos could be. That made them hopeful about the future. But on the other hand, it would mean that their family could not control their destiny and would be in the hands of King Stuart.


    That could have its advantages, too, since Minos was exceptionally qualified to rule territories. But it meant losing benefits, or rather, sharing what was theirs with many more powers and people than they already did.


    So they disagreed with Minos'' decision to create an Empire, although it was pretty impressive and also excited them.


    "Well, there''s nothing to do. Minos is the region''s leader, and we already have obligations to the Black Plain anyway." Linette tried to look on the bright side. "Then, won''t we better take the opportunity to ride the wave of Black Plain growths? At least we''ll be able to enjoy some of that."


    Her logic was simple. It was better to have a small fraction of something big than 100% of something small!


    Losing powers to an assembly of nobles and the Black Plain would be bad. But at the same time, local development could increase significantly.


    So even if they lost rights and resources at first, they could eventually earn much higher returns than they do now!


    Jade agreed with her redheaded harem sister. "That''s true, dear. Unfortunately, we have no choice, but we will probably have more at our disposal because of it."


    "Sigh..."


    ...


    As King Carline sighed beside his wives, the three strongest of the Stone Island''s royalty were talking the matter over in their palace.


    The Stone siblings, the two men already at level 63 and Lorelei at level 64, were doing the math regarding the future of Stone Island, considering what was likely to happen in a short time.


    They did not doubt that the entire region would move towards integration with the Black Plain Empire, as most of the powers would benefit from that. But, of course, that would also be incredible for the population.


    With so few who might feel wronged by Minos'' actions, there would be no room for dialogue to refuse the natural evolution of this region.


    So the three were planning what to do to have the best results in the face of the impending local changes!


    "Stone Island has grown greatly in the last decade because of our alliance with the Black Plain." Lorelei told her younger brothers as she sat in a brown armchair beside a pool in the courtyard of the king''s residence. "Without the development of that territory and subsequent benefits we have received, we would not have the 31 Spiritual Emperors today, nor the more than 30,000 Spiritual Kings."


    The two brothers could not disagree with that, and the king said. "But if we receive investments directly from the Black Plain, we can greatly increase local development."


    The Bank of the Black Plain had enabled people from all over the region to invest in their states. But Minos still did not allow people from his territory to invest outside of it. So by joining that state, this and other kingdoms could access an absurdly large reserve of crystals!


    That could quickly facilitate the development of essential projects for the growth of Stone Island but also increase the attractiveness of this state for immigrants from outside the region.


    For now, the most capable immigrants only wanted to go to the Black Plain. But if Stone Island became part of the state of Minos, this place would become more attractive because it would have less competition. At the same time, a local inhabitant would already have the same rights as people living in Dry City.


    With this, the three of them soon began to plan what they could do immediately to lessen the loss of influence they would experience from this.


    "I think we should approach the noble families and start conversations with them." The youngest brother there said, thinking they would have to have a great relationship with the nobility from the moment Minos absorbed Stone Island.


    "Oh? Indeed, we''ll have to make more favorable policies for them and increase the talks, so we can keep some of our decision-making power." Eugene, King Stone, said.


    It was better for them to give something up themselves than to have their decisions questioned by others. This way, they could at least keep some of their dignity as royalty and state sovereigns.


    They continued to discuss this matter, then sent orders to their staff to begin preparations to better direct Stone Island to the new regional reality.


    Similar things were happening in the Snow Kingdom and the Kingdom of the Waves, where their leaders were also thinking about the problems and advantages they could have soon.

 Chapter 1339 Consequences For The Powers Of The Black Plain

    While the entire region was reacting to the news concerning the formation of the Black Plain Empire, the Minos population received this information only through the local periodical.


    The Black Plain had its own periodical distributed free of charge to its population. It brought the most relevant news for that state, government measures, attractions, and opportunities.


    Such a periodical was distributed weekly in the early morning when most people in this state and the region rested from their weekly work.


    Thus, on the previous day, the people of the Black Plain had already come into contact with information about the formation of the empire and the consequent opportunities that this would bring.


    The Black Plain today was home to great business people and economically and militarily powerful families looking for opportunities in this increasingly competitive place.


    So, for these individuals, the news that two territories would be added to the Black Plain area was splendid, and they could not help but celebrate.


    As much as it would not immediately change the situation of the Brown Kingdom and the Cromwell Kingdom, it changed everything on paper. That is, investing in one of those states before would be risky because people and products from there could not freely enter the Black Plain. But with this change, this problem would no longer exist!


    By investing their resources in the Brown Kingdom, for example, a Black Plain cultivator would be under the same rules and rights as they were in the original territory of Minos.


    And that was a great advantage. After all, these two territories had together more than 400 million inhabitants and an area about 120% that of the present Black Plain.


    So the richest and strongest in the territory of Minos were already starting to move to take better advantage of the change about to take place.


    These two states'' noble families would gain much importance soon. So as more powerful powers, these Black Plain''s organizations were already thinking about how to ally themselves with the nobility of these places.


    On the other hand, even ordinary people who had migrated to the Black Plain to work in ordinary services were celebrating the news.


    That was not only because it gave them the pride to be part of a growing state that would soon become an empire. But because many of these current citizens of the Black Plain came from one of these two kingdoms.


    People on the Black Plain came from all parts of the northern region of the Central Continent. But these two states that were closer to the territory of Minos represented a little more in the origin of this place''s current inhabitants.


    Since these people still had ties to their former lands, customs, and acquaintances who had failed to migrate or decided to stay, they celebrated the news.


    That was because, with the formation of the empire, it would be easier for them to get around. To visit their distant friends and relatives, and most importantly, to know that not only they would have good opportunities.


    The Black Plain had good roads between its cities and extensive security in the sky, on land, and in the waters, with beasts acting in concert with the local forces. So it was tough for travelers to face criminals or be attacked by beasts when traveling within this territory, which made it easy for people to move around.


    That did not happen outside the Black Plain, so the formation of the empire would greatly help to raise the security of travel in those states, facilitating the movements between the areas.


    On the other hand, the Dry City government would certainly develop those states, and excessive import taxes would decrease. The result of this? Those two states'' populations would benefit significantly from job opportunities and lower living costs.


    Thus, those who were having a good time in the Black Plain would no longer have to worry about their fellows having a ''hard'' time in one of those states. And with that, the common people were happy with Minos'' wishes!


    ...


    In the area under the control of the Miller family on the Black Plain...


    In this place, the patriarch of that family was gathered with the two strongest individuals besides him from that organization, the supreme elder and the one who should be his heiress.


    Vince Miller, level 64, was sitting comfortably in front of the patriarch, level 63, next to Daphne Miller, level 63.


    The three were there talking about the most critical issue of the moment, deciding how the Miller family should behave with the new order of things.


    "Our old territory in the Brown Kingdom still has many organizations loyal to us and clamoring for our return." Daphne commented, feeling they should put some effort into that area again.


    The patriarch agreed with that. "Of all the noble families in the Black Plain today, we are the one with the best contacts with the remaining nobility in the Brown Kingdom. So we must take advantage of our favorable position to expand our influence through this state."


    "Other noble families in the Black Plain will certainly try to expand their interests into the Cromwell Kingdom since that territory is larger and has a more significant population. So we must control our interests and act in the Brown Kingdom."


    Vince nodded to the patriarch, feeling it would indeed be the best thing for House Miller.


    This man knew that Minos intended to develop all the states his territory was about to ''swallow.'' So the fact that the Brown Kingdom had a lower spiritual concentration than the place he was currently in did not bother him.


    Not every business needs high spiritual concentration to be developed. What''s more, he knew that perhaps the same thing that had happened to the Black Plain would happen in other parts of the region in the future.


    That is, the spiritual root of the Black Plain had recovered, so would it be impossible for something similar to happen in the Brown Kingdom and the Cromwell Kingdom?


    He did not think so! Thus, he saw an opportunity with this move by Minos. "Let''s do it. Even if it takes some time for the Brown Kingdom to change, it will be worth it."


    "With the number of Spiritual Kings already in that place, we''ll soon see significant improvements that will make it worth the investment. That is true even if the spiritual concentration there doesn''t improve in the future."


    The two agreed with that analysis before going back to the subject, specifically on how to begin approaching the noble families of the Brown Kingdom.


    While they were doing that, organizations such as the Parkinson, Gill, Austin, Cohen, Hayes, and Stokes families were already in action. They all looked primarily at the Cromwell Kingdom, which had much more to offer.


    Other smaller Black Plain''s powers were also moving, looking for positions before the seats at the table were all taken.


    No one knew if Minos would absorb the remaining states of the region or how long it would take him to do so. That is, he had to take it easy not to ''eat'' more than his ''stomach'' could handle. So the formation of the empire was not something that would happen overnight.


    Hence, they had to consider that the Cromwell Kingdom and the Brown Kingdom were what they would have, for the time being, so they were quickly acting to get a slice of the ''cake''!

 Chapter 1340 The Black Plain Empire 1

    Days later...


    While the entire region was discussing the formation of the Black Plain Empire and preparing for the changes it would bring, the Stuart family worked to make that plan happen.


    Abby and Ruth were leading the efforts to turn those two states into parts of the Black Plain, while Gloria was handling Church matters, working to form the Empire of Minos.


    Since Vogel was also part of Minos'' territory and the Cromwell Kingdom bordered that state, the Black Plain would soon border the Flaming Empire and the western region directly.


    That would facilitate the transport of items between the different parts associated with the Black Plain. But it would also make it possible to create teleportation ''corridors'' that would ''shorten'' the distances to Minos.


    If he were to travel to Vogel with the fastest flying beast on the Black Plain today, it would take him months to get from Dry City to that state''s capital. But with such a possibility, he could soon travel from one place to another in less than a day!


    That would be a great advantage for a leader like him, who had to worry about the security of his state and not waste time on unnecessary things.


    Previously he had traveled calmly, but that was one of the purposes of his trip. In a situation where he had to ''rescue'' Vogel, this would not be the case. Thus, he needed to have alternatives like this.


    But that was not the only point! Just as he had talked with Harold earlier, Minos needed to have a large empire to ''surround'' the four enemy states of the Flaming Empire.


    Only then could he simulate the situation he had promised Harold and get the best possible results from his plans for those four kingdoms and the Flaming Empire.


    So Gloria was working towards creating this empire that would be born, making the most extensive border with Rosser and Albano, which previously only the Flaming Empire came close to...


    ...


    Lulu had left the capital of Albano days ago after her mother sent her to speak with Minos regarding the rumors that had reached their state.


    Since she had her means of getting to the Black Plain quickly, this woman was already in the vicinity of Dry City, going to meet Minos.


    But halfway to the local royal palace, this woman could not help but observe one of the giant turtles that her state had ''borrowed'' to the Black Plain flying in the vicinity.


    ''Oh? It''s already at the 7th stage?'' She noticed that such a being was already at level 60, remembering that previously all the ''borrowed'' turtles were only Spiritual Kings.


    ''This place develops fast! No wonder Minos wants to create an empire.'' She connected the dots, not taking long to take her focus off that creature and turn her attention to the road to the royal palace.


    She paid close attention to this place she had not visited in months, noticing how much more intense the circulation of Spiritual Emperors seemed there than before.


    However, it would not take her long to open her mouth in shock right after entering the central area of Dry City, where the local dome protected the state government''s core.


    "Seven Spiritual Saints?" She wondered aloud as she realized the number of experts out there.


    This woman knew Minos and Gloria had powerful relatives who occasionally visited this city. But seven such people coming to this place at once was a bit much, and she felt impressed.


    Lulu still did not know that Gloria had advanced nor that Gavin had reached level 70 right after her last passage through this city. So this young princess of Albano was quite confused upon sensing the auras of Maisie, Margot, Isabella, Ivy, and an envoy from the Assembly of Vogel.


    "Princess Lulu, what do we owe Your Highness'' visit?" A Spiritual Emperor from the local royal guard asked her just after that woman stopped before the palace entrance.


    Lulu saw that level 61 man and did not take the time to answer. "I am here as a messenger from my mother. I want to meet with His Majesty Minos Stuart."


    ...


    "You are a scoundrel, Minos Stuart! You made me miss the birth of my granddaughter!" Margot said in an unjustified tone while holding little Sarah in her arms.


    At the same time, Ivy and Isabella were standing next to this Matriarch of the Spiritual Church, looking at the little face of Minos'' first daughter.


    Minos said nothing to his mother-in-law as he managed to free himself from the embrace of his aunt Angelica, who had also come from the Flaming Empire to meet Sarah.


    As for Sarah''s great-grandparents and grandfathers, none of them had come on this occasion, all of them having problems in the Empire that prevented them from coming to meet Minos'' daughter.


    But they had sent gifts to Sarah through these women who had traveled from the Empire to Dry City, things for her future when she was to become a cultivator.


    Of course, among those gifts were several valuable defensive items for little Sarah, which Gloria had already thanked those women for.


    While these women enjoyed getting to know little Sarah, with Margot a little angry with Minos, Vogel''s envoy was silent, waiting for his moment to speak with the local sovereign.


    He had arrived a little before these women, but since they were much stronger than him and he had barely had a chance to start talking to Minos before they arrived, he was waiting for his chance.


    Minos was officially the King of Vogel, while from time to time, envoys from that kingdom had to come to the Black Plain to collect approvals, deliver some resources, talk about important matters, etc.


    That''s what this person was there to do: talk about the recent news of the formation of the Black Plain Empire, something that could directly affect Vogel.


    The Assembly of Vogel was worried about Minos wanting to add Vogel to his empire since they were only being ''ruled'' by him temporarily...


    So to avoid misunderstandings, they wanted to clear up some of their doubts with this envoy who was standing there in the royal throne hall, waiting his turn to speak while watching Minos'' daughter.


    ''Why did these women have to show up just now?'' He wondered as he sighed since he was only a level 70 Spiritual Saint and could do nothing in this situation.


    As they stood there, a royal guard announced Lulu''s arrival, allowing her to enter there since this woman had a pass to speak with Minos without having to wait in line.


    After Minos'' signal to allow that princess in there, Lulu ran into that group of women, shocked to see the little being in Margot''s arms and Gloria already at level 70.


    "What?" She asked aloud, ignoring her enemy from the Flaming Empire, Isabella, to focus her attention on mother and daughter and then on Minos.


    "Has your daughter been born? Congratulations, Your Majesties!" She said as she made a polite gesture before approaching Minos and his wives.


    ...

 Chapter 1341 The Black Plain Empire 2

    Upon hearing Lulu, Minos quickly thanked her for her words and greeted her.


    This woman had grown stronger in recent years, having reached level 66, still being stronger than him in terms of level, but with a smaller difference than before.


    Lulu noticed this immediately as she stood face to face with Minos, sensing how abundant this level 65 young man''s strength was.


    "What do you want here? Some situation in your state? Any business?" Minos asked, but he figured Lulu was there to talk to him about the same subject as the Assembly of Vogel''s envoy.


    "Sort of..." She said. "My mother is very curious about the formation of the Black Plain Empire."


    "Is that so?" He smiled. "What do you want to know? Or rather, what are your questions?"


    The envoy of the Vogel Assembly turned his attention to Minos and thanked Lulu for arriving to help him quickly resolve this matter.


    The women around Sarah continued to watch this baby. Still, they began to pay attention to the conversation between Minos and Lulu, who were a few meters away from them.


    They had all heard that the Black Plain was taking steps towards forming an empire in the northern part of the Central Continent, so everyone there was curious.


    That was especially true for Isabella, the heiress of the Flaming Empire, who was already aware of the agreements between Minos and her father.


    Lulu then said. "We want to know the reason for this now and if it will affect our interests. We are already in a complicated situation, so you going out to make trouble may create hindrances to solving our problem."


    The problem for Iris was not him dominating kingdoms in the northern region and threatening Albano. She did not see it that way. What bothered her was that King Stuart was the only one capable of dialoguing with the Empire and negotiating a non-aggression agreement. But if he was busy fighting a war...


    This was the problem!


    That was why Iris had sent Lulu to talk to Minos while that man from Vogel was there to ascertain the ambitions of King Stuart.


    Minos understood what Lulu wanted to know and said. "Well, the Brown and Cromwell kingdoms have been having some problems for years. That is hindering our plans for the northern region. At the same time, we currently have a good position, so we decided that the best solution to the problem is this strategy we''re adopting."


    "So it''s to solve the problems of those states?" Lulu opened her eyes in surprise, feeling that Minos was being a scoundrel for using a lame excuse.


    How could he justify invading two states with an ''I am helping them''?


    This was ridiculous!


    He was obviously doing it for his own interests!


    Minos said with a straight face. "Of course. I''ve always called for regional harmony and work for local progress. So I won''t let these states barbarize each other forever."


    The people there looked at him strangely, but nobody said anything.


    Minos then continued. "But don''t worry, this won''t create any problems for the Black Plain. The strongest organizations in the two states have already agreed to our terms and are cooperating to form the Empire."


    Abby then said with a smile on her face. "We have even received requests from other states in the region for them to join us as Black Plain territories."


    "What? States are offering themselves to you?" The envoy of Vogel questioned in incomprehension, not understanding how these powers could choose the path of dependence.


    Usually, powers desired more independence and moved toward forming alliances. So it was surprising to that old expert that some royal family offered themselves to do this that Abby had said.


    Ruth affirmed her harem sister''s line. "Yes, the Stone Island royal family has already made themselves available to us. This organization wants to become the first island under the Black Plain''s command."


    The Stone family was quick in its decisions, having already enjoyed the advantages of being an ally of Minos for too many years to hesitate at this decisive moment.


    But for the moment, Minos would not extend his actions to other states so he not commit the sin of gluttony and lose control over his state.


    His government had already sent communications to the organizations that had contacted him to make it clear that there would be no additions for the time being.


    Abby and Ruth''s lines impressed the people in that royal hall. Most of them did not pay enough attention to the rest of the northern region to realize that such a thing was not so strange.


    They usually only looked at Minos and the Black Plain, so they put themselves in this situation of being surprised by the obvious.


    "Anyway," Minos said. "The formation of my empire will not be a problem. It will not hinder me at all. My wives will handle everything, and the royal families of the two states are already cooperating."


    "They won''t fight or do anything dangerous."


    "So that''s how it is..." Lulu sighed in satisfaction upon hearing Minos'' explanation. She found it quite impressive that he could already do something like this, considering that he was fighting a war of independence only a few years ago.


    Since her family''s only questions had been answered, she put the matter aside to watch little Sarah.


    But then, Vogel''s envoy asked. "Your Grace, what will be Vogel''s situation in your empire? How will the Spiritual Church handle this matter?"


    Minos looked at Gloria and indicated for her to answer this man.


    "From the Church''s point of view, it doesn''t matter if the Assembly of Vogel is the one who rules this state. Minos is the sovereign, and with the formation of an empire, the territory of Vogel will be part of it just like the Brown Kingdom, for example." She said as she looked thoughtfully at that person.


    That man did not like to hear that and questioned Minos. "But that was not our agreement. Our agreement is only for 20 years!"


    "Hmm." Minos nodded. "When it is the time of that, if you decide to remove me from the throne, we will change the situation with the Church, and there will be no problems. But until then, Vogel will be part of the empire."


    That man realized Minos'' little game, but since this, in fact, did not go against the rules of this young man''s contracts with the leaders of that state, he could not do much about it.


    But then he remembered something crucial and laughed, noticing that Minos had overlooked an important factor. "Your Grace, I hope you will change your mind. After all, if that doesn''t happen, wouldn''t this move of yours take your territory out of the northern region?"


    "Will there still be any reason for the Spiritual Church to prevent outside powers above the 7th stage from interfering in the region? I fear Spiritual Saints will be looking here with covetous eyes before long..." He jokingly said, wondering how foolish it would be to go ahead with something that would take away all protections from this place.


    ...

 Chapter 1342 The Black Plain Empire 3

    Upon hearing that man''s comments, some people who knew nothing about Minos'' plans looked at him in curiosity to know his response.


    Would he give up on this idea when he realized his mistake? Or would he insist and take a significant risk?


    But Minos then laughed back. "That is not the case. I have agreements with the Spiritual Church to keep the previous order of things for a few more years, no matter the situation."


    He looked at Gloria and then at Margot. "Isn''t that right?"


    The two nodded in agreement since both had fallen for Minos'' traps. Margot had not yet lost her bet with King Stuart, but judging by his cultivation speed, he would indeed reach level 70, and she would have to forgive him and keep Gloria in the northern region. At the same time, his wife had promised to keep outside powers out of the northern region for some more years, a period that had yet to end.


    Margot had to fulfill the agreements signed by her daughter since she was Gloria''s superior before this woman reached the 8th stage. So, she could not change anything now, even if Minos had Spiritual Saints on his side!


    Hearing that, that envoy of Vogel did not understand and asked. "What are you talking about?"


    Margot said. "He is very clever and has tricked the Church into protecting him for a few years... Now even if Vogel becomes part of the Black Plain and his empire is no longer part of the northern region, the rules will still be the same as before."


    ? Currently, Vogel and the Black Plain were two different states, only with the same sovereign. Thus, there was no political confusion involving the parties. But with the formation of the Empire, the two would become one. Hence the questioning of that Spiritual Saint.


    Finally, when he realized his mistake, he remained silent, red with embarrassment, noticing how slippery Minos was in his moves.


    Minos then commented in good humor. "But don''t worry, if your assembly decides to remove me in a few years, that will be done with ease, won''t it, Gloria?"


    "Hmmm." She nodded in confirmation.


    "But if you want to give me more powers, I won''t refuse..." He commented in a low voice, indicating that this possibility was also on the table.


    That man took it as a joke and did not want to stick around any longer, quickly saying goodbye and leaving for his destination.


    Lulu, on the other hand, after looking at Sarah for a few moments, approached Minos and asked in a low voice. "Why is the princess of the Flaming Empire here?"


    "She is one of the envoys from the Empire who usually comes to me," Minos said, part of the truth. "Why? Don''t you want me to negotiate peace with the Edwardstone family?"


    She looked at him seriously and said. "Of course. I just didn''t know that she was predisposed to come here herself! After all, she is the heiress!"


    Minos smiled and said. "Are you worried about her safety? There must be some level 78 Spiritual Saint on the outskirts of Dry City hiding while waiting for her."


    Hearing this, Lulu forgot the thought in her mind and trembled with fear at the thought of someone so strong as an enemy.


    "You wouldn''t even be able to scratch her anyway..." Minos casually commented, making Lulu blush.


    After that, she did not feel comfortable continuing there and left to check into a hotel, intending to check out the matter for a while longer and do business before returning to Albano.


    With that, Minos continued entertaining those newly arrived women while poor Sarah had to endure being hugged by so many different women.


    In the end, they all went to hotels, as they wanted to stay there for a few days before leaving for the Flaming Empire.


    They were there for Sarah, most of them. But this place developed by Minos was impressive considering its fame a few decades ago. At the same time, the speed at which it was growing was frightening, and they wanted to see a bit of his routine in this place.


    In this way, a day''s work ended for Minos, and he returned to his residence with Sarah in his arms, along with those three beautiful women who were already tired from the day''s commitments.


    ...


    Two days later...


    Margot had finally found something to justify her daughter''s advancement to level 70 in this still poor region.


    The spiritual root of Dry City had improved dramatically since the day Minos arrived there. However, it still paled compared to those of high-level regions, such as Payton.


    So Margot was still doubtful how Minos'' group could cultivate so fast in this territory.


    However, after two days in this city, she discovered the two unique cultivation rooms in this territory while getting to know Sarah. In particular, she knew the room where the younger Black Hole Bomb was, which Minos had made from the items left behind by the God of Death.


    After knowing that extreme place where even she got something out of cultivating, this Matriarch rushed to Minos'' office to talk to him.


    "How did you make that thing? How could someone of your level produce something so powerful?" She questioned him as her curiosity reached new heights.


    Margot had already heard that Minos had been able to unleash something that had frightened even low-level Spiritual Sages. But that had only been what she had heard, not what she had seen, as it had happened in this place.


    She had felt the power of Minos'' Black Hole Bomb and knew that Spiritual Sages would perish if it were detonated. So she could not help but question him about such a thing.


    Minos looked at his mother-in-law in his office and said, after pondering for a moment. "I made the black hole and let it evolve by devouring powerful things. Then, after that, I used it the way you saw it."


    From how Minos spoke, doing such a thing seemed easy. But Margot knew that something like that would have to devour powerful cultivators to achieve such gigantic power.


    "Devoured what?"


    "A high-level, medium-level, and low-level grade-4 artifacts." He said to complete shock of this woman.


    "Are you kidding?"


    "No, we found the inheritance of a guy called the God of Death, but we were forced to destroy everything that had his aura. So I took advantage of the situation and developed something useful for my territory." He did not hide the truth since there was no need for it.


    Margot had already seen that cultivation room, so lying to her would only cause unnecessary suspicion. But on the other hand, inheritances like that of such an individual existed in this world, so what he spoke of was not as unique as having a Spatial Kingdom.


    As such, Margot understood the situation, only having regretted that such fine items had to be destroyed.


    ''Well, at least they got something good out of all this...'' She pondered quietly, feeling that her son-in-law was not so bad.

 Chapter 1343 The Black Plain Empire 4

    After the conversation with his mother-in-law earlier, Minos continued in Dry City, taking care of the affairs of his future empire alongside his wives.


    Meanwhile, he handled the visits to his estate, taking care of his affairs with Isabella but also entertaining Ivy on the days when this friend of Maisie had decided to stay in Dry City.


    On the other hand, after a few days of living with her granddaughter, Margot left for the Flaming Empire. She promised she would return and make Gloria''s father come with her after some time.


    Lulu took care of some business locally during this time. But she had also returned to her state before long, as things seemed to be going very well for the Black Plain, with few worries for Albano.


    In the end, after more than a month since that day when Sarah had had to deal with so many women hugging her, Maisie and Angelica returned to the Grey Clouds Sect.


    In that period, Patience had appeared in Dry City, but not for long since she was one of the pillars of the Gray Clouds Sect. In any case, she had taken her daughters with her as Oswald had concerns about the war, and these women could not stay on ''vacation'' on the Black Plain forever.


    So everyone had left, and the last remaining Spiritual Saints on the Black Plain were Gloria and Gavin, the normal for this developing place.


    In this way, the local growth routine returned to normal for a period of time that passed so quickly that when everyone least realized it, a year had passed.


    As time passed, the Black Plain Empire had finally been born!


    ...


    After months since the beginning of conversations and actions towards the formation of the Black Plain Empire, this great state had been ''born'' in the northern region of the Central Continent!


    Just one week ago, the Matriarch of the Spiritual Church for the northern region and the Matriarch for Vogel jointly hosted the coronation of Minos Stuart as emperor of the Black Plain!


    With this event, all the organizations from every part of his territory sent representatives to his coronation in Dry City, where his allies also showed up to witness this momentous occasion.


    At the time, people from the Flaming Empire, Albano, Rosser, Blackrock, and the kingdoms of the northern region, from all these places, showed up to congratulate Minos on his progress.


    Minos had changed the northern region and created something out of the ordinary. In less than 20 years, he developed a barren place into the nucleus of a great empire with over 800 million inhabitants.


    He reached level 66 on the eve of his coronation, which helped him in many ways. Every day his strength became more relevant, and people respected him even when he did not speak or do anything.


    The Assembly of Vogel itself, which had not liked Minos'' decisions, had, in the end, given in and agreed to ''temporarily'' accept their territory to be a part of the Black Plain Empire.


    On the other hand, the assemblies in the former territories of the Brown Kingdom and the Cromwell Kingdom had begun their operations, helping to provide stability and development opportunities for those places.


    As a result, by the time the formation of the empire was made official, the two areas in question had undergone many improvement processes. That calmed the spirits of even those individuals who had lost their rights!


    By the end of this process, nothing out of the ordinary, no plot or incident trying to prevent the completion of the formation of the empire, had happened.


    The northern region was cheering for Minos to succeed, the young man''s allies, enemies of the Flaming Empire, needed his victory, and the Edwardstone family wanted him to succeed. At the same time, the entire region''s population saw Emperor Stuart as capable, so with so many favorable winds, it was impossible for anything to stand in the way of this project.


    For this very reason, the Spiritual Church had not hindered Minos'' plans at all, having just taken the time needed to form an empire.


    The Church itself would have to move to adjust to these changes, and notifying all the necessary people would not happen in a day or two. So it had taken more than a year before Minos was crowned and matters were finalized.


    In this way, while the world was getting used to the new reality of things, Abby ascended to the position of the empress of the Black Plain. At the same time, Ruth had been given the title of queen, a position only lower in the hierarchy than Minos and his first wife.


    Gloria could not receive an official position in the Black Plain imperial family since she was officially the Matriarch of the Spiritual Church for the northern region. Thus, her position was the same as before. However, everyone in the region treated her appropriately as part of the Stuart family.


    Finally, Sarah had grown up a little in that period and learned to speak.


    It was only a pity for Gloria that this young girl had said as her first word the word emperor, not mother, as that woman had wished.


    But there was nothing to do. Minos spoiled his daughter and made her watch him rise to that position, so Sarah had said such a thing as her first word.


    And that was what she was muttering as she crawled around the sides of Minos'' imperial throne room.


    ...


    "Emperor..." She murmured as she looked at her father sitting on the throne next to his wives, whom this girl called mothers.


    The imperial guards made way for this child of just over a year old as she crawled fast enough to beat a turtle.


    "Emperor... Daddy..." She said as she made a finger gesture to Minos, indicating what she wanted.


    Minos was paying attention to serious matters at the moment. Still, he did what his daughter wanted by wagging one of his fingers and making this child float to him.


    She happily laughed as she felt her father''s technique just before she fell into his arms and tried to hug him.


    "Daddy... Wha... What... Are you...  You doing?" She asked in her immature language.


    Sarah was smart, so she could form little sentences, even though she was only a year old.


    Minos felt his daughter tugging at his hair but did not stop her, just starting to run one of his hands over her little head while paying attention to old Joey.


    That level 59 man continued talking about a recent problem that had been happening in the empire. "... Your Imperial Majesty, the attacks on the army border posts and the Spiritual Church posts have been increasing over the past few weeks."


    "The terrorist group coming from the western region continues to defy the forces of the state, including disrupting the lives of citizens, blocking roads, and destroying crops."


    The warning Minos had received from Emperor Edwardstone had taken a while to take effect. But eventually, the trouble had gotten to him, which had happened about four months ago.


    At that time, the group that seemed to want justice for the Vogel family and the destroyed sect in Albano had begun attacking Church posts in the northern region. Then, with the formation of the Black Plain Empire, such a group began to attack the army of this state as well.


    Minos had been dealing with the issue for weeks, but he was beginning to lose his patience with it due to the steady decline of his soldiers.


    "Apparently, it is time for us to show the strength of the Black Plain Empire, or the world will not respect us." Minos commented to the entire imperial throne hall.


    ...

 Chapter 1344 War Orders

    As he spoke those words, Minos looked at Eduard, who was near the peak of level 63, and said. "I want groups of Elite Squad Spiritual Emperors to be dispatched to our border under threat."


    "You will fight opponents who try to vandalize the Spiritual Church in our territory or attack the interests of the Empire. But if you cannot defeat the opponents, break this." He threw a teleportation array connected to one of his, which could take him to the one calling help if he chose.


    Eduard took that and promised to do his best before saying goodbye and heading toward the people he would command.


    On the other hand, Minos looked at some of the members of the Spiritual Church in this region who were there to visit him and Gloria and said. "Double your defenses from now on. We''re going to counterattack, so it wouldn''t be strange if the enemy increased the power or scope of their actions."


    The Spiritual Emperors who had emerged among Gloria''s subordinates in that region there in that throne hall nodded in agreement, all nervous about the future.


    The enemy they were facing was not simple. That is, this terrorist group had been acting against the Spiritual Church for years, and yet no one had stopped them.


    What was the significance of this?


    That the terrorist group had people almost as strong as those in the Spiritual Church, and that was why this organization in the Evergreen Empire was not reacting by sending its experts to resolve the situation.


    It was only worth sending experts to deal with situations like this when one side was stronger than the other, and the stronger side''s losses could be stopped by their extreme act.


    But in a situation where sending an expert would guarantee that the other side would also send one, it was not worth sending important people for such a small problem.


    Doing so carried the risk of a high-level war, which made no sense to start over with something so insignificant.


    Therefore, unless the Church neglected the current situation, which was quite impossible, then only the case in question could explain the current situation of these people. Because of this, those newly promoted Archbishops could not help but feel nervous, sure they would have to fight a war on their own.


    Gloria then said. "Don''t worry. If the enemy acts against us, I will act myself to stop them."


    Hearing this level 70 woman, those individuals felt a little less bad while also receiving the teleportation item from this wife of Minos.


    Abby, level 65, and Ruth, 66, followed the situation in silence, but both were preparing to fight.


    They were unlike Minos or Gloria, who were much stronger than they were. But both could fight against ordinary cultivators up to the peak of the 7th stage.


    As long as their opponent was not a Spiritual Saint or a high-level Spiritual Emperor with Golden-grade techniques, they were confident against those up to 4 levels above their own.


    Thus, even though Minos and Gloria were far above them, they were not weak and would undoubtedly help the Black Plain Empire overcome another adversity.


    "In the meantime, what will we do, Your Imperial Majesty? Will we send more forces to the borders?" Grace, the wife of Vivian Hayes, peak level 61, asked Minos, already thinking of actions on the part of the Black Plain Army and noble families.


    Minos thought for a moment and ordered. "I want to send 10% of our troops above level 50 to the borders with Albano and Rosser."


    Minos'' army had thrived since the beginning of the process of forming the empire. Because of this, currently, the Black Plain Army has about 8 million soldiers, of which more than 250,000 are above level 50.


    But Minos'' forces were not only about his army. No, as an imperial sovereign, he was the leader of every organization over his territory and could demand troops in times of need.


    So the number of individuals above level 50 at his disposal was over 400,000 humans, even not considering Vogel or cultivators not specialized in battle.


    So his order would immediately send over 40,000 additional troops to the empire''s borders, where there were also already Rosser and Albano''s troops working.


    Minos then looked at a representative of the Assembly of Vogel, who was living in the Dry City, to make communication between Emperor Stuart and that organization easier.


    "I''ll let your people handle the borders in the Vogel area, OK?"


    "I will pass on your orders, Your Imperial Majesty." Such an individual, level 72, said.


    Minos then looked at Emlyn, who was lying in the open area of the imperial throne hall, this place that had been expanded in the last year to receive even spiritual beasts her size.


    He then said to this peak level 65 beast. "Emlyn, lead the beasts of the Black Plain that are above level 60 to roam the vicinity of our borders. I want you to kill anyone who disrespects the local borders."


    The Black Plain had migration agreements with Rosser and Albano and trade agreements that established where routes to this state should be taken. So anyone traveling outside the official route was necessarily a potential enemy.


    In these challenging times, it would not be Minos to have mercy on miscreants!


    To him, if anyone tried to enter his state by alternative routes, it could only mean that such a person was either an enemy of his or a big idiot. In the second case, such a person would have to be sacrificed to prevent an enemy from entering his home!


    Hence, he did not even want these beasts to check out possible enemies. Upon spotting someone in sensitive areas, these beasts should kill without a second thought!


    "All right." Kyla''s mother said in a low voice, feeling like stretching her bones in battle once again.


    She had not fought a mortal battle in many years now. So having the opportunity to lead the dozens of 7th stage spiritual beasts would be an honor and fun for this Nine-tailed Fox.


    Abby and Ruth''s beasts, White and Ebba, celebrated upon hearing that, feeling they could finally fight after having advanced to the 7th stage in the previous months.


    Kyla, level 61, was also eager and soon set off alongside her mother and those other two to one of the empire''s artificial forests, where the largest beast headquarters in that region was.


    Minos had dominated practically all the beasts of the northern region of the Central Continent and brought the most talented and powerful ones to the Black Plain.


    Because of this, the number of these beings was currently not that different from the number of soldiers he had in his army, which was an essential addition of strength for this operation!


    With this, his first orders for this problem had been given, and soon battles would once again appear on the main pages of the regional periodicals!

 Chapter 1345 Terrorist Groups

    While Minos was leading his state in Dry City, his enemies were moving across the borders of the Black Plain Empire, Rosser, Albano, and the Flaming Empire.


    The terrorist groups acting against Minos were not only moving on one front but attacking several places simultaneously to confuse the enemies.


    For this reason alone, up to the present moment, Minos and his allies could not block the adversary''s actions with less vigorous attitudes like those he had just taken.


    In any case, one of these groups was at the present moment between the borders of Rosser, Albano, and the Black Plain Empire, in a large forested area of this area southeast of Cromwell.


    There, a dozen or so people, all of them low-level Spiritual Saints, were standing around a small temporary camp, some observing the area and others beside a small campfire.


    It was late afternoon at the moment, so the clarity of the campfire would not draw any attention from living beings in the surrounding area. But, on the other hand, due to the dense plant life in the area, hardly anyone would be able to notice the smoke rising from that wood fire.


    Anyway, while some of them were warming themselves by drinking broths, a level 72 individual there had a determined expression in his eyes. That was so remarkable that even if he wore a cloth mask, anyone who saw this person could tell his feelings just by his eyes.


    "Boss, what do we do now? I don''t think it will take longer for those people to show themselves to us." A level 71 individual, wearing neutral clothes, but showing a tattoo on his left hand, asked that.


    That determined-eyed fellow, who had managed to hire these mercenaries in the Western Empire, stopped to think for a moment and said. "Our purpose is to kill Minos Stuart and destroy the main post of the Spiritual Church of Vogel. Then as soon as he shows himself, we will act against him and warn your leaders to act in the capital of that kingdom."


    "Kingdom? You mean autonomous province..." Someone there commented on such a thing, correcting the speech of this fellow, who had not yet gotten used to the change brought about by Minos in these areas.


    Hearing this, the level 72 individual leading this group clenched his hands tightly, feeling hatred for Minos, the person who had disfigured his former home.


    ''Wretch! I will destroy everything you have to get revenge for what you have done against me!'' He thought about this once again, something he had been exercising daily for the past few years.


    Meanwhile, the other individuals in that temporary camp could not help but think about the bold plan they had for dealing with the people of the Spiritual Church in the capital of Vogel.


    ''Sigh... I wish I could be in that place when our leaders are going to attack them.''


    ''It''s going to be impressive... Their joint ability will create a bloodbath in that city.''


    ''But it''s awe-inspiring.'' One of the elders there, level 73, looked cautiously at the level 72 fellow leading them. ''Does he know that this will kill hundreds of thousands of innocents in that place? Does he not care about so many people from there dying like that?''


    While these people there were thinking about different things related to what they had started a little over a year and a half ago, someone there shouted. "People are approaching. Let''s flee."


    "Come on, don''t leave anything behind."


    "Put out the fire and remove the ashes..."


    p1ease visit n0ve1b(in).ne)t


    "Where do we go now?"


    "I don''t know. Maybe destroy an animal farm..."


    They talked amid their action and, in less than 10 seconds, finished removing their things from the area and getting out of there without leaving any trace that they had rested in the area.


    ...


    At the same time, a spiritual plantation east of the Black Plain, near the border with Albano, was on fire as people ran away from there.


    The cultivators in the Red Valley region where this place was located saw that from afar, noticing flames more than 60 meters high spreading over tens of square kilometers.


    "Damn it!"


    "The wretches are in the vicinity!" Soldiers from Minos'' army shouted among themselves, not taking long to start running toward the places where the enemies were fleeing.


    The terrorist group led by the level 72 individual not only had Spiritual Saints. In addition, many Spiritual Emperors were under their command, acting in different locations to harm the forces of Minos and the Spiritual Church.


    Since they knew they did not need experts in each of their groups, even level 60 individuals were attacking the areas under the rule of Minos and his allies!


    Thus, even soldiers from the Black Plain Army were brave enough to pursue these opponents, even considering that there were Spiritual Saints in some enemy groups.


    "Sons of bitches!"


    "It won''t take long for you to be exterminated by our leaders!"


    The soldiers in the area began saying things to scare the fleeing terrorists, once again going back to chasing outlaws around this area.


    ...


    Simultaneously, in a forest near the area of the former Vogel capital, the most vital members of that young man''s terrorist group were waiting for their moment.


    Ten individuals were quietly meditating in nearby caves. At the same time, only two stood on guard, waiting for the signal from their group leader.


    They had received a tempting offer to help a young man get revenge, so they were sparing no effort to be in this inferior state compared to where they came from.


    "How long will it take us to solve this? We''ve been waiting six months already." One of the two individuals standing on guard in the area commented to his colleague, who was hundreds of meters away from him.


    The other man, with white hair but a relatively young face, said. "Probably not much. I feel that movements on the borders of our areas of interest have already increased and are tenser."


    "I believe the enemy soldiers already know that their states will soon be fighting against us, so they are demonstrating these tempers."


    "It makes sense..." The other agreed. "It''s just a shame we''ll have to stay a few more months watching the area while one of our partners finishes cultivating." He looked in the direction of one of the high-level Spiritual Saints in that area cultivating.


    The weakest was at level 77, and the strongest was at level 79. With this strength, they intended to attack the principal city of the Vogel territory, eliminate the people in the local post of the Spiritual Church, and even punish some local nobles.


    For all this, even though they were powerful, they could not do anything so grand without something special.


    But this mercenary group from the Western Empire had unique methods and techniques that could combine and use living sacrifices to give them the needed power.


    Hence, even though they were only a few individuals, none worried about the hundreds of Spiritual Saints in this state that would go against them in a single day!


    ''But it''s impressive the financial power of that young man... Where did he get so many resources to fund our group?'' One of the two individuals, level 78, pondered silently, feeling that there was more to this story than meets the eye.

 Chapter 1346 When Visiting High-Level Empires

    A few days had passed since Minos ordered his people to move troops across the Black Plain Empire.


    Due to the speed of the cultivators he sent and the beasts transporting those people or traveling to the borders, they all had arrived at their destinations by now.


    Because of this, the number of confrontations between Minos'' forces and the terrorist groups has recently increased, with fewer opponents fleeing after their nefarious actions.


    But in this period, none of the Spiritual Saints had acted to attract the Black Plain''s most outstanding experts, who were still waiting to act.


    That was true for Minos and his wives but also some high-level beings in the area, such as the case of Virtus, level 66, and Gavin, level 70. But this one would only act in case of extreme necessity.


    This young man had been hiding from the Saint Killing Sect for years. So he would not show himself easily when Minos'' forces were getting closer every day to reaching the level needed for his long-awaited revenge.


    Doing this now could bring a lot of trouble for him and the Black Plain since the Saint Killing Sect had even been investigating the northern region in search of his tracks.


    Luckily he was inside the defensive dome of the Dry City core, where only authorized personnel could enter, and the arrays protected his cultivation fluctuations from being accessed by curious onlookers.


    In any case, without the major local experts acting, soldiers like Eduard, beasts like Emlyn, and Minos'' allies like Lorelei Stone were fighting on the outskirts of the empire.


    Meanwhile, Minos was training hard with his wives, waiting for his moment to act.


    ...


    In the Spatial Kingdom...


    At this moment, Minos had just finished fighting his three wives, and all four of them were highly sweaty, trying to recover the breath lost in this battle.


    While breathing with his tongue out, Minos thought about his current abilities. ''Presently, I should be as strong as a level 71 peak Spiritual Saint equipped with artifacts equal to mine and has Silver-grade techniques.''


    Minos currently had a medium-level grade-3 armor and sword, items left to him by Henricus Longus. He had begun using them when he reached his current level.


    Such artifacts, as in the case of his sword, had unique abilities. For example, his sword could double the number of attacks for every move he made. But not only that, but each artifact was also more efficient them the ones he had used before.


    Because of this, instead of using items with 45% efficiency, as he did when using those of low-level grade-3 ones, Minos now used items with 52% efficiency!


    That, in practice, meant greater combat power without him even having to increase his level or spend more energy, something handy for warriors like him.


    "Minos, you have become powerful." Grant, who was in the Spatial Kingdom disciplining a group of low-level soldiers from the Elite Squad, said this as he watched in the direction of the four. "You are already superior to me when I was not yet crippled."


    "What are you talking about, old Grant? Of course, His Imperial Majesty is stronger than your old self. He''s been stronger for a long time now..." A young soldier said, making several others laugh at the boldness of this fellow.


    Minos was already famous for killing a Spiritual Saint when he was only at the beginning of the 7th stage... So how would he be now, being almost at the final part of this stage?


    According to the rumors circulating in the army, Minos'' black hole was already capable of devouring level 73 Spiritual Saints without difficulty. So it would not be this formerly level 70 old man who would be paired with Emperor Stuart!


    Minos heard that fellow''s comment and smiled but did not comment on the murmurs in the surroundings.


    Meanwhile, Grant was also not bothered by his students and asked Minos as he approached him. "When will we settle that matter? I''m starting to get anxious to return to the Western Empire and relay my information to the imperial family."


    Grant wanted to tell how he had been crippled in the North Sea to people of that empire. He hoped that it could alert the world to the dangerous group of beings he suspected were plotting in that area.


    Of course, he also wanted revenge against those who had destroyed his spiritual cultivation and eliminated all his friends and companions on that journey.


    Minos also attached a lot of importance to the subject of the North Sea. Still, he did not feel prepared to talk to a high-level imperial family like the one in that state.


    The family behind the Western Empire had Demigods, individuals far above what he could handle now.


    So he said. "Wait until I reach level 80, and I''ll talk to them personally about it. Or I can hire someone to take you to that state and give you a chance to go sort it out."


    "Level 80? What''s the need for that?" Grant asked in incomprehension.


    Spiritual Saints could travel relatively safely throughout the Central Continent. Thus, he could not help but wonder why Minos desired so much power before going to the Western Empire.


    "Because it is the period I need to solve my current problems and have peace of mind to see my daughter grow up," Minos answered.


    He already had many problems but could handle them and still had time to play with his little girl. So he wanted to wait until at least Sarah became a capable cultivator before traveling to the most dangerous places in this world.


    Grant could not say anything against Minos'' intention since it was pretty genuine. But he was not satisfied at all either.


    "In any case, I don''t see these problems having a chance to be resolved for at least five years. So, for the time being, you''d better save your expectations or go there yourself."


    "What''s it going to be?"


    Grant did not want to leave the Black Plain for the time being since even though he could not cultivate, he could have a normal life there. He could teach young people, be respected, and still be part of a grand project.


    Plus, it gave him pride to see this territory developing, even to notice the progress of his pupils that every day was getting closer to reaching his level.


    So even though he missed his home state and wanted to pass on his information and experiences, Grant did not want to leave the Black Plain. Instead, he wanted Minos to go to that place and send his message...


    Therefore, he could not choose the option of venturing into the dangerous Spiritual World and decided to wait a little longer for this long-awaited moment.


    ''Well, I''ll still live quite a while, so waiting a few decades won''t be the end of the world...'' He sighed as he watched Minos go to the side of the three women on that combat platform within the Spatial Kingdom.


    Meanwhile, many young people were still sitting on the bones of the great beast skeleton that had lived there for years, all of them somehow affected by this being.


    Fortunately, this was not a problem, but an advantage, since everyone who cultivated near it understood their techniques more easily...

 Chapter 1347 The Exiles Situation

    Meanwhile, in the far westernmost kingdom of the Central Continent...


    In this place where the Spiritual Church had no influence whatsoever, the days and nights began and ended without major conflicts, as this was the most peaceful area in the entire continent.


    To the east was the mighty Western Empire. Still, the forces of this state were focused on their enemy, Eastern Empire. So hardly any conflicts were coming to this kingdom.


    At the same time, all the other borders of this state were with the Equatorial Ocean, where there were no portions of land for hundreds of thousands of kilometers.


    Following west from that sea, the first point of land a traveler would spot would be the Divide Continent, which was on the other side of the Spiritual World compared to the Central Continent.


    Going southwest, one would reach Elves Island after weeks traveling on a 9th-stage beast. But if one went northwest, after a few months on a similar beast, such a traveler would reach the Continent of the Beasts.


    Furthermore, no one could depart from that state and reach anywhere else by following the sea routes, as the atmospheric and sea currents prevented other routes. Due to this reality, the borders of this state were extraordinarily safe, and only internal conflicts took place at this end of the Central Continent.


    However, this was a state with centralized power, which in turn was much stronger than the noble houses, something necessary for stability in a state.


    A centralized state was usually very stable as long as the ruling family maintained its strength. Only in times of vulnerability of such families would such kingdoms become more ''troubled'' with the greed of some getting out of control.


    In any case, the current generation of the royal family of this state was mighty, so the inhabitants of this place enjoyed a peaceful time hardly found elsewhere in the Spiritual World.


    In fact, apart from Elves Island, this was probably the most peaceful place to live in the entire Spiritual World!


    And not for nothing, someone Minos had met in the recent past had chosen this place to live with his family...


    After five years after meeting Minos, the former King Vogel had managed to settle what was left of his family in this state, where they were now trying to live in peace.


    They were fugitives from the Spiritual Church, but no one cared about such an organization in this place. Not only that, but because the local leadership had Spiritual Demigods, few from that organization would dare to enter this territory on account of small fries like them.


    Hence, even though there were already wanted posters after his head all over the Spiritual World, King Vogel and his wife lived without hiding in this place.


    They had obtained a small farm somewhere in this state and started their colony, where they worked, cultivated, and lived in the countryside without hiding but without much contact with the outside world.


    However, from time to time, news of interest to the people in this family reached them, as the Spiritual World was one, and news spread in all directions...


    ...


    "Wretched Stuart!" King Vogel, still at level 77, cried out in frustration as he read the news that his great enemy had successfully formed an empire.


    The text he and his wife read had information regarding Minos reaching level 65 and being crowned by the Spiritual Church as the emperor of the Black Plain Empire.


    At the same time, there was also information about the little princess of that state, the fact that a Matriarch was the mother of that child, and that Vogel was part of such an empire.


    Considering all this, this man could not help but feel disgusted and angry at the world that he had been so unfair to him.


    ''The wretch and the damned Spiritual Church are in collusion! That''s it! But how could they favor the bastard so much? They even tried to destroy us to help the bastard!'' He threw the journal he had read on the ground and stomped on it 50 times, sweating with rage.


    At the same time, the former Queen of Vogel could not help but feel that maybe they would never get revenge.


    Previously she had wished that one day she could return to that region and at least make Minos pay for what he had brought upon them.


    However, while they had not improved a single level, that young man had already reached level 65, as far as they knew...


    Thinking about how he was already capable of creating something as heinous as the Black Hole Back then, this woman imagined that he was already unstoppable for them.


    "He is very abnormal..." She commented to her husband as she sat on a wooden stool in front of a canyon with a beautiful view from where they were standing. "This person has accomplished so many things in just five years."


    She looked at her husband. "He has advanced his cultivation at an incredible speed, but the most impressive thing is how he has achieved the approval of the noble families of our state."


    King Vogel heard this and agreed, knowing that Minos had made quite a move in that state, empowering the noble families to secure his position.


    "The bastard did this to secure a piece of the cake for himself while he is weak, hoping to fool those nobles long enough for him to dominate them." He analyzed the situation correctly, feeling terrible that someone so undeserving was having the winds blowing in his favor.


    "At the current rate, he might make it." She looked at another version of the journal from which they had gotten that information. "It seems that the Flaming Empire is thirsty to attack our... Those states'' alliance."


    King Vogel looked with his narrowed eyes at the horizon, wondering if this was true. ''Why is Harold taking so long? Does he not want a war?''


    Meanwhile, this man''s wife was thinking about their son, who had put this family in the current decadent situation.


    Many of them had fled after Abe''s warning at that time. But less than 40% of the members of this old royalty had managed to survive. Not only that, those who survived had had to struggle many times, having suffered considerably to reach the ''paradise'' they lived in today.


    So this woman could only think of transferring all her vengeance to this unworthy son she had given birth to.


    ''Abe, you better hide or stay well away from your mother or...'' She clenched her fists, unsure whether she actually wanted to see this son of hers again.


    ...


    While most of the survivors of the Vogel family were trying to move on in that westernmost kingdom of the Central Continent, the Spiritual Church had already stopped searching for them.


    The Church still had orders for the deaths of people from the Vogel family. Still, the investigations into the whereabouts of those people had come to an end after several years without results.


    However, wanted posters with the faces of each of the members of this family were spread all over the Church''s domain and also in states friendly to this organization.


    Just in one of these places, one of Abe''s servants who had fled with him had one of these posters in his hands at this very moment. He saw the prize of 1 million medium-grade crystals for the head of that former Vogel heir and thought about this.


    ...

 Chapter 1348 Time For Action

    "A million, eh? With that amount, even Spiritual Sages must be searching for His Highness'' head..." That level 74 man pondered over this, seeing the first of these posters after a long time.


    At the moment, he was in disguise, in the middle of a group near the border of the Flaming Empire with one of the first kingdoms in the western region.


    In this place, the group he was part of was getting ready to move towards their goal, which this man could not leave out, and soon he ''forgot'' Abe''s wanted poster.


    "Come on. Our main objective is not far from here!" He shouted to the people in the surrounding area, leading this group of Spiritual Saints.


    "We are finally getting close to completing our goal. So don''t fail now!"


    Use everything you have to continue attacking our enemies and be prepared to flee!"


    "Yes!" The various individuals agreed as they flew at high speed toward the north.


    ...


    Days later...


    Minos was at this instant in his office, relaxing a bit between his work, taking a moment to see little Sarah.


    This little girl was currently in his hands, with him holding her above his face while looking into her little brown eyes.


    At the same time, this young girl with red hair and eyebrows was smiling as she looked at her father, having a little fun with him while her mother watched her from the side.


    "Daddy! Again, daddy!" She cried out from time to time as Minos played with her.


    "No, Sarah, you''ve played too much today." He said, still smiling at his little girl. "Last night, you woke your mother, Abby, Ruth, and me twice. So you will have fewer games today to learn to sleep at night."


    Sarah slept in the same room as Minos and his wives. So, lately, they could not sleep very well and could not have any sex at night.


    The disadvantages of having children...


    Anyway, that was so, at least for their bedroom, where Sarah was always around. But occasionally, they would leave her sleeping in one of the rooms of the lake house in the Spatial Kingdom and enjoy their time together in another part of that house.


    Other than that, they could hardly have any fun together at the same time. One of Minos'' wives always had to take care of Sarah, so he could at most take care of two of them at a time during the days.


    But threesomes like this did not happen every day lately since they were usually too busy to keep all their routines straight. So at most, Minos would be with one of his wives at a time, which greatly reduced the fun for all of them...


    Because of this, Minos had learned to appreciate Maisie''s presence in Dry City over the past year. That was because whenever such a woman was around, he would get someone strong and reliable to take care of Sarah when he and his wives went out for fun.


    That may sound a bit cruel, but Minos and his wives were beings with desires and needs, so from time to time, they needed someone to take care of Sarah so they could work out their matters.


    Anyway, because of her nightly irritations, little Sarah got less time at her father''s side this afternoon.


    "Daddy..." Her little eyes filled with water, and Gloria ran to her, bringing her into her arms.


    "Don''t worry, my love. Your father is joking." She swung her daughter''s body, comforting the little one ''hurt'' by the education the father was trying to apply.


    ''Minos!'' Gloria looked at him meaningfully, feeling that he did not need to talk things like that to a 1-year-old girl.


    ''What? I''m just educating my daughter!'' He looked at her but said nothing.


    It was not good for parents to argue in front of children, so neither of them stood against the other in situations like this.


    Meanwhile, Lizzie, Emperor Stuart''s level 56 secretary, stood silently watching those three, finding Sarah cute, trying not to cry in Gloria''s arms.


    But while they had this everyday situation, suddenly Minos felt one of his teleportation items vibrating inside his spatial ring.


    Spatial rings were connected to the soul of their users. Because of this, if something happened to one or more of the resources inside these items, the owner of such a ring would immediately notice the disturbance.


    Minos noticed that the item he had given to Eduard was vibrating, and his expression quickly changed at the thought of what that meant.


    "What is it?" Gloria noticed the change in her husband''s expression and asked as she swayed Sarah in her arms.


    Even little Sarah noticed something wrong, and her tears stopped misting her eyes as she began to look curiously at Minos.


    He said. "It looks like it''s time for me to report to the battlefield."


    Gloria''s eyes narrowed. "So that''s it... You''re leaving?"


    "Hmm." He replied as he put on his armor, something he could do in a matter of seconds.


    After he finished dressing, he kissed Gloria''s forehead and another on Sarah''s right cheek before saying goodbye.


    "See you later." He smiled at the two as he saw Sarah starting to get worried.


    "No, daddy. Don''t go! Don''t go!" She shouted, but soon Minos disappeared from that place, leaving that child behind with her mother.


    With that, Sarah began to cry copiously, feeling afraid because her father had left like that so suddenly.


    "Don''t worry, my baby. Your father is powerful." Gloria began to walk with Sarah in her arms, swinging her daughter''s little body. "In a little while, he will be back."


    "You swear?" Sarah looked into her mother''s eyes as tears dripped from her eyes, and her face turned red as a tomato.


    "Hmmm... Let''s play a little while he comes back."


    ...


    Meanwhile, Minos had teleported to where Eduard had used the item he had received earlier.


    Upon arriving there, Minos appeared floating above the skies of a valley area, where green stretched over tens of square kilometers.


    But amid this green, a few spots of destruction could be seen here and there, particularly in an area a little way from where he had arrived.


    The item that Minos had used in conjunction with Eduard''s did not take the teleported person to the location from where the other array was activated. But instead to the vicinity within a given range.


    That''s why this emperor had arrived there a little far from where Eduard was at this instant, fighting alongside his group against some Spiritual Saints.


    Minos noticed where the most prominent spot of destruction was and saw a few dozen of his soldiers suffering at the hands of those low-level Spiritual Saints.


    With that, as he recognized the surroundings and noticed what was happening, he prepared to fight, the first time he would have a chance to kill in years!


    ''Time to test the Dark Sea...''

 Chapter 1349 Dark Sea In Action

    Meanwhile, the soldiers of the Black Plain Army were standing with their backs to the place from where Minos had arrived, still unsure whether he would come or not.


    "How are we going to hold these people back, Eduard?" One of the Spiritual Emperors in that group asked this Captain, the leader of the group of dozens of soldiers.


    Each of them kept paying attention to the few Spiritual Saints there as they did their best to stop or even prevent such enemies from causing their deaths.


    Minos'' army had specialized in collectively fighting battles against stronger opponents, so they were still there for that reason alone.


    But they were all sweaty and bleeding, with wounds of various intensities, as they tried to hold their fighting positions.


    Eduard then said. "We will only do what is necessary until His Imperial Majesty arrives..."


    As he was saying this, the five Spiritual Saints, who were between levels 70 and 73, saw the sky in the opposite direction from them suddenly start to turn dark.


    Not only that, but when they noticed the figure of someone floating less than 100 meters from them, they all felt goosebumps on their backs, sensing something terrible.


    The darkness spreading around Minos proliferated in the blink of an eye, changing the weather conditions in that area.


    The winds became stronger, while clouds began to concentrate, slowly creating regions of high atmospheric pressure and an abnormal variation in the electrical charges there.


    Because of this, lightning began to appear, making it seem as if the ability of Minos'' soul was much more intense than it should be.


    All this happened simultaneously with the formation of a sea of darkness in Minos'' surroundings, which slowly spread out in all directions to about 200 meters from where he was standing.


    "His Imperial Majesty!" One of the soldiers finally realized Minos'' presence in the area, rejoicing a little at this troublesome situation.


    On the other hand, the enemies looked at Minos, surprised that this young man was already at level 66, even though their information said he was at 65.


    But that was not all that bothered them in this situation. No, no one among them knew about this strange ability that Minos was using, even considering that they had been investigating this person for months.


    "What''s that?" One of them asked in a low voice, watching beside his companions as darkness covered their surroundings.


    They were all strong enough not to fear Minos and did not know what they should do to counter this strange attack. So they were waiting to see what this opponent had for them.


    Everyone there was part of the group that had targeted Minos'' head, so they would not run away when they finally encountered this poor fool.


    Meanwhile, Minos activated several of his techniques, causing the Devouring Art to start sucking the energies of those individuals as he prepared to play with them.


    ''Level 72 and 73...'' He noticed the two individuals who were a bit stronger than him and felt he could not handle them easily.


    But that did not bother him since, in his opinion, his opponents were not strong enough to put him in danger.


    ''Let''s see how you fight them...'' Minos laughed as he used his mental technique to help the Dark Sea''s results.


    The Dark Sea could disorient its victims in a way that members of the same group affected by it could end up starting to fight each other!


    Since the Infinite Dream served to degrade the mental state of targets, Minos did not miss the chance to combine such a technique with his soul ability.


    Thus, while those individuals felt their energies being sucked out and stood in fighting positions, not seeing much on their fronts, the weaker individuals suffered at Minos'' ''hands.''


    Instead of killing them, he began to degrade their mental stability while the Dark Sea acted on its own in these people.


    When one of them began to feel agony, he moved from side to side as if he were dancing. But this was not a dance, but rather such a person''s way of deflecting the attack of an enemy who had appeared out of nowhere on his side.


    "Bastard!" That first person shouted while the others moved without noticing, feeling like they were being watched.


    ''What''s going on?'' The strongest of the group wondered, feeling a little afraid and his instincts telling him to run away.


    n0(????(e)lbi????.n(et


    Unfortunately, none of them could escape Minos'' ''clutches.'' This young man was just waiting for one of them to try to leave the area to hit them with a powerful blow with the Spatial Sword.


    Minos did not have to do much for the Dark Sea to have its effect. At the same time, he could attack as he wanted using the Infinite Dream and steal his opponents'' energies from afar.


    Then he could wait in whatever position he decided, thus choosing the best point to avoid possible escapes.


    But from where he was prepared to attack whoever came his way, Minos saw when one of the level 70 Spiritual Saints suddenly attacked in the direction of the level 72 man.


    Swooish!


    "Ahhh!"


    A sword strike sliced through the air, and the level 72 man, who was relying on his companions, barely managed to dodge a deadly attack that still managed to cut part of his waist.


    "Bastard! What are you doing? Are you crazy?" That man shouted angrily, not understanding how his useless ally could have attacked him like that.


    However, in that level 70 man''s mind, the person he had just attacked was not an ally but a terrible monster that he felt if he did not kill it, it would kill him.


    Even though he was weaker, this level 70 man started to attack his companion. That happened almost at the same time as the other two, a level 70 and a level 71 man, were attacking in the direction of the level 73 individual.


    Minos obviously would not let these people die fighting alone against their superiors and promptly began to attack those two stronger ones.


    Spatial Sword!


    He danced with his sword, with each strike sending out two powerful twin blades, the special ability of his medium-level grade-3 weapon.


    But he did not stop there. Instead, Minos began to move around the surroundings while activating and deactivating Chaotic Gravity, hindering those two individuals from fighting their opponents.


    "You have come to my territory to mess up, so prepare for death!" Minos said in a decisive tone, while his soldiers could only feel what was happening, but without being able to see anything.


    The Dark Sea generated a mist that even the eyes of cultivators had difficulty seeing through. Fortunately, this was their leader''s ability, who was not restricting them at the moment, making it possible for them to sense what was happening among those five experts.


    "Unbelievable!"


    "His Imperial Majesty is not stronger than them individually, but he can make the group fight among themselves and help them destroy themselves!" One of the more sensitive ones there noticed, opening his mouth in shock at the ability of Minos'' soul skill.


    A few of them had felt such an ability before, but they had never seen it in action like it was happening in front of them. As such, these Spiritual Emperors could not help but be impressed, feeling the deadly battle of those five Spiritual Saints!


    ...

 Chapter 1350 End Of The Battle

    While the Black Plain Army soldiers were following the battle in that area using their spiritual senses, Minos moved through the dark fog with no difficulty seeing his opponents.


    The Dark Sea was a soul ability that not only messed with its targets'' minds but also made it difficult for anyone within its range to see. But this was not something that affected the owner of the ability itself. The opposite of that, Minos was not only seeing those five fighting, but his senses were much better due to his ability.


    The Dark Sea made the circumstances of its user''s opponents more difficult while making things easier for such an individual. Thus, Minos could sense the position of each of his opponents more easily than he would have if he had not been using this ability.


    At the same time, because of this, he could predict his opponents'' next moves more efficiently and thus act to neutralize or even wear down his targets.


    The two individuals who were fighting there and still had part of their consciousness under control to identify that all this was his manipulations were stronger than him. So he could not defeat them quickly using only his ''ordinary'' techniques and skills. At most, Emperor Stuart could make it difficult for the two to fight the others, sometimes causing some minor damage.


    Along with this, Sarah''s father was naturally trying to steal energy only from the level 72 and 73 individuals, trying to help the level 70 and 71 ones to last in this fight.


    Since these were delusional with his mental attacks, none of them were a risk to him or his soldiers.


    In this way, Minos fought alongside these three individuals for about five minutes until the first of them could no longer endure his injuries and fell to his knees, already dead!


    "Damn!"


    "Damned Minos Stuart!" The level 73 old man screamed in anger as he felt the wounds on his body weighing him down, as he pulled a curved blade from the back of the man who had just dropped dead to the ground.


    He had been forced to kill one of his subordinates!


    Since this person was fully aware that this was all Minos'' fault, he could not help but roar in anger, noting that his group was doomed for the worst.


    The two individuals left trying to fight him, and his partner would not stop, and Minos was just as strong as at the beginning of the fight, even as he and his partner were already breathing with their tongues out.


    As the Devouring Art was becoming more and more effective on them, this person could already foresee that he would soon meet his end and regretted the situation.


    ''Damn it! They gave us the wrong information!'' He felt his years as a mercenary flash through his eyes, making this irreparable mistake for the first time in a long time.


    But there was not much he could do about it. Minos was out of the curve and had a cultivation speed that ordinary people like them could not imagine.


    With no prior information about the ability that had ruined them, they, too, had been taken by surprise without knowing how to react.


    Thus, he could only curse Emperor Stuart, wishing the worst things for this person who would probably finish them all off.


    His level 72 companion did not know what he was thinking, but it made no difference. He was also aware of their desperate situation and was already beginning to deal with the humiliation of this situation.


    ''I can''t believe I will die at the hands of Spiritual Emperors...'' He sighed, not forgetting that Minos was accompanied, and even if they managed to eliminate those other two, there would still be a lot of trouble between them and their escape.


    Minos noticed that his enemies were losing their fighting spirits and began to push them even harder, knowing that this was the best time to end it all.


    "All of you, attack now!" He shouted to his soldiers, not wanting to wait for this battle to continue and who knows, maybe one of those men would decide to sacrifice himself.


    He had his means of protecting himself, but avoiding calamity situations like these was always good. Thus, Minos did not hesitate to order his men there.


    As each of them was following the fight closely and knew the ways of Minos, when they heard their leader, none stood still.


    Most of them still had their weapons in their hands, so after Minos'' voice ceased, several were already attacking in the direction where their opponents should be.


    Several attacks formed in the surroundings of the space darkened by Minos'' soul ability, in the blink of an eye flying at the four remaining opponents.


    Minos took the chance and mentally attacked the two strongest individuals there with much of his energy. He wanted to make them as vulnerable as possible in the fraction of a second he had.


    "Damn, damn bastard!" The stronger of the two noticed Minos'' shameless movement, but by the time he reacted, it was too late.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Such a person shouted as he felt the mental annoyance caused by the Infinite Dream, covering up the sounds of the two weaker Spiritual Saints.


    Those two were the ones who were the worse off from the fight that had unfolded so far, both of them soaked in blood, exhausted almost to the point that they could no longer stand.


    Hence, when the attacks of dozens of Spiritual Emperors hit their bodies, they began to howl in pain.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!" The other strongest Spiritual Saint screamed as he felt parts of his body burning. At the same time, cuts appeared every millisecond on his legs and arms.


    He was in a defensive position, but with so many attacks coming at him and Minos mentally bothering him, he had no choice but to suffer.


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    "Come on, kill the damned! Take out the anger they put us through!"


    "This is our time!"


    "Ah, for the Black Plain!"


    "Die, you bastards!"


    Several soldiers shouted in delight, using the little energy they had to help Minos kill those individuals as quickly as possible.


    And just like that, in just 20 seconds, three more Spiritual Saints fell in that border area, leaving behind only the level 73 individual, the strongest of them all.


    But his survival to this point was no big deal since, with so many attacks suffered and spiritual exhaustion, this man had reached this point practically dead!


    Minos saw this from his position and looked into this person''s eyes one last time. "Do you have any last words?"


    "Hah... Ahhh... Hah... You... Hah... You will... Die!" He said in a highly exhausted but low tone, similar to those falling asleep, no longer so aware of what he was talking about. "Hah... What... Will you do... Against high-level... Spiritual Saints?"


    "Oh?" Minos looked at that individual and put that information in his mind before deciding to end this man''s life with one blow.


    He flew at that person until he was less than two meters away from this bleeding opponent and made a horizontal movement with his sword toward that enemy''s neck.


    Swooish!


    As the dark mist in that area disappeared, the head of that level 73 Spiritual Saint was separated from the rest of his body, along with the end of that expert''s life.


    That way, the battle was over!


    ...

 Chapter 1351 High Level Enemies

    The dark fog completely disappeared from the area when the body of the Level 73 Spiritual Saint fell, and the rest of his blood began to seep out from the base of his neck.


    Along with this, the Spiritual Emperors saw where the battle had taken place and the state of their enemies'' bodies.


    Thus, they came face to face with a much more degraded terrain than it had been minutes ago, while each of the five bodies was extremely brutalized.


    They had parts cut off at odd angles, with organs showing and expressions of terror on their faces. Yet, at the same time, Minos did not have a single scratch on his body, and his armor was clean, just as it was when he arrived at this location.


    Seeing this, those soldiers felt even more respect for their leader, who managed to single-handedly turn the situation in their favor and allow them to take revenge.


    Meanwhile, Minos had the words of that enemy in his mind, considering the threat that high-level Spiritual Saints posed to him and his allies.


    The four enemy states of the Flaming Empire only had problems with this state because none of them had such people in their ranks, except for their sovereigns.


    Therefore, Minos finding out in this place that such strong people were involved in this mess helped him to light an alert in his mind.


    ''Why would high-level Spiritual Saints get involved in this? What are these people aiming at?'' He wondered, thinking it was a shame that he was not strong enough to interrogate these people.


    ''Come to think of it, none of it makes sense. Who would attack the Church and me like that just because of the Vogel family and that sect of Albano? The only ones who could be behind something like that would be the Vogels, but they don''t have the resources for that...''


    ''Could it be that someone is using this excuse to create a chaotic situation in the area?'' He pondered the situation carefully as he collected the spatial rings of the five dead enemies.


    He then said to his soldiers there in the area. "Five of you, I want you to look for places where spiritual roots are closest to the surface level. Then, I want you to bury these five bodies in these five different places."


    "There''s no reason for us to waste good nutrients."


    Upon hearing that, the soldiers there did not question Minos'' orders, five of them quickly predisposing themselves to do this service.


    Most of them did not understand what the purpose of this was, but some, as was the case with Eduard, more or less had an idea of what Minos was trying to achieve with this.


    ''Is this to nurture the spiritual roots of the region? Is that how one improves the spiritual concentration of a territory?'' Eduard remembered that Minos was responsible for the improvement in the spiritual root of Dry City and wondered if that was the great secret of the Black Plain.


    And partly, it was. The idea of burying these Spiritual Saints near a spiritual root was to help nurture such an organism. But the dimension this represented could not be compared to using Divine-grade medicine.


    So, obviously, these Spiritual Saints would not raise the quality of the area in which they were buried much unless there were a few hundred more individuals like them.


    In any case, the Natural Laws in the 8th stage cultivators'' bodies were concentrated enough to make some difference for spiritual roots. So Minos did not want to waste any of them. He would at least use the corpses of his enemies to raise the quality of his territory a little!


    After sorting this out, Minos flew toward his army''s outpost closest to his current position. It made no sense for him to stay in that area, so he would return to his city to wait for other signals.


    ''I have to see who the real target of these people is... It makes no sense for them to have high-level Spiritual Saints targeting me.'' He pondered as he flew off at high speed. ''For what they can know, I should be vulnerable to people like that.''


    ''Then their target is probably someone or some high-level organization ally of mine!''


    ...


    After the previous battle, Minos and his family experienced uncertainty for a few days, occasionally with one or the other having to go to the battlefield to protect the interests of their state.


    Because of this, deaths broke out on both sides. However, the opposing side suffered more due to their outdated information about Minos and his wives.


    This way, more Spiritual Saints had already been buried in various parts of the current Black Plain. In contrast, Minos had started with his containment plan.


    Since high-level Spiritual Saints were coming to these areas, he had produced a new black hole and had been ''feeding'' it with enemy Spiritual Emperors.


    His orders had changed somewhat, and his forces now had to capture opponents at the 7th stage and deliver them to the Black Plain Army.


    Ultimately, these individuals would be interrogated and then meet their end by becoming part of the black hole that Minos was ''fattening up.''


    But before he could create a ''great'' Black Hole Bomb, Minos finally received the visit he had requested for the past few days. The Matriarch of Vogel!


    ...


    "Your Imperial Majesty, to what do I owe this call?" Clarissa Lawson, level 76, asked Minos as she stood face-to-face with this young man in the middle of the imperial throne hall.


    At the moment, there were not many people there, only Minos, Gloria, and Clarissa herself, while Ruth and Abby were attending to other matters.


    Minos then looked into the eyes of this woman he had met in Vogel years ago and got right to the point with his suspicions. "I believe the enemy will attack your Church post with high-level Spiritual Saints."


    "What?" The quiet expression on this woman''s face changed considerably, with her unable to believe at first that something like that could be said out loud.


    Gloria then sighed. "We have fought quite a bit against the terrorists attacking our region over the past few weeks. And from what we have learned so far, the enemy has a massive attack plan that will take place in a short time and be attended by high-level Spiritual Saints."


    "We believe their target is the Church post in Vogel since it doesn''t make sense that this movement is against anyone else."


    Clarisse then questioned. "But why would they do this against us?"


    Minos stated his theory. "This terrorist group justifies their actions because of the downfall of the Vogel family and the end of that sect in Albano. So if you consider everyone involved with those two problems, besides me, the only one who can be associated with those calamities is your Church post."


    "But I am much weaker than you and would not justify dispatching high-level Spiritual Saints..." He said while having a suggestive expression on his face. "Then you should prepare for the worst and call for reinforcements while there is still time!"

 Chapter 1352 The Reason

    While the situation in the northern region was developing, in the Eastern Empire, some of the strongest men on the continent were being updated regarding the situation in the Black Plain Empire.


    "... After that, the Western Empire''s mercenary groups paid by Abe Vogel have been having some difficulties in the northern region, particularly when they encounter Emperor Stuart on the battlefield."


    "Minos Stuart is said to be a fighting prodigy, able to fight those up to 6 levels above his, but also a born leader. According to some reports, he managed to eliminate a level 74 Spiritual Saint by using his individual and leadership skills to command about 50 Spiritual Emperors against such an opponent."


    "They suffered quite a bit in that fight, with four dying. But in the end, that subordinate of Abe Vogel perished at the hands of Emperor Stuart."


    "Impressive!"


    "That young man is not bad."


    "Their Excellencies'' plan is being great entertainment for us..." High-level Spiritual Sages in the surrounding area commented among themselves while their leaders continued without much emotion.


    The three men sitting on thrones above the clouds listened silently to all this while drinking wine and playing a board game.


    They all had hair that subtly shimmered in a golden hue as if it were a special tan. Yet, at the same time, their auras blurred with the heavens, and the laws chaotically distributed throughout space seemed to avoid them.


    But this was not strange at all. These were infamous Spiritual Demigods, beings so mighty and close to godhood that they could extrapolate certain notions about laws of physics.


    However, even though they were compelling, these beings had their fears and were acting to ensure their survival or even further advancement, which was so difficult to achieve in their current positions.


    "What these children are doing doesn''t matter. As long as they keep distracting the Church while we act, it will all be worth it." One of them commented while having his left fist closed, with his left cheek being supported by such a part of his body.


    The strongest one there then commented. "We have to find that damn key before the Church does. If they manage to awaken that person, we will face too much trouble."


    "Hmmm." The third of them shook his head in agreement. "It was a blessing that we could get a young man with as much will as this Abe to accept our investments and cause chaos."


    "Then we must send more resources to him. Let''s allow him to cause a little more chaos in that place while we look for what interests us."


    "Preventing the resurgence of that peak Demigod is the most important thing for our organization!"


    "Yes, Your Excellency!" The Spiritual Sages there said simultaneously.


    ...


    Days later, on the border of the Black Plain Empire with Albano...


    At this moment, Abe was finishing preparing for another attack, mercilessly using the mercenaries he had been hiring through the Western Empire.


    After years since his escape from Vogel, this man had fortunately met a Spiritual Sage from the Eastern Empire, who had helped him and brought him into his organization.


    Eventually, such a person found out about Abe''s vengeful intentions and arranged for his daughter to marry this man to justify the investment in such revenge.


    Two years after his marriage, Abe began to follow the plan to use the resources of this person to hire mercenaries in the enemy state of his new home.


    He had not thrown away his years of preparation to become Vogel''s heir, so it would not be at this critical moment in his life that he would shit where he was eating...


    After hiring mercenaries from the enemy state of the Eastern Empire, this enemy of Minos began marching into these areas and doing terrorist actions.


    He hated Minos with all the strength of his being and wanted to destroy his opponent no matter what. So he had not waited to take advantage of a cold and calm revenge and began to act while still boiling with rage.


    Because of all this, he had gotten what was necessary to start disturbing Minos and was now in these areas, fighting almost daily against Black Plain allies and subordinates.


    But Abe was not naive. He knew that someone was using him. However, that was life. There will always be someone superior to you, and some of them will always try to manipulate the weaker ones into doing things for the benefit of others.


    Abe himself had done and was still doing things like that, so he would not be the one complaining or trying not to be used. No, as long as he got some benefit, it was worth accepting such a thing.


    And hell, he had a significant benefit in this situation: enough crystals for him to hire armies of mercenaries to attack the northern region!


    As such, even though he had already lost many of his own in the terrorist attacks so far, more and more Spiritual Saints and Spiritual Emperors were coming from the Western Empire to help him.


    There were many mercenary guilds in that state, and when one of them realized this contractor was leading them to their deaths, nothing much happened. Abe would just order his contacts in the Western Empire to hire the service of new guilds and different mercenary groups.


    Hence, he was sticking to his terrorist actions against Minos, going ahead with his plans as he prepared for a big act.


    ''Just wait, you bastard. I will attack your little city and destroy you as you did me!'' He clenched his fists as he laughed maniacally, wishing he had Minos'' blood on his hands.


    But he was very spiteful and did not just have Emperor Stuart in his sights.


    "Send a letter to the group near Vogel''s capital." He commented to someone standing near him. "It won''t take long for our main action to happen. Then tell them to get the elders out of their seclusion."


    "Oh? Are we going to act already?"


    "Hehe, it was time..."


    "All right, I''ll send the message to them immediately, boss."


    Several individuals commented on the matter as their group walked toward the interior of the Black Plain.


    Meanwhile, behind their group came a hundred or so Spiritual Emperors, some clearing the area they were about to leave.


    There was a large fire with embers on the ground, where a large barbecue stick was propped up on two small hills, still with remains of the beast''s carcass that had served as food for the group.


    If one looked straight at this place, one would see a long body with atrophied bones here and there and a long tail.


    It had a snake head that was as big as a human house. But the most important thing about this being that it had become food was its spiritual fluctuations, which clearly said it was at level 66 before it died in this place.


    Meanwhile, several corpses of snakes and other beasts lay in that area where this group had been victorious this day!


    Thus, a period of brutal attacks in those areas had begun, something that nobody knew when would end, but that would soon scare children all over the region!

 Chapter 1353 Observation Specialists

    Two days later...


    A giant Feathered Serpent followed the avenues of the Dry City core and was soon in front of the imperial palace.


    Since this being, Gaia, level 63, was an acquaintance of the imperial guards there, she did not even need to introduce herself, quickly gaining access to the inside of the palace.


    Thus, in a matter of seconds, she was in the part of the throne hall that was made for beasts, where Minos was working right now.


    "Your Majesty, I bring bad news." She said in a saddened tone, laden with melancholy and grief.


    Minos heard that, and all the people in the surrounding area, be they guards or other members of his forces, fell silent and looked at this grand serpent.


    They then heard the terrible news she had. "One of our groups was defeated by the enemy, and the tribe leader was killed in battle!"


    "What?"


    "It can''t be..."


    "Elder Virtus was killed?"


    Several people brought their hands to their mouths, barely able to believe that one of the strongest beings of the Black Plain, level 66, had died in battle.


    Minos had known Virtus for many years and had been helped by that Feathered Serpent in some situations. So upon hearing this, he could not help but feel bad, mourning this significant loss. "What happened?"


    "I''m not sure," Gaia said sincerely. "My group arrived at their location just after the enemy left, and we only found our companions already dead."


    She paused and looked up at the sky, feeling terrible about how their enemies treated Virtus.


    She was a spiritual beast, used to the chaotic results of confrontations like the current one. Thus, the death of her leader was not the end of the world for her. However, even spiritual beasts had their feelings and were extremely angry when one of their own suffered what Virtus suffered.


    "They not only killed our leader, but they also devoured his body after the battle."


    "Unbelievable!"


    "Savages!"


    "Damn terrorists!"


    The local government members muttered similar things among themselves while Minos got a gruesome expression on his face.


    He could understand when one or another of his people died in combat since it was inevitable to fight for this world without suffering any harm. So even though he was someone who tried to protect and avenge his own as much as possible, he understood that in war, a confrontation like the present one, deaths happened.


    But in the present situation, to have one of his own devoured by his enemies, even more so considering that he liked Virtus, was a great insult to him and the Black Plain!


    How could he accept his allies or subordinates being devoured by the enemies? That was a terrible sign! He could not accept such a thing!


    As such, upon hearing Gaia''s account, Minos felt his blood heat up, feeling such a thing as if it were a personal attack on him.


    "Did they truly do that?" He asked in a deeply indignant tone.


    "Yes, unfortunately..." Gaia replied in her spiritual voice, very sad that her tribe had lost someone like Virtus this way.


    Minos then looked to where Gavin was standing and said to this man. "Go investigate the matter. I want to know where that group is."


    Gavin listened to Minos and was surprised. "Are you sure about that? If I move..."


    "You will just go investigate. I will move." Minos stopped that man from saying anything more.


    He ignored the uncertain expression on that Spiritual Saint''s face and looked at Lizzie, his secretary. "Order the Light As Air and her people to spread their ''eyes'' to the weaker areas of the empire. Enemies will probably move through those areas."


    Peter''s sister nodded and left to take care of the matter.


    Minos had made a deal with one of these sentient plant beings years ago when he was passing through Vogel along with his women.


    On that occasion, he had promised one of these beings to give an area between floats for her to live. Because of this, that little plant accepted Minos'' proposal and had part of its body planted on the Black Plain years later.


    But it would still take some time before it would have the promise fulfilled since there were still no floating islands on the Black Plain.


    In any case, that plant that Minos had talked to years ago had not been dissatisfied since she had noticed that this territory of his was getting stronger.


    Due to the Black Plain''s potential and being on the same side as Minos, that being helped him get more sentient organisms to his side.


    Since he had also become the king of Vogel, Minos had easily managed to make agreements with these plants and bring parts of them into his main territory.


    Because of this, several of these organisms already inhabited the main territory of the Black Plain, with agreements to help Minos and his forces guard this territory.


    But at the moment, they were not yet in the weakest areas or close to the borders, so Minos was only now giving the order for them to move towards these places.


    However, since they could share their awareness with every part of their bodies, they were able to immediately begin monitoring new regions despite having little time to do so!


    In this way, Minos'' order served to increase the number of ''eyes'' throughout his territory to make it easier to spot enemy groups.


    The people in the surrounding areas noticed this and noted how determined Minos was to give this order.


    There were risks for these beings in sending parts of their bodies to places with few advantages. After all, it was only worth taking risks like sending parts of themselves that could affect the main body if they could reap good rewards from doing so.


    But Minos'' order would not bear good fruit for these beings, being only to meet their enemies more easily.


    ''Bastards! Now you have crossed the line!'' He clenched one of his fists, feeling the need to show the regional watchers once again what happened to those who disrespected the Black Plain.


    Meanwhile, Gaia felt warmed by Minos'' behavior, feeling a sense of being protected, that if something terrible happened to her, she would be avenged.


    Cultivators knew they could die at any time, and generally, they were not afraid of death. But they were frightened by unexpected, cruel, or even unjust deaths. So it was extremely comforting to be part of a vengeful group, extremely true to their belief of scaring to be respected.


    Many might find the actions of the Black Plain Army extreme. Still, it was because of this that soldiers of this organization were rarely disrespected or challenged.


    Minos acted so that his own people would feel protected, but not only that, he acted cruelly against some so that he would not have to act against the many idiots that existed in the world.


    Cruelly punishes a few so as not to have to deal with thousands, not to put his men at unnecessary risk.


    Hence, Gaia was happy with Emperor Stuart''s orders, and everyone in that imperial throne room was comfortable being part of that organization!


    Little Sarah saw all this with her big eyes as she lay on Ruth''s lap, standing there next to Minos.


    ''Daddy is so cool...''

 Chapter 1354 Grindstone

    Meanwhile, in the surroundings of the Dry City belt of cities...


    A group of soldiers had just arrived beside a large plant floating above an artificial waterfall, with different colored flowers embellishing the area.


    Such a plant was at level 68, being the main body of the plant organism that Minos had met years ago in Vogel.


    At that time, he had agreed with it to bring only one branch of its body to the Black Plain, something that would grow there. But after that body had realized the increasing quality of the area, the plant took the opportunity to migrate there a year ago.


    That had not been an easy process, but after she had learned that she could trust Minos, she had taught some Spiritual Saints from the Gray Clouds Sect the process of carrying her.


    With that, her main body was transported to where she lived now, waiting for the spiritual development of this area.


    The place where she lived in Vogel was similar to this one on the outskirts of Dry City. Thus, as this area was developing, unlike that place that had not improved for a long time, this plant had invested in coming to this place before other plants.


    As for its branch that Minos had brought earlier, it was growing in another area of the Black Plain, helping this territory to guard a sensitive area of the empire core.


    But such a place was far away from the current borders of that territory.


    Anyway, as they came face to face with that being, one of the soldiers said. "We are here by order of His Imperial Majesty, Minos Stuart."


    "Hmmm?" That creature ''observed'' these humans with her spiritual senses and asked. "What does he want?"


    "His Majesty orders you and your fellow species to spread branches over some remote areas of the empire. He wants you to help the local forces find a group of Spiritual Saints and Spiritual Emperors traveling through these areas and report back to us."


    "What? How can he ask for that? That''s too risky!" That being said, in her childish voice, finding it too dangerous to send her parts to remote places.


    "It''s an urgent situation..." One of the soldiers said this, demonstrating that it was time for her and her fellow species to help the Black Plain more.


    After a few minutes of conversation and much reluctance, that young plant had no choice but to help Minos by giving some of her branches to those soldiers.


    That was a risky move for her, but if Minos fell, she would take much greater risks since other humans might not be as friendly to her as this ruler.


    She also promised to talk to her companions, whom she had convinced to migrate to this state in the recent past, to help more of them give up some branches of their bodies.


    Meanwhile, the Black Plain Army soldiers would spread the branches of these creatures throughout the empire, a job that these beings could not do on their own.


    ...


    A few hours later, Gavin had left Dry City and arrived at the place where the enemies had devoured Virtus.


    Once there, he circled the area to check that no people were watching the surroundings, checking for the presence of people from his sect.


    With his visual abilities, he could easily sense people within a few kilometers of him, so he did his job carefully to avoid getting caught.


    After confirming that he was not being watched, he began investigating the place, looking for clues left behind by his enemies.


    Investigating Spiritual Saints was not easy since these individuals could do several things that erased their tracks.


    Therefore, people below this stage could hardly investigate a Spiritual Saint, which justified Minos sending this man to do such work.


    But not only that. Gavin''s visual ability was highly beneficial for investigative work as he could see things that ordinary cultivators could not.


    His Eyes of Destruction were not only good for chaos, but they also had valuable features for tracking people. Minos knew this, and for this reason, he had risked letting this subject leave the dome of Dry City!


    ''It looks like they are heading towards the interior of the Black Plain...'' Gavin noticed this after a while, frowning as he thought about the possibility behind such a move.


    ''Are they planning a full-scale attack on the main cities of the Black Plain?''


    With this in mind, he continued his work in that area, slowly beginning to follow the few traces left by the enemies after they had departed the area.


    But Gavin was not afraid to do this, to stay out of that safe place. Of course, he was afraid of being caught by the people of his sect. Still, the truth was that he enjoyed fighting and acting as a cultivator, traveling and overcoming adversity on his way.


    So while doing this, despite doing his work carefully, he was not least unhappy to be doing this! But, on the contrary, he felt good!


    And with his unique skills, even if the enemy was numerous or strong, he knew he could handle any situation and still escape in case of need.


    ''Let''s see if I can find you before those plants...''


    ...


    A few days later...


    While the sentient plants of the Black Plain and Gavin were doing their investigative and observational work, battles continued to occur on the borders of this empire.


    But along with the clashes against terrorists, Emperor Stuart''s forces continued to strengthen within that territory with the help of the army''s spiritual professionals.


    For example, Regina, the chief poison master of this force, level 64, daily applied poison treatments to the strongest soldiers of this organization.


    Due to people like her, alchemists, doctors, and people like old Grant, soldiers, and allies of Minos were advancing amidst the chaotic times in which they lived.


    That was not enough to change their situation overnight. Still, these forces were becoming more resilient, fighting on an equal footing with the enemies that kept coming to their borders.


    With each terrorist killed on the outskirts of the Black Plain, new enemies appeared from outside the region, as if the person behind all this was not feeling the losses.


    Because of this, too, the Black Plain''s stronger soldiers were contributing not only more enemy bodies to nourish spiritual roots but also ''fattening up'' the third black hole of Minos.


    In this way, the local forces were showing their strength. Not only that, they were demonstrating their main strength to the enemies and their powerful allies, who had not yet seen Minos dealing with threats of a similar level.


    Many still thought that the wars and confrontations he had faced so far were minor, junior things. Hence, seeing him and his forces enduring the current difficulties, many were beginning to respect this young emperor.


    In this way, Abe''s terrorist group served as a grindstone for Minos'' forces, making him more famous and influential through these constant challenges!

 Chapter 1355 Predator

    Three weeks after Minos'' orders to the sentient plants of the Black Plain...


    At this moment, a soldier who had just collected data with some of these beings ran through the imperial palace''s corridors, heading towards where the emperor was supposed to be.


    Entering Minos'' office without waiting for permission, such a person arrived there shouting what he had managed to obtain. "Your Imperial Majesty, I bring news about a group of about 100 enemy Spiritual Emperors!"


    After those words, Minos and Abby, this woman with Sarah in her arms, looked at that man and were silent for a few moments.


    Minos and Abby frowned as little Sarah continued to learn the routine of an emperor, something her father had made sure she saw since now.


    Minos then asked. "What?"


    The soldier promptly answered his leader. "One of the plant organisms has just reported that it has identified about 100 Spiritual Emperors camping in an area of the Red Valley."


    "Is that so?" Abby asked as a smile formed on her lips, considering what this meant.


    Minos had been acting against enemy Spiritual Emperors to feed his black hole. To do this, he mostly used the information from the sentient beings in his state, who had been doing a magnificent job so far.


    Then, now and then, during the last few weeks, information about enemy groups would come to him. In this way, he naturally hunted down these poor fiends who were challenging him.


    Since he could teleport to the nearest enemy lairs, so far, no one had managed to escape the joint actions of him and the vegetables of the Black Plain.


    So Minos rose from his chair and prepared to leave, leaving behind the black hole he was ''fattening.''


    You could not use teleportation devices while he controlled one of his black holes. So Emperor Stuart always left his third black hole in Dry City, in a local cultivation room, inside the Black Hole Bomb.


    Then he would produce new black holes when facing enemy groups and later make the third one devour the subsequent ones, thus becoming stronger.


    That way, only his return would be hindered by the black hole, while his outward journey was as fast as one could manage in his condition.


    But it did not matter. After all, his speed during the outward journey was what mattered in such situations, and he was not limited at such times!


    "Be careful, my love." Abby said to her husband as she kissed his lips, while little Sarah was ''squeezed'' by this blue-haired woman''s breasts and Minos'' chest armor.


    "Bye, daddy!" Her little hands touched Minos'' jaw before he kissed her forehead and left for the teleportation port of his army headquarters.


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, Minos was already in the Red Valley area at one of the outposts of the Black Plain Army.


    In this place that bordered Albano and had long valleys that spanned tens of kilometers, Minos secretly left one of the towns in the area, heading towards the enemies'' location.


    Sentient plant organisms were very good at tracking things, so Minos had the exact location of his targets. That way, he flew as fast as possible, quickly closing in on the 100 or so individuals.


    As he was doing this, someone else nearby was paying attention to him as he meditated inside a local cave.


    ''That must be Minos Stuart? His cultivation seems solid for a young man of his age...'' A young-looking, black-haired man, sitting in a lotus position, silently thought as he sensed Emperor Stuart with his soul sense.


    But even noticing the famous troublesome young man from the northern region, this man did not move, only considered what would happen next. ''He will deal with the enemies nearby...''


    "Well, we''re not funding that young man, so he can quickly take revenge anyway. So, it doesn''t matter." He muttered in a low voice, feeling that it was good that Minos would exterminate the opponents in the vicinity.


    It would be better for his group if the chaos lasted a little longer.


    They were not funding Abe out of kindness or pity for that poor exiled prince. Opposite, they didn''t give a shit about such a person. What they wanted was for their interests to be completed. But this was yet to happen, so it would be better if the revenge of that former heir of Vogel lasted longer.


    With that in mind, this level 80 Spiritual Sage quietly continued meditating in that cave, aware that Minos would probably eliminate all those people.


    ''Is he going to use that again?'' Then, he remembered the black hole, something impressive but which did not catch his attention.


    After all, even though that thing came from two Golden-grade techniques, and he could feel it, that was not much for him. As someone from the Eastern Empire, techniques of that level could be felt in many talented young people. Hence, he would not move against Minos just for that, risking alerting the Spiritual Church to his group''s plans...


    On the other hand, what could a black hole created by a Spiritual Emperor do against him, a Sage?


    The difference in powers was giant. The laws he understood were much more profound than those people devoured by Minos'' fusion. Besides that, he had two more techniques, meaning a considerably higher combat proficiency than those fools who were losing their lives locally.


    So this man was reassured about his situation, or rather the position of the organization behind him and the little danger that Minos posed.


    ...


    While being watched by someone he did not know was around, Minos reached his destination, the vicinity of a temporary camp in this border region.


    Upon arriving there, he immediately sensed the auras of his opponents, none of whom were stronger than level 69, which would result in relatively weak opposition to him.


    But Minos was not to be trifled with. As he looked 200 meters below his position and saw the people working there, some boning beasts from the Black Plain, he immediately began to combine his techniques.


    There was no reason for him to have pity. These people were invaders, they had killed beings from his forces, and he no longer had any interest in interrogating them.


    He knew that the vast majority of the enemies were mercenaries who knew nothing. So seeing this group, Minos had no reason to waste his time trying to extract information.


    He quickly created his black hole and hurled it in the direction of that small camp, but without retreating to the Spatial Kingdom.


    He currently had more energy than when he first managed to produce such a thing. But not only that, these opponents were relatively weaker than him. That is, he could use a smaller fraction of his powers to form the black hole.


    Because of that, even after his fusion, Minos could still deal with the black hole with enough energy to protect himself and deal with the situation.


    In this way, as they saw an individual floating in the sky, some Spiritual Emperors saw a dark dot coming towards them, not knowing what was about to happen.


    But they all felt the natural fear one would sense when being under the gaze of a predator!


    ...

 Chapter 1356 Final Preparations

    When they saw the black hole approaching them, the dozens of Spiritual Emperors in that camp did not understand at first what was happening.


    They saw a dark dot flying towards them, while the space in the surroundings of such a thing seemed to distort with its passage. At the same time, the terrible feeling in their souls could not be ignored, and everyone there realized that they were facing a deadly situation.


    Unfortunately for them, Minos had thrown the fusion of two of his techniques quite hard, causing this black dot to reach where most of these individuals were in a split second.


    When this happened, no sound spread to the surroundings, but in the blink of an eye, the first individuals were sucked into such a thing, helping it become more ''bulky.''


    As it devoured its first victims, the black hole developed by Minos quickly began to grow, increasing the range of its event horizon by meters in a few moments.


    The black hole in question was indeed small, as Minos had put little power into it. But as it devoured the first individuals of levels 66, 67, and 68, the thing quickly grew ''fat,'' creating an even more intense sucking force within itself.


    When they noticed their first companions disappearing from the surroundings, the individuals in that place, almost all high-level Spiritual Emperors, tried to flee in desperation.


    Unfortunately, that was the most extreme force in nature, something that, at the level they were at, they could not escape even if they wanted to.


    The force of it was so extreme as to distort light and the fabric of spacetime. But, at the present moment, Minos was consciously manipulating such a region of space.


    When he had to flee to the Spatial Kingdom, the black hole naturally followed what was expected of it. Just devour whatever entered its event horizon. But with Minos controlling it, that region of space went a bit further!


    He could consciously make such a region of space move in any direction, focus its sucking action more significantly on one part of space and thus terrorize those opponents.


    Because of this, the black hole that these desperate people were facing on the day in question was not simple, and within moments, everyone in that area was mercilessly devoured.


    With that, the black hole in question grew quite large, devouring the crystal mines in that area and all the terrain that came in contact with its event horizon.


    It transformed from something that could quickly devour mid-level Spiritual Emperors in the first moment into something that could do that to low-level Spiritual Saints after a few seconds.


    Noting his achievements in this place, Minos quickly stored that thing in a medium-level grade-3 array and sighed.


    ''Job done...'' He looked at the surroundings returning to normal after the disappearance of the black hole inside the mirrored sphere in one of his hands.


    After looking at the surroundings, where there was now a strange crater showing the red soil of the area, Minos sat in a meditative position and began to cultivate.


    The Black Hole Bomb naturally leaked fractions of the spiritual energy and Natural Laws absorbed by the black hole. Hence, since he had spent some of his energy without stealing it from anyone in the area, he promptly began to cultivate what was escaping such a thing to recover.


    Only after this did he intend to make his journey back to Dry City!


    ...


    The Eastern Empire''s Spiritual Sage opened his eyes when he noticed that Minos had already finished. He could not help but once again be in awe because of that fusion.


    ''That is something phenomenal! I wonder where he got those two techniques capable of creating something so extreme?'' He looked in Minos'' direction, still without moving from his meditative position.


    ''Sigh...''


    ''It''s a pity that he is only the son of people with ordinary talents. If only he had a Golden talent, he could be someone interesting for us to bring over to our side.'' He lamented that someone with the talents one would expect to find in these areas was the one with these techniques in question.


    Having a technique and being able to master it were different things. Not everyone achieved the ability to fuse techniques, even when they were compatible. So, even if other people could learn Minos'' techniques, that would be no guarantee that others would be able to do his fusion.


    Knowing this, this man could not help but regret that the person who had achieved this feat was from these areas of little talent, not someone from his state.


    In a way, those possibilities of the fusion of Minos'' two techniques would be wasted on someone like that young man!


    Therefore, that man was lamenting and did not even have the interest to get up from where he was standing to try to approach the young Emperor Stuart.


    ...


    After recovering, Minos did not waste his time and flew toward Dry City.


    After a few hours moving around his empire, he arrived at his army''s headquarters, where he retrieved the black hole he was nurturing without wasting any time.


    After doing this, he went to a place where there were no people for tens of square kilometers and proceeded to make one black hole devour the other.


    In this way, after a few minutes of a process that released vast amounts of spiritual energy into the ambient, Minos achieved a single black hole. This time, it could devour even a high-level Spiritual Saint!


    After noting that counting the additional power such a thing would have inside a Black Hole Bomb, he could handle the threats to his life, Minos smiled in satisfaction.


    ''Very well, now I am prepared for the hard times these terrorists want to bring to my territory!'' He clasped one of his hands around that mirrored item, mischievously smiling as he looked up at the sky.


    With that done, he returned to his city, flying at high speed, feeling less nervous about the current moment.


    Unlike when criminals from Albano were threatening the Black Plain, the current threat was the kind that even the Spiritual Church would have trouble stopping entirely. So Minos felt a much heavier weight on his shoulders since the people of this terrorist group were not moved by the rules of this organization or the danger that could be coming to this region.


    So, having a little more power at his disposal to depend less on other powers made him that much better!


    Minos might be the leader of Vogel and the future master of the Gray Clouds Sect. Still, the people behind that place or organization had their own problems.


    It was up to him to resolve any issues related to the safety of his territory and family!


    But while he was preparing for the worst, the enemy was also doing that, starting the preparations for their grand plan!


    ...


    "We are getting close to our goal, so from here on, we will need to be twice as careful..." Abe told his people as they walked through an area of the old Brown Kingdom.


    "Once we can get into the main part of the Black Plain, we will need to take action there and at our other points of interest!"


    ...

 Chapter 1357 The Plan Must Be Followed

    When they heard Abe''s comments, the Spiritual Saints and Spiritual Emperors in their group kept those words in their minds.


    At the same time, some of them considered what would happen from now on when their plans were approaching realization.


    The people of the Eastern Empire behind Abe wanted this young man''s actions to continue for as long as possible. But the former Vogel heir had not promised any of this, only that he would try with all his might to destroy Minos.


    Hence, Abe wanted a full-scale attack against Minos. And eventually, he wanted to finish his revenge quickly, early enough for him to have a chance to enjoy the sweet taste of victory.


    Abe already knew that Minos was advancing too fast. He also understood that with each passing day, his enemy''s chances of dying decreased, and his possibility of death increased. Therefore, he wanted to make a combined attack against Emperor Stuart''s forces to overwhelm this enemy.


    ''We have groups scattered on all sides of this empire and near the main posts of the Spiritual Church.'' One of the experts in that Abe group considered this in silence.


    Another then thought. ''Probably the enemy forces will have to split up to counter-attack us, giving us plenty of room to get to that place...''


    ''Finally! The time has come!''


    ''Just a few more days, and we will fight as we have been preparing for months!''


    While his men were thinking about this, Abe was looking toward where Dry City should be. However, he could see nothing beyond the dark horizon at the moment. ''Soon, very soon, Minos Stuart...''


    But as Abe''s group prepared for their action, a three-eyed young man silently watched them from afar, hidden among the local vegetation.


    ''That must be Abe Vogel...'' Gavin remembered the old news reports he had read when he had come to this region, some of which had the portrait of the crown prince of Vogel.


    ...


    A few days later...


    After Gavin found out about Abe''s identity, he immediately reported his findings to Minos, finishing his investigative services.


    Because of this, he had returned to stay in the core of Dry City, where he could hide more efficiently from possible investigators from the Saints Killing Sect.


    As for the discovery made by such a redhead, this changed everything for Minos.


    Now, this sovereign had discovered who was behind all the terrorist attacks on his territory and the Spiritual Church outposts, as well as the reason for it all. And as much as knowing this would not change the attacks in question, this simple piece of information could significantly help his forces.


    That was because now Minos knew more or less how the enemy''s mind worked and their real intentions and motivations. In this way, he could use the enemies against themselves!


    So Minos had already sent notices throughout his territory, telling his subordinates and allies about what should happen next.


    He notified the people at the Spiritual Church post in the old capital of Vogel about who the enemy leader was and why they were one of the main targets of these terrorists. At the same time, Minos had already ordered his forces to gather in the core of his territory.


    Minos did not need anyone to tell him that Abe was coming for him. This enemy was definitely in it for revenge, no matter the reason, whoever was financing his current actions.


    So the opponent was probably trying to get closer to Dry City, just as Gavin suspected, something that agreed with what the sentient beings on the Black Plain had noticed so far.


    In this way, he wanted to strengthen the defenses of the central area of his state and leave more border areas of his state in the care of allies.


    If the enemy attacked any of these places to distract them, Minos would simply ignore and accept the temporary losses while keeping his troops on the original Black Plain.


    Those had been his orders, and so hundreds of thousands of individuals were already moving into the region, some going to the core of the empire and others leaving for the neighboring kingdoms to help the border areas.


    Minos did not need much, so states like Albano, Rosser, and Blackrock had already promised him to take care of these more remote areas of his empire. At the same time, the royal families of the northern region had been willing to do smaller jobs. Still, that could make a difference in case problems spread to some regions of the empire.


    For example, forces from all these states had been sent to the Cromwell and Brown areas to help the local forces deal with possible instabilities.


    And amidst all this, Minos was anxiously waiting for Abe on the outskirts of Dry City, having already sent little Sarah to stay in the Spatial Kingdom just in case.


    ...


    "Your Imperial Majesty, we have more reports of terrorist attacks coming from the Red Valley, east of Cromwell and southeast of Brown."


    "... We have reports of plantation fires in..."


    "... There are reports of a rebellion at Lieutenant Pyke Prison in the vicinity of the Endless Snow Mountain Range..."


    "Lieutenant Dumas Hospital has had training rooms destroyed..."


    Minos received several reports of trouble around his territory, which had been coming to his attention daily for the past few days.


    The terrorist attacks had intensified, while more and more ordinary people were suffering around his territory due to enemy actions.


    But Minos was impassive with his plans, refusing to send reinforcements even as child deaths came to his attention.


    He did not feel good about it, but being a leader meant making difficult decisions, but ones that might favor the state more significantly.


    It might be nice to protect the innocent, but was it worth protecting a few thousand and putting hundreds of millions at risk? Or perhaps, would it be wise to switch the rational plan with a chance of success for emotional, unthought-out actions and consequences?


    Sometimes a leader would take poorly thought-out actions, but when he had a plan in hand, he could not simply abandon it at the slightest sign of trouble.


    Minos knew this and ignored the problems in his territory, forbidding all his forces'' specialists to leave the Black Plain''s main area.


    The future of this state lay in this area, so even if the rest of his territory were in flames, he would not risk this place!


    He then said to those less experienced subordinates of his, people who had advanced within his forces after the war of independence. "Don''t do anything. Continue in your positions and wait for my orders."


    Gulp!


    "But..." Some of them felt insecure about this.


    Minos ignored such people and said. "When the proper time comes, we will act immediately against those who challenge us. After that, everything will be over."


    His wives agreed with him, feeling it was difficult to do nothing but that this was the only way they could bring down Abe and his cronies.

 Chapter 1358 The Time Has Finally Come

    A few more days passed...


    Right now, the territory of the Black Plain Empire was facing its most tense moment in years. Nevertheless, it held out as best it could against the various terrorist attacks in different locations.


    That was the situation for ordinary people, citizens who had taken advantage of the opportunities in this state in recent years, but also for individuals who were, in fact, part of the local forces. These people, as in the example of the soldiers of the Black Plain Army, felt much more about the problems of present times.


    Not only were they the front line of the empire''s defenses, but they had also helped build that state and naturally had the pride and will to protect it.


    So having to endure the present times without reacting was not easy for many soldiers and allies of Minos.


    That was the case for Peter Freeman, currently at level 62, and Lee and Alison, both at level 61.


    ?


    They had seen this place develop practically from scratch. So as part of the local upper echelon, they all had to deal with large margins of frustration.


    But no one was rushing, each at their respective posts, waiting for the day they would act against their enemies!


    ...


    "In the blink of an eye, more than 20 years have passed..." Alison commented to her husband as she sat in a lotus position in the training area of the mansion of the two of them, somewhere in the central territory of the Black Plain.


    Lee heard this and sighed, feeling that the years had flown by and that now they were once again being tested.


    The difference? This time they could do something about it since they were close to the cultivation level of the strongest in the army!


    "Times have passed, but the challenges keep getting harder and harder... This time we will participate in something that might shock the entire continent." Lee commented, sensing that his master would detonate the Black Hole Bomb he was nurturing.


    If that happened, more people would turn their attention to the Black Plain, to the young Emperor Stuart''s mass destruction weapon.


    Considering this, Lee was eager to get stronger and better prepare for the uncertain future of the Black Plain.


    ''How can we hold our own in the future if the state does not experience a considerable increase in strength in the short term? The enemies coming next time will not be normal!''


    ''They will, at the very least, be mid-level Spiritual Sages.'' He pondered this, using the logical thinking that Minos had taught him over the years.


    ''Is that why the master has agreed to become the master of the Gray Clouds Sect? Will he use this organization to strengthen the foundations of the empire quickly?''


    ...


    While Lee was worrying, Elen Nash, level 64, was still in Vogel.


    This woman had lived in this territory since Minos sent her there to settle the negotiations concerning his ascension as local ruler.


    After this happened, she continued to lead Minos'' government in this territory and ensure that the Black Plain would gain the benefits the local leaders promised.


    She had also been helping to control local actions in harmony with the decisions of her sovereign, maintaining active communication between the Imperial Palace and the Assembly of Vogel.


    But currently, like her colleagues in the main territory of the Black Plain, this woman was tense, waiting for the development of recent problems.


    In particular, she was staying longer and longer in places designed to be secure. Those areas were built on account of Minos'' black hole to ensure the survival of local leaders against drastic threats.


    The Assembly of Vogel had gained many powers after Minos'' coronation, which had opened doors to measures that benefited local nobles. Among these measures was the construction of several security bunkers at the Vogel seat of government.


    And precisely in this place of negotiations, the most secure in the entire Vogel area, Elen was doing her work at the very moment.


    "We could be attacked at any moment, so your families need to be on full alert to fight in case of need." She said to a group of Spiritual Emperors, representatives of the local noble families.


    "If the Spiritual Church post in our area falls to the enemy, not only will this organization be harmed. We will lose friends who could help us in difficult times and much of our population and infrastructure."


    "Then be prepared for the worst, for the Flaming Empire is not the only one threatening your families'' existence and freedom!" She said thoughtfully, making the people in that place look at her with varied expressions.


    ...


    At the same time, Barbara, level 62, and Mirya, level 64, were on the outskirts of the empire''s capital belt of cities.


    In this place where more than 20 million people lived, most of the Spiritual Emperors, whether from the army or direct subordinates of Minos, were stationed.


    The two women of the local army were among these many local high-level cultivators, nervously surveying the surroundings in wait for some sign.


    "I wonder when we will be attacked?" Barbara questioned that woman, Viola''s mother, an old acquaintance of Minos.


    Mirya looked at the horizon thoughtfully as she stood beside Barbara on top of the wall that circled the entire belt of cities. "I don''t know, but I hope this will all be over soon. These terrorists aren''t strong enough to destroy us. Still, their actions are extremely effective in slowing our progress."


    The local cultivators continued to grow stronger, but the actions of the terrorists had been hindering local economic development.


    As the state of Minos depended on constant growth to provide rapid and significant improvements for its members, the local forces could not help but lament the irritating actions of the enemies.


    They would rather face a war like the War of Independence, or an invasion like that of the criminals of Albano, than have to deal with the terrorist acts of Abe''s group.


    Acts like those of Abe''s group were sparse, done by a few individuals, without the enemy side having to establish dominance over territories. But without that happening, the enemies ended up exposing themselves less by not settling in their conquered areas.


    In short, they would attack and then flee, which made it very difficult for local forces to act.


    Hence, the enemies were able to make life very difficult for the members of the empire. At the same time, the counterattack of the local forces was less efficient than it would have been against other types of adversaries.


    So no soldier or member of local forces liked or wanted the current situation to last any longer, even considering possible opportunities that would always arise at such times.


    However, they would not have to wait long to have their questions answered!


    As thousands of Spiritual Kings nervously waited to fight against 7th and 8th stage experts alongside the local Spiritual Emperors, the enemies slowly began to show themselves.


    By late afternoon in the surroundings of Dry City, the local sentient vegetables began to notice the arrival of the enemies, quickly issuing their warning signals.


    Thus, as orange from the sky embellished the local sights, flowers in eye-catching colors spread throughout the Dry City belt of cities, showing that a conflict would soon break out.


    The pollen of those beings also did its work, not taking long to make all the cultivators in an area of tens of square kilometers realize that something was wrong!


    ...

 Chapter 1359 Plans

    As he felt the pollen irritating his nostrils, Minos immediately protected that area of his body with his spiritual energy and realized what was happening.


    He stood up from his meditative position in one of the training areas of his residence and clenched his fists. "They''re finally moving." He muttered in a low voice, drawing the attention of his wives, who were also there.


    Ruth, Gloria, and Abby were looking in the same direction as Minos, recognizing the sign of the Black Plains vegetables.


    "Are we being attacked?" Ruth questioned, even though she knew the answer to her question.


    "That''s the only possibility," Abby commented, feeling anxious, as this was the sign they had been waiting weeks for.


    Usually, she and her family would instead take the time to solve their problems as they could improve more easily than people from more ordinary backgrounds. However, dealing with terrorists was stressful and greatly hindered the development of her subordinates and allies.


    So Abby and her family preferred to deal with the threat all at once!


    Upon noticing the signs of the sentient organisms of this state, the four left that palace, heading towards the place those plants were indicating.


    The sign of flowers and pollen of those organisms was not only a warning signal for the enemy attack but also a way to identify the location of those adversary groups.


    And from the signs they could see and feel at the moment, the largest and most powerful enemy group was on the northeast side of the Dry City belt of cities. Hence, the four were flying there while the various groups of powerful local cultivators were also heading for the hotspots identified by the plant organisms.


    Not only were those four waiting for this moment, but all the empire''s high-level Spiritual Emperors and Spiritual Kings were waiting for this moment.


    As such, they had plans and knew exactly where to go at this decisive moment, many quickly moving on to more numerous and stronger enemy groups.


    ...


    Minos and his wives quickly arrived near where the most powerful enemies were closing in on them.


    There, thousands of people, either from the army or organizations within the empire, appeared to support the main combat front on this day.


    The strongest Spiritual Emperors who had returned from the borders in recent weeks, as in the cases of Emlyn, level 66, and Eduard, level 64, were there to make their presence felt.


    Most of the patriarchs of local organizations or of Minos'' allies in the northern region were there as well, as in the case of the patriarch Nash, level 64, Lorelei Stone, and the supreme elder Miller, both at the same level as Luke''s father.


    These elders, formerly peak Spiritual Kings of the northern region, had taken great advantage of their advantages as leaders and proximity to the Black Plain to strengthen themselves. That was why they were still among the strongest in the region, even though many of Minos'' young soldiers had already caught up with them.


    In any case, Minos had a good legion of warriors there, many being individuals used to fighting stronger opponents in groups, just as he had taught.


    Then, Patriarch Hayes, level 63, asked Minos as they prepared to pursue their strategies. "Your Majesty, the enemies look very strong. So, will we follow plan A or plan B? I feel that A will be riskier."


    Some of the strongest leaders there were around Minos, so they listened to the question from Vivian and Davy''s father.


    As several people looked at him, Minos answered such a question. "The enemies are powerful, but they are within our predictions."


    At the moment, they were already practically face-to-face with the opponents, being only 500 meters away from each other.


    But from this distance, they could all already sense their opponents'' cultivation levels, which were between level 67 and 75!


    On the other hand, their side was between levels 59 and 70, with only Gloria as the only Spiritual Saint among them. Because of this, Hadwin Hayes asked the previous question and suggested plan B to Minos.


    Their group had more than two plans for this conflict that would eventually happen on their territory, as indicated by the sentient plants during the past weeks. But the most important of them were the first two. Plan A said that Minos would deal with his strongest opponents alongside his wives. Plan B said that he would share his responsibility with these other people.


    But seeing the current situation, it was natural that some regional leaders would worry about Minos dealing with so many individuals at the 8th stage.


    Minos then continued. "We can''t defeat them without using my secret weapons. So, I will count on your cooperation."


    Let''s go with plan A!"


    Gulp!


    The people there swallowed their saliva, finding Minos'' ability to put himself at the focus of the problem impressive, even though he could use them to save himself.


    But this was what most of them already expected from Minos. Almost everyone there knew this young emperor from when he was fighting the Black Plain''s War of Independence in the phase he was still at a disadvantage. Thus, this was familiar to them!


    "How shall we begin?" Liam Gill, level 63, questioned, not trying to stop Minos from following his own wishes.


    Minos then ordered. "You must deal with these high-level Spiritual Emperors and one or other low-level Spiritual Saint who can get away from my wives and me."


    "The stronger ones you can leave to us. We will deal with them one way or another."


    "Yes, Your Majesty!" Several people there commented simultaneously as the enemy stopped approaching as if preparing for the initial moment of conflict.


    Meanwhile, Minos had the Black Hole Bomb hanging from his waist while fully armed with his medium-level grade-3 armor.


    He looked at his wives and said to all his allies. "Get ready. If I am going to use my main weapon, you must activate your teleportation devices."


    Each of them had such items. But, at the same time, that part where they were was about 100 kilometers from the northeast side of the belt of cities, enough for that area that had been evacuated in the previous days to be out of danger.


    Minos judged that even if he had to detonate his final weapon, he would not have to worry about the damage in that place. The defenses there were not weak, and the remaining power of his weapon would get there too weak to destroy such defenses.


    So he was ready to fight on his territory with everything he had, his only concern being those individuals who would have to flee quickly in case he needed to use his best.


    "All right!" His three wives said simultaneously to the other individuals in the area.


    "Very well, time to settle this, isn''t it, Abe Vogel?" Minos shouted, speaking in the direction of the enemy.


    ...

 Chapter 1360 Beginning Of The Confrontation

    Upon hearing Minos'' question and seeing this emperor looking in his direction, Abe was silent for a moment, noticing that such a person knew his identity.


    So far, he had hidden as best he could, acted carefully, and attacked within the parameters expected of a terrorist.


    But still, Minos had found out his identity.


    ''So this is the reason for the reactions of this state have changed in the last few weeks...'' He realized the motivation behind the change in the local situation that had caused him to have to adjust his plans.


    It was not originally in his plans to openly attack Dry City with this group, as he seemed to be intending to do now. No, he wanted to attack this state bit by bit, erode the power structures that Minos had developed, and make this person feel despair.


    Eventually, he and his troops would attack Dry City firmly by surprise, and he finishes his revenge by killing Minos.


    But with Minos'' previous orders that took the strongest soldiers, allies, and nobles of the Black Plain out of the farthest areas of this state, Abe was forced to change as well.


    To him, it would not do any good to destroy non-essential structures on the Black Plain, kill replaceable people, or not cause Minos'' despair. Thus, after weeks of practically wasting his time without success, he began to follow the plan he preferred, to attack this place head-on, using his forces.


    He knew that Minos had his means, but the forces he had gathered were not weak!


    Hell, he felt that if he wanted to, he could even attack Vogel or Flaming Empire organizations with his group. Then it would not be the poor Minos Stuart who would scare him!


    Because of this, Abe was not afraid to openly attack this place, following a much riskier plan than his previous one.


    Had the enemies prepared themselves to deal with them? They had also prepared themselves to deal with the enemies!


    "So you know who I am..." Abe finally said something, taking off his mask since he no longer needed to hide. "Well, you attacked my house for no reason, so now I am returning the ''gift'' to you."


    "No reason?" Minos laughed as he closed his eyes. "I think you gave me plenty of reasons when you sent Spiritual Saints to kill me when we didn''t even know each other."


    "What kind of coward sends experts of that level to deal with a Spiritual King?" He asked, pointing at that level 72 individual.


    "Bastard!" Abe clenched his fists in anger.


    To him, he had every right to end an insect''s life in the northern region to achieve his ambitions. But the said insect had dared to attack him and, to make matters worse, had harmed him immensely.


    He could not bear that offense!


    "Minos, I will kill you!" He threatened, as his mercenaries noticed his great hatred for Emperor Stuart by the tone of his voice.


    Minos then said. "Are you going to kill me? With just that?" He laughed. "I have my own means of dealing with all of you."


    The people in Abe''s group fully understood what Minos was talking about since, in addition to having studied what this emperor had done in Vogel, they could feel what was in his belt.


    The Black Hole Bomb was no ordinary weapon and had a terrifying energy concentrated in a small region of space. So all those individuals could sense what Minos had as a card up his sleeve to come face to face with him.


    "Don''t try to scare us. If you use this, all your men and this whole area will be destroyed." Abe said with a confident smile on his face. "Minos, I know you don''t dare to self-destruct to defeat me!"


    "Then don''t try to threaten me with that shit!"


    "Are you sure about that?" Minos looked seriously at that individual.


    But neither Abe nor his men were frightened. Everyone there had studied Minos'' known acts in recent years. Thus, they were pretty sure he would not use something like that in the center of his territory.


    By doing something like this, even if he got results, they would be so catastrophic that it would be hard to judge whether he would gain or lose by it.


    At the same time, these people knew that Minos had almost no control over that thing, which was another guarantee that Emperor Stuart had the black hole to scare them at most.


    ''That thing he used in my city is scary, but as long as one is careful not to go near it, there is no danger.'' Abe remembered the black hole he saw years ago.


    Abe then answered Minos'' question with an order. "Stop this futile resistance and fall quietly. As an act of mercy, I will ensure that your death is painless."


    "Humph!"


    "I say the same to you. Put down your weapons and accept your deaths here and now. Or the future that awaits you is worse than you expect." Minos said as he took the mirrored orb at his waist and stepped forward.


    Abe also stepped forward from his men but said nothing to Minos. "Watch out for that thing. Otherwise, as long as you don''t get too close to that thing, it won''t be able to do much against you."


    "Then just follow the original plan carefully."


    "Yes, boss!" The many mercenaries responded in excitement, feeling eager to learn about the abilities of the Black Plain''s imperial family.


    They had heard many stories about the demon Minos, so many of these Spiritual Saints anticipated seeing this fellow in action.


    The groups began to fly against each other, with Minos'' men following alongside his wives to attack the weaker ones in that area.


    Meanwhile, this emperor was flying towards the strongest of the enemies while removing his black hole from the array in which it was stored.


    Seeing Minos doing this, Abe looked strange, realizing that his opponent did indeed not want to use the Black Hole Bomb but was also not going to fight as expected.


    ''Trying to scare us with the fusion of your techniques?'' Abe thought about it as he looked at the strongest of his mercenaries there, who were already starting to watch out for the event horizon of that thing.


    "Minos, that won''t work against us." He laughed. "You think I don''t remember what you did in my city? I came prepared, man."


    "Did you really?" Minos laughed before he began to use Chaotic Gravity and Devouring Art simultaneously to control his grandiose black hole.


    As he began to do so, all the Spiritual Saints in the area, who, unlike their fellow Spiritual Emperors, were not yet fighting, focused their attention on how that region of space was changing.


    Subtly, Minos'' black hole began to move under his commands, causing each Spiritual Saint to feel chills in their souls.


    From what they were beginning to feel, Minos could control that thing to change its rules!


    And even if that was modest, such a thing was already totally different from what they had prepared for!


    "Oh, shit!"


    ...

 Chapter 1361 Time To Die

    When some of the weaker Spiritual Saints in that group realized what Minos was attempting, it was too late for them to escape.


    The black hole that Minos was controlling with difficulty at the moment could easily absorb even high-level Spiritual Saints. So it would not be these mercenaries who could escape it.


    Because of this, when three of those individuals were caught by surprise by Minos'' unexpected action, they were all easily swallowed by that region of space devoid of light.


    The spiritual fluctuations of the three of them disappeared in the blink of an eye. In this way, such a thing shocked all the Spiritual Saints in the area, who felt the souls of the three of them ceasing to exist in a way they could not even describe.


    Each of them was startled by this, promptly floating off in the opposite direction of Minos'' black hole while activating their strength to the maximum they could.


    They then made their soul avatars appear, the most powerful form of a Spiritual Saint.


    The avatar could be activated through a soul technique, something cultivators could only learn from the 8th stage when they fully awakened their soul power.


    Through the avatar, a cultivator could use their six techniques other than cultivation, exposing a cultivator''s true powers by using the free energy in nature as fuel.


    Cultivators could use the energy of the surroundings from the very first levels of cultivation. But this only became enough to influence a battle from the 8th stage.


    And with this, every technique, Natural Law behind them, was presented at its best level from the 8th stage on, through the avatar, which had greater compatibility with the cultivation world than ordinary human bodies.


    Because of this reality, all cultivators there capable of activating the avatar used their energies to put everything they had at their disposal into this troublesome moment.


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    Minos clearly could not easily use that thing to devour them. So they intended to impose as much resistance as possible so as not to end up like the first three.


    At the same time that many soul avatars were appearing in that region, the many Spiritual Emperors of the enemy forces were already fighting Minos'' men.


    They were terrified of the appearance of Minos'' black hole and the end of those three low-level Spiritual Saints. After all, if that had happened to 8th-stage cultivators, they, as 7th-stage people, would have had no resistance at all.


    Then fear began to spread in the surroundings; something also intensified by Minos'' Dark Sea, which was activated to its total capacity now.


    But unfortunately, Minos was a bit distant from those people, and the effect of his soul ability was not enough to manipulate all those individuals. On the contrary, such action of his was, at most, increasing the fear and uncertainty in the minds of these people.


    In this way, Minos'' allies acted against these fearful opponents, using their advantages to put pressure on these powerful enemies.


    "Fight!"


    "Use everything you have!


    "Ah, kill!"


    Shouts of encouragement were coming from the throats of the most proactive among Minos'' soldiers and subordinates, those people between levels 63 and 64.


    Thus, several spiritual blows were slicing through the space toward the enemies scattered around the area, quickly making all the signs of a battlefield appear in that place.


    As the many weaker individuals in the area struggled to hold off their opponents while their leaders worked, Minos'' wives acted to help him.


    This emperor worked hard only to manipulate the grandiose black hole he had fattened up, so he did not have much strength or energy to fight.


    In practice, this meant that he could not use his Devouring Art on the many enemies, nor could he use attacks that relied heavily on his movement.


    He was only managing to use the techniques necessary to manipulate the black hole, protect himself and release his Dark Sea.


    As such, he could not act much against the opponents who wanted to attack him while manipulating the black hole against the stronger Spiritual Saints.


    Thus, Abby, Ruth, and Gloria did their best to avoid headaches for Minos.


    Abby had several techniques activated, helping Ruth by using her defensive mirrors, which she constantly used along with cursed chains to surprise opponents.


    Thousands of hexagonal mirrors rotating around that area''s outskirts gave Abby many attack options. That way, she used one or the other to surprise the most vulnerable opponents.


    At the same time, Ruth was using her fists and more powerful techniques to disrupt the level 70 Spiritual Saints, just trying to push them toward Minos'' black hole.


    As for Gloria, the strongest one there, this woman had her soul avatar activated, fighting against level 71 and 72 Spiritual Saints and making up for Abby and Ruth''s lack of strength.


    Gloria was powerful, with a soul technique that created an avatar similar to seraphim, allowing her to attack using six wings as if they were special hands.


    And with the pressure Minos put on their opponents, she and those two were performing satisfactorily.


    "Abe, it''s time for you to die, you wretch!" Minos shouted as he swallowed another Spiritual Saint with his black hole.


    "Disgrace!"


    "That monster!"


    "How did he manage to produce something so abominable?" The Spiritual Saints in the surrounding area shouted similar things, feeling the ultimate terror of the black hole.


    Their own soul avatars were beginning to distort, given the amount of spiritual energy and free Natural Laws in the surroundings the black hole was devouring.


    Minos was manipulating such a thing to steal everything those Spiritual Saints were trying to gather to attack him, so almost nothing was left for these experts.


    At the same time, some of them had been sucked into that region of space due to Minos'' dangerous movements, swinging those things around like a spinning top.


    Due to the action of the black hole, when it gained angular motion, its event horizon distorted in a way that the enemies could not predict its position.


    And so, more and more of them were dying to the fusion of Minos'' techniques, frightening the others in the surrounding area who were trying their best not to be affected by the enemy.


    Meanwhile, Abe was shocked by Minos'' abilities, which went far beyond what he imagined he would find in this place.


    ''Damn it!''


    ''This is not the way I planned it!'' He thought while failing to use his escape device to teleport away from that area.


    Minos'' black hole had reached such an out-of-the-ordinary level that space was slightly affected, even tens of kilometers away from its event horizon.


    That was not enough to affect the living things there. Still, sensitive devices like arrays were not functioning correctly in the surroundings.


    And so, Abe, who had thought he could easily escape if his plans went wrong, was now nervously trying to survive, fearing his enemy.


    "Now it''s your turn, Abe!" Minos shouted as the spinning motion of the black hole brought the event horizon of such a thing closer to that enemy.


    ...

 Chapter 1362 Unsatisfactory Result

    When the event horizon of the black hole distorted in the direction of Abe, this former crown prince of Vogel felt his whole body being restricted by something.


    But this was not the action of the Spatial Sword, but the power of the black hole itself that was generating attraction in its own direction, drawing Abe towards itself like a great suction cup.


    Due to the action of this extreme force of nature, Abe could not move, even though he was trying with all his energy to pull back.


    His soul avatar was fully active, with his great silhouette trying to flee from there, with his back to that black hole. However, the result of Minos'' fusion of techniques was not easy to avoid, even more so for someone at only level 72.


    That way, with each second, Abe was feeling less and less able to react to the enemy attack, losing his position as he approached that frightening darkness.


    "Damn it!"


    "Minos Stuart, you''ll be bitterly sorry if you do this!" He shouted amid his despair, not being able to count on his mercenaries'' help since they were also in bad situations.


    Those outside the reach of Minos'' black hole were having fights with this emperor''s wives. But, on the other hand, the other Spiritual Saints were being restricted by this region of space, barely able to move.


    So Abe was alone in this place against Minos while this emperor was looking at his enemy with bloodlust. "I decide whether I will repent or not!"


    Minos focused more of his energies on devouring Abe. He made the situation so complex that it seemed that at any moment, that individual''s avatar would lose connection with his body and be swallowed.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhh! What the hell!!!"


    "Holy shit!" He screamed wildly, unable to accept that he would die without being able to get revenge.


    But as he felt the end was near, a rock cut through the air from far away, hitting Abe''s body and sending him dozens of meters away from Minos.


    When this happened, the smile on Minos'' face froze.


    His opponent was almost being devoured, so how could he not be highly irritated by this situation?


    When that stone hit Abe''s body, his fleshy body and soul avatar was thrown away from Minos. This young man lost his opponent since he could not move easily and had those Spiritual Saints to deal with.


    Therefore, even when Abe lost consciousness after being hit by the rock in question, Minos was at a loss!


    "Shit!"


    "Who did that?" He looked at the surroundings, feeling that there should have been at least one high-level Spiritual Saint nearby.


    Only someone near the beginning of the 9th stage could do something like what had just happened. So Minos soon became suspicious of Abe''s possible helpers, such as those who should be attacking the Spiritual Church in the main city of Vogel.


    ''Damn it!''


    ''I can''t believe I was so unlucky!'' Minos lamented in his mind, feeling that the enemy would not act against him but that he would no longer be able to end Abe''s life today.


    At that moment, when Abe had landed far from Minos, a hand appeared from a fracture in space. Such a hand caught him, causing him to disappear as if he had never passed through the area.


    Minos saw this and realized the level of the problem. ''A damned Spiritual Sage!''


    ...


    Meanwhile, dozens of kilometers west of where Minos was terrorizing his opponents, the Spiritual Sage, who was keeping an eye on the situation, placed Abe''s body in front of him.


    ''Well, you can''t die yet...'' He looked at this poor fellow, feeling that his throw had been a bit strong since it had made Abe faint.


    But he did not feel bad about it as it was only because of his action that Abe had escaped Minos'' black hole.


    ''But that thing is quite powerful, huh... I hadn''t thought that thing would get to this point.'' This man pondered, feeling that he could not have rescued Abe if he was not a 9th-stage cultivator.


    He sighed and looked back at the battlefield. Then this person used his spatial control skill, typical of cultivators of this stage, to pick up another person on that battlefield.


    After a level 70 Spiritual Saint appeared next to Abe, that Spiritual Sage departed the area without saying anything or even being noticed.


    That mercenary looked from one side of that area to the other, shocked that he had disappeared from his position, where two women surrounded him and, out of nowhere, arrived at this place.


    "Sigh!"


    ''I don''t know what happened, but I was saved!'' He thought about it in relief, feeling that his group''s attack would fail.


    Since earlier he could not teleport away due to the action of Minos'' black hole, finding himself in this place, he thanked the heavens and prepared to flee.


    "Uh? Boss?" He saw Abe''s body lying in front of him and did not hesitate to grab such a person to run away.


    Thus, this man activated the teleportation devices of the two of them not long before they disappeared from there without leaving a trace.


    ...


    Meanwhile, on the main battlefield...


    Abby and Ruth had just lost sight of one of their enemies. Still, they did not pay much attention to that, turning their focus to the other low-level Spiritual Saints in the area.


    The two were almost exhausted by now, but since their husband''s black hole had already absorbed over 60% of the 8th-stage enemies, things were starting to calm down.


    So even though they were not far from their limits, the two continued to act, less and less focused on Spiritual Saints and slowly beginning to help their allies.


    Among those who had started fighting in that area today, the ones who had suffered the most so far had been the high-level Spiritual Kings of Minos'' organization. That group had lost a few hundred such people and a few dozen Spiritual Emperors to eliminate 40% of the enemies and hold off the rest on the battlefield.


    But they had successfully prevented escapes, helping the local forces punish those enemies who had dared to enter the core of the Black Plain.


    When Minos realized this, he finished defeating his opponents, which was getting easier and easier for him because of how his black hole worked.


    It was just a pity that as the power of such a thing increased, it became more difficult to control in battles like today.


    So this day''s battle ended, with Minos'' group emerging victorious but with a taste of defeat because the enemy leader had escaped.


    That was practically a guarantee that trouble would continue to approach them!


    That way, when Minos eliminated the enemy Spiritual Emperors alongside his wife, he took out all the anger that the mysterious person who saved Abe had provoked in him.


    ''Damn it!''


    ''How did I miss such a good opportunity?''


    ...

 Chapter 1363 Vogel Situation

    While Minos felt terrible, Gloria, Ruth, and Abby sat on the ground next to him as the survivors also began to rest in the area.


    Along with this, low-level soldiers were beginning to arrive in the area, ready to provide medical and logistical support, many of them there to collect the belongings of the dead.


    Simultaneously, the three women watched this silently, knowing that Minos was in a bad mood due to the previous situation.


    "I wonder who did that?" Ruth asked Gloria.


    This redheaded woman shook her head negatively, indicating she had no idea.


    Whoever had done, they were there to prevent Abe''s death but not to help the plans of this former prince of Vogel. They could understand this since it would otherwise make no sense for someone so capable to let this entire group perish.


    Since the identity of such a powerful enemy was somewhat mysterious, these women could not help but wonder about their identity.


    "Could it have been someone from the Saints Killing Sect?" Abby asked in ignorance.


    She had not noticed the hand that went through space and took the body of Abe and the other Spiritual Saint. Thus, she thought a high-level Spiritual Saint had thrown the stone that saved the enemy leader.


    Minos heard his Empress'' question and answered her. "Impossible. The Saints Killing Sect doesn''t have any Spiritual Sages."


    "What? Spiritual Sages?" Abby and Ruth exclaimed while Gloria became much more serious.


    Minos said. "Yes, the person who rescued Abe used a spatial manipulation skill to rescue such a person. That is something that only Spiritual Sages or stronger ones can use. So there is no doubt about the cultivation stage of this enemy."


    The three frowned, feeling things were getting too complicated without them even understanding. "Why would someone like that target us? We''ve never been involved against powers with people of that level." Abby said.


    Gloria then expressed. "We truly don''t get involved. Not directly."


    "What are you talking about?" Ruth questioned as she cleaned the blood on one of the wounds she had suffered in that fight.


    That beautiful redhead spoke again. "The Spiritual Church. The enemy is probably an opponent of the Church, a powerful one. So, for that reason alone, we are being targeted, but without experts of that power itself attacking us."


    "What? Are you saying that this organization is funding Abe and will continue to do so? That''s why this specialist saved that person?" Abby realized the problem.


    "That must be the case," Minos commented in a low voice, feeling that he had been caught in the problem of two giants. ''Damn. I simply can''t accept that Abe keeps bringing trouble into my state!''


    ''To make matters worse, he has seen one of my strategies and will be more careful!'' Minos made a horrid expression, feeling bad that, for the first time in a long time, he did not know how to solve one of his problems.


    ''Will I have to threaten that person?'' He wondered if he could do that with the Black Hole Bomb, which would now be much stronger given the cultivators that were absorbed by the black hole today.


    But doing that with a Spiritual Sage was more difficult than one might think. After all, people above level 80 could travel through space and thus escape more quickly than weaker ones.


    Hence, it would be countless times harder for Minos to act against someone of that level than against a peak Spiritual Saint!


    "Sigh..."


    ...


    As Minos sighed in that area near the Dry City belt of cities, the battle in the capital of Vogel had ended after tens of minutes of confrontation.


    In that city, a dozen high-level Spiritual Saints had started an attack on the local Spiritual Church post, trying to destroy that place.


    However, not only had the Church post prepared for this event because of Minos'' advice, but the local forces had joined together to form a sizeable army.


    Such an army had gathered more than 100 low-level and mid-level Spiritual Saints and had participated in defense of the Church post in this area when the attack began.


    Because of this, the battle that was supposed to bring this entire city to its knees had not been so terrifying, ending with few deaths.


    The citizens had been directed to safe places just before the confrontation, and the defensive forces in this area had acted quickly when the enemies showed themselves.


    Other than a few human losses and damaged infrastructure in parts of the center of the former Vogel capital, the local powers were still standing. At the same time, most of the enemies had perished.


    But unfortunately for Minos'' side, the groups that had been fighting in this city could not eliminate all the opponents, only 7 of the 12 high-level Spiritual Saints.


    Anyway, for weaker people, this was a great victory that guaranteed the wealth of those seven mercenaries to be distributed among those involved.


    Elen found all this out after leaving her hiding place when it was no longer dangerous.


    "Unbelievable..." She muttered as she saw the situation in the streets of this city, remembering the sounds she had heard from inside her hiding place.


    ''I must notify Minos as soon as possible!'' She thought about it after a while, thinking it crucial to let her leader know the local situation after today''s confrontation.


    As for the situation in the main part of the Black Plain, she would eventually receive some kind of report, so she did not need to ask for that information.


    ''I hope everyone is okay...''


    "Sigh!"


    ...


    At the Assembly of Vogel...


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    After the battle was over, the mid-level Spiritual Saints of that state, the leaders of the local families, were there in place of the usual representatives of their families.


    "The enemy attack was potent, but we managed to win." One of the local patriarchs said, feeling proud that they had passed this challenge.


    Their state was afraid to face the Flaming Empire mainly because that other state had high-level Spiritual Saints while they did not.


    So, to be able to participate in a battle against people like that and win was quite an achievement for these people!


    "That''s right... But at what cost? Twenty of our experts perished this day." One of those with a negative mindset said that. "And we couldn''t even eliminate their group. So I ask you, what do we do now?"


    "Not so much, August." Another man said this as he got up from his armchair in that conversation area. "The Church has given up the belongings of the dead Spiritual Saints. Then we will be able to divide the inheritances of those individuals. But, on the other hand, even without it, we had no choices. The opponent would sacrifice the city''s population to attack the Church and us!"


    "Yes, that was an act of the damned Abe, so, of course, he wouldn''t target only the church people..."


    The people there continued to debate the matter, talking about what happened, how to divide the spoils of war, and the future.


    "How will we deal with the Flaming Empire and still this current threat? I don''t see a promising future ahead..."

 Chapter 1364 Changes For The 2nd Round

    Two months passed in the blink of an eye...


    After the previous battle on his territory, Minos had had a few weeks of calm, with no more terrorist attacks. But that had only been temporary due to the deaths of many enemies on that fateful day.


    Abe, the enemy leader, had escaped and still had the crystals of an Eastern Empire organization. So, it did not take long for more mercenaries from the Western Empire to arrive in this region.


    The Western Empire was extensive, with over 3.5 billion inhabitants and Spiritual Demigods in its leadership. What is the significance of this? Well, there were millions of Spiritual Saints in that state!


    Of these individuals, part was doing services as mercenaries, and it was practically impossible for all of them to find out that Abe''s contractors left that state only to die. Therefore, getting people like this was easy for him, making it possible for him to get new troops quickly.


    Because of this, the peace of Minos had not lasted long, and terrorist attacks once again returned to the Black Plain.


    Unfortunately for this sovereign, Abe was now aware that his identity was known, as well as the danger of attacking Dry City. Thus, he reverted to his previous strategy of attack and ran, slowly degrading the local forces.


    Because of this, Minos had no choice but to spread his forces across this state again in an attempt to prevent the enemy from destroying the different areas of the empire.


    But of course, the emperor kept the main forces of his state in the core of the Black Plain, where the future of this great state lay!


    ...


    The Imperial Palace, Dry City...


    In this place, Minos was currently receiving envoys from the Assembly of Vogel but also from the Gray Clouds Sect.


    In fact, he had requested a visit from representatives of these institutions before and was finally having his request fulfilled on the day in question.


    With that, two individuals who did not like each other were in front of Minos at this moment.


    But while the two Spiritual Saints of these powers did not like each other due to their history, they had no alternative but to tolerate each other in this place.


    Minos ignored the strange expressions on the faces of those two and said what he wanted. "I called you here as I want your organizations to send low-level Spiritual Saints and high-level Spiritual Emperors into my territory."


    "Sigh!"


    "The situation in my empire is difficult to control because of the terrorist attacks..."


    Hearing this, those two were surprised to hear Minos asking them for help.


    The representative of the Gray Clouds Sect then said. "Your Majesty, what about the Spiritual Church? I understand that you ask Vogel for help. After all, this place is part of your state. But we are from outside the empire and the northern region. So what would that organization do if we helped you?"


    The man from the Assembly of Vogel had his own questions in mind, but he waited for Emperor Stuart''s answer.


    Minos then said. "That is not a problem. Church rule says that organizations outside the northern region cannot interfere in the affairs of that region by imposing their wills. But as the regional leader, I can seek help outside of it, and as long as that help follows my orders, it won''t be considered an offense to the Church."


    "On the other hand, if you agree to my request, I will let the Church know, and all will be well." Gloria, who was also standing around, said this after her husband''s speech.


    "Still, that won''t be easy..." That man from the Gray Clouds Sect insisted.


    He knew that Minos would become the master of that sect in the future, although the man sent by the Assembly of Vogel had no idea about that. But even knowing it, this man from the Flaming Empire was uncomfortable accepting Minos'' request.


    "I don''t know if Your Majesty has forgotten, but we are at war with the Saints Killing Sect. So many of our experts are already on the battlefield." He said, speaking of the main reason for his small intention to help Minos.


    That person from Vogel heard this and sighed in relief since people in his state thought that the Flaming Empire had only not attacked them so far because of this internal conflict.


    Hence, he could not help but feel good to hear that those two great organizations in that empire were still estranged.


    He then saw Minos looking at him and said. "Your Majesty, don''t look at me like that. Our situation is not good either. If we send our Spiritual Saints, who will protect Vogel? Our area is being attacked by people even stronger than the rest of the Black Plain."


    Abe''s attacks against the nobles and the Church outpost in Vogel had diminished since his great defeat there earlier. He thought Minos was the threat to be contained, so he wanted to focus as much as possible on this opponent.


    But even then, sporadic attacks, such as those happening in the rest of Minos'' territory, had also been occurring in that area.


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    So the Vogel Assembly would hardly approve of sending part of its experts to Minos now!


    Minos heard that and did not like it. "I want each of you to send only 3 Spiritual Saints of at least level 71. Will you do that, or will you make it difficult?"


    Those two people were silent after Minos'' words, while Sarah followed everything from her mother''s arms.


    One of them looked at Sarah and understood that Minos was passing his personality to his daughter by making her see him at times like this. But even though he thought this was clever and this little girl cute, he could not help but feel the pressure of having to talk to Emperor Stuart.


    Minos could not force the two organizations to do anything for him at the moment. The Assembly of Vogel was independent, and the Gray Clouds Sect was not yet his.


    But even so, while one organization would eventually become his for him to rule, the other could end up irritating a hazardous person...


    That organization was well aware of the black hole that Minos had used against Abe''s forces. Thus, they knew that this young emperor might use such a thing as a weapon to threaten them somehow.


    Because of the possibility of that happening, that representative could not help but think they had better at least send the three experts Emperor Stuart wanted.


    "Only three?" He said in a humorous tone. "I thought it was more, haha. I think I can convince the assembly if it''s only three."


    "Hmm, I think the sect can send three individuals like that too." The other person commented.


    Minos then relaxed a little and said. "In addition to those three individuals that each of your organizations will send, I need at least 300 high-level Spiritual Emperors."


    "Is that possible?"


    "Yes..."


    "Of course..." The two agreed since Spiritual Emperors would not be much needed in their ranks, but also because they were already being coerced, so there was not much to deny.


    That way, Minos finished his conversation with these people, getting more support to try to counter the actions of Abe''s terrorist group.

 Chapter 1365 Palliative Measures

    After the previous ''negotiations,'' a few weeks passed, and the Assembly of Vogel and the Gray Clouds Sect sent the promised people to Minos.


    With that, Emperor Stuart promptly sent the 600 high-level Spiritual Emperors and 6 low-level Spiritual Saints to the outermost areas of his state.


    The job of these individuals would be to take care of the affairs of these areas where the empire''s population was suffering the most from the recent terrorist attacks.


    Abe''s group had been trying to avoid the central area of the Black Plain, where most of Minos'' forces and his black hole were. Thus, these outer areas, such as the old Brown Kingdom and the Cromwell Kingdom, were the ones that were being attacked the most.


    But now and then, cities in the core of the Black Plain were facing problems, with terrorists making attacks against the cities ruled by the Dukes of this state, such as Peter, Lee, and Alison.


    Unfortunately, cases like these, with sudden attacks, deaths of innocent citizens, and destruction of essential infrastructure, have become common in recent months, terrorizing the entire state.


    Minos was doing his best to try to contain the enemy''s acts. Still, it was not easy to catch terrorists stronger than the average local experts, and those people usually fled.


    So, at most, he could use measures like the one above to contain the worst of the terrorist attacks while waiting for the time needed to get stronger.


    Amid this, the ordinary people living on the Black Plain continued to lead their lives despite their fears. But the migrants who left from other states in this region to the empire and from high-level kingdoms were already decreasing in quantity, fearful of the local situation.


    Many of these people wanted to migrate to the Black Plain Empire because of this area''s opportunities. But amid a conflict where the opportunities were ''weakening'' and the risks were increasing, many of these people preferred to wait longer before making up their minds.


    And so, local progress was beginning to be delayed, creating even more negative consequences for Minos!


    ...


    While Minos and his family were dealing with the complicated situation caused by Abe in the Gray Clouds Sect, Lance was talking about him at this very moment.


    In fact, Lance had gotten used to talking about Minos almost daily, as his hatred for this person was not small. Not only for what Emperor Stuart had done to Ivory but also for his repeated victories against this young master Terry.


    Lance Terry had not only tried to kill Minos on that occasion when he used the Saints Killing Sect. He had tried to manipulate people from that sect again to go after Minos, but upon failing to succeed, he had arranged to hire mercenaries from the


    Evergreen Empire to attack Emperor Stuart on the Black Plain.


    It was only unfortunate for him that such individuals had been defeated by being mistaken for terrorists...


    Subsequently, Lance learned about the current problems of the Black Plain Empire, which brought him to the conversation now.


    "We must use this opportunity to deal with him." He said to his advisors with an ugly expression on his face.


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    Recently, Ivory, who was still at level 71, had left for Minos'' empire to join this man''s efforts to deal with the terrorist attacks. So, Lance could not help but have an ugly expression on his face since he would rather have his ''goddess'' close to him...


    His subordinates in the office understood what he wanted, and one of them said. "It''s really a good opportunity. With these attacks that the Black Plain has been suffering, it would be easy for someone to mistake our action for that terrorist group."


    "In the worst case scenario, if we impersonate the men of this Abe Vogel, all the blame will fall on him, and we won''t have any risk of suffering from punishment!" An old man said, feeling that the heavens were being fair to him.


    After hearing this, the other people there felt that this was an opening for them to take advantage of, deal with Minos, and secure Lance as the future sect master!


    Lance was currently vying for this position, going after supporters and allies to ensure that he would have everything he needed when the time came for Oswald to leave. But even though he did not know Minos already had an agreement with his grandfather, Lance knew of the danger posed by the emperor of the Black Plain.


    Minos had advanced too fast and was already several levels above his level when he had passed through the Flaming Empire. So for Lance, who had not improved even one level in those years, the risk that Emperor Stuart posed to his interests was not small!


    Therefore, he had no other possibility but to take these measures!


    ...


    Back on the Black Plain, old Joey, currently at level 59, was at this moment together with a group of army seers.


    Seers could see ''hints'' of the future, things that were hardly 100% clear but could help a lot in times of trouble like the present.


    As Herincus Longus himself was a great seer in his time, this man had left Minos several Silver-grade techniques of this profession and even one of Golden-grade rank!


    Through these techniques, Minos had, from his earliest days on the Black Plain, trained people to become seers in his army.


    Because of this, many years after his rise to power in Dry City, he could count on hundreds of seers in the ranks of the Black Plain Army, with the best of them being already a 7th-stage cultivator.


    With that, the local army had a low-level grade-3 seer, someone who was constantly used lately for ''hints'' regarding enemies.


    At this very moment, Joey and his companions were talking to some of these relevant professionals, getting ''directions'' on where to go.


    "Lieutenant Joey, I see some confusion, flames, and running going on in Omene. That should happen within a range of a day and a week..." An elderly-looking man said this while his eyes were whitened, with the Orbs of Fate glowing in front of him.


    Upon hearing this hint, Joey wasted no time and wrote down such information before standing up and thanking that man. People in the surrounding area were also doing similar things, rushing to relay this information to the army command while letting those professionals rest.


    Seers could get glimpses of the future, but this was something limited that could not be done continuously. So after a vision, one of these professionals would need to rest for hours, or days, depending on their vision level.


    A vision made about a decision a person needed to make, for example, was usually simpler, and naturally, the seer''s recovery was faster. But something that involved aiming the future of something more general, such as the security of the empire, was somewhat more difficult, which led to a longer recovery time for these people.


    Because of this, it was impossible to repeatedly use the service of such people, although they were relevant in situations like the present one.


    In any case, Minos was using his specialists as best he could, doing as much as he could with his forces to alleviate the adverse effects brought on by Abe.


    And so, the days of terror on the Black Plain continued...

 Chapter 1366 Level 67

    Three months had passed...


    In the blink of an eye, the hell caused by Abe in the Black Plain Empire continued to haunt the area''s populations, proving to be a situation that would endure and less something temporary.


    There were no significant changes in the period, only a development regarding the scale of the conflict on both sides.


    Minos'' forces had previously gotten important reinforcements from the Vogel area and the Gray Clouds Sect. But Abe''s side was not simple and had continued to get merits by attacking with their ''blow and run'' strategy, but also with more mercenaries.


    It was not easy to bring many mercenaries from the Western Empire into the area of the Black Plain Empire. There was a great distance between these states, many dangers along the way, and conflicts between the Church and high-level powers. So there was a limit to how much Abe could bring to the Black Plain in one go without drawing unnecessary attention.


    The Church and the side funding Abe''s terrorist attacks were not the only high-level powers that existed on this continent!


    Many others would kill at the slightest sign of trouble in their vicinity!


    Because of this, Abe did not defeat Minos, nor would he do so with a large number of mercenaries.


    But he had managed to subtly raise the numbers of men on his side, which had justified the development of his terrorist attacks on the Black Plain after this period of attacks.


    On the other hand, Minos had not achieved much development for his state in this period, apart from the strengthening of his soldiers.


    The soldiers, subordinates, and allies of the Black Plain had been fighting for this state and achieving new merits while improving their collective and individual prowess.


    Due to the constant challenges, naturally, the cultivation speed of even 7th-stage soldiers was not bad, with some of them achieving breakthroughs in this period.


    But just as important as these advances of the 7th and especially 6th stage soldiers had been the advance Minos had days ago.


    With this, he had increased his strength further, having reached level 67 and officially entered the last part of the 7th cultivation stage!


    This level increase was not significant because he could now fight stronger people. He could even do that, having increased his natural limit of opponents from level 72 to 73. But since the difference between levels only grew with the stage, one would be at, that was not the most important thing. The crucial thing for Minos was his black hole.


    With the fusion of his techniques growing since that time, only by advancing in level would Minos be able to manipulate such a thing.


    So his advancement had been important for that, for him to more easily control his weapon up his sleeve against the terrorists in Abe''s group!


    But he had not been the only one to improve. No, Gloria also had a breakthrough in this period, reaching level 71!


    Because of this woman''s advancement, the local forces gained much more. At the 8th stage, she could have a much bigger bonus in battle than her husband, who was only a 7th-stage cultivator.


    The bonus in question was nothing more, nothing less than the difference between having good quality techniques or not. Since Minos and Gloria had complete sets of Golden-grade techniques, their strengths were far beyond those who used techniques with low efficiency.


    But since energy levels differed significantly at higher cultivation levels, the bonus of having good techniques was naturally better for higher-level people.


    There was a big difference in energy levels between the two of them. So, this simple breakthrough put Gloria in an entirely different position!


    Now she could fight medium and, in some cases, even high-level Spiritual Saints!


    And so, a light at the end of the tunnel was beginning to appear for the current Black Plain.


    ...


    "Congratulations, Your Majesty. To have reached the final part of the 7th stage is very important!"


    "Hehe, at this current pace, it won''t be long before Her Majesty reaches the 8th stage, just like the Matriarch!"


    "Soon, Her Majesty Abby will also achieve a breakthrough, and the Stuart family will continue to advance towards the 8th stage!"


    "Of course. After all, she is my daughter!" A blue-haired man said this in his group while several important people in the Black Plain filled the imperial throne hall.


    In one of the highlights of that place, Ruth was receiving the congratulations of her many subjects, happy that she had advanced to level 67 the day before.


    She was happy for her advancement, but for the first time since she had met Minos, he had surpassed her in cultivation!


    ''From here on out, I imagine I''ll have to watch him slowly distancing himself from me...'' She sighed in her heart, seeing what she had feared finally happened.


    Like Gloria and Abby, Ruth wanted to be by Minos'' side no matter what. But like the others, she knew the day would come when their husband would overtake them all.


    But as much as they knew it, seeing that moment coming was not easy as it meant that they would no longer be able to be with him in the major battles ahead.


    Because of this, Ruth clenched her fists amid this moment as she smiled and received the congratulations of the many Spiritual Emperors there.


    Not everyone needed to be at the front of the war. Or rather, most of Minos'' experts were in the vicinity of Dry City, so some of them coming to this city to congratulate Queen Miles was not strange or dangerous.


    "Your Imperial Majesty, with the Stuart family''s increase in power, can we expect a change in the present situation?" One of the leaders of noble families in the Black Plain asked amidst the many conversations in the area.


    Several people then made silence after this question, as this was an essential subject to everyone there.


    Minos heard this and kept swinging one of his legs while little Sarah was on his lap, wearing a beautiful pink and white dress with a tiara of roses on her little head full of red hair.


    Sarah was already over two years old, so she could run around or even jump. But she always preferred to be with her father, so she was quietly on his lap right now.


    He then said. "Probably not. The enemy has been cautious in the last few months, and even when he doesn''t, there is a Spiritual Sage ready to rescue him in case of dire need."


    "Then it will be difficult for me to promise you anything when my family members have advanced only one level."


    The people in the throne hall sighed upon hearing the emperor''s sincerity as well as the bad news.


    The empire was failing to develop due to the constant attacks by terrorists on strategic points necessary for local development.


    Hence, not knowing when the present situation would end was something quite negative for everyone there.


    "Well, that is at least until my family members get another breakthrough. When that happens, maybe things will change a bit..."

 Chapter 1367 Motive

    After the occasion commemorating Ruth''s advance, Minos returned to his work, dealing with matters concerning mainly his army.


    He had constantly been getting his men to spread stories throughout the empire, something he wanted to use to contact the Spiritual Sage helping Abe.


    Abe on his own was tricky since this fellow had specialized in running away since the event in the Vogel capital. But without the Spiritual Sage who would save him in certain situations, that former prince could be taken down after some work.


    The problem was that no amount of work would be worth it if he were somehow rescued every time. So Minos devised a plan to try to communicate with the Spiritual Sage in question to get this individual away from Abe.


    He would not be able to get close to someone at the 9th stage, so the only way Minos had thought of had been precisely through rumors.


    The Spiritual Sage could be powerful and not even need to sleep or have mortal activities, such as eating. But people hardly ignored society altogether, for the most part, always having at least their ears to it.


    Minos was aware of this and expected at least a sign from this individual who had been standing in his way for months.


    ...


    While Minos was leading his efforts in Dry City, the Spiritual Sage of the Eastern Empire had already heard some rumors circulating throughout that empire.


    But he was not interested in anything of the sort, even considering some unusual stories that had reached him.


    He was fully aware of who he was working for and was in this state only to keep an eye on Abe and keep that individual alive. Hence, he would not approach Minos without reason highly connected to that fellow from the Vogel family.


    "Sigh..."


    ''It''s just a shame that I have to stay in those areas just because we need this guy.'' This expert lamented in his mind, remembering what he had heard when he came to these areas.


    Abe''s importance to the group he represented was an excuse. That is, the organization he represented had some non-aggression agreements with the Spiritual Church that greatly limited their action against the interests of the other party.


    But the parties'' agreement had its weaknesses. One of them, the easiest to use, was precisely the one that involved using someone not connected to them, who had a real motivation, other than crystals, in coming to this region and causing trouble.


    Therefore, as long as Abe existed, they could use contacts to get the crystals to this individual, and he would be able to do the damage he wanted. At the same time, this organization searched for what it was after.


    If Abe ceased to exist, they would not have that option. Entering the northern region as they were currently doing could be risky. That is, it would not be the Church acting against them, but a fucking lightning punishment!


    That was the point. Abe was an individual with the will, who had not been bought, and who led the whole thing virtually single-handedly.


    Could there be others like this young Vogel with the same characteristics?


    Of course!


    The problem would be for these influential people to find some other of these people!


    ? But not only that, Abe had been raised to be a king and someone from nearby. In other words, he knew the area and the population''s mentality.


    In this way, he had more than just will. Abe had knowledge favorable to a conflict, something the organization behind this man wanted to happen for as long as possible.


    On the other hand, it was only on Abe''s account that the Spiritual Church did not act in this situation. After all, he was outside the bounds of their agreement without changing their contractual obligations.


    In this way, the Church had a temporary defeat because of Abe''s existence and because he had found the ''right'' people.


    That''s why the current situation is so complicated!


    ''This situation is really complicated... We have many teams looking for the damn map of the Ancient Seraphim Sarcophagus, but there is no sign of it.'' He made a strange expression as he pondered the purpose of his organization coming to this area.


    ''It''s as if the fucking map has been taken to another dimension...''


    He sighed once again, not understanding how his organization''s search devices could fail.


    The Church was searching for an ancient item that led to a location that belonged to the Church itself. But by a twist of fate, those who had the means to find this map were the members of this Eastern Empire organization!


    They had been involved in a situation millions of years ago, something that coincidentally placed some of the members of this organization in the vicinity of where the Ancient Seraphim had been ''buried.''


    At that time, these people had secretly left behind a tracking item that had copied the signs of the map in question.


    Through this ancient device, the current members of this organization could go after the map with relative ease.


    It was only a pity for them that only in the last decade had they found out about such a thing and the current plans of the imperial family of the Evergreen Empire...


    ''I wonder where it is? Did those things in the North Sea find it before we did?''


    ...


    Meanwhile, inside the Spatial Kingdom, Sarah was sitting on the floor of one of the lake house offices, playing with a piece of cloth in her little hands.


    "Mama, look..." She rolled such a piece of cloth into a cylindrical tube and placed it in front of one of her eyes to watch her mother.


    Gloria saw that and smiled at her daughter. "Very good, little Sarah." This redheaded woman ignored what that was, considering that the one manipulating was just a child, unable to damage that item of Minos.


    ''It''s probably nothing...'' She looked at that once more and went back to making some reports of local situations to send to Spiritual Church headquarters.


    Gloria had already requested reinforcements from the Church headquarters, as well as an intervention regarding just the Spiritual Sage who had been hindering them from achieving their current goal.


    But unfortunately, the Church refused whenever she asked, only saying that the current circumstances were not favorable for action from headquarters.


    Since she was only a low-level Matriarch, Gloria could not question much else and tried to appeal to luck and get someone interested in acting individually.


    ''Unfortunately, there are few Spiritual Sages who are mercenaries in the Central Continent...'' She sighed while ignoring Sarah''s noises. ''If it were on the Divine Continent, we would find a few such individuals capable of attending to us.''


    ''It''s just a shame we''re too far away and don''t have the means to hire people like that.''


    They could use the same weapon that Abe was using. But unlike this individual who had gone to the Western Empire and made his connections, Minos had done no such thing. So, he could hardly get someone reliable without first making a similar trip.


    Hence, for them, it was pretty risky to hire mercenaries from afar, which was why they had been keeping up with the current situation.


    ''Perhaps Minos should become the master of the Gray Clouds Sect to solve these terrorist attacks?'' This Matriarch wondered, thinking of ways to help her family.

 Chapter 1368 Acting On Different Fronts

    A few more weeks passed as Minos, and his group tried to deal with the dangers brought to the Black Plain Empire by Abe''s terrorist group.


    At that time, Abby had reached level 66. Still, the Stuart family''s major accomplishments for the good of the local future had concerned the Flaming Empire''s organizations, not its members'' advancement.


    Minos had talked with Gloria about trying to advance his promotion as master of the Gray Clouds Sect so that he could use that force''s members to solve the Black Plain''s problems.


    On the other hand, Minos had, as it happened occasionally, received visits from Isabella, the princess of the Edwardstone imperial family. Due to that woman''s visits and interest, another alternative plan was already in place, with her speaking on his behalf to the emperor.


    Harold was a Spiritual Sage, so Isabella had suggested asking her father''s help so at least this man could find a way to locate their adversary. From there, Minos would take over the matter and try to communicate with the person or group that had been funding Abe.


    He was acting in different ways to stop Abe, but since none of them proved effective so far, he could not help but try everything at his disposal!


    ...


    In the capital of the Flaming Empire, Payton...


    In this place, Isabella had just arrived at her family''s imperial palace after days of travel between Dry City and this place.


    Her relationship with Minos was becoming less and less peculiar, so her visits were somewhat frequent, and the strangeness with the Stuart family was almost gone. But, of course, she was doing all this in secret, using the justification of going to do business with Emperor Stuart.


    Fortunately, Harold believed and had no idea that his dignified daughter had not been a virgin for years...


    And thinking that his little girl was still pure, he welcomed her into the courtyard of his residence with a smile, pleased to see the face of this woman, who was now at level 71.


    "How was the trip? Did you encounter any problems on the Black Plain?" This red-haired man asked while sitting in a meditative position in the middle of a small island inside a large pool.


    Isabella sat down near a wooden chair beside one of the banks of this pool that looked like a lake. "Hmm, that place has been living chaotic days since Abe Vogel returned to take revenge on Minos."


    "Oh?"


    She continued. "But worst of all is the Spiritual Sage who has been helping Abe escape trouble when Minos'' group finds him... If it weren''t for that person, even with his difficulties, that fellow would have found a way to eliminate the threat to his territory."


    "He''s powerful." She said in a low voice, but noticeable enough for Harold to hear her.


    Isabella had never seen Minos fighting on the Black Plain, only in training with her. But still, she knew enough to notice that he was stronger than her, which was quite impressive considering the difference in levels between the two.


    She knew Minos had Golden-grade techniques due to her ability to do soul probing. But even considering that her family only had one of those techniques, she would not tell her father about it since she wanted Emperor Stuart as her man.


    In any case, she had some idea of how powerful he was, and she could not help but point that out to her father, who would one day have to approve of their relationship...


    Harold heard that, something that coincided with the information his men had passed on to him regarding the status of this ally of his.


    He then said. "It''s really complicated to deal with someone like that..."


    "Hmm, if he had someone on the same level to help him..." She muttered, but again determined on her father to hear her. "Maybe he could quickly solve his problems and focus all his attention on what matters to the Empire..."


    Hearing his daughter''s suggestive tone, Harold did not need to hear anything more from her to realize that she was talking about him. "Impossible. How would I act against someone like that? Are you crazy, Isabella? Besides, I can''t leave the Empire without taking risks concerning those damned women of the Flower Kingdom!"


    "You wouldn''t have to act against him, father. You would just have to identify him and ask for a meeting with Minos. He wants to talk and understand if he can solve the problem peacefully."


    "Humph!"


    "Easier said than done!"


    ...


    Meanwhile, Minos had used his state''s teleportation ports and quickly traveled from Dry City to Clouds City, in his family''s territory.


    Arriving at the headquarters of the Gray Clouds Sect once again, on this occasion, Minos had not had to ''break in,'' having been promptly identified by the local guards.


    Not only had he become famous in this place after his previous passage. He had also gained quite a bit of admiration after the formation of the Black Plain Empire.


    Previously, the Black Plain was only an ascendant place in the northern region of this continent. That was where Spiritual Kings were experts, and matters were elementary compared to the problems of the Flaming Empire.


    So it was pretty difficult for some people in that place, who naturally had their pride, to admire or respect Minos because of it.


    But with the rise of the Black Plain to become an empire, the absorption of Vogel and Minos having raised his level so quickly, everything had changed. Now, as much as that place was still far from the Flaming Empire, it was no longer confusable with the old poor northern region of the Central Continent.


    That area now had Spiritual Emperors in every organization, and even ''one'' Spiritual Saint was living in the region.


    At the same time, in a few short years, the Stuart family had gone from the beginning of the 7th stage and reached the end of it, something awe-inspiring!


    That way, more people were talking about Minos in this sect, which made it impossible for anyone not to recognize him when he passed the main entrance to the headquarters of that power.


    People circulating that place saw Minos and his wives running through the area, being impressed by their visit and stopping to watch them.


    But the four individuals and also Sarah did not waste their time and went directly to Oswald''s house, where they wanted to settle their affairs quickly.


    Due to the teleportation ports developed in previous years, they could get to and from Dry City in just two days of travel. So, their absence in their territory was not significant to the point of putting the entire Black Plain in danger.


    But in any case, they did not want to play with the hard times they were facing and planned to stay only one day in this place!


    Minos and his family soon arrived at the place, where without delay, they were face to face with Patience and Oswald, who were naturally very curious about this unexpected visit.


    "Minos, what is your purpose here? Has something happened?" Oswald was not the type to curl up, so he got straight to the point, not afraid of scaring his grandson, who was not so different from him.


    "Hmm, old man, it''s time for you to retire. Why don''t you hand me your seat now? I think I am already fully capable of handling this sect."


    ...

 Chapter 1369 Minos Strategy To Kill Two Birds With One Stone

    "What?" Patience said in surprise after hearing his grandson''s words.


    On the other hand, Oswald was already used to Minos'' way of talking to him, so he was not so impressed by being called an old man.


    "What are you talking about, Minos? You are only at level 67. How do you intend to do this?" He asked, looking with interest at his grandson.


    Oswald wanted Minos to take his place so he could travel the Spiritual World with Patience in those last few years of his life. But he had matters to take care of, to end the war with the Saints Killing Sect, to fight alongside his grandson at least once, and to leave that organization in the hands of someone capable.


    He believed that Minos would be capable when he reached level 70, as previously agreed. But, at the same time, that would be enough time for him to at least resolve or improve the sect''s situation regarding the conflict it was currently involved in.


    Hence, since Minos had not yet reached what was needed, this man could not help but question him.


    "I am already capable of commanding this sect. Moreover, you don''t have to give me all the responsibilities at once. We can make the transition of power gradually, with you maintaining your presence for another two or three years. After that, I will take over the entire command of the sect." He said, confident that his wife''s plan was not bad and that the Gray Clouds Sect could help him greatly in the fight against Abe.


    Patience found Minos'' sudden interest in becoming the leader of this sect strange and connected the dots. "Are you doing this because you want to use the sect to fight on the Black Plain, my son? Sigh! You shouldn''t think like that. Besides being very selfish, what do you think will change? We are at war with the Saints Killing Sect."


    "Have you forgotten?"


    Oswald also realized Minos'' intentions, while that young man''s wives sighed.


    But Minos was reassured. "We can solve both things. First, I can help the sect defeat the Saints Killing Sect, and then you will give me the power I need to solve my problems in the northern region."


    The two elders frowned, finding Minos strange.


    If it were that easy to solve the problem with their enemy sect, they would have done such a thing long ago!


    As such, Oswald could not help but ask this bold young man. "So tell me, how do you intend to do this? I don''t know how to solve the problem in the short term."


    "If you give us a good answer, we can do what you want. Help you for another 2 or 3 years, but already give you that position you want." Patience complemented her husband''s words.


    Hearing this, Minos smiled and said. "I will use the fusion of my main techniques. Then I will throw that against the enemy headquarters."


    With those words, the two elders rose from their seats, remembering that Minos had that frightening mass destruction weapon that had created the Volcanic Region between the Flaming Empire and Rosser.


    Oswald then said. "I heard that you can''t teleport with that thing. So how do you intend to bring that thing on the Black Plain here without being noticed by your enemies and ours?"


    Like many other regional leaders near the Black Plain, Oswald knew about Minos'' black hole and the Black Hole Bomb. After all, they had to keep an eye out for anything threatening, whether from friends or enemies.


    Besides, Maisie knew about the Black Hole Bombs in Dry City behind the Black Plain Army''s unique cultivation rooms. So it was evident that these people would know too.


    On the other hand, a trip between Dry City and the headquarters of the Saints Killing Sect could take months, considering Minos'' cultivation. Thus, since he could not teleport, this might be a risk to the Black Plain but also to the Gray Clouds Sect since the Saints Killing Sect would definitely notice Minos'' movement.


    After all, they were also watching this young emperor!


    With that, Oswald could not help but raise those questions before even talking about how crazy Minos'' plan to destroy a high-level organization in the empire was.


    Minos then smiled before explaining to his grandfather. "I don''t intend to use the Black Hole Bombs that are on the Black Plain. They serve to frighten enemies who are unaware of my absence."


    "Then what are you going to do?" His grandmother questioned him.


    "I am going to develop new black holes and buy more arrays capable of withstanding the power of these fusions of my techniques." He laughed. "I will do what I have already done on the Black Plain, but on the battlefield between the forces of this sect and our enemies."


    "When we are powerful enough, we will attack their main outpost, finalizing our problems." He said before adding. "Of course, it won''t be easy to get to it, considering my weapon will probably scare them off. But if it were that easy, I would have done it long before..."


    The two elders understood Minos'' plan, realizing why he had the confidence to solve something that even they could not solve.


    "I see..."


    "That plan seems dangerous, but with a good margin of success..." Oswald commented as he tried to predict what would happen should his forces use something so powerful.


    ''That would be catastrophic!''


    But then Patience touched on the most worrying point in all of this. "Even if your plan is not impossible, it is still no good. Do you think the Edwardstone family will allow us to destroy one of the strongest organizations in the empire? We only have the approval to fight because the emperor knows we don''t have the strength to annihilate each other!"


    Upon hearing this, Oswald returned to reality, clenching his fists in frustration. "It''s true. Even if everything works out regarding what you have planned, we can''t eradicate them. That would be negative for the empire."


    Gloria and Ruth realized this problem, something the two natives of this state had not considered when they were preparing to follow the plans made by their husband.


    Minos frowned at this since he still did not have enough influence with Harold to do this and be all right. ''That''s right. He''s still much stronger than I am, and I still can''t be influential enough to move him that way...''


    ''I''ll destroy that sect sooner or later, but for now, it''s okay for me to take a step back if it means I''ll be able to get rid of the damned Abe Vogel.''


    "I see your point," Minos said seriously. "We don''t need to destroy them. Instead, we can hurt some of the important pillars of that sect and accept their surrender when they eventually cry out for it."


    "I think the emperor will find that reasonable, no? We will just win the war and return to peace in the empire after a few experts die."


    The two elders improved their expressions upon hearing these sweet words from Minos.


    ...

 Chapter 1370 Fighting Two Wars At The Same Time 1

    "That could be done..." Oswald said, liking Minos'' plan.


    He was pleased that his grandson was interested in taking on this sect, even if the main reason for it had no connection to that.


    At the same time, Minos entering this war against the Saints Killing Sect would be a good thing to prove his strength to the elders of the Gray Clouds Sect.


    After all, Oswald had not yet told most of the relevant people in his organization that Minos would replace him. So, naturally, these people would ask questions, which could easily be solved with demonstrations of power.


    On the other hand, this was a sign that his retirement was not far off, something he was very interested in after so long in the position of sect master.


    As for the risks that Minos could bring to this organization by wanting to use it in the northern region, the sect master was not worried about it. At the end of the day, this threat that the Black Plain faced was still lower than the level of the Gray Clouds Sect.


    A Spiritual Sage was involved in all of this, true. But he was not acting directly against Minos'' forces. Knowing this, Oswald was relaxed about the problem called Abe Vogel.


    Patience sighed as she listened to her husband but understood that this was the best decision. That would not only be favorable for them, but it would also be good for the sect as well since this was a possibility to end the war against the Saints Killing Sect more quickly.


    The difference between having Minos on their side was that this young man could use enemy forces to hurt those same enemies. No one else could do this, which justified the difference a single person could make in a conflict.


    But in addition, as his grandparents, it would be good for them to help him solve his problems when necessary. That way, everyone could gain from this decision. Thus, that woman agreed with Oswald, feeling that it was what was necessary.


    She continued with little Sarah in her arms, seeing the big brown eyes of this little girl that looked like those of her oldest daughter.


    "Food! I want food!" She called out to Patience, feeling hungry but aware that this person would spoil her.


    As Sarah demanded things from her great-grandmother, Minos said to his grandfather. "Good. Then we can move things along, and after I talk to the sect elders, I will go to the battlefield to create my weapon."


    Oswald agreed, preparing to leave with Minos and take him to the high-level elders to make his presentation.


    Gloria, Ruth, and Abby were pleased to see that they had an alternative, not taking the time to relax in that place, following Sarah and Patience.


    ...


    At the same time as Minos was accompanying Oswald, Lance had already received news of his enemy''s arrival at the headquarters of this sect.


    ''What the hell is this bastard doing here? Just when my mercenaries should be arriving in that damned territory, he comes here?'' That blond man thought to himself as he was eating in the dining room of a residence, together with some mid-level Spiritual Saints.


    ''Young master, what shall we do? Minos may be plotting against our interests within the sect." One of those men said this, concerned about the information that had just reached them.


    "It''s true. That fellow cannot be underestimated. He has faced many challenges on his way here, so we have to be careful with him." Another person said, thinking that they should take a few steps back in their plans.


    Another then said. "I believe that the young master should use his influence to pressure the sect to reject Minos Stuart from the possibility of sitting in the sect leader''s chair. Even if the elders don''t choose you immediately, that would already be a great advance for our group."


    After hearing some of the comments, doubts, and questions from his supporters, Lance said. "It''s a shame he came here at this time, but it''s true, he''s dangerous. So let''s use what we have in the sect to stop his action around here."


    "I bet he''s here to get some kind of help from the sect, so maybe this is the best time for us to use our faction''s strength and influence."


    The individuals in that place were satisfied with this since it was very troublesome to keep creating contacts and not be able to use them to solve their problems quickly.


    But in this situation where they were cornered by Minos'' presence, using this could be the answer they needed before Lance was chosen the heir to the sect master''s position!


    Considering that the Terry family had been essential in the war against the Saints Killing Sect, they had a lot of support from the elders to start this attempt!


    ...


    After some time, the most important elders of the Gray Clouds Sect answered Oswald''s call. They went to the place where the most important decisions of this organization were made.


    When they arrived in the large hall where Minos had met them earlier, those old experts looked with interest at this young man, more or less understanding that this call had to do with him.


    One of them saw this and was the first to question it. "Sect Master, what''s going on? Is Minos, by any chance, here to ask for more help?"


    They knew about the situation in the Black Plain Empire. After all, they had allowed three Spiritual Saints to go to that state to help Minos.


    When that man noticed the severe expression on Minos'' face, he immediately thought that things in the Black Plain were terrible, and this young man wanted more help.


    Oswald then answered such a person while others sat on the outskirts. "Not exactly... We are here to communicate about my replacement."


    After those words were said, all the people there narrowed their eyes and frowned, clearly understanding what Oswald wanted to tell them.


    But they remained silent to hear the sect master speak. "I want to appoint Minos as my successor, who should replace me as sect master immediately. I will advise him for three years and then abandon the position I have had up to this point."


    "What?"


    "How can that be?"


    "Why?" Those individuals asked as they rose from their seats, shocked at Oswald''s sudden decision, considering that Minos was still too weak for that position.


    Among those individuals, the most indignant was the patriarch of House Terry. He no longer counted on Minos getting involved in this matter after years of this young man on the Black Plain not coming to bother his family''s intentions.


    So hearing this now, that man could not be at peace. "That''s nonsense, sect master. How can he replace you right away? I would understand if you were appointing him to replace you in the future, but now it is simply too soon!"


    "If that happens, not only will our reputation be tarnished throughout the empire. But, in addition, we will risk being destroyed because of this person''s weakness."


    "He''s not capable of leading us!"


    ...

 Chapter 1371 Fighting Two Wars At The Same Time 2

    When listening to the Terry family patriarch, Minos'' grandfather did not think such a man exaggerated since it was indeed unusual. So he thought about how to respond politely and moderately to this individual''s questions, which should be more or less the same as those of the other people there.


    "I understand your doubts. But Minos is much stronger than we think and will be able to grow up very quickly. At the same time, as I said, I will be advising him for three years. Then, it won''t be as if he will take over all my responsibilities immediately." He seriously said.


    "Minos won''t be the sect master right away?" One of the few women there asked in doubt.


    "He will be, but only with fewer powers. I will gradually pass on my duties to him over these three years." Oswald answered without delay. "First, I will pass smaller responsibilities to him, eventually increasing the complexity of the problems for him to solve."


    "But it will only be three years? That''s too little!" One of the level 77 individuals there said, not liking the idea that the Coleman family patriarch and sect master would leave in such a short time.


    They all knew Oswald''s goal since this man had been talking about leaving for the Divine Continent when he ''retired'' for over a thousand years. So they knew the meaning of his words, which this white-haired and white-bearded man had said moments ago.


    Consequently, they thought they would lose a level 79 expert while being ''left'' under a young man''s responsibility. Such a person was not even 40 years old and was only a Spiritual Emperor!


    That was worrying!


    "Three years is more than enough." Minos said his first words to those people, once again speaking without fear, just treating them like ordinary people, as he did with everyone else.


    In Minos'' opinion, in 3 years, he would be at the peak of the 7th stage, level 69, not far from advancing to the 8th stage. So for him, the challenges of being a sect master would not be so problematic by then, which made him so confident.


    But of course, the people there did not know him as well as he knew himself, which naturally generated the reaction they had after his words.


    "Is three years enough? You can''t even solve your own problems in the northern region. So how will you become a good sect master in that time?" An individual from the Terry family asked.


    Another person, this time from the Moss family, the house of Ivory, questioned Emperor Stuart. "Speaking of which, how do you intend to be in charge of two organizations that are in conflict simultaneously? I mean, your situation on the Black Plain doesn''t look promising, and ours isn''t likely to change much in just three years either."


    Oswald made room for Minos to speak as this young man stepped forward. "I will help this sect deal with the problem with the Saints Killing Sect, and only after that will I solve my problems with Abe Vogel."


    "You''re going to help us?"


    "You''re only going to solve your problems afterward?"


    The people in that place found Minos'' answer strange, as it seemed rather odd.


    ''What kind of leader leaves to solve his state''s problems after helping other organizations? Isn''t it the norm to put one''s own life on track before helping others?'' One of the women there wondered.


    On the other hand, the patriarch Terry was shocked by the response of that young man who thought he could help them. "What are you going to deal with? Are you out of your mind? How can someone at your level change anything on the battlefield? I don''t deny your strength, but you are far from it, Minos."


    Minos shook his shoulders and said. "I have my own methods. As for whether you believe it or not, it won''t matter. I will do what I have to do, and you will eventually see whether or not I can keep my word."


    Jeffrey Terry was a little bothered by the words of that brown-haired young man, but he could not say anything against it. If Minos were to prove himself, he would pay to see it happen!


    On the battlefield, it would be much easier for Lance to deal with the young emperor from the north than through mercenaries attacking the Black Plain.


    With that said, Oswald then asked. "I want you to give that confidence Minos needs for him to start acting as sect master. We will still have plenty of time before he gains crucial responsibility in the sect, so you will have plenty of time to ask any questions."


    "But sect master, I think we should at least put him through the tests for the position of sect master. I think it''s unfair to those who have competed for this to simply be surprised by this decision, which favors someone who has never proven himself to the sect." One of Coleman''s family elders said this. Although he favored the sect master''s decision, he did not want his family to be questioned in the future just because of this.


    But then, an individual from the Terry family said in a provocative tone. "That''s not the most important point. The point here is Minos clearly wants to use us to solve his problems."


    "Tsk!"


    "I don''t know if you guys have forgotten, but I remember perfectly well the day Minos said he wasn''t interested in our organization..." This Terry said, looking at the faces of his colleagues. "I don''t know, but to me, it looks like he only decided on vying for that position now that it''s convenient for him."


    "Are you saying that it wouldn''t have been convenient before? What kind of joke is that?" Minos laughed, feeling that person should be a clown.


    Before, he had only not accepted it because of his pride. But even then, it would be highly convenient for him to gain the position of future sect master.


    Oswald did not let his grandson go any further and talk nonsense, saying the following. "That is not true. Minos had already agreed to become master of the Gray Clouds Sect more than four years ago. It''s just that I kept it a secret to avoid trouble."


    The patriarch of the Terry family frowned even more upon hearing this, feeling how this old fox was playing against them. ''So everything was already prepared for Minos? It seems Lance was right in some of his plans...''


    "In any case, Minos will not be empowered to take our people to the Black Plain until the war against the Saints Killing Sect is over. Then that won''t be a concern. As for the rest of us, he won''t take any tests since he doesn''t have time for that."


    "Sigh..."


    "Give him some breathing room. With this decision, Minos will be fighting two wars simultaneously." He showed those people a good reason why they should not demand that such a young emperor have to go through stupid trials.


    After hearing that, most people there understood that Minos would soon begin to get involved on the battlefield against the Saints Killing Sect. Then, they put aside the idea of taking traditional tests for him.


    There was nothing better than evaluating a warrior in a real war!


    ...

 Chapter 1372 Urgent News

    At Oswald''s words, the people in that hall debated for a few seconds until they agreed to temporarily accept Minos as that man''s successor.


    The sect master had said he would be in charge of everything crucial for the sect in the short term. On the other hand, Minos would prove himself on the battlefield before he got any benefits. So they were willing to accept it since, as much as Oswald gave them this chance, he could appoint his successor without consulting these people.


    In the Gray Clouds Sect, there was a custom for the sect master''s successor to go through a series of tests and be approved by the council of high-level elders. That had been followed faithfully by the leaders of this organization since ancient times, something that had long since become a custom in this place.


    But there was no obligation for the current sect master to do this, and these people knew that Oswald could impose his will if he wanted to.


    That would obviously create problems, but in the short term, nobody could do anything anyway as long as he was around. Because of this, they simply accepted, taking the opportunity to evaluate Minos while Oswald was around, advising him.


    In this way, even the patriarch and elders of House Terry, oblivious to Lance''s plans, accepted Oswald''s request to give Minos a chance.


    When he received the consent of those people, Minos was grateful since he had no reason not to do so. And as such, he left that place satisfied with his progress.


    But it was not long before Minos met with one of the officials of that sect area, and she took him to prepare himself for the traditional ceremony of the passing of command.


    Such an occasion was in the sect rules, which the members of that organization valued too highly to ignore at this time. But this was not complicated since only the organization''s upper echelon had to be present or could attend.


    The rules of this sect said that three-quarters of the organization''s Spiritual Saints or half of the cultivators above level 75 had to be present on such an occasion. Because of this, there was no tremendous need for time for the event to take place!


    ...


    Only 8 hours after Minos'' arrival in the Gray Clouds Sect, the individuals working to put Lance''s plans into practice were taken by surprise by an unexpected announcement.


    In the late afternoon in this area of Clouds City, several information points from the headquarters of the leading organization in this area began to spread the news to their most influential members.


    "Urgent news!"


    "The high-level elders of the sect have just approved the ascension of a new sect master!"


    "According to the general command of the sect, Minos Stuart has been appointed by the sect master and approved by the group of strongest elders in our organization." A female voice read the news in sound arrays scattered throughout the areas to which only high-ranking members of this organization had access. "Right now, he is undergoing the Spiritual Baptism of the Ancestors at the Stone Under the Ancient Pond, about to be made official the new sect master!"


    When one of Lance''s men heard this, he nearly choked dry, unable to believe that Minos had accomplished such a thing so easily.


    Meanwhile, their group had worked so hard for years to achieve nothing...


    It was really frustrating!


    ''How can this be? How could the high-level elders accept such nonsense?'' One of the several Spiritual Saints in Lance''s group wondered, not being able to believe it.


    ''He just arrived in our sect today, and the elders already accept him? Without him even having done anything? There must be some mistake!'' Such a person felt indignant, feeling that it was even more imperative that he and his group move to prevent the rise of Minos Stuart.


    Thus, he moved from that area to continue with his goals, doing the same as several of the individuals in Lance''s faction when they found out about such a thing.


    On the other hand, several members of this blond guy''s faction did not find out about it right away because they were busy with other things. So they just went ahead with their previous plans without making any changes necessary to reach Minos.


    ...


    "... The sect master has just abdicated his position on behalf of Minos Stuart..." Maisie, who was not yet aware of her son''s arrival in this sect, heard this information as she left her training area in the core of this sect''s headquarters.


    After she heard such a thing, Maisie stopped walking and stood motionless for a few seconds, with her mouth and eyes wide open.


    ''What? How could this be? Why would something like this happen so suddenly?'' She wondered, not understanding why Minos and Oswald''s plan would be advanced so significantly.


    With that in mind, she quickly started running towards where Minos was supposed to be baptized as this sect''s leader, the Stone Under the Ancient Pond.


    ...


    On the other hand, even people ignorant of what was happening in the sect''s core had noticed that something strange was unfolding.


    Kara Carline, currently at level 62, was at her mistress'' house. She felt strange after her mistress rushed from this place after receiving an urgent message.


    As she thought about what might be going on, this young native of the Kingdom of the End remembered Minos, whom she had heard was visiting the sect once again.


    ''Confusions always remind me of Minos...'' She laughed, imagining that face she had seen not long ago as she had visited the northern region and her family after Sarah''s birth.


    She had solved her longing for her old friend on that occasion, so despite the urge in her body, she would not seek him out now due to his current circumstances.


    "Sigh..."


    ''He must be full of trouble. Then I''ll leave him alone for the time being.'' She thought before she went back to considering what she was learning in this place.


    ...


    As Kara returned to her studies, the situation was tense at the Terry family headquarters.


    Not only had Lance''s men found out about the problem that had suddenly arisen, but he was also listening to that urgent information at this very instant.


    "... Minos Stuart will be from today..."


    While hearing such a thing alongside his subordinates, Lance shook with anger and turned red as a tomato before destroying the array propagating such news to him in his office.


    "How can this be? Why would the elders accept such nonsense?" He shouted angrily, not understanding how Minos could have been unanimously approved by the high-level elders, as the urgent announcement had said.


    He could not believe that his family members would stab him in the back like that!


    So how could he believe it?


    "Young master, what are you going to do?" One of the individuals there asked, while his expression was dark as night.


    "Tsk!" But Lance said nothing. He just ran from that place in a hurry, heading towards the site of Minos'' baptism.


    ''Wretch! I won''t let that happen!''


    ...

 Chapter 1373 Rebels?

    After a few moments of running, Lance finally arrived at the place where the ascension ceremony of the new sect master was ending.


    At that place, where a lake was located inside the great headquarters of the Gray Clouds Sect, several elders were standing around the underground area that existed there.


    The surroundings looked like the interior of a large hollow sphere, with a good portion of its ''ceiling'' covered by a type of glass that gave a view into the lake above this area. In the center of this spherical area was a black stone the size of a carriage.


    Around this stone was a small artificial pond, where some small fish, different from the large ones in the lake, could be observed by the people in the surrounding area.


    The sect master and the three strongest elders were floating on the sides of this small pond while Minos was standing above the stone.


    He was wearing a golden cloak, similar to the one Oswald was wearing the first time Minos saw him in the northern region when he and Ruth passed through the Peak of the Mist.


    At the same time, a large ring with the symbol of the Gray Clouds Sect was on one of the fingers of Minos'' dominant hand. That indicates that he had already been given this organization''s leadership position!


    Lance saw this and felt a blank in his mind as he stood with the rest of the organization''s elders, watching the ceremony coming to an end from the sides of that place.


    When he noticed that the critical part of the ceremony was already over, he felt terrible. However, after a minute of standing still, feeling irritated, he shouted.


    "I don''t accept that!" He stepped forward, leaving the side area of that place, floating closer to where the strongest individuals from the Moss, Terry, and Coleman families were standing next to Oswald.


    "Minos can''t win that position! He is simply not worthy!" He shouted, giving no chance for others to interrupt him while all the people witnessing this event were watching him.


    Among them was Maisie, who had already arrived at this place to see if her ears had not deceived her earlier.


    "What can he do for the sect? He is incapable of solving the problems caused by a small fry from Vogel, but to think he is worthy of becoming the leader of our sect?"


    "No way!" That blond young man exclaimed. "Not to mention that he doesn''t even have the support of the elders! Who here supports this Spiritual Emperor?" Lance looked at the surroundings and questioned the 40 or 50 people there.


    Upon hearing this, the many people there felt uncertain, some agreeing that Minos taking over this organization was a significant overreaction. But, in contrast, others did not understand what it was all about.


    But Minos did not give time for anyone there to speak up for him and take action against this annoying blond fellow. "Lance, are you by any chance rebelling against the new sect master?"


    When those words came out of Minos'' mouth, every person there took their attention away from Lance to look at him since he was already acting like he was the master of this sect for a long time.


    Even the patriarch Terry who was about to stop Lance, intending to talk to this young man later, looked at Minos in surprise.


    But Lance then said. "Tsk! You are not the sect master! You are not worthy! The elders will never agree to that!"


    "Oh?" Minos looked around at those individuals who had accepted his ascension as leader of this organization and smiled. "It seems that to Lance, you people don''t exist. He pretends that only those who agree with him are worthy of having an opinion."


    "That''s not what I meant!" Lance said nervously, looking at his surroundings. "I just said that most sect elders will not accept you. Most agree with me and will soon notify the sect management about it!"


    Minos then said. "Then they will all be treated as rebels. Just like you..." As he said this, Minos released his Dark Sea, making everyone there feel how abhorrent this soul ability of Emperor Stuart was.


    Only Spiritual Saints from level 74 and above could see the surroundings and resist Minos'' action when that place went dark. The rest, all of them, fell under the effects of this soul ability. At the same time, Emperor Stuart manipulated them at his own will with the aid of the Infinite Dream.


    "Arrest the enemy!" Minos ordered, forcing the low-level Spiritual Saints in the surrounding area to obey his orders.


    With those words from this brown-haired individual, all the high-level Spiritual Saints in that spherical area looked at the situation with strangeness. They then noticed many individuals who were favorable to Lance going up to him with clear fighting intent.


    Minos did not know who was who in this place. But he had ordered those with the most respect for Lance to do what he told them to do. So Lance''s supporters were those most susceptible and the first to be willing to carry out the orders of the new sect master.


    Then a group of three people as strong as Lance began beating him to break his resistance.


    Minos had left that individual conscious for him to suffer at the hands of his own supporters but also to feel the difference between them.


    This emperor did not want to appear unnecessarily arrogant, but a leader had to establish their dominance!


    Why did experts of only one level difference respect certain individuals so much, as in the example of the level 78 elders and Oswald? It was because, on certain occasions over time, this old master of the Gray Clouds Sect had shown that he was not to be messed with!


    He was much stronger than his peers of similar levels, so these people had to walk silently in his presence and not cross his limits.


    Obviously, there was no super-special treatment expected from them. Still, both parties knew that a certain level of respect and fear was necessary.


    Minos wanted to impose this on his subordinates, so he had to expose some of his capabilities so that these people would not raise hopes of equality in their relations with him.


    Problem cases like Lance''s were great for establishing dominance, so Minos was taking advantage of the opportunity!


    With that, in the blink of an eye, the three individuals beat Lance for a few moments, making that young man suffer from the attacks that hurt a lot and the fear generated by Minos'' ability.


    The patriarch Terry watched this for a few seconds, shocked by Minos'' ability, until he realized that the one being beaten was Lance, his descendant.


    He then used his skills to rescue the young blond, but without dispelling Minos'' soul ability, since he had already recognized this young man as his leader. Thus, he would not be the one to dare disrespect the sect master in front of so many elders.


    "Sect master, be merciful to Lance. He is emotional, given all that has happened between you two and his efforts to lead the sect..." This patriarch said as Minos himself deactivated his ability to the relief of all the low-level Spiritual Saints there.


    ...

 Chapter 1374 The Dominant Minos

    When Minos'' soul ability was deactivated, all the dark fog that had appeared a few moments ago disappeared from the area as the affected people returned to their senses.


    Those who had only suffered from fear of Minos were looking at Emperor Stuart, terrified by this young man''s insane ability. As for those who had actually acted against Lance or even felt the urge to act, they were shocked to discover that even at their levels, they were still susceptible.


    In just a matter of seconds, they had felt as if Minos was their supreme leader and it was their duty to carry them out. But, at the same time, they had forgotten that they were actually Lance''s supporters and felt the urge to act against this young man.


    Since everyone there was a Spiritual Saint, these people could not help but be frightened at being manipulated so easily while they were experts.


    They had suffered a lot to reach their respective cultivation levels. They thought that past level 70, they would not be so susceptible. But they were sorely mistaken!


    Minos had not only controlled them but also shown them that if he wanted, he could make them kill each other without even leaving his place!


    And with that, everyone in this situation was too scared to pay attention to anything other than the situation itself.


    However, those unaffected by Minos'' technique, the mid-level and high-level elders there, as well as Maisie, had only felt the effects of Emperor Stuart''s abilities on those other people.


    But even without feeling the fear that those weaker colleagues felt, those people were quite in awe of how far Minos had already come.


    That was particularly true for Maisie, who knew that she might have been affected in the same way as those people, but that did not happen because of Minos'' own decision.


    ''He''s already stronger than me...'' She sighed as she realized this in her own skin, feeling a mixture of pride and discontent.


    Maisie would instead continue to be stronger than Minos for a while longer than have him overcome her so quickly!


    But as a mother, she could not help but feel relieved that he could already be considered an expert.


    As for Oswald, he was smiling in satisfaction, feeling that Minos was even better than he expected. ''This boy is really very good.'' He closed his eyes and nodded his head as if approvingly


    Emperor Stuart.


    Anyway, Minos heard the patriarch Terry''s question and looked at the unconscious Lance, who had not endured a few seconds of ''friendly'' beatings. He said. "Since he has broken the sect''s rules, he shall pay for it with three days in jail."


    "That is as benevolent as I can be."


    Patriarch Terry did not think this was extreme and said nothing to refute Minos. But, opposite that, he called one of the guards nearby and ordered such a person to put Lance in prison for the time ordered by the new sect master.


    "You heard the sect master. Lock Lance up in a cell for the next three days."


    "Yes, patriarch." That individual, who not coincidentally was from the Terry family, obeyed that person''s order, even though he found it all very strange.


    But since three days was not much for any of them, he did not bother about it and just did what he was supposed to do.


    Meanwhile, Minos observed the people in the surrounding area and smiled. "Does anyone else think that I can''t be the sect master? Are there any others intent on rebelling?"


    But after what had just happened, none of these people would ask questions of the sort, even if they did not like Minos.


    Minos was the kind of leader who had no mercy, punished people for setting examples and did not like to be tested. These people did not need much to understand this, and so they just shook their heads negatively.


    With this, it did not take long before the people there began to greet him, showing their respect for the new sect master.


    Maisie did not miss the opportunity and hugged her son in congratulations, pleased that he had finally become sect master.


    Minos accepted Maisie''s affection, as she occasionally helped him and his family take care of Sarah, something that had greatly lessened the distance between them.


    "Congratulations on becoming the sect master, Minos." Maisie said in one of his ears.


    "Hmm, thank you."


    But he did not stay by his mother''s side for long either, having talked to each of the elders who had attended this occasion.


    Among those people, he also saw Ivy over there, who quickly arranged with him for them to have dinner any of these days.


    ...


    After a few hours, Minos had assumed the position of sect master and gone to rest beside his wives.


    This emperor told them everything that had happened regarding his rapid rise to power in this sect before he had some time to be with his daughter.


    But Minos and his family would not rest for long. With the situation on the Black Plain and the possibility of them using this sect against Abe, Emperor Stuart wanted to get to the battlefield as soon as possible.


    At dawn, he already intended to leave for that area!


    So there was not much fun among the adults of the Stuart family that night, with them just having slept in for the next day.


    ...


    While Minos and his family slept, Lance''s men found out about their leader''s imprisonment.


    Such a thing was unexpected, even more so considering that the patriarch Terry himself had confirmed Minos'' order and sent Lance to spend three days alone.


    With this, the many supporters of the young master of the Terry family put their plans on hold. They went looking for the patriarch to understand what was happening.


    An enemy acting against them was something that everyone expected to happen, always. But one of their greatest allies suddenly acting against their plans was a severe communication problem that would need to be solved before anything else happened.


    With that, soon, one of the individuals under Lance''s command was already having spiritual tea with the patriarch Terry.


    "Patriarch, what''s going on?" Such a person asked while having a worried look on his face. "We were about to finish young Lance''s plans to prevent the rise of Minos, but then we heard of your action..."


    Hearing this, Jeffrey Terry sighed and said. "There was nothing I could do. The sect master had an agreement with Minos for him to become the successor to the position of the sect leader. And that young man from the northern region made promises he won''t be able to keep."


    "So I had to take a few steps back so that he would harm himself and reheat the dispute for the position of sect master."


    "In any case, I couldn''t prevent what happened today, so I tried to lessen the trouble for Lance and our family by acting that way."


    Hearing all this, that man pondered the matter, understanding this person''s motivations.


    ''That makes sense... But still, I feel awkward about that decision. I would rather act!'' That individual thought to himself before discussing the matter in detail with the patriarch.

 Chapter 1375 Departure To The Battlefield

    The next day, Lance woke up in a solitary confinement cell in the Grey Clouds Sect''s headquarters prison.


    Awakening from his previous state, this fellow woke up totally sweaty, feeling afraid, as if someone was watching him. At the same time, he felt disoriented from waking up in a different place than he had passed out.


    ''Where am I? What happened?'' He wondered in concern, remembering the terrifying feeling he had felt at the place of Minos'' baptism when darkness had surrounded him.


    "Where is Minos? That bastard!" He muttered as he rose from the bed he was lying on, remembering his earlier purpose.


    But just when Peter reacted in such a way, the guard who brought him to this place realized his young master''s current situation and explained. "Young master, calm down. We are in the central prison of the sect."


    "Central prison?" That blond young man turned toward the door of his solitary confinement, where the guard in question was positioned.


    "Yes, the new sect master, Minos Stuart, punished you with three days of detention after the previous situation." That man explained.


    Upon hearing that, Lance made an ugly expression, hearing Minos'' title and yet that such a person had punished him. That is, not only had he failed to hinder Emperor Stuart from ascending within this sect. The elders had sided with such a person after the previous situation, giving legitimacy to the punishment in question.


    As such, the young master of the Terry family could not help but become extremely pessimistic as his hatred for Minos grew by a few more folds.


    ''Bastard!''


    ''He really did it!'' Lance closed his fists, not knowing what to do in that situation.


    But then he asked that guard, who was a member of his family. "What about my supporters? What are they doing?"


    "Young master, for the moment, the family and our allies are standing by to see what will happen next. According to what has been passed on to me, the sect master Minos Stuart is planning to go to the battlefield against the Saints Killing Sect."


    "So..." He paused, hinting that things might happen and maybe they would not have to worry about Minos.


    p1ease visi(t) n0ve1b(in).ne)t


    On some occasions, fate itself took care of problems like Minos. So waiting and not doing too much might be the best thing for them now.


    Lance understood, but he also found it strange that Minos was putting himself in this precarious position. After all, who would risk going into a high-level battlefield right after securing their own position?


    Hell, Minos would have Oswald''s support for another three years. Thus, if he simply stayed within this headquarters, his chances of growing without any dangers were immense!


    Considering this, Lance could not quite understand his opponent''s goal.


    ''There''s something wrong with all this.'' His eyes sharpened. ''I can feel it. He''ll try to fuck me the same way he did before!''


    ...


    While Lance worried about his faction''s position and what might happen to Minos, Emperor Edwardstone was already aware of the power exchange in the Gray Clouds Sect.


    Minos'' grandfather''s sect was affiliated with the Flaming Empire, so naturally, it had some duties connected to the imperial family. Because of this, the information reached the imperial palace as soon as the power exchange occurred in that organization.


    Even before the vast majority of the members of the Grey Clouds Sect itself found out about the power exchange in their own organization, the emperor had heard such information.


    "Minos has taken command of the Gray Clouds Sect?" This man questioned, not understanding what Minos was doing.


    Such a move would complicate everything in his relationship with Minos, the Flaming Empire''s relationship with the Black Plain Empire, and the situation of this state''s four enemy allies. So, upon hearing from one of his men that Oswald had abdicated his position in favor of Emperor Stuart, Harold was somewhat concerned.


    On the other hand, Isabella, who was there talking to him about the previous matter once again, was surprised to find that Minos was not taking it lightly to solve the Abe problem.


    "It looks like he will use all his possibilities to stop Abe Vogel..." She commented in a low voice, drawing her father''s attention.


    Harold ignored the response of the man who confirmed that there was no error in the previous information and asked his daughter. "What are you talking about?"


    Isabella then said. "I believe Minos is only doing this to deal with Abe. Otherwise, he probably wouldn''t go for the responsibilities and problems related to this sect."


    "Abe''s terrorist group has been harming the development of the Black Plain, so Minos is more than ever willing to go further to finalize his problems..." She said in a suggestive tone. "This is a good time to do him a favor."


    "Favor?" Harold muttered, understanding perfectly well what his dear daughter was talking about. ''This again? She''s pushing this idea about me intercepting the Spiritual Sage of the enemy group...''


    ''But Minos really is overstepping his bounds to find ways to resolve this matter.'' He could not help but agree with his daughter, feeling that this was an excellent time to get advantages.


    Minos would undeniably pay for getting involved with the Gray Clouds Sect sooner or later, as there were many complications related to this move of his. So this was a sign of how annoyed Emperor Stuart was, indicating a good time to win important favors from the Black Plain.


    Harold then fell into a silent state, pondering the possibilities and possible consequences of each of his actions.


    On the other hand, Isabella was pleased with how things were developing for her, as everything seemed to be converging in her favor.


    ''How nice that Minos has taken over the Grey Clouds Sect...'' She smiled. ''Now our connection will be better than just temporary secret allies. That will make it easier for my father to accept our future together.''


    ...


    "Cough! Cough!" Minos coughed a few times as he felt a strange sensation as if someone was plotting against him.


    "Minos, are you okay?" Oswald asked as he flew ahead of his grandson, escorting this young man to the battlefield of his sect and the Saints Killing Sect.


    "Hmm, I just felt something going into my throat. But it''s okay..." Minos said as he followed Oswald and another Spiritual Saint from the Gray Clouds Sect, who would accompany him later.


    His wives were not there with him since what he wanted to do was dangerous, and they would not be needed as much. So, Gloria, Abby, and Ruth were with Sarah in Clouds City under Patience''s gaze.


    Minos then continued. "Anyway, let''s get on with it. I only want to stay for two days in this place before I return to Dry City."


    "Two days?" The other Spiritual Saint asked. "Will that be enough?"


    "If you keep an eye on where I hide my weapon, I will resolve this situation gradually over a few weeks. But I can''t do anything about it, or I''d be risking my territory."


    "Hmm." Oswald saw no problem with that. "That way works too."


    ...

 Chapter 1376 Planning Before The Battle

    After some time, Minos, his grandfather, and the Spiritual Saint from earlier arrived in the vicinity of the battlefield between the Grey Clouds Sect and the Saints Killing Sect.


    Upon arriving in this border area of the Flaming Empire and the Evergreen Empire, Minos soon noticed many craters around the area and places of burnt wood, where only ash remained in the surroundings. At the same time, one could see small circular areas with completely white, unmarked tents every few tens of kilometers.


    Some of these posts were from the Saints Killing Sect, but others were from the enemies, who used this strategy to prevent long-range attacks from their opponents.


    Above a particular cultivation level, cultivators could have dangerous abilities that could be used close to the limit. That could be a risk if the cultivator had an affinity for long-range attacks.


    Since some attacks could be so fast and so catastrophic that the side that strikes first would win, it was crucial in a war to camouflage oneself as best as possible!


    For this, using generic camps, with white tents, no symbols or flags, and neutral uniforms, such as one could see on the people in those places, was the best!


    There were even ways to distinguish allies and enemies in situations similar to this. But that would require the person to be pretty close to the location in question, which prevented the problem of a long-range attack that was totally unexpected.


    Someone entering the limited area to identify a friend or enemy would necessarily alert the other party. That means the group in a given camp could somehow protect itself from lone wolf attacks.


    This battlefield was that way, and Minos soon heard his grandfather''s explanation. "To identify our posts, you need to pay attention to the..."


    Oswald talked to Minos for some time until they stopped flying when they were almost on top of one of their sect''s outposts.


    When they reached that point, the old sect master said to Minos. "That is the point where we will separate."


    "Uh? Aren''t you going to move on?" Minos asked in doubt, not understanding why this man had to go another way at the moment.


    Oswald then said. "The sect masters of these two organizations..." He realized his mistake and rephrased it. "The enemy sect master and I cannot face each other unless we have different reasons than just beating each other."


    That was a requirement of the emperor to lessen the chances of his state losing one or two level 79 cultivators. So, to confront each other, Oswald and Mortimer Burgess would have to be ''forced'' to act. As in the example of their headquarters being attacked, or a member of their force being in danger, etc.


    Otherwise, with no extra motivation, one was forbidden to act, at the risk that they would be penalized with lightning punishments if they broke such rules.


    Since Oswald did not want to come even close to breaking his agreement with the emperor, he did not want to spend too much time on the battlefield without having good enough motivation at the moment.


    p1ease visi(t) n0ve1b(in).ne)t


    That old man with white hair and a beard said. "Then I can''t stay in that place for long and will have to return to the sect headquarters."


    "I see..." Minos nodded, feeling he had nothing more to talk to his grandfather.


    Oswald nodded his head to Minos and smiled just before giving some advice to the level 75 Spiritual Saint who was there to accompany Emperor Stuart on his journey.


    After exchanging words for almost a minute, that Spiritual Saint accepted the mission Oswald had given him. He then accompanied Minos to that sect outpost just after they said goodbye to such an old man.


    Upon landing at that temporary camp, Minos and his ''traveling companion'' were stopped by sect members but soon got permission to use the infrastructure there.


    The level 75 individual then asked his new leader. "Sect master, what shall we do?"


    Minos looked at this man from the Coleman family, someone who should be there to serve as a bodyguard or ''travel guide,'' and said. "I have my plans, but I need help from some of the members of this place. Thus, let''s call all of them so I can explain what we will do."


    "All of them?" That man frowned his eyebrows. "All right." But as a loyal member of the Coleman family, he would not disobey Oswald''s descendant, even more so considering that Minos really was the new sect master.


    Emperor Stuart might not really have all the powers his position should give him. But he had enough to order minor things, like what he was doing.


    In this way, Minos had no trouble at all, and soon the leaders of that camp were in a tent where this fellow was waiting for them.


    There, more than 30 leaders looked at Minos and identified him, but without understanding what his visit meant.


    However, as someone so famous, a prodigy, nobody there would disrespect him or try to challenge him.


    Hell, this was a battlefield, so everyone there had what it took to at least not rush in and make a fool of themselves!


    Then after most of them arrived to speak with him, they sat down and were silent, waiting to find out what the situation was that had taken them away from their responsibilities.


    The level 75 Spiritual Saint then said. "The new sect master, Minos Stuart, has some words for you!"


    Upon hearing this, some people stood up in surprise, while others expressed concern or strangeness on their faces.


    "What?"


    "New sect master?"


    "It can''t be... The sect master..."


    Gulp!


    While some thought Oswald had died, Minos stood up and began to speak. "The old man passed on his function to me, but he is not dead yet... Anyway, I am here as I want this battalion to help me on the battlefield."


    The voices of doubt in the surroundings diminished as those people once again focused on Minos.


    "I intend to leave for the conflict area in the vicinity of this outpost. I want your group to assist me in directing the enemies toward something I will soon show you."


    "This will help us fight more easily on the battlefield and eliminate enemy forces... Maybe our group will even have the opportunity to return home sooner if we do our task well." He explained, trying to encourage these people to do their best later.


    Many were in this place for their responsibilities, not because they loved the sect so much that they wanted to risk their lives for it.


    They even loved some people who were in the sect and depended on it. But this did not bring a sense of urgency to everyone to the same extent, resulting in not every soldier giving their best on the battlefield.


    Since many of them wanted to return to the sect headquarters and enjoy their spoils of war, hearing those sweet words from Minos was very pleasant.


    It would not make them crazy to kill themselves for a greater purpose. Still, it was enough for them to focus on Minos'' plan and help him more positively than they would have if he had not encouraged them.


    ...

 Chapter 1377 Emperor Stuarts Start On The New Battlefield

    After talking with the leaders of that outpost for a few minutes, Minos explained what he would need the men of that place to do.


    That camp had about a thousand cultivators; over 100 of them were injured, and 200 were fighting on the battlefield.


    Considering this, Minos had 700 people at his disposal, 600 if he considered that 100 would have to stay to care for the wounded and individuals returning from the battlefield.


    Thus, Minos wanted to use about 600 individuals from this place to push the enemies to meet their end with the black hole.


    Since the people in that group of camp leaders had already heard some of the stories and legends regarding Emperor Stuart, they did not doubt if his proposal was possible.


    To them, since Minos had been introduced as the sect master by a level 75 Spiritual Saint, he was their leader, and they would not refuse to carry out his orders. But because of this young man''s background, these people did not even doubt Emperor Stuart''s plan.


    With this, Minos could present his plans to the soldiers at that outpost in a short time and then wait for the preparations to be made before leaving for his opponents.


    The level 75 Spiritual Saint accompanying him saw that everyone was rushing to follow the orders of the new sect master and asked. "Sect Master, won''t it be dangerous to go to the battlefield that now? Knowing the area and the opponents might be the best thing to do now."


    "Attacks are too risky."


    Minos understood the good intention of that fellow and said. "Unfortunately, I don''t have much time for that, and what I will use against the opponents can only be opposed with a higher cultivation level."


    "Although that is not easy to overcome..."


    Minos was confident in facing the enemy, whoever they were, or whatever level they were. At best, his black hole would work and become stronger. At worst, he would have to escape to the Spatial Kingdom.


    In this situation where he had to race against time, Minos could not weaken in the face of his disadvantages!


    Would it be better for him to have information about his enemies? Sure, he could easily form more suitable strategies to eliminate each opponent.


    But this was a work of ants, grain by grain, building something that could one day make a difference.


    However, Minos did not want to wait for that future since his state was already suffering at the hands of Abe at present.


    That man understood only half of what Emperor Stuart''s plans were. Since he had never seen Minos in action, this person did not know how far the legend went and where the real man behind this figure began.


    With the skepticism of someone who was a millennial, he would not believe at first the plans of someone like Minos, much less doubt the rumors entirely. ''Can he do all this?'' He wondered, no longer questioning the sect master.


    "Sect master, we are ready." One of the camp''s leaders said this while troops were already in formation to fly from there.


    "Perfect." Minos prepared for battle by quickly wearing his full body armor and holding his medium-level grade-3 sword, which could double his attacks.


    So he flew to the front of his battalion, following alongside only a few of the leaders of that group, who were showing him the way.


    ...


    After a few minutes of flying, Minos arrived near where the battles were most intense on this battlefield.


    In this area, between the territories of the Gray Clouds Sect and the Saints Killing Sect, but also bordering the Evergreen Empire, all places could have conflicts at any time. But there was a hot area where there were clashes, deaths, in short, a lot of disasters at any time of the day.


    The area where the previous camp was located was one of the quieter ones, while the one where Minos had just arrived was a hot spot as burning as hell.


    There, flames, ashes, smoke, the smell of blood, cries of pain, sounds of battle, and stifling heat were all part of the normal for this area. That was a horrible place, where to enter safely, one would have to already attack one of the two sides. Otherwise, such a person would probably not stay untouched for five seconds and would run a serious risk of ending up dead just by entering there.


    Minos listened to the recommendation of his fellow attack group members, who were also already preparing to enter the area to attack.


    He circled the techniques needed for the fusion that formed the black hole while differentiating the enemies from the allies in that chaotic place.


    As he and his men made their entrance into this heated conflict, both sides of the conflict noticed this large group getting ready to start fighting.


    "Shit!"


    "The damn Gray Clouds Sect intends to attack us with everything today!"


    "Call for more reinforcements!"


    The Saints Killing Sect side identified the attack in question as an intensification of enemy attacks, which needed to be countered at least to the same extent.


    Meanwhile, the people fighting in that area who were members of Minos'' family sect were strange about the situation.


    "Why is this large group joining us? Did anyone here ask for reinforcements?"


    "Even if someone had asked, why would so many come?" Another person shouted while launching long-range techniques against distant enemies.


    But some people in the area knew Minos beyond the stories circulating about him in the sect and empire.


    "Isn''t that Minos? What''s he doing around here?" Minos'' aunt asked as she supported the area''s warriors who were suffering the most.


    Unlike Maisie, this woman did not have an ability as insane as Oswald''s. But she was still a capable warrior who was already at level 70.


    However, before any more questions were asked on both sides of the battlefield, everyone within two kilometers of Minos felt a strange sensation as they looked at him.


    At that instant, when he and his group entered the hellish battlefield of that area, Minos'' black hole was formed from the fusion of the Devouring Art and Chaotic Gravity.


    That was not a particularly powerful black hole, being able to devour only Spiritual Emperors at level 65 or weaker without difficulty. But because of this, Minos could produce it and keep it around, manipulating it for the best possible result.


    Many 7th-stage fighters were battling in this war between sects. So Minos was not just there to defeat Spiritual Saints, the leaders of the groups in that area. He was there to collect all the lives and cultivations of the enemies!


    With that in mind, he began the side-by-side attack with his men, flying quickly against the position where the weaker enemies were.


    Meanwhile, his men tried to keep him away from troublesome enemies at this early moment when the black hole would need to grow fat.


    In this way, bodies soon began to disappear from the area, with almost everyone there being shocked to see the fantastic effects of Minos'' fusion of techniques for the first time.


    ''I think Gavin will be happy to find out that I initiated his revenge...'' Emperor Stuart thought of that Spiritual Saint who was in Dry City right now.


    ''I will speak with him in the next few days.''


    ...

 Chapter 1378 First Extermination As A Sect Master 1

    While Minos worried about remembering to talk about this current situation with Gavin when he returned to Dry City, he continued moving around the battlefield.


    He was using his movement technique to evade enemy attacks that came at him after his men in the surrounding area stopped most of them. But not only was he protecting himself with this action, but he was also going for the lives of his weaker enemies there.


    The medium and high-level Spiritual Emperors in the surrounding area were fighting at great intensity against their respective enemies. But when they saw Minos entering the battlefield with that scary thing, both sides stepped up the pace of things, fearful for different reasons.


    One side simply wanted to get rid of the enemies holding them there, to get away from Minos as quickly as possible. But the other wanted the opposite, to hold these people as long as possible for Emperor Stuart to take their lives.


    Both sides had already seen the fate of the first individuals swallowed by Minos'' fusion of techniques and were fully aware of what this young man wanted on the battlefield.


    "Quickly! Run away while you still can! The damned enemy is here to kill us all!"


    "Damned Minos!"


    "Bastards!"


    "How can they send such a monster against us?" The side that Minos was beginning to oppress began to react with screams of all sorts, simultaneously battling and exchanging blows.


    Every blow in that area could make mountains like the Peak of the Mist tremble. With so many Spiritual Emperors and even several Spiritual Saints fighting in the area, such a place looked like a hell.


    Land tremors were spreading to various points there. Portions of the ground were detaching from the soil, floating in the air, while jets of magma were coming out of the ground. At the same time, smoke already covered the skies, producing a shadow zone that made everything that much more terrible.


    But Minos'' black hole and the Dark Sea he had already activated were also present, terrorizing and taking lives as if they were nothing.


    Minos swirled the black hole around the battlefield, cleaning the surroundings without even leaving behind any bloodstains or corpses.


    He was, of course, only doing this to the enemies of the Grey Clouds Sect while helping his black hole grow in size and power.


    Seeing all this, Angelica was impressed with Minos'' capabilities, feeling for the first time that her nephew could truly surpass Oswald in the future.


    She knew that Minos was an impressive warrior on the battlefield. But seeing and hearing were entirely different things!


    After seeing her nephew brutalizing the opponents in that area, causing the black hole to devour dozens of Spiritual Emperors, she could only appreciate the situation alongside her companions.


    She was a level 70 cultivator. But her job there was to help 7th-stage warriors. However, with Minos'' actions, no one else from that cultivation range on the enemy side seemed interested in staying there for long. Consequently, gaps appeared for this woman''s sect men to take down even more opponents.


    "Incredible..." She muttered, drawing the attention of the level 75 elder accompanying Minos.


    ''Really.'' He looked at the battlefield, which had gone from an initial equilibrium to an almost one-sided massacre.


    The warriors of the Gray Clouds Sect were killing with greater ease than moments ago. But, at the same time, Minos was using his weapon up his sleeve to devour increasingly stronger enemies.


    In this instant, he was already ending the lives of the peak Spiritual Emperors, beginning to endanger the Spiritual Saints in that area.


    "Fall back! I said Fall back!"


    "The reinforcements won''t arrive in time! Run! Run!" The enemy Spiritual Saints tried to flee amidst the desperate Spiritual Emperors in the area.


    But the men Minos had brought from the previous camp were finally putting their strategy into action right now.


    Until now, they had been protecting Minos while this fellow prepared his black hole to threaten the Spiritual Saints in the area. But now that such a region of space had reached what was necessary to do so, most of them got rid of their position and began to deal with the enemies trying to flee.


    Since they were more rested and had the situation in their favor, these people could stop the escapes in the area. So they formed a defensive belt that put the enemies between them and the black hole.


    "Scoundrels!"


    "How dare you? You think you can kill all of us and be all right? We''ve already called for reinforcements to come to this place!"


    "Get out of our way!"


    Some of the more desperate ones used their weak logic to try to get approval from these people so that they would leave the area.


    Unfortunately for them, the oppressor side would never listen to the oppressed. As such, without delay, the more than 600 individuals of the Gray Clouds Sect in the area began to push enemies against the black hole.


    Minos also started doing that after his weapon up his sleeve reached the level where it would already be tricky for him to control that thing. Then he began using his techniques to pressure Spiritual Saints, fighting in that area to fatten the black hole.


    Spatial Sword!


    He activated his oldest attack technique, and the space in the surroundings of a few hundred meters from his position froze, with many enemies running out of things to do.


    With this move, not only he but his allies attacked in the direction of these people, ''pushing'' them towards the end, the event horizon of that region of space.


    Swooish!


    Duplicate blades departed from Minos'' sword, flying toward the enemies as he danced with that weapon.


    "Son of a..." One of those individuals targeted by Minos suffered from this young man''s blow, being thrown against that region devoid of light.


    When this level 72 Spiritual Saint felt part of his body enter the event horizon, his entire being became distorted, and a split second before his consciousness disappeared.


    His body turned into a bundle of subatomic dust and spiritual energy, which soon condensed into the singularity of that thing. That was the complete disappearance of this being from the universe!


    More and more enemies were suffering similar fates. And when 20 minutes had passed since Minos arrived, enemy reinforcements approached the area.


    But to their misfortune, the last survivor, level 74, had just been devoured by that terrible thing when they got there.


    Minos and his companions saw the end of this opponent and the arrival of more enemies, this time in more or less similar numbers to their own.


    However, none of Minos'' team feared the opponents. All of them, instead, began to hope that these enemies would attack them.


    Only then could they continue to help Minos produce that weapon!


    "What the fuck is going on here?" One of the enemy leaders wondered in awe, seeing the strange situation of this part of the battlefield and that black hole, which had a terrifying energy inside.


    To the misfortune of some of them, they were within Minos'' 7th technique range.


    Chaotic Gravity: Attraction!


    ...

 Chapter 1379 First Extermination As A Sect Master 2

    When Minos activated his 7th technique, indicating with one of his hands in the direction of a group of over 30 Spiritual Emperors in his range, they immediately started flying toward him.


    At that instant, those people felt as if they had lost control of their flying ability and began to speed toward the fingers of one of Minos'' hands.


    "Hey! Hey! Why are you people attacking the enemy?" One of the more foolish of the opposing group shouted as he flew forward, thinking that some of his companions had rushed things.


    When he and a few other high-level Spiritual Emperors did so, they fell under Minos'' gravitational control, joining their previous companions.


    Seeing this, Minos smiled and made those already under his control float into his surroundings, giving the opponent no chance to see what the black hole actually was.


    Those people out of his reach could escape if he simply fed these ''hostages'' to that region of space. So to gain more ''food,'' Minos did not eliminate those opponents all at once.


    Instead, he began to devour their energies while the Devouring Art worked as well as ever.


    Minos was not connected to the black hole at the moment, so he could freely use his techniques and move around the area. Because of this, he was actively acting alongside his allies, ready for a battle with the enemy.


    "Damn it!"


    "Who is that?" Some people in the Saints Killing Sect group wondered.


    As famous as Minos was, not everyone knew his appearance outside the Gray Clouds Sect, where he had a family.


    But some of these people had already studied Minos'' background and shouted. "That is the damned Minos Stuart!"


    "What?"


    "The emperor of the Black Plain?" Surprised voices spread among hundreds of people who had been requisitioned earlier by the individuals who were now part of the black hole there in the area.


    On the other hand, while the enemies more or less realized the situation of this place, Minos'' men were already beginning to spread out in the surroundings.


    That young sect master''s orders were clear. Do not let the enemies escape.


    So in this situation where more people had arrived at this place, these people quickly moved in search of making more enemies join the black hole!


    "Attack!"


    "Entertain as many enemies as possible!!! Don''t let the damned get away!"


    "Ahhh! Kill!"


    Realizing the strategy of the members of the Gray Clouds Sect, some of the enemy experts wanted to stay and teach these opponents a lesson. But others wanted to leave there since they did not like Minos'' presence in the area.


    Minos was supposed to be only a low-level Spiritual Emperor years ago. But he had worked his way to reaching the end of the 7th stage within a few years.


    But not only that, everyone clearly sensed how abominable Minos'' techniques were, as it was impossible to ignore their quality and uniqueness in person.


    ''The bastard has a complete fucking set of Golden-grade techniques!'' One of the several Spiritual Saints in the vicinity noticed this.


    Unfortunately, even if this information was somewhat valuable to the powers of this empire, it was no longer the kind of thing that would make Minos risk his life much. After all, Emperor Stuart was currently already fighting Spiritual Saints, had connections with mid-level Spiritual Saints, and relations with the Gray Clouds Sect.


    So even Emperor Edwardstone would have difficulties that would prevent him from acting against Minos, something that made it possible for this fellow to show himself without taking significant risks.


    In this situation, the enemies could only be impressed by how lucky Minos was to have those techniques. However, they also regretted he was so talented and had achieved a high mastery level of those techniques.


    But to the misfortune of those who wanted to escape, Minos was focused on eliminating as many opponents as possible on this day.


    Young Emperor Stuart wanted to solve the Grey Clouds Sect''s problems with the Saints Killing Sect in no more than three trips to the Flaming Empire. That was because he could not keep going back and forth between that state and the Black Plain, as that would increase the risk to his domain.


    On the other hand, it was his goal to finish with Abe as soon as possible. To do this, he would have to resolve the situation of his family''s sect quickly, something that could be cut short by utilizing what he was doing.


    Exterminate as many opponents as possible on the battlefield and nurture the black hole!


    With that, seeing some individuals wanting to flee the scene, Minos flew at full speed toward them, using his techniques to hinder them.


    Infinite Dream!


    Invisible beams of light streamed from his eyes. They went toward the enemies as he danced in the air, turning his great sword violently.


    Spatial Sword!


    Giant blades formed in the air, slicing toward the heads of the strongest people there, people Minos could not kill just like that, but it could hurt those people to some degree.


    Just the fact that these people had to worry was already something that bought Emperor Stuart time. So he did not hesitate to do that as he moved around the battlefield.


    Indestructible Body!


    He circulated more of his enemies'' energies flowing from the Devouring Art into his body, feeling much stronger. Then, noticing his strength increasing, he hurled a giant stone that was in the area toward several Spiritual Emperors.


    Boom!


    Such a stone exploded into countless pieces as it hit a group of 20 high-level Spiritual Emperors, delaying their escape.


    "Stay down!" Minos said as he waved his hands in the direction of those people, causing the gravity on them to shift and press them against the ground.


    Those people had no strength to counteract this tremendous force of nature. So they just stood there, feeling the terrible pain of having their bones, muscles, and blood vessels suffering from Minos'' action.


    When this young man stopped paying attention to those individuals on the ground to fight with others, men from the Gray Clouds Sect were already there to hurl them toward the black hole.


    At this pace, the battle continued for almost an hour, with many of the enemies ending up like those people stoned by Minos.


    They were beaten until they could barely fight, and the weaker people in Minos'' group appeared to end their lives.


    In this confrontation, something similar happened to those who served as ''batteries'' for Minos. He used them while such people had energy but discarded them without looking back once they had been depleted.


    In the end, more than 80% of the enemies died this way, being devoured by the black hole in that area.


    As for the rest, they died fighting, were one of the three individuals who would flee, or were part of the few individuals who had self-destructed, thinking they would ''win'' that way.


    Thus, Minos was victorious in his first battle as master of the Grey Clouds Sect, marking the beginning of a new era for that organization!

 Chapter 1380 Last Hope

    After a few hours since Minos'' first battle as master of the Gray Clouds Sect, his results had already been reported from the battlefield to headquarters.


    The sect members who had been at Minos'' side in that battle greatly appreciated his participation in the confrontation, and many now admired him more than before.


    He had dominated the battlefield in the Flaming Empire the first time he had fought as the leader of a local organization, something that meant a great deal to him and the sect.


    Many still thought that Minos had his results elevated beyond reality because he almost always fought in the poor northern region. So with this result in the Flaming Empire, those who used this narrative to doubt him would have nothing left to say.


    Not only was Emperor Stuart a prominent figure in the northern region, but he also fought and won battles in the Flaming Empire. In addition, he terrorized the enemies who had almost been eliminated.


    With that, the news that reached Clouds City regarding Minos was excellent, causing positive and negative commotions in different places in the headquarters of such an organization!


    ...


    "Minos killed over 400 high-level Spiritual Emperors and 30 low-level Spiritual Saints on the battlefield!" One of the Coleman family members said this in one of that family''s celebration halls.


    There, people were still celebrating the ascension of another ''member'' of the family to the position of sect master when the news about the previous Minos'' action reached this place.


    Earlier the mood was not as festive, as Minos'' ascension could still be contested in many different ways. But after a single fight, many of the doubts of the members of this organization would be diminished or obliterated.


    With fewer ways for Minos to be questioned, Maisie''s family members could not help but celebrate the situation more festively, saying all sorts of positive things about him.


    "Haha, he''s breaking records. I''m sure he''ll shock the whole empire soon." Oswald said, sitting in the leadership position while having Maisie on his right side, this woman who would soon become the matriarch of the Coleman family.


    "With Minos in the sect''s leadership and Maisie in the family, we will have another great generation!" The supreme elder of that family, level 78, said in a good-natured tone, feeling the favorable winds of fate.


    ...


    On the other hand, at the Moss family headquarters


    Ivory was not around to celebrate Minos'' situation, as she was on the Black Plain helping the empire''s forces deal with Abe''s terrorist groups. However, her group of friends and supporters celebrated in that place, for they knew she had a deal with him.


    With Minos in charge of the sect, he would soon be able to appoint Ivory to an important position. That would be perfect for her and this family, considering they had no chance of having one of their relatives in the sect leader''s chair in the current scenario.


    With this, they also had reason to celebrate!


    But not only that, the high-level elders of this family, who still had doubts about Minos as the sect leader, were more or less relieved by the recent news.


    "It seems that he is everything he talked about..." A woman commented to the strongest elder of that family, level 78.


    "Well, those with Coleman blood don''t usually lie unnecessarily." Such an individual said, feeling that his belief in Oswald was correct.


    He did not like someone from outside the sect becoming a leader, even if such a person had the blood of the family that had dominated that organization for the longest time. But he understood Oswald''s logic of trying to place someone without the ''addictions'' of the sect members, a person who could bring change to the organization.


    Even so, he still had his reservations about Emperor Stuart, especially considering the confidence of that young man in speaking with the strongest elders of this place.


    However, hearing how Minos had turned the battlefield around and overwhelmed the opponents, this expert could not help but renew his beliefs in Oswald''s decisions. Now he saw Emperor Stuart more favorably.


    "Maybe the sect will have a great time on Minos'' side..." He muttered as he smiled at that elderly woman, sensing the change in the times.


    "But what will happen next?"


    ...


    On the other hand, the command center of the Terry family was somewhat disappointed with the information that had just arrived.


    "The sect master, Minos Stuart, went to the battlefield and led a battalion to destroy an enemy group that numbered over 800 Spiritual Emperors and 90 Spiritual Saints."


    "Most of them were devoured by the sect master''s fusion, which can be used as a weapon later." A man read this information to the strongest members of this force, who were in a large meeting room.


    Hearing all this, the patriarch Terry had a strange look on his face, not knowing whether to be happy for the sect or sad for his family.


    Lance was still in prison, but Minos had already acted so quickly and decisively that it was difficult to even for him to say anything negative about Maisie''s son.


    He wanted his family to have a sect master, preferably in his generation. But the truth was that he could not guarantee victory for the Gray Clouds Sect against the Saints Killing Sect. Furthermore, seeing Minos'' potential, he could not help but hesitate, feeling this young man could do such a thing.


    After all, as much as Minos was only one individual, he had the dreaded black hole, something that he had already left in one of the outposts of the Gray Clouds Sect before he left the battlefield.


    The people in this sect already knew this. With this information, these men of the Terry family knew that if it continued to develop, the thought of a victory in the war would not be an exaggeration!


    Since several people from this family had already fallen into the hands of the enemies, the leadership of this force could not help but hesitate between winning the war with Minos and taking risks with Lance.


    ''It seems fate is on your opponent''s side, Lance...'' The patriarch thought to himself as he closed his eyes.


    But then, one of Lance''s most ardent supporters there made a suggestion, knowing what was on the minds of his colleagues. "Before we decide anything definite, I would like at least some envoy of ours to go and study that black hole."


    "As reported, Minos left such a thing in one of our camps without any protection. So I want to see if we can take control of that thing."


    "If we can, we won''t have to give up our recommendation for the position of sect master so quickly!" Such a person finished, showing his colleagues this ambitious but also shameless plan.


    Since everyone there was already too old to care about their petty actions, they agreed after some conversation, giving Lance another spark of hope.

 Chapter 1381 The Limitations Of The Black Hole

    While the elders of the Gray Clouds Sect were talking about Minos'' unparalleled start as sect master, this emperor was returning to Clouds City.


    After leaving the battlefield alongside the level 75 Spiritual Saint and Angelica, he promptly set off toward where his wives and daughter were, interested in returning to the Black Plain.


    Minos wanted to use the teleportation posts between the Flaming Empire and the Black Plain to quickly return to Dry City and fight Abe''s terrorists again. So after leaving his black hole at one of the Grey Clouds Sect''s posts, he wasted no time and left that area without worrying about other things.


    Because of this, Angelica could not help but question her nephew while they were moving. "Minos, aren''t you afraid of someone doing something with the fusion of your techniques? Is it safe to leave it without special protection in that place?"


    Hearing this, the level 75 Spiritual Saint also wanted to hear Minos'' motives and carefully looked at this young man.


    He felt that the black hole was complicated, but he had no idea if high-level Spiritual Saints would think the same as him. So with how relevant that was, he would worry a lot if he were in Minos'' shoes.


    ''Not only did he leave the thing without protections, he even indicated for our sect members to throw enemies into that thing... What if it gets out of control?'' He wondered at that before hearing Minos'' reply.


    "No. No one will be able to do anything with it." He said confidently.


    Minos knew that higher-level cultivators could manipulate or counter-attack his black hole. But that would require Spiritual Sages of the middle part of this stage to emerge to act against that thing.


    Since there was no such person on the side of the Saints Killing Sect and few such individuals would cross that border of the empire, he was reassured about that possibility.


    "Anyone below the 9th stage who tries to venture with my black hole will only meet their own demise." He told his aunt and that ''bodyguard'' that Oswald left to help him. "It cannot absorb people above level 75 at the moment. But if anyone like that dares to challenge it, they will risk losing part of their body and even die."


    Minos remembered the story he had heard from people in the Spiritual Church post of the Vogel capital years ago. At that time, a level 73 Spiritual Saint had almost lost his life to a black hole. Such an individual narrowly escaped that thing. Still, he lost his original body, having had to occupy another body and accept the loss of cultivation level he had as a consequence.


    That was what could happen to people stronger than the current black hole on the battlefield they were leaving!


    That was a mortal threat to people below level 75, a potential danger to those between that level and level 83, and harmless to those stronger.


    Hence, even if the master of the Saints Killing Sect tried to play with that thing, even he could lose part of his body!


    Knowing this due to that event and his knowledge regarding his fusion of techniques, Minos was reassured about the future of such a weapon.


    "Is that true?" That level 75 Spiritual Saint asked, feeling that this was a great exaggeration considering that Minos was still only at level 67 cultivator.


    Minos then explained. "It''s true. Currently, I wouldn''t be able to control all that power as I want to. I would be pretty limited to doing that if you ask me. But he is all that. After all, it is not an extension of my powers but rather a creation that can surpass me."


    "In a way, it is like the branches of a sentient plant being. It can ''cultivate'' on its own and eventually surpass the cultivation level of its main ''body.''"


    "And how can you utilize that?" Angelica asked him.


    "By using special mechanisms," Minos said, without going into it too much.


    He could do several things with the black hole, even if that region of space overcame him. For example, he could hide inside it or subtly vary the direction of its ''suction.''


    That would not be enough to act against a conscious opponent who decided to run away. Still, it was enough to surprise those unaware of the black hole''s capacity.


    That had been what Minos had done in the northern region against Abe''s terrorists when he had almost eliminated that individual.


    But beyond that possibility, he could use an array of a higher level than the black hole itself to control it.


    Arrays, unlike artifacts made by blacksmiths, had no limits when it came to the cultivation of their users. All that mattered to them was the existence of energy to supply their demands. This energy could be from the environment or, better yet, from spiritual crystals.


    In the case at hand, Minos was using high-grade crystals, the ones Henricus Longus had left for him.


    Because of this, he could contain the power of these regions of space. Also, he could use them to develop Black Hole Bombs that could be used as mass destruction weapons to kill enemies or to enrich cultivation rooms.


    But he would not go into details regarding these secrets with these two people, even considering they were both from his family in this empire.


    "In any case, as long as that black hole doesn''t exceed the limit of level 79, I will be able to use it to significantly affect that enemy sect." He said to his fellow travelers.


    "Isn''t that too strong?" The man left by Oswald questioned, feeling this might end up being too strong and get to the point of threatening the existence of these enemies they could not exterminate.


    Minos understood this person''s questioning and explained. "No. I can subdivide its powers to produce less powerful Black Hole Bombs..."


    That was how Minos planned to defeat the Saints Killing Sect!


    He wanted to produce some black holes that could absorb even high-level Spiritual Saints, and then he would subdivide them into smaller parts. Then, with those parts, he would form Black Hole Bombs that he would eventually use to hurt the bases of that great organization.


    This way, he could fulfill his promise to Oswald and Patience not to destroy that enemy organization, just to wound some of its most important pillars!


    With that said, those people stopped questioning Minos and returned their attention to returning to the sect''s headquarters safely.


    As for Minos, he kept the most important details of his plans in mind but already beginning to think about what to do upon returning to his state.


    ''I must seek news of Isabelle to find out what she has accomplished with Harold...'' He imagined this, considering all the possibilities he was using against Abe''s group at the moment.


    ''If he can help me get in touch with that Spiritual Sage, maybe I can get an opening against that damn thing!''

 Chapter 1382 Reactions

    Meanwhile, at the headquarters of the Saints Killing Sect...


    The master of that organization, Mortimer Burgess, level 79, had just received news from the battlefield between his forces and those of the Gray Clouds Sect.


    "... After that, Emperor Minos Stuart left the battlefield, returning to the Gray Clouds Sect." The person who had reported the recent events finished notifying the leader of that sect.


    Mortimer and the high-ranking elders in that area listened to all that with apprehension, trying to understand the situation.


    The news of Minos taking over the Grey Clouds Sect was still only known to the elders of that organization itself and the high-ranking members of the imperial family. Besides the people directly connected to this ''circle'' of people, almost no one knew about Minos'' ascension in that sect.


    Consequently, they were surprised that Minos suddenly became involved in their conflict with Oswald''s sect.


    At the same time, they listened carefully to that man''s description of how destructive Minos had been against the forces of their organization.


    Such a fusion of techniques from Emperor Stuart seemed tremendous. However, considering high-level cultivators could not get involved in the conflict without justified necessity, they could not help but worry.


    The weapon in Minos'' sleeves could threaten them!


    They were not afraid of that young man ending their lives. What frightened them was that he would facilitate a turnaround in favor of the Gray Clouds Sect regarding the progress of war!


    Because of this, expressions of doubt and apprehension could be seen in that central area of the Saints Killing Sect.


    "He did all this?" The wife of the leader of that organization was one of the first there to say something and break the momentary silence after the words of the previous subordinate.


    "It seems that Oswald''s grandson is quite talented... The rumors coming from the northern region are not unfounded after all."


    "Yes... And to make matters worse, our conflict with him seems predestined."


    Several individuals there commented, feeling that such a young man kept approaching them no matter how hard they tried to avoid Minos.


    They did not even know Minos'' existence until a lucky individual from the northern region got approval from the Church and hired this sect to eliminate Emperor Stuart.


    Then the families of this sect tried to eliminate him in collusion with Abe Vogel, but they failed again and tried to stay out of trouble yet again.


    Now it was Minos himself who was beginning to get involved in the conflict between this sect and Oswald''s organization, drawing yet another possible meeting between them.


    Thinking about this, the former elder could not help but think that an encounter on the battlefield between them and the troublesome Minos Stuart was inevitable.


    Mortimer heard all this and clenched his fists, lamenting the defeats he had had since the rise of Minos.


    Gavin had suddenly disappeared after going to the northern region. Then, the danger of extermination was upon this sect due to the Spiritual Church constantly watching them, and now this.


    Mortimer had long prepared to act against the Grey Clouds Sect and gain more powers by sacrificing that organization. However, when his sect was slowly ''dominating'' the battlefield against that organization, Minos appeared as a negative variable to the plans of this local leader.


    Considering this recent history, this man was quite stressed that a young Spiritual Emperor at level 67 could do so much against him.


    ''Bastard Stuart!''


    ''You must be the biggest curse I''ve ever faced in all my years up to this point!'' He thought about this in silence, feeling that although weak, Minos had the strength of cockroaches.


    He was hard as hell to kill!


    "If Minos Stuart wants to play against us, we''ll dance to the music!" So this level 79 man said to the command of his organization.


    "What do you intend, sect master?" Someone asked as the others fell silent.


    He then said. "Let''s report the terrorist group acting in the Black Plain. Dispatch the information to those people that Minos Stuart is fighting two wars simultaneously."


    "That will raise the temperature in that little empire of his!"


    ...


    "What? Minos fought the Saints Killing Sect?" Isabella questioned one of her subordinates after hearing this urgent news from the battlefield between those two organizations.


    "Yes, after becoming the sect master, he moved to the battlefield and fought against the enemies of the Gray Clouds Sect. It was reported that..." That woman gave all the information the princess needed to know, things Harold should have already heard by now.


    After hearing everything that had happened in the last few hours, the heiress of this empire was pleased with Minos'' performance. She felt it would help him finalize the Black Plain''s current problems.


    She already knew that her father would also find out this information. So, she did not waste her time and went after him, interested in continuing to help her man.


    ''My father must act as soon as possible to get the best deal for the empire, as well as help Minos more quickly end the tension in that state...'' She thought of the best for both sides as she ran to the imperial throne hall.


    Meanwhile, the emperor was already thoughtfully considering the current situation, trying to understand the best step to take now.


    ''Minos is becoming very strong...'' His eyes narrowed. ''He can already influence the battlefield of those organizations.''


    ''If he settles the situation on the Black Plain, he''ll be able to complete the agreement with me in a few years... Besides, he might actually be able to help me regarding the Flower Kingdom.''


    ...


    While Emperor Edwardstone was considering those possibilities, Minos was already standing next to his wives, recounting what had happened in the last few hours.


    Simultaneously, Oswald and the rest of that family were on the outskirts to celebrate alongside Emperor Stuart his victorious return from the battlefield.


    "Daddy! Daddy!" Sarah was there, also pleased due to the laughter and good humor of the people in the surroundings.


    "Oh, little Sarah..." Minos took that child in his arms, making her laugh joyfully at seeing her father after hours away from her.


    But Sarah was also happy because people in the surrounding area spoke well of her father. She was pretty intelligent and understood that positive things were happening to Minos.


    Hence, as a proud daughter, she could only smile, improving the mood of that whole area where her grandmother and great-grandparents were with the rest of the family.


    "So, shall we return? I believe we will have problems after today, although these accomplishments are what will eventually finalize our current problems." Minos said to his wives.


    He knew he would get even more problems in the short term. But that was life. Sometimes to take two steps forward, someone would have to take one back.


    Minos knew that before things got better, they would get worse, so he would never regret what he had done, and he was already in the mood to start solving those problems!


    Therefore, without further ado, the core of the Stuart family set off back to Dry City!

 Chapter 1383 Revenge

    Days later...


    After resolving the previous issues about his new position in the Gray Clouds Sect, Minos and his family quickly returned to Dry City.


    In just a little over two days, they were already in the capital of the Black Plain Empire, where they were promptly updated on the local situation regarding Abe''s terrorist group.


    But nothing out of the ordinary had happened in the period of less than a week that had passed from their departure to this moment. Of course, attacks on essential posts of the local forces had happened, but nothing out of proportion to what Minos and his people expected had happened.


    This state did not feel their absence, and in a short time, their group was informed about everything they should know.


    They also shared their accomplishments in the Flaming Empire with the upper echelon of the local nobility and the Black Plain Army so their forces could better prepare for the future.


    Minos gave new orders to his forces, this time to slow down the pace of actions against Abe''s terrorist group. His goal was to wait for the resolution of the situation in the Flaming Empire, something that, with his help, could happen in a matter of weeks.


    As long as that war between sects was over, Minos could bring significant reinforcements to his state, which, in his opinion, could solve the current problems.


    Even if their group could not fully deal with the mercenaries hired by Abe, they would be able to protect the critical points of the Black Plain Empire. And with that, even with that guy from the Vogel family bothering them, they would grow such a state again.


    With that growth, eventually, Minos knew he could end the life of the wretch who had been hindering him for so long!


    ...


    "So we''re already going to attack the Saints Killing Sect?" Gavin asked in surprise, not expecting it to happen so soon.


    He had expected such a thing to take another 2 or 3 years, considering the time frame Minos had told him earlier. So, upon hearing from Emperor Stuart that they would begin to engage against that sect immediately, Gavin was somewhat shocked.


    "That''s because of the current situation caused by these terrorists..." Minos quickly explained to this Spiritual Saint his plans to use the Gray Clouds Sect to resolve the situation in his state.


    Upon hearing the basics of Emperor Stuart''s plans, the native of the Flaming Empire understood this person''s motivations in advancing their plans. "Then we will return later to finalize those matters? Or do you intend to forget your grudge against that organization?" He asked, feeling a little irritated.


    Minos had told Gavin to stay on the Black Plain and that one day, he could accompany the forces of such territory in a fight to destroy the Saints Killing Sect. Thus, this fellow could not help but consider the possibility Emperor Stuart had changed his mind now as the master of that other sect of the Flaming Empire.


    Minos would now have to follow some rules of the imperial family of that state when acting through the Gray Clouds Sect, so this could complicate his revenge.


    But Minos then said. "We won''t give up anything. I will only make the Gray Clouds Sect win this war without us exterminating their old rival organization. But in the future, when we are ready, we will do as previously planned."


    "Is that so?" That red-haired fellow asked while standing next to Minos near a small artificial lake in front of the imperial palace in Dry City.


    Minos kept looking at the reflection of the orange sky in the water mirror and said. "Of course. But you can join the battle now or in the future. It will be up to your judgment."


    Upon hearing this, Gavin was not interested in joining the current confrontation, figuring it would only offer his position while his opponents could still act against him.


    After thinking about it, he decided to wait for the future attack of Minos'' forces on the Saints Killing Sect!


    "I only ask that you do me the honor of taking this person''s life..." Gavin showed the portrait of a middle-aged man who was supposed to be his father!


    Minos saw that and agreed. "Fine. If that person is on any battlefield I fight, I will not use my forces against him. But I can''t do anything for you if he is already dead or if someone kills him on one of those occasions."


    "Fine by me." This fellow said as he turned and left, quickly leaving that area as he thought of his revenge.


    ''You will pay for coveting your own son''s powers!'' Gavin thought about it angrily, visualizing the day he could end the life of this great enemy of his.


    He could understand the motives of the sect master, a man who was not closely related to him and could even kill his own son over a woman. So Gavin had expected Mortimer to act against him because of his Eyes of Destruction.


    But his own father doing this was an exaggeration for him, something that made him hate that man more than anything in this world!


    Hence, he wished to deal with that person on his own!


    ''The day will come when I finish that family''s cursed branch!''


    Minos understood what was in Gavin''s heart, as he had run after revenge on more than one occasion.


    Since he was all in favor of cleaning his hatred with the blood of his enemies, Minos nodded in the direction from which Gavin departed. He sensed that such a fellow would be quite a soldier in the future.


    ''Revenge doesn''t solve anyone''s problems, it doesn''t bring loved ones back, nor does it make the soul peaceful. But it does eliminate from the world those who have already harmed us in some way...'' Minos pondered the truth about revenge.


    "It''s really nice to live in a world where those bugs are no longer around to annoy us!" He clenched his fists, imagining ending the life of Abe Vogel.


    ''Just wait, you bastard. The day will come when you will tremble in fear in front of me and pay for all your crimes!'' Emperor Stuart thought about this as he walked toward his palace.


    But as he passed through that area where only the wealthiest, most powerful, and influential of the Black Plain had access, some individuals known to Minos approached him in a hurry.


    "Your Majesty, we have matters to discuss." One of those representatives of the three enemy kingdoms of the Flaming Empire and the Assembly of Vogel said this, recalling the news from that great state.


    Upon hearing this, Minos turned to these people, who had uncertain expressions on their faces, knowing that this was about his ascension as master of the Gray Clouds Sect.


    But he did not stop walking towards his palace and just said. "I know you are unsure about my rise to power in that organization. But this is for the greater good of the Black Plain. So our relations will not be complicated as you think."


    "No? How not?" Lulu asked him in an indignant tone that showed how betrayed she felt by him.


    ...

 Chapter 1384 Manipulation

    Hearing Lulu''s questioning, Minos sighed and said. "If I cannot intervene on behalf of your alliance against the Flaming Empire, who will do it? If I don''t solve the problems on the Black Plain, we run the risk that there will be no one to maintain diplomacy between the two sides."


    "Then, this is also for the sake of your states and peace!"


    "Tsk!"


    "You really are shameless..." Lulu turned her back on Minos, sensing that he was making excuses.


    "Still, how will the situation of the Black Plain and our states look?" Rosser''s representative asked Minos.


    This sovereign then said. "I have become the master of the Gray Clouds Sect, but I don''t have all the powers yet. It will take three years before I take over that organization completely. But, moreover, even when that happens, I will only need to follow certain rules of the Flaming Empire when I act as sect master or act within that state."


    "But there are ways we can escape those responsibilities."


    The problem with Minos becoming the leader of a Flaming Empire organization was that it put him, at the same time, as Harold''s ally and vassal.


    He had his connections to that man, which already limited him, but without taking away much of his freedom. But now, he would have a series of responsibilities with those few old ones, limiting him even more and diminishing his freedom of action.


    So this could make it impossible for him to help those organizations of the four enemies of the Flaming Empire since his interests and obligations would put him in question.


    Would he be impartial? Would he act in their favor, or had his goals changed?


    That was the problem!


    These people did not know about Minos'' agreement with Harold, so to them, it seemed that such a man had suddenly joined that empire.


    That''s why they were so worried about this situation to the point that they even felt betrayed.


    "Is that truly going to be the case?" The Blackrock representative asked, feeling things were not as simple as Minos'' words.


    Emperor Stuart then said. "If it wasn''t, wouldn''t I have already been eliminated by lightning punishment? I have signed contracts with your leaders, so you have a guarantee from heaven that I am on your side."


    Lightning appeared in the skies at a distance from that area after his words, but nothing much occurred where they were talking.


    Everyone there looked up at the stormy skies above Dry City and thought he must be speaking the truth, even if everyone felt uncomfortable.


    "In any case, I am acting for the good of all of us. If I cannot stop Abe, who knows how much damage my state and yours will suffer? The damned Abe may very well go so far as to cause the tension between your forces and the Flaming Empire to increase so that war is inevitable!"


    "Tsk! I''m doing my best here! A little understanding would be appreciated!" Minos made a disgusted expression.


    Those people looked at each other, feeling that they had been a bit unfair to Minos by distrusting him.


    After a few seconds of silence, with Minos looking at the ground disappointedly, the Assembly of Vogel representative asked. "But, how is that going to be? Are you going to act on both sides of the problem simultaneously? That would be like having a double spy who is known to everyone..."


    "Don''t worry so much about that. I won''t take on all those responsibilities for three years. And even after that, I intend to bring the Gray Clouds Sect into the Black Plain Empire. So any implications will be temporary." He said, revealing his plans to these people.


    "Bringing an organization from the Flaming Empire here?" Lulu asked in surprise, thinking that was not going to work out. "Emperor Edwardstone won''t accept it."


    "We''re not sure yet..." Minos said thoughtfully. "He may not accept right away, but he may change his mind upon realizing the advantages I will offer in return."


    "In any case, even if you are in trouble with this after all these words, I offer my lands to take you in. I am sure that Emperor Edwardstone will not enter the Black Plain."


    Those four people looked resolutely at Minos after he said those words, trying to understand their implications.


    ''Is he wanting to absorb us too?''


    ''I don''t know if this is an offer of help to us or if he is trying to act against us...''


    "What does that mean, Minos?" Lulu questioned this ally. "Are you coveting our states?"


    "Me?" Minos said in an offended manner. "Of course not! I''m just offering refuge in case the worst happens. But if you don''t want it, that''s fine too. I will keep the peace in the area somehow, so forget about it..."


    After those words, he left without looking back, leaving those people with their thoughts regarding everything he had told them.


    ''Well, now I''ve planted the little seed they needed to start thinking about the possibility.'' He thought about it silently, looking mysteriously to the side.


    ...


    Meanwhile, somewhere in the Black Plain Empire...


    Abe was in a temporary camp of his terrorist group in one of the most remote points of the great state of Minos.


    There, he was resting from an attack he had participated in hours ago, waiting for when he would leave for his next target.


    But while the mercenaries in the surrounding area were making plans together and he was eating a liquid meal, one of the Spiritual Emperors there came running up to where he was.


    "Chief! Chief!"


    "We just received a notification coming from the Flaming Empire!" Such a person shouted, for the first time founding a relevant notification among the crows leaving messages for them.


    Often the enemies would manage to steal some of the crows they used to carry their messages and try to trick them by sending trap locations as if they were requests for help.


    At other times, the soldiers of the Black Plain Army would just send messages cursing the nine generations of the families of each of these mercenaries.


    But now and then, a few relevant things would pop up from allies and contractors of Abe''s terrorist forces.


    Today he had been surprised by something like that, so he had run while shouting at that man from the Vogel family.


    "Hmm?" Abe took his attention away from the bowl of soup in his hands and looked at that 7th-stage mercenary. "What?"


    "The message is from the Saints Killing Sect, an organization that is an enemy of Minos Stuart''s family in the Flaming Empire."


    Abe''s eyes sparkled at those sweet words, and he quickly stood up from where he was, taking the paper message in one of that man''s hands.


    He then read it aloud for the individuals in the surrounding area to hear. "Minos Stuart is currently fighting two wars simultaneously. Take the opportunity as he acts in the Flaming Empire and the northern region to ruin his little territory!"


    "Signed, Mortimer Burgess, master of the Saints Killing Sect."


    When he finished reading this, Abe smiled slightly, but he was not just celebrating the good news. He soon began to think about the implications that such information carried!


    ...

 Chapter 1385 Taking Risks

    ''So that damn thing is fighting in the Flaming Empire? Is this something to do with the Gray Clouds Sect?'' Abe wondered as he fell into the midst of his various thoughts.


    There were no further details in the letter sent by the leader of the Saints Killing Sect, so there was no way for him to be sure of any things. But as someone who was a prince of an enemy state of the Flaming Empire, Abe knew about the situation of the eight major sects in that domain.


    Because of this, he was aware that Minos had a family in the Gray Clouds Sect and also of that organization''s war against the Saints Killing Sect. Thus, guessing that this information should have a bearing on such a conflict had not been difficult for him.


    ''At the time I allied with people from that sect, I never had contact from the sect master... But now, he does.'' He came to the conclusion that such a thing could only be it. ''Minos started acting against that sect, and this person wants to take revenge through me!''


    "So he is fighting another war while fighting against us?"


    "Brave!"


    "Haha, it seems like he''s underestimating us, guys!"


    "The bastard thinks he''s better than us... How dare he?"


    "Let''s make him swallow his arrogance!"


    While Abe was silent, the mercenaries in the surrounding area commented as they were feeling humiliated that a mere Spiritual Emperor was so bold.


    They knew that Minos was strong. Several of them were even afraid of meeting Emperor Stuart on the battlefield. But still, none of them felt good that a 7th-stage cultivator was acting so disrespectfully against them!


    It was as if Minos was sending them the message that he was so much better than them that he could fight another conflict simultaneously!


    Abe then said. "I want some of you to go to the Flaming Empire to keep an eye on the Gray Clouds Sect and the battlefield of that organization and the Saints Killing Sect."


    "As for the rest of you, we will move to the vicinity of Dry City. If Minos is spotted fighting in those places, we will immediately attack that bastard''s capital!"


    "Yes!"


    "Hehe, time for us to take real action!"


    "The bastard will pay for his disrespect!"


    "Finally! We can take revenge..."


    The people there unanimously approved Abe''s decision, eager to ''taste'' the main forces of the Black Plain Empire, the men who had been ''hiding'' lately.


    ''I know you must be acting against me, Minos. But your plans will not turn out as you planned! Whether you will win or not, I don''t know. But you will pay with blood for the attempt!'' Abe looked toward the horizon in the direction of the capital of this state, smiling mischievously.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in one of the camps of the Gray Clouds Sect on the battlefield that Minos had passed earlier...


    At this moment, a group of three high-level Spiritual Saints had just landed in the area, heading towards a region of space devoid of light in the surroundings.


    Upon arriving there, the camp guards tried to warn these people, who were also from the sect, about the danger of that thing, but none of them paid any attention to these people. Instead, they went to the vicinity of the technique fusion left by Minos with interest in investigating it.


    "Come on. The patriarch and elders have ordered us to find a way to master it and use it to the family''s advantage." One such individual said this in a hurry to discover Minos'' secrets and help Lance achieve the position of sect master.


    These were envoys from House Terry, level 77 individuals who were in this camp as the family''s last hope to get Lance into the position of sect master.


    If they failed in this place, besides Minos'' death, there would be no other chance for them since this guy was really very impressive and necessary for the sect''s victory in the war.


    But as long as they had a chance, they would not give up. Hence, soon the three individuals began to analyze that black hole.


    "Amazing!" One of them commented after a few seconds of trying to scan such a thing.


    "That''s a terrible thing! How can it be? I can''t feel anything but this terrifying energy!" The strongest of them commented as he felt sweat dripping down his back.


    They could feel with their soul senses that there was a lot of pure, dense spiritual energy surrounded by Natural Laws escaping through the boundaries of it. But as they tried to ''look'' into the event horizon, all they felt was a terrifying emptiness that seemed to be trying to suck the consciousness of each of them out of their bodies.


    The more they looked, the more they felt fear and the urge to retract their auras as if a powerful predator was watching them from its lair.


    "Was that truly created by the sect master?"


    Gulp!


    ''No wonder his grandfather chose him!''


    ''He''s a much worse monster than that fellow!'' One of these individuals thought about it as he wiped the sweat dripping from his forehead. ''With an ability like that, he could threaten the empire''s existence in a few years!''


    But one of them was curious to try to test that thing. "Brothers, why don''t we try sending an artifact into it? Maybe we can probe what''s inside it if we put some of our spirituality into it."


    "That..."


    "I don''t know if that''s a good idea..."


    "Come on. I know such a thing is impressive, but we are high-level cultivators! It''s not this that will kill us! At most, we''ll get a scare!" Such a person insisted, considering that he was one of Lance''s closest followers and would be one of the most benefited if that young man became the sect master.


    "If you want to try... But I''m not going to do that." One of them said, being followed soon after by the other.


    "Tsk!"


    ''Cowards!'' He took an artifact that looked like an eye and threw it into Minos'' black hole after putting part of his spirituality into it.


    The moment the black hole absorbed such a thing...


    Puff!


    "Brother?" The two Spiritual Saints there saw that fellow rolling his eyes and falling unconscious face first into the black hole right in front of him.


    At the same time, that region of space seemed to have subtly increased in radius, startling them all.


    When they realized this, the two individuals fled without looking back, taking their companion, who nobody knew the situation, back to the sect.


    ...


    Three weeks later...


    After about a month since the change in command of the Gray Clouds Sect, the battlefield of this organization with its enemies had changed considerably.


    Not only had the members of Oswald''s sect begun to nurture Minos'' black hole, but the forces of that organization had begun to pressure the enemy side.


    The members of the Gray Clouds Sect were more united around Minos, with no longer any resistance to him in the leadership position.


    Coincidentally, this happened after a Spiritual Saint of that organization had lost an entire level of cultivation after a cultivation incident... After that, the Terry family gave up appointing Lance to the position of sect master, which helped considerably in the unification of that organization against the Saints Killing Sect.


    And with that, other organizations in the Flaming Empire found out about the power changes in that institution, and it also contributed to a change in Payton!


    ...

 Chapter 1386 One Month Fighting Two Wars

    After this month, Minos again participated in battlefield fights between those two organizations and developed more of his black hole.


    Because of this and the fact that the Gray Clouds Sect had unanimously rallied around Minos, that organization publicly announced the change in its control.


    That led to all the other powers of this state finding out about this unexpected and shocking change, making many wonders what was going on in that organization.


    Even old enemies of Oswald were in doubt as to what this fellow was up to. But none of them believed that such a person had gone senile.


    Oswald was one of the most lucid in the empire. He had a terrifying power that made him a fantastic warrior, but it also stimulated his mental abilities.


    So instead of preparing for the decline of that sect, the rivals of that organization and Oswald were preparing for the opposite, some move on this sect''s part.


    Meanwhile, the emperor finally concluded that Minos was not just playing with the Gray Clouds Sect and would lead that organization to victory.


    Since the situation on the Black Plain was still complicated and in a short time, Minos could win the war in this empire, Harold had concluded that if he did not act now, he would have no more opportunities in the future!


    Thus, the day before, he had lost his patience and began preparing to fulfill his daughter''s request.


    He was going to find the Spiritual Sage protecting Abe to help Minos obtain a meeting with such a person!


    Because of this, Isabella was already moving to the Black Plain to help Minos prepare and make this young man aware of how determined the Edwardstone family was to help him!


    ...


    Capital of the Black Plain Empire...


    In Dry City, things were as usual, with much movement in the common area and the core facing the coming and going of many specialists.


    But nothing in this large city in the northern region indicated any great tragedy or destruction in the surrounding area, as might have been expected considering the plans of the terrorists acting against this state.


    Abe and his men were still preparing to attack this place on Minos'' last trip to the Flaming Empire for the luck of this city''s citizens.


    On that occasion, Minos had been away for four days. But Abe had not yet positioned himself around this capital city by then. On the other hand, his men in the Flaming Empire were still spreading out to watch for places where Emperor Stuart might appear. So they had not yet acted.


    With that, the situation on the Black Plain had not changed all that much in the last few weeks, with the local problems concerning Abe having diminished somewhat.


    Both sides were preparing for an intensification of the conflict, so both were less vigorous in their actions, thinking for the sake of the future.


    In this way, Isabella arrived in the capital of this state and found a vibrant city without the ravages of war, something she always dreaded find when visiting this place.


    She was from the Flaming Empire and knew her capital, Payton, was much more advanced than Dry City. But because of her feelings for Minos and having already seen some of the local development, this woman could not help but wish the best for this place.


    She wanted to see the day when this city would reach a level similar to Payton, something she considered possible to happen given the concentration of spiritual energy in this area.


    The spiritual root of the Black Plain had almost fully recovered by this point. So the spiritual concentration in the surroundings was already similar to those in the high-level areas in the Flaming Empire.


    The local situation was still developing, but even high-grade spiritual crystals could already be found in the local crystal mines.


    Considering this, this woman had no reason to suspect that Minos would not advance his empire to the highest level, and she naturally wished to see that day come.


    Since finding chaos in this place went against her desire, Isabella sighed in relief when she saw that all was well just before running to the imperial palace.


    ...


    After a few minutes, Isabella managed to enter the imperial throne hall of Minos, where this man was giving orders to his staff.


    "Send troops to the east of the Red Valley to rescue ..."


    "... Request reinforcements from the Snow Kingdom and the Kingdom of the Waves to help the Brown area..."


    "... Finally, ask the traders coming from the Elves Island to forget about the Black Plain. We will not talk about a business that is not urgent at the moment."


    Minos gave several orders to his staff. He devoted at least a few minutes of his day to keeping his state under order in this challenging period.


    After a while of doing this, it was finally Isabella''s turn, and she got right to the point by addressing Emperor Stuart. "Your Majesty, my father has decided to help you. He is preparing to intercept the enemy Spiritual Sage to facilitate your meeting."


    When Isabella said this, all Minos'' guards and staff in the area stopped what they were doing to look at this beautiful red-haired woman. They all sense that it could be the beginning of the end of their troubles.


    Even little Sarah watched silently in her aunt Bella''s direction, noting that the matter was of the utmost importance.


    Minos clenched his fists upon hearing this and felt excited. Even if this help did not finalize his problems, he would at least have the opportunity to know the reason for all this.


    "Very well. When will he come?" He rose from his throne, eager to find Harold and go after that Spiritual Sage who had been disrupting his life for months.


    Isabella then replied as she nodded to Sarah. "He is trying to throw off the people from the Flower Kingdom who are watching him. But that shouldn''t take long."


    "In a week at most, he should be able to see you."


    "Very good. I won''t forget this help." He said as he made a gesture of thanks common in the Spiritual World.


    Minos knew that Harold could travel through space. Hence, such a person could come from Payton to Dry City in a few minutes, and their search should not take long either.


    A Spiritual Sage could use space to hide or travel through wormholes. Still, another 9th-stage cultivator could identify those paths with some work. Thus, even if the opponent was hiding, Minos knew that it would not take Harold long to find such a person.


    With that in mind, he was already preparing for this moment and was naturally grateful for that emperor''s gesture.


    He knew that Harold would take enormous risks for leaving that state. So Emperor Stuart would not be ungrateful to that person, even if this attempt, in the end, proved unsuccessful.


    Isabella knew Minos was the kind of person who returned good gestures with others of the same nature. Then, she was not worried and soon stopped talking about serious matters to talk to Sarah.


    Minos did no more work after that, having left to prepare himself for the coming days!

 Chapter 1387 Meeting With The Expert 1

    A few days later...


    After waiting anxiously for Harold''s visit, Minos had his wait ended when Emperor Edwardstone appeared in Dry City to begin the mission to search for the enemy.


    When he appeared in Dry City through a wormhole, Harold wasted no time and soon had Minos accompany him, fearful that every second lost would mean higher risks for him.


    He had set up some distractions and traps to fool the Flower Kingdom observers, who religiously watched his movements.


    But there was no way he could be sure that his actions would delay or even prevent his opponents from finding out about his little trip.


    Harold was afraid of being caught by a representative of the woman he had won a bet on in the past. Such a bet said that even if he won, he could not leave the Flaming Empire for an extended time. And if he failed to do so, he would have to marry that person capable of ''devouring'' testicles with her innate reproductive ability.


    Thus, right after catching Emperor Stuart, that Spiritual Sage departed from Dry City, using his powerful soul to search for traces of his target.


    Spiritual Sages were such powerful individuals that small zones of spiritual convergence formed in their surroundings, enhancing the concentration of energy near them.


    That was one of the characteristics that could deliver the location of a Spiritual Sage, in addition, of course, to spatial cracks and other signs left by the spatial manipulation that cultivators like this were capable of.


    Through this, Harold began to fly around that central region of the Black Plain Empire, following in search of these signs to find the trail of the Spiritual Sage coming from the Eastern Empire!


    Meanwhile, Minos was anxiously following this individual in anticipation of settling his affairs.


    ...


    And Harold did not take long to find the adversary who had been hindering Minos'' forces for months!


    As Abe was in the vicinity of Dry City waiting to attack the Black Plain Empire capital when Minos left to fight in the Flaming Empire, the Spiritual Sage was nearby.


    Thus, since the difference in cultivation between these two Spiritual Sages was not great for one to hide from the other, Harold soon noticed his opponent and began cautiously approaching such a person.


    At the same time, Minos'' enemy had already realized that this sovereign had found a way to track him down and was cautiously waiting to see what would happen.


    It was not good to underestimate the other party. So since they were both on the same level, that individual from the Eastern Empire did not move to avoid a confrontation in this place.


    He was not there for talks. But since the opponent had gotten that helper, he was not contrary to solving everything with dialogue and avoiding a battle that would hurt his plans anyway.


    "Emperor Edwardstone... Are you now working for Minos Stuart?" When he saw his opponent''s face, this protector of Abe asked aloud, causing Minos and Harold to be momentarily silent.


    It was not difficult for this individual to identify Harold. After all, although this man from the Flaming Empire was only one Spiritual Sage among many in this great world, he was one of the few imperial sovereigns on the continent.


    So for an individual passing by nearby, knowing how to identify this emperor was not such a complicated task.


    He then asked. "What do you people want with me? Are you here to fight?"


    Harold stopped flying over the surroundings and landed 100 meters away from the man, with Minos at his left side. "That is not the case, fellow. I am merely helping one of my neighbors a bit to establish new connections..."


    "Is that so? The folks in the Flower Kingdom will be thrilled to find that you have been so willing to help others." That Spiritual Sage smiled, looking at Harold''s face full of red hair, showing this person what he knew.


    Harold grew more serious upon hearing this, clenching his fists in determination. "I don''t want to fight. But if I have to, I won''t hesitate."


    "Oh, how scary..." That man said teasingly, but he actually showed no intention of fighting, the only reason Harold did not move after such words.


    Minos then walked towards the level 80 opponent, a man who looked much younger than Harold, who was clearly more talented.


    The two Spiritual Sages looked at him in silence, both thinking how fearless Minos was to act so comfortably between them. That was even more impressive, considering that such a young man was moving away from his ally and toward the enemy!


    "Senior, I believe you know who I am, so I won''t waste my time introducing myself," Minos said with a bit of respect for that figure. "I am here to understand what I may have done to attract the heavy hand of a Spiritual Sage... Or maybe I didn''t do anything at all? Is it just my bad luck? I really wish I could work this out without having to keep being antagonized by the senior."


    Harold stood watching the surroundings and that man, preparing to act in case such a person attacked or even someone from the Flower Kingdom showed up.


    As for the man coming from the Eastern Empire, he looked at Minos in silence after those words, trying to conclude whether it would be worth it to say something to this young man.


    He had nothing against Minos. On the contrary, this young man was just a means of using Abe to distract the Spiritual Church''s attention while his organization was searching for an item of interest to them.


    Then he said. "Emperor Stuart, I personally have nothing against you. In fact, I admire you very much. Someone of your level and with your current capabilities would certainly make a success in any state on the continent."


    "That''s admirable!"


    "So the current situation is neither personal nor purposeful to affect you. It just is as it is, so much so that I did not act personally against you or your forces."


    Harold was surprised to hear that since that expert did not seem to be lying, even though his actions hurt the Black Plain a lot. So he and Minos could not help but realize that there must be a reasonable justification for this.


    Experts might be eccentric, but no one would do what that man was doing for so long just for fun without trying to act personally or cause chaos even once.


    And from his words, one could tell he indeed had respect for this 67-level young man who had been performing so well nearby.


    ''He''s probably onto something...'' Harold pondered silently, thinking this was the better possibility of all.


    That adversary was not a contractor of Abe''s, or Minos would have already been attacked. But, on the other hand, such a person did not seem to be enjoying himself and still gave the impression of being worried about something.


    Minos could not perceive this, given the difference in cultivation between the two parties, but Harold could see such a thing!


    But even without Harold''s perceptions, Minos knew more about the northern region than this emperor and asked as he narrowed his eyes. "Senior, are you after someone? Or something? Is that why you are doing this? To cover your tracks from an opponent?"


    ...

 Chapter 1388 Meeting With The Expert 2

    Listening to Minos'' questions, that Spiritual Sage of the Eastern Empire was not surprised that someone like this young man understood his motivations so well.


    But what good would it do to talk to Minos about what his group was pursuing? This young man could indeed search more efficiently for anything in the northern region than his group, given the fact that he was from the area.


    However, the limitations for Minos'' forces to find the item he was after would not be any less than his. So this man did not know whether or not it was worth trying to talk to this young man.


    Minos then suggested. "If you need to find something, we can make a deal. As long as you go back where you came from, my people will search in secret for whatever it is."


    Still, that man stayed silent and said nothing.


    After a moment of silence, Minos asked. "Tell me one thing. How far will you or your group go to support Abe?"


    Upon hearing that question, the Spiritual Sage became interested and looked at Minos. "Why the question? Aren''t I already doing too much?"


    "I mean, would you and your group go so far as to fight the forces of my state to help Abe?" Minos questioned, trying to scare that person a little. "Let''s say the day comes when that fellow can no longer escape me with your current support. Think about it, if one day you have to fight to ensure his escape. Would you or your people be willing to engage in a conflict with us?"


    Finally, Harold and that man realized what Minos was getting at.


    Harold was impressed with how tough Minos thought he was, considering that this young man was basically saying that he thought that day would come before he lost.


    In other words, Minos was, in a sense, saying that he could fight this man head-on in a few years!


    That Spiritual Sage smiled at Minos'' confidence and said sincerely. "No, we wouldn''t be willing. At this point, I think that fellow from Vogel would perish."


    He knew that if he acted, someone from the Spiritual Church would act back since that was all that such an Evergreen Empire organization was waiting for to counterattack.


    It was not in his organization''s interest to risk losing its experts at this delicate moment. So, this man knew he would have to give up Abe when it happened.


    Hence his answer!


    Minos smiled upon hearing those words and said. "Well, if we don''t come to an agreement by talking, the day will come when that will happen. Then you will lose all your efforts invested in Abe..."


    "Isn''t it better to simply let me help you now? Maybe if we ally, we would be stronger together!"


    After those words, that expert could not help but appreciate Minos'' efforts, feeling that such a young man knew how to make threats without causing trouble.


    This man knew about what was happening in the Flaming Empire, in particular, the Saints Killing and Gray Clouds Sects. Thus, he was aware that Minos'' threat was not at all exaggerated.


    ''If some of the leaders of that organization act in concert against me, and this young man uses that fusion of techniques, I might be forced to fight in a matter of months...'' He pondered how long it would take for such a problem to reach him.


    ''In months, my group probably won''t be able to find that thing.'' He looked at Minos and frowned. ''But I also can''t say whether he will still be alive and well by that time...''


    "What exactly do you have in mind?" That expert asked after a while. "I don''t know if I can believe you. But I am willing to hear a proposal at least."


    Minos smiled and said. "You can tell me what you are after. Then, if I know how to find it or have the skills to do so, we can sign a Soul Contract. You will promise not to help Abe anymore, while I will secretly do the search service you want."


    Emperor Stuart then looked back to where Harold stood. "I imagine those you don''t want to draw attention to having no relations with him, right?"


    Harold saw such a person nodding to Minos as he sighed in relief. ''Maybe this person won''t do anything against me...''


    The expert from the Eastern Empire then said to Minos. "Very well, we can strike a deal if you and Emperor Edwardstone promise to heaven never to tell anyone about what I''m after."


    In the Spiritual World, Soul Contracts were the surest means of making agreements. But others, such as oaths to the heavens, also worked.


    These others were not as complete and had several flaws that could get those involved into trouble in certain situations. But a simple oath worked well for smaller things, such as promising not to talk about something.


    With that, Harold and Minos soon vowed to Heaven, under the observation of Natural Laws, that they would never speak of what this man was pursuing with other people.


    With that done, that expert from the Eastern Empire finally said. "Well then, my group is searching for a map belonging to the Spiritual Church. That map was supposedly lost long ago in this region. Still, that organization has been searching the area for it in recent centuries through the imperial family''s secret arm in the church, the Blood Triangle Pirates."


    "That is a map that is a key and..." That level 80 man then started talking about every detail of the map, teaching Minos how to identify such a thing.


    But he would not even have to. Minos knew what this person was after since such a map or key was in the Spatial Kingdom at this very moment.


    ''So they want it...'' He felt extremely disappointed since he did not want to hand over such a thing to other people.


    If such powerful groups and people were after it, then that map he got from Darell Silva''s spatial ring was worth a lot!


    ''Damn it!''


    ''I won''t be able to solve this matter!'' He lamented deeply, feeling that he would have to continue suffering, for this man would continue to be at Abe''s side.


    Then after such a person even told Minos about the mechanism their group had for finding such a device and the strangeness of it not being anywhere, he said. "It seems your map is in some ancient heritage in the region."


    "Ancient heritage? Why do you say that?" Such an individual asked.


    "That is the only justification. What other dimension in this region could justify the disappearance of that thing?" Minos said, trying to get away from the problem. "Because of that, I don''t know if I will be able to help. Currently, I have no way of venturing into these heritages."


    "Do you know of any?"


    Minos then said. "Sort of. I read a story I found in an ancient dungeon in this region that told of the inheritance of the Goddess of Life, which was located in the capital of the Kingdom of the Waves."


    "But that inheritance was completed by the person who wrote such a story... Yet, there must be others. That person said in his records that his group was on the trail of another." He sighed. "Then perhaps such a map is in one of those heritages. Someone who found it may have fallen into one of those special dimensions."


    After hearing that, such an expert''s eyes narrowed.


    ...

 Chapter 1389 Returning To The Original Plan

    ''So that''s it?'' That level 80 expert wondered. ''Could this be why we''re not even finding the sign of that map?''


    He knew the story of the Goddess of Life and that woman''s notorious enemy, the God of Death. So after having heard that from Minos and the location of that woman''s heritage in the Kingdom of the Waves, this man believed the words of Emperor Stuart.


    He might have distrusted the veracity of Minos'' words in other situations. But this old fellow knew the location of the Goddess of Life''s home, which was in the vicinity of that kingdom. As for the God of Death, this old expert had lived much of his life in the area, so this person knew there was truth in such a young man''s words.


    With that, it made sense to consider the place of inheritance of these two experts to be nearby, even more so considering that the information of the two''s death was not known.


    High-level experts rarely died in battle. So in many cases, one of these individuals was fine and then disappeared for years. They were already gone when their organizational members and subordinates looked for them.


    Some did this to leave part of their inheritance behind. Others simply cultivated until they died, hoping to get a final breakthrough before the end.


    Since the cause of death of those two was not known, this Spiritual Sage judged that such individuals might have left heritages before their catastrophe.


    ''It could be that the map is in one of those heritages!'' He became hopeful about that possibility. ''Inheritances from such individuals are quite difficult, and, naturally, some candidates would die trying to conquer them.''


    ''Some individuals may have found that map and died within a secondary dimension created by a Demigod!'' He looked at Minos and said. "That''s a good hint. I didn''t expect there would still be remnants of this area''s glorious past in this region."


    "Are you sure you won''t be able to help me? If not, we won''t be able to go through with the deal you seek."


    Minos smiled in defeat. "Unfortunately, I would have to put in a lot of my time to search these ancient remnants. But Abe will not stop acting in the short term..."


    "And even without your help, he already puts enough work into my forces."


    The Spiritual Sage did not insist, knowing that Minos was right, but also because his men could do this job.


    They might not be as fast as a native of the region, but still, it was something he and his group could do something about.


    ''I will visit that place in the Kingdom of the Waves capital... Maybe I can feel the remnants of the dimension that was there.'' He pondered as he sensed the young Stuart''s sadness.


    "Emperor Stuart, you have somehow helped me. So I will give you a tip as a reward, even considering that we will still be on opposite sides of this conflict." That figure spoke after a while.


    "What?" Minos had not expected any of this, so he was surprised by the sudden generous offer from such an expert.


    The man from the Eastern Empire said. "Be careful when you go to fight in the Flaming Empire. That''s all."


    After those words, he disappeared from the area, knowing that Abe would not act in the short term and that Minos was in no position to fight either.


    Minos and Harold stood in that artificial forest in the central region of the Black Plain, with this young man thinking about what those words meant and Isabella''s father lamenting this failure.


    He had taken a risk, but Minos had not gained any advantage!


    That was a defeat for him!


    But then Minos said. "Thank you very much for your help, Emperor Edwardstone. One day I will repay that debt."


    "Uh? You are not disappointed?"


    Emperor Stuart said. "Yes and no. This person gave me a relevant tip, and now I see that I can''t do anything to stop him in the short term..."


    ''Abe must be planning something against me when I go to act in the Flaming Empire...'' This man''s eyes sharpened as he understood his opponent''s hint.


    After that, he said goodbye to Harold, and this man left in a hurry to return to Payton, where he did not intend to leave for a while to avoid trouble.


    As for Minos, he returned to his headquarters, where his wives were waiting for him to hear the results of today''s meeting.


    ...


    After a while, Minos was with his three wives, sitting on a large sofa, somewhat disappointed, after all.


    "We can''t. The enemy Spiritual Sage won''t stop saving Abe in the short term." He said to them.


    "What happened?" Gloria asked, not truly surprised since it would be hard to solve this problem after just one conversation.


    In fact, their expectations were not high for this meeting. On the contrary, they were using this as one of many alternatives to solve the problem called Abe. So there were only expectations that such a thing would at least disrupt the enemy.


    But from the tone of Minos'' voice, the meeting with the Spiritual Sage in question would have no practical effect.


    "They are in search of something that I cannot participate in the search for." Minos said, without mentioning that it was the item in the Spatial Kingdom since he had promised not to talk about it with anyone else.


    "Uh?" Ruth did not understand, but Minos soon explained. "In short, I can''t participate in the search. Otherwise, I would be forced to do something I don''t want to do. So I had to refuse to help that man''s organization find what he is searching for."


    "I couldn''t get a deal."


    "I see..." Abby lamented, but given the number of fronts they were acting on, losing a possibility was not the end of the world for them.


    "You really couldn''t?" Gloria asked.


    Minos shook his head, indicating that he really was unable to do anything about it. ''If I signed a deal with that man, I would have to give the map to their group, giving away on a silver platter something so valuable that has been with me for years...''


    With that, it did not take long for him to warn his wives about the danger that might be present during his upcoming trip to the Flaming Empire. "But I got a hint that Abe might try to act against us somehow during my next trip."


    "Is that so? And what will we do?" Abby questioned him.


    "We can''t go to the Flaming Empire together with that threat. So I will also have to call all those coming from the Gray Clouds Sect and those three states that are enemies of the Edwardstone family to Dry City."


    "The enemy will probably try something against our capital during my absence." He finished, feeling that as dangerous as it was going to be, the odds were in his favor.


    He did not know how Abe would attack, but he could travel virtually to the battlefield without leaving a trace. So the enemy would have at most two days to act against him, even considering instant messages.


    That way, Minos was already thinking about how to prepare his territory to be without him for that period!

 Chapter 1390 Problem Hard To Solve

    Three weeks after meeting the Spiritual Sage of the Eastern Empire, Minos had once again left for the battlefield in the Flaming Empire.


    He had done what he could to strengthen the defenses of his capital before leaving, as well as waiting as long as possible. But he could not wait forever. Resolving the Grey Clouds Sect situation was the quickest way for him to get enough to finish with Abe.


    Since doing nothing and staying in Dry City would not help him, Minos left after taking as much action as possible but prepared to make this trip as quickly as possible.


    He knew that the enemy would attack. That way, once he appeared on the battlefield, he intended to do his job quickly and leave without caring too much about helping his forces in that empire clear the battlefield.


    And so, without Abe noticing, Minos was almost arriving in the vicinity of the battlefield between those two organizations, where he had ordered the Gray Clouds Sect to build a teleportation port.


    ''Time to get to work...'' This regional leader thought about it before entering the last teleportation port in a city in the central part of the Flaming Empire.


    ...


    ''It looks like he''s finally going to act...'' The Spiritual Sage of the Eastern Empire thought as he watched Abe''s group, knowing that Minos had once again left for the Flaming Empire.


    ''I wonder what will happen? Maybe that fellow has gathered forces strong enough to stop Abe?'' He worried.


    It was in the interests of the people he represented that Abe and Minos'' conflict last so that they would have enough time to find the map they sought.


    So just because this man had been acting to ensure Abe''s survival did not mean he wanted Minos to lose!


    Quite the contrary, the best thing for this man and those he represented were that Abe and Minos stayed in a stalemate.


    In this way, he did not want Abe to wipe out Dry City on this day!


    He already knew that Minos'' words had been true. That''s because, on his visit to the capital of the Kingdom of the Waves, he had indeed identified signs of an alternate dimension in the area.


    This dimension collapsed after the inheritance of the Goddess of Life was completed. Still, it was a fact that there was such a thing there previously.


    To this man''s misfortune, although he had the skills to identify that there was something in that area below the royal palace of that kingdom, he could not date such a dimension. And with that, he had fallen for Minos'' little lie.


    ''It will still be a while before we find all the possible heritages in this region, and we have to find suitable people to enter those pockets of space...'' He figured his group''s situation would be the same for at least a few months, even considering their ability to act.


    Finding heritages'' locations was not so easy, even for people with space manipulation skills. That was because, when active, heritages in alternate dimensions could hide the signals that spatial deformations usually emitted.


    That was also one of the reasons that Spatial Kingdoms were challenging to find!


    But besides problems in finding the location of something like this, there were also limitations related to them. That was because, in general, inheritances could not be accessed by high-level cultivators!


    Usually, those who left behind inheritances thought of something called a legacy. But this would hardly be remembered as it should be or appropriately done by people past their best growth stage.


    So there was an age limit to safely access such domains, something that high-level experts could hardly ignore.


    Cultivation could be fast at the beginning when someone has youth, a good talent, resources, and challenges. But as one grows stronger, one would not only experience fewer challenges, but one would also grow older and miss the best time to cultivate.


    Talent would no longer respond optimally because of these two setbacks. Consequently, there would be a decrease in cultivation speed, which could also affect that individual''s resource access.


    Someone who fought more could find better resources and conquer opponents'' items. But, on the other hand, once age came, the cultivator would cultivate slower in their stage. That is, they would be more limited to that cultivation range and could no longer compete for resources needed to go further.


    The result of this negative cycle was what one might have seen in the northern region before the rise of the Black Plain, with cultivators not evolving after reaching the 6th stage. The same could be seen in the Flaming Empire, where only Harold had reached the 9th stage.


    Therefore, the group of that Spiritual Sage needed young, i.e., weaker, people to venture into the unique domains that might exist in this northern region.


    Since this was risky and not very efficient, there was a risk that things would not be resolved in a short time, even if they knew the location of these heritages.


    Hence this expert worries about the continuity of the conflict between Minos and Abe!


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the vicinity of the Black Plain Empire...


    Minos'' wives and many powerful cultivators from this state were on alert in Dry City.


    Since Minos'' group knew that the enemy would threaten them in some way after his departure to fight in the Flaming Empire, everyone was already in place, preparing for a conflict.


    Only essential services were functioning in the capital. At the same time, part of the population had been directed to safer locations built for attacks.


    At the same time, the number of soldiers on the streets and around this city was high, with several specialists stationed throughout this large city.


    The army beasts were in green areas, waiting for the signal to leave against the enemies, while many allies were hidden in tunnels and underground areas.


    They could not demonstrate their preparation to the enemy, so many of these forces were hidden around the capital and the belt of cities there.


    Abby, Ruth, and Gloria were together with some of these groups at the moment, fully armed in waiting for the attack.


    But although the current situation was rather bad for their side, which did not have their main strength at the moment, they were not afraid.


    Sarah was in the Spatial Kingdom, while each of them had already fought battles away from Minos over the years. Thus, they were all prepared for this moment and were naturally leading the people present.


    Among these were the envoys from the Gray Clouds Sect, Church and Assembly of Vogel, Spiritual Saints, and high-level Spiritual Emperors.


    But this time, even Gavin was standing by to participate in a possible battle in the surrounding area, even considering the dangers of the Saints Killing Sect discovering him in this place.


    ''Minos is already acting against those people, so I think me showing myself will result in little change...'' This level 71 Spiritual Saint pondered over that. ''We''ll probably lure the organization''s leaders here somehow, but the Gray Clouds Sect will send members here once that war is over.''


    ''In any case, we''ll continue to have trouble with those bastards!'' His eyes sharpened as he stood beside Abby''s group, waiting for the decisive moment.


    ...

 Chapter 1391 All Set

    Gavin did not want to show himself. But since he had promised Minos that he would help protect this territory, he could only make himself available now.


    With that, there was a risk that he would end up drawing Mortimer''s attention to his presence in Dry City, which would undeniably make that man focus on those areas.


    Mortimer had a technique to steal Gavin''s third eye and implant it in himself. Since this was the core of a powerful variant bloodline, this procedure could even help him approach level 80!


    Considering this, Gavin already knew that showing himself would attract the forces of that person, which would be a problem for him, who would have to die for that transplant to work.


    On the other hand, this situation could happen because Minos was trying to end the conflict between the Saints Killing Sect and the Gray Clouds Sect. Thus, if that sovereign were successful, he would not only weaken the enemies of this red-haired fellow but also get support from the members of that organization to deal with Mortimer.


    This scenario would be more or less similar to the current one, with the difference that the enemy would know where he was, but with ''controlled'' risks. So even though he was unhappy, Gavin felt he could handle the situation and was there under Abby''s command.


    ''Regardless of the outcome of the war Minos is fighting, we will continue to face the Saints Killing Sect until one of us is destroyed...'' He thought while the people in the vicinity of the underground tunnel they were in were also quiet.


    While Gavin was considering his situation and the future problem the Black Plain would face because of him, Abby was preparing her group.


    "The enemies should have 100 to 200 people on their side, more than two-thirds of them high-level Spiritual Emperors, more than half of what''s left, low-level Spiritual Saints. The rest should be mid-level Spiritual Saints, and maybe there are one or two high-level ones." She reminded her allies of this information the Black Plain Army had because of the recurring conflicts against such a terrorist group.


    Everyone heard that, but no one despaired beyond the level of fear they really should have at this point.


    The enemy group was stronger than theirs, even though they had the numbers in their favor. To get a sense, on the Black Plain group''s side were more than 2,000 cultivators, all above level 60. But even with those numbers, their forces were at a distinct disadvantage.


    After all, even if everything went right and they had the chance to eliminate the enemies, doing so was more complicated than it seemed. That is, a stronger enemy could escape the formation of the weaker ones and quickly kill several of them.


    That was how one could defeat a large group of opponents.


    Hence, the risks that these people would face were naturally high, and almost everyone there had a certain level of fear of what was about to happen.


    But they were not desperate!


    Some were like this because they had already become accustomed to being at a disadvantage against opponents due to the conflicts that Minos had led them into over the years. But others simply had confidence in their highest-level techniques.


    Most of these people had good techniques, which were not so easy to have even outside the northern region.


    That was because copies of techniques could be destroyed easily, and usually, the only ones who had the original scrolls were noble powers of this world. In other words, few had access to good-quality techniques.


    On the other hand, few could afford to buy copies of techniques or find such things in enemies'' spatial rings. And usually, they could not steal them because those who bought them typically had good powers on their side.


    Since Spiritual Saints were as common in the Western Empire as Spiritual Kings in the northern region before Minos, few of these mercenaries, usually humble individuals, had good techniques.


    They had no chance of even heard of people with Golden-grade techniques since even individuals like Harold rarely had more than one of them. As for those of Silver grade, those were possible to get, but most 8th-stage mercenaries would usually have one or two of them.


    What was left were the Black-grade ones, the most common techniques in the Spiritual World that defined the fighting proficiency of cultivators throughout such a world.


    The situation was so drastic that most people judged someone''s strength by considering they had techniques of this quality. That is, when sensing the power of a cultivator, many would compare such an individual to someone using Black-grade techniques.


    With that, Minos'' forces, which relied on several individuals with Silver-grade techniques, had a bit of hope against the enemy mercenaries.


    Given this reality, gleams of hope and will to win could be seen in the eyes of the people in Abby''s group, even as she quoted what the army expected from their opponents.


    ...


    In another part of the Black Plain Empire''s capital area...


    Gloria was with her group in another underground area as she talked about strategies and preparing for the conflict.


    "Our group is one of the strongest. So it''s our job to stop the opposing group''s medium and high-level Spiritual Saints." She said as she looked at some of the people from the Spiritual Church that Vogel''s post had sent as reinforcements.


    The Spiritual Church post in the capital of Vogel had a very high enmity with Abe''s terrorist group. So, as the enemy was not focusing so much on that area, that post sent people to support Dry City.


    There were no mid-level Spiritual Saints in that group. Still, there were a few hundred peak Spiritual Emperors, people with similar techniques who used to train together.


    They also had good techniques, so this group was even better than the Black Plain Army soldiers. Since there were Some Spiritual Saints there, it could be considered the strongest group left by Minos to deal with Abe.


    "We will use our 7th technique together to disrupt the enemies, while the Spiritual Saints will try beside me to immobilize the stronger opponents." Gloria looked from one side of the place she was standing, considering the similar characteristics of her group''s techniques.


    There was a possibility of combining techniques to improve their effects. So people with affinities could use this as an alternative to strengthen themselves in team confrontations.


    The Church had legions that specialized in identical techniques, so Gloria wisely wanted to use that as an advantage to destabilize enemies when they were attacked!


    "OK!" Almost all the experts there agreed with her. Among them, Louise, level 70, a member of the Spiritual Church from the Vogel outpost that Minos had brought into Gloria''s faction during his first time there.


    This woman had grown over the years because of Minos'' support. Thus, in this moment of need, she had come forward to support Dry City alongside other members of Gloria''s faction.


    With this, Minos'' city was prepared to face Abe with representatives from each of this territory''s allied powers.


    And so, while everyone was preparing, Abe received the message he had been waiting for!


    ...

 Chapter 1392 Hating Enemies

    Abe was currently in the vicinity of Dry City, about 40 kilometers from the core of the Black Plain Empire.


    At the place where he and his mercenaries were waiting for the signal indicating that Minos was fighting the Flaming Empire, 150 people were hiding in a secret tunnel.


    Such a place had been built by people from this terrorist group over the past months due to one of Abe''s alternative plans for Dry City.


    That former crown prince of Vogel had several plans in mind to overthrow Minos and complete his revenge against those who contributed to his downfall years ago.


    Among these plans was to invade Dry City underground, infiltrating Minos'' headquarters and causing chaos in such a place.


    But his plans had been changed due to the communication from the Saints Killing Sect, which had shown Abe a new possibility.


    So this fellow who was using multiple strategies, just like his opponent, was currently inside the tunnel under construction, waiting for the message from his men in the Flaming Empire.


    In that place that was so big that four adult humans could walk side by side, dozens of people were doing their daily activities.


    Some were cultivating, others guarding the entrances and exits of the tunnel. In contrast, others ate, meditated, and did various activities while waiting for their moment to act.


    Abe was one of these meditating ones, who, when the message he had been waiting for came, was startled by the shouts of the person responsible for receiving such communications.


    "Minos Stuart is fighting in the Flaming Empire!"


    "Get ready, everyone! The enemy leader is not in Dry City!" A woman''s voice reached the farthest reaches of that tunnel, alerting the 150 people there of this fact they had been expecting for weeks!


    Abe looked in the direction of that woman and smiled not long before he stood up and began to prepare to go to war.


    "Get ready! We''re leaving in 5 minutes!" He said for all the people there to hear him, eager to get his hands dirty with the blood of Minos'' friends and family.


    ''You bastard, today you will pay! I will deal with one of those wives of yours so you can feel the weight of defeat!'' Abe thought about this as he laughed, wondering how Minos would look if he lost one of these women.


    His goal was simple. Do as much damage to the Black Plain as possible. To do this, he had to affect Minos'' mindset somehow, which would be easier to accomplish by targeting one of those women.


    So this guy from the Vogel family was targeting one of the most critical people in Minos'' life, not just the local forces!


    Shortly after the previous shouts, all 150 individuals in that secret tunnel were armed and ready for battle.


    Then, they set off toward their opponents, returning to the surface!


    ...


    On the outer sides of Dry City''s belt of cities, the soldiers watching their surroundings had just noticed a change on the horizon.


    "Alert!"


    "Enemies ahead!" One of them fired the sound arrays, sending signals to alert everyone to the onset of the enemy attack.


    When the signals were repeated throughout that urban area, the many soldiers and allies hiding underground in the Dry City and belt of cities came out to the surface within minutes.


    Both sides hid underground but had no means of attacking the opponent through their secret tunnels. These places served only as temporary hiding places. Once it was time to fight, both sides would show everything they had, as was happening at the present moment.


    So, soon legions began to form in the skies above Dry City''s area of influence, with Abby, Ruth, and Gloria leading their respective groups.


    In one were the envoys from the Spiritual Church. In another were most of the members from the Gray Clouds Sect, and those coming from the Vogel area in the third group.


    This group in question had the most people with angry faces since many had suffered a lot in different ways because of Abe''s actions.


    For example, there were nobles in Vogel who were beginning to develop and have meaningful relationships with royalty that could give them a great future. But by the time they were experiencing such opportunities, Abe had destroyed their dreams by leading that family toward its own demise.


    Because of this, families thriving before House Vogel''s fall had totally lost their advantages, as since Minos took over Vogel, the strongest had been more privileged.


    Before, the royal family distributed power as it wished, favoring its interests only. But now, the Assembly of Vogel distributed power proportionally to the number of specialists, which favored the strongest, although it gave openings to lesser powers.


    So in a much more complex scenario for them to develop, these people who disliked Minos, but hated Abe much more, were there full of hate to confront such a person.


    They wanted revenge so badly that they would agree to help Minos if it meant harming Abe!


    And soon, this fellow from the old Vogel kingdom saw the hateful expressions of the opposing group amid the long-range attacks of the Dry City forces.


    Many cannons were being fired in the direction of the enemy group, which was flying towards the core of that city.


    But they had enough to protect themselves for the moment, so even someone at Abe''s level could get a little distracted in this early combat without incurring significant risks.


    ''Those damn traitors are here...'' Abe saw faces he knew from his time as Crown Prince of Vogel, remembering how many of them were his supporters in the past but were now fighting against him.


    "Good! Good that the traitors are here to pay for their crimes!" He said aloud, showing his people these enemies who needed to die along with the people of Minos.


    While these people of Vogel were estranged, looking hatefully at each other, Gloria and her harem sisters were adjusting their plans considering the opposing force.


    ''Two level 78 enemies; five level 77; seven level 75; and seventeen low-level Spiritual Saints...'' Gloria pondered as she noted the strength of her opponents.


    With her Golden-grade techniques, she could take on some of the strongest of these individuals, but she would have a tough time and probably would not be able to beat them on her own. Thus, upon noticing the number of high-level opponents, this level 71 redhead could not help but realize that this would be a difficult battle.


    ''But maybe that individual can do a lot of damage...'' She looked in the direction of Gavin, who she knew was one of the strongest in the Black Plain.


    Such a person did not have Golden-grade techniques like the core members of the Stuart family. But he had a compelling bloodline ability.


    It was not for nothing that his visual bloodline was called Eyes of Destruction!


    It really could destroy and threaten the world!


    Considering this, Gloria was hopeful that such an individual would lessen the burden of the situation for her and her allies.


    And just like that, the battle began!


    ...

 Chapter 1393 Battle 1

    Boom!


    Swooish!


    "Ahhhhhh!"


    Sounds of battle spread through the skies of Dry City as the two sides in the conflict began their battle.


    On one side, 150 individuals were attacking the other, with about 2,000 people, most of whom gathered in large groups to face their opponents.


    As for Abe''s side, most of these mercenaries did not even know each other until weeks ago. So they were naturally fighting individually.


    "Tsk!"


    "Worms, I''ll show you that numbers don''t matter. At the end of the day, only those with the strength themselves will be able to excel!" One of the more arrogant individuals in Abe''s group shouted as he attacked the group in front of him.


    He activated his Soul Avatar, causing a crystalline ''shadow'' to appear on top of his body, growing many meters upwards and sideways.


    Then, this ''shadow,'' which had similar contours to his, put its hands together and attacked with one of its offensive techniques.


    Then, strong spiritual waves broke from the space between its hands into the group of dozens of Spiritual Emperors in formation a few dozen meters away from it.


    ''Die, worms!''


    But as this level 75 opponent attacked the forces of Dry City, the members of the Spiritual Church present there began to act.


    Seraphim Avatar!


    Each of those low-level Spiritual Saints activated their 8th technique, causing ''shadows'' similar to the opponent''s to appear, except that they had large wings on their bodies.


    "Seraph Scream!" They shouted together as they flew over the area in a formation that their actions would add up without negatively affecting each other.


    Just like that, a powerful sound wave broke from the various Seraph Avatars, making the air seem to be vibrating like ocean waves towards that Western Empire expert.


    After sensing that, such an individual could not change the direction of his attack and felt that he would be hit by something powerful. ''Bloody worms! Banding together like cowards!'' He clenched his fists and pressed his teeth together as he looked toward the powerful spiritual ''waves'' coming against his avatar.


    Dimensional Slash!


    Swooish!


    One of the high-level Spiritual Saints on that battlefield made a horizontal movement toward the enemy ''waves'' about to hit his ally.


    His attack departed from the blade of his weapon, making a beam of spiritual energy fly horizontally toward that sound attack. Then, it made a tear in space, making the heavens tremble like a cut fabric.


    "Seraphim''s Wings!" The group of Church Spiritual Saints promptly changed their strategy, making their wings cover their bodies entirely as they huddled close together.


    Gloria then made her offensive move against that person!


    Seraphim Avatar: Angelic Domain!


    She felt her body ''shrinking'' as powerful energy concentrated inside her. Then, after contracting all of herself and going into a fetal position, she ''opened up'' fully, causing such energy to expand into a semitransparent sphere tens of meters in radius.


    When such a thing appeared on the battlefield, this woman''s enemies immediately felt as if the Natural Laws had suddenly weakened in their surroundings.


    It was as if something was suppressing them!


    Divine Light!


    Gloria did not stop there and promptly activated one of her offensive techniques. Such a move caused her avatar to bring its hands to the height of its forehead and then golden beams of energy to depart from there.


    As this happened, where the golden beams of light passed, the air boiled while the elements and gases in the atmosphere burned, leaving behind the characteristic smell of combustion.


    Sssss!


    "Holy cr..." That high-level Spiritual Saint felt the power of Gloria''s attack and raised his defenses, promptly setting aside his weaker allies and enemies to pay attention to this woman.


    Gloria might only be someone at level 71, but this man felt that if he did not take care of himself, he might be bothered by this woman!


    That would not be enough for his life to be at risk in one blow, but he noticed that she could threaten the life of a level 76 Spiritual Saint. Since the difference between him and someone of that level was not great, he could be injured, which could eventually spell calamity for him!


    Ancestral Shield!


    Vuup!


    ...


    Clang!


    "Ahhhhhh!"


    Shouts came from one of the soldier groups of the Black Plain Army, where 50 soldiers were at this instant facing a level 73 Spiritual Saint.


    The opponent''s avatar was powerful, and he could easily inflict mental and physical injuries on those people. So they had to fight at an absolute disadvantage in this place, and any distraction could mean the end of them!


    However, they were not helpless!


    "Diabolic Shield Formation!" Eduard, level 64, shouted as he led his companions, each using medium-level grade-3 arrays to form a giant shield around the group.


    They may be weaker in level than their opponents, but every member of Minos'' forces was armed to the teeth!


    They all had weapons and armor of the highest level they could use according to their limitations. But, at the same time, they all had one defensive and one offensive array, both of which were medium-level grade-3 ones.


    Fighting a battle consisted not only of using one''s own skills, talent, and understanding of spiritual techniques. It also consisted of how many crystals one had, that is, of the items in one''s possession.


    The enemies of Minos could be much richer, individually speaking, than the members of this fellow''s forces. But Emperor Stuart had access to a fortune that none of those people could ever imagine!


    With that, upon being pressured, Minos decided to show some of the financial might of the Black Plain Empire by arming all of his allies and soldiers with items of the highest level that they could use.


    And with that, even though level 60 to 64 individuals were fighting against level 70 to 73 people, they were enduring, defending themselves, and counterattacking!


    "Attack!" Elena Neel, level 64, shouted with all the force in her lungs as an army group, focused on attacking, activated their medium-level grade-3 arrays toward two level 73 opponents.


    "Demon''s Eye Formation!"


    A gigantic eye condensed in the middle of the formation of 50 soldiers led by Elena, while dark mist spread in its surroundings.


    It flashed in the direction of the Spiritual Saints, emitting trembling sensations to many in the surrounding area.


    "What the hell is that?"


    "That... That doesn''t look common!" Even the mid-level Spiritual Saints in the surroundings felt bad sensations coming from such a thing, as they saw part of Minos'' earnings from the God of Death''s inheritance.


    Minos had collected several items in that inheritance that did not need to be destroyed because of the Goddess of Life''s mission. Among those artifacts were the blueprints of this offensive array, which could be combined to form something compelling.


    Because of such a thing, one side of Abby had to see something of that evil cultivator''s group helping her cause by eliminating the first enemies of this battle!


    Zum!


    The space shook in the surroundings of those two Spiritual Saints, and then, as if invisible teeth had ''fallen'' on them, the two were shredded in a matter of seconds.


    Even their soul avatars were completely obliterated, leaving not a single remnant behind!


    ...

 Chapter 1394 Battle 2

    "Unbelievable!" The Spiritual Sage watching the area from afar, opened his eyes in surprise, seeing something so shocking on the battlefield.


    ''That spiritual array formation is not common!'' He sensed how complex that creation from one of the God of Death''s array masters was. ''How did they achieve such a thing?''


    But his curiosity was limited to asking himself questions and trying to understand how Minos achieved so many impressive things without appearing to have any significant support.


    This Spiritual Sage had been watching Minos for months. He had seen the ways of this young man''s forces, the development of local cities, and the techniques used by this empire''s high-level members. Thus, he had a good idea of how rich Emperor Stuart and this state were.


    Because of this, such a person was quite impressed with the wealth that Minos had obtained in a way that was so hard to identify that even he could not understand.


    ''Is that fate?'' He wondered. ''It is said that very talented people are sometimes favored by the Natural Laws as if they were children of heaven...''


    ''Could this be the case? Is he so lucky that he comes into contact with valuable things for no reason?'' He looked at the battlefield, where at the moment, thousands of hexagonal mirrors had purple chains going from one side to the other, attacking and saving people.


    In that part of the battlefield in the skies above Dry City, Abby was floating on Emlyn''s back, this level 66 Nine-tailed Fox.


    "Au! Au!"


    Emlyn howled with much of her strength, creating jets of spiritual energy in the direction of groups of high-level Spiritual Emperors.


    Some individuals of that strength range were still on the battlefield, supporting the Spiritual Saints fighting against the groups of local forces.


    Abe knew that Minos used the strategy of collective fighting to defeat higher-level enemies. So he was not only attacking the local forces with his experts. But also with individuals capable of distracting the many enemy groups while the specialists acted for the sake of their objectives.


    Hence, several of these individuals were still around the battlefield, fighting with all their might against opponents like that Nine-tailed Fox, who, from time to time, acted against them.


    But the focus of almost everyone there, not just the strongest, was to limit or take down the 8th-stage opponents, the ones who really had a chance of causing havoc in Dry City.


    "Kill her!" Abe shouted to his experts, seeing Ruth fighting a low-level Spiritual Saint far away from other relevant allies.


    When he heard that, the strongest Spiritual Saint in that group saw that level 67 woman and identified the enemy leader''s wife. Since he had already lost several subordinates to Minos'' forces and almost lost his body to the black hole, he did not hesitate to act!


    Even though she was such a weaker opponent than him, acting would not be wrong since her death could destabilize the mind of a powerful enemy.


    ''You will be the sacrifice for me to regain my honor!'' He thought as he activated his Spiritual Avatar and attacked in the direction of the black-haired woman, who was beside a Feathered Serpent.


    When the people in the surrounding area saw that, several local leaders shook with bad feelings, afraid that someone so important to Minos would get hurt on the battlefield.


    Someone like Minos could not be angered. He was the worst kind of individual to get angry at, someone incapable of forgetting and forgiving.


    Knowing this, these people were not only afraid because it would be a shame for something to happen to glorious Ruth but because Minos'' revenge would bring pain to everyone.


    With that, dozens of soldiers started flying towards her, ready to give their lives and save Minos'' sweet wife from the giant spiritual hand falling on her.


    "Impossible! You are too weak!" The level 78 Spiritual Saint arrogantly said while having one of his hands pressing against the air.


    "Sister!" Talia, level 68, who was also in Dry City to fight alongside Minos'' forces, screamed as she saw her sister being brutally attacked by the more powerful enemy.


    "Bastard Abe!" A nobleman from Vogel shouted as he charged toward that fellow, along with several other individuals from Minos'' forces, trying to get the enemy to stop the attack.


    But then, while Ruth seemed in a no-win situation, a terrifying sensation broke out from one of the individuals on the battlefield, drawing the attention of even the Spiritual Sage, who was watching the battle.


    When Gavin finally began to use his unique lineage, red energy began to spread from the surroundings, departing from his Spiritual Avatar.


    Then the large head of the avatar glowed at the height of his forehead until a large red eye appeared there, shining the skies below Dry City.


    Zum!


    With such a glow, the space in Gavin''s surroundings shook as if the space-time fabric was wrinkling until a ''space switch'' took place in that area.


    In the blink of an eye, Ruth and the Feathered Serpent at her side disappeared from where they were, appearing at the spot where Gavin was standing earlier. At the same time, this red-headed fellow appeared below where the enemy avatar''s hand was falling.


    "Come to be destroyed!" He shouted at the sight of that powerful attack as he put his hands up and directed large fractions of his energies to the center of his forehead.


    By the time the enemy realized what was happening, it was too late for the level 78 Spiritual Saint to do anything about Gavin''s movement.


    Even though he felt it would not be advisable to touch the enemy''s Spiritual Avatar, he could not stop his movement. So, his own avatar''s hand crashed into the opponent''s.


    At that decisive moment, everyone paid attention in their direction, even Abe, who was in a mortal fight against enemies, seeing that person''s prowess.


    ''Who is this? Where the hell did Minos get this guy from?'' Abe wondered as he saw the red eye on Gavin''s forehead glow once again.


    When the shock finally happened, causing shock-generated energy waves to destabilize the flight of hundreds of people in the local skies, Gavin''s act took effect.


    He suffered immensely in this blow, but his innate ability did not fail him, triggering a powerful reaction.


    Destruction!


    The enemy''s Spiritual Avatar managed to push Gavin back a few meters during the initial shock. But while he was at a disadvantage, this red-headed man made the semi-transparent being attacking him tremble as cracks appeared in that giant hand.


    Along with those cracks, such a being stopped pressing Gavin so hard, while screams emerged from the position of that level 78 Spiritual Saint''s physical body.


    "Ahhhhhhhhh!" He expressed the pain of having his soul hurt by a high-level attack made by a skill specialized in complex mental attacks.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    But Gavin also felt the weight of the enemy''s hand, suffering several injuries to his soul, given that he had his avatar attacked by another, but also to his physique.


    When he was ''slapped'' by the enemy''s spiritual hand, this fellow held on for a short time until he had his body thrown toward the ground.


    As his Spiritual Avatar disappeared, he crashed into a four-story building in a part of Dry City, destroying that place completely!


    ...

 Chapter 1395 Battle 3

    When Gavin hit his back on the ground, he felt a terrible pain in his body, as if every bone had broken at that moment.


    Meanwhile, the ruins of the building below him were falling, devastated by receiving this individual''s body.


    "Ahhhhhhhh!" He continued screaming in pain on the ground, ignoring the few people in the surroundings of that building, looking at him as if he were a monster.


    But that was just the natural thing to happen. A level 71 Spiritual Saint like Gavin usually had such a hard body that in a collision between them and a stony mountain, it would be easier to destroy the mountain than the body!


    Even Spiritual Emperors could destroy mountains with their powers. So it would not be an expert so much stronger than it that it would be fragile to die from such a ''simple'' collision.


    But it was undeniable that the pain felt in such a situation was not small!


    And with that, Gavin suffered while his opponent in the skies forgot about his existence because of his own problems.


    "Ahhhhhhhh!" Such a level 78 Spiritual Saint trembled in pain as he stopped paying attention to the battlefield. ''Bastard!''


    ''Who was that vermin? How did someone so slippery appear in this place?'' Such a person wondered, but his spiritual ''pain'' headache was so intense that he could not even scan the battlefield in search of the fallen opponent.


    Secret Flame Technique!


    Sssss!


    A level 73 Spiritual Saint from the Dry City group, someone from the Flaming Empire, activated his offensive technique toward the strongest opponent of his group.


    When he did so, the skies combusted as if they had turned into a great boiling cauldron.


    Such a thing immediately began to affect the confused opponent, who barely kept up with the battles in the surrounding area.


    ''He''s vulnerable right now, so even someone of my level can hurt him...'' This Gray Clouds Sect expert thought to himself as he raised his hands and made the surrounding flames grow stronger.


    "Stop him!" Abe shouted to the other high-level Spiritual Saints in the surroundings, feeling that this battle would not have a good outcome if he lost his strongest men.


    He might have the resources to hire mercenaries from the Western Empire. Still, it was not easy to bring people from that state, and over time, it would become more difficult for him to do such a thing. After all, rumors would spread no matter how many guilds and mercenaries there were in that empire!


    So to avoid running the risk of one day having no one to turn to, this guy did not want to lose his mercenaries until all the possibilities were used!


    With that, the other high-level Spirit Saints, who knew that if that man fell, they would be next, began to scramble to free themselves from the enemy formations.


    "Die, you insects!" One of them shouted. At the same time, he displayed all his prowess, causing the many spiritual ''bonds'' around his body to begin to crack while the enemies trying to restrain him suffered.


    "Stand firm!" Mirya, level 64, shouted as she joined that group of individuals trying to suppress the enemy.


    Besides her, Ivory was at the center of their formation, holding the main array of this restraint method they were using.


    Unfortunately, even though there was a lot of power there, that level 77 individual managed to break free at the end after using almost 80% of his powers at once.


    Boom!


    The many arrays in those people''s hands exploded just before that man looked at his enemies and swiftly attacked, trying to claim all those lives.


    "Die, you bastards!" He shouted in hatred as he attacked in the direction of those people, seeing that the remnant of his attacks could help the level 78 ally suffering a few hundred meters away.


    With that, gigantic blades of energy departed from this individual''s avatar weapon, destroying whatever was in his path, cultivators, and defensive artifacts.


    Swooish!


    Clash!


    "Ahhhhhhhh!"


    Vuup!


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    Arms were snatched away like sheets of paper being cut. Yet, at the same time, some people met their end without even expressing physical pain.


    One of the people closest to Minos on this battlefield met their end this way!


    When trying to defend herself against the enemy''s ''mad'' attack, Mirya had no luck, and her defenses could not stop such a person''s powerful purple blade.


    Such a thing struck the center of her body vertically, slicing it in two halves without leaving her express pain on her face.


    When that happened, the two halves of Mirya''s body fell from the skies, causing blood to splatter the streets below where she was fighting earlier.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    "Ahhhhhhhhhh!" Citizens hiding in the rubble, or whole buildings in those areas, screamed in terror as they saw the gruesome end of yet another local expert.


    "Ahhhhhhhh! Mother! NOOOOOO! MOTHER!" Viola saw this from across the battlefield and screamed in terror, seeing the end of the most important person in her life happen right before her.


    When she saw that and flew towards her mother, Viola, level 61, left the offensive formation of her group, weakening it, unwittingly making things easier for the enemy.


    "Viola, no!" Grace, level 61, also in that group, shouted upon seeing her army mate''s inconsequential action.


    But it was too late. By the time Viola left the formation, the level 77 enemy had managed to find a way to escape the many attacks coming his way.


    At that moment, he activated one of his most powerful mental attacks, causing a pulse to explode in the center of the area where hundreds of individuals were trying to restrain him.


    Then, many low-level Spiritual Emperors using offensive arrays in that group were attacked mercilessly, with several dying without leaving a trace behind.


    But like Mirya''s group, some suffered only severe blows, losing parts of their bodies while fainting from the severe pain.


    Thus, what would be remembered in the future as a rain of bodies began in the skies of Dry City, with many soldiers and allies of Minos falling, but also some terrorists from Abe''s group.


    Simultaneous to this, several of the high-level enemies acted to save their level 78 ally, even if they had to suffer greatly to do so.


    Getting rid of so many opponents that were using medium-level grade-3 arrays was no trivial task. Thus, each of these individuals had sacrificed large portions of their strength to help the strongest mercenary in the group.


    With this, while trying to save such a person from the sea of flames, they naturally got seriously injured, creating opportunities for the most clever individuals in Minos'' forces.


    Invisible Hands!


    Giant skeletal hands appeared in the surroundings of one of the level 77 Spiritual Saints who had escaped his opponents, squeezing such a person as if to squeeze an orange.


    "That''s the time to die!" The user of that technique shouted in pure hatred, feeling that he should kill the person who had knocked Ivory out!


    No one knew if she was alive or dead. Still, in this instant, Ivory was lying in a part of the battlefield, with part of her body severed by the previous purple blades!


    As someone sent by Lance to protect this woman, that level 72 Spiritual Saint acted with everything he could to finish off such an enemy!


    While all that happened, Dillian flew over the battlefield searching for the most needed experts.


    ...

 Chapter 1396 Battle 4

    Dillian and his team of doctors were also on the battlefield. Still, they were operating around the less dangerous corners of the area, constantly stopping by the fallen bodies on the ground.


    Grade-3 doctors, like the ones around the battlefield, could help the wounded with less trouble get back into the fight quickly. But not only that. It was important to get the treatment done as quickly as possible to ensure a faster recovery or at least the survival of the members of the local forces.


    So Dillian and his grade-3 colleagues flew over the area, searching for bodies still alive while trying not to get involved in the fighting.


    Dillian saw many bodies below where he was flying over, looking for people to help, regretting what he saw.


    Not only was it terrible to see parts of this city destroyed by war, but seeing people he knew brutally killed was something terrible.


    "Mirya..." He lamented as he saw the state of that person who had been with the Black Plain since the first years of Minos there, even before the War of Independence.


    But this man''s lament was not only because this woman was a companion who helped the Black Plain to develop. It was also because she was Minos'' friend and one of the few people who had access to this ruler.


    Minos would be extremely sad and furious when he found out about such a thing, so Dillian could only deeply regret the situation of that woman, who he could no longer help.


    But he could not stay focused on the dead and soon went back to looking for other people who could receive his help.


    He then saw Viola''s body lying face down on the ground, in one of the rubble not far from Mirya''s remains.


    Dillian clenched his fists and flew quickly to this woman, hoping to save at least her.


    ''Come on! Be strong! Don''t die without a fight!'' He shouted in his mind as he landed beside her and began to check this woman''s condition.


    But even though he was a doctor who was at level 65, near the peak of low-level grade-3 classification, this man with a black mustache could do nothing against a soulless body!


    When trying to figure out the problem with Viola, this doctor could not identify her soul, something that only corpses demonstrated!


    ''She''s already dead...'' He profoundly sighed as he felt a tightness in his chest upon discovering that mother and daughter had died on this battlefield.


    "Damn it!"


    "How did this happen?" He shouted in a fury as the sounds of battles made themselves present in the area he was in, as well as the sounds of pain and cries of the innocents watching the area.


    When Viola went to her mother in despair, such a green-haired woman ended up hindering her group, which was restraining a high-level Spiritual Saint. As a result of her actions, that individual attacked such people with a powerful mental attack, which victimized not only her but several individuals in such a group.


    In this way, before she could even get close to her mother to cry for her loss, Viola had had her soul obliterated by the enemy attack.


    "Ahhhhhhhh!" A shout caught Dillian''s attention, indicating a person still alive near where he was standing.


    With that, such a man soon left Viola''s body behind, focusing on rescuing someone who could still be helped.


    When he arrived at where those cries were coming from, this man immediately came across two people¡ªa low-level Spiritual Emperor from the army and Ivory, who was unconscious.


    He came across this and hesitated, not knowing who he should help first.


    Dillian could not save both of them simultaneously since he did not have the skills to do so. Thus, as he had to choose, he made an ugly expression and regretted this situation once again.


    "Forgive me, but I must see her condition first." He said in a low voice, embarrassed but certain that trying to save an allied Spiritual Saint was more important than a Spiritual Emperor of his own organization.


    He then began to check on that woman''s situation while the individual in the Black Plain Army uniform cried in pain on their side.


    Dillian then verified that, although badly wounded, her soul weakened, and missing one of her legs, Ivory could still be saved!


    So he quickly began to use his abilities to heal her body, first stopping the bleeding while trying to ''nourish'' her soul a little.


    He would not do all the procedures necessary to heal her right now since she would probably need days to do it. Furthermore, Spiritual Saints could rebuild parts of their bodies when fully rested. That way, there was no sense in him exhausting himself to recover that lost limb.


    But once she awoke, this doctor would quickly make Ivory swallow some pills for her to quickly regain her strength.


    They needed to keep fighting, so doctors like Dillian would use pills made by the army alchemists to boost these wounded allies.


    That did not do well for cultivators since resting and not using such resources after serious injuries were ideal. But in a moment of need, they had no alternative but to use all available possibilities!


    Thus, Dillian soon did the preliminary work with Ivory, luckily having managed to attract another doctor to his location to help the agonizing soldier there.


    When Ivory awoke from her unconscious state with Dillian''s help, this man made her swallow the said pills, which quickly began to take effect.


    "Uh?" She looked bewilderedly at Dillian, seeing rays of light behind this man in the skies of Dry City.


    At the same time that her vision was a little blurred, the sounds of battles seemed to generate a powerful earache and headache in this woman. "What''s happening?" She asked, not quite understanding where she was.


    "Ivory, you are in the middle of a battle in Dry City. Our men need you!" Dillian said to her, holding the shoulders of this beautiful blonde woman, who was dirty with blood and dirt at the moment.


    She looked at him strangely for a few moments but soon began to remember what had happened before she lost consciousness.


    Ivory then looked at one of her legs and saw the consequence of the blow she had suffered earlier.


    Gulp!


    Her heart beat faster as, for the first time, she had lost part of her body in battle!


    Pa!


    But then, Dillian slapped her in the face, bringing this woman back to reality. "Wake up! Time to fight!" He shouted at her, pointing to the skies, where bodies were falling all the time while battles that would go down in history were taking place in that area.


    This woman saw this and remembered her purpose in this place, to fight and defend Dry City!


    So, after a few seconds, she flew back to the battlefield in the local skies while Dillian went back to looking for people to help in this chaotic place full of ills.


    ...

 Chapter 1397 Battle 5

    As Ivory returned to the battlefield in the skies of Dry City, more than half of Abe''s group had already been eliminated in the last 30 minutes of combat.


    Most of the more than 80 mercenaries killed until now were Spiritual Emperors. But more than a dozen Spiritual Saints, including a level 77 one, had died in this confrontation.


    On the other hand, the group defending Dry City had significantly suffered to achieve these results, with over 300 individuals perishing to eliminate so few opponents.


    Many soldiers from the Black Plain Army were among the fatalities of the confrontation. Still, there were also individuals from other areas of the northern region and even from Vogel and the Flaming Empire among the dead.


    In addition to those who had lost their lives up to the present moment, there were hundreds of severely wounded individuals lying in the surroundings of the Black Plain and satellite cities. They were in agony or passed out while waiting for help from local doctors.


    But there were no wounded to that condition on the enemy group. After all, when any of them were in this state, members of the local forces would not miss the opportunity to attack them with force and end these lives quickly.


    But even though the numbers of both sides had fallen to about half of their original, the battles continued in the skies of Dry City.


    Amongst those fighting, Abe was still standing, although quite tired and with several wounds all over his body.


    The Spiritual Sage of the Eastern Empire was there to prevent this individual''s death, but that did not mean he would prevent every kind of confrontation that Abe would go through. And in this way, this former Vogel heir was naturally quite wounded and weakened after facing so many individuals who hated him strongly.


    On the other hand, Abby, Ruth, and Gloria were still fighting, the first two quite tired, given their levels. At the same time, the Matriarch of the Spiritual Church still had sparks of strength to actively use in battle.


    But they had all gained wounds, battle marks to remind themselves of the risks they took on this fateful day.


    Abe and his men had tried to act against each of them, tried to press them in a way that risked their lives, as was Abe''s goal.


    But acting against them was not easy given how strong they were, but also the conviction of Minos'' allies that they could not let the worst happen to these women.


    So, even though he tried a little bit of everything, Abe could not cause more than danger to those women. Unfortunately for him, he has reached this point of the battle without knowing how to eliminate at least one of them.


    His strongest cultivators could not kill any of them now. That was because they had suffered a lot after Gavin''s attack, which caused several of them to risk themselves for the sake of the level 78 individual. That had ended many members of Minos'' forces but also weakened many of the stronger cultivators in Abe''s group.


    As a result, some level 77 Spiritual Saints had perished, leaving only two left at this moment, alongside that level 78 individual who was highly injured.


    ''That person we didn''t expect did all this! It was because of him that my plans were so messed up!'' Abe complained in his mind, looking in the direction where Gavin was standing next to the Dry City allies.


    Gavin had received similar treatment to Ivory, been awakened by a doctor, and ingested several pills to get him back on his feet.


    Because of this, even with several broken and fractured bones, this individual fought alongside his comrades!


    Unfortunately for Abe, his group underestimated the usefulness of doctors and alchemists, so his most seriously injured were suffering from their conditions, while Minos'' side had such an alternative.


    "You''ll regret this, you bastard!" Abe shouted in Gavin''s direction, having already identified this individual as someone from the Saints Killing Sect.


    "You''re from that organization, right? Your eyes are just like those bastards'' eyes." Abe yelled as he looked at the circular patterns around Gavin''s eyes.


    Abe did not know what the third eye on Gavin''s forehead was. Still, the eyes with circular patterns around the pupils were a mark of the lineage of one of the families of that sect. In this way, this terrorist knew a method of threatening his opponent.


    "I''ll give you back everything you''ve caused us today, you worm! I''ll make that sect hunt you down! You must be on the run, huh? Hahaha."


    Gavin ignored that, already knowing he would end up attracting such people one way or another, turning his attention to the enemies still fighting.


    ''We''re starting to run out of energy...'' He pondered this as he saw that those still fighting on the Dry City side were getting increasingly tired.


    As much as the enemies were also wearing out and had their low points, their side would be more vulnerable if they ran out of spiritual energy. After all, most of them were just Spiritual Emperors, while the opposing side had more Spiritual Saints than 7th-stage cultivators on their side at the moment.


    Knowing this situation, Gavin was beginning to get nervous, feeling that the situation in Dry City could get even worse as this conflict developed!


    Minos'' wives were also aware of this, seeing how the opponents seemed to be saving themselves to expend their final energies when the battle was ''already'' decided.


    "What are we going to do?" Abby asked, feeling powerless to fight, given that she had the lowest cultivation of all Minos'' wives.


    Ruth was also almost out of fighting condition and looked to Gloria, hoping that such a woman had some way of creating the advantage they needed.


    The Dry City group was slowly taking the upper hand in this conflict. Still, they were in danger of running out of energy before that happened. So they needed to find a way to get a victory before their time was up!


    "I don''t know," Gloria replied. "Besides using the Spiritual Kings in Dry City, we don''t have much else at our disposal."


    They had plenty of Spiritual Kings at their disposal to participate in this conflict. But if these people entered the battlefield, the risk of many dying would not be small. That was why they had not been used so far so that the state would not lose future Spiritual Emperors who were about to be ''born.''


    But in this decisive situation, Gloria could only think of this alternative as she saw that the opponents were preparing to move in a few moments.


    "You will not be able to survive today!" Abe said, full of malice in his voice, preparing to make his group''s last move before their retreat.


    With that comment of his, his group began to show the last strength they had. At the same time, the opposing side could no longer demonstrate its prowess efficiently.


    "Initiate the emergency plan!" Gloria shouted in a sound array, giving the orders for the peak Spiritual Kings to move to help the main forces at this decisive moment.


    But then, when thousands of individuals were showing themselves on the outskirts of Dry City, and enemy Spiritual Saints were acting against Minos'' wives, a shadow appeared on the battlefield!


    ...

 Chapter 1398 End Of The Battle

    When a large shadow appeared in the skies of Dry City, everyone on the battlefield felt cold in their souls at the sensation emitted by what had just been released.


    In that place above where most people were fighting, a large dark region devoid of light had emerged from the hands of a brown-haired man.


    "Minos!" Abe saw his enemy from afar as he opened his mouth and eyes wide, cursing his luck while wondering why such a person was there.


    Fortunately for the survivors on that battlefield, by the time the message from Abe''s mercenaries reached this fellow, Minos had already finished fighting in the Flaming Empire. At that moment, he was running toward Dry City, using the teleportation ports on his way between that empire and this one.


    Thus, Minos had arrived a few moments ago in Dry City and promptly picked up one of the black holes in his headquarters before coming to the battlefield.


    He realized that his city was still under attack due to the alerts ringing in the headquarters, which made him follow such a strategy, picking up one of the Black Hole Bombs in one of the cultivation rooms in that place.


    When he released the black hole of such a device in that area, a significant space of darkness immediately appeared in the skies, along with the creepy feeling that such a fusion of techniques had.


    In this way, he reached the present moment when everyone on the battlefield in the local skies felt the terror of the black hole that Minos had developed to deal with Abe.


    But only the enemies were slowly beginning to feel the torment of that thing, as Minos used Chaotic Gravity to take the lives of those individuals.


    That black hole was already too powerful for someone at Minos'' level to manipulate beyond changing its position and protecting himself from it. So he was not manipulating it now, just standing nearby while using his techniques on the surrounding enemies.


    The allies and forces of this sovereign saw his arrival and finally let out sighs of relief, knowing that with Minos there, it would all be over.


    "Now I can rest..." Emlyn lay on one of the streets below the battlefield, all wounded, with several cuts on her large body.


    Meanwhile, Kyla had done well on the battlefield and was already at her mother''s side, licking the wounds of this great Nine-tailed Fox. "Big brother will take care of everything, mother." She said in her spiritual voice.


    On the other hand, Abby and Ruth retreated, returning along with almost all members of Minos'' forces fighting in this place after seeing him.


    Minos was so powerful next to his black hole that all the enemies had forgotten about their previous opponents to try to protect themselves from the local leader.


    They were tired, and it would not be easy to deal with even these surviving opponents. So it would not be in this situation they would divide their attention.


    Therefore, every Spiritual Emperor and Spiritual Saint allied with Minos felt a great relief after his arrival, many relaxing and beginning to feel the weight of their injuries.


    "Ouch!" Gavin made an ugly expression as he sat in a semi-destroyed plaza on the outskirts of one of the satellite cities of Dry City while watching in Minos'' direction.


    At that moment, Emperor Stuart was drawing all of his enemies toward the black hole as his Devouring Art sucked their energies out.


    Due to how decisive the action of these techniques was, almost all the survivors suffered as they flew towards that area devoid of illumination.


    Only the strongest Spiritual Saints were somewhat managing to resist the effects of these techniques, flying more slowly towards the final destination that Minos intended these enemies to have.


    ''Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!'' Abe saw his plans go down the drain and felt hate, once again in this situation where he would depend on outside help.


    "Abe, the next time we see each other like this, you will meet your end!" Minos shouted at that opponent, as some of his opponents lost their lives as the black hole behind him swallowed them.


    Minos had no hope of eliminating this nuisance today, so he was leaving his expectations for the subsequent encounter with that opponent.


    "We''ll see who dies first, you bastard!" Abe shouted just before a hand emerged from a spatial crack and saved him from Minos'' clutches.


    The Spiritual Sage coming from the Eastern Empire also saved two of the strongest Spiritual Saints in Abe''s group before leaving the rest for Minos.


    For another day, he had ensured that the conflicts in this area would continue to cover his group''s searches through the region!


    ''Next time, what will he have?'' This expert looked in Gavin''s direction, sensing that this card up Minos'' sleeve had been responsible for today''s ''victory.''


    Then, who would be next?


    He did not know, but he left the area to continue watching Abe from afar, leaving behind Minos'' unfortunate enemies, who would soon meet their own end.


    Each of them was then mercilessly devoured by the third black hole in this city, which had attained enough power to put itself even threatening Spiritual Sages.


    Unfortunately, Minos was far from the level needed to control such a thing to the point where he could threaten the enemy Spiritual Sage.


    In the end, he stored such a thing in the previous array, which could not hold it for long if he continued ''fattening up'' such a region of space.


    Minos then turned his attention to the surroundings of the battlefield, seeing several destroyed spots around that large metropolis. At the same time, cries of pain and weeping could be heard from different corners of the capital and belt of cities, showing this fellow how terrible today had been.


    Bodies could be seen over tens of square kilometers, many totally destroyed, to the point that only a few internal organs were left. But in addition to the pieces of bodies over the large area, several whole corpses could be seen here and there.


    Minos saw this, and even though he did not first identify those he knew best, this fellow knew that the news would not be easy today.


    With such calamity and looks of mourning and lamentation in the eyes of the survivors, it was not difficult to predict that important people had perished in the face of this terrible enemy.


    He then saw Gloria approaching him while the rest of his women were receiving help from local doctors on the capital''s outskirts.


    "I''m sorry for the delay." He said to his wife. "I got here as fast as I could."


    Gloria knew there was no way she could blame Minos for anything and hugged him tightly, feeling safe being close to her man. "I''m glad you''re here. I don''t know what would have happened if you hadn''t arrived at that instant."


    The same thing that was in Gloria''s mind was in the heads of thousands of Spiritual Kings who had been saved from fighting in this place moments ago.


    Minos could imagine that and sighed, knowing that things had been quite challenging.


    He then asked. "Do you know what we lost today?"


    ...

 Chapter 1399 The Prize Of War

    "We lost more than I can recognize..." Gloria replied as she flew with her husband to Abby and Ruth. "But Mirya is dead." She said since she had seen from afar when the enemy blow had sliced that woman.


    Upon hearing that, Minos stopped, and his expression became still, with him looking at his wife''s face as if asking if this was serious.


    She then said, knowing that Mirya was an important companion to Minos. "A high-level Spiritual Saint under the restrictions created by her group became desperate to help our level 78 opponent. In doing so, he managed to free himself from the restraints holding him down and killed most of our men and allies in that group."


    "That''s how she was killed."


    Minos heard this, feeling terrible that one of the people close to him had perished, even more so considering his relationship with that woman.


    Mirya was one of the women Minos had known the longest and had had many experiences with her over the years. So to find out that this person he had been with days ago had suddenly died was extraordinarily shocking and heavy for him.


    "Damn it!"


    "How did that happen?" He clenched his fists in anger, feeling it was his fault.


    Minos did not love Mirya, as he loved his wives. But he had a particular affection for that woman and others with whom he often connected.


    In that way, losing Mirya was not like losing an ordinary soldier but like losing an important family member!


    "It''s not your fault, darling!" Gloria hugged him while also feeling bad. "The enemy has been terrorizing our forces. He wants to destroy our way of life and make us doubt our paths. But we are doing our best!"


    Minos knew this and remained silent, feeling the warmth of his wife''s body as he mourned Mirya''s demise.


    But that would not be his only loss of the day. Soon after meeting with Ruth and Abby, Minos heard from these women about Viola, Angela, and other soldiers he had recruited over the years. Unfortunately, several of them had died on this terrible day, and their deaths had already been reported to Dillian and these women.


    So they told the most famous names they knew to Minos, giving him a flood of bad news.


    After finding out about all their losses, Minos fell into a state of contemplation, trying to process everything that had happened.


    ''Damn, so many people died!'' He tried to understand how his plan had failed. Even mid-level Spiritual Emperors had perished when they fought in formations that were supposed to give their enemies a lot of trouble.


    ''Did I risk too much?'' He wondered as he looked up at the orange sky of Dry City on this lousy late afternoon.


    But Minos knew that he would get the support of the Gray Clouds Sect in the short term, or he would have to put up with Abe''s offenses for a few years.


    But putting up with that guy''s terrorist attacks for years would be terrible for local development, considering the threats from higher-level forces that might look down on this place in the future.


    As one became stronger and wealthier, it was only natural that others of the same or similar status would begin to watch them. And with that would come dangers and tests, things that served to tell outside forces whether that place was to be taken or respected.


    If right now the Black Plain Empire was prevented from developing at its best pace, perhaps that state would not be prepared for the challenges of the future!


    That was what bothered Minos, so he could not help but conclude that he needed to continue with his strategy of bringing the forces of the Grey Clouds Sect to the Black Plain.


    ''I only lack one more battle in that state, and I will be able to make the main attack on the enemy headquarters.'' He concluded such a thing as he considered the black holes he had already developed in that area in a conflict between the Saints Killing Sect and the Gray Clouds Sect.


    ''The damned Abe probably won''t be able to act against me for a few weeks after today. So I have to make that last attack, preferably in the next few days, so as not to risk another day like this.'' He clenched his fists, imagining when he could eliminate his enemy.


    Thus, that day of battles ended in Dry City, with the main survivors returning to the interior of this great capital city. At the same time, low-level soldiers began to clean up the affected areas.


    The citizens in the safe areas were also cleared to return to the streets, many heading out into the affected areas to see the destruction wrought by the previous conflict.


    After this day, they would return to their daily activities, participating in the local economic life, repairing what was destroyed, and trying to overcome possible losses.


    As for those killed in battle, they would soon have their funeral, with the deserved honors of someone who died fighting.


    Death was everyone''s final destination, a sad reality for those who were left behind and would never see certain people again.


    But dying in battle was war''s thankless prize, the way to immortalize oneself in the annals of a state''s history.


    Many of the survivors of this conflict would eventually be


    forgotten, but people like Mirya and Viola will long be remembered!


    That was the way of living to honor their warriors, as Minos and his family would do with those who gave their lives for the future of the Black Plain Empire.


    Anyway, with the retreat of all involved, it did not take long for the local leadership to discover what losses they had to overcome on this day of attack!


    ...


    While Minos was being updated on the numbers and identities of the dead for Abe Vogel''s terrorists, Elen Nash''s cousin, Luke Nash, level 62, was living in the Western Empire.


    But as someone his age, who was not relevant in his sect, this fellow occasionally went on missions as a mercenary in this state, something that had once again led him to one of these guilds on this day.


    But upon entering the building of one of the guilds that he knew best in the city where the Elemental Sect was, this fellow faced a somewhat unusual situation.


    When looking at the mission mural in the central hall of this place, this blond man from Stone Island found several posters about the same kind of mission. One mission that was demanding for high-level Spiritual Emperors and Spiritual Saints of any level.


    But what caught his attention was not the demands of this mission but the fact that it was supposed to be done far away from the empire, in the northern region of the Central Continent!


    ''Whose mission will this be? Is it Minos'' thing?'' Luke wondered, remembering that his family was deeply connected to this fellow from the Black Plain.


    Since he had not received news from his home in ages, he was curious and decided to ask for help.


    "Senior Holt? Hello? Are you there?" He said into his short-range instant communication array.


    After a few seconds, a voice came from the device in Luke''s hands. "What is it, Luke? Is something wrong?"


    "Sort of. I want help communicating with my family in the northern region..."

 Chapter 1400 Unexpected Communication

    Three weeks later...


    After Abe''s previous attack, the Black Plain Empire accounted for all its losses and held a large funeral in memory of those lost.


    Afterward, the local forces continued their usual activities, returning to training and defending important posts against Abe''s terrorist group.


    That happened even though the enemy did not attack during this period since there was no way for the local forces to know in advance when the subsequent attacks would take place, and it would be better to be safe than sorry.


    But while Minos'' forces were trying to return to their routine, this sovereign had gone again to the Flaming Empire and finished preparing for the attack against the enemy headquarters.


    He intended to attack the headquarters of the Saints Killing Sect with full force soon. So he had already made all the preparations before leaving that state last time.


    Minos had taken advantage of the low moment in the terrorist forces on the Black Plain to make such a move, acting when his state was assured that it would not suffer. With that, he had made it back without any problems, and now he was just waiting for the best time to act for one last time in that state.


    His next trip would take much longer since he would be attacking a place he did not even know. Thus, he needed to do something to ensure the safety of his city and people before he left, which was preventing him from acting at the moment.


    So he had been leading his life on the Black Plain until someone from the Nash family communicated with him!


    ...


    Dry City Mausoleum, the core of the capital of the Black Plain Empire...


    In this place built to honor the warriors of the empire, especially the soldiers of the Black Plain Army, Minos was at this moment sitting in front of two tombs.


    If one were to see him in that area that looked like a large corridor in the basement of the mausoleum, one would see several imperial guards standing nearby. Each of them was dressed in silver armor, which had the symbol of a golden tree on their right chest.


    They held their swords in their grips as they looked around, on guard because the feeling of the place was rather frightening.


    Minos had helped build this place during the Black Plain''s rise and enlarged it after all the trials his state had gone through. Because of the evolution of his killing intent to the Dark Sea and the fact that he visited this place often, this construction had gained some of the characteristics of this ability.


    Minos constantly visited his dead since the formation of the Black Plain as an independent state, both to remember and renew his revenge promises.


    He always visited the graves of Pyke, Dumas, Lack, and more recently Virtus, and now Angela, Mirya, and Viola.


    Minos had even ordered the construction of a tomb for his father. Unfortunately, Albert had sacrificed himself, and there was nothing to put in that place.


    In any case, this emperor did not forget his dead and made it a point to visit the graves of those closest to him every time he had the opportunity.


    Because of this, his revenge and the strange sensations of the mausoleum remained intense.


    That''s why his guards were partially on alert at the moment, while the darkness of this young man''s soul skill strengthened this place and intensified his will.


    ''There will come a day when you can take revenge on your opponents in the other world...'' Minos looked at Mirya''s name, which was next to a portrait of what she looked like in her prime, something all the tombs in this place had.


    As he thought about it, the darkness in the surroundings seemed to tremble as if something might happen at any moment. But that was all, and it caused only an uncomfortable feeling in those besides Minos.


    But even though this place was scary, a low-level army soldier suddenly ran down that long dark corridor, lit only by a few torches.


    "Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" He shouted as he saw Minos from afar, alerting all the imperial guards to draw their weapons in his direction.


    Minos turned to see who was disturbing him and saw that young man slowing down his speed in fear. Still, such a person continued on his way while making a calm gesture to those Spiritual Emperors.


    Gavin, who was also with Minos and the guards there, was the only calm one besides this sovereign, as he really liked the atmosphere of this place.


    He was not a guard of Minos, but he often walked with this emperor in his spare time when they had time to talk.


    He then looked at that level 45 young man carrying a communicator in one of his hands and asked. "What do you want? Who is contacting His Majesty?"


    The young man saw that fellow, who was supposedly the second strongest of the empire''s forces, and swallowed his saliva. He then said. "Senior, the supreme elder of the Nash family, Richard Nash, is on the other end of the line, asking to speak to His Majesty."


    Minos heard this and remembered the face of Elen''s father, soon becoming curious about what that man wanted with him. It should be important since Richard had chosen to use an expensive medium-level grade-3 communicator that such an emperor had given to that family.


    He continued to sit in front of Mirya and Viola''s tombs but showed one of his hands to the young man, indicating that he could approach.


    The imperial guards returned to their waiting positions while Gavin stood watching that young Spiritual General, still next to Minos but full of curiosity.


    "Hmm, thank you." Minos said to that young man as he took the device in his hands and brought it to one of his ears while holding another near his mouth.


    "Richard? Are you still there?" He asked as he kept his eyes closed.


    "Your Majesty, I am here." The gruff voice of Elen''s father came near one of Minos'' ears, coming from that device that had an array capable of maintaining instant communication between Stone Island and the Black Plain.


    "What''s the problem? Has something come up in your area?" He asked, soon after being answered. "No, Your Majesty. Actually, this connection is not related to the situation in our region, but something that has just come to my attention related to Luke."


    "Luke?" Minos made a strange expression and opened his eyes, remembering that fellow he faced on his first passage through Stone Island. "What about him? I heard he''s in the Western Empire..."


    "Hmm, he''s in the Elemental Sect of that empire... Anyway, Your Majesty, we recently received a letter from Luke. In it, he communicates to us regarding some missions he has been in contact with in a guild of that empire."


    "According to him, these missions are recruiting high-level Spiritual Emperors and Spiritual Saints to come and do something in our region." Richard said in a suggestive tone.


    "Oh?" Minos understood it was about Abe since his forces had already figured out those men came from the Western Empire, the home of old Grant.


    But then, this unexpected communication gave him ideas of what to do against the enemy!


    ...

 Chapter 1401 Plan

    Upon hearing Richard''s words, Minos immediately realized possibilities that he had not yet considered.


    At no point had he considered the existence of Luke since this fellow truly was not relevant to him, and he had not heard the name of such a person in a long time. So Minos thought he had no contact with anyone outside the northern region and the five high-level states he was currently connected to.


    Minos judged that to gain access to a peak state, he would have to visit one of these places and spend years traveling to such locations. That was why he had never used some alternative plans to counter Abe''s actions.


    But upon hearing from Richard that Luke had identified the posters of missions launched by Abe''s people, this emperor immediately identified the opportunity in front of him!


    "Your Majesty?" Richard asked, noticing the silence on the other end of the line after his previous words.


    Minos'' guards, Gavin and the young Spiritual General were also watching Emperor Stuart with curiosity, even without knowing the content of his conversation with Elen''s father.


    Minos then said. "Richard, do you have any method of communicating with Luke?"


    "Yes, I do..." That fellow said in an uncertain tone, not knowing what Minos wanted. "Abe used a high-level bird, an amazing creature, Your Majesty. Such an eagle is at level 70. It is so fast..."


    "Cough! Cough!"


    Hearing Minos'' coughing on the other end of the line, that man refocused on the subject and said. "Right. Because of that eagle he used to deliver the message, we can communicate with him quickly, Your Majesty."


    "Perfect." Minos laughed in that mausoleum, feeling it was his chance to deal with Abe.


    "Very well, I want you to send a letter to Luke and some resources I will pass on to your family. I want him to hire ten high-level Spiritual Saints in one of those guilds and send them to Dry City to be under my command." He said, surprising both the man on the other side of the communicator and the people in that dark area.


    "Ten high-level Spiritual Saints?" One of those imperial guards thought to himself, interested in what Minos intended to do.


    Gavin looked at Minos, sensing that such a fellow had thought of something to accelerate the local plans. ''That will probably make my revenge happen faster!'' He clenched his fists in anticipation.


    "That..." Richard said on the other end of the line, thinking that that would be both too much and too little.


    It was a lot from a financial point of view. It certainly would not be cheap to bring ten such specialists from the Western Empire to the Black Plain. But on the other hand, although such individuals could indeed help the local situation, they could not act against Abe with just these people.


    After all, the Spiritual Sage protecting Abe was difficult to deal with!


    Minos then said. "I want to use these individuals to protect Dry City when I leave for the Flaming Empire to deal with the Saints Killing Sect. At that time, I will take some time to settle my affairs there, which could be quite detrimental to the Black Plain if we don''t have help."


    "These individuals will give me the time I need to settle my affairs and complete the previous plan."


    "I see..." Richard, Gavin, and others heard that, understanding what Minos was planning.


    "Very well, Your Majesty. I will send the message and the resources necessary for him to do this service." Richard commented after a few seconds in silence.


    "Hmm, thank you. I''ll settle with the Nash family in the next few days..." Minos commented, grateful for this further contribution from Elen''s family to his interests.


    Richard smiled across the line, feeling his family had gained a lot by promising to do something easy.


    But then he said. "But, Your Majesty, it will take a while for these experts to come here from the Western Empire. The distance is not small."


    "I will wait," Minos said on the other end of the line. "Ask Luke to confirm when he gets the mercenaries. I will delay my plans for the Flaming Empire until these individuals reach the Black Plain and understand the kind of service I want from them."


    "In the meantime, I will stay around Dry City to ensure that new incidents like the previous one are not repeated."


    "Sigh..."


    "I understand." Richard said, after sighing as he remembered that terrible time in which even his family had lost some relevant members.


    Patriarch Nash, Luke''s father, had suffered greatly in that event and was still recovering in the Dry City General Hospital, the place in the region that had the treatment for his case.


    Also, because of this, this man was talking to Minos at the moment while he was at the Nash family headquarters on Stone Island.


    Anyway, with that settled, the two finished their conversation since it was costly to keep the arrays of their communication devices running.


    After resolving this, Minos rose from his seat and handed that item to the young Spiritual General in front of him. "You are liberated." He said to the young man before seeing such a person running from there, returning from where he had come from.


    Minos then started his way toward the exit of this mausoleum, followed sideways by Gavin as the imperial guards escorted them.


    "We will postpone our visit to your family headquarters a bit, but that will be for the greater good." Minos said as he looked forward, anxious to finally start acting firmly against his recent opponents.


    "Hmm, I know..." Gavin said, not thinking that was a bad thing.


    With more time, Gavin could better prepare himself to review his family members who wanted to kill him. But, at the same time, he had lived in this place for years, so he knew the risk of destruction that these people would suffer if neither he nor Minos was around.


    That way, this man thought it was worth waiting for these ten specialists that Luke would hire for them in the Western Empire.


    "Good that we will have time to finalize our preparations," Gavin commented with determination in his eyes.


    "What do you intend to do after that?" Minos looked into the eyes of this red-haired fellow.


    Gavin was the closest thing to a friend that Minos had managed to get in all his years as leader of the Black Plain. And since this fellow was exceptionally talented, he naturally had an interest in this person continuing in his state.


    "I don''t know. I don''t even know if I''ll survive." Gavin was sincere since he really did not think much about what he would do if he survived and managed to finalize his affairs with that sect and the Rowse family.


    "Hmm, when you make up your mind, let me know about it." Minos commented as he patted this fellow on the back just after they departed from inside the mausoleum and encountered the busy streets of the Dry City core.


    ...


    While Gavin worried about his revenge, the news of his location had finally reached his family and former sect!


    At this instant, Mortimer was finishing listening to Abe''s message to thank him for the earlier tip and to encourage this man to send people to the Black Plain.


    ''So that wretched bastard really is with the bloody Minos...''

 Chapter 1402 The Actions Of The Saints Killing Sect

    ''Not for nothing! The bastard Minos is already totally against me, so he took the opportunity also to stab me in the back and protect that brat!'' Mortimer felt a mixture of anger but also the satisfaction that he had finally obtained Gavin''s location.


    He hated Minos all the more for it since Emperor Stuart had successfully hidden Gavin from this organization for years, making room for the Eyes of Destruction to awaken. But it was undeniably better to find that out now than ever.


    Gavin was not yet so strong as to stand against him, so after hearing Abe''s message, Mortimer naturally regained some of his hopes of stealing that young man''s visual powers.


    Since he was already fighting Minos, Mortimer felt he would soon be up against Gavin on a battlefield. And that would put him close to achieving a feat that could take him to the 9th stage!


    Therefore, even considering how hateful Minos was, this man was pleased and could not help but thank Abe for the information.


    "Send my thanks to Abe Vogel. If one day we are victorious in our respective interests, I hope to be able to meet him in person." He said as he looked at the subordinate who had brought him such information.


    Mortimer''s wife, who was also in that place of business of this sect, where many skeletons were in the surroundings, even being part of some armor, said. "Our attempt to affect Minos resulted in something positive that we did not expect... In any case, it is amazing how that person is against us."


    "I wonder if everyone in the Coleman family carries that resentment against us?"


    "The lineage of those bastards is really abominable!"


    "An apple doesn''t fall far from the tree, after all..."


    Several elders there agreed with that woman''s comment while the smile on Mortimer''s face dimmed, and he clenched his fists. "Minos is actively acting against our sect, not only because of our organization''s war with the Gray Clouds Sect. He clearly shows hostility to us."


    "Yes, his grudge against our organization is not simple." A level 78 individual commented on this with a terrible expression on his face.


    One enemy acting against another in a war was a common thing. In some cases, organizations like this would even ''forget'' some losses at such times when peace came. But Minos seemed to be the kind of opponent acting against them, not to protect himself or ensure his victory. On the contrary, he looked like someone who wanted to destroy them, even if he had no good reason to do so.


    Hence, these individuals could not help but be on guard against this fellow, feeling they had to act more vigorously against him and eliminate him if they had the chance.


    Minos had done significant damage to the interests of this organization on the battlefield between them and the Gray Clouds Sect. Since he had joined the war, Emperor Stuart had killed over a thousand Spiritual Emperors and dozens of Spiritual Saints.


    The forces of the Gray Clouds Sect had also become more efficient in their actions, which had shifted the advantage of the war in favor of Oswald''s sect.


    But now, he seemed to have been plotting against them for much longer, for reasons they did not understand!


    "Send people to work with Abe Vogel." One of the strongest individuals there said. "We''re not going to act directly against people in the northern region, but it would be nice if we could at least share the intelligence of this person''s group."


    "Hmm, that''s a good idea." The local leader''s wife nodded in agreement. "We will certainly face Minos again, but Gavin may continue to hide in the bloody northern region. Then we will need information for possible action in that area."


    "Hmmm." The sect master nodded to his staff. "Do that. On the other hand, I want some elders here to start watching the battlefield."


    "If Minos shows up again, even if we have to disregard the emperor''s orders, do what is necessary to end his life!"


    Gulp!


    "What about the emperor?" One of those elders asked, sensing that this would be risky.


    The emperor had ordered high-level Spiritual Saints not to get involved in this war unless their organizations faced high-level risks. But even if Minos were powerful, his mere presence on the battlefield would not justify it...


    Mortimer then smiled. "I heard that the emperor left the capital recently... So maybe, people from the Flower Kingdom will soon emerge to take him to that person."


    The whole place went silent after the sect master''s words, with everyone there considering what that entailed.


    ...


    Weeks later, in the Western Empire...


    After communicating with his family in the northern region, Luke Nash finally received a return from Stone Island.


    But instead of finding a letter with the eagle that Oriel Holt managed to lend him, he found a spatial ring sent by Elen''s father, not his own.


    "That is the mark of the supreme elder..." Luke looked at the item in his hands right after letting that eagle fly back to where it came from.


    Then, without thinking much about why his father had not answered him, Luke did what was necessary to access the items in that storage item. Then, he found stacks of high-grade crystals, along with some letters.


    "What?" He exclaimed in surprise, not expecting to find a fortune like that in a spatial ring sent by his Nash family.


    But although he was sometimes impulsive, Luke did not think House Nash had finally understood his efforts and sacrificed for him. Thus, he soon read those letters.


    The first one talked about his father''s situation, who had been injured in a battle in Dry City, defending that place against the terrorist forces of Abe, who was recruiting in this empire.


    The second letter was about Minos'' plan, telling him to hire ten high-level Spiritual Saints with the resources in that ring.


    Reading all that, Luke was silent for a moment, impressed by the financial power of the Black Plain but also by the accomplishments of the forces of that state.


    He was in the dark about most of the recent problems. Still, Richard had sent some reports with news from the northern region to him, along, of course, with some cultivation resources to help him.


    Elen''s father had commented on how well the Nash family was doing and how favorable it would be if the Black Plain Empire had peace to develop itself.


    Hence, even though this young man had his history with Minos and also ambitions, he did not think to steal the resources sent for hiring those ten individuals and decided to do what he should.


    Someone was harming his family and had even put his father''s life at risk. Consequently, even if he hated Minos, he had to act to help this individual succeed in ending Abe''s life!


    With that, he soon set out to ask Oriel for help placing the mission to hire ten high-level Spiritual Saints in a local guild!

 Chapter 1403 The Waiting Of Minos

    Days later...


    After placing Minos'' mission in a mercenary guild in Elemental City, Luke would go there when he had time and see if the group had been assembled.


    That was what he was going to do now while walking through that city alongside Oriel, the fellow who had brought him from the northern region and always came to see how he was.


    Luke had last visited the guild in question 2 days ago, but at that moment, only 4 of the 10 needed high-level Spiritual Saints had signed up to do this mission.


    These experts were busy people, regardless of where they were in this great cultivation world. So even in a high-level empire like this, it was not easy to assemble a team with ten such high-level mercenaries in such a short time.


    Such was the reality, even considering that Minos did not require that these individuals already knew each other.


    But as Oriel had already told Luke what it was like to hire people like this, this fellow was not anxious. He was just going another day to check on the situation so as not to delay Minos'' plans because of his problems.


    ? As the two were walking, Oriel, level 68, asked Luke. "Are you serious? That Minos is already at level 67?"


    "Hmm, he''s a monster." Luke, level 62, said to that fellow. "Soon, he will surpass you in terms of level..."


    "Tsk!"


    "Shut up!"


    "You''re the one who caught up to him when you had almost ten levels of advantage!" Oriel slapped Luke''s left shoulder, causing that young man to frown at him.


    But then he became more serious. "But it''s awe-inspiring what that person did. He was just someone ordinary the first time I heard of him. But just look at where he''s gotten to..."


    "Maybe he will become someone as legendary as Vico Travisani!"


    "Absurd!" Luke refused such a comparison. "Senior Vico Travisani is a level 99 Spiritual Demigod. The strongest on the continent and closest to becoming a God. Minos can''t compare to him!"


    Vico Travisani was the Western Empire''s greatest enemy and the Eastern Empire''s current leader. He had made his state overcome a historical disadvantage and reach a similar level to its neighbor who wanted to dominate it.


    Consequently, he was one of the most respected men on the continent, with stories of all kinds circulating among populations of all levels.


    For a young man from the northern region like Luke, these stories were enough to fascinate and turn him into a fan who would defend his idol against ridiculous comparisons like the one above.


    Oriel knew this and laughed. "Even senior Vico Travisani was once someone at our level, Luke. Minos can catch up to him if his natural talent doesn''t limit him, of course."


    "Tsk!"


    "Never mind. In any case, he is indeed absurdly strong and, I would say, fucking rich." Luke commented, feeling envious of Emperor Stuart''s financial power.


    Oriel, who had heard from Luke of the number of high-grade crystals Minos sent, became serious upon hearing that.


    The number of crystals Minos was willing to spend on this action was high, involving amounts that neither of them imagined they would one day have access to.


    They were smart enough to know that Minos was only willing to make this investment because he protected much more. Hence, they could not help but think differently about the Black Plain.


    ''Maybe I should talk to the family about starting a business in that place...'' Oriel thought of this as he entered the main hall of the guild they were going to. ''The powers that make their moves in that place first will get the best results in the future!''


    As for Luke, he could only consider what his life would have been like if, instead of returning to the Western Empire, he had stayed in the northern region.


    ''No matter. I''m happy with the place I''ve reached!'' He thought before he heard a Spiritual Saint picking up one of the posters with Minos'' mission on it.


    "Hmm? Black Plain Empire? Where is that?" This level 78 man asked aloud while people in the surrounding area were quiet because they did not know about that place.


    News of the Black Plain reached the remotest places in this world. But only a few powers interested in the development of that territory or in ''watching'' the rise of a new power were aware of the latest news from that area.


    Ordinary people and mercenaries from places like the Western Empire still had to get used to it to readily know how to locate such a place.


    Luke then said. "Senior, the Black Plain Empire is between the northern region and the central part of the continent. Its capital is Dry City, where the creator of this mission, His Majesty Minos Stuart, is summoning the ten high-level Spiritual Saints."


    "You can travel to Vogel, and from there, anyone will know how to tell you the location of Dry City."


    "Oh?" That expert looked with interest at Luke, seeing that such a fellow knew quite a few things, which might indicate that this young man had some relation to the mission. "Do you know anything about this mission? How can someone from the northern region fulfill the promise of crystals on that poster?"


    "Hmm, yes. Emperor Stuart is the leader of a state with hundreds of millions of inhabitants, with Vogel as part of it. He is also the son of a high-ranking family from the Flaming Empire. So he has plenty of resources to hire Spiritual Saints." Luke answered that fellow while other Spiritual Saints paid attention to him.


    "What about the Spiritual Church? Won''t it act against me if I help this fellow?" The same man asked the most important question of all about this mission which, by the way, paid very well.


    "No. Emperor Stuart is the leader of the northern region. Then, he can ask for outside assistance without a problem." Luke replied. "As for possible retaliation because of your origin, His Majesty is doing this to solve an empire-related problem. Thus, the Church should not get involved."


    Usually, the Church would not look favorably on organizations in its territory hiring mercenaries or powers coming from enemy territories, as in the case of the Western Empire. Because of this, states like Blackrock, Rosser, and Albano did not hire mercenaries together with the former Vogel kingdom to act against the Flaming Empire.


    Also, because of this, Minos was not hiring stronger people, like some Spiritual Sage, to help him stop Abe''s helper.


    But people below level 80, to deal with the problem called Abe, the Church was not seeing any problems at the moment, so Minos could act this way without irritating such an organization.


    "So that''s it..." That and other Spiritual Saints understood the basics of the situation, and a few more began to get interested in joining this group that would soon be leaving for the Black Plain Empire.


    And so, soon Luke discovered that of the 10 individuals, 8 had already left their names behind.


    In a short time, Minos could receive help from this place!


    ''Considering how much slower big 8th stage beasts are than that eagle, these people should reach the northern region in about three months...'' Luke considered as he smiled in anticipation of the prize Richard had promised.

 Chapter 1404 Flowers Kingdom

    Two weeks later...


    After the days that had passed since Luke''s previous visit to the mercenary guild in Elemental City, the group of ten Spiritual Saints Minos wanted finally set off toward the Black Plain.


    When this happened five days ago, Luke had once again sent


    the previous eagle to the northern region so that Minos could prepare his plans considering the likely date of the arrival of such a group.


    Thus, he had finished his work as an intermediary in the Western Empire and would now wait for his prizes, which he was interested in.


    But that would only happen when such people arrived in the Black Plain Empire, which should take around three months to happen. Then, Luke would still have to wait before he had the chance to learn his first Silver-grade offensive technique!


    He had only one other technique of that quality, but it was a cultivation one.


    That was not bad. On the contrary, it was the best for someone whose all the other techniques he had were Black-grade ones. But cultivation techniques did not give combat skills to their users. Hence, it was only natural that anyone in his condition would want something useful in combat.


    And so, this fellow had gone into seclusion in his Elemental Sect, waiting for those individuals between levels 77 and 79 to arrive safely in Dry City for him to receive his due!


    ...


    While the Spiritual Saints hired by Minos were traveling to the northern region, news relevant to one of Emperor Stuart''s allies had just arrived in the Flowers Kingdom!


    In this state, the second smallest in the Central Continent, the only neighbor of the Evergreen Empire within the southern region, there was one of the most impressive natural formations in this world. Dozens of portions of land close to each other floated at different heights and positions, connected by large roots with forests growing on top of them.


    In this magnificent place, the most significant portion of land, more than a kilometer above sea level, was the headquarters of a kingdom with more than 80% of its population being females.


    The cities of this kingdom were extremely flowery. Still, the name of this place was not due to this fact but to the reality of the absolute dominance of the female over the male in these areas.


    Precisely in this beautiful flowery city, in classical style but also mountainous, was the headquarters of a local organization, where a letter from the Flaming Empire had just arrived.


    "Elder Melinda, someone from the Flaming Empire has notified us regarding an unusual movement of Harold Edwardstone, the man who managed to escape from you a few centuries ago." A level 79 Spiritual Saint said this while holding a letter in her hand, which had the symbol of a human skeleton and the letter ''M'' on it.


    "Oh?" A more than 3 meters tall, 200 kilogram, extremely muscular woman opened her eyes, still in a meditative position in the center of a training yard.


    She looked at the ''ordinary'' sized woman, 2 meters tall, and smiled. "Is that true? Let me see this letter."


    This level 89 expert took the letter from the Flaming Empire from one of Harold''s subjects, who was blatantly betraying him.


    However, this woman did not care about that. She only cared about her reproductive interests, which this man could help her achieve.


    The Flowers Kingdom was somewhat special. In this place, women of the royal lineage had powerful innate abilities related to procreation, which guaranteed the reproductive success of even experts. Because of how this happened, most of the children generated were women, and most of the men of this kingdom ended up being castrated or even dying after coitus.


    Because of this reality, few men ventured into these areas that were ''hostile'' to them, something also related to how talented the children of these women were.


    Higher-level cultivators could produce more talented offspring.


    So since the ability of these family women negated the rule that more talented cultivators were less fertile, these women had created a kingdom full of very talented women!


    That was the worst of all worlds for talented men, whom they normally sought out when they wanted to reproduce and generate more fighters for their forces.


    But even being talented, these women could not have reached this point with such an immoral ability if they had acted without restraint. No, certainly, a coalition of men from all parts of this continent would ally themselves to end this lineage if those women were crazy enough to act indiscriminately.


    Because of this, the women of this state only acted against those who set foot inside the Flowers Kingdom.


    And to attract them to this place, they had created a land of opportunity, with tournaments and gambling possibilities for visitors, who could basically win a lot or lose their manhood.


    Many ambitious men took risks to improve their positions, as risks were only natural in the life of a cultivator.


    That was how this kingdom was maintained and how Harold had committed himself centuries ago when he had narrowly managed to win the bet against this level 89 woman.


    Since he had almost lost, although their wager guaranteed the protection of the Flaming Empire against higher-level powers, it also limited Harold''s movement.


    He could not leave that territory, or his victory would be reversed to a defeat, and forces from this organization would come for him to fulfill his destiny!


    Remembering this individual with whom she had bet long ago, that woman smiled, imagining she could return to conceiving in no time.


    "Hehe, so Harold left his ''prison'' to help a young man in the northern region, eh? He got really bold." She commented in a low voice, seeing that reaching the 9th stage should have made that man confident.


    She then looked at the ''little'' level 79 woman in front of her and ordered. "Lane, send two eunuchs to the Flaming Empire. Bring back Harold Edwardstone alive and with his reproductive organ intact."


    That woman dressed as a warrior accepted this mission and soon set off toward the Eunuchs Hall, the destination of every progenitor belonging to this great royal family.


    Those who did not die after coitus became subjects of the queen, the soldiers who would fight for this state and be at the disposal of the royalty.


    But despite losing their manhood and joy, these men had none of their talents affected and were even very well nurtured in this place.


    In this way, several of them were renowned experts on the continent, strong and ruthless against those who deserved the same fate as them.


    "I have a mission for the two of you." That woman said after entering a hall in another part of that headquarters.


    Immediately after her words, the dozen or so individuals dressed entirely in white in the surrounding area looked at her with interest.


    As men, the only joy left in their lives was fighting. So everyone there loved the idea of having something of the sort to do!


    "I''ll apply. Where will I have to go?" After getting up from a wooden stool, a tall, balding man asked.


    "Flaming Empire."


    "Oh? It''s time for that seed..." The people there commented in low voices, considering one of the many that the queen had her eye on.

 Chapter 1405 Shocking Event

    While the eunuchs were deciding who would capture Harold, Melinda rushed to prepare for the coitus ceremony.


    This woman''s innate ability was phenomenal, but going against the ''wishes'' of heaven was not easy!


    Not only was there a sacrificial necessity, the final termination of the man''s testicles, but the procedure for the coitus to work was not simple. The woman would have to be in a special state of spiritual clarity, something that could only be achieved after much meditation.


    Suppose the woman was not entirely in control of her thoughts, emotions, and ability during this ceremony. In that case, she could fail to become pregnant and be seriously injured.


    As each of the women in the royal family was a pillar of this state, they all had to prepare in advance. They had to follow the protocol to raise the chances of successful reproduction as high as possible.


    Thus, this woman could not wait for Harold while following her routine. This way, she soon went to a special place to start her pre-coital seclusion.


    ''When I wake up, it will be time to get pregnant again!'' She smiled as she entered an icy chamber, feeling that she could go through the joys of conception once again.


    This family''s ability was strange, and women were genuinely addicted to the sensation of conceiving.


    Given this situation, despite the alarming future, Harold would still have some time before he lost his ''jewels''!


    ...


    As Melinda entered seclusion, the Flowers Queen was also informed of Harold''s situation.


    She was not the one who would have the grace to become pregnant once again. Still, as the leader of this state, she was interested in any conception of her family members.


    As such, information of the sort reached her whenever a new seed reached the point where it had to be collected.


    "So Emperor Edwardstone will join my state?" She muttered to herself as she thought about the information she had received from the people of the Saints Killing Sect.


    "He seems to have fooled us well..." A eunuch dressed in a golden robe commented as he stood beside this woman in a courtyard on the highest point of that floating island. "But to his misfortune, one of his vassals turned him in." A bow formed on his lips.


    "That''s right..." The queen remarked to her chief eunuch, this level 91 man standing next to her.


    On the other hand, she was at level 93 and was the strongest in this state, the leader of a legion of warriors and mother of over 100 local experts.


    "But what made him make such a decision? Did he think it was worth risking his manhood for the sake of this young emperor, Minos Stuart?" She asked the one who had been her first sexual partner.


    "It''s really strange... Perhaps this young man is quite talented?" He muttered, trying to find an answer to this situation. "Maybe we should make Melinda stay longer than she plans in her seclusion to force this Minos to try to save Harold?"


    "Hmm, that might be a good idea..."


    ...


    Six weeks later...


    As Minos and Abe continued to act against each other on the Black Plain, with the former Vogel heir testing his opponent for another opportunity to attack, something shocking happened!


    After months of not going to the Flaming Empire, Minos received the shocking news that Harold was attacked by two Spiritual Sages inside his own palace three days ago!


    On that occasion, Emperor Edwardstone could not save himself from his opponents and was forcibly taken away by two men whom he supposedly accused of being from the Flowers Kingdom.


    After that occasion, for the first time in a long time, the Flaming Empire was without someone at the 9th stage in its command, and Isabella quickly had to take control of the state!


    That obviously weakened the empire greatly, and now the forces of this state were disorganized and in chaos because they did not know how to react to all this nor how to pursue their interests.


    The sects were surprised by what had happened. However, since the imperial family was still the strongest, nobody would rebel just because of that man''s absence. But it was undeniable that many uncertainties lay ahead for the local leaders, and now they would have to waste a lot of time to understand how to get on with life in the empire.


    Because of this, the enemies of this state were already celebrating on the other side of the borders to the north of the empire. The three kingdoms under threat of war against the state of Isabella were now more confident than ever, sure that the threats against them had diminished considerably.


    Because of this, the states that were becoming increasingly dependent on Minos due to the previous war threats now no longer felt so pressured.


    The Flaming Empire still commanded respect, even without Harold. The leaders of such states knew this and would not lose their heads thinking about counterattacks or the like. But with an inexperienced leader and without the state''s main weapon, the Flaming Empire was now not a threat that could overpower or destroy them in a short time!


    And with that, while lamenting the news coming from Payton, Minos was frustrated by yet another action contrary to his interests.


    ...


    ''Damn it!''


    ''Why did this happen just now?'' He wondered in anger, feeling that someone was playing against him.


    Minos wanted Harold to continue pressuring the three enemy states of the Flaming Empire and Vogel so that he would absorb portions of the forces of those kingdoms into his empire.


    Everything was going according to schedule concerning his plans, with those areas constantly looking to him for help and his position as leader of the alliance becoming more and more solid.


    Unfortunately, the external pressures would not be great enough in this situation, and he saw the risk that those forces would slowly move away from him!


    That was particularly so for Vogel''s forces, which were currently part of the Black Plain Empire, a much more intimate position than that of Minos'' ally.


    With that in mind, even considering that he still had time until the Assembly of Vogel voted on his continuance, Minos could not help but think about the risks that would arise now.


    And, of course, he was angry with himself, for this had only happened because he had asked for Harold''s help in trying to intervene with the enemy Spiritual Sage.


    ''What should I do now?'' He wondered as his face was dark as night due to his frustration.


    Sarah saw that her father was worried and stood silently beside her second mother, waiting to see how a leader responded to difficult times like these.


    Abby continued to hold little Sarah and heard Minos say after a while to the army core in that office of his. "Prepare for the mission to take the Assembly of Vogel. I want everything to be ready so that we can reverse the votes of the representatives of that place in our favor in no more than two years."


    "Yes, Your Majesty!"


    ''I cannot act forcefully against them... But what will they do if I ''convince'' their representatives to increase my powers?''


    ...

 Chapter 1406 Isabellas Situation

    Minos had signed agreements with the nobility of Vogel. Because of this, he could not threaten the powers of that state gratuitously nor use the black hole or Black Hole Bomb against the powers of the Assembly.


    But nothing prevented him from lobbying for the Black Plain''s interests with the Assembly of Vogel''s representatives.


    He was the ruler of a state with many resources at his disposal and possibilities that could already be interesting for even low-level Spiritual Saints. So financially convincing certain agents of those Vogel organizations should not be impossible for Minos.


    On the other hand, he had never promised that he would not use his ''ordinary'' powers against the Assembly members. As such, Minos already wanted his army to prepare to accompany him toward that state within a period of up to 2 years.


    If fighting were necessary, they would fight. But if they could settle the matter by simple voting, that would be better.


    In any case, the local forces needed to start acting now, while the position of both the powers of Vogel and those of the three kingdoms had not yet changed.


    Meanwhile, there was the situation of the Flaming Empire, which he would definitely need to get involved in, given his promises and honor as a man.


    "Send a message to Isabella that I will try my best to help Emperor Edwardstone once I reach the 8th stage. Until then, unfortunately, I won''t be able to do anything since even though I want to, I don''t have enough powers." Minos said to some of the remaining soldiers in his office.


    Such individuals kept Minos'' words and left to settle this, leaving only the members of the imperial family in that area.


    Abby then approached her husband as she carried Sarah in her arms. "It seems that everything that had to go wrong is going to go wrong in this period..." She sighed as she commented on that.


    ? "Hmm, looks like luck is not in our favor." Minos agreed with her as he took his daughter in his arms, wondering if, at some point in Sarah''s childhood, he would have peace to watch her grow up.


    But even though he had many responsibilities, Minos was quite present to young Sarah. He constantly has her accompany him to meetings like this and plays with her in his spare time between one responsibility and another.


    Since Sarah had three mothers to love and raise her and several uncles, aunts, and relatives who occasionally visited Dry City, Minos'' presence was enough for her.


    ...


    While Minos was fulfilling some of his paternal responsibilities in between engagements, Isabella faced the most challenging time of her life.


    Right now, she was in her family''s imperial palace, already beginning to assume leadership roles. In contrast, the supreme elder of the Edwardstone family had begun his temporary regency.


    He was loyal to Harold, and the core of the imperial family strongly supported Isabella becoming the local heiress in the eventual absence of the emperor. But on that account alone, they would not give immediate powers to that woman when such a man had only been gone for a few days.


    They knew that Harold had been taken by powers from the Flowers Kingdom. Not only had this man shouted for everyone in the capital to hear him on that occasion, but some of the family''s elders had seen the distinguished eunuchs of that kingdom.


    But even though their hopes for a return of Harold were not high, they could not give up on that man immediately!


    At the very least, they should try diplomacy and have Isabella take over her father''s duties little by little, leaving to crown her some years later.


    So, although she was sitting on her father''s throne right now, the one who was ruling at the moment was the supreme elder, the white-haired, red-haired man standing to her right.


    "The men of the Flower Kingdom have kidnaped the emperor, so we must send a diplomatic group to that kingdom." This man, level 79, said to the various leaders of organizations in this state who had attended this urgent occasion.


    Among them was Mortimer, an enemy of Minos and Oswald, along with the six other leaders of the empire''s high-level sects and some from lesser powers.


    The people there knew that Oswald was no longer officially the leader of the Gray Clouds Sect. But everyone was thankful that he was the one who had come to this place at this time instead of a young Spiritual Emperor.


    "Will that make any difference?" One of those men who were closest to the Saints Killing Sect asked in a skeptical tone. "The people in that kingdom have never been the type to take things in conversation. So we''ll only run the risk of a few more of our own having to surrender to those women''s games."


    That peaked man did not like those words and gave that fellow an ugly look. "This is not a debate, sect master Pierce. I am saying what should be done."


    That fellow closed his mouth after hearing the supreme elder Edwardstone''s unkind words, feeling ashamed.


    Then Oswald said. "The supreme elder is right. We cannot simply accept this without at least trying something. If possible, I would like to go to that kingdom myself, but unfortunately, I have to finish the change in power in the Gray Clouds Sect."


    "But I am willing to do that in a little over two years."


    "Oh? Sect Master Oswald is really magnanimous." Mortimer said in a tone of provocation. "Do you intend to leave your grandson without support in such a short time? Are you that confident of winning the war?"


    "I am." Oswald looked into the eyes of his enemy and said without hesitation, even considering that such an individual man was stronger than him.


    Hearing these two, the supreme elder of this family remembered Minos and felt a bit of anger, considering that such a young man was the real culprit for all of this.


    Few there knew, but he was aware that Harold had only risked leaving the empire because of the Stuart Emperor. Thus, the supreme elder could not help but feel that Minos was somehow guilty.


    "Oswald, where is Minos Stuart? Why is he not here? As the master of the Gray Clouds Sect, he should attend when the empire needs him." This fellow at the peak of the 8th stage asked, letting his tone show everyone there that he was not happy.


    Then Isabella said. "Uncle Basil, don''t talk that way. Minos is not to blame for anything. I''m the one who convinced my father to do that. So don''t try to blame him or demand commitment from him. I am the one to blame."


    The people there who knew nothing looked confused at Isabella, but no one explained the situation to them.


    The supreme elder then said. "That doesn''t take away from his responsibilities as the leader of an organization of the empire, Your Highness."


    "But everyone here knows what Minos is dealing with in the northern region and our state. So let''s not demand his presence at the moment." She protected her interests with Emperor Stuart. "Oswald is not here? Then everything is fine."


    "Anyway, I am sure that Minos will help us rescue my father in the future. So don''t lose hope." She said, making everyone there look at her with open mouths.


    ...

 Chapter 1407 Harolds Fate

    "He''s going to do what?" Several people there asked simultaneously, feeling that it was absurd to think Minos could intervene with the Flowers Kingdom.


    Even they, peak cultivators of the 8th stage, could not say they could help Harold escape the trouble he had gotten himself into. Then it would not be a mere Spiritual Emperor who would achieve that.


    Then everyone there looked at Isabella strangely, feeling that this woman was giving Emperor Stuart too much credit.


    She then said. "Minos is not an ingrate. I know that as soon as he can, he will try to visit the Flowers Kingdom to save my father from the clutches of those women."


    "And how will he do that, Your Highness?" Supreme Elder Edwardstone asked, curious. "Can you tell us what method he will use?"


    "I''m sure Minos will be able to do something. Don''t those women offer opportunities for talented men from all parts of the continent? Knowing him, I don''t doubt he will accept the risks to save my father." She said, not liking that possibility but knowing that her lover would probably do something like that since there was no other possibility.


    Minos was very talented, but there were Spiritual Demigods in the Flowers Kingdom. Thus, no matter how talented he was, his strength would not be enough for at least a few decades. And even if he eventually reached level 90, by that time, Harold would be permanently castrated!


    The innate reproductive-type ability of the Flowers Kingdom royal family members was the kind that permanently sacrificed the testicles and damaged a small part of its victim''s soul.


    After the intercourse, if such a person survived, even a Spiritual Saint, people able to rebuild their body would no longer be able to have the same past ''reactions.''


    Even possessing a healthy person''s body, with testicles, the victim of such an innate ability would no longer be able to have the reactions commonly related to testicles. As a consequence, the damage was indeed permanent!


    In this case, Harold did not have much time, and Isabella knew she could not count on Minos getting stronger. It did not matter how fast he grew. He could not reach level 90 in a matter of months.


    So even though she did not like the possibility of Minos going to that kingdom and accepting its challenges, this woman had no choice but to accept whatever he decided.


    The Spiritual Saints in the surroundings of that imperial throne hall understood where her confidence came from since Minos really had the requirements to enter that state.


    Suppose he accepted the risk of marrying one of those terrible women. In that case, he could access the possibility of significant gains, perhaps even the chance to save Harold.


    "Tsk!"


    "He would have to be a fool," Mortimer said, not liking the possibility of Harold being saved.


    ''If the emperor is saved, I will take great risks!'' He thought as he remembered that he had notified the Flowers Kingdom about Harold''s exit to the Black Plain.


    This man had plans for the empire, things he wanted to do once he dealt with Gavin and Minos.


    On the other hand, Oswald did not like the idea of Minos risking himself for the emperor either. "That''s crazy, Your Highness. Minos is only at level 67. Thinking about it is like considering his sacrifice!"


    "I will go to the Flowers Kingdom as soon as possible, so I ask that the imperial family not press Minos about this." He humbly said while making a respectful gesture.


    The imperial family elders liked this since they would rather depend on Oswald than on Minos, a talented young man whom they knew little about.


    "Then it''s settled like this." Supreme elder Edwardstone nodded to Oswald while the other leaders of important organizations in the empire nodded in understanding of what needed to be done.


    He sighed and then gave his final recommendation to these people. "But keep an eye on movements on our northern borders. It would be an exaggeration to think that our enemies will attack us. Still, we must be alert while deciding this area''s future."


    He knew about Minos'' agreement with Harold and Isabella, so he wanted to keep some of the pressure on that area, at least for the moment.


    The people there understood that it made sense to watch out for possible enemy actions and did not question it.


    ...


    As Payton was trying to organize in the absence of their supreme leader, Harold was with the two men who captured him.


    "Anxious?" A level 84 individual asked as he smiled and looked at the individual tied to the ground in front of him.


    They had stopped to hunt and eating something different than they usually had in the Flowers Kingdom, something they enjoyed doing besides fighting.


    Since they did not know when they would have another opportunity to leave their activities in that state, they could only take the chance and extend their trip back a little.


    Harold could see this in the behavior of those two men dressed in white, bald, and fat.


    "Fearful suits my current state more." He said this in a mournful tone.


    "Haha, don''t be like that, Harold. Although our suffering is difficult to deal with and the risk of death is not small, you will have the best sex of your life before the sacrifice." The other man commented, trying to make that emperor feel a little less bad.


    "Don''t you people regret it?" He asked as he looked at these people.


    "What is there to regret? We lost a lot, true, but we put ourselves in that situation. No one forced us to go to the Flowers Kingdom, and our incompetence caused us to lose our challenges." The first individual to speak said this.


    The other agreed. "You did what you did, and now you will live the weight of your choices. There is nothing to regret, Harold. If you''re not ready to face defeat, you shouldn''t have even started playing."


    "They never hid the possibilities contrary to our causes..."


    Harold heard this and sighed, knowing it was true. He knew what he was doing all along, and yet he had made the decisions that brought him to this moment, even after thinking hard about every step he took.


    Hence, he had nothing to regret. He knew that if he had to take up the challenges he had in his life again, he would make the same choices. When those decisions were made, they seemed to be the most interesting ones to follow.


    If he repeated the same choices, there was nothing left to consider about the past, only about dealing as best as possible with the consequences.


    "How much time do I have? Do you guys know?" He asked the individual standing next to him, who was eating 8th-stage boar meat.


    "A few months. A few years at most. Depends on the seclusion of the one who will receive you." The other man, sitting across from Harold, said this.


    "But don''t get your hopes up too high. No one has ever been able to escape this fate once they''ve been to this point in their journey." He pointed in the direction of where the first floating islands of the Flowers Kingdom were at the end of the horizon.


    "Don''t overthink about it, my friend. After all, we have promising futures here!" The other said as he grabbed Harold''s body and threw it on his back. "At worst, you will die and not have to suffer at all. At best, you will live and become a little ''calmer.''"


    "In any case, it''s not such a cruel fate!"

 Chapter 1408 The Arrival Of The Reinforcements

    Two months later...


    While the Flaming Empire was trying to deal with Harold''s situation, ten individuals were arriving at this very moment in Dry City.


    The ten high-level Spiritual Saints that had been gathered in the Western Empire by Luke were finally arriving at their destination after weeks of travel.


    That group had faced some problems on the way to this empire, but still, they arrived almost within the time frame that Luke had given to Minos.


    In any case, the ten individuals, four level 77, four level 78, and two level 79, were on a grand level 73 beast as it slowly descended through the local skies.


    This group had already been stopped by one of the flying turtles that the Black Plain Army had on the outskirts of Dry City to guard the aerial part of the capital. So even though they were unknown individuals in this state, of similar levels to their enemies, they were not facing any local resistance.


    The opposite of this, several soldiers in smaller birds were escorting this group, heading towards a large beast landing and take-off area inside an army post.


    While being led by local soldiers to their destination, these Spiritual Saints observed the surroundings, sensing that the northern Central Continent differed from what they had heard.


    "This place doesn''t look as bad as the rumors told." One of them said after sensing the concentration of spiritual energy in the surroundings of this capital city. "The spiritual energy here is not as dense as in the empire, but it is definitely enough to nurture low-level Spiritual Saints."


    "Hmm, and seeing the buildings in the area and the clothing of the local citizens, you can tell that the people here are not poor..." Another of them, a black-haired woman, said as she observed that the standard of this place was very similar to their home of origin.


    ''Could it be that the local leader is copying our building styles?'' One of them wondered.


    But that was obviously not the case. Instead, Minos had replicated several buildings with models typically found in the Ancient Empire, a state of the past formed by the Eastern and Western Empires.


    That had been one of the most powerful states in the Spiritual World, the only one in the Central Continent in all of history to reach a level similar to one of the Divine Continent''s empires.


    Unfortunately, such a place had ended right at its peak. It ended up subdividing into two great domains, which until the present times, had problems with each other.


    In any case, Minos had brought some of where Henricus Longus had lived one of the best parts of his life to his state, making those individuals make such a mistake.


    The strongest of the group then said. "This place looks pretty active and has a large population... This Minos Stuart guy has built something amazing here."


    Some of them had invested their time in learning about the current news from the Black Plain and northern region. So they were aware of what these areas were like before Minos. Thus, some already had a certain respect for this young local expert.


    As they talked and viewed Dry City with interest, they entered the core of the capital of this empire, where they soon encountered the strongest of the local forces.


    In the blink of an eye, they were in the imperial throne hall, where Minos, Gavin, Gloria, Ruth, and Abby were already waiting for them.


    "His Majesty the Emperor of the Black Plain, protector of the north, Minos Stuart!" Someone exclaimed, identifying the local sovereign to those ten individuals with abundant auras.


    Most there had already been on the same battlefield as enemies as strong as these people. So hardly anyone would be impressed after feeling all those people there together.


    But some, like weaker individuals not involved in the battles, had been left out of this hall, as they could not withstand the natural pressure of people at that level.


    Individuals of all cultivation levels released parts of their auras, and even if they could suppress it, they usually would not do so on their first time in a place or with new people.


    That was like a way for people in the Spiritual World to introduce themselves.


    So only the strongest were there to welcome these people, which they easily realized considering the small number of individuals there.


    "This one is called Jeremy Pauley. It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty." One of the level 79 individuals, a 2 meters tall, muscular, tanned-skinned man, introduced himself.


    Then each of those individuals from the Western Empire introduced themselves to Minos and the people there before one of them asked.


    "Your Majesty, what exactly is our mission here?" A level 78 woman asked such a thing, which was very relevant to them.


    Some of them had studied the recent problems on the Black Plain, particularly the terrorist attacks by Abe Vogel and his mercenaries. Hence, they had an idea of what they should do in this state.


    Fight Abe.


    But there were many ways to do something like that, and they did not know some details that might make them understand things they should not. So they were curious to hear it from the local leader.


    Minos then got straight to the point. "I will soon leave my state to settle a conflict in the Flaming Empire. Because of this, I will be gone for a while, and the enemy will likely attack my city. So your job is to defend Dry City and the surrounding area in my absence."


    "Oh?" Jeremy found this curious and asked. "So we''re not here to kill Abe Vogel?"


    "No. You wouldn''t be able to." Minos said. "A Spiritual Sage is preventing my forces from killing him... Anyway, I already have plans for Abe Vogel, and as long as you protect Dry City, I will eventually deal with him on my own."


    The people there were surprised to hear that there was a Spiritual Sage involved in all this, which was not known beyond the close social circle of the local leadership.


    But they did not get nervous about it. Upon hearing they would not have to fight that expert and would only have to protect this place, they were reassured, feeling it was worthwhile to continue this mission.


    The compensation was excellent, but it would not be worth it if it meant that they would have to take significant risks of death.


    So Jeremy soon said. "Very well, I am willing to help Your Majesty if the terms of the mission are met."


    The others nodded in agreement, feeling that fighting the Spiritual Saints from Abe''s terrorist group would not be so dangerous for them.


    Minos smiled in satisfaction upon hearing such words, soon afterward beginning to present some of the recent problems of his confrontation with Abe to these people.


    It was not enough that these individuals were in Dry City for him to go to the Flaming Empire without significant concerns. These people needed to be updated on the local confrontations and experience some fighting.


    Only after this would Minos feel confident to leave for the Flaming Empire and be able to focus on solving his sect''s war!

 Chapter 1409 All Set For The Decisive Battle

    One month later...


    After the arrival in Dry City of the group of mercenaries from Elemental City in the Western Empire, the ten individuals spent several days being updated on the local situation.


    They followed several confrontations without fighting or showing themselves since they were the surprises that Minos wanted to leave for Abe to find in Dry City.


    But even without fighting, these individuals could learn about the local challenges of the Black Plain Empire, the enemy force level, local characteristics, and what they should do.


    Since the job was not complex, to protect Dry City and the local forces while Minos was in the Flaming Empire, those people learned quickly about their role locally.


    But even though this happened quickly, a whole month had passed since the arrival of this foreign group, enough for them to understand better who Minos was.


    Because of this, even though they had to be commanded by a 67-level youth, those high-level Spiritual Saints had not found it so bad, as Minos really was a prodigy and a great fighter.


    Another reason for this was that they had started receiving payments for their services, which greatly pleased them.


    And so, these individuals were already used to Dry City and its challenges and were ready to start acting for the local good with Minos'' imminent departure!


    ...


    At the imperial palace on the Black Plain, Minos was at this very moment with his group about to leave for the Flaming Empire, bidding farewell to those who would stay.


    In this group about to travel to the headquarters of the Grey Clouds Sect were Minos, Gavin, Abby, Ruth, Gloria, and Sarah. This one was already in the Spatial Kingdom, waiting to see her grandmother again.


    Since the ten high-level mercenaries were in Dry City to protect it, Minos would not leave his wives behind, as he had done last time.


    He also did not intend to take them to the battlefield with the Saints Killing Sect. He was already going to confront the enemy leaders, something quite dangerous for them to get involved in.


    His plans for the three were to leave them in the Gray Clouds Sect with Maisie and Sarah, where they would be safe for the next few days.


    Anyway, Minos finished talking to those ten high-level Spiritual Saints and addressed his last words before leaving for his subordinates and allies in the area.


    "Alright, fellas, I won''t be around the next few days, but unlike that day, nothing should come up and dearly affect our empire like that. So stand firm, continue our plans against the enemies and your training."


    "In a month at the most, I should be back. We''ll start to resolve the situation of that terrorist group of that damned Abe in no time!" He looked to the sides of that imperial throne hall, where many eyes with a desire for revenge could be seen.


    "Your Majesty, don''t worry, we''ll be fine." Dillian, level 65, said while standing next to his wife, Eda, level 64.


    Abby''s parents were also around, along with some high-level army members, not least Regina, who had lost her former bodyguard, Angela, to the previous attack.


    "I hope you return successfully quickly, Your Majesty." That poison master said, feeling the urge to take revenge once again in her life.


    She had not yet succeeded in killing the elf who had caused the death of her first love centuries ago. But now she had gained a new motive for revenge, and she was furious.


    Minos knew what was on Regina''s mind and just nodded to her, confident that he could fulfill the expectations of this and other people in this hall.


    "Very well, gentlemen and ladies. I hope you will take good care of my city during this period." He said to the ten individuals, just before he saw them nodding and depart the area alongside his wives and Gavin.


    With that, they quickly made their way to the teleportation port of the Black Plain Army headquarters, from where they would depart for the Flaming Empire.


    As that group was leaving, old Grant approached one of those mercenaries from the Western Empire, his homeland, and asked. "Can you tell me how things are going in the imperial family?"


    "Hmmm? Old man, do you think people like us have any news regarding the imperial family?" One of the men in that group asked Grant, this fellow they all already knew from history because of the rumors about him among local soldiers.


    Grant had never gotten very close to them in the past few days, only asking questions and probing about their positions.


    But after realizing that these people were just ordinary mercenaries, not enemy spies of the imperial family, he finally decided to get closer to them and ask questions.


    "I don''t want important news regarding the imperial family. I''m just curious to know if something has changed. For example, is the princess okay?" He asked about that woman who had been the reason for his trip to Elves Island when he experienced the catastrophe that crippled his cultivation.


    "The princess? Ah, yes, she married and started a family..." Then, that individual said a bit about that woman''s current position, which was known to everyone in the Western Empire and was not worth hiding.


    After listening to such a person for a while and finding out that only his group had perished in the incident in the North Sea, Grant was relieved and asked several more questions regarding the empire.


    He wanted to know how his former state was, whether the imperial family was continuing with plans against the Eastern Empire and a few more details.


    In the end, he asked that mercenary. "I have a letter that I need to deliver to the imperial palace. Can you do that for me? Of course, I will pay you for it."


    That level 77 man saw the letter in Grant''s hands and thought for a moment.


    But since it was a job of just passing on a message, he saw no problem and said. "All right. When this mission is over, and I return to the empire, I will deliver this where you want it..."


    The two continued talking for some more time, agreeing on what would happen and the costs of this service.


    ...


    Two days later...


    After they departed from the Black Plain, Minos and his group finally reached Clouds City, where they were promptly spotted by Abe''s men nearby.


    But this time, Minos was not worried about these people and simply flew alongside his women and Gavin to the headquarters of the Gray Clouds Sect.


    Such a place was not far away. After a few minutes, they had already arrived at the Oswald estate, where Sarah could see her grandmother again after months away from her.


    Minos and Gavin had to stay in the area for a while since Oswald was not around. But after a few hours, that fellow returned home, finding his grandson ready to battle alongside him, waiting for him in that estate.


    "Minos, are you here for that?" Oswald asked as he saw his grandson and felt excited to be able to fight alongside that fellow for the first time.


    ...

 Chapter 1410 Plans For The Future

    Seeing Oswald, Minos stood up from where he sat next to Gavin, eager to get to the battlefield. "Yes, I am ready to attack the enemy headquarters."


    "Good! When do we leave?" That bearded old fellow questioned.


    "We are already ready to leave." Minos gestured, showing him and Gavin, making his grandfather recognize this individual who had escaped from the Saints Killing Sect.


    As enemies, these sects were naturally keeping an eye on each other. So the leaders of the Gray Clouds Sect knew that a young member of the Rowse family had escaped Mortimer''s clutches years ago.


    Seeing this fellow with Minos, Oswald understood that Gavin had somehow allied himself with his grandson, and he was pleased about that.


    He did not like the members of that sect. Still, it was good to see that Minos'' enmity against such an organization was more profound than he had imagined. That meant that when he left for the Divine Continent, he would not have to worry about his grandson making peace with a power historically rival to his sect.


    With that, Oswald nodded to Gavin and said to Minos. "Very well. We will meet with some elders and leave immediately after that."


    The three of them departed from Oswald''s house, leaving the women behind, including Patience, who was part of the group of elders who would look after the headquarters during the attack about to take place.


    As they moved into conversations with the sect''s most influential elders, Oswald took the opportunity to discuss important matters with his grandson.


    "Minos, how will the Black Plain look in the coming days? I''m afraid it will take some time to move because of your weapons."


    Minos continued to look forward as he flew alongside Gavin and Oswald. "I have gotten some people strong enough to guard Dry City in my absence. So the risk I will take will be minimal."


    There would always be risks in whatever things anyone did. Minos knew this and did not think it would be impossible for his forces to suffer, even with those ten experts he hired.


    But the possibility of something happening and threatening his territory in this period was remote, small enough for him not to worry.


    "Is that so?" Oswald was surprised to hear that.


    Minos and the Black Plain had suffered significantly only a few months ago, and this young man did not even know how to continue his plans safely. But in such a short time, Emperor Stuart totally changed his confidence regarding his actions in the Flaming Empire.


    That surprised this individual who knew nothing about the ten mercenaries from the Western Empire!


    "Yes, everything will be fine," Minos said.


    Oswald knew that his grandson had his own secrets and did not press Minos for it. "Hmm, very well, then. In any case, let''s act as quickly as possible. When we''re done with this war against the Saints Killing Sect, I intend to prepare to go to the Flowers Kingdom to try to settle His Majesty''s matter."


    "What?" Minos was surprised at this since it was rather dangerous to do that. "Why are you going to do that? I thought you would retire and leave for the Divine Continent."


    Minos and Oswald had already talked about quite a few things since this man''s first visit to the Gray Clouds Sect. Because of this, Emperor Stuart already knew about several important matters for this organization and was also aware of his grandfather''s retirement plan.


    So hearing from him about such a plan was somewhat surprising to this young man!


    "I have to do that. The emperor is important to the empire and is also an old acquaintance of mine." Oswald said, not wanting to tell his grandson that he would also do this to avoid possible complications for him.


    "Are the other masters of the great sects also going to do this?" Minos asked.


    "No, after all, only I will be stepping away from my duties."


    "You shouldn''t do that," Minos said, annoyed that someone else wanted to take a responsibility that was his. "I promised him I would return the gesture of helping me on the Black Plain. Then I will go to that kingdom when I am stronger."


    Minos then said in a confident tone after a brief pause. "You don''t have to worry about helping me with that."


    "How will you do that? Do you even know how things in that kingdom work?" Oswald questioned his grandson.


    "I have a good idea."


    Minos knew about the Flowers Kingdom as his women and staff had gathered information from that place and passed it on to him.


    Such a state did not exist during the era of Henricus Longus, so there was nothing that the heritage of that ancient God could do to help him against that kingdom.


    But it did not have to. Minos trusted his talents and combat capabilities. Thus, he was confident in accepting any of the challenges those women made to men who dared to enter that kingdom.


    The story said that foreign men who entered the Flowers Kingdom would have a future worse than death or a glorious fate.


    They would fail and end up living pathetically or die after being castrated, or they would be victorious, keep their manhoods, and win significant prizes.


    The Flowers Kingdom was a high-level state with resources of the most varied kinds.


    Not only that, but due to its peculiarities, the kingdom did not have a large population and produced far more than it consumed. The result of this? That was a wealthy state with the capability to generate opportunities even for people from the Divine Continent.


    Obviously, the kingdom itself was not that prosperous. But its royal family was so rich that it could bring resources and possibilities from elsewhere in the Spiritual World!


    They used this to offer prizes and incentives for talented men to pass through the kingdom''s borders.


    Knowing this and being confident in himself, Emperor Stuart wished to travel to the Flowers Kingdom and get the right to a prize of his choice.


    Harold Edwardstone''s freedom!


    Oswald then asked his grandson. "And yet you still want to risk yourself? Are you out of your mind? And what will happen to the sect?"


    "If I win the bet, the sect won''t be without me for more than a few months. Then it won''t be a big deal." Minos said, while already thinking about what he would do in the future.


    He was upset about the situation Harold had gotten himself into for helping him. But the truth was that even with the problems it would bring him, Minos knew that there were some advantages to having this man away.


    He wanted to bring the Gray Clouds Sect to the Black Plain Empire. So the timing would be pretty propitious for that!


    The local imperial family probably would not like it. Still, it would definitely be easier to negotiate and get approval for such a thing in Harold''s absence than if he were around.


    ''Even if I stay away for a few years, the sect will probably be fine if it''s inside the Black Plain.'' He thought as he considered what would happen with his forces if such an organization merged with them and migrated to the Black Plain.


    ''By joining the Black Plain, perhaps some Spiritual Sage will emerge from this group of elders...'' Minos considered immediately after seeing the twelve strongest individuals in that organization.


    ...

 Chapter 1411 Frustration

    At that moment, Minos met with the most important individuals in that sect, some of whom would be part of his attack group.


    But not only those high-level Spiritual Saints from that sect were there. Each of those going to the battlefield brought some individuals to fight by their side.


    That was the case with one of the representatives of the Terry family, who was with Lance by his side.


    This fellow was looking coldly at Minos, disappointed that all his plans had gone wrong and he no longer had a good chance of reversing this person''s deeds.


    He still hoped that Minos would die in the war. Still, he no longer had the support even of his family to continue antagonizing this fellow from the northern region. As such, for the moment, he could only hope that fate would take care of his opponent and remain strong as a candidate for the succession of power in this sect.


    ''You are a monster. I admit that.'' Lance thought as Minos ignored him. ''But I won''t give up! Someone as nefarious as you, who endangers his own state because of his ambitions for power elsewhere, does not deserve to be the leader of my sect!''


    While Lance emitted waves of envy and anger at Minos, this emperor ignored that troublesome person so as not to ruin his day.


    He received a letter sent by Isabella from his grandfather and saved such a thing to read later and said. "Alright, people, the time has come for us to attack the headquarters of the Saints Killing Sect!"


    "Are you prepared, sect master?" Patriarch Terry asked since, despite everything he had heard from Minos, what they were about to start was on a whole different level.


    They were not going to fight against low-level Spiritual Saints but against such individuals of medium and also of high-level ones!


    Since Minos would subdivide the power of his black holes created earlier, the patriarch Terry and the others there also wanted to know how prepared the sect master was.


    Minos then said. "For my part, everything is ready. I have all the necessary devices and need less than a day to store the fractions of the black holes in these arrays."


    "After that, we can leave on that one to attack the enemy headquarters."


    Those experts who were going on this mission, half of them to be exact, liked to hear this as they analyzed the spiritual pressure exhaled by his body.


    ''Hmm, it looks like Minos will advance to level 68 soon.'' One of the Coleman family members there thought to himself, pleased with the sect master''s progress.


    Everyone there was amazed at Minos'' phenomenal cultivation speed whenever they saw him. Not even the greatest talents of this sect could cultivate so fast, even in these areas.


    But Minos did this while spending most of his time on the Black Plain!


    As such, several of these high-level Spiritual Saints were delighted with Minos'' growth in strength but also curious as to whether they could achieve something similar.


    ''I heard from young Maisie that Minos intends to take the sect to the northern region... I wonder if he plans to share his methods with us when that happens?''


    The group talked for a few more moments, with Minos and those who would be fighting agreeing on some necessary details before they left.


    With that done, they said goodbye to those who would be left to take care of this headquarters, then left for the battlefield!


    Meanwhile, Abe''s men in the Flaming Empire had already sent their leader the information about Minos'' arrival here!


    ...


    One day later...


    While Minos was working on his black holes on the battlefield between the Gray Clouds Sect and the Saints Killing Sect, Abe was notified of his enemy''s situation.


    With that, this fellow again set out to attack, following through with his intentions to destroy the capital of the Black Plain Empire and eliminate some more of the pillars of Minos'' rule.


    However, as Abe smiled as he led his men into Dry City, he slowly changed his expression as he realized something was wrong.


    He used a slightly different strategy than the one he used the last time he acted against Minos. But even though something like this was to be expected from enemies as well, what he and his group found when they invaded the skies of Dry City was somewhat surprising.


    No Spiritual Emperors of this state and their allies were in the vicinity, flying towards them. That was also true for the low-level Spiritual Saints, who only observed the area from their usual places.


    Meanwhile, ten individuals, subdivided around this large city, were positioned in the path of the group of these terrorists as if they were making a defensive belt around this city.


    Abe and his men finally managed to scan the cultivation of these people, noticing that these were damn high-level Spiritual Saints!


    "Oh, shit!" One of the low-level Spiritual Saints in Abe''s group cursed, feeling that they had fallen into the enemy''s trap.


    For months the Black Plain had shown its usual strength without any signs that it had gotten reinforcements.


    On the other hand, Abe''s group had grown even stronger after the last confrontation in this City, when Minos had defeated them at the last moment.


    Abe had finally given up his pretensions of taking revenge on Vogel to at least ensure Minos'' demise. Therefore, several stronger Spiritual Saints from his mercenary group had come to this place to fight alongside him.


    But even so, there were only 7 of these individuals, which already gave a significant advantage to the local forces!


    "Minos, you bastard!" Abe cursed in a low voice, frustrated that his opponent had made such a move against him.


    Meanwhile, the mercenaries hired by Minos were preparing to go to battle. Still, their leader stepped forward and tried a diplomatic approach.


    "Friends of the Western Empire, we are here to protect these lands temporarily. So I ask that you return from where you came today, or we will be forced to take action." A level 79 individual said this, knowing it was not his duty to kill these people just because they were there.


    His job was to protect this city and the people there. So if it could be done by avoiding a confrontation, he would still be fulfilling his duties!


    The people next to Abe were not stupid either, and one of them soon advised this fellow. "Boss, let''s back off. We can fight this Minos another day." A level 79 man said, seeing no advantage in testing those ten people.


    ''Damn it!''


    ''You pay me for this, Minos!'' Abe turned red with anger, knowing that not attacking would be best since, with such defenses, the local forces would hardly suffer. At the same time, his group would be left in tatters.


    On the other hand, even if they could return to attack Dry City when these mercenaries from Minos had served their purpose, that would not be good. After all, if Emperor Stuart achieved success in his plans for the Flaming Empire, everything would become much more difficult!


    As Abe boiled with anger, a man sent by the Saints Killing Sect to accompany these people frowned, sensing that such a move could mean something terrible for his sect.


    ''I have to notify the sect master!''


    ''Something will happen!''

 Chapter 1412 The Violence Method

    A few days later...


    After leaving for the battlefield alongside the high-level elders of the Gray Clouds Sect, Minos subdivided the black holes and created regions of space like these, only smaller.


    With that, he created 10 Black Hole Bombs, each capable of threatening even high-level Spiritual Saints if appropriately used.


    This work had taken a little over a day since the locations of the two black holes were distinct, and dividing these regions of space was not simple. But after this period, Minos and his companions set off toward their enemies'' headquarters.


    Because of the Black Hole Bombs, Minos, their controller, could not use methods to shorten distances, as in the case of teleportation arrays.


    So his attack group was heading for the enemy headquarters by traditional means, flying around the southernmost part of the Flaming Empire, near the border of this state with the Flowers Kingdom.


    ...


    Somewhere in the domain of the Saints Killing Sect...


    A group of fewer than 30 people was camping nearby, in this place with several floating islands in the area, one of the empire''s high-level regions of spiritual energy.


    In the middle of the area where this group was, Minos was eating next to Oswald and Gavin, while the strongest people there were nearby, watching the area or eating with them.


    "Sect master, a tribe of beasts allied with the Saints Killing Sect, is in our path just ahead." One of the weaker ones there relayed this message to Minos and Oswald as they finished resting. "They sent an ultimatum telling us to turn around or prepare for battle."


    Minos looked into the distance and saw some of the beings in his path, Lizard Men, a humanoid species of spiritual beasts.


    "It looks like the enemy is already waiting for us..." Minos said in a low voice for those closest to him to hear.


    "That is probably Abe''s fault." Gavin commented, suspecting their enemies had contacted each other somehow since they both had common goals.


    Minos nodded in agreement as Oswald saw that their plans to attack these enemies by surprise would not work out.


    He knew what he would do in this situation, but he gave his grandson a chance to answer. "What do you intend to do? Fight with them and lose parts of our forces?"


    Minos looked at the man who had brought the enemy ultimatum and said. "Tell them that if they don''t get out of our way, their tribe will be exterminated by the end of the day. We can''t exterminate the Saints Killing Sect, but the same is not true for them."


    The people in the surrounding area looked at Minos significantly, among them Lance, who thought that a deflection or diplomatic approach was a better alternative to the problem.


    Part of them thought the same as Lance. They did not want such a violent approach to the matter.


    But Minos thought differently. He treated every enemy as if it were a disease to be fought and eliminated so that the rest of the organism could live well.


    He was not unnecessarily cruel most of the time. On the contrary, he always gave his enemies several opportunities not to overstep all his limits.


    But he was not the type that people could play with. He wanted his current opponents to be afraid of him so people in the future would not wish to be in the same position as such individuals.


    Therefore, Minos used violence.


    ''If violence didn''t bring good results, it''s because there wasn''t enough violence!''


    "Are you sure about that?" Oswald asked his grandson. "But how do you intend to do that?"


    "I have several weapons at my disposal," Minos said as he ate his bowl of soup.


    Everyone there looked at his waist, where mirror spheres were hanging, each emitting abominable energies.


    Gulp!


    "Are you out of your mind? That is too extreme, sect master." A level 78 individual said this as he stood up and said while looking at Minos.


    "The enemy already knows our position as well as what we intend. Therefore, not acting will be a sign of weakness and a mistake in strategy." Minos said this, looking at such a person. "What do you think they expect to happen? That we run roughshod over these beasts? No way, they know how you old people think."


    "Luckily, I think differently."


    "Do you think the enemy is not prepared to fight if we decide to follow your plans?" A level 78 member of House Terry asked.


    "They are less prepared than if we back down," Minos answered confidently. "In any case, if you dare not accompany me, I will follow this alone."


    Then Emperor Stuart stood up and flew towards his opponents, followed immediately only by Gavin, who was very fond of this combat style.


    "Sect master..." A Moss family member looked at Oswald and called him by his old title.


    Oswald said nothing right away as he watched in the direction from which Minos and Gavin had departed.


    They were in enemy territory, but no one was concerned about Minos'' safety. After all, of all of them, the one who needed protection the least was him.


    They were there to help in the battle. Still, Minos had several methods of taking action against opponents in the area. So he could get away from the group for a while, and there would be no risk to their plans, so these people waited for Oswald''s response.


    "Let''s see what he does..."


    ...


    The distance between the group of spiritual beasts and Minos'' previous position was not great, so he soon was face to face with those scaled beings.


    He stopped next to Gavin, above where such beings were positioned on the floating terrain of a small island.


    Minos looked down and was silent, seeing the looks in the eyes of those 8th stage creatures.


    He then took one of his Black Hole Bombs and released the black hole, startling Gavin a little, who immediately turned away from Minos and looked at him strangely.


    ''How can you act like this? You could have at least warned me before...'' That guy saw Minos a little further away and sighed.


    Minos then said. "Lizard Men, you have two options at the moment. Retreat immediately and secure the future of your species or face fate."


    "You have 10 seconds to make up your minds." He made the black hole in front of him begin to rotate toward that portion of land while leaving his two hands open, in front of his chest, with his arms outstretched.


    The creatures on that floating island looked at each other. They found it comical that a mere Spiritual Emperor was there to challenge them.


    They knew Minos was strong, but they did not believe they would be exterminated before they had a chance to finish Emperor Stuart.


    Then one of them said. "Human, you are confident with your achievements so far. Let me show you the meaning of the word defeat."


    "Keep that to yourself, beast." Minos then hurled his black hole in the direction of that island, which this level 77 Lizard Man was standing in front of.


    ...

 Chapter 1413 Destruction

    When Minos hurled that black hole at his opponents, this young man''s allies had finally caught up with him and Gavin to see the beginning of this act by their leader.


    "Yeah, he attacked his own anyway..." Oswald muttered as he saw the many Lizard Men on that floating island looking at them hatefully as they set up their fighting positions.


    At the same time, the group of elders of that sect felt that they would be forced to fight in this place, regretting Minos'' rash choice.


    ''If we had diverted the path, we would have fewer battles in our way...'' One of them thought as he saw the opponents flying and attacking in their direction.


    But Minos did not stand still besides these people and soon flew after his black hole, intending to use his techniques to destroy as many opponents in his path as possible.


    Gavin understood the movement of the leader of the attack. He activated his abilities, intending to do some damage to the organization that had betrayed and tried to assassinate him.


    Destruction Eyes!


    The eye on his forehead showed, causing the human Spiritual Saints nearby, who were there to watch the action of these beasts, to open their eyes and identify him.


    "Gavin Rowse!" One of them shouted as he showed himself, already flying towards his opponent.


    If he captured this young man and took the Destruction Eyes to the sect master, surely the prizes he would receive would not be small.


    "Brat, you have too much courage to show yourself on the battlefield!" Such a person shouted as a giant skeletal hand appeared in his surroundings, heading towards the body of that red-haired young man.


    However, as he moved, the gravity in his surroundings suddenly began to draw him in the direction he did not want to approach!


    "Uh?" He looked at his surroundings and saw Minos pointing one of his hands in his direction.


    Chaotic Gravity: Attraction!


    Several individuals in the enemy group felt Minos'' 7th technique drawing them towards the black hole without having much to do against such a thing.


    The Chaotic Gravity action was extreme as it caused its victims to feel the change in their surroundings without having time to get used to it. Before they knew it, they were already speeding towards their target, almost defenseless.


    Gavin saw the humans emerging in the surroundings and began to dirty his hands with blood, starting his revenge.


    Spiritual Avatar!


    Gavin activated his 8th technique, making his soul form appear. In contrast, the large eye on the forehead of this form opened to blind his many opponents.


    These special eyes had several possibilities, among them the ability to emit light intensely in all directions, considerably sensitizing the targets in their path.


    When he did this, the medium and high-level Spiritual Saints in front of him put their forearms in front of their eyes, trying not to be so affected by it.


    Minos and Gavin''s allies saw this and could not stay behind. They already knew the strategy to win in this place and soon joined the mess.


    "Oswald, how dare you to participate in such an action?" One of the Lizard Men shouted at Minos'' old grandfather, finding such violence unacceptable. "If the emperor were in the state, you would be punished vigorously!"


    "My grandson has given you an alternative. You have made your choice. Now bear the consequences!" That man said as he showed some of his innate skill to the people on that battlefield.


    Oswald''s eyes glowed in a red hue, and then a pulse broke from where he was standing, emitting a powerful intent capable of making those of low will lose consciousness.


    All the low and medium-level Spiritual Saints on the battlefield felt their strength being suppressed by such an individual, making them more susceptible to Minos'' actions.


    Devouring Art!


    This young man did not miss his chance. He soon had a group of Oswald-affected individuals in his vicinity serving as ''batteries'' for him to fight on this floating island.


    As he did this, more and more members of his forces managed to press enemies toward the event horizon of the black hole, ensuring the demise of many of the beasts in the area.


    Most of the humans out there were not powerful cultivators but people who were there to watch the area and keep Mortimer well-informed of the situation in his territory. So when facing Minos'' high-level group, they suffered considerably, some even dying at the hands of Gavin.


    Minos was pleased with the pace of the confrontation. Still, seeing that enemy reinforcements were arriving, he felt he needed to change his strategy.


    ''We are not here to exterminate this sect but to make them seek an armistice with us.'' He saw the group of more than 50 cultivators flying in the distance to where they were. ''Then it''s good to make them feel the terror and escape from this place to tell other people what we are capable of!''


    "Retreat!" Minos shouted to his group fighting there, surprising many of his allies as they were winning.


    But as sect master, he had the authority to do this, and soon those people began to retreat.


    "Minos, what are you doing? We haven''t even exterminated them yet, as you said earlier." Gavin said as he came closer to Emperor Stuart.


    "Do as I say, and you will understand my motives." Minos said this as he noticed the beasts and humans who had been fighting up to that point also retreating.


    Gavin clenched his fists and accepted Minos'' orders, waiting to see what this man had in mind.


    Oswald was also watching Minos but soon understood what his grandson wanted.


    Minos put that black hole, this time much stronger than before, in the previous mirror device and used large parts of his energy to control it.


    Since the thing had already exceeded the limit he could safely control, Minos could only arm the Black Hole Bomb and say to his allies.


    "Run as far away as possible!" He shouted, scaring his enemies as well.


    In that instant, everyone saw him hurl such a mirrored sphere towards the floating island and then fly in the opposite direction while that thing glowed brightly.


    Those closest to such a device felt how terrible the energy inside that array was, with that thing slowing cracking due to the amount of power in that black hole.


    "Holy shit!" The level 78 Spiritual Saint of the Terry family there grabbed Lance by the waist and started flying with everything he had away, feeling the madness that Minos had done.


    Even Oswald opened his mouth in surprise at the power of that mass destruction weapon, not even needing to see what would happen to know how terrible that was.


    "So that was it..." Gavin smiled just before using his innate ability to teleport away.


    But not only the people in Minos'' group realized what was happening. The enemy group''s reinforcements that were about to arrive in the area turned around and started flying in the opposite direction.


    "Shit!"


    "What did that bastard do?" A level 78 Spiritual Saint wondered as he looked back in awe.


    At that moment, something as bright as the star in the local skies appeared in the position of that flying island.


    Then, in the blink of an eye...


    KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!


    ...

 Chapter 1414 The End Of The Lizard Men

    When Minos'' Black Hole Bomb exploded, the floating island in that area disappeared under the intense glow of that device.


    But all the residents of the Lizard Men''s home who were outside their homes saw the split second before their end.


    At one moment, all was ''fine,'' with peace slowly settling down due to the withdrawal of troops from the surrounding area. But then a flash appeared from one side of the island.


    When the flash appeared, blinding all those looking in its direction within a radius of 10 kilometers from the focus of the explosion, violent shockwaves spread from it.


    Those watching from a distance could observe the air being ''dragged'' by the shockwave, with everything in the surrounding area being carried away from the focus of the explosion.


    That was true for the molecules in the air, but also for buildings, people, trees, in short, everything in the path of the shockwaves.


    In sequence, the terrifying noise of the explosion deafened all those below the 8th cultivation stage within a radius of 20 kilometers from the focus of the explosion, with the sound itself damaging buildings in the affected space.


    All this happened within fractions of a second of the initial moment of the explosion, which soon spread uncontrollably over tens of square kilometers.


    The ''luckiest,'' those closest to the Black Hole Bomb, were obliterated without the slightest chance of suffering from this catastrophic event.


    But those farther away would suffer for the next minutes, hours, until the end of their lives in the chaos that would remain on that island.


    These were not all. Of all the living beings in the surroundings, many would exhibit sequelae from this event for the rest of their lives. On this day, they were sentenced to terrible punishment because of their leaders'' decisions.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhh!"


    Screams spread over an area of hundreds of square kilometers, with the first victims of this event finally being able to expose their desolation after the noise of the previous explosion passed.


    With this all happening within minutes, both Minos'' and the opponents'' sides were shocked and frightened by the power of a mass destruction weapon.


    The Gray Clouds Sect group knew that Minos planned to use something like this in his movements, but such a thing was too powerful!


    They did not think that an entire species, more than half of a floating island like that, would be destroyed with a single blow from Emperor Stuart!


    Minos had said that he would bring an end to the species of Lizard Men, but the people in his group had not taken him seriously...


    But now, seeing the result of the calamity he generated, these people were open-mouthed, contemplating the end of these beasts, one of the pillars of the Saints Killing Sect for millennia.


    The group from the Saints Killing Sect, who was about to arrive in the area to provide reinforcements to those beasts, also sensed the end of this race.


    "They... They''re all dead!" A high-level Spiritual Saint said this, considering that there were beasts of the high level of the 8th stage in that place.


    In other words, Minos'' weapon had not only wiped out an entire race but also brought the lives of essential beasts within that tribe to an end!


    Minos could threaten them all as long as he had this fearsome weapon in hand!


    "What an abomination!"


    "How could the heavens have allowed something like that to be created?"


    "Not the heavens. That''s the stuff of the underworld!"


    Those experts commented among themselves, feeling the weight of seeing a race being exterminated but also watching what could be their fate!


    One of the high-level Spiritual Saints in that group looked up into the orange skies of that area, seeing where Minos was floating dozens of kilometers away from where the explosion had ended.


    Minos looked like a demon standing above the skies, looking down and judging them as if he had every right to sentence their fate.


    This person clenched his fists at the sight of Minos, but so did the red-haired young man not far from this brown-haired person, who was smiling in satisfaction.


    As someone with the Destruction Eyes and many people to take revenge on, Gavin was quite fond of threatening things like this and was more than satisfied with Minos'' action.


    On the other hand, Oswald, who had helped a portion of his sect members escape Minos'' action, was assessing the results of the destruction caused by the Black Hole Bomb.


    ''If that were launched against enemy headquarters, we probably would have exterminated that sect.'' He pondered, realizing how much power that device had gained after the black hole absorbed several enemy experts earlier.


    ''No wonder Minos used that here. If he kept that with him, we would end up harming the enemy side more than the imperial family can accept.''


    ''That''s also why he created so many of those bombs.'' He nodded in pride in his grandson''s direction, sensing that Minos was not unnecessarily cruel.


    Minos was dosing how decisive he was so as not to harm their interests.


    Had the Lizard Men been his victims? True, but such was the war, what these beings had set themselves.


    Perhaps part of the Lizard Men on that floating island had nothing to do with the war and was innocent. But when society accepted some leaders and gave them powers and privileges, it had to bear the consequences of the mistakes and successes of these people.


    Could they be punished in extreme cases? Sure, but this would not change the fact that society itself was always the last to blame.


    A peaceful society would never accept its leaders going to war. Instead, it would revolt and change the power scheme until its wishes were met.


    So the one who accepted to live in such a way shared the guilt of the war and, in a way, could not be considered innocent!


    Oswald thought so and did not consider the destruction of this race a pity.


    But not everyone thought so.


    ''What a crazy bastard!'' Lance thought to himself, feeling a terrible sensation in his body since he had almost died in Minos'' act earlier.


    If not for his family''s expert, who saved him in time and carried him away, this blond man would have met his end in this place!


    As he thought about the destruction caused by Minos, he felt that the sect was in the hands of a genocidal madman, someone who was even more dangerous than an ordinary person like that. After all, unlike many psychopaths, Emperor Stuart had mass destruction weapons in his possession.


    Because of this, Lance could only think that the entire sect would be led down a path with no future by Minos, and he could not help but go closer to this leader and question.


    "What was that? You almost killed people in your own group with that action, Minos!" Lance shouted, while his expression was the worst he could have. "Plus, you exterminated our opponents! What are you thinking? Are you going to disregard all the rules of the empire and drive the sect into lawlessness?"


    Hearing that, Minos looked at Lance, making that young man tremble with fear. "The battlefield is dangerous. If you don''t feel confident being here, go back home. We won''t miss you anyway..."

 Chapter 1415 Chaos Over The Saints Killing Sect

    Lance turned red with anger but could not speak when Gavin made fun of him. "What is this idiot talking about? Doesn''t he realize how precise that move was?"


    And indeed, most of the Gray Clouds Sect group people thought Minos'' move was accurate.


    If he had kept that black hole, he would have had many transportation problems, or he would have had to use it. The second option would be problematic since they could not destroy the Saints Killing Sect, something that such a Black Hole Bomb had the capability for.


    So using such an artifact against replaceable beings was the best, even though Minos'' action was indeed sudden.


    But even that, most of the people there could not complain. After all, given his information and the scenario he was in, Minos had to act as quickly as possible without much time to give his allies more advance warning.


    Sometimes, in the middle of a battle, the course of the war changed, and strategies had to be changed in the heat of the moment. At times, this could even harm allies, even when it was the best possible decision.


    The elders there were aware of this and did not come out in defense of Lance.


    Minos then said to the enemies on the other side of the half-destroyed island. "This war must end. But only your side can decide how that will happen. Will it be with the leaders of your forces pleading for mercy on the battlefield? With the blood of your family on your hands? By bending the knee to us? Or perhaps in an agreement of equals?"


    "Decide. But in the meantime, we will fight."


    The people on the other side of the area where Minos'' group stood heard such a thing amid the sounds of agony from people in their forces.


    Such words deeply irritated each of them since, for a long time, the Saints Killing Sect people were the ones who gave ultimatums like this.


    But they could not deny that Minos had the right to threaten them...


    "Tsk!"


    "How degrading!" One of them turned around before flying away from there, heading back to the sect headquarters.


    With all this occurring, they had no choice but to back off and take the matter to the sect master.


    None of them wanted to say it out loud, but the war they thought they would win in a short time had wholly changed the situation, and now they were being threatened.


    The enemy could now jeopardize their existence, and they truly had to consider surrender!


    "Let''s go..."


    The rest departed the area, ignoring the cries and pleas for help from those injured in the area.


    The people in this sect were the type who would not give an easy time, even to their family members. If a son was not wise, he could find himself at war with his own father over a woman. A father could abandon his son if he were born with a disability.


    So in that place full of wounded people now useless to this organization, it would not be these old elders, accustomed to these methods, who would come to their rescue.


    An ally was only valuable if they could generate positive value for the organization. Therefore, they would be discarded and replaced as soon as they lost this capacity.


    That was the way this organization led, which ensured the extent of the suffering of many wounded in that now desolate place.


    Minos'' group had no mercy on their opponent either and quickly left the area, heading back towards enemy headquarters.


    ''A few more days...'' Gavin smiled as he returned to his group''s formation.


    ...


    Days later...


    Quickly the news regarding the end of the Lizard Men tribe reached the headquarters of the Saints Killing Sect.


    There, Mortimer was shocked to discover the power of Minos'' mass destruction weapons, which his organization only had information about through rumors.


    With this news in hand, this man could not help but reconsider everything he knew about Minos and the position of the Gray Clouds Sect.


    "What shall we do now?" This man''s wife questioned him, feeling they were at a crossroads of fate.


    Perhaps Minos would not take his threats literally, and the risk of their destruction was less than it seemed. So there was a risk of them surrendering and bearing the war''s costs.


    When an organization raised the white flag in a war, it had to bear several responsibilities, such as paying compensation and accepting some restrictions.


    Therefore, it was not simple to surrender, and there was a risk for them if Minos was faking how decisive he could be.


    On the other hand, continuing without considering surrender could be a way to approach one''s own end.


    The emperor forbade one local organization to destroy another, considering, of course, those high-level powers. But Harold was not around, and some people could cross the line.


    Since there was no way for them to know how crazy Minos was, they could not disregard the possibility of this emperor bringing the situation between them to an alarming state.


    Hence that woman''s concern.


    Mortimer clenched his fists and said. "We are going to war. I want to see what Oswald and his grandson will do with me on the battlefield."


    "That..." That woman saw the determination in her husband''s eyes, who hardly accepted impositions without exploring all the possibilities.


    "If Minos Stuart wants to show himself greatly, then he will have to prove it by fighting the great ones!" He commented in a tone laden with coolness. "I''ll give him a chance at that!"


    "What about Gavin?" She asked.


    Mortimer''s eyes showed a much better gleam upon hearing that name, and he smiled mischievously. "Our focus will be on capturing that damned fugitive. Even if we can''t beat the crap out of those people from the Gray Clouds Sect, we will be victorious if we collect those eyes."


    "We will retreat temporarily, but eventually, we will destroy them and dominate this state!"


    ...


    Thus, a few more days passed, with Minos and his group again using their arsenal to terrorize the domain of the Saints Killing Sect.


    On these occasions, Minos had detonated two more of his Black Hole Bombs, destroying outposts of that organization and even eliminating other tribes supporting Mortimer''s forces.


    His goal was to scare off all the members and allies of that sect, and he had been successful in his endeavor.


    At this moment, the entire Flaming Empire was frightened by the development of the war between those powers, surprised by the evolution of the conflict but fearful of what might happen in the future.


    Even the imperial family was beginning to worry and had dispatched some envoys to go to Minos to discuss their previous and future actions.


    And just such people, high-ranking elders sent by the supreme elder Edwardstone, were arriving at the place where Minos'' group was passing at the moment.


    "Sect Master Minos Stuart, we are here under an imperial edict to collect your statement and take it to the court of law."


    ...

 Chapter 1416 Breaches Of The Laws

    Upon receiving the group of envoys from the imperial family, Minos faced some of his acquaintances and strange people he had never seen before.


    Among these men, Warner, level 69, was there to accompany the high-level Spiritual Saint who had been dispatched to take care of this situation.


    Warner was already an acquaintance of Minos from the time of the end of the Black Plain''s War of Independence. So even though he was weak within the imperial family, he had relevance to be sent to this service.


    Then after the words of that Spiritual Saint, he said to Minos, trying to do diplomacy. "Sect master Stuart, the imperial family needs justification for your recent actions... The whole empire is on alert because of the destruction of the Lizard Men tribe."


    Minos heard that from that person and continued cleaning the blade of his medium-level grade-3 sword in the middle of his group.


    Silence was present in that area as the people there waited for his answer, and he continued his work as if nothing was happening.


    After a few moments, he replied without looking at the group of newcomers. "The imperial family has forbidden us to act with high-ranking members and exterminate each other. Am I wrong about something?"


    "No, you are right." Warner said, not understanding what Minos was getting at since such a previous act had broken those two rules imposed by the emperor.


    "So, we acted within what the emperor required. The high-level members of my group only acted when the high-level opponents of the opposing group attacked me. And we did not exterminate the Saints Killing Sect. Only one of the arms of that organization." Minos said, showing his arguments to these people.


    "What? You want me to believe that?" The Spiritual Saint questioned him in an irritated tone.


    "You can ask everyone here. I acted first on the side of my ally, Gavin. Then the members of the Lizard Men tribe acted together with some humans. That put high-level people into the opposing group, which forced my reinforcements into action." He reported.


    "Excuses!"


    "You all intended to attack that place from the beginning. Or why else would you be traveling like this?" This high-level Spiritual Saint questioned, looking at those people in disappointment.


    He knew many there and respected them. So, seeing their shameless way of acting, this man could not help but lament the point his acquaintances had reached.


    But Minos then said. "No. If they didn''t attack us, only I would act. My elders are only here to protect me in case the enemy leaders decide to break the emperor''s rules."


    "Then you don''t need to thank me, elder. I will do my best to punish those who disregard the empire''s rules, no matter who it hurts."


    Hearing Minos'' words, Warner looked at him with his mouth open, shocked to see Emperor Stuart being so shameless. ''I didn''t expect he would use an excuse like that...''


    "That I will not accept, Minos!" That important figure of the imperial family said in indignation. "You are clearly playing with me and disrespecting the empire''s integrity. How could the enemy leaders not attack you? Do you expect them to accept being destroyed?"


    He and some elders of the imperial family just wanted an excuse to punish Minos because of what had happened to the emperor. Because of this, he was there to take it hard and would not make it easy for this young man full of excuses.


    "Well, you should go talk to the emperor. He was the one who established that high-level Spiritual Saints should not act unless they were threatened or had to protect their own force." Minos laughed as he looked in the direction of that angry elder. "Perhaps I have exaggerated in saying that the enemies are defying the emperor''s laws. None of us are. They are defending themselves, and my elders are protecting me from them."


    "That''s not illegal, right? The emperor has not pointed out anything about it. So I won''t stop my actions until the emperor issues a new order saying I can''t act."


    "Shameless!" That man stepped forward, releasing his aura in irritation. "You know very well that the emperor can''t do that! You''re the one who put him in that situation, right?"


    "Tsk!"


    "Maybe you planned all this after all!"


    The people there felt uncomfortable with such direct words, with the imperial family''s group and the Gray Clouds Sect becoming tense.


    Then Minos rose from where he was and put his sword on his shoulder. "That''s all I have to say, elder. I will continue my actions until the emperor changes the game''s rules. Until then, I will defend myself against any kind of abuse that violates the rules imposed by the emperor."


    "Will you violate my rights and try to stop me from fighting?"


    "Minos!" That figure turned red at the sight of this young man''s games, who was using the imperial family itself against its interests.


    As much as Harold was not around, no one could go against the decisions of an emperor other than another individual of the same position. So unless the imperial family elevated Isabella to the position of the empress, they could not change the rules for this war between these two sects.


    With this, this man knew he could not stop Minos or risk punishment from the imperial family itself.


    Rules could be broken, but the same rules provide stability and ensure predictability in people''s lives. That is, if they were easily broken, they would lose their purpose, and people would stop believing or fearing them.


    In this case, even if the imperial family itself had created these rules, if it broke such things without following the protocols, all the organizations in the empire would be on alert.


    In a sense, this organization had taken itself, hostage. It was now in a difficult position to stop Minos from continuing with his plans!


    This elder in front of Minos knew what he was saying, and after a moment of trying to control himself and not hit this person, he gave up his task there and left.


    Acting with a hot head and without consulting the upper echelon of the imperial family would only bring problems for everyone. Thus, he decided to leave it to ''counter-attack'' Minos when he was better prepared.


    As such, a group left the area looking at Minos as he smiled in satisfaction, feeling that Isabella might become more useful to him before long.


    ''If they want to get in my way, they''ll have to make her the empress... But I''m the one who will gain the most if that happens.'' He thought, considering the possibilities these people would have to get in his way.


    Meanwhile, Minos'' grandfather was proud of how his grandson had handled the situation, seeing that Emperor Stuart was not only talented in battle.


    "Get ready!" Minos shouted after a few moments of silent thought. "We''re going to make the next attack in the next few hours. So be prepared to follow the strategy!"


    With those words, he and his group soon departed from there, heading for what would become Minos'' first encounter with Mortimer on the battlefield.


    ...

 Chapter 1417 Time For A Decisive Battle

    After some time, Minos and his group began a new attack against the forces of the Saints Killing Sect, intent on destroying yet another pillar of that organization.


    This time, just as in the last attacks, as soon as Minos identified the most powerful enemies, he and his allies started a battle until they trapped most of their enemies. After that, Emperor Stuart used one of the seven mass destruction weapons.


    By this time, Minos'' allies were better prepared for his action, and when the Black Hole Bomb was thrown, they escaped without much trouble.


    Thus, once again, this territory of the Saints Killing Sect witnessed the detonation of Minos'' weapon, with the end of countless lives in that part of the Flaming Empire.


    This event brought chaos to the lives of the beasts and humans in the surrounding area, destroying not only parts of those beings but the mountainous surroundings of that region.


    Floating islands, like the one destroyed before, only functioned due to the presence of spiritual-repellent rocks in their constitution. So when one of them was partially destroyed, their constitution changed, and they lost their properties.


    With this, more floating islands were losing their positions in the local skies, along with the degradation of essential organisms for the local spiritual wealth.


    Spiritual plants, such as those destroyed in the mountainous soil of the area, not only absorb energy and nutrients from the surroundings. They were organisms that lived in harmony with the environment, consuming but also replenishing.


    Not only was this done with their fruits, but also by attracting ''pockets of spiritual energy'' closer to them, favoring conditions favorable to cultivation, etc.


    These beings were part of the local spiritual wealth and, when destroyed, could never exist there again, thus furthering local decay.


    But those fighting did not care about that. They would do whatever they could do in the war to ensure the short-term survival of their forces.


    Minos did this, once again acting for the good of the Black Plain, wiping out various kinds of life in this place in the late afternoon of this day.


    But while the noise of burning and screaming could still be heard in the vicinity of where Minos'' group was, suddenly, several organisms began to emerge on the horizon at a distance from them.


    "Alert!" One of the watchmen shouted for Minos'' group to hear.


    "Enemies to the southeast! A large number of enemies are approaching southeast of where we are!" Such a person said in an alarming tone.


    Those individuals resting in Minos'' group opened their eyes. They looked into the distance, seeing the more than 100 armed individuals mounted on beasts approaching where they were.


    Oswald narrowed his eyes and looked toward the center of the enemy formation, identifying his enemy, Mortimer, leading the group.


    "It looks like they are here to test whether the level of threat that Minos poses..." He said for all there to hear him, confident that such a battle would be decisive for an eventual surrender by the forces of that sect.


    Minos looked to the horizon, seeing several of the enemy leaders there, recording those faces in his memory to one day guarantee the end of everyone there.


    At this moment, he could not do that, so he was saving his desire to finish off these enemies for the future. But, on the other hand, from what he could sense, the forces there were no weaker than his own, and even with his Black Hole Bombs, it would be difficult for his group to win.


    These mass destruction weapons were very useful and could hurt those in that group. But many of them were individuals at the highest levels of the 8th stage, which meant that their chances of escaping in time from one of the spheres on his belt were not small.


    Enemy positioning was critical when it came to destroying them with these artifacts.


    Minos knew this and would not be naive to think he could easily defeat those people just by having six such weapons left with him.


    Everyone there would gather around Minos and Oswald, raising their spirits to confront the opposing group getting closer to them.


    Among them, Gavin was the most excited, eager to fight and solve his revenge.


    From where he stood, this young man could already see the face of his greatest enemy, his father!


    ''Your time has come, old man!'' He smiled, focusing on that opponent.


    Meanwhile, Gavin''s father had also located his son, but he was not so happy to be able to face such a person.


    He had tried to kill Gavin and steal that young man''s eyes, but he did not wish the death of his son for Mortimer''s sake. Instead, this man wanted to absorb his son''s powers and become stronger, but this was different from sacrificing the life of such a young man for someone outside the family.


    Unfortunately, Gavin was a young rebel who had harmed his family by running away. Now he would have to die to give his powers to Mortimer, someone unworthy.


    So that man Gavin wanted so badly to kill was not happy about this situation in which he would only lose!


    ''You put yourself in that situation, Gavin.'' A red-haired man, but with a few wisps of white hair in his head, thought about this as he looked in the direction of his son.


    Mortimer then gave his last orders to his group, seeing that the distance between them and their opponents was not great. "Don''t forget your work. Capture Gavin Rowse, whatever it takes. No matter what happens in this battle, we are here only for that and nothing else."


    "If we can exterminate the opponents, great. But that''s secondary to our sect!"


    "Yes, sect master!" Those people responded to Mortimer''s orders, almost all looking to where Gavin was standing.


    Minos noticed this and looked at the man next to him. "Are you prepared? I sense that this battle will not be easy for you."


    Gavin was silent momentarily, knowing that his chances of dying today were not small. "Don''t worry about me. As long as I can fulfill my vengeance, I will leave the area and join you later."


    "Hmm, fine." Minos accepted that answer.


    "But if something happens, I only ask that you finish the second part of my revenge in the future." He looked at Minos, confident that he would win on this day but not wanting to take any chances.


    "Uh?"


    "Finish off every member of the Rowse family and the wretched Mortimer." Gavin answered Emperor Stuart''s doubt.


    Minos said nothing to this red-haired fellow, only having nodded in agreement.


    With that, the enemies already very close to them finally exchanged their pre-battle barbs, trying to annoy these people from the Gray Clouds Sect.


    "Oswald, you are getting old. I feel that today will be when you can finally retire to rest..." Mortimer said aloud. "Perhaps we will end your grandson''s life today before guaranteeing you an honorable end."


    "Humph!"


    "You talk nonsense, but you are right about one thing," Oswald shouted. "After today, my sect will emerge victorious from this conflict, and I can have the rest I''ve been waiting for!"


    "Mortimer, today I will make you taste defeat!"


    ...

 Chapter 1418 Historic Battle

    After his words, Oswald flew towards Mortimer, taking the initial step towards the beginning of this fight that would go down in regional history in a very short time.


    He immediately activated his innate ability to fly at the enemy leader, making several people on the battlefield feel bad for his mere presence there.


    But this was not Mortimer''s first time facing Oswald, so this man soon began to act as well, trying to direct that opponent to a position far away from his allies.


    Oswald''s ability was annoying to counter-attack. No matter how strong he was, Mortimer could not lessen the effect of such a thing on his allies unless he drove Minos'' grandfather away from the battlefield.


    Besides, anything he did would be futile since Oswald did not even need to concentrate on using it. Furthermore, considering the differences in powers between the two, it would not be easy to take him down.


    As his ability could weaken and even knock out people weaker than him, it was hazardous for the members of the Saints Killing Sect to have Oswald near them.


    Mortimer promptly began to attack Minos'' grandfather to make this man fly to higher and higher elevations while his men slowly began to act.


    Minos'' side also did not delay, and soon after the two main cultivators in the area began their clash, experts from that group flew toward their opponents of equivalent levels.


    The Saints Killing Sect''s group was relatively stronger than Minos''. They had more people and, on average, the level of these people was higher.


    But Minos'' group had this individual who had already released one of the black holes from one of those six mirrored devices waiting to be used.


    Minos did not immediately want to use the Black Hole Bomb. That was because, at this point in the battle, the enemies were vigilant and had spatial advantages to evade the effects of such a weapon.


    Since he did not like wasting resources, Emperor Stuart was already manipulating such a black hole while moving around the surroundings.


    Most of them were too strong for him to try to act, so Minos teamed up with other low and mid-level fighters to take on the enemies together.


    "Let''s stick to our previous plans. Get these people devoured by the black hole." Minos said as he could already see that Gavin had disappeared from their vicinity, along with the high-level warriors in that group.


    Most of those people heard this and accepted Minos'' orders, as this strategy was simple and had proven very effective over the past few days.


    Only Lance did not like this, as he felt he was only working to glorify Minos by accepting such a thing.


    ''If I get a chance, I''ll show what someone capable can do with my family''s arrays!'' This blond fellow thought to himself, determined to stand out in this battle to stop being overshadowed by Minos.


    Just like that, the battle in that mountainous area full of floating islands in the region dominated by the Saints Killing Sect began.


    Soon, dozens of Soul Avatars were activated in the surroundings. Many high-level techniques were released against opponents, creating a chaotic but fantastic scene there.


    Now and then, gigantic energy blades would cut from one side of the battlefield to the other, injuring opponents and sometimes ending lives. But at other times, these attacks would miss their targets and strike the surrounding terrain.


    One of the floating islands in the area, about 300 square meters in size, was one of the first victims of this battle, having been broken in half by a remnant attack from these warriors.


    Spiritual Saints could cut through floating islands as easily as a level 0 human could cut through bread.


    Therefore, battles involving people at this level were highly destructive, capable of destroying mountains and cities in the blink of an eye.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhh!"


    "Kill everyone in your path!"


    Boom!


    Swooish!


    "Ahhhhh! Show the worms what they deserve!"


    Shouts and sounds of the most varied kinds spread over a space of tens of cubic meters. At the same time, the temperature there increased significantly, with everyone showing their most extraordinary prowess at the beginning of the fight.


    Dark Sea!


    Minos activated his soul ability, causing a sea of darkness to spread to his surroundings, covering his black hole and many of his allies.


    In doing so, Minos promptly controlled his ability not to affect his allies as they moved in tandem toward the enemies.


    Even stronger enemies than Minos could feel it challenging to battle within space under the effect of this ability. They would not turn on each other, as this emperor had done in the past. But would see worse and be slower in the fight because of it.


    Meanwhile, he was using the Devouring Art to keep his strength at its peak while weakening the weaker enemies on that battlefield.


    Chaotic Gravity: Attraction!


    He was acting against a level 76 enemy Spiritual Saint, someone he usually could not affect, but now he could due to the circumstances.


    That person was pressured by the Devouring Art, Dark Sea, and 2 Spiritual Saints from the Gray Clouds Sect.


    In this situation, he was already too focused on mentally defending himself and protecting his skin from enemy blows to worry about Minos.


    He could change his focus, but the moment he changed it, he would face calamity. He would either be overwhelmed by the mental actions of his opponents, fall into Minos'' black hole, or suffer the physical blows of a level 74 Spiritual Saint.


    At worst, he could end up suffering from all three possible paths. So he was in a challenging situation at the moment!


    "Damn it!"


    ...


    While Minos was fighting alongside his weaker companions, Gavin had just teleported to where his father was.


    Appearing 10 meters behind this individual, Gavin wasted no time playing games and went straight for this man''s death.


    He knew he would have to face everyone from the Saints Killing Sect in this place if he was not quick. Thus, he did his best to hit that man at the first sign that he could act.


    He flew with a weapon in one of his hands while the circumferences in his eyes flashed, circling in opposite directions from each other.


    "Old man, today will be the day of your death!" Gavin shouted as he moved in such a way as to decapitate his father''s head.


    But as much as the difference in level between the two was not so great in this man''s favor that Gavin was not a risk to his life, this man had exceptional skills and was not nervous.


    "Gavin, you are a disappointment to the Rowse family." That man said as he turned on his back and the circumferences around his pupils glowed brightly.


    Switch!


    Just as he was about to be hit, that man suddenly disappeared. At the same time, another cultivator from the surrounding area appeared in his place.


    "Damn it!" Such a person, a family member of Gavin, found himself in the patriarch Rowse''s place and trembled in fear.


    Swooish!


    But with no time to react, he met his end, losing his head to Gavin''s relentless attack.


    "Gotcha!" That experienced man acted again, reappearing in place of that body as he struck out in the direction of his son.


    ...

 Chapter 1419 Important Death

    ? When he reappeared in place of his subordinate''s body, patriarch Rowse mercilessly attacked his son, intending to rip both of this young man''s arms off.


    He could not kill Gavin since the sect master had ordered his son''s capture. So he was acting to immobilize this rebellious fellow.


    "Humph!" Gavin threw a small dagger toward the void behind his father. "How expected!"


    He already knew his father''s fighting style. Then, he soon used the normal ability of his lineage, which was somewhat similar to that man''s Switch.


    Shift!


    He shifted, leaving the position where his father had attacked to appear where his dagger had flown, then attacked with his Destruction Eyes.


    Gavin''s Soul Avatar struck out toward his father''s body, making his spiritual hands press against the man''s body.


    The Rowse patriarch sensed this and noted that the attack his son planned to make was not simple.


    "You think I''m just going to accept everything you''re going to do?" He said in teasing, as he tried to get away from there.


    But then Gavin laughed out loud and said. "What do you think I''m doing, old man? That I just came unprepared?"


    As the Rowse patriarch tried to run away, he realized that, unlike the moment before, he could not make his instant switch!


    ''What? How?'' He suddenly became pale, sensing that his son''s blow would hurt him significantly.


    Gavin had deceived his father by not using all his abilities at the initial moment of the battle, implying that he could not prevent the Switch.


    However, this was not true. From the moment Gavin reached the 8th stage, he realized he could combine one of his techniques with his main innate ability. Through this combination, he could replicate the effect of spatial stabilization arrays.


    By using this in the space between his Soul Avatar''s hands, the three-eyed red-haired young man was able to block that man''s escape. At the same time, this person''s initial mistake caused him to miss the chance to use another strategy!


    "Die, you bastard!" Gavin shouted with everything he had while his hands pressed against that individual''s body, creating an extremely chaotic region where space fell in on itself.


    The patriarch Rowse dreaded that and tried what he could to defend himself. He knew that he could only wait for the end of this attack to find out whether or not his son was already capable of killing him.


    Regardless of what would happen, that would likely be his end in this battle.


    "Damn it!"


    "You should have simply delivered your eyes to me!"


    "Now, not only me but the whole family will be harmed by your disobedience, Gavin!" He shouted before he felt the main effect of what this young redhead had unleashed.


    "Don''t worry. Your family will be exterminated sooner or later!" Gavin laughed as he pressed his father harder. "But you''ll be the first, worm!"


    Crack!


    At that moment, cracks began to appear in the pressure bubble that had appeared over the patriarch Rowse''s body, shortly afterward exploding as if a powerful bomb had been detonated.


    BOOOOM!


    That immediately drew the attention of Gavin''s enemies and allies farthest away from him. At the same time, those in his vicinity were still trying to invade the space under the influence of an array that this guy had set up right after teleporting there.


    Gavin had teleported into the midst of his enemies, where he knew he would face much resistance. So he had immediately set up an array capable of creating a powerful defensive field in the space of a few dozen cubic meters.


    Such a thing could not last long, so he had immediately done his best to finish off his old father. At the same time, he tried to ignore the few enemies remaining within that space.


    Thus, many Spiritual Saints could only watch as the level 77 patriarch suffered from his son''s powerful destructive attack.


    At that moment, patriarch Rowse felt as if his soul had been damaged, and he lost control over his own body, with every bone in his spine having been destroyed by Gavin''s blow.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    He began to scream wildly, feeling the worst of his entire life, while his son laughed maniacally.


    "Now is your end, old man!"


    "I will use your last moments to cause you the worst suffering of all!" Gavin shouted just before he attacked again, this time only using his body.


    ...


    While Gavin was torturing his father in the last moments of the defensive array he had established, Lance had separated from Minos'' group and was battling over that place.


    Several people on both sides had already died at this point in the battle, with many having been absorbed into Minos'' black hole.


    Emperor Stuart''s strategy was very effective, which simultaneously helped their forces but made Lance distance himself from the group in search of some glory.


    ''Just you wait. I''m going to show everyone the power my Terry family''s high-level arrays have on the battlefield!'' This blond fellow grinned as he flew around the surrounding area, searching for a level 76 enemy.


    In doing so, he took all possible care to dodge the remaining attacks from the many battles in the surroundings while having several defensive arrays on his body.


    Arrays could be used in as many different ways as possible in combat, but usually were not because of the difficulty of doing so.


    Most people simply thought it more appropriate to focus their training on their techniques and have armor and weapons to assist them than to do this with arrays. As such, the style of combat Lance wanted to use was not common to see.


    But it was entirely possible, and people like him existed all over the Spiritual World.


    Swooish!


    As he moved, a powerful spiritual blade left over from an enemy attack almost hit him, but his formations worked in time.


    One of them broke upon being hit by that attack from a level 78 cultivator. But the other managed to raise a new shield ahead, saving Lance''s life as he was thrown in the opposite direction from where he had been hit.


    "Fuck!" He shouted in frustration as he crashed into the walls of a mountain, losing sight of the opponent he had been chased seconds ago.


    In his nervousness, Lance struck out in the direction of one of the opponents in his vicinity, using an array that created attacks.


    It caused several doughnut-like energy circles to fly toward that individual, a level 76 enemy.


    Unfortunately for Lance, his attack, which should have been strong enough to significantly affect people of that level, did not have the expected effect.


    That being, a beast that looked like a frog simply opened its mouth upon feeling that it was being attacked and swallowed Lance''s ''donuts.''


    "What?" He cried out in surprise as he realized who he had attacked.


    ''Oh, no...''


    When the creature opened its mouth again, it shot something pink in Lance''s direction, which was the last thing this individual saw before losing consciousness.


    But the people in the surrounding area saw very well when that creature''s tongue destroyed that individual''s head!


    ...

 Chapter 1420 Captured 1

    When the tongue of that creature that looked like a giant frog returned to its mouth, Lance''s body slowly fell to the ground, with a hole where his neck should have been.


    His head had been completely crushed, so none of the surrounding area''s witnesses saw any trace of it.


    All they saw was the corpse of this promising young man, who seemed so alive a few moments ago but was dead now.


    "Lance!" One of the Terry family members in the area shouted his name upon seeing such a situation. Still, now this and other people could only mourn.


    Minos saw this from afar, from within the space under the influence of the Dark Sea, where he was directing yet another enemy into the black hole behind him.


    ''He died, huh?'' He thought about it, being neither happy nor sad.


    Lance was an annoying opponent who had irritated Minos on several occasions. But he was harmless, incapable of causing real trouble for this emperor.


    Therefore, Minos did not hate Lance to the point of wishing this man dead, and naturally would not be happy about his death. After all, despite everything, that blond individual was fighting by his side, acting for the good of the Gray Clouds Sect.


    On the other hand, Minos also had no reason to mourn the death of this fellow who had willingly left their offensive formation.


    As a stone standing in Minos'' way, Lance had done enough for this fellow to despise him and not give more than a few seconds of attention to his death.


    ''Looking on the bright side, now there will be no opposition left to me within that sect.'' He pressed the struggling opponent harder, finally making such a person lose hope.


    "No! Have mercy!" That cultivator screamed in panic as she felt the terror of the black hole.


    But Minos paid no attention to her and simply continued fighting within his group''s offensive formation while the black hole swallowed that woman.


    "Don''t weaken!" He shouted to his companions fighting in the space of influence of his techniques and soul skill. "We are moving forward to deliver a severe blow to the enemy forces! As long as we continue for a few more moments, that could be the beginning of the end of this confrontation!"


    "Yes!"


    Those people shouted simultaneously, confident that they could do this but afraid to leave that formation.


    Everyone there saw how Lance had left and died, so they had twice as much reason to follow Minos'' plans!


    ...


    Meanwhile, Oswald and Mortimer faced each other at high altitudes in that mountainous area.


    These two had exchanged a dozen blows by now, each seeing the advances his rival had made since they had last met on the battlefield.


    Oswald and Mortimer had not yet fought in this war between their sects. Thus, they both had surprises for each other in this conflict today.


    "Oswald, you have improved a lot after your advancement to level 79, I admit that." That tall, muscular man said as he wiped some blood dripping from his lips.


    "What is it? Are you afraid?" Oswald asked as he felt better than ever. In addition to loving battles, he now had a minor disadvantage against this opponent compared to the past.


    Before his advancement to level 79, Oswald had faced this master of the Saints Killing Sect, who was already near the peak of the 8th stage at that time. So at that time, the difference between them was much more significant, resulting in Mortimer''s victory.


    But today, the difference between the two was no longer great, and Oswald was getting a taste of making his opponent suffer from his attacks.


    Mortimer laughed and said. "Don''t be so confident. I can become incomparable to you in the blink of an eye!"


    Pow!


    He attacked his opponent, swinging his great war hammer, while his Soul Avatar did the same with a spiritual weapon.


    Oswald frowned and spun the spear he had in hand, directing an attack against his opponent''s movement, something also reflected by his Soul Avatar.


    "You think you''re going to reach level 80? Impossible! His Majesty only achieved that because of the Flowers Kingdom." Oswald said amid his attack.


    "Haha, we''ll see!" Mortimer did not want to tell this opponent his plans and, shortly after, saw the collision between the powers of the two.


    Oswald was powerful, despite having a slight cultivation disadvantage compared to Mortimer. Because of this, he could display a similar combat proficiency to the enemy sect master, which was easily seen in the outcome of this collision.


    BOOOOM!


    A powerful explosion arose from the focus of tension between the two attacks, resulting in a region of high atmospheric pressure, which exploded in a few seconds, generating a power that affected the entire battlefield.


    When this powerful explosion happened, black lightning surged from the focus of the collision. At the same time, pulses went from there, worsening the combat conditions for people on both sides in this battle.


    Some already weakened men even lost their consciousness to this movement, with the stronger and smarter ones in the surrounding area taking the opportunity to act.


    Chaotic Gravity: Attraction!


    Minos was one of these individuals, quickly gathering several unconscious bodies or even the enemies still conscious but most affected by the spirit collision of those two experts.


    In this way, overnight, several enemies, five times higher than he and his allies had been able to take down so far, were drawn into his black hole.


    Sensing that, Minos smiled in satisfaction as he prepared to stop absorbing specialists and use that black hole to end the lives of some of those specialists.


    "Get ready!" He shouted to his men without giving more details since everyone knew what he would try in this situation.


    On the other hand, not only Minos'' group benefited from that. As much as Oswald and Mortimer''s confrontation immensely harmed people from the Saints Killing Sect side, people from the Gray Clouds Sect group were as well.


    That was the case with Gavin, who saw his defensive array being broken by the pulses created by that collision of spirits.


    This man had just finished the life of his father. But he was counting on having a few more moments to prepare himself to flee from the many enemies in his surroundings.


    Yet, just at that moment when he was still vulnerable, his barrier broke into infinite pieces, releasing more than 20 enemies in his surroundings.


    "Shit!" He looked back as he held his old father''s head, lamenting such ''good'' fortune.


    Unfortunately, he was almost exhausted, and with no time to gather energy and flee, the enemies, all mid-level Spiritual Saints, surrounded him and prevented him from escaping.


    "Attack him!"


    "Don''t allow him time to teleport!" One of the men there shouted as he launched a blow strong enough to injure Gavin but not enough to kill.


    The others followed this person''s advice and soon filled Gavin''s surroundings with spiritual attacks, then hit this man''s nearly unprotected body.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    ...

 Chapter 1421 Captured 2

    Gavin soon lost any conditions for fleeing the battlefield and was soon at the mercy of his enemies.


    But the opponents were not merciless with this traitor of their organization. When they had the opportunity, one used his innate ability and made countless vines appear around the red-haired man''s body. He rapidly tied him up in a way that Gavin could not escape.


    At the same time, another of those people quickly jumped on top of Gavin and rigged a sealing array around this opponent''s neck to ensure that this slippery fellow would not escape.


    Gavin was very good at escaping, so these people were focused on preventing this from happening again!


    Next, another individual put chains on Gavin''s feet. Then a third came up to restrain this man''s hands, placing three sealing arrays on his body.


    Finally, someone stood in front of this man bound in vines and used his techniques to create a tough and resistant clay sculpture under Gavin''s body.


    Only Gavin''s head was left exposed, but with an eye patch capable of obstructing the vision of his three eyes.


    While these individuals did all this almost simultaneously, the other cultivators who attacked Gavin were guarding the surroundings.


    Minos'' forces saw all this happening and were obviously there to try to disrupt their opponents'' lives as much as possible.


    Most of them did not know Gavin''s worth exactly, but they knew that the enemy leader wanted this redhead for something. So, upon seeing this situation, many did not hesitate to try to rescue him.


    "Hey! Free him!"


    "Quick, don''t let those damned people take him!"


    Several shouts erupted from Minos'' group as they flew around the area, actively struggling to get closer to Gavin.


    Minos saw this from a distance and sensed that the worst was about to happen to his companion.


    Gavin''s eyes were dangerous, but the worst thing for him would not be for those eyes to be in the hands of someone else, as in Mortimer''s case. After all, such eyes could only show their full splendor with their rightful owner. The problem would be that he would lose an ally and friend who might one day reach level 100!


    Few people Minos knew had the potential for that, so if Gavin fell there, it would be quite a loss for the Black Plain.


    This brown-haired man then hurried on, finishing placing the black hole in the mirrored sphere that was empty.


    However, seeing that Minos was about to act, the enemies were no dummies to wait for him.


    The individual closest to Gavin used a teleportation formation in conjunction with the sculpture that was trapping this man.


    "Minos!" Gavin shouted as he sensed his situation, asking for help from the only one there who might be able to do something about him.


    "Damn it!"


    Minos finished preparing himself and then hurled that mass destruction weapon in the direction of his enemies, knowing there was not much time left.


    "Do what I..." Gavin''s voice disappeared before he could finish speaking, with him and a few individuals closer to him disappearing from the battlefield.


    Meanwhile, many of Minos'' enemies were already fleeing while the living members of his group retreated.


    "Hahahahaha, finally! Finally!" Mortimer distanced himself from the area as he looked back, happy to have seen his target being successfully captured at the last moment.


    On the other hand, Oswald frowned as he saw the spatial crack from which Gavin had vanished, closing in. "Damn, that will be terrible!"


    Then.


    KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!


    The Black Hole Bomb detonated, generating even greater destructive power than the mass destruction weapon Minos had used in his attack on the Lizard Men tribe.


    Dozens of the survivors of this conflict felt their bodies being thrown away from that area due to such a powerful explosion. But, at the same time, the few who were too close to where Gavin was, were unlucky and met their end.


    But in the meantime, in the crack opened by the teleportation arrays used by Mortimer''s men...


    Such a thing had not yet closed entirely. A crack in space, wide enough for a strand of hair to pass through, was yet to be closed when the violent flames from that explosion surged into that area.


    Ssss!


    Plasma, even hotter than the inside of a star, traveled through that tiny space crack, heading toward the only path in front of it!


    ...


    Ssss!


    Seconds after Gavin''s group arrived at the headquarters of the Saints Killing Sect, the level 78 expert observing the area felt something strange as he saw the group ahead of him arriving.


    He was no fool and believed entirely in his senses. Thus, he unconsciously stood up from where he was and activated all his techniques simultaneously.


    "Supreme elder..." Mortimer''s wife, who was there waiting to receive Gavin, saw that and stood up from her chair, trying to understand what could have caused such a reaction from this man.


    Unfortunately for her, this man had to choose someone to save, and that someone was Gavin!


    So that man used what he could to escape before violent flames invaded that area through the spatial crack that was yet to close.


    With that, the worst happened!


    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!


    Part of the explosion from Minos'' mass destruction weapon hit the headquarters of the Saints Killing Sect, with enough power to kill high-level Spiritual Saints on its way.


    When such a thing happened, the wife of that sect master did not stand a chance and was blinded by the glow of those flames before having her body consumed.


    At the same time, most of the upper echelon of this force, those who had not gone to the battlefield with Mortimer, met their end with this merciless explosion.


    The entire floating island of that sect''s headquarters shook with the attack that transcended dimensions, while a giant mushroom formed in the skies above that area.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    ? "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    Shouts began to spread in the more remote areas of this island, the few places not affected by the powerful explosion that invaded them from the inside out.


    There were even many defenses to protect this headquarters, which was why not all of this place was wiped out. But the defenses of this sect protected different areas, and there was no defense protecting the members in the core of this organization, only those outside this area.


    So, those who could not act in time like the supreme elder mostly died without knowing what had just happened!


    Thus, this day that would soon be marked in the history of the Flaming Empire ended with the death of more than half of the members present in the headquarters of such an organization.


    It would mark the lives of generations of this empire, making the fame of Minos even more impressive, going even beyond the limits of this territory to reach other areas.


    The supreme elder saw all of this from the local skies while he sweated coldly, pale from what he had just done and seen.


    "It can''t be..." He lamented such calamity as he held Gavin''s partially-destroyed body with one of his hands and felt his cultivation level drop an entire level.


    At the last second he had, this man used a sacrificial art to save Gavin, but he could barely escape in time.


    Almost half of that man''s body had been destroyed!


    ...

 Chapter 1422 Catastrophic Results

    Upon seeing the damage to his organization, the supreme elder was shocked to the core of his soul, not understanding where that had come from.


    But upon noticing the deplorable state of Gavin''s body, he could not hesitate and began what was necessary to prevent this fellow''s death.


    Parts of the flames that nearly obliterated this headquarters had reached Gavin''s unprotected body just before this high-level Spiritual Saint managed to rescue him.


    Because of this, Gavin''s two legs and arms were burned to a crisp, while several deep burns could be seen on his abdomen, chest, and back.


    His clothing had been completely evaporated by the scorching plasma that invaded the sect, so this level 78 man could clearly see those wounds all over Gavin''s body.


    ''Unbelievable!''


    ''Who did that? Where did those flames come from?'' He wondered as he tried to contain the wounds and nourish Gavin''s body and soul.


    Gavin was a Spiritual Saint, so as long as he stayed alive, he could recover the damage to his body.


    On the other hand, this old man did not need a whole body to preserve the Destruction Eyes. As long as Gavin remained alive, no matter how serious his situation, those eyes would remain useful to whoever would transplant them later.


    For this reason alone, the supreme elder of this sect had saved Gavin. In that way, he soon stabilized the redhead''s situation, preventing his death.


    "You still have much to give us before you die, boy." This man said in a weakened tone before looking toward his sect below where he was floating.


    He saw the flames diminishing in the core of that headquarters while the smoke in the area hid some of the damage done by that explosion.


    "Sigh!"


    ''Unfortunately, the defenses only served to stop the attack for the weaker sect members...'' He lamented, thinking about how the most protected area of the sect had been the most wretched of all on this day.


    This sect had several defensive layers. But those defenses were meant to prevent outside attacks!


    As much as barriers worked with the same logic on both sides, the core of this sect, the last layer protected by barriers, had no protection from attacks from that place. The defenses there would even help and did help this day to lessen the lingering effects of an attack like that on the other parts of the headquarters.


    But this was only good for those outside the core of this headquarters!


    Noticing this, even without knowing the results of such a calamity, the number two of this organization already imagined how bad the news would be.


    ...


    A few hours later...


    Mortimer and the upper echelon of the Saints Killing Sect survivors of the fight against Minos finally returned to their headquarters.


    Upon arriving on that island that had lost tens of meters of its previous altitude, the people in that group promptly noticed something unique had happened.


    All the headquarters'' defenses were down, while ruins could be seen in the center of that island, where the formerly majestic home of all those people should have been.


    At the same time, tens of thousands of sect members were working in the rubble, clearing the area, and searching for survivors and resources.


    When he saw all this, Mortimer lost the smile on his face and cried out. "What happened here? Who attacked us?"


    "Who could do that?" One of the men in his group could not believe the situation in front of him, feeling that this could only be a nightmare.


    "Could it be that damned Minos has set up a secondary attack against us?" Someone asked.


    But they would soon learn about how the headquarters of this sect had turned out like this, having heard everything from the supreme elder and a few witnesses who had seen the incident happen.


    "Sect master, I''m afraid your wife has died." That man who saved Gavin said that. "At that moment, I had to choose between saving the Destruction Eyes and her. I hope I didn''t make the wrong choice."


    Mortimer heard this and felt anger at the person responsible for all this, but he did not blame that elder. If he had been in this person''s place, he would have made the same choice since it was more important to him to transplant Gavin''s eyes and reach level 80 than to save that woman''s life.


    He liked her, but she was replaceable, while Gavin was not!


    He then said. "We will take revenge on whoever did all this to us!"


    ...


    Meanwhile, Minos had left the previous battlefield and moved on with his movements, heading toward the enemy headquarters.


    At the moment, they were standing still, resting from the previous events, which had finished off some of the group members, but also wounded and exhausted several others still there.


    "What? Why do you look like that?" Oswald asked Minos, sensing that this person looked a little strange.


    "If you are sad on account of..."


    Minos continued looking at the ground and interrupted his grandfather''s speech. "Something strange happened back there."


    "Uh? What are you talking about?" Oswald looked curiously at his grandson.


    "That Black Hole Bomb should have done much more damage," Minos told him. "It looks like it lost more than 30% of its power somehow..."


    "I can''t understand how."


    "Are you sure about that? You must be wrong." Oswald said, finding it hard for something like that to happen since it was quite a power to lose.


    "I couldn''t be wrong. I created that." Minos stated.


    He then looked to the horizon, figuring Gavin was already lost and Mortimer would probably be able to absorb those eyes.


    ''Damn it!''


    ''It''s going to be harder to eliminate that person now!'' This emperor clenched his fists, feeling that he could only continue with his previous plans to solve the war and the Abe problem at least.


    "What will we do now, sect master?" A Moss family member asked Minos.


    "We will continue with our plans," Minos said after a moment. "The enemy has suffered more than we have. So we are close to achieving their surrender and ending this damn war."


    "Let''s continue on our way! In a week at most, we''ll be knocking on the doors of enemy headquarters!"


    The people there were not happy to hear this. Still, they accepted it, considering this would be a more straightforward attack since the enemy headquarters could not move.


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, three days passed, and the news of the calamity over the headquarters of the Saints Killing Sect finally reached the confines of the Flaming Empire.


    In particular, this news angered the elders of the imperial family, who promptly accepted Mortimer''s complaint against Minos, the one allegedly responsible for what had happened.


    More people than should have died because of this incident, so the imperial family would not remain quiet in this situation where the word of the emperor had been disregarded!


    Even Isabella had been placed under house arrest on orders from the supreme elder of her family so that she would not get in the middle of the investigation and the trial of Minos.


    Thus, the men of this local regent were already flying into the territory of the Saints Killing Sect to arrest Minos Stuart!

 Chapter 1423 Surrender

    Three more days passed...


    After the previous events, Minos and his group found out about the incident that happened in the Saints Killing Sect six days ago.


    The moment he found out about it, Minos promptly connected the dots and understood where some of the power of his Black Hole Bomb had gone.


    But even upon discovering such a thing, Minos had stuck to his plans and continued on his way toward enemy headquarters to demand their surrender.


    There was no reason not to hurt the fallen opponent until he surrendered!


    Because of this, Minos and his group were now in the vicinity of the area where the main floating island of that organization was.


    They were standing on another floating island at the present moment, meeting with a group sent by that sect to talk.


    "Minos Stuart, how dare you to have the nerve to come here after all that has happened?" The supreme elder of that organization asked while looking hatefully at the enemy leader.


    The people in Minos'' group could not say anything against that, and everyone was silent, feeling that the previous incident had really crossed the line.


    But Minos remained calm, sitting across the table between him and those from the enemy sect.


    "Where is Mortimer?" He asked, causing the enemies inside that temporary tent to get angry that he did not answer their questions.


    "That is none of your business!"


    "Tsk!"


    "Do you think we will hand over the location of our sect master?" The supreme elder asked in an angry tone.


    "Has he already started the absorption of Gavin''s powers? Is that fellow still alive?" Minos ignored the enemy taunts and got down to business.


    But those men were silent this time, only noting that this enemy of theirs knew well of their plans.


    "Sigh..."


    "It doesn''t matter. There''s no way Gavin can survive in your hands, so I''m going to assume he''s already dead." Emperor Stuart said this in a mournful but, at the same time, serious tone. "Then let''s deal with what interests us and can still be talked about. I am here to receive your surrender and apply the proper punishments."


    "Are you going to surrender? Or would you rather keep fighting?"


    Waves of hatred left the faces of those men as they looked at Minos, questioning them about this.


    One of them then said. "Are you crazy? Do you think you can go on with this?"


    "I think so. Or I wouldn''t be here." Minos said before looking toward one of his weapons, showing these people a motivation to give up.


    But at this crucial moment in their conversations, a member of the Gray Clouds Sect entered that place shouting and warning everyone there.


    "Sect Master!"


    "Sect master, people from the imperial family are here to arrest you!" Such a watchman said this, barely managing to finish speaking and soon after being followed by the high-level Spiritual Saints of the Edwardstone family.


    "Sect master Stuart, surrender yourself!"


    "We are here under an imperial edict to arrest you and take you to the capital!" The group''s spokesman shouted while those individuals at levels 77, 78, and 79 looked at Minos strangely.


    Everyone in the surrounding area looked at these newcomers, with the members of the Gray Clouds Sect making negative expressions. At the same time, those of the Saints Killing Sect smiled.


    "Haha, finally!"


    "Your time has come, devil Minos!"


    "I want to see how you get away with this, brat!"


    Minos ignored these comments and looked toward those people glaring at him. "May I ask what the reason for this order is?"


    "How dare you?" The group leader shouted such a thing, seeing how bold Minos was. "After all you have done, you still ask the reason? Are you trying to annoy us, sect master Stuart?"


    "I truly don''t know the reason for this little show of yours." Minos stood up and said seriously, irritated by yet another problem.


    One of those men from the imperial family, someone who had already met with Minos in the past few days, clenched his fists and said. "You almost destroyed the Saints Killing Sect! You have disregarded the emperor''s orders, and now you will have to pay for your crimes!"


    "So that''s it?" Minos smiled. "That way, go back where you came from. I am not guilty of that."


    Minos'' grandfather stood beside his grandson and placed one of his hands on his right shoulder. "My grandson is innocent, General Robinett." He looked at the stronger man there. "My grandson was over a thousand kilometers away from the headquarters of the Saints Killing Sect when that catastrophe happened."


    "How can he be guilty of anything?"


    "Bullshit!" The supreme elder of the Saints Killing Sect exclaimed. "It is clear to everyone that Minos Stuart''s weapon was the cause of the incident that victimized our organization!"


    "How dare you say those words now, Oswald? Have you no shame in that old face of yours?"


    General Robinett nodded in agreement and said to Oswald. "We have already investigated the matter. As much as your grandson was not at the scene, his weapon caused it."


    Minos laughed and said. "Are you guys kidding? That only happened because people from the Saints Killing Sect itself used a teleportation device when I threw my weapon."


    "That caused the spatial crack that took some of my weapon''s attack power to the core of that organization."


    "I have no way of reaching such a place!"


    "If I did, I would have finished them long ago."


    "Then how can this be my fault, elders?" He looked at the people of the imperial family and opened his arms, arguing. "I attacked them, but it was by the act of the very members of that organization that such a tragedy happened."


    "There was no way I could have known that such a thing would happen, that they would escape, that the power of my weapon had reached that level..."


    "All in all, we can only lament the unfortunate choice of the leaders of that organization."


    "Tsk!"


    "Bastard!"


    "You have guts!" The supreme elder of that organization said this angrily.


    "The court will decide your innocence for itself, sect master Stuart." The leader of the imperial family group said that. "Now, surrender, or we will have to act."


    As everyone looked at him apprehensively, spiritual sealing arrays were hurled in his direction.


    "I refuse," Minos said as a mirrored sphere appeared in one of his hands.


    People in each group inside that big tent looked at that and realized that he had chosen the hard way.


    "Are you rebelling?" The group leader asked as he circulated his energies through his body.


    "I will go to the empire''s capital to settle my affairs with you as soon as I end this problem with the Saints Killing Sect. Moreover, I will never allow my cultivation to be sealed." Minos said menacingly. "But until they surrender, I will not leave here."


    "I have not broken any rules of the emperor, and I am a leader of a state allied with the empire. So back off, or I will be forced to act."


    "I am not joking." Then, Minos emitted a bit of his Dark Sea for all those people to realize that he was not bluffing.


    If they went too far, he would act!


    ...

 Chapter 1424 Conclusion Of The Sect War

    Silence and tension grew more intense in that tent after Minos'' defiant words.


    ''Is this bastard going to threaten the imperial family openly?'' The supreme elder of the Saints Killing Sect wondered as he lamented the situation of his organization at the moment.


    They did not want to surrender to the Gray Clouds Sect. That was why they had promptly reported Minos'' act to the imperial family, and they had hopes that such an enemy organization would be punished and the war would end without ''culprits.''


    But now Minos seemed willing to take the matter to its ultimate consequences, which would be very bad for their organization.


    With this action by Emperor Stuart, the Gray Clouds Sect and this fellow would undoubtedly get into trouble. But before that happened, the Saints Killing Sect would bleed even more by surrendering.


    As such, this supreme elder could not help but feel more anger at Minos'' boldness at this crucial moment.


    ''Damn it!''


    ''The sect master is getting ready to receive that brat''s eyes, so I have to decide on my own.'' He lamented.


    Meanwhile, the members of the imperial family were feeling offended like never before, for the first time in a long period tasting the feeling of being blocked by someone.


    "Minos!"


    "Are you truly going to rebel? Think this through!" The leader of that group spoke, already knowing that he could not stop that fellow if Minos so desired. "The entire Gray Clouds Sect will be implicated in this if you go that way!"


    The sect members grew more serious upon hearing this, not liking how things were going.


    "Don''t worry. The Black Plain has plenty of room. If the local imperial family is not fair enough, I will welcome you with open arms into my region." Minos smiled.


    "Audacious!"


    "Coveting a power of the empire? You really are out of your mind!"


    The Edwardstone family members said terrible things against Minos, feeling that they would soon be enemies of this man.


    "Don''t be so quick with your foul mouths." Minos laughed. "If I save Harold, he owes me a lot. But if I fail, no one else will be able to bring him back from that kingdom, and Isabella will become the empress..."


    "You will be in an even worse scenario if that happens!"


    "What do you mean?" The smarter ones in that group did not like what Minos'' words implied at all.


    "Sweet Isabella and I are closer than you think, haha. So don''t be surprised if I become your leader in the future." Minos said this, using his relationship with the princess for the first time to accomplish something in this state.


    "What did you say?"


    "How dare you? Do you think we will accept your insults, Minos?" Those who knew nothing questioned with anger in their voices.


    But some of the few individuals there who knew that Isabella had spent much time alone with Minos could not help but believe this shameless man.


    ''Bastard!''


    ''Can''t it be that he seduced Her Highness?'' The leader of the imperial family group wondered, feeling that the action of the elders of that family against Minos had become much more difficult.


    Isabella might be temporarily under house arrest and still not be the empress. But she had the support she needed to become the local leader, and no one would have the courage to hurt the man she loved.


    So even if Minos were guilty, punishing him for his crimes would be rather complicated!


    The members of the Saints Killing Sect saw the change in the expressions of some key people there and feared the worst.


    ''It can''t be true!''


    ''No!'' The supreme elder turned pale, feeling that before their organization rose in level, they would still suffer bitter defeats.


    On the other hand, Oswald was all smiles, pleased with Minos'' performance.


    ''This boy...'' He smiled with his eyes closed, feeling that Minos'' womanizing side also generated benefits for them.


    "Hehe, come on, don''t stress yourselves." Minos looked at those more ignorant of this Edwardstone family group. "We may soon be of the same family! So don''t get in my way so much. Stand aside, and we''ll go to Payton as soon as I settle my affairs with these people."


    "Tsk!"


    "Settle it quickly!" The level 79 cultivator said this as he looked at both Oswald and the supreme elder of the Saints Killing Sect.


    "General..." That defeated old man did not like that and tried to protest.


    "What do you want? Would you rather Minos use that weapon on us so close to him? If you think you haven''t suffered enough, then keep fighting them. That way, you at least can serve as a real reason for us to arrest this guy." This person growled, frustrated that he could not carry out the orders he received.


    Since this organization could not end just to ensure the end of an enemy, that old level 77 fellow had to accept his defeat and move on with the surrender talks.


    Mortimer was preparing to achieve something that, in a few years, could take him to the next stage. Hence, it would be better for them to accept a more humble position in the meantime and save their grudge for another day.


    ''Just you wait, Minos!''


    ''One day, we will return all this humiliation and suffering with interest and correction!'' That man thought as he negotiated the surrender protocols.


    With that, those people would spend the next few hours talking in that tent, coming to a consensus on how each party should act with the end of the war and victory of the Gray Clouds Sect.


    The Saints Killing Sect would have to hand over 20% of its territories to the east of its area to the Gray Clouds Sect. At the same time, it would have to pay the Minos organization a fine of 100 million medium-grade crystals.


    On the other hand, for the next 20 years, they would have to limit the number of new disciples accepted to 50% of the number of new members of the Gray Clouds Sect.


    Their surviving 8th-stage war specialists would also have to stay under house arrest on the main island of this organization for these 20 years.


    These were the most critical points of the Soul Contracts that would soon be signed between the experts of each sect.


    The only specialist that would not sign such things was precisely the sect master of that organization since he was supposedly too injured to participate in this.


    Minos knew it was not true at all. Still, he accepted it anyway, considering he had already gotten what he wanted.


    It was true that Minos had lost Gavin in this war and that Mortimer would eventually return to get in his way. But given the circumstances, he settled this matter in the best way possible so that he could return and solve the problem called Abe.


    With that, two days later, everyone had finished their business.


    Then, Minos sent most of his group back to the Gray Clouds Sect headquarters, staying by his grandfather''s side.


    He, Oswald, and the men of the imperial family then set off toward Payton, where this emperor would face justice for his previous actions.


    ''Enjoy your lives while you can...''


    ''I will return.'' Minos looked in the direction of that floating island, imagining the day he would fulfill his revenge and the promise made to Gavin.

 Chapter 1425 News Flies

    As Minos traveled to the capital of the Flaming Empire, recent news had reached beyond the borders of this state to the northern and southern regions of this continent.


    In the Flowers Kingdom, Harold had just heard about the news of his state from one of his captors while waiting for the moment to breed.


    He had arrived in the capital of this kingdom some time ago. Still, nothing had happened so far since the woman assigned to him was in seclusion, preparing to breed.


    With that, he had since been living in a cell in the local jail, where his captors occasionally visited him.


    "Looks like your investment in this Minos Stuart was a mistake, comrade." A bald, fat man said this as he looked at the red-headed man in a deplorable state inside that cell. "You took a chance on him, and now he''s destroying your state, haha."


    "I wonder if he hadn''t planned all this?"


    Harold heard this, but while he did not doubt that Minos had gone against his rules, he also could not think of this person having done all this to benefit himself and harm him.


    He remembered as if it were yesterday the way Minos had talked with him and shown his great debt after the situation involving the Spiritual Sage of the Eastern Empire.


    At the same time, he had agreements with Minos that prevented Emperor Stuart from purposely harming him.


    So this man did not get carried away with that eunuch''s comments and pondered the matter from a different perspective. ''This incident of the Saints Killing Sect doesn''t sound like Minos... Something happened, leading the situation to get out of his control.''


    The eunuch saw Harold was not angry and made a strange expression. ''Do you still think you will be rescued? Why would Minos come to rescue you now that he''s already done all this? I bet your family will act against him and make you and him enemies, even if you don''t want them to."


    "That''s not for you to worry about..." He said in a rather weak tone but full of conviction.


    "Tsk!"


    ...


    At the same time, in the royal palace of the Flowers Kingdom...


    The queen had heard the same story as Harold and was somewhat impressed but uncertain of what would happen next.


    "That doesn''t make much sense..." She commented to her First Eunuch. "That attack was out of proportion. It''s strange."


    "Yes, I believe it was an accident, not something purposeful, Your Majesty." That bald man, a Spiritual Demigod, agreed with her.


    "But that could cause several problems for our plans... That is, will Minos still risk himself for Harold''s freedom after that? Will it be worth it for us to give him and this man more time?" She questioned, feeling at a crossroads.


    "In any case, Your Majesty, no one will be able to save Harold if we so desire." The eunuch said, full of confidence in his words. "Then we should wait for this young man to at least reach the 8th stage. It will make no difference to us if that red-headed guy''s ceremony is delayed by a few years."


    "You are right."


    ...


    Meanwhile, somewhere in the Black Plain Empire...


    The Spiritual Sage, whom Harold and Minos met early on, had also heard about what happened in the Saints Killing Sect.


    ''Impressive...''


    ''It seems that he will soon make my job difficult.'' This fellow pondered as he watched the capital of the Black Plain, where Minos'' ten mercenaries were still stationed, without having done much in the past few weeks.


    "My time is running out... I''d better try one more time." He disappeared from the area, going in search once again for areas with possible ancestor heritages in this region.


    ...


    On the other hand, in Dry City, the command of the local forces was celebrating the news coming from the Flaming Empire.


    After working on the current mission for so long, Minos had finally managed to drive the Saints Killing Sect against a ''wall'' and reach a point of no return. Now, that organization had to surrender, which meant Emperor Stuart''s forces would receive the appropriate reinforcements!


    ''It looks like he made it...'' Ivory thought about this as she stood in the local imperial throne hall, smiling after hearing Dillian''s statement.


    Other Minos'' allied forces members were also celebrating the news, particularly those from the Vogel area.


    After all, with the catastrophe of the Saints Killing Sect, the Flaming Empire had become weaker overnight!


    This incident was beneficial not only for them but also for Albano, Blackrock, and Rosser, those allies of Minos who had just recently been fearing a war with that state.


    Lulu, who was in this place alongside several other powerful people, smiled in satisfaction, feeling that times were changing in their favor.


    ''Soon, we won''t have to depend so much on Minos anymore, and we''ll be able to live quietly again!'' She celebrated as she looked for people interested in partying later with her.


    "Hello, Captain Eduard..." She approached this soldier of the Black Plain Army with a seductive smile.


    ...


    While the northern region mainly was celebrating the achievements of Minos alongside Albano, Vogel, Rosser, and Blackrock, the incidents of the Flaming Empire came to the attention of the headquarters of the Spiritual Church.


    In the capital of the Evergreen Empire, some of the high-ranking Cardinals, i.e., Spiritual Demigods, were commenting on the matter. They felt that they would soon be able to resolve something that had been bothering them for a period.


    "It looks like this young emperor is really active, haha." One of those experts sitting around a fireplace said this. "Fighting two conflicts simultaneously, and he still managed to reach such a position..."


    "That''s really impressive!"


    Months ago, Minos joined the conflict against the Saints Killing Sect while facing Abe in the northern region. His situation was somewhat of a race, to say the least.


    But now, he had extricated himself from the war of the two sects in the Flaming Empire. He had no Harold to hinder him and could finally focus his attention on Abe.


    Considering how much better the current scenario was compared to the previous one, this man considered that soon Emperor Stuart would force the Eastern Empire''s Spiritual Sage to act!


    When that happened, the Church could finally act without being hampered by the agreements it had with that empire!


    "He is a very helpful fellow, although he is still fragile." One of those individuals, level 93, responsible for overseeing the area of the Flaming Empire, Vogel, Rosser, Albano, Blackrock, and the northern region, said.


    He was already looking forward to the day when he could meet Minos!


    "If he comes to our post one day, I will welcome him with open doors. He''s kind of not a bad external member!"


    ...


    Two weeks later...


    At the headquarters of the Saints Killing Sect, the mood was as depressing as ever, with the members of this organization being discouraged about how things were going.


    They had been humiliated by the peace agreements with the Gray Clouds Sect and had lost many people.


    But in the midst of this, Mortimer was preparing for the great moment when he would receive Gavin''s eyes!


    ...

 Chapter 1426 Decisive Moment

    In a dark but extremely clean place in the Saints Killing Sect, Mortimer was lying on a large bed, dressed in white clothes and smiling strangely.


    He had bandages over his eyes, with small red spots on them, indicating wounds in that area of his body.


    But these were not battle wounds but rather the surgical procedure this man had undergone hours ago.


    After days of preparing for Gavin''s eye transplant, this man had reached the day he had been waiting for. Now, he was waiting for the doctors of his sect to finish with that individual.


    Amid his waiting, Mortimer heard the sound of footsteps coming toward him, and shortly after that, one of the doctors observing him said. "Sect master, I am here to look at your situation."


    "Hmm, all right." He said in a low voice, being in a highly fragile state at the moment due to the surgery to remove his eyes.


    To inherit Gavin''s powers, he would have to give up his own eyes and transplant that individual''s three eyes into his body.


    Since it was not simple to permanently remove organs from Spiritual Saints'' bodies, the surgery was somewhat complicated.


    Spiritual Saints could rebuild their bodies with their own will. But this was not something as simple as it seemed at first sight. To reconstruct a leg, for example, the soul of that expert would have to have the component responsible for this.


    And if this soul had the ''code'' for the right leg, for example, such a body could not transplant the right leg from another being and control it as its own. Instead, this person would first have to ''delete'' the ''code'' for his right leg and then assimilate a new leg and control it as his own.


    In this way, it involved the manipulation of one''s soul, the most important spark of life of all!


    Thus it was naturally tough to permanently remove part of a being without endangering they, which justified the man''s temporary weakening.


    To get an idea, Mortimer would spend the entire next year without being able to use his own strength while at the same time getting used to his new eyes.


    After this, it would take him some more time to learn to control all of Gavin''s powers and bring these abilities up to his level, which was far superior to that young man''s.


    But Mortimer accepted all the risks and problems that could arise because of this, imagining his future journey post-recovery.


    "It looks like everything is all right, sect master." That doctor said while smiling at this man lying down, who, even without eyes, could feel everything in his surroundings because of how strong he was. "We were able to remove your original eyes successfully. So even if you try to regenerate them, you won''t succeed."


    "Perfect." Mortimer said in satisfaction.


    "When it comes to the third eye cavity, it is more complicated, and we can only leave it to do it during the transplant. Then we can proceed when the sect master sees fit."


    "Oh? Have you guys done the work with that fellow?" Mortimer asked with a tone full of anticipation.


    "Yes, sect master. The head doctor who will lead your operation has just finished and is recovering." That person, all dressed in white, said.


    "Very well. Take me there." The sect master ordered, not having to wait long in that place and soon be taken to the operating room at the safest point on that floating island.


    When he got there, Mortimer could not see, but he could feel everything in the surroundings, including the dead body of the young man he had been chasing for years.


    ''It looks like we got revenge for all the headache you put us through, huh?'' He paid attention in the direction of that corpse, which had its entire face disfigured at the moment.


    To safely remove Gavin''s eyes, the Saints Killing Sect''s doctors had opened his skull and removed his eyes along with his brain.


    The slightest mistake could make that powerful lineage variation disappear, so whenever this organization and the Rowse family performed this operation, they always removed the brain as a guarantee.


    Because of this, those who ''donated'' these eyes always died!


    As much as Spiritual Saints could recover from almost any kind of physical damage, this surgery was like the one Mortimer had undergone. The kind that removed that part of one''s body from their soul.


    Only then could his lineage ability be transplanted to someone with the sensitivity to the Rowse family lineage!


    In that way, Minos'' ally had met a terrible fate in this place.


    ''But don''t be sad, Gavin. Now you will suffer no more, and I will carry your powers with me for many years to come.'' Mortimer smiled broadly. ''Besides, I will soon make your companions from the northern region and the cursed Gray Clouds Sect to the same place as you.''


    He turned his face to the side of that corpse while Gavin''s body, legless, armless, extremely burned, and with an open head, lay in a trash can.


    After this, it was not long before the chief doctor of this organization finished resting and went to the operating room to begin the most important transplant of his life.


    ...


    While Mortimer was undergoing that surgical procedure, Minos and his group were arriving in the capital of the Flaming Empire at this very moment.


    Alongside his grandfather and the men of the Edwardstone family who had picked him up earlier, Emperor Stuart was slowly landing in Payton in a sizeable 7th-stage beast.


    But even though he had arrived at this place that would face local justice in a short time, Minos was not in the least bit grumpy. On the contrary, he was in an excellent mood, while the grumpy ones were precisely those who were supposed to arrest him.


    Not only had they failed to do what they had been ordered to do, but they had had to put up with Minos'' words for two weeks, and they still saw this fellow advancing, something terrible to see.


    Nobody liked to see someone so immoral and lawless getting stronger!


    That was a danger to the institutions and the common people''s peace!


    Seeing him reaching level 68, those people could only get more apprehensive and grumpy.


    As for Minos, he was already starting to plan for the near future, when he would kill Abe and become a Spiritual Saint.


    ''In three years at most, I should reach level 70.'' He thought as he looked at the troop of soldiers coming to receive him and his group. ''When that happens, I will learn my base technique for the Soul Avatar, advance the mastery of my techniques, and most importantly, advance the quality of my Physique.''


    He clenched his fists at this thought since his innate ability was of utmost importance to him.


    Even he had no idea how strong he would become after going through such a qualitative breakthrough!


    ''Innate abilities show their true prowess when a Physique reaches the Saint grade. Then I''ll finally be able to get a sense of how strong my skill is!''


    With that in mind, he and his group landed in Payton, soon being surrounded by individuals from the royal guard.


    "Minos Stuart, we will not accept your threats. Surrender now, or we will have no mercy!"


    ...

 Chapter 1427 Facing Imperial Justice 1

    Seeing the group of over two dozen high-level Spiritual Saints in the surrounding area demanding his surrender, Minos smiled at the reception of these people.


    "Let''s take it easy, people. I''m here, aren''t I?" He said in the direction of the level 79 individual who was commanding these people.


    The group leader that had traveled alongside Minos soon joined that other individual, passing command of the situation to that person, the supreme elder of the Edwardstone family.


    Oswald saw who was there to arrest his grandson and said. "There is no need for that, elder Bush. Minos is cooperating with everything so far. So why not let him walk on his own? He wouldn''t have even come here if he wasn''t committed to resolving this matter."


    The ruler of this empire looked at Oswald and felt disappointed that this local expert had such an unusual grandson who only caused them trouble.


    But he took no notice of Oswald''s background nor of the fact that Minos was only a young man in his conception. On the contrary, he was certain that arresting this individual would be best, at least, to stop further trouble coming to this state.


    Before Minos, the Flaming Empire only had the northern states to worry about. But now, there were even internal problems, with the imperial family suffering from losing its main leader.


    So this person did not see Minos at all well and could not help but blame him for all the recent problems of this organization.


    "Oswald, don''t try to convince us. If you talk too much, even someone with your background can end up getting dirty in this matter." He said, looking at that old man next to Minos but also keeping an eye on this outlaw. "Your grandson is trouble. He will lead everyone he relates to into tragedies. So this may very well be something that will save you and your family."


    "Oh?" Minos said. "Senior, don''t exaggerate. I rarely cause trouble. But what can I do if opponents keep challenging me? Don''t tell me that I should just accept their harassment and surrender my own life, just so as not to cause trouble for other people?"


    "Tsk!"


    "There''s no use talking to you, boy. I know you''re the type who has miraculous excuses for everything. You are evil by nature!" That elder commented firmly.


    "That way, will you surrender or take the hard way?" His aura became sharper as he prepared to act.


    Minos had the Black Hole Bombs, but this elder did not think Emperor Stuart would have the courage to use such things in this city. After all, Isabella was also nearby, and not only was there a risk that this would endanger her life, but would he risk earning her hatred by killing people in her family?


    This old fellow thought not, so he was willing to act!


    Minos'' eyes narrowed, and he said. "Where is Isabella? I want to talk to her."


    "You don''t decide things here, kid." The old man insisted in his hard way.


    "Then we have nothing to do. I''ll leave this city, and we''ll forget all about it." Minos shook his shoulders, knowing he could not force his way into this place, but the other party did not have enough to hold him back.


    "Humph!"


    "Do you think I will allow you to run away? Dream on!"


    The people in the surrounding area became tenser at these words, as not everyone was so confident that Minos was not a fanatical madman who would blow everyone there up.


    Even Minos'' grandfather became a little more worried, sensing that a battle would happen in the middle of this big city.


    The people in the surrounding area, several curious people who were already crowding around, also noticed the tension in the area and began to disperse, afraid of being involved.


    "Damn it!"


    "Minos Stuart and the supreme elder are getting weirded out!"


    "Two madmen, when they come face to face, cause disaster for everyone..."


    Several comments arose among the people moving away from the area.


    The supreme elder of the Edwardstone family had his own history. Therefore, the citizens had no compassion in talking about his fame, something coming from his hardline stance on such matters.


    This individual and Minos ignored the people in the area as they looked at each other intensely, each observing who would act first.


    Minos then said. "Old man, your organization does not have the means to arrest me. So even if I surrender, I can come and go as I please. Why don''t you let me show you this? We''ll go my way after that."


    That old man''s eyebrows drew together. He did not quite understand what Minos was saying, but it seemed that somehow this person was trying to bet with him about this surrender.


    "How do you intend to show this? I am curious to know how a mere Spiritual Emperor will stand up to local suppression methods." This fellow said, interested to see Minos try.


    "I will allow one of you to seal my cultivation with arrays used to limit the powers and movements of criminals. But I will escape those items, and you will forget about forcing me to do that." Minos smiled, confident that he could do that.


    He did not want to have his cultivation threatened by sealing items. Still, to prove himself against these people and achieve his goals there, he decided to allow himself to be arrested. This way, he could show these people that he was there because he wanted to be.


    Everyone in the area, including Oswald, found this strange since all this discussion was about Minos not surrendering. But now, all of a sudden, he suggested such an absurd thing.


    "Is he crazy?"


    "Is he bipolar?"


    As comments in hushed tones flew around the area, the elder Bush said. "Very well, I want to see this amazing ability that can negate spiritual sealing arrays!"


    Everyone knew that spiritual sealing arrays were invulnerable to beings at lower levels than the level of the item itself. That is, a sealing array made to seal people up to level 70, for example, would be impossible for someone like that to escape from it. Only those stronger ones had a chance to escape from such a thing after putting some effort into it.


    Considering that he would not use ordinary items with Minos, everyone there judged that this young man was surrendering without looking so weak.


    ''Tsk!''


    ''What an actor!'' The supreme elder thought to himself but moved on with this situation, ordering two of his subordinates to place several of these arrays into Minos'' body.


    After feeling bad about having his cultivation sealed off, with his legs and arms restrained by items of this nature, Minos looked at those individuals in the vicinity and showed one of his wrists to them.


    In doing so, he squeezed hard on such a thing while the Spatial Kingdom ring acted, trying to teleport him into that dimension.


    Unfortunately, for this to happen, the cultivation of the one teleporting would need to be ''whole.''


    While with those items on Minos'' body, in the blink of an eye, the top-grade item on one of that emperor''s fingers acted to help him.


    Crack!


    Cracks began to appear in the items holding Emperor Stuart, while a tremendous force appeared in his surroundings.


    "What?"


    In the blink of an eye, all those items broke, releasing all of Minos'' cultivation for the people there to feel, noting that he was telling the truth.


    Even using the best local sealing arrays, high-level grade-3 ones, they could not contain this individual!


    ...

 Chapter 1428 Facing Imperial Justice 2

    When he felt he would be teleported to the Spatial Kingdom, Minos prevented such a thing by commanding the ring to stop.


    The Spatial Kingdom ring was connected to his soul, so he could do this easily, quickly avoiding what could quickly become a problem for him.


    Mere Spiritual Saints would not understand the Spatial Kingdom, as would be the case with Spiritual Sages, whom Minos had to avoid going into the Spatial Kingdom in their vicinity. But still, such individuals could talk and make news of him reach dangerous places.


    Therefore, Minos stopped his trip to that location as he did not want to risk letting the information about him having an alternate dimension escape.


    In any case, whether he went to the Spatial Kingdom or not, Minos had already done something extremely shocking to all those experts in his surroundings.


    These men could not believe what they had just seen!


    From one hour to the next, an impressive force that made every one of them tremble surged from Minos'' body, destroying every sealing array.


    The fact that Minos had made those arrays break was enough to make any of these individuals open their mouths in amazement. After all, there was no news of people doing this. But the mysterious energy that was probably the cause of this was even more frightening.


    It had appeared without any sign that it was nearby and then disappeared at the same speed that it appeared.


    After feeling and seeing it, everyone there, including Minos'' grandfather, took steps backward in silence, not understanding the reality.


    ''That? How can that be?'' The supreme elder of the Edwardstone family had a terrible expression on his face. For the first time in a long time, he did not understand something happening in front of him.


    ''This is in a completely different dimension from ours! The powers cannot be compared!'' He thought about this as he looked at Minos'' confident face and began to theorize about this young man and his accomplishments.


    ''Will there be any experts supporting him? That would explain a lot of things. Including his confidence.'' That old figure''s eyes narrowed.


    Minos'' wealth was unknown. He had, somewhat inexplicably, recovered the spiritual root of the Black Plain. In addition, he seemed to have great battle knowledge and was decisive as an ''old fox.''


    These were all characteristics that were difficult to see in a single person who was so young and at the same time of ''humble'' origin, as was the case with Minos.


    But at the same time, these were characteristics too easily found in the pupils of great masters. These youths followed to the letter the teachings of their superiors and took advantage of their opportunities.


    With that, that imperial regent considered the possibility of someone helping Minos and felt a little less bad.


    The power of earlier was enough to make him have nightmares, even considering his more than 5,000 years of life. But at the thought that perhaps Minos'' ''master'' was willing to help this young man only in extreme cases, this old fellow took a calmer breath.


    ''He must not be an immediate danger, or the whole empire would already be in this young man''s hands!''


    While the supreme elder was making his theories about Minos, Oswald recognized that powerful energy that temporarily covered his grandson''s body.


    ''I''ve felt it before...'' He remembered the time he saw Minos and Ruth at the Peak of the Mist when these two were going to the Cromwell Kingdom at the time of the Spiritual Tournament.


    At that time, Minos did not know Oswald and thought of fleeing to the Spatial Kingdom when he saw this old man with a beard and white hair ahead of him and Ruth. But he had given up doing that because of that black-haired woman, who had recognized the master of the Gray Clouds Sect at that time.


    Oswald had never understood that, but after so many years, he had forgotten to talk to Minos about such a thing.


    There were so many things on his mind, more pressing matters, a war to be fought, and the problems Minos himself generated for those who tried to relate to the Black Plain. So he had forgotten about such a thing.


    But upon witnessing this situation, his curiosity about the mysteries of his grandson finally grew stronger, returning to the question from years ago about the origin of such a thing.


    The others might not have the right to an answer, but hell, he was Minos'' grandfather and deserved something!


    Oswald thought about it but said nothing at the moment, knowing it was not the time.


    "So? I think I''ve proven my point. The local forces can''t contain me, so there''s no need for all this clowning around." Minos said, breaking the silence of the surroundings, causing everyone there to return to the real world.


    Hearing Minos'' words, the individuals who were earlier so proactive against Emperor Stuart now no longer knew what to say, as their spirits dropped significantly.


    The supreme elder realized that he had fallen for Minos'' games and clenched his fists in frustration.


    He had accepted the conditions of Minos'' challenge and now had no choice but to go along with what this rebel outlaw wanted.


    He might be harsh in his actions, but Bush was one of the people who esteemed the value of his word most highly within the imperial family.


    This elder turned his back to Minos and pressed his teeth against each other. "Very well, you have won. I will not pressure you to surrender like that."


    Elder Bush turned his face sideways and opened his eyes as he looked at Minos. "But I will not allow you to wander anywhere you want. You will have to accompany us to the imperial palace."


    Minos was fine with this and readily accepted, nodding to that man and walking toward him.


    Oswald followed right behind his grandson while the men on the outskirts made way for them, still shocked by the situation.


    Not everyone had the mental toughness of peak Spiritual Saints, so some of those men felt as if they had woken up from a nightmare in the middle of an unfamiliar place.


    It would take them some time to ''get used to'' the new reality they were in, so only Minos and a few elders left that spiritual beast landing site.


    The others would stay there for a while longer, recovering from the shock of discovering that they could not contain a level 68 young man.


    Minos did not mind how his temporary opponents handled or would handle the previous situation. He just continued his game of loss control, which he had been forced to do recently.


    ''Sigh!''


    ''How many more stones will come my way on this trip?'' He wondered, eager to return to Dry City and begin dealing with the Abe matter.


    ''I hope to be able to resolve the Grey Clouds Sect''s situation in the next two years. But, in the midst of that, I will have to defeat Abe before I look at the Flowers Kingdom...'' He thought about this on his way to Payton''s palace.


    But soon as he got there, those thoughts were diluted because of a particular person who had not seen Minos in months...

 Chapter 1429 Facing Imperial Justice 3

    "Minos!" Isabella shouted as she saw her beloved walking up the stairs of the imperial palace, relieved to see him well.


    This woman was restricted by the supreme elder and confined to the imperial palace premises. Because of this, she only knew the latest news and could not go out to confirm Minos'' status or what the imperial regent was doing.


    She was obviously against any action by her family against Minos, although she favored at least that organization investigating the recent incident at the headquarters of the Saints Killing Sect. After all, an imperial family needed to appear to follow specific standards and could not simply close its eyes to such an alarming event.


    But she would not allow Minos to be punished in the way that perhaps her elders seemed to want.


    Obviously, she wanted to be the mother of Minos'' children, so she held this man in a high position in her heart, as high as the local throne itself.


    For all that, after days of not being able to leave the house, she breathed a sigh of relief to see that her man was alive and well.


    "Minos, you don''t know how scared I was!" She said as she hugged him and smelled the masculine scent of this brown-haired person.


    In doing so, she immediately made the level 79 elders in Minos'' surroundings look at them strangely while some clenched their fists mournfully.


    Isabella had already confirmed Minos'' earlier words after that group had notified the Edwardstone family command center. So everyone there was already aware that Emperor Stuart''s relationship with this level 71 redheaded woman was not only in his mind.


    But still, seeing and hearing something were completely different things!


    "Tsk!"


    ''The wretch is lucky!'' The individual who had led the group that faced Minos in the vicinity of the Saints Killing Sect headquarters thought of this as he turned around, not wanting to see more of that.


    The imperial regent frowned his eyebrows and lamented for Harold.


    ''This young man not only ruined your future but also stole your daughter''s innocence, Your Majesty...'' He lamented the emperor''s losses to this shameless young man, full of mysteries.


    Minos caressed Isabella''s red hair and said. "Hmm, now you can rest assured. These wild people will no longer stop you from coming and going..."


    Oswald heard here and laughed, noticing how Minos made those old people he himself had to respect, swallowing their losses dryly in silence.


    "I hope so..."


    They continued talking, soon afterward walking into the interior of that palace, heading to the area where Minos would live temporarily.


    Minos would not be arrested since everyone there had already learned that it was useless to restrain this fellow. He would come and go as he pleased.


    And even if he was not faster and more skilled than high-level Spiritual Saints, with his Black Hole Bombs, he could disrupt them quite a bit.


    They knew that Minos would not use such a thing easily against them. But those people knew that if they crossed the line, they could force him to use one of those weapons.


    As such, if he wanted to leave, they would have a hard time stopping him anyway. So the regent just designated an official place for Minos to stay temporarily in custody, but without restricting him too much.


    At the end of the day, this was more to show the organizations in this state that they were taking the situation of the Saints Killing Sect seriously and would investigate and judge the matter as they should.


    Some wanted to punish Minos for everything negative he had ever caused to this imperial family. But no one else would go to the ultimate consequences after they found out about Isabella''s relationship with him.


    Harold had no other children, and those behind Isabella in the line of succession were people with much less support and power than she. Thus, even if these elders wanted to, they had no alternative to her as future empress, which prevented them from acting vigorously against Minos.


    In this way, Minos was much more a guest of this organization than a prisoner waiting for his trial.


    But for all intents and purposes, he would spend the next few weeks at the imperial palace in Payton. He would cultivate and see Isabella when he had time, awaiting the resolution of the situation.


    ...


    Two weeks later...


    Minos was at this very moment in a courtyard of one of the many resistances in the imperial palace alongside his wives and grandfather.


    After the battles against the Saints Killing Sect ended, Minos notified his wives, calling them to come to this place together with Sarah.


    After a few days of travel escorted by Patience, the four women Minos loved most arrived at this place and had been living there with him ever since.


    In those days, Abby and Ruth had advanced in level, with the black-haired woman reaching level 67 before the end of the war and the blue-haired beauty reaching the same level three days ago.


    Minos and Sarah were pleased with the advancements of those two, along with Gloria, who was not far from reaching level 72. This Matriarch was also happy because she had taken advantage of the last few days to make more friends in local Church posts.


    Anyway, Minos had been leading his organizations from this location, constantly sending letters to the northern region to calm his state about its present problems. At the same time, he was dealing with the post-war affairs of the Gray Clouds Sect, working out what would make it difficult to bring that organization to the northern region.


    Since he was being ''forced'' to stay in the empire longer than he wished, he took advantage of the situation to get on with these matters.


    But while he was doing that, Minos'' wait had finally ended this afternoon, when the imperial family would announce the results of the investigations regarding the previous incident and hold his trial.


    "Minos, are you ready?" Isabella asked as she stood in front of this man and Sarah, who was on her father''s lap at the moment.


    Minos continued swinging one of his legs, playing with his daughter, and said. "Hmm, come on. I''m already looking forward to returning to Dry City."


    Isabella did not feel bad hearing that since Minos was not saying he did not like to be around her. But he wanted to return to his state and watch his business, which was natural for a leader to seek.


    So, she soon left that place beside him and his wives, not taking long to move on to her area, separating from them before entering the imperial throne hall.


    As Harold''s representative, even though she was not yet the leader of this state, nor the regent, she had to host all sorts of events relevant to her family and the state. Therefore, this woman was soon seated on her father''s throne while the women of Minos had settled in the bleachers for the trial audience.


    There in that place were also the leaders of the organizations of the empire, as well as some members of the imperial family.


    On the other hand, Minos was in the center of the area, with his back to the audience and facing where the court of this trial was standing next to Isabella.


    He stood quietly in his seat and listened to the supreme elder starting the trial after asking the people in the surrounding area to be quiet.


    "Well, let''s get down to business. We are here to hear the witnesses and the pronouncement of Minos Stuart regarding the incident weeks ago at the headquarters of the Saints Killing Sect. After that, we will declare the punishments for the respective culprits." He said before slamming a gavel on the table in front of him.


    "On behalf of Emperor Harold Edwardstone, I announce the beginning of this imperial trial!" Isabella said after hearing the supreme elder''s signal.


    ...

 Chapter 1430 The Trial 1

    After Isabella''s permission, the supreme elder of the Edwardstone family looked at a group of experts from that family who were standing on the right side of the area where he and the princess were standing. "What are the findings of the investigative group?"


    One of those men sitting on a small stand stood up and addressed his words to Bush. "Supreme elder, our group has come to the conclusion that the disaster that hit the Saints Killing Sect was caused by one of Minos Stuart''s weapons."


    "His weapon was used in another location. But part of its power traveled through space and hit that headquarters, which was unprotected and had no way to defend itself from such a thing."


    "Due to all these facts, the Saints Killing Sect lost more than half of its experts present at the time of this incident, considerably decreasing its strength."


    "This also ended the lives of practically all the prodigies of that organization, along with thousands of employees relevant to their operations." That person read the investigation report, exposing all the losses of the Saints Killing Sect to Minos that day.


    The data concerning the war between that organization and Oswald''s sect were not considered since only that fateful day''s tragedy was discussed in this trial.


    Thus, the losses of this organization that was the enemy of Minos were much greater than this man from the investigative group of the imperial family was citing to everyone there.


    The patriarchs and sect masters of this empire were aware of this and could not help but open their mouths, realizing how much power this young man they had ignored until recently had.


    Many of them thought Oswald had gone mad when he left his position for Minos to replace him. But now, these people realize the reality and cannot help but feel bad. They had wasted months preparing for the downfall of the Gray Clouds Sect, not Mortimer''s organization.


    ''Damn it!''


    ''I knew something like this would happen!'' The Mountain Sect master thought to himself. ''That person is cursed!'' He remembered his seer who died after trying to spy on Minos'' future, confirming again that this fellow was not simple.


    Meanwhile, the master of the Holy Sect looked at Oswald with narrowed eyes, seeing that this fellow had gotten an excellent replacement to finally have a good retirement. ''Whether his choice was the wisest will depend on the outcome of this trial. But I admit that he is very capable...''


    Oswald realized that his colleague from the Holy Sect was watching him and nodded in that individual''s direction as he waited for this trial to proceed.


    He had been talking to Minos during the days that had passed, trying to figure out what that energy was that he had felt around his grandson more than once. Emperor Stuart did not want to answer him immediately but eventually said he would talk about such a thing when he took the Gray Clouds Sect to the northern region.


    Hence, Oswald was anxious that Minos could return to the Black Plain and get on with his own plans, which was necessary for him to learn about this secret.


    So he soon focused his attention back on trial.


    "... Your Highness, supreme elder, we judge that Minos Stuart bears more responsibility than he admits in this attack." The investigative group concluded their reasoning, showing this level 68 subject as guilty to the people following the trial.


    "Mommy, is daddy in trouble?" Sarah asked Gloria while sitting next to her mother.


    "No, everything will be fine, sweetie." She said this, smiling as she caressed one of her daughter''s arms.


    Sarah paid attention to the trial again just when the floor was passed to Minos to defend himself.


    "That''s ridiculous." Minos said in an indignant tone. "At no point did the investigative group talk about how members of the Saints Killing Sect themselves teleported from the battlefield and opened the spatial crack that led to that tragedy for them."


    He turned to the audience there, giving his back to the members of the imperial family judging him. "Citizens of the Flaming Empire, sect masters and patriarchs, I ask you this question. What would you do if you faced a threat that would surely kill you if you did not flee, or you would have a chance to save yourselves but, in return, create a danger to your organizations?"


    "I believe that well-meaning people, good leaders, would never bring danger to their headquarters, their people. On the contrary, that person would sacrifice themselves for the greater good and die a hero''s death." He gestured as he walked through the center of that area, defending his position in front of these witnesses.


    He then paused briefly and said, with a serious expression on his face. "But no, the members of the Saints Killing Sect did not do that. Instead, they selfishly fled the battle to save themselves and fulfill their goal of capturing Gavin Rowse, the owner of the Destruction Eyes."


    "They did this at the cost of the safety of their headquarters. That was all for the sake of Mortimer Burgess, so this sect master would have a chance to steal Gavin''s powers and continue his journey to become a Spiritual Sage." Minos said everything he knew, trying to make all those organizations in the empire realize the real intentions of the Saints Killing Sect.


    That is, they wanted to have the same power or perhaps be more powerful than the imperial family itself!


    That was a terrible indication in a state as weakened as the current Flaming Empire!


    Because of this, upon hearing Emperor Stuart''s well-placed words, almost all the local leaders following this trial became more serious and worried about that organization.


    The Saints Killing Sect had weakened a lot recently. But if they could get a Spiritual Sage, everything would change!


    "If that''s true, Mortimer is planning bad things..." One of the sect masters there commented in a low voice in her group.


    ''That''s really worrying.'' The leader of the Holy Sect considered this, thinking that, judging by that individual''s personality, his allegiance to the imperial family could change if he succeeded in his attempt.


    In this case, the entire empire could suffer from the actions of a possible rebel in charge of the Saint Killing Sect.


    While everyone was thinking about this and muttering things among themselves, Minos was looking into the eyes of the supreme elder of the Saints Killing Sect, smiling at this person, glaring at him furiously. "The people in this organization chose their fate. I had no way of predicting this when it all happened, so I can''t be blamed for anything."


    "The only thing we can say is that I am guilty of an unintentional accident. That is, I did not disregard the rules imposed by His Majesty. I am not a rebel."


    "Nonsense!" That representative of the Saints Killing Sect shouted angrily. "You rebelled against the imperial family weeks ago on our territory, Minos!"


    That supreme elder looked at Bush and said. "Your Excellency, this individual defied the imperial guards! Please, do justice for the sake of the empire''s good, or I fear this demon will take over our lands in no time!"


    The surroundings became silent after the words of Minos and this old fellow, with everyone there thinking about what was best for their respective organizations.


    ...

 Chapter 1431 The Trial 2

    "Silence!" The supreme elder of the Edwardstone family roared as he looked toward that old local expert, who had not been given the right to speak.


    Minos returned to his seat and said. "The trial cannot be about the victims of the Saints Killing Sect. That is a trial about a sect master''s loyalty to the emperor and His Majesty''s impositions."


    "I did not disregard His Majesty''s words in my act. It was merely a fluke of fate, created by the very members of the Saints Killing Sect, something that, yes, favored me. But I did not plan or intend for this to happen at any time."


    "I could have gone against the enemy headquarters, but I didn''t do that because I knew the consequences." He said, looking for the first time at those judging him. "Thus, I end my defense. I trust the imperial family will decree a fair and favorable verdict for me."


    Those members of the imperial family who wished to make Minos at least suffer a little expressed discomfort on their faces, regretting what looked like it was going to happen.


    Minos'' words had been very well thought out, touching on crucial points already in the minds of each local leader there.


    Now, the biggest concern of these men was not even that the empire was getting weaker nor that Minos might be rebelling. But Mortimer could change many things about this state in a short time.


    They knew that Minos had no means of opening spatial cracks to the headquarters of the Saints Killing Sect. Only a member of that organization could teleport to a location within the core of that sect.


    With all this evidence and new problems to think about, the members of the imperial family already had a good sense of where this whole trial would go.


    "Very well, I will now pass the word to the witnesses, and later, the sect master under the trial will have a chance to defend himself against their accusations." Supreme elder Bush said, moving on with the formalities of this trial.


    Meanwhile, Isabella was looking at Minos in a satisfied manner, feeling that he would be able to escape from a bigger trouble in this place.


    ''You''re very clever indeed, Minos.'' Her eyes arched downward in a happy expression. ''You used Mortimer, your victim, to become the focus of the discussions and make him everyone''s real enemy...''


    ''Great move!''


    Oswald was also pleased since, like many there, although he knew some of the histories of the Destruction Eyes, he did not know enough to identify Gavin, Mortimer''s motivations, and the future of this man. As such, if it were him, this man would not be able to use this information to his advantage and would probably end up suffering more punishment in a trial like this!


    ''That red-haired fellow must have told Minos many things...'' This bearded, white-haired man thought about it in silence as the witnesses talked about the atrocities they saw and blamed Emperor Stuart.


    Minos would eventually defend himself against the accusations made by those individuals connected to the Saints Killing Sect, showing the jury that such individuals wanted to force the situation against him without any real evidence.


    After some time of trial, the members of the Saints Killing Sect who had attended this event had already left. They were sure that they would not achieve anything in this place. Instead, there was a chance that from now on, they would face antagonism from some of those organizations present at the trial!


    That was the worst-case scenario for them!


    Therefore, the trial soon ran to its conclusion when the supreme elder spoke the jury''s recommendation for Isabella to proclaim the sentence of this trial.


    The one sitting in the emperor''s position was the one who had to give the sentence in trials like this, and they could follow the jury''s recommendation or not.


    Isabella called for silence from everyone and soon stood up to pronounce.


    "On behalf of His Imperial Majesty, Harold Edwardstone, I declare Minos Stuart free of responsibility over the recent incident over the headquarters of the Saints Killing Sect." She said loud and clear.


    Almost no one in that place was surprised by this, but Sarah jumped for joy upon hearing this since she was the only one who did not quite understand what was happening.


    As the people in the surrounding area looked at that child dressed in a pink dress jumping next to Gloria, Isabella continued her speech. "But due to the previous disagreement with the imperial guards and such an unintentional event, we will limit the sect master Minos Stuart in two ways."


    "First, the sect master is prohibited from using the mass destruction weapon called the Black Hole Bomb within the empire. The penalty for non-compliance with this will be the declaration of the sect master as a rebel and measures already expected..." She said suggestively, without mentioning it, which was somewhat obvious to everyone there.


    "Secondly, the sect master Minos Stuart will have to remain under house arrest for one year and renew his loyalties to the imperial family..."


    "I hope you don''t quarrel with imperial guards in the future, sect master." She said as she looked at him, considering that this was not an unfair punishment for Minos'' threats to the group that had gone to arrest him.


    Even though he was innocent, no one could react to the imperial guards, or they would commit a crime, contempt of law, and the emperor!


    Because of this, even though he had been declared innocent, Minos was still going to be punished in some way.


    But of course, this was not what would happen to ordinary people as the crown princess favored him.


    Even though this was clear to everyone, no one said anything against this favoritism since that was life. Connections were everything, and those who had the best individuals close to them could live even better.


    With that, Minos'' punishment was final, and he soon questioned. "It''s okay for me to serve my house arrest in the Black Plain Empire, right? That whole state is my home."


    The members of the imperial family closed their eyes to avoid looking at this shameless person, but Isabella agreed with him. "But of course. As a sovereign, that is your privilege. But since you will serve your time in that state, I forbid those involved with the attacks of weeks ago to leave the headquarters of the Gray Clouds Sect for that same period."


    "Only those who participated in the attack?" Minos was not bothered by this since several other Spiritual Saints had not joined them. "Very well, we will follow with Your Highness'' decisions."


    Thus, Minos'' imperial trial ended, with the people there finally beginning to discuss today''s outcome, concerned about Mortimer and less interested in Emperor Stuart.


    Minos returned to his family''s side and quickly began preparing for their return to the Black Plain, something that had to happen immediately, given his ''house detention.''


    He also wanted to give some orders for the Gray Clouds Sect members to leave for the Black Plain. Thus, he and his group soon left the area, missing the opportunity to fraternize with those local leaders.


    It was time to return to the Black Plain and solve the Abe problem!

 Chapter 1432 Back To The Black Plain

    One week later...


    After the previous trial was over, Minos and his family left Payton and finally returned to Dry City.


    The Gray Clouds Sect was no longer at war, while the Saints Killing Sect had its ''doors'' closed to the rest of the world, with most of its experts in seclusion. At the same time, the imperial family of that state and the high-level powers were preparing for the complicated future ahead. So Minos had not had any problems in these last few days concerning this state.


    With that, after giving his orders to that sect before leaving the Flaming Empire, he was now focused on his state, waiting for the reinforcements that should arrive soon.


    But while he and his family were returning with their usual routines in Dry City, the time for the previous mercenaries to leave had finally arrived.


    And now, Emperor Stuart was receiving them at his palace.


    ...


    "Your Majesty, our contract ends next morning." One of the two-level 79 Spiritual Saints said this to Minos as he and the other nine individuals were profiled in front of the imperial throne.


    Minos heard this and did not have much to say to these people.


    He could renew his contract with these people and keep them in Dry City to help him take on Abe''s terrorist group. But now that the war between those two sects was over, Minos would have more support from the Gray Clouds Sect.


    He did not want to spend his high-grade crystals unnecessarily, so he was naturally sending these people back where they came from.


    "Hmmm, thank you for your services," Minos sincerely said, as these ten individuals had kept the peace in Dry City for the past few weeks.


    It was true that they had not confronted and caused casualties in Abe''s group. But Minos had never demanded that of these people, so that was not why he would be disappointed.


    "If one day you decide to return to the Black Plain, we will welcome you with open doors." He commented, looking into the faces of each of these people. "Until then, I wish you good luck and a safe journey."


    "Thank you, Your Majesty!" Those individuals said simultaneously, before receiving the last of the payments they were entitled to from some of the imperial guards in that hall.


    Those individuals also said goodbye to some of the experts in the surrounding area, with whom they had kept in touch for weeks and made friendships.


    After a brief moment, they left Dry City without looking back.


    "What are you going to do?" One of them asked, remembering the offer they had received from Abe in the intervening period.


    Abe had offered double what Minos had paid them for these past few weeks. But since they were in the middle of their contract with the local sovereign, they could not change sides, thanks to some rules that their mercenary guild imposed on their men.


    But now that they were free, they could do whatever they wanted!


    "I''m going back to the empire. There is nothing in this place for me." One of the women in this group commented and was soon followed by others who thought the same.


    "There is no reason for us to stay here. To go along with that individual''s proposal is tantamount to lusting after death..."


    "Haven''t you seen everything this Minos has done during the days we''ve seen him fight?"


    "He can cause our deaths." Another person commented, remembering that Minos had terrible means to kill his opponents.


    ''No fortune is worth the price of death...'' The other woman there thought to herself, already satisfied with her gains.


    Thus, none of them decided to stay and change their position on the Black Plain. Instead, they all started their journey back to the Western Empire together!


    ''When I get there, I will have to deliver that old fellow''s message...'' One of them pondered as he remembered Grant.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Minos was still in his imperial throne hall, carrying on with his responsibilities as ruler.


    After his last trip, upon returning to the Black Plain, Minos had had great surprises with several of his soldiers who had advanced in level and even stage.


    Such was the case with Joey, this administrative soldier in his army, who had reached level 60 after so many years in this organization.


    But besides this fellow, soldiers more active in Minos'' plans had also achieved improvements recently. For example, Elen and Eduard had reached level 65. They could be considered some of the strongest individuals that had been brought into the local forces by Minos.


    Some patriarchs and leaders of organizations in the northern region and the Black Plain Empire were also doing well. But due to their advanced ages, they were beginning to lag behind these young cultivators.


    With the recent advances, despite the losses the local forces had taken in such a period, Minos found a stronger Black Plain than he had left weeks ago.


    Abe had not acted against Dry City in this period. Still, he and his group continued to disrupt local development by attacking strategic points in this state.


    Because of this, the Black Plain lost personnel and growth opportunities during this period, still living through the drama of being blocked by that individual''s terrorist group.


    Minos had already expected this to happen, so none of this came as a surprise to him when he found out everything. He was just refreshed and focused on what he should do to solve this problem.


    After those experts left, he said to his men in that imperial hall. "Begin preparations for the Black Plain counterattack. In a few weeks, the groups from the Gray Clouds Sect will begin arriving in our state, and we will begin hunting down the enemies."


    "Yes, Your Majesty!" Some of the administrative members of the army answered him before leaving.


    They had to study ways to attack Abe''s terrorist group and eventually deal with the Spiritual Sage to stop him from saving the enemy''s head. That was complex, even considering the 8th-stage cultivators coming from the Flaming Empire.


    Therefore, Minos advanced that matter by giving that order to the army intelligence soldiers before following with new commands to the rest of his forces.


    "To our Vogel allies and friendly states, I want you to return to your old positions around the empire to protect our outposts." He said as he looked at those people over there.


    Lulu, who was still in this city, then asked in strangeness. "What is the meaning of this? I thought we would return to our states after that situation in the Flaming Empire."


    Minos then said. "I need some time before I do that. So I ask you to stay here for the time being. In a few months, we can give up your help."


    "What about..." Someone from the Assembly of Vogel was about to say something, but Minos interrupted him.


    "Vogel is part of the empire. So I demand that you continue your exemplary service."


    "Sigh..." He then looked at his direct subordinates. "For the rest, you can all return to your former duties. I will handle the security of Dry City from now on."


    "Yes, Your Majesty!"

 Chapter 1433 The Problems Of Migrating A Sect

    After meeting with his staff to deal with more important orders for his local forces to act on, Minos focused on bringing his sect to his state.


    Taking one of the most influential organizations out of one state and bringing it to another was not simple!


    The Gray Clouds Sect was not just an organization that had decided to be in the Flaming Empire and could come and go as it pleased. No, this organization had once been free to do so. Still, at some point in its history, it had become a vassal of the Edwardstone family.


    As a vassal, that organization had privileges, such as management of the large territory it was based in in the southeast of that state. But it also had obligations to the imperial family, such as paying fees, sending soldiers to war, etc.


    Hence, it was not enough that the sect master decided to take that sect out of the Flaming Empire. That would be like taking a vital piece of a body without even asking its owner''s permission!


    In other words, it was a delicate issue that would need to be discussed and negotiated. So Minos was planning with his wives and some of the higher echelons of his forces about it.


    "For now, I see no problem with you bringing some of the sect forces to the Black Plain, sect master. Of course, as long as you don''t bring more than 50% of our experts here." Ivory said this to Minos as she sat across the table from where they were standing in his office. "That will just be you getting the sect to act in this area, which did not constitute abandonment of function on our part. But more than that will create problems for us."


    "So how do we legally get this sect out of the Flaming Empire?" Abby asked.


    Gloria then said. "One way to do that is to compensate the imperial family in some way that replaces whatever is to be taken away. In that case, we would have to give them something with a ''weight'' equivalent to that sect''s."


    "And we can do that?" Ruth questioned her husband.


    "Not today, but perhaps in a few years." Minos replied, wondering what he could accomplish after more time.


    "Besides," Gloria continued. "We have some alternatives. For example, if Minos marries Isabella and she is made official as Empress, it will be easy to do that. But the chances of that happening in the short term are pretty low..."


    "On the other hand, if Minos saves the Emperor of that kingdom, it is quite possible for that man to lower the cost for us to remove that sect from the empire and bring it here."


    "Hmm, that might be the case." Minos nodded, considering that he could also take that organization out of the Flaming Empire by force since he still had the protection of the Church for a few more years.


    The Church did not protect him from the mercenaries of the Western Empire because of the agreements it had and the fact that that state was not part of its territory. But the Flaming Empire was part of its domains and naturally feared it.


    But even with that possibility, he would not do such a thing since it would form enmity between him and the powers of that empire, which went against his goals.


    Moreover, even without being able to bring the Gray Clouds Sect to his state in the short term, it would not affect his actions against Abe. After all, he would already have a few dozen Spiritual Saints at his disposal in a few weeks.


    That would already be enough for him to start acting against Abe and develop his state again!


    When it came to definitely dealing with this enemy, Minos judged that they could achieve this within a year, when the high-level elders of his sect would no longer have to be under house arrest.


    With these high-level cultivators, plus the likely advance he would have by then, he felt they could disturb that Spiritual Sage long enough to kill Abe!


    Now that he had the necessary answers, Minos was no longer in such a hurry and was relaxed about his plans.


    He then said. "Well, I have already talked to Isabella about bringing this sect here, but she didn''t like the idea and thought that the elders of her family would not allow something like that."


    "According to her own words, they would probably rather face war with me than accept such abuse."


    "But it''s true... That''s practically a robbery." One of the Spiritual Saints from that sect standing there next to Ivory said this in a low voice.


    "Well, we can think about some kind of fractional compensation." Minos thought about that idea.


    "What does that look like?" Abby asked.


    "We can propose something like, for every ten level 77 Spiritual Saints we take out of that state permanently, we will return one level 79. That would follow for all the 8th-stage cultivators who migrate here from the sect." He suggested. "By doing that, we would hand over more than 100% of the power we take from that state, but we would do it slowly, without losing much in the short term."


    "Everyone would gain from that."


    "Oh?" Ivory became interested in that. "But how would you return that power to the Flaming Empire?"


    "We can''t bring more than 50% of the sect members here since that would constitute abandonment of function," Minos said as he saw Ivory nod in agreement. "Then we will keep some people from that sect here below that ratio. We will train them and make them stronger."


    "When we have a level 79 Spiritual Saint, we''ll bring ten more level 77 ones. When we have level 78, we will get ten more level 75 ones. And so on, until we can migrate almost all the high-level members of the sect."


    Members below the 8th stage would not hinder Minos from convincing the imperial family to accept his proposal. Thus, he was not thinking of going through with this plan for all the members of that sect.


    Those weaker ones would come to the northern region when almost none of that sect''s experts were left in that empire.


    "Won''t that take a long time to happen?" Ivory looked at Minos with her mouth open in shock.


    From Minos'' words, it seemed that he thought it was easier for Spiritual Saints to cultivate in the Black Plain than in the Flaming Empire!


    Minos then replied. "No, I believe it can be solved more quickly than you think..."


    "But there would have to be people in that place who would have to stay behind." Another Spiritual Saint said. "Following your logic, the sect would end up staying with only a few high-level members. But it would be impossible to bring all of them."


    "Hmm, but that doesn''t matter. After all, I am the sect master, so I would only leave some of my men in that state." Minos said.


    "They would take care of the outpost of our forces while most of the force members would be on the Black Plain."


    "I see..." Such a person commented, still thinking that it would be pretty difficult for this to work but that it was indeed an offer that would be tempting.


    What leader would not covet to exchange weaker subordinates for stronger experts?


    There were less than 40 level 79 Spiritual Saints in the Flaming Empire. But there were more than 300 level 77 individuals there!


    Hence, this would be quite a trade!

 Chapter 1434 Beginning Of The Counter-Attack

    A month passed...


    After Minos returned to Dry City, his forces came back to how they had been before the first time the sovereign went to the Flaming Empire.


    The local forces spread out across this state, returning to protect some of the outer areas that had been sidelined in this most recent period.


    At the same time, Minos and his wives were back fighting Abe''s mercenaries, slowly improving the Black Plain''s position against these terrorists due to their recent advances.


    But this was not enough to change much about Minos and Abe''s conflict.


    So when the reinforcements from the Gray Clouds Sect finally began to arrive in this state, the local forces celebrated. But, simultaneously, the enemies felt the times getting more hostile.


    Since the local sovereign''s return, the Gray Clouds Sect had sent 30 Spirit Saints to the Black Plain. Of these individuals, 10 were people between the first three levels of the 8th stage, 15 between levels 74 and 76, and the rest were elders at levels 77, 78, and 79.


    With this strength, although Minos did not immediately get a group as strong as that of mercenaries that had left Dry City, he did get a lot of power to strengthen himself!


    Unlike those mercenaries, these were individuals loyal to Minos, much more willing to follow his orders to the letter and not betray him. At the same time, the Gray Clouds Sect paid them, so they would cost nothing to the Black Plain government coffers.


    But not only experts were sent to Emperor Stuart''s state. The sect of Oswald and now Minos had thousands of Spiritual Emperors.


    In possession of this knowledge, Minos had asked for the initial sending of 2,000 of these individuals!


    Because of this group, the trip of reinforcements had taken so long compared to the return of Minos and his family to Dry City.


    In any case, now the local forces had been greatly strengthened, and Minos would go out on the counter-attack!


    ...


    Boom!


    "Ahhhhhhhhhh!"


    Swooish!


    "Attack!"


    People shouted amid the sounds of explosions and remnant attacks passing on the outskirts of a forested area of the Black Plain, where two groups were facing each other.


    "Charge!"


    Ka-Boom!


    Some artillery near the area, people using cannons and arrays, were mercilessly bombarding the surroundings, knowing that some enemies were hiding there.


    The government of the Black Plain had built cities and forests in this previously desert region. So it would not be because of the current greenery that the men of the local army would not destroy the very terrain where part of the terrorists was hiding.


    If they had built their territory once, they could do it a second time!


    With that in mind, the soldiers in the middle of this raiding party activated their cannons toward that area.


    Boom!


    While they were punishing a part of that artificial forest, higher-level allies of those forces were fighting the members of Abe''s terrorist group.


    Pow!


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    A level 73 Spiritual Saint from Abe''s group took a powerful punch from his same-level opponent, feeling the weight in his stomach as his body flew backward.


    "How can that be?" That individual felt his Soul Avatar succumb after such a blow and looked in a frightened manner at that brown-haired woman.


    He had no way of recognizing that woman. After all, he was from the Western Empire, not the Flaming Empire.


    But if he were from that other state, he would understand that he would be no match for Oswald''s eldest daughter when he had the same level as her.


    Besides having better techniques than most people, Maisie had inherited the powerful innate ability of her old father, an impressive will that could strengthen its user and weaken opponents.


    Because of this, when she activated her innate ability and made her move, Maisie broke through that man''s mental barriers before striking a powerful physical blow against him.


    Such a thing had ''knocked out'' that man''s Soul Avatar, leaving him ''unprotected'' against Maisie and her avatar.


    Gray Clouds Art!


    Maisie''s Soul Avatar placed its hands on top of each other, and a tiny spark of light appeared between them. At the same time, the clouds in the surrounding area became darker and gathered around this avatar.


    As Maisie''s avatar''s hands moved away from each other, a powerful blue ray appeared from the middle of the vortex of clouds that had appeared, heading towards the body of that Spiritual Saint.


    Ka-Boom!


    A thunderous sound reverberated through the surroundings, by which time such an individual had already been attacked.


    In the blink of an eye, many people in the surrounding area looked in the direction of such a person and saw a charred but still living body, trembling in pain.


    Even though he had survived such a powerful attack, he was not much better off than a dead man after being attacked by this ruthless woman!


    With that, when such a person made a vertical move against his neck, using a small blade, he could do nothing to save himself.


    Such an attack cut through the skies so fast that he only saw it being hurled towards him, and then such a thing pierced his body, hitting not only his flesh but also his soul.


    Spiritual Saints did not depend entirely on their bodies to survive. Thus, to kill one of them, someone or something would have to be able to affect their soul.


    But that was not so difficult to do. Even lower-level cultivators like Spiritual Kings could embed their attacks with Natural Laws capable of threatening the soul.


    Therefore, a Spiritual Saint like Maisie did that very well and did not spare this opponent of hers from death!


    "Ahhhh!" Such an individual let out his last sound of pain in this place that earlier was only the temporary camp of his group but now looked more like a battlefield.


    Simultaneous to his death, several people from both groups were suffering in the surrounding area when a teleportation area suddenly appeared nearby, startling the mercenaries.


    When one of the few observers from the group trying to escape saw this, he looked in fear toward the man in golden armor who had just arrived.


    Then...


    "Retreat!"


    "Quick, run away! Minos Stuart is here!" He shouted before leaving his post, starting to run along with his superiors who were already leaving the area earlier.


    "Minos?" Abe, who was coming to this place, heard this a few moments after noticing that his enemies had discovered one of his posts.


    ''How did this happen? Is it a coincidence that they attacked this place just when I came here to check on this group?'' He paled at the thought of this, already flying to get away from there, along with his bodyguards.


    ''Damn it!


    ''Someone ratted me out!'' He clenched his fists, understanding that this could only be the case, or Minos would not show up on the battlefield.


    "Wynne, stay and delay Minos while I escape." He said to one of the stronger Spiritual Saints in his group, afraid to see that fellow in battle.


    "OK!"


    ...

 Chapter 1435 Misinformed

    When that level 79 man stayed behind to protect the core of his group retreat, Minos had not yet identified Abe''s position and was fighting his way through the surrounding area.


    Emperor Stuart had earlier received information that Abe was likely to appear at this outpost today through one of the enemies arrested by members of his sect this morning.


    With this intelligence, he had immediately ordered the group closest to this location to attack this enemy outpost as soon as possible, considering that such information would expire quickly.


    Luckily, Maisie''s group was nearby, and she had come to this location and promptly established a teleportation port for Minos to come from Dry City to this place.


    With that, although he knew of the likelihood of Abe appearing in this place, as soon as he appeared there, Minos had no idea whether this individual was there.


    When he began to look for Abe, Minos took advantage of the fact that he was on a battlefield and promptly began to fight, knocking opponents down and using the energies of part of them.


    Devouring Art!


    He flew through the area while many enemies were already floating around him because of the Chaotic Gravity. Many of them were also under the effects of Minos'' auxiliary technique, losing their energy to him.


    Spatial Sword!


    Minos saw a level 75 enemy in front of him, trying to hinder him from vascularizing the surroundings. He decided to attack this person, turning his sword against his chest, ignoring the Soul Avatar of this person.


    The Soul Avatar was the proper form of a cultivator, the way they had to access the full potential of their techniques. But defensively speaking, this possibility had the same strength as the fleshy body would have using defensive techniques.


    Since Minos knew that his strength could already be compared to that of a Spiritual Saint at such a level, he attacked that person intending to hurt him significantly.


    Swooish!


    The blade of his sword slashed toward the Soul Avatar''s abdomen as this individual tried to attack him, using his strongest techniques to challenge the enemy leader.


    Minos could be scary with a black hole or Black Hole Bomb on his side. But without those things, this person judged this local leader as only slightly above average!


    "Die, you bastard!" He shouted as he looked up with a smart little smile on his face while the water in the surroundings condensed and formed blades of ice.


    Such blades condensed in the Soul Avatar''s hands, and he directed them to where Minos was attacking his abdomen.


    However, contrary to what that man with long black hair thought, he failed to prepare for both Minos'' attack and his attack!


    When the blade of Minos'' sword pressed against the ''skin'' of his Soul Avatar, this man felt like two attacks had struck him simultaneously.


    One attack would be difficult for him to withstand without suffering even one damage. Still, it would not cause him any tremendous suffering. But two was beyond his limit, and as soon as the collision of Minos'' sword blade and his ''skin'' happened, that part of his avatar split open like a torn plastic.


    "Damn it!"


    He saw Minos entering his avatar control space as his own blades struck this opponent''s body.


    To the misfortune of this mercenary coming from the Western Empire, besides some of those blades injuring his own body, none of them hurt Minos!


    Minos smiled as he felt those things ''massaging'' his body while his passive ability to absorb spiritual blows sucked out much of the attack power of those blades.


    But not only that, he had his defensive technique, Indestructible Body, active, which would protect him from that.


    Finally, his medium-level grade-3 armor did its job and prevented those blades that were left over after the absorption of the Devouring Art passive skill from reaching his skin.


    That shocked the level 75 Spiritual Saint, with him realizing that his views regarding the local leader were utterly wrong!


    ''Shit! I made a mistake!'' He tried to escape Minos since, as much as Spiritual Saints could temporarily live without a body and not be completely dependent on them, that was their biggest weakness.


    To kill a Spiritual Saint, one would have to strike a blow that afflicted both body and soul. But such a thing had to be specifically on the fleshy body since the Soul Avatar itself was only a projection of the cultivator''s soul, not the actual soul.


    It would be strange if someone used something so vital to fight, after all...


    And so, that individual found himself in range of Minos'' sword, promptly returning all his attention to his body and causing his avatar to vanish.


    The Soul Avatar was the most powerful form of a Spiritual Saint. But they would have to cast it aside in case their fleshy body was reached by an opponent capable of killing them!


    That was how weaker people, specifically those of lower stages, had to defeat a Spiritual Saint capable of using the Soul Avatar!


    Clash!


    Such a person could grab a dagger from his spatial ring and fend off Minos'' point-blank attack.


    But Minos had many surprises for him and soon made that man discover some of them.


    .


    Dark Sea!


    Darkness appeared in the surroundings of the two as that man lost sight of Minos, and that fellow moved to alternate his fighting mode.


    Chaotic Gravity!


    As this mercenary stopped sensing his surroundings, a powerful gravitational force began to act against him.


    ''Damn., What is that now?'' He wondered, just before he was punched in the back of the head and narrowly diverted an ax coming from above.


    ''What the fuck!''


    Suddenly, he found himself surrounded by several Spiritual Saints, levels 72, 73, and 74 people, the hostages Minos was holding as batteries in his vicinity.


    Because of this, in the blink of an eye these individuals controlled by the Dark Sea and Infinite Dream broke this man''s guard, leaving him exposed to Minos.


    Poof!


    Minos pierced this person''s chest with a decisive blow, striking him with a deadly serious impact.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhh!" That person screamed in fear as blood rose up his throat and began to trickle out of his mouth.


    Minos saw this and acted, removing his sword from that body and throwing that man to the ground, where people from his group could finish the life of this opponent.


    "Soon, you will join the others in nurturing the roots of the empire!" He said as he smiled and flew off in the direction of where he had finally identified the strongest enemies in the area, where Abe probably was.


    "Abe!" Minos shouted sharply in the direction of where that individual was fleeing, scaring not only this member of the Vogel family but the other mercenaries escaping the area.


    ''Bastard!''


    ''Go to hell!'' Abe looked back but kept running, knowing that Minos had no black hole with him to threaten them, but certain that the Gray Clouds Sect reinforcements could be nearby.


    In this case, he had to run, even though his mortal enemy was ''vulnerable'' right now!


    ...

 Chapter 1436 Change Of Situation

    As Minos was getting close to the fleeing group where the strongest mercenaries were, he came across a level 79 individual in his path.


    "Minos Stuart, I''ll have to hold you here for the moment!" While he already had his Soul Avatar activated, such a person shouted at him, prepared to entertain this opponent.


    This man was unlike the level 75 Spiritual Saint Minos had just defeated. No, different from such people, this peak individual left behind to deal with him was much more careful and would not underestimate Emperor Stuart.


    Was Minos weaker without his black holes ''nourished'' with the bodies of countless enemies and Black Hole Bombs? Sure, but that did not mean he was weak and could not do anything against these individuals from the Western Empire.


    Minos could create new black holes all the time and be able to fuse others of his techniques, something he had already done in the confrontations against Abe so far. Hence, considering that this brown-haired fellow had advanced in level recently, this peak 8th-stage cultivator was not taking it easy from the start!


    Emperor Stuart saw the opponent''s movement and took precautions, using the many enemy Spiritual Saints under his influence to serve as batteries.


    Minos placed his hands in front of his face, parallel to each other, squeezing the air as if he were pressing an invisible rubber ball. At the same time, his eyes glowed in rainbow colors, preparing to shoot powerful energy beams.


    Infinite Dream: Shaking Reality!


    Rays of energy shot from Minos'' eyes, hitting the invisible sphere being compressed by his two hands.


    That then created what appeared to be a small universe full of shining stars.


    Chaotic Gravity: Shaking Reality!


    The enemy noticed this was not simple when the fusion of Minos'' techniques showed its effects.


    Even though Minos'' attack power seemed to be dangerous only to those below level 75, the fusion had a multiplier bonus that made the power released a little higher than normal.


    Because of this, even that level 79 man felt that he could get a little hurt or hindered by Emperor Stuart''s action!


    Not only that level 79 man felt this. All the cultivators within a distance of 200 meters of Minos were affected by it since he still did not have much control over fusions.


    ''What the hell is that?'' One person from the group of mercenaries swallowed his saliva as he felt the whole world shaking, unable to hold his position.


    He felt as if he was suddenly no longer flying, and his legs trembled, bringing him to the ground.


    "Is that Minos'' current power?" A level 76 Spiritual Saint from the Gray Clouds Sect who was in the vicinity muttered, noting how strong the sect master was already at only level 68.


    ''Bastard monster!'' The level 79 cultivator felt a slight headache at that but continued with his attack, directing an invisible wave that was charged with a powerful mental attack.


    Minos felt that, and even though he was quite tired after using his fusion of techniques, he moved, absorbing the energies of his hostages but also manipulating them with his gravitational control.


    With this move by Minos, more than a dozen Spiritual Saints stood in front of him in a defensive shield, protecting him from that mental shockwave.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    "Ahhhhhhhhhh!"


    When that movement hit those people, some of them, the weaker ones, suddenly died. But the stronger ones screamed in pain as they felt their mental structures being destroyed by that powerful opponent blow.


    As for Minos, even though he suffered a little from that move, the blow had significantly weakened when it finally reached him.


    At the same time, with the Infinite Dream, a Golden-grade technique protecting his mind, it would not be a mental attack from that man that would put him at risk.


    But it still had a tremendous burden on Minos'' consciousness, making him feel an intense headache.


    Heaven Seal!


    Golden Hammer Descending!


    While he and the level 79 Spiritual Saint felt terrible for their respective situations, Spiritual Saints from Minos'' group used the opportunity he created to attack that person.


    Minos had already removed many of his group''s enemies from the battlefield by just arriving at this place. Because of this, several people in his group were free to fight other opponents.


    Seeing their leader''s situation, the strongest ones reacted quickly, attacking in the direction of the level 79 Spiritual Saint.


    This man saw these attacks coming towards him and frowned, looking back to check Abe''s situation.


    ''In another 30 seconds, I''ll be able to leave.'' He concluded, being little interested in staying there to try to take Minos'' life.


    He focused his attention on countering his opponents'' movements, launching attacks against anyone who stood against him.


    Unfortunately, time was not in this man''s favor on this day!


    When 20 seconds had passed, three men arrived on the battlefield via teleportation zones, those areas set up by Minos'' soldiers in the surroundings.


    Among these individuals, all of them were high-level Spiritual Saints, 2 level 77 and one level 78.


    Not only had Minos been warned to leave headquarters and come to this place where Abe could appear today. The strongest elders sent by the Gray Clouds Sect to the Black Plain had also been communicated.


    They had run as fast as possible from where they were to this place, arriving only a few minutes after Minos.


    In any case, when he realized the arrival of those individuals, the level 79 Spiritual Saint felt that his escape would be made much more difficult by his enemies.


    Not only were these opponents in his surroundings getting more complicated with the arrival of these three people. His situation was terrible. Without many more living allies to share this moment with him, more and more Spiritual Saints from Minos'' group were gathering against him!


    Since Minos'' soldiers were manipulating spatial stabilization arrays where he was, this man could not even use his teleportation array to escape!


    ''Damn it!''


    ''I''m finished!'' He thought about it, feeling a headache from the lingering effects of the blow Minos had dealt him moments ago.


    Thunder Hammer!


    One of those newly arrived elders activated his Soul Avatar along with his main offensive technique, acting against such a person without any mercy!


    At this moment, Abe''s group had already disappeared from that area, but they knew that the fate of their men who stayed behind would be no other than death.


    From this day on, they would no longer be the ones who only terrorized those areas. Instead, they would become victims of such surprise actions and would begin to feel the enemy encirclement coming closer and closer to them.


    Now it was only a matter of time before a more decisive fight between Minos and Abe would take place!

 Chapter 1437 Imperial Family Quinn

    Three months later...


    In the capital of the Western Empire...


    Right now, one of the mercenaries who had recently been in the Black Plain Empire was now going through the imperial palace''s security protocols.


    After months since that group''s departure from Dry City, they had already reached their homeland and returned to their routine activities there.


    Some of them had taken time out for themselves since they had earned enough in that period to go months or even years without working. So even those less interested in resting had taken time for themselves, like the man who had taken Grant''s message.


    But after a few days of relaxing, this fellow had decided to fulfill old Grant''s mission and was at this very moment in one of the wings of the imperial palace responsible for low-level affairs.


    In the Western Empire, 8th-stage individuals, as was the case with this man, were considered experts. But there were many of them, and there were not only Spiritual Sages above them in the local hierarchy but also Spiritual Demigods.


    As such, although people like this were recognized as experts, they had no real chance of coming into contact with the core of any local organization. At most, someone like this mercenary could enter the low-level area of the imperial palace to deliver messages!


    "Next!" A woman dressed in armor and with a level 81 cultivation said this as she looked toward this level 78 mercenary.


    Walking up to such a person, this man was as humble as he could be and said nothing, waiting for her to ask the questions.


    "What is your purpose here?" She questioned him from outside her workplace, where normally the imperial guard would do primary screening to accept or not accept entry or delivery of things by men like this mercenary.


    "Delivering a message." He said in a low voice, not showing all the confidence he had in the Black Plain.


    "Who is the message for? And who sent it?"


    "The message is addressed to the Emperor..." He said in a half-embarrassed tone, trying to make it clear to this woman that he was only a messenger and had no relation to such a person who dared to do this.


    She looked at this man strangely as she put one of her hands on the sword on her waist.


    He then quickly finished explaining himself. "As for who sent it, that is a supposed former member of the imperial guard, Grant Yates, formerly..." Finally, he told some of the stories of how Grant got lost in the North Sea, something that man had told him to help him in this situation.


    Grant had been missing for a long time, so he was probably reported dead or a dissident. But even with these problems, his record in the imperial family should still exist. If one were to search through the list of dead or missing from the group he was part of, they should see his record.


    "A former member of the imperial guard?" That woman muttered in surprise as she dropped her hand from the pommel of her sword.


    She still could not say for sure if this person was really carrying the letter of a former member of the imperial guard. But this mercenary had given so many relevant and easy-to-analyze details that, at this first moment, she judged his words as accurate.


    "Yes, that was the story he told me and asked me to repeat it, Your Excellency."


    "But the incident you cited happened many centuries ago... Why did it take him so long to report?" She asked with a serious expression as she indicated for that man to accompany her into a room.


    As she walked, she added another question. "By the way, from what you said, he shouldn''t have a good hierarchy within the family. Then how dare he try to communicate directly with the emperor? Does he think His Majesty is a bum to take messages from someone of his level?"


    This mercenary smiled bitterly and said. "According to Grant, his motives are in the letter. But I can advance that the problem is related to the cause of the sinking of that group''s ship in the North Sea. So I believe that is why he wants to communicate directly with the emperor."


    "Oh? North Sea?" Her eyebrows drew together since that place would really justify informing the emperor. After all, that terrible place was a nightmare even for Spiritual Sages!


    But still, she did not like the idea of a fellow who had disappeared for so long having the chance to communicate directly with the emperor.


    ''Perhaps this is important, so I will not completely discard this message. But I will not send it to the emperor. Instead, I will let one of the princess'' trusted men receive such a thing.'' She pondered in silence before hearing that mercenary''s other response.


    "As for a reason for his delay, Your Excellency Grant was crippled by that incident and only narrowly survived." He said while making a regretful expression since he had heard the stories of many people regarding the way Grant had arrived in Dry City without legs.


    "He lost his cultivation and also his legs. Also, it took him quite a while to recover minimally, so he wasn''t in danger. After that, he had no means of returning to the Empire." He explained. "Only more recently was he able to join a force in the northern region where he had a chance to regain his legs and improve his situation somewhat."


    "It was also through that force that he had the chance to contact me, who agreed to bring his message here."


    "I see..." She commented as she realized that Grant had suffered quite a bit and had reasonable justifications for his situation.


    It was not ideal, to tell you the truth. He would have been better off risking his own life and trying to come to the empire as soon as possible. But it was not as if he was wasting his time in that region either. On the contrary, he had suffered terrible losses that prevented him from acting as he should.


    After thinking for a few moments, she said to that mercenary. "Very well. I will pass this message on to the person responsible for this kind of matter and communicate to the family intelligence regarding this person''s situation."


    "Sigh..."


    "All right." He said as he felt better about accomplishing this mission without any significant problems.


    But then this level 78 man heard that woman add. "But I want you to leave your information and means for us to communicate with you. If His Majesty or the family intelligence decide to receive more information regarding Grant''s situation, we will contact you."


    "What?" He asked in surprise, thinking it would be terrible to get involved this way with the powerful and feared Quinn family.


    The Quinn family was the highest-level power family in this empire, an organization full of plots and specialists that someone like this mercenary could not handle.


    So for him, it was naturally problematic to be involved with them like this!


    He would be a contact, but if he was unlucky, he could soon be marked as someone to die or be tortured!


    ''Damn it. I didn''t want that!'' He lamented. ''If I have to give out information from you and the Black Plain, don''t blame me for it, Grant...''

 Chapter 1438 Princess Amber Quinn

    One week later...


    After the mercenary hired by Grant to send his message to the Quinn family had done his job, the matter finally reached the family''s upper echelon.


    That had not happened immediately, as every message that reached the upper echelon went into ''queues'' to wait to be analyzed.


    There were queues of urgent information and different levels of importance. So the waiting time for each notification that arrived for the top-level members of this family lasted for different intervals.


    But the case of Grant''s notification was something relatively important, even if it was not that urgent. After all, even if one day or another was not going to change his situation, he was a member of the family and had not reported for a long time.


    This family had many rules, and one of them said precisely that one of its members could not stay many years without reporting to superiors. When someone broke that rule, such a person would naturally receive the appropriate punishment, and his case would be investigated.


    So when the name of this missing man came up after so long, his notification had gained enough importance to reach one of the princess'' men in just seven days.


    When he came into contact with Grant''s letter and read its contents, that person immediately remembered the incident from centuries ago involving his leader and a trip to Elves Island.


    At the time, the princess was a young Spiritual Emperor who had escaped from her guards at the royal palace and fled, searching for teenage love.


    She had traveled towards that person, an elf she had met at training in her state. So she had crossed the Central Continent alone, setting out from her empire to the Snow Kingdom, from where she had departed for the Elves Island.


    When he discovered what had happened, Emperor Quinn dispatched several groups to investigate the whereabouts of his irresponsible daughter.


    But unfortunately, one of those groups had never returned, and the imperial family''s investigators had only found the remains of that ship on parts of the Kingdom of the End''s coastline. But no survivors, not even the bodies of the crew members of that ship, had been found.


    That incident changed the princess quite a bit as some of the bodyguards who had been by her side while she was growing up had disappeared in such an incident. Thus, when this subordinate of hers read Grant''s letter, he immediately rushed to the princess!


    ...


    On an island 600 kilometers off the coast of the Western Empire...


    That place the size of a large city but without much human presence, just a few houses, a port, and lots of woods and natural reliefs, was the home of the only princess of House Quinn.


    A large palace built with a special kind of pink marble was in the central position of this island. One could have a majestic view of the whole place from this place if one could visit the princess in her home.


    The man who had just read Grant''s letter had arrived at that place at this very moment. He had just passed by the high-level Spiritual Sages and low-level Spiritual Demigods watching over the surroundings.


    The people who lived in this place were so important that even Spiritual Demigods were guarding the area!


    "Your Highness, I''m here to deal with a bit of the past." He said as he entered the living room of the residence of that woman and her husband, a high-ranking nobleman from a powerful family of a great empire of the Divine Continent.


    Hearing those words from the man who had just knelt near where she was sitting, Amber Quinn, level 90, did not understand what that could mean and looked at him. "What do you mean, Jerry?"


    He looked at that black-haired, beautiful woman, 1.7 meters tall, dressed all in white, and said. "Your Highness, a few days ago, a letter addressed to the emperor from a Spiritual Saint arrived at our palace."


    She frowned as she heard this, feeling that this made no sense.


    But Amber had the gift of patience and gave that subordinate room to continue what he had to tell her.


    "That letter was not discarded for one simple reason only, Your Highness. It was sent by a man of our royal guard reported missing for centuries. He was supposedly part of the crew that disappeared during that incident involving your first trip to Elves Island."


    She remembered that immediately, recalling how she had lost her love of youth back then shortly after she found him on Elves Island.


    To this day, she did not know what had happened but considering that such an elf was of common origin, to this day, she thought that her father had eliminated such a person so as not to get in the way of his own plans.


    Emperor Quinn had always wanted to marry his daughter to a high-ranking nobleman from the Divine Continent.


    Even noble families from that place had the power to compare to imperial families like theirs on this continent.


    So politically speaking, he could gain much more for his state by having his daughter married to a noble than to an elf with no background.


    Elves were very talented, true. But besides influence having great weight in political matters involving great powers, besides that elf not having a good background, elves, in general, did not like mixing their genes with those of other races.


    Hence, Emperor Quinn had naturally always been against his daughter, which had generated all her distrust over the years.


    Because of that, she had become much more mature then, coupled, of course, with the loss of some individuals from that group that was supposed to pick her up, people who were close to her.


    She usually would not have been so saddened by the deaths of those subordinates. But as the death of her beloved touched her at that time, she had been scarred by the case of her family''s shipwreck in the North Sea in that period.


    With that, she was very interested in that letter.


    "Did you confirm if this person who sent the letter was telling the truth? It could be some enemy trying to lead us into a trap or someone trying to distract us." She said as she looked into the eyes of this kneeling man.


    "Yes, I have confirmed that everything he used as evidence is indeed true, Your Highness. He even sent his insignia and gave details that few would be able to give." He said, certain that the text sent by Grant had been written by a former member of the imperial guard.


    ''If not for that incident, this Grant fellow would probably have reached the end of the 9th stage after all these years.'' He thought silently, trying to remember that man, who should be from the same era as him.


    But since the Quinn family was large, this person could not remember anyone.


    "So where is this message? I want to read it immediately." The princess said before asking. "By the way, where is he? Why didn''t he come with you?"


    "About that, Your Highness, he is in the northern region of the continent. According to the information from the letter and what we received, he was crippled and is not strong enough to come here."


    "Is that right?" She asked as she began to read the said letter.


    ...

 Chapter 1439 Terrorists Under Pressure

    After reading Grant''s letter quickly, Amber frowned as she read about the North Sea, that fellow''s experience, and his strange suspicions.


    Grant had obviously ''taken it easy'' with his theories about beings plotting in the North Sea of the Spiritual World.


    In the time he had lived in Dry City, he relearned how to socialize again. Also, he realized how his words could sound like those of a madman if said or written with the emotion he had when talking about the subject.


    So he had learned more ''restrained'' ways to avoid worrying reactions to his fantastic theories.


    His letter had been written that way, but still, the topic covered was not simple, and Princess Quinn could not help but narrow her eyes and look strangely at those sheets of paper.


    She was a low-level Spiritual Demigod who was practically at the top of this world, considering that this was the last stage for even most of the most talented individuals in the world. So she had some knowledge regarding the North Sea that ordinary people did not have.


    ''The North Sea is strange, but considering that beings are plotting against the entire Spiritual World and that they control all those phenomena in the area is quite absurd...'' She thought quietly, extremely serious about the possibilities raised by Grant.


    This beautiful black-haired woman then said. "Well, he''s clearly a bit out of it after going through his traumatic experience in the North Sea, so let''s not judge the exaggerations he wrote here."


    "Yes, it''s tough to believe..." That man kneeling in front of her agreed sincerely.


    She then said. "But as a lost family member, we should pay some attention to what he has to say." She thought for a moment as she watched her nails. "Jerry, take care of the necessary procedures to bring Grant back to the empire."


    "OK, Your Highness!"


    "On the other hand, I will speak to my father about this. As much as we will need Grant to testify to one of our experts to confirm that everything he has written is not inventions in his head, I think his accounts may, in fact, contain some truth."


    "That might be relevant to our family!"


    "Oh? Your Highness intends to go to see His Majesty?" He asked as he looked into Amber''s eyes, finding such behavior impressive due to the princess'' history with the emperor.


    She had become much more mature after the incident involving her first trip to Elves Island. But even as she interacted with the emperor, her relationship with him was far from friendly.


    The two could even be considered rivals in some situations, especially considering her great influence on the Crown Prince, her younger brother.


    Since she had not seen Emperor Quinn in person in over 60 years, Jerry was quite surprised.


    "Yes. I''ll do that." Her eyes sparkled, considering that this was a chance for her to take care of long-buried business, despite how important it might actually be to House Quinn.


    She then stood up and looked at a servant woman dressed in black and white near the front door of that area. "Fern, let my husband know I am leaving for the empire''s capital. I will be gone for a few weeks."


    That woman, level 87, who was an employee of that woman''s husband, a native of the Divine Continent, then said. "Miss, are you sure about this? Your husband doesn''t like it when you go out like that."


    "Tell him that I am doing this because of a family matter. I am sure he can understand..." She said as she made her way to the upper floor, where her room was.


    She had no deep feelings for the man her father had chosen to be her husband. So she did not think the opportunity to leave this house and stay away for a few days was terrible!


    ''Northern region, eh? More and more news from that place has been coming to my empire... Will that place become influential in the entire continent?'' She wondered as she thought of the Black Plain Empire of Minos.


    ...


    While people were dealing with Grant''s life in the Western Empire, Minos was dealing with local affairs in his city.


    After more than three months after the attack that began the turn of the situation against the terrorists, Minos and his forces intensified their attacks and imposed many defeats on Abe.


    In that period, the Eastern Empire''s Spiritual Sage, who had been around to prevent Abe''s death, had returned to action. And even when Minos had not used his mass destruction weapon or the black hole, he had acted.


    Minos had received more reinforcements from the Grey Clouds Sect in this period, 10 Spiritual Saints and another 2,000 Spiritual Emperors, individuals from the beginning, middle, and end of their respective stages.


    Because of this, even if he was not using his primary weapons, Minos had already reached the level of being able to put enough pressure on his opponents to force that expert to act.


    But to Abe''s happiness, that Spiritual Sage had managed to rescue him every time in that period.


    However, to the stress of this former Vogel heir, the Eastern Empire''s Spiritual Sage was facing more and more difficulties in rescuing him!


    And with that, Minos'' forces were with morals up there, fighting harder and harder to oppress Abe''s mercenaries as they grew stronger.


    ...


    Imperial throne hall in the central palace of Dry City...


    In this place, Minos was on his throne, with his wives side by side with him and little Sarah standing between her father''s throne, holding one of her mother''s legs.


    She was dressed formally for this occasion while trying to make a serious expression on her cute face.


    "Sect Master... Cough! Cough! Your Majesty, that''s the last group your grandfather can send with experts." A high-level member of the Grey Clouds Sect said this while standing with 14 other Spiritual Saints, 7 low-level, 5 mid-level, and 2 high-level ones.


    With the number of experts the Grey Clouds Sect had already sent to this place, counting these individuals, this sect was only at just over 50% of its experts in the Flaming Empire.


    Consequently, Oswald could not send any more Spiritual Saints to reinforce the Black Plain for the moment.


    Minos understood this and nodded at that person. "I understand... In any case, your group should be enough for us to finish turning the situation of my state''s conflict in my favor."


    "In a few months, we will be able to end all of this!"


    "Hmmm." That individual from the Coleman family nodded just before informing about the over 1.500 thousand Spiritual Emperors who had also come with this group.


    More people of that stage would be coming to the Black Plain in the coming months, but those numbers of individuals should be enough now.


    And with that, after presenting themselves to the sect master in that place, these people would soon join the local forces to continue their pursuit against the terrorists of Abe''s group!

 Chapter 1440 Change Of Situation

    Three and a half months later...


    Currently, the Gray Clouds Sect had 51 Spiritual Saints and 7,100 Spiritual Emperors in the Black Plain Empire under Minos'' orders to act against Abe''s group.


    This group had lost some of its 8th and 7th stage members in the weeks that had passed by then but was still going strong while helping the empire resume its development.


    For a long time, the local forces were prevented from developing their state due to the actions of Abe''s terrorist group.


    This group constantly attacked strategic posts of the local forces and government, destroying essential infrastructure and hindering activities such as agriculture and mining.


    Due to these constant setbacks, the Black Plain had been forced not to grow since the beginning of Abe''s group''s attacks and had even shrunk in some respects.


    But with the arrival of the Gray Clouds Sect reinforcements, Minos had finally achieved enough to protect his outposts, farmlands, and mines.


    Now he could have men to protect these places essential to local growth, making life difficult for the terrorists.


    And with that, the Black Plain had returned to growth in this period, with areas affected during the past two years being recuperated and new ones starting to be used.


    Migration from neighboring states to this empire was still at a standstill, as few would risk migrating to a place facing such a complicated problem as the terrorist attacks. But the governments under Minos had enough labor force for this return of development, so there was room for growth before the state needed migrants.


    In any case, Minos already intended to reestablish the migration routes of people from outside the northern region to the Black Plain and of people from the other states in that region to the empire.


    With the ability to defend themselves, rebuild destroyed outposts, and develop new ones around the territory, the local forces had also managed to destroy quite a bit of Abe''s forces.


    It was true that that member of the runaway Vogel family had mercenaries coming when his men in this empire died. But before, he always ''recovered'' his attack power and threat to the Black Plain, and now he could no longer do that.


    Even when more reinforcements arrived from the Western Empire to help Abe''s purpose, his group could not recover from the setbacks generated by the local forces. On the contrary, even after replacing ten individuals with ten of the same level, their situation only seemed to get more difficult.


    Because of this, Abe''s group, which could threaten even medium-sized cities in the Black Plain Empire one year ago, now had a hard time taking on even towns!


    At the same time, with the number of dead mercenaries reaching higher and higher numbers, mercenary groups from different parts of the Western Empire were already making it difficult for Abe to get more men.


    Thus, he was reaching a hopeless point that even the Spiritual Sage watching him had decided to approach him to give some advice.


    ...


    In a part of the Black Plain, 200 meters above ground level in that area not far from Dry City, Abe was in front of the Spiritual Sage, who was floating cross-legged in the air.


    Seconds ago, he was caught by a hand through a spatial crack and appeared in front of this man.


    He had met this Spiritual Sage on different occasions in the past when this man had saved him from Minos or another high-level member of the local forces. But he was surprised this time, as this was the first occasion he had been ''called'' by this expert without risking his life!


    As such, he was curiously looking at that man''s face as he waited in silence for the Spiritual Sage''s words.


    "Abe." That Spiritual Sage said after some time being observed by the level 73 individual there.


    "Senior..."


    "Abe, you know that the group I represent is not in this to help you get revenge, right?" He asked but did not wait for Abe to answer. "Well, our purpose has not yet been fulfilled, so it is in our interest that you do not die."


    ''That is also my interest...'' Abe thought quietly, thanking heaven that these people had not yet found what they were looking for.


    "But even if that is our interest, Abe, it doesn''t mean we will pursue it to the end." This expert said this, startling the young man in front of him. "That''s why I called you here. If you continue as you are, it won''t be long before that young man manages to kill you."


    "It''s hard for me to say this, but that Minos is tricky to read and fight against." He looked toward the direction of Dry City, feeling quite a bit of admiration for this opponent. "Because of this, if things continue as they are, the point will come when I''m unable to rescue you without actually using my powers... When that happens, to avoid attracting the enemy''s attention, I will have to abandon you."


    "To avoid attracting the enemy''s attention?" Abe questioned, as he felt cold sweat dripping down his clothes.


    But that Spiritual Sage said nothing to him. This man just looked in another direction, where he felt as if the ''void'' was watching him.


    "That doesn''t matter. I am giving you this warning as a courtesy of an ally." He turned his face back toward Abe''s direction and said. "I didn''t want to have to do that, but I''ll be honest with you. You have about six months or so to live, Abe."


    "If you fail to accomplish your goals in that period, you will die."


    Abe could not run away from the confrontations against Minos because it was in the interest of the organization that had funded him to keep him making trouble in the northern region. So if he simply got scared and decided to retreat or even run away, what would happen was that organization itself killing him.


    He could not return this organization''s ''help'' with ''ingratitude!''


    That would be unacceptable and seen in a horrible light!


    Abe knew this and had only the alternative of fighting Minos. Unfortunately, if he did not successfully escape, he would die to his enemy within the range quoted by that expert.


    That is, of course, if he could not accomplish his purpose within that period!


    To kill Minos Stuart!


    He then said after sighing deeply. "I understand the senior''s advice. I will try my best to prevent Minos from reaching the end of that period alive."


    "Hmm..." That man nodded before opening a wormhole and sending Abe back to where this level 73 fellow was earlier.


    When that man was once again ''alone'' in that place, he looked toward the ''void.'' ''I hope that fellow really can make it through that period...''


    "Sigh!"


    ''Anyway, my time is running out! If I keep this up, I''ll be empty-handed when...'' He was thinking when suddenly he felt powerful auras that he did not expect to feel coming towards his vicinity.


    ''Who are these people? What are they doing?'' He turned back to look in the direction of where a group of three people had just appeared after a spatial crack had opened at that point.


    Someone in the ''void'' at a distance from this level 80 man also sensed this and looked at those people. ''Why are they here?''


    ...

 Chapter 1441 Envoys From The Western Empire

    When the person in the ''void'' looked in the direction of those three newcomers, he immediately identified two as people from the Quinn family''s imperial guard.


    As enemies of both this man''s organization from the Eastern Empire and the organization of the person in the ''void,'' the two 9th-stage individuals in the vicinity of Dry City did not like the arrival of such people.


    ''Why? What''s going on? Have they found out our plans?'' The Spiritual Sage, who had just sent Abe away, put one of his hands on the weapon he had at his waist.


    Two of the three people who had just arrived in that region through a wormhole were Spiritual Sages, one level 81 and one level 82. The third individual was a high-level Spiritual Saint, the mercenary who had delivered Grant''s letter to the imperial family of the Western Empire.


    After the princess'' orders, her men acted quickly and did their best to verify Grant''s situation through that mercenary. Then, when they received approval from the emperor himself to take that man back to the empire''s capital, these men left for this place, finally arriving this afternoon.


    Because of the level of these individuals, that Spiritual Sage of the Eastern Empire was a bit agitated, with one of his hands on his weapon, just in case something came up.


    Unlike Harold, those two individuals, a man and a woman, could kill him if they tried!


    On the other hand, while the observers who were already in the area earlier were looking toward those groups, the two 9th-stage individuals soon realized that they were being watched.


    "It seems that there are Spiritual Sages in the surrounding area..." One of them commented with a surprised expression, as she did not expect to find people with such high cultivation in the vicinity of this place.


    She and her companion from the Western Empire were not fools who did not know anything about what had been happening in the Black Plain Empire recently. But the news circulating in the high ranks of forces outside the northern region and the information from that mercenary did not speak of more than one Spiritual Sage in this state.


    "Hmm, one of them seems to be an old acquaintance..." The level 81 individual commented as he looked in the direction of the man from the Eastern Empire. "Serena, that one is a subordinate of the Trevisani family. I once fought him when we participated in the Continental Tournament 200 years ago."


    The Continental Tournament was not exactly a normal competition, like those for young prodigies to show themselves to the world and become something else with its prizes. Instead, it was an event where the major organizations of this world bet on ''horses,'' in other words, candidates.


    Competitors in this tournament were indeed awarded prizes, but the biggest winners were those who bet on the right ''horses.''


    Once, one of these winners obtained a majestic prize that the legends said that because of it, such a family obtained a Divine-grade medicine!


    "Oh? Is that true?" The leader of that group, who was there for Grant, asked her companion while the mercenary between the two looked at the level 81 person with admiration.


    ''Continental Tournament?''


    Gulp!


    ''Incredible!''


    That level 81 man nodded in agreement to the blonde woman beside him. "Yeah, I wouldn''t mistake that. He caused me a lot of trouble back then... But it seems that in the end, I outgrew him." He smiled as he considered the difference between the two.


    "Alvin, what are you doing here? Is the Eastern Empire plotting on the Black Plain?" That level 81 man asked, as his voice vibrated through space, reaching only the ears of that level 80 man.


    "Toby, you bastard. What are you doing here? Is the Western Empire thinking of getting involved with the Black Plain?" That man finally recognized his opponent from years ago, still on guard against possible attacks.


    Toby then said aloud, with a confident smile on his face. "Tell me this, will you answer us now, or will we have to act?"


    That fellow who had saved Abe countless times made a horrible expression, looking in the direction of those who were the de facto enemies of his forces.


    ''Damn it!''


    ''The Emperor wants me to continue working with Abe. So I can''t leave my post or die at the hands of these bastards!'' He thought.


    "I''m just observing the area. What? Can''t I? Emperor Stuart is quite talented, so it''s only natural that my sovereign would want to know about Minos Stuart''s progress through reliable sources." He said, not to mention his real motives there, but also not to draw the attention of the person in the ''void,'' who was watching him, waiting for mistakes.


    "Observing?" Toby heard that and clenched his fists, feeling there was no sense in anyone doing such a thing. "Cut the nonsense, Alvin. If you don''t speak the truth for good, I''ll rip it out..."


    This man was saying when suddenly the blonde woman next to him put one of her snow-white hands on one of his shoulders. "Don''t be hasty. Our mission here is not to fight the empire''s enemies but to rescue Grant Yates."


    "But..."


    "No, Toby, back off." She ordered in a louder tone. "We don''t know this person''s purposes, and someone else in the area is even stronger than you."


    This man had already sensed that the second Spiritual Sage was not weak. Still, due to the capabilities of this individual in the ''void,'' even he was not sure how strong or where exactly he was.


    "If this person is allied with Alvin or even decides to join him in an eventual battle between us, we would not be able to fulfill our purpose here." She added while holding her companion.


    "I''m sorry, I got carried away." He said as he understood that woman''s point but was still curious about Alvin''s presence there. ''What does such an imperial family want? Are they trying to get in our way regarding Grant?''


    ''That can''t be. There must be something deeper behind it!''


    "Haha, sorry about that, friend from the Eastern Empire..." That woman said as she smiled and gestured toward the level 80 man. "We are indeed enemies, but we are not here today to fight against your state. I imagine that is true for you as well, right?"


    That man did not want to fight such people and promptly followed that woman''s plan. "True, I''m just keeping an eye on the area. I don''t have to get involved in matters concerning my state unless you offend or provoke us first."


    "Same for us." She was pleased to hear that. "Then, since we are not here as enemies today, forget my companion''s words. He is a bit childish... Anyway, can you tell us where Dry City is? We are also interested in what you said yourself."


    "Is that so?" That level 80 man judged this to be false. But in order not to make matters worse, he decided to pretend to believe it. "Dry City is in that direction." He pointed one of his hands to such a place. "Just follow there, and you''ll see a bit of Minos Stuart."


    "He''s not bad..."


    "I wonder..." Serena commented before leading her two traveling companions to Dry City, easing the tension on that mercenary and the two Spiritual Sages left where they were.


    After this unusual meeting between representatives of three major forces of the Central Continent took place in the vicinity of Dry City, those three would soon notify their organizations about it!


    ...

 Chapter 1442 Spiritual Sages In The Dry City

    After a few minutes since that group of Spiritual Sages and the mercenary from the Western Empire arrived at the Black Plain, they found their way to Dry City.


    Since they were there on an official visit, even though they came from a higher-level state, those people followed protocol and did not just barge in.


    There were codes of etiquette in every corner of the Spiritual World, and not every powerful individual would act like a superior who must be served by those weaker.


    Since these individuals were only third-ranking subordinates within the Quinn family, none of them made things difficult and followed the protocols of the local forces when they were barred.


    The local soldiers already knew the mercenary with the group, so the origin of this group was easily understood by all without further difficulty. Because of this, in a short time, those two Spiritual Sages were already being escorted through the streets of Dry City toward the local imperial palace.


    "This place is just as the fame says..." The woman commented to her teammate, seeing that although there were few strong people in this city, the local quality was not bad, and the models were stunning, similar to those in her homeland.


    "And to think that was just a town surrounded by desert areas less than 30 years ago..." The level 81 man nodded to that blonde woman, agreeing with the fact that such a place lived up to its current reputation as a prosperous area.


    ''This local ruler must be an amazing man to transform a place like this so much...'' The two thought similar things.


    To transform something, someone could not just rely on resources!


    It was true that resources could make the journey to transform something into its better version easier and shorter. But if that were all that was used, then whoever was behind these resources would just waste them.


    To develop something to its peak or at least close to it, one would have to have patience. One would have to be like a magnet, attracting those similar in their surroundings and making them follow specific ideas and plans. At the same time, a little bit of determination was needed to endure the hard times, and finally, luck.


    Someone could be talented, resourceful, and charismatic. But they were unlikely to fulfill their purpose if they were surrounded by tragedies, catastrophes that happened wherever they went, or times were always cloudy.


    Knowing this, those two individuals could not deny the accomplishments and achievements of Minos!


    ''These people of this place should be thankful for him every day...'' The woman thought as she looked at the people coming and going through the streets of Dry City.


    Minos brought many problems to his people. But these people only had problems because of the prosperity and opportunities created by him.


    Minos was talented and could have left this place long ago for a better area. But he had stayed and worked on the local weaknesses, solving many problems that now made the lives of the residents easier.


    So even though blood and war were side by side with him, the inhabitants of the Black Plain, in general, could not deny the importance of Minos and had the ruler in their minds and hearts.


    This power of faith was no small thing, and this woman could not help but wonder what Minos might achieve in the future because of it.


    ''Did he do it on purpose?'' She thought, wondering what kind of person Minos was.


    But it would not take long for her and her traveling companion to find out about that!


    After passing through security on the outskirts of the Dry City Dome, being watched all the way by the soldiers and high-ranking individuals on the streets of the capital''s core, they reached Minos.


    Minos'' men had already notified him of the arrival of this group through low-level telecommunication arrays. So he and the upper echelon of the local forces were already in front of the main entrance to the palace, formally waiting for these people.


    Minos, his wives, Sarah, Dillian, some of his wives'' relatives, and some high-level elders of the Gray Clouds Sect were standing around, along with the many imperial guards looking at those individuals with interest.


    It was the first time that most of the people there saw and felt the pressure of a Spiritual Sage. Thus, almost everyone was impressed, some even wondering what it would be like to have such impressive cultivation.


    Gulp!


    ''That woman is more than 20 levels in front of me...'' Brooke Parkinson, level 61, thought to herself in admiration.


    Even the level 78 Spiritual Saint, who was currently in Dry City next to Minos, opened his mouth a little when he felt the strength of the level 82 woman.


    The strongest he had seen in his entire life had been Harold. But that man was much weaker than this woman just a few meters away from this elder of the Moss family.


    Therefore, he stood closer to Minos, as if making himself available to the sect master in case these people had bad intentions.


    Unlike most members of the Grey Clouds Sect, who might still have one doubt or another as to their devotion to Minos, this man was 100% committed to the current sect master.


    But this was not simply because he believed in the potential that Minos had shown so far...


    Anyway, as people looked at those two and felt admiration and fear, they walked up the steps of the entrance of that palace until they were 20 meters away from Minos.


    "Seniors, this is the Emperor of the Black Plain, Minos Stuart." The mercenary, along with them, said in a low voice, avoiding looking at that silver-haired young man since the presence of these people there was his fault.


    He did not know how Minos would feel about that. But considering how violent the local emperor was, this man would rather not risk angering such a person too much.


    ''He got people to replace us pretty fast...'' He looked at the surroundings and saw many high-level Spiritual Emperors and also some Spiritual Saints.


    After hearing this mercenary''s indication, the level 81 Spiritual Sage looked at the level 68 brown-haired man and was silent for a moment.


    ''His aura is really formidable. Even at such a weak level, he already gives off the feeling of an experienced leader.''


    The woman also watched Minos cautiously. She had to admit that such a young man gave her a different feeling.


    He was like those remarkable people who would sometimes appear in the lives of ordinary ones and make those people feel out of touch with reality.


    ''He already has a daughter... It looks like this imperial family will be in this world for a long time.'' She smiled at Sarah, considering that the fact that Minos had a child when he was so weak indicated fate favoring the proliferation of his genes.


    Her companion then said aloud. "Your Majesty Minos Stuart, we are envoys from His Majesty Henry Quinn and Her Highness Amber Quinn. We are here on behalf of a man named Grant Yates. He must be part of your forces."


    ...

 Chapter 1443 Soft Contact

    When they heard the voice of that level 81 man, those people native to the area and part of the Black Plain Army soon understood what this was all about.


    Grant''s stories had already become famous among the soldiers of this organization, considering that he was the imperial instructor and the teacher of hundreds of local experts. His stories also entertained many young army members who liked to dream of absurd things and potential revenge.


    As such, when his name was mentioned, almost half of the people there looked in the direction of the headquarters, where that man was supposed to be.


    "Grant Yates?" Minos said as he also understood what this was about. "What do you want with him? If it''s not a problem, I''d like to know. Grant has been one of us for several years now and has had several deadly experiences on our side."


    Grant had his spiritual cultivation crippled. But the body of a level 70 Spiritual Saint, as was his case when he was crippled, was stronger than that of a level 59 cultivator. Thus, after having his limbs regenerated by Dillian, this man battled a few times alongside the local forces.


    The woman then said. "Your Majesty, we cannot give all the details since this is a Quinn family matter. But as you may already know, Grant was one of the emperor''s subordinates. So this is about his responsibilities to our organization."


    The man in front of the mercenary said. "Grant is not in trouble if that''s what you want to know. But he has to return to the empire..."


    "Now that we are here, I think his current situation will no longer be a problem to his return."


    Minos already knew about the letter that Grant had sent by one of the mercenaries he had hired. So it was not a surprise to him that these people were there behind that old fellow and with knowledge regarding the imperial instructor''s situation.


    ''Did he attract the attention of the imperial family of this state?'' Minos frowned, a little uncertain about this, considering how unbelievable Grant''s story could appear.


    Minos himself had only believed it because of the prediction Henricus Longus had made in the remote past. Therefore, he judged that others without the same knowledge as him would hardly believe it.


    But since he could not come up with anything to justify some unbelievable plot involving this family, Minos did not think the worst of these people.


    "I see... Well, Grant is busy at the moment. So why don''t you two accompany me while someone goes to get him? We can talk for a bit before we move on with your purpose here." He suggested as he showed the inside of his palace to these people with a gesture.


    Considering that Minos was still a mystery to organizations outside the northern region, that woman accepted Emperor Stuart''s invitation, even considering that she could ''pick up'' Grant from where he was.


    ''Let''s get to know this person a little before we leave.'' She said to her companion while using a mental transmission, a form of communication of high-level cultivators.


    ''All right.''


    The two walked away from that Spiritual Saint who had been serving as a guide to them and soon walked to where Minos was pointing.


    The level 78 elder next to Minos then asked. "Your Majesty, what are we going to do? We won''t be able to stop them from doing what they came to accomplish here."


    "Hmm, that''s right. We have no way to do anything." Minos smiled bitterly. "But Grant called these people on his own, so he can only regret the situation in case something he didn''t plan to happen..."


    "In any case, we won''t do anything today. We will just accept what they have to offer."


    That elder sighed in relief upon hearing that, soon beginning to walk alongside Minos and this fellow''s wives near those Spiritual Sages.


    "So, Your Majesty, where did you get the architect who developed this city? I feel at home here." The woman commented to Minos as she looked into his brown eyes.


    Minos had heard questions like that from many people over the years and said. "I didn''t copy either your state or the Eastern Empire, senior. I just dreamed about an ancient place, and such a thing inspired me to reproduce that in my city."


    "But I haven''t finished my work yet, haha."


    ''A dream?'' The two looked at Minos with interest, not finding it impossible that this happened since there were all sorts of strange abilities in this world.


    As the two looked at Minos, suddenly, a high-pitched, childish voice distracted the two. "Hey! Hey! Look at me!"


    "Are you stronger than my dad?" Sarah asked as she ran to the side of the level 82 woman, interested in finding out about it.


    She saw her father daily going about his business and sometimes even training. In addition, this young girl constantly heard rumors of how strong Minos was. Hence, she was curious about the strength of the people who interacted with her father.


    "I have never met anyone stronger than my father. Are any of you like that?" She asked as she ignored the rest of the people there to look at the beautiful face of that blonde woman.


    Gloria was about to run to get her daughter. Still, Minos held one of her wrists, indicating to let Sarah continue.


    That woman looked at the little being less than a third of her height and smiled. "You''ve never met? But what about this old man? Isn''t he stronger than your father?"


    "No. Elder Theo claims to be stronger than my dad, but it is a lie. I saw it when dad showed him his weapons, and the elder was afraid." She said innocently. "Everyone gets scared when dad gets serious."


    Some people in the surrounding area laughed as the elder Theo looked at Sarah, feeling that he had suffered a defeat for a child under 5 years old.


    As he looked down at the ground in shame, those two experts looked at Sarah with interest, judging whether she was serious or making her father''s accomplishments bigger.


    "Sarah, you shouldn''t keep bothering visitors like this." Gloria released herself from Minos and walked over to her daughter. "Haven''t I told you not to keep asking these questions?"


    "But mom..."


    "That''s fine." The level 82 woman said. "You''re right, little Sarah. There is no one stronger than your father. You should be proud of him."


    Sarah looked at that woman from her mother''s arms and smiled happily, feeling that her father was the best.


    With that, Minos nodded to that person, feeling that she had done something positive for Sarah, even without needing it.


    Because of this, he felt much more comfortable with these people, knowing that Grant''s trip would probably not be problematic.


    ''Well, when it is time for me to look at the North Sea, I can visit that state and see if he will still be interested in joining me on this journey...''

 Chapter 1444 Future Spiritual Sages

    After a few moments, the group arrived at a leisure area of the palace, where Minos normally received important guests in his city as equals.


    Even if those individuals owed the proper etiquette to him, an emperor, as people of higher rank, they also deserved to be treated differently.


    Minos was no fool and did that, soon in an area that overlooked the beautiful center of Dry City, where these experts sat down to eat and drink while waiting for Grant.


    "So, Your Majesty, do you intend to travel to the empire in the future? A talented and prominent young man like you will have many opportunities there." The blonde woman said this while looking at Minos with a smile on her face.


    "Maybe I will go in the future. But I don''t have a date for that at the moment." Minos commented.


    As a state leader, he would eventually do business with many states from this and other continents. So he was not kidding about going to the Western Empire.


    But for the moment, he was in no hurry to do so since he had a long road ahead of him to get some relevance in a place like that. On the other hand, the Black Plain would not need to be connected to any high-level state for a while.


    That way, Minos thought it best to keep his organization''s distance from powers like the Quinn family.


    "Is that so? Are you interested in staying on the Black Plain for a long time? Or, who knows, maybe you''ll get out and see the rest of the world one day?" The level 81 man questioned, in doubt as to whether Minos would stay in that place or not.


    He thought that for someone with Minos'' skills and talents, there was no point in staying in the Black Plain and northern region.


    Minos replied while the rest of his group just listened to the conversations between the three. "I intend to live most of my life here. After all, this is my land. So I will do my best not to have to leave."


    ''So that''s it...'' The level 82 woman understood that Minos wanted to develop as much of this place as possible and perhaps create a legacy.


    As far as they knew, everyone eventually died. So what better to ''immortalize'' than a legacy of creating and developing something?


    Then he would be remembered for generations, and his name would not disappear in the river of time. So, as long as there were people to tell his story and accomplishments, he would not completely die!


    The two experts could understand this even though they preferred personal power to such a thing.


    On the other hand, they could not help but admit that Minos was somewhat different. It took a lot not to pursue power and status when you had as many opportunities and talents as in his case!


    Anyway, as they chatted about matters of the sort, nothing too specific to forge in-depth relationships between them, just casual conversation, Grant arrived at that place next to a local soldier.


    "Grant Yates?" The level 81 man asked upon seeing the face of this old fellow, who was supposed to be from a generation before theirs.


    Due to the seniority of this person, even though there was a significant difference in powers between them, those two felt some respect and regard for the man in front of them.


    "You are from the imperial family? Really?" Grant smiled after hearing his last name after so long.


    "Yes, Mr. Yates. We are here under orders from His Majesty and Her Highness to take you back to the capital and personally report your experiences." The blonde woman said this as she stood in front of Grant.


    "His Majesty..." Grant murmured in admiration.


    Previously, he was a talented individual who might one day become a Spiritual Sage. But even so, he was only a newly promoted Spiritual Saint at the time. So he had never been close to the emperor.


    So, upon finding out that he would see and speak with such a person, this man could not help but be surprised and also thrilled since one of his greatest dreams in the past centuries had been to return home.


    He had learned to live in the northern region and even taken the Black Plain as his home. But still, he wanted to at least return and pay a visit to the Western Empire, resolve unfinished business, and then go back on his path.


    In this way, he was pleased with this organization''s sign and hopeful that the emperor would believe in him, as Minos had already done.


    "Yes, you have to settle some matters, but His Majesty wishes to hear some of your group''s tragedy and your experiences from you." The level 81 man commented.


    "When do we leave? For that matter," Grant looked at Minos and asked. "Your Majesty, is there a problem with me leaving? I promise to return to continue helping the Black Plain in its development."


    Minos smiled upon hearing this and did not stop this man from going. "It is up to you to decide. I never required you to be here."


    "Thank you, Your Majesty. I will not forget all you and everyone on the Black Plain have done for me!" This man said emotionally, feeling accomplished.


    After a few moments of thanks and casual conversation, Minos and the Spiritual Sages finished the matter smoothly, with those people soon departing along with Grant.


    The mercenary hired by Grant to deliver the message to the Quinn family also departed alongside those individuals, leaving Dry City back to the previous peace before their arrival.


    When everyone realized they were ''free'' of these troublesome visitors, several individuals following the situation closely sighed in relief, feeling that they could breathe normally again.


    Among them, the level 78 Spiritual Saint next to Minos was the most grateful for the departure of those experts.


    ''It seems that everything occurred well...'' He thought about it as he felt better.


    Then, this man from the Gray Clouds Sect approached Minos and asked. "Your Majesty, will this bring us any trouble in the future? I mean, Grant knows about that place and might end up saying things he shouldn''t..."


    Minos answered that man. "Grant has a Soul Contract with me that binds him to keep such a place secret. So even if he goes insane, he would be destroyed by lightning punishment before he causes us harm."


    "But they have Spiritual Demigods..." This person insisted, worried about the Spatial Kingdom.


    After months since the end of the war between the Gray Cloud Sect and the Saints Killing Sect, Minos had made agreements with the strongest experts from his sect who came to the Black Plain Empire. Such agreements involved them having the opportunity to cultivate in the Spatial Kingdom and thus grow stronger more quickly.


    Obviously, they would have to take turns in the fight against Abe. Still, several Spiritual Saints were already aware of this and had been enjoying the cultivation sanctuary of Minos.


    Because of this, a part of the experts from that sect was already 100% loyal to Minos and was utterly at his disposal to bring all the rest of the sect to the Black Plain.


    Since this man was one of those who knew such a place, he was naturally worried!


    "Even they can''t stop the heavens from punishing someone..." Minos said to calm that expert, someone who was among those who had the best chance of becoming a Spiritual Sage in the near future.


    That was his goal with his revelation to these experts. To develop future Spiritual Sages for the local forces!


    ...

 Chapter 1445 Level 99

    ? The Spatial Kingdom was a cultivation sanctuary made for training soldiers and promoting the forces of an organization.


    After gaining the position of master of the Gray Clouds Sect, already gained various responsibilities in that organization and identifying those most committed to him, Minos presented such an opportunity to these Spiritual Saints.


    After a few weeks since he first did this, these experts began cultivating in that place, eliminating any doubts they had about Minos.


    They were people who wanted to become stronger and had ambitions. So by being presented with this opportunity, they all became much more agreeable toward Minos. Not only that, they helped even this emperor become more interesting to follow by others who did not know anything about the opportunity.


    With that, of the Gray Clouds Sect''s Spiritual Saints currently in the Black Plain Empire, 29 already had contracts with Minos and occasionally pursued their dream of reaching the 9th stage in that place.


    Minos needed Spiritual Sages, and these people wanted to become individuals at that cultivation stage. Thus, the two sides worked harmoniously, with those individuals from the Flaming Empire slowly learning about the local plans for the future.


    Because of this, the concern of people like that level 78 Spiritual Saint regarding local success was already high to the point that they seemed like true natives of this area.


    But even that individual, so close to the 9th stage, calmed down a bit after Minos reminded him that it was not easy to go against Soul Contracts.


    ''We''ll probably be safe...'' He sighed as he tried to return to his positive thoughts regarding the future.


    After a few moments of talking about the group that had left, the people in that area focused on receiving important visits heard Minos changing the subject.


    "All of you, enjoy the weeks ahead of us. I intend very soon to go into seclusion to advance. After that, I want to make a full-scale attack on the enemy forces." Minos said thoughtfully.


    He then looked at those people there who were members of the Gray Clouds Sect and already had agreements with him. "As for you, convince the other experts to sign agreements with me as soon as possible."


    "The sooner we have these people training in the right place, the better the results of our final confrontations with Abe''s terrorists will be!"


    "Yes, Your Majesty." They replied before departing from there to follow the orders of the local sovereign.


    ...


    One week later...


    Somewhere, countless meters above ground level, a man was meditating under the clouds in one of the central areas of the Eastern Empire.


    This man had long blond hair and pale skin, but the sun''s rays from there seemed to make his skin shine like a diamond, emitting a halo under his body.


    He was wearing a large golden robe with the symbol of an adult dragon skull, while he had a tattoo of a golden half-moon on his forehead.


    Below him, the space seemed to tremble due to his aura, which created a gigantic zone of low spiritual pressure, causing spiritual currents to blow in the direction where he was.


    The result of this? For dozens of kilometers, this was one of the best areas to cultivate in this state, even considering that the biggest beneficiary of this was the man responsible for the phenomenon himself.


    Anyway, while this man was quietly meditating at this place from where he could observe the main points of his state, suddenly, a subordinate appeared nearby to disturb him.


    "Sorry to disturb Your Majesty''s meditation, but I have news regarding Alvin." A man dressed in silver armor with some golden details, level 95, said this as he knelt in front of that man.


    That was none other than the supposedly strongest man in the Central Continent, Vico Travisani, Emperor of the Eastern Empire, level 99!


    Vico opened his eyes and looked through the void before him, seeing far beyond where he was. "What happened to him? I see he doesn''t look well."


    He could spy on that level 80 Spiritual Sage who was watching Abe in the northern region, even though he was at such a distance. But Emperor Travisani could not see beyond the present, so he did not know what that man had found to send an unexpected message.


    The level 95 Spiritual Demigod then said. "Responding to Your Majesty, Alvin came across envoys from the Western Empire on the Black Plain. According to him, these people visited the local sovereign. Then they left alongside a man who had not come with their group initially."


    "Oh? Is the Western Empire planning to get involved with the Black Plain to get in our way? But how will they do that? They don''t have a non-aggression agreement with the Church that is as good as ours..." This man sitting in a lotus position, muttered in a low voice, not understanding the situation.


    He then looked in the direction of Dry City and saw that the situation in this place seemed normal without the presence of people from the Western Empire.


    Unlike what one might think, the free spiritual energy in the sky and on earth was not the same everywhere. Each region had its own ''mark,'' something cultivators of the highest level could distinguish.


    Therefore, by observing Dry City through his abilities, this expert could notice that the millions of people in that place were only beings from the northern region and adjacent areas. Thus, he did not suspect that Minos was plotting with the Western Empire, his greatest enemy.


    He tried to observe the people in the imperial palace, but no one there caught his attention.


    ''King-grade physique... It''s not so bad, but he''ll never become a God with an innate ability of that level.'' He watched in Minos'' direction, feeling there was no point in paying attention to this young man or worrying about such a person allying with his enemies.


    "What should we do, Your Majesty?" That man asked after a few minutes of silence from his leader.


    Vico then replied. "Start an investigation regarding what these people from the Western Empire went to do in Dry City. But for now, don''t do anything else. I want to know what their next moves will be."


    "Fine. But what about Alvin, Your Majesty? He has not been succeeding in his journey."


    Vico looked once more in Alvin''s direction and said. "We have nothing to do. There is a Spiritual Sage from the Spiritual Church watching his movements. If he does much more than he has already been doing, he will bring trouble to all of us."


    "So we should let him continue what he''s doing? But what about the key to that place?"


    The emperor closed his eyes and said. "He hasn''t found that map after so long in the northern region... Sigh, maybe that thing isn''t around there anymore."


    "Let him continue with his work while he can. But once he loses his current condition, make him return."


    "OK." That man said before departing from there and leaving his sovereign alone.


    Vico entered his state of meditation and once again looked at the difference in cultivation between his level and what the cultivation should be for him to reach level 100.


    Looking at this, this man felt like a small human next to an 11-story building.


    ''I still have a very long way to go!''


    ''I must prepare for the Continental Tournament''s next edition!''

 Chapter 1446 Level 69

    The Church also received the communiqu¨¦ about the visit of the Western Empire''s envoys to Dry City. But unlike Vico Travisani, they were not so concerned about Minos relating to such a state.


    After all, Minos was already deeply connected to them. So if he did such a thing, it would be the same as courting death!


    But still, the Church was watching the movements around the Black Plain Empire and initiating investigations regarding the motivation for the Quinn family''s contact with Minos.


    Minos was not big on the continental affairs of these high-level organizations. But since these organizations were protective of their territories, possible enemy movements on the Black Plain were enough to make the Church look at that area more concerned about taking action.


    Since this organization had been humiliated by the Eastern Empire because of a loophole in its non-aggression agreement with House Travisani, the Church just wanted an excuse to attack.


    So even though Minos was insignificant, these powers were giving him and the Black Plain more importance than they deserved.


    Meanwhile, the Flowers Kingdom had been watching the whole situation in the Black Plain. The Queen closely followed Minos'' information since she was interested in this young man''s genes.


    But she was also aware of the growing tensions around her state involving the major powers of the Central Continent!


    ...


    Amidst the movements of different high-level powers around the Central Continent, Grant and his group finally arrived at the capital of the Western Empire!


    Upon arriving there, those people did not take long to smile along with that old fellow, who almost began to shed tears upon seeing his homeland after so long.


    But Grant would eventually calm down a bit to be able to say goodbye to the mercenary who had finally been released to enjoy his earnings from the Black Plain. At the same time, as he calmed down a bit, he took his superiors'' advice.


    "Grant, I know you are not to blame for the situation back then, but you should prepare yourself. They will try to punish you somehow for staying away so long without reporting." The level 82 blonde woman commented to this fellow as they walked towards the imperial palace.


    The level 81 man nodded in agreement. "And I would tell you to be careful what you say to His Majesty. We have heard some of your stories and know they can be controversial..."


    These people had traveled together for days, having talked a lot with Grant, listening to his stories about his accident, life in the Kingdom of the End, and time on the Black Plain. At the same time, these people had informed him of some up-to-date facts regarding their homeland.


    Because of their many conversations, those two knew that Grant had some hard-to-believe stories that might be better kept to himself, at least on first contact.


    If the emperor continued to consult with him, he could eventually talk more without significant problems. But already touching on these delicate topics right away was not something these two experts considered wise.


    Grant heard this and did not think it bad that these two were trying to advise him. They might not understand that they were fools for not recognizing the near danger, but they were good people for caring about it.


    "Hmm, don''t worry. I will just answer His Majesty''s questions. And if there is room, I will explain my opinion only." He said before finally seeing the imperial palace at the end of the street they were currently walking on.


    Amber was already with her father in a meeting room in that place, each sitting as far away from the other as possible but without disturbing the people''s mood.


    The Emperor had made many mistakes with his daughter, while this woman had a lot of resentment toward this man. But the two knew how to be professional in situations like this.


    Hence, they treated each other merely as co-workers, except for when the Crown Prince got involved in matters.


    That young man was very influenced by his sister!


    The Crown Prince was the same age as Minos, around 37, but was much weaker than this emperor, currently only at level 57. Also, he was much less intelligent, and after losing his mother when he was only 13, he became very dependent on his older sister.


    In this situation, now the emperor''s only male heir, who should become the next sovereign, was somewhat influenced by Amber, which naturally made things difficult for the emperor.


    In any case, today, they were not there because of Crown Prince affairs but because of the imminent arrival of Grant Yates, with whom they wanted to talk.


    "Your Majesty, Your Highness, Grant Yates has just entered the imperial palace." One of the eunuchs who worked for this family announced loudly, signaling to everyone in that business room for them to go to the imperial throne hall.


    With that, it did not take long for Grant to come face to face with his sovereign and the woman who had somehow been responsible for all his misfortune.


    He greeted everyone in that place and thanked those people for granting his request to give him this chance to speak.


    After this, he would talk to those people for a few hours, briefly describing the situation that had happened in the North Sea, as well as some relevant facts that had happened in the many years that had passed.


    That would not be the last time he would talk about this to the local forces. But the first of many occasions that he would deal with this problem.


    Grant just did not know that from today on, his life would be just that, and he would have to get used to a reality that was not as good as he imagined!


    But only in time would he know if his decision had been right.


    ...


    Thus, two and a half months passed quickly...


    In the meantime, Minos came out of his seclusion, finally having reached the last level of the 7th stage, level 69.


    With this achievement, he was only a few steps away from reaching the 8th stage!


    Soon, he would fulfill the promise to Gloria''s mother and have his long-awaited chance to evolve his innate ability!


    In the midst of this, he was meeting with the experts of the Black Plain Empire, reviewing the plans for the actions of their forces against Abe''s terrorist group.


    To Minos'' surprise, upon emerging from his seclusion, he discovered that two of the Spiritual Saints of the Gray Clouds Sect had advanced.


    One of them was someone who was previously at level 74, now at level 75. The other was a level 76 8th-stage cultivator who had reached level 77.


    Other than those two, only Gloria among all the local Spiritual Saints had advanced, reaching level 72!


    ...

 Chapter 1447 Plans Of Action

    Upon revisiting his wives after days of seclusion, Minos was happy to see Gloria at level 72. At this level, she should have enough powers to fight ordinary peak Spiritual Saints.


    Even individuals with complete sets of Silver-grade techniques at level 77 should not have the ability to defeat her at this time!


    On the other hand, as much as Ruth and Abby were still at level 67, Minos judged that they would be able to advance to level 68 in no more than six months. So, naturally, he was not disappointed by the speed at which they had progressed over the past few weeks.


    As for the rest of his forces, several new Spiritual Emperors had appeared in Dry City, while others, as in the case of Elena, currently at level 65, had advanced and become stronger.


    But amidst this, the local forces had not lost any members recently.


    Abe''s group had already been under a lot of pressure and could no longer damage the local forces as before.


    But it was not for nothing. In the past few months, a thousand more Spiritual Emperors had arrived in the Black Plain Empire from the Gray Clouds Sect.


    With these people, even if the focus of Abe''s group were Spiritual Saints, the situation of the local forces had improved a little more in the period because of ''more eyes'' watching the situation.


    The cities of the Black Plain were now safer. At the same time, each outpost had enough power to temporarily hold off enemy pressures until reinforcements arrived.


    That had escalated the losses of Abe''s mercenaries and made possible the present situation where the terrorists were practically up against walls, trapped in a particular area surrounded by Minos'' forces!


    ...


    "Your Majesty, currently, the enemy group should be mostly located at a point further south in the empire, between the borders of the Vogel and Cromwell areas." A local soldier presented this information to Minos while this emperor was seated in the main position at a long table in a meeting room.


    The local forces had acted vigorously over the past few weeks. They cleared areas and searched meter by meter several towns and villages, as well as forests, to wipe out enemy hideouts.


    That led to several conflicts around the empire. Still, eventually, the enemies were significantly damaged by these actions and were forced to retreat.


    With the success of the local forces, the Western Empire''s mercenaries were now restricted to a few areas of the Black Plain Empire. They were now in parts of the state where the local powers had men stationed, watching the situation.


    The terrorists'' situation was now so extreme that they had virtually nowhere to hide and were slowly being wiped out without being able to recover in the slightest.


    In this situation, Minos was preparing to launch a definitive attack, intending to finally take Abe Vogel''s life!


    "Very well. Tell the Assembly of Vogel to send men to help us in the attack." Minos said this to some of his subordinates who were responsible for communicating with such an institution.


    After Minos'' previous orders concerning the Assembly of Vogel, his Black Plain core forces had begun to buy off the representatives of the Vogel noble families.


    They were lobbying favorably for the causes of the empire in that place, gradually making the Vogel area powers more interested in staying in the empire and voting with Minos.


    Because of this, as much as there was still a large wing of representatives in the Assembly of Vogel who was against Minos, he already had several supports to get men for this attack.


    But not only that, as people who wanted to take revenge on Abe, even forces with their problems with Minos could favor this kind of action!


    In crazy times like these, an enemy''s enemy could be a friend. So Minos saw no problem in demanding things from that Assembly, even considering his role as shallow ruler of that area.


    "At the same time, call in all our high-level experts. In two weeks at most, I want most of them to be on their way to that area in the vicinity of Vogel." Minos said while already thinking about further actions he could take with this move.


    ''After I act against Abe''s group, whether or not I kill that cockroach, I may pay a brief visit to Vogel to strengthen my relations with the organizations in that area.'' He remembered that such an area had never been entirely OK with him in the leadership position.


    Vogel had only accepted him as sovereign due to the difficulties after the fall of the Vogel family.


    From the changing situation in the Flaming Empire due to the kidnapping of the emperor, the subsequent weakening of the Saints Killing Sect, and the rise of Minos as master of the Gray Clouds Sect, much had changed. Now he was no longer seen as indispensable, and some even considered Emperor Stuart a problem.


    So that area could soon become rebellious or strip Minos of his position as ruler!


    To avoid problems with the greedy leaders of the families in the Vogel area, Minos was planning to visit the Assembly. He wanted to show them their advantages and disadvantages depending on which side they chose.


    "What about Dry City, Your Majesty? What will we do with the local defenses?" A level 66 soldier from the Black Plain Army asked, worried that the enemy might be able to attack that place, as had happened in the recent past.


    Minos had not forgotten that incident where Mirya and Viola had lost their lives and said. "Let''s leave 10% of the empire''s forces around the capital and belt of cities. That should be enough to protect the area from possible enemy counterattacks."


    The people there agreed to this, some feeling eager to continue training after taking care of these matters, while others longed for the impending revenge.


    "What about the level 80 Spiritual Sage, Your Majesty?" The level 78 elder of the Moss family asked Minos, considering that this was the one responsible that they had not yet finalized this conflict.


    Minos then said. "I have the plan to stop this person. But I will need the high-level elders of our forces to suffer a little to hold him back."


    Gulp!


    "What will it take?" A level 77 woman asked while other people in that room swallowed their salivas.


    Emperor Stuart replied. "There is a way we can obligate the Spiritual Sage to retreat. We just need to force him to use his abilities. Then, when he has no options but to act, he will give up Abe."


    Minos then finished his speech. "Then I need you to ''dance'' with him while the rest of us deal with Abe''s forces!"


    ...

 Chapter 1448 Near The End

    A Spiritual Sage was someone with abilities under space who could travel through wormholes and use their short-range spatial manipulation to ''catch'' things through ''gaps'' in space.


    That was something that Minos'' enemy had been using for ages to save Abe, but it could not be seen as him using his own powers against the local forces. At most, he was hindering Emperor Stuart''s movements but not acting against this guy.


    What would be considered a hostile attitude, let''s say, would be him using this ability directly against Minos. Or something more obvious, attacking the local forces members in favor of Abe and his group.


    So Minos wanted to force this man to use his abilities on a level beyond what he had done so far by using these high-level Spiritual Saints to attack him.


    Through this, the Spiritual Sage would have to choose to receive the attacks from dangerous people or escape and risk losing sight of Abe.


    When a Spiritual Sage moved under the ''gaps'' in space, they would lose sight of the ''ordinary'' side, where other beings, like Abe, would be. Minos knew this from the memories of Henricus Longus, and when he heard that the man would not fight them, he thought this might be his chance to beat him!


    This second alternative would decrease that man''s vigilance on Minos'' main enemy, which could raise their chances of success.


    He explained this to the strongest of his forces, making it clear that they would not have to take any significant risks. Instead, they would ''just'' have to work hard to keep the enemy as long as possible unable to help Abe.


    ''That won''t be easy...'' One of them thought, considering the power difference between the parties and the speed of a Spiritual Sage, that was not small.


    After all, someone at the 9th stage had an extra chance of having a more developed movement technique than someone at the 8th stage. That is, people with the same movement technique could have different stages of mastery in them because of their cultivation stage.


    Thus, even if the difference in energy was not great, it was, there would still be a difference in prowess regarding comprehension and mastery of techniques that someone of a higher stage would have an advantage.


    These old elders of the Gray Clouds Sect knew this and could not help but imagine the Herculean work they would soon have.


    "What if we can''t?" A level 77 man asked their leader.


    Minos and all the other people there looked at that person, and the silence there lasted for a few seconds.


    After some thought, this brown-haired fellow replied. "There are a few possibilities of what could happen if we fail. The first and least bad is that we would have to do it all over again, but in another area, the same thing we will do in this place between Vogel and Cromwell. On the other hand, the second and worse is that the Spiritual Sage will take Abe away, far out of our reach."


    "But I believe that won''t happen. The enemy wants Abe to fight in the area for as long as possible. Then he will only leave when forced to, and he won''t save that worm''s life."


    There were other possibilities, but they were not as likely as these two, nor would they have such different consequences.


    "In any case, no significant change should occur in favor of the enemy," Minos said after a brief moment in silence. "Even if we cannot defeat them on the first try, we will only have to focus on that conflict for a few more months."


    "The enemy has nowhere to run, no remaining alternatives to save themselves!"


    ...


    And Minos was not wrong!


    Right now, between Vogel and Cromwell, Abe was stressing himself out once again, trying to find ways to regain his former position against Minos.


    Even with advice from the Spiritual Sage of the Eastern Empire, Abe hadn''t been able to change his plans much, and in the last few weeks, his situation had only gotten worse.


    He had even improved the efficiency of his actions. Still, the enemy side had evolved so much more than him in this respect that he did not have good results, even though he improved.


    Even the Spiritual Sage had seen this and given some more specific advice to this young heir of the Vogel family. But, surprisingly, for both of them, even the ideas of this old expert had been defeated by Minos.


    The result was the situation this terrorist group was in, surrounded by enemies watching them while they feared for their survival.


    The most worried of all was Abe, who remembered very well what the Spiritual Sage had told him weeks ago.


    ''I have less than three months until the deadline he gave for my probable death...''


    Gulp!


    He swallowed his saliva as he stood in silence with the mercenaries who had been left over since the last batch of reinforcements arrived from the Western Empire.


    Currently, Abe''s forces were hardly receiving any reinforcements. Moreover, even when they did, it was not fast enough for them to replace those lost.


    Ten died, but only seven arrived. With such a ratio, the number of experts there had never been so low!


    "Boss, what are we going to do? We could be attacked any minute by that damn person..." One of the strongest there, level 77, said in a tone laden with the fear he felt of Minos.


    Minos was not only an abomination capable of fighting people of higher levels than his own. He had mass destruction weapons capable of annihilating all of them there!


    And, in fact, Emperor Stuart had already used one of these weapons against this group of mercenaries!


    After the situation in the Flaming Empire had calmed down with the end of the war between those sects, Minos left his Black Hole Bombs with the elders of the Gray Clouds Sect. After all, he could not teleport with those artifacts on his side.


    But after months of that organization sending reinforcements to the Black Plain Empire, all of Minos'' mass destruction weapons had been brought to Dry City.


    Some of them were being used to enrich cultivation rooms, but one had already been used to try to eliminate Abe!


    In that situation, Minos had tested whether he could affect the Spiritual Sage with something so powerful. But that individual''s strength was not small, and he had managed to save Abe, even though he had gained a burn scar on one of his hands.


    In any case, these men knew the terrifying power of a Black Hole Bomb, so they could not help but worry about being surrounded by Minos'' men.


    "Let''s follow our new strategy..." Abe commented before trying to stimulate these men on with a little lie. "If everything goes wrong, the senior will help us. I''m sure of that!"


    That way, soon, these people would return to their activities, a little more relieved but still tense about their situation.

 Chapter 1449 Different Interests

    Three days later, in the Vogel capital...


    The Assembly of Vogel was bustling as usual this morning, with many representatives coming and going. At the same time, now and then, elders appeared there.


    The representatives of the local organizations in this Assembly were relevant Spiritual Emperors from the local noble families, talented people, and potential future leaders of their houses. But from time to time, some Spiritual Saints would appear to watch over these individuals'' actions and meet with other experts.


    Besides being the seat of the local government, this place was very suitable for hosting meetings between leaders since it could be considered a neutral space for any powers. Thus, all kinds of negotiations took place there, and it was not uncommon to see even mid-level Spiritual Saints walking in the corridors of this place.


    But not only were these individuals not uncommon there. Members of the Black Plain Army and officers of the empire also made their presence felt since Minos ruled with the Assembly.


    One of these members of Minos'' forces who was there practically every day was Elen Nash, currently at level 65.


    And this woman was at this moment talking to the representatives of the Assembly, presenting the request made by their sovereign.


    "... Thus, His Majesty expects that local forces will be sent to the vicinity of the border with Cromwell in less than two weeks. He intends to initiate at that time a massive, joint attack against Abe Vogel''s terrorist forces..."


    The more than 600 people in that place, sitting around stands similar to those in an amphitheater, heard this in silence. Still, many of them were already expressing their satisfaction at hearing this.


    Abe''s death would be the conclusion of the revenge of many people there!


    On the other hand, as much as some favored it, others could not help but feel mixed feelings because they had to help Minos.


    ''Killing Abe would be wonderful, but that would not come without cost...''


    ''Minos wants to use our forces to share his losses.'' One woman among many there thought about it, considering the implications of the Assembly helping him.


    Everyone there wished the worst for Abe Vogel. But some of those who had a vested interest in removing Minos from the position of local leader could not help but admit that such a terrorist was no longer a problem for them. At the same time, Emperor Stuart was a headache and a hindrance to the power project of several of the organizations they represented.


    As people who had a chance to follow their current leaders, they themselves could be harmed if Minos succeeded in his endeavors!


    Therefore, some were opposed to actions that could benefit Minos!


    ''It would be better if Abe and his men lasted a little longer for them and the main Black Plain''s forces to continue to wear themselves out.'' A level 68 man thought to himself. ''As long as Abe eventually dies and those terrorists no longer implicate Vogel, everything will be fine.''


    When Elen finished speaking, the president of the Assembly, someone opposed to Minos, took the floor and said. "I thank Miss Nash for her words, communicating His Majesty''s interests."


    "But I fear the Assembly will have to vote on the matter for us to decide how it should be treated. It may not be interesting for us to send our best experts into this conflict when we already have to worry about the Flaming Empire." He recalled that fact. "No matter how weakened they are now, that doesn''t mean they are harmless!"


    "Yes!" Someone shouted as he rose from his seat to defend a position contrary to the proposal presented by Elen. "We have our affairs to attend to, and it is His Majesty''s duty to lead with that problem."


    "Didn''t he become master of an enemy sect to solve this? Then let him use the members of that organization to wipe out Abe''s damned group!"


    "Yes, he said he was doing that to solve the problem. So why does he now want to force us to act? Or was his move useless?" Someone questioned aloud.


    "Tsk!"


    A short, blond woman said. "We had to accept such a thing, but now we will still have to pay the price of war with our men? No way!"


    Discussions spread throughout that vast place as those more favorable to Black Plain began to show their opinions.


    "Nonsense!"


    "Abe Vogel is a traitor to the fatherland. We were put in the current precarious situation by him, so we must participate in eliminating the wretch!"


    A tall, strong man said. "I am disgusted by these people who now want to ''forget'' what Abe did against all of us..."


    "That bastard not only betrayed us, he also tried to eliminate us during the attacks on the Church headquarters in our city months ago! How can you ignore this? His Majesty is only asking for our help so that we can eliminate that worm more easily!"


    The people there began to argue with each other, with many getting up from their armchairs to defend the side they preferred.


    The president of the Assembly did nothing to stop the arguments, content for all this to continue since he preferred not to give Minos any time.


    For him, the longer Minos had to fight Abe, the less powerful the Black Plain core would be at the end of this conflict with terrorists.


    That would be best for the Assembly. It could keep its powers and eventually appoint a new leader for the state, someone who could be from his family, as were the plans of his elders.


    ''Worst case scenario, we will lose an ally but gain our freedom and power of choice.'' He thought about it, imagining the resources currently being sent to the Black Plain going to his family.


    ''In the best case scenario, we can make a quantum leap while the Flaming Empire does not threaten us, and the area experiences the greatest peace in millennia!''


    So while everyone was thinking about their interests, the occasion continued for hours. That happened until sometime late in the day, the vote deciding whether Elen''s proposal would pass took place.


    The result Minos would soon know!


    ...


    Another week passed in the blink of an eye...


    By now, most of Minos'' men who were to participate in the full-scale attack against Abe were already in the vicinity of Vogel''s borders with Cromwell.


    More than 8 high-level Spiritual Saints, 25 mid-level, and 30 low-level ones were in the vicinity of the area, along with the more than 5 thousand high-level Spiritual Emperors guarding the surroundings.


    Of these individuals, most were people originally part of the Gray Clouds Sect. Still, there were some Spiritual Saints and Spiritual Emperors from the Vogel area, people who had attended Minos'' call.


    But these people were not there because of a favorable position of the Assembly of Vogel in favor of Minos'' plans against Abe!


    As Minos was about to find out, the Assembly had voted against him!


    As for these experts, they were people who hated Abe too much and had come on their own, even though their families had not ordered them to join Minos'' forces!


    ...

 Chapter 1450 Time To Battle

    After all of Minos'' men had arrived at their posts for the attack against Abe and the terrorists, this ruler and his wives arrived near where it would all begin.


    In one of the southernmost cities of Cromwell, where one of the Black Plain Army bases was, Minos and his three wives had just appeared in the inner area of a teleportation port.


    Upon arriving at that place, the emperor was met by several soldiers and allies in the surrounding area. He was quickly updated on the local situation.


    "So we couldn''t get that previous request approved?" He was surprised to hear such a thing from Eduard, level 65, who was there to welcome him alongside some elders of the Gray Clouds Sect.


    "No. Of the more than 600 members of the Assembly of Vogel, 411 voted against Your Majesty''s request." That soldier said, just before adding the latest information from the group nearby. "However, some Spiritual Saints and hundreds of high-level Spiritual Emperors from this state have decided on their own to come and join the battle. So we won''t be fighting without any help."


    "Is that right?" Minos'' eyes narrowed as he thought he was not wrong. He really needed to visit those people to make them feel some of the respect they had for him when he became king of Vogel.


    Now Minos'' powers had increased significantly, and recently he had even started to use high-level grade-3 weapons and armor due to his latest advancement.


    Previously he had been able to do this, but due to the level of these items, he would be exhausted after one or two moves. But with the latest advancement, he could already handle fighting with items of this quality while using ''batteries'' to keep himself in battle.


    Because of this, his individual powers, even without using fusions, had already reached a level similar to those cultivators with Black-grade technique sets who were at level 76.


    Some of the local leaders were people with Silver-grade technique sets and were between levels 75 and 76, people that Minos could not win without other help due to his limit being at level 74, considering that other characteristic.


    But even though he had this disadvantage, Minos judged that he could currently put more pressure on people of this status than the last time he had seen them, when he had been crowned. So he wanted to use the opportunity of being around to visit those people!


    ''I''m still guaranteed a few years as local sovereign, so they won''t be able to remove me from my position yet.'' Minos thought about this as he walked alongside his women and his people. ''That will give me some advantage here, considering I can advance in the meantime, while they have little chance of achieving the same...''


    ''Some will definitely prefer to be on the side with greater future potential!''


    Minos knew that when he reached the 8th stage, everything would change. He would immediately become stronger than most Spiritual Saints, even from the Flaming Empire.


    Since Vogel''s Spiritual Saints were even weaker than those of the Flaming Empire, this would give him an undeniable advantage in this place!


    That way, he was ready to show that he had not previously become king just to accept all the decisions of that Assembly!


    "Very good. I will pay a visit to the capital of Vogel after our first attempt against Abe and start solving that problem then." He said after leaving that city alongside his group, flying towards a further outpost of his forces.


    After speaking of this, he turned to the Spiritual Saints already on his side and to Gloria and said. "Your focus is on the strongest opponents, particularly the Spiritual Sage. Any enemy below level 76 should be ignored and left to me. You must focus your strength on disrupting the remaining opponents."


    They heard that and accepted Minos'' orders, already knowing that this brown-haired fellow could deal with all opponents below level 76 at once.


    Minos'' reputation as a killing machine, made for war and reaper of battalions, existed long before he used the black hole for the first time!


    Since many there already knew this, no one would ask him to think twice about it!


    Gloria then added. "All of you should make the battlefield as chaotic as possible. Only then will we be able to disrupt the Spiritual Sage and ensure that Abe is injured!"


    If there were attacks in virtually every direction, the space itself would be hostile, and even if the Spiritual Sage managed to get Abe away, this fellow could still end up dying.


    As such, these people planned to make it as difficult as possible for the enemy to escape and to ensure that even in the case of escape, Abe would be significantly injured.


    Everyone there already knew the strategies of Minos and the Spiritual Church, which was advising them to try to disrupt the Spiritual Sage. So they nodded in agreement, keeping these ideas in their minds for the battle that would soon begin.


    ...


    So, dozens of minutes passed, and soon Minos'' group arrived at the outskirts of one of the forward encampments of his forces, which was watching the enemy''s movements.


    Several of these outposts were scattered around an area 10 times the size of Dry City, which stretched more than 100 kilometers between Cromwell and Vogel.


    The enemies had been surrounded and were in this ''small'' area, trying to hide or run away from them.


    Upon arriving at that post, Minos did not go to observe Abe. Instead, he just went on to talk to the strongest men already in that place, giving his last orders for everyone to start acting as soon as possible.


    "Is everyone already far outside the boundaries of that area?" Minos asked a level 78 Spiritual Saint, thinking about how he would start the attack.


    "Yes, Your Majesty. Just as you ordered, no one from our allied forces is within the area marked as enemy territory." That person promptly replied.


    "Very well, prepare to act. I intend to initiate the attack." He got up from a chair at the end of the table from where he was and prepared to get out of there.


    He had experienced the situation of using his skills against enemies on several occasions and judged that everything would be easier for his forces if they fought in a ''clean'' setting. So Emperor Stuart had already decided how to clear the area and make it as difficult as possible for his opponents to escape.


    The people there already more or less expected what Minos indicated he would do and promptly began to prepare, sensing that he would violently initiate this battle.


    Everyone began to retreat, indicating subordinates and weaker individuals to raise defenses and prepare for the shock.


    As thousands of individuals began to be alerted, Minos flew to the center of that area. Then he picked up a mirrored sphere that he had been given back by one of his men upon arriving in the previous city.


    "Now is your time, Abe. Today you die!" Minos muttered to himself before arming that device and hurling it toward the center of that forested area.


    With that move, the Spiritual Sage in the distance noticed Minos taking action, already at the beginning of the battle using a Black Hole Bomb!


    ...

 Chapter 1451 Beginning Of The Battle

    When Minos threw his Black Hole Bomb, the Spiritual Sage immediately noticed the movement of this fellow and sought Abe''s location to secure the life of the former Vogel prince.


    He knew he could not risk opening a spatial crack near the area affected by such a thing. Otherwise, he would incur the risk of bringing the offensive power of that weapon to himself.


    Since he did not want to risk generating the same situation as Gavin''s captors and gaining new scars, this specialist has been much more careful lately.


    ''This guy is truly tricky. He has created a weapon capable of wounding me and is using it to clear the field while preventing me from saving many of Abe''s men.'' He thought about this as he moved, using only his speed to get Abe away from the focus of the attack.


    But for the moment, he could not run any further away via his space manipulation, or he would suffer from the problem of taking a brutal attack in his direction.


    At this location, only by flying could he escape the attack safely. But if he used a spatial crack to move further away, he could make the attack reach areas beyond its own limit.


    So with that first move, Minos had already managed to immobilize a more desperate escape action by these people, temporarily blocking the Spiritual Sage while clearing the area.


    And just like that, the Black Hole Bomb reached its maximum, exploding seconds after Minos threw it!


    KA-BOOOOOOOM


    When such a thing exploded and made the ground and even the air in the surroundings of that area tremble, all members of the empire forces realized the sign of the beginning of the battle and prepared to fight.


    They were protected due to the distance and would not suffer from the immediate effects of that explosion. When it came to the aftermath, the worst of that weapon would pass very quickly. Even if this place turned into a volcanic zone, they could stand there and battle for some time without problems.


    While several of their enemies had the remnants of their souls burned away by the fiery flames of the explosion, most of Minos'' forces were already circulating their energies. They prepared to launch attacks the moment they could fly into that area.


    Soon after Minos'' attack, the Spiritual Sage could act again, so they would have to act very quickly to prevent escapes through wormholes.


    When the flames from the explosion of that mass destruction weapon subsided, they all vibrated in anticipation as that earlier all-green area turned into a volcanic inferno.


    More than a third of Abe''s mercenaries there earlier failed to escape Minos'' powerful weapon in time and perished there without a trace. But about 60 individuals, the vast majority of them Spiritual Saints, survived the attack since he had acted in a way the strongest had managed to escape.


    "Damned Minos Stuart!" One of these men shouted in anger, feeling the catastrophic effects of the enemy leader''s movement.


    As this ash-dirty person shouted, the other survivors felt their hearts beating faster, imagining they would have nowhere to escape today.


    This attack had been stronger than Minos''s last one against them. But not only that, they could already see the number of opponents approaching them, flying and launching attacks in their direction. So these people immediately realized the gravity of the situation and began to move.


    "Damn it!"


    "All that''s left is for us to fight to the death!" One of them activated his sacrificial technique, ready to attack with everything he could use to eliminate as many opponents as possible before he fell.


    Several others did the same in front of the skies of that area, already filled with attacks appearing in the surroundings, being launched in their directions.


    Minos saw all this from above, where he had fled before his bomb exploded, and immediately began to fly towards these opponents, intending to take at least half of them, hostage.


    In the midst of this, as he had destroyed all the vegetation in the surrounding area, he could see precisely where Abe was, near that Spiritual Sage.


    Spatial Sword!


    To help his men who were going to attack the Spiritual Sage, he immediately used a large fraction of his strength and activated his main offensive technique.


    When he did this and launched a diagonal blow in Abe''s direction, a blade of spiritual energy came out of Minos'' sword and flew for a few meters until it disappeared into thin air.


    But such a thing had not simply ''evaporated'' but had disappeared from the area because of the skill of the weapon he had in hand, a high-level grade-3 sword!


    The Spiritual Sage was the only one who could feel that Minos'' weapon made his blows go through space through the ''gaps'' normally found in space, and he frowned.


    That attack was not weak and could even hurt his body a little if he was hit without protection!


    Since such a blade was also fast, he had to move and hurl Abe away from such a thing.


    ''Damn it!''


    ''If I go with him, I won''t be able to guarantee that no attack will pursue us...'' This man from the Eastern Empire lamented in his mind, feeling that he would have to ''push'' Abe to a different location than his own in order not to risk it.


    When he felt Minos'' blow, he also noticed several high-level fellows already launching attacks in his direction.


    They all could cause difficulties for him, so the fear of losing Abe because he could not control the escape space crack he had just opened made him stay in the same position.


    At the same time, that level 73 young man appeared dozens of meters ahead, from where this expert could still see him.


    "Attack with everything!"


    "Don''t allow that damn demon to survive!" A native of Vogel shouted in a fury, causing several high-level Spiritual Emperors and low-level Spiritual Saints to focus on Abe''s position and attack.


    "Oh, shit!" That man felt cold sweat dripping from every pore of his body and began to use his techniques to run and raise his defenses in case the worst happened.


    As for counterattacking, Abe was not crazy about doing something so risky, so his current focus was on protecting himself and relying on the Spiritual Sage to get out of there alive!


    Meanwhile, the Spiritual Sage used the strategy that Minos and his allies were expecting, moving through space so as not to have to counterattack them, temporarily losing sight of Abe.


    Minos saw this and smiled, sensing that his group''s chances of ending Abe''s life this day would not be lowered.


    He then used Chaotic Gravity to ''trap'' in his surroundings more than half of the enemies remaining after the Black Hole Bomb, so he could focus on Abe.


    With his ''batteries,'' Minos did not take long and began flying towards his position among the strongest Spiritual Saints there to attack Abe as they acted against the Spiritual Sage.


    ''Time for us to end it all, you worm!'' Minos'' eyes glittered as he prepared to use one of his fusions!


    ...

 Chapter 1452 Turning Point

    Infinite Dream: Shaking Reality!


    Chaotic Gravity: Shaking Reality!


    Minos quickly did what was necessary to activate one of his fusions, targeting Abe to make life even more difficult for the Spiritual Sage.


    When he shot toward his opponent, several people in his vicinity immediately felt the fantastic effects of this fusion of techniques, feeling nauseated and seeing the world spinning.


    However, Abe, who was the focus of Minos'' attack, felt much worse.


    He could not be saved in time by the Eastern Empire''s Spiritual Sage. As such, he felt the terror of Minos'' fusion, which could make its victim feel as if his soul had left his body and was trapped in a shaking reality.


    Abe realized this immediately as he trembled with fear, feeling once again on the verge of life in the face of this opponent who was not to be trifled with.


    Luckily for him, before one of the attacks from his many enemies in the area hit his ''defenseless'' body, Abe was pulled by a hand through space to a location 20 meters away.


    However, the moment he did this, the Spiritual Sage trying to save Abe suddenly felt a weight on his conscience and looked at Minos.


    ''Bastard!''


    ''Can you do that already?'' He was amazed, feeling part of Minos'' fusion affecting him because he had touched Abe in the place where this fellow had been affected.


    That was not enough for this man to be hurt. But he noticed it was enough to do that to people at level 79!


    But that was only to be expected. After all, fusion naturally had its bonus on the natural power of its user.


    Through this, Minos was able to affect this expert''s mind, making him subtly distracted from Abe.


    Swooish!


    A red blade slashed toward the spot where Abe had appeared near the Spiritual Sage as one of the level 78 Spiritual Saints in Minos'' group attacked with his sword.


    He made several moves, sending many spiritual blades in the direction of the Spiritual Sage, knowing that he could cause this man injuries.


    But through the Spiritual Sage''s own distraction, one of those blades that should have been in pursuit of his body cut toward Abe''s body!


    "Shit!"


    This individual realized in time the trouble he had let himself fall for Minos and made one of his hands appear behind Abe''s face.


    ''I can''t pull him towards me, or he will be sliced in two halves!'' He swallowed his saliva and pushed Abe away, applying a bit more force than he would have liked, but sure it was the least damaging alternative.


    But he had not calculated perfectly, and the moment Abe set off in the direction of his push, one of this Vogel family guy''s arms was still hit!


    Puff!


    A blade of red energy split Abe''s left arm in a split second, causing a spray of blood to depart from one of his shoulders while he was still under the effects of Minos'' fusion.


    "Damn it!" The Spiritual Sage broke out in a cold sweat as he noticed his mistake, but fortunately, it had been nothing more serious.


    "Die, damn Abe Vogel!"


    As that expert began to strain harder than he would have liked, almost all the men in Abe''s terrorist group had already been killed. In fact, only those held hostage by Minos were still breathing at the moment.


    Consequently, at this moment, the thousands of Spiritual Emperors and dozens of Spiritual Saints in that volcanic area were vigorously attacking in the direction of the two.


    The stronger ones were acting against the Spiritual Sage since only they could bother this man enough that he did not have enough space to create a wormhole and flee the area. But the weaker ones, all those below level 74, except for Gloria, were attacking in Abe''s direction.


    Among them, the Vogel nobles acted with all their might, using everything they had to launch powerful blows against the outskirts of dozens of meters from where Abe was standing.


    Pow!


    A giant hammer, the size of a three-story building, descended beneath where Abe''s injured and unconscious body lay while various other forms of energies condensed in the surroundings.


    At the same time, purple chains appeared from mirrors in the sky, heading for the remaining fist and ankles of this enemy of all.


    Thunder Fists!


    Ruth activated one of her strongest techniques, launching from the skies a powerful attack that could threaten even level 72 Spiritual Saints.


    No matter how much stronger Abe was than that, he could take a lot of damage in his unconscious state through even this level 67 woman''s attack!


    ''At this rate, I won''t be able to prevent his death.'' The Spiritual Sage realized the situation he was in and saw the surroundings of that battlefield becoming slower, despite how fast everything was happening.


    In this situation, he could see more than 3,000 attacks in a space that went up to 200 meters away from him. Such attacks were chaotically distributed so that he would take some of those attacks with him to his destination if he moved through the space.


    He could withstand such attacks and survive, but that was not true for Abe.


    Since Abe had with himself no means of defending himself beyond those he had already lost in this fight, this Spiritual Sage could not do much to help him.


    If he used his powers to create a shield around Abe or use his defensive arrays on that man, he was sure that the Spiritual Sage watching him would act.


    In this case, he would risk creating more significant problems for his leaders and himself by being killed by someone who he could feel was more powerful than he was.


    This man then looked in the direction of Minos, where this emperor was making a new fusion between the Spatial Sword and the Infinite Dream. He was creating a gigantic blade, even more significant than that of the level 78 Spiritual Saint from earlier.


    ''It looks like you''ve really managed to muster up the strength to challenge me, huh?'' He closed his eyes as he viewed the surroundings at a slower speed. ''But if you''re going to win, it''s not decided yet!''


    When he made up his mind, this man entered a wormhole and went to where Abe was about to be brutally attacked by several opponents.


    Appearing in that spot, he immediately opened a wormhole far away from that area between the borders of Vogel and Cromwell.


    ''Time to take a chance!''


    ''Whether you will survive is no longer in my power!'' He thought before jumping into the wormhole in front of him, already with that fellow in his arms.


    Swooish!


    Pow!


    As those two disappeared from the volcanic battlefield, several attacks, including the exquisite blade thrown by Minos, hit their escape site, sending parts of their strength through the wormhole.


    At this moment, Abe was suddenly hit by something before he could even get out on the other side of that wormhole!


    ...

 Chapter 1453 Death Of The Terrorist Leader

    When a powerful spiritual blade struck Abe, he and the Spiritual Sage were only a millisecond away from reaching their destination.


    Because of this, the Spiritual Sage did not notice when his prot¨¦g¨¦''s body was hit by one of the many attacks that penetrated the wormhole he had opened.


    This man had been hit by several attacks in that short instant while fleeing away, but none of it had hurt him more significantly.


    Since he had used his body to prevent most of the blows from hitting Abe, when he appeared back in normal space, this man had no idea of the outcome of his escape.


    As he fell to the ground and lost contact with Abe''s body, he looked at his surroundings. He saw that he was far from the previous hellish battlefield, noting that he finally had no more enemies around.


    "Abe, let''s go." He said as he turned back and looked at the fellow who had just fallen out of his arms when they fell in that forest in the middle of Cromwell.


    However, when he saw Abe''s situation, this man immediately rushed to this terrorist''s side, already using his soul probing to understand this person''s situation.


    Abe suffered a severe injury from the enemy attacks that had managed to infiltrate the wormhole. The worst of all, his head was broken like a watermelon that had fallen to the ground.


    Several cuts, burns of varying degrees, and purple wounds could be seen all over his body, showing this man that Abe had suffered before they reached this place.


    But probing this person would deliver him the worst of results.


    Abe''s soul had been destroyed, and he was finally dead!


    Realizing the end of his mission in this place, this man sighed in disappointment.


    He did not feel good about the death of anyone from these areas, although he did not feel bad either. But he could not help but admit that after living so many months saving Abe''s ass, he had raised some hopes of seeing this guy win.


    But what was even worse was that after so many months working in these poor areas, he had no choice but to return to the Eastern Empire empty-handed.


    And that angered him deeply!


    "Damn it!"


    He shouted in anger as he fell to his knees in front of Abe''s body. "Damned Minos! You finally did it!"


    Unfortunately for him, there was nothing he could do to get revenge since, besides having to return immediately to the empire, someone was watching him.


    ''This humiliation will have a comeback someday...'' The person in the ''void'' thought before disappearing from the area, confident that the assault of enemy forces on Church territories would finally end after today.


    ''I will notify the Black Plain group and then return with my updates...''


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the volcanic field between Cromwell and Vogel, thousands of individuals who participated in this attack were scouring the surroundings, ensuring that Abe was not around.


    Some were already regretting that they had missed their chance to eliminate Abe. At the same time, others were beginning to sigh that this chance had passed, but they did not regret it too much since they had come so close.


    Among those dissatisfied with not being able to see Abe''s body in the present day, Minos was in the center of that area, gathering with his women and some of the strongest of his forces.


    "Search the area for traces of them." He said aloud. "We will stay here until the end of the day. If we find nothing, we will return to our previous plans."


    The less weary of those individuals accepted Minos'' commands and set off in different directions to search for Abe''s whereabouts.


    As for the remaining terrorists, after he had finished absorbing their energies, Minos eliminated them. So no enemy had been left behind.


    At the same time, because of how powerful Minos'' group was, none of his forces died that day, although many had spent almost all their strength to make the situation of the Spiritual Sage so tricky.


    Because of this, although they had not seen Abe''s body, some people there were not feeling so bad since none of them had died.


    That just was not true for the natives of Vogel, who had joined the group to eliminate their greatest enemy.


    "Tsk!"


    "Damn it!"


    "I almost managed to crush him!" One of those Vogel Spiritual Saints said angrily, remembering how his blow had almost crushed his opponent''s body.


    But then, as the people on the outskirts of that now volcanic area worked or wailed, a wormhole appeared in the sky, and everyone suddenly raised their guard.


    "Spiritual Sages?"


    "He came to take revenge?"


    Many people noticed the arrival of this person and feared enemy reprisal.


    But when Minos looked in the direction of the newcomer, he realized this person was not the enemy Spiritual Sage but a Cardinal of the Spiritual Church.


    Upon seeing that person dressed in a silver cloak, Gloria and several members of the Spiritual Church in the area greeted, welcoming that person.


    That individual did not plan to stay for long and announced for everyone in the surrounding area to hear him. "Inhabitants of the Black Plain Empire, Abe Vogel has just died, about 450 kilometers north of this area, in a part of Cromwell."


    "My congratulations to all involved and to Your Majesty for helping to deal the final blow to this traitor." This person said with a smile on his face.


    He was part of the Spiritual Church''s group of executioners. So Abe''s death had fulfilled that organization''s assassination mandate against that man. Because of his background, he was pleased with the situation and could not help but look favorably at Minos.


    "He''s dead?"


    "Really?" The first to celebrate the news was precisely the natives of Vogel, who were most upset about Abe''s escape.


    But upon hearing the news of the situation of the Black Plain''s greatest enemy, Abby, Ruth, and Gloria could not help but show dazzling smiles on their faces. They finally achieved what was necessary for peace!


    ''With his death, we will be able to focus on our state once again!'' Abby clenched her fists and imagined that maybe it was time for Minos to go back to trying to get her and Ruth pregnant again.


    Ruth was not exactly thinking about it at the moment. Still, she was already imagining spending more time with Sarah and seeing the Black Plain developing in peace again.


    "Congratulations, Minos. You beat him." Gloria hugged her daughter''s father, feeling a relief in her shoulders that she had not felt in a while.


    Right now, they were not only getting rid of Abe, but of all the recent stress they had been through. The last few years had not been easy, with problems concerning Abe, Flaming Empire, allied states...


    But now, most of those problems had ended, and it was time for them to rest!


    Then, Minos said. "Some of you, come with me. We are going to the capital of Vogel."


    ...

 Chapter 1454 Minos Plans

    When some of Minos'' men heard his words, they soon understood what it was all about since the emperor had already decided to go to the capital of Vogel after this confrontation.


    But some of the individuals who were nearby and were Vogel natives, unaware of Minos'' plans, could not help but find this fellow''s command strange.


    They had fought side by side and were happy to achieve their goals together. But they were still members of local forces in this area and would worry about Minos taking high-level Spiritual Saints to their most important city.


    With that, one of the few Spiritual Saints there with such an origin soon approached where Minos and his wives were and asked. "Your Majesty, can you tell me what your purpose is in going to visit the capital? Perhaps I can take the opportunity to guide you and introduce my family." He said so as not to appear to be questioning Emperor Stuart.


    His family was not in favor of Minos as the local ruler. After all, this man was not a native of the area and still had deep relations with an enemy organization. But this house was also not one of the most opposed to the emperor and was even capable of negotiating.


    With that background, he did not fear some peculiar action on the part of Minos or those high-level Spiritual Saints in the area when he made that inquiry.


    The other natives of Vogel joined this individual''s side and waited for Minos'' response.


    As the place became a little quieter, Minos thought for a while and said. "As sovereign of Vogel, even though I do not have full power over this area, I still have powers that allow me to observe and even investigate the Assembly. So now that my state has eliminated its greatest threat, I am curious to know how you have been developing..."


    This person had used a lame excuse to question Minos without offending the state leader, and Emperor Stuart had given a response on the same level without saying what he wanted. Both sides knew their words were not all they had in mind, but they simply accepted it, ignoring the problem between them.


    So Minos ''thanked'' the man''s offer of a guide and promised the Vogel people to visit them in the coming days.


    When those people wished him good luck and said goodbye to those with whom they had fought, Minos dispatched his men to their respective posts.


    Some would return to Vogel, where the Black Plain Army also had bases. Others would return to Cromwell, Brown, and the other smaller territories of the empire to finally bring normality and peace to the lives of the local population.


    Only 20 people were to make the trip to the capital of Vogel, including Minos, his wives, one high-level Spiritual Saint, three mid-level, and five low-level ones. The rest were Spiritual Emperors, people who had previously been active in the capital, along with the rest of Elen Nash''s group.


    Minos needed a guide, but these would be his men, not people he did not know.


    So, when it was already night in that area between Vogel and Cromwell, their group set off towards the capital of that area.


    That was not a long trip since that city was close by, considering the army''s teleportation ports between one city near where they were and another near the capital of Vogel.


    ...


    Because Minos had an advantage over the natives of Vogel who had taken part in the previous confrontation, even before the information about Abe''s death spread through Vogel, his group reached the capital.


    Minos and his group had moved in secret when they arrived in the vicinity of this place, followed without identifying themselves or drawing attention because of the means created by Elen''s group.


    He had planned from the beginning to act against the local forces in case they turned against him. So there was a tunnel structure in this city connecting the nearby army outpost with an administrative building that Elen had ordered built in previous years.


    Utilizing this, Minos and his group reached this place without any problems, having arrived in front of Elen and some of the imperial guards working there.


    "Your Majesty!" Those people were profiled in front of Minos'' group, not the least bit surprised since they had been communicated days ago about the emperor''s intention.


    Elen looked at Minos, whom she had not seen in years, and smiled, feeling how much stronger he had become.


    "Your Majesty, how was the mission against the terrorist group? Any success?" She asked after greeting Minos, his wives, and the Gray Clouds Sect elders who had come with them.


    Minos then said. "Abe Vogel is dead."


    Hearing that, all the people there smiled, feeling that nothing else would stand in the way of the empire until they developed their own Spiritual Saints and, who knows, maybe even acquired Spiritual Sages!


    "And what are we going to do now?" Elen asked.


    "We''re going to follow through with the plans sent by the soldiers at headquarters over the past few days." He said as he made his way out of the basement of that building, already intending to begin his work. "I will meet with those who have already agreed to stand by my side, as well as give a speech in the Assembly, talking about the results of the conflict against Abe and what will happen from here on out."


    "We will follow the next few days by talking about it."


    Elen was pleased to hear this, feeling that Minos could not miss the opportunity to act while things were still ''hot'' in the dead of night.


    If he waited to act, the local forces would probably act in concert to prevent even his entry into the Assembly, so he could not afford to weaken at this point!


    "Where should we start?" She asked, realizing that Minos did not intend to stay in that building.


    "Let''s go straight to the Assembly." He said. "I intend to temporarily take that place and start my talks with allies and friends in that building. Then you can notify those people immediately."


    "All right, Your Majesty."


    As Elen and the soldiers there left to carry out Minos'' orders, he was escorted by the Spiritual Emperors who were there to guide him through this city, heading toward the Assembly of Vogel.


    They were hiding their identities as they moved. So even if someone could easily probe their strengths, none of them found a problem walking through this city''s central streets in the middle of the night.


    That was true for at least most of the way to the Assembly building, which had been built on the site where most of the old royal palace stood.


    Upon arriving at the local seat of government and beginning to walk up the stairs that surrounded that oval building, Spiritual Saints from the local guard immediately set their eyes on those twenty people.


    "What? Level 78?" One of them exclaimed as he sensed the cultivation of the person next to Minos, someone who was wearing a hood that hid his entire face, similar to that of the other people in Minos'' group.


    With that, several Assembly guards turned their attention to that spot where the cry of a soldier had come from, as Minos'' group stopped at that post.


    ...

 Chapter 1455 Surprise

    Hearing the shout of that first guard in his path, Minos, at the head of that group of twenty people dressed in black, stepped forward and removed the hood from his head, revealing his appearance.


    "I believe I have a right to enter that place, no?" Minos smiled as he looked at that person while the guard opened his eyes wide.


    Everyone in this place knew Minos'' appearance due to the coronation that took place years ago, right in this Assembly building.


    No one would expect to find the emperor in this place amid the Black Plain''s conflict with Abe''s terrorists. Hence, that guard and the others who saw Minos'' face were soon surprised by such a visit.


    "You... Your Majesty..." That man stammered, not knowing what to say to Minos.


    In theory, the Assembly of Vogel building was a public place where citizens could participate in local public life.


    Obviously, Vogel was not a democracy, so ordinary citizens could not do much in this place. But it was possible for even ordinary people to access the premises of this building, make public complaints, initiate tenders, bring local problems to the representatives of the noble powers, and so on.


    But there were operating hours for such matters, and only the representatives of the Assembly could come and go from this place whenever they wanted.


    So when one of the guards there saw that the first of them had weakened in front of their ''opponent,'' he stepped forward and said. "Your Majesty, the Assembly is already closed for business today. Please return tomorrow..."


    Minos did not let that man finish and used Chaotic Gravity to immobilize all the guards in the range of his technique.


    Everyone there was Spiritual Saints. Thus, when the other guards outside the range of Minos''s technique saw their colleagues fall easily with a mere finger gesture from him, they retreated and shivered.


    Minos looked at them and said. "Be quiet about my presence here, or you will have to endure a whole day fighting me."


    Gulp!


    "Your Majesty..."


    Minos did not let one of those people say anything and spoke. "Get those unconscious out of our way. I will settle down now."


    With those words, Minos'' group moved on, while the guards left behind consciously stood motionless in their places, not knowing what to do.


    Their duty said they should immediately communicate with the elders of the organizations behind the Assembly. But not only was Minos'' group very strong, but the emperor himself was a terror.


    To disregard something he ordered was rather difficult even for these men from Vogel!


    Meanwhile, Minos was quickly directed by his subordinates to the central meeting place in this building, where a large circular area with chairs in a model similar to an amphitheater was.


    There, in the heart of the Assembly, when Minos appeared from behind the main stage, the few representatives still there were surprised by his arrival and rose from their seats.


    Minos had decided to act a bit dramatic, going up on the main stage with all his fellow travelers, wearing the same clothes as earlier, hiding his identity.


    So when the more than 50 people out there saw these souls in black taking over the heart of their institution, they felt frightened and did not understand the situation.


    "Who are you?" The president of the Assembly, who was still around, in charge of the discussions of the moment, suddenly asked as he looked fearfully in the direction of those people, but without panicking.


    They might be strong, but the local forces had many Spiritual Saints, which could give them victory in a battle against these people.


    But then, Minos looked at that fellow who had been making things difficult for him and said. "Mister Guzman, I appreciate that you have taken over my place for the time that has passed, but there is no need for you to do that now."


    Minos moved one of his fingers, and that well-dressed, blond fellow flew in a parabolic trajectory from his spot to some stairs nearby.


    Minos'' wives smiled, and then he once again removed the hood covering his face.


    "Very well. I am taking the Assembly for the next 48 hours. I am hereby removing the current president from office and appointing my wife, Abby Miller, as his replacement." He sat in the leader''s chair in the middle of that stage.


    "What?"


    "How can that be?"


    "What is Your Majesty doing here?"


    A few questions arose amid that almost empty place.


    But then, while he had a terrible expression on his face, Phil Guzman said. "Your Majesty cannot do this! That is clearly an offense against the sovereignty of the Assembly!"


    Minos made some of his pressure shut that Spiritual Emperor''s mouth and said. "The statute of this house says that the local sovereign, I, has the right, once a year, to make a check on the status of the institution and may within 48 hours remove the president and appoint a new one."


    "Only after that period can the Assembly normally vote on its business and dismiss the president I chose."


    Minos was playing within the rules of the Assembly itself. Something that was created not to help him but to help the future local sovereign not be held hostage by this house.


    The powers of that state were secretly competing with each other to ''inherit'' Minos'' position as local sovereign in the near future. So it was in everyone''s interest that the sovereign had the means to protect himself and reverse some problems in time.


    They had done this for themselves, but they had never imagined that the first to use such a device would be Minos himself!


    With this, those representatives, who already knew all this, remained silent after Minos'' words, knowing there was nothing they could do.


    The local noble families themselves had made this rule, so they would not break it to stop Minos. But, at the same time, even if that happened, the emperor was already there, with a powerful force at his side.


    So who could stop him?


    Knowing this, most were silent, returning to their seats while their thoughts started running wild.


    Most of them were opposed to Minos, but some had already been through a few conversations with Elen and did not feel so threatened by his move.


    But even these were soon surprised by Minos'' next orders.


    "Chief of the guard, where are you?" He asked, seeing some of the guards of this place on the outskirts looking at him.


    One of them identified himself after a few seconds, and Minos told him. "For the next 48 hours, you all are under my commands, with the death penalty for those who rebel."


    Gulp!


    "Yes, Your Majesty." That man said as he dried the sweat on his face.


    "All those inside the Assembly at this time, I declare you under temporary arrest until the end of my session. Anyone who attempts to leave will be considered a traitor to the empire and properly punished."


    The guards looked at each other as those ''defenseless'' youths sensed that this move by Minos would not end without damage for all of them.


    He then said. "I will begin my speech as soon as we get enough quorum. You have until then to come to me."


    "Don''t waste this opportunity."


    ...

 Chapter 1456 Taking Over The Assembly

    The Assembly President clenched his fists as he felt Minos'' pressure on him, feeling helpless.


    He was only a Spiritual Emperor, so he could not do anything against Minos. Of course, that was the normal thing to expect, and usually, people of his level would not feel so offended by being pressured by Emperor Stuart.


    However, this fellow had a critical position in Vogel through the Assembly and the support of his family, which was one of the strongest in this state.


    Considering his position as president and potential future king of Vogel, it was extremely humiliating for him to be in that position in front of Minos!


    ''Bastard!''


    ''Just you wait until the 20-year period is over... I will remove you from your position, and my family will ascend to the top post of Vogel!'' He glared hatefully at Minos, who was already seated in the session leader''s chair.


    At the same time, the first of those individuals still around to try to approach Minos came close to him and introduced himself.


    "Your Majesty, I am a representative of the Crawford family, Jordan Crawford." A level 68 man with a beard and short black hair said as he formally greeted the emperor.


    "Your Majesty, this person is part of the group of representatives who are already on our side." One of the Spiritual Emperors there to help Minos said this in a low voice beside him.


    Ruth and Gloria looked at that individual as they heard that, while Abby ignored this to deal with the preparations to make her husband''s plans work out.


    Minos had announced her as the session''s leader. Thus, the staff of this place was already taking orders from her to bring documents and helpful information to her group''s analysis regarding this house.


    "Bring everything regarding what the local representatives have been doing within this house." She said to one of the men of this place management.


    That individual was still a little uncertain about what to do. Still, soon one of the mid-level Spiritual Saints from Minos'' group stood beside him and said. "Don''t worry, Your Majesty. I will help them deal with it."


    Gulp!


    "That..." That person tried to say something, but Abby then said. "All right, each of you who are unoccupied, ''help'' the people in this place to work faster."


    Then, the Spiritual Saints in Minos''s group moved, showing those people that they would be forced to do what they were supposed to do if they did not do it on their own.


    With this move, of the 20 members of Minos'' group, only he, his wives, a Spiritual Emperor, and the level 78 Spiritual Saint remained in that place while the others went to work.


    Minos quickly talked to the first individuals to approach him, two of them being representatives of powers favorable to him or, rather, who had accepted the agreements proposed by Elen.


    He reaffirmed his commitment to developing Vogel with these organizations for mutual benefit while also talking about the present situation, promising that he did not plan anything much worse than he had already done.


    As for the third individual he spoke with, this represented a power still neutral about whether or not to support Minos.


    Not everyone would benefit from a local power becoming sovereign of Vogel once again. After all, not all of the families at this Assembly were organizations likely to achieve significant positions with movements opposed to Minos. But, at the same time, the state of this fellow seemed to be doing well, so it was not necessarily a bad decision to be part of the empire.


    On the other hand, it was undeniable that Minos had a nose for war, which could also be harmful.


    For these reasons, some powers did not know whether to side with him or against Vogel staying in the Black Plain Empire.


    Minos took the opportunity to talk to that representative, presenting some of his plans for the empire and promising some improvements for that family''s position.


    Minos did not need everyone from that institution to be on his side. Just 50% plus one of the votes would be enough to keep him in the position of the ruler and even increase his powers over the Assembly.


    Hence, if part of that place wanted to fight him, he was willing to make promises that would help one side and necessarily hurt the other.


    He would promise land and things to those who decided to stay on his side and later take such things away from those who defied him in this house.


    With that, that person returned to his room, as far as he could go in this building since only Minos'' men could leave this place at present.


    Then, the now-former Assembly president approached where Minos was, a little calmer but still upset about the emperor''s aggression against this house.


    "Your Majesty, what are you doing? That will not be good for any of the organizations involved..." He said this in a tone that did not make him a challenger to the emperor, but it did show his differences with this person. "The families will not be satisfied with just the justification that Your Majesty is overseeing the Assembly."


    Minos looked at that individual and said. "It doesn''t matter what you think, Mister Guzman. I am carrying out my duties. Someone has to keep an eye on what the powerful local representatives have been doing with the management of my territory."


    ''Your territory?''


    ''Tsk!''


    ''Fuck you!


    "Anyway, is that all you have to tell me?" Minos questioned him, looking into this man''s eyes and making him look away out of fear of those brown eyes. "If your family swears allegiance to mine, we can forget past problems and grow together."


    This blond fellow then said. "What does that mean, Your Majesty? Are you threatening us? What about the contracts you signed with the elders? Aren''t you afraid to break them?"


    "Afraid?" Minos laughed as the high-level Spiritual Saint beside him watched them intently.


    "Yes, you promised not to attack us..."


    "No, you are a little mistaken, Mister Guzman. I never promised not to turn my forces on you. I only promised not to use my mass destruction weapon and the black hole against you." Minos said, smiling at that person.


    He made a finger gesture, and the gravity on Phil and all the representatives opposed to the Stuart family increased considerably, bringing them to their knees. "But I can freely use powers, like this one, to ''encourage'' you."


    Even some of the guards in the surrounding area, who were the few local Spiritual Saints around there, felt their knees trembling while Minos was not even trying to push them.


    ''Damn it!''


    ''That bastard tricked us!''


    ''He knew he would have enough powers to threaten us even without those special weapons. That''s why he signed such contracts!'' Phil realized the truth regarding the agreements Minos signed, which basically only limited Vogel''s powers!


    Amid this moment of realization, the tense atmosphere in the surrounding area improved when some visitors arrived at that place.


    "Your Majesty? Matriarch? You are back?" A female voice came from one of the entrances of that place on Minos'' momentary regime.


    ...

 Chapter 1457 Achievements Ahead

    When that female voice caught the attention of everyone present in that place, Minos deactivated his Chaotic Gravity and let those less favorable to him breathe.


    Meanwhile, Gloria and Ruth, who were still doing nothing but accompanying Minos, saw the woman they had first made agreements with at the local Spiritual Church outpost.


    That was Louise, level 71, who was there besides other people from the local Church post.


    Among this group, everyone wore red robes similar to Gloria''s, indicating that they were either Matriarchs or Patriarchs of the Spiritual Church.


    "Louise?" Gloria said this out loud when she saw that woman approaching them.


    At the same time, Louise had the leader of the local Church post and the other faction allies of this wife of Minos at her side.


    Minos had formed a faction for his wife within the Spiritual Church shortly after becoming a Spiritual Emperor. After that and their trip out of the northern region for the first time, they made several contacts in Church posts along their journey.


    These contacts had become the first members of Gloria''s faction, which had significantly developed over the past years.


    With the formation of the Black Plain Empire, the subsequent strengthening of Gloria, who had reached level 70 after Sarah''s birth, and the strengthening of the Stuart family, this faction had grown considerably.


    They now had over 600 members, among those from the northern region, Flaming Empire, Vogel, Rosser, and Albano. Among them, more than 50 low-level Spiritual Saints, formerly high-level Spiritual Emperors, were in this faction.


    As for the stronger Spiritual Saints, only 5 of these had joined Gloria''s group so far, one of them being precisely that woman next to Louise.


    Precisely because of this history with Minos and Gloria, these people from the local Church outpost had been one of the first to find out from Elen of their arrival and their location.


    Louise smiled and greeted those people in the main position of that area. "Your Majesty, you look very well. I imagine you will soon become a Spiritual Saint..."


    Minos smiled at that woman but was not humble. "Hmm, sooner than you imagine, I''m sure of it."


    The woman next to Louise, level 77, stared at Minos and said. "Your Majesty, I heard that you managed to kill Abe Vogel... So, accept my congratulations for finally defeating that plague."


    When she said this, the surrounding area finally learned this information and realized why Minos acted decisively against them.


    ''So that''s why!'' The former president of this house thought to himself as he considered that he had to find a way to communicate with his family about this.


    Minos was not only humiliating all the local noble families by taking this place and giving arrest orders to representatives. He was also accessing essential documents of this organization with the various individuals acting around this place on his behalf.


    He and the other leaders of the representatives had not expected something like this to happen just during the rule of Minos. So they acted as if they were preparing for the future and left some traces and records of problems that could now favor the emperor''s actions somehow.


    So it was in the interest of this individual from the Guzman family to bring his family members to this place to prevent Minos from vascularizing the Assembly until he found something problematic!


    As this fellow tried to return to his office, the limit he could go in this place, Minos thanked those people for their congratulations. He also appreciates them because of the envoys they had sent to Dry City several times in the previous months.


    He took the opportunity to strengthen the ties between his family and these people. He invited them to visit Dry City, arrange joint training of their forces, and even do some business.


    But Minos had to deal with more of the people who were still there before more members of local forces arrived. So he left Gloria to deal with these people from the Spiritual Church after a few minutes of conversations.


    "How was the last shipment you received?" Gloria asked that level 71 woman about the supplies the Black Plain sent to their group every month.


    "We got the right amount, Matriarch Frost. But the number of people in the faction has been increasing and..."


    While Gloria took those people from the local Church post to talk business elsewhere in the Assembly, Ruth stood next to Minos and the level 78 Spiritual Saint.


    "What will we do when the news of this reaches Rosser, Albano, and Blackrock?" She asked Minos while that fellow had just dismissed another of the representatives there.


    Minos waved for the next one to come up and answered his wife. "They won''t like it, but like it or not, Vogel already belongs to me. So my attitude of trying to keep that territory in my state and dominate it is only the natural thing to do."


    "That is not enough for them to think that this move means I will try something against them."


    "True." She agreed with him. "But they will create problems. So how will we deal with that?"


    He said. "We will propose more business and decrease our actions after our return to Dry City. That will diminish any kind of thought that I will start a journey of conquest now."


    "But you won''t?"


    "Not now. Maybe in about three or five years." Minos winked at her before turning his attention back to the woman making a gesture of greeting to him.


    "Your Majesty..."


    Meanwhile, the level 78 Spiritual Saint looked at Minos and Ruth with interest. He noted that the Gray Clouds Sect master did not intend to stand still with all his potential.


    ''It seems that we will soon face more problems...'' He judged that he should cultivate as much as possible to reach the 9th stage before the next challenge reached Minos.


    But he did not think Minos'' plans were bad or problematic. The opposite of that, he felt that it was just the expected thing that someone with the Spatial Kingdom would think about improving their strength as much as possible.


    At the same time, it was much more exciting and opportunistic for him that Minos would fight even more battles in the future. These would be opportunities for him to enjoy himself and achieve new things.


    Therefore, while he listened to several of Ruth and Minos'' conversations with each other and the local representatives, he did not try to change their minds even once.


    That went on for more than two hours until more representatives came to the Assembly, this time people who already had alliance agreements with the Stuart family, invited by Elen.


    Even some elders of the families represented by these people appeared in that place, accompanying their juniors, interested in this unprecedented event that Minos was leading.


    But in the midst of this, the first powerful opponents of Minos and his family finally came into contact with the information coming from the battlefield between Vogel and Cromwell!


    When they found out about Minos'' intentions to come to this capital, these people immediately began to move, sending men to the Assembly and the Black Plain posts!


    "Arrest everyone and prevent Minos Stuart from entering the Assembly!" One of the local patriarchs said this before leaving for that place.

 Chapter 1458 Order In The House

    After several local leaders learned about Minos and Abe Vogel''s war situation, the local powers immediately began to react to the information that the emperor was coming to the capital.


    Several low-level Spiritual Saints moved towards the posts where Minos'' men were living and working in the vicinity to surround them and keep them in preventive detention.


    Meanwhile, the high-level representatives and members of each local noble family moved toward the Assembly building, intending to occupy the place and prevent Minos from entering later.


    They knew Minos was coming to this city accompanied by powerful Spiritual Saints, who were either stronger or would give them a lot of trouble.


    As such, they had to first occupy the local government headquarters and ensure that crucial information would not be released. Then resolve the situation as best they could for their side.


    Minos was not entirely without powers in this place, and these people knew they could have their plans significantly disrupted if he succeeded.


    Therefore, even though he did not have absolute powers and the local advantage was still in favor of those opposed to Minos, the local powers did not mess around in rushing to resolve this matter!


    ...


    When the first local leaders arrived at the Assembly building in the middle of the night, they immediately noticed that the place looked a bit strange.


    There were fewer guards around, and those guarding the area looked scared.


    One of these leaders then questioned. "What is the situation? Why are there so few of you around here?"


    One of the guards remembered Minos'' threats and thought carefully about what to answer.


    ''Senior Walsh won''t kill me if I lie to him and he finds out about Minos'' situation... But that fellow might do that if he finds out I didn''t follow his orders.''


    Gulp!


    "No big deal, senior Walsh. We''re just in the middle of changing shifts, and some of the fellows are finishing changing clothes or eating..." He gave a lame excuse.


    Those first arrivals at this place found this strange, but they did not insist on standing around chatting outside the Assembly.


    Whatever the problem was, they would eventually find out later.


    The crucial thing now was to protect this place from Minos and his men, who would arrive in this city very soon.


    With these thoughts, more than 20 individuals, most of them mid-level Spiritual Saints, entered the oval building and headed toward where most of the representatives were supposed to be.


    But as they entered, they were all surprised to find almost half of the seats in that area occupied, with a few people barely seen around in the center of the Assembly.


    When they saw Minos sitting next to Ruth and Abby around the center table, with the level 78 Spiritual Saint standing behind them, these people immediately opened their mouths in shock.


    "Minos!" One of them suddenly shouted, forgetting the proper term to refer to the emperor, while having this great surprise.


    Minos had traveled to the Flaming Empire via teleportation arrays several times. But he had always used the common teleportation ports of this area of Vogel.


    So these people did not think he would get to this place so quickly. After all, they had sabotaged the local teleportation ports when they found out what was about to happen between Minos and Abe.


    But Minos had prepared in advance and tricked all of them!


    Hence, each of those level 75 and 76 individuals were looking seriously at Minos, sure that this move of his would bring even more damage to them than they had thought.


    Minos heard someone calling his name and looked in the direction of the first 20 individuals arriving at the Assembly who were not his allies.


    "I see more representatives have arrived on the side of their elders." He said loudly, silencing the many people in the surrounding area. "At this rate, it won''t be long before we begin our session."


    One of those men did not like how casually Minos handled the situation and walked toward that fellow. "Your Majesty, what is the meaning of this? Are you breaking the agreements of our state?"


    "My state, you meant." Minos corrected him before continuing. "But where am I breaking our agreements, Mister Row? I am merely visiting the Assembly to fulfill my duties as sovereign."


    "Your Majesty likes jokes." Another person said. "That has never happened before... So, how are you assuming your duties?"


    "Hmm, Your Majesty, you are one thread away from breaking the agreements you signed with us. You''d better back off before the heavens decide to punish you." A woman from the Guzman family appeared there and said this while already standing with the former Assembly President at her side.


    More of Minos'' opponents had arrived at this place, but he would not stop these people from coming and going. He needed enough people to make his speech and get the minimum audience to propose a vote.


    Since he was following the rules of this place, he would not simply set off into a contest of strength with these individuals.


    "You are agitated, my subjects of Vogel." He stood up and said this as the level 78 Spiritual Saint took a step forward, drawing the attention of those people.


    Minos continued. "I am not breaking any agreements with the local powers. I''m just here to improve our relationship since I''ve heard disturbing rumors..."


    "At the same time, I have something amazing to announce to the members of the Assembly, so naturally, I took its command to do that."


    "So what? Are you going to say I can''t use the instruments you created?" He laughed.


    Some of those people clenched their fists, while other elders from local families, who were already there, voiced their thoughts.


    "Let''s stop this. His Majesty is just following what we created, and so far, he hasn''t done anything beyond that to risk breaking our agreements." A level 75 elder from a family on Minos'' side said in his defense.


    "Nonsense, your family is clearly interested in the degradation of the kingdom for your own benefit!" The former president shouted beside his elder.


    "Tsk!"


    "Brat, don''t think you can talk to me like that!"


    "What are you saying, Egbert?" The level 76 woman asked as she looked menacingly at that person.


    After seeing that, the high-level Spiritual Saint next to Minos released a bit of his cultivation to pressure over much of that place and said. "Silence!"


    Even the old foxes, about to get weird in that place, looked at that man who shouted and temporarily made silence.


    Getting that, that expert from the Gray Clouds Sect, whom almost no one there knew, became silent and let Minos speak.


    "Those who are here to cause trouble, I invite you to leave this place. I will not tolerate any lack of respect and decorum in my presence." He said, looking in that woman''s direction.


    She clenched her fists, feeling that it was very easy for Minos to use that excuse while being escorted by that person.


    But then, Abby got a piece of information and told her husband. "Honey, we have more than enough representatives here to get started."


    ...

 Chapter 1459 The Speech

    When he heard his wife''s warning, Minos signaled for everyone to sit down, and he stood up, intending to begin his speech.


    After he did this, the people in the area sat up and began to pay attention to him, even though many were against all of this.


    For now, he would only speak, and he really had the right to do so. So even Minos'' opponents fell silent to hear what he had to say.


    Meanwhile, more people were arriving at this place. Still, when they noticed the situation, they held back, trying to understand it amidst their surprise.


    Minos then began to make his speech.


    "Well, Vogel representatives, as many of you already know, the empire has just won its fight against Abe Vogel''s terrorist group." He said as he looked from one side of the area to the other. "Hours ago, a Spiritual Church Cardinal confirmed Abe''s death and the likely departure of the enemy Spiritual Sage from our territory."


    "Because of this, I announce to you the end of the conflicts and the beginning of a new era for all of us."


    ''New era? What is he talking about?'' The former Assembly President thought to himself, considering that only a conflict was ending.


    That was not worthy of marking the beginning or the end of an era for the empire or any territory.


    Many people in the surroundings thought about that as well but continued to pay attention to Minos'' words.


    "For now, we are weak within the Central Continent and Spiritual World. But soon, my government will bring opportunities rarely seen in the area and establish the Black Plain Army as a prominent continental force."


    "It will only be a matter of time before our original soldiers become Spiritual Saints. At the same time, the high-level members of the Gray Clouds Sect will advance toward a new stage."


    "Those who stand by my side will surely enjoy those opportunities, directly or indirectly." Minos gestured to that stunned audience.


    Even the representatives who had already committed to voting favorably for Minos could not help but doubt him after his words. After all, he had just talked about advancement to the 9th stage!


    That was not something trivial!


    Even the Flaming Empire, which was better than Vogel, had only produced a Spiritual Sage after Harold had ventured into the Flowers Kingdom.


    On the other hand, Vogel was poorer than Harold''s state and had barely managed to nurture 2 level 77 Spiritual Saints before the fall of the Vogel family.


    Considering such things, Minos'' words impressed, positively or negatively, many people there!


    "How is he going to accomplish that?" Someone whispered to one of his colleagues sitting next to him.


    "I don''t know, something like that is not simple... He''s probably bluffing."


    "But..."


    "But he''s said similar things before and ended up keeping his promises." Another person argued in a whispering tone.


    "You can''t trust Minos. He''s too slippery and always trying to benefit. So maybe he is just trying to fool us after he has built up such a track record."


    "But we can''t ignore his record..."


    As some elders talked among themselves, Minos continued. "Now, with the end of that conflict, peace around the region, and decreased tensions with the Flaming Empire, we can focus on ourselves. And with that, the Bank of the Black Plain will begin to distribute resources to the affected areas, and we will begin to develop the empire again."


    The Bank of the Black Plain was no longer just an economic power in the northern region. This institution already had enough resources to even move some less prestigious noble families from Vogel and other states in the area.


    Knowing this, Minos intended to use such an institution to attract more people to his side.


    "With the financial power we currently have, we can help our most capable and willing allies of the empire with resources essential to their development."


    "With the return of peace, things never before seen in Vogel and other states in the area will become possible within the empire!"


    "To begin, we will direct 100 million medium-grade crystals to help the powers of Vogel recover from these difficult times and promote their strengths for the sake of the empire."


    Gulp!


    ''100 million?'' Some elders there swallowed their saliva after those words.


    This amount was more significant than the total revenue of several smaller noble families in this area, even considering years of hard work.


    As several of these organizations were represented in the Assembly, many individuals were interested in that.


    ''Bastard!''


    ''He''s trying to buy off the representatives of the smaller families in front of all of us!'' The woman next to the former leader of the Assembly thought as she clenched her fists.


    Even by the local standard, 100 million medium-grade crystals were a lot. That was worth about a billion low-grade crystals, enough to create several large cities from scratch on the Black Plain.


    Considering the amount''s relevance, everyone there knew that this was a blatant bribe on Minos'' part.


    But Minos had no problem with that and continued. "But beyond that, there will be opportunities for explorations of new lands and resources for those who stand by our side."


    "That''s for our allies. Those who decide to move against the empire''s progress will naturally fall behind." He became more serious, looking at his opponents in the area.


    "They won''t have any opportunities and will eventually find themselves outnumbered by their fellow neighbors."


    "That is the fate of those who go against progress!"


    "Tsk!"


    "What nonsense!" One of the elders from one of the strongest families in Vogel got up from his seat and walked out of that place, finding it rather presumptuous of Minos to speak such things.


    It was true that Minos now had the Gray Clouds Sect, but even with that, it would be long before the Black Plain forces reached the level needed to cause all that.


    Even more, it would take a long time for Minos to be able to ''produce'' Spiritual Saints native to the northern region. Consequently, it would take a while for him to cause trouble for them without being limited by the Edwardstone family.


    Knowing this, he and others there were not bearing Minos'' words and soon stood up so as not to continue under the current ''torture.''


    But as much as some were angry, others were delighted.


    Not only was this an excellent opportunity for several people and organizations, but it was also a way for some powers to put more fire into the local succession dispute.


    Some powers had an advantage over others, so it was natural that the weaker ones in the dispute would like problems that brought opportunities to them.


    Minos noticed the place becoming more agitated and said. "In any case, whoever is willing to develop, I accept you with open doors. The empire will transform your lives."


    "As for those moving away, I wish you good luck. The future alone and isolated may not be as good as you imagine." He saw those people turning to him and looking at him hatefully but did nothing, maintaining his posture.


    "With that, I propose a vote..."

 Chapter 1460 Vogels Problem

    ''Voting? What is he talking about?'' The former president thought to himself upon hearing that. ''Any vote he takes now can be undone in two days... What''s the sense in wasting his time on this?''


    Other individuals were also thinking the same as this level 69 fellow. Still, the more experienced ones there were a bit worried, considering Minos'' track record.


    ''What will he do?'' The matriarch of the Guzman family wondered while keeping her expression serious, staring at Minos.


    Minos then picked up a piece of paper that Abby had finished writing and placed it on a support that was there in front of him.


    He smiled as he read it, noticing that, as he had thought, the leaders of the Assembly had been acting a bit far than they should.


    It was not enough to make other families punish them, but it was enough to create doubt in the minds of those harmed by it.


    That was enough for Minos right now!


    "Representatives of Vogel, I have in hand documents that prove that the representatives of the strongest families of Vogel have been increasing their own powers and benefits at a rate above acceptable."


    "The houses Guzman, Francis, and Presley are acting on the sly to lower tax collections for their families while maintaining the same costs for houses like Caroll and Burke." He first quoted the names of the largest noble families in the territory and then spoke the names of two of the smallest.


    Not every issue was voted on in the Assembly. Only the most important ones, with significant weight for the state. But this house had some duties similar to those of the royal family, which gave it room to administer part of Vogel.


    That is, not only Minos could change a fraction of the state''s tax collections, debt collections, and transfer of territories. The Assembly could do some of that as well, which was basically in the hands of the President and Directors.


    That was a less bureaucratic way of doing things so that this house could more quickly take measures that were effective in fulfilling a short-term goal.


    For example, suppose a noble family went through a calamity, and the local leaders felt it was too important to be abandoned. In that case, such a measure could quickly decrease the pressures on that family.


    But this was a mechanism for abnormal events and should be used to not create unnecessary tensions in the state. At the same time, it should be used openly, not hidden, as had been the case with this issue.


    Minos continued as he showed the papers to the people in that place. "For the past three years, the three largest organizations in this state have received over 3% tax exemption!"


    "House Burke, meanwhile, has had three exemption requests denied after their experts died in the war against Abe."


    When Minos did this, the members of the most prominent families in the state immediately became even angrier, forming icy expressions on their faces.


    Simultaneously, the members of the smaller houses, many of whom were still in doubt about whether to support Minos, began to get angry as well, only for the unfair acts of those houses.


    Minos continued. "So, I propose this vote to decide whether the acts of Mister Guzman''s management are relevant to Vogel, whether they are in line with the interests of this house."


    "I have the impression that part of this house disagrees with that. Thus, I propose a vote on an amendment to the house rules to remove from the president''s hands the management of fee rebates and allocation of free state lands."


    "Further, I propose that future votes decide this privilege in this house transparently and fairly."


    "What? That''s unacceptable!"


    "That would make the process more difficult and bureaucratic!"


    "Yes, how will we deal with urgent matters if we are plastered by Assembly business?"


    Several voices defending the side of the most powerful in this state argued for things to continue as they were.


    Minos then said. "The imperial family is willing to control that privilege and use it appropriately if that house prefers."


    "Nonsense!"


    "That is a way for His Majesty to take benefits from us and increase his powers!" A level 76 elder said aloud, looking at the people in the surrounding area.


    Whatever Minos did there, it could be reversed after those two days by new votes in the future. However, considering the exposure of that problem, something proven by data, it changed the whole situation for those powerful people interested in continuing to be privileged.


    After all, if Minos won the vote, even after he left, it would be complicated to reverse such a thing based on the feelings of injustice of the smaller families.


    Also, as much as the Assembly had relatively more powers than the local sovereign, in extreme cases, the imperial family could take over these families if they threatened peace in the territory. So even if these greater powers threatened the smaller houses, that could justify for Minos to act directly against them!


    And hell, that was all Minos wanted right now.


    With the support of the Gray Cloud Sect elders, it would be a walk in the park for him to defeat some of these families.


    In this situation, the local high-level powers were naturally worried about Minos'' attack.


    Minos'' defenders there began to counter-attack those trying to make him look like the fox trying to take control of the hen house.


    "His Majesty is trying to rid the state of abusers of power!"


    "Yes, high-ranking families want to develop at the expense of our homes, even when they already have the best equipment, land, resources..."


    "Tsk!"


    "As expected! This house''s privileges should increase equality between the powers in the state, but the damned are acting like royalty!"


    One of the angriest of the Guzman family then said. "You people are naive. That is the world of the strong. So what if we increase benefits for our homes? Our families are the strongest in the state and keep things in order here!"


    Minos smiled upon hearing that.


    It was true that the most powerful could do as they pleased in this world, and the weaker ones could not complain much, or they would be at serious risk. But none of these families in Vogel were as strong as a royal house, an organization that naturally had more power than the others and, therefore, could have such privileges.


    At the same time, the sovereign house of this state was getting stronger by leaps and bounds. So the position of these major local families was somewhat unstable for that man to justify himself in such a way.


    The strongest people there soon realized this man''s mistake and closed their eyes the moment before the tempers of the other elders in the area exploded.


    "Hahaha, very funny. Does your Guzman family, by any chance, think they are the royal household? I will not accept my Skeldon family being subjugated by people of your level, Guzman!" An old man stood up and let part of his spirit escape.


    A black-haired woman added. "I accept that your families are important to Vogel. But you are far from the level that I will get down on my knees and agree to sacrifice myself for you."


    "Your Majesty, I want to be the first to vote!" She walked toward the place where the representatives could go to speak. "I make it a point to be the first to vote for Your Majesty''s proposals!"


    ...

 Chapter 1461 The Voting

    When that woman addressed her words to Minos, the conversations in the area, shouting from both sides in this argument, subsided as the level 78 Spiritual Saint made his presence known.


    Minos smiled and said. "Well then, let''s start the voting with the representatives from each family present here."


    Elders could vote as representatives, as each local noble organization with Spiritual Saints in its ranks was entitled to a similar number of representatives as their experts. In this case, it was enough for that woman to use the credential of one of her family''s representatives to vote on her own without hindering the procedure initiated by Minos.


    So, at the sovereign''s words, the people in the area fell silent, knowing that from now on, the matter would be decided by vote.


    That woman would be the first to vote. Still, after her, the Assembly would follow the voting by the seat of each representative, starting from the first row, the first seat on Minos'' right, until reaching the opposite side of the area.


    And with that, soon, the people there began to stand up to vote. They had to say yes or no to Minos'' questions.


    Were they in favor of taking away the Assembly''s privileges and passing them on to the Stuart family? Was it fair what the Assembly leaders had done? Did they approve the amendment to the Assembly bylaws proposed by Minos?


    The vote began without many there having a clear idea of what the outcome would be since the Assembly was very divided on this situation.


    While this was going on, all those who had come with Minos from the battlefield between Vogel and Cromwell were already on the outskirts, watching their leader''s plans unfold.


    At first, with the fall of the Vogel family, the most likely fate of that then kingdom would be civil war.


    After all, there was not much difference between the strongest powers in this state. At that time, factions quickly had been made before Minos became their best option.


    This state was in serious danger of going into civil war, and eventually, the winner would end up being dominated by the Flaming Empire easily.


    Fortunately for the locals, Minos had shown himself and lessened the tensions between the local families, who wanted the position of ruler for themselves while not accepting the idea of subordinating themselves to others.


    As said before, they were not so different. Hence, pride, but also greed, prevented them from accepting a ruler similar to them.


    Just because of this, the idea of Minos becoming the ruler calmed the situation in Vogel and made this state continue as one.


    He was someone from the outside who could not easily control them and was less likely to use his position to dominate them at the time. At the same time, since no one else could fulfill his role, he had become the local savior, with no one standing against him at the time.


    Time had passed, but Vogel''s situation had not changed.


    That was still a state full of powers with similar strengths which would not easily accept losing their position.


    And even with the experience of dividing the local power among themselves, this did not change the greed of the local leaders, who wanted to make their families the new ruler.


    Minos knew that the peace in Vogel was fragile and could easily be destroyed if the right words were said to the necessary people for the worst to happen.


    As someone who wanted to keep what he had won, he was taking the reins of the matter and playing the various sides in this conflict against each other before war broke out.


    What would be the consequence of this? Well, Minos judged that these people would either accept civil war and its risks or choose to ''sail'' quietly in his ''boat.''


    The second option was clearly the best since either way, he could overpower them later, after a local weakening caused by the war!


    And with that, as people voted, he was the happiest of all, smiling at those people.


    ''In any case, if you rebel, I can intervene without my contracts limiting me. If you try to force each other, I can interfere. If you vote with me, I will increase my powers...'' He pondered, while the score in his favor was already 70 to 46.


    But there was only one possibility for these powers to keep Minos at bay at the moment!


    That was the possibility that they would unite in a government following the parameters of the Assembly itself without having a single leader over that territory.


    The problem with that? One side did not trust the other!


    When the major families took advantage of local opportunities to strengthen themselves, someone would eventually try to return to the previous autocratic model.


    That would not happen in the short term since it would take time for these powers to strengthen to that extent. But someone would eventually take the space left by the Vogel family.


    In this case, the fate of that area was either to be dominated by a greater force, Minos or to experience civil war and still face this threat to the north.


    With this knowledge, many still uncertain people voted for Minos, choosing the less chaotic path ahead of them.


    They had once stood by his side, so why risk standing against him and watching the local situation degrade?


    Chaos brought opportunity, but many would disappear before it ended!


    So, in the blink of an eye, more than 300 individuals had already voted in favor of Minos, giving him enough to change the rules of the Assembly and increase his own powers a little.


    Seeing this situation, the Guzman family elders were silent, their faces so dark that the representatives of this family could not say anything for fear of angering them further.


    ''Danmed Minos!''


    ''He the whole time was against us!''


    ''He always wished to take Vogel and knew that one day he would get the strength to do so!'' That woman next to the former Assembly President thought as she looked toward where Minos, Abby, and Ruth were standing, with that level 78 expert behind them.


    ''What can we do now? When he leaves for Dry City, those damned families will keep making it harder for us!'' She looked over to the side of the Assembly where there were many of those she considered traitors to the motherland.


    They had fought for millennia not to be absorbed by the Flaming Empire, only for now many of their leaders to decide to be dominated by another empire...


    For these people with interest in taking local power, this was unacceptable!


    ''We have to think of something urgently, or before we do, we will have no choice but to kneel in front of Minos!''


    The vote would last until dawn in that city when Minos would finally end this session to release the local representatives temporarily.


    From this day forward, much of Vogel''s management would change in favor of Dry City, with Minos emerging victorious for a second time in less than 24 hours.


    But the people of Vogel would prove to be the biggest beneficiaries of all from such events!

 Chapter 1462 Positioning

    While Minos continued to deal with Vogel''s affairs in that territory''s capital during the 48 hours he had to act freely, the nobles of this place had already sent messages to other territories.


    In particular, those harmed by Minos'' actions had informed their allies, Albano, Rosser, and Blackrock, about Minos'' deeds, asking for help against his autocracy.


    With that, different concerns were on the minds of the leaders of the three states!


    ...


    In the capital of Albano, Queen West was with her heiress, dealing with the latest information coming from the Black Plain Empire, this place that was increasingly worrying them.


    They were benefiting from the agreements they had with Minos. Still, it was undeniable that the rapid development of the Stuart family scared anyone not deeply connected to it.


    Iris did not know if her kingdom would continue to have good business conditions or if she would end up in a terrible situation if Minos continued to prosper.


    In that case, her state could be surrounded by two states stronger than hers!


    With that, she and her heiress was trying to find a solution to their current uncertainties.


    "What can we do? If we support the powers of Vogel, our old allies, Minos may turn away from us, and the Black Plain Empire become less receptive." The Crown Princess said, for the first time in a long time, not knowing how to proceed with a situation.


    Iris agreed with her daughter''s words. "Not to mention that the current Black Plain is already more relevant than Vogel. But one side keeps developing, while the other is practically stagnant, like us."


    In this situation, it would seem obvious to stay on the progressing side, but there were risks in doing that as well. That is, that was a path with fewer problems at first. But it could become the fate they did not want, lose their autonomy, and be dominated by a greater force.


    Or not. Maybe Minos would be a good leader. They would have the minimum autonomy not to feel suffocated and benefit from losing part of their freedoms.


    On the other hand, the opposite option put them against the empire. If they made a mistake, they would end up being dominated, but this time by an enemy power, not an ally, which was much worse.


    No matter how attractive a path was, depending on the goals of the one thinking of taking it, they both had problems. So, those women needed to think carefully before choosing one.


    ...


    On the other hand, in Rosser, the queen was much more decided than Albano''s leader about which way to go.


    "Let''s side with Minos on that one." She said to her subordinates, not wanting to stand against Emperor Stuart and still have the Flaming Empire as her enemy.


    For this woman, it would not be worth being surrounded by enemies, one much stronger than her and the other still not so superior but constantly growing, far beyond what her people could.


    Hence, even if Vogel was an old partner, she could not help them in this situation.


    "But Your Majesty..." Someone tried to make this woman think about it a little more, but she did not listen.


    She said. "Vogel is already part of the Black Plain Empire. Those families themselves chose that. That way, I won''t be the one to meddle in Minos'' affairs when he is just dealing with his territory."


    "Besides, from what I hear, Minos is following the rules agreed upon by the nobles of Vogel themselves!"


    This woman''s subordinates could not disagree with her after those words, feeling that as much as Minos'' action was not so simple, he was acting within the game''s rules.


    If Vogel''s powers were unwilling to abide by their own rules, then could they be trusted?


    That was a point that these people could not ignore!


    ...


    On the other hand, in Blackrock, the situation in the royal family was not as favorable to Minos as in Rosser.


    Blackrock did not border the Black Plain Empire and was not surrounded by enemy powers. Instead, this state bordered the Snow Kingdom, Albano, the Flaming Empire, the Evergreen Empire, and the East Sea.


    So even if the local powers found themselves in serious trouble, they would still have the opportunity to escape either through the East Sea or into the Evergreen Empire.


    The sovereigns of that state were under less pressure from Minos to ''forget'' their many years of history with Vogel.


    But the current situation was severe, and the king was worried!


    "We will send one group of envoys to Dry City and another to the capital of Vogel." He said this from his royal throne room, ordering his men to move. "I want to talk to both sides and understand if there are options for dialogue before we make a final decision on the matter."


    Besides not being surrounded by enemies, Blackrock was the largest and most powerful alliance state among those enemies of the Flaming Empire. Therefore, the local sovereign, although favorable to Vogel, was not in such a hurry and wanted to settle the matter without taking a vigorous stand already at first.


    "But Your Majesty, we cannot underestimate the Black Plain." A level 77 elder said this. "Currently, Minos Stuart is the master of the Gray Clouds Sect, an organization that is very close to us..."


    The territory of Oswald''s sect was on the southeasternmost side of the Flaming Empire, which bordered the southwesternmost area of Blackrock.


    The state''s capital was not in that area, but on the coast, near the border with the Evergreen Empire. But still, that was not a great distance, and that sect was one of the main opponents that this state had to worry about in times of war with the Flaming Empire.


    The king said. "I know. But the forces of that sect are subdivided between the Flaming Empire and the territory of Minos. So they are not a danger to us."


    "Sigh..."


    "But let''s prepare ourselves in case our current ally decides to turn against us and begin a journey of conquest through the central region."


    With those orders, the men in the surrounding area rushed from there to settle this matter, a little tense since ever since Minos had appeared in their lives, trouble kept catching up with them.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the capital of the Flaming Empire...


    Isabella was meeting with the staff of her family''s supreme elder, having finished hearing about her man''s recent accomplishments.


    Considering his victory against Abe and the action against Vogel, she and everyone there was satisfied, as Minos seemed willing to fulfill the agreement he had made with Harold earlier.


    This state was still interested in defeating the enemies to the north, so seeing one of them being ''subdued'' by the master of one of their sects was good news.


    The only downside of it all was that Minos was not as loyal to them as they would have liked...


    But better an ally than an enemy!


    "Now, let''s talk about the situation in the Gray Clouds Sect. Soon the house arrestment of the elders and the sect master will end, and they will be able to act more freely. But, on the other hand, the leader of this organization has sent us the proposal..."


    They continued there dealing with local matters.

 Chapter 1463 Months Of Peace

    After the previous affairs in the Assembly of Vogel, Minos and his family stayed for two days in that territory''s capital before leaving for the Dry City.


    During this time, they made several proposals for agreements with the noble families that had taken a favorable position towards them in the previous votes.


    The Stuart family had not missed the opportunity to ''win over'' the last undecided in this local situation. Minos promised things they could and even those they could not promise in the short term...


    But that did not matter to them. As long as they eventually gained a better position than the current one, they could keep every promise they made.


    So they had left the capital of Vogel to return to their affairs in the empire''s core, which they had much to develop now that Abe was no longer a problem.


    In the midst of all this, they received notifications from the royal houses of Albano and Rosser, both of these states deciding to be on their side.


    Both royal houses sent congratulations regarding the end of the conflict with Abe and appreciation for the way he had dealt with Vogel.


    A sovereign had to take care of his territory and ensure its integrity!


    But Blackrock was not so pleased with the situation. Although it congratulated Minos on his victory against Abe, it made a point of expressing its concerns about Vogel.


    Representatives from each of these territories were heading to the Black Plain Empire at the moment. Still, for now, nothing more would happen, and the situation was somewhat complicated.


    But this was more worrying for the powers opposed to Minos in Vogel than for this emperor. That was because, after he and his family had left that city, the Assembly had returned to its normal functioning but retained all the results of previous votes.


    In this situation and with part of their historical allies siding with House Stuart, the local powers were scrambling for alternatives while feeling the changing times.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the Eastern Empire...


    The Spiritual Sage who had protected Abe had finally returned to his post, where he was facing one of his superiors.


    He was reporting the final results of his failed mission, frustrated to the max, even considering that he would not be punished just for what had happened.


    A few years thrown away because of one mistake or failure was no big deal for experts capable of living for thousands of years. So even in this situation, the organization behind this person had only made a mistake regarding the location of the investigation for a fraction of the time and would now focus on other alternatives.


    "... And that''s what happened, senior." He finished his report to the level 90 Spiritual Demigod in front of him, extremely crestfallen at having lost to a level 69 young man.


    That peak expert finished recording the reports of this subordinate and said. "His Majesty already knows that your situation was not easy, Mick. The Church was on our tail the whole time, and the young Emperor Stuart managed to make his bet work out... It''s not your fault."


    "I appreciate the senior''s words." Mick made a gesture of thanks, even though he did not feel that way.


    "Anyway, now that you have spent some time in that region, His Majesty has passed on to you a new mission related to Minos Stuart."


    "What?" Mick looked wide-eyed at that Spiritual Demigod in front of him, not expecting to receive a new mission right after he returned.


    "You are the one who knows Emperor Stuart the most, and now His Majesty wishes to receive updates on this young prodigy." That level 90 man was straight to the point. "From now on, your job will be to stay in control of the group observing the Black Plain Empire."


    "For now, avoid contacts. Just observe. But if that fellow leaves the Church territory, immediately try to contact him and invite him to visit the empire."


    Gulp!


    ''You''ve got to be kidding!'' Mick looked into that elder''s eyes but could not say anything, extremely shocked by it.


    "If he is contacted by the people of the Quinn family and begins a journey towards that state, notifies us. We will send a group to deal with him!"


    With those words, the Spiritual Demigod disappeared from Mick''s front, leaving this man with several questions on his mind, frozen in that place for several minutes.


    ''Sigh...''


    ''I didn''t even get a break, and now I''ll have to watch that slippery fellow.''


    ''What a life!''


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, 20 months had passed since Abe Vogel''s death!


    In that period, nothing much of note happened other than the progress of the territories of the northern region of the Central Continent, in particular the area of the Black Plain Empire.


    After Minos'' actions at Vogel and victory against the terrorists, the emperor had done what he had promised his wives. He had quieted his actions and focused on solving problems in the central part of his state while focusing on his advancement to the 8th stage.


    He had not yet reached level 70 but was very close to it, while Abby and Ruth had reached level 69, and Gloria had advanced to level 73 in the intervening months.


    Meanwhile, the situation in Vogel remained problematic. But after so many months since Minos'' passage there, the local nobles and the powers allied with the emperor and the noble families of Vogel realized that he would not act so vigorously after Abe''s defeat.


    Many feared he would start a conflict in the region, which might spur the Flaming Empire to attack and create the perfect situation for a bloody war.


    But Minos had barely left Dry City in this period, and the progress of his state''s key members had become a secret to those without access to the Spatial Kingdom and the empire''s core. As such, everyone thought that Minos just wanted to keep Vogel in his territory without using aggressive attitudes, and although there were still tensions, the situation was better in each of these states involved.


    As for the northern states, they had again benefited from the growth of the Black Plain, with the return of migrations and progress of business conditions.


    At the same time, the local royal families had returned their plans to join the Black Plain Empire.


    In these intervening months, the Cromwell and Brown areas had developed considerably with the migrations to that state and investments made by Minos.


    As the Minos government had become ''accustomed'' to administering those areas, those states were already considering time for the Black Plain to absorb them. With that, everyone wanted to volunteer to be next in line.


    Through it all, Minos'' territory had prospered along with its high-level members, and now, on the eve of his first attempt to advance to the 8th stage, the local moods could not be better.


    There were still problems to be solved, but never before had this territory been in such a favorable position!

 Chapter 1464 Time To Advance

    In the core of Dry City...


    Today was a special day for this place, as Minos would attempt for the first time to advance to the 8th stage and allow his soldiers to watch, as he had done upon reaching the 6th stage.


    Since he would use this advancement to promote his innate ability with the use of Saint-grade medicine, there would be immense benefits for those who assisted him.


    Not only for those weaker than him but even for some individuals a few levels above Minos'' could benefit from the Natural Laws he would absorb to achieve a qualitative evolution.


    At the same time, the Saint-grade medicine would release large amounts of spiritual energy that he could not absorb due to his ''low'' level. Then the special room that the army had prepared for him to advance would become extremely rich after the consumption of such medicine to nurture those below level 70.


    And with that, the hundreds of individuals who would have the opportunity to absorb this energy were as happy as Minos himself!


    But even those who would be watching this whole event were happy, which in itself made the mood in this central part of the Black Plain somewhat memorable and joyful.


    The streets of the area protected by the local dome were filled with soldier families enjoying the day as if it were a weekend.


    Meanwhile, many soldiers from the Black Plain Army and local police were working.


    But not only these less prestigious members of the local forces were preparing. As Minos would advance outside the Spatial Kingdom, the Spiritual Saints of the Gray Clouds Sect were already positioned to maintain a security perimeter on this day.


    As such, more than ten individuals between level 74 and level 76 were on the outskirts of the Dry City core, while three high-level Spiritual Saints were inside the dome, around Minos.


    Among them, Oswald was there.


    After the period that had passed, Oswald finally handed over all the functions of the leader of the Gray Clouds Sect to his grandson and disaffiliated himself from such an organization.


    As such, Minos currently had full powers over that sect, while Maisie had become the matriarch of the Coleman family.


    Precisely because of this, he was there beside his grandson without being part of that organization, being there only as someone who was saying goodbye to his grandson before leaving on his new journey.


    Oswald had planned to try to help Harold. So now that his sect was in Minos'' hands and this young man was going to advance, he intended to go to the Flowers Kingdom.


    Anyway, as Minos walked toward the place where he would try his advance inside the headquarters of the Black Plain Army, Oswald was at his side, talking to him.


    "After today, when you are finished recovering, I will set out toward those women''s kingdom." He said to Minos as he looked out over the beautiful central streets of Dry City.


    Hearing that, Patience, who was also there, and was currently at level 76, did not like that. Still, considering how stubborn her husband was, she just turned her face sideways and said nothing.


    On the other hand, the grandson of these two asked. "Are you sure about this? With the things happening to me, I will stay in the northern region for at most another year before I leave for that kingdom to try to rescue Isabella''s father."


    "Then you don''t need to worry about that. You''d better stay in the Black Plain or move on with your retirement, as you had planned."


    Staying on the Black Plain would be best for both of them. Oswald knew this since he already knew how his grandson had become so impressive.


    Minos had revealed the Spatial Kingdom to the rest of the core of the Gray Clouds Sect, including, of course, his closest relatives.


    Because of this, Oswald and Maisie already knew about the Spatial Kingdom and had trained there a few times.


    They had also understood why it would be worthwhile for the sect to move to the Black Plain, where they could be closer to Minos and this shrine of cultivation.


    But even considering that possibility, Oswald had promised the imperial family elders that he would try to do something about Harold. So he could not change his promise now.


    "No. If you can make it in time to stop me from committing myself, I will pass that responsibility on to you. But until then, I will begin the attempt to rescue His Majesty." That old fellow with white hair and a beard said in a determined tone.


    With those words, he made Maisie clench her fists in frustration that she could do nothing to help her father or son.


    She was now at level 75, a level she had never expected to reach so quickly before she learned about her son''s possibilities.


    But even though she had become quite strong in the last few years and even learned some Golden-grade techniques from him, she was still quite weak to help them.


    As she walked beside Sarah, who had grown quite a bit after her seventh birthday, this brown-haired woman was quite serious.


    On the other hand, Minos'' wives were all smiles, pleased with the day their husband had reached the absolute peak of the 7th stage and raised the mastery of his techniques to the highest he could.


    They had great confidence that he would advance on his first attempt, as his talent guaranteed him no bottlenecks in his stage. Then after today, he would reach a level that would give him the strength to deal with the empire''s current problems, something they had long wanted to resolve to have a little more peace.


    While different moods could be felt around Minos, he and his group arrived at the place from where he would start his advance.


    There, Abby''s parents, Eliot Miller, level 66, and Nicole Miller, level 64, were on the outskirts together with several soldiers and allies of Minos. They would be part of the team of those who would take advantage of the situation of his advance.


    But not only were these individuals around, but some of the Gray Clouds Sect elders who had benefited from the Spatial Kingdom in recent years and advanced levels were also around.


    Virtually all of the Spiritual Saints who had come to the Black Plain before Abe''s death and were still around had advanced one cultivation level in that time.


    Because of this, Minos had already done the first exchange with the imperial family of the Flaming Empire, having exchanged a few of his experts for several Spiritual Saints from his sect.


    With this move, from the little over 40 8th-stage cultivators of that sect in the Black Plain Empire, Minos now had 70 individuals of that stage around his territory.


    "Minos, good luck in your advancement." A large fox with seven tails on its rear, level 69, said this to Minos as he saw it stopping beside him.


    Minos also saw Kyla standing next to Emlyn, that young fox who had already reached level 65. "Big brother, soon I will reach the 8th stage too!" That being said, already ready to watch Emperor Stuart''s advancement and, who knows, maybe get an advancement for itself later.


    "Hmm, thank you all. Then, I''ll ask you to get ready, and we''ll start everything immediately."


    ...

 Chapter 1465 Beginning Of The Evolution

    When Minos said those words, everyone around that level of the headquarters cultivation tower fell silent, looking forward to the beginning of his breakthrough.


    He turned to his wives and nodded to them, indicating that he would begin in a moment. "Well, that''s my time. I hope I don''t disappoint everyone."


    Oswald, Maisie, and the other individuals there who were closest to Minos knew that this was him being modest, so they said nothing, while those who knew the sovereign least spoke words of support.


    Minos ignored the many comments and entered the cultivation room, quickly removing most of his clothes and staying only with his underwear.


    He then sat down on a cultivation cushion. He made a meditative position before removing the Saint-grade medicine from his spatial ring.


    As he did so, Emperor Stuart looked around that place. He saw each of those people in that place with him with their eyes closed, circulating their cultivation techniques to take advantage of the opportunity as soon as possible.


    ''Time to get started...'' Minos thought to himself as he looked at the medicine in his hands. ''After that, everything will change!''


    He inhaled the air in the surroundings deeply and closed his eyes. Then he began to eat that medicine, doing so with an expression of disgust.


    Spiritual medicines had terribly bad tastes, so even someone already used to eating these items would feel disgusted.


    Since Minos had not eaten many such resources, his resistance to it was not high, and soon his face was pale, with him forcing himself not to vomit.


    He had sealed off his senses before he began to ''taste'' that medicine that looked like a pear, but that only diminished the terrible taste to an ''acceptable'' level.


    ''The taste is still terrible...'' He thought as he swallowed the first few pieces, feeling chills run through his body.


    But after struggling for some time, Minos swallowed the last piece of that pear, shivering and sweating.


    With that done, he began to focus on the medicine inside his body.


    After he ate that, he could not wait for long, or his body would try to absorb the energy from this resource. But Minos could not allow this since such a thing had more than 20 times the amount of energy that his body could support!


    Because of this, Minos had to hurry to use this energy to his advantage. Instead of absorbing it to strengthen his soul, he had to direct it to help the evolution of his cells.


    That was a tedious job because of the millimeter precision that Minos had to have, at the same time as what he had to endure pain. But that was not difficult. He just had to suppress his body and make the medicine energy slowly ''wash away'' all his cells!


    Solar God Breath!


    Minos activated his cultivation technique and began circulating his soul''s spiritual power through his body, slowly beginning the process of directing the medicine energy into the ''washing'' that his cells would need.


    As he did this, his body became increasingly reddish to the people watching him.


    Simultaneously, a stream of colorful spiritual energy was slowly forming in his surroundings, almost as if he were an extremely beautiful and brilliant quasar.


    Then the evolution began!


    Minos meticulously followed the process of using the energy released by the medicine to evolve his Physical.


    As every part of his body was immersed in a ''cloud'' of spiritual energy, almost all concentrated in a 2-meter radius space of his, his soul was increasing in size!


    Because of the special conditions for raising a Physique''s rank, Minos could only accomplish such a thing after reaching level 70.


    His mutated Physique would only ''open the doors'' for such an evolution during stage advancement.


    However, Emperor Stuart could not wait for that to happen to begin the process, as he would risk missing the opportunity.


    But he was already only one step away from reaching the limit of spiritual power to reach level 70. So, when the process was happening in his body, he broke through his limit and reached the 8th stage!


    With this event, every cell under pressure from the Saint-grade Medicine spiritual energy began to transform as extreme pain spread throughout Minos'' body.


    With that, Minos'' appearance began to change, with him expressing pain as every muscle in his body contracted.


    Emperor Stuart''s soul was expanding and contracting like a heart. But unlike what would happen with that organ, his soul became a little more voluminous each time this happened!


    That was not at all comfortable for Minos, but it was through this that he would grow stronger. Thus, he held on tight while the people in the area watched his evolution happen.


    ''Impressive!'' Oswald noticed the amount of energy being sucked into Minos'' body. ''His soul will be about 30% stronger than that of an ordinary level 70 Spiritual Saint...''


    Minos'' mother did not have as good senses as his father. Still, she could also sense that Minos'' level 70 was different from that of ''ordinary'' people.


    Then she put aside her weakness to smile in satisfaction at seeing her son becoming so powerful.


    While Minos endured all this suffering under the observation of those many people, his soul began to stabilize, reaching a volume equivalent to 100% of his body.


    Crack!


    Red beams of light began to enter Minos'' body, with the typical sound of level advancement resounding through that area, making those people realize what had just happened.


    ''Your Majesty is already at level 70!'' Several people within that room thought as they struggled not to lose control over their cultivation techniques.


    While people like Abby''s father and mother were trying not to pay more attention than they should to Minos'' advancement, changes in his body began to happen!


    Black goo began oozing out of his skin in large quantities, almost as if he had a tar source under his own skin...


    As the impurities poured out of Minos'' body, he was shaking and using his arms to keep from collapsing to the ground.


    "Ahhh!" Emperor Stuart''s first cry of pain resounded through that place.


    He then vomited blood, almost entirely black, as if it were another substance.


    But as he felt the spiritual cleansing generated by the stage advancement happening in his body, he quickly felt that his Physique was about to advance in rank!


    During this initial moment, he was enduring the pressure of the spiritual energy of that medicine. As soon as he had touched level 70, the evolution of his Physique was activated.


    The two processes were happening simultaneously. Because of this, the spiritual cleansing of his fleshy body and soul was much more efficient than it would be in other people who tried it differently!


    As a result, the number of toxins released was not small, spreading a strong odor throughout that place...

 Chapter 1466 The Evolution Of Physique

    While the hundreds of Spiritual Emperors in that cultivation room were trying to endure the disgusting smell of those toxins in Minos'' body, his body stopped releasing such impurities.


    At that moment, every black drop in his body was repelled overnight from his skin as if it were oil in water. Meanwhile, Minos'' white skin again showed itself to those watching him.


    This time, every inch of his body seemed to tremble as he experienced cellular control for the first time.


    Upon reaching the 8th stage, a cultivator could modify their body by will, so their appearance could be changed. For example, an elder near their death could look as young as a newborn baby if they so wished.


    But Minos had no interest in doing absurd things with his appearance. Thus, upon sensing this ability for a few moments, they quickly stabilized his body to its best version for his age.


    In any case, even though his appearance did not change that much, he now had a more powerful regeneration factor. At the same time, his endurance, flexibility, and other characteristics became more powerful.


    But while these changes were significant, the biggest one had occurred in the depths of his being, in his soul!


    With the advance to the 8th stage, Minos'' soul had finally ''blossomed'' and was now the same size as his body.


    What was the importance of this? From that point on, his soul and body were no longer one but two different things living in one body.


    This characteristic had several consequences, but one of the most notable was the fact that from this day forward, Minos would not be totally dependent on his body to continue living.


    If something happened to him, he could continue to exist in his soul form temporarily. Also, if he lost his body, he could possess a new body to enable him to have all the experiences of someone with a fleshy body.


    With such an impressive feature, this showed how fantastic the transformation from a Spiritual Emperor to a Spiritual Saint was!


    And with this new quality of part of himself, plus the evolution of his Physique that was still going on, he could already feel a tremendous power in his body.


    That was rapidly increasing, with Minos feeling as if the bonds of his Physique were loosening as if a ''new him'' was about to be released.


    "Ohhh!" With his eyes closed, he let out a sound of satisfaction. At the same time, he felt his Physique gradually reaching the Saint grade and the increase in energy due to his innate ability!


    Previously he had a 20% energy increase due to his innate ability. But now that his Physique was almost finished rising to the next rank, Minos felt that his energy increase had passed 30% and was continuing to rise!


    And while feeling all these sensations, Emperor Stuart quickly began to feel his compatibility with the Natural Laws increase, with a flow of invisible power penetrating his soul.


    "Feel that! His Majesty is increasing his compatibility with the Laws!" One of the high-level Spiritual Saints outside that cultivation room said, making everyone there listen to him.


    "Incredible! Minos'' understanding seems so dense that I feel as if my consciousness is floating on a boat in the middle of a grand ocean!" Maisie commented as she closed her eyes, feeling what was happening to her son with her soul probing.


    Gloria, Ruth, and Abby also felt the changes in Minos as they had smiles on their faces.


    Ruth then thought to herself. ''Now that his Physique has reached the Saint grade, the chances of him getting me pregnant will increase considerably...''


    Abby was also thinking of something similar since her biggest dream was to have children with Minos.


    While Minos'' first two wives had similar thoughts regarding his advancement, Gloria was thinking about how he had reached the requirement to finalize the bet with her mother.


    ''With this, perhaps we will achieve some benefits with my family to increase our influence within the Church...''


    While Minos'' grandparents smiled in satisfaction and accepted the Gray Clouds Sect elders'' congratulations, the emperor of this state was finalizing his evolution.


    He felt the increased compatibility of his soul with some of the Natural Laws, the space for a new technique arising in his being, and the evolution of his old techniques.


    Such a thing was very comfortable, and it seemed as if he had finally gotten the answers to part of his questions regarding how to use his techniques. But for now, he only had the theory and would need to put these findings to the test to learn of his new capabilities.


    ''I''m almost done...'' He thought.


    At the same time, he felt that most of the spiritual medicine energy had already left his body. Now, it was circulating in the surroundings while the people there were absorbing it.


    After another 15 minutes, all the energy of that Saint grade medicine left Minos'' body, and he felt the rating of his Physique stabilizing at Saint grade!


    The evolution of his Physique greatly changed the quality of the cells in Minos'' body. To have an idea, this was so intense that if one were to compare his before and after, it would be as if he had changed species!


    But besides the greatly strengthened physical characteristics, what had benefited most, there was Minos'' innate ability.


    When the evolution finally ended, the increase in energy from spiritual cultivation had stopped increasing when it reached the 40% mark. At the same time that Minos'' energy reserves had increased significantly, he felt a sensation that reminded him of the last time he had evolved his Physique.


    ''That...'' Minos looked down at his hands as he expressed surprise, sensing the auras of people throughout the headquarters'' cultivation tower and even people outside those headquarters facilities.


    He felt as if each of those fluctuations had gained great compatibility with his own from one hour to the next. Or maybe it was better to say that his compatibility had synchronized with those people''s.


    ''Uh? That... That feeling is as if...'' He finally understood what he had first felt when he reached level 50, and his mouth dropped open. "I can now manipulate the cultivation of those in my surroundings? How is that possible?" He wondered, while most people inside and outside that room were feeling strange because of his ability.


    "That... What''s happening to Minos?" His grandmother asked Oswald.


    "It seems he has awakened a new characteristic from his bloodline..." This old fellow commented, but without feeling the same as the other people there, because of his high cultivation and his own bloodline, which was not weak.


    But then, someone there shouted as he felt Minos'' manipulation.


    "Hey, my level is decreasing!" A person from the Gray Clouds Sect said in a tone of fear while turning pale.


    On the other hand, Eduard, currently at level 67, felt his level increase to level 69 in the blink of an eye.


    Because of this, he was just as or more shocked than the other individual, barely believing the sensation in his body.


    "My level... Gulp! My level has increased?" He asked aloud.


    The level 79 elder of the Gray Clouds Sect standing next to Oswald said. "Actually, his level has not increased. Minos seems to have transferred the power from that sect disciple to this army soldier."


    "That must be the case..." Other high-level Spiritual Saints agreed about this, while Minos himself felt the limits of his new characteristic.


    ...

 Chapter 1467 End Of The Advance

    ''So I can transfer the forces of one person to others within the limit of about 400 meters away from me...'' He realized with whom he could make this ''exchange'' and perceived the distance limit for such a thing to work.


    At the same time, Minos noted that he could simultaneously replicate what had happened with dozens of people at the level of those two. Still, he could do it with individuals stronger than himself as well. But then, for that, he could simultaneously do a much smaller number of power transfers.


    Realizing the basics of his new feature, he smiled in satisfaction.


    With that, he immediately began to pay attention to his increase in total power. Previously he had been totally focused on using that massive energy released by the spiritual medicine from before to evolve his Physique while increasing his cultivation stage. So he had not paid attention to how his characteristics had increased.


    But now that he had finished doing that, Emperor Stuart began to analyze his gains after that anomaly.


    ''My vitality has doubled once again, and now I can cultivate for longer per day. I don''t need to sleep or eat anymore...'' He thought as he counted his gains. ''With my current strength, even without my spiritual techniques, I am already as strong as a level 60 being.''


    "Hmm, now I''m probably faster and tougher than beasts below the 7th stage of cultivation." He muttered as he smiled.


    In fact, at the present moment, if he wanted to travel on foot, Minos could run for longer and at a higher speed than beasts below the 6th stage.


    This even without using his movement technique!


    Although he did not need this, such an ability was important to him since everyday things would become even easier if he could do this. For example, he would get less tired at work, be able to spend more time with his family, recover faster from injuries, train more, etc.


    The advantages of having a strong body were many since most of the cultivator''s life did not involve life-and-death fights but those everyday situations.


    After feeling the basics about his body, Minos stood up from where he was standing and used his spiritual energy to destroy all the toxins. At the same time, he was looking from one side to the other, seeing that those people were holding on tightly while taking advantage of this opportunity.


    But even though the smell of that place had become terrible, it did not take long for those soldiers to forget about it. With their advances, something similar to what had happened to Minos was happening to some of them...


    "They won''t be long..." Minos muttered as he watched Alina, who had now reached level 62!


    With this breakthrough, this woman crucial to the Black Plain Army''s weapons and artifact development could already disintegrate low-level grade-3 artifacts. And through this, she could give Minos'' forces essential resources to produce medium-level grade-3 items.


    On the other hand, Minos looked in Regina''s direction and saw this poison master managing to overcome her current bottleneck and reach level 67, achieving medium-level grade-3 classification!


    ''Hmm, very good. Everyone is managing to make the best of the opportunity.''


    Minos then waited in that cultivation room until those hundreds of people finally absorbed all the Saint-grade medicine energy.


    The amount of energy was tremendous, and even with the number of people there, it lasted almost an hour after his advancements ended.


    Since Minos had already finished his advance, most of the people there earlier to watch him had already left. After all, although there was a possibility that they would gain something by watching Minos'' advancement, the same was not valid for the advancements of those individuals.


    On the other hand, some people had made gains from watching Minos'' advancement, so they were eager to cultivate or train their techniques!


    Thus, when the last of those individuals finished their advance, there were hardly any people outside that cultivation room.


    With that, some rushed towards the army library, where part of them could learn one more spiritual technique that could significantly increase their powers.


    Anyway, everyone thanked Emperor Stuart before they left that place.


    Then Minos left and went to where his family and some elders of the Gray Clouds Sect were waiting for him outside that room, intending to go train on his property.


    In such a place, Minos intended to start learning his new technique and experience how his old techniques had improved after the recent improvements.


    He had not done this in the last few minutes so as not to disturb his people in that cultivation room from before. But, on the other hand, that room had been specially made for that circumstance. If he had opened the doors there, the medicine energy could have spread to the entire Dry City...


    That would not be interesting for the army and the emperor, so he had patiently waited for his men to finish their advances!


    ...


    "How are you feeling?" Ruth asked beside Gloria and Abby as they walked toward the imperial palace.


    Oswald, Patience, Maisie, two elders from the Gray Clouds Sect, and a dozen imperial guards were accompanying them. At the same time, people in the streets of that central area of Dry City were waving at them.


    Everyone there could sense Minos'' advancement to the 8th stage, so they were very excited, and several expressed this in their cries of support.


    Minos ignored this and said. "I feel complete. I can now manipulate the forces of those in my surroundings, and my own ability to increase energy has increased greatly."


    "I estimate that my total strength is already similar to that of an ordinary person near the latter part of the 8th stage."


    His innate ability was one of the main culprits for this increase in power. And as such, this man was confident in saying those words.


    However, he would save it for later to make more precise statements when he tested his skills in fights and training, something that could give him evidence that he was right.


    Anyway, after saying that, making the elders there look at him with admiration and respect, with his family smiling in satisfaction, he entered the imperial palace and went to the training area.


    ''First, I will test my techniques...'' He thought as he walked towards the fighting stage of his residence.


    At the same time, his spectators sat at one of the farthest points from Minos to watch him without hindering him.


    ''Now Minos should be able to fully suppress high-level Spiritual Saints...''


    ''Hmmm, I don''t need to worry about my family or sect anymore. He can replace me just fine!'' Oswald thought expectantly to see Minos'' improvements.


    ...

 Chapter 1468 Technique Improvements

    First, Minos tested the Spatial Sword, then his supporting technique, the Devouring Art, using a spiritual array to test the new limits of that technique.


    After that, he tested each of his other techniques in the following order until he was done with those tests: Explosive Steps, Indestructible Body, Infinite Dream, Chaotic Gravity, and Solar God Breath.


    As he finished all of these, he had a satisfied expression on his face, thinking about the limits of each technique to his new level of power and the phases of each of them.


    ''Now the range of the Spatial Sword is 320 meters, and any being or object in that space will be under its spatial restriction. On the other hand, the destructive force of my attacks increased by 40%!'' He thought as he remembered the experience he had just had while training such a technique.


    ''But my advances in this technique don''t end there. I can now make my blades go through space through gaps in the space fabric, making it practically impossible for people below level 80 to predict the direction of my attack!'' Minos clenched his fists.


    Speed was a crucial characteristic for the survival of spiritual beings in battle. So a technique that restricted its targets while concealing its own movements was of extreme value, and achieving breakthroughs in it was shockingly important.


    Now Emperor Stuart had a wider space to act, and his opponents would find it more difficult to evade him, even using escape devices such as teleportation arrays!


    ''If I faced Abe now, that Spiritual Sage wouldn''t be able to stop me from killing that fellow without using all his strength.'' Minos thought as he sensed his current abilities.


    He then continued his analysis. ''Regarding the Devouring Art, the space of action has increased to 400 meters radius.''


    ''Also, the conversion factor of this technique has increased from 40% to 50%!''


    ''Now I can use 50% of the energy the technique absorbs!'' He realized the feeling he felt when he fought against the arrays in that training area as he ran his left forearm across his forehead and wiped some of his sweat away.


    His passive energy absorption ability, generated by this technique previously, had also improved with this current advance. Not only could it now unconsciously absorb spiritual powers thrown at his body that were 100% stronger than him, but it would also do that with mental attacks.


    Before, his mental technique had to protect his mind alone. Still, this passive ability would now absorb the opponent''s mental attack and turn it into mental power for him to use himself!


    ''On the other hand, regarding my movement technique, I can now move at 200 meters per second, and all my senses are 60% faster than before when I have it used to dodge or act stealthily.'' He thought.


    ''The Indestructible Body has also improved significantly...'' He thought with a smile as he tightly clenched his right fist. ''Now, when I activate this technique, during the 10 seconds of each activation, my body is so strong and resilient that I could punch a level 76 Spiritual Saint and knock them down with one strike!''


    The Infinite Dream had also significantly improved, increasing the ability to affect a more significant number of people at once and giving Minos a new mental ability.


    He now had something called Bright Eyes, which, when activated, would allow him to see the fluctuations of his opponents rather than just sense.


    His soul sense, which had been born when he reached level 70, had strangely merged with part of his soul responsible for the Infinite Dream. Because of this, this new ability was born, giving Minos a visual advantage.


    With this ability, he could notice the characteristics of his opponents'' souls and thus utilize the enemy''s weaknesses for the best results!


    ''I think I can use that in combination with the Dark Sea...'' He thought as he noticed that this skill was compatible with this other one.


    On the other hand, the technique that Minos had recently used the most, Chaotic Gravity, had also evolved with this advancement, bringing some extra benefits to him.


    He could feel that his ability to control black holes had more than doubled, and now he could control even one of those regions of space capable of swallowing level 80 Spiritual Sages.


    At the same time, his control over this technique had reached such a level that he could now make rocks in his surroundings gather around small masses of energy to form large meteors.


    When he used such an ability, everyone watching him thought Minos was trying to destroy his palace. But fortunately, he was able to notice the changes in himself and act to only damage half of that place.


    Luckily, none of the low-level cultivators in the palace were hurt at that moment...


    As for this man''s cultivation technique, it also improved its characteristics. Now Minos had more than doubled his cultivation speed!


    However, even with that, the energy he would need to advance in level at the moment was almost three times the previous one. As such, he had concluded that it would take 2 to 2.5 years to achieve a new advancement.


    But for the moment, this was already very good for him because this was an excellent cultivation speed for a person at the 8th stage, but it was also not an excessive time considering his situation.


    That is, there was no conflict in the current Black Plain Empire, only Minos'' expansionist interests against states that did not even have high-level Spiritual Saints...


    At the same time, the Saints Killing Sect had yet to show hostility since the peace agreements had been signed with the Gray Clouds Sect.


    Hence, although there were problems to be solved, Minos judged that his speed of advancement was not in the least bit worrying.


    "Now it''s time for me to learn my 8th technique..." He muttered in a low voice while his watchers continued to watch him intently, talking among themselves.


    "Your Majesty has become very powerful." The level 79 Spiritual Saint next to Oswald commented on this, barely able to believe the things he had seen. "And that''s because he hasn''t learned his 8th technique yet... When that happens, I''m afraid that even I would have a hard time facing him."


    At first, this man knew he would die if he faced Minos. After all, Emperor Stuart had the black hole, other fusions, and mass destruction weapons, which were beyond his power. But these were alternative methods that a cultivator could not always depend on.


    Now, Minos'' natural abilities had reached the level where that elder had no confidence in beating this brown-haired fellow in a more ''fair'' situation.


    Such was Minos'' combat proficiency!


    "Yes, the boy is a monster, and his Golden-grade techniques learned early on without him replacing them, are finally showing their strength," Oswald commented.


    ...

 Chapter 1469 Space And Time Avatar

    As those people watched Minos, he began to read a fully golden scroll in his hands.


    First, Emperor Stuart began to understand some of the Natural Laws involved in that soul technique, one of the most important for a cultivator.


    When a cultivator began their journey in cultivation, unknowingly, they started a race to form their soul into something independent of the fleshy body. Because of this, the soul would grow and develop throughout cultivation in a process that even the greatest experts in this world did not fully understand how far it could go.


    But whether or not they understood everything about this process, it was a fact that the soul''s development was crucial. And to separate such a thing from the fleshy body, one would first have to reach level 70 and then learn a soul technique.


    Through this, a cultivator could utilize their abilities to the fullest, perform the possible fusions and express 100% of the power of their techniques!


    Therefore an 8th-stage cultivator would be considered an expert even in the strongest places in this world!


    Thus, the work Minos would have in understanding the laws behind that technique was on a level totally different from anything he had ever come into contact with in this world.


    Consequently, it would take him someone time to decipher those laws, even considering his talent was superior even to those individuals with Golden talent.


    He would not only need to read the contents of that scroll as it happened with others. Even if reading the scroll was enough for a technique to be engraved into his soul, that was not enough to use the Soul Avatar.


    To achieve this, Minos would have to synchronize his soul with that technique after he exhibited minimal control over the required Natural Laws.


    So it was not long after having that technique inscribed in his mind that Minos had his mind ''taken'' to a realistic illusion where he could master the basics of such a thing.


    In this illusion, he found himself face to face with the shadow of Henricus Longus, the creator of several of his techniques, whom he always saw at times like this.


    As Minos was already used to this and even knew what he had to do because of the memories left by that man, he soon began to act within this mental illusion.


    Instead of trying to fight or anything of the sort against that man, he sat meditatively in a place that seemed to be the heavens, where only clouds were below his feet.


    There, he infused all his strength into what he had just inscribed into his soul, causing that part of his being to tremble slightly.


    After a while, this began to make Minos'' soul try to leave his body like a balloon being filled with gases.


    This process would continue for several minutes while his spectators were impressed by the speed of his comprehension.


    Even though he was learning a Golden-grade technique, Minos was already showing signs of primary mastery with less than half an hour of meditation.


    With this, his soul was already slowly taking on the form of a Soul Avatar, showing itself outside his body.


    Emperor Stuart had chosen to learn at this stage a soul technique, Space and Time Avatar, Golden grade, composed of 4 stages.


    Such a technique had as its main ability the activation of the Soul Avatar, whereby the user could dispose of all their abilities through this without using their fleshy body. They could use this projection of their soul to fight directly against other avatars or even activate other techniques.


    At the same time, such a technique increased the chance of successful fusions by 100% and used more energy from the surroundings during the fusion than from the user''s soul.


    What was the significance of this? Using his avatar, Minos could become less fatigued when using his fusions, which could significantly help him improve his combat skills.


    But not only did the avatar decrease its user''s energy expenditure during fusions. It also did this for the activation of all the user''s techniques!


    In addition, all the user''s techniques were 10% stronger when activated in the Soul Avatar''s form than when activated directly by the cultivator''s fleshy body.


    Finally, the Space and Time Avatar had one final ability: to create a ''domain'' under 500 meters away from the user. Such a domain could slow down the passage of time within it, with a 2:1 ratio to the outer side. That is, while 2 minutes would pass inside this space, people outside it would feel as if it had been 1 minute.


    These were the characteristics of Minos'' new technique for the first stage of mastery. As he developed it, Emperor Stuart could even reach the level of 16:1 in that ratio and 4,000-meter radius in the space of action of this technique.


    As for the limits of the technique concerning Minos'' targets, that was the best point of this soul technique.


    It had no limits!


    No matter Minos'' opponents'' strength, they would face this young man''s domain and feel time passing differently. The only distinction regarding his opponent''s strength would be that if such a person were much stronger than this emperor, his techniques would not work on this opponent.


    These were the characteristics of this new technique of Minos, which gave him all the confidence to pursue his short-term goals.


    ...


    While Minos was learning the basics of the soul technique, Space and Time Avatar, his women watched him, seeing that it would not be long before he finished.


    At the moment, a large spiritual figure, with the silhouette of Minos, with a golden glow about it, semi-transparent, was almost 100% formed above him.


    This silhouette was also sitting cross-legged, as was the case with his fleshy body. But due to its size, people from various parts of the Dry City core also saw him.


    "Look at that. Doesn''t that one look like His Majesty?"


    "That''s right! That Soul Avatar is in the imperial palace, so that can only be His Majesty!" Alison''s mother yelled at her husband as she realized that her daughter''s master was learning his 8th technique.


    ''So he''s already doing that!'' One of the Assembly of Vogel representatives in this city, who was part of the Minos faction within that institution, thought this over with satisfaction.


    The Assembly was practically all subdivided between pro and against Minos. So since he and his family were already on Dry City''s side, he obviously could not help but be pleased.


    On the other hand, more people around the inner area of the local defensive dome were seeing this and celebrating.


    That was the case for some elders of the Miller family and House Nash, who were in this place to take advantage of local opportunities.


    ''Minos has already reached that level...'' Richard, Elen''s father, level 66, thought as he looked at the silhouette of the Emperor''s Soul Avatar, which was similar in height to a 4-story building.


    "It looks like he''s finishing..." A level 77 elder of the Gray Clouds Sect outside that palace saw that and muttered just before Minos opened his eyes.


    ...

 Chapter 1470 The 8th Technique Of Minos

    Finally, Emperor Stuart finished learning the basics of that technique and opened his eyes, feeling the sensation that would come whenever a cultivator learned a new technique.


    Such a thing was like an itch that needed to be scratched or, instead, to be activated. So he looked in the direction of his grandfather and shook his head significantly so that man could not mistake his intentions.


    Now that he had learned the basics, he would only need to practice the technique a few times to get a minimal mastery so that he would have no problem activating it in the future.


    As such, Minos wanted to fight a little. After realizing that his grandfather had not refused his proposal, he began to execute the commands of that technique so that he would activate it for the first time.


    ''I must circulate my spiritual energy towards the core of my being, the lower part of my head...'' He thought as he executed his first attempt.


    ''... After the fifth step, I must use some of those laws for the technique to take shape in order to express my ability...'' He remembered that earlier in the illusion, he still could not use his remaining techniques through the Soul Avatar.


    But in his first activation, it would already work, so he had to follow the steps perfectly so as not to make a mistake and remain unable to express such powers.


    While thinking about the Space and Time Avatar activation, Minos was constantly making gestures with his hands, using his fingers to make the spiritual energy in his body follow some patterns.


    That was the means cultivators would use to more efficiently direct their energy and understanding the first few times activating a spiritual technique.


    When learning a new technique, the connection of the technique to the user would be small, and it would not be easy to execute all the commands easily. The opposite of this, the difficulty would be incredible, similar to what a person who has never walked would have when trying to do it for the first time.


    But like everything in life, the usability of the technique would increase as time passed and its user experience increased. Thus, this was not a problem for Minos or any other cultivators; he would not need to repeat the finger gesture signals for the same techniques in the future.


    "Ouch!" He made a low sound of pain, bringing one of his hands to the back of his neck, feeling pain in that area.


    He missed the first attempt but soon identified where he would have to correct his commands.


    ...


    After trying to activate that soul technique eight times, Minos finally succeeded!


    After almost 20 minutes, he executed the commands of that technique perfectly, causing a unique energy to circulate through the back of his neck, something that was a mixture of some Natural Laws and spiritual energy.


    Then, quickly this energy condensed into the ''home'' of the soul, causing the back of his neck to glow a little before a powerful force departed from that place.


    Space and Time Avatar!


    When Minos activated this technique correctly for the first time, the Soul Avatar quickly grew from the depths of his being until it became a semi-transparent giant with his appearance.


    Upon reaching this form, Minos looked at the surroundings nervously, seeing not through his body but through his avatar.


    ''Incredible!''


    ''Although this is just a projection of my soul, I feel as if my body has only increased in size... Everything else is very similar to my normal state!''


    But he did not stay in this state of contemplation, looking at his spiritual body for a long time. Soon, Minos looked toward Oswald, who was already floating in front of him.


    "Let''s test these skills of yours..." This white-haired and bearded fellow said in a humorous tone, pleased to be able to do this with his grandson.


    Thus, Oswald also activated his soul technique, making an avatar similar to him appear from his body!


    With that, all the observers in the area took a deep breath, about to witness a battle between extremely powerful cultivators by the standards of even the Flaming Empire.


    In fact, considering Minos'' current capabilities, he could fight on equal terms with masters from other sects in that state!


    But this was not entirely true for Oswald since this man had no Black-grade techniques in his technique set. Instead, he only had those Silver and Golden grade ones, a far above-average configuration.


    So he was stronger than his grandson, although the difference currently was no longer as great as it had been in the past.


    That''s why Oswald took this training with Minos seriously since this young man could hurt him if he were not careful!


    With his Soul Avatar activated, Oswald did not attack. Instead, he made a gesture indicating for Minos to begin this challenge.


    Minos did not miss his chance and promptly activated all his combat techniques simultaneously, causing the space around him to become chaotic.


    The observers saw this and realized that if anyone below level 77 entered that area of Minos'' control, that person would end up dead in a matter of seconds!


    That was true, even considering people with Silver-grade techniques!


    "Uh?" The level 79 Spiritual Saint realized something and took a step forward, seeing the movements of both Minos and Oswald happening at a very high speed.


    He had seen Oswald fight many times in the past, so seeing this man activating his abilities with such speed, this man could not help but frown.


    ''Is their battle accelerated? The passage of time isn''t the same within his avatar''s space of influence?'' He wondered as he looked at Minos and swallowed his saliva as he theorized about what he saw.


    Meanwhile, black rings appeared around Oswald''s wrists, waist, and ankles, together with a high gravity that was trying to force him against the ground.


    ''That''s really impressive!'' Minos'' grandfather thought in surprise, noting that this was somewhat limiting his movements.


    At the same time, he had an expression of annoyance around his eyes, feeling the weight of being attacked by Minos'' mental technique and feeling one of his weaknesses being exploited.


    Minos was seeing Oswald''s fluctuations and the weak points of this man''s strengths. So he could not help but attack with the Infinite Dream, one of his grandfather''s weak points.


    ''Time to try that...'' He smiled as he manipulated his innate ability into himself.


    When Minos did such a thing, immediately, Oswald felt something, and then 2% of his power suddenly vanished and headed toward his grandson.


    "Huh?"


    At the same time, that 2% added to Minos'' power, and he felt himself getting stronger as if he had had a small breakthrough.


    But this was not him gaining his grandfather''s energies after absorbing Oswald''s spiritual energy with the Devouring Art. The opposite of that, this was the soul power that Minos was stealing from his opponent through his innate ability!


    For some time from that moment on, Minos would have a subtly higher level and Oswald lower than he naturally had!


    Sensing this, Minos laughed and picked up his sword with his beefy body, causing a spiritual weapon to appear in his avatar''s hands.


    Spatial Sword!


    He activated his main offensive technique, dancing as he launched blades at his opponent.


    ...

 Chapter 1471 Minos Current Combat Proficiency

    By attacking his grandfather with his primary offensive technique, Minos made that attack disappear for everyone watching them fight.


    But not only could those spectators see nothing, but Oswald also had no idea where the blows that Minos was throwing while dancing were going.


    He could only feel that the attack power of these blades was not small but enough to cause him pain.


    ''It is more troublesome than I had thought!'' He realized the difficulty of fighting against something that could disappear from his senses.


    And when he least expected it, this man suffered a powerful attack on his back.


    The Spatial Sword had not only evolved to give Minos the ability to make the blades travel through space under invisible subspace. It also gave him the ability to change the direction of his attacks.


    That is, he was in front of Oswald, and his first blade should have hit this old fellow in the abdomen. But due to the characteristic of this technique in the current phase Minos was in, he had made such an attack appear behind his grandfather, taking him by surprise.


    Swooish!


    As Oswald was not fast enough, he promptly felt the attack hit his back and unbalanced him forward.


    But the situation did not end there. Soon after, several other blades hit different parts of this elder''s body, making him express sounds of pain in front of his wife and daughter.


    "Ouch!" He shouted as he realized that Minos was not just attacking him with the normal one of that technique he had shown everyone during his training moments ago.


    No, Minos had found a way to combine the Spatial Sword with Chaotic Gravity without having to do the fusion. In this combination, each blade he launched carried a strong gravitational power, which exploded when the energy blade hit something.


    As this something was precisely his body, Oswald felt those shock points going through something rather strange to him.


    When a blade hit him on the left side of his waist, Oswald felt as if, at the last instant, that energy blade had suddenly been accelerated and forced with much more force against his body.


    That increased the attack power of that blade tremendously, making him feel more than he thought his grandson was capable of imposing.


    ''That''s not bad! With a skill like that, he will be able to fight against high-level Spiritual Saints armed with good equipment and techniques!'' He was pleased to realize that his grandson still had cards up his sleeve that could help him on his journey through the Flaming Empire.


    "Very good, Minos, but a battle doesn''t just involve attacking!" He smiled after those words as he showed one of his hands while stretching his right arm forward.


    When he did this, Oswald made countless glowing dots appear in the skies around Minos, with ice daggers forming at his command.


    Minos saw this and tried to counterattack, using his avatar''s space of influence to increase the gravity on these ice daggers.


    Crack!


    Some of those weapons did indeed break, but since they were creations of a level 79 Spiritual Saint based on a Golden-grade technique, they did not break completely.


    Thus, in a few moments, many flew like rain toward the Soul Avatar of Minos.


    Indestructible Body!


    Minos circled his defensive technique, and the surroundings of his Soul Avatar became brighter in that golden color as if a protective layer had emerged from within.


    Meanwhile, dark inscriptions appeared around the avatar''s body, making it appear as if it was contaminated.


    But this was not contamination, but rather the passive ability created by the Devouring Art, which showed itself fully just as the first attacks were about to hit Minos.


    Thus, Minos began to feel large chunks of energy becoming available to him, as he felt as if he was getting a massage from the many weakened daggers hitting him.


    He did not stand still while receiving this powerful attack from Oswald and brought his hands in front of his eyes.


    Infinite Dream: Shaking Reality!


    Chaotic Gravity: Shaking Reality!


    At an impressive speed, Minos managed to fuse the two techniques as if this were nothing more than one of his usual techniques.


    Thus, as the region between Minos'' hands, which looked like a semi-transparent bubble surrounded by colored dots trying to explode, reached its peak, people in the surrounding area were startled by such speed.


    "That fast?" Patience shouted as she saw her grandson fuse two techniques and attack Oswald in a matter of seconds.


    Maisie stood up from her seat and saw the colored ray departing from that strange blob of air and then hitting her father.


    At that moment, Oswald formed an expression of pain, losing much of his focus as he was thrown backward.


    ''Damn it!'' He thought to himself, seeing the universe around him accelerating itself up while his soul seemed to have come out even from inside his Soul Avatar, something impossible to happen.


    Minos realized the momentary advantage he gained by surprising his grandfather and activated another of his fusions.


    Infinite Dream: Mind Destroyer!


    Spatial Sword: Mind Destroyer!


    Minos could now use fusions in sequence without exhausting himself so much. But besides this ability related to his 8th technique, due to the amount of power, he had already absorbed from Oswald, either from the previous attack or Devouring Art and his innate ability, he was full of energy at the moment.


    Hence, he made a move with his weapon, horizontally striking while having his knees bent, spinning like a top.


    Swooish!


    Then a big blade, the size of a 10-story building, totally red like human blood, shot out of Minos'' spiritual sword, heading towards Oswald.


    Even if Oswald realized this, he would not be able to dodge this attack capable of flying at a speed he could not keep up with.


    Crash!


    Due to his inability to at least realize it at the right time, Minos'' grandfather felt his chest armor being hit by that attack, crumpling against his chest and making him feel more pain.


    "Ouch!" He uttered that sound again as he fell toward the ground outside the emperor''s estate.


    Seeing that, Minos lowered his spirits, ending this fight as the victor!


    "Impressive!" The level 79 Spiritual Saint said this out loud next to Patience and Maisie. "Your Majesty has already reached a level of power that only the leaders of the Flaming Empire have achieved!"


    Gloria heard that and nodded silently, feeling that her husband really could already sit at the table of the powerful in that state, even without his Black Hole Bomb.


    ''Oswald didn''t take it easy on Minos. He may not have used all his strength simultaneously. Still, the previous attack was strong enough to kill level 77 Spiritual Saints, and his defenses were at maximum!''


    ''He really felt pain, even though he was defending himself with all his strength!'' She thought of something similar to what Ruth, Abby, and Maisie were thinking.


    Meanwhile, Patience could not help but find it funny about her husband being thrown away by their grandson and smiled. ''I think we''re too old now, Oswald... Time to retire and let the younger generation do as they see fit.''


    With that decided, Minos wiped the sweat on his body and quickly changed clothes before approaching those people to talk about the current status of their powers.


    ''Time to start solving our old problems...''

 Chapter 1472 Problems To Be Solved

    As he approached his observers, Minos received congratulations from his guards and the elders of the Gray Clouds Sect.


    The women of his family and his wives also congratulated him on his improvements, all of them smiling in joy at the point he had reached.


    Minos was currently around his 39th birthday, but even at such a young age, he had already reached level 70, which his mother had only reached after she had passed the age of 100. So besides his unusual abilities, the fact that he was so young and strong was an added point that made people like Patience extremely happy.


    Because of the combination of high level plus low age, she thought that, unlike her and Oswald, Minos would be able to pass level 70 with relative ease in the future.


    And that was no small thing for them, who had grown up in a state where only the emperor had such a possibility!


    "Very well, Minos. With your current strength, Oswald and I no longer need to worry about you. You can lead the sect and your empire with relative peace of mind." That woman next to Maisie said that to him.


    "Hmm." Maisie nodded, standing quietly beside her mother.


    "Your Majesty, what should we do now? With your strength, I believe we will resolve Vogel''s situation once and for all, no?" That level 79 Spiritual Saint asked, eager for some action.


    He had recently reached that level, so he wanted to go out and battle opponents to test his new characteristics.


    He had not advanced a step, but after so long at level 78, such advancement was enough for him to feel very different.


    Minos continued with his arms around Abby and Ruth''s waists and said. "Yes, I intend to do that, to visit Rosser, Albano, and Blackrock, but also to observe the situation of the Saints Killing Sect."


    "Mortimer is pursuing the 9th stage, so we must observe him. The first thing he will try to do if he succeeds will be to seek revenge."


    After those words, everyone there became more serious, feeling that this was indeed a problem they could not ignore, so they lost their momentary good humor.


    At that instant, Oswald finally returned from where he had fallen and said. "What do you intend to do against him in case he succeeds? It is difficult to fight a Spiritual Sage while you are only a Spiritual Saint."


    Minos nodded positively and said. "We only have the numbers in our favor. But it won''t be so easy for him to act against us. I have some ways to make his actions more difficult."


    "In any case, we have nothing to do but keep training hard."


    "Hmmm." Everyone there agreed, thinking about the improvements the Black Plain Empire had gone through in the past few months.


    The Spiritual Saints who had come here before these 20 months had improved one level of cultivation each, but the Spiritual Emperors from the Flaming Empire had also improved greatly.


    A few, already close to breakthroughs at the time, even achieved two consecutive breakthroughs.


    That was the case with Kara Carline, who was currently at level 65.


    But many of the level 69 Spiritual Emperors at that time had become level 70 Spiritual Saints. Because of these individuals who had advanced, the number of 8th-stage cultivation experts in the Black Plain had jumped in this period.


    There were just over 70 Gray Clouds Sect Spiritual Saints who had already come from the Flaming Empire to this state at this cultivation stage. But of the thousands of Spiritual Emperors who had reached the northern region more than two years ago, more than 150 of them had reached level 70.


    Because of this, currently, the Black Plain Empire has almost 240 8th-stage cultivators distributed across this state!


    As for the Spiritual Emperors of this state, apart from those who came from the Gray Clouds Sect, there were currently more than 10,000 in the entire Black Plain. Of these individuals, 730 were old soldiers of the Black Plain Army and 1,200 new soldiers who had joined the force in these months.


    The total number of soldiers in the army had also jumped in this period, doubling in numbers to over 15 million men.


    Many more spiritual professionals had joined this force than the number of such professionals that had existed there before this period, with all of them significantly advanced in this period. Because of these improvements, everyone there knew that they had the potential to keep improving, and that was the only alternative to facing any threat in their path.


    "In any case, let''s focus on what''s closest to us and leave it to resolve these threats when they show themselves." Minos said as he looked at the damaged surroundings of his palace, feeling that he had caused more chaos than he had planned.


    "But Your Majesty, in 2 months, there will be a meeting between sect masters in Payton. What do you intend to do? The imperial family will wish to see you there for sure." That elder next to Oswald and Patience said that.


    "Hmm, that is true," Gloria commented. "You should also take the opportunity to finalize that matter with my family."


    Minos heard this and said. "Hmm, I will go to the Flaming Empire to solve those problems after paying a visit to Vogel."


    With those words, Minos dismissed those people, leaving his family in the imperial palace while following Oswald and the level 79 Spiritual Saint out of that city.


    Oswald had already said what he should say to his family, and now it was time for him to leave for the Flowers Kingdom to try to fulfill his promise to the Edwardstone family''s elders.


    With that, soon, the three individuals were outside the security perimeter of Dry City, flying over the local airspace near one of the several local surveillance turtles.


    "So you''re really going to do this?" Minos questioned his grandfather one last time.


    "Yes, I should at least try." He said as he clapped one of his hands on Minos'' right shoulder. "Anyway, don''t worry about your old man. I''ll be fine. For someone my age, it''s not as risky to go to that state as someone like you, hehe."


    "Those women want young men with potential, like you, not like me. So I have my chances of getting a conversation going before they try to lure me into their games."


    That level 79 Spiritual Saint next to grandfather and grandson knew that some of what Oswald was saying was not a lie, but that was obviously a way for this fellow to try to lessen Minos'' worries. So he remained silent, feeling that this would be the last time he saw his former sect leader.


    "Hmm, the tests aren''t quick either. So maybe I will arrive in time to save you two..." Minos commented with a smile, even though he knew his grandfather was hiding part of the truth.


    That man was stronger than him and had his own freedom. Besides, he had too many problems in mind to keep trying to stop Oswald from going ahead with this idea.


    Hence, Minos no longer questioned him and let Oswald leave the Black Plain after a few more words.

 Chapter 1473 Decisive Time

    After seeing his grandfather departing, Minos returned to his government headquarters, intending to get on with some administrative matters before leaving for Vogel.


    In the meantime, since he would be in Dry City for a few hours, perhaps a few days, he sent that high-level Spiritual Saint to the Spatial Kingdom.


    Several other high-level elders from the Gray Clouds Sect were training there, while soldiers from the Elite Squad were around as usual.


    Minos did not stay at that cultivation shrine and soon were at his imperial palace, with only Sarah there to accompany him since his wives were busy with other things.


    Abby and Ruth were focused on cultivating to reach level 70 as soon as possible. As for Gloria, she went to settle matters of the Spiritual Church for her domain, the northern region.


    The Spiritual Church arm for the northern region had grown recently because of the Black Plain Empire''s support for these members, who were all part of Gloria''s faction.


    Due to this support, over 200 Spiritual Emperors emerged from these ranks. At the same time, the total number of Church members in the region had reached the 100,000 mark!


    That was a higher number than the number of Church experts in the pre-ascension of the Black Plain, something that had never happened in recent years due to the death of experts from that organization.


    Some outposts of that institution had suffered from the attacks of Abe''s group and the cleansing by Gloria after the establishment of the Black Plain as an independent state.


    As all the forces in the region had begun to receive people into their forces, the main one being the forces of Minos, the Church had faced difficulties in attracting people regionally in recent years.


    Because of this, only now, with the post-defeat peace of the terrorists and the continued evolution of the Black Plain, had these posts gotten more recruits to increase their numbers to such an extent.


    Because of this also, Gloria had more work and had to deal with even more subordinates in Dry City than before.


    The Spiritual Church did not have a post in that city yet, because of the agreement Minos had signed with Gloria. But soon, the 20-year period that he had asked her to give would end, and she was already planning to establish a local post.


    Because of this, she had little time to be at her husband''s side in running the Empire, and only Sarah was at her father''s side, watching how to run this state.


    Sarah was already over 7, so she was well-behaved beside her father, sitting on the throne of one of her mothers, dressed in a long, white dress with blue details.


    She had a smile on her face, happy because she had heard that her father had reached the 8th stage on this day.


    She already understood this world''s cultivation ranks and basics as she had been studying at the Dry City Preparatory Academy for over a year. As such, she understood her father''s power more than ever and was immensely proud of him.


    ''In a few years, I will start cultivating as well... I wonder what my talent level will be. What about my Physique? Do I have a good innate ability?'' She wondered, longing for her 10th birthday to come soon.


    Meanwhile, Minos had no idea what was on his daughter''s mind. He was just paying attention to the words of the soldier presenting a recent point regarding the local forces.


    "... In addition to these army numbers, Your Majesty, the empire''s core currently has about 5 million Spiritual Kings and 6,000 professionals available to vie for army slots."


    "Every month, more Spiritual Kings come from the other states in the region, but also Albano and Rosser. So, soon, we will have to increase our numbers to keep the borders secure."


    These two high-level states were the ones sending the most migrants to the Black Plain after those from the northern region. As for Blackrock and Vogel, the former did not border the empire, so fewer people from that place went to the state of Minos. As for the latter, this empire''s territory lost a few of its inhabitants to the core of the Black Plain because it was already part of this state.


    ? Some believed that with the strengthening of the Stuart family, Vogel would continue to be part of the empire, so they would not need to migrate to take advantage of opportunities.


    And since the men of Minos did not count Vogel''s numbers as part of the empire''s numbers, in relation to these expert numbers, those Vogel inhabitants did not appear in the data cited.


    In any case, the present Black Plain already had about 1.5 billion inhabitants, counting Vogel, excluding that state, over 700 million. On the other hand, the empire already had an average strength of level 50, still a bit below the average power of the Spiritual World.


    In any case, the state of Minos was making strides towards becoming a high-level empire, similar to the Flaming Empire.


    There was still a long way to go, of course, but considering that not long ago, this place did not even have Spiritual Emperors, and now it had thousands, the members of the local government were already predicting a step change in this state before long.


    They already envisioned the day when the Black Plain Empire would surpass the Flaming Empire!


    Minos also had this in mind, something he had even been using to compete with Isabella, his girlfriend in that state.


    She was currently at level 73, having improved slightly in the last few years due to Minos'' constant improvements.


    She loved him and did not want to be left behind by him or his other women. Thus, she had been training hard to be able to at least maintain her advantage until the end of this stage.


    As for her state''s competition with Minos, Isabella did not have much to do about it. The Flaming Empire was already very close to its peak strength and did not have much to do to improve.


    The Black Plain Empire, on the other hand, had a lot of room to improve, so even the heiress of that place felt that she had no chance against Minos'' territory.


    Luckily, they had a good relationship and would not have to worry about becoming enemies of Emperor Stuart.


    Anyway, Minos continued in that place, being updated on some local matters, giving orders about where the Bank of the Black Plain crystals should go and sorting things out before his trip to Vogel.


    ...


    While Minos was working in Dry City, Mortimer had just opened his eyes to where he had spent the whole last year in seclusion.


    After Gavin''s eye transplant surgery, this man had regained his powers and had begun to get used to those powerful eyes.


    In this instant, after a long time of trying to control them, he finally felt such an affinity that it allowed him, for the first time to have control over Gavin''s visual abilities!


    He looked at his fists and clenched them, smiling immensely, as he felt that his cultivation was at the limit of the 8th stage.


    With that feeling, he muttered. "Time to try my breakthrough to the 9th stage!"

 Chapter 1474 Situation In The Flaming Empire

    While Mortimer was dealing with his affairs relevant to his advancement to the next stage, the imperial family in Payton was concerned about the situation in the Flaming Empire.


    After years since the end of the war between the Gray Clouds Sect and the Saints Killing Sect, the Edwardstone family had never been more on alert about the situation of its state than it was now.


    The absence of the Emperor weakened the state. And two of the eight most important local organizations were weakened.


    At the same time, the enemies to the north were still at about the same strength as before these problems arose, looking in the direction of the empire with an arrogance rarely seen.


    The once common fear of the empire was no longer seen as much by those three kingdoms. But, at the same time, this imperial family also had to worry about Minos.


    Sometimes he acted as an ally, standing by Isabella''s side and not reneging on his agreements with Harold. But other times, his attitudes seemed dangerous to the long-term integrity of the empire, something that made the elders in the imperial family thinks the worst.


    As such, this family that had changed little in the last 20 months had worries about worries and were operating to the best of their ability not to lose the reins of the situation.


    They remembered Minos'' warning regarding Mortimer''s plans all too well, so they were concerned about what this man would do next and whether he would succeed in his advance.


    ...


    At the imperial palace in Payton, the supreme elder of the Edwardstone family was at this very moment with some subordinates, dealing with matters concerning the upcoming meeting of local leaders.


    Like many powers of this world, this family held meetings between the leaders of vassal organizations every few decades to learn more about their state''s situation.


    Not only the number of experts, the flow of crystals, and resources, mattered to an imperial family. The emperor or state leader having the chance to talk to their vassals and allies to understand their motivations and current condition was also important.


    Considering the times they lived in, these people from Isabella''s family were more than ever interested in this meeting scheduled to take place in a few weeks.


    "How is the situation of the leaders of the eight sects? Will they come to the meeting?" The supreme elder and current ruler of the empire asked a high-level Spiritual Saint standing in front of him.


    That person looked thoughtfully at the old man sitting in front of him and said. "Supreme elder, Minos Stuart will most likely come. Now that he has taken over all of Oswald''s duties, we don''t expect him to miss such an important meeting."


    "Hmm..." The old supreme elder nodded and muttered to himself. "But it''s a shame that Oswald did that... Luckily he is still serving us and will try to intervene with those women on behalf of His Majesty."


    ''I hope he succeeds!''


    That standing individual continued. "As for Mortimer, we do not know his whereabouts, nor do we have any relevant information about his presence at this meeting."


    Mortimer was in a protected location, where only his sect knew and had access. Because of this, even the spies of the imperial family could not find this man.


    In fact, if they had, they probably would have already eliminated this individual who was undeniably a danger to this family''s sovereignty over the empire!


    If Mortimer reached level 80, he would become the strongest in the state and would be strong enough to eliminate the main supporters of the Edwardstone family. If that happened, it would be a matter of time before that sect dominated the entire empire.


    The imperial family wanted to avoid this at all costs. Still, unfortunately, they had no information regarding the location of this man.


    As for the other members of the Saints Killing Sect, they could do nothing against these individuals. Besides having their own rules that would hinder them in the future if they used everything at their disposal, they knew that this sect did not negotiate and would rather let one of their own dies than lose something to an opponent.


    As it was the sect master himself that they wanted, even if they devastated that organization, they would not get anything of relevance.


    The only thing that mattered was Mortimer''s location. Since they did not have that, nothing else mattered.


    On the other hand, if they acted against the remaining elders of that organization, the empire would lose even more of its experts. The result of this would not be good either since the enemies to the north could dare to act at any moment!


    As such, upon hearing that information, the supreme elder could not help but form an ugly expression on his face. ''That wretch! I hope he fails in his attempts and ends up dying!''


    ''That would be the best outcome for everyone.''


    ''But if he succeeds...''


    Gulp!


    "Very well, inform our men and main vassals of this situation. I want them to be prepared to act against Mortimer if he turns against the family." This elder said, making the other expert anxious, imagining the problematic situation they would have to face if the worst happened.


    ...


    While these two were talking in the supreme elder''s office, Isabella was dealing with minor matters in her father''s work area.


    Just as had happened with Minos, this woman would gradually have her responsibilities increased within the imperial family until she could assume her father''s position. Until then, the supreme elder would be in charge of the main decisions while still being the local regent.


    But amid her responsibilities, she was thinking about the things she talked about with Minos from time to time.


    ''It won''t be long before he reaches the 8th stage. When that happens, it will only be a matter of a few months before he leaves for the Flowers Kingdom to resolve my father''s situation.'' She thought about this as she looked out the side window of her office.


    Isabella did not like the idea of Minos taking risks with those women. But she feared much more for her father''s life since she greatly trusted her man''s abilities.


    If even her father, who was not as talented as Minos, had managed to ''pass'' the challenge of those women, then Isabella trusted that Emperor Stuart had a good chance of doing the same.


    In this case, she judged that his attitude in getting involved in this problem would be the best for everyone and was looking forward to her father''s return.


    On the other hand, she had only seen him twice, the last time over six months ago, due to her and Minos'' circumstances over the past two years. As such, this woman was eager to be with him again and fulfill her womanly wishes.


    Unfortunately for her, she had not yet been able to get pregnant. But since she knew that he would undergo a Physique evolution soon, she was already imagining getting pregnant after their reunion.


    ''If luck is in my favor, in a few years, everything will be fine!''


    ''My father will be back, I will have a child with Minos, and the situation around my state will be resolved...'' She closed her eyes and sighed before turning her attention back to organizing the meeting that would take place in a few weeks.

 Chapter 1475 Arrival At Vogel

    A week has passed since Minos'' advance!


    With his advance, the emperor quickly dealt with the bureaucratic affairs of his state that he had not been dealing with for some weeks due to his previous seclusion.


    After finding out everything he needed to know, giving a few orders, and visiting the different areas of his state in the northern part of the Central Continent, Minos left for Vogel.


    This time he had left his three wives in the Spatial Kingdom together with some elders from the Grey Clouds Sect and soldiers from the Elite Squad. And, of course, Emlyn and Kyla were also in that place, their home, where they had the responsibility of watching over the surroundings.


    Sarah was also around since Minos would not leave his only daughter in Dry City when he would be so far away.


    In any case, he quickly made his way to the Vogel capital via the teleportation ports between the core of his state and that southernmost territory of the empire.


    And in this instant, the emperor, unaccompanied, had just arrived at the public teleportation port of the Vogel capital!


    ...


    After appearing alone in that place, the local guards in the surrounding area were promptly surprised when Minos appeared in the middle of the teleportation array area in a local square.


    But as soon as they sensed his level, they all swallowed their saliva, knowing this was not a good sign.


    Minos was already a monster at level 69 that almost no one in this territory could stand against. So now that he had gone through the quantitative and qualitative change of stage advancement, these low-level Spiritual Saints did not doubt how great his power would be now.


    Gulp!


    On that account, several of them took steps backward as they saw Emperor Stuart arriving at the central city of this territory.


    "Your... Your Majesty!" A level 71 Spiritual Saint said this in astonishment after swallowing his saliva in awe. "To what do we owe your visit?"


    "Uh?" Minos'' eyes narrowed as he looked at the people in the surrounding area, most of them local guards but also some visitors who had just arrived on teleportation arrays.


    He asked in a serious tone. "Is that the local way of receiving your sovereign? Is that the way you people behave?"


    Those individuals realized their mistake and promptly bowed their heads and said simultaneously. "Welcome back, Your Majesty!"


    When those words were spoken amid the noble gestures of those guards, the newcomers in that place, who did not know Minos personally, turned to him in surprise and bowed their heads as well.


    ''Minos is already at level 70? How is that possible? I heard he hasn''t left Dry City for the past six months!''


    ''And at that time, he was still at level 69!'' One of the newcomers thought about it silently as she hid her face with a veil, being hidden there since this was enemy territory.


    But Minos'' visual ability delivered the spiritual fluctuation of this person from the Flaming Empire, and he said to the guards there, "That''s better... Anyway, arrest that woman over there. She''s from the Holy Sect and shouldn''t be here."


    "What?" She exclaimed in surprise as she turned to Minos and felt as if this individual had betrayed her.


    That was Naomi Banks, level 70, the daughter of a rival of Maisie''s from the Holy Sect, whom Minos had met on his first stint in the Flaming Empire.


    "An enemy?" The guards on the outskirts questioned as they looked in the direction of a woman in black clothing.


    "Damn it, Minos!"


    "Aren''t we friends? Why are you getting in my way?" This woman asked as she started to run from there.


    Minos then said. "You are mistaken, I am the sovereign of Vogel, and as far as I know, the Holy Sect is an enemy of this place. So I am only preventing an opponent from getting information from my territory."


    "Tsk!"


    "But you are a sect master of the Flaming Empire!"


    "Not here." Minos laughed before ordering those guards. "Don''t use vicious or deadly dangerous blows. Instead, arrest her and negotiate with the Holy Sect for her departure."


    "Yes, Your Majesty!"


    As those guards began a chase, Minos flew toward the local government headquarters, drawing the attention of everyone around this city since flying around was not allowed there.


    "Look at that!"


    "Isn''t His Majesty Minos Stuart?" Citizens from various parts of the city looked at the emperor''s trajectory, surprised to see this person flying through the local skies.


    At the same time, Assembly guards and members of several local noble families noticed Minos'' arrival and the significance of it all.


    Everyone could sense his cultivation level, but they also knew he had not been to this place for many months. Thus, everyone immediately became worried and started either notifying their leaders or setting off in the direction of where Minos was going.


    The headquarters of the Assembly!


    ''Damn it!''


    ''I thought he would take this situation in the dialogue after that... But was I wrong?'' The leader of one of the strongest noble families in Vogel thought to himself as he flew towards the Assembly, intending to stop Minos.


    "Your Majesty, no one is allowed to fly over the local skies. Please come down immediately, or we will have to act as if this is a test of our strength!" The first level 76 individual appeared beside Minos, along with half a dozen mid-level Spiritual Saints.


    They knew that they could not simply attack Minos. But if they acted as if they understood this as a test on the sovereign''s part, then they could not be vigorously punished for a simple mistake...


    Minos noted that this was the method of these people acting against him without looking like traitors trying to act against the emperor. He then said. "Haha, this is really a test. I want to see if you guys can stop a threat of my level."


    With those words spoken, Minos immediately activated Chaotic Gravity, making the people in his surroundings feel the difference between his level 69 and his current level 70.


    When he activated this technique, smiling, the seven Spiritual Saints, people at levels 74, 75, and 76, were immediately pushed away as if they were cannonballs being repelled by something.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    They shouted practically simultaneously, not expecting that Minos would be able to push them away from himself so easily.


    ''What? How is that possible?'' The strongest of them wondered, feeling his bones aching from the sudden pressure he felt on his body.


    Gulp!


    ''He took it easy!'' His eyes opened wide. ''If he hadn''t done that, he could have crushed and killed me with just a flick of his fingers!'' This person exclaimed in his mind, feeling the worst was about to happen.


    Now that Minos was so strong and was there, he felt that the families opposing the emperor would have no future other than subordination or annihilation!


    When Minos left those individuals behind and saw that there were already local experts in front of the Assembly building waiting for him, he immediately activated his Soul Avatar before landing there.


    Space and Time Avatar!


    ...

 Chapter 1476 The Test Of Minos

    By the time Minos landed in front of the Assembly building, he had his Soul Avatar activated, with the projection of his soul onto the average height of the buildings on the sides of that area.


    While he had his 8th technique already activated, the mid and low-level Spiritual Saints in the surrounding area, more than 40 individuals at this instant, had their eyes narrowed.


    Everyone could already sense that Minos'' 8th technique was not simple and that his powers had increased as he advanced to the 8th stage. Even more, he did not seem to have such peaceful intentions toward this place!


    "Your Majesty, what is the meaning of this? Why do you show such aggressiveness against the Assembly?" One of the men opposed to Minos there, who had not been accepting his ''blessings'' in recent years, asked this while circulating his energies to act any moment now.


    The others there, all opponents of Minos within that house, were also on alert, preparing to fight.


    They knew Minos'' powers had improved, but none would give up trying or even testing their ruler.


    He had grown stronger, but did that mean tens or hundreds of them could do nothing?


    ? Absurd!


    Minos could have done this with powers from the northern region. Still, unlike the people in that area, those individuals had good Silver-grade techniques and much more combat experience.


    Minos realized that he would have to demonstrate his strength to take the reins of this place and answered that first individual''s question. "Aggressiveness? No aggressiveness, I''m just willing to start training with my vassals..."


    "Consider it a test!" He laughed, remembering what those seven individuals from moments ago had tried to use to act against him without appearing rebellious.


    "A test?" Some of the more naive ones trembled in doubt if this was a test, while the smarter ones frowned, seeing the emperor''s shameless attitude.


    "Stop joking around, Your Majesty. We''ve never done anything of the sort, and we weren''t even warned..."


    "Never did?" Minos asked. "I do it from time to time in the core of my territory with soldiers from my army, but also with allies. As my vassals, you should expect that I would do this to you sooner or later!"


    "In any case, this is a surprise test, so it is obvious that you would not be warned."


    "Tsk!"


    That person clenched his fists in anger at not being able to reason with Minos. But he thought that this way would not be so bad either. They would already have to face the emperor one way or another, so it was better to do it under the guise of a simulation since then they could get rid of some guilt more easily.


    If they proved to be stronger than Minos, they could finish this guy off once and for all. If they were weaker, they would give up their positions so as not to be attacked in the future.


    Hell, thinking about it, this was the best situation for them!


    ''He was already bribing the less prominent families in the state, so eventually, he would act against us anyway. Better now than in the future!''


    But while some were thinking this way, one of the elders there looked at Minos and understood this fellow''s move. ''Does he want to give us a chance? Maybe he''s doing this to justify not having to kill anyone and weaken his territory?''


    ''Sigh...''


    ''Great move... That is, as long as he can win.'' This level 76 fellow thought as he cautiously looked at Minos'' avatar and felt his beard shaking with the winds in the area.


    At that moment, more Spiritual Saints arrived in the area, including those Minos had thrown away earlier.


    "Fellows, His Majesty is too powerful. You better not underestimate him." One of those individuals said to the elders of his family already in that place.


    Not all of the Spiritual Saints of Vogel or the noble families of that area were in that city. After all, those powers had ranks all over that territory.


    Hence, although there were more than 600 Spiritual Saints in the local noble families, a fraction of them, just over 150, were in the capital of Vogel at the present moment. So only those individuals were standing there in front of Minos when the last of them arrived.


    At the same time, the representatives of the Assembly, young Spiritual Emperors, were retreating from that area in fear of what might happen there.


    ''What is this bastard doing?'' The former president of that house wondered, remembering that he had not only lost his position during those two days of Minos'' stay in this city previously but permanently lost his post.


    After the revelations of what he had done together with the directors of the Assembly, they all lost their seats and were then replaced by new representatives.


    Since this man felt that he would go bad whenever Minos was around, he could not help but make an ugly expression as he saw the local sovereign pointing one of his fingers to the sky.


    "Let''s fight up there." Minos said aloud before flying in that direction, preparing to fight all the Spiritual Saints there, including his allies.


    To make this look like a test, he had to do this. At the same time, Minos'' allies in this Assembly were not as loyal to him as the allies on Stone Island, for example. They needed history with him and reasons to respect and be as loyal to him as those powers in the state of Elen.


    With that in mind, Minos also wanted to use this opportunity to reinforce these people''s interests in staying in the same boat as him and not thinking about dangerous things.


    These people were surprised to notice that he seemed interested in fighting them all and soon understood that he wanted to show them how right they were to be on his side.


    Then, everyone who was there to represent noble families flew to an altitude of 5 kilometers above the Assembly building, where they could fight without much trouble.


    The Spiritual Emperors of that institution also flew to higher positions to watch this event from favorable positions, fearful but also looking forward to this battle.


    In fact, this battle had such great potential that all the Spiritual Saints in that city had their attention turned to that area above the Assembly building.


    That was true from the experts in the Church temple to the members of local bourgeois families, from where the experts in this city soon left to see the battle up close.


    With that, before the fight that would decide Vogel''s fate even began, more than a thousand people, all above level 68, were floating in the surrounding area to watch Minos and the local leaders.


    Minos saw this and opened his arms to show those 150 opponents to take the opportunity to start this ''test.''


    Since this was the traditional attitude of the strongest being, the local leaders there immediately frowned, feeling humiliated by Minos.


    ''Not only does he challenge us, but he acts as if he is stronger than all of us?'' The leader of the Guzman family thought about this while her beautiful face contorted.


    ...

 Chapter 1477 The Battle Of 150 Vs 1

    Immediately after Minos'' words, 150 Soul Avatars appeared in that area, causing the spiritual energy in the surrounding area to become chaotic.


    Much of the ''mass'' of energy in the vicinity began to move towards them, as their soul projections attracted it to use in their techniques.


    They then moved to surround Emperor Stuart, intending to impede his escape routes and improve their chances of victory.


    Minos'' enemies were doing this to try to achieve the possibility of killing him, as his allies did it because they wanted to avoid suffering without at least defending themselves.


    And so, soon, several Soul Avatars were moving in to launch techniques against Minos while he stood with his arms open, watching them.


    Suddenly, Minos smiled and simultaneously activated the Devouring Art and his innate ability, sucking the powers of his opponents.


    These people could not compare to Oswald, who had a massive level 79 cultivation and was not that far from the peak of this stage. Moreover, due to the Gray Clouds Sect and Minos, that fellow had 4 Golden-grade and 4 Silver-grade techniques.


    As for the people around Minos, those stronger ones had, at most, Silver-grade techniques.


    The weakest, low-level Spiritual Saints, subordinates of noble families, did not even have that. They were people with Black-grade techniques and, at most, Silver-grade.


    With that, even the difference between the strongest of them and Minos'' grandfather was more than almost 200%, and they did not have as many protections against Emperor Stuart as that old fellow from the Gray Clouds Sect.


    Thus, as if in a nightmare, several enemies of Minos among those people, and even some of his allies, felt their cultivation levels decreasing. At the same time, everyone lost their energies to his Devouring Art.


    "What? my cultivation has decreased to level 73!" Someone lost focus on Minos and cried out in concern as he noticed that not only were his energies being sucked away by the black ring that appeared around his body.


    Everyone on the battlefield opened their eyes wide and paled when they noticed the same thing happening to several of them.


    Minos could not do that to many people. Still, he managed to use this ability on more than 10 Spiritual Saints, making several of them worry terribly about it.


    But the most shocked in the area were not those who had felt their levels decreasing, but those seeing Minos reaching level 72 after only a few breaths!


    Gulp!


    "No way!" One of the local leaders shouted upon sensing this.


    At that moment, the feeling of being within range of Minos'' avatar increased, and everyone in the surrounding area, even those just watching, shivered.


    "How can that be? What kind of ability is that?" The Spiritual Church leader for this territory wondered, feeling that under these circumstances, Minos would not lose even if there was someone at level 79 to stop him.


    ''Hmm, it''s nice to have so many people weaker than me and susceptible to me in the area...'' Minos smiled, knowing that he had only accomplished such a thing because most of those people had no resistance to his ability whatsoever.


    But he could not help but lament the limits of his own ability. ''Although good, this is the most I can do with my current cultivation. I can''t steal more people''s cultivation, and even if I could, I wouldn''t be able to increase my own.''


    ''I could at most distribute those forces to my allies, but now I don''t have anyone with me...''


    And with that, amid the terror of those people, Minos activated his other abilities to show them why they should fear him.


    Chaotic Gravity!


    In one part of his domain, Minos made the gravity in the surroundings suddenly increase, breaking the bones and crushing the most fragile organs of those people.


    Spiritual Saints could recover from physical damage easily as long as the attack did not seriously injure the part of the soul responsible for it.


    Since Minos had no killing intent at this point, he only destroyed parts of those individuals'' bodies without destroying parts of their souls.


    But even that hurt quite a bit and diminished the fighting abilities of whatever the cultivators were.


    Even if a Spiritual Saint could recover, for example, an arm lost in battle, that did not mean they would be able to fight as proficiently as they would in normal situations after losing an arm. That is, they would feel pain, be unfocused, and be unable to regenerate such a body part in time to continue fighting. Then their strength would decrease, and they would become weaker until they recovered.


    So when Minos acted against some of those people, they immediately began to scream in pain, with some even plummeting from the sky.


    Minos then looked at another group in the area, and his eyes flashed in rainbow colors.


    Infinite Dream!


    Immediately after shooting in the direction of that group, the avatars about to attack Minos missed their blows, as these people fell into the realistic illusion that would trap them for the next few days.


    "Damn it!"


    "How can this be happening?" The Matriarch of the Guzman family wondered as she sweated coldly, already feeling quite tired due to the Devouring Art sucking her strength away.


    With Minos temporarily at level 72, his ability to absorb the energies of his opponents had improved, and even level 76 individuals were losing their energy quickly.


    That was the case with that woman who had just launched an attack in Minos'' direction.


    Minos saw a huge spear approaching his chest and sensed the woman''s murderous intent. But he did not do much to counteract it. Instead, he just activated his defensive technique, causing a protective layer to appear around his avatar.


    Indestructible body!


    After a millisecond, that person''s spiritual weapon struck the left chest of Minos'' avatar, causing all observers in the area to look on in amazement.


    When such a weapon struck the chest of the golden Soul Avatar of Minos, many thought he would suffer a little. But the truth shocked everyone when such a weapon touched that projection and simply reflected in the opposite direction, flying away without scratching its target''s ''skin.''


    "Very weak." Minos said for everyone to hear him, showing those people that not even attacking with large parts of the strength of one of the strongest in this territory could harm him.


    But with this attack, he decided to get a little more aggressive to show these people what they might have to deal with if they exceeded his limits.


    "Let me show you what a strong attack is..."


    Chaotic Gravity: Meteors of Destruction!


    Minos linked his two hands together and pressed them against each other, causing the energy in his surroundings to track through the body of his soul projection and then condensing several black spots of energy in his surroundings.


    When he did this, the ground kilometers below him began to crack, frightening tens of thousands of inhabitants of that city.


    Then, in the blink of an eye, several pieces of houses and buildings flew towards the dark balls of energy, starting to form several giant meteors.


    Then Minos opened his hands and made these things fly in different directions!


    "Oh, shit..."

 Chapter 1478 End Of Exercise

    The meteors created by Minos shot out from his surroundings in different directions, heading toward where most of those Spiritual Saints facing him were.


    However, such an attack was so powerful that the moment it was launched, the Spiritual Saints who were watching the fight and some of the boldest Spiritual Emperors had to circulate their forces and protect themselves.


    The meteors had been focused on the experts of the local noble families. But due to their speed and size, they would hardly not create several fragments that would scatter beyond the interest of Minos.


    Since a fragment of it could already kill low-level Spiritual Saints, the spectators were frightened almost as much as the individuals there to face Minos.


    But those last ones were the most desperate individuals!


    ''Shit!'' The leader of the Guzman family saw one of those clusters of rocks coming in the direction where she and other experts were so fast that they could only wail and try to protect their bodies.


    Each meteor launched by Minos was as giant as a 10-meter radius sphere. And they all flew at the speed of sound, a speed that none of those people could keep up with!


    Because of this, in the blink of an eye, Minos'' new 7th technique ability devastated the opponents in his surroundings, seriously injuring the bodies of more than 70 of them in this single movement of his.


    Some had their bodies practically crushed because they were too weak to withstand the shock of it. But others, especially the local leaders hit, suffered trauma all over their fleshy bodies as their avatars disappeared.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    Shouts spread through the area as only a little over 30 people remained to face Minos.


    These people, who were already quite tired from having lost parts of their energy to him, were motionless without knowing what to do in this situation.


    Of the 150 of them, more than 70% had fallen in less than 2 minutes of combat, but even so, all this loss was for nothing since Minos was in his best fighting condition!


    So when he said what a powerful attack that was, those remaining people felt like giving up and not suffering unnecessarily.


    Minos was much stronger than them, and there was no hope for this day. If he wanted to kill them, then they would all die.


    Hell, the most powerful people there felt that even if all their Spiritual Saints were there, Minos would still not be defeated!


    With that thought, those still conscious individuals could not help but sigh as they realized they would have no choice but to accept Minos as their supreme ruler.


    That had only been a ''test'' to show them they had much more to lose by standing against Minos than they thought. So quickly, the cleverest among the emperor''s rivals gave up their pretensions against the empire.


    Meanwhile, Minos'' allies realized how right they were to take advantage of the opportunities given by the local sovereign.


    ''This is good. With His Majesty being so powerful, the safety of Vogel will be guaranteed, and our families will not be threatened by the risk of a civil war or being abused by the greater powers.'' One ally thought as he looked toward the enemy leaders suffering on the outskirts.


    Meanwhile, Minos looked at the remaining group of people and acted again to finish this ''training.''


    Indestructible Body!


    He used his defensive technique to strengthen his Soul Avatar while using the spiritual body of his soul projection to attack in the direction of his opponents.


    Because Minos was so fast and those people were frozen in terror, he was soon beside them, kicking and punching at his opponents.


    Minos'' punches at this instant were so strong that they could knock out even level 79 Spiritual Saints with techniques similar to those people. So with just one blow to each of those people, he knocked them unconscious!


    At this rate, in just 4 minutes of combat, all the Spiritual Saints who had stood against Minos in this ''test'' fell unconscious on top of the Assembly building.


    At this moment, when Minos came down from the altitude at which he was fighting, accompanied by the battle spectators, they came upon a devastated Vogel capital center.


    Tens of thousands of inhabitants were in the streets, seeing the tops of several buildings and houses destroyed due to the technique, Chaotic Gravity.


    At the same time, the bloodied bodies of local leaders were scattered around the outskirts, many of them on top of the Assembly, forming a war scene there.


    Plumbing was visible in some destroyed streets, with water and sewage gushing into the surroundings.


    Meanwhile, most of the people in the area were looking in the direction of Minos, noticing the one responsible for all the chaos in the central part of this city.


    Minos saw this and said to the citizens in the area. "Citizens of Vogel, do not worry about local destruction. The empire government will repair all damage to the local infrastructure. As for the injured, report to the local Black Plain Army post. You will all be treated and rewarded for your suffering."


    No one died since Minos'' technique was not so strong as to attract pieces of buildings 5 kilometers away at high speed. So when the first buildings began to be damaged, the local inhabitants escaped almost unhurt.


    Some had suffered a little more due to their own weakness but had not suffered severe damage to be at risk of death.


    Minos could sense this with his soul sense and promptly made that promise that would be easy for his forces to fulfill.


    He then looked at the local Spiritual Saints, unrelated to the noble families, and said. "My friends from Vogel, that was just an exercise to test the local defenses. Now that I have realized the vulnerabilities of this city, I will work with the Assembly to strengthen the defenses of the territory!"


    Those people knew that Minos was not speaking so sincerely. However, they believed he would indeed care about strengthening the local defenses. But his purpose there was undeniable to correct the attitudes of the local leaders toward the imperial family and ensure his sovereignty over Vogel.


    But no one would say anything about this out loud, and everyone soon began to show gestures of gratitude and appreciation for Minos'' commitment to Vogel.


    With that, as the Assembly representatives rescued the Spiritual Saints injured by Minos, some of the few individuals among them who were not doing so approached him in silence, seeing that he wanted to say something.


    "Your Majesty?" The current president of this house said in a low voice.


    Minos then spoke. "That was all I had to deal with you today. So I will leave now."


    "Uh?" Those people were surprised at that.


    "I hope to receive the situation of your elders regarding their positions after this exercise..." He suggestively said. "If they can''t get into a good formation soon, they will have to suffer a lot in case some opponent of my level shows up to threaten them."


    Gulp!


    With those words, Minos set off in the direction of his army post, where he would continue his journey to Rosser!

 Chapter 1479 Visit To Rosser

    Two hours after Minos'' departure...


    The Spiritual Saints who had suffered from the previous ''test'' had already awakened from their unconscious states and started the treatment of their bodies.


    The weakest of them would need a few weeks to fully recover and have to rest for at least a few days. But the leaders of local organizations, people at levels 75 and 76, could do this more quickly. Their injuries had not been as severe, and they recovered faster anyway.


    So the strongest in this state were already gathered in the Assembly, along with reinforcements that had arrived in the last few minutes, ready to discuss their positions.


    Not all were together in one group. On the contrary, these people were divided among several interest groups. Still, they were all in that building, discussing the same subject.


    Surrender to Minos!


    Among these groups, one of the three largest local noble families was in a luxurious room in one corner of that building, with those involved in the battle lying down with bandages on their bodies.


    At the same time, the newly arrived reinforcements were standing or sitting on the outskirts with worried expressions on their faces.


    They had never seen their leaders so severely wounded before!


    But luckily, no one was in danger of death, and they would just have to hold their wounded states for a few days until they regained their full strength.


    "Minos did all this by himself?" One of the newcomers asked, shocked at all he had heard so far.


    "Yes, the wretch is a monster! He can temporarily steal the energies of his opponents but also part of his rivals'' cultivation base!" Someone who had seen one of his subordinates goes from level 74 to 73 and then back to the previous level after Minos left said this to everyone while enduring the pain in his body.


    The leader of the Guzman family clenched her fists and ignored the pain in her many bones that had broken from the meteor that hit her. "He''s a demon. If he wanted to, he could have destroyed everyone in this city in the blink of an eye..."


    "He didn''t even use any of his fusions."


    "But he couldn''t even, after all our agreements with him, prevent him from doing that from these devices against us..." One of them was saying but was interrupted.


    "That doesn''t matter!" That woman spoke in a louder tone. "The fact is that he wasn''t using everything he had, and he still destroyed us!"


    "So what do we do now? If that''s true, there''s no hope against him! He''s already as bad as that damned Harold!" One of the newcomers shouted angrily, not liking the situation at all.


    "What alternative do we have, other than surrender? That''s all we can do now..." An old fellow wailed as he felt his leg slowly growing back.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in another Assembly meeting room...


    In this place, the injured people had fewer injuries than those in the other room, and some even stood while talking.


    "We made the right choice."


    "Minos not only gives us an opportunity for resources, but he is also much stronger than the entire Vogel royal family in their prime. So he can ensure the state''s security while we give him more powers without losing much in return."


    "Not a bad deal..."


    "Yes, and since we served one, we can''t question serving another!" One of the newcomers commented to his injured elders soon after finding out about the sovereign''s deeds.


    One of the injured men then said. "Yes, we were already on his side, so this just showed us how right we were. From now on, we can enjoy the fact that we sided with the Stuart family before all this happened."


    "I just wonder what will be left for those high-level families..." One of them laughed as he felt the blood rise up his throat from his unnecessary movement.


    ...


    Before the news of what happened in Vogel even spread, Minos was already in the capital of the neighboring kingdom, Rosser!


    The Black Plain Army had a post on the border between Cromwell''s territory and that kingdom, from where someone at Minos'' level could quickly reach Rosser''s capital with a few hours of flight.


    So, upon leaving the capital of Vogel, Minos had used his army''s posts in that city and on that border with Cromwell to teleport himself to the vicinity of Rosser''s capital, where he was at the moment.


    With only three and a half hours since his victory against the elders of the Vogel noble organizations, the news had not even spread to the entire Vogel territory. So the friendly kingdoms of the noble families in that area were still in the dark about Minos'' actions.


    Hence, when he showed himself in this city, no one understood what Minos was doing there, and many even ignored him.


    Not everyone in this city knew him, and as much as he was the leader of an enemy organization, the Gray Clouds Sect, he was also a partner of this state. So even those capable of recognizing him, local guards, did not despair at seeing his arrival through the local skies.


    Since Minos had no reason to show hostility to the people of this kingdom, as the local royal family itself was already on his side in the matter of Vogel, he followed the local rules and did not fly through the skies of that city.


    Minos just followed some of the guards he met on his way and asked for directions to the royal palace, where he wanted to meet the queen.


    With that, in the blink of an eye, he arrived at that place where the prominent local experts were already together with the queen, with serious expressions due to the information of Minos'' advance.


    While some guards had directed Emperor Stuart there, others had notified the local command core about his new level.


    As they faced him, these people were already aware that Minos was now one of them, a Spiritual Saint!


    ''Hmm, he seems very confident...'' One of the queen''s closest, level 76, thought about this while standing next to this woman, level 77.


    On the other hand, this woman smiled at Minos and greeted him. "Your Majesty, to what do we owe the visit? I must say I am a little surprised by your arrival... If I had known, I would have prepared my house better to receive you."


    Minos nodded, smiling at that woman, and commented. "Your Majesty is very courteous. There is no need for further preparation. I am here only for a brief conversation."


    "Oh? And what is this about?" She asked.


    "I have just visited Vogel and defeated 150 of the Assembly elders. Starting today, things in that territory will change, so as my allies, I am here to talk about it with you." He got straight to the point. "Does that bother you in any way?"


    "What?"


    "You defeated 150 elders?"


    "How can that be? Why?"


    The elders in the surrounding area muttered their doubts, not quite understanding how all this had happened but sure that some tragedy had occurred to their neighbors.


    The queen lost her smile, turning a little pale at the thought that Minos had defeated elders almost as strong as she was. "Is that true? Did you fight them?"


    ...

 Chapter 1480 Visitors

    "Yes, I fought." Minos walked around the surroundings as he observed the decorations of this royal palace. "I realized that I had reached a good level to test the defenses of my state with a surprise military exercise. So I fought with the elders in that city and saw how troublesome it will be to solve the local problems..."


    "The way they are, they have no capabilities to stop a high-level Spiritual Saint capable of fighting large numbers of opponents." He said as the people there interpreted this as him exposing his current level of power, in a sense, threatening them without saying the proper words.


    ''Are you saying that if we stand against you, we won''t have anything to do either?'' One of the elders there considered, feeling a little bad about the situation.


    Luckily, the royal family was determined to side with Minos and leave those Vogel powers to their own luck.


    With that, at least they would not have to worry about suffering the same as those Vogel powers!


    "So that''s it?" The queen asked. "Vassals are a problem. We have to train them hard, or they get soft and become like that... Sigh, you are right in your intentions, Your Majesty."


    The other people in the surrounding area nodded while Minos continued with his neutral expression, pleased that these allies would continue on his side. "Hmm, it''s good that you people understand me. Anyway, with the changes that will happen in Vogel soon, I hope to improve the Empire and Rosser''s negotiations with the cooperation of the Assembly."


    "I think the same way." The queen said, figuring that she could benefit from negotiating Vogel resources directly with Dry City.


    Then, they talked more in another area of the royal palace, negotiating some issues relevant to their states and even specific resources.


    But at no time did the people in the queen''s group attempt to probe Minos'' power. Besides the fact that they were already aware that news of what happened in Vogel would spread and they could find out such a thing through this, they did not want to test this guy.


    It was a little hard to believe that he had faced so many from Vogel and won, but it was not unbelievable. After all, it was Minos they were talking about!


    And so, everything would go smoothly for him in his stay in Rosser''s capital city, where he would stay for more than a day before leaving for Albano.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the central area of the Black Plain Empire...


    Regina, level 67, was at this very moment flying towards Dry City after returning from an encounter with a local mercenary she had hired.


    This woman had joined the forces of Minos and asked this fellow to take revenge on the elf who had killed her past passion. But the emperor had refused to help at the time, promising her that she would be able to get her revenge on her own.


    After several years in Dry City, she had finally reached the level and financial power necessary to go on a quest for her revenge!


    Thus, she had hired a mercenary from one of the Empire guilds, those institutions where people not associated with powerful families could post or do missions.


    There were already high-level Spiritual Emperors working as mercenaries in some guilds around the Black Plain Empire, and Regina had hired just one of them.


    She was already at level 67, so as a poison master, paying someone like that was not expensive for her!


    Anyway, after having her first encounter with that mercenary who was going to get the head of that elf for her, she had a serious expression as she returned to her duties in Dry City.


    "Sigh..."


    "I''m finally getting my revenge, Angela." She thought of her friend killed during Abe''s main attack on Dry City, who had been her bodyguard for a long time before she met Minos.


    ''If you were here, we''d have a drink today...'' She closed her eyes momentarily and felt her eyes grow moist.


    Unfortunately, she could do nothing but go and visit her friend''s grave in the Dry City Mausoleum.


    With this in mind, she decided to go to such a place after buying a drink she usually had with Angela.


    But as she was starting to decrease the altitude of her flight to land in one of the satellite cities of Dry City, she was suddenly surprised by some Spiritual Saint.


    "Girl, can you tell us where Dry City is?" A voice of a woman who seemed younger than Regina but who actually had a few millennia more years of experience than she reached that poison master''s ears.


    She immediately left her contemplative state and looked at that level 79 Spiritual Saint, who two other individuals, also from this level, accompanied her.


    Regina realized that they were not from the Gray Clouds Sect and asked. "Your Excellency, may I ask your purpose in going to Dry City?"


    This poison master was dressed in one of the local army uniforms, so those people readily identified her as one of Minos'' soldiers. Then as the other two looked at her, the woman said. "We are searching for an item that one of our members lost in this region."


    "An item?" Regina frowned her eyebrows.


    "Yes, we have been searching for it for some time, but we have not been successful. However, now that the Black Plain Empire is at peace and expanding towards the rest of the northern region, we believe that your state can help us."


    "Of course, we will pay for it."


    The local government had already begun talks with the Spiritual Church for it to absorb more northern region states into the empire.


    The governments of those kingdoms wanted this, and Minos had already left orders for the bureaucratic processes to be sorted out with the Church since the Black Plain could now absorb them.


    These people knew this, which is why they were there.


    ''Do they know that we have started absorbing the northern states?'' Regina wondered. ''How? It''s less than a week since Matriarch Frost started the talks with the Church!''


    But then this woman smiled and asked. "Where do you people come from? From the Church?"


    The three laughed before one of the two men commented. "We don''t come from the Church, although we have heard about the Black Plain from them..."


    "Hmm, I thought that was a lie... But who knew? The Black Plain recovered its spiritual root, and now this place has as much energy as the best places in the Flaming Empire." The other said, causing that woman to nod.


    "Perhaps the local energy levels will continue to grow and become equal to those of the Evergreen Empire..." She murmured as she felt the spiritual density in the surroundings.


    The recovery of Dry City''s spirit root was coming to an end. Therefore, even Spiritual Saints could already live in this area without it becoming a problem for their cultivation.


    Regina knew that since the army expected the local spiritual energy to keep increasing for another 5 or 6 years, so she simply ignored these people''s comments.


    However, she could not ignore it when one of them showed her the symbol of an organization marked as an enemy of the Black Plain!


    ''Blood Triangle Pirates...''

 Chapter 1481 Valuable Item

    After Regina came across those three members of the Blood Triangle Pirates, even though they were enemies, she had no choice but to direct them to Dry City.


    They were powerful but did not seem to have bad intentions. At the same time, Dry City already had methods of dealing with people from the late 8th stage.


    So even if it was dangerous and bad to deal with these people, she directed them to the local leaders, who could best solve the present situation.


    Since Minos was not in the city, much less his wives, those three quickly arrived in front of Dillian and some Spiritual Saints from the Gray Clouds Sect.


    ...


    In the imperial palace...


    As usual, Dillian was taking over Minos'' duties when no one else from the imperial family was in this city.


    He was the subordinate who had been at Minos'' side the longest but also someone who had years of experience running this state with the sovereign. So Minos had much more confidence in leaving his territory in this doctor''s hands than in one of the elders of his sect.


    In any case, Dillian''s administrative work did not require strength, so the fact that he was still at level 68 was not a hindrance to him performing this function.


    As such, he was sitting on the emperor''s throne alongside his wife, Eda, level 66, the men of the imperial guard, and the elders of the sect of Minos.


    "Visitors to the empire, to what do we owe your passage through our humble lands?" Dillian questioned those people while he had a smile on his face.


    He knew very well that Minos had marked the organization of these people as an enemy power because of the situation with Emlyn but also due to this pirate group monitoring a certain map. But even if they were on opposite sides, these newly arrived people did not know that, and he did not need to help them find out such a thing!


    So Dillian was treating them in the way one would expect, with courtesy, since people like that could always bring benefits to poorer places like the Black Plain.


    Those people did not find Dillian''s behavior or the Spiritual Saints watching them strange, and one of them replied. "We are after an item lost by one of our men in your region. This item can be identified as a map engraved on a cloth..."


    One of the men quickly described what they were after, surprising the experts in that place, who had no idea what this was about, but helping Dillian understand what that map was.


    ''That must be the same item that His Majesty found in young master Silva''s ring and that Spiritual Sage was looking for...'' Dillian thought as he kept his expression unchanged in front of these people.


    "... Then we want to hire the services of the Stuart family to find that item for us. I am sure that no one else could do that service in the area better than you." That person finished speaking, smiling, and showing these people that even though they were weak, they had been chosen.


    Providing a service for the Blood Triangle Pirates should be a huge honor for these people!


    The woman then added. "We intend to pay a great fortune if you can help us..."


    "2 million high-grade crystals." She said, making the people there swallow their saliva in nervousness.


    That was the equivalent of 20 billion low-grade crystals!


    That would be enough to build dozens of cities in the Black Plain Empire or even develop, from scratch, 5 level 79 Spiritual Saints!


    It was not a tiny amount, even more so considering that this was only a research mission. In other words, what they searched for had an even higher value than that amount of crystals!


    ''Hmm, it looks like His Majesty has something terribly dangerous on his hands...'' Dillian placed one of his hands on his chin, pondering the matter.


    The level 79 Spiritual Saint looking after the security of the capital for Minos saw that Dillian was thinking hard about the matter and said nothing to try to convince him to accept.


    He knew that this fellow was always aware of everything Minos decided, so maybe this doctor knew something he did not.


    One of those newcomers realized that something was wrong and asked. "Is there a problem? Isn''t this enough for you to focus on finding this map for us?"


    Dillian replied. "It''s not a problem with the value. It''s that His Majesty is traveling alongside the entire core of the imperial family. So there''s no one to accept that offer..."


    "On the other hand, we are extremely busy expanding the empire''s borders at the moment, so I don''t know if we will have enough people for this service... Otherwise, I would tell you to wait a few weeks until they return. But I don''t think it''s worth it." Dillian tried to make them leave.


    "Oh? He''s not around here?" The woman asked, disregarding the second part of Dillian''s speech.


    Whether or not it was worth their while to wait, that was for them to decide, not that level 68 man.


    On the other hand, would Minos not accept such good service just because his state was expanding its borders to the north? That is, they were just low-level kingdoms. What importance could states without even Spiritual Saints have compared to a prize capable of nurturing peak Spiritual Saints?


    So those people did not think they would fail in this place, and soon one of them said after seeing Dillian and others confirming the woman''s question. "Then we will stay by the Black Plain waiting for His Majesty. This place has grown a lot in the last few years, and we are curious to get to know the area a bit..."


    "Is that so?" Dillian smiled. "Then make yourselves at home."


    ...


    ? As those people from the Evergreen Empire settled into Dry City, more than 30 hours have passed since the exercise of Minos and the 150 Spiritual Saints.


    Right now, the news was beginning to leave that territory to reach those noble families'' allies. But even in this situation, Minos managed to reach Albano before the news reached the West family.


    At that very moment, he had arrived in front of the local sovereign and received congratulations from that woman and her eldest daughter on the breakthrough he had passed.


    "So, Minos, what do you want in my kingdom? Are you here to accept the offer I made you?" Iris asked somewhat casually, even considering that Emperor Stuart was already as big or bigger than her.


    Minos was not bothered since he had known this woman for years and had been doing business with Albano since he reached the 7th stage.


    He then said briefly. "A few hours ago, I acted against the Assembly of Vogel and defeated 150 of their elders, among them all the leaders of the noble families in that territory."


    Minos was also more ''free'' in his words there since he knew these people better than those he met in Rosser.


    Gulp!


    ...

 Chapter 1482 Another Face Of Minos

    "You did what?" Iris asked as her mouth opened in shock, and her back shivered.


    She usually felt quite aroused around Minos, but this time she was sure that her shivers were not from physical attraction but from pure awe and fear.


    Minos smiled and said. "I acted against the people in that place, testing their strength in a military exercise... But rest assured, although they are somewhat horrified, they are still alive."


    The queen''s eldest daughter stepped forward and asked. "How did you do that? I know you are powerful, but dealing against so many Spiritual Saints is not simple! That amount of cultivators you quoted would give even a Spiritual Sage hard work!"


    And it was not a lie. Suppose a Spiritual Sage did not use their spatial manipulation skills in a fight like that. In that case, they might even be seriously injured when facing so many opponents simultaneously!


    Minos then asked the crown princess of this state. "Do you want proof of that? I can show you some of what I did in that place..."


    "What are you saying, Minos? Are you here to challenge me?" Iris did not like this suggestion.


    He promptly replied. "No. I came here to let you know what happened and to strengthen our relations with more agreements that favor the empire and Albano."


    "Vogel has many possibilities and, if managed properly, can improve its margins. I know I can do that and that I will soon have the support I need to do it. So I am here to ask you if you are interested in going further with our agreements."


    Some elders in the surrounding area, pale from some of Minos'' words, readily understood what he was doing.


    ''He wants to stifle the powers of that state, using its resources to secure outside support for his actions...''


    ''Bastard!''


    ''He''s taking away the last chance those families might have to cry out for help!''


    The situation of the Vogel powers that did not want Minos as their leader was not good when one thought about the emperor''s individual power. But considering they also had several Assembly colleagues who did not accept their ideas, their situation was even direr.


    They could not even be considered one against Minos. Instead, they were more of a ''patchwork'' that could suffer from internal and external threats.


    So the last alternative for Vogel was their three historical allies.


    Of these three, two states had not been showing much brotherhood recently, but it was still possible that one of them might decide to help in the moment of greatest need.


    After all, Vogel''s present could be the future of one of these kingdoms!


    If they did not help prevent Vogel''s situation from becoming unrecoverable, they could soon face the same problem!


    So Minos using that state to buy the support of Rosser and Albano was a decisive move to ''kill'' the hopes that some of his enemies in that territory might still have.


    Without outside support, those powers would be totally at the mercy of Minos!


    Iris realized this, too, since she was one of the oldest there, although she looked as young as Minos.


    But she had already agreed to stand by his side, so it would not be because of this warning that she would back down. "Is that so? I''ll be happy then."


    But Joan, level 72, then said. "I want to see your skills. I don''t know if I can believe your words if you don''t show that you can do that."


    "Joan!" Iris yelled at her daughter, seeing how foolish and impulsive this woman could still be, even considering her level and age.


    ''Minos is probably telling the truth! But even if he isn''t, we''ll find out the truth in a few more hours!'' She thought about this as she looked meaningfully at her daughter.


    Joan did not know what her mother was thinking, but she knew it was not favorable to her foolish idea.


    Before she could go back on her words, Minos smiled and said. "That''s fine with me. How about all of you become my training partners?" He indicated with one of his arms to all those people there, even Queen West.


    ? Those elders looked at each other and muttered sounds of doubt due to those words, but before they had a chance to think better of it, Minos flew up high, making a hole in the ceiling of that area.


    Then he activated his technique, Chaotic Gravity, and made all those bodies follow him, whether those people wanted to or not!


    Those people immediately realized that Minos'' abilities had considerably evolved when they felt this.


    With that evidence, they realized that his words should not be lies!


    ''That level of suppression...'' Iris thought as her face contorted into seriousness, with her feeling the sense of standing in front of someone superior to her.


    ''How can that be? Just a few years ago, he was much weaker than me!'' Her eyes fluttered as Minos activated his avatar, making not only her but everyone else feel the enormous pressure of his cultivation.


    At that moment, as they felt the heavy gravity trying to bring them down, they noticed their energies disappearing into the black rings on their bodies. At the same time, the mental heaviness caused by the Infinite Dream soon began to afflict these mid-level Spiritual Saints.


    Joan was the only low-level Spiritual Saint among them, so she was the first to faint, not even having a chance to observe Minos'' forces after she stopped flying uncontrollably toward him.


    Meanwhile, Minos used his visual ability combined with the Dark Sea and immediately began to make those people feel the nightmare of facing an enemy capable of seeing their weaknesses and manipulating them.


    ''Come on. I''m not up for a fight, so fight amongst yourselves.'' He thought of this as he ordered the weaker ones there to attack the stronger ones.


    As darkness covered an ample space above Albano''s royal palace, the queen, for the first time in her life, found herself being attacked by her most loyal subordinates!


    Pow!


    One of them activated his Soul Avatar and punched his spiritual body toward Iris, seeing a terrible monster in that woman.


    "Die, devil! I will not allow you to contaminate Her Majesty''s vicinity!" That individual shouted in a heroic tone, beginning to fight on behalf of his goddess.


    Iris saw this and then looked in Minos'' direction, finding it amazing the ability he had to make an enemy become an ally in a matter of fractions of seconds.


    ''What incredible power!''


    ''He can turn many of his opponents into allies and thus make it much easier to dominate a group as large as that!''


    ''Not for nothing!''


    ''That''s how he defeated the elders of the Assembly of Vogel!'' This woman concluded this, not having the slightest notion that Minos had not even activated the Dark Sea during his action in the Vogel capital.


    Minos could imagine what was on his ally''s mind since that was his goal. She was going to find out what he had done in Vogel anyway, so seeing a new side, which he had not yet shown in that territory, would be an extra stimulus for her to want to continue on his good side!

 Chapter 1483 Equal Threat

    After he finished showing the local leaders what he was capable of, Minos did not do much and deactivated his techniques and abilities.


    Because of this, Iris escaped suffering at the hands of her subordinates, while those people realized how susceptible they still were, even at their levels.


    And while they were embarrassed and apologized to the queen, they all felt reverence for Minos, noting that he could fight against such a large group of Spiritual Saints as he had claimed.


    With that, Minos and those people descended from the local skies and returned to the royal palace, where they would soon begin discussing business matters.


    He wanted to benefit from Vogel''s resources and the isolation of the noble families in that territory. But on the other hand, these Albano leaders wanted no trouble with Minos and also liked the idea of getting deals more favorable to themselves.


    Consequently, those who would lose powers in Vogel were the ones who would pay for the cost of these negotiations by Minos, while he and his allies would take advantage of the situation!


    ...


    The other day...


    While Minos was still in Albano, news of what had happened in Vogel had already spread throughout that area, even reaching Blackrock and the Flaming Empire.


    In Rosser and Albano, those states'' noble families were shocked to discover how Minos had defeated 150 Spiritual Saints, stealing the cultivations from part of them and ''crushing'' them as if they were nothing.


    At the same time, the royal families of these two kingdoms noted that what had happened in Vogel had been much worse than Minos had said or shown them.


    After all, someone capable of stealing an opponent''s cultivation, even temporarily, was a monster anywhere in this world!


    But that only helped them confirm what they had already talked to Minos about and feel better about having sided with him since his first ''confrontation'' with the Assembly months ago.


    The most impressed of all had been those of the West family, who still had Minos in their capital but also saw that he could do much more than he had done in Vogel.


    The Dark Sea was also terrible!


    Meanwhile, in Blackrock, the royal family and their subordinates were completely taken aback by Minos'' advance to the 8th stage and his victory over Vogel''s forces.


    Only the Flaming Empire reacted better to everything since they had more information about Minos'' possible advance and his intentions towards Vogel.


    ...


    In the capital of the Flaming Empire...


    Isabella was vibrant this morning, pleased with Minos'' success in reaching level 70 and probably raising the quality of his Physique.


    She did not need anyone to inform her about this qualitative advancement of Minos since, with the skills he demonstrated in Vogel, she did not need to hear more to find out about such a thing.


    Since he now had a level and physical quality more similar to hers, this red-haired woman could not help but be hopeful about her reunion with him, scheduled for a few weeks.


    Because of her good mood, some of the high-level members of this state were not so concerned about Minos'' advance and shocking display of power.


    But even so, some high-level Spiritual Saints were somewhat concerned about the combat proficiency that Minos had achieved by just reaching level 70.


    They were already at the end of this stage and could barely improve. But someone at level 70, like him, could easily raise a few levels in a few years, even in the empire.


    So the news coming from Vogel was enough to put him in the ranks of local leaders, even disregarding his fusions and mass destruction weapon!


    If he decided to use them, then even the imperial family could tremble in front of Minos!


    Precisely because of this, the supreme elder of this family was having an emergency meeting with the upper echelon of this family.


    ...


    "What can we do in case Minos turns against us? How much damage could he do with his current forces?" The supreme elder asked while he had an ugly expression on his face.


    A level 78 man then said. "If he really can temporarily steal his opponent''s cultivation, then I would say it would be a bloody fight, supreme elder."


    "He would probably be able to kill many of the local leaders before he is seriously injured or his abilities lose effect."


    The silence was present after those words, with everyone there feeling that this was not an exaggeration but a reality check.


    All of them had already analyzed Minos'' way of fighting during his final attacks against the Saints Killing Sect. Because of this, they knew very well that Emperor Stuart had many more ways to act than he had presented at Vogel.


    Considering that all cultivator''s abilities evolved as they improved in stage, these people knew that all those other characteristics of Minos had improved.


    Because of this, he should be at least twice as bad as he had shown!


    "Now we can only pray that he stays true to his words, rescues His Majesty, and doesn''t abuse his powers." Someone commented. "If he desires blood in a conquest, we can do nothing to stop him..."


    But then a woman said. "We have nothing to do. We had better accept that the sect master Stuart is already at the same level as us or higher... Then let''s see the bright side in all of this."


    "Bright side?" The supreme elder, who disliked Minos, asked as he looked strangely at that woman.


    "Minos is stronger, so maybe he can help us deal with Mortimer when he gets out of control..."


    "Oh?"


    Everyone in that room opened their mouths in realization, noting that they could play one evil against the other and maybe get rid of two problems at once!


    ''If that happens, it will be the best of results...''


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the capital of Blackrock...


    The king of this state had just received the message from one of his greatest allies in Vogel and was already standing by his royal advisors.


    Minos had done what they feared most, but not only that, he had gained a strength they found difficult to stop. So the mood was somber in the beautiful royal palace of this seaside city.


    "Well, we can consider Minos to be at the same level of threat as Harold before the disappearance of this individual..." The king said aloud while having his fists clenched.


    Just when he thought he could have more peaceful times ahead of his state with Harold''s kidnapping, a threat as bad or even worse than that emperor''s arose!


    It really was bound to stress him out a bit!


    He continued. "Then we can only trust that our allies will not make the mistake of favoring him. If we unite again, we may have a chance to keep him away, as we did with the Flaming Empire for thousands of years!"


    ''Is that so?'' Some people there wondered, feeling that the situation was much worse than the king seemed to judge.


    After all, if Minos was a threat at the same level as Harold, their problems were much deeper since the Flaming Empire was still an enemy of theirs!


    In other words, they now had two colossi of the same level to threaten them!

 Chapter 1484 New Destination

    At the end of that day, Minos was finally leaving Albano to visit Blackrock, the furthest state in his journey.


    But before he left that Albano capital city, more than 100 Spiritual Saints had appeared at the local teleportation plaza to bid him farewell and wish him good luck in Blackrock.


    Many local leaders had heard that Minos was in their city handling business with the queen, so they tried to interact with him somehow.


    Minos was now much more powerful than everyone in this city and could easily annihilate them if he wanted to. So they thought it was best to demonstrate their favorable position to Emperor Stuart by appearing to greet him.


    He had already met with local patriarchs and matriarchs for talks and business in the previous hours. However, many others have not had the chance to do the same.


    So as he walked alongside Iris and Joan to the teleportation port, he greeted many of these individuals.


    "Your Majesty, bon voyage. I hope those hardheads from Blackrock don''t make things too difficult for you." A level 75 woman said as she shook one of Minos'' hands.


    He nodded to her and smiled, moving on to the next person, the last one he had to greet before he left.


    He had no obligation to be courteous to anyone there. But it was not bad to keep doors open. After all, one never could tell what kind of trouble would come next and who they would need to keep growing.


    As someone who liked having allies more than enemies, Minos saw no problem in using this chance to show these people that he was not an intolerable monster.


    "Your Majesty, I will soon visit Dry City to send gifts and try new business with your empire." An old fellow said, smiling. "I heard that Princess Sarah is already not far from starting her journey in cultivation. So I will take the chance to bring some gifts to her too."


    "Hmm, I''m sure she''ll like it." Minos shook one of that fellow''s hands.


    After that, he turned to the two most important women in the West family and said. "Well, that is all. Now I will travel to Blackrock and then to the Flaming Empire."


    "You should take care of yourself when you get to Blackrock. Those people will have figured out what happened by the time you get there." Joan suggested, knowing that it would take Minos a few days to reach that state''s capital.


    Among the four enemy territories of the Flaming Empire, some were closer to others by different measures. That was not only something geographical but also political.


    For example, Vogel had never been very close to Albano, which was why Abe Vogel had used the state of Iris West to try to attack the Black Plain several years ago.


    But Rosser and Albano were very close, and the two queens were even friends. Because of this, there were more teleportation ports between these two states than between Vogel and either of them.


    Minos had only teleported to Rosser so quickly because he had army posts in the area. After that, he used the teleportation ports of Albano and Rosser to travel.


    But now that he would be going from Albano to Blackrock, two states not so close politically compared to the situation of Blackrock and Vogel, he would have to fly for much more than he could teleport.


    Then by the time he arrived in that city, the royal family of Blackrock would undoubtedly have the latest news from Vogel.


    "Hmm, I''ll be careful." Minos smiled before listening to Iris.


    "Well, good luck on your journey. I hope everything works out for the empire, and we can grow in peace."


    "Yes, that will happen."


    With that, he entered the teleportation array in that square, soon after disappearing to the relief of those most pressed by his presence.


    "Sigh!"


    "He''s finally gone..." Joan commented as she remembered her sister, who had not gone through the same pressure of being around Minos since she was in seclusion.


    Lulu had finally reached level 69 over a year and a half ago and was now trying to advance to the next stage. As such, she was no longer in Minos'' territory representing her family in the empire.


    After sighing and starting to walk back to the royal palace, Iris commented to her daughter. "Hmm, now we can only commit to him and hope he succeeds... That''s the only way we can grow too."


    ...


    After departing from that city, Minos soon reached the most extreme point of Albano, on the border with this territory, Blackrock and Flaming Empire.


    There, in the vicinity of the battlefield between those two kingdoms and the empire, Minos flew towards that battle lane without caring about the men on all three sides watching the area.


    Some were fighting, as the Flaming Empire was still keeping pressure on the borders to fulfill the agreement between Minos and Harold.


    As such, several attacks from low and mid-level Spiritual Saints circled the surroundings while Spiritual Emperors were also fighting in the area.


    Minos ignored everyone and flew into the middle of that war zone, using his techniques to repel all the attacks coming his way.


    While Chaotic Gravity repelled the physical attacks, the spiritual attacks were absorbed by him, giving Minos more power to fly toward his goal.


    There were no teleportation ports other than those of the royal army for about 500 kilometers into this territory. So Minos would have to fly to the first city in this area with a teleportation port that offered this service to people who paid.


    Amidst his haste flying through that area, those involved on the sides of the conflict began to pay attention to Minos, shocked at how a level 70 Spiritual Saint could be so fast flying but also withstanding their attacks.


    "Who is that? How can he be so powerful?" A Spiritual Emperor ignorant of the latest news wondered as he looked at Minos.


    But some of the Spiritual Saints in the area could recognize who that person was and soon began shouting to their respective groups.


    "Fall back!"


    "Retreat! I said, retreat!"


    "Fall back immediately! Stop launching attacks and return to camp!"


    Several similar shouts broke out on all three sides of that border, with the experts there fearing that Minos would act against them because of this great lack of respect.


    How could they continue fighting in the presence of Minos, someone capable of defeating dozens of Spiritual Saints on his own?


    Someone like that deserved everyone''s respect, and immediately the strongest ones stopped fighting, retreating as they looked in Minos'' direction.


    Meanwhile, the Blackrock experts had ugly expressions on their faces, feeling bad that Minos was flying straight into their territory.


    "Immediately, send a message to His Majesty warning that Minos Stuart is probably heading for our city!"


    "We don''t know his intentions, but they must not be good after what happened in Vogel!" A level 76 man shouted to his men as he flew toward the camp of his forces nearby.

 Chapter 1485 Gift

    Four days later...


    At this moment, Minos was arriving in the capital of Blackrock, in this state that he had yet to get to know better.


    But he was not there for tourism, so he would still have to pass through there more quietly in the future to get to know this place that had already ''witnessed'' the rise and decay of many powerful families.


    Practically the entire Central Continent had a long and bloody history, with moments of peace and great changes, as had happened at the time of the Great Migration. Thus, every state had undergone great changes since the time of Henricus Longus, and Minos had made it a hobby to learn a little about the history of these places.


    But when he arrived in this great city, he promptly left it for another time when he had more time and was well received.


    At that moment, Minos came across hundreds of Spiritual Saints scattered around that city, all circulating their energies as if they were preparing for war.


    Half of those experts were flying over the skies, in the outskirts on his way, ready to receive him.


    Minos saw the seriousness in the eyes of the many people flying over the local skies and watching him uglily. He then said. "I didn''t expect such a ''warm'' welcome upon arriving in this city..."


    "What''s that, people? Why did you all come to see me?"


    The King of this state, who was among the strongest in the surrounding area, looked at Minos while wearing silver armor and said. "Your Majesty Minos Stuart, what do you desire in my territory?"


    Blackrock''s forces had tried to prevent Minos from reaching this city. But all the efforts of this kingdom to hinder Emperor Stuart''s journey, or even make him give up coming to this place, had failed.


    So they had prepared all their strongest subordinates to be at this place at the time of Minos'' arrival, to fight side by side in case of need.


    Minos heard the somber tone of that sovereign and said. "Is that your way of treating an ally, King Blackrock? You treat me as if I am a criminal."


    "And aren''t you? What you did in Vogel was criminal, Your Majesty." That man said, fearfully but quite sincerely, confident that with so many people on his side, Minos would not cross the line.


    The situation between Blackrock and the Black Plain was quite different between the empire and Vogel. Hence, the chances of Minos attacking the royal family and noble houses of this state were minimal.


    But there was a slight chance that he would go crazy and attack them, so that man was not 100% sure that he would not have to fight today.


    "Criminal? Training my vassals now is a criminal act?" Minos laughed as he looked at his surroundings and shook his shoulders.


    "Your Majesty knows that this was not a simple exercise. You were clearly threatening the leaders of Vogel... And now you are threatening the other kingdoms in our alliance to secure your position." The King brandished as his men trembled with fear.


    He was talking a little more than they had planned, and now some of them were more fearful of a battle breaking out.


    Since they considered Minos a monster on the same level as Harold, they could not help but fear for their lives.


    "Am I threatening you?" Minos became more serious. "Where did you get that from?"


    "Your Majesty need not play the fool... I heard about your passage through Albano and Rosser. You even fought Iris!"


    "Oh? That? That was just a test that Princess Joan asked for... Anyway, I did business with Albano and Rosser and was willing to do the same in Blackrock." Minos said while gesturing as if he were the victim there, being accused of things he had not done.


    "We are fine the way we are, Your Majesty. We are not willing to sell out at the cost of our brothers'' efforts in Vogel." The King said, firmly resolved to support the noble houses that wanted independence in that territory.


    If he abandoned them, those families would not have any alternatives. They would be forced to live under the rule of Minos, which would certainly cause them to suffer heavy losses.


    He did not want that to happen to his state, and if it happened, he wanted to have an alternative. So he was determined to support Vogel, even if he had to give up some gains with Minos.


    "Oh?" Minos got tired of dialogue with that person and said. "Well, the Black Plain doesn''t need to ally with states with no interest in dialogue! If that''s what you guys want, let''s end our relations here!"


    "When you are isolated and threatened, good luck trying to find a light at the end of the tunnel."


    ''As a parting gift...'' Minos put his hands together as his Soul Avatar appeared from his body.


    Everyone in the surroundings realized that Minos would do something after his negative words and activated their powers, which were already prepared for this.


    ''Damn it!''


    ''Is he really going to attack us? Do we really have no choice but to fight?'' The supreme elder of the royal family wondered as he saw the buildings in the surrounding area turning into debris and joining other debris to form large meteors.


    Ten of these rock clusters had formed in the blink of an eye, and then Minos had them shoot off in the directions of many of those surrounding him.


    "That''s the kind of thing you will find in my state if you dare to raise your weapons at me!" He shouted before flying high into the air, intending to leave soon after.


    "Shit!"


    "Damn, how fast is that?"


    People in the surrounding area wondered as they noticed the incredible speed of those clusters of rocks, flying as fast as sound and sweeping through the surroundings.


    Due to the chaos that would follow, Minos left that city without leaving a trace behind, disappointed that he did not have a chance to trade there.


    As he left, catastrophe spread through that great city, with several elders from local organizations working so the city would not suffer excessively. But, at the same time, many were suffering considerably, receiving damage that would be much more difficult to heal than that of those Minos'' victims in Vogel.


    Minos had not used lethal force in Vogel, but in this city, he had shown much more of his strength, acting to leave after-effects on those people who wanted to oppose the empire.


    No one would die, but these people would keep scars from this event in their memories and bodies.


    That was the reminder that Minos wanted to leave for these people!


    ''Bastard Stuart! I knew I couldn''t trust a descendant of the Coleman family!'' The King shouted in his mind as he was thrown away by the stone that had hit him.


    Meanwhile, the Church Spiritual Saints in this place were watching carefully in the direction from which Minos had fled, realizing that this fellow was far worse than they had thought.


    ''As expected... Seeing something is always different from imagining something through a story.'' A mid-level Spiritual Saint of this rank thought about this as he remembered that Minos'' wife had created her own faction within the Church.


    Since he was not yet part of one, he promptly began to consider joining these people at this point.


    ''Maybe I should talk to him?''

 Chapter 1486 Change In The Spatial Kingdom

    After Minos left, in a matter of minutes, the center of the beautiful capital of Blackrock, just moments ago immaculate, was transformed into an almost completely destroyed place.


    Not only had the evolution of Chaotic Gravity destroyed several buildings to create the meteors he used to attack the hundreds of Spiritual Saints surrounding him. The result of that attack also produced drastic consequences for that city.


    The strongest Spiritual Saints of that kingdom suffered the worst consequences, having withstood most of the attack power of Minos'' blow. But various fragments remaining from the large rock clusters hit different parts of that city.


    So now this city looked like a typical abandoned environment after a great battle, where only the smoke and the people gave a hint that this was the home of millions of people.


    The casualties of this event would not be great. Still, many had been affected by their workplaces which were destroyed or homes ruined.


    But in the midst of this, the Spiritual Saints who had previously been flying around in the surrounding area, protecting the city of Minos, were the most affected of all.


    No one had died from Minos'' attack. Still, several of the strongest, including the King himself, had suffered immense damage, to the point that some did not even know if they would ever recover.


    Emperor Stuart had not used lethal force at Vogel, so everyone there could eventually recover. But in Blackrock, a place that had stood against him voicing every word necessary, he had used it.


    ? The consequence was precisely what dozens of specialists in that city were feeling at the moment!


    ...


    "Disgrace!"


    "How did this happen? How did that damned Minos become so strong in such a short time?" The King screamed as he felt one of his legs crushed.


    At the same time, the royal family doctors near the sovereign were all with pale faces, for the first time in centuries seeing this man so badly injured.


    Currently, King Blackrock was the strongest of the enemy states of the Flaming Empire, being at level 78, with his more than 4,000 years old. But even at this level, he had been seriously injured by Minos, and now the local experts were unable to help this person.


    There were even treatments for him, but for that, he would have to spend vast fortunes hiring specialists from the Evergreen Empire.


    Since this was the kind of thing that was difficult to get, Minos had made sure that Blackrock would have its foremost warrior weakened for at least a few years.


    That might not be much for these states and experienced experts, but for the Black Plain Empire and the ''young'' Minos, that was enough for him to grow uncontrolled.


    As such, everyone around the King had ugly expressions on their faces, seeing how they had lost to Minos before a conflict between the parties had even begun.


    "What are we going to do now? More than half of our forces have been seriously injured... Even if many of our experts recover someday, at least for the next two or three years, we will be vulnerable to all kinds of threats!" A level 76 elder who was not there at the time of the worst said, feeling at a dead end.


    The situation was really dire!


    At how many times in a state''s history would it have more than 70% of its experts injured and incapacitated for battle?


    Not only that, Blackrock was not only unable to protect itself, but it was also in a great state of vulnerability from having the Flaming Empire on its tail. But at the same time, that state now also had the Black Plain nearby, ''looking'' strangely at it.


    People from the royal family then closed their eyes at the thought of this situation and made a regretful expressions.


    ''Damn it!''


    ''Our situation now is so bad that the best case scenario might be for us to submit to Black Plain in exchange for its protection!''


    ...


    Three days later...


    After departing from the capital of Blackrock, Minos headed through that state towards the Flaming Empire, but in no hurry. He had plenty of time until the meeting of local leaders in Isabella''s state.


    With that said, he was still in Blackrock, in a large forested region dominated by beasts.


    "Well, I''m going to disappear temporarily." Minos said to a scaled creature, which was in front of him, looking at him as if it were face-to-face with its god.


    But it was not for nothing. Minos had saved this creature hours ago while three other beasts at levels 75, 76, and 77 had attacked it. In that situation, this creature with four legs, an elongated jaw, and many sharp teeth in its mouth had almost died.


    Minos had not rescued it out of generosity but because he had been involved in the attack by those three individuals.


    After rescuing such a creature, he took the opportunity to get a guide and a mount.


    "All right, master." That dark green being said in a tone filled with reverence.


    Then Minos disappeared from the area, leaving for the Spatial Kingdom, where his women were waiting for him.


    Zum!


    ...


    Just then, Minos appeared in the Spatial Kingdom, where before he even looked at the various people there, he paid attention to the direction of the giant beast skeleton over there.


    Since he had advanced to the 8th stage and improved the quality of his Physique, Minos had immediately felt something different after visiting the Spatial Kingdom.


    In this situation, once again, he felt the flow of spiritual energy within the bones of the great skeleton ''resting'' in one of the corners of the training area of this shrine.


    He had already felt a light connection with these bones before. Still, currently, the feeling had significantly increased, and he almost felt he could control them.


    From what he felt, not only could controlling such things happen in the future, but he also felt that he could somehow communicate with it!


    As such, seeing it as he reappeared in the Spatial Kingdom, he looked at it once again, feeling anxious about the future.


    ''Hmm, I believe I won''t need to evolve my Physique to achieve some control over it... As long as my level keeps improving, I''ll be able to do that and more.'' He thought before finally looking at the various people training there.


    Then a young girl, half the size of Minos, started running towards him, shouting at him.


    "Daddy! Daddy!" Sarah ran from where Kyla and Emlyn were lying near those bones.


    At the same time, Minos saw Abby and Ruth meditating in the distance while Gloria was fighting with some elders of the Gray Clouds Sect there in that space.


    "Hmm, you are getting bigger every day, Sarah. What is your mother feeding you?" Minos played with his daughter as he took her in his arms and lifted her up.


    Sarah laughed, soon telling her father several things as she enjoyed being around this man who occasionally had to go out to dangerous places she could not go.


    Minos would stay the next five days cultivating and training in the Spatial Kingdom, helping his subordinates and family get stronger, and maintaining the fatherly presence that Sarah needed.


    After this period, he would leave to return to the forest region from which he had departed.

 Chapter 1487 Attracting Experts

    When he appeared back in the forest he had left earlier, Minos found the dark-green-scaled beast waiting for him in the same position as before.


    However, when he appeared from where he had left, Emperor Stuart immediately encountered six other powerful beasts from this area of Blackrock.


    All of them were of the same species as the beings he had attacked when he saved that individual''s life days ago, just as strong as the ones he had killed.


    Realizing that they were there to see him because of that situation, Minos immediately released his aura as he arrived from the Spatial Kingdom.


    "Are you here for revenge? If you are, prepare to reach the same fate as the fools who involved me in the attack against Little Green." He said as he referred to the large beast 12 meters long, 4 meters wide, and 3 meters high that stood in front of him, waiting for him.


    The moment those words were spoken, and the Dark Sea appeared to startle each of those creatures, the six individuals felt their spines creep up, with even their souls vibrating in terror.


    "This is a mistake, Your Excellency!" One of them shouted in a somewhat agitated manner. "We are not seeking revenge!"


    "Yes, we have come here to ask forgiveness for the attitude of our tribe members! They did not recognize your greatness in time and committed a great sin!"


    "That''s right!"


    "They all got the fate they deserved!" A bipedal being covered in white fur said while the others shook their heads in support.


    Those who had attacked the dark green being in front of Minos were the leaders of the tribes of these six elders. But the past relations between them no longer mattered regardless of whether they had been subordinate laws or the opposite. The moment a stronger being came along and killed them, they had ceased to be what they were, to become the terrible ones capable of attacking ''His Excellency.''


    The stronger one was necessarily a hero to be defended and acclaimed, while the defeated and weaker one was a vile being destined for the worst.


    Beasts, more than all other beings in this world, took this seriously, and those elders were there to demonstrate their ability to abandon their former leaders in order not to be involved in any kind of persecution from Minos.


    With that, they had been there for more than four days waiting for Emperor Stuart, along with the gifts they had prepared to give Minos as a form of retribution.


    "Oh?" Minos lessened the power of his aura on those beings, noting how good it was to be powerful and not have to solve everything violently. "I see that you are wise creatures of noble gestures."


    He then used Chaotic Gravity to draw every present in the surrounding area toward his spatial ring. "I accept your gesture, and in return, I invite you to visit my state and homeland."


    The creatures there were impressed to feel Minos'' spatial manipulation skills. Still, they were all satisfied with this human''s cordial words.


    "To know your homeland would be magnificent!"


    "Yes, I look forward to traveling there..."


    "Where would that be, Master?" The large being with dark green scales asked, interested in knowing Minos'' homeland.


    Minos smiled and said. "I come from the Black Plain Empire. My home is in Dry City, where our doors are open to magnificent creatures like you."


    "Anyone who wants to visit us just has to follow the local rules and say you are there for me. I am sure you will not be treated badly." He made his propaganda. "In case anyone here wanted to move into my territory, my army has spaces for beasts like you."


    Some of these beasts had never heard of the Black Plain before. Still, even considering that Minos did not have such a wealthy background, his level was enough for them to disregard his homeland.


    As such, immediately after he finished speaking, they promised to visit him in the Black Plain while the great being saved by Minos vowed to serve and accompany him.


    But Minos had already heard that in the past few days since that beast should have died but had been saved by someone of a much higher level than it. So it was only natural that it would be somewhat reverent to him.


    As someone searching for more powerful subordinates, Minos refused none of the promises of those beings, accepting them even if some were not so serious.


    With that settled, Minos would leave that area next to the great being at level 76 after a big barbecue with the other beasts, which was the traditional custom that beasts would do when making peace among themselves.


    Eat!


    Anyway, now that he had finished his business in Blackrock, Minos returned with his route to the Flaming Empire, heading for the border of these two states.


    This time he would pass through a different area. Still, he would get the attention of everyone on the border anyway since he was very famous in the area and had a very high fighting level.


    He was with a level 76 mount, which was no small thing either!


    At the same time, he crossed between states through the territory of his Gray Clouds Sect, and for this reason, he was also recognized by many individuals on the battlefield.


    ...


    In Clouds City ...


    In this place, the headquarters of the Gray Clouds Sect, the high-level elders who were around there were currently living in anticipation of leaving this place and going to the Black Plain to take advantage of the opportunities there.


    They all already had Soul Contracts with Minos and knew about the Spatial Kingdom. But not only that, they had something as valuable as information. They had proof of what that place could do!


    Only Oswald, in the entire Gray Clouds Sect, had reached level 79 in his generation as sect master. But with only a few years under Minos, that organization had already reached the number of two elders at that level, even considering the departure of the previous sect master!


    At the same time, all the Spiritual Saints who went to the Black Plain Empire and stayed there for at least two years had achieved level improvements.


    So even the elders not so favorable to Minos when Oswald abdicated his position years ago were now firmly supporting him.


    Some had even forgotten what happened between Minos and Lance, with the Terry family clamoring how right the previous sect master''s decision to pass on his position to his grandson had been.


    Anyway, nowadays, the headquarters of the Gray Clouds Sect was no longer the main post of this organization, although officially, it was.


    In practice, the most important place for this force was already the Black Plain.


    But whether it was the most important place or not, this post was relevant to Minos'' interests. And in his absence, number two in the Coleman family, a level 79 elder, had been leading that place on his behalf.


    Just at this moment, he was leading a meeting among the high-level elders of that power.


    "... My friends, I have good news to give you."


    "With the arrival of the great gathering of local leaders, His Majesty, our sect master, will be in the Empire and will give several of us a chance to get to know the Spatial Kingdom!"


    ...

 Chapter 1488 Challenging Times

    When those sweet words were spoken to the 15 high-level elders currently present in Cloud City, they all expressed their immense satisfaction at this.


    Previously the number of these experts between levels 77 and 79 was lower. Still, now, with the possibility of the Spatial Kingdom, their numbers have increased.


    Even with some of the elders currently in the Black Plain, they had more high-level members in this city than before!


    At the same time, the family that had benefited most from the opportunities of the Black Plain Empire was House Coleman.


    Why was that? Simple, when Minos took over this organization and began his movement to take specialists to the northern region, the only family that had not created problems for him had been the house of his mother and grandfather.


    The result had been that this organization benefited the most from Minos'' movements, therefore reaching the current situation of representing him in front of the rest of the sect.


    In any case, even though this house had benefited more than the Moss and Terry families, the whole sect was benefiting, even with more than half of its members in the northern region.


    The local sect outpost became emptier with each exchange of specialists that Minos commanded. Still, the total power increased since, overall, it was preferable to have higher-level specialists than low-level individuals in large numbers.


    Having people fight together for one side was good and could provide opportunities for weaker groups. But between having numbers and individually more powerful experts, the second option was more interesting.


    In this situation, these elders, eager to be the next to enter the Spatial Kingdom, could not help but be pleased with the words of Emperor Stuart''s representative.


    "Where is he? I heard he went through Albano and Rosser after his deeds in Vogel." Patriarch Terry asked.


    That level 79 man then said. "His Majesty should be in Blackrock for now. So his probable arrival is expected in the next 5 to 10 days."


    "Hmmm."


    The various people there looked at each other, satisfied since that was not an extended period for them to wait.


    "And as for what he did in that place... Is his strength all that, or are there exaggerations in the rumors?" One woman asked, curious as to the strength of her sect master, whom most there had not seen for months.


    Of those individuals, only four of them had seen Minos in recent months, individuals who had managed to advance on the Black Plain and returned to the Flaming Empire to make it possible to send more sect members to the northern region.


    But even among them, none had seen Minos after his advancement.


    The elder of the Coleman family then said. "I personally have not seen His Majesty''s abilities after his recent advance. But according to the Black Plain Army, his forces should be greater than he presented."


    ''Greater?'' Several of them thought quietly, considering that the strength Minos displayed in the capital of Vogel was already enough for him to fight at the local leaders'' level.


    That was no small thing since Minos was only a ''child'' from the point of view of these experts, who had already lived thousands of years.


    ''At this rate, he''ll be stronger than the Emperor before he even reaches level 80!'' Someone from the Moss family thought to himself, impressed and looking forward to the future.


    These elders had grown up as part of the Flaming Empire, never thinking of surpassing the imperial family''s strength one day. But even if they had a mental resistance to leaving for the Black Plain, they currently wished to continue growing and surpass those who had once been their leaders.


    But none were thinking of taking over the Flaming Empire since, from what they felt, the Black Plain Empire would become a much richer state than this one in the future.


    However, they had not only good news!


    "What about Mortimer?" Someone more skeptical about the future questioned that.


    To this person, without this threat being liquidated, they would never be at peace or be able to grow up without worry.


    No one there was dumb, so soon everyone was thinking about this problem from the point of view of that elder of House Terry.


    The representative of Minos then said. "His Majesty is aware of the problems we may have due to the Saints Killing Sect. He intends to deal with Mortimer when the time comes..."


    "When the time comes? When will that be?" Someone asked.


    "He will try to prolong the matter concerning Mortimer until he at least reaches level 71. But if he cannot delay the resolution of the matter, we will have to act sooner."


    "Is there a possibility that we can beat Mortimer if he has advanced? I mean, a Spiritual Sage can''t simply be overcome with numbers. He can easily escape through space with his spatial manipulation skills."


    "Yes, with those natural abilities, any Spiritual Sage can escape from people of our level and slowly eliminate us..."


    "It wouldn''t be a simple battle! There would be many casualties!"


    The level 79 man of the Coleman family then sighed and said. "We don''t have much to do other than wait. In any case, Mortimer''s greatest interest must be the empire. So I don''t believe we''ll have to face him alone."


    "I hope that''s the case..."


    Many there lost their earlier good humor at the thought of the problems they would have to deal with if Mortimer succeeded.


    ...


    A few days later...


    While the organizations of the Flaming Empire were reacting in various ways to Minos'' movements, news of his advance reached the Flowers Kingdom!


    At this moment, the queen, who had expectations about Minos'' visit to her state, had just heard of Emperor Stuart''s deeds against the Assembly of Vogel.


    "He can do that? But that''s an ability I''ve never heard of before..." She muttered to her first eunuch, making a dubious expression.


    "Yes, but things like that are possible." The Spiritual Demigod next to that level 93 woman said, with a surprised expression on his face due to the news coming from the north.


    "In any case, that''s not bad. The stronger and more talented he is, the greater will be the powers of his descendants!" She commented, after putting Minos'' absurd power aside since he was only a level 70 Spiritual Saint.


    For someone at level 93, as was her case, he was no different than an ant with good genes. So that was not enough for her to worry about Minos or the Black Plain growing up.


    "Tell them to give Harold more time. I believe that in a few months, that brat will come to my kingdom to try his luck to rescue that man."


    "Of course, if he is loyal to his promises..." The eunuch said, remembering human nature for that woman.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Harold had heard from one of his captors what the queen had ordered them to pass on to him.


    "So he has reached level 70?" That fellow asked from inside his cell.


    "Yes, aren''t you worried? Now he can even threaten your imperial family..." That eunuch said, provoking the ire of his prisoner.


    ''From what I''ve heard, the empire has much bigger problems to worry about...''


    "Sigh!"


    "These are challenging times!"

 Chapter 1489 Beginning

    One week later...


    After a long sunny day, Clouds City was slowly ''seeing'' the sun setting over the local horizon when a large shadow hovered over one side of this city.


    Several people noticed this from various points around the city, looking up into the sky to witness a grandiose level 76 beast flying over this territory.


    Like any other large city in the Flaming Empire, it was not allowed to fly over the area. So on this cloudless day, several local guards, members of the Gray Clouds Sect, soon became on alert upon witnessing someone with such a powerful beast flying over this territory.


    Beasts were difficult to tame and usually only subordinate to those of greater power or skilled tamers.


    Hence, upon seeing a level 76 beast, the local guards immediately thought that some sect opponent was there to disrespect and challenge them somehow.


    With thoughts along those lines, several individuals started flying towards where that being was slowly flying towards the sect headquarters, while others went to notify the local leaders.


    But when some Spiritual Saints and even Spiritual Emperors were getting close to the dark green being, they felt gravity pushing them down hard.


    "Uh?" A level 75 man felt his body accelerate downward as he lost control of his flight.


    At that instant, Minos appeared at the back of that beast, looking at the frightened people of that city, noting that the men of this place were not slow to act.


    They naturally could not stop someone like him from forcibly entering that territory. Still, they could have somewhat different reaction speeds.


    As the leader of the organization that dominated this place, it was his duty to evaluate and alter the local defensive structures!


    With that test done, Minos stopped using Chaotic Gravity and said to the high-level elders who were already flying toward him. "I''m back. How are you doing? Eager to train and get stronger?"


    When they heard Minos'' words, this time, none of the high-level elders behaved in a ''not-so-respectful'' manner as before since this sovereign was already stronger than all of them.


    They all then stood in front of Minos and that beast, bowing their heads and making gestures of greeting to him.


    "Your Majesty."


    The beast beneath Minos'' feet saw these elders at levels 77, 78, and 79, acting respectfully toward its master, and felt good as if these people were doing that for it.


    ''Hehe, if it were in the past, I would have to hide from you... But with my master here, you guys have to respect me.'' It thought.


    "How about we fight?"


    Minos did not know what Maida''s replacement was thinking, so he paid attention to what these people had to say.


    "Your Majesty must be joking. We do not dare." Patriarch Terry said this while he had a smile on his face.


    But Minos then said. "No, I want to test my limits with actual experts. Unfortunately, the Assembly of Vogel elders are not that powerful, so I couldn''t use my skills to the limit."


    He jumped off Little Green''s back and made a sign with one of his hands, calling these people to himself. "That way, why don''t we fight a little friendly match of you 15 against 1?"


    The high-level elders looked at each other while other lower-level elders in the surrounding area looked on, impressed at how direct Minos was.


    But they could not deny their desire to personally watch Minos and feel how much in danger they were when it came to the threat called Mortimer.


    The elders taking care of this organization thought so, and all agreed to Minos'' proposal after a few moments of conversation.


    Soon after, they flew to high altitudes, from where they could not affect Clouds City, and Minos could not use the Chaotic Gravity evolution.


    Minos realized what the biggest motivator of these people was and laughed. "I want a group of 20 Spiritual Saints between levels 74 and 75 to be positioned..." Minos promptly gave some orders for these 20 people to get into position to protect Clouds City from what he intended to do there.


    ''You may have moved me away from the local terrain, but what about what I have in my spatial ring?'' He smiled, thinking of the surprise those people would get.


    Meteor formation by means of his 7th technique required only mass to be successfully formed. But where that mass came from really did not matter!


    With that in mind, Minos had already prepared one of his spatial rings with debris, and the fact that it was far from the surface would not hinder him at all.


    "Are you ready?" He looked at his 15 opponents, having ordered Little Green to stand back and watch the show.


    That way, more than 500 individuals had gathered in the surrounding area to watch this fight, among them even observers from other local organizations who were there to maintain relations with this sect.


    But there was no one from the Saints Killing Sect around due to that organization''s history with the Gray Clouds Sect and the seclusion and house arrest of its top leaders.


    Anyway, with the confirmation of the 15 elders for the beginning of the fight, Minos smiled and activated his techniques, quickly showing his Soul Avatar to his many subordinates there.


    The moment he did this, the time immediately began to pass differently within his domain, as he instantly began to absorb the cultivation level of two level 77 elders.


    Even before the black rings of the Devouring Art appeared in that space, or Chaotic Gravity began to pressure those people, they felt the two weakest in the group losing strength to Minos.


    Minos had had his visual ability active since arriving in this city, so he had readily noticed the two individuals most susceptible to his initial action and acted without mercy.


    Because of how fast his current abilities were, by the time all his opponents had finished activating their Soul Avatars, Minos'' cultivation was already at level 71!


    Gulp!


    ''He can really do that!''


    ''How incredible!''


    ''That''s the ability of a born leader...''


    Several elders and observers thought different things as they saw Minos'' level increasing without showing any signs that it was not actually his.


    But then, everything changed for those people when he activated his other abilities, combining them with his Dark Sea.


    As if in a dream, the hundreds of people in the surrounding area saw the weaker high-level experts of the Gray Clouds Sect turning against the stronger ones.


    Meanwhile, only the strongest were losing their energy to the black rings circling them and being afflicted by the Infinite Dream.


    Minos would not let those people fight for him and soon had a spiritual sword in his hands, activating the Spatial Sword.


    Swooish!


    That way, as he moved to attack, the high-level battle that would soon become famous in the Flaming Empire began!


    ...

 Chapter 1490 The Current Limit Of Minos

    Once Minos began to manipulate the weaker Spiritual Saints in the group of high-level elders of this organization, the battle that should have been a 15-on-1 battle turned into an 8-on-8 one.


    Minos'' allies were the weakest of these elders. Still, even so, they could help him immensely in defeating the other high-level members of this force.


    Simultaneously, Minos was already absorbing his opponents'' forces while focusing his techniques on making it difficult for those elders.


    He then moved while wielding a spiritual weapon, causing his avatar to launch energy blades through space in different directions.


    Swooish!


    Those blades disappeared from the surroundings, leaving both the observers of the battle and the fighting elders confused by the current capability of the Spatial Sword.


    But everyone directly involved in the battle felt their bodies being restricted by that ability as they moved.


    Some of them could hardly move at all, feeling as if they were trapped inside their avatars, unable even to use their energy to activate their techniques.


    On the other hand, the strongest ones there could use their techniques and move slowly, only with great difficulty, given how powerful that technique was.


    ''Unbelievable!''


    ''So that''s what he can do with that technique?'' Patriarch Terry wondered, feeling in his own skin, what it was like to be affected by this offensive technique of Minos.


    They had heard and even seen Minos using such a thing in battle. Still, because of the great difference in cultivation between them before, these elders did not understand the feeling of being immobilized by it.


    But in this situation, they all understood why Minos'' opponents were usually so vulnerable after he used such a technique.


    The Spatial Sword not only restricted the movement of its opponents but also strengthened the user''s attack power, made it possible to launch spiritual blades, and now moved such blades through space.


    Thus, as several of them suffered from Minos'' terrifying powers, his blades appeared in directions no one expected, going against the bodies of his opponents.


    "Damn it!" One of the level 78 elders screamed as he felt something appear near his back, heading toward his right arm.


    He moved to try to dodge it, but even at his level, this man could not do much and saw part of his body being severed by Minos'' attack.


    Observers of this battle saw that man and two other level 78 elders suffered similar blows, losing hands or feet to Minos'' blades.


    These were not attacks aimed at taking life or threatening the special regeneration of Spiritual Saints. But even so, these attacks would cause those people to be without those parts of their bodies for a few days, thus decreasing their combat proficiency in this battle.


    Everyone saw or felt this, noting that if Minos wanted to, he could take on local leaders and endanger the lives of even people at the head of the Flaming Empire.


    ''Is he that powerful?'' A representative of the Holy Sect in the surrounding area wondered, feeling that Minos was going against common logic.


    On the other hand, a member of the Mountain Sect, an organization that was not so friendly to the Gray Clouds Sect and wanted distance from Minos, could not help but notice how ridiculous it all was.


    ''That''s absurd!''


    ''Not only can he decimate this entire group by himself, but he can also do it without even moving!'' This person noticed the seven individuals who had changed sides and were pressing three opponents of Minos.


    The three elders being pressured by those seven individuals were suffering without being able to attack, forced to defend themselves so as not to get seriously injured.


    Unlike Minos, these people affected by the Infinite Dream illusion were using all their strength to attack the monsters they saw in their way, something inherent to the Dark Sea.


    Minos had no control over this soul ability to the extent that his victims fought with less or more intent to kill. By falling into the illusion generated by their fears, these victims would naturally use everything at their disposal to protect themselves and avoid the worst.


    So their blows could hurt a lot, and those elders facing them were taking the necessary care so that the worst would not happen.


    Because of this, only five individuals, three with parts of their bodies cut off, were facing Emperor Stuart as he used all his abilities for the first time since his advancement to the 8th stage.


    Chaotic Gravity: Destruction Meteors!


    He activated this technique evolution while summoning the stones he had stored in one of his spatial rings.


    When this happened, while his opponents could barely defend themselves, unable to counterattack, three grandiose meteors began to form over Minos'' position.


    Gulp!


    ''Is that the one technique?'' Some Spiritual Saints on the outskirts of the battlefield, most of them members of the Gray Cloud Sect, wondered as they saw for the first time the technique that had defeated Vogel''s Assembly.


    Minos had many ways to defeat his opponents these days. But this was a great way for him to do it because he did not need to be close to his opponents, he used little force of his being, and the attack was extremely destructive.


    That was the kind of attack that was very good for destroying enemy headquarters by surprise, something that, if the victims did not prepare well, they would not be able to save themselves in time!


    Since those individuals fighting Minos were already quite tense, as they were under pressure from their own allies, the Devouring Art, the Infinite Dream, and the Dark Sea, they could not defend themselves against it.


    So the moment Minos threw those three stone clusters, he ended this test battle before he even suffered the first attack from his opponents!


    Boom!


    The three stone clusters hit their targets, sending them hurtling toward the ground, miles below where the battle had taken place.


    Meanwhile, the meteors exploded into thousands of smaller pieces, creating a beautiful meteor shower for those watching the local sky.


    But to the happiness of Clouds City inhabitants, Minos had positioned Spiritual Saints strong enough for this moment, and when they saw those fragments, they soon acted to stop them from reaching the ground.


    ''Not bad... I can overpower groups of high-level Spiritual Saints too.'' Minos smiled upon seeing all this, retracting his Soul Avatar.


    He was still uncertain about this since the places he had passed in the last few weeks did not have enough people from the end of the 8th stage for him to test his strength. But in this sect, he could do that and finally reached a more realistic estimate of his actual strengths.


    ''From what I felt in this battle, my strength should only be below that of level 80 Spiritual Sages armed with Silver-grade techniques and equipment of a similar classification to their cultivation...''


    "Not bad!"


    ''If that person manages to advance to the 9th stage, I have methods to at least temporarily ward him off!''

 Chapter 1491 Visits

    After the battle with the high-level Spiritual Saints of the Gray Clouds Sect, Minos made his way to the sect''s headquarters. At the same time, the subordinates of the 15 individuals who had ''fought'' went to help them.


    The many observers who had followed this battle stood watching in his direction, feeling reverence for this level 70 person who had achieved such combat prowess.


    One of them was the large level 76 beast that was already flying behind Minos, heading for that large area of the sect, with many spaces for a creature of its size.


    "Master, what are we going to do now?" He asked Minos.


    "I will stay here for the next few days to settle some matters I have in this place, and then I will travel to the capital of this state." He said, flying beside that dark green leather creature.


    Meanwhile, the patriarch of the Terry family and two other level 78 elders looked at Minos with impressed looks, remembering how this young man had introduced himself to them years ago.


    "He did what he said he could do after reaching the 8th stage." One of them said, sighing for not taking that young man''s words seriously at the time but satisfied with where he was.


    With Minos there, soon, some of their weaker ones could go to the Black Plain with the shift change that Emperor Stuart would soon make.


    Several of the Spiritual Saints in the Spatial Kingdom could be used for the exchange that Minos had negotiated with the imperial family. Then another batch of experts in that post could be sent to the Black Plain in the coming days.


    At the same time, while Minos was in the Flaming Empire, the strongest, who had not yet gone to the Black Plain Empire and could not leave now, could at least get to know such a region of space.


    As such, even Patriarch Terry, who would have to wait for someone level 78 Spiritual Saint to return from the Black Plain before he could leave, was eager to recover from his injuries and go to the Spatial Kingdom.


    "Let''s soon return to headquarters. The sooner we recover from our injuries, the sooner we can enjoy some of the Cultivation Sanctuary!"


    Thus, the Spiritual Saints of this organization, those who knew about the Spatial Kingdom in this post, left a few minutes after Minos went to that central area of the sect.


    Meanwhile, the few remaining observers in the area, slowly leaving the area, were going to report what they had seen to their respective leaders!


    ...


    Two days later...


    Upon settling into the headquarters of the Gray Clouds Sect, Minos had attended a few festive occasions in the noble families of that organization, having met the elders he had yet to meet.


    After the start of that sect''s operations in the Black Plain Empire, Minos had made that organization cut back as much as possible on activities unrelated to his focus, his state.


    Because of this, people from this organization, previously in service around the empire and even other states, had returned to the sect''s territory or were in the Black Plain.


    With that, those elders that were left for Minos to meet were over there, and all of them did not miss the opportunity to greet him and wish Emperor Stuart good and long-ago rule.


    As he finished getting to know the core of this organization, Minos continued his work as its leader directly from this place, continuing with the sale of properties and rights that the sect had in the empire.


    As in any state, every power with sovereignty over populations and territories had exploitation rights assigned by the sovereign.


    In ordinary times, these rights were competed for by every kind of power with the capacity to absorb them and bear the brunt of necessary investments.


    But since Minos did not want a Grey Clouds Sect that was too ''heavy'' but rather free of commitments not connected to the Black Plain Empire, he was selling those rights and responsibilities of that organization.


    That was not a quick and easy job, so even considering the months since he had started, there was much left to be disengaged from the sect, and he was continuing his work relative to that.


    While doing this work, he found time to bring from the Spatial Kingdom three elders who had advanced after months by his side. With these individuals, he picked up several lower-level experts and brought them to that region of space, who would stay with him until he returned to the Black Plain.


    On the other hand, those high-level elders who could not yet leave for the state of Minos, but had already recovered from the injuries of the previous battle, had the chance to get to know this place.


    They were already there, cultivating and training their techniques more out of curiosity since Minos would be leaving soon, and the benefits they could have in this period would be almost nil.


    Anyway, in the midst of this, important people from different parts of the Flaming Empire began to arrive at the ''core'' of the Grey Clouds Sect.


    News was flying fast in this state, so in the blink of an eye, all the leaders of the most important organizations were already aware of Minos'' presence in the empire and his previous training!


    ...


    In the main building of the Grey Clouds Sect, Minos was in a large hall typically used by elders to receive high-profile visitors, where they could have a less formal environment to have conversations.


    There, Minos was standing next to the level 79 elder who was representing him earlier and several sect guards while the visitors were in the surrounding area.


    Among the visitors, the patriarchs of more than 30 noble families of this state and the masters of 11 sects were there, including three masters of three of the eight great sects of the Flaming Empire.


    Everyone had heard how strong Minos had become, and upon hearing that he was in Clouds City, they rushed to try to talk to this fellow but also to do business.


    Even if he was not powerful, Minos had many things that these people wanted. But he was a cultivation monster, and so it was even more imperative for these people to establish relations with him.


    So they were standing around, talking to each other around the various tables in that area. At the same time, little by little, Minos and the elder of the Coleman family approached them.


    Minos came to the side of the table where some members of the Holy Sect were with their sect master, and Maisie''s former rival, Sibley, was standing next to her daughter.


    Naomi had been arrested weeks ago in Vogel, but her sect had already negotiated her release. After that, when she found out that Minos was in this place, this level 70 woman made it a point to come to this place at her mother''s side.


    "Minos, I can''t believe what you put me through!" She said before her sect master even said anything. "Do you know how many days I was in the hands of those people? Gee, I thought we were friends."


    The people around her table looked at her strangely while the sect master coughed.


    "Cough! Cough!"


    Minos laughed and said. "Don''t take this the wrong way, but that day, we were opponents."


    "Not today."


    ...

 Chapter 1492 Relevant Points

    After Minos'' words, Naomi tried to say something. Still, she was soon stopped by her mother, who was already watching their sect master watching her daughter strangely.


    "Be quiet, Naomi." Sibley said in a low voice as the old subject leader of the Holy Sect diverted his gaze from her to look at Minos.


    "Sect Master Stuart, congratulations on your advancement to the 8th stage. From now on, the possibilities in front of you will be endless." He said with a smile on his face, greeting Minos once again.


    "Hmm, thanks for the words." He smiled back before saying. "On my return to the northern region, I will make it a point to visit your sect. When I return, I want to stop by Vogel to find out what the Assembly people are up to..."


    "That''s certainly a good idea... With what''s happened, I''m sure many changes will occur." The level 79 Holy Sect master commented before moving on to the matter he wanted to address there. "In any case, I know that you have been negotiating rights and properties of the Gray Clouds Sect... Could I know the reason for that? Or is it a secret?"


    Minos then said. "Not at all. It''s not a secret. I''m just changing the power structure in the sect to make it fit your new priorities."


    "Oh? Is that true?" That man asked, as the people in the vicinity of his table silently watched these people talking, interested in this question.


    That was so important that the people at that table and everyone in that hall listened intently to what Minos and the Holy Sect master were talking about.


    Spiritual Saints had a great hearing, and given that many there did not know about Minos'' plans, his moves with this sect were strange and were getting everyone''s attention.


    So when Minos continued speaking, the silence was present at most of the tables in that area.


    "Yes, the current focus of the sect is the Black Plain Empire. So any activities not related to that are being left aside."


    "The Black Plain?" That man and some level 79 cultivators there were wondering the same thing.


    "So you intend to take the Gray Clouds Sect out of the Flaming Empire? I feel like it won''t be easy..." That man in front of Minos said, feeling that it was actually impossible to do this peacefully.


    However, he and the other leaders there did not doubt Minos at all. Not for his recent deeds in Vogel and then with the elders of this sect. But for what had been happening recently with the strength of this organization.


    All the major powers of the Flaming Empire were monitoring the movements of the most powerful organizations in the state. So, in addition to these powers already noticing that the number of members of the Gray Clouds Sect in the Black Plain kept increasing, they had noticed that the strength in this city had increased rather than decreased.


    For thousands of years, this organization usually had only one Spiritual Saint at level 79 in its command, with rarely more than one appearing in the same generation. In fact, the most common thing to happen for a long time in this organization had been that there were no individuals at this level.


    As in the recent past, for several centuries, Oswald had led this organization from levels 77 to 78.


    But recently, after the ascension of Minos as sect master, suddenly, an elder who no one had expected to reach that level so soon had achieved his advancement to level 79.


    That had surprised many in the Flaming Empire!


    But besides the case of this elder from House Coleman next to Minos, several cultivators who had spent time on the Black Plain had returned stronger from that place. It was as if such a part of the northern region was actually superior to one of the best places in the Flaming Empire, that region where the sect was located.


    Considering this, it was not impossible for Minos to go out of his way to take this organization out of the empire!


    Minos then answered that sect master''s question. "Not entirely. I will only extend my territories to that remote point while keeping the main forces at the core of the Black Plain Empire."


    He looked at the surroundings, gradually glancing toward the other important people there. "In any case, I already have an agreement with the imperial family, so you can all be assured about the legality of my movements and the negotiations I am making."


    ''Why would the imperial family accept that? He''s stealing power from the empire!''


    Several people there wondered the same thing, ignorant of Minos'' promises to the Edwardstone family.


    Minos had promised stronger experts in exchange for the weaker ones from the Grey Clouds Sect. In practice, this would slowly unbalance the number of sect members between this territory and the Black Plain Empire.


    At first, the ratio was 1:1, but the point would come when it would be 99:1, or even something even more favorable for the Black Plain.


    However, in order to get all the 8th-stage experts from that sect out of the Flaming Empire, for example, Minos would have to put some Spiritual Sages in that place.


    In return, these 9th-stage people, who would eventually allow all the other sect members to live in the northern region or wherever, would have to obey the imperial family.


    That is, in the absence of Minos or his family, these men would have to obey the orders of the imperial family if such orders were not against the rules of House Stuart.


    That was quite a trade-off!


    The Edwardstone family had at most one Spiritual Sage per generation throughout their history. Still, Minos had made a deal that could guarantee that such an organization would command some individuals at that level.


    Because of this, Isabella''s family accepted his proposal, even if the supreme elder and the other high-level individuals in that family did not believe that Minos would succeed.


    Those people in that hall of the Gray Cloud Sect did not know this, so they wondered why the imperial family would accept this or if Minos was not acting according to the rules.


    Meanwhile, Minos continued greeting the people in that place, answering more questions, and also taking care of business.


    Some there were members of rising powers, so they were not so concerned about whether Minos'' moves were illegal or not. Instead, they wanted to know how much they would need to get some sect rights and properties from this emperor.


    "Sect Master Stuart, I am interested in the core territories of your..." Minos listened to yet another offer, promptly making his subordinates in the vicinity take notes of those interested and listing those with the most potential to negotiate later.


    But he would not sign any deals at this meeting. He would only talk to those interested in business but also to the leaders of local powers that might be affected by the imbalance of forces in the empire.


    But then, someone asked. "Sect master Stuart, now that you are so strong, what are your interests? I mean, these displays of strength are not gratuitous, right? You must have ambitious goals, considering your power and history."


    Everyone heard such a question and once again fell silent to hear that answer.


    ...

 Chapter 1493 More Relevant Than The Imperial Occasion

    The silence lasted for a few moments, with some weaker individuals swallowing their saliva in fear of the tension forming in the surroundings.


    At the same time as this, Minos was looking in the direction of the one who had asked this, the master of the Mountain Sect, with whom Oswald had had a disagreement years ago.


    "What are my interests? First, peace for my territory. Then the development of it and then the strengthening of my family. That is what I desire and what my actions are for." Minos said after a few moments of thought.


    "On rare occasions, I had fought when there was no need. I have always desired peace but have always been prepared to fight."


    "But just because my hands are stained with blood, does not mean that I am not a peaceful person... That depends only on those who may or may not stand in the way of my empire." He gestured with his hands as he spoke.


    Some there liked to hear Minos'' words since there was really nothing wrong in this society for someone to destroy another who came to try to interfere in their life or home.


    If one did not want to be bothered, then one should not bother or purposely impede the movements of others. If they did, then they should prepare themselves for the worst!


    That was that society''s mentality and many there liked to hear that Minos wanted peace and would only act for those who directly stood against him and purposely hindered him.


    Everyone there had studied Minos'' track record in the northern region and knew that there was always someone crossing the line against him in his conflicts.


    In the beginning, he just wanted to develop his territory. But the Brown family had tried to take some of what Minos produced without giving him anything other than unproductive land.


    He then fought a war for independence.


    After that, he faced attacks from outside his state, with thousands of criminals gathering to try to take that territory from his possession.


    He then destroyed those forces and ruined the Vogel family, who were mainly responsible for those troubles.


    In sequence, he faced problems with the Saints Killing Sect and Abe Vogel, the first who had already caused the deaths of members of the Black Plain Army and the latter who initiated terrorist attacks against the Black Plain.


    He annihilated Abe''s group and defeated the Saints Killing Sect in the War of the Two Sects.


    Now no one knew what might happen next. Still, those who had studied Minos'' history felt that he would not simply attack other powers without first being provoked.


    So hearing his words was enough for many there to be reassured.


    But some did not like it since for one to grow in this world, others would undeniably have to be sacrificed!


    "That''s very convenient, sect master Stuart." The leader of that other high-level sect, the Mountain Sect master, said. "You say you''re going to do this for the sake of your family and territory. But to develop those entities, you will have to absorb the power of others. So how can these be good justifications? Just be honest and tell us what you want..."


    "Do you wish to become the leader of the Flaming Empire?"


    Some people looked at that level 79 man and felt he was going too far with his lines.


    Meanwhile, that man himself was breaking into a cold sweat. But since someone had threatened him to ask these questions, he had no option but to go through with it all.


    He was not as brave as he looked and was quite afraid of Minos even before this young man became so strong. After all, one of his most capable seers had died trying to predict the future of Emperor Stuart, and he had treated Oswald''s grandson as a cursed person ever since.


    But since someone who could kill him had threatened to force him to do certain things, he could only try his luck in this place.


    Minos frowned his eyebrows and said. "Be the leader of the Flaming Empire? I don''t need that. The one who should desire such a thing is Mortimer Burgess, who is probably trying to advance to the 9th stage."


    "I have already told you, I will not act against those who never stand against me in an underhanded manner." He gestured, looking at the other people there. "Look at the case of the northern region. Stone Island has always been my ally, and I have never tried to dominate them."


    "Only more recently have we begun the process of absorbing that kingdom into my empire after several years of the Stone family negotiating their way into my forces."


    "On the other hand, I took places like Brown and Cromwell, where their leaders brutally attacked me for years, and even when we achieved peace, they remained in disarray."


    "So I overpowered them and brought peace to their populations. But note that all these instances of domination are between my former enemies and me. I never did that with allies."


    "The Flaming Empire, for the most part, is a friendly state to the Black Plain." He smiled at the people in the surrounding area before becoming more serious. "Minus the Saints Killing Sect."


    "Anyway, I don''t covet the Edwardstone family function." He shook his shoulders. "If one day that family decides to join me in a different way than they do now, I will be with open arms. But I will not act rebelliously or disloyally toward my friends and allies!"


    ? Most liked Minos'' lines, but the Mountain Sect master felt that Minos'' negative words about the Saints Killing Sect were not valid only for that organization.


    ''Damn it!''


    ''I bet old Oswald is playing his grandson against me because of our history!'' That man thought as he saw the two other sect masters in that hall looking at him strangely as if they were telling him to shut up.


    ''What''s his problem? Doesn''t he know that Minos has the Black Hole Bomb and can kill us all?'' A woman thought to herself as she looked at that idiot fellow.


    On the other hand, the man next to Sibley and Naomi had a suspicious expression on his face. ''This fellow... What is he planning? I don''t believe those are questions to ask, even if they are relevant.''


    ''He''s definitely trying to provoke Minos!''


    Minos also realized this and cautiously observed that person.


    But since he had no major reason to act, he did nothing and went ahead with this fraternization with local leaders.


    Such things would go beyond this small initial meeting, and for the next four days, Minos would meet most of this empire''s leaders and do a lot of business.


    That would become an occasion with so many local leaders that by the end, rumors would spread throughout the empire, talking about the meeting being even more important than the meeting of local leaders about to take place in Payton.


    Minos would pay no attention to this. He would just continue with his meetings and occasional displays of power while waiting for the moment to leave for Payton.


    Since time passed very quickly when one was busy, it did not take long, and soon he left alongside some elders of the Grey Clouds Sect for the empire''s capital!

 Chapter 1494 He Sees Trouble In Everything

    Five days later...


    After departing from the headquarters of the Gray Clouds Sect, Minos made his way alongside some high-level elders of that organization to the empire''s capital, riding the level 76 great beast.


    Little Green was quite fast, but Minos had ordered it not to hurry anything since there were still more than two weeks left for his responsibility when his group departed Clouds City.


    With that, they had somewhat prolonged this trip that could be made almost instantaneously using teleportation ports.


    But still, after days of traveling through the southeastern and central areas of the Flaming Empire, they finally arrived in the vicinity of Payton.


    Upon arriving there, Little Green was still lowering its altitude to land nearby when a group of the imperial guard approached them in mid-flight.


    "Sect Master Stuart, elders, welcome to the capital." A level 75 man said this as he floated ahead of the other group members. "Are you coming to the capital to attend the local leaders'' meeting?"


    "Hmm, that''s why we''re here." Patriarch Terry said this as Minos quietly observed the surroundings.


    "Please come with us. The supreme elder wishes to receive you." The leader of that guard said before showing them the way.


    Minos ordered the Little Green to settle somewhere on the capital''s outskirts and soon after began to follow those men of the Edwardstone family.


    "What''s the situation? Are all the local leaders being received by the regent?" Minos asked as he approached that man.


    That fellow laughed bitterly and said. "No, just you."


    "Oh? Why is that?" Patriarch Terry asked.


    "I don''t know. That you will have to find out from the supreme elder..." That guard said, but seeing Minos looking in his direction, he made sure to add. "But I believe it is because of what happened in Clouds City in the last few days."


    "You mean the confrontation between us?"


    "No, the reception of several local leaders..."


    With that said, the people in Minos'' group soon understood that the situation in Clouds City had somehow stirred the imperial family.


    Minos had received many leaders of the Flaming Empire into the Gray Clouds Sect in the previous days. In fact, he had received more organization leaders in these previous days than the event led by the Edwardstone family had as guests.


    Because of this, some members of the more radical wing of the imperial family viewed this event with a bad eye, as if this was a step by Minos to demonstrate his influence in this territory.


    The elders of that sect and Minos readily understood the problem after those words. Still, they just followed the lead of those people.


    ...


    A few moments later, Minos and the elders of his sect were already in the beautiful office of the supreme elder Edwardstone while this man was waiting with his back to them.


    This level 79 old man was drinking a cup of spiritual tea while looking at the beautiful view of his workplace to the capital.


    Meanwhile, the Gray Clouds Sect elders stood silently one step behind Minos, looking at that fellow with his back to them.


    Minos then asked as he sat down in one of the chairs on the opposite side of the table behind that old man. "Why am I here?"


    That old man noticed that Minos was still bold as before, not even expecting to be ''invited'' to sit down to do such a thing.


    He then said. "What are you planning? Why did you lead an event for local leaders days before my family''s occasion?"


    Minos said promptly. "I am not planning anything that you do not already know. The current focus of the Gray Clouds Sect is the Black Plain, and I am getting rid of what is not essential. But to do that, I had to open the doors of my organization to those interested..."


    "What can I do if almost all the local powers have decided to send people to my territory? Should I refuse to do business with them because of their numbers?" He said sarcastically.


    "You could at least have sent a statement to the family or left it to do it here." The supreme elder said while looking at Minos with an ugly expression on his face. "The occasion that will take place in the next few days is designed precisely to connect local powers and make this kind of circumstance possible."


    "But that is not as simple as you say, supreme elder." Minos then said. "Not every family with the potential to trade with us has the chance to receive an invitation from the imperial family. At the same time, the focus of this event has always been more on overseeing the powerful local organizations."


    "Still..."


    Minos shook his head and smiled. "Supreme elder, you don''t like me and will try to see problems in everything I do. So what''s the point of us having another one of these conversations? Just get to the point or let Bella deal with me."


    "It will avoid problems for both sides."


    The supreme elder clenched his fists, and his eyes narrowed.


    He really disliked Minos and saw trouble in every move Emperor Stuart made. But he could not give up dealing with this fellow or leave everything in that woman''s hands.


    If he did so, she could give Minos benefits that would be impossible for the family to recover later on.


    After all, considering how slippery Minos was and how talented he could be, it only took the slightest advantage for him to get enough to overcome the local powers.


    So he wanted as much as possible to make this fellow''s journey in gaining advancement easily at the expense of the imperial family difficult.


    "Isabella will take over the empire once she assumes Her Majesty''s position. Until then, I will deal with you, sect master Stuart."


    "Then what do you want?" Minos questioned.


    That elder then went straight to the point. "What do you intend to do against my family in the future? For example, suppose you reach level 75. What do you intend to do about the empire at this time?"


    Minos said. "Elder, you only think the worst of me. Why would I do something different about the empire than I do now just because I would be at level 75? If I wanted to do something against your family, I could do it now, and no one could stop me. What difference does level make?"


    "What did you say?" The supreme elder stood up from his chair and questioned indignantly.


    "I could wipe out the Edwardstone family if I so chose to do," Minos said, startling the elders of his sect. "Of course, I''d have some problems with lightning punishments, but I could easily do that... Anyway, why would I do it in the future if I''m not interested in doing it now?"


    "Elder, you should care a little more about the Saints Killing Sect than about me. I only want the good of my allies."


    With those words, he did not wait for more and got up to search for Isabella, who treated him best in this family.


    As for the supreme elder Edwardstone, he did not have much to do other than worry about the many threats to his family. Hence, he did not stop Minos from pursuing his own interests.


    ''Times are indeed terrible...'' He sighed. ''What a pity that His Majesty is absent just now.''


    Thinking about it, he remembered something and ran after Minos.


    ...

 Chapter 1495 Proposition

    Remembering Minos'' promise regarding Harold, the supreme elder soon started running towards that fellow to question him when he would do that.


    ''I hope you don''t go back on your words now, brat!'' He thought as he considered that he could keep Minos away from the Flaming Empire for a while.


    "Hey, wait a minute. I have something to ask you." He called out to Minos as he saw him near Isabella''s residence.


    Minos turned around and saw the old face of that man. "What do you want?"


    "Didn''t you say that when the 8th stage arrived, you would go to the Flowers Kingdom to rescue His Majesty? When do you intend to leave?" He asked with a small smile at the corner of his mouth.


    Minos remembered that and answered. "I intend to leave for the Flowers Kingdom in no more than two years. Of course, that depends on the situation related to Mortimer Burgess and my state..."


    "When I am sure I will be able to leave, I will keep my promise."


    When he finished saying that, Isabella appeared in front of her house and heard Minos'' promise. "Is that true?" She asked, pleased that he was reaffirming his earlier promises.


    Minos nodded to that woman as he smiled. "Yes, I''m not the type to go back on his own words."


    "That... But wouldn''t that be after you reach level 70? Why do you need two more years?" The old supreme elder asked.


    Two years was a short time for a Spiritual Saint to improve their strength. So for this man, Minos would not get stronger in this period, and anything this fellow wished for, he could do immediately.


    Waiting two years would not change anything, so it would be better to hurry the resolution of whatever the problems were so he could leave for the Flowers Kingdom as soon as possible.


    Emperor Edwardstone''s survival was at stake!


    Minos then said. "It''s not that simple. I need to have the confidence that my sect and state will be safe when I leave... Not only that, even the Flaming Empire is at serious risk if I leave without securing regional peace before I leave."


    "That is true..." Isabella commented while already standing in front of Minos, almost hugging him.


    The supreme elder could not say anything against Minos, so he was silent after those words, holding in his heart the day when this two-year period would end.


    ''I hope you don''t make another excuse later!'' He thought before turning and leaving from there.


    "Sigh!"


    "He''s finally gone..." Minos commented to Isabella as he hugged her waist.


    "Don''t talk like that. The supreme elder is overwhelmed by my father''s duties and recent threats." That red-haired woman commented as she felt the warmth of Minos'' muscular body. "In any case, you know that there won''t be any major problems, that you just have to put up with talking to him. So there''s no reason to get so stressed about it."


    "Hmmm." He muttered before hearing those people from his sect greeting Isabella and then setting off toward the place where other local leaders should already be waiting.


    There was still a little over a week left until the start of the meeting of local leaders. Still, many were arriving early to deal with business between sects and noble families.


    That was precisely why several elders had accompanied Minos on this occasion to continue dealing with the affairs of their respective houses and also of the sect.


    As for Minos, he stayed by the side of the Crown Princess, going to take care of this woman who had not had the chance to sleep with him for months.


    ...


    The next day...


    The news of Minos'' presence in the capital of the Flaming Empire had already spread through Payton, and many in that city were anxious for the start of the meeting led by the imperial family.


    Various local powers were trying to predict the results of this meeting, which now had a guest organization with almost as much power as the host itself.


    Considering Minos'' recent demonstrations of power, many did not doubt that he could do something of the sort in this city.


    So the atmosphere was somewhat tense in the streets of Payton while some local leaders were still arriving for next week''s event.


    But amidst the many inhabitants and visitors in doubt about the future, the experts of the Spiritual Church in this city had different reactions to the current situation.


    Those already part of the Gloria faction were quite calm about everything, sure that Minos was not planning anything dangerous.


    But those who were not part of this faction had expectations for the coming days, and even bets were being placed among the ranks of this organization.


    But among the local Church leaders, the situation was somewhat strange, not for what Minos might soon do in this city, but for what he had promised and delivered in the past.


    Gloria''s mother had finally lost her bet with Minos, and now she could no longer question the union of these two or even have him join the Church.


    She and Minos had bet on him reaching level 70 in 20 years. But he had achieved such a thing in less than 12 years!


    As such, the core of this post was somewhat impressed with his performance but in doubt about what to do.


    Would they give up on someone so promising? With such a cultivation speed, Minos would certainly surpass them all in no time.


    So taking him into their factions or even trying to negotiate his entry into the Church could bring many benefits to these people.


    As such, Gloria''s father was currently leading a group of Patriarchs and Matriarchs from the local post to visit Minos at the imperial palace.


    Unlike ''ordinary'' guests of the meeting that Isabella would lead in the coming days, Minos stayed at Isabella''s home.


    Thus, soon several elders were in one of the halls of the imperial palace, waiting for Minos to talk with him.


    ...


    "Patriarchs, Matriarchs, to what do we owe this visit?" The supreme elder of the imperial family faced those colleagues and asked.


    Gloria''s father, the leader of the local Church post, looked at that old fellow and smiled bitterly. "We are waiting for Minos..."


    The old supreme elder''s face contorted upon hearing that. But to avoid being inelegant, he exchanged a few words with those people before he left there angrily, feeling offended that he had people in his family home to visit the damned Minos.


    After that man left, Minos arrived at that place accompanied by Princess Isabella.


    "Princess..." Everyone there greeted her, while Gloria''s parents looked at Minos with impressed and relieved looks.


    With such an accomplishment, Minos was not so bad for their daughter!


    "Minos, congratulations on becoming a Spiritual Saint." Joseph Frost said as he squeezed one of Emperor Stuart''s shoulders. "Now you are truly powerful and can protect my daughter and granddaughter."


    "Hmm." Minos nodded, saying nothing more.


    "I admit my defeat. You no longer owe me anything, Minos." Margot commented as she pinched the tip of one of her fingers from having to admit defeat to this rascal.


    "However," Gloria''s father continued. "Even though you don''t owe us anything more for that previous incident, we want to make you a proposition..."

 Chapter 1496 Family Matters

    "Minos, why don''t you join the Spiritual Church? We may not be able to make you the leader of the Black Plain, but one of your wives and little Sarah will be able to inherit that state..." Joseph said as he demonstrated he was willing to negotiate the terms of Emperor Stuart''s entry into that organization.


    Normally, the Church requires that all family members of its members be disassociated from other organizations to avoid conflicts of interest. So in normal situations, members of this great institution could not have family members active in other powers.


    But this rule could have its exceptions when some parameters were met.


    When someone was talented and worth the ''effort'', Church headquarters closed its eyes to certain information not so good in its opinion.


    So a new member could have his family still in their old organizations before joining the Church, as long as, from then on, all his new family members did not join powers other than the Church.


    By this, Joseph was trying to draw Minos into that organization without taking away that subject''s control over that territory.


    Minos could still rule the Black Plain from behind the curtains using Abby and Sarah as the face of local leadership. At the same time, he could be appointed as the general Patriarch of the northern region and continue to live for a while in that empire.


    "... So, in practice, your life would not change much in the next few years, and you would still be a member of the Church with a lot of potentials in the future." Minos'' father-in-law explained all the exceptions they were willing to make to have this fellow in the Church.


    Isabella was impressed by all that and looked at Minos, thinking about telling him to accept such an offer.


    ''With that, he would still have the Black Plain Empire working for him, but he could use the resources of the Church and still travel to the Evergreen Empire in the future to utilize the high-level possibilities of that state.'' She thought about it.


    In Minos'' place, anyone would decide to join the Spiritual Church and become a leader of the shadows of the Black Plain Empire.


    However, Minos had no interest in doing that. "I appreciate the offer, but I have no ambition to join the Spiritual Church. Gloria is already part of that organization, so it makes no sense for us to be in it."


    "What does that have to do with it?" Margot asked.


    "I enjoy being the leader of the Black Plain, and I have no interest in becoming the leader of the Spiritual Church..." Minos said, indicating that he could achieve that if he so desired. "I don''t want to lead an organization that was not created by myself."


    Upon hearing those words, some of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs thought that Minos was just being proud, not taking his words about leading the Church seriously...


    But Margot frowned, looking at Minos strangely, wondering if this was possible.


    Joseph sighed and insisted. "Are you sure? Your future would be much broader if you became one of us. Besides, it would be nice if Gloria would join her faction with one from Church headquarters."


    "You could even get great benefits because of the size of the faction you have created..."


    But Minos was sure of his positions. "Hmm, I''m sure. I''d rather stay in my empire and live as I wish than become subordinate to an organization I barely know... Besides, our faction is doing well. So I see no reason for us to join other groups."


    "Tsk!" Margot turned around and expressed her displeasure. ''This fool doesn''t see how much Gloria and Sarah could gain from this! All on account of his immense pride!''


    On the other hand, the other elders there felt somewhat offended by Minos'' repeated refusals.


    One of them then said. "Sect master Stuart, I won''t insist too much. But you know that there is competition between the factions of the Church? For the moment, you haven''t attracted much attention yet, so you haven''t had any problems. But the size of the group led by Gloria is getting big quickly. So it won''t be long before trouble knocks at your doors."


    "When we can''t handle such trouble, we will consider joining another faction." Minos said, stopping the insistence of these people.


    He knew all that, but he was still determined to develop his faction with Gloria, aiming for the day when this woman could become the leader of the Spiritual Church.


    He would still be an external member of the Church, so he was part of her faction and could act in concert with her forces to help his wife. That way, Minos felt that the burden would not be so great, and even when it became worse, he would have alternatives up his sleeve.


    In any case, it would not be now that everything was going well for his forces that he would give up his ambitions because the danger was standing in his way.


    That was the life of a cultivator, after all.


    So he talked a little more with those Patriarchs and Matriarchs before seeing most of them leaving in frustration from the imperial palace.


    They wanted to do something more, but Minos was stronger than most of them and was also on Isabella''s side. So only Joseph and Margot stayed behind to talk to him some more.


    "Where is my granddaughter? And Gloria?" Joseph asked as he sat down and took a cup of a spiritual drink.


    Minos was sitting next to Isabella, opposite these two elders, the parents of his third wife. "They are not here. Sarah is striving to learn the basics necessary to begin her journey of cultivation. As for her mother, she is training on the Black Plain."


    "Is that so? When little Sarah becomes a cultivator, I will give her some gifts." Margot commented with a silly smile on her face.


    "What about Zoe? Have you guys been taking good care of her?" Joseph asked about his niece, who had gone to the northern region to join the Church post led by Gloria.


    "Zoe is fine. She recently reached level 65." Minos said, remembering this silver-haired woman, who had been living in his empire for almost four years now.


    "Level 65?" Husband and wife looked at each other, thinking Zoe''s growth had been magnificent for the few years since she left for the Black Plain.


    ''It seems that Minos does have unique methods of stimulating the cultivation of his people.'' That silver-haired man thought to himself, while the white-haired woman next to him thought about the cultivation rooms with the Black Hole Bombs.


    ''It must be on account of that...'' She considered. ''It''s not for nothing! Things as powerful as those really do have a lot of Lawsource and spiritual energy.''


    ''I''m just impressed that he found a way to use that to his advantage!''


    "Anyway, this time, none of them came with me. But you can visit them in the Black Plain Empire if you like in a few months..."


    They continued talking about Sarah, Gloria, and the Stuart family since these two had interests that went beyond just business with Minos.


    Isabella took the opportunity to learn a bit about the current situation of the Stuart family, accompanying those three people until early evening in this city.

 Chapter 1497 Trouble!

    Six days later...


    In one area, between the borders of the Flaming Empire, Flowers Kingdom, and Evergreen Empire, a small floating island was suffering from strong energy fluctuations in the surrounding area.


    The spiritual energy in that area was condensing and ''rushing'' towards the interior of such an island, forcing its structures, while the spiritual pressure of the area was immense.


    At the same time, a vortex in the sky was bringing clouds from far away in that area into the vicinity, while the winds and storms would make anyone below level 70 tremble with fear.


    No, in fact, anyone at level 69 who was out there would even be in danger of being killed by the current atmospheric phenomena!


    But in the midst of this, a man was sitting inside this floating island, in a lotus position, receiving all this spiritual energy penetrating this place.


    At the same time, the Natural Laws were condensing in the surroundings so powerfully that spatial cracks were opening near that person.


    Amid this, he was absorbing more of these Laws, increasing his understanding while evolving the quality of his soul for the breakthrough that was nearing completion.


    Seeing that from a distance, the supreme elder of the Saints Killing Sect smiled devilishly, seeing that the sect master was about to reach level 80!


    ''Finally, we''ll be able to stop hiding!'' He thought about it, remembering the humiliations the people in his sect had gone through in recent years. ''With the sect master''s breakthrough, we will take revenge on the cursed Grey Clouds Sect, kill the disgraced Minos, and get back to the plans to dominate the empire!''


    ''It will only be a matter of time before the sect becomes the biggest organization in this region!''


    Amidst the supreme elder''s thoughts, Mortimer finally reached the apex!


    Crack!


    A shrill sound spread through the surroundings, leaving his body and reaching places kilometers away from where he was standing.


    After a few moments, the chaos in the surroundings quieted a bit, and that man sitting on the ground, dressed in bone armor, opened his eyes, smiling.


    "Level 80!" He shouted as he felt his soul stabilizing at this new level and realizing his spatial control.


    ? "Finally, at level 80!" He said again, looking down at his hands and feeling a power he had never thought would be so majestic.


    "Hahahaha, just you wait, you bastard! I will, in an instant, rip your head off and wipe out your sect!"


    Upon hearing those beautiful words, the supreme elder flew to his leader and bent one of his knees in front of Mortimer. "Sect Master, congratulations on becoming a Spiritual Sage. I hope your leadership will be long."


    Mortimer looked at the supreme elder of his sect, who had made all this possible by saving Gavin in place of his wife.


    He nodded and said. "From now on, we will avenge all the dead and take whatever we wish."


    "Yes, I hope to continue serving you and witness all of this, sect master!"


    "Right, let''s do that. But first, how long until the meeting of local leaders? Is there still time for us to join that event?" Mortimer questioned.


    "Yes, sect master." The supreme elder replied. "There are still 42 hours until the start of the local leaders'' meeting."


    "Oh? Then let''s get going. I want to see the surprised expression of those bastards when they see me, hahaha."


    ...


    One day later...


    The day before the meeting of local leaders, practically all those invited by the Edwardstone family were already in Payton.


    Conversations had been going on for the past few days, and a lot of business had already taken place between local powers participating in this event.


    During this period, the Gray Clouds Sect had formalized some business deals started by Minos weeks ago in Clouds City.


    Meanwhile, Minos was at Isabella''s side, quietly living in wait for this event so that he could return to the Black Plain Empire.


    He had already been notified by his men in that region of the arrival of three visitors from the Evergreen Empire, members of the Blood Triangle Pirates, who were in his state looking for him.


    Minos already knew what these people''s visit was about and wanted to return to his state to settle this. So he could not wait for this formal occasion to begin.


    The Black Plain was not in danger at the moment, but it was not good for him to have those people staying in his territory for too long.


    In the last few days, due to the information about the visit of those three and his current level, Minos had managed to get Joseph and Margot to pass him some information about that pirate group.


    Due to this, he finally found out the origin of it, as well as the fact that such a group works for the imperial family of the Evergreen Empire, the main faction of the Spiritual Church.


    The current Supreme Pontiff was Emperor Evergreen''s son, so several future complications could arise for him and Gloria.


    As for what they were looking for with that map, Joseph and Margot could not help Minos much with that since even they did not have access to such high-level information. But they knew it was somehow related to the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus.


    The Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus was a place where several ancient experts of the Spiritual Church had been buried in the remote past. However, for some reason, this institution stopped using this place a few million years ago.


    When they stopped using such a place, they abandoned it for good, having, after a few hundred thousand years, lost its location.


    Therefore, the current generation of Church members had no idea where this place was and the importance of locating something that had been abandoned by themselves.


    But no matter what, Minos knew it was no simple matter since people as powerful as the force behind the Spiritual Sage who protected Abe were searching for the map in the Spatial Kingdom.


    As such, he had his worries!


    But while waiting for the start of the event to be led by the Edwardstone family, Minos and all the experts in this city were surprised by something unexpected.


    As they were preparing for the start of the big meeting that would take place the next day, the 8th-stage specialists in Payton felt a spatial crack opening in the local skies in the middle of this city.


    When this happened, they all realized that a 9th-stage specialist was about to appear there, coming from a distant place through a wormhole.


    Hence, most of them left the streets or the buildings they were in and looked in the direction of that opening in space.


    When they did so, in a matter of seconds, they were shocked, open-mouthed, and wide-eyed when Mortimer Burgess, level 80, appeared next to 10 elders of the Saints Killing Sect.


    "My dear colleagues, princess, I am here for tomorrow''s meeting, haha." That man said before identifying Minos'' aura and looking toward this level 70 fellow.


    "Minos Stuart, I see you took advantage of the time you had to get stronger..."


    "Not bad."


    ...

 Chapter 1498 Mortimers Plan

    When he heard Mortimer''s voice and saw this man looking at him, Minos immediately prepared to fight in this place, circulating his energies.


    But before he made any kind of move, he said. "I see you managed to absorb some of Gavin''s powers... But it''s a shame that such a powerful ability was wasted on your decaying body.


    If those eyes had continued on Gavin, he would have eventually become a God. But in you, this bloodline will not be able to show its true powers since your limit is only level 89.


    Sigh...


    But I guess that was to be expected, no? Instead of controlling him, as an intelligent person would do, you chose to waste those powers on yourself." Minos said, speaking as if he were standing in front of the world''s biggest idiot.


    Everyone around realized that this was Minos'' purpose and swallowed their saliva, afraid of what might happen after such a provocation.


    "You really have a sharp tongue, brat!" That fellow in bone armor said, making an ugly expression, wanting to immediately end this opponent''s life. "Tell me what gives you the courage to talk to me like that! I want to know who can protect you if I decide to act!"


    Everyone in that city felt Mortimer''s cultivation pressure spreading to the surroundings, showing how terrible he currently was.


    The members of the imperial family were already in the surroundings witnessing the situation but not knowing what the best approach would be.


    They should intervene and make both sides behave better. However, who could stop Mortimer if he decided to act?


    In this complicated situation, Minos laughed and said. "Who gives me the courage? Myself!


    Remember, you are only not dead because I allowed it on account of my regard for the Edwardstone family.


    Otherwise, your fate was to join one of my black holes and become a source of power for my army!"


    The supreme elder of the Saints Killing Sect felt extremely humiliated upon hearing that and shouted. "Bastard Minos, watch how you talk! You are standing before a majestic Spiritual Sage, not an ordinary person!"


    "Tsk!


    Dogs should keep quiet while their masters argue!" Minos glared in that man''s direction, making him tremble with anger.


    "Minos!" That old man turned red with anger but was stopped by Mortimer from doing anything else.


    Then the supreme elder of the imperial family finally showed himself, intending to stop this situation before it got out of control. "Sect Master Burgess, sect master Stuart, don''t take this any further. That is the empire''s capital, and you both owe your respect to the citizens of Payton!"


    He turned to Mortimer and said. "Congratulations on reaching level 80. In this new stage, sect master Burgess can do much more for the empire."


    That level 80 man took his focus off Minos to look at the supreme elder of the Edwardstone family, the main problem he would face in trying to dominate this state.


    He had purposely gotten rid of Harold to facilitate his job of dominating this state. Still, just the absence of the emperor did not make it easy for this man.


    He could act using his space manipulation skills and manage to kill many of the local leaders. But this would consume him, and he would be vulnerable before he had even eliminated all his opponents.


    So Mortimer did not see the situation as already mastered and was much more concerned about that level 79 individual than about Minos.


    Even if Minos was powerful and growing fast, what could he do against space manipulation abilities?


    Moreover, Mortimer thought he would only need a few weeks to deal with the imperial family. So even if he was a cultivation genius, Minos would not have become stronger in that period and would still be within his reach.


    Then he focused on that old man and said. "Supreme elder Edwardstone, thank you for your words. As for the rest, it''s only that brat Minos who provokes me...


    In any case, I will not fight against someone at such a low level.


    I am only here to participate in the negotiations about the empire''s future... Now that I am at the same level as His Majesty, I am interested in returning our focus lost with his kidnapping."


    Minos frowned, thinking that this individual wanted to start by showing the local powers that he could replace Harold, giving them a reason not to move against him.


    Some would obviously not fall for Mortimer''s manipulation and side with the imperial family. But as long as he could get some sects to turn their backs on House Edwardstone, he would already be successful!


    The members of the imperial family were not stupid, so they realized Mortimer''s move immediately.


    Unfortunately, none of them were strong enough to stop Mortimer.


    Hell, even if everyone in this city rallied against that guy right now, they would not be able to kill him due to his ability to manipulate space.


    Starting something there would be the beginning of a losing war for most of them, so nobody did what was necessary for a battle to happen.


    Even Minos was passive in this situation since it was in his interest to prolong it until he reached level 71.


    ''For the time being, he will not go to the Black Plain... Instead, he will probably talk to the sect leaders to try to get them to take his side. He should start acting against my sect and the imperial family after that.'' He thought this while standing next to Isabella just before they headed to a local arena where the meeting was scheduled to take place.


    All the other high-level cultivators in this city headed towards that place as well, while Mortimer was already at that place after using his spatial manipulation skills.


    He wanted to show these people as much as possible that he was not someone for one to play with, so he was sparing no effort!


    ''Hehe, just you wait... In a few months at most, this whole city will be under my rule!'' He thought as he sat on Harold''s throne before the first high-level Spiritual Saints came to that place.


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, a few hours passed.


    In this period, since the beginning of the meeting of local leaders, everything had gone according to plan, with each sect reporting its results and intentions to the imperial family.


    The members of the imperial family also talked about the current challenges and what they planned for the future full of uncertainties ahead of them.


    When they finished presenting their situations, it was time for the local leaders to give their opinions and suggestions on how the state should move forward.


    With this underway, some sect masters commented on their preferences regarding minor things, nothing grand to make Mortimer or Minos try to get involved.


    But when word reached Mortimer, this man immediately used this chance to attack Minos'' accomplishments.


    "My friends, I would like to air my displeasure regarding the accomplishments of the Gray Clouds Sect." He commented. "I don''t need to hide my negative feelings towards that organization, and I won''t pretend that I wouldn''t benefit if they were doing badly. But it bothers me that an organization of the empire is serving the purposes of another state!


    Minos Stuart is trying to steal this organization from the Flaming Empire, and I strongly object to that!


    Therefore, I wish we review this situation to prevent the state from losing even more of its experts!"


    ...

 Chapter 1499 Heated Debate

    The local leaders began to murmur among themselves after Mortimer''s words, some agreeing that this was indeed a problem, even considering that this Spiritual Sage clearly wanted to harm Minos with this.


    The supreme elder of the Edwardstone family heard that, but he could not agree, even if he did not like Minos. "Sect Master Burgess, you don''t know the whole situation, so you think the empire is losing from this.


    But the truth is that we have a very detailed agreement with sect master Stuart that favors the empire immensely...


    Anyway, the Gray Clouds Sect is in no way weakened because of the actions of its master."


    Other people nodded in agreement, knowing that the number of experts in this organization had indeed increased after the changes initiated by Minos.


    "Still, I find it strange that he does this in the northern region and not in the territory of the Gray Clouds Sect, supreme elder." That man in bone armor said, pressing the issue. "If it is for his sect to become stronger, it must be done in the empire and for the sake of the empire.


    How can his sect becoming stronger for the good of the Black Plain be of any use to the forces of our state?"


    Then Minos said. "Mortimer doesn''t care about the empire. He just wants to dominate this state and is trying to weaken the only force that can genuinely prevent him from achieving his goal.


    He knows he can''t act against me in the northern region, or the Spiritual Church will exterminate him. So he desperately wants to decrease the number of experts under my command in my empire."


    Everyone realized this would happen, but Mortimer did not accept Emperor Stuart''s words. "Bullshit!


    Are you going to trust the damn bastard who has always acted for his benefit, harming others in his way or a colleague who has walked ''side by side'' with you for hundreds of years?" He gestured. "Not only that, that bastard is in collusion with the forces of our enemies!


    Has anyone here forgotten that he has close relations with the leaders of Rosser and Albano? He has even recently dominated Vogel!


    Do you believe that he is not a threat to the empire being so close to our enemies?"


    Minos rose from his seat with an ugly expression on his face. "I keep the peace in the Flaming Empire because of these relations...


    But you are right about something. I am really close to those states... And I have people capable of activating the sacrificial weapon of that alliance.


    So be careful about turning your claws towards my allies, you bastard. I won''t hesitate to kill you if you leave the Flaming Empire''s territory."


    Gulp!


    Silence spread after those words, with many looking in surprise at Minos and Mortimer frowning.


    One of the reasons Harold did not act personally against those four states was precisely the sacrificial weapon that the kings and queens of their enemy territories could use together.


    It could even seriously wound a Spiritual Sage!


    But everyone in this place thought such a weapon was lost because of the downfall of the Vogel family and the current situation of the alliance of the three kingdoms with the Black Plain.


    Blackrock had not been in agreement with Minos in recent years, and with only two of the four leaders needed to activate that weapon, they should not be able to muster the strength for such an action.


    However, Minos was not a naive fool who would act without having alternative plans!


    When he found out about that weapon, the first thing he did was to put into his mind a plan to develop a cultivator capable of jointly activating such a weapon with the leaders of those three states.


    Thus, when he took over the leadership of the alliance of those territories against the Flaming Empire, he had gained access to the techniques needed for such a thing and had one of his subordinates master such thing.


    After more than a decade, such a person had enough power to successfully trigger such a weapon, even if its power was less than it would have been if King Vogel was still around.


    With that, he had this weapon prepared to use against Mortimer if he set foot outside the Flaming Empire and went to one of those states.


    ''Bastard! Did you really get that?'' The supreme elder of the Saints Killing Sect wondered as he looked terribly at Minos.


    Even Isabella was surprised by Minos'' actions, which showed that he was also prepared for her family.


    "Minos..."


    Minos then said to everyone. "Don''t misunderstand. This weapon was never in my plans to use against experts from the Flaming Empire but to protect myself from outside opponents.


    It''s just a coincidence that someone in this state has become strong enough to be the target of it."


    "Minos, you truly are vile!


    Even when you become a local organization leader, you act for the sake of the empire''s enemies!" Mortimer said angrily, shouting. "Supreme elder Edwardstone, this is a clear indication of treason!


    I ask that the position of the sect master Stuart be reviewed!"


    "Yes, we should unite against the traitors of the Gray Clouds Sect and invade the four northern territories to stop the threats to the empire!"


    "With our sect master, no one else will be able to threaten the empire''s security!"


    The high-level elders of the Saints Killing Sect advocated these ideas.


    The people in the surrounding area began to become uncertain which side to be on, knowing that Mortimer was a clear threat, but seeing how Minos'' actions could also harm them.


    They already expected the worst from Mortimer if this man reached the 9th stage. But of Minos, some doubted whether he would cause chaos or bring peace to the state.


    But from the actions his own words seemed to indicate he was taking, they could already see a Minos far worse than Mortimer!


    Minos realized the situation and said to everyone in the surrounding area. "This person is trying to disunite us to facilitate his domination. War will be inevitable if you believe his words and take his side.


    I assure you, Mortimer Burgess does not have a promising future. He will not even reach level 81 before he dies.


    At that time, peace will return to the Flaming Empire, and those who side with him now will have the future of becoming nutrients for my black holes!


    Do not desire war. You will not win!" He said soberly, trying to show these people that the future would be worse if they feared the short-term threat.


    Everyone knew that Minos could kill them there now if he activated one of his techniques fusions and created a black hole. So no one tried to counteract him, creating a sepulchral silence in that arena.


    In the midst of this, the members of the imperial family felt left out of the conversations, for the first time in a long time, depending on other people to decide their fate.


    But they had no choice but to accept this momentarily, siding with Minos, while the opposition sided with Mortimer.


    On this day, the division of the Flaming Empire into two great factions would be born, which would mark the beginning of a not-so-long but very complicated period for this state!

 Chapter 1500 Crisis

    After Minos'' threatening words, two days passed, and the meeting of local leaders continued until it finally ended this morning.


    The meeting led by the Edwardstone family was marked by the division of the local powers into the Minos and Mortimer groups, with no declaration of war but a clear willingness that it could happen.


    Those on Minos'' side would certainly fight, while those on Mortimer''s side would stay at their headquarters if anything happened.


    That, of course, had not been said literally. But the sects and families on the Saints Killing Sect side would not turn their weapons on the powers of the imperial family.


    They did not want to become traitors. They only planned to become omissive to their duties.


    In any case, instead of this event having worked for its purpose, to create relations between the strongest sects in the empire and ensure the peace and security of the state, it had served for each party to firm up its positions.


    Some powers were still uncertain as to what position to take, so even these had joined together and formed a group that did not want to get involved in anything that was about to happen.


    Mortimer could kill them at any time with his manipulation skills. Still, Minos could hide in the Black Plain until he was as strong or stronger than Spiritual Sages. At that time, he would kill his opponent and eliminate those who stood in his way from this encounter.


    Whatever the decision, those who made it would be at serious risk!


    Thus, the event ended with the many local leaders leaving Payton without raising their weapons to each other but leaving behind a hard-to-bear tension.


    Now the imperial family was officially in the greatest crisis of its existence!


    ...


    At the imperial palace...


    Minos was at this moment standing in front of Isabella and some elders, people favorable to him within that family.


    Not everyone in House Edwardstone saw Minos in the same way as the supreme elder.


    Some did not blame him for anything bad that happened to this family since bad things would really accompany people with a lot of talent or resources.


    On the other hand, even if others disliked Minos, their rational sides outweighed their emotions, causing them to be in the favorable wing for him in the local imperial house.


    Minos was only at level 70 and was already as strong as local leaders. On the other hand, the Gray Clouds Sect was rapidly getting stronger, which indicated that the Black Plain''s strength would also improve at the same rate or perhaps even faster.


    Considering this, it was to be expected that he would become much more powerful in a short time, individually and collectively.


    At that time, they could reap the rewards of standing with him and supporting him while he was ''weak''!


    That was the interest of some of the high-level elders, even disregarding the situation of the Flaming Empire with Mortimer''s advance.


    However, with that individual having reached level 80, now even those opposed to Minos were willing to cooperate with him minimally.


    So while he was saying goodbye to Isabella, some were hanging around, worried about how long Emperor Stuart would spend away.


    They were at great risk and could not help but fear for their own future!


    Minos heard a question concerning this from one of the elders and answered them all. "Well, I have urgent business to attend to in Dry City, but in 2 weeks at most, I believe I can return here."


    "All that?" Someone muttered, knowing that for a Spiritual Sage, it would only take a few days to eliminate all of them using his spatial manipulation skills.


    That is, of course, considering that Mortimer would certainly cover his tracks during his actions and not attack his opponents head-on.


    Being too open in his attacks could cause widespread fear throughout the empire, which would not help him at all. So even if he had the power to cause chaos, he would probably act cautiously, prolonging the time needed to master this state.


    That was what the imperial family experts predicted, which was why these people feared Minos would not be around with his mass destruction weapons.


    But Minos did not see things that way. "That''s not much time. Mortimer needs more time to secure his position with the sects and families willing to side with him.


    He won''t act before then. If he did that, he would risk creating fear and distrust in his allies before he even has a solid alliance.


    So he won''t attack immediately to have a better time as the new emperor." He said, making those people swallow their saliva at the thought of Mortimer becoming the leader of this state.


    Isabella was the one who hated that thought the most and clenched her fists, lamenting her father''s absence. "Minos, can''t you rescue my father soon? Mortimer would not be a match for him if he were here."


    Minos looked at the red-haired woman hugging him and smiled bitterly. "Unfortunately, I can''t.


    It''s not that I don''t want to. I just can''t go to the Flowers Kingdom and rescue him in time to stop Mortimer.


    If I were to simply leave now, before I even reach that state, the Flaming Empire would already be under Mortimer''s control."


    Everyone in the surrounding area agreed with this, lamenting the timing in which everything was happening.


    "We can only wait for Mortimer''s threat to end for the sect master Stuart to save His Majesty..." A level 78 elder commented, feeling that his family would have to endure great trials before they could have their leader again.


    Isabella understood Minos'' motivations and sighed, hoping everything would be resolved as soon as possible.


    So, after a few moments, Minos left for the Black Plain Empire via the teleportation ports between that state and his home.


    As for Little Green, he had already sent that great beast to wait for him in that city since he would return in a short time.


    Teleportation arrays carried volumes. So beasts of that individual''s size could hardly be sent by those means of transport, which would either not hold them or would consume too many crystals to function properly.


    Thus, that level 76 beast would take longer to get to know its new home!


    ...


    While Minos was returning to the Black Plain Empire, Mortimer was already traveling through the Flaming Empire, searching for the alliances he needed.


    It was not enough for him to talk for two days with some sect leaders for him to have the minimum necessary to act. He had to visit smaller sects and relevant families, who could make his life difficult if he acted by ignoring them.


    So before he acted, he followed what Minos had already anticipated, ensuring a minimum of support before killing the sore spots of this state.


    But he was not starting this journey without worries in his mind!


    Because of Minos'' warning about the sacrificial weapon in those four territories north of the Flaming Empire, this man now had to ensure that this state was strong when he was in power!


    Suppose too many of the local experts fell for him to ascend the local throne. In that case, he could end up facilitating a victory for the enemies in an eventual war between states!

 Chapter 1501 Dealing With The Visitors

    Three days later...


    After quickly traveling through the territories between Payton and Dry City, Minos finally arrived at the headquarters of the Black Plain Army.


    Upon appearing at that place in the core of the Dry City, he immediately saw several soldiers in the surrounding area kneeling, welcoming him back from his trip.


    Minos looked at these soldiers and greeted them with a nod before identifying where the ones he had left in charge of his city and empire were.


    He then walked over to Dillian and the level 79 Spiritual Saint, already sensing the presence in the center of his city some 8th-stage experts he still didn''t know.


    ''Those must be the visitors from the Evergreen Empire...'' He considered this as he looked in the direction of those new auras.


    In any case, he wouldn''t talk to them until later that day, and in the blink of an eye, he was already standing next to his followers in the imperial palace.


    ...


    "Your Majesty..." The crowd in that throne hall said as they saw Minos entering through the front door, with Dillian standing up to make room for their leader to sit down.


    Seeing the people, Minos smiled for a moment before getting straight to the point. "Well? How were the last few weeks? Did these visits make any trouble?"


    "No, Your Majesty. They just stayed in our city, and since we said that only you could handle the decision regarding their questions, they just waited for your return." Dillian replied.


    "What they want is the same as that Spiritual Sage, right?" Minos asked, just to confirm.


    "Yes."


    "I see..." Minos sat down on his throne and thoughtfully put one of his hands around his mouth. ''I''ll have to refuse, but will they be as easy to deal with as that Spiritual Sage?''


    Then the Spiritual Saint of the Gray Clouds Sect there asked. "Your Majesty, besides this matter, how was it in the Flaming Empire? Are there any more elders with you now?"


    Hearing this, Minos was a little distracted from this situation and said. "Yes, I made an exchange in my journey through the sect territory. I now have 20 more Spiritual Saints and left 2 elders in the Clouds City."


    "Oh?" That man opened his mouth and smiled, satisfied.


    With this action, the Black Plain and the Gray Clouds Sect''s core became stronger simultaneously!


    The exchange could be more or less similar to exchanging six for half of twelve, but it was more complex than that in practice.


    The Black Plain had many places without Spiritual Saints, but that was already in need of experts at that stage. So even if these people were not that strong, they could help meet this demand, something low numbers would not solve.


    On the other hand, the sect headquarters didn''t need that many numbers as it was winding down its activities. Meanwhile, they required stronger specialists capable of putting fear into their opponents.


    Thus, every exchange Minos made generated more power for both sides!


    But then Minos briefly informed those people of what happened in the past few days. "As for the outcome of the local leaders'' meeting, I feel that we gained nothing. Maybe it was even a loss..."


    He briefly summarized what happened and gave his opinion on what he thought would follow in the upcoming months, worrying the crowd in the imperial throne hall.


    Some were from the Flaming Empire, so they would naturally worry about the risk of Mortimer rebelling against the imperial family and causing chaos in that territory. But even those who had no origins related to that state were worried, as the Black Plain had plans for the state of Isabella.


    "Sigh...


    It really is a complicated position..." Dillian commented, feeling how unfortunate it had been that Gavin had died to have his powers stolen by Mortimer.


    ''That young man was so promising...'' He thought. ''If he stayed longer on the Black Plain, he would still be alive, we wouldn''t have this problem with Mortimer, and he would become a pillar of the empire in the future...''


    Others who knew Gavin also lamented once again of the fate of this man, while others thought of the day when they could get revenge with fear on the bastards of the Saints Killing Sect.


    Some of the men of Minos in the throne hall were relatives of the Spiritual Kings killed by the Spiritual Emperors of the Saints Killing Sect, the ones that were sent to the Black Plain to kill the local sovereign. As such, they had a history against that organization, and now that they were 100% on the opposite side of Mortimer''s organization, they wanted to act more than ever.


    "Anyway, I will deal with the problems with the Flaming Empire in the coming days... As for the Spiritual Saints who came with me, I will bring them here as soon as our visitors leave." Minos said after a while. "For now, bring them here. I want to finish this matter as soon as possible."


    "As you wish, your Majesty." A member of the imperial guard said before turning and leaving with a group of men to fetch those three visitors.


    Minos continued in that place, having a brief talk with his men, listening to the recent achievements of the army and the imperial government.


    ...


    After a few moments, the two men and the woman in the Dry City, on orders from their organization, the Blood Triangle Pirates, were taken to face with Minos.


    The three watched this fellow silently for a moment as they got to know him after hearing of Emperor Stuart''s achievements and accomplishments for weeks.


    Not only was Minos a talented cultivator, but he had also developed this place from a town, barely larger than a village, to a grand metropolis, the core of an empire, in just a few short years.


    This was impressive!


    As such, even considering that they were from a much more powerful and developed place, these three people didn''t deny the merit of the Stuart Emperor, and when they greeted him, they were genuinely sincere.


    "Your Majesty, it is a pleasure to meet a living legend like you." The woman leading the group said this as she made a gesture of greeting typical of the Central Continent.


    Minos thanked her for the gesture and the words. "Hmm, you are very generous...


    Anyway, I understand you are here in my city seeking cooperation, right? What do your group want?"


    "We are searching for something that we believe your Majesty can help us find, considering how far your influences currently go." One of the men said, smiling at Minos as he spoke.


    "My influence reaches the northern region and the four neighboring territories to the south of this region. Even though it truly is a large influence, I can''t find a single item in that entire territory.


    I also have no seer powerful enough for that." Minos said, speaking the truth to conceal that he already had such an item in hand.


    To identify something in such a large area, the service of seers could help greatly. But the northern region was vast, and the Black Plain Empire still didn''t have enough strong seers for a job like that.


    At the same time, Minos was extremely busy. Anyone studying this territory could easily see this. So even if he had the ability to it so, it was fair to say that it would create problems if he accepted such a quest.


    The three listened to him, and one of them said. "We know it won''t be easy.


    For some reason, even our seers cannot identify the vicinity of the item...


    Still, we hope to ally with the Stuart family to get your members to advise us regarding this problem.


    ...

 Chapter 1502 Negotiation

    "Is that so?" Minos asked those individuals before adding. "Some years ago, I met a Spiritual Sage who was protecting an enemy. This person was in pursuit of the same thing you are...


    Can you tell me what this is about? I''m curious about something that people so powerful and willing to spend fortunes are running after."


    Those people were not surprised about this, knowing who Minos was talking about.


    "Your Majesty is referring to the man from the Eastern Empire?" That woman said. "They are enemies of the Evergreen Empire, so they want to prevent any forces in our state from developing or achieving their plans."


    "Yes, the Travisani family only seeks this item to hinder us. But Your Majesty should not worry about that. They will not get involved with you because of a possible relationship between us."


    "As long as you don''t go to their state, of course." Someone else added.


    But Minos insisted on his question. "You haven''t talked about what that item is about. What is it for?"


    The woman leader of that group looked at Minos and smiled bitterly. "That is something we are not allowed to discuss, Your Majesty."


    "Hmm, I understand." He said as he closed his eyes momentarily. "Well, I can''t go after something I don''t know and don''t understand its implications. I''m already too busy with my state''s recent problems, so I can''t accept this deal, no matter how generous you are."


    Those people did not like to hear that, and one of them stepped forward, saying. "Your Majesty, reconsider. That is very important to us, and we are willing to pay a lot for it."


    Minos looked at that man and said calmly. "Currently, my state has to establish developments in the northern region states that are joining my empire.


    At the same time, I have to deal with the crisis in the Flaming Empire, where Mortimer Burgess has just advanced a stage and become a Spiritual Sage.


    Also, I still have to deal with the situation in Vogel and Blackrock, territories that are not yet converging with my interest.


    In the midst of all this, there are various day-to-day problems related to managing a growing force, such as the Black Plain Army.


    So how am I going to help you with so many occupations momentarily?


    You guys talk about paying a lot... But what good is a generous payment that is not recurring? By developing my state, I am creating recurring sources of income, which eventually won''t even need my effort to grow.


    But do you want me to stop developing my state to help you with a job that will end once I complete it?


    Tsk!


    You guys aren''t even willing to give me more information about it...


    I''m not interested!"


    Upon hearing Minos'' argument, those three people clenched their fists but said nothing since there was really nothing to be said.


    Minos was within his right to refuse them, and the conditions didn''t seem that favorable for him.


    These people weren''t so shameless as to deny this, and as such, they preferred to remain silent, trying to think of something.


    "But..."


    "Your Majesty, isn''t there any way we can make a deal?


    This item is very important to us, and due to the circumstances of how it was lost, we know that it can only be in this region. But unfortunately, we have no way to find it because something near it is getting in our way." That woman said, trying to be as sincere as possible to gain some ground in negotiating with Minos.


    Minos remained calm, listening to all that. ''Yes, it is in the Spatial Kingdom, so obviously, no one will be able to get its position...


    Not even a God could do that without first invading that space!''


    That woman continued. "However, I know that our entire organization will be very grateful if you can help us. Maybe we can even solve that problem in the Flaming Empire for you...


    A Spiritual Sage is not much for us."


    Some people in the surrounding area who didn''t know about the map in Minos'' hands opened their eyes wide upon hearing this, thinking it would be worth it for them to make a deal with these people.


    But none of them would express their opinion while Minos was in front of these people.


    Minos heard this and felt bad that these people were so insistent, offering difficult offers for him to justify refusing.


    He then said. "That is a very generous offer, but I will have to ask for a while to think about the answer. How about you return to my state in six months? At that time, I will be able to answer you definitively."


    Those people looked at each other, realizing that Minos wanted to test Mortimer''s strength and see how terrible it could be to face a Spiritual Sage before asking for help.


    It was always better to solve your problems without depending on others or agreements. So he wanted to see how much help he would need from them to decide if he should accept the offer.


    They were not against waiting only six months for Minos'' answer, and after a few moments of looking at each other in silence, the woman declared. "Very well. We will leave to settle some matters and return after that period."


    "I hope Your Majesty will make the decision we expect at that time." One of the men said, smiling, as he gestured goodbye before he and the other two left.


    As those people left the imperial throne hall, the high-level elders in the surrounding area soon approached Minos, with that level 79 individual asking. "Your Majesty, why don''t we just accept this agreement? From what these people said, we wouldn''t even need to complete the service for them to resolve Mortimer''s situation."


    "It''s not that simple," Minos said before muttering so those closest to him could hear. "I already have that map in hand. If I sign an agreement with them, I will have to hand over such a thing to them and lose any possibility related to it."


    Minos didn''t know why these people wanted that fabric map so badly. But he was aware that the price these people had offered him was not great, next to the total value of it.


    So he preferred to keep it to himself and see if it was worth something to his state. If not, he would negotiate it with those interested in the item for a much higher price!


    At the moment, he was not strong enough to do that. So he couldn''t let any of those people know the truth, so he had to reject any deals regarding that map.


    Those elders readily understood this upon hearing Minos'' words, noting that their leader was not being overly stubborn in refusing such a proposal.


    Afterward, Minos would also explain a little better why he disliked the group of pirates these people belonged, to which Emlyn had a great desire for revenge.


    He would not try to exterminate this group. Still, he was fully aware that he would have to help Emlyn take her anger out on the people in this organization, which would make him an enemy of it.


    As he liked to anticipate the movements of enemies, even though he was not a mortal enemy of that group, Minos already considered himself as such, for this was the expected consequence of what would happen in the future.


    So, the three of them left Dry City while the local leader returned to the core of his empire, organizing what needed to be resolved before returning to the Flaming Empire.

 Chapter 1503 Positioning

    After six days...


    After the departure of the high-level Spiritual Saints from the Blood Triangle Pirates group from Dry City, Minos brought the Spiritual Saints who came from the Gray Clouds Sect from the Spatial Kingdom.


    These people would have to take on responsibilities in the Black Plain territory before entering the Spatial Kingdom''s seclusion. Then since Minos would soon return to the Flaming Empire, they all had to be let out of that cultivation shrine.


    With that done, Minos took the last few days to solve some minor problems in his state, which was growing its borders.


    To this end, he had brought Gloria back to the mainland so that she could deal with the Church''s affairs concerning the accession of those territories into his state.


    Meanwhile, he visited Stone Island and the Kingdom of the Waves to observe the development of noble assemblies in those places and to see local progress.


    All the states in the northern region were getting stronger with the advances of the Black Plain, and some even had level 67 cultivators in their ranks already.


    But the numbers of Spiritual Emperors in these places were still low, and the cultivation speed of most of these individuals was not high.


    What was really impressive was the number of Spiritual Kings throughout the northern region, which had multiplied by more than ten times in the last four years.


    After visiting the northern region, Minos returned to Dry City, where he was receiving envoys from Vogel!


    ...


    At the imperial palace in Dry City...


    Minos was sitting beside a small artificial lake within his estate, eating some chestnuts next to Sarah, whom he had brought from the Spatial Kingdom, while Ruth and Abby were in seclusion.


    In front of the two, more than a dozen people, all of them mid-level Spiritual Saints, were on their knees, respectfully declaring their allegiances to House Stuart.


    Some did not have satisfied expressions on their faces, as was the case with the matriarch of House Guzman. But even people like her were willing to say every word to avoid the worst.


    The Assembly had already decided with a huge majority that it should increase Minos'' powers, recognize him as the legitimate sovereign of Vogel, and end the question of voting on his continuity as the leader.


    So with this decision, it made no sense for the noble families in that area to continue to disagree with him, as this could result in punishment before long.


    As such, those local leaders who had not yet sworn allegiance to Minos were now in Dry City to resolve this situation, making it clear to the emperor that he would have no more problems concerning this.


    "... Your Majesty, House Guzman swears its eternal loyalty to House Stuart and is at your disposal to act on behalf of the state..."


    "Your Majesty..."


    Several of them declared their vows while Sarah watched them with her eyes wide open, with her father watching the fish in the lake beside them.


    "You see, Sarah, these people have opposed me for years. But because I am stronger than them and am willing to act, they now pledge allegiance to me...


    That is the way you should deal with subordinates in the future. If they show rebellious behavior, you should give them a reason to fear you." Minos said in a low voice to his daughter. "When they bend their knees and repent, you should guide them as best you judge, but without giving awards.


    Those who need to be reminded that they need to respect us do not deserve unnecessary awards.


    Only those who know their positions and support us without having to show our weapons deserve opportunities and awards."


    Sarah shook her head as she paid attention to those people who were supposed to be of higher levels than her father but who had to obey him anyway.


    Some of those individuals listened to Minos'' words, feeling ashamed for being used as a negative example in the princess'' education.


    ''At this rate, even with this little one, we won''t be able to find someone to support us in the imperial family...'' One of them thought quietly, mournful of their circumstances.


    Unfortunately, there was nothing left for them to do!


    Those more powerful families of Vogel had already received communication from the noble families of Blackrock about what Minos had done in that state. Because of this, with no more hope of having any relevant support against Emperor Stuart, they decided to surrender and at least move on in peace within the Black Plain Empire.


    These individuals already knew of Mortimer''s advance and potential problems for the Black Plain because of that man. But this would not help them at all, for the master of the Saints Killing Sect actually wanted to dominate them as much as Minos did.


    However, Mortimer was ten times worse than Minos, not only for his level but for his record against the northern territories of the Flaming Empire.


    Minos at least treated their family as part of his empire. Mortimer, on the other hand, would treat them like slaves!


    Between the two of them, they preferred Minos leading them, and so, even considering the difficult situation of this sovereign, they were willing to bend their knees without any more future hopes.


    So they would remain in front of Minos and Sarah for a few moments, serving as an example for the little princess'' education, while they finished presenting themselves to the emperor.


    Minos would eventually send these people out for his men to take care of making agreements and also to collect information.


    From now on, Vogel would be less independent and would become more like the Brown and Cromwell areas, which did have their independence but followed larger orders coming from Dry City.


    Anyway, with this change, the imperial family would soon have many more resources and territories to exploit, which would be used to strengthen the imperial family''s ties against other states.


    But Minos would not neglect Vogel. On the contrary, he had plans to strengthen this place, using it to stimulate the rest of his empire through synergies.


    Meanwhile, from now on, he would have more than 600 Spiritual Saints at his disposal, something that previously he could only ask the Assembly to help him get the support of some of them.


    Thus, the core of the Black Plain could grow much faster from now on!


    ...


    In the days following the ''surrender'' of the noble families of Vogel to Minos, envoys from Albano and Rosser arrived in Dry City to take up matters with the emperor.


    They already knew of the officialization of Vogel''s status in relation to the empire and wanted to demonstrate their partnership with House Stuart for the best outcome between their connections.


    More agreements would come from the meetings that would follow after that, strengthening the relations of these two states with the Black Plain.


    In the end, these two states would still make people available to help protect the borders of this state with their kingdoms, freeing up soldiers from Minos to protect other areas.


    As the representatives of these states departed the empire''s capital, a group from Blackrock arrived in Dry City with the crown prince among its members!


    It was time for this other state to position itself!

 Chapter 1504 Surrender

    "Your Highness, you should be careful when talking to His Majesty Minos Stuart. He is not a person we can play with." A level 76 elder said in a low voice to his leader while riding on a brown-furred horse.


    The crown prince of Blackrock, Godfrey Blackrock, level 75, heard that and remained quiet, feeling the wind on his face, making his long black hair sway in the air.


    "Elder, do you think I''m crazy? Why would I talk nonsense to someone who can seriously hurt a large portion of my state''s leaders?" Godfrey asked the royal guard responsible for the safety of his group on this trip.


    That man could do nothing against Minos. But the journey between Blackrock and the Black Plain had its dangers, so someone as prominent as the heir to that state had to be protected by one of the strongest men in his kingdom.


    "Just reminding you, Your Highness." That man said, while the other three individuals in that group,  passing through the avenues of Dry City, listened to everything in silence, looking at their surroundings with interest.


    "Our situation is delicate, and any slip could cost us our fate!"


    With the blow they had suffered from Minos and Mortimer''s ascension to the 9th stage, King Blackstock had no choice but to send people to the Black Plain to negotiate a deal with Emperor Stuart.


    Now the condition of these people was not only weakened by Minos'' attack. They were terribly endangered as, at their worst moment, one of their worst enemies had achieved a breakthrough.


    Blackrock''s advantage due to Harold''s absence had simply disappeared, and now the tensions between the four territories and the Flaming Empire had increased again.


    Because of this, that state''s sovereign had not taken long to make the decision that was left to him.


    Ask Minos for help!


    "I know..." The Crown Prince said after the worried words of his elder.


    During this dialogue, they were intercepted by members of the Black Plain Army and some of the Gray Clouds Sect.


    "Well, well... Look at these high-ranking members of the Blackrock family..."


    "I never thought I could see one of them outside that state..."


    "I''ve fought on our sect''s battlefield with that territory, but I''ve never heard of the Crown Prince going out to battle...


    There are rumors that he is not brave."


    Immediately, Godfrey looked in the direction of those people coming in the opposite direction from his group. "Who are you? I want to know where the..."


    But then, the level 76 old man in that Blackrock group stopped his leader from saying more. "Cough... Uh, young people, we are lost in this city. Can you help us find a way to the capital''s core?"


    One of the local army soldiers, impressed by the lines of those individuals from the Flaming Empire, members of his group, looked at that old man and nodded.


    Meanwhile, another army member asked their group mates from the Gray Clouds Sect not to provoke those visitors.


    After months since the peace and integration of forces from Oswald''s sect with Minos'' army, these people had been working together with soldiers to supply the local demand.


    As such, not only in Dry City but throughout the empire, groups with a composition similar to this one were not uncommon and worked to maintain order and peace, with both sides learning in the meantime.


    For the soldiers in the army, this was a chance to learn from people who were more talented or used to a higher level of difficulty in some subjects. For the members of that sect, this was a chance for them to learn more about the state that would be the future of their sect.


    So when one of the soldiers said something to those individuals with a history of hostility with Blackrock, they stopped talking nonsense and moved on, leading the way for Godfrey''s group.


    "Why did you do that? Do you by any chance think I would take such offenses quietly to the point that you would stop me, and I would not be offended?" The prince asked the strongest man in his group.


    That elder said while he had an ugly expression on his face. "Your Highness should get used to the new times. When Minos Stuart is involved, be humble and don''t look for trouble in this place or any other.


    That will avoid pain for yourself and loss for the family!


    That is my advice, Your Highness."


    ...


    After a few moments, Godfrey''s group arrived at the local government headquarters, where Minos, Sarah, and Gloria were gathering and having lunch.


    Minos couldn''t be bothered to do two things at once when he was as busy as he had been lately. So he promptly ordered his guards to allow those five people to enter the dining hall of his residence.


    Within minutes of their arrival in that building in the heart of Dry City, the Crown Prince of Blackrock and his four traveling companions were in front of the table where Minos, Sarah, and Gloria were sitting around.


    "Your Majesty..." The five said, with Godfrey saying the same after a few seconds of his fellow travelers.


    The four were naturally more in awe of Minos and respected him more since they had seen him in action that fateful day.


    As for the prince, he had not seen the same to be so respectful to Minos, so he had been a bit distracted not only by Gloria''s beauty but also by the quality of those people''s food.


    Minos already had medium-level grade-3 cooks in his city, something he had gotten through the elders of the Gray Clouds Sect, not because of his own local men.


    His head cook, Alex Shepard, was currently at level 66, close to becoming a medium-level grade-3 cook. But he could not compare with the elders of that sect, who were between levels 70 and 75, so he had been learning from these people in the imperial palace while temporarily no longer cooking for the local leader.


    Anyway, due to the food quality on Minos'' table, Godfrey lost some of his concentration and felt saliva forming in his mouth.


    His family had medium-level grade-3 cooks. But it had been long since he had tasted a delicacy produced by beings of this classification.


    Gulp!


    While this fellow was distracted, Minos asked as he cut a piece of meat on his plate. "Visitors from Blackrock, to what do I owe this visit? Are you here for something important? Unfortunately, I am very busy, so I must receive you at lunchtime..."


    "Your Majesty need not worry." The level 76 man said while smiling and trying to ignore the level 78 Spiritual Saint guarding the entrance to that dining hall. "We are here on a critical matter."


    "Oh? And what would that be?" Minos asked while Sarah had already dropped her cutlery to observe those people.


    "We need Your Majesty''s help to keep the peace in Blackrock. So we are naturally here to surrender." That old fellow said, not expecting the prince to say such words.


    ...

 Chapter 1505 Blackrock Resolution

    When that man said the word ''surrender,'' Gloria opened her mouth in surprise that he was so direct. ''It seems that news of Mortimer''s advance has already spread to all the neighboring states...'' She thought.


    Meanwhile, little Sarah had a smile on her face, seeing that her father''s domains were about to increase. ''Daddy is getting more and more influential...


    What will it be like when I become as strong as him? Will I also be famous and respected?''


    Minos then said to that level 76 man, looking at him and Godfrey. "That''s good to hear, but those words should be spoken by the Crown Prince, not by a member of the Blackrock royal guard..."


    That royal guard looked at Godfrey while the others there, Minos and Gloria, watched this fellow in silence.


    Minos knew that the heir of Blackrock was an arrogant troublemaker.


    This person would probably not be a problem for him in the short term since the fear of someone with his abilities would not be slight, even coming from someone with an uncontrollable personality.


    But still, Minos thought it best to overpower people like Godfrey with iron fists, leaving no room for surprises.


    That fellow realized that Minos wanted to see him on his ''knees,'' and he clenched his fists, feeling frustrated at being oppressed by someone lower-level than him.


    "Your Majesty..." Godfrey said with some difficulty. "It is, as Senior Oliver said. We are here to surrender to the Black Plain Empire."


    "What else?" Minos asked.


    "Your..." Oliver was about to say something, but Minos showed one of his hands, indicating for him to shut up. "The king''s representative must speak."


    Godfrey then answered Minos with some difficulty. "We hope to obtain the assistance of the empire in case enemy forces attack us..."


    "You want protection, then..." Minos said before putting a piece of meat in his mouth and enjoying that delicious meal.


    He then looked at Sarah and gestured for her to say something while his mouth was still full.


    "What... Uh... What do you intend to do for us?" That young girl with red hair, just like her mother''s, asked timidly.


    Gloria smiled at her daughter as she saw her learning from her father but said nothing.


    Prince Blackrock then replied. "Your Highness, we intend to put our contestations regarding the actions of the Black Plain Empire in Vogel behind..."


    "Prince Blackrock, I don''t know what you are trying, but starting your answer that way will not help you here." Gloria stopped him from finishing amid her tasting of red wine. "We already know that you will no longer challenge us. After all, why else would you come here if you weren''t going to do that?"


    Oliver looked steadily at Godfrey to stop winding up and say everything he should.


    That fellow sighed and said. "We intend to secure the empire''s border with our state and free the men of the Black Plain Army from having to do this service in the Snow region. At the same time, we will publicly retract our protestations, showing the entire continent that we are on your side.


    Furthermore, we are willing to lower the price of several resources native to our state to the empire and still accept calls from Your Majesty." He said, looking at Minos.


    They were proposing not to become a territory part of the Black Plain Empire, like Vogel, but rather a weaker ally who would receive protection in exchange for various other services.


    Minos was not against that. On the contrary, he was inclined to accept agreements of that nature.


    "Very well.


    I feel the Blackrock family is sincere in their wishes and can enter into an agreement with my family based on these initial terms." Minos said as he finished eating his meal.


    The members of Godfrey''s group sighed in relief when they heard this, more relaxed that this individual hadn''t put everything at risk and that they had gotten the support they needed.


    After this, they would exchange a few more words with Minos until he sent them elsewhere in the Dry City core, where they were to negotiate the minor details of an agreement between House Blackrock and the imperial family.


    Only after that would Minos sign Soul Contracts, marking his increased influence in strengthening the empire.


    ...


    After those people left, Minos stayed with his wife and daughter, talking about recent matters concerning his last stint in the Flaming Empire.


    "Your mother and father tried to get me into the Church after they admitted defeat relative to that bet." He said to Gloria as he saw Sarah running through his residence.


    "That''s the natural thing to do... If I were in their shoes, I would try the same thing." Gloria smiled at him.


    "Speaking of which, I forgot to tell you something..." Minos remembered something.


    "What?"


    "Your mother has reached level 78. You should send her congratulations..."


    "Oh? Is that true?" Gloria''s eyes sparkled as since she had been born, her mother was at level 77.


    So this advancement was no small thing for that woman, and Gloria was naturally happy to hear that her mother was getting stronger!


    She constantly saw Abby''s parents getting stronger, as these two were just Spiritual Emperors, relatively young. Both were only a few hundred years old, with Eliot at level 66 and Nicole at level 64. So Gloria, like Ruth, was anxious about seeing the same thing happen to her family.


    "Has Grandma Margot gotten stronger?" Sarah asked upon hearing that.


    Of all her grandparents, only Gloria''s parents had not advanced in recent years.


    Maisie had advanced recently, and Abby''s parents and Ruth''s parents had improved since that young girl''s birth.


    So she was happy to hear that, jumping toward her father.


    Amid this family moment of Minos, his daughter, and his wife, a flying beast from afar suddenly flew over Dry City, causing a large shadow to appear over this territory.


    Such a shadow caught the attention of the top specials in that city, promptly causing not only the Gray Clouds Sect members but also Minos and Gloria to look up into the sky and move.


    Minos immediately sent his daughter into the Spatial Kingdom before flying out of the Dry City Defensive Dome with his wife.


    "Your Majesty..." The level 79 elder in that city said, while already standing next to Minos, Gloria, two level 78 individuals, and five level 77.


    Minos then said. "I know... Let''s see what''s up with that."


    They headed towards that level 79 being, a beast that was so strong but was only serving as a mount for a human.


    Because of this, the local forces were on alert, as only a Spiritual Sage or someone as strong as one could make a beast at this level subject itself to become a mount.


    Thus, they came across a young-looking man with blond hair, tall, dressed in dark blue armor, level 84.


    "Who of you is Minos Stuart?" He asked calmly. "I have a message for you from Grant."


    ...

 Chapter 1506 The Message

    "Grant? What message?" Minos asked as he identified himself as the one the Spiritual Sage was looking for.


    That level 84 man looked at Emperor Stuart and was surprised, remembering the words of his old friend, who told him that Minos was only a Spiritual Emperor.


    But the young man in question was clearly a Spiritual Saint!


    In any case, Minos was accompanied by several high-level Spiritual Saints and was probably even the local leader.


    With that in mind, that man said. "Grant is arrested in the capital of the Western Empire.


    After returning home after a long time away, he reported everything that happened concerning his incident to the imperial family forces. Because of this, he was spared most of the punishments he would suffer after being away for so long.


    But even so, he has earned 100 years of house arrest in the capital and cannot leave to join you in the northern region."


    Minos heard that, changing his expression little by little, more or less prepared for the fact that Grant could not return in the short term but surprised at the size of the punishment.


    It was already expected that Grant would be held in the capital of the Western Empire for a few years. But a whole century was too much!


    "A hundred years? All that?" He questioned.


    "Yeah, Grant said some things... About his theories... Anyway, his ideas were not well received, and some think he''s crazy and that his time in the northern region was too hard and he needs peace of mind in a safe place."


    Nevertheless, Grant was being treated as a patriot who had lost his powers defending the imperial family.


    He was in prison, but from the imperial family''s point of view, this was more like sending him to a camp than to an actual prison.


    He couldn''t leave where he was, but the house and the resources he earned as payment for his back fees were generous to the point that he wouldn''t even have to leave the house to have it all there.


    But even though he was comfortable, he was being forced to stay under house arrest for the next century on the grounds that, in addition to the time he would have to pay for his absence, he was mentally confused.


    Minos understood this, for Grant''s ideas were really problematic for people with no prior information to see the logic in them.


    He then asked. "But is he all right? Why did a Spiritual Sage come to deliver this information to me?"


    That man smiled and said. "He is fine... Anyway, Grant is actually a good friend of mine even before his departure for that fateful journey in search of Her Highness.


    At that time, he was already a level 70 Spiritual Saint, and I was only a level 65 Spiritual Emperor.


    But I had known him since my youth.


    We traveled countless times on imperial family missions. He helped me a lot since I was just a Spiritual Warrior. Eventually, we even became family when our children married..."


    Because of this background, when this fellow discovered his old friend was still alive, he visited him and then promised to deliver a message to Minos.


    That had happened weeks ago, so only now was this man there to meet this young man Grant had such high praise and expectations of.


    "So you are a friend of his..." Minos understood why someone so powerful would serve as a messenger for Grant.


    Only by an emotional decision would an expert lend himself to that kind of service.


    "But then, what was the message he sent?"


    That Spiritual Sage became more serious and said. "It''s about what''s in the North Sea. He told me he found a clue about that in our city."


    Grant was under house arrest, but some people were working for him, and through that, he had been studying old books and buying information regarding his obsession.


    With the time he had since arriving in that city, he improved his theories and came up with important information that could help him and Minos.


    "Oh? What is it?" Minos asked with interest.


    That Spiritual Sage narrowed his eyes, seeing that Minos seemed interested in this as if such information was very important to him.


    ''Does this young man believe what Grant has been talking about?'' He wondered since, even though he was Grant''s friend, he himself found it hard to believe those ideas.


    In any case, he would keep his promise to his friend and say to Minos. "Kid, I''ll tell you what he told me. But I''ll tell you in advance that I didn''t quite understand what Grant meant.


    Anyway, he said that he found a map of an ancient island and that the home of the wicked lies in God''s Right Eye, under the ominous Desolate Sea.


    You will find the clues to your target by following the only path there."


    "God''s Right Eye?" The Spiritual Saints next to Minos and Gloria repeated those words without understanding their meaning.


    But then that man hurled a map in Minos'' direction; the item Grant had asked him to deliver to Emperor Stuart along with his words.


    "Grant thinks you will find the answers you need if you can get to that place.


    Supposedly, there are traces of enemies in that place."


    Minos heard all this and looked at the map, unable to identify where this place was just from the map, as there were only the directions to inside the island and nothing else.


    But there were countless islands in the Spiritual World, and much could have changed in the past millions of years.


    So just because of Henricus Longus'' memories alone, he would not readily know how to identify such a place from having that map in hand.


    ''I don''t know where it is... But apparently, empires of the highest level seem to contain better information than mine about the phenomena related to the North Sea.'' He thought about that as he noticed that Grant had gotten information easily just by being in that place.


    Obviously, Grant had not stumbled upon this information or gotten it from a single informant. Instead, he had spent years connecting the dots, the many pieces of information he had come into contact with since his return.


    But still, finding something like this that way could be considered easy, considering how mysterious the North Sea was to most people on the continent.


    With that in mind, Minos promptly set the goal of visiting one of these states in the future before he began to resolve his doubts about the threat that Henricus Longus had warned him about.


    "Very well. I will do my best to follow his hints and eventually visit him in the Western Empire with my findings." Minos said to that individual as he thanked him with a gesture of gratitude.


    The Spiritual Sage saw this and asked with curiosity. "Do you believe in the things Grant fears? Do you think there is something in the North Sea that could threaten us all?"


    "I believe it. Grant is not crazy." Minos said without hesitation. "In all his years in my city, he had always exhibited the same determination and poise as when I first met him in the Kingdom of the End."


    ''Other than that, I have my reasons for believing him...''

 Chapter 1507 Return

    "Is that so?" That Spiritual Sage was surprised to see this talented young man showing such confidence in Grant''s words.


    He thought it was nonsense, an invention of a tired and traumatized mind. But he would say nothing to his old friend.


    As for Minos, he merely gave advice. "Well, if you believe and are okay with it all, good luck. I would only advise you to be careful about following Grant''s ideas.


    He has suffered a lot, and his mind may have made up some of what he claims to have seen...


    So he may even be able to tell lies that he himself believes to be true."


    "I appreciate the elder''s concern," Minos said without taking those words to his heart.


    Minos would not need to tell this man for such a person to know that he would not follow any advice. Then this Spiritual Sage sighed as he saw Emperor Stuart''s countenance, trying to put this ''lost'' matter aside.


    "Well, that was all I had to say concerning Grant''s message... But seeing you and this city, I must say that the stories about you do not exaggerate at all, young man." He commented, taking a brief look at the capital of the Black Plain Empire.


    He knew who Minos was and the accomplishments of this emperor, which had already drawn the attention of even high-level empire families.


    "The elder flatters me. I have worked hard to reach this current state..." Minos said, without pulling too much subject, since he preferred people of that fellow''s strength to stay away from his city.


    "I wonder...


    Anyway, when you go to the empire to visit Grant, come see me." He tossed a pendant in Minos'' direction. "That is my symbol. You can use it to reach me. I will guide you through the capital once you go there for the first time."


    Minos accepted that without any problems, soon after watching that individual leave with the giant beast that served as his mount.


    He wouldn''t use his space skills to leave. Instead, he would just enjoy the ride back in his mount.


    With that, he would soon return alongside Gloria to his imperial palace while the elders of the Gray Clouds Sect made their way back to where they had come from.


    They were all aware of who Grant was, and with that expert''s departure, there was nothing to worry about.


    In the meantime, Gloria asked him. "What are we going to do with this information?"


    "For the moment, nothing," Minos replied. "Grant lost his cultivation when he was level 70, and even the strongest of his group, level 76, died in that situation in the North Sea.


    So we can''t get involved with that for the time being."


    "And when will be the time for us to do something about it?"


    "When I reach level 80, at least... Anyway, we already have several other problems to deal with in the short term, so let''s put this information from Grant on hold.


    First, we''ll deal with Mortimer and then the Flowers Kingdom."


    "What about the issue of the Blood Triangle Pirates?" She asked.


    "When I am in the Flowers Kingdom, I will try to get more information about that. Then, I will try to develop the elders of the Gray Clouds Sect and the Black Plain Army soldiers a bit more.


    Only when those two forces reach a new level will I search for the truth about that map!"


    "Are you already planning to go after it?" She was surprised since Minos had previously seemed to plan to leave this for much later in his plans.


    But he was hurrying as more and more people wanted it. "Yes, we will be able to do that in about 5 to 10 years."


    ...


    That way, Minos would continue for a few days in Dry City, solving local problems at Gloria''s side. After that period, he sent her to the Spatial Kingdom and returned to the Flaming Empire.


    No one else from the Gray Clouds Sect had advanced this time, so Minos did not intend to make any personnel exchanges at that organization''s headquarters.


    He simply headed toward Payton, where he would begin living temporarily in this state while dealing with the threat called Mortimer.


    ...


    In Payton...


    The atmosphere of tension in this city was not small, even considering that no attacks had happened since Minos had left.


    But everyone in this city, even those who were not important individuals for the imperial family, already knew about the local drama, about the risk of one of the sects rebelling against the local sovereign.


    As such, the movement in the streets was less than normal, while worried looks could be seen from imperial guards'' faces to those of ordinary commoners.


    Amidst this place''s bad and cloudy weather, Minos arrived at a local teleportation port, dressed in dark golden armor, his countenance neutral but attractive as ever.


    "Sect Master Stuart!" Someone shouted as he identified Minos in that square.


    People in the surrounding area stopped what they were doing to look in Minos'' direction. Still, unfortunately for most there, when he heard the first individual identifying him, the Stuart Emperor disappeared from the area without a trace.


    His speed could only be understood by high-level Spiritual Saints. So the ordinary inhabitants of this city could only see him disappearing from the area as if he had never been there.


    Also, due to Minos'' speed, he was in front of the imperial palace in the blink of an eye!


    "Sect Master Stuart, how nice that you are back!" A level 75 guard shouted as he saw Minos entering the interior of Isabella''s family palace. "Are you going to see Her Highness? Or are you in search of the supreme elder?"


    "Unfortunately, I will have to see that elder..." Minos smiled bitterly, as he would rather deal with the beautiful and tolerable Isabella.


    But since he was there on official business, he had to search for the person with more extraordinary powers locally first.


    After hearing Minos'' comment, the imperial guard smiled, knowing that this sect master and the supreme elder did not get along.


    Anyway, with Minos there, this guard and all the others in the surrounding area breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that they would be safer now that he was in their city.


    In this way, it didn''t take long for Minos to come face to face with that old fellow, who welcomed him better this time, given the local circumstances.


    "You really didn''t take that long to return..." The supreme elder said as he saw Minos and felt better that someone so strong was there to put up with the local challenges alongside him.


    "I told you it wouldn''t take long..." Minos replied, noticing the difference in the treatment he received from this man. "Has something happened regarding Mortimer?"


    "No, but he has visited more than half of the prominent sects and families in the empire... In any case, have you brought some of your weapons?"


    "No. But I have the necessary devices to create one or another of them..." Minos said calmly.


    "Good. I believe we will soon need them to ensure the empire''s security!"

 Chapter 1508 Peace

    Two months passed in the blink of an eye...


    After Minos arrived in the capital of the Flaming Empire, he spent his days quietly in this city, sometimes having fun with Isabella, often training with local leaders.


    He had not gone to the Spatial Kingdom in this period so as not to be absent nor draw attention to what he had in a place with many prying eyes.


    But even so, he had improved his cultivation a little, as Payton was still a place with a higher density of spiritual energy than the capital of the Black Plain Empire.


    One couldn''t compare this place to the Spatial Kingdom, but it wasn''t bad for training for just a few weeks.


    In any case, Minos would not change levels in a short time, so nothing of great relevance to him or the local forces happened in this period.


    Mortimer was still planning his moves with meetings with leaders of organizations in the empire, being careful, as Minos had expected.


    But not only was the leader of the Saints Killing Sect taking action, but the imperial family was also using Minos'' presence to negotiate with their vassals about their responsibilities in a crisis with Mortimer.


    At first, the Edwardstone family should not have to negotiate or rather strengthen ties with their vassals. It was the duty of such organizations to support their sovereigns. However, in these difficult times, one couldn''t stand still by their own pride.


    Those who were threatened, even if they were previously the most powerful, had to humbly bow down and review their agreements, promising generous gestures to those willing to honor their promises.


    The leaders of this great family knew this and had done their best to negotiate with the largest sects and families in the empire.


    The supreme elder even used the fact that Minos and Isabella were close to each other to show that someone with a future as promising as he would be on the side of this family and that it would be wise not to stand against them.


    Anyway, the two sides were negotiating their alliances. At the same time, the tension throughout the state increased to a level rarely seen before!


    ...


    At this moment, Minos was meditating in a cultivation chamber in the imperial palace, which only the highest-ranking members of the royalty could access.


    In theory, this was the cultivation place of the emperor''s lineage.


    But in the absence of Harold and strains of the most important members of the imperial family, Minos had gained access to this fine place of training and cultivation.


    He was one of the few with the peace of mind to continue his cultivation routine even in this crisis.


    In the middle of his meditation, Isabella''s mother entered that place, bringing some food and drinks for Minos.


    Minos no longer needed to feed himself to nourish the cells of his body. But he liked to do this at least twice a day.


    Madeline Shaw, level 78, knew this and constantly brought something for Minos to eat when Isabella couldn''t do it.


    "You can control an impressive amount of spiritual energy for someone at level 70... It''s no wonder you''re so strong." She muttered, still impressed with Minos'' cultivation even after watching him do it for a few weeks. ''I don''t think I could do anything like that until I was at level 77.''


    As this woman compared herself to Minos, he opened his eyes due to the delicious fragrance reaching his nose.


    Immediately after that, he thanked his mother-in-law and started devouring the meal she had brought him.


    "Minos, if something happens to me, I expect you to care for Isabella with everything you have. Even if you must take her out of the empire." She said, thinking that Mortimer would probably target the main line of the imperial family when he was going to start acting.


    Minos understood this woman''s concern and wasted no time talking nonsense. "Nothing will happen to Isabella while I''m around."


    "Good!


    I just wish Harold was around right now... He could solve all our problems in no time."


    "Hmm, I''m sorry about that." He said, looking into her eyes.


    "Don''t be sorry. Harold made his own decisions, and it''s not your fault what those women from the Flowers Kingdom ordered." She said as she shook her head, indicating that she didn''t blame Minos.


    "Anyway, I know that one day you will go to that state to try to rescue my husband, but be careful. I have been to the Flowers Kingdom, and I can tell you that the life of those women is to think of methods to deceive men.


    They can''t act against men outside their territory without plausible justifications or even exaggerate too much, even at home, or they would have to face the whole continent. But don''t think they can''t make your life hell just because of those limitations."


    "I am aware..." Minos said, knowing that those women were complicated. ''But their little games also give opportunities to those who accept the danger of going to that place...


    If I don''t falter, I might gain more than just paying my debts to Harold.''


    "Well, I won''t get in your way anymore. Go back to cultivating. I''ll take care of some business..." She said before leaving there, as she was going to talk to her family, a local noble organization that was showing worrying signs to her.


    This organization had been very loyal to the imperial family since her marriage to Harold. But in that man''s absence and Mortimer''s growth, they now didn''t seem ready to fight for Madeline''s home.


    As the former home of the empress, this woman simply could not accept that this house would be on the opposite side of her and was striving to keep the situation in favor of the imperial family.


    She was not weak and had a lot of influence in the empire!


    ''Those old men can''t do that to me after all we''ve done to help them over the years...'' She flew toward the neighborhood where House Shaw headquarters was located in Payton.


    While she went to do this, Isabella was attending to her responsibilities as Harold''s heiress, which continued to increase with each passing month.


    To give you an idea of how busy she was getting, if nothing wrong happened in her path in the next two years, she would take over her father''s position for good.


    So no matter how much Minos was in the city, she didn''t stay with him all day, but only in the evenings.


    As for cultivating, she struggled to do so, but she couldn''t get as much peace of mind as Minos to cultivate daily and make progress in her strength.


    But amid her work, this woman found herself distracted from the papers she was signing due to the hectic and hurried entrance of one of her subordinates into her room.


    "Your Highness, terrible news is coming from the Imperial Army''s southernmost outpost!" That man said this in a worried tone.


    "What?" A level 77 woman, who was standing next to where Isabella was sitting, asked.


    "Elder Lucas has just been reported dead!" He referred to the man responsible for that post, a powerful level 78 Spiritual Saint!


    With those words, silence filled the surroundings of that office, with some people turning pale at the thought of what might be behind it...


    ''Mortimer!''

 Chapter 1509 Beginning Of The Attacks

    While Isabella was notified, so were the supreme elder and other high-ranking individuals in the imperial palace.


    When he received the same news as the local heiress, the old regent paled at what could be the beginning of the dark confrontation ahead for this family.


    If this were Mortimer''s doing, as the core of the family already imagined, most likely, they would face the danger that a Spiritual Sage was aiming at their heads from now on!


    Due to the difficulty of acting against someone at the level of the leader of the Saints Killing Sect, fear and anticipations were the most common and expected feelings to be felt by the members of the imperial family.


    But even in terror, the regent promptly activated his family''s emergency devices, ordering all ranks of his forces to go on alert from now on.


    If Mortimer were starting the silent war against the Edwardstone family, they would do anything to hinder his actions!


    ...


    "So an elder was found dead?" Minos asked the man who had just notified him about this relevant fact.


    "Yes, sect master Stuart. We found the corpse of elder Lucas, untouched externally but without signs of his soul, with his heart frozen." That level 75 Spiritual Saint ahead of Minos reported the details of this fact.


    "Hmm, that must be Mortimer''s thing. Spiritual Sages can use their spatial manipulation skills to end the lives of their victims by the interiors of these people, destroying the soul while killing the body." Emperor Stuart commented in a low voice as that individual nodded in agreement.


    "Yes, the wretch probably started his journey against the family!


    Tsk!


    What a great disgrace!"


    "Do you know what the family will do from now on?"


    That imperial guard said. "We will activate the defensive arrays of all our posts and avoid leaving unless it is vital."


    "Do you have high-level grade-3 specialized space stabilization arrays at all posts?" Minos questioned.


    "Not at all, just the main ones." That man understood Minos'' meaning and felt these measures would not help the family much.


    "Hmmm, send a message to the supreme elder. Tell him to send those arrays to the outer ranks of the imperial family and leave the headquarters without it."


    "What?" That man questioned incredulously.


    "At the same time, ask those above level 77 to return to the headquarters.


    Let''s lure the enemy to this place."


    That individual remained uncomprehending, but seeing Minos gesturing for him to do so immediately, he ran from there without further ado.


    Meanwhile, Minos had it in mind to speed things up a bit, seeing that his plan to prolong a confrontation against Mortimer would not work out.


    ''It looks like he intends to take the Flaming Empire before he tries anything against the Grey Clouds Sect, and he''s already starting the killing spree...'' He pondered, feeling that if he allowed this to go far, Mortimer would destroy the foundations of the imperial family before he reached level 71.


    By then, the empire would be significantly weakened, and Mortimer would probably have twice as much local influence.


    That would make any action on his part difficult and would prolong the situation between him and Mortimer for longer than he would like.


    With that in mind, he changed his plans and was not slow to use one of his men in that city to send messages to his men.


    "Send a letter to Dry City with the information I intend to confront Mortimer.


    The elders at levels 78 and 79 must come to Payton urgently.


    At the same time, notify the sect headquarters of what is happening, order them to put that place on a state of alert and the elders of those levels to come to the empire''s capital." He said.


    Upon hearing that, the level 76 Spiritual Saint of the Gray Clouds Sect, who was there to maintain communication between Minos and the rest of his men, promptly left to settle these matters.


    He was naturally scared, but there was no use stopping to lament or hesitate under the circumstances.


    Only by acting as efficiently and quickly as possible could he help them!


    ''It''s time for war!''


    ...


    While Minos went back to meditating, keeping his vigilance under that imperial palace, Mortimer was in a secret post of his organization, celebrating his first action against the imperial family.


    After finishing the period of negotiations with the powerful families of the Flaming Empire, this man decided to start the attacks against House Edwardstone without delay.


    He did not know what might happen if he delayed acting since, as much as Minos did not scare him in the short term, the people who were involved with this young man scared him.


    He had people around the northern region and the four enemy territories of the Flaming Empire inform him of important decisions made by the local leaders. So after the changes in Blackrock''s attitude and intensified collaborations between Albano, Rosser, and the state of Minos, he naturally began to worry about the sacrificial weapon of those forces.


    But not only that, but recently, forces of the Blood Triangle Pirates group had been reported in the capital of the Black Plain Empire, and Mortimer feared that Minos would strike some kind of deal with this organization.


    So to take this state and get the leadership of the empire''s many sects and noble families, he wanted to act as quickly as possible to finish House Edwardstone and avoid bigger problems.


    With that, the night before, he had attacked the nearest outpost to where he was, secretly entered elder Lucas'' room, and destroyed the soul of that level 78 individual.


    Now he stood by those allies willing to act alongside him.


    "My friends, I have initiated the first of many attacks that will take place in the coming days against the cursed Edwardstone family." He said while he had an evil smile, opening his arms in front of half a dozen people. "From now on, we are at war against the imperial family!


    Disregard their orders, act according to the leadership of my Saints Killing Sect, and attack experts above level 77 of that family or the Gray Clouds Sect if you get the chance."


    Those people nodded as they raised the drinking cups in their hands, confident that House Edwardstone could not stop Mortimer''s movements.


    Next to this individual, they would reach a new level!


    As for Minos, they feared this fellow, but not enough to consider him a danger to an entire state!


    He could be strong against the enemy states of the Flaming Empire, but against this state, he didn''t have enough for that.


    As for his potential? That didn''t matter if he wasn''t alive to grow!


    Since the empire could be dominated quickly and Mortimer planned to neutralize Minos in the coming months, these people were confident in their path!


    With this, they celebrated for a few minutes inside a floating island before leaving to follow the orders of their new leader!


    From now on, a war of rebellion would begin in the Flaming Empire!

 Chapter 1510 The Tension Of Isabella

    Three weeks after Mortimer''s first attack against the imperial family forces...


    After Minos'' recommendations, the supreme elder of the Edwardstone family had difficulty understanding his plans but agreed to follow them with many reservations.


    In this way, the headquarters of the imperial house of this state had called back its main men to the capital while it had sent its space stabilization devices to the outposts.


    Not all outposts had received these arrays, but the most relevant ones were protected from Mortimer showing up and destroying them.


    At the same time, unprotected outposts had lost all their essential personnel and were now running only with people below level 70, those who were taking care of the state administration.


    The high-level elders of the Gray Clouds Sect in the Flaming Empire and the Black Plain Empire had also moved to Payton in these days, following Minos'' plans.


    Not only that, the sects and families that were in agreement with the imperial family''s intentions had sent high-level elders to this city as well, but without sending all their leaders, of course.


    They had to protect their territories while helping their sovereigns!


    Thus, the capital of the Flaming Empire had changed quite a bit in terms of the number of experts locally during the past few weeks.


    Because of that or not, Mortimer had not yet visited this place, even though he and his group had begun their movements through the shadows.


    A few more imperial family experts had been dead around this state before reaching the capital or the posts which received the space stabilization arrays.


    At the same time, members of the Gray Clouds Sect had been attacked on their travels, while some noble families and even sects had stopped their communication with the rightful sovereigns of this state.


    In other words, the situation had worsened, and now this state was in the midst of a silent war between Mortimer and Minos!


    ...


    In the capital of the Flaming Empire...


    Minos was at this moment standing next to Ruth, whom he had just brought from the Spatial Kingdom alongside Gloria.


    After months of seclusion in the Stuart family''s cultivation sanctuary, Ruth finally broke through the 7th stage barrier and reached level 70!


    She had advanced to this stage days ago. Still, only two days ago, Minos had discovered such great news when he decided to go to the Spatial Kingdom for the first time since arriving in Payton.


    As such, she had already learned her 8th technique, a Golden-grade one, just like Minos'' and Gloria''s.


    As for Abby, she was not far from her breakthrough, but she was still in the Spatial Kingdom cultivating.


    Anyway, they were now together with Isabella at the residence of this woman, who was quite worried due to the current circumstances of her family.


    "Minos, what can we do now? More than 20 specialists from my family have been killed in the last few days. Now Mortimer''s target will probably be over the imperial palace..." Isabella said while in a fetal position on her bed.


    Ruth and Gloria looked at that level 73 woman and felt slightly sorry for her.


    Minos also felt something similar and said. "Your family will suffer a little more until it''s all over, Bella. It is inevitable. But when he attacks this city, you will lose more than you think you risk.


    That will make the situation a little better."


    Isabella understood that and remained silent, fearful of the possibility of Mortimer targeting her life and her mother''s during the attack that everyone in this place expected to happen soon.


    Unfortunately for her, she didn''t know the same things Ruth and Gloria did and were in the dark about Minos'' abilities.


    So unlike the princess, the two wives of Minos were calm about this situation.


    To them, this was just another battle they would face on their way, as it had happened countless times before.


    "Don''t worry, Isabella. Everything will be all right. Mortimer is a monster but doesn''t know what awaits him in this city." Ruth commented, consoling that woman, who, although more experienced than she and Gloria, had experienced few such situations in the past.


    "That''s right," Gloria said. "Don''t overthink. We wouldn''t be here if Minos couldn''t handle the situation."


    "Is that true?" She looked at Minos.


    "Hmm, well, it''s not a lie. I can''t protect everyone, but I don''t think Mortimer is hard to take on. After all, I forced a Spiritual Sage to run away even before...


    Now this newly advanced Spiritual Sage might lose a lot of what he has if he underestimates me."


    With those words, Minos reassured that woman.


    At the same time, the high-level Spiritual Sages in the surrounding area listened to his words, believing or doubting those words.


    Some felt this was just to reassure the cowardly princess, who had never experienced war. But others genuinely believed that Minos had something up his sleeve to use against Mortimer.


    That was mainly the case with the high-level elders of the Gray Clouds Sect but also with the leader of the Holy Sect, who was also there.


    ''Looks like we''ll have quite a battle in this place...


    Sigh!


    I hope I survive to witness the rise of Mortimer or the take-off of Minos and the Black Plain.'' That level 79 individual thought to himself as he sat on the ground, not far from the many high-level Spiritual Saints there.


    They were there to protect the core of that family and fight in the war about to happen!


    ...


    Meanwhile, Mortimer was in the vicinity of one of the big cities of this state, dominated by imperial forces.


    He was preparing to continue his attacks in this place and kill some more high-level Spiritual Saints of the Edwardstone family.


    However, upon arriving there, he faced a protected outpost surrounded by high-level grade-3 arrays.


    He tried to open a spatial crack within that protected area, but the spatial stabilization arrays prevented him from thriving.


    ''Uh? This again?'' He wondered as discontent expressed itself on his face.


    This was already the third location he had passed protected with these arrays, something he did not expect to find in many outposts of his enemies'' forces.


    Then as he noticed the pattern, he wondered what it meant. ''Are they using all their arrays of this type in their most important posts?


    But they shouldn''t have many of those arrays!


    I''ve been investigating them for a long time! It''s impossible that they have so many to protect the headquarters and all the relevant posts...'' He was thinking about that when an idea popped into his mind.


    ''Could it be...''


    "Could they be protecting some posts and concentrating their experts in those places?''''


    Unfortunately, he couldn''t see through the defenses of that place without first destroying some of the arrays in his way.


    Since it would be too much trouble for him to do that, and it would show him to the entire empire as too violent a person, he decided to pursue a less problematic alternative.


    "I will see all the ranks of that damned family. I will certainly identify their weaknesses, and a means to attack them!" After muttering this, he disappeared from that area.

 Chapter 1511 Toward The Battle

    Three weeks later...


    After having his plans foiled in the third enemy outpost where he could not easily invade and kill his targets, Mortimer continued to investigate the present situation of the imperial family during these days.


    He and his group were no longer getting information easily through the empire''s organizations due to the seclusion that many sects and families had initiated to avoid getting involved in the current mess.


    At the same time, each organization that had not abstained from the conflict communicated only with those superior to itself in this state. That is, the powers on the Minos side only communicated with the imperial family. In contrast, those on the Mortimer side only exchanged information with the Saints Killing Sect.


    Under these circumstances, getting information without checking each place became a tough task, and Mortimer and his group had to ''visit'' their opponents little by little to find out the current situation of the imperial family.


    ? In doing so, Mortimer found that all the posts, apart from the Edwardstone family headquarters in Payton, were either without specialists or protected by defenses that were difficult to break through.


    Amidst this, he found that the imperial palace was without traditional defenses. It was ''just'' surrounded by over 60 high-level Spiritual Saints, plus Minos and two of his wives.


    That greatly surprised him and his allies, as the core of the imperial family seemed to be exposing themselves as bait for them. Yet, at the same time, many more high-level Spiritual Saints than they had expected had emerged to protect the imperial lineage.


    In particular, the Gray Clouds Sect had sent over 20 individuals between levels 77 and 79!


    That was an impressive number, something that previously only the sovereign family of this state had managed to achieve.


    But Minos had magically transformed the ranks of his organization in a few short years.


    That frightened Mortimer and those who had decided to stand with him on this journey!


    Fortunately, they had discovered all this while it was still early.


    Thus, currently, Mortimer''s group was preparing to act against Payton as they wanted to end their current affairs as quickly as possible.


    ...


    In an advanced camp of the Saints Killing Sect...


    Several Spiritual Saints were gathered near this camp, planning a decisive move in their plans.


    "Are we going to attack the capital like that?" A level 78 Spiritual Saint from the Mountains Sect asked, feeling that it would be bad for his organization''s image to attack the capital openly.


    "But we have no alternative." Someone from the Saints Killing Sect defended their sovereign''s plans. "The strongest enemy forces are in Payton, waiting for us without any protections.


    So either we take this opportunity and finish everything in one move, or we will have to drag this situation out for years."


    "Still, I believe that a strategy similar to Abe Vogel''s on the Black Plain has a better chance of success than us doing this." Someone there suggested, remembering that Minos had suffered enough to eliminate the Vogel family heir.


    "Nonsense." The master of the Mountains Sect finally said something. "Abe only lasted so long against Minos because he had the protection of a Spiritual Sage when that wretch was only a Spiritual Emperor.


    But now the bastard Stuart is already an 8th-stage cultivator!"


    "But we have Senior Burgess on our side." Someone at level 79, who was not okay with the idea of attacking Payton openly, said this, remembering this important fact.


    "It doesn''t matter." The supreme elder of the Saints Killing Sect commented aloud. "We are not the same as Abe. He failed because he didn''t have the strength to defeat Minos in one attack. Thus, he gave years for that wretch to grow up and eventually defeat him.


    We can''t give Minos time. He is simply too talented!


    So we can only try to end the bastard''s life in one big attack while he is still only a level 70 cultivator.


    If he advances to level 71, or worse, level 72, before we settle everything, maybe we all will be destroyed!"


    Gulp!


    The leaders there swallowed their saliva in apprehension, remembering that at level 70, Minos could steal energies from people up to 6 levels above his own and artificially raise his strength by up to 2 levels.


    Suppose he reached level 72 and maintained this ability. In that case, he could probably steal levels from even level 78 Spiritual Saints and temporarily become a level 74 cultivator.


    If that happened, he could become so strong that Mortimer himself would be incapable of doing something against him!


    With this in mind, those people began to think it was better to take some risks now and finish Minos once and for all than to act passively and take the risk of him continuing to grow.


    Mortimer, who was also there, then added. "Let''s not forget that Minos is of his own free will in the empire.


    He could hide in the northern region or use the four northern territories to threaten us. But he is putting himself in this position because he thinks he is strong and wants to lure us in to test his strength."


    Mortimer did not believe that Minos was a match for him. But he could more or less see his opponent''s belief in these actions.


    And honestly, he would prefer it that way.


    Fighting Minos if he were a coward hiding in the northern region and using all possibilities to avoid a confrontation with Mortimer would be the worst for this Spiritual Sage.


    But fighting in Payton would limit Mortimer and give Minos fewer possibilities.


    That was the best place and time for him to act!


    Hence, even if Minos was planning something dangerous for him, Mortimer liked the idea of acting soon and ending once and for all the uncertainty about the local situation.


    He had ambitious plans that demanded a solid state that had not experienced years of war.


    As such, he could only use his best arguments to convince those still uncertain that this was the best for everyone.


    After a few moments of silence and much consideration in that area, Mortimer''s allies agreed to go ahead with a major attack on the imperial capital!


    "All right, move your families and prepare for war!" That level 80 individual said aloud, smiling, while his third eye twitched due to the excitement caused by his anxiety.


    He then flew upwards until he was so high that he could see Payton as if it were the size of a pin tip.


    ''I will soon use your powers to destroy these people, Gavin!'' He clenched his fists, making the space in his surroundings tremble.


    Meanwhile, dozens of kilometers from Mortimer''s standing, another Spiritual Sage at level 80 silently watched him.


    ''This young man really causes trouble... Now he dares to stand in the way of people at my level.'' Someone Minos already knew, thought to himself, there to watch him but without moving since he was merely an observer.

 Chapter 1512 Surprise

    Two weeks later...


    After several days of no attacks on the imperial family forces or their closest allies, Payton was finally at its most tense moment.


    At dawn on this day, suddenly, Mortimer Burgess arrived through a wormhole, along with more than 20 high-level Spiritual Saints at his side.


    When they appeared over the central area of the imperial capital, inhabitants from all over the city began to panic, fleeing towards the sides of this metropolis.


    Those who could fly or had winged beasts simply took off into the skies, fleeing for fear of being involved in a potential conflict.


    But these represented the minority of the fleeing people, as most inhabitants could not escape through the skies.


    So when Mortimer and his main supporters arrived in this city, the main avenues leading to the local exits were filled with people.


    At the same time, the forces in the imperial palace immediately realized that this was the moment they had been waiting for and prepared themselves.


    The strongest held their position, planned by Minos while circulating their energies and having their weapons in hand.


    The weakest, people who had not been evacuated before, individuals between levels 60 and 70, retreated underground, where the imperial palace had solid defenses, even in the absence of the arrays sent to the other posts.


    Meanwhile, individuals between levels 70 and 76 were positioned together, prepared to fight as a group and somehow help the more than 60 high-level individuals who would fight there for the imperial house.


    Amid this tense place, with the spiritual energy in the surroundings fluctuating violently due to the many powerful presences, Minos floated in front of Isabella and the empress.


    Beside him were the imperial family''s supreme elder, two Gray Clouds Sect elders at the same level as the regent, and two sect masters who had attended the imperial call.


    Gloria and Ruth stood next to Madeline and Isabella, as well as some important descendants of the Edwardstone family, protected by the many high-level Spiritual Saints in the surrounding area.


    When he stood at the same height as the people in Mortimer''s group, he stopped about 200 meters away from them and looked at them silently for a moment.


    Then Minos asked. "What are you doing here, Mortimer? Why are you standing next to the Mountains Sect master and patriarchs of local families?"


    Minos looked at each of those men who were not from the Saints Killing Sect, causing those individuals to feel goosebumps running through their bodies.


    Mortimer saw those level 79 individuals standing silently next to Minos and sighed. "Looks like you''ve already taken this city, huh? Next time I plan something, I''ll do it like you. First, I''ll make a relevant woman open her legs and then easily conquer her family.


    It''s much more efficient than fighting, hehe."


    The people in the surrounding area felt offended that Isabella was attacked like that, while Minos looked at that opponent with anger in his eyes.


    Then he said. "Looks like you''re not worried about hiding your rebellion, eh? Speaking of Her Highness like that would guarantee you death as a traitor to the state in other situations!


    But apparently, you''re here to fight, so it doesn''t matter anymore..."


    Mortimer smiled but didn''t bother to speak to Minos.


    Instead, he looked at the experts beside this fellow and spoke. "Old fellows, today I am here to give you an option. Put down your weapons and join me on this journey ahead of us.


    I will become the rightful ruler of the Flaming Empire and bring glory to our organizations!


    All this will come at the cost of those people''s lives..." He pointed in the direction where the core of the imperial family was, near Ruth and Gloria. "And that damned bastard." Mortimer referred to Minos.


    He continued. "We don''t need any unnecessary killing. Just take oaths and leave this place. I''ll deal with all the filth alongside my group.


    At the end of the day, we will have a new empire without having its foremost leaders killed, making life easier for our natural enemies.


    The four territories to the north!"


    "Mortimer, are you going to rebel so openly? Have you no shame?" The regent shouted. "His Majesty will destroy you when he finds out about this!"


    "His Majesty?" Mortimer laughed. "Harold is finished! His life is in the hands of those women of the Flowers Kingdom!


    And even if he were here, do you think I would have any fear of him? He''s only a level 80 Spiritual Sage!


    I can overcome him with my divine lineage!"


    The men beside Minos clenched their fists in anger, seeing that this man was a complete traitor, not just an idiot blinded by power.


    Minos then said. "There is no use in dialoguing with them. They are here to fight and will do it one way or another.


    These people have hope that they will survive and be victorious...


    Let''s show them how wrong they are!"


    At that moment, Minos no longer waited to dialogue with those individuals and activated his 8th technique, causing his grandiose Soul Avatar to emerge from his body.


    Space and Time Avatar!


    When he did so, everyone in the surroundings felt the mighty power of Emperor Stuart as two level 76 Spiritual Saints from the Gray Clouds Sect flew toward the avatar''s space of influence.


    Minos would not be able to steal the cultivation levels of those people next to Mortimer, so some of the men who would do him this service immediately flew towards him to fulfill their purpose.


    While this was happening very quickly, everyone in the surrounding area, who had never personally seen or felt Minos'' current forces, opened their mouths in surprise.


    That was particularly true for Mortimer, who, in that instant, contorted his face as he noticed something sinister about Minos.


    Even before the others in the area showed their Soul Avatars, Minos was already at level 71, as his abilities rose to the maximum.


    But only Spiritual Sages could realize the significance of this besides Minos!


    "How can that be?" The man at a distance from there, observing what was about to happen, exclaimed as he noticed an area of spatial stabilization in front of him.


    Mortimer noticed that too, and as Minos laughed in his direction, he tried to open a crack in space to confirm his feelings.


    He moved and attacked the space with one of his open palms.


    However, nothing happened except for the energy in the surroundings moving because of his powerful movement.


    "Damn it!


    That wretch can trap me on the battlefield!" He exclaimed in shock as he put the ability of the special domain of the Minos Soul Avatar to the test.


    Minos had control over space and time in his domain. Because of this, he could suppress spatial manipulations within the range of this technique!


    "Haha, Mortimer, you better be prepared to fight.


    Today, you won''t run away even if you want to!" Minos shouted, startling everyone on the battlefield, as he had already moved to deliver the first attack shortly after sending the two level 76 individuals away.


    He was already at level 72 because of the carelessness of those people impressed by Mortimer''s shocked reaction!


    In this situation, they could no longer do anything to reverse the terror about to happen!


    ...

 Chapter 1513 The Advantage Of Minos

    Upon realizing Minos'' abilities, the people on Mortimer''s side paled.


    The fact that a Spiritual Sage was so much stronger than Spiritual Saints was not their amount of energy. That characteristic was even relevant, but what was more critical was spatial manipulation.


    Through this ability, a Spiritual Sage surrounded by weaker enemies but capable of injuring them could either flee or slowly attack these people until they reached their goals.


    But if a Spiritual Sage lost such an ability, they could be outnumbered!


    They would have no way to escape other than to use their speed to fly away.


    But people could get in their way, and even though they were faster than all their opponents, they could be prevented from escaping and end up in the terrible situation of suffering from their opponents'' blows.


    In this scenario, Mortimer could lose a lot, and worse, he would be unable to save his allies from danger.


    Those high-level Spiritual Saints on Mortimer''s side believed that their new leader would save them when they were in danger, similar to what had happened to Abe in the past.


    Unfortunately for them, Minos had that surprise in store, and now they would be on their own in this place!


    While they were shivering, some even regretting it, Minos'' allies renewed their certainty about being on Minos'' side.


    So they were the first to show their Soul Avatars beyond Minos, followed by the many Spiritual Saints near the imperial palace.


    Ruth and Gloria also activated their soul projections, placing themselves in a defensive position to protect Isabella and that woman''s mother.


    Minos wasted no time, and after his provocative words, he made all his techniques show themselves to those high-level Spiritual Saints and Mortimer.


    Being at level 72, he had so much power in his control that he was almost at the same energy level as Mortimer!


    Because of this, the moment the Devouring Art rings appeared in his domain, those Mortimer''s companions immediately began to suffer.


    This man would not suffer from this since his level was high enough that his energies would not get out of control because of Minos.


    But still, he felt it as the gravity about him began to press on his position, making it difficult for him to move.


    Minos also targeted him with the Infinite Dream and the Dark Sea putting those men against each other while degrading Mortimer''s mental structures.


    "It can''t be!"


    "No!"


    "How is that possible?" The level 79 cultivators on Mortimer''s side barely managed to activate their avatars when part of them was already under Minos'' control.


    But Mortimer managed to show his avatar in that place, causing a reddish projection of his soul to emerge from his body, one with three eyes, each a darker color than the rest of his body.


    By activating his 8th technique, this cultivator felt less pressured by Minos. However, even so, he was still in a situation where he knew he had to be careful.


    ''You bastard!


    You were hiding all this?'' He clenched his fists in hatred, noting that the difference between Minos and him was not great.


    He had an advantage, but that was on the order of less than a 1.5% difference!


    At the same time, Minos had a terrible mind control ability that put even enemies at his disposal.


    And with no way to escape from there, surrounded by dozens of high-level Spiritual Saints, Mortimer finally understood why Minos risked so much by staying in this place as bait.


    However, he wouldn''t think much of it and would soon start activating his own techniques to counter not only Minos but the many enemies already attacking him.


    Mortimer had arrived at this place with 23 high-level Spiritual Saints, but of those numbers, 9 of them had turned against his group because of the Dark Sea.


    Because of this, about 70 Spirit Saints between levels 77 and 79 were attacking him and his group.


    Ten of them were dealing alongside the nine enemies who forcefully changed sides to face the remaining individuals.


    At the same time, the rest were already on the outskirts of the Minos avatar''s area of influence, launching attacks against Mortimer.


    They knew that this would be a battle that Minos could not win alone and were following his plans even after noticing how powerful Emperor Stuart already was.


    Thus, Mortimer found himself surrounded by dozens of powerful attacks while being pressured by someone almost as strong as himself.


    He tried to move to escape the area of influence of Minos'' avatar. Still, the emperor''s speed was superior to his!


    Mortimer had only a Golden-grade technique, but this was a cultivation technique, not a movement technique, neither defensive nor offensive.


    Because of this, only his cultivation speed and control over spiritual energy could be affected by the quality of this technique, placing him in terms of speed below even Minos!


    Therefore, he promptly failed to escape his opponent''s grasp.


    But not only that. When Minos moved, he used the Indestructible Body to strengthen the parts of his Soul Avatar and then kicked hard against the stomach of Mortimer''s projection.


    That made him feel pain and temporarily put him in a state of vulnerability to the many attacks coming his way.


    These attacks were not enough to put his life in danger, but together they could hurt him and lower his resistance to Minos.


    He then tried to dodge those attacks after receiving Minos'' kick but failed to do so satisfactorily with many of those blows.


    ? "Ouch!"


    This Spiritual Sage expressed pain for the first time since reaching the 9th stage, slowly beginning to regret having chosen a frontal attack.


    Abe had failed, but this Vogel fellow had lasted years against Minos and had almost seriously wounded the Black Plain forces.


    But he had tried to do differently to avoid the same failure and ended up in this terrible situation.


    Spatial Sword!


    Minos danced with a spiritual sword, launching several mighty blades toward Mortimer''s avatar.


    These blades disappeared, traveling through space, changing directions so the target wouldn''t understand where the attack was coming from.


    Minos'' avatar could stabilize space in his domain, but this did not apply to techniques launched by his avatar.


    Hence, such an ability worked in his domain!


    The Spiritual Sage watching all this from afar, felt a chill run through his body as he noticed what was happening, realizing that Minos could already face him and put him in danger!


    He was much stronger than Mortimer, but it would not be easy to withstand such pressure!


    ''Unbelievable!


    Minos has already achieved such power... It looks like I''ll have to report this to my superiors sooner than planned!''


    While that Spiritual Sage of the Eastern Empire was changing his plans, the first Spiritual Saints in Mortimer''s group needed the help of his leader.


    "Sect master!


    Save me! Please, save me!" The supreme elder of the Saints Killing Sect shouted in desperation as two members of his own sect attacked him mercilessly.


    ...

 Chapter 1514 The End Of Two Sect Masters

    When the supreme elder of the Saints Killing Sect was being brutally attacked, Mortimer looked in the direction of his allies and saw that not only that man was suffering.


    Of the 14 individuals fighting the 19 opponents, almost all of them were already badly wounded in less than 3 minutes of battle, to the point that, with one look, this sect master realized that they could die if he did nothing.


    Mortimer knew that his situation was terrible, but he was not stupid to think selfishly at this point. If he simply abandoned these people now, he would lose all his allies and no longer have a place in the Flaming Empire.


    Even if he threatened the people of this place with his powers, he wouldn''t be able to rule or become a respected ruler.


    The people of this entire state would choose to side with Minos and not with him!


    He then lost whatever mental restraints he still had on using his last card up his sleeve in this place and immediately activated Gavin''s lineage with everything he had.


    "Wretched Stuart, I admit that you are very powerful and that I made a mistake.


    But I want to see if you can handle all this destructive power!"


    Destruction Eyes!


    The third eye of Mortimer''s Soul Avatar opened and began to glow, striking in the direction of Minos as it destroyed everything in front of it.


    Upon seeing this, unlike the many high-level Spiritual Saints in the surrounding area, who were naturally worried, Minos remained calm.


    He moved his two hands in an identical manner, showing his palms upwards, while his fingers moved as if he were groping for something.


    In that instant, Devouring Art stopped acting on the 14 individuals being brutally attacked. At the same time, the gravity on Mortimer returned to normal with the end of the Chaotic Gravity action on him.


    "That''s not the black hole..." Minos said aloud as several black spheres, the size of hands, appeared at different points in his domain. "Those are the black holes!"


    At Minos'' words, the several black holes that appeared in the surroundings of his avatar moved as they increased in size.


    When they were the size of carriages, they stopped growing, with all of them already in front of Minos to cushion the enemy attack.


    "You think you''re going to hurt me with Gavin''s powers? Don''t be stupid, Mortimer. I know every ability of those eyes that even you don''t know how to use right!" Minos said aloud, as the destruction generated by his opponents'' attack ''died'' to the darkness of those lightless regions of space.


    "No way!"


    Gulp!


    The supreme elder of the Saints Killing Sect saw and lost hope, seeing how Mortimer suffered just to endure Minos'' ''normal'' fusion.


    ''If that absorbs any of us, even the sect master will be in danger!'' He thought.


    But it was already too late for that man. Just as he was observing how unsuccessful the attack of his leader would be, one of his fellow sect members, under the illusion of the Dark Sea, attacked his head.


    Poof!


    A great black-bladed sword passed through the neck of that level 77 elder, severing his head and finishing off his soul.


    In that instant, Minos'' first enemy finally lost his life!


    "No!" Mortimer shouted as he saw that from afar, but he could do nothing about it due to his current situation.


    After Minos swallowed Mortimer''s destructive attacks with his black holes, he immediately condensed those regions of space and made five large black holes put pressure on his opponent.


    One of them was trying to swallow Mortimer''s left arm, another his right arm, another his right leg, and the last one his left.


    None of the four succeeded in devouring Mortimer''s Soul Avatar because of the powerful abilities of the Destruction Eyes.


    But he couldn''t do anything either!


    As a result, Mortimer could only watch as Minos'' men slowly killed his subordinates.


    At the same time, the dozens of Minos'' allies were still attacking in his direction, managing to hit parts of his body.


    "Attack with everything you have!"


    "Maybe we can kill him later today!"


    "Attack the bastard, you brats!"


    Shouts from different people, especially members of the Gray Clouds Sect, were constantly appearing over there as they all attacked that level 80 man.


    "Unbelievable!" The empress muttered as she saw the situation developing.


    "I can''t believe it... But if my eyes are not seeing wrong, are we winning?" Isabella asked Ruth and Gloria, who were using their techniques to counter the remaining attacks coming in that direction.


    "Yes, that man made a grave mistake of staying within Minos'' domain and still ''allowing'' our husband to absorb the levels of those two Spiritual Saints..." Ruth commented.


    "Now all those Spiritual Saints will die..." Gloria looked in the direction of where the masters of two of the eight major sects in the Flaming Empire were about to die.


    At that moment, Minos moved the fifth black hole toward those members of Mortimer''s group while his allies were already moving away from there.


    "Time to die!" Minos said as he closed one of his hands and made that region of space suck up the bodies of 22 individuals at once.


    As for the body of the supreme elder of the Saints Killing Sect, it was very far away at the moment, already slumped over one of the imperial palace gardens. So Minos couldn''t lure it into that black hole.


    Anyway, with Minos'' order, those men broke into a cold sweat, repenting for the last time in their lives before being sucked into that region of space, becoming nutrients for it.


    Thus, 22 experts between levels 77 and 79 died in the blink of an eye!


    "No!


    Minos!


    I''m still going to kill you!" Blood dripped from Mortimer''s eyes, not because of his sadness but because of how much he used those eyes that didn''t even belong to him.


    Minos felt his opponent had become a little stronger. Still, even though he couldn''t devour him with those four black holes created with the evolution of his technique, he still didn''t lose his calm.


    At that moment, the fifth black hole raised its level and flew up to where Mortimer was standing.


    "The others may not be enough to overcome all the abilities of these eyes, but this one is!" Minos said in a cruel tone, hurling the thing in Mortimer''s direction.


    "No! This can''t happen! I can''t die! I will become a great emperor!" That man lost control of his emotions and screamed as he tried to escape.


    In Mortimer''s desperation, suddenly, one of the black holes holding him down began to crack, appearing to be at its limit.


    Minos looked at this and understood that his time was short, and he put all his strength into pressing the fifth black hole against Mortimer to defeat this person once and for all.


    In this way, one arm and one leg of Mortimer began to be sucked up by the thing while the other three black holes cracked considerably.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    At the decisive moment, the four smaller black holes trying to suck the body of that level 80 expert exploded!


    But that explosion was not powerful as there was no matter inside those four regions of space other than the waves of destruction absorbed earlier.


    So they just glowed brightly and disappeared, finally giving Mortimer his freedom.


    At the same time, Minos was thrown backward by the spiritual waves in that area, losing power over his Soul Avatar and opening a gap for his enemy!


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    Mortimer opened a wormhole and ran away when he was between life and death, ending the cries of pain in that area!


    ...

 Chapter 1515 The Consequences For Mortimer

    As Mortimer disappeared from the skies over Payton, Minos instantly fell toward the imperial palace, his level quickly dropping from level 72 to 71 and then to 70 in a matter of seconds.


    The surrounding area still had many attacks, coloring the local skies. Still, at that instant, no one was paying attention to them.


    Everyone had seen how Mortimer had escaped at the last moment. But, at the same time, Minos could not bear to continue fighting.


    So while they thought how unfortunate it was that that enemy had managed to escape in time, they also had the good feeling of realizing they were not so helpless.


    With Minos by their side, they could even risk the life of a level 80 Spiritual Sage!


    With that, while most of those attacks in the area were heading toward the last remaining black hole, the people there began celebrating today''s victory.


    "Hahaha, we did it! We really did it!"


    "I didn''t think it would be so easy..."


    "Don''t tell me about it... I thought I would die a few times in this fight, but surprisingly I didn''t even come close to that!"


    The battle had been hard. Every person involved, except for Minos, could have died at the slightest distraction. But compared to the rough idea of facing someone with spatial manipulation skills, everything had happened on a level below what these local experts had expected.


    Amidst this, the supreme elder of House Edwardstone was shocked by the powers displayed by Minos, which had far exceeded what he had expected.


    To him, Minos was more or less at his level. But the truth was that the confrontations Emperor Stuart had to show the world his strength were battles that he did not plan to exterminate his opponents.


    However, Minos was fighting to kill this time and therefore had shown 100% of his current abilities!


    Upon learning about this, the regent felt happy that he had not lost to Mortimer but also a little melancholy. With such power, Minos would have even greater influence. Even if Harold returned, this state could no longer be on equal footing with the Black Plain!


    "Sigh...


    Ah, times really are changing." He lamented in a low voice as he watched the Empress stop Minos'' fall and place him on the ground next to Ruth and Gloria.


    "Minos, are you okay?" Isabella was there too, impressed but also worried for him.


    Minos was not injured, just exhausted from having used all his power against Mortimer moments ago when he forcefully tried to absorb that Spiritual Sage''s body with the fifth black hole.


    Unfortunately, Mortimer had used all his abilities to escape death just as Minos'' provisional level was crumbling. Consequently, everything ended before Emperor Stuart finished his opponent.


    Considering the few seconds he would need to succeed, Minos couldn''t help but feel terrible.


    ''Damn it!


    That was close!''


    He looked at Isabella and the other women in his surroundings and sighed. "I''m fine... It''s just a shame we couldn''t finish that damn thing."


    "Yeah... He got away at the last moment." Gloria commented, also regretting their only failure in this fight.


    "What do we do now?" Ruth asked. "With him having escaped, we''re back to zero... I''m afraid we''ll have to go through all that again."


    The people in the surroundings were a little apprehensive about this and were silent at these words.


    But then, Minos disagreed with his wife. "It''s not that simple.


    Mortimer escaped, and that is bad, true. However, he did not escape unharmed!"


    ...


    Hundreds of kilometers away from Payton, on one of the flying islands with a camp of the Saints Killing Sect...


    A hole in space appeared over this place, making all the camp members look up with doubt, not understanding what was happening.


    According to the plans of their supreme leader, he was going to attack Payton and then take the imperial capital.


    In other words, Mortimer had no plans to return to this place any time soon, and naturally, everyone in there frowned and feared trouble at the sight of that wormhole opening.


    Regardless of who was behind it, this would not be good!


    As they could already sense, these men and women allied or subordinate to Mortimer soon saw an unexpected scene unfold in front of them.


    Mortimer''s body fell out of that wormhole in a matter of fractions of a second, revealing a considerably destroyed body.


    Mortimer''s face was pale, with blood marks all over various parts of his chest armor. But what was striking about this weakened man in free fall was the state of his aura and body.


    Mortimer had almost wholly lost his two legs, but also his hands, and almost completely lost his left arm.


    At the same time, these were no ordinary injuries. On the contrary, each of them was irreparable, as the black hole from Minos destroyed those physical parts of him and ruined the part of this man''s soul responsible for these limbs.


    Consequently, even if Mortimer recovered one day, he would never be able to regenerate his arms and legs!


    Anything would be useless to him. Even possessing someone''s body with whole arms and legs would not allow him to manipulate those parts of his body again.


    However, that was not the worst of it!


    The worst had been the damage to Mortimer''s cultivation base, which, only by a miracle, had not been crippled. However, in his situation, anyone who saw him would realize that all the progress this man might have made at the 9th stage could be forgotten.


    From now on, it would be useless for him to cultivate or use cultivation resources. His level would remain at level 80 for the rest of his days!


    Gulp!


    ''How can this be?'' The first of the high-level Spiritual Saints to come near Mortimer''s fallen body wondered, not understanding how the powerful level 80 Spiritual Sage in front of him had ended up like this.


    ''Hadn''t he just gone to attack the imperial palace? Why did that happen?'' Another person wondered as she landed next to that fellow.


    ''Where are the others? Why is the sect master alone?'' One of the elders of the Saints Killing Sect began to break into a cold sweat, foreseeing the worst.


    Amid this, as much as he was extremely injured, Mortimer was aware that his condition was terrible and that he would never fully recover from this experience.


    In this situation, he once again regretted his haste and underestimated Minos!


    ''Disgrace!


    How could this happen to me? Just when I had everything I needed... If only I had been more careful!


    I should have slowly killed the local leaders without showing myself...


    If that had happened...'' He began to imagine the endless possibilities he would have had if he had gone his separate ways.


    But it was useless to think about ifs now that the milk had been spilled and all was lost.


    He knew this, but during his initial moment of doom, he would think about it for the next few days as he accumulated all his hatred for Minos for the future.

 Chapter 1516 Mistake Of Strategy

    Later that day...


    Minos had already explained Mortimer''s situation to his allies, making it clear that this person was terribly injured no matter if the enemy had escaped.


    Minos'' connection to each of his black holes went far beyond controlling these regions of space. He could also sense what was devoured by them.


    Through this ability, Emperor Stuart could tell that part of Mortimer''s soul and body had been swallowed by that black hole so that the enemy would have nothing to do to recover.


    He explained everything he should to the leaders of the imperial family and the vassals who had participated in the confrontation at Payton.


    With this, great relief hung over the imperial family and this city.


    Even the inhabitants, ignorant of the details of the outcome of this confrontation, felt that things would be smoother from now on.


    Mortimer had fled, but everyone who had not fled in time to miss the fight had realized that Minos was already as strong as a newly advanced Spiritual Sage.


    Thus, the tension over this city decreased significantly in the hours following the end of the battle.


    Hence, news spread throughout Payton and the state as the victors celebrated the day''s outcome!


    ...


    At the headquarters of the Mountains Sect...


    "... The sect master and two high-ranking elders are dead. Minos Stuart won the battle against Mortimer Burgess, and no one knows the whereabouts of this man..." An old man reported this to the elder in charge of this sect in the absence of its leader.


    When they heard this, the elders turned pale, feeling what the losers would feel after a war.


    They had chosen the wrong side, and now they would have to bear the consequences!


    "It can''t be... How did this happen?"


    "How did Minos win? He''s only a level 70 Spiritual Saint! How could someone like that defeat a Spiritual Sage?" The wife of the former sect master asked as she refused to believe that her husband had died.


    The elder who brought this news, standing next to the person responsible for observing soul lamps, said. "Miss, I am sorry. But Minos was hiding his powers. He can nullify the Spatial Manipulation ability of Spiritual Sages..."


    "It can''t be..."


    "What do we do now? We side with Mortimer... Minos and the imperial family will destroy us!"


    ...


    "We must surrender!"


    In another high-level sect of the Flaming Empire, the supreme elder of this organization shouted this right after the council of high-level elders found out about the news coming from Payton.


    Like the Mountains Sect, they had sided with Mortimer, and even their master had gone into battle alongside the leader of the Saints Killing Sect.


    As such, they were also having a similar discussion as happening in the Mountain Sect, with no hope of continuing with the position they had at present.


    "If we surrender, we will be punished, but we will have a chance to survive." The supreme elder continued. "We sided with Mortimer, but that was only for a few weeks! We didn''t even hurt the imperial family in our actions!


    The dead Spiritual Saints were all individuals eliminated by Mortimer. We''re not to blame for that!"


    "Right, maybe they''ll have mercy on us to avoid losing an entire sect!"


    "But with Minos on their side, even if half the empire died, the state would not be in danger... He now controls the four territories to the north." Someone more concerned said, feeling that only escape would give them a chance of survival. "We must leave with our families!"


    "And where would we go? The empire is our home! And outside of here, we''re just normal people, low-level specialists at best!" Someone more attached to their position and status exclaimed.


    "Mairin might have room for us." That woman suggested, thinking of the state between the Western Empire, Eastern Empire, Flaming Empire, and another kingdom in the western region.


    That was the weakest of the states with Spiritual Demigods in their ranks in the entire Central Continent. So for these Spiritual Saints, this kingdom would be the least dangerous home for them in case of escape.


    "Mairin?" The people there wondered, feeling themselves at a crossroads of fate.


    Their chances would not be promising in that place either. So they would have to consider a lot between escaping and trying to reconcile with Minos and the Edwardstone family.


    ...


    On the other hand, in another area of the Flaming Empire, the headquarters of an organization that had refrained from participating in the recent power dispute received the news coming from Payton with surprise.


    Nobody expected that the situation of the imperial family would improve after the beginning of Mortimer''s actions. On the contrary, the most expected was precisely the end or great weakening of the house of Isabella.


    Because of this, many relevant powers in this state refrained from choosing one side.


    But even if there were a small chance that Minos and his allies would not be exterminated in the first confrontation, no one would expect a victory for his group.


    Thus, everyone was shocked when the information that he had exterminated 23 high-level Spiritual Saints and made Mortimer flee spread throughout the empire.


    That was the case with this sect near the Albano border.


    "Minos has reached that level?"


    "It seems that we actually made a mistake in staying isolated... What will happen now?"


    "They can''t punish us just because we tried to protect ourselves from a Spiritual Sage!"


    "Yes, but we abstained from our responsibility as vassals of the Edwardstone family..."


    "In any case, we didn''t act against anyone, so we have at least some chance!"


    ...


    The day after the confrontation in Payton...


    After the battle was over and local experts had gathered, Minos spent the remainder of his time until dawn today with his women, resting.


    He had given orders to the high-level Spiritual Saints in the capital to continue around for the hour but made it clear to them that Mortimer was unlikely to return in the short term.


    Hence, while low-level cultivators from the imperial family began tending to the few buildings destroyed because of the remaining attacks from the battle, he slept peacefully in the imperial palace.


    After a night''s rest and a rich breakfast, Minos was 100% again, ready to move on if Mortimer emerged for revenge.


    But that would not happen, and leaving Isabella''s residence by early afternoon, he went on his way to carry out the appointments he would have today.


    Minos was not sure what results he would have when he began his battle with Mortimer. But he was sure it would impress this state and give neutral families a reason to change their minds.


    Moreover, surely the allies and imperial family who had seen him in action the day before would want to talk to him after his rest.


    Therefore, as he left that residence where no one had bothered him since the afternoon of the previous day, Minos was quickly stopped by one of the men of the imperial guard.


    "Sect Master Stuart, the regent wishes to meet with the senior." A young-looking individual, level 75, said this to Minos, smiling, much more respectful than before. "If the senior has time now, I can escort you to him."


    "Hmm, let''s settle this." Minos muttered, quickly letting that man take the lead to take him to the old supreme elder.


    ...

 Chapter 1517 The Repentant 1

    While Minos was following that imperial guard, the master of the Holy Sect, who was on the outskirts of the imperial palace, saw him and approached him.


    "Sect master Stuart, yesterday you greatly contributed to the entire empire. I thank you again for that and hope our organizations can work together in the future." This man said, happy that he had made the right choice.


    "Certainly, sect master Schultz. Your organization and my state share much in common and can help each other." Minos said, thinking about how advantageous it would be to have alliances with this leader who ruled the area between the Flaming Empire and part of the Vogel and Rosser border.


    That man then asked. "What does the sect master Stuart intend to do from now on? Are you going to pursue Mortimer?"


    "No, I intend to settle some matters locally and stick around for the next few weeks. After that, if there are no problems, I will return to the Black Plain to prepare for my trip to the Flowers Kingdom.


    I won''t be going after Mortimer in the short term..."


    "Oh? So you intend to go and rescue His Majesty..." Kevin Schultz muttered, not expecting that Minos would actually follow through on his words.


    After all, after such an exposition of strength, wouldn''t it be expected that he would rather let Isabella take over the local throne? He could still keep his promise to rescue Harold in the future when he was already married to the princess, or rather a queen.


    But from Minos'' words, it seemed that this emperor was not coveting this state.


    "I told the supreme elder Edwardstone a few months ago that I would fulfill my promise in 2 years. I intend to complete what I told him." Minos said while the imperial guard guiding him sighed in relief.


    That guard did not feel as frightened of Minos as he did of Mortimer. After all, Emperor Stuart had a legitimate relationship with the princess and stood by them in this difficult time.


    Kavin also felt relieved, thinking it would be better for this state to gain a new leader through marriage and with Harold''s presence than otherwise.


    "I understand... Well, then, I wish you good luck. I know that the next few days of the sect master will be busy, so I bid you farewell." Kevin said after a few seconds. "When you want, send your men to my sect headquarters, and we''ll make some arrangements."


    "Certainly."


    So Minos arrived in front of where the supreme elder Edwardstone was waiting for him.


    He soon passed through the front door of that old fellow''s house, without delay finding him drinking and smoking in a leather armchair, still wearing the armor he had worn the day before.


    "Supreme elder..." Minos said in a low voice as he stood next to this fellow, who had a lost look on his face at the moment.


    "Congratulations on the level you have reached, sect master Stuart. I''m sure your grandfather is proud of what you have accomplished..." That man said without changing the expression on his face.


    Minos remained silent, watching this man who had a cigar in one hand and a glass of drink in the other.


    "Now the Black Plain Empire will be able to achieve everything it desires. Finish dominating the northern region and, in a few years, absorb the rest of those four territories...


    Then it will be us?" He asked Minos as he looked at a painting in his living room depicting a bloody war.


    Minos closed his eyes and sighed, "What are you talking about?


    My goodness, the way you talk, you even sound like you''d rather I had let Mortimer kill you all and take over the state."


    "No, I wouldn''t want that.


    But you hid a power of that level... At the same time, even if His Majesty returns, what difference will it make? You can already beat Mortimer, so in a few years, no one will be able to stop you." He said in a depressed manner as if he was giving away the game.


    "Supreme elder, someone is always above you in the cultivation world. But that''s not why weaker states cease to exist, or weaker leaders kill themselves just for the sake of it.


    The Flaming Empire is weak compared to the empires of the Divine Continent... So you will lament this too? Have the hundreds of thousands of people on that continent who personally can destroy this entire state ever worried you?" Minos asked.


    "That''s different!


    You''ve seduced the princess, you''re getting involved in the affairs of the imperial family, and now, in addition to having more power than us, you''ll have more influence.


    How could I not be concerned?" That elder looked Minos in the eye and asked firmly.


    "Then there''s nothing to do. There''s no point in us talking anymore." Minos turned and walked toward the exit. "If you can''t stand the pressure, give up the position of regent.


    In any case, don''t call me here anymore if you will talk such nonsense. I don''t have time to waste."


    "Tsk!


    Minos, until you rebel, you will still be a vassal of the imperial family.


    Don''t forget that!" The old supreme elder stood up from where he was standing and shouted.


    But Minos would not even turn to look at him. He knew there was no point in dealing with a decadent old man who was not so confident in himself anymore because someone with a bigger ''dick'' had appeared in the area.


    The imperial guard who had led him there heard everything and sweated in nervousness.


    Gulp!


    "Sect master Stuart, don''t take the regent''s words seriously. He is the oldest person in the family and, at the end of his life, sees our house in such a weak state, with no way to protect itself..." He said this in a low voice just for Minos to hear.


    That was indeed not a lie. The supreme elder of the Edwardstone family was even older than Harold, currently over 6.4 thousand years old!


    He had only a few decades to advance a stage or die of old age. As such, at this time, when he did not know what fate his family would meet, this man was very depressed about the possible decay that would come after his death.


    Minos heard that warning and sighed. "Just because he is dying doesn''t give him the right to irritate others.


    From now on, I will only deal with Isabella. If that old man calls me, don''t waste your time going after me."


    Thus, Minos left that imperial guard behind, heading toward one of his subordinates from the Gray Clouds Sect, who was already waiting to take him to meet with the empire''s leaders.


    Minos could already sense many powerful auras in that palace that were not there the day before. So he already knew who these individuals were and why they were there.


    "Sect master, the patriarchs and sect masters are here to see you." A level 77 man from the Coleman family said this to him.


    Minos nodded and asked. "Is anyone from the major organizations missing?"


    "Of the eight major sects and the 50 most powerful families, disregarding the Saints Killing Sect and their families, only one sect and their respective families did not send representatives."


    "Is that so? It looks like someone decided to run away and take their entire organization away..." Minos muttered before asking. "Which sect chose that fate?"


    ...

 Chapter 1518 The Repentant 2

    "The Spiritual Palace Sect, Your Majesty. The absent families are mostly powers that are members of this organization... But there are some noble families not connected to that sect that are not present as well." That member of the Gray Clouds Sect informed Minos.


    Upon hearing that, Emperor Stuart made a serious expression, not liking that at all. The powers that had been missing were all organizations their leaders had chosen to believe Mortimer would be the big winner of the conflict.


    So he couldn''t just stand by and do nothing against them!


    These people needed to be punished as souls who had chosen to rebel!


    Not everyone deserves death, but someone would undoubtedly need to die to pay for the many crimes they had committed.


    Otherwise, how could the state remain peaceful and without chaos if any rebel could escape the consequences of such a troublesome act?


    Minos then ordered. "Send some high-level elders to investigate the whereabouts of these people."


    "All right." That elder said, finishing leading Minos'' way to where the representatives from all over the empire were, then immediately leaving to resolve those orders.


    Minos then entered that hall, where several groups of people were gathered at various points, talking among themselves, many with worried expressions.


    As he entered, Minos made them all stop talking and look at him with looks of respect, fear, envy, and various other feelings one would have toward their superior.


    Minos saw this and noticed that his people had wisely divided those into three groups.


    Those who had sided with him and the imperial family, the neutrals, and those who had joined Mortimer.


    Each group was surrounded by members of the Gray Clouds Sect, where some individuals from that sect held flags, indicating the positions of those groups.


    Minos then waved to his allies and then to those who had not chosen a side. Finally, he looked meaningfully at the enemies who were now regretting the choices they had made.


    "I see there are many rebels here... Among you, the Mountains Sect, whose master attacked the capital." He said calmly, making the members of that organization feel chills in their souls.


    "Sect master Stuart, our leader, was mad and did abominable things." The strongest elder of that organization, level 78, said this while lamenting. "But we are ready to accept any punishments, even if we did not agree with Nathaniel''s follies."


    Minos ignored that man and looked at the rest of the traitors of the empire. "What about the rest of you? You didn''t even think twice before changing sides...


    I don''t know if I would want people like that in my state. What good is it to have subordinates who, in difficult moments, are absent or rebel?


    For me, I''d instead eliminate people like that."


    Not only did those who sided with Mortimer tremble at these words, but those who chose to remain neutral in the confrontation also feared the worst.


    Minos continued. "On the Black Plain, I have faced several opponents stronger than my territory could handle. But even in a poor and weak area, I could always find men willing to die for the greater good, to ensure the prosperity not of me but of their families.


    But you, with such great powers and influence, would rather fear an opponent with a mere one-level advantage than fight...


    Tsk!


    Even a poor Spiritual Warrior on the Black Plain has more courage than some of you!"


    "Sect Master Stuart, we could die..." Someone from a family that had previously been neutral said that.


    "Yes, you can." Minos changed the verb tense, indicating what might happen to some of them as punishment. "I don''t know how the imperial family will punish you, but I assure you this is your luck.


    If I were the emperor of this state, I would give you the option to sacrifice yourselves to secure the future of your sects and families... But as I said, you are lucky. I am not your leader."


    Gulp!


    Sounds of saliva being swallowed resounded through that area, with those people feeling how close to losing their lives they had come.


    It was a blessing for them not to be Minos'' vassals since they knew he would do what he said.


    Hell, he had already done something like that to Brown and Cromwell... So it wouldn''t be too unusual for Minos to repeat his deeds with them.


    But the Edwardstone family could never afford to sacrifice so many specialists.


    That would be too dangerous and bring an unprecedented crisis to the state!


    Hence, these powerful local experts were somewhat relieved, as their punishments would certainly not involve anything so drastic.


    "However, even though I am not the one who will give you the punishments, don''t think that I will simply accept your repentance. Those of you who have stayed neutral in the war can forget about getting good deals with my organizations and state.


    I recommend that you no longer get involved in matters related to me nor stand in my way. Otherwise...


    Uh, better we don''t talk about that now." He smiled awkwardly. "As for those who acted with Mortimer, I will not let you go free easily. In addition to the punishments you will surely receive from the imperial family, I will charge you separately for your defiance."


    "What does that mean?" An elder from a family that had chosen Mortimer asked in doubt.


    "You people made me waste my time in this state instead of being in my empire, minding my own business.


    At the same time, some of you have dared to attack members of the Gray Clouds Sect since the confrontations began.


    The first ones will have to pay for my time here, and the latter will be exemplarily punished.


    I will exterminate the entire family of those who has hurt my men." He said firmly, making half a dozen people there regret that they had chosen to surrender.


    Minos did not care if these people were surrendering to him. Just because a criminal surrendered wouldn''t mean they would get rid of the ultimate punishment for their crimes!


    A man scheduled to die by the guillotine would not be spared because he surrendered and regretted his crimes!


    That was nonsense!


    Compassion for the enemy was the same as self-hatred!


    Minos felt no restraint in killing an unarmed man after such one surrendered. If someone was marked for death, they had to die, whether or not they were armed, willing, or unwilling to surrender.


    As such, he would not accept the surrender of those marked for death and would still destroy the entire lineage of those who had wounded his men in the short war against Mortimer.


    In Minos'' view, a strong state was the one that could avenge its men!


    "That''s unfair, sect master!" One such culprit shouted, despairing of his situation. "We only did what we did because of Mortimer! What could we do? He could kill us if we didn''t obey him!"


    "If memory serves me right, I warned you before all this what would happen to those who chose to stand against me, didn''t I?" Minos looked into that man''s eyes calmly. "Well, now don''t stay in my front saying this nonsense!


    Take what you''ve done like a man!


    Die with some dignity!"


    With those words, Minos'' eyes flashed brightly, and he brought immense pressure down on the body of that level 77 Spiritual Saint, quickly making such a man kneel down.


    In the blink of an eye, that individual''s head exploded, causing everyone in the area to take steps backward amidst the silence that would last for a full minute after that.


    ...

 Chapter 1519 Merciless Minos

    After the people in the surrounding area were silent for a while, seeing the body of one of the local experts with his head destroyed, Minos said. "Positions have consequences.


    No one here was forced into anything. I gave you the option not to stand against me and told you what would happen to those who acted against my forces.


    So don''t tell me about forgiveness, that your leaders were wrong, or that I am unfair.


    I am not doing anything new here. Then take on the weight you judged was not weighing when you made your decisions earlier."


    Those who had done something against the Gray Clouds Sect heard that and were frozen in terror, thinking of doing nothing now so they would have a chance to escape later.


    Those who had only sided with Mortimer but not acted against Minos were worried but still hoped to keep their lives and receive only financial and political punishment.


    But even Minos'' allies were a little frightened by his violence, as some felt that others in his position would take different attitudes.


    However, this was on the condition that there would not be a significant difference between the powers of the respective parties!


    That was not the case with Minos, who had a great future ahead of him.


    Minos knew this and would not treat these people as his equals or as if they were irreplaceable to him.


    In a few decades, he would surpass everyone there in a way that the Flaming Empire itself would not mean much to him. So why give people who failed him a chance?


    Not only that, these people not only went against his advice, some of them directly attacked him after everything he told them.


    Why forgive someone unable to follow the rules and, even more, unable to accept their own punishment?


    They wanted him to have mercy without them deserving it.


    In Minos'' view, there was no room for such people around him, and he had to eliminate them to lessen the chances of others making the same mistake against him.


    Thus, Minos'' meeting with local leaders this time began in a rather tense manner, showing that he was not only decisive when matters involved the northern region. The Flaming Empire was no big deal to him either!


    He was even willing to put himself to eliminating high-level Spiritual Saints without first asking the imperial family''s permission!


    "Sect master Stuart, thank you for saving the empire in these difficult times..."


    After a while, Minos slowly started walking around the outskirts of that place, talking to his allies first to only then going to the representatives of the forces that remained neutral or against him.


    "The sect master Stuart is mighty, but can you maintain the empire''s integrity by punishing left and right? What would happen if the empire lost too much of its strength?


    I already consider that the Gray Clouds Sect will no longer be among us, and the Saints Killing Sect will either flee or be exterminated... So if we still lose more experts, can we maintain the integrity of the state?" A woman asked Minos, causing many people to look at her with strange expressions, finding it hard to believe such courage.


    Minos smiled at that ally of the imperial family and said. "Miss Macy, I know well what I do in each of my acts. Look at my state. We only get stronger over time. I even have Spiritual Saints native to the northern region...


    Do you think I won''t be able to help the Flaming Empire just because of a few losses?"


    "No, I believe that the sect master can strengthen himself, but will the Flaming Empire depend on you from now on?"


    "The Flaming Empire has always been dependent on someone, Miss Macy. Or, by chance, is the help of the Flowers Kingdom nothing to you?"


    That woman frowned at those words.


    The Flowers Kingdom was the state with Spiritual Demigods that kept the Flaming Empire out of trouble with the other high-level states.


    Places like Albano and Rosser didn''t need it because of their geographical position. As for the northern region, this area was protected by the Church.


    In the past, Vogel and Blackrock had their own relations with other states with Spiritual Demigods in their ranks.


    With Vogel becoming part of the Black Plain, the protection of the Church had replaced the old agreements of that territory with the former state that they owed a number of responsibilities.


    Only Blackrock needed to pay the Evergreen Empire not to be threatened by experts above the 9th stage.


    So all low-level powers depended to some degree on higher forces, and Minos couldn''t take that person''s comment without speaking up.


    He continued. "In any case, I don''t intend to replace anyone. I will only help my allies, and whether you will need me depends more on you than on me...


    But depending on someone is better than having no one, right?


    That''s how it would be if Mortimer had won."


    That woman clenched her fists, not knowing what to say to this person who thought he was better than them.


    She had made the mistake of seeing him as someone only a little stronger than her but still as someone like them who would not go far in the future.


    That''s why it was harder for her to accept any kind of assistance from the Black Plain than from a state like the Flowers Kingdom.


    Somehow, depending on the Black Plain seemed wrong, while depending on the Flowers Kingdom seemed familiar and acceptable.


    Anyway, Minos paid no more attention to that person who wanted to find problems with what he planned and continued his conversations with the other specialists there.


    Surprisingly, those who remained neutral in the situation against Mortimer would be the most favorable to Minos, not his allies.


    "Sect master Stuart, it is not for nothing that the Black Plain has become such a rich and majestic state. With someone brilliant like you in leadership, only success could be at the head of that area!" A level 78 old fellow said, smiling as if Minos was his best friend.


    "Thank you for your words, sect master Watts." He thanked.


    Minos knew that people could be false and that man probably didn''t view him so favorably. But it was better to deal with someone able to bend and adapt quickly to the new times than with someone challenging to talk to, like the woman from earlier.


    That man then said. "My sect''s territory borders one of the sect master''s areas. So I believe we can do a lot of business in the future...


    But not only that, I have something that might be of interest to the sect master, haha."


    "Oh? What do you have in mind?"


    "I heard that sect master Stuart has dominated the Endless Snow Mountain Range area... I have something related to that place in my sect, haha.


    ? If you want, we can do business about it."


    Minos opened his eyes upon hearing that, surprised to hear about it in this place.


    ...

 Chapter 1520 Always Willing To Negotiate

    "What is it?" Minos asked, interested.


    That sect master then said, pleased to see the interest in the eyes of that man before him. "My sect is related to the Immemorial Graves Sect. Because of that, we have some ancient books, scrolls, techniques, and one of those prehistoric creatures in our area."


    "Oh? You are descendants of those people who escaped?" Minos felt surprised by this information, not expecting so casually to find such people so close to him.


    "Not exactly." That man answered sincerely. "In the remote past, my ancestors did some kind of business with a merchant family and got those books and techniques.


    But I don''t know whether those merchants were people related to Immemorial Graves Sect or not.


    As for the bones, we only understood what they were after we got those books. But they have always been in the territory that belongs to us today."


    Minos understood the situation and didn''t think it was bad. "So that''s it... Anyway, descendants or not, those bones and books in your domain interest me."


    "I figured they would interest..." That man said, pleased to have something of value to Minos.


    Those things were exciting, beautiful even, and had extreme power. But their usefulness was zero to that man''s organization since they didn''t know how to use the energy from those bones and wouldn''t dare trade with higher-level powers.


    That was not only because the books they had talked about the danger of letting those bones fall into the wrong hands but because trading with people much stronger than themselves was dangerous.


    What guarantee was there that they would get anything? What would prevent someone interested in those bones or the books from simply taking them and killing this man''s entire sect?


    The Spiritual World was dangerous, so experienced men like this sect master and his predecessors would not take unnecessary risks for something they didn''t even understand the value of.


    But upon finding out what Minos had recently done and using the information he already had about Emperor Stuart having dominated the Immemorial Graves Sect, this sect master wanted to use that to his advantage.


    Minos was not so strong that this man feared the same as if he were to try to negotiate with a high-level empire. At the same time, Emperor Stuart had a good history of someone fair in negotiations.


    Minos had already said he would not offensively punish those who remained neutral in the previous conflict, so the chances of this man getting a good deal out of this were not low.


    That''s why he was willing to reveal such information!


    "What does the sect master want to give me those things?" Minos got straight to the point, while some people in the vicinity paid attention to what they discussed.


    Most of these people had no idea what these skeletons or the Immemorial Graves Sect were. But upon noticing Minos'' attraction, those interested in approaching him started paying attention to what they were talking about.


    That man then said. "We can talk about it... But for now, I only hope that sect master Stuart can take my sect off his ''blacklist.''


    The rest we can talk about once the sect master visits the sect and understands what I have to offer."


    Minos did not find this man''s attempt to get along with this inappropriate.


    Naturally, anyone with good belongings had an extra chance of being forgiven for a crime!


    Minos could try to take these things by force from this person, but that would not only be bad for his image but also cause him to lose people, maybe even an entire organization, for something that could be negotiated.


    Emperor Stuart was someone who was almost always willing to do business, so he would not be against at least trying something like that with that man.


    If this sect master were greedy and asked for too much, things would get complicated. But Minos would agree to pay even high amounts to have the items discussed without fighting.


    "Hmm, very well. When I return to the Black Plain, I will pass at your sect to learn about these items." He said after thinking for a few moments, more or less knowing what skeletons might be in that sect''s area due to Henricus Longus'' memories.


    With that settled, that sect master bid Minos a relieved farewell, staying in that place to talk to the supreme elder Edwardstone and the princess later.


    After Minos talked with everyone there, those two would briefly talk with those individuals, then isolate themselves and decide on the appropriate punishments and compensations.


    Then Minos would finish speaking with each of the individuals who had made their organizations neutral in this conflict until he continued his conversations with those who had sided with Mortimer.


    He would have the elders of the Gray Clouds Sect apprehend the individuals who had acted against sect members for them to be subsequently punished. As for the others, they would not get any deal to alleviate their punishments, and later that day, they would have to hand over large sums of resources to Minos'' men.


    The imperial family would still punish them, so like the other individuals in that place, they would stay there, even though they might regret their wrong choices.


    ...


    Hours later...


    Minos was at the moment relaxing in a room of the imperial palace of the Edwardstone family next to Ruth and Gloria.


    He had finished attending to all the visitors who wanted to talk to him, ask forgiveness for their actions or choices, and even give him gifts.


    Many expected Minos to become the new emperor of this state, so he was treated as the imperial successor, not just the savior of the empire.


    Amidst this, his men were already collecting the compensation payments he had demanded from his enemies.


    The amounts and the items were not insignificant. With such amounts, to get an idea, one could finance the development from scratch of a high-level sect of this state!


    With the fine that Minos had demanded, he could buy land in the Flaming Empire as large as the area of Brown, build all the necessary infrastructure for a headquarters, and even hire all the required experts.


    At the same time, with the items his men were already receiving, Minos could not only pay for the men needed in an organization of this size, but he could also arm them!


    His earnings would be truly majestic in this state, something that would significantly benefit his empire, which was beginning to develop the areas of the ancient Wave, End, and Snow kingdoms, as well as Stone Island.


    The Spiritual Saints of the Gray Clouds Sect needed many resources when they were not in the Spatial Kingdom, and the Spiritual Emperors also needed opportunities.


    Minos had secured a few years of these opportunities for his force, even while ignoring the wealth-creation potential of his state.


    With that, he had taken a few hours to relax and prepare to do the pursuit he had in mind.


    His men were already investigating those trying to escape, and he was just waiting to go out and start a hunt!


    But this would not take long!


    ...

 Chapter 1521 Chance Of Survival

    On the same day that many powers of the Flaming Empire surrendered to the capital, Minos received word from his men at where he was resting beside his wives.


    "Your Majesty, we have identified some fugitives traveling south of the empire, heading toward the Flowers Kingdom." A member of the Gray Clouds Sect reported just after entering the place where Minos was sunbathing beside his wives near a swimming pool.


    Immediately upon hearing this, he frowned and lost the smile he had on his face. "Which force do they belong to?"


    "To one of the families of the Spiritual Palace Sect, Your Majesty."


    Hearing this, Minos stood up and began to dress.


    "Shall we go after this group?" Ruth questioned her husband, already standing up and putting on more appropriate clothes.


    "Hmm, there''s no reason we should free people who attacked us and chose to run away rather than pay penalties for their mistakes." Minos commented, more determined than he normally would be over something like this.


    He had learned well from the Abe Vogel situation that he could not allow fugitives or problems could return to him in the future.


    So with the information of the likely location of this fugitive group, it would not be Minos to forgive them!


    "But why would they head in the direction of the Flowers Kingdom? Are they crazy?" Ruth questioned.


    Gloria then said, already dressed in her red-gold armor. "That''s probably a group of women. For people like that, such a state is the safest for an escape like this.


    Not only would they have a chance to go to a place that Minos would have a problem chasing them, but they would also have a chance to reach a state friendly to them."


    The women with terrifying abilities from the Flowers Kingdom naturally had no interest in other women. As such, this was a safe place for women from all over the continent.


    It wasn''t necessarily a good place for frail women since that was a high-level kingdom. But it was a pretty quiet place for women with strength above the continent''s average, 6th stage.


    With Gloria''s answer, Ruth more or less understood the situation before that man from the Gray Clouds Sect confirmed that this was indeed the situation of this group.


    "Yes, only women are part of this group."


    With those words, Minos didn''t take long to leave, heading to where Little Green was in Payton.


    Then the group of three humans and a giant beast departed the capital, traveling at great speed to the south of the empire.


    ''I''ll take the opportunity that I''ll be passing near the headquarters of the Saints Killing Sect and finish that place off.'' Minos pondered as he felt the wind on his face, already distant from Payton.


    ...


    Meanwhile, on a floating island in a remote location in the Flaming Empire...


    Mortimer was in this secret outpost of his Saints Killing Sect being treated by the best doctors in his organization.


    After arriving at this place earlier, he had lost consciousness and was currently in a deep coma.


    The doctors at this place were at most level 75 and 76 individuals, so treating a level 80 Spiritual Sage was difficult for them. In this way, it would take some time before they could get enough to awaken their leader.


    Luckily for Mortimer, each of these people had contracts with him that forced them to stay and care for him without the slightest chance to rebel.


    He was a suspicious and careful man, so he had obviously demanded things of the sort from each of his subordinates.


    Hence, he was being treated in this place while the members of this sect slowly discovered everything that had happened in Payton during and after the battle.


    "What will happen to us?" One of the strongest elders over there asked his companion as the two took over that island''s surveillance.


    The level 76 man next to the one who asked the question sighed deeply and said. "If the sect master awakens, we can flee far away... There is no more hope for us to stay here.


    From what I''ve heard from the doctors, the sect master''s cultivation is partially crippled, and he can''t get any stronger...


    Amidst this, Minos is still free and well."


    It was obvious that Minos would continue to get stronger, and Mortimer would not even be able to escape in the future. Thus, all that was on that man''s mind was the chance to escape at least, who knows the luck to start a new life away from the empire.


    But to do this, they would have to wait for Mortimer''s awakening and this man''s decision!


    They didn''t know when this might happen, and even when it did, it would be unpredictable for them, who had no idea what Mortimer would choose to do.


    Meanwhile, the threat of Minos finding and exterminating them would scare them even in their dreams!


    "Hopefully, that damn thing will go to the Flowers Kingdom and stay there once and for all!"


    ...


    One day later...


    At an extreme point in the Flaming Empire, a group of women was camping on the banks of a lake while eating and resting.


    Several spiritual beasts were among these people, individuals between levels 58 and 76.


    They were members of one of the strongest families of the Spiritual Palace Sect, an organization that had chosen to run away from whatever Minos decided to do with the empire''s enemies.


    This sect had split into several groups to flee the empire, some going to the Flowers Kingdom, some to Mairin, and some to the Eastern Empire.


    The purpose of subdividing was to delay the actions of their potential persecutors and thus try to ensure the continuity of this organization.


    As for future revenge, nothing was planned, and that would be left for each succeeding group to decide for itself.


    From now on, they would only be survivors, not members of the glorious Spiritual Palace Sect.


    Knowing this, several women felt depressed as they rested, upset at their superiors'' mistake in siding with Mortimer instead of abstaining from the conflict.


    Others were already predicting their deaths, either to potential pursuers or the dangers they would have to face until they reached their destination.


    "Sigh... Where will we get to, big sister? Are we going to die?" A level 61 woman asked a level 70 woman while the many people in that group stood in various groups, murmuring.


    "If Minos Stuart catches up with us, we probably won''t be able to stand it..." That woman commented in a depressed manner.


    She had fought against people from the Gray Clouds Sect before fleeing after the news about Mortimer''s defeat. So she knew that if the enemy leader found them, he would show no mercy.


    "But we have a chance here. As long as we last two more days, we will reach the border with the Flowers Kingdom. After that, we''ll be safe." She smiled at her junior, knowing the dangers would be great, but the chances were not zero.


    "I hope so..."


    As this Spiritual Emperor said this, suddenly, a shadow approached their area, alerting everyone there.


    ...

 Chapter 1522 Time To Achieve Inner Peace

    While that group was resting on the banks of a lake, Little Green''s large body was slowly flying at this moment over the nearby area.


    Its great shadow was already almost on top of that group, so many women there realized that a high-level beast was approaching them.


    "All of you, in position!


    Possible enemies ahead approaching our location!" One of the strongest women in that group, level 76, loudly told them to gather in combat position.


    The weaker ones there were startled by that woman''s shout, feeling goose bumps on their bodies as they looked up into the sky to see the exquisite beast approaching them.


    That creature was so giant that it could even carry all of them on its back.


    At the same time, its level was robust, stronger than the most powerful one there.


    However, that was just a mount, as everyone there could see the shadow of three people on that creature.


    "I wonder who it is?" A woman at the 6th stage asked as she stood in a defensive position, along with her weaker companions.


    "My children, do not despair." The strongest woman there said in a tone marked by vicissitude, trying to appease their hearts. "Soon, we will all be together in a better place...


    The one approaching us cannot be stopped, so prepare yourselves.


    Let go of all your regrets, for we cannot escape from here."


    Gulp!


    At these words, the weaker ones mentally shed tears without struggling, while the stronger ones clenched their fists, feeling the end approaching.


    They were innocent for the most part. But against Minos, they had nothing to argue with and, worse, no chance of survival.


    So they could only lament their imminent death!


    "Tsk!


    Damn it! We were so close!" A level 70 woman could not contain her emotions and cursed, extremely sorry.


    Meanwhile, a few of them felt that this moment would come sooner or later, so this situation was not at all surprising to them.


    In this situation, some could even demonstrate peace of mind, preparing to end their journeys through this fantastic world.


    ''Time to meet my family again...'' One of them closed her eyes as the faces of Minos, Ruth, and Gloria appeared to the others.


    When the three of them came across the group of fugitives they were searching for, Minos placed one of his hands on Ruth''s left shoulder and said. "I will leave the situation here for you to decide. I will only assist you in your decision."


    Gloria looked at Ruth and saw that her harem sister seemed convinced of what she should do...


    Kill all those people!


    Only women were in that group, besides the beasts, of course. But these were enemies on the run, not people migrating from one place to another without making any mistakes or a complicated history.


    These were potential individuals to become terrorists, like Abe Vogel!


    They had to be ruthless and kill even low-level people to prevent the same mistake, or rather a failure, from being repeated.


    Ruth then floated to the front of her family, leaving Little Green''s back. "Members of the Spiritual Palace Sect, you should have surrendered to the imperial forces in Payton... That was the only chance you had.


    But by choosing to flee, there is nothing to be questioned. You are traitors to the empire, potential enemy seeds.


    We cannot let you go ahead with your plans. Surrender now, and I will guarantee painless deaths."


    The strongest ones there felt humiliated that Minos would not do the dirty work, leaving it to his poor wife.


    They didn''t know how strong Ruth could be, so this was terrible for them.


    These people didn''t want to die, but if it was going to happen, they would rather it be at the hands of Minos, a monster without equality!


    Meanwhile, Minos watched his wife handle the situation, liking to see that, although she didn''t like it, Ruth understood what was needed for peace to happen.


    ''I''ll lower the cultivation level of those three women and promote Ruth''s level a bit...'' Minos thought about this as he prepared to move.


    He knew that Ruth could beat most of those people by herself. But without some help, the battle would take too long, and she could still get seriously injured.


    Her combat proficiency was not as high as his since, as much as she had several Golden-grade techniques, her innate ability did not give her an abnormally energy-rich cultivation level. So Ruth''s strength limit, just as Abby''s would be when she advanced a stage, was not the same as Minos''.


    This emperor knew this best, and upon seeing the ugly expressions of the enemies, he promptly jumped off Little Green''s back to approach the enemies.


    One of the women there, who was not so at peace with her own end, then asked him. "Minos, will you let your wife do your dirty work for you? Maybe you don''t have the balls necessary to kill women?"


    "You are mistaken. I just left your fate under my wife''s decision. If she wanted to forgive you, I would allow that, even against my will." Minos said, making some women look even more hatefully at Ruth.


    Ruth clenched her fists as she noticed an increase in the spirits of her enemies, but she did not back down, nor did she change her mind. A good enemy was one who was dead!


    Hence, she soon made the first move of the fight, flying towards the strongest enemies.


    Minos saw this and immediately acted against the three level 76 women there, causing their cultivation to decrease to level 75.


    Meanwhile, he used these stolen cultivation bases to raise his own strength to level 72 and that of his wife to the same level.


    Minos could only give one cultivation level to each person he decided to help with his innate ability. Only he could get a higher bonus.


    With that, to avoid unnecessary danger, he took the opportunity to steal the levels of more opponents just to raise his own strength.


    Meanwhile, Ruth sensed the powerful ability of Minos'' Saint-grade Physique and attacked with great power in the direction of the most powerful enemies.


    At that moment, she could be considered the strongest among all those people about to fight. As such, when lightning broke from her fists and struck one of the now level 75 women, that person was thrown against the ground, feeling great pain.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    Ruth''s blow had been stronger than that person could handle unharmed, so in addition to seriously injuring an opponent, it generated enough strong remnant attacks to ruin several of the weaker women there.


    Just the clash of that Spiritual Saint''s body with the ground had caused rocks to fly into the surroundings, striking the Spiritual Kings there mercilessly.


    With that, the battle began, and as the stronger ones began to fight Ruth, the weaker ones tried desperately to run or fly away.


    Their chances there would be zero, but as a survival instinct, the weaker ones could only try to run away!


    ...

 Chapter 1523 Fusion

    With her first attack, Ruth severely wounded one of the three women now at level 75 while eliminating more than 30 other people of lower levels.


    But since her goal was extermination, she didn''t stop her movements. Instead, she aimed at another of those stronger women in the area, making her Soul Avatar punch in their direction.


    Ruth had specialized in close combat, so several of her techniques were related to her fists, and she was very agile, moving and also dodging.


    Because of this, while being attacked by the more desperate women, she easily dodged most of the blows before punching the face of another level 75 cultivator.


    "Ouch!"


    That person couldn''t defend herself well and felt Ruth''s powerful fist slowly crack her soul-projection face.


    Crack!


    But that would not last long. Being so close to that person, Ruth took advantage of the moment and turned her body around, aiming a kick toward where that person''s meaty body was.


    The specialists in the surrounding area saw this and became concerned but could do nothing but scream in worry.


    Pow!


    When a part of Ruth''s spiritual legs hit her target, that body that had begun to crack in the face became totally broken.


    Then, as it flew backward due to the momentum gained, that thing exploded, unprotecting that woman''s fleshy body.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    "Bastard!" The third strongest woman there screamed in anger at the sight of that, feeling that her senior might die from that attack!


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    More screams spread to the surroundings as debris and remaining blows took the lives of the weaker women in the surroundings, who, even on the run, would meet no fate other than death.


    Minos wasn''t even having to worry about keeping the women trying to escape nearby so as not to allow any successful escapes. Ruth handled these women with relative ease, even though she was alone against many of them!


    Fists of Pain: Multiple Punches!


    Ruth then positioned her two clasped hands against each other, with the bones of her four fingers on each hand pressed together.


    At the same time as this, she activated another of her offensive techniques, causing blue lightning to appear in her surroundings.


    Fists of Thunder: Multiple Punches!


    Ruth then activated two techniques in combination, fusing them in the blink of an eye. At the same time, the effects of this powerful fusion, capable of even eliminating level 77 Spiritual Saints, showed themselves.


    In that instant, dozens of fists, the size of houses, formed in the surroundings of Ruth''s Soul Avatar as they glowed brightly as if cracks in her fingers were pulsing.


    However, those were not cracks, but lightning contained within those fists, growing stronger as the Natural Laws concerning this in the surroundings merged with Ruth''s will.


    Following the formation of the many fists, they began to fall over that area, like rain about to flood an entire area.


    Unluckily for the people in the surrounding area, the ones who would be ''flooded'' would be them!


    Pow!


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    ...


    Pow!


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    Screams and more screams spread to the surroundings of that lake, with the stronger ones suffering from this attack that broke most of their bones, leaving them ready to die but still with a few gasps.


    As for the weaker ones, all their organs were totally obliterated the moment they were hit, so they didn''t make any sound when Ruth''s fists hit them.


    They would only lose consciousness at first and then be totally crushed against the ground when the fists would press them against the adjacent ground.


    The stronger ones, still alive, would suffer considerably from these ends, being further injured and unable to continue in this battle.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    But some of them were strong enough to suffer in pain for a few moments longer, just to witness that area now destroyed and littered with the remains of their sect members and even family.


    "Ahhhhhhhh! cursed Minos, cursed Ruth Miles!" One of the level 75 women, still conscious enough to speak, but destined for death because of her injuries, screamed wildly, crying tears of blood.


    "Die!" She said in utter desolation as she burned what was left of her soul to begin the sacrifice.


    Minos saw that and did not move from in front of Little Green and Gloria, leaving Ruth to resolve this situation alone.


    But as someone intelligent, he wouldn''t waste all the power that woman wanted to throw away...


    So immediately, Minos placed the black hole that had absorbed part of Mortimer in front of him and prepared to witness the sacrifice of that initially level 76 woman.


    Ruth realized the problem and promptly activated her defensive technical, Nothingness.


    Ka-Boooom!


    In the blink of an eye, the body of that woman, who looked young despite her age, aged to look like a mummy. Then a ball of dark energy that had formed in front of her glowed until it exploded!


    The explosion was powerful, causing the air to be dragged in such a way that it could easily devastate that entire forest if nothing stopped it.


    The explosion was also quite powerful, and by the time it happened, nothing within a 200-meter radius of its focus except Ruth had evaporated in a single instant.


    Luckily, Ruth''s technique could temporarily negate the material characteristic of her body, making her invulnerable to physical attacks for a few seconds!


    But that woman''s sacrifice would be totally in vain. With Minos in that place, as soon as he realized that his wife had gotten rid of the worst of it with ease, he immediately let the black hole he was carrying suck up all that energy.


    With his movement, before that explosion reached the entire lake and destroyed everything for tens of kilometers, it was swallowed up by that powerful region of space.


    "Sigh... They all died." Gloria sighed as she noticed the bodies not degraded by the earlier explosion, feeling no more signs of life among the women from earlier.


    Only a few beasts that had not fought for fear of the worst remained alive in the area.


    Although these beasts were also members of that sect, such beings historically were more easily controlled by a war winner than humans.


    Beasts were usually loyal to their masters when they had one. But often, these creatures could live much longer than humans. So, they became mounts for descendants or protectors of their masters'' organizations after their masters'' deaths.


    This job was also something that beasts would strive to honor, but their loyalty would not be so solid.


    Some would not even honor anything when their masters died. Instead, they would just promise not to harm their masters'' descendants or even the organization.


    So in this situation, most of them did not fight and submitted to Minos and his women at the end of this confrontation.


    With that settled, seeing Minos storing the black hole back in a mirrored device, Little Green approached him while Ruth and Gloria went to collect the resources from those people.


    "Where do we go now?" Little Green asked.


    "We''re going to the headquarters of the Saints Killing Sect while we wait for the likely location of the other fugitives," Minos said.

 Chapter 1524 Quick Destruction

    After Minos decided to head to the headquarters of the Saints Killing Sect, his wives finished collecting the items from the bodies in that area and gave them to the black hole.


    If those were Spiritual Saints, Ruth and Gloria would have kept those bodies in their spatial rings to bury them in the Black Plain Empire.


    There were many spiritual roots in that area that needed ''fertilizer'' to recover a bit!


    Unfortunately, those were the bodies of Spiritual Emperors and Spiritual Kings. So their value was small, and the two women simply chose to let those bodies integrate Minos'' powerful black hole.


    With that, Minos and his wives overpowered all the surviving beasts, giving them a chance to either surrender and become part of the Black Plain Empire or die.


    They all chose the first option, and soon Minos tasked Little Green with escorting all these creatures to its master''s territory.


    First, this beast would take Minos and his wives to the nearby Saints Killing Sect headquarters, and only then would he make this journey.


    With that, they went to the outskirts of the area previously filled with Saints Killing Sect experts alongside several weaker beasts.


    ...


    After 3 hours of travel, Minos and his group arrived at the location of the enemy headquarters, where he had come once in the past when he made that organization surrender to the Gray Clouds Sect.


    But this time, instead of a place full of Spiritual Saints, Minos, and his wives found an area almost abandoned by these experts.


    There were people there, Spiritual Emperors and individuals of lower stages. But not even a single Spiritual Saint was anywhere near this formerly important place.


    They also noticed that the place was still partially destroyed by the Black Hole Bomb that had traversed space and caused chaos in this sect.


    "It seems that Mortimer abandoned this place years ago." Gloria said to her fellow travelers.


    "Hmm, they didn''t even try to rebuild their own main base..." Ruth looked at the people in the area, members of that sect who had been left there to maintain a presence in this place.


    These were the sacrifices that Mortimer had chosen for his organization to hide their tracks and make it look like this place was still used by him. But in fact, the core of this force was now far away, in a place that only those who were there knew about.


    Minos then said. "There must be nothing of value here..."


    So he made his black hole again show itself, intending to make quick and clean work of that place.


    The beasts in the surroundings saw that and remembered that the dark thing could even contain the sacrifice of a level 76 Spiritual Saint.


    So each of them retreated a little, afraid they would be eliminated just by being nearby.


    As they did so, they saw Minos hurling such a thing against that floating island in front of them, putting everyone in that place under the threat of destruction without even trying to talk.


    The two sides had already identified themselves, and Mortimer''s men in that place were prepared to die.


    So without much ado, they faced their end, with Minos eliminating them without blinking, only interested in wiping out the enemies before them.


    Those people were irrelevant to the current him. But that was still the official headquarters of the Saints Killing Sect.


    It carried too much weight for him to eliminate that place and everyone there, so he didn''t fail to act in this part of the Flaming Empire!


    Thus, in a matter of minutes, the entire mass of that floating island was devoured by Minos'' black hole.


    That region of space had evolved some more, and on top of the improvements it had had since the battle against Mortimer, and was now so strong as to threaten level 81 cultivators!


    Minos could barely control such a thing at his current level and quickly stored it in the high-level grade-3 array he had to contain the power of such a thing.


    At a distance from them, a man hiding under the gaps in space was containing all his fluctuations so as not to draw Minos'' attention.


    ''That thing is too powerful... If he loses control of that array, even I won''t be able to escape in time.'' This level 80 Spiritual Sage of the Eastern Empire thought to himself, prepared to open a wormhole and escape any moment now.


    He had been living under a lot of stress recently, afraid of having his life threatened just by being near Minos!


    But as long as his leaders didn''t order him to change his strategy, he kept doing his job of observation.


    ''They have to send someone stronger... I can''t go on with this job anymore.'' This man thought to himself as he watched Minos saying goodbye to Little Green.


    In sequence, all the beasts near Minos and his wives departed that area, heading towards the Black Plain Empire, with Little Green, level 76, leading the way.


    Minos and his wives didn''t stay in that area much longer and soon set off toward the west, where they knew more fugitives might be passing through.


    ...


    One week later...


    After they destroyed the headquarters of the Saints Killing Sect, Minos'' family faced three more groups of fugitives, all members of the Spiritual Palace Sect.


    They naturally exterminated these groups, with Minos always allowing his women to do the dirty work and train their skills to the best of their abilities.


    In ordinary training, a cultivator would never test their full capabilities because to do so, they would have to use lethal force, which was usually difficult to use against friends or loved ones.


    Even when someone trained with another stronger than themselves, it was tricky to use all of themselves.


    So Minos made Ruth fight again with his help of raising her cultivation a bit and set Gloria to exterminate the two remaining groups.


    These were more powerful groups, with even level 78 Spiritual Saints, so naturally, he couldn''t let Abby fight alone.


    They had all fought quite a lot in those days, eliminated more than 600 people together, and obtained a lot of Spiritual Saints'' bodies to nurture spiritual roots.


    They also collected many spatial rings with relevant resources and subdued more spiritual beasts.


    Meanwhile, Minos was aware that someone was watching him, so they hadn''t gone to the Spatial Kingdom a single time in these days, therefore not knowing Abby''s situation.


    Amidst all this, they received notification from the men of the Gray Clouds Sect about the probable position of more fugitives!


    But this time, it was not about small individuals fleeing, but the strongest elders of that sect and families moving on the run into Mairin territory.


    This group fled through an area where the borders of four states were. Those were the Flowers Kingdom, Flaming Empire, Mairin, and the kingdom north of this state.


    As such, it was a complicated region, surrounded by border posts of each of the sovereign families of these states!


    "It looks like we will have some problems..." Minos commented to his wives before leaving for an area not far from his current position.


    So, as he headed there with them, the overpowered beasts were already heading for the Black Plain under the command of a powerful beast that Minos had subdued in a nearby forest.

 Chapter 1525 Without Hope

    Two days later...


    Minos and his wives were at this moment in the vicinity of the Flaming Empire''s border with three high-level states.


    There, they had already felt the presence of several high-level Spiritual Sages, the strongest people Minos had ever felt in his vicinity.


    But not only him, Ruth and Gloria had also never been in a place with the presence of Spiritual Sages at levels 87, 88, and 89. So upon arriving in that area, the three were careful while chasing their targets.


    The level 80 Spiritual Sage himself was cautiously following their group from afar.


    The position of the family he belonged to was higher than those bordering that area. But he was only a small person in the Travisani family, and no post of that force was around.


    Hence, he had to be careful too, or he could end up in serious trouble!


    Meanwhile, the people from the Spiritual Palace Sect fleeing Minos had already realized he was nearby and were hurrying to cross one of those borders.


    The guards of the kingdoms neighboring the Flaming Empire in that area would not stop any of them from entering their state. But from those areas, they might run into 9th-stage beasts, which would be dangerous for them, but perhaps their only chance to escape Minos.


    Thus, they were flying with everything they had, without much care, while being watched by Minos, his wives, and the various observers from that quadruple border.


    Because of this, the observers from three states had already realized what was happening!


    Only the staff of the Flaming Empire were not there to notice the situation due to the hard times that had caused the imperial family to call everyone back to the core of the state.


    "A chase?" A guard on the Mairin border side looked toward the two groups and frowned. "But why is the weaker side chasing, the stronger one?"


    "It''s strange, really..." A level 87 individual said, looking in the direction of the two women and a man flying at full speed toward the group of hundreds of people ahead. ''What''s going on here?''


    On the other hand, in the Flowers Kingdom area on that border, the post experts more or less understood the situation.


    "That must be Minos Stuart..." A woman over 2 meters tall, muscular, and level 88, commented to her companions as she identified the queen''s target.


    "Is he chasing these people? Has he reached the level of fighting capable of scaring even people at that level?" One of them questioned, astonished to see a low-level Spiritual Saint chasing after high-level Spiritual Saints.


    "That must be the case... Perhaps Minos hasn''t shown his full abilities in the last demonstrations of power." The area leader, level 89, commented on the latest information they had.


    None of them knew about the attack that Mortimer had made on the capital of the Flaming Empire. As such, they were in the dark about Minos'' full capabilities.


    Because of this, they thought he was not strong enough to pursue a group as powerful as that and were naturally surprised to see this pursuit happen.


    "I wonder what happened in this state? Those are men from one of the eight major sects." The same woman from before said. "Minos rebelled against the imperial forces?"


    However, even though the Flowers Kingdom had an obligation to protect the Flaming Empire from attacks from forces more powerful than the 8th stage, it was not their duty to defend this state from Minos-level threats. So they didn''t move just for the sake of this pursuit, holding their positions to observe what would happen.


    If Minos went towards the territory of the Flowers Kingdom, they would immediately arrest him and send him to the capital!


    Minos noticed the many glances in his direction and watched for the side of the border with the Flowers Kingdom.


    He was not afraid of those women''s games, but it was better not to get involved with them now, with Mortimer''s situation still fresh.


    He looked at his wives and said. "Stand back. I''m going to end all this in one move."


    As they heard that, Ruth and Gloria saw Minos pick up a mirrored sphere and understood that he planned to use his Black Hole Bomb there.


    "Is it worth doing that?" Ruth asked, considering they could destroy these people without wasting something so powerful.


    Gloria also wanted to know the same, so Minos answered them both. "That place is hazardous. All it takes is the will of one of those people in the area for us to be seized and separated.


    So if I show my skills, besides running the risk of unwittingly falling into those women''s territory, the others in the surroundings may be interested in acting against me.


    To avoid that and end those people''s chances of survival, I want to use my mass destruction weapon."


    "But that in itself will make them interested in us." Gloria commented.


    "But without the Black Hole Bomb, we can teleport far away, and it just reveals that I have a powerful device. None of these people, other than those who already know what I am capable of, know I can develop it from scratch." Minos said, knowing that the women of the Flowers Kingdom probably knew about him because of Harold.


    As for the others, even if he didn''t hide his ability to create black holes, those were people from distant forces, men who stayed on the border and had a harder time receiving certain information.


    He thought he would attract less attention using a weapon than his own powers!


    Ruth and Gloria understood Minos'' logic and backed away immediately after his words, feeling that the result of his action would be the least bad of all.


    Sensing them staying within his safety margin, Minos stopped controlling the device in his hands and made his Soul Avatar appear.


    When his 8th technique emerged, Minos used much of the free energy in the surroundings and hurled that thing toward the fleeing enemies.


    "Die, traitors of the empire!" He shouted along with his movement, just to assure observers that he was doing this against enemies of the empire, not protectors.


    Everyone realized the power of the thing Minos had thrown in the direction of the hundreds of fleeing people, with many frowning.


    The black hole in that bomb was already capable of threatening the lives of level 81 Spiritual Sages. Still, the Black Hole Bomb could increase the destructive effects of what was inside it. As such, the many Spiritual Sages noticed powerful fluctuations departing from that object flying at extremely high speed, enough to threaten even level 83 cultivators!


    "Unbelievable!"


    "He reached that point?" The women of the Flowers Kingdom wondered.


    Meanwhile, the other observers in the area were impressed by the power of that level 70 man''s weapon, which they didn''t recognize, wondering who Minos was.


    Minos was already fleeing when the fleeing individuals swallowed their saliva in fear as they witnessed what was coming at them!


    "Oh, shit..." A level 78 Spiritual Saint shouted upon seeing that shiny thing too close to where they were standing.


    Then...


    KA-BOOOOOOOOOM!


    ...

 Chapter 1526 Back To Payton

    In the blink of an eye, the Black Hole Bomb exploded with its full force, making everything up to 5 kilometers away from it evaporate as if they were nothing close to its greatness.


    Mighty winds would spread along with earthquakes, threatening the nearby structures and living beings without distinguishing anyone.


    Amidst this, most individuals from the Spiritual Palace Sect didn''t even have the chance to notice their end when their bodies and souls had been obliterated.


    Even the strongest Spiritual Saint in that group, watching that thing in the split second before the explosion, only saw a glow and then disappeared from the Spiritual World.


    Along with all this, Minos used all his abilities to fly away as quickly as possible, reaching his wives and preparing to teleport away.


    There would be no reason for them to stay around after this act, not only because of the risk of being hurt by the remaining power of that weapon but because of the many specialists in the surrounding area.


    Once he reached a safe zone for him to teleport them all without risking causing what had happened in the past to the headquarters of the Saints Killing Sect, Minos activated the teleportation array.


    "What?"


    "How could it be?"


    "Damn, the wretch is the hit-and-run type!"


    Several Spiritual Sages saw that and clenched their fists, knowing that if they didn''t act, the borders of their states would be damaged by Minos'' weapon.


    Then the strongest on the border of those three states moved, each displaying their Soul Avatars as they condensed spiritual energy into grandiose barriers.


    They did this alongside their rank mates, producing a great wall of spiritual energy around that explosion, which was trying to spread out in all directions.


    With this move, they promptly prevented the structures and personnel of their outposts from suffering from Minos'' movement, allowing the power of that attack to spread only to the skies and the area of the Flaming Empire.


    As they saw the destruction that Minos was capable of causing, those people looked to where he had fled, sighing.


    ''The bastard solved his problem pretty quickly, uh?'' One of the women from the Flowers Kingdom laughed, sensing that Minos was afraid of them.


    With that, those who didn''t know Minos before that day at these border posts would get to know him very soon!


    ...


    As another volcanic region appeared in the Flaming Empire, a spatial crack opened up over the vicinity of Payton, where Minos had positioned one of his teleportation arrays.


    Immediately after this crack appeared, Minos and his two wives passed through it, with them still in the form of their Soul Avatars.


    Because of this, Minos promptly utilized his spatial control abilities and used his projection to forcefully close the spatial crack behind his back to avoid trouble.


    Ruth and Gloria were also in that form at the moment, but both were under his arms, as they had been caught like that before their departure.


    But it wouldn''t be long before Minos left them, finally sighing in relief when the spatial crack was gone, and the danger had been resolved.


    "Sigh... We''re finally here." Minos smiled at his wives, feeling the good feeling that would come after a victory.


    Not only had they defeated the enemies in that border area, but they had also solved the whole problem of the fugitives, eliminating all the relevant people from the Spiritual Palace Sect!


    As such, Minos would no longer have to go out chasing anyone for the next few days and could be a little more at ease during his stay in Payton.


    "Yes..." Ruth took a calmer breath before asking. "What will we do now?"


    "First, we go to the Spatial Kingdom," Minos said as he hugged the waists of the two. "Now that we have escaped from that place in such a way, we are not being watched by that Spiritual Sage from the Eastern Empire."


    "But what if he comes here and realizes we are nowhere to be seen?" Gloria asked.


    Spiritual Sages could read spatial cracks to identify where people using teleportation or wormholes had gone. So Gloria was naturally concerned about that man arriving and none of them being around.


    Minos answered his wife before leaving with them for the Spatial Kingdom. "That''s not possible. He would have to read the spatial crack in that area to find out exactly where we are. But how would he do that with such calamity ravaging that place?


    Besides, even if he got here by luck, he couldn''t tell where we came from. He would only perceive that we went somewhere else before returning.


    There are no dangers."


    The Spatial Kingdom could be perceived if Minos went there under the watch of a Spiritual Sage or someone stronger because, during the ''opening'' of the crack that would take him there, some of the energy of that place would escape.


    But when opening the crack from there to the outside, that is, from the Spatial Kingdom to the outside world, the same would not happen because arrays in that space prevented energy loss in travel from inside to outside.


    The same was impossible to do because, unlike the other powers with these regions of space, Minos did not have a fixed access point to his cultivation sanctuary but a mobile teleportation array.


    That was more convenient for him but had its disadvantages...


    Anyway, knowing that he would not run any risks, Minos left for the Spatial Kingdom with his two women!


    ...


    Upon arriving inside the Spatial Kingdom, Minos, Ruth, and Gloria, were confronted with the many people living there.


    The Elite Squad soldiers and their instructors were training in one corner of that area. At the same time, the beasts rested or ate near the bones of the giant skeleton.


    Sarah was near the lake house with some of her teachers while the members of the Gray Clouds Sect were cultivating or training their techniques in the appropriate areas for this.


    Among all these beings, Emlyn, still at level 69, watched the crops there, taking care that no one damaged the valuable Saint and Divine-grade plants.


    But as they probed the spiritual fluctuations in the surroundings, Minos and his two wives soon noticed a new level 70 aura in this place!


    "Abby!" Ruth exclaimed as she realized this, noticing that her harem sister had finally advanced a stage.


    Minos smiled as he realized the level of his empress, noting that Abby had probably already learned her 8th technique from the solidity of her aura.


    ''She must have learned one of the techniques the Goddess of Life left for her.'' He thought, remembering that such an expert had left two Golden-grade techniques for Abby, which could be fused and allow this woman to control some of that expert''s powers.


    p¨¤§ád¨¢-¨¾?¦Í¨º¦É.§ã¨®§® Minos knew these were not bad techniques, so he was not disappointed in his wife choosing one of these over the ones he had with him.


    The three of them walked to Abby''s side, quickly congratulating her as they hugged her, happy that she had reached this level.


    After that, they would stay by Sarah''s side for a few minutes before returning all five of them together to that place near Payton.


    It was time for them to go to the imperial palace to report the updates. At the same time, Sarah and Gloria would have a chance to see their family again!


    ...

 Chapter 1527 Punishments

    After arriving in Payton without noticing their presence by the Spiritual Sage of the Eastern Empire, Minos'' group quickly made their way to the core of that city.


    Upon arriving in the central square of the capital of the Flaming Empire, Gloria, Ruth, and Sarah headed toward the Spiritual Church temple, going to see Margot and Joseph Frost.


    At the same time, Minos and Abby headed together to the imperial palace, where he had business to attend to but also where he would have the opportunity to ''rest'' next to his wife.


    When they arrived at that place, the two promptly caught the attention of the people in the surroundings since Abby had not been with Minos before and was now at level 70.


    The Empress of the Black Plain didn''t have a significant age difference with Minos, so her reaching level 70 just months after he was impressive!


    In any case, with Abby''s resources and talent, she didn''t have such a lower cultivation speed than him, so the difference between the two hadn''t grown significantly yet.


    When they entered the imperial palace, they immediately went to where Isabella was, ignoring the imperial guards trying to take them to the old supreme elder.


    Minos had already told them not to do this. Still, some of the imperial guards didn''t know this and naturally tried to notify him about this once again.


    The old supreme elder of the Edwardstone family was aware of all Minos'' recent actions and was naturally concerned, wanting to talk to him.


    Minos had expected this but didn''t want to talk to the man, leaving it to Isabella, someone who knew how to handle things in the way that mattered most to him.


    With that, he was soon in the redheaded woman''s office, explaining himself in front of several elders standing next to her.


    "Well, I''m back from my persecution days." Minos explained as Abby stood beside him, already aware of all that had happened in the months she had been secluded in the Spatial Kingdom.


    "Are you just going to say that?" Isabella questioned him, but without being irritated.


    "The Spiritual Palace Sect committed crimes that perhaps this family would not punish with extermination, but they decided to flee rather than opt for the chance of mercy from this imperial house.


    In this case, they would become stray enemies, who could at any time in the future become opponents of the Flaming Empire, in the worst case, even terrorists like Abe Vogel.


    So I did what had to be done. Since they no longer wanted to be members of the Empire, I eliminated them for the good of everyone here."


    The elders there listened to Minos'' words in silence, still ignorant of how this guy had dealt with all the groups he and his wives had persecuted.


    Minos had just eliminated the remaining leaders of that organization by activating one of his weapons of mass destruction. So it would take at least a few days before the news reached Payton and shocked those people entirely.


    Because of this, some accepted the problem more easily than others, feeling that it was the best thing for the family.


    If those people from the Spiritual Palace Sect had stayed, they wouldn''t have wanted the end of such a powerful organization, even considering the recent enmity. But since those enemies decided to leave the state, their existence would no longer make any positive differences, only negative ones for the state of Isabella.


    In this case, it was really better to exterminate them!


    "So you dealt with all of them?" Isabella asked.


    p¨¤§ád¨¢-¨¾?¦Í¨º¦É.§ã¨®§® "Hmmm, everyone who tried to escape and did not attend the previous occasion is dead." Minos said with a smile on his face, indicating that there were no more concerns regarding these people.


    "Very well, with that matter resolved, I believe the state can slowly return to normalcy..." Isabella commented after a long sigh, feeling that she could finally have some peace. "We haven''t stood still for the past few days either. The supreme elder and I have presented the punishments to each of my state''s forces, and they have already accepted our decisions and have slowly begun to fulfill our demands."


    "Is that so?" Minos asked before some elders explained how the supreme elder and Isabella had decided to deal with the powers that had previously betrayed or abandoned them.


    Those who betrayed them would lose all their rights regarding ownership of areas and cities in the Flaming Empire. They would not be destroyed but would become sovereigns of their headquarters only.


    Outside the boundaries of these posts, other powers would take over the role of sovereignty and governance of the cities and territories previously under the rule of these organizations.


    On the other hand, in addition to heavy fines, almost as large as those levied by Minos, experts above level 77 would have to surrender to the imperial family to have their cultivation sealed. In sequence, these people would be arrested and have to serve their sentences in isolation for the next 200 years!


    The powers that only denied helping the imperial family would not lose their lands entirely. Still, they would lose the best areas of their territories and tax rights and be barred from doing business outside the empire.


    They would also be punished similarly to the organizations that sided with Mortimer regarding the status of their high-level members and the payment of fines.


    The difference was that these organizations would pay lower fines and would be without their strongest elders for a shorter amount of time.


    Only the sect that was related to the Immemorial Graves Sect had gotten rid of almost all of these punishments because of a request from Minos for the imperial family not to take it too hard on them.


    But they would still have to pay fines and have parts of their tax rights reduced.


    Minos heard all this and felt the measures were appropriate.


    "Well, with that decided, I believe the empire will return to ''normalcy'' after a few weeks." He said, knowing that it would be impossible for this state to return to its normal quickly.


    But at least peace and tranquility could be achieved in a few weeks.


    Mortimer was still alive, and that was a danger. But the way that man must have been, Minos was sure that the danger would be small if the imperial family returned to dominate all the organizations in this state.


    After all, with all the organizations on their side obeying them, it would be relatively calm for the members of the imperial family to at least protect themselves.


    They could not eliminate Mortimer alone, but they could have the peace of mind of knowing that such a man would not be able to dethrone them.


    "Hmm, I hope so." Isabella commented as she looked at Abby, curious about when this woman had joined Minos in the empire. But she first asked. "How long do you intend to remain in the empire?"


    "Until the organizations punished start complying with all the agreements..." He replied as he thought better of it. "Probably about 2 or 3 months. After that, I will return to my state to prepare for my departure to the Flowers Kingdom."

 Chapter 1528 Return To The Black Plain

    After Minos'' conversation with Isabella, he took some time off from his recent pursuit of the previous quadrupedal frontier, going with Abby to where he normally stayed in this palace.


    While he was resting, the supreme elder learned about Minos'' return and this emperor''s most recent exploits.


    As such, he was furious about Minos'' actions against the powers of this state without first consulting him.


    But the Gray Cloud Sect''s elders prevented him from seeing Minos, leaving him to go to Isabella to complain about how lenient she was towards that individual.


    Minos deserved the right to speak and could even decide some things for the empire without asking for permission. The supreme elder saw it this way since this state was only still ruled by the Edwardstone family because of such a person. But this did not give him the right to do anything he wanted.


    Minos had to be limited and understand that his interests had to match those of the imperial family in this state, not the other way around.


    But the old regent would only hear things that would displease him when he went to talk to Isabella and the rest of the high-ranking elders of the imperial family.


    Most of the powerful people within this house were slowly distancing themselves from the regent because he repeatedly stood against Minos, even when the empire was already significantly dependent on this individual.


    As such, many already dared to speak out about how they thought his ideas did not seem the best for the family, supporting Minos since, besides being powerful, he would probably become the husband of the future empress.


    ...


    While the supreme elder was feeling the changes of time, Ruth, Gloria, and Sarah were at this moment in the central part of the Temple of Payton with the grandparents of this young girl.


    "Oh, Sarah, how you have grown!" Margot hugged her granddaughter tightly, crushing this young redhead''s cheeks against one of her breasts.


    Joseph stood beside the two, seeing how much his granddaughter had grown since he had last seen her.


    "In a little while, little Sarah will begin to cultivate." He said with a satisfied smile on his face. "Have you decided what technique she will use when that happens, Gloria? How about handing her over to me to train her inside the Church?"


    "Father, you know Minos won''t allow that..." Gloria said, tired of talking about this with her old man.


    They wanted Sarah to become a warrior of the Church. Still, Minos wanted his daughter to be a cultivator for the Stuart family, perhaps the protector of their territory in his absence.


    So he naturally wanted her to walk the same path as his and had even planned to let her cultivate the same techniques he had been training since his beginnings in cultivation.


    Joseph knew of Minos'' intentions, but he always insisted since his first granddaughter deserved to be spoiled by him and to receive the best possible resources.


    The Black Plain had evolved quite a bit over time, but would this territory reach the level of the Spiritual Church someday? He didn''t believe that and had it in his mind that Sarah might have a more promising future within that organization.


    Margot agreed with that and said. "Sarah, what do you want?


    Why don''t you ask your parents to stay with us and join the Church? Then, grandma will be able to see you daily, and I''ll buy lots of things for you."


    Sarah was already pretty smart and said. "No, grandma. I want to serve the Black Plain Empire and help dad and mom strengthen our state."


    "What? You?" Joseph said. "Sarah, leave that to Minos and Gloria. You can enjoy your life and become an expert away from home. It''s the best thing for your future."


    "No, grandpa. I want to become just like dad in the future. If I stay on the Black Plain, I will do amazing things like he always did." She said with her little eyes shining. "One day, I will be respected like my dad is!"


    Minos was the person Sarah liked the most after her mother, but she still admired him more than Gloria. As such, she did not wish to become part of the Church but rather to walk the path of a princess of the Black Plain, helping her father maintain his dominions and even improve.


    "Sigh..." Margot sighed, feeling that Minos had manipulated her beloved granddaughter into being so stubborn and devoted to the Black Plain.


    Ruth smiled as she saw that, imagining the day she would have her children and see her parents trying to spoil them only to lose out in competition with Minos...


    As for Gloria, she was pleased to see Sarah acting on Minos'' plans, which would lead her to a much better future than being part of an organization controlled by another family.


    She wanted to become the leader of the Church, the Supreme Pontiff. But that didn''t make her think that being part of the Church was better than being part of an imperial family with potential and power.


    With that, these people continued talking for the next few hours, with the two high-level Spiritual Saints playing with their granddaughter for some time before saying goodbye.


    But for the next few weeks, they would have plenty of time to be together, so neither of them was in a hurry to do as much as they could that day, as was the case when Minos was in a hurry.


    At the end of the day, Sarah, Gloria, and Ruth would return to the imperial palace, where Minos and Abby had already taken care of their business and returned to dealing with local leaders.


    For the next few days, slowly, the news of the end of the Spiritual Palace Sect would spread throughout this state, making the organizations punished by Minos and the Imperial family fear the worst. Therefore, they would soon begin to honor the agreements with the Gray Clouds Sect and the Edwardstone family to avoid tragic ends...


    As for Mortimer and the high-level elders of the Saints Killing Sect, these individuals would no longer show themselves in the short term, easing the tensions that still existed in the Flaming Empire.


    As long as he was alive, the danger of something bigger happening would not end, and the local powers would constantly be on alert. But as the days passed, the notion that he might appear and cause chaos diminished, and the weaker people of this state began to return to their usual tranquility.


    Minos and his family would spend this period quietly in the empire''s capital, where the Spiritual Sage of the Eastern Empire would eventually return his observation of him.


    Amidst this, he would take the time to enjoy his family, train and cultivate extensively, and continue his previous business concerning the Grey Clouds Sect''s withdrawal from this state.


    ...


    Two and a half months after the end of the Imperial Palace Sect, Minos and his family were finally preparing to return to the Black Plain.


    At this moment, he had just finished saying goodbye to Isabella, Gloria''s family, and some close acquaintances of theirs in this capital city.


    With everything settled in this state and order restored, it was time for them to return home for Minos to prepare for his next journey!


    In about a year and a half, it would finally be time for him to go to the Flowers Kingdom!

 Chapter 1529 Ancestral Sect

    Two days later...


    Minos and his family arrived at the territory of the Ancestral Sect, the organization whose master had spoken to Emperor Stuart regarding the Immemorial Graves Sect.


    This place was on one of the borders of the Flaming Empire with the territories to the north, historical enemies of the imperial family.


    Minos and his family arrived through a teleportation port in the central city of this area, 200 kilometers away from the border.


    Sarah was with them, but at her current age, she could already handle travel by means of teleportation arrays.


    So they arrived in a square near the local government headquarters, where many guards in the area immediately noticed their identity.


    When the first guards saw Minos'' face, they approached him and welcomed him with great reverence.


    "Sect master Stuart, you and your family are welcome to the territory of the Ancestral Sect!" They said simultaneously, making common gestures to Minos, his wives, and Sarah.


    The people in the surrounding area noticed the commotion and promptly identified who had just arrived there.


    ''Minos Stuart? The leader of the Black Plain?''


    ''What is someone so strong doing here? I heard he defeated a Spiritual Sage...''


    ''He must be here for trouble...''


    Some ignorant citizens thought similar things.


    But those individuals who knew this place had only not suffered more because Minos thought differently.


    ''He must be here to do business... Hmm, the sect is about to gain a lot!''


    ''With someone so promising associating with the sect, our city will become more relevant, and we will reverse all the damage from our recent mistakes.''


    Meanwhile, Minos said. "I''m here to see the local leader. Take us to him."


    One of the strongest guards in the surrounding area readily accepted Minos'' command and, alongside other individuals, began to guide the Stuart family through the city.


    They gave the Stuart family a lovely, luxurious carriage to go in a more accommodating manner, quickly taking the group to the Ancestral Sect headquarters area.


    The Ancestral Sect was one of the eight, now seven, prominent sects in the empire.


    There were other relevant organizations in this state. Still, other than the imperial family, only these organizations held the right to rule territories.


    Other organizations only governed their estates, which obviously couldn''t compare to the grandeur of territories with dozens of cities and hundreds of millions of inhabitants.


    So this was a huge organization in the Flaming Empire, and the Stuart family soon realized this as they entered the heart of this sect.


    "The Ancestral Sect is a little stronger than the Gray Clouds Sect before the departure of sect master Coleman." Ruth said, expounding her knowledge of the local division of powers. "They were not an enemy of ours in the recent past, but they were not allies either."


    "Maybe that''s why they stayed neutral regarding Mortimer''s situation." Abby commented, thinking that it made sense that enemy powers of the Gray Clouds Sect, such as the Mountains Sect, had positioned themselves so intensely at that previous moment.


    "Yes..." Ruth agreed. "Anyway, they''ve always been pretty strong... I wonder if this has any relation to the Immemorial Graves Sect?"


    Minos heard that and nodded positively. "Maybe. That sect was one of the oldest on the continent, so it certainly had good techniques and artifacts in the past.


    If this sect obtained some of the best from that sect, then they may have grown and maintained their power because of that."


    "But what are we going to do here?" Gloria asked.


    "I don''t know. The sect master invited me to show their items and trade. I have already given them some help regarding the imperial family. Still, he will probably ask for much more for what I want...


    So we''ll see. If he is not overly greedy, I will buy the things connected to Immemorial Graves Sect and take the skeleton in the area." Minos said.


    With those words, the carriage carrying him and his family stopped, and soon a local guard opened its door, already in the vicinity of where the local leader was.


    "Please, this way." That man said, directing those five people through a garden that Sarah quite liked.


    In the blink of an eye, they were in front of the same man who had approached Minos before, a refined-looking, well-dressed fellow with undisputed power within this area.


    But seeing Minos there, this fellow soon made his aura more humble, knowing he could not mess with these people in front of him.


    "Sect master Stuart, it''s good to have you in my sect. You are here, for that matter, right?" He said, getting right to the point to finish his business with this fellow as soon as possible.


    Minos nodded and left his women to look after Sarah, taking a few steps forward. "Yes, I want you to show me those things you have so we can negotiate."


    "Hmm, I expected that... I already have all the books and techniques related to Immemorial Graves Sect in my spatial ring. If you want, I can show you them now."


    "That would be nice." Minos stood next to that individual before he saw a pile of books and scrolls of varied colors appearing in front of him.


    "My ancestors traded various techniques with those merchants, so we have even Blue-grade techniques... As for the books, many of them deal with stories of the Immemorial Graves Sect, accounts of members, some diaries, geography of the area where the sect headquarters was, and information about those skeletons."


    He had read all the books, so he knew there was a lot of mystery behind those bones and hazardous stories that should be prevented from getting into the wrong hands.


    Minos listened to this in silence, promptly beginning to read and scan each of these materials, many of them not so relevant, but some contained useful information for the people in Laura''s sect.


    What interested Minos most were the techniques and skeletons related to that sect, so he quite liked what this sect master had for him.


    "That looks pretty good..." Minos commented after almost 20 minutes of analysis. "What do you want for them? Speak openly. I won''t be offended, no matter what the value is."


    That man looked at Minos silently for a moment and then said. "These techniques built my sect, so I can''t give them up for a small value. As for the books, they are quite informative but not difficult to replace.


    I myself can put all their contents into other books just with my memories.


    So I ask that sect master Stuart not hold grudges against my sect and allow 10 of our mid-level elders to go and train in the Black Plain."


    "Oh?" Not only Minos but his wives, somewhat distant from the two, exclaimed in surprise, not expecting that from such an individual.


    But that sect master knew about the considerable improvements of the Gray Clouds Sect elders going to the Black Plain Empire. As such, in exchange for such objects, he wanted Minos to make those mid-level elders reach the high level of the 8th stage.


    Through this, the sect could become stronger quickly!


    ...

 Chapter 1530 Negotiation

    "Ten mid-level elders... How long would they be under my supervision?" Minos asked.


    He would not take people from other sects to the Spatial Kingdom. But the Black Plain already had some areas better than the Flaming Empire. So even without having the chance to go to the cultivation shrine, these ten people could still benefit from the opportunities in that area.


    "Until they reach level 77, sect master." That man was straightforward.


    He and his organization had lost some power due to the punishments imposed by the imperial family. So he wanted to do business with Minos to get something to counterbalance things for his organization.


    Through this, he at least hoped to balance the power of his sect and perhaps even put it in a slightly better position than before in a few years.


    Minos heard that and considered that the individuals to be sent would probably all be level 76 cultivators. ''In this state, people of that level might take up to a decade to achieve a relevant breakthrough if they stayed in seclusion for the entire period.


    But in the Black Plain, besides areas more affluent in energy density than this place, we have many challenges and internal competition. So even without access to the Spatial Kingdom, these people will be able to achieve breakthroughs in less than five years.''


    If he signed an agreement with this man, those people could not take as long to advance as it would take them in this place. Otherwise, the agreement would be meaningless.


    Minos thought about the feasibility of the idea working out and said. "I can accept that, but your men will not advance as fast as the elders of the Gray Clouds Sect.


    The conditions between you are different. So the advances will not come as fast."


    "That''s natural." That sect master said, knowing that Minos was probably using higher-level resources, treatments, or even techniques on his staff.


    It was expected that Minos would not use such things on envoys from other organizations, so it was only to be expected that the results of training these ten individuals would be inferior to people from the Black Plain forces.


    "Hmm, then we can talk about some details..." Minos went on with the negotiation. "These ten people have to agree to fight for the Black Plain and accept orders from my men or me for the period they are in that territory.


    Added to that, they will have to follow the local rules. If one of them quits or commits a crime, they will be returned to your territory, and you don''t have the right to send others in their place.


    They will also have to pay their expenses during this period.


    I will just open my state''s doors and train them with my staff.


    Is that okay with you?"


    "Hmm, it is." That man had expected to hear that since he had thought about what he wanted. "But tell me, how long do you think they will need to advance under your training?"


    "Three to five years. It depends on the condition of those elders."


    ''Three to five?'' That man was surprised since such a speed of cultivation would be considered high in this place.


    Normally these elders he would send wouldn''t even have time to cultivate daily. So even going a few decades without obtaining breakthroughs would be the most likely thing to happen.


    Hell, one of the individuals he had already chosen was already at level 76 for 80 years!


    Considering this, this man was happy to hear it from Minos.


    They then talked more about how this agreement would work and the details necessary for a Soul Contract to function without too many loopholes.


    That would not take long and soon Minos and that sect master would leave for the location of the large skeleton in this area.


    Sarah and her mother would accompany them on this journey until they descended 500 flights of stairs in the headquarters of this sect, reaching the basement where the skeleton was stored.


    The place there had many layers of protection, something that prevented anyone without access to the interior of this headquarters from being unable to feel the spiritual fluctuations there.


    Minos realized this, remembering Henricus Longus'' memories of this area, which would greatly help him.


    ''A different model...'' Sarah looked at the giant creature ''frozen'' in what appeared to be a red gel, unlike that giant skeleton in the Spatial Kingdom.


    The skeleton in that family''s cultivation shrine looked like the larger version of a beast. But this one in front of them right now looked more like a version of a giant human, similar to those in the Endless Snow Mountain Range.


    While Minos'' wives were watching that next to Sarah, Minos asked that level 79 Spiritual Saint. "What do you want for that skeleton?"


    "Uh? What do you mean?" That man didn''t understand the question.


    "I want to take it. How much do you want for it?" Minos asked differently, startling that person.


    Such a skeleton was extremely heavy to the point that even if everyone in the Ancestral Sect used all their powers simultaneously, they wouldn''t be able to get those bones out!


    So upon hearing Minos'' first question, that old expert couldn''t help but think he had misheard or misunderstood the question.


    ''How would he get these out?'' He wondered, thinking Minos didn''t understand what he was talking about. But on second thought, he remembered that this person had mastered the Immemorial Graves Sect. ''Has he done this before?''


    Gulp!


    He swallowed his saliva as he thought of the warnings in the books of that sect, talking about the danger there would be if these bones fell into the wrong hands.


    "What does the sect master Stuart wish to do with them? By the way, they are so heavy. Do you have a way to move them?" He asked, without answering Minos'' questions.


    Minos then said. "I don''t know what I will do with them. I just want to gather them in a safe place where dangerous people won''t have access to them...


    If a Spiritual Sage came here and wanted to do something dangerous, no one would be left to protect those bones." He was sincere. "But I have a way to move them, and the place where they will stay is countless times safer than this one."


    "Really?" That man didn''t quite believe it. But he went on with the matter. "Well, I don''t know how much the sect would lose if I sold it. But since we are about to make a deal regarding sending Spiritual Saints to the Black Plain, why don''t we increase the amounts of people?


    Instead of just ten mid-level Spiritual Saints, we can keep that number and put another 20 low-level Spiritual Saints and 40 level 69 Spiritual Emperors.


    They will stay in your state until they have an advancement, following the rules we already agreed upon."


    Minos felt that this would not hurt him at all and accepted. "Very well, let''s do as you said." He stepped forward and looked back at that sect master. "May I?"


    "Make yourself comfortable, sect master." He said, curious to see what Minos would do.


    Minos smiled and flew over to where the part of the skeleton, least frozen by the strange red gel, was.


    There, Minos melted that red stuff until he reached a small space to make one of his hands touch the skeleton more than dozens of meters long.


    Then he activated the ring of the Spatial Kingdom!


    ...

 Chapter 1531 Fumbling Peace

    When Minos activated the ring of the Spatial Kingdom in that area, the Ancestral Sect master trembled as he felt all the hairs over his body shivering.


    That majestic energy was something he didn''t understand. As he felt it, it was as if he were in the presence of a superior entity.


    However, while such energy surrounded the large skeleton, this man did not stop paying attention to everything, even though he felt genuinely fearful.


    ''What is it?''


    Before he could even probe further, such energy finished covering the skeleton, and then it was teleported into the Spatial Kingdom, leaving behind a large hollow space within the red freezing gel.


    "What?" That man shouted in shock, seeing the skeleton that had been there for millions of years disappear overnight as Minos continued.


    ''How can that be? Where did he send it?


    That can''t be a spatial ring! There wouldn''t be such a great storage space in this world for such a job!


    Besides, there are no teleportation arrays with that much power!'' He shouted in his mind, not understanding the absurdity that had unfolded before him.


    This man knew about medium-level grade-4 items because some Immemorial Graves Sect books discussed their power. But he had no idea how powerful high-level grade-4 items were and thought such a thing couldn''t move a skeleton of that size.


    Minos looked at that man and smiled once more but said nothing. Now that he had already taken those bones to the Spatial Kingdom, he would just sign the agreements with the man in front of him and leave for his state.


    "Sect Master..."


    "I will wait for the spiritual judge while I walk with my family." Minos just said that, heading towards Sarah and her mothers.


    "That..." That man stayed behind, talking to himself, extremely curious.


    But as someone intelligent and experienced, he knew there was no point in insisting. Not only that, Minos had done something shocking in front of him, which went far beyond what people in the Flaming Empire knew.


    In possession of this knowledge, his respect for Minos increased twice as much, and he rushed to find a spiritual judge to seal the deal between the parties.


    Maybe he had lost in this negotiation. He wasn''t sure. But this sect master was sure his sect would have great results in the long run.


    Minos and the Black Plain should have a great future ahead of them. So being associated with them would be enough to ensure the Ancestral Sect''s advances.


    Minos and his wives would spend the next week in this place, getting to know the surroundings while waiting for the spiritual judge.


    Eventually, this would be resolved, and the five would return to Dry City!


    ...


    After returning to the core of his empire, Minos immediately called Laura, the leader of the Immemorial Graves Sect, to the imperial palace to talk about the things he had recently obtained.


    Through this, she got several lost items from that organization and returned to the Endless Snow Mountain Range grateful, promising to discover new things and strengthen her people.


    Minos would not attach much importance to this since for him, none of it was new. Only the techniques were relevant and would make more people in that place able to protect those bones by getting stronger with the right techniques.


    Anyway, with that, he turned all his attention to his state until he had his peace disturbed two weeks after his return to Dry City.


    ...


    In the capital of the Black Plain Empire, the envoys of the Ancestral Sect were already living in Dry City when a group of three level 79 Spiritual Saints arrived there.


    When the Black Plain Army soldiers identified these individuals, they immediately realized that they were the same people who had offered help against Mortimer, members of the Blood Triangle Pirates.


    They were a little late on their six-month promise, but no one in this empire would complain about that. If these people had never returned, it would be much better!


    But since they were there, Minos'' group of men soon escorted them to the core of Dry City, where the sovereign would receive such a group.


    At that place, Minos was in the imperial throne hall beside his wives, attending to local affairs.


    "So they are back?" He asked one of his soldiers.


    "Yes, Your Majesty. They are almost here." The level 67 individual said as the Spiritual Saints of the Gray Clouds Sect got serious because of the trouble they might have with these people.


    "What shall we do, Your Majesty?" The strongest one there asked.


    "Let them come in. Let''s see how things develop." Minos replied, knowing those people would know about what happened recently in the Flaming Empire.


    Thus, everyone in the surrounding area stood silently, waiting for those people to enter.


    That would not take long, and soon the three individuals who had previously been in this city would stand in front of Minos and his family.


    "The Stuart family is even stronger than before, Your Majesty." The woman, the leader of that group, said, smiling but not so sincerely.


    Minos readily understood that she was referring to Abby and Ruth''s advances but also his displays of power. "Hmm, you are generous in your words... In any case, I thank you for returning to my city after the six-month period.


    Now I have an answer to give you."


    "And what would that be?" In a bad mood, one of the two men asked since he did not expect this person to accept their proposal.


    They had been late solving some problems. In fact, they were solving some problems in their organization when they received some strange news regarding Minos. Because of this, they urgently came to this place, expecting the local sovereign would not easily accept their proposals.


    Minos replied, as his eyes narrowed. "I solved Mortimer''s problem... Because of this, I will now be busy dealing with the development of my state, which is about to change levels as a whole.


    You should know that, after all, you are part of an arm of the Spiritual Church."


    Upon hearing that, the eyes of those three narrowed along with their brows coming together.


    What Minos had just said was not information that just anyone held. In fact, only high-ranking members of the Church or powerful individuals, something this emperor was not yet, knew about. So naturally, they were surprised.


    They looked at each other and realized that Minos must have had good influence within the Church to know this.


    Since they didn''t know how to handle the situation, they stayed silent, leaving it to be dealt with when they returned to the Evergreen Empire.


    Minos said. "Due to my circumstances, I will have to decline for now. But if you are still interested in the service in about ten years, I will be less busy by then..."


    Those people closed their eyes and bitterly smiled, accepting Minos'' temporary refusal.


    They would then leave that dangerous place even for them, promising to return a few years later to try again.


    But next time, they would send really powerful people, who they didn''t believe Minos could refuse offers!

 Chapter 1532 Progress

    In the blink of an eye, a year and a half had passed!


    Minos was at this very moment visiting Stone Island alongside Sarah, who would reach the age to start cultivating in the next few days.


    As he soon intended to leave for the Flowers Kingdom and would not be able to see his beloved daughter for a while, Emperor Stuart was taking Sarah on her journey through the Black Plain Empire.


    Currently, the northern region belonged entirely to the state ruled by Minos, with the Church having already made everything official so that no one would question the legitimacy of his movements anymore.


    With this, Minos was the sole ruler of all these areas, and his state now had more than 2.5 billion inhabitants, many of them weak but necessary people in the local development.


    As a supreme ruler, Minos occasionally visited the different areas of his state, all of which now had assemblies similar to the one in Vogel.


    But of course, Minos held much more power in the northern region territories than in the neighboring Flaming Empire, even considering the power increases he had achieved in recent years.


    Anyway, after a year and a half of peace, Minos had recently advanced to level 71 and now had much more control over the organizations related to him.


    Blackrock, Albano, and Rosser were more than ever respectful to him, and the old supreme elder of the Edwardstone family hadn''t bothered him for some time.


    But in the meantime, not only Minos'' spiritual and political powers had risen. With Gloria''s advancement to level 74, her position in the Church was improving without difficulty, with the faction of the two having increased dramatically in size in recent months.


    Everything related to Minos in this period had improved. This sovereign could only have a smile on his face as he saw Elen''s father, Richard Nash, appearing in front of him to take him to the leader of the local assembly.


    "Richard, you have reached level 67... Congratulations!" Minos said to that man, seeing one of the former local leaders of the northern region reaching such a high level.


    Richard was happy with his recent advancement and thanked Minos for the comment. But he no longer felt as strong or relevant in the northern region.


    That was not because of the 9th stage problems that Minos was slowly attracting to his people. Instead, the problem with this man and other former pre-Black Plain northern region leaders was that even their juniors slowly passed them by.


    Even Elen Nash was already one level above her father!


    The same was happening in practically all the local noble families, with the juniors who joined the forces of Minos reaching levels equal or similar to those of their fathers and elders.


    As these individuals couldn''t compete in cultivation speed with the young, they watched their power diminish after all these years, some even making room for the younger ones, asking for their retirement.


    That was the case with the Nash family, where the patriarch, Luke''s father, had left his position in the name of Elen, who was currently ruling this family.


    The Carline family, from the former Kingdom of the End area, had also passed the sovereignty of their area to Kara, currently at level 67.


    But on Stone Island, the Stone family still kept their old elders in the main position of power, and soon Richard led Minos to Linette and her brothers.


    Linette Stone was currently at level 67, while her brothers, the former king and their younger brother, were at level 66.


    As they stood face to face with Minos, the chief elders of the Stone Island Assembly greeted him and Sarah in a most respectful manner, as they should do in front of their superiors.


    "Your Majesty, Your Highness, how good it is to have you in our humble home." That woman said as she stood in front of her brothers.


    "Hmm, thank you for having us," Minos said. "Soon, Sarah will begin cultivation, and I am on a journey alongside her to introduce her to our state''s leaders.


    Her brother is not yet born and will have a long way to go until he becomes someone minimally acceptable. So she will take care of some matters for me soon."


    Minos had finally managed to get Abby pregnant after many attempts, and now that blue-haired woman was already six months pregnant.


    Everyone already knew the gender of the child, male, so the imperial family was already preparing to finally have an official heir.


    Everyone was pleased about this, including Sarah, who wanted to have a baby brother.


    That was no longer new news within the Black Plain, so when they heard their sovereign''s comment, these people were not so surprised.


    They soon made themselves available to Sarah, wishing her the best possible start on her journey of cultivation, but also when she would become someone relevant in the empire.


    As a princess, she would take on various responsibilities once she became a minimally powerful cultivator!


    "For the rest, we won''t be here long. I plan to leave soon for the Flowers Kingdom to try to rescue Harold..." Minos said after a while of talking.


    "Already, Your Majesty? I thought there was still time left for that..." The former Stone King said, feeling a little unsure since the empire was always quieter when Minos stayed in Dry City.


    "Yes, the time I asked for my friends from the Edwardstone family is running out, and I''ve already managed to make all the preparations... Anyway, it''s time to leave. But in the meantime, keep an eye out for strange movements.


    The Saints Killing Sect is still out there, and Mortimer has certainly recovered his major injuries by now." Minos warned them.


    These people heard that and promised to remain vigilant but not to worry excessively.


    Mortimer had never shown himself since his escape from Payton. And even though no one was sure how weakened he was and whether he would act again, these people knew that the Black Plain Empire had grown quite strong in the last few years.


    Many Spiritual Saints from the Gray Clouds Sect had raised their levels in the months that had passed, and more of those 8th-stage individuals were in this state.


    Because of this, that sect now had 4 level 79 Spiritual Saints, 20 level 78 Spiritual Saints, and 50 level 77 Spiritual Saints; extreme numbers for such an organization which was currently split between Flaming Empire and this state.


    Meanwhile, the Ancestral Sect''s Spiritual Saints had not improved in this period. Still, they served the local forces, helping greatly in protecting and developing the state.


    At the same time, the Black Plain forces had gotten some Spiritual Saints from among Minos'' old subordinates, as in the case of Emlyn, who had reached level 70 and his eighth tail.


    Because of all this, these people were calm about the Mortimer threat.


    What frightened them was what Minos could attract to this state in the Flowers Kingdom!

 Chapter 1533 Awakening

    The next day, Minos and Sarah were already in Dry City...


    After finishing their travel period through the various parts of the Black Plain, they returned to the empire''s capital before Minos'' departure.


    Sarah would stay by her mother''s side while Minos traveled through the Flowers Kingdom, so she had to say goodbye to her family members who would be staying in Dry City.


    Amid her goodbyes, Minos went to see his wives, in particular, Abby, who already had a slightly larger belly due to her pregnancy.


    "Honey, I''m back." He entered his residence and found his three wives, one drinking spiritual tea and reading and the other chatting, near a small artificial lake.


    Abby was lying with her head on Gloria''s thick thighs while massaging her belly with her hands, extremely happy about her current ''conquest.''


    Ruth felt like being in the same situation as the Empress. Still, this dark-haired woman had accepted Abby''s pregnancy more easily than when she found out about Gloria''s years ago.


    And when she saw her husband returning, she was the first to hug him, wanting to be with this man more than ever...


    "Minos, you are leaving what day for the Flowers Kingdom?" Ruth asked as those two looked toward the two huggings each other.


    "In a week at the most." He smiled at her, knowing that Ruth probably wanted to be ''blessed'' with his seeds as many times as possible in this period.


    After that, he would be in a territory where there were even Spiritual Demigods, so it wouldn''t be good for him to visit the Spatial Kingdom, where they would be.


    That way, they had to settle their affairs in the remaining days before this trip began!


    But before he said it, Gloria asked. "Where is Sarah? What time are we going to do her wake-up call?"


    Sarah was about to reach her 10th birthday, and upon reaching that age, she could awaken her Physique, measure her talents and learn a cultivation technique.


    All this was done through awakening, a small traditional ceremony done by cultivators since prehistoric times.


    The time was coming for this to happen, so Gloria was very anxious!


    "Tomorrow." Minos replied, smiling since he was pretty curious to know about the characteristics of his beloved daughter.


    The three smiled contentedly, wondering how everything had happened so quickly.


    In the blink of an eye, Sarah would already turn ten and begin her journey as a cultivator.


    Meanwhile, her parents had come a long way, with Minos at level 71 and Gloria at 74, never before so close to each other in terms of level. At the same time, Ruth and Abby were still at level 70, but it was undeniable how much stronger they had gotten since the beginning of Sarah''s mother''s pregnancy several years ago.


    But such was life. Busy people didn''t see time passing; when they least expected it, they already had children, and their status had developed significantly.


    That was particularly true for Minos, who 25 years ago was just beginning his journey in cultivation and now already had over 500 Spiritual Saints under his control within the Black Plain.


    ''Soon, it will be my turn to see my son going through awakening...'' Abby thought, her eyes closed as she imagined the future.


    Thus, they would continue together until the next day...


    ...


    The entire imperial palace was mobilized early the next day, while a very important event occurred in the imperial hall.


    There, the main members of the imperial family, Minos'' grandmother, Patience, his mother, Maisie, and his aunt, Angelica, were standing next to Sarah''s maternal grandparents, these members of the Spiritual Church.


    All of them were there for this young princess''s awakening, near Minos, his wives, Dillian, level 69, Eda, Lee, Alison, the three at level 67, and some other important people in the state.


    Each of them was in their appropriate place while the little princess, dressed in a light blue dress, walked down a red carpet with a silver tiara on her head.


    She had a scroll in her hands and was quite nervous as she came close to where a high-level grade-3 spiritual judge was waiting for her next to an array master.


    To awaken a cultivator''s Physique, one had to sign a contract with heaven, promising to use their powers to the best of their ability to ensure their existence for as long as possible.


    Precisely because of this method of awakening, when someone sacrificed themselves, heaven punished that individual for destroying the gift it had given to that person.


    The punishment for this? Complete annihilation of the traces of that being, to the point that such an individual could not achieve reincarnation.


    Moreover, the time between the activation of the sacrifice and its explosion passed differently for the sacrificing side and those in the area. While for the enemies at risk from the sacrifice, it felt as if everything happened in the blink of an eye, for the one who initiated such a thing, time seemed to pass slowly.


    They suffered from celestial punishment during a time that seemed to be practically infinite for them!


    Anyway, it all started that this was the only known method to awaken the Physique, something that happened a few days before cultivators reached the age of 10.


    Sarah already knew this, since her father had told her everything and she was a little nervous at the moment.


    "Princess Sarah Stuart, raise your right hand and repeat after me..." The old level 78 spiritual judge next to the array master who would test the quality of her talents said this while holding several scrolls in his hands.


    "I, Sarah Stuart, promise to respect the power..." Sarah repeated the words of that elder dressed all in white as that individual circled her, drawing something with his feet.


    Stopping behind Sarah, the spiritual judge made a small cut on the back of this young woman''s head and marked the parchment she was holding with her blood.


    "Now place one of your fingerprints here and sign this." He commanded after a few minutes of the ceremony.


    After doing as she should, Sarah received the spiritual fruit that man had in hand and promptly ate it after sitting in a Lothur position where the spiritual judge had drawn something on the floor.


    At that instant, everyone in that imperial throne hall saw red beams of energy entering the back of Sarah''s head, helping her awaken her Physique.


    Amid this, Sarah felt a little pain, still, given her non-existent cultivation, that was not torturous enough for her to scream.


    But at the same time, the sensation she was slowly feeling, something euphoric, to say the least, was enough to make her quickly forget the pain.


    ''That...'' She kept her eyes closed as she felt a strange control over her surroundings.


    As she felt this, Minos and the rest of the people there saw when the tiara on Sarah''s head began to float!


    "Gravity!"


    ...

 Chapter 1534 Departure To The Flowers Kingdom

    Minos immediately understood his daughter''s innate ability when he saw Sarah''s tiara floating.


    She could control gravity with the power of her Physique!


    ''She got a variant type ability! Great!'' He exclaimed in his mind, delighted that Sarah could achieve something so extreme.


    Upon realizing the same, people in the area started chatting, quickly making that place festive with Sarah''s awakening.


    That was a different ability than Minos'' and Gloria''s. Still, everyone was more than pleased, as this was an incredible ability to have.


    With such a skill, Sarah was destined to become a high-level warrior and could one day become as renowned as her father!


    "That is a skill of sovereigns!"


    "Yes, with that ability, His Highness will become feared in a few years!"


    "The prince will certainly have a great supporter by his side!"


    While the people there were commenting on Sarah''s ability, this young girl was delighted, feeling she could do some of what her father could with Chaotic Gravity.


    ''Incredible!


    I always dreamed of having dad''s abilities! But who knew? I actually got the one I always thought was cool!'' She celebrated, jumping for joy from her seat.


    After a few moments of commotion, Minos quieted everyone and allowed the array master to proceed with Sarah''s physical tests.


    With that, it was not long before she entered a large glass box, where a high-level grade-3 array would collect her data to estimate her talents.


    It gave a small puncture on the back of Sarah''s neck, making her feel slight pain, collecting her blood. Then the array began to glow, analyzing the princess'' data.


    - Age: 9 years, 11 months, and 28 days


    - Level: 0


    - Talent: Golden


    - Physique: Saint


    When they saw the golden color appearing in Sarah''s test, those people in the royal throne hall were immediately moved again, seeing the utmost talent in the daughter of Minos.


    "As expected!"


    "Haha, His Majesty would not have a daughter with Matriarch Frost with talent less than that! It would be impossible!"


    "The future of the Stuart family is truly amazing!"


    "Congratulations, little Sarah..." Margot wiped the tears on her face and approached her granddaughter to hug her.


    Maisie also wanted to hug this girl she had nursed, extremely pleased to see that her granddaughter was even more talented than she was.


    As for the level of Sarah''s Physique, as impressive as it was, everyone already expected that something capable of controlling gravity would have a high rating. So the focus of everyone in that place was obviously on this child''s soul talent.


    Minos raised one of his hands and made everyone there go back to silence. "Congratulations, Sarah. With that talent and Physique, your achievements will be unparalleled.


    At the same time, I will give you this cultivation technique to learn once you complete the age of 10."


    Then, a golden scroll appeared in one of Minos'' hands, making everyone in that place look at it with interest. "That is the same cultivation technique I use. If you dedicate yourself, you can achieve a cultivation speed like mine and even surpass me someday."


    Everyone not close to Minos in that place, especially Gloria''s parents, opened their mouths upon seeing this, discovering the technique behind this emperor''s cultivation speed.


    Nobody but Minos cultivated this technique since, to learn it, one would have to do so at level 0. Only he had the chance to make this choice at the right level, so Sarah would be the first to learn the Solar God''s Breath technique.


    Sarah saw that and smiled, even more, thanking her father right away.


    "I won''t waste the opportunity, dad!" She said as she walked to his side.


    After kissing one of Minos'' cheeks, Sarah took that technique and read some of it before rolling it up again and saving it to learn later.


    With that, this ceremony would last a few minutes longer, the many relatives and people close to the imperial family taking the opportunity to talk about the future.


    "Minos, when are you going to pick up my father?" Angelica asked as she approached Minos after kissing Sarah on one of her cheeks.


    Minos looked at his aunt and remembered that he would try to keep that old fellow from falling into the hands of the women of the Flowers Kingdom once he went to that state to rescue Harold.


    "Soon. In a week, I will pass the border of the Flaming Empire and the Flowers Kingdom. After that, I will do my best to find Oswald and rescue Harold." He replied, drawing the attention of the Gray Clouds Sect elders to himself.


    "How long does Your Majesty estimate you will stay there?" One of the level 78 individuals asked.


    Minos thought for a while and said. "I don''t know. I don''t even know where to start in that state, so it could be something that will take me months or even a few years to accomplish or something shorter.


    There''s no way for me to estimate precisely. In any case, as soon as I resolve this situation, I will return.


    I just hope my son is not yet born at that time." He finished speaking, looking at Abby.


    As Abby smiled at him, the surrounding area sighed, feeling that this was the biggest challenge on the way to the Black Plain. Once Minos overcame this, they would have several years of tranquility until a difficult problem approached them.


    Everyone there knew that Minos intended to see his son grow up in peace and enable a few dangers in the empire for Sarah to get a good start on her cultivation journey.


    After he returned, if all went well, they estimated that until the return of the Blood Triangle Pirates, peace would hover over the Black Plain Empire.


    Amid this, this area could reach the 8th stage with its experts and finally surpass the total forces of the Flaming Empire.


    There would undoubtedly be future problems, but they, to the smallest, would be able to significantly improve if Minos accomplished everything he had already promised.


    Anyway, in this way, Sarah''s post-awakening get-together ended with the guests of the Flaming Empire soon returning from whence they came. At the same time, the local powers tried to return to their routine.


    That day, Sarah would have her last day of classes at the Dry City Preparatory Academy, where she and some of her friends would leave to join the Black Plain Army in the coming days.


    ...


    A few days later...


    Minos had already sent Sarah and her wives to the Spatial Kingdom, leaving those individuals who had to stay in Dry City in this place.


    Only those who could be absent from the Black Plain for a long period were in the Spatial Kingdom, training to become stronger.


    With everything prepared for his departure, at noon, he was at the teleportation port of his city, seeing his subordinates for the last time in a long period that he would be away from this place.


    As he saw those people waving to him in farewell, suddenly his body disappeared from the area, being teleported away from there!

 Chapter 1535 Crossing The Border

    After an entire day of traveling via teleportation arrays between the Black Plain and the Flaming Empire, Minos finally reached the area of the Saints Killing Sect.


    This sect, everyone''s enemy, had its former territory in a location bordering the Flowers Kingdom, to which Minos was currently traveling.


    In this way, he reached the last city with teleportation arrays in this place, from where his journey alone to the Flowers Kingdom would begin!


    Minos would not use any mounts on this trip, not even Emlyn nor Little Green, who had previously taken dozens of 8th-stage beasts to the Black Plain Empire.


    Little Green was currently at level 77, but it would be too dangerous for him to accompany Minos on this trip. So this emperor preferred to leave his mount in Dry City to help protect the place while planning to travel alone through this female-dominated state.


    So, upon arriving at the last human city in the southernmost part of the Flaming Empire, Minos simply flew towards the border but already using his soul projection.


    By doing this, he could more easily use the free energy in the atmosphere to maintain his flying speed.


    Minos wanted to get to know some of the Flowers Kingdom on his trip there. Still, he wouldn''t explore that state all the time, and he was in a hurry before reaching this unexplored territory.


    Since his current speed was higher than even that of level 79 Spiritual Saints, it wouldn''t take many minutes before Emperor Stuart crossed the border!


    ...


    At a border post of the Flowers Kingdom''s royal guard, several women stood around, watching the vicinity.


    As a state that depended on men coming to maintain its population and power, the Flowers Kingdom had to keep many of its female warriors on the borders with other states.


    Only by doing this could they ensure that the few men who entered there would not leave to be tested or challenged by their games.


    As such, this state had complete control over its borders. Therefore, when Minos appeared on the horizon, flying in that direction, the women of that post immediately noticed him.


    "Oh? Is someone flying towards us?" The post leader, level 89, asked aloud in surprise.


    The other women watching the area looked in Minos'' direction, noticing his grandiose Soul Avatar, but one that looked very strange seen from afar.


    "There''s something wrong with that soul projection..." One of the more sensitive ones there realized as she noticed that Minos was flying too fast.


    The Space and Time Avatar had the effect of making time pass differently within its domain. Because of this, those within its domain had the feeling of time passing more slowly, while those outside seemed to see those within the domain at an accelerated speed.


    The result of this? Minos was flying, in the perception of these women, at speed far exceeding that of someone of his level!


    He seemed to be moving as fast at the moment as someone at level 80!


    "That..." One of them then realized who that was. "Isn''t that Minos Stuart? The young sovereign that His Majesty is waiting for?" One of them asked, making all the others realize that he had finally fulfilled the expectations of the local sovereign.


    But with that information, they were even more surprised at his speed since everyone there knew that until recently, Minos was only at level 70.


    ''What''s with that speed?'' One of them wondered.


    But then the post-leader said. "''I will put two of you to watch him from the moment he enters our border.


    If he continues his way towards the territory''s interior, do nothing. Let him search for his own goal and end up being challenged by someone.


    But if he tries to flee to another state, immediately capture him and take him to His Majesty!"


    Two women, one level 85 and one level 86, nodded upon hearing that, accepting this mission.


    The queen wanted Minos on her side for him to have sex with one of her daughters. However, this state had rules, and they could not simply capture men without giving them a chance.


    Those who came to this place should know that women from all over the kingdom would challenge them and that they would have some freedom if they followed the local rules. But they could not escape the state once they entered there without first going through at least one of the challenges.


    Because of this, when Minos invaded those borders, none of those women captured him immediately. Only two of them flew toward him to pursue him.


    Meanwhile, a wormhole opened up in the vicinity of that area, and the Spiritual Sage, who had been keeping an eye on Minos, appeared at the Flaming Empire''s border with the Flowers Kingdom.


    Upon seeing this, the women at the border post took their eyes off Minos. They looked toward this man who seemed to have a letter with him and a flag from a family they were not allowed to mess with.


    Seeing that, the leader of this post frowned and used her spatial manipulation skill to disappear from where she was and appear in front of that man.


    "Subordinate of the Travisani family, what do you wish with us?" This level 89 woman asked, looking at the man in front of her without the desire that her people would typically have for powerful men.


    That fellow was straight to the point. "Noble flower warrior, His Imperial Majesty has given me the mission of watching the steps of Minos Stuart." He showed a scroll with the signature of Vico Travisani, the strongest man on the continent.


    That woman saw that and felt the power of a level 99 Spiritual Demigod, which was enough for a mere signature from him to leave an aura so strong that this woman felt overwhelmed right now.


    That man continued. "To fulfill His Imperial Majesty''s orders, I request passage through your state without my falling under the local rules."


    That woman clenched her fists, feeling humiliated at having to bow her head. But even the queen would have to obey that man if he looked in that direction, so she, a mere level 89 cultivator, would not dare hinder this envoy''s journey.


    "Subordinate of the Travisani family, I can authorize your passage, but you must wait until Her Majesty authorizes me to do so... I need an hour for that."


    "That... Warrior, Minos Stuart can be out of my reach in an hour."


    "Don''t worry. I have two warriors watching him, so we can easily get you to him and tell you what he has done in this period." She said, reassuring that man.


    He had not yet been given a replacement who could watch Minos better than he could. So he had been carrying out his emperor''s orders, ending up in this current situation.


    Anyway, after the two agreed, time would pass quickly, and soon the queen of this territory would authorize that man''s passage, being quite pleased with the news that Minos was finally moving!

 Chapter 1536 First Fight In The Flowers Kingdom

    After entering the territory of the Flowers Kingdom, Minos immediately noticed mid-level Spiritual Sages watching him.


    Those women were not hiding their tracks, so it had been easy for him to notice their positions as he moved towards the interior of this state.


    Minos did not mind their company since he had to follow these women''s protocols to rescue Harold and perhaps his grandfather, Oswald. He knew these women would not simply bet with him on something, nor would they give him those two for a deal with the Black Plain.


    Even with potential, the Black Plain Empire was light years away from the level of the Flowers Kingdom!


    Knowing all this, he intended to accept the challenge from some of the women of the royal family and have as his prize the freedoms of those two individuals.


    He knew both were alive since their vital signs were still intact when he left Dry City hours ago. But Minos had no idea whether those two still had their manhoods in one piece...


    Whether castrated or not, Minos intended to take them back to the Flaming Empire, completing his promise to the Edwardstone family.


    So he continued flying at high speed until he gradually noticed a forest with the presence of living beings not far ahead of him.


    With this, he slowed his flying speed until he landed near a lake.


    The Flowers Kingdom was a state of great plant and animal wealth. This state had a relatively small human population of only a few million inhabitants. Because of this, there were not many cities in this territory, which was about the size of Stone Island.


    Because of these characteristics, Minos would not look for cities in this place but would travel through the forests, where many of the women in this state trained and even lived.


    But not only that, as someone who did not have a map of this area, something the royal family strived to prevent people outside their organization from holding possession of, Minos could only travel slowly through this land.


    ...


    In a forest full of grand trees, some colorful, others with gigantic vines, Minos landed near a lake.


    As he landed there, he felt the presence of several beasts nearby while he had a smile on his face, experiencing this area for the first time.


    He had memories of Henricus Longus from the time of that specialist when this area was not even dominated by the family that would one day become the ruler of this kingdom.


    This territory had several races of powerful beasts, unique beings that could only be found there.


    He then decided to cultivate, to perhaps attract the attention of one of these creatures.


    ''Hmm, this place is really better...'' He thought, feeling the density of Laws and spiritual energy in the surroundings, far superior to what he could find in the Flaming Empire and Black Plain.


    Not only that, this area, from what he felt, was not so different from the Spatial Kingdom!


    Obviously, if he were to compare training in this place and the Spatial Kingdom for a lifetime, there would be big differences as time passed. But for someone who would spend weeks or months without being able to go to the cultivation shrine, the loss would be insignificant.


    The place was good, and even low-level Spiritual Demigods could be ''born'' there!


    ''One day, the Black Plain will reach this level too...'' He imagined as he felt the spiritual energy in the surroundings mixing with the high-grade crystals he was using to cultivate.


    Above level 70, cultivators were unable to have significant results cultivating with medium-grade crystals. Thus, every Spiritual Saint and the strongest ones used high-grade crystals in their soul cultivation.


    Amid his cultivation, being watched by three Spiritual Sages, Minos drew the attention of a water beast near where he had arrived.


    Then, suddenly, a creature that looked like a building emerged from within the narrow but deep water of that body of water in front of where Minos was.


    It looked like a very long and thick snake, with large whiskery-like protuberances above its large mouth, entirely covered by blue scales.


    Its eyes were blue like flames, and it had large spines on the top of its head, running down its body like long hair.


    "Human..." The creature opened its mouth as it looked at Minos, feeling threatened by the presence of this being in its territory.


    Minos opened his eyes upon hearing that, promptly looking at that level 80 creature, the most powerful beast he had ever witnessed in his entire life.


    Beasts at this level were different from weaker ones by one thing. They could awaken hidden powers from their bloodline by reaching the 9th stage and achieve the possibility of using abilities similar to those of human cultivators.


    Furthermore, beasts at this stage also had the spatial manipulation abilities of humans.


    Because of this, Minos wanted to fight one of these beings and afterward get a guide through this state.


    He just didn''t expect that the first being to appear would be precisely a Spiritual Sage!


    "Royal Spiny Snake, seeing one of your kind live is amazing!" He exclaimed as he put on a fighting pose, knowing this opponent was not simple.


    "Human, what do you desire in my territory? Are you coveting the forces of this sovereign?" The giant creature asked as it had its split tongue out of its mouth, probing Minos, as it sensed that this level 71 human was not simple.


    "I only wish for someone to show me the area... Could that be you? How about this? I will give you some food to help you get stronger, and you guide me to a powerful woman in this area. We can help each other temporarily."


    "I helping you?" The beast exclaimed, obviously not liking hearing that from a level 71 human.


    It was true that it felt something strange from him, but the difference in cultivation between the two was too significant for it to see itself as on par with this little being.


    "Why not? What would you lose?" Minos smiled as he was prepared to pick up one of his swords from his spatial ring.


    "Dream on!" The great beast exclaimed, losing patience to deal with this human and deciding to put its strength to the test.


    Minos had expected this, and when the creature''s tail appeared coming out of a wormhole above him to crush his body, he made his Soul Avatar appear while already activating all his techniques.


    With his soul projection, Minos immediately saw part of that beast stop falling towards him and begin to tremble while a grunt departed from its large mouth.


    At that instant, Minos'' domain began to force the wormhole to close, pressing down with great force on that part of the beast trying to attack him.


    But he was not a merciful individual, so Minos soon began to attack that creature to subdue it and make it accept the deal he had offered.


    Chaotic Gravity!


    He began to push that body in the opposite direction that it was trying to move to get rid of the space trying to crush it.


    ...

 Chapter 1537 Getting A Guide

    Spatial Sword!


    Swooish!


    Minos danced with his sword as that creature suffered from the technique''s restrictive effects and the Chaotic Gravity pushing its body toward the wormhole opening.


    It struggled hard to move its mouth and produce a grunting sound, suffering considerably to express its pain as it was crushed by the walls of the wormhole collapsing over its body.


    ''Damn it!


    How is this human doing this? How can a mere level 71 cultivator hurt me like this?''


    But this beast did not understand that this was not Minos'' power hurting it. Instead, this emperor was merely using his enemy''s own movement to benefit himself!


    The domain of the Soul Avatar of Minos could keep the space in the surroundings stable, preventing wormholes from opening and closing any that were open in such a space of influence.


    Since that beast''s level was not so different from Minos'' current ability, it could not keep the wormhole open, while that avatar''s domain was forcing the space to close over its body.


    Consequently, this beast was suffering, trapped on the other side of the wormhole, as Minos pushed it into that region of space.


    Amid this, the blades capable of causing minor injuries to that body flew toward it, beginning to bruise its head.


    "Beast, accept the deal I proposed, and you will be free of this suffering!" Minos said, floating not far away from that creature.


    "No!" It screamed with all its might, slowly straining to go against the black hole toward Minos.


    "Stubborn!"


    Minos then made the Devouring Art appear, with a large black ring appearing around that creature''s head, beginning to suck its energies.


    With that move, he activated the Infinite Dream, trying to degrade that creature''s mental structures to distract it and make it lose its attention on its defenses.


    That beast felt the blow and noticed that it wouldn''t end well if it didn''t defeat this opponent first. So it opened its eyes, feeling uncomfortable but gathering enough strength to attack.


    Then its eyes flashed blue, and then two pillars of blue flame went from there towards Emperor Stuart''s body.


    Minos saw that and realized what this specimen''s ability was. He quickly activated his Indestructible Body while his armor and passive energy absorption skill were standing by to help him.


    High-level grade-3 items, like the ones Minos wore, had special powers. In particular, his armor could create a spiritual armor capable of covering his avatar!


    So even though he was in the form of his soul projection, Minos could rely on his weapon and armor to do battle.


    As the enemy attack was too fast for him to dodge, and there were no weaker beings nearby for him to steal cultivation levels with his innate ability, he simply continued attacking that creature while withstanding such an attack.


    "Ouch!" He released a sound of pain after a few moments under the powerful flames of that level 80 creature.


    But his defense generated by the Indestructible Body managed to bar most of the offensive power of that along with his armor. When the flames hit his skin, the passive ability of the Devouring Art helped him, giving him more power and reducing what would actually burn him.


    But still, that was an attack from a beast a little stronger than him, so Minos felt pain as he had part of his body burned.


    "Rascal! Give up at once, or you will regret it!" Minos shouted as he released the Dark Sea, causing a dark fog to appear around the surroundings of his domain.


    That creature felt a little fear for the first time, sensing the dark past of Minos, who had already killed more than a million people in his lifetime!


    Even it, a thousand-year-old spiritual beast with a terrifying level, had never killed so many living beings.


    Sensing the terror of Minos'' murderous aura, it got a little distracted and suffered a little more at his hands, having more of her body being crushed by the wormhole.


    "Tsk!


    Human, I''ll kill you when this is all over, but for now, I''ll take your deal!" It shouted with great difficulty, feeling tired of this situation.


    Hearing that, Minos deactivated his techniques and abilities one by one while the blue flames in his surroundings had already disappeared.


    After feeling free again, that creature stopped using its spatial manipulation and had its entire body out of the wormhole.


    It looked at itself and noticed how bruised it had become, noticing several wounds and feeling some bones crushed.


    ''Damn you, human!'' It thought as it looked grudgingly at Minos.


    But Minos then said. "Let it go... You who put yourself in that situation... Anyway, guiding me through this place won''t be bad, beast. I''m heading toward the capital of this kingdom, so maybe you''ll have a chance to meet the queen."


    "What? The queen? Are you crazy?" That serpent asked as it trembled with fear. "Foolish human, the queen is a Spiritual Demigod! She can kill us with one look!"


    "Hmm, I can imagine. But I am searching for my companions, and I believe she can help me..." Minos said sincerely. "However, you should not worry. I am also sovereign, so my status is equal to hers."


    "Hahahahahaha, you are an idiot!" The snake laughed at Minos'' face. "If you are sovereign, then you must be from a farmstead in the northern region. How can you say that your status is equal to hers?"


    "Well, we are two sovereigns." Minos laughed, knowing that his words were indeed exaggerated but confident that these women would not attack him without giving him a chance to talk or play by the local rules.


    That would protect him and give him the opportunities he needed!


    "Anyway, the capital is where I''m going. Do you know how to get there?" Minos asked, counting on this beast to know how to do it since he had no idea.


    The beast looked at Minos and saw no fear in this human''s heart.


    It thought for a few moments, wanting to refuse, but because of its commitment to its own words, it said. "I know where it is, but I must warn you to give it up. The queen will never receive us, and even if she were willing, the eunuchs and women of the royal family would stand in our way.


    You are a male. So you probably won''t last until the trip is over." It said, looking to the middle of Minos'' legs.


    "Don''t worry about me. You just need to guide me." Minos said, satisfied that this creature knew how to get to that place. "Leave everything else to me, and maybe you will gain some good things on this trip."


    "As you wish..." That creature said in a sighing tone before it began to move, crawling into the water.


    "Where are you going?"


    "I''m going to talk to someone about my leaving. After that, we''ll leave."


    "Oh? I''m curious to know your habitat, haha." Minos followed behind it, entering that watery environment.


    ...

 Chapter 1538 An Underwater Home

    After entering that body of water, Minos only had to manipulate a little of his respiratory organs to become fully accustomed to the underwater world.


    Small membranes appeared at the sides of the base of his neck, and inside his nose, a membrane appeared to protect his lungs from water ingress.


    He breathed underwater in a few seconds through these simple changes, swimming after that beast.


    First, they went down for several meters in that area, which was somewhat narrow. But soon, they reached the bottom of that body of water, where there was a wider space below the rocks that held the surface ground.


    Minos saw the great beast showing him the way through that place that was not at all dark due to underwater plant roots that shone like stars.


    Because of these organisms, Minos could see tens of kilometers away from him in this grand underwater place where people on the surface would not imagine how much space there was there.


    But Minos had an idea of this earlier since he knew that the underwater life in the Spiritual World was even richer and more diverse than on land.


    There was much more space underwater in this world than on land, and most humans could not stay long in the water.


    p¦Á§ád¦Á §«?¦Í¨º|,§ã¨°§® Of course, these inhabitants had developed much further than the terrestrial ones, where the humans of Minos'' race had dominated the land and destroyed countless races and environments.


    Minos could see this in front of him as he swam around, seeing various types of fish swimming in the surroundings, from small level 30 organisms to even 8th-stage beings.


    The only Spiritual Sage in the vicinity was the giant serpent in front of him, the lord of this area.


    Because of this, Minos saw several of the stronger organisms in the vicinity stopping what they were doing nearby to stand silently, watching their leader pass by.


    But given their speed, they were soon in front of a huge coral reef, which was so large that it was 50 times the size of Minos'' mansion in Dry City.


    There, that creature entered one of the areas that could accommodate beings as large as it, with Minos observing this vibrant place.


    ''The spiritual energy here is even denser and richer than where I was earlier...'' Minos noticed this, promptly connecting this fact to how close this place was to the nearby spiritual root.


    Spiritual roots lay in the depths of the Spiritual World. So the deeper one went in some locations, the better the conditions for cultivation.


    The only exception was the floating islands since, due to the repelling factor of the underground rocks in these areas, currents of spiritual energy naturally flowed into the upper part of these places. The result was a place that was even richer in energy, even though it was not near the ground or the spiritual root.


    Anyway, noticing all the plant, animal, and spiritual richness of that beast''s palace, Minos saw some beings of the same race as his guide, high-level Spiritual Saints, approaching them and paying attention to that being.


    "Elders of the tribe, I have some matters to settle with this human and will be gone for the next few days." She said to those creatures a little smaller than herself.


    "Leader of the tribe..." One of the strongest beasts, level 79, tried to say something but was stopped from speaking further by that Spiritual Sage.


    "Don''t worry. I will return quickly. In the meantime, avoid trouble outside and keep our activities below normal." It ordered before seeing its underlings nod in agreement.


    Among beasts, hierarchy was everything. That way, even suddenly appearing there to give a warning like this, that beast faced no resistance since it was the strongest and most respected in the tribe.


    Minos saw that and asked after they proceeded out of that grand chorus. "What makes you think we won''t be long?"


    "One of those women will kill or overpower you." The beast said, certain about its premonitions. "When that happens, if I don''t die too, I can quickly return.


    In any case, a few years will pass in the blink of an eye."


    For a beast like it, capable of living for over 30,000 years and who had already lived quite long, a few years passed quickly.


    Minos could understand this without needing to hear more, and he smiled bitterly, sensing how little confidence this creature had in him.


    "By the way, my name is Minos Stuart. And you? What''s your name? You have one, right?" He asked.


    "Maris." She replied before jumping out of the water from where they had submerged moments ago.


    When Maris did this, her exquisite body suddenly glowed brightly and slowly began to change.


    Minos jumped out of the water, and his body returned to normal as he watched the serpent''s huge body transform into a 1.7 meters tall humanoid body.


    The body was female. It had an extremely attractive and fit silhouette, slim waist, medium-sized breasts, and white, thick legs.


    Her skin was white, with some tattoos that seemed to glow and be made of scales. At the same time, she had snake eyes, and her hair was spiky, as it appeared to be in her beast form.


    But still, she was gorgeous, causing Minos to watch her intently in silence.


    Beasts could transform into their humanoid versions starting at level 70, something useful for accessing small places made for human use.


    Another use of this was inter-species copulation, something challenging to do in the natural formats of each species...


    In any case, this was an ability that even Emlyn could use, but who had never done this since she liked her beast form. In fact, virtually all beast species preferred their natural forms and only used their humanoid bodies when they needed to interact with humans.


    Since this beast would not subject itself to the humiliation of being used as Minos'' mount, it had quickly transformed, giving him no chance to ask for it.


    Minos could understand this being and was fully accustomed to seeing the transformation of beasts due to the creatures that went to the Black Plain with Little Green. So he merely nodded to it, praising it and asking it to show him the way.


    The three Spiritual Sages watching Minos'' movements saw this and continued from their positions without drawing too much attention, keeping everything they saw in their minds.


    They were impressed by Minos'' abilities to fight a Spiritual Sage without even using his special skill of stealing cultivation levels.


    That was particularly true for the Spiritual Sage of the Eastern Empire, who had worried about Minos at the beginning of the fight with Maris but was now relieved, thinking how talented and lucky Minos was.


    But with that beast''s transformation and subsequent departure of her and Minos from there, the three would soon follow Maris'' lead, who would show a bit of the easternmost area of the Flowers Kingdom.


    The capital and most of the cities of this state were closer to the kingdom''s western coast, so over the next few days, Minos would get to know much of the local plant and animal wealth without much chance of meeting the dreaded local women.


    But this would not take long to happen!

 Chapter 1539 Information From The Flowers Kingdom

    After a few days of traveling alongside Maris, closely followed by three Spiritual Sages, Minos finally came across the first human group in the Flowers Kingdom.


    While walking through a forest beside that beautiful humanoid version of a spiritual beast, Minos heard typically human sounds coming from a few hundred meters ahead.


    These sounds were not voices, as beings of other races could produce sounds very similar to those of humans. These sounds were the noises generated in any human camp, something unlikely to be noticed in areas where beasts gathered.


    Beasts hardly ever stayed in their humanoid forms, as these were their weakest forms. At the same time, they didn''t gather in camps as humans did.


    Consequently, noises from campfires, bipedal footsteps, pots, plates, and cutlery would rarely be noticed in a group made up of non-humans.


    Upon noticing such sounds, Minos became interested and promptly indicated to Maris that he wished to meet with these people.


    This spiritual beast gave him an ugly look since, for a man like him with intact virility and great talent, it would be stupid to force a meeting with the women of this kingdom.


    But Minos paid no attention to its attempt to prevent his own demise, and Maris had no choice but to follow him.


    They then walked for less than a minute until they came close to that camp, to the point that they could see that place clearly.


    They saw several women in that camp, some dressed as warriors, doing vigilante work. In contrast, others had activities within the camp, some as cooks, others looking like noble leaders.


    The Flowers Kingdom was a powerful state, but even in places like this, people of low talent would keep society standing with their low-paid jobs.


    Because of this, most people in this state were not high-level warriors but weaker cultivators, many of whom were between levels 40 and 60.


    In this case, women of levels 40 to 50 were in that camp doing housework, cooking, and keeping the place organized.


    Meanwhile, most women between levels 60 and 79 kept watch over their surroundings, while a few between levels 70 and 79 either commanded or advised.


    But to Minos'' surprise, there were men there, most of them low-level, but a few powerful cultivators.


    The low-level men were like the low-level women, servants, and individuals who, even with their masculinity, would not attract the attention of women of the royal family.


    It was not worthwhile for women of the royal lineage to copulate with men of low talent. So the many individuals with these characteristics who lived in the kingdom were not threatened by the local situation and were responsible for this place continuing to exist.


    After all, men were needed in reproduction, and a state, with or without specialists, needed people in mining, agriculture, etc.


    So in the Flowers Kingdom, there were also free men, individuals who owned their masculinities.


    However, they were the smallest part of the population and usually did not live in the most important cities of this state.


    In the Kingdom of Flowers, there were a few cities where men of low talent could live as anywhere else on this continent. These were the only cities where the male presence was not insignificant in this state.


    In the rest of the cities, one would practically only find men like those high-ranking individuals in that camp, eunuchs, fathers of noble warriors from the local royal family!


    Minos noticed these men without their male parts. All of them were overweight, bald, and dressed in white clothes.


    ''Sigh... I hope Oswald and Harold didn''t become that.'' He thought as he had just watched that camp, waiting to introduce himself to those people.


    As he watched beside Maris, Minos noticed the high-status women there, all more or less similar in their physical features.


    They were tall, in the range of 2 meters tall, muscular, in proportion to their heights, and had a special aura, which made Minos understand, even without prior knowledge, that they were of royal lineage.


    ''The royal family of this state really has many members...'' He sighed as he noticed the wonderful effects of having the ability to reproduce without much difficulty.


    Because of the royal family''s lineage ability, the women of this family could have dozens of children during their lifetime.


    Of these children, sometimes men would be born and naturally not have the same ability. But among the women, they would all have and eventually become the mothers of entire legions.


    Because of this, in this state, all noble families were direct descendants of the royal family, and their members could be considered heirs to the kingdom.


    More than 3,000 women currently in this state had this status, which made this place dangerous for men like Minos but also practically guaranteed the continuity of the ruling family.


    Upon realizing this, Minos sighed, being a little envious since he himself would love to have a few dozen children to ensure the future of House Stuart.


    Finally, sighing, he closed his fists and stepped forward, intending to show himself to those camping ahead.


    Maris did the same as him, following him, not so much fearing this group, which was not so strong, but knowing that even so, there were dangers.


    ''If you want to kill yourself, so be it...'' It imagined before seeing Minos leap into the air, heading toward the middle of the camp.


    In this way, Minos suddenly invaded that place, surprising everyone with his arrival right in the middle of the camping area.


    "Natives of the Flowers Kingdom..." He said, intending to introduce himself.


    But as he did so, some women noticed his unannounced entrance, as well as the failure to secure the guard of the noblewomen there.


    "Hey, who''s that? Where did he come from?"


    "I don''t know! I was scanning the surroundings, but I didn''t see him!"


    p¦Á§ád¦Á §«?¦Í¨º|,§ã¨°§® "How can that be? He''s just a..."


    "What? A Spiritual Sage? A Sage Beast?" Someone saw Maris landing next to Minos and was surprised, not expecting either of them.


    They had just suffered from a small secondary ability of Minos'' 8th technique, which not only created an avatar but also could expose some of the cultivation of such a soul projection.


    Minos had the Space and Time Avatar, so he could use some of the domain features of that projection even without showing it to everyone.


    That was a feature common to all soul techniques, which made the souls of their users gain traits of the technique.


    Through this, the space and time around Minos were unconsciously influenced by him, and perceiving him without knowing his exact position or having a clear view of him could be quite difficult!


    So he had invaded that camp without drawing attention to his plans, making all the women and men in that place raise their guards to him.


    "Stranger, who are you? What is your intention to sneak up on my group?" One of the strongest noble women there, level 77, asked, as her senses told her that this was a complete man!


    ...

 Chapter 1540 Rules Of The Flowers Kingdom

    Noticing that woman''s gaze on him, Minos sighed, thinking how obscene the lineage of these people was that immediately made them think of breeding upon seeing a man like him.


    But he ignored those thoughts and introduced himself. "I am Minos Stuart. I am in search of some people in this kingdom. Can you help me with this? Can any of you explain to me exactly the local rules?"


    "Minos Stuart?" The eunuchs murmured among themselves, recognizing the queen''s target.


    Meanwhile, the noblewomen in the surrounding area all felt excited that such a talented person was in front of them.


    The local rules said that the first woman to challenge a newly arrived man would prioritize any kind of engagement with him over others interested. So even knowing that the queen probably wanted to get one of the princesses to challenge Minos, those women were inclined to say something and try to get this fellow''s genes for themselves.


    The same level 77 woman looked at Minos a little differently and said. "Help you find someone? You don''t know what you''ve gotten yourself into, kid.


    When you enter the Flowers Kingdom, you won''t receive any kind of help. Instead, you will be challenged by women all along your path, who will not only try to overpower you with brute force but will put beasts and trouble in your way to test your capabilities.


    The only thing that can help you is your level. Because of the local rules, only women at the same cultivation stage can challenge men exploring these lands...


    So usually only end-stage experts visit our state." She laughed, noting Minos'' level 71 cultivation once again, which would enable all of them to challenge him!


    "Is that so?" Minos smiled at that woman. "So you aren''t going to help me?"


    A eunuch then explained the local rules correctly to Minos. "Your Majesty Minos Stuart, upon entering the Flowers Kingdom, you have an obligation to accept challenges. Therefore, whenever you are challenged by a noblewoman or a member of royalty, you are in dispute with her until one of the two gives up.


    When this happens, the winner can claim something the loser has.


    The women of the kingdom will always claim your masculinity.


    But you, if you win, can claim a prize that such a woman has the power to give you and also the chance to leave the state.


    In that situation, you will be sent out of the state to a location of your choice. However, if you are still in the kingdom within 1 hour of your award, you can be challenged again.


    That would be repeated until you have your manhood called out by some warrior or until your departure."


    Another level 79 eunuch then said. "Other than the prizes you can receive by winning challenges, no noble, eunuch, or ordinary citizens of the kingdom will give you any help.


    You can earn a lot here, but only beating our warriors would give you those opportunities!"


    Because of these rules, the Flowers Kingdom was a place of opportunity for talented men.


    Normally, only end-stage men, that is, level x9, would come to this state.


    Because of their level, they would usually be stronger than most of the candidates able to challenge them, and this allowed them to win several prizes.


    As long as one kept winning challenges and didn''t leave the kingdom or raise their cultivation stage, they could continually gain resources from the wealthy noblewomen descended from the royal family.


    Thus Harold gained many resources that later gave him the opportunity to advance to the 9th stage and even the promise of protection from a local expert.


    Unfortunately, at the time, Harold had only gotten a draw, which was hard to happen, but could be called upon by local women in special cases. With that, that woman had allowed him to leave, but with restrictive conditions for him.


    Anyway, Minos listened to the words of those men as he saw that several of those women seemed to want to challenge him.


    "So that''s how it is..." He muttered, pleased to hear those sweet words.


    He knew those women probably had higher-quality technique sets than everyone he had ever met. But even so, they were unlikely to have complete Golden-grade sets, as was his case.


    And even if there were someone like that, she would not be ordinary or part of a large group. Moreover, he still had several advantages on his side, such as his innate ability, the Dark Sea, etc.


    He then asked. "So, who of you will challenge me first? I''m looking forward to getting my first prize!"


    Gulp!


    Maris swallowed her saliva, finding herself surrounded by opponents, but even so, that human was still provocative, talking nonsense that could lead him to his end.


    She knew he was strong, but so were the women descended from the royal family!


    Not only that, as long as a challenge was not made official, other women, and even eunuchs, were free to act. Since this was yet to happen, they might end up having to face all these beings, which would be quite difficult for the two of them.


    "Humph, you are quite bold, Minos Stuart!" A level 76 noblewoman said before looking at Maris and asking. "Why are you standing next to this human? Don''t you know that natives cannot help outsiders?"


    "Noble warrior, I have no choice. I made a promise to this human in a life and death situation, so now I am guiding him through the kingdom." Maris said, trying not to look guilty of breaking local laws.


    "Life and death situation?" The people in the surrounding area murmured, trying to imagine the problem.


    But most there didn''t know about Minos'' powers, only about his prominent position in the northern region and talent in cultivation. Hence, they simply imagined that he had helped this beast somehow and got its gratitude.


    "Well, then I..." One of them didn''t mind Maris'' little infraction and looked at Minos, wanting to challenge him.


    But in the middle of that level 75 woman''s speech, one of the eunuchs said. "Miss, is it really wise to do that? Her Majesty has interests in this man."


    Minos hearing that frowned his eyebrows. "Isn''t the queen a Spiritual Demigod? I believe that is against the local rules, no?"


    "Tsk!


    You may dream of Her Majesty, but she''s not the one to challenge you, man!" One of the queen''s great-granddaughters said, annoyed by Minos'' thoughts.


    "Then why don''t you challenge me? Are you afraid? Don''t worry. The queen''s plans will not be hindered. None of you are strong enough to beat me." He said, causing those women to narrow their eyes to stare at him hatefully.


    "Oh? If that is the case, I, Ruby Salazar, challenge you, Minos Stuart." A level 76 woman said, starting the Stuart Emperor''s journey in this state, paying to see what this fellow could do.


    ...

 Chapter 1541 Overcoming Successive Challenges

    "Uh? Level 76?" Minos looked with interest in the direction of that woman, who, truth be told, was quite similar to several others in the surrounding area, and he couldn''t exactly tell the differences other than the aura.


    Since she wanted to challenge him, he would not run away from the fight. "Okay, what do I need to do to beat her? Can I just make her say those words?" He asked while making a fighting stance.


    "Hahaha, Minos Stuart, it''s not that simple." One of the noblewomen there said. "You can indeed make us say the words... But would you be able to do that?


    Then you need not despair. We of the Flowers Kingdom are fair, and even a weakling at your level stands a chance in our challenges."


    This woman was not lying. Because of the diabolical lineage skills that the descendants of the royalty of this state had, they had to follow various rules imposed by the continent, or they would be hunted down and killed.


    These women didn''t simply play games that only favored them. Even when they were stronger than their opponents, they proposed fair conditions of combat.


    For example, on the rare occasions when someone at the level of Minos appeared in this kingdom, even women with several levels above the challenged men would not simply face them head-on. They would pose possible challenges for people at that level to pass, provided, of course, that they were talented enough.


    But, even for highly talented people, the challenges would not be easy since their purpose was only to test the talent, not to let they slip away by giving victory to the most capable easily.


    So, even if, in their view, Minos'' situation was disadvantageous to him, none of them would play ''dirty'' or act personally against him.


    That would be shameful for them!


    They had a great sense of honor and would only show maximum strength to opponents stronger than themselves. Since many there did not understand Emperor Stuart''s strengths, they mockingly laughed at him at that woman''s words.


    "Damn!" Maris realized what Minos intended to do and jumped away from him, afraid to feel the dominance that had so bothered her.


    "So it''s just me forcing you, huh?" Minos circulated his energies to activate his avatar and show off as much of his Physique''s abilities as possible to these women.


    He could sense that they had good techniques. Some probably even had two or three Golden-grade techniques in their sets. In this case, he could only beat them the way he planned by putting in the effort.


    "Does anyone else wish to challenge me? I know that your challenges happen one at a time. But why don''t we make a waiting list? That way, ''if'' I win, the next one of you will have an advantage over the others to challenge me..." He said.


    The eunuchs there looked at Minos with narrowed eyebrows, trying to understand what this man had in mind.


    They were the ones who knew the most about Emperor Stuart among everyone there. However, even they were unaware of Minos'' most recent achievements or his forces. After all, the Flowers Kingdom was far from the Black Plain, and few received notification about this fellow''s forces and actions.


    If they were 9th stage cultivators, like those women watching Minos'' movements for days, they would know not to point such a thing out to their superiors.


    Unfortunately, ignorance would prevent them from preventing more women from challenging Minos!


    "Well then, I, Fawn Jarvis..."


    ...


    "I, Sibley Blair, challenge you, Minos Stuart..." Half of the noblewomen in that camp, seven women between levels 76 and 78, challenged Minos, creating an unprecedented waiting list for challenges in this state.


    Minos was pleased with this and said, before taking action. "Well, I believe that although you cannot fight me simultaneously, I can do it against you, no? So let''s end this quickly, dear flowers."


    They wanted to brandish their displeasure against Minos. Still, after he finished speaking, they all immediately felt his powerful Physique ability.


    In the blink of an eye, the level 76 woman and the next one who was supposed to face him if he beat the first level 76 woman as well felt their levels drop to level 75.


    Meanwhile, Minos'' level quickly rose to level 73!


    "What?" One of the eunuchs opened his mouth in astonishment, not expecting to see Minos use this ability against such women.


    Meanwhile, the noble women there frowned, sensing that he was much more challenging than they thought.


    The first one to challenge Minos shivered, feeling her powers diminishing in a way she hadn''t expected.


    But simultaneously, the Soul Avatar of Minos showed himself to all those people in the camp, making those women suffer from the effects of his techniques.


    He focused his techniques on the stronger ones to not accidentally kill the weaker women, those servants who were only there to serve.


    Meanwhile, he only directed his Devouring Art at those women who challenged him, leaving the other individuals only pressured by Chaotic Gravity so they would not move.


    Minos didn''t want anyone getting in the way of his match, so even the level 79 Spiritual Saints there were immobilized by his initial action.


    ''What? How is that possible?'' Maris wondered, open-mouthed as she watched everything from afar.


    She hadn''t seen Minos using this innate ability before, so seeing him at level 73, she was shocked like the camp members.


    But seeing him dominating all those people with only level 73 cultivation, this beast felt even more impressed!


    ''With that power, I feel like I can''t stand up to him!'' She exclaimed in her mind, seeing that Minos in that form was already as strong as a level 81 Spiritual Sage.


    The level 76 woman who first challenged him, Ruby Salazar, paled as she felt the pressure Minos was putting on her, forcing her to her knees.


    Minos realized this woman and others there could show some resistance against him, as they had Golden-grade techniques to help them. However, none of them had a complete set of techniques of this quality.


    Consequently, they would have some weaknesses against him, such as defense, mind, attack, and speed, which he had already noticed before he started his move.


    Minos could see his opponents'' weaknesses through the visual ability he had gained after advancing to the 8th stage, so he had realized before he even acted what the best strategies for each opponent were.


    Thus, he pressed them against their weaknesses when he showed his avatar, giving no chances to these women who wished to castrate him.


    "I think that''s a victory, no? Do any of you wish to continue, or do you admit your defeat?" He asked after bringing all those women to their knees, making them feel terrible from the humiliation and the powerful spiritual fluctuations targeting their weak points.


    If he made the slightest mistake at that moment, they could die!


    Gulp!


    In this situation, they regretted the rash position they had taken one by one!


    ...

 Chapter 1542 Prizes

    Quickly, each of the women who challenged him declared themselves losers, starting with the first until they reached the last one who had made the challenge.


    Minos made sure to follow the order of the challenges to prevent any of them from using some kind of excuse to undo the challenges already made.


    Through this, he defeated seven of them, earning the right to prizes from each of these mid- and high-level Spiritual Saints.


    Everyone in the surrounding area was shocked at Minos'' handling of the matter, feeling that he was too strong, outside of what they considered normal for reality.


    Not only the noblewomen there who felt the worst of Minos'' powers felt this, but also the eunuchs, guards, and servants, all of whom had somehow suffered temporarily from his power.


    The servants lay on the ground, sweating cold. At the same time, the guards and eunuchs were pale, in disbelief of the strength of this level 71 person, who could even defeat all of them together!


    One of the strongest noblewomen there, level 78, clenched her fists and looked at the ground, feeling humiliated but not complaining. ''How could this happen to me? Damn it!


    I shouldn''t have challenged him! No wonder Her Majesty herself wanted Minos to decide who would challenge him. He''s actually a monster that only princesses have a chance of defeating!'' She thought to herself, while only the sound of wind in the trees in the surrounding area was present.


    The silence in the area was deafening to these people, and when one of them finally said something, the rest thanked her in their minds for this being to end their moment of suffering.


    "What now? What do we do?" The first woman to challenge Minos asked him, feeling that it was her duty to present to her opponent in the first place.


    At the moment, she felt very stupid, but there was nowhere to run. They had all been tricked by Minos, but he just followed their own rules.


    Hell, they had even laughed at him!


    Minos looked at that woman, feeling the fear in the surroundings, satisfied with his victory. "Well, I won. Now you seven owe me."


    "What do you want?" The strongest of these women, level 78, asked in a low voice, still with her head down.


    Minos looked at her and said. "As I said, I am seeking your help locating myself in this place and finding some people. Can any of you help me with that?


    I want to find Harold Edwardstone, the emperor of the Flaming Empire, and Oswald Coleman, my grandfather."


    The eunuchs there muttered things to their mistresses while the women there looked at each other.


    One of them said. "I don''t know where your grandfather is, but I know Harold''s location. He is in the kingdom''s capital, Flowers City, waiting to go through the mating ceremony."


    "Oh? So he still has his manhood intact?" Minos asked in surprise while Maris was already at his side, still looking at him strangely but more comfortable with the situation.


    "Yes, he does." That woman confirmed before saying. "With that information, I don''t owe you anything more."


    Minos didn''t mind and looked at the other six. "What about my grandfather? Do any of you know anything about him?"


    A eunuch explained the situation to Minos. "Your Majesty Minos Stuart, it''s not that simple. Miss Sibley only knew of Harold''s location and situation, as his circumstances are somewhat special in the kingdom.


    On the other hand, your grandfather does not have such a significant status, and people of our levels would hardly have that information."


    The remaining six women nodded in agreement, regretting not knowing about it, as this was a chance for yet another of them to be free of any commitment to Minos.


    Minos then looked at them and said. "For I demand that one of you investigate the whereabouts of Oswald. You will only free yourself from an engagement with me when you bring me information regarding his location and situation."


    One level 77 noblewoman was willing to do this, preferring to commit to something right away than wait for this guy to decide on something else.


    That was just a tedious job. Meanwhile, Minos had the right even to take their weapons and armor, items they valued greatly. So, to avoid losing something valuable, that woman had committed herself to this.


    Minos nodded to her and looked at the other five. "I want one of you to travel alongside Maris and me until we reach the capital of this kingdom. Your job will be to assist on this journey with cultivation resources and information needed during these travel days."


    A level 78 woman was willing to do this, leaving only four of them fearing losing their items.


    "The rest of you, if I haven''t heard wrong, I can demand anything you have, right? Including your freedom?"


    A eunuch stepped forward. "Your Majesty Minos Stuart, please know that the rules of the challenge prevent the challenged from taking away the freedom of the women of the kingdom."


    "No problem. I just want your families to help me with a small service." He smiled. "I need a Spiritual Sage to locate a person in the Flaming Empire for me.


    His name is Mortimer Burgess, level 80.


    This person does not need to act against Mortimer. Just locate him. I will do the rest when I receive his location."


    None of these women could do it alone, but several had relatives powerful enough to find Mortimer.


    So one of them was willing to do the job.


    Minos was pleased and continued. "Besides, I need military and commercial allies. So how about the family of the three of you making some deals with me?


    Of course, those agreements would only involve the people led by you, not your superiors in your families."


    The three sighed upon hearing that since they could profit from whatever deals they went on, they did not have to lose anything of value to Minos right now.


    Some even had Saint-grade medicines with them, something extremely valuable to them!


    So Minos'' demands were accepted without any major problems, with the tension there lessening considerably after his words.


    In the midst of this, the Spiritual Sage was standing next to the two women watching Minos, looking at the two of them.


    "Aren''t you two worried about that?" He asked.


    "Why would we be?" The weaker of the two questioned him instead of answering.


    "I mean, Minos is much stronger than these people... Will anyone be able to stop him? I think he will end up gaining a lot on this trip through your state."


    The level 86 woman then said. "That''s until he meets some of the princesses. By then, he won''t be able to win, and his genes will have to stay with us."


    "Why do you think he can''t win? I know your descendants are powerful and well-equipped. But Minos is out of the ordinary."


    "You''ll see." The stronger of the two commented, smiling. "Anyway, let''s get on with it. They''re about to leave."


    At that moment, some of the noblewomen who would investigate things for Minos departed. At the same time, he was joined by those other four women, three of whom would take him to their respective families for him to do business.


    He did not know where Oswald was, and Harold''s situation was not so urgent. So he would first settle that business before continuing with his journey.


    Soon, he and his group would set off toward the first city in the Flowers Kingdom that he would have the chance to get to know.

 Chapter 1543 How Strong Will He Be

    Three weeks later...


    After departing from the previous camp, Minos followed alongside the women who owed him to the first city he would meet in this state.


    That was where men were technically forbidden to live, the home of some of the noble families of this state.


    But make no mistake, even the cities in this state that forbade men to live had people of that sort living there.


    These were the eunuchs, fathers of female warriors of the kingdom, or the male nobles, sons of the female warriors.


    For some reason, the sons of women of royal lineage in this state were born sterile. Because of this reason, they could live in this state without problems, although in the remote past, some women of royal lineage had tried to induce the reproduction of members of their lineage with cousins.


    That had ended the lives of those noblemen but saved the lives of all those who came after, who, until the present day, could live peaceful lives alongside their sisters, mother, and many aunts.


    But apart from these two types of men, no others were allowed to live in these cities, and only during the day could visitors like Minos pass through.


    Because of his situation, Minos had already received a few more challenges in the previous days, even considering the rumors about his strength that had already been spread since his first battle against women in this state.


    He had not fought other groups in the days he had traveled to this city, as the women and eunuchs traveling with him had ''helped'' the women on their way, bypassing every camp in their vicinity. But the other people who had seen him fight, especially the servants, had spread what they had seen to their friends and acquaintances, quickly spreading the news about him to people in those areas of the kingdom.


    But even with the rumors that he was a monster capable of defeating even level 79 eunuchs without effort, some women in this city had already challenged him.


    He had won several of these challenges, so he had already collected a few thousand high-grade crystals, medicine useful for feeding Maris, and high-level grade-3 equipment for the Black Plain Army.


    In the middle of his days in this city, Minos had signed partnership agreements with the families of two of the three women he had demanded.


    In these agreements, the Black Plain would sell high-value-added resources to the Flowers Kingdom, such as the special wine from that area, aphrodisiac plants, and products forged by spiritual professionals.


    Currently, the empire of Minos would still not have much to sell to the families of those women. Still, this emperor had guaranteed buyers for these items when this day came.


    And with that, those families would also have to provide some hard-to-find items in Minos'' territories, but also military support.


    The forces commanded by those women would have to be friendly to those of Minos. In case of problems between the Black Plain and Flowers Kingdom or high-level states on the continent, those families would have to intercede on their behalf.


    In a way, these agreements were similar to what Harold had achieved for his state before.


    Anyway, today, Minos would finish formalizing the last of the three agreements so that he could finally return to his journey toward the Flowers City!


    ...


    "What do you think? Does it suit me?" Minos asked Maris and the level 78 woman traveling with them to pay for their expenses on this journey to the kingdom''s capital.


    In this instant, they were in a grand and beautiful hotel in the city they were stopped in, where the three families of those women were located.


    Although this place was not exactly the destination of most people on the continent, women from all over the Spiritual World had this state as a point to visit in their lives.


    Those who were financially and spiritually able to come to this place eventually did so. Because of this, the tourist attractiveness of this place was not zero, and there were in this kingdom hotels and all kinds of infrastructure necessary to receive people from outside.


    In one of these places, Minos was staying with those two, and at this very moment, he was trying on one of the armor he had won the day before.


    That was a dark purple armor, which covered the upper parts of the arms, shoulders, chest, abdomen, and back, with small reliefs that made it look beautiful. But the most impressive thing about this armor was not its refined appearance but its classification.


    That was a low-level grade-4 armor, something Minos had been lucky enough to get after defeating a level 79 Spiritual Saint the day before, a wealthy local challenger.


    He wasn''t strong enough to last long with armor that required level 80 cultivation from its wearer, so he was only trying it out to use in the future.


    Items of this quality were almost 20% more efficient than those of high-level grade-3 classification, so Minos was eager to use something like this!


    "It looks excellent on you..." The level 78 woman said as Maris observed the details of that armor.


    That spiritual beast asked. "With that armor, you have one defensive and one offensive item of low-level grade-4... But will you be able to use them? Or is it too heavy for you?"


    Minos had gained a sword of the same rank as that armor three days ago, so Maris wondered how strong he would become after adding that item more.


    "Hmm, I''ll only be able to use one of these items without a problem after advancing to level 73, whereas to use both simultaneously, I''ll have to reach level 75, so no, I won''t be able to use them for a while." He was sincere.


    He already had a low-level grade-4 armor and sword that Henricus Longus had left for him in the Spatial Kingdom. But even so, Minos had never used them until then because he knew he was incapable.


    "Level 75? Sigh... It''ll take a while for that to happen." That beast sighed, imagining it would not be able to see Minos using such items yet on this trip.


    It had started this trip with anger at Minos for all that had happened when they first met. But after weeks of traveling together, she had grown accustomed to him and his unusual abilities.


    So Maris wanted to see this fellow using all his skills and those grade-4 items, which would undoubtedly put him above his current strength.


    Unfortunately, he couldn''t do such a thing in the short term!


    "Anyway, it''s impressive that you can at least use this to show us." That level 78 woman commented, seeing Emperor Stuart removing the armor. "I hope to see you getting stronger in the future... It will be interesting to see where you can get to as a eunuch."


    "Eunuch?" Minos chuckled as he looked at that woman, who, every now and then, teased him with lines similar to the one above. "That''s not going to happen, Emma."


    "If you eventually reach the level of the chief eunuch, with your exceptional skills, you could probably reach the power level of the continent''s leaders!


    At this time, the kingdom would become as strong as our neighbors!"


    ...

 Chapter 1544 Secondary Objective In The Flowers Kingdom

    Chapter 1544 Secondary Objective In The Flowers Kingdom


    Hearing Emma''s comment, Minos shook his head negatively, though he agreed that he would be as strong as some of the continent''s strongest experts if he reached that stage.


    Minos didn''t know the head eunuch of the Flowers Kingdom. Still, he had already heard from Emma that this person was a 10th-stage cultivator. Considering that he could advance the quality of his Physique one more time when he was to move to that stage, and his strength would increase greatly in the meantime, he agreed with her regarding his potential.


    But all that power would be for the good of the Black Plain Empire, not the Flowers Kingdom!


    "You can dream about it, but it won''t happen, Emma." He smiled at her, confident in a way that this woman soon became angry and turned her back on him.


    "Tsk!"


    Maris just watched the two, seeing that Minos had already stowed the purple armor in a spatial ring and was beginning to regain his energy.


    Such was the power of a high-level grade-4 item that just by having him wear it for a few moments, he had exhausted himself!


    This beast would watch him for a few moments until some employee of the hotel they were in knocked on the door of that room and said. "Warrior, Your Majesty Minos Stuart, Sage Beast, a group from the Johnston family are waiting for you in the lobby."


    Upon hearing that, Minos opened his eyes, hearing the information he had been waiting for so he could finally continue his journey.


    Of the three women who had promised to make deals with him after his victory at the camp weeks ago, only the woman from the Johnston family was left to fulfill her promises to him.


    That level 76 person had taken her time, as she had had trouble settling these matters with her family and getting a spiritual judge capable of sealing the deal between her and Minos. Because of this, things concerning her agreement with him took longer.


    However, that woman had promised him that as soon as she could settle all the necessary points, she would come with the spiritual judge to this place to seal their agreement.


    That was the signal, so Minos was more than pleased to hear the words of that hotel employee.


    "All right, let''s go!" He stood up from his meditative position, not yet 100% recovered, but enough to be able to protect himself in case strange things happened.


    His two companions followed him as they saw him heading towards the first floor of this building, also satisfied, as they could continue their trip after today.


    Even Emma was in a bit of a hurry with this trip since not only was she paying for the stay of these two in the Flowers Kingdom, but she also didn''t like to see her relatives losing things to Minos.


    The longer he stayed in the city, the more curious and idiot women came to challenge him and consequently lose their items.


    Minos had gotten a lot of things in the last few weeks, so she felt that he would profit a few times more than Harold if he successfully escaped the kingdom.


    As much as she was confident in the princesses, she felt sorry for her relatives who would lose resources that would not return later, regardless of the outcome of their journey.


    ''Hopefully, we''ll leave this city later today...'' She sighed.


    ...


    Upon arriving at the lobby of that hotel, Minos immediately ran into the woman he had beaten weeks ago, some elders from the Johnston family, and a very old fellow who was supposed to be the spiritual judge.


    Seeing the high-level Spiritual Sages of that family, Minos promptly greeted them. "It is good to meet noble warriors of such high status... I am flattered that such important people traveled just to welcome me."


    One of the high-ranking women in this group looked at Minos seriously and said. "You are lucky that you are only a Spiritual Saint. Otherwise, Minos, you would have lost by now."


    "That''s just my luck." He smiled, not wanting to provoke these experts but not fearing them. "But we are all following the local rules, so there is no regret, right? Anyway, what I wish for Miss Johnston is something simple for her and good for everyone."


    "Tsk! You are bold and a rascal, Minos Stuart." A level 88 woman said, knowing that he was a profiteer for having encouraged countless women to challenge him.


    "To survive in the dangerous Spiritual World, one needs to use all the skills one has, including intelligence." He agreed before looking toward the woman who challenged him and asking. "So, do you intend to keep your promise now?"


    That woman clenched her fists, not liking this but wanting to get it all over with right away.


    That way, at least, she would no longer have to meet with Minos, and they would no longer hear her elders pressuring her to pay her debts soon.


    "Yes, let''s get it over with."


    Minos smiled and said. "Very well, I have already made agreements on most of the items I can trade with your state, so there is not much that I will offer you.


    That way, I want your assurance that you and your subordinates will not act against the Black Plain, no matter what. Furthermore, suppose one day we need support. In that case, you and your subordinates must make yourself available to act to help us.


    This woman would have to agree to more military arrangements with Minos than the other two, for it had taken her a long time to reach that point.


    In any case, she didn''t think that would be so problematic and said. "Fine by me."


    They then found a place to sit, where the spiritual judge would formalize the agreement terms between the parties, which would be signed by those two hours later.


    After that signing, that woman''s commitment to Minos had changed, and now she could no longer be surprised by anything he decided later. All she would have to do was follow the rules of the agreement without worrying about him demanding more things on account of winning the challenge.


    With that settled, she and her family returned from whence they departed, leaving Minos and those two alone in the hotel.


    ...


    After Minos closed the previous deal, two days passed.


    In those two days, he resolved the last challenges he had received in that city before finally leaving to continue his journey westward to the kingdom''s capital.


    At this moment, he and his two traveling companions were arriving in a small village on their way, where Minos intended to settle some matters.


    He already had in mind to settle matters concerning the map in his possession that the Blood Triangle Pirates and the Eastern Empire wanted.


    More and more people were approaching him about such a thing, so Minos wanted to get ahead of it and find out as much as he could on this trip through the Flowers Kingdom.


    This state might not be the strongest on the continent. Still, it had reason to continue existing, even if it was surrounded by two states with high-level Spiritual Gods in their ranks.


    The Eastern Empire and the Evergreen Empire didn''t simply keep their interests away from this women''s kingdom because this place had no value in their eyes or out of respect. Instead, they did this because the women of this area had their own methods of securing their independence!


    So as a high-level state, the Flowers Kingdom could have useful information!


    ...

 Chapter 1545 Minos Attempt

    Minos knew he had a good chance of getting something in this state because he had already talked superficially about it with Emma.


    For this very reason, this woman was guiding him towards the village ahead, where supposedly a noble house of a woman who might have information about this was located.


    There were no Spiritual Church posts in the Flowers Kingdom, but this state was friendly to that organization.


    Because of this, some of the queen''s descendants maintained contact with that organization and were, in a way, closer than other local noblewomen of the organization that Gloria was part of.


    This family was one that had members who had dealings with the Church!


    So when the group of three arrived near that camp, Minos'' eyes were gleaming in interest, eager for any kind of information.


    ''Time to get at least some hint...'' He wondered before moving on to enter that village alongside Emma and Maris.


    As they moved beyond the surveillance limit of the guards at that location, their group immediately caught the attention of the Spiritual Sages on standby.


    One of them took the time to check what this was all about and simply mentally communicated with these people.


    ''What are you doing in this place? And why is there a warrior and a spiritual beast next to this man? Uh? Isn''t that Minos Stuart?'' A female voice, very comfortable to hear, said in the minds of the three.


    Minos noticed this form of communication for the first time in his life as that Flowers Kingdom warrior explained the situation aloud.


    "Senior, I lost in the challenge to this man, and I am guiding this beast and him until we reach the Flowers City... That was what he chose as a prize for his victory."


    The beast then prostrated itself and said aloud, afraid of being punished by that expert. "Senior, he threatened me to follow him around the kingdom, so I have no choice in being here!"


    "Tsk! How do you have the nerve, Maris? You''re enjoying yourself on our trip!" Minos exclaimed, looking at this traitor on its own knees.


    "That doesn''t change the fact that I am being forced to accompany you." She said, without looking at him or the direction from which that expert was positioned, sending her words into their minds.


    But Minos was only trying to make Maris nervous and soon put her words aside. He looked in the direction of the woman questioning them and said. "Madam, I am seeking information regarding a group connected to the Spiritual Church. I believe someone in this village can help me, so I request permission for passage through this area."


    That woman looked at Minos strangely before focusing her attention on those two beside him.


    She said first to Emma. "You are a fool. How did you have the courage to challenge someone who is Her Majesty''s target? Do you think she didn''t have her reasons for watching him? Now you are forced to guide him through our state, saying things you shouldn''t..."


    Emma listened to that woman''s sermon, soon lowering her head in shame.


    Then Maris heard something too, but since she knew nothing about the queen''s interest in Minos, the Spiritual Sage didn''t complain so much about her weakness.


    That expert merely said that such a spiritual beast was a disgrace to its race...


    After making her due complaints, she focused on Minos and said with her vocal cords. "Faye, bring His Majesty Minos Stuart to the hall of elders. I will receive him."


    A woman in the vicinity of where Minos and his companions were heard immediately appeared in front of the three.


    The three saw that level 81 woman, and he walked towards her, causing Maris to stand up and Emma to put away her shame to move on.


    "Your Majesty Minos Stuart, come with me. I will lead your group to your destination." Faye said, with a smile on her face, as she opened a wormhole behind where she stood.


    Then Minos nodded to her and entered that region of space without hesitation, followed by Emma and Maris.


    ...


    By going through the last wormhole, something he did as if he had gone through a door, Minos came to a large and well-lit place where there seemed to be an artificial garden.


    But nothing there was artificial. Everything was natural, even considering the underground position of this place where Minos had been sent.


    Minos looked at the surroundings and saw that the tree roots positioned above this area were responsible for the good lighting in this room full of plant life.


    But there were also many items produced by humans, sculptures representing people and beasts. At the same time, the spiritual energy and Law present in the area were so concentrated that the air seemed to glow.


    Minos smiled upon seeing this place while Emma and Maris appeared behind him, promptly retracting their auras to avoid offending the people in the surrounding area.


    "Your Majesty Minos Stuart is indeed powerful and bold." A voice came from far away from those three, as sounds of footsteps spread in the surroundings, becoming more and more noticeable. "You go to this place and still stand watching everything as if in a museum... Aren''t you afraid of offending those you shouldn''t?"


    "Offend? Not at all. I''m just impressive enough to look at the area with curiosity." Minos said before seeing the woman who had spoken to them moments ago, someone at level 85.


    Coming face to face with this brown-haired fellow, that woman, tall and strong like every local noble, with black hair and blue female armor, said. "You know that by coming here, you will be challenged by some of our junior girls, right? Are you doing this on purpose?"


    "Not at all. I have interests that maybe can be helped by people from this place. I''ll leave when I find out if you can and hear something useful.


    As to whether anyone will challenge me, that is up to you only... I will not spread to other people that I am here." He said, indicating to this woman that she could help him and keep his passage through this place a secret.


    That way, none of the juniors in this village would lose resources to him!


    "You are very good at telling others what they should do, uh?" That woman said, not liking to hear that from Minos.


    "No wonder I''m a ruler..." He said.


    That woman closed her eyes momentarily, thinking about it. She really didn''t want to let her juniors come into contact with Minos, or they would be enticed to challenge him and then lose.


    Losing a challenge was a shame for a cultivator of the Flowers Kingdom, which could even hinder their journey as women and future mothers of this state.


    The innate ability of these women demanded peace of mind to function at its best. So anything, such as defeats and humiliations, could hinder their results.


    But no one could stop one of these women from issuing a challenge, which was why this specialist was in a tricky situation with Minos'' arrival.


    She couldn''t throw him out, as that might offend the queen, so she simply chose to listen to what he had to say.


    "Tell me about what you seek. Then, depending on what it is, I can advise you." She said.


    ...

 Chapter 1546 Ancient History

    Upon hearing that expert''s question, Minos got straight to the point. "In recent years, I have been contacted by people from the Eastern Empire and the Blood Triangle Pirates group. Both were looking for a map in my region, asking for my help finding such a thing for them.


    I want to know if you or anyone here has information about this map."


    "Blood Triangle Pirates?" The eyebrows of that level 85 woman drew together.


    Several experts in this place were somehow related to the Spiritual Church since that was the function given to them by the queen. That is, to maintain contact with the largest institution in the Central Continent.


    All the women of this post with a particular level of power and influence knew what that pirate group was about, an arm of the Evergreen family, who were also the main power within the Church.


    In this way, she was aware of many things about this organization, and she couldn''t help but find it strange that Minos spoke to her about it.


    "They came to you about a map?" This woman asked as she remembered something she had heard from the head of this post.


    Such a person was a level 89 woman, the queen''s granddaughter, the leader of this family, whom Emma had talked about and brought Minos to this place so he could try his luck and, who knows, meet her.


    Minos replied. "Yes, this pirate group offered me many high-grade crystals just for me to search for this map...


    I wanted to know what it was about to attract so many experts.


    I don''t want to get involved in something that might bring about the destruction of my state."


    Maris and Emma were moved by how determined Minos was to protect his state to the point that he simply wouldn''t accept generous proposals without knowing their main implications.


    ''What a leader he must be...'' Maris thought to herself, something not so different from what Emma and even the level 85 woman had in mind.


    That woman knew what that map was about and told Minos. "I can give you some information about it, but it won''t be free."


    "And what will I have to do to get it?" He asked, interested.


    "Free this foolish woman and this poor beast from having to accompany you against their own will. I will give you some information and give you a tip concerning that matter."


    The women of the Flowers Kingdom were demanding. They were very talented and had above-average powers, even disregarding their reproductive abilities. But still, they were very protective of their people and didn''t like to see any of them being humiliated or forced into anything.


    Of course, they had their games with foreign men and followed the rules of these games faithfully. However, if they had the opportunity to rescue one of them from one of these winning men, others would do so to avoid the worst of that woman and prevent further degradation of their state.


    On the other hand, like the Black Plain Empire, the Flowers Kingdom had control over all the beasts in its territory. Then even though Maris could live most of the time freely, she was still a servant of the queen, who had her function and deserved some dignity.


    For all this, this woman wanted to negotiate with Minos about information that was irrelevant to her.


    That was crucial and difficult to obtain for Minos since he was weak. But for her, who had already lived over five thousand years and had a cultivation level of 85, this information was just what she had heard in conversations with her older sisters and aunts.


    It was worth making this exchange!


    Minos looked at those two and immediately agreed. "Fine. I will release both from their responsibilities and promises after you give me this information."


    "Hmmm." She nodded as those two looked at her with abandoned puppy dog eyes, feeling grateful this woman cared for them.


    They were already used to and even enjoyed traveling with Minos, but still, it was nice to know that someone cared about you!


    "Very well, I will tell you that." She looked at Minos as she sat on a stone bench in that hall. "That map the Blood Triangle Pirates are looking for is a way to reach and enter the Seraph Ancient Sarcophagus, a place lost long ago.


    I am unsure what happened a few million years ago in this ancient resting place of the Church''s experts. After all, a long time has passed. But some stories say that at that time, two factions of the Church divided and went to war against each other.


    That war led to the abandonment of the Serath Ancient Sarcophagus, which was supposedly tainted by the losers, and the winner decided to abandon it for good and create a new site of its kind."


    She looked at those three as if she were telling a story to children. "That new place still exists and is where the Spiritual Church buries its top experts.


    Only Spiritual Demigods can rest in that place.


    In any case, the Serath Ancient Sarcophagus, formerly on a floating island, eventually left the Church''s territory, a natural thing to happen over time."


    Floating islands moved, and if the forces occupying them were not careful, they could easily leave the territories where they belonged in a few tens of thousands of years!


    She continued. "After letting the island in question leave its territory, some time passed, and most Church experts no longer had the location of that place. But then, a challenger to the position of Supreme Pontiff began his journey in search of that place, intending to recover the items ''tainted'' by the losers of that fight and use them to dominate the continent.


    He was not the strongest in his time since the one who would become Pope Maximus was the favorite for the position of Supreme Pontiff. So even though he was a cultivation genius, he had to ally himself with a radical wing of the Church that wanted to dominate the continent and needed such resources to do so and put him as the champion of the leadership contest."


    Pope Maximus had been an extraordinary cultivator who had reached level 100, one of the few human experts in history to reach that level.


    Because of such talent, his opponent, a monster in their time, who in any other era would have become the strongest on the continent, had to choose a dangerous alternative.


    "He joined this faction, and while they maintained their position, he set out on a journey alongside his right-hand man to find and collect the resources of the Serath Ancient Sarcophagus.


    Unfortunately or not, he would never return..."


    "Did he die?" Minos asked.


    "No one knows. All that is known is that he managed to leave one last message for his faction, speaking of a map he had designed that would supposedly be able to lead the Church''s experts to such a place and also to him.


    To everyone''s misfortune, when his message reached the Church headquarters, the Great Migration was already half over, and much looting and destruction had already spread to that region.


    In any case, with this map, one would only have to put a drop of their blood on it. That should entitle that individual to the key to such a place, and the map would show that person the way."


    "Oh? But what exactly do these groups hope to find using this map?" Minos asked.


    ...

 Chapter 1547 The Possible Value Of The Map

    "That I don''t know. But the people I know who know about it think that the group that finds the map and reaches the Seraph Ancient Sarcophagus will be able to achieve many grade-4 resources. But not only that, they will be able to recover that man''s corpse."


    Minos frowned as he heard this comment from her, not understanding why that man''s corpse would be of any significant value.


    He knew about the properties of a Spiritual Demigod''s body, as should be the case with this person. For himself, that body could serve as a nutrient for one of the spiritual roots in the northern region, something that could help him increase the energy density in that area of the empire.


    But that shouldn''t be so valuable for high-level people from the Eastern Empire and the Blood Triangle Pirates.


    Not to mention that from time to time, high-level people would die in those forces, and they would have corpses of a similar level.


    Because of this, he naturally asked in doubt. "What''s with his corpse? Why would he be so important?"


    This level 85 woman said, making an expression that showed her great interest in the matter. "That man was supposedly one step away from reaching peak cultivation at level 99 when he disappeared.


    But that wasn''t the most important thing. The crucial thing was that he had an innate regeneration ability that was supposedly so strong that he could preserve his body in the afterlife.


    That should be enough for his corpse to appear preserved to such an extent that, even after hundreds of thousands of years, it would look like his post-death minute version!"


    That might seem like just a random curiosity, but to someone who knew about the Spiritual Church like this woman, this was relevant information.


    The Church had many cultivators in its ranks, meaning that there were countless special abilities within that organization.


    And precisely because of this, in this generation, there was a particular person in the Church who had an ability that could infuse their soul into dead corpses and use the abilities of that corpse.


    Suppose this preserved corpse was recovered and sent to this person. In that case, they could obtain a body of a level 99 cultivator with a regeneration ability that would make it almost indestructible.


    With such an ability, many things could be changed on this continent without a God in the current generation!


    Minos didn''t know the same things as this Spiritual Sage. Still, he could understand the value of a preserved body of a level 99 Spiritual Demigod.


    ''There are countless applications for something like this...'' He narrowed his eyes, thinking of the many possibilities.


    A ''fresh'' corpse just wouldn''t be useful for possession since, for that, the body to be possessed had to be alive. But other than that, something like this could be handy for weaker cultivators, that is, for practically everyone in the Spiritual World.


    Minos hadn''t considered this at first because even the bodies of Spiritual Demigods were degraded over time. So considering the years that had passed since that person had last taken a breath, his corpse had to be very worn down by now.


    But if this ability was real, then anything was possible!


    Minos frowned as he thought of something and asked. "But why are these people only now looking for this map?"


    "Who says they are only now looking for it?" That woman asked him back. "As I said, that man''s message reached the descendants of his faction during the Great Migration. At that time, the northern region was in chaos with the departures of local powers, looting, new sovereigns emerging, and wars...


    Considering your background, I think you would have liked that time...


    Anyway, that was a bad time to find anything in that area, which still had specialists coming and going. So nothing was found.


    At the same time, as time passed, people in that group were living their lives, having new problems, challenges, opportunities, etc. Pope Maximus''s own accession greatly disrupted the situation.


    And over time, those most interested in that man''s plans died out, leaving behind only history, which some of their descendants would follow, but others would not." She said, thinking of the infinite possibilities that could erase the signs of a great expert''s passing. "So throughout this period, searches were started and abandoned, depending on the generation of members of the Spiritual Church.


    That faction he had been part of no longer exists today. Still, several Church groups, including the Evergreen family, know about his story, and apparently, one of them is interested in it now...


    If you want to know why they are looking for you, it is because you are the first since the Great Migration to gain dominion over that area. So they must think that you might be the one to find such an item." She finished her answer.


    "What about the Eastern Empire?"


    She answered quickly. "They are enemies of the Church. So naturally, they are just trying to get in their way.


    If the Travisani family finds that map, they will probably destroy it."


    "I see..." He muttered, satisfied with this woman''s answers, which told him far more than he knew.


    ''A corpse and grade-4 resources... That''s pretty valuable, but I don''t know if it''s enough for me to get involved in an intrigue between giants.'' Minos pondered, considering that forces with powerful Spiritual Demigods desired that.


    The problem with everything was that these forces, particularly the Blood Triangle Pirates group, were beginning to pressure him.


    Otherwise, Minos would simply keep that map with him, and when he was strong enough, he would search for the Seraph Ancient Sarcophagus to collect the items in that place.


    That might even help Gloria in her journey to become Supreme Pontiff of the Spiritual Church!


    But in the meantime, he would have to deal with the pressure, which could greatly hinder his actions on the Black Plain and in the Central Continent itself.


    On the other hand, the idea of trying to sell this map didn''t seem good since the side that didn''t buy this item might see Minos as a problem to be eliminated.


    As such, he was at a crossroads of fate!


    ''Tsk! I''ve kept it for so long... I''ll keep storing it in the Spatial Kingdom as long as I can. If I eventually have no option but to dispose of it, I''ll decide what to do then.'' He clenched his fists, leaving the problem to be solved further down the road.


    He could go to that Seraph Ancient Sarcophagus and then lie to the power-pressing him, investigating something that no longer existed.


    But that would be dangerous, and he would first have to discover more about this ancient resting place of the Spiritual Church.


    He knew that woman could help him with that, but he didn''t ask anything so as not to draw unnecessary attention. Gloria could help him find out more about that place without him having to expose his insistent interest in it.


    "Well, that''s all I wanted to know..." Minos stood up, grateful for that woman''s help.


    But before he could say more, she told him. "Finally, I have a tip for you..."

 Chapter 1548 The Pacific South Sea

    "Hint?" Minos asked.


    "Yes." That level 85 woman shook her head affirmatively. "If these forces have sought you to do a search service, you must be aware of the two possibilities before you."


    "Two possibilities?"


    "Yes. The first is about you refusing the offer of the two so as not to irritate nor please either side. I believe you have already refused at least one of them, so that may be the best course of action for your condition. But the second possibility is that you choose one of the two sides and faithfully follow that path to the end.


    Choosing one will greatly irritate the other side, and it will probably become your enemy.


    So if you choose that, be careful not to visit the domain of that enemy side."


    "But my territory is in the domain of the Church..." Minos commented.


    "Exactly. You''d better choose the side of the Blood Triangle Pirates if you opt for either side. If you don''t do that, you''ll have big problems choosing the side of the Eastern Empire." She said.


    "Hmm, that''s true," Minos said, considering he couldn''t remove his territory from the Church''s domain. ''That''s really complicated... I can''t choose, or I''d have a kill order on my head.''


    He then said. "Well, thanks for the information and tip. I believe I''ll be able to decide based on that."


    She looked at him thoughtfully and commented. "If you lose in one of the challenges to come, you won''t have to worry about that... So if I were you, I wouldn''t worry about it so much."


    "Hehe, we''ll see." Minos laughed, confident in himself. "But answer me one thing. Will someone other than the queen be able to give me Harold''s freedom?"


    "Princesses have quite a bit of power in the kingdom." That woman stated. "So if one of them challenges you and you are lucky enough to win, you can certainly ask for that man''s freedom.


    Any of them has enough influence to make one of our relatives give up that man."


    "That''s good to know, hehe." Minos smiled, indicating to that person that he could accomplish his goals in this state.


    That woman didn''t believe in that possibility and simply smiled in pity at this fellow. "Good luck."


    With that settled, Minos would stay for a few hours in that underground part of the women''s village he had stopped at, receiving no challenges.


    He said goodbye to Maris and Emma at the end of the day before a Spiritual Sage opened a wormhole out of that place for him.


    Minos had built a good connection with these two, so they did him the favor of drawing him a map for the rest of his journey since he still had more than halfway to the capital.


    With that, he set off while the two went their separate ways, returning to where they should have been.


    ...


    While Minos was traveling through the Flowers Kingdom, the Black Plain Empire continued developing.


    But on this night, something expected by the local forces and by Minos finally began to happen!


    In an area of the empire not far from Dry City, a 10-square-kilometer plot of land suddenly began to shake in the middle of the night, causing everyone in it to be on alert.


    At the same time, the local forces noticed something strange happening, as policemen and soldiers began to leave the buildings they were in to check the situation.


    However, some of the few Spiritual Saints around were the first to notice the phenomenon and were not slow to reassure that population.


    "Attention everyone in the area. This place is about to become a floating island!" A level 72 Spiritual Saint roared, noticing the spiritual energy in the surroundings beginning to raise that block of stone.


    Some parts of the Black Plain were composed of rocks capable of repelling spiritual energy and creating floating islands.


    As the density of spiritual energy rose, the repulsive force became stronger than the weight of these clusters of rocks and earth, lifting entire islands into the skies.


    That was happening right now to that area previously prepared for this by Minos and his people!


    At the words of that Spiritual Saint, the weaker citizens with residences on that piece of land began to rejoice, imagining the spiritual and tourist advantages of living on a floating island.


    Their land would become more valuable, and their cultivation would grow faster!


    Because of this, the thousands of people in the surrounding area soon began to celebrate while the soldiers smiled, imagining the future of the Black Plain.


    But today, this piece of land would only advance a little more than 20 centimeters, barely noticeable to the locals.


    In any case, this process was only the beginning. More places like this would appear on the Black Plain as time passed, and the altitude above ground level of places like this would increase!


    ...


    Two weeks passed as the first floating island in the Black Plain''s central area gradually rose into the sky.


    At this instant, Minos had already traveled quite a bit of the Flowers Kingdom after his farewell to Maris and Emma. But due to the various encounters with women from this state on his way and the expected challenges, he had not been able to travel for as many miles as he would have been able to under other circumstances.


    But Minos was not dissatisfied with the way things were developing. On the contrary, he constantly fought powerful women due to these circumstances, which was great for refining his combat skills.


    At the same time, he had won more than a dozen challenges in this period, acquiring more wealth for his state.


    Minos had gotten a new guide to accompany him on his journey through one of the challenges he had won and was at this very moment standing next to a level 79 cultivator, resting on a local beach.


    He had arrived at the coast of the Flowers Kingdom, where this state bordered the South Sea, the most tranquil ocean in the entire Spiritual World.


    Despite its position, at one of the poles of the Spiritual World, from where someone crossing it could go from the Divine Continent to the Central Continent or, by diverting the route a bit, reach the Beast Continent, this was a tranquil sea.


    The reason for this? Simple, the Marine Empire was located in this sea and kept everyone passing by too much on their toes to cause trouble.


    The Marine Empire was home to the most powerful beings in the Spiritual World, the Sky Whales, which could have bodies as large as flying islands.


    These beings were as talented as dragons, but their bodies were much bigger and tougher. Because of this, when one of these became a Spiritual Demigod, they practically became indestructible, and few could stand up to them.


    Since several of these specimens dominated the South Sea, unlike the chaotic North Sea, this was a peaceful place, usually used by merchants who wanted to complete their journeys without problems.


    Minos knew well who guarded these waters, and as he finished eating his baked fish, looking south, he couldn''t help but sigh, feeling the urge to go to the Marine Empire.


    ''In the future...''

 Chapter 1549 Where Confidence Comes From

    As Minos finished eating, he saw the level 79 woman looking at him, probably interested in continuing this journey as quickly as possible.


    "Why don''t we go directly to the capital via a teleportation station?" She asked, trying to understand this man''s motivation in wanting to travel slowly through this state.


    Minos continued to clean his teeth by using his spiritual energy to destroy the impurities and food debris on his teeth. Finally, after a moment in silence, he commented. "I don''t even know where my grandfather is yet, and from what I hear, the queen seems to be waiting for me, saving Harold for me. So why rush?


    I can slowly get to know this wonderful state and beat warriors like you on my way."


    She pressed her teeth against each other at these words, knowing Minos was right but hating her position as this fellow''s guide and expense payer.


    Minos had no mercy on her. Every time they had the opportunity to stop in a human-dominated area, he would eat banquets in grade-4 chef restaurants. The inns and hotels they stayed in? They were all the most expensive, where the daily rate cost dozens of high-grade crystals.


    Little by little, she was losing her fortune...


    ''Bloody bastard!''


    Minos then said. "Anyway, let''s continue our journey."


    "Where do you want to go now?" She prepared to leave, interested to know the destination ahead.


    Minos had learned about the local map while traveling alone through Maris and Emma''s map. And now that he was by the side of this woman, Ella, he had some destinations of interest to go through.


    Minos didn''t have a lot of business to do around this state since he had already done that through those three women who had signed agreements with him weeks ago. But the Flowers Kingdom was a wealthy state in natural resources.


    So with the wealth he had already accumulated in this place and had on account of the Spatial Kingdom and the Black Plain, Minos had plenty of crystals to spend around.


    The cities he wanted to pass from this state were precisely places for him to buy items for his forces!


    He then replied. "Let''s go to Zerora."


    Zerora was a city where men and women lived in the Flowers Kingdom. But its main point was not this fact, which, yes, was important. Instead, the highlight of this city was the significant presence of array masters and beast tamers.


    Minos was interested in these two things and soon directed his interests to that place.


    "All right..."


    ...


    Two days later...


    After traveling through the dense forests of the Flowers Kingdom, Minos and Ella arrived in Zerora, near the coastline from where they were previously.


    Most of the cities of the Flowers Kingdom were located along the coast of this state, in places where the natural defenses were exceptionally good.


    Minos had noticed this, but also the artificial changes made by the women of this state, which were somewhat different from what was around this state in the time of Henricus Longus.


    That had been relevant for Minos to notice new things and learn points that could be useful for his state in the future.


    Anyway, upon arriving in that city, he once again found a very flowery place, a hallmark of all cities in this state.


    In addition to a more significant presence of men in this place, Minos soon noticed many beasts in this city.


    Several saints and stronger beasts walked the local streets in their humanoid forms. In comparison, other weaker beasts lived free in this place as if they were ordinary citizens.


    The city itself had been designed for its commercial and government buildings to receive this kind of being, as long as they were within certain limits, of course.


    No building could accommodate beasts in their natural forms above level 70, nor was there room for dragons and naturally great beings. But a beast like Kyla, for example, could enter practically all government and commercial buildings in this city.


    The only ones without accessibility for such beings were those residences where humans or beasts in their humanoid forms lived.


    But this city had several natural parks for beasts to sleep in for a few days or even live in.


    Minos noticed this while walking around beside Ella, impressed by it all.


    ''That''s interesting... I can develop something like that in my state when I return.'' He considered, taking into consideration the fact that he, like the queen of this place, had dominion over the beasts of his state.


    But his thoughts were interrupted by the striking voice of Ella, this tall, strong, but gorgeous woman. "Where shall we begin your journey in this city?"


    "I want to buy some low-level grade-4 arrays for my city, so let''s go to an array masters store." He said to her, without looking at her, observing the surroundings with interest.


    "Grade-4, huh? You will waste your cultivation resources...


    You will regret it when in the future, you can no longer leave the kingdom and miss those crystals." Ella told him, though she started directing him to the appropriate place.


    "That is a problem for me to care about, not you, my dear, Ella," Minos said in a humorous tone, causing that woman to look at him significantly.


    "Minos, what gives you such confidence? Seriously, tell me what. For I cannot understand you." Ella stopped and took hold of one of his wrists, looking at him thoughtfully. "Defeating me or others like me doesn''t compare to a victory against one of the princesses.


    Two princesses are at the same stage as you, so they may challenge you.


    One is at level 76, and the other is at level 78. But unlike us nobles, they have almost complete sets of Golden-grade techniques!


    Do you think it will be easy to beat either of them?"


    Minos heard that and said. "But of course, it won''t be easy. But I will win since they can''t kill me, as that would make all your games useless.


    But I can do that, even though I don''t have the strength to defeat the strongest of them in a fair fight."


    "What?" That woman frowned, not understanding the meaning of that. "If you can''t beat her fairly, how will you be able to kill her? Are you crazy?"


    Unfortunately for Ella, she didn''t know about all of Minos'' capabilities. She was in the dark about this fellow''s fusions, which could even threaten the lives of high-level cultivators of this state if they weren''t careful.


    Minos was fully confident that he could get someone to interfere in his final challenge to prevent the death of someone important in this state, so he was confident in his passage through the Flowers Kingdom.


    "Anyway, talking about it will only upset you, Ella... But don''t worry. You will witness all my deeds against the royal family, hehe." He said before entering an array masters store.

 Chapter 1550 Information

    After entering the previous store, Minos made some purchases of space stabilization arrays and those that generated defensive barriers, such as those in the Dry City Dome.


    He knew that soon he would have floating islands in his state, so he already planned to improve the local defenses by combining these arrays with the islands that should already begin to appear.


    He intended to prevent even Spiritual Sages from being able to enter the core of his territory without his permission, so without realizing it, he spent over 400,000 high-grade crystals, surprising his traveling companion with his purchasing power.


    But Ella told him nothing more about this waste of resources on something that would soon be meaningless to him.


    She had already made her opinion clear to Minos and would not waste her time repeating the same things to him all the time.


    Anyway, with the arrays he had in mind purchased and stored in his spatial ring, Minos went about his business in this city for the next three days.


    He was not overly challenged in this place since this was a place where men could live, which naturally helped cover his tracks a bit. But some noble women had found out about his presence in this city and had arranged to meet him and propose challenges.


    After some effort, Minos managed to deal with them, going ahead with his plans regarding this city that also had many resident beast tamers.


    Many beasts were already living in the main part of the current Black Plain, a great thing that helped the empire''s forces a great deal to maintain control over their territory. But recently, several new races were migrating to those areas further north on the continent, where some resources necessary for the survival of these species did not exist.


    So Minos was searching for seeds of some different kinds of plants that he didn''t have on the Black Plain, as well as cultivation resources for some of these beasts.


    Ella struggled to direct him to the right places in those two days, watching Minos spend even more crystals, far more than he should have already received since arriving in the Flowers Kingdom.


    With this experience of hers at Minos'' side, Ella''s curiosity about him and the Black Plain grew as the days passed.


    However, when she questioned him about his resources, all he answered was that he had his own story.


    Anyway, they would spend a whole week in Zerona before Minos finished acquiring what he thought was necessary to ensure the subsistence of the new beasts in his forces for quite a while.


    As long as more specimens of different races didn''t join the empire in the short term, he wouldn''t need to buy things like that for a while.


    ...


    After leaving Zerona, Minos, and Ella traveled for some time until they reached a forested region near the coast of the Flowers Kingdom, not far from the state capital.


    There was a waterfall over 50 meters high, a beautiful place full of plant life in the surroundings, but also beasts of various types, most of them peaceful.


    Traveling alongside one of the kingdom''s warriors, Minos didn''t have to worry about any beasts attacking him since these beings were all loyal to the royal family.


    None of them would stand in the way of a noblewoman, and since Minos had secured the right to have Ella''s protection, beasts in his way would not try anything against him either.


    This had been preventing him from fighting beasts along his path, something he didn''t like much since he preferred to fight his way, training and getting stronger.


    Unfortunately, even though he had asked Ella and the beasts on his path for this, none of them had agreed to fight him as he wanted.


    Luckily, some women on his way to their present location wished to test some of his strength and helped him a little.


    Anyway, currently, he and Ella were sitting together with the group of the woman they had most recently met on their way, one who, despite the possibility of making a challenge, she did not.


    Strangely enough, this person ate quietly beside Minos, Ella, and their group mates.


    "So, Minos, soon you will reach the Flowers City and lose your freedom. Is there anything you will regret having done or not yet done?" The leader of that group asked, looking at Minos with a smile.


    She herself did not like men. She much preferred women, those lovely, soft-skinned, smelly, good-to-kiss beings.


    She might have a breeding ability envied throughout the Spiritual World, but she genuinely had no desire to breed.


    Few people knew this, so despite thoughts contrary to the ideas of the royal family, this woman kept her freedom.


    Minos could tell the difference between this woman and the others and took her question in jest. "That''s not going to happen. But if it did, I would regret several things I haven''t done yet."


    "Like what?" She asked as the others looked at him with interest.


    "For example, being unable to develop my state to the peak. Another thing is not being able to discover the secrets of the North Sea on my own." He said sincerely.


    "The secrets of the North Sea? That''s quite a peculiar goal." That woman, level 79, said with interest. "It is said that such an area is so dangerous that it would be better to try to steal a dragon''s lair than to go there willingly."


    Dragons'' lairs always had one or another member of that species keeping watch over the riches of the lair''s owner. As such, they were dangerous places!


    "Yes, that''s precisely why I want to find out what''s behind it...


    Mere natural phenomena wouldn''t scare even Spiritual Sages." Minos commented, imagining the day he could travel to the North Sea and solve some of the doubts in his heart.


    Dana looked at him and said. "You are peculiar, haha.


    Anyway, if you''re interested in that, you should seek the help of the Spiritual Church."


    "What do you mean?" He questioned.


    "Don''t you know? The Church has more detailed information about that place than other powers on the continent." Dana said. "It seems they found the remnants of a shipwreck of a high-level crew that passed through that place.


    The strongest on that ship left some hints behind, even considering how chaotic that place is.


    They made it to the Church headquarters, causing that organization to ban travel by its members in the vicinity of the North Sea 23,000 years ago."


    "So they know about what''s behind that?"


    "I''m not sure. But they know more than they admit... So you should look for them to find out more.


    Of course, if you survive and can go after it, haha. Otherwise, you''re really going to regret it a lot." Dana laughed, ignoring that Minos'' words implied that he had no regrets about his accomplishments.


    Meanwhile, this fellow clenched his fists, thinking about the only possibility in front of him.


    The strengthening of Gloria''s faction!


    ...

 Chapter 1551 The Queens Plans

    "But, Minos, would those be your only regrets?" Dana questioned him.


    "No. I intend to have an extensive and powerful family. So not being able to have more children would be a shame." Minos replied.


    Ella couldn''t help but comment, smiling. "But that wouldn''t be a regret because it can happen in our state. After all, your last child will also be the child of a princess, potentially the child of the future queen!


    If you are lucky and she is female, your lineage will continue to exist, and there will be many descendants of yours in the Spiritual World."


    The other women in the area smiled, indicating that this really could happen, and Minos'' comment was wrong.


    He looked at that guide and said. "It wouldn''t be the same... Anyway, forget about those dreams and come back to reality. How long will it take me to get to the capital from where we are?"


    Those women didn''t pursue the subject, even though practically everyone there wanted to tell him that he was the one who should wake up to reality.


    Dana then said. "Two weeks if battles and parades do not delay you."


    "Hmm, I shouldn''t be too late now." Minos said in a low voice, considering that the closer to the capital he got, the fewer women seemed interested in challenging him.


    At the same time, he didn''t have much else to negotiate in cities ahead, for what he and the Black Plain needed, he had already made agreements to supply such demands.


    Of course, more resources would always come in handy for an emerging force, but one had to be careful not to try to swallow more than one''s stomach could hold!


    Minos had no urgency to get more stuff in this place, so to avoid taking the situation to a higher level, he would no longer pursue business in this state.


    At most, he would continue to collect resources from the women who dared to test their luck with him.


    But as that group finished having their meal amidst the conversations among the many women there, one of the lookouts in Dana''s group shouted. "A group is approaching us rapidly from the south."


    "Could it be some rival family?" Someone in that group asked as she tightened her fingers on the dagger of her weapon.


    The Flowers Kingdom was not a place without competition among the local forces. After all, these organizations were practically shaped by blood ties, and every family had its problems and intrigues.


    That was even more true for a large organization with as many resources and members as the local royalty and nobility.


    So there were conflicts between internal powers in this state.


    However, these conflicts were generally not as severe as one might find, for example, in the ancient northern region of the Central Continent.


    However, one of the women in Dana''s group then said. "It''s probably some fool wanting to challenge Minos."


    This woman was not entirely wrong, but she was not right either.


    Minos realized this when he saw some faces he already knew.


    "Your Majesty Minos Stuart, I return to you with news of your grandfather, Oswald Coleman." The woman who had promised Minos to investigate Oswald''s whereabouts said this aloud when she saw him.


    Minos clenched his fists upon hearing that and asked. "Where is he? What is his situation?"


    The other women in the surrounding area relaxed as they realized that this newly arrived group was not composed of their direct competitors and calmed down.


    Meanwhile, the woman Minos had defeated earlier said to him. "Oswald Coleman still has his manhood, but his situation is not good. He is in the middle of a challenge and probably won''t win."


    "Where is he?" Minos insisted.


    "He''s north of here, in the northernmost city in the kingdom, Sosa. If you leave now, you can reach him in about a week''s journey...¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á `n?¦Í?| §ãom


    I advise you to run. The woman with whom he is disputing is not famous for her patience."


    "If she castrates Oswald, I will rip her head off," Minos said as he prepared to leave, making all the women in the surrounding area feel bad at his comment.


    In this place, despite the rights and duties that everyone involved in a competition had, nothing gave the one challenged the right to kill a challenger. What''s more, if a foreign man was not in the midst of a challenge, they could not even raise their hands against warriors from the kingdom or could be punished by the royal family.


    But still, none of those women wanted to rebuke Minos, knowing that he had his reasons for his threat and was quite powerful.


    He then looked at Ella, indicating that woman to lead the way.


    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® "Ulva, you will be free of your responsibilities to me if my grandfather is in Sosa. So until I verify that, you must accompany us." Minos said to that woman who was already prepared to do that.


    "I know..."


    "Then let''s go. There is no reason for us to delay any longer." He said as he flew off in a northerly direction, not even bothering to say goodbye to the previous group.


    "Will he be able to achieve that goal?" Dana asked her advisors.


    "Probably not..."


    "Hmm, and it will be better that way." Another woman said. "If he doesn''t arrive in time, he will have to beat two princesses to be able to free Harold and Oswald.


    In that case, it will be impossible for him to escape even if he can beat the Third Princess!"


    "We could slow him down a bit on his journey..."


    But Dana didn''t like this suggestion and said. "If he can save his grandfather by his own strength, we should not stop him. His journey will be hard and rushed enough, so hindering him now would totally take away his chances."


    "But..."


    "No buts. A warrior should not enter disputes where the victory is already decided before the start of the match. There is no point in doing that. We would accomplish nothing but disgrace to our own names." Dana said firmly.


    Some warriors would rather die than have an undeserved victory. To them, a battle was something sacred that should be respected to the fullest, especially when it came to challenges.


    Fighting in wars was different, but in controlled tournaments, challenges with rules, a victory would only be satisfactory to genuine warriors if it came through their own powers or abilities.


    Many female warriors in this state thought so, and this high-ranking noblewoman in the royal succession could not help but deter those less committed to the hour from hindering Minos.


    The two women beside the Spiritual Sage of the Eastern Empire saw this and were pleased, soon leaving the area to accompany Minos.


    "I have a feeling he won''t make it in time..." The level 86 woman said to her fellow travelers, seeing that the queen''s plans were going as planned.


    At the same time, another woman used what looked like a colored crystal to communicate with the most powerful expert in this state.


    "Your Majesty, Minos should arrive in the capital in no more than a month. He is currently going after Oswald, who is under Chelsea''s challenge."


    "Oh? Is everything on schedule? Or is there something I don''t know?" A voice came from that colorful item that pulsed with the sound waves.


    "No, Your Majesty, everything is as planned."


    "Perfect. Let him finish his days of freedom as he wishes. My daughters are already waiting for him." A satisfied voice ended that connection.

 Chapter 1552 Oswalds Situation 1

    A few days later...


    On this day, which would make it three months since Minos'' arrival in the Flowers Kingdom, he finally arrived in Sosa, where his grandfather was supposed to be amid his challenge with a local noblewoman.


    Like any foreign man entering the kingdom, Oswald was at risk of being challenged and having to follow the rules of this state. So even though he was not young and no longer had great potential to be exploited, this old fellow was at risk for having his manhood intact.


    Some less talented women of the royal lineage of this state would challenge even men without much potential to be exploited since they were better off getting pregnant by someone like that than by nobody.


    Not many came to the kingdom, and all could not challenge even those who passed through this state.


    In some cases, even if a woman could challenge a given man, it didn''t mean she would succeed. Another noblewoman could challenge before that other, and his losing or winning could mean the end of the others'' chances.


    Either he would lose his manhood, leave the state after getting what he wanted, or be too strong for most interested parties to do anything about it.


    So even an old fellow like Oswald had his attractions for women with royal lineage!


    But not only that, every cultivator who reached the 8th stage was considered talented in the Spiritual World. So even if Oswald didn''t already have a promising future ahead of him, it didn''t mean his children couldn''t have one!


    Amidst all this, the noblewoman who challenged him should be interested in getting his genes as soon as possible.


    Minos knew this since Ulva, the woman who had located Oswald had told him about all the details of his grandfather''s situation during his travel to Sosa.


    Oswald was in the middle of the challenge with Chelsea when Ulva left to warn Minos, a challenge that was a contest of strength, something that would end when one of the two sides weakened.


    Knowing all this, Minos wasted no time upon arriving in Sosa and headed toward Chelsea''s estate with the women in his group.


    "This way..." Ulva showed the way to Minos and Ella.


    ...


    After a few moments, Minos arrived in front of an estate that appeared to be a small village built into the trees, a very different place than he expected.


    There were vines at different points, with stairs and walkways between the houses and trees, in a way that would catch the attention of anyone passing by for the first time.


    The houses were very colorful and had different shapes, showing the care that the creator of all this had taken in developing a unique place.


    Minos liked what he saw but could not take advantage of the experience to get to know the place, quickly following in Ulva''s footsteps to the central area of this estate.


    Halfway along their path, one of the several women watching the surroundings while others lived their lives in this different place, someone addressed them and asked. "Who are you? What are you doing here with a man?"


    Minos spoke in place of Ulva or Ella. "I am Minos Stuart. I am here on behalf of Oswald Coleman. Where is he?"


    "Minos Stuart?"


    "The emperor of the Black Plain?"


    "He''s as young as they say..."


    "Look at that gorgeous little body of his... Ah, how I wish I had the strength to defeat him."


    "Yes, conceiving his child would be pleasurable..."


    Comments circulated in the surroundings, while the women there who knew what he was after made slightly more serious expressions.


    "Your grandfather lost his challenge against Miss Chelsea two days ago." One of the women on the guard of this estate said this, causing Minos to frown.


    "Where is this woman?" He asked, not liking it.


    "Miss Chelsea is preparing for the mating ceremony, so she cannot receive Your Majesty Minos Stuart." Someone said.


    "So Oswald is still complete? Take me to him." He demanded as those women on the outskirts gave him ugly looks, not liking his tone of voice.


    "Minos, you are wrong about something. We have no obligation to take you to him." One of the guards, most willing to show her displeasure, said this without using the correct title to refer to him.


    In theory, everyone with a status other than his, i.e., sovereign, was obliged to refer to him with the proper title, even outside the Black Plain. That was an ancient custom in the Spiritual World, so several local women referred to him in the proper way.


    But some more disrespectful people saw no problem in ignoring such a rule and showing their displeasure by using the name of a ruler without the titles.


    Minos didn''t mind this and heard that woman speaking. "You can demand what you want from these women who lost to you in your challenge, but no one here fits that condition. So behave yourself, or we will treat you as a violator of the royal laws."


    "Is that so?" Minos asked. "So what if I say I will leave this state if you don''t show him immediately?


    I have already won several disputes locally. As someone who is not in any challenge at the moment, I have the right to leave whenever I want.


    If no one wants to challenge me, I can leave..."


    Minos knew about the queen''s interest in him because of the several women he had beaten since he reached this state. So he knew that he could blackmail these women with his presence.


    He really could come and go as he pleased under the circumstances he was in, and he was also not totally against leaving.


    He wanted to fulfill his promise to Isabella and the Edwardstone family and save his grandfather. But if these women of this state made that impossible for him, something that could indeed happen, he was prepared to make the hard decision to give up!


    He would eventually return for revenge, but in the meantime, he would accept his defeat and retreat.


    Some of the women in the surrounding area, Spiritual Sages, realized that Minos was not simply bluffing but being sincere.


    Then one of them said after thinking the situation over. "Take him to Oswald Coleman''s cell."


    "But..." One of the most displeased did not like this, feeling humiliated that one of her superiors contradicted her words so quickly.


    She had just said that Minos had no right to demand things, but now she would be forced to do what he wanted.


    It was disappointing!


    "Quiet! Do you want to irritate Her Majesty by acting this way?" A voice entered her mind, causing her to shiver in fear and shut up.


    Minos saw that he got what he wanted and felt the tension in his surroundings ease as Ella and Ulva looked at him.


    He looked at Ulva and said. "I have already felt my grandfather''s presence. Then you may leave. You are free of your promises."


    With those words, he climbed one of the side trees along with Ella, heading toward the detention where Oswald was, leaving Ulva and her group free to leave.


    ...

 Chapter 1553 Oswalds Situation 2

    After a few moments, Minos arrived at a property on top of a building in that place built into the trees, soon being directed to where the inmates were staying.


    In that place, men beaten by local women were waiting there until the date of the breeding ceremony.


    Because of this, there were few cells, as the number of inmates was relatively small.


    On his way to Oswald''s cell, Minos still saw a dozen men in prison, individuals who were mostly quite depressed, given their desperate situation.


    Many Spiritual Saints were around, but to Minos'' surprise, even Spiritual Sages could be seen!


    He looked at a level 89 individual, surprised to see someone so close to the peak of the world subject himself to this situation.


    The woman leading their way saw Minos'' strange look and commented. "This is, or instead was, a patriarch of an ascendant family of the Evergreen Empire. However, in a power dispute situation, he lost something valuable to his family, and in a desperate attempt to prevent the downfall of that house, he came to our state.


    Unfortunately for him, greed got in his eyes, and after a few victories, instead of returning with the resources he needed for his family, he was challenged and defeated by one of our elders.


    Now he is awaiting the day he will lose his manhood, which may even become that of his death."


    Minos listened to this interestedly, not thinking about what that woman implied by her unnecessary explanation. He asked. "Does that happen often?"


    The woman guiding them shook her head negatively.


    Ella then said. "But people from the Evergreen Empire constantly show up in our state. Not only men but many women from there."


    The Flowers Kingdom was between the Eastern Empire and the Evergreen Empire, two enemies.


    And contrary to what one might think, a neutral place was not necessarily a ''forgiven'' place.


    When a state lacked power and stood between two powerful states that were also enemies, the weaker one between them would suffer as the battleground between the two larger ones.


    This kingdom had allied itself with one side in the past to avoid becoming a battleground between the two, which had saved it and made it very close to the Spiritual Church.


    Given this proximity, the flow of people between the Evergreen Empire and the Flowers Kingdom was much more intense than that between that state and the Eastern Empire.


    But despite everything, the Flowers Kingdom did not stand firm against the Eastern Empire, and the queen was even willing to allow one of the Travisani family men into her domain.


    Anyway, Minos listened to this information about the local situation, improving a little more his knowledge of the current situation in the Central Continent.


    But soon, he stood before Oswald''s cell and no longer thought about these curiosities.


    "Here is your grandfather... You have five minutes to chat with him, Minos Stuart." The woman who guided them said that before walking away to give those people time.


    Minos had been given this opportunity, but that didn''t mean he could stay as long as he wanted!


    Minos then looked at the situation of his old grandfather, who was surprised to see his grandson there right after his defeat. "It looks like you''re not growing up bad, haha." This old fellow said as he leaned against the cell bars, smiling. "How long has it been, three years? And have you leveled up again?"


    "A little less than three years," Minos said, showing to this old man that he still underestimated him.


    "Hahaha, in a few years, you will become stronger than this old man, Minos," Oswald said, with one of his hands going through the gaps in the bars to tap one of his grandson''s shoulders.


    "Perhaps sooner than you realize..." Minos closed his eyes momentarily. "In any case, I''m surprised you still fell here after all I''ve offered you."


    Oswald became more serious and said. "Don''t talk like I''ve had time to get used to those techniques... I only had a few months. Meanwhile, my opponent was someone almost like you, Minos."


    "Oh?" Minos opened his mouth in surprise. "Then that must have been on purpose."


    "Yes. I traveled around this state for almost six months, trying to find a way to save Harold. At that time, I didn''t get even a single challenge. After that, I was challenged three times, but on each occasion, I did something I shouldn''t have and ended up pissing off these women who challenged me.


    It was only then, three months ago, that out of nowhere, Chelsea appeared and challenged me, making me play ridiculous games with her until a few days ago...


    She seemed to be waiting for something."


    "Hmm, me," Minos muttered, noticing that the queen really wanted to stop him from leaving this state. "They want to make me fight more than once to free you and Harold."


    Oswald had already realized this and asked. "Will you succeed?"


    "Don''t worry. I''m not the kind who plays to lose." Minos confidently said to his grandfather.


    "Very well, I believe you." Oswald sat down after saying that. "Now tell me a little about the situation of our family and sect..."


    Minos would spend the next few moments explaining the situation of the Black Plain Empire, Gray Clouds Sect, and the Coleman family to Oswald, reassuring this fellow.


    He hadn''t expected Minos to be so strong as to face a level 80 Mortimer, but he believed it all, satisfied.


    From Minos'' words, the sect was doing very well, with Spiritual Saints getting stronger and stronger. As for the Stuart family, they now had an extra relative on the cultivation journey, with impressive talent and Physique.


    "Hmm, good to know," Oswald said, pleased to find out about Sarah''s situation. "Anyway, you''d better go. I''ll be waiting for news."


    Minos nodded, pleased to see that Oswald was complete and sure that it would be enough for him to defeat the queen''s champions to get his grandfather and Harold freedom. After that, they could leave the kingdom and this place behind for good.


    Thus, Minos did not wait for the woman from before to call him when his time was up. Instead, he turned around after speaking with his grandfather, intending to leave immediately.


    "Ella, take me to the capital." He ordered, making this woman smile in satisfaction after weeks of traveling together.


    "Very well." She led the way, leaving their guide through that estate behind, wondering how long it would take for Minos to regret his arrogance terribly.


    ''I''ll make time to visit the capital... I want to see how the princesses crumple that idiot''s face!''


    So Minos departed Sosa and soon began his three-week journey to the place where the queen and some of her daughters were waiting for him!

 Chapter 1554 Meeting The Queen

    After three weeks of traveling, Minos and Ella arrived near the capital of the Flowers Kingdom, a large coastal city of over 3 million inhabitants.


    Upon arriving, they were met with a glorious view of the local waterfront, which was ''u'' shaped and had calm waves, almost like the place was a lake rather than an open sea.


    The natural beauty was incredible, and one could easily see the colorful coral reefs not far from the shore, where also some boats were standing here and there, with women working.


    Minos saw this part of the Flowers City from above as he slowly lowered his altitude beside Ella to pass through one of the entrances to this beautiful colorful city.


    Like most Central Continent cities, this place did not allow people to fly under the local skies.


    Following the local rules, Ella promptly directed Minos to the ground, near one of the entrances where the queen''s guard kept track of all who entered.


    Amid their descent, Minos put aside the beautiful local waterfront to pay attention to this city, which had a classical building style that matched well with the local natural features.


    He was a little anxious as he arrived at this place where Spiritual Demigods lived, these experts that even he had to admit how impressive it was.


    ''Will I be able to solve this quickly?'' He wondered, feeling that the journey to this place had been faster than he had imagined.


    But the truth was that Minos had only traveled quickly through the Flowers Kingdom because, in addition to that place being small, the size of Stone Island, he had traveled utilizing teleportation arrays from the Black Plain to the border of such a state.


    If he had traveled without such means from Dry City to this place, Minos wouldn''t even be there yet. He would still be by the Flaming Empire!


    Since he already knew the state of Isabella, Emperor Stuart hastened his steps and quickly moved into this kingdom of women.


    On the other hand, he had become too strong for ordinary women at the 8th stage to stand a chance of causing him trouble. Therefore, he overcame his challenges more easily than he had anticipated before coming to this state.


    With that in mind, Minos now considered how much longer he would stay, having already arrived in the capital, where he should face his last challenges.


    ''Harold is probably fine, so after I win the challenges of the queen''s daughters, I will fulfill my promises and be able to leave.'' He looked at the well-dressed women at the customs post, where a group of royal guards was already waiting for him.


    "Your Majesty Minos Stuart, Her Majesty wishes to meet you." A level 89 woman said this to him as he nodded in understanding.


    "I am glad to hear that..."


    Ella was nervously standing next to Minos, eager to meet the queen, whom she had never seen up close.


    So the two entered the capital, heading towards the royal palace of the Mcbride family, the royal home of this domain.


    Minos would pay no attention to the surroundings as he was directed towards the royal palace, only paying attention to the various auras above level 89 in that city.


    He could count 15 Spiritual Demigods just by walking through the local streets!


    ''The aura of Demigods is really different...'' Minos thought as he felt the spiritual pressure of these beings, which naturally created zones of high concentration of spiritual energy in their vicinity.


    To get an idea, if a Spiritual Demigod fell asleep anywhere in the Black Plain Empire, anyone in that region, including Spiritual Saints, could cultivate near them with immense ease.


    The effects caused by the presence of one of these experts would be so great that, for some people, cultivating near them would be almost equal to going to a Spatial Kingdom!


    The only difference was that Spatial Kingdoms could hold tens of thousands of people, and usually, any spaces within them had the same properties.


    Standing next to such an expert would only have those effects if they didn''t contain their aura and if someone was within 50 meters of them.


    Minos was overwhelmed by these impressive auras and could not pay attention to the beautiful city of the Mcbride family.


    And so, he and Ella came face to face with the beautiful royal palace, a place that looked like an ancient temple, very well-flowered but spotless so that one would not find a single leaf on the ground.


    Minos entered there and soon removed the auras of the Spiritual Demigods on the way there from his mind, not taking long to sense the aura of a level 93 person.


    ''That must be the queen...'' He thought as he realized the most powerful aura he had ever felt.


    This woman''s aura alone was almost three times more abundant than the aura of some of the level 90 elders he had felt moments ago!


    "Your Majesty Minos Stuart, welcome to my city!" The Queen of the Flowers Kingdom, Hannah Mcbride, level 93, said just before the grand doors of the royal throne hall were opened for him to enter.


    Minos and Ella saw that beautiful woman seated on a golden throne, with a tiara of precious stones adorning her brown hair. At the same time, she wore a red and dark gold dress.


    Minos realized this woman''s body was very different from the others he had encountered so far, with her appearance being much sweeter and more beautiful.


    It was as if she was not one of this kingdom''s evil, man-castrating women.


    But she was someone with that lineage. The problem was that after losing her innate abilities after breeding many times, this woman''s body had returned to its natural condition.


    Minos could sense this without anyone explaining it and was not so surprised by the queen''s appearance.


    Ella and Emma had told him some trivia about the innate ability of women of royal lineage in this state. So he was aware of these less critical points about these women.


    After a few moments of silence since Hannah''s speech, Minos smiled and said. "It is good to meet you, Your Majesty Hannah Mcbride. You are indeed powerful and beautiful, as everyone says, hehe."


    She smiled at Minos'' compliment and said. "It seems that you are not so different from the rumors either... It''s just that I''d like to see some of your skills in practice to make a final decision on that."


    "I believe Your Majesty will see that soon enough."


    "Indeed..." She became a little more serious as several people stood on the outskirts of that royal hall looking at Minos.


    Among those people, some 10th-stage eunuchs were there beside the queen''s sisters and aunts and some of her daughters.


    The queen had many children in her life. But less than half of them were females. At the same time, the royal lineage did not follow the traditional rule of this world in this state. Unlike the older children having a preference for succession, the younger ones were the ones who had it in this place.


    Therefore, only the youngest daughters of the queen were around. Among them were the two women at the 8th stage who were there to meet the man who might soon breed with them!


    ...

 Chapter 1555 Seeing Emperor Edwardstone

    The queen''s 8-stage daughters, level 76 and 78, were standing there looking at Minos with interest, seeing in person this man they had heard several stories about in recent years.


    In particular, they had been very interested in him ever since their mother had told them about him when Harold had been captured. At that time, the queen was already planning to give the seeds of Minos to one of them, so they had both had his name in mind for some years.


    They just didn''t expect that he would come to this state so quickly and at a higher level than they had anticipated, level 70.


    Both were confident, and the beautiful Crown Princess, Adele Mcbride, level 76, was staring at him.


    Minos noticed those thirsty eyes in his direction but temporarily ignored them. "But let''s get to the point. Someone like Your Majesty has more important things than me to deal with... I am here on behalf of Oswald and Harold. Is there any way we can negotiate for their freedom?"


    The queen smiled and said. "You know that we will only negotiate this in one way. The freedom of each of these men, for victories by you in challenges against my daughters..."


    Hannah gestured in the direction of Adele and Bridget. "Adele will challenge you first. Then if you defeat her, you will be able to acquire the freedom of one of those two. Then you will have to defeat Bridget to save the second."


    Minos looked at the two women appointed by the queen and said. "It''s not a problem for me... But is Your Majesty sure you will prefer that path?


    We can form a friendship between the Black Plain Empire and the Flowers Kingdom instead of pursuing these challenges.


    That could benefit both sides greatly and still avoid unnecessary grudges."


    "Grudges? Why would we have grudges, Your Majesty Minos Stuart?" The first princess asked.


    The third princess, that level 78 woman who could face Minos in the event of his victory, listened to his words alongside her two younger sisters.


    The second princess was more talented than she and Adele, so she was already at level 80 and could not face Minos in this challenge. But still, she was there to meet the legend from the northern region.


    Minos saw those three women practically eating him with their eyes and said. "Defeat constantly brings grudges to the defeated. In this case, I fear the royal family will disregard the state''s rules, and my life will be unjustly threatened..."


    The chief eunuch did not like Minos'' insinuations and said. "I demand that Your Majesty Minos Stuart withdraw his words! We would never do anything against our own rules!


    It would only dishonor the noble Mcbride family and turn the entire Flowers Kingdom into an undignified, ill-spoken place throughout the continent."


    "So the royal family intends to follow every rule of this confrontation?" Minos asked, looking directly into the eyes of the queen.


    He ignored that eunuch and dared stare into those eyes, impressing everyone since not many Spiritual Saints would have such courage in front of Spiritual Demigods.


    There were very few Spiritual Demigods, even if one considered all the experts at this stage in the entire Spiritual World.


    Less than 5,000 beings were at the 10th stage, even considering beings of other races!


    So Minos'' courage was noteworthy, and the queen looked at him interestedly before saying. "Your Majesty doesn''t need to worry about us.


    I guarantee that everyone in my state will respect the challenge''s rules. Furthermore, I will personally ensure your safety until the time comes for your breeding ceremony.


    But from then on, I can no longer guarantee your vital situation."


    "Is that so? Then I feel relieved... Being surrounded by so many Spiritual Demigods is a bit much for someone low-level like me." He said, but without being able to convince any of those people that he felt pressured.


    But before she proceeded with anything, Minos said. "Before we start anything, I want to meet with Harold Edwardstone. Is that possible? He is an ally of mine, and his daughter is my girlfriend... His family is worried, and I wish I could at least send a letter to Payton with his words."


    The queen saw no problem with this and said to one of her handmaidens. "Astrid, take His Majesty Minos Stuart to Harold''s cell and give them enough time to talk. Then, when everything is settled, take him to the Sapphire Rim."


    "As you wish, Your Majesty." A woman dressed in a maid''s outfit said this as she appeared from the shadows among the various people in that hall.


    Minos thanked the queen with a gesture and then looked at Ella. "You are free of your responsibilities from now on. You can do whatever you want..."


    "Oh, I intend to." She suggestively smiled at him, showing him she would stay to watch his downfall.


    Minos didn''t mind any of this and just followed Astrid, a level 89 servant of the queen.


    Meanwhile, everyone in the place started talking about Minos, how rude he was in front of the royalty, and his impressive capabilities.


    ...


    In a matter of seconds, Minos arrived at where Harold was being held after Astrid had opened a wormhole for them.


    That woman stood to one side waiting for him while he observed that dark place, a prison similar to where he saw his grandfather imprisoned, only a little bigger and darker.


    When he appeared in front of Harold''s cell, Minos saw this man lying on the floor with an exhausted look on his face, while he seemed to have aged 2 thousand years just by the time he was there.


    Not being able to cultivate, having his strength sealed off, and still being constantly tortured by the thought that he would soon lose his manhood was heavy, even for a Spiritual Sage like him!


    Minos saw this and understood Harold''s plight, not being able to say anything but apologize for his delay.


    "I''m sorry, it took me longer than I had planned." He said, surprising that man who had no longer expected to hear that noble, young voice again.


    Upon hearing Minos'' voice, Harold immediately opened his eyes. He looked out of his cell, seeing the young body of that emperor dressed in his high-level grade-3 dark-gold armor.


    "Minos!" Harold said this as he stood up and stopped beside the bars of his cell.


    "Hmm, after everything that happened, I couldn''t let you end up like this, so I''m here to rescue you," Minos said, making that man show a smile for the first time in years.


    "There was a moment when I doubted this would happen..." Harold said in a tired but grateful tone. "Anyway, I now see that you were not just trying to dominate my state in my absence.


    Thank you, Minos. Not only did you not rebel, but you possibly saved my women''s and my daughter''s lives."


    "Don''t thank me. I did it for my selfish reasons."


    "We all have our own goals... That doesn''t take away the merit of your good deed." He said, grateful for this fellow''s help. "Anyway, tell me about the empire, about my family."


    ...

 Chapter 1556 Conversation With Harold

    "The empire is doing well, as far as it can..." Minos said. "The Edwardstone family lost some members in the silent confrontation against Mortimer. But not only that, some powers preferred a fate away from the empire after their treasonous actions.


    So naturally, the imperial family lost some of its vassals." He said suggestively. "There''s also the situation with the Saints Killing Sect and the departure of members of the Gray Clouds Sect to my state...


    There are fewer organizations and cultivators above the 7th stage in the current Flaming Empire than in your time."


    Hearing all this, Harold felt the time change, clenching his fists in disappointment with himself. He didn''t blame Minos; this man had never forced him into anything. Instead, he had bet on Emperor Stuart and unfortunately ended up in this situation.


    So Harold was disappointed in himself, unhappy that he couldn''t protect his domain from the malicious parasites that had caused all this chaos.


    Minos continued. "But the empire is recovering. The imperial family has been regaining control over the state, and Isabella is skillfully leading it...


    The old supreme elder is slowly putting aside his position as regent to spend his days cursing me... Good for Isabella, I''d say."


    Harold listened to this interestedly, figuring that old fellow wouldn''t live much longer.


    ''He must be preparing for his departure...'' Harold did not judge the supreme elder for being so pessimistic about the world, especially Minos.


    ''Isabella is currently at level 73, close to advancing. She is doing well by her mother and stepmothers'' side, but honestly, I wouldn''t say she is happy with your responsibilities."


    Harold looked into Minos'' eyes and asked. "I heard a rumor about you and her... Maybe that''s why she''s not so happy running the empire."


    "Probably." Minos smiled bitterly. "Anyway, because of me, the Gray Clouds Sect is getting much stronger, and even with fewer members in the Flaming Empire, this force has never been stronger within your state.


    In a short time, we will be able to regain all the power recently lost in that state through my sect."


    "Is that so?" Harold bowed his head, looking at the dark part of his cell. "That sounds promising for the Black Plain Empire... What will be your next move, Minos?"


    "To go away from this kingdom of women and see the birth of my son," Minos answered sincerely.


    Harold heard this and became a little less tense. "Son? Who is pregnant?"


    "Abby, my empress."


    "Good!"


    Silence spread through the surroundings until Harold spoke again. "So, no plan for the short term? What is the status of the four states you promised me part of your territories?"


    "Things have changed. I did my best to make it happen, but with Mortimer''s rise, his forces and other states in that area have been forced to retreat.


    Because of this, there is no longer any threat in that area to frighten the side of the four territories.


    On the other hand, my state has strengthened recently, so our old plans would no longer be possible to realize."


    Minos intended to follow his plans when he made deals with Harold and Isabella. But times have changed, and many setbacks have arisen to alter the course they were following.


    Now, with everything having already happened, Minos did not feel he could accomplish what he had promised Harold, even if he tried with all his being.


    Minos had never promised to do everything himself. Harold and his forces needed to act to provoke the leaders of the enemy states of the Flaming Empire to wish to flee to the Black Plain. The time for that had passed, and now the people of those states feared Emperor Stuart''s territory far more than this other man''s!


    Even the heavens recognized that Minos had no control over this, and the lightning punishment had not and would not fall on him over this matter.


    Harold knew that the heavens were impartial and punished those who broke their promises because of bad intentions.


    Minos even had bad intentions, but not regarding his promises with the heavens as his witnesses.


    Therefore, this Spiritual Sage could only regret the failure of his agreement with Minos.


    "Anyway, that doesn''t matter anymore." That exhausted fellow said, sighing. "Do you even have any hope of getting me out of here? I heard from a eunuch the local sovereign''s plans for you. Will you be able to defeat her daughters?"


    "Defeat? That I am not capable of." Minos was honest. "If what I heard is true, they are strong enough to defeat me in a fair fight.


    "Then what are you doing here?" Harold asked in an altered tone, stepping forward and grabbing hard at the bars of the cell.


    "I am here to win by forfeit," Minos said. "None of the princesses will stand up to my worst, and they will either have to die or give up the fight.


    Either way, I will get what I want and eventually return home."


    Harold''s eyes opened considerably, seeing how far Minos was willing to risk himself to save his life and Oswald''s.


    He had already heard about Oswald''s plight from a eunuch who was torturing him with the idea of becoming one of them. Because of this, he was very grateful to that man, who had risked coming to this state and falling into the queen''s trap.


    But not only that, when he found out about it, he was relieved that that man had taken such a risk and come to this place, ensuring that Minos would come to the Flowers Kingdom.


    Anyway, that had been in the past, and now Harold was impressed with Minos'' commitment and said. "Good luck. Otherwise, we may all end up the same way very soon."


    With Harold''s laughter, Minos nodded to this man and looked at the level 89 woman waiting for him, who had heard everything.


    But Minos didn''t care what she had heard. Knowing what he had in mind and a little about the local situation in the Flaming Empire would not help the princesses against him at all.


    "So you''re supposed to be able to kill the princess?" That woman asked before opening the wormhole to the royal palace of this state.


    "It''s not impossible. It''s up to her." Minos said. "I can''t defeat her, but she won''t be able to defeat me either. In this situation, she either forces her way to face me or gives up.


    I just don''t know the exact outcome of that fight." Minos'' eyes narrowed. "If one of them takes too long, a new alternative may arise, and I may become too strong for them to hold off the challenger."


    That woman''s eyes narrowed, and she looked at Minos, trying to read his words, which she couldn''t understand since she didn''t believe he was being literal.


    In any case, it was not her job to do anything against him at the moment. All she had to do was to get him back to the palace for the start of the challenge!


    "For I want to see what you are capable of, Minos Stuart." She commented.


    ...

 Chapter 1557 Beginning Of The Challenge

    Appearing in a different part of the imperial palace than the one he had left, Minos immediately saw that there were fewer people in the surrounding area compared to minutes ago.


    But the princesses, the queen, and some of the most powerful eunuchs were there, eagerly awaiting him for the start of the most important challenge to this state in centuries.


    When Minos returned to the side of that high-level Spiritual Sage, everyone stopped what they were doing to pay attention to him.


    Meanwhile, he saw Ella standing there, noticing that this woman wanted to see him perform.


    He smiled and shifted his gaze in Princess Adele''s direction, feeling that he had better start this challenge immediately. "I am here to follow through with Your Majesty''s plans for Your Highnesses... Will you challenge me simultaneously or one at a time?"


    "Arrogance!"


    "Tsk! He is saying big words before his final moment..."


    "Typical!"


    "Your Majesty Minos Stuart must be joking. We would never challenge you simultaneously." The third princess said, making room for her younger sister to challenge Minos.


    She had a feeling that her sister would have a hard time beating Minos, so she was already mentally preparing herself for the day when she would have the chance to challenge him.


    ''When I defeat him, I will have a beautiful and talented daughter with him...'' She thought quietly, making room for Adele to make the challenge.


    The queen''s youngest daughter then stepped forward and challenged Minos. "I, Adele Mcbride..."


    She made the challenge, and Minos readily accepted it, looking at that level 76 woman, who should be the strongest at that level of all his opponents.


    ''Adele is at level 76 and has at least 5 Golden-grade techniques. The rest are Silver-grade techniques. So her strength should be similar to level 80 adversaries with Silver-grade techniques.


    Hmmm, she is stronger than Mortimer.'' His eyes narrowed. ''But the biggest difference between the two is that he had one more technique and could manipulate space.


    Despite the quality of her techniques, Adele doesn''t have those two advantages.''


    He pondered the slight chance he could beat Adele without using his fusions.


    ''It would be impossible to beat without something like that.'' Minos came to that conclusion.


    But that was only for a simple confrontation, where one would fight the other. The women of the Flowers Kingdom usually made fair challenges for the level of their opponents, so there were alternatives other than head-to-head combat.


    Direct combat was just how Minos could most easily solve his problems with these women and achieve Oswald and Harold''s freedom if he won.


    So first of all, Minos didn''t move, waiting to see what kind of challenge that woman would propose. He was willing to try if it was something he thought easier than a fight against her.


    In any case, from that moment on, no woman of this state could interfere in this fight in Adele''s favor. Otherwise, she would lose the challenge to outside interference. So Minos was sure no one else would act against him, and he focused only on that woman.


    "Minos, how do you want to dance with me? Will you do as you did with several of my cousins and try to use your fists to defeat me?" Adele asked with a teasing smile, already distant from other people nearby.


    She knew of Minos'' abilities and would not allow her opponent to simply become stronger through the few 8th-stage women in the vicinity.


    "If you''re going to fight me, you''ll have to do it without your annoying skill." Adele laughed.


    She had prepared herself for this challenge. In fact, her older sister had as well and would not simply allow women weak enough for Minos to steal their cultivation levels to stay within his range.


    That would be dumb!


    Minos frowned, feeling that winning would be harder if that was the case. ''I can''t go into the Spatial Kingdom to get people to lose their levels to me... If I can''t use one of those people, I''ll have problems!''


    He then asked. "What option do I have other than that?"


    The first princess explained. "We in the Flowers Kingdom are very fond of games and challenges. So besides beating me in a battle, you can defeat me in a game.


    For example, we can travel to my kingdom''s border with the Marine Empire and enter a giant coral reef. Whoever gets through a reef first will become the winner of the challenge.


    Another option is a simpler game, like an arm wrestling match. We can play three times and more easily determine the winner."


    Minos saw that no one said anything to contradict the princess, noting that arm wrestling could even decide something as important as the fate of a Spiritual Sage.


    ''Things in this place are really peculiar...'' He looked at the queen and saw this woman smiling. ''What do I do? I don''t know much about the characteristics of either of these two women.'' He looked at Adele and the third princess. ''Either of the two may have a skill capable of far outdoing me in some games...


    If I pick something I''m unsure about, I could lose easily!''


    Minos was confident in his abilities. If Adele were at the same level as him, he would accept any challenge from her and be sure he would win. But the situation was quite different, and he did not want to risk his own life or his freedom.


    ''If I simplify everything and create a black hole, I can cultivate inside it or even go to the Spatial Kingdom and bring someone with me...


    No, that would be bad. The queen might realize I have a dimension capable of supporting living beings!'' He clenched his fists.


    Dimensions capable of doing such a thing could only be produced by Gods, meaning they were Spatial Kingdoms!


    Hence, acting in such a way would risk handing this information to Hannah on a platter.


    He then asked the queen. "Does the challenge have a time limit? By the way, if I beat Adele, who can guarantee me that the third princess won''t change her mind and give up challenging me? I don''t want to show off my skills and then have no choice but to leave my grandfather or Harold behind."


    That woman saw that Minos wanted to prolong the situation and said. "The challenge has no rules that harm the challenged side. So you have all the time you can stand or remain undefeated within the challenge.


    When it comes to your last question, don''t worry; you will be challenged.


    And even if Bridget doesn''t challenge you, you would still get the liberation of those two if you could defeat Adele and make Bridget quit."


    "I''m glad to hear that." Minos smiled, just before making his aura more oppressive, ready to begin. "Well, so be it. I will not challenge you to games that give you the upper hand, Adele Mcbride. Instead, I will make you give up in a battle with our powers under test."


    ...

 Chapter 1558 Minos Plan

    "Is that so? And how are you going to do that?" Adele asked with interest, curious to see where Minos drew his confidence from.


    Minos said nothing, immediately activating his techniques and making his Soul Avatar show itself to everyone in the surrounding area.


    But he didn''t try to affect his opponent''s body or the people near the place where the queen had chosen for this challenge to be initiated.


    Instead, he directed his forces towards the activation of his main technique''s fusion, causing a black hole to appear between his hands as he had them open and turned to the skies.


    A black hole of about ten cubic meters appeared in the hands of the Soul Avatar of Minos, showing the experts there the ultimate creation of Emperor Stuart, something capable of confusing even them.


    Even Queen Mcbride couldn''t see through the event horizon and couldn''t help frowning at the sight of something so strange coming from a young Spiritual Saint.


    All kinds of power were possible to exist in the Spiritual World. But some of them were truly shocking, as they gave excessive powers to their users, to the point that some could even destroy the world if they so wished.


    Adele saw that and felt it would not be good to touch it.


    ''Is that black hole of Minos? It is compelling... But I can beat him without even touching this thing with my body!'' She thought, activating her 8th technique also to start fighting.


    However, while she was moving, Minos would not stand still waiting for this woman for her to defeat him.


    He used the black hole to devour some bodies in one of his spatial rings, which he kept with him to use as nutrients in case of need.


    The black hole swallowed those ''nutrients'' with no problem, doing so as fast as the speed of light that Adele didn''t have time to take her first action before that thing got bigger.


    Minos'' black hole was a spiritual fusion, which demonstrated two of his techniques in their splendor. However, if he stopped putting his cultivation energies and understanding into it before it ''ate'' something, the black hole would disappear as if it were a mere projection.


    But when it devoured mass, spiritual energy, and Natural Laws, Minos'' spiritual black hole became ''concrete,'' independent of its creator''s will to continue existing.


    Minos could manipulate it if that region of space were under a limit of power. Still, even if he traveled far away or stopped using his forces to maintain it, such a black hole would continue to exist in his absence.


    When he gave the energy-rich ''nutrients'' and laws, Minos turned his spiritual fusion into something else, creating something so powerful and real that he could stop manipulating it and escape.


    But instead of leaving, Minos went inside that region devoid of light, showing everyone his plan.


    He would protect himself from Adele inside his black hole, and if she wanted to defeat him, she would have to enter that region of space.


    However, if she did that, she would meet her end!


    On the other hand, no one could stop the battle after all that was said, so the people there had no alternatives but to wait or give up the challenge.


    "Hahaha, it looks like he got us, huh?" The woman who had challenged and beaten Oswald commented aloud.


    The one who should have rights over Harold''s genes frowned her eyebrows and looked at the queen. "What are we going to do? Are we really going to wait for that big coward?"


    "What else can we do but wait?" Hannah said. "Minos is in front of us. There is nowhere for him to run. Meanwhile, if he wants to save his grandfather and Harold, he must beat Adele. Then he will come out and lose to my youngest daughter sooner or later."


    "So we will wait?" Adele asked.


    "Yes. Keep those two locked up, and neither of you can perform your mating ceremonies. I gave Minos my word, so he has the time he needs to gather the courage necessary to face my daughter."


    They were all women who had already lived at least a few hundred years, so waiting for Minos was no big deal, and they all accepted the queen''s orders.


    On the other hand, the two women coming from a border post in this state and the man from the Eastern Empire were watching the situation together, anxious for a resolution.


    That was especially true for the level 80 man, who did not expect to see the downfall of Minos in this place.


    He was no longer stronger than Minos, but after watching this fellow grow over the years, this man had acquired some respect for Emperor Stuart.


    At the same time, the Flowers Kingdom was not an ally of his empire, so he tended to choose a side opposite to the women of that place. In this case, he wanted to see Minos win and leave that place alongside Harold and Oswald.


    ''The future will be much more interesting if Minos wins this challenge...''


    ...


    Meanwhile, Minos was already in the Spatial Kingdom, ready to begin seclusion.


    He didn''t know how to beat Adele in the short term without getting at least a level of advancement. So he had chosen to hide inside the black hole, where the women in that royal palace could not sense his departure to the Spatial Kingdom.


    Arriving at this cultivation sanctuary, Minos intended to train and cultivate as much as possible to improve his skills, perhaps enough for him to solve the situation outside of this place.


    Amid her thoughts, Sarah saw him coming and ran to him, eager to show her father her skills.


    She had focused on cultivating for almost four months and made several advances, reaching level 12.


    Minos noticed his daughter''s cultivation level and promptly congratulated her before seeing his three wives standing there with strange expressions.


    "What happened? Why are you here so early?" Abby asked as Minos looked at her belly, noticing that this part of her body was a little larger than the last time he saw her.


    The other two looked inquisitively at Minos until he answered them. "I have found Harold and Oswald. However, to rescue them both, I must defeat someone stronger than I can now."


    "That..." Ruth looked at him, not knowing what to say.


    "What will we do?" Gloria questioned him.


    "I''ll cultivate until I reach the strength to beat her." He said before walking with Sarah in his arms to where the giant bones of the Spatial Kingdom were.


    His women followed him on this walk, worried about this decision.


    "How long do you intend to do this?" Gloria asked.


    "What about the Black Plain? Even if you can cultivate it day and night, you won''t advance in less than a year and a half." Abby pointed out this, which was their primary concern.


    Minos replied. "The Black Plain should be fine. We already have many powerful subordinates and allies and not so many enemies."


    "Mortimer doesn''t worry you?"


    "No. I have placed someone to track him..." Minos'' eyes narrowed. "I have the impression that he will realize this and try to hide.


    In any case, I have no choice but to do that. From where I left at the moment, there are several Spiritual Demigods."


    Gulp!


    ...

 Chapter 1559 The Seclusion Of Minos

    "Spiritual Demigods?" Abby and Ruth exclaimed at the same time.


    They didn''t know so much about the Flowers Kingdom as to imagine that several such strong experts would surround Minos for the sake of a challenge.


    They would never have agreed to the idea of him trying to rescue Harold or even Oswald if they had known.


    Both these men had lived long enough and were free to make their own decisions. But on the other hand, Minos was a young man with a lot ahead of him and did not have to sacrifice himself for people like those two.


    Thinking about that situation, the two became somewhat regretful.


    As for Gloria, she didn''t imagine that demigods would surround Minos, but something like that wasn''t out of the question.


    The women of the Flowers Kingdom were quite decisive about what they wanted. So with the arrival of someone with such good genes, it was unsurprising that they were acting this way.


    "And how long are we talking about?" Gloria asked him.


    "I don''t know." He said, looking at those bones. "I want to try something new. If it works out, maybe I can cut down a little on time needed."


    "Are you going to use them somehow? But you''ve never done anything like this before." Ruth said, a little worried.


    But he said. "I feel my connection with them increasing since I went through my last qualitative evolution... But I never spent much time trying to connect with these things because I lacked time.


    Well, now I have enough time to cultivate and try to understand something new."


    He left Sarah with his wives and jumped toward the second skeleton in the Spatial Kingdom, the one he had most recently gotten.


    He stopped on top of what was supposed to be the skull of that creature and then immediately sat down in a lotus position.


    As he did so, Minos circled his cultivation technique to begin cultivating. But amid his usual breathing routine, he activated his innate ability, trying to steal the thing''s cultivation levels.


    In doing so, he felt like an ant trying to lift an elephant, but he could feel those bones full of power reacting to him, giving off signals of their connection to him.


    ''I don''t know where this will lead me, but I hope it gives results!'' He closed his eyes, intending to cultivate for a few months until he took a break to train his combat techniques.


    Meanwhile, Sarah saw her father starting to train seriously and felt she could not weaken. "I won''t stand still!" She said as she sat down near those bones and began cultivating the same technique as her father.


    The three women of Minos saw this and couldn''t help but smile at her attitude before they themselves turned their attention to their own needs.


    Abby and Ruth were still at level 70, while Gloria had advanced only a few months ago, so she was far from a breakthrough.


    But still, all three of them could cultivate and achieve advancement together with their husband since he seemed to be searching for something that would not come fast enough for any of them not to advance in this seclusion.


    Thinking of strengthening themselves so they could help him somehow, even the pregnant Abby, who could still cultivate to level 72 before stopping to wait for Minos'' child, quickly went to cultivate as well.


    Unlike Sarah, who could only endure a few hours of continuous cultivation, they could cultivate for months at a time!


    The other individuals in the Spatial Kingdom watched Minos'' arrival with concern, knowing he shouldn''t be around so soon.


    But not only that, he didn''t seem at all happy to come to this place, which meant that the situation in the Flowers Kingdom was not yet resolved.


    ''This is bad. Some problem has happened!'' A low-level Spiritual Saint from the Gray Clouds Sect thought to himself, thinking of the problems they would have in case of a failure of Minos in this state of women.


    At the same time, Emlyn was standing on top of the other giant Spatial Kingdom skeleton alongside several other beasts, Kyla among them.


    "I wonder what happened, mom?"


    "I don''t know, but this is no time for you to worry about it," Emlyn told her daughter. "Go back to cultivating and try to absorb the essence of that skeleton. If we get something from it, we''ll all become mighty!"


    "I know, but..."


    "No buts. You''re only at level 67 and can''t help Minos in any way! Go cultivate!" The fox with eight tails said this to her cub, causing Kyla to shut up and go back to meditating over those bones.


    For beasts, it was easier to feel how impressive those bones were and connect with them. That''s why, ever since these bones arrived in the Spatial Kingdom, beasts have been using them to get stronger.


    Minos knew what these beasts were capable of and was trying to use this as inspiration, using, of course, something that only he could feel since he was the only one with the ability to do this.


    ...


    While Minos was trying hard to suck the strength from those gigantic bones, a few months passed.


    In the meantime, the queen and the upper echelon of the Flowers Kingdom stopped watching Minos'' black hole 24 hours a day.


    They turned their attention to their daily business, leaving that region of space under observation.


    But not only the most powerful in that state had gone that way. The very princess who had challenged Minos was cultivating elsewhere, leaving a subordinate to keep an eye on that black hole.


    She wouldn''t waste her time waiting for her opponent, who probably thought he could surpass her in cultivation speed and thus become stronger.


    Adele had realized this months ago and stopped watching that place 24 hours a day.


    Hence, the only ones watching that lightless region of space were a few eunuchs and low-level women, among them Ella, who was angrier than ever at Minos.


    But she wanted to see when he would give up this silly little show and lose to the Crown Princess. Thus, she was still standing there, anxiously waiting for him.


    Besides these people, the two women at the border post, who had followed Minos on his entire trip through the Flowers Kingdom, had finally been released from their activities and returned to their post.


    Only the envoy of the Eastern Empire continued to observe that place until the present day when someone sent by Emperor Travisani arrived at his position.


    "You may leave. I will take over your duties from now on." A level 85 man said this to that level 80 Spiritual Sage, ending that man''s journey as an observer of Minos.


    He readily accepted this, looking back one last time, curious how long Minos would wait. But soon after, he opened a wormhole away from there, setting off toward his home state.


    ''Good luck...'' Those were his words, spoken only in his mind before he disappeared from the area.


    While a new envoy took over the responsibilities of that old acquaintance of Minos, the black hole of that emperor continued to spin, unchanged.


    But inside the Spatial Kingdom, things were somewhat different!


    ...

 Chapter 1560 Surprising Results

    After months since he began his seclusion, Minos had finally managed to bring a tiny fraction of the powers of those bones to the light.


    It was nothing beyond comprehension or absurdly fantastic for him to have advanced a level in less than a year. Still, it was enough to benefit him and his people significantly.


    After months of using his innate ability daily for much of the time he was cultivating, Minos had managed to subtly steal some of the powers of those bones and increase the level of his and other souls there!


    He had managed to do the same thing he had been doing since he had advanced to the 8th stage, steal a target''s cultivation and transfer those powers to other people.


    But there was a crucial difference in this situation within the Spatial Kingdom. What Minos had achieved so far was not enough to make someone level up easily, as he did in normal circumstances. That was enough only for him to make the people in his surroundings, himself included, feel more capable regarding spiritual energy absorption.


    He was stimulating them, so they could cultivate as if they were a little stronger than they should be. The result? Everyone''s cultivation was faster than ever!


    But after managing to do this for the first ten times, Minos and his people realized it wasn''t just that. Besides them having the ability to cultivate and even improve their comprehension faster as he used his innate ability to help them, something different than before was happening.


    That is, previously, a person with a decreased level and another with a level increased by Minos'' ability would return to normal after a while, depending on how each used their abilities. However, what Minos had been doing with those bones had not been happening in the same way. Whenever he stopped using his abilities, no matter how much time passed, people and himself did not have their levels return to normal!


    He was managing to give definite advances to those affected by his Physique!


    Because of this, after months inside the Spatial Kingdom, if one were to enter there at the moment, one would see that practically all the beings there, beasts and humans, were training near him.


    Only then could they benefit from what Minos was doing. Hence, in that ample space, practically two hundred people were in the vicinity of 100 meters away from him.


    Minos continued meditating even though he had several discoveries in that period, not interested in stopping and looking for a meal or rest.


    All he had in mind was to end his seclusion as quickly as possible to return to his state and have a few more years of peace before deciding what to do about the map in his hands.


    While he was seriously cultivating, Abby and Ruth advanced to level 71. On the other hand, Sarah reached level 25, and Kyla managed to advance to level 68.


    Several members of the Elite Squad and the Gray Clouds Sect, even low-level elders, had made advances in these months.


    Even those who had previously been apprehensive about Minos'' anticipated return were now grateful that he had been pressed into service by the women of the Flowers Kingdom!


    ...


    Somewhere in the Flaming Empire...


    A group of three tall, strong, and beautiful Flowers Kingdom women was flying over the surroundings as they looked at the terrain earnestly.


    "I don''t think he''s far away." A level 81 woman said, while her two companions, one level 80 and one at the same level as her, were searching for the tracks of their target.


    After almost a year of investigating Mortimer''s whereabouts, these women sent by the noblewoman who lost to Minos earlier were getting close to their target.


    They were merely searching for Mortimer''s location, so they didn''t intend to do anything against him other than mark him.


    But while they were finding this man''s tracks, he was aware that someone was in pursuit of him, sensing this with the constant hints of his, or rather Gavin''s, innate ability.


    Because of this man''s movements, these women''s work had been greatly hindered.


    But still, they were stronger and better equipped than Mortimer, and this man couldn''t help but shiver, feeling that he was the target of someone closer and closer to him.


    This man''s life had been a disaster since his defeat by Minos. His cultivation was damaged so much that he could no longer improve himself.


    But not only that, parts of his body had been lost forever, and even using good items created by his subordinates, a mechanical arm and leg, no matter how good they were, would not compare to one made of flesh, with the spiritual element present.


    He no longer had the right to have this and could only humiliate himself, living as a cripple, even though he was a powerful Spiritual Sage in a place dominated by Saints.


    Now, being pursued, this already somewhat disturbed man couldn''t help but tremble in fear and hide even more vigorously.


    ''Damn it! When is this going to stop? Why don''t these bastards attack me soon?'' He wondered again, thinking his opponents might want to drive him mad or even force him to kill himself.


    Being constantly persecuted while desolate, with incurable physical and spiritual after-effects, was enough to disturb even one of the most lucid minds!


    A disturbed mind would mess up so badly as to even self-harm, and currently, this former sect master could only imagine that his enemies wished this for him.


    ''Damn Minos! I hope wherever you are, you suffer, you worm! You deserve disgrace!'' He pressed his teeth together but without the courage to go after revenge.


    Mortimer no longer wanted to hear from Minos or the Black Plain. He didn''t even know that, at the present moment, the Stuart Emperor could not defend his territory.


    The trauma of this fellow was great, and he feared that if he met Minos, this emperor would kill him!


    To him, Minos would not make the same mistake twice, so he wanted distance, even though he hated that person so much that he cursed him daily.


    Anyway, he moved to the interior of his floating island, the safest place he had to hide.


    The three women realized this and finally identified exactly where Minos'' target was!


    "What do we do now?" One of them asked, feeling this was the end of their mission.


    "One of you stays here to keep watch over him." The strongest of the three said. "I will return to the kingdom to notify Miss Shannon of this. She can finally be free of her responsibilities to Minos."


    With those words, she opened a wormhole and set off toward her home state to discover Minos'' situation.

 Chapter 1561 Time For Improvement

    In the blink of an eye, two and a half years passed!


    At no point in the past few years had Minos moved from the Spatial Kingdom to the royal palace of the Flowers Kingdom, where his black hole quietly revolved on its own axis.


    At the same time, the women of that state continued to watch over that region of space as before, using subordinates, while the most important local influences continued their usual routines.


    Adele had been meditating throughout this period, preparing herself so that when she beat Minos, she could immediately reproduce with him and have her prize.


    Meanwhile, Bridget was training as if her sister would lose, preparing to face Minos on his return.


    No one expected him to be gone that long. So, after years there, people started to think that Minos would actually stay inside his black hole until he reached the end of the 8th stage. Only then would he have a chance to win the princess challenge!


    Bridget couldn''t be sure if Minos would make such a cowardly choice, but she didn''t think it was impossible.


    To prevent the worst, she was training to get stronger, but without focusing so much on her soul, which was already close to reaching the maximum level of the 8th stage.


    If she meditated like Adele in her situation, she risked reaching level 80 before Minos left the Spatial Kingdom!


    If that happened, he would lose his rights, and there would be no one to challenge Minos in the high hierarchy of this state!


    But not many women of high local power were considering such an absurd possibility, so the queen was still waiting to see what Minos would do.


    Regardless of his decision, he couldn''t do anything to get remotely close to her. Then Hannah was quietly waiting for him.


    One year, two years, five years, ten years. No matter how much time passed, she would still be stronger than him within the time he could be gone from the Black Plain Empire.


    And even if he could follow the local rules and win them, Hannah didn''t believe Minos had that much patience. So she couldn''t believe he would stay in that place much longer!


    When she received one of her 19th cousins this morning, she eased that woman''s worries by saying.


    "Shannon, you can return to your usual life. There is no need to worry so much about Minos... You have already fulfilled what he asked. Just keep watching that man, and when the Emperor of the Black Plain comes out of his hiding place, you will just have to inform him about it."


    "But, Your Majesty, it has been more than three years since I lost to him. Every day I get more bothered by having that debt." Shannon, one of the first to challenge Minos in this state, said in a low voice.


    The women of the royal lineage in this state had evolved along with their challenges in such a way that losing and not living up to the agreement was an enormous burden for them.


    Losing was already bad for the confidence of these proud women. But if only they could give what they owed to their winners, they at least felt less bad. But Shannon had been waiting for this moment for three years and could no longer sleep properly because of the guilt.


    Hannah understood what an unresolved defeat meant to someone of her lineage, so she didn''t blame that level 77 Spiritual Saint.


    Shannon asked. "What if he never returns?"


    "That''s not possible. He would have to give up the Black Plain Empire for that... But do you think someone who created that place from scratch like him would do something like that?" Hannah smiled. "Shannon, the pride of men, especially those who are more talented, is huge. It is so great that they make irrational decisions that put them in dangerous situations...


    Minos will make a mistake caused by his haste to achieve his goals and leave my state. That will finish him off and give my state the victory we seek."


    Shannon felt less bad upon hearing this.


    ...


    Meanwhile, inside the Spatial Kingdom.


    At this moment, two young women of youthful appearances, dressed in similar clothes, pink dresses and with their hair tied up in pigtails, were enjoying themselves chatting and eating.


    One had red hair and brown eyes and was almost 1.5 meters tall. The other had orange hair and eyes, was 1.9 meters tall, and had an incredibly proportionate and beautiful body.


    This taller woman looked perfect so that any man would momentarily lose himself in the glow of her eyes and lips.


    But this was not only because of her natural beauty but because of her level. Unlike level 36, a 13-year-old girl, this orange-haired woman had a level 70 powerful soul!


    "Aunt Kyla, your human version is so beautiful!" Sarah said to her best friend within the Spatial Kingdom, this ''little'' fox who had recently advanced a stage.


    Kyla smiled as she played with Sarah''s hair and said. "That''s only natural. All Nine-tailed Foxes are breathtaking. It''s part of our natural ability, Charm.


    My mother is even more beautiful than I am."


    Sarah looked in the direction of the giant fox over four meters tall, who was with its eyes closed, meditating on one of the giant skeletons of the Spatial Kingdom, and smiled. "Then I hope aunt Emlyn doesn''t transform in front of my father. Or my mothers will have a new competitor."


    The two laughed as the mood was festive inside the Spatial Kingdom.


    Minos had just come out of a period of continuous meditation of over a year and a half, finally reaching level 73!


    When he advanced levels, he immediately focused some of his time on training his skills so as not to let his understanding lag behind his energies. Therefore, after seeing his current abilities, several people there happily celebrated their leader''s fantastic results.


    Minos had had the best results in those years of seclusion, having, in about a little over three years, advanced two levels at the 8th stage.


    But besides him, Gloria had recently reached level 75. In contrast, Ruth and Abby had advanced again in that period and were now at level 72.


    Everyone else in the Spatial Kingdom had at least one advance in that period, with those at the 7th stage having advanced even 2 or 3 times in those years.


    Everything had been so promising for these people that the place previously filled with Spiritual Emperors now had more Spiritual Saints than 7th-stage cultivators.


    Amidst this, after finishing his training and also a demonstration of powers, Minos clenched his fists, feeling the level 75 power, something temporary since he was using his ability on some of his sect men.


    ''With these powers, I can finally use low-level grade-4 items simultaneously.'' He looked at his spatial ring, looking forward to it.


    However, besides his level, which had increased rapidly in this period, Minos had gotten something else out of this seclusion.


    This something else was genuinely responsible for the general happiness of the people in his surroundings, who were sensing how different his aura had become after these years of seclusion!


    ...

 Chapter 1562 Development

    After absorbing and allowing the energies and laws of the giant bones to pass through his body, Minos'' body and soul had subtly changed.


    This change was not significant, but it was enough for anyone close to him to feel differences in his aura, which now seemed wilder, ''sharper'' as if he were a different being than the one from months ago.


    His gaze had a penetrating power typical of predators, capable of frightening those in his path.


    A stranger looking at Minos for the first time from this moment on would think him a violent person just by his look and aura and would fear his presence.


    Minos, by himself, could perceive the differences in his body and was surprised but very pleased with these changes.


    Not only did the feeling he gave off to others become more decisive, cold, and dangerous. He felt that his instincts had improved, his intelligence related to fighting and danger had evolved, and now his views on combat had become ''sharper.''


    These sensations told him that even if he hadn''t had any advancement in terms of level in the last few years, he would still be stronger than he was before with this change alone.


    That gave him the confidence to face Adele, but it wasn''t enough to fool him!


    ''Bridget won''t let me take the same strategy with her if I leave the Spatial Kingdom and beat Adele. So I have to guarantee I can beat her by leaving here!'' He thought about it, in no hurry to leave.


    "Hmmmm..."


    ''To beat Bridget, I have to have a soul power a little higher than the power of a level 75 Spiritual Saint...'' He did his math, comparing Henricus Longus'' memories of power levels with his situation. ''Even with my innate ability, I''m still a bit weaker than that.


    In other words, I must stay in the Spatial Kingdom a little longer!'' He concluded.


    Minos knew that he could absorb Bridget''s cultivation base temporarily and still steal her energies through the Devouring Art, which would give him a minor disadvantage compared to her. That would decrease her level and increase his own, while she would have less energy to endure a fight with him.


    But still, he would be very close to a position he could lose, considering his current level. So he promptly decided to stay a little longer in the Spatial Kingdom!


    "I will stay here until I reach level 74." He said to his wives, cheering the Elite Squad and the Gray Clouds Sect staff.


    For them, this guaranteed that they could cultivate in seclusion for a few more months and get magnificent results.


    When Minos was on the Black Plain, he had to solve problems related to the empire, its allies, and subordinates. For this reason, he rarely had the chance to spend so much time cultivating.


    These people wanted to take the opportunity that he was doing this now to strengthen themselves quickly, something that might not happen for a long time after he left this place.


    But someone was there to diminish the joy of these people.


    "Minos, that won''t do," Abby said, as she had her two hands on her huge belly.


    Abby''s gestation was already quite advanced, over three years since their discovery of the little one growing in her belly. Nevertheless, she could cultivate, as Minos'' son seemed in no hurry to be born. But still, the moment of the birth of his first child was not far off!


    By the predictions of Dillian and some doctors in the Gray Clouds Sect, the birth of Abby and Minos'' son should happen between 4.5 and 5 years gestation. So if Minos stayed in the Spatial Kingdom for another breakthrough, that time would reach its limit and he would risk being unable to see his son''s birth.


    Minos had obviously brought doctors from his forces to the Spatial Kingdom since he had no way of knowing when exactly the birth of his son would take place. He wasn''t sure how long he would be in the Flowers Kingdom, so he brought people to deliver the baby in the Spatial Kingdom if necessary.


    Abby thought that the birth of her child could happen while Minos was out of the Spatial Kingdom fighting, and she didn''t agree with that.


    "Then I will stay until his birth." Minos looked at Abby''s belly and said that. "I believe that will be better, no?"


    "Hmm." She nodded, happy to ensure that her husband would see the birth of their child.


    Those who liked this best were the other individuals in the Spatial Kingdom, looking forward to that year or two ahead.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the Black Plain Empire.


    Dillian had been looking after this state alongside the high-level Spiritual Saints of the Gray Clouds Sect since Minos had left.


    They were confident in Minos'' victory over the women of the Flowers Kingdom and were naturally not worried despite the more than three years since his departure.


    But now and then, they would talk about what might be happening in the Flowers Kingdom, this closed state in that they had no way to get information about the internal happenings.


    These conferences were partly because of the constant messages from the Flaming Empire, Isabella, and other influential people who wanted to know what was happening.


    But all the people left by Minos in Dry City could do was report his vital status and that they had not yet received any communication from their sovereign.


    In any case, the Black Plain continued to develop without its ruler, becoming richer and richer while completing some of Minos'' plans.


    When Minos reached his main territory, he found a virtually deserted place with only one city.


    But now, just over 30 years after his arrival, no part of this area could be described as desert or poor. Instead, the areas not used for agriculture, city building, and roads had all been filled with rich forests, where beasts of various species lived and kept watch for their ruler.


    At the same time, more than 100 cities had been created and developed to the limit of the current level of local development, now containing more than 400 million inhabitants in this small area alone.


    The agricultural fields had reached the limit of what Minos had planned for his main territory, and now the state was beginning to develop land outside the empire''s core.


    They had been developing these places before, but not with the focus they had on the original Black Plain area.


    But from now on, as floating islands appeared in this part of the empire, others would begin to receive the heavy investments of the Bank of the Black Plain!


    With that, the migrations to the central area of this state had all but stopped, while the migrants now focused on the areas to be developed.


    Dillian and his staff were too busy managing this, so they rarely worried about Minos'' situation, knowing that he would prefer them to focus on the empire.


    At the same time, the local forces had grown stronger in this period, with more and more high-level Spiritual Saints emerging.


    That had already enabled other exchanges with the Grey Clouds Sect''s rank in the Flaming Empire, which raised the number of Spiritual Saints in the Black Plain to over a thousand!


    Meanwhile, the number of high-level Spiritual Saints from that sect in the Flaming Empire had never been so high!


    ...

 Chapter 1563 Time To Go Back!

    After the shift exchanges between the Spiritual Saints on the Black Plain of the Gray Clouds Sect and Flaming Empire, only elders of levels 78 and 79 remained in that state.


    Currently, in Cloud City, 20 Spiritual Saints maintained the presence of that organization locally, following recommendations from the Dry City staff and the Edwardstone family.


    That was a high number of high-level experts, which not even the imperial family had before Harold''s departure.


    Because of this, even though the size of the Grey Cloud Sect''s territory had been greatly diminished and the number of members of this force was only a few hundred now, this was the most powerful force in the state.


    Because of this, the noble families of the Flaming Empire and the sects feared the Minos Sect more than the imperial house itself!


    But with Isabella having already taken over virtually all the functions of the supreme elder of her family, the imperial family was not the least bit nervous about this current reality.


    What Minos and the Black Plain Empire were doing was the little that was maintaining this state at a level close to that before Harold''s leave, something that had prevented this state from going into recession.


    Because of the presence of this sect, the migrations of people from this state to Minos'' had been negligible since everyone believed that he would eventually take care of the empire.


    Thus, the evolution of the Black Plain benefited not only the direct subordinates of Emperor Stuart but also all his allies!


    ...


    In the capital of the Flaming Empire, Temple of Payton...


    Gloria''s father was at this instant attending to matters concerning his position as leader of this post of the Spiritual Church when suddenly his communication array activated on its own.


    "Patriarch Frost..." Someone spoke through that item, disconcerting Sarah''s grandfather.


    "That voice..." He muttered before saying in a louder tone. "Cardinal Cobb!"


    "That''s right, hehe.


    How long has it been since we''ve spoken, 500 years?" The voice in the blue-green crystal said in a humorous tone.


    "Actually, it''s been over 700 years," Joseph commented briefly before asking. "Anyway, what is this connection about? I thought one of us would die before one tried to contact the other..."


    "Don''t talk to your superior like that, Joseph, hehe. It''s not that I didn''t want to stop supervising you. It''s just that I was busy with something important and could not communicate with you for some time." That man said, without showing any irritation. "Anyway, I had let an acquaintance of mine take care of those areas of your state and northern region... But now I have returned to that role."


    "Oh?" Joseph was surprised by this. "That''s the first time I''ve heard that. In the past centuries, I was never notified that someone else was supervising me."


    "Cardinal Knight has his ways of acting..." Cardinal Cobb commented before becoming a little more serious. "In any case, Joseph, I hear that your daughter has formed a faction in the northern region.


    She already has support in Blackrock, Albano, Vogel, Rosser, and the Flaming Empire...


    I must say, I am impressed with her ability to convince!"


    "I know... What''s this all about? I already tried to get Gloria to join a larger faction, ours. But she refused. So there''s no point..."


    "I know. Knight told me you were trying to do something about it but failed. I''m not here to pressure you to try more of that. I''m just here to help you." That man said, interrupting Joseph''s speech.


    "What''s this about?"


    "Gloria didn''t want to join a bigger faction, so let me tell you, some big factions already have their eye on her." That man said thoughtfully. "In particular, Prince Calvert''s group intends to pressure her and her faction for them to join his group."


    Joseph became more serious as he heard this, imagining this would be a big problem for Gloria.


    Calvert Evergreen was a third prince of the imperial family of that state, one of the members of that organization that belonged to the Spiritual Church.


    He had his faction and was aiming to become the next Supreme Pontiff, replacing the current leader of the Church, who was to leave his position within the next 100 years.


    The current leader of the Church was a level 99 Spiritual Demigod, and being in his last millennium of life, he would soon be temporarily relinquishing his position to try to advance to the 11th stage.


    That was a dangerous and time-consuming advance that 70% of those who tried would die from, and 29% would fail to succeed.


    When a Supreme Pontiff would go through this, they would generally leave their position, allowing a new one to rise.


    Usually, these experts would fail, so someone who replaced him would not have to give the position back. If they survived, these individuals who failed to become Gods would live out their last days as guardians.


    Anyway, with the change about to happen, the main factions of the Church were already moving to put their candidates in good positions, improving the influence and powers of each of them.


    Calvert was doing this and had already seen some potential in Gloria''s faction.


    Joseph knew about this whole Church situation and Calvert''s position, so he didn''t like the idea of such a situation approaching his daughter.


    "Is there anything we can do?" He asked his superior, who was also an old friend of his.


    The Cardinal on the other end of the line shook his head negatively. "No. Besides being part of a larger faction, she won''t have any protection from the pressure of Calvert and his group."


    "Shit!"


    "Hmm, yeah, that''s a complicated situation... I recommend you try explaining the situation to her as soon as possible. It won''t take long for someone to get to her in the northern region."


    Joseph knew his daughter was not around at the moment, although he was unsure of her location. But he would not say that to his superior and simply accepted the suggestion. "I will do that... Thanks for the warning."


    "That''s nothing... After all this time, I owed him something, haha."


    Thus, the call between the two ended with Joseph putting away back the medium-level grade-4 communication array that this post had for receiving communications from Church headquarters.


    Joseph was pretty serious and worried, not knowing what to do since he had no way to contact his daughter at the moment.


    ''I will send someone to the Black Plain. When she returns, he will pass the message on to her!''


    ...


    Thus, 19 months had passed since Minos'' advance to level 73!


    Much had happened in that period, but the long-awaited day for Minos had finally arrived.


    After weeks since he reached level 74, the birth of his first son and heir to the Black Plain had finally arrived!


    In the Spatial Kingdom, Minos and his family gathered at the lake house, together with Abby and the Grey Clouds Sect doctors who were around for this moment.


    Sarah was the most interested and was also there to accompany the birth of her little brother, who would be born a few weeks after her 15th birthday, the beginning of her adult life.


    So this young lady at level 43 was beside her mothers and Minos, watching the birth of Kendrick Stuart!


    ...

 Chapter 1564 The Birth Of The Crown Prince

    Abby was lying on a large bed, capable of holding up to 4 adults simultaneously, with her legs open to the doctors in the surrounding area.


    She was pushing hard, following the doctors'' advice, while her face was pale, and she was sweating considerably.


    But unlike Gloria''s delivery, which had had some screams and expressions of pain from this redhead, the delivery going on right now was somewhat silent.


    But that shouldn''t come as a surprise to the people there. After all, Abby had an innate ability to manipulate nervous reactions.


    Precisely because of her innate ability, she was blocking out more than 70% of her pain, enough not to scream as almost every woman would scream in childbirth.


    But Abby wanted to feel some of what it was like to give birth to her first child, so she was not blocking out 100% of the pain she was feeling, despite having the ability to do so.


    Amidst this, the woman leading the delivery was kneeling at the front of the bed, her face between Abby''s legs, her hands on the Black Plain empress'' crotch.


    Two other doctors were also there, one to assist the doctor between Abby''s legs, level 77, while the other used her techniques to maintain the stable condition of the empress and the prince.


    During the work of these three people, Minos was at Abby''s right side, holding one of her hands, while this woman''s other hand was squeezing the sheets of that bed.


    "Breathe... Breathe..." The auxiliary doctor guided Abby while the main doctor followed the dilation of the empress'' vagina, waiting for the right moment to ''hold'' the little prince.


    Ruth, Gloria, and Sarah were watching everything in that room, anxiously watching the birth of Minos'' second child, whom they had all been waiting to meet for practically five whole years.


    Gloria was currently at level 76 and Ruth at level 73, while Abby was only at level 72 since, in the last year, she had been forced to stop cultivating because of the development of little Kendrick.


    As for Sarah, she was 43 levels above her father''s level when he came of age and could be considered a great prodigy.


    But although proud and happy with their current levels, all that was on the minds of these women was to meet little Kendrick, whom Ruth and Gloria were already looking forward to nursing.


    That was particularly true for Ruth, who had not had the chance to do this with Sarah, as she was not yet a Spiritual Saint at the time of this youth''s birth.


    But now that she could manipulate her body perfectly, she would not miss the opportunity to breastfeed Minos'' child!


    So, while the doctors were the only ones talking in that room, they watched the head of a small being slowly appearing in Abby''s dilated vagina.


    That head already had some hair, which was the same color as her father''s, brown. But on top of them was a creamy goo, the normal thing to find on a baby during their birth.


    Suddenly, Abby pushed a little harder, and the head doctor picked up little Kendrick''s body, then wrapped him in a silver towel.


    Sarah and her mothers saw Kendrick''s little cock and testicles and smiled, seeing that little creature that was only a little bigger than a grown man''s head.


    The doctor slapped Kendrick''s buttocks lightly, and then he emitted his first cry, putting smiles on Abby and Minos'' faces.


    In the blink of an eye, the doctor handed Kendrick to his mother, congratulating Abby and Minos.


    "Your Majesties, little Kendrick is very healthy and strong... Congratulations!"


    Everyone there did the same thing as Gloria, Ruth, and Sarah approached that bed to see Abby and Minos'' fruit.


    He slowly opened his eyes, something rare to happen right after birth.


    They saw the blue eyes of this child, which were like his mother''s, beautiful, like the ocean.


    "Oh, my little brother looks so cute!" Sarah said this, eager to take him in her arms and play with him.


    Gloria and Ruth agreed while Abby shed tears of happiness at the sight of her son in her arms.


    "My baby..." She said in a low, proud voice.


    Minos looked at that newborn and smiled, satisfied, feeling that this little fellow was quite strong.


    ''That boy...''


    So the minutes would pass quickly, with Minos, Ruth, and Gloria getting a chance to hold little Kendrick for the first time while Abby took her time to rest.


    She had not felt as much pain because of her innate ability, but that did not mean that her body was not weakened. The opposite of that, she was as bad off as Gloria after Sarah''s delivery, and for the next few days, she would have to rest to fully recover.


    In the meantime, Sarah and her mothers would have a chance to hold Kendrick a little longer than Abby would like.


    Anyway, after an hour since Kendrick''s birth, Minos walked out of the lake house with his son in his arms, meeting the hundreds of individuals in the Spatial Kingdom waiting for him in front of that house.


    "Everyone, this is the first prince of the Black Plain Empire!" Minos raised his two hands above his head, holding up this newborn baby for everyone there to see.


    "Haha, the prince looks like His Majesty!"


    "Yes, you can see on his countenance that he will be like His Majesty!"


    "Princess Sarah has an innate ability as well as formidable talent... I wonder if Prince Kendrick will be so graced by heaven?"


    "But of course. His Majesty''s lineage is powerful. His Highness Kendrick''s destiny can be nothing but success!"


    Voices arose among the people of the Elite Squad and the Gray Clouds Sect.


    Meanwhile, the beasts of the Spatial Kingdom, Ebba, level 67; White, level 68; Maida, level 69; and several other creatures under Emlyn, level 73, were celebrating among themselves.


    For most of them, mounts of Minos or the imperial family, the birth of the fruit of their masters was a great event worthy of celebration!


    That was as important as the birth of their own children to them!


    During this moment of celebration, Minos presented his son to the most important of his subordinates and friends in the Spatial Kingdom, letting Kyla and Emlyn massage his son''s head a little.


    This day would only be one of celebration for these people, who were entirely happy with Kendrick''s birth, but also with the end of Minos'' seclusion, which had brought tremendous results to everyone.


    In the more than 4.5 years of Minos'' seclusion in the Spatial Kingdom, the Spiritual Saints there had advanced at least two times, while the Spiritual Emperors, who had not changed stages, had advanced four levels on average.


    Some had advanced only three times, the oldest and least talented. But there were also among the most talented and young people who had advanced five times in this period, greatly helped by Minos'' ability to steal the powers of the giant bones in the Spatial Kingdom.


    As for those who changed stages, they had at least evolved two levels in that entire period.


    As such, everyone was happy, waiting for Minos to leave so they would soon have the chance to return to the Black Plain and demonstrate their results to their families and friends!


    ...

 Chapter 1565 Return

    The day after Kendrick Stuart was born...


    After the celebrations concerning the end of Minos'' seclusion and the birth of the Crown Prince, he was finally returning to the Flowers Kingdom''s capital!


    He had taken care of Ruth and Gloria''s needs, spent time with Sarah and Kendrick and slept next to the weary Abby.


    As he was already eager to return to the Black Plain, Minos said goodbye to his people just after dawn, promising not to flee again in the short term...


    Thus he disappeared from the Spatial Kingdom!


    ...


    Appearing inside his black hole, which had gotten a little stronger and bigger over the years, Minos immediately made his Soul Avatar appear, then controlled that region of space.


    In doing so, he made the black hole decrease in size until it disappeared, one of his manipulative abilities over those regions of space.


    As long as the black hole was not of a much higher level than him, up to a 100% difference, Minos could repeat his present activity in the skies above the Flowers Kingdom''s royal palace.


    Immediately, his soul projection appeared to everyone in the surrounding area, his various observers who had continued there over the past few years.


    Among them, Ella was still around, and she was among the first to notice the disappearance of the black hole and the emergence of Minos.


    When that happened, her downcast face gained light as she jumped up from where she was, already screaming. "Minos, you coward, will you finally face your challenge?"


    But then, she and all the observers in the surrounding area soon realized Emperor Stuart''s current level.


    Level 74!


    He had managed to increase three levels in about 4.5 years inside that black hole!


    To get an idea, even Princess Adele had only improved one level in those years!


    Bridget had not even managed to advance, being close to level 79 but still at her previous level, level 78.


    Knowing this, the eunuchs and women in the area couldn''t help but frown and exclaim their shock.


    "How is that possible?"


    "Impossible! How did he do it? That''s absurd!"


    "Yes. Even if it were only two levels of advancement, it would already be something to exclaim in surprise. But the wretch has advanced three times!" A eunuch shouted, feeling outraged by this emperor.


    Minos had played with them and returned much stronger than before!


    No one there had expected him to get even one level advance. But he had achieved three!


    With that, those observers had terrible expressions in their eyes as they began to notice the differences in Emperor Stuart''s aura.


    "That''s not all..." A level 82 woman said. "I can''t explain it, but I feel a strange aura coming from him... It''s as if a powerful beast is among us!"


    Other low-level Spiritual Sages felt their hair creep, indicating that that person floating around was dangerous.


    Minos was wearing low-level grade-4 black and gold armor, holding a blue-bladed sword of the same rank as the armor in his right hand.


    He smiled as he noticed the people within his range, shocked at his improvements.


    ''I feel I can now even steal energies from cultivators with Silver-grade cultivation techniques who are at level 81... Hmm, if I used my innate ability on such a person, I could raise my level temporarily to 76.


    At this level, only someone with a level 83 Silver-grade technique set could support my abilities!'' Minos pondered the feeling of having these low-level Spiritual Sages in his surroundings.


    Against someone with Black-grade techniques, he could even defeat level 85 cultivators!


    However, above level 70, rarely would people have more than one or two techniques of that quality. Most would have almost complete sets of Silver-grade ones.


    Above level 80, such people usually have no techniques lower than Silver-grade, and some more talented and well-positioned would have Golden-grade techniques.


    As such, Minos no longer considered opponents with Black-grade techniques in his analysis, as he had previously done.


    Considering his combat proficiency concerning opponents with better quality technique sets was the best thing for him to do now!


    But he wouldn''t overthink about it and would soon ask. "Where is Adele? I want to beat her and free Harold Edwardstone."


    Upon hearing that, the Queen, who had already noticed the change in the surroundings of Minos'' black hole, appeared in that area, looking at him strangely. "Your Majesty Minos Stuart is really a mystery...


    How could you advance so many times in such a short time?"


    She was very talented. After all, every cultivator capable of reaching the 10th stage was. But even she had taken an average of 6 years for each advance in the lower levels of the 8th stage.


    But Minos had advanced three levels in less time than it had taken her on average to improve a single level!


    That was impressive enough for even a Spiritual Demigod to be interested.


    Minos looked at that woman and lied. "I can absorb the energy swallowed by the black hole by cultivating within it. That speeds things up a bit for me."


    "What?"


    "Is that possible?" People in the surrounding area wondered since they knew nothing about the region of space that Minos had created earlier.


    Ella heard that and was no longer confident in Minos'' defeat, feeling that she had wasted her time just to see the downfall of this opponent of hers that would never come.


    After Queen Mcbride''s question, Adele appeared on the spot, giving Minos an ugly look, feeling deceived by him.


    Minos saw that woman and smiled while being watched in silence by the queen.


    "You really are a coward! You did this knowing that I couldn''t keep up with you!" Adele shouted, feeling wronged.


    "There is no need to try to offend me. I did what was necessary to win, Your Highness." Minos said, not feeling the least bit bad for the offense. "You guys set the game''s rules, and I have never broken them. Now I don''t think it''s fair for you to complain."


    Bridget also appeared in the area, sensing how different Minos had become in such a short time.


    ''How is that possible? He looks like a different person!'' She thought. ''Even his aura, it''s like he''s now an animal instead of the civilized person from before.''


    The queen had already noticed that feeling coming from Minos, something that even she, with her more than 10,000 years of life, didn''t quite understand where it came from.


    But now that everything had happened, she had no choice but to follow her own promises and let Minos do battle with her youngest daughter.


    ''When he''s finished, I''ll ask him everything I wish.'' She frowned, knowing that Minos would no longer have the protection of her promises once he lost to Bridget or left the Flowers Kingdom.


    One way or another, she would get her answers!


    ...

 Chapter 1566 The Fight Begins

    "All right, Minos, you really are a coward! Now show me what you''ve accomplished by hiding!" Adele shouted at him, already activating her Soul Avatar.


    She had no choice but to test her opponent''s strength and at least try to go for her victory, no matter how much more difficult it had become.


    As a proud warrior of the Flowers Kingdom, she would try her best against Minos!


    Minos allowed her opponent to make her soul projection appear while feeling Adele''s level 77.


    But even though she had advanced in recent years, the Crown Princess of the Flowers Kingdom had only recently done so, so her level was only that of someone new to that level.


    Because of this, she didn''t have enough strength to ignore Minos'' innate ability completely.


    He smiled at her and said. "Adele, I hope you won''t take this personally. I''m just trying to save the life of an ally who got in trouble because of me. That has nothing to do with you."


    "Keep your words to yourself, Minos. Now fight me!" She flew toward him after those words while dozens of people were already in the vicinity to follow this challenge.


    Minos had advanced in level and looked a bit wild. But Adele was not weak, and being at level 77, she had her chances even against him.


    Minos saw the spiritual energy and laws in the surroundings converging through Adele''s Soul Avatar, which looked like a large, winged, light-pink fairy.


    He then promptly activated his innate ability, trying to steal cultivation levels from this woman who should have a little more soul power than him.


    However, the difference was slight. Within what he could handle and get something done!


    Unlike the giant bones in the Spatial Kingdom, which had no protection from the consciousness of their owners, living beings could use their cultivation techniques to prevent others from trying to steal their energy or even their cultivation base.


    Because of this, Minos couldn''t steal the level of a Spiritual Demigod, being only a Spiritual Saint, while he could do it with those bones, but on a microscopic level.


    Living cultivators could protect themselves and prevent him from stealing even a grain of their powers!


    But for that, one would need to have at least a soul 100% more powerful than Minos'', and Adele didn''t have that!


    Even with her Golden-grade cultivation technique, the difference between her and Minos was only about 17%.


    Even at his disadvantage, Minos immediately managed to decrease his opponent''s level and increase his own!


    That wasn''t enough for him to increase his level. Still, it was enough to make Adele temporarily weaker, at level 76, the same as before their match.


    "Bastard!" She cried out as she felt her spiritual ability diminish a little.


    At the same time, a swirling black ring appeared around her body, stealing the energies she was gathering to use in her movements.


    Minos felt these energies becoming available to him, and soon he moved against his opponent.


    His instincts were sharper than ever, so as he moved, he didn''t act as he usually did. He flew close to Adele and used his Chaotic Gravity, drawing that woman towards him.


    As he did so, Minos smiled and released his spiritual sword, causing it to float over his body as he controlled it with his mind.


    After absorbing some of the understanding of bones in the Spatial Kingdom, he realized he could control his weapon through his mind.


    So he was soon putting his sensations into practice, making his sword move over his body, launching attacks that contained the restrictive power of the Spatial Sword technique.


    Someone hit by this would not only have trouble being cut by one of the thrown blades but would also be immobile for 1 second under the pressure of this technique.


    On the other hand, while his hands were free, Minos used his Indestructible Body more creatively, using his body as a weapon.


    He opened his arms and then, with open palms, moved one arm against the other until he clapped his hands together.


    When his hands met, a powerful shockwave came from them towards where the projection of Adele''s soul was flying towards him, out of control due to Chaotic Gravity.


    Ella saw this and felt strange, for this fighting style seemed quite different from the one Minos normally used.


    His actions seemed faster, his creativity about fighting seemed greater, and because of the combination of this, his powers were more dangerous than ever!


    She had seen him fight several times before and was the first to notice his differences.


    While the other women and the eunuchs were trying to keep up with this high-speed battle, Adele suffered from her opponent''s capabilities.


    She thought that at least she could have an even battle against him, but when she moved to attack, she soon had to change her plans, as Minos attacked her in an even worse way, forcing her to act defensively.


    After a few moments of the battle, she was in a passive situation, unable to finish launching her attacks, constantly having to use her defensive technique to protect herself.


    Minos had many ways to attack her, from disturbing her with the Infinite Dream to pressing her with blades as fast as light, which could cut her skin and even temporarily imprison her in an invisible prison.


    At the same time, he could draw her towards himself or even push her away when necessary, which made his actions very difficult.


    To make matters worse, Minos had an extremely hard and resistant soul projection, capable of being used as a weapon, creating improvised attacks.


    All of these techniques were Golden-grade, which would normally be Adele''s advantage. But against Minos, she was a bit behind because she didn''t have eight techniques of this quality, only six!


    Besides not having attacks as powerful as his, her mental defenses were not as strong, and she was slowly feeling the difference between him and her.


    ''Damn it! What do I do not to lose?'' She wondered as she felt Minos'' gravity drawing her towards him, but a powerful blow pushed her in the opposite direction, hurting her Soul Avatar.


    She was currently in a fetal position, trying to protect herself with what appeared to be a semi-transparent eggshell, but which was not holding up well to the powers of her opponent.


    On the other hand, Minos was flying around the area so fast that Adele was finding it challenging to keep up with him.


    He had a smile on his face, enjoying this fight as he prepared to break hard through Adele''s defensive shell.


    "Let''s see if you can take that!" He shouted as he launched a kick toward that eggshell.


    Pow!


    ...

 Chapter 1567 One Hour

    When one of Minos'' feet hit that defensive shell, the many cracks on it immediately opened up, while a shrill sound of something breaking broke from there.


    Simultaneously, Adele felt the action of Minos'' other techniques on her body intensifying while expressing pain on her beautiful face.


    She tried to defend herself, putting her two arms in a defensive position over his head and chest, but there wasn''t much she could do in this situation.


    All she could do was endure Minos'' multiple attacks, feeling increasingly exhausted, while he seemed not to weaken.


    But even in this situation, Minos noticed his opponent''s resistance and put a little more pressure on her, activating his soul ability.


    Dark Sea!


    Upon activating this ability, darkness spread from the body of Minos'' Soul Avatar, generating a dark mist covering him and quickly Adele.


    That was a type of soul attack, so no physical defense Adele could prevent such a thing.


    All she could do in this situation was to have a soul strong enough to ignore the corrosive effects of Minos'' ability.


    However, she was not able to completely ignore it. While she was defending herself against Minos'' further attacks, she suddenly began to feel the effects of that darkness.


    A chill came over her soul, making her feel the sensation of death approaching her being. Along with this, her greatest fears surfaced in her mind, revealing her vulnerabilities.


    Gulp!


    ''What''s that?'' She wondered as she took a hard look at her surroundings, seeing strange silhouettes there that looked a lot like some of her biggest nightmares.


    Even though there was nothing but her and Minos in the surroundings, she felt as if her failed version was there to judge her.


    ''You will be incapable!'' a voice resembling her own came into her mind.


    ''Give up!''


    She tried to move as if she were trying to escape this nightmare, but it was to no avail.


    ''You will never be able to advance to this level!'' The voice repeated as she faced her failed version.


    Adele''s greatest goal was to become a Spiritual Demigod and replace her mother as Queen of the Flowers Kingdom.


    That should be her destiny since she was the last daughter of Hannah, the Crown Princess.


    However, if she could not reach the 10th stage, even though she was the first in the line of succession, she would lose her preference to become the queen, leaving this possibility to her sister, the second princess.


    The second princess had always been very talented, creating high expectations for Adele, who, as heiress, had to at least deliver similar results. Unfortunately, this caused her problems and she herself had nightmares in which she could not reach the 10th stage and would fail to achieve her goal.


    Under Minos'' pressure, she found herself amid this nightmare, losing some of her attention in defending herself against him, opening gaps in her defenses.


    ''Now!'' Minos noticed the match''s decisive moment and jumped towards his opponent''s body, grabbing her by the legs and moving her against the ground.


    Using her as if Adele were a big hammer, Minos slammed this woman''s back and part of her head against the ground, finally knocking his opponent out.


    Adele had no chance to realize what had happened, already unconscious, when the effects of the Dark Sea dissipated, and she and Minos were revealed under black mist evaporating from the surroundings.


    The women and eunuchs above level 90 had all seen what had happened within the mist surrounding Minos. But low-level Spiritual Sages and the others weaker than that had not seen the final part of Minos and Adele''s fight.


    That mist was strong enough that even people above level 80 were unable to see through it!


    So Bridget had a serious look on her face as she saw her unconscious sister practically at Minos'' feet.


    ''That''s going to be tricky...'' She imagined, feeling that a battle between her and Minos would be more even, but it would not be easy for her.


    On the other hand, while eunuchs and women were muttering almost incomprehensible things in the surroundings, Minos looked at the queen and said. "That can be considered my victory in the challenge, right? She is unconscious to give me the victory, but Your Majesty can finish this challenge."


    Hannah and the other people there knew that Minos could use one of his fusions and kill Adele. So to insist that woman had to give up on her own would be foolish.


    The queen soon accepted the outcome of this fight to avoid Emperor Stuart having to take desperate acts. "Very well, you have followed the challenge''s rules, and your opponent cannot defend herself against you." Queen Mcbride said. "You win this challenge against my daughter, Adele Mcbride.


    Your Majesty Minos Stuart, what do you wish as a prize for this victory?"


    Minos smiled, satisfied, ignoring the many ugly looks in his direction, disappointed by his attitude. He said. "Release Harold Edwardstone from his past commitments and let him return to the Flaming Empire."


    The woman who was to receive Harold''s seeds turned on her back and clenched her fists, dissatisfied with the outcome of Her Highness Adele, whom she had trusted not to lose.


    The queen had nothing to deny Minos since she had already promised him about this. So all she asked was obvious. "Very well, I will do it. You have my word. But now, do you wish to leave the Flowers Kingdom, or will you continue?"


    "I will continue." He said, looking at Bridget.


    "You have one hour to do anything. After that period, you may be challenged once more." Hannah said before appearing beside Adele and picking up that woman''s unconscious body.


    The queen was disappointed to see her youngest daughter lose. But after what Minos had done, running away and then returning three levels stronger, this result was the most expected...


    Adele couldn''t do much more than she had done!


    That way, she didn''t blame her daughter. But she was still hopeful about Bridget''s outcome, who could bring what she wished for in all this.


    The genes of the talented Emperor Stuart to her family!


    Minos nodded in appreciation just before he asked. "I would like to say goodbye to Harold. Is that possible?"


    "Yes, do as you wish..."


    Minos left that place under Bridget''s watchful eye. At the same time, the same woman who had taken him to Harold previously waited for him to accompany her.


    In the blink of an eye, he departed that area, leaving behind the many high-level cultivators of the Mcbride family eager for Minos'' final challenge.


    ''Will he stand a chance against the Third Princess?'' Ella, still standing there, wondered as she waited for Minos'' rest hour to end.

 Chapter 1568 Freedom

    After a few moments, Harold found himself free from the cell in which he had spent the last few years, feeling his powers again at his disposal after getting rid of the sealing array.


    As he stepped out of his cell and stretched his body, he absorbed the energies in the surroundings and began to recover, returning to his former good looks.


    Minos saw this aside, giving this person the opportunity to prepare to leave the place where he had been imprisoned for nearly a decade.


    A Spiritual Sage didn''t need much effort to recover enough energy not to be exhausted or helpless, and soon Harold looked at Minos, grateful.


    This fellow had done things that were difficult to analyze as for the good or evil of the Flaming Empire. But it was undeniable that Minos had done more than he was obligated to do and was solely responsible for his being freed.


    With that in mind, he thanked Emperor Stuart and wished this fellow good luck in his plans to rescue Oswald.


    "I hope everything works out for you, Minos... And when it does, I would like to welcome you and Oswald to my home for a great feast." Harold shook one of Emperor Stuart''s hands.


    "It will certainly happen." Minos nodded in agreement.


    "Well, I would stay to accompany your match if it weren''t for the local laws..." Harold looked at the woman who had released him, smiling bitterly.


    If he stayed more than an hour after his release, he would risk being challenged by someone, losing, and everything going back to square one, bringing trouble for everyone.


    So when he was released, he would take the opportunity to leave as soon as possible!


    Besides, he would never return to this place that had its advantages but was an absolute nightmare for men.


    Minos understood this man and did not mind his presence. "That''s the best you do, haha."


    With that said Harold said his goodbyes before opening a wormhole toward the former territory of the Saints Killing Sect.


    The Flowers Kingdom made it possible for men who won their challenges to be sent home by local women. But in addition to Harold not having beaten anyone, he could safely leave this state within the one-hour time frame that any man had between one challenge and another.


    Harold himself would not wait for the action of one of these women and left back to his state, eager to see his women after so long.


    He also wanted to see how his daughter was doing and observe with his own eyes what Minos had told him earlier.


    After his departure, Minos was left alone with that woman, who quickly took him back to the area where Bridget was already waiting to challenge him.


    Minos sighed, returning with that person to continue his work in this place.


    ''Now, just one more fight...''


    ...


    Appearing back in the same part of the royal palace where he had defeated Adele, Minos ran into almost all the people from earlier who were there to follow the next challenge.


    In particular, Bridget was already in position, waiting for him.


    "Are you going to hide again until you get an advancement to defeat me?" Bridget smiled at him, trying to tease her opponent.


    Unfortunately for her, Emperor Stuart had no problem with people talking about him being a coward because he omitted himself from a fight to go get stronger.


    Fighting battles in which you have no chance of winning was something foolish that only people with no commitment to their organizations and subordinates would do!


    What good would it do him to fight Adele with no chance of winning?


    For him, he made the wisest decision that was in his way in that situation, leaving for the Spatial Kingdom and becoming stronger.


    As for doing it one more time, he felt there was no need, as the power difference between him and Bridget was not as significant as it had been between him and Adele years ago.


    So he laughed upon hearing her question instead of being offended. "That won''t be necessary. I can defeat you at the level I am currently at."


    "Oh? You are confident of that?" Bridget frowned her eyebrows.


    She was much stronger than her younger sister, being at the peak of level 78 and having much more combat experience than Adele.


    Because of this, she felt confident in fighting this opponent, although she kept in mind that it would not be an easy challenge.


    "I will beat you before nightfall," Minos commented, causing that woman to clench her fists in determination.


    "Humph! For I want to see it happens! We have less than two hours until sunset. If you do not defeat me within that time, I can consider you the loser of our challenge!" She said, using Minos'' words against himself.


    "That''s fine with me. Unless you are late in making the challenge, I will win within the allotted time frame."


    "Arrogant!" She said, angry at this fellow. "I want to see if you''ll say things like that when you lose your testicles to me, Minos!"


    "That will never happen."


    "Our child will laugh at your manners in the future!"


    "You have a fertile mind." He laughed.


    In this dialogue, Shannon, the noblewoman to whom Minos had delegated the mission of finding Mortimer''s location, took the opportunity and went to him.


    "Minos, I have already accomplished what you asked me to do. I have the location of Mortimer Burgess." That woman said, drawing Emperor Stuart''s attention away from Bridget.


    "Oh? Where is he?" Minos asked, interested in finishing Mortimer once he left this state and defeated Bridget.


    "I have subordinates watching him. When you finish your challenge with Bridget if you win or she allows you, someone from my family will take you to his location." Shannon said, relieved that she could finalize her debt to Minos.


    "Is that so? Then I thank you." He smiled, imagining that he could finally avenge Gavin''s death and finalize this enemy.


    With the resolution of that problem, he would have a few years of peace until he was bothered by the people in the Blood Triangle Pirates group, the only ones bothering him now beside Mortimer.


    ''Perfect! As soon as I''m done with this and get Oswald''s freedom back, I''ll pay you a little visit, you bastard.'' He saw Mortimer''s face in his mind, smiling with his eyes closed.


    With that settled, time would pass, and in the blink of an eye, the one hour right between his battle with Adele and the possibility of a new challenge ended.


    Queen Mcbride and other high-ranking members of this state appeared in that area again, prepared to accompany the challenge that could take away Minos'' freedom.


    With that, it wouldn''t take long for Bridget to issue her challenge, beginning yet another battle of Minos in this female-dominated kingdom.


    When this second challenge was issued, Minos wasted no time and immediately began to use all his skills, with plans to lure his opponent into a trap!


    ...

 Chapter 1569 Last Victory

    As the match between Minos and Bridget started, the two demonstrated their Soul Avatars, not slow in activating their main techniques to protect themselves or harm their opponent.


    That was particularly true for the Third Princess, who knew Minos could steal her cultivation base and the energies she could gather in her surroundings.


    To prevent him from being able to do this effectively, she tried to circulate her cultivation technique along with her offensive techniques, creating an extra defense in her soul and spiritual energy in her surroundings.


    But she didn''t run to try to attack Minos, first activating her defense technique to protect her against Minos'' various techniques.


    She protected her mind with a technique specialized in that attribute. At the same time, her spiritual armor glowed, growing to cover parts of her projection that were not already covered.


    On the other hand, Minos immediately began to use his innate ability coupled with the Devouring Art against that woman before beginning to press forward with his long-range techniques.


    Since the difference between the energy levels of the two was not that great, below the 100% that would limit Minos, he immediately managed to steal some of that woman''s strength.


    Simultaneously, some of the free energy in the sky and on earth that she was gathering was absorbed by Minos.


    Spatial Sword!


    He made his sword move on its own while launching spiritual blades that went through space after departing from the weapon, traveling in impossible ways to guess where they would come from.


    The special ability of Minos'' current sword was of a type capable of imbuing the blades with corrosive power, capable of degrading the mental defenses of those struck by the blades it created.


    Amid the attacks of this weapon, Minos began to draw his opponent towards him, using Chaotic Gravity: Attraction to force her closer to him.


    Bridget was trying to fly in the opposite direction of the attraction generated by Minos'' technique. At the same time, her defenses suffered from the mental attacks and blades he threw.


    Her movement technique was not as good as Minos'', so she was moving with difficulty to counter his movements, which were meshing together without much time between them.


    ''Damn! The bastard really is a genius!'' This level 78 woman thought during her battle, feeling in her skin what her younger sister had gone through during the previous battle.


    Her techniques were not that different from Adele''s. As such, she had some of that woman''s weaknesses, although her level lessened the size of those weaknesses.


    However, even feeling the pressure that Minos could cause, this woman managed to do more than just defend herself, as had been the case with her sister.


    Bridget, now and then, managed to find spaces to attack Minos, making it difficult for him to act.


    So while Minos moved around, trying to lure his opponent into a trap, the space around him would sometimes compress and expand with one of Bridget''s offensive techniques.


    This technique would create vacuum pockets within a specific range of this woman, which could either crush whatever was inside these pockets or explode them, with the opposite use of the vacuum.


    Bridget skillfully used this ability in the vicinity of the Soul Avatar of Minos, making the defenses on this projection work while he felt some pain caused by the remaining force of these attacks.


    But that was not enough to make Emperor Stuart nervous.


    While enduring Bridget''s physical attacks, all she could do, he was get what he wanted since mental techniques hardly worked against him due to the Infinite Dream and Dark Sea.


    Without realizing it, Bridget was getting closer and closer to Emperor Stuart, being drawn to him by Chaotic Gravity.


    He was also slowly getting closer to her, which made the gravitational force in his favor stronger and stronger for that woman to ignore.


    Queen Mcbride realized what was happening and frowned, trying to understand what Minos was trying to do.


    You couldn''t tell he had an advantage in the battle just because he managed to draw his opponent towards him. From what Hannah could see, Minos was pushing, but Bridget was also managing to wound him occasionally.


    At first, this should be an even battle; hard to tell who could win just by the preliminary result.


    ''What is he trying?'' This level 93 woman looked at Minos with narrowed eyes, considering the possibilities. ''Even if he makes the black hole, Bridget will not be fooled. She will be able to escape in time.


    Then what''s the point? Does he have a card up his sleeve?''


    That card up his sleeve could not be the artifacts with him since, besides Bridget having items as good as Minos'', arrays were forbidden in the challenge.


    But soon, the queen and everyone in that area would find out what Minos had in mind to defeat someone with a slight advantage against him in terms of powers.


    While Ella felt apprehensive watching Minos fight, afraid that he would win, he finally showed what he had in mind.


    Minos moved his hands and activated two of his techniques in combination, fusing them to create something even more powerful.


    By doing this using Infinite Dream and Chaotic Gravity, Minos showed Shaking Reality to these women of the Flowers Kingdom, indicating his distinctiveness.


    Unlike ''ordinary'' people like them, he could fuse several of his techniques and show the true powers of a high-level cultivator.


    Bridget couldn''t do the same as him, and upon encountering the Shaking Reality, she cursed Emperor Stuart before swallowing her saliva in apprehension.


    ''Damn it, I have to endure this!'' She felt her body was leaving her soul behind while the world seemed to shake uncontrollably.


    Minos smiled, but Bridget couldn''t understand what was happening.


    Only the onlookers in that place saw the trap he had set for her as her body flew toward him.


    After making his first fusion, Minos made his second, creating several small black holes in his surroundings and a larger one in front of him.


    With the creation of these regions of space, he immediately combined them with the intent to swallow Bridget''s virtually defenseless body.


    "That''s the end of the challenge!" He shouted, seeing that woman without any defense going toward his larger black hole, being drawn in that direction by those black holes in the surrounding area.


    "Shit!" Bridget barely understood what was happening, but as she felt an unmistakable chill in her soul, she realized she was in danger of dying!


    Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do to get out of control of Minos'' techniques, being too close to his black holes and hindered by the Shaking Reality, which would take a while to wear off its effects.


    In this situation, Hannah Mcbride couldn''t help but close her eyes and sigh, seeing that her third youngest daughter would die if she didn''t act.


    "Sigh... This is your victory, Your Majesty Minos Stuart!"


    ...

 Chapter 1570 Departure

    When Bridget was at the threshold of life and death, close to passing the point of no return from the black hole, Queen Mcbride moved one of her hands as if to squeeze a balloon.


    After doing so, immense pressure appeared in the surroundings of the black hole created by Minos, causing this region of space to collapse in on itself until it generated a powerful explosion.


    The queen''s movement had been so strong and fast that that region of space didn''t have time to absorb her power, being compressed in such a way that it exploded before it had a chance to evolve.


    A superb amount of spiritual energy spilled out into the surroundings, coming out of that region of space as both Minos and Bridget were hurled away.


    Powerful winds would form there, which could certainly damage half of Flowers City. However, the chief eunuch of this state went into action and created a substantial sphere-shaped barrier over a space of a 1-kilometer radius, keeping all damage within that space.


    Only Minos was inside that sphere, while Bridget''s body was already under the queen''s control, in the same position from which she had watched the entire match.


    As such, Minos suffered from the explosion of his own black hole, spending 2 minutes of agony inside that enclosed space.


    ''Shit!'' He used all his energy to boost his defensive capabilities through the Devouring Art and Indestructible Body, while his armor helped him as well.


    Still, he suffered several blows from the powerful winds in that space, which, together with the spiritual energy, seemed to form blades and fists against his body.


    The queen had given him the victory, but it was Emperor Stuart''s responsibility to withstand the blast of his fusion!


    She had guaranteed that she would not act against him and that the local rules would be strictly followed. But never had she guaranteed she would protect him from himself!


    In this situation, she lets Minos deal with his problems alone!


    As he suffered, Ella sighed as she gave up on continuing there. Minos had beaten the two princesses, and as long as he survived that current situation, he would have his chance to rescue Oswald and leave the kingdom.


    ''Damn! The wretch did it!'' She wailed.


    At the same time, the various 9th and 10th experts in the surrounding area were disappointed at the defeat of the two princesses and this state''s loss of Minos'' genes.


    If they had known that Minos could cultivate inside one of his black holes, they would never have allowed him to do such a thing!


    Unfortunately for them, Minos had never demonstrated his full possibilities and had never acted in such a caring manner before. Therefore, these people could not help regretting that they had incomplete information.


    The woman supposed to receive Oswald''s genes saw Minos shedding blood as the pressure inside that sphere decreased, and she lamented, turning and leaving right away.


    She wanted Oswald''s genes more than the woman who had lost Harold''s. But with this result, her loss could not be reversed, and she would no longer stick around.


    "Damn, Minos! Your cowardice saved you!" Adele, who was already conscious, said this aloud, with closed fists, observing the situation of her rival.


    At that moment, the chief eunuch undid the sphere-shaped shield around that space, finally freeing Minos.


    Feeling free and having endured that painful situation, Emperor Stuart stopped floating, exhausted as never before.


    He plummeted from the skies and fell into a fountain of the local royal palace, destroying that place as if a meteor had fallen there.


    "Ouch!" Minos expressed pain in his expressions and sounds, feeling every fiber of his body hurt.


    The queen saw how resilient he was and sighed. "You beat my third youngest daughter. What do you want?"


    "Cough... Cough!" Minos coughed up blood, trying to say what he wanted. "Release Oswald and send us to the Flaming Empire."


    The queen closed her eyes and gestured to the same woman who had freed Harold to accompany Emperor Stuart. "Very well, you are free to go that way... I hope to see Your Majesty Minos Stuart again in my state someday. Next time, my warriors will not be so wary of you."


    "Cough! Goodbye." Minos didn''t comment much, not intent on returning to this land of nightmares.


    He headed toward that level 89 woman, trying to endure the pain for his body as best he could.


    That way, he left the capital of the Flowers Kingdom, seeing some people there for the last time, but for some others, this would not be their last time seeing each other!


    One of the women left there by Shannon accompanied Emperor Stuart, ready to show him Mortimer''s current location.


    The level 89 woman saw the queen''s gaze and soon opened a wormhole with a destination fixed on Oswald''s position.


    "Very well, I will take you to Oswald Coleman and then drop you off near the border between the kingdom and the Flaming Empire."


    "OK."


    ...


    Minutes later, Minos saw his grandfather being released from the cell he had seen him in earlier, giving no time for this fellow or himself to rest and soon leaving for the border of this state and his destination.


    Minos didn''t want to risk staying in this place for more than an hour, so he hastened his departure from the Flowers Kingdom, leaving it to cultivate later when he was in the Flaming Empire.


    Oswald had understood his grandson and left to recuperate later as well, eager to return.


    Now that Harold had been freed, neither he nor his family owed any more debts to House Edwardstone. As such, he was free to finally live as he wished, travel the Spiritual World, and help his grandson as much as necessary.


    Thus, in less than 30 minutes after Bridget''s defeat, Minos, Oswald, and Shannon''s warrior arrived at the border of this state with that of Harold.


    "Very well, you are delivered where I promised you." The level 89 woman said, looking only at Minos. "I advise you to leave immediately. Otherwise, we will understand your staying as a sign of your interest to live in the kingdom."


    "You don''t need to tell me anything." Minos smiled.


    Then the three flew off toward the empire, with Oswald actively talking with his grandson about this fellow''s advances in recent years.


    Amidst this, the level 85 Spiritual Sage and the women of the border post Minos passed through years ago saw him crossing that border, sighing.


    In this man''s case, he was pleased to finally see Emperor Stuart leaving that state, giving them a chance to still have a positive relationship in the future.


    ''This is good...'' This man thought. ''In the future, I will invite him to visit the Eastern Empire!''


    As he was thinking about that, suddenly someone that neither this man nor anyone else in the surrounding area expected appeared in front of Minos'' group just after he entered the Flaming Empire!


    ...

 Chapter 1571 Questioning

    As Minos, Shannon''s envoy, and Oswald were flying through the first few miles of the Flaming Empire, looking for a good place to stop and rest, suddenly, someone appeared before them.


    But this person was no stranger, nor had he seen Minos in a long time!


    When Queen Mcbride appeared in front of his group, Minos frowned, while Oswald opened his mouth in shock, seeing someone so powerful for the first time in his life.


    "Your Majesty Hannah, what is the meaning of this?" Minos stood at the head of his group while the woman accompanying them made a respectful gesture to that beautiful Spiritual Demigod.


    The women at the border were also watching the situation, while the level 85 Spiritual Sage had her eyes narrowed, not understanding why this level 93 woman appeared in their way.


    Hannah looked into Minos'' eyes and caused the pressure on him to increase considerably, to the point where he couldn''t see anything else in the surroundings.


    Suddenly, he found himself in a place totally different from the one he was in, a place with no trees or natural effects, totally surrounded by purple clouds, with an endless sunset.


    In that place, Hannah Mcbride was sitting on a gigantic throne made of clouds, looking at him as if she were a giant in front of a mere insect.


    She watched him silently for a moment and asked. "Minos, you are under my judgment of truth. If you lie, I will kill you here and now."


    Gulp!


    Spiritual Demigods could use the domain of their avatars in such a way that reading the feelings and even seeing part of a target''s memories would not be impossible.


    Of course, this was something that varied from expert to expert, target to target. Each person had their own particularities, so some could see all the secrets of others when using this ability, while others would have difficulty doing the same.


    In any case, Minos knew that this woman would notice if he lied, and he found himself threatened by a peak specialist of this world for the first time in his life.


    He swallowed his saliva and asked. "What does Your Majesty wish to know? I thought we were settled when I left the capital a few minutes ago."


    "Ah, our matters concerning my daughters'' challenges to you have been settled. I am not here to take revenge or force you into anything related to that." Hannah said sincerely. "I just want to know how you got that wild feeling from before. You didn''t have that, and I can tell you that it would be impossible to connect that to just your black hole."


    Minos clenched his fists and decided to tell the truth to avoid getting into bigger trouble, even though the truth itself was a problem. "Does Your Majesty know about the giant bones sealed around the Spiritual World? The skeletons of the primordial beings of the spiritual races?"


    Some of those who understood the least about the giant bones of this world but who knew about their existence associated these beings with the emergence of the spiritual races existing today.


    For them, at some point in the remote past, there were no members of the race, for example, spiritual humans, but rather beings unable to cultivate.


    However, cultivators with bodies similar to these mortals appeared, later giving rise to half-breeds capable of cultivation but with powers far inferior to those of their creators.


    These cultivators were supposedly the smaller versions of the owners of these bones, individuals who, amid a catastrophe, had decided to save part of their history by passing on their genetic code to weaker beings.


    The evidence that these people used as proof that these giant skeletons belonged to the primordials of the most powerful races of this world was the existence of the Soul Avatars.


    Why did the avatar show a similar version of the cultivator''s body but in a giant version? No one understood for sure since strength and power were not entirely related to size.


    Some of the biggest beings in the spiritual world were totally harmless to most others!


    But even so, cultivators'' true form came precisely through their soul projection...


    For these theorists, this was the connection between primordial beings and humans, which is why these bones are known as the forerunners of many races existing today.


    Hannah knew about this story of the primordials, even though she didn''t know any of the giant skeletons since they were all properly sealed in hard-to-reach or protected locations.


    Even Spiritual Demigods like Hannah didn''t know much about them or their locations.


    "Yes, I know." She said, frowning her eyebrows.


    "Well, I got that by using my innate ability on one of those giant skeletons. I was able to steal some of the powers from one of them and use that to temper my soul." Minos said, telling the truth but without revealing all the important points. "It improved my understanding of several Natural Laws, gave me a higher cultivation speed, and improved my instincts."


    "Oh? Is that really true?" She asked this with interest, realizing that he wasn''t lying. "So you have one of those skeletons? Do you have it in your spatial ring?"


    "No, it''s too big to contain in a spatial ring. I have a location in the northern region where one of them is sealed."


    "And how did you cultivate with that thing while you were inside that black hole?" She frowned her eyebrows.


    Minos said. "I used a teleportation array and went to that skeleton."


    That was no lie and connected well with the truth about him having giant bones in the northern region!


    Once again, Hannah faced Minos'' sincerity and was not suspicious. "So that was it... You were very clever indeed.


    But can you do that? The legends say that the skeletons of the primordials were so powerful that even peak cultivators of the Spiritual World would have difficulty even probing them."


    Minos replied. "I disagree. Those skeletons are really amazing, but they are not that difficult to probe if you have the proper innate ability.


    I''ve thought something similar to you in the past as if they were from a different reality than ours. But I just didn''t have the skills that I have today. And through this, I feel that high-level people with high-quality Physiques and innate abilities compatible with these bones can do things with them, as I did.


    Maybe not exactly the same, but use them in some way."


    "So that''s it... It depends on the skill." She put her fingers on her face.


    There were more and fewer functional innate abilities. But, at the same time, these abilities could be much better or much worse, depending on the quality.


    If someone could see into the future, this ability could be useful to the extent that they could dream about things that would happen in the distant future or have the ability to predict the movements of an opponent in a fight.


    That could change by that person''s Physique rating.


    As someone who knew of the endless possibilities behind innate abilities, Queen Mcbride didn''t find Minos'' response so unreasonable or even arrogant.


    "Very well, I believe you. But since we are relating well, could you show me one of these skeletons? I won''t ask you for anything more, and I''ll still do you a favor when you need it." She said, lessening the pressure on Minos as the surroundings slowly changed.


    "That can be solved..."

 Chapter 1572 Time To Die

    "How about we set a day for me to introduce you to this place? The teleportation array I used was disposable, and I''d like to settle some matters in the Flaming Empire..." He said, not liking that but having no choice.


    ''If she accepts, I will remove most of the Endless Snow Mountain Range skeletons before taking her there.'' Minos considered this alternative to keep possession of these grandiose skeletons.


    Queen Mcbride would hardly try to take one of those skeletons away from where it was. After all, even though she was at level 93, she was far from obtaining the strength to manipulate one of those.


    They were cumbersome and only using high-level grade-4 arrays would someone have a chance of achieving something like what Minos had done in taking those two skeletons to the Spatial Kingdom.


    But even if the queen had arrays of that level, removing one of those remnants would still be quite complicated.


    Yet Minos preferred to keep as many of those bones private as possible for him and his staff. So in this situation where he was being forced to agree to show these bones to Hannah, he would not show her all his wealth!


    It was not necessary!


    Hannah reminded herself that Minos still had to recover and that a representative of Shannon was accompanying him. He wasn''t just giving her an excuse not to take her to one of those sets of bones.


    On the other hand, she was being watched by the representative of the Travisani family. In that case, if she insisted on going now, it might create a higher expectation on this observer than she would like, which could cause some problems.


    She looked Minos in the eye and agreed. "Very well. I will visit Dry City in one year, and you will take me there. Is that enough time for you to settle your affairs?"


    Minos nodded and said. "Yes, one year is enough."


    After those words, Minos finally found himself back where he was previously standing next to Oswald and Shannon''s representative.


    Queen Mcbride was no longer around when he realized he was no longer in that cloud-filled place where he appeared to be nothing more than a worm.


    Oswald was surprised by the sudden appearance and then disappearance of the queen, something that for him and the woman there had happened in just a few short seconds.


    What to Minos had seemed like more than 5 minutes of conversation had not been much more than the time of a breath for those two and the Spiritual Sage of the Eastern Empire!


    Minos knew that this was one of the capabilities of Spiritual Demigods and promptly explained it to his grandfather.


    "Queen Mcbride had some doubts and came to question me about it... After getting her answers, she left."


    "Doubts? What did she ask?" Oswald didn''t know what such a woman could have asked, not doubting the ability of an expert of that level to have questioned Minos in the seconds that passed.


    "Nothing much... We''ll talk about it later," Minos said as he indicated an area ahead to his fellow travelers. "Anyway, let''s make a stop to cultivate a bit."


    "Oh? All right, then." Oswald did not insist, following his grandson''s recommendation to stop and cultivate, something he had wanted to do for some years now.


    Minos looked at the level 81 woman accompanying them and said. "After we are done, I want you to take us through a wormhole to where Mortimer Burgess is."


    "OK." She said, thinking that was better.


    For her, using wormholes was a faster travel alternative, which consumed more energy but shortened the time she would have to keep up with these men.


    She had no particular problem with Minos and Oswald, but she would rather be in the Flowers Kingdom and not act as their guide. So she naturally appreciated Emperor Stuart''s demand.


    With that, they would spend more than an hour cultivating in that place, in the middle of a forest in this border part of the Flaming Empire with the Flowers Kingdom.


    After that time, Oswald would finish recovering his soul strength, feeling at the limit of his powers once again after years of a sealed cultivation base.


    As for Minos, he managed to recover the energy spent in the confrontation with Bridget, but due to the injuries generated by the explosion of his black hole, he would still need more time to recover.


    They would stay in that area until nightfall, and then the level 81 woman would open a wormhole towards the vicinity of where Mortimer was.


    ...


    In a part close to the volcanic area of the Flaming Empire, a place where Minos had exploded a Black Hole Bomb many years ago, a crack in space appeared 200 meters above the lava level.


    With the opening of that crack, a female hand appeared there, immediately opening the space fabric enough for people to pass through without the danger of being crushed by space.


    Minos and Oswald passed through there, arriving at that part of the Flaming Empire.


    The two immediately realized where they were as they heard the voice of that guide. "Mortimer Burgess is in that direction, about 100 kilometers from where we are." She said, pointing with one of her hands.


    The two looked to where she had indicated, nodded, and immediately flew off to that destination.


    The speed of the two was not low, so it would only take a few moments for them to cross most of the way.


    As they approached where Mortimer was supposed to be, Minos and Oswald saw this woman stopping and signaling something.


    Soon after, two other women, both 9th stage cultivation, appeared in the vicinity and introduced themselves to the two.


    "Where is Mortimer?" Minos insisted.


    One of them quickly replied. "He is in the interior of that floating island." She pointed to one of the 12 floating islands in that area, a place that was large and diverse in plant life.


    Minos'' eyes narrowed as he looked in that direction while Oswald clenched his fists, interested to see that fellow who had terrorized the Flaming Empire years ago. But not only that, as old enemies, he wished to witness the end of Mortimer, and seeing his grandson move, he moved as well.


    "What shall we do?" He asked Minos.


    "We''ll see how he''s doing," Minos said, in a good mood. "Today, I will end his suffering and free this world from his evil presence."


    "Hmm, that will make the empire a better place for people to live," Oswald said, remembering the many diabolical stories involving Mortimer.


    Mortimer had in his history several tragedies, genocides, orders to kill, and even the murder of his own son, something motivated by his simple desire to possess his son''s wife.


    Thinking how Mortimer had committed such vile acts that even the impure would feel contempt, Oswald couldn''t help but see a better future ahead for the empire with this individual''s death.


    While they had similar thoughts in mind, the women of the Flowers Kingdom walked away, leaving the two there to do whatever they wanted against Mortimer.


    And it wouldn''t be long before they caught up with that man!


    "Mortimer Burgess, today is the day of your death!"


    ...

 Chapter 1573 The End

    When he heard Minos'' voice calling him, Mortimer, inside that island, looked back as if he had heard a ghost calling him.


    He hadn''t been out of there for years, and even though he had the feeling that someone was watching him, he didn''t think Minos would casually approach him.


    To him, that man was in the northern region minding his own business and would not come to him without him causing trouble. After all, Minos had beaten him and could have come after him at any time in the past six years. However, at no time had that ever happened.


    So when he heard that voice, as he felt his body shivering, Mortimer did not consider it to be Minos, but rather a voice from his demons, a hallucination.


    He turned his face forward, trying to return his concentration to what he was doing. Still, then he felt a powerful spiritual fluctuation arising near his position.


    This fluctuation was not alone, being next to someone Mortimer knew well!


    "Oswald!" He turned to look back again, noticing his old enemy, who was still at level 79, standing next to a level 74 cultivator.


    He then left where he was, climbing to the top of that island until he reached where Oswald and Minos were.


    When he got there, he identified Oswald, but then he was dumbfounded and shocked by Minos'' situation.


    In just a few years, the man who had defeated him at level 80 while only at level 70 had advanced to level 74.


    That was impressive!


    Minos saw the expression on Mortimer''s face and smiled. But, at the same time, he already had his Soul Avatar activated to prevent a possible escape from that man.


    "Mortimer, long time no see, uh?" Oswald smiled.


    Minos then said. "Do you have your last words, Mortimer? From today on, your Saints Killing Sect will be hunted down.


    To get us off to a good start, I will finish you off first."


    "Minos!" Mortimer said in an altered tone, seeing the causer of all his misfortune. "You really are a monster. I admit that... After all the years, I see that I always underestimated you...


    I should have killed you when you were not so strong.


    That will be my only regret... Not being able to kill you!


    Other than that, I don''t regret anything else. I did what I wanted to do and conquered things that thousands die just thinking about them."


    "Hmm, your words are not bad, despite what a scumbag you were," Minos said, seeing that this man did not seem to fear death. "Aren''t you going to try to defend yourself? Aren''t you afraid of dying?"


    "What is there to fear? You have taken everything from me. You destroyed my family, ruined my sect, stopped my dreams, and damaged my cultivation... What else is there in this world to live for?


    I had thought that my punishment for failure would be to live in this degrading way, but dying to someone stronger seems more worthy." He said, no longer showing the previous perturbation when Shannon''s envoys observed him for the first time.


    After years of being watched, he had gotten used to it and, more, stopped fearing death.


    He had not thought of ending his life alone since, in his view, that was the way of the weak. But he was ready to die at any moment and would not dare to face Minos on this day.


    Minos could already defeat him when he was at his peak power and his opponent only at level 70, so now that Emperor Stuart was at level 74, there was no hope for this partially crippled man.


    Oswald saw it in this man''s countenance, who had a tired look in his eyes and a restrained aura.


    Oswald wanted to see the end of this enemy. Still, after all these years of seeing Mortimer so weak, spiritually and psychologically, it was taking away some of the good feelings he hoped to feel in this revenge.


    "Tsk!"


    Oswald sounded dissatisfied and turned his back on Mortimer, feeling that killing this man would be no different than kicking a dead dog.


    ''Damn it! We took too long!'' He clenched his fists.


    Minos narrowed his eyes, seeing the tragic situation of his opponent, and sighed after a while. "You amaze me, Mortimer...


    In all my years in the Spiritual World, few men have shown such conviction with the things you have done and peace with their impending death.


    The most common is fear, the insane desire to stay alive, and the obscene will to hurt the opponent to the point that people utter blasphemies against the Natural Laws, sacrificing themselves.


    Courage and peace in the face of death are not common things to see in the eyes of a man about to die."


    ''No, those feelings are seen only in two kinds of warriors.'' Minos'' eyes narrowed. ''In those of honorable warriors and those of dragged down people, who already live in hell even in life...''


    ''Sigh... It''s a shame, I should let you live so you can pay for your deeds much longer, but that doesn''t suit me." Minos said this as he moved his hands, wielding his low-level grade-4 sword. "To leave you any longer with those eyes would be a desecration of my old friend Gavin''s heritage."


    Mortimer smiled for the first time, remembering the young red-headed man who had given him a glimmer of hope, in vain but quite valid.


    Even though he had failed, he had no regrets and thanked Gavin''s eyes for giving him a chance to reach the 9th stage, a level he had never imagined he would reach before that man was born.


    He closed his eyes and showed his Adam''s pommel to Minos, ready to leave this world.


    ''At least my death didn''t come at the hands of someone unworthy, like Harold or Oswald...'' He thought as he waited for Minos'' movement.


    Oswald did not see the act, but he soon heard when Minos'' sword cut through the air, quickly following until one of its sides reached Mortimer''s neck.


    In a split second, that spiritual weapon separated the head from the rest of Mortimer''s body, destroying the man''s soul.


    It all happened very quickly, and within a few seconds of Mortimer''s final words, he died peacefully on top of that floating island!


    Minos saw the blood of his opponent on his weapon and then looked down at Mortimer''s dead body, silently observing this situation.


    Mortimer had been a great challenge to him, and the Saints Killing Sect was a problem in his path for years. But now it was all over so easily.


    It was good, but it was also disappointing.


    He hadn''t even had a final fight with Mortimer!


    Oswald sighed and turned to see the outcome of this situation, seeing Mortimer''s neck letting his blood stain the grounds of that island.


    Amidst their observation, some of the high-level Spiritual Saints, forced to stand beside Mortimer on that island, saw the development of the situation and turned pale.


    Some immediately began to fly away, while others knelt down, hoping to be forgiven by Minos.


    Unfortunately for all of them, after collecting the items on Mortimer''s body, Minos turned his attention back to them.


    Chaotic Gravity!


    ...

 Chapter 1574 Arriving At Payton

    By activating his 7th technique, Minos immediately made all those trying to escape or standing on the outskirts of that floating island feel a great force forcing them down.


    The strongest among them were only high-level Spiritual Sages, so they paled in front of Minos, who could even force down Spiritual Sages at the moment.


    But Minos didn''t just push those people. He did it against that entire floating island, making its structures shake as he pushed it down.


    After an initial effort, that prominent floating locality began to shake, with cracks spreading on the buildings above and within it, slowly collapsing in the face of Emperor Stuart''s powers.


    In a matter of seconds, that area began to descend from the skies, increasing its fall acceleration as the spiritual energy-repelling rocks broke apart.


    Minos turned it into a gigantic projectile, making it impossible for any people there to escape as they flew faster and faster towards the scorching ground of that volcanic area.


    After a blink of an eye, a large explosion came into focus on that island, which, when it collided with the lava on the ground, exploded into countless smaller pieces, like a meteor.


    At that moment, several smaller pieces of the island flew covered in lava, creating a scorching rain in this area of the Flaming Empire.


    The people who were there saw how Minos killed each person inside that island, making them die due to the shock of the lava in that area or crushed or burned to death.


    The weaker ones simply died from the shock. Still, some individuals survived to endure the torture of being burned to death by the lava in that area or crushed by the island''s rocks.


    The effects of the shock from that floating island would last for hours in that area, creating a great curtain of smoke and changing the surrounding environment for anyone to understand the magnitude of what had happened there.


    But Minos and Oswald would not remain there for long, with the white-haired old man enjoying the destruction caused by his grandson while they both sighed at the end of this enemy organization.


    They would still investigate the whereabouts of members of the Saints Killing Sect, and if they were still around the empire, they would hunt them down and kill them.


    But with this event, that organization could be considered dead, with no more possibility of causing any problems for the organizations and families of the two!


    Oswald then said. "Didn''t you think it would have been interesting to collect the items from the people on that island?"


    Minos replied. "No. Any significant wealth should be with Mortimer. What there might be with those people was of small value...


    In any case, some of their spatial rings must not have been destroyed. So if you want to bring your people here to collect, be free to do so."


    "Hmm, fine." Oswald agreed before clapping one of his hands on one of his grandson''s shoulders. "Congratulations on getting that, Minos. I didn''t imagine I would see the end of the bastard Mortimer and his people so quickly.


    But tell me one thing, how did you get it? I think your cultivation speed is a little beyond normal."


    "Hmm, let''s talk about that when we get to Dry City." He said, knowing he was being watched but making it clear to his grandfather that this was related to the Spatial Kingdom.


    Oswald was no dummy and nodded affirmatively. "What shall we do now?"


    "Harold wants to invite us to a dinner party, and with Mortimer dead, I think it''s really good that we meet with the leaders of the Flaming Empire... Then we''ll go to Payton."


    "Oh? That will be good, then." He said, smiling, eager to see his old colleagues, who now owed much respect to his grandson.


    As a proud grandfather, Oswald couldn''t help but look forward to moments when he would see former rivals having to bow down to his grandson.


    On the other hand, Minos took the opportunity to take Gavin''s eyes, something he had collected before destroying the floating island where Mortimer''s forces were earlier.


    He looked at those three eyes, especially the largest one, and sighed, feeling the power of that bloodline.


    Unfortunately, all of Gavin''s family members had been killed, and now that lineage would probably disappear from the world.


    At the same time, with no one able to absorb the powers of those eyes, Minos decided to destroy them from sight, ending the millions of years of history of powerful innate ability.


    He created a small black hole and swallowed that thing, erasing its information.


    ''Sigh... I''ll leave that black hole in place of your grave, Gavin.'' He thought to himself after storing that little black hole in a mirrored sphere.


    Minos had built a tomb for Gavin, even though he did not have that man''s remains. As such, he intended to place something related to him there, as he always tried to do with the men of his forces and people important to him.


    With that done, Minos and Oswald departed that area shortly after that, as the remnants of what Minos had done drew attention from nearby forces.


    ...


    The next day...


    After flying for more than a night, Minos and Oswald reached the capital of the Flaming Empire, where Harold had already arrived after leaving the Flowers Kingdom the day before.


    Because of this, when Minos and Oswald arrived in this city, they immediately found a place with a festive atmosphere, with all the local leaders present to celebrate the return of their sovereign.


    As the two appeared in the local skies, preparing to land near one of the entrances to Payton, a group of guards respectfully approached them.


    "Mister Stuart, Mister Coleman, please accompany us." The guard leader said with his head bowed, immensely grateful to these two men for having risked themselves in the Flowers Kingdom to save His Majesty.


    At the same time, each of those men felt how much stronger Minos had become since the last time he had passed through this state, over five years ago.


    Minos was now at level 74 and had a frightening aura, capable of making those below level 80 feel chills in their bodies when they stood in his presence for the first time.


    But this feeling was not only for those in his immediate vicinity. Even people more than a kilometer away from Minos would feel goosebumps on his account!


    So as they moved on, many people in the streets watched the swift passage of Minos and Oswald, identifying the return of this former sect master but shocked by the strength of Emperor Stuart.


    Even some local leaders had to come out of their properties to see who was passing, noting that they should pay Minos and Oswald a visit.


    Amidst this, it didn''t take long for the old supreme elder to notice Minos'' arrival and note that he was not wrong about this individual.


    ''At this rate, he will be at my level in less than a decade!'' The supreme elder thought, ''I must speak to His Majesty urgently.'' He moved to where Harold was standing along with his women and Isabella.


    ...

 Chapter 1575 The End Of Enemies

    "Your Majesty, Minos Stuart is in Dry City!" The supreme elder of the Edwardstone family entered the emperor''s residence, speaking loudly.


    There, some of the emperor''s closest people, wives, and other relatives, were standing around celebrating Harold''s return.


    Isabella was one of these people who had a wide smile on her face, happy as never before because of her father''s return, but also because Minos had kept his promises.


    At the same time, her father had told her that Minos was already at level 74, just one level below her current level, something impressive. So she was doubly happy, waiting for his return along with the rest of the family celebrating Harold''s return.


    So when she heard the voice of the old supreme elder, she immediately looked at that man with an extra glow on her face.


    Standing next to his empress, who was currently at level 79, Harold smiled upon hearing that. "So he made it..." He muttered, happy that Minos and Oswald had escaped that nightmare realm.


    The people in the surrounding area also liked the news.


    Most there were in favor of Minos because of the guy''s relationship with Isabella and because he had saved the empire and was very talented.


    Few feared the future in which Minos would become too strong and oppress them, so knowing of his return was good news for them.


    The supreme elder did not like what he heard and saw in that place and said. "That''s not good news. The cursed Emperor Stuart has already reached level 74! At this rate, he will be unstoppable in less than a decade!"


    Harold smiled upon hearing that and said. "He can already be considered that... I wouldn''t be able to beat him myself."


    "And you say this with such reassurance, Your Majesty? What will become of the empire?" The supreme elder felt terrible to hear those words coming from Harold.


    "You don''t have to worry about that so much. Just look at the northern region and see what has happened to the local powers... Even mortal enemies of Minos have kept their bloodlines.


    The Brown and Cromwell families have lost much of their former rights, but today they still have members with the family lineage alive.


    Also, it has members in its ranks who are stronger than the former regional leaders, being much stronger today than 30 years ago." Isabella said.


    "Supreme elder, Minos is our friend and ally. Therefore, there is no reason for such concern." The emperor said, sighing.


    It was hard to see someone so strong and who had been an expert when he was just a junior, age so much to the point of being paranoid about his family''s downfall.


    That made Harold sad!


    So he had compassion on this old high-level Spiritual Saint and suggested to him. "Supreme elder, now that I have returned, I would like you to retire from your duties and travel to the Black Plain to become the communication link between our states.


    Your position in Dry City will help the family better understand our relationship with Minos and ensure the empire''s future."


    Everyone in the surrounding area looked at Harold, feeling that this was his way of pleasing this old fellow a little and lessening his attempts to convince people in the family to stand against Minos.


    That was not just so that he wouldn''t be irritated by this man but to ensure that the family members would not lose their respect towards that man not far from his own death.


    The old supreme elder saw this as a final mission for him to fulfill and didn''t think it bad that Harald asked him to hand over his duties.


    He clenched his fists and said. "It will not be easy to live with the enemy, but I will do my best to ensure the continuity of House Edwardstone!"


    After those words, he left to make preparations while Isabella approached her father.


    "I''m afraid the old supreme elder won''t live another ten years..." She commented.


    Cultivators had their life forces associated with their cultivation stage.


    That meant that someone at the 8th stage, whether at level 70 or 79, should have a more or less similar life expectancy.


    But just because a Spiritual Saint was expected to live almost 6.5 thousand years, it didn''t mean everyone who managed to age would live the same amount of time.


    Some died of old age at 5.5 thousand years, while others could even exceed what was expected of them by a few decades.


    The supreme elder of this family was already expected to pass away in the next few decades. Still, with the emergence of his paranoia regarding the Black Plain, Isabella thought that he would not have as much time as they imagined.


    Harold sighed upon hearing that, "Let him strive for the family for a few more years. That will give him the peace of mind he needs to leave.


    Anyway, don''t pass his title on to anyone else for now. I will appoint someone to replace him, but that person will only become the supreme elder once he is no longer around."


    "That is a respectful enough measure..." Madeline said, standing next to her husband.


    After that woman''s words, 5 minutes passed, and the group escorting Minos and Oswald arrived at the ballroom of the emperor''s residence.


    Upon seeing those two, Harold approached Minos and Oswald, shaking their hands and thanking them.


    He repeated what he had said to Minos last time but said his words of gratitude to Oswald for the first time, feeling that this man had been a great vassal to him, unlike Mortimer, that traitor.


    Harold had discovered in his time in the Flowers Kingdom that he had only ended up in the hands of those women because Mortimer had turned his movements over to the royal family of that state.


    So he hated Mortimer twice as much as anyone else in his family and wished he could go out and hunt him down as soon as he finished fraternizing with his family.


    But after he asked Minos and Oswald if they would stay for a feast at the end of the day, he heard the news about that man''s situation.


    "... Anyway, after returning from the Flowers Kingdom, we went out to hunt Mortimer before coming here," Minos said, with Isabella at his side.


    Upon hearing that, everyone in the surrounding area paid closer attention to Minos'' words, eager to find out what he had done.


    Given Minos'' current power and what he had when he faced Mortimer, he should be able to defeat that man with ease.


    As such, the people there, most of them who had seen Minos and Mortimer''s fight, could already feel that the greatest fear of the empire had ended.


    "And so? What were your results?" Harold asked.


    "Mortimer is dead. The core of the Saints Killing Sect has been wiped out." Minos said, putting smiles on the faces of many people there, while Harold sighed that he was not lucky enough to witness the murder of that traitor.


    ...

 Chapter 1576 Celebratory Banquet

    "Is that so?" Harold sighed. "It''s a shame I didn''t get the chance to kill the traitor... Did you guys know I was only forcibly taken to the Flowers Kingdom because of the worm?"


    "Is that true?" Oswald frowned, not expecting that Mortimer had been responsible for all that.


    All this time, he had imagined that Harold''s situation had just been this man''s mistake in acting in the Black Plain without being careful. But in finding out about Mortimer''s involvement, this man saw the reason for all their problems in recent years.


    Minos was not surprised, considering that Mortimer''s goal of dominating the Flaming Empire was clear, and he would not have failed to try to remove Harold from his position somehow.


    If the imperial family had their leader, then Mortimer would never have been able to advance to the 9th stage, as Harold would likely hunt him down and find him. In that situation, Mortimer would have died at the hands of Emperor Edwardstone!


    "Damn you, Mortimer Burgess!" Isabella clenched her fists, but she was happy as her man had been the one to end the bastard''s life.


    "Anyway, there is nothing more for you to worry about regarding Mortimer," Minos said. "Regardless of what else he may have done, he is dead, and the Saints Killing Sect practically no longer exists."


    "Yes, we should move on," Oswald said, looking at Harold. "Your Majesty only has to worry about searching for and pursuing members of that sect who have escaped or survived. But even if they exist, there must be few, and they are certainly weak."


    Harold said to Minos. "Yes, I will do that. In any case, thank you for your actions. You have solved yet another problem of my state."


    "That''s nothing. I wanted to destroy that person and his sect." Minos replied. "Anyway, I''ve been away from my state for a while now, so I''ll spend the night here, and early tomorrow morning, I intend to return to Dry City."


    "But already?" Isabella took one of Minos'' arms, unhappy about it.


    Harold understood Minos and smiled at his daughter. "Bella, give Minos a break. He needs to work and settle his affairs on the Black Plain."


    "But..."


    "I''ll talk some things over with you and let you spend some time on the Black Plain after a few days. How about that?" That red-haired man asked, not objecting to the relationship between his daughter and Minos.


    "Okay then!" She was happy.


    Harold then said to Minos. "Then let''s party for tonight. I don''t want to get in your way, but I have to at least do this to thank you for what you have done for me."


    "Yes, you have done a lot for our family, Minos," Madeline said, smiling at him.


    Minos and Oswald had already agreed to this, so they stuck around to participate in these celebrations that would take place in the evening.


    There was already something scheduled to happen that night, so there would be no problem preventing this from happening because these two arrived at such short notice.


    With that, while Oswald went to talk to his old acquaintances, Minos spent some time next to Isabella, having fun with her.


    ...


    At dusk, the imperial palace was packed with people, patriarchs, sect masters, supreme elders, and all the cream of the Flaming Empire. Even the leaders of the Spiritual Church in this state were there to celebrate alongside Harold and Minos.


    Most had come to this place on Harold''s account, but upon finding out that Minos had returned from the Flowers Kingdom with Oswald, the interest of many of them had changed.


    They were glad that Emperor Edwardstone had returned, to know he hadn''t lost his precious balls and become a eunuch. But Minos, at level 74, was the center of attention, and everyone wanted a chance to talk to him.


    Some there had been punished by Minos years ago, but seeing him improve so quickly, these people had forgotten their grudges and were only thinking of using the opportunity to lessen his negative feelings towards them.


    Emperor Stuart spent a few hours talking with those people, reviewing Gloria''s relatives, and even hearing some relevant news.


    But there wasn''t much he could do for the moment, so he didn''t stress too much as he listened to his father-in-law''s warnings, trying to celebrate with the rest of the people there.


    Obviously, the end of the Saints Killing Sect and the death of Mortimer were the topics of conversation at this event, with even toasts being made to celebrate that man''s death.


    With the news brought by Minos, the most pressing fears of many there were resolved, marking the beginning of a new era for these people and organizations.


    With the end of the internal problems in the empire, these people could finally live in peace!


    ...


    "Minos, thank you. If one day you need anything from my empire, just ask." Harold said to Minos, looking at this fellow standing beside Oswald in a local teleportation port.


    "Hmm, I appreciate that." Minos smiled.


    "Oswald, good luck on your journey from now on. I hope you can find what it takes to become a Spiritual Sage." Harold judged that man still had plans to continue traveling through the Spiritual World in search of his advancement.


    That white-haired fellow would not say anything to that red-haired man about his changes of plans and would just thank Harold for his words. "Yes, I hope so too."


    With those words, the two bid farewell to the members of the local imperial family, heading toward the interior of the teleportation array area.


    Then, the surroundings of that array glowed brightly. After a few seconds, the two were teleported away from there to another teleportation port within the Flaming Empire.


    From that place, they would continue jumping positions between cities with ports with teleportation arrays until they reached the Black Plain two days later.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the Evergreen Empire...


    In the capital of the empire, in the imperial palace, a blond man was sitting in front of a statue in the imperial palace while a red-haired, tan-skinned woman was beside him.


    She stood behind him respectfully, passing on some information to her leader.


    That man, level 88, continued watching the statue of the individual with six wings on his back, listening to that woman.


    "Your Highness, Gloria Frost''s greatest supporter has just escaped the Flowers Kingdom. He is returning to the Black Plain and should be the biggest hindrance to Your Highness'' actions to bring Matriarch Frost into your faction." She told him, failing to get him to express any positive or negative reaction.


    "Minos Stuart, uh? I''ve heard he''s also making things more difficult for your group... Is that true? Does he have goals of antagonizing the Church?" He asked that woman dressed in sailor''s clothes.


    "That is a possibility."

 Chapter 1577 Back Home

    After two days of travel between Payton and Dry City, Minos, and Oswald finally reached the capital of the Black Plain Empire!


    Upon arriving there, the two saw the many floating islands on the capital''s outskirts, places that were already tens of meters high above ground level, quite an improvement.


    Minos had expected to find this on his return to Dry City. Still, Oswald was a little surprised, not even needing to check the local spiritual fluctuations to notice the improvement in energy density.


    But apart from this most obvious indication of the local improvements, upon arriving in the capital''s core, Oswald noticed the level of people in the surrounding area, surprising himself.


    The amount of Spiritual Saints had increased dramatically since his departure, and each of the experts from his old sect had become stronger.


    At the same time, the local army was much stronger, with several members already at the 8th stage.


    These were not people from Vogel or the Flaming Empire who had joined the Black Plain Army. On the contrary, these were natives of the northern region, like Peter, Eduard, Lee, and Alison, who had already reached the 8th stage.


    The strongest of them was at level 71, while most were at level 70, having only recently advanced to become Spiritual Saints.


    But even so, there were now already a few dozen natives of the northern region above level 70, something that impressed even Minos.


    He had expected progress in his strength, but seeing the realization of his plans was something that put a smile on his face and sometimes surprised him.


    When he found his domain after years away, he was naturally pleased, seeing that his people had worked hard when he was away.


    So after quickly setting up some arrays around the Dry City Dome, he moved to his palace, going to where most of the local experts were.


    ...


    "Your Majesty, welcome back!"


    The men and women in the imperial hall said simultaneously, all very happy with Minos'' victorious return and more, with his current cultivation level.


    Many there thought that after this period, he would only be at level 73. But surprisingly, he was at level 74!


    The spirits in the surroundings were even higher than what one would normally see there, and as Minos and Oswald reviewed their family members, laughter and positive comments were pouring in.


    Patience, Angelica, and Maisie hugged Oswald almost simultaneously, happy that this man had survived the terrible experience of the Flowers Kingdom.


    Minos'' grandmother was currently at level 78, while her daughters, Angelica and Maisie, were at levels 74 and 77, respectively.


    Minos had already received a hug from these women and was soon standing next to Dillian and Eda, one at level 71 and the other at level 69, talking with the high-level Spiritual Saints of the Gray Clouds Sect.


    There were more than a dozen cultivators between levels 78 and 79, with four elders at the absolute peak of the 8th stage.


    Just like Oswald, these people were only a mastery of understanding the laws to attempt a breakthrough to the 9th stage!


    Minos greeted each of them, receiving congratulations on his victory and advancement to level 74, which put him several steps above his previous combat proficiency.


    Minos was a monster before, but now he could be considered much worse!


    As his subordinates, everyone there was very pleased because this meant that the road ahead of them would be less complicated.


    Minos also met Ivory and Ivy again there, the first at level 75 and the other at level 74.


    Both had lived in Dry City for years and had improved a few levels since his departure for the Flowers Kingdom.


    Amid his meeting with so many people he hadn''t seen in ages, Minos found an auspicious moment and spoke of something of great importance to his family.


    "Fellows, a moment." He said, smiling, "I have some good news to tell you."


    "What is it, Your Majesty?" Dillian asked in curiosity.


    Everyone was so happy about Minos'' victorious return that they had forgotten something important!


    Minos replied, putting smiles on the faces of everyone there, especially Eliot Miller, level 70, and Nicole Miller, level 69. "Abby gave birth to my first son, Kendrick."


    "What?" Nicole asked, stepping forward, wishing she could hold her grandchild in her arms.


    Maisie also wanted to hold little Kendrick and asked. "When are you going to bring them back? I want to meet my grandson."


    Minos answered every one. "I was just about to do that now... Wait a moment."


    With those words, Minos disappeared from the area, knowing that the Spiritual Sage of the Eastern Empire watching him would not notice his departure due to the low-level grade-4 arrays he had quickly installed in the local dome.


    Those arrays prevented internal energy fluctuations from leaving the protected area but also stabilized the space to prevent Spiritual Sages from entering and leaving via wormholes. Because of this, he could go back and forth from the Spatial Kingdom without problems in this place!


    Thus, in the blink of an eye, Minos brought his wives and children from the Spatial Kingdom, alongside several Spiritual Sages from the Gray Clouds Sect who had been hanging around there for the past few years.


    With the arrival of more than 30 people in that place, the individuals in the vicinity of the throne hall were surprised by the advances of their colleagues and the princess, and the prince.


    The focus of everything was supposed to be little Kendrick sleeping peacefully in his mother''s arms. But seeing Sarah at level 43 and as beautiful as her mother, many people watched her intently.


    With that, the women there soon were around Abby, Kendrick, Sarah, Ruth, and Gloria. But, on the other hand, the men there were much more interested in the advances of the members of the Gray Clouds Sect who had returned from the Spatial Kingdom, with Minos and Oswald by their side.


    With these people, the local forces would become even more powerful, increasing the number of people able to maintain and even improve the empire''s defenses over problems.


    On this day, Minos would not deal with problems. He would just focus his time on fraternizing with his subordinates and family, listening and talking about what had happened in the last five years.


    He and his family would spend the rest of the day on this, followed by a large banquet at the imperial palace, where Minos would soon explain to his leading men about the new possibility within the Spatial Kingdom.


    But the feasts and celebrations would last only for that day since the next day, Minos and his family would already have problems to solve.


    In particular, from now on, they will have to deal with a new kind of problem for them.


    The internal dispute within the Spiritual Church!

 Chapter 1578 Internal Disputes In The Church

    The day after Minos and Oswald arrived...


    Abby, Kendrick, and Sarah were dealing with a large number of relatives and people close to the imperial family wanting to meet the little prince and see the princess again.


    Meanwhile, Ruth, Minos, and Gloria were working to solve local problems, updating themselves on the current situation on the Black Plain.


    Currently, they have large reserves of crystals, agricultural production, and many allies on their side to manage and get the best out of every part. So as they returned to the core of their state after years away, they had a lot to worry about at this point.


    Ruth was dealing with matters concerning the actions of the imperial government in the domains conquered by Minos after the absorption of Brown and Cromwell. At the same time, Gloria was dealing with Church affairs alongside her husband, who was leaving the core affairs of her state to one side for the moment.


    The Black Plain core was coming along well, with the best possible results and forces. So the emperor was putting that aside to solve a more urgent problem.


    ...


    At the headquarters of the Spiritual Church for the northern region, in the center of Dry City...


    In this place built in previous years, concluding Minos and Gloria''s plans for the Church''s entry into their domain, Emperor Stuart and the leader of this post were in the meeting hall of this place.


    There, where the most powerful members of the Church in the region were together with the two of them, they had telecommunication arrays connecting them with some of their faction members around the empire.


    Three large screens showed Church members in Blackrock, Rosser, and Flaming Empire, new and old members of Gloria''s faction.


    "Well, I''ve called everyone to this meeting today because we''ll have trouble soon." Minos said, sitting next to Gloria at the leading end of the table where they and the other seven individuals in that room were facing the screens of the communication arrays.


    Of those seven individuals, all were Spiritual Saints, one of them being someone at level 78, the leader of the Church post for Vogel, who was also currently part of that faction.


    Minos continued with his words, "Some Church factions are starting to keep an eye on our group due to our recent growth in numbers, but also the situation of the empire."


    Where a faction was based was very important in determining the potential of that group. After all, the group would be limited by the possibilities of the state in which they operated.


    Since the Black Plain had been developing continuously over the years and reached a relevant level on the continental scene, Gloria''s faction was positively gaining from this.


    It was becoming more attractive for Church members to join, especially young talents, as this was a developing group, where those who joined now could better enjoy the benefits in the future.


    At the same time, due to the development of the Black Plain Empire, more people were attracted to join the Church locally and naturally became part of this faction.


    With all this, Gloria''s group had been drawing attention from other factions for a few years now and was now reaching the point where they could no longer be ignored as just a group with potential. Now they really had the weight to influence many things on the continent!


    That might seem an exaggeration, considering that Gloria was only at level 76. But her faction dominated the territory of the Black Plain Empire, a place that could soon give birth to Spiritual Sages.


    The territory of Minos showed no signs that it was getting close to a bottleneck or would not have influential experts on the continent in the future. The opposite of that, with the emergence of floating islands and the presence of Silver-talented people in the region, it was only a matter of time before high-level Spiritual Sages and even Demigods would emerge in the area.


    The Church''s top experts were already keeping an eye on this and wanted to lure Gloria to their side to have the future experts of this area in their core of influence!


    Even other states were already beginning to look at the Black Plain differently, with some of them realizing there was no point in ignoring Minos.


    Emperor Stuart''s state had come to stay and would develop to a relevant level, not just stop below the 8th stage!


    "Soon, we will be visited and pressed by various parties. So prepare yourselves for that." Minos said, looking at those men and women. "Even the group of one of the princes of the Evergreen Empire is already eyeing our faction."


    "Of one of the princes?" The leading Patriarch of the Blackrock outpost asked in surprise, feeling this was a bit much.


    They were members of a faction that didn''t even have Spiritual Sages. But one of the heirs of a family with Spiritual Demigods in its ranks was watching them!


    Everyone in that room, including the others on the long-range call, opened their eyes wider, unsure what to say.


    "What exactly are we going to do?" One of the Spiritual Saints in that Church post in Dry City asked.


    Gloria answered in her husband''s place. "We will do the obvious. We will withstand any pressure, fight back against anyone who challenges us, and increase our base of influence.


    They are stronger than us but don''t reach all points on the continent. This will be our chance. To reach domains that they cannot covet."


    Prince Calvert''s faction was not the only one in the Spiritual Church. There was the group of the current Supreme Pontiff, who had his candidate for succession, and several other gatherings of like-minded individuals.


    These factions were not only disputing the passage of power within the Church, disputing the most critical posts in the organization. They also disputed territories of influence, mines, techniques, artifacts, in short, everything that was to be disputed.


    For example, the faction to which Gloria''s father belonged ''owned'' the area of the Flaming Empire and the enemy kingdoms of this state, Vogel, Blakcrock, Albano, and Rosser.


    People from this group also oversaw the area of the northern region. However, Church members in posts in this region were not part of any faction, and the territory itself was not owned before Minos. Because of this, the Black Plain area was currently an uncontested, ownerless territory that could be used and fought over.


    In practical terms, Gloria''s faction owned the area, as it was the only one actively operating there. But in theory, this was invalid, as the Church itself had not decided this.


    So while Calvert''s group, for example, could not use the territory of the Flaming Empire casually without causing internal trouble, in most of the Black Plain, he could!


    Besides the Black Plain, there were other areas without ''owners'' within the Church''s territory, which Gloria was referring to.


    Minos said. "We will continue evolving the quality of the empire''s core to ensure the faction''s improvement. But we will also reach out to places without owners to further strengthen our influence network.


    Prince Calvert may think we are easy to dominate, but he doesn''t know us well enough.


    The Black Plain is not for amateurs!"

 Chapter 1579 Information

    After the meeting with leaders of Spiritual Church posts around Minos'' territory of influence, his staff dispersed to get on with their business.


    Keeping communication arrays like the ones they had used running wasn''t cheap, and the most important thing to talk about had already been taken care of.


    So, in the blink of an eye, only Minos and some of the staff of that Dry City outpost were left behind in the upper-echelon meeting room of this temple.


    Minos and Gloria were still sitting in their seats when he looked at the only two remaining people there along with them. "I want you to help me figure out how to get information about the North Sea with the Church.


    I heard from a woman in the Flowers Kingdom that the Spiritual Church has crucial information about this chaotic area. I am very interested in getting my hands on it."


    "North Sea?" The Matriarch and the Patriarch there looked at each other, feeling that this was somewhat unexpected.


    Unlike Minos'' subordinates, who knew about his intentions regarding the North Sea, these factional allies within the Spiritual Church knew nothing. After all, they were not exactly on the same side as Emperor Stuart. They were just people with affinities within the ranks of the Spiritual Church. But there was no great compromise between them outside that organization.


    At the same time, their positions could change, and their relationship was by no means guaranteed for the long term.


    Consequently, the two were surprised to hear that.


    "What does Your Majesty want to know about the North Sea?" The leading Patriarch of Albano''s post asked.


    Minos said. "I have several questions about that area, but I don''t think you have any useful information for me."


    Minos had already questioned Joseph about it on his passage through the Flaming Empire before his return to Dry City. So if even that level 79 man, a member of a powerful faction of the Church, didn''t know about it, it wouldn''t be these two level 77 individuals and members of Gloria''s faction who would.


    He said. "I want you to assist me in finding out how to reach people with information about this place."


    Those two only knew common information about the North Sea, which Gloria should also know.


    If even she couldn''t help with what Minos wanted, then it meant that they wouldn''t have the information. The two understood this readily and did not insist on trying to tell him what little they knew.


    "If it is top secret information, I believe that only cultivators of the highest level know anything..." The woman said, looking at her companion, who, unlike Gloria, had been in his position for many centuries, so he had more experience.


    He agreed. "Yes, even high-level Spiritual Sages may not know for sure about what Your Majesty wishes, so we may have to have some influence with Spirit Demigods to achieve that."


    Having influence with someone like that did not demand Minos and his staff that at least one of them be at that stage. As long as they could get the attention of one of them and something to trade, achieving that information should not be impossible.


    Gloria commented. "If only through a Spiritual Demigod can we receive that information, then I think it will take time for us to have it in hand..."


    "That will depend on the size of our faction. The bigger and more powerful it is, the easier it will be to reach someone of that level." Minos said.


    It was obvious that if they got stronger, easier it would be to get what they wanted. But when a faction grew, it didn''t just grow in one direction but in all possible directions. Because of this, a collective was always more powerful than an individual, and this could make things easier for both of them.


    They weren''t influential enough at the moment, but it wouldn''t take either of them to reach the 10th stage for them to influence with Demigods.


    Not all Demigods were the same. Some of them would lead their organizations and be known throughout the world. But others would serve those more powerful, which made some more accessible than others.


    Through this, Minos could reach the answers he sought!


    He had the map of the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus in his hands, but he didn''t know if it would be worth it to him to exchange such a thing for the information from the North Sea.


    He felt that the North Sea was of a high level and the information he wanted would be expensive. But perhaps the map in the Spatial Kingdom was too valuable even for that.


    So, for now, Minos wanted to keep it with him without considering it a possible trade item.


    Anyway, the four of them finished their conversation with those two level 77 cultivators promising to go after what Minos wanted, to identify people capable of giving him this information and also ways for him to convince such individuals.


    Gloria would continue at the Dry City Church temple to continue her local duties. At the same time, Minos would return to the imperial palace, where he had other matters to deal with.


    ...


    Three months later...


    After Minos'' return to the Black Plain, this state continued its operations as usual, with no major problems during this period.


    The only interesting thing in these weeks was the end of Abby''s recovery and her return to cultivation. Because of this, as she was already at the limit of level 72 previously, she was able to advance to level 73 in the days that passed.


    News of little Kendrick''s birth also spread throughout the empire during this period, with various subordinates, vassals, and allies of Minos sending gifts to Dry City.


    Unlike Sarah, Kendrick was the heir to the Black Plain Empire and, with the position of Crown Prince, would have great powers in the future. So it was only natural that many would already begin to show their interest in being by the side of Minos'' son by sending gifts to a newborn.


    Anyway, while little Kendrick enjoyed his days suckling more breasts than some grown men, some people from afar arrived near Dry City.


    A woman and a man, mounted on a winged beast that looked like a chicken, appeared in the Dry City sky, watching the area ahead with interest.


    From there, they could see several floating islands, giant flying turtles in the sky, and more, an impenetrable barrier even for them, Spiritual Sages.


    Even the strongest of the two, level 85, couldn''t help but frown as he realized he could not cross the space in front of him.


    "It seems that Emperor Stuart''s wealth is great... No wonder his estate is growing so fast." This man said as the level 84 woman beside him watched that beautiful city with interest.


    "He''s not bad. He doesn''t even know us, and even though he is a mere Spiritual Saint, he will force us to follow his rules to enter this city." The woman said in a humorous tone, knowing that to fulfill their mission, they would have to enter that area, where only by accepting the local impositions would they have their entry allowed.


    ''Let''s see what their group will decide, Master Calvert...''

 Chapter 1580 Princes Offering

    "Your Majesty, two Spiritual Sages are at the eastern entrance of the city requesting passage to the inner area protected by the grade-4 arrays." A soldier said this to Minos just after entering the area of the imperial palace where the emperor was at the moment.


    A group of soldiers from the Black Plain Army and members of the Gray Clouds Sect had just been intercepted by those two envoys from Calvert. With that, those men outside the area protected by the arrays promptly sent a message by communication arrays to one of the soldiers in the imperial palace.


    Currently, the arrays purchased by Minos in the Flowers Kingdom protected the core of Dry City and this entire city, not protecting the belt of cities around this area.


    Because of this, the group coming from the Evergreen Empire was at one of the entrances to Dry City and not near the heart of that city, where the command center of the Black Plain Empire was.


    Anyway, nowadays, the army has instantaneous means of communication, and soon after those people arrive, soldiers have already sent the message to the communication center of the imperial palace.


    Minos had a communication array, but he only used this device when he was away from his palace, where he had people to take care of urgent communications for him.


    One of the men from that center had just reached out to him and relayed this information, surprising Minos and Abby, with whom he was now.


    Little Kendrick was in his father''s arms at this instant, laughing as his father swung him in the arms.


    "Two Spiritual Sages?" Abby opened her mouth, surprised at the arrival of experts at this level in Dry City. "Where do they come from?"


    "We believe they come from the Evergreen Empire, Your Majesty." That soldier said while Minos narrowed his eyes, trying to decipher what that meant.


    ''I still have a few years before the deal with those pirates reaches the promised moment... So I don''t believe they are people from the Blood Triangle Pirates.'' He pondered. "Are they from the Spiritual Church?"


    "We are not sure. They are not wearing the Church cloaks, Your Majesty."


    "Hmm, very well, take me to them," Minos said after handing Kendrick to Abby.


    Technically, he and the empire''s core were safe in Dry City since Spiritual Sages could not invade that area of protection he had created over the past few months. But Minos preferred not to ignore these people and cause backlash from the forces they represented.


    So he wanted to go to them to talk and understand what this was all about.


    In the blink of an eye, Minos was face to face with those two people at one of the entrances to the area protected by the defensive arrays.


    He looked at the man and the woman there and left the protected area to talk to them outside Dry City.


    Beside him were some high-level elders of the Gray Clouds Sect, people at levels 78 and 79, ready to fight if necessary.


    They might not be strong enough, but they could give their cultivation levels to Minos and thus help this sovereign become stronger in case of need.


    When they saw those six people and Minos, the Spiritual Sages coming from the Evergreen Empire, smiled at these people as they noticed the local strength.


    That was not enough to impress them, but it was pretty impressive for the area''s history.


    "Your Majesty Minos Stuart, I presume." The woman said as she gestured a greeting to the emperor of these lands, identifying him by his cultivation level.


    "Who are you? What do you want in my lands?" He was straight to the point, non-threatening, but not in the least bit subservient.


    The man beside that woman ignored the cries of his 8th-stage beast, which had brought them to this place, and replied. "Your Majesty, this is Phoebe Savage, and my name is Bryant Elliott. We are here on behalf of His Highness Calvert Evergreen, who wishes to meet Matriarch Frost and Your Majesty."


    The woman added. "The Black Plain Empire is already drawing attention even in our state, and Matriarch Frost''s faction has reached the level necessary to have the right to join larger forces."


    Minos'' eyebrows narrowed, with he clearly understanding what this was about. ''So that''s it...''


    "So you are here to make an offer?" He asked. "Is there anything else you guys want in my territory besides that?"


    "No, that''s all." That woman said, smiling and nodding at him.


    "Well, we''ll hear what you have to say," Minos said, not the least interested in what these people would offer him but knowing that he couldn''t just dryly refuse them.


    He preferred to deal with them cautiously, pretending to be someone with whom they could negotiate and perhaps reach a consensus.


    With this, he allowed those people into his territory, confident they would not act against him and his forces on this day, for they were there to make an offer.


    Problems might arise in the future, but the risk was minimal for the moment.


    So soon, they were at the Temple of the Black Plain, where those two settled down to wait for Minos and Gloria as they talked about how much better this place seemed to be compared to what they had heard.


    ''This Dry City seems well developed, don''t you think?''


    ''Yes, the quality of the streets and buildings, as well as the local energy density, is even higher than what we have been told.'' The woman said amidst the mental communication of the two.


    Before they could talk further, Minos and Gloria appeared in the waiting room where those two had been dropped off moments ago.


    "So, you are Prince Calvert''s envoys..." Minos commented, sitting on the other side of the table those people were standing around. "I did not expect that one of the heirs of the grandiose Evergreen Empire would be looking at my humble Black Plain so soon."


    "Your Majesty doesn''t need to be humble. There is nothing small about this state." The level 85 man said, smiling.


    "Yes, a rising state like the Black Plain is relevant to any force on the continent." The level 84 woman added. "Then it is only natural that His Highness would be interested in this magnificent state."


    "Hmmm." Minos smiled at them, nodding but not liking this conversation at all. "And what exactly does your leader wish for us?"


    "Straight to the point, one can see why Your Majesty is so successful..." The woman commented. "In any case, His Highness wishes to improve his family''s ties with the Stuart family and the cooperation between our factions."


    Gloria then asked. "How would that be?"


    "Our factions have common interests. His Highness wishes to better connect to the northern region. Meanwhile, we have access to resources, information, and many more things available in high-level states." The man said. "The Black Plain is doing very well, obviously, but it could develop even more easily with the right incentives..."


    "That could all be offered to you for just your loyalty and support in actions in the northern region." The woman said, indicating how much they would have to give for a deal like the one Calvert wanted to work.


    Minos and Gloria looked at each other and commented simultaneously. "I see..."

 Chapter 1581 Church Factions

    "That''s a very generous offer..." Minos commented, smiling falsely. "From the looks of it, Prince Calvert thinks very highly of my state and the future of Gloria''s faction."


    "Yes, we hope that the support of Matriarch Frost''s faction will be the differentiator of the faction to which we belong." That woman commented, sensing that these two were enjoying what they were hearing. "Then, if you agree to join His Highness now, we can begin preparations so that the Black Plain will already begin to receive the opportunities we have promised."


    "Hmm, that only depends on your word. Even before the Soul Contracts are signed, we can already help you in many ways." The level 85 man said, showing these two how determined they were to do business locally.


    "That''s good to hear..." Gloria commented in a low voice as if she was thinking cautiously about the matter.


    Minos asked. "But before we go through with it, answer me one thing. Do you have any relation to the Blood Triangle Pirates group? In the last few years, I have received some visits from people from that organization, but we still have unfinished business..."


    Those two were aware of Minos'' issues with that group and were not surprised by this.


    The woman said. "Yes, we do have relations with that group, as it is one of the maritime arms of the Evergreen family, His Highness''s family."


    Calvert''s faction was not the only one with connections to that group. Within the imperial family of that state, three factions were involved in the affairs of the Church. One was his, another was Emperor Evergreen''s, and last was the group of the Emperor''s grandson, son of the first and only princess of that state.


    All of these factions were involved in the affairs of the Blood Triangle Pirates. However, the Emperor''s faction was the one that dominated that institution.


    "Oh? And what is Prince Calvert''s relationship to the people who have come to my state in recent years?" Minos asked.


    "None." The level 85 man replied. "His Highness knows about what happened and this organization''s interest in relating to Your Majesty. But he is not behind the orders for these people to come to the Black Plain."


    "And who would that be?" Gloria questioned.


    ''His Majesty, the emperor.'' The two thought at the same time, but without answering them.


    The entire imperial family and its factions would benefit from the success of the Blood Triangle Pirates. Obviously, the emperor could take better advantage, but that was not necessarily bad for his grandson or his son.


    The emperor could not vie for the position to become the new Supreme Pontiff of the Church. Emperors had no such right.


    Since Emperor Evergreen had no one as talented as Calvert to become his candidate, he was not supporting anyone in the contest for the leadership position in the Church.


    He would prefer that this person is from his family, but whether it would be his grandson or one of his sons didn''t matter to him.


    As for the emperor''s grandson, he was a bit stronger than Calvert, but he didn''t have the same interests.


    Not everyone was born with the ambition to lead!


    As such, as much as there were different factions within the imperial family of that state, in this respect, they did not clash.


    So the two did not answer Gloria''s question.


    Minos frowned and asked about something else. "What are the factions that rival Prince Calvert''s?"


    "Besides the groups of Your Majesty and His Highness Drogo with whom His Highness Calvert has healthy competition, there are also our real rivals within the Church. They are from the Supreme Pontiff''s faction, Cardinal Quinn''s group, and finally that of Cardinal Ray, who is behind the Church posts in the Flaming Empire, Rosser, Albano, Vogel, and Blackrock." That woman answered.


    All these Cardinals were Spiritual Demigods, not just Spiritual Sages.


    Within the Church, the Cardinals group was divided into two groups¡ªthe low-level ones, Spiritual Sages, and the high-level ones, Spiritual Demigods.


    ''Three groups, huh?'' Minos'' eyes narrowed. ''If this Calvert is being so quick to approach us, either he''s the underdog in this power race, or he''s the smartest and has already realized his potential if he can absorb us into his faction...


    If that''s the case, we''re in trouble!''


    "It looks like your group is racing into the leadership contest, huh?" Minos commented on this matter already known to all cultivators above level 70 within the Church.


    The Supreme Pontiff was going to leave his position in a few decades, so the strongest factions of this organization were already moving to have maximum support when the time came for a new leader to ascend to the leadership position of the Church.


    "That must be Prince Calvert''s interest, right?" Minos questioned.


    "Yes..."


    "Well, if that is the case, I would like to discuss this with my wife alone for a while," Minos said. "We have just resolved some complicated issues and would like to evaluate our position better before we take a definitive stand."


    "Yes, we don''t even know if we will be strong enough to withstand the challenges of contending for the leadership of the Church in a few decades..." Gloria commented. "We are just Spiritual Saints now... And even if we look into the future, there is no guarantee that we will become more than low-level Spiritual Sages."


    In the Spiritual Church, countless members were not part of any faction. The reason for this? Simple, these groups required powerful people, and even some level 70 people preferred not to join any of the factions.


    People of that level would no longer be considered weak. But they were among the weakest within the strongest factions of the Church. Because of this, many people of this stage and even some low-level 9th-stage cultivators preferred to avoid joining these factions.


    Eventually, if they became stronger, they would take a side. But until then, some preferred to remain neutral, not to gain anything of significance, but also not to lose or gain the enmity of many.


    So the positioning of Gloria and Minos was not at all strange. In fact, being cautious was the norm within this institution. Hence, those two individuals were not so surprised by their words.


    "It''s only natural that you talk about it... After all, it may change the fate of your plans." The level 84 woman said as she got up to leave. "In any case, how much time do you need to decide? We can wait a year before we try to negotiate again."


    "A year?" Minos remembered Hannah but judged that he would have no problem dealing with her and these people. "That sounds like enough to me."


    Those two left Dry City without further ado, leaving to get to know this place better in the future when they returned.


    Minos stood beside his wife, weighing the trouble they would have next. "Once we refuse them, we will face problems in our territory with our allies, and troublesome people will arise to test us."


    "Yes, and within the Church, my superiors will be more strict with every decision of mine or news that comes to their attention." Gloria agreed with him, preparing herself psychologically for future challenges ahead of them.


    "Those who are in the rain will obviously get wet!" Minos'' eyes narrowed.

 Chapter 1582 Invitation

    After the departure of the Spiritual Sages from the Evergreen Empire, a month passed.


    The Minos watcher sent by Emperor Travisani was feeling increasingly nervous lately, considering when he should approach Emperor Stuart.


    More and more important people were looking at Minos, and after the departure of the Calvert envoys, even representatives from high-level kingdoms in the western region had shown up in Dry City.


    With more and more people interested in approaching Minos, that man had been pondering for the past few weeks whether he should wait any longer or whether it would be better to invite the local leader soon to avoid future problems.


    If Minos chose the side of the enemies, the Eastern Empire would order his death. Still, Emperor Travisani preferred to have young talent on his side, not in the morgue.


    So, after much consideration, that level 85 man finally decided to approach Minos, ''knocking'' on this local leader''s doors as the two Calvert envoys had done weeks ago.


    ...


    "So you''re finally showing yourself?" Minos smiled as he met with this man who had been watching him for months.


    He could sense spatial fluctuations much more easily than ordinary people, not only because his energy level was higher than people of his level but also because of his Soul Avatar.


    Even if this person was trying to hide from Minos, Emperor Stuart was fully aware of the presence of this man in his surroundings.


    He just didn''t know what that person looked like before, but he was used to his aura enough to identify him immediately.


    That man bitterly smiled and said. "It''s about time I introduced myself to Your Majesty...


    Anyway, I am here on behalf of the Travisani family to invite you to visit the Eastern Empire. Surely Your Majesty can find everything you need for your territory in our state without subjecting yourself to the domination of others..."


    Vico Travisani was said to be the strongest man on the continent, and what''s more, he was not friendly with enemy forces. But he was not a conqueror. On the contrary, he advocated the idea that each territory deserved to have its sovereignty without outside interference.


    But this was not so surprising. After all, as someone born in the Eastern Empire, a place oppressed by the Western Empire over hundreds of thousands of years, he could only have a view of things that way.


    So even though he was a peak expert in this Spiritual World, he wasn''t the type to make everyone kneel before him or to forcefully dominate external territories.


    He would even centralize power within the Eastern Empire, but that was his state, which he had chosen to be one long before his emergence.


    As such, the promises of this envoy were by no means false. If Minos agreed to join the Travisani family as an allied force, he would receive benefits and would not lose his sovereignty and freedom!


    Minos knew a little about the recent history of each state in the Central Continent and had advisors who had already told him about the almost utopian Eastern Empire. But even though he knew that the words of the level 85 man in front of him were not meant to deceive him, he could not simply agree to make a deal with these people.


    After all, whether it was advantageous or not, he already had connections with the Spiritual Church, and what''s more, his territory was within the Church''s domain.


    What could he do about it? Was Vico Travisani going to take the northern region out of the Church''s domain just because of Minos?


    That was absurd!


    As such, Minos couldn''t help but use this as a defense against the offers of this empire. "I would love to have good relations with most of the powers of the Central Continent. But how can I join the Eastern Empire if my state is in Church territory?


    Suppose we can have a relationship without a demand for fidelity or estrangement from the Church. In that case, I think a relationship between us is pretty feasible. But I can''t sacrifice everything I build just for the selfish interest of a state I don''t even know yet..."


    That man had common sense and would not think that Minos had an obligation to sacrifice himself and choose a path full of problems ahead of him just because it was better for the Eastern Empire side. It would be absurd to disregard all the setbacks that someone in Emperor Stuart''s situation would have in making such a choice.


    Hence, he was not at all irritated with Emperor Stuart.


    "I understand Your Majesty''s situation... But to have the best future, sometimes one needs to make difficult decisions in the short term." He said. "We can''t do anything about the Black Plain Empire, but there are lands all over the Spiritual World. In any case, if you ever go to the empire, you may be more motivated to join us.


    So now, I ask you to consider visiting the Travisani family in the future, the Eastern Empire, and compare your options. I am sure Your Majesty will see why the strongest on the continent is in our state and not in the Church headquarters."


    Minos heard that and was silent, considering that the Church really should have more resources, better techniques, and even karma in its favor.


    But the supposed strongest on the continent belonged to another state, one that experienced a much more challenging situation and should be better at absolutely nothing than them.


    That could be explained by individual talent. But even in this, the Church should be more gifted than the Travisani family.


    Knowing this, Minos could not deny his curiosity to know that family and state better.


    He then said. "I will certainly travel to your state in the future... For now, I intend not to visit new domains until my son grows a bit more.


    He is recently learning to walk."


    That man saw the smile on Minos'' face and congratulated this fellow, wishing Kendrick would grow up healthy and have a good talent.


    After that, he talked a little more with Emperor Stuart, warning that person not to visit the Western Empire before the Eastern Empire, or it would be viewed negatively by the Travisani family.


    Other than that, that level 85 man did not press Minos on other issues, such as the one related to visits by people from the Blood Triangle Pirates group.


    Minos watched that fellow leave to return to his observant position from before and sighed, noting that as much as there were no immediate threats against him, he was now relating to much more dangerous forces than before.


    ''I have to act more cautiously from now on...'' He considered, noting that such a man had already left the area protected by the arrays of Dry City. ''Practically the entire continent is watching me now, so I have to act more slowly, making fewer trips and focusing on the Black Plain.''


    He then teleported to the Spatial Kingdom after entering his royal palace.


    "I must ensure that my forces advance as quickly as possible!" He muttered, already activating his innate ability to help the people in the Spatial Kingdom, among them his grandparents.

 Chapter 1583 Interspersed Seclusion

    Seven months after the proposal of the Travisani family''s Spiritual Sage...


    Sarah Stuart was flying around the outskirts of Dry City above the mount of her father, Little Green, who was currently at level 78, one of the most powerful beasts in the empire.


    Over the past few months, she and her family members had been cultivating extensively within the Spatial Kingdom.


    Minos had been making short, month-long seclusion in the Spatial Kingdom and then returning to Dry City to deal with matters in the Black Plain Empire. Then, after seven days of dealing with local matters, he would return for another four-week cycle of seclusion in that cultivation sanctuary, sometimes taking new soldiers or sect members there.


    In this period, no exchange had happened between the experts of the Gray Clouds Sect in this state and the Flaming Empire since the people in Clouds City were already very strong. Only with the appearance of a Spiritual Sage could Minos help to be able to bring more people from that state into his territory!


    Anyway, Minos thought that soon Queen Mcbride would arrive in his territory for their one-year agreement, so he had already returned from the Spatial Kingdom with his wives and family.


    Because of this, Sarah took the opportunity to play a little on the days she would have rest from her seclusion.


    She loved to fly, and there was no better beast than Little Green to give her a good experience through the local skies.


    As such, on this sunny day, one could see a large green beast flying through the skies of Dry City, with a red-furred young man riding on it and smiling.


    These were the only ones allowed to fly through the local skies, so some of the population couldn''t help but stare at them, seeing this unusual event unfolding in that city.


    Meanwhile, Kendrick had grown up a little in the last few months, but he was still a baby and was in his mother''s arms, watching his sister fly under that great beast.


    He had his two little hands pointing up, opening and closing as if he wanted his big sister to take him for a ride.


    But Abby was very attached and protective and would not allow something as dangerous as a flight with her son.


    Minos and Gloria were working now, taking advantage of the days ahead to care for church and empire affairs before they could return to the Spatial Kingdom to cultivate.


    Minos had already gone to the Endless Snow Mountain Range and taken most of the bones from that place to the Spatial Kingdom, leaving only one behind to deceive the Queen of the Flowers Kingdom.


    So besides taking care of local affairs, he didn''t have much else to deal with in the days ahead in waiting for Hannah.


    Coincidentally, Isabella had finally come from the Flaming Empire to stay by Minos'' side just after the end of his last seclusion in the Spatial Kingdom.


    She didn''t intend to stay long, as she had some business to take care of in the Flaming Empire so she could be free of some of the responsibilities she had gained over the last few years. But that was for a good reason, so she could finally live with Minos in the Black Plain Empire!


    She was currently at Ruth''s side, doing business between her family and the local imperial house, which was becoming increasingly frequent among their powers.


    As the Black Plain grew stronger, more and more local resources interested the Flaming Empire. At the same time, with more local wealth, locals had more funds to order things from the state of Isabella.


    The result was strengthening relations between the two imperial families!


    Anyway, while Gloria was dealing with more invitations from Church factions for her to join them and Minos was dealing with more states trying to start relations with his, little Kendrick narrowed his eyes as he saw something glowing appear near his sister.


    Simultaneously with this baby retracting his hands close to his eyes to protect himself from the brightness, a hole appeared near Sarah, causing this woman and the beast below her to shiver.


    But not only did they feel that sense of near danger, all the cultivators above level 70 in Dry City felt something strange at that instant, promptly looking in the same direction.


    When all eyes were not far from Sarah and Little Green, a woman emerged from that hole, looking at this city and especially these two creatures near her with interest.


    When she saw that beautiful woman there, Sarah opened her mouth as she realized that she could not sense the cultivation level of such a person due to the immense difference between them.


    But Little Green had a vague sense of that person''s strength, the first Spiritual Demigod he had seen in his entire life!


    "Demigod..." This large creature transformed into its humanoid version quickly, holding Sarah in its arms but lowering its head to that woman.


    Before Minos and Gloria arrived, Hannah looked into Sarah''s eyes and noticed the lineage of Emperor Stuart in her body.


    "You must be Minos'' daughter, uh?" Hannah approached Sarah, smiling.


    She then placed one of her hands on Sarah''s head and murmured. "Golden talent, Saint-grade Physique... As expected. His genes are excellent!"


    "Who are you?" Sarah asked shyly.


    "Child, this here is Hannah Mcbride." She replied as she ran her fingers through Sarah''s red hair. "I''m here to do business with your father. Where is he?"


    Hannah didn''t need to ask that. She knew the location of every single person and beast in Dry City right now!


    This city had millions of inhabitants, but that was nothing to her!


    Amid her short dialogue with Sarah, hundreds of local experts watched that woman with eyes and mouths open, seeing a 10th-stage expert for the first time.


    The most impressed of all were not the weaker ones seeing her floating near Sarah and Little Green, but the stronger ones, who knew how difficult it was to cultivate at a high level.


    This woman was at level 93, something extremely above what the strongest one there, level 79, had already managed to reach.


    Not only that but for most people in this city, the 10th stage was an impossibility, so seeing a Spiritual Demigod so close was shocking and capable of silencing an entire city.


    Anyway, amidst the millions looking in Hannah''s direction, Minos, Gloria, and other important people in this city arrived next to where this woman and Sarah were standing.


    "Your Majesty Mcbride, you arrived a little earlier than I expected," Minos said as he gestured a greeting next to his wives and high-ranking elders of the Gray Clouds Sect.


    Kendrick was there too, in Abby''s arms, under the intense gaze of that woman who had given birth dozens of times.


    "Ah, I didn''t know you had gotten another child..." She said sweetly, quickly moving closer to Abby and running her hands over Kendrick''s little head.


    "This boy will be just like you in the future. I can tell just by the look in his eyes!" She commented, feeling that her instincts were not wrong. "You are to be congratulated, Your Majesty Minos Stuart... It''s just a shame you didn''t do one of those with one of my daughters."


    ...

 Chapter 1584 Someone Must Have Stolen Them

    Upon hearing Hannah''s comment, Minos bitterly smiled, but he did not fear this woman being so close to his children.


    There was no honor in an expert at that level acting against a junior and a newborn. It would be a shame for her and a warning sign for the entire continent if she decided to act against Kendrick and Sarah.


    If she took them both hostage so that Minos could be forced to return to the Flowers Kingdom, she could achieve nothing but destruction, not because of the Empire of the Black Plain but the states on this continent. Each would see her as a breaker of her promises and have to strike to prevent their men from being under the same risk as Emperor Stuart.


    Minos knew that such a woman would do nothing on account of all this and also was not surprised that she arrived in such a spectacular manner.


    The local defenses were not designed to protect this city from Spiritual Demigods, so she had easily managed to bypass the city''s barriers and get there through a wormhole.


    Since she was much stronger than those arrays in the surrounding area could handle, Hannah had even manipulated the space in a way that her intrusion did not damage the local defenses.


    The experts on the side of the local imperial family were also aware of the weaknesses of the local barriers and stood by Minos'' side without worrying too much about how that woman had gotten there. The only thing that mattered to them was whether she would follow through as expected and proceed to the Endless Snow Mountain Range at the emperor''s side.


    After seeing the bitter smile on Minos'' face, Queen Mcbride looked at each of his wives, noting the value of each, their talents, and abilities.


    They were all talented and capable of going far in cultivation, considering their bone ages and the level of their souls.


    Two of them had even given the emperor children, something impressive for someone as strong and young as he was.


    "I see your family is doing very well. Each of them has formidable souls and a promising path ahead." She praised. "And they are naturally beautiful, haha. You really are lucky."


    "Hmm, I don''t deny that." He said before asking. "So, is Your Majesty prepared to go and meet one of those skeletons? I can take you to where one of them is now."


    "One of them? You have more than one around here?" She asked, dropping the subject of Minos'' family.


    He replied. "It''s not that. It''s that there are many of those throughout the Spiritual World... One is within my empire, in the Endless Snow Moutain Range."


    "Endless Snow Mountain Range?" She frowned, remembering that name. "So this place is an artificial construction like the legends say?"


    Legends said that the Endless Snow Mountain Range was actually a place built by humans to seal off something terrible.


    Hannah knew of the legends regarding this mountain range in the northern region but had never explored it to find out for sure. So upon hearing that from Minos, she immediately connected the dots and understood what that terrible something was.


    "More or less that," Minos replied. "The place existed before these giant skeletons appeared, but it was not as we know it. The differences were created by cultivators who wanted to keep the rest of the world away from those bones."


    "Is that so?" She asked, interested.


    But before she spoke further, she decided it was better to head straight to that place and stop wasting time.


    She knew how to get to the Endless Snow Moutain Range, so as soon as she took Minos by one of this sovereign''s wrists, she opened a wormhole and went from there.


    It all happened so fast that the people in the surrounding area were taken by surprise. In the blink of an eye, Minos and Hannah disappear from the area.


    "Where did they go?" Someone asked.


    "I think to the Endless Snow Moutain Range..." Sarah replied, feeling that this was the most likely.


    ...


    At the same time, a few dozen meters above one of the highest peaks of the Endless Snow Moutain Range...


    A wormhole appeared in that spot, and then Minos and Hannah stepped out of it, with Emperor Stuart barely having time to notice the shift in space between his previous and current position.


    Hannah had moved so fast that he hadn''t noticed the action until they were already halfway there!


    He frowned as he realized this, noticing for the first time someone able to totally overcome his instincts to the point that he didn''t even have time to think about escaping to the Spatial Kingdom.


    ''If someone at that level wanted to kill me, I''d be dead before I realized it!'' He pondered this, feeling a chill in his stomach.


    Hannah then got in the way of Minos'' train of thought. "So, we''re already here. Now what? Where exactly do we go?"


    Minos sighed and looked at his surroundings, trying to identify where they were.


    Noticing the way to the entrance of the Immemorial Graves Sect, he said to his traveling companion. "In that direction..."


    With that, the two flew for about 10 minutes until the two landed on the peak where the entrance to that sect was, from where this expert immediately saw what was inside that hidden space.


    "So that''s one of the skeletons of the primordials?" She manipulated the space and appeared together with Minos in front of the only giant skeleton in that area, the smallest of the ones there before.


    Minos was not surprised to appear inside that sect with Hannah. He just remained momentarily silent to get used to the constant jumping of space.


    That was not simple for someone at his level to endure like it was nothing!


    Meanwhile, Laura Cox, the leader of this sect, currently at level 68, saw those two appearing in the sanctuary of her organization and ran over there.


    "Your Majesty!" She shouted upon seeing Minos but soon stopped as she realized that the person next to him could be considered a monster.


    The difference in Minos and Hannah''s auras was so great that if compared, his energy level would be like a drop of water and hers a whole bucket, overflowing.


    ''Is that the person he said he would bring here?'' Laura wondered, swallowing her saliva in shock. ''What absurd power!''


    But like most people in the northern region, she didn''t even have the potential to reach that level, so seeing someone like that was like seeing a God since she wasn''t that different said from the point of view of normal beings.


    Minos finally overcame his constant jumping about space and told Queen Mcbride. "Yes, this giant skeleton was sealed here along with others by cultivators millions of years ago when there were not even Silver-grade techniques in our world."


    "Along with others? And where are they? I heard that these skeletons are enormous and heavy... How could anyone move one of them?" She asked, interested to know about it to move one of these to her state on her own.


    "Well, someone must have stolen them..."

 Chapter 1585 Accomplishment

    After Minos'' words, Queen Mcbride didn''t realize he was lying. Instead, she believed this guy''s words while focusing on the large skeleton frozen in that place.


    This one was gigantic. To get an idea, one of the smallest bones, which looked like part of this being''s feet, was twice as long as Queen Mcbride.


    But not only was its size fabulous, but the energy fluctuations of this creature were also so high that even this Spiritual Demigod had to open her mouth and eyes in shock.


    ''This power... It is far greater than the power of a level 99 Spiritual Demigod!'' She remembered the sensations she felt when being around people at that level.


    She knew a few peak cultivators from the Spiritual World. Among them were three in the Central Continent: Vico Travisani, the current Supreme Pontiff of the Spiritual Church, and the Queen of Sista, this state between the Western Empire and the Eastern Empire.


    Besides these domains, all the other high-level states of the Central Continent were ruled by Spiritual Demigods between levels 93 and 98.


    But even though she was one of the weakest state leaders of the continent''s high-level territories, Hannah knew how to differentiate the level of cultivators of the highest level.


    She could tell that Vico was stronger than the Supreme Pontiff and Queen Sista just by that man''s presence. But the difference between that set of bones and Emperor Travisani was bigger than this woman would expect if she came across a God!


    "Incredible! The power and density of the laws in it are so great that if I were to receive that much power all at once, even my super-strong body would explode in the blink of an eye."


    Queen Mcbride was not only powerful because of her level but also because of her innate ability to reproduce, which strengthened her physically.


    Because of her lineage, her body was almost as tough as those of level 97 Spiritual Demigods!


    So although her level was not high compared to that of the continental leaders, this woman being impressed by that energy source was relevant.


    Minos heard that woman''s comment and agreed. "That''s only natural. Even Gods would find it difficult to receive all this energy, so it''s to be expected that a Demigod would suffer in a situation like that."


    "Gods?" She looked at Minos, frowning her eyebrows. "Do you know anything about them?"


    "Only what is in my mind through the information left by the ancients..." He said vaguely.


    She considered that he was talking about books and other methods of imparting knowledge and thought there was nothing wrong with his comment.


    However, Hannah did not believe at all that these creatures would be as superior to the Gods as Minos seemed to believe.


    "If some of the Spiritual World experts tried to use this after a stage advancement, I have my doubts as to whether it would be so difficult." She commented. "A monster like Vico would definitely have the ability to do something that people like me wouldn''t have the chance, regardless of how strong they were."


    "Hmm, I don''t know..." Minos muttered as he watched that woman, waiting for what she would talk about after meeting these bones.


    After a few more comments about the spiritual greatness of that skeleton, Hannah turned to Minos and said. "You said you were able to use this skeleton to become stronger... I want you to show me what you did.


    In fact, I want to know how that''s possible too."


    He was not hiding any big secret and said. "Simple, I used my innate ability.


    I said before those with compatible skills can certainly manipulate these bones somehow...


    Not for nothing did the creators of this sect say that they had to protect these skeletons so they wouldn''t fall into the wrong hands. They knew that some people would be able to manipulate these bones and that this could cause chaos.


    So they sealed virtually all of these bones and hid them."


    Queen Mcbride had researched the remnants of the primordials in the months that had passed since her year-long agreement with Minos. So she was aware of why these skeletons were not exposed to the public, the organizations famous for hiding them, and also the enemies of these groups.


    With that in mind, she understood Minos'' statements and said. "I want to see it happen."


    Minos had used his innate ability many times before his opponents since reaching the 8th stage. So he didn''t hold back. Soon, he was sitting on top of that skeleton''s skull, starting his cultivation with his innate ability.


    He said to the queen. "Unlike a living being that can use its strength to protect itself, this is just a skeleton without consciousness, which does have a lot of power but cannot use it to protect itself. So I can steal its cultivation base, raise my level through that, and thereby cultivate faster."


    "Is that how you can do it?" She narrowed her eyes as she noticed a slight increase in Minos'' level, something subtle but noticeable. "But that will pass soon after you finish using this skill... Was it just the ability to manipulate more energy that made you able to cultivate faster?"


    "That trait really is what''s behind my ability to cultivate faster than others since I reached this stage. But there is one more difference between doing that on a skeleton compared to doing that on a living being."


    "Oh?"


    He said. "The stolen cultivation base always returns to its original owner because that is a power marked with the mark of its owner''s soul. In the case of these skeletons, their souls have already dissipated, and this is power without an owner." He smiled. "So..."


    "So you can turn this into your cultivation permanently?" She opened her mouth in surprise, speaking instead of Minos.


    "Exactly. A power without an owner would soon transform and come to bear my mark. From then on, it could no longer be mistaken for the power of these bones!"


    ''I got it... So that''s how it is!'' She clenched her fists, seeing how lucky Minos was to have such an excellent innate ability while at the same time having access to one of these skeletons.


    ''If only one of my grandchildren had that ability...'' She was thinking but remembered that it wouldn''t help as much as she would like even if that happened.


    Only one man would have the lineage of Minos, for a woman in her family would surely inherit the powers of her lineage. But the men of the Mcbride family were all sterile.


    In this case, even a child of Minos with Adele or Bridget could only help that state during his short life!


    "Sigh..."


    ''If it were by other means, this could revolutionize my state with the emergence of generations of people capable of using these bones... But as something coming from an innate ability, it would never benefit us.'' She realized her mistake.


    A daughter of Minos would certainly have many talents, but she would by no means be like him.


    Realizing this, she noticed all her chasing after Minos had been futile!


    She had always thought that Minos had a natural peak talent. But in fact, he was just fortunate to have something so good and to be so lucky!


    In this case, being his friend than his mother-in-law was better!


    ...

 Chapter 1586 The Return Of Envoys From The Evergreen Empire

    Hannah then said. "I see... Your innate ability is really phenomenal. If you can pass it on to one of your children, you will develop a powerful lineage on this continent."


    Minos stopped what he was doing and saw an opportunity in Hannah''s words. "This is not only good for my family. Once I get stronger, I will certainly help my friends and allies."


    "Really? That will give you the ability to do such a thing?" She smiled, realizing that Minos told her he could help her if he got stronger.


    Minos had better results doing what he had done to prove his abilities to Hannah by cultivating within the Spatial Kingdom. But he could use his skill on skeletons outside his cultivation sanctuary and eventually help his allies not so close to him to cultivate faster.


    He wouldn''t tell Hannah right now that he could use that skill on people other than himself, lest her interest become too high for them to continue this conversation peacefully. But since he still had room for improvement regarding his cultivation and Physique quality, he knew he could use that to convince this woman that he would one day be able to help others like her.


    He said. "I don''t think it''s impossible. If I am lucky enough to find a Divine medicine, I will raise the quality of my Physique to Divine-grade."


    She laughed upon hearing this, knowing that finding something like this was harder than finding a needle in a haystack.


    But Minos'' words were by no means absurd.


    Any Spiritual Demigod would have to raise the quality of their Physique to the Divine grade if they wanted to have a chance of reaching level 100. So using something of that level to improve one''s innate characteristics was not unreasonable.


    If Minos could do this, she didn''t doubt that his innate ability would become so strong that he could promote permanent improvements even in someone at her level!


    She only laughed, for, finding this resource free and gaining the right to use it would be the hardest thing in this world!


    So she commented casually, without taking it seriously. "If you find a Divine medicine and promise that to a half dozen experts, I''m sure you''ll find an army of Demigods to help you in the fight, haha."


    For Spiritual Demigods, advancing levels was extremely difficult. One level could take thousands of years for someone to achieve the energy and understanding needed to raise their soul force. So certainly, many would help someone able to strengthen themselves with that medicine, but then to be able to help all of them.


    Divine medicine was superb only for the one who absorbed it and their subordinates, who would be favored by the increased power of their leader. But if someone who used such a thing could distribute permanent benefits to allies, helping them achieve level advancement, then it would be easy for that person to get the support of the world''s greatest experts.


    That was precisely Minos'' goal!


    "I intend to do that." He said in good humor, making that woman think he was joking but also leaving crucial information in this expert''s mind. "When I begin my journey in pursuit of this qualitative breakthrough, I will give the opportunity to join me to any interested parties, as long as they support me."


    Queen Mcbride looked at Minos and said a little more seriously. "It just wouldn''t be good for you to let one of those experts above level 97 find out about this. Promises of advancement would not sway someone with such power, and they would certainly fight for the resource capable of elevating them to the 11th stage."


    With that said, the Queen of the Flowers Kingdom would stand there for a few more moments, admiring, sometimes testing that set of bones. Then, she would talk a bit with Minos about it, the history of it, hearing from him how these giant beings seemed to have self-destructed in a war long ago.


    At the end of the day, she had not been able to manipulate it and made a deal with Minos for him to allow women from the Mcbride family into the headquarters of the Immemorial Graves Sect.


    They would study it for alternatives to their forces without taking this item away.


    With that, she returned to her state, leaving Minos in that area of the Endless Snow Mountain Range, from where he would have to return to the Dry City on his own.


    Luckily for Emperor Stuart, the Immemorial Graves Sect was part of his forces and had a teleportation array that could take him to a city near the core of his state.


    In less than 2 hours, he would be back in his capital to talk to the core of his forces about the results of the visit of the mighty Hannah Mcbride!


    ...


    Four months later...


    After Minos'' return, time passed quickly.


    He stayed in Dry City for almost half of that period because of Isabella''s presence.


    But she had to return to her state after a few weeks at her man''s side, and finally, Minos returned to his periodic seclusion in the Spatial Kingdom, helping to raise the strength of everyone there.


    Sarah had reached level 49 at just under 17 years old and was close to becoming a Spiritual King, which could put her in the position of the greatest cultivation genius in the entire empire!


    On the other hand, the strongest in the empire had achieved another breakthrough, reaching level 75 this morning.


    Minos thoroughly enjoyed the benefits of using the giant skeletons in the Spatial Kingdom. Before leaving seclusion this morning, he finished consolidating his level at the beginning of level 75.


    Other people from the Black Plain Army Elite Squad and elders from the Gray Clouds Sect had advanced these days, but no notable special case.


    The high-level elders remained at the same levels as before, and Minos'' family members were battling to get closer to their desired advancements.


    But not only that would happen on this day!


    At dusk, the two individuals at levels 84 and 85 arrived in Dry City to receive the response from Minos and Gloria regarding Calvert Evergreen''s invitation for them to join his faction.


    Upon arriving in their spiritual beast, those two were soon taken to the Dry City Temple. Minos and Gloria were already waiting for them to talk about this complicated matter.


    They obviously would not accept Calvert''s proposal. They had only taken the time to listen to that man''s and his opponents'' propositions to buy time for themselves.


    At this point, they could no longer prolong the situation. They would make a decision that would undoubtedly negatively affect their interests in a short time!


    And so Minos said to that couple sent by Calvert. "Well, we appreciate Prince Calvert''s offer, but we judge that the conditions are not the most favorable for our group."


    ...

 Chapter 1587 Time To Take A Risk

    "So you are going to refuse..." The woman looked at her companion, feeling this was most likely, considering the growing situation in this area.


    As free people with growth potential, it would be interesting not to ''auction off'' what they had without knowing exactly where they might end up. Maybe joining Calvert''s faction would be too worthwhile because their future was not as promising as they thought. But maybe it was the other way around, and it would be better to negotiate this in the future when they would be more sure of their limits.


    However, whether it was logical or not, they belonged to the Calvert faction and were unhappy with Minos'' decision to go that way.


    Not only that but in only a year since they had last seen Minos, he had already advanced one level, something impressive, considering that less than two years ago, he had reached level 74.


    So this refusal had much more meaning now than if it had been made a year ago.


    The man said to his colleague in a mental transmission. ''They want to run free to see how far they can go... Considering Emperor Stuart''s cultivation speed, he can probably reach the 9th stage before he needs our help.''


    ''Yes, he doesn''t think he needs us now, so he will refuse our offer... Meanwhile, his wife will remain confident that she can grow within the Church with only the support of the Black Plain Empire.'' She agreed, seeing that it would be futile to talk further about this business with Minos and Gloria.


    She then said. "I see... You can make your own choices and live with the consequences."


    "His Highness Calvert has given you quite an opportunity. I hope you will not regret it later. The benefits won''t be the same if he has to renegotiate this in the future." The man said. "Then I hope you have considered that in your judgment."


    "But of course," Gloria replied. "If we have to renegotiate, the conditions would be different."


    She was thinking of better conditions for her side, not Calvert''s. But those two understood it as accepting the risk of losing benefits with Prince Calvert''s faction.


    Minos smiled at them as he saw the threatening expressions of the two, not fearing this would lead to a conflict.


    Fighting against someone who refused them the first time made no sense. If the world worked like this, there would be no business, and society would probably live in complete chaos.


    Warlike conflicts only developed after disagreements, revenge, dishonest acts, collusion with enemies, etc. The group of Minos and Gloria had done nothing against the Calvert faction, only not accepting the invitation to become members of this group.


    That was not a good thing, but it was not the end of relations between the parties.


    These people knew that Calvert would insist on bringing Minos and Gloria over to his side, and after a while, they or others would be sent on a new business venture.


    Hence, there was no possibility of them fighting there. Only verbal threats like the one above had room, and even they could not be too exaggerated.


    Rancor only made relationships like the one they wanted to form more difficult!


    At that pace, after a few meaningful glances at each other, with comments loaded with hidden meanings, the two Spiritual Sages said goodbye to Minos and Gloria.


    They wished the faction of the two and the Black Plain Empire good luck, but Minos and Gloria did not take it seriously.


    On the other hand, they made it clear to those people that the empire was open to negotiations with Calvert''s group and a visit from members of his faction.


    They declined this invitation but were not cutting off relations with Calvert''s group. Just a business deal that had not developed.


    As they watched those two leave, the couple realized that the pressure on them would begin to increase from then on.


    Soon they would receive invitations from other factions, and when they turned them down, they would have various Church groups not only vying with each other for the pose of the northern region but pressuring their group.


    There were endless ways to pressure them, even though these groups were only part of the Spiritual Church.


    As the ultimate protector of several states in the Central Continent, the Church could make it easy or difficult for people to enter its domains, as well as direct missions of various organizations to new areas.


    With the strengthening of the Black Plain Empire, which currently occupied the entire northern region, there would certainly be ways for these forces to send trouble into these areas to show Minos and Gloria the disadvantage of being ''alone.''


    Another possibility was related to economics, or rather the competition of foreign resources with those local ones.


    The Black Plain was an anomaly regarding resources and prices offered. Due to imperial government subsidies, prices throughout the empire were relatively low. But forces outside and more significant than the Bank of the Black Plain could cheapen their products even more and set them up to compete with those produced in the domains of Minos.


    These were some of the many possibilities that these Church forces could use against the group of these two, and both were sure that they would soon face many such problems.


    Seeing the departure of those two, Minos and Gloria sighed, realizing that the peace they thought they would achieve after the Flowers Kingdom would have to be delayed.


    "That will be tricky." She said to him, noting that from now on, the challenges on their path would be of a new level.


    He was silent for a moment, looking at the Spatial Kingdom ring. Then, after thinking for a moment, he said. "Maybe we should take a little risk..."


    "What do you mean?"


    "The map of the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus." He said seriously. "Maybe we''d better search for that location a little earlier than planned."


    Gloria frowned, thinking this would be a little riskier than she would like. "Do you think that''s the only alternative?"


    "No, but it''s the best one we have." He tried to imagine the challenges they would face. "I am confident of withstanding enemy pressures for a while.


    They don''t know us well and think acting on the Black Plain will be easy. So the mechanisms I have created over the years will protect us for a few months, maybe years. But eventually, they will raise their investments in pressuring us and succeed in disrupting our plans.


    At that time, we will have to act quickly."


    Gloria knew that Minos was a great manager and better at predicting adversary movements. So she didn''t question him if that was the way it would be and asked. "And when will we act? I''m afraid going for it will take us quite a bit of time."


    "Not exactly... In any case, I think not before the people from the Blood Triangle Pirates group return to fulfill the 10-year agreement." He remembered that fact that was close to happening. "But after their visit, I will assess the situation. If it is not promising, I will act immediately!"

 Chapter 1588 Upper Echelon

    After Minos and Gloria''s refusal, weeks passed, and soon the more powerful factions of the Church learned about their rejection.


    That was not definitive about the positioning of the Black Plain and Gloria''s group. But it was something that showed the powers of the Church that Minos and his wife would not simply bow down to the factions coming from the Evergreen Empire just because of their magnificent positions and wealth.


    It wasn''t enough that their group had Demigods, while the Black Plain group had only Spiritual Saints. It wasn''t enough that their side offered opportunities for Minos and Gloria''s freedom. They had to do something more if they wanted to have the loyalty of those two.


    On the other hand, as promising as he was, one of the most talented princes with the potential to become a Spiritual Demigod under a thousand years old, something impressive, Calvert might not be enough for Minos and Gloria.


    Perhaps they had not only refused that man because of their ambition to grow more without limitations. Perhaps one of the reasons for the refusal was that the leader of this faction was still a Spiritual Sage!


    Because of this, the other factions competing for the position of Supreme Pontiff of the Church judged that Calvert being rejected did not mean that they would be.


    Besides Calvert''s faction, three other groups were competing for the position that, in a few years, one of the three strongest on the continent would leave. Of these groups, all had candidates for the position of Supreme Pontiff, people who had already passed level 90.


    The strongest of these contenders was currently at level 92 and was the disciple of the current leader of the Spiritual Church.


    With conditions different from Calvert''s, these groups were already sending their representatives to press an agreement with Minos and Gloria, the leaders of that faction!


    ...


    While Spiritual Sages were traveling to the Black Plain, Calvert was in the capital of the Evergreen Empire, dealing with the news regarding Minos and Gloria.


    "So the damned Vincent went to the Black Plain on his own?" He asked one of his servants about the chosen one of the faction Gloria''s father was part of.


    Vincent was two levels stronger than Calvert, currently at level 90 with his 2,000 years of cultivation.


    He was by no means more talented or promising than Calvert. Still, in the fight for leadership, there was no guarantee that the winner would be the one who at the beginning of the disputes was the most talented, the favorite.


    Only the final result mattered, so even people of lesser talent could vie with those favored by heaven, so Calvert did not underestimate any of his opponents.


    The servant replied. "Yes, Vincent Harding went to Black Plain two weeks after the Stuart family rejected Your Highness.


    But he was also rejected, which seems to have canceled the Cardinal Quinn faction favorite''s trip to the northern region."


    "What about Forrest?" The Third Prince asked.


    "The Supreme Pontiff''s chosen will not subject himself to Minos and Gloria going to that region to invite them. He recognizes the difference in status between the parties and will only send one of his envoys to Dry City."


    ''Hmm, as expected. The Supreme Pontiff would not educate his disciple for him to make such shameful decisions as Vincent''s.'' Calvert pondered the situation, remembering his initial defeat in getting Minos and Gloria to join him.


    But he hadn''t given up, and more, he was working to bring those two to his side in the future.


    He intended to make them bleed a little, as there were no eternal grudges in the Spiritual World, only changing interests.


    They were not in sync right now, but that could change quickly!


    Prince Calvert then said. "Continue with my plans for the Black Plain. Minos won''t accept any of these propositions, so we don''t need to change our strategy for now.


    Anyway, keep an eye on Cardinal Ray''s territory. The family seer says that the unstable pocket of space of the former Dragon Spatial Kingdom will open up in this man''s domain.


    We are unsure when this will happen, but it should not be long. That vision supposedly happened in the last few weeks." He said, changing the subject to something that might help him prepare for the competition a few decades away.


    "I will do that, Your Highness!"


    ...


    On the other hand, in the imperial throne hall of the Evergreen family...


    The emperor of this great state descended from the main lineage within the Spiritual Church, was at this instant standing next to his subordinate in charge of the Blood Triangle Pirates group.


    The emperor of this state, level 98, looked at the level 90 man in front of him and said. "Put more pressure on that Minos Stuart. He is too bold to refuse offers, even from my third son... It''s time he learned the difference between our forces!"


    "How far can your subordinate go, Your Majesty?" That man asked while having his head lowered, looking at the ground.


    "You don''t need to destroy his state nor kill him. He will still serve my family through Calvert." That high-level expert in the Spiritual World said. "I don''t want our top experts wasting time on this junior either.


    The ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom should open one of its doors on our continent any moment now. But, on the other hand, the Continental Tournament will start in 50 years.


    So press him a little against the ground to show him how he should behave.


    If he agrees to help us find the map of the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus and join my third son''s faction, we will forgive him for his daring."


    "I will do that as soon as the previous agreement deadline expires." That low-level Spiritual Demigod talked about something his leader was fully aware of.


    High-level experts followed promises and deadlines to the letter, especially when that came from agreements with low-level people.


    So even the emperor would not rush his man, especially considering that only three years were left before Minos'' time was up.


    He would give this young man the needed time and then crush him, no longer leaving room for him to dare refuse to join groups like Calvert''s.


    With that said, the emperor agreed with his man, letting this fellow deal with this arrogant young man named Minos Stuart.


    Meanwhile, after this person left, he received his second son, whom he intended to send to the Continental Tournament to represent his state.


    Upon receiving the Second Prince, he smiled and asked. "How is your training? Rumors are circulating in the Divine Continent that a Divine medicine will be used as a prize for the winning bettor of the competition."


    "Divine Medicine?" That man asked strangely, finding it very difficult to happen. "How is that possible?"


    "It seems that one of the seer elves will present the winner with a prophetic dream concerning something of great value...


    What is there of more value than a Divine medicine?"

 Chapter 1589 New Regional Reality

    Meanwhile, Emperor Evergreen''s eldest son, only 80 years younger than his father, was in the Green City Temple, handling his affairs within the Spiritual Church.


    He, Duncan Evergreen, level 99, was the current Supreme Pontiff of that organization, someone who had left the imperial family of this state to serve only the Church.


    Because of this, he was no longer part of that family, although he was a close ally of House Evergreen.


    In any case, he was more talented than his father, so he was at the peak of level 99, not far from reaching what was necessary to attempt his advancement to the 11th stage for the first time.


    His father was also supposed to try to do this in the future. Still, even though he was younger, Duncan would go into seclusion before his old man within the next 80 to 90 years.


    Therefore, he was siding with his disciple of this generation, who he wanted to take over his duties within the Church when he left.


    "Forrest, you must win the dispute over the northern region. That place will grow considerably in the coming decades, and whoever owns the area will have significant support when I leave." This blond, strong, tall man said to the junior beside him.


    Not only were these two walking with there, but some of Duncan''s former disciples were also with them, as they were part of the Supreme Pontiff faction, among the most powerful of that group.


    One of them, level 97, said to the level 92 ''young'' man. "Forrest, this Minos Stuart is worth having on your good side.


    He will suffer from pressure from all sides. So it might be good for you to try a different approach than the others with him.


    As the master said, conquer those domains from the other major factions. But, in the meantime, help this Minos in some way against those factions that will try to make his life difficult."


    Forrest Howell, black hair, with a mustache even bigger than Dillian''s, heard that and thanked his superiors for their recommendations. "I will do my best regarding that region."


    "Very good." The Supreme Pontiff clapped one of his hands on this fellow''s back as he stood beside him, walking through the Seraph Hall, where a giant statue of the founder of the Church stood. "Before I leave, we will have another chance for you to strengthen yourself. Soon the ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom will open one of its gates on the continent, and you should take the opportunity to strengthen yourself.


    I hope that with this, you can reach level 94 before my departure."


    They didn''t talk about the Continental Tournament since that special competition only had openings for heads of state to send people to participate. Unfortunately, the leader of the Church was not a head of state, so the most he could do in this event was bet along with the other world leaders.


    So Forrest didn''t have to worry about competing in this contest.


    At the end of their walk, they arrived in front of a large gate, where Spiritual Demigods, level 96 or stronger, guarded the surroundings.


    There at that gate, there was nothing in place of doors, only a spatial distortion that made it seem as if a liquid separated this place from another.


    Those people followed the Supreme Pontiff, passing through that distortion until they reached a special place where the energy density was considerably high.


    The Spiritual Church''s Spatial Kingdom was the core of this organization, where the greatest experts and members of this force trained, studied, or cultivated.


    That was also where the Saint medicine plantation of that organization was, as well as the three Divine medicine plantations.


    Two would take more than 200,000 years to finish maturing, but one was already not far from reaching its maximum!


    In a maximum of 100 years, it could be harvested!


    ...


    Two and a half years later...


    Time passed for the Black Plain Empire, slowly bringing new problems to this area, but nothing grand as the past threat of Abe Vogel, Mortimer Burgess, or the criminal raids of Albano.


    Spiritual Sages now flew through this region without hiding, landing in cities in Minos'' territory and sometimes doing business alongside 8th-stage underlings.


    Others of these experts came to the region to train their weaker organization members, sometimes to create outposts of their forces or search for lost items in the region.


    The traffic of specialists in the area had increased dramatically during this period, exceeding a few dozen times the movement that had previously existed, which was associated with the passage of specialists heading towards Elves Island.


    It was not good to fly in beasts or by oneself by sea or via wormholes, so experts usually traveled by boat to Elves Island. Since this place was closer to the Snow Kingdom than to any other state in the Central Continent, that was where experts passed through.


    But the number of experts making this trip was low in the past. They always avoided contact with locals to avoid being bothered by people who had never seen 9th or 10th-stage individuals.


    But with the changes brought about by the pressures against Minos and Gloria, many 9th-stage individuals were showing themselves in this region lately, and even these travelers were changing their habits.


    That brought some problems for the local people, particularly for Minos. But it was undeniable that the passage of more specialists through the area was also stimulating trade and the development of this territory.


    The region was experiencing a golden moment in its contemporary history, with the regional citizens slowly becoming accustomed to the presence of beings above the 80 level throughout the region.


    That was true, especially for the areas farthest from the core of the Black Plain, places where even level 70 cultivators were still viewed somewhat differently before. But with the increased movement of high-level cultivators, even in the region''s weakest places, it was becoming common to see or feel powerful auras nearby.


    Already in the core of the Black Plain, although this area was not suffering as much external pressure as others around Minos'' domain, the local population was also becoming accustomed to Spiritual Sages.


    Not only because of the constant visits Minos was receiving from envoys from other states and the Spiritual Church but because of his strongest experts, the high-level elders of the Gray Clouds Sect.


    After more than two years of seclusion in the Spatial Kingdom, two of these experts advanced to the 9th stage!


    ...

 Chapter 1590 Spiritual Sages

    In the imperial palace of Dry City...


    Minos was standing in front of the two elders of the Gray Clouds Sect, who had recently advanced to level 80.


    One of them was an elder of the Coleman family, who had first come to Dry City with Minos years ago and had not returned to Clouds City in the exchanges of people that the local government had made over the years.


    The other had also stayed in the city for several years without having returned to the Flaming Empire since arriving here. He was one of the leaders of the Moss family, the house of Ivory.


    But these were not the only Spiritual Sages under the Black Plain Empire or even in that throne hall where they were. Oswald, who was no longer part of the Grey Clouds Sect, had also advanced a stage with the help of his grandson!


    So now Minos had three experts from that stage in his network of influence, which gave him plenty of peace of mind for when he had to stay away from his state.


    These men could not compare to him, who was currently near the peak of level 76. Still, they could manipulate space and, thereby, more easily counter opponents.


    Because of these capabilities related to the 9th stage, even though they were low-level and weaker than this emperor, they were relevant to the empire!


    "Elders, you have already learned your new techniques and are armed with equipment of a level equivalent to your current strength," Minos said to those two while having Oswald at his side.


    Oswald was in a new cultivation stage, so his appearance had significantly improved, even without him making an effort to manipulate his body.


    A cultivator''s natural appearance was associated with their body''s life force. So when a cultivator above level 70 wasn''t manipulating their cells to look younger or different, they would have an appearance equivalent to their vitality and characteristics.


    If that person had already reached half of what they were supposed to live, they would have a middle-aged appearance. If they were close to dying, they would have an elderly appearance.


    Therefore, Oswald and those elders looked younger because they had more than doubled their previous vitality.


    The two individuals of middle-aged appearances smiled upon hearing Minos'' words, eager for whatever missions he would pass on to them.


    Now that they had reached level 80, they wanted to walk through the Flaming Empire or even the Black Plain to show their acquaintances how strong they were.


    Minos then responded to their yearnings. "With that, I want one of you to return to the Flaming Empire to replace the level 78 elders who will leave that place to come to the Black Plain.


    The other will work alongside Oswald to develop the wormhole ports of the Black Plain Army."


    The most efficient way to travel through the Spiritual World was through wormholes.


    Spiritual Sages could create such opportunities for themselves at any time. Still, there was a way to create paths through space that worked ''permanently.''


    Obviously, this was not permanent, but as long as Spiritual Sages maintained these paths regularly, they could be used in place of teleportation arrays safely for long intervals.


    And with this, Spiritual Sages would not be required all the time to enable travel using these paths through space.


    What was the advantage of using this means of travel? Simple, the saving of crystals related to the arrays since these paths were straightforward for experts to create and maintain and did not require crystals to travel through them.


    At the same time, wormholes could lead to distances limited only by the level of the experts behind them or by patience.


    That is, a level 80 cultivator could make a wormhole that would shorten the distance between, for example, Dry City and Payton. But more than that, only by making a new wormhole could they increase the range of these paths. On the other hand, a level 89 cultivator could go much further with a single wormhole than a level 80.


    Anyway, with this alternative, one didn''t have to use crystals every time they were going to travel long distances, they wouldn''t have to invest in buying the arrays, and they could go farther than these alternatives.


    Minos wanted to use this to save his state''s essential resources and enable him, in one wormhole, to reach the limits of his territory!


    That would greatly help his forces to move specialists around the empire!


    Oswald already knew of his grandson''s plans for this, and one of those men didn''t think it bad to go ahead with the job, letting his companion go to the Flaming Empire first.


    They agreed on this among themselves, and soon the three left, two of them to start the wormhole ports project, one for the Flaming Empire.


    Minos watched their departure through the local skies, where they could not open wormholes due to the arrays around the capital.


    ''With this, I will solve the problem of my organization''s distance and crystal consumption in a few weeks...


    I''ll be able to use this to nurture more high-level experts.'' He smiled, thinking of the remaining Grey Clouds Sect cultivators in the Flaming Empire, who could soon give rise to new Spiritual Sages for the Black Plain Empire.


    Amid this, Sarah approached where her father was standing, coming from a small mission she had just completed.


    "Father, did great-grandfather leave?" This 20-year-old, level 55 redheaded young woman asked as she stopped beside her ''old'' man.


    Minos looked at his daughter, who looked more and more like Gloria. "Yes, he will start developing the wormhole ports with the elder Moss."


    "Hehe, that''s good. I''m looking forward to not traveling through teleportation arrays anymore." She commented as she showed Minos a spatial ring.


    Minos looked at that and saw some criminals'' heads. People marked for death that soldiers of the Elite Squad had the mission to hunt down.


    Sarah was currently part of this renowned group, not because of her status as a princess but because of her merit.


    Because of her position, from time to time, she went out to help the forces of the empire to maintain order in this society, helping her father but also her little brother Kendrick, the local heir.


    Crime exists in every society. Even in the Black Plain, where opportunities were not lacking for those with the will to grow, crime and social problems happened.


    This had always happened, even in the initial moments of local development, when government hiring rates reached more people than in the present time.


    But because of the local characteristics and the firm hand that Minos had in acting against criminals, this state had meager crime rates.


    In any case, they existed and were opportunities for young people like Sarah to test their skills within this state without taking risks away from the emperor''s domain.


    Minos saw that his daughter had completed another kill, becoming satisfied as he saw the head of an old acquaintance in that spatial ring, noting Sarah''s combat proficiency.


    ''Nelson Skinner, uh? It seems that Sarah is stronger than ordinary level 60 cultivators...'' He thought, seeing the head of the former ruler of the Black Plain territory when this place still belonged to the old Brown Kingdom, and he was unconscious.


    "Sigh..."


    ''So this fellow ended up dying by the hands of my daughter... I guess that ends our business.'' He remembered the crystals that man had stolen from him back then.


    ...

 Chapter 1591 Trouble In Snows Area

    "Very good, Sarah. Go get your rewards." He said as he massaged his daughter''s head, seeing the smile on her face.


    "After that, I will play with my little brother for a bit..." She said as she left there, missing that chubby little guy she always loved to play with.


    She might be an adult, but as the daughter of Minos, there were few people with the courage to approach her. At the same time, she was very attached to her family and enjoyed spending more time with them than with strangers.


    She was still not interested in men, and besides fighting and getting stronger, her hobby was teaching her little brother to be a good boy.


    With that, she left there so she could quickly be with Kendrick, this boy who was already beginning to learn who his father and family were.


    But Kendrick was still too young to understand the Spiritual World, so he had not yet started studying at the Dry City Preparatory Academy.


    Anyway, now and then, Minos would show his son his routine, just as he had done with Sarah since he hoped his children would help him rule his empire in the future. But on this day, he would not do that, going instead to take care of some business after seeing his daughter leave.


    Abby, currently level 74, was supposed to watch for Kendrick, while Gloria, level 77, was at the Dry City Temple, dealing with the pressures on her faction. Then Minos went to the headquarters of the Black Plain Army, where Ruth, level 75, was looking after the affairs of the empire when not in the Spatial Kingdom.


    In that place, Minos came across his mother working alongside Ruth, as this level 78 woman was the leader of the Coleman family, an important arm of the local army forces.


    The Gray Clouds Sect was slowly disappearing from this world, with its members joining the organizations created by Minos on the Black Plain.


    Some were slowly joining the Black Plain Army, others the empire government, the associations, and guilds of spiritual professionals, etc. Even the Bank of the Black Plain had welcomed these high-level people by local standards.


    Because of this, the sect was disappearing within this state, merging with the local forces.


    But this sect would not disappear completely, as it would still exist in the Flaming Empire.


    After meeting his mother and Ruth, Ivory, level 76, and Ivy, level 75, Minos greeted them and soon started talking about relevant matters.


    "How is the situation in the Snow area?" He asked.


    The former Snow Kingdom was the main stopping point for cultivators above the 8th stage. That was because of the proximity of this area''s territory to Elves Island and the regional changes.


    With the change in the behavior of the experts passing through this region, several external powers were setting up staging posts on the coast of the Snow area to make it easier for people to pass through.


    Previously this was not necessary, as experts didn''t even stop there. But with the recent change, it was now worthwhile for states around the continent to open outposts there.


    That could help their traveling members to rest and have a safe place to spend a few days and do business with people from other states.


    With several power stations from different parts of the continent, this place could host meetings and agreements between travelers.


    That could benefit those states, and even those powers that were not so interested in going to Elves Island had begun investing in that area ruled by the Snow family.


    If high-level people were to stop in the area, the commerce of the area needed to develop to provide the services that these people needed!


    Ivory then said to Minos. "We have begun to invest more in the Snow area, but it will take us a while to overcome the foreign suppliers in the area. Those powers have a lot of resources and are quick to make changes..."


    "Besides, their products are better and cheaper than ours," Ivy commented.


    She was responsible for the trade in that area, so she had a worried expression on her face.


    "Luckily, our products are selling well enough for us to make a profit, and we make our mark there because of the virtual crystals." Ruth sighed.


    With the Bank of the Black Plain, this state not only had the option of gathering crystals from its inhabitants to make investments. It also had the option of removing most crystals from the streets.


    Since Minos was no fool, he had forced all the assemblies of the territories of the ancient kingdoms in the northern region to change their local policies so that crystals would no longer circulate in commerce. If they wanted to receive heavy investments from the Bank of the Black Plain, they would have to force local commerce to accept virtual crystals.


    Because of this, the population of the areas where powerful foreigners were operating still resisted buying foreign products because most of their resources were invested in the Bank of the Black Plain. Only using virtual crystals, could they make voluminous purchases.


    Because of this, the stores of the empire, merchants supported by Minos, still maintained their sales, even with the competitive prices of foreign products.


    Minos then said. "Hmm, for now, we must accept these product invasions into our territories. But this will be solved in a few years.


    Our experts and professionals are improving their levels and skills, and the local quality is evolving as well."


    Maisie nodded positively. "With the elders of the Gray Clouds Sect becoming stronger, it will only be a matter of a decade before we offer products as good as foreign ones.


    Our other advantages will cause these powers to lose their chances in our territory by then.


    My mother is already at level 79, and as a spiritual professional, she can help the empire quite a bit when she becomes a low-level grade-4 doctor."


    Patience had cultivated extensively during her husband''s imprisonment in the Flowers Kingdom, so she had come quite close to Oswald''s level.


    On the other hand, Angelica, Minos'' aunt, was currently at level 75 and, along with Ruth''s family, Talia Miles, level 73, and Elise Fitzgerald, level 75, had been helping local families in the Snow region to make it harder for those citizens to buy into foreign produce.


    They knew they were doing their best to prevent losing control over that population, so they merely talked about whether these actions were effective.


    So far, they seemed to be working, but it would take time before these actions would solve the problem generated by the external pressures on their territory.


    Then they would merely observe the situation again in a few months to see if they should change anything in their plans.


    Minos continued settling matters with those women at his army headquarters.

 Chapter 1592 Faction Status

    While Minos was solving some problems in the empire, Gloria was with the leaders of the Spiritual Church for the northern region.


    With her were only people native to that region who had joined the Church after the development initiated by Minos and her in creating their faction. Hence, there were no high-level Spiritual Saints among these people.


    However, there were low-level Spiritual Saints, and the strongest of them was already at level 72, something extraordinary for a native of the northern region.


    Besides Minos and Abby, the strongest natives of the region were in the Black Plain Army, between levels 71 and 73. These were the cases of Elen Nash, Barbara, Peter Freeman, Dillian, and Eduard, people who had accompanied Emperor Stuart for a long period.


    As such, having people at levels 70, 71, and 72 on her side was impressive for Gloria, and the Church forces for the northern region currently were by no means weak.


    In addition to these domains, she had faction members in the Vogel area, the kingdoms of Albano, Rosser, Blackrock, and the Flaming Empire. Counting these territories, her faction had dozens of mid-level Spiritual Saints and more than a dozen high-level Spiritual Saints cultivators.


    That was quite impressive for a faction created only a few decades ago!


    Precisely because of the age of this faction, the current pressures generated by three of the four major factions of the Church competing for the position of Supreme Pontiff were substantial.


    Gloria was meeting right now with the Church leaders in the northern region to address these issues!


    In the meeting hall of this post, the representatives of Snow, Waves, End, Stone Island, Brown, and Cromwell were seated around a large table, where Gloria was in one corner.


    Currently, the Spiritual Church had Matriarchs and Patriarchs in each of these territories, with them being led directly by the Church headquarters since there were no Cardinals in either the Black Plain Empire or the Flaming Empire.


    But these people reported to Gloria because of her position as head of the faction and wife of Emperor Stuart.


    She then began this meeting. "Very well. I hope everyone is receiving their resources regularly and progressing as we hope."


    "Yes, His Majesty''s men have never failed to deliver resources at my post." The Stone Island representative said.


    "The same for End''s post. And even though I spend most of my time in that place, I have been making rapid advances... I''ve managed to level up once in the last six years." A woman, level 71, said with a smile on her face.


    For people who didn''t have access to the Spatial Kingdom, the same techniques that those closest to Minos had, or the option to train with him, cultivation was much more complicated and slower...


    But advancing once every six years in the early part of the 8th stage was not bad. But, the opposite of that, that person could be considered talented!


    Gloria heard from each of them that deliveries were regular and they were progressing within what she and Minos expected.


    By joining their faction, a person would be constantly evaluated. If one-day such people failed to deliver results beyond the minimum acceptable, they would decrease the support that person could receive.


    So, after hearing the good news, she went straight to the recent problem that her state and family had been suffering. "Melanie, Mirabella, how are your domains? I know the situation in Snow is bad, but how problematic are things being over there?"


    Mirabella saw Gloria looking at her and spoke first. "Matriarch Frost, the situation in Snow is really complicated. Due to the movement of Spiritual Sages in that area, the increasing number of people from this stage, and the 8th stage stopping in the city, Cardinals constantly show up there.


    Because of this, in several situations where my group was about to help Snow''s Assembly with matters with these foreign experts, we were stopped by low-level Cardinals."


    The Church had rules about the presence of its experts in the domains where they were present.


    This organization didn''t want to appear to the world and in fact had no interest in being a sovereign power over territories, in becoming an imperial house. So it avoided making it appear to the leaders of its domains that it was interested in replacing them.


    Because of this, one would rarely see a Church person stronger than the emperor or king of a given land.


    A Church rule regulated this, saying that specialists stronger than these sovereigns could only stay temporarily in their territory.


    But this rule also said that in case large amounts of specialists stronger than these sovereigns started to appear in their domains, the Church would send people of equivalent strength to keep an eye on the situation.


    The Church depended on its domains to maintain its power, so it wouldn''t let any part of its territory be thrown into chaos by the weakness of the sovereigns in those areas.


    With this, Cardinals were currently appearing weekly on the coast of the old Snow Kingdom.


    Minos and Gloria knew these people could not be easily removed and were not just there to ''keep the peace'' regionally. Their goal was clearly to make their presence felt in the northern region, slowly weaken the faction of the two, and pressure the two to join one of them.


    With these Cardinals in the region, it was becoming more difficult for the Minos and Gloria faction members to remain so loyal to them.


    With what these groups from the Evergreen Empire had to offer, it was tough to compete for supporters!


    Even those people in that hall next to Gloria were tempted to accept becoming members of other factions!


    They just didn''t do it because they feared Minos more than Spiritual Sages!


    They had seen what Minos was like several times over the past decades. The Stuart Emperor was vengeful, spiteful, someone who would brutalize an enemy''s corpse after killing them. He was someone who would kill unarmed people and eliminate organizations that had already raised the white flag.


    As for these Spiritual Sages, they were strong, it was true. But nobody knew if they would be as terrible as Minos...


    Not only that, Minos'' cultivation speed was not slowing down. So the day might come when he would become a Spiritual Sage.


    That''s why these people remained loyal to them, even though they were tempted to change sides!


    Melanie, leader of the End post, said. "Various groups outside the region have also occupied the area further to the southeast of the former Kingdom of the End. In addition, several kingdoms and empires on the mainland have been creating fortifications in the area, from where I believe they will have support posts for their groups in the empire."


    Going to Elves Island from this area was impossible because of natural barriers. But this territory was close to the area of the old Snow Kingdom from where specialists were going to that island.


    So it was interesting for outside powers intent on having outposts in the Black Plain Empire.


    Since it was in the interest of Gloria''s group not to have such strong people locally, their presence was a problem!


    ...

 Chapter 1593 Glorias Plan

    After hearing those two people, Gloria continued with a serious expression on her face, as the news was by no means good.


    But she had expected this. After she and Minos had refused the offers of the various high-level factions of the Spiritual Church, it was only natural that those groups would use their means to increase local pressures, things that would upset her and her husband.


    The subliminal message of these groups with these actions was simple. Join us and regain control over your territory without outside interference.


    Previously the northern region was protected by the Church. Still, with the rise of Minos and the end of some old agreements he had with members of this organization, the Church leadership had changed some rules.


    Since specialists were emerging in this territory, it no longer made sense for them to continue protecting this territory from 9th-stage people.


    According to the Church leadership, when Gloria questioned them about these changes, the northern region was getting stronger, but for the sake of the local people, they would release access to outside powers to this territory. That was because only then could these people have easier access to higher-level resources.


    That was obviously bullshit, but there was nothing for Gloria to complain about. What was done was done, and now they had to bear the burden of independence!


    The only faction not trying to force them against the wall was the Supreme Pontiff''s chosen one, which had offered various possibilities of help to Gloria and Minos'' group.


    But they had not accepted the help of this group to avoid debt with this person, and so they were in a challenging situation.


    Then the representative for the Waves area said. "But despite everything, we have had breathing room in these areas. With the women of the Flowers Kingdom in the Endless Snow Mountain Range, powerful men are keeping their distance from these frozen areas.


    Some even fear that our state will help that kingdom kidnap men and send them into that territory led by Queen Mcbride."


    Minos had made several agreements in that kingdom after his many victories against nobles, because of that and the agreement with the queen regarding that area of the Immemorial Graves Sect, several women from that state lived in the Black Plain Empire.


    Not only that, when problems arose with Spiritual Sages, something that happened with or without the intention of the parties to fight, these women had been assisting Emperor Stuart in maintaining order in his territory.


    Because of this, the situation was not so drastic, even with several high-level foreign experts circulating the area and even living in this state.


    Gloria nodded to that woman and said. "The Flowers Kingdom has been an important ally of our state and faction. We need to improve our relations with those women.


    They are favorable to the Church and have essential connections in Green City.


    We can benefit greatly from a rapprochement between our groups!"


    The Mcbride family was friends with the Spiritual Church and had great knowledge about that organization.


    With that in mind, Gloria couldn''t help but wish to be closer to that state, whereby she could approach smaller factions of the Church.


    The Church not only had factions vying for the position of Supreme Pontiff. It had several groups with smaller interests, vying for positions less relevant to those colossi. However, they had much power compared to Gloria''s faction.


    She knew of the existence of these groups and wished to improve their relations with them, perhaps even convincing some of them to join their faction for both parties to become stronger.


    She then said. "Continue to have good relations with the women of this kingdom. If they need anything, help them and try to gently talk to them about the other factions of the Church.


    If there is the opportunity, try to get a meeting with people from factions similar to ours or even a little stronger."


    "Hmm, I will do that, Matriarch." That person said.


    After that, Gloria heard about the situations in Brown and Cromwell, these two territories that were closer to the core of the empire and therefore had less action from foreign forces.


    These places had been developing a lot in recent years since they had become part of the empire before the other areas. As a result, the quality of the local forces and the dominance of Minos over these areas was more significant, creating more tranquility for the Church posts in these places.


    As for Stone Island, that place was far from Elves Island, not as interesting as other parts of the Black Plain Empire due to the small amount of land, and not far from Dry City.


    That was also the most favorable territory in the empire for Minos, where virtually all the families supported him, and there was no room for foreign forces to try to meddle in business there.


    After hearing all the updates, Gloria gave a few more orders to those Patriarchs and Matriarchs, letting them go soon after.


    "Sigh..."


    ''It won''t be long before the people of the Blood Triangle Pirates group return for their 10-year promise...'' So she imagined as she stopped in front of one of the sides of her temple, from where she could see the beautiful imperial palace. ''I don''t believe things will go well. That group belongs to the Evergreen family, whom we have already refused to join the faction of one of their descendants.


    So Minos will probably have to use that damn map!'' She clenched her fists, feeling a little afraid about that.


    But all she could do was continue with her current plans, holding on to the situation and slowly changing things in her family''s favor.


    "Sooner or later, we will achieve our goals!"


    ...


    A few minutes later, in Clouds City, Flaming Empire...


    A wormhole appeared over this city of the Gray Clouds Sect, where it currently only had a few dozen members of these forces locally besides the local population.


    But these people were all Spiritual Saints at levels 78 and 79, enough to maintain ownership of this area for this Minos'' organization.


    Because of this, when this wormhole appeared there, these experts immediately sensed the arrival of a Spiritual Sage, frowning and preparing for the worst.


    They quickly moved to the surroundings of that wormhole, waiting to see where the problem was coming from this time.


    Not only the northern region was experiencing an increase in the number of 9th stage experts passing through there. Even the Flaming Empire, Albano, Rosser, and Blackrock were experiencing something similar.


    Therefore, the appearance of Spiritual Sages in the Flaming Empire had increased, and it was no longer as shocking for local leaders to see wormholes in the skies of the largest cities in the state.


    However, those subordinates of Minos would soon lose the severe expressions on their faces to grin from ear to ear, seeing one of their old acquaintances crossing that region of space.


    "Old fellows, I''m back!" The strongest elder of the Coleman family after Oswald roared, surprising all the high-level elders of the sect in the vicinity, looking at him intensely.


    ...

 Chapter 1594 Going To The Black Plain

    Hearing that level 80 fellow, the leaders of some of the high-level families of the Gray Clouds Sect, patriarch Terry and matriarch Moss, opened their mouths in shock but soon formed smiles on their faces.


    "Elder Coleman, you have finally advanced a stage!" Among those people currently at level 78, Ruth''s father said that with this amazing fact, he could return to his family''s side of the Black Plain Empire.


    Not only that, he could return to cultivate in that high-level place and advance in level more easily again!


    The elders in the surrounding area were thinking the same thing, seeing that with the arrival of this level 80 man, those of level 78 could finally leave for the Black Plain.


    The happiest was precisely patriarch Terry, one of the few beside matriarch Moss who had never gone to the northern region because of their high cultivation level.


    They had merely cultivated in the Spatial Kingdom during Minos'' short spells in this state since he had revealed the secret of this place to the elders of this sect.


    So now, with this man''s arrival, they wanted to go as quickly as possible to Minos'' domain!


    "Elder Coleman, congratulations on your advancement. But now that you are here, I believe we can leave, right?" Patriarch Terry asked, congratulating that man and already thinking about leaving.


    He was almost at level 79. He just hadn''t advanced because he was holding back his advancement so he could go to the Black Plain sooner.


    So he didn''t want to wait any longer!


    Elder Coleman laughed as he heard here, seeing that his colleagues seemed even happier with his advancement than he was himself.


    He knew they were eager to go to the Spatial Kingdom and advance to level 79, so he didn''t hold them there.


    "Hehe, you can leave it to me. I''ll talk to the Edwardstone family. You guys can travel to the Black Plain now."


    With those words, half of those people disappeared from there in the blink of an eye, leaving only the level 79 cultivators next to that member of the Coleman family.


    All of them had been to the Black Plain Empire recently and knew it would take some time before they could return to that territory.


    None of them were in a hurry, and they slowly approached that Spiritual Sage, the first of the Gray Clouds Sect in its history!


    "How does it feel to be level 80?" One of the level 79 women there asked.


    "The feeling is magnificent..."


    They continued this conversation inside the headquarters of the Gray Clouds Sect while the envoys from allies of that organization and the Black Plain Empire in Clouds City were shocked.


    Everyone had seen and felt the power of that member of the Gray Clouds Sect, the second native of this empire at the 9th stage currently.


    ''So Minos succeeded...'' A member of the Holy Sect in this place thought to himself, quickly picking up his communicator to send the news to his sect master.


    On the other hand, members of the imperial family were also around and were soon sending the recent information to Harold and Isabella!


    ...


    Hours later...


    Elder Coleman had already met with all the members of his sect currently in the Flaming Empire and received congratulations from everyone.


    He wanted to celebrate alongside his old acquaintances. Still, he had to notify the imperial family quickly with his and the elders'' shifts going to the Black Plain.


    So in the late afternoon of that day, he used his spatial manipulation skills and went to Payton, where the news of his advancement and return to the empire had already arrived.


    As he passed through his wormhole near that city, the elder Coleman immediately ran into Harold, who already had the sense and moved to receive him.


    "Milo Caleman, I never thought you would reach this level..." Harold said as he approached that brown-haired man, who was smiling at him.


    Milo lowered his head and made a gesture of greeting to Harold. "It wasn''t only Your Majesty who thought that. But anyway, I was lucky enough to meet His Majesty Minos Stuart and am now a Spiritual Sage, hehe."


    "Hmm, Minos really is a pretty capable fellow," Harold commented, sensing how impressive Emperor Stuart was to produce a Spiritual Sage in the Black Plain Empire.


    But he did not feel pressured at all. On the contrary, according to Minos and Isabella''s agreements, the Black Plain Emperor would take members of the Gray Clouds Sect out of this state, but in exchange, he would put a stronger person there, and the imperial family could command those individuals.


    So instead of a competitor like Mortimer, this man in front of him was an ally who would do whatever he asked in case of need.


    This elder Coleman just wouldn''t do something that would hurt the forces of Minos or the rules of this emperor. But anything beyond that was within Harold''s rights!


    He liked that and couldn''t help but smile as he welcomed that man.


    "But anyway, come with me, I want the rest of the family to review it."


    Milo smiled, liking what he heard. "But as for..."


    "You don''t have to say anything. It''s about the shift change of you from the Gray Clouds Sect. Right? It''s fine. My men have already taken care of the paperwork regarding that." Harold commented as the two flew to the imperial palace.


    Milo thanked the imperial family for their action soon after arriving at the imperial throne hall, where Isabella and many high-ranking members were awaiting his arrival.


    Isabella was currently at level 76, next to the Empress, level 79, and Harold''s second wife, her mother, at level 78.


    Several members of this family had grown stronger in recent months with the joint actions with the Black Plain and the emergence of more experts around these territories.


    That was not necessarily good for the Black Plains, as they had sponsored forces interfering in Minos'' territory. But as allies, they needed to get stronger, and their purchases hardly influenced that fellow''s enemies positively.


    So several members of that imperial house had gained levels recently, regaining much of the power lost to Mortimer in the recent past.


    Milo saw this, but he was already aware of the improvements in the Edwardstone family''s power and was not bothered by these people''s methods.


    It was worth more to the Black Plain Empire that these allies were getting stronger than not sponsoring the invariants and tax debtors for the Stuart family.


    Anyway, he soon talked to the high hierarchy of that family, then attended a banquet given to him, where leaders of other sects would appear later to talk with him.


    ...

 Chapter 1595 Banquet

    Amid the banquet Harold gave to Milo, Isabella stood beside her mother and stepmother, silent in that noisy hall, smelling of food and drink.


    But she had a smile on her face, for she would soon be temporarily relieved of her duties so she could be permanently at Minos'' side.


    She had almost become the Empress of the Flaming Empire during Harold''s absence. Hence, she had to shed the duties she had accepted during that period.


    That was not a simple job since the Spiritual Church was involved in the process, and currently, factions of that organization were making things difficult for everyone related to Minos.


    But after several months, Isabella was close to finally disposing of her commitments, returning all power over the Flaming Empire to her father.


    Herald was doing well in his role and did not intend to make room for his successor to replace him any time soon. She also did not desire that at the moment. The princess wanted to move in with Minos. Not only that, Emperor Stuart had already asked her to marry him. So in this way, Isabella wanted to go and live with him as soon as possible.


    Seeing the arrival of Milo, a Spiritual Sage who would be at her family''s disposal, she couldn''t help but feel anxious, noting that her presence in the empire would be less required.


    ''Soon... Soon I will be able to join Minos and the rest of the family in the Black Plain Empire.'' She thought, smiling.


    "What is it, Bella? Why are you so happy?" Her mother asked, more or less knowing the reason for that.


    The Empress also looked at this woman, laughing.


    Isabella said. "It''s because of Minos... I hope I can live with him very soon."


    "Oh? What about your old family? Are you going to abandon your empire?" The Empress provoked this woman a little.


    But Isabella was not taken in by Madeline''s banter. "You and my father will have a child at some point... I will no longer be needed when that happens."


    "You think so?" Harold''s second wife asked, seeing her daughter''s hopes for something quite unlikely to happen.


    After thousands of years of trying, Harold had only had her... So these women''s hopes of him making a new child now were not great.


    "Even if that doesn''t happen, my father still has plenty of time to rule... At the same time, with Minos on our side, maybe my father can still advance a few levels." She was optimistic about the future. "Then I won''t be needed for at least a few centuries!


    I can live with my man in the meantime. Even if I have to return in the future, I will do so with a smile on my face!"


    "Haha, Bella, you really are in love..."


    They continued talking while patriarchs and local sect masters surrounded Milo.


    Among them was the man who had made deals with Minos concerning the giant skeleton Emperor Stuart had taken to the Spatial Kingdom from this person''s sect years ago.


    He had men from his sect in the Black Plain Empire who had already advanced levels, which made his sect the strongest after the Gray Clouds Sect.


    At the same time, those men and women from his sect who had gone to the Black Plain years ago had made connections in that state, something that could greatly help this man''s organization in the future.


    As such, with the emergence of Spiritual Sages in Minos'' forces, this man was looking forward to the future, certain that he should be close to the Stuart family.


    Meanwhile, the Holy Sect master said to Milo. "Elder Coleman, can you tell us something about His Majesty Minos Stuart''s forces? I know this might be asking too much, but is there a possibility of more Spiritual Sages appearing in His Majesty''s forces?"


    Everyone paid attention to Milo after that question, with Harold also looking at this 9th-stage cultivator, curious as to that.


    Milo smiled and said. "But of course, that information is no secret in the empire. Currently, His Majesty''s forces have, counting myself, 3 Spiritual Sages. The former sect master Oswald is one of them, who was the first of us to advance to the 9th stage."


    "Oswald?" Some sect masters there opened their mouths, remembering that Minos'' grandfather was considered powerful in the past because of his innate ability, not because of his level.


    Among the former eight masters of the major sects in that state, Oswald had the lowest cultivation level, having been at level 78 a few decades ago. But this had never been a problem for him, as his innate ability made up for his deficiency in terms of level, putting him practically at the same level as the other masters of those sects.


    However, he, the one with the lowest soul cultivation, was now at level 80!


    ''So Oswald has reached that stage too...'' Harold smiled, satisfied, for this man had always been loyal and fair to him. "That''s good to know. I hope to be able to see old sect master Oswald soon... Anyway, where is he now? Doing something important?"


    "He is, alongside our other Spiritual Sage, creating wormhole ports throughout the empire."


    "Oh?"


    The people there found that impressive, wondering if these people couldn''t do that in the Flaming Empire as well.


    That state had never had that in the past, as there was rarely just one Spiritual Sage around. But at least two individuals at that stage were needed for that service.


    Therefore, the local experts had to spend their crystals on teleportation arrays when they needed to move around urgently, something costly for their organizations.


    So upon hearing that, everyone looked at those two 9th-stage cultivators, feeling that it was time that this state also had wormhole ports.


    That was also Harold''s thought, so he said. "Hmm, that makes sense. By the way, can you help me with that? I''d like to create a network of ports in the empire as well... We could even join Oswald and connect some of them to the network he will develop on the Black Plain."


    Milo liked what he heard, as this would make it easier for forces in the Black Plain Empire to access this state and could improve military and trade relations between the two states.


    "But of course. If Your Majesty did not speak, I would suggest such a thing, haha."


    After these conversations, Milo spent some time talking individually with some of the local experts until a member of the imperial family approached him and asked a personal question.


    "Senior Milo, I am a disciple of the old supreme elder." A level 75 man said this before asking with a bit of concern in his tone. "How is my master doing? I know he had many problems with His Majesty Minos Stuart, and he doesn''t have much time left either."


    The old supreme elder of the Edwardstone family had not reported for months, something not so unusual for outside envoys like him.


    In any case, that fellow was curious about his master''s situation and asked the question to someone who might know how to tell him something better than letters.


    "About him..."

 Chapter 1596 The Supreme Elders Situation

    "Supreme Elder Edwardstone is doing well. He is still grumpy towards His Majesty, but after these months in the empire, he has slightly changed his attitude." Milo said. "Especially after the advancement of the old sect master Oswald.


    With the emergence of Spiritual Sages in the empire, he realized it was not a shame for his family to agree to ally with His Majesty''s forces and that we could offer much to the Flaming Empire.


    At the same time, he has been taking advantage of his stay in Dry City to cultivate and strengthen himself."


    "Oh? That''s good to hear." That grouchy fellow''s disciple said, but with no hope that the man he considered a father would be able to advance.


    The old man was already not far from his death, and attempting to advance at this time would be risky and with little chance of success. So he was happy that his old man had somewhat improved his thoughts about Minos.


    But Harold greatly respected the old supreme elder, and upon hearing this, he decided to intrude into the conversation, asking. "Is there any chance that Minos will help him advance a stage? I will do whatever it takes to compensate the Black Plain."


    Milo looked at the emperor and didn''t know what to say. Minos would never reveal the Spatial Kingdom to these people until they were his subordinates.


    Hell, Minos hadn''t even said anything to Maisie and Oswald for years!


    Only after the Gray Clouds Sect became his Minos had gradually revealed the secret about the Spatial Kingdom!


    So it was out of the question, in the short term, for him to allow anyone from the Edwardstone family into that place to cultivate.


    Milo replied. "I don''t know... The supreme elder is very old. It would be hard to say how good his chances would be. But we can definitely guide him and give him access to our best cultivation rooms."


    Harold liked what he heard, soon after talking in more detail with Milo and the old supreme elder''s disciple about what they could do to help that fellow.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the kingdom of Blackrock...


    This place that had surrendered to Minos years ago was also experiencing some effects of pressure from the Church factions against Gloria''s group. However, given that this territory was in the area of one of those large factions, the pressures coming to this place were less than what was happening on the Black Plain.


    Consequently, the forces in that state and those of Albano and Rosser had been taking better advantage of the fact that they were allies of the Black Plain Empire.


    At the beginning of their relationship with Minos, these states had few significant advantages. Best of all, the chances of war with the Flaming Empire were less with them on his side. But, it was also a guarantee that the Stuart Emperor himself would not turn against them in the future.


    However, benefits that could make them stronger hardly existed previously in the relationship between them and the Black Plain.


    But as the years passed and Minos'' forces developed, these three states and the Vogel territory had finally begun to receive benefits from being on his side.


    Trade with the empire had increased in intensity. More experts from these kingdoms sought Dry City for the services of professionals like Patience and other high-level cultivators of the 8th stage.


    They were unaware of the emergence of Spiritual Sages on the Black Plain. Still, they would soon learn about it, becoming more confident in Minos.


    Meanwhile, King Blackrock was in his royal palace, happy to receive news of advancements from more of his family''s elders.


    "Your Majesty, the Fifth Elder has finally reached level 77!" A king''s subordinate informed him as this man sat on the royal throne of this state. "With the Fifth Elder''s advancement, the kingdom now has ten cultivators at the high level of the 8th stage!"


    King Blackrock, currently at level 79, heard that with satisfaction, feeling the benefits of having accepted his inferiority in front of Minos.


    Previously there were not many high-level cultivators in the four enemy states of the Flaming Empire. But over the years under Minos, these three states and the Vogel territory, which together had less than ten cultivators above level 76, now had more than 50 such people!


    That was quite an advance for them!


    "Very good. Send more resources to the elders near the peak of their levels. That is an opportune time. We can''t fail to get breakthroughs!"


    ...


    At the same time, in the capital of Albano...


    Currently at level 78, Iris West stood next to her two daughters, Lulu West, level 72, and Joan West, level 75.


    They were walking through a garden in the capital city of this kingdom, going towards where one of the leaders of the giant turtle tribe of this state was there to visit them.


    As they walked up to this being, who was in its humanoid form waiting for them in that garden, Lulu had her head down, a little depressed.


    She knew this being was probably there because of something related to Minos, who she had recently discovered was not far from having another advancement.


    She had once had higher cultivation than him and was considered an unprecedented genius in her kingdom. But in such a short time, Minos had completely surpassed her and was about to reach level 77.


    He was already stronger than her when he had a lower level, so now, she knew she couldn''t even think negatively about him, or she might be harmed...


    At least that was her thought, which made her feel strange, especially since he had rejected her several times in the past.


    And as soon as she and her family met with an old man 2.2 meters tall, plump body, green and gray hair, level 75, she was more upset to hear what he had to say.


    "Your Majesty, Your Highnesses, I am here to request the disengagement of my tribe from your territory." That fellow said. "Our tribe members who are in the Black Plain have been performing impressively, and the rest of the tribe wishes to migrate to His Majesty Minos Stuart''s territory.


    Please release us from our duties. We already have everything settled with Dry City."


    After hearing here, Lulu felt a twinge in her heart since she was the one who had signed the agreements between Minos and her territory concerning these giant turtles.


    Because of her, in a way, this tribe was asking to leave this territory now!


    But unlike this princess, who had many issues to resolve, Queen West saw no problem with this since her family had grown very strong with Minos over the years.


    With resolving the issues with the Edwardstone family and advancing the West family elders, this state had never been stronger and safer.


    Even in the absence of these turtles, they could thrive!


    "That can be discussed... But obviously, we need compensation." Iris said, relieving that fellow whose tribe had pledged eternal allegiance to House West.


    That way, things could be settled peacefully between the two sides!

 Chapter 1597 Good News For Vogel

    Meanwhile, Vogel was in a superior situation to its former allied states.


    Unlike the former enemies of the Flaming Empire, this territory had a much closer relationship with Minos. Because of this, the benefits it had gained during the last few years were much more significant.


    Consequently, the local forces had improved in expert numbers and cultivation levels more than their former Albano, Rosser, and Blackrock allies.


    Currently, the number of Spiritual Saints in this territory is 90% higher than years ago, when Minos had dominated this place. At the same time, the leaders of local organizations who had previously been between levels 75 and 76 were now between levels 77 and 78.


    That still made them lose in front of the Blackrock kingdom. Yet, they were closer than ever to this place that had always been the strongest in the old alliance of the four enemies of the Flaming Empire.


    Meanwhile, the families that had chosen Minos'' side years ago had reaped the rewards of their decisions and were now the strongest organizations in this territory.


    Those who had stood against Minos and made his life difficult years ago had suffered the consequences of their choices and were no longer as great as they once were.


    But even these powers had developed, which was a great thing for those families that the imperial family had sidelined.


    In any case, there was currently no resistance to Minos in this place. He was already stronger than the local leaders when he was at level 70, so at level 76, no one in this place dared to speak ill of him behind his back.


    Minos seemed like a monster to the local leaders, someone who seemed to have no limits. Hence, all that these people currently wanted was to please their leader.


    Among the things they had been doing for this was sending more and more Spiritual Saints from this area to the northern region to maintain security around the empire.


    Currently, Vogel didn''t have to worry about defending its borders with Rosser and the Flaming Empire since those two states were regulating the passage of people in those areas.


    With this, there were people left over to work internally in the Black Plain Empire and go into seclusion, something necessary to strengthen the local cultivators.


    Meanwhile, the trade of this territory with the northern region had never been so good, naturally generating essential results for this place.


    In this way, the local leaders learned about their state''s Spiritual Sages!


    ...


    In the capital of the Vogel territory...


    The representatives of the Vogel Assembly were gathered in this institution for their daily discussions.


    Meanwhile, the leaders of the leading local families were welcoming Oswald and the other Spiritual Sage from the Black Plain Empire, impressed by the appearance of these individuals.


    Minos had not sent any warning to them regarding the situation of these two. So upon witnessing the opening of wormholes locally and the emergence of these two, the local leaders were naturally shocked.


    Seeing Oswald, an old enemy of theirs, already at level 80, many had conflicting feelings in their hearts.


    They both thought this was a good thing since they were now subordinates of Minos, whom Oswald served. That was also an indication that the Black Plain Empire would not only be a place with high-level Spiritual Saints but would evolve to the next stage. However, they still felt that this ancient enemy was now out of reach, and the sense of threat in their bodies was not small.


    ''So Minos now has Spiritual Sages on his side...''


    Gulp!


    ''Impressive!''


    ''If the Black Plain Empire can produce Spiritual Sages now, then soon Vogel will undergo a qualitative change!''


    But as much as there were those worried about their safety and future, others were already thinking about the benefits they would have with higher-level people on Minos'' side.


    When someone changes cultivation stages, they change their own life and the lives of those around them!


    If that person was part of a dominant force and was among the strongest, that advancement could favor an entire state, several families, and organizations.


    With 9th-stage experts, the empire could produce and consume new things and develop high-ranking items faster, which could boost the advances of those who were weaker but had resources.


    That was the case for these families!


    Therefore, even though they couldn''t use the strengths of Oswald and his former subordinate in the Gray Clouds Sect, these people knew they could benefit from them being Spiritual Sages.


    Someone then asked Minos'' grandfather. "Your Excellency, to what do we owe the visit? By the way, congratulations on the stage advancement. His Majesty must be very pleased."


    Oswald looked at that man who was favorable to Minos and replied. "Hmm, thank you for the words. Although we were enemies in the past, we are part of the same state now.


    So we are here to bring good news to Vogel!"


    "Oh?" A level 77 woman asked. "What is this about?"


    "We are going to begin the creation of a wormhole port connecting this city and Dry City," Oswald replied. "From it, in the future, someone will even be able to go on a single trip from this city to the capital of End territory, traveling only through the wormhole paths.


    His Majesty intends to connect all areas of the empire."


    The people in the surrounding areas readily understood Oswald''s words, becoming extraordinarily content and eager for this to be completed.


    That would improve the crystal economy of the local powers and make it easier to move people and goods between the areas of the empire.


    That was very good for them, so even those who had a bit of a grudge against Oswald couldn''t help but smile at his words.


    "That''s magnificent news!"


    "Yes, with wormhole ports, we can integrate our operations with even the most distant families from our territory within the empire!"


    "In the future, our members defending the empire will be able to quickly return home and help us in trouble even when they are carrying out His Majesty''s orders..."


    "What about Rosser, Albano and Blackrock? Does His Majesty intend to connect these states to the empire?" Someone asked Oswald.


    That man then said. "Not for the time being. We will wait and see if these kingdoms wish to have it in their states. But if they so desire, I believe Minos will expand his network there after the next 12 months."


    They would need that time to make the entire corridor network between the capitals of the Black Plain territories. So even if those states decided to accept such a thing in their domains, it would take some time to connect them to Minos'' empire.


    Anyway, with those words from Oswald, the people there stopped questioning him about it, approaching him and his 9th stage companion to get closer to the two.


    But that wouldn''t last long, and soon the two Spiritual Sages would begin the creation of the wormhole port in that city!

 Chapter 1598 Visitors From Sista

    Three months after the construction of the wormhole ports around the Black Plain Empire began...


    On this fateful day, Minos achieved another level of advancement while cultivating in the Spatial Kingdom, reaching level 77 exactly a year and a half after his last advancement.


    That impressive cultivation speed was not slowing down as he got stronger within his cultivation stage but increasing!


    But this was due to his innate ability and the various giant skeletons in the Spatial Kingdom, which gave Minos a cultivation base and understanding more easily as he became more powerful.


    However, Minos was not at all deluded by this. He knew that once he changed stages, his cultivation speed would drop a bit, as he would need to gather increasing amounts of energy to keep advancing.


    That was by no means easy to counterbalance with what he could achieve with those skeletons since his natural ability would only evolve once more when he absorbed a Divine medicine.


    So as much as his results would get better as he got a more powerful soul, it would only help him to decrease the advancement time he would need at the 9th stage. But that wouldn''t make him cultivate faster than he was currently achieving.


    There was a qualitative and quantitative change in stage evolutions, after all.


    In any case, Minos wasn''t worried about his cultivation speed at the moment, which had always been on his side, bringing good feelings to him even in difficult times.


    After his advancement to level 77, he left his wives and children in the Spatial Kingdom and returned to Dry City, where he hoped to meet the envoys of the Blood Triangle Pirates.


    The 10-year agreement with this group would end in a few more days, so he wanted to wait for the return of those people to finally decide what he would do about that map in the Spatial Kingdom.


    And upon his return to Dry City, he was surprised by an unexpected visit!


    ...


    After being congratulated by Mia, currently at level 64, who was there to take care of business with him, Minos ran into Eduard, bringing news of a last-minute visit.


    That man dressed in the uniform of the imperial guard over his armor, level 72, stooped in front of Minos and said. "Your Imperial Majesty, envoys from the kingdom of Sista are outside the capital asking to speak with you."


    "Sista?" Minos heard that with surprise since this was the home of one of the three strongest experts on the continent, the home of one of the strongest women in the Spiritual World!


    He had never received contact with anyone from that state, one of the few on this continent which had not yet tried to contact him.


    So he asked. "Where exactly are they? What are their strengths and numbers?"


    "They were waiting for Your Majesty''s reply in one of the satellite cities of Dry City. When it comes to their strength, they are three people, the weakest at level 85 and the strongest at level 88." Eduard replied, surprising Mia, some other government members, and the imperial guard.


    Minos didn''t worry too much upon hearing this, considering this would be his first contact with these people.


    With that, he asked the people there to handle business with him to wait for him and then went next to some level 79 elders of his forces to the meeting with these three people.


    ...


    After a few moments, Minos and six Spiritual Saints, two women and four men, came out of the protected part of Dry City, which Spiritual Sages could not access without the permission of the local forces.


    As they flew toward one of the satellite cities that Eduard had indicated, the seven people quickly felt the fluctuations of those three Spiritual Sages.


    "Level 88 Spiritual Sage... What an impressive aura!"


    "Yes, but compared to the aura of that woman from the Flowers Kingdom, those auras paled. It''s like comparing an ant and an elephant." A woman who had witnessed Hannah''s passage through Dry City said to that man who was not around at that time.


    Amid these people''s conversation, the three Spiritual Sages of Sista realized that powerful people locally were moving towards them and set off to meet Minos.


    After a few fractions of a second, the ten people found themselves amidst the local sky, with those three visitors looking interestedly at Minos.


    Minos looked very young and was a level stronger than they had expected.


    This emperor seemed to have just advanced a level, so one of those three people, a bald man, said. "Your Majesty Minos Stuart, I presume? It looks like you have just increased in level, so my congratulations. You are not far from reaching the 9th stage."


    Minos looked at that man and the two women next to him, one level 85 and one level 87. The weaker one seemed to be the youngest one there, probably a high-ranking noblewoman or something like that.


    So he was polite as he introduced himself to those people, especially to her. "That''s me... I heard that you are friends from Sista, is that true? To what do I owe the honor of your visit?"


    "Your Majesty is friendlier than we thought, haha." The level 87 woman said, smiling, "This old man and I are guards for the young Miss Hope Weaver." She indicated with her hands the level 85 woman standing there with them. "We are here under orders from the royal family of our state to bring our kingdom closer to the Black Plain Empire."


    "Oh? Royal family?" Minos frowned at the same time as the six elders beside him, noticing that yet another high-level power was approaching them.


    In particular, this power had someone at level 99, the peak of cultivation for 99.9% of the Silver and Gold talented people in this world.


    "That''s good to hear," Minos said. "But what exactly does the royal family expect from me?"


    Hope stepped forward to answer that question, which was her responsibility as an envoy of the royal family.


    She was a noble in Sista, but because of her relationship with one of the princes, she was occasionally sent to represent the interests of that family outside of her state.


    That was not uncommon in the Spiritual World, and other nobles and even men related to royal and imperial successors did this kind of work for their sovereign houses.


    She said. "Her Majesty wishes to cooperate with Your Majesty Minos Stuart regarding the Continental Tournament about to take place in a few decades.


    Since the Black Plain Empire is an emerging state that has reached the 9th stage of cultivation, it will have minimal conditions to participate in the competition.


    Her Majesty wishes our states to cooperate in sending competitors, as well as betting together on the results of this competition." She said while watching Minos in a way that any woman there would know how to identify as evaluative.


    ...

 Chapter 1599 Spatial Manipulation

    ''Level 77, huh? I heard that he could use a variant ability that steals the cultivation base of his opponents... So his strength is actually level 79.


    But he also has quite powerful techniques and was already able to defeat well-equipped and well-originated cultivators some levels above his own.


    Hmm, he''s probably as strong as a level 81 Spiritual Sage with the same background as mine.'' This woman pondered, considering the information she had about Minos. ''Humph, I doubt he''s any better than Caldwell!''


    As Hope thought about it, Minos and the level 79 elders realized that these people were already aware of the Spiritual Sages of their strength.


    However, what that woman had to say interested all of them as the Emperor of the Flaming Empire had never gotten enough to send people to the Continental Tournament, so the most he had done was to bet on this competition.


    The Continental Tournament required that only competitors capable of manipulating space, usually those at the 9th stage or stronger, be sent. But there was an age limit, so usually only Spiritual Sages participated in this tournament.


    States without people at this cultivation stage couldn''t send participants and, at most, could bet on competitors from other forces.


    The focus of the tournament was on betting. Still, it was risky to bet on competitors from other forces because people like that could either compete to win or lose. Only their superiors would know their goal.


    At the same time, this tournament allowed for some kinds of outside help, something that favored the stronger states with more experienced cultivators.


    Because of this, the Flaming Empire never had exciting results in the Continental Tournament since only Emperor Edwardstone had the necessary strength to compete, and he would never do that.


    People would die competing in that tournament!


    While those people had her words in mind, Minos said. "That sounds interesting... Let''s talk in a more appropriate place."


    He then led those people to a comfortable place inside Dry City, where those visitors coming from Sista noticed the local quality, impressed, even though this place was inferior to their homeland.


    After a few moments, they returned to talk about the reason for their visit.


    Hope said. "Her Majesty wishes the Black Plain Empire to prepare its strongest cultivators in the coming decades and choose 2 to join our group.


    We will jointly participate in the Continental Tournament, and thus we can improve our chances of victory by betting on our competitors."


    Queen Sista was not doing this to help the Black Plain Empire but to benefit herself through it. In her vision, Minos would reach the 9th stage in the time left until the tournament, which might make it possible for him to compete.


    If he did this, she would bet on the group formed between him and her representatives to win the biggest prizes in the competition!


    Minos realized what the purpose of those people was and said. "Well, I am very interested in joining this competition alongside Sista. Betting together with Her Majesty would also be an honor."


    "But?" That level 88 man realized that a ''but'' was coming next and asked before Minos said anything further.


    "But we need to clarify a few things before we move on."


    "What are you talking about?" Hope asked.


    "I have no interest in participating in the Continental Tournament as a competitor. Instead, I will do so as head of state, betting with the other continental leaders."


    At these words from Minos, the three frowned, looking at him strangely.


    He would need to have vast amounts of high-grade crystals to bet with the continental leaders. In fact, this was one of the other reasons why the results of the Flaming Empire were never attractive. Harold didn''t have that many free crystals to bet with.


    Another reason was that these leaders bet a lot of crystals because they sent their most capable and talented Spiritual Sages to compete, something that gave them good pointers on how to bet.


    Nothing better than knowing the horse competing!


    If Minos did not participate as a competitor, it would be tough for him to join this competition with any real chance of winning a continental leader-level bet.


    In other words, his words showed that he was in for something hazardous!


    "Your Majesty, are you sure about this? You''re not going to send anyone reliable to the Continental Tournament?" Hope asked, finding Minos'' interests strange but not the least bit dissatisfied.


    Her older brother, Caldwell, was one of Sista''s competitors who would lose his spot on the queen''s team because of the Black Plain Empire.


    So Minos not wanting to participate was not so bad for her!


    Her family would at least have one more chance to regain Coldwell''s spot through this!


    Minos then asked, smiling, "Who says I won''t send anyone I can trust? I will send my children to the Continental Tournament."


    Gulp!


    The people there swallowed their saliva, feeling this could only be a joke or the words of a crazy person.


    Everyone there knew that Sarah was only at the 6th stage. To make matters worse, Kendrick hadn''t even started cultivating!


    How could they join this competition that was supposed to take place in less than 46 years?


    They could certainly become Spiritual Saints in that time, but advancing to the 9th stage in such a short time would be tricky.


    Minos himself was a cultivation genius, but he was only at level 77 at the age of 49. But they weren''t sure if he would advance beyond the beginning of the 9th stage to the Continental Tournament, so how would these young people reach that stage in the meantime?


    "Your Majesty must be joking..." The level 88 man said, smiling. "It is impossible for these two to manipulate space in the time remaining until the tournament."


    "Is that so?" Minos smiled.


    He then showed one of his hands to those three visitors and focused his energies on his fingers. He then simultaneously activated his techniques related to the Spatial Laws, almost like a fusion.


    When he did this, Minos surprised those three with how strong his techniques were and his energy reserves.


    But before they could think more about it, the space between Minos'' fingers suddenly began to open, as a wormhole appeared to everyone''s surprise, including the six level 79 Spiritual Saints.


    Minos said as those three experts stood up, shocked. "If I can do this while I am only one Spiritual Saint, I guarantee my children will also be able to."


    Minos'' hand reached across the space, and he then grabbed the hairpin on the head of that level 85 woman, who was not quick enough to notice his movement.


    As he showed it to her after retracting his hand, Minos saw the eyes of those people open to the limit, as if they saw a monster in his place.


    But that had been monstrous!


    8th stage cultivators shouldn''t be able to do that!


    ''How is that possible?'' Hope exclaimed to her elders through her mental connection with them, not understanding how that had happened.


    ''I don''t know... I''ve never heard of a Spiritual Saint being able to do that.'' The level 88 man said, also incredulous.


    ...

 Chapter 1600 Kendrick And Sarahs Future

    The level 79 Spiritual Saints next to Minos were open-mouthed, looking at their leader, shocked to see him manipulate space for the first time.


    Minos was not a Spiritual Sage, but he had several abilities related to the Special Laws, which gave 9th-stage cultivators the ability to manipulate space and travel through wormholes.


    But it wasn''t only because of his techniques that he had achieved this!


    Because the Natural Laws condensed into the giant skeletons in the Spatial Kingdom, which Minos had been absorbing for years, he had greatly advanced his ability to manipulate space.


    That had not given him great mastery over space. He couldn''t open wormholes and travel long distances. Still, with this, he could manipulate space to small distances, as he had just done.


    His subordinates were not aware of this, as Minos had never shown this before, so they were open-mouthed at his demonstration of power.


    That noblewoman from the Sista kingdom looked at Minos strangely, feeling that her initial analysis of this sovereign''s abilities was incorrect.


    He was far more talented than she judged, and if he advanced a stage, he would probably surpass her brother!


    "How can you do that?" She finally questioned him, looking at that man with a strange expression.


    "Hmm, that''s a secret, haha," Minos said. "Anyway, I will prepare my children to do the same in the future, so don''t underestimate them. They will represent my state in the Continental Tournament."


    Those people were silent for a moment, wondering if the queen would accept this as an excuse for Minos wanting to ally with them but not compete directly.


    ''Well, it would be better if he set himself up as a competitor.'' The level 88 man thought, ''But if his children achieve the same as their father at his level, then it''s not impossible that the queen would accept them on the kingdom team.''


    Hope then heard the other woman there advising her to go ahead with an agreement with Minos.


    She then said to him. "Very well, we will consider joining your state in the Continental Tournament even if Your Majesty will not compete for yourself.


    Suppose your children achieve the ability to open the doors of the Continental Tournament. In that case, we will pass on the information to Her Majesty for her to decide to confirm the agreement with your state. Until then, we can cooperate with information regarding the tournament and joint training.


    We can send our competitors to train with yours here in your state or receive your candidates in our kingdom.


    Of course, we will ensure their safety."


    Minos heard that and saw no problems. It was only natural that they would reevaluate this in the future, and any agreement made now could be undone later.


    As for sending his children to Sista, he obviously wouldn''t do that now that both he and his children were weak. Even if that state were safe for those with the queen''s protection, this emperor would rather not risk it.


    If Kendrick and Sarah wanted to go there to train when they were Spiritual Saints, he would see no problem sending them with the promise that the queen would protect them. But until then, he would only welcome Sista candidates into his state.


    "Hmm, very well, that sounds good to me." He said. "We will sign an agreement to be renewed every ten years. If at any time you realize that we will not be able to help you in the tournament, we will end our partnership after the agreed period."


    That said, they would talk some more time with Minos and those high-level Black Plain elders before searching for places to stay in Dry City.


    Their spiritual judge would only come to this state if their group could reach an agreement with Minos, so it would take a few days for that to happen.


    In the meantime, they intended to stay in this place to get to know a little better the strengths of this person they wanted on their side in this competition of world importance.


    As for Minos, he would talk to his wives about this, as it involved their children.


    ...


    "What? Father will sign an agreement with the Sista kingdom, and I''m going there?" Sarah asked with a smile on her face after hearing that from her mother.


    Gloria then said, seeing that her daughter seemed to be looking forward to it, "Stay calm, girl. You are not going there now! If all goes well, you may or may not go to Sista after you become a Spiritual Saint. Before that, forget about leaving the empire for yourself."


    Sarah knew that her parents would not allow her to travel outside the empire at her current level, and she didn''t think it was bad.


    She dreamed of getting to know the Spiritual World and making friends with talented, high-level people who were unafraid of her origin. So upon hearing the news from her mother, she was naturally very eager to travel to Sista.


    She had wanted to see other places, but upon hearing about this kingdom, it had immediately become her focus.


    "No problem. I''ll become a Spiritual Saint in no time, mother!" Sarah said before saying goodbye to Gloria, leaving to find her father, who could send her to the Spatial Kingdom.


    Gloria saw that and laughed, finding her daughter''s behavior amusing. ''That girl... What is she going to do in that place?''


    "Sigh... I hope nothing that will anger her father." This red-haired woman muttered before returning to the Dry City Temple.


    ...


    Meanwhile, little Kendrick was playing with his toys on the floor of his room while Abby lectured her husband.


    "How can you promise such a thing, Minos? Did you promise a commitment to my son without consulting me?" This blue-haired woman asked loudly, startling the maids in the vicinity.


    Minos remained calm as he usually was and said in an unchanged tone as if he was having a normal conversation with his wife. "Abby, Kendrick will not go to the Sista until he reaches level 70. It will take decades for that to happen, dear."


    "Even then, he''s just a little baby!" She said, with the veins in her neck and forehead trembling.


    "It''s no guarantee that he''ll go there immediately after reaching that level. Maybe Queen Sista will change her mind, or the opportunity for him to train there won''t come until later, when he becomes stronger, like me... You will have plenty of time to watch him grow, dear."


    "You rascal! I just had my son, and you''re already considering taking him away from me?" She didn''t take that well. "If you think it will happen like that, you''d better change your plans, Minos! I won''t allow it!"


    "Hmm, we can talk about this again in a few years." Minos smiled before hugging his wife''s waist and stealing a kiss.


    After doing so, he left from there as Abby shouted things at him, which he ignored. It was normal that she was a little defensive at the moment. After all, her hormones were at their peak, given how little time had passed since Kendrick''s birth.


    And so, Minos returned to his office to deal with Mia and the others there to handle empire matters with him.

 Chapter 1601 Arrival Of The Blood Triangle Pirates

    Three weeks later...


    After the arrival of the envoys from the Sista kingdom, the low-level grade-4 spiritual judge arrived in Dry City and confirmed Minos and Hope''s agreements. After a week in that place, those people returned to their state, having learned and experienced much of the Black Plain.


    With their departure, the capital returned to normal, with people coming and going from the Spatial Kingdom, but Minos spent most of his time outside his cultivation shrine.


    He was waiting for the arrival of the two people who had made a deal with him about ten years ago to finally give his final refusal of the request to partner with the Blood Triangle Pirates.


    Because of this, he could not stay long in the Spatial Kingdom and was taking advantage of the time he had to deal with the affairs of his state and keep up with the progress of the wormhole ports.


    After weeks since the start of creating this, Oswald and his fellow worker had managed to create the first travel corridor of the Black Plain Empire!


    This corridor connected the capital of Vogel with Dry City and had a detour that led to the capital of Cromwell, a place relevant to the empire.


    Oswald and the other Spiritual Sage were now focused on developing the corridor connecting the capitals of Waves and End, which would be even larger than this part already completed but would greatly change the empire.


    Meanwhile, Vogel, Cromwell, and the core of the Black Plain Empire were already taking advantage of this first part of the local wormhole port network, with people and cargo moving through them.


    In the Flaming Empire, things were also developing well for the emergence of their network of wormhole ports. The emperor had already settled with Oswald on connecting the states of both.


    As such, Harold and Milo were working to build a corridor between Payton and Vogel''s capital, something that would revolutionize both states, former mortal enemies on the continent.


    But news of the actions of the emperors of these two states did not remain a ''secret'' for long. Soon the leaders of Albano, Rosser, and Blackrock were aware of these new possibilities of their neighbors.


    ...


    In the capital of Albano...


    At this instant, Albano''s and Rosser''s queen and King Blackrock were gathered in a hall together with several of their trusted men.


    They were already aware that the Black Plain Empire and the Flaming Empire each had 2 Spiritual Sages in their forces, both sides working to facilitate the movement of people and resources through their territories.


    They had also received an invitation from Minos to join the regional integration he initiated, something that could connect all their states and solve several of their problems.


    Because of this, these three people were now meeting to address this issue and decide together whether or not to accept Emperor Stuart''s proposition.


    "What do you think about that?" King Blackrock asked those two women.


    He couldn''t deny that having wormhole ports between their states was very interesting. To get an idea, he had spent an entire day traveling through teleportation arrays to get to this city. But not only that, but this sovereign had also spent over 500 high-grade crystals just to come to this city with his men.


    That was not an insignificant amount!


    They and their men could have spent a fraction of that through wormholes and reached this place in less than 30 minutes!


    But that wasn''t even the best thing about this travel option. The best of all was not for people but for cargo!


    Cargoes were not sent through teleportation arrays because they had too much weight and volume, making transporting them by these alternatives impossible. That was also the case for beasts unable to change into their humanoid form.


    As such, cargo and beasts had to travel by water, air, or land, a type of alternative that was much slower, inefficient, and more costly than via wormholes.


    With this option, it would be cheaper and faster to send and receive resources!


    Queen West then said. "Well, our relations with the Flaming Empire are no longer as hostile as in the past. So even if this alternative connects us to that kingdom more internally, it won''t change anything for our security."


    "Will it?" Queen Rosser asked.


    "I don''t think so," Iris said. "With Minos controlling the situation, the Flaming Empire wouldn''t dare do anything against us... But not only that, even in his absence, the Black Plain Empire already has experts who can threaten Harold. So if there''s any danger to us, it''s not this ancient enemy."


    King Blackrock couldn''t help but agree with that. "The only one who could decide to do us any harm currently is Minos himself and his territory."


    "If that is the case, we should accept this agreement." Queen Rosser said. "If Minos wants to do something against us, it won''t be the means of transportation that will stop him. We are already within his reach."


    The two were silent for a few moments, feeling that, as much as this was a shame, it was the way it was, and they had to accept living like this.


    But neither of them thought that Minos would act unfairly, so they soon agreed to accept Minos'' offer.


    "Well, we just have to define how our cities will be connected to the Black Plain Empire..."


    They continued talking about this, trying to sort out each other''s interests for a while longer.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Dry City had unstable weather this day, with rainy weather and strong winds.


    Gray clouds covered the skies, facilitating the training of many former members of the Gray Clouds Sect in this city, who had techniques associated with the related Natural Laws.


    Amid this, Minos was looking at the sky from inside his residence, finishing eating while seeing something relevant through the window he was looking at.


    At that position, a black area opened up inside the protected area of Dry City, revealing five people dressed in pirate costumes.


    Seeing this, Minos frowned, sensing that something was wrong. This time, these people were different from those who had come before at the behest of the Blood Triangle Pirates.


    But even though they acted differently and had more people among them, this was the group from that organization, individuals with the red symbols of this branch of the Evergreen family.


    Minos then flew towards those people, finally realizing their cultivation levels.


    Among those people was a Spiritual Demigod, level 90!


    ''That''s not a good sign...'' He thought as he ignored the other four, two level 88, one level 87, and one level 86.


    Meanwhile, the group leader, the Blood Triangle Pirates leader, one of the two Spiritual Demigods of this organization, looked at Minos and recognized him.


    "Minos Stuart, you have had plenty of time to decide. I will not leave this city without an answer today!"


    ...

 Chapter 1602 Minos Response

    Hearing the voice of that Spiritual Demigod, Minos frowned and looked in that man''s direction strangely. ''Did the leader of that organization happen to come to me?''


    Minos had various information regarding the Blood Triangle Pirates, as he had researched much about this group over the years. Consequently, he knew that the leader of this organization was not a particularly powerful Spiritual Demigod, someone in the early part of the 10th stage.


    There weren''t many other cultivators of this stage in this group either, so with the appearance of one of only two of them in his city, he found the situation strange.


    ''Why would someone so strong come to me just to offer me a job? Did his group get angry because I made them wait? But I have no obligation to help them, and they can do a lot without me.'' Minos thought before appearing not far from those people.


    "To what do I owe the honor of a Spiritual Demigod''s visit?" He asked, full of doubt. "That can''t just be because of the work I was offered before..."


    Meanwhile, the high-level Spiritual Saints in this city watched toward the local sky, fearful of what might happen.


    Everyone knew Minos identified the Blood Triangle Pirates as an enemy organization. As such, with someone so strong of that organization there in Dry City, they couldn''t help but fear the worst.


    ''What will happen?''


    ''I don''t think this person is here for good things!''


    ''Damn it! We have to do something about it!''


    Several men and women at levels 78 and 79 thought about this situation, trying to find alternatives to resolve what that man might try against this place.


    The Spiritual Demigod looked at Minos and narrowed his eyes, seeing the fellow who dared to refuse His Highness Calvert''s offers. This level 77 fellow had also delayed for more than 11 years to decide whether to help his organization find that map in the northern region.


    This was too much!


    He was a glorious Spiritual Demigod, and Calvert would soon be one too!


    But even so, a mere Spiritual Saint had managed to annoy the two of them and still cause His Majesty''s fury!


    "Minos Stuart, you have guts!" That man shouted, causing everyone in Dry City to bring their hands to their ears as they felt tremendous pressure on them.


    The buildings and streets began to crack, showing this entire city the power of a Demigod.


    "Accept to join His Highness Calvert''s faction and the work offered by my men, or suffer the consequences!"


    Minos clenched his fists after pulling them away from his ears, straining to withstand the pressure of that man''s voice. Meanwhile, the veins on his neck and forehead appeared, and his face turned red.


    "Is that a threat? Are Prince Calvert and the Blood Triangle Pirates setting themselves against me?" He asked in a tone that showed no fear, although he suffered from the pressure caused by the enemy''s voice.


    "Oh? What if it is? What are you going to do?" That man laughed while his subordinates were delighted to see this man putting Minos in his rightful place.


    For high-ranking people like them, there was nothing worse than a person trying to be more than they were, to achieve more than they should.


    Watching their leader oppress such a bumpkin was a sight worthy of their attention, so they stood there watching it all with smiles.


    Minos then said. "Are you going to choose this path for something so small? What happens if I choose to join Cardinal Forrest Howell''s faction because of this?"


    "Oh? So you''re saying you''ll do that because of me? That would be a shame. That would irritate His Highness Calvert." That man laughed, snapping the fingers of his hands in a way that indicated he would have to ''talk'' a bit with this person. "If you choose this path, I will suffer punishment, so I must make it worthwhile."


    "Decide your fate and don''t regret it later. I definitely won''t regret it." Minos put up a fighting stance, indicating to that man that he would not accept this oppression quietly and still.


    The Spiritual Sages around that Demigod laughed as they listened to Minos, seeing his pathetic reaction.


    ''Does that idiot think he can fight a Demigod?''


    ''He''s out of his mind. He thinks we''re going to kill him, and he''s showing all his bravery to the people of his city... Little does he know that we are only here to humiliate him in front of his citizens.''


    ''Haha, how pathetic... So this is the Stuart Emperor? It seems to me that he got to his position by luck. He''s not going to get any bigger than that.''


    Those people talked among themselves, sending their thoughts into their companions'' minds as they laughed at Minos.


    The Demigod there was also smiling, noting that Minos had a lot of courage for someone at the 8th stage. Because of this, he could not deny his surprise.


    But breaking someone''s trust like that would be even more pleasant than acting against someone subservient!


    Once he destroyed Minos'' trust, it would be a matter of time before this person started working for him and Prince Calvert!


    "Hehe, do you think I will regret anything? Nonsense, you are only a Spiritual Saint! Become a Demigod and come to me and make me repent, if you are able, of course. Until then, shut up and obey!" He said arrogantly.


    "I won''t have to wait that long," Minos commented, activating his techniques, already with his Soul Avatar activated.


    Those people coming from the Evergreen Empire saw that and continued to stand still, giving this bumpkin room to use everything he had.


    Once Minos showed his best and was totally crushed by their leader, their work there would be practically finished!


    After today, no one would respect Minos in the Black Plain Empire!


    That would lead to more problems arising in such a state, eventually leading to him having to accept his inferior position and take orders from the Evergreen family.


    That was their plan!


    No one stopped Minos as he did his best, quickly raising his level to 79 with the help of some elders in the surrounding area who were there to lend their cultivation bases to him.


    Then he soon had a black hole spinning before him, something capable of swallowing even level 83 Spiritual Saints without difficulty.


    That was impressive, but it didn''t scare those people who were faster and stronger than that.


    But then, Minos made a shocking move, surprising even that Spiritual Demigod!


    In the blink of an eye, Minos manipulated the space and made his black hole go through it until it reached above where those invaders were.


    In that instant, they all stood under the event horizon of that region of space!


    "Deal with it!" Minos shouted, filled with rage.


    ...

 Chapter 1603 Rancor

    When Minos'' black hole appeared between those people, they immediately felt a powerful force trying to absorb their bodies and souls.


    That was not a force strong enough to kill them in the blink of an eye, but with every millisecond that passed, it became stronger with what the black hole was absorbing from them.


    Yes, as they were surprised by Minos'' action, all those people felt parts of themselves being absorbed by it, strengthening it.


    With the strengthening of the black hole, in just one second after Minos'' movement, the thing was already capable of threatening even the life of someone at level 85.


    "Shit!" The weaker ones there shouted the same thing, quickly moving their forces to escape from that growing and frightening space.


    They have experienced warriors who have already faced death up close several times in their lives. But for the first time, they saw the darkness of death so close, feeling their hearts beating stronger as their souls trembled in terror.


    That fusion of techniques was genuinely terrifying!


    No matter the level of its creator, it could continuously evolve as it devoured more powerful bodies, being able to threaten more and more of those in its surroundings.


    The action of the black hole was happening at great speed, so by the time they realized what was happening, those people were already feeling their bodies distorting, being drawn into the singularity.


    That shocked even the Spiritual Demigod, who at the moment had his eyes wide open, to notice that the movement of a mere Spiritual Saint could make even him shiver!


    That wasn''t enough to kill him, but he felt part of his strength being eroded and felt temporarily restricted when he found himself within the space of the event horizon.


    ''Unbelievable!'' He thought as he acted to save his companions.


    As he acted, he felt that the weakest of them, level 86, was already with his body distorted so that he looked like a noodle, which was extremely shocking to see.


    As he looked at that body and got out of there with some difficulty, he felt Minos looking at him defiantly inside that black hole.


    He could not hear Minos'' voice, but he knew that this man was challenging him to stay, that he could only fight inside that black hole, as he himself would not get out of there.


    This man was no fool and quickly left the black hole, appearing back in the Dry City sky, this time with a horrible expression.


    Simultaneously, the four Spiritual Sages next to him were pale, one of them with his body extremely deformed and the other three with only parts of their bodies like this.


    One had both legs turned into something like spaghetti, and the other had only their feet and hands like that.


    Only the Spiritual Demigod had nothing deformed on his body, although he seemed to have spent a significant portion of his powers.


    That had not been spent just for him to escape the black hole. Part of his soul power, something small but remarkable, had been left in Minos'' black hole!


    Because of this developing situation, the elders formerly part of the Gray Clouds Sect and the millions of inhabitants of Dry City were shocked by Minos'' capabilities.


    Their sovereign had, in one move, wiped the smiles off the faces of these arrogant people, making them feel the drama of acting against this place.


    They had no absurd thoughts to think that Minos could defeat a level 90 cultivator. But seeing their sovereign acting so well against someone at that level, many were already proud, feeling fate was on their side.


    Even if Minos were defeated or hid inside the black hole, they would not lose their confidence in him. On the contrary, after what they had just seen, they would be even more confident in the future of their emperor!


    Amidst this, those five individuals looked at each other, while the weakest one there, level 86, was trembling in pain, feeling that person had ruined his body.


    "Damn it! Boss, what is there for us to do? I don''t think we can get Lian''s body back!" One of them said, feeling his situation and imagining that he would lose his hands and feet.


    The Spiritual Demigod looked with hatred at Minos'' black hole and thought of using his strength to crush that individual because of that dangerous action.


    ''The wretch can manipulate space even though he is a Spiritual Saint! I didn''t know that!'' He thought angrily, feeling the effects of ignorance.


    He would never have been surprised if he had known this in advance, and his trusted men would not be seriously injured now!


    But while this level 90 man was thinking about finishing off Minos, suddenly, some wormholes appeared on the outskirts of Dry City.


    By the time this pirate group arrived, unlike Hannah had done, the leader of the Blood Triangle Pirates had destroyed all the defenses on the outskirts of this city with their entry.


    Thus, there were no longer any barriers preventing wormholes from opening to the capital of the Black Plain Empire, allowing even Spiritual Sages to get there.


    Women who were in the Endless Snow Mountain Range area then appeared on the outskirts of Dry City, quickly noticing those five people.


    Those five also noticed the arrival of guests. They looked at the surprised expressions of those women from the Flowers Kingdom, who were shocked to discover those people so angry and some of them injured.


    "Uh? What happened here? Why do they seem to have seen death up close?" A level 85 woman asked aloud,


    "Maybe they really did see it..." Another of the four women who arrived there after hearing an emergency call from Dry City in Laura''s sect said, looking at Minos'' black hole.


    ''This is almost out of control...''


    One of the strongest there then looked at the Spiritual Demigod and said. "Your Excellency, whatever the reason for your visit, I ask that you leave Dry City. It would not be suitable for someone of your status if the news were to run around the Spiritual World that you used your strength to oppress a Spiritual Saint...


    It would not be good at all if your leader had his reputation tarnished by a failed action..."


    The Flowers Kingdom had good relations with the Evergreen Empire and the Spiritual Church. But the people of that kingdom were by no means subservient or unable to say things contrary to the interests of their allies.


    Hearing that from that level 87 woman, the Spiritual Demigod felt humiliated, blaming Minos for all this.


    But with his men injured to an intensity, he didn''t know if they could recover, and Minos hiding in that ''turtle shell,'' he had no choice but to leave.


    ''Damned Minos Stuart! You''ll pay for this!'' He hatefully thought before grabbing his people and leaving Dry City without saying a single word.


    Immediately after his departure, Minos realized what had happened inside the black hole and moved!


    ''I will not forget this day, Blood Triangle Pirates, Evergreen family!''


    ...

 Chapter 1604 Time To Go

    Making up his mind about what to do, Minos used his abilities to the best of his ability as he took a low-level grade-4 array to contain the power of his black hole.


    With that, that region of space began to shrink in size soon after revealing his body to the women of the Flowers Kingdom, while the mirrored sphere in his hand contained the power of that region of space.


    That Black Hole Bomb was so strong that even the strongest of those women felt a little threatened by it, frowning as she didn''t expect Minos to be so capable already.


    Somehow or another, this guy had found a way to get rid of a Spiritual Demigod and still injure four Spiritual Sages, three high-level and one mid-level.


    This was impressive!


    At the same time, that weapon was valuable in the hands of Emperor Stuart, who these women knew could use such a thing to create cultivation halls in his state.


    ''It seems that the Black Plain has gained something from this...'' One of them considered, putting aside the bitterness that had been generated this day.


    Meanwhile, Minos finished containing the power of that region of space, producing something that would soon help him create cultivation rooms for Spiritual Sages to train outside the Spatial Kingdom.


    But Minos had already noticed those women from the Flowers Kingdom and quickly went to where they were.


    "Thank you for coming to my city to help me, flower warriors." He said in a sincere tone. "Today, my city suffered at the hands of these pirates, so I will not forget the support."


    "That is nothing, Your Majesty." The strongest one there said. "We haven''t even done anything. Your Majesty is already quite strong and made a Demigod run, haha."


    "Hmm, that guy was boiling with rage." The other women commented briefly to Minos, not long afterward departing back to their posts in the empire.


    They didn''t care about Minos'' plans and the trouble he would get into because of such people. Their partnership with him was limited to help like this, and they would not be involved in anything else.


    Hence, soon Minos was at the side of his high-level elders, with whom he had plenty to talk about right now.


    "Elders, prepare yourselves, I will soon be leaving on a journey outside the empire, so I will leave the state under your care." He said seriously, with a dark expression.


    Those people already knew about the possibility of Minos going in search of what that map in the Spatial Kingdom led to if something happened to those people from the Blood Triangle Pirates or even the Spiritual Church.


    Considering what had just happened, they did not question Minos about whether it was appropriate for him to go ahead with these dangerous plans.


    His grandmother, level 79, then asked him. "When will you be leaving? Who will you be taking with you?"


    "I will leave as soon as possible. In a week at most, the time needed to get everything organized." He said. "I intend to go alone, so I leave no trace of my movements.


    In any case, I don''t believe you will have much trouble in my absence. The pressures from the Church will continue as they are now, but without the risk of battles. As for this group, their problem is with me, and after today, I believe it will be a while before they move again."


    Minos judged that these people from the Blood Triangle Pirates would try to analyze his strength before moving again. At the same time, they had seen women from the Flowers Kingdom on the Black Plain, which could hinder them from acting.


    In the short term, nothing should happen.


    But he couldn''t be sure if it would stay that way in a few months, so he wanted to act as quickly as possible.


    After months, the enemy group would certainly try new strategies to get at him!


    "What if they attack us in the meantime?" Someone there asked, feeling unsure about the threat of Spiritual Demigods.


    Minos reassured his people. "That won''t happen. The Blood Triangle Pirates are subordinates of the Evergreen family, of which Calvert is a part. They can''t damage the structures of our state and wipe out the potential of the faction they want to absorb.


    That would be like giving up Gloria''s faction, something that doesn''t make sense now."


    Minos knew that the big Church factions in that state were interested in his and Gloria''s faction because of the Black Plain. Therefore, the better that state was, the further that faction could go and the better it would be for one of them to absorb it.


    Damaging the structures of that state would be foolish on that group''s part.


    Minos continued. "But it is true that there are risks. They may change their position in the future. So I will settle my affairs as quickly as possible."


    The people there agreed to this, feeling less pressured by the threat of 10th-stage cultivators.


    But that was only a temporary relief. They knew that.


    ''We must urgently advance to the 9th stage...''


    Many of them thought about it, clenching their fists in determination.


    "What will we do about the Spatial Kingdom?" One of the elders asked, speaking very low, as there were no more defenses over Dry City now.


    Minos looked at that person and said to everyone there, "I will not take, nor bring people there now that we are without the arrays destroyed by these people. So those here will stay in the empire while I travel."


    "How will we make progress, Your Majesty? It will be difficult for people like me to progress outside of there..." An elder said this.


    Minos then commented. "No. With this Black Hole Bomb, the cultivation room where it will stay will be able to help even level 86 cultivators, so for you, level 78 and 79 people, cultivating in such a place won''t be like cultivating in the other special rooms in my state."


    "Oh?"


    The people there felt relieved, but not only that, happy because even in the presence of Minos, for some periods, part of them could not go to the Spatial Kingdom because they had to fulfill duties in the empire.


    But with a cultivation room capable of enabling their advancement to the 9th stage outside the Spatial Kingdom, where they could train even in Minos'' absence, they couldn''t help but smile in satisfaction.


    With that said, Minos and those people dispersed while the local population began to comment on the local events, slowly spreading the rumor about their leader''s strength.


    In a matter of days, the event involving Minos and a Demigod would spread throughout the entire territory, creating yet another legend about the emperor.


    In the meantime, Minos would focus on resolving matters crucial to his departure, again preparing his state for his absence.


    This time he knew absolutely nothing about what might happen on his journey, leaving in search of the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus, something he didn''t know where it was, nor what kind of problems would arise on his way.


    So he needed to prepare himself and could not leave immediately!


    As for the map of that place, it would not take him long to pick it up in the Spatial Kingdom without drawing the attention of his watcher from the Eastern Empire.


    Thus, the time had finally come for him to solve the mystery behind that item!

 Chapter 1605 New Destiny

    A week after the confrontation of Minos and the level 90 Spiritual Demigod...


    Minos was at this moment inside a black hole he had just created, using this method to hide his tracks from the Eastern Empire''s Spiritual Sage or anyone else who was watching him.


    Minos could control his black holes so he, his clothes, artifacts, and small things not be absorbed by the singularity. Because of these characteristics, he could come and go from the Spatial Kingdom and take strange actions without the risk of being noticed.


    Outside the black hole, all that an observer could see and feel was darkness and the absence of spiritual signs. So he had traveled to get this map in his hands in the Spatial Kingdom and was now doing what he should to begin his new journey.


    Minos cut the tip of one of his fingers with his low-level grade-4 sword, then allowed a drop of his blood to fall onto that ancient piece of cloth.


    That map showed a former area of the Evergreen Empire, but that was a floating island that had been abandoned, so its location should no longer be in that state, as innocent people might think.


    So Minos couldn''t just use that map in the traditional way, heading for the vicinity of that state.


    He followed the procedure he had learned from one of the women of the Flowers Kingdom to get the key to the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus.


    Following his drop of blood coming into contact with that fabric, suddenly, the impurities on it repelled. At the same time, a red glow appeared all over that thing.


    Meanwhile, a large amount of energy from Minos'' black hole singularity was absorbed by that thing, causing this emperor to frown as he noticed the power of that item.


    ''That must be at least a medium-level grade-4 artifact!'' He pondered, finally realizing the quality of that map, which was also a key to something.


    Then, amidst the absorption of energy and its intense glow, that thing changed color, turning golden, until a beam of light shot toward Minos'' body.


    That beam was not evil and only contained what was necessary for one to be able to access the location that this map led to. So Minos didn''t back down and accepted that spiritual key into his mind.


    Simultaneously, the map''s fabric turned into countless pieces, activating something that made Minos feel like he was entering an illusion.


    He found himself in a quiet place, with clouds covering almost all the surroundings and water coming up to his heels.


    A tall, muscular man dressed in all-black clothing stood with his back to him, his face slightly turned to the side, revealing part of his face.


    He looked handsome, with a sharp appearance. Still, the serious expression on his face made it difficult to consider him friendly.


    He then said. "You are late... Perhaps I am no longer in this world."


    Minos frowned his eyebrows and asked. "Who are you? What is the meaning of this?"


    "I am the one who created this map, Maximillian Flamen. By all means, hurry up. Perhaps you can free me before the damned Maximus and his people overtake me."


    "Maximus?" Minos frowned his eyebrow. "Maximus has been dead for a few million years."


    "What?" The figure in Minos'' illusion turned to him before the whole thing disappeared, and Emperor Stuart''s consciousness returned to the interior of that black hole.


    After that, he saw all the fabric of the map disappear, but right after that, he began to feel something in his mind, like something calling to him.

 Chapter 1606 Calamity Foretold

    ?


    After reaching Vogel''s border with the first kingdom of the eastern region, Minos used his spatial manipulation skill again and made a wormhole capable of placing him within that state.


    He could erase the traces of his wormhole due to his Soul Avatar technique, which made it impossible for those chasing him to know where he had gone, and for those near his destination to find out where he had left from.


    Minos did not want people watching him previously to know what he was doing or to notify individuals high up in their forces exactly where he was going.


    At the same time, he wanted to prevent people in the states he would be passing through from now on from knowing who he was and spreading the information that he was traveling through this region.


    In this way, he used his abilities to hide his tracks while he already had a low-level grade-4 item covering his spiritual fluctuations. Meanwhile, he was manipulating his appearance with his Spiritual Saint abilities.


    He now had red hair, blue eyes, a short beard, and a mustache. His body no longer looked as fit as before. He appeared to be a few pounds over his ideal weight, which is rare for cultivators, but possible given some circumstances.


    Minos could also manipulate his voice, so if anyone saw or heard him right now, they would not recognize the young and talented Emperor Stuart.


    With these changes, he reached the first kingdom of the western region, Veora Kingdom, the weakest kingdom of this powerful region.


    But even the weakest state in this area had as its strongest expert someone at level 96!


    So upon arriving in one of the forests of that area, Minos immediately lowered his aura as much as possible, beginning his journey on the ground, not in the skies.


    From there, he would begin his journey to the northern coast of the Western Empire, from where he intended to leave for the Ancestral Sea!


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the capital of the Eastern Empire...


    One of the Travisani family''s high-ranking elders was at this very moment performing his job of keeping an eye on the vital signs of the empire''s most important experts in an area of the imperial palace.


    However, these vital signs were not the only thing that was there to be watched. Amidst the many high-level soul lamps was an array that signaled a certain map of interest to the emperor...


    Precisely that thing that a level 93 elder was watching with squinted eyes at this instant, watching it slowly burn away, disappearing from this world without him being able to do anything about it.


    "Shit! Someone figured out the location of the damn map and gained access to its key!" He shouted after the initial moment of astonishment, then immediately left to notify the emperor of this bad news.


    This man was fast, and knowing he had crucial information, he didn''t underestimate the situation and opened a wormhole to where his leader was without fear of punishment.


    Appearing on that spot, he immediately felt the oppressive aura of Vico Travisani and prostrated before shouting. "Your Majesty, the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus map locator has just burned... Someone has obtained the key to that damned place!"


    Vico immediately opened his eyes when he heard that, not looking at all well at this information.


    "What? How is that possible?" He shouted in surprise, losing some of his poise for an instant, enough to cause storms above his state''s capital, knocking out countless people with his voice that was as resounding as thunder.


    "I don''t know. The locator simply burned out while I was watching it."


    The emperor controlled his anger and shouted. "Daniel, go after it immediately. I want to know who found the damned map and stop them from reaching the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus!"


    A Spiritual Demigod at level 97 willingly heard that and quickly moved, setting off to begin his investigation.


    Meanwhile, that level 99 man was worried, feeling that some faction of the Spiritual Church might get terrible help from it.


    If it happened, the entire continent could be in danger!


    "Shadow guards, I want you to move toward the Evergreen Empire. Keep an eye on the moves of the main factions of the Church and watch what Terence Evergreen is doing." Vico ordered his men.


    After those words, half a dozen people hiding in the shadows at that location in the imperial palace moved, leaving for that state in the southern part of the continent.


    With that done, Vico clenched his fists and called the imperial seer, a level 95 man, one of the few high-level grade-4 seers in the entire Central Continent.


    "Neville, I need your help." He said, drawing the attention of a man dozens of kilometers away from the empire''s capital.


    ''Your Majesty?'' That man, in his home, looked up as he perceived his leader''s call. ''What should I look for?'' He wondered, knowing that his voice could not reach Vico, but that man would be able to receive his mental transmission.


    Vico said, only for him to hear. ''Try to find out where the one with the key to the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus will depart from. Daniel is investigating the matter, so if you need anything, talk to him."


    ''Very well, I''ll start preparing.''


    Trying to predict something like what Emperor Travisani wanted was not simple. It required preparation, as it involved people of high level. After all, this was about something of continental importance, perhaps even worldwide relevance.


    In this case, there was a possibility that the person involved in all this was using defensive artifacts against seers'' visions, which could hinder or even hurt those trying to guess the future.


    As experienced men of the highest levels, they would not rush to try to predict the future without proper preparations!


    So Vico finished his orders and turned his attention back to himself, a little anxious for the first time in centuries.


    ''I hope it all works out... If what''s in that place is found, chaos and wars will cover the continent!'' He thought, remembering what a prophet once told him more than 12,000 years ago.


    At that time, he was far from achieving his current greatness. Still, he heard from a prophet, a seer with extraordinary abilities, able to accurately tell what would happen in the future, about a significant period of chaos in their lands.


    According to the prophet, it would all begin with a revolutionary who would unleash evil on the continent, bringing wars of conquest, power struggles within the Church, and the weakening of most of the Central Continent''s states.


    This weakening would be the precursor to a revolution that would happen next and would decide the fate of not only this continent but the entire Spiritual World!


    As someone who wanted to try to prevent this calamity, who had grown and developed his state for this moment, Vico would do everything in his power to stop this evil from victimizing the continent!

 Chapter 1607 Beast City

    ?


    Two days later...


    After Minos arrived in Veora Kingdom, he tranquility traveled for more than a full day, traversing the outer areas of a prominent local forest.


    There were 9th-stage and even 10th-stage beasts in this state, and Minos had passed close to the territories of several of them and was in the domain of an influential 10th-stage beast. However, he had not drawn their attention as someone traveling while avoiding trouble and keeping his presence discreet.


    Beasts would also not look for trouble with every fly flying in their territories, so other than 8th-stage beings, as was his case, Minos had not had to interact with stronger beings.


    He was passing himself off as a traveling merchant, a more respected type of person among beasts.


    Beasts liked merchants because when they fought humans, they often got useless resources, like spiritual crystals and armor. But even such items could benefit them if kept, for when they met merchants, they could trade these items for medicines, potions, pills, and even tasty food.


    Precisely because of the possibility of trading with this kind of person, beasts, in general, were more friendly to merchants and would not fight unless there were strong reasons to do so if they knew that person''s identity.


    Minos was cleverly using this to his advantage as he traveled through this high-level realm, having identified himself as a merchant on the occasions he was intercepted during these hours of travel.


    Since he had many resources from the Black Plain in his spatial rings, he had been able to do some trading with these beings, avoiding having to show himself.


    Thus he had arrived at this moment without having had to fight and was now traveling alongside two beasts, one level 78 and one level 79.


    Minos had met them this morning and done business with them before hearing from them that there was a clash of high-level beasts on his way and being invited to stop at their tribe.


    When powerful beasts fought, they could make their surroundings tens of kilometers dangerous and would kill anyone who got in their way.


    Since Minos had no alternative but to wait for the conflict ahead to come to a halt, he accepted the invitation of those creatures trying to bring a merchant to their tribe, not just help this human.


    Anyway, Minos was running alongside those two, showing those creatures that despite being at level 77, he could keep up with both of them.


    "Edgar, you are not slow." One of the beasts, in its humanoid form, female, 1.8 meters tall, with large breasts and brown hair, said, smiling.


    On the other hand, the green-haired, 2-meter-tall, muscular man next to them commented. "Despite your appearance, you are quite fast... What''s with that belly of yours? Why do you look overweight being so agile?"


    Minos laughed and said. "About that, I have a genetic condition that makes me have this physique... Even though I''m faster than ordinary level 77 cultivators, I can''t burn those little fats on my belly.


    Anyway, that''s genetics that my parents gave me, and I''m not ashamed of it."


    "Hmm, it''s not good to be ashamed of what you get from your parents. They are our creators." The female beast said, smiling in sympathy at Minos. "Anyway, you''re not so bad. I bet you make a hit with the women being so capable, haha."


    "I kind of do okay..." Minos commented as those two laughed, thinking this was not true.


    As a high-level Spiritual Saint, he would get women if he tried. But those two would hardly think he could do that with women at the same level as him, the most beautiful.


    Because of that, too, those two were nice to him.


    "Anyway, have you ever considered having a date with a beast? I''m sure many races have your physical type within the ideal of beauty." The woman continued talking about this.


    Minos then answered sincerely. "I''m not against it. I just haven''t had the opportunity to do anything cross-species yet... Anyway, at the moment, I''m focused on finishing my trip to the Western Empire."


    "Are you going to sell things there?" The man asked.


    "And also buy," Minos said, looking ahead where there were many spiritual beasts of these two''s race in their tribe.


    "Hmm, that''s good. Do you intend to pass through here on your way back?"


    He answered that green-haired guy. "Maybe. Maybe I''ll use some teleportation item to return directly to my state, the Flaming Empire."


    Minos had already told these two that he was from the Flaming Empire, from a merchant family located near the Flowers Kingdom.


    Because of his proximity to that state, his family had dealings with women from the Flowers Kingdom, and thus he had the resources to travel to that high-level state and trade, even though he was from the Flaming Empire.


    "I see... Well, I wish you good luck on your trip. Now let us introduce you to some members of our tribe. They will love your time here, hehe." The woman said before leading the way through the entrance of the tribe where most of the powerful beasts there were 9th-stage beings, but there were many of them at the 8th stage.


    That place didn''t look like the typical tribe that Minos would find around the northern region or in the eastern region of the Central Continent where Blackrock and the Flaming Empire were. Instead, there was a city not so different from the human towns usually seen around the continent.


    There were streets, carriages, people walking around, and houses for humans, with commerce, in short, what one would expect to find in a human city. But at the same time, there were many beasts around the streets that were built not only for those beasts capable of transforming into humanoid forms but also for their low-level descendants.


    Because of this, most of the beings around the streets of this city in the middle of the forest were beasts, with several specimens of other species besides these two.


    "Edgar, this is our tribe. We have 20,000 members here, and at least a few hundred will want to do business with you."


    "Hmm, as long as the items interest me, I can do business with many." Minos did not run away, feeling that it would be good to be on the side of these beasts to finish his journey through this kingdom easily. "Depending on the situation, as long as someone helps me get to the border with the Western Empire, I can even do a business that doesn''t benefit me at all."


    "Is that so? Good to know. Some of us constantly travel around the coast of the kingdom. So it won''t be hard to find one who is interested."


    After that, they went to a building similar to guild headquarters, where the beasts usually put up notices of merchants passing through this city for their companions to come and try to do business.


    In that place, Minos would soon meet several peak 8th-stage beings with whom he would trade goods, information, and favors!


    ...

 Chapter 1608 Interrogation

    ?


    "So you are from the Flaming Empire?" One of the first level 79 beasts to look for Minos to do business in that tribe asked upon hearing a bit from him. "I didn''t expect to find a merchant coming from that state... Not many of your countrymen come to our kingdom."


    "Hmm, that''s natural. Veora Kingdom is a high-level state that is not at all easy for people from my state to visit or do business. There are no teleportation arrays or wormholes between our states, so many of us don''t risk traveling through a territory where there are so many 9th and 10th stage beings like this." Minos commented in response to that being in humanoid form.


    "And why do you risk yourself doing that?"


    Minos gave an answer that would be good enough to cover his tracks. "This is naturally a risky move on my part, but it''s also how I take advantage of opportunities.


    Currently, the empire has grown quite a bit due to the progress of the Black Plain Empire, our ally. At the same time, invaders from the domains of His Majesty Minos Stuart have been bringing essential resources to our lands, generating what some are already calling a revolution in my state.


    As a merchant with an eye for opportunity, I realized that my competitors would soon expand their actions outside the empire into higher-level states such as the Veora Kingdom. So I took the lead in the initiative and am now traveling through that domain."


    That beast and the two beings I brought Minos to this place saw the logic in his words, not finding it strange that this fellow was putting himself in this situation.


    Minos added. "Now I want to go to the northern coast of the Western Empire, from where I intend to create a business route to my territory. By doing so, I intend to help my relatives and raise the standing of my household to withstand the hardships of the moment."


    "Hmm, why the Western Empire and not our kingdom? Isn''t it too much for someone at your level to trade in two such strong states?" Another beast approached where those four were sitting at the spot where Minos had stopped to do business.


    "About that, I am searching for an acquaintance who lives in the Western Empire. He is part of the Elemental Sect and has promised to help me do business in that state if I ever go there." Minos remembered Elen''s cousin, Luke Nash. "I also want to buy a ship and sail to the west coast of the Black Plain... My family has business there too."


    "Elemental Sect?" That beast, with a pretty female body and blue hair, muttered, considering things she knew. ''It must not be a lie. The Elemental Sect has a long history with Stone Island, part of the Black Plain Empire.''


    "So, Edgar, what are you willing to trade for the medicines you have with you? I heard you have several Saint-grade and hundreds of King-grade medicines to trade, right?" That other beast asked, feeling that there was no longer any reason to distrust this merchant.


    The two beasts that had brought Minos to this place trusted that he was a merchant and not someone trying to disguise himself or bring trouble to them. But other beasts would take precautions when dealing with people like this fellow.


    That was not just because Minos was a merchant but because of what this human had already announced about being willing to do business for a ride to the Western Empire.


    Considering his strength, it made sense that Minos would try to get some help to reach his destination. But that could also be an indication of trouble.


    Beasts were very sincere beings who hated to be used or manipulated into doing things for others. On the other hand, this realm had its rules and was not as open as others.


    In other states, one could enter, do business and leave with relative ease as long as one paid the proper taxes. But in Veora Kingdom, this was not quite the case.


    If someone was connected to the Spiritual Church or was part of another high-level state, he had to be watched and have his entry into the state sent to the royal family.


    At the same time, many royal restrictions were in place to make life difficult for foreigners trying to do business in their state. That served to protect local commerce and centralize the state''s power in the hands of the imperial family.


    Unlike other states around the continent, where the leading family basically shared its power with vassals, this place had a single family ruling the entire territory, with no vassals.


    The only thing that existed in this kingdom besides subordinates of the royalty were tribes of beasts, who provided an observer service for the one big local organization.


    So, after dispelling those beasts'' mistrust, Minos could finally do business. "About that, I have some resources on hand. I am willing to trade them for human combat artifacts of high-level grade-3 and higher.


    I also accept high-grade crystals, and if someone doesn''t have what I''m interested in, I''ll still accept the possibility of that beast or its group escorting me to the border with the Western Empire."


    Minos was on a journey to seek to solve the mystery of the map of the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus but to do so. There were several steps in his path that he needed to complete.


    Case in point, he had to obtain a boat and reach the northern coast of the Western Empire, from where he could depart for the site on the Ancestral Sea. But to do that, he first had to cross Veora Kingdom safely.


    He did not know the powers in that state well, he had a map in hand that was not one of the most accurate, and he was much weaker than those powerful in this realm.


    To avoid being identified as Emperor Stuart and having his journey hindered by his watchers and those interested in this place, he wanted to use the help of these beasts and avoid human cities.


    Because of this, he could not casually travel through wormholes or use teleportation arrays in this state, which were human-dominated means.


    So, since he had to find a way to reach the inconspicuous Western Empire, Minos was taking the opportunity in the meantime to obtain items necessary for the development of his state.


    The Black Plain Empire currently had areas rich in spiritual energy, where resources relevant to their forces would emerge in the future. But it took time for medicines, especially spiritual minerals, to develop.


    So even after the recovery of Dry City''s spiritual root, it would take a while before high-level mineral resources would emerge in the core of that empire.


    So Minos still faced the problem of having less high-level weaponry than cultivators capable of using them.


    It made sense for him to sell in that place for such resources, which could eventually be used by his men or disintegrated by Alina, currently at level 69, to produce new items.


    "Oh? I have some of those items..." The man in front of Minos said, soon after starting to do business with him.


    ...

 Chapter 1609 Getting A Group To Travel

    ?


    "I have 10 weapons and 12 high-level grade-3 armor, and some low-level grade-4 pills." That man in front of Minos said. "I am willing to trade the grade-3 and grade-4 items for 10 King-grade and one Saint-grade medicine."


    Beasts cultivated mainly through food resources. They could not use crystals, as they could not use cultivation techniques. And since the energy in heaven and earth was not so easy to absorb, using food resources was at the base of any beast tribe.


    So they would trade items of little use to them, such as weapons and armor, for this kind of resource.


    However, don''t make a mistake. Even though these beasts didn''t see much value in artifacts, they could fully use weapons and armor.


    That was not normally possible if they were in their bestial forms. Still, they could use the benefits of artifacts when in their humanoid forms.


    However, many beasts didn''t see much use in doing this since their bodies were naturally powerful and hardly needed weapons or armor.


    The skin of most of the beasts of this world was rigid enough to protect them. At the same time, their claws, grouts, teeth, and other body structures were rigid, sharp, or dangerous enough to strike their opponents.


    Hardly a weapon of the same rank as a beast would help them much!


    Since it was hard to get anything of a higher rank, most of them used such things as trade items rather than using them as combat artifacts.


    But there were their exceptions, in the case of beasts with characteristics very focused on defense, offense, or speed. For some races, it could be interesting to have human artifacts in their possession.


    But this was not the case for those around Minos, so most wanted to trade with him.


    He said. "I have to see the condition of the artifacts. But if they are undamaged, I can accept that offer."


    With those words, the two began to discuss the status of the weapons, armor, and pills that man had to trade.


    Minos agreed to keep them as long as he had to give one less King-grade medicine.


    That spiritual beast considered this change in his initial proposal a lot. Yet, after a while, he agreed with that overweight human.


    Minos went on doing business there, sometimes retelling his story, sometimes listening to local stories.


    Veora Kingdom was a state that had a theocracy in power, with many beast tribes supporting the king. However, everywhere, there were those opposed to the leadership of a domain, with grudges and views that were somewhat problematic for local leaders.


    Minos heard about how rigid the king was with his people, enslaving those who went against the chosen of the gods, he, and his family.


    At the same time, the worship of the leading figure in this state was as intense as the worship of the seraphim and the Supreme Pontiff of the Spiritual Church in some of the domains of that organization.


    Crowds worshiped the figure of the local leader and called those opposed to him representatives of evil who should die for the good of the state.


    Because of this mixture of religion and governance, it was highly complicated to act against the king, and this was one of the most closed states on the continent.


    Minos had heard in that tribe about the massacres of the noble families of the ancient dynasty that ruled these lands during the rise of the chosen of the gods. He was impressed by the difference in history that these people had compared to what was known in the northern region about this place.


    But on second thought, he didn''t give the matter much importance, considering that it was natural that the royal family of this state had manipulated the history for its inhabitants.


    ''They probably oppressed everyone opposed to the new history of the kingdom, created laws preventing the real history from being discussed, and also created the cult of the sovereign figure... That must have erased the real history from the popular mentality of this state.'' He considered, having heard some signs of dissatisfaction from some of the beasts of that tribe.


    But it was not his problem if the situation in this kingdom was complicated. He was not a savior and was merely passing through. As such, Minos merely behaved as someone curious to learn about what the locals had to talk about, ignoring the differences between reality and local fantasy.


    After finishing doing business on his first day there, Minos accompanied the two beasts that brought him to this tribe to rest at a local inn.


    The next day, he woke up early and returned to the previous building, where more people would come to meet him to do business.


    After a few resource exchanges, he finally met with a beast that wanted resources but didn''t have things that interested him to trade.


    "Well, there is an alternative for me to give you King and Saint-grade medicines. If you can get me quickly and safely to the border with the Western Empire, I will give you what you asked for."


    That level 79 beast knew that the help he could give Minos was limited to guiding this human through the kingdom. But if there were a battle or something like that, it would be of little help since something capable of threatening someone at this human''s level would also threaten it.


    "I can guide you to the border. I know some alternate routes to get us away from the significant problems there would be if you were traveling alone. But I don''t have someone who can guarantee your safety with me.


    That person, you would have to bear their price on your own." That beast said, indicating to Minos a level 83 beast. "That''s Hermes. I have known it for a long time and know that if you invite it, it will join my group to escort you to the border. But there will be a cost for that, something I can''t afford."


    Minos looked at that purple-haired individual and nodded to the man proposing a deal to him. "I can pay for 2 Saint-grade medicines if Hermes does the job. However, I won''t start paying until halfway through and will only finalize the payment once we reach my destination."


    "Hmm, I''ll see what he thinks about that. If there are no problems, we can leave the day after tomorrow." That beast shook one of Minos'' hands.


    "What about the beast confrontation ahead? Is it over?" Minos questioned, frowning his eyebrows.


    "About that, the two are still fighting, but the tribal elders expect the confrontation to end tomorrow. Both fighting experts are getting tired of the combat...


    Anyway, even if they are still getting weirded out, Hermes can safely get through this area."


    Minos sighed in relief, as he didn''t like the idea of having to stay in one place for a long time, making it easier for those who were supposed to be after him to investigate.


    "Then I''ll wait for its answer."


    Thus, Minos turned his attention to learning more about this state while doing business in that city of beasts.

 Chapter 1610 Power Of Faith

    ?


    Meanwhile, in the capital of Veora Kingdom...


    In the central area of this state, which was only slightly larger in area than Stone Island, was the local power center, where this large family mostly lived.


    Even though they had direct members of their family living all over the state to maintain local order, most of them were obviously in this large city of over 8 million inhabitants.


    In this place, several Spiritual Demigods were stationed, working, keeping watch, or cultivating in seclusion in the royal family''s headquarters or around the city.


    There weren''t many people at this stage of cultivation in the entire kingdom, only 50. But, there were people at every level up to level 96 in this city.


    Among them, the local heir, level 91, was currently standing next to some of his family members, dealing with everyday matters.


    Due to the form of government, his family used in Veora, members of the royal family always took on relevant roles in the state, and it wouldn''t do to have at least a few hundred thousand people under their wing.


    Even though the Veora family was more numerous than one would normally find in families throughout the continent, they were also not as numerous as the descendants of the Mcbride family. As such, there was no shortage of activity for royalty, and one would not see useless princes or princesses locally.


    Case in point, the local heir was at this instant talking to his people about the situation of his neighbors, Black Plain Empire to the north, Flaming Empire to the east, Western Empire to the west, and Mairin to the south.


    "Your Highness, the kingdom''s situation could become more complicated in the coming years." One of the women there with the local heir said, trying to predict what would happen ahead. "The Western Empire seems to be preparing for something. Meanwhile, the Church''s situation with Emperor Stuart has been making the Black Plain Empire strange...


    Some family experts even think this will generate some kind of commotion on the continent."


    "Commotion?" The prince frowned his eyebrows.


    His state had already communicated with the Black Plain Empire, as that state had already shown itself to be quite capable and with a minimally promising future ahead. So even his powerful family was no longer ignorant of Minos, and both kept informed about this state and already had contact and business there.


    But this man did not believe a situation in the northern region could cause a continent-wide commotion!


    That, to him, was an exaggeration!


    That woman explained what she and family experts saw in the problem. "This is not because of the growth of the Black Plain Empire but because of the powers involved. The Spiritual Church and the Evergreen family seem very interested in that area.


    There are also reports that the Flowers Kingdom is very close to Emperor Stuart''s state and his alliance with the Flaming Empire."


    As much as the Flaming Empire was not a worry-level state, it was strategically positioned in the Central Continent. It bordered virtually every region on the continent and was an essential passage for people traveling across the continent.


    At the same time, it had a significant population, which higher-level states placed great importance on.


    The reason for this? Something called faith.


    Anyway, the state of Harold was a means for Church troops to reach this kingdom, and naturally, the local forces kept their attention on this area.


    That woman finished her speech. "Because of the increased movement of Spiritual Sages in these two states, with even some Demigods showing themselves there, this could bring about major changes before long!"


    One of the cousins of the local heir then said. "Your Highness, the situation in the northern region may well decide some critical things for the kingdom.


    For example, our plans against the Church could be greatly undermined if your group continues to develop through the domains of the Stuart Emperor."


    Hearing this, the prince became more serious, knowing that the future of his state depended on it.


    His state was a theocracy. As such, it opposed the Spiritual Church and had plans to keep its population loyal to its leaders.


    But this could be threatened if they had that organization even closer to their domains, growing in the northern region, where the population was getting stronger and stronger.


    There was a possibility of cultivating the figure of the leaders in the Spiritual World. And the stronger that leader''s followers were, the better the benefits to those people.


    But faith was somewhat complicated. It wasn''t enough for one to gather hundreds of millions of devotees. They also couldn''t allow others to have too much faith in them nearby. Otherwise, this would nullify one''s gains.


    It was like a mountain having two leaders. It wouldn''t work, one of the two would have to perish, or neither could flourish to their full potential.


    In the Spiritual World, there were only a few ''spaces'' for people who gathered faith in themselves, so it was in the interest of each group battling for it to ward off or lessen the gains of their opponents.


    The Spiritual Church was the largest hoarder of faith around its leader in the entire Central Continent. So the best way to act against it and benefit in this matter in the present times would be to prevent this organization from gaining an advantage in the northern region, a growing place in terms of population and spiritual strength.


    Since it was in this prince''s interest to diminish the faith of the inhabitants of the northern region in the Church, he couldn''t help but worry about the local situation in the empire of Minos.


    "Let''s send some people to Dry City. If Emperor Stuart is willing, we will help him counter the actions of the Evergreen Empire forces as long as he doesn''t sell out to the Church in the future." He said to his group.


    "If we help his group, maybe we can get something in that region..." The wife of the First Prince said, smiling, as there were over 3 billion people currently under Minos'' sphere of influence.


    These 3 billion were weak, but still, the faith of 10% of them would already be equivalent to the faith power they could accumulate if their state grew by 30%, something practically impossible to happen.


    ...


    Meanwhile, the king of this state was dealing with matters of a higher level than his first son.


    King Veora was with his right-hand man, the supreme elder of the family, walking through a courtyard of the royal palace.


    The two had worried expressions on their faces, making their middle-aged faces look uglier than usual.


    The supreme elder of that family said. "Emperor Travisani is moving. Something urgent and of great importance is happening in the Eastern Empire."


    "I wonder what has happened? I heard that he had been keeping calm lately." The king commented, not understanding what could make the strongest man on the continent become anxious.


    He knew that something was happening, but he didn''t know what it was. Because of this, he was naturally nervous since not knowing things was highly uncomfortable.


    "I don''t know, but I believe that soon the Spiritual Church or the Western Empire will show us the emperor''s concern." This gray-haired fellow said, sensing that a storm was brewing near them.

 Chapter 1611 Complicated Investigation

    ?


    Three more days passed...


    After those days, Minos finally settled with a group of beasts to escort him to this kingdom''s border with the Western Empire.


    He had finished doing business locally and would leave this afternoon for his journey with the beasts he had talked to earlier.


    After arranging with that group and the Spiritual Sage who would protect them on the journey, Minos had to wait these days because of the battle of powerful beasts nearby and an unforeseen issue that had arisen for one of the beasts in his group.


    However, with such a thing settled the night before, he was already confident he would leave that city of beasts this day!


    ...


    "Edgar, good luck on your journey. I hope you can return here with more items for us to trade." A level 79 beast said while standing in its humanoid form, eating something like a carrot. "Your resources are of great quality."


    Minos smiled and thanked that creature for its words, who had been doing business with him during these days.


    Then he saw some of the creatures he had interacted with waving their heads, paws, and hands at him, saying goodbye as he and the group that would escort him departed that location.


    Meanwhile, the beast that would be securing the group asked Minos. "Edgar, do you want to go around the kingdom getting to know the area, or do you want to go straight to your destination?"


    Usually, Minos would choose to go slowly. But being pressed to settle this matter and not be tracked by his watchers, he preferred the second alternative. "If it were up to me, I would already be in the Western Empire."


    "Well, that will be better." That fellow said, feeling that his job could be made significantly easier. "Then let''s cut through the path. I''ll take you to an area of the local coast first, and from there, we''ll travel most of the way."


    If it were in a ''weak'' state like the Black Plain Empire and the Flaming Empire, this group of Minos would be unnecessary, as they could go directly to the border via wormholes.


    But this was only possible in that region as there were not many Spiritual Sages around the area and no Demigods.


    With the presence of these experts in Veora Kingdom, it was dangerous to travel through wormholes all over the state.


    It was not in the king''s interest to have experts traversing his state without identifying themselves. So local Spiritual Sages could interfere with these trips. Another problem was local fights, which could even affect space.


    Blows from experts above level 80 could affect space and parts of them could even hit independent wormholes.


    Another problem was someone using this method of travel and ending up in an area where stronger cultivators were fighting.


    Anyway, there were several problems with using this means of travel without caution in powerful states, which is why Minos hadn''t chosen to travel alone via this alternative.


    That was also why those beings beside Minos were surprised by the words of the strongest among them.


    "Won''t that be a problem?" One of them asked.


    "Not at all." That Spiritual Sage replied. "I will take us to the vicinity of where my master died. There is a powerful aura there that drives away curious and bold beings looking for trouble.


    So there should be no problem for us to continue our journey from there."


    "Hmm, fine." Minos agreed while the others followed its lead, feeling that there would be no trouble since the master of this being was a level 90 Demigod before it perished.


    So it used its spatial manipulation skills and opened a wormhole, from which Minos soon entered alongside those beasts in his group.


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, Minos and his groupmates reached the shore of Veora Kingdom, where they immediately came upon a peaceful place but where there was a terrible aura.


    Minos and the other Spiritual Saints frowned upon sensing this. Still, the Spiritual Sage soon took action, taking a pendant from its storage item.


    After picking that up, the aura about them diminished, and it said. "That is my master''s aura. Anyone who wants to access its remains must overcome such a thing."


    Demigods were so strong that even after death, they could leave part of themselves behind for long amounts of time and strong enough to frighten those weaker.


    Minos knew this very well because of Henricus Longus and the inheritances of the God of Death and the Goddess of Life.


    The others there opened their mouths in astonishment but accepted such a thing, longing to one day be able to reach the level of this expert.


    The Spiritual Sage then pointed the way for them to follow, where they soon began to run, not daring to fly through the local skies.


    Everyone there was an expert, considering what the population of this continent considered the minimum for someone to be considered such. But locally, they were still weaker than thousands of people around the state, so they had to be careful.


    The slightest mistake and they could attract the will of a superior being and die without a chance to defend themselves!


    So they began the journey that they would have to travel for at least the next whole day until they reached the border with the Western Empire.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Minos'' watchers, people from the Eastern Empire, Spiritual Church, and Blood Triangle Pirates, searched for him in the Flowers Kingdom and Flaming Empire.


    After Minos'' sudden departure from the Black Plain Empire, they started investigating this fellow for that state but soon found that he didn''t seem to be anywhere.


    So they quickly began investigating his whereabouts in those two states, which were recently close to his state.


    Rosser, Albano, and Blackrock were still for them to investigate, and these people would eventually search for Minos in those places. But for the moment, they were in those other two states, nervously searching for traces of the Stuart Emperor.


    For the first time in years, he had acted suspiciously, evading their observation, leaving no trace, and surprising everyone with his abilities.


    Even though they were Spiritual Sages, none of their observers could tell where Minos had gone just by the spatial cracks left by him after his escape!


    And so, all the organizations behind these observers were already aware of Minos'' disappearance and trying to understand its reasons.


    But no one was connecting this action to the map of the Ancient Sarcophagus of the Seraphim, so nothing major had been ordered as yet.


    In the midst of this, the high-level factions of the Spiritual Church continued their usual pressure on the forces of Minos and Gloria, with no change in their plans.

 Chapter 1612 Imprisonment Of The Emperor

    ?


    In the capital of the Evergreen Empire...


    In the imperial palace, the emperor stood before the level 90 man who had returned defeated from the Black Plain.


    The emperor had already heard about the defeat of the Blood Triangle Pirates group in Minos'' domain. Still, due to the situation of those men, trying to recover from their losses, he had not yet met them.


    But now, less than two weeks after the events in Dry City, the leader of that pirate group was there to report on the recent events with Minos personally.


    "... And that is what happened, Your Majesty." That man, once majestic in front of Minos, said humbly, with his aura shy.


    The emperor remained silent for some time, watching that man as he associated this subordinate''s account with what he had recently heard from Calvert.


    He then said. "So Minos Stuart refused to work for your group, and now he is disappeared..."


    "There was nothing we could do, Your Majesty. The brat Minos hid inside one of those black holes of his. Unfortunately, with my strength, I couldn''t last long inside that thing...


    I fear that in such a region of space, only people stronger than me and my men can act against him." He said, ashamed of his incompetence in front of a young Spiritual Saint.


    But there was nothing to be done. Minos was an abnormality, and it was not this man''s fault.


    At most, he was guilty of being negligent, but the emperor could not blame this subordinate for Minos'' unusual talents.


    He added. "As for the disappearance of the brat Minos, it will be tricky to find him, Your Majesty. The damned can manipulate space and can travel through wormholes.


    So finding him would be difficult even for me."


    "He can manipulate space, eh? That''s really impressive, I must say." The emperor muttered, remembering no one in human history with such an ability.


    But innate abilities, fusions, and other mystical characteristics of cultivators still had their mysteries, even for high-level cultivators.


    Anything was possible in the Spiritual World!


    So this man, although impressed, gave no more importance than he normally would to the talents of a level 77 youth.


    He said. "Well, I won''t punish you this time. Just redo your work and plan ways to show Minos Stuart his place. But, in the meantime, I want you to join Calvert''s group in searching for the tracks of this little fellow.


    I''m not going after him myself because I''ll soon be moving up a level. But, in any case, talk to Elder Thomas for any developments on the matter. He will handle your organization in my absence."


    That level 90 man clenched his fists as he felt anticipation in his heart. "Will Your Majesty advance to level 99?"


    "I hope so. I have already been at the peak of level 98 for four thousand years, but I have finally reached what is necessary to attempt an advancement. So I must remain in seclusion for the next few years.


    In a decade or two, I will return."


    "This subordinate wish Your Majesty success!" That man prostrated himself before saying he would do his best and communicate with Thomas.


    With his departure, the emperor finished his business. He went to his family''s Spatial Kingdom, intending not to return until he advanced to level 99.


    ...


    In Emperor Evergreen''s absence, Thomas Evergreen, the emperor''s brother, level 97, was already in place to handle the most important matters of that state.


    Right now, he was standing next to Prince Calvert and the heir to the empire, communicating to these brothers about the emperor''s situation.


    "Your Highnesses, His Majesty has gone into seclusion in the family''s Spatial Kingdom and has temporarily left me in charge of his most relevant duties. In the meantime, I hope you will cooperate to share some of his minor responsibilities." That man, who seemed to be in his middle age, over 16,000 years old, said to the two relatively young men in front of him.


    Calvert and the heir to the empire nodded in agreement, not so surprised by their father''s move since something like this was already expected.


    They had their factions within the Church, but the older one had no interest in becoming the leader of this organization but rather in taking over his father''s functions. So even though they belonged to different factions, they had no great rivalry.


    Ducan, the emperor''s eldest son and current Supreme Pontiff of the Spiritual Church, would take care of the empire''s defenses if anything happened, so neither of these two was worried about their father''s departure.


    Calvert then said. "Has he given any orders that we should pay attention to?"


    "No. Just continue what you were already doing." Thomas said before looking at the local heir. "But you need to watch the Blood Triangle Pirates group. It seems that Minos Stuart has beaten the crap out of some of the high-ranking members of that group."


    "I heard about that." The Second Prince commented. "But what does my father think about it? Minos is missing, and no one has any idea where he is.


    Even the men from the western region watching him are lost."


    "Just continue the investigations and eventually relay the information to me. I will deal with it when the time comes."


    "Will you move?" Calvert frowned his eyebrows. "Uncle Thomas, don''t forget that Minos is important to our plans, or the damned Ducan will pass on the power in the Church to someone outside the family."


    Ducan belonged to the Evergreen family initially. So he would defend that state and that imperial house if he had to. But he had grudges against his old father and some high-ranking organization members.


    Because of that, he had chosen one of his disciples, someone originally belonging to a noble family in the empire, not someone from the imperial house.


    That displeased many members of the Evergreen family, but given Ducan''s power, his powerful faction, and his history with the family, few spoke against him locally.


    But that man''s younger brothers were not afraid to call the respected Supreme Pontiff a curse or other names.


    Thomas sighed and said. "I know. We won''t debilitate Minos to the point of ending his potential. But he needs to suffer a little before he serves us."


    ...


    Meanwhile, Minos and his group had already traversed a long portion of Veora Kingdom in the previous hours when they came across something that caught Emperor Stuart''s attention.


    As they were passing through a forest in that state, amid their group''s rest, Minos suddenly saw from afar a set of three chariots with a symbol he knew.


    Upon seeing that, he stood up from where he was sitting and frowned, remembering something that had happened several years ago in the ancient Kingdom of Waves.


    "The symbol of the Goddess of Life?" He muttered upon seeing that, drawing the attention of his fellow beasts in that direction.


    "Are they related to the Goddess of Life?" Minos wondered before deciding to approach that group.


    ...

 Chapter 1613 Descendants Of The Goddess Of Life?

    ?


    "What is it, Edgar? Do you happen to know those people?" One of the beasts on Minos'' side asked as he watched those carriages passing not far from them.


    Minos was silent for a moment while the others waited for his answer. But he would soon decide to set off in the direction of that group of traveling people, and then he said. "I''m not sure, but that symbol belongs to someone who helped me in the past... So I would like to approach them to find out more."


    "Oh? Are you sure about that?" Hermes asked, feeling this might create problems for their trip, which shouldn''t take more than a few hours to finish.


    He would do as Minos said since he would be well paid for this service. But he would prefer to finalize this matter with ''Edgar'' as soon as possible.


    He said. "If we get involved with them, our trip could end up being delayed for days."


    Minos did not want to be delayed and said. "I will only try to get information. I don''t intend to visit or connect meaningfully with them now."


    "All right then." That beast liked what it heard and said. "But let''s approach with caution. There is a level 85 Spiritual Sage among them."


    "OK."


    Everyone else agreed before properly approaching that group of people traveling.


    In the Spiritual World, especially in forests, one should never suddenly approach another person or group of people. If the interest was to communicate peacefully, that individual or group had to show themselves at a distance from their target and clarify their peaceful intentions.


    Those individuals and Minos did that, soon drawing the attention of the group traveling nearby.


    Inside one of those carriages was the level 85 Spiritual Sage, along with three other people who looked much younger than him.


    One was a level 80 man, while the other two were women, one level 81 and one level 83. They all looked good, despite the serious expressions on their faces.


    Meanwhile, in the surroundings were 8th-stage beasts pulling their carriages and cultivators of this cultivation stage doing small service. Besides those weaker beings in the surroundings, the rest were Spiritual Sages, serving as guards for this group.


    Then that level 85 man said to the three people before him. "A group of spiritual beasts and a human are approaching us. They seem to want to communicate with us."


    The three in front of that man frowned, and the man asked. "Have we been discovered?"


    "Impossible!" The weaker woman said. "How would the damned Veora family members identify us so quickly?"


    Then the middle-aged fellow, level 85, said. "I don''t believe this is related to the royal family. That group would not behave the way they are doing if they were."


    "But..."


    "We will meet with them, Young Miss. In any case, we have already been seen by them." The other woman commented to the one at level 81.


    After a few moments, they agreed to this when Minos and those beasts were already only 100 meters away.


    They got out of that carriage while the guards in the surrounding area positioned themselves to fight if necessary.


    Then these people looked toward Hermes, the strongest of that group, and Minos, the human who might be there to cause them trouble.


    The level 85 man shouted, asking. "Who are you? What do you want by approaching my group?"


    Minos stepped forward and answered these people''s questions. "Friends, we wish you no harm. My name is Edgar Wade. I am a merchant from the Flaming Empire."


    "Edgar? What do you want with us? We do not wish to do business." That man said, not letting the people he had to protect talk so as not to risk it.


    Minos said. "I am traveling to the Western Empire with the guide of these friends I have made in this state... However, as we traveled, I saw the symbol on your carriages and armor."


    The men in the surrounding area had a small blue symbol, similar to the one on Abby''s staff, the symbol of the Goddess of Life.


    He then asked. "I know that symbol. It belonged to the Goddess of Life. Do you have any relation to this ancient specialist? I heard an interesting story in my travels that might interest you."


    Those people clenched their fists and narrowed their eyes as they realized that Minos had connected them to the Goddess of Life by that long-forgotten symbol.


    Besides their family members, no one else in this world should be able to identify the correct origin of this symbol!


    Even their enemies no longer knew anything about it, and the name Goddess of Life was no longer something any 8th-stage person would know about. Only their highest-level enemies could associate it with their family!


    They then became more defensive, doubting that Minos was from the Flaming Empire.


    "Who do you represent?" The level 81 woman brandished, showing her aura to those in Minos'' group.


    Meanwhile, the guards became more alert, preparing to fight if necessary.


    Minos smiled and said. "I represent no one but myself. But the lady should not worry about that. I have no relation to any power with interest against you. I only have an interest in keeping as many doors open as possible.


    I heard a story in the Black Plain Empire about an inheritance left by this expert. Some lucky cultivators supposedly found such a thing, changing their lives.


    But it seems that the Goddess of Life had left behind something for her descendants, something that these people should help pass on to the heirs of her lineage..." He lied.


    "Inheritance?" Those three next to the level 85 man murmured, their eyebrows arching.


    They could not believe that such a thing had been found!


    Their family no longer had the same surname as that woman. But they had managed to preserve the history of the Goddess of Life among the most important members, even after changing their surnames three times over the last million years.


    After the Great Migration, they searched countless times for the inheritance of the Goddess of Life. But none of them had been able to find her, and after that, they had given up on any kind of help that woman could have left for them.


    The Goddess of Life had gone through a tragedy in her time and lost all the people of her village to the men of the God of Death. She even believed that she had lost her lineage since she had had no children in her time.


    However, people with her family lineage had survived that calamity unbeknownst to her and continued the genes of such an expert''s family!


    Minos said. "Yes, supposedly these people are very grateful, but until today they don''t know about possible relatives of that woman...


    Sigh... Do you guys have the same blood as her? Or did you just wear her symbol?"


    The level 85 man kept those three silent and took the reins of the situation. "Young man..."

 Chapter 1614 Attracting Interest

    ?


    "Young man, why are you so interested in this? What difference does it make to you whether we are related to this person?"


    Minos heard that question and answered. "It''s nothing. I just got curious. I''m a fan of ancient history, and knowing about that expert, I couldn''t help but associate you with her... But if you are not related to her, excuse my intrusion. I just said things I shouldn''t have."


    The three youths in that group looked strangely at Minos, feeling that as much as his words seemed true, he seemed to be hiding something.


    ''What exactly does he want? Why did he intercept us just for that?'' The level 81 woman wondered.


    However, even though it was strange, considering the strength of Minos'' group, the strongest ones there couldn''t help but consider that there was a high possibility that his words were true.


    After all, if Minos were an enemy who had just identified them, the correct reaction would be to follow them silently after sending a notification to his forces. However, this person had chosen to show himself and introduce himself to them, getting right to the point with a matter crucial to them.


    In this case, they judged that there was more chance that Minos was a fool who had just taken a chance for his own curiosity than an opponent trying to deceive them.


    Minos said. "In any case, it really makes no difference. So if there''s nothing more to discuss, I''ll depar..."


    "Wait a moment." That level 85 fellow shouted. "Since you''ve come to us, why don''t you stay a little longer? We are not related to the Goddess of Life but know her history and symbol.


    We are interested to hear the stories you have heard about this expert. If it''s not too much to ask, could you tell us about it while we eat? Is that okay?"


    The group of these people was much stronger than Minos''. So that person didn''t need to ask their opinion for them to stay. But as someone who still hadn''t decided whether this red-headed, overweight man was a liability or had helpful information to them, this expert had decided to give this ''Edgar'' guy a chance to talk more.


    If his information matched what his family had only kept between its members, this man wouldn''t mind releasing Minos and his group without problems.


    But if these people proved suspicious, he would not hesitate to kill them!


    The beasts beside Minos, especially the Spiritual Sage, didn''t like that at all, feeling that they would be in danger if they went that way.


    But their leader responded to that expert''s ''invitation.'' "That''s not a problem. As a merchant, I love to chat while eating, hahaha."


    Minos took a few steps forward and greeted that Spiritual Sage, surprising everyone from his group and the other people there.


    The level 85 man pressed one of Minos'' hands while thinking to himself, ''Let''s see what you have, Edgar.''


    After a few moments, as the beasts beside Minos stood silently, watching the surroundings intently, he and that level 85 man began to eat and talk.


    The other humans in the area, members of that group descended from the family of the Goddess of Life, were not eating either, too nervous about the situation to be hungry.


    But Minos was not bothered and soon began his story. "I first heard of the Goddess of Life from an extinct group formerly known as the Scourges of the Devil. They worshiped the figure of the God of Death, the great enemy of the Goddess of Life.


    However, little did they know that their headquarters had been built in a shrine of followers of the Goddess of Life."


    "Oh? There was such a group in the northern region?" The stronger man there asked, noting that Minos knew quite a bit about the Goddess of Life, even though the Spiritual Church had largely erased her history.


    Few knew about the Goddess of Life and the God of Death in the Central Continent, and the numbers of those who knew about the enmity of the two were even smaller. So ''Edgar'' knowing this indicated that he was privy to many things that one would usually not be able to access.


    Minos continued. "Yes, and the one who supposedly accessed the inheritance of the Goddess of Life got the location of the inheritance from this group.


    Through that, they were taken to the territory formerly belonging to the Kingdom of Waves, where the village of the Goddess of Life was located in the remote past."


    When Minos said this, those three individuals, nobles of the family descended from the relatives of the Goddess of Life, couldn''t help but open their eyes in amazement, noticing that ''Edgar'' knew the location of their village.


    The Goddess of Life''s village had been annihilated, but a few relatives of the Goddess of Life were not around then. After all, the Spiritual World was too big for an entire family to stay in the same place all the time!


    Through these survivors, that family''s lineage has endured to the present day.


    But given the mishaps of fate, those relatives of the Goddess of Life had never been able to see her again in life, having at most heard of her great deeds and worshipped her figure.


    Hearing of the location of their former tribe, they were surprised, for their ancestors had tried to explore that area in the past, looking for possible items left by her.


    Unfortunately, at the time, they were weak and had problems with the region''s level, which was still quite strong at the time. They also had not found the key to that place underground in the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Waves, having given up looking for that woman''s heirlooms long afterward.


    After the weakening of that region, a lot of looting and searching for treasure happened. That had made the family members at that time think that what might have been left behind had already been taken, finally putting aside their hopes of getting something through the Goddess of Life.


    Hearing from Minos that there had even been an inheritance from that woman all this time, and she was in the place where her family had been raised, those people couldn''t help but be surprised.


    The eyes of the level 85 man were trembling as he asked. "Who obtained this inheritance? Do you know what kind of treasure this person got?"


    Minos laughed internally and said. "I don''t know what they got. But I do know that Emperor Stuart and one of his wives managed to enter the independent space created by that woman, where they succeeded in their journey to gain her inheritance."


    "Emperor Stuart?"


    "That Minos Stuart?"


    The people in the area, including the beasts, were interested to hear about this troublesome young man who had appeared on the continent recently.


    Not everyone knew about Minos'' latest accomplishments. Still, even ordinary people in the Central Continent had heard about him once or twice.


    For people at their levels, they had heard even more detailed information, so everyone there knew Minos'' name.


    "Yes, I heard the story from the Stuart family a few years ago... He is an important ally of the empire, after all." ''Edgar'' said, smiling.


    ...

 Chapter 1615 The Future

    ?


    ''Minos Stuart?'' The level 85 man kept that name in his mind, feeling he should visit the Black Plain Empire.


    Only through this could he and his family recover some of the items left by his ancestor to rebuild this decaying family.


    At the time of the Goddess of Life, her survivors had been lucky not only to survive the calamity that struck their village. They had also managed to reach a place on the continent that was relatively peaceful at the time and had good opportunities.


    Because of that, they survived, and their descendants, who were as talented or more talented than their parents, developed the family to thousands of years later have even Demigods in their ranks.


    They were low-level 10th-stage cultivators, and in their time, the Goddess of Life had already disappeared from the world, having died in her attempt to advance stages. But they were powerful enough to make their family relevant and endure to the present day.


    However, after the rise of the Veora family hundreds of thousands of years ago, this family had gone through its last great crisis, having since lost much of its past prestige.


    Currently, the strongest of them was this level 85 man in front of Minos, one of the leaders of one of the few subordinate families of this Goddess of Life lineage that still existed.


    The others in the surrounding area were mainly subordinates as well, with the only ones related to the Goddess of Life being those three ''youngsters.''


    They belonged to generation 201, starting from the cousins of the Goddess of Life who had survived then!


    Thinking about the future of those three, that man could not put aside the lines of ''Edgar,'' who, at the moment, he no longer thought was lying or taking a chance on them.


    "So Emperor Stuart got this inheritance..."


    "No wonder his people are so strong!"


    "Yes, if it weren''t for our ancestry, they wouldn''t be so great!"


    "We must search for what belongs to us, elder!"


    The men in the surrounding area exclaimed while the three nobles did not show so much agitation since they knew that Emperor Stuart was part of the territory of the Spiritual Church.


    It would be complicated to act against him!


    But then ''Edgar'' scolded them. "I would not advise you to act against this person. First, he is someone who is willing to trade and grow together with talented people. So if you ally with him, you can get what you''re looking for without risking it.


    On the other hand, he is not weak at all... I recently heard that he reached the end of the 8th stage and even fought against high-level Spiritual Sages.


    I wouldn''t challenge him gratuitously. He doesn''t seem like the forgiving type of person."


    "Do you think we are afraid of him?" The level 81 woman asked. "He is only the leader of a state with Spiritual Saints. What is there to fear in him?"


    "There are currently Spiritual Sages in the Black Plain Empire, my lady." ''Edgar'' said. "In any case, that is up to you to decide. I''m just here to tell you this story I heard from someone close to him."


    "So you don''t know him?" The level 80 young man asked.


    "I do, just as anyone at my level in the Flaming Empire would know..." Minos said so as not to appear to be friends with ''this'' person. "But other than business, I''ve never had the opportunity to talk more with him."


    "Sigh... It''s a shame." That fellow said, thinking that if ''Edgar'' was Minos'' friend, they could kidnap this merchant and make Emperor Stuart pay a ransom.


    But the level 85 old man took ''Edgar''s'' words into consideration, and before deciding how to act against Minos, he put in mind to investigate that man''s situation. If this person were so dangerous, he would plot some plan to approach him safely alongside those nobles!


    Before that, he wanted to hear more from ''Edgar,'' to gather more information regarding both Minos and what this merchant had managed to hear about Emperor Stuart''s time in the Goddess of Life''s inheritance.


    "What else have you heard about this so-called inheritance? Any ancient history? I''m curious to know about what happened to that person."


    Minos returned to talking about what he had heard at the Goddess of Life''s inheritance. "Hmm, it seems that she cultivated to the limit but failed to advance to the 11th stage..."


    They would continue talking in that place for a whole afternoon, with the people descended from the Goddess of Life''s family listening attentively to Minos'' every word.


    Meanwhile, the beasts in Minos'' group did not rush him, amused by the story after realizing that those humans would not face them.


    When night came, Minos finished talking about the Goddess of Life and how little he wanted those people to know about him.


    He wanted Abby to find these people to help them a little, for she and he had benefited greatly from that specialist''s help.


    But Minos was a person who was always interested in benefiting himself, even when he was trying to help others!


    Since these people were 9th-stage experts, he wanted to bring them to his side to strengthen the Black Plain Empire!


    Anyway, at the end of the day, he managed to say goodbye to that group without any significant problems, hoping to hear from them once he returned to the Black Plain Empire.


    Soon he and his fellow travelers set off, returning on their way to this state''s border with the Western Empire!


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the capital of the Eastern Empire...


    After a few hours of preparing for what the emperor had asked him earlier, the strongest seer of this state was in this city to try to find out about the status of the map of the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus.


    After finishing organizing his post at the headquarters of the imperial forces, he began his attempts to visualize the future related to that map.


    To do this, this man sat down in front of ten glowing crystals, soon making them shine intensely with his powerful techniques.


    He was not as capable as the prophet who had warned Vico about the challenges he would face in the future, but this man was not far behind that person''s level.


    So when he started, instead of immediately suffering from the protection of whoever was behind the disappearance of the key to that ancient place, he managed to sink his consciousness into the river called time.


    There, he saw scenes from the future passing quickly through his eyes, noticing several incomprehensible things which gave him a sense of urgency.


    For the first time in his life, he felt fear trying to predict something!


    But after these scenes from the future passed quickly through his eyes, this man found himself in a cloudy, cold place with the smell of blood.


    There, he saw several people on one side, relatively young and of lower levels than their opponents, with multitudes on the other side and a single man between the two parties.


    They all had cultivations above level 95 and seemed to be about to clash.


    However, just as this man tried to identify the faces in the surroundings, a golden glow appeared in the skies above him.


    ...

 Chapter 1616 Trouble

    ?


    When the golden glow appeared above where this seer was trying to identify the people in that vision, it pressed hard against him.


    Immediately upon realizing this, this man''s focus shifted from identifying those people to protecting himself.


    He realized this attack could hurt him if he weren''t quick enough!


    ''What is this? How can you stop all my preparations and still oppress me?'' He wondered in amazement, sensing that this was a seer''s work far more capable than he was.


    However, in the entire Central Continent, there were no people with the ability to analyze or defend the future of one better than he!


    At most, a few individuals might be at the same level as him, but nothing would make them reach the level necessary to stop him from doing his job this way!


    As such, he immediately thought of the other powers of the Spiritual World!


    ''Could this be the stuff of some elf? Or perhaps one of the elders of the Divine Continent?''


    The Divine Continent was a place that lived up to its own name. Aside from Elves Island, this place was second to none in this world, having the best cultivation areas, crops, in short, natural conditions for spiritual development.


    The place was so good that there was a saying that if one couldn''t enter one Spatial Kingdom, they still wouldn''t be helpless because the Divine Continent existed!


    Special Kingdoms still beat that place. But the difference was less than 10%, demonstrating the impressive quality of that land.


    This seer from the Eastern Empire knew the differences between his continent and that other one, so he immediately considered the experts of that place as potential culprits of his current situation.


    He was at level 95, even though he was a seer, a challenging profession to advance through the levels because it didn''t involve such beneficial challenges to soul growth. But even though he had reached this impressive level, he still paled in the face of the most powerful seers in this world, who were ranked at levels 96 and 97.


    Thinking of them, he did not suspect it was something more and immediately stepped back in time to not be harmed by that terrifying pressure.


    Upon losing his vision, this man left his meditative state and opened his eyes, sweating, cold, and pale.


    Immediately after feeling a faint taste of blood in his mouth, he ran to where the emperor should be to notify him of the problem he had encountered on his way.


    "Your Majesty, this subordinate will not be able to help you this time. Someone much more capable than I am is preventing me from trying to predict the fate of the one who found the map and the key to the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus." He said as he saw the figure of Vico Travisani.


    Upon hearing that, Vico almost didn''t believe the words of his most trusted seer. However, upon looking at that man''s face and feeling the situation of his aura, this emperor felt that there was a problem indeed.


    "What happened?"


    "I couldn''t see much, Your Majesty. While trying to identify those related to the previous situation, something powerful tried to crush me." He recalled the previous pressure, analyzing the matter more coldly. "If I didn''t have all my defenses with me, I could have been seriously injured by that thing.


    Luckily I prepared well and only wore myself out a little."


    "So a higher-level seer is protecting this person?" Vico frowned his eyebrows, not liking this at all.


    "Probably, Your Majesty."


    "But couldn''t you see anything else? I doubt that one of the old men from the Divine Continent or the Elves Island would be able to stop you so much that you couldn''t get anything."


    The seer shook his head negatively. "I couldn''t. Besides, the one who stopped me was much stronger than me. I could feel that he spared me. If it weren''t for the fact that I immediately backed off when I felt his pressure, he would have tried to hit me more seriously.


    So if I try again, I''m afraid the results won''t be any better."


    Vico clenched his fists, not liking this at all. But he accepted what this loyal subordinate had to say and asked. "But did you see anything before you lost your sight?"


    "Yes. I could see two groups on different sides, and between them was a person, someone mighty." He said, remembering what he had seen before that golden glow appeared.


    Vico had heard something similar when the prophet told him about the calamity this continent would face in the future. So upon hearing that, he couldn''t help but swallow his saliva in concern.


    ''Damn it!''


    ...


    After a few more hours...


    Minos'' group had finished their journey to the Veora Kingdom''s border with the Western Empire!


    After they said goodbye to the humans curious about the Goddess of Life and Minos Stuart, they encountered no more human groups on their way and could travel between the beast-dominated areas without any problems.


    Beasts were territorial beings and usually did not like powerful beings passing close to their territories. But even with these characteristics and the fact that they enjoyed fighting, they could talk.


    If they were totally chaotic, these beings could not live in peace and would probably lead to the extinction of all beast species!


    Because they could differentiate problems and didn''t always seek confrontation, not every being would be threatened by beasts passing near a beast-dominated territory.


    That was particularly true for those territories of more powerful beasts because these beings were less violent than those of a lower level, who would still have to develop their intelligence further.


    Minos and his group had traveled around the edges of the territories of strong beings. After conversations and sometimes payment of resources, they managed to travel peacefully without fighting against stronger beings.


    Those weaker ones would naturally not stand in their way, and those of equal strength had been bypassed for the best outcome for all.


    So right now, Minos was saying goodbye to those beasts that had made his journey through this territory so much easier, who had probably helped him to make it impossible for one of his pursuers to discover him there.


    He could leave traces for his spotters to track him down if he had to fight!


    Not having had to do that, Minos was grateful for those beasts'' help as he finished paying them for their services.


    "Guys, thanks for bringing me here. I''ll take you guys out for a drink if we meet again someday." He said after he had delivered the medicines and food from those creatures.


    Hermes nodded to Minos and wished him good luck. "Have a good trip in the Western Empire, Edgar. That place is more dangerous than our state, so I advise you to do business as you did with us there. That way, you will be able to finish your trip safely."


    "Hmm, I intend to do that." Minos lied before he saw those creatures leaving, still in their humanoid forms, for passing through other beasts'' territories like that demonstrated peaceful intentions.


    He sighed and then looked at the territory before him, soon after using his skills to cross the border through a wormhole.


    ''Time to meet the first human city of a high-level empire...'' He thought about his destination, where he felt it would be best to leave for his sea voyage.


    ...

 Chapter 1617 Western Empire

    ?


    After traversing space for a few minutes, Minos finally went through his wormhole, arriving at a beach in the northern part of the Western Empire.


    Upon arriving at that place and ensuring that the spatial cracks created by his movement could not be traced, he immediately checked his surroundings, noting where he was.


    That place had a beautiful beach that stretched as far as the eye could reach, which was even more beautiful on this sunny day, with its emerald green waters.


    Coconut palms and tropical trees could be seen on the opposite side of the water, where forests stretched for tens of square kilometers near where Minos had arrived. But from there, he could see a gray patch in the distance, where the first human city in his path was.


    Other than that, this place was subtly richer in spiritual energy than Veora Kingdom. After a survey, Minos realized that the beings in the surrounding area were also, on average, stronger.


    But having arrived in this state in an area of low population density, Minos didn''t run into trouble right away, relying somewhat on the luck that he didn''t reach the middle of a battle after using his special abilities.


    However, that had nothing to do with luck. Minos had not shortened his journey that much by using the previous wormhole. He had just crossed the border using it without having to identify himself or be noticed by the beings stationed in that area. Because of the short distance he had jumped, he wisely chose where to arrive without risking too much.


    His spatial senses were even better than those in the middle of the 9th stage, so he had chosen a good place to arrive.


    In any case, finding himself on that beach, Minos wasted no time admiring the view or swimming in the sea. Instead, he immediately started walking the path from the sand to that city, dozens of kilometers ahead.


    ''The state''s capital is on this side of the empire, so I must avoid going too far west.'' He pondered as he had the map of that empire in his mind. ''Even if old Grant is in that city, I''ll leave it to visit him in the future when I''m stronger and not tackling something so urgent.


    At the moment, I''ll focus on getting to that city, buy a minimally capable boat, and leave for the Ancestral Sea without further ado.''


    As Minos ran, some beings in the surrounding area noticed his presence. But since he wasn''t using the full potential of his movement technique, using just enough to move as fast as someone at level 77, Emperor Stuart didn''t draw much attention.


    The beings above the 9th stage simply ignored him, while those below the 8th didn''t even look at him for fear of attracting trouble.


    But those high-level beings in the 8th stage, mainly humans in the surroundings, paid more attention to Minos, seeing this stranger running along the sand of the beach.


    It was unusual for humans to travel this way, running alone on beaches!


    Even humans capable of going long distances alone usually used beasts or carriages to travel. So seeing that red-headed, overweight man running in a place generally used for leisure, some couldn''t help but look at him with interest.


    ''What is this fat man doing?'' A guard from one of the fortresses near that beach looked at Minos.


    But since Emperor Stuart was not approaching his post, he merely continued to watch this redhead''s lard swaying as he ran.


    On the other hand, a group of people camping on a patch of land ahead of Minos soon began to pay attention to him, watching him approach them.


    "Elders, there is a level 77 man coming toward us. What should we do?" One of the young men on the outskirts asked in that camp to the level 79 man in charge of his group.


    That was a group of disciples from a local sect who were taking a test nearby. As such, upon seeing someone very close to them, one of the group''s guards, who had only Spiritual Saints as the strongest there, became nervous about that red-haired man approaching them.


    The elder looked at the disciples at the 7th stage in the surrounding area doing their tests and said. "Intercept him. If he is not a problem, direct him away from the camp."


    "Yes, elder!" Several men at similar or higher levels than Minos flew over to where he was while some disciples were distracted from their affairs to look at Minos.


    Minos noticed the movement of the people in front of him and also noticed that camp, which belonged to a sect he knew the name of.


    ''Elemental Sect, uh? That must be the sect Luke Nash is part of...'' Minos looked at the symbols on the armor of the men and women approaching him.


    After a few moments, one of them asked him. "Traveler, where are you going? What are your intentions in approaching our group?"


    "Approaching your group? You misunderstand, friend. I come from Veora Kingdom and don''t know the area well. I''m just following the path to the city ahead." Minos pointed in the direction of the urban spot in the distance.


    "And why are you not with your mount?" A woman questioned, acting defensively and suspiciously as it was not uncommon for members of Eastern Empire forces to attack groups of local forces individually.


    The Eastern and Western Empires were old enemies who were always estranged. The situation was so tense that there was a large battlefield between the borders of this state, where both sides tested their strength.


    If one side proved weaker than usual, the other would begin a period of intensifying its actions, seeking the even more noticeable weakening of its enemy.


    These states had officially been at war for over 10,000 years since when Vico Travisani first showed himself, throwing the situation out of balance for his state.


    Before him, the Eastern Empire was a territory with its customs and area separate from the Western Empire. But it was constantly suffering from interference from the empire that Minos was currently in.


    The goal of the local imperial family was to slowly dominate that state''s population through this manipulation. However, with the rise of Vico, this had been made impossible, and the attempt to dominate one party over the other had become more violent, generating the war that has lasted until the present day.


    Besides the battlefield of these two forces, terrorist attacks were taking place all over the territory of these two, a reason for the concern of the people in the camp of the Elemental Sect.


    Minos then answered those people''s doubts. "I just prefer to travel alone, friends from the Western Empire. Anyway, if you are bothered by that, I don''t mind being directed to that city by you or to a place where I can get there quickly.


    If you don''t want me around, that will put me away from you quickly."


    Those people watched him warily before one of them approached Minos and suggested something.


    ...

 Chapter 1618 Risky Escape

    ?


    "If you agree to travel with your sealed cultivation, one of us can take you to the nearest city." One of those people suggested.


    But hearing that, Minos smiled, shaking his head negatively. "That won''t work. How will I be able to protect myself in case a fight breaks out near us during the trip? Besides, it will give you an unfair advantage against me if you decide to act."


    "Traveler, this is the only alternative you have. Do it while we are being kind or bear the consequences." One individual with a more anxious mindset said this, increasing tensions in the surroundings.


    "Friends, I will just take a different path. I will not pass near your group. What do you guys think about that? Watch me from afar if you wish, but I will not surrender without committing any crime." Minos said as he prepared to act if necessary.


    "No, I don''t believe his words. He could be someone from the Eastern Empire trying to trick us." One of the women said, remembering her time on the battlefield, where one had to keep one''s eyes open even for those wearing the same colors as them.


    The situation in these two warring states was dire, and combatants on both sides felt it challenging to trust strange people.


    They had many reasons for this, Minos knew. But he was in no mood for it. "Then decide for yourselves. I will leave. But if you stand in my way, we''ll have a real problem."


    Right then, Minos jumped into the air and flew away, taking this most flashy and risky step to quickly leave the vicinity of that group''s camp.


    This time, he used his full speed, causing those people who immediately started chasing him to fall further and further behind.


    "Damn it! The wretch lied to us!" One of those people shouted.


    "He''s probably an enemy coming from the Eastern Empire! Alert everyone about his situation!"


    "And make it clear that he is much faster than ordinary high-level 8th-stage cultivators!"


    The stronger ones shouted while the weaker ones stopped chasing Minos to return to their sect camp.


    Minos noticed these people chasing him and cursed in his mind the Elemental Sect, feeling that he would have to leave this state as soon as possible so as not to be tracked down by his many enemies.


    ''Wretched people! How foolish are you to seek a battle against a peaceful traveler? If it were any other situation, I would kill you all!''


    Minos then combined his movement technique with Chaotic Gravity, merging the two techniques until his speed more than tripled. That changed his surroundings, which had a disk shape near his body, to space beginning to distort, as if he were traveling through a wormhole and normal space at the same time.


    That only lasted a few seconds before Minos'' body completely disappeared from the sight of those individuals chasing him, totally shocking them.


    In a fraction of a second, Minos'' speed had jumped from that of cultivators near level 80 to that of someone at level 86!


    At the same time, he traversed space even while exhibiting 8th-stage cultivation, something extremely shocking!


    "How is that possible?" One of them wondered, no longer feeling or seeing anything to indicate that Minos had been there a few moments ago.


    "I don''t know, but that guy is not normal. The way he ran away was awe-inspiring!" Another person commented as they continued to fly around, looking for signs of their target.


    But they would find nothing and soon gave up this futile search to return to their previous camp.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Minos appeared dozens of miles ahead of where he had left, feeling a little nervous after using that fusion.


    He had never used it against opponents before, so he hoped it would throw off the people who had seen him acting. But he knew that having traversed space as only a Spiritual Saint was a problem, and he soon altered his appearance.


    Now he no longer looked like an overweight, red-haired man. Now he was a tan-skinned man, six feet tall, extremely muscular, and bald.


    At the same time, he stopped using the item that would hinder anyone from distinguishing his aura because those people had already identified what it felt like to be near him.


    In this case, there was no point in continuing to use that item, and he finally let his ordinary aura show itself.


    ''In the place I am, few people would have the ability to identify me by my aura.'' Minos thought as he landed not far from that city, determined to go through the terrain the rest of the way.


    This time he would pay more attention to those in his path so as not to fall into the same situation as moments ago and avoid further trouble that could bring troublesome people to his tail.


    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á---n?¦Ía| §ãom At the same time, he would expedite his journey to the Ancestral Sea as much as possible, determined to buy his boat and leave the city ahead.


    ''When I return to this empire in the future, I will avoid the damn Elemental Sect.'' He thought as he saw a small line of carriages, beasts, and people in front of one of the entrances to that city.


    Anyone seeing that place from afar would not see any walls separating the city from the forest or beach. All that person would see would be where streets, houses, and property further outside the city were located.


    But if one tried to feel the spiritual fluctuations in the surroundings, one would realize that a powerful barrier covered the city''s outskirts, and only through the official entrances could one easily enter there.


    Because of this, Minos followed the path normally used by local citizens, accepting that he had to go through the local customs office.


    So, already dressed differently from his earlier clothes, he joined the people waiting to enter the city.


    In that line, Minos would not attract the people''s attention in the surrounding area. After 30 minutes of waiting, his turn to go through the guards arrived.


    "Next!"


    The free guard called out to Minos, causing this muscular fellow to walk over to his counter.


    "ID." He said dryly, not caring much to look at Minos.


    Everyone entering and leaving the city had to go through posts like these. But if this road in and out involved talking and questioning, the traffic of people through these posts would be hefty. It would be so problematic that controlling people coming in and out of the city would be impractical.


    So every citizen of cities in this state had IDs to facilitate their entry and exit from cities like this.


    Minos had expected something like this and this. "Senior, unfortunately, I lost mine while fighting with beasts nearby."


    That man looked intensely at Minos upon hearing those words, noticing an unusual problem happening to appear for him to deal with.


    ...

 Chapter 1619 Buying A Yacht 1

    ?


    "You missed it? How did you lose something so important?" That man said in a louder tone, almost shouting.


    Minos saw the veins in that man''s neck trembling and smiled bitterly. "When I was fighting one of those beasts, I was surprised by a terrorist attack by a man from the Eastern Empire. Then, while my opponent and I were trying to escape that, a remnant attack destroyed Spiritual Sage, my spatial ring...


    Sigh, it''s my great luck that only the ring broke, and I didn''t lose my fingers." Minos looked at one of his hands, showing the relief he felt at this instant.


    That man looked at Minos'' hand and saw that there were some low-level spatial rings there, considering the cultivation of this person in front of him.


    Minos had planned what he would say to this person since he knew how it worked to get people into cities like this. As such, he had sent his true spatial rings to the Spatial Kingdom and kept some lower-level ones, which he had saved from former opponents.


    Only his weapons and crystals needed to pay for the ship he wanted were in these low-level items, which had enough to store that.


    That man believed Minos'' story and sighed for the work ahead. "Well, if that is the case, we must make a new ID for you. But that will cost ten high-grade crystals, and you will soon have to go to the Criminal Department to resolve this situation.


    This identification I will give you will be useful only for 12 hours. After that, if you are caught with it, you can face a fine of 10,000 high-grade crystals and imprisonment for up to 50 years.


    So I recommend you go immediately to the local Criminal Department."


    Minos had expected to hear something like this and soon paid the crystals due, then gave that man the false data he would use to get this temporary identification as a local citizen.


    After a few minutes of serving Minos, that guard of that. "In 12 hours, a group will come after you if you have not already resolved your situation.


    Our men will also watch your movements, so watch what you do."


    If anyone could enter a city in this territory using that method, living in this empire''s cities would be extremely dangerous.


    Precisely because of this, each person who used the Minos method would be watched by guards through the identification item they received. At the same time, secretly, there would be people watching these ''careless or unlucky'' citizens to prevent terrorist attacks.


    That usually worked, but even if it went wrong, as with this young man who was not supposed to use this method, there was nothing to be done. Citizens could lose their identification items, so a method of regaining the right to enter these cities was necessary.


    At the same time, there were entry permits for tourists and merchants, who also had to be watched and could not stay long in the cities of the empire.


    But this could only be obtained when one passed through border ports, something Minos had avoided to hide the tracks of his movements.


    Minos didn''t want to use this alternative because although his time would be shorter before he would get in trouble for trying to enter there as a local inhabitant, as a merchant or tourist, he would have to say where he came from and present proof of this.


    That could create more considerable traces of his passage through this city, so he chose the option where he could act more secretly for the next 12 hours.


    So after hearing that man''s warning, he finally received an identification array, something indestructible to someone of his strength and a tracker with the ability to hear and send images of the surroundings far away.


    ''This place really invests quite a bit in its defenses...'' Minos pondered as he passed through the entrance of that city, finally reaching the protected area.


    Being inside that city, he noticed the quality of the buildings and the beautiful design of the city, noting that his city still had much to improve.


    He had great designs in mind and had already used several of them in Dry City and other cities in his empire. But to raise the quality of these places to the maximum of Minos'' designs, he would need skilled spiritual professionals, something his empire still paled in comparison to a high-level state such as this.


    But he was already quite satisfied with what he currently had and knew that it was only a matter of time before his state reached the same level as this one or even higher.


    But Minos couldn''t help but open his mouth when he noticed the powerful auras in the surroundings of this city.


    He had not yet passed through a city in an empire like this, where there were people of even level 98.


    The Flowers Kingdom had only low-level Spiritual Demigods, so only in the capital and some of the largest cities in that state were people at the 10th stage.


    But in the Western Empire, even cities with a few hundred thousand inhabitants would have Spiritual Demigods, sometimes even individuals in the middle part of that stage.


    Minos noticed someone at level 94 in this city and felt the difference between this state and the Flowers Kingdom, as well as the forests he had passed in the Veora Kingdom.


    ''The state''s capital must have dozens of cultivators like that...'' He felt eager to visit that place, which was not far from there, just a few hours to the west.


    Unfortunately, that would not be possible this time, and after arriving at one of the main avenues of that city, Minos soon found a local carriage service and asked a coachman to take him to a boat store.


    So, in the blink of an eye, he stepped out of a beautiful red carriage in front of a majestic boat and ship store, which was close to the local harbor.


    There, in this area that had an artificial bay, he soon entered the building of the main boat store of this city, which the coachman had recommended.


    Minos saw that this store sold cargo ships and smaller boats, but he didn''t bother to check these alternatives and soon went near the area where the available yachts were.


    Immediately after he entered, an attendant from that store appeared to attend to him.


    "Welcome to Exow Yachts. How could I help you, dear customer?" That attendant, a beautiful blonde woman, level 59, asked Minos with a beaming smile.


    Minos looked at her and got straight to the point. "I want a yacht of any size, but one that is of low-level grade-4 classification."


    Minos could buy a better quality boat, but it would be hard to find something like that in a city like this. Normally higher-grade items could only be found in capital cities, even in high-ranking states.


    At the same time, a Spiritual Saint buying something better than that would draw a lot of attention, so he decided to buy a low-level grade-4 boat, something that wouldn''t be so strange for someone of his level to have but would also be quite fast.


    The attendant was pleased to hear this and then directed Minos to the area where the only three boat models that could meet this customer''s criteria were located.


    ...

 Chapter 1620 Choosing A Yacht Model

    ?


    Upon arriving in the area where the three yachts were, the attendant immediately gave Minos a brief description of each of them. "Sir, these are the only models in our store that match your current needs.


    The first of them, the least of all, costs 159,000 high-grade crystals. It is the best choice for fast, short-range, low-passenger travel.


    Its comfort is at the highest level one can have on a boat for up to 4 people. It has a master bedroom with a bathroom with a bathtub, a secondary bedroom, and two other bathrooms. There is a small galley, plus the common areas that any yacht like this would have."


    She presented the first option, the one with the highest speed among all these boats but the shortest possible range.


    These vessels operated through spiritual arrays, so it had a range of how far they could go with a single load of spiritual crystals.


    Some gave up range for speed, and others the opposite. Therefore, this boat consumed more crystals than the others to move and reach its destinations.


    At the same time, since it was smaller in every way, the leisure, training, and storage spaces were not large.


    As such, this was an ideal option for short trips, not long ones as Minos intended to make.


    The woman saw that her client was paying attention to her words and presented the second yacht. "This yacht, on the other hand, costs 219,000 high-grade crystals and has twice the capacity of the previous one in terms of area.


    It is not as fast as the first, but it has the capacity to go much further and is an ideal option for mid-range trips.


    Finally, the third model is the largest of all, with six bedrooms, two kitchens, one small and one large, a swimming pool, a living room, and eight bathrooms. It is ideal for long-range travel and can comfortably accommodate up to 25 people.


    This option has a lower compartment capable of storing live fish for crew consumption and costs only 345,000 high-grade crystals."


    Minos looked at the last two options, impressed with how expensive the last option was, which was worth almost 3.5 billion low-grade crystals.


    That was enough to build a small city with everything needed to host Spiritual Emperors in the Black Plain Empire comfortably!


    But the value was not unfair considering the capabilities of that craft!


    In addition to having the quality of an imperial palace, it could cross the sea between continents and had several arrays that not only gave the motor power needed for a journey. It also had defensive items, items that increased the concentration of spiritual energy inside the ship, training space, and storage places for water beasts.


    Not every living thing could be preserved in spatial rings for later consumption. Some had to be kept alive until the moment of being devoured. So it was interesting to have such a storage option if one wanted to feed on fish meat during a long sea voyage.


    However, there were not only advantages to the largest yacht. It was large and therefore needed more than one person to pilot it, which did not interest Minos as much.


    The second option, on the other hand, besides being a little faster than the last one, Minos thought would be enough for him to get to his destination without needing a larger crew.


    With that yacht, a single person could travel alone easily.


    "Hmm, these yachts are beautiful, especially the last one." Minos complimented. "But today, I will take the medium-sized one. It will fulfill my needs better."


    Hearing that, that attendant did not insist on convincing Minos to buy the larger boat, which she would get the best commission of all.


    So she smiled at him and escorted him to a room where she would make his purchase official.


    "For when do you wish to receive your yacht, sir? We only have that one unit I just showed you of that model. So depending on what you wish to change on your yacht, the time to delivery can vary quite a bit...


    But with the payment of some fees, we can speed up the delivery of your yacht."


    Minos said. "I want to receive it now. I don''t need any changes to be made. The way it is, it works for me."


    "For immediate delivery, we charge a 1% fee on the yacht''s value because we have to do some surveys before we deliver it." She said. "So you have to pay 221,000 high-grade crystals and 19 medium-grade crystals."


    "Hmm..." Minos agreed and soon after made the payment.


    "Very well, give me a few minutes to make the sale of this unit official for you, sir." She added, smiling, as she had a 1% commission on the value of the sales she made. "It will take us 3 hours after that to finish checking that all the arrays are working.


    If there are no problems, you can receive your yacht afterward."


    Minos saw no problem with this since it was within the period that he could stay in this city without attracting trouble for himself.


    With that, he would soon receive the necessary papers to remove this yacht later and leave that place to shop in the meantime.


    When he got his yacht, Minos intended to leave for the Ancestral Sea, from where he felt he would travel for at least weeks until he reached his destination.


    He would prepare for this period when he would be away from the mainland by buying items for emergencies on the high seas.


    The sea, whatever it was, had its dangers. Even the pacific South Sea could be dangerous for low-level people who did not prepare.


    In the same way, as it was dangerous to travel through forests because of beast territories, it was complicated to travel through the sea, where one would have even more difficulty distinguishing which areas belonged to whom.


    Sea beasts also had clashes, disputes over territories, grudges, vendettas, and disputes over females. So battles could occur anywhere, which could greatly harm unprepared people traveling above these areas under combat.


    Unlike fights on the ground, it was much more difficult to perceive one at sea because of the large amount of water in the surroundings.


    The water in the Spiritual World could absorb spiritual energy, something of benefit to creatures that drank a lot of water. Still, it also acted as a barrier against those trying to scan the surroundings of the sea.


    So it was very easy for a human vessel to suddenly run into an underwater battle, even with the vigilance of its crew members!


    Minos knew this and would soon do what was necessary to prepare for his first voyage on the high seas!

 Chapter 1621 Leaving The Western Empire

    ?


    After 4 hours since passing the previous boat store, Minos finally returned to that place with all the items he thought he needed for the following week''s trip.


    As he entered that store to receive his medium-sized yacht, a level 79 Spiritual Saint watched him from afar, alert to every step he took.


    This man and another in the intelligence center of the imperial guard in this city were listening to everything Minos was saying through the identification array he had received earlier.


    So this person watching him knew everything Minos had done and couldn''t help but be interested in how this local ''resident'' was putting aside his commitment to the imperial guard to buy boats and items for travel.


    ''It looks like he''s not interested in staying in the city for long...'' This man thought, finding it a bit strange that Minos was acting in such an unusual manner after losing his ID.


    It was unusual for a Spiritual Saint to buy a yacht of hundreds of thousands of high-grade crystals. It even happened occasionally, but this was not the kind of occasion done on the spur of the moment. That was something to be planned and not to be done right after arriving in the city after a time fighting outside.


    At the same time, he seemed to want to leave the city as soon as possible, which went against the fact that he had asked for permission to enter on the grounds that he had lost his identification.


    In this man''s view, the person under his observation could have entered the city as a visitor or merchant and would not have had much trouble. And with this, this observer was slowly becoming suspicious that Minos might not have been planning to report to the imperial guard and that this person was probably not a local citizen.


    However, despite being questionable, Minos had not yet committed any crimes and had given no hints that he was considering acting against the empire. Also, he could still report to the imperial guard to regularize his situation later, so this man did not yet think he had room to act.


    He would just watch him more closely, as he was already doing, and keep his superiors alert that Minos could be a potential enemy of the empire.


    Seeing Minos being directed to the yacht, ready to leave, in the waters of the small bay nearby, this man used his communicator and said. "Central, send a boat with men to pursue this person. I believe he will leave the city without reporting to us, which may indicate that he lied in his entry."


    Lying was not a serious thing in everyday situations, but lying to the emperor and his men was a severe problem!


    If found to be lying, people could be arrested and even sentenced to a few decades in prison, depending on how serious their lie was and also the severity of the consequences of it.


    As such, upon receiving the warning from this level 79 man, the center immediately put out another alert about Minos'' identification and sent messages to the coast guard vessels closest to there.


    Meanwhile, Minos had just received his yacht and had been introduced to its functions by an arrays master.


    It was not difficult to operate arrays. Anyone with experience in doing this with lower-quality ones could quickly adapt to new arrays of even higher quality.


    So, in the blink of an eye, Minos thanked the array master for his tips and watched everyone from that store leave his yacht.


    He immediately went to the control zone of his yacht and made the initial procedures to start moving towards the sea.


    With his commands, the yacht''s anchor was soon retracted, and the arrays that promoted the craft''s movement moved it forward in the opposite direction to that boat store.


    Minos smiled as he felt the motion of his yacht, for the first time piloting one of these.


    Soon he would increase its speed, heading northwest to where he felt his place of interest was.


    After 5 minutes since starting the arrays, Minos finally left the previous bay, entering the open sea, where many boats smaller and larger than his were either sailing or stationary.


    There was no naval blockade over this area, as entering or leaving the city was impossible without identifying oneself to local guards. Because of this, Minos found no problem in going to the open sea.


    But after 10 minutes of sailing, when he had finally put his yacht into automatic mode and left the cockpit to observe the surroundings, he noticed that two boats were following him.


    Minos noticed the symbols of the coast guard of this state and took the identification array in his hands.


    "Friend of the imperial guard, what is the meaning of this? I thought a citizen had the right to leave his own city..." He said disappointedly, knowing that item could send his words to those chasing them.


    Then the people chasing him became angry at his comment, and one of them said through his communication array. "Our citizens can do that when they wish. But lying to the empire is a serious crime!"


    "Oh? So I''m lying to the empire? Where did that come from?" Minos questioned.


    "Don''t play dumb. If you were a real citizen, you wouldn''t have failed to report to the necessary post and regularize your status!" One of the heads of the vessels in pursuit of Minos said, replacing the previous level 79 man.


    Those pursuing Minos were more numerous and powerful, with even level 82 and 83 Spiritual Sages among them.


    Minos'' situation had worsened, so his pursuers had to be stronger than him!


    Minos laughed upon hearing that, "My life is at stake. A local group threatened me, and if I stayed in the city any longer, I would be killed before dawn the next day!


    So I used the fact that you watched me to safely enter the city, buy a boat, and leave!" He shouted, showing his irritation with his ''fellow countrymen.''


    "Tsk! What group are you talking about? There is no such thing! No one would dare act inside the city." The commander of the second ship shouted. "Stop talking excuses. Stop yachting and surrender, or we will act violently!"


    Minos no longer answered but instead threw away that array and increased the speed of his yacht.


    ...

 Chapter 1622 Short Sea Battle

    ?


    When they saw that Minos had chosen violence, the two crews began to pursue him, making their boats travel at top speed, which was a little higher than his yacht.


    Meanwhile, the men on those two boats began to prepare to fight, with some of them preparing to attack Minos'' yacht with offensive arrays and others ready to fly towards him once his boat was damaged.


    Flying on the high seas was dangerous, but only if it was done continuously over long spaces. Doing it only a few meters away from a boat was not considered a great danger, even more so in the vicinity of a human city.


    Minos realized what his opponents were preparing for him and promptly moved to get away from these people as quickly as possible.


    Chaotic Gravity: Meteors of Destruction!


    Minos joined his hands together as he stood in the cockpit of his yacht, forming huge clusters of rocks dozens of meters above where he stood.


    e¦Áglesn?¦Íel With their rapid formation, they moved quickly toward the two ships chasing Minos, alerting all those people to these unexpected meteors falling on them.


    "What? How can that be?"


    "The sky was clear a few seconds ago!"


    While the weaker men in those ships were exclaiming, the stronger ones were already starting the defenses of their ships, sensing the big trouble in their surroundings.


    Amid this, Minos changed his movements and positioned himself awkwardly on the deck of his yacht, his hands facing upwards as if he was pushing too hard to grab something.


    The veins in his neck showed as his face turned red, along with the powerful spiritual fluctuations spreading out in the surroundings.


    As he did this, using his Chaotic Gravity and the spatial understanding he had gained from the giant bones in the Spatial Kingdom, the yacht weighing a few tons began to float!


    The men defending themselves in the coast guard boats saw this and doubted their eyes.


    As the cannons from their boats fired toward Minos'' yacht, that yacht left the water and strangely began to fly!


    "Impossible!"


    "How can that be? Even I couldn''t handle that much weight like that!" Some of the Spiritual Sages on those ships exclaimed in loud voices.


    "Quickly, call for reinforcements! The enemy is powerful and poses a danger to the empire!"


    Shouts broke out around those two coast guard boats as Minos listened to everything they were saying, with his hearing that was extremely sharp.


    ''Call for reinforcements? That won''t do!'' He immediately made the necessary moves, and as his yacht fell into the water, he merged Infinite Dream and Chaotic Gravity.


    As a result, the Shaking Reality appeared, causing even the strongest of those people to suffer momentarily from Minos'' movement.


    While they were suffering from this, Minos already had another fusion ready, taking advantage to hurl a black hole in the direction of those vessels.


    "Die, you idiots!" He shouted, seeing that those people realized who he was in the last instant they had before that region of space annihilated them.


    Amid this, Minos made his boat continue traveling northwestward and flew in the opposite direction, approaching his black hole.


    Such a thing grew considerably in a few seconds, evolving quite a bit without completely getting out of Minos'' control. He then quickly stored it in a device capable of withstanding its spiritual fluctuations and decided to leave the area shortly after that, opening a wormhole to the deck of his yacht.


    Upon appearing back on his yacht, Minos knew he would have problems if he didn''t disappear from the area immediately. Then he consumed a regeneration pill classified as low-level grade-4.


    That item made his energy reserves depleted by those moves recover by a large margin.


    Feeling enough to open a new wormhole, Minos immediately made one big enough for him and his yacht to cross, disappearing from that area 2 minutes after the previous quick fight.


    After the disappearance of Minos, the sea would return to normal in that area, with the small fraction of water absorbed by that black hole making the surroundings a bit choppy but nothing worrisome.


    But with the disappearance of two coast guard boats and the deaths of many men, alarm bells would immediately ring on the boats of that force in the vicinity and the imperial guard command in that city!


    ...


    At the headquarters of the imperial guard in the city that Minos had just left...


    Warning sirens were sounding at that moment while the communication arrays of that post were repeating messages.


    Several 9th and 8th stage experts had suddenly died while chasing a high-level Spiritual Saint, something extraordinarily shocking and worrying.


    Considering the latest messages exchanged between these forces, the headquarters, and the man being chased, hundreds of men soon moved.


    "Investigate who this Otis Blackbull is immediate! I want to know everything he has done in our city before he leaves!"


    Meanwhile, other leaders gave different orders in another section of that post.


    "I want a Coast Guard group to move to where our men had been before their deaths. I want you to immediately start investigating what happened and pursue the culprit!"


    Several men began to leave that post, while the Spiritual Demigod in charge of that city, also at that headquarters, had a terrible expression on his face.


    ''Is it something from the Eastern Empire?'' He wondered, feeling that only someone from that state would have the courage to act against the imperial family of this state.


    ...


    As the forces of that city moved to investigate and pursue him, Minos finally appeared more than 100 kilometers away from where he had left, sailing back out into the open sea.


    Luckily, no beast attacked him on this little trip through a wormhole, and as he sailed back toward the Ancestral Sea, he was not yet in the territory of any powerful being.


    The vicinity of the continent was safer to act on the sea, so it wasn''t so strange for him to arrive there without any major problems.


    In any case, after sighing at his previous action, Minos immediately began scanning the surroundings for any worrying signs.


    Fortunately, there was nothing of concern nearby, and he finally relaxed a bit.


    "They made me act for absolutely nothing!" He muttered, feeling angry at the suspicious people of that state.


    For just entering a city, he had been chased and then attacked!


    Considering that he had used some of his most famous fusions and techniques to escape those people, Minos couldn''t help but complain aloud, not liking that he had left traces behind.


    ...

 Chapter 1623 Voyage On The High Seas

    ?


    Minos had acted to the best of his abilities, as quickly as possible, both to eliminate his opponents without giving them a chance to send crucial information about him and to erase their tracks.


    Because of his current spatial abilities, Minos could not only make it impossible for one to chase him down the tracks of a wormhole, but he could also hinder investigators from probing his aura or his techniques when he used them.


    Because of these abilities he gained after years of stealing the cultivation and understanding imbued in the giant bones, he had ways of protecting himself from investigators.


    However, this was not an exact science, and someone with a problematic innate ability or an eyewitness could still harm him somehow.


    He hadn''t seen anyone near where he had battled, but there was no way he could be sure that there wasn''t someone watching the sea in that position where the battle had taken place.


    So Minos was at this instant quite frustrated, fearful that someone would be able to identify him.


    "Sigh... I have to get into the Ancestral Sea as soon as possible!" He muttered to himself as he watched the sea ahead of him on the deck of his yacht.


    In front of him, only water could be observed amidst this sunny and hot day.


    The strong smell of the sea air was present while the movements of the water swayed Minos'' yacht, capable of making the most sensitive feel the urge to vomit.


    Minos was not sensitive to this, so he stood there as he thought about his situation. ''In any case, as long as I can get into the Ancestral Sea, even if I am identified, I doubt anyone will be able to intercept me.''


    Minos trusted the protection Henricus Longus had given him regarding his future, something he knew that now and then, someone would try to guess at something and end up going wrong.


    Recently this had happened again, but Minos hadn''t even bothered.


    So without a seer being able to tell where he was going and his tracks having been erased, even if someone identified him as the Stuart Emperor, it would be tough to find him in a short time.


    That was because the Ancestral Sea was massive. With every hour of Minos'' escape, someone investigating him would have a few dozen more square miles to investigate.


    If they took too long, even if they knew who he was and that he was navigating these waters, finding him could very well become an almost impossible task!


    Since Minos only needed a few weeks to reach his destination, he was not so concerned about being interrupted.


    At most, he considered the problems he would have on returning to the Black Plain if he was identified.


    However, he could no longer do anything about it and soon tried to put that matter aside to proceed with his journey.


    "Sigh... In no more than two days, I will enter the area where powerful beasts can already be found, so I have to take the time to prepare better!


    I''ll cultivate while I can because, after that, I''ll most likely have to focus on staying away from these sea creatures or even interacting with them."


    He muttered, planning and predicting what would happen next.


    ...


    After two hours since Minos'' escape through a wormhole...


    The vicinity from where he had left was filled with coast guard vessels, with at least a thousand cultivators investigating what happened there.


    However, even though there were up to level 90 investigators there, the atmosphere was tense, as there was not much sign of what had happened to their men in this place.


    It was as if one moment they were there, chasing someone, and then moments later, it was all gone as if it were a dream.


    But this was not a dream, and the sea was proof that something had happened there!


    "I don''t understand! Why is the sea so rough, but there is no trace of what happened here?" A high-level Spiritual Sage asked the strongest man in the surrounding area.


    eaglesnov?1,§ão§® That Spiritual Demigod frowned his eyebrows and thought of a hypothesis. "The person who acted here managed to erase the traces of what he did before he left. But he seems to have displaced some of the water from this place to another space..."


    "Displaced the sea? But how? Why would anyone do that?"


    "I don''t know. It could have been a mistake or to erase his traces..." That man sighed. "In any case, the one who acted here has impressive spatial abilities. Put that in the report about him."


    "But where did this person come from? Is he some new expert from the Eastern Empire?"


    All these people knew Minos'' name and some of his stories. But connecting what happened there in their state with such a man from the northern region was not something one would do immediately.


    Even if Minos'' name were mentioned at that moment, practically everyone would find it difficult to connect this incident to him.


    It was difficult to associate something so shocking with a mere Spiritual Saint of the Black Plain Empire!


    One might think that a Spiritual Saint had done this anyway, so it wouldn''t be ridiculous to associate it with Minos. But the truth was that a few people in the Spiritual World could make their level appear to be what it was not.


    That ancient cultivation technique could disguise a person''s strength, making them appear weaker or stronger than they were, depending on their own will.


    These stronger people there knew about the existence of this Golden-grade technique, which had made several of its users famous because it scared or made others underestimate its users.


    Before considering Minos, they would look at this!


    ...


    Meanwhile, at the headquarters of the Elemental Sect...


    In this place that was home to one of the strongest sects in the Western Empire, a rumor was already spreading among the low-level disciples and elders.


    Supposedly a group of sect members had faced and lost to someone extremely powerful, able to manipulate space while only being a Spiritual Saint.


    Many were talking about this being someone with the unique Golden-grade cultivation technique capable of manipulating a cultivator''s spiritual fluctuations.


    But among those who had heard this, a blond, level 69 young man couldn''t help but consider another hypothesis.


    ''Is that Minos?'' Luke Nash wondered as he stood beside the man who had helped him countless times in the Western Empire, Oriel Holt, who was currently at level 73.

 Chapter 1624 Meeting On The High Seas

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    Two days later...


    Some people investigating the current situation in the northeasternmost area of the Western Empire were already considering the hypothesis that Minos had recently acted in his state.


    But the evidence this was indeed the deeds of Emperor Stuart was small, with large margins of error for someone to expose their thoughts to people of importance in this state.


    So even with some individuals being suspicious of that fellow from the northern region, his name was still not being spoken among the investigators of both the imperial guard and the Elemental Sect.


    Precisely because of this, the Minos observers investigating him were far away from this state, still investigating the possible whereabouts of this emperor in the Black Plain Empire''s allied states.


    As for the Travisani family investigators looking for what had happened to the map of the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus, they were still in the early stages of their investigation, so it would take some more time before they connected certain coincidences...


    In any case, even the Spiritual Church had already noticed the strange movement of Vico''s imperial family and was beginning its own investigations.


    They had no way of knowing what had happened, as Vico knew because the only tracing item on that map was in the hands of House Travisani. In any case, even without such a thing, the many observers from the Church and Pirates of the Blood Triangle had a lot of information, and it wouldn''t take them long to discover something very important to them!


    Amidst all this, the Black Plain continued to develop under the pressures of the major factions of the Spiritual Church, while Minos and Gloria''s faction was working to gain alliances with others of similar size to theirs.


    Meanwhile, Minos had finally bypassed the sea area with no powerful beast territories to enter one of the most mystical and dangerous places in the Spiritual World!


    ...


    At this moment, Minos was sailing along the southeastern edge of the Ancestral Sea, inside the cockpit of his yacht, while cautiously scanning the surroundings.


    It was nighttime, but danger lurked in these waters at any time of day. Therefore, while traveling at maximum speed on his yacht, he had tens of cubic kilometers of space under observation in his surroundings.


    Probing the underwater world was by no means easy due to the characteristics of water in the Spiritual World. But there were ways of trying to do it for one not to be totally surprised by what lay below his vessel.


    Minos was doing this right now, looking out for powerful beasts but also underwater cities.


    The underwater communities were very diverse, with populations even more impressive than the human ones in the Central Continent.


    To give you an idea, while a continent as large as this had a few tens of billions of humans, the Ancestral Sea alone had at least hundreds of billions of living beings!


    Obviously, not all of them were powerful. An example of this was the shrimps, limited by level 59, but their species alone had more members in that sea than all the humans in the Black Plain Empire!


    That was only one kind of underwater beast, but there were hundreds of thousands of species and races in the seas around this world!


    Some were more powerful, so they had fewer members. Still, this was a gigantic habitat not only in space but also in population.


    Due to these species'' different characteristics and needs, there were underwater cities where beings of the most diverse races could trade.


    Usually, these places were located on gigantic coral reefs, but there were artificial cities in the depths of the seas, places not so different from human cities.


    Some beings were gigantic, and interacting with one would be difficult for humans 100 times smaller. So many creatures transformed themselves into their humanoid sea versions and used these artificial cities to do their proper exchanges and interactions with other beings.


    Due to the size of these places, which in some cases could contain tens of millions of inhabitants, the vigilance of the leading beasts of these places was strong, and any craft in the vicinity could attract their attention.


    Because of this, Minos also had to be vigilant for underwater cities, which were usually not so far away from where human vessels sailed.


    Usually, artificial cities of sea beasts grew in all directions, unlike human cities that didn''t go very far into the sky.


    Because of this, there were huge populations in these places, but also, the cities of these creatures came close to sea level.


    Minos didn''t have a map of the underwater world, so he had to constantly monitor his surroundings.


    ''Hmm, there''s nothing in the surroundings.'' He thought as he sensed nothing of interest nearby other than some small low-level sea creatures and the phytoplankton.


    He continued sailing for a while longer until a craft appeared on the horizon, traveling toward Minos.


    He was attentive, and it didn''t take long for him to pick up an artifact useful for observing things far away, and he looked at that vessel.


    It was different from his yacht. It seemed to be made of wood. Also, it had items in its construction that made it look like an entire tree had been turned into a ship.


    e¦Áglesnovel`c,om It was very strange and unique, but also striking of a certain race from the Spiritual World.


    "Elves?" Minos wondered as he saw that ship, frowning, for he did not expect to find elves precisely in this place.


    He was the ruler of the Central Continent''s northern region, an area not so far from Elves Island.


    Elves even frequently passed through his domains, in particular through the areas of End and Snow. But Minos had never encountered any being of this species himself in his short life.


    So when he came across what he thought was an elven vessel, he became more serious.


    Elves were not beings who would battle for no reason or initiate world domination. They even had characteristics necessary for this, such as longevity and power, two of the things they were best at in this world.


    No race in this great world could live as long or have as much talent as the elven race!


    But even with the possibility, these creatures did not start wars of conquest and much preferred to live on their island, in that natural paradise.


    Only Elves Island could compare 100% to Spatial Kingdoms in the Spiritual World and still have some advantages over these alternative spaces!


    Because of the superiority of the Elves Island over the rest of the Spiritual World, most beings of this species despised the rest of the Spiritual World and only valued the creations of the Gods, of whatever races.


    But in addition, these beings were arrogant and prejudiced, the kind that would only respect those with talent close to their own or of equivalent power.


    So it was by no means easy to interact with someone of this race, which was Minos'' reason for concern when he identified that elven ship!


    ...

 Chapter 1625 Elves

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    As Minos saw the elven vessel in front of him, the ship''s crew, which was going to the Western Empire, also saw the human yacht traveling to the Ancestral Sea.


    On that ship made of trees, which impressively seemed to have its own spiritual root, the small crew of ten immediately began to watch the human traveling alone with interest.


    Unlike Minos, who needed to use artifacts to observe them, these beings with blue-green skin, large eyes, and pointed ears could clearly see this human watching them.


    Not only this, the sensory ability of elves was so superior to humans at the same stage as them that even more than 20 kilometers away from Minos, these beings could sense his level!


    The leader of that group and the strongest one there, level 84, was not only sensing the only spiritual fluctuation on that vessel, but she could also clearly tell that Minos was showing a different appearance than he naturally had.


    "That seems to be a very highly rated human yacht... Why is only one human traveling on it?" A male elf, so pretty that one would only say he was a male due to the absence of breasts and his height, 2.2 meters, asked his companions.


    Another being of the same height, the average height of males of that race, said. "A weak human, by the way."


    "Perhaps he is of good origin." A 1.8-meter tall female with hair the same color as her mates, blond, said.


    Their leader then said. "Watch his attitude, but don''t do anything now."


    Elves normally would not act against any being in their way, but this was the violent Spiritual World, so they would be sure to watch for any strange things in their surroundings.


    Even with all their arrogance, these beings knew they could be hurt and killed by clever enemies using traps.


    In this situation, finding a human traveling alone on the Ancestral Sea, being so weak and in such a good ship, they couldn''t help but look at him strangely.


    Minos noticed those beings dressed in high-quality clothes made of silk, but which he knew were as strong as metal armor.


    The elves also produced artifacts similar to humans.


    But they were much more talented, so they could develop things with higher added value, even using fragile materials.


    ''They are watching me closely...'' Minos could not yet sense the level of those beings, but he judged that they were not weak.


    To travel safely through an area like the Ancestral Sea, a crew must at least have Spiritual Sages in their group. With this type of cultivator, most dangers would no longer threaten these beings'' craft.


    Below that, there would be countless dangers that weak crews could not even fathom!


    That was the way it was strange for these elves to see a single level 77 individual traveling alone into the Ancestral Sea.


    And so both vessels approached each other with the passage of a few minutes, enough for Minos to finally probe those in the group of elves.


    ''As expected...'' He thought before stepping out of the cockpit of his yacht to take a closer look at those elves.


    They looked exactly like the beings of that race that Henricus Longus had seen in life and exhibited magnificent auras as if they were fully connected with nature.


    At the same time, these elves were relatively young, despite their cultivations, only a little older than Minos.


    Seeing this tall, muscular-looking human up close, who they knew was not his actual appearance, some of the younger ones looked at Minos strangely, feeling slightly offended.


    "Human, why do you wear a different appearance than your original one? Are you by any chance ashamed of yourself?" One of those full of self-pride asked.


    Minos looked at those elves in silence for a few seconds and said. "That''s about it... Not everyone is born with the gifts of the beings of your race, elf."


    "Oh? How nice that you recognize the differences between..."


    "Voron!" The group leader roared, intending to silence that youth under her protection.


    After the voice of this level 84 expert, everyone in that group was silent.


    She looked at Minos and said. "Human, why are you traveling alone? Do you know where you are going? That place holds unimaginable dangers. You will encounter death if you are alone."


    "If it is death that is in my freight, it will be the one I will face," Minos replied without caring whether or not these beings were chosen of heaven. "Anyway, thanks for the warning. Anyway, you don''t need to worry about me. I am not here on your account, nor are others hiding in the surrounding area."


    Minos knew that these beings were probably defensive about him because his circumstances were strange, something that could indicate that he was a danger. So he immediately decided to say that and perhaps ease the tensions between those talented beings.


    Those in the elven vessel frowned upon hearing this, noticing that the human in the other vessel understood well what was on their minds.


    "Human, you don''t seem surprised. Have you met with elves before?" The leader of that group found this human''s behavior strange.


    Elves were very sensitive to emotions, so they could all sense that there was no surprise in Minos, and he didn''t seem to fear them either.


    Considering his words, if he really was alone, he should at least have some fear of them because anything could happen there.


    His not being in the least bit defensive or fearful alerted all these beings!


    Minos smiled bitterly, considering his lack of control over some of his actions.


    Not just anyone could impose some fear on him so that he would act fearfully!


    eaglesnov?1,§ão§® He then said. "No, you are the first. But I have heard many stories about your people... An ancestor of mine gave me the grace to show me some of his memories."


    "Oh? You have people with such ability in your family?" The leader of that group misunderstood Minos'' words, thinking that this human belonged to a powerful organization with Spiritual Demigods in its ranks.


    ...

 Chapter 1626 Elven Trap

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    Sharing memories was something that only Spiritual Demigods or Gods could do. So Minos'' words were soon interpreted by those elves as an indication that he belonged to a powerful family.


    Obviously, no human family could compare themselves with the elven clan. Still, some human powers were respected by these beings on Elves Island.


    Soon, those beings would think twice before going far against this human they were interested in.


    "You could say that," Minos answered that level 84 woman''s question and said. "Anyway, it is a surprise that my first encounter with elves is precisely so far from their territory..."


    "Hmm, and where are you going, human? And why are you watching us so cautiously?" A level 83 being on that special ship asked.


    Encounters on the high seas usually developed without one side contacting the other, with both watching each other until one was out of reach of the other.


    But when strange circumstances arose in one of them, it was common for other crews to attempt contact to better probe whether or not that one was an enemy.


    Naval battles were tricky, even more so where they were at the moment, a territory where powerful sea beasts could appear at any moment and annihilate them with the swing of a fin.


    They had intercepted Minos for this, and this emperor was watching them because of such a move on their part.


    Minos said. "I am traveling alone, so seeing you approaching me, how could I not watch you cautiously? For the rest, I will sail further into the Ancestral Sea.


    I want to get to know this magnificent underwater world ahead!


    Why? Do you have any tips about the area for me? Unfortunately, I don''t know the place ahead well and don''t even have a map."


    Those beings were temporarily silent, watching Minos, sensing that he was hiding things and was probably running away from something.


    But he didn''t seem to lie about his goals and no longer looked like a threat to them.


    A level 81 woman then said. "Human, we just came from the central part of the Ancestral Sea. That place is suffering from the awakening of a powerful beast that has been dormant for the past centuries.


    If I were you, I would avoid traveling to that area. Soon, billions of beasts will start migrating from that area to escape the chaos generated by this one."


    "The central area of the Ancestral Sea is vast..." Minos smiled as he spoke.


    But he was interrupted by that woman. "The direction you are following leads directly to that area."


    "Oh? Then thank you for the information. I will follow a slightly different direction." He made a gesture of thanks as he spoke, but without being able to fool these beings.


    e¦Áglesn?¦Íel One of them was calmly looking at Minos, his eyes glowing in light green. At the same time, he saw an intense golden aura in the surroundings of this human.


    This was his innate ability, something that gave him the capacity to see the potential and power of his targets easily.


    ''Boss, this human hides many secrets... Although he is clearly not one of us, he has an aura almost as bright as those of our lineage.'' He relayed his thoughts to the level 84 woman. ''Furthermore, he does not intend to follow our recommendation. He will go toward danger.''


    ''Oh? Is he that talented?'' That woman kept her expression unchanged, but she was surprised.


    ''Yes, unfortunately, he is only a human...''


    ''Anyway, if his talent is that good, it might benefit us to approach him.'' She said. ''I don''t think he is a threat. Perhaps if we use this encounter well, we can add a relevant human to our influence network.''


    The elves were harmonious beings among themselves, but there were disputes over who would do what, activities, ranks, and resources. Not everyone could be given the same chances, so some members of this race competed.


    The difference between them and beings from other races was that they mostly followed the rules and were not bad losers.


    Elves understood that the heavens favored some more than others, so they didn''t fight much against fate.


    They worshipped fate and did not try to change it. Once someone proved to be better and more capable, the others competing would give up their right to compete and support the more capable one.


    But before that happened, they would try to improve their influence in the Spiritual World, do business, become stronger, and create their own families. That is, they would try to reach their potential and achieve their destiny.


    Whether this would lead them to leadership or to serving someone else, there was no way for them to know until it happened, so there was competition nonetheless.


    This woman, eager to achieve her destiny, couldn''t help but look with interest at Minos upon learning about his impressive talent.


    ''We had met in this remote place. This must be a thing of destiny!''


    ''I will follow whatever you choose, Ayla.'' That elf said in her mind.


    She then said aloud. "Human, this one here is called Ayla Daeharice. If you intend to go that way, I will give you something to help you."


    After those words, she threw a green bottle in Minos'' direction and said. "That is an item from my homeland. For us elves, we attach importance to it, but we do not lack it. But for beings of other races, it is scarce.


    Use this as a bargaining chip if you have trouble on your way. Maybe you''ll save yourself on account of it."


    "Uh?" Minos was surprised to pick up that green bottle, not expecting to gain something from a chance encounter with elves.


    She continued. "But this will not be free. I am giving you this so that if you go to Elves Island one day, you will help me with something.


    Obviously, only if you can get to where I will be and can help me. Otherwise, your fate will be compensation for that bottle." After saying that, she made some gestures, causing inscriptions to appear between her and Minos.


    Minos felt that and realized this woman was making a contract between them without his permission.


    ''Oh, damn...'' He thought, but elven powers were so soft and compatible with nature that they could even force contracts with other beings!


    They couldn''t impose unfair conditions, or heaven would punish them. But if they followed contracts with benefits for the other side, then it was not difficult for a being of that race to accomplish what that woman had just done.


    "I will also give you a hint. Whatever your goal is, visit the City of a Thousand Races. There you will find something relevant." She said before the symbols glowing in a green color disappeared from her and Minos'' surroundings.


    Minos felt a small tattoo appearing on his right hand, indicating the contract between him and that woman.


    He then sighed before thinking about what he had just heard.


    ...

 Chapter 1627 Destiny

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    Minos couldn''t do much against the contract that woman had made between them. The moment he ''accepted'' that bottle, he had already committed himself to that level 84 elf to the heavens.


    As an elf, even the least talented of them were more talented than humans with Silver talent or higher, armed with Golden-grade techniques. Thus, he could not resist Ayla''s action.


    Now he could only follow through on his commitment to this woman, and once he went to Elves Island, try to reach out and help her.


    If he could not do this, it would mean he would die trying, and his destiny would become that woman''s possession!


    According to elven belief, every being has its destiny. But along with destiny, there was something called karmic energy, something that would make destiny very good, terrible, or what was between the two extremes. This energy could be stolen and given to an unborn being.


    If someone''s destiny were to be powerful and lead, their karmic energy would be awesome. And even if that person''s destiny was to one day die prematurely, their karmic energy could still be positive for others because it could have more positives than negatives.


    Prematurely dying was a big negative point, but having the talent to become a God, being a born leader, etc., was so good that that person''s karmic energy would be amazing anyway.


    As for fate, everyone had their own, so even by stealing the karmic energy of someone marked to die prematurely, one could live a long life!


    As for its absorption, it could be absorbed by developing beings, those who did not yet have an established destiny, and their karmic energy was yet to develop.


    Elves could steal the karmic energy of those who failed them and pass it on to their offspring, benefiting their descendants.


    Minos knew all this and couldn''t help but feel frustrated at the situation he had gotten into without much choice.


    But the milk had already been spilled, so he focused on the information she had given him. ''Elves can sense things differently from all beings in the Spiritual World...


    They are more compatible with spirit energy and natural laws than even spiritual roots, so they can sense compatibility between beings and resources.


    Hmmm, she probably knows that something in that place might help me on my journey.''


    This was indeed an ability of these beings, and even though that woman and the others in the surrounding area did not know what Minos was planning, they all felt that he was compatible with something they had recently seen in that city.


    Minos sighed and said. "Well, thank you for the information. I will be going to your island during the Continental Tournament, so I hope to fulfill that commitment then."


    "Oh? So soon?" That person asked.


    Elves could live six times longer than humans of the same stage of cultivation. So a few decades were not much for those beings.


    "Hmm, I hope I can accomplish whatever it is in that time." He said, taking his leave.


    As they watched him return to the cockpit of his yacht, the elves on that vessel looked at that woman in doubt, doubtful about the possibility of this human going far.


    "That''s a short time..."


    "Hmm, he''ll probably die competing in the Continental Tournament."


    "Well, anyway, even if he can''t help Ayla to become a disciple of the Destiny Master, he will be able to give some of his good karmic energy to us." The man who saw Minos'' talent said, reassured about the future.


    That woman was also tranquil and not too bothered by it. "Let''s get back on our way. If he is destined to help me become a disciple of the Destiny Master, it will happen one way or another.


    Otherwise, I will accept my position and try to have an heir with a better future than mine."


    The others did not discuss this much further, and it was not long before they returned to sailing toward the Western Empire, from where they intended to leave for the Black Plain Empire and then their island.


    ...


    After a few minutes, Minos could no longer see the elven vessel on the horizon, once again sailing alone on the waters of the Ancestral Sea.


    As he watched his surroundings, he kept that woman''s hint in mind, thinking of the City of a Thousand Races, an ancient place that had existed since the time of Henricus Longus.


    e¦Áglesn?¦Íel The sea beasts were not only more numerous than all the races existing on the continents of the Spiritual World. They were also much older, and some of their cities had existed for millions of years!


    Millions of years were a long time, and these places were not exactly the same as they were in the past.


    Wars, battles, destruction, and construction have happened many times over the years, bringing new features and customs but still preserving a few things.


    Because of this, Minos didn''t expect to find a place similar to the one Herincus Longus had gone through, and he couldn''t help but think about his journey to such a place.


    ''From what she implied, this city must be located on my walking path.'' He wondered, considering that underwater cities, unlike land ones, could be moved.


    That''s why even he didn''t know how to move in the Ancestral Sea to avoid trouble, beast territories, and cities!


    The configuration at the time of Herincus Longus was different from today!


    But with that woman''s speech, Minos knew this city would be at some point on his route and thought better of what he would do in that place.


    ''The City of a Thousand Races is an artificial city, home to countless races of sea beasts, home to powerful beasts.


    In Henricus Longus'' time, that place was ruled by a level 99 whale, so I must be careful. If the beasts around there are still that strong, I can''t falter, or I might even be swallowed by one of those creatures!''


    Even in a hurry to reach his destination, he would pass through such a place and look for why the woman had indicated to him to pass through this city.


    If something could help him on his journey, he would not hesitate to look for it!


    ''At last, time to meet this fantastic underwater world!'' He smiled, calmly sailing off to the northwest while sea beasts came and went dozens of meters below him, ignoring him.


    Some of these beings were as big as Minos'' yacht, even though they were at the same level as him.


    He wouldn''t be frightened if he saw them. Still, a person unaccustomed to the underwater scale would panic if he saw the size and quantity of these monsters!

 Chapter 1628 The Reality Of The Underwater World

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    Days later...


    After traveling for more than a week on the high seas, Minos experienced several problematic situations, encounters with sea creatures and humans, and also known the storms on the high seas.


    If his yacht had not been a grade-4-rated one, it would probably be at the bottom of this sea right now, destroyed by the powerful waves he had faced during a day of travel.


    On that day, gigantic waves had formed near the coast of the Western Empire, with the sea so rough at the location Minos had been until then, causing his yacht at times to be tossed aloft by the choppy waters.


    Fortunately for Minos, besides his yacht being of good quality, he saved it countless times from falling from heights of up to 50 meters using his Chaotic Gravity.


    But even with the characteristics favorable to it, Minos'' yacht had suffered several deformations in recent days, not enough to lose its integrity, but enough for anyone to notice such damage.


    However, not only the damage caused by bad weather could be seen on Minos'' yacht. Some traces of battles, such as dents in the deck, and giant scratches on the ship''s hull, could easily be seen on this yacht.


    Minos had fought some violent sea beasts in the last few days, beings not so powerful to threaten his existence but strong enough to leave traces of their movements behind.


    But Minos had had to deal with not only battles and storms these past few days. The day before, he had met a more peaceful group of beasts with whom he had been able to do business and exchange information.


    Not only that, but after a few hours together, he had managed to get the help of two group members, who were sailing alongside Minos now.


    Both were in their humanoid forms, traveling with Minos on his yacht while guiding him to the City of a Thousand Races, which supposedly was not far from them.


    e¦Áglesn?¦Íel They already wanted to go to that city. After doing business with Minos and seeing that he was not a bad person, they offered their help to guide him there, provided he fed them.


    Sea beasts could eat anything, not just seafood. And since they usually had no options other than what they found in the sea, when they could eat medicines and land foods, part of them greatly appreciated the opportunity.


    As such, once again, Minos had won allies through his food, and now he was no longer traveling alone!


    ...


    "Ed, we will arrive in the City of a Thousand Races area in no more than three days." A woman with orange hair, 1.7 meters tall, large breasts, and a lean body, said, as her bestial scales served as clothing to cover her privates.


    ''Ed'' heard that and said. "Really? I didn''t expect it to get there so fast. Have you been to this city before?"


    Hearing that, that woman''s husband, a member of a race of fish neither influential nor too weak to be ignored in the underwater world, said. "Ed, Sapphire has never been to the City of a Thousand Races, but I have been there twice."


    Minos looked at that man, very similar to Sapphire in many ways, only someone with a more muscular body, tall and short hair.


    He heard from Randall. "That place is the most fantastic place you will probably ever have the chance to visit.


    There are all kinds of sea beasts there, swimming areas for beings in a hurry, areas that can take in humans, like you, but also a building model that seems to have no end.


    Once you are close to the city''s center, you will feel as if all that exists in the world is that grandiose construction capable of hosting over 80 million beasts simultaneously."


    Minos listened to that with interest, curious to see this place that Henricus Longus had passed long ago.


    At the time of this ancient God, the City of a Thousand Races was already as Randall was telling, a glorious place, full of things that a human would never see in a human city.


    At the same time, there were commercial and tourist attractions that could attract not only beasts from all over the Spiritual World but also humans.


    Many marine items could be used to develop artifacts and spiritual pills, so even though they were more helpful to underwater beings, many of the resources in this city could attract beings of land races.


    Because of this, there were even humans living in the area, some even staying in this city almost permanently and raising their families there.


    "As for the thousand races, forget about that. There are many more species in the city than one can count." That orange-haired man said, smiling as he sat on the deck of Minos'' yacht. "That name refers to the time when an association of a thousand tribes created the city. But after the creation of this city, which is a free spot for any species, beings of many other species went to live there."


    The underwater world was like the terrestrial one. It had the territories of tribes, territories of beasts that did not belong to any group, territories of sea kingdoms and empires, and so on. To get an idea, while there were less than 20 human states in the entire Spiritual World, the Ancestral Sea alone had more than 500 territories claimed by beast groups.


    Some of these groups functioned more or less like land beast groups, living in areas where humans had no interest in developing cities and agriculture. But there were others where sea beasts held their dominion, as humans, dragons, elves, and other powerful beings from the Spiritual World would.


    Some empires were even larger and more powerful than states like the Evergreen Empire!


    Such was the case with the Sea Folk, a race of underwater humans with one of the world''s five strongest states!


    To give you an idea of the strength of this group, they were ranked next to the elves, dragons, whales, and the human empires of the Divine Continent.


    Hence, the underwater world was a vast space with various owners and laws, with the natural problems that came from this, such as wars, oppression of certain groups, etc. Amid this, a city where everyone was accepted and free had been developed.


    This was the City of a Thousand Races!


    Because of this, this place flourished, and today it was much larger than at its foundation, being a place well-liked by beasts from all over the ocean!


    ...

 Chapter 1629 Important Facts

    ?


    Minos listened carefully to Randall''s words, already knowing some of what he had to say but still showing his curiosity about what this level 80 beast had to say.


    "... Anyway, there are other cities like that ahead. In practically every sea of the Spiritual World, there are neutral cities where everyone is accepted without exception.


    The only place there are no such cities is the North Sea, that terrible place." Randall finished speaking, drawing Minos'' attention.


    "Is the North Sea terrible for sea beasts too? I thought only us land beings had problems in that region."


    Sapphire said. "The North Sea is the nightmare of the Spiritual World. That place strangely became hostile to the non-native beast races of the area about 2 million years ago.


    eaglesnov?1,§ão§® At the time, a great empire arose in that area, bringing wars and chaos to those not belonging to the area who were there but also to those trying to leave or enter the North Sea.


    Because of this, most of the sea beast races of the Ancestral Sea severed relations with the ancient tribes existing in the North Sea, ending the exchange of items from our areas but also our contact with beings from that place.


    More recently, about 50,000 years ago, news about that place intensified for some reason."


    Minos opened his eyes upon hearing this, not expecting to get this new information from these two Spiritual Sages.


    Beasts could live much longer than humans of the same cultivation stage. Because of this, and because they were more numerous and less connected to human acts, many of them knew things that only high-level humans would have access to such information.


    Most humans couldn''t venture out on sea voyages, as it was too dangerous. And the few who did were mostly high-level people, at least above level 70, or members of crews with individuals stronger than that.


    Precisely because of this, the few who knew about the kind of information these beasts had were precisely the greatest powers in the Spiritual World!


    Minos was lucky that he could make a friendship with these two beings and for them to speak on their own about the great taboo of the Ocean World.


    "What happened 50,000 years ago for the situation to change?"


    "We don''t know for sure," Randall said. "But we believe that most of the races rebelling against the empire that was born 2 million years ago were finally killed and overpowered, and that area had time to recover, maybe even develop.


    Then it began to show its claws to the rest of the Spiritual World."


    Minos had his eyes narrowed, with his eyebrows drawn together, thinking that probably the problem predicted by Herincus Longus had started 50,000 years ago.


    ''If that is the case, why aren''t we being attacked yet? Are these extraterritorial beings really behind the situation in the North Sea?'' He wondered, clasping his hands tightly together.


    "Anyway, I wouldn''t advise visiting the vicinity of that area. Even the north of the Central Continent is dangerous, my dear Ed." Sapphire sighed, remembering the ancient prophecy of a powerful Mermaid.


    Mermaids were famous in the Spiritual World for being excellent seers, being naturally blessed by heaven to foresee the future.


    They could see the future clearly, and one of the most renowned mermaids the Ancestral Sea had ever seen had made a terrible prediction for that area of the Central Continent.


    At some point in the future, a calamity would strike the entire Spiritual World. But it would start in the North Sea and first hit the north of the Central Continent!


    "Hmm, we have already avoided the northeasternmost part of the Ancestral Sea. That area is already seen as a no beast''s land." Randall commented.


    Minos heard this and kept these warnings in mind, something he would remember once he became a strong enough Spiritual Sage to try to investigate the situation in the North Sea.


    In any case, he received valuable information for the Black Plain Empire for its protection and expansion into the underwater world.


    ''If that is the case, I will create some underwater cities and send some fleets to occupy the northeast side of the Ancestral Sea.


    That area has many valuable mineral resources and is rich in spiritual energy.'' He planned, feeling that he could better prepare for the future if he dominated this area that no one else wanted.


    Then he could get relevant resources for the Black Plain, but also an outpost for expanding his state through the rich underwater world!


    "I''ll keep that in mind," Minos said, grinning at those two. "Good thing I''m not from the northern region..."


    "Haha, good for you!" Randall said, having already heard from Minos that he came from the Evergreen Empire.


    "Anyway, if you don''t sail north, you''ll be fine, Ed," Sapphire said before remembering the glorious South Sea. "But you should consider traveling south. That place is close to your state, so when you return, visit the free city created in that region.


    There are even dragons in that place!"


    There were two dragon races in the Spiritual World. The one that dominated the Beast Continent and the other that lived in the underwater world and was among the five most powerful races of the seas.


    In the case at hand, Sapphire was talking about the second type, those dragons that were much less powerful and hostile than the terrestrial ones.


    In the underwater world, whales dominated the seas, and as such, even powerful beings like dragons had to be humble in the face of these beings.


    Because of this reality, drowned dragons were much more peaceful and tranquil than the terrestrial ones and could be seen in artificial sea cities in the world''s most important seas.


    And unlike those beings from the Beast Continent, who kept their bloodline pure, these sea creatures saw no problem in mixing with beings of other species.


    As such, Sapphire was very favorable to them, even though she was a companion of Randall, a being who saw no problem if his wife gave birth to a son of a dragon.


    For a mid-ranking fish like him, that would be an honor!


    "I will do my best to visit the South Sea in the future," Minos replied after putting aside the subject of the North Sea.


    While talking, the two beasts changed their attitudes and alerted Minos.


    "Ed, some powerful beast is coming toward your yacht. Move it, or you will lose your crystals invested in it!"


    ...

 Chapter 1630 Predation In The Spiritual World

    ?


    Upon hearing that warning, Minos immediately moved to the cockpit of his yacht, leaving those two beasts in fighting positions on deck.


    He then followed their instructions and turned his yacht 90 degrees to the east. At the same time, he already had his Chaotic Gravity acting subtly on this yacht, facilitating its movement.


    Seconds after Randall''s warning, Minos and his two traveling companions saw a tail at least 7 meters long and 4 meters wide throw up water and appear where they were moments ago.


    In that instant, Minos finally saw what those two had warned him about, the piece of a level 85 underwater being!


    But along with that tail, Minos and those two fish traveling with him saw a colored fin, which was supposed to be from a being of similar proportions to the tail owner.


    But that being was only a level 84 beast who seemed to be fighting an exhilarating battle with that stronger level creature.


    "You bastard! You''re going to pay me for eating my children!" The colorful fish brandished while the gigantic sea serpent continued with a cunning look on its face.


    "If you wish, then I will devour you too!" That dark-scaled serpent shrieked, trying to wrap its slender body around that fish.


    The world of beasts, whether aquatic or terrestrial, involved predation, in addition to all the other possible implications of the cultivation world.


    The main cause of disputes was over territories, but predation also generated conflicts everywhere.


    In some cases, the beasts of the species that had part of their members predated could do nothing about it because beings higher up than them were the predators.


    What could a fish do if a dragon devoured its offspring? Nothing, it should be thankful that it wasn''t devoured too!


    Most beasts could have offspring more easily than humans, so even if some of their offspring were devoured, it didn''t necessarily mean the end of their lineage.


    This is also why beasts were less attached to their offspring than humans and elves, for example.


    But battles could take place when the predation was by a being of a species not so much stronger than that of the prey.


    In the case in question, that serpent was a natural predator of the species of fish it was fighting against. However, the difference in strength between the two tribes was not significant enough for that fish to ignore the death of its children!


    It had only 30 children, and 6 of them had been devoured by this enemy earlier today. So it could not hold its anger and was battling this creature for the last 15 minutes, having achieved this impressive feat of holding out for so long in a fight against someone stronger.


    Minos and those other two fish realized the problem and looked with concern at those two fighting near them, who could very easily hurt them a lot by fighting so close to them.


    "Ed, we have to run away quickly. Those two are worse than we imagined!" Sapphire said, already preparing to jump into the sea and flee in its bestial form, its best way to protect itself and escape.


    But Minos then looked at those creatures trying to hinder his journey, feeling that if he didn''t act, he would have his yacht badly damaged by them.


    Beasts at this level could easily capsize his yacht and cause problems that could incapacitate it, even though it was supposed to withstand even the power of level 89 beings.


    Unfortunately or not, beasts were different from humans in that they had weak soul power but solid physical power. This meant that the bodies of these creatures were as tough as those of human cultivators far above their level.


    This, in practice, meant that they were excellent close combat fighters but also that a shock against their body was something that would damage even items of higher rank than their body.


    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á- n?¦Íe|`c,0m Case in point, even though Minos'' yacht was fully capable of withstanding the blows of a level 89 cultivator, it would suffer against the body of a level 84 or 85 beings.


    Knowing this, Minos promptly used the beasts'' weak point, their mind, against them to stop them.


    "Stop immediately!" He shouted as those two beasts felt part of their consciousnesses switching between the real world and a fantasy one created by the Infinite Dream.


    Meanwhile, Minos flew up from where those two were and used Chaotic Gravity to pull them out of the water, knowing that sea beasts were stronger in the water.


    Fighting there would be a disadvantage for him!


    The two fish accompanying ''Ed'' on this trip opened their mouths in shock, standing frozen in astonishment on the deck of that yacht.


    They wanted to run away after alerting Minos, but with the sudden action of this human, the two were so surprised that they couldn''t help but stay and watch him act.


    So far, Minos had not shown much of his abilities to these two. So they had no idea that he could be even stronger than they were.


    But these two were very surprised by the powerful spiritual fluctuations that Minos was releasing while using his Soul Avatar.


    "Is he that strong?" They wondered as they saw the bodies of those two coming out of the water.


    The dark-scaled serpent was at least 40 meters long, while the fish was 25 meters long, 10 meters high, and 6 meters wide.


    They were two great beings!


    But as they felt their strange consciousnesses and their bodies floating up into the sky, they both shifted their focus from the fight they had to look upwards, where a human in the form of his soul projection was suppressing them.


    "Human?"


    "How dare a mere human act against this superior? I will kill you!" The dark serpent brandished, feeling enraged.


    Minos looked at that level 85 creature, which he could not be hit by as he would immediately lose the battle, but he was not afraid.


    As impressive as the physical power of beasts was, if one kept their distance from them and used mental and spiritual advantages, it was possible for one even to defeat beings of much higher levels than they could normally face.


    He then said. "If you wish, I will help this fish get revenge, gray worm!"


    ...

 Chapter 1631 Gratitude

    ?


    At Minos'' words, the colorful fish changed its gaze, feeling that it could use the help of this human to take revenge for the death of its children.


    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á -n?¦Íe| , c?m It alone knew eliminating this dark-scaled serpent would be extremely difficult. But if it had help from this human, even more, if it fought outside the sea, its chances would be better.


    Alone it wouldn''t have many advantages fighting outside the sea, and more, it wouldn''t be able to force its opponent to fight in that space.


    But fighting in the air, it would have a slight advantage over that serpent, which had its locomotion more difficult in the air.


    So seeing its possibility of victory increasing with the appearance of Minos, that fish soon changed its shape to its humanoid one so that it could breathe in the air. Meanwhile, it floated close to the human.


    At the same time, the serpent had already changed form, becoming a gray-haired elder, totally different from that pink-haired man, but both several meters high, as if they were giants.


    It also needed to use its humanoid form, or it could not breathe, which could risk the lives of even powerful beasts like itself.


    Feeling the spatial restriction imposed by Minos, it couldn''t help but show its weaker form while looking uglily at this low-level human that stood in its way.


    "Damn it! What do you think you are doing? You think someone of your level can interfere in the affairs of someone of my position?" It bellowed, spitting as it spoke.


    Minos said. "You like to talk, uh? I don''t mind your confrontation. But my yacht won''t stand a battle between you. Since you are not moving, I will make you regret this!"


    "Hahahaha, you? With what force? With what battalion?" That sharp-looking fellow said, laughing ridiculously.


    Then Randall sent a mental message to Minos, ''Ed, stop it! Run away, or he''ll kill you!''


    Minos could not answer Randall, so he said aloud. "Sapphire, Randall, lend me your strength for a moment."


    Then Minos'' two hands appeared behind these two as he manipulated the space in the surroundings for his benefit.


    In a matter of a blink of an eye, those two low-level Spiritual Sages appeared beside him, shocked by the act of this human who should only be a Spiritual Saint.


    Unlike humans from the Central Continent, beasts from the Ancestral Sea, and most of the Spiritual World, they had no idea who Minos Stuart, the emperor of the Black Plain Empire, was.


    As such, with his movement, those two and the two beasts fighting earlier were shocked by this human''s capabilities.


    But in sequence with his spatial movement, Minos quickly raised his level to level 79, further shocking those two as the effects of his techniques grew stronger.


    "What? How can that be?" The level 84 fish shouted without understanding.


    Meanwhile, the dark serpent was smarter than its opponent and looked at Minos, frowning with its gray eyebrows. "Does he have that damn cultivation technique?" It wondered, knowing an ancient technique capable of making one''s level different from one''s true power.


    Thinking about it, it didn''t even pay attention to those two creatures, who were now weaker.


    Beasts had their power focused on their bodies, but that didn''t mean they had no fraction of spiritual strength. They had to have something, or they wouldn''t live as long or have a chance to reincarnate.


    In weaker beings, this spiritual remnant was insignificant. But in Spiritual Sages, that was enough for Minos to steal and use to his advantage temporarily.


    The two realized where Minos'' extra levels were coming from and immediately went pale with surprise, seeing that this was not the technique that the level 85 enemy was shouting.


    ''Are there people capable of doing that?''


    ''Impressive! Ed is that strong?''


    The two thought, feeling less worried about their situation since he could do something so shocking.


    As they thought this, the Soul Avatar of Minos grew in size, while everything in his surroundings seemed to come under his control.


    The colorful fish smiled as it realized this sudden ally it got was so strong and said. "Human, help me defeat this worm. I will compensate you later, and I still offer protection for the territory ahead."


    Minos knew that the protection of this level 84 being was no small thing, even though he could take him on with all his skills.


    It obviously wouldn''t be an easy battle, and if he didn''t use his escape option to the Spatial Kingdom, nor the black hole, he probably wouldn''t win and might even have his life in danger.


    As such, getting this being''s help and whatever reward he was promising was well worth it!


    "OK!" Minos said before adding. "You will act against it, and I will support you."


    "Let''s go, human!" The fish flew toward the serpent while Minos'' two traveling companions stood beside him to watch this fight.


    The serpent was already feeling the gravity in its surroundings pressuring it and the intensification of the Infinite Dream, trying to make it lose consciousness of reality.


    Meanwhile, the Devouring Art was degrading its strength, making it feel nervous for the first time since it had started fighting that fish earlier.


    But it flew towards its opponent even with all these disadvantages, promising it would kill that human once it ended that idiot fish''s life.


    "Wretched human! I will slowly torture you after devouring this worthless fish!" It shouted as several sharp fangs, similar to the ones it had in its bestial form, appeared in its surroundings.


    At the same time, fins appeared in the surroundings of the colorful fish, made of energy and laws, just like the fangs of its opponent.


    8th stage beasts could activate innate abilities, which these two used as they resumed combat.


    The two beasts with Minos hid inside his Soul Avatar. At the same time, this guy made his defensive technique create a golden ''skin'' around his soul projection to protect them all.


    With this, one of the most impressive battles ever witnessed and participated in by Minos would soon unfold at that location!


    ...

 Chapter 1632 Shocking Powers

    ?


    The sharp fangs flew towards the level 84 colored fish, while some of them were heading towards where Minos was, flying at great speed.


    At the same time, the fins of the colored fish in the surroundings began to move synchronously, making the air in the surroundings move so much and so fast that sounds of explosions appeared in the surroundings.


    Amidst this, these fins created a pressure zone over that dark serpent, trying to hit that humanoid being.


    Amid this, the colored fish was in its humanoid form, but with much of its body covered by colored scales, using this as armor to protect itself from its opponent''s prey.


    Each spiritual fang was as large as a human sword, had an extremely sharp point, and had poison inside it, which would send such substance into the target''s interior once it hit its target.


    This serpent''s venom was particularly potent, capable of causing damage to the nervous system and bringing agony to its victim.


    This fish knew this very well and was using its dense scales to protect its body from the substance that could kill it in seconds if it entered its bloodstream.


    Minos saw the beginning of their battle and didn''t stay behind, keeping his Indestructible Body activated to protect himself from the enemy''s blows, but without having 100% success with this alone.


    Some of the enemy''s sharp fangs managed to get through the layer of golden skin of his avatar, reaching inside this soul projection.


    When some of these fangs entered his avatar, Minos would open cracks in the space at the position of these spiritual weapons and direct them at the back of that serpent.


    He did this at this very moment while also trying to dance with his low-level grade-4 sword, throwing blades toward that dark being.


    One of the fangs appeared behind the head of that gray-haired creature, quickly making its way to the back of its head.


    This serpent sensed this and couldn''t help but frown. It sensed this opponent it had accidentally arranged was not simple.


    Its venom would not be able to hurt it, as it would on beings of other species or even beings of its race, only weaker than it. But that fang was very sharp, and if it hit it, it could cause injuries.


    At the same time, even if he could use his strength to undo that attack before it hit him, if he did that, it would also be damaging. After all, he would have to focus some of his attention to do that, which could take away precious milliseconds!


    In this situation, he felt that as weak as Minos was compared to him, this human could play a crucial role in this battle!


    As he undid the fangs coming towards his body, suddenly, this dark serpent noticed several energy blades emerging from 6 different angles, moving quickly toward its body.


    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á -n?¦Íe| , c?m They would not be a threat to it. Still, considering the situation it was in at the moment, enduring Chaotic Gravity, Devouring Art, and Infinite Dreams simultaneously, such attacks were worrisome.


    They wouldn''t finish off this serpent in one attack, but they had enough power to hurt and slowly break down its defenses!


    Sensing this, it realized a mistake in its strategy.


    ''If I let this human keep acting, he will cause my defeat!


    I can''t focus on that stupid fish. I have to take down that damned human first!'' It made up its mind, looking uglily at where Minos was floating in the skies, next to those two other beasts.


    The fish saw its opponent''s gaze at Minos and immediately realized the contempt this opponent had for it, a level 84 beast.


    Amidst its finned attacks, that being would rather worry about a human than its level 84 attacks!


    "I will kill you! I will avenge my devoured children!" That fish shouted as it punched the air, causing colored energy to surge from its fists and create a crack in space.


    Its fist went through space, glowing in seven different colors as it appeared in front of where that serpent intended to go.


    The serpent was already moving towards the Soul Avatar of Minos, but when it faced it, he had no choice but to defend itself.


    As dangerous as Minos was, this young man could only beat it through fatigue and a long fight. But the level 84 opponent was someone who could truly end the fight in one blow if given such a chance!


    As such, upon seeing this powerful attack, that beast did not follow through with the attack it intended to make against Minos, immediately putting most of its attention on this blow.


    This punch concentrated most of the powers of that level 84 Spiritual Sage, almost as if it were a fusion of human techniques.


    But beasts couldn''t do that since they had no techniques. That was an attack combining the natural abilities of 9th-stage beasts with the unique powers of that colorful fish.


    The serpent knew how dangerous this was and spread its hands and legs, screaming with its mouth so open that one could see its throat.


    As it did so, a black vortex surged around its body, and its scream became as loud and resounding as the sound of thunder.


    With that, a stream of faint, semitransparent energy surged from that vortex, meeting that creature''s colorful fist.


    As the two attacks collided, a grand explosion erupted at the meeting of the two attacks, causing the very fabric of space in the surrounding area to tremble as the sea churned, moving away from the focus of the collision.


    Within a second of the moment the attacks collided, winds of over 300 kilometers per hour surged in the vicinity of the area, pushing everything nearby away from there.


    At the same time, waves of more than 30 meters began to form while lightning surged to scare off weaker creatures by tens of cubic kilometers.


    Minos luckily managed to use his techniques to protect his yacht at that critical moment, but he felt the strain of fighting such strong beasts.


    If not for his many above-average skills, the collision of powers of these two could by itself kill him!


    The two beasts beside Minos huddled close to him, feeling their backs sweating as they were frightened as they had never been before.


    "Ed..." Sapphire tried to say something, but the chaos in the surroundings was so terrible that her voice didn''t reach Minos'' ears. ''Ed, what shall we do?''


    "Time for us to take our cue!" Minos said, knowing that woman wouldn''t hear him but speaking nonetheless as he began to form one of his fusions.


    ...

 Chapter 1633 Prize

    ?


    When he saw those two beings maintaining the collision between their attacks, trying to quickly end the battle, Minos was not slow in his movements.


    He positioned himself as if he was preparing to run and activated his movement technique.


    Explosive Steps: Killer Jump!


    He flew towards his opponent''s back, leaving those two fish behind without them even noticing his movement at first.


    At the same time, he had both hands gripping his sword in front of his chest, holding it the same way one would when intending to pierce an enemy with a sword.


    He circulated his energies through the Spatial Sword and, for the first time, fused this technique with that of movement.


    Spatial Sword: Killer Jump!


    At that instant, his spiritual sword began to glow brightly, its blade quickly being covered by dark energy.


    Meanwhile, the space around him seemed to distort with his movement, creating a vacuum where he passed.


    As he neared his opponent, Minos focused all the rest of his energy on his defense, ready to receive a counterattack from the creature if anything went wrong.


    Swooish!


    His sword sliced through the air in front of him, making a frightening noise at that beast slowly overcoming the hilt of the colorful fish.


    ¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á -n?¦Íe| , c?m ''Oh, shit!'' It screamed in its mind as he felt passive in this situation against Minos.


    It tried to move a little, but if it were careless, its movement would open space for the enemy. So it could neither dodge nor protect itself properly against Minos!


    Thus, when Minos reached its back, he drove his spiritual sword through that being''s body at heart height.


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    A shrill scream broke from the depths of that beast''s throat as the colored fish finally felt some advantage over its opponent.


    Slowly its fist advanced towards the body of that serpent, making that dark being finally feel desperation.


    Minos firmly held his sword, making it tremble inside his opponent''s body, while quickly, the colored fist came at them both.


    When that giant fist was about to reach that serpent''s position, Minos quickly stepped aside, leaving only the serpent to be struck by that destructive blow.


    Pow!


    Finally, the level 84 fish''s blow hit the level 85 snake, crumpling the front of that being, throwing it away, already mortally wounded.


    With this move, this high-level battle ended, with that being stopping breathing before it even reached the surface of the water, where its body would return to normal.


    Minos saw that and sighed, deactivating his techniques and feeling the exhaustion of fighting beings in the middle part of the 9th stage of cultivation.


    ''That''s my limit per hour...'' He thought as he saw the big fish looking at him favorably.


    Then the two of them and the two fish who saw this whole battle unfold went to the deck of Minos'' yacht.


    Emperor Stuart''s level returned to level 77, and one of those three thought he was disguising himself again, while the other two knew that this was the actual cultivation of ''Ed.''


    As they landed there, the colorful fish immediately thanked Minos for his help and introduced itself.


    "Thanks for the support, human. By the way, my name is Ross."


    "Hmm, my name is Ed. But it was nothing. It threatened my yacht, so I had no choice but to get involved." Minos said.


    "I''m sorry about that. The damned thing devoured some of my children hours ago and intended to attack my tribe. I couldn''t contain my anger when I found out and started that earlier battle." It said, regretful about what had happened to some of its children.


    It was a spiritual beast, a being that did not give as much importance to the position of its offspring as humans did when those offspring grew up. But still, its children were part of its strength, the ones that could support it once they fully matured. So it naturally valued them and felt bad about their deaths.


    "I see..." Minos said, looking in the direction of the remains of the level 85 enemy.


    The colorful fish, Ross, saw that and said. "If you want, you can have its body. You delivered the blow that gave us a chance to kill it."


    Minos was unceremonious and soon stored that corpse in one of his spatial rings, ready to use that carcass once he returned to the Black Plain.


    With that corpse, he could help another spiritual root in the northern region regain some of its splendor!


    After he finished collecting that corpse, the colorful fish said. "Ed, as promised, I will compensate you and guide you through the territory ahead if you choose."


    "Hmmm." Minos nodded, indicating that he would accept the offer.


    "Well then, we will leave in your boat for the hour, but when we reach the edge of my tribe''s territory, I will have to guide you to the ocean floor. Traveling by boat ahead can be dangerous." Ross said, thinking about what it had recently heard.


    It explained. "Near the edge of my territory, a pursuit is going on. Some members of the Sea Folk are searching for a fugitive traveling by boat. So it would not be interesting for us to travel like that when we pass through there."


    Hearing that, the two fish next to Minos couldn''t help but feel they had escaped a big problem.


    Sea Folk was not kind when they were acting against enemies. Even if one were not their enemy, they would violently act if they were suspicious of anything.


    Weighing in how close they should be to entering the pursuit area indicated by this level 84 Spiritual Sage, they couldn''t help but feel a chill in their bodies.


    "Oh? All right, then." Minos said, not caring whether he would travel on the surface or the bottom of the ocean.


    He would not be able to travel across the ocean floor alone. But alongside these beasts, it would be possible, so he wasn''t worried.


    Seeing that this human agreed with its plans, Ross asked. "By the way, where are you going? Unfortunately, depending on your destination, I won''t be able to accompany you to the end of your journey."


    "City of a Thousand Races," Minos said.


    "It''s not far, so I can take you there," Ross said, relieved. "As for the reward I promised, I have something that might interest you, Ed."


    After saying those words, Ross grabbed something between his scales from the region of his belly, where he had a small storage space.


    He then tossed what he picked up in Minos'' direction, revealing a shiny silver pearl to this human.


    ...

 Chapter 1634 The Fantastic Underwater World 1

    ?


    "That is a Golden Mussel pearl from a level 88 elder who recently died near my territory." That fish explained to Minos. "I found it a few weeks ago. I intended to give it to my eldest son, but unfortunately, it was devoured by that damn worm.


    So since you not only helped me get revenge but, in a way, saved me, I would like you to have this pearl.


    It may not look like much on the surface, but it has magnificent properties.


    You can use it for anything from extracting minerals for artifact production to even using it as a weapon, using its properties to your advantage."


    Minos already knew this, obviously, and as he picked it up, he couldn''t help but watch it closely for a few moments.


    ''A pearl like this can be compared to some of the toughest natural defensive items in the Spiritual World. At the same time, because of its structure, it can also be used as an offensive artifact.


    It can be thrown as hard as a cannonball, but it can also be used as a relevant spiritual item for cultivators.''


    It wasn''t just any mineral that the Golden Mussels absorbed to form these pearls. The main mineral of interest was the one that repels spiritual energy, the one responsible for the existence of floating islands.


    Because of this, these pearls had strong repelling power for spiritual energy and, if used against a Soul Avatar, could significantly hinder the activation of the techniques of the opponent of the one controlling it.


    One could connect their soul to this kind of artifact and thereby control it through their will!


    Knowing all this, Minos accepted the gift of that fish and said. "I thank you for that, Ross. I will use it wisely." He put it away in his spatial ring.


    Ross nodded to Minos, feeling this talented fellow would use that pearl better than it would.


    Humans were more compatible with this feature because of the type of opponent they faced most, other humans, beings with the potential to show their soul projections.


    Beasts had other ways to use resources like that in their lives, in battles, but it felt that leaving it to Minos would be best.


    Ross then said. "Anyway, are we leaving? We''ll have some problems on the way, so we''d better go soon to avoid delays."


    Minos agreed to this, and soon they were sailing again, heading towards the place where they could go by the surface, and then they would have to travel through the underwater world.


    The territory of Ross'' tribe was not large, so in less than an hour, they reached the limit of what it considered safe to travel by boat.


    When they reached that border area, Ross transformed into its original version, showing its bestial body to Minos again.


    Upon entering the water, this being stood facing Minos'' yacht and then created an air bubble around it, protecting the entire yacht.


    After this, it connected itself to this bubble and the yacht, then began to swim downwards.


    Minos, Sapphire, and Randall continued on that yacht as they felt it sinking, but no water entered its compartments.


    The bubble created by that fish was powerful and could withstand the water pressure easily, even at high depths. So when the yacht was entirely in the water, that bubble continued as before, showing no signs that it would explode.


    Minos could finally see the fantastic water world for the first time, noticing the ridiculous amount of living things there.


    He could see groups of different kinds of beasts going from one side to the other, magnificent corals of aquatic beasts in the distance, but also vegetation and rocks floating.


    At the same time, in some places, one could see rusted boats abandoned as if they had been there for a long time.


    Even skeletons of land creatures could be seen in the distance, matching the ships there.


    Most of the beings in the surroundings were not very powerful. Still, there were Saints and Spiritual Sages around, some even of higher levels than Ross.


    It was already out of its tribe''s territory, so meeting other powerful beings would not be strange from that point on.


    Sapphire saw how Minos was watching the sea as his ship went further and further into the dark seabed and said. "Ed, you are powerful, I have to admit that. But will you do well at the bottom of the sea?"


    Minos saw this woman''s smile and knew she was trying to scare him a little. He then said. "Sea beasts are stronger in the sea, while land beings are weaker here. I know that I know that I am weaker in this place, but even so, that wouldn''t change much. My greater ability would still work perfectly here."


    The point that made it harder for land and water beings to fight outside their natural inhabitant was air and water.


    Both fluids made it easier or harder for beings of different natures to move around, making them take longer to make each decision and act.


    A human, for example, would find it difficult to move in the sea because of the shape of their bodies and how they move.


    They would have to fly or run to fight in the air or on land. But they would have to swim in the sea, something they didn''t normally train for.


    So when they were in the underwater world, even high-level beings would have difficulty fighting.


    This didn''t improve much in the long run, even for beings who continuously stayed in the underwater world.


    A human would always be faster out of the water, while a fish would always move better underwater.


    Because of this and much more, Minos would have a weaker combat proficiency there than on the surface if he had to fight.


    But he wasn''t worried. Most of his fusions would work perfectly in the underwater world, and he could control space there in the same way as on land.


    "Hehe, I thought you would say that..." It smiled at him before its husband said to Minos. "By all means, Ed, try not to cause trouble in this place.


    I say that because, in water, the spiritual fluctuations left by human cultivators propagate to much greater distances than those that propagate through the air.


    Between water and air, a kind of ''barrier'' makes it difficult for beings on both sides to probe what happens in the other. But within a space submerged by the same kind of fluid, fluctuations sometimes propagate to many kilometers from the focus of a battle.


    At sea, this was greatly amplified, so any attitude of a human like you can draw the attention of beings from hundreds of kilometers away, enough to attract all kinds of calamity.


    So be careful. The sea is treacherous!"


    ...

 Chapter 1635 The Fantastic Underwater World 2

    ?


    "Hmmm, I thank you for the warning." Minos nodded to Randall as he watched the darkness of the surroundings increase as Ross swam to the bottom of the sea.


    Minos looked up and found himself getting farther and farther away from the clarity of the surface, from which he had departed moments ago.


    But as he found himself further away from that source of brightness, he slowly began to see the dark of the sea better as he saw bright beings lighting the way.


    Even without using his visual abilities that made him able to see in the dark, Minos was already slowly getting a better view of this fantastic world, where one could be frightened or elated to see it for the first time.


    Some of the greatest sea beasts navigated in the zone of darkness, where one on the surface could not see them, even if one had the abilities of a Spiritual Demigod.


    Because of this, when Minos saw the first of these beings, he couldn''t help but swallow his saliva and open his eyes wider, seeing himself as close to beings as large as mountains.


    He saw a gray-scaled whale standing not far from him, looking like a mountain near the bottom of the sea.


    However, this could not be a mountain not only because of its shape but because of its level, 87.


    Those two fish next to Minos also stood watching the surroundings in silence along with this human while holding their breaths to not irritate this being.


    There were eight races of spiritual whales, the strongest of which was the one that could be considered the most powerful race in the entire Spiritual World.


    But even the weakest of them was by no means simple. They had gigantic bodies capable of generating terrible tsunamis in coastal regions near where they acted.


    As the three watched that ''mountain,'' Ross said in the minds of all of them. ''Don''t talk or move around much from now on. We will pass for the next 15 minutes through an area where several elders are in seclusion.


    So we''d better not give them any reason to get angry with us...''


    Ross knew that Sea Folk groups were searching for wanted ones in the region ahead of where they had started their submerged journey. But one could think that these beings might also extend their search to this area, right?


    The problem with this was that the Sea Folk, although powerful, were not an indestructible race, nor was their empire friendly to all. Some tribes had these beings as their main enemies, and part of these groups lived in areas below the zone of darkness.


    So with the elders of some of these tribes in seclusion in this area of darkness, it was improbable that these beings would go to the same place where Ross was directing Minos.


    His travel option was less likely to generate a Minos encounter with the Sea Folk, whom they all wanted to avoid for the time being.


    Minos and those two fish beside him already knew what the beasts in that area looked like, so Ross didn''t even need to alert them more.


    They remained silent, waiting for this big fish to finish crossing this area.


    Amidst this, they felt the powerful fluctuations of those beasts cultivating there, some of them even close to advancing to the 10th stage!


    ''The underwater world is incredible!


    Because of water''s ability to absorb spiritual energy, the concentration of energy underwater is more significant than in the air.


    In a way, it''s as if all the marine beings live surrounded by liquid spiritual crystals!'' Minos thought to himself, sensing one of the reasons that the strongest beings in the Spiritual World are aquatic.


    Also, this was another reason for him to expand his domains into the underwater world, where he could get his people to cultivate faster than they could outside the Spatial Kingdom.


    As he thought about the future and watched some of the larger beings he would see in his lifetime, Minos finally began to notice the darkness in his surroundings slowly diminishing.


    Ross explained to him and his two companions. ''The ocean can be divided into three major zones, Ed. The first, closest to the surface, is directly illuminated by light from the sky. This is where we normally fight battles, as there is less chance of us affecting other creatures or tribes nearby.


    The second zone is the one we are just passing through, where the light from the sky cannot reach. This is where usually the most powerful beings of the underwater world cultivate in seclusion because few beings are willing to cause trouble there.


    In a way, this area is like a huge human cultivation room. Still, it also serves as a marine defense against terrestrial beings.


    Finally, the zone we are entering is the last, where most tribes and weaker beings live.


    In this place, one can even find pieces of spiritual roots because of its proximity to the center of the world.


    Also because of this, this place has its own illumination, which is generated by these roots.'' It said as it pointed in the direction of what looked like a great river of magma.


    But this was not a river of magma but a piece of a spiritual root, which glowed a deep red and could illuminate tens of kilometers away from it.


    Because of this, that area below the dark zone had its illumination, even though this was the actual bottom of the sea!


    Minos nodded, following the creature''s thoughts.


    ''In this place, you can find everything, Ed. Human ships, elven vessels, bodies of powerful land beasts, madmen trying to get close to spiritual roots, precious minerals, ruins of ancient empires, carcasses of sea beasts, corals. Everything, everything you can imagine, you can find here.'' It said, somewhat excited, for it felt proud of its birthplace.


    Minos saw that multicolored world, which had even more life than the previous area he had seen when he first entered the sea.


    When they finally left the previous dark area, he said aloud. "Magnificent! This place is even more amazing than I thought.


    But then, Ross, how will we travel from here on out?"


    Ross smiled and said. "On your yacht, of course... Let me show you something interesting, haha."


    After pushing that bubble toward a stream of water, it returned to its humanoid form and entered the bubble.


    ...

 Chapter 1636 The Fantastic Underwater World 3

    ?


    After entering the bubble and landing on the deck of Minos'' yacht, Ross used his energy to steer that bubble in the right direction.


    After a few moments, this bubble entered a marine current, quickly moving as if it were in a river, but one that was at the bottom of the sea.


    Ross explained. "There are marine currents at various points in the ocean. But the safest of them are near the ocean floor, where one can easily move without the same dangers in other areas.


    Some beasts use these currents near the sea floor, but they are not particularly powerful for the most part. At the same time, few ships can withstand these currents, so humans don''t normally travel here.


    As I am doing with you, sea beasts usually direct the few that do. With good guides, trouble has a more challenging time getting to you." It smiled as it saw Minos paying attention to the current carrying them.


    They were traveling at high speed, even faster than if they were sailing at full speed on Minos'' yacht.


    This was only because of the force with which the water was moving there, where bubbles were forming between the path of the current and the surroundings, and the bubble covering Minos'' boat was shaking.


    No other beings were traveling that way near Minos and those fish, as those strong currents could kill anyone below level 60 who ventured there.


    ''That''s a super efficient highway...'' Minos thought to himself, wondering how beneficial this was for transporting items and beings to the underwater tribes and states.


    If he could use something like that in the Black Plain Empire, it would save thousands of high-grade crystals.


    Unfortunately, that only existed in the water world.


    "Traveling this way will take how long to reach the City of a Thousand Races?" He asked.


    That level 84 colored fish said. "About 30 hours, no more than that."


    "OK."


    They then proceeded to travel that way for the next few hours, traveling smoothly for the first few hours but soon encountering a migration of beasts on their way.


    When they had traveled more than halfway to the City of a Thousand Races, their group saw numerous groups of beasts moving in the opposite direction to them.


    Upon seeing that, Randall said. "It seems the rumors are true..."


    "Hmm, some elder is awakening from its seclusion in the center of the Ancestral Sea," Sapphire said.


    The distance Minos had traveled until his departure from the Western Empire was equivalent to one-sixth of the distance to the central area of this fabulous sea.


    Knowing this, he couldn''t help but be impressed by it. "Are you saying that these beings moving nearby are doing this because of a being awakening in the central area of the Ancestral Sea? How is that possible? We are so far away from there!"


    But then the level 84 fish replied. "That''s right. Those beings are fleeing even though we are far away from that area.


    Do you know what races they belong to? I can tell that most of them are from tribes in that area. Plus, you can tell they are seeking refuge from their levels."


    Most of the beings traveling in large groups near Minos and his companions were weak.


    "Weak beasts like that usually migrate away when something big is about to happen," Randall commented. "They''ll probably stay for a while living near the coast of the Central Continent until the sea calms down."


    Ross said. "It''s not unusual for elders to wake up from their seclusion and devour weaker beings near them. So beings below the 7th stage will certainly flee as far away as possible.


    As for those stronger than that, they are probably already moving to the interior of their tribes and safe places, such as the City of a Thousand Races."


    "But why travel so far? I doubt that elders will come here just to threaten low-level creatures." Minos said.


    "Truly, that would be the normal thing to expect. But the elder awakening from its sleep is a level 99 Blue Whale, which is approaching the peak of the 10th stage. Once it wakes up, it will try to gather as much energy as possible before going out searching for Divine-grade medicine.


    Only then can it become a God!"


    "To do this, it will devour weak beasts that large tribes would not miss and therefore would not try to avenge," Randall added, making the situation for Minos clear.


    "You have to be careful, Ed. You are traveling to the central area of the Ancestral Sea, so you will face its range. If I were you, I would be careful. That elder will not polish any human near it.


    It will try to eat you if it senses you around." Sapphire warned Minos.


    "Hmm, I''ll keep that in mind." He said as he became curious about the strength of that sea. "By the way, that elder is at level 99. How many others like it are there in this sea? Should I be worried about anyone else?"


    The level 84 Spiritual Sage said. "It''s not easy to estimate an exact number. I myself know the names of six level 99 elders. But some fishes say there are 10 to 15 level 99 beasts in the Ancestral Sea."


    The other two fish shook their heads in agreement with this individual.


    "If we consider the other seas around the Spiritual World, I would say that there are about 50 or 60 beasts at that level... We are quite numerous, hehe."


    That might sound like a lot, but there were hundreds of billions of sea creatures in the entire Spiritual World. Meanwhile, there were less than 30 billion humans, even considering those in the Divine Continent.


    So it was natural that the number of level 99 sea beasts was more significant than the number of experts at this level among humans.


    Minos knew this was the case since ancient times, so he was not too shocked, although he was wary of these beings.


    ''The seas are hazardous... I need to be careful on my journey in the future.'' He pondered, thinking about this journey and the ventures he already had in mind.


    With that, they quietly followed the rest of the journey, seeing more beasts migrating away from the core of this sea while slowly seeing the City of a Thousand Races in the distance.


    That place was stratospherically prominent, so less than a hundred kilometers away, one would see that place!


    Minos saw that place when it was still 30 minutes before they arrived, opening his eyes wide as he decided to go after something compatible with himself or his interest in this trip.


    ''Time to see what that elf said!''


    ...

 Chapter 1637 City Of A Thousand Races

    ?


    After arriving near the City of a Thousand Races, Minos immediately saw that grandiose place becoming even larger up close than he could imagine from afar.


    The city stretched out in all directions, with buildings utterly different from those one would find in a human city.


    Many buildings looked like artificial coral reefs, with houses and businesses at different points and many swimming areas.


    At the same time, there were capsule-shaped buildings that could be attached to each other.


    Some properties had only one or another of these capsules. Still, Minos could see from a distance several where dozens of these structures were connected to form immense structures.


    Beasts of various sizes came and went, usually in groups of beings of the same race.


    Even though this was the city of freedom, where all races were welcome, many visitors passed through daily. And these visitors moved in groups without mixing with beings of other races.


    But there were many groups containing beasts of various species moving around the city''s outskirts. These were usually local natives, beings already accustomed to living in harmony with other species.


    Among these groups full of diversity, one could occasionally find beings with characteristics of more than one race.


    These were the famous half-breeds of beasts!


    In the Spiritual World, once a being reaches the 8th stage, they can change their body to suit their circumstances. In particular, some beings used this to mate with individuals of other species, beings that would be incompatible in other situations.


    Through this, hybrid races existed in this diverse world. Among them, their members shared characteristics of both the father''s and the mother''s race.


    These beings were hated by those who defended the purity of the species, as in the case of the elves, some beast tribes from the Beast Continent, and part of the humans from the Central Continent.


    Only in cities like these in the underwater world and in the Divine Continent could these half-breeds live in peace because the rulers of their areas protected them.


    Minos saw a half-breed for the first time but felt no revulsion. Henricus Longus had seen many such beings in his long life, so he felt comfortable around such beings, even though he was a human of pure lineage.


    Amidst this sight of at least a hundred thousand beings, Minos and his group passed one of the entrances to the City of a Thousand Races.


    This place accepted beings of all races, whether terrestrial or aquatic. So Minos faced no difficulty entering this place, having only paid the entrance fee of 50 high-grade crystals.


    High-level beings demanded high-level vigilance. So the entry fee varied according to the strength of the one entering this city.


    For beings below the 6th stage, it only costs 50 low-grade crystals. Those between the 6th and 8th stage had to pay for 50 medium-grade crystals, and those above that, 50 high-grade crystals.


    For Minos, this was not a high amount, so he paid it without problem, soon being directed by Ross to a place that all three fishes had said would be interesting for him to visit.


    "Ed, I don''t intend to accompany you for much longer. The City of a Thousand Races is a relatively safe place. Few dare to act in here, so you can move about freely without worry." Ross said as it led the way. "Since I am here, I will take the opportunity to settle some matters near where we are going. But if you go further downtown, we probably won''t see each other around here anymore."


    "Hmm, no problem," Minos said, grateful that this fish got him here so quickly.


    Randall then said. "We will accompany you for a little longer. Our business is not urgent, so if you need a guide around this city, I will take you wherever you decide to go."


    Sapphire nodded, liking that since she did not know this city and directing Minos around might be a chance for her to see places she and her husband would not pass if they were alone.


    Minos nodded and said. "I am after something valuable that can help me on my journey. When I was traveling before meeting you two, I met some elves who gave me a hint.


    They said that something that would help me in my goal was waiting for me in this place."


    "Elves?" Ross asked.


    It knew how amazing these beings were but didn''t like elves. Several races of sea creatures were friendly to the elf tribe, but this fish was not one of them.


    "Do you trust what an elf says, Ed? These beings are always trying to manipulate those around them." Sapphire warned this human, who could not know about the evil nature of these beings blessed by heaven.


    They could be talented and stay out of unnecessary conflicts most of the time. But elves were also usually associated with manipulating those close to them, always trying to alter the fate of others.


    Elves believed in fate and had powers consistent with it, something that gave them confidence in using those around them.


    This made them feared around the Spiritual World, which is why some races hated them.


    These fish belonged to races that didn''t like the elves, so they all thought that ''Ed'' was being manipulated by one of these terrible creatures.


    Minos smiled bitterly, knowing the reasons why some sea races disliked elves.


    In the distant past, the elves had helped the Sea Folk create their empire, which was why this race had become so strong and is still an ally of the Elves Island.


    But to do this, the elves had to deal with countless beast races, oppressing, threatening, and stealing their talented members'' karmic energy.


    Minos then said. "I have nothing to do. Even if elves have many reasons to be suspicious, that woman has already made a forced contract with me. So she wouldn''t benefit if she lied to me."


    Upon hearing that, those three felt enraged, remembering their ancestors who had suffered the same as Minos and eventually died to have their karmic energy collected.


    "Damned elves!"


    "Abominable creatures! I can''t believe they even did this to young Ed!" Randall said, feeling anger at these beings.


    Ross strained its fins, feeling anger. "What are you going to do, Ed? Unfortunately, the fate of those who are targeted by elves is not usually promising."


    ...

 Chapter 1638 Ancestral Chamber Of Commerce

    ?


    "Sigh... I don''t know. I can only believe that what she said I would find in this place will really come in handy on my trip.


    The contract she created doesn''t have a time limit, so as long as I don''t go to Elves Island early, I''ll be fine.


    Other than that, I intend to return the ''kindness'' in the future." He said to Ross, being sincere.


    He did not view elves as negatively as these creatures. But the contract that woman forced on him bothered him, and Minos intended to take revenge.


    Ross saw the sincerity in Minos'' words and felt reassured that it had helped this man who was not a vassal of the elves.


    He was someone like them, an oppressed one of heaven''s chosen ones!


    Ross nodded to Minos and said. "Well, I wish you luck. As for the item you might find in this city, do you have any tips on how to find it? There are endless possibilities here."


    "She said it would help me in my goal..." He said, thinking better of it. "It must be something ancient, of human origin, and high-level. I''m after something related to a high-level Spiritual Demigod, so such a thing must be pretty fantastic.


    This will probably protect or give me a chance, so it must be a defensive item. Maybe with formations engraved on itself."


    Those three listened carefully and concluded they would have a good chance of leading ''Ed'' to such a thing just at where they were going.


    ''Damned elves! You really are impressive!'' Ross realized the coincidence, noting that even though it didn''t know anything, it led ''Ed'' to the best place for this human to look for what the elf had said.


    Randall sighed and said. "Then there is no mistake. The place that Senior Ross is taking us must be where you should go through. The Ancestral Chamber of Commerce."


    "Sigh... It looks like your future will be grim, young Ed." Sapphire said.


    "What? What does that mean?"


    "Don''t bother with what Sapphire says," Randall expressed. "She is shocked that you will get that item even if you were not looking for it. That''s stuff from the elf who talked to you...


    But anyway, the Ancestral Chamber of Commerce has the largest stock of ancient Spiritual World items in the ocean. I dare say that even Spatial Kingdoms of the old Gods don''t have things as valuable and ancient as this place."


    Ross agreed. "That place was created by a Collecting Mollusk who lived 80,000 years. This senior collected a plethora of sea and land riches in its lifetime, having, according to the stories, visited every continent and island in this world.


    When it died one million years ago, it was already among the most sought-after in the Spiritual World by people searching for lost ancient artifacts.


    To give you an idea of how relevant this place is, two Supreme Pontiffs of the Spiritual Church came here during this period in search of lost items from their organization.


    Only one of them got what he was looking for, while the other left after falling out with the head mollusk of the time."


    This place did not exist at the time of Henricus Longus, so Minos listened carefully to the words of that level 84 fish.


    "In any case, your fate probably lies in that place," Ross said, already seeing from afar a gigantic building that combined over 400 capsules to form what appeared to be a large square.


    Minos saw that place was completely red and had a single entrance in the middle of the face facing in their direction.


    In that place, several mollusks were positioned in the surroundings, keeping the order of the beings who wished to enter to observe the collection of this place.


    Some items from the Ancestral Chamber of Commerce were on display for observation, so even beings with no interest in shopping passed by.


    So when they got in line, one of the mollusks soon approached them and said. "That''s 500 high-grade crystals for all of you. You will have up to 12 hours if you decide to enter the Ancestral Chamber of Commerce."


    Ross did not want to go in there and said goodbye to Minos. "Ed, this is where we say goodbye.


    I hope you can beat the damned elf who put you in this troublesome situation."


    "Hmm, I''ll do my best."


    "All in all, that''s all. I hope to hear from you in the future."


    "You certainly will." Minos smiled as he saw Ross leaving.


    Then he and the two fish paid the expensive entrance fee for that place, not taking long to get their turn to enter there.


    Unlike other places that allowed many beings to enter simultaneously, this place allowed only ten individuals at a time.


    So when they entered, the three of them found a superb place but practically empty of living beings.


    Many shelves and corridors extended at different angles, where one could go up, down, sideways, and even follow diagonal paths.


    There were mirrors on the outer walls of this large square area, so anyone who entered there would feel as if this space was infinite because of the optical illusion.


    One of the mollusks that looked after the groups that entered there then approached these three and said. "Welcome to the Ancestral Chamber of Commerce. Are you here to buy or observe?"


    Minos then said. "I am searching for something that will help me in a goal, but fate has not yet revealed it to me as it is.


    I believe I will find it here."


    "Very well. Can you tell me anything so we can begin the search for this item?" That being in its beast form, but smaller than its real form, a little larger than an adult human, said. "Rest assured. I will maintain the secrecy of what you seek."


    "I am in search of something related to the Spiritual Church." Minos went straight to the point, knowing that beings of this race were very trustworthy.


    Collector Mollusks were not only beings with extreme abilities to search for valuable items but also extremely sincere beings who would not, even under torture, hand over what they knew.


    That alone was why this place had developed so much, and powers from all over the Spiritual World passed through without fear of having their tracks tracked by their enemies!


    "Specifically, something related to Maximillian Flamen and the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus."


    After Minos'' words, that big-eyed beast narrowed its eyes, wondering where it had heard those names.


    "Hmmm, I already know where we start! Follow me!" It said before moving to the upper levels of that area.


    ...

 Chapter 1639 Ancient Items

    ?


    Minos and those two fish followed that mollusk through that area full of items of the most varied kinds, all marked for their antiquity, easily seen in the appearance of their components.


    Some items were cracked, and some had lost part of their coloring or were browned.


    Minos and those two looked at various artifacts as they swam after the creature.


    Minos was breathing through the gills he had artificially generated in his neck. At the same time, his eyes looked different than usual, which was necessary for him to see normally underwater.


    ''These beings have assembled an incredible collection...'' He looked in the direction of where the mollusk was taking them and saw half a wing, something he knew the origin of.


    When the mollusk stopped near that wing, it began to speak. "Here are most of the terrestrial items related to the Spiritual Church.


    This wing you are looking at, human, belongs to a descendant of the founding family of the Spiritual Church. It belongs to a half-breed of human and seraphim."


    "Uh?" The two fish exclaimed in surprise, for they did not know that real seraphim existed.


    All they knew about these beings were related to the Spiritual Church and how they worshiped the figure of the seraphim. But they had always thought this image was nothing more than a creation of humans, something they had used to create a cult.


    At no time had these creatures thought that seraphim existed in the more than 10,000 years of their existence!


    For them, apart from the invention of the mind, techniques that created the characteristics of such seraphim were the most anyone could see of such beings.


    That mollusk, a being who also loved history and curiosities, saw the reaction of these two and explained. "In the remote past, seraphim existed in the Divine Continent. But due to a war that we don''t know the reasons why it started, they were forced to migrate to the Central Continent.


    Millions of years later, the race of seraphim met their end as they faced the Ocean Calamity 6 million years ago."


    The Oceanic Calamity referred to a period when the first God of the Spiritual World appeared.


    As Henricus Longus had told Minos, he was not the first God but the first human to achieve the 11th stage. Before him, elves and some beast races had already achieved this feat.


    In particular, the first being to reach the 11th stage had been a member of the Sky Whale race, the most powerful in this world.


    When that being was about to advance to level 100, it and its tribe had indicted a war with the dragons and kilims of the Beast Continent over Divine-grade medicine. Such a war devastated much of the Spiritual World and ended many weaker races, as was the case with the seraphim.


    Seraphim were powerful and talented, but their strongest members at that time were only high-level Spiritual Sages because of the delay they suffered in their progress when migrating from the Divine Continent to the Central Continent.


    "Luckily, some seraphim disregarded the law of their tribe and mixed their genes with that of humans, generating a race of hybrids." That mollusk continued. "One of these hybrids of human and seraphim created the Spiritual Church to cultivate his mother figure and gather faith power.


    The Spiritual World experts of the time had just discovered the possibility of getting stronger through this...


    In a few hundred thousand years, the descendant of that half-breed has reached level 100.


    Anyway, this wing belongs to the grandfather of this Supreme Pontiff who became the first God of the Spiritual Church. The owner of that wing was one of the last half-breeds that still had characteristics of the seraphim.


    After him, the wings disappeared from their lineage, and currently, it can only be seen through the soul technique that the high-level members of the Church use."


    Minos listened to this story with interest, even though he already knew a good part of it.


    Meanwhile, those two fish were surprised by all these amazing revelations.


    "I didn''t expect that..."


    "Hmm, it''s shocking how much stuff we don''t know." Randall agreed with Sapphire.


    Minos then asked. "Why is that wing here? Didn''t the Spiritual Church ever try to buy it?"


    The mollusk guided people around and answered questions from visitors willing to pay the entrance fee. So he said. "They bought that wing from us in the past. But soon after, they went through a troublesome time with Sky Whales...


    For superstitious reasons, they gave up keeping that item with them."


    "So that was it..."


    The mollusk looked at Minos and indicated. "The items to the right of that wing are in chronological order. If you swim in that direction, you will find newer and newer items.


    The item you are looking for should be further ahead. Maximillian Flamen is from the time of Pope Maximus, so anything related to him and the floating island abandoned by the Church will be over there." It indicated.


    Minos then moved in the direction indicated, quickly arriving near where some ancient items of varied types were floating in the water.


    There was a large, sharp sword with large blades and a large pommel, the kind that few humans could use. It was very rusty and had a half-moon symbol on it.


    Another item was a small locked chest, of which no one knew what was inside due to the absence of the proper key to open this high-level grade-4 item.


    In addition to these two, there were two more items from the same period as those Spiritual Church men. One was a small vial with a dark liquid inside it. The other was a torn golden cloak, which had a powerful aura about it, the strongest among all those items.


    ''That must have been from Pope Maximus.'' Minos swallowed his saliva as he realized the powerful aura left by a God, the only one capable of leaving a ''footprint'' capable of being noticed after so long.


    "That was Pope Maximus'' cloak when he faced a level 99 Sky Whale. Even though he was already a God then, he suffered some injuries from that creature."


    "Is that really possible?" Sapphire questioned. "And what happened after that?"


    "Pope Maximus killed it. The oil generated from the blubber of that whale was used to light the streets of the capital of the Evergreen Empire for a whole century after that."


    While those two were muttering things among themselves, Minos had his eyes on three of those four items but felt the least impressive of all was the one he should pick up.


    ...

 Chapter 1640 Purchasing An Item

    ?


    The rusty sword would be useless for him to use for himself. Still, it might be relevant for accessing some areas within the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus.


    The locked chest might contain something valuable he would find the key to when he reached the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus, which could somehow help him, as the elf had told him.


    The small vial, on the other hand, was the one that seemed to have the least potential to help Minos in any way, but strangely enough, it was the item he felt most connected to.


    Some kind of 6th sense was telling him that that was what he should choose.


    "How much is that vial?" He asked the mollusk.


    "That vial is the cheapest of the four items. It costs only 600,000 high-grade crystals."


    Gulp!


    The two fish next to Minos swallowed their saliva as they wondered how expensive that was.


    It was only a tiny vial, which neither of them could feel anything impressive about, other than that it was an ancient, high-level grade-4 item.


    But all the items in that area were of that grade and seemed more valuable than that little thing.


    That immediately made them think that the prices of things there were ridiculously high!


    ''What''s up with those prices?'' Sapphire wondered.


    That mollusk explained to those two, even though no one there questioned it. "Every item in this place took a lot of effort from countless generations of our tribe members.


    So the value of all the items here is naturally high, even more so considering that these are ancient and high-level artifacts.


    For us Mollusk Collectors, these are the most valuable items because they are the ones that have the most history for us to analyze and entertain ourselves with."


    Minos understood this and saw no problem paying such an amount, but part of him was hoping that the feeling he had felt was not wrong.


    Just in case, he asked. "Do you know the stories of these three items? In particular, the history of this one I am buying?"


    "I know some of them, but not everything. Unlike Pope Maximus'' cloak, these items are naturally more difficult to analyze since they don''t have an aura of a God about them." That mollusk said. "But I know a few things.


    That sword, for example, must have belonged to a high-level cultivator of the Spiritual Church. From the location it was, its owner must have lost it during a battle on the high seas.


    The locked chest also belonged to that organization, and the key to it must be either in the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus or lost somewhere in the Spiritual World.


    The Church doesn''t have the key to it. Otherwise, it would have already been bought from us.


    We do not know what is in it, but it may be of little value to people not connected to the owner of it.


    In the ancient past and even today, it is not uncommon for some great cultivators to keep memories and things emotional for them in items like this.


    So it could contain something of great value, but it could be that it is just a souvenir for someone who lived tens of thousands of years."


    It briefly paused as it looked at that vial and said. "It was found in the Flowers Kingdom over 1.5 million years ago. We don''t know anything about what''s inside it. It could be ink, blood, or wine; we don''t know because we dare not open it.


    But this should be important because no one would store something worthless in a device like this and of this quality."


    Minos heard that and felt compelled to buy that chest. But just as he was about to do so, he felt his skin creep and changed his mind.


    "Very well, I will keep the small vial. Here are the 600,000 high-grade crystals." He took a few bags of crystals from one of his spatial rings and handed it to that creature.


    Those two fish looked at Minos surprised once again, not expecting that he had so much wealth that he could spend all that on something that might be worthless.


    With 600,000 high-grade crystals, a cultivator could easily pay for all their life expenses until they became Spiritual Demigods.


    But these two didn''t know that Minos had access to several times that amount of crystals because he was an emperor and controller of the Bank of the Black Plain!


    That bank alone had more than 20 times that amount available for the emperor to use as he pleased!


    That mollusk didn''t bother trying to understand how a level 77 human could pay for that and soon went about the paperwork behind it.


    It wasn''t complicated to do that. After registering the sale of the high-level grade-4 vial, it returned with the proof of payment and that item in a golden box.


    "Here it is." It said before asking. "Is there anything else that interests you? We have other things related to what you are looking for, but they are of lower levels."


    Minos kept that item in his spatial ring and said. "No, that was all I wanted."


    With that said, that mollusk would soon accompany these three to the exit of the Ancestral Chamber of Commerce, an area entirely different from the entrance, through which only buyers could leave.


    There was no one but the employees of that place in the vicinity, so Minos and his two companions could depart far away without anyone noticing.


    When they were already quite far from that place, Sapphire asked. "I wonder if that was the item, Ed? I found it so ordinary compared to the others."


    "Hmmm, I believe so." Minos said, remembering the earlier sensation, something he could only associate with what he had acquired by spilling his blood on the map of the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus.


    "I hope it really is..." Randall commented. "Anyway, what do you intend to do now?"


    "I want to go to the center of this city," Minos replied. "An elder once told me that if I were to pass through one of the Cities of a Thousand Races, I should look for a statue of a human. According to him, such a thing would lead me to something interesting."


    Minos was making up a story to justify his interest in passing through the central area of this city, following Henricus Longus'' memories.


    Henricus Longus had visited every major underwater city in the ocean and left things in each of them.


    This was not something he had left for Minos but for future generations of humans in his family or people who knew his history.


    That man knew that one day he would die, and like many high-level experts, he had created several ways to leave his mark on this world, leaving legacies.


    Minos knew that one of them must be in this city, so he was interested in going after such a thing!


    ...

 Chapter 1641 In Search Of The Inheritance

    ?


    If someone had found such an item, there would be nothing else for him to find. But there was a possibility that the spatial ring that Henricus Longus had left in this place was still around, so Minos wanted to at least check it out.


    If it were, he would collect it and use it wisely, adding it to the resources he had already used from Henricus Longus'' main inheritance.


    He knew that man wouldn''t mind this. In fact, that was his goal in leaving these memories to Minos. If others had not discovered his inheritances, it would be his heir''s responsibility to collect and use them to the best of his ability.


    If he found something, this would be, on the one hand, good, for he would have valuable resources for himself. But on the other hand, it would be bad since it would indicate that the members of the Longus family had probably disappeared from this world over the years, and he would have no help in his mission.


    Henricus Longus had created these many legacies even before he had the prophetic dream about the catastrophic future when extraterritorial beings would invade the Spiritual World. But before his time in this world ended, he had revisited each of these legacies and left something else in them.


    Because of this, these heirlooms could not only help talented and brave cultivators who discovered them but would also present them with a distant threat.


    As payment for the items left behind, it would be the responsibility of those who conquered these heirlooms to do their best to help Henricus Longus'' chosen one!


    So finding the same thing such God left would be a terrible sign that he would have no extra help in the mission he was pursuing.


    While he had things related to this in mind, Minos followed those two fish around this great city, swimming into the central area.


    The City of a Thousand Races was so large that it would take half a day for Minos and those two to reach the innermost area of this place, where they would find ancient buildings different from those they had already seen in the outer area.


    This was the city''s core, which had been built millions of years ago and still had buildings more or less similar to those from the time of Henricus Longus!


    Sapphire and Randall looked at the surroundings with shining eyes when they arrived there, for neither had ever gone so deep into this great city.


    At the same time, it was in this area where some of the most powerful local leaders were, where these beings beside Minos could even sense the presence of cultivators at the end of the 10th stage.


    Because of the pressure these beings naturally released, there were no beings weaker than Spiritual Saints in that area. Only those stronger than level 70 beings could be seen in the surroundings, shopping, selling, sightseeing, or working.


    Minos was able to identify more or less where he was and then began to lead the way, heading for the statue of that human, which should be among the other statues in the area.


    Even though he had been a human, Henricus Longus had a very good relationship with the City of a Thousand Races leader at that time. He had even saved this place from destruction once, having predicted an attack by powerful beasts that was only averted due to his advice.


    Because of this, he had received the honor of having a stature of his built next to those of the warriors that ensured the survival of this place during a period of weakness of this city.


    At the time, this place still lived up to its name and had only a few million inhabitants. As such, many kingdoms and sea empires attacked this place several times in the past, while this area had not yet become influential in the Spiritual World.


    Knowing this, Minos would soon arrive in front of the central square of this city, where many local guards guarded the surroundings.


    The statue of Henricus Longus was still there, relatively well cared for, but different from when such a thing was built.


    Even though it was made of high-grade materials, time forgave nothing and no one, and even though the statue of that God had been well cared for by the locals, it had worn down quite a bit over time.


    Sapphire and Randall saw Minos looking reverently at that statue. They understood that he must be proud to see what the first human God looked like.


    "They say that the statue of Senior Longus is what he looked like back then..." Sapphire said, remembering the stories it had heard about this ancient God. "It''s a pity that time has eroded some of it."


    "Hmm, anyway, even after all this time, anyone who visits this city can see what Senior Longus looked like when he was still a Spiritual Demigod."


    "Yes, he looked like that," Minos muttered, seeing that statue the same size as a Soul Avatar.


    Inside each statue in that place were museums that one could enter if they shrank the size of their bodies to that of an ordinary human being.


    In these places, there were areas containing the stories of each of the beings represented by those statues in that area and their participation in events important to the City of a Thousand Races.


    Minos then took the initial step towards the interior of the statue of Henricus Longus, where he could find the inheritance of this being near the statue''s head.


    The two fish followed Minos, once again having to pay entry fees, but unhindered by the many nearby guards.


    The fee there was less than at the Ancestral Chamber of Commerce, so they saw no problem with the cost, even though it was stressful to pay to enter anywhere in the area.


    In the blink of an eye, the three of them were climbing the stairs at the foot of the statue of Henricus Longus, following the path to the museum''s beginning in memory of this man.


    Immediately upon arriving at the second floor of this museum, at the height of the statue''s calf, the three of them found themselves with some humans and beasts around, also visiting this place.


    Meanwhile, there were paintings and artifacts around that level of the museum, particularly a golden armor that was supposed to have been worn by Henricus Longus in a battle in this city.


    Minos saw that and knew it was fake armor since the real one was in his spatial ring!


    "Ed, why don''t we watch a little? It seems interesting that we learn a little more about his history." Sapphire suggested.


    "Hmm, but I''d like to go upstairs first. How about this? Why don''t you guys see the area, and I''ll meet you later?" Minos suggested.


    "OK..."

 Chapter 1642 The Challenge

    ?


    While those two fish learned a little more about Henricus Longus'' history with this City of a Thousand Races, Minos made his way to the top of that statue.


    There were several flights of stairs on his way and many levels of the museum in memory of this ancient expert of the Spiritual World. But Minos didn''t stop to pay attention to any of it, and after about half an hour, he reached his goal.


    The inside of this statue had no water itself. Instead, it had air, and one there would have to walk with feet and breathe through noses, something created by the rulers of this city in the remote past to honor this human.


    Because of this, Minos could move faster than he could swim and was soon on top of the statue at its head.


    There was the most critical level of the museum, where the prophetic abilities of Henricus Longus were presented through stories, recorded accounts by the ancient beings of this city, and paintings inspired by their stories and concerns.


    Minos saw the place where Henricus Longus had left a spatial ring, behind where the nose of the statue would be. But halfway there, he heard the voice of that ancient God.


    "I think the sea must prepare for an unparalleled calamity. In the future, there will be a time when even the Sky Whales will have to join the rest of the Spiritual World in facing the challenge that will arise."


    Minos looked back, identifying the voice of this expert.


    He was surprised, for this inheritance left there had no test or something like a soul fragment. Some of that God''s heirlooms had tests, but others, especially the ones he left to his family and heir, had nothing of the sort.


    So when he heard that voice, Minos was surprised, because he didn''t expect to find that in this place.


    But soon, he relaxed as he realized that that was coming from a sound storage array used by this museum to display the voice of Henricus Longus.


    "What if that doesn''t happen?" Another voice emerged from that device.


    "Then they will perish in front of their enemies and cause the destruction of the Spiritual World as we know it!"


    After those words, the recording ended, and the beings on that level of the museum began to talk, finding it incredible to hear the voice of someone who had reached level 100.


    More sea beasts reached level 100 than humans in all known history. But even so, while about 50 or so humans had achieved this, only 115 sea beasts had achieved the same.


    If one counted the elves and land beasts, the number of Gods this Spiritual World had ever seen would not reach 300.


    So anyone who reached level 100, whether terrestrial or aquatic, was welcomed by most societies in this world!


    Minos finally stopped paying attention to the words of Henricus Longus, who, at the time, was already expecting something great to happen but wasn''t sure what it was.


    He then looked at the stone on the wall where the nose of the statue should be on the other side, where a golden key was carved into the wall.


    When he put his hands there, the beings in the surrounding area immediately looked in his direction, interested in what this human was doing.


    Henricus Longus was intelligent. He knew that if he left his inheritance in a way that would make the seeker act suspiciously, beings from the future might find it strange and prevent such a person from getting to what he left.


    So he had left something there that could be considered a challenge to future generations, something that anyone could try, which was why no one had stopped Minos from making his move.


    That key was something that Henricus Longus had left, and supposedly whoever managed to turn it would be entitled to a prophetic vision of their own future.


    At least, that was the excuse Henricus Longus had given the leader of this city when he left it there.


    From then on, countless powerful beings passing through this city would come to this place and take the challenge of this God, trying to turn the golden key and get a vision of the future.


    Unfortunately, to achieve this, one had to be very compatible with the key and Henricus Longus, something he had done to prevent people unrelated to him from being able to collect what was there.


    He had boosted that item''s power when he reached level 100, so only those he had chosen could access such a thing.


    Because of this, the people there, who had heard countless times that it was impossible to turn that key, laughed at Minos when they saw this man attempting this challenge that was no longer commonly taken.


    Minos ignored the comments in his surroundings and touched that golden key, trying to turn it clockwise.


    At first, the key didn''t move, so he put more force into it, making his Soul Avatar appear in a small size as he tried to turn this ancient artifact.


    No one in the surrounding area knew Minos, much less would be impressed by the abilities of a level 77 human.


    It would take something more to cause amazement in these beings!


    However, slowly the smiles of those half a dozen creatures began to change, while the entire statue of Henricus Longus began to tremble.


    Simultaneously, some of those creatures saw the golden key slowly move clockwise, making a thunderous sound of a lock opening.


    "Uh?"


    "Will he make it?"


    "How is that possible? I''ve never heard of anyone achieving that feat!" One of the visitors there exclaimed along with the more ignorant ones.


    But the museum leader, watching things from a room at the top of the statue''s head, looked at Minos and frowned.


    ''At last, he came! It wasn''t a lie!'' It thought, remembering the ancient history of this place, of when 800,000 years ago, someone like Minos had appeared and turned that key.


    At that time, the person who had achieved this for the first and only time until then said that one day someone like him would reappear in this place, suddenly, without any fuss.


    When such a person appeared, someone from this city should immediately notify his clan because this would be the sign that the calamity predicted by Henricus Longus was not far off!


    After seeing this, it was shocked, temporarily frozen without being able to react.


    Amid this, Minos finished turning the key, causing a remarkable effect on himself!


    He began to float over that area while an intense glow appeared in his surroundings, disturbing everyone watching him.


    ...

 Chapter 1643 Message Left Behind

    ?


    As the beings in their humanoid forms on that last level of the museum covered their eyes from the intense glow around Minos, he saw something appearing in front of him.


    Such a thing was a white parchment, with a few yellow spots here and there, unlike the spatial ring that was supposed to be there.


    ''Oh? Did someone get to this place before me?'' He opened his eyes, surprised by this.


    Then he read what was on it.


    ''If you are reading this, you are probably the chosen one of Henricus Longus, my ancestor.


    That also means that I am dead... In any case, even dead, I will continue to serve my purpose.


    The chosen one, you should find the Longus family. After the ancestor''s death, we continue to exist in this vast world. In my generation, we could still be considered relevant, with promising talents in our ranks.


    Perhaps the family still exists and is true to its purpose.


    Before our ancestor left to form the Spatial Kingdom that must be in your possession, he gave the order to the family that we were to close ourselves off from the world in Basrose Highlands. We would only be allowed to leave the area if something forced us to do so or if young talents were after what he left for us around the Spiritual World.


    As for the rest, we should prepare for your emergence and then help you fight future invaders.''


    ''Basrose Highlands?'' Minos frowned, knowing that this was the ancient name of an area near the old Brown Kingdom''s capital.


    He continued reading.


    ''Unfortunately, a few hundred thousand years ago, this area became very impoverished. During the Great Migration, we had to leave the area.


    Well, you should look for us in Blacksonee Tips. In my generation, our headquarters were in this location. And even if something happened to force us to move after my death, I guarantee you that you will find some trace of us in this area.


    Otherwise, I wish you good luck in your journey. If my family has not disappeared and the people in this area have kept their promise, the descendants of my family in your time will probably look for you.


    From Giordano Longus to the one who has had the most luck or bad luck in the world.''


    Minos had his eyebrows thoroughly furrowed as he finished reading that, connecting the name of that area with the state located in that place at present.


    ''Blacksonee Tips is in Lusmait!'' He identified the name of the westernmost state in the Central Continent, which bordered only the Western Empire.


    After locating where he should pick up the remnants of the Longus family, Minos couldn''t help but be surprised that this family had lasted so long.


    It must be said that it was by no means easy to maintain the power of an organization for so long.


    Even though they had a God in their lineage and the Spatial Kingdom, there was no guarantee that the descendants of this lineage would remain powerful.


    Wars would happen, and illness and old age would finish off even the most talented in the Spiritual World. Rivalries could bring catastrophe to the lives of talents, and worse, poorly arranged marriages could lead to the end of a family with the internal problems that came from this.


    Not only that, absolute peace was not a good thing either. Disputing was good for cultivators, and having too much peace could force a family to regress in terms of strength over the years.


    Anyway, endless possibilities would try to erode the greatness of an organization, so Minos was impressed that this family had lasted so long and could even still exist.


    To give you an idea, apart from the Spiritual Church, practically all the other high-level forces in the Central Continent did not exist in Henricus Longus'' time!


    He then thought. ''If this family still exists, it could be a great help in the future if its members are still committed to Henricus Longus'' order...


    However, meeting them in the short term would not interest me at all.'' He thought about what he was pursuing and the fact that the people in that family would know that he had a Spatial Kingdom!


    That was a problem, and Minos wanted to avoid being discovered by them!


    ''I must continue my journey to the central area of the Ancestral Sea urgently!'' His eyes narrowed as, little by little, the brightness in his surroundings disappeared.


    The golden key returned to its original position despite losing its purpose.


    Minos saw all the beings in that place watching him and then moved quickly to the lower floors of that area.


    He had committed no crime, and one''s future was of no interest to others. So no one stood in his way, although some immediately doubted whether the legend was true.


    In any case, Minos would soon go to Randall and Sapphire to bid them farewell and move on with his journey.


    Ross had left his yacht protected by the bubble he had made earlier, so Minos could still sail to the bottom of the sea and return to the surface.


    He quickly made his way to the ''parking lot'' where he had left his yacht when he entered this city.


    Amidst his movement, the underwater being who knew that Minos had not been the first to turn that key sent a notification to a high-ranking government member of that city.


    "So someone managed to turn that key after all these years?" A giant turtle asked the being on the other end of the line.


    "Hmm, it was another human."


    "That makes sense. Henricus Longus probably left that only for humans compatible with him to have the chance to turn the key... Anyway, where is he? Do you know anything about him?"


    "He left right after he finished having his vision. He must have seen something shocking... Anyway, I don''t know anything about him, but I am sending a picture of him to the senior."


    "Very well, do that. I''ll have my group start investigating him immediately."


    "What about that promise, senior?"


    "I''ll look into that, too. The last time we heard from that person and his family was 775,000 years ago. Maybe they have all perished by now; humans are more fragile than us, after all.


    In any case, we will fulfill what was promised to Henricus Longus. If there is still someone from that lineage, we will help connect the descendant of the one who managed to turn that key and this human of today!"

 Chapter 1644 Connecting The Dots

    ?


    Two weeks after Minos'' passage through the City of a Thousand Races...


    In an area of the Western Empire, one of Vico Travisani''s envoys was investigating the surroundings, surprisingly having just found traces of Emperor Stuart while investigating the map of the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus.


    This man had been chasing traces of that map for weeks, and so had arrived in this enemy territory, feeling a sudden spiritual fluctuation left by the ''tracker'' inside Minos'' body.


    Minos was quite capable of erasing his tracks, but to do so with the signals emitted by that one was beyond his capabilities.


    As such, he had left behind some traces, even though he was unaware of such a thing.


    However, this had only remained in the places he had stayed the longest, as for this remaining signal to stay behind any longer, his body had to stay long enough in an area to leave a mark behind.


    As such, for most of the way from Minos to this empire, no trace had been left behind.


    Precisely because of this, this man''s investigation had begun in the Veora Kingdom and now was in this enemy state of his.


    In any case, upon arriving in this place, this disguised man had immediately heard about some recent incidents involving someone at the 8th stage exhibiting abilities far above his level.


    He had thought about the possibility this person was a user of a legendary cultivation technique. Still, after analyzing the situation, connecting some dots, and listening to some theories locally, he concluded that there was a great chance that this was Minos!


    Minos had left Dry City around the same time the map of the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus disappeared and was not in any of the domains he had previously been in.


    The investigators of Emperor Stuart''s whereabouts already sensed that he was neither in the northern nor eastern regions, much less in the Flowers Kingdom. The suspicion was that he had, for the first time, set foot in the most powerful domains of the Central Continent or was even traveling outside the continent.


    In possession of all this information, of his own suspicions, this Spiritual Demigod could not help but frown as he looked at the port from which Minos had departed.


    "Minos Stuart found the map?" He muttered to himself as he clenched his fists, feeling that this brat had fooled the entire Eastern Empire.


    He had no way to be sure of his suspicions. Still, with the reports of people who had seen Minos'' naval battle weeks ago and the coincidences surrounding this trip of his, this envoy from Vico wanted to pursue his suspicions thoroughly.


    ''Damn you, you damned northerner!'' He thought. ''If this is really your doing, then why is the damned Spiritual Church investigating you and the disappearance of that fucking map as well?


    Are you acting alone? He thought, remembering that Gloria''s faction had been being oppressed in the northern region by the larger factions of the Spiritual Church.


    As for the Church''s actions in search of Minos, this man did not doubt that these actions were genuine and not just something to distract potential enemies.


    The Church really did not seem to be acting in concert with Minos!


    Thinking about it, this man couldn''t help but doubt the actions of Minos, an external member of that organization, who was acting suspiciously.


    ''Do you want to understand the value of that for yourself to negotiate with us?'' He thought about this possibility while cursing Minos of 50 different possibilities, feeling that the whole continent would suffer because of one idiot.


    In the distant past, this man had joined Vico Travisani not only because of that emperor''s impressive talent but also because he believed in that man''s concerns.


    Everyone of high rank in the Travisani family knew how risky the continent was and judged that to avoid the calamity that could wipe them all out, they had to avoid concerns like the one related to the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus.


    As such, this man''s concern was genuine. It was not just because Minos was acting against the interests of the Eastern Empire.


    ''I will send a notification to the emperor...'' He thought about it. ''After that, I will see where these traces lead me!''


    ...


    The investigators from the Spiritual Church were also after Minos. Still, because they had no way of identifying his traces like those from the Eastern Empire, they were further away from discovering the possibility of his involvement in everything.


    Because of this, for the moment, the situation in the Black Plain Empire was the same, hindering Minos'' plans but without endangering his state and important people.


    Amid this, the Spiritual Sages of this state continued to progress with the wormhole ports'' development, improving the northern region''s local integration.


    The situation of the Flaming Empire and Minos'' allied states was the same as before as well.


    Minos and his family didn''t know exactly how the situation in their domains was, but they already expected things to be more or less as they were.


    With that, as he traveled closer to the most powerful region of the Ancestral Sea, his family members continued to focus on cultivating within the Spatial Kingdom.


    In that place, Minos'' women were still at their previous level but approaching advancements as they saw a little more of Sarah''s and Kendrick''s growth.


    Unlike Kendrick, who could only learn little by little about the fantastic Spiritual World, Sarah could already be considered a powerful cultivator by northern region standards.


    Every day she learned a little more from her mothers but also from Emlyn, Kyla, and the elders and members of the Grey Clouds Sect who were there to train during Minos'' trip.


    Amidst the relatively quiet atmosphere of this sacred place of cultivation and training, now and then, Minos sent letters and items, indicating that all was well and updating them on his journey.


    Recently he had indicated that he was not far from his goal, and in no more than another month''s travel, he would reach the place where the floating island abandoned by the Spiritual Church should be.


    As for the rest, no one should worry about him, and soon he expected to meet them.


    In the meantime, he continued to travel the oceanic floor, taking advantage of the possibility of traveling through this quieter part of the sea in a direction many creatures had been avoiding recently.


    But that would soon change!

 Chapter 1645 Returning To The Surface

    ?


    After another week of traveling, Minos finally reached a point where he decided it would be best not to continue traveling across the ocean floor.


    After three weeks after his departure from the City of a Thousand Races, he had covered more than half the remaining distance to reach the location of the floating island he was going after.


    Amidst this, he had gotten closer to the most important part of the great Ancestral Sea, where more and more beasts migrating away could be seen following the opposite direction of his.


    Not only those weaker beasts he had seen before arriving in the City of a Thousand Races were fleeing. Even more powerful beasts could be seen fleeing close to where he was now.


    As these many beasts migrated, now and then, groups of rival species would come into contact, and battles would break out, creating chaos for those in the surrounding area.


    After suffering through encounters of fate generated by fleeing enemy beasts, Minos concluded that it was no longer feasible for him to continue traveling along the ocean floor.


    So this morning, he had begun the process of getting his yacht back to the surface!


    At this instant, Minos was using his Chaotic Gravity technique to lift his yacht and the bubble covering it to the surface, having already left one of the paths he had used to get to this point.


    As he did this, he stood on the yacht''s deck, cautiously observing the surroundings, gradually seeing the front of it becoming less illuminated.


    As he left that safer area of the sea, he tried to move a little slower as he reached the area where many high-level elders were in seclusion.


    When he reached the zone of darkness, Minos looked around and saw many hideous beings, strange fish with more than 300 teeth in their mouths, some beings with glowing parts in their bodies, and the strangest kinds of bodies.


    The weakest ones were at level 85, timidly gathered at the edges of the zone of darkness. Meanwhile, the strongest ones there exceeded level 95, which Minos had not seen before, as he was farther away from the central area of the Ancestral Sea.


    Being closer to where the most powerful of that sea lived, there were naturally more high-level elders cultivating or on guard in this zone of darkness.


    When he reached the middle of this zone, he saw a gigantic level 92 jellyfish, scanning the surroundings with its powerful spiritual fluctuations, as it had no eyes to see.


    Not far from this creature, a level 93 Seahorse, responsible for watching the surroundings for the moment, suddenly opened its eyes and looked toward Minos and his yacht.


    It saw a level 77 human moving his yacht to the surface but showing no signs of aggression or disrespect.


    ''A human? I haven''t seen one of those in 300 years.'' The creature closed its eyes after sensing all it could fathom in Minos. ''It''s a very talented specimen. But it''s venturing where he shouldn''t.


    He won''t live long.''


    Then, as that Seahorse stopped paying attention to Minos, one of the arms of a level 94 octopus, moving as it cultivated, moved toward where this human was passing.


    Minos saw this and swallowed his saliva, for he could not simply dodge it, or it might cause too much commotion within that area.


    Feeling that he didn''t have much room to act either, Minos opened a wormhole to tens of kilometers above his position as cautiously as possible.


    ''Now it''s all or nothing!'' He thought before passing along with his yacht through that space crack he had just opened.


    Immediately after his movement, that level 94 creature looked in Minos'' direction and shot a giant drop of black ink in the direction from which this human had escaped.


    ''A quick and unexpected move... But that''s not good enough, human!'' That creature that had just woken up thought, but without moving, for a single drop of its poison was enough to deal with a mere level 77 worm.


    ...


    Minos appeared already out of the zone of darkness but still inside the sea.


    When he thought he would escape from that powerful creature, he felt an impressive force chasing him and looked down.


    As he did so, he saw a black drop, the size of the largest yacht he had refused to buy days ago, coming at incredible speed toward him.


    "Oh, shit!" That was all he said before making his Soul Avatar show itself and immediately merging Chaotic Gravity with Devouring Art.


    A few milliseconds later, he concentrated a large black hole behind his yacht to protect him from that thing.


    But Minos would not fully trust that and once again opened a wormhole upwards, afraid that that attack would be so strong that part of it would push his black hole against him and swallow his ship before he could save it.


    This is what happened moments after Minos'' decision!


    While Minos'' black hole devoured part of that powerful attack, most of the attack power ate away the space structures in that region of space.


    Amidst the destruction faster than the development of that black hole, it had been pushed upwards, destroying everything in its path to Minos.


    Minos finally appeared on the sea''s surface, took the Black Hole Bomb he had with him, and threw it in the direction of the thing coming towards him.


    He picked up his yacht and floated as fast as he could, already in his Soul Avatar form, fearful of the consequences of those two attacks.


    Moments later, a shocking explosion appeared 20 kilometers below the sea''s surface, creating a scorching sea in the surroundings.


    It melted all beings in the surroundings, blinding those watching from a distance, while the water itself, for tens of kilometers, boiled and even evaporated.


    On the surface of the sea, Minos saw a gigantic jet of steam rising out of the scalding water, while in the surroundings, the sea level seemed to rise, compelled by the immense pressure below that area.


    ''Shit!'' Minos cursed the thing that attacked him as a golden layer appeared around his avatar and even over his yacht.


    But even with his defenses, Minos'' yacht would suffer from burns, and Emperor Stuart himself would suffer deep burns this day!


    ...

 Chapter 1646 Surviving The Worst

    ?


    "Aaah!"


    Minos cried out in pain as his skin burned, as the worst explosion between his Black Hole Bomb, the black hole, and the enemy attack passed by.


    Countless sea creatures perished in the seconds that the worst of this attack happened, but many more lives would suffer for the minutes and hours to come.


    With such a mass of water evaporating and moving away from the focus of the blast, tsunamis would occur for the next few days near the coast with the Western Empire, Veora Kingdom, and even the Black Plain Empire. At the same time, powerful pulses would destroy coral and damage beasts below level 80 that were even a few dozen kilometers away.


    This would be a calamity for this part of the Ancestral Sea, not as grand as the awakening of a high-level elder, but enough to draw attention from the farthest reaches of this sea!


    In this initial moment of doom, which would surely become known quickly, Minos managed to shake off the hot steam and observe the damage to his body.


    He was trembling in pain as he felt his energy running out, even though in the second before that Black Hole Bomb was launched, he had kidnapped two Colossal Sharks and stolen cultivation levels from them.


    One of those two beings had died as a meat shield for Minos, while the other was still alive despite the severe injuries on its massive body.


    If it wasn''t for its level 83 and the fact that the worst of it was repelled by the Black Hole Bomb and Minos'' black hole, but also its fellow traveler, that shark would have died!


    But even though he had made that move, Minos had suffered and was mourning from deep burns all over his body, with his armor having been melted to the point that it had lost its usefulness.


    ''Damn it! I lost a grade-4 armor!'' Minos felt the pain in his body along with his hatred, noting this defensive barrier had also helped him survive this challenge.


    He then removed the scorching armor from his body, finally noticing countless blisters spreading from his feet to his cheeks.


    His long brown hair had burned off, and now Minos was bald, without eyebrows or eyelashes.


    His condition was terrible!


    Fortunately, no internal damage had been done, and despite his exhaustion, he had no other problems at the moment.


    "Damned beast!" He muttered as he didn''t have the strength to scream.


    Minos then took the green bottle that the elf from weeks ago had given him and clenched one of his fists. "I will have to drink, or these wounds will not recover!"


    He wouldn''t have to worry if he had a medium-level grade-4 doctor with him. But being alone in the sea and not even knowing anyone at that level, Minos decided to drink the precious Spring of Life he had received from that elf.


    Such a thing was of extreme value, and only elves knew how to take this item from their island without causing its properties to be lost.


    Minos knew this and immediately drank the thing that, decades ago, he had taken part in a fight with such an item as one of its objectives.


    As he swallowed it, he immediately felt a coolness in his burning body, noticing as if his body and soul were being bathed.


    This was extremely comfortable, and besides reducing his pain, it could heal and nourish both soul and body.


    Minos felt his many burns regenerating, not so fast that the process happened in the blink of an eye, but fast enough for him to notice his recovery with the naked eye.


    Amidst this, his soul became more stable than it already was. The laws he had recently stolen from the giant skeletons in the Spatial Kingdom yet to solidify in his soul suddenly joined his soul without difficulty, becoming part of him all at once.


    Along with this, Minos felt as if he was getting stronger, even without raising his cultivation level.


    ''The Spring of Life is impressive!'' He thought as that shark looked at him in awe, feeling that its life would end now that he had become hostage to this monster.


    ''Damn it. He could have just died! It would have been better for me!'' That creature felt its own injuries. ''But the bastard had something so valuable on him... What the hell of luck!''


    Meanwhile, the beast that had launched the attack against Minos had already gone back to sleep, as it did not expect that human to survive, nor was it bothered by the outcome of its attack.


    But some powerful beings in that dark zone realized the situation above that area, surprised at how that human had escaped.


    ''Who is that?''


    ''I don''t know, but what he threw before that explosion was really magnificent... Too bad he is still frail.''


    ''But maybe he will grow up... Even the King of the Seas was a mere Spiritual Saint once.''


    ''That''s a long way to go for someone like him... Anyway, he must be mortally wounded now.''


    ''No, he''ll be fine.'' A mermaid said in the mental communication of these beings, seeing the golden aura of Minos'' destiny. ''I can''t see the path ahead of him for sure. Something powerful is protecting him. But I feel he will make it far in cultivation.''


    ''Oh?''


    While those beings were talking about Minos without moving from their area, this young man finally felt all his injuries healed and some of his strength returning to its peak.


    The Spring of Life was strange. It could draw energy into the soul and the body of the one who drank it. Because of this, while it recovered and solidified the characteristics of its consumer, it also restored the energy reserves of a weakened body.


    Minos could redo his fusions when he finished recovering and use his abilities to the fullest!


    But he didn''t do this. Instead, he just wore new armor before steering his yacht and that shark to an area ahead.


    He intended to sail again, but the sea was very rough in that area below where he was. So he flew for a few minutes, taking this risk until he reached a good spot to start his journey again.


    His yacht had suffered from the previous explosion, but it could still sail, and most of its arrays were working.


    Soon Minos was sailing while keeping that shark with him, wondering what to do with this creature.


    ''What do I do with you?''


    ...

 Chapter 1647 Dealing With The Problem

    ?


    The shark, already in its humanoid form on the deck of Minos'' yacht, looked strangely at this human while in a strange position due to the pain in its body.


    It looked muscular, with a large and strong chest and spiky hair, with part of its abdomen and back burned and extremely red.


    Its scales protected its privates, making it look like light blue armor, matching its hair colors.


    "What do you want?" It asked in a shy way but with traces of irritation.


    It was a member of a powerful underwater tribe. Yet, it ended up in this situation and even lost one of its great friends.


    But in front of this human who could steal its cultivation base temporarily, this creature couldn''t help but lower its normally high spirits.


    Minos then said. "Beast, we have no grudges. You were just unlucky to be around when that monster attacked me.


    If you want to blame someone for your misfortune, blame it. I just used what I had to survive an attack from a level 94 beast."


    "Level 94?" That creature heard that and felt its cartilages shivering but not doubting Minos, for that had been somewhat unusual.


    Surely whoever had attacked Minos had been a Spiritual Demigod!


    But this did not diminish its anger for the brown-haired young man before it.


    Minos had regained all his hair after the Spring of Life. So his current appearance was different from that of moments ago.


    Anyway, Minos knew that a grudge could not be resolved that easily and said. "By all means, forget what happened. It''s the best you do.


    Since we ended up together in this situation, join me, and your future will be unmatched. Otherwise, live as my prisoner for the rest of your life!"


    It remained silent, watching Minos and thinking that it would never submit.


    Minos frowned his eyebrows and said. "What''s it going to be, beast? If you stand against me, living as a prisoner may not be the worst thing.


    I''m sure the beasts under my command would love to devour your massive body.


    But if you stand by my side, maybe one day you will become the leader of your tribe."


    "Tsk! Human, you are powerful, and I have no doubt that you will kill me. But me becoming the chief of my tribe? Do you even know what you are talking about?


    The leader of my tribe is a powerful level 92 Demigod! I''m too far away from its glory to aim at its position!


    Furthermore, what could a human like you do? Only in the sea can a sea beast like me develop and gain support from sea beasts."


    "Soon, I will build my sea empire. It will be your chance to participate and play a relevant role. What do you think? This could change your destiny." Minos said, trying to recruit this Sage Beast, something he did not yet have in his ranks.


    It would be more interesting for him to bring beasts friendly to him, like Sapphire, Ross, and Randall, to his side. But getting these beasts to follow him would be more difficult than doing it with this being because some of them would have no obligation to be with him, while this one would.


    Having been used by Minos and now in this passive situation, this being didn''t have many choices at its disposal. And through this, Emperor Stuart could more easily get a follower loyal to him who could command the beginning of the Black Plain Empire''s marine expansion.


    "If you accept, we will sign a Soul Contract, and I will leave it to you to expand my Black Plain Empire across the northeast of the Ancestral Sea."


    "Northeast?" That being frowned, ignoring that Minos was telling it where he was coming from to focus its attention on this most important piece of information.


    That area of the Ancestral Sea had been abandoned for a long time and was considered a danger zone due to the situation of the North Sea.


    Knowing this, this beast couldn''t help but fear having to go there because of Minos.


    "Are you wanting to die? That place is hazardous! Nobody wants that area!" This shark said, extremely unhappy about the possibility in front of it.


    "That''s what makes it so interesting to me..." Minos laughed, feeling that he could take advantage of the widespread fear to succeed in expanding his domains into a rich, unoccupied area.


    Amidst this, he also intended to build the defenses he would eventually use against the calamity that would come from that sea.


    That being then said. "Then so be it. What choice do I have? But let me warn you. My tribe will pursue you. As long as you travel with me at your side, you can be tracked easily."


    This was no lie. The breed of this shark had impressive sensory abilities and also sent its members'' location to others of the same breed over long distances.


    In a way, walking next to one of these creatures was like being on the side of a tracker!


    Minos knew this and would not fall for the trick that the shark wanted to play on him.


    "Then you can release me, and I will help you from a distance. That way, we can do business without you being chased."


    "Don''t be so bold, beast. I can keep you close to me even though you have this annoying ability." Minos said before making large shackles and cultivation sealing arrays appear above that man.


    Minos immediately controlled them, making them go towards that beast''s body, sealing its powers so that its fighting abilities would be comparable in a few seconds to those of level 70 cultivators.


    "Human, what are you doing?" It shouted in nervousness, questioning in fear.


    "Stay calm. You will wait for me in a special place. Then, when I arrange a spiritual judge, I will release you to go to Stone Island, where you will begin your activities under my banner." Minos said before touching that being and sending it to the Spatial Kingdom.


    With that being with its cultivation sealed off, it was harmless to the strongest in the Spatial Kingdom, so Minos was at ease with his decision.


    With that done, he sailed back across the surface of that great sea, heading towards the central area from which he was no longer far away.


    ''A few more weeks and I will reach the vicinity of the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus!''

 Chapter 1648 Secrets Of The Spatial Kingdom

    ?


    Inside the Spatial Kingdom...


    Seeing itself being teleported somewhere, that shark with sealed cultivation felt a little afraid since it didn''t know where it was being taken while at its most vulnerable state.


    But as it appeared in front of a house beside a lake, this great being, still in its humanoid form, realized that the place it had been sent was not dangerous. Also, this was quite an exciting place, where powerful medicines were waiting to be harvested, and terrifying skeletons were not far from where it had arrived.


    At the same time, there was a lake big enough for it to live by, where it felt it could live well while being held hostage by that human.


    But as it noticed humans in the surroundings, it soon thought it could use some of those people to let it go and then dominate the place the previous human had sent it.


    "Haha, this is perfect! I didn''t think I would meet someone so foolish!" It muttered, not realizing that this was a Spatial Kingdom, not just a promising earthly place.


    It hadn''t noticed the Divine-grade medicines around there yet, so it was thought that Minos had sent it to a place where it could escape its previous situation!


    But as it smiled, a little brown-haired boy approached it, looking at it with interest.


    Kendrick saw this tall, strong man who had sharp teeth, strange hair, and scale in place of clothing.


    "Hey, who are you? Identify yourself!" The little guy said as his mother watched him from afar, and two elders from the Gray Clouds Sect accompanied him.


    "Uh? A human child?" That shark looked down at the ground, seeing this little worm in front of it. "I''m the one asking that, brat. Who do you think you are to question me like that?"


    "The ruler over this space, bucktoothed!" Kendrick had an even sharper tongue than his father''s, even though he was so small.


    "Bucktoothed? How dare you?" That shark made an ugly expression before advancing against Kendrick.


    But then, one of the men next to the Crown Prince made a move and hit the shark''s stomach, making it stop in pain.


    "Aaaah!" It yelled as it felt that, remembering it had to first get rid of the arrays on its body before it could show its ''claws.''


    "Stay calm, beast. You were sent here by His Majesty, but you''d better behave yourself." The elder who dealt that blow said, not caring whether that being was a Spiritual Sage.


    While that shark was humiliating itself in front of Kendrick, Ruth had just picked up a scroll that had appeared along with that shark.


    "Minos told us to keep this sea beast for the time being. He intends to turn it into a subordinate to lead the empire''s marine expansion." She informed her harem sisters.


    "Oh? That''s not bad. This shark is at level 84. It certainly could play a relevant role in the future." Abby commented as she watched her son teach that being its place within the Spatial Kingdom.


    "Beast, get this, in this Space Kingdom, the hierarchy follows as follows:


    1. My father


    2. My mothers


    3. My older sister


    4. Aunts Emlyn and Kyla


    5. Me


    You are below everyone here. Even the Space Kingdom bugs are more relevant than you because they cultivate our medicines.


    So you must behave yourself if you don''t want to get hurt!" Kendrick said, making it boil with anger!


    But under the pressure of two level 78 Spiritual Saints, it couldn''t do anything in its current situation.


    However, the words of the young sovereign, who had so many ahead of him in the local hierarchy, caught its attention. ''Spatial Kingdom? That human has a Spatial Kingdom?''


    Thinking about it, it felt a mix of emotions, noting that it would have no escape, as no one there would free it. But considering the Spatial Kingdom, maybe that human could deliver what he promised.


    ''Does he want to expand his domains into that cursed area?'' It wondered, stopping to pay attention to the words of little Kendrick, this little guy who was a little bored with his studies.


    "Very well, little sovereign, I understand my place..." It laughed bitterly after a while. "Knowing that, I would like to ask if this inferior can use this lake as a temporary home. I am a sea beast, so I would live better there."


    "Don''t ask me. Ask my mother!"


    "Didn''t you say you were the ruler of this place? Can''t you decide that for yourself?"


    "Of course I am, but my father said I have to follow that hierarchy, even though I''m the ruler!" Kendrick ran back to his mother, tired of talking to that beast.


    Then Gloria appeared beside that creature and said. "You can go to the lake. But don''t touch anything. If you do, you will regret it bitterly."


    "OK."


    It said before running in that direction and jumping into the lake, turning into a massive shark with several burns all over its body.


    It had its cultivation sealed off, but since its strength at the moment was similar to when it had reached level 70, it could transform into its humanoid version and return to its original form whenever it wanted.


    Thus, it entered the lake of the Spatial Kingdom, where it would soon find a place teeming with underwater life that was there to maintain the biodiversity of this part of the Spatial Kingdom.


    To develop to the current level, the Spatial Kingdom didn''t only have plant life; it also contained small insect-like beasts and small underwater creatures.


    Henricus Longus had built a complete habitat for his medicines left to his heir to develop correctly.


    But these beings were highly peaceful and followed the rules of the creator of this Secret Kingdom, even though some of them were powerful by the standards of Minos and his allies.


    They usually hid from visitors to the Spatial Kingdom and would not agree to train or even help the ruler of this place in battle or training.


    Henricus Longus had been clear with the ancestors of these creatures. They had to just cultivate the place without consuming the highest level of medicines or hindering the heir of that place. At the same time, they had no obligation to help the future owner of this space with conquests and problems and could even hide from him.


    Because of this, although there were several small beasts in this space, Minos had never used them in his challenges in the Central Continent.


    As for these beings, they all had only Black-grade talent, so the limit they could go in cultivation was level 89. As such, they couldn''t even consume the medicines left to Minos by that God.


    But the moment that shark entered the water, it immediately saw those beings stronger than it and got scared.


    Gulp!


    "Shark, don''t you dare eat anything from this place beyond what we allow you." A small fish said to it, without any fear of the size of this creature, for even smaller, it had a higher level than the newcomer.


    "Don''t try to interact with us either. We don''t want to know who you are or if you are part of the forces of the owner of this Spatial Kingdom.


    Until a God appears to go against Senior Longus'' rules, we won''t follow anyone else''s rules."

 Chapter 1649 Marine Phenomena

    ?


    Two weeks later...


    Minos was sailing alone through the vast Ancestral Sea, at this instant, more than 75% of his course to where the signal from the previous map was taking him.


    Minos had been traveling with haste to the central parts of that sea for the past few weeks since sending the great shark into the Spatial Kingdom, having ignored several floating and even land-based islands in his path.


    There were no large islands in the Ancestral Sea. The nearest island of relevant size to that sea was Stone Island and the Marine Empire, which lay in the South Sea.


    But small islands, the size of human cities with up to 5,000 inhabitants, existed in this sea, some located in the most central area of this gigantic territory.


    In particular, the land islands closest to the center of the Ancestral Sea had a volcanic presence as a typical distinguishing feature, from which people could even see them hundreds of miles away.


    Due to this area''s dense spiritual energy, the natural phenomena there were more intense. Storms and tsunamis happened frequently, while eruptions were not uncommon to witness on these islands.


    Minos was at this moment watching one of these islands as ash was spewed from that place, reaching tens of kilometers in altitude above that area.


    Meanwhile, some of the floating islands in the area were moving through the air, constantly changing position.


    But these islands would not depart from that area. That''s because, just as a floating island relies on spiritual energy to lift it into the sky, it suffered some interactions with elements in the Spiritual World that directed them to specific locations.


    If sentient beings didn''t manipulate most of the floating islands in the Spiritual World so that they stayed near their territories, most of them would end up near places like the one Minos was in.


    What attracted these floating territories was what was most commonly found in the deepest parts of the Spiritual World''s seas.


    Because of this, when floating islands appeared on a continent, it was expected that these islands would make their way to one of the central areas of the great seas.


    However, this did not mean it was easy to find a lost island just because of this characteristic!


    Each island was different, and what made these floating areas head out to sea had its variations.


    It was practically impossible to determine an island''s path if it was abandoned!


    Because of this, some sea states arose, using this characteristic to build their kingdoms along several floating islands, which they did not control, making it difficult for anyone outside their domain to locate them.


    Only relevant natives of these areas could locate them using a particular type of compass, which contained the sign of specific floating islands.


    But without such a thing, one could not know where one of these land masses was because of their random movement that happened at high speed.


    There were cycles in this movement, but each island had its own cycle. Even Spiritual Demigods would have to live on one of these islands for the entire cycle to understand it.


    Only the people in these sky realms had successfully done this, but even they kept such information confidential.


    Because of this, even the Spiritual Church had no way to go after its lost island just by going to the central areas of the seas of this world.


    The same was true for the Eastern Empire and other powers who didn''t dare casually try to investigate these areas where mighty beings lived.


    Henricus Longus also didn''t know how to locate one of these shires by himself, so Minos didn''t know how to find one of the areas with human presence in that part of the Ancestral Sea.


    So as he sailed through that part of the journey, he couldn''t help but wonder what was on the islands above, some that he couldn''t even see due to their altitudes.


    ''Who knows in the future...'' He wondered, knowing he didn''t have time to stop at those islands.


    For all he knew, there should be another city of sea beasts on his way besides the City of a Thousand Races. So he need not worry about getting a spiritual judge in one of those lost territories.


    Thus, he was sailing with no intention of taking to the skies to one of these floating islands but rather going ahead with his plans.


    Amidst this, he was enduring the terrible winds of that area, where he already felt that he would soon have to face a storm on the high seas.


    ''If I were a little weaker, I would have already died a couple of times just from the natural phenomena of this place...'' Minos thought, marveling at the power of nature.


    Not long ago, he had faced a rain of ice sheets in the middle of the sea.


    Such a thing was one of the possibilities of the Spiritual World, which mixed Natural Laws, high concentration of energy, and natural phenomena.


    Some places had a higher concentration not only of energy but also of specific laws. So when you combine this with ash from a volcano, lava, and water from heavy clouds, all kinds of strange natural phenomena could arise overnight.


    Minos felt that he would have to face another of these extreme phenomena very soon, and he couldn''t help but prepare himself by moving his yacht and giving the commands to its arrays.


    Amid his movements, he slowly began the sea becoming more agitated while dark clouds began to close the skies.


    Stronger and stronger winds began to appear, while the sounds in the surroundings became frightening to people less accustomed to high-level storms.


    When the storm began, spears of ice began to cut the air towards the underwater world, while waves so strong they could knock out Spiritual Emperors appeared there.


    Ice rocks as large as yachts like Minos'' began to fall from the sky, creating waves as they crashed into the sea, stirring things up even more.


    Amidst this, while feeling a strange aura, Minos suddenly looked up into the sky and opened his eyes wide, seeing an extremely rare phenomenon happening.


    "Oh, shit!" He muttered as he noticed an island falling above where he was sailing!


    ...

 Chapter 1650 Rare Phenomenon

    ?


    Seeing a gigantic shadow above him, Minos realized that if he didn''t act quickly, his entire yacht would be destroyed by the gigantic thing falling on him.


    An entire island was falling over where he was passing, an island that was not small, by the way.


    For comparison, this island was so large that it could easily contain a city of 100,000 inhabitants on it.


    Its size was many times that of Minos'' yacht, large enough to cast a huge shadow over where he was passing, even when it was still kilometers away.


    Minos then set his yacht to sail at its maximum speed while using Chaotic Gravity and all his compression on Gravitational Law to escape.


    He tried to open a spatial crack to escape through a wormhole. Still, as he tried to do so, he felt the spatial distortion caused by that falling island hindering his escape attempt.


    ''Shit! The damn island is stabilizing the space it''s falling into!'' He realized the problem.


    There was a phenomenon in the Spiritual World that caused floating islands to collapse once they reached very significant heights.


    A floating island depended for its continuation on the difference between the forces on it. Suppose the repulsion to spiritual energy was greater than its weight. In that case, it would float.


    But this was not a simple phenomenon!


    If the island kept rising when it passed the limit of 10,000 kilometers in height from ground level, strangely enough, these islands lost part of their spiritual energy-repelling properties.


    By losing some of the force that made it float, such an island would plummet.


    With the gravitational acceleration, it would gain in its fall, the effect of repulsion to spiritual energy diminished, and it would fall faster and faster!


    Because of the way such an island fell, it was not uncommon for all the laws about where it fell to be messed up, almost as if an array was controlling them so that they didn''t function according to normality.


    So Minos could not escape that way while this very rare phenomenon was happening above him.


    ''What shitty luck! How could this just happen to me?'' He pressed his teeth together, feeling the sensation of someone in such a rare and negative situation like this.


    Floating islands rarely reached such high altitudes for this phenomenon to arise. In fact, for something like this to happen, the island either had to be uninhabited or had to have been ''traveling'' alone for hundreds of thousands of years.


    Few islands met these requirements, so this phenomenon happened only a few times every million years!


    Just when Minos passed through this area, such a thing happened!


    He then tried to use his techniques differently, slowly sinking his yacht while using as much of his Chaotic Gravity as he to push away the water in the surroundings.


    Minos could not produce bubbles like the one created by Ross. Yet, he was fully capable of repelling the water molecules in his surroundings, producing an elliptical area.


    The hull of his yacht was in contact with the water. The upper area was where the seawater trembled as if a fabric separated them from the layer of air and the sea.


    In the blink of an eye, Minos could again put his entire yacht into the underwater world.


    His idea was simple. Use the water that would cushion the fall of that huge island to protect himself while he went as fast as possible to the ocean floor.


    He didn''t want to return to that area, having to go through the zone of darkness again. But having no choice, he immediately went ahead with this idea, moving hundreds of meters every second to the bottom of the sea.


    After 30 seconds, the free-falling island finally came close to the sea''s surface, frightening all the marine beings in the surroundings, who had not yet noticed it was falling.


    When it finally touched the water, the surface below it immediately contracted hundreds of meters downwards while the water on its sides rose even more significantly.


    This would generate waves hundreds of meters later, but at the moment, it only created something that suddenly made all beings in the vicinity temporarily lose control over their swimming.


    Many creatures in that area of first contact, one going up to a kilometer away from the initial point of collision, died due to the intense ''shock'' of those two parts.


    But as it entered the water to descend into the depths of that part of the Ancestral Sea, that gigantic chunk produced a huge drop of water that rose above where it fell.


    That drop was the size of the lake of the Spatial Kingdom of Minos and contained countless creatures, which luckily survived the contact of that island with the sea.


    But they were all agitated, feeling the effect of being inside this drop that had received significant amounts of energy from the previous collision.


    The energy there was so chaotic that this gigantic drop of water floated over the sea for a few moments while the surrounding area formed gigantic waves, with a marine depression just below closing in.


    Meanwhile, the huge island was finally fully submerged, losing much of its previous speed but still descending to the bottom of the sea at great speed.


    Minos looked up from the zone of darkness and saw that, although it was losing more and more of its speed, that land mass was still approaching him rapidly.


    Because of this, he put more of his strength into it, catching a level 83 fish in his path, another organism running away from it, and stealing its cultivation base.


    He was already in contact with several high-level beings from this part of the zone of darkness, but even acting against that sea creature, none of these high-level elders in the surroundings bothered.


    They were more interested in what was falling, something that could scare even them!


    The fall of such an island would not threaten the lives of beasts above level 90. But strangely, those beings in the surrounding area felt that island oppressing them as it sank to the ocean floor.


    Because of this, no one was bothered by a human passing by while using a sea beast to escape.


    ...

 Chapter 1651 Lightning Punishment

    ?


    "Hey, what is that? Why does it give off that horrible feeling?" A level 94 beast asked the other elders who had just awakened from their sleep and were getting out of the way of such a thing.


    "I don''t know. Let''s observe for now."


    "But to emit such a sensation, something incredible must be related to such a piece of land!"


    "Maybe... Maybe that''s a good thing, but it could also be a terrible fate!"


    "The sea is getting strange... The old legends of the world''s end may be more than legends!"


    Those creatures, between levels 90 and 96, talked to each other through their beast language, each looking with interest at that sinking island.


    When that island passed through the zone of darkness, those beings could finally see what was on top of it.


    "A city?"


    "Strange... How did a floating island with a city on top of it plummet from the sky?"


    "That place is obviously abandoned. Its population couldn''t prevent the rise of that land mass."


    "That''s interesting. There must be some high-level stuff in that place." A mollusk said, observing that place with interest.


    Everyone began to slowly move toward that land mass, falling slower and slower to the ocean floor. But none of them dared to enter there without care, much less before that island stopped sinking.


    On the other hand, Minos was practically being reached by that island when he realized that he would have room to escape due to its slowing speed.


    But while slowly feeling relieved, he noticed something about that island that caught his attention.


    ''That feeling... What is that?'' He frowned, feeling a sensation similar to those beasts, not recognizing such a thing even with the most relevant memories of Henricus Longus'' life.


    Henricus Longus had been a God and had lived more than 50,000 years before the end of his journey in the Spiritual World. However, this did not mean he knew everything in this vast world.


    He knew the main races, the most powerful beings of his time, and had visited most of the islands, continents, and underwater cities at that time.


    However, he had not visited all the floating islands of the Spiritual World!


    Some of them were so far away from the sea''s surface that they were difficult to trace, even for high-level experts.


    Not only that, being a God in the Spiritual World was merely synonymous with greatness, with having reached the peak of cultivation. It was nothing more than a title, and these beings didn''t have omniscience.


    Without wishing to search for such a place, it would be impossible for even a level 100 cultivator to identify it, even if he had the necessary qualities to do so!


    Henricus Longus had been busy building his inheritance at the end of his life, so he hadn''t scoured the Spiritual World to find every island and every civilization and go after the history of that world. What he cared about was the future, and after his calamitous prophetic vision, he only pursued the goal of preparing this world for the worst.


    And with that, Minos didn''t know what this island was about and couldn''t help but be curious as he looked at this land mass with less hatred than earlier.


    ''There''s something powerful here!'' He exclaimed in his mind. ''I sense an oppressive spiritual fluctuation similar to those giant bones... I wonder if there is one of those giant skeletons in this place?''


    He looked more closely at the lower surface of that island, noticing small areas that could not be natural, indicating that this place had been occupied before.


    He looked at the small tunnels at the bottom of the island as he felt the energy of the island repelling the water around it as if a dome protected it.


    Minos then decided that he would have to at least investigate this place and steered his yacht to the side just out of reach of that island, planning to park this yacht nearby and then explore this territory.


    As he did this, the island finally collided with the ocean floor, causing the surrounding sand and rock to scatter, making the adjacent waters extremely murky.


    The ocean floor shook as this island finally stopped moving, without breaking in half, to the surprise of many beings in the surroundings observing such a thing.


    The strongest beasts that left the zone of darkness went to the vicinity of this place and saw the air bubble that separated the sea from the space of influence of this city.


    After seeing the island standing still, these beings finally got a closer and clearer look at it. They realized that by the size of the buildings, such a city could be human.


    The most hurried of them all then changed into its humanoid version and swam to that place, eager to unravel the area.


    Most of the beasts in the surrounding area remained watching, but others decided to do the same, following the lead of the level 95 elder.


    However, something happened when it tried to cross the invisible dome that kept water and air apart!


    The feeling from moments ago became stronger, and while it felt like it had hit a solid wall, a thunderous sound came from within that abandoned city.


    When this happened, a golden ray came from there, heading towards the being that had dared to try to enter there first.


    No other sound came from the surroundings when that level 95 elder was hit, disappearing from the world a few seconds after suffering lightning punishment!


    Only a God could take that and survive!


    Gulp!


    "That..."


    "H... He''s dead!"


    "The elder... H... He''s dead!"


    Several of those who were about to attempt the same thing as that level 95 being stopped from what they were doing while feeling goosebumps all over their bodies.


    ''Hmmm, we can''t just go in that way.'' One of the first to mentally say something to the others positioned itself far away from the boundaries of the invisible ''dome.''


    ''But how will we investigate the area? That sensation is too powerful for us to simply ignore...''


    ''Yes, we must at least know what this is all about. Maybe the secrets of that place can give us what we need to move forward!''


    Lightning Punishments didn''t come out of nowhere. They were associated with great crimes against the Laws of Heaven and Earth and the defiance of a mortal trying to attain divinity.


    It could arise from anywhere, anytime, and only a God could endure such a thing without risk.


    But it only came from precious things or even unique creations of nature, which could even evade the mundane rules that everyone had to follow.


    Since such lightning had broken from that city, something powerful had to be there.


    A mollusk then said. "We will send some juniors from our tribes as guinea pigs. They will answer us how to get into that place and find out what is there!"


    Meanwhile, Minos was finally following one of the lower tunnels of that floating island, ignorant of that elder''s death...

 Chapter 1652 Entering The Strange Island

    ?


    After entering one of the lower tunnels of that island, Minos passed through a barrier and found himself arriving in an area without the presence of water, where he had to circulate his energies and ''stick'' his feet to the vertical walls there.


    ''This place has a barrier that prevents water from entering the island...'' He noticed this, finding it somewhat strange since it must have been abandoned for an island of this magnitude to plummet from the sky.


    Since even powerful arrays stopped working after many years without maintenance, Minos couldn''t help but find it strange that there was still something like that working there, even the high probability that this place had been abandoned for hundreds of thousands of years.


    ''Could it have been some madman who wanted to fall in with the island?''


    In the Spiritual World, there was everything, and even people capable of risking their lives in insane experiments could be found if looked for.


    Some would even try to kill themselves without sacrificing, jumping from high altitudes, traveling into dangerous areas, etc.


    So Minos didn''t rule out the possibility that someone had lived on this island to keep the arrays running, but without altering the decadent course of it.


    He didn''t think much about it and soon walked cautiously towards the upper levels of that island.


    The place he had just entered appeared to be an escape tunnel, something common to find on floating islands.


    Usually, there were no traps in places like these because of their purpose, a quick escape. But Minos was careful because either at the entrance or at the exit of the tunnel, there was always the possibility of traps being set to surprise those who should not pass through there.


    As he made his way to the top, his spiritual energy stimulated his eyes to see into the darkness.


    Amid this, he was using his soul sense to scan the surroundings. Still, he was not sensing any living souls in his vicinity, despite the strange feeling he had been experiencing.


    He felt a particular oppression coming from this island, as if something compelling was there.


    But as he moved towards the top of the island, whatever was behind it did not ''show,'' as if the feeling came from the air, something inexplicable.


    After a few moments, Minos finally reached a metal door with many rust marks on it but also some symbols he didn''t understand.


    He carefully activated his Soul Avatar and pushed that door, prepared to defend himself in case of a trap.


    But upon receiving Minos'' blow, the door didn''t even shake, causing this fellow to frown.


    ''What? How is that possible?'' Even a medium-level grade-4 locked door should have at least trembled at his movement!


    So he tried a new move, using his sword and the Spatial Sword infused with Chaotic Gravity in its blades.


    Minos moved into that end of the tunnel large enough for two soul projections like his to stand side by side as he danced with his sword, sending powerful attacks toward it.


    But again, nothing happened.


    ''How will I get through it?'' He wondered, knowing that there was no other way since no fork was on the path he traveled.


    So only through that place could he enter this island from the bottom of it!


    He then focused on those symbols on the door and put aside the strategy that involved him using his strength.


    If using force didn''t work, then probably the way to open it was subtle, involving intelligence.


    He closed his eyes and made one of his hands glow with spiritual energy, turning this part of his body into the most sensitive area of all.


    Then he touched that door with his hand, not that of his avatar, but that of his body, trying to connect with that barrier in his path.


    As he did so, Minos opened his eyes and felt something strange, like he was being watched.


    ''My descendant, connect to the world around you, or forget this place.'' He looked at that door without understanding but was now capable of deciphering what was written there.


    Minos looked back and thought he saw for a moment a silhouette near him, but there was nothing there.


    ''How strange.'' He swallowed his saliva, feeling deep uncertainty in his heart for the first time since he received the inheritance from Henricus Longus.


    But then he followed the recommendation written on the door and tried to connect with his surroundings.


    As he did so, the curious and somewhat fearful expression on Minos'' face changed, becoming that of a person unable to fully comprehend something fantastic but able to see how incredible it was.


    He felt as if everything in the surroundings, including the walls and the air, were connected, as if the whole area was one giant kind of mechanism, like a jigsaw puzzle.


    He tried to infuse his energy into one of the puzzle pieces. Then he saw several others moving, some disappearing, and some new ones appearing.


    This made a wall appear behind him. On the other hand, the door in front of him disappeared, and a room full of shiny golden items appeared in front of him, while some walls changed completely, as if they were the cells of a tissue changing to form a new organ.


    Minos had never seen anything of the sort before and obviously stood watching the surroundings as a man would when seeing fire for the first time.


    He then looked closer at what was in that room, which looked highly luxurious, but did not have much furniture.


    There was only one bed and several strange items that Minos didn''t understand the use of besides the luxurious but useless decoration.


    But on top of this bed was a small open chest.


    Minos walked over to it and saw something inside the chest.


    There were three letters.


    ''Fah''um, war is near. You will have one last chance to leave your legacy on Faizos, so don''t fail in your mission. Otherwise, our family will be erased from Ponvuter.''


    ''Fah''um, I heard that you followed my recommendation. What was the result? I heard from some scholars that the experiment could be considered a failure...


    I hope it is not. Otherwise, that will be the end of our race. The Interracial War is at its worst moment with the rise of Cuuvis. If things continue as they are, we will be wiped out.''


    At the last letter, Minos realized it had not been received nor sent but had been written and left there.


    ...

 Chapter 1653 Supreme Elder Over Heaven

    ?


    ''Mulora, I don''t know if the experiment is flawed. My descendant is very weak, but only time can define how far he will go.


    He looks more like his mother than me, but I don''t see a problem with that. At least my genes will be able to live on through him...''


    A sudden change in tone and content caught Minos'' attention in the middle of the message.


    ''Soon I intend to go to... Sigh, you died in Dunov. I don''t know why I still have this letter, Mulora. For some reason, I keep writing it.


    But I feel that soon it will all be over. 80% of our world has been destroyed, and without the life energy, all beings of the 101 races will die... Our world, Ponvuter, will not survive, and it is only a matter of time before the rest of the warriors, and I join you and Esqen...''


    The letter ended with what looked like a fingerprint made of blood.


    ''Ponvuter?'' Minos wondered, having never heard such a name in his life or Henricus Longus'' memories. ''I don''t know when and where these people were from. But it seems they exchanged messages near a calamity.


    Had their race been destroyed? But how can that be? This Ponvuter was a country? But why does he talk as if it were the Spiritual World? How could the world have been destroyed by more than 80% and still be so rich and great?'' Minos had a strange look on his face.


    But realizing there was nothing else of use there, he decided to make his way forward on this lost island, heading for the only door before him.


    This time he had no trouble opening the door and soon entered a large corridor with flights of stairs at the end.


    The room Minos had just passed seemed to be the last room for someone to access this alternative exit, a final hiding place.


    He made his way down the corridor, eager to learn more about this place that had practically fallen on his head.


    ...


    As Minos began his journey inside that island, the first guinea pigs of the dark zone elders interested in what was inside this island began their work!


    The first to try to enter there after the previous Demigod''s death was a level 89 beast. However, as much as this being had not invoked a lightning punishment, a good sign, it would not be able to enter.


    It felt like a bird trying to get through a wall as it tried to pass through that island''s invisible ''dome.''


    The other beasts of varying species, in beastly and humanoid forms and of even weaker levels, began to try to enter that area, testing their limits.


    After only a few minutes from the island''s settlement on the ocean floor, the first beast managed to get through that powerful barrier protecting the island.


    This had been a level 79 Spiritual Saint in its humanoid form!


    Because of this, the powerful beings in the surrounding area soon began to send orders to their tribes to send beings at this level there, while those who already had peak Spiritual Saints simply ordered them to enter that space in their humanoid forms.


    Their mission was to analyze the place, collect what could be collected, and return to bring news to these elders!


    So while Minos cleared that island from the underground to the surface, these beings took the opposite path, arriving at the surface part of that abandoned city.


    Among the beings who entered there, one of the first to step on the ground of that city was in no hurry in its movements as it analyzed the surroundings and drew its conclusions.


    ''This place... These buildings are bizarre. They look beautiful and difficult to build from afar, but looking closely, I feel they are from another world.'' One of the level 79 beings thought. ''I feel as if they can change shape at any time.''


    On the other hand, one of the more hurried beings was running towards the city''s center, where the biggest buildings were, and it thought it could find valuable items more easily.


    It ran to that area, but before it got there, it stopped moving when it noticed a statue in its path, following it with its eyes.


    ''Uh?'' This tall, thin being looked in the direction of the humanoid statue there and paid attention to its eyes, seeing deep darkness there.


    When it focused on it, it suddenly felt as if it were at the feet of a giant, being watched by this gigantic creature that could easily crush it.


    Gulp!


    This beast felt bad and took a step back in fear, sensing something was wrong with that creature.


    Then it felt as if someone had whispered in its right ear, but it didn''t understand what had been said.


    In the next moment, branches emerged from the sidewalk moments ago impeccably as the body of this being was covered by it, being consumed instantly as those branches covered it.


    This happened for many in the surroundings noticed the quick end of that rushing fellow, and immediately everyone slowed their steps as they looked more carefully at the surroundings.


    ''This city was not of humans!'' Several of them agreed with that point, realizing it would be impossible for humans to build such a place.


    This place looked abandoned, but what was there seemed hundreds of thousands of years more advanced than what existed in the wealthiest cities of the Divine Continent!


    Thinking about it, some of those beings couldn''t help but find this place strange, as they wondered what race had created this.


    It couldn''t be the elves, for everything they created had a touch of nature, something those beasts didn''t see in anything there. So it could only be an unknown race, perhaps one that had been hidden for too long and lost in the river of time.


    While many were wondering about this, one of them came across the statue from before and saw something in strange language written on it.


    It couldn''t understand it, but if Minos had been there, he would have realized that this was the tomb in honor of Mulora, that being who seemed to have written the first two letters intended for Fah''um.


    ''Here lies the Reaper of the Nanners, member of race 99, Supreme Elder Over Heaven, Mulora of Dunov.


    He died in the Interracial War defending his tribe.


    He was two steps away from transcending.


    He was successful in passing on his genes to a hybrid heir.


    His heart will defend this sacred land until the end of time!''


    That was all that was written there, while the illustration of it represented one of his physical forms in life.


    From him, one of the sinister power sources of this island was departing!


    ...

 Chapter 1654 Shocking Discovery

    ?


    While avoiding looking at that strange statue, the beings in the surroundings were sweating coldly, taking slow steps as they scanned the surroundings.


    Some of them avoided entering the buildings, hoping that someone would do so and show them the consequence of entering one of those buildings. But others were slowly approaching those buildings that they considered less dangerous.


    The buildings there resembled those of humans in some ways, but they also had unique characteristics.


    The streets did not have enough space for carriages to pass, just enough for pedestrians to walk through. At the same time, there were many squares, where there would always be a statue in the middle of it similar to the one above, and well-kept green lawns. Still, there were no signs of people maintaining the place.


    Most buildings had oddly shaped roofs as if they were antennas pointing to the sky. But the walls and floors of the whole area seemed to be made of a kind of substance that could change shape at any moment.


    How this could happen, no one there knew, but everyone had this feeling that the surrounding environment was in one shape now but could quickly look totally different.


    Someone finally mustered the courage to enter one of the properties there, which strangely followed a building pattern that others would later see around several of those squares.


    Inside this kind of property, which appeared to be residential, there would only be one large bedroom, a living room, and a kitchen. Nothing else, such as a bathroom or an office, much less a recreational area, could be seen in this construction model.


    The internal areas were minimalist, and apart from a few pictures and common items, nothing else could be seen there.


    One of the beings first entering one of these areas saw a picture of two beings together, a woman who looked human and a tall, strong man at least 50% bigger than the woman next to him.


    The man seemed to have a neutral look on his face, while the woman smiled as if she was fulfilling her dream.


    Looking at that, that being of the sea felt a flood of emotions in its being, as if it could understand what was happening at the moment this painting had been made.


    ''I feel as if something terrible is happening...''


    Gulp!


    ''This woman submitted to this man, even though her death was guaranteed...


    As for him, he did what he could not to disappear.'' It didn''t know whether to feel more sorry for the woman or the man.


    From what it felt when it saw that image, both of them had died. But they had both accomplished their goals before dying: to leave something behind.


    This beast looked at the woman''s belly, which seemed a little larger than normal, and felt like it could hear a heart beating.


    Amid these feelings, it felt as if the world around those two was ending, feeling the strangely strong energy there diminishing with each breath.


    As it put itself in the shoes of those people in the image, this marine being pondered what would happen if the spiritual energy and laws of the Spiritual World began to continuously diminish at the same frequency as what had happened in that representation.


    ''If that happened, in a month, Demigods wouldn''t be able to get stronger, and in a year, no one would be able to reach level 50 anymore when starting their cultivation journey in this world.'' It swallowed its saliva and clenched its fists.


    "What does all this mean? Is this a prophetic vision of a chaotic future?" It wondered aloud.


    "Maybe it''s about the past?" Another being wondered as it felt the same in another area of this city. "The ancient history of our world goes back only to 10 million years ago. Before that, not even the oldest tribe of the Spiritual World, the elves, knew about what happened before that.


    Could it be that the spiritual energy suddenly declined in the remote past and then increased again?" He wondered, catching the eye of a mollusk near where he was standing.


    "Impossible! Nothing would last that long. That can''t be about the past. It can only be about the future!'' That being who loved history more than anyone else thought about it, longing for the shocking winds that fate held for them all.


    But in another part of that island, Minos had a somewhat different opinion than those beings!


    ...


    After leaving the previous room, Minos climbed many flights of stairs and reached what appeared to be a large underground chamber, where a gigantic tomb lay in the center of it.


    This tomb was 45 meters long, 10 meters wide, and had a pyramid shape, with its highest point at a height of 20 meters from the corridor Minos had just reached.


    Minos wanted to float over that area to see the top of the pyramidal tomb, but he strangely could not float over that area.


    But while having a very strange feeling, he saw the tombstone of the one supposedly resting there.


    ''Here lies Fah''um of Dunov.


    He died after the Great Devastation, sleeping in his bed.


    He had ten children, of whom one avenged.


    His soul collapsed along with the end of Ponvuter''s life energy. He was the last member of race 99 to live on Ponvuter.''


    After reading that, Minos saw a side staircase leading to the highest point of that pyramid.


    He climbed it with some difficulty, feeling as if the gravity there was much stronger than in the surroundings.


    Nevertheless, he managed to reach the top of it and see that the pyramid seemed to be made of glass when viewed from above.


    When he looked through those glass walls, he could see a mummified body as large as some of the giant bones in the Spatial Kingdom.


    Seeing that, Minos opened his mouth, and his eyes trembled at the possibility in front of him.


    ''That... That''s a member of that race?''


    Gulp!


    He felt a shiver run down his spine, for the first time encountering a being from the prehistoric of this world and reconsidering everything he knew about the Spiritual World.


    ''H... He, he is one of the... If that''s true, then what''s with those letters? Ponvuter just happens to be the Spiritual World. But how could 80% of it be over?''


    As he wondered, Minos remembered a conversation he had with Laura many years ago in the Endless Snow Mountain Range.


    ''They self-destructed...''


    "Can''t it be that the Spiritual World is the result of what''s left of Ponvuter?"


    ...

 Chapter 1655 Mysterious Gift

    ?


    Immediately after he thought of that, the pyramid below him suddenly seemed to melt, and a dark hole appeared below Minos.


    A second later, he appeared in a place that was still being built but seemed to be the top of a tower, from where he felt he could see the whole world.


    But this world seemed different from the one he knew, with at least 99 times stronger gravity, strange phenomena in the skies, and beings of species he had never seen or heard of.


    The surroundings finished building up, and he saw a man not much bigger than him, facing away from him, appear as if he were a shadow coming out of the darkness.


    "Indeed, what you call the Spiritual World had once been my home, a small fraction of Panvuter. Unfortunately, what once was is lost forever." That person said in a melancholy tone. "I am sorry, child. The 101 races have destroyed this great world."


    ''101 races?''


    "Indeed." He said, surprising Minos. "The 101 races were those chosen by the heavens to lead Panvuter. There were many others at that time, but they were merely mortal. They did not resemble us.


    As for the name of the races, we don''t have one. We only designate those of the same lineage by the strength of their heritage. The strongest race was number 1, and the weakest was 101.


    I belong to race 99, but even members of race 101 were already born with the power of what you call Spiritual Saint."


    Gulp!


    ''It can''t be!''


    "It can. You''ve clearly already encountered the remnants of some of us, no?" He said, reading Minos'' mind once more. "The ones you found were among the weakest. Only they managed to leave behind remnants of the Interracial War and the Great Devastation.


    The members of the first ten races were responsible for destroying 40% of Panvuter. Because of them, the Great Devastation began, and the bodies of the strongest disappeared from the universe."


    ''Is he reading my mind?" Minos wondered, having never heard of anyone with such an ability.


    "I am."


    Minos continued to look at him, this time with nothing on his mind, impressing. "What are you? How can you do this?"


    "I am just something left behind, my descendant. Unlike those you encountered, I still have my body and flesh in one piece...


    Luckily my mortal followers did not fail to fulfill their mission." He closed his eyes, still facing Minos.


    "But I am dead. We all are. What you are seeing can only be considered an interactive memory. I can no longer do anything against you, so don''t worry.


    In any case, now that I have seen you, I can disappear in tranquility. My race is not completely gone." He said, feeling the chaotic energy in Minos'' body, something this young human had stolen from the giant bones in the Spatial Kingdom.


    "What? What''s the meaning of all this? What''s with this island?" Minos asked as he saw the surroundings beginning to disappear.


    "That''s nothing but a big graveyard... Sigh, my time is short. I hope you get out of th..."


    Then that silhouette disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Minos watched the surroundings change at the speed of light, soon finding himself on top of that transparent pyramid.


    "What did he mean?" Minos had a strange expression on his face, with more questions than a few moments ago.


    ''If Panvuter gave rise to the Spiritual World, what happened to the rest of that world? Was it annihilated? And what did he mean by the weakest of them being born at level 70? Does that mean they were stronger than Gods?''


    Gulp!


    As these questions appeared in Minos'' mind, that pyramid crumbled, revealing the giant mummy there.


    When he finally had access to said mummy, Minos saw a letter on top of its forehead.


    ''Scion, I know that you will find me one day. I hope that at that time, you will be able to use the abilities you inherited from me, or you will not be able to connect to what I left behind.


    In any case, try to use my corpse somehow. It will no longer be useful to me without Panvuter''s life energy.


    Finally, I leave you the mission to populate this new world with my descendants and maintain the legacy of Race 99.


    I leave you the gift that is on my right wrist. It will help you if you attain what is necessary to activate it one day.


    From Fah''um of Dunov, Supreme Elder Over Heaven.''


    After reading this, Minos immediately looked towards the right wrist of that gigantic corpse, not taking long to find something that looked like a necklace.


    That necklace had what looked like a golden sphere with a crystal-encrusted inside, which had two openings, both of which were too distorted for someone like Minos watching them.


    Minos saw the thing that was a little bigger than him and tried to probe it.


    Unfortunately, in doing so, he felt nothing.


    He then tried to move it and, with great difficulty, lifted it an inch off the ground.


    He then thought of something and used one of his spatial rings.


    ''That''s not so big, unlike this corpse. Then I''ll send it into one of my high-level grade-4 spatial rings.'' He used his spiritual energy to cover that item and connect it to the empty spatial ring he had on one of his fingers.


    Then Minos could do what he wanted, storing that item in his spatial ring before turning his attention to that gigantic corpse.


    ''This corpse has at least four times as much power as those bones in the Spatial Kingdom combined!'' He clenched his fists, wondering how beneficial it would be for him to have that corpse there.


    Thinking about it, Minos stopped on top of what would be the belly of that corpse and placed his two hands on it, circulating his energies through it and the ring of the Spatial Kingdom.


    Then the ground over that area began to crack, while the beings in the surroundings of that island felt as if something extraordinary was about to happen.


    When the mummy disappeared from that ancient island, the barrier preventing water and other stronger beings from invading it disappeared.


    In that instant, everyone waiting for the results of their weaker tribe members began to swim towards that place to clear it for themselves.


    Minos saw the giant corpse below him disappear and saw a tunnel below where that body had been lying before.


    Through there, he departed that tomb without further investigating that area after sensing the powerful beings approaching.


    ''I''ll leave it to find out more about that in another situation!'' He decided.

 Chapter 1656 Near The Goal

    ?


    After entering the tunnel below where the corpse of the giant being was, Minos let his body slide down the area''s walls, which followed the shape of a giant slide.


    This tunnel took him directly to an alternative exit, which seemed to be building as he descended at great speed.


    The constructions on that island could change, and this was happening right in front of Minos as he saw the tunnel he had passed through earlier changing to take him off that island.


    As he descended at great speed, Minos saw water appearing in his path, noticing that the invisible ''dome'' from earlier had disappeared with the disappearance of that mummy.


    He was not surprised by this and soon began to swim back to where his yacht was.


    He had taken the most valuable things on that island, so he wanted to escape as soon as possible. But Minos wasn''t too worried about being intercepted because besides there being other things in that place, there was no indication that he had anything on him.


    He was leaving, but many other beasts had begun to do the same as soon as the water invaded that island.


    The place seemed to contain unimaginable secrets. But it was also hazardous, and several beasts had already perished there in the few minutes since it had stopped sinking.


    As such, realizing that their elders would finally be able to survey the area for themselves, many beasts decided to leave, covering Minos'' exit.


    There was still a very powerful feeling in that place, as every square in this lost city was actually the tombs of an ancient cemetery.


    There was enough there for years of investigation, so without much trouble, Minos arrived at his yacht, which was filled with water inside its compartments due to the momentary absence of its owner.


    Arriving there, Minos immediately did his best to expel the water inside his yacht until it decreased its mass enough for him to float it to the surface.


    ''Time to go my way!'' He began his upward trajectory as he thought about the mysteries that not even Henricus Longus knew.


    ''One day, I will unravel all there is to discover in this world!'' He made up his mind, eager but also a little afraid.


    Amid Minos'' departure, the elders who had left their positions in the darkness zone were beginning their investigations on that island, ignoring everyone leaving in the surrounding area.


    "Hurry, we can''t delay locating the most valuable thing here!" One of them said.


    "We must be nimble. Soon the damned Darren will finish awakening and will surely come here!"


    "Finish awakening? It must already be awake. Didn''t you feel that spiritual fluctuation earlier?"


    "Before the island crash? That wasn''t it!"


    "Oh, it was it, I''m sure. It''s coming here with its bloodlust."


    The beasts there continued talking among themselves, encouraging each other to move fast with their actions so as not to miss out on the best there.


    ...


    Three days later...


    After departing from the ocean floor again, Minos found no difficulty passing through the zone of darkness as earlier.


    The most powerful beasts in the area were interested in investigating that island, so he had relative ease in getting back to the surface.


    After that, he traveled without facing any unnatural problems, only having to deal with the intense marine phenomena that constantly took his attention.


    It was very difficult for him to find time to cultivate and train while traveling alone by yacht. So besides eating, Minos had been doing nothing besides watching his surroundings and controlling his yacht.


    Luckily, this could also be considered training since he constantly had to use some of his skills to protect his yacht.


    Anyway, after the short distance he had traveled these days, Minos had finally reached the last city on his way to the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus!


    Unlike the City of a Thousand Races, which was a place open to beings of all species and gigantic, this place was smaller and part of a tribe of sea beasts nearby.


    Because of its position in a tribe''s territory, this city was above the zone of darkness and, therefore, more accessible to beings traveling on the surface.


    Thus Minos had entered this city without experiencing the dangers of traveling through the zone of darkness, where he only had to pay the heavy local entrance fees.


    Because it was the territory of a tribe, which was not so friendly to humans, Minos had had to pay for Saint-grade medicine to enter this city, having been allowed to stay only one day.


    That had been 6 hours ago, so he had only 18 more hours left in this place.


    So Minos had been quick in his goals there and was already on the property of the spiritual judge he wanted to use to confirm his and the shark''s agreement, someone he had picked up in the Spatial Kingdom the day before.


    In that place that seemed to be a small part of a large coral, they were inside a store where a member of Sea Folk lived and acted as a spiritual judge.


    Not all Sea Folk lived in their empire; there were even dissidents of this race who lived in exile around the ocean.


    This one about to receive Minos and that shark was one of these. As such, it had obtained permission from this tribe to live in this city.


    It then called out to the two individuals while looking at the shark in its humanoid form with curiosity.


    That shark looked back at that level 89 being, an individual with a body relatively similar to that of a human, even in its original version.


    It had arms and legs, and its fingers were like a human''s. However, its skin color was green, its headpieces looked like tentacles, and its face looked more like a beast''s face than a human''s.


    "Human, shark, what do you want with me? Are you here to sign a Soul Contract?" It asked.


    Minos nodded and said. "Senior, my traveling companion and I have some business to make official. I hope you will be able to help us.


    The payment, of course, will be generous."


    After seeing Minos placing some medicine in front of it, that being nodded its head, agreeing. "Very well. Do you already have a preview of the contract? That will make things easier."


    Not only humans could become spiritual professionals. Some races with favorable characteristics allow their members the possibility to become professionals.


    This, of course, was not something everyone could have, nor did it give endless possibilities, as with humans and elves. But it was enough for one traveling through the Spiritual World to find sea and land beasts offering the services of spiritual professionals.


    ...

 Chapter 1657 Danger Close To Target

    ?


    Sea folks were the sea beings that looked most like humans and elves, so they had compatibility with various spiritual professions. But this was not so for every being in the Spiritual World.


    The shark next to Minos, for example, at most could be a blacksmith since it was a powerful warrior. But that in itself was not a guarantee that it would become a good blacksmith if it tried.


    Another example was the mermaids, those beings that were among those that were most compatible with the profession of spiritual seers.


    Minos knew that beasts could have professions, especially that Sea Folk were similar to humans and elves, so he had decided to come to this place that Ross and Randall had told him about weeks ago.


    One of them had said that there were some Sea Folk around there, which had brought him to this high-level Spiritual Sage in front of him.


    Minos then answered that being''s question. "Yes, here is the contract."


    ...


    While Minos was settling his affairs in the city of that tribe, the Spiritual Demigod investigating him was at this instant in the City of a Thousand Races.


    After days of searching for Minos, he found the remaining sign displayed by the Stuart Emperor in that city.


    There, he immediately began his investigation, searching for witnesses who could help him find tracks that were easier to pursue.


    ''I have to be quick! Every day he will be closer to his goal, which is bad for the empire!'' He thought as he moved through this gigantic city, drawing attention from inhabitants and tourists in the surrounding area.


    It was unusual to find such a strong human moving through one of these cities, even considering the level of its leaders.


    As such, there were already beings keeping an eye on this man from the Travisani family.


    But he knew this and did not bother, continuing with the service ordered by Vico.


    ...


    In an area in the central part of the City of a Thousand Races, one of the leaders of that place was getting updates regarding the human Demigod who was in that city currently.


    "Is he just investigating?" That creature at the end of the 10th stage asked as it looked at its subordinate, feeling that it would have to move to talk to this being.


    "Yes, elder. For now, he hasn''t caused any trouble. He''s just scanning the city while looking for something."


    "Hmmm, keep watching him, but I want one of you to bring him to me before he leaves the city. I want to know what he is looking for and who he represents."


    The sea was too vast for creatures like this local leader to know about all the powers of the Spiritual World just by having someone in his city.


    So even though Vico was a renowned expert who had his name known at the bottom of the sea, it was not so easy to associate the figure of one of his men with his.


    "I will do that, elder." That being said, before changing the subject. "On that other matter ordered by the elder earlier, we have finished checking the status of the family of that young man who managed to turn the key left by Henricus Longus hundreds of thousands of years ago."


    "Oh? So? Do they still exist?"


    "We''re not sure. They are no longer in the Central Continent. From what I''ve heard from investigators, they left the continent 30,000 years ago, moving toward the Divine Continent.


    We are yet to locate them in that place, so it will take a few more weeks before we have more information, elder."


    "Very well, keep working on it. I want to fulfill that promise to end our debt to that man as soon as possible."


    ...


    Meanwhile, Vico had already received the news that Minos was possibly associated with the disappearance of the map of the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus.


    As he had men watching that young man for years, he couldn''t help but be disappointed and infuriated to discover the possibility that such a map had been lost right in front of him.


    As such, he had already called back those who had watched over Minos in previous years and given their punishments. But, at the same time, the Stuart Emperor''s situation within that state was no longer as favorable as it might have been.


    If Minos was seen entering this state, the men of the Travisani family had orders to seize him and, if he resisted, even kill him!


    On the other hand, Vico decided to send his eldest son to the Black Plain to wait for the damned Minos.


    Sooner or later, he would return, and when he did, he would have no choice but to meet with the Crown Prince of the Eastern Empire.


    When that happened, Minos would receive the final ultimatum, and if he did not come to the Eastern Empire, he would be branded an enemy to be beaten!


    Unfortunately, Vico himself couldn''t go all the way to the Black Plain Empire to deal with this state, so he was still in his imperial palace, looking after his state that still had the Western Empire and the Spiritual Church to worry about.


    ''Damned brat! He''s not even a Spiritual Sage, but he can already cause headaches for the entire continent!''


    He constantly had similar thoughts, imagining the day he would meet Minos and teach this brat a lesson.


    Amidst this, one of the men who had spied on Minos for years, level 81 currently, was serving his punishment locally, working as a gardener in the imperial palace.


    ''Sigh... That fellow did something he shouldn''t have.'' This person thought about it while he felt his leader''s aura getting out of control every now and then due to the raging time Vico had been experiencing.


    He had lost several positions due to his incompetence and had been demoted to a mere gardener. But the punishment Minos would suffer in the future would be immeasurably greater, for he had committed an unforgivable crime!


    Thinking of how he had once considered Minos a prodigy with the potential to join the Travisani family, this man could not help but regret the waste of that talent.


    "How far will you get?" He muttered as he looked up to the sky.


    ...


    Meanwhile, the First Prince of the Eastern Empire had arrived in Dry City, where at this instant, he was being welcomed by Dillian and some of the elders of the Gray Clouds Sect there to defend the territory.


    He was standing next to two high-level Spiritual Demigods. Still, being a level 93 cultivator, he by himself was enough to scare the locals.


    ''This place reminds me of my home... It looks like Emperor Stuart copied us on several things.'' This prince thought of this with a smile on his face as he saw the group of local leaders approaching him in awe.


    "To what do we owe the grace, Your Highness?"


    ...

 Chapter 1658 Beast Awakened!

    ?


    "I''m here to visit Minos Stuart. But he''s not here, is he?" The Crown Prince said, smiling at those people. "It doesn''t matter. I will wait until he returns."


    "What does Your Highness wish of His Majesty? May I know? I am the one left in command of the Black Plain." Dillian, level 72, asked while cautiously looking at that person.


    That level 93 fellow looked at Dillian and said. "My father wishes to have a face-to-face conversation with Minos Stuart. I am here to escort him to the capital of my state."


    "Uh? His Majesty Vico Travisani?" One of the level 79 elders next to Dillian asked, not expecting the strongest man on the continent to be in search of Minos.


    Many wanted to associate with Minos in some way. But no continental ruler, not even Emperor Evergreen, had shown such a proactive attitude as to send a group of Spiritual Demigods to ''accompany'' him to another state.


    This was a clear demonstration that Vico''s intentions were not simple!


    ''What does he want?'' Minos'' grandmother, also there beside Dillian, wondered about the possibilities.


    Maisie, currently at level 78, could imagine which of her son''s bold moves was most likely behind this. ''This must be something from that map! It looks like he wasn''t so careful in his actions and left traces behind!''


    One of the Imperial Prince''s guards, with an ugly expression on his face, said. "That''s right. His Majesty wishes to have a serious talk with Minos Stuart. Then you should send a message to your leader demanding that he return and desist from what he is doing.


    If he does as we say, there is still a chance for all of you."


    Silence spread through the surroundings after these negative words, causing those subordinates and family members of Minos to clench their fists in frustration. Unfortunately, they could do nothing but keep quiet and agree with what these superiors were saying.


    Dillian laughed bitterly and said. "We will notify His Majesty. In the meantime, I hope your group can enjoy your stay in Dry City without disturbing the local order.


    Unlike where you come from, here cultivators at your level are not common and draw enough attention from the masses."


    The Crown Prince said upon hearing that. "It will be good for them to get used to. Considering your sovereign''s route, it won''t take long for more of us to visit this domain..."


    He said that, but he did not intend to act. If Minos were around, he and his guards would do their best to seize and take him back to the Eastern Empire. But in his absence, they would not risk getting into unnecessary trouble with the Spiritual Church without the slightest possibility of seizing him.


    The Church would certainly move if they were aggressive locally!


    So it wouldn''t be long before that group would settle in some part of Dry City, and the local population would begin to live with the idea that such strong people were around.


    Dillian''s group could do nothing against these people but get on with their lives and bear the current pressure on their shoulders.


    But for the moment, the city was not under threat, and they still had room to continue developing!


    ...


    Another week passed...


    In this period, the upper hierarchy of the Spiritual Church found out about the presence of the heir of the Eastern Empire in Dry City and some movements of the Travisani family.


    Because of this, they knew that Minos was not involved in deals with that enemy family of the Church and that probably his recent disappearance was related to something that bothered the Travisani family.


    Thus, high-level Church Spiritual Demigods were already in the Black Plain Empire to keep an eye on the movements of the Crown Prince of the Eastern Empire, while others were beginning to investigate Minos'' situation further.


    The Supreme Pontiff himself was concerned about the present situation, imagining that Minos might be far more important to the current continental scene than he had thought.


    To that man, Minos could be the future, not necessarily someone great, but someone relevant to the truly great beings on the continent.


    Minos could be a mainstay for his disciple in the future, which gave him a lot of importance even before the recent events. But currently, he was proving to be much more than he was!


    This was worrying, and that powerful level 99 cultivator looked more closely at Minos'' situation.


    Even though he was not far from his seclusion to try to reach level 100, he was focused not on his cultivation but on the situation he would have had before his seclusion.


    He had to at least ensure that the next few decades would be stable before he left to try to become a God, so he was personally dealing with the news related to Minos!


    At this very moment, he was in the Seraphim''s Temple in the capital of the Evergreen Empire.


    In his office, his disciple of this generation, Forrest, level 92, stood in front of him, listening to his words.


    "Forrest, I believe Gloria Frost''s faction will disappear or grow substantially in the coming months. What Minos Stuart is doing now will possibly lead to his death or put him as a big name on the continent once and for all.


    So you must do everything you can to be on their good side before that happens.


    Go to the Black Plain and show yourself present to help the local forces deal with the pressure from the heir to the Eastern Empire."


    "I will do my best, master." That young man said, making a gesture as he bowed his head.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Minos was sailing into the central area of the Ancestral Sea, less than 600 kilometers from his goal!


    After days since he had obtained the corpse of one of the giant prehistoric beings of this world, Minos had constantly fought sea beasts and avoided sinking his yacht dozens of times because of battles and natural phenomena.


    But after withstanding all this by relying on his skills and a bit of luck, having had his yacht damaged by more than 50%, he was finally close to his destination.


    At the moment, he was sailing around an area where dozens of floating islands could be seen in the blue sky on this sunny day.


    As he stood on the deck of his ship, he was watching the sky with a smile on his face, already identifying the path he would follow to reach his goal.


    However, as Minos felt anticipation for finally getting close to his target, a powerful spiritual fluctuation began to appear in the distance from where he was standing, changing the expression on his face.


    ''That feeling...'' He took his eyes off the sky and looked out to sea.


    ''Gulp!


    "The damned level 99 beast!"


    ...

 Chapter 1659 Desperate Escape

    ?


    When he saw that strong spiritual fluctuation, capable of oppressing beings dozens of kilometers away, Minos became more serious, realizing that he would have to flee or take serious risks for being so close to that creature.


    He immediately left his yacht and started flying towards the floating islands in the area, going as fast as he could but without using his spatial manipulation skills.


    All Minos had going for him was the fact this being knew nothing about him and therefore did not have him as its focus.


    So he wouldn''t show anything that would make that turn its attention to him, so he was flying with speed typical of level 77 human cultivators.


    He was already coldly sweating, and his face looked pale from the terror approaching where his yacht was.


    ''Damn it! Did that thing have to appear so close to me?'' Minos wondered as he looked back, noticing the sea below his yacht turning dark with the appearance of a gigantic beast.


    As he looked back and his lips moved to form an expression of astonishment, the sea level in the surrounding area changed gradually, while rapidly, the darkness approaching the surface became greater.


    A few milliseconds later, a gigantic mouth the size of the island that had fallen on Minos days ago appeared below where Emperor Stuart''s yacht was.


    This gigantic mouth had hundreds of razor-sharp teeth and quickly had countless gallons of water inside it, while Minos'' yacht was already lost inside it.


    But the mouth didn''t close immediately. Instead, that sea creature continued advancing into the sky, quickly approaching where Minos and some sea creatures in the surrounding area were trying to escape.


    Gulp!


    Minos swallowed his saliva as he saw that gigantic sea beast, with the body of a whale, the teeth of a shark, and as big as an island, coming closer and closer to him.


    He immediately put his plan of being discreet aside and used all his skills, opening a spatial crack and flying even faster upwards.


    Because of this, when that creature closed its big mouth, destroying Minos'' yacht and killing most of the creatures inside its mouth, it narrowly missed that fleeing human.


    When that creature''s teeth slammed into each other, shrill sounds spread for kilometers around, causing Minos and any beings nearby to bring their hands to their ears.


    A powerful spiritual pulse issued from that mouth, causing spiritual chaos in the surrounding area, with thunder rumbling and the sunny day slowly losing its beauty.


    A level 99 being was so strong that even a snap of his fingers could cause commotion across tens of cubic kilometers and could even change the weather of a region as large as that of the ancient Black Plain.


    "Human!" That creature showed its voice to the world, reaching all beings on the side islands to that area, making even some level 98 elders feel goosebumps on their scales or feathers.


    Minos was shocked by this display of power, for he knew that even though this was all terrible, this beast was not trying to appear strong. On the contrary, that was its natural mode of action!


    "Shit!" He kept opening wormhole after wormhole, quickly climbing up towards the island where the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus should be.


    If he were to fail there, he would try to flee to the Spatial Kingdom, but he wanted to get as close to his target as possible before that attempt.


    But he wouldn''t do such a thing right away because a level 99 being could stop him from such a thing if he tried to be fast enough!


    That sea beast that had awakened a few days ago and was in search of food for its attempt to advance to level 100 looked ugly at Minos and slowly transformed into its humanoid version.


    Its body shrank in size rapidly, transforming its colossal body into one about 3 meters tall, extremely muscular, and with several golden scales around its privates.


    At the same time, if one were to observe in its direction, one would see a semi-transparent golden halo in its surroundings, a common phenomenon to see in someone close to reaching godhood and using their abilities.


    "Human, you look very talented." It called out to Minos before opening a crack in the space before it. "Give me your powers and talents. Then, you will be part of a God. This is your only chance to achieve godhood!"


    Minos cursed that creature in his mind, little by little seeing the island he felt the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus was on, which was over 500 kilometers above sea level.


    A few moments later, he saw that creature appearing in front of him, grinning maliciously at him.


    "Give it up, human. You can''t do anything against me." The creature said. "But I will give you a chance. Surrender of your own free will, and I will fulfill one small wish of yours.


    Rejoice, for you are the most talented human I have seen in all my 60,000 years!"


    Minos clenched his fists and said. "I have something I would like to do before I die. It is something simple that can be done in seconds with your help."


    "Oh?" That being closed its eyes as a smile appeared on its face, showing its sharp teeth. "What is it?"


    "My life''s purpose is to find a lost island. I''ve spent years of my life waiting for the day when I could go after it, and now I''m practically in front of it." He said, pointing to his destination. "I wish I could at least step on that ground. After that, I will die with no regrets."


    The level 99 beast looked up into the sky and saw the island that Minos was talking about, where there was an ancient aura about it.


    Watching that place, it couldn''t help but be curious, as it didn''t know what island that was or even why it seemed special.


    "That won''t do. I feel like I''ll risk losing you if we go there." It said, showing Minos that he would not have an easy time.


    Minos felt the Spatial Kingdom''s ring and judged he would not have enough time to escape this being. So he decided to take a chance and said. "Then I would like the senior to hand something I have to someone.


    I''ll show you what it is." He said while picking up the vial he had bought in his passage through the City of a Thousand Races.


    ...

 Chapter 1660 Final Movement

    ?


    Picking up that vial with some black liquid inside, Minos immediately opened it while Darren looked at it curiously, wondering what this human was trying.


    It didn''t feel like this human could do anything against it, although it preferred not to follow Minos'' plans to go to that island that seemed very strange. So it did nothing initially, curious to see this human''s attempt.


    But when that vial opened, this level 99 Demigod couldn''t help but frown and put on a defensive stance.


    ''Damn it! The wretch had something up his sleeve!'' It felt a powerful spiritual fluctuation approaching it, while the island pointed out by Minos seemed to behave strangely.


    The moment the vial had been opened, what was inside it left its dark color behind and quickly turned into a golden liquid.


    Simultaneously, a pillar of golden light broke from that island, causing Minos and the vial in his hands to float toward that place.


    Meanwhile, powerful winds formed against that level 99 Demigod, along with the formation of huge feathers below that island.


    Those feathers were golden, and each was the size of a human sword.


    After their emergence, they immediately started to fall towards that beast in its humanoid form as if it were a special rain.


    As someone powerful, that beast realized the power of each of those feathers and what was in that vial.


    "Blood of God!" It shouted as it put its hands together and produced a spiritual barrier above its body, preparing for this attack from the sky.


    Minos also identified what was in that vial, recognizing such a precious resource.


    ''So that''s the blood of a Spiritual Church God?'' He opened his eyes in surprise, not expecting it. ''So there''s a God buried in that place... Lucky for me!''


    He finally sighed in relief, knowing that, at least for the next few moments, he would be safe from that individual''s pursuit.


    The marks left by a God were hard to fade, even over time. Sure, everything degraded over time, but if high-level artifacts were used, then even marks of experts killed millions of years ago could be preserved.


    The blood of a God had power, but if poorly preserved, it would disappear after a few thousand years of its owner''s departure. However, inside a vial like that, such a thing had been preserved, even though it had not been far from perishing when Minos bought it.


    Fortunately for this ruler of the Black Plain Empire, the owner of that blood had been buried in the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus and left behind part of his will.


    ''I was narrowly saved.'' Minos sighed, even though he knew he would still have trouble with that level 99 Demigod.


    The blood of a God could strengthen a remnant of a God''s soul and activate a part of that specialist''s powers. But this couldn''t last long. After all, that specialist had already died long ago, and his blood was far from its best state.


    Minos knew that the Demigod threatening him would only be delayed for a few moments, so he used the opportunity to quickly step onto the ground of that long-lost island.


    The blood on the vial that he had spent hundreds of thousands of crystals on was gone by the time he landed on that spot. Still, for just an instant, Minos saw the silhouette of someone waiting for him at that end of the island.


    "You gave back the last part of my being. Thank you for that. Now I am complete." The semi-transparent, golden silhouette told him so. "But do what you intend here quickly. I will not be able to hold this opponent for long. Soon it will be here to pursue you."


    Minos looked at that semi-transparent being and said nothing, figuring this was what the elf he had met wanted him to do with the item he obtained in the City of a Thousand Races.


    He then ran to where he was feeling the sign that had brought him there and ran as he saw how this ancient place looked.


    This island didn''t have many different things in its surroundings. A gigantic rectangular building covered over 90% of the island''s top. At the same time, the surroundings were just barren soil with bare rocks and dirt.


    This building had a large statue of a seraph in front of it, with many small circular details around it.


    Minos followed the path to the interior of this building, which had large pillars on its sides and staircases with 99 steps on each side.


    There were four large entrances to this place, but Minos chose the main one, which led behind the large statue, where there were two giant stone doors, each 30 meters high and 15 meters in length.


    No one would know the depth without first opening it, so Minos conducted, using his Soul Avatar to push it open.


    He managed to open it subtly so that he could pass his body through and quickly entered inside the mausoleum of the Spiritual Church''s ancient experts.


    Arriving inside that dark space, Minos smelled dust in the air and noticed the dense energy and presence of the Natural Laws in that area.


    But he soon adjusted his eyes to see in the dark, gradually noticing several sarcophagi within that open rectangular area, where one could see everything there.


    ''Strangely enough, there are 99 sarcophagi here.'' Minos saw this ancient method of storing the dead, noting several constructions around these sarcophagi of men and women of the Spiritual Church.


    Some looked better than others, indicating the difference in the status of the people buried there.


    In particular, Minos could see as he moved the places where the last descendants of the Seraphim who had the wings of these beings were.


    He could also sense numerous traps and tests near each of these sarcophagi, but the paths between that area were relatively safe.


    After all, this was a place for keeping the dead, so it would not be appropriate to place tests to prevent people from entering to bury new Church experts.


    Only if one dared to try to break into the resting place of an expert would that person face challenges!


    At first, Minos was not interested in looting what was in these random places. He just wanted to get to the place the previous map had indicated to him and find out what the interest of part of the Church members in that map was about.


    And it didn''t take long before he arrived in front of a completely black sarcophagus, which, unlike the many others in the surrounding area, had no indications about the person buried there.


    There was only a small mechanism beside the dark sarcophagus with ancient symbols that said, ''Pull here to open me.''


    Gulp!


    Minos swallowed his saliva and pulled such a thing!


    ...

 Chapter 1661 Unbelievable

    ?


    When Minos pulled that out, a popping sound came from that sarcophagus, as the partition in the middle of it suddenly widened the space between the parts of it.


    Minos stepped back from it, slowly watching the flaps of that funerary urn open as strange energy spread from within it to the surroundings.


    The flaps of the item made of a special kind of stone became further and further away from them, slowly showing what was inside.


    But while this was happening, white smoke was coming out from inside that sarcophagus, making Minos frown and narrow his eyes, finding it all very strange.


    ''What''s in it? Why did that man tell me that I should hurry?'' He thought about what had happened months ago when he left Dry City to come to this place.


    Amidst his chaotic thoughts, Minos gradually began to see what was in there, an extremely old but surprisingly preserved body.


    ''Is that Maximillian Flamen?'' He wondered as he saw the body of that tall, strong man with hair as black as night.


    If asked, Minos would say in that instant that such a body looked like that of a person of the present time who had just laid down to go to sleep.


    Nothing about him would make one think this was a corpse from millions of years ago, as should be the case with this man.


    As Minos thought about this, amazed at the innate ability that man had in life, he suddenly felt a headache, and the feeling that had brought him to this place changed significantly.


    He felt like spitting, and a taste of blood came to his mouth.


    Amid this, his connection with that sarcophagus slowly diminished, as if he was losing what he had acquired when he left Dry City.


    Then Minos spat on the ground a mouthful of blood and several dark dots that looked like small stones.


    When these dark dots touched the ground, they immediately turned into small traces of dark mist, which followed the path of that preserved body.


    Afterward, Minos was still feeling a little bad, but he heard a noise coming from Maximillian Flamen''s chest and looked at that body with wide eyes.


    "It can''t be..." He muttered as he saw the chest of that being moving while his fingers made involuntary movements.


    Amid this moment of Minos'' absolute shock, the door of that place, named after the sarcophagus due to the ancient burial method of the Spiritual Church, opened.


    "Wretched human! I will slowly devour you to punish you for your insolence!" The level 99 Demigod chasing Minos moments ago shouted angrily, feeling several bruises all over its body from the attacks of that remnant left by one of the Supreme Pontiffs of the Spiritual Church.


    Minos heard this, but he didn''t have time to react when that great creature attacked in his direction, moving so fast that it reached the side of its target in a single breath.


    Just as the fist of that great being was about to hit Minos and break a dozen of this young man''s bones, suddenly, a hand appeared in front of the brown-haired young man''s body.


    "How insolent. When I wake up, a beast dares to act grandly in front of this senior?"


    Gulp!


    Minos heard the voice he had heard months ago after placing his blood on the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus map, feeling shocked that he couldn''t say anything at the moment.


    In front of him, a being from millions of years ago had risen from its grave and was speaking!


    This went against everything Minos knew!


    Not even Henricus Longus could imagine that there was a possibility that someone could last so long in this Spiritual World!


    But the reality was one and could not be confused. The person in front of Minos was Maximillian Flamen, a peak Spiritual Demigod from the time of Pope Maximus, someone who should long be dead but was standing upright, with his heart beating and as strong as he should be.


    That level 99 beast realized this clearly as it felt its hand being stopped by a mere human while it felt a chilling sensation in its aura, noting the power of this opponent.


    ''Level 99? Where did this person come from? I didn''t sense him moments ago.'' It thought as it put aside that level 77 human to look into the black eyes of this Demigod in front of it.


    "Who are you? Why are you in my way?" This creature brandished, not fearing this opponent who was only one step away from reaching level 100, as strong as it was, but with the advantage of having both physical and spiritual power, something it did not have.


    Maximillian Flamen was a freak among humans. Besides being very talented, his innate regenerative ability was so strong that his body had developed to a level similar to the bodies of beasts of the same level as him.


    Because of this, his physical structure could withstand a move by this creature, even without using his soul power!


    The beast shouted. "I am only after this weak human. I don''t want to get involved with you."


    "Humph! This one in front of you is Maximillian Flamen, beast, the future Supreme Pontiff of the Spiritual Church." That man with long black hair said this with his eyes closed. "Get out of this place while you can, or I will finish you for trespassing on this sacred place!"


    "Human! We have no grudge between us! Are you really going to go that way?" That beast shouted, twice as angry at not being able to fulfill its words against Minos.


    "Are you still here?" Maximillian activated one of his techniques, causing dark feathers to appear in the surroundings, forming a sphere pattern before plummeting toward that beast.


    "Shit!" The beast realized that, unlike the previous soul remnant''s attacks, these attacks could mortally wound it!


    With that in mind, it quickly moved out of that place while being chased by those deadly dangerous feathers.


    At the end of the day, Minos was only a level 77 cultivator. It was not worth it for it to engage in a deadly battle against someone who seemed to be stronger than it.


    While it was running away, Minos was looking frightened at Maximillian, still not believing that this man was alive.


    "How is that possible?" He asked.


    Maximillian looked at Minos and said. "Young man, what is your name? Are you the one who freed me from this time array? What year is it?"


    ...

 Chapter 1662 Promise

    ?


    Minos was silent for a moment, looking at the being before him, trying to identify if this was a dream or if he was dead.


    He couldn''t help but be shocked to see someone who should have been dead for hundreds of thousands of years breathing in front of him as if that was normal.


    "How is it possible? How can you be alive after so long?" He asked.


    That black-haired man looked at the young man before him, figuring he had probably slept longer than expected. "So long, huh? Am I supposed to be dead now? What happened to Maximus?"


    "But of course. Your rival Maximus became Supreme Pontiff, reached level 100, and left this world millions of years ago!" Minos said. "Then you shouldn''t be here."


    Upon hearing that, Maximillian closed his eyes, understanding that his plans had all gone wrong. "I see... So no one came to me then." He said, disappointed, but not so much that he was angry.


    In fact, he was happy. After so long sleeping, waking up was very good!


    Maximillian was a monster. He was a little below Maximus, but he was unmatched in many different ways. One of them, his innate ability to regenerate and maintain his body''s quality, was incredible.


    This ability, which was already at Divine grade, could put him into a deep sleep and slow down the aging speed of his cells during his sleep.


    Not only this, this man had obtained a rare high-level grade-4 array capable of slowing down the passage of time, something he had used in conjunction with his ability inside that sarcophagus.


    Because of this, while millions of years had passed for the people of the Spiritual World since his disappearance, he had slept for only 5,000 years!


    He knew that this reality could happen, but back there, he had gone to sleep thinking someone would wake him up early enough to still beat Maximus.


    Unfortunately, things had not turned out as he had planned!


    He asked. "What happened after that? Does the Church still exist? Why is a young man like you in the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus? Don''t tell me that place was lost until today?"


    "Yes, I just found this place by following your map," Minos said, still looking strangely at that man. "The Church still exists, but it never found your map. I found it a few decades ago..."


    He walked through that place he had sacrificed so much to find in the past, looking at the surroundings as he thought about Minos'' words.


    "What happened to my faction, young man?"


    "I don''t know for sure. But a group of people in the Church wished to find your map. As to what they wanted, I am not sure."


    "And what do you want?" He looked at Minos curiously.


    Emperor Stuart said as he introduced himself, "My name is Minos Stuart. I am the ruler of the Black Plain Empire, a rising state of the Central Continent at present.


    In the beginning, my state and I were fragile. But we evolved and came to the attention of the major factions of the Church when my wife, a member of that organization, created her own group.


    This brought pressures that, unfortunately, I cannot handle at the moment... The Church today is as strong or stronger than it was in your time. Because of this, I decided to use the map I found decades ago by pure coincidence.


    I came here hoping to find out what some Church groups and enemies of the Church saw on this map. If it had no value to me, I would sell that information to the one who would pay the most and protect my state."


    "And if it did?" That man asked, understanding the story of Minos and with several questions in mind.


    After millions of years, he needed to be updated on the current configuration of the Central Continent and the Spiritual World. But he wouldn''t ask about things like what the Black Plain Empire was for the moment.


    Minos answered him. "I would follow the most appropriate path and not sell such a thing."


    That man laughed, seeing the expression on Minos'' face.


    "Young man, are you in doubt whether this has value?" He asked, but without using his powerful aura to oppress Minos. "That map brought to me, that is very valuable, certainly. But the place where you are currently is extremely rich.


    Did you know that there is a preserved seraph feather here? With that feather, you can create a high-level grade-4 weapon, even if you are not a talented blacksmith. But there is much more here. As long as you take risks on the challenges left by the elders, you can obtain resources and riches unmatched in this place.


    Even without me, this map would still have a value comparable to a Spatial Kingdom!"


    He sighed. "It''s just that I couldn''t use it to my advantage back then because I lacked some strength, and due to severe injuries I sustained, I needed to sleep for quite a while to recover.


    I just didn''t expect that no one would wake me up."


    Minos looked silently at that man, understanding such a thing but uncertain whether Maximillian would allow him to take something from there or whether he would have the ability to take something. After all, he was only a Spiritual Saint...


    Certainly, the island''s location would be worth a lot, and he was already thinking of marking that place for future use before he realized Maximillian was alive. But now he didn''t know if he would have that alternative.


    "I understand the value of this place. But will the senior allow me to do anything? I heard your goal was to take some of the good stuff here to fight Maximus."


    Maximillian smiled and turned his back to Minos, walking down the corridors of this place. "That is true. But Maximus is dead. The current situation is different from that of my time.


    Speaking of which, how strong is the current Supreme Pontiff? Do you know how old he is?"


    "He is at the same level as the senior. But his remaining time in the Spiritual World is not much."


    "Good!" Maximillian smiled. ''I will see him in person. If he is talented, I will let him go into seclusion and kill him. After that, I will take control of the Church.''


    "Very well, young Minos, after your meritorious deeds, you deserve an award. Freeing me was magnificent, even more so considering how long it''s been."


    Maximillian said as he walked towards something he wanted to take, even though he no longer had the same plans when he found this place.


    "As such, not only will I let you enter this place in the future when you are strong enough to try to gain something for yourself, I will protect you from those who pressured you to come to this place!


    I will not allow Spiritual Demigods to act against you within the Central Continent until you are strong enough to protect yourself!


    I promise you that!"


    ...

 Chapter 1663 Gods Trident

    ?


    "Uh?" Minos opened his mouth in surprise, not expecting to get protection from this person.


    That man laughed out loud and said. "Don''t worry, young man. I will not do this with hostile intentions against your empire. In fact, I promise not to interfere with your things.


    By the way, where is this so-called Black Plain?" He asked, looking ahead to where the tomb of a God was.


    Minos answered. "My state is in the northern part of the continent. After the rise of Maximus and your long sleep, many things happened, and that region weakened.


    There was a great migration of the powerful populations from that area away to others, particularly the southern and western regions. Because of this, these regions remained the strongest for millions of years, and the northern region became a weak and underdeveloped place.


    In my time, things have been improving, but currently, I am the strongest native of the region."


    "Is that true? I didn''t expect things to change so much in that area." Maximillian was surprised, the northern region was one of the strongest in the Central Continent in the remote past due to its proximity to Elves Island. "In any case, it is normal for cycles of strengthening and weakening to happen.


    The world depends on it. In the same way that all beings eventually die one day, even spiritual roots have their life cycles, weakening and strengthening.


    There are phenomena that even I do not understand behind this... Anyway, let me introduce you to someone." He looked at the golden sarcophagus in front of him, where a 2-meter tall trident stood above the resting place of someone important to the Church.


    "Minos Stuart, I present Pope Uranos, the first God of the Spiritual Church." He said as he walked toward that man''s legendary weapon. "The legendary blacksmith, creator of the most highly ranked weapon in the history of the Spiritual World, the Trident of God!"


    Minos saw that golden weapon, which emitted an unmistakably powerful spiritual fluctuation.


    As he placed his hands around that weapon, Maximillian said to Minos. "This weapon cannot be classified. It is stronger than a high-level grade-4 weapon, so if there were a higher classification, it would be grade-5.


    But we can''t say that since no other blacksmith has reached level 100 to help rank this item. Hence, it can only be considered the peak of what we have.


    That is the most powerful weapon in the world!"


    As he spoke, his powerful spiritual energy began to surge violently in the surroundings as his Soul Avatar appeared to Minos.


    Immediately upon sensing those powerful spiritual fluctuations, Minos stepped back as he saw six black wings appearing on the back of that soul projection.


    Along with those wings, a black crown was on his head, while the armor on that spiritual body looked as real as the one Minos had on his body.


    As the cultivator grew stronger, their avatar became more and more realistic, becoming more like their real form, something necessary to expose a cultivator''s ultimate power.


    Minos saw that and remembered the giant body in his Spatial Kingdom.


    ''Are we descendants of race 99? Or several of the 101 extraordinary races?'' He clenched his fists, understanding why humans relied so heavily on the avatar and why this was their strongest form.


    As he thought about this, Maximillian made great force, making the surroundings shake, but with nothing in that building showing it was breaking in the face of this man''s powers.


    "Aaaagh!" He shouted as he felt the weight of that divine weapon, possibly the greatest creation in this world.


    But after sleeping for 5,000 years, his body had become stronger, and at the peak of level 99, there weren''t many restrictions in that place to prevent him from acquiring that weapon.


    The one he stole was a God, but God had not been in this world for millions of years. Even his remnant was not powerful enough to make this man suffer.


    But not only that, it was not such a God''s intention that his divine weapon should stay in this dark place forever and ever. On the contrary, he was hoping that someone worthy would find it and use it someday.


    After sensing the powerful soul of this man, the remnant did not make Maximillian''s situation any more difficult than it should be.


    Amidst this, he looked at Minos from inside that sarcophagus, the one responsible for the name of this area.


    ''This young man... Sigh, too bad he''s still too weak.'' The soul fragment of that God slowly faded away, lamenting, for Minos had been born at the wrong time.


    Finally, after a few minutes, Maximillian stopped screaming and finally got the recognition of that weapon, feeling less weight to hold it while noticing its extreme power.


    Weapons above grade-3 had their own characteristics. That trident, in particular, could summon part of the sea and use its power in favor of its user!


    Maximillian smiled upon feeling that, as his spirit soared and he gave a long victorious shout!


    "Hahaha, now I can finally pursue my goals!" He said aloud as Minos watched him return to his original human size.


    "Young Minos, my work here is done." He said, looking down at his trident. "What do you intend to do now? For that matter, where are we? This place must have changed position after my arrival."


    "We are in the central part of the Ancestral Sea," Minos replied, imagining the chaos this man would bring to the Central Continent with so much power and that weapon in his hands.


    ''Never mind. That''s none of my business. If he keeps his promise, I''ll be fine!'' He then said. "Since I am not strong enough to take anything from this place, I want to return to my empire. Unfortunately, that beast destroyed my yacht earlier, so I don''t know how to get back..."


    "Hmmm, I''ll go with you. In return, I want you to update me on the current situation on the continent and the Church.


    You said your wife is part of the Church, yes? Then you should know enough to bring me up to date."


    "I will do my best." Minos quickly agreed, feeling this would indeed be better for him.


    "All right, let''s get out of this place." He walked toward the exit of the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus, not daring to open a spatial crack at that place, as that would be very disrespectful.


    Minos followed him silently, listening to some of that man''s doubts.


    "Young Minos, tell me about the Evergreen Empire..."


    As they walked out of that building, they were surprised by two souls waiting for them!


    ...

 Chapter 1664 Minos Position

    ?


    As they exited the rectangular building where some of the Spiritual Church''s top experts rested, Minos and Maximillian came across two individuals standing outside.


    One was the level 99 Demigod, who had run away from there earlier, and the other was the man investigating Minos at the behest of Vico Travisani.


    After passing through the City of a Thousand Races, that man had received tips from sea beings who had seen Minos fleeing to the central area of the Ancestral Sea. Following those hints, he had once again noticed the spiritual fluctuations of the young emperor of the Black Plain and came to this place.


    He had just arrived there when the level 99 being was about to flee. But upon meeting such a beast, this level 97 man had shown no fear and immediately made a deal with it.


    The two wanted to meet the same person, and together, they might have a better chance of getting what they wanted.


    The beast wasn''t sure if they could beat that human, but its new companion could quickly finish Minos as long as it distracted it for a few fractions of a second. That''s why it was there even though it had run away earlier!


    "Hmm? Are you still here, beast?" Maximillian looked at that creature in its humanoid form, ignoring the mere level 97 Demigod.


    Meanwhile, Minos was watching that person watching him intently, wondering that he must have left traces behind even though he had been careful.


    ''Damn it! Someone knows I came to this place!'' He thought as he clenched his fists.


    But Minos identified where that person was coming from by his armor. "Senior Maximillian, this human belongs to the Eastern Empire, an enemy of the Spiritual Church in the present times. He is here to kidnap or kill me because I came here to free you."


    "Oh?" Maximillian looked at that human, the first enemy of his Church he had encountered since he fell asleep in that place.


    Meanwhile, that level 97 Demigod was extremely shocked by Minos'' company, finally believing that beast''s words.


    ''Where did this person come from? Does he belong to the Church? Impossible, I know all the elders of the cursed Spiritual Church, and there is no one like him in that organization!'' That man from Vico couldn''t understand Maximillian''s origin.


    There shouldn''t be anyone else at level 99 in the Spiritual Church. In fact, in the entire Central Continent, there were only three people at that level.


    As much as there were a larger number of level 98 cultivators who could advance to the next level at any time, this man knew the status of each of these experts.


    It was not possible that the black-haired, relatively young-looking man was one of these elders, even more so considering where they were!


    He then said. "Elder, I don''t know where you come from, but this young man has committed a terrible crime." He decided to speak before anything else happened. "He has found a lost item from the Spiritual Church, something that high-level grade-4 seers think would initiate a time of chaos on the continent.


    Please don''t stand in our way. Our issues are only against him, someone trying to destroy peace on the continent with his petty actions."


    Maximillian laughed upon hearing that, imagining that his plans would succeed. Otherwise, the seers would not have predicted the chaos upon the continent.


    "It looks like fate is on my side anyway, haha." He commented aloud, liking that very much.


    His interest was to command the Spiritual Church. But not only that, he wanted to start expanding the Church to the rest of the continent, something the organization had given up doing even before his time to avoid bloody wars across the continent.


    But this man wanted to have this whole world under his dominion and to do this, he first had to conquer the continent he came from!


    Those two noticed the strangeness in Maximillian''s behavior and frowned.


    "Chaos? A little chaos is good for you!" He said to those two as he moved his trident forward, showing those two that supreme weapon.


    The two put on their combat positions as they glared at that weapon, noting how special it was.


    ''What the fuck is that? What''s up with that weapon?'' The level 97 man wondered, feeling an incredible power coming from that golden trident.


    ''He didn''t have that earlier...'' The beast looked at that and felt a little afraid.


    Maximillian seemed so strong moments ago, even without that weapon. But with it, he should be much more powerful!


    Maximillian looked at Emperor Stuart, temporarily ignoring those two. "Young Minos, what do you think I should do? You are the leader of a state, right? So what would you do in my place?"


    "Senior Maximillian, if I were you, I would kill this level 97 man. He will be your enemy one way or another. Allowing him to escape would be a mistake as he would pass this information on to the strongest person on the mainland.


    As for this beast, I would turn it into my mount. It is very powerful and can help you in marine actions." Minos replied with sincerity.


    "Wretched Stuart!" That man from the Eastern Empire cursed at Minos, seeing how low this fellow was.


    "You are a blood-addicted little bastard, Minos! We thought we could be friends, but you want the whole continent for yourself!" He shouted. "Senior, I don''t know who you are, but this wretch is not a good thing! Don''t believe him. He has for countless times deceived people and then taken over the lands of his deceived ones!"


    Maximillian looked at Minos and heard this emperor speaking. "That is true, but the elder of the Travisani family ignores that these people have always been my enemies, senior. I have never acted against an ally out of pure interest.


    In any case, I just took advantage of a few opportunities that arose, no big deal."


    Maximillian would not feel that Minos was his competitor and that this young man would turn against him one day. That would be absurd to think since this young man was only a Spiritual Saint, and he was already at the absolute peak of the Spiritual World.


    If one day Minos became a level 99 Demigod, by this time, he would be a God!


    So he ignored that man''s protests and decided to act.


    Maximillian pointed his trident in that man''s direction and made his Soul Avatar appear, showing the unmistakable wings to that man from the Travisani family.


    When he saw that, he turned even paler with fear, noticing that the Church had someone so strong hiding and that Minos Stuart really was acting in concert with that organization.


    ''Shit! I have to warn the...''

 Chapter 1665 Dark Angel

    ?


    Unfortunately for this man, just as he was thinking of doing something to alert his leader, the golden trident flashed across his body as Maximillian appeared beside him, smiling.


    The level 99 beast saw that and realized its thoughts of returning to this place for revenge had been futile.


    "Tsk! If you were so weak, why did you come here?" This creature looked at the level 97 human, who now had bulging eyes, dying at Maximillian''s hands.


    Angel''s Domain!


    While holding his opponent''s body, Maximillian activated the domain ability of his soul technique, causing a sphere of darkness to appear in the surroundings, covering up the area where they all stood.


    As he felt himself within Maximillian''s Dark Angel domain, Darren suddenly noticed his strength diminishing, as a pull seemed to hinder him in trying to get away from that man.


    Minos felt none of it as he watched the decisive action of that level 99 Demigod, who was as strong or stronger than Henricus Longus when that God had not yet reached level 100.


    ''Maximillian is a monster.'' He cautiously looked at this man''s dark avatar as he wondered how terrifying his time must have been. ''If he''s that good, imagine how strong Maximus must not have been?


    Maximus beat Maximillian before he became a level 100 cultivator, so his power was far superior to this man''s.''


    Amidst this, Maximillian looked in the direction of that beast and said. "I allowed you to leave, but you chose to stay. Now I will not allow you to leave as you wish."


    "What do you want? I will never become your mount!" As it felt pressure on itself, Darren said, afraid of Maximillian''s trident.


    Darren could feel if that injured it, its body would not recover even with 50,000 years of seclusion!


    If it were injured, the only way for it to recover would be to advance to level 100!


    But advancing to that level wasn''t easy, even when one was in its best state...


    So it wanted to avoid that!


    Maximillian laughed and said. "Indeed, a beast of your level could not accept a humiliation of that level.


    Young Minos is a bit emotional and has suggested something out of reality. But he is not entirely wrong, beast. If you want to survive, you will have to serve me.


    I do not order you to become my mount. Just follow my words and rules. I won''t limit you too much, but occasionally, I will give you missions to be accomplished at sea."


    Darren gave that being an ugly look, feeling humiliated.


    "What''s up, beast? What''s it going to be? Would you rather die here or become my subordinate?" Maximillian released the body of the level 97 man and focused all his attention on Darren while aiming his trident at that creature''s chest.


    "What alternative do I have? Of course, I will accept!" That beast lowered its spirit, feeling the mistake it had made.


    But at the peak of level 99, it couldn''t risk its thousands of years of cultivation now. All it could do was step back and obey that man as it ran after its advancement to level 100.


    ''I will obey you for the moment, human. But once I become a God, I will devour your body!'' It thought as Maximillian also lowered his spirits, smiling at getting such a strong helper so easily.


    If this beast were a level 99 human cultivator, he would have had difficulty overpowering it. That was because humans were focused on soul power, something more challenging to fight against than physical power, the focus of these creatures like Darren.


    So it was easier for a human to dominate a beast at their level than against a human.


    Of course, if the human let the beast get too close to them, this would also mean a significant risk of it mortally wounding them due to the physical capacity of these beings, something ordinary humans could not compare to.


    But Maximillian was physically and spiritually extraordinary, so he could dominate this being at his level with relative ease.


    The God''s Trident in his hands had also helped him to frighten that creature, which, even though weaker, could have given this man now on Minos'' side a little more trouble.


    "Haha, beast, what''s your name? You won''t regret joining me!" Maximillian exclaimed as he landed beside Minos, just a few feet from that being. "On my side, you can conquer this entire world!"


    "My name is Darren. As for conquering this world, I doubt we can do that, even if we combine our forces." It said, a little depressed as it looked at Minos angrily, for a mere Spiritual Saint had put it in this situation. "There are many level 99 elders among the strongest tribes in the world today.


    Since there is no God in our world, the battle for supremacy will be bloody like never before in history."


    "Perfect. I awakened at just the right time!" Maximillian thanked Minos once again, patting this young man on the back.


    He then sealed his agreement with Darren with a single handshake.


    Level 99 Demigods didn''t need spiritual judges to seal their agreements. They had cultivation comprehensions so high that they could use the heavens as a witness to their commitments and validate an Invisible Contract with a mere handshake!


    After confirming such a thing, Maximillian looked at Darren and asked. "By the way, why were you after a level 77 young man? How did you end up against each other?"


    "It tried to devour me," Minos said.


    Darren sighed. "This human seemed very talented. Even though he is only a Spiritual Saint, he can manipulate space."


    "Oh? Is that true?" Maximillian liked what he heard, finding it interesting to meet someone so unique just after waking up.


    "Yes, I have subtle space control. But it needs to develop a lot to compete with the powers of real Spiritual Sages." Minos didn''t hide it.


    "That''s good. When you grow up, I''ll give you some services." Maximillian commented before opening a spatial crack and looking at Darren. "Come along with me. I have some business to take care of, but I want you to accompany me for now. I will release you after that."


    "OK."


    "All right, let''s go to the northern region!" He said as he took Minos by one of his shoulders, intending to update himself on the continent''s affairs in that young man''s empire.


    And so the three disappeared from that island. At the same time, beings from the area would not dare to approach that place, afraid of what had made high-level Spiritual Demigods fight in that area.


    Even a level 98 elder, the strongest one around, would not dare to go out and observe that place, feeling that it might die like the level 97 elder who had disappeared moments ago.

 Chapter 1666 Return

    ?


    Meanwhile, in the Black Plain Empire...


    Dry City was still in a tense atmosphere with the presence of the Travisani family men locally.


    The Crown Prince and his two guards had not been causing a stir in the city. In fact, they rarely left where they were living locally. But even when they walked the local streets, they didn''t get into trouble, nor did they cause trouble.


    But even living peacefully in this place, they made everyone in this city live their days in tension, fearful of what might happen in the future.


    Most of the population was confident in Minos, but these were Demigods, people at the peak of the world!


    So the doubts they had in themselves were not small. Daily, they wondered where the empire would reach, whether Minos would still be their sovereign leader and whether the opportunities would be the same.


    They would not leave this place since there was no better and safer one for them. Even with the threat of Demigods, for them, the empire''s situation was at least better than any other state in this vast world.


    In any other state, there would be less risk of powerful enemies upsetting the order of things. But in any other domain, there would be much more competition, the opportunities for weak and low-talented people would be less, and dangers would be everywhere.


    In the Black Plain Empire, as long as one used the official roads, traveling was very safe because all the beasts in that state were subordinates of the emperor and only acted within areas he allowed.


    But elsewhere in the Spiritual World, one could never be that safe traveling because the state did not dominate all the beasts in its territory, which led to a lot of insecurity for weak people traveling.


    So even though the current Black Plain had many uncertainties, this place was still the best in the world for the natives of this region and also those migrants coming from Rosser, Albano, Vogel, Blackrock, and the Flaming Empire.


    That alone was why the local development and growth continued despite threats as great as those three.


    They could see the reason for this and were naturally impressed with what Minos had built in this place.


    "As weak and undeveloped as this territory is, it is impressive." Vico''s heir commented to his men as he ate and watched this city from the top of the Four Seasons Hotel seat.


    Those two men looked at the surroundings of this beautiful city and could not disagree.


    "If this place were on the same level as our state, the name of this Minos Stuart would be etched in the history of the Spiritual World." The level 97 man said, agreeing with his superior.


    "Unfortunately for him, that will never happen." The other, level 98, said, looking at the First Prince. "Your Highness should not give this place so much thought.


    As much as he has built something amazing, it will only sustain itself if he stays here and continues to develop. But that certainly won''t happen, so this place could become impoverished again in a decade or two."


    "That makes sense, but..."


    As the Crown Prince went on speaking, suddenly, a spatial crack opened up above Dry City in a position he could see from his room.


    Not only did he notice this, but the other two High-level Demigods noticed this, realizing someone was coming.


    So when Minos appeared coming out of that wormhole, they immediately moved.


    "Minos!"


    "Haha, he''s finally here!"


    But before they could reach Minos, Darren, and Maximillian appeared behind Emperor Stuart.


    After departing the Ancestral Sea through a wormhole made by Maximillian, they reached the Black Plain Empire in an area near the capital of the Brown area. From there, Minos created a wormhole of his own and directed his group to Dry City.


    When they arrived there, Maximillian and Darren looked around with interest, seeing the home of this young prodigy. But both soon noticed powerful auras in the surroundings, forces beyond what Minos had said existed in his territories.


    "Young Minos, it seems you have some visitors," Maximillian commented as he looked in the direction of where the three Demigods would appear 3 seconds after his speech.


    Minos frowned his eyebrows and soon felt three powerful auras from people he did not know.


    Then he saw the faces of those men already looking strangely at him.


    "Who are you?" The level 98 man stood before the prince and questioned those two.


    Even if he were to count all the level 99 experts, it would not be difficult for this man to name several of their names and characteristics. Hence, seeing two of these peak experts next to Minos, that man was surprised, not knowing either of them.


    Sea beasts were rarer to be seen on land, so those of that origin were harder to know. Hence, those people not recognizing Darren was no big deal. But not knowing anything about that man, a human, was clearly a problem they could not ignore.


    They had been to the Divine Continent dozens of times and received regular reports on the status of the local powers, especially their leaders. But suddenly, someone at level 99 whom they didn''t know had appeared in front of them next to Minos Stuart.


    This immediately worried the two guards of the Crown Prince of the Eastern Empire!


    Darren remained silent, not daring to say anything for the moment, while Maximillian looked at those three curiously. But since he was in Minos'' territory, he decided not to interfere until the other side acted, just as he had promised.


    ''Let''s see how he handles this situation...''


    Minos then said. "I am the one asking who you are. You are on my territory without my permission, unlike my fellow visitors. Therefore, you should identify yourselves!"


    The Crown Prince of Vico narrowed his eyes at the sudden appearance of two Demigods at the same level as his father. Still, he gathered his courage and stepped forward.


    "Minos Stuart, I am Janus Travisani, First Prince of the Eastern Empire. I am here on behalf of my father, Vico Travisani, to accompany you to our state. He wishes to see you urgently."


    "Oh? The Travisani family, huh?" Minos saw that he would have trouble with that family from today on, even if that Demigod''s death were not related to him in the future. "Well, I refuse to go to your state now. But, who knows, in 30 or 40 years, I might make that trip."


    "Minos, you misunderstand. We are not here to..." Janus was about to speak, but the level 97 man interrupted him.

 Chapter 1667 The New Reality Of The Black Plain Empire

    ?


    "It seems they want to take you by force, young Minos," Maximillian said, realizing this young man''s situation.


    This Demigod looked into the eyes of that level 93 young man and questioned. "Is that because of young Minos''s recent trip?"


    ''Don''t answer, Your Highness.'' One of those guards advised Janus.


    Maximillian moved a little closer to those three and made his mighty aura appear for all the millions of inhabitants in that city to notice his presence.


    ''Level 99?''


    ''Incredible!''


    ''This time, we will surely be destroyed!''


    ''What''s going on? Why are so many experts searching for our city?"


    "Is this the end?"


    Citizens around Dry City began to worry, fearful, as they sensed Maximillian''s terrifying aura.


    Meanwhile, the strongest in the government and Minos'' family were already moving toward the location of those people, sensing that he was among the compelling individuals.


    "Why are there two level 99 cultivators next to Minos?" Maisie asked her mother as she flew alongside Dillian and some elders from the Gray Clouds Sect.


    "I don''t know, but it shouldn''t be simple." Patience said, worried about the problems her grandson constantly brought.


    Meanwhile, each of the high-level Spiritual Saints in the surrounding area had worried expressions, gradually seeing Minos standing next to a spiritual beast in front of three Demigods being oppressed by a single man.


    "Answer, or I fear I will not be able to allow you to return from whence you came, even if one of you is a prince!" Maximillian said, causing those three to break into a cold sweat, fearing this man with a golden trident in one of his hands.


    Janus was the weakest and most fearful for his life, and right after being oppressed for a few moments, he opened his mouth. "Fine! Okay, I speak!


    We are here because of Minos'' recent disappearance. We suspect that he found the map of the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus and would unleash on that island a great evil upon the continent.


    We wanted to stop and punish him for getting involved in something so dangerous to the mainland!"


    "So it''s related to me after all..." Maximillian lessened the pressure on those three but still maintained something to keep them from running away.


    As he was thinking, Janus'' two bodyguards had similar thoughts in mind.


    ''That man is as strong as His Majesty!''


    The prince himself was thinking about this, wondering where this man had come from and why he was helping Minos.


    Maximillian looked at Minos and asked in his mind. ''They belong to the same force as that man I killed, right? Are they powerful on the continent?''


    Minos nodded his head, indicating that it would not be good to kill them there without considering the pros and cons first.


    "Very well, I will not harm you now, but you will accompany me for the next few days. Moreover, even if I release you later, understand that acting against this young man''s empire will harm you. Minos is my friend, and I will not allow Demigods to act against him while he is so weak."


    Maximillian uttered, putting smiles on the faces of many people in the area while those three turned pale.


    "From now on, the Black Plain Empire has Maximillian Flamen''s protection!"


    No one in the surroundings, not even those three, could easily associate this man''s name with the historical figure millions of years ago. So that merely gave him a name, something that for some time no one would know of his true origin.


    However, one thing was obvious to all those people in Dry City. One way or another, Minos had allied himself with a powerful cultivator, and now his state had the protection of a fearsome level 99 Demigod!


    This was an incredible breakthrough, and even those three from the Eastern Empire couldn''t help but think twice more about their plans against Minos.


    A single level 99 Spiritual Demigod passing through the Central Continent was the equivalent of a 33.3% increase in the number of experts of that level. Even the other three at that level would have to be careful when acting and certainly could not casually target the domains protected by such a person.


    But Maximillian was not alone. He had Darren by his side, which immediately made those three feel that even if Vico were there, they would still have to leave Minos free for at least some time longer.


    ''Damn it! How did he get this?'' Janus wondered, staring uglily at Minos as this emperor smiled and waved to his subordinates and relatives.


    These people were even more shocked than Janus and his bodyguards since they didn''t know what exactly Minos could accomplish on this trip he was making earlier.


    As such, this return of his was shocking!


    "Senior Maximillian, please release His Highness Janus. Otherwise, I fear that the strongest person on the continent will be involved in a way you may not want..." The level 98 man said, trying to obtain at least the freedom of his young master.


    Maximillian heard such a phrase, ''the strongest person on the continent,'' and smiled. "I am looking forward to meeting him. But for the moment, I doubt he will come to me. So don''t try to play games with me. I can make them suffer in many different ways."


    Gulp!


    ''Let''s hold off for now, old Falto.'' The level 97 man said in the mental connection with his leader, not liking to oppose that person who seemed to have the support of that level 99 beast.


    Then, as they stood in silence, Maximillian turned his attention to Minos and said. "Young man, I will stay in your city for a few days until you update me.


    Unfortunately, this fish must not know much about the land situation, and these three are unreliable sources of information."


    "The senior is welcome in my city to stay as long as he wants..." Minos smiled, making a gesture of thanks. "In any case, I will have my men gather all the information you need. In the meantime, my family and I can answer your simpler questions."


    He then nodded toward the group of the strongest in this city, introducing them to Maximillian.


    After Maximillian told Darren to observe those three, he soon followed Minos'' group to the imperial palace, where not long after, this fellow introduced him to everyone.


    "Folks, this is Maximillian Flamen, Pope Maximus'' rival. I found him in the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus minutes ago!" Minos said, shocking everyone on his property.


    ...

 Chapter 1668 Updates

    ?


    "What?"


    "Maximillian Flamen?"


    "Impossible! He died millions of years ago!"


    The people to whom Minos revealed this information were shocked, unable to believe what their leader had just said.


    Maximillian was not bothered by the statements of those people, feeling that it was reasonable to doubt this unique achievement in history.


    He had been born with a Physique that had blessed him with a variant ability, different from that of his parents and family members. Since he had had no children, this ability had never again appeared in the Spiritual World, and his case was the only one in all known history!


    Time arrays, such as the one he had used, even existed and could be developed by some of the most talented high-level grade-4 array masters. But they would not work in the same way that his array had worked for him.


    Without adding his innate ability into the equation, the most a person could live extra using one of these arrays would be tens of thousands of years.


    As much as that would be a lot, it wouldn''t be of much use to most people, which is why this type of device doesn''t exist in abundance in the Spiritual World.


    To live a few thousand more years would be incredible, but the person who stayed within an area controlled by one of these arrays would not have more time to live. On the contrary, they would have less!


    They could live to a later age, but their life would not stop within that area of array influence. But, at the same time, the time lost within it would be spent sleeping, something that could not be considered life.


    So his case was unique and could not be replicated, hence the agitation of people in Minos'' surroundings!


    "How is that possible, Minos?" Maisie asked, looking at that handsome black-haired man, shocked.


    "It''s complicated... But it is a fact that I found him in the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus, and he was the one who created that map." Minos said, bitterly smiling. "And considering his level and techniques, it would be impossible for him not to be who I said he is...


    Anyway, as strange as it is, that''s the reality. Questioning it won''t get us anywhere other than wasting our time.


    This is Maximillian Flamen, a level 99 Demigod. That''s all that matters."


    Maximillian liked Minos'' positioning, seeing that such a young man knew how to adapt to circumstances, even when they were shocking.


    ''This boy has a future...'' He thought as people in the surrounding area held their questions and doubts about how this person was still breathing.


    Minos said. "Senior Maximillian is here, and now he can be considered our greatest ally. You heard him earlier. He will protect the Black Plain. So thank him for this stand."


    After those words from their sovereign, those people were quick to thank Maximillian, introducing themselves while making themselves available to him, even though they were still so weak.


    "You aren''t so bad. You won''t be able to help me for now, but I will remember your words." He said. "But focus your forces on improving young Minos'' state. He has done me a great favor, so I wish the best for this place.


    In the future, you may be able to benefit from it, so remain steadfast."


    The people there smiled, happy to be on the favorable side of such a powerful man.


    Then Maximillian began with his questions. "Well, now that we have met, tell me about the continent. What is the current configuration of these lands like? What are the relevant powers?"


    One of the Gray Clouds Sect men then brought up a spirit map in front of that man and began to speak.


    "The Central Continent currently has 13 states, most of them are in the western region, the territory that the Church has not been present since the senior''s time.


    Of those 13 states, the Church has as its declared enemies two empires, both from the western region.


    The strongest man on the continent is the leader of one of those states."


    As that person spoke, the map changed little by little to a better understanding of that Demigod.


    Parts stood out, changing color or increasing or decreasing in size. At the same time, names and small drawings appeared to indicate allied and enemy forces, the presence of relevant groups, etc.


    Now and then, other people in that part of the imperial palace would speak, adding information relevant to that man.


    Minos would participate in this for a while, also talking a bit about the Black Plain Empire, the Spiritual Church, and the Evergreen Empire.


    He didn''t hide the previous situations related to this man''s map, talking about the Blood Triangle Pirates, the Demigod who had come to Dry City, and also the pressures of the major factions of the Church on his and Gloria''s group.


    That man listened to everything Minos and his people had to say, interested in the current reality of the continent.


    The Central Continent today seemed a bit weaker than in his time.


    To give you an idea of the difference in strength, currently, there were only 3 level 99 Demigods native to the area. But in Maximus and Maximillian''s time, there were 8 people at that level!


    The western region had the same number of experts of that level that existed today. Still, all the other regions had better numbers than today.


    Based on this, Maximillian could imagine that not only fewer peak Demigods existed today, the overall number of Demigods in the entire continent should be lower than back then.


    On the one hand, this could be considered good since he wanted to conquer this continent. But on the other hand, it was bad as it could mean that the local forces had fallen behind compared to those in the Divine Continent.


    Not only peak experts decide things on a war!


    This man put this information in his heart for the future and kept updating himself in Dry City.


    For the moment, he would only listen to Minos and his staff talking about more general things. But soon, the local government personnel and Church post would bring more detailed information for him to analyze.


    Meanwhile, the situation that had happened on the island of the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus would soon come to the attention of the Travisani family.


    Suddenly, one of the strongest on the continent had been wiped out, having shown no signs of struggle before perishing from this world!


    Due to such circumstances, before long, the Travisani family would be on alert for the onset of chaos on the Central Continent!

 Chapter 1669 Beginning Of An Age Of Terror

    ?


    In the Eastern Empire...


    Vico Travisani was at the moment settling matters involving his state, the Western Empire, and the Spiritual Church, somewhat customarily, when one of his men arrived agitated at his place about the imperial palace.


    "Your Majesty, I bring terrible news!" That level 95 Demigod said while having a solemn expression that was hard to ignore.


    Vico immediately put aside the advisors he had with him and looked into the eyes of that subordinate.


    He said nothing, and the subordinate soon told what the terrible problem was.


    "Elder Daniel is dead! He was killed while traveling through the Ancestral Sea!" That person said all at once, while everyone in that area suddenly changed their expressions.


    They all opened their eyes and moved their mouths to form ugly expressions while the tension in the surroundings rose to a scale that low-level Demigods would go berserk just by being there.


    Luckily, the weakest one there was level 94 and could withstand the pressure from these men.


    Gulp!


    "How?"


    Someone asked before the emperor voiced his thoughts because the death of a level 97 man was not something that often happened, even considering the entire Spiritual World.


    Only a few people were at the final part of the 10th stage. At the same time, most of these people spent their time searching for cultivation items or meditating in their organizations'' headquarters.


    So confrontations between beings of such great power were rare, which made deaths among these people very infrequent.


    Everyone grew old, and eventually, one day, they would die. But such strong experts knew the situation of these individuals around this vast world and knew that Daniel was far from reaching his time limit.


    In other words, someone powerful had killed him, probably a level 99 Demigod.


    "I don''t know, but his body was near the central area of the Ancestral Sea..." That man said as he remembered a piece of information Daniel had sent days ago. "It seems there was a level 99 elder awakening from its sleep in that area. Maybe Daniel was unlucky and..."


    "That''s impossible!" Vico exclaimed, shocking everyone with the tone of his voice, capable of making even a level 98 man there tremble. "No level 99 Demigod would act against someone like Daniel without great reason and without giving him a chance.


    Besides, Daniel would undoubtedly use my name, which makes it even more unlikely that this was a pure chance encounter with a newly awakened elder."


    "But who could be behind it? As far as I know, Daniel didn''t have many powerful enemies. Plus, most of them are in the headquarters around Evergreen." One of the strongest in that place said, releasing that information.


    "Yes, my men are keeping an eye on the positions of Daniel''s enemies in the Evergreen Empire, and they are all stationed at their posts."


    "The Western Empire doesn''t have many people who would seek his death either..."


    Some of those elders commented on the matter, trying to find a likely culprit.


    "As far as I know, Daniel was searching for Minos Stuart, right? Did he encounter a problem on his way? That young man would not be able to cause trouble for the elder, but the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus was a place where even a God had been buried! It is not simple!"


    "But that place has been lost for millions of years... Anything of high rank in that place has already lost some of its properties." Another elder commented. "Besides, Daniel would be no fool to break into the Church mausoleum casually!"


    "The First Elder is correct," Vico said, agreeing with the number two in his state. "Something else must have happened. It must not have been because of this Minos or some ancient mechanism on that island. That must have been something from some level 99 specialist."


    The old man standing to the right of Vico, who had just commented before his boss, remembered the time he had joined this fellow and said. "The prophet back there had said that chaos would be unleashed on the mainland... Did Minos reach that island and unleash the evil that had been predicted?"


    Vico became more serious as he heard this, thinking it was possible.


    As much as Minos was weak, and he didn''t believe in mechanisms capable of easily taking Daniel''s life, he didn''t doubt that something in that place could release the evil predicted by that prophet.


    And this could perhaps explain the unexpected death of a high-level Demigod!


    With that in mind, he said not only to the people there but all the Demigods of his forces in the Eastern Empire.


    "Everyone be on alert. Starting today, we are in preparation for war!


    The Age of Fear has just ended. Now the Age of Terror begins!" He said, using the designations of that ancient prophet, who had told him about relevant things that had not only helped him prepare for calamity in the future but had also given him information that had brought him to his present position.


    "Gather all the men together and initiate contact with the powers of the western region. I want them all to prepare for what is about to begin!"


    Men hundreds of kilometers away from the empire''s capital heard this and swallowed their saliva. Although this was the moment most of them had been preparing for over the last few thousand years, it was also the approaching end for many of them!


    In the midst of this, one of Vico''s closest asked. "Even the Western Empire?"


    Vico replied. "Connect me with Emperor Quinn. I want to meet with him urgently to arrange a temporary peace agreement!"


    With that said, everyone who had not yet understood the gravity of the matter immediately swallowed their saliva, hearing such words that had never before been spoken by that man.


    In the past 10,000 years, not once had Emperor Travisani even considered making a deal to end the war between his state and the historical enemy of this domain!


    Some of those Demigods who heard him had been born in the middle of the war, and upon hearing such a thing, they realized why the elders were so tense when talking about the terrible future that awaited the continent.


    With this, the continent would soon face sudden changes in its reality!

 Chapter 1670 Visitors

    ?


    While Vico was preparing for the chaotic future of the Central Continent and Maximillian was updating himself on the situation on his continent, a group of people was arriving on the Black Plain.


    After weeks of traveling carefully, without using wormholes that could leave traces challenging to erase, they passed through Cromwell in their carriages.


    If Minos were near them in that city they had just entered, he would readily identify the people related to the Goddess of Life he had met in Veora Kingdom.


    After his words weeks ago, these people had decided to come to the Black Plain Empire to meet Minos and try to search for information about their ancestor''s heritage.


    Now in this state, they were learning a little about Emperor Stuart''s domain, noticing a somewhat different reality than one might hear outside this area.


    There were different rumors regarding Minos'' figure and the empire he had built. Some said he was an abomination, others that he was just a talented cultivator among low-level people.


    As for his state, this place was usually seen as poor and failing but less bad than it had been before this man''s meteoric rise.


    These were the rumors, and naturally, they continued many inaccuracies in themselves.


    Having passed through Vogel and now in Cromwell, these people had seen and heard different things, more accurate news, but also rumors more favorable to Minos.


    There was a cult of the emperor figure in this state, where people, as much as they believed in the Spiritual Church and the spirit of the seraphim, revered the figure of Minos much more.


    To hundreds of millions of people in this empire, Minos was a legendary figure who had broken paradigms and would one day still achieve feats to etch his name in the history of the Central Continent.


    He was an angel of death to some but a father figure to many others.


    Many loved him without even knowing him. When his name was mentioned, passion could be seen in any city in the empire, whether in Vogel, a newly conquered area, or in the inner areas.


    Having seen this and noted the quality above what they expected in the innermost area of the empire, those three young nobles could not help but admire this man''s accomplishments.


    They wanted to take from him what he had gotten from the Goddess of Life, but they couldn''t help but understand that Minos hadn''t gotten his inheritance from her by luck.


    He was very good at what he did!


    And so, as they moved along without trying to attract attention from the people in that city, they talked about the person they would soon meet...


    "It seems that the empire is currently experiencing a difficult situation... Many Spiritual Sages of high-level powers allied with the Church are interfering in the local situation."


    "Will Minos withstand the current pressures?"


    "The population thinks so." The level 80 young man said to his lineage companions.


    "But it''s a surprise how they live under so much pressure... The people of this state are genuinely confident in their leader." The protector of this family, level 85, said as he saw the outskirts of the city they were passing through.


    Even though their group was basically made up of high-level cultivators, several of them Spiritual Sages, the people in that city where the strongest were Saints did not show much fear towards them.


    This was obviously not because the local powers could handle threats of this level but because of the constant passage of groups like this through cities in the empire in recent years.


    Not only were the powers influenced by the major factions of the Church getting involved with the Black Plain Empire, but powers from all over the continent had also been allowing their organizations to send people to this place.


    So the number of Spiritual Sages passing through the region without hiding had increased considerably, and the local population had, in a way, already adapted to the new circumstances of this state.


    Noting this, that man couldn''t help but point out this fact that demonstrated the local stability in the face of threats at their level.


    ''If the population and less relevant subordinates act calmly before us, those higher in the local hierarchy will definitely not fear us.'' That man thought, feeling that his group would have to be careful.


    ''Edgar didn''t lie. We have to be careful. We can''t act violently in this place without incurring great risks!''


    "Let''s continue our journey to Dry City. But be careful in your words and attitudes. Let''s try a peaceful approach with this emperor."


    The three had seen and heard enough not to be surprised by this advice and immediately agreed with the words of this subordinate.


    ...


    Meanwhile, on Stone Island...


    To the northwest of that territory, Lorelei Stone, currently at level 69, was standing next to members of the Black Plain Army, welcoming someone powerful.


    The level 84 shark sent by Minos had finished its journey between that city where it and Emperor Stuart had formed an agreement a few days ago and the beginning of the Black Plain Empire.


    The people of this island had already been notified about this shark on Minos'' account and were waiting for it on the northwest side of this territory to guide this creature.


    Lorelei was no longer so strong, considering the level of the current Black Plain Empire. Still, as the strongest of the family that looked after this area for Minos, she was there to receive this creature.


    The shark saw these subordinates of Minos for the first time and once again considered how weak this human''s strengths were.


    Luckily he had a Spatial Kingdom, so he could still fulfill his promises to this shark.


    Because of this, this level 84 creature did not make it difficult and greeted everyone, Spiritual Saints and Spiritual Emperors waiting for it at that meeting point.


    After the initial introductions, it asked. "Minos sent me here for me to take the first group that will explore the northeast of the Ancestral Sea. Which of you will come with me?"


    Lorelei then said, standing not far from the pier where the ships they would use on this trip were, "All of us, senior. Not all of us will participate in the underwater exploration. Still, we will be with the group to provide support and maintain communication with forces on the mainland.


    We also intend to build an underwater base for humans, so even Spiritual Emperors will participate in this journey."


    "Very well, I will let you lead the way as I sail below your ships, escorting you."


    With that said, it wouldn''t be long before this group would depart, beginning the marine exploration of the Black Plain Empire!

 Chapter 1671 Gratitude

    ?


    The next day...


    After a night of talking, Maximillian had learned many relatively useful things for his journey in the Central Continent that would begin very soon. He was still in Dry City, as maps, more detailed information, and the like would take a little longer to be prepared and delivered to him.


    But this man felt that he would not stay much longer in this place, and after receiving such documents between today and tomorrow, he would already leave for the Evergreen Empire to probe the current Supreme Pontiff of the Spiritual Church.


    He was much younger than that man, even considering the 5,000 years he had slept inside his sarcophagus. So he was in no hurry to advance to level 100, even considering that was his ultimate goal.


    Before going into seclusion, he wanted to live a little in this vast world he had stayed away from for so long.


    Among the things he wanted to do, Maximillian wanted to at least get control over the continent he was on before he went into seclusion to become a God.


    So even though he was already at the peak of level 99, he didn''t intend to go after free Divine-grade medicines in the short term and wanted to focus his time on conquests!


    The one place he wouldn''t worry about would be the Black Plain Empire, this weak place that somehow already belonged to the Spiritual Church.


    His primary goal was the western region, that part of the continent where 2 of the 3 strongest cultivators of these lands were and where the Church still had no space.


    But while waiting to begin his journey, he met Darren and the three hostages he had taken the day before.


    ...


    "It looks like you guys slept well, huh?" He laughed as he entered the hotel room where Darren had spent the night watching those two.


    This was the same place where the Crown Prince of the Eastern Empire had been staying previously and was now under captivity.


    Darren saw Maximillian watching those three and remained silent, anxious to determine what he would do next.


    This beast might not like its situation, but it loved trouble and fighting, things that could help it find powerful bodies for it to devour. So it looked forward to what that human would decide regarding these three.


    "What do you intend to do with us?" The level 98 man asked, glaring at that superior.


    "I haven''t decided yet," Maximillian said. "But now I understand your situation better... Then maybe I will use you as a bargaining chip. From what I''ve heard, this boy''s father is not weak at all."


    "Tsk!"


    None of the three liked how Maximillian referred to the strongest man on the continent. But they didn''t object much to the one who held their destinies.


    "But that''s not decided yet. Your future depends on this Vico Travisani guy... Anyway, get used to this situation. I will keep you for a while before I decide what to do with you.


    Depending on everything, maybe killing you is the best thing." He said, trying to scare them.


    Those men were confident in Vico, but the prince couldn''t help but feel a little afraid to hear a threat coming from someone so powerful.


    But still, he gathered his courage and asked. "I know my fate is in your hands, so I will wait to find out what will happen. But senior, answer me one thing, why are you helping Minos Stuart? What makes a Demigod at your level care about a mere Spiritual Saint?"


    Maximillian stood next to Darren, intending to give that beast some orders, when he looked back at that young man.


    "It may seem strange to you, but I owe this young man a great debt. What he has done for me is second only to what my father and mother did when they raised me..."


    Those three found those words strange, while Darren didn''t quite understand what it meant.


    But Maximillian didn''t care whether they would understand or not. He felt indebted to Minos, for this young man had potentially saved his life.


    He could still remain in his sarcophagus for another few thousand years, but if Minos had hidden that map, perhaps no one would ever have the chance to free him again.


    In another few million years, even he inside that sarcophagus would die!


    Minos had given him a second chance, one that wasn''t bad, by the way.


    The current configuration of the Central Continent was particularly favorable to this man''s plans, so his commitment to pay back his promise to Minos was even greater now.


    Of course, this did not mean he would forever stand by this young sovereign. But as long as Minos did not oppose him, Maximillian would not be unfair to this person and was willing to protect him from these enemies.


    Realizing that this man was not joking, Janus clenched his fists, feeling that his family would have trouble punishing Minos for his insolence.


    ''Lucky bastard!''


    ...


    While Maximillian was in Dry City with Darren and his hostages, Minos had not yet returned to the Spatial Kingdom to bring his family to the empire''s capital.


    Obviously, he wouldn''t do that in the presence of these high-level Demigods, so he was catching up on the little changes that had occurred in the more than three months he had been gone.


    But nothing earth-shattering had happened in the meantime. There was no significant advancement of his forces nor level advancements of important people in the current Black Plain Empire.


    Every day members of the army increased their levels, but this was what happened for those below the 7th stage, people who mattered, given their future potential, but who at the moment couldn''t influence the state much.


    The best Minos had heard from his men was about the situation of the wormhole ports, which at the moment already connected Vogel to the End area. Not only that, Blackrock, Albano, Rosser, and the Flaming Empire were going to integrate into their network of wormhole ports, so several new possibilities could arise in the coming months for the empire.


    As for the pressure from the stronger factions of the Church on his and Gloria''s group, that was continuing more or less as before, but now some things were changing in their favor!


    After months away from the Empire, upon his return to this place, Minos had found out from Gloria''s men that they had managed to start conversations with other factions of the same size as theirs.


    With this, he intended in the next few days to begin negotiations with people from these factions who would soon be coming to Dry City!

 Chapter 1672 High Level Meeting

    ?


    Another day passed...


    As Maximillian prepared to depart from the Black Plain Empire, something rarely seen on the continent was about to develop!


    On the border between the Eastern Empire, Western Empire, and Sista, the forces of those three powerful states on the continent were in this neutral area, ready to meet.


    Since those two states were old enemies, a single word from Vico would not be enough to make Emperor Quinn go to him or allow this man into his territory. There was a lot of history behind the two, and any possibility of a meeting would have to happen in neutral territory, on their borders with Sista.


    Sista was neutral to the conflict between the two, doing business with each state. At the same time, its sovereign was one of the few on the continent that was at the same level as Vico.


    Even though Vico was considered the strongest in these lands, in her presence, any action of his would have a harder time developing into a success of his own!


    As such, Queen Sista was the one these men sought out when they wanted to meet to deal with matters of war, and precisely because of this background, she was hosting these two groups on this day.


    She and her group were on their side of the border with those two states while the groups from the Quinn and Travisani families were gradually entering Sista.


    Both enemy sides were looking at their opponents decisively, demonstrating one side''s historical hostility toward the other.


    In particular, Henry Quinn, level 98, looked with narrowed eyes at Vico while Queen Sista watched them from afar.


    That woman, with beautiful blonde hair, a body commensurate with her 1.65-meter height, and a youthful appearance, was sitting in the central position of her camp, where there was room for those two groups to stand with her as mediator.


    "Your Majesty, are His Majesty Vico''s words really true?" One of the closest advisors to this local sovereign asked, concerned.


    "Vico has not the habit of lying. He wouldn''t act that way even if he wanted to act against Henry." Willow Sista, level 99, said reassuringly, confident this meeting would go well, "But I''m anxious to hear more about his fears..."


    As she spoke, the two groups arrived in silence at their respective positions while the tension in the surroundings was high and cold was present, even on this sunny day.


    Luckily there was no one weaker than level 90 there. Otherwise, people would faint just from the deadly serious stares of those men and women from the enemy states meeting there.


    Vico looked at Willow and said. "It is good to see you again, Queen Sista. Unfortunately, this occasion is not at a better time. Otherwise, I would have tea with you."


    "It''s good to see you too, Vico." She said, smiling at him before looking at Henry.


    "Queen Sista, you look even younger than the last time we saw each other," Henry commented, paying attention to the face of this woman he hadn''t seen in 600 years.


    High-level specialists often did not see each other when they were not part of the same force. But even members of the same family could go decades or centuries without seeing each other if their cultivations were high like those of these people in this camp in the Sista kingdom.


    Queen Sista hadn''t seen Emperor Quinn in a long time either, and she couldn''t help but notice this man''s improvement in that period. "You are kind in your words, Henry. An old woman like me can no longer improve her appearance. Sigh... Anyway, I feel that you are not far from joining Vico and me. I hope you will advance very soon, for we will need your strength."


    "I will do my best." That man said with humility, for this person was the oldest in the Central Continent, already over 25,000 years old.


    She was a few decades older than the Supreme Pontiff of the Spiritual Church, making her the oldest on this continent.


    Because of this, these two men, even the strongest on the continent, greatly respected her and did not dare to speak her name without the proper title.


    When Vico and Henry were born, this woman was already at the peak of cultivation, leading the Sista forces across the Spiritual World!


    She then said. "But let''s get to the point. This meeting is not for us to talk about useless things but for Vico to present his concerns and intention to seal this peace agreement between your states."


    Seeing that elderly woman looking at him, Vico looked at Henry and said. "You know that I never intended to raise the white flag regarding conflicts with your state. We have been enemies since the cradle, so I have always been prepared to kill or die."


    Henry clenched his fists but couldn''t say this person was lying.


    At some point in the last 10,000 years, the Western Empire was stronger than the Eastern Empire, and at one time, Vico had almost been killed when he was at level 95. But even in that situation, this man had not backed down or accepted the possibility of surrender thrown at him by a general of the Quinn family.


    So this sovereign kept listening to Vico.


    "But things are different now. On my journey, I have met amazing people who have made me strong and warned me about troubling things.


    Until a few decades ago, I still considered that our confrontation would be unaffected or would not hinder my plans to prevent the chaotic future predicted by a prophet, but now I see it totally differently."


    He looked seriously at Henry, showing his determination.


    "If we do not unite against the enemy about to emerge on the continent, not only you and I will perish. Our families, states, and even the entire western region are under threat."


    Henry asked, without bringing up old rivalries. "What are you talking about? What enemy could do this to our region? Even the Spiritual Church dare not casually enter these areas."


    "I don''t know, but a great evil had been unleashed days ago. One of my most trusted subordinates, Daniel, was suddenly killed while pursuing the matter. Now, I sense that terrible forces are rapidly approaching our lands."


    At those words, Willow and Henry frowned, knowing Daniel was at level 97 and few could kill someone like that on the continent.


    Vico continued. "My high-level grade-4 seer tried to visualize the future of the person who would release this great evil. Unfortunately, he could not continue his vision, as a greater force had prevented him.


    But before that, he could see the continent divided, with rivers of blood and mountains of bodies."


    ...

 Chapter 1673 Willows Decision

    ?


    Queen Sista looked seriously at Vico and asked. "What is the connection between this prediction, the one from the prophet, and Daniel''s death?"


    Vico answered promptly. "The prophet told me before his death that the map of the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus was connected to a great atrocity that would happen on our continent in the future.


    Daniel was investigating the disappearance of this map when he died... And this prediction was made by trying to identify the one who found this map.


    Everything is connected, so I believe Daniel''s death is the beginning of an era of terror on the continent.


    Upon hearing that, that woman was silent, considering that everything was connected, and it made sense to believe Vico''s words.


    At the same time, unlike Henry, an enemy of Vico, Willow had been closer to Emperor Travisani to realize how the prophet''s words always came true on more than one occasion.


    She already believed beforehand in the danger that made this man care so much to want a peace treaty with Henry. But as she listened to his words, she noticed that things were far more urgent than she thought.


    ''It seems that I will face this calamity before I die...''


    Willow was already ancient and had no confidence in advancing to the next stage in the short time she had before her vitality ran out.


    But knowing that she had a good chance of at least seeing the beginning of this calamity gave her a mixed feeling of worry but also a relief.


    Her hair was only at level 95, and she had no hope of him reaching the same level as her, even if he could have a life as long as hers. So such a calamity starting in her remaining time could be the best thing, as she could protect her state in the most challenging time on the continent.


    But even she respected death and did not desire to die ''prematurely'' in battle.


    Henry clenched his fists and questioned. "So you want peace? Do you really believe we won''t stand a chance by facing this threat separately?"


    "I faithfully believe it. Not only because the evil unleashed on the continent is dangerous, but for what the prophet said would happen after we go through this bloodbath."


    Vico replied, telling that person something he had never told people outside his organization.


    "When we finish facing this evil, the survivors will not be victors, no matter which side you are on. The worst that the Spiritual World will face will come right after this calamity.


    I confess I don''t know what this is all about, but the prophet died talking about it because he couldn''t bear the ''weight'' of the vision he had."


    He sighed and continued.


    "In that way, I am confident. We cannot let the past interfere with the danger ahead of us. We must come together for the same purpose, the survival of our states and families.


    With the threat unleashed by Minos Stuart, we must pause our hostilities and combine forces when the right time comes!


    Only then will we have a future to decide whether or not to pursue our old grudges!"


    "Minos Stuart?" Queen Sista did not expect to hear that name in this place and could not contain her curiosity.


    "Minos Stuart was possibly the one behind the disappearance of the map of the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus. Daniel was in search of him when he died." Vico replied while he had an ugly expression on his face.


    And with those words, he finally made Henry believe the threat to their states.


    ''That subordinate said that Minos Stuart believes that what is in the North Sea will cause a great calamity in the future...'' Emperor Quinn thought to himself, remembering Grant, a subordinate who had been lost long ago and returned to the empire with absurd ideas.


    But after this sovereign heard what Emperor Travisani had to say and Minos'' involvement with the prophesied calamity, he couldn''t help but believe both Vico and Grant.


    ''But if this Minos believes and wants to oppose the threat to the continent, why would he release this great evil that Vico speaks of?'' He wondered.


    Because of this doubt, Henry would say nothing about it to these people at the moment, intent on investigating the situation in the North Sea to judge Grant''s follies.


    If that place really was hiding something strange, he would notify these two!


    He then said. "Very well, I believe your words are sincere. Then as of today, my forces will retreat to the empire''s interior and no longer attack unless we are attacked first."


    Vico sighed and nodded to that person. "My forces will also follow the same."


    Henry continued. "For the rest, we can continue to communicate through Queen Sista if she sees no problem with that, of course."


    "Fine, I''ll mediate the movements between our states," Willow said. "My state will be open doors to welcome your members and lead movements across the continent.


    I will also communicate with my allies and propose they join us to manage threats to our region."


    "I am grateful for that," Vico said as he made a gesture of thanks.


    This meeting would end with much less tension than when it began, but the mood in which each of the groups from there would leave was one of absolute concern.


    Each of them felt that high-level problems would soon arise on this continent.


    Some even believed that the powerful Spiritual Church would suffer from this and were already preparing to gather their people and prepare for the worst.


    For the time being, they would not join together as a single group to face the threats on the continent. But they would prepare individually for the moment they would have to do so.


    While those two groups returned to their states to begin preventive actions, Queen Sista''s group returned to the kingdom''s interior.


    Halfway there, the second strongest of that entourage asked his queen. "Your Majesty, what shall we do about Minos Stuart? If Emperor Vico Travisani''s statement is true, he is a great enemy."


    "We don''t know that yet. Maybe Minos did what Vico said, but that doesn''t mean he did it purposefully. Also, he is only a Spiritual Saint. He could be significantly damaged if a war of such immense proportions happens on the continent.


    So let''s talk to him first. Then, depending on his position, I will continue with my plans for my state to ally with Black Plain in the Continental Tournament."


    "I will send someone to the Black Plain immediately."

 Chapter 1674 Divine Medicine?

    ?


    Two days later...


    While the high-level powers of the Central Continent were hearing about Vico and Henry''s meeting, the news of this unusual encounter crossed continental borders!


    In the Divine Continent, one of the observers from the Central Continent was already aware of this relevant news coming from so far away.


    The Divine Continent and Central Continent could be considered continuations of the human-dominated lands in the Spiritual World. But even though it was a place blessed by the heavens and far away from that area, the powers of this place had their rivalry with those more powerful from everywhere else in this vast world.


    Demigods were relevant throughout the Spiritual World, even more so those at the peak of cultivation, who could dispute Divine medicines if they appeared wildly or matured in a territory with an owner.


    As such, the meeting of two level 99 cultivators was extremely relevant to forces on the Divine Continent, and one of the observers from that other continent couldn''t help but take this information to his leaders immediately upon finding out.


    Such a person, a half-breed of human and dragon, a rare mixture in this world, quickly manipulated space and appeared in an ancient temple where very powerful auras could be felt in significant numbers.


    There, the headquarters of a large organization on this continent were at least four level 99 Demigods!


    Among them, one was on standby to deal with problems without having to disturb his fellows in seclusion.


    "Velor, what brings you to me?" That level 99 elder, a human of pure lineage, asked.


    The Divine Continent was divided into three empires, all with a large presence of half-breeds, spiritual beasts, and humans. But even though this place was open to the most varied relationships, pure humans still represented about 40% of the continent''s population and were the majority when one looked at the leaders of these lands.


    So even though it was the continent of diversity, this was still a predominantly human-led continent, not so different from the Central Continent.


    But for much time, the powers of this continent had lived like this, and half-breeds and beings of pure lineage lived just as well in this place as if there was no prejudice in this world.


    As such, there was no sense of superiority in the local leaders just because of their race, let alone the subordinates would feel bad about being commanded by one different from them.


    This was the case for these two, and when Velor bowed his head, he did so out of pure respect for this white-haired man.


    The level 99 Demigod looked at this being who was 3 meters tall, had extremely defined and large muscles, with dragon eyes, a human mouth, and several other mixed features and listened.


    "Your Excellency, an unusual movement has just occurred in the Central Continent. Vico Travisani, Willow Sista, and Henry Quinn have met at the border of their states." This being with a deeply grave voice said, while being watched closely.


    "The reasons for the meeting are still unclear, but the forces of the Eastern Empire and the Western Empire have begun to retreat from their positions on the contested border.


    There are other signs that the sides are at least temporarily at peace."


    "Oh?" That old man was interested in this level 95 Demigod''s words, curious about what would make Henry and Vico come to an agreement. "Are they preparing for something bigger? Is there any news of the emergence of an ownerless Divine Medicine on the Central Continent?"


    "Not that I know of, Your Excellency." That being said. "But perhaps it is on account of Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom. Some rumors say that its entrance will open up in those lands."


    "Hmm, I heard about that. But it doesn''t make sense for two peak powers to retreat from their positions because of it.


    The Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom is valuable but more important for young Spiritual Sages..." While bringing one of his hands to his face, that expert said, demonstrating a thoughtful expression. "Something else is behind it."


    "What could it be?"


    "I don''t know. Keep an eye on the actions of these states and look for information about Divine medicines emerging. Vico has several times been able to outmaneuver even some of our men because of his speed to seize opportunities...


    Perhaps he is aware of something!"


    "I will do my best."


    "But talk about it with Euris. Maybe the elves know something."


    At the thought of his colleague being responsible for watching the elves'' home, this half-breed soon left that sacred temple, leaving behind the previous elder staring into the void.


    This old man looked toward the Central Continent and saw dark clouds, feeling a chill as he noticed such a thing.


    ''Am I impressed by something? I had better return to my cultivation. A Divine medicine will surely mature in the next 100 years!''


    ...


    Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Elves Island...


    In this place where less than 20,000 beings lived, one of the strongest elves awoke from his sleep with dark circles under his eyes as black as night.


    As he disconnected from the tree he was using to cultivate, this elf looked up to the sky with concern on his face.


    "Elder..." One of the people responsible for watching that area looked into the eyes of this level 99 elf and felt fear.


    Elves were very connected to the Spiritual World and had a great affinity with Natural Laws and spiritual energy. Precisely because of this, they were much more sensitive than beings of other species.


    In particular, an elf would not leave his cultivation sleep with dark circles under their eyes unless they had had an extremely negative feeling and envisioned a bad future.


    This could either mean the death of a loved one, the end of an important family, or even the extermination of an entire race.


    You couldn''t tell until it happened!


    In any case, this was not good news for those who were one of the strongest beings in the Spiritual World!


    "Elder... Your eyes..."


    That elder didn''t need to be warned about this. He felt terrible as if he had been run over by something gigantic and heavy.


    At the same time, the negative feeling he had just felt while cultivating could not be mistaken.


    "Something terrible is going to happen." He muttered, alerting other elders nearby. "I feel that I will face three calamities in the next few decades."


    "Three? How is that possible?" A level 98 elf asked.


    "Will it be the birth of Divine medicines? It has happened before."


    "I don''t know, but I feel that these dark circles are not because of one problem. Instead, there are three, and each one will be worse than the previous one."


    Gulp!


    "Get ready. Dark times are approaching in the Spiritual World!"

 Chapter 1675 Newsflash

    ?


    Meanwhile, in the Evergreen Empire...


    The regent left by the Evergreen Emperor had already received news of the meeting of those enemies of his state and was naturally worried.


    Strangely enough, historical enemies had met, and within hours of this encounter, both sides were already moving their troops away from the area of battles between their states.


    As such, this man''s concern was great, and he had even gathered the most important people in this family available to address the issue.


    "People, get ready for movements from the western region. I feel that there is something big behind this meeting, so we cannot miss a single detail about the choices of those powers.


    Our job of keeping up with the movements of those powers has never been more imperative than it is now!"


    "We have notified the Church about this and will soon have its position on it."


    "But why would those enemies stop their historic war right now?"


    "I don''t know... That''s damned Vico''s doing!"


    The elders there exchanged comments among themselves until a person entered the meeting room where they were with a serious look on his face.


    Everyone was silent when interrupted by this person, but they quickly noticed that he had brought urgent news.


    He then shouted. "Elders, Your Excellency, I bring news from the Black Plain Empire! Minos Stuart has resurfaced after his weeks-long disappearance alongside TWO level 99 Demigods!"


    "What?"


    "How?"


    "Impossible!"


    The people there wondering that Minos'' name was mentioned just now could not contain their doubts upon hearing such absurdity.


    The regent was the one most shocked, even more so considering the group''s previous actions under this family''s command.


    He asked. "Hey, Xandyr, explain yourself. Where did these experts come from?"


    "Answering Your Excellency, no one knows. They came out of nowhere and have been in the Dry City for a few days now. The Church is trying to communicate with the post in that city, but strangely that post is not responding.


    In any case, it is a fact that Minos Stuart returned on the side of powerful experts, and one of them even declared himself favorable to the emperor of the Black Plain.


    In the words of this expert..." He read a paper. "From now on, the Black Plain Empire has the protection of Maximillian Flamen!"


    With those last words, everyone in that place was silent, imagining this could only be a sick joke against this state.


    "Max..."


    "Maximillian..."


    "Falmen?"


    The people there remembered this historical figure, thinking the Demigod on the Black Plain next to Minos had probably used that name to tease them.


    ''What does this mean? Will Minos rebel alongside this impostor?'' The regent thought, not understanding where this expert had come from but immediately worrying about the possibilities ahead of his group.


    ...


    Church headquarters was also agitated by the news coming from the Black Plain Empire, a cold shower for many of the prominent factions wanting to absorb Minos Gloria''s group.


    But there were those groups happy as they were considering joining Minos and Gloria after the talks that subordinates of this Matriarch had had with other more minor factions of the Church in the previous months.


    With this recent news, the faction of the two was less likely to be crushed by the Church colossi, giving those groups more confidence to talk to Minos.


    Meanwhile, the Supreme Pontiff and his staff had received the news about Maximillian''s arrival at Minos'' side with apprehension.


    They knew nothing about this person who had no respect for them, using the name of someone relevant to the history of this organization.


    At the same time, Minos'' return with those two experts happening almost simultaneously with the meeting in the western region worry the leaders of this organization even more.


    This was not a good time for these two unknown experts to appear!


    As such, the Church command was already moving its personnel to investigate the situations in the western and northern regions and strengthen its positions in the Evergreen Empire.


    ...


    Later that same day...


    After so long away, Maximillian had finished receiving all the information he needed to begin his journey across the Central Continent.


    So he was ahead of Minos, some important local government members, Darren, and the three hostages.


    "Young Minos, I will leave for the hour. I don''t know how long I will go without seeing you, but even in my absence, know I will keep my promise." He said as he said goodbye to this young Spiritual Saint.


    "For the rest, I hope to hear from you in the future. You will have independence when you become a Demigod, but I will give you a week''s training before that."


    "Hmm, good luck with your plans," Minos said, not speaking much about this man''s promises but satisfied.


    "See you later. For you, it may take quite a while for us to see each other again, but I feel like I''ll see you in a heartbeat." He said with a smile before he opened a wormhole and disappeared along with those four.


    With that person''s disappearance, Minos'' subordinates and family members finally breathed a sigh of relief, for even though they seemed friendly, it was not comfortable to be around such strong outsiders continuously.


    Minos also sighed, imagining that the challenges ahead of him would be very different from the ones he had prepared for before.


    But first of all, he moved toward one of the capital''s high-level cultivation areas, where there was a Black Hole Bomb.


    With that, it wouldn''t take long for him to use the black hole inside that device to cover his movement toward the Spatial Kingdom!


    ''Time to bring everyone back.'' He thought, missing his wives and curious to see how his children were doing.


    But only less than four months had passed since his departure in search of the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus, so upon meeting them again, few things had changed.


    In any case, Minos would soon spend time with his children and wives, bringing back from the Spatial Kingdom people who had stayed the last few months there and taking others there later.


    Now that the matter of the previous map had been resolved, they had many matters to begin dealing with regarding the Church and the empire.


    But amid this moment, it wouldn''t take long for important visitors to arrive in Dry City to get in the way of Minos'' family returning to its routine!


    ...

 Chapter 1676 Sent From Sista

    ?


    While Gloria was struggling to update herself on the Church in Dry City, Minos, Ruth, and Abby were together with Sarah and Kendrick, going about some local government business.


    Minos and his wives believed that daily their children had to participate at some point in their jobs to learn the modus operandi of the Stuart family. So some of them occasionally had Sarah or Kendrick around to watch the local decisions that could influence the empire''s future.


    Sarah was already an adult, so she participated more actively in these moments, asking questions and sometimes giving her opinion. But Kendrick just watched and listened, always silent when his father or mothers spoke.


    In particular, he looked at his father with pride every time he stayed with him to learn how a ruler handled things.


    Usually, Abby was always with him at these times since even though she had stopped breastfeeding a few months ago, she was the only one who fed this kid.


    Anyway, this was supposed to be just another day for this family, but before they even entered the imperial throne hall, men from the Black Plain Army stopped and alerted them to the arrival of two groups.


    One of them had not identified themselves, only saying they were in Dry City to visit the place. At the same time, the other came from Sista, intending to talk to Minos about some important matters.


    Since both groups had people of a higher level than what was accepted in Dry City, Minos'' men soon warned him about both groups of newcomers.


    Kendrick and Sarah heard this and became interested in getting to know these people from Sista.


    This was particularly true for Sarah, who felt she could soon visit that state!


    "Very well, let them come here." Minos allowed these people in, who were following the local rules, unlike some individuals who had entered Dry City without permission recently.


    "I wonder what that''s about?" Ruth asked her husband while looking at him seriously.


    "It probably has something to do with the Eastern Empire and what I''ve become involved in over the past few weeks." He said as he looked at Ruth and Abby.


    News of the meeting of the leaders of the Eastern Empire, Western Empire, and Sista had not yet reached the Black Plain.


    Minos'' state still didn''t have good enough connections for such news to reach him as quickly as it happens with other powers around the Spiritual World.


    But he was no fool, and noting the coincidence of this unexpected visit just after his return, he judged that such a thing had everything to do with the map of the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus.


    "How do we solve this?" Abby asked. "With the emergence of Maximillian, we will be protected from Demigods. I do not doubt that. But many states friendly to Black Plain may turn against us.


    That man must not have good intentions for the continent."


    Minos and his family judged that Maximillian would follow part of his old plans to take over the Church and start wars of conquest across the continent.


    Since he was closely associated with this man, his forces would undoubtedly suffer from the consequences of siding with such a person.


    Minos himself agreed with this and said. "We can do nothing but try to handle the situation as best we can.


    Maximillian may get in the way of some of our relationships. Still, he will also provide us with the strength to develop in peace.


    If we are isolated and hated, that is the cost of not worrying about Demigods.


    In any case, there is no way to disconnect our position from his, and anything he does will have consequences for us. So we''d better prepare for the future and accept that we''ll have problems."


    "Then we''re going to follow his side to the end?" Ruth asked as Sarah and Kendrick listened.


    "We will follow that until the time of his promise. Then, after I become a Demigod, we will revisit the matter." Minos said, not wanting to give a definitive position now.


    Maximillian could become an ally of his even after he reached level 90, but the opposite could also happen. Minos knew this and wanted to wait for things to develop before deciding.


    Until then, Maximillian could develop, but so could he and his people!


    Shortly after he showed his intentions to those four, the group from Sista entered the imperial throne hall, where each of the Stuart family members was already positioned in their seats.


    Minos was on his throne, with Ruth and Abby sitting on his sides, Sarah slightly behind, and Kendrick in his mother''s arms.


    The imperial guards and some high-level members of the Gray Clouds Sect were standing there when the three visitors from Sista stopped 30 meters away from Minos.


    The three looked up, ignoring the steps before them, and focused on the figure of the level 77 man who had supposedly unleashed a great evil on the continent.


    They already knew of Minos'' return alongside Maximillian and Darren since news of this was already spreading across the continent.


    The Church had been the first organization to receive this news. Still, other areas of the Central Continent were gradually hearing about the unusual allies that Minos had obtained.


    The news had not yet reached the Eastern Empire, but those people who had left Sista a day ago had already heard such a thing after passing through Vogel three hours ago.


    "Now he seems much more impressive than the rumors say..." One of the men, a level 91 Demigod, thought as he looked into Minos'' brown eyes.


    On the other hand, the member of royalty among the two royal guards there, level 85, looked at Minos and then at each of the members of that family, passing his eyes quickly, noticing Kendrick and Sarah.


    He paid little attention to them and introduced himself to Minos. "Your Majesty Minos Stuart, my name is George Sista. I am the youngest son of Queen Sista, the Third Prince of my kingdom.


    Those beside me are Basil and Calvin, my bodyguards."


    "Your Highness George, I am happy to welcome someone from the Sista family to my city. Just recently, a nobleman from your state came here to make an agreement between our states regarding the Continental Tournament about to take place in a few decades.


    Is that what your visit is about?"


    "In a way, yes." That blond-haired, blue-eyed man said, smiling bitterly before getting to the point. "But our visit is also about your search for the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus.


    My mother has some questions that I hope you will answer. Emperor Vico Travisani suspects that you were after this place and found it. Is that true?"


    ...

 Chapter 1677 Answers

    ?


    Minos'' wives continued to stare at those people while the emperor''s children stared at him.


    Minos kept his expression neutral, thinking before he spoke.


    After a few seconds of silence, he said. "That is indeed true. Some time ago, I found the map connected to the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus. At the time, I didn''t know what it was about. But with the emergence of various pressures on me because of such a map, I eventually found out what it was about."


    He continued as he gestured. "Your Highness, can you understand the pressure on the shoulders of a person who has something valuable to both the Eastern Empire and the Evergreen Empire?


    If I handed over that map to the Blood Triangle Pirates, not only could that turn against me in the future, but the Eastern Empire would turn against me and brand me as an enemy.


    If I were to hand over such a thing to the Eastern Empire, I would end up in a horrible situation of making an ally with an enemy power of the one present in my territory...


    That way, I would become an enemy of the Spiritual Church and the Evergreen family."


    The three men from Sista understood Minos'' situation and continued listening to him.


    "So I decided not to hand over such a thing to either side.


    I decided to take a risk and go after what such a thing carried to find out the value of it." He said sincerely. "I just didn''t expect that going after such a thing would make the Travisani family so angry...


    Did you know that some of that family members were in my city to arrest me just because I did that?"


    Those three people nodded, for they already knew what had happened in Dry City when Minos returned alongside Maximillian and Darren.


    Many people had seen that incident, so Minos made no effort to hide such a thing either.


    ''This is natural... Such a thing will lead us to disaster.'' Those two guards thought the same thing, while the prince saw that Minos seemed to know nothing of the danger that could reach the entire continent.


    "Your Majesty, did you know what you would find by following such a map? Did you have control over what happened when you found that ancient site?" The prince asked before moving on with the matter.


    "I didn''t know. I can say that I was shocked to find out what the map led to. And no, I had little control over what was about to happen. The only thing I did was pull a lever. The rest happened beyond my capabilities.


    By following the map, anyone capable of getting where I got to would end up generating the same situation as I did."


    "I see..." George said before revealing the truth to Minos. "Your Majesty acted out of ignorance. The truth is that Vico Travisani heard a prophecy that said that such a map was associated with the release of a great evil upon the continent and the beginning of a catastrophe.


    Because you used such a map, Emperor Travisani, who always wanted to destroy such a thing, was furious and decided to capture and punish you for putting the entire continent at risk."


    "Oh?" Minos was surprised to hear that, not expecting that there was actually such a prophecy.


    The same was true for Abby and Ruth, who immediately thought such evil upon the continent must be Maximillian!


    They immediately looked at Minos with concern from what they knew of this man''s plans and the divine weapon he had in hand.


    Only Kendrick, who didn''t fully understand what was happening, was confused, watching the expressions in the surroundings.


    "I didn''t know that..." Minos commented. "Anyway, what''s done is done and can''t be changed. I didn''t mean any harm. I was just trying to protect my state.


    I also heard a prophecy about a threat to the entire Spiritual World, and since I started developing Dry City, I''ve been trying to build a force capable of counteracting that.


    I thought using this map would be the best way to ensure the development of my forces, and I don''t regret my decision. The information I had at the time said that was the best decision of all."


    "Have you also heard a prophecy?" One of the two guards frowned, not expecting to hear this.


    But neither he nor his two fellow travelers doubted Minos, for his accomplishments were too impressive for him to have had no help on the way here.


    Minos stated. "The continent and the entire Spiritual World will face a great threat in the future. That I suspect will come from the North Sea."


    "North Sea?"


    "From that place?"


    Those three looked at each other, finding this information new and not immediately dismissing it.


    But they would not dwell too long on this subject, saving it in their minds for another time.


    What mattered now was that Minos had made that risky decision for sensible reasons and not because he wanted to throw the continent into chaos to take advantage of the situation.


    He seemed as concerned as they were about the future, so none of the three could consider him an enemy just for his inconsequential actions.


    They would no longer act against Minos, given the protection the Black Plain Empire had received from Maximillian. But there was a possibility that they would now end the previous agreement between their states.


    But seeing Minos'' seriousness and sincerity, they could not decide on their own.


    If Queen Sista decided to terminate their agreement after hearing this, then that would be the future. But they, on their own, didn''t think they were ready to do that.


    "I understand. Your Majesty had his reasons..." George Sista commented before asking. "So you are still interested in continuing with our previous agreement?


    I can''t explain it, but I feel that soon our allies and yours may become enemies."


    "Senior Maximillian is our friend, but I see no problem continuing our old agreement. I am sure he will not try to stop me... Everything will depend on your side." Minos said, willing to remain allied with Sista.


    Even if a war of conquest started in the next few months, if Maximillian maintained his promises, there would be no interference in the Black Plain, and the conflict would take place far away from that area. With that, Minos would not have to worry about Sista being at war with that man and was willing to do business with that kingdom.


    For anyone who wanted to be on his side, he had his arms open to welcome them, even if it meant he would have Maximillian enemies on his side!


    ...

 Chapter 1678 Invitation

    ?


    Upon hearing Minos'' response, those men thought that it was now best to report what they had heard from him to Queen Sista and wait for orders.


    If she saw no problem continuing with the agreement regarding the Continental Tournament, they would leave Dry City without further delay, with relations intact with that city.


    In particular, they judged that Minos had not acted on purpose and that, from his position, his actions even made sense.


    Of course, this was not something that someone like Vico would care about. A stupidity that could destroy countless lives on the continent would not be forgiven just because it was not committed with intent.


    But for them, this was a sign that Minos had no desire to become their enemy and could still be a minimally reliable ally.


    In any case, it was not up to them to decide such a thing, even more so this young prince, who was only third in the succession line.


    George then said. "Very well. I will notify my mother and return shortly with an official position."


    "Hmm, I hope it all works out. Our partnership does not involve any life-and-death intimacy, and I have never purposely acted against you." Minos said, punctuating such a thing not because he desperately needed these people on his side but because he didn''t want to generate more trouble for himself.


    Minos knew that from now on, there would be those who would hate him unconditionally on the continent and those who would be on his side. There would be no middle ground, and the relations of his state would be greatly altered in the years ahead.


    He trusted that Maximillian would keep his promises and thought his state would be protected at least from Demigods. But if it were possible, he wanted to decrease as much as possible the number of enemies he would have because of these actions of the previous months.


    Hence his words to these envoys of Queen Sista. That also shows


    his children that a ruler should not always show animosity to potential opponents.


    It was worth putting down one''s temper and taking a step back in certain circumstances!


    With the departure of those three, Minos and his family continued in the imperial throne hall, chatting while the imperial guards brought the next group to them.


    "What do you think will happen?" Abby asked Minos.


    "Hard to say. I don''t know Queen Sista, and as much as I haven''t acted to harm her, if this prophecy really exists, then I may have unleashed something problematic for those Western states." He said.


    Sarah then commented. "I think they will stay neutral for the time being. They have a lot to process, and considering the father''s potential, I feel this woman will wait for things to develop further before taking a definitive position."


    "That makes sense," Ruth remarked, figuring they would have more time before Sista took either a contrary or favorable position.


    As Minos agreed by nodding his head, a new group entered the imperial throne hall.


    When two women and two men entered, Minos immediately recognized the three nobles he had met in the Veora Kingdom, along with the leader of the guards of that group related to the Goddess of Life.


    Before one of the imperial guards even introduced these people with the names he had just received, Minos said. "The people interested in the inheritance of the Goddess of Life, right?"


    When they heard that, the four formed serious expressions as one of them exclaimed.


    "What? How do you know that?"


    Minos laughed and said. "That''s because I found you a few months ago while passing through Veora and directed you here."


    That level 85 man looked seriously at Minos and stepped forward. "You were Edgar, that fat red-headed man?"


    "You wore a look like that?" Ruth looked at her husband with a smile on her face.


    Minos nodded positively. "That was me. I''m sorry I misled you, but I was doing something dangerous then and needed to keep my movements under the radar as much as possible."


    Minos saw no problem speaking the truth to these people for two reasons. First, Vico and everyone else who mattered already seemed to know what he was doing at the time. And second, these people were not strong enough for him to worry about them standing against him.


    So he decided to be honest since this had very little chance of generating negative results for him.


    The three noble descendants of the Goddess of Life''s relatives clenched their fists, feeling bad that Minos had manipulated them.


    Abby looked at them intently, feeling a subtle sensation familiar to her coming from those three. "You really are descendants of that family, huh?"


    "Is it true?" Minos looked at his wife, for he still needed confirmation about that.


    "Yes, I can sense their lineage from what I received from the Goddess of Life." She replied, interested to hear from these people what had happened.


    The Goddess of Life had died thinking that her entire bloodline would disappear from this world along with her. Because of this, she hadn''t even left legacies to her family members, only to some lucky person who might find that place that Minos and Abby had entered years ago.


    So Abby couldn''t help but feel curious, with the small part of her that had absorbed that woman''s soul fragment making her even more interested.


    Those people heard confirmation that one of them had indeed gotten that woman''s inheritance and that Minos'' words had not been false despite his clear manipulation.


    That level 85 man looked at Minos and then at Abby before once again looking at Emperor Stuart. "What is your purpose in bringing us here? You heard what we wanted back there, and yet you directed us here? What do you want?"


    Minos looked into that man''s eyes and got straight to the point. "Join me. Become part of the Black Plain Empire. At my side, I will make your family rise from the ashes and help you protect yourselves against those who persecute you!"


    Those three nobles were surprised to hear such an offer, something none of them expected to hear from a man weaker than them.


    But no one else but those visitors was surprised by this, with each imperial guard in the surrounding area used to the invitations Minos made for people to join him.


    He had always done such a thing throughout his journey here, so his words were in total agreement with the manners that these people had become accustomed to over the years.


    Kendrick and Sarah were not so used to it yet. Still, they both enjoyed seeing how their father spoke to these people, showing confidence and ambition.


    "Do you want us in your group?" That level 85 man asked, looking intently into Minos'' eyes.


    ...

 Chapter 1679 Time To Think

    ?


    "Of course. With you at my side, I can significantly strengthen my state and advance several of my plans." Minos was sincere. "On the other hand, you can get a supporter and a chance to live in a less dangerous state, where it will be harder for enemies to track you down.


    That''s a good deal for both sides!"


    The level 81 woman, who seemed to be their leader, stepped forward and said. "I''m not so sure about that. It seems to me that you would be the biggest beneficiary in all of this.


    Meanwhile, our ancestor''s heritage is in the hands of people who don''t deserve it!"


    Abby stood up and said. "I don''t deserve it? Her soul fragment clearly recognized me as her heir. So are you saying she made a mistake?"


    "She didn''t know we existed. If she had known, she would never have given you what she left behind!"


    "I wouldn''t be so sure. We were the ones who fulfilled the Goddess of Life''s last wish, to eradicate the tracks of the God of Death from the Spiritual World." The Empress said as she glared at that Spiritual Sage. "Where were you people for that? Why didn''t you and your ancestors accomplish this mission in our place?


    You had plenty of time to roam the Spiritual World, find and erase those traces... But nothing was done until my husband got involved in the matter!


    Tsk!"


    That Level 81 young woman clenched her fists angrily but without much to say to Abby.


    Kendrick was wide-eyed in his mother''s arms, looking at her, seeing that his sweet mother could be scary when she wanted to be.


    Meanwhile, Minos raised one of his hands, indicating for Abby to back off her attitude.


    He then said. "Let''s not get agitated, dear. We may soon be on the same side."


    "Tsk!" The level 81 woman turned away, not liking this at all.


    The level 80 man then asked. "Do you really believe that? Why would we choose to subordinate ourselves to your state? If it''s to escape and seek opportunities, we might as well go to the Divine Continent."


    The others looked at Minos and listened to his reply. "Traveling to the Divine Continent would be good if you can get there safely.


    But in that place, you will have nothing. You will have to start from absolute zero and deal with much more intense disputes.


    On the other hand, in my state, you could live in peace. Currently, we have obtained the support of a powerful expert and will no longer have to worry about the threat of Demigods."


    Those four heard this and were not surprised, as they had already heard the rumors of the level 99 Demigod who had passed through this city recently.


    They had their doubts, especially regarding how Minos had achieved such a thing. But upon hearing his words, they left it for another time, feeling that as crucial as it was, it would not affect them at the moment.


    They were Spiritual Sages, weaker than the ones the level 99 Demigod had said he would protect this state against.


    Minos finished. "At the same time, we have things available here that you would have to compete with thousands in other places for the chance to get them. But here, all you must do is enlist in my forces and be guaranteed them!"


    The level 85 man had his doubts about this and asked. "What about the inheritance of the Goddess of Life? Can you show us what you got?


    That is the thing behind those possibilities, right?"


    "Wrong," Minos said. "What the inheritance of the Goddess of Life gave us was good, I admit that. But, it was good for the one who got the main part of it," he indicated to Abby. "That was of extreme value. But for others, like me and my state, such a thing at most could be considered valuable for arming and strengthening a few dozen people.


    But do you think I could get everything I have today from that alone? No, the opportunities I promise you to have another origin. However, to learn more about it, you must join me and swear eternal allegiance!"


    Those three nobles were silent momentarily while the level 85 elder stopped to think about it.


    ''It makes sense. The soul fragment is what matters most in such an inheritance. But that can''t be recovered. As for items, I can''t tell if he''s being sincere...


    What do I do? If I stand against him, winning won''t be easy, and what we can achieve won''t be worth so much... This may also alert our position to our enemies, putting an entire state on our tail.


    But can he keep his word?''


    Minos saw that these people were uncertain and decided to help them.


    "You must have traveled a long way. So rest in my city for a time. Visit places like the Dry City Cultivation Tower and see what kind of opportunity even people outside my group can get just by being part of this city.


    After you see enough, I am sure you will make the right decision."


    Minos looked at one of the imperial guards and said. "Eduard, get them credentials to access the main cultivation room in that place. Also, leave someone with them to guide them locally."


    After a few moments, Eduard quickly accepted those orders and left there with those people.


    With that done, Sarah left to take care of some business while Abby returned with Kendrick home for this young man to return to his studies.


    Only Minos and Ruth stayed behind to settle matters unconnected to the previous conversations.


    ...


    While the two groups of newcomers to Dry City settled in locally, hours would pass without a definitive position, and the news about Maximillian would finally reach the rest of the western region!


    With this news, Emperor Quinn promptly warned his forces to consider Maximillian and Darren as potential enemies. At the same time, his high-ranking members were to avoid trouble with the Black Plain in the short term, while he was unsure what was happening.


    But some men were already moving into the North Sea to begin the investigations he so desperately wanted to learn more about the dangers to his continent.


    Amid this, this man saw Grant''s face again after years of this fellow living under house arrest in the empire''s capital.


    "Your Majesty, it is good to see you again," Grant said as he made a gesture of greeting and waited for what this man wanted from him.

 Chapter 1680 Fulfilling The Promise

    ?


    While Grant was talking to Emperor Quinn, Vico was finishing finding out about the strange Demigods who had appeared along with Minos in Dry City.


    Not only had news of Minos'' return to the Black Plain reached him, but also information about the kidnapping of his son and the two bodyguards with that young man.


    From what Vico had just heard, his envoys had been stopped by Maximillian shortly after Minos arrived in Dry City, for this level 99 Demigod had sworn protection to the Black Plain Empire against 10th-stage cultivators.


    Due to this terrible news, this normally calm man was red with anger, feeling that these people were related to the danger to the continent.


    "Damn it!


    The fucking Minos is just doing shit! Doesn''t he get tired of causing trouble for the continent?" He shouted at his men in the surrounding area.


    "The bastard used to torment the lives of the poor northerners. Now he''s tired of doing that in the damned northern region, and amid his boredom, he throws chaos in our lives!


    What''s wrong with this brat?"


    The people in the surrounding area were silent as they listened to all this, agreeing that Minos was a problematic pest to counter but knowing that their emperor was exaggerating.


    As much as Minos'' movements always created problems, this did not mean he did it on purpose, as Vico said...


    "I''m going to the Black Plain! It''s time to end his life and give peace to the continent!" He rose from his armchair.


    But before he could leave, he was stopped by his men.


    "Your Majesty, don''t do that. We know nothing about those two level 99 Demigods!" A level 98 elder shouted.


    Another of the same level said. "Your Majesty, take it easy. If we act without thinking straight, we might create the chance for our opponents to hurt the empire.


    Perhaps these Demigods on Minos''s side want to encourage us to attack him with these words.


    Who will protect the empire if Your Majesty goes to the Black Plain if they attack us?"


    Hearing this, Vico hesitated as he clenched his fists hard, making the pressure in the surroundings very high, bothering all his subordinates.


    He was almost exploding with rage but narrowly managed to restrain himself.


    "Your Majesty, there is still the situation of the Crown Prince. He is in the hands of these people, so we have to act cautiously.


    The most important thing to do now is to try to contact these people and start a negotiation."


    "Yes, that would have already happened if he wanted to kill the prince.


    That man probably wishes to use this situation to negotiate with us."


    Vico thought better of it and realized that this was the case. "But what do they want from us? And where do they come from? I don''t know any level 99 Demigods that look like them."


    "We are investigating that, Your Majesty. We will find that out soon enough."


    "But judging that these men appeared right after Daniel''s death, I am sure they are related to his death..."


    At these words from one of the elders there, everyone was silent, considering that there was a possibility that Maximillian was the one who would bring chaos to the continent.


    ...


    In the capital of Sista...


    The queen of this state had also heard about the news coming from the Black Plain and was naturally shocked.


    The appearance of level 99 experts in that place was no small thing!


    Any appearance of an expert at that level anywhere would be worthy of attention. But this happening on the poor Black Plain was many times more important, even more so for someone who knew of Minos'' involvement in something that could change the continent forever.


    As such, upon discovering such a thing, Willow was deadly serious and worried about the future.


    "I wonder what the significance of this is. Where do these Demigods come from?" She questioned her elders, uncertain of what to do with this information.


    She was currently judging whether or not it was worth continuing the agreement regarding the Continental Tournament with Minos, but finding out about this had only confused her.


    "We don''t know, Your Majesty. But the Third Prince is in Dry City. We''ll ask  him to try to find out something there." One of the elders closest to her said that.


    "However, sending Demigods to the Black Plain in the short term would not be advisable. We don''t know anything about those two and whether they really intend to fulfill their promise to protect this state.


    Suppose they are going to fulfill it. In that case, we might get into unnecessary trouble because of a young man who isn''t even a Spiritual Sage."


    The queen agreed with this person. "Hmm, let''s avoid sending our experts out of the kingdom anyway, so I don''t want our experts trying to get involved with the Black Plain casually anymore.


    After George returns, I want any future contact with Minos to be made through our vassal families, as we did before."


    "We will follow your words, Your Majesty!"


    ...


    Amidst the discussions regarding the Black Plain Empire''s new ally, even the Flowers Kingdom, Albano, Blackrock, Rosser, and the Flaming Empire, heard about the recent involvements of Minos.


    But as they reacted to everything in their own way, something related to Minos was about to happen in the East Sea.


    While sailing towards the Divine Continent, a group of beasts from the City of a Thousand Races received important communication from allies on that continent.


    "Friends of the Ancestral Sea, we have found traces of those you seek to the west of the continent. They must be, or must have been, in the central area of the Grinia Empire. I advise that you begin your search there."


    Upon hearing that message, those underwater beings were grateful for the information and promised to visit those people once they finished their mission.


    After that, the strongest of the group said. "Okay, fellows, let''s go to Grinia Empire!"


    "Boss, what if we can''t find them? What will we do?"


    "Nothing. If we don''t find them, there will be nothing else for us to do. After this mission, we will fulfill the last promise of our leaders to Henricus Longus!" That being said.


    That was the group after the Longus family tracks!


    In the remote past, the leader of the City of a Thousand Races had promised Henricus Longus that he would help connect those who could pass the test he had left on that statue of his.


    This had been a request from this ancient God, and even after so long, these beings were still willing to follow through on what had been promised.


    Having debts with Gods was not such a good thing for one''s karma, so they were taking the opportunity to fulfill the words of their ancestor as soon as possible!

 Chapter 1681 Confrontation

    ?


    Hours after leaving Dry City, Maximillian was already in the Evergreen Empire with Darren and his three hostages.


    This man knew these lands well and had easily found his way there. However, after a few million years, some things had changed, and this had slowed him down a bit.


    Anyway, after some investigative work, this man found his way to the capital of the empire, where he was watching from afar at the moment.


    There were methods of one hiding his tracks. Still, unfortunately, Maximillian did not have what was necessary with him to hide his aura. Because of this, he decided to observe that place from afar before showing himself.


    From where he was, he could see the whole city and the people there, but one in that place would have difficulty finding him without purposely looking for him.


    So while their group was floating 50 kilometers away from the surface, he was watching in the direction of the most majestic temple of the Spiritual Church.


    ''Hmmm, this place has really weakened since my time. When I left, 3 level 99 Demigods were in this city.'' He thought as he remembered the information he had collected in Dry City and associated it with the reality he knew.


    ''Why has the empire weakened so much? Is it just a bad generation, or is there something else behind it?'' He wondered, curious to see the situation in the Divine Continent and find out if things were strange there too.


    But he left that doubt to resolve at another time and soon focused his attention on the current Supreme Pontiff, someone at the absolute peak of level 99, just like him.


    ''This man is not far from the end of his life, and at the level he is at, he will soon go into seclusion to try to advance. Perhaps I should simply wait for him to begin his seclusion to kill him easily? Or should I approach him and make him my subordinate?''


    Seeing an opponent''s abilities just by watching him was extremely difficult, even more so when one had such a high cultivation level. So even though Maximillian was extremely powerful, he couldn''t estimate the Supreme Pontiff''s strength for sure.


    He was confident in himself of defeating any human enemy because of the Trident of God in his hands. Still, he preferred to avoid wearing down the Church, his organization.


    ''What to do?'' He looked at the imperial palace and saw only level 97 men among the strongest there. ''None of them dress like the emperor... That means that either the emperor is cultivating or he has recently died.


    Hmm, that must not be the case, or the whole continent would know about such a thing. The city would also be in chaos, and more imperial family experts would be in the palace.''


    His eyes sharpened, sensing that such a person was already in the Spatial Kingdom, cultivating to advance.


    ''That''s a problem... But he is out of my reach. I hope he doesn''t have Divine medicine on hand. If he does, I hope he dies trying to advance!'' He clenched his fists, thinking of what to do.


    But he couldn''t do that for much longer. While watching this city, the Supreme Pontiff suddenly moved, appearing in the blink of an eye in front of this group of five people.


    Maximillian had made a mistake. He did not know about the innate ability of the current Supreme Pontiff of the Spiritual Church!


    This level 99 man who had just appeared in front of Maximillian had an ability capable of creating a domain up to 100 kilometers away from him, where he was omniscient!


    In this way, Minos'' ally had been taken by surprise!


    "Visitor, what are you doing in my city? Why were you watching me?" Duncan Evergreen asked while he had a serious expression on his face.


    Janus saw the face of the Supreme Pontiff of the Spiritual Church and felt doubly worse, seeing this enemy of his father, who would surely kill him if he had the chance.


    Meanwhile, Darren looked with interest at that man, seeing that Duncan seemed to be preparing to fight.


    ''That will be a magnificent battle.'' He imagined a fight between the three of them.


    Maximillian momentarily looked silently into Duncan''s eyes and smiled bitterly, feeling his mistake. "You have a strange ability, Supreme Pontiff. I didn''t expect to be caught watching you, haha.


    What do I do with you now? I was still planning how to proceed with my plans."


    "Your plans?" That man frowned his eyebrows even more while feeling tense.


    He clearly felt that this opponent was not even a little weaker than him. At the same time, this strange person had a weapon that even he felt chills run down his spine as he watched it.


    Meanwhile, several elders from the Spiritual Church and the Evergreen family noticed the Supreme Pontiff''s movement and moved to that location.


    In the blink of an eye, 30 cultivators between levels 97 and 98 were in the surrounding area circulating their energies, preparing for a fight against these two newly arrived colossi.


    "Maximillian, what are we going to do? We will have trouble with this many experts in the surrounding area." Darren said in a low voice, beginning to feel nervous.


    Fighting against just Duncan would be magnificent, but with so many specialists, their chances would not be good!


    Maximillian looked at the surroundings and saw the expressions of fear and concern on those faces.


    He sighed and said. "My friends, calm down. I am not an enemy but an ally. My name is Maximillian Flamen, and no, I am not an impostor, but the real one, Maximus'' rival."


    "Impossible! Maximillian died a long time ago!" The Supreme Pontiff exclaimed, refusing to believe such nonsense.


    The people in the area didn''t believe it immediately either, and this man who should be dead decided to reveal the truth.


    "If you know who I am, you know my innate ability. Well, I combined my ability with a time array and spent all these years sleeping inside the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus.


    Luckily, young Minos freed me days ago.


    He can confirm who I am."


    Gulp!


    "Minos Stuart?" A Church elder, level 98, asked in incomprehension.


    But Duncan realized that this was no lie and that such a thing explained very well how Minos had gotten the support of a level 99 Spiritual Demigod.


    As for Darren, no one cared much about a beast at that level around Maximillian. He was the least of these people''s worries, and this living ''mummy'' could easily explain his origin.


    "That... How? Why?" The Supreme Pontiff finally asked, deciding to believe that this man was an ancient member of the Church.


    "About that..."

 Chapter 1682 Revelation

    ?


    "I was hurt back there. I tried to obtain hard-to-get things hastily and foolishly. This gave me serious injuries that could only be recovered with many years of rest.


    At the time, I had the time array with me and decided not to return to lose to Maximus. I decided to take my chances and stay in the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus for a while. I just didn''t expect that no one from my faction would return to free me.


    I clearly left warnings and various methods of locating myself." Maximillian spoke mournfully, though he was not sad about how it all turned out.


    In the end, he had won, and Maximus was dead!


    People in the surrounding area heard that story and believed Maximillian.


    His case was extraordinary, and probably no one there could repeat what he had done. But Maximillian Flamen knew many things about the Church and had unmistakable techniques and ways of fighting.


    Once he showed them such things, any doubt would be removed!


    These people knew that, eventually, he would have to show his skills because he had kidnapped people from the Travisani family. So they decided to believe him for the moment to confirm his identity in the future through methods less aggressive to themselves.


    But a level 98 elder asked. "Why did you kidnap these men? Are you aware of the current configuration of the Central Continent?"


    "Yes, young Minos and his people have helped me with the most ordinary matters about the current reality of the continent. But I will need more detailed information from you...


    In any case, these men were in the Black Plain Empire to torment young Minos for freeing me. Then as I promised to protect him from the Demigods, I stopped them from acting in Dry City.


    Now I still continue with them because I don''t know how best to use them, haha."


    Since he had been surprised by Duncan, Maximillian decided to improvise and follow the plan of turning this man into his ally before taking the Church for himself.


    In his view, it would be more work to do things this way, but he felt it would be better this way because he would not have to engage in mortal battle with so many experts from the Church and the empire.


    He was not afraid of these people. On the contrary, the worry about losing powerful men who would be on his side once he started his wars of conquest kept him from fighting there.


    To avoid unnecessary rancor and loss of experts, he decided not to fight!


    This caused the animosities in the surrounding area to diminish, making room even for some of the weaker Demigods in the city to approach that place and observe the situation more closely.


    The Supreme Pontiff then said. "You should release Vico''s heir. I don''t like to say this, but that man is stronger than I am.


    Even with this weapon in your hands, you will have difficulty facing him. So since he will discover your association with us, you had a better release this young man to avoid unnecessary friction."


    "Oh? Is this person that strong?" Maximillian was curious. "Would he be stronger than Maximus in my time?"


    The people in the surrounding area were silent, trying to compare the stories they had heard with what they knew about Vico.


    Duncan said. "I can''t tell, but they are probably very close regarding combat ability.


    Vico is a very intelligent man, and he has luck on his side. Because of his many qualities, he is one of the few level 99 Demigods today who has the death of 2 same-level experts on his record."


    There were few cultivators at that level, and they rarely met. Precisely because of this, it was infrequent for them to fight and even rarer for one to succeed in killing another.


    So any level 99 Demigod who had same-level expert deaths in their record would naturally be considered more powerful and risky to act against.


    He was the only one with such an impressive record in the entire Central Continent!


    Maximillian kept this information in his mind, noting that although the continent was currently weaker, there were still those who could hinder his plans.


    "I will keep that in mind. I still have to get better up to speed on life in contemporary times, so I''ll keep them with me for a while longer. In any case, I doubt that releasing them will save us from trouble.


    I had to kill a man from the Eastern Empire to protect the location of the island where the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus is."


    "What?"


    "That..."


    "That''s terrible!"


    People in the surrounding area commented among themselves as the heir to the Eastern Empire clenched his fists, lamenting the loss of his state.


    ''So the elder Daniel died...'' He closed his eyes in anger at being so weak and being in this passive situation at the hands of this enemy.


    Duncan didn''t like this information either, becoming a bit altered due to the sudden worry that came over him.


    "What do you intend to do to protect the Church from this? That will certainly bring trouble for all of us." The Supreme Pontiff said.


    Maximillian spread his arms and laughed, looking at the people in the surrounding area. "We have three level 99 cultivators here. Why fear Vico Travisani? If he wants war, let''s show him his place!


    My friend Darren and I are not afraid to fight him!"


    Darren swallowed its saliva, not liking having its name used like that.


    It liked battles and even more liked the possibility of devouring the bodies of powerful experts. But after hearing how monstrous Vico was, it would rather not get involved in a fight against this human.


    In all its thousands of years, it had heard very few times about beings capable of killing other level 99 experts!


    ''Shit! I''m traveling next to a damned lunatic!''


    "Anyway, I would like a place to rest after my recent trip," Maximillian said to Duncan, changing the tone of the conversation.


    That man felt he couldn''t solve anything at that moment, so he didn''t insist on continuing this dialogue.


    With a movement of his hands, he made one of his subordinates appear there to guide Maximillian.


    "Guide the ancestor Maximillian Flamen through the temple. Arrange a suitable place for a figure of his caliber."


    As the elders in the surrounding area dispersed, worried and with much to talk about, Maximillian and his group followed that subordinate of the Supreme Pontiff.


    In their descent into the capital of the Evergreen Empire, the leader of the Blood Triangle Pirates approached them, intent on presenting his plans to this man.


    "Ancestor, this here is named Norman Lynch. I am part of a group previously searching for your map to free you!"


    ...

 Chapter 1683 Maximillians Plan

    ?


    Previously, Emperor Evergreen was intent on not finding and rescuing Maximillian since no one would believe this man was still alive. The opposite of this, the goal of the one behind the Blood Triangle Pirates was to obtain the body of this Demigod and use it to his advantage.


    Within the Spiritual Church, specifically in the Emperor Evergreen faction, there was a member with an innate ability that allowed her to use corpses to create warriors almost as strong as the owners of those corpses.


    Maximillian was a monster who had reached near peak cultivation and had an ability everyone thought would preserve his body. So his body was valuable and, if found, could become a great weapon for the emperor of this state.


    Norman knew this, but upon finding out that this man was alive, he cleverly put those plans aside and pretended that his group''s goal was to free him from that sarcophagus.


    Maximillian listened to the words of that level 90 Demigod and watched him with interest. "And why didn''t you guys free me?"


    Norman made a bad expression and said. "That''s the fault of that damned Minos Stuart! He had the map in hand and hid it from us, ancestor! If not for that, we would have freed you many years ago!"


    "Is that so?"


    "Yes! I even went to the Black Plain to teach Minos a lesson some time ago and make him accept the mission to discover the map and deliver it to us. Still, the worm refused and severely wounded some of my men!" He said, feeling that Maximillian would take his side.


    But upon hearing those words, Maximillian laughed ridiculously, for the first time in his long life hearing that a Spiritual Saint had defeated a Spiritual Demigod.


    Norman was complaining while Minos survived and did things his way... Emperor Stuart had clearly beaten the fool who was now trying to talk now!


    So Maximillian said. "Little Norman, I am interested in meeting your group but don''t ever repeat that joke again. Did you try to pressure Minos? Do you have the nerve to say that? You should be ashamed of yourself!


    I will also forgive your insolence in acting against the person who freed me, but you never think of raising your hands against him again. Minos has my protection, and if you act against him, I will end your miserable life."


    Darren looked at that level 90 Demigod and felt empathy for him, for Minos had tricked it even though it was at level 99...


    But the subordinate of the Supreme Pontiff heard that and liked it, for it showed that even though Maximillian was a troublesome individual, he was also able to follow through on promises and knew how not to get involved in unnecessary matters.


    He ended the Blood Triangle Pirates'' grudge against Minos in a single remark!


    Norman was embarrassed, but in front of this man who was even stronger than his boss, the Evergreen Emperor, he bowed his head and said. "Thanks for the tip, ancestor."


    Maximillian then looked at Duncan''s subordinate and said. "I have no further need of your services. Return to your master. I will stay with little Norman''s group."


    "As you wish." That level 93 man left immediately, leaving Maximillian''s group for Norman to guide through this place.


    "Little Norman, take me to your group''s headquarters. I will stay there temporarily."


    Norman nodded and quickly directed this specialist to the headquarters of the Blood Triangle Pirates, where there were also members of the Emperor''s faction in addition to those pirates part of that force.


    In this place, he would soon meet the woman who was supposed to control his corpse with her abilities, who was not happy to discover that he was still alive.


    But she would not show her feelings and would follow along with other high-ranking members of the emperor''s faction at the meeting starting after Maximillian arrives in this city.


    Norman commanded that meeting, revealing to Maximillian the interests of the Evergreen Emperor.


    "Ancestor, this group was formed by His Imperial Majesty to free you from the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus. We didn''t know if you were alive, but if you were, we wanted to follow the plans that you had before you went to that place.


    To continue the development of the Church over the Central Continent and unify those lands under the rule of a powerful Supreme Pontiff, as the ancestor would be in that position!"


    After Norman''s beautiful words, Maximillian looked at the people in the surrounding area, curious to know whether or not all of this was true. At any rate, even if it weren''t, with him there now, these people would have no choice but to go along with this new position.


    "How would we do that? The Church already has a powerful Supreme Pontiff these days..." He said, waiting to hear the plan of these people.


    One of the high-level Cardinals of the Church there said. "That is true, but Supreme Pontiff Duncan Evergreen will soon reach the end of his life.


    Then he will have to go into seclusion to try to advance in rank, and his position will become vacant. That will be the moment when the ancestor can take the leadership of the Church for yourself!


    Currently, there is a dispute going on about this position. Still, with the ancestor''s arrival, no one will contest your appointment. Even those competing will have to agree to your leadership!"


    Maximillian liked what he heard and asked. "But the Supreme Pontiff can advance and become a God..."


    "That''s unlikely." Another high-level Demigod said. "The Supreme Pontiff was unlucky that the Church''s field of Divine medicines did not have a single one of them near maturity when he reached his peak level 8,000 years ago.


    One of those medicines will even mature in the next 100 years. Still, it is unlikely that he will be successful in advancing a stage with it since he is very near the end of his life."


    "Oh? So a Divine-grade medicine from our Spatial Kingdom will mature soon?" This man''s eyes sparkled as Darren swallowed its saliva, thinking that this would be its chance to become a God!


    ''That''s perfect!" Maximillian lost it. "To absorb a medicine of that caliber, a cultivator has to prepare for years. Then I''ll use the time to establish my dominance over the Church, and when he''s about to begin absorption, I''ll kill him and absorb the medicinal power instead!''


    Divine Medicines were so fantastic that they could be absorbed by anyone in the vicinity of the one who ingested it.


    The one who ingested it would have a better chance of advancing with it, but if they were killed, another person who tried to receive that extreme amount of energy and laws had a chance of advancing to level 100!


    Through this, Maximillian intended to resolve this situation and become another Spiritual Church God!

 Chapter 1684 Predicting The Future

    ?


    While Maximillian was at the headquarters of the Blood Triangle Pirates, Minos'' allies in the eastern and central parts of the continent were reacting to the recent news.


    Blackrock, Albano, and Rosser were more confident than ever in the future of the Black Plain Empire, more certain about the wormhole ports that would connect their states very soon.


    Amid this, the Flaming Empire was not in a very different situation, with the local powers slowly realizing that even with so much pressure on them, Minos still had cards up his sleeve to play.


    At this crucial moment, something important to him had finally been decided after years of delay!


    ...


    In Payton, Isabella was standing in front of her father, going through an official ceremony at this very moment.


    After years of her experience of almost becoming the empress of this empire, the Church had finished the process to fully return the position to Emperor Edwardstone.


    From this day forward, she would only be an heiress and no longer have many responsibilities keeping her away from Minos!


    Also, Harold had already agreed to give his daughter to Minos, and the two were expected to marry once she was free of her responsibilities to the Flaming Empire.


    Because of this, this young redhead could soon arrange her marriage with Minos and make her position as Emperor Stuart''s fourth wife official.


    "Very well, Isabella, as of today, you will become second in line of succession to the Flaming Empire," Harold said as his empress stood not far from him in that imperial throne room.


    She had a big smile while her two hands rested on her belly, which was much larger than normal.


    Isabella looked at her second mother and smiled, even happier than the empress for this pregnancy that had come about a few months ago and had made everything easier for her.


    The whole empire was already aware that Harold would have his first child in a few years!


    When Minos had shown how much support his empire had, Harold finally decided to release his daughter to go and live on the Black Plain.


    "I hope you have a happy life on the Black Plain, but come visit your family occasionally. Your brother will certainly need your assistance in the future." This red-haired man said as he finished that ceremony.


    "I will come whenever possible, Father." She said, thrilled as she would gain a brother but much more eager to go to the Black Plain to join Minos and the Stuart family.


    ...


    While the Edwardstone family was celebrating Isabella''s departure ceremony, the group of descendants of the Goddess of Life''s relatives had seen enough of Dry City to make up their minds.


    They had only stayed a short time in this city, but as Spiritual Sages, this short time was enough for them to conclude that this place was promising.


    Not only were the services already close to reaching a level relevant to Spiritual Sages, but the training grounds in this city were also excellent, providing training areas suitable for even 9th-stage cultivators.


    At the same time, this state had regular production of high-grade crystals and good relations with various powers on the continent, which is important for future local development.


    Yet, given its northernmost position, far away from the most powerful empires, this place was in a privileged position for those who wanted to stay away from conflicts.


    In particular, these people were already aware of the meeting of Vico, Henry, and Willow, so hiding in the Black Plain Empire didn''t seem so bad anymore.


    The option beyond that was to fight Minos and flee to the Divine Continent. Still, neither part of that alternative seemed easy.


    Traveling to the Divine Continent would have many dangers and disadvantages, but fighting Minos seemed more complicated than they thought.


    From the rumors they had heard locally, Minos had even faced a Demigod and managed to escape, having injured mid- and high-level Spiritual Sages that day.


    If such a rumor were true, they would even have trouble facing him!


    Thinking about all these points and how joining Minos could give them better benefits than ordinary citizens had, those nobles returned to the imperial palace to give their answer to him.


    "Are we really going to join this Minos?" The level 81 woman, the current matriarch of that family, asked her companions, who had voted in favor of them joining the Stuart Emperor.


    "That is the best way for us to go..." The level 83 woman commented.


    The level 80 nobleman said. "Minos will undoubtedly become a Spiritual Sage, sister. At that time, he will be even stronger than he is now and will have advantages in negotiations with us.


    So isn''t it better to settle with him now that he is not so strong and get a better deal for us? I see no problem in lending my forces to this state. This place doesn''t look bad, and we need a home."


    That woman couldn''t go against those words and stayed silent, even though she didn''t like having to make a deal with someone who manipulated them.


    The level 85 man said nothing to them, feeling they had better not continue alone through this world now that things would become chaotic further south on the continent.


    "Soon, the Black Plain Empire may become an area of calm for those fleeing the war. This will favor local trade and bring people even stronger than us here.


    Whoever arrives first will be able to take better advantage of the opportunities that will arise and be part of the force that will have the best chance to grow in the coming decades." He analyzed the situation, showing his leader the advantages of going with this plan.


    This man had studied how the Black Plain had grown so much and seen that the recent past had great chances of repeating itself in the coming decades.


    If that were the case, it would become much more difficult for Spiritual Sages to join Minos in the future, just as had happened to Spiritual Kings previously.


    In the past, Spiritual Kings had great ease in joining the local army, but currently, someone like that had to pass through several barriers to enter these forces.


    No one with that kind of cultivation strength could join Minos by invitation!


    Feeling that this would be repeated in the future, this man encouraged those nobles to go ahead with these plans!


    "Very well, let''s see how Minos will welcome us into his organization." Still in doubt, that woman sighed before they finally entered the imperial throne hall.


    ...

 Chapter 1685 New Members Of The Black Plain Army

    ?


    When they arrived in front of Minos, those four stopped in front of the other members of their group so that the emperor could easily notice that there were 17 people there.


    Minos knew they wished to meet him a few minutes ago, so he got right to the point upon seeing them there. "Well? Have you decided to join my forces?"


    The level 85 man made a common gesture for people subordinating themselves to others and said it aloud. "Yes, Your Majesty. We are here to pledge eternal loyalty to you if the conditions are not abusive."


    Minos liked what he heard, while his imperial guards in the surrounding area smiled, feeling that their strength would significantly improve with all these high-level Spiritual Sages and Spiritual Saints.


    Most in the group of these distant relatives of the Goddess of Life were Spiritual Sages, but some of them were Spiritual Saints.


    This was not their entire group. Somewhere, the weakest, the children and elders of this family were hiding.


    But since their enemies only wanted the heads of the nobles in the group, the weaker ones had been left in a safe place while they fled with the stronger ones.


    That''s why there were only 17 people there, even though these people had their younger or older relatives still alive.


    Minos said. "As long as you are good and loyal to me, you will have a home to call your own and people to fight by your side, protect you and even take revenge.


    In exchange for your loyalty and service, I will give you opportunities for cultivation and protection.


    I will arm you with the best artifacts whenever possible, and I promise to take as many of you as I can to the 10th stage!"


    "If that is the case, we agree to subordinate ourselves to Your Majesty Minos Stuart." That man said, feeling that those words were enough for them to go through with it.


    They would sign Soul Contracts eventually. But for now, Minos'' promises were good enough for them to follow through with this agreement.


    They all bent their knees to Minos and took their oaths.


    After half an hour, Minos had already heard the names of each of these men and women, getting 11 Spiritual Sages between levels 80 and 85 and 6 Spiritual Saints between levels 78 and 79.


    Because of this, he smiled in a satisfied manner as he spoke, "We will expedite the papers for you to sign. Only after that can I begin to offer you the best opportunities on my wings.


    However, you can now be considered my subordinates, so tell me more about your situation. I am eager to get to know more about you and find out how to help you."


    The level 80 young man stepped forward and said. "Your Majesty, our family has been declining for the past 100,000 years. Because of this, we had to change our surname once again during this period, and the surname of the Goddess of Life today only exists in our memories.


    Before this, we had already suffered other problems that caused us to lose important members and permanently weakened our family. But eventually, we managed to get rid of those problems.


    However, today we are still pursued by the same enemies that made us change our name last time.


    This is the royal house of the Veora Kingdom, the Veora family!"


    The level 83 woman continued what this fellow had been saying. "About 100,000 years ago, one of our ancestors found something valuable to that family and hid it for future enjoyment.


    Unfortunately, that drew the will of that family to us, and even without that item, we were hunted and chased by them for all that time.


    That ancestor died before he could pass on where he had hidden it to us, so none of us know where he hid it.


    In this situation, many of us died without having anything to talk about, and many others were forced to disperse around the world, losing contact with the core of our family.


    After all this period, our family has become weaker, and even though our ancestors have wrought our demise, there are still those from the Veora family who still seek us out."


    "Oh? You have such a history?" Minos took an interest in that. "But if your mortal enemies are members of the Veora family, why were you still around those lands? If I were in your place, I would have fled the Central Continent long ago."


    That woman nodded, agreeing with Minos. "The rest of our family did that. They currently live in a small tribe elsewhere, in an area where humans can live in peace.


    But the strongest among us decided to take an alternative path. Many of our relatives have died over the past 100,000 years, and we can''t just stand still!"


    The level 81 woman said. "We were in the lands of our enemies, for despite the danger of being there, that is where the item hidden by our ancestor is.


    Since they hurt us so badly for something we don''t even have, we are committed to finding such a thing and using it against the cursed Veora family!"


    "What is this item about?" Minos asked.


    The level 85 man looked at him in silence for a moment and answered in place of those nobles. "That should be one of the idols of the Veora family. According to the legends, this family has three sacred items that can collect something called Faith Power and use that to facilitate the cultivation of Demigods.


    We know that this family only has 2 of these idols currently, so the third one must be the one that the ancestor hid."


    Minos knew how the Faith Power worked, so upon hearing this, he was pleased to hear that one of his subordinates knew about the possible location of one of these.


    Although magnificent, this kind of power was difficult to convert into real power. There were a few methods used to do this, but they were all secret, and few in the Spiritual World had relevant information about them.


    Even Henricus Longus hadn''t left much knowledge about this to Minos since it was still under development in his period.


    The Faith Power had only been discovered with the appearance of the Gods, but Henricus Longus had been the first human to achieve this feat.


    As such, Minos lacked an item that could be used to collect this kind of power!


    Even though it was possible to use faith without such a thing, having such an item was much better. So he decided to help them in this quest!


    "Very well, I will help you with this, as long as I can use this item in the future..."

 Chapter 1686 Temporary Retreat

    ?


    Hearing that, those distant relatives of the Goddess of Life''s family saw no problem since they themselves could not use such a thing.


    Faith Power was only created through the worship of known figures. But they were totally unknown to 99.9% of the Spiritual World, while Minos had billions of people who depended on him.


    In this case, it made perfect sense to let Emperor Stuart use such a thing if he would help them collect it and get in the way of the Veora family.


    "That''s not a problem for us." The group leader looked at her companions and agreed after seeing them nod in the affirmative.


    Minos smiled and said. "Very well, now that I know about your history and dangers related to your people, we can plan things together. However, for the moment, we are weak and have more urgent problems to solve.


    Therefore, I ask you to hold on to your revenge for a while longer. We will pursue this matter in the future when both my empire and you are stronger."


    Those people did not expect to achieve their goal in a short time, nor that Minos would get stronger quickly, so they already expected that they would have to spend some time in this empire without getting involved with their desire for revenge.


    This would also be good for hiding their tracks, so none of them complained about Minos'' words.


    With that settled, their group would soon disperse into Dry City to get to know the place better and wait for the low-level grade-4 spiritual judges Minos would request from the Flowers Kingdom.


    Only people of that level could confirm a Soul Contract between him and these people, and no one else close to Minos had professionals like that other than those women.


    So it would take a few days before they could learn about the Black Plain Empire''s most important secrets and matters.


    But there were many things they could be involved in right away!


    ...


    While the descendants of the Goddess of Life''s family were beginning to integrate into Minos'' forces, the Veora Kingdom royal family envoys were camped near the Black Plain Empire''s core.


    Earlier, a group of high-level Spiritual Saints had been dispatched by one of the princes of that state to Dry City with orders to offer aid to this state.


    The interest of that member of the royalty was to hinder the advance of the Spiritual Church in the northern region and make it difficult for this enemy group to collect faith power in that area.


    However, while this group was traveling, its members ran into a problem. The news of Minos'' return alongside two level 99 Spiritual Demigods!


    This was no small thing, and a state like theirs that didn''t even have level 97 Demigods couldn''t casually take a chance on someone connected to such strong people!


    As such, this group had stopped their journey towards Dry City days ago and was waiting for a return from their sovereign to know how to proceed.


    Meanwhile, they were camping in the Cromwell region, waiting peacefully.


    But this wait would not last long!


    On this day, a message finally reached them!


    "Come on, people, let''s return to the kingdom." Their leader said right after reading the prince''s words.


    "What? Are we really giving up?"


    "We have no choice. A level 99 Demigods are involved with this state, and from recent news, the western region may face a calamity soon.


    His Majesty himself is calling back all the family members, so His Highness has decided to back off from his plans for the Black Plain Empire for the time being." That man said, feeling that this would be better.


    The situation on the continent was getting strange with Henry and Vico''s movements and the arrival of Maximillian and Darren. As such, in times of uncertainty, the best thing to do would be to shut down and not get involved with the unknown!


    Those men in this group felt a bit frustrated but soon understood that this retreat was for their family''s own good.


    With this, they would soon gather their things and return to the west!


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the Snow region...


    In this area commanded by the Snow family, where in recent times various external powers had been interfering in the local situation, the Supreme Pontiff''s disciple was in an outpost of the Church in this area.


    Forrest, level 92, had come to this state weeks ago to provide his assistance after he met with Minos.


    While Emperor Stuart and Gloria were missing from the Black Plain Empire, Forrest had spent his time at this outpost near the east coast of the Black Plain Empire, where many experts passed through every week.


    This was not a good place for a Spiritual Demigod like him to stay for long, as it was very poor in many ways. But with his mission to approach Minos peacefully and the passage of many experts through there, this was the best place for him to wait.


    Experts from all over the Central Continent were passing through this place to go to Elves Island, so he could at least take advantage of the situation to make contacts.


    But in his wait here, he had heard about Minos'' unexpected ally and more about this person''s connection to the Spiritual Church!


    ...


    "What? Maximillian Flamen is still alive? How is that possible?" He asked one of his subordinates, who had just brought this information to him.


    "It seems that his innate ability was better than we thought..." That woman dressed in silver robes said this to the handsome man before her. "In any case, the Supreme Pontiff is calling you back, Cardinal Howell. The core of the Church will be meeting in the next few days to talk about the future."


    Forrest clenched his fists as he heard this, uncertain about what would happen from now on with this gigantic variable that had just emerged.


    It had been a long time since the Church had had two level 99 cultivators in its ranks at the same time, so thinking about this present situation, this disciple of Duncan couldn''t help but worry.


    "What about Minos?" He asked.


    "The Supreme Pontiff didn''t quote Minos, but from what I''ve heard from other factions, everyone will back off their pressure towards his and Matriarch Gloria Frost''s group.


    As talented as they are, their potential is no match for Maximillian''s power. So as long as there is uncertainty about him, I judge that none of the major factions will pursue their pressures against the faction of these two."


    "Sigh... This is terrible. All our plans are already being disrupted!" He said but decided to follow that recommendation.


    Following that conversation, he would soon depart back to the Evergreen Empire.

 Chapter 1687 Consequence: Peace!

    ?


    Due to the uncertainties concerning Maximillian and his companion, Darren, each of the most powerful factions of the Spiritual Church would retreat from their moves against Minos and Gloria''s group over the next few days.


    Even the most vigorous faction against Minos and Gloria, Prince Calvert''s group, would move their attention away from the Black Plain Empire, dropping their plans regarding them and calling their men back to the Evergreen Empire.


    Other powers of the Central Continent were also stopping paying attention to Minos'' empire to turn their attention to Maximillian and his emergence in the capital of the Evergreen Empire.


    With 2 level 99 Demigods emerging on the continent and their strange actions, no one had time to pay attention to a young Spiritual Saint anymore.


    As such, Minos would soon find himself in a perfect situation where even if Maximillian had not sworn to protect his state, he would still benefit from releasing him from his slumber!


    The very presence of this man on the Central Continent would be enough to drive almost all the problems of the current Black Plain away!


    Peace and opportunities for growth would finally return to this state without the pressures that had been hindering them in recent years!


    ...


    As the continent''s attention moved from the Black Plain Empire to the Evergreen Empire, Isabella arrived in Dry City after departing from Payton.


    Upon arriving there, she immediately met Minos and solved each other''s longing in their own special way...


    After the warm meeting of the two, they met with the rest of the family to deal with this woman''s situation, who, from now on, would join this family permanently.


    "So you are finally free of your responsibilities?" Gloria asked Isabella, already resigned to the situation she was in.


    She didn''t like more women joining their family, but Isabella had already been with Minos for several years, and she, Abby, and Ruth already expected that sooner or later, she would marry him.


    Considering the power of Minos currently and the situation of the Black Plain Empire and the Flaming Empire, it was already expected that this would happen in a short time.


    Isabella replied with a smile on her face. "Yes, from now on, I no longer have to keep returning to the empire. I will only make periodic visits, but I don''t plan to return to Payton before the birth of my little brother."


    "Hmm, that''s good. We will finally be able to live without any more problems and without having to hide the truth." Ruth said.


    While Isabella was in Dry City in the past, they always had to be careful when going to and from the Spatial Kingdom, as well as having to justify their absences constantly.


    This was something that could be done, but it irritated those who every time had to follow various protocols so as not to create suspicion.


    With her upcoming marriage to Minos, the rest of the family could stop lying to her soon!


    "Uh? What are you talking about?" Isabella wondered at that.


    "You''ll understand this soon enough," Abby said. "We won''t go into details for now, but there are things you will discover when your loyalty is only to Minos and no one else."


    Minos smiled at her and said. "Don''t think too much about it. Certain secrets can only be known by those not very committed... Anyway, we are getting married in the next few months, so you will understand that soon enough."


    Isabella was more curious after those words, but since she would find out when her marriage was confirmed to Minos, she didn''t insist on them talking about it at the moment.


    So she changed the subject. "But I''m impressed with the ally you got... How did you do it?"


    Minos smiled and said. "I was lucky. By all means, make no mistake. It benefits me in the short term, but there are future dangers that will also be associated with it.


    So it''s too early for us to say whether this was as good as everyone thinks at the moment."


    "What does that mean?" She grew more serious.


    "I believe that the entire continent will face grand challenges very soon. Our state is safe in the short term, but we can''t say anything for the future.


    The current headwinds may lead us toward a calamity far worse than our situation before Maximillian returns." Minos said, knowing that only time would tell if his desperate act of following the map of the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus had been correct.


    But he had no regrets. What was done could not be undone, and at least for now, he could become stronger to face future challenges.


    That was already the best scenario he could have for this moment!


    As for future problems, it was better to face them further ahead than now!


    "I see... I hope everything ends well." She said, still on the outside of Minos and his family''s greatest fears.


    "Anyway, I have something to do now. Are you going to accompany me, or will you stick around?" Minos stood up from the couch in his living room, intending to do something he had been putting aside since arriving in Dry City.


    "What is it?" Isabella asked as Minos'' three other women watched him curiously.


    "While I was traveling recently, I got the corpse of a level 85 beast. I intend to bury it in the Brown region, near the main spiritual root of that area.


    That corpse will help raise the quality of that area for Spiritual Emperors to develop locally without having to come to the core empire." He said, improving his expression and showing a nice smile.


    Hearing that, Isabella became interested in following him, while Abby and Gloria decided to stay in Dry City, minding their own business.


    "I''ll go with you," Ruth said after those two decided to stay in Dry City.


    With that decided, Minos, Isabella, and Ruth would soon depart the empire''s capital towards the Brown area, this area that had developed considerably in recent years.


    Not only was the Brown area one of the closest to the empire''s core, but it had also been the first to be forced under Minos'' rule when he created the assembly of this area in his expansionist move years ago.


    Because of that act, Minos invested much more than usual in that area and generated good development of the territory still commanded by the Brown family.


    Yet, even with the improvements it had undergone over the years, the Brown area was still not rich in spiritual energy, and the area''s Spiritual Emperors had all advanced in level to the core of the empire.


    But that was close to changing with this move by Minos!

 Chapter 1688 Brown Family Situation

    ?


    After some time since leaving Dry City, Minos, and his women arrived in the City of the Setting Sun, the main city of the Brown area.


    In this place where the local assembly was, but which was also where the spiritual root of this area was closest, Minos and his women appeared about this place, drawing the attention of the local observers.


    The first to notice something was the members of the Black Plain Army stationed in that city to maintain local security. But soon, the Spiritual Emperors of the local forces noticed the sovereign''s arrival and moved to welcome him.


    "Your Majesty, welcome back to the City of the Setting Sun!" A group of Brown family guards said loudly while making gestures appropriate for the situation.


    "Hmm, this place looks like it has been well taken care of over the years... Your family hasn''t done a bad job of managing this area for me." Minos commented as he looked at the surroundings and saw streets and buildings of similar quality to those in Dry City.


    Of course, there were differences, but they were mainly in the strength of the population and consequent ''luster'' that such a place had less than the empire''s capital. But even so, this city differed greatly from the one he had left decades ago when he was only 15 years old.


    In some ways, the central city in the Brown area now looked more like the Dry City of 20 years ago than the place Minos had left behind when he had just begun his cultivation journey.


    Ruth and Isabella paid attention to these details and nodded their heads, seeing that Minos'' development had also already affected places outside the area affected by the Dry City spiritual root.


    Many corpses of enemies had been buried around the Black Plain Empire over the past decades. Because of this, the entire empire could be considered of better quality than the old northern region, with more areas with a good density of spiritual energy and laws.


    But compared to the core of the empire, the other areas, except for Vogel, still paled in comparison to the region where Dry City was located.


    "We have much to improve, Your Majesty." The main guard of that group said this, smiling as he showed the way to Minos. "Your Majesty wishes to see Their Excellencies Raynard and Diana?"


    Minos nodded, feeling that it did him good to let those who administered that area for him know what he would do there.


    Raynard was the son of King Brown, the first major enemy Minos had faced on his journey. As for Diana, this was his older sister, who had left the sect she belonged to in the Flaming Empire to return to her family.


    Currently, she was at level 66, while her brother was at level 63, both having advanced quite a bit despite their less impressive talents and resources than those of Minos and his people.


    Both still remembered how Minos had ended their father''s life and ended the long history of the Brown Kingdom. But nowadays, both of them no longer harbored any resentment, for Minos belonged to a level they could not even dream of.


    It was also because of him that they had come so far in cultivation and still had room for growth. So even though they still remembered that he had once been an enemy, they had both come to terms with it and no longer wished for revenge.


    Time had passed, and life had moved on. Diana had married a new subordinate of her family after the creation of the local assembly, and Raynard had even gained his first child.


    King Brown''s widow had not married another person, but after years since his death, she had gained a new light with the birth of her first grandchild.


    Due to the recent history of the Brown family, when Minos, Ruth, and Isabella came to them, none showed resentment in their eyes and expressions.


    "Your Majesties, Your Highness..." They prostrated to Minos, Ruth, and Isabella, eager to know what this rare occasion was all about.


    Minos rarely visited their domains since becoming a Spiritual Saint.


    Usually, the ones who did this sort of thing were his most trusted imperial guards, high-ranking soldiers, and, most recently, Sarah.


    So seeing him there after more than seven years without seeing this impressive fellow, everyone there was curious about the reason for this visit.


    Minos smiled and got straight to the point. "Members of the Brown family, I am here to give you a gift today.


    As the first area I developed after my state''s expansion, I will bury a corpse of a Spiritual Sage near the local spiritual root today.


    With this corpse, the spiritual energy density of this area should rise a bit in a few years and facilitate the cultivation of Spiritual Emperors.


    After these years, I hope that Spiritual Kings will be able to advance their stage even without leaving this area of Brown and be able to reach level 69 without any problems living here."


    With these beautiful words from Minos, each of the members of this family showed smiles on their faces, feeling that such a thing would help them greatly.


    "Your Majesty is truly magnanimous!" Diana thanked him in front of everyone, feeling this would help her immensely, something perfect for her family.


    "Thank you for choosing us, Your Majesty!"


    After some thanks and swearing from those people, Minos said. "If anyone here would like to observe, please accompany me. I will bury that body to the south of the city."


    They left the local government center right after that, while some nobles from that area of Brown, members of the assembly, followed them at a distance.


    The Brown area was like many others around the empire. The only Saints were men directly subordinate to Minos, members of his army, government, the faction of the Church, or the Gray Clouds Sect.


    No nobles native to the northern region from outside the central part of the empire had reached the 8th stage.


    As such, only low and mid-level Spiritual Emperors followed Minos'' movements in this city, accompanying him and his women digging and burying the body of a gigantic beast.


    Some would shiver just to see the corpse of such a strong creature, noting the combat proficiency that Minos had reached.


    Such was the case with Misty, the former wife of a victim of Minos, who had gone from hating him to worshiping and even submitting to him, even though having married the leader of the Snow region.


    Misty was currently at level 64, but still, she couldn''t help but shudder at feeling the power of that corpse.


    Gulp!


    ''Minos fought such a strong creature?'' She wondered as she felt a little excited, missing the last time she had been intimate with the emperor...

 Chapter 1689 Peace For The Empire

    ?


    After all these years, Minos'' touch had still been the one that had stirred Misty the most, even though she had become Ambrose Snow''s wife and had even already conceived the birth of two heirs to that man.


    Unfortunately for her, the years living in Snow''s area had taken her away from Minos, and the few times she had been with him sexually were many years old.


    Seeing him as she passed through that area to do business, she couldn''t help but feel part of herself longing for that man, getting wet even as she felt fear of that creature''s corpse.


    But even with such feelings, her excitement was so much more, as she was confident that that beast had been killed by that man who had already dominated her in bed more than a dozen times.


    She continued to watch him from afar and squeezed her thighs with her hands but without the courage to approach.


    Misty had been an enemy of Minos in the past, not a friend who could casually approach him whenever she wanted. As such, without him calling her, she would not go to him, even though she wanted him so badly.


    As she thought about him, about how she would touch herself later thinking about her sovereign, Minos had noticed the presence of everyone in the vicinity but had not bothered.


    After a few minutes of work alongside Ruth and Isabella, they finished burying the corpse of that beast.


    "All right, don''t mess with this area. In a few years, you will notice the results of this action.


    Notify me of the development of this." He said as he looked at Diana and Raymond, preparing to leave.


    ...


    A few days later...


    After Minos and those two women returned to Dry City, it wasn''t long before Sista''s group sought him out to talk about their queen''s decision.


    After days in this city, they finally had an answer to their previous conversations.


    Queen Sista already knew about Maximillian''s situation and that this man would side with the Spiritual Church. At the same time, she had Minos'' answers and his potential in mind.


    With all this, she had concluded that there was only one way forward now!


    "Your Majesty Minos Stuart, my mother has decided to continue our partnership for now." The Third Prince of Sista informed Minos with a smiling expression on his face. "We will reassess this in 10 years, so until then, we can exchange information and move forward with what had been previously talked about."


    "Oh?" Minos smiled, noting that his daughter was right.


    Queen Sista had decided not to stand against him nor to be with him permanently without knowing more about the future.


    Minos saw no problem with that and said. "That''s good. I hope we can work well together in the next decade."


    "Hmmm."


    "For the rest, I am sure we will renew our vows in another ten years."


    The prince said nothing more, and after some of his bodyguards informed him of some details of what would happen from now on, they departed.


    From now on, they would stay in Sista indefinitely, waiting for the chaotic times approaching in their western region!


    With their departure, Minos had all recent matters settled, and now it remained for the Flowers Kingdom group to come to his state to confirm his agreements with the Spiritual Sages, who were relatives of the Goddess of Life, for him to continue developing amidst his temporary peace.


    As he stood alone in his throne room, Minos had a serious look on his face as he sat in the most important position in the area.


    ''That is the peace that comes before a great storm... After that period, I am sure that the threat that Henricus Longus expected will hit us!''


    "I hope to be ready when that time comes!"


    ...


    Another week passed...


    While the Black Plain Empire was experiencing its best time in many years, with peace, little pressure on the local forces, and plenty of room to grow, a group from the Flowers Kingdom reached that state.


    This group was led by one of Minos'' rivals from years ago, his second opponent in that kingdom, whom he had defeated to free his grandfather.


    Bridget Mcbride!


    Currently, the third in the line of succession of the Flowers Kingdom was at level 80, having advanced a stage after the years that had passed since Minos'' departure.


    Upon hearing about Minos'' request, she departed from her state alongside the spiritual judge who would confirm the agreement of Minos and the Spiritual Sages descended from the relatives of the Goddess of Life.


    She had not weakened after her terrifying defeat of him. On the contrary, she had overcome that and used such a thing to make herself even stronger, having achieved two breakthroughs in these few years.


    Upon arriving in the capital of the Black Plain Empire, she didn''t bother to get to know the place and was soon standing in front of Minos, seeing this former opponent.


    "Minos, you have become more handsome, haha. Too bad I couldn''t acquire your genes." She said while massaging her big belly.


    Minos was standing next to Abby at the moment, and they both looked with narrowed eyes at that belly.


    "You''re pregnant, huh?" He said in a low voice. "Poor fellow..."


    "Tsk! He was fortunate to pass on his genes to me, Minos. Our daughter will be a great warrior." She said, not bothered by the looks on these people''s faces. "Unfortunately, he died after our ceremony..."


    "It''s a shame..." Minos commented before changing the subject. "Anyway, thank you for bringing a grade-4 spiritual judge with you. That will help me a lot."


    "Hmm, about that, my mother has some questions for you." Bridget became more serious. "Your sudden alliance with Maximillian Flamen has shocked us quite a bit. Can you explain to us what your relationship is with him? Do you know of his interests?"


    "I can''t speak for him. But I imagine that his plans are dangerous for those opposed to him. So I advise you not to stand against senior Maximillian.


    But none of this has anything to do with me. Our relationship comes down to the protection my state will have from him and how I freed him."


    "Freed him?"


    "Hmm, well, I guess there''s no point in hiding it. Soon everyone will find that out, so I''ll tell you, as long as you don''t go off talking about it." He said, then seeing Bridget indicate that she would keep this information to those high up in her family.


    "I released him from the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus. He is Maximillian Flamen, Pope Maximus'' rival."


    ...

 Chapter 1690 The Expansion Of Glorias Faction

    ?


    After hearing Minos explain how he met Maximillian and got the support of this level 99 Demigod, Bridget was shocked to the core.


    But she didn''t doubt Minos, as she couldn''t find another explanation for this man getting the support of someone so strong and why such a person seemed to get along so well with the Church.


    Her state had information about what was happening in the Evergreen Empire, so by connecting Minos'' information with things she already knew, this princess understood his words as true.


    "I don''t know what to say... This seems so unreal." She muttered as she looked into Minos'' brown eyes.


    Minos smiled and said. "You can''t imagine my shock when I released him... Anyway, this is the reality, and now Maximillian is among us again.


    I cannot speak of his plans, for I do not know myself. All I can say is what I have heard through his story, but you must already know more than I do."


    She nodded at him, figuring that if Maximillian followed his old plans, the continent would face hard times soon.


    ''No wonder the forces in the western region are moving! They knew what was happening before everyone else and are moving to protect themselves from Maximillian Flamen''s expansionist interests!''


    She looked at the ground as she thought, trying to understand the position of the Flowers Kingdom under these circumstances.


    ''We are not enemies of the Evergreen Empire, nor of the Church. We have good relations with those powers. But we are not part of their territory.'' She wondered, fearing that Maximillian was going to target her family somehow. ''This is bad. I must warn my mother as soon as possible!''


    "Very well, I''ll leave Lady Ulva with you now. I hope you confirm those Soul Contracts as soon as possible." Bridget said as she nodded to the spiritual judge she had brought with her.


    Right after saying those words, she left the imperial throne hall, going to send Minos'' answers to Hannah Mcbride.


    Minos and his people were not bothered by Bridget''s agitated manner. Soon the emperor ordered his men to call back to the capital all the Spiritual Sages from the group of descendants of the Goddess of Life''s family.


    Minos had already signed the agreements with the Spiritual Saints of that group using high-level grade-3 spiritual judges, so the Spiritual Sages were the ones left for this.


    ...


    While Bridget was sending her information to the Flowers Kingdom and Minos was moving forward with strengthening his forces, Gloria was at the Dry City Temple.


    At this regional headquarters of the Spiritual Church, she was with her subordinates and faction allies receiving a group that had just arrived in Dry City from the Evergreen Empire.


    After her subordinates used their connection with the women of the Flowers Kingdom, they managed to start conversations with medium and small factions of the Church.


    Because of this, for the past few days, groups from the Evergreen Empire, Blackrock, and the Flaming Empire had been arriving in Dry City to negotiate with her.


    Not all Church factions were in the Evergreen Empire. Some of them existed in smaller places like Blackrock.


    Even though Blackrock and the Flaming Empire were areas already influenced by Minos, not all of the Church groups in those states were allied with Gloria and her husband''s faction.


    Because of this reality, there was still room for them to expand in these places!


    Gloria had recently met people from two factions in these states and reached merger agreements with them.


    According to these agreements, she would receive the members of these factions into her group and give relevant positions to the leaders of these factions, as well as guarantee resources and possibilities of ascension to them.


    These were smaller factions than hers, so she had easily gotten these agreements.


    But today, she was facing a group from the Evergreen Empire. This group was a bit stronger than her own, with low-level Spiritual Sages in charge of that faction.


    As such, today''s negotiation would not be as easy as the ones she had been through recently.


    "Natives of the Evergreen Empire, welcome to my city. I hope the journey here has been comfortable." Gloria said to the people sitting on the other side of a long oval table, smiling.


    The people in the group opposite Gloria smiled back at her while their leader, a blond, young-looking, level 83 man, said. "The trip was very pleasant, Matriarch Gloria Frost. The Black Plain Empire is well-organized and has beautiful scenery."


    "Hmm, it gets easy to travel here with the current configuration of the continent, haha." A woman from that group said. "His Majesty has over half the continent under his influence, so there is virtually no opposition to those with interests favorable to him in those areas."


    If all the domains of Minos and his allied states were counted, he had over 7 billion people on his side and just over 55% of the land in the Central Continent.


    The Evergreen Empire bordered the Flaming Empire, so for these Church members who had left their state''s capital, they had pretty much only traveled through the domains of Minos.


    Thus, their journey to this city had been smooth and quick!


    Gloria smiled at them and got right to the point of the conversation. "Hmm, I am pleased to hear that. Anyway, I would like to know more about your faction''s interests. What do you aim to achieve? And more importantly, where would my faction come into your plans?"


    Those people grew more serious at those words, and soon one of them answered Gloria''s questions.


    "Our interest is to become a high-level faction within the Church. Today we have average influence and have 30 Church posts on our side, as well as over a thousand members.


    However, one day we want to reach hundreds of posts and numbers of members up to 10 times greater than today''s."


    "Through this, one day we will reach enough to be influential even in important decisions like choosing a new Supreme Pontiff." One of the two women in that group said.


    They had no intention of one of them becoming the leader of the Church or of their faction choosing that leader. They were too far off the level to think about that and didn''t have the support that Gloria had to think she could achieve such a thing.


    Their goal was simpler, although some of them thought that if one day everything worked out, their descendants would have the chance to have that dream.


    ...

 Chapter 1691 Making Agreements

    ?


    The leader of that faction then said. "Your faction has a lot of room to grow. So if we ally now, we can help you gain more influence within the Church with less difficulty and, in return, reap the fruits of that once the Black Plain Empire becomes stronger."


    "So my group is an opportunity for yours? Do you intend to help us now so we can help you in the future?" Gloria asked.


    "You can see it this way." That man nodded positively.


    Another person in that group, a bald but young-looking man, said. "We can see it as one hand washing the other. Our faction has connections with several smaller church groups that we can direct to your side.


    You could easily gain alliances that way and even manage to absorb some of these groups.


    We also have access to information that your group may not have, things that just numbers and cultivation levels are not enough to achieve certain paraments."


    A black-haired woman added. "We have some authorizations that your group could take decades to get if no one tries to make things difficult for you. So we can use that to help you at this time that you don''t have such a thing yet in exchange for future support."


    "And what would that support look like exactly?" One of Gloria''s allies in her faction, level 79, asked.


    The group leader looked at that woman from Vogel''s post and said. "There are several ways to support a group within the Church.


    The point of factions is to control the power of the Church. This is done through appointments to relevant positions, administration of territories, etc.


    For the moment, your group only has influence by being part of the Black Plain Empire and having members with much potential. But one day, you will become more actively involved in Church politics and get positions within the Church that will give you more power.


    That''s what interests us most!"


    A Church member could pursue a career within that organization. One day they would be young disciples, but one day they could become elders.


    Depending on their contacts, talents, and merits, this person could reach a position that would give them rights and powers over others, such as the possibility of giving recommendations.


    They could appoint someone to observe an area or manage a group of outposts in the Church, which would put the appointee directly in touch with many resources.


    This would benefit the appointee, so those who reached these positions would also benefit in return for these appointees.


    In short, all that mattered was the resources one could obtain, and a group like Gloria''s had great potential to become influential and be able to appoint people to relevant positions within the Church.


    These people judged that as promising as the Black Plain Empire was, they had a better chance of advancing with Church resources. So what interested them most was not the resources of this state but the influence it could achieve to appoint positions within the Church.


    Gloria understood what these people wanted and didn''t mind because no gratuitous favors existed in the cultivation world. One would always want to benefit from the other, so saying this openly was best.


    Pretending to want to help another without exposing one''s interest in receiving future benefits was a mistake that would only make everything more difficult. So hearing from these people that they wanted to exchange favors, she was more than satisfied.


    "That can be done. Obviously, I won''t promise what kind of indications I can make in the future. It will all depend on what we can achieve and what has been made possible because of your support." She said as the group on the other side enjoyed what they were hearing.


    ...


    A few days passed after Gloria''s agreement with that other Church group.


    In the meantime, she confirmed her agreements with that and other groups that came to Dry City during the period, gaining important support for the future.


    Her faction was growing in numbers and influence, something that would not change so much in the short term but had the potential to transform the power relations of that faction in the future.


    On the other hand, Minos had confirmed his Soul Contracts with the previous Spiritual Sages, having already introduced them to the Spatial Kingdom and determined their functions.


    Some would cultivate in that shrine to become stronger for the sake of the empire''s future. But others would position themselves around that state to maintain the imperial family''s presence in all the cities with local assemblies.


    In addition, some had to stay to protect Dry City, and others would join Oswald in developing the network of local wormhole ports.


    And so, as the church visitors returned to their posts and Bridget''s group was already away from this state, slowly, the empire began its journey of peace and development that would lie ahead.


    ...


    For the next few months, nothing troublesome would arise to torment the lives of the local leaders, allowing Minos and his family a peaceful period that would extend indefinitely.


    But eventually, the day of the imperial wedding of Minos and Isabella would come, a feast long awaited by the local powers and those of the Flaming Empire.


    Then, amidst ever-increasing continental tension, the day of Minos'' wedding would arrive, with high-level Spiritual Saints and low-level Spiritual Sages from different parts of the continent coming to Dry City.


    On the eve of Minos'' wedding, leaders from more than 50 organizations were already in Dry City when a level 72 winged tigress landed at one of the entrances to this capital city with a young red-haired woman on her back.


    This beauty had Gloria''s hair and Minos''s eyes and soul cultivation at level 57.


    This was Emperor Stuart''s eldest daughter, Sarah, who had just returned from weeks of travel outside the capital!


    "Your Highness, you were almost late. The wedding will take place in a few hours!" One of the imperial guards in charge of Sarah shouted this when he saw her, feeling relieved that she was not late for the wedding.


    "I know that," Sarah said while having a not-so-happy expression on her face.


    She had grown used to the idea that her father had several women, but she didn''t like the idea of having her free time disrupted by a wedding...


    In any case, she was afraid her father would punish her, so she returned to Dry City at short notice.


    "How are the preparations going? What about the guests? Have they arrived yet?" She asked as she climbed down from Maida.


    Even though she didn''t like being interrupted, she was looking forward to seeing some relatives and friends again, so since she had to go through the wedding anyway, she decided to take advantage of the situation.


    "Everyone is already in the city..."


    She continued walking towards the interior of the capital as she listened to that man''s words.

 Chapter 1692 Reunions

    ?


    In the imperial palace of Dry City...


    Many nobles of the empire could be seen in the corridors of the first level of the local government headquarters, from those directly subordinate to Minos to those more distant.


    Lee and Alison were there with their family, as well as Peter and Mia, many of them taking the opportunity to see again people they hadn''t seen in years.


    With the development of the Black Plain, some of Minos'' most trusted people had spread throughout the empire to take care of state affairs.


    Because of this, some of them had not seen each other for years, and on this occasion, they couldn''t help but greet their old friends and companions who had walked the journey here with them in the most difficult times.


    Old Joey saw Peter, Barbara, Milton, and Robin again, the people he had met during the time of slavery they had spent together.


    Old Joey was currently at level 65, while Milton, who had come to the Black Plain only later, was at level 67. As for Robin, Peter, and Barbara, these three were younger and had been at Minos'' side longer, so they were all already Spiritual Saints.


    Barbara was at level 74, and Robin was at level 72. As for Peter, he had recently advanced to level 74.


    While these old acquaintances were encountering, some were beside their spouses, some alone, but many groups were meetings like this in other corners of the imperial palace.


    Elen, Elena, and Eduard, those natives of the Stone Island who had been at Minos'' side the longest and had more recently been living apart, met again in one of the palace''s courtyards, smiling as they saw each other again.


    Elena was one level below these other two, while Elen and Eduard were at level 73.


    "Eduard, I heard that you got married. Is that true?" Elena looked at Elen''s former bodyguard, interested in this rumor she had recently heard.


    That member of the Imperial Guard, a force separate from the army and whose sole purpose was to protect the imperial family, smiled and said. "It''s true. I had the grace to meet my wife in Albano..."


    They continued to chat, while in another part of the imperial palace, Abby''s parents played Kendrick while she finished preparing for the wedding of Minos and Isabella.


    "Your family is getting bigger once again, hein..." Mona, currently at level 70, said, joking with her friend as she helped her get ready.


    Abby, still at level 75, smiled as she saw the meaning in Mona''s eyes, who was telling her that she didn''t expect to see this family increasing in this way.


    Given Minos'' luck in making children, she and others close to the Stuart family were already hoping that another baby would come into the world to increase the size of this imperial household.


    To Minos'' wives, they were not so lucky. But from other people''s point of view, the emperor already having two children under the age of 50 was an impressive achievement!


    She then said. "The chances of the family getting bigger will increase exponentially now..."


    Abby''s father, Eliot, level 73, didn''t like hearing these details and made an ugly expression, imagining that his daughter was saying she and Minos were trying much.


    But Nicole, level 72, understood that differently and said. "Haha, with Isabella coming and the peace ahead of us, I''m sure more babies will be crawling around this palace soon."


    She looked at Kendrick and said. "What do you think of that, little Ken? Do you want to have more siblings?"


    "Uh? Will my father make more children?" He asked, still not knowing where babies came from and why his parents needed to make more. "But doesn''t he already have the big sister and me?"


    "To strengthen the family, little one," Eliot said, teaching his grandson the importance of family. "A family can only be truly powerful if its most important members carry the same lineage.


    Otherwise, any mishap can destabilize an ill-founded home.


    So it is your parents'' duty to have as many children as possible so that you can maintain the family''s power in the future."


    "So the big sister and I will also have to procreate?" He asked, still curious about how to do that.


    "Right, when you find people you love, you will help your family by making children, and one day they will do the same." Eliot ran one of his hands over his grandson''s head. "But you don''t have to worry about that for now, haha."


    ...


    While Kendrick was learning the importance of a big family and having more siblings, Sarah entered the imperial palace as everyone greeted her.


    "Your Highness, you look more beautiful than ever..."


    A few nobles of similar age to Sarah tried to approach her, but she quickly ignored them, going to where her grandfathers and aunts were.


    Given how large the Black Plain Empire had become and those involved in today''s ceremony, even Gloria''s parents had left the Temple of Payton to come to this wedding.


    So, soon after arriving at her family''s residence, Sarah saw both sides of her family interacting in a large living room.


    Her great-grandparents, Oswald and Patience, were in that place, both still at levels 80 and 79. At the same time, Maisie and Angelica were next to them, one at level 79 and the other at level 76.


    They were talking to Margot and Joseph, Gloria''s mother at level 78 and her father at 79.


    Next to them, Emperor Edwardstone and his two wives were there too, looking forward to Isabella''s wedding.


    With the Spiritual Sage of the Gray Clouds Sect taking care of the Flaming Empire, Harold had made time to come to this momentous occasion in Dry City.


    His wives wouldn''t miss Isabella''s wedding either, so they were by his side, smiling and looking more beautiful than ever in their best dresses.


    "Haha, Oswald, you look much better with that new look." Emperor Edwardstone said to this former vassal, seeing him for the first time since the advancement of Minos'' grandfather to the 9th stage.


    "That''s nothing! I''m just getting started, my friend." Oswald said, smiling in satisfaction at his current position. "But you should see the others from the Gray Clouds Sect. Two more of us have advanced to the 9th stage and experienced even better improvements than mine..."


    While they were talking, Sarah walked into that place and went over to her family members to hug them after being away for so long.


    "Grandparents!"

 Chapter 1693 Converging Intentions

    ?


    While the strongest of the family were in the residence of Minos and their wives, nobles from all over the northern region were in the vicinity of the first level of the imperial palace.


    There, the leaders of the assemblies from each of Minos'' territories, from Vogel, the Snow area, and Stone Island, were standing around, chatting as they awaited the moment for the wedding to begin.


    The brothers of the Stone family were around while Lorelei could not attend this ceremony, as she was leading the empire''s efforts for the maritime expansion of the Black Plain.


    But former King Stone and his younger brother were around, both at level 68, a level weaker than their sister.


    They were in a circle of regional leaders, where Adam Snow and Ambrose Snow, both at level 66, stood next to former King Carline and his two wives, all of them at level 65.


    But Raynard, Diana, and the Cromwell area leader were not mixed with these other regional nobles since, after the development of the Black Plains War of Independence, their families had moved far apart from each other.


    They even did business with each other but avoided each other for other things!


    The members of the Walker family, former sovereign of the Kingdom of Waves, were also around. Still, their members were talking to the distant relatives of the Goddess of Life, with whom they had been interacting a lot in recent months.


    In this reunion atmosphere, Rosser, Albano, and Blackrock sovereigns were also around, observing the situation while laughing about the recent past.


    Only a few years ago, they were enemies of various people in the surrounding area, patriarchs of families, and sect masters of the Flaming Empire.


    But in such a short time, everything had changed, and they were all now partying under the same roof, all on Minos'' account.


    And seeing the amount of Spiritual Sages in the surrounding area, more than 10, counting the relatives of the Goddess of Life, the members of the Gray Clouds Sect, and the Edwardstone family, some of these leaders were silent, seeing fate.


    ''It looks like the Black Plain Empire really is the future.'' The King of Blackrock, level 79, thought to himself, thinking about the current tense situation in the rest of the continent.


    As the leader of a state that bordered the Evergreen Empire, he was one of the most worried in this place about the future, fearful about what could happen if the southern and western regions started a war.


    If that happened, his capital city, which was close to the border with the Evergreen Empire, would be in great danger!


    Noting how the Black Plain Empire seemed to be the only place on the continent that was currently calm, this leader couldn''t help but consider whether this was the future for him and his people.


    "We may have to associate with the Black Plain Empire more deeply in the future." He commented to his men as he saw the many cheerful people in the surrounding area eating and drinking.


    "Your Majesty, what do you mean?" The man closest to King Blackrock asked, frowning at the possibility behind his sovereign''s words.


    That man said. "I''m not talking about us becoming part of the empire like the ancient states in the northern region did. But we can become an autonomous kingdom of the Black Plain Empire, less free than we are now, but without as many ties as those northern region territories."


    "That..."


    Minos'' other allied sovereigns also had similar thoughts in mind, not for the same reasons but with the same consequences.


    "I didn''t imagine that would be so useful..." While holding the medallion that Minos had given her years ago, Iris West commented to Lulu and Joan.


    That would entitle her to an application to this empire, so considering that Minos currently had mid-level Spiritual Sages on his side, this woman couldn''t help but smile in satisfaction that she had accepted the deal from that time.


    "What do you intend to do?" One of her daughters asked.


    "I don''t think our eastern region will face any major problems because of the situation of the major powers on the continent. But it would help us a lot if we could get a high-level expert from the empire to protect us in case of need..." Queen West said.


    Lulu asked. "You want to use this to get one of Minos'' Spiritual Sages? I doubt he will leave someone like that with us for long periods."


    Iris smiled, shaking her head negatively. "I''m not going to ask for that. I want Albano to become a subordinate kingdom to the Black Plain, which has its independence but will pay taxes in exchange for benefits.


    That way, we can get protection and access to some Black Plain resources and markets more easily."


    "So that''s it..."


    ...


    Meanwhile, Dillian and Eda, one at level 73 and the other at 72 were standing next to Minos, helping him prepare for yet another such occasion.


    "Your Majesty, you look very handsome. I''m sure Isabella will be very happy when she sees you later." Eda said as her husband finished helping Minos button his clothes.


    Now and then, Dillian still offered his services as a butler to Minos, helping this young man he had practically raised since childhood.


    Precisely because he had been with this man since the beginning of everything, this man had an extremely happy look on his face, as if he were his own son who was about to be married once again.


    "This time, you will marry a princess, so this will open new doors for the family in the future, Your Majesty." He said as he called attention to this matter.


    "Hmm, I don''t intend to take over the Flaming Empire, but when I have a son with Isabella, he will naturally have rights to that state." He said, imagining that even if Harold and his future heir still commanded that place in the future, it would be done by observing a possible son of his with Isabella.


    But he didn''t intend to force anything. As much as he had his expansionist interests, with those already under his influence, Minos did not intend to force them but rather hoped they would ask to join his empire.


    ...


    While he was talking this over with Dillian and Eda, Ruth and Gloria were with Isabella in another part of the palace, finishing helping this new harem sister of theirs.


    "Ready?" Ruth asked that level 77 woman.


    Isabella was blushing, her eyes watering, but still, she smiled and said. "Yes, more than ever."


    "So shall we go then?" Gloria asked, showing one of her hands to help Isabella.


    Harold and Isabella''s mother was already outside that room waiting for her, so right after getting up, Isabella went towards them to start this unique moment in her life!

 Chapter 1694 The State Of The Continent

    ?


    After a few moments, the wedding of Minos and Isabella unfolded, with the bride being led down the aisle by Harold while the groom waited for her along with Patriarch Frost and the groomsmen and bridesmaids of the wedding.


    Abby, Ruth, and Gloria also attended the ceremony, as this was no ordinary wedding but the union of an emperor with a princess in a family that followed polygamy.


    After the bride arrived, the future husband and wife would exchange vows and receive the seraph''s blessing in front of hundreds of people important to the empire.


    After the groom kissed the bride, the post-ceremony celebrations would take up the rest of the day until Minos and Isabella would leave for their honeymoon, where only the two of them would be together to enjoy themselves for the next few days.


    Some participants in this historic moment for the empire would remain in the capital after their departure, for there were many opportunities for conversation with so many local and regional leaders.


    But many others would return to their towns soon after the departure of those two, happy for Minos and Isabella but more interested in returning home to take care of their own problems.


    In the midst of this, Minos and Isabella would have fun in the Spatial Kingdom for the next three days, with her finding out about what she didn''t already know but focusing on using as much time with him as possible to get pregnant...


    ...


    While things were going well for the Black Plain Empire, the rest of the continent was experiencing the tension of war and its problems.


    When a war was about to start, the powers that would be involved in the conflict prepared themselves by calling back their men, reducing external interactions, and also some of their consumption and sale of resources.


    With this came the recession, lack of products, and the increase in the cost of various services.


    Because of the expectation of a war starting soon, even states less related to what might start soon were already suffering.


    In the last few months since Maximillian''s resurgence on the continent, this man had fully updated himself on modern times, gained support within the Church, and begun to revise his plans for expansion.


    The old plans needed to be adjusted to the current conditions on the continent, so he had been doing this alongside the men from the Blood Triangle Pirates group and Emperor Evergreen''s faction.


    But several things had happened in the meantime, even though the war had not yet begun.


    With his update on the situation on the continent, Maximillian had communicated with Vico regarding the Crown Prince of the Eastern Empire and his bodyguards.


    He had not freed those three, but he had assured Vico that their safety was guaranteed as long as their forces did not dare to leave the domains of their own state.


    But even though that ancient man had not freed those three, a fight between Maximillian and Vico had not yet taken place.


    Besides the relationship between these two, several continental powers were already positioning themselves in favor of one side and against the other, leaving few neutral states left on the continent at the moment.


    The Flowers Kingdom had accepted Minos'' recommendations, and after several conversations with Maximillian''s group, Queen Mcbride had taken a position in favor of this man''s group.


    Her status was between the Eastern Empire and the Western Empire. Still, he had always been closer to the Church than to the Travisani family. So Hannah had chosen those she had more affinity with to avoid being neutral between two enemies who might soon use her territory as a battleground.


    Amid this, the Supreme Pontiff of the Spiritual Church was yet to make a stand, not knowing how to stop the conflict between Maximillian and Vico.


    Duncan did not agree with the plans of this Church ancestor. Still, against someone so powerful and who already had a group of followers to support him, his powers were limited.


    Even elders outside the Emperor Evergreen faction liked Maximillian''s expansionist ideas, so for someone near the end of his life, preventing this impending conflict had been very difficult for Duncan.


    The more tempers flared, the more difficult it became to stop it from happening as more and more powers came out in favor or against, further encouraging each party to take matters into their own hands.


    Thus, this man had been having headaches trying to extend peace over the continent as much as possible while everyone around him seemed to think only of war.


    But while Vico and Maximillian were estranged and Duncan was stressing himself out in search of peace, Emperor Quinn was worried about the chaotic future that might come from the North Sea.


    Maximillian''s situation worried him, and he had been paying attention to it, preparing himself for the war that might start in a few more years. But with each passing day, he believed more in Minos and Grant''s concerns.


    After months of investigating the situation in the North Sea, this man had lost some subordinates dead in that area, and others were missing.


    Even a Spiritual Demigod was missing after entering that region to investigate!


    This emperor had not received any update from his men sent to the North Sea, so he had been suffering from the thought that powerful forces were gathering at that remote point.


    With Grant''s absurd ideas and the concern that even Minos had about the future of the continent in that area, Henry had reached a point where he had no more doubts about the danger of that area.


    He had already informed his companions in the western region about these concerns and had even warned Vico about the risk of the prophesied catastrophe coming from that region to the north.


    Unfortunately, his ideas seemed absurd, even though he was so powerful and had used the deaths and disappearances of his investigators.


    Everyone was more concerned about the Maximillian threat and felt nothing in the North Sea could threaten them more than this peak cultivator.


    At most, what was in the North Sea was at level 99. Otherwise, the entire Spiritual World would be aware of such a thing.


    Therefore, even with a level 98 man worrying, the powers of the western region had not taken his feelings seriously and were leaving him alone regarding investigations and actions in the North Sea.


    In this way, the Central Continent was approaching its worst crisis in a long time. At the same time, some feared the uncertain future to the north, others wished and feared war, and a few experienced a temporary peace that no one knew how long it would last.


    Amidst this, each power was moving around thinking the best for itself!

 Chapter 1695 Contrary To The Orders Of The Ancestor

    ?


    While things were tense in the Central Continent, the group of beings sent by one of the leaders of the City of a Thousand Races that Minos had passed had finally reached their goal.


    After months of traveling, the group of sea beasts arrived in the Divine Continent and made their way to the area they had been appointed.


    In that place, they investigated the whereabouts of the distant relatives of Henricus Longus and finally found this group hours ago!


    After millions of years, since this man passed through the Spiritual World, his family still lingered!


    Upon arriving at the headquarters of the current Longus family, that group of underwater beings soon got permission to enter this headquarters hidden among a great forest.


    Being guided by half-breed Spiritual Sages, the envoys from the City of a Thousand Races couldn''t help but notice this relevant fact.


    ''It seems the Longus family has mixed with land beast races...'' One of the sea beasts in this group looked at the hybrid bodies of those men guiding them.


    ''Even powerful families would subject themselves to that? I highly doubt it. This was probably a desperate way out to maintain their own power.'' One of them thought, imagining that the Longus family had faced great problems and allowed part of their members to mix their bloodline with beings of other races.


    Even as a beast, these newly arrived creatures in this forest did not see mixing races as a positive and could not help but see this place negatively.


    None of them would say anything, but they all felt a particular disgust toward the descendants of that powerful man.


    ''Tsk! Would senior Henricus Longus accept that?''


    Amidst the prejudiced thoughts of some of those underwater beings, the man leading them stopped in front of a tree that had a trunk so thick that they could not see its limits.


    "The elder who will receive you is inside that tree. Please come in." He indicated where there was a door, surprising those beasts.


    If one did not look very carefully, one would not be able to see that there was a door in that trunk!


    Those beasts passed by and were soon inside what looked like a huge estate, where, by the quality of the decorative furniture, there could only be one of the most important members of this group.


    "So you came from the City of a Thousand Races, huh?" A voice reached the ears of these beasts, who were watching the surroundings with interest.


    Upon hearing that, they all looked up, sensing this voice had come from there.


    They only saw the ceiling but knew the one who had spoken was waiting for them on another building floor.


    They quickly walked up to the 5th floor of this property, arriving at a cultivation area where only one man was waiting for them, sitting on the ground in a lotus position.


    "You are searching for my family because of the ancestor Giordano Longus?" This meditating man with closed eyes asked, surprising those beasts by quickly identifying what this was about.


    The leader of those beasts observed this level 91 Demigod for a few moments, noting that he was a human with no racial mixtures, so he was silent for a few moments.


    ''It seems that not everyone used race mixing...'' He thought before answering. "Yes, that is the reason for our visit."


    "Did someone appear in the City of the Thousand Races of the Ancestral Sea and manage to turn the key of the ancestor Henricus Longus?"


    "Yes, someone did, but we don''t know who." That beast said, wanting to ask that man what had happened to this family but knowing it was none of its business. "Anyway, we are here to warn you about it, just as we have promised in the past.


    Someone turned the key left by senior Henricus Longus a few months ago. We don''t know what happened to him afterward, as it wasn''t our responsibility to identify him and bring him to you."


    That man opened his eyes, knowing this was not part of the old agreement between these beasts and his family.


    But since he was aware of some important facts concerning the emergence of this person who could turn such a key, he couldn''t help but become more serious.


    ''That person has the Spatial Kingdom and the best resources that the ancestor left behind to prepare us for the worst.'' He thought about it, feeling this was the alternative for his family to recover.


    After millions of years since the end of Henricus Longus'' journey in the Spiritual World, the Longus family had not had another God and decayed over the last million years.


    They still had Spiritual Demigods, but these experts were all low-level.


    They had only been able to preserve their powers because they had run away from trouble twice in the last million years and still allowed part of the family to mix their genes with that of beast races.


    This allowed them to protect some of their powers and live better in the Divine Continent. Still, it had also taken away some possibilities.


    After so long, the Spatial Kingdom that Henricus Longus had left to them had been totally exhausted and no longer existed today.


    Spatial Kingdoms needed to be taken care of, undergo repairs, and not have their full potential used up for long periods. There was a limit to the number of people that could live in such a place, and at least level 99 Demigods had to repair their structures every thousand years.


    The Longus family had faced problems that had caused them to exceed the limits of their Spatial Kingdom, something that had killed that place more than 500,000 years ago.


    As such, this family no longer had access to a cultivation sanctuary, nor did they have plantations of valuable medicines.


    Hearing about the emergence of Henricus Longus'' final heir, that high-ranking elder of the Longus family couldn''t help but think this could be the salvation of his house!


    ''That person must not be powerful... If we can get close to him and take his Spatial Kingdom, we can strengthen ourselves for the hard times approaching!''


    He knew that if Minos had appeared, the threat to the Spiritual World prophesied by Henricus Longus was close to happening. But he felt that their chances would be much better if his people led the way instead of following their ancestor''s chosen one.


    So even though he knew the last wishes of Henricus Longus, this elder intended to go against the orders of that God!


    "Very well, thank you for the information, envoys from the City of a Thousand Races. When we can, we will send gifts to your leaders." He said as he stood up, satisfied.


    ''That person will probably seek us out only when he is stronger... Then we''d better start investigating him right away!''

 Chapter 1696 Invisible Conflict

    ?


    A few days after Minos and Isabella''s wedding...


    After Minos and Isabella''s honeymoon ended, the two returned to Dry City, allowing the high-level Spiritual Saints cultivating in that place to return alongside the Elite Squad and the Stuart family beasts.


    Kyla and Emlyn had taken advantage of the last few days to move through the Black Plain Empire and have fun while reconnecting with beasts they had not seen in a long time.


    The two had been spending more and more time within the Spatial Kingdom due to their current cultivation levels, which demanded more and more of their time cultivating for them to advance.


    The mother was currently at level 75, while the daughter was at level 73.


    Thus, in the days that only Minos and Isabella were in the Spatial Kingdom, they rotated the northern region of the Central Continent before returning to Dry City that morning to return to their home.


    After Minos'' return, he sent all those people back to train in the Spatial Kingdom while turning his attention to the rest of his family and the affairs of the state.


    Upon sending those people to the Spatial Kingdom, he and Isabella met with Abby, Ruth, and Gloria for a family breakfast before starting their official business.


    But even at breakfast, official business came up the dining table of the emperor''s residence.


    "Minos, I managed a few more deals in the days when you were with Isabella. So now our faction is even stronger." Gloria said with a beautiful smile on her face, delighted with the changes in the winds in her family''s favor.


    In the past few months, her and Minos'' faction had nearly tripled in strength, doubled in membership, and reached at least six alliance agreements with factions of similar size to theirs.


    All told, they already had at their disposal half the area of influence of a major Church faction, something impressive for a group that had been born a few decades ago.


    At the same time, with the temporary inattention of the larger Church groups to what Gloria and Minos were doing, they now had an easier time in virtually all their actions.


    Moving resources and personnel between Church outposts affiliated with them had never been easier, and their faction members were more relaxed than ever about their situation.


    Many had several questions in mind before and only stayed in their group because of the resources they received, something they were unlikely to get in other factions. But now, with peace on the Black Plain, each of these members of their faction was twice as sure that this group was the future.


    No one in this group, apart from Minos and Gloria, imagined that one day they would wish to vie for the position of Supreme Pontiff of the Church, but many believed that they would one day become big enough that the previous pressure would no longer bother them.


    Because of this, too, the numbers of this faction had improved so much recently, even considering that the mergers had not been enough to justify all this advancement.


    "Oh? That sounds promising." Minos smiled upon hearing that. "With more support and the recent mergers, members of the Church without a faction will probably join us more easily."


    "Yes, the number of new members of our group who have never been part of a faction has been increasing," Gloria stated.


    Then Ruth added. "The number of migrations to the empire has also increased in the last few days."


    Abby shook her head and said. "With the tension between the southern and western regions and the empire''s distance from those areas, people from all over the continent were starting to migrate here.


    These are still low numbers, but in the days when you two were in the Spatial Kingdom, over 50,000 people from Sista, Mairin, Lusmait, Veora Kingdom, Eastern Empire, Western Empire, Flowers Kingdom, and Evergreen Empire entered our domain.


    Most of them are Spiritual Saints or weaker, but these movements indicate that we may face a large migration of people from these lands to here very soon."


    Isabella heard that and was impressed, not expecting that so many people from these high-level states would come to the Black Plain Empire.


    Minos had expected something like that, so he was not impressed like Isabella.


    "That is as expected. When the war between Maximillian and Vico starts, millions of people from those states will migrate here." He said, feeling that he and his people would have to be careful even in peace.


    Receiving many foreign specialists at once had great potential for trouble. So while the war was not starting, he and his people had to prepare for the worst as soon as possible.


    When things got out of hand, even if the strongest people in this world didn''t keep an eye on them, they would still have a lot of trouble for their domains!


    The women of Minos agreed with him, eating and commenting on the subject, sometimes talking about what they should do and about the greatest danger points for the empire.


    ...


    While the imperial family of the Black Plain gathered, each group involved in the rising continental tensions was taking their due precautions for the times ahead.


    Wars and conflicts of the magnitude of what was about to happen in this state did not start suddenly.


    When states with billions of people were involved in any problem, even the action of a level 99 Demigod alone could not solve all the problems. He needed help to change the scheme of things, and as such, a lot had to be prepared.


    Armies needed to assemble, central forces had to move spiritual crystals in the right direction, and blacksmiths and array masters had to participate in the war effort to arm their states'' forces.


    A large-scale conflict took time, so even with Maximillian''s interests and knowledge of them by Vico''s group, nothing would happen in the short term.


    Both sides were focused on preparing for the chaotic future ahead of them, so at this stage, they were experiencing an invisible conflict, where each side was focused on what was happening in their territories and less on battles.


    So even in tension, these states lived a temporary peace, and their leaders did not fight but prepared themselves by arming their forces and forging new alliances.


    This would last for a while, but eventually, the time for armed conflict would come!

 Chapter 1697 Progress

    ?


    Another eight months passed in the blink of an eye!


    After this long period of tension between the western and southern regions, the Central Continent was still not experiencing an all-out war, but tempers were slowly reaching worrying levels.


    This was true for the southernmost part of the continent. However, in the north, things were going relatively well, with peace and development.


    Some new Spiritual Sages had appeared in this state during the intervening period, some men from the Gray Clouds Sect and other individuals part of the Goddess of Life family group.


    With these new 9th-stage experts, Minos had finally made the final exchanges regarding the Gray Clouds Sect, and now only 2 Spiritual Sages from that sect remained in the Flaming Empire.


    All the other sect members now lived in the Black Plain Empire.


    Due to these exchanges, there were now 3 Spiritual Sages in the Flaming Empire, the largest number in the entire history of this state!


    Other than this state of Isabella''s family, Blackrock and Albano had begun their integrations into the Black Plain Empire, and so in each of them, there were already two low-level Spiritual Sages to mark Minos'' territory.


    Rosser was lagging behind its former companions, so it was the only place still without the presence of 9th-stage cultivators to protect them.


    Luckily this state was between the Flaming Empire, Albano, Vogel, and the Cromwell area, each of these places already marked by Minos'' forces and with the presence of Spiritual Sages.


    But Rosser''s royal family was already moving to also integrate into the Black Plain Empire and become an autonomous kingdom of that state.


    In the midst of this, Dry City was receiving taxes from those two kingdoms already under its protection, which was helping the local forces to continue developing the outer areas of this state.


    The areas of End, Snow, Waves, Brown, Cromwell, and Stone Island needed a lot of investment, so any additions to the imperial government budget helped a lot.


    But in addition to these acquisitions regarding new accessions to the empire, the population as a whole was growing stronger.


    Most of the northern region''s more than 2 billion inhabitants were below 60. As such, in just eight months of peace and opportunity, many had improved their levels, some moving up a cultivation stage.


    Consequently, the quality of local services was increasing, which also generated better services to serve both the local natives and the immigrants that had been growing in numbers recently.


    Because of this, the whole state was developing rapidly, and the good news was arriving daily in the empire''s capital.


    There were problems, of course. Petty theft, property invasions, misunderstandings, you name it. But in a huge territory with a population in the billions, these incidents were a minority and did not worry the local forces.


    Therefore, the last few months have been much more positive than negative!


    But the good news did not only reach Dry City. Some of it originated right there, and it spread from this city to the entire empire.


    Just yesterday, news had left Dry City to the joy of the billions of local inhabitants.


    Emperor Minos Stuart had advanced and reached level 78 yesterday afternoon!


    ...


    At the imperial palace, Minos had already returned to his duties after his last few weeks in seclusion in the Spatial Kingdom.


    After his breakthrough, he returned to Dry City to spend some time fulfilling his duties with the empire and his family, so he was temporarily free of his cultivation.


    But Minos had celebrated the day before, for upon leaving his seclusion, he had discovered that Gloria had also advanced, having also reached level 78 in recent weeks.


    Ruth was still at level 76, and Abby had advanced to this level two months ago.


    Several high-ranking members of the Black Plain Army had also improved their cultivation while in the Spatial Kingdom or in Dry City, so Minos had celebrated the day before.


    Some were getting close to their cultivation limit. This was the case with the natives of the northern region, who didn''t have grand enough talents to go very far.


    But those who could go further were taking advantage of the opportunities and becoming stronger, contributing to the strengthening of Minos'' forces.


    Minos'' allies in Dry City were also striving to become stronger in the high-level cultivation rooms of that capital city.


    As an example, the Supreme Elder of the Edwardstone family had been cultivating diligently for the past few months, approaching his long-awaited breakthrough to the 9th stage of cultivation.


    Unfortunately, he had not yet reached level 80 and was still attempting his breakthrough in the main local cultivation room.


    In that place, the spiritual energy was violent, where not only high-level Spiritual Sages were cultivating, but even some Spiritual Sages were in the vicinity.


    Currently, there were more than 15 Spiritual Sages in the Black Plain Empire, and even if only 5 of them stayed in Dry City, one or two of them could always be seen in rooms like this.


    At the moment, there were two of these experts around. Therefore, the density of spiritual energy and laws there was higher than normal, something that facilitated the advancement of those close to achieving such a thing.


    Amidst this, the old supreme elder was meditating in a lotus position, circulating his cultivation technique while sweating intensely.


    He didn''t have much more time to advance, so he was slowly becoming more anxious about this advancement.


    As he forcefully tried to absorb the laws and spiritual energy in the surroundings, he felt his soul inflating in a different way and thought he was about to advance.


    But when he heard the cracking sound coming from his body, something that could indicate his breakthrough, he felt something he shouldn''t and changed the expression on his face.


    ''No...''


    That was all he could think before his strength rapidly decayed while his appearance worsened significantly.


    At the crucial moment of his advancement to the 9th stage, the Edwardstone family''s eldest man made a serious mistake and caused a cultivation deviation!


    Following this, the first of the catastrophes he would face arrived in the form of spiritual collapse!


    ...

 Chapter 1698 Spiritual Catastrophes

    ?


    When a person fails to advance a cultivation stage, they would naturally experience catastrophes that would decide their life and death.


    If they could endure the catastrophes, that person would live and perhaps even have a chance to try to advance in the future.


    This was what usually happened to those who faced a bottleneck for the first time and managed to come out of their failure in one piece, the normal thing to happen.


    After something like this happened, these people would become much more cautious in cultivation, so some would spend centuries at the same level, preparing to have the best conditions pre-advance.


    But if this person who had to deal with the catastrophes, which came in the same amount as the number of their cultivation stages, failed in at least one of them, everything was different.


    Failure in a single catastrophe meant that that person could never advance a stage even if their vitality weren''t injured.


    Failure in two could mean loss of power and permanent debilitation through spiritual and physical after-effects.


    Failure in three would mean that, if that person didn''t die, they would be left in a vegetative state with no possibility of improvement.


    Above that, death was certain even during the failed breakthrough attempt!


    The old supreme elder of the Edwardstone family was at this moment experiencing the first of his eight catastrophes, sensing the trouble he had gotten himself into.


    High-level cultivators were more cautious with their breakthroughs because they knew that the higher their cultivation, the more catastrophes ahead of them in failure, making it difficult for them to continue as cultivators.


    Low-level cultivators would hardly go through this, and if they did, they had a better chance of overcoming them due to the low number of cultivation stages.


    Therefore, that old man made an ugly expression as he sensed what was happening, fearing the problem before him.


    ''Damn it! My cultivation is too unstable!'' He noticed his soul power strangely varying so that he was barely able to use his powers.


    But he was only facing the first catastrophe, which meant that the next seven would be much more difficult, and his chances of overcoming them would be dramatically lower!


    Because of this fact, this man was already pale, in a cold sweat as he tried to control his powers to overcome this catastrophe.


    Amidst the despair of the supreme elder Edwardstone, the people cultivating in the surrounding area slowly realized what was happening.


    A cultivation failure was something difficult not to notice. When it happened, the spiritual fluctuations inside and outside of the one who had failed would become chaotic in a unique way, unmistakable to anyone minimally experienced.


    There were practically only people like this in that large cultivation room, so while the supreme elder Edwardstone was still facing his first catastrophe, the many cultivators there realized what was happening.


    The strongest ones opened their eyes and immediately looked toward that old man, noticing who was going through such a terrible situation.


    "Old Edwardstone?" One of the Spiritual Sages there frowned, seeing that old man who was already an expert in the Flaming Empire when he had been born!


    This 9th stage cultivator was a member of the Gray Clouds Sect, so seeing that man in such a situation, he felt terrible and said. "Warn His Majesty. Supreme Elder Edwardstone is at a critical moment. He could die any moment now!"


    The people in the surrounding area muttered things among themselves as they worried about the situation of this level 79 old man.


    Some didn''t know him, but they didn''t wish anything bad on him, even more so considering that he was a powerful cultivator by the standards of this state.


    If he were to advance, yet another Sage would emerge to support the empire!


    So his death would be costly, and even the coolest people there felt a little bad in this situation.


    Unfortunately, there was nothing they could do to help this old man.


    Spiritual catastrophes happened only to those who failed in their step advancement, and even a God could not interfere on the cultivator''s behalf.


    Only he could save himself, so everyone there watched the situation while keeping some distance from this old man.


    They couldn''t help him, but this age of cultivation could negatively affect people who got too close to him!


    While some were leaving from there to notify others of what was happening to the oldest elder of the Edwardstone family, this old man had made it through the first catastrophe and was already facing the second.


    Unfortunately for anyone in this situation, the catastrophes only got stronger as they progressed, so narrowly getting past the first was not something to be happy about. The opposite of this was a worrying sign!


    Gulp!


    ''Will I die here?'' He thought as he felt every muscle in his body changing shape due to the physical catastrophe.


    ''Damn it! Just when things were starting to get better for the empire... His Majesty is finally going to have a child.... Her Highness had gotten married... Just now, this had to happen?'' He thought, regretting that he had to go through this now.


    He was already old and would die before long. But if he hadn''t tried this breakthrough, he might live a few more decades and maybe even seen Isabella''s brother grow up, and this woman has a child with Minos.


    Thinking of Minos, this man couldn''t help but sigh, noting his repeated errors of judgment regarding this boy who had only helped the Flaming Empire over all these years.


    Even he had been helped by Minos!


    Thinking about this made him feel sadder, noting that he had been a grumpy old man in his last years and had left a bad impression on everyone.


    ''I hope my last few years on the Black Plain will erase that earlier history...'' He thought in his mind as he went through the second catastrophe.


    By the time this old man was getting to the third catastrophe, Minos, Isabella, Abby, Ruth, and Gloria arrived at that place after being notified.


    When they arrived there, they saw a dark fog covering parts of the body of the supreme elder Edwardstone while an expression of pain was on his little by little drier and thinner face.


    Gulp!


    Seeing this, Isabella wanted to come closer while the tears in her eyes were already flowing. But Minos stopped her, looking solemnly at that old man.


    "Isabella, you need to be strong now. The old supreme elder will not hold."


    Isabella heard that and felt as if she had been given a shock, becoming silent momentarily.


    Minos said in a low voice to her and his other women. "That dark fog is a sign of death. Unfortunately, there is no escape for him. The next catastrophe will bring him down!"


    ...

 Chapter 1699 Death Of An Expert

    ?


    As told by Minos, right after overcoming the third catastrophe, the supreme elder Edwardstone failed when facing the fourth, suffering a considerable rebound that seriously injured his body.


    With this failure, even if he overcame the next catastrophes, he could never advance cultivation again!


    Unfortunately, that was not the most worrying thing for the old supreme elder. Since each catastrophe came stronger than the previous one, failing the fourth would mean failing the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth!


    That would make five leaves in a row, enough that neither he nor anyone else in that big cultivation room had any hope!


    As the dark fog over parts of his body increased in intensity, covering more and more of his skin, some of those closest to that old man in the vicinity bowed their heads and let tears run down.


    Isabella rested her totem on Minos'' chest and cried like a child, feeling that this old man who had always been a reference of power for her would die in front of her without her being able to do anything.


    At the same time, Minos'' wives had their fists clenched and eyes closed, not liking to see someone close to their family and organization dying before them.


    "Sigh... Let''s think on the bright side. The old supreme elder lived a long life." Minos said in a low voice. "He overcame the worst time in the Flaming Empire, saw a glimpse of a promising future, and didn''t suffer at the hands of an enemy.


    I know this is sad, but at least he did not come to the end of his life in a hopeless way, without leaving a body behind, without people to mourn his loss. He did not fail in his missions. He just failed to achieve a breakthrough at the end of his life.


    This is no demerit. Anyone else in his situation would fail at such a crucial moment."


    The people in the surrounding area who heard this agreed with Minos, feeling that this man had had a good life, had been victorious in his later years and had only reached that point when his family was no longer so dependent on him.


    If this had happened a few years ago, he would have left his family in a very bad situation. But now, everything was different!


    Amidst this, the supreme elder could not hear Minos'' words, much less the cries and wailing in the surroundings. But he knew there were people there.


    Failing in his second consecutive catastrophe, he was already bleeding from several orifices in his body, but he managed to say.


    "Is everything... Hmm... Cough... Everything is fine. Don''t be sad for me." He said in great difficulty, trying to smile even amid yet another catastrophe. "The family will be fine without me... Don''t cry. I will join my relatives and ancestors now."


    After these sentiment-laden words, something that had made tears in the surroundings flows even more vigorously, the supreme elder Edwardstone could no longer bear it and failed in yet another catastrophe.


    At that moment, he could take no more and lost his consciousness, as his body fell backward without strength, along with the gradual disappearance of his spiritual spark.


    Within a few seconds, after he plummeted to his death, the last catastrophes hit him simultaneously, destroying his soul and damaging all his bodily structures.


    The supreme elder Edwardstone had finally died!


    Upon noticing this, the people in the surrounding area fell silent for a few moments, mourning what had happened, while they felt a weight on their consciences for having accompanied this sad moment.


    Isabella was the most affected by all this and couldn''t stop crying and sobbing in Minos'' arms.


    Even Abby and Ruth, who knew this old man the least, felt their eyes filling with water at the thought of the sadness of death.


    As far as they knew, everyone would die someday. So when thinking about how one day, they might have to see their family members go, or even how one day they might leave Minos and how it would affect him, they couldn''t help but feel sad.


    Gloria was also moved, even more so because she was the second oldest of this group, second only to Isabella.


    She looked at Minos and sighed, then closed her eyes and tried not to shed any tears because they had a long time left.


    Minos was the strongest of all there, so he took the reins of the situation after a few moments of collective sadness.


    "Humbert, Eduard, collect the body of the supreme elder Edwardstone." He ordered these two imperial guards on the outskirts.


    Then he looked at the level 80 Spiritual Sage of the Gray Clouds Sect and said. "Go notify the powers of the Flaming Empire and the Edwardstone family about this. We will take care of everything here in Dry City."


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    Those people soon began to move, while the silent observers in the surrounding area continued to watch the situation for the most part.


    Some had lost the mood to continue training and were already planning to go out to eat and drink. But others would stick around, just waiting for the body of the old supreme elder to be collected and the curious people there to leave.


    Sad as it was, not everyone was so close to the old supreme elder, and many there were close to his advances.


    To see someone fail to advance was a troubling thing that would leave some in doubt about their situation. But this was a very private incident, and everyone there knew their circumstances too well to fear the same would happen to them.


    Amidst this funeral atmosphere, with some departing slowly and others silently observing the situation, Minos said to his wives. "Let''s go back home. We will soon have to go to the Flaming Empire for his final farewell..."


    "Hmm, let''s get the children ready," Abby said as Gloria nodded.


    Isabella was inconsolable, so Minos picked her up on his lap, not lingering any longer in that place where everything had happened.


    "You heard his words, Bella. Don''t be sad." Minos said in one of his wife''s ears. "I''m sure he left in peace. And who knows, maybe he is together with the rest of his family now."


    Part of the Spiritual World population believed that there was something after death. Some believed that this something was a new life, a reincarnation. Others felt they could live on a new plane alongside their family members.


    Many felt that having such strong souls was not only good for battling and living for a long time. To them, this was something that could perhaps be of more use after death, on a special plane where one had to have a minimally strong soul to reach.


    Since 8th stage cultivators could be considered experts in the Spiritual World, everyone judged that someone like the old supreme elder would surely reach that place if such a thing were real.


    Isabella believed this, and upon hearing Minos, she felt less sad, although she was still quite touched.

 Chapter 1700 Before The Funeral

    ?


    After the death of the old supreme elder of the Edwardstone family in the main local cultivation room, the news spread slowly throughout the empire.


    Amid this, Minos and his family took the next few days to settle the matters of the death of this expert so close to the local high ranking.


    The old supreme elder was not only a level 79 cultivator in these forces. He was a member of an important ally of the empire, a relative of one of the emperor''s women, and one who deserved the presence of the local imperial family at his funeral.


    As such, on this occasion, Minos and his family would take three days away from their responsibilities to deal with the death of that member of the Edwardstone family.


    In the midst of this, after leaving his wives to prepare to go to the funeral that was to take place in Payton, Minos separated from them and went to the Dry City Mausoleum.


    He visited this place occasionally to ''talk'' with his friends and close acquaintances who had fallen throughout the years of his empire.


    On this occasion, finding a free moment after his conversations with his wives, he decided to revisit his dead.


    Arriving at that dark-laden place, where cultivators below the 7th stage rarely entered unaccompanied, Minos walked to the graves of Viola and Mirya, mother and daughter he had been so close to in life.


    More than a decade had passed since their deaths. In fact, it would not be long before the anniversary of their deaths would be 20 years.


    Minos was only at the end of the 7th stage when they died defending Dry City against Abe Vogel''s group.


    But now he was close to reaching the 9th stage, a long way from there.


    As he stopped in front of their graves, Minos couldn''t help but close his eyes and be silent momentarily, remembering the last few times he had been with them.


    ''Time does pass quickly...'' He thought silently, imagining that they would be Spiritual Saints by now if they were still alive.


    "Viola, Mirya, I''m here again. Today someone else died in my state, but his death was less terrible than others like you..." He commented in front of the graves of these women.


    "I wonder, will there be a day when this place will stop growing? Perhaps the deaths of my people will become more peaceful over time, and most will have a chance to grow old?"


    He paused for a moment, listening to the silence of that area while the darkness of this place did not bother him.


    The Dry City Mausoleum was not an open cemetery but a large square building with several levels. As such, inside this place, there was no way for one to see the sky, nor were there any winds to frighten the most sensitive.


    But each level had its own characteristics, which could certainly momentarily fool those there into thinking that this was not a building but an open mausoleum.


    Minos knew every corner of this place, and his features even matched those of this area, so the sensations in the surroundings would not fool him.


    He stayed silent, not to wait for a sign or to notice what this area would make him feel, but wondering what those women would say to him.


    After considering that they would probably say something positive about the future, he talked about less negative things, about the good news from his families and the empire.


    As he left those graves with some new flowers, he would spend the next few minutes visiting the graves of Pyke, Angela, Gavin, and Dumas, all those close to him who had died in conflicts involving his forces.


    All of these individuals could have achieved incredible things had they not died prematurely, giving their lives to the empire.


    So as someone close to them, Minos paid respect to their resting places, even if some of them didn''t leave a body to be buried there.


    He did something similar to what he had done at the graves of Viola and Mirya, talking to them for a while, leaving new flowers, and then saying goodbye, promising to return in the future.


    As he departed from there, the guards in the area watched him from afar, once again noticing that their leader did not forget the dead, even if his difference from those people was already so great.


    Pyke was only a Spiritual King when he died, but even so, Minos still visited him, as he had done relevant things in life and helped the state.


    Knowing how their leader was, those people in the surrounding area couldn''t help but think how good it was to belong to the local forces, where their sovereign cared about his people and valued the sacrifices of his men.


    Nobody wanted to have to sacrifice themselves, but if they were brought to that point one day, they would rather do it by a state that valued them, would take care of their families, and would not forget what they had done.


    They knew that the state had cared for every one of those people''s families very well. Every time they saw Minos there, they reaffirmed their positive thoughts about him and the empire.


    While several people were thinking how dedicated Minos was towards his people, he left this place and left back to his palace, from where he intended to head very soon to the Flaming Empire.


    A wormhole port in that city was already connected to Payton, so they could go there in a few minutes.


    The body of the supreme elder Edwardstone was still being prepared to be taken away, but that would not take long to be finished!


    ...


    Meanwhile, the news about the death of supreme elder Edwardstone had already reached the Flaming Empire!


    The sects of that state had already received this sad information, and their leaders were already moving to the capital to join the imperial funeral and give their words of comfort to the family.


    In the imperial family, Harold and his people had been the first in the state to hear such a thing from one of Minos'' men and were naturally devastated.


    Everyone knew that that man was old and had little chance of advancing to the 9th stage. But nobody expected his death to happen so suddenly while cultivating in Dry City.


    As such, upon receiving this news, the core of the imperial family immediately declared a month-long mourning throughout the state and announced a large funeral to take place in the next two days.


    As one of the greatest experts in the empire, the old supreme elder deserved a grand funeral!

 Chapter 1701 Great Funeral

    ?


    Hours after the death of the supreme elder Edwardstone, Minos and his family arrived in the capital of the Flaming Empire along with the body of this old expert.


    Upon arriving at the local wormhole port, Minos'' group appeared at that place where several members of the Edwardstone family forces were already waiting for them on the outskirts.


    There, imperial guards, members of the imperial lineage, and the emperor himself were already profiled, awaiting the arrival of this procession that had departed from Dry City moments ago.


    When they saw six men from the Black Plain Army walking with a golden and silver coffin on their shoulders, the people in the surrounding area were silent as they noticed that there was no mistake in the information.


    Some still had expectations that it was all just a bad dream. In contrast, others hoped there had been some miscommunication, even though they knew the low probability of that happening.


    But seeing the coffin containing the body of the supreme elder of the imperial family, everyone in the surrounding area sighed sadly, with the last hopes of some fading from their minds.


    Amid this, Minos and his family walked behind those men carrying the coffin, all dressed in black, with neutral expressions on some faces and sad expressions on others.


    The coffin-carrying men walked up to one of the imperial family''s guard groups, which was to take the body of the supreme elder to the burial site.


    As these men of Minos delivered the coffin to the imperial family, he and his family approached Emperor Edwardstone and the rest of the imperial family.


    "Harold, I am sorry for your loss," Minos said as Isabella cried once again, already embraced by her mother.


    Minos looked in the direction of the coffin and said. "He and I were not friends, and we had some problems over the years. But I sincerely wished the best for him.


    Until a few days ago, I believed he would advance to the 9th stage... Unfortunately, it didn''t happen."


    Harold nodded positively with his head to Minos as he sighed. "I thank you for your words and for bringing him back. He really had a negative history with you, but I assure you that he regretted many things at the end of his life."


    As the two talked, Oswald and Patience were already giving their regrets to old acquaintances in the surrounding area, while Isabella and her harem sisters were near the empress and second wife of the emperor.


    "It''s all right, dear. He lived long and left cultivating, not in a war or murdered." Isabella''s mother consoled her while Gloria spoke to the empress.


    "I am so sorry for your loss, Your Majesty. Unfortunately, there was nothing we could do to help him."


    "I know... But thank you for caring and coming here from Dry City. I''m sure the supreme elder would greatly appreciate the gesture if he knew about it."


    Conversations continued in the surrounding area until the funeral procession began, departing from that wormhole port to the imperial palace.


    At the imperial palace, the supreme elder''s body would be on hand for the next few hours for family members, allies, friends, and acquaintances to stop by to say goodbye to him.


    Minos and his family would attend this event alongside the Edwardstone family, avoiding conversations regarding his state and business with the sect masters who would come to the event, focusing only on the present situation.


    The next day, the supreme elder''s funeral would end after thousands of local experts had seen his body and sighed at the end of someone so powerful.


    By local standards, level 79 was the peak for more than 99.9% of people, so the death of someone at that level was sad and reminded everyone of their mortality.


    Even powerful experts would die one day!


    When the funeral was over, once again, the local imperial family would move that man''s body, this time taking it to the family tomb, where only experts and members of the main lineage could be buried.


    In that place, the old supreme elder would be reunited with his dead family members, finally being left in peace by the living two days after his death.


    This would not end the ceremonies in memory of this man, something that would last a whole week, with those who had not been able to attend the event joining the one still mourning the death of this expert.


    In the meantime, Minos and his family would return to the Black Plain, with Isabella much less bad off than before but interested in participating more in the affairs of her new state to occupy her mind.


    Minos and the rest of the family would help her as best they could while they returned their attention to the empire, which had many points to evolve in the current peace.


    ...


    While some were still mourning the death of the supreme elder Edwardstone and others were beginning to move on, Lorelei Stone was on the high seas along with a large group at this very moment.


    After months of working for the future of the Black Plain Empire''s maritime expansion, this woman''s group had finished building the foundations of the first submarine outpost of Minos'' forces!


    At a point further northeast in the Ancestral Sea, an underwater base capable of hosting up to a thousand humans was already operating 20 kilometers deep in the first of the three underwater zones.


    But in this area, there weren''t any beast groups around, so even if these people sent by Minos wanted to, they could set up posts in the zone of darkness or even on the ocean floor.


    There wasn''t even a single beast for tens of thousands of cubic kilometers!


    With so much space to be explored without worry, the group already settled in this underwater base was starting their mineral extraction operations.


    But they continued to expand their area of control daily, as new groups came in from the mainland bringing more people to work on the construction of Minos'' marine empire.


    Amid this, the great shark that had been serving Minos was serving as the group''s chief explorer in its spare time and as a security guard for these groups most of the time.


    It lived in fear of the proximity of this place to the North Sea, but with no options in front of it, it had been doing its job as best it could.


    Luckily, more and more people were joining it and its group, which gradually made it less fearful about this area.


    In any case, this place was just beginning its operations after months of preparation and would soon become an important outpost for the entire Black Plain Empire!

 Chapter 1702 Growing On All Fronts 1

    ?


    In the blink of an eye, a whole year had passed...


    Since the death of the old supreme elder of the Edwardstone family, few things have changed in the Central Continent.


    The situation between the Southern and Western regions was still bad, with powers still standing for or against the sides of the invisible confrontation that currently existed on the continent.


    Low-level people continued to migrate northward from the more tense areas, going not only to the Black Plain Empire but also to places like Albano and Rosser, states relatively further away from danger.


    Blackrock and the Flaming Empire had not been benefiting from these moves, as they bordered the Evergreen Empire, a place that could soon become a battleground.


    But even at a disadvantage to their fellows further north, these two states were not in as bad a situation as places like the Flowers Kingdom.


    As unpromising as their position was, they were still allies of Minos, and most of their territories were far from the focus of tensions!


    Therefore, even without receiving migrants during this period, these places were not suffering as much from the tensions on the continent, and their populations continued their lives without much change.


    Only a few cities closer to their borders with sensitive states had undergone considerable changes in this period.


    Vico and Maximillian had not yet started the actual fighting. Still, throughout the continent, everyone considered that the current tensions would not last much longer.


    Soon what prevented a war from spreading out of control further south on the continent would no longer withstand the pressures!


    Meanwhile, the Black Plain Empire was still at peace, with no problems related to Maximillian and what Minos had done, with the local forces continuing their development while dealing with the new immigrants.


    The marine expansion of this state had been very successful due to the lack of opposition to them caused by the lack of beasts in that area of the Ancestral Sea.


    Through this, more and more members of Minos'' forces were occupying that area and shipping ever-increasing amounts of minerals to the continent!


    But in the midst of this, the Stuart family continued to grow stronger!


    ...


    Minos was still at level 78, rapidly approaching his next cultivation breakthrough. But while he dealt with his local government affairs in Dry City and occasionally went into seclusion in the Spatial Kingdom, Ruth had advanced to level 77.


    Gloria and Abby were still at the same levels as before, but Sarah had finally reached level 60, a crucial level for her.


    Level 60 was currently a watershed in the Black Plain Empire. Those above this level were among the strongest 5% of this society, so the advancement of Minos'' daughter meant a lot.


    She could not yet act freely, but she was slowly gaining more freedom and envisioning a future where she could train with Sista''s envoys for the competition that would take place in a few decades on Elves Island.


    Her little brother had not yet begun to cultivate. Still, he had begun his journey at the Dry City Preparatory Academy and could begin his journey into the cultivation world in a few more years!


    Other than that, Minos still occasionally tried to get his wives pregnant, but none of them had been lucky enough to succeed in the months that had passed.


    And so each of them continued to focus on their cultivation, strengthening the empire and improving the positions of their groups.


    Gloria had her faction in the Church to look after, while Abby looked after the internal affairs of the imperial government alongside Minos. Ruth had been given command over marine expansion, and Isabella dealt with the empire''s alliances, in particular, the situation of the autonomous kingdoms.


    After these months, Rosser joined Blackrock and Albano as the independent kingdom of the Black Plain. Therefore, this southernmost territory currently had a Spiritual Sage from Minos'' army on its territory to protect them.


    Isabella was the one who had been handling the empire''s relations with these territories, as well as with her family''s home state, which was not a subordinate territory of Minos but allied to him.


    So on this day, when they were all out of the Spatial Kingdom after weeks of seclusion, they were each taking care of their responsibilities around Dry City.


    ...


    "... Your Majesty, we recently received a new update on the situation in the marine domains. Colonel Shark sent the recent figures, and I am happy to announce that we have reached 100,000 men in the two marine bases in the Ancestral Sea."


    "Oh? That''s really magnificent." Ruth commented upon hearing this at the headquarters of the Black Plain Army. "But how are our fleets in that area? As much as we haven''t had any problems in the last few months, sooner or later, something might happen."


    "We currently have 50 warships and two Spiritual Sages in that area. But we have more ships being prepared in the End and Waves regions. Some local groups are already preparing to board those ships in the coming weeks."


    Ruth liked what she heard but felt she needed to allocate more people to that area.


    The amount of resources they had been extracting from there had been very relevant to the entire empire, so they needed to have as much strength as possible there.


    "Very well, I want ten low-level grade-4 warships to be prepared to be sent to that area..."


    She continued talking about it, giving orders, and hearing some facts relevant to maritime expansion.


    ...


    While Ruth was working at the army headquarters, Gloria was receiving representatives of the factions allied to her group in the Church.


    Among these people, a Spiritual Sage was there to report to her the results of her group''s synergies, which had been growing easier with the information and benefits their allies in the Evergreen Empire were giving them.


    "Matriarch, I bring good news from the Evergreen Empire." That man said to her as the two of them stood in the most important office of the Church temple in Dry City.


    "We have recently secured the support of the Cardinal in charge of the Flaming Empire. He wishes to be on good terms with our group, so we can soon act much more easily in his domains."


    "That... Why would he do that?" Gloria didn''t understand. "Isn''t he a member of a high-level faction that wished to absorb us just a few months ago?"


    "Yes, but currently, the situation has changed a lot. Some members of factions previously unfavorable to the matriarch are now acting alone regarding this.


    The future is uncertain for them, and they want at least to have good relations with the forces of His Majesty Minos Stuart, the prot¨¦g¨¦ of Maximillian.


    If everything goes wrong, they would still have a final alternative of refuge!"

 Chapter 1703 Growing On All Fronts 2

    ?


    Currently, the Spiritual Church is facing great uncertainty. The future could be both terrible and incredible in case Maximillian succeeded in his projects.


    But in both futures, high-level people in the Church would suffer and could range from getting great opportunities to losing everything they had built so far.


    The Church would hardly be destroyed in a continental war, but many experts could die in such a confrontation.


    The currently powerful factions could lose their power and become decadent groups or even be exterminated.


    All members of the Church could be affected in these uncertain times, and as such, the members of the main factions were already beginning to think of what was best for themselves.


    With the appearance of Maximillian, the dispute for the position of Church leader no longer made sense, so the positions of a few months ago of these factions had changed.


    The Minos and Gloria faction still had great potential within the Church. Still, it would no longer be influential in deciding the next leader of this institution. So, amidst the uncertainty about the future, these factions no longer bothered Emperor Stuart and freed their members to act toward him as they preferred.


    Some of these powerful experts saw Minos as someone who would keep growing and the Empire of the Black Plain as a place that would reach a relevant level in the post-war period.


    As a place that would at least be at peace in the short term, this was an interesting state to associate positively with!


    Because of this, even members of high-level factions of the Church had been accepting conversations with allies and members of the Gloria faction, thinking of a future where they could benefit from being on the good side of the Black Plain.


    Among the first to act, one of the Cardinals of the faction to which Gloria''s father belonged had already shown interest in improving his relations with this red-haired woman''s group.


    As for how Gloria''s group could benefit from this, well, there were several ways.


    Gloria knew that having this person on her side would give her access to virtually every Church post in the Flaming Empire, a crucial information network.


    She could reach more people, gain more observers, and get information faster through this.


    For now, she and Minos were not interested in obtaining positions within the Church. But when they did, the more Church positions they had on their side, the greater their bargaining power would be!


    So upon hearing the words of that ally, she smiled in satisfaction and continued the conversations.


    "Well then, let''s approach the group of that..."


    ...


    Meanwhile, Isabella was at the imperial palace in her residence, receiving envoys from Blackrock.


    This woman had already overcome the death of the old supreme elder and was currently dealing with the expansions of the Black Plain Empire''s interests across the independent domains of Minos.


    Even though they had more power and these territories for themselves had chosen to subordinate themselves to their family, this did not mean that Minos and his women could demand anything they wanted from their inferiors.


    They could even try to do this using force. But such a thing would not be interesting, and the best thing to do in the current situation was to gain benefits gradually, making the other side accept agreements that would one day give the empire greater powers over these states.


    Therefore, Isabella, who Harold had educated to deal with politics since she was a child, negotiated monthly with powers from the Blackrock, Albano, and Rosser areas.


    They wanted more protection, sometimes investments from the Black Plain. In return, the empire wanted to impose its laws on these areas, take in young talent, and pay lower rates on products and services.


    This was something that could benefit both sides and was discussed slowly, as Isabella was doing now with the crown prince of that area of Blackrock.


    "Your Majesty, we need more protection over us. As much as we do not face immediate danger, the pressures on our neighbor to the south are increasing with each passing day..."


    "Your Highness, it is not that simple." Isabella smiled. "We don''t have that many specialists, and some of them need to cultivate for the state to get stronger. We can''t just send them all out...


    But there are ways your territory can lessen the dangers about itself. For example, why don''t you change the position of your capital? Build a new location near the Snow area. In that area, you will not face any problems."


    "Change our capital?" That prince thought about it, considering it would make his most important city practically within the Black Plain Empire.


    "Yes, another option is for you to join Queen West and both of you to build a new capital on the border of your territories. That would immediately make the capital of both of you have more Spiritual Sages and more power.


    Together you can become much stronger and decrease the need for large numbers of our experts."


    With this measure, these two territories could more easily protect their leaders and stronger cultivators. Still, it would also be easier for the state of Minos to influence these people.


    This would also strengthen the borders of the Black Plain Empire, something necessary for a future in which Maximillian''s words would no longer matter.


    That was Isabella''s interest in talking about this, to increase her state''s defenses and powers of influence!


    ...


    Meanwhile, Minos and Abby were in the imperial throne hall dealing with the internal affairs of their state.


    Kendrick was at the academy at that time, but Sarah was there to follow her father''s work, watching this man''s way of governing.


    While she stood in the corner of that area watching Minos and Abby, the imperial guards in the vicinity, and some advisors were out there working with their leaders.


    At present, Kara Carline''s mother and stepmother were there to update the emperor on the situation in the End area, which was closest to the North Sea.


    Minos had been paying particular attention to this area ever since he found out about the fears of the leaders of the Western region, worried about the proximity of the calamity predicted by Henricus Longus, which he felt would come from the North.


    As such, for the past 20 months, he had been allocating much of his investments around the empire to that region, even placing three Spiritual Sages there to watch the area for him.


    "Your Majesties, we still don''t have any results from observing the North Sea, but our numbers have been improving considerably recently." Linette Carline, level 69, said as she looked at Minos with a smile on her face.


    "Under the command of our leader, Kara, several Spiritual Saints are appearing in our area. Some of them will even join the exploration of the Ancestral Sea commanded by Her Majesty Ruth."


    "Oh? That''s good to hear..." Minos said, but at that instant, he was interrupted by one of his subordinates who rushed into that hall.


    ...

 Chapter 1704 Unexpected Visitor

    ?


    "Your Majesty, Grant of the Western Empire has just arrived in Dry City. He requests passage to the capital core to speak with Your Majesty!" The man who rushed into the imperial throne hall shouted this as everyone looked at him.


    "Grant?" Abby asked as she remembered that man who had been by their side for years and even the Royal Instructor when the Black Plain was just a kingdom.


    Minos frowned as he heard that, finding it unexpected that this man who had been living under house arrest in the Western Empire would come to visit him like this.


    ''Emperor Quinn released him to come here? Why would he do that?''


    But he didn''t invest much in those thoughts and ordered. "Bring Grant to me immediately."


    With those words, some imperial guards in the surrounding area departed from there with the man who had brought this news.


    Meanwhile, Lizzie, currently at level 58, said to the End area personnel in the surrounding area. "This meeting is adjourned. Please arrange another time to review His Majesty and continue with your reports."


    Abby ignored the movements in the surroundings and approached Minos. "I wonder what that''s about? Surely Emperor Quinn is involved."


    "Yes, but I don''t think that''s a threat or anything. He wouldn''t risk considering Maximillian''s position." Minos replied, not knowing what that might be about.


    He and Abby would continue talking to each other for some time until the imperial guards would return to Grant''s side and another Spiritual Saint from the Western Empire.


    As Grant entered that hall that he had long since not visited, he smiled nostalgically, seeing things that had changed considerably but others that were still the same as their time.


    But as he looked at Minos and Abby, he couldn''t help but sigh, seeing how strong these local leaders had become.


    He had been the highest-ranking person on the Black Plain for a long time. He was crippled, but even so, he had been the only Spiritual Saint in this area for many years.


    But now, this city was full of such people, and Minos was already at level 78, near the 9th stage, much higher than Grant had ever reached.


    "Your Majesty, it is good to see you again." He said as he smiled at Minos sincerely. "You really have been cultivating fast, haha. I didn''t expect you to be at the end of the 8th stage already."


    Minos stood up and walked to Grant''s side, smiling, before clapping his hands on this man''s shoulders. "It''s good to see you again too. I heard you were stuck in the Western Empire, so I was planning to visit you in the future... I just didn''t expect that you would suddenly appear here."


    Grant then said. "Well, that actually happened for a while. His Majesty and others superior to me judged that I was insane, so they decided to limit my liberties so that I wouldn''t injure myself on my own.


    Anyway, now everyone knows I wasn''t crazy, so I was released and sent here."


    Grant showed his companion and said. "That''s the elder Vince. He who brought me safely here."


    "It is a pleasure to meet Your Majesty." That man made a gesture of greeting as Minos looked at him.


    Minos shook his head, acknowledging that person''s presence. But he would soon turn his attention to Grant. "So your superiors believe your theories? Is that why you are here?"


    "Hmm, His Majesty began investigating the North Sea after his encounter with Vico and Willow a few months ago. He associated the catastrophe that will come after the instability in the Central Continent with what we believe is in the north..." That man said in a solemn tone.


    "After some investigations and disappearances, His Majesty is more confident that something is wrong in that area. But the other leaders of the Central Continent are not worried about it at the moment and do not believe his theories.


    That''s why he gave me the mission to come here."


    Abby then asked. "What does Henry Quinn want from my state? If even he can''t do anything to convince the rest of the continent about the problems to the north, what can we do? We don''t have the same resources as you."


    That man next to Grant answered the empress. "Your Majesty, it''s not that we can''t do anything. It''s that we are unable to do our best.


    With the tensions south of the continent, the strongest in our state cannot casually go out to investigate the North Sea.


    So only Spiritual Sages and a few low-level Demigods have been sent to that place to investigate for the time being.


    So us not having accomplished much doesn''t mean that you won''t be able to."


    Grant nodded and said to Minos. "His Majesty believes there is something in the North Sea, but without hard evidence, he will not get support from the rest of the continent. So he seeks Your Majesty''s help in getting that evidence."


    "So Henry Quinn wants me to go to the North Sea?" Minos asked while his eyes narrowed. "I am not able to do that at present.


    That would be tantamount to suicide."


    Grant''s traveling companion said. "Not now. But in the future.


    The Western Empire and the rest of the Western region will probably go through a long period when their leaders cannot get involved with problems other than conflict with the Southern region.


    So all His Majesty asks is that you from the Black Plain investigate and get evidence before the inevitable conflict between these regions ends.


    If you can do that, you will have the support of the Quinn family and the Western Empire to solve this problem and other things."


    Grant looked seriously at Minos, expecting that this man would not decline this request.


    Minos and the rest of the people in that area were silent, pondering this.


    ''A war between West and South would take anywhere from a few years to a few decades to resolve if things go fast... So I''d probably be a strong enough Spiritual Sage by then to go to that place at some point in the meantime.''


    "Sigh, I''d have to do it anyway, so I promise to try something. I''m already strengthening my strength and starting movements for it. But it will take a few years for me to get everything ready."


    Grant and that man sighed at that answer.


    "That''s good enough..."

 Chapter 1705 Plans

    ?


    After talking for a few moments, Grant separated from his traveling companion and accompanied Minos and Abby for a walk through the imperial palace.


    Sarah was also with them, following silently behind her father, listening to all their conversation.


    Grant saw how Sarah had grown into a beautiful woman, already able to be considered a powerful cultivator by local standards, and said. "Your Highness has become quite an impressive woman. I heard some stories while traveling around the empire...


    She must have learned some of what I heard from Your Majesty."


    Minos smiled and said. "The truth is, I didn''t teach her any of those things... In any case, she is not walking a bad journey."


    Grant didn''t doubt it, thinking the explanation was in the blood.


    ''An apple doesn''t fall far from the tree after all...''


    He then became more serious and said. "But I''m apprehensive.


    I''ve always had my theories about what''s up north and how terrible it could be for the continent''s future. But I never imagined we would be so close to facing what might be there.


    Until a few months ago, I thought we might have decades to solve this. But with the prophecy revealed by Vico Travisani, it seems we don''t have that much time."


    Minos nodded in agreement. "I was also hoping to have more time to go after it... Anyway, things are as they are. At least we have a high-level Demigod concerned about it.


    If the threat is really upon us, we''ll at least get some relevant support when the time comes."


    Abby clenched her fists upon hearing this, worried about the chaotic future that could endanger her family and her son.


    Kendrick was just a child. He didn''t deserve to face a calamity right now!


    Even in a few decades, he would still be just a weak young cultivator, so most likely, he wouldn''t have enough to protect himself.


    Thinking about it, Abby couldn''t help but fear the future.


    "What will we do? Is there anything we can do to improve our chances?" She asked.


    Minos and Grant were silent for a moment until the emperor said. "There are some alternatives. They are not 100% safe, but they exist."


    "Oh?" Abby and Grant exclaimed in surprise, not expecting Minos to already have things in mind.


    "What is it?" The empress asked.


    Minos said. "There is a possibility that Henricus Longus left some help for me. Of course, there are some dangers regarding that aid, and it may not even exist anymore, but if it does, I may be able to get some allies.


    But I would have to look into that, as I''m not sure where it is."


    They knew about the Spatial Kingdom and Henricus Longus, so they knew what Minos was talking about.


    He continued. "Besides, we can get more allies in other ways.


    Perhaps there isn''t much room for us to gather powerful cultivators in the Central Continent, given the tensions between the major states. But we can definitely get allies in the Continent of Beasts, the Divine Continent, and the Marine Empire.


    Thus, in addition to going after what Henricus Longus left, we can also visit those areas for support."


    "I see..." Grant muttered.


    But then Sarah asked. "You want to visit these places? How would that help us? Those places have greater dangers, and there is no guarantee that anyone will join us."


    Minos looked at his daughter and said. "There are guarantees. Think of your Aunt Emlyn. In her tribe, we will definitely be able to get something."


    Emlyn was only a Spiritual King when she left that place alongside her husband. But now she was a Spiritual Saint and could in some more time become a Sage, the highest cultivation stage her people could reach.


    As such, if they went to the Continent of Beasts after Emlyn''s advancement to the 9th stage, they could get the support of at least part of the Nine-tailed Foxes tribe, as Emlyn would surely get influence there.


    Moreover, every tribe on that continent had relations with other tribes, some even being great allies.


    Through these relations, Minos could try to contact other races and thus gather a group on that continent to bring to his side.


    Perhaps in one tribe, he would not get enough beasts to make a positive difference to his plans. Still, he could eventually gather a strong enough group by moving around that continent.


    Something similar could be done in the Divine Continent and the Marine Empire. In these powerful places, there were even 9th-stage mercenaries, a good option for Minos in case all others failed.


    "Other than that, some important events will happen in the next few years," Minos said. "The Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom must open its doors on our continent, and then there will be the Continental Tournament.


    All these will be opportunities for us to bring talented and powerful beings to our side."


    Minos had gotten this information through Gloria''s faction, who, with one of their allies in the Evergreen Empire, had obtained this information.


    Knowing this, he had several means of trying to improve his state''s chances before a venture further north and preparing for the moment when catastrophe would be upon them.


    "And when will you be able to pursue these alternatives?" Grant asked.


    "Not before I advance to the 9th stage. By then, the dangers will be too great, and I also have to use the peace over my state to strengthen it as much as possible in the short term.


    So, for now, I can''t go through with either of those plans."


    "How long do you think you need to start that?" Grant insisted as he would have to give Emperor Quinn feedback on this.


    "Five to ten years. Not before then." Minos said, considering his current cultivation speed and the status of his forces.


    It would only make sense to go after the Longus family or Emlyn''s tribe once he was strong enough to face warriors at the peak of the 9th stage. Otherwise, the risks would be too great.


    Emlyn also needed to become a Sage beast in the meantime, so things were not just about his advancement.


    He could even start sorting these things out beforehand. However, his travel to the Continent of Beasts would still depend on her advancement.


    Finally, going to the North Sea wouldn''t be suitable either if he didn''t have enough power to at least counter low-level Demigods.


    Grant understood why Minos'' deadline and didn''t think his superior would find it problematic.


    ''I don''t think ten years is too much for that... Such a catastrophe is supposed to come after the continent is weakened... I don''t believe that a confrontation between the Western and Southern regions will end before then.''


    "All right, I''ll pass that on to His Majesty."

 Chapter 1706 Border Improvements

    ?


    Another six months passed in the blink of an eye...


    After Grant''s passage through Dry City earlier, he returned to the Western Empire with the answers Henry Quinn wanted from Minos.


    He had promised to return in a few years to follow closely the final stretch of Minos'' preparation to investigate the North Sea. Still, for now, he would stay in the Western Empire.


    Minos had seen no problem with this and had left his doors open for this man to return.


    After Grant''s departure, the empire had lived this short period in absolute peace, with minor problems compared to those that threatened to hit them in the future.


    The migrations of people from high-level empires continued, and the arrival of more and more Spiritual Saints in this region increased the demand for products, competition, and some minor conflicts.


    But none of this was worrying enough to disturb the life of the imperial family of this state, which had been progressively improving.


    With three more brief periods of seclusion in the Spatial Kingdom, Minos had advanced to level 79, having reached the crucial part of this stage in preparing to become a Sage.


    Everyone in the empire was looking forward to his advancement, for once he became a Spiritual Sage, his combat proficiency would significantly increase, and the state would benefit immensely.


    But amidst the local anticipation of the emperor''s advancement to the 9th stage, five more level 79 Spiritual Saints had upgraded in level and became Sages!


    Minos'' grandmother, Patience King, had managed to advance and reach the same level as her husband.


    The others who had advanced were either members of the Gray Clouds Sect or related to the relatives of the Goddess of Life.


    Besides them, the imperial family and Minos'' army kept getting stronger.


    Most recently, the empress had advanced to level 77. At the same time, several of the members of the imperial guard had made advances in this period.


    It would still be a while before natives of the northern region could advance to the 9th stage, but many were already approaching it.


    For people like Eduard and Peter, this advancement to the final stage of cultivation for them shouldn''t take many years.


    Most of Minos'' subordinates still had Black and Blue grade talent. So for those who had not yet reached their maximum potential, level 69, those of intermediate talent would soon reach their limit stage, the 9th.


    But until then, there was still a long way to go, and each person in Minos'' forces had been striving hard to improve and reach their maximum.


    And so the empire had been improving in these times of regional peace, preparing themselves while the greatest forces on the continent were not looking down on them!


    ...


    After the past few months, changes around the Black Plain Empire generated a lot of population movement.


    With the situation between the Western and Southern regions, in which no one could say for sure when it would get out of control and when damage would be generated, Rosser, Albano, Blackrock, and even Vogel had moved in the meantime to improve their chances.


    Vogel''s situation was the least worse because it was within the Black Plain Empire. But that territory bordered directly on the Veora Kingdom, which could soon be at war.


    As such, the leaders of the Vogel Assembly were worried.


    They had improved a lot since they had become loyal to Minos a few years ago. But even though some of them had even advanced to level 78, something never seen before in these areas, that and the 2 Spiritual Sages stationed in their territory were not enough to keep the local nobles calm.


    As such, after finding out about the actions of the West and Blackrock families, this territory''s leaders joined Rosser''s royal family to repeat the feat of their former allies.


    To change the position of their capitals!


    Blackrock and Albano had taken Isabella''s suggestion. They started building their new capitals on the borders of their territory with that of Minos, where they could unite to defend themselves against future challenges.


    The government of Minos had also joined them and started the construction of part of this capital city that would have the seats of two autonomous states.


    As such, on the border of these three territories, a splendid city had been built in recent months to receive the leaders of the two states and more men from the Black Plain Army.


    As a place on the empire''s border, there would be a special army post in this city, something that would be good for everyone involved.


    Knowing of this project, the leaders of Vogel and Rosser had come to the same agreement, having already started the construction of their new capital between the borders of their territories.


    Vogel belonged to the empire, so this area would not have the involvement of the Minos government in the same way as that other area. However, it would also have a special army post because it was on the empire''s border.


    So new cities were springing up on the borders of the state of Minos, little by little raising the security of this place and making it easier for the government of Minos to control who passed through these areas.


    Over the years, Minos and his government had also reached agreements with various beast tribes in these areas and increased the number of powerful beasts in their forces.


    These beasts had been moved to the empire''s borders in recent times, where they had to make the entry of irregular immigrants more difficult.


    Beasts like Little Green, currently at level 79, had been guarding several areas between the empire, Albano, and Blackrock.


    And so, even in these times of migration from south to north, the Minos government had been having quite significant control over the influx of people into their domain.


    Amid this, leaders from these areas were increasingly being seen around Dry City, where Minos was taking advantage of the times of peace to train those who were interested.


    In peace, there were not many challenges for people like him, so he used military exercises with allies and subordinates to continue his fighting routine, strengthening himself and his people as well.


    And so a new match was about to take place after months of training like this in this part of the empire, with King Blackrock, Queen West, Queen Rosser, all at level 79, several individuals at the same level from the local army, and another half dozen Spiritual Sages.


    ...

 Chapter 1707 Military Exercise 1

    ?


    In an area dozens of kilometers above Dry City, more than 40 cultivators between levels 79 and 83 were on the outskirts, floating in the area.


    There were Queens West and Rosser, both at the same level as King Blackrock, all three individuals who had taken great advantage of the peace of the past few years to grow stronger and reach their current cultivation.


    In particular, King Blackrock was not far from the point where he would attempt his advancement to the 9th stage!


    But besides them, several members of the Gray Clouds Sect and guards of the Goddess of Life''s relatives, also at level 79, were in the vicinity, surrounding Minos.


    Finally, the strongest opponents near Emperor Stuart, Spiritual Sages, were also around, concentrating on this brown-haired fellow.


    Minos was quietly in the middle of all these people, who were wisely standing at some distance from him so as not to suffer immediately from his more difficult-to-counter attacks.


    Unlike normal people, the worst thing about Minos was not his offensive techniques but his ability to manipulate energy.


    Through his innate ability, someone in his vicinity could be weakened and used to strengthen him.


    At the present moment, he was at level 79, so if these people were careless, he could easily steal their cultivation bases and reach level 81!


    At that level, he would be as strong as someone at level 87, so there would be little hope of even a group of dozens of cultivators like them doing anything against him.


    In any case, even distant enough from him not to be immediately affected by this innate ability, Minos was very quiet as he awaited the start of this military exercise.


    Even without using this card up his sleeve, he was still as strong as a level 83 Spiritual Sage, stronger than the strongest of his opponents.


    This was also why the group in the surrounding area was so cautious, holding their positions in the formation they had been training for days.


    These people normally couldn''t stay long in the empire''s capital, as they each had their responsibilities throughout their territories.


    But once every two or three months, they would meet in Dry City to work together and eventually participate in at least one military exercise with Minos.


    This served to improve their joint skills in facing opponents more powerful than themselves, something necessary in the present times.


    So these people were not for the first time together against Minos and already had some experience fighting against him.


    Unfortunately, certain things were hard to avoid!


    When Sarah gave the signal for the start of those people''s fight, Minos immediately activated his Space and Time Avatar, making everyone in the surroundings feel how terrible his current powers were.


    ''Damn it! A single advance, and he''s improved so much?''


    King Blackrock thought to himself as he made a frown, trying to hold his ground under Minos'' pressure.


    The last time they had fought in a military exercise, Minos was still a level 78 Saint. So his strength has improved a lot since then!


    ''Is that His Majesty''s current power without stealing our cultivation bases?'' The strongest Spiritual Sage there, level 83, wondered, feeling the powerful spiritual fluctuations departing from that gigantic avatar.


    Minos'' strengths did not look normal!


    Even considering his innate power-boosting ability that promoted a more robust cultivation base than others of the same level as him, he still looked more impressive than everyone expected.


    ''That''s the stuff of those giant bones...'' One of the Sages of the Gray Clouds Sect thought to himself, considering that Minos had been absorbing a lot of power from those skeletons.


    There was still the preserved body of Fah''um of Dunov, which Minos had not yet decided what to do because of how difficult it was to move that thing.


    At first, he was thinking of leaving it in the Spatial Kingdom for a while until he was strong enough to split it up and bury it along the northern region.


    His goal was simple, to improve the situation of all the spiritual roots in this area!


    However, the more time it spent in the Spatial Kingdom, the more that place seemed to benefit. At the same time, his and his people''s cultivation seemed better in the presence of that preserved corpse, so the question of what to do with it had arisen.


    Anyway, such a thing had been helping him grow stronger, making it possible for his subordinates to feel his strangeness.


    The Soul Avatar of Minos seemed more solid than ever, and its spatial and temporal laws seemed to be at their peak, just waiting for the moment of its step advancement to raise the quality of this technique.


    But even before that happened, Minos'' mastery was already much stronger than before, and now it could further increase the difference in the passage of time between inside and outside of it.


    Minos wouldn''t take long to show his avatar to those people and soon activated Chaotic Gravity, trying to hinder the actions of the many opponents in his surroundings.


    Those people were already trying their best to start their attacks and create some pressure on their leader, but their speed could not compare to his.


    When he acted, Minos disappeared from where he was and appeared behind one of the level 79 Spiritual Saints.


    When he reached out one of his arms to grab that person, he already had the Devouring Art sucking the energies of that individual so that it was paralyzing him.


    In the midst of this, that person found himself in a different place, temporarily losing contact with reality.


    ''Shit...'' He realized the problem of falling so easily into his opponent''s clutches and thought casually.


    Fortunately for those people, there were Spiritual Sages in the surrounding area. Before he fell completely into Minos'' hands, a hand reached across the space and pulled him away from Emperor Stuart.


    Minos realized this and used his spatial manipulation skills to punish this daring Spiritual Sage.


    Even before that spatial crack of that level 81 cultivator disappeared, one of Minos'' hands went through space with his hand closed into a fist.


    Minos'' Indestructible Body was activated, making his skin as powerful as low-level grade-4 artifacts.


    So when that fist struck that Sage''s belly, he couldn''t help but exclaim in pain as he felt surprised by Minos'' movement.


    Everyone knew that Minos could manipulate space, but using another cultivator''s spatial crack was something challenging to do!


    As such, his attack had been unexpected and very effective against that person!


    Thus had this exercise begun!


    ...

 Chapter 1708 Military Exercise 2

    ?


    After Minos'' attack, his opponents managed to launch a few blows in his direction, with the Spiritual Sages manipulating space to make his situation more difficult and the Spiritual Saints simply launching powerful attacks.


    Unfortunately for these people, Minos would not feel any pressure from the attacks of mere Spiritual Saints at the level he was at.


    To injure his body, one would have to at least be at the 9th stage!


    As such, he simply ignored these many Spiritual Saints'' attacks in the surroundings and focused on counterattacking the Spiritual Sages in the area, also using his spatial manipulation skills.


    Due to a large amount of Space Laws he had absorbed from the giant skeletons in the Spatial Kingdom, Minos'' understanding of space was as great as that of ordinary level 85 cultivators.


    So even though he was still at the 8th stage, he could counter the movements of these Sages with relative ease.


    He used the space crack of one of his level 81 opponents and forcefully made such a thing close over that person''s body.


    In doing so, Minos trapped one of that person''s arms, making it impossible for him to worry about battling as he had to worry about escaping from that thing and not having his arm crushed.


    "Damn it!" That man said as he broke into a cold sweat.


    Minos looked at one of the elders of the Gray Clouds Sect, who had already reached level 80, and opened a spatial crack, directing one of his hands to that man''s beads.


    "Lend me your strength," Minos said, but that man had no chance to refuse.


    In the blink of an eye, he was on Minos'' side, inside the Avatar of Space and Time domain, where Spiritual Sages, even 100% stronger than that soul projection, could not use their powers over space.


    Unable to escape, this person soon began to feel his cultivation level decreasing while Minos'' rose.


    In the blink of an eye, Minos was no longer at level 79 but at 80!


    With this temporary increase in his cultivation base, Minos felt the mastery of his Soul Avatar increase considerably while all his abilities improved in efficiency and range.


    His opponents were the first to feel the changes that came with a step advance, feeling even more pressure on themselves.


    Those under the effects of the Devouring Art began to lose their energy at a frightening rate so that if they stayed there for more than a minute, they felt they would be exhausted just by doing so.


    On the other hand, those under the effects of Chaotic Gravity almost screamed, giving up the match, feeling as if they would be crushed at any moment.


    "Unbelievable... And he only increased a single level." Sarah saw this from afar and realized how strong her father already was.


    With a single advance, he immediately made even the strongest Spiritual Sages in the surrounding area, who were doing well, despite being pressured, feel overwhelmed!


    If he advanced to another level, there would be no escape for any of them!


    In a single movement, Minos could probably already finish this military exercise.


    Minos'' wives were also in the vicinity following this friendly match and smiled in satisfaction at seeing their man so strong.


    "His Majesty will probably be as strong as peak Spiritual Sages when he advances." Dillian, level 73, said this as he watched the confrontation develop.


    Minos would not steal the cultivation base of another of his opponents even if he had the chance to do so. This was a military exercise, not a real battle.


    Part of the purpose of this was to make those around him stronger and able to unite against a higher-level opponent. So as not to lose the chance to train his men and allies, Minos would not put any more pressure on them.


    As they saw this, the people watching the battle near Minos'' family couldn''t help but agree with the butler Dillian.


    ''With His Majesty''s advance to level 80, I believe that only Demigods will be a danger to him.'' One of the men from the Goddess of Life''s family group thought this over with himself, noting how right his superiors'' decision had been to join this state.


    Minos would still have trouble with Spiritual Sages, who had Golden-grade technique sets like his. But there were few such people in the entire Spiritual World.


    Many 9th-stage experts reached that stage and got techniques of that quality, but to do so, they had to switch techniques and didn''t get the best results.


    Only those who had learned techniques of this quality from the first moment could compare themselves to Minos.


    Since few had such a possibility, even though many high-level individuals had techniques of this quality, most of them were only ''fake'' cultivators of Golden-grade techniques.


    So both Minos and those in the surrounding area watching him fight knew that his combat proficiency would be compared to that of high-level 9th-stage warriors, even considering those higher-quality techniques.


    "If that is the case, when will His Majesty leave for his plans outside the continent?" Eda asked her husband, curious about Minos'' next steps.


    Dillian said. "That I do not know. He won''t be able to start some things right away when he reaches level 80. For example, Emlyn will take longer to get to that level. He probably won''t reach the 9th stage until His Majesty is already at level 82.


    So he won''t be able to travel to the Continent of Beasts before then.


    As for the people of the Longus family, I think he will be able to investigate them a little sooner."


    He paused to think for a moment and said. "Perhaps His Majesty will go to the Marine Empire first and then investigate the situation of the Longus family in Lusmait."


    Abby then said. "In any case, we will certainly stick around for another five years or so before we venture off the continent."


    Gloria then said. "On this next Minos trip, I will stay in Dry City. I won''t be able to put my duties aside for as long as I have in the past."


    "That will be good," Isabella commented. "It will be an important part of the family stays to defend the state in his absence."


    "Well, I will go with him, as I will not leave Kendrick in the Spatial Kingdom alone," Abby commented as she looked at Ruth.


    "Fine, I will stay to take care of your duties." That black-haired woman said that.


    Previously it was possible that they all went with Minos on their journeys and left Dry City with Dillian. But with the strengthening of the empire and the constant arrival of migrants from the south, the near future would not be so simple.


    The empire needed the royal family to stand on its own feet in Minos'' absence!


    So these women decided how they would split up on Minos'' next journey as they watched him finish that friendly battle.


    ...

 Chapter 1709 Distant Enemies

    ?


    After a few moments, everyone in the surrounding area of the group participating in the military exercise finally stopped to take a breath after several minutes of intense battle.


    Looking at these men and women in the surroundings, Minos stopped using his skills and said. "Very well, I think this training has been productive.


    Soak up what you have learned and return here in three months so we can train again.


    I will be available to help you with training like this for the next two years. After that, I don''t know when I will again perform this kind of battle."


    The people in the surrounding area indicated that they understood, and before leaving there for their responsibilities, they each thanked Minos for the pointers.


    Now and then, during battles like these, Minos would show his opponents'' weaknesses, which helped them greatly prepare them for the future by strengthening those weaknesses.


    As such, even though they lost to him by a large margin this time, these people were more than satisfied with this friendly match.


    Among them, some could not help but look at Minos and sigh, remembering when this emperor was no more than a promising young man.


    This was the case with Iris West, who had heard of Minos still when he was a Spiritual Emperor and criminals from her kingdom were invading the Black Plain.


    "Sigh..."


    ''The difference between our talents is really big...'' She sighed as she left.


    On the other hand, seeing all his opponents leaving, Minos approached his family and local government members.


    "Congratulations on another victory, Your Majesty," Dillian said as he saw the emperor''s wives offering him water and fruit.


    Minos smiled and said. "That was not a fair fight for them. Anyway, winning is always good."


    "Father, when will I be able to fight with you? You rarely train with me." Sarah said, taking the lead from her mothers to talk to Minos.


    Minos laughed. "Become a Spiritual Sage, and then I will train you a little. Until then, train with your instructors."


    Sarah clasped her hands together and turned her back to Minos.


    That would take a long time!


    By then, he would probably be a Demigod!


    Gloria ran one of her hands through her daughter''s long, red hair and said. "Don''t worry about it, Sarah. I will train you a little when Minos leaves to solve our problems.


    I will have some free time then."


    "But..."


    "You can''t demand that much of your father. He is a busy man who must care for billions of people." Ruth commented to Sarah. "Give him some time to deal with the problems of the state. Then, when times are quieter, he will surely teach you many things."


    Minos looked at Abby and the other women there and then said. "I heard what you were talking about... Well, I don''t disapprove of what was said. As for my plans, I intend to follow through with what Dillian said.


    I will travel to the Marine Empire and then see the traces of the Longus family. I will do that after I become a Spiritual Sage."


    "I will go with you!" Isabella said before anyone else, making a point of not leaving him so soon.


    Minos smiled and nodded positively to her.


    "Anyway, don''t worry about that for now. We''ll work it out little by little over the next few years.


    I won''t advance that fast to level 80."


    With that said, they would soon return to Dry City, some of them going to the Spatial Kingdom to cultivate and train their techniques.


    ...


    Meanwhile, on the Divine Continent...


    Somewhere in this great continent, the Longus family continued their routine of living in seclusion, waiting for the day when they would show themselves to the world again.


    Some local powers knew of its existence, but most of them had no idea of the connection of this house with Henricus Longus since his passage through the Spiritual World had happened a long time ago.


    So this power lived in relative peace, without problems because of its glorious past.


    But in the middle of another ordinary day for the members of this organization, the current patriarch of this family was at the family headquarters, receiving information from a group he had sent months ago to the Ancestral Sea.


    After finding out about the appearance of the final heir of Herincus Longus in the City of a Thousand Races, the patriarch of that family ordered a trusted group to go and investigate that person.


    He wanted the identity and whereabouts of such a person, something that the beasts of that underwater city had not given him.


    Since they were after the human who managed to turn the key to the statue of Henricus Longus and not the person who had discovered the location of the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus, they had not yet discovered who Minos was.


    If he had associated him with the person who freed Maximillian, these people would already be searching for Minos in the Black Plain Empire!


    However, they had not yet reached that information.


    "Patriarch, we have managed to trace some potential destinations of the person we are looking for to 4 locations in the central Ancestral Sea area.


    If we follow these paths, I believe that in no more than a year, we will have the location and identity of our savior." A voice came up on the patriarch Longus'' communicator.


    "That''s great. Divide your group and investigate these 4 locations simultaneously. Once you guys get his identity, don''t hesitate. Bring him to headquarters immediately." This level 91 man said, satisfied and extremely eager to enter that other Spatial Kingdom his ancestor had left.


    "What if we can''t? I mean, there is a possibility that he has powerful people on his side." The same voice asked. "What should we do in that situation?"


    "It''s unlikely that he has that kind of help. According to the sea beasts in the City of a Thousand Races, this person was weak. Considering his riches, I doubt he would allow strong people near his secret.


    But if the unlikely happens, do nothing. Track him down and keep an eye on him. I will decide what to do when you inform me of his circumstances."


    "We will do our best."


    After this brief exchange of messages, the patriarch turned off his medium-level grade-4 communicator while clenching his fists.


    ''Soon... Soon I will have the greatest wealth in this world under my possession!'' He thought, wondering what he would do with Henricus Longus'' heir.


    ''If he''s smart and knows his place, I can keep him alive. He must be quite talented... But otherwise, it will be better to just kill him once and for all!''

 Chapter 1710 There Will Be Light Again

    ?


    A few weeks later...


    In the Evergreen Empire, Maximillian was at the headquarters of the Blood Triangle Pirates, where he had been operating since returning to his home state.


    After several months in this place, he had gathered great forces on his side, gained the support of noble families in the empire, partnerships with the Flowers Kingdom, and strength among the Cardinals of the Church.


    In a way, his plans to become the leader of the Church and start a war of conquest were going very well.


    However, Duncan had been making things difficult for him, which was why the conflicts had not yet escalated.


    For the time being, Duncan had managed to manage the tensions and prevent the outbreak of war between the South and the West.


    But the Supreme Pontiff could not do this forever due to Maximillian''s growing influence and his advancing age.


    Duncan was not far from the end of his life, so sooner or later, he would have to leave the affairs of the Church to others to decide.


    He would go into cultivation to try to advance or would die of old age.


    In that case, his actions couldn''t last much longer, and Maximillian was quietly biding his time.


    While doing this from the headquarters of this organization funded by the Evergreen family, he received news from the Black Plain Empire.


    ...


    "Oh? So young Minos has reached level 79? His cultivation speed is awe-inspiring!" Maximillian commented to the men in the surrounding area, looking mainly at Darren.


    Darren, this level 99 sea beast, was still standing next to Maximillian.


    Maximillian intended to use this sea beast in his expansion once he got over some issues in the Central Continent. But because of the differences between him and Duncan, he kept this creature by his side for a possible fight against Vico and Willow.


    He feared that old Duncan would make a desperate move to finish him off before he went into seclusion and acted to help these historical enemies of the empire and the Church.


    So he didn''t want to be alone, while Duncan didn''t go into seclusion and kept this whale by his side.


    "Hmm, I hope you won''t regret saving him in the future," Darren said in a low voice, showing its grudges regarding Minos.


    Maximillian heard that, but there was no way he could think about the possibility of Minos becoming a problem for him. "Aren''t you ashamed of it? We are level 99 Demigods, and you bother with a child?"


    "That child grows up too fast..."


    "Tsk! You say that because you were humiliated by Minos back there." Maximillian laughed.


    For him to worry about Minos'' cultivation speed, that youngster would have to be at the 10th stage already. But that was far from happening, and Emperor Stuart was still only an 8th-stage cultivator.


    To Maximillian, if one day Minos became a Demigod, which there was no guarantee that would happen, he would already be a God then. So at most, that young emperor would become his subordinate in the northern region!


    With this thought that was primarily grounded in the Divine medicine that Duncan would use to try to advance, this man was unconcerned about Minos.


    Darren was not taking his words so seriously either, as he really hated Minos as such a young man had managed to trick him and, in a sense, beat him.


    "By all means, put Minos aside," Darren said. "I want to know when we will start this fucking war for real. How will we fight if we wait for the Supreme Pontiff to go into seclusion? Don''t you intend to deal with him at that time and secure your position?"


    Maximillian had already explained what he would do against Duncan to those closest to him.


    He then said to the few individuals in the vicinity. "Don''t worry. When the Supreme Elder goes into seclusion, it will take him over a decade to begin the crucial part of the advance. That will be the time we will have to act against our enemies.


    After that period, I will enter seclusion to become a God."


    "And when will that happen? This old man will get in our way as much as possible." Darren said.


    The leader of the Blood Triangle Pirates then said. "It probably won''t take the Supreme Pontiff long. He cannot delay because of the preparation time for the actual attempt to advance to the 10th stage, or he will have a 100% chance of dying during the advance attempt."


    A high-ranking Cardinal then said. "I believe that he will make his decision in less than ten years."


    "Good. That''s not much to look forward to." Maximillian said in a satisfied tone.


    ...


    While Maximillian was making his plans, Duncan was meeting with his disciple of this generation.


    "Forrest, I will not be able to continue to keep the peace in the empire for long. I will have to retire in a few years to begin my seclusion, so you should prepare yourself." The Supreme Pontiff said to that level 92 man while having one of his hands on one of his shoulders.


    "What will happen, master?" Forrest asked, full of uncertainty in his heart.


    "Sigh... It''s complicated. Maximillian can still be considered young and has a lot of power." Duncan took a deep breath, trying to imagine what would be the best path for his disciple and group. "All I can tell you is not to oppose him. But do not participate in any action commanded by him.


    If he desires war, let him wage it alone. If I return successfully, I will resolve everything at that time. But if that doesn''t happen, you should remain neutral.


    If the Black Plain group strengthens, perhaps you and the rest of our group should look for them.


    In any case, you should prepare yourself. Difficulties that even I have not faced in my life will arise to threaten you and the rest of the group."


    Forrest clenched his fists, feeling pressured by all this calamity he would have to face.


    "As the most talented disciple I have had, it will be your duty to lead our group into a new day. No matter how long the darkness lasts, eventually, there will be light again.


    That is your duty, Forrest!"


    "I will do my best, master!" That man said after clinging to his resolve, believing that one day he would be strong enough to at least try.


    Duncan looked pausingly at his pupil, who he believed could one day reach level 100.


    ''After me, you were the most talented one to come along in the last 20,000 years, Forrest. So don''t screw up. Eventually, you''ll get your chance!''

 Chapter 1711 Essential Resources

    ?


    While various powers were moving around the southern Central Continent, further north to the northeast of the Ancestral Sea, the Black Plain Empire''s marine expansion was running wild without hindrance.


    More than 100,000 people from the empire were in that area, actively living in the city built below sea level, where there were already all kinds of services and recreation for the workers in the area.


    The empire had started the project of this expansion by sending only workers and people to protect the group. But after the foundations of that underwater city for humans had been laid, civilian opportunities emerged in the empire.


    To encourage people of all kinds to migrate to his marine empire, Minos gave income tax exemptions to people who moved into this area and continued their economic activities there.


    Because of this, all over the empire, professionals from every single specialization were already signing up to migrate to this area, along with their families, stores, etc.


    So in recent months, this large underwater city of Minos has gained civilians and people to generate all the essential services in a city.


    As such, if one accidentally arrived at that place at that moment, one would see a city functioning as if it had long been there.


    Children were living in the surrounding area, going to the local spiritual academy, people working in the local expansions, individuals going out with their spouses for walks, and much more.


    Amid this, there was a strong presence of forces allied or subordinate to Minos and many workers who were there to mine precious metals at the bottom of the sea.


    Due to the group''s objective, submarines could constantly be seen going down to the ocean floor where the work was being done.


    Meanwhile, this place was connected to at least a dozen posts around up to 200 kilometers away from there, where the Black Plain Army already had observation points.


    One of Minos'' goals in this place was to observe the North Sea and predict possible movements from that area, so the forces in the vicinity were slowly extending their network of observation posts.


    They were doing this in all directions at the moment, as they needed to watch for danger from all sides. But the focus was undeniably on the north, the most mysterious place for Minos.


    Anyway, in this place, the shark that had fallen into Minos'' hands was doing its surveillance work, feeling less fearful than months ago.


    ...


    ''Minos recently reached level 79...''


    That shark, who had advanced in recent months to level 85, thought to itself as it looked at the growing city not far from where it was.


    Thinking how strong that guy already was at level 77, this beast couldn''t help but sigh, thinking it would never escape its agreement with him.


    But thinking, on the other hand, it at least could become stronger under the command of someone powerful and with many resources at his disposal.


    ''If he wasn''t crazy, I might be better off.'' This beast thought as it looked toward the north side, wondering what they would face following the current plans.


    At the current speed things were developing, it would take more than a decade for them to get an observation post inside the North Sea.


    But it would eventually happen and could bring unimaginable problems to this place!


    This shark was aware of this and could not go even a day without thinking about it.


    ''I at least won''t die alone.'' He looked in the direction of the level 84 soldier sent by Ruth months ago, who had been helping it keep this human city and the surrounding mineral exploration safe.


    As it was doing this, one of the mining submarines of the Black Plain Army appeared from the zone of darkness.


    He saw that and noticed that, once again, a group of miners was returning with tons of precious resources.


    Inside that little submarine, the entire crew was celebrating because, with the piece of rock they were bringing back to their city, the empire could produce thousands of high-level grade-3 artifacts!


    With such resources, Spiritual Saints from the army or even from allied and subordinate organizations could get weaponry, arrays, and even pills!


    This would help the entire empire become stronger!


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the seat of government of that underwater city...


    Lorelei was standing next to Elena Neel, level 73, and Davy Hayes, level 71, both members of the Black Plain Army, in that city to help the local administration.


    Also, there was Brooke, level 70, and her father, David, level 69. Both were part of the Black Plain''s government and were also part of this group that had been leading things locally.


    "Soon, the army will send a new Spiritual Sage to our city," Elena said, relaying the information she had received from army headquarters this morning. "Along with him, 10,000 more 6th stage soldiers will be joining us."


    Low-level soldiers were relevant. After all, these men kept the documentation of posts up to date, the maintenance of arrays, the cleaning and repair of equipment, and many other less relevant functions on time.


    All these things were necessary, but high-ranking soldiers couldn''t afford to waste their time on them.


    So lower-ranking soldiers were needed even in advanced and relevant posts like this.


    "That''s good to hear," Lorelei said, imagining that with this, they could advance the local development.


    Brooke then commented. "That will help establish more observation posts. As such, we will be able to build more areas for humans to live in this city."


    Her father nodded and said. "If there is no delay in the arrival of these men, in no more than a year, we will be able to welcome 50,000 more people."


    "That will help us get ahead of our work in the surrounding area," Lorelei said. "If we increase our local exploration by 50%, we can supply enough minerals to provide the entire army''s demand in no more than three years.


    After that, we can give the empire government those resources for them to trade with subordinates and allies."


    She was excited about that. From the moment the army''s demand was met, minerals would be left over for other organizations, such as her Stone family.


    From then on, the entire northern region of the Central Continent could be strengthened with essential resources!


    Thus, even with areas that were still poor, families like hers could move up a level in a few decades!

 Chapter 1712 Beginning Of The Investigations

    ?


    One year later...


    After the investigations began regarding the man who turned the key in the statue of Henricus Longus in the City of a Thousand Races, the Longus family group finally reached a crucial point in their actions!


    After following Minos'' tracks in the Ancestral Sea for months, the patriarch Longus'' men connected the person they were looking for with the one behind the instability in the Central Continent.


    They had discovered Minos'' name and his origin!


    This had happened a day ago when the leader of this group had sent his information to their leader while he was already in the Black Plain Empire.


    However, he not only sent Minos'' location and identity. This man also sent Emperor Stuart''s relationship with Maximillian Flamen, someone who had sworn to protect him from Demigods!


    ...


    "What? He got protection from a fucking level 99 Demigod?" Patriarch Longus exclaimed upon receiving this information, finding it hard to believe that an expert like Maximillian would waste his time with Minos.


    Another Demigod was standing with Patriarch Longus at his family headquarters, expressing concern on his face.


    "That... I don''t know what to say. From what our men said in their report, it''s quite possible that this is not a hollow promise, patriarch." That middle-aged, blond-haired man said, somewhat unsure. "It seems that all the problems of this young Minos have been solved with the resurgence of Maximillian Flamen."


    "But it''s absurd!" The patriarch exclaimed. "That Minos is still only a Spiritual Saint. What kind of expert would pay attention to him?"


    "Maybe not on him, but on the words themselves." The Supreme Elder of that family, level 90, said. "Perhaps Minos is no big deal, but if we go against Maximillian''s words, we may incur his anger for defying his words."


    Patriarch Longus could understand that reason to avoid acting thoughtlessly against Minos and was silent upon hearing that.


    "Then we can''t send Demigods. Instead, we will send our high-level Spiritual Sages to this Minos.


    We''ll give him the option of giving us the Spatial Kingdom ring and joining us or dying for his insolence!" He said, determined to steal the inheritance left by his ancestor to Minos.


    A level 90 woman, who was also standing there, then said. "I think we''d better wait for a moment. This Minos seems to be an excellent fighter. Let''s analyze his situation first before we move.


    If we''re going to stand against him, I''d rather do that after we''re sure how much power he has.


    Let''s not forget that he received the soul fragment from the ancestor along with all his cultivation understanding. There are also all the resources that were in that Spatial Kingdom..."


    Hearing that, those two men couldn''t help but agree that they needed to be careful with Minos.


    He had methods above normal, he should have a high-rank innate ability, and he could escape to the Spatial Kingdom.


    Considering that last detail alone, they had to be cautious about their approach.


    If Minos cowered, he could hide in this region of space and stay out of their reach for several years and eventually return stronger and take revenge.


    So if they were going to act against him, they had to be as prepared as possible. Otherwise, all could be lost!


    "Very well, have this group in the Black Plain Empire keep watching this Minos but do nothing. I want his profile drawn. I want to know all his abilities.


    A new group to intercept him will leave after a year." The patriarch said after thinking for some time.


    ...


    The next day...


    The group of men from the Divine Continent, watching the surroundings of Dry City, received their leader''s orders.


    Seeing that he should wait, the group leader, a level 90 Demigod, felt a little frustrated since he was so close to the man with the Spatial Kingdom that would save his family from decay.


    However, the patriarch had not just sent orders in his communiqu¨¦. Instead, he had explained the problems they had to worry about, and the man leading this watch group agreed with his leader''s concerns.


    As such, even though he was anxious to take the Spatial Kingdom from Minos, he would not disobey his patriarch to act in haste.


    He looked at his men hiding in a pocket of space and said. "We are going to divide up by this state. I want you here to pay attention to things regarding Minos and the local forces. I want to know everything possible about his combat abilities.


    You have one year."


    "OK!"


    Those people soon moved on from there, leaving only this Demigod in the vicinity of Dry City while the others traveled through wormholes to other areas of the empire.


    ''In a year, I will know everything to find out about you, Minos Stuart.'' His eyes narrowed as he watched this target from afar, tens of miles from the core of Dry City.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in Dry City...


    It was noon, and the sun was scorching hot on this sunny day. But the city continued its routine, with its thousands of Spiritual Sages coming and going through this metropolis''s outer and inner areas.


    Spiritual Sages could be felt here and there, even considering that many were around the empire''s strategic points, such as the submarine city, the End area, and the capital cities of Vogel, Rosser, Albano, and Blackrock.


    But this was only natural. As time passed, more and more Sages were emerging in this state.


    One of the most recent individuals to advance to the 9th stage in Minos'' forces had been his mother, Maisie Coleman, who had advanced the week before.


    Another who had advanced in this period had been Minos'' mount, Little Green, now at level 80.


    In addition to them, six other cultivators had advanced from level 79 to 80 in the past 12 months, raising the level of the local forces a bit more.


    But internally in the Stuart family. Minos and Gloria were battling to gather as much spiritual energy as possible to reach level 80, while Ruth, Abby, and Isabella worked to get close to that level.


    As such, there were more experts coming and going around this city while Minos was out there talking to his men.


    While he was doing this, he had no idea that a Spiritual Demigod was watching him!

 Chapter 1713 End Of Investigations

    ?


    Meanwhile, in the Eastern Empire...


    Vico was on the border of his state meeting with Willow at this very moment.


    Their states were working together to prepare for the unstable times ahead, acting to prevent themselves from the actions Maximillian was taking in the Evergreen Empire.


    At this meeting, Vico and this woman arranged for joint training of their forces near the border with the Flaming Empire before the most important thing was finished being discussed.


    At the end of this meeting of more than two hours, the one who was known as the strongest on the continent said to that woman. "What''s with Henry Quinn? He and I have been mortal enemies for a long time, but I have never seen him so strange as recently...


    He seems to have his mind elsewhere. He doesn''t seem as focused on what we are about to face."


    Willow heard that and sighed, setting her cup of tea aside.


    She closed her eyes and said. "He is confident that the dangers of the North Sea will reach everyone on the continent. His lack of focus on our nearest problem is because he is dividing his attention between there and here."


    "But that is nonsense. The catastrophe upon us will come from our weakening due to Maximillian. We''ll be fine if we can avoid major attrition because of that man." Vico said, confident that there could not be something so terrible in that place.


    He had never been to that maritime region as he had always been quite busy taking care of his state and the constant tensions with the Western Empire and the Spiritual Church.


    But he felt that if he went to that place, nothing could threaten him.


    Willow didn''t believe Henry''s theories either and said. "Yeah, but he believes that nonsense... Anyway, don''t worry about him. I''m sure he''ll be focused on fighting Maximillian when the time comes."


    "Sigh... I hope so."


    "Anyway, we should thank Duncan. I never thought an enemy would do so much for peace on the continent." This woman commented on the Supreme Pontiff, whom she had never been on good terms with due to the differences of opinion she and he had.


    But at this crucial time for the continent''s future, Duncan had shown his commitment to peace and not getting involved in a war that could weaken all sides considerably.


    Maximillian and Duncan wanted a strong Church, but one had a much more offensive approach than the other. It was unacceptable for one of them to risk so much for just the western region, but the other was fully willing to take all the risks.


    Vico had known Duncan for thousands of years, and both had fought each other a few times. So he said. "As much as he is a devotee of the Seraph, he has never had any bellicose thoughts. The current circumstances don''t surprise me.


    My only regret is that he is already at the end of his life and cannot do more in the short term."


    "Hmm..." She agreed. ''He should go into seclusion soon.


    Sigh, I doubt he will move on. Then soon he will die.''


    "I never thought I would say that, but I will miss him." She smiled before standing up, intending to return to her capital since everything important had already been discussed.


    Seeing this woman standing, Vico looked at her seriously momentarily and asked. "I hear that your state remains neutral concerning Minos Stuart and his little state... Why is that? Aren''t you convinced that he has thrown us into this chaos?"


    For Vico, the situation of Minos could not be ignored, even though he was weak and had not done what he had done for evil. He was an enemy who had unleashed a terrible enemy for them to deal with!


    As such, he had to be punished and at least be excluded from the relations of these western region states in the short term!


    Willow understood how Vico blamed Minos for releasing Maximillian but also how his heir fell under that man''s control.


    She stopped and looked at the horizon through the entrance of the tent they were in. "I have an agreement with Minos regarding the Continental Tournament and nothing more. For the moment, I see no reason to end that agreement. He may have done something terrible, but he can still help me achieve my goal in this competition.


    In any case, my state and his are not helping each other at all."


    "Continental Tournament?" Vico understood this woman''s goal. After all, he also had this competition in mind.


    He intended to place his bets on this event and compete with other bettors for the magnificent prize that should be given to the event winner.


    "I hope it will be just that. It would be terrible if we were destabilized for one of us to relate to an enemy like him."


    With those words, he left that place before Willow, leaving that woman thinking about his words.


    "Sigh... Minos Stuart, I hope you''ll give me some feedback. Otherwise, I''ll have to teach you a lesson after this tournament!"


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, another year had passed...


    In the meantime, Ruth, Isabella, and Abby had advanced, reaching level 78. Meanwhile, Sarah had reached level 62 days ago, when she left the Spatial Kingdom, where her mother was still in seclusion to advance to level 80.


    Gloria was still striving to get there, while Minos was no longer far from his long-awaited moment.


    Meanwhile, as the core of that family grew stronger, the men of the Longus family investigating Minos gathered all the information they could have obtained that year.


    They had discovered not a few things but enough for the previously confident men to become somewhat concerned.


    Minos was already very strong at level 79, and with his advance closer and closer to the 9th stage, they had to worry about acting against him fast!


    So when their deadline passed this day, that person immediately used the high-level communicator he had with him to ask his leader what to do.


    He had already sent the information he and his men had collected, so the patriarch should already have a position.


    "Patriarch, what shall we do? This person is by no means simple. He is strengthening quickly and will certainly come after us if we delay. By that time, we will have no alternatives against him."


    A voice then came from that communicator. "I have made up my mind. Go to..."

 Chapter 1714 Bad Feeling

    ?


    "I''ve made up my mind. Go to Dry City... Or rather, send one of your men there to meet this Minos Stuart. I want this person to make it clear to him that we know about the Spatial Kingdom.


    After that, he should withdraw and return to your group. Another team will deal with this Minos afterward.


    I want to prevent his group from getting involved in a fight with him so that this Maximillian Flamen doesn''t come after us." Patriarch Longus said.


    Previously he would act only when this other group arrived in the Black Plain Empire. But it would take a few months for this group to cross the East Sea and reach this state.


    Since the news about Minos'' abilities was alarming, he wanted to stop this individual from further strengthening by putting a big problem on him.


    He simply wanted to threaten Minos and then gather his men, making Emperor Stuart too worried about them talking about his Spatial Kingdom.


    If Minos did the sensible thing, he would immediately go to the kingdom of Lusmait to investigate the traces of the Longus family in that place. From there, he would have a long journey to the Divine Continent.


    In the meantime, they would prepare to take action against him.


    In the view of the Longus patriarch and his men on the Divine Continent, this was a great plan!


    Hearing that, the level 90 Demigod near Dry City asked. "What if Minos Stuart turns on us and tries to start a fight?"


    "From what you said, he cannot stop your group from escaping. So don''t bother with him. Get back to headquarters as soon as possible.


    After that, his worries will strip him of his peace and prevent him from continuing to pursue his spiritual development.


    Once this happens, he will either turn to us, or he won''t be able to cultivate until my group arrives at this place.


    One way or another, we will finish him off in a few more months!" The patriarch said this in a humorous tone, confident in his plans.


    If Minos left the continent, Maximillian could not protect him. Then the patriarch himself would act against this irritating heir of Henricus Longus!


    "OK, I will do what the patriarch ordered!" That man said before ending his call.


    As he did so, he felt a chill run down his spine, not because of fear of Minos but because of this young man''s contacts.


    On the other hand, he was very eager to enter the Spatial Kingdom of his ancestor, so part of that feeling was from the anticipation of what might happen soon, not just the fear he had of the trouble that might soon overtake them.


    "Len! Come here. You will visit Minos Stuart!" This Demigod said this to the level 89 man standing around, surprising the rest of his group, who were not listening to his conversation with the patriarch.


    "What?" That man didn''t understand.


    But the level 90 Demigod would quickly answer the questions of that man and the other men before ordering the group to prepare to leave.


    "Len, we will not wait for you. We will leave immediately for the east. From there, we will sail back to the Divine Continent." That man at the head of the group said after a few minutes. "You must flee this place as soon as you deliver our message to Minos Stuart."


    "I will do my best, senior!"


    With that said, they soon split up, with most of them leaving Dry City without drawing attention, while that man came out of the pocket of space where they were hiding moments ago.


    Appearing in the sky about 20 kilometers from the core of Dry City, that man took a deep breath and then began to descend as he approached that place.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Minos was walking through Dry City alongside Kendrick, who would soon undergo his awakening and the beginning of his cultivation journey.


    Along with this young man who looked more and more like his father, Abby was also there, wondering once again if her son would be like her or Minos concerning his innate ability.


    This woman''s biggest concern in recent months had been about this, so she thought about it whenever she walked with him and Minos.


    However, while Abby was looking at Kendrick and this young man was following behind his father, Minos suddenly stopped and looked back, sensing that someone powerful was approaching.


    Noticing the person flying toward the core of Dry City, he immediately said to Abby, "Go back to the palace with Kendrick. There seems to be a problem outside the defensive dome."


    "What? What is it?" She asked, unable to see what it was.


    "There''s a Spiritual Sage coming here. I don''t know what it is, but I have a bad impression about it." He said, confident that such a person was not a Demigod. Otherwise, that person would have already invaded the security area of this city.


    After the years of peace this city had experienced, Minos replaced the previously destroyed low-level grade-4 defensive arrays. Therefore, that level 89 Spiritual Sage was not a threat to those within the Dry City Defensive Dome.


    Still, Minos had to deal with that kind of expert coming to his city, so even in a safe place, he set off toward that danger.


    Meanwhile, Abby picked up Kendrick and headed for the imperial palace, feeling worried as this youngster wished to become strong to help his father.


    "What''s wrong, Mom?" He asked.


    "I don''t know..." Abby sighed, feeling something wrong would happen after so many months of peace for her and her family.


    Meanwhile, the local experts on standby had already noticed the visitor approaching and had gathered around Minos.


    "Your Majesty, what will this be about?" The level 85 Spiritual Sage, the strongest at cultivation in the army, asked as he looked in that person''s direction.


    That individual had already stopped approaching the core of Dry City and was standing a few tens of meters away from the defensive barrier of that dome.


    Minos said as he looked at that tall, blond individual dressed in black armor outside his city core. "I don''t know. But get ready to fight. I don''t have a good impression of this person."


    With those words, Minos did not hesitate and soon used two men to temporarily increase his cultivation base to level 81.


    ...

 Chapter 1715 Worrying Threat!

    Chapter 1715  Worrying Threat!


    When they left the Dry City Defensive Dome, the group of cultivators between levels 80 and 85 soon came across that level 89 Spiritual Sage.


    1


    Seeing these people and particularly Minos, that man smiled. "Your Majesty is already using your innate ability... It seems I am not welcome in this place."


    "Visitor, identify yourself!" That group''s level 85 Spiritual Sage said while he and everyone else had defensive positions.


    Minos silently stared at that person, waiting for what he would say.


    There was no way Minos could identify him as a descendant of the Longus family just by appearance or spiritual fluctuation. It was even possible to do this since the spiritual fluctuations of members of the same family had similarities. But millions of years had passed since Henricus Longus had left this world.


    As such, Minos had no idea who this man was or who that man represented.


    However, that would soon change!


    "Who I am doesn''t matter. But don''t worry. I''m not here to fight. There''s no need for you to act like that." He said calmly, unafraid of these people but cautious since he knew Minos had fusions of techniques that were quite complicated to counter.


    But then he went straight to the point. "Your Majesty, I represent people who do not wish you harm, the opposite of that, they wish you to become an ally, a friend.


    I am here only to indicate this intention...


    Oh, by the way, we know about the Spatial Kingdom."


    When those words were spoken, all the men in Minos'' surroundings opened their eyes wide, for the first time seeing someone outside their group with such knowledge.


    Such a thing was worrying!


    No one outside Minos'' group knew about the Spatial Kingdom, so nothing bad had ever happened to this emperor because of what he had.


    But if these words leaked out to the rest of the world, high-level Demigods would be knocking on his door in a matter of days!


    From then on, chaos and disgrace would be ahead of Minos and the Black Plain Empire.


    If he were a high-level Demigod, nothing would happen if this news spread. But as a Spiritual Saint or even a Spiritual Sage, even states with Spatial Kingdoms would move against him to take this region of space for themselves!


    As they thought about these problems, all those people felt how great a threat this was to them.


    Minos, in particular, looked ugly at that man as the veins on his forehead and neck stood out, trembling vigorously.


    Then, without warning, he activated his Soul Avatar, immediately trying to merge two of his techniques to deal with that enemy.


    "Attack!" He shouted a second later, confident that there were more people behind this individual but that he could not let this threat go by without doing something.


    Minos was no fool. He knew who that man represented, for only an organization other than his own in the entire Spiritual World could know that he had the Spatial Kingdom in his possession!


    The Longus family!


    ''Despicable ones! Did you choose to betray your ancestor?'' He reminded himself that this family was supposed to help him, not threaten him in this way.


    According to Henricus Longus'' orders, they were not to seek Minos but to wait for him, for their chosen one would surely come to them one day.


    Therefore, this was an approach contrary to the orders of that God and clearly indicated that the leadership of the Longus family was against Minos!


    Minos understood this as he should and immediately put these people on his list of enemies.


    While he was thinking about this and acting, that man already knew how strong this opponent was and that he would probably try to attack him.


    So he didn''t hesitate to flee, trying to escape the Space and Time Avatar''s domain.


    Even though he was a level 89 Spiritual Sage, stronger than what Minos could handle at the moment, this man would have a hard time opening a spatial crack from that place to escape.


    So he flew out of Minos'' domain under the attacks of those opponents in the surrounding area, ignoring them all, for nothing of that, other than the black hole that Emperor Stuart was preparing, could affect him.


    "Farewell, Your Majesty Minos Stuart!" He laughed one last time before opening his wormhole and fleeing the empire''s capital.


    Minos even tried to throw his already-formed black hole at that man, but the spatial crack left behind was already closing in, and he got nothing.


    "Shit!"


    After a moment, Minos cursed the name of the Longus family, feeling betrayed like never before, while his men were pale in fear.


    With that person''s escape, they had nothing to do!


    Someone with that crucial information was loose, and they didn''t even know who he was or represented.


    "Now what?" Patience asked, not knowing how to proceed.


    The others in the surrounding area were also in doubt, looking at Minos eagerly for his answers.


    After a while of venting his anger at these people, he said. "Those bastards are members of the Longus family! The fucking bastards betrayed Henricus Longus and probably want the Spatial Kingdom!"


    "What?"


    "Damn it! Does that family really still exist?"


    "To make matters worse, they are against us..."


    Comments arose among those people as the violently altered spiritual energy in the surroundings because of their attacks returned to normal.


    "What do we do now?" Patriarch Terry asked.


    Minos then said. "We can''t do anything for the moment. I could go after them, but we have time to do that. They won''t reveal this information to the world for the moment since they have a vested interest in keeping my Spatial Kingdom.


    But it won''t be like this forever. If they realize they won''t get anything out of me, they will reveal my secret to the world!"


    "So, how will we deal with that?" Maisie, also in that group, asked.


    "I will advance to the 9th stage and then set off searching for that damned family. I must find them before they feel threatened enough to reveal the truth about my possessions. So get ready. I will leave the Black Plain in no more than a year!" Minos said, still very angry at being threatened by these people who were supposed to become his allies.


    "Will that be enough? They may have high-level Demigods in their group." Someone said, worried.


    "No, otherwise they wouldn''t send someone to threaten me to seek them out." Minos quickly understood the situation of these people. "If they had high-level cultivators, they would just kidnap me and take my Spatial Kingdom.


    The fact that they just threatened me shows that they fear me fleeing to the Spatial Kingdom or suffering too much from Maximillian.


    They, at most, have low-level Demigods on their side. Otherwise, it would be worth the risk!"


    ...

 Chapter 1716 Many Ifs

    Chapter 1716  Many ''Ifs''


    "Still... Low-level Demigods are still too much for us, no?" Someone in that group questioned, uncertain about their ability to take on a family with cultivators at that level.


    1


    The people in the surrounding area agreed with that, feeling it was too much for them.


    But Minos said. "There aren''t many alternatives for us.


    1. We do nothing and hide in the Spatial Kingdom. By doing that, we will probably lose control of the empire, and in the end, we won''t have a group to support us in the chaotic future of this world.


    2. We do nothing and wait for their attack, which will probably kill us or lead to a battle that would disseminate the news about the Spatial Kingdom. So we would return to the first option or die.


    3. We search for the damned while they won''t talk about the Spatial Kingdom and try our luck. We may not have enough to do this and lose some of our strength, but there is a chance that we will succeed.


    These are our only alternatives. I prefer to follow the latter and test my luck.


    I prefer to kill as many enemies as possible before I fall..."


    Upon hearing Minos'' words, those still uncertain couldn''t help but sigh, seeing that their options were only these very options.


    They could not seek Maximillian''s assistance, for besides that man being busy, that might cause him to find out about Minos'' Spatial seemed promising.


    "Perhaps His Majesty will succeed in annihilating them all with a Kingdom and turn him into an enemy.


    Therefore, they could not seek help from him or anyone else!


    Alone in this challenge, only the three alternatives listed by Minos seemed promising.


    "Perhaps His Majesty will succeed in annihilating them all with a black hole or even a Black Hole Bomb." A member of the Coleman family said that.


    "Hmm, that''s our great alternative." Others agreed.


    But then Maisie asked. "But Minos, isn''t there any possibility you could control them somehow? I mean, Henricus Longus left an order for these people to follow you as subordinates or allies.


    They are rebelling against his words by acting this way... Isn''t there anything you can use to control this family?"


    Those Spiritual Sages flying over beside Minos focused on him again until he answered his mother, "Hard to say. Any kind of contract has already been lost due to the passage of time.


    Even if he was a God, he was not omnipotent and could not change the fate of his family to the extent that orders from millions of years ago still have some great effect."


    He formed a thoughtful expression and added. "At most, there may be people in this family who are still loyal to him. If they exist and find out about the decisions of the family leadership, it may be that they will side with me, but even then, there is no guarantee that I would get enough to be able to resolve this situation with their help."


    "Not to mention that there are a lot of ''ifs'' here." Patience commented, feeling that they had better not consider that there would be allies for Minos within that family.


    If there were, that would be considered a gain later on, but they weren''t counting on it for now.


    Whatever Minos'' fate with that family might be, they already knew that this emperor''s previous plans regarding House Longus could no longer be completed.


    Minos intended to strengthen his group with that family if it still existed. But now his group not only could not rely on this house but was threatened by them!


    This was a prominent setback to Minos'' plans!


    Minos then said after a moment. "Everyone better prepare for the worst. We could be attacked by groups of Spiritual Sages from that family any time from now on.


    So be prepared. I will do my best to move forward and head for Lusmait. I will investigate the whereabouts of this family from there.


    Eventually, there will be less danger after I leave."


    Everyone agreed to this and soon split up, going to different locations from where they would keep watch from now on.


    Minos then quickly returned to the core of Dry City, where he picked up his women and took them to the Spatial Kingdom along with his children.


    He would now enter seclusion to advance to the 9th stage, so it would be crucial that they be in that place where they could benefit from cultivation in his presence.


    With his ability to steal the magnificent energy of the giant bones and give those powers to his allies, Minos would not miss the opportunity to help them become stronger.


    His ability was so good that he could use it even during cultivation, so it wouldn''t even get in his way!


    And so the empire''s capital felt the presence of the local sovereigns for the last time for the next few months.


    ...


    A few days passed, and information about what had happened had already reached patriarch Longus in the Divine Continent.


    This man and the core of his family were delighted with this news, looking forward to the day when they would meet Minos and get back what should belong to their family.


    They didn''t know what Minos would do, but whatever his choice, they were confident that he would somehow risk himself because of the catastrophic prediction made by Henricus Longus.


    To avoid certain death in the future, Minos would have to make a move that would risk his ownership of the Spatial Kingdom!


    So for the moment, these Longus family elders were not thinking of revealing the truth about Minos'' riches to the world and were just waiting for his answer.


    The group of high-level Spiritual Sages that was to confront him and the empire was already on their way and, in a few months, would arrive at the core of that state in the northern region of the Central Continent!


    But while the leadership of that family was dealing with their affairs in anticipation of what Minos would decide, some members of that family were gradually spreading the word about the emergence of their ancestor''s chosen one.


    Years had passed since the patriarch Longus had received this information. But over the months, more and more people had come to know the truth about what the most important people in this family had been meeting occasionally to discuss.


    Finally, someone who had accidentally or not passed on this information more than he should have had come forward, pointing out to various groups in the current Longus family the emergence of Minos.


    Every family had its factions, and even in times of trouble, there would be different lines of thought.


    It was no different in the Longus family, and one of the groups that believed they should follow the chosen one of Henricus Longus had just found out about the deeds of their leaders regarding the chosen one!


    1


    ...

 Chapter 1717 Breakthrough: Spiritual Sage

    ?


    At the headquarters of the Longus family...


    In a remote part of that headquarters built among the trees of the great forest in which it was located, a group of mid-level Spiritual Sages was gathered in secret.


    This group was basically composed of hybrids of humans and beasts, members of the lower nobility of this family.


    When they had come to this continent, part of the family that had mixed with spiritual beasts to ensure their survival had been demoted afterward and had lost part of their privileges.


    Even though they used this strategy to strengthen the whole family, those who had remained pure and benefited from this decision to mix their lineage with others saw these beings as their inferiors.


    Precisely because of this, the men and women gathered in this group were already opposed to the patriarch''s group, even for matters not connected to the chosen one.


    They were not enemies of those people to the point of starting a rebellion within the family. Still, the differences between them and the leaders of this house existed and caused friction from time to time.


    However, upon finding out about Minos'' situation, the most important members of one of the three factions of the Longus family were soon gathered to expose their thoughts contrary to those of the family leadership.


    "That''s treason!"


    "What they are doing is spitting on our ancestor''s grave and coveting an inheritance that does not belong to them!"


    "Heaven will not forgive the family if we continue on this unforgivable path!"


    "If part of the ancestor still exists somewhere, he must be excommunicating us now!"


    The opinions there were not subtle; everyone was expressing anger and shame at what they had just discovered.


    Not only were their leaders not going to carry out the orders left by the only God this family had ever had, who had left them riches that had prevented the family''s demise on four occasions along the river of time, but they were also threatening Minos!


    A level 85 woman, with brown scales over much of her body and razor-sharp teeth like those of crocodiles, said to the group leader. "We have to do something. The ancestor didn''t leave his heritage with the family for a good reason.


    We were so loyal to him then that everyone would have been willing to die if he commanded that. But even so, he chose to leave his main inheritance to someone different...


    He must have foreseen that only someone from the outside could guide us toward the light amidst the darkness of the catastrophe approaching us!"


    "Yes!" the ancestor Longus was a God. He knew what was best for us.


    We must help the chosen one somehow!"


    The faction leader, a level 86 man, tall and very muscular, with a pair of red wings on his back, then said. "All right, here''s what we''ll do..."


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, another six months passed...


    In this period, the invisible war between the South and West of the Central Continent intensified, and fears of what was about to begin were reaching their limits.


    Recently news had appeared in several areas of the continent informing about the beginning of Duncan''s seclusion, which was supposed to be coming soon.


    Everyone already knew that this man''s movements would decide the fate of the war over these regions, so anything with his name on it would shake the continent.


    As a result of the rumors that nobody knew whether they were true or false, the already boiling Central Continent was getting worse.


    But in the midst of this, the Divine-grade medicine of the Seraphim Spatial Kingdom was reaching its peak, which would really decide the moment when Duncan would go into seclusion.


    Because of this, this man was closer than ever to beginning his attempt to advance to the 11th stage!


    However, contrary to rumor, he was not as close to leaving for his Spatial Kingdom as soon as they talked about it.


    At most, he would leave 3 or 4 years early, but he still intended to stay a little longer to help his faction prepare for the hard times ahead.


    Amid this, Minos was at a crucial moment in his seclusion, reaching the 9th stage!


    While the northern region lived in anticipation of this breakthrough, mostly ignorant of the threats upon their leader, his men were looking forward to his return from the Spatial Kingdom.


    The more time passed, the greater the chances that powerful enemies would attack the empire or that the truth about local wealth would spread worldwide.


    But just 999 days after reaching level 79, Minos reached the maximum threshold and broke through the barrier of the 8th with the 9th stage!


    ...


    Inside the Spatial Kingdom of Minos...


    At this instant, everyone in this place was watching Minos'' stage advancement, smiling as they saw the spiritual and physical changes he was undergoing.


    The typical sound of advancement had already emerged from within Minos. Hence, everyone in the surrounding area knew he had already overcome the most challenging time in his cultivation and was now stabilizing his strength at a new level.


    So Abby, Ruth, Gloria, Isabella, and Sarah were celebrating along with little Kendrick about Minos'' advancement, relieved that he had finally reached this point.


    As they hugged each other, the individuals who had remained there while the Spiritual Sages of Minos'' forces were in the empire looking after the local security were also celebrating.


    Everyone was sensing how quickly Minos'' forces were rising, with his innate ability becoming even stronger.


    It would not qualitatively evolve since he had not undergone an evolution in his Physique. But it was experiencing a relevant quantitative change.


    Now he no longer passed the feeling that he was a false Spiritual Sage, as happened when he raised his level artificially and temporarily to the 9th stage with his innate ability.


    Now the solidity of Minos'' spiritual fluctuations was dense, charged with the vast understanding of cultivation he had gained.


    Amidst this, all of his 8 techniques evolved in phases, showing themselves to be more powerful even without him activating them.


    As a cultivator grew stronger, their techniques began to integrate with their powers as if they were no longer external techniques but innate abilities.


    As such, by going through yet another stage and pushing his techniques further into his being, Minos displayed them even without realizing it.


    The people on the outskirts of the Spatial Kingdom realized this first through the Devouring Art, as they felt their energies dwindling in front of Minos.


    Amidst this, he opened his eyes and clenched his fists, feeling all the power within his grasp.


    ...

 Chapter 1718 New Abilities And 9th Technique 1

    ?


    By clenching his fists, Minos felt his control over space at a new level, being able to distort some of the space even though he was in the Spatial Kingdom.


    The Spatial Kingdom was a place with highly stable space. So ordinary Spiritual Sages shouldn''t even be able to disturb the stability of such a place.


    Only Demigods would have such an ability!


    But soon after advancing a stage, Minos felt a subtle spatial control even in this place, being able to distort the surroundings of his hands.


    However, he was not as surprised as the people watching him. As someone who had actively stolen the energy and laws imbued in the giant bones in this place, he knew that his control over space would be higher than that of an ordinary person at level 80.


    Thinking about how those remnants were so incredible, he couldn''t help but look at the corpse of Fah''um of Dunov.


    He saw this corpse that seemed to be being absorbed into the Spatial Kingdom, with various plant roots from that place connecting to it and thought. ''Level 100 was not the limit of these creatures... What level was this being at? Is the title Supreme Elder Over Heaven a stage of cultivation?''


    But as he looked at that corpse, he felt an even greater connection to it and the bones in the surroundings.


    Minos tried to use his innate ability and realized the differences between before and now.


    After his breakthrough, he improved his ability to steal what was in those bones by more than 40%.


    His connection to them had improved significantly!


    The people in the surrounding area felt this, as they noticed their cultivation bases suddenly benefiting from Minos'' actions.


    After a second of testing this new feeling, Minos smiled and stopped what he was doing to check his techniques.


    He had a new technique to learn, but since his old techniques had all advanced in phases and he was already feeling them even without activating them, he couldn''t contain his curiosity and looked at himself.


    Now because of his greater affinity and connection with his techniques, he didn''t need to activate them to feel their new capabilities.


    He only needed to think about the technique, and by emitting the spiritual fluctuations of it, not only he but everyone in his surroundings could perceive the basics of it.


    Thus he proceeded to test the Devouring Art!


    As he did so, a dark aura that seemed to swallow up any energy that came near it appeared in his surroundings, while a ring silhouette seemed to want to form.


    But that was only the aura of the Devouring Art, not the activation of it!


    ''Its action space has doubled in size, and now I can reach those up to 800 meters away from me... Its conversion factor has also improved, and now I can use 60% of what it absorbs.''


    "Perfect! I''ll be able to use more of my enemies'' energy and less of my own. That will give me more combat time against anyone!" He muttered, overjoyed at this improvement.


    The secondary ability of this technique that worked passively on his body had also evolved. He had now gained an even greater mastery over it and felt that he could use its powers on other people.


    ''Uh?'' Minos found this too magnificent to be true and could not contain himself. He immediately looked at Sarah and said. "Come here. I''ll give you something."


    Sarah and the rest of the people watching him didn''t understand, but soon she approached her father, who was floating 2 meters off the ground while looking at his hands.


    When he saw his daughter standing before him, Minos concentrated part of the devouring energy of his passive ability on the tip of his thumb, making it as dark as night.


    Then he inscribed something on the forehead of this young redheaded woman with the dark part on his finger.


    Sarah did nothing, feeling little more than a cold sensation on her forehead.


    Soon after this, black inscriptions spread out from what Minos had done on her forehead, taking over every single part of her body.


    A second later, while everyone was wondering what was happening, these inscriptions became invisible, as if they had never appeared on her skin.


    Minos then said. "Gloria, attack our daughter."


    "Uh? What''s the meaning of that, father?" Sarah didn''t like this, feeling her old man was playing games with her.


    "Come on, Sarah, don''t be a coward. Nothing much is going to happen. Let''s test this out a little."


    Gloria saw Minos wink at her and accepted. She then made a move equivalent to her daughter''s level, which would cause a little pain but would not put her at risk.


    When a small golden blade of energy broke toward Sarah''s body, this young woman tried to defend herself, feeling bad for serving as a guinea pig for her father.


    However, just when she thought she would feel pain, the inscriptions on her body reappeared, and she felt nothing.


    Amid this, Minos felt the energy of that attack nourishing his daughter''s body.


    Realizing the usefulness of this breakthrough, he smiled and said. "All right, that''s all, Sarah. You already realized what I gave you, right? This is a defense and a way to strengthen yourself during battles.


    Now that I have reached my current level, I can place four inscriptions like that to help protect and strengthen people far away from me."


    "Oh?" Minos'' women heard that and felt how magnificent such a thing was.


    With this, they would have his protection even when they were far away from each other!


    While the people in the surrounding area were talking, Minos decided on who he should put these inscriptions. ''I will put this on Gloria and Ruth later since they will not accompany me for my upcoming trip. The other I will put on Kendrick.''


    After thinking about it, he ignored the people talking about how unique this skill was and focused on his following technique which had evolved with his advancement.


    As he thought about his Spatial Sword technique, Minos'' surroundings froze with the aura of this restrictive and offensive technique, while a sharp sensation arose amidst the stillness of the surroundings.


    ''The range of the Spatial Sword is now 640 meters, and any being or object in that space will be under its restrictions.


    My attacks with it have also become stronger, and I will now have an increase in attack strength of 50%, a 25% improvement compared to before!''


    Before he could already make his blades travel through the gaps in space and thereby surprise his opponents. But now he could not only do this more easily, but he could also create spirit sword attacks hidden in the vacuum of space.


    Through this, even without touching his sword, Minos could make several blade attacks emerge from the vacuum, traveling in directions nearly impossible to trace back to his opponents!


    This would make predicting his sword attacks extremely complicated for people below level 90!

 Chapter 1719 New Abilities And 9th Technique 2

    ?


    Realizing how his oldest offensive technique had become, Minos made a simple motion, and a second later, several blades appeared in the direction of one of the giant bones in that area.


    The dozens of people in the Spatial Kingdom noticed this and were surprised, as they had barely sensed Minos activating his technique when the attack was already about to hit one of those bones.


    ''Excellent!'' He smiled before looking down at his Indestructible Body.


    ''My body is now so strong while this technique is active that one punch of mine would be able to rupture the space tissue so as to create chaotic wormholes.


    A fight using only this would throw the surroundings into chaos, and in addition to hindering movements of Spiritual Sages, it could injure even those hidden in the vacuum of space in space pockets.''


    He then checked his Infinite Dream and the Bright Eyes skill he had gained as a passive skill from this technique in his last stage advancement.


    In the first stage of the Infinite Dream, he could only affect at most one person 100% more mentally powerful than him. But currently, he could affect eight people 100% stronger than him!


    If they were weaker people, this number could rise significantly. For example, he could simultaneously take down over 300 people at the same level as Sarah, 62, with just one look, or rather a single activation.


    As for his Bright Eyes, this ability already enabled Minos to see the spiritual fluctuations of those in front of him. But now he could also see through the gaps in space when using such an ability, which could help him see enemies watching him from pockets in the vacuum and better understand the fabric of space.


    He activated this ability and looked at the giant corpse in his Spatial Kingdom and saw it seemed to be integrating more deeply into this alternate space than he thought.


    ''Will it nurture the Spatial Kingdom?'' Minos wondered, impressed because if it did, it would mean it was a level above the most valuable thing that existed in this world!


    Since the outcome of this would be magnificent, he immediately enjoyed seeing what was actually happening in his Spatial Kingdom.


    ''This will be good. There are many medicines here, and this place can benefit many of my forces!''


    Minos had his selfish side, but even if he reached level 100 one day, he was not confident this would be enough for him alone to use everything from a corpse-like Fah''um of Dunov. Even fleshless and poorly preserved skeletons were difficult for even Gods to move, so this corpse would be too much for him even if he were a God.


    In that case, letting such a thing be absorbed into the Spatial Kingdom would be best for him and his people!


    After considering this, he turned his focus to his techniques, causing the aura around him to change and a sense of speed to arise from it.


    The surroundings became somewhat distorted as Minos felt how the Explosive Steps had developed in this phase.


    ''While using this movement technique, my maximum speed is now 400 meters per second, and my senses are 70% faster than before. Hmm, with that, I should deal well with surprise attacks from even level 89 Spiritual Sages.


    Only someone above that level would be able to surprise me now!''


    The space in his surroundings changed once again, with the gravity changing as he checked Chaotic Gravity.


    ''That feeling...'' He noticed his connection to the black holes inside the Black Hole Bombs in Dry City increasing, even though he was in this alternate space.


    He felt that his control over his black holes would be greater now that he had advanced, but the sensation he felt seemed strange.


    ''Hmm, I''ll test it when I return to Dry City.'' He pondered before temporarily putting that technique aside to analyze his cultivation technique.


    His technique had improved dramatically in terms of its speed of absorbing spiritual energy. Still, due to his increased cultivation, it would take him longer to advance at this new stage.


    Even using his innate ability to steal the cultivation base of the giant bones in the Spatial Kingdom, it would still take him more than twice as long to advance at this stage as at the previous one!


    ''Despite that, it will still be a magnificent cultivation speed if I compare it to that of most people in the Spiritual World...'' He remembered Henricus Longus'' memories but also his current knowledge of the society he lived in.


    ''In any case, I shouldn''t advance to level 81 in less than three years.'' He sighed.


    His cultivation speed would be excellent, but considering the number of high-level problems about him, he couldn''t help but worry.


    He had never been in such a hurry to become stronger as he was now!


    He clenched his fists and imagined that it would take another 35 to 40 years or so to advance a stage again.


    But at that time, he would finally raise the quality of his Physique for one last time and change everything about himself!


    He clenched his fists and looked at the last technique he had learned, which had blended least with his natural characteristics, given how little time he had been with it.


    He had been with this technique for almost 20 years, but it was still not as connected to him as the older ones.


    So he needed to activate it, causing the Avatar of Space and Time to show itself to everyone around him.


    When the avatar appeared, it was much denser than before, looking more realistic and more like Minos, while its powers were much more intense.


    The size of its domain doubled in space, while the difference in the passage of time between the inside and outside of its domain tripled.


    The bonus he would have when activating his other techniques in the form of soul projection also improved, from a previous 10% improvement to one of 20% now.


    Finishing checking all his techniques, Minos finally sighed in satisfaction at his growth as a cultivator and picked up a golden scroll from one of his spatial rings.


    "Now it''s time for me to learn my 9th technique..." He muttered in a low voice as his observers continued to watch him intently.


    Everyone was curious about the new technique he would learn and how it would strengthen him. So as he read the scroll and began to learn his new skill, conversations spilled out, with Sarah and Kendrick among the most curious.


    This was particularly true for this young man who had become a cultivator a few weeks ago!


    ...

 Chapter 1720 New Skills And 9th Technique 3

    ?


    Kendrick had reached the age to begin his cultivation a few weeks ago.


    At that time, he had gone through the awakening ceremony, surprising his family by inheriting his father''s innate ability.


    Like Minos, Kendrick had the ability to increase energy, one that was already at the Saint grade, the same as that of his father and mother.


    But his ability had its own characteristics, and Kendrick could not steal the cultivation base of those of similar levels to his at present.


    No one knew if he would ever be able to do that, but in any case, the fact that his cultivation base was already like Minos'' was enough for everyone to have high expectations of him.


    And he had been fulfilling these expectations. Currently, Minos'' second child was already at level 11 and had already learned his father''s first two techniques.


    Knowing these techniques, after seeing his father check them out a few moments ago, this young man couldn''t help but look at him with his eyes shining, seeing how amazing his old man was and where he could one day get to.


    He had Golden-grade talent, so there were few barriers in his way to reaching peak cultivation!


    "Mom, what technique is Dad learning?" He asked Abby, who was still at level 78, as were Isabella and Ruth.


    Abby continued watching for her husband and said. "That must be a sealing technique. It is called Divine Seal, has three phases, and is obviously Golden-grade.


    You and your sister will learn it one day when you reach level 80."


    Sarah listened to that close to Kendrick, eager to reach her father''s level and learn this technique.


    "What can it do?" Sarah asked instead of Kendrick.


    This time, Gloria, level 79, answered. "This technique can seal things, from cultivation to even space. Because of that, it has many versatilities."


    Minos had already introduced this technique to his family, as he intended for them all to learn it when they reached level 80.


    So they all knew about each of the characteristics of this technique.


    Ruth said. "If you are talented enough, you can use this technique to force contracts without the need for spiritual judges or beast tamers. You can hide an entire city behind a distorted space or even use its properties to summon distant things.


    A seal has many uses. It can be used in simpler ways to block a person''s cultivation paths or, more sophisticatedly, to create a prison from which things can be summoned.


    In short, this technique has as many possibilities as your creativity limits it."


    Isabella said. "Ultimately, it can be merged with other techniques you will learn."


    As for the limits of this technique, it only worked with people, beings, or objects up to 100% more powerful than Minos'' soul and could not be affected by his ability to temporarily steal the cultivation base of others.


    So as long as he was at level 80, he would at most be able to use this technique against opponents up to level 83. That is, of course, if he didn''t use it in a fusion. In that case, the fusion limit would have no such limitation.


    In short, this was not an offensive technique but a supportive and defensive one that would be stronger as Minos advanced.


    Some techniques needed to give their users maximum power right away, but for their best growth, having one or another support technique that would become more important in the future was necessary.


    As such, Minos had chosen this technique for this stage and, without much delay, achieved basic control over it to activate it for the first time.


    Divine Seal: Infinite Connection!


    Minos concentrated 100% of his forces on this first activation, not because it was necessary, but because he wished to test his and Henricus Longus'' theories.


    Henricus Longus had created Minos'' techniques to give his heir incredible powers. But he had also developed them to create a warrior capable of connecting in some way with the extraordinary giant bones that existed in this world.


    This particular technique had been created for the primary purpose of connecting the energy of these bones to the user of the technique so that this connection would somehow strengthen him.


    Henricus Longus did not know that her chosen one would be Minos, nor that the innate ability of this young man would already connect him to these bones. So he had not set such high expectations of what this technique would do.


    When Minos made the seals of the technique and pressed a large circular-shaped inscription on one of the bones of those skeletons, his test proved more successful than his ''mentor'' had anticipated when creating such a technique.


    The moment the seal fell on that bone, it suffered no repulsion from it. It quickly integrated with that part of the gigantic skeleton, forming what looked like a tattoo on that bone.


    Those circle-shaped inscriptions changed shape as they integrated with that bone, growing and causing various symbols to appear all over that bone.


    It did not move on to other parts of that giant skeleton but soon began to emit something that made Minos happy.


    Minos felt his absorption of the laws and energy of that skeleton rising in level so that even without using his innate ability, he seemed to be tempering his body and soul with this seal!


    The seal he had just created connected his soul and body to that bone, and no matter where he was, he would continually be ''baptized'' by the powers of that bone.


    Luckily he had already absorbed enough of those skeletons to achieve good compatibility with them, and for that reason alone, his attempt had not failed!


    ''Henricus Longus wasn''t entirely wrong, but at this stage, I still couldn''t do it without my innate ability.'' He considered as he assessed what was happening. ''But I believe that in the 2nd phase of this technique, I could do it even without my ability.''


    With that, he sighed and smiled, feeling that he was complete to begin his journey searching for the Longus family.


    But first of all, he would recover from this activation that had consumed his spiritual energy, returning to cultivating while the people in the surrounding area celebrated the end of his seclusion.


    Some were happy just for Minos, but others were also happy because they could return to the mainland after the time they had spent in this place cultivating.


    Several had changed levels in this period, so they were eager to show their relatives and friends their current situations!


    ...

 Chapter 1721 Leaving Seclusion

    ?


    Later, when Minos had finished cultivating, he was reunited with his wives and children, and it didn''t take long to gather everyone who was going to return to Dry City.


    Most there had already stayed long enough in this place, so besides Kendrick, Sarah, Abby, and Isabella, who would accompany Minos on this journey to the Western region, only Emlyn and Kyla would stay in the Spatial Kingdom for the time being.


    More soldiers from the Black Plain Army and elders from the Gray Clouds Sect would be sent here later. But for now, all the other individuals there would return to Dry City alongside Minos, Gloria, and Ruth, who would stay in the capital to take care of local affairs.


    Thus, the Spatial Kingdom became somewhat empty as Minos activated the ring of this space and departed back to Dry City.


    "Kendrick, go cultivate. You haven''t done that in 2 days!" Abby sighed after everyone left and ordered this boy to fulfill his responsibilities that he had been delaying because of his father''s advancement.


    Hearing that, he ran over to where Kyla and Emlyn were, inside one of those giant skeletons in that space.


    "Don''t worry, Mom, I was studying while watching Dad." He said as he ran and smiled.


    Sarah smiled as she saw her brother hurrying to escape from his mother and soon headed towards a place she liked to meditate.


    ''Dad won''t let me do what I want until I become a Saint, so I must focus on cultivating now...'' She thought, wondering when she might have more freedom.


    In any case, she didn''t think it was bad to stay in the Spatial Kingdom for a while while she was still such a weak cultivator compared to the many problems of her state.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Minos and his people appeared in Dry City in a large cultivation room of the Black Plain Army headquarters.


    In that place, protected by several arrays that blocked the spiritual fluctuations of the surroundings, the group of over 100 people soon dispersed.


    Minos had in mind to experience some of the Chaotic Gravity changes, but first, he made his way toward his palace while displaying his level 80 aura for the entire core of his capital to feel.


    This was his way of summoning his men and telling these most important inhabitants about his success in advancing to the 9th stage!


    Immediately upon sensing a new level 80 aura, the people working, training, or in their leisure time within the area protected by the Dry City Defensive Dome realized that their sovereign had advanced a stage.


    ''His Majesty has advanced to level 80...'' A middle-aged man at level 66 thought to himself as he looked toward where Minos was moving, feeling fulfilled to see the growth of this person.


    Joey had been in the Black Plain Army for a long time and had seen much of Minos'' growth. As he felt the new cultivation of his leader, he couldn''t help but feel as if he had, on his own, become stronger and smiled in happiness.


    On the other hand, Minos'' grandfather, Oswald, was on the outskirts watching over this city and, upon sensing his grandson''s spiritual fluctuation, immediately moved from where he was, going to him.


    Oswald was already close to reaching level 81, but judging how fast Minos was in his cultivation; this man felt he would soon see his grandson leaving him behind.


    As he had dreamed of this moment ever since he had seen Minos at the Peak of Mist decades ago, he couldn''t help but feel immense satisfaction with this young man''s growth.


    Maisie and Patience were also around, and the other Spiritual Sages and relevant government members moved to the imperial throne hall.


    At that place, the imperial guards were already with their knees bent when Minos entered the area and said in a single sound.


    "Welcome back, Your Majesty! Congratulations on the breakthrough!"


    Minos saw those men and smiled, gesturing for them to stop and return to their natural positions.


    Meanwhile, his secretary, Dillian, and a few other government members arrived at that place almost at the same time as the first Spiritual Sages to present themselves there.


    "Congratulations on becoming a Sage, Your Majesty!"


    Several of them repeated similar things. They were pleased that Minos had advanced and that he had returned before major problems had reached the empire.


    Oswald arrived at that place, went over to where his grandson was, and patted him on the back a few times, saying his own words of congratulations.


    Patience and Maisie would do the same, while everyone had smiles on their faces.


    "Thank you for your words, but we must decide some things urgently." He said as he gestured for the people there to lower their tempers in their congratulations and compliments. "Now that I am back, I intend to leave for Lusmait in a few days, so let us settle the necessary as quickly as we can."


    Everyone stood quietly and listened to what their leader had to tell them.


    This was particularly true for the family members of the Goddess of Life, who were very excited by Minos'' strengthening, something that brought them closer to their revenge against the Veora family.


    Minos then said. "I want our government to focus on developing the marine empire and the End area for the next few months or years. These two places will be crucial, so we cannot privilege others over them.


    As for the army, continue to protect the borders of the empire and these two areas. I want to increase the presence of Spiritual Sages around those areas and decrease in Dry City."


    Gloria and Ruth were standing next to Minos and saw how everyone in the surrounding area was strange about this order from her husband.


    But even though they were both uncertain about what this meant, the two waited for his words.


    "Uh? Are you sure about this?" Maisie asked her son, expressing the doubt of everyone there.


    Minos then explained. "With my advancement to the 9th stage and the guarantees generated by the protection we have from Maximillian Flamen, I can secure for myself the safety of this city.


    I will show you that in a few moments... Please come with me." He said as he indicated for everyone to follow him.


    Then everyone there flew after Minos, quickly arriving outside the Dry City Defensive Dome, where the emperor promptly ordered his men to deactivate the defensive arrays in the surrounding area.


    He then said. "I will show you the evolution of Chaotic Gravity. From today we will no longer need defensive arrays to protect this city. My black holes will do that!"


    ...

 Chapter 1722 The Development Of Chaotic Gravity

    ?


    After his lines, Minos immediately circulated his 8th technique, making the glorious projection of his soul show above Dry City.


    Those who had not yet seen it naturally opened their eyes as they observed this Soul Avatar, noting its robustness and dense spiritual fluctuations.


    ''Minos has a very robust and solid cultivation base...'' Oswald looked at that and felt thrilled, noting one day, his grandson would become a Demigod, the first in his lineage to achieve that feat.


    Maisie and Patience noticed this too, feeling very proud of Minos.


    But while everyone was paying attention to the changes the Space and Time Avatar had undergone, he fused his Chaotic Gravity and Devouring Art techniques.


    Immediately upon doing so, several mini-black holes appeared in the surroundings, showing the people there and Minos how much faster this could happen now that he was a Spiritual Sage.


    At the same time, more energy from the surroundings was being used to form these black holes, weighing less about Minos'' soul, so he was spending less than 20% of his energy on this fusion.


    When he formed these tiny black holes, Minos joined some of them together, forming four larger regions of space capable of easily swallowing even level 85 cultivators.


    Then he stole the cultivation bases of some of those people in the surrounding area, quickly raising his level to level 82.


    In doing so, he immediately strengthened his black holes, raising his level to the 9th stage limit.


    With that move, even a level 90 Demigod would have to watch out for those black holes!


    ''Incredible!''


    ''His Majesty''s level has really risen a lot...''


    Gulp!


    ''Imagine when he advances to level 90? Maybe only Gods will be above him!'' Some thought about it, looking forward to when that would happen.


    At that time, the Black Plain Empire would no longer have any threats to make them worry!


    While some were thinking of similar things, Minos began to move his black holes around the core of Dry City, creating a formation with these regions of space.


    He placed three of them in lower positions as if they were corners of an equilateral triangle. Meanwhile, the last of them stood above the central area of the triangle, a few miles away from each of the other black holes.


    By placing each of his black holes at similar distances from each other, Minos used his new abilities regarding Chaotic Gravity, creating spatial distortions in space in this black hole formation.


    Immediately after he began manipulating space in such a way, everyone in Dry City felt as if the day was slowly giving way to night as the blue sky above them disappeared.


    At the same time, something like a dark cloth appeared between the spaces of the black holes, following a shape that, from a distance, looked curved but up close looked straight, like the outer walls of a pyramid.


    Minos positioned the black holes below ground in parts without human constructions, creating a gigantic dark dome over Dry City.


    He skillfully controlled the black holes lower down to not increase their size by absorbing mass and spiritual energy in the surroundings beyond his interest.


    When they were in position, the ''fabric'' between the sides of this new dome finished transforming, becoming like the sky on a night when one couldn''t see the stars.


    At the same time as this, each of the black holes released large amounts of spiritual energy absorbed from outside the dome into the city.


    While the day seemed to have come to an end, the spiritual density rose considerably.


    Gulp!


    "That..." The level 85 Spiritual Sage, with the rest of Minos'' group, opened his mouth in shock, feeling as if the entire Dry City had turned into a gigantic cultivation room capable of nurturing even level 90 cultivators!


    Everyone in that group realized this, shocked by Minos'' creation.


    Minos had reached a level of understanding about space that he could already manipulate the spiritual energy in the surroundings in such a way that his black holes could filter out the surrounding free energy and return it to the interior of this space!


    Also, due to the properties of this new Dry City dome, spiritual energy could only enter and not leave this space unless it exceeded the level of the black holes at the time!


    However, these were only the secondary properties of Minos'' creation!


    "What you are seeing about Dry City is the new defensive barrier of the city. It can increase the density of spiritual energy inside that pyramidal dome, but that''s not the purpose of it." As he spoke this out loud for the whole city to hear, Minos threw a high-level grade-3 weapon in the direction of these dark barriers over the city.


    The moment he did that, that item flew into that barrier that looked like just a dark fabric preventing light from entering Dry City. However, just as it was about to cross that thing that looked like a fabric, the weapon suddenly underwent an extreme transformation.


    Upon reaching a point of no return, it distorted, turning into something resembling a particle noodle. It was then sucked into the nearest black hole from where it was.


    Minos continued. "That is the best defensive barrier that can exist. It can develop as it absorbs things and rises to a level that can even overcome me!


    As such, please don''t go near it for anything in this world. Once you touch that fabric, there is no turning back. There is only the darkness of death!


    This is our city''s new defense, a gift from me."


    Gulp!


    Many people in this city looked up, seeing the absence of light above them and fearing approaching those boundaries.


    "But isn''t that dangerous for us?" Maisie asked. "How will we get out of here?"


    Minos smiled upon hearing that and then moved.


    Divine Seal: Portal!


    He concentrated more than 60% of his strength on this move, making seals with his hands and striking out in two different directions.


    Circular seals with various inscriptions flew toward the two ends of this new dome, touching that dark fabric without being absorbed due to Minos'' control over this.


    Immediately upon integrating parts of that dome, two semi-transparent areas appeared in the places Minos had attacked, with the darkness there disappearing to emerge something distorted that one could not see through.


    "From today on, those will be the only two entrances to Dry City. Anyone can leave only by passing through those areas, but entering will be more complicated. Only by being authorized by the ones controlling the entrance will you be able to enter once you are out."


    ...

 Chapter 1723 Pyramidal Dome

    ?


    Minos gestured a few times and created one last seal on two similar artifacts.


    He then handed one to Ruth and the other to the level 85 Spiritual Sage. "This is the joint key to this dome. By using both parts of it simultaneously, you can open the city to visitors.


    Without one part, the other cannot do the same, so one of you will stay outside the Dry City, and the other will stay inside, controlling the entrance of people."


    The two received those items, looking at what looked like a medallion, but had a large pyramidal symbol on them.


    "How do we arrange to use this simultaneously?" Ruth asked.


    "That defensive barrier does not prevent the transmission and receipt of information. You can still use communication arrays inside this place as you did before." Minos said, teaching these people. It didn''t do much harm to the lives of those inside this place.


    The only drawback really was that from today there would be no more daylight over Dry City.


    The most Minos and his people could do about this would be to create artificial light sources in the surroundings of the new dome, but natural light would not enter there at all.


    The people in the group of high-level cultivators heard this and felt that this was indeed a great advance on Minos'' part and an unparalleled gift to Dry City.


    As much as they would no longer have the privilege of natural light in this place and the entrance of people would be made much more complicated than before, those who lived there would benefit greatly.


    Not only would they have defenses that would protect them against cultivators below level 90, but they would also have the opportunity to benefit from the new spiritual density of this city.


    Thinking about it, all these individuals above level 80 were happy and in awe of Minos'' ability.


    "That''s almost like a semi-Spatial Kingdom..." Someone commented.


    Upon hearing that, Minos smiled, for that was not entirely wrong.


    Due to his abilities generated by absorbing the cultivation understanding of the giant skeletons and his technique fusions, he had reached a very high level regarding space manipulation.


    He would still have to become a God to develop one Spatial Kingdom from scratch, but he could already create special places like this!


    Ruth and Gloria heard that comment and looked at Minos.


    "Don''t tell me that you can make your Spatial Kingdom before becoming a God?" Ruth questioned him.


    "Impossible." He laughed. "At most, I would be able to create a fake-Spatial Kingdom. The problem with it all is that even with the necessary understanding, the energy of a God is required to create such a region of space.


    That I would only have if I reached the 11th stage..."


    The people with more absurd thoughts in the surrounding area understood this and put their crazy thoughts aside.


    He then said. "Anyway, I will do other places like this around the empire in the future. But for now, I will only do this in the main city of the End area and then leave for Lusmait.


    I''ll do other places like that after I deal with the damned Longus family."


    The people in the surrounding area nodded in agreement, understanding that this really would be better.


    Oswald then said. "It is not for nothing you want us to spread out around the empire. In fact, Dry City will only need Ruth and the elder Esmond to take care of getting people in here..."


    Now that they had seen all about these new local defenses, Minos'' men understood why they would no longer be needed there in the short term.


    Part of them regretted this, as they would not be able to enjoy the immense benefits of staying there to cultivate in the short term.


    In any case, their leader''s plans were the best for the empire, so no one else questioned his orders.


    After seeing what they needed, they all accepted their missions, and almost none stayed behind after a few moments.


    Minos stood next to Gloria and Ruth and a few of the Spiritual Sages near advancement.


    Since they were not far from reaching new levels, Minos wanted some of them to stay longer in this place to cultivate and only leave after they reached new levels.


    He looked at his women and said. "Ruth, I will have to rely on you to regulate people''s entry here. But don''t worry, that won''t be a difficult job. You just need to keep that medallion I gave you with you at all times, and when you have to do something, infuse some of your energy into it.


    But beware. If an enemy tries something against Esmond, don''t open the city to anyone. When I return, I will solve any problem there is."


    "Hmm, don''t worry, I know what to do." She said.


    He then said to Gloria. "Get on with your business with the Church and try to advance to the 9th stage while I''m gone. It won''t be that hard to do it in this place the way it is now."


    She agreed. "I was already planning to do that... As for Church, I will try to move more slowly while you are away. There''s no pressure on us, but we''d better not draw unnecessary attention."


    "Hmm..."


    After that, they returned to the imperial palace, where Minos would finish talking to his weaker subordinates and relevant people in his government.


    ...


    Three days after creating the Dry City Pyramidal Dome, Minos finished his business in his capital and quickly made his way to the End area via his state''s network of wormholes.


    Due to the practicality of these space paths, within minutes of his departure from Dry City, where the local port had been moved out of the dome, he arrived in the former state capital of the Carline family.


    In this place, he would meet his old acquaintance, Kara Carline, the current leader of this area and president of the local assembly.


    She was currently level 72 and the most powerful native of the area.


    Her parents had retired from their roles when she had overtaken them and now lived in seclusion, trying to advance to the 8th stage.


    Unfortunately for them, it was more difficult than they thought to achieve such advancement due to the fact that they had aged while they were only Spiritual Kings.


    Even with enough talent to reach level 70, they had great difficulty getting out of level 69.


    In any case, upon reaching this place, Minos would not waste much of his time interacting with the ancient sovereigns of the area. Right after a brief tea and conversation, he did what he set out to do there.


    He created a Pyramidal Dome similar to that of his state''s capital in the main city there to help the locals grow stronger and protect themselves from threats from the north.


    After this, without delay, Minos went back to using his state''s network of wormholes, this time going to Vogel, from where he intended to leave for the kingdom of Lusmait!


    This was the beginning of a new journey for Minos!

 Chapter 1724 Start Of The Journey To Lusmait

    ?


    After reaching the Vogel border with Veora Kingdom, Minos said goodbye to his men at that border post and immediately opened a wormhole to cross the border of that state.


    Once again, he was entering the Western region with the intention of hiding his movements. So he chose to jump the border of this place with his state to prevent possible local observers from noticing him moving.


    Minos was still being watched by powers from various parts of the continent, including the Eastern Empire. But given his current abilities and the presence of a well-developed wormhole network of the Black Plain Empire, following or tracking his movements had become impossible.


    At most, someone could keep an eye on whether he was in his state''s capital or check his passage through other locations in his domains. But if he wanted to venture into the Spiritual World, reaching him now would be much more difficult.


    One of Vico''s Demigods had had great difficulty doing this when Minos was at level 77, so now, at level 80, such a thing would be even more complicated.


    He knew this and intended to move through wormholes only through the riskiest borders and places on his way since this kind of travel had its dangers.


    Upon entering Veora Kingdom, he immediately started down the path he had once taken through this state alongside local beasts who had come to an agreement to direct him to the border with the Western Empire.


    Given the fact that he knew the way and was much faster than before, Minos quickly moved through the terrain, following the strategy of moving at a speed equivalent to his level and not flying so as not to draw unnecessary attention.


    Because of this, in a matter of a few minutes, he reached the spot on the kingdom''s coast near the tribe where he had stayed a few days earlier.


    From there, he immediately started his way along the nearby coastline, avoiding the beast tribes and human cities he knew were nearby, given his previous experience.


    This helped him at first, and Minos soon crossed more than half of his way to the border of this state with the Western Empire with no problems on his way. But he would soon be faced with a situation he could not simply ignore.


    ...


    While running through the dense forest paths of the Veora Kingdom, Minos suddenly came upon a battle in his path.


    He was heading west when he saw a creature as large as a carriage flying out of control like a meteor.


    This creature looked like a bird with gray feathers, a black beak, and eyes as big as human heads. It had part of its body covered in blood and flew wildly in Minos'' direction.


    Meanwhile, a creature with a snake body, black and red scales, golden eyes, and vertical pupils was attacking in the direction of that gray creature, invariably sending attacks in Minos'' direction.


    Minos saw the creature''s tail traversing space at a point not far from him and realized that he would have no choice but to act, as it would be too late for him to simply try to dodge it.


    Luckily none of these creatures was a Demigod, and his chances there were not small.


    Chaotic Gravity: Void Crushing!


    He immediately activated this technique as his Space and Time Avatar showed itself, immediately causing the walls of the wormhole used by that snake to collapse over its body.


    Amid this initial act, Minos observed the snake''s body with his visual ability, noting the creature''s weakness.


    He then activated his 9th technique without delay, casting a seal against that body.


    Divine Seal: Scarlet Hell!


    Red flames surged around that creature as soon as the seal reached its body, putting it in the face of its great weakness, flames.


    Suffering these two swift attacks from the weak Spiritual Sage in its path, that snake looked at him hatefully, feeling the pain of being attacked so mercilessly by surprise.


    It was a powerful level 88 Spiritual Sage. Still, without preparing for Minos'' surprise move, it had immediately taken minor damage from the quick action of this level 80 Sage.


    "Human!" It looked in his direction and shouted, immensely offended.


    The level 87 creature flying toward Minos realized what was happening and thanked the heavens that this human had prevented its opponent''s final attacks.


    It was badly wounded, and if it suffered those last blows, it would surely die!


    Minos realized this and, upon noticing that body so close to him, used his abilities to slow down its speed, initiating a repulsive force on that body to slow it down.


    ''Lend me your strength, bird.'' He said calmly, showing that creature that he was not the least bit frightened by his opponent eight levels above his own.


    That bird didn''t understand what Minos'' mental communication meant since it was severely injured, so how would it lend its strength to him?


    But after using this Spiritual Sages ability for the first time, Minos immediately stole the bird''s cultivation base, taking advantage of the fact that it was very weakened and didn''t have that many defenses against him.


    If it were in another situation, where this bird was at its peak, it would be complicated for Minos at level 80 to steal the cultivation base of a level 87 being. But given the current circumstances, he managed to do that.


    In the blink of an eye, he raised his level to 82, immensely shocking the creature furiously looking in his direction.


    That snake had already escaped the space trying to crush its body and the flames created by Minos'' seal. When he had raised his cultivation base considerably, it was quickly flying towards him, intending to murder him before doing so to its rival.


    However, it had made a crucial mistake in approaching Minos!


    When Minos felt the level 82 forces in his body, he immediately activated the Indestructible Body and clenched his fists.


    Then he made his Soul Avatar clench one of its hands, the space in the surrounding area shook considerably just for that.


    Then he punched in the direction of that creature closer and closer to him and the bird.


    The right fist of Minos'' soul projection brought down the space as it traveled at extremely high speed against his opponent, causing the spiritual energy and space in the surroundings to become chaotic.


    Any being more than a kilometer away from Minos could not manipulate space at that instant due to the consequences of his punch!


    When that blow struck that snake''s head, it felt terror upon itself, trembling with fear as it saw death giving it a nod.


    ''Shit...''

 Chapter 1725 The Dreaded Fist Of Minos

    ?


    ''Shit...'' It thought as it saw several unstable wormholes appearing in the vicinity of Minos'' fist, feeling the terrible collision about to hit it.


    The instant after that thought, its face felt Minos'' mighty right fist deforming it in an unnatural way while its facial bones shattered like glass.


    At the same time, several wormholes attacked various parts of its head and body, destroying everything in its path as if they were powerful bombs.


    Its facial flesh evaporated instantly, degraded along with its scales by the unstable space around that fist.


    Without any chance of survival, that creature was exterminated by a single blow from Minos!


    When his fist stopped advancing, more than half of the creature''s body was gone.


    Not even a sign of the powerful level 88 being from moments ago remained!


    Slowly the unstable wormholes calmed down, closing as dozens of creatures in the surrounding area watched in shock as this fight was quickly over.


    The right fist of Minos'' Soul Avatar was covered in blood, as smoke billowed out of it from the intense friction with space in the moments before.


    Minos contemplated this in much the same way as the injured bird, finding what had just happened impressive.


    Minos had become stronger than he thought himself!


    ''I didn''t think he would be crushed that easily...'' He thought to himself as he looked at the remnants of that corpse, somewhat shocked at how brute the power of his Indestructible Body was.


    Meanwhile, the bird near him had regained the sparkle in its eyes, widening them significantly to look at its enemy and this unlikely ally.


    "How?" It asked aloud, extremely shocked by the developing situation.


    The silence lasted for a few moments until Minos left his state of contemplation to say. "It was trying to kill me, so I had no choice. Even though I didn''t know it, nor have anything against it, I had to eliminate that snake."


    "Who are you? You stole my cultivation to strengthen yourself!" That bird said as it felt its cultivation base slowly returning to normal.


    Realizing this, it answered its own question.


    ''Minos Stuart! You are the emperor of the Black Plain! But how? You shouldn''t be so strong!'' It said as it used its mental communication, even though it felt quite bad due to the injuries on its body.


    Minos had already become so famous throughout the Central Continent that there were no living beings left who had not heard his name once or twice.


    Even sentient vegetables knew who Minos Stuart was and his main skill: energy control.


    Minos looked at the creature he had unwittingly saved its life and mentally said not to inform the other beings in the surroundings. ''Well, I''m not obligated to stay at the same level forever. I am getting stronger.''


    ''You talk like it''s no big deal...'' The bird watched him in silence for a few moments.


    ''I saved your life, so don''t go talking about what just happened here. Can you do that for me?''


    But the creature said something else to him, surprising him with its pleading tone. "Please take me with you where you are going! I''m badly hurt and won''t survive even with Manacle''s end.


    Please help me! When I recover, I will be happy to serve you as a mount!"


    "Oh?" Minos was surprised by this request, for he genuinely did not expect to gain a mount by this mere action.


    "You are a majestic Dodo-Balinese, and you will still offer to become my mount?" Minos questioned him, knowing that members of this race of spiritual birds could reach the 10th stage.


    The Dodo-Balinese said. "Better to subordinate myself to someone talented than to die at the hands of profiteering ''hyenas''..."


    Minos observed the surroundings, where several weaker creatures were just waiting for his departure to attack this bird.


    Beasts could strengthen themselves by eating and digesting the flesh of those they devoured, so when a powerful weakened being appeared, other weaker ones would use the opportunity to devour it!


    This was a good way to get enough nutrients and energy for weeks or months of seclusion.


    After the beating and digestion, they could raise their level and sometimes even reach new stages!


    Minos thought for a while and said. "I accept you as my mount in exchange for saving your life."


    Immediately upon saying that, dark energy appeared around Minos and that bird as he once again circulated his energies through his 9th technique.


    As he did so, he showed the Dark Sea to everyone in the surrounding area, making every creature for hundreds of meters away from him feel absolute terror.


    The Spiritual Saints nearby saw abominable silhouettes appearing near Minos, watching them as if they were warriors of death.


    A level 81 Spiritual Sage nearby, waiting for everything to unfold, then felt a chill in its body and saw one of these shadows taking on a more remarkable shape.


    The creature looked like a mixture of an ordinary human and a skeleton, with a truly frightening appearance.


    This was particularly true for its eyes, where there were actually no eyes but rather cavities that showed the bottom of its skull to those watching it.


    Gulp!


    ''What''s that?'' That level 81 beast felt that creature staring at it and almost pissed itself.


    When it decided to run away, it turned around and suddenly saw that creature behind it.


    "Aaagh!"


    The first of the cries in the surrounding area came from that Sage beast as Minos forced a master and servant seal on that beast.


    Divine Seal!


    That creature felt inscriptions surging through its body as a small half-moon formed on its forehead, marking that it would henceforth be the property of the Black Plain emperor.


    After a few moments, it saw Minos finishing this domination ceremony, shocked at the abilities of this human.


    ''He shouldn''t have been able to do that before! Is that a new technique?


    How fearsome! He''s almost like the elves now!'' This bird thought to itself, right in its thoughts, for these creatures had inspired Henricus Longus to develop this technique.


    As he finished what he was doing, scaring everyone in the surroundings to the core, Minos asked that creature. "What is your name?"


    "Starclaw."


    "Starclaw, from now on, you will be my mount. For now, I will send you to a place for you to be taken care of."


    "Uh?"


    However, even with doubts, that creature would soon disappear from that area as a black vortex controlled by Minos absorbed it.


    ''Time to continue my journey!''

 Chapter 1726 Journey Through The Western Empire

    ?An error occurred while reading the file: Could not find file ''/var/www/email_list.txt''.


    After sending Starclaw into the Spatial Kingdom, which Minos could do without drawing attention from potential experts in his surroundings given his current space abilities, he departed that area, continuing on his way.


    The Dark Sea had already taken care of the beasts that had seen him acting; some had even died, and others were so frightened that they would hide for the next few years in fear of those creatures of the shadows.


    With no more worries in this place, Minos quickly made his way to the Veora Kingdom''s border with the Western Empire.


    On this part of his journey, he once again crossed the border through a wormhole without difficulty entering this empire.


    But even if Minos had not used this strategy, he would have easily crossed the border of the Western Empire.


    Besides the fact that the empire was preparing for a war against Southern Demigods and was not so concerned about mere low-level Spiritual Sages, the emperor himself had taken Minos'' name off any wanted list.


    He knew this young Northern Emperor had committed crimes in his state years ago. Still, Henry saw Minos as one of the few who agreed with his concerns and was willing to do something about it.


    As such, he had ignored Minos'' actions from years ago in his empire and had already sent to his vassal organizations and his army that if they saw Emperor Stuart, they should not stand in his way.


    In any case, Minos had chosen a more secret way to get through this state and strode as he had done the other time.


    But in the present, he knew things he was not aware of in the past and immediately took some extra care when moving.


    He didn''t have much experience moving through this state since he had only traveled briefly in this empire. However, in Grant''s previous passage through Dry City, this man had left a map of the empire with Minos, which this emperor had requested, given his interest in going to Lusmait.


    As such, even though he did not know much about the Western Empire, Minos had his path laid out on such a map and was not moving in the dark.


    He knew the places he wanted to avoid, and his path could be considered the best for him.


    It was longer, but at least it did not pass through the territory of any sect, family, or area of extreme importance in this state.


    And so his journey through this state had begun without problems!


    ...


    The Western Empire was one of the largest on the continent in terms of area and population. To give you an idea, this state was almost six times larger than the Veora Kingdom and had almost 3 billion inhabitants.


    Most of this population was closer to the northern coast of the Empire, given the distance of this area from the Eastern Empire, its historical enemy.


    So the most remote areas of this state were further south, where the long border of this state with its neighbor and historical enemy was.


    It was precisely around this area that Minos was making his journey.


    As he crossed the Veora Kingdom''s border with the Western Empire near the northern coast of the empire, near the Ancestral Sea, Minos immediately changed his direction, going south.


    He intended to travel through the southernmost central areas of the Western Empire, where there were fewer cities in his path to slow him down in some way.


    Given his speed, he reached this area in only four days of traveling and finally began traveling westward!


    ...


    It was evening, and at the moment, Minos was stopping to get some rest and eat something warm.


    He no longer needed to do this often, but once every three days, he liked to make short 1-hour stops to eat and recover from the constant traveling.


    Maybe his body didn''t need this, but he felt it made his mind good to take approaches like this, even though he was hurrying to settle the Longus family matter.


    As he stood in front of a campfire with meat on a spit in the middle of a forest, a gray-haired, yellow-green-eyed woman was tending the fire for him.


    This was Starclaw!


    After spending a few days in the Spatial Kingdom under the care of Minos'' people, she recovered most of her injuries.


    Minos summoned her back to his side and had been traveling with her since this morning.


    She was a level 87 winged beast, so she usually flew much faster than he did!


    At the same time, he could only fly faster than her if he stole a victim''s cultivation base, so using her was a much less flashy way to get around this state.


    As he ate and now and then listened to the stories of that woman, who was very interested in helping him after her previous discoveries, she noticed humans approaching her position.


    "We are leaving. There are people moving this way." She suggested, preferring to avoid these people, even considering they were only Spiritual Saints.


    Minos had already noticed these people, but he was sensing soul fluctuations that he knew of. So he didn''t move right away, trying to remember who those people were.


    ''That spiritual fluctuation, I don''t remember where I''ve felt it before, but the other one is from someone in the Nash family... Luke!''


    He remembered Elen''s cousin, who had challenged him in the past, but also helped him get mercenaries in this state at the time he was facing Abe Vogel.


    ''I know. The other one is the person who was with him the last time I saw him that day.'' He remembered years ago.


    The memory of cultivators was excellent, but it was not an automatic thing that they would remember everything instantly. They needed to think about fences to remember certain facts.


    Minos then realized that Luke and the man who had traveled with this young master Nash to the northern region had come a long way since they had last seen each other.


    Currently, Luke was at level 70, while that man was at level 74.


    "Wait a moment. I know some of these people." Minos said to his traveling companion, surprising her.


    "Are you sure? I thought you had to reach Lusmait as quickly as possible." She asked, trying to help her leader make the right decision.


    If he was in a hurry, the logical thing to do was to ignore these people and move on with his path so as not to get involved in any unnecessary trouble.


    But Minos said. "Starclaw, these people helped me with something important once upon a time. As much as I paid them for it, I haven''t seen them in decades. Let''s just say hello to them. It won''t cost anything."


    After saying that, Minos'' eyes sparkled, and all of Luke and Oriel''s companions passed out.


    ...

 Chapter 1727 Brief Conversation

    ?An error occurred while reading the file: Could not find file ''/var/www/email_list.txt''.


    When they saw their companions suddenly faint as they walked through that dark forest, Oriel and Luke immediately drew their weapons, circulating their energies in their defensive techniques.


    The Elemental Sect had sent them to patrol this area days ago, so they felt that their companions'' fall was because of possible enemies nearby!


    The two approached, standing with their backs to each other as they stood silently, watching for traces of movement in the surroundings.


    However, they saw nothing, which only made them even more afraid of possible enemies nearby.


    "Luke, stay alert. When the enemy shows itself, run away as fast as possible." Oriel said, sensing that they might need reinforcements, and at least one of them had to run to be able to send a call for help.


    Gulp!


    But as Luke swallowed his saliva, feeling that this could quickly become a deadly mission for his group, a space crack opened up below them, startling them.


    With no chance to escape, the two fell into that spatial crack, sensing that this would be their end.


    ''Shit! I still had so much to do!'' Luke thought to himself, regretting finding a fucking Spiritual Sage right after he advanced to the 8th stage.


    But the next second, he and Oriel fell a few feet above where Minos was sitting.


    When they saw someone sitting below where they would fall, they both frowned, preparing themselves for the impact.


    But it would never come.


    When they were about to hit that person with brown hair and black gold armor, they suddenly started to lose their acceleration, so they managed to move and land not far away from this level 80 Sage.


    When they realized that this level 80 person, next to a level 87 beast in its humanoid form, was behind what had just happened, they both looked at him, narrowing their eyes.


    Luke was the first to realize who this was, changing his expression. "Minos!"


    Oriel quickly realized who this was and swallowed his saliva, revisiting Emperor Stuart after so many years.


    Noticing how easily he had surpassed him in terms of cultivation, this man opened his mouth, shocked.


    Minos had been stronger than him for a long time. But until a few years ago, the difference in levels between the two was not great.


    But quickly, the young man who had once been more than 25 levels weaker than him was now 6 whole levels ahead of him. Not only that but considering the magnificent combat proficiency Minos had always had, the difference between them was probably much greater!


    ''Incredible! He''s already at level 80!''


    Minos looked at Luke and saw how surprised this cousin of Elen''s was to see him there, but also because of his cultivation. "Hmm, long time no see, young master Nash."


    "Please, Your Majesty, don''t call me that..." He said, feeling a little embarrassed.


    Minos smiled and said. "Well, I spotted you while I was eating and decided to say hello. By the way, thanks for your help years ago. Back then, your action helped us a lot."


    "Your Majesty doesn''t need to thank. We got enough for that." Luke said as Oriel agreed.


    Luke''s advancement to the 8th stage and even Oriel''s cultivation speed were explained by the resources they had obtained by helping Minos back then.


    They both knew very well said and genuinely thanked Minos once again for that opportunity after their shock of finding him in the middle of this forest passed.


    "... But anyway, what is Your Majesty doing here? I thought the Black Plain was focused on its internal projects recently." Luke said.


    He hadn''t returned to the northern region in a long time. Still, he received letters from his family every few months, sometimes even from Elen. Because of this, he knew the Black Plain Empire had recently been having a few problems relative to the pressures before Maximillian''s emergence.


    But he didn''t know everything. Luke was in the dark about the Longus family because that matter had been treated as a state secret, and Elen or others would not talk about it with people outside their group.


    Minos then said. "I am in search of some people... There are some problems that will hit us in the future that I want to prevent. So I''m going after solutions."


    "Future problems?" Luke and Oriel muttered.


    They had already heard rumors in their sect regarding the emperor''s concerns about the future. Listening to Minos, they couldn''t help but connect such a thing to this.


    Minos rose from where he was standing and said. "Be careful. Times are getting more challenging, especially for your state.


    So I wish you good luck. If fate brings us together again, I hope I''m not in a hurry. Perhaps we can have a drink on that occasion."


    The two agreed, without trying to delay Minos in what he was doing.


    Luke said. "Good luck to Your Majesty and the empire as well. Maybe the next time we see each other, there will already be Demigods there."


    Oriel looked at that woman next to Minos, figuring this shouldn''t be long.


    Minos laughed and said nothing more, soon climbing on Starclaw''s back after she showed her bestial form.


    With that, the two set off back on their journey westward, leaving those two watching them from afar.


    "Minos is really amazing... In just a few decades, he has accomplished so many things." Oriel muttered to Luke, "I fear that in another 50 years, he will become a world-renowned expert."


    "If he doesn''t die, I fear he will become as great as Vico Travisani one day," Luke commented before sighing deeply. "Anyway, let''s get back to our group. We shouldn''t worry about the affairs of such great people."


    ...


    A few more days passed...


    While Minos was traveling to the border of the Western Empire with the kingdom of Lusmait, the group of envoys from the Longus family had reached the core of the Black Plain Empire!


    As they arrived a few days late at this place, the group of peak Spiritual Sages, unlike the previous one that had only one such person, noticed the local changes.


    As they flew over the place that should be the capital of this state, they noticed that pyramidal dome devoid of light hovering above this city.


    "What is that?" One of them asked as the group leader felt they would have to investigate the local situation once more before proceeding with their plans.


    "I don''t know. But we''ll find out!" He said before they scattered.

 Chapter 1728 Unexpected Discovery

    ?An error occurred while reading the file: Could not find file ''/var/www/email_list.txt''.


    A few more days passed...


    While the envoys of the Longus family found out about Minos'' advance to the 9th stage, his departure, and the capabilities of the new defenses over Dry City, he had reached the end of his journey in the Western Empire.


    It was morning. Minos and Starclaw reached the border of that state with Lusmait, finally entering the last domain west of the Central Continent.


    Beyond this state, there was only a great sea even larger than the continent, through which if one always sailed in the same direction, one could reach the east of the Divine Continent.


    Minos was not interested in making this very long sea journey, and after entering this last kingdom in the west through a wormhole, he began his investigation.


    From the hints left by a descendant of the Longus family who passed by the statue of Henricus Longus in the City of a Thousand Races of the Ancestral Sea, the family headquarters or the clues to it should be in a coastal area of Lusmait.


    Soon Starclaw was flying toward the beginning of the coast of that state with the border with the Western Empire, from where they would slowly search for what they were searching for.


    The kingdom of Lusmait was not large, and since they had already entered that state near the southern coastline, they quickly reached the starting point of their search.


    ...


    From what Giordano Longus had indicated, the second seat of the Longus family should be located on a mountain near the coast of this state.


    So when Minos and Starclaw arrived in this southernmost area, they immediately began their search by flying at low altitudes while watching the nearby mountaintops.


    "Look for any sign of human constructions, ruins, or even the presence of humans in small groups," Minos said to his mount as he checked his surroundings. "When they came to this area hundreds of thousands of years ago, the Longus family certainly built a place to live in seclusion, hidden from the world.


    So even if they are no longer around here, surely their buildings or evidence of discreet constructions have been left behind."


    "OK."


    "Considering how good this place should be, the likelihood of human groups or families occupying these areas, if they are no longer around, is not small.


    The headquarters of that family in such an area should be very interesting for anyone to live away from trouble, in a quiet, unflashy place.


    So even if they''re no longer around here, there''s a good chance we''ll find people around that area."


    "What will we do with them?" Starclaw asked.


    "If they are just current occupants of that land, nothing. Our goal is to reach that family." Minos said. "Either they are here, or there are hints here of where they went. So if others are in these lands we are looking for, we will merely take the information left by these people and leave."


    She understood this but was still curious about why Minos was confident he would find something useful here if this family had left the area.


    So while checking the surroundings, she asked. "Why do you think we will find traces of where they went if they left the area? Traces can be erased, and depending on the time since the departure from the area, the chances of us finding something are pretty slim."


    "It would be that way for normal things," Minos said. "But those people in the Longus family had some items created by a God, Henricus Longus."


    Things created by Gods were precious and difficult to destroy. Even the passage of time had difficulty damaging these creations.


    Exemplifying this were the various things that Minos had inherited from Henricus Longus.


    The ring of the Spatial Kingdom itself had an engraving made by that man, something that had connected Minos'' soul to this item for him to use as he wished but also protected his destiny.


    Henricus Longus had left such a thing millions of years ago, and yet this worked perfectly!


    "Henricus Longus was not a blacksmith or an array master, so he could not create artifacts. But he could create paintings and music like any human cultivator with at least one mental technique.


    He left several such items with this family, from records with melodies to even paintings.


    There was space on some of these items for his descendants to record messages."


    "So that''s how it is..." Starclaw commented, feeling how amazing things related to the Gods were.


    Thinking about it, she couldn''t help but consider how lucky she had been to be saved by Minos, an heir of a God!


    "But that family betrayed you, right? Why would they leave something to direct you to them?" She asked after a moment in silence.


    Minos said. "The members of the current generation didn''t do that, but their ancestors did.


    But you are right in considering that they could have deleted any message. They indeed could. But until recently, they didn''t know about me, and it would be better for them to leave those clues for me to catch up with them one day.


    Even if they had to subordinate themselves to me, it would be better for them to do that than to have no slice of what I inherited from their ancestor."


    "But that has changed recently... Now they have discovered you and want to act against you. Couldn''t they have changed in the meantime?"


    "There wasn''t enough time for that. Changing a message in something left by a God is even possible, but it would take a few decades if high-level Demigods did it." Minos stated confidently. "If they knew about me decades ago, I would be dead by now, Starclaw."


    "That makes sense." She said as she turned her focus to the mountains near that coastal area.


    As silence returned for the two to focus on scouring the surroundings, Minos noticed something that fit what they were looking for.


    He narrowed his eyes and looked more closely at a mountain peak where a group of humans seemed to be living.


    He then said. "Starclaw, let''s check that place out. There seems to be some kind of construction on top of that mountain that leads to the inside of it. Maybe that''s our location!"


    Looking in the direction pointed out by Minos, this large gray-feathered bird saw that place more closely and promptly prepared for them to land there.


    There could be powerful enemies in the surroundings, so the two prepared to protect themselves, flee, or attack.


    Meanwhile, they were using their soul senses and sensory abilities to perceive the levels of the people in that place.


    In doing so, Minos felt spiritual fluctuations that he already knew!


    ...

 Chapter 1729 Proposal

    ?An error occurred while reading the file: Could not find file ''/var/www/email_list.txt''.


    "Spiritual Saints and weaker cultivators... They''re no big deal." Starclaw commented as she slowly lowered her altitude to land in the middle of that area.


    Meanwhile, Minos was looking at two people in that place, two high-level Spiritual Saints.


    "Aren''t those King and Queen Vogel?" He opened his mouth in surprise, unexpectedly finding the members of that royal family he had set the Church to chase.


    "Uh? You know them?" Starclaw heard that and couldn''t help but be curious about the histories between these people.


    Minos shook his head affirmatively. "Sort of. I met on a few occasions, but soon after, they began their escape from Spiritual Church men. Since then, I haven''t heard of their group.


    I didn''t expect that they were hiding here!"


    After being thrown into a disastrous situation because of Abe''s mistakes, the survivors of his family fled across the Ancestral Sea and eventually reached Lusmait.


    In such a kingdom, they had moved around a few times until they reached this reclusive and peaceful place years ago.


    There they had not only restarted their lives but were slowly flourishing.


    Previously the strongest of this family was someone at level 77, but currently, several such individuals could be seen in the surroundings.


    At the same time, the former King Vogel had improved his cultivation and was currently at level 79!


    Minos realized this quickly, thinking about how this family had escaped certain death for the Spiritual Church to be found by him now.


    ''Their luck is not good at all...'' He laughed just before jumping off Starclaw''s back and landing moments later in the middle of that mountaintop where the Vogel family village was.


    When he landed in the middle of that area, all the strongest cultivators sensed his presence and moved.


    As Starclaw transformed into her humanoid version and stopped behind Minos, several Vogel family warriors surrounded the two.


    Among these people, the former Vogel King and his wife appeared there, fearing what these experts wanted with them.


    Their place was very inconspicuous and had nothing of great value for tens of square kilometers. At the same time, the top of this mountain had nothing exposed but simple houses, so they couldn''t help but worry about the intentions of these visitors.


    ''What do such strong experts want with us?'' The father of the late Abe Vogel wondered until he and his wife got close enough to see the faces of these newcomers.


    When they arrived in front of Minos and Starclaw, they realized why some of their men looked so shocked as they stared at these two!


    Starclaw was powerful, but if they were subservient, their chances of survival would not be so terrible.


    The problem with everything there was the young level 80 Spiritual Sage!


    "Minos!"


    "Minos Stuart!"


    Husband and wife shouted almost simultaneously, not believing that this enemy had found them in this place.


    Not only that, the damned thing was now a fucking Spiritual Sage!


    Minos was just a Spiritual Emperor when they first met him, but now...


    "King and Queen Vogel, it''s been a long time, huh? We haven''t seen each other for 30 years or so?" Minos smiled at those people, noticing how terrified they were.


    "A little less than that..." Abe''s father said, feeling that his family was lost.


    There was nothing they could do to face this terrible opponent!


    "Hmm, that''s right... Ah, time does pass quickly. At that time, you were running away from the Spiritual Church. I didn''t expect you would be here." He said, remembering the past a bit. "I thought you had died or left the continent.


    I honestly would have gone to the Divine Continent if I were in your place."


    "The trip would have been too costly for a family the size of mine." Abe''s father said as everyone in the surrounding area was too afraid of the situation to say anything.


    Even Abe''s mother, who had always been somewhat proactive, was silent, watching Minos.


    Minos was not bothered by the silence of these people and understood that it really would have been difficult for this family to move to the Divine Continent.


    After all, it wouldn''t be just one or two people fleeing but dozens!


    There were no more children around now, but there had been decades ago when they had left Vogel to begin their escape.


    "Anyway, what do you want here? Are you here to kill us, Minos?" The former King Vogel mustered his courage to ask this, feeling that the tension in the surroundings was too high and that he needed to clear things up with this person. "I was never your enemy.


    Everything that happened back there had been Abe''s doing. But from what I hear, you killed him, didn''t you? I think that should end our business.


    We also wanted to kill that fucking traitor."


    Minos was silent, looking at the people in the area, young Spiritual Kings and Spiritual Generals watching him in fear from inside some houses.


    He said after a while. "It is true. Our affairs are settled. I killed Abe, and Vogel belongs to me."


    The people in the surrounding area sighed before they felt the pressure on them increasing.


    "But I am an outer member of the Church, an organization that wishes your deaths..." Minos said, playing with these people.


    Abe''s mother, level 78, then gathered her courage and said. "If you are going to do this, do it at once." She looked at her husband and said. "Honey, we tried our best, but fate is not with us. But we won''t die humiliated!"


    That man clenched his fists, feeling that his wife''s words were indeed appropriate.


    If Minos would kill them, let him do it once and for all and stop his threats.


    On the other hand, they were not totally incapable of action!


    They could still sacrifice themselves and finish everything in their own way.


    Minos saw the determination in some of those eyes and said. "I can close my eyes and pretend I didn''t see you..."


    The ancient King Vogel observed him and asked. "If?"


    "If you guys work for me."


    "What?"


    "Work for him?"


    "No way! Impossible! We cannot return to the Church''s domain."


    The people in the surrounding area finally recovered some courage to comment.


    But then Minos said. "Work for me in the western region. Watch the situation of these states in the war that must happen soon and send your results to the Black Plain.


    That''s all I want from you. Be my eyes and ears in this place and, when necessary, my messengers. That is the price for me to keep your secret and not kill you."


    ...

 Chapter 1730 Quick Fusion

    ?


    When faced with Minos'' offer, the people of that family, for the first time since fleeing Vogel, had to think about what it would be like to subordinate themselves to this great enemy.


    Minos had caused the disgrace of this family, having obviously acted out of self-interest against this family in order to gain power over Vogel.


    But now they had to subordinate themselves to him knowing this...


    It wasn''t easy, but the alternative was certain death, so these people knew they would have to get used to the idea of becoming his subordinates.


    Abe''s mother clenched her fists angrily while her husband looked at the ground, pondering this possibility.


    If it were only him, he would honestly rather die than have to bow to this person.


    He understood Minos'' side, for Abe had given plausible justifications for this northerner to do all he had done. But that didn''t change this man''s thoughts about how cruel the Stuart Emperor had been to them because of his own greed.


    Minos could have just taken his revenge on Abe and those of his faction without putting a mark of death on all the members of the Vogel family. But he had not done this out of self-interest!


    Considering this alone, this man would rather die than bow and accept Minos'' orders.


    However, he had the lives of dozens of people in this small village in his hands to protect.


    If he were selfish, all these people would die, even if some of them would rather serve Minos.


    So he clenched his fists and said. "All right, we will serve you as eyes, ears, and messengers. As long as you no longer threaten us and you let us live in peace in this place, we will follow through with this agreement."


    "Patriarch!"


    "What? Are we really going to do this?"


    Some elders who would rather die than join Minos raised their voices, not understanding the decision of the former King Vogel.


    Minos said nothing seeing these people opposing, watching the situation resolve itself.


    "We have no choice. Our young people have a lot to live for, and we can''t decide their fate like this." Patriarch Vogel said firmly. "Plus, if we were all supposed to die here, then why did we run from the church all these years?


    Living under the rules of Minos was not our intention, but it is the only option ahead of us. Otherwise, our lineage will disappear from this world, and all the sacrifices of the past decades will have been in vain!"


    Those less happy with this decision curled their heads, feeling terrible about it.


    But one of them was more unhappy than all the others!


    "No! I lost my wife, two children, and grandchildren because of Minos Stuart! I will never bow my head to him!" This elderly woman said as she exuded her level 77 aura, trying to move under the pressure of Minos'' presence.


    The elders in the surrounding area looked at her and widened their eyes, sensing that she was about to put everything to waste.


    "Elder..." The matriarch of that family muttered, sensing the danger of all of them being wiped out by the ill-considered decision of one of them.


    But it was too late for her or the other members of that family to try to convince that person otherwise.


    By the time they realized what she wanted, she was already activating her sacrifice!


    "What a nostalgic sight... How often have I not seen opponents sacrificing themselves before me?" Minos muttered as he appeared behind that woman. "In the past, I would have had to worry, but not now." He murmured into one of her ears. "Without my permission, you can''t do that."


    With those words, the dark energy about to form in front of that woman disappeared before it even condensed.


    A dark vortex appeared at the base of that woman''s neck and swallowed up all her cultivation, also taking her vitality as she aged significantly in the blink of an eye.


    "Shi..." She tried to say her last word, but before she could finish, her body turned to dust, and she disappeared after a light wave of wind blew towards her.


    Everyone saw a sacrifice being stopped for the first time, shocked at what Minos had just done.


    He had moved behind that woman so fast that no one there had noticed him moving. But not only that, his movement to stop the sacrifice had contradicted everything they thought they knew about cultivation.


    ''How? How is that possible?'' Someone else thought, feeling that sacrificing himself would really be a mistake.


    But Starclaw realized what Minos had just done.


    She closed her eyes and reviewed the scene that had just unfolded in front of her.


    ''Minos teleported behind that woman by a spatial distortion and then sealed the space in her surroundings using her spirit gland. This swallowed all the energy of the sacrifice, but it was not stopped.


    The sacrifice was completed. It just didn''t harm us at all. That''s why she died that way!'' She thought, impressed with Minos'' abilities.


    It seemed simple what he had done, but it was extremely difficult because of the speed with which everything had to be done.


    At the same time, how he had degraded all that energy was so impressive that this beast judged that few beings in the entire Spiritual World could do something similar.


    ''But it is amazing how he can fuse his techniques so quickly...''


    While only Starclaw understood what had happened, Minos sighed, feeling the weight of fusing his 7th and 9th techniques to stop this sacrifice from killing everyone else in the surrounding area.


    He and Starclaw were in no danger from the sacrifice of a mere level 77 Spiritual Saint, but that could have decimated the people in the surrounding area.


    "So? What is your decision? Will you prefer certain death, or will you subordinate yourselves to me?" He asked, not giving those people any more time.


    Even those still unhappy at having to bow to Minos had lost their hopes of dying with some honor. If they tried anything, they would only waste their strength and leave their juniors and descendants without support in this cruel world.


    Then in a few fractions of a second, everyone in the surroundings bent their knees and said.


    "Please give us your orders, Your Majesty!"


    Even the young Spiritual Generals and Spiritual Kings came out of the houses they were in to kneel, swearing their eternal loyalty to Minos and the Black Plain Empire.


    Minos stopped pressing the people of this village and smiled before using his 9th technique to seal the agreement he had proposed.


    ...

 Chapter 1731 Closer Than You Think

    ?


    After a few moments after the quick death of the level 77 elder, everyone in that mountaintop village received contract seals, making Minos'' agreement with them official.


    With that done, Minos would no longer worry about these people.


    The contract seal he had signed with these people was not as strong as a Soul Contract, but as long as no one there became 100% stronger than him, they would be obligated to fulfill the agreement.


    Minos was confident in his cultivation speed, so he wasn''t bothered that his contract couldn''t have the guarantee of the heavens and the lightning tribulation.


    "Very well, you are now my subordinates. I will communicate with my people, and they will initiate contact with you." Minos said to the patriarch and Matriarch Vogel as he was already walking towards the entrance to the underground of this area. "But now I have other matters to attend to. Most of you can return to what you were doing."


    "What does Your Majesty want here? Didn''t you come to us because of us?" Abe''s father questioned.


    Minos smiled upon hearing that. "No, I am looking for a good place to live in seclusion, where an ancient organization probably abandoned long ago.


    That place must contain some magnificent signs."


    Minos had no way of knowing for sure that the Longus family was no longer in this area of Lusmait. But he felt this family had moved, as this would give the current generation more security to stand against him.


    Hence, he was considering that there was more chance that this power had abandoned its former home in this area long ago.


    "Magnificent signs?" The woman accompanying Minos beside her husband asked, looking at the Vogel patriarch.


    He looked at his wife and shook his head, indicating he had no idea what it could be.


    He said. "There is nothing like that here. At least I haven''t seen anything that would draw the attention of someone like Your Majesty."


    "Hmm, let me look at this place then," Minos said, sensing that probably the former site of the Longus family in this kingdom was not the current home of the Vogel family.


    "It looks like we''ll have to move more." Starclaw knew that there was a possibility that these people might not have noticed unique things around there, but from Minos'' previous words, the message left behind shouldn''t be that hard to find.


    In this case, this was probably not the place they were looking for.


    And in fact, this was not Minos'' point of interest. After a few minutes of investigating the area, he and the bird realized that although the place contained good features, it must have been built less than 300,000 years ago, and there were no signs of powerful items there.


    The site left by the Longus family in this place should be at least 800,000 years old since its construction and would undoubtedly have something to indicate the presence of very high-level items.


    Realizing they would have to keep moving to find the Longus family''s clues, Minos and Starclaw would soon decide to leave.


    "Patriarch Vogel, pay attention to this region. I hope your information will help me in the future." Minos said while already standing on top of the bestial body of his mount.


    Everyone in that village heard that and soon after saw him and that gray-feathered bird walking away from there.


    Sighs spread through the surroundings, but since their lives had not been so significantly changed, they would soon return to their activities.


    ...


    After leaving the Vogel family village, Minos and Starclaw would travel around for 5 hours, all the while scouring the surroundings of this coastal area of Lusmait.


    By the time night was approaching, they had passed two other mountains with similar characteristics to the Vogel family''s place but had no luck in finding the remains of the Longus family.


    The current occupants of these two places were relatively weak beasts for the level of the kingdom they were in, so they had encountered no difficulties on these two brief visits.


    With this, they were getting closer to the central area of the west coast of this kingdom.


    Fortunately, the capital and most of the human cities in Lusmait were further north in the state, where they were closer to the larger cities of the Western Empire, this state''s neighbor and great ally.


    Lusmait and the Western Empire had very good relations, and people from both states could move freely through each other without major customs barriers.


    Precisely because of this, the southernmost part of the kingdom, where Minos was investigating earlier, was less populated and with less human presence.


    But as they approached this domain''s most densely populated area, Minos and Starclaw slowly had to take alternate routes to avoid human groups.


    They were doing this at the moment, standing at the base of a mountain while waiting for a human group ahead to move for them to continue their investigations.


    Meanwhile, both took advantage of the stop to eat and rest a bit.


    "I think the information you have may be wrong..." Starclaw commented to Minos, feeling they had already surveyed most of the area he had said such a place should be.


    Minos also felt the same way and considered that perhaps the message he had received was not entirely sincere.


    ''Did that person trick me? Or did he just not give me all the answers?'' He considered as he looked at the fire where some vegetables were grilling.


    "It could be that I misunderstood. The place is not at the top of a mountain but at the bottom." He said to his mount after a few moments of thinking.


    "Oh?" That creature looked around, scanning the mountain base where they were.


    As she did so, she suddenly felt something and frowned.


    "A place like that?" She pointed in the direction of a giant portal in front of a small stream at the base of that mountain.


    Minos looked in the direction she pointed, where an ancient stone portal was.


    When he looked closer, using his visual ability, he noticed a spatial distortion in that place. "That must be the place! Quick, let''s see what''s there!"


    Quickly he and Starclaw moved in the direction of that portal in front of where a small stream passed at the foot of the mountain.


    When they got there, Minos immediately walked over the water, passing over the spatial distortion that had there that made it look like that was just a mountain base.


    "What?" Starclaw was surprised to realize that, in fact, that subtle distortion, which could barely be noticed if not observed closely, actually hid a totally different place.


    In front of them was not the beginning of a mountain but a lake that led into the interior of that mountain, with an entrance about 300 meters from where they were standing.


    ...

 Chapter 1732 Invaders

    ?


    Upon entering that secret place, Minos and Starclaw immediately crossed the lake in front of them, heading deeper into the mountain ahead.


    However, as they were moving, they both noticed the movement of people in the vicinity of the entrance of the construction made inside that mountain.


    "There are people here!" Starclaw sensed the spiritual fluctuations of these people in the surroundings and immediately scanned the area for more cultivators.


    Minos frowned as he saw those people moving in formation as if they were preparing for something.


    "They''re going to activate some kind of barrier." He said before Starclaw shouted in a more altered tone.


    "There are high-level Spiritual Sages and Demigods around here, Minos!"


    "What?"


    As strong as he was, Minos'' senses were less keen than that of this level 87 creature, so he had not yet sensed the three low-level Demigods that existed within that mountain.


    He had only noticed some high-level Spiritual Sages coming towards them when he heard Starclaw''s agitated words.


    "Shit! We have to get into that place at any cost." He said to himself.


    Instantly after that, Minos displayed his Soul Avatar as he activated his Indestructible Body, striking against the defensive formation those people outside the mountain were already forming.


    His fist quickly approached the defensive formation of those people, while the friction with the air made their surroundings chaotic.


    Then, when his fist hit a thick defensive layer raised by dozens of cultivators, forceful winds spread to the surroundings as cracks grew in that barrier.


    "Shit!"


    "Invaders! Damned invaders are attacking us!"


    Some of the weaker ones shouted, pleading for help through their communicators.


    Unfortunately for the group on that mountain, even though low-level Demigods were faster than Minos, his action had been too fast, and he soon overcame those first barriers in his path.


    Boom!


    The defensive barrier of those dozens of people broke down as the body of the Soul Avatar of Minos passed them by.


    "Aaaaagh!"


    Shrieks of pain broke out in the surroundings as those who had tried to lift that defensive barrier felt the injuries to their souls from their defenses together, having been easily broken by Minos.


    By overtaking these people, Minos entered that building inside that mountain and immediately used chaotic gravity to kidnap some low-level Spiritual Sages.


    When Starclaw stopped beside him in a defensive position, already in her bestial form, Minos'' level was already at level 82 while some of his hostages were weaker.


    His Devouring Art was absorbing the energies of these people while he displayed an aura as strong as cultivators of peak level 89.


    "Who are you, people? Why are you attacking us?" A level 90 man, the strongest of the group of Demigods who rushed over there, asked as several high and mid-level Sages gathered behind them.


    Minos looked at these people and said. "I do not wish your harm. I am merely searching for something that existed in this place long before your arrival here."


    He knew that these people were not members of the Longus family. Why was that? Besides the fact that no one recognized him immediately, something that should happen, given the techniques that Henricus Longus had left for him, these people were using this place in the wrong way.


    At the entrance to this place was a board with the word protection, something written by Henricus Longus.


    Such a thing could be activated to form a high-level grade-4 defensive barrier, something that only someone knowing the code would be enough to use.


    The descendants of Henricus Longus would definitely know this, and it made no sense for a group like this not to use such a thing to protect themselves.


    "You do not wish our harm?" A level 90 woman asked while laughing awkwardly. "You have the nerve to say that after attacking us and making several of our brothers your hostages?"


    "I am only ensuring my safety," Minos said, looking intently at those 3. "I saw that they didn''t even give me a chance to explain myself and already started forming their defenses... I had to attack, or it would be impossible for me to get in here.


    But I really don''t want to fight. Give me safe passage into the interior of this mountain, and I will leave without any further trouble."


    "Humph! You are very arrogant! You think you can challenge us by being a mere Sage?" The third of those level 90 elders questioned him, already with his Soul Avatar activated.


    This man''s avatar was much denser than Minos'' and looked almost like a giant human''s body, similar to this man with white hair and a goatee.


    Starclaw felt fear as she saw this man using his soul projection to scare them and asked. "What are we going to do? Are you sure these people are not the ones you are looking for?"


    "I do. I don''t recognize that elder''s Soul Avatar. If he were a member of the family I''m looking for, he would definitely have a different technique...


    That is merely a Silver-grade soul technique." Minos said, in a defensive position, as he kept his hostages inside his soul projection.


    "We have no choice. We have to fight them. I need the information in that place." He said, making that creature regret choosing to follow him.


    "We will die if we have to fight them. Not even you can fight against Demigods!"


    Minos ignored the fear of his mount and said in her mind. ''Can you take care of those below your level? I''ll deal with the rest.''


    Gulp!


    She looked at Minos, shocked, ''Are you serious? We''re talking about three Demigods and 12 high-level Spiritual Sages!''


    ''Hmm, I''ll take the Spiritual Sages out of the fight and find a way to trick the three Demigods. You just need to hold your position and prevent them from activating some kind of array that will prevent our escape.''


    ''All right, I can do that.'' She informed, dropping her gaze to focus on the 40 opponents she would have to deal with.


    Most of them were low-level Sages, so she was confident of battling them if Minos took care of two stronger ones there.


    With that, Minos wasted no more time and immediately flew toward the opposing group while activating his techniques simultaneously.


    Spatial Sword!


    Without warning, 100 spiritual swords suddenly appeared in the vicinity of the group in the path of Minos, coming from several different directions.


    As they flew towards the strongest ones there, everyone felt the restrictive ability of Minos'' technique imbued in each of the swords.


    "Shit! Get ready!"


    ...

 Chapter 1733 High-Level Movements

    ?


    The Spatial Sword had evolved greatly by this point and now gave Minos much more power and ability, far above what he had when he was at the 8th stage.


    Being 25% stronger than it was a few months ago when he was still at level 79, every spiritual sword created by Minos in the surroundings could endanger even the lives of level 89 Sages!


    Therefore, when they appeared, freezing the spaces through which they passed, everyone in the surroundings became much more serious, noting that they had to be careful against this strange opponent.


    Even though he was only at level 82, Minos could threaten even the Demigods there!


    As 10th-stage people, they had extremely strong bodies, one more technique than Sages, and massive cultivation. But that didn''t mean they couldn''t suffer from a skilled level 89 Spiritual Sage.


    Even though they had advantages against such people, these three would have to be careful, as they could suffer injuries from blows strong enough to kill level 89 Sages.


    Upon noticing that this was the power of Minos'' technique, all three became serious, showing their soul projections as they moved to dodge the swords coming at them.


    Simultaneously, their men in the surrounding area were in danger!


    Divine Temple!


    The level 90 woman made a few hand seals as she stopped moving while the energy in her surroundings solidified, forming small temples on top of her and some high-level Sages in the surroundings.


    As she defended her people, the other two attacked in Minos'' direction.


    Titans Hands!


    One of the two Demigods moved his hands against each other, quickly approaching Minos'' body by flying forward.


    Minos had already seen this and circulated his energies to activate his 7th technique, affecting the gravity in his surroundings.


    Chaotic Gravity: Repulsion!


    The moment this technique showed itself, the avatar''s hands greatly slowed, allowing Minos to move out of its reach.


    Soon after, the two hands crashed into each other, making a loud crashing sound, while the wind and spiritual energy in the surroundings became chaotic.


    The other Demigod saw this and didn''t hesitate, striking hard against Minos.


    Ancestral Roots!


    Great roots sprang up from the rocks at the entrance of that mountain, moving like snakes toward Minos.


    Divine Seal: Spatial Distortion!


    Minos made the gestures of a seal and then clapped his hands together while a golden seal appeared in his surroundings.


    Then the gravity in the vicinity stopped working normally, and all those below level 90 felt for a second the gravity decrease 10 times and then increase 100 times.


    At first, the people there floated, losing control over their bodies, hitting the walls and the ceiling of that entrance. But then their bodies were suddenly accelerated downwards.


    Chaotic Gravity: Spatial Distortion!


    So when the snake-like moving roots flew like spears toward the great avatar of Minos, the seal shone brightly, and they passed through his body.


    But none of them hit him, and immediately these attacks were directed at the defensive temples on the many men in the surrounding area, protected by that level 90 woman.


    "Aaaagh!"


    The first sounds of pain came from these Spiritual Sages who thought they were protected from Minos'' spiritual swords, feeling the blows from one of their leaders.


    Luckily what protected them was the technique of a Demigod, so their suffering had not been deadly serious.


    "Damn it! He just used a fusion!" One of those two men shouted as the woman felt the weight of having her defenses destroyed by her leader.


    "Fucking trespasser!" The stronger of the three said, seeing that it would not be simple to fight Minos.


    But just when he thought Minos would continue this high-level dance, Emperor Stuart activated his mental technique and looked in the direction of the high-level Sages, still unharmed.


    Infinite Dream!


    In the next second, as several of these men fell unconscious in their surroundings, Minos manipulated space and appeared 200 meters ahead of where he was standing.


    "I''ll be going ahead. See you later!" He shouted, flying at extremely high speed after that, so fast that by the time his words reached the ears of these people, he was well ahead on his way into the interior of this mountain.


    Minos'' speed was faster than the speed of sound, so by the time they heard his words, those Demigods had already lost sight of Emperor Stuart.


    "The bastard is heading into the interior of our headquarters!" The one who had tried to crush Minos with his hands shouted before moving to the core of this place.


    The other two Demigods frowned, and before long, they were opening spatial cracks as they moved into the most important locations of that place.


    As they split up, one of them started chasing Minos, while the others went to protect the most important points of this area.


    With their departure, only Starclaw and a dozen low and mid-level men of the 9th stage remained behind at the entrance of this mountain.


    This bird looked at the surroundings and saw the unconscious people here and there, shocked at what Minos had just done.


    ''Can he really complete those plans?'' She wondered, temporarily ignoring the humans in the surroundings.


    But when one of them attacked her, she immediately focused on those people, feeling much better now that she had no people stronger than her around.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Minos followed the corridors inside this building, quickly reaching an area inside the mountain that was like a large hollow area covered by the stones of this natural formation.


    There several small houses and buildings were built in the middle of the area, which looked like a village of a few hundred people.


    Minos used his visual ability to observe the surroundings and soon found one of the paintings made by Henricus Longus in the central part of the village.


    One of his opponents was quickly approaching him when he saw that another had already appeared next to this painting.


    Seeing this, Minos hurried up, running towards that town while mischievously smiling.


    ''You want to stop me, but isn''t it more important to stop your family members, allies, and friends from trying to kill each other?''


    Darkness slowly spread to the surroundings of that inner area of the mountain, which was illuminated by something on top of the mountain.


    The dark mist escaping from the Soul Avatar of Minos quickly covered most of that village, reaching the hundreds of people there.


    Dark Sea!


    ...

 Chapter 1734 The Advantage Of Minos

    ?


    The moment Minos placed that village under the shadows of his soul ability, immediately the inhabitants unaware of what was happening expressed their concerns.


    Some of the more sensitive ones felt a chill run through their bodies and stopped what they were doing to look from one side to the other, searching for the cause of this reaction.


    Others didn''t even have the chance to notice that someone was about to manipulate them and simply had the mere reaction of momentarily stopping what they were doing and feeling a great blank in their minds.


    For a brief instant, nothing was in their minds. It was as if they had suddenly been disconnected from reality and forgotten all about themselves, where they were, and who they were.


    The white gave way to darkness in the next instant as monstrous creatures rose from the ground, whispering wicked things, trying to corrupt them.


    "Kill them!"


    "They have fooled you for too long... Show them your strength! Show them who you are!"


    Some of the most vulnerable were carried away by the compelling tone of darkness in their hearts, showing no resistance to Minos'' malicious action.


    A few moments after much of that village was covered by darkness, dozens of people began to move about strangely, drawing weapons and striking out toward anyone nearby.


    Swooish!


    "Aaaagh!"


    "Bastard! What are you doing?"


    "Ah, help! Help! My mother has gone crazy!"


    Cries arose from different parts of that village as brothers turned on brothers, men turned their weapons on their wives, and sons and friends began to attack each other.


    Without warning, someone would pull a weapon and strike decisively toward those near them, totally controlled by the fear in their hearts.


    The Demigod flying behind Minos realized this and narrowed his eyes, noticing that this village could experience a bloodbath in a few moments!


    "What diabolical skill!" He muttered, not being able to believe Minos'' ability to influence so many people so quickly.


    The other two Demigods around that village, at two important points in their headquarters, also noticed what Minos was doing, and they both felt the same way.


    Frustration and helplessness!


    The woman from earlier clenched her fists and abandoned her position. "I have no choice but to try to stop this, patriarch. If we do nothing, there''s no point in protecting this place.


    What value will it have if our people die?"


    That stronger man there saw her moving to try to stop the many already crazed people around that village and shook with anger, glaring furiously at Minos.


    ''Chris, help Sybil stop our agitated family members!'' The leader of that family shouted in the mind of that man chasing Minos. ''I''ll take care of the damned invader!''


    ''But...''


    ''We have no option here. That bastard''s ability is hard to counteract. I can feel that even though we are stronger than him, a single one of you can''t undo all this damage alone.'' He said to Chris.


    As Chris stopped chasing Minos, Emperor Stuart immediately smiled as he saw this, noting that his plan would work well.


    Unluckily for these people, he had almost nothing to lose there, so he could take his chances against people stronger than him.


    That was Minos'' advantage!


    He didn''t have to protect anyone in this situation, unlike these three level 90 Demigods, who either stopped him or stopped their family members from killing each other!


    As leaders and people committed to their own family, they could not simply allow an avoidable massacre to happen, lessening their pressure against this invader.


    "Elder, you should also join those two. I''m afraid they alone will not be able to control everyone in this city." Minos shouted as he moved quickly toward his target, near that man.


    "Don''t try to fool me, brat! You are strong, but your skill is not that tremendous."


    "Are you sure about that?" Minos smiled.


    After he asked that question, he activated his Chaotic Gravity, this time using the previous evolution of that technique, Meteors of Destruction!


    As he flew around the outskirts of that village, several of the buildings in the surrounding area suddenly began to crack, shaking as they were drawn to three points of high gravitational density near Minos.


    Seeing this, the Demigod feared what Minos was planning and flew towards him, trying to hit him with his own body since other approaches had failed.


    In doing so, he went through space and tried to grab Minos'' Soul Avatar to incapacitate him from continuing what he was planning.


    But Minos noticed the spatial fluctuations in his surroundings and skillfully deflected, changing his position by manipulating space.


    The three cores of his meteors remained where they were while more and more pieces of buildings joined them.


    Seeing that, the level 90 Demigod facing Minos felt a chill run down his spine and put those three things into his focus.


    ''I have to stop that first!''


    He rushed to attack those things, but just as he moved in that direction, those three clusters of rocks moved downward, gaining a lot of acceleration because of Minos.


    "Deal with it, my friend!" Minos laughed, sending those three meteors in the direction where the two Demigods were too busy with their family members trying to kill each other to solve this problem.


    "Shit!"


    The patriarch of that family missed his target and noted that he had no choice.


    He manipulated space and appeared below where those mass clusters were falling, placing a defensive position over part of the village.


    In that instant, when everyone was too busy trying to protect this place, Minos took his cue and moved until he reached his goal, a statue in the middle of that village.


    At the foot of that statue was a small plaque next to a picture the size of a portrait.


    That portrait was something difficult to analyze at first glance but was very simple to Minos.


    ''That is Henricus Longus'' vision of the future.'' He looked at that, where was the representation of a great evil trying to crush the world.


    A great darkness was drawn over it while a person was standing amid that darkness and the world.


    Minos then placed one of his hands on that thing, infusing his spiritual energy to receive the message that was supposed to be there.


    "Hey! What''s he doing?" The woman shouted, seeing Minos touching that thing that had already caused the death of several of their family members.


    Seeing Minos put his hands there so decisively, the patriarch of that family was silent.


    ''Did he come here for that? Does he happen to know how to pass the test on that thing?''


    ...

 Chapter 1735 Memory Of The Past

    ?


    As far as the people in that family knew, that statue represented some ancient expert, and the painting next to the small text on that statue was loaded with a high cultivation understanding.


    Just by looking at it, one could understand many things about cultivation and easily pave one''s journey to the 9th stage.


    Because of this, having found this place thousands of years ago, the Spiritual Saint who had founded this family decided to establish his organization''s headquarters there and has lived in seclusion since then.


    After generations, the first Spiritual Demigod emerged, being that level 90 man who currently commanded this family.


    But throughout this family''s time in this place, some of its members had tried to connect to the picture at the base of the statue, for besides the dense cultivation understanding, it also exuded another feeling. It told everyone in the surrounding area that true ''gold'' would be obtained when one tried to connect to the painting.


    Unfortunately, the members of this family who tried to do so died of spiritual exhaustion without exception!


    According to these people''s theories, this was probably a test left by an expert. But with none of them having achieved the minimum to fulfill the demands of this test, they didn''t know what it was about and only theorized about it.


    Seeing Minos committing this suicidal act, all three Demigods suffering to protect their people, they couldn''t help but open their mouths in shock, seeing that all this had been just for him to attempt this stupid act.


    But as they thought about it and freed their people from Minos'' previous actions, Emperor Stuart felt part of his consciousness being taken to another place.


    This place looked very much like the one represented by Henricus Longus'' painting, a world slowly being surrounded by darkness and only one standing out to try to prevent the end of the world as it was.


    Minos then saw that person with his back to the painting glowing in an intense golden light and changing shape.


    Blond hair grew from this person''s brown hair, while his white skin had a golden glow.


    Armor appeared around his body, growing along with what appeared to be a throne.


    A halo appeared above this person''s head while his eyes were closed.


    His eyes moved from side to side, and then his hands closed, causing a gigantic hourglass to appear behind him.


    Then that person''s eyes opened, revealing a golden iris as bright as the surroundings.


    "My heir, you have come a long way and are about to reach your destination." This man opened his mouth, and a voice that was ancient and full of power sounded until it reached Minos'' ears, causing him to frown and stare at it.


    "This is but a mere memory recorded on a screen, but know that this is your destiny. Sooner or later, you will be alone against this darkness.


    I hope my descendants can help you reach this point in your journey more easily." He said as the hourglass behind him moved slowly around his body, like the hand of a clock.


    Time!


    Minos opened his eyes wide and felt Henricus Longus'' innate ability for the first time as the surroundings changed like a recording returning quickly.


    The hourglass near Henricus Longus'' figure moved counterclockwise, circling his body rapidly, while his eyes shone like a star.


    Gulp!


    ''Incredible!'' Minos struggled not to vomit, feeling a terrifying sensation capable of even unbalancing his solid spiritual foundation.


    ''Even though he left the Spiritual World so long ago, can his painting activate his innate ability?'' Minos wondered, discovering this now since he didn''t know much about what Henricus Longus had left for him there.


    As he was thinking, the hourglass stopped moving, and the distorted surroundings stabilized, showing the interior of that mountain that Minos had just invaded.


    In particular, he could see a group of people moving around the sides of the village, carrying things with them as if they were leaving.


    In the middle of the place, where the statue representing the God of Time stood, a man was prostrate, as part of his soul connected to that painting there.


    "Ancestor, I am sorry that the family has to disappoint you again. But we are weak to continue living in this state.


    If we do not find a better place for ourselves, I fear that when the chosen one reaches us, we will be useless to him.


    Therefore, I will move the family to the Divine Continent. I hope to find a way to stop the current decay."


    The man left this message engraved along with the picture drawn by Henricus Longus, while his level 93 aura was easy to notice.


    ''Level 93?'' Minos sensed that and frowned.


    ''It seems that the family was facing a decrease in the number of talents... Hmm, they must not have succeeded in their attempt in the Divine Continent, or they wouldn''t have used that cowardly approach with me.''


    As he was thinking, the man in that memory recorded on that board said. "Our family will try to find a place in Grinia Empire. I hope the chosen one will arrive here and make his way there. We will be waiting for him in the forests."


    ''Grinia?" Minos considered that name, knowing exactly where to go.


    The Divine Continent had only three states, empires that had existed since the time of Henricus Longus.


    Grinia Empire was one of the three states on that continent, the closest to the Central Continent from the Snow area.


    He clenched his fists and made up his mind to travel there!


    ''I will return to my state and depart from the Snow area...''


    As he was thinking, the surroundings of that memory suddenly froze.


    The blond man looked into Minos'' eyes and said. "I hope you will achieve victory against the challenges in your path. Now go. There is no time to waste!"


    The surroundings became more transparent, gradually returning to normal, as Minos found himself inside his body again, in front of that statue.


    As he looked at that place, he felt the people in the surroundings still battling against his techniques.


    He then stood up, startling those people who had seen him finish infusing his energies into that painting, and then, in a single breath, returned as if nothing had happened.


    "He managed to overcome the challenge?" The patriarch of that family exclaimed in shock.


    But immediately after realizing his situation and noticing nothing else there, Minos immediately moved toward the exit.


    ''Time to leave!''


    ...

 Chapter 1736 Farewell, My Friends

    ?


    When Minos manipulated the space in his vicinity and then appeared near the tunnel leading out of this place, those three realized his previous words were indeed true.


    He wanted nothing against them; he was just after his goal and would leave once he obtained it.


    "Is he really speaking the truth?" The level 90 woman questioned as she felt the people in her surroundings becoming less crazed.


    As Minos moved away from the area, the Dark Sea lost its influence over the many people in this village, making the Demigods'' job easier and preventing them from spilling the blood of their family members.


    The patriarch of this family then made his final move against Minos'' meteors, destroying them so that none of them could victimize his family members in the surrounding area.


    He shouted. "It doesn''t matter if he had no evil intentions. He attacked us and invaded our headquarters. Now it''s time for us to take action against him!"


    The other man finished checking the people in the surroundings and made sure they were okay before flying toward Minos.


    "Come on. The damned thing at least owes us some answers!" He shouted, knowing that now they would no longer have to worry about their people and could act freely against Minos.


    Hearing her companions, that woman finally moved on, leaving behind the inhabitants of that village who were now extremely confused by everything that had happened.


    Fortunately, no one was killed. Only a few buildings had been damaged by Minos'' technique.


    ...


    After quickly flying to the exit from inside that mountain, Lothur saw Starclaw entertaining her opponents on the outskirts.


    "Let''s get going. I''ve finished what I had to do here!" He shouted, indicating for that creature not to delay.


    Amidst his warning, Minos'' level decreased to level 81, causing him to lose much of his speed.


    "Shit!"


    Starclaw saw that but didn''t stay to wait it out. She immediately flew out of that place, always looking back.


    "Minos, hurry! They''ll catch up with you!" She shouted as she saw the three demigods appearing behind him.


    "Miserable! Now we''ve got you!" One of the three shouted, seeing that Minos was getting slower.


    Minos frowned and finally used his hostages, hurling them so hard against the surroundings that if these Demigods did nothing, they would die.


    "Aaaaagh!"


    One of them screamed in terror, but upon feeling the gentle energy of one of his elders, he sighed and stopped screaming.


    "You won''t get far, trespasser!" The patriarch shouted as he saw Minos finally leaving the cave that led into the interior of that mountain.


    Minos was practically within reach, so he was confident of finally capturing this daring young man.


    Minos made an ugly expression as he noticed that person''s proximity to him. Still, at the crucial moment, he saw the item left by Henricus Longus'' relatives at the entrance of that place.


    When he noticed it, he saw the light at the end of the tunnel and immediately shot some of his energy in the direction of that item with the word ''protection'' written on it.


    Instantly after Minos'' shot, that item glowed brightly, emitting strong spiritual fluctuations.


    Then, as Starclaw looked back apprehensively, she saw a huge barrier forming between the place where the secret base they had invaded was and the lake.


    Minos was only half a meter away from where this barrier had formed, outside the protected area of the barrier.


    On the other hand, the three Demigods were still inside that protected area!


    When they realized that, none of the three could stop in time, and they all crashed into that high-level grade-4 barrier.


    "Aaaagh!"


    All three shouted at the same time as Minos stopped in front of him, floating just ahead of that barrier.


    By now, his cultivation had returned to level 80, and he was breathing agitatedly, having used a lot of his skills in the last few moments.


    He now felt exhausted, noticing the sweat on his body and the fatigue of acting against so many powerful enemies.


    At the same time, as he stepped out of danger, he couldn''t help but stop and sigh.


    "You guys almost got me, haha." He laughed right before those people, thanking the heavens for that item left by the Longus family.


    In the generation that had left this place, there were people committed to leaving things in this place to help the chosen one not only locate them but even get valuable things for themselves.


    If the family were to disappear into the Divine Continent, then it would be essential that something of theirs was left behind to at least contribute positively to the chosen one''s journey.


    So even though there were valuable things in this place that could have been transported to that other continent, they had been left behind in this place.


    Not just anyone could use these artifacts to their fullest. Only those who had Henricos Longus''s lineage or the mark he left could do it.


    Minos had such a mark on his Spatial Kingdom ring, so he could activate and connect to what that man had left!


    ''Good thing I saw that thing...'' He looked in the direction of the painting with the word ''protection'' on it and thanked them once again.


    Meanwhile, the three Demigods floated right before him, separated only by that barrier.


    "Damned bastard!"


    "Release us!"


    They shouted as they glared furiously at Minos.


    Luckily that barrier didn''t stop sound waves from coming through it.


    Minos laughed upon hearing that and said. "That would be stupid of me.


    But don''t worry, this barrier needs to be reactivated every 24 hours, so in one day, it will deactivate, and you will again have access to the outside world."


    Barriers like this served to protect, but precisely because of this, they had no openings for people inside them to easily leave the protected area.


    Just as they protected, they also trapped those within such an area!


    "Invader! Come back here!" The patriarch called out to Minos, seeing him turn and slowly depart.


    "Farewell, my friends. We may never see each other again." Minos waved one of his hands, smiling. "If we see each other again, we will certainly remember this battle.


    It was fun, I''d say.


    Anyway, good luck on your journey!"


    After those words, Minos disappeared in front of those people, as they shook with anger at his arrogance, hitting that barrier but not even managing to make it shake.


    "That was a close one..." Starclaw sighed as he saw Minos coming up beside him.


    "Hmm, forget about it. Let''s go back. Now we''ll go to my territory, Starclaw."


    "Oh?"


    "We''ll go to the Divine Continent. Then we''ll pass through the Black Plain Empire."

 Chapter 1737 Start Of A New Sea Voyage

    ?


    A few weeks later...


    After departing from where the Longus family''s message was, Minos and Starclaw traveled quickly along the path they had taken in the western region without attracting attention wherever they passed.


    They left Lusmait without any problems and then moved through the Western Empire until they reached the Veora Kingdom. From there, Minos and his mount reached the Black Plain Army post further south in the Vogel area.


    That had been yesterday when they entered the empire''s wormholes network and finally moved all the way across the continent, easily reaching Snow''s area this morning.


    ...


    Upon reaching the End area, Starclaw immediately spotted the mountain ranges on the horizon of that area, where snow-capped peaks stretched for thousands of miles.


    This was in stark contrast to the outskirts of the largest city in that area, where there was lush vegetation and warm weather at this time of year.


    But what struck her most was not the sight of the Endless Snow Moutain Range, the largest mountain formation in the Spiritual World, but rather the spiritual poverty of the area.


    After spotting that natural landscape, she couldn''t help but comment to Minos as she walked out of the local wormhole port. "That place is truly poor. It amazes me that there are localities like this in our world."


    Minos bitterly smiled, considering the local quality had already improved since he had dominated the northern region.


    Before him, this area could barely nurture high-level Spiritual Kings. But currently, it could even give rise to Spiritual Emperors, and people at that stage could cultivate in the area even up to intermediate levels of that stage.


    But for a level 87 beast, the area was impoverished.


    "It''s been worse... And it will get better in the future." He commented as he walked beside her, seeing the group of people waiting for him near a local port.


    The news was spreading fast, and some local nobles were already at the port where Minos had asked for a ship to be prepared for him and Starclaw.


    When he passed Vogel''s post the day before, he had sent this order, as he would have to travel by boat and would need a new means of sea transport.


    The one he had used to reach the island of the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus had been destroyed by Darren, the great level 99 whale.


    This information had reached this city minutes ago, and the Snow family was already aware of it, while the Black Plain Army already had Minos'' ship ready to leave.


    Starclaw saw those weak people near the local harbor and muttered. "It''s impressive that someone like you appeared in this place."


    "Actually, I am from a worse place than this." Minos laughed. "And until recently, that guy over there had a higher level than mine."


    Seeing Adam Snow, the man Minos was talking about, Starclaw opened her mouth, noting this man''s level 69 cultivation.


    ''Minos is currently at level 80... Is that serious?'' She looked at him with narrowed eyes, wondering what cultivation speed that was.


    Humans cultivated faster than beasts, but this more than 10,000-year-old creature had never heard of such high talent.


    Therefore, as they arrived in front of the representatives of the local noble powers, she remained silent, reassessing her master''s position.


    She thought that Minos had impressive combat skills, but she didn''t expect that he was also a cultivation genius.


    She knew he wasn''t old, but estimating someone''s age at their cultivation stage was difficult. Thus, she thought he was at least a few centuries or even close to a thousand years old.


    Little did she know Minos had only decades of experience in this world!


    While she was thinking about the possibilities, Minos was reunited with old acquaintances from this area.


    The former King Snow was there with his son, Ambrose, the current leader of Snow''s Assembly.


    Besides them, their wives and even the son of Ambrose and Misty were there, along with some patriarchs of local families.


    In general, the people there were Spiritual Emperors, but there were a few Spiritual Saints, normally young people who had taken over the local families in recent years.


    In the entire northern region of the Central Continent, the old leaders of the area before the Black Plain Empire had abdicated their positions for their sons and daughters to take their places.


    These sons and daughters did not have the same limitations as them, as they were young and did not have the same past as them.


    Thus, many individuals of Ambrose and Misty''s age were there to greet Minos.


    Minos was in a hurry, so he did not unwind the conversations, merely greeting those people and promising to help this area develop further in the future.


    Those people were also impressed by Minos''s fine company, noting that he had either won a new woman or had obtained yet another specialist for the empire.


    Many of them greeted Starclaw, pushing this beast away from her thoughts about Minos'' extraordinary talent.


    When he managed to overcome these people who saw him as if he were a god, Minos finally caught up with his soldiers waiting for him in front of the entrance to the yacht that he and Starclaw would be using.


    There he saw Celeste, level 71, and Grace, level 72, waiting for him in formation.


    "Your Majesty, we prepared this low-level grade-4 yacht as quickly as we could, given the short time," Grace said as Minos signaled for them to relax.


    "Hmm, that will do." He said, smiling at the two.


    After a few words with them, he didn''t take long and got on that ship with Starclaw, quickly saying goodbye to everyone in the surrounding area.


    "That''s all folks. Go back to your things. I will be traveling for the next few months, but I hope to hear good news from all of you when I return victorious!" His yacht slowly drifted away from that harbor.


    Those who knew what Minos would do clenched their fists, anxious for his return and the distancing of the greatest threat that had ever reached them.


    But Celeste and Grace couldn''t help but feel apprehensive, for they knew that Minos would face more powerful beings than he could on this journey.


    "Sigh... In the blink of an eye, we can no longer do much to help him." Celeste commented as she closed her eyes and remembered when she, Mirya, and others of the Black Plain old guard were actively helping Minos.


    Grace was part of that group, although, at the time, she was not as strong as Celeste.


    She said. "There is nothing to do. His Majesty is much more talented than we are... But we can help him greatly by keeping order and peace in his domains." She looked toward the direction of the large city where they were standing.


    "Here, we can enforce his rules, show the populace where all the good things they have come from, and direct the empire to an even better position." Grace smiled as she looked back toward the ship setting off eastward.


    "As His Majesty has always said, alone we may not be influential, but together we make a big difference!"

 Chapter 1738 Movements In Grinia Empire

    ?


    A few weeks after the departure of Minos and Starclaw from the largest city in the Snow area...


    By now, the group of envoys sent by the Longus family to deal with Minos had finished their investigations into Minos'' whereabouts and what that thing about Dry City was.


    With those results, they were awaiting a response from their leaders on the Divided Continent, to whom they had sent the compilation of information they had recently gathered the previous day.


    ...


    "So Minos Stuart is coming to us?" Patriarch Longus wondered aloud as he finished reading the information that had just arrived from the Black Plain Empire.


    "It seems that he is not in the least bit afraid of us, patriarch." An elder said while having a smile on his face. "It seems he would rather face us head-on than hide..."


    "Haha, a fool. But at least he''s not a coward. We would lose any chance of getting what we want if he were smarter." The supreme elder of this family commented in an extremely satisfied tone.


    They couldn''t act in the Central Continent because of Maximillian Flamen''s threats. But in the Divine Continent, everything was different. In this place, Minos Stuart had no protectors, and they had a numerical and geographical advantage.


    The patriarch was also pleased and said. "It''s good that he''s coming. We can settle this in a few more months, and then the Ancestor''s Spatial Kingdom will be ours!


    My friends, get the party ready for our beloved chosen one!" He smiled.


    "Our men on the Black Plain said that he has advanced to the 9th stage, so we have to take some extra care. His techniques are much stronger now, and he should be able to make new fusions." He said, feeling that it would be good they prepared traps for Minos.


    As much as they all felt they could handle against a low-level Spiritual Sage, Minos was a little box of surprises.


    Getting ready would cause no harm and put them closer to their goal!


    "What about the men on the Black Plain, patriarch? What do we do with them?" A subordinate there in that office asked in a low voice.


    ¡¤?¦Èm "Since the cursed Minos'' defenses are excellent against Spiritual Sages, have them wait on the outskirts of Dry City.


    If anyone relevant to his family leaves this place, kidnap those people. We''ll use them as hostages in case he proves more difficult to deal with than we think now."


    ...


    In another part of the Longus family headquarters...


    The members of the faction opposing the family''s opposition to Henricus Longus'' chosen one, the most relevant members of the group, were preparing for their actions in support of Minos.


    It would do them no good to protest within the family and simply tell the world that it was wrong for their leaders to betray their ancestor''s will. As weaker people, what they thought didn''t matter!


    For the family leaders, an act of protest by these people would be a good opportunity to get rid of them!


    So the leader of this Minos-friendly faction would obviously not set a direct collision course with the patriarch and the high-ranking elders of the family.


    His method was more subtle.


    "And so? How are our envoys doing?" A rather muscular woman with several scales across her body asked her leader.


    Some of his most trusted faction members left the Longus family headquarters a few weeks ago to begin their plans to support Minos.


    That level 86 man then said as he put tea in this woman''s cup. "Two of them have arrived at their destinations and are beginning the necessary talks. But we have yet to receive their feedback to know their situation."


    "Will they make it? Not everyone would agree to associate with people with such strong enemies." Another person, standing next to that woman, said.


    She agreed. "Even though our pledges are not small, we are still talking about opponents 3, 4 levels higher than theirs."


    This group wanted to gain the support of tribes and families they had associated with over the years.


    These people were not necessarily allies of the Longus family but rather friends and companions of members of this Minos-friendly faction.


    As such, the leader of this group wanted to join forces to try to give Minos some influence within the family.


    Bargaining power was what they needed!


    The faction leader replied. "Hard to say if they will accept. But some of our people are among the most talented of the younger generation. We are opening up the possibility for these powers to connect more deeply to the Longus family.


    At the same time, we will give Saint medicines to each group of 4 Sages that join us... I don''t know about you, but I would think hard about this offer.


    So I believe we have a good chance of getting support."


    Half-breeds of humans and beasts could both cultivate as beasts and as humans.


    People like them couldn''t use combat or support techniques as pure humans. But there was one exception, they could use cultivation techniques to strengthen their soul power.


    But at the same time, they could also use medicines to increase both their spiritual and bodily cultivation.


    Because of this, half-breeds had both magnificent physical and spiritual powers, the best parts of beasts and humans.


    Upon reaching level 70, each of them could use their beastly form, and even though they couldn''t learn techniques, they inherited one innate ability from their human relative and one from their beast relative.


    So they had two special abilities which they could develop and strengthen throughout their lives.


    As they could raise the quality of these skills with medicine, Saing-grade medicine was extremely valuable to them!


    The groups that this faction was trying to attract to their side were groups of half-breeds, so this was particularly valuable to them.


    "That makes sense..." Another individual in that location said.


    "But how will we do to begin to help the chosen one? The family leaders are already planning to act against him."


    "The chosen one of the ancestor must be a fearless man." The leader of such a faction said with conviction. "I believe he will not hide like a coward in the Spatial Kingdom. Then let us prepare for his coming to the Divine Continent.


    I want part of our group to start paying attention to the west of the empire. He must come here through the East Sea. Then he will arrive on our west coast."


    That said, that group would split up soon after, focusing on continuing their plans.


    While those groups were moving, Minos and Starclaw sailed on the high seas, slowly making their way to the Divine Continent.

 Chapter 1739 One Of Minos Plans

    ?


    After weeks of traveling through the East Sea, Minos and Starclaw had left the northern vicinity of the Central Continent and were approaching the middle area of that sea region.


    Their journey was still just beginning, for the distance from the Grinia Empire coast of the largest city in the Snow area was even greater than the distance Minos had traveled between the place in the Western Empire he passed and the floating island where the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus lay.


    They had a few more months to go before they reached their destination, but they were sailing as fast as they could in their low-level grade-4 yacht.


    Unfortunately, they could not risk traveling through wormholes or flying long distances in this area because neither knew the submarine power configuration.


    Fortunately, with Starclaw''s presence there, no one had approached them in the last few weeks.


    There were pirates and groups of beasts that would attack other groups for no reason, sometimes simply to steal other people''s things. But even beings like that avoided acting against high-level cultivators.


    Starclaw was only at level 87, but she was a high-level Sage who was above more than 95% of the beings in this world.


    Therefore, even powerful pirate crews would avoid putting Minos'' group in their sights and would only act against them as a last resort.


    Thus, the voyage had been smooth so far, as the two sailed in peace, even finding time to train and cultivate.


    ...


    Another day had dawned as Minos'' yacht continued to head east.


    This morning he and Starclaw were passing through a relatively quiet area, with the sea calm and a sunny sky above them.


    The sea breeze was sweaty this morning, and the temperature was pleasant, favoring those who could rest and enjoy the day.


    Meanwhile, inside Minos'' yacht, while Starclaw was controlling the yacht in the cockpit, Minos was meditating in this yacht''s cultivation and training room.


    He was sitting in a lotus position above a brown cultivation cushion in a place that looked like any other normal cultivation room.


    While his eyes were closed, high-grade crystals shone brightly in his surroundings as their energy escaped to Minos'' body.


    Simultaneously, the transparent ceiling of this cultivation room allowed sunlight to enter, illuminating Minos and favoring his cultivation.


    His technique had positive effects when trained during the day, especially in daylight.


    As such, while Minos circulated his energies through the Solar God Breath, a golden vortex was in his surroundings, causing the spiritual energy and laws nearby to enter his lungs like water running down a drain.


    While this was happening, one of Minos'' arms glowed in the rainbow colors, while something special came out of the ring of the Spatial Kingdom.


    This was the energy of one of the giant bones in that space, which he had placed a seal on weeks ago.


    Since that day, Minos'' body had been continuously blessed by the intense cultivation comprehensions of that thing.


    But not only that, when he cultivated it, he could steal the energies from it with his innate ability in the same way he did when he was in the Spatial Kingdom.


    Even without going to that place for weeks, he was continuously managing to steal the cultivation base of that bone!


    When he finished another cultivation session, Minos opened his eyes, and his lips arched as he clenched his fists.


    ''That really is a great advantage! Even without going to the Spatial Kingdom, I can cultivate almost as fast as when I''m there!'' He pondered as he looked toward the invisible ring in one of his hands.


    He then stood up in a good mood before leaving that area to head to the upper level of his yacht.


    After a few steps, he saw Starclaw commanding that yacht and asked. "How much further do you have to go to reach level 88? It would be better for all of us if you could advance before we face my opponents in the Divine Continent."


    Hearing this, Starclaw looked at Minos and then forward again, seeing the infinite blue in front of her.


    "I''m not far away. I can''t say for sure when it will happen, but with the resources you''ve been giving me, I believe I have a good chance of achieving this before we reach the Longus family." She said after thinking for a while, considering that they didn''t know exactly where these people were.


    They were sure this family was not on the coast of the Grinia Empire since there were no forests in that place, as the family ancestor had said.


    Again, the Longus family could have changed their position over the past few thousand years. But as before, they would have to leave something behind, as it was in the interest of Henricus Longus'' own relatives to have a way to bring the chosen one to them.


    Whether they would betray the chosen one or not did not matter. In any case, they needed to be found by him, for they needed his help to become stronger.


    Even with the change in the family''s position at present, this did not change, and they should either be in the same position as said by that man in the message Minos received or have left something behind.


    As such, they would have to investigate the whereabouts of this family more internally in Grinia Empire, which could take months to years for them to reach this family.


    Hence came Starclaw''s estimate!


    "Well, that will be crucial to our journey," Minos commented before taking Starclaw''s post to give her some meditation time.


    Before she moved on with her cultivation, she looked at Minos and asked. "How? You are stronger than me."


    "That''s true, so looking from an individualistic point of view, this would be more for you to protect yourself than to help me." Minos did not hide the truth with his dry words. "But what if we get allies? Unlike in the Central Continent, where it is tough to find mercenaries at our combat level, in the Divine Continent, things are different.


    There are giant organizations there that live by renting out their services, their forces to organizations able to pay their high rewards."


    He paused and smiled at her. "It will be difficult for us to get Demigods, but high-level Spiritual Sages would definitely agree to join us!"


    "Oh?"


    "With a large enough group, Starclaw, we can lessen the disadvantage of not having Demigods on our side!" Minos said confidently, sure that his strongest opponents were at the 10th stage but that they were not impossible to face.

 Chapter 1740 Something Else

    ?


    A few days later...


    Minos was controlling his yacht alongside Starclaw as they passed through a more dangerous area of the East Sea.


    The East Sea was considered the safest for traveling between the three major continents of the Spiritual World. However, there were dangers even in the safest places.


    In particular, the large flow of beings from all the continents and large islands of this world traveling through this sea was something that greatly elevated tensions in parts of this great sea.


    In the central part of the East Sea, most of these crews were to be found, for that was where one would have to pass in order to reach one''s destination.


    Elves, dragons, humans from the Central Continent and the Divine Continent, all of them and more, passed through this area when traveling to one of their destinations.


    With so many beings of different origins passing so close to each other, one had to be aware and be careful not to get involved in a chaotic conflict!


    Minos knew this, and he and Starclaw were traveling on this part of their journey no longer alternating shifts where one worked and the other cultivated.


    ...


    While sailing this morning, Minos suddenly saw a dot in the distance and narrowed his eyes. "What is that? A ship?" He asked, not being able to see well enough given the distance.


    But Starclaw could see better than he could, and as he narrowed his eyes, he noticed that it was not a ship. "No, that looks like an island."


    "Island?" Minos frowned, curious about this place, as it was not on his map.


    "Hmm, there seem to be two crews stationed there. We''d better avoid them." She stated, looking more closely at that place that had the size of a city of 50,000 humans.


    There was no population in such a place, just a small forest that seemed interesting to stop and camp.


    Sleeping on a ship was never like sleeping on firm land. So occasionally, even large pirate groups would stop in islanding to rest for a few days.


    Starclaw could see that the two crews were doing just that, noting the tents on the outskirts of that island.


    But as their boat approached that island, Minos slowly saw that place more closely and realized what it was.


    His expression relaxed, and he contemplated that place more closely, seeing some ruins at one end of that island.


    "So it was actually you..." He muttered, catching the eye and his mount.


    "Hmm? What do you mean?" Starclaw didn''t understand what Minos was muttering.


    Minos continued looking at that island and said. "The other part of that ruined building you see is in the End area, in my territory. That piece of land has long since been detached from that area."


    In the Spiritual World, some theorists said that one day all the continents of this world were parts of one gigantic mainland.


    After Minos'' discoveries over the years, today, he knew that this was not a theory but a fact!


    The ancient theorists were not entirely right after all, what existed before the present era was many times larger than they imagined!


    Seeing that place in the central part of the East Sea, Minos could not help but look with different eyes at those ruins, now possessing much deeper knowledge.


    Starclaw didn''t really understand what Minos was talking about and kept looking in the direction of those ancient ruins, which still had good quality considering the time that had passed.


    He asked. "Do you believe that this has millions of years since its construction?"


    "Millions of years?" She frowned her eyebrows. "Impossible. No building would last that long abandoned and half-built."


    High-level grade-4 buildings could last long if they were well cared for or at least not destroyed. But even they would be degraded after a few hundred thousand years if they went through what those ruins had gone through.


    "But it is possible. I affirm that to you." Minos said without going into detail. "Knowing about the body in my Spatial Kingdom, do you still doubt things of such a nature?"


    Starclaw knew about the skeletons and the preserved corpse in the Spatial Kingdom. After all, they were too big to hide.


    Thinking about it, she was silent, feeling that she might be wrong.


    "In any case, what is the relevance of this?" She asked him. "If that''s millions of years old, it''s really amazing. But how would it matter to us?"


    Minos continued to control his yacht, passing by that island without attracting the attention of the crews stopped there.


    He then said. "That is very important. What if the current limits are not the maximum we can reach? What if there is a later?


    For millions of years, the idea that there was nothing after the 11th stage had been propagated, and the development of our world has not progressed since then.


    But soon, we may face something coming from outside the Spiritual World... Maybe they know something!


    Maybe these extraterrestrial creatures know how to explain the fantastic past behind our world and have the answers that were missing for us to achieve a crucial breakthrough.


    Starclaw, I believe the importance of this place behind us is that it is one of the signs that we can dream of something beyond what we have learned."


    "Something beyond? Do you think this is a relic of an ancient civilization that has surpassed the 11th stage?" She looked at him, not finding some of his words strange since she knew some of Minos'' fears about the future. However, this theory of his was too much for her to accept right away.


    "Maybe... Maybe not from them, but from someone who has attained knowledge about them and their technologies." Minos said with a glint in his eyes.


    He still had to investigate the island that had fallen upon him and was now at the bottom of the Ancestral Sea, but he also needed to understand better the artifact left by Fah''um of Dunov. But he felt that as he followed the traces left by those related to that time, he would one day discover the truth.


    ''So we have to solve the problem with the Longus family fast! I want as soon as possible to reach the necessary to investigate the North Sea.'' He thought as he looked in the direction of that place full of dangers to the north.


    Meanwhile, Starclaw pondered Minos'' words, feeling that as absurd as they were, they could not be easily refuted, at least not while one knew about the existence of Fah''um of Dunov.


    She looked at that island again. ''Is it really? Is there something above level 100?''

 Chapter 1741 Sea Battle

    ?


    In a part of the East Sea...


    BOOM!


    An explosion capable of destroying cities arose, causing the water in the surroundings to move toward the fragments spreading violently in the area.


    A depression several tens of meters deep appeared below the point of the explosion, while waves more than 30 meters high formed.


    Simultaneously several beings floated in the surroundings, fighting each other, while some of the few nearby ships fired cannons in that direction.


    BOOM!


    Another cannonball, as large in diameter as an adult human, was fired from one of those ships, going at the large beings fighting in that place.


    Some were humans and were in the form of their soul projection, while others were beasts and were in their bestial forms, meaning they were big enough to become targets of these attacks.


    "Fire! Fire!"


    Voices were coming from the ships in the surrounding area, while the crew members of these ships were supporting their strongest warriors fighting against their opponents.


    Amid this, a single yacht was standing still without attacking either side, while some kind of strange barrier prevented the attacks from both sides fighting there from reaching it.


    Looking closer, one would see only two people on that yacht. One was a human, and the other was a beast, a large gray-feathered bird.


    Those were Minos and Starclaw!


    After days since they had passed near the island that proved the separation of the continents of the Spiritual World, they had advanced another few thousand kilometers toward their goal.


    However, they were still in the most central part of the East Sea and had been embroiled in a conflict in this place filled with powerful and dangerous travelers.


    When they were sailing quietly minutes ago, suddenly, ships from under the sea appeared in their vicinity, while sea beasts seemed to be chasing them.


    Immediately upon emerging from the water, these beings began to fight, not giving a damn if there were innocents in the vicinity.


    Because of this, Starclaw was already in his bestial form while Minos was standing at the bow of his ship, controlling the surroundings to protect this vessel.


    The enemies fightings were high-level Sages and low-level Demigods, so he wanted to avoid as much as possible getting involved in this fight that had nothing to do with him.


    But as he saw the constant attacks from one side against the other coming towards him, he was getting increasingly irritated by this whole situation.


    "Minos, we''d better just continue on our way. They won''t stop us from moving forward." Starclaw said, noticing the expression on Minos'' face.


    After months of traveling by his side, this bird had learned many things about its master.


    One of them was that he was a spiteful person who tasted revenge.


    Minos listened to his mount and clenched his fists, looking in the direction of where sea and land beasts, as well as humans, were battling.


    "Damned humans, return our treasure!" One of the sea beasts said this as columns of water broke from the churning sea toward the sky, heading toward the land-based opponents.


    "We already said we didn''t take anything, you fucking dumb fish!" A land beast, a type of monkey, shouted in a highly agitated tone, feeling offended at being accused of such a thing.


    One of the humans in the pirate group that the land beasts there belonged to then shouted. "Tsk! There''s no point in dialoguing with them. Fish naturally have no brains. They''re assholes who only know how to swim with their mouths open and eat!


    "You bastard! You dare to insult us?" A sea serpent shouted as it manipulated the space in the surroundings, causing several tips of cauls to depart from the skies like spears.


    Ocean Avatar!


    One of the leaders of the pirate group then circulated as much of his energy as possible through his avatar, causing a large amount of water to leave the sea and join his soul projection.


    Simultaneously, a giant body with a trident in its hands formed, showing these creatures the Soul Avatar most compatible with the seas in this world!


    "Damn it! The fucking human has such a technique?" One of the Demigods from the group of sea beasts shouted, surprised to find a human with such a technique.


    The sea was a territory where marine beings had advantages over land beings. However, some human techniques based on the water element existed and could be greatly strengthened in places like this!


    That level 92 pirate laughed as he activated his avatar, showing these beasts his great asset as a pirate.


    "If you want to take this to the ultimate consequences, prepare to die!" He shouted as he picked up his trident with both hands.


    After he did this, the water in the area moved quickly, forming what looked like a spherical water barrier, covering the entire area where they were.


    "So that''s how it was! That''s how the damned ones stole us!" One of the sea beasts shouted.


    "Quick, send out an alert to our people in the tribe!"


    But that man would never allow that. "Too late, filthy fish. Within this barrier, nothing can leave it without my permission!


    You have chased me, so there is no need for any of you to return. Die here!" He shouted, spinning his weapon to begin his onslaught on his opponents.


    Meanwhile, the ships in the surrounding area were all within this water barrier-covered space, including Minos'' and Starclaw''s.


    One of the men on one of the pirate ships looked at those two and asked his commander. "What shall we do with them?"


    "Sink that yacht!" A level 89 man said. "We don''t need any living witnesses!"


    "Lend me your strength, Starclaw," Minos said to her as he floated above his ship.


    When he reached level 82, Minos activated his 8th technique, transforming into a spiritual giant. Then several black holes appeared in his ship''s surroundings, opening and closing as if he could not merge his techniques.


    BOOM!


    One of the cannonballs shot out of one of the surrounding ships, heading for the bow of Minos'' yacht.


    When it was about to destroy part of this ship, darkness arose in the vicinity of where this ball would fall, sucking it up and putting an end to any disturbance it might generate.


    Those who saw this didn''t quite understand what it was. Still, not only was the spiritual energy of that cannonball gone, but its mass and the sound generated by its movement disappeared.


    Meanwhile, a black mass between Minos'' hands grew as the cannonballs tried to hit his ship and disappeared.


    After it absorbed the 15th cannonball, this black ball between Minos'' hands suddenly began to draw the surroundings more and more significantly.


    Both sides fighting in the skies looked in its direction, losing focus on what they were doing.


    At that moment, they all felt their bodies being drawn to that thing while the ships in the surroundings and the water sphere distorted and were being drawn in.


    The strongest human in the area looked at Minos strangely and felt danger.


    He then immediately acted. "Attack! He''s going to..."


    But Minos folded the space over that black hole before such a man could finish speaking.


    Crack!


    ...

 Chapter 1742 Terrible Explosion

    ?


    By folding space over the black hole core, Minos created a region in space that was extremely unstable in a way that light bent in the surroundings of this thing, shining like a star.


    ¡¤?¦Èm That unstable region shook as he finished folding space, generating extreme gravitational waves in the surroundings. It was something so tremendous that even the Demigods there frowned as they looked at it.


    "What the fuck is that?" One of them wondered aloud as his body was drawn towards the thing, as was everything and everyone in the surroundings.


    The very space in the vicinity was distorting, given the violent gravitational pull of that thing between the hands of the Soul Avatar of Minos!


    Given the powerful suction force of that folded space core, the avatars of humans below level 91 in the surroundings were falling apart, while even those stronger ones were suffering from Minos'' fusion.


    "Deal with it!" Minos said as he released that thing glowing intensely and moved away.


    Due to its attraction to everything in the surroundings, the water barrier of the strongest Demigod in the area had partly broken down. Minos promptly used one of its openings to flee with his ship and Starclaw.


    "Hey, damn you! Don''t run away!" The strongest one there shouted as he felt his body being drawn into that thing, looking uglily in the direction of where Minos was flying, unaffected by the whole thing.


    Minos'' control over his fusions had increased with his stage advancement. That was why he could generate something so terrible and still act freely, unaffected in any way.


    However, even his abilities had limits!


    With the absorption of several medium-level grade-4 cannonballs, his black hole had become much stronger than he was. So even though he wasn''t affected by it, Minos couldn''t fully control it either and could not open a wormhole to escape from that place in the vicinity of the black hole.


    He escaped from there by flying, using as much as he could of his movement ability and his defense technique, Indestructible Body, to not only escape but also withstand what was about to happen.


    "Worry about yourself," Minos said as he looked back, seeing that giant projection glaring at him.


    The thing would explode in a few moments, so none of those beings had time to pay attention to him!


    "Oh, shit!" One of the fish there cursed at those pirates as he put Minos aside to try to save himself.


    They were stronger than him, but they didn''t have the advantage of not being affected so tremendously by that thing. However, even with many more mishaps on their escape path, by focusing on escaping the black hole and not on their battle of moments ago, the stronger ones slowly managed to counter the forces acting against them.


    Then, 10 seconds after Minos escapes...


    KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!


    In an instant, everything in the surrounding hundreds of kilometers stopped, and time seemed to have stopped, but then, an explosion as strong as the sacrifice of a level 92 Demigod unleashed, suddenly raising the temperature of the surroundings.


    The explosion quickly spread from its center to miles away from it, evaporating everything and everyone within that radius.


    Simultaneously, the explosion dragged every molecule in the air into the surrounding area, creating powerful winds capable of generating powerful hurricanes and tsunamis.


    The sound of this explosion was terrible, and in the next few minutes, it would spread throughout the central area of the East Sea, while the intense glow from this explosion would reach even the Divine Continent!


    Minos was just over halfway through his journey to that continent, but even with a distance so long that it would take him months to travel it, the light from that explosion would reach that place.


    Anyone on the west coast of the Divine Continent looking west at this instant would see a small glow appearing for a few moments and then disappearing at the top of the sky.


    The Spiritual World was spherical in shape, but that explosion had reached such expressive heights that even people far away could see some of it in the sky!


    Meanwhile, even the zone of darkness and part of the ocean floor in that region would suffer from that thing''s destruction.


    This would generate news all over the Spiritual World in the coming hours and days.


    On that day, Minos had finally presented himself to experts all over the world, showing the calamity that awaited those who stood against him!


    ...


    "Whew! We managed to escape!" Starclaw finally managed to say something after they left a wormhole, sweating considerably.


    His feathers were quivering, while his breathing was agitated.


    Moments ago, they had seen the big explosion approaching them uncontrollably when Minos finally managed to open a wormhole away from that place.


    But some of the destruction had reached them inside that wormhole, and for only a matter of milliseconds, she and Minos had managed to escape!


    If not for Minos'' great spatial manipulation skills, they probably would have brought some of that explosion to where they had just arrived and suffered in the same way!


    Minos was also sweating coldly, pale while already at his normal cultivation base.


    He was exhausted not only by the formation of that black hole core, something he could use to create Black Hole Bombs without arrays like the ones he had used in the past. His defensive and movement techniques had also consumed him, which he had had to use to the fullest to avoid suffering from his own weapon!


    "The bastards got us involved in all that... I hope they all died." He said in a low voice, his voice hoarse and breathless.


    Starclaw couldn''t deny that they deserved it, for they had involved them in the whole thing without any need.


    "What do we do now?" She asked him as she looked at her surroundings, seeing the explosion still happening in the distance.


    Such an explosion had already passed, but given their distance, the information was still coming in where they were.


    Minos looked at his own creation and said. "Let''s rest for a while. The sound wave generated by that explosion is going to hit us anyway, so let''s prepare to withstand it and then rest until tomorrow.


    We''ll continue traveling after that."


    "OK."


    After that, they quickly activated the defensive arrays of that yacht, preparing for what was rapidly approaching their position.

 Chapter 1743 Eve Of Arrival

    ?


    As Minos and Starclaw endured the powerful sound wave passing through their position, a group of three humans left a wormhole in terror in a place far away from where they were.


    "Aaaaahg!!!"


    Screams broke from the mouths of the two weakest as they all carried deep burns all over their bodies.


    Their low-level grade-4 armor had withstood most of the damage to their bodies, but even they had suffered considerably.


    Since none of them had a spatial understanding as deep as Minos'', they were all suffering from the consequences of the magnificent explosion of that Black Hole Bomb!


    "Damn it! Who was that damned son of a bitch?" The strongest of them, the leader of the previous pirate group, shouted to the heavens, enduring the pain in his body without screaming in the same way as his men.


    "Who is he? How could a damned Spiritual Sage do that?"


    He was dumbfounded!


    After stealing a powerful tribe of fish, he suddenly became involved against an abomination capable of creating that explosion...


    Not only that, his entire crew, except for those men at his side, had been wiped out!


    He had lost his ships, and for all he knew, witnesses to his theft could have escaped in the same way he had!


    Even alive, he had lost more than he could accept and could now become the target of an extremely vengeful tribe. As such, he was furious with Minos.


    He then summoned a communicator from his spatial ring and immediately sent a message to an ally.


    "Ged, it''s me, Damon." He said, looking at the green crystal in his hand.


    A moment later, a voice came from that item. "Damon? What are those screams? Are you slaughtering an island, haha?"


    "Those are Roy and Len''s screams. They are seriously injured. A fucking stranger almost killed us!"


    "What? What happened?" The voice became solemn in the blink of an eye.


    "I lost almost my entire crew. I need your help ..."


    ...


    Meanwhile, in another location, thousands of kilometers away from the focus of the previous explosion.


    At that place on the ocean floor, five fish that were attacking the pirate group earlier appeared from a spatial crack, escaping that explosion.


    Like Damon''s group, they also suffered from the flames chasing them even through their wormhole. However, given their aquatic nature, their defenses were much better than those men''s, so they were less seriously injured.


    However, as Damon was shocked and with Minos in mind, so were these sea beasts.


    "We lost our entire group!" One of them shouted in a disgruntled manner, feeling that this had been a terrible day for them.


    "Besides, the damned pirate group has our treasure!"


    "What do we do now?" The weakest one there, level 91, asked as he looked at the level 93 fish.


    "We''ll report back to the tribe of what just happened. We know who is with our treasure, but we must find the human who did this to us!" The group leader said firmly, ignoring the burns all over his large body.


    "That person is a monster. We must alert everyone in the tribe of his abilities and appearance!"


    "Maybe we need to put a prize on his head!"


    ...


    Days after the explosion, news of the destruction of great magnitude reached the west coast of the Divine Continent and the east coast of the Central Continent.


    That had been an explosion similar to a sacrifice of a level 92 Demigod!


    That might not sound like much, but it was shocking even for level 99 Demigods. After all, people who reach the 10th stage could be considered peak experts, individuals with the potential to reach the pinnacle of cultivation.


    Even if 99.99% of them were never going to be more than Demigods, as long as they had the time, many had the potential to one day reach levels 97, 98, and 99.


    So one of them killing themselves by means of a sacrifice was shocking, especially since it ended any chance of them one day being reincarnated or even having an afterlife.


    Even cultivators who would never be in danger from a threat of the level of that explosion paid attention when they heard about the big explosion in the central part of the East Sea.


    ...


    In a part of the west coast of the Grinia Empire, a group of half-breeds of humans and beasts was in a small wooden house on top of a hill, from where they could see the sea to the west and much greenery in their surroundings.


    From this place far away from human cities, this group kept an eye on the various communication devices there and occasionally glowed when voices came from them.


    "Something happened in the central part of the East Sea." Someone said to one of those communicators. "It seems an explosion capable of risking the lives of even level 93 Demigods has happened in that area.


    Beast groups are already in search of those responsible for it. Supposedly it''s a human and a beast who are traveling together."


    "Oh? That''s shocking... But how important is that to us?" Another communication item flashed, and that voice asked.


    "I don''t know... From the description of the sea beasts, the person who caused that looks a lot like Minos Stuart, the chosen one of the ancestor." The same male voice as before said, expounding his theory.


    ¡¤?¦Èm "If that''s true, then he''s not far off." A female voice came from another communication crystal.


    One of the men in that house then picked up one of these items and said. "Everyone, get ready. The chosen one is due to arrive on the coast of the empire in the next few weeks, so I want everyone positioned to meet him."


    "OK."


    "All right."


    "I''ve already been in my position for days..."


    Several voices emerged from the communicators in that place, as people from that group in different parts of the west coast of the Grinia Empire paid attention to their communicators.


    Their leader said. "We have to find him before the people in the faction of the family leaders. If he finds the family before we find him, both our family members and he could be in danger!


    We must warn him about the patriarch''s and high-level elders'' plans!"


    Everyone agreed, and soon their group would cease communication to turn their attention to the coast of this state.


    Before long, they would finally have the chance to meet Henricus Longus'' chosen one, and they couldn''t help but look forward to fighting alongside Minos!


    As he returned to his work, the leader of that faction smiled and looked out the window of that little house. ''With that level of power, maybe we can change the family!''

 Chapter 1744 Divine Continent: Arrival

    ?


    A few weeks later...


    Minos and Starclaw were in the cockpit of their yacht right now as they saw, little by little, the Divine Continent getting closer and closer to them.


    After almost eight months since Minos'' departure from Dry City, he finally arrived at this legendary place where several of the strongest in the Spiritual World lived.


    The past few weeks had been quiet for them, with few problems in their way.


    In a way, the East Sea was less dangerous than the Ancestral Sea. After all, this was the sea where the main routes between the three major continents were.


    Many people traveled by ships through this area, many of them even weaker than Minos and Starclaw.


    As such, they hadn''t faced as many death threats in the last few weeks of their journey and had reached this point in their journey in one piece, with the yacht functioning perfectly.


    But while Minos was still at level 80, Starclaw had managed to advance during this period, reaching level 88.


    Finally, as they approached the Grinia Empire lands, Minos and Starclaw could see hundreds of ships in the vicinity, several vessels smaller than theirs but others that were even larger than this one.


    Cargo ships could be seen here and there. There was trade between continents and islands, despite the great distances between these places.


    Often high-value items, specialties of each continent, were traded even in such distant places. Hence, ships like these could be seen not only on the coast of the Divine Continent but also around the Continent of Beasts and the Central Continent.


    However, these cargo ships were not many, as they basically only carried high-level items, usually things that only Spiritual Demigods could afford or have.


    But there were many of these larger ships that were actually crews carrying beings from different continents moving between these areas.


    There was a strong demand for the service of transporting living beings between the three major continents of this world, especially from other places to this continent.


    Beasts from the Central Continent and Continent of Beasts were in great demand for travel to this special place, one of the most energy blessed of the Spiritual World.


    As such, Minos and Starclaw easily noticed in the surrounding area several passenger ships, where humans and land beasts were.


    Minos looked at one of these and saw a Nine-tailed Fox, remembering that Emlyn had arrived in the Central Continent because of such a trip she and her late husband had intended to take.


    Unfortunately for them, they had fallen into the hands of the Blood Triangle Pirates and had then suffered by being thrown into one of the ends of the North Sea.


    If not for that misfortune, Emlyn and her husband would have arrived at this place like that beast on the ship that Minos was watching.


    "What are we going to do?" Starclaw asked in an excited tone.


    Despite her long life, she had never come to the Divine Continent.


    Minos then said. "First, let''s park our ship in a local port. We are about to reach a high-level state which can be at peace. So getting into that place without going through checkpoints might be quite difficult."


    In the Central Continent, he could enter many territories without attracting attention because of the large number of borders there and the tensions and conflicts in some areas.


    However, the reality of the Divine Continent was different. There were only three states in this place, and all of them were quite stable.I think you should take a look at


    Their territories were almost identical in size, as well as in spiritual wealth.


    In the remote past of this continent, only one imperial family dominated the entire area. But then, the emperor divided his territory equally among his three sons, giving rise to the empires that still exist today.


    But since ancient times, these states had maintained good relations, following the old agreement with each new generation, revalidating Soul Contracts that maintained stability between them.


    The Divine Continent was so good that the local leaders thought that going to war with their neighboring states would not benefit them. It would be just a waste of time.


    Hell, it would be better if they simply cultivated in peace!


    Obviously, there were those who were ambitious and wanted more than a good cultivation level. However, that emperor had thought up mechanisms to stop people like that from growing within the states of his children.


    His mechanisms had proven themselves in time, and no large-scale war between these states had happened in the last 7 million years!


    Because of this, each state had time to focus on different things than those in the Central Continent.


    They had much more efficient control over their borders than the states of Minos'' home continent, and entering through a wormhole in this place ahead would be impossible for the group of these two.


    Either they would be brutally attacked by one of the spotters in the area they tried to pass, or they would be forced through border control anyway.


    Knowing that the people of this place had dominion over their territory, Minos preferred not to challenge the powerful Grinia family.


    This family had had 4 Gods throughout their history, so they had a vast heritage that was difficult to lose.


    Starclaw agreed with Minos upon hearing his answer, not a bit worried about going through the local border control.


    The Divine Continent was very special, but this was definitely the easiest place to enter from the Spiritual World. Anywhere else they went, it would be difficult to enter certain territories. Still, there anyone able to pay the high local fees had a good chance of accessing this magnificent continent.


    The Divine Continent''s only problem was its large population, which greatly increased the costs of anything one would do there.


    Therefore, living or visiting the best place for humans and beasts in the Spiritual World was not for everyone!


    The competition for everything in this place was very high, and due to the large presence of experts, the dangers within the empires were not small.


    The cities were actually quite safe, given the power of the imperial families behind them. But forests and areas without the presence of the imperial family were hazardous zones.


    But Starclaw and Minos were not thinking about the dangers of these locations since they were both experts, even by the standards of this continent!


    She then said. "I hope you can pay for our fees. I don''t have any crystals, haha."


    "Don''t worry. I''m not poor." Minos laughed, seeing that his companion was quite excited.


    So, their ship was soon in the queue of ships waiting to dock at one of the ports in this coastal area!

 Chapter 1745 Divine Continent: Local Reality

    ?


    After arriving at a local port, Minos registered his yacht at border control, where he paid a high fee for his and Starclaw''s entry, as well as his yacht''s stay there at a pier.


    After leaving a few thousand high-grade crystals at that post of the imperial guard in Grinia, Minos, and Starclaw got their permits to enter the continent.


    Such a thing served for them to have a method of justifying their entry into this place and discounts if they were to move to other empires.


    Upon arriving on the Divine Continent, one must pay a fee equivalent to one''s cultivation level to access that territory. But when moving internally on the continent, from one state to another, there were also fees to pay.


    If one didn''t have their entry ID, they could be arrested and penalized with fines and risked having to again pay the entry fee when passing through the local borders.


    But with the IDs they had received, the two could move smoothly across the continent, and to go to other states, they would only have to pay 1% of what they had paid today.


    Besides this function, everything a person bought or sold on the Divine Continent would be recorded on these ID items, which all local businesses followed to the letter.


    Without an ID, one would not be able to buy anything. As for selling, most people on this continent wouldn''t buy things from individuals without an ID, so it would also be complicated.


    Minos and Starclaw were warned about this when passing through that post, so they both carefully saved their IDs.


    After leaving that port that was not in a city but near a local imperial guard barracks, a few kilometers away from the nearest city, Minos and Starclaw immediately headed through the woods, planning to travel east.


    "The headquarters of the Longus family is probably in the central part of the continent, where the largest forest in the Spiritual World is," Minos said while standing on top of Starclaw, who was flying in her bestial form.


    The former emperor of that continent had thought up the borders between the three empires of the Divine Continent. He had defined the borders of his sons'' domains using the great forests in some parts of this continent.


    In these places, plant life was so developed that it would be complicated to build human cities. At most, one could build a small village, and even then, their group would have to be very careful when moving as the vegetation itself would be a danger.


    This would also make it difficult for conflicts to occur on the borders, which would force his children to resolve conflicts either within the heart of their domains or through dialogue.


    Knowing this, Minos thought the forests that the man from the Longus family who left the message in that picture of Henricus Longus referred to were in this area.


    There they could hide from the world and live relatively well since the area was vibrant, and as long as one did not go beyond some limits, one could live in seclusion.


    "We are going there. But pay attention on the way. We''re in the Divine Continent now, so even far from their headquarters, people from the Longus family might lurk in our path.


    They will probably recognize me easily." Minos said as he looked at the surroundings of the woods they had entered upon leaving that port.


    The density of spiritual energy in the air there was incredible. It was almost as strong as that of the Spatial Kingdom, and there was no shortage of Laws to be understood.


    In certain parts of the Central Continent, some people would not be able to develop their cultivation comprehension due to the absence or even lower concentration of some Natural Laws.


    But this place was different, and even in a nearby forest with one of the continent''s boundaries, Minos could already sense the local spiritual richness.I think you should take a look at


    However, this would only intensify as they moved further inland!


    "OK!" Starclaw said as she looked at the surroundings carefully, sensing many sentient plant beings, but also 9th-stage beasts and humans in the vicinity.


    The average level of the Spirit world was between level 49 and 59, but the average level of this continent was above that level.


    Only young people still growing on the Divine Continent had a level below 60. Most of the population was stronger than that, and the limit that the least talented on this continent faced was level 69.


    As such, unlike the Central Continent, where many level 49 old people existed, the base of the older-aged population in this area was close to level 69.


    But as Starclaw saw this place for the first time, she and Minos would soon encounter the first half-breeds in their path.


    Some were hybrids of different beast races, but most of them were half-breeds of humans and beasts, so this was the easiest group to spot in large numbers.


    When he came across the first of these flying in the vicinity, Minos watched him momentarily, seeing it for the first time in person.


    He looked at a man with large white wings flying alone toward a nearby town.


    ''Seeing one of these beings in person is really impressive.'' He soon took his eyes off that winged man, but still thinking about this person.


    Half-breeds had various body forms, even below level 70.


    Below that level, they usually couldn''t use their beastly body, but they could use variations of their beastly characteristics.


    A descendant of a bird, for example, would have wings even in their humanoid form, the natural form that every hybrid was born with.


    In this case in point, they could only retract their wings when they reached level 70 when they could freely manipulate their bodies to become more like humans or beasts.


    While Minos and Starclaw were thinking about similar things, curiously observing their surroundings, someone was watching them from afar, wide-eyed and somewhat shocked.


    This being was a half-breed between humans and a type of beast, so it was almost 3 meters tall, with an extremely muscular body and dense fur on his arms, chest, and back.


    He swallowed his saliva and activated the communicator in one of his hands.


    "Folks, I believe I have found Minos Stuart. I''m going to approach him." This hybrid of human and a type of monkey, level 84, said before beginning his cautious approach to those two.


    However, just as he began to do so, Minos noticed a suspicious movement and looked in the direction of this individual.


    ...

 Chapter 1746 I Wish You No Harm

    ?


    Minos looked strangely at his surroundings as he realized someone was moving strangely in his and Starclaw''s direction.


    Activating his Bright Eyes, Minos quickly identified a hybrid approaching them.


    ''Level 84? This hybrid recognized us? But what would someone at that level want with me approaching like that?'' He wondered, frowning as he looked at that tall, muscular being.


    However, Minos was not patient enough to wait still. He decided to move before he even said anything to Starclaw.


    "Uh?" Starclaw felt her master leaving her back and looked back, seeing part of Minos'' body disappearing through a spatial crack.


    Just then, Minos'' body appeared near where that hybrid was standing.


    Minos surprised not only his mount but that man who thought was approaching his target cautiously.


    When Minos appeared behind such a being, he immediately activated his techniques and stopped that creature.


    Chaotic Gravity!


    That hybrid suddenly felt his body becoming much heavier and harder to move.


    Because of this, he unwittingly lost control over his movements and fell to the ground sprawling.


    Simultaneously, a black ring appeared around his body, absorbing his energies like a parasite trying to suck his blood.


    "What?" He wondered as he noticed these two things happening simultaneously, just before he looked at Minos and understood what was happening.


    ''That''s the Devouring Art and Chaotic Gravity!'' He thought with a twinkle in his eye, feeling the magnificent powers of his ancestor''s chosen one.


    "You, identify yourself!" Minos shouted as he pressed that hybrid against the ground and floated a few feet above that muscular man.


    Starclaw realized where her master was and quickly moved closer to Minos, transforming into her humanoid version in the blink of an eye.


    ''Minos, what is it?'' She asked as she reached his side.


    ''This hybrid was approaching us. I want to know his motivations for doing so. We are unknown in this place, so he might be an enemy.'' He said in his mental communication with that beast.


    Meanwhile, that creature pressed against the ground was still silent, watching Minos intently.


    This human was much stronger than his group had expected!


    Given the rumors going around the Central Continent and in the Longus family, the people in his group knew how impressive Minos'' abilities were. But none of them knew for sure how impressive Emperor Stuart was for his level.


    But feeling the powers of Henricus Longus'' Golden-grade techniques, that half-breed of humans and apes felt in his skin the difference in power these techniques had because of Emperor Stuart''s innate ability.


    ''He''s much stronger than we expected for someone at level 80!'' He thought. ''If that''s so when he has a higher level, even fewer enemies will be able to rise up against him!''


    With that thought, this man smiled bitterly and said. "I am sorry for approaching you so scathingly, Your Majesty Minos Stuart. However, I wish you no harm. I am a member of a faction that wishes to assist you in fulfilling your destiny.I think you should take a look at


    Some of my family may have lost their way along the way, but some will fulfill the mission left by their ancestor no matter how heavy the costs."


    Minos and Starclaw looked at this man who spoke with great conviction in his voice, realizing that he was indeed a member of the Longus family.


    Noticing this, Minos could not help but look strangely at this fellow and ask. "Are you a subordinate of the Longus family or a member of that lineage?"


    That hairy, strong being continued to feel the effects of Chaotic Gravity but did not complain. He looked into Minos'' brown eyes and explained. "Isn''t it strange that you ask that... I am a family member, a distant relative of the ancestor Henricus Longus.


    Unfortunately, the family has declined dramatically over the years, and we have had to move several times to try to stem our decline.


    Among the measures my ancestors took to try to maintain the power of the family was to crossbreed with powerful species. My beast ancestor was a Red Titan with whom my human ancestor agreed to mate.


    So don''t be surprised to find several hybrids in the current generation of the Longus family. We are the majority these days."


    ''Red Titan?'' Starclaw listened to this with interest, noting the powerful lineage of this beast race, which had great physical talents, and experts in brute strength.


    This race had no limit, and if one of its descendants was lucky, they even had a chance to reach level 100!


    This was a very powerful lineage!


    Minos heard that and understood. ''So they agreed to mix their bloodline with others so as not to decay totally.''


    That was a great sacrifice for this family!


    It could seem like something extremely positive since the hybrids that were born from these lineage mixtures could go further in cultivation. However, for a family that knew of the existence of the Spatial Kingdom and the techniques left behind by Henricus Longus, doing this was the same as giving up several of these things.


    First because artifacts made for humans would not work the same way with hybrids. Second, the many techniques left by Henricus Longus would be useless since these beings couldn''t train these techniques. Finally, their cultivation paths would be different from those of their ancestor, so items left behind to help them cultivate faster would be useless.


    By mixing their lineage with that of beasts, these Longus family members had given up most of the things that could benefit them once they allied themselves with their ancestor''s chosen one!


    So it was shocking for Minos to find out about this, and he wondered if this creature was not a subordinate of the Longus family.


    "I see... But that doesn''t seem to have worked out well." Minos commented in a low voice. "What is the current level of the Longus family leaders?"


    "Level 91, that''s the patriarch''s cultivation." He said before adding. "If you took another decade to emerge, he might be at level 92 by then."


    "That''s really too low... How did you guys get so weak over the years?" Minos asked.


    That being sighed and then said in a depressed tone. "Unfortunately, cultivating in seclusion for so long is not easy, Your Majesty.


    Internal and external problems have hit us many times in the last million years. We didn''t have much control over them and ended up in this situation.


    If you want, I can explain everything to you. But please cease your techniques. I am not with the patriarch but with a group of people who wish to support you. I am not your enemy..."

 Chapter 1747 The Story Of The Longus Family 1

    ?


    "Oh? I''ll trust you for the moment. Then talk about what happened to the Longus family." Minos said as he stopped using his techniques on that man, giving him room to breathe better.


    "Sigh... Your Majesty is really powerful." He said as he looked at Minos, smiling. "But before that, why don''t we move? As confident as the patriarch''s group is, some must be watching this area in search of you."


    "Hmm, do you have any suggestions?" Minos agreed.


    "We can''t fly like you were doing earlier. The best thing is to move along the ground and travel through the forests." This being said, indicating the direction of the forests nearby. "It will be more dangerous because of the sentient vegetables, but we will hide better from them."


    "By the way, how did you find us before our enemies? Is your faction stronger than our enemies'' by any chance?" Starclaw asked, making that hybrid look at her and swallow his saliva.


    ''What an incredible beauty!'' He thought momentarily. ''Your Majesty is really lucky!''


    But soon, he controlled his instincts and answered her. "Senior, our faction is weaker than the patriarch''s. However, that is precisely why we find you faster.


    The patriarch is confident that His Majesty is coming to him, so he and his group is focused on setting a trap for the ancestor''s chosen one.


    They are putting less of their attention on the empire.


    But my group is weaker, and as such, we have to try our best with the few possibilities we have.


    ?andasnovel.com We cannot compete directly with the patriarch''s faction, so we have been focusing a lot of our attention in the last few months on the coast of the empire, where we hoped you would come.


    Luckily we found you before they did.


    Minos and Starclaw heard this and did not doubt that this was indeed the explanation behind it.


    For this Minos-friendly faction, their only chance was him. So only by contacting him and combining their plans with their chosen one could lead them to victory.


    As for the patriarch''s group, they could only act against Minos if the stronger ones did so. But the strongest could not spread out to track Emperor Stuart through Grinie Empire.


    Putting too many people after Minos would also be a problem, as this young emperor could kill too many of them, so it was better to focus on waiting for him at their headquarters, where they could act together.


    With the vast experience these two had, they both believed in that being.


    "What is your name?" Minos asked him as they moved through the terrain, heading into the dense woods of the area.


    "My name is Nino Longus, Your Majesty."


    "Well, Nino, tell me what happened to your family," Minos asked.


    As someone with many of Henricus Longus'' memories, he was curious how this family had decayed so much and still failed to stop its decay with genetic mixing.


    Nino then began to tell the story of the Longus family.


    "When our ancestor left us millions of years ago, our family was one of the most powerful organizations in the entire Spiritual World.


    We had the first human God on our side, so we were the strongest humans. We had several high-level Demigods on our side, enough to ensure our dominance for tens of thousands of years.


    Eventually, we developed well, had no problems, and followed the orders left by our ancestor without fail.I think you should take a look at pandasnovel.com


    However, cultivating in seclusion is not easy when you are so strong and have such a special origin as ours.


    For almost a million years, we were several times sought after by powers that wanted to steal our heritage.


    Many believed that we were decaying because of our seclusion after the departure of our ancestor, which brought us many challenges.


    Of course, we were not weak then, so we defeated almost everyone who dared to attack us. However, we lost talented people who could have become Gods, which damaged us."


    Maintaining the power level of a stable peak organization was not easy. If they didn''t get new Gods every few hundred thousand years, their Spatial Kingdoms would lose some of their property, and the natural problems of any family would catch up with them.


    Not only that, genetic inheritance in the Spiritual World was not a sure thing. Parents with Physique and high-level talent had a greater chance of passing it on to their children, but it was not certain mathematics.


    Sometimes it could happen that a child from the fruit of the union of two peak cultivators would be born with a lower level Physique and talent than the parents.


    That was unlikely, but it could happen.


    At the same time, having a child when one was very talented and powerful was very difficult, so having a child of inferior talent could be the beginning of the decay of a lineage.


    Because of this, powerful cultivators needed to do their best to reach peak cultivation and have as many children as possible on their way, or almost certainly, sooner or later, their families would experience decay.


    One could hardly change the talents of their descendants, but upon reaching peak cultivation, level 100, these people could at least ensure that their heirs reached their full potential. With this, new talents could emerge, maintaining the power within a family.


    Without new Gods and with the deaths of great talents, the Longus family had begun its decline at that time!


    "We were still powerful, but seven new Gods had emerged among humans in those 1 million years after the ancestor''s departure. This put even more pressure on us.


    We had to give up several contests for valuable medicines, and our peak members lost their opportunities to become Gods.


    This made us hide even more, afraid that we would attract these Gods to us and be totally destroyed.


    Because we hid, it had become difficult for our ancestors to marry exceptionally talented cultivators.


    Since we had to hide because of our origin, there was no way we could attract the attention of descendants of powerful families.


    Hence our ancestors were forced to breed with our subordinates or even distant relatives to maintain family power.


    This did not bring us good results, and less and less talent came into the family.


    Also, fights over territory and the weakening of the northern region of the Central Continent weakened us even more, forcing us to change territory for the first time.


    At this point in the Longus family''s history, our group was already eight times less than at the time of the ancestor Henricus Longus, and we no longer had peak Demigods."


    Every journey through the Spiritual World has its risks. Not only that, when seeking new territory, one naturally had to occupy either empty spaces or spaces that already had owners.


    Normally good places like the one in Lusmait were unlikely to be without an owner...


    "We faced several challenges to be able to establish our second home." Nino continued as they moved through the lush forest on their way. "But once again, our peace had been disturbed and new talent lost in battles in that area west of the Central Continent..."

 Chapter 1748 The Story Of The Longus Family 2

    ?


    "In that place, my ancestors spent a few hundred thousand years living in seclusion, hiding from ancient enemies, fighting against natives in search of the family''s second home.


    This caused us to lose some of our talents again, leading the family to the continued weakening we still face today.


    After the then patriarch Longus of the last generation in that place realized that we would not recover there, he decided to venture to the Divine Continent.


    Here he hoped to find more opportunities and ways for our family to become stronger.


    In a way, he wasn''t wrong in thinking so, and as soon as they arrived in the Divine Continent, his group managed to settle in a remote area where they were able to strengthen again for a short time.


    But this was a strengthening of people who had already lost their best moment of cultivation. It was not something that was stimulating for the younger ones.


    Our talents weren''t so good back then, and without the emergence of someone outstanding, the improvement of the elders wouldn''t have much effect.


    Most of them were already very old, and when they died, that short improvement had been lost, and once again, we were weakened." That man solemnly said as he moved in front of Minos and Starclaw.


    In a way, the problem of this group that had migrated from the Central Continent to this place was the same as that of the ancient population of the northern region of the Central Continent in the current era.


    The former leaders of that region, on the examples of the former sovereigns of the Snow Kingdom, Kingdom of End, and Stone Island, even as the region improved and opportunities arose, they were not improving as much as others could.


    They had aged at the end of the 6th stage, and even after reaching the 7th stage, they could no longer go much further than that.


    In a way, they were stuck in bottlenecks that people with their other characteristics didn''t normally face.


    Something similar had happened to the Longus family. Although several of their members had grown stronger upon arriving on this continent, as most of them had already missed the best moment of cultivation, they were never able to truly develop.


    Even the younger ones didn''t grow as much, as their talents were no longer as promising.


    As already said, talent and Physique grades were not things that were guaranteed. After millions of years of being weakened, the people in this family, who mostly had Golden-grade talents, ended up being downgraded.


    ?andasnovel.com When they arrived in the Divine Continent, the only ones with Golden grade talent were the elder elders. At the same time, everyone else had Silver-grade talent.


    With worse talents, even though some of them were young enough to take advantage of opportunities, they could not go any further than their stronger relatives.


    The result had been obvious!


    Once the elders perished upon reaching their age limit, the family had been more weakened.


    "At that time, my ancestors finally accomplished lineage mixing with beast races that were powerful and also friendly to us.


    This brought new talents to the family after a few generations. Still, a war for a Divine-grade medicine that arose near our residence 180,000 years ago eliminated almost half of our family..." He sighed as he said that. "After that, nothing else worked, and the family has weakened to the current present, where our leader is a level 91 Demigod."


    After listening to that man''s story, Minos and Starclaw finally understood how the heirs of a God had weakened so much that some of them betrayed their ancestor''s confidence.


    "That was a tortuous journey..." Starclaw commented.


    "So you really committed yourselves to live in the shadows for so long... I hadn''t thought that you did that." Minos commented. "When Henricus Longus left you, he tried to predict what would happen in the future. Unfortunately, his abilities were not so simple.I think you should take a look at pandasnovel.com


    He could see things from the distant future, but it was out of his control. Normally he had these visions when asleep and had no control over them.


    What he could decide to see for himself didn''t go far beyond his time. At most, he could use his ability to predict a few thousand years into the future. Beyond that, he could only see by luck.


    So he thought that at some point, the family would stop keeping themselves in seclusion and would venture out into the world.


    They would continue with the purpose of facing a threat to this world but would use their own means to strengthen themselves.


    He wasn''t against that, so he didn''t make his descendants swear they would live in seclusion forever."


    "It seems they were more loyal to his advice to stay in seclusion than he had thought," Starclaw commented on Minos'' speech, somewhat impressed.


    Upon hearing this, Nino looked back with a strange expression and asked. "So we weren''t supposed to live in seclusion all that time?"


    "You were, and you weren''t. There was no way your ancestor could make you do that. He, at most, managed to make your people take the threat that would eventually come as a priority." Minos said.


    Starclaw thought of something and asked. "But if he couldn''t force them to follow everything he wanted, why did he tell his relatives about his heir?


    Wouldn''t that put him at risk, as you currently are?"


    Minos understood Starclaw''s question and said as she and Nino watched him, "Henricus Longus knew that there was a chance that his family members would not stay in seclusion, which he thought was best for the family, so he advised them to do so. But there was also the possibility that they would betray him and turn against me.


    However, he had still informed them that one day I would appear. Why did he do this? Because he was able to force his desire for his descendants to fight against the threat he had foreseen.


    Because of this, he thought that making these people aware of my existence would help more than hinder me.


    If the family continued to exist when I sought them out, then at least I would have people who cared about this threat. Even if they were not favorable to me, as he wished, they would at least work against this common enemy."


    Minos took a deep breath and said. "Henricus Longus was a God.


    He wanted to prepare us for the worst so that we would not die without at least having the means to protect ourselves and fight. But if we didn''t help ourselves, it would be our problem.


    He did more than he should have done. He acted millions of years in advance for something that would never hit him. How would the threat of a rebellion worry him?


    If that happened, his very lineage would be erased, and he honestly wouldn''t care about any of this anymore!"


    That was the mentality of a God!


    As someone who had grown up in the Longus family, Henricus had done his best to prepare his household and ensure they had help from the best candidate he could find to become his representative.


    But it was up to that representative and his descendants to work harmoniously. If they would not do this, then he could only regret it from beyond.


    His duty was to warn and give them the ''weapons'' they would use. Beyond that, his divine conscience couldn''t care less!

 Chapter 1749 Plans

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    "When he departed this world, Henricus Longus washed his hands and wished us good luck," Minos said, making Starclaw and Nino understand that the mind of a God was not simple.


    "That makes sense..." She thought.


    Nino was impressed to hear a bit from his ancestor, even though he had practically abandoned them to their own luck after leaving them with that mission.


    Even knowing this, he still saw Henricus Longus as a legendary figure whom he deeply respected.


    It was not his position to judge the thoughts of a God!


    "In any case, the ancestor has done much for us. It is we who have failed him." He said in an embarrassed manner, knowing that Minos had memories of this man. "I am sorry. This whole situation shouldn''t happen. We should be on the same side."


    "Hmm." Minos nodded.


    "Do you think the threat warned of by the ancestor is too close to us? He left a message before he left saying that things would shortly happen after you found us." Nino said, looking at Minos. "Unfortunately, we don''t know what a short time means to the ancestor. He was in the Spiritual World for over 50,000 years..."


    Minos heard that and bitterly smiled. "It''s not as long as you imagine... It must be decades to centuries, no more than that."


    "But that''s horrible! We''re not prepared for that, Your Majesty!" He said in alarm, feeling that this was all very sudden.


    "It''s out of our control. We can only deal with whatever comes against us." Minos agreed that they were not prepared. "But if we are lucky, we will have some help.


    A sovereign family from the Central Continent is already committed to helping us. Besides it, I believe I can reach another organization before we face the invaders."


    "Will that be enough?"


    "I don''t know. All Henricus Longus foresaw was the arrival of an extraterritorial threat capable of endangering the entire Spiritual World. But I have no idea how strong they will be."


    Starclaw didn''t like that. "Then how will we prepare?"


    Minos answered sincerely. "Just think that our enemies will be Gods and prepare as if your lives depended on it. When the time comes, we will find out the truth."


    Gulp!


    The two felt a little afraid but soon had their thoughts pushed aside when Minos asked. "Changing the subject, what has your group planned, Nino? From what you said, you guys aren''t strong enough to go against the patriarch''s group."


    Nino was silent for a moment and then said. "My leader has some plans.


    First, he wanted to bring you over to our side. Not everyone in the Longus family is against you, so we do not wish you to see all of us as enemies.


    We don''t want the family to end up in a confrontation between your group and the patriarch''s.


    Second, he has already been contacting some allies to support us. We want to form a group strong enough for the patriarch to think twice before starting a fight against you.


    We are seeking influence to move the hearts of the family leaders."


    "Oh? So you want to dialogue?" Minos asked.


    Logically speaking, this plan was not bad, just from its risks. The persuasion power was critical and could move interests.


    However, he, Minos, was not a person who liked to talk to people who threatened him!


    "We have no choice. If we don''t dialogue, we will only weaken ourselves further, and the threat on us will be greater." Nino said with sincerity. "Many of us would die for our ancestors, but many others are afraid to die, Your Majesty.I think you should take a look at pandasnovel.com


    I myself fear for my family, even though I am willing to fight against the invaders."


    Starclaw looked at Minos, knowing that this person was not so pious.


    Minos closed his eyes, and as he opened them, several spiritual swords appeared in the surroundings, falling on troves of trees heading in his direction.


    Swooish!


    "I have no interest in spilling the innocent blood, but those who threatened me are lost! Their punishment will be death!"


    Minos said decisively, as the sentient organisms in the surroundings trembled in fear and pain from his decisive move.


    Nino saw that and noticed how advanced Minos'' Spatial Sword was.


    Amidst this, he could say nothing to Emperor Stuart regarding his desire for revenge against the patriarch''s group.


    He sincerely believed it would be better to settle everything in dialogue and give the group of the strongest family elders a chance. After all, they were the only Demigods in the family.


    Was it worth losing them?


    But he would not question Minos. Besides being weaker, he really was loyal to Henricus Longus and that God''s chosen one.


    As long as Minos did not target the innocent, he would not object to this person''s decisions!


    "I see... But how will we do that?" Nino asked as they walked past the plant organisms that were approaching them moments ago.


    "I will follow your leader''s plan, but a little differently," Minos said. "We''ll get some good mercenaries and improve our influence. We''ll fight after we separate the chaff from the wheat."


    Nino knew that Minos must have abundant resources to hire mercenaries, something his faction colleagues could not afford. As such, he said. "If that is the case, I have a few places for you to hire these people."


    Minos nodded affirmatively, indicating this fellow to guide them to mercenary groups.


    Nino said. "There are groups in cities, but there are those that live more isolated and receive contractors at their posts outside the cities.


    I know of two such groups where we can get high-level mercenaries. Is that okay with you?"


    "Yes. Do they have level 89 mercenaries? I intend to hire only men at that level." Minos said.


    "Level 89?" Nino was surprised at this because that was the maximum level of mercenaries in the Divine Continent.


    Few men at that level would sell their services, so finding them would not be easy, much less cheap!


    "I know of some, but hiring them won''t be cheap or easy." He said, looking seriously at Minos.


    "I know. Let''s go to them." Minos smiled. "It would be nice if we could influence some Spiritual Demigods, but I think that will be hard to do."


    pandasnovel.com So their group continued moving into that forest, with Nino putting the idea of having Demigods on his group''s side aside since there was no news of such people selling their services.


    For the moment, his focus was on the high-level Spiritual Sages, so he quickly changed his course toward a group that was a few days away from them.


    Halfway there, he received permission from Minos to communicate to his people that he was already on the side of the chosen one. That way, soon, several of their faction members would move in the same direction they were going!

 Chapter 1750 Future Pillars Of The Black Plain

    ?


    Three days later...


    After leaving the coastal region of the Grinia Empire, the group of Minos, Starclaw, and Nino was finally reaching the first point where they would stop to hire mercenaries.


    But before doing so, their group was stopped at a small camp where the rest of Nino''s group nearby had just arrived.


    After Nino had communicated with his people earlier, several of these Longus family members had come to this place to join Minos'' group.


    Among them, the leader of the Minos-friendly faction was also there.


    ...


    "Chosen one! It is a pleasure to meet you." The leader of that faction, level 86, said this in an emotional tone. "We have been waiting for you for a long time. We have heard many theories and stories about your arrival... But we have remained loyal to the ancestor''s request and are here to help you."


    Minos looked at that man who had large, beautiful red wings on his back and was kneeling bent in front of him, liking the positioning of these people.


    Along with the leader of that faction, eight other mid-level Spiritual Sages between levels 84 and 86 were there to join his group.


    "Fermo, stand up. You and your group don''t need to behave like this now." Minos said to the leader of these half-breeds.


    He had a smile on his face, for with these people, he could considerably raise the Black Plain Empire''s strength once he returned to the Central Continent.


    Minos had already placed seals on each of them, something he had spoken to these people moments ago when they appeared on the outskirts of his camp.


    Since the leaders of the Longus family were rebelling against him, he needed this assurance.


    Since these hybrids were loyal to him, they hadn''t made it difficult and had all already received the Divine Seal of Minos.


    "What do we do now?" One of the three women in that group asked Minos.


    "Nino was guiding me to a mercenary group nearby. We will leave for that group at dawn to try to bring some powerful Sages to our side." Minos said, watching that 2.4 meters tall woman.


    Hybrids were large by nature and grew taller as they grew stronger.


    As high-level people, all those beings near Minos and Starclaw were quite large, even in their natural form.


    "How many men does Your Majesty intend to hire?" Fermo Longus asked.


    "From 10 to 20 high-level Sages. That should be enough for us to try to ''talk'' with the current leaders of the Longus family."


    The number of experts wasn''t bad and added to the men and beasts their group had already gotten, they would have a number of Spiritual Sages roughly similar to the patriarch''s faction.


    However, they would still have no Demigods.


    "How will we deal with the family leaders? Nino told me that Your Majesty wishes to fight and remove the strongest elders from power." A level 85 man with fish eyes and a lean body asked.


    Minos said. "We cannot attack them head-on, much less fall into the trap they are setting for me.I think you should take a look at pandasnovel.com


    But facing these low-level Demigods under the right conditions would not be as big a risk as you imagine.


    pandasnovel.com However, before we talk more about this, answer me one thing. Do the leaders of the Longus family know about your movements?"


    "Yes and no. They know we are favorable to the Chosen One. Still, they underestimate us, so they probably don''t know everything we are doing." Someone over there said.


    Fermo commented. "They probably know we are doing something, but that is all. You are the minority within the family, so our chances are not high."


    They were not the minority because they were hybrids but because they were on the side of the chosen one. Some of the hybrids in this family were neutral, while others, among them the strongest, were in the patriarch''s group.


    As much as there were cracks in the relationship between hybrids and pure humans within this family, some of the beings similar to these in front of Minos believed that the entire family would benefit from them taking what belonged to Henricus Longus'' chosen one.


    As such, Fermo''s group was unimpressive.


    "Well then, we will use that against them," Minos said. "I want the part of your group in the Longus family headquarters to keep an eye on these stronger elders and try to find out what they are preparing for me.


    In the meantime, we have to find a way for me to get into the headquarters without drawing the attention of my enemies.


    If we can strike against them by surprise, we can demobilize part of their group and achieve our objectives with a minimum of bloodshed.


    Dealing with Demigods is really difficult, but coordinated attacks have a lot of potential. Even with only Spiritual Sages on our side, we stand a chance against them."


    Those people heard that and did not refute Minos'' interest.


    But he knew what was on some of those minds and said before anyone asked him. "About dialogue, we will not dialogue with people stronger than us and ill-intentioned. They will never listen to what we have to say. They would only do that if they were sure they had no chance of victory.


    But I honestly would rather have a corpse of a Demigod than a Demigod not 100% committed to being on my side.


    Besides, I cannot tolerate people who have endangered me like this patriarch Longus.


    Do you know he threatened to inform the world about my Spatial Kingdom? If that happened while I don''t become a Demigod, it would destroy the empire I created!


    At that time, all the decades of planning and work I''ve done to create a force to defend this world would be lost."


    They heard that, and even though they didn''t like having to be on an assassination mission against their leaders, they couldn''t disagree with the big mistake the patriarch had made.


    The truth about Minos'' wealth was really something complicated to talk about without provoking the hatred of that ruler.


    In a way, it made more sense not to have these Demigods on his side than to run the risk of one of them talking about the Spatial Kingdom.


    Fermo then said. "I only ask that Your Majesty not attack the weak and innocent. Many in the family are neutral about this and can be convinced to take our side."


    "Hmm, we will see about that after dealing with the scum in the Longus family leadership," Minos said. "But don''t worry, what remains of your family will flourish under my leadership.


    That is, at least until the great threat predicted by your ancestor hits us. After that, I can guarantee nothing more."

 Chapter 1751 Hiring Mercenaries

    ?


    The next day, as soon as dawn broke, the group of 11 people between levels 80 and 88 quickly moved through the vicinity of a large forest in the central area of the Grinia Empire, approaching a building on a mountain.


    In that place full of sentient plant life, where several powerful beasts had territory nearby, Minos'' group approached the site that looked like a farm.


    However, this was not a farm but the home of a high-level mercenary group!


    Not encountering any problems on their way, given those hybrids who knew the region well, Minos quickly faced the entrance to that location, where Spiritual Sages were guarding the grounds.


    As they approached the entrance gate, they were immediately stopped by the guards watching nearby.


    "Visitors, are you here in search of mercenaries?" A 2 meters tall, level 85 man asked loudly, figuring this was the case.


    Fermo stepped forward and said. "Yes. Our leader is in search of 9th-stage, high-level mercenaries. Are any of the experts in your group free today?"


    "Oh? High-level Sages?" That guard exclaimed in surprise, as it was unusual for people to come to them looking for the services of their group''s leaders.


    As such, there were free experts on this estate. "Yes, we have a few men in our headquarters at the moment. However, only 2 of you can come in to negotiate.


    Your group is too large, hybrid."


    Minos looked at Fermo and said. "Let''s both of us go in."


    Starclaw looked at him significantly but readily understood that Minos needed someone from the area to accompany him.


    The level 85 guard looked at this young Spiritual Sage, noting that he was supposed to be the leader of this group.


    ''I don''t know him... His spiritual fluctuation is pretty strange too.'' He considered.


    On the Divine Continent, few people had ever heard of Minos. Fewer still were those able to recognize his spiritual fluctuations.


    Since that guard knew most of the spiritual fluctuations of the Divine Continent''s major powers, upon seeing Minos, he readily realized that this fellow was not from those areas or from a relevant power on the continent.


    ''Boss, a strange boy alongside a hybrid is coming to your area. He is looking for high-level Sages.'' This man said in his mental communication with the leader of this group.


    ''Strange? What''s strange about him?'' An elderly man at level 89 asked as he looked toward the entrance to this farmhouse from where he was standing.


    ''He has a pretty solid spiritual foundation. If I hadn''t seen him in person, I''d say his cultivation was level 81, almost 82. But he''s only at level 80.''


    ''Oh? That''s really strange.''


    ''Besides, his spiritual fluctuation doesn''t resemble that of any of the major families on the continent. I judge that either he is not from our continent or he is from an emerging power.


    In any case, I suggest caution. Strange people are the most dangerous.'' He finished his comment about Minos.


    As mercenaries, they were not obliged to do every service that came to them.


    Some problems were not worth the reward they paid!


    ''Hmm, emerging powers and rising talents usually bring far more dangers than we accept.'' That old man agreed with the caution recommended by his man.I think you should take a look at pandasnovel.com


    If it was someone from a known family, even without talking to the contractor, that group could already understand the problems they would face on a mission with them. However, with an unknown group, the problems could be infinitely worse than the contractors themselves thought.


    In this case, it would be much more risky for them to provide their services!


    So, while thinking about the people who would come to him, the old leader of this group of mercenaries left what he was doing in what appeared to be a carpentry shop.


    Five minutes later, a man with red wing feathers on his back and a young man with brown hair, only two-thirds the height of the hybrid beside him, stopped in front of that place.


    Minos looked at the tree trunks inside that place and the old man who seemed to be preparing for cold times by cutting wood for fires.


    "Sir, these visitors are here in search of high-level mercenaries." A subordinate of the previous guard at the entrance of that farm said as he left Minos and Fermo there with their leader.


    The white-haired but very muscular old man looked at these two intently but said nothing.


    "Who are you?" He asked as he noticed Minos'' calmness next to that nervous hybrid.


    ?andasnovel¡¤?om Fermo was not comfortable. Hiring a mercenary was not so easy to do when one wanted the strongest mercenaries around.


    These people wouldn''t take a chance on just anything.


    And by entering this estate, they even ran the risk of facing several of the mercenaries in the surrounding area if they caused suspicion.


    These mercenaries would hardly kill a potential client, but they could expose them and disrupt the plans of this group.


    As such, Fermo was somewhat anxious.


    Minos looked at that old man quietly and asked. "By talking about your services, would I have some kind of secrecy? I am not wanted on this continent, but I would like to keep my presence here a secret."


    "Oh? You are not from this continent?" This old man narrowed his eyes.


    He preferred dealing with people who got straight to the point and answered his questions without him having to ask!


    "Rest assured. We have no interest in talking to others about the people who come to us." He said, assuring Minos about his concerns.


    "Well, I come from the Central Continent. My name is Minos Stuart. I am the emperor of the Black Plain Empire." He got straight to the point, knowing that hiding it from this man would not help him get his group of high-level Sages.


    ''Emperor? Black Plain? I think I need to find out more about that place.'' This old man thought but said nothing to Minos.


    "So you are Your Majesty Stuart. It''s a pleasure to meet you." He smiled. "Why are you seeking our help? What kind of service do you want exactly?"


    "I need 10 to 20 high-level Spiritual Sages, preferably level 89. The mission is simple and should be over in a few weeks.


    There is a group I wish to take on near the border of this state with the Chavell Empire. We will investigate and plan before attacking, so the mercenaries in my group can drop out before the attack if they decide the prize is not worth the risk."


    "That''s generous of you..." That man laughed, thinking he probably had some big problem related to this mission. "Your Majesty, I ask you this, will you take the risk, or is it only the mercenaries you will hire that will do it?"


    "I will be the one leading the attack..."

 Chapter 1752 Attracting Interest

    ?


    "I will be the one to lead the attack. Even if low-level Demigods are in the opposing group, I will fight at the front to support my group." Minos said, serious in his words and positioning.


    "Oh? You will lead?" That man smiled upon hearing Minos'' words. "So before any of us, you will face the dangers in our path? That''s really very good. It is not easy to follow someone who is not intimately involved in combat."


    "But of course." Minos could see that this man was not taking his words seriously, but that was to be expected. After all, his level still needed to improve a lot to generate that kind of confidence.


    "The men who accompany me will understand. As I said, anyone who wants to quit can do so before the attack. But I believe that by then, everyone will be committed to participating in this mission.


    I will pay 10,000 high-grade crystals for each man accompanying me during those days ahead."


    "10,000?" That level 89 man grew more serious at this proposal.


    Usually, Spiritual Sages earn between 200 and 1000 high-grade crystals per month of work. Only those leaders and elders of clans, sects, and other organizations could earn more than that.


    In this way, 10,000 high-grade crystals were by no means low for mercenaries who would only work for a few days, maybe weeks.


    However, they would still be risking their lives on this mission, so even this amount had to be considered for a moment to see if it was worth it.


    But before that man could make his calculations, Minos increased his offer. "That''s right. But I will also pay a bonus of 500,000 high-grade crystals if the group defeats the Demigods.


    That bonus will be divided equally among the survivors of the mercenary group."


    That muscular man narrowed his eyes and looked intensely at Minos. "Are you serious? That would cost you over 600,000 crystals for a few days'' mission."


    "I am. I will pay 5,000 high-grade crystals up front for each mercenary who follows me and the rest after the mission ends."


    The man clenched his fists, tempted to simply accept this deal.


    But he alone could not do that, even though he was the leader of this mercenary group.


    ?andasnovel.com "As far as it''s up to me, I''m willing to go along with what was agreed upon, as long as it''s as you said." This old man said while Fermo looked at Minos strangely, not expecting that Henricus Longus'' chosen one was so extravagant in spending his crystals.


    ''Your Majesty, this is too much! They are just Spiritual Sages. It''s not worth the cost!''


    Minos heard the mental transmission from that hybrid, but he did not change his expression nor look at this red-winged fellow beside him.


    ''Fermo, my state produces ten times that amount per year currently. That is a cost worth paying to remove the danger of destruction upon it.'' Minos said in that fellow''s mind, considering it a defensive measure for his state.


    ''Ten times? I didn''t think the Black Plain Empire was so rich...'' That fellow thought to himself, giving up on convincing Minos otherwise.


    Meanwhile, the old mercenary quickly summoned his companions in the surrounding area, bringing 6 level 89 mercenaries to where they were in the blink of an eye.I think you should take a look at pandasnovel.com


    He quickly explained Minos'' proposal to his people, drawing the interest of all his stronger partners in that group.


    "So you''re paying this for us to fight low-level Demigods?" One of the strongest there, already not far from level 90, asked as he looked into Minos'' brown eyes.


    Minos looked at the tall, strong, black-haired man dressed in black armor and replied. "That''s right. You don''t even have to directly kill the Demigods we''re going up against. As long as you stop them from getting to me, I will handle the situation myself, and you will still get the rewards I offered."


    "Oh? And how are you going to do that?" A woman, the only one in the group, asked as her eyebrows drew together.


    What Minos had just said seemed absurd.


    He said. "Before the attack, we will train once. You understood what I am talking about at that time."


    Those seven people looked at each other, each nodding to the other, indicating that they were willing to take a chance on this mission.


    The old man looked at Minos and said. "Very well, we will join your group. But we are only 7. How do you intend to complete this group? Will you accept our level 88 colleagues, or will you go in search of other mercenary groups?"


    "I think everyone here wants the prize of 500,000 crystals, right? Let''s not take any chances trying to complete the group with level 88 cultivators." Minos smiled. "I''ll take recommendations on the other level 89 mercenaries, so you can choose them according to your preferences."


    Those people agreed with him. They would risk their lives by facing Demigods, so they couldn''t think of benefiting their weaker colleagues by insisting on putting them in this group.


    "We can go to Skyward Castle. Zane''s group has five level 89 Sages." The woman there said, suggesting a group she trusted.


    "Hmm, that is a possibility. We can try at The Crimson Fortress. There are 7 peak Sages there, so if they all agree to join us, we will have 19 people in our group.


    That should be enough, right?" A blond man in silver armor asked Minos.


    "Hmm, 19 will be enough." He agreed.


    With that said, in less than 20 minutes, the group would leave Minos and Fermo to prepare their headquarters for the weeks of the absence of their leading men.


    After some time, they left that farmhouse alongside Minos and Fermo, joining Starclaw''s group outside that place.


    With that, Minos soon told those peak Sages to direct them to the next stop, and they all started moving again, this time heading south, towards Skyward Castle.


    But as Spiritual Sages, they were all swift, and the trip would not even take 3 days.


    Upon arriving in Skyward Castle, they would immediately attract the attention of the leaders of the group behind that place. Unfortunately, only 3 of their 5 high-level Sages could join Minos'' group.


    When they set off towards The Crimson Fortress, their group would go in search of 10 more level 89 Sages!

 Chapter 1753 Completing The Group

    ?


    A few days after Minos'' first deal with the Divine Continent mercenaries, he secured 16 level 89 Sages.


    Having passed through The Crimson Fortress, his group immediately made their way to their last stop before heading towards the Frost family headquarters.


    The number of Sages on their side was already excellent, but Minos wanted to complete the 20 men after finding out from those mercenaries that they could reach other men like them.


    Before, he was not sure how many mercenaries at that level existed in Grinia Empire, so he could accept a lesser number in his group. But upon hearing that there were around 40 level 89 mercenaries, he decided to complete the group of 20 men.


    So, through the recommendation of the mercenaries already assembled so far, he and his group finally arrived at the last location where they would pass through to invite 4 more members to this group.


    ...


    "Jacob, Isla, Sam, what are you doing so close to my headquarters?" A level 89 man standing in front of a bridge one meter wide and 50 meters long exclaimed to the people in the group ahead of his location.


    A few minutes ago, his men had spotted an extremely powerful group by their standards approaching their site.


    And even though they were approaching slowly, without hiding their movements, and with no indication that they were there with bad intentions, the people in this place couldn''t help but get nervous.


    How not to fear a group with 16 people at the same level as their 6 leaders?


    As such, the thin, red-haired man at the head of several high-level Sages was in combat position at the moment in front of his headquarters.


    The three leaders of the mercenary groups making up Minos'' team smiled at the misunderstanding.


    Then their strongest woman, Isla, said. "Nathan, stay calm. I''m the one who brought them here. Don''t worry. As your friend, I would never do anything bad to you."


    "You? And you still call yourself my friend?" Nathan exclaimed.


    She bitterly laughed and explained. "We''re not here to attack or threaten you. We are forming a group to help this young man accomplish something.


    He will pay us 10,000 high-grade crystals each of us and will also give us a bonus of 500,000 high-grade crystals if we complete the mission.


    We will be able to divide this amount equally between us!"


    Upon hearing that, that man frowned, a little shocked by the amount. But he didn''t move immediately.


    He looked at Minos, this level 80 young man with a cultivation base as solid as a level 82 person.


    "Who are you? What are your plans?" He questioned, still prepared to fight if necessary.


    "My name is Minos Stuart. I am the emperor of the Black Plain Empire, a state in the Central Continent. I am in search of a family that threatened me months ago. I intend to deal with the leaders of that family with the help of mercenaries." Minos summed it up as best he could.


    Hearing about the Black Plain, those people in Nathan''s group and himself expressed their strangeness because they knew nothing about this state.


    But hearing that he was a sovereign, the doubt about his ability to pay such a debt disappeared from their minds almost immediately.


    As much as the Central Continent was less prosperous than the Divine Continent and Minos didn''t seem like the leader of a high-level state, his empire probably had Sages. In that case, the wealth production of that place should be enough to meet such an exacerbated expenditure.


    Leading organizations was the best work people could have in the Spiritual World!I think you should take a look at pandasnovel.com


    "Against whom do you wish to act? How strong is the strongest man in the enemy group?" Nathan asked.


    "It is a family that lives in seclusion. You have probably never heard their surname... When it comes to the strongest one, he is at the peak of level 91, and there are a dozen cultivators between levels 90 and 91."


    "It won''t be an easy battle." He commented, uncertain about this mission.


    ?andasnovel.com "If it were easy, the prize wouldn''t be so high," Minos said before increasing. "If you kill any of these Demigods, I will also let you keep part of their belongings. So carefully think before you refuse."


    Isla then said. "Nathan, come with us. We have four spots left in our group. We can work together and get those crystals!"


    He looked at the leaders of three of the six most powerful mercenary groups in the Grinia Empire and was silent for a moment, feeling that it made sense to consider this mission.


    "His Majesty Stuart said we will meet for joint training in a few days further north of our position. Anyone at that time who decides to drop out won''t be stopped from leaving, and we will still be guaranteed half of the 10,000 crystals." Sam said aloud.


    "Oh? If that''s the case, we can move on with your group." After considering all the odds, Nathan finally lowered his guards and beckoned his people to back off.


    With that, he quickly picked three more high-level men from his group and introduced himself to Minos and the rest of that party.


    "Well? How shall we proceed?" He asked as he came closer to Minos and received the crystals from his team.


    Minos nodded to Fermo and said. "From now on, we will head north, meeting the rest of his group.


    When we get together with the people he has assembled, we will finish planning what we intend to do and do some training together.


    You will understand whether or not it will be worth moving forward at that time."


    Those high-level people looked at the level 86 hybrid and saw no problem.


    Some of them were hybrids too, and they knew how strong these beings were. So no one there doubted this fellow''s abilities.


    "Are we far from your group? How many and how strong are they?" A level 89 woman asked.


    Fermo looked at that expert and said. "Part of my group is where we will infiltrate. But those we will meet are not far away, only one week traveling north.


    As for their numbers, 30 spiritual beasts between levels 84 and 88 should be waiting for us there."


    Those experts realized why Minos was only looking for high-level mercenaries.


    He already had the mid-level ones on his side!


    "Will that be enough? I mean, even if there are only a few Demigods in the enemy group, there should be plenty of Spiritual Sages to stand in our way." One of them said.


    Minos then assured them. "Don''t worry about those. None of you will have to worry about Sages, not even the Fermo people.


    Such enemies will not stand in your way."


    ...

 Chapter 1754 Group Reunited

    ?


    "How?"


    That was the question on the minds of all those high-level men and women.


    Minos looked at the person who asked this and said what he had already said to part of his group. "I will deal with the Spiritual Sages once we start acting. Then your concern will be only the Demigods.


    I cannot neutralize them quickly, so you must join forces to make their situation more complicated. I will do the rest."


    These people wanted to ask how exactly he intended to do that.


    Minos was telling them that he would take care of all the Spiritual Sages in the enemy group and be the leading actor in the battle against the Demigods.


    That was a bit absurd!


    But as people who were in it for the crystals and would only follow what had been agreed upon, none of them said anything for the moment.


    They would follow him and go through the training he had already said before deciding whether to follow this young man with his absurd plans.


    Everyone there had already received half of their payments, so they would not back down just because of Minos'' absurd words.


    "Hmm, okay, I''m looking forward to it." The woman who had asked smiled as she said this before the first mercenary Minos sought out asked him.


    "Should we leave?"


    "Yes." Minos looked at Fermo. "Please lead the way."


    "Yes, Your Majesty!"


    With that, the group of nearly 30 Spiritual Sages set off toward the north, racing through the forest as they moved toward their destination.


    Given the strength of this group and the deep knowledge each of them had about the area they were following, no organism would be left in their path for the next few days of travel.


    Thus, in the blink of an eye, they would arrive where the rest of Fermo''s group outside the Longus family headquarters was waiting for them!


    ...


    On the morning of the eighth day, after the Minos group left the last mercenary outpost they had stopped at, they spotted a small camp near a lake in a large forest.


    They were already very close to the headquarters of the Longus family, but it would still be a few days'' journey to get there.


    When Fermo saw that camp where several spiritual beasts were in the vicinity, he smiled and said to the people with him. "My group is long ahead. Please let me approach first so as not to cause a ruckus."


    Minos nodded and slowed his speed, as did each of those in his group, making room for Fermo to show himself to his people first.


    "Guys, I''m back. I''m bringing our reinforcements with me!" Fermo immediately said so as he appeared to face the first group of guards guarding that camp.


    "Fermo!"


    "You finally came! We''ve been waiting for you for months!"


    "Quick, call the leaders!"


    The guards on the outskirts lowered their guards and started talking and smiling, feeling they could finally get some action.


    The strongest in that camp quickly left their tents and appeared where Fermo had just emerged.


    "Fermo, where is the chosen one?" A woman from the Longus family there asked.


    Their allied beasts knew what the chosen one was about since they belonged to some of the tribes that had given rise to the Longus family hybrids.I think you should take a look at pandasnovel.com


    As such, upon hearing about Minos, all the beasts in the surrounding area immediately looked in the direction of where this fellow was running to them.


    ''Is this the chosen one of Henricus Longus?'' A woman with red eyes and feathers of the same color serving as clothing for her wondered as she looked at the brown-haired fellow.


    When Minos arrived there, he immediately encountered those beings in their humanoid forms, but he identified each of the beasts'' races there.


    They were all very talented, and their members had the potential to reach the 10th stage if they had a little luck.


    ''All in all, the Longus family didn''t choose badly.'' He considered as the people in his group stopped a little behind him, looking at these people and the surroundings.


    "Your Majesty Minos Stuart, meeting you is an immense pleasure!"


    The Longus family hybrids in that camp group immediately bent their knees before him, saying the same thing.


    pandasnovel.com The beasts there did not bend their knees, but each of them made gestures of greeting to those superior to them, bowing their heads in recognition of that person.


    The mercenaries saw this and wondered if Minos was also paying these people.


    Minos smiled and showed one of his hands, indicating for them to relax. "Hmm, nice to meet you guys too, haha.


    Unfortunately, we have to meet each other in that difficult way... However, I hope I can count on the part of you once we solve our problems.


    My empire''s doors are open to welcome you anytime you want."


    Upon hearing that, the hybrids, the only ones there who knew that Minos had a Spatial Kingdom, immediately vibrated in excitement.


    "For I would like to be the first to apply for a position in your forces, Your Majesty." A level 85 woman said this. "If I survive the battle we will go through, I hope Your Majesty won''t mind me accompanying you to the Central Continent."


    "Me too."


    "I''m looking forward to meeting the Black Plain Empire."


    Several of them exclaimed.


    Meanwhile, one of the mercenaries frowned his eyebrows.


    He knew nothing about the Black Plain Empire a few days ago. Still, as he ordered his men to begin their investigations into this place, they had already passed him some relevant data.


    They would still need weeks to find out the essentials about Minos and his domains, but by now, they were fully aware that the Black Plain Empire should not be such an attractive place for Spiritual Sages.


    But still, so many of these people were making themselves available to Minos...


    ''What''s with them? Do they know something we don''t?'' That person wondered, curious about the behavior of these beings.


    Minos ignored the doubts of some of the mercenaries in his group and said. "Hmm, first, let''s beat the damned traitors in that family, and then we''ll talk about it when we put things in their proper places."


    They all agreed as they stood up, standing on the outskirts.


    Minos looked at them and said. "Anyway, now that we are all here let''s get down to business. Infiltrate the Longus family and take action against the fucking elders!"


    In the days that passed, both Minos'' group and the people in that camp exchanged messages and combined their ideas on how to invade that place and act from within the family.


    As such, upon touching on the subject, Minos immediately got some individuals in the surrounding area to start expounding on what they had improved on since those conversations.


    "About that..."

 Chapter 1755 The Reason For Minos Confidence

    ?


    After some time talking, the group improved their plans a bit, adjusting what they judged about their true combat power and the level of their opponents.


    But as they finished talking about theories, Minos immediately suggested. "Let''s fight a little. Without us having some idea of each other''s


    capabilities, it will be difficult for us to adjust our plans more correctly."


    The men in the surrounding area immediately agreed to this, and one of the mercenaries asked. "How exactly will we do that? By fighting each other?"


    Minos shook his head negatively. "No, what we need is to train the collective strategy, in which you all act to stop the Demigods."


    "But how will we do that?" A level 88 beast asked, looking at Minos.


    Starclaw smiled and said. "We will fight Minos, of course."


    "Uh?" One of the women in the group of mercenaries looked at Minos strangely.


    "That''s right. I will face all of you." Minos smiled as he looked in the direction of the weakest member of Fermo''s group. "I will have the help of only that one over there.


    Since you are very strong, I will take it hard, so be careful."


    Few there understood this as a friendly warning from Minos for them to prepare for high-level training.


    Only the Longus family hybrids knew Minos'' abilities were indeed fearsome, so the beasts and mercenaries in the surrounding area did not take his words as seriously as they should have.


    Nobody said anything right away, waiting to see if this was a joke or if Minos really had a weapon up his sleeve.


    Then, as Minos smiled, he floated into the air along with a level 84 hybrid."Just give me a moment..."


    As Minos spoke, his Soul Avatar began to form, along with increasing his level and decreasing that hybrid''s cultivation base.


    Feeling in his skin what it was like to be under the innate ability of Henricus Longus'' chosen one, that half-breed couldn''t help but swallow his saliva, seeing how terrible it was to lose part of his cultivation.


    Meanwhile, the others in the surroundings became more serious as they felt Minos'' cultivation jumping from level 80 to level 82.


    His avatar immediately reached a level unimaginable to those men and women in the surroundings, becoming as dense as the soul projection of the strongest one there.


    The spatial laws emanating from him were terrifyingly profound, and those people soon felt the passage of time in their surroundings changing substantially.


    At this moment, Minos'' strength resembled that of peak level 89 cultivators!


    "How is this possible? Is there such a powerful innate ability?" One of the mercenaries opened his mouth in shock as he hurried to circulate his energies.


    The other high-level men in the surrounding area were doing the same, feeling they might suffer at Minos'' hands if they were not quick enough.


    Minos smiled at them and said. "Fight together against me, just as you will do against the Demigods we will face soon.


    Some of them will demonstrate slightly stronger abilities than mine, so you need to at least be able to block me so we have a chance of winning!"


    As Minos spoke, over 100 colored swords appeared in the sky in that area, with him already showing off one of his fusions without giving his men any notice.


    Each of the 60 or so people in the surrounding area felt chills run down their spines at the sight of those swords, each of them containing a power very similar to that of level 90 cultivator attacks!


    "Shit!"


    "The damned thing is that strong?"I think you should take a look at pandasnovel.com


    Some of the mercenaries sweated coldly while already activating their defensive techniques with as much as they could use.


    By giving Minos room to start with a fusion already at the beginning of the fight, they lost their big advantage on their side.


    ''His Majesty can fuse his techniques so fast?'' The Longus family hybrids wondered as they transformed into their beastly versions.


    So were the beasts in the surrounding area transforming, several of them already joining together in an attempt to defend and attack together.


    Chaotic Gravity: Meteors of Destruction!


    Simultaneously with this, Minos was already destroying the adjacent forest by creating dozens of meteors over that area as his swords fell on his opponents.


    ?andasnovel.com Several trees and rocks on the ground began to detach, turning into gigantic projectiles headed for the meteor cores being formed.


    They were so fast in their movement that the men trying to defend themselves from the swords falling on them also had to keep a close eye on them, or they could end up being carried away by it as well.


    "Damn it! Unite with me! His Majesty is a monster!" One of the mercenaries said to those men in his mercenary group, feeling that they were at an extreme disadvantage.


    Minos was only one, a young man of level 80, but even so, his abilities were terrible.


    He had extremely favorable abilities for fighting large numbers, and right at the beginning of the fight, all those in the surrounding area realized this.


    The mercenaries were totally shocked by Minos'' initial display of power, understanding this ruler''s words over the past few days.


    ''The damned thing really can do what he promised!'' One of them thought as the union of the defensive techniques of the men in his group created a gigantic cocoon around them.


    Simultaneously, each of the groups there managed to form their defenses and try to counter Minos'' first blow, already expending almost half of their energies in the first moment of combat.


    "That''s good, but the enemies will be more than one, so let''s make it a little harder!" Minos shouted as his whole domain became more hazy, with the Dark Sea reaching those souls.


    The stronger ones only felt more afraid of Minos with this ability activated, but the weaker ones soon began to behave strangely.


    Swooish!


    A level 85 beast then attacked in the direction of its companions, suddenly scaring everyone in its vicinity while breaking its defensive formation.


    "Hey! What''s wrong with him?"


    "Tsk! His Majesty is controlling him!"


    "Quick, get away from the weaker ones!"


    Several voices rushed through the surroundings as Minos changed the configuration of the battlefield.


    He advised. "My friends, if you do not unite in the right way, you will all die facing Demigods.


    Quickly, manipulate the space and try to block my techniques and put pressure on me. That''s what you should do in a fight against the cursed Longus family leader!"


    After Minos'' words, several of those stronger men regained their composure, putting Minos'' shocking powers aside to focus on the plan they had just made.


    ''That''s right. We don''t have to face him head-on!''


    ...

 Chapter 1756 Prepare For Death

    ?


    After realizing they were acting incorrectly, several of the stronger ones began manipulating space in the surrounding area, trying to block Minos.


    Manipulating space within the Space and Time Avatar domain was difficult, so it would be against Demigods.


    However, difficult or not, it was not impossible if several of these beings tried simultaneously!


    As soon as they began to follow Minos'' plans, the space stability of Emperor Stuart''s Soul Avatar domain immediately diminished.


    Minos continued using his techniques in conjunction with the Dark Sea controlled men, trying to cause as much trouble as possible while his opponents were unable to stop him.


    The enemies would certainly target these people when they were being disturbed, so he couldn''t take it lightly.


    So he fused two of his techniques together, unleashing the Shaking Reality against those stronger opponents.


    "Damn it! How many fusions can he do?" One of the mercenaries asked while making a terrible expression, trying to endure that terrible feeling.


    "Many!" Starclaw shouted.


    ''The Chosen One''s techniques were meant to be fused, so he can fuse them all!'' Fermo thought to himself as he supported the group of the strongest ones there.


    Phoenix Scream!


    He opened his beak in his bestial form, releasing a special shrill sound, his innate ability coming from his bestial ancestor, the phoenix!


    Immediately after his shout, some of the stronger men in his group felt a slight decrease in the terrible effects of Minos'' fusion.


    Other beings were also acting in the surroundings to support them, so by adding all these defensive and offensive moves favorable to them, each new gesture helped them more.


    Suffering less from Minos'' fusion, some Sages soon continued their spatial movements, creating distortions in their surroundings that would make it difficult for his techniques to pass through those spaces.


    Meanwhile, others were pressing into the spaces around Minos, trying to trap him in his position.


    The space fabric was not simple. If a region of space were pressed too hard, it would ''sink,'' making it more difficult for anything in that spot to move in other directions.


    In a sense, this was how Minos'' black hole worked.


    But unlike his black hole, something he had control over to some extent, Minos had no control over what these Spiritual Sages were trying to do against him.


    As they manipulated the space around him, it became more difficult for him to move and even activate his techniques.


    Sensing this, Minos smiled, for this was just what his men needed to do against the low-level Demigods of the Longus family.


    "All right, that''s what I was talking about!" He shouted in a satisfied manner. "If you do that against the damned Demigods of the enemy group, you will greatly help me!


    However, you will have me on your side! That will be much more effective against them!"


    As they heard Minos shouting, these men watched him intently as they pressed him more and more effectively so that his techniques were slowly fading away.


    But even though he was approaching defeat for the first time in a long time, Minos was not in a bad way. On the contrary, he was showing immense pleasure to these people.I think you should take a look at


    Some even found this strange, for this combat was by no means simple, and a small mistake on their part could cause him serious injury.


    However, while they were still pressing him, Minos opened his arms and closed his eyes, smiling as the space in front of him broke up, and a region devoid of light appeared in front of him.


    When the black hole appeared, all that space pressure on him vanished as if it were nothing, and each of the Spiritual Sages pressing him felt an immense shock as their actions were suddenly broken.


    "Our training ends here," Minos said as he was free again, and his level began to return to normal.


    Unfortunately, he couldn''t stay at level 82 for long using so many high-level fusions and blows simultaneously. If it weren''t for that, maybe he could fight for longer.


    But that had been enough. In part, this was for his men to understand what they had to do in the face of a being capable of eliminating them.


    However, this was also a necessary demonstration of power for him to gain the trust of the mercenaries and make them follow his plan to the letter.


    Upon seeing the black hole, everyone there understood that Minos was well-prepared to confront Demigods, and even though he had little time to act, he could neutralize several of them if he had the support of this group.


    After feeling the shock of having their powers swallowed up by Minos'' black hole, one of the women in the group said aloud. "So that was why... You actually are an abomination, Your Majesty.


    I didn''t think someone at your level could do such things!"


    "Hmm, that was really an eye-opener. One can never underestimate the unknown!"


    Other people commented, and even someone more concerned about the future battle asked Minos. "Your Majesty, is that what you did in finishing the battle your best thing?"


    "No. I have two other moves stronger than that one." Minos said, surprising even Starclaw.


    ''Two? Wasn''t it just one?'' She looked at him in doubt but didn''t question him.


    Minos probably had his plans, so she kept her doubts to herself.


    "Two moves stronger than that? Is that really possible?" One of the mercenaries asked in amazement. "That fusion is already extremely impressive..."


    "Hmm, I intend to use one of them in battle against our enemies, so you will understand what I am talking about." He said before landing on the ground and quickly grabbing some fruit from his spatial ring, extremely exhausted from this training.


    The others in the surrounding area also returned to the ground, several drinking potions or ingesting pills to regain their energy.


    "What do we do now?" Starclaw asked.


    "Cultivate, regain your energy, and prepare for death," Minos said seriously. "We have our chances, but we will face Demigods. So those willing to continue on this path, be prepared for the worst."


    The mercenaries heard that and looked at their group partners, with all of them concluding that it was worth continuing with Minos.


    He was powerful, and the chances of most of them surviving alongside Minos were not so small. The 500,000 crystals were definitely worth the risk!


    Soon everyone there would concentrate on doing what Minos had said, recovering their fighting condition and preparing for the battle of their lives.


    The next day they would leave for the headquarters of the Longus family, which was only a few days away from this position!

 Chapter 1757 Plans

    ?


    Three days later...


    While Minos'' group was moving through the magnificent forest of the Divine Continent, the group of the patriarch Longus was prepared for their arrival in the vicinity of his headquarters.


    They didn''t know what Minos was doing at this moment, but they knew he must be on the Divine Continent looking for them by now.


    He should be looking for support on this continent to attack this headquarters and silence them before they spread the word about the Spatial Kingdom.


    Patriarch Longus and his strongest elders were not fools. Over the years, they had investigated Minos enough and knew how vindictive he was.


    Minos was a person incapable of forgiveness, one willing to exterminate the family of an already surrendered enemy.


    So they were sure he was preparing as best he could to crush them.


    However, they didn''t think that Minos would succeed this time!


    Not only did they not underestimate him, but since they knew about the magnificent techniques left by Henricus Longus, they had their trap ready against him!


    They had Demigods on their side, dozens of Spiritual Sages, and not only that, a group on the Black Plain.


    This group in Minos'' empire hadn''t managed to kidnap anyone from the Stuart family since these people were smart enough not to leave the new dome of Dry City. However, they were all around that state, and even if everything went wrong here in Grinia Empire, they still had a way to threaten Emperor Stuart!


    These Spiritual Sages could range from attacking the empire to even releasing the truth about Minos to the world!


    Thus, the leaders of this family were very confident in their plans.


    Amidst this, the family leaders were getting increasingly anxious for the day when they would have their ancestor''s Spatial Kingdom back!


    ...


    In the large inner building of the largest tree on the outskirts of that great forest, the patriarch Longus was walking towards the traps while standing next to his supreme elder.


    ''How are our plans coming along? Has something unexpected happened recently?'' The patriarch asked before leaving that place and coming across this piece of the forest where every tree was his family''s property, with internal constructions.


    The supreme elder smiled and said in his mental communication. ''No problems have hit us in the last few days. Everything is ready for us to receive the chosen one... We have already lowered our defenses around that group, so he will probably infiltrate here through them.''


    The patriarch smiled, ''Very good. Let''s eliminate those rebel fools along with the damned Chosen One. Since they plan to act against the family, we will clean up the organization when they start their attack.''


    Fermo''s group had plans, but so did the patriarch''s.


    The patriarch''s group knew how favorable the people on Fermo''s side were towards the chosen one. So when they decided to stand against Minos, the leaders of this family already expected that those hybrids from this faction would betray them in some way.


    With this in mind, the patriarch would facilitate Minos'' entry through this faction and then act against them all!


    They had other plans in case the Fermo group was not rebelling, but the patriarch thought that the attack would come from within this group.


    Besides, he no longer intended to bring Minos over to his side and control him. After everything they had already learned about Emperor Stuart and his decisive move to come to this place to attack them, the group of leaders of this family already knew that they could not talk to him.


    Only by killing him would they have a chance to take advantage of their ancestor''s heritage!I think you should take a look at


    As for the future threat to this world, they felt they could do more about it with the Spatial Kingdom in their hands than Minos could.


    After all, they had many high-level cultivators, while the Black Plain Empire only had a few Spiritual Sages.


    The patriarch laughed and said. "In a few centuries, we will be on top of that world again, haha."


    ''Centuries?'' Someone watching them from afar clenched his fists upon hearing this.


    ''If we are not united on the side of the chosen one, in centuries, we will all be dead!'' This person looked hatefully at the patriarch, feeling how the greed for power of their leaders had made them negligent.


    They didn''t have centuries. At most, they would have a few decades before the catastrophe predicted by Henricus Longus hit them!


    ?andasnovel¡¤?om Unfortunately, she and her faction could no longer change the minds of these people and could only wait for the confrontation between Minos and these people.


    Hopefully, the family would not be damaged too badly, and they would still have a future after this internal dispute.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in Dry City...


    Ruth was at this instant in Abby and Minos'' place, sitting on the Emperor''s throne while leading that state.


    She was fully aware of the presence of high-level Spiritual Sages on the outskirts of the empire, as they had mid-level Sages able to identify these men''s spiritual and spatial fluctuations.


    Considering the current situation of their state with the Longus family, their staff judged that these people were involved with such a family.


    With this in mind, Ruth and her government were acting to protect her family''s interests.


    "Your Majesty, I have heard that your imperial family wishes to transact business with my kingdom." A woman from the Flowers Kingdom said this, standing in front of Ruth while she had a curious look on her face.


    "What exactly do you people want with us? Our states already have many trade agreements and partnerships... Is there something new for us to deal with?"


    "Indeed there is," Ruth said in a solemn tone. "Your Highness Mcbride, our empire is facing a current problem, and we hope your family can help us.


    We will return this in the future to your state with interest and correction. If you help us with this now, we will make an effort 10 times that of your family now to return the favor in the future."


    "Oh? What is it?" One of the princesses from that state asked.


    To her, this empire seemed to be doing very well recently due to the tensions south of the continent. So what was this problem affecting the Black Plain?


    Ruth went straight to the point. "Please lend us your forces. We need at least 2 level 90 Demigods to deal with some enemies around our state.


    Your mission would be to eliminate them without asking questions or giving them a chance to speak.


    In return, we will give you much more than this in the future.


    My husband will become a high-level Sage and will be able to benefit your kingdom greatly. So I ask you to consider this before you make up your mind."

 Chapter 1758 Words Before The Invasion

    ?


    A few more days passed...


    At this point, Minos'' group was finally in the vicinity of the Longus family''s territory!


    After traveling all the way to the vicinity of this empire''s border with one of its neighbors, this group was less than a day''s journey from their targets.


    Arriving at this point in their journey, Minos met with his people to plan the invasion of the Longus family for the last time!


    ...


    "Tomorrow at dawn, we will all infiltrate the headquarters of our enemies," Minos said as he stood near a campfire where almost all of his people were gathered in their surroundings, sitting on the ground or tree trunks.


    "Don''t expect to be greeted warmly by our enemies. Don''t make the mistake of thinking that everything we plan will work out.


    They certainly have traps prepared for us. Their lives depend on it, so they will not be defenseless.


    The success of our mission will depend not on whether we will enter that place unnoticed but on how much we will not suffer in the initial moment of the invasion." Minos said to his people.


    "Remember, our enemies know my techniques. They are not as ignorant as you were when we trained days ago.


    They don''t know everything I''m capable of, but they know my limitations well. So you need to act with as much agility as possible.


    This is a battle that, once started, must be over in 5 minutes at the most. After that, if we haven''t eliminated enough people from their group, everyone here may die."


    Those people heard this in silence, but most of them handled the risk of death well, given their vast experiences in the cultivation world.


    All that was on the minds of several of them was to focus on what they had to do once they entered that headquarters.


    They had not trained with Minos in the past few days, but they had reviewed countless times what they should do in a position like that training situation.


    Spiritual Sages could train plans without moving muscles, using something called Mental Projection, where one or more Sages could join their minds together and form a mental simulation.


    This could be used to train combined combat skills, synchronize movements in a combat plan, or even make a pill. The possibilities were endless.


    With this ability, these men were prepared to act together, having mentally trained their plans for dozens of hours.


    This gave them more confidence to face the dangers warned of by their leader.


    "So be prepared for traps and the like. The easier our infiltration of that place is, the greater the dangers in our way." Minos finished talking about this and looked at Fermo.


    "How are we going to get into that place?"


    Fermo stood up and said. "Through the underground. We will reach a location further ahead from where we will travel to a building inside the headquarters, from where we will begin our invasion.


    The tunnel we will follow is 100 meters below the surface, so our spiritual fluctuations will be imperceptible on our way.


    Only when we start our climb to the surface can we be noticed.


    But by then, we will already be inside the headquarters."


    Everyone nodded, understanding that this was a good way to enter that place with several natural and artificial defenses.


    The only downside was that they would be entering through one place and could more easily be surrounded by enemies.I think you should take a look at


    So while they were talking about this and other possibilities, Fermo asked those men.


    "I only ask that everyone here avoid, if possible, hitting people who are not Demigods. Our estate is large, but many of our young and less talented people who are not related to what we will do may be around at the time of the attack.


    They don''t need to be involved in the conflict, so try to direct the battle away from them if possible."


    They were going to act only against the Demigods. Still, their movements and those of the enemies could generate remnant attacks that even had the potential to decimate that place.


    But if they tried to direct the battle to a place their faction had already prepared, then everything could be done without more casualties than necessary.


    The people there agreed to try, but they didn''t promise much.


    They would face opponents stronger than them, so they didn''t have much room to make such commitments.


    If they could, they would avoid bringing danger to the side of the innocent, but otherwise, they could only regret it later.


    After a while, Minos said. "Very well, that is all. Fermo, please lead our invasion!"


    With those words, they soon began to follow that red-winged man, quickly arriving at where they would access the tunnel that would take them inside the Longus family.


    "We built this tunnel 500 years ago to protect our faction in case the patriarch''s group ever turns against us, or we suffer some invasion or unexpected attack," Fermo said as his group descended what looked like a well. "The family has always had its problems, so we prepared for the worst.


    I just didn''t expect it to be useful at this moment... Please, Your Majesty, lead us toward a future where we don''t have to go through this again!"


    "I will do my best."


    Thus, they began the invasion of the Longus family!


    ...


    As Minos'' group made their way through the tunnel a few dozen kilometers long from Fermo''s faction, the people in his group were already gathered around the place where they would emerge.


    "When will Fermo return with the chosen one?" A level 85 hybrid asked as he observed the surroundings of this area of the Longus family headquarters.


    Their faction was at one end of that headquarters, where they had been relegated thousands of years ago.


    The plans of this faction had always had their differences from the plans of the leader of this family, so they had prepared themselves to have as few family members as possible in their vicinity.


    This faction judged that one day the Longus family would split over the racial issue, so to avoid a widespread bloodbath, they removed the family''s neutrals from their position.


    Around the tree where their organization was located, the trees nearby were just ordinary plant organisms with nothing in them.


    The nearest tree there with residences of family members is about a kilometer away, near the other large trunks where most of the family lived.


    A woman with hair over a large part of her body then answered that man, "It shouldn''t be long. The patriarch''s group is starting to get more and more agitated.


    I believe we are days to a few weeks away from the arrival of the chosen one!


    So get ready. Soon our futures will be decided!"

 Chapter 1759 Invasion

    ?


    After a few hours, Minos'' group finally crossed the entire tunnel and reached where they had only one way to go.


    Flew to the surface!


    Minos looked at his people and waved to them, then quickly flew ahead of them as he passed quickly to that spot 100 meters above his position.


    Next to him was the weakest of this group, while the others were right behind them, flying toward the battle of their lives.


    The speed of all of them was impressive, so in a few seconds, they reached the surface, appearing one after the other within a wide area where some hybrids were watching the surroundings.


    When Minos appeared there, everyone in the surroundings looked in their direction and noticed that the chosen one was finally with them!


    "Chosen One!" Several of them knelt down, thrilled that this moment had finally come.


    When Fermo appeared there, he immediately said. "Everyone, get ready! Let''s start the invasion of the Longus family! Time to take this place and bring true glory to our surname!"


    With those words, they quickly moved around inside that great tree, preparing to leave the place and begin their crusade in this headquarters.


    However, as they moved, an explosion arose outside that gigantic tree.


    BOOM!


    The ground shook, and a great noise reached the ears of each of them, signaling trouble on their way.


    "Enemy attack!" A shout from outside that tree sounded, and they all realized that the patriarch''s group had already noticed them.


    Minos then said aloud. "Get ready! Time to fight!"


    His men shouted simultaneously, then immediately ran after him out of that tree being attacked by the enemies.


    Outside that place, the patriarch Longus'' group was with several offensive arrays positioned towards that tree, attacking the groups of that faction in the surrounding area.


    When the spiritual fluctuations of several Sages emerged from within that large tree, they immediately activated their weapons aimed at that place.


    Meanwhile, Patriarch Longus and his elders soon felt the same as Minos'' group and moved to that place.


    They just had their traps in the surroundings of that area, arrays that would prevent Minos and his group from easily entering the area and interacting with the family members.


    These were measures to keep Minos away from the neutral family members, limit his scope for action, and hurt his group as soon as he showed himself.


    As such, several arrays were quickly destroying that area''s surroundings as men from the faction of the family leaders moved in from their other posts.


    ''Finally! We will finally have our Spatial Kingdom back!'' The strongest of the family had a smile on his face as he appeared in that area, soon joining the other Demigods.


    Simultaneously with the appearance of their group, Minos'' team finally left that tree under attack, facing the enemy group a few hundred meters away from them.


    He had some arrays activated while appearing there with his people. Still, they would not last long under these enemies'' powerful array''s attacks.


    In that short time he had under protection, Minos looked in the direction of the more than a dozen 10th-stage people, each dressed in armor and looking with smiles at him.


    "Traitors, today I will spill your blood as punishment for your crimes!" Minos shouted.


    "Your Majesty Minos Stuart, I hope you have brought our belongings... We are eager to have our treasure again!" The patriarch said, looking at this man without any fear. "But don''t worry about handing over the ring to me. I will remove it from your corpse."


    After those words, the Soul Avatars of these Demigods appeared while the Spiritual Sages in their group activated their soul projection techniques.I think you should take a look at


    "Attack!" The supreme elder shouted to his entire group, initiating the battle from this place.


    "You''ll regret this, you bastards!" Minos shouted as his level was already at level 82.


    His group''s defensive arrays broke at that instant, while the enemies'' offensives decreased their attacks.


    When this happened, Minos'' group immediately moved toward his plans, beginning to attack the space near those stronger specialists.


    In the midst of this movement initially, Minos moved through the space and appeared next to a group of Spiritual Sages.


    When he appeared there, surprising even the Demigods with his extreme speed, all these Sages felt their levels diminishing as a strange pressure came from Minos'' body.


    Simultaneously, some of his strongest allies felt their cultivation bases strangely increasing!


    ''Uh?'' Starclaw felt her cultivation jump from level 88 and reach level 89 in a split second while three other beasts and a hybrid from that group suffered the same.


    "Attack!" Minos shouted before he disappeared from his position, and all those men there fell unconscious to the ground, already under the effects of the Infinite Dream.


    "Bastard! He''s really quick to steal other people''s cultivation!" The patriarch said, before changing the direction of his attack, sending a substantial golden spear to where Minos appeared right after changing his position.


    As that powerful attack set off in his direction, Minos made dozens of swords appear from the vacuum of space, heading towards the many enemy Spiritual Sages on this battlefield.


    For most of them, death would come in the first seconds of battle!


    But Minos would not kill all the enemy Spiritual Sages.


    Sensing the attack of the patriarch approaching him, Minos just smiled in the direction of that enemy, while a black hole appeared in front of him just moments after it hit him.


    After absorbing its power, Minos mercilessly threw that black hole in the direction of that group of low-level Demigods, forcing them to move separately to dodge it.


    His men in the surrounding area were attacking the space with everything they had, trying to separate some of those men and trap the stronger ones in their positions.


    Minos saw that his enemies were powerful and would not be trapped for long by the movements of his allies, even with his help to some of those beasts and a hybrid.


    So he immediately resorted to his final move.


    Divine Seal: Divine Sword!


    "I never thought I would use it against the Longus family... But who knew? Your ancestor created the weapon that will kill you, traitors." He said aloud as he stopped moving and brought his two hands together in front of his face.


    Spatial Sword: Divine Sword!


    Then a large seal appeared between Minos'' hands while a sharp aura spread out to the surroundings.


    Chaotic Gravity: Divine Sword!


    In that instant, Minos fused three of his techniques, something he had never done before!


    As this fusion formed, one of his hands slowly moved away from the other while a completely golden sword came out of the seal.


    The moment it appeared, the entire battlefield lit up with the intense glow of its blade while the arrays in the surrounding area stopped functioning, exploding with the radiance of such a weapon.


    ...

 Chapter 1760 Minos Final Move

    ?


    Removing that sword completely from the seal, Minos immediately held it with his two hands above his body, drawing attention even from his allies.


    The spiritual energy in the surroundings stopped flowing normally, as much of it came towards Minos'' body, especially this sword.


    The laws in the surroundings stopped functioning properly, causing some of the avatars to weaken subtly.


    "What the fuck..."


    "What''s that?"


    "A fusion of three techniques?"


    Several of the Demigods there shivered, noticing that thing in the hands of Minos Soul Avatar.


    But no one there could look directly at the Divine Sword, as it appeared to be a small, highly bright white star.


    However, seeing it or not, everyone could feel the terror of such a fusion!


    "Damn it!" Patriarch Longus noticed the beginning of Minos'' movement and felt he had to flee.


    "Patriarch Longus, die!" Minos shouted as the veins all over his head showed, and his skin became extremely thin as he held that weapon.


    That thing was sucking up his cultivation at an excessive rate, and even all the energy advantages he had couldn''t help him for long as long as he had that fusion working.


    ''I''ll sacrifice a year of my cultivation for this, but it''s worth it!'' He made up his mind, finally moving that weapon downward, striking in the direction where most of the Longus family Demigods were.


    When he did so, the space around the blade of his sword collapsed, while the space fabric itself opened up, causing all the surroundings to become chaotic.


    Even mid-level Spiritual Demigods would not be able to manipulate the space in that area now with this instability.


    While ten of the strongest cultivators in the surroundings were trying their best to escape from their positions, they saw that thing falling on them, getting bigger and bigger.


    The sword, about twelve meters long, that glowed in the hands of Minos'' avatar suddenly doubled in size, burning all the arrays in the surroundings with its radiance. At the same time, the sound itself disappeared in front of it.


    Minos'' allies quickly stopped acting against those ten enemies and moved further away, each coldly sweating as they felt the worst sensation of their lives.


    If the black hole was terrible, that sword was like an endless nightmare!


    A fusion of three techniques was not something normal!


    Fusions could be made when cultivators had relatively high-level powers and compatible techniques. Typically, they did not generate negative consequences other than exhaustion for their users.


    However, a fusion with more than two techniques escaped the standard rules and sacrificed part of the cultivation of the one who activated it!


    They were 50 times more difficult to complete successfully than simpler fusions and would weaken their users for a prolonged period.


    As such, their power was much greater than that of two-technique fusions, and when Minos moved that sword, everyone in that place felt as if they were facing an attack from a level 93 Demigod!


    That was way above Minos'' capabilities, so everyone there was scared, some trying to escape the worst, others trying to shield their eyes from that incredible glare.


    "Oh, shit!" The patriarch Longus saw that glow becoming everything in his surroundings and finally lost any of the positive feelings he had in his heart a few moments ago.


    ''You bastard! You used a supreme weapon against us!'' He cursed Minos but with no more chance to do anything to protect his life.I think you should take a look at


    ''The ancestor didn''t...''


    Amidst his last thought, the vertical movement of that sword reached its end, striking those men and space itself.


    When it hit its target, that intense white light exploded like a bomb, and a giant blade sliced through space, passing through all those Demigods, destroying their souls as it shattered their bodies.


    The first of them to fall was the patriarch Longus, who saw the inscription on the giant Divine Sword blade in his last moment of life.


    ''Godslayer.''


    After his final disappointment upon discovering something his ancestor had not communicated to them about, his soul disappeared as a gigantic explosion unfolded.


    Everyone in the surroundings covered their eyes and protected themselves as best they could while winds so strong as to sway those gigantic trees arose in the region.


    Everything below that sword disappeared until the very spiritual root of the area had been struck with the opening of a huge crater.


    As the clarity in the surroundings dimmed, Starclaw slowly stopped shielding her eyes, looking in the direction Minos had attacked.


    When she finally managed to see something, she noticed the sword in the hands of Minos'' avatar and jets of lava rising from the crater almost 500 meters below him.


    Some of the millennial trees in the surrounding area were totally destroyed, while others were leaning in the opposite direction of the explosion, with many of their leaves lost.


    Gulp!


    ''So that was his second final move!'' She thought as she looked at the outcomes of that attack, seeing that not even bodies had been left behind in that group of ten Demigods that were hit.


    She looked up to where Minos stood and saw her master hurriedly breathing as he seemed to have lost a few pounds.


    His Soul Avatar slowly disappeared, and he returned to his normal size, still holding the Divine Sword, but in a much smaller size.


    The glow on it had been lost, and it was slowly losing its essence, becoming more and more transparent.


    Everyone else in the surroundings of this battlefield noticed this, still impressed but slowly coming back to reality.


    "Ahh! Die, you damned monster!" One of the surviving Demigods shouted as he flew at Minos, feeling that this would be their only chance to act against this person.


    If Minos escaped to the Spatial Kingdom, they would be lost. When he returned, they would all be wiped out.


    But if they killed him there and now, all would end well for this family!


    Not all the Demigods had been exterminated by Minos'' final move. Three level 90 people had been left behind to continue fighting for their faction''s interests!


    Minos'' people saw that first mover approaching their leader. They felt the apprehension of seeing a deadly dangerous attack approaching their commander.


    Minos was extremely tired but noticed this person moving against him and raised his sword again.


    "Can he still fight?" One of the other survivors from the patriarch Longus'' faction shouted as he saw Minos preparing to receive the attack from that soul projection.


    At that moment, when some were flying to help Minos, and others were watching that with apprehension, the Demigod''s attack and Emperor Stuart''s sword collided!


    ...

 Chapter 1761 End Of The Battle

    ?


    Boom!


    When the Demigod and Minos'' weapons touched, the two stopped in their positions for a moment. But then, as several blades flew out in different directions, the Divine Sword exploded.


    Minos felt the thud of this fusion and made a painful expression but tried to ignore the feeling in his body to direct his spiritual blades toward his opponents.


    His body was thrown far away, while the Demigod who attacked him felt his hands hurt as he held his own weapon.


    He also flew in the opposite direction of his attack but much slower than Minos.


    ''What a wretch! He still managed to get himself...'' He thought as he endured the pain in his hands and felt his spiritual weapon cracking.


    But when he least expected it, a sharp, icy sensation spread through his being.


    The other two Demigods were faster, and upon sensing the Spatial Sword''s blades, they quickly used their strength to dodge them or even defend themselves.


    However, this man who had attacked Minos had failed to notice the same thing as his allies, and upon looking at his own body, he saw a sword blade wedged into his back!


    "What?" He exclaimed as he tasted blood in his mouth.


    "Quick! Get back to your positions!"


    Finally, someone from Minos'' group shouted this, noticing that their battle there was not over.


    Many of their opponents had died, but there were still three people stronger than them standing!


    They were closer than ever to achieving their victory and the reward of 500,000 high-grade crystals, and they couldn''t weaken just now.


    The first of them to realize the situation immediately manipulated space and appeared behind the Demigod who had struck Minos.


    This person used what looked like a large spiritual hammer to strike the blade on his opponent''s back.


    Pow!


    "Aaaaagh!"


    Four other peak Spiritual Sages appeared around that man, manipulating space as they pinned each of this Demigod''s limbs.


    One appeared above that person''s head while his hands were ablaze.


    "Time to die, Demigod!"


    Another hammering struck Minos'' spiritual blade when suddenly such a thing pierced through the chest of that Demigod in agony being blocked by those level 89 Spiritual Sages.


    Simultaneously, another 16 level 89 Sages split evenly between the two remaining Demigods, quickly following the strategy trained over the past weeks, attacking space and causing those opponents to sink into the space fabric.


    In the midst of this, before Minos collided with one of the many giant trees in that area, Starclaw caught him with her claws.


    "That was impressive!" She said to him but with concern in her voice.


    Minos was almost fainting, but he smiled at her. "Don''t worry about me. In a few months, I''ll be 100% again..."


    "Why did you do that? Was there a need to use such a decisive move like that?" She questioned him as she carried Minos'' body close to Fermo''s group, who were already gathering to attack those Demigods.


    "They threatened my entire empire... I had to ensure their extermination..." He said in a low voice before finally falling unconscious.I think you should take a look at


    When that happened, the last cry of pain from the Demigod hit by one of his blades sounded.


    When that person''s heart stopped beating, the six Spiritual Sages around his body let it go, smiling in satisfaction at killing someone so strong.


    But they didn''t hesitate when one of them said. "Quick, focus your powers on those two! We must kill them and ensure the safety of His Majesty Minos!"


    A woman shouted as she formed an attack, directing her weapon at one of those Demigods already trapped in the space trap of their allies.


    "Yes, let''s end it all!"


    They moved against those two, joining their attacks with those of the mid-level Sages in Fermo''s group, who were mercilessly attacking those two.


    They sincerely preferred not to kill these Demigods of their family. Still aware that Minos would not accept such a thing, they attacked those two with everything.


    Once they were killed, the Longus family could finally unite around Minos and walk toward their purpose.


    Fermo looked at Minos lying on Starclaw''s back and smiled. ''The ancestor was not wrong!


    He chose someone outside the family because he knew that only someone like that could lead us in the face of the extraterritorial threat.


    It''s a pity that the family leaders got lost in the middle of the road and made a mistake...'' He sighed as he looked at the remaining Demigods being pressured.


    The two tried to use all their strength to break free of the spatial restrictions on them, but it was futile.


    When they fell into the enemy formation, their bodies seemed to have entered new dimensions and could no longer escape their positions.


    Simultaneously, all the attacks they had tried to send in the direction of their opponents had dissipated before they even got out of their weapons.


    As such, both could only focus their forces on trying to escape from their position.


    Amidst this, their opponents'' attacks hit them hard, slowly increasing the wounds around their bodies.


    Their bodies were powerful, but more than 60 enemies between levels 84 and 89 were hitting them.


    That was more than they could handle with their defenses!


    Hence, as time passed, more and more cuts and rocky patches appeared around the bodies of those two while their clothes and armor turned red.


    Their eyes lost some of their light as the pallor affected both of these survivors.


    They wanted to ask their enemies to stop, for they were willing to surrender. However, after suffering so much and using up almost all their energy, they no longer had the strength to speak.


    When their energies stopped leaving their bodies, the attacks flying toward them finally ended their lives.


    The claws of a hybrid reached around the neck of one of them and tore off half of that part of his body, ending this person''s life while the rest of the blood from this body squirted out into the surroundings.


    On the other hand, flaming feathers struck the body of the second, setting it on fire as if this was not the body of a Demigod but a piece of dead wood.


    As the two bodies fell from the sky, the men of Minos'' group finished their crusade, deactivating their techniques and sighing in relief.


    Amidst this, the survivors of the Langus family, neutral to this conflict, would slowly leave their homes after this high-level battle.


    From this moment on, everything would change for this family!

 Chapter 1762 Post-Battle

    ?


    When the high-level battle around that estate ended, no Spiritual Demigods were left to tell the story of what had happened there.


    Of Minos'' group, some of the stronger Spiritual Sages were wounded due to the intense escape attempt of those last three enemies and the blows of the other 10 Demigods before Minos attacked them.


    But there was no casualty in their entire group.


    Upon realizing this, they all smiled as they landed on the outskirts of that estate, commenting on the outstanding achievement of killing 10th-stage cultivators.


    "Hahaha, we really did it! We finished off three fucking Demigods!" One of those mercenaries commented to his colleagues.


    Not only would they get the mission prize and the bonus that Minos had promised them, but they would also be able to take the resources in the spatial rings of those three Demigods.


    This was no small thing for Spiritual Sages!


    Even if they were at level 89, some had Black grade talent, so they couldn''t advance to the 10th stage. All they could do would be to get stronger through more powerful equipment.


    On the other hand, those with Silver talent had the possibility to advance further in cultivation. Still, they had a cultivation bottleneck between the 9th and 10th stages.


    It was by no means easy to become a Spiritual Demigod!


    The resources left by those three would make a difference to all these people as much or more than the crystals promised by Minos, so everyone was overjoyed.


    As they approached the group of beasts that had allied themselves with the Fermo faction, they greeted their battle companions as they walked to where Minos was with Starclaw.


    Starclaw had already returned to her humanoid form and was holding Minos in her arms.


    He was unconscious, and his body looked like that of an extremely sick person, very thin and listless in appearance.


    His breathing was shallow, and it seemed that he might stop breathing at any moment.


    One of the mercenaries looked at Minos and drew his eyebrows together. "How is he?"


    It was only natural for them to worry. Only Minos could pay for their services since no one there would dare go through the belongings of someone so powerful.


    Who could be sure of what was in his spatial rings? These mercenaries had experienced enough of this world not to disrespect the property of someone so powerful.


    Starclaw then said. "He just needs to rest for a few days. Please, wait some time to receive your rewards."


    Fermo stepped forward and said. "Guys, this area is safe for us to stay. All you have to do is choose a location, and we will welcome you for the next few days.


    His Majesty will undoubtedly pay you after resting."


    The leaders of each of the mercenary groups in that group looked at each other and nodded positively.


    The battle had been easier than they had thought because of Minos'' great participation. So they couldn''t simply be angry that he had exhausted himself doing much of what should be their job.


    "Very well. We will camp here while His Majesty recovers." A woman said on behalf of all these mercenaries as she looked in the direction of the members of this family coming out of the trees nearby. "But what about them?"


    Fermo looked in the direction of his family members and sighed. "We will take care of it. Don''t worry about them. They are not a problem."


    With that said, the mercenaries soon gathered away from everyone there, starting a large bonfire where they intended to celebrate their gains.I think you should take a look at


    Amid the celebration getting underway for some, the strongest remaining members of the family began to approach where Minos lay in Starclaw''s arms.


    A group of elders between levels 87 and 89, consisting of 6 people, three women and three men, stopped in front of Fermo and Starclaw''s group, looking at the brown-haired young man in the arms of this beast.


    "That''s the chosen one..." A woman with blonde hair and green eyes said this in a low tone, seeing the person her ancestor had chosen.


    The strongest of them, level 89, a man with a white beard and yellow and white hair, clenched his fists and said loudly.


    "Everyone, behold the new patriarch of the family!"


    Following his words, he bent his knees in recognition of Minos.


    According to Henricus Longus'' orders, the family should follow his chosen one once they emerge.


    Now that the patriarch and the family leadership had been wiped out, there was nothing better for them than to accept the chosen one as their patriarch!


    Everyone in the surrounding area did this, while weaker and older youths looked on from afar in their estates, sighing as they accepted the reality.


    They were neither for Minos nor against him. They wanted to prepare themselves for the chaotic future of this world, but they were not willing to choose a side and fight to the end for it.


    Because of their way of thinking, they felt terrible about the demise of the Demigods but could not help but accept Minos as their new leader.


    After a moment of silence, this strongest man left said to Starclaw, "You must be the chosen one''s mount, right? Follow Katia to the family medical wing." He pointed to a level 87 woman standing nearby. "They will help the chosen one recovers faster."


    Starclaw looked at that blond woman and agreed, soon after following the lead of such a person.


    Meanwhile, the level 89 elder looked into Fermo''s eyes and asked deeply. "Is that really what you wanted?"


    "Elder Amos, I didn''t want anything," Fermo said as he narrowed his eyes. "All I want is a united Longus family, following the ancestor''s advice.


    Support the chosen one and facilitate his journey to protect this world!"


    "Still, Fermo, you and your faction have brought death and destruction to our family." A level 88 woman said this, looking seriously at this hybrid.


    Some of them were also hybrids, so there was no prejudice in these people''s lines.


    Fermo clenched his fists and said. "The former patriarch and the family leaders brought destruction upon themselves when they rebelled against the intentions of our God!


    What did you expect? That they would be forgiven? That the will of a God would be disregarded and all would be well?


    Tsk! They got what they built! By betraying the one who gave them everything, they lost what they had of most value!"


    "And how does the family stand in all this, boy?" The level 89 old man asked in a higher tone.


    "On the side of the chosen one, of course," Fermo said, looking into that person''s eyes. "You guys saw what happened here. Would we be better off siding with the old patriarch instead of the chosen one?"


    ...

 Chapter 1763 Solved Problems

    ?


    "The Chosen One is only at level 80... How strong will he be when he is at level 90?" Fermo asked his elders.


    Upon hearing that, the men and women of that family in the surrounding area were momentarily silent. But everyone there knew the answer to that question.


    There was no way to compare Minos'' talent with those killed this day.


    ''The chosen one must have a talent higher than the Golden, and his Physique is of Saint-grade. Furthermore, he can do several Golden-grade technique fusions...''


    Several of these people thought the same thing.


    Even more, Minos had the ability to create a supreme weapon!


    The supreme weapon was God''s creation which could be achieved through technique fusions in weaker people.


    Usually, only high-level Demigods could do this, but by fusing three techniques, Minos had achieved this feat, something none of them expected since their ancestor had not warned them about it.


    This was indicative of Minos'' talent but also of how their ancestor favored him over his own family.


    He had purposely said nothing to his family members about the possibility of the fusion of three techniques, which had caused all the surprise of the Demigods of this family, who had mostly died for that thing.


    These remaining leaders of the Longus family immediately realized that their ancestor had hidden the whole truth from them in case they betrayed him, and Minos'' action earlier was Henricus Longus'' way of punishing them.


    ''The ancestor purposely chose someone ruthless as his heir...'' One of the women there understood that her ancestor would be very angry if he were still alive. ''He gave us a chance, but he also prepared someone to exterminate us if necessary.''


    "Sigh... Even though I know this would probably be the ancestor''s will, I can''t help but mourn the death of our experts." A level 88 man sighed as he said that. "We could do so much more with their help."


    Fermo understood this person''s view and remained silent.


    But then one of the allied beasts in his group said. "It is better to give up some experts for the certainty of peace... What good would it do to have Demigods if these people were not trustworthy?


    There is no worse enemy than an internal enemy, my friends. That young human wisely exterminated those not committed to him."


    With those words spoken, the matter died there, and soon these remnants of the Longus family wondered about something important.


    "What now? What do we do?"


    Fermo heard that and said. "We will wait for His Majesty to recover. But I believe he will invite all of us to his estate, so it would be good for everyone to prepare for our departure.


    At his side, we will regain some of the strength we lost today with relative ease."


    All the strongest people there nodded, aware that the Spatial Kingdom of Minos could do much for them but also the empire he had created.


    The Black Plain Empire was not much in the eyes of beings living in the Grinia Empire when compared to other states in this world. But its resources were enough to attract the attention of small organizations like this family.


    With this, several groups soon split up to start organizing the family, warn the weaker ones of what would happen from now on, and resolve the consequences of the battle in that place.I think you should take a look at


    They were in a dangerous place, so they couldn''t just casually stand around talking while so many bodies and destroyed trees lay in the surroundings.


    Minos had killed more than 40 Spiritual Sages from the faction of the former Longus family patriarch before acting against the 10 Demigods earlier.


    Thus, soon that group began its activities.


    Amid this, Fermo was grateful for the support of the beast tribes that had stood by his side.


    Some of them would stay around for Minos'' awakening, but others would return to their tribes at the end of that day.


    ...


    Three days later...


    While Minos was recuperating in the Longus family headquarters, two level 90 Demigods had just arrived in Dry City through one of the local wormhole ports.


    Upon arriving in this city, these two men dressed similarly, in white robes, with no hair on their heads, and overweight, both looked at the surroundings of Minos'' city.


    "So that''s the creation of that coward..." One commented as he observed how this place was not as bad as they thought.


    The other smiled upon hearing that, understanding why his friend was disrespecting the ruler of this place like that. "He''s a continental expert. How could he reach that position without doing despicable things?


    Only the most capable of the most shameless can reach the peak." This other eunuch commented in a low voice, smiling as he saw the soldiers approaching them.


    "Your Excellencies, welcome to Dry City!" A Spiritual Sage welcomed them as soon as he saw them appear there. "Here are the men we are looking for. You need only act against them."


    Upon receiving the spiritual array that had the soul fluctuations of each of the high-level Sages of the Longus family around this empire, the two envoys from the Flowers Kingdom promptly kept in their minds who they were there to assassinate.


    After Ruth''s conversations with one of Queen Mcbride''s daughters, the ruler of the Flowers Kingdom agreed to make a deal with the Black Plain Empire in exchange for Minos'' future support.


    And so these two level 90 Demigods were there to fulfill the mission of killing the high-level Sages of the former patriarch Longus'' group without asking questions!


    "Very well, in no more than a week, we will return with their heads." The stronger of the two said this as he smiled at those men of the Black Plain Army.


    "We hope that His Majesty Minos Stuart will not forget that in the future." The other commented before the two disappeared from there, immediately beginning their search.


    The men in that wormhole port smiled bitterly, looking back to where they had left without giving them a chance to finish what they had to talk about.


    Esmond looked at where they had left and thought with a smile on his face. ''Soon, the danger about the empire will be gone.


    After His Majesty finishes his affairs on the Divine Continent and these men settle what they came here to do, we will finally be able to grow in peace for the time being.''


    Amid his thoughts, he looked in the southern direction and thought. ''I hope this war will last for many years!''

 Chapter 1764 Beginning Of A Chaotic Era

    ?


    While Minos'' people were settling his affairs in the Divine Continent, the Supreme Pontiff of the Spiritual Church had brought forward the beginning of his seclusion.


    It was not in his plans to go into seclusion so soon. Still, with Maximillian''s steady growth of influence over the factions of the Church, Duncan had decided weeks ago to go early to the Seraph Spatial Kingdom to become a God.


    His only chance to stop Maximillian and such a man''s destructive interests was to advance to the 11th stage.


    Fortunately, the Divine medicine of his Spatial Kingdom had completed its last maturation stage a few weeks ago, finally enabling him to begin his attempt!


    After Duncan''s departure, what prevented Maximillian from engaging in a war with Vico and his allies had disappeared.


    Thus, within a few weeks, the already dire situation in the southern part of the continent had worsened, and finally, the war between the south and west had begun!


    Some battles that would go down in history had already taken place these days, with the long-awaited confrontation between Vico and Maximillian taking place for the first time.


    But for those involved with each of these men, the difference in power between them was not significant, and the first confrontation had not defined a loser and winner!


    Vico was indeed a monster worthy of the title of strongest on the continent!


    Even with Maximillian using a divine weapon, he hadn''t gained many advantages over this specialist from the Eastern Empire!


    Willow was not weak either, and by confronting Maximillian''s level 99 allied beast, she had gained a significant advantage in that battle, balancing the outcome of the combat of the strongest.


    After this first encounter, the leaders of each force saw that they could not end everything in a confrontation between them and returned to their groups to fight as a group!


    From then on, the chaos of war spread to the southernmost part of the continent, with the border of the Eastern Empire and the Flowers Kingdom becoming one big battlefield.


    Troops allied with Maximillian were also moving across the western borders with the Flaming Empire, trying to advance on Mairin.


    And so, chaos had been spreading, with many populations around the continent becoming frightened, trapped in certain areas under conflict, and others already fleeing to more peaceful places.


    The Black Plain Empire was the most common destination for weaker people. But among stronger groups, the Divine Continent was an option that had been attractive.


    Many ships were leaving all the Central Continent regions as food prices and resources began to rise in many areas.


    Because news like this had recently reached the Black Plain, Minos'' men wished for the war to last as long as possible.


    This way, they could have some peace to develop and prepare for the post-war period.


    If Vico won, they would have a great enemy who would surely seek revenge. But if Maximillian were the one to prosper, the situation would still not be easy for them, for there was no guarantee that this man would remain favorable towards Minos and the Black Plain.


    A Maximillian victory was definitely better than Vico winning, but both were terrible results.


    Only war could favor them!


    ...


    In Dry City, Ruth had just received the news about the Demigods from the Mcbride family.


    "So they sent these men even amid war..." Ruth heard from one of her men and sighed. "Thank Queen Mcbride for that. We won''t forget it."I think you should take a look at


    The Flowers Kingdom was allied with Maximillian, but even at the beginning of this confrontation between the Southern and Western regions, she had accepted Ruth''s request and sent two specialists to Dry City.


    This would greatly help the Stuart family empire, something hard to forget.


    "I will do that immediately, Your Majesty!" The army soldier said before leaving Minos'' office.


    Ruth sighed as she was alone with Dillian and Eda, "How much longer will Minos be gone?"


    "Who knows..." Dillian said in a sighing tone. "But he must have reached the Divine Continent by now. Then his journey must be near the halfway point. It will all depend on how long it will take him to find the Longus family headquarters."


    Eda, level 73, commented. "If we are lucky, he will be back in another year. But that could also take a few years... When you were away from the city during his trip to the Flowers Kingdom, we wondered about it many times, Your Majesty.


    But sooner or later, he will come back. He always comes." She smiled at this woman, who was more worried than ever since she was so far away from her man for the first time.


    Previously she would always travel with him in the Spatial Kingdom, and if he was in danger, he could, in an instant, rejoin her.


    But the situation was different now!


    "I hope it won''t take that long..."


    ...


    A week later...


    While Minos'' people in the Black Plain Empire continued without news of their leader, a patch of space above Dry City distorted, and two Demigods appeared.


    "Men of the local army, take these heads to your leaders!" One of the two level 90 Demigods shouted in the direction of a group of soldiers on top of a gigantic turtle flying nearby.


    Then that man manipulated space and made one of his hands holding a bloody sack appear near where some of the strongest people were in that watch station.


    "Our work here is finished. Don''t forget your promise!" That same person said, releasing the sack with the heads of the high-level Sages of the Longus family who were around this empire.


    "Goodbye!"


    Those men from Minos'' army didn''t have a chance to say anything when the two Demigods had already disappeared from the area, rushing back to their kingdom.


    Seeing that bag with some heads, one of the 8th stage soldiers quickly checked what was inside it, noticing that the spiritual fluctuations of those heads were indeed that of their wanted people.


    "What shall we do now? Have those two found out about something?" One of those Spiritual Saints asked, talking about the Spatial Kingdom.


    The post leader closed his eyes and looked in the direction from which the two Demigods had departed. "We can''t be sure of anything. But if they have found something, we will know in a few hours.


    If our capital isn''t surrounded by Flowers Kingdom Demigods by the following evening, then they haven''t found out anything!"


    Gulp!


    "In the meantime, we will notify Her Majesty and the local leadership!"

 Chapter 1765 Awakening

    ?


    A few more days have passed...


    After almost three weeks since the battle at the Longus family headquarters, Minos finally awoke from his unconscious state this morning!


    The Longus family doctors had helped him as best they could. Still, without Starclaw''s permission to them use pills with strong medicinal power, they couldn''t go far in helping him.


    Starclaw knew how opposed Minos was to using resources that could destabilize the soul cultivation of humans. For him, the most important thing was not to quickly achieve breakthroughs but to do so without losing spiritual quality, that is, cultivating slowly using only his cultivation technique.


    As her mount, she knew he would never allow anyone to give him unnecessary medicine. Since Minos had not suffered any mortal damage, she had not allowed this family''s doctors and alchemists to act.


    Thus, at most, the Longus family doctors used their techniques to ensure a more accelerated recovery.


    ...


    Upon awakening this morning, Minos felt much weakness in his body, noting the disadvantages of fusing three techniques at his current level.


    What he had done should only be considered a combat option for Spiritual Demigods, the only ones who could handle the rebound from creating a supreme weapon.


    His entire body was sore, and his soul seemed a bit unbalanced, as if it were a boiling lake instead of its normal calm, less agitated state.


    The headache he felt at the moment made it seem like he had been smacked on the head, and his eyes seemed to have become totally unaccustomed to the light.


    But Minos had expected these reactions when he decided to punish the leaders of the Longus family. Upon awakening, he tried to endure all these sensations with what he had.


    Starclaw was the first who noticed his awakening and, as such, had soon brought him a feast, something she knew Minos loved to use to regain his energy.


    Minos looked like a malnourished man when he awoke, but after an hour of slowly eating, his appearance improved somewhat, with his skin returning to its normal color.


    He was still much thinner than normal when he finished eating, but his vitality seemed to have strengthened, and even his aches and pains lessened a bit.


    "How are you?" Fermo asked as he saw Minos sitting up in the bed he had been sleeping in all these days.


    In the surroundings of the room they were in, several empty food bowls, cups, and plates lay where Minos had left them moments ago.


    Looking at this hybrid who had just walked in, Minos narrowed his eyes, still feeling several of the sensations from earlier, only less intense.


    "I''m fine. I''ll recover enough for us to leave this place in a few more weeks." Minos said in a low, rather hoarse voice. "I''ll be 100% again in less than a year."


    "A year?" Fermo opened his mouth in surprise.


    "The costs of power, I would say..." Minos laughed subtly.


    "When do we leave?" Starclaw asked, standing in front of Minos.


    "In about four months at the most. By that time, I will have recovered enough to have the same strength as when we started our sea voyage." He lay down again.


    "What do you intend to do about the Longus family, Your Majesty?" Fermo couldn''t help but ask that.


    Minos'' eyes opened more significantly at the thought of this family. "Those who are willing to receive a Divine Seal may accompany me to my empire. I will send some of you to the Spatial Kingdom, and the others will travel with me and Starclaw.


    We need a crew."


    "Oh?" Fermo''s eyes sparkled with his joy.I think you should take a look at


    "There are how many of you currently? How are your forces?" Minos asked, still lying down.


    "Considering the survivors, our group has 42 Spiritual Sages between levels 80 and 89. Unfortunately, most of the family Sages were part of the faction of the former family leader, so over 60 died at your hands previously.


    Other than those, we have 650 more members between levels 60 and 79."


    There were no children born less than 50 years ago in the Longus family. So there were no people with cultivation below level 60 in the group of survivors.


    "That''s good. You will bring a relevant power to my army." Minos said, yawning. "Under my command, we will have Demigods in your group again in a few years."


    "Certainly, Your Majesty!" Fermo said in glee before remembering the beast tribes that had helped him gather strength with him before he met Minos.


    "Your Majesty, some tribes allied with my faction know about your origin. Many are in the dark about the Spatial Kingdom and what is in it, but several are willing to join the Black Plain Empire.


    Would you have room for them as well? I can extend the invitation on your behalf if you so decide."


    "How many beasts are we talking about?" Minos asked.


    "A similar number to the family group. But they are a little stronger than us on average. They don''t have as many young men as our group, and they didn''t lose any men in the previous battle."


    "I see..." Minos closed his eyes and said. "All right, invite those beasts too... Also, prepare a new feast for four hours from now. Wake me up when it''s all ready."


    Before falling asleep, he threw a spatial ring with the crystals of the mercenaries in Starclaw''s direction.


    He didn''t want to risk going to the Spatial Kingdom and revealing his riches to the mercenaries in his group. So he decided to sleep right there for the time being, feeling that the place was safe enough for that.


    Starclaw saw that Minos was already asleep and understood what that spatial ring was about.


    At that moment, the door to Minos'' room opened, and the Longus family''s strongest elder entered.


    "I heard that His Majesty has awakened..." He said, eager to talk with Minos for the first time.


    But Fermo smiled bitterly and said. "Elder, I''m sorry, but His Majesty has gone back to sleep."


    "What?"


    "But don''t worry, I talked to him, and he intends to take everyone willing to commit to him. So get the family ready. We will be returning to the Central Continent!"


    With that said, it wouldn''t take long for Starclaw to leave to pay the mercenaries, while Fermo and the remaining leadership of the Longus family would begin preparations.


    This hybrid would soon send letters to the tribes allied to him, informing them of Minos'' decision.


    While Emperor Stuart slept, his forces were rapidly growing stronger!


    But while these forces were moving in favor of the Black Plain Empire, someone was watching in the direction of the Longus family headquarters!


    ...


    ''So this is where that feeling came from... Let''s see what exactly happened here weeks ago!'' A white-haired old man made a few hand seals as he stood above the area where the Minos battle had taken place.


    Then his eyes turned completely black.

 Chapter 1766 Observatory Member

    ?


    When the white-haired old man activated his innate ability, and his eyes turned black, his consciousness floated, and he slowly began to see scenes from a movie.


    But this was not a movie, but what had happened in such a place below where he was standing.


    Several low-level Demigods and high-level Sages had died in the area, mostly suffering from just a single individual.


    ''How strange...'' This old man thought to himself, frowning, ''Why can''t I see his face nor feel his spiritual fluctuation?''


    In the movie playing in his mind, a man with blurred outlines killed most of the dead Spiritual Sages in this area with just a few gestures and then created a supreme weapon.


    However, given the level of the opponents of this prodigy who had fought there, he couldn''t be strong. That is, he couldn''t be a high-level Demigod, as was the case with people capable of forming a supreme weapon!


    After all, why would a high-level Demigod use such powerful high against mere low-level Demigods?


    That would be like using the most powerful of moves to kill an insect!


    This man was a high-level Spiritual Demigod, and he knew very well that forming a supreme weapon would weaken even someone at his level, level 97. So it made no sense to think the man who had slaughtered his opponents there was someone compelling.


    As such, he couldn''t help but find it strange that he couldn''t see or feel the characteristics of this talented prodigy.


    ''Interesting... It looks like he must have some great contacts. Let''s see if I can find out more about it the old-fashioned way.'' He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they had returned to their normal state.


    Looking at the tribe hidden among the trees, this man wasted no time, quickly approaching where the most powerful people were.


    He completely ignored the surrounding defenses, looking from side to side for traces.


    Finding only a weakened level 80 young man in the medical wing of the place, he was surprised to find no one stronger and looked at all the residences there for the wounded.


    ? ? ? ? ? ? ?


    But there were none.


    His eyebrows drew together, and he asked aloud. "What happened here? Can someone tell me?"


    When his voice came up, the stronger Sages around this estate heard him and immediately noticed his presence in the protected area of this place.


    This Demigod was so strong that no one there had noticed him approaching, and upon hearing him, everyone felt their hearts beating faster.


    The level 89 old man, the strongest one there, looked at that Demigod and said. "Senior... Who are you? Have we done something we shouldn''t?"


    That Demigod continued to observe the surroundings but said to that person. "You are really rude... Haven''t you learned to respect your elders? Answer my question before you ask other things, young man."


    "That... I''m sorry." The old man said, but he didn''t know what to say to this unexpected intruder. "What exactly are you talking about? We have been here for a long time. Many things have happened here."


    "Don''t be silly. You know what I''m talking about." The old man looked in the direction of that descendant of Henricus Longus, causing him to look away and look down.


    "That... Hmm, well, uh, it was a battle. Someone attacked us." This fellow said as he felt the mercenaries hired by Minos had already left. "They left after attacking us."


    The old man narrowed his eyes, seeing how this person lied right in front of him. "But what about the one who led those people? That person who hurt you most significantly. Where is he? What happened to him?"


    Fermo heard this and finally noticed this invader, leaving Minos behind in that room.I think you should take a look at


    "He is no longer a problem for us, senior. Please don''t put any more pressure on us about this. We''ve suffered enough!" Fermo shouted as he gestured, humbly asking that man to stop.


    With the difference between their levels, showing resistance would not help them. Only humbling themselves before such a person would give them any chance!


    The Demigod looked at Fermo, noticing he was not lying.


    "My friends, don''t worry. I will do nothing against that person. I know he is still here, but I am not here to put you in danger. I am only interested in knowing who did that and understanding where this singularity comes from." He said in a friendly tone.


    But the silence was all he heard right after he finished speaking since no one in the surrounding area would dare to talk about Minos.


    ''Damn it. We were so close!'' Fermo thought. ''In a few more weeks, we would be in the Spatial Kingdom or traveling to the Central Continent! Why do we have to meet this man now?''


    "Can the senior tell us how you found us, at least?" A level 88 woman knew it would do no good to remain silent and ask such a thing.


    This white-haired old man looked at that woman and answered. "Simple, I was cultivating nearby and felt the spiritual fluctuation of a supreme weapon coming from this direction.


    If it weren''t for the fact that I was at a critical moment in my cultivation, I would have come here right after I felt that. Haven''t you been visited by anyone else these days?"


    "No."


    "That means I was the only one who noticed it." He smiled, knowing that this way, things would be easier.


    Like any fusion or technique, the supreme weapon created by Minos left traces after its formation, something that could reach even a few thousand miles away.


    Minos knew this, but in the heat of the moment of battle, he had not bothered with the danger of drawing someone powerful to himself.


    When he awoke earlier, he was so exhausted that he had ignored this possibility and continued in this place, thinking it was safe for him.


    However, this person had noticed him and was there for him!


    "So what? Will you tell me where he is? Unfortunately, I have not found anyone who fits the profile of the person I am looking for." He said, without hiding the truth from these people.


    Minos was the only one who fit the profile, but this level 80 young man had no way of doing that!


    It was absurd to think that, and he naturally judged that someone else was behind such an event.


    "Do you want to know where he is?" A faint voice reached the ears of all the people nervously waiting to see what this Demigod would do.


    Gulp!


    Then Fermo looked back and saw Minos limping as he walked to the outside of that tree.


    The old high-level Demigod looked at Minos with interest and was silent.


    "High-level Demigod, do you wish to meet him? I can help you, but only if you tell me where you come from and your interest." Minos said in a weary tone, panting as he walked.

 Chapter 1767 Invitation

    ?


    "My name is Julian Kleinmann. I am a member of the Pantheon Of Honor."


    "Pantheon Of Honor?"


    ''Pantheon Of Honor? But that''s not...''


    ''That is one of the most powerful organizations in the Divine Continent!'' The strongest remnant of the Longus family swallowed his saliva as he identified where this person was coming from.


    Minos also realized the same. After all, this group had existed since the time of Henricus Longus.


    The man continued as several people murmured about the organization he belonged to. "I just want to talk to this person. If possible, invite him to join us at the Pantheon Of Honor. He definitely has what it takes to become one of us."


    "What if he refuses?" Minos asked as Fermo helped him stand.


    Julian continued to smile, as he was immensely proud to be a high-level member of this powerful organization.


    He said. "That wouldn''t happen. We don''t demand exclusivity in the Pantheon Of Honor. There would be no reason for him to reject us. There would only be benefits for him."


    "Perhaps he is arrogant..."


    "In that case, I would leave after collecting the truth about how he showed a supreme weapon while not being a high-level Demigod." He became more serious.


    Minos closed his eyes and cursed himself, frustrated that he had forgotten that he might end up drawing the attention of someone powerful like this man.


    ''Now I can only deal with this guy...''


    "Very well, I am the one who did what you saw with your ability," Minos told the truth, making all his subordinates in that family look at him with wide eyes.


    Starclaw was already at his and Fermo''s side and couldn''t help but look at her master, seeing how he had the courage in the state he was in front of this Spiritual Demigod.


    The man closed his eyes upon hearing Minos'' revelation, wanting to laugh at this weak Spiritual Sage, trying to control himself not to teach this junior a lesson.


    ? ? ? ? ? ? ?


    ''What a joke...''


    He clenched his fists, but as he opened his eyes and noticed the expressions of the many people there looking at Minos and sweating, he looked deeper at this young man.


    In the next second, space distorted around his position, and he appeared in front of Minos.


    Starclaw tried to stand before her master while the only level 89 Sage appeared next to Minos.


    But the spaces around them vibrated with the movement of Julian''s fingers. Then both appeared dozens of meters away while an invisible hand pressed them against the tops of some trees.


    Only Fermo serving as a support for Minos remained beside this young man.


    "You?" This old man''s eyes turned black, and he touched one of Minos'' shoulders, trying to understand how.


    As he did so, he felt a chaotic energy through Minos'' body, something fierce and unusual.


    ''What is this?''


    However, as he felt what Minos had absorbed from the giant bones, he suddenly began to see something in his mind.


    He saw a semi-transparent body with a golden spark shining brightly on Minos'' head.


    But then, as he admired this spark''s purity, the body''s surroundings became darker, and some giant silhouettes appeared.I think you should take a look at


    When one of them opened its eyes, and a bestial sound appeared in the movie passing in Julian''s mind, he felt his own soul trembling and deactivated his ability, taking a step back.


    "What?"


    He asked unconsciously, looking into Minos'' brown eyes without understanding what that was all about.


    His innate ability was one of the most powerful in the Spiritual World. Julian could see the past, see the talents, and even glimpse part of the future with his innate ability.


    His power was not small, which was why he had reached level 97, even though it was so difficult for most people with the potential to achieve this cultivation to accomplish such a feat.


    He was even a member of the council of the Pantheon Of Honor, a group that, besides him, only level 99 Demigods were part of.


    But even with such a powerful ability and at level 97, something in the soul of a mere level 80 Sage had frightened him!


    ''He has unbelievable talent! I''ve never seen a gold as intense as the one in his soul. But what are those creatures?'' He looked strangely at Minos, contorting every muscle in his face.


    ''What were those creatures? They are not normal! In fact, I''ve never seen anything like that in other people!'' Julian couldn''t help but wonder, for his experience of over 15,000 years of existence had never shown him a single person with those creatures in him.


    Minos looked like a monster in this man''s vision!


    It was as if he had three or four fierce souls inside him protecting him.


    Minos didn''t know what had frightened this man, but he immediately thought it was the giant bones.


    Only that, or Henricus Longus could be behind something capable of shocking a level 97 Demigod.


    "You really did that... But how? It shouldn''t be possible!" He muttered as he came closer to Minos again, feeling there would be no danger.


    "I fused three techniques at once." Minos did not hide the truth.


    By making the mistake of not fleeing to the Spatial Kingdom when he awakened earlier, he could only handle the situation by telling this person the truth.


    Luckily Julian was there just to talk and invite him to the Pantheon Of Honor, as he had said.


    "Three? Is that possible?" This man asked, but he thought something like that would explain something of this magnitude.


    ''He is quite weakened... It must be true.''


    As he thought about it, Julian slowly became more optimistic, imagining that he could gain even more if this were true.


    ''If this young man is that good being only a level 80 Sage, he will be a great acquisition for my faction! With him, we''ll be able to move up a few degrees toward the top!''


    "Kid, what''s your name? Where are you from?" He asked again, placing one of his hands on one of Minos'' shoulders, but without trying to use his skill this time.


    "My name is Minos Stuart. I am the emperor of the Black Plain Empire, a state in the Central Continent."


    "Oh? Someone from the Central Continent? It''s not for nothing that I''ve never heard of someone so promising." He commented, figuring he should pay more attention to this warring continent.


    "So, Minos Stuart, would you like to accompany me to the Pantheon Of Honor? Please do not refuse before at least hearing what I have to propose. Surely we can come to a mutually beneficial agreement."


    ...

 Chapter 1768 Exception To The Rule

    ?


    ''What choice do I have?'' Minos bitterly laughed. "But of course. However, how am I going to do that in my current state? I''m very worn out, so it would be better to schedule it for a few weeks ahead."


    "Hmmm, indeed, it would not be good for you to accompany me like this." Julian agreed and then tossed a pill in Minos'' direction.


    "This is a high-level grade-4, 12-layer medicinal pill. It''s for treating symptoms like yours. You probably have your soul destabilized and your body exhausted by the fusion of the three techniques, right? It will solve your problems after you absorb it.


    Minos looked at the 12-striped pill that man threw, which was not as expensive as a low-level grade-4 yacht, but could make a big difference even to high-level Demigods.


    ''Is he giving it to me?'' Minos naturally knew the value of this pill, which, unlike the Longus family resources, would not cause problems for his spiritual foundation.


    A pill like this could damage the solidity of the foundation of a high-level Demigod who needed to use it to speed up their recovery. But on a low-level Sage, its effects would be so good that it could even improve their foundation!


    In the Spiritual World, external items used for strengthening or recovery could damage the cultivation of those using them. After all, these were alternative means that would not support the natural spiritual growth of cultivators.


    However, some exceptions didn''t harm and could also help cultivators.


    Aside from the Spring of Life, there were no resources in nature that had the potential to help and not charge any cost. Usually, anything that could bring good results comes with some consequences.


    In a way, these resources enabled faster advancement or recovery in exchange for worsening the stability of the cultivation foundation of the one using them.


    But alchemists could work natural resources and produce fantastic things without such high costs to the cultivators who used them.


    ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?.


    The problem with this was that an alchemist could hardly produce a pill without side effects for consumers at the same level or stronger than them. In other words, a level 97 alchemist couldn''t produce a pill without side effects for cultivators at levels close to his own.


    But for someone at level 80, a high-level grade-4 alchemist could produce something good enough not to harm that person''s foundations!


    Unlike spiritual weapons, pills didn''t have so many limits on the power of the person who was going to use them, so their quality level referred more to themselves than to the person who could consume them.


    Of course, a pill for spiritual strengthening could not be consumed by just anyone, but a pill for recovery could!


    So the pill in Minos'' hands was quite helpful for him.


    "I don''t know what to say... This is very valuable." Minos said, being sincere.


    He had never used resources like this for three reasons. First, he was very talented and had a Spatial Kingdom to cultivate; he already had an excellent cultivation speed. Second, these resources that could help him were really too expensive for him to depend on, and he had many people in his state who didn''t have the same talents as him and needed items like this more.


    Thirdly, on his journey, he rarely met people capable of producing items that could help him without harming him.


    For example, when he was at level 50, if he wanted to improve his cultivation artificially without paying high costs, he would have to consume low to medium-level grade-3 pills to achieve such effects. However, that would mean consuming products from alchemists between levels 60 and 75.


    At the time, he didn''t have access to anyone like that!I think you should take a look at


    Further down the line, at level 70, he would have to consume low-level grade-4 pills. He would have to have access to alchemists much stronger than him, between levels 80 and 86. But again, he had no access to such people.


    So even if he wanted to take an easier path on his journey, Minos wouldn''t have accomplished enough to change his cultivation speed without immensely damaging his state''s foundations.


    Rather than spend on resources made by people who were so much stronger than he was, Minos had preferred to set aside this possibility. In the meantime, he had created the foundations of the Black Plain Empire to make such a thing possible for his subordinates.


    Precisely because of that that so many members of his army had grown so strong over the years, even with their humble origins.


    Anyway, Julian smiled at Minos and said. "If you consider joining my group, you will already pay for it, haha. So come on, take your time to absorb the medicinal effect of this pill.


    We''ll settle our affairs once you''re done."


    After saying that, the Demigod soon found a place to meditate in waiting for Minos, putting aside who the people of this tribe were.


    To him, it made no difference where they came from. The strongest ones there were mere Spiritual Sages, while Minos came from the Central Continent.


    Minos had probably beaten them in some dispute, and now they were his to decide the future.


    This would change Julian''s interests absolutely nothing, so he didn''t even try to understand better what had happened there by setting Minos aside.


    Fermo looked at Minos with concern, and the next second, Starclaw and the level 89 elder appeared beside him, both worried.


    "Your Majesty..." This old man addressed his words to his new leader for the first time but was interrupted by Starclaw.


    "Minos, what are we going to do now? Is it safe for you to consume this pill?" This beautiful gray-haired woman asked.


    He closed his eyes and nodded positively. "If he needed to resort to a pill to do anything against us, it would be bizarre, wouldn''t it? Or don''t tell me that any of you have any secret weapons useful against level 97 Demigods? Because I don''t have one."


    Starclaw was silent while Fermo and the level 89 old man looked at the ground.


    "How can your majesty stand that pressure? Dealing with someone so strong..." Fermo muttered, feeling lost.


    "That''s bullshit. Against someone so strong, you can only be sincere and not insult their intelligence. Besides, the only thing we can do is go with the flow of things." Minos commented, before looking closely at that pill, noticing there was nothing that could indicate any kind of alteration.


    He then swallowed it, signaling for Starclaw to carry it somewhere appropriate.


    Such a strong pill needed to be digested slowly!


    "Time to go into seclusion..."

 Chapter 1769 Grandiose Purpose

    ?


    In the blink of an eye, a whole week had passed...


    On this day, while still meditating in the place that Satarclaw and the level 89 old elder of the Longus family had taken him days ago, Minos opened his eyes, feeling his powers returning to normal.


    His soul was no longer destabilized as it had been days ago. It seemed as solid as a rock, as dense as the densest of minerals.


    His body was no longer injured. Much less pain could be noticed by him.


    Unlike those negative sensations of days ago, at the moment, Minos felt as if he was about to explode with so much force that he had achieved in these days of meditation.


    Lightning was repeatedly forming in his surroundings while a dark fog spread over his body.


    Simultaneously, when he opened his eyes, they shone brightly in rainbow colors, even without Minos trying to use his secondary visual ability.


    His muscles were even stronger than before that fateful day, inflated, with beautiful outlines that would make women watch him slowly.


    But the feeling of his cultivation was much more impressive than his appearance.


    Starclaw could feel it as she watched her master, noting how he looked fiercer than ever.


    While absorbing the medicinal effects of Julian''s pill, Minos had taken the opportunity to ''rebuild'' part of his sacrificed foundation to form the supreme weapon, Divine Sword, by mixing the powers of the pill with the chaotic energy of the giant bones in the Spatial Kingdom.


    Because of this, he now felt even more connected to those bones and was absorbing more and more of the powers coming from the Spatial Kingdom.


    His cultivation, which he thought would take a whole year to recover, had been recovered in these seven days, and now he felt as if he was a little stronger than on that day of battle.


    With that feeling, he clenched his fists and stood up, smiling in a satisfied manner.


    ? ? ? ? ? ? ?, ? ? ? ? ? ? ?.


    ''The results were better than I imagined!'' He looked in the direction of Starclaw and his staff waiting for him on the outskirts of that cultivation room.


    Everyone there realized he had finished his meditation and was stronger than before. Thus, they were soon standing next to him, congratulating him.


    "Your Majesty, what now? What will happen?"


    Minos looked at Fermo and answered that hybrid''s question. "I will accompany the elder Julian. In the meantime, you should travel to the coast where I arrived. Starclaw will show you where my ship is. Wait for me there."


    Since Julian had found them in this place, it would not be interesting for them to go to the Spatial Kingdom from this position. It would be much better to do this in the East Sea, where they could ensure no one would notice them.


    They all understood the motives behind Minos'' speech, and no one there questioned him.


    ''Will you be all right?'' Starclaw asked him as the men of the Longus family left to begin their migration as soon as possible.


    Minos looked at her and said in the mind of this beast, ''Yes, don''t worry. Worst case scenario, I will escape to the Spatial Kingdom...


    Then if I don''t reach my yacht within two months, you must lead these people to the Black Plain Empire and join my forces in Dry City.''


    She looked at him worriedly but did not question him.


    "Good luck. I hope your going to the Pantheon Of Honor will be positive for our forces."I think you should take a look at


    With those words, she left, knowing that Julian was watching them.


    And just as Minos finished saying goodbye to his people, the space in his surroundings vibrated, and Julian brought him to his side, dozens of miles above that forest.


    Minos looked at this man who seemed to be meditating above the clouds and was silent as he watched him rise.


    "I see you have grown stronger... It seems that your talent is truly otherworldly, young Minos." This elder said, looking into the brown eyes of Emperor Stuart, now much more confident of his theories.


    There was something special about this boy. His powers were not normal, he cultivated very fast, and his understanding was absurd.


    Julian thought that it would take Minos a month to absorb the medicinal effects of that high-level grade-4 pill. But this young man had done it in 25% of the time he had stipulated!


    "I guess I got lucky," Minos commented.


    "It could be. But it doesn''t matter. Luck is part of our paths." After muttering this, he asked. "Ready? Do you still have something more to discuss with these beasts and hybrids of this place?"


    "No, I am eager to find out what your proposal is about."


    Julian shook his head and then distorted the space around him and Minos, quickly causing the two bodies to disappear from that area near the easternmost border of the Grinia Empire.


    Almost instantly, they appeared dozens of miles above a large city in the central part of one of the two neighboring empires of that other state.


    Julian pointed in the direction of where a grand temple stood and said. "Young Minos, this is the Pantheon Of Honor, the organization I am a member of.


    I don''t know what you have heard about us, but please disregard it. Let me reintroduce this place to you from the perspective of someone who has been part of this group for 11,000 years."


    Minos nodded, knowing that he could not fully trust Henricus Longus'' information since enough time had passed for this organization to change much.


    "The Pantheon Of Honor is one of the most renowned organizations in the Spiritual World, where only experts at the 10th stage or higher have the right to enter.


    We do not require exclusivity from our members, but most of us become exclusive after a time within our organization.


    We have some of the best cultivation techniques and resources in this world, as well as two Spatial Kingdoms. Only those exclusive ones can enjoy the best of what we have. However, even someone still involved in other organizations'' affairs can benefit greatly from being in our group.


    We have contacts with all the strongest families in the world, with the Elves Island and the dragon government of the Continent of Beasts. In addition, we organize the Continental Tournament, but we also have the largest network of informants worldwide.


    If something shocking to Demigods happens anywhere in the Spiritual World, our members would certainly be among the first to find out about it, even without being exclusive." Julian said proudly.


    "That sounds incredible," Minos said, already knowing some of this information but surprised by others. "But what is the purpose of your organization? What do people like me have to give in return for joining you?"


    "We do not desire domination if that is what you think. Our purpose is to study cultivation, develop our powers, and, who knows, reach new heights.


    So few of us have reached the 11th stage... We are searching for a method to change this and facilitate the spiritual development of our world!"


    ...

 Chapter 1770 Fair Exchange

    ?


    "Regarding what you would have to give us, that is support.


    In order to keep our members well-informed, we need people to collect and send information. So the first thing you would have to do upon joining our group would be to create a line of communication between the temple and your empire.


    In your case in question, you would help us collect information about relevant things happening in the Central Continent.


    But this is just the basics. As a group with access to the best contacts in the Spiritual World, our members also have to support each other, make partnerships, create opportunities and help with our main purpose.


    So, in summary, young Minos, you would have to provide us with your strengths, information, and resources, all in the interest of achieving our goal. In exchange, you would get everything I have already said and more, depending on your commitment to us."


    Minos didn''t think this exchange was unfair to the members'' side.


    What this organization was was very much like the format of guilds and associations of spiritual professionals.


    The guild usually offered more to its members, while individually, each had to give only a little of what they had. But by pooling that little bit from each member, the organization could reach new heights and make things possible that alone these people could not achieve.


    As associations, they didn''t demand exclusivity, but there was the possibility for it.


    Guilds and associations also had similar goals. All these groups sought to develop their professions and had their methods of bringing like-minded people over to their side.


    In the case of the Pantheon of Honor, its purpose was to facilitate the advancement of Spiritual Demigods to the 11th stage and to increase the number of Gods in the Spiritual World.


    Upon understanding how this organization worked, Minos immediately realized what kind of relationships should exist within this group.


    ? ? ? ? ? ?


    Just like guilds and associations, these people were probably subdivided into factions that competed for power in the organization.


    Meanwhile, some might indeed facilitate agreements with other members, but the opposite should also be true. So not all the contacts Julian was talking about that one could access in this organization could be easily obtained.


    There was definitely the possibility, and it would be easier for a group member to reach some contacts, but it was not as easy as Julian talked about.


    At the same time, this information, resources, etc., were certainly subdivided into levels. A beginner in the organization would only receive access to the basics and would have to achieve merit or something to get the best of this group.


    Minos pondered this and asked. "Why me? How would I benefit you by joining your organization?"


    Julian was straight to the point. "You would benefit not only me, young Minos, but the entire group. With a talent as refined as yours, perhaps you could help us answer our questions and get closer to our goal.


    If you don''t die prematurely, you will certainly reach my level one day. But what would happen then?" He asked with a smile, feeling somewhat anxious at the thought of it. "You would be an unstoppable monster!


    No offense..."


    "It did not offend ."


    "Then, if you join our group, we can develop our knowledge of this world, of cultivation, deeper and faster. Maybe, just maybe, we''ll have a chance to facilitate the advances of future generations with your help." He said with sincerity.


    He obviously preferred to enjoy for himself the benefits of having Minos on his side, but for someone who had lived as long as he had, this man would not believe that his group would get answers so quickly on this young man''s account that, in his generation, it would be useful.I think you should take a look at


    He had not given up his dream of reaching level 100, but he thought that if one day he would reach this level, it would not be because of some kind of help that Minos would give his group.


    So even though he was not so kind as to act only for the good of the generations yet to come, this man felt that Minos'' participation would be more important for future generations than for his own.


    "But of course, I cannot deny that I could benefit in other ways by bringing you into our group." He smiled at Minos. "As the one who would appoint you, you would enter the Pantheon Of Honor under my wings.


    That would mean that for the time being, I would help you more than you could give me in return, but in return, you would be part of my group, and every good deed generated by you would help my faction."


    He looked into Minos'' eyes and said sincerely. "Your presence would give me influence now, but it would give me much more in the future. That''s what I expect from you."


    It was natural that every action had a cost. If this man said he would do something to help Minos, anyone with a functioning brain would feel suspicious and naturally not believe it.


    So Julian preferred not to insult Minos'' intelligence and to expose his intentions to him from the beginning.


    He was not afraid of Minos, but he respected him. Someone with such talent deserved to be treated as an equal, even if he was as weak as this brown-haired young man still was.


    Julian was not afraid of what Minos would become. After all, as strong as he might become, none of it would matter if someone killed him in the middle of his journey...


    But he would not deny the benefits of being by the side of someone so promising!


    Minos saw no problem in giving something back to someone who would lend him a hand and help him. It was only natural that one hand would wash the other!


    There were no free lunches in the world, and he preferred to pay his debts whenever possible!


    "If I can join your group without giving up my freedom, I am not against these things you have told me about, elder Julian. But would your group accept a mere Spiritual Sage like me?" Minos asked.


    Julian became more serious. "Indeed, that will be a hindrance. But you''re not normal, so I think it''s worth a try. We have to talk to someone before that."


    With those words, he controlled Minos'' surroundings and moved, carrying Emperor Stuart to that city below them.


    Minos could barely observe that place as he saw the space in his surroundings moving so fast that all he could see were bright spots amidst the darkness.


    When he felt his body slowing down, he and Julian were already inside that majestic temple, where several auras of level 99 Demigods could be felt.


    Sensing that, Minos contained the urge to vomit as he felt the greatest spiritual pressure he had noticed in his entire journey.


    ''These people are really out of the ordinary... Great! I''ll join this group and try to build up my contacts for the sake of the future!''


    As he was thinking about this, a level 99 Demigod appeared in front of him and Julian.


    ...

 Chapter 1771 Quick To Decide

    ?


    "Julian, you have returned..." A man with many wrinkles on his face, white hair, and quite thin stopped in front of the two newcomers.


    He had his eyes closed and had a slight smile drawn on his face. His all-white clothes matched the clouds surrounding this temple, which was on a hill in the middle of the big city that Minos and Julian had been flying over a moment ago.


    Minos looked at this man and felt the vastness of the soul power of this person, who was certainly over 25,000 years old.


    He was at the absolute peak of level 99!


    ''Impressive. This person must be as strong as Vico and Maximillian!'' Minos looked respectfully at that man, who he felt was closest to becoming a God among those he knew.


    Minos couldn''t tell who was stronger, this old man or Maximillian. But he was almost certain that this old man was one step above that ''living mummy'' he had released into the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus.


    Amid his gaze at that person who did not hide his age with his powers, something strange but pleasing to some high-level experts, this old man had already seen everything there was to be noticed in Minos.


    ''That one looks like a good seed...''


    Julian then replied. "Elder Aarav, I am back from my seclusion. But on my way back, I met this young man." He pointed to Minos, smiling at the elder in charge of bringing members in and out of the Pantheon Of Honor.


    "That is Minos Stuart, a young man from the Central Continent who is passing through our lands."


    "Oh? Central Continent? It''s been a long time since I''ve been to those lands..." The elder smiled. "How are things going over there, young man? I hear war is going on between Vico Travisani and Maximillian Flamen."


    ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?.


    Minos narrowed his eyes, taking in this news for the first time. "I''ve been away from that region for a few months now, and I''m afraid I don''t have contacts as good as the elders. So I''m in the dark about the situation on the mainland after my departure."


    "So that''s it..." The old man already knew who Minos was, not because of Emperor Stuart''s accomplishments, but because he already knew about the Black Plain Empire.


    Julian became more serious and asked. "Elder Aarav, is there any chance to allow young Minos to join our organization? He has magnificent talents, and I think it would be a mistake not to bring him to our side immediately."


    Upon hearing such a thing, Aarav finally opened his eyes, looking directly at Julian. ''Are you really asking me that?'' He asked in this man''s mind.


    Seeing the serious expression on Julian''s face, Aarav was silent for a moment.


    He knew how powerful Julian''s skill was and how accurate it was. Because of it, this man managed to become a member of the council of the Pantheon Of Honor.


    In this case, perhaps Minos had a destiny that really justified his joining the group while he was still only a Spiritual Sage.


    After a minute of silence, this old man said. "It won''t be easy. But the other council members may welcome you depending on what you tell them. Minos Stuart is a ruler in the Central Continent, so that might help you too. But still... Sigh, his cultivation is really low."


    Minos didn''t feel bad hearing that. He knew that for these people, level 80 cultivation didn''t draw any attention.


    As much as only 19 levels separated Minos from this level 99 elder, the difference between them was more than 50 times, one technique more, one phase more in each of the techniques, but also in understanding the Natural Laws and ways to use the free energy in nature.I think you should take a look at


    As one became stronger, what increased the most was not the internal power of one''s soul but the understanding of the world. This gave the cultivator more control over free energy and the laws.


    So even if the difference between them was 50 times in terms of soul power, the actual difference between powers was much greater than this!


    This was so extreme that one could not estimate for sure the difference between the parties. One could only say that for a level 99 Demigod, a level 80 Sage was practically nothing compared to their powers.


    Minos was fully aware of this, so he was not offended by that elder''s comment.


    "I know, but he is very talented. Plus, I believe he will become a Demigod in less than a century. It will be worth having on our side before then!" Julian insisted. "I would take care of the costs of adding him to our group while he is not strong enough to generate benefits for us."


    Aarav was silent and said. "All right, I''ll talk to our council colleagues, but I can''t promise anything."


    Julian thanked him, smiling in a satisfied manner.


    He was part of the council, but to start a meeting, at least two members among the six elders that made up this group needed to use their rights to call a meeting.


    While Minos was observing the surroundings of this temple, a place as rich or richer than the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus, Julian suddenly disappeared, leaving him alone.


    A minute later, Julian reappeared in the area next to the elder Aarov and another person.


    Minos saw this and judged that everything had already been decided. ''Demigods are really fast... None of them want to waste time dealing with a matter of a mere junior.'' He laughed internally.


    "Young Minos, the council has agreed to consider your case, but you will have to earn that special appointment," Julian said before indicating with one of his hands the level 99 woman beside him and Aarov.


    "The council has assigned the elder Wren here to judge your case. She will test you, and depending on your results, you may or may not join us."


    Julian had invited Minos to join this group, but after discovering the price of joining this group, Emperor Stuart did not care to take a test.


    If the conditions were as promised by Julian, it would be well worth it for him to connect with these people. "Before proceeding with this test, are my freedom and autonomy guaranteed? I have my affairs in the northern region of the Central Continent, and I don''t intend to spend much of my time in the Divine Continent in the short term."


    "Yes, that may be done," Julian assured him. "Since you are still a Sage, you won''t be charged for anything for the time being, so until you become a Demigod, things won''t be so different for you than they are now. But even in the future, you will have plenty of freedom to continue running your empire."


    "Hmm, if that is so, then I am willing to go ahead with this test."


    With those words, Aarov indicated for Wren to move on.


    ...

 Chapter 1772 Beginning Of The Test

    ?


    When Wren stepped forward, Minos immediately saw that space and time had suddenly stopped functioning normally.


    The surroundings changed as pulses of spiritual energy surged from this woman''s body, the strongest Minos had ever seen.


    Her eyes brightly shone as Minos frowned and took a step backward.


    Amidst his strangeness, he found himself outside the temple from earlier, now in a place that looked like a gigantic stone labyrinth, completely orange.


    ''What''s that? Her innate ability?'' He wondered, looking from side to side with his visual ability.


    Unfortunately, this woman''s skill was so much stronger than all of Minos'' abilities that he saw nothing to indicate that this was just an illusion.


    From his point of view, reality had suddenly changed, and nothing in his surroundings gave any sign that this was not the actual reality!


    "That is a shocking skill, elder!" He sincerely said as he made a combat stance, preparing for whatever this woman was planning.


    Minos could no longer see Aarav and Julian, but Wren stood before him, slowly taking steps toward him.


    "Minos Stuart, as of now, you are under the Infinite Judgment." She said in a calm tone, "Be prepared. I have no intention of hurting you, but to test you, I will have to make you reach your limit.


    Are you prepared? Do you have any questions? This is your last chance to say anything."


    Upon hearing this, Minos did not back down and asked. "May I know what kind of test this is?"


    "You will find out. I will test your skills while the council elders watch you. You will be approved if you get at least half of their support. Otherwise, you will have to try to join us again when you become a Demigod." After those words, her body began to disappear while the labyrinth walls moved like puzzle pieces.


    "Good luck."


    ? , ? ? ? ? ? ?.


    Minos frowned at this expert''s vague words but accepted the situation, preparing himself for whatever it was.


    As he circulated his energies, looking from side to side, a gigantic piece of this puzzle suddenly plummeted above where Minos was standing.


    Seeing a shadow appearing above him, Minos immediately looked up and saw what appeared to be an entire mountain falling on top of him.


    He immediately tried to move, but as he did so, semi-transparent chains appeared on his ankles, preventing him from escaping.


    ''I can''t escape. Those chains are so strong they can hold a level 98 Demigod!'' Minos looked down at his feet and felt the surroundings getting darker and darker as that ''mountain'' fell on him.


    ''That must be the first test! Is she testing my resilience?'' He looked up and clenched his fists.


    Then Minos circulated his energies and formed his Soul Avatar, immediately activating the Indestructible Body.


    A golden layer appeared around his entire soul projection, nut failing to cover the large shackles that had become larger to bind his avatar.


    He then tried to activate Chaotic Gravity, but when he did, a gray ring appeared around his body, blocking the entire gravitational effect of his technique.


    Minos frowned as he noticed this and immediately tried to use another of his techniques, Divine Seal.


    But a new ring made of chains appeared around him, blocking his technique.I think you should take a look at


    ''Hmm, it seems that her innate ability is quite powerful. She can block the techniques she gave her victims... Impressive.'' Minos thought, sensing that this woman wanted to test his defensive techniques.


    Since he only had one of them focused on defense, he immediately focused all his attention on the Indestructible Body as he put his arms up, preparing to withstand the collision with that thing.


    The next instant, the puzzle piece reached his position, crashing against his open hands.


    "Aaaaaaagh!"


    A cry of pain broke from Minos'' mouth as his legs and arms buckled, and he felt pain all over every part of his Soul Avatar.


    Meanwhile, outside that illusion-realist, the three other council members of that organization were watching Minos under Wren''s test.


    Screens in front of each of these men, including Julian and Aarav, showed everything happening inside the illusion created by Wren.


    "This young man''s defensive technique is really supreme. He has reached a level where his body is as strong as a low-level grade-4 shield, almost on edge for the medium-level."


    "Hmm, even though he is a level 80 Spiritual Sage, he is holding up ''well'' to the level 90 pressure from Wren''s hands. But will he hold out any longer?" A blond, less elderly-looking man than some of his level 99 companions said this.


    Julian was looking at the screen before him, seeing a giant hand pressing against the puzzle piece above Minos.


    Seeing the elder Wren using precisely the power level of a level 90 Demigod, someone they accepted into their organization if they met other criteria, he couldn''t help but smile nervously.


    Julian had seen from his innate ability that Minos was weaker if he had some of his characteristics blocked, as the elder was doing at the moment.


    So he was afraid that Minos would fail and lose his chance to become a member of this group!


    Elder Wren would push him for five minutes, so enduring the first few moments of this test didn''t mean that Minos would pass it successfully!


    "Julian, this boy is talented, but I still see no reason for you to speak on his behalf." An elderly man with silver hair, dressed in a golden cloak, said this.


    Julian looked at the oldest of the council elders and said respectfully. "Elder Merritt, young Minos'' main skill makes him very strong, but to use it, he needs people in his surroundings to strengthen him.


    Without it, he cannot do much of the things that have caught my attention."


    "So he depends on others to be powerful?"


    "Yes, but they don''t have to be allies or acquaintances. There just has to be someone not so powerful that he has no chance of fighting with them for young Minos to be able to use them to strengthen himself." Julian said, trying not to make Minos seem dependent on allies.


    If Minos'' ability only worked with people in his group, then this, while useful, would not be so good, as one could not always rely on friends and allies.


    But if his ability worked the same way on enemies and strangers, then since there would always be beings in every corner of the Spiritual World, he could always count on such an ability.


    That was a very good thing!


    "Oh?"


    ...

 Chapter 1773 Mental Strength

    ?


    "If that''s true, he must be pretty weakened in the elder Wren''s test," Aarav commented.


    "Elder Wren, put an opponent inside your illusion so we can test how this young man can get stronger. I want to see how accurate Julian''s words are." One of those very strong, middle-aged-looking, level 99 men suggested.


    They all trusted Julian''s abilities to highlight talents and discover impressive things. So it was worth giving Minos a chance and letting him show his true powers.


    Wren didn''t like being ordered around like this, let alone having to create a worthy opponent for Minos. It seemed that she would be easing the test on him by doing so.


    But since the others seemed to agree with the idea, she immediately manipulated her ability, creating a level 85 warrior next to Minos, while Emperor Stuart suffered not to be crushed by that puzzle piece.


    "Someone at that level must be weak enough for him, right?" She looked in Julian''s direction.


    "Hmm, I believe so." He said, focused on what Minos would do next.


    Meanwhile, inside the illusion created by Wren, Minos noticed the emergence of a level 85 warrior below his avatar.


    Looking at that person, he was even more amazed at this woman''s ability.


    ''If she becomes a God someday, she will be able to create her illusory world! This ability is really terrible!'' He thought but immediately tried to activate his innate ability on that man looking at him defiantly.


    Minos immediately realized that the people testing him wanted to see if it would strengthen him in any way because it wouldn''t make sense for someone of level 85 to show up there to attack him or anything.


    Just the ''mountain'' above him would be enough to crush him in a few more moments!


    Then, in the blink of an eye, Minos stole the cultivation base of that imaginary being, who had a spiritual spark he could access the same way he did with real opponents.


    Suddenly Minos'' level rose to level 81!


    When this happened, his Soul Avatar as a whole became stronger, and he lifted his body a little more, better withstanding the pressure of that ''mountain.''


    The elders outside the illusion saw that and reacted in the way Julian had already expected.


    "He raised his level?"


    "Is that really possible?"


    "Innate abilities have no limits... This young man was born with a rare ability of energy control." The oldest of these elders commented, looking with much more interest at Minos. "It''s not for nothing. That''s why Julian recommended him."


    Everyone commented something about Minos'' ability, while Wren frowned, sensing how easily Minos had improved his conditioning.


    "But is that your limit?"


    Then Minos'' level rose to level 82, further eroding the powers of the originally level 85 imaginary being!


    In that instant, Minos could lift his entire body and successfully hold the puzzle piece above him.


    The weight of it was impressive, and every muscle in his body was trembling. However, unlike moments ago, now Minos could hold it for as long as Wren would push him.


    All the high-level Demigods watching him stood silently appraising him for the next few moments, watching Minos withstand Wren''s movement.


    It was clear to them that Minos'' limit was the beginning of level 90 while not using his fusions.


    But they had all heard from Julian that he could fuse techniques and had even performed the miracle of fusing three techniques simultaneously.I think you should take a look at


    These men still hoped to see more of him, even if they wouldn''t give him a chance to do any of these fusions.


    What they wanted to judge were Minos'' basics, how solid his cultivation was, how his innate ability could evolve if he reached level 100, and a Divine-grade Physique.


    The foundations of his techniques were what was most relevant for his fusions to be powerful, so seeing these techniques in action was more important than anything else.


    After 5 minutes of the first test, Wren made a few hand seals, and the puzzle piece above Minos disappeared, relieving the pressure on him.


    Immediately after this, Minos felt a great deal of mental pressure falling on him as the floating pieces in the surroundings came together to form an exquisite square, preventing the passage of light to where he was standing.


    Amidst the darkness, creatures seemed to form in his surroundings while his vision became blurred.


    However, as she tried to test Minos'' mental soundness, Wren frowned, noting that he was much stronger mentally than physically.


    "It looks like he''ll pass this test easily." She commented as she felt him activating several abilities simultaneously, not being able to stop him from doing so while respecting the rules imposed by her companions.


    Infinite Dream!


    Minos immediately activated his mental technique, feeling a much lighter weight on his mind.


    But he didn''t stop there. Elder Wren could impede his techniques, not his abilities.


    While still at level 82, Minos quickly activated visual ability and Dark Sea simultaneously.


    Darkness was one of his great affinities. Elder Wren''s test had a major flaw due to the ability he had gained from the God of Death''s inheritance.


    When the darkness in the surroundings synchronized with that generated by Minos'' soul, the imaginary creatures forming in the area immediately dissolved into thin air.


    At the same time, Minos'' eyes shone brightly, and he could see better in the dark, seeing through the enemy''s movement.


    Using these three movements simultaneously, Minos destroyed the elder Wren''s attempt at mental pressure on him!


    Crack!


    The large cube formed cracked, and light again entered that inner area, signaling another success for Minos.


    Seeing this, Julian smiled outside that illusion-realist, noting that his fellow council members were approving of Minos'' abilities.


    ''Keep it up, young Minos. Two more successes, and I''m sure you''ll be accepted into the Pantheon Of Honor!''


    Meanwhile, the four elders watched Minos as he broke elder Wren''s test, staring at the screens in front of them with smiles in their eyes.


    Just as Julian had thought when he first met Minos, they were all considering what Minos would become when he reached their cultivation level.


    None of them felt threatened by this thought because they thought that by then, they would either be dead or would have advanced to level 100.


    So all that was in their minds at the moment was interest and anticipation for what would happen if he succeeded in the challenges on his journey and one day became like them!


    ...

 Chapter 1774 The End Of Tests

    ?


    As the elders of the Pantheon Of Honor watched the screens in front of them, watching Minos, he faced a new challenge in the illusion created by Wren.


    After the mental test, Minos had a few seconds to breathe and prepare for the new test because of how easy he had it to overcome that challenge.


    But a new test began when his level 82 was starting to become unstable, showing signs that it would return to level 81.


    Several huge puzzle pieces in his surroundings, moving in different directions, suddenly changed their behavior and started flying toward Minos.


    Upon noticing this, Minos noticed that the chains were still holding him on his heels, so he promptly considered that now another of his techniques would come under test.


    The previous test had been more obvious about what kind of ability was being tested, so he hadn''t been confused about using his mental abilities and powers of darkness. But seeing these moving parts, he didn''t know what was under test and tried to activate one of his attack techniques.


    Chaotic Gravity!


    It was not yet time for him to show the prowess of his 7th technique, and once again, a gray ring appeared around him, preventing this technique from taking effect.


    Noticing this, Minos tried to activate the Spatial Sword without using a weapon since, with his legs bound, it would be difficult for him to ''dance'' with his weapon.


    Techniques that depended on the use of weapons had one weakness in particular¡ªthe user''s movement.


    As much as they depended a lot on the spiritual level of their users, techniques like this depended on the movement and body freedom, flexibility, in short, characteristics related to the user''s body.


    Like a boxing punch would need to ''pick up'' momentum by changing angles to become stronger, a sword blow, or various other types of weapons, needed to be directed in special ways to have the best effect.


    Without the freedom to move, Minos did not pick up his weapon and simply activated his oldest offensive technique with its newest capabilities.


    His spiritual movement soon took effect, and he realized that this technique would be tested at this time.


    So as several pieces of this giant puzzle flew towards him, Minos created several spiritual blades in the vacuum of space, preparing them to attack these moving targets.


    When they entered his range, he immediately moved each of these swords mentally, making them use the advantage of being hidden in the vacuum to suddenly attack these targets.


    The first blades appeared, and as soon as they got close enough to their targets, the restrictive effects of the Spatial Sword showed themselves, causing the speed of those great objects to slow down significantly.


    They didn''t entirely stop since it was at the limit of Minos'' power. But as they lost much of their speed, each became an easier target for his spiritual blades!


    Swooish!


    The air was cut by several of these blades until the first of these huge pieces was hit.


    At that instant, the blade in question penetrated the center of that piece, and then...


    BOOM!


    The piece exploded into dozens of smaller pieces as that blade simultaneously disappeared.


    Next, several more such explosions would take place within a kilometer of Minos without any of these larger pieces hitting him.


    The fragments of them would even continue flying towards him. Still, having lost most of their power, none of them would do any damage to Minos, even if they hit him.I think you should take a look at


    When all these pieces were finished being destroyed, Minos'' level dropped to level 81 and then to level 80 in the blink of an eye.


    After three tests in a row, he had reached his limit!


    "Hmmm, his ability is obviously temporary." One of the high-level Demigods watching him commented, not the least bit surprised.


    Such an impressive ability had to have its weakness!


    "But it''s not bad. He endured tests that could severely injure newly-advanced level 90 Demigods. At least temporarily, his combat proficiency is similar to ordinary people new to our stage." Another man said.


    Julian then added. "Young Minos could still fuse three techniques at once and generate a supreme weapon capable of threatening the lives of even level 93 Demigods.


    That''s obviously not something he can count on whenever he wants, but we can''t ignore it. In addition, he can make ordinary fusions and use several of them before exhausting himself.


    Let''s not forget that the elder Wren is blocking several of his techniques. This would not happen in ordinary combat, and he could use several of these techniques to weaken his opponents and strengthen himself."


    After his words, those men were silent, pondering this.


    Julian took advantage of the silence and suggested. "From what I know, young Minos should have a technique capable of hindering his opponents'' use of free spiritual energy in nature.


    Elder Wren, could you test this? Have him encounter several opponents of a similar level to that other one you used early activating techniques against him."


    The other elders accepted Julian''s recommendation, and soon, Wren would do as suggested, testing the Devouring Art of Minos.


    ...


    After almost a full hour of testing Minos, the high-level Demigods of the Pantheon Of Honor saw enough of Emperor Stuart''s abilities.


    In their opinion, Minos had much the better to become like some of that organization''s most talented level 90 members. However, it was a fact that he could fight level 90 opponents without his life being in extreme danger.


    At the same time, if he used his fusions, he could go much further, even at only level 80.


    Minos had failed when he was tested after the Devouring Art because he was already exhausted, and without being able to rely on all his techniques simultaneously, he had finished the test with his lowest combat proficiency.


    But those elders had seen enough of him.


    Before Wren brought him back from that illusion, the six council members looked at each other, confident that they had seen enough.


    "The boy is really promising. Maybe his potential is as great as Vico Travisani''s." The oldest in that place commented, remembering this fellow, one of the most talented he had ever seen in his long life.


    Vico was not only a monster in the Central Continent, but he was also respected throughout the Spiritual World.


    Among the current generation, he was one of the favorites to become the next human God!


    "So, what shall we do with him? Minos Stuart has a long way to go, but I believe he can easily overcome his weaknesses in less than a decade." Aarav commented. "He should not take long to actually reach level 82. When that happens, his combat proficiency will surpass the minimum we require of our members."


    ...

 Chapter 1775 Entrance To The Pantheon Of Honor

    ?


    With the words of Aarav, a member of the same faction as Julian, the other level 99 Demigods could not disagree with his words.


    Minos was already in the middle of level 80, so reaching level 81 could happen quickly. Cultivation became more difficult along the ranks, so even though reaching level 82 was probably going to be a bit harder than level 81, it still wouldn''t be a big deal for someone of Emperor Stuart''s age.


    "It makes sense... We should consider that he has the minimum to join us." Another elder said, as Julian smiled, for with Aarav and this person, they would already have half the council, enough to move on to the next phase of Minos'' entry into this organization.


    Obviously, the entrance of people into the Pantheon of Honor didn''t depend only on the level of those interested. That was only the minimum requirement for the organization to consider welcoming new members.


    But with the council members'' approval of Minos'' strength and potential, Julian knew he could handle the other bureaucracies on his own to bring this young man to his side.


    Then Wren said. "I also approve of the strength of this Minos. His ability to steal cultivation base is impressive. If he one day reaches level 99, could he steal the energies of others of the same level and approach level 100 at least temporarily?


    Maybe this is what we need to figure out a method to enable the advancements of more of us to the 11th stage."


    The oldest of this group clenched his fists and said. "Okay, I think everyone agrees about Minos'' potential. So let''s make that exception for him to join our group even though he is a Spiritual Sage.


    Does anyone here disagree?"


    No one said anything.


    This was a unanimous decision!


    The old man then said. "Very well, Julian, take care of the other procedures for Minos'' entry into our group. However, we won''t make any more exceptions for him. He must fulfill the other requirements to become an active member of the Pantheon Of Honor."


    With those words, the elder left without waiting for a response from Julian.


    The others agreed and soon disappeared from there as well, leaving only Wren, Aarav, and Julian.


    Julian looked in the direction from which that old man departed and said. "I will do my best to make him fit our standards."


    As Julian clenched his fists in anticipation, Wren deactivated her innate ability, and Minos finally saw his surroundings returning to normal.


    He was pretty tired at the moment, pale from the latest defeats within Wren''s ability, with various injuries here and there.


    His soul was the most exhausted part of him, but nothing he had suffered in the last few minutes would leave any after-effects behind.


    Minos found himself free of the chain that had been preventing him from moving and dropped to the ground, laying down to rest after all he had been through.


    "Congratulations, young Minos. You have demonstrated enough for us to proceed with your membership in the Pantheon Of Honor." Julian said to him as he showed one of his hands to help him up.


    Wren smiled at Minos but said nothing, soon leaving there for her own affairs.


    This young man had a lot of potential, but she didn''t expect to see his questions answered in a short time.


    But she would definitely look more into Minos in the future!


    Aarav was the only one who continued to stand beside Minos and Julian, as he was in charge of that area at the moment.I think you should take a look at


    "Did I make it?" Minos asked before letting out a long sigh.


    It would be a great loss for him to go through all the suffering of the elder Wren''s test if he didn''t pass!


    He took one of Julian''s hands and stood up, soon grabbing some fruits from one of his rings to eat and regain some of his strength.


    "Now we will have to go through the bureaucratic process," Julian told him while giving him some time to recover enough of his energy to be able to move on his own.


    "First, you won''t receive any benefits until you are properly registered and start providing your support. Then it will take about two years before you have access to the things I promised you. That''s not a problem, right?"


    Minos nodded, indicating that he wouldn''t mind waiting only two years.


    Julian smiled at him and continued. "You must sign some contracts, but it''s no big deal. This will only serve to ensure that you don''t act unreasonably against other of our members in the future, as well as accept the norms of the organization.


    After that, we will have to evaluate the level of support you can provide... But don''t worry about that. Even if you alone can''t get enough, I and my faction will cover what you can''t fulfill.


    Then we''ll certainly be able to get you registered in a few weeks."


    "Oh? I thank you then." Minos said, already feeling better.


    He followed Julian through that temple, soon saying goodbye to Aarav as he went to settle these bureaucratic matters.


    "Don''t thank me," Julian said on the way. "Return this and other favors when you become stronger.


    But for now, tell me about your enemies and allies. Is there any great risk to your life, young Minos?"


    "Hmm, Vico Travisani hates me. I unwittingly released Maximillian Flamen from his slumber, and now they are at war... If the Emperor of the Eastern Empire wins that war, he will definitely visit me." Minos said before adding. "I was also targeted by an elf who forced a contract on me. But I believe I can reverse that in the future."


    "What?" Julian looked at Minos more seriously.


    Vico was a monster, and elves, regardless of their levels, were extremely difficult to deal with!


    "But this is terrible! Why didn''t you tell me that your fate was so dark?" He asked in shock.


    "Is that so?" Minos laughed. "Maybe Maximillian will win the war... And I won''t have to follow the agreement with that elf until I set foot on the Elves Island."


    "Still... Maximillian is not guaranteed to win the war, and the Continental Tournament will take place on Elves Island soon. Don''t tell me you won''t take advantage of this opportunity?" Julian asked.


    "I hope to improve my circumstances by then, elder." He laughed bitterly. "In any case, I will keep fighting. There is no other path ahead of me, so I can only face these problems when the time comes."


    Julian sighed upon hearing this, but these problems would not affect him directly, and he judged that it was still worth investing in the relationship with Minos.


    "All right, we''ll talk about it later. Right now, we''d better focus on fulfilling the requirements for you to become one of us."

 Chapter 1776 Requirements

    ?


    To enter the Pantheon Of Honor, one not only had to be an influential expert by their individual strengths. They had to have the ability to sustain a rapid information network spread over large areas, maintain the operation of at least medium-level grade-4 arrays, have resources relevant to Demigods, and more.


    By entering the Pantheon Of Honor, they could have access to much more, but in the first place, they had to be at least relevant and have the potential for future growth.


    Not just any Demigod with no prospects of one day being on top of the world could enter this select group!


    For example, even if Queen Mcbride wanted to join this group, she couldn''t since her limitations were many.


    Most of the Spiritual World''s Demigods fell into the same category as her. Therefore, the entrance procedure was much more complex than just the previous test.


    That had been done to judge whether it was worth their while to make an exception for a level 80 Spiritual Sage. Yet, it had not been a test to accept him once and for all into this organization.


    Minos still had to pass the Pantheon Of Honor criteria, promise not to engage in unwarranted wars against members of this select group, and pass a period of analysis.


    The analysis period lasted 2 years, and during this time, the candidates for new members of this institution joined this group as external members, who had the same duties as de facto members but without rights.


    If they could support the requirements of the Pantheon of Honor, then they were made members and could begin their journey within this group.


    ??


    Minos heard this group''s criteria and rules as he spent almost 3 hours going back and forth from one side of that temple to the other with the elder Julian.


    Now he was about to sign a Soul Contract with the most powerful spiritual judge he had ever seen, a level 97 Demigod, when he asked. "Before I sign this, I would like to know how many members the Pantheon Of Honor has. By the way, is there anyone from the Central Continent in the group? Could I know their names?"


    Julian answered Minos'' question. "We don''t consider subordinates of our members as part of our organization, although they contribute a lot to us. So we have only 48 members at the moment.


    But we can easily reach tens of thousands of people around the Spiritual World because of our members'' branching contacts."


    "What about my continent?"


    Julian then said. "We have two members of our group from the Central Continent. One is from the Mairin kingdom, and the other is from Lusmait. But I cannot give you their identities until your entry into our organization is approved."


    ''Lusmait and Mairin?'' Minos wondered, figuring that the big states didn''t get involved with this organization because they didn''t have much to gain from them.


    As states that sought supremacy and wanted to be on top alone, would it make sense for them to join a group that wanted to ''democratize'' level 100?


    But Lusmait and Mairin were two states weaker than the great empires on that continent.


    As for others like the Flowers Kingdom, their situation could be explained by their inability to have enough to receive an invitation from that organization.


    "I didn''t expect that... Do you guys have more people from other continents? Are there beasts and beings of other races in the group?" Minos questioned.


    "We do. We have 2 representatives from the Continent of Beasts, 1 from the Marine Empire, 1 from Elves Island, and 1 from the South Sea. Other than that, the rest are humans or human hybrids, mostly from our continent."


    That was an impressive lineup! It was no wonder this group had contacts all over the Spiritual World and was still behind the Continental Tournament!I think you should take a look at


    "Impressive," Minos said, concluding that he would have no problem signing this agreement with Julian''s group.


    So he confirmed his Soul Contract, assuring them that he would not try to hinder the members of Pantheon Of Honor without good reason and that he would keep in touch and help the group in its purpose.


    For the time being, his rights and responsibilities would be small, even when he would be effective in this group. So little of his quiet life in the Black Plain Empire would be changed in the coming years.


    But Minos was very interested in what would happen once he reached the end of the 9th stage.


    It would be time for him to make his name within this organization and reach out to important contacts for the catastrophe that would surely hit this world!


    He was pleased about this, happy that this group from the time of Henricus Longus not only still existed but was even stronger than it was then.


    As he finished settling these primary matters regarding his entry into the Pantheon Of Honor, Julian told him. "That''s all for today, Minos.


    As far as the organization is concerned, everything is ready, and I will take care of what is necessary for you to be effective 2 years from now. However, as your supporter and the one who will give validity to several of your responsibilities in the short term, I need to introduce you to my faction.


    So wait in this city. I will meet you and introduce you to the group in a maximum of a week. After that, you will be free to return to your empire in the Central Continent."


    Upon hearing this, Minos saw no problem and immediately agreed to stay in this city for a few more days.


    When Julian left him outside that temple, he immediately headed towards that city, interested in seeing the area and maybe shopping.


    With nothing to do in this place, he could only focus his time on getting to know the first city in the Divine Continent that he had the opportunity to see with his own eyes!


    ...


    As Minos explored that city where the headquarters of the Pantheon Of Honor was located, the war between Vico and Maximillian was already heating up, rapidly changing the lives of hundreds of millions of people.


    Maximillian had not hesitated to start the conflict with Vico after the Supreme Pontiff had left for his seclusion. Now having faced the supposed strongest on the continent, he was aware of how difficult it would be to achieve his plans.


    But he had his advantages to reckon with!


    He looked at Vico''s son and smiled that Minos had helped him get this young  Demigod.


    With Vico''s heir in his hands, never could that emperor act freely against him and his group!


    Maximillian clenched his fists as he looked at that blond fellow and thought, ''Vico, you really are powerful. Even with a Divine Weapon, I couldn''t beat you.


    However, that won''t always be so! I will seriously injure you the next time we meet!''


    This black-haired man then looked in the direction of the Church headquarters. ''After that, it will be time for me to become a God!''

 Chapter 1777 Blessed Place

    ?


    Two days later...


    While waiting for the resolution of Julian''s group, Minos was in that great city that was the headquarters of the Pantheon Of Honor.


    This was not the capital of this empire where they were, but it was one of the largest and richest human cities in the entire Spiritual World.


    As home to an organization with so many peak Demigods, 5 of them level 99, this city did not fail in any sense.


    There were high-level grade-4 professionals of all professions in this place, and the supply of resources for professionals of this rank was not lacking.


    Of course, the imperial government regulated some resources, and not everyone could access them easily. But from this city, a professional with good contacts could get everything they needed to produce and prepare for great things.


    There were also many creators of spiritual techniques and providers of a type of service that Minos was interested in.


    He would not buy high-level resources in this place since he had no professionals of this classification in his state. In the Black Plain, most top-ranked practitioners were only at medium-level grade-4 rank.


    He did not need to buy such precious resources that couldn''t be found in the Central Continent itself.


    What mattered most to Minos and his people were good techniques, such as those of Silver grade, that they did not yet have in abundance.


    Over the years, Minos and his people had accumulated many types of techniques, including several copies of Silver-grade ones. But they had few types of techniques of this quality, and most of them could not be replicated, as they were only copies.


    Being in a high-level state where he could contract out this service, Minos had already placed a few orders for techniques of these grades for the professionals in his army.


    Also, when he went out this morning to do more shopping, he went to a blacksmith store, interested in buying some items for his women.


    They were to reach the 9th stage within 1 to 4 years, so they would need armor and weapons of a new level.


    As he walked through the streets of this city to do this, he paid attention on his way, seeing several peaks on the horizon and the beautiful properties of this mountainous place.


    The views there were magnificent, not only those of nature but also those of the city.


    This city was flawless!


    The streets were paved in every part of the city, without any potholes or imperfections in their path.


    The carriages and wagons passing through the streets were the most advanced Minos had ever seen, with even a public transportation model that didn''t exist in the Central Continent.


    There was this special kind of vehicle where people could get in it even while it was moving and catch a ''ride'' to their point of interest and thus jump off.


    Moreover, in the sky of this city, several balloons could be seen, each with giant advertisements on their fabrics.


    But beyond appearances, the feeling of being in this city was magnificent. The spiritual density was extreme, and even without going to the Spatial Kingdom, Minos felt that he was hardly being harmed there.


    This was a continent blessed by the heavens!


    But as Minos walked around checking out the local quality, several beings on the street repeatedly observed him.


    Even in the Divine Continent, those who reached level 80 were in the minority. These lands had more than 6 billion residents, between hybrids and humans. But only a fraction of the population could reach the 9th stage.


    Minos, besides exuding a strong vitality, had a particularly powerful aura.I think you should take a look at


    Several people on the streets he passed looked at him with admiration and respect, as every expert in this place was treated.


    In parts of the Spiritual World, experts were feared. But in others, they were glorified and seen as examples to be followed.


    Minos had immediately noticed the cultural differences between this place and his homeland these past few days, feeling the good feeling of being looked upon favorably by people who didn''t even know him.


    In this way, he soon reached his destination, where someone rushed to attend to him as soon as he passed through the entrance.


    "Sir, good morning. Would you like some help?" A young man dressed in the uniform of this blacksmith store said as he approached Minos.


    "Hmm, I am searching for low-level grade-4 women''s armor and weapons..." He said, quickly beginning to be helped by that man, a Spiritual Emperor.


    Usually, in places like these, the disciples of the blacksmiths behind stores like this were the ones who served customers during business hours. So it was common for relatively powerful people to serve as attendants.


    This was so in stores of blacksmiths, alchemists, array masters, etc.


    Soon Minos would see some items that he felt would please his wives and give them protection against Demigods.


    Some would need to go through some adjustments, given the measurements of Minos'' wives. But he saw no problem in picking them up in a few days.


    Before leaving there, he left 60,000 high-grade crystals, which could not compare to the 200,000 he had spent in the last few days on original Silver-grade techniques.


    ...


    While Minos was shopping for his family and state, Julian met with some of his faction members.


    Some needed to move to this Pantheon Of Honor headquarters city. Still, he had already been starting conversations with his group.


    His faction had 10 people currently and was one of the three groups that shared power within this organization.


    But they were the weakest and least influential. Besides having only one level 99 cultivator, they had no level 98, and only Julian was at level 97.


    Most of the high-level cultivators in this organization were part of the other two factions.


    Most of these 10 people were low and mid-level individuals!


    But still, there were cultivators between levels 91 and 96 in this group, quite powerful and relevant people anywhere in the world.


    As such, their opinions need to be taken into consideration in order for Julian to start supporting Minos.


    "So, elder Julian, I hear that you have found a prodigy the council itself has evaluated him." A level 96 woman said, while two other Demigods were sitting around an office in a local mansion from the same city where Minos was currently shopping.


    She then asked. "Where is he? What is his level?"


    Julian smiled and said. "He''s in the city somewhere... As for his level, as much as he is only at level 80, he was accepted by the council unanimously!


    So don''t be so quick with what''s on your mind. Give the boy a chance, and you will be surprised."


    ...

 Chapter 1778 Temporary Support

    ?


    "Level 80?" That level 96 woman opened her mouth in surprise. "And the council unanimously approved this young man?"


    "Indeed. Elder Wren tested him herself." Julian said. "Don''t underestimate him, Rose. Young Minos is quite talented. Not surprisingly, he has a fantastic track record in the northern region of the Central Continent."


    "So he''s from that place..." A level 93 man commented, figuring that adding someone from another continent wouldn''t be a detriment to the group.


    It might not be worth the cost if it was to add a new member so weak and from the Divine Continent. But if he was from the Central Continent, where they still had no one from their faction in that place, things might be a little better.


    But still, the low level of Minos was a concern in that man''s mind.


    For those who wanted their faction to grow, a level 90 Demigod could take a long time to mature. But a level 80 Spiritual Sage would take even longer!


    As much as the advancement of Sages was faster than that of Demigods, their influence was usually not great until they became at least high-level Sages.


    So for at least a few decades, they would have to endure Minos without receiving practically any benefit!


    After that, they would still take a long time to rely on what he could offer the group.


    Julian understood what was on the minds of some of his allies and said in a more serious tone. "Guys, I have seen some of what Minos can do. I have looked at his basics along with the council elders. I know his potential is immense.


    I understand your concerns. If we accept him in our group, we will have to help him for a long time. But this is the only way we can get the best return.


    In a century, Minos can grow a lot and become what we need to change our status. So I ask you to give him your vote of confidence."


    Those people were silent at those words from Julian.


    Julian had not been the one to create this faction. Aarav had invited him 5,000 years ago to join this group. But among the current members, he was the third oldest and had invited at least half of the 10 current members of the faction.


    These people respected him greatly for this and for the fact that he himself was a great talent who could one day reach level 99.


    The cultivation at the 10th stage was so difficult that not everyone who reached it could reach level 99, even though, in theory, there was a possibility.


    So someone like him was valued everywhere in this world!


    His opinion and requests carried great weight, and even someone like that level 96 woman who had been even longer than Julian in this faction couldn''t help but consider her opinion.


    "Tell me about his powers." She said, wanting to hear more before making up her mind.


    Julian quickly summarized what he knew, "Minos is a young talent in his homeland. He created his state from absolute zero and currently has even mid and high-level Sages in his group.


    I believe that given the right resources, his group will have Demigods in a few decades.


    By the time he reaches our stage, I feel there will be some 10th-stage cultivators under his command.


    Furthermore, he is a ruler of a state with billions of inhabitants, so his resources are not weak. He has a lot of financial potential on his side."I think you should take a look at


    Those people looked at each other, and then Rose said. "Very well, elder Julian, I have a suggestion. I will temporarily support the nomination of this Minos. But I will reevaluate my position during the Continental Tournament.


    Let''s ask him to report to us during the tournament on Elves Island. If your expectations of him are not dashed by then, I will support him."


    This faction functioned by the votes of its members, who, regardless of their levels, had equal weighted votes. If these people decided not to support Minos, even if Julian was the strongest, there was not much he could do to have Emperor Stuart in his faction.


    Hence, he had to introduce Minos to these people and have their support.


    "I agree." The level 93 man said. "It would be unwise to bet so much on a level 80 young man. Even if he is as talented as the council elders think, nothing prevents someone powerful enough to kill him.


    There is no God to protect him, and level 99 Demigods are not all the same. So we can''t rule out the possibility that he dies prematurely and we lose our investment."


    With these people agreeing on this fact, Julian soon had the decision of a relevant part of his group to at least support Minos'' entry into this faction temporarily.


    At the end of that meeting, each went to their side, and Julian sighed in relief, feeling that he would get the majority of the votes.


    ''The Continental Tournament will take place in about 37 years. I hope Minos is still breathing then.'' He thought, as he moved on to another appointment.


    ...


    A few more days passed...


    After several days of business around that great city, Minos had already received all the techniques and equipment he had purchased during that period.


    With these items, upon his return to Dry City, he would greatly strengthen his women but also the bases of the Black Plain Army.


    Very soon, he intended to travel again through the Spiritual World, this time to the Marine Empire and the Continent of Beasts, where he would look for support to resolve the North Sea issue.


    Investigating that area would be crucial for him and his people!


    As such, he would have to seek more allies in a few years!


    Minos was only not doing this now because, according to information from the Spiritual Church, a ''gateway'' to the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom would soon appear near his domain.


    So he wanted to get involved with this alongside his wives first and then go out searching for more allies.


    At the moment, he already had some allied tribes of the Longus family and the survivors of that family on his side. At the same time, if his membership in the Pantheon of Honor was confirmed, he could use this organization''s contacts to gain more allies in the future.


    Therefore, he didn''t want to waste his time searching for more people in the Divine Continent and was only interested in returning to the Black Plain Empire as soon as possible!


    But that would not take long, and this afternoon Julian would come to him!


    ...

 Chapter 1779 The Plan And Projection Of Minos

    ?


    "Hey, ready?"


    As he was getting ready to meditate for a while, Minos suddenly felt someone appearing within his action space and heard Julian''s voice coming from behind him.


    He was not startled and looked at this high-level Demigod. "Yes. Have you finished with your preparations? I''m looking forward to returning to my home."


    "Haha, young Minos, you must be missing your wives." Julian smiled, already knowing that Minos had several wives in his harem. "Very well, let''s settle these matters once and for all so I can release you."


    "Are all your people gathered?" Minos asked.


    "Hmm, I have already talked to some members, but others arrived in the city earlier today, so they will hear about you for the first time," Julian advised him. "I will introduce you to them, and then you should talk about your plans.


    You don''t have to say anything about what you intend to contribute to the organization. Just talk about your plans for your empire and how you intend to become stronger and more influential. That will be enough for them to better understand who they will be getting involved with."


    "OK."


    With that said, the two quickly left that cultivation site, heading to a local mansion where the faction of Julian''s group maintained its operations out of the temple.


    ...


    Upon arriving at the beautiful estate of Julian''s group, Minos merely observed the surroundings of the open location where his meeting with this group of Demigods about to host him would take place.


    In what appeared to be a small garden, where beautiful plants adorned the surroundings, was a small rectangular pool surrounded by several stone armchairs, which stood under covers supported by pillars similar to the one Minos had spent time in earlier.


    There were 11 chairs available at the moment, 5 on either side of the pool and one at the end, where the elder Aarav was sitting watching Minos right now.


    The other faction members were equally distributed among the other seats around that pool.


    As they arrived there, Julian introduced them to Minos and briefly described who this guest was to those who didn''t know anything about him yet.


    After he finished talking about what he expected from Minos and indicating to the members his opinion about this young man, he sat down in his seat, leaving Emperor Stuart to talk a bit about his goals.


    Minos began. "Elders, some of you must be uncomfortable about welcoming a Spiritual Sage into your group. I understand your doubts and intend to answer them with my actions as time passes.


    For now, all I can do to introduce myself is talk about my future plans and what you can charge me for. I will sincerely try everything in my power to achieve these things, so let me show you my ambition."


    They heard these words, and no one there raised their voice, waiting to see what this young man had in mind.


    "In the beginning, the Black Plain was a mere territory in a kingdom that didn''t even have Spiritual Emperors. But we worked hard and changed that. We became autonomous, got allies, fought when we had to fight, and grew until the territory became more than 50 times the size it originally had, with a population tens of thousands of times more significant.


    In the beginning, my strongest subordinate was a Spiritual General. Today, it is a level 89 Sage.


    That was good growth, but nothing compared to my future plans." He spoke with great determination, changing his tone throughout his sentences to keep those people''s attention.I think you should take a look at


    "Currently, the Central Continent is going through a great deal of instability to the south. Because of this, the northern region where my empire is located can be considered an area of tranquility and opportunities for people fleeing the war.


    In these times, we expect to receive many experts fleeing the chaos of war while we grow in peace.


    Simultaneously, we are expanding our maritime presence, creating outposts in the northeastern part of the Ancestral Sea, where countless underwater mines of precious resources exist, with no power disputing the area.


    Through these two fronts, I intend to raise the level of the Black Plain Empire in the coming decades and raise the strength of my army, generating our first Demigods.


    This is what I have for the moment, but don''t make the mistake of thinking that we have limited ourselves to this. I will seek the peak of cultivation alongside my organization. Then as we achieve our plans, we will have new goals."


    Most there already knew several things about the Black Plain Empire due to the days they had to seek information about that state in the Pantheon Of Honor. As such, they knew Minos'' first words were not a lie, though impressive.


    They could not say that Minos was not ambitious when it came to his plans.


    But they really sounded good. Using the war to strengthen themselves with the fugitives from it, but also using an abandoned area to extract resources, were great strategies.


    Obviously, there were untold dangers with each of these actions, especially the one in the vicinity of the North Sea. But risks were natural for people defying the natural order of things.


    Minos, at least, was acting, and his actions had the potential for a great return.


    Thinking about it, these people could see the path he was willing to take to become stronger and more influential, something necessary to make their investment in accepting him into this group worthwhile.


    So, in general, these people liked to hear what Minos planned and were willing to be pressed on results concerning these things.


    They murmured a few things among themselves, while some kept active mental communication going, asking questions and listening to the opinions of the stronger ones.


    Aarav stood silently watching Minos, seeing that this young man would go a long way to becoming stronger.


    The level 96 woman then asked him. "Young Minos, since you are committed to laying out your expectations for growth, where do you see yourself during the Continental Tournament? How strong and influential do you hope to be at that time?"


    Minos looked at that expert in silence, wondering when that would be and how far he hoped to advance by then.


    After considering that, he decided to give a lower estimate of what he thought he could achieve by then to give him a good enough margin to positively surprise those people at the time. "I intend to be at level 88 and have at least 5 level 90 Demigods in my group, elder."


    Minos had been conservative in his projection, but he surprised everyone in that place with such an optimistic projection.


    "Oh?"


    ...

 Chapter 1780 Back On The Road

    ?


    Everyone in the surrounding area looked at Minos for a moment, thinking he was probably making an over-optimistic promise to try to gain their attention.


    He could probably get the Demigods since he had high-level cultivators on his side who, if properly nurtured, could rise a level or two in the next few decades.


    It was reasonable to consider the 5 level 90 Demigods, even considering that there was no way it could be guaranteed.


    But Minos reaching level 88 was something none of these people thought possible.


    The most talented in the current generation of the Divine Continent was the First Prince of the Grinia Empire. Still, even he had taken 64 years to advance from level 80 to 89.


    That was an average of 6.4 years of cultivation for each level!


    If Minos were as talented as the First Prince of Grinia, he would only be at level 85, maybe level 86, given that he was already near the middle of level 80.


    ''Perhaps he is considering his ability?'' Aarav considered and so did not question Minos'' promise. ''If so, it is indeed possible. One way or another, he would be pretty strong by then.


    I think our faction members will be satisfied with that.'' He looked at the people watching Minos thoughtfully in the area.


    "Level 88, huh?" The level 96 elder asked, closing her eyes and smiling at Minos. "Very well, that is a goal you created, Minos Stuart. I hope you will achieve it when we meet again on Elves Island in a few years."


    "I will do my best, elder." He said as he made a gesture of thanks, seeing that she would support him, even if temporarily.


    "With these goals Minos made himself, he made it easy for us..." Someone at level 94 said. "Well, I agree to accept him into our faction. But we should reevaluate him during the Continental Tournament."


    "I agree..."


    "That way looks good to me."


    Everyone there agreed, stating their opinions as their meeting drew to an end.


    After a few minutes, Minos greeted each of those elders individually, hearing their welcome and some charges.


    This group would support him in his obligations to the Pantheon of Honor for the next few decades. It would help him create a communication network in the northern part of the Central Continent that would connect with the rest of that organization and his other obligations.


    This would be more intense for the next 2 years while he would be under evaluation. But even after he became a de facto member of the Pantheon Of Honor, they would still help him until he became influential enough to ''fly'' on his own.


    "Minos, low-level temple members do not have to attend our annual meetings in person. But once every 20 years, we hold meetings to reassess our accomplishments, plans, and actions, but also personal." Aarav commented to Emperor Stuart after most of the group had left.


    Julian shook his head and said. "The last major meeting took place 4 years ago, so since you will have your position confirmed in 2 years, you will have to return to the Divine Continent in 16 years."


    "16 years?" Minos lowered his head and placed one of his hands on his chin. ''I think this trip will match the timing of me going through the Continent of Beasts with Emlyn...''


    "All right, it won''t be a problem. I will attend that meeting in 16 years."


    After those words, it wouldn''t take long for Aarav to return to the temple while Julian said goodbye to Minos.


    "Young Minos, you are free to return to your continent." Julian smiled at him, still inside that property of his faction. "You don''t have to worry about sending reports. We will send people to your city, and they will assist you and keep in touch with us."I think you should take a look at


    "OK." Minos thanked them and then asked. "Is there any way you can send me to the west coast of the Grinia Empire?"


    "Hahaha, no." Julian laughed. "I have some business to attend to now, young Minos. Have a safe journey!"


    After that, he disappeared in front of Minos while Emperor Stuart watched in his direction, clenching his fists.


    ''Damn it! I don''t even know which way to go.'' Minos closed his eyes and regretted that he had trusted Julian to give him back where he had found him.


    Now he had to find a way to get to the west coast of the Divine Continent in less than 7 weeks!


    If he could not do this, his people, led by Starclaw, would leave him behind, and he would have to find a new way to return to the Central Continent.


    With that in mind, Minos wasted no time standing still and soon moved through that city, feeling he had to find a map and, who knows, a network of wormhole ports.


    Wormhole ports usually only existed within domains of the same sovereign. So even though the three states of the Divine Continent were allied with each other, there was a high possibility that they would not be connected in this way.


    Things were different for Minos and his allies because the Black Plain was much bigger and stronger than their allies, and they wouldn''t need to use wormholes to ensure their domination or anything like that.


    But something like that would hardly work on a continent where the forces were so evenly matched.


    ...


    Hours after leaving Julian''s group and starting his crusade searching for information, Minos finally got a map of the Divine Continent. But not only that, he heard about the local wormhole network.


    Sages and stronger beings could open wormholes. However, no matter how much control one might have over the place where he left, one would never have it over their place of destination.


    Therefore, this possibility of travel hid a big problem!


    What if the one who opened a wormhole had as their destination an area of confrontation? That person would end up in a problematic situation where they could even lose their life if the battle were with beings more powerful than themselves.


    That''s what wormhole networks existed for!


    Not only were they more efficient than teleportation arrays, but they were also passages leading to safe places where battles would not threaten those arriving in a new area.


    That''s why these were the preferred travel paths of the Spiritual World!


    In the Divine Continent, there were many of these, several of them being private paths for organizations.


    But some could be used by people willing to pay.


    Minos found one of them after hours of searching and was at this moment leaving the headquarters city of the Pantheon Of Honor.


    This path he would take would not take him to his destination, and he would still have to fly through some regions on his own. But at least he could shorten his journey through them!

 Chapter 1781 Traveling Across The Divine Continent

    ?


    A whole month passed in the blink of an eye...


    After leaving the headquarters city of the Pantheon Of Honor, Minos reached the border of that empire with Grinia Empire in just four days of travel. Then he ran for almost two weeks through the great forest where the former headquarters of the Longus family was.


    But Minos had no idea where that place was where he had fought against the former Longus patriarch. His map didn''t have that kind of information, so he didn''t try to look for that place and then follow the same route he had taken weeks ago.


    Upon arriving in Grinia Empire, Minos moved cautiously through that great forest, avoiding fighting or even training in this area where even vegetables could endanger people of his level traveling alone.


    But finally, after a few days of crossing such an area, Minos arrived this morning at the first human city of the Grinia Empire by the route he had chosen to take, coming from the east.


    ...


    Upon arriving in a medium-sized city in the far east of the Grinia Empire, Minos immediately looked for a local wormhole port to continue his journey westward.


    More than a month had passed since he had said goodbye to Starclaw''s group, so that group was probably already waiting for him on the coast where his ship was.


    Minos still wasn''t close enough to Starclaw to use the Divine Seal on her to communicate with that bird, so he still had to keep traveling west as fast as he could!


    "Hello, I would like to know if this city has a wormhole port. Would you know how to inform me?" Minos asked a level 64 young man, an attendant at the restaurant where he had stopped for lunch.


    Seeing the 10 high-grade crystals, Minos gave him, that young Spiritual Emperor smiled and said. "Senior, there is such a place in our city. You must go to..."


    Minos listened for a full minute to that young man giving him directions to the only local wormhole port.


    With this information, he paid for his meal and set off without delay, heading toward such a place.


    After a few minutes of walking, he arrived at an estate that appeared to be a grand plaza.


    But this was not a square, but rather where the local wormhole harbor was!


    Ports like these were similar all over the Spiritual World.


    Every port of this type had numerous circular platforms, which looked like small fighting or dancing stages. In these places, there would usually be two large arches that, if looked at from the wrong direction, looked like just strange decorations.


    But looking from the proper direction, one would see dark portals that gave access to two ends of different wormholes.


    One end was the end or destination of a wormhole. The other was the beginning or starting point of another wormhole.


    Wormholes were simple and usually only connected one starting point and one destination. So ports that connected several different locations would have several platforms with those arches.


    Seeing that location, Minos immediately made his way to the entrance.


    "Gentlemen, we are under maintenance today. Please return in 3 days to use our wormhole network." An employee of that place said to the people arriving there.


    Minos heard this and immediately frowned, not liking this at all.


    "Are they under maintenance?" He asked while making an ugly expression. "Just now?"


    Looking at that Spiritual Sage, that official said. "I''m sorry for the inconvenience, senior. If you are in a hurry, we have the teleportation service running. Unfortunately, we only have one such array, and it takes you to the empire''s capital. So its operating cost is 5,000 high-grade crystals."I think you should take a look at


    That was a salty cost. Most Spiritual Sages lived on less than 400 high-grade crystals monthly...


    But Minos was in a hurry and surprised that young man. "Very well, where is that array? I''m interested in using it to get to the empire''s capital."


    The capital of Grinia was in a more central part of the state, closer to the coast than this city further east.


    That young man looked at Minos and smiled, seeing that this was a young expert from a good background.


    "This way, sir."


    He quickly led the way for Minos, leading him to one of the smaller platforms on that large estate.


    After making payment, Minos immediately entered the array area and waited.


    A second later, the space in his surroundings distorted, and a large amount of spiritual energy covered his body.


    Then, while he ignored the effects of arrays of this kind on living beings, Minos saw the surroundings of that square disappearing, with the change in his surroundings showing him a totally different place.


    One moment Minos was in a not-so-great city in the eastern part of the empire, and then he appeared in one of the suburbs of a great city, from which he could see a building that was so tall that the clouds covered its top.


    When he appeared at this other teleportation port of the same organization behind the other city''s port, Minos was immediately met by the officials of that place, who told him about the problem of that other outpost.nov?dot?\o/?


    "Senior, we are also under maintenance. Our entire network is. So we cannot provide you with our services for the next few days."


    In the capital of Grinia, Minos was not so bothered to hear this.


    In that city, there was certainly another network of wormhole ports willing to sell their services!


    With that in mind, he left the estate where he had arrived.


    But as he walked through the streets of Grinia''s largest city, suddenly Minos felt a familiar sensation and looked west.


    ''Starclaw? Starclaw, can you hear me?'' He asked in his mental connection with this beast, already within range of his 9th technique.


    ''Minos? Where are you? I don''t see you.'' Starclaw replied as she looked at the surroundings in a sea place.


    Minos laughed and said. ''I''m still not near you. I''m in the capital of Grinia. What about you?''


    ''Our group is already on the coast. We''ll reach your yacht in two days at the most.'' She answered him, feeling relieved that nothing terrible had happened to Minos.


    ''That''s good. I''ll try to get there in the next few days as well, but if I''m delayed because of any problems, don''t leave. I will get to you as soon as I can.''


    ''OK. See you in a few days.''


    ''See you.''

 Chapter 1782 Departure

    ?nov?dot?/o\?


    One week later...


    After communicating with Starclaw, Minos left the capital of the Grinia Empire and moved easily to the vicinity of the west coast.


    Traveling through authorized wormholes, one would hardly encounter problems on their way. Besides, Minos was a Spiritual Sage. At this stage, one would be above most living beings even if one lived on the Divine Continent.


    As much as there were stronger beings, the dangers for someone like Minos traveling even through stronger areas were not that great.


    The higher the level, the greater the rationality and intelligence. So even territorial beasts would not seek unnecessary trouble with people just passing near their territories.


    Unlike low-level beasts that would seek confrontations sometimes for pure adrenaline or to feed themselves, powerful beasts had no such needs and only fought when necessary.


    If there were no ''prize'' for getting into trouble with an unknown being, most would rather simply pretend not to be seeing or sensing beings near their domain.


    Who could assure them there wasn''t someone higher up behind young experts traveling around the continent?


    This was a doubt that beings of all types would have when they became more powerful and experienced. Therefore, the roads of this world were even safer for high-level cultivators, not only because they had fewer opponents capable of defeating them.


    But Minos had faced some problems in the final part of his journey to where his yacht should be waiting for him with Starclaw and all the people who would join his forces. In the middle of the way, Minos came across a clash of specialists. Because of this, he had to change his path and take a much longer route than he should have.


    One way or another, this afternoon, he finally spotted his yacht as he arrived where he had parked it weeks ago.


    ...


    Spotting his yacht while standing on a hill near that harbor, Minos sighed, seeing Starclaw and all the others living on it.


    That was a yacht for a few people, but the group had managed to fit the hundreds of beings that would be traveling to the Central Continent there.


    Luckily a large number of them had cultivation above level 70, so several could control the measurements of their bodies as they wished.


    Many of these normally large beings were in smaller sizes, with many even demonstrating lengths usually only seen in children.


    Minos smiled at this, noticing Starclaw in her bestial form, only slightly larger than an ordinary chicken.


    She looked like a doll!


    He put this image into his memory and smiled, shaking his head.


    Then Minos controlled the space in his surroundings and appeared above that yacht. "I''m back, guys!"


    "Minos!"


    "Your Majesty!"


    Everyone outside the yacht shouted simultaneously at his sight, smiling in satisfaction and relief that he had returned well.


    Many there were worried about their leader traveling alone across the continent, even though they knew he was already close to them.


    Even if the dangers for people of Minos'' level were not so many, they existed, and being alone, without someone to lend him their strength, Emperor Stuart was undoubtedly vulnerable.


    As good subordinates who depended on him, they were worried!


    Minos sensed over 1,200 beings between levels 60 and 89 on that yacht and said. "Well, don''t rush to come to me now, haha. There are too many of you here, so stay where you are. Let''s focus on starting our journey to the Central Continent.I think you should take a look at


    As soon as possible, I will send you to a place where most of you can travel comfortably in the coming months."


    Everyone on that yacht listened to him and immediately accepted his orders.


    Minos looked at Fermo, who was also the size of a child and asked. "Have you separated who will take care of this yacht during the voyage?"


    "Yes, Your Majesty. We already have a group of 50 cultivators who will take care of this ship. The rest of the staff can stay free." That hybrid said.


    "Hmm, great." Minos looked at Starclaw and asked. "What about our stay in this place? Have you settled everything?"


    "Yes, we can leave at any time." She answered him.


    With those words, Minos ordered. "Then it is time to leave. Gather the anchor!"


    Quickly those in their natural sizes, which were not floating near the yacht, such as some Spiritual Emperors who had not found space inside the yacht, began to do the departure procedure.


    With so many working, the yacht departed from that port in a few minutes, slowly moving away from the mainland.


    However, it would take several hours before they would get far enough away from these lands that no one there could see the Divine Continent anymore.


    In this initial period, Minos would use much of the time to put Divine Seals on these beings that would soon enter the Spatial Kingdom.


    But even he didn''t have so much spiritual energy that he could use his 9th technique dozens of times without exhausting himself. After making 69 seals, he stopped to regain his strength and then made 69 more seals.


    Following this, when the group finally reached a position where they could no longer see the great Divine Continent, Minos had already made 345 Divine Seals.


    At that moment, he went to these people flying above his yacht - because there was no room for everyone - and said. "All right, I want you to take each other''s hands."


    With that command, Minos saw them all do so and floated above his yacht, quickly picking out one of those people and touching his shoulder.


    They were all Spiritual Emperors who could not transform their bodies. As such, Minos first intended to send them out to decrease the number of beings on his ship.


    Looking at that person, he smiled and said. "Very well, obey the hierarchy of the place you are going. I won''t be able to get through there for now, so we''ll see you in a few months."


    Minos couldn''t go to the Spatial Kingdom inside his ship in normal situations because the ship was almost always moving. So he would miss the place he teleported to when he went there and end up far from his ship when he returned.


    Then Minos didn''t plan to go to the Spatial Kingdom for the next few weeks.


    But he had visited his family at that cultivation shrine a few times during his time in the Divine Continent.


    In a few situations, he had found cultivation places that completely hid his tracks, so he had taken advantage of these moments to see his family in these past few months.


    Unfortunately, several problems on this trip prevented him from letting his wives travel by his side. So they had spent all their time in the Spatial Kingdom.


    Not everything was under his control!


    Anyway, those people nodded to Minos, indicating that they would follow the rules of the place they were being sent, and then disappeared under the observation of him and several crew members.


    ...

 Chapter 1783 Back To The Empire

    ?


    After all those people disappeared above the yacht, Minos returned to the deck, feeling a little tired from simultaneously sending so many into the Spatial Kingdom.


    But he checked his surroundings for unwanted observers before focusing his attention back on the people in his group.


    ''Hmm, no one powerful around.'' He thought.


    Minos had checked this moments ago, but it was good to repeat his check just in case!


    He then looked at the other Spiritual Emperors there waiting to be sent out and said. "We will continue with our arrangements, and in three hours, I''ll send another group.


    All right, for now, don''t rush.


    I''ll regain some of my energy, and we''ll start again in a moment."


    ...


    Meanwhile, inside the Spatial Kingdom...


    Suddenly, hundreds of people appeared in the place in front of the lake house, where Minos had already warned his people in the Spatial Kingdom not to occupy this space.


    The moment she saw so many people appearing there, Emlyn merely raised her head and looked for a second in that direction before closing her eyes again.


    She was currently at level 77 but was very close to an advance to level 78!


    As soon as she realized that Minos was probably already returning to the Central Continent, she closed her eyes and went back to meditating.


    Meanwhile, Kyla got up from where she was standing and ran to those people, curious to see the first hybrids of her life.


    She was currently at level 75, but with fewer responsibilities than her mother to worry about, she ran to where Kendrick and Sarah were already watching those many newcomers.


    Kendrick had progressed considerably in his first year cultivating, and having recently turned 11, he was at level 26.


    Sarah was at level 64, and as she looked at several of those beings between levels 60 and 70, she frowned, not expecting that the first to arrive would be Spiritual Emperors.


    "Where are the Saints and Sages my father said would be coming here?" She questioned, attracting the attention of her little brother and Kyla.


    "I don''t know." This fox, already in her beautiful humanoid form, said to Sarah, whom she treated like a sister.


    Abby and Isabella were already outside that lake house, both smiling, for this was a sign that soon Minos would be back in Dry City.


    "There must be many people for your father to send here. He will do it slowly, Sarah." Abby, currently at level 79, said as she looked at the many people.


    They were all looking from one side to the other and smiling amidst the glorious feeling of being in the Spatial Kingdom.


    Isabella was also currently at level 79 and smiled as she saw those different people, hybrids, pure humans, and some beasts, react to this place pretty much the same way.


    "Welcome to the Spatial Kingdom of the Stuart family." She said with open arms to welcome them.


    Soon those newcomers began to fraternize with those who were in the Spatial Kingdom during Minos'' journey to the Divine Continent.I think you should take a look at


    But soon, many would realize that in addition to the high-level medicines they had expected to find, giant bones and a large corpse that no one expected to find were also there.


    "What the fuck! What is that?" Someone asked as they all looked at that gigantic being, which was more and more covered by the adjacent vegetation every day.


    ...


    nov/o\?


    In the next few hours, Minos would send two more groups of people, bringing the total to over a thousand people sent to the Spatial Kingdom.


    This would make plenty of room for the people sailing alongside him in the East Sea, but there were still more beings on his yacht than it could hold.


    After one more rest, Minos would finish making seals that would ensure that these beings would not betray him or talk about the Spatial Kingdom with others.


    When he sent the last group to the Spatial Kingdom, Minos was finally alone on his ship with those who would control his yacht for the next few months of travel.


    He had also already placed seals on these people, but they would not go to the Spatial Kingdom until they reached the Central Continent.


    Until then, they would take care of the activities that Minos and Starclaw had shared on their journey to the Divine Continent, which would allow them both to take time off to rest and cultivate.


    The journey ahead was long and tortuous, but with the strongest Spiritual Sages having stayed behind to join the crew of this yacht, few worries would affect Minos and Starclaw in the coming weeks.


    This time, the journey between the Divine Continent and the Central Continent would take 10 weeks, with fewer confrontations and incidents than on the outward journey, giving Minos plenty of peace to cultivate.


    With the chaotic energy coming from the bone in the Spatial Kingdom that had his seal, all this time, he would cultivate in seclusion in a cultivation room of his yacht, not advancing, obviously, but becoming stronger.


    By the end of this trip, when Minos finally left his cultivation room, he had reached the middle of level 80!


    In about another year and a half, he felt he could advance to level 81!


    With that in mind, he stepped out from inside the yacht and went on deck, from where without delay, he saw the silhouette of the northeastern Central Continent.


    "We''re finally back." He remarked as the staff of the Longus family part of that crew observed the lands from which their family had departed hundreds of thousands of years ago.


    In all this time, they had never returned to this place, so upon seeing it for the first time in their lives, several of them stopped momentarily to admire it.


    Weak or strong, this place meant a lot to them. This was where their ancestor, a God, had battled countless struggles and reached the peak of cultivation!


    "What shall we do now, Your Majesty?" One of those distant descendants of Henricus Longus asked Minos.


    "We will dock at the largest city in the Snow region. Starclaw, direct them." Minos said as he looked at this beast, the only one there who knew where the capital of the ancient Snow Kingdom was.


    "From that place, we will travel through my network of wormholes to my capital, Dry City!"


    With Starclaw''s directions, an hour later, Minos'' yacht would dock in the local harbor, where no one from the local forces was expecting the arrival of their sovereign this afternoon.


    When their group docked in the harbor and got off their yacht, the whole place immediately realized that Minos had returned from yet another victory and with new allies!

 Chapter 1784 Back In The Dry City

    ?


    As Minos arrived alongside several mid- and high-level Spiritual Sages, the local leaders immediately sought him out to congratulate him on his recent victories.


    Not everyone knew what he had been doing for the past few months. Still, this return said much about Minos'' recent accomplishments and the empire''s future!


    With these men returning with him, the empire would have a much more promising destiny than many had previously thought and would possibly have Demigods of its own in a few years!


    ...


    "Your Majesty, congratulations on your recent victories. The future of the empire is unshakable!" The current leader of the Snow area said as he saw Minos walking towards the wormhole port of this city.


    Minos merely waved to the local assembly leaders and representatives in the surrounding area while many of his soldiers there looked at him full of pride.


    Grace and Celeste were still in this city from Minos'' departure months ago, and they also greeted him.


    Both had advanced one level in that period, with the stronger one currently being at level 73 and the weaker one at level 72.


    "Your Majesty, are those our reinforcements? Did you manage to turn the previous situation in our favor?" Celeste asked as she walked beside Minos, directing him to the right wormhole that connected this site to Dry City.


    "Hmm, they are," Minos said in a low voice. "Luckily, plenty of seeds were willing to follow what their ancestor ordered them to do. So we''ll have a few more helpers joining the army."


    "That''s amazing! Congratulations on your victory on the Divine Continent, Your Majesty." Gracie smiled, wondering what these people on Minos'' side could achieve once they had time to cultivate in the Spatial Kingdom.


    The war between the southern and western regions had begun, so they would have the next few years with some peace that would allow everyone to improve their levels a bit.


    A single-level improvement for the strongest of this group would already make a lot of difference to the entire empire, so this woman was naturally anxious.


    Minos didn''t invest much in talking to his people there, even though he had several questions about what had happened in the empire and the south of the continent in the months since his departure.


    He would be arriving in Dry City before long, so he would leave it to his staff to find out exactly what had happened in his absence.


    "You will be going to Dry City soon, so we will talk more when the time comes. See you!" Minos bade farewell to the two, soon after entering a portal followed by the crew that had sailed with him over the past few months.


    These hybrids, pure humans and beasts, were curious about everything in their surroundings, noting how inferior this place was compared to the Divine Continent but still confident of their decisions.


    None of them were rash to judge something by the surface, so no one said anything.


    Soon, they were all traveling through the wormhole connecting this city on the east side of the empire with the capital on the west side.


    In a few moments, they would reach Dry City!


    ...


    On the outskirts of Dry City, outside the local pyramidal dome, the wormhole port in one of the capital''s satellite cities was operating as usual.


    People, usually members of the Black Plain Army, were leaving for destinations around the northern region, but not only soldiers used this place. Many resources were transported through wormholes between this state''s different areas and also of its allies.


    So it was very common to see large wagons with resources coming and going from this place.


    Naturally, with so much demand for this service, there was a lot of traffic there practically every hour of the day.I think you should take a look at


    At this moment, hundreds of people were coming and going from that large property, which, by the way, was as large as a shipping port commonly seen in coastal cities.


    Right in the middle of this area, one portal vibrated, signaling that someone was about to arrive.


    Immediately the officials around that portal blocked the passage of people to the platform, making room for the group coming from Snow''s area.


    nov?\?\o/?


    To the surprise of many there, Minos appeared from that portal a second later!


    "Your Majesty!"


    The soldiers in the surrounding area immediately bent their knees in respect to Minos, forming expressions of happiness at seeing their leader again after several months of him being gone.


    But then Starclaw and the mighty Sages of his group arrived behind him, soon filling that platform with dozens of experts.


    "That''s..."


    Gulp!


    As astonishment spread, the men in Minos'' group immediately noticed the differences between that city in Snow''s area and this place.


    The central area of the Black Plain still didn''t compare to the magnificent lands of the Divine Continent. But this place was by no means bad. From the spiritual density in the surroundings, the strongest people realized that even if they didn''t go to the Spatial Kingdom, they could cultivate to become Demigods in this place.


    "This really is a good place. It is not for nothing that His Majesty could develop his state from scratch and reach the current point. These lands can maintain the advancements needed for a state of this proportion!" One of the high-level elders of the Longus family commented to his companions.


    "The place really looks good, but..." As a woman was about to comment on the area, she suddenly saw darkness in the distance and frowned.


    "What is it here?"


    The strongest elder in the group commented. "I feel that if I go near that, even I would meet my end."


    Minos ignored the comments in the surroundings and said. "Come with me. Let''s go to my capital."


    With those words, they all disappeared from that port of wormholes, emerging a few seconds later on one side of the black pyramidal dome covering Dry City.


    Upon arriving there, Minos manipulated it and opened a passage for his group, entering the interior of Dry City without waiting for his people to make way for him.


    ''So this is His Majesty''s doing...'' The level 89 old man thought to himself, seeing that Minos had his own means of protecting his people in his absence.


    "Sigh..."


    ''The ancestor really was wise. He made a wise choice, even though he lived millions of years before His Majesty was born.''


    While some were thinking similarly, glorifying the name of Henricus Longus and acknowledging the monstrosity of Minos'' powers, the emperor''s wives noticed his return.


    When they noticed Minos'' presence, Ruth and Gloria immediately left what they were doing to go to him!

 Chapter 1785 Worry And Opportunity

    ?


    When they saw Minos back, Ruth and Gloria quickly flew to him, hugging him tightly, seeing their man after more than a year away.


    "Gloria, you have advanced to the 9th stage. Congratulations!" He immediately commented in one of this beautiful red-haired woman''s ears, feeling the vibrant level 80 spiritual fluctuation coming from her.


    Ruth had also advanced and was currently at level 79.


    Minos congratulated Ruth afterward, smiling in satisfaction at his women''s advances in his absence.


    The two grinned as they felt the warmth of Minos'' body, noting that he had succeeded and also congratulated him.


    "It looks like you''ve done much more than us in the meantime," Ruth commented as she looked at those specialists in Minos'' group. "We merely dealt with high-level Sages, but you defeated Demigods... Congratulations, Minos, you are now a world-class expert."


    "Nonsense." He laughed. "But how exactly did you deal with these people? I was worried about what the underlings of the former patriarch Longus might have done here."


    "We got help from the Mcbride family. The Queen sent some level 90 Demigods, and they exterminated those high-level Sages from the Longus family." Gloria said, looking at those beings in Minos'' group, feeling they would not like to hear that.


    "So that''s how it happened..." The strongest elder among those beings muttered, but he did not feel anger toward those women.nov/o\?


    They were weaker than such envoys of the ancient patriarch Longus. So they had the right to react to them as they wished!


    As much as they were his relatives, and he preferred to find them alive, this old man did not feel sorry for their souls and only sighed that some more of his family had perished.


    Minos understood how such a problem had been solved and soon realized that he owed a new debt to the women of the Flowers Kingdom.


    "I see... I will pay Queen Mcbride a visit in the future." He commented as he loosened his women''s waists.


    Soon after, Minos moved to his imperial throne palace, a good place for everyone to talk.


    As people followed him there, and the imperial guards prostrated themselves in his presence, Minos appeared in front of his throne before disappearing, heading to the Spatial Kingdom to seek out his family.


    He was swift, so in less than 10 seconds, he reappeared there, already with Abby, Isabella, Sarah, and Kendrick by his side.


    In the meantime, essential people from the army and local government also appeared in that hall, such as Dillian and Elen Nash, both currently at level 75.


    With the whole family gathered and important local government members, Minos presented everyone with his results of months of travel.


    "Alright, everyone, my mission to find the Longus family and resolve the threat upon us has been successfully completed. I have killed the former leaders of the family and brought back the remnants willing to follow me.


    We now have over 1,200 new members between levels 60 and 89."


    Upon hearing his words, everyone there celebrated, understanding that these people who arrived with Minos were new subordinates, members of the Longus family.


    "Most of them are currently in the Spatial Kingdom, but I will soon bring them to Dry City for them to join our army and gain their respective roles.


    In any case, I see that in my absence, many of you have made good progress." He smiled, looking at some of his old acquaintances but also family members.I think you should take a look at


    His Aunt Angelica was currently at level 78, while Patience was at level 80, the same as Maisie. Besides them, Lee and Alison had reached the 8th stage, with him at level 71 and her at 70.


    Ivory Moss, a former member of the Gray Clouds Sect, was also around, currently having reached the peak of the 8th stage, level 79. Meanwhile, several of the former elders of this sect had advanced to level 80, a pleasant surprise to Minos.


    He hadn''t expected to find so many Sages in this group after his return from the Divine Continent!


    The strongest of these people was at level 86, the Sage part of the group of relatives of the Goddess of Life, Esmond.


    "We did our best. Everyone trained hard in your absence." Ruth commented as she longed for some time at her husband''s side.


    After that, the people who had come with Minos from the Divine Continent introduced themselves briefly, fraternizing a bit with the high-ranking members of the local government.


    They were neither impressed nor disappointed by Minos'' strength in this city. They already expected that the composition of the local government would be more or less as they were seeing it.


    Anyway, they were pleased to see these people and this city, which was much richer in spiritual energy than the place they had arrived outside the city dome.


    After a few moments of conversation, Gloria commented. "We have developed the plans for our faction within the Spiritual Church well, while Ruth has deftly handled the affairs of our marine expansion.


    Our numbers have also been greatly helped by the migration of people fleeing the war in the southernmost part of the continent."


    Hearing this, Minos became more serious as he thought about the Vico and Maximillian war. "How are things to the south? I''ve heard that the war has started, but I know almost nothing about it."


    Dillian became serious and summed up what had come to the Black Plain so far. "Maximillian and Vico faced each other at the beginning of the confrontation. At that time, catastrophe spread across half of the Central Continent due to the confrontation between the two.


    Neither was victorious in that conflict. Both sides retreated when they were close to exhaustion. But the damage had already been done, and the border of the Flaming Empire with Mairin was devastated, victimizing hundreds of cities and forests between these areas.


    After the confrontation ended, tens of millions of people from the border areas of the western region began to migrate, many of them seeking refuge in the empire."


    Minos heard that, and everyone in the surrounding area became serious about it.


    It was a war of absolute proportions that they were talking about!


    This confrontation could threaten the existence of kingdoms and empires!


    In addition, countless lives were in danger, while crises of lack of food, resources, and many more could soon hit the entire continent.


    At the same time, this was an unprecedented opportunity for them to grow!


    While everyone was focused on the conflict to the south, Minos intended to take his state to a new level in the north of the continent!


    ...

 Chapter 1786 Opportune Times And Plans

    ?


    Minos listened to his people for some time, updating his knowledge on the situation on the continent and in the empire.


    In short, the continent was weakened by the war between Vico and Maximillian. Friendly states of the Black Plain, such as the Flaming Empire and the Flowers Kingdom, faced various problems caused by the clashes on their borders.


    Many cities were being abandoned in the vicinity of the battlefield while agricultural lands capable of supplying entire states were being left.


    Without people to take care of them because of the risks of the remaining crashes from high-level cultivators, part of the production of these states had been greatly affected.


    Meanwhile, the movement of people from practically every state on the continent, fleeing the war towards the Black Plain Empire or Divine Continent, had also been affecting the stability of every state.


    Cultivators of all levels, including Demigods, were leaving their home states. And even though several of the strongest were heading to the Divine Continent, most had to pass through weaker states, like Blackrock, to make their way.


    With Sages and even Demigods passing through states where the strongest were not even Sages, problems naturally occurred.


    Amidst this, the Black Plain was the only territory controlling the situation well, receiving migrants and maintaining its projects.


    This state already had a large population, and the number of migrants represented a small fraction of its numbers. At the same time, Minos had built up a state with allies across much of the continent, which was helping his people to control tensions with the arrival of powerful cultivators from the south.


    Simultaneously, the maritime expansion of the empire had been going very well, having accelerated greatly in the time of Minos and Starclaw''s voyage. To get an idea, currently, more than 2 million people of the empire already live in the underwater city northeast of the Ancestral Sea.


    From there, hundreds of thousands of tons of resources flowed to the continent every month, helping to increase the supply of resources within the empire.


    In addition, the underwater control of the Black Plain Army had increased more than 5 times in this period, and the group in that sea area was slowly moving closer to the north with their surveillance network.


    After hearing all this, Minos was pleased with his state''s recent progress, figuring they could make much of their plans in a few years.


    He had long been waiting for the time to investigate the North Sea. Yet, finally, the conditions for this were beginning to emerge!


    The conditions for the empire had been very favorable. Even though many hated Minos and his rising state around this continent, the powerful had no time to worry about him, given the problems in the south.


    Who would bother with the growth of the Black Plain when level 99 Demigods were vying for something?


    At the same time, those who might be interested in causing trouble for the Black Plain were no longer strong enough to threaten the people of Minos.


    So amidst all the current instability, this state had not been doing badly, and Minos'' forces were developing even better than he had expected.


    Minos then said. "It seems that the foundations of the empire are supporting our growth well. That''s good. I believe we''ll have enough strength to survey the North Sea in two decades at most."


    "Uh? Are you sure about that, Your Majesty?" Dillian stepped forward as the people coming from the Divine Continent waited for Minos'' words.I think you should take a look at


    They already knew about his fears regarding the threat predicted by Henricus Longus coming from the north. As such, everyone was already aware of his plans regarding that area.


    Minos nodded affirmatively. "Yes. We must do this within two decades. I believe that the war to the south will not last as long as many think. In two decades, we will have several favorable conditions to get concrete evidence of what is to the north."


    He then revealed some things that had happened in his recent passage through the Divine Continent.


    "While on the Divine Continent, I came into contact with a high-level force called Pantheon Of Honor. This force is an organization that does not demand allegiance from its members and functions more like an association than a sect.


    A level 97 elder invited me to join this group that has several level 99 Demigods in its ranks, and I accepted.


    Don''t get too excited thinking that these experts will help us out of pity or just because I have become a member of the organization. But through my joining the group, we will have access to people who can help us in the future, depending on the agreements that we can honor.


    So I believe our prospects are promising."


    Except for Abby and Isabella, all the other members of Minos'' family and his subordinates in this city were surprised to hear this announcement.


    Minos had left with the goal of only dealing with the Longus family threat. But he had not only solved that problem but also managed to get into a group that could give him access to so many peak specialists!


    That was impressive!


    Even if they weren''t going to benefit immediately, the very possibility of Minos being able to negotiate with these people was already a great advance for the empire.


    Thinking about this, Dillian smiled and felt the weight on his shoulders lessening, imagining there would be more alternatives for them in the future.


    Minos continued. "So combining the advances we will achieve in these two decades, the possibility of business with this group, and our other plans, I believe we will be able to move forward with the North Sea investigation."


    A level 80 elder formerly belonging to the Gray Clouds Sect, which currently only existed in the Flaming Empire, asked. "What shall we do first, Your Majesty? Information from the Church constantly reaches us saying that we are close to the opening of the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom."


    Minos had heard about this even during his passage through the Divine Continent, for this event would attract worldwide attention, not just from the Central Continent.


    He said. "We will focus on our internal affairs until the emergence of the entrance to this lost cultivation shrine. When that happens, I will leave alongside my wives to take advantage of the opportunities.


    I plan to travel to the Marine Empire and the Continent of Beasts soon after and finally return to the Divine Continent for some business.


    When those plans are completed, it will be time for us to travel to the bloody North Sea!"


    ...

 Chapter 1787 Reclusion Time

    ?


    "When we go to Elves Island for the Continental Tournament, I hope we know who our enemies are and have proof of their existence so we can present our problem to the world!" Minos said in a louder tone.


    He didn''t care about the prize of the Continental Tournament. Even if a Divine-grade medicine were to be given as a prize, his purpose would still be to seek allies in the event in question.


    His intention in partnering with the Sista family to compete and bet together in this tournament was also for the sake of his goals so that he would have a line of communication with this powerful kingdom.


    With these plans, Minos had less than 40 years to investigate the situation in the North Sea and arrive at this event with enough to shock all the world''s powers.


    If he failed, he would have to deal with the catastrophe predicted by Henricus Longus with only his allies.


    One way or another, these were his plans!


    After he finished speaking, the people who had traveled with him or who were in Dry City waiting for him began to talk among themselves, thinking about the possibilities ahead of them.


    A few decades were very little for high-level cultivators, so several were thinking about the short term they would have to deal with all these plans of Minos.


    But considering the alliances they might make in the meantime, many of Minos'' older subordinates and vassals were more confident in their plans.


    With each passing year, more alternatives came to them. Perhaps several solutions they had not even thought existed would reveal themselves further down the road, and this relieved the pressure on Minos'' more experienced companions there.


    But the younger ones were naturally worried and could not help but express concern.


    Amid these conversations, a soldier approached Minos and announced. "Your Majesty, a group from the Divine Continent is outside the dome asking for passage. They claim to be here on behalf of the elder Julian."


    "How quick," Starclaw commented as she stood next to Minos'' family, where a beast, also in its humanoid form, was looking at her with a smile.


    Little Green, level 80, another mount of Minos, couldn''t help but look at this beauty!


    But this bird was not interested in mixing its bloodline with a reptile like him and naturally would not pay attention to him.


    While Little Green was gazing at Starclaw, Minos ordered his men to allow Julian''s envoys to enter.


    "It looks like they were waiting for him to arrive," Gloria commented upon hearing Minos'' explanation of these what his role would be within this group and how he already expected people from the Divine Continent to come to his state.


    Quickly the group of envoys arrived at the imperial palace, joining these people around the throne hall.


    "Your Majesty Minos Stuart, we are here under orders from master Julian to assist you in your duties within the Pantheon Of Honor. I hope we can work harmoniously." A level 91 Demigod said while standing in front of a group of two other level 90 Demigods and seven level 89 Sages.


    "Hmm, I expect the same," Minos commented as everyone in the surrounding area watched this group. "How exactly do we get started?"I think you should take a look at


    A level 90 woman stepped forward and said. "I am sorry to interrupt Your Majesty''s reunion with your allies and subordinates. But we must urgently begin to establish our connections on this continent.


    To get started, we first need guides. We will set up our arrays in the most appropriate places and create a contact network between us and the others on this continent. That will connect us to the temple on the Divine Continent."


    "Unfortunately, Your Majesty''s trip lasted a little longer than we expected, so we must begin immediately." Another person and level 90 commented.


    Minos readily understood that these people should have been waiting for him for quite a while. They should have more efficient travel methods than his, and the time he had to generate results for Pantheon Of Honor was not long. So it was only natural that they were a bit rushed after waiting for him for weeks.


    "All right. My state is fully at your disposal to help you. Don''t stand on ceremony, just say what you need, and I''ll tell you who to talk to." He said to these people.


    "We need a map of your state with the locations with the best spiritual conditions for our headquarters. We will create at least about 10 information transmission posts around the region." The level 90 woman said.


    The level 91 man then remarked. "In addition, we need Your Majesty to give some of your staff for us to command. The empire must have contacts across the continent, but we intend to create a new observation network using these personnel.


    We will reform how you spy on your allies and enemies to increase the flow of information to the temple.


    For now, our main goal is to make this spy network operates efficiently and distribute information to our allies."


    Minos would have to get involved with other matters allowing these people to pass on to him the methods to fulfill the demands of the temple. But he wouldn''t have to worry too much about this, as Julian had told him, for these people would be advising him for years to come, even when he was already a de facto member of the Pantheon Of Honor.


    Minos knew letting these people work now would be best for him and promptly ordered. "Ruth, separate a group from the army to be under the command of our friends.


    Dillian, create a mechanism for these people to set up their posts and start their operations with the support of the Bank of the Black Plain.


    Gloria, you will help them with contacts within the Spiritual Church..."


    Minos gave several orders to the top echelon of his state, introducing Julian''s group of subordinates to whom they would deal if they needed to solve their problems.


    After a time of Minos directing who should do what, the group from the Divine Continent left the palace to wait for the men Ruth would choose for them until the next day.


    With that settled, the people in that hall would soon go about their responsibilities, either to help this group of Julian''s men or to begin their local integration.


    When these Julian''s Demigods and Sages left Dry City, it would be time for Minos to bring and bring new people into the Spatial Kingdom.


    It was time for new people to enter seclusion!


    In this way, a period of peace and growth for the empire would quickly develop over the next few months until new advances would come to strengthen the Stuart family!

 Chapter 1788 Situation Of The Imperial Family 1

    ?


    In the blink of an eye, two and a half years had passed!


    While the continent was experiencing the chaos of the Vico and Maximillian war, the Black Plain Empire flourished without any major problems.


    Obviously, difficult circumstances arose occasionally, even more so with the arrival of foreign peoples in the main cities of Minos'' domain.


    Over 70 million people from various parts of the Central Continent now live in the Black Plain!


    This was a significant increase for this state as most of these people were relatively powerful, between the 7th and 9th stage, cultivation stages that still had few cultivators in this state.


    But with Minos and his family leading the state closely, the problems in this period were dealt with before significant concerns arose.


    A crucial factor for the state to remain stable and continue its growth had been the advances of the members of the imperial family, but also the high rank of the army.


    Minos had advanced to level 81 months ago, while Ruth, Abby, and Isabella had reached level 80. Gloria was still at the same level as before, the same for Maisie and Patience. But Oswald had reached the same level as his grandson.


    Besides them, several new members of the Black Plain Army from the Divine Continent had managed to improve their levels.


    And even though none of them had advanced to level 90, the strengthening of the group had increased the number of mid- and high-level Sages in Minos'' forces.


    Through these advances in the period, now the Black Plain group had over 100 Spirit Sages under Minos'' control, who had been maintaining the order of the state, even with the current presence of over 1,000 Sages who had arrived in the northern region in the last 3 years.


    But other than the Demigods sent by Julian, there were no other cultivators above level 90 in Emperor Stuart''s domains.


    In addition to these improvements in terms of cultivation of the army bases, Minos had built another 6 domes like the Dry City one in the main cities of his state, something that had greatly contributed to local stability.


    Along with this, the entire state was improving with the many incentives from the Minos'' government, as well as the spiritual improvement of the region.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in Dry City...


    On this day, it was hot in the capital of the Black Plain Empire. The sky was completely blue, but no one in this city could see it since the defensive dome created by Minos blocked the light from passing through.


    But several arrays around the city simulated daylighting for the local inhabitants to continue living their lives normally despite the powerful defenses over them.


    Just in the central part of this city, two youths were going about their routine, fighting on a combat platform of the army headquarters.


    One of them was a young man with blue eyes, brown hair, and 1.7 meters tall. He was strong for his age, 14, with well-developed muscles and the appearance of a small adult. But some traits in him still gave away that he had just recently passed his childhood.


    But these traits were not related to his level. At only 14, he was already at level 41, an impressive cultivation for someone who couldn''t even be considered an adult in this world.


    However, his cultivation did not reflect his fighting abilities!


    Pow!I think you should take a look at


    He slammed one of his fists into his opponent''s fist, sweating profusely in this weekly bout he had with the beautiful red-haired woman in front of him.


    She had brown eyes, red hair and was 1.7 meters tall. Her body had proportional measurements, but her main attribute was her breasts, which were larger than average.


    The armor she wore highlighted her attributes, but her smile would steal the attention even of old perverts who usually only looked at the beautiful bodies of maidens.


    Unlike her young opponent, she was several years older and had a much stronger cultivation level than his, currently at level 66.


    Because of this, not only was her appearance extremely refined, her movements were much better than that of her young opponent.


    "That''s it for today, Kendrick." Sarah saw that her brother was exhausted and used her innate ability to throw him backward.


    "Aaagh!" Kendrick shouted as he felt the power coming from his sister''s gravitational control ability.


    "We''ll see you next week. Right now, I have to see my Grandma Margot." Sarah smiled at her little brother, leaving him behind.


    Kendrick made an ugly expression as he got up from where he had fallen, but he didn''t blame his sister.


    From the moment he had reached level 40, his father had ordered him and Sarah to train together occasionally. Not only that, this level 66 woman was supposed to push her brother.


    As someone who had inherited the innate ability of the emperor, Kendrick was the state''s future, who should, from a young age, be trained hard.


    "Ah, Her Highness is so hard on you, little Kendrick." A blue-haired woman approached this young man with a white towel while ordering one of the women from the Crown Prince''s staff to bring him his snack.


    Kendrick looked at Nicole Miller, level 74, his maternal grandmother, and said. "Not at all, Grandma. Big sister Sarah just does it for my own good. My father didn''t grow up this much without facing even greater hardships than mine."


    "Nicole, don''t be so soft. Kendrick is strong, and that is nothing to him." The grandfather of the heir to the empire commented in a harsh tone.


    Eliot Miller, level 75, was also there to accompany his grandson. He and his wife were part of Kendrick''s group, helping him with training and his responsibilities as heir.


    As heir to the Black Plain Empire, Kendrick had many responsibilities. Even if Minos had no intention of leaving his position, this young man needed to be able to replace his father at least momentarily in the future.


    So besides constantly meeting with leaders of the empire and men from the army, he had to study hard and create allies among the elders and also in the younger generation. In addition, he needed to find a good wife and one day have children!


    For the moment, nobody was pressuring him about this. Still, every now and then, young women a little older than him would approach Kendrick...


    The prince would become an adult in a short time, so it would be an opportunity for many to be around him already!


    Kendrick smiled at his grandfather''s comment and began eating the meal his cook had prepared. "It looks excellent, Wendi, thank you." He said as he winked at this level 61 woman.


    Wendi, a woman Minos had met on a boat trip when he first went to Stone Island, blushed as he saw the prince''s gaze on her.


    Unlike Kendrick''s mother and grandmothers, she knew this young man was no fool! He was equal or worse to the emperor when it came to women!

 Chapter 1789 Situation Of The Imperial Family 2

    ?


    As Kendrick ate for a new round of appointments, Sarah quickly arrived at the temple of the Spiritual Church in Dry City.


    Several high and low-level members bowed their heads and stopped what they were doing to respectfully make way for her.


    Besides being the emperor''s daughter, she was the only daughter of Cardinal Frost, the leader of this post. As such, everyone there treated her with the utmost respect.


    As she waved to some old acquaintances on her way, Sarah walked alongside Ivy Lawson, level 79, Maisie''s best friend, who was part of the group assisting the princess.


    Besides her, Little Green, level 80, in his humanoid form at the moment, was also accompanying Sarah.


    Minos had passed this beast on to his daughter in recent months, while Maida, level 74, was Kendrick''s official mount.


    "I heard that your grandfather Joseph has advanced to the 9th stage, Your Highness. Is that true?" Ivy asked as she walked through the halls of the local Spiritual Church temple.


    "I don''t know. I think my grandmother is here to talk about it." Sarah commented just before they arrived at Gloria''s office.


    In that place, Gloria was talking to her mother, Margot, who was currently at level 79.


    Upon seeing her grandmother, Sarah ran up and hugged her, happy to see this woman getting stronger.


    Margot was already quite old, so leveling up for her was more than just getting stronger. It was a chance to live longer!


    Being on the threshold of the 8th stage with the 9th, she was close to achieving a major breakthrough, something that naturally made Sarah happy.


    "Grandma Margot, you look very well," Sarah said as she felt this woman''s arms wrapping around her.


    Margot smiled at her granddaughter and said. "You are looking even better, haha. You will become a Spiritual Saint in no time!"


    "I hope so, hehe."


    "Sarah, your grandmother has something to tell you," Gloria said as she continued in her place, with several documents spread out on her desk.


    Margot moved away from her granddaughter and looked her in the eye. "Sarah, we have good news and bad news regarding your grandfather Joseph."


    Gulp!


    "What?"


    Margot went straight to the point. "Your grandfather advanced to the 9th stage recently. That''s the good news. Unfortunately, upon advancing to the 9th stage, he was called back to the Church headquarters."


    The Church headquarters was at war with the western region, so this was by no means good news.


    "What, but why? Why wasn''t he left in the Flaming Empire like my mother was here?" Sarah exclaimed, finding that to be exceedingly unfair.


    Margot sighed and said. "The Flaming Empire does not have the same conditions as the Black Plain Empire Empire, my girl.


    After all these years, Emperor Edwardstone is the strongest in the state and is only at level 81. Meanwhile, Minos is at level 81, but he has several cultivators under him who are at levels 87, 88, and 89.I think you should take a look at


    So it''s not against the rules of the Church to Groria stay in this region."


    "But... But Grandpa would never do anything against Emperor Edwardstone! He wouldn''t try a coup against that imperial family!" Sarah argued, thinking that this rule was absurd.


    "But that''s the way it is, Sarah," Gloria said, looking into her daughter''s eyes. "But don''t worry, the people in my faction are already moving to try to bring your grandfather to the Black Plain." She promised.


    Margot wiped the tears dripping from Sarah''s little eyes and said, smiling at her. "Don''t worry about your grandfather. As much as he is in the Evergreen Empire, this war has been handled by experts stronger than him. So he probably won''t be sent to the battlefield."


    ...


    Meanwhile, Isabella was standing next to her mother, walking through a garden in the innermost part of Dry City.


    Her mother, Audrey Cummings, was currently at level 79 and was accompanied by a member of the Edwardstone family''s imperial guard, also level 79.


    After the weakening of the imperial family of the Flaming Empire due to Harold''s kidnapping and subsequent rise of the Saints Killing Sect, much had changed in that state.


    With the partnership with the Black Plain Empire and the Spiritual Sages sent by Minos to act for the Gray Clouds Sect, Harold had greatly developed his strength. His family had not only recovered from the losses of that time but had also become even stronger than before.


    He had advanced to level 81, while his queen had reached level 80. On the other hand, several family elders often came to the Black Plain and had, therefore, improved several levels in recent years.


    Among these people who had benefited from the partnership with the Stuart family was precisely Isabella''s mother, who was living half the year in Dry City to advance to the 9th stage.


    Hence, she had time to take occasional walks with her daughter, who nowadays had a relatively large belly.


    After Minos'' return from the Divine Continent, the Stuart family had been blessed, and two more of his wives had become pregnant!


    Isabella had already been pregnant for about 1.5 years, while Ruth had had her pregnancy confirmed 6 months ago.


    Not only that, from what the army doctors said, Ruth was not only pregnant, but she would have twins!


    This was an extremely rare possibility in the Spiritual World, but it could happen.


    Because of this blessing, the whole family was thrilled now that all of Minos'' wives had become pregnant at least once with his child.


    Anyway, as she walked around smoothing her belly, Isabella talked about serious matters with her mother. "The state must withstand the current challenges, mother. In less than a decade, one of the entrances to the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom will appear in the Flaming Empire. That will be an opportunity for all of us.


    My father has to try his luck there. Depending on what will happen, everything could change for the Edwardstone family."


    "Hmm, I agree. This will be a good opportunity to strengthen our house and create opportunities for the imperial heir." Audrey commented.


    Isabella''s little brother, the emperor, and empress''s son, was born months ago, just before Madeline''s breakthrough.


    The state functioned to its heirs and to make them even more powerful than their parents. Thus, it was essential for the Edwardstone family to do what was necessary to take advantage of the opportunity to enter this special place!


    Only then could the state have a brighter future with Isabella''s little brother!

 Chapter 1790 The Situation Of The Imperial Family 3

    ?


    Meanwhile, at the imperial family''s residence...


    Ruth was lying by the main pool of her residence, taking her daily sunbath while looking at her belly with pride.


    The opportunity to carry the children of Minos in her womb was incredible for her, and she felt even better than when she had advanced to the 9th stage.


    Thinking about her babies, who would be born between 3 and 5 years, she couldn''t help but long for the day when she could see their faces.


    But Ruth was not alone in this daily moment of hers. Her mother and sister were around too.


    With the migration of the Gray Clouds Sect to the Black Plain years ago, Ruth''s family had already lived in Dry City for several years.


    They usually all had many problems to deal with, and even though they lived so close to each other, they didn''t have much time to see each other.


    But lately, things have been working out differently. With the peace and advancements of the empire, Spiritual Saints like these two women beside Ruth had been having more time for leisure and other things.


    Because of this, Ruth now had the chance to be around her family almost every day, which was important to her since, during pregnancy, women were weakened and needed a lot of support.


    "Ruth, try this toast. Cook Shepard''s jam is really magnificent." Talia Miles, currently at level 77, said this to her younger sister as she stretched out one of her arms to her sister.


    Meanwhile, Elise Fitzgerald, currently at level 79, was standing watching her daughters while holding a furry cat in her hands, her pet.


    "Ruth, have you thought about their names?" Elise asked, curious about this important question that her husband, Vince, level 80, had raised the night before.


    Ruth would have twins, more specifically, a boy and a girl.


    Knowing their genders, Elise and Vince were curious about the names of their first grandchildren.


    Upon hearing that, Ruth opened her eyes wider, still not having decided on the names.


    "I''m still looking into it with Minos. But I am in doubt about some names..."


    They continued talking as they ate, something Ruth had been doing a lot recently, to an even more significant degree than Isabella.


    ...


    While the mothers-to-be of the Stuart family went about their routines, Abby was at the Black Plain Army headquarters, dealing with some matters.


    "Your Majesty, some of the men at the army submarine station are raising questions about opening a wormhole port in that site." A soldier said as he stood in front of Abby''s desk. "Is there any possibility of that happening in the short term?"


    Upon hearing that, Abby frowned and said. "Not at all. That zone is too close to the North Sea, even more so than the position of the End area. If we build a wormhole port there, we''ll open a path not only for our allies but also possible enemies to reach the entire empire."


    There was this danger for all the spatial paths created by the state of Minos. But the dangers were far greater in that submarine place than in any other area of the empire.


    With that in mind, Abby had no interest in connecting her capital to such a place!


    "So we will continue sending and receiving resources from the area with the traditional method? With the boats and submarines?"  I think you should take a look at


    "That''s right. As much as it will cost us more to continue operations there this way, it will be more worthwhile considering the risks we will accept."


    After answering that man, Abby continued working for a while longer at the headquarters.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Minos was in the imperial throne room, receiving the group of leaders from the assemblies around his state.


    As supreme leader of these assemblies, the emperor had instituted that every 5 years, all the leaders of the assemblies had to move to the capital for rounds of meetings.


    This had recently been decided, and last night their first meeting had begun, with a ball at the imperial palace.


    But only on this day would they actually begin to talk about the results of their efforts around the empire!


    While Minos was sitting on his throne, the various leaders of the areas around the empire were sitting around a large oval-shaped table in the middle of that area, in full view of the emperor.


    There were not only the leaders of the empire''s assemblies but also the nobles who ruled areas on behalf of the emperor within the Black Plain core and in areas not governed by assemblies.


    As such, in addition to the old regional royalty, there were also Lee and Alison, the leaders of the Gill, Nash, Miller, Austin, Parkinson, Cohen, Hayes, and Stokes families.


    Most of the old leaders of these families had been replaced by young people of the younger generation, so several low-level Spiritual Saints like Lee and Alison were there representing these families.


    But alongside many of them were the old leaders of these houses, who no longer led their families but worked as advisors to the new patriarchs and matriarchs.


    Therefore, Minos could see old acquaintances from the War of Independence, such as Liam Gill, Marvin Nash, and several others, all at level 69, from where they could not advance, given their ages.


    On the other hand, alongside the new leaders of the empire''s assemblies, old figures like the former kings Stone and Snow were there, but also the leaders of the Brown and Cromwell families, the survivors Minos had let live after the war.


    These young heirs of these families were at level 70, but the old leaders like Adam Snow and Eugene Stone were at level 69.


    Besides them, the leader of the Vogel Assembly, level 79, was also standing around, looking at Minos with nothing but respect in his eyes, seeing how far this fellow had come.


    But not only this high-level Saint was doing this, but all the guests were also looking at Minos in silence, sensing his high cultivation.


    Minos ran his eyes over everyone there and finally started this meeting. "Alright, I see everyone is comfortable, so let''s get down to business.


    Tell me about the situation in your areas, what your families and groups have been doing to continue the progress of the empire."


    Minos knew only the most general data about the empire. After all, he had many things to worry about. As such, only through a meeting like this would he hear more specific data about each area of his state.


    With that, he pointed to where Vogel''s representative stood and said. "Let''s start with Vogel."


    Upon hearing his leader''s order, that man stood up and began to speak. "Your Majesty..."

 Chapter 1791 State Of The Empire 1

    ?


    "Your Majesty, Vogel is doing very well. With the advent of wormhole ports and the arrival of minerals from the northeast of the Ancestral Sea, we are developing better than we expected.


    We now have dozens of level 79 Spiritual Saints, something that 10 years ago was nowhere near what we have today.


    Unfortunately, we still don''t have a native Spiritual Sage in our area, but that should change in the next few years. With the cultivation possibilities in the empire''s capital, I''m sure at least one of us will advance to the 9th stage at the next meeting." He smiled, thinking that he could be that person.


    "Also, the state''s average level has increased dramatically in recent years and is now at level 59.


    As for our production..." He quoted various data, showing how impressive Vogel''s current wealth was concerning the other areas of the empire.


    As an area that already had Saints decades ago, Vogel had evolved a lot in that period, even without major investments from the Minos government.


    It was from this area where most of the empire''s Spiritual Saints currently came from. Many of them have even left their homelands to serve Minos in other areas.


    After listening for a few minutes to the magnificent numbers from that area, Minos heard Cade Cromwell, level 70, son of the former King Cromwell, speak about his area.


    "In Cromwell, we have not made as much progress as our neighbors to the south, but we have seen great results since the creation of the assembly.


    Since then, with the investments of the imperial government, we have managed to triple our agricultural production and improve the province''s internal and external business by 100%.


    Provided with a network of wormhole ports and easier access to the state''s core, we have achieved many advances in local noble forces with the emergence of Spiritual Saints in virtually all of our organizations.


    However, the number of Spiritual Emperors in my area is most noteworthy, accounting for the increase in the average level of the area from level 47 to level 52 in recent years."


    The Cromwell area, as well as Brown, had been the most damaged after the War of Independence.


    They had lost many of their Spiritual Kings, so the progress Cade cited reflected the reality of people who were at the 5th stage, between levels 40 and 49.


    The same was true for Raynard Brown''s area, level 68, which had suffered severe losses to the punishments imposed by Minos and the flight of people from the area to the rest of the empire for several years.


    In the case of Brown''s area, its Spiritual Saints were all either from the imperial army or people who migrated there after the creation of the assembly. As such, Raynard''s group could not present such promising data to Minos on this day.


    In any case, his area was not doing badly and, just like Cromwell, had improved in all aspects, from the number of professionals to the general quality of the area.


    The area''s average level was currently level 50, a huge improvement considering only 3 Spiritual Kings had been left in the area decades ago after Minos'' victory in the war.


    Moving on, Minos heard from Ambrose Snow and Kara Carline about the magnificent results of their areas, which even had native Spiritual Saints from forces already existing in their areas prior to the rise of Emperor Stuart.I think you should take a look at


    Kara was currently the strongest native in the region after the Stuart family members, standing at level 74, one level above Troy Newman, who had returned to the northern region as a representative of his sect locally.


    As for Ambrose, he still had to advance to the 8th stage but was already on the threshold of reaching level 70.


    Both their states had grown dramatically in their numbers and were among the most important points in the empire, as one was in direct contact with the North Sea, and the other was the closest point to Elves Island.


    As such, both areas received the most support from the empire in regard to Spiritual Sages and currently even had high-level Sages stationed in their areas to protect them.


    The former Kingdom of End was the area that received the most investment from the empire recently, already having three domes similar to the one in Dry City and a large army post with over 100,000 men.


    Currently, Starclaw was in that area, helping to keep watch over the North Sea.


    "... Finally, senior Starclaw is still at level 88. It is not easy for someone of her level to advance into my territory." Kara finished reporting the data from her area, helping to communicate to Minos regarding the status of his mount.


    Minos smiled bitterly upon hearing here, sensing that Starclaw was asking him to return to the empire''s core. But this was no time for that. Emperor Stuart had a strict scheme to keep his experts around the state and give them cultivation opportunities.


    Starclaw could only leave her position to enter seclusion when someone in the capital or the Spatial Kingdom advanced to level 88, so until then, she would have to do her work in the End area.


    After Kara finished her speech, Minos saw Blake Walker, the leader of the Waves area, stand up.


    Blake, level 69, then briefly gave his report, talking about the good results of the former Kingdom of Waves, which like Stone Island, had had great results in local development, reaching an average level of 55.


    These areas had also been producing much of the empire''s supply of array and blacksmith items and were important pillars for the future development of the state.


    All of these areas might only be led by Emperors and Spiritual Saints, but they were generating significant advances to drive the growth of the core of the empire.


    From the resources that came from the billions of inhabitants of these areas, the rich core of the empire could sustain the development of its Sages and Spiritual Saints, approaching the 10th stage.


    But not only that but through them, from the taxes generated by the consumption of the populations of those areas, they could develop the marine empire!


    After the leaders of those areas spoke, Elena Neel, currently level 76, representative of the underwater area in the northeast of the Ancestral Sea, stood up to speak.


    "Your Majesty..."

 Chapter 1792 State Of The Empire 2

    ?


    "Your Majesty, the empire''s underwater expansion has been developing quickly and efficiently.


    We currently have three underwater cities made for humans and one small city for sea beasts. Between the various species in our marine territory, we have reached a population of 5 million.


    Most of them are humans, but we already have 100,000 low-level sea beasts that have joined us in the last 2 years." Elena said, explaining the situation in that area in more detail to Minos and the others there in the imperial throne room.


    In those more than two years that had passed since Minos'' return to Dry City, a lot had happened in that underwater area of the empire.


    While the army''s soldiers expanded their operations to all sides, increasing the area under observation, some groups of beasts had been found further south of that area.


    These were not powerful sea beasts but mid-level beings living at the edges of what the Ancestral Sea as a whole thought was the boundary of the safe area of its territory with the North Sea.


    Having encountered these creatures, the shark, currently at level 86, one of the strongest beings under Minos'' command in that area, had managed to lure some tribesmen from the area to join the empire''s group.


    From there, several beasts of different tribes from the vicinity of that region began to migrate to the empire''s marine territory, creating the need to build a city for them.


    As it was a good thing to have beings of these races in the empire''s group, Elena and the rest of the personnel taking care of that area had skillfully merged their forces with those of these beast groups, arriving at the current numbers.


    "Due to the addition of these beasts, we were able to increase our underwater movement capacity by 10 times, but we also improved the number of ores mined by 4 times in the last few years." Elena said, smiling as she presented this magnificent data.


    These minerals were being used throughout the empire to develop arrays, pills, and artifacts of various kinds, which already helped the army forces and were also sold in the big cities of the empire.


    The investment made in that area had been high until then, but recently the local production had reached such a point that in another 3 years or so, the amount invested in that area would be recovered through the resources extracted there!


    But in addition to these resources, with such a significant population already living in the empire''s undersea cities, the state had also been recovering part of its investments with taxes.


    In that area, those who moved there had various benefits of tax exemptions. But while they lived there and grew strong in that area that had almost the same spiritual concentration as the core of the empire, those people grew stronger and returned to the mainland from time to time to consume local resources.


    At times like these, they generated taxes and helped circulate the crystals they saved by living in that area!


    Elena presented all this data to the people in that hall, making several people open their mouths in surprise to hear such positive data coming from an area with so little development time.


    Also, with a population dozens of times smaller than any of the local assembly representatives, this area was already producing an economy close to that of the Brown area!


    "... Currently, our average level is around level 59, but that should advance soon." Elena reached the final part of her speech. "As for the observation of the North Sea, we are just about to reach the border of the Ancestral Sea and the North Sea, Your Highness. But we haven''t had any problems with our observation network yet."


    Minos heard that and narrowed his eyes since that was one of the most important pieces of information about this area.


    He then advised. "I want you to slow down the advancement of your observation network. Focus on increasing the number of undersea cities and the high-level population of the area in the coming years.I think you should take a look at


    I want us to have at least one Spiritual Demigod there before we move into the North Sea."


    Several people swallowed their saliva upon hearing this, but considering the dangers that should exist in that area, this would indeed be necessary before they ventured into such a maritime region.


    "OK," Elena said before sitting down.


    Her area already had high-level Sages taking care of the observation and security of the area. So following the imperial family''s planned shift changes, it shouldn''t take long for some of them to approach that level.


    After she sat down, Lee stood up, the first of the empire''s core to come forward to talk about their results.


    Now that everyone from the areas farthest from the empire''s core had presented their results, it was time for the nobles with domains within the area that was under direct effect of the spiritual root of the Dry City.


    This was the most densely populated and strongest area in the entire empire but also the richest, where practically half of the high-grade crystal production was concentrated.


    The average level of this area was currently at level 59, something impressive, considering that a few decades ago, this was a territory with less than 300,000 inhabitants, with an average level at the time of only level 40.


    Lee finished speaking his data, exposing his territory''s enviable average of level 61!


    ''That''s impressive! One of the Brown family entourage members thought to himself, seeing how good it felt to be close to the emperor.


    Lee and Alison were just two young people with Black talent, but besides having already become Spiritual Saints, they had control over an important territory in the empire''s core.


    Even the members of the Gill family, who also had a piece of land in this area, could not help but look at Lee with looks of recognition but also a little regret.


    Lee and Alison had almost become his subordinates at that time!


    After Lee, other nobles from the empire''s core presented data from their areas, highlighting the level of crystal mining their families had recently achieved, as well as agriculture.


    Part of the empire''s spiritual energy-rich food production still depended heavily on the empire''s core, so any positive result from them was important news.


    But with the state having already reclaimed all areas of the former Black Plain, none of these improvements had been impressive enough to turn the world upside down.


    When everyone had finished speaking, someone helping Julian''s envoys stood up to speak of their results.


    ...

 Chapter 1793 State Of The Empire 3

    ?


    When the subordinate of Minos, representing the group the emperor had left at the disposal of Julian''s men, stood up to speak, everyone paid attention to this high-level Spiritual Saint, curious.


    Many there already knew that Minos had finally become a de facto member of a high-level power of the Divine Continent, the Pantheon Of Honor, a few months ago.


    Knowing this, they were curious to hear how the relationship between Minos and this organization was going, as well as the deeds of this group from the Divine Continent in the Black Plain Empire.


    Those people led by three Spiritual Demigods who had arrived almost at the same time as Minos in Dry City years ago were still in that territory, so many of those who knew about it were eager to hear about their deeds for the first time.


    That man from the Black Plain Army then said. "Your Majesty, after these months of development and various works, our group has managed to overhaul the empire''s entire spy network.


    With the help of Elder Julian''s envoys, we connected our Vogel family observers in Lusmait with several of our contacts around the continent.


    We now have observers in almost half of the continent, from the Evergreen Empire, the Flowers Kingdom, Lusmait, and the Western Empire.


    We still have to improve our network of observers within some states in the western region, but that should be sorted out in no more than a year.


    In any case, we have successfully connected to the continent''s two Pantheon Of Honor member groups. Most importantly, we are now connected to the Pantheon Of Honor headquarters.


    We can now send local information with a delay of only 3 days to that continent but also receive information with the same delay."


    Julian''s men had guided the Minos staff very well in these two and a half years, having developed not only the empire''s network of contacts but also made possible several state advances concerning fulfilling the demands of the Pantheon Of Honor.


    At first, this group that had presented itself to Minos in the Dry City thought that the Black Plain Empire would take a long time to achieve autonomy concerning the demands of the Pantheon Of Honor. But after less than 3 years of acting locally and seeing local progress, even the level 91 Demigod was shocked.


    According to their initial expectations, they were supposed to stay around 20 years in the Black Plain to help Minos'' group. But after that period of acting locally, they had concluded that in no more than 5 years, they could already leave back to the Divine Continent!


    The state was growing much faster than they had assumed, and the army had made it much easier for them to integrate locally through the many men who had been made available to help them.


    Because of this progress toward the Pantheon of Honor, Minos was beginning to envision the day when he could benefit from this organization!


    By the time he returned to the Divine Continent for the Pantheon of Honor meeting, he could start forming partnerships before the Continental Tournament.


    By that time, he would no longer need the support of Julian''s group and his faction, and he might have enough to attract the members of that organization not for his future potential but for what he could already do then.


    So, listening to that soldier''s entire account, Minos couldn''t help but be pleased with how things were progressing.


    "Hmm, very good. Continue working hard to establish the parameters recommended by Elder Julian''s staff." Minos said to that person before finalizing that part of the meeting.I think you should take a look at


    There was also information regarding the advances made by Gloria''s faction in the Spiritual Church. Yet, Minos was already privy to that data, and not everyone there should know about his interests in that organization.


    Their faction in the Church had grown over the period, but it had not been anything significant enough to change their situation significantly.


    The old faction members had grown stronger with the resources and opportunities created by the Black Plain Empire, and factionless Church members had joined them.


    But that increase in numbers had been unimpressive, representing an increase of only about 3% from 2.5 years ago.


    Unfortunately, there was no way they could grow much more than that, as both the war and the existence of the other factions of the Church were a major hindrance to membership recruitment.


    Fortunately, Gloria had managed to make some alliances with smaller groups within the Church and grow her faction''s influence a bit more.


    For the moment, the major factions of the Church were all focused on war, so Gloria''s growth had not drawn attention, and they had not encountered significant problems on their way here.


    Anyway, with everyone there having presented their findings, Minos moved on with this meeting, giving some orders, opening opportunities for these leaders, and presenting his intentions.


    The Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom could open its doors to the continent at any time, so everyone there should be prepared for the imperial family''s immediate departure to that place once it showed itself.


    Besides, with Emlyn currently at level 78, it would be time for Minos to leave for the Continent of Beasts to seek new support for his interests in the North Sea in a few years.


    Everyone there was already aware that Minos intended to investigate that area, even if several of them did not know exactly about the threats that made the strongest of that state look so much in that direction.


    As such, they all expected that with Emlyn''s advancement to level 80 and the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom, Minos would set off on a new journey that could leave him out of the state for years.


    They had to take advantage of the moment of peace and Minos'' presence locally to continue improving their forces and creating stronger pillars to sustain the empire without its powerful leader.


    "... Anyway, the war in the south of the continent has not yet entered a stage where we should worry, but we must prepare for its end.


    It may last a few decades, but if Vico or Maximillian make a significant breakthrough in their plans, the war''s end could be closer than we think. So keep that in mind. Prepare for the unexpected." Minos said as he ended today''s meeting.


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    All the people in the surroundings said as they rose from their seats.


    With that, this day''s meeting was over, but this group would still meet again for the next few days to deal with other matters!

 Chapter 1794 Fugitives Of War?

    ?


    A few months passed after Minos'' meeting with his vassals.


    The empire continued to grow smoothly, with more new Spiritual Sages and better and better results coming from every part of the state.


    Amidst the war between the Western and Southern regions, a group from Sista arrived in the capital of the Black Plain Empire this afternoon.


    Upon arriving in this peaceful and ''neutral'' state concerning the war in the south of the continent, the group of three people, two Demigods and a Sage of level 85, spotted the local defensive dome.


    "That''s a pretty advanced defensive measure." One of the Spiritual Sage''s guards commented, noting how far Minos had gone to secure his capital''s defenses.


    They could sense how strong this dome was, which could threaten even low-level Demigods!


    As Minos'' powers grew, he could upgrade the level of his domes around his state, raising their characteristics significantly.


    The level 85 Sage looked at this place with his eyes narrowed and then altered his appearance, changing the color of his brown hair to black, while his facial contours altered enough that no one would recognize him.


    "Let us report to the entrance of this place." He said as his guards watched him change his appearance. "Don''t treat me as usual. Just call me young master from now on. Also, avoid speaking even in private of our origin.


    We will live in this place for a while as long as the war lasts, so I want to avoid as much as possible that the local powers or even our enemies outside this state find out where we come from.


    No one knows who will win this war, nor when it will happen, so let''s be cautious."


    "OK... Cough! Young master!"


    The two men, one level 93 and the other level 94 said simultaneously, knowing it would be best to avoid unnecessary danger.


    They were from Sista, so being in a state protected by Maximillian could create complications for them.


    But as long as they didn''t act locally against Minos, they were confident they wouldn''t attract trouble.


    No one could say for sure how true Maximillian''s words were when he said that he would protect the Black Plain of Demigods. Still, even if those words were 100% true, as long as they did not act against that state, their situation should not become problematic.


    As far as they knew, there were already Demigods passing through the Black Plain, fleeing from the southernmost areas of the continent.


    Not being the first, they certainly weren''t taking the biggest risks there.


    With that in mind, their group quickly moved, lowering their altitudes until they landed in one of the satellite cities of the empire''s capital.


    Following this, they soon obtained new documents, registering as immigrants.


    During the last few years since the beginning of the war, the empire had been very accepting of powerful people entering its territory.


    Powerful people could bring trouble, but they also had a lot of potential to bring wealth and raise the speed of advancement of the local population.I think you should take a look at


    As such, anyone above level 70 interested in joining the empire would find it very easy to do so these days!


    Of course, these people would not easily gain access to the largest cities, domed protected cities like the capital, nor would they have access to the marine expansion of the state. But they could easily gain social rights that would allow them to open accounts at the Bank of the Black Plain, buy property in lesser cities compared to these major cities, and much more.


    A merchant would easily get a license to start operating locally, build their stores and have a range of opportunities at their disposal.


    This was valid for all kinds of high-level professionals, so these three easily got identifications while passing through that satellite city.


    While looking for a place to live in this part of the Black Plain since they could not access the capital for the time being, these three were walking along a major avenue when they suddenly saw a crowd of people near a square.


    Seeing that, the level 85 young man said to his two guards. "Stay here. I want to see what it is."


    He then moved, overcoming the many people crowded there until he reached a position from where he could see what was happening.


    At that spot outside the wormhole port, several people, army soldiers, ordinary citizens, and tourists, were watching the scene while a beautiful young red-haired woman was standing at a distance on one of the platforms in the area.


    Seeing Sarah''s red hair and brown eyes, this level 85 man asked someone on his side. "Is this crowd on her account?"


    He realized that there were some high-level cultivators next to that young Spiritual Emperor. But judging by their positions, they were just bodyguards, while she was the important person in the group.


    "Don''t you know her?" A low-level Spiritual Saint asked without looking at this man, imagining that this was yet another man fleeing from the war. "That''s Princess Sarah, His Majesty''s eldest daughter! She has just returned from a trip and is returning to the capital.


    You''re lucky to get here now, friend! Haha, seeing her is by no means easy."


    "Is it?" That fellow from Sista asked in a low voice, smiling as he looked at that young woman.


    Meanwhile, Sarah ignored the many eyes watching her and soon followed alongside her group to the vicinity of the defensive dome of the Dry City, not staying there for long.


    As she returned to the side of her guards, that young man had a curious expression on his face, impressed but also uncertain of a certain promise made by Minos.


    "Who was that?" One of the two guards asked.


    "Sarah Stuart, the princess. It seems she has a lot of fans locally." He muttered.


    "That''s only natural. She''s the daughter of a monster." The strongest Demigod commented, recognizing Minos'' strength.


    Minos hadn''t left the interior of the Dry City in over 3 years. So few people knew his current level. But everyone on the continent already knew that he was a Spiritual Sage, one of the youngest to reach that stage in the entire history of the Spiritual World.


    Due to his many feats accumulated over the years, no one doubted that he was a prodigy, even compared to the most talented and powerful in the world.


    "Hmm, but although her advancement has been impressive, I don''t know if the emperor''s promise will be fulfilled by the time of the Continental Tournament. She is only a Spiritual Emperor... Will she be able to manipulate space as Minos promised Her Majesty?"

 Chapter 1795 New Members Of The Imperial Family

    ?


    Another two and a half years passed, bringing new members of the Stuart family into the world!


    After this long period of peace over the northern region of the Central Continent, new blessings were falling upon this state through the imperial family.


    After Minos advanced to level 82, almost at the same time Gloria had reached level 81, the second princess of the Black Plain Empire, daughter of Minos and Isabella, was born!


    By now, little Lily Stuart had completed her first year of life and could already walk and speak a few words.


    At this age, she had followed the birth of her twin brothers days ago when Ruth finally gave birth to her first children.


    The boy she and Minos had named Rowan Stuart, while the girl had earned the name Hollie Stuart.


    Both were mere newborns and didn''t know where they had been born and currently just slept, suckled, shat, and pissed themselves.


    Luckily Minos, Ruth, and Isabella had plenty of help from their large family!


    ...


    In the Black Plain imperial palace, babies'' sounds and smells reached almost every corner of the imperial family''s residence.


    This place that had once witnessed dirty things and sounds that little ones should never hear had now become home to three new children.


    Sarah and Kendrick didn''t spend much time at home anymore, but with the births of their new siblings, they were both there more often, helping to keep the house full.


    There were also Angelica, Patience, Oswald, Ruth''s parents, Isabella''s mother, Maisie, and several women close to the top of the Imperial family.


    At this moment, they were all gathered in the large living room of this residence while Ruth was feeding Hollie, and Rowan was in Maisie''s arms, playing with his grandmother''s breasts.


    Hollie had brown hair like her father''s, but her eyes were black like Ruth''s. Her skin was white, but her chubbiness made her look a bit pudgy.


    Rowan was quite different from his sister, having a much slimmer body, black hair, and brown eyes, but a nose that seemed to be the replica of Minos'', in a smaller version, of course.


    Meanwhile, little Lily was alone in a small fenced area, where several of her toys were in the surroundings, where she walked and sometimes crawled.


    Lily seemed to have inherited all of her father''s looks and didn''t look much like Isabella, except for being a girl.


    But her hair and eyes were like Minos'', as well as some facial contours resembled his more than Isabella''s.


    She looked like a little female version of Minos!


    "Papa! Papa!" Lily said as she saw her old man sitting in an armchair next to her area, raising her little hands up to go into his arms.


    Minos quickly picked her up and placed her on his lap, running one of his hands over the little head of this girl.


    "Ah, the family is getting bigger and bigger..." Ivy commented as she looked around the area, feeling overjoyed for the Stuart family.I think you should take a look at


    Maisie agreed with her friend as she rocked little Rowan, standing next to Angelica and Ruth''s mother, both looking at the little one in her arms.


    Kendrick was watching his siblings next to his girlfriend, a young woman from the Vogel area, who he had gotten to know over the past few months after reaching level 50.


    "Kendrick, aren''t you happy? Your father is raising a big family." That young blonde, level 55, commented in one of her boyfriend''s ears, feeling like carrying her own children.


    Kendrick smiled bitterly upon hearing this, knowing that this 17-year-old was thinking something different, despite talking about Minos and the rest of the family.


    Kendrick was no fool! She was clearly telling him that they could have a large family too!


    "Yes, I''m delighted..." He murmured but had no interest in having children in the short term.


    He was too young and had too many things he wanted to do before having children!


    In another corner of that room, Sarah, still a pure young woman but already at level 69, was thinking more or less the same way as her brother.


    She wanted to have children in the future to contribute to the family. Still, in the short term, all that was on her mind was to get stronger and finally get enough to have more freedom.


    Before raising her own family, she wanted to get out from under her father''s wing and finally explore the northern region of the Central Continent without the many restrictions on her.


    Meanwhile, the happiest one there after the two new mothers of this family was Oswald, who saw his family''s future there.


    For someone like him who had only had two daughters, seeing Minos reach his 5th descendant was a magnificent thing for this man.


    Many heirs meant a greater chance for the family to maintain its power over time, something very important for any organization in this world.


    At the same time, given the difficulty in creating families with many direct descendants of the same person, these five children were a sign from heaven of how blessed Minos was.


    Because of this, several people there felt as if he would beat any odds in front of him, no matter how unfavorable they were!


    Abby and Gloria were watching these children as they smiled contentedly, happy that Ruth and Isabella had finally joined them as mothers of Minos'' children.


    But amid this family moment, with the women in the area talking a lot, suddenly, a level 89 man, one of the 4 strongest Sages in the empire, appeared at the entrance of that residence, drawing Minos'' attention.


    ''Your Majesty, I bring important news.'' That hybrid coming from the Divine Continent years ago beside Minos said so in his mental communication with his leader.


    ''What is it?'' Minos asked as he continued to hold Lily without disturbing the various people chatting and laughing in that room.


    ''High-level spatial distortions have just been reported arising to the center-east of the Flaming Empire.'' That man communicated in an anxious tone. ''It seems the portals to the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom are opening, Your Majesty. In a year or two, the portals should be stable enough for groups to pass through them and enter this lost sanctuary!''


    ''Oh?'' Minos'' eyes widened significantly as he finally saw a sign to leave Dry City after years of not leaving this area protected by the local defensive dome.


    ...

 Chapter 1796 Preparing To Enter A New Space Kingdom!

    ?


    Upon receiving this important information, Minos smiled in satisfaction. ''Very well, I want you to closely observe the area in question. I will leave as soon as the portals stabilize.''


    ''OK.''


    That high-ranking Sage departed upon hearing that order, leaving the imperial residence for the Flaming Empire.


    Minos, meanwhile, looked at his people and announced. "Signs of the opening of the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom have just appeared in the Flaming Empire.


    Everyone should prepare themselves. Within two years, I will explore this territory with my wives."


    Everyone in that large living room changed their expressions upon hearing that, putting aside their focus on the new members of the Stuart family to think about this upcoming opportunity.


    The Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom was an extremely valuable place where many experts had died over the past million years, leaving behind countless riches.


    At the same time, even after so long since the dragons of the Continent of Beasts lost that space, many of its riches were still available to be collected.


    Dragons were magnificent beings with extremely valuable bodies, carcasses that could last much longer preserved than any other being in this world, and much more. One of the habits of dragons was to accumulate wealth, so many precious items could still be available in that place that had once been the secret home of the dragons of such a continent!


    Everyone there knew how important the opportunity to enter this place could be for this family and state.


    "Just now?" Ruth was the first to say something, a bit unhappy, as she had just given childbirth.


    In no more than 2 years, she would have her strength fully recovered and even have enough time to get stronger. But her children would still be small children by the time it was time for the Stuart family to enter such a region.


    Minos understood what was on his wife''s mind and said. "This event may not happen a second time in our lives and lasts less than a year. So you should consider this decision calmly, Ruth.


    If we all go in together, we can gain a lot, but even I can only send you to the Spatial Kingdom once we are outside the ancient home of the dragons."


    It was not possible to go from one Spatial Realm to another from within one of these regions of space. It went against the space rules that Minos knew, and even a God could not make such a journey easily.


    For him to depend on the ring of the Spatial Kingdom to get to such a place would be impossible to do. So once they entered the ancient home of the dragons, Ruth and Isabella would only be able to see their children after he left that place, even if they achieved their goals before he did.


    Isabella began to think about it along with Ruth, imagining it would be difficult to leave her little girl in such a short time.


    But if it was only going to be a year, she wanted to try at least, as her daughter would be able to understand her mother''s absence by then, and a year passed very quickly.


    With all the grandmothers of these children available to care for them in the Spatial Kingdom, both Ruth and Isabella could rest assured about the safety of these three children.


    But the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom had its dangers, and Minos didn''t want anyone distracted in his group.I think you should take a look at


    "However, don''t feel forced to go with us. If you don''t want to go, Abby, Gloria, and I will do our best to get things for you.


    That place is pretty dangerous for Spiritual Sages, so if you''re not 100% committed, stay with our children in the Spatial Kingdom."


    The Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom did not have any cultivation limit for those who wanted to enter it. Even level 99 Demigods could enter it!


    However, people of that level were not so attracted to that kind of opportunity, as they could gain little in a place like that.


    For someone of level 99, few things were worth their attention in this world!


    Among them, only a weapon like Maximillian''s or a Divine medicine could move them.


    The Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom had been opening portals around the Spiritual World for so long that the peak experts of the world already knew that there were no medicines of such quality growing there.


    As for weapons, weaker people could get good equipment without requiring the presence of peak experts. The normal would be for people of such level to send their children, disciples, or even subordinates to search for things not only for themselves.


    As much as the strongest would not enter such a place, high-level people, like low-level Demigods and sometimes a bit stronger than that, could enter it.


    Not everyone would try to hinder or persecute the weaker ones. Still, disputes over resources could happen in any place like that. At the same time, within such a Spatial Kingdom, there were dangers beyond disputes between those who entered it!


    Thus, this would be a difficult journey, and Minos wanted everyone who went with him to be 100% committed only to overcoming the challenges of that place.


    The people there looked at Ruth and Isabella and saw both women staying silent, obviously thinking hard about it.


    Isabella said. "I will train hard over the next few months and try to reach level 81. I will decide what to do the day before the family group leaves."


    Ruth agreed with her harem sister. "Me too. For now, I will try to recover and care for our children. If I advance to level 81 before your departure, I will consider joining you."


    With that said, soon, this family moment would come to an end, and most of the people there left for the Spatial Kingdom, where they could go into seclusion until further news of this opportunity reached them.


    But some family members, like Kendrick and Sarah, stayed behind, as they would not enter such a place and would probably be forced to stay in the Spatial Kingdom for the year that Minos could stay there.


    In that case, they both wanted to enjoy some freedom in the Dry City to continue their affairs.


    Minos also stayed behind because he had to control the entry and exit of people in his Special Kingdom, but also because he could use the bones in that place even when in his city.


    However, he was already planning to make small seclusions in that place during the period ahead, just as he had done in recent years, mixing moments of cultivation in seclusion and moments when he would stay in the city to take care of the development of his empire.

 Chapter 1797 Plans

    ?


    After returning to his office in the official part of the imperial palace, Minos received a letter from one of the men under Julian''s staff command.


    ''Minos, our seer, has informed us that the entrance to the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom will soon open within your influence. Take this opportunity to grow stronger and improve the wealth of your forces.


    Enter this place and go to...'' Minos read the entire contents of that letter, reading the many recommendations of Julian but also noting the advantages of being a member of a peak force in this world.


    Along with Julian''s advice, there was a map of parts of the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom, something the Pantheon Of Honor people had created after several generations of their members passed such a place.


    There wasn''t the whole area of that Spatial Kingdom mapped out, but there was enough for one not to be totally bewildered when arriving there.


    At the same time, there were several indications of dangerous places for people with Minos'' combat proficiency, places he should avoid, but also interesting areas for him and his people to pass through.


    Sometimes certain opportunities would be for those who reached them first, but others would only be for compatible people. An already mapped area did not mean that everything in it had been taken by generations of experts who came before Minos'' group.


    Spatial rings also had limited storage, and sometimes one could not carry all the riches they could.


    Moreover, there might be corpses of former experts who entered such a Spatial Kingdom and died there, where spatial rings with relevant resources could be found.


    Knowing this, Minos was naturally pleased to receive this help from Julian.


    He looked at the map and soon put it away in his spatial ring, keen to settle some matters quickly and get back to focusing on his cultivation.


    But he soon wrote something to send to Julian, thanking him but also talking about some of his plans.


    ...


    Three days after Minos received Julian''s letter, this level 97 Demigod received the young Emperor Stuart''s reply.


    ''Elder Julian, thank you for the map and the earlier advice. I intend to enter the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom soon. This information can help me significantly.


    In any case, I will not be communicating with the rest of the temple for some time due to my seclusion prior to opening the portals of this Spatial Kingdom. I expect to be close to advancement by the time I enter this region, so you shouldn''t think it''s strange to go without news from me for a while.


    However, I intend to leave the Central Continent on a journey to the Continent of Beasts once I leave the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom...''


    Julian read Minos'' letter, liking what this young man had detailed in that document.


    Unlike many people in the Central Continent, this man knew that Minos was currently at level 82, as well as with the time remaining before the full opening of that Spatial Kingdom and the time it would last, such a young man could be at level 83 by the end of it.


    That was a magnificent cultivation speed!


    He still felt goosebumps thinking about where Minos would reach by the time of the Continental Tournament.


    He didn''t know what Minos intended to do on the Continent of Beasts, but that wouldn''t be a bad move. Temporarily getting away from the chaotic Central Continent could be an excellent thing. Besides, in the lands of the beasts, Emperor Stuart could find new challenges, which he did not have in his homeland.


    In the Central Continent, people already knew well how strong Minos was. So either opponents of the same combat level did not challenge him, or his enemies were too strong for him.


    In other words, Minos had practically no opponents to fight fair and competitive battles in his land.I think you should take a look at


    But in a place where he was just a stranger, like the Continent of Beasts, he could face fairer opponents without running so many dangers of being attacked by powerful Demigods.


    Hence, Julian naturally liked what he read in Minos'' message.


    "He''s doing well... The boy is not bad at all in his plans." Julian muttered as he destroyed Minos'' message, keeping that information to himself.


    The others didn''t need to know about the plans of his faction''s hope!


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the Dry City...


    A few days had passed since the news of the opening of the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom reached the empire''s capital.


    Many important members of the Stuart family were now in seclusion, preparing for Minos'' eventual departure to that place.


    When it was time for him to leave, only non-essential personnel and some of the grandmothers of Minos'' children would remain in the Spatial Kingdom. At the same time, the strongest of the state would stand guard around the empire.


    That was why many of the strongest specialists were around the Spatial Kingdom training and cultivating, trying to raise their strength to the maximum in the months ahead.


    Meanwhile, Sarah was doing the opposite of these people, roaming the Dry City while having fun.


    Her time of freedom would probably end when her father went to the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom, and she would only have the opportunity to leave again after that time.


    As she headed to one of the stores she frequented most in the central part of the city, Sarah was planning her next steps.


    ''I''ll probably gain some freedoms after I become a Saint... But not before my father goes to the Continent of Beasts. Then I''ll try to reach level 70 by the time he leaves for Aunt Emlyn''s lands.'' She clenched her fists.


    ''When I become a Saint, I will ask my father to leave me on the Black Plain during his journey to the tribe of the Nine-Tailed Foxes!'' She smiled, imagining that she would finally succeed in her attempts to remain in the empire during her old man''s absence.


    ''If he accepts, he will probably try to make things difficult for me by giving me various responsibilities, but that will still be better than being unable to leave the Spatial Kingdom for years!''


    As she thought of this, she entered an art store in Dry City, where a rising painter and sculptor locally sold his services.


    Not only did this person sell paintings and sculptures that could greatly help weaker cultivators become stronger through studying them, but he also offered his skills to paint portraits for people interested in having images of themselves.


    Sarah had recently hired the services of this expert and came once a week to this place to model for him.


    As she entered the small store of this Spiritual Sage, she came across that painter and sculptor, a handsome man at level 86 with long black hair.


    "Your Highness, welcome back. Shall we continue?" He looked at her and showed the way to his studio.


    Sarah smiled at him, eager to get on with it and receive her portrait.

 Chapter 1798 Plans Of Sarah And Kendrick

    ?


    After a few more weeks, Sarah finally returned to the store of that sculptor and painter to pick up her picture.


    Arriving at that place, she ignored the artwork in the commercial part of the store and was soon in that man''s studio.


    Gray sheets covered several paintings there, while some unfinished sculptures were also lying around the outskirts of that working area.


    Right next to one of these sculptures was the level 86 Spiritual Sage molding it.


    Sarah watched him doing that and stopped at the entrance of that studio, not saying anything to not disturb this expert''s work.


    But her painting was already ready and waiting for her, uncovered in a corner of the room.


    She saw it and smiled, noticing how realistic the painting looked, showing facial contours almost 100% similar to what she could see in a mirror.


    ''Impressive! He really can do a magnificent job. Even the dress is perfect as if it wasn''t a painting but a reflection on a mirrored surface.'' She looked at it, realizing the quality of a level 86 professional.


    Then the voice of that expert reached Sarah''s ears. "Your Highness, did you like my work?"


    "Senior Noah, this is just perfect. I don''t know how to thank you..." She looked at him gratefully.


    "Don''t say anything. Just take it away and put it somewhere where others can see it. It would be a shame if a beautiful painting like that would end hidden in a bedroom." He commented as he looked at this redhead, smiling.


    Sarah didn''t know if that was a compliment to her beauty or to the artwork in that painting. Either way, she smiled and replied. "Yes, I intend to put it in the living room of my house. When I leave in the future, my siblings and parents will still be able to see me daily."


    "Oh? That sounds like a good place to leave that painting. Do you intend to leave Dry City, Your Highness?" He looked at her with interest, noting she was no different from many members of sovereign families around the continent.


    Princes and princesses naturally had great advantages, but they also had many limitations about them.


    They had almost no freedom from childhood, and those who approached them could always have shady interests. Therefore, many of them had the same dream of one day being strong enough to leave the wings of their parents and explore this world without limitations.


    Sarah stated. "Yes. One day I will have my family, husband, and children if everything works out, haha. But before that, I want to know our continent and the rest of the Spiritual World.


    The war to the south will not last forever, and eventually, there will be peace for people like me to travel safely through these lands."


    ''Noah'' heard that and smiled, seeing that this young woman just wanted to have fun doing a bit of tourism, maybe meeting people who wouldn''t put her on a pedestal like those who knew her did.


    "I hope you succeed in your plans. But will His Majesty allow that?" He commented, not knowing how Minos was about his children but aware that many sovereigns were strict in disciplining their offspring.


    "I don''t know if, in the short term, I will be able to win my freedom to go ahead with these plans. But after the Continental Tournament, everything can change. So I am confident that he will not stop me." She said with confidence.


    "Continental Tournament, huh?" He narrowed his eyes. "Will you observe the competition, Your Highness? Will His Majesty be competing?"


    Sarah said nothing very specific to ''Noah,'' smiling at him. "If you go to the tournament, you will be surprised, haha."


    With that said, Sarah left after ''Noah'' refused her payment, while this man continued to watch the place she left, interested in this woman''s words.I think you should take a look at


    He smiled, closing his eyes and wondering what the princess'' words meant.


    ''So she''s confident, huh?'' He thought. ''Where will you be by the time of the Continental Tournament, Sarah? Will you compete if you''re not a Sage yet?''


    ...


    While Sarah enjoyed her free time, Kendrick used his temporary freedom to do things quite different from his sister.


    This young man was the heir to the Black Plain, and at the 6th stage, his freedoms were far inferior to Sarah''s. So when he wasn''t training or sorting out his heir responsibilities, Kendrick spent almost all of his remaining time with his girl-friends and girlfriend.


    He had only one girlfriend, who belonged to the main family in the Vogel area. But he had several girl-friends with whom he occasionally had fun...


    Among them was one of his teachers, Naomi Banks, a beautiful level 76 woman who had surrendered to the charms of a man under 18.


    On this afternoon, after finishing one of her lessons with her special student, Naomi could not resist Kendrick''s insistence and did something she was not proud of but had been doing for the last few months.


    As she finished having fun with this young man, she got off him, not the least tired given the level difference between her and him.


    However, she had a satisfied look on her face, for despite being weaker than her, Kendrick knew how to please a woman!


    Kendrick, on the other hand, although very pleased, was exhausted, breathing heavily, while his whole body was sweaty.


    "Professor Banks, I love classes with you, haha..." He said amidst his agitated breathing.


    "Your Highness, you shouldn''t say that. If your mother finds out what we are doing, she will kill me." She said close to this young man''s ear, making him laugh.


    "Impossible! My mother is in seclusion at the moment. There''s no way she''ll even notice anything."


    "Still, your mother is very defensive of your father, and I believe she would be too if she found out about what you do, Your Highness. So be careful not only about me..."


    "I will keep that in mind. But for now, don''t worry about it. My father always had fun with his girl-friends. I doubt my mother will pick on me for that." He turned on his side and massaged Naomi''s slender waist.


    She smiled at his manner and asked. "What will you do now? Your father will be leaving in no time."


    "Hmm, I''ll go into seclusion when he leaves for the Flaming Empire. Then I intend to continue my studies and training here in the Dry City until he leaves.


    He has some ambitious plans for me after that, so I''ll have to focus more on strengthening myself in the future."


    "Is that so? Will you be able to achieve his goals? No offense, Your Highness, but what His Majesty has decided for you is rather difficult to achieve."


    "I will do my best. In any case, I believe my father''s plans may change regarding the Continental Tournament."

 Chapter 1799 Reality Of War

    ?


    Months passed, and while Sarah and Kendrick were doing what they liked, Minos was currently in Dry City after a period of seclusion in the Spatial Kingdom.


    In the Spatial Kingdom, he cultivated 80% of his time, improving his strength and helping everyone there improve their progress.


    But he spent the remaining 20% of his time with his wives and children, giving them enough attention without compromising the family''s future.


    But in Dry City, Minos focused 100% of his time on working for the best for his empire, solving matters of different natures.


    He didn''t see much of Sarah and Kendrick outside the Spatial Kingdom these days, but that didn''t affect his relationship with them.


    Minos had been present to them during their childhood, and they all had their own affairs in the present that naturally took them away from their father.


    As such, Minos had no worries about his focus getting in the way of his relationship with his adult offspring.


    At this moment, he was walking through the core of Dry City alongside Oswald and Harold, chatting about relevant matters.


    "Minos, from the progress of the portals so far, it should be safe to try to cross them in not much more than a year." Harold, level 81, said as he walked beside Emperor Stuart, who he didn''t think would surpass him in cultivation in such a short time.


    Minos heard that and said. "Hmm, that''s good. I''ll try to finish my preparations in a year then. But what about the observers in the area? How is the arrival of foreigners around the portals?"


    Hearing that, Harold explained. "For now, only low-level Spiritual Sages have appeared in the area. But I believe they are merely observers of the portals, and once the portals stabilize, those who will actually try their luck in the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom will emerge.


    In any case, more than 50 experts have been spotted in that area recently, while I estimate that a group of nearly 100 people will enter that region in about a year."


    "Are there Church people there?" Minos questioned.


    "Yes."


    After Harold''s quick response, Oswald added as he had been responsible for observing part of the confrontation between the Church and the Western region. "The war between Maximillian and Vico has been decreasing in intensity since news about the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom began to spread across the continent.


    I believe that both sides of the war will send promising young people and 10th-stage experts to this place to try to get resources that can unlock some of their potential.


    So you need to prepare well and be careful Minos. There will surely be people from the Travisani family in that place who might target you and your group.


    These people won''t have the same worries they have out here, so part of them might put your head as an objective in there."


    Minos heard this and was not surprised. Considering the value of any Spatial Kingdom, it was to be expected that the sides in the war to the south of the continent would be sending people to try their luck.


    This upcoming event had the potential to unbalance the war!


    "Hmm, I''ll be careful when I enter that region of space," Minos said to his grandfather, knowing that things in that place would by no means be simple.


    But the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom was very large, much larger than Minos'' Spatial Kingdom since that dragon place was meant to be the headquarters of such a tribe, not just a place to plant medicines.


    Besides there being a large area in that place, there were several unstable pockets separated by impassable barriers inside. Anyone who entered there without being deeply connected would be sent to different places where they might or might not meet.I think you should take a look at


    Knowing this, even though he might encounter envoys from Vico, Minos still planned to proceed with this journey.


    By then, he would be able to easily use medium-level grade-4 weapons and armor without exhausting himself, so he was confident in his chances, even if he was forced to face Demigods.


    Harold and Oswald sighed, walking for a few moments in silence together with Minos.


    Then, Emperor Edwardstone asked. "When will I be able to see my granddaughter?"


    Harold already knew about the Spatial Kingdom of Minos, so he knew that Isabella, one of his wives and his granddaughter, should be there since none of them were in Dry City.


    "I will send you to the Spatial Kingdom to spend a few days with them. After that, I''m afraid they won''t be able to see you until after the event about to take place in your state is over." Minos said, then spoke a few more things to Harold, until sending him to the Spatial Kingdom after they entered the Black Plain Army headquarters.


    Upon being alone with his grandfather, Minos heard about the Flowers Kingdom. "What will we do about our friends from the Mcbride family? From what I have heard recently, they are facing very complicated problems with the war."


    Minos then said. "I can''t do much for now. If the Mcbride family wants to send some of their descendants here, we can help them preserve their lineage.


    But they will not be able to breed or hunt men in my state. We will merely keep them alive for the future.


    When I get stronger, I''ll look at other strategies to help them, but that''s all for now."


    With this answer to a doubt he had been having recently, Oswald soon left his grandson and set off towards the continent''s south area.


    While Harold stayed with some of his family in the Spatial Kingdom, Minos'' grandfather would join the other five Spiritual Sages of the local army in that empire to help keep things in order there.


    Most of the population and wealth of the Flaming Empire were not in danger from the war between the Church and the West. Still, there were things they had to worry about, and men like Oswald were needed.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Vico was in his state observing the war of movements to the east northeast of his state, where his forces and Maximillian''s were vying for ground.


    The war between the regions of this continent was like every other conflict of its kind. One side would try to assault the other in search of more territory, while the other side would defend itself and counterattack when it could.


    When one side won a battle, they would mark the area and call it their own, marking it as their territory.


    There would be battles in sequence to reconquer territories and new disputes over other areas, which made both sides retreat a lot, but without advancing quickly in either direction.


    Because of this, confrontations like this did not end after a short time of combat, and there was still much to happen in the confrontation between the strongest of the continent.


    However, while watching the ''pieces'' on the battlefield, Vico looked in the direction of the Flaming Empire.


    ''Soon... Soon we will get more weapons and men to eliminate some of your squads, Maximillian!''

 Chapter 1800 Preparations For The Big Moment

    ?


    On the other side of the continent, Maximillian had similar plans to Vico.


    At the headquarters of the Spiritual Church, this man was with some of his high-level faction companions, planning for the future.


    In front of him, a young man of level 90 was on bended knee, listening to his words.


    "Calvert, are you prepared to enter the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom?" Maximillian asked the Third Prince of the Evergreen Empire, who had joined his group in the war in recent years.


    The war would bring destruction or advancement to the Evergreen Empire, so whether or not Maximillian was liked, all members of the imperial family were committed to winning the confrontation.


    They were accepting this man''s orders for now as both the Supreme Pontiff of the Church and the Emperor were away in seclusion.


    As such, this prince formerly in contention for the position of Church leader, who had recently advanced to the 10th stage, was there taking orders from Maximillian.


    "Yes, ancestor Flamen." Calvert said in a low voice but with a resolute tone.


    The Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom was already a place that he and the emperor''s grandson, his nephew, had already intended to enter to strengthen themselves even before Maximillian reappeared on the continent.


    As such, they were both prepared for this adventure about to open up in the Flaming Empire.


    "Alright, I want you to lead our faction''s group within this Spatial Kingdom," Maximillian said. "Collect high-level grade-4 weapons and artifacts whenever you can. Grow strong, boy. You may eventually become my successor.


    I know your family''s group will send an independent group, but try cooperating with them if possible. You will surely have tough competitors coming from the Divine Continent and Continent of Beasts."


    This event was for all high-level beings interested in resources and chances for advancement. So even beasts from that continent would come to the Flaming Empire to pass through the portals about to stabilize in part of that state.


    "I will do my best, ancestor."


    "Very well, now go. Continue your training. When the time comes for you to leave, someone will notify you."


    With those orders, Calvert left that place, while Maximillian had a smile on his face, looking forward to what his group could achieve in the coming years.


    After the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom closed, he intended one more decisive strike against the forces of the western region and then, victorious or not, invade the Supreme Pontiff''s place of seclusion to seek his advancement to level 100.


    Vico was strong, more so than Maximillian realized before the war. Still, this man was confident in what he had and felt he could change everything in the current confrontation in less than 30 years!


    In this period ahead, he could strengthen his faction, his most trusted men, but also raise his cultivation to a new level.


    He could quickly win the war and eventually dominate the Central Continent in the following decades!


    So for him, things were going well, even if the confrontation with Vico was practically at a stalemate.


    But as he smiled, someone in his living room mentioned Minos'' name.


    "Ancestor, we have news that the Black Plain Empire will be joining the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom. It seems that Emperor Minos Stuart has made good progress in recent years.


    There are reports of even Demigods supporting him in the northern region."


    "Oh?" Maximillian put his previous thoughts aside and looked at the person behind those words. "Is he going to enter that Spatial Kingdom? It''s not a surprise someone in his position has to take advantage of the opportunities on his doorstep."I think you should take a look at


    "Do we see ourselves communicating with him, ancestor?" The same man asked. "The Black Plain Empire has many freedoms and benefits greatly from the war..."


    "So what?" Maximillian looked strangely at that man. "People were already expected to flee from the battlefield to a peaceful area.


    The empire of Minos is a rising state, a good place from the point of view of these war migrants. But that means nothing. Are there any high-level Demigods staying longer in that place than one would expect for someone migrating to the Divine Continent?"


    "No..."


    "Can Minos help our faction within the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom?"


    "I can''t say for sure, but I would say no." That elder said, a little embarrassed but still thinking this state and sovereign would be worth watching.


    "Then let them grow. When I win the war, I will visit Minos and the Black Plain to reaffirm our ties. In any case, the work he has been doing in the northern region will be important for maintaining the continent''s strength after the war is over."


    "Yes, ancestor!"


    ...


    A few more months passed, and the number of experts in the Flaming Empire continued to increase considerably.


    As time went on, cities near the area where the portals to the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom had received more and more 9th and 10th stage experts, transforming the area.


    Places previously with the presence of only high-level Spiritual Saints had suddenly changed greatly, with the appearance of not only people interested in entering this region of space.


    As experts with an interest in entering such a place arrived, merchants and high-level professionals interested in selling their services moved into this area.


    At least temporarily, low and medium-level grade-4 services would be available to those who could afford them in these cities of the Flaming Empire!


    The main consumers of these temporary services were obviously the many cultivators coming from all parts of the Central Continent, the Divine Continent, and the Continent of Beasts.


    But the very curious who wanted to see the beginning and end of this ''event,'' as well as the merchants there to make a profit, also greatly spun the economy in these places.


    As a result, most of the empire''s attention and the forces of this territory were focused on this place near the Evergreen Empire, where at least 400 Spiritual Sages and 30 Demigods were already waiting for the full stabilization of the portals.


    There, Oswald was standing next to one of the level 89 Sages of the Black Plain Army, keeping an eye on the situation, both for the good of the Flaming Empire and to warn Minos when to join the ''party.''


    Just that day, a large shadow appeared in the sky of one of the cities closest to the area where the portals were forming, covering much of the city with a shadow shaped like a fearsome creature in this world.


    It had two wings as big as the width of a city, and from head to tail, this creature was even bigger than one of its wings.


    Looking up into the sky, Oswald saw this creature with gray and black scales, a beautiful beast that he might never see another like it.


    Seeing it for the first time, he opened his eyes wide and shouted to his companion.


    "A dragon!"


    ...

 Chapter 1801 The Major Races Of The Spiritual World

    ?


    "A dragon!" Oswald shouted at the sight of that gigantic creature, which had such a dense aura that even miles away from this city, it could terrorize all the weaklings there.


    The level 89 Longus family descendant looked at the exquisite dragon and narrowed his eyes, admiring this magnificent creature.


    This was not the first dragon this man had seen, but it was definitely the strongest he had ever witnessed.


    At level 94, that dragon was probably as strong as ordinary beings in the late part of the 10th stage!


    Among the most powerful and talented races in the Spiritual World, the Continent of Beasts'' land dragon race was in 2nd place!


    Sea dragons were equal to them in some aspects. Still, given their peaceful characteristic, most people did not remember these creatures of the seas.


    Compared to these beings full of strength and fighting desire, they were far behind.


    "What a marvelous being." That level 89 man commented to Oswald.


    Meanwhile, that whole city and all the experts there, for whatever reason, were now looking up at the sky, watching that creature decreasing its altitude and looking bigger to them.


    "The dragons are already here, huh?" A level 93 Demigod looked at that creature and soon saw that there were a few beings settled on the back of this gigantic beast.


    Naturally, the dragons would send their representatives to continue collecting resources from their ancient Spatial Kingdom.


    For the weaker dragons, a place like this was still precious!


    Unfortunately, even the mighty dragons could not maintain a monopoly on this flawed Spatial Kingdom, so they merely participated in the entry event to this place together with beings of other races.


    The dragons were strong, but if they were to try to prevent others from entering this now-ownerless place, they would face trouble throughout the Spiritual World!


    Knowing this, the youths on that creature''s back looked down arrogantly but with no inclination to try and stop these ''inferior'' beings from entering their former home.


    "It seems that this opening of the Spatial Kingdom will be particularly interesting, brother." A tall, muscular young man of rustic appearance said this to the person next to him.


    "It doesn''t matter. Without a map like ours and the spatial manipulation skills of dragons, no one will be able to take advantage of what''s best in our ancient sanctuary." A black-haired man, even stronger and taller than the person next to him, said this in a calm tone.


    "So let''s stick to our original plans. Our ancestors almost finished our plans the last time the Spatial Kingdom opened up, so let''s finish it."


    "OK."


    At that instant, the great dragon carrying those two moved his eyes and said. "Young masters, prepare for landing."


    A few moments later, that whole city shook under the landing in the vicinity of that gigantic creature, who had not transformed into his humanoid form.


    "How arrogant!" A tall and strong fellow with a body that looked like a balloon, even in his humanoid form, looked at that creature and snorted.  I think you should take a look at


    "Young master, dragons are really bold. If your father were here, he would send them back to the Continent of Beasts with one kick." A man with blue scales covering most of his body said as he looked at the ''mountain'' of flesh that had appeared on the horizon with the landing of that dragon.


    Such a man looked at the dragon''s back and saw two men leaving that being behind and flying into this city.


    "Look at that. It''s you guys, huh?" He said in the direction of these two old acquaintances. "Are you going to continue recovering your lost riches? Dragons are really stingy."


    The stronger of the two dragons looked at that person and made an ugly expression. "It seems that the Sky Whale tribe is declining. Now you send anyone to our Spatial Kingdom? There were once times when you sent better talents..."


    "Oh? Are you trying to die before entering your former sanctuary?" The young man from the most powerful tribe in the world stepped forward and released some of his terrifying aura, scaring everyone in the surrounding city.


    He was only a level 89 Sage, but his aura was far more fearsome than level 93 humans!


    The human experts nearby frowned and felt the weight of that aura that seemed to want to crush everything in its path.


    ''Is that a Sky Whale, the most powerful race in the world?'' The level 89 Sage of the Black Plain Empire exclaimed in his mind, feeling tremendous pressure on him.


    He, that whale and the young dragons were at the same level. But the difference between their powers was enormous!


    The two dragons also released their auras since no matter how much they recognized the strength of the strongest tribe in the world, they would never bow their heads to someone at the same level as them.


    The bodyguard of that young man from the Sky Whale tribe smiled as he saw this, noticing the gigantic dragon watching them from a distance.


    He was not afraid of that creature a level stronger than him, and if he wanted to, even on land, he thought he could beat that being that was not even half his real size.


    But his purpose there was not to destroy the Flaming Empire with a fight with such a dragon and said. "Young master, calm down. Save your strength for the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom. There you can fight if you want to."


    The dragon tens of kilometers away from them also told his young masters to stop.


    "Young masters, do what that fatso is saying. Our focus is not to start a new fight with the Sky Whale tribe."


    Both sides lowered their tempers upon hearing their bodyguards, looking decisively at each other as they lowered the power of their auras over that city.


    Simultaneously, a woman with orange hair, which looked more like flames than hair, stopped beside an elf and muttered. "It looks like this event will have the most powerful tribes in our world, huh? This will be interesting."


    The elf watching her people''s greatest rivals from a distance heard this and ignored such a phoenix, focused on becoming stronger for the chaotic future of this world.


    That member of the Phoenix tribe laughed at being ignored but was not bothered by that person''s icy treatment.


    She also had her concerns.


    ''Is this elf ignoring me out of concern or arrogance?'' She wondered. ''Recently, an elder created an all-black feather, something that has never happened before... Surely the elves know of some great problem that will arise in our world!''

 Chapter 1802 Major Breakthrough

    1802  Major Breakthrough Weeks later, inside the Spatial Kingdom...


    In this spatial region of Minos, a few hundred humanoid beings, humans and hybrids, but also beasts, were training or cultivating there.


    Some were talented high-level members of the ancient Gray Clouds Sect, Minos'' relatives, mounts of the imperial family, but also the various Spiritual Sages who had joined the empire in recent years.


    From people related to the Goddess of Life to relatives of Henricus, Longus, many of them were around, doing their best to get stronger before Minos'' next departure.


    Once their sovereign returned to traveling in the Spiritual World, they would be at least four or five years without being able to enter it.


    Minos would soon pass through the Marine Empire, the Continent of Beasts, and return to the Divine Continent.


    The journey could get even longer depending on the circumstances in the way of their group, so not knowing when they could have his help again, these beings were doing their best, focusing on cultivation.


    Due to this focus, the young relatives of the Goddess of Life had improved by 2 to 3 levels since they met Minos, the weakest of them currently at level 84 and the strongest at level 85. Besides them, Esmond, their old head guard, was currently at level 87.


    On the other hand, of the group coming from the Divine Continent with Minos, more than 30 were currently high-level Sages, with 7 at level 89.


    The strongest elder of the Longus family was close to becoming a


    Demigod, but he still lacked something to get him there.


    In any case, the group was getting stronger successfully, faster than they could advance in any other Spatial Kingdom of this world, since there, besides the bones and the giant corpse, there was also Minos and his ability to help them.


    And precisely because of these advantages they had over others who also had access to Spatial Kingdoms, they were advancing without difficulty.


    Among those who took advantage of this the most were Minos'' women, who received the most attention from him.


    Ruth and Isabella were the best examples there at the moment, having left their weakened states generated by pregnancy in recent months and achieved level 81!


    Gloria and Abby had been at that level longer, with Cardinal Frost approaching level 82 and the Empress of the Black Plain halfway there.


    In any case, they were all more or less prepared to leave this place at any time.


    Ruth and Isabella had not yet given their final words on whether or not they would go with Minos to the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom. But they were now more confident than before, not only because they were stronger but because they had spent the crucial months of their little ones'' lives by their side.


    Lily would soon turn 3, while Rowan and Hollie would turn 2 in another 6 months. With each passing day, they learned more things from their mothers in their spare time and became less dependent on them.


    Of course, children of this age could not be independent of their parents. Still, having passed the first months and already knowing who they were in part, they had a better chance of being well away from their mothers for a few months.


    The three children already knew what cultivation was and daily watched their mothers, sometimes their father, meditate.


    But at this moment, they were not watching those three but playing on the tails of a beautiful orange, black, and white fox, which had eight beautiful tails on its back.


    Kyla was practically the babysitter of these children, and as usual, she was helping her family take care of the little ones.


    She saw no problem with that. On the contrary, she felt like the big sister of these little ones and enjoyed playing with them very much.


    But while using her tails to entertain them, this beautiful level 79 fox couldn''t help but pay attention to her mother, looking with her big eyes shining at Emlyn.


    Emlyn was in her bestial form, currently almost 10 meters tall and 25 meters long, a gigantic body compared to the humans in the Spatial Kingdom.


    But what was most striking about her body was not her size but the nine beautiful tails swaying on her back!


    After so long at Minos'' side, Emlyn finally reached her 9th tail this afternoon, reaching the 9th stage, level 80!


    She who once thought she would die falling into the hands of Yellow City criminals, who had doubted Minos'' proposal over 50 years ago, had reached the final stage of her journey.


    Nine-tailed Foxes could, at most, reach level 89, so having reached level 80, Emlyn could not help but feel immense pleasure, vibrating in joy.


    She had left her tribe as an ordinary youngster, but today she could already be considered an expert, someone who would undoubtedly have a place of speech in her former home!


    She finished stabilizing her cultivation and looked at that brown-haired fellow. "Minos, thank you for everything. You really kept all your promises, and that''s the only reason I reached this level.


    I hope I can continue to help you, even if I''m not so strong to help you anymore."


    Minos stood before this great beast and smiled, overjoyed to see someone he had invested so much in reaching this point.


    How many people had not died on his state''s journey here?


    Emlyn reaching this point was something remarkable, which gave him satisfaction, even if someone at her level was no longer so relevant in his state.


    "Don''t thank me. Keep working as an observer of the Spatial Kingdom and helping to keep things in order here." He said to her. "When the time comes, I will call you to come to the Continent of Beasts."


    "I will do my best to convince my tribe and another to follow you." She promised in a tone full of determination.


    Her tribe might not be the strongest on the Continent of Beasts, but it had contacts with practically every tribe there and was friends with a lot of relatively powerful groups.


    Surely it could at least put Minos in touch with several of these groups and give him a chance to convince some creatures to follow him to the North Sea.


    There were madmen and worriers everywhere!


    Minos then said. "For now, remain by Kyla''s side, and help her move forward as well. I still have some matters to settle before our journey, so it will still be a few years until our trip."


    "OK!"

 Chapter 1803 Departure Approaching

    ?An error occurred while reading the file: Could not find file ''/data/www/panda_novel_py/used_emails.txt''.


    As he finished speaking with Emlyn, Minos made room for the rest of the old acquaintances of this beautiful fox to chat with her a bit after her advance.


    He approached where Abby and Gloria were watching the children having fun with Kyla''s tails and heard from one of them.


    "When are we leaving? We''ve been waiting for a year and a half for the portals to the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom to stabilize." Abby asked her husband, eager to get into that place.


    As Gloria looked at him, Minos replied. "I will return to the Black Plain later and see about that. But I believe that if we do not leave in the next few days, then our departure should be in about 3 months at the most.


    When I came here weeks ago, there were already several envoys from the most powerful tribes of the Spiritual World arriving in the Flaming Empire, so we are already close to the start of the event."


    When the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom opened its portals, they would stay open for a whole year, and anyone on either side could come and go.


    So one could enter that region of space at any time during that period and leave it as soon as one wanted. But once one stayed there after that one-year time, one would stay there until the next opening, which would greatly increase one''s chances of death.


    Knowing how this flawed space worked, Minos was in no hurry, although he was wary of the situation of the portals currently in the Flaming Empire.


    "Will you reach level 83 by then?" Gloria asked him, knowing her husband was not far from reaching that level.


    "No, that will probably happen when we''re already in there," Minos said.


    He needed at least seven more months to move forward, but he believed that in not much more than 3 months, he would be passing through one of those portals alongside his women.


    "How are our children? I miss them." Abby asked as Sarah and Kendrick hadn''t entered the Spatial Kingdom in over a year.


    "Well, I would say. Kendrick is currently at level 53 and continues to do well in his responsibilities. As for Sarah, she advanced to the 8th stage before I came here last time, and whenever she sees me, she asks me to leave her in the northern region on my next trip." He smiled.


    "I think she''s strong enough now to have a little more independence," Gloria commented, thinking they should give their daughter more freedom.


    They protected her a lot because they were her parents, but also because they had a lot of enemies and problems.


    But at level 70, with the Devouring Art inscriptions on her body and the helpers they could leave with her, Gloria felt that Sarah would be fine even away from them.


    "Hmm, I''ll think about that after the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom. For now, she''ll have to keep focusing on cultivating to become stronger." Minos replied without giving a final word on the matter.


    "What about Kendrick?" Abby asked.


    "He still has a long way to go to think about being free. He knows that and does not disturb me with such requests. Anyway, he''s fine the way he is."


    Abby narrowed her eyes as she looked at Minos. "I wouldn''t be so sure. He has all your faults."


    "Does he?" Minos bitterly laughed upon hearing that.


    "Humph, if he were more like me, it would be a gift from heaven... Unfortunately, my son inherited a lot more from you than we would have liked."I think you should take a look at


    "Look on the bright side, Abby. At least you''ll have a better chance of gaining grandchildren." Gloria laughed at her harem sister''s misfortune.


    "I''m in no hurry for that. I''m too young to be a grandmother."


    After hearing this, Minos said goodbye to them, Ruth and Isabella, before quickly returning to the Dry City.


    ...


    Upon arriving at his palace, Minos ran into the staff of his residence and soon made his way to the official area.


    On his way, he saw some old acquaintances, like Eduard, who was currently level 78 and was one of the strongest in his army and had been by his side for decades.


    Minos also saw old Joey, who had finally reached level 70 after so long in the army.


    Peter, Barbara, and Robin, old Joey''s former slave companions, were already respectively at level 79, 78, and 76, even if, at that time, he had cultivation quite similar to theirs.


    But that was the life of cultivators with the same talent as them, even if they had access to the same techniques and resources.


    But Minos was happy to see his men stronger no matter how fast they progressed, so when he saw some of these old-times people, he smiled as he greeted them in the hallways.


    Arriving at his office, Minos first ran into his secretary, Lizzie, currently at level 64, before meeting Dillian and Eda at their workplace.


    Dillian was currently at level 79 and still played a major role in the Dry City General Hospital, even though he was below the most capable doctors in that place.


    As for Abby''s former bodyguard, Eda was currently at level 78. However, what was most striking about her was not her level but her belly. She was pregnant with Dillian''s second child!


    Seeing them in his office, Minos smiled and complimented Eda''s appearance before sitting in his seat to discuss important matters.


    "How is the situation in the Flaming Empire?"


    Dillian got straight to the point. "Stable, Your Majesty. The portals are almost stable for entry, but it will still take some more time to start another exploration of the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom.


    But we believe that almost everyone who will enter this region is already in the vicinity of the portals."


    He was glad to hear that he would have more time and did not care who would attend the event. It was already expected that many would enter it and those from more distant places would arrive first to avoid being late.


    Minos said. "Very well, prepare our forces. I will leave for the Flaming Empire in no more than 3 months. If there is still time left for entry into this region, I will stay in the capital of the Flaming Empire, waiting for the moment of its opening."


    "OK."


    "But now tell me how the actions of that group I sent to the central area of the Ancestral Sea are going."


    ...

 Chapter 1804 Marine Plans

    ?An error occurred while reading the file: Could not find file ''/data/www/panda_novel_py/used_emails.txt''.


    After the previous months, Minos had given orders to part of the groups developing in the underwater cities of his empire to move to the central area of the Ancestral Sea.


    Currently, more than 10 million living beings live in the underwater area of the Black Plain Empire in the northeastern part of the Ancestral Sea, and things were going very well for Minos'' forces.


    With the foundations of his marine empire developed, he had moved on to a new phase of his plans for the Ancestral Sea and given orders for groups to set out for the central part of that sea for two missions.


    The first was to attract groups of sea beasts slightly stronger than those already living in that area under his domain. Acting in the underwater world was by no means easy, and the support of sea creatures helped a lot.


    So Minos naturally wanted to attract stronger sea beasts, like the case of 8th-stage beings, organisms in very few numbers in his current underwater empire.


    The second purpose was to explore the floating island that had fallen on Minos when he passed through the central part of the Ancestral Sea years ago.


    So far, Minos had not sent any investigative party to that area to try to find out more about the Fah''um of Dunov. But he thought it very important to investigate the past of this being, who was probably even older than the Spiritual World he knew.


    If the Spiritual World was only a fragment of the world of Fah''um of Dunov, then Minos needed to know more about such a place, to find out about its ways and customs, but also technologies.


    Perhaps there was a way for him to at least recreate part of what had been the 99 race.


    That was why the group sent by the army to that central area of the Ancestral Sea had left six months ago, and Minos was curious to hear from them.


    Dillian answered his leader''s question. "About that, they are still traveling to the central area of the Ancestral Sea. Unfortunately, they had a long way to go from the northeast of this sea region."


    Traveling by boat could not compare to the flying speed of a high-level Saint, as was the case with Minos when he set off from the Black Plain to the Western Empire, from where he got a boat and set off for the central area of the Ancestral Sea.


    From that point where Minos had left, the journey to the central area of the Ancestral Sea was shorter than the journey of the group that left from the vicinity of the western coastline of the End area.


    Also, while Minos left on a yacht, the group traveling was on a large ship that was slower than their yacht, destroyed by a level 99 beast.


    "But in another six months, the group should reach the vicinity of the area indicated by Your Majesty," Dillian said, using the army''s estimates considering that crew''s last statement.??


    "Six months? Then I won''t have any results from them until I leave the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom..." Minos put one of his hands on his chin, thinking this through.


    But he was not worried about the strength of this group. There were high-level Sages among the crew, and this was also just a group of investigators who would do their best not to get involved in confrontations.


    There were less dangerous methods of traveling through the Ancient Sea and others around this world, things that Minos had not used on his journey to the island of the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus because of his haste.I think you should take a look at


    As for what might happen on the island of Fah''um of Dunov, which was now at the bottom of the sea, Minos already knew that many powers from the mainland and the sea itself were investigating the place. So no one could stop his people from trying to investigate the place.


    With so many high-level powers sending investigators there, it had become an ownerless area where no one wanted to take possession of it so as not to be against all concerned.


    "But some of our men traveling with the group have already managed to contact groups of mid-level sea beasts. According to the last report, we should have a first encounter with some of these tribes in the next few months.


    Maybe we can get an alliance before Your Majesty even enters that Spatial Kingdom." Dillian said.


    Obviously, Minos'' group traveling through the Ancestral Sea had made some hard-to-refuse offers to attract the attention of the tribes they came in contact with.


    Gaining the attention of some beings, they had skillfully directed these creatures to the vicinity of the area currently under Minos'' control, as far as beasts had the courage to go. There, Minos'' underlings awaiting these tribes would indeed negotiate the joining of new groups into his underwater domain.


    "That''s good. With more 8th-stage sea beasts, we will be able to raise the production and direction of minerals from that area to the mainland." Minos commented in a low voice.


    The more relevant that undersea area was to his empire, the more specialists from outside the army would be interested in moving there, and the more of the soldiers would be on hand to maintain security and surveillance of the area.


    This would help Minos in his purposes regarding the North Sea, so any advancement in that area had great potential in his eyes.


    "Very well, continue as you are." He said as he stood up. "I will take a short trip through the northern region and set up some more defensive domes in important cities. When I return, I will enter seclusion for my departure to the Flaming Empire."


    "OK, Your Majesty." The two stood up and said simultaneously, bowing their heads as Minos left.


    ...


    Just like that, 3 months passed quickly, and it was finally time for Minos and his women to leave for the Flaming Empire!


    With Minos at peak level 82 and Gloria at peak level 81, they would no longer wait in their state for the stabilization of the portals of the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom.


    After Ruth and Isabella decided to join the Stuart family group that would enter that place, they promptly said goodbye to those who would stay in the Black Plain, for even after leaving that Spatial Kingdom, they would probably not see them in a short while.


    Minos made the appropriate personnel exchanges, sending to the Spatial Kingdom only those personnel with the potential for important advances in the short term but who would not jeopardize the stability of the empire.


    After leaving his sons and some of their grandmothers in the Spatial Kingdom, he and his wives left the area of the Dry City''s defensive dome and headed for the local wormhole port.


    Departing from this place, in just a few minutes, they would arrive in Payton, the capital of the Flaming Empire!

 Chapter 1805 Lets Talk

    ?An error occurred while reading the file: Could not find file ''/data/www/panda_novel_py/used_emails.txt''.


    Arriving in Payton at the local wormhole port, Minos'' group was soon at the local imperial palace, where the empire''s forces were gathered.


    As far as they knew, the easternmost portals of the state, near the border with the Evergreen Empire, had not yet fully stabilized, and no one had attempted to pass through them.


    The Edwardstone family was still concentrated in their capital, waiting for their departure to that area.


    Harold was going to enter the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom together with Minos'' group, so he was waiting for them locally.


    Sensing her father''s spiritual fluctuation, Isabella led the way, quickly arriving at her family''s headquarters, where dozens of Spiritual Saints were positioned around the imperial palace.


    Many of them noticed her arrival and respectfully greeted the former crown princess, who had almost become empress.


    Amid this, they could not help but look with a little awe at Minos, noting that he was very close to reaching level 83, having far surpassed them all.


    Only a few years ago, they treated Minos as a talented junior, but in just over three decades, everything had changed, and he had now surpassed them all by a large difference.


    Even Emperor Edwardstone could not compare to him in terms of level!


    "Your Majesty Minos Stuart, it is good to have you back in the empire''s capital." One of the imperial guards who had known this fellow the longest said as he approached the group led by Isabella.


    Minos looked at Warner, level 75, and nodded, remembering this man he had first seen shortly before the end of the War of Independence.


    He nodded to Warner and asked. "How are things locally? Much trouble in the portal area?"


    "Not so much, but several powerful experts are out there awaiting the opening of the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom." That man guided Minos'' group to where Harold was. "Even with people from the south and west in that area, there hasn''t been any fighting yet. But tensions are quite high in the area."


    One might find it strange that envoys from these warring regions were in the same place without getting into trouble, but it was indeed happening.


    Both sides wanted to participate in this event for the same purpose, to strengthen themselves, get resources and high-level weaponry, and improve the strengths of their factions'' main talents. Precisely for this reason, both sides avoided fighting within the Flaming Empire.


    As the war continued on the border of the western region and the strongest of each party in the war were watching each other, even though the Flaming Empire was part of the Church''s territory, there was not much such an organization could do to prevent Vico''s envoys from entering that spatial region.


    Most of the Church''s territory was held by only mid-level specialists, which was not enough to prevent enemy incursions.


    And even knowing that these people were in their territory, Maximillian''s people could not do much about them.


    What would he do? Risk a premature confrontation of several of his top specialists with those of Vico and risk losing the chance for his envoys to enter the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom?


    No, if it came to fighting, they would fight inside that place and disrupt each other''s plans there. Outside, any confrontation would lead to losses for both sides and gains for powers from other continents.I think you should take a look at


    Hearing that, Minos didn''t find it strange and was soon in front of Harold and part of the local imperial family.


    "So you guys are already here..." Harold looked at Minos, seeing how much stronger this man was compared to the last time he saw him.


    "Hmm, we''ll wait for the full opening of this region locally, and when everything is ready in that area, we''ll leave. I intend to enter this Spatial Kingdom with my women soon after the first groups of foreign states enter."


    Minos'' plan was to draw as little attention as possible to his entry into that place since he and his people were not strong enough compared to the powers that would enter there.


    Minos had improved a lot since his battle against the Demigods of the Longus family. However, given the difference between 10th-stage levels, his combat proficiency was not much better than before.


    His current limit was level 90 Demigods; above that, he needed to fuse his techniques.


    Obviously, he would have less difficulty facing opponents like those from the Longus family at the moment. However, he could not casually deal with people of level 91 or above.


    That was how different the cultivation strengths of high-level beings were in this world!


    Even though he had gotten so much stronger, Minos had hardly evolved in relation to Demigods.


    But concerning Spiritual Sages, his strength had improved significantly, and creatures of great lineages at that stage would have a harder time facing him these days.


    "Oh? That makes sense." The emperor of this area said, seeing no problem with this strategy, as a day or two delay would not make much of a difference to them.


    While they were talking, suddenly, a powerful aura rose above the local imperial palace, and a voice reached the ears of the people in the imperial palace.


    "Minos Stuart, Gloria Frost, I want to talk to you alone. Can we do that now?" That voice questioned, while Minos and the rest of the people in that place felt the level 93 aura of such a person.


    This was no ordinary spiritual fluctuation but something from someone talented with great techniques and innate ability.


    There was nowhere for them to run or how to avoid such a person. Soon they all set off for the roof of the imperial palace, where they identified where that person was coming from.


    "Spiritual Church?" Abby muttered as she saw the silver cloak of that tall and strong man, someone with a sharp appearance but a warm aura.


    Seeing Minos Stuart in front of him for the first time, that high-ranking Cardinal looked at this fellow and narrowed his eyes, much more surprised by this person''s talents than the others in the surroundings admiring his powers.


    "Who are you?" Minos looked into this Demigod''s eyes, not understanding what this was about but confident this should not be a big problem.


    "Minos Stuart, I am Forrest Howell, disciple and successor of the Supreme Pontiff Duncan Evergreen. I would like to speak with you and Cardinal Frost at the local temple. Please accompany me." He said before disappearing as he moved in the direction of Payton Temple.


    ...

 Chapter 1806 The Final Resistance

    When they arrived at Payton Temple, Minos, and Gloria were no longer accompanied by the rest of the Stuart family.


    Ruth, Isabella, and Abby stayed behind with the Edwardstone family, waiting to find out what this unexpected conversation with the former favorite to become Supreme Pontiff of the Spiritual Church was all about.


    Husband and wife arrived in the living room, where Forrest was already sitting in an armchair waiting for them, curious about what this was all about.


    Forrest and his faction had been demonstrating a more ''gentle'' stance towards the Black Plain Empire since the time before Maximillian''s return. But after the outbreak of war between this level 99 Demigod and Vico, they had been one of the Church factions to ally with Gloria''s group.


    But even though they were factional allies, both sides had never been close and had merely made promises to each other and created possibilities for one side to favor the other.


    This was the first time Minos and Gloria had seen Forrest, so they had no idea what this was about or whether it was related to their faction alliance.


    As they sat down in front of that level 93 man, the two stood silently watching him, waiting for what Forrest had to tell them.


    While Minos and Gloria watched him, Forrest kept an eye on Emperor Stuart, seeing how well the leader of the Black Plain had grown over the years.


    ''He''s already close to level 83. His strength has certainly surpassed the 9th stage level, and he can be compared to low-level Demigods.'' Forrest analyzed Minos in silence while remembering things he had discussed with his master before Duncan''s seclusion began.


    ''The Black Plain Empire is doing well, from what I hear... He and his state should continue to grow stronger in the coming years, perhaps decades.'' His eyes narrowed. ''It is time for me to follow what my master has told me.''


    Forrest then said, "Minos Stuart, I will come straight to the point. I am here because I hope to ally my group with yours on a deeper level.


    I will not hide my differences with Maximillian Flamen, the person you freed. I disagree with what he is doing, and I see myself in opposition to him. So you need to know that if you move forward alongside my group, you will be seen as opposing him one day."


    Minos and Gloria knew that there were groups in the Church who were not participating in the war, not by Maximillian''s choice, but by their own decision.


    Most of these men not getting involved in the war were members of the Supreme Pontiff''s faction, the only one that could withstand Maximillian''s pressures.


    As for the others, they were low-level groups who would not make much difference in the war.


    Hearing that, neither was surprised, but both readily noted how sincere that man was.


    "But Minos, even though Maximillian has made promises to you and you are not being harmed for now, that doesn''t mean it will always be like this.


    Maximillian wants to dominate the entire continent, so if he wins the war, he will look to the northern region and try to diminish your powers sooner or later." He gestured as he spoke. "At that time, the risks to your empire, and especially you, will be enormous.


    Therefore, I propose you think carefully about Maximillian. Allying with me may bring you trouble, but not doing so may be much worse!"


    Minos agreed with Forrest''s analysis of the continental situation and asked, "What exactly do you want from me?"


    Seeing that Minos was interested in hearing more, Forrest changed his expression slightly, seeing he was not totally against his ideas. "First of all, I would like to ally myself with your group within the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom.I think you should take a look at


    One of my faction''s groups will be entering that region of space, so I would like us to team up to collect resources and obtain inheritances to strengthen us."


    As human experts left inheritances to younger generations, beasts did the same.


    As much as there were great differences in terms of the characteristics of beasts and humans, the inheritance of one could be beneficial to the other.


    Obviously, a human would better use the inheritance left by another human, and beasts would get the best benefits from the inheritance of other beasts. But in a place with so many competitors for resources, anything that improved one''s strength would be desired by all.


    In the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom, there were several heirlooms from ancient dragons, things that could immensely help Spiritual Sages like the members of Minos'' group.


    But even low-level Demigods could benefit from it, so even Forrest was interested in entering that region of space.


    "Few of us will be able to leave the continent to take advantage of this opportunity, but we will still join a group of 5, counting me. There will be 2 Demigods and 3 peak Sages in my group."


    "I can ally my group with yours during the event. But what about after?" Minos asked.


    Forrest answered him. "Afterwards, we won''t act much. As long as the war lasts, I intend to keep my group silent, maintaining our positions and continuing what we have already done in recent years.


    Then it won''t be evident that you favor us since you won''t have to do much in the short term. But we will need to act together when the war is over, whether Maximillian wins or not."


    Forrest was working on the assumption of Maximillian''s victory, but he did not rule out the second alternative.


    If Vico won the war, it would mean that the Church would be greatly weakened, and it would be time more than ever for everyone involved with the organization to rally around one leader to rebuild it.


    The Black Plain Empire could already be a high-level state by the time the war was over, so in case of the Church''s defeat, it would be relevant for its restructuring.


    On the other hand, in case Maximillian emerged as the victor of the confrontation with the western region, the importance of Minos and the Black Plain would be even greater.


    With the continent dominated by Maximillian, only the next targets of this Demigod could rise up against him.


    For Supreme Pontiff Duncan''s faction, Minos and his state were their light at the end of the tunnel. Besides having the chance to grow in the coming years of war and the fact that Minos had plenty of room to develop, he was a natural opponent for Maximillian due to his track record as leader of the Black Plain.


    Allying his faction with Minos'' was crucial for Forrest if he intended to continue opposing Maximillian!


    "At that time, we would need everything: financial support, men to structure our allied forces, and actions to secure our autonomies from him.


    We would have to resist him until one of us reached level 99, or he became a God!"


    ...

 Chapter 1807 Conditions Of The Agreement

    ?


    Gloria then asked. "Let''s assume that Maximillian wins the war. How would we resist him? What exactly is the strength of your group, Cardinal?"


    Forrest looked at Gloria and was sincere. "Apart from the Supreme Pontiff, we have 15 Demigods in our faction, 3 of them high level, the strongest level 98. The rest are evenly distributed between medium and low level."


    Minos frowned and looked at Forrest more closely. "How many of them are really true to your ideals? What is the chance that one of them will give up their ideals to not suffer at the hands of elder Maximillian?"


    Forrest understood Minos'' concern and said, "We all firmly believe that Maximillian''s rise is not good for the Church or the continent."


    Forrest''s group did not blame Minos for Maximillian''s return. At the time, this young man was only a Spiritual Saint, and his situation was quite difficult, so his mistake of releasing that person did not necessarily make him an enemy of this group.


    With that in mind, Forrest thought he could bring Minos over to his group''s side and didn''t consider him a potential enemy.


    "Hmm, I doubt that''s true, but let''s work with that number," Minos said. "How would we resist him? Maximillian is pretty strong. I''ve seen him kill a high-level Demigod like it was nothing."


    "He is indeed a monster." Forrest nodded in agreement. "But he is not unstoppable. Until he becomes a God, Maximillian can be stopped by another level 99 Demigods.


    Then, we will depend on the advancement of our high-level elders but also on the growth of your state, Minos. If you can become a Demigod before the war ends, the dark defensive domes of your state can be our defenses against Maximillian.


    We will resist him in the northern region, and when we become stronger, we will counterattack."


    Forrest was very talented. His plan depended on the forces of Minos and the group created by Duncan, but he had as the main hope in his plans himself.


    He believed that one day, he would reach the same level as his master and be able to fight Maximillian head-on. At that time, he would solve the Church''s problems if his master did not return successfully from absorbing Divine-grade medicine.


    If Duncan were successful, then he and his people would only need to endure Maximillian until the Supreme Pontiff returned!


    Gloria and Minos understood Forrest''s plans. He basically wanted to create resistance and hide as Emperor Stuart had done in the Flowers Kingdom. If one day they got stronger, they would act.


    Gloria then questioned the opposite. "What if Vico wins the war? What would our situation look like?"


    Minos nodded and said, "You must know that Vico wants my head, right? Will you support me in this? I doubt I''ll be strong enough to defend myself against Emperor Travisani by the time the war is over."


    Forrest looked at Minos and said, "If Vico wins, the Church will probably have lost many of its high-level personnel and will also lose part of its domains.


    I believe it would be impossible for the Western region to eliminate us or even absorb all of our territories in the event of victory. In that case, they would probably have to limit their actions for a while, as they would also have had considerable losses in the war.


    But if Vico, still in his weakest moment, decided to act against you, we would, of course, intervene. The Black Plain will be very important to us whether in victory or defeat, so obviously, we will not allow it to fall to the Eastern Empire."I think you should take a look at


    That was enough for Minos and Gloria. As soon as they heard Forrest, they looked at each other positively, judging that that would be good enough for now.


    Minos said, "I can agree to proceed with this arrangement between us. But I have two conditions that need to be met."


    "What are they?" Forrest questioned seriously.


    "First, I will not simply support your faction to lead the Church or anything like that. If we are going to be allies, I would like us to have the same level of internal power in the Church.


    There won''t be someone in the position of Supreme Pontiff of the Church on our side, even in the event of the Church''s defeat by Vico. We will only be able to choose a new leader for the Church 100 years after the end of the war and the beginning of our activities."


    "I can agree with that," Forrest said, not caring that he couldn''t lead their group for only 100 years.


    "Second, I want your group to send protectors to my empire in case of need. No, in fact, if I send a request for help for your group to send men, you must do so without question or evaluation to say whether or not it is worth it.


    If I need high-level Demigods one day, you should send someone like that unless there is no one available."


    "Oh?" Forrest immediately thought that this request from Minos was to protect him from Vico in case of victory of the western region. ''That''s reasonable. Vico really hates him a lot and will try everything to get revenge in the future...''


    But Minos'' purpose was not that. He was more concerned about the North Sea and the speed of sending reinforcements from his allies.


    He didn''t want the Church''s bureaucracy to delay the sending of men, so he wanted to ensure that at least Forrest''s group would be obliged to send men immediately once he asked for them.


    "OK, if you need high-level Demigods and the group has someone like that available, we''ll do as you say. We''ll make no inquiries and simply send them to you as soon as we have the request in hand."


    With those words from Forrest, Minos and Duncan''s disciple reached an important agreement!


    For the next few days, they would remain in Payton waiting for the opening of the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom, but also for the movement of a medium-level grade-4 spiritual judge.


    But before long, they would sign Soul Contracts signing their agreement, something necessary since Minos could not impose his Divine Seal on people much stronger than him.


    With that done, both sides agreed to enter the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom together on the second day after the stabilization of the portals to that region of space.


    Thus, 3 weeks would pass in the blink of an eye, and finally, the portals of that Spatial Kingdom were stabilized for entry into it!


    After so many months of preparation, it was time for the Stuart family to start another adventure!

 Chapter 1808 Disappointing Reality

    ?


    As a new day dawned, Minos'' party departed Payton, leaving the area through a local wormhole port.


    Minos, Abby, Ruth, Gloria, Isabella, and Harold soon traveled through thousands of miles of space in a matter of moments, arriving in the city closest to where the portals of the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom had stabilized the day before.


    Forrest had already left for the area to wait for Minos'' party, so no one from the Church except Gloria was at the party that arrived in this other city.


    Leaving the local wormhole port, the people next to Minos soon noticed the number of experts in the area, noticing with their spiritual perceptions the number of Sages and even Demigods in the city.


    "Wow... So many experts came here just to watch the entrance and the end of the event?" Isabella commented to her group as she looked around, not expecting to feel such spiritual fluctuations in her homeland.


    "This is normal," Minos commented. "These people are mostly merchants. They are here to sell their services to the groups that have come to enter the Spatial Kingdom.


    Only the young talents of each group are expected to enter such a place. Many of their bodyguards or elders are in the area to await their return and keep their forces up to date.


    These specialists consume quite unique services and do not care about the cost as long as it has quality.


    This is the opportunity for significant profit for these merchants."


    Isabella noticed several Demigods standing around the merchants'' makeshift tents nearby.


    Not every expert can afford some expenses. A Demigod would certainly be much wealthier than an ordinary Spiritual Sage and would probably be able to afford grade-3 or lower-level items with ease.


    However, they would have the same difficulties as everyone else when it came to what they needed for their cultivation.


    After all, as the level increased, the rarity of resources that could help them increased, but the price of the services of professionals also increased. As a result, one''s financial life did not necessarily improve as one''s cultivation level increased.


    That was why people generally took so long to cultivate their strength to the peak!


    Not everyone could be a king, emperor, prince, princess, or even a member of the nobility!


    Therefore, these people had no way to take their own belongings on a journey to live better while they waited for their young people.


    Some of them simply used the services of people who worked by renting out their belongings, training places, etc.


    Temporary renting was always cheaper than buying!


    Isabella looked at these Demigods and sighed as she saw some of her old fantasies fall to the ground.


    She had grown up thinking that 10th-stage experts were superior beings, rich, wise, etc. But the truth was that such people only had higher powers than those of lower levels.


    The women of Minos also watched these creatures, especially the great dragon beside the city, looking like a mountain of flesh and scales.


    Abby looked at it and commented. "Is that a dragon? I didn''t think they were that big!"I think you should take a look at


    She thought Emlyn was huge, but seeing this creature, she couldn''t help but rethink her idea of size.


    Minos looked at the creature and thought of the Fah''um od Dunov. "Perhaps they are the closest descendants of the beings behind those giant skeletons."


    "Oh?"


    Minos explained his theory, something even Henricus Longus had not thought of in his time, for he had not had the chance to find where the body of the Fah''um of Dunov lay. "There are huge skeletons that are not humanoid in shape. I believe they belonged to one of the 101 races. Perhaps the beasts we know, or at least some of the greatest creatures of our world, are descended from one of these races."


    "If that''s the case, it explains the size of the sky whales and dragons," Ruth commented, also looking at the creature that had eyes as big as human houses.


    At that moment, he looked in the direction of their group.


    ''Humans? Tsk, someone at your level dares to enter our Spatial Kingdom!'' This gigantic creature did not like the strength of this group and felt that it was a great pity that low-level creatures dared to enter his ancient home.


    However, the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom was full of dangers, even for the strongest cultivators, so he did not stop them and just kept watching them.


    ''You will die in the Spatial Kingdom. This place is not for weaklings like you.''


    After a moment, he closed his eyes and went back to sleep, as no one else around seemed to want to enter any of the portals in the area.


    A total of 6 portals were open in a mountainous area of this part of the Flaming Empire, each on top of mountains in the area.


    Each portal was supposed to lead to a different part of the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom. Still, according to ancient reports, there were other portals within that region of space that either led out or to other unstable areas.


    Thus, the place one entered did not guarantee that one would be confined to one area, and there was a high chance that beings who entered different portals would meet in the middle of their journey.


    Minos and his group knew this, but still, they would soon head to the portal that no member of the western region had entered.


    Oswald and one of the level 89 Sages of the Black Plain Army were there to guide them and tell them who had entered where so they would not be traveling in the dark.


    When they met Forrest''s group waiting for them next to the portal, they just greeted each other and walked through the portal!


    With Forrest''s 4 companions, the level 89 Sage of the Longus Family joined Minos'' group, leaving Oswald behind to observe the area with the other men of the army and the Gray Clouds Sect.


    Seeing them all disappear into that portal, the white-haired and white-bearded man sighed, but he did not stay there for long and soon returned to his people''s observation post.


    ''Good luck. I hope you will achieve good things in the coming months!''


    ...

 Chapter 1809 Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom

    ?


    As Oswald returned to his position, Minos'' group passed through the portals and arrived at one of the unstable areas of the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom!


    The first of them to pass through this portal had been Minos. Upon arriving in this Spatial Kingdom, Minos looked around and frowned, feeling such a strange spatial sensation for the first time.


    To him, this could not be called a Spatial Kingdom. This space did not have the classic stability of Spatial Kingdoms, and even Spiritual Sages could manipulate space there.


    Unlike what one would find in his Spatial Kingdom, which seemed to be a boundless land, when Minos looked at the horizon, instead of the infinite horizon, he saw large distortions.


    When he noticed these bluish distortions, he immediately realized some of the dangers of this place.


    If someone fell, were thrown, or pushed there, they would surely die in the chaos of space!


    When he saw this and the Church''s men arrived where he was, Minos realized the spiritual fluctuation of this place.


    Even though it had been badly damaged in the battle a long time ago, at least this part of the Spatial Kingdom had a good spiritual density. It was not like the region of space Henricus Longus had created for his heir, but it was better than the high-level places in the Central Continent.


    The vegetation there was complex, quite different from what one would find in the Central Continent.


    But that was to be expected. After all, Spatial Kingdoms were nothing more than parts of the world that were spatially manipulated to create kingdoms detached from their places of origin. But their bases would never change and would always be parts of where their creators had folded space.


    In the case of this Spatial Kingdom, it had been created on the Continent of Beasts, specifically in the home of the dragons, in the northeastern part of that continent.


    Naturally, the vegetation and terrain of this place were similar to what one would find in that area.


    However, when Minos observed this place, which was well lit by the sunny sky, he noticed the differences between human and dragon Gods.


    Perhaps because of the difference in their size or other characteristics, Minos did not know for sure, dragons could create much larger spaces than humans.


    This was just one of the unstable areas resulting from the partial destruction of this Spatial Kingdom, but even so, this place was at least three times the size of Minos'' Spatial Kingdom.


    Noticing all this, Minos smiled as his wives appeared behind him.


    "This place is really fantastic..." Gloria commented, following what her family had planned.


    Unlike the people of the Spiritual Church, they could not react to this as if the place was just another version of what they already knew. No one knew they had their own Spatial Kingdom, so they all quickly demonstrated their "surprise" at this place.


    "So, Spatial Kingdoms are like this? Incredible! It''s no wonder high-level powers manage to keep their talents for so long!" Harold exclaimed, participating in this collective performance.


    Forrest laughed upon hearing this and commented since they were allies and Gloria was part of the Church, "This is nothing. A complete Spatial Kingdom is much better than this. Besides, every Spatial Kingdom has plantations of Divine Medicine, but this place has none.


    This was just an unstable area of the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom, but Forrest''s group, as well as other groups that had recently passed the portals, knew that there were no Divine Medicines in this place.


    After this space was damaged in the battle countless years ago, this place had strangely lost its ability to produce medicines of that quality.


    After countless openings of this dimension, all the strongest powers in the world were aware of it, and no one had even tried to plant medicines of that quality there.I think you should take a look at


    But there were a lot of Saint-grade medicines on this site, and near where this group arrived, they could already feel some of these plants!


    "Is that so?" Minos smiled when he heard Forrest. "It must be amazing to cultivate in a Spatial Kingdom... I''m looking forward to entering one, one day."


    "Haha, that''s the spirit." Forrest smiled. "But if you''re interested, there''s an organization on the Divine Continent that anyone with the necessary crystals can pay to enter and do whatever they want in their spatial kingdom.


    But the entrance is quite expensive. It costs 100,000 high-grade crystals per month. And you have to pay for all your expenses within the area, such as food and shelter.


    Some Spatial Kingdoms were used as headquarters for organizations, but others were used to protect entire cities!


    In the case of the Spatial Kingdom Forrest mentioned, it was actually the capital of one of the three states of the Divine Continent, where the nobility of the entire continent lived.


    The three states of this continent were ''brothers,'' allies who had never fought each other since their founding. As such, even noble families from other states had their headquarters in this city within a Spatial Kingdom.


    The nobles did not pay to come and go from this place, but anyone else interested in living or entering this space had to pay the fee Forrest mentioned.


    "That''s really great," Harold said, this time with sincerity. He had never thought that this world would offer something like that!


    The level 89 Sage of Minos'' group knew of such a place, but he said nothing, observing the place he was in, the second Spatial Kingdom he entered.


    This was a hybrid of a human and an animal race from the Divine Continent, Griffin.


    Hybrids could create new races of hybrids by crossing with other pure races or even with other hybrids.


    There were a variety of ways to do this. Still, few of them had a good success rate, so in the Spiritual World, you would usually only find hybrids that were a mixture of two pure breeds.


    Cases like this being with falcon''s eyes, a humanoid torso, wings on the back, and a lion''s tail were extremely rare.


    He used his super visual characteristics and alerted his group to this place, drawing them away from their previous conversation and primary observation of this space.


    "Your Majesty, there is a strange creature right in front of us." He said in a somber tone, for he had never seen anything like it before.


    This creature seemed to be made of roots, but it had the body of a one-eyed giant, and it seemed to be looking at them while kneeling on the ground hundreds of meters in front of them.


    Upon hearing this, everyone in the group stopped thinking about Spatial Kingdoms and their curiosities to pay attention to this creature, one of the guardians of this space.


    Minos immediately remembered the map he had received from Julian and the hints this elder had given him.


    "This is a piece of a wooden dragon''s body!" He exclaimed as he saw the creation of a level 100 dragon looking in their direction.


    ...

 Chapter 1810 Powerful Combination

    ?


    A wood dragon was a creation of dragons, an artificial creature that could take the form of a dragon but also a humanoid giant with one eye.


    It was like a servant of the dragons and the most powerful families of this race, who would take care of the maintenance of Spatial Kingdoms but also deal with intruders.


    These creatures were not living beings, so they had no life expectancy. Last but not least, this creature was there to make things difficult for Minos'' group!


    Forrest frowned at the sight of this piece of the wooden dragon of this Spatial Kingdom.


    Wooden dragons were practically as strong as level 99 human Demigods. However, this was only a piece of this Spatial Kingdom''s wooden dragon. Therefore, it was "small," and the power it emitted was similar to that of a level 92 dragon.


    However, dragons were much stronger than ordinary humans, so this thing that emitted such a strong spiritual fluctuation was worrying.


    "It looks like we''re out of luck." He remarked to his group while everyone was already taking up fighting positions and circulating their energies.


    "How will we face it?" Harold asked while the Minos group hybrid was already in his bestial form, the same as his ancestors, Griffin!


    Minos made a complicated face and said, "Ideally, we wouldn''t face him, but I think he''s already interested in us." He looked at Abby and said, "Use your fusion. Let''s see what we can do with it."


    "Oh? OK."


    When the people in Forrest''s group heard that, they looked at Abby strangely, not knowing what was happening.


    As far as they knew, the women of Minos had fighting skills far inferior to his. On the other hand, none of them had ever demonstrated a fusion in public.


    Abby was even known to combine her techniques very well, but these were not fusions like what Minos did.


    Forrest looked at Minos and asked, "What do you have in mind?"


    "Just watch. Maybe Abby can create a distraction so this creature forgets about us." Minos said, smiling.


    The wood dragon was a creature with protective instincts that would act first to defend the Spatial Kingdom against what it felt was the worst for that space.


    If it had to face many enemies, it would have no choice but to leave the more harmless and quiet ones aside while it dealt with the others.


    Abby quickly fused two of the techniques she had received from the Goddess of Life, which could bring that expert''s legendary skill back to the world.


    As the spiritual energy in the area condensed and Minos'' group stood guard around Abby, the ground in several parts of the forest suddenly began to crack.


    One of the level 89 Sages in the group looked at one of the cracks that appeared near them and frowned when he saw a hand emerge from the crack.


    Then, several human and non-human skeletal creatures began to emerge from the area, including a gigantic dragon skeleton!


    "What? What is that?" The level 92 Demigod in Forrest''s group cried out in shock as he saw 40 skeletal creatures emerge from the ground after the fusion of Abby''s techniques was completed.


    Forrest was also startled, not understanding where this was coming from.


    This technique looked nothing like the information his group had on Abby!


    Meanwhile, Minos smiled, pleased to see his wife finally able to merge the two techniques left by the Goddess of Life.


    The skeletons shook violently momentarily, and then voices emerged from their skeletal bodies.I think you should take a look at


    "Hmm? Where am I? I thought I was dead."


    "And you did die, you good-for-nothing! I killed you!"


    Two human skeletons said to each other, speaking loudly.


    "You damned worm! I killed you too, apparently. It looks like you couldn''t take your injuries, motherfucker!"


    "Tsk!"


    Meanwhile, the skeletal dragon shouted. "What? Am I back to life? Hmm, is someone controlling me?" His tone quickly turned hostile as he looked in Abby''s direction.


    "Human? Tsk, brat, you have a phenomenal ability to resurrect me like that, but if you think you can use me..."


    He, a former level 91 dragon, could not accept this humiliation!


    But as he spoke, a dark mist suddenly appeared around the humans, affecting not only him but also all the other skeletons in the area.


    "Obey!" Minos'' voice reached them all, making them tremble as they felt the Dark Sea in action.


    Abby''s fusion resulted in a copy of the Goddess of Life''s innate powers. As such, she didn''t have as much control over these creatures as the ancient expert would have. But this fusion still brought back creatures from the dead with almost maximum power!


    Not only that, as long as it worked, these creatures would be similar to conscious beings, with those with levels similar to Abby''s under her full control, while the stronger ones would be somewhat free.


    That was the only flaw in it at the moment.


    But just because they were conscious, Minos could freely use his powers on these creatures and manipulate them as he pleased!


    This dragon skeleton was not as strong as it was in life, and with a power similar to that of only level 90, it could not withstand the power of Minos'' soul and soon fell under the control of this emperor.


    "Distract the wooden dragon," Minos ordered, making the creatures stop talking and turn their attention to the wooden creature that was already watching them more than the group of living creatures there.


    Immediately after his command, they all moved and acted separately to take the wooden dragon away from their masters.


    Forrest frowned at this display of power and looked at Minos and Abby in shock.


    This was no simple combination of powers!


    Abby could use her fusion to bring back dead creatures that had over 80% of their powers in life, and she could do it even with creatures much stronger than her!


    At the same time, as much as she could not control the stronger ones, she could leave them under the control of Minos, who could even manipulate beings with level 90 powers.


    This was not simple!


    Gulp!


    ''This... This can''t be! If this can be widely used, when Minos becomes a Demigod, he will be able to command armies of the dead alongside this blue-haired girl!'' Forrest quickly came to this conclusion.


    ...

 Chapter 1811 A Little About Dragons

    ?


    Abby could not command Demigods, and her limits would become more and more different from Minos'' as time went on. But they could both become stronger. That meant there were only positive prospects for this combination of powers!


    When he thought about how much it could help the resistance against Maximillian, Forrest clenched his fists and felt how right his master had been in directing him to the good side of these people.


    Minos and the Black Plain were quietly preparing terrible things for this continent!


    If Vico and Maximillian knew about this combination of powers, they would probably worry more about the north of the continent.


    ''Perfect! As long as they gain a few more levels, we can go further in the future.''


    But at that moment, when everyone looked at Abby differently, Minos shouted. "Let''s move. We have to get out of sight of the wooden dragon. These skeletons will last five minutes at the most. The strongest of them should return to the ground in less than 40 seconds!"


    Since Abby was only level 81 and didn''t have the benefit of Minos'' innate ability, this fusion was too costly for her. She could even bring back the dead Demigods in this area, but the stronger they were, the less time they would stay standing.


    "40 seconds?" Forrest muttered, but he didn''t find it strange. It made perfect sense. If this fusion didn''t have its limits, it would go against every spiritual theory known to this world.


    But even though it was only for a short time, it was enough to make a big difference on the battlefield.


    As for their problem in entering the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom, it was more than enough for them to escape that wooden dragon and continue their exploration.


    ...


    After a few minutes, the Minos group moved away from the area where they had entered this Spatial Kingdom.


    They found an underground building on their way and promptly entered to escape the mighty wooden dragon.


    Fighting an immortal creature that was only meant to protect the area would be difficult for their group, which did not have enough to destroy such a thing.


    For now, they wanted to explore this area while the creature was distracted and maybe forgot about them.


    Inside this underground place, they soon came upon a network of huge tunnels that were part of the underground area of the Spatial Kingdom.


    Dragons had some different habits from the other races of this world. They performed a dozen different rituals during their journeys, some marking the beginning of adulthood, others the end of life.


    In particular, the first time they mated with their partners was a special moment for the entire tribe, and some were watched by several elders as they mated, producing the future leaders of the tribe.


    They didn''t do this just anywhere but in underground chambers like the ones in this underground area.


    In places like this, the females would lay their dragon eggs after the mating hours and leave them in special chambers where the eggs would hatch. It was said that only after a good "dance" would one have the chance to give birth to a mighty dragon.


    The humans in Minos'' party knew this story and soon passed through one of the tunnels, scanning the area.


    The places where dragons performed their special ceremonies or hatched their eggs were usually places with various valuable items and resources that were important to people like them.


    "We were very lucky to come to this place," Gloria commented, considering what she knew about this area. "Only two spatial pockets of the six remaining parts of the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom have underground structures."I think you should take a look at


    Forrest agreed and said, "Few people have been lucky enough to enter the underground part of this Spatial Kingdom over time. The entrances to this area usually change places with each event, so we have a chance to find valuable things here."


    "Is it possible that there is a dragon egg here?" One of the level 89 Sages asked.


    There was no way they could find a dragon egg in the hatching process. But they could find "dead" or "frozen" eggs.


    Such an egg could be used for various activities and was extremely valuable to Spiritual Sages and even low-level Demigods.


    For a dragon, such a thing was a snack that could help them improve their understanding of the world and increase their strength and vitality.


    Dragon bloodlines had different levels, and by devouring other dragons, one would always have the chance to increase the purity of their bloodline.


    Cannibalism had been practiced in the Dragon Tribe since the early days. It was the natural method of passing power within this group of powerful creatures.


    When an elder died, they had two possible fates in the Dragon Tribe. Either they would be buried, or their heirs would devour them.


    The first option usually happened when the elder died in battle, and much of their bloodline was destroyed or weakened. In such cases, devouring their bodies would not produce anything positive for the one who ate them.


    The second option was the one they usually used for natural deaths when they performed the power transfer ceremony.


    In such a case, a dragon could increase its cultivation by up to 5 levels in a few months after devouring an ancestor''s body!


    A small "dead" egg wouldn''t do the same, but it was still an advantage that dragons wouldn''t ignore.


    "I don''t know..." Minos said when he heard that comment. "But even if we only find the shells of a dragon egg, that would be pretty good."


    A dozen high-level pills had dragon eggshells as an ingredient!


    This was one of the main reasons for the rivalry between humans and beasts in the distant past, when beasts devoured humans to become stronger, and humans mainly targeted the major beast races to steal their powers.


    Phoenix feathers, dragon eggs, dragon teeth, sky whale blood, in short, small parts of the most powerful beasts in the world, could greatly increase the strength of humans!


    Nowadays, the balance of the world doesn''t allow for hunting these resources. Still, in a place like this, where there could be resources without owners, people like these men and women couldn''t help but think about getting some of these resources.


    But as they cautiously walked through the tunnel, they suddenly heard the sound of mechanisms, and one of them shouted.


    "Damn it! A trap!"


    Then, several spear-shaped dragon claws flew toward them from three different directions!


    At the same time, large stone wheels closed the tunnel they were in, trapping them inside it!


    ...

 Chapter 1812 Overcoming The Problem

    ?


    With giant dragon claws flying toward them and no way to escape, Minos'' allies looked from side to side and prepared to act.


    The tunnel they were in was huge, big enough for 9th-stage dragons to pass through. There was enough room for all of them to activate their Soul Avatars.


    The strongest of the group took the lead, raising their defenses against their weaker companions to prevent the worst from happening.


    The surprise attack of the trap in that area was not weak, but it was not threatening to the Demigods or Minos.


    So, these three acted quickly for the good of their group.


    Minos activated the Spatial Sword, and several ghost blades emerged from the vacuum of space, heading toward the dragon claws flying toward the people there.


    Forrest and his companion were not left behind and soon destroyed many of those razor-sharp claws with their attacks, helping to reduce the number of attacks that were about to hit Minos'' people.


    But Gloria, Ruth, Isabella, Abby, and Harold did not stand still. They joined the other 9th-stage members of their group and combined their defenses, preparing for the claws that their 3 strongest people would not destroy.


    With this action, in the blink of an eye, several layers of defenses appeared in front of this group, with the strongest defenses in front and the weakest behind, with the purpose of absorbing the enemy projectiles'' power.


    Ruth''s defensive ability was not the kind that could be used to protect others, so she did not join the group. Instead, she prepared her attacks, sending bursts of destructive lightning at the projectiles heading toward her group.


    When one of the few projectiles that made it past Minos'' group and the two Demigods hit the group''s defenses, the first barriers suffered and were easily destroyed.


    But with each layer of defenses destroyed, these and other attacks weakened, reducing their speed and destructive power.


    When one of them broke through all the defensive layers, Gloria appeared in front of the level 89 Sage of Forrest''s group, placing her two forearms in front of her body as if they were a shield.


    Then inscriptions appeared on her body, causing the dragon claw to glow for a moment before turning to ash.


    Gloria felt the protection Minos had left on her body increase the amount of spiritual energy she had at her disposal and immediately attacked with great force.


    Seraphim''s Wings!


    She slammed her six wings down on her avatar''s back, causing dozens of feathers to break free from her projection and fly away against other projectiles flying toward the group.


    Swooish!


    Meanwhile, Isabella and Abby struggled to raise the destroyed barriers.


    Seeing this, Minos grinned, enjoying seeing all his women show some of their abilities after so many years of not seeing them fight for their lives.


    They did not display powers much greater than those of a talented, well-armed, and well-trained person of their level. But they were not there to make a difference for their group. On the contrary, they were there because he wanted to help them become even stronger with the help of what they could get in this space.


    It wasn''t their individual strength that caught Minos'' attention, but their resilience in coming together to fight attacks much stronger than their own level, but also their will to persevere and become stronger.


    He knew that not everyone could be like him!I think you should take a look at


    ''It looks like the years of training together are paying off, doesn''t it?'' He glanced at them before noticing one of the last dragon claws flying swiftly toward him.


    Minos clenched his fists and did not hesitate. He activated the Indestructible Body and struck at it with force, causing space to collapse in front of his fist until it hit its target.


    The collision of the two attacks caused an outburst, and the entire dragon claw exploded, leaving no trace as it was completely destroyed by the chaotic power of Minos'' fists.


    Seeing that no more claws were flying toward his people, Minos didn''t hesitate and merged two of his techniques, creating a black hole.


    The people in Forrest''s group saw this for the first time. They felt the terror of Emperor Stuart''s ability, which could even threaten the lives of level 92 cultivators.


    Minos threw the thing in the direction of where a large stone wheel had blocked the path ahead, clearing the way for his party without delay or difficulty.


    Forrest realized how powerful Minos'' rare fusion ability was, which was very different from what he had heard about it.


    "This is quite an impressive power." He praised Minos but soon moved with the rest of the group behind the brown-haired fellow.


    Minos quickly extinguished the black hole with his abilities, knowing that if he detonated a black hole bomb in this place, his entire group would probably perish.


    With a clear path ahead of them, they soon came to the entrance of one of the many underground chambers in the area.


    From a distance, they could see a deep green, with several roots on the ground, and the smell of wet earth that came from such an area.


    "A plantation?" Isabella asked as she realized what was in front of her.


    "Dragons have bizarre ways for us humans," Forrest commented. "Among them, they grow a kind of herb that only grows in the dark. They usually use this herb to make drinks for some of their ceremonies.


    If these plants are that kind of herb, some of us might have a chance to use it to temper our bodies and increase our understanding of flame-related techniques."


    "Oh?" Harold was interested in this, as his entire cultivation base was flame-related.


    He was not the emperor of the Flaming Empire for nothing!


    As a descendant of the ruling family of such a region, his techniques had a lot to do with FLAME things!


    Isabella had already learned some techniques from Minos. However, her cultivation base and, more importantly, her innate ability were closely related to flames.


    So when she heard that, she smiled, imagining that she could be the first of the group to win something in this place!


    Minos said nothing and led the group into the place, knowing there might be more traps.


    Before they celebrated, they had to ensure they could use these things!


    ...

 Chapter 1813 Enemies Everywhere

    ?


    Upon entering what looked like a large greenhouse of about 10,000 square meters, Minos'' group was confronted with plants that covered much of the space there.


    Roots exceeded the boundaries of the areas intended for plants and covered the corridor intended for human passage, making it difficult to walk in the area.


    A strong smell of plants emanated from the surroundings, while the spiritual density there was not small.


    These were not ordinary plants but Saint medicines!


    However, they were somewhat different from the plants Forrest had mentioned.


    "Hmm, they have changed a lot since this place was abandoned," Minos muttered as he realized that these were the herbs Forrest had mentioned, but they were also something new. "I can''t say if they still have the same positive effects as those herbs, but they are Saint-grade medicines.


    They have their value."


    Hearing that, Harold looked at the plants around him and felt like harvesting them, even if they weren''t as good as what Forrest had said.


    He would still be interested in them even if they had only 1% of their former potential!


    Unlike the rest of his group, he could only rely on outside resources to increase his strength. Even with the help of the Spatial Kingdom, this man did not expect to one day become a Demigod without the help of outside resources.


    Unfortunately, he had aged a long time before he managed to reach the 9th stage, and even after that, he had spent quite a bit of time at the beginning of this stage.


    "How do we harvest them?" He asked Minos.


    Medicines could not be harvested just like that. One could easily damage their quality and destroy the part of them that was capable of producing the benefits that made humans and beasts value them so much.


    Minos then took some items from his spatial ring and showed them to his father-in-law. "With this here."


    "Oh? You have such a thing of high-level grade-4?" Forrest was surprised at the quality of the items Minos had just shown him.


    Minos lied. "I found this in an heirloom from an ancient level 99 Demigod I met on my journey."


    Forrest didn''t think it was a lie and thought it made sense. Minos had probably received a good heirloom many years ago and changed his own destiny with it.


    Stories like his were rare in the Spiritual World. Still, a few experts achieve great things in every generation through their chance encounters.


    Cultivation was very complicated, and one would have to go through countless challenges and difficult times to reach the peak. Therefore, it wasn''t something like death that would cause experts who had suffered so much to completely disappear from the world.


    Almost every peak expert would leave behind at least one heirloom to mark their passage through the world and pass on to others at least some of what they had painstakingly built.


    This was not as simple as the transfer of power between dragons through cannibalism, but in a way, it was a power transfer.


    With techniques, resources, or even knowledge, even someone of low talent could perform remarkable feats!


    Minos then looked at one of the mature herbs and decided to harvest it for Isabella.


    As he did so, their group kept their guard up, watching their surroundings in anticipation of trouble.


    There were many opportunities in the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom, but for every one of them, there was a high chance that something dangerous was nearby!


    Traps, enemies, competitors, in short, anything was possible in this place, before, during, or after any situation.


    They could only be sure they would be safe once they left this room and returned to the Flaming Empire!


    As Minos placed the blade of the scissors in the place it was supposed to cut, he suddenly heard something and took his eyes off the medicine to look ahead.


    He saw the leaves of one of the plants move.I think you should take a look at


    His eyes flashed in a rainbow of colors, and as he focused on the space in front of him, he saw a scaly creature with no arms or legs crawling across the area.


    ''A snake?'' He found that strange.


    As in every Spatial Kingdom, there was plant and animal life in this place.


    Every such space had creatures that kept the environment in balance, and that would only leave their positions if the God that created such a space, or a new God that entered it, ordered them to do so.


    But this space had been severely damaged, and the creatures of the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom no longer followed the orders of the creator of this space.


    Since this space was divided into several smaller parts, and others were completely destroyed at the time of the great battle that damaged this zone, there was no way for these beings to follow the ancient rules of it.


    Each being there did as they pleased, trying their best to maintain their existence without destroying the remnants created by their God.


    Knowing these creatures, Minos knew that any creatures that still existed there would be enemies to him and his group.


    Infinite Dream!


    A lightning bolt shot out of his eyes and quickly hit the level 89 creature, giving it no chance to dodge.


    A second later, Minos received pertinent information.


    "We''re surrounded!" He shouted, quickly expanding his senses and noticing ten more snakes hiding in the trees, underground, and even on the area''s roof.


    These creatures could disguise their presence and mental fluctuations, so no one had noticed their presence in the area until Minos noticed it.


    When they heard his voice, especially the women of Minos looked at the surroundings differently and saw this place as it really was.


    Abby saw that the piece of wood in front of her was not wood, but a snake over 20 meters long, as thick as her body.


    But Ruth felt something much worse as she looked over and saw the eyes of the snake beside her open and look right into her eyes.


    Gulp!


    "Shit!"


    As she unconsciously screamed, she saw the creature lunge at her.


    .


    Nothingness!


    Her body became semi-transparent, and the creature didn''t hit her but went through Ruth and toward one of the two Demigods there.


    Seeing the first attacking creature flying toward him, Forrest''s partner Demigod created a blade of spiritual energy and struck a single blow.


    Swooish!


    The large snake was split in half in an instant, revealing its disgusting insides as dozens of gallons of icy blood fell upon their group.


    At that moment, they all activated their defensive and offensive techniques once again, starting another battle!


    ...

 Chapter 1814 Poisoning

    ?


    Surrounded by large level 89 snakes, Minos'' group immediately began fighting in the green area, defending themselves, dodging, or attacking these creatures.


    Snakes were treacherous creatures with great flexibility, hard-to-counter poison abilities, and high speed.


    When the first two of them fell under the attacks of Minos and the weakest Demigod in the area, the others became much more cautious and changed their strategy.


    They moved away from the humans and then opened their huge mouths at them.


    An instant after they all did the same, their poison spewed out of their mouths. It evaporated into the air immediately after leaving their bodies.


    Seeing this, Forrest sensed the danger of this move and shouted, "Do not breathe the air of this place, or you will be poisoned!"


    Minos saw this and immediately used his innate ability to steal the cultivation of the hybrid from his group to increase his own strength.


    He couldn''t steal the cultivation base of a level 89 unless that being decided to lend their strength to Minos.


    Then, Minos did not stop using his innate ability. At level 84, he quickly started stealing the cultivation bases of those snakes to strengthen the weaker ones in his group.


    All those low-level Spiritual Sages immediately felt their strength increase while the snakes there became weaker.


    When Harold and Isabella felt their cultivation jump to the peak of level 82, they looked at each other and nodded.


    In the next instant, they both activated one of the two Golden-grade techniques of the Edwardstone Family.


    They both stood with their upper bodies leaning forward before opening their mouths and letting out their breath.


    Red flames shot out of their mouths, burning everything in their path.


    But the amount of poison released by those snakes was more than those two could burn.


    "Nice try, humans! But you will die here!" One of the snakes that were least affected by Minos'' ability screamed as its poison became even more intense inside the chamber.


    Minos circulated his energy through the Devouring Art, and several black rings appeared in the air around those creatures, as well as in the air itself.


    Chaotic Gravity!


    Feeling the spiritual energy of those opponents coming under his control, Minos pressed against those beings, making them all feel their bodies being crushed from all directions.


    "Before we die, you will all die, you filthy beasts!" He said as he crushed the weakest creature, causing an explosion of flesh to appear there, scattering the remains all around.


    As Gloria felt the effects of the poison rush through her body, she felt like she was going to pass out, but then Abby touched one of her shoulders, her hand glowing in blue.


    A bright blue mist escaped from Abby''s body and hit the weaker ones there, counteracting the effects of the poison and keeping everyone in the camera conscious.


    Unfortunately, her ability couldn''t solve the problem in these people''s bodies. She could only keep them awake without feeling any pain.


    But while Minos was killing several of those creatures, Ruth, the only one of the weaker ones there who did not feel sick from the enemy poison, did something strange.


    She picked up a flimsy glass and a dagger and then cut her own wrist.


    "What?" One of the Sages in Forrest''s group shouted, not understanding what this black-haired woman wanted.I think you should take a look at


    But then she screamed. "Quick, drink my blood! I am immune to this poison!"


    Ruth had an innate ability that usually did not have much effect on other people because it was related to the regeneration of her own body.


    When she came under the effects of those snakes'' venom, she felt the effects of the poisoning for a moment, but then her ability kicked in, and she soon felt fine again.


    In a single moment, her body had produced what she needed to neutralize the venom of those snakes!


    Knowing how their harem sister''s ability worked, Abby and Gloria were the first to move, accepting Ruth''s blood without hesitation.


    "Wretch!" One of the still-living snakes said, lamenting its enemy''s resilience.


    Forrest looked at the stronger enemy''s reaction and moved, confident that the whole group would be fine even if they eliminated all these snakes.


    With no reason to keep some of them alive, he jumped at the ones Minos hadn''t killed yet and crushed them with his feet!


    The other Demigod joined him and Minos, eliminating the last snakes in the area.


    At the same time, Abby and Gloria sat down to meditate.


    Drinking Ruth''s blood would not solve their situation immediately. They needed to meditate and process what was in the black-haired woman''s blood.


    Harold and Isabella drank from Ruth''s blood long after this woman began to breathe heavily.


    In the blink of an eye, she had drained more than a quart of her blood for the group to drink and recover from the poison.


    Even the strongest of them, like Minos and the other Sages, was still threatened by these poisons. The only ones who were not threatened were the two Demigods, whose bodies were much stronger and more resistant than the power of those snakes.


    When she was about to faint from losing so much blood, Minos appeared beside her and stopped her from falling.


    "Meditate a little and let your ability regenerate the lost blood, Ruth. I and the others are tougher than you, so we can hold out for a few minutes." He said in her ear.


    Ruth was worried, of course, but since she had no choice but to give her body time to recover, she took Minos'' advice and sat down in a lotus position.


    Minos saw this and told Forrest. "Secure the area. I''ll gather the herbs while Ruth meditates."


    The two Demigods kept their soul projections on after hearing this. They watched the surroundings while Minos quickly did the harvesting there.


    But then he found a fruit somewhat different from the herbs his group was interested in, something charged with negative laws.


    ''This... Is that why there were so many snakes here?'' Minos stopped in front of a purple fruit near where the body of the first snake he had killed lay.


    Noticing its purity, he picked it and ate it without hesitation, feeling that he could recover from these creatures'' poison without drinking his wife''s blood.


    Having done so, Minos immediately gave the herbs to Harold and Isabella before sitting down in a meditative posture and beginning to circulate his Solar God Breath technique.


    ...

 Chapter 1815 Progress

    ?


    Aside from his weaker companions who meditated in this area, confident that they would all be fine because of Ruth''s skill, Minos soon focused on his cultivation.


    Still under the effects of being temporarily at level 84, he took the opportunity to increase the amount of energy and laws he could absorb from his surroundings and the bone in the Spatial Kingdom.


    Feeling the chaotic energy coming from his spatial ring, Minos redirected the energy entering his body and soul to his stomach, where a purple glow made his whole body shiver.


    Minos knew about the problems of using alternative methods for quick improvements or breakthroughs. But since he had never used anything like that on his journey here, except when it was necessary, he had a pretty solid foundation to use the method without risk.


    The most important thing was that this place was dangerous, and he needed to get stronger, or he and his wives would be in great danger from cases like this, with the snakes now dead in the area.


    He felt the purple fruit he had eaten being digested by his stomach as his self-concentrated spiritual laws began to penetrate the inner walls of his stomach, searching for the spiritual part of him.


    When it reached his soul essence, he felt as if he had touched something cold, and suddenly, his whole being shrank.


    But soon, he felt something strange, as if his world had taken on a new color, and he slowly noticed a new essence that he had previously ignored.


    ''This is...'' He realized what the fruit had given him, a new affinity.


    Cultivators had their affinities. Minos, for example, had a great affinity for the laws of space, while Harold had the same affinity for the laws of flame.


    But both could gain new affinities by consuming special resources or adding a new technique.


    The second option was much better, as one would learn bit by bit and slowly build up one''s connection to that law, which would come with a much stronger spiritual solidity than suddenly gaining such a thing from a resource.


    But it was not bad to gain a new attribute, especially if it had nothing to do with one''s techniques or innate abilities.


    If such a law were not necessary for one''s power, then such a thing would just become something that would give the cultivator an extra boost in power but also a resistance to another kind of power.


    For example, Minos had the Dark Sea, a soul ability he had acquired after developing his killing intent when he encountered the legacy of the God of Death.


    The laws behind this ability did not affect Minos'' innate ability or the power of his techniques. But this soul ability was of great help to Emperor Stuart!


    Even though it was somewhat ''artificial'' and not gradually built up, it was a bonus for Minos.


    Realizing that this poisonous fruit would give him a new ability that those snakes would have had if he hadn''t encountered them, Minos smiled and quickly accepted this power.


    A purple glow covered his body, and then a crack ripped from the inside of Minos'' body, attracting the attention of Forrest and his group mate at the 10th stage.


    "Is he advancing?" The weaker of the two Demigods asked in a low voice, noticing the sudden increase in Minos'' soul power.


    Forrest saw this and was not surprised. ''He was already near the peak of level 82 when we entered here... It seems that he used this opportunity to quickly reach level 83.''


    While these two noticed Minos'' advance, Ruth, having recovered enough of her blood and spiritual strength, opened her eyes.


    She looked at her husband and felt that he was out of danger.


    Ruth smiled but then looked at the high-ranking Sages in the area. They seemed fine on the surface because of Abby''s skill but were slowly getting weaker because of the poison in their bodies.


    "Sorry for the delay. Shall we continue?" She looked at the people and cut her wrist again.


    While the weakest of the group had priority, Isabella and Harold had their bodies on fire, feeling the effects of the herbs they had received from Minos.


    Minos had also given some herbs to Forrest, but the Demigod had merely stored them in his ring since no one in his group had an affinity for flames.


    His faction in the Church even had people who could benefit from it, so he kept it so that he could deliver some of those people when he left this Spatial Kingdom.


    After a few minutes, Abby and Gloria finished meditating, absorbing all of Ruth''s blood to the point that it neutralized the poison in their bodies.


    When they awoke from their meditation, they saw those two people with flames around their bodies. They focused on Minos, whose cultivation was now at a normal level, as the effects of his ability had worn off.


    But to their surprise, he was now a level 83 cultivator!


    Upon noticing this, they both smiled with satisfaction, realizing that Minos had achieved enough to finally start using medium-level grade-4 equipment!


    He was still meditating, but soon, he would awaken from his state and change the items around his body, increasing much of his defense and offense capabilities.


    "Can you use this?" Forrest watched as Minos finished putting on a medium-level grade-4 armor, something one would normally only see on Demigods.


    Such an item was so heavy that Sages wouldn''t wear it, even though its defensive ability could stop even mid-level Demigod attacks.


    Minos smiled at Forrest but said nothing.


    Instead, he saw that Ruth had already finished healing everyone with her blood and had recovered.


    Then he looked at Isabella and Harold, the latter in a crucial stage of his meditation.


    ''Isabella will probably increase the power of her flames quite a bit after she finishes meditating.'' He thought to himself before looking at his father-in-law. Harold is about to reach level 82!


    Minos could have increased his strength to the middle of level 83 if he wanted to, just with the medicinal power of the purple fruit he ate. But he had suppressed such a thing and kept his cultivation at the beginning of level 83 so as not to destabilize his base.


    But Harold''s situation was different. He allowed all the energy of the medicine he ate to penetrate his body and soul to raise his rank to level 82.


    Therefore, after a few minutes, a cracking sound came from his body, and he advanced to level 82!


    ...

 Chapter 1816 Progress Underground

    ?


    After a few moments in this green area, Isabella and Harold finished their meditation and made important progress.


    The red-haired young woman did not advance like her father, for she had suppressed the medicinal effects of the herb she had ingested, just like Minos.


    Unlike her old man, she was still in the prime years of cultivation and could not take things lightly. If she increased her cultivation and destabilized her foundation, her future progress at the 10th stage would be greatly hindered.


    But she had gotten a good return from taking the Saint herb, which greatly improved her understanding of flames.


    If someone asked her how much she had gained, Isabella would answer without hesitation that she had saved 5 years of hard work in the minutes she had meditated in this green area!


    She was only at the beginning of the 9th level, but her understanding of flames had jumped from the low level to the middle level of this stage.


    Now, she could reach the peak of its understanding before reaching level 86, which, before, she was supposed to reach on the eve of level 90!


    As for Harold, by stabilizing his cultivation at level 82, he was more than satisfied with his progress, even though it would certainly make things difficult for him in the future.


    For someone like him, progressing now was more important than progressing in the future!


    When he saw Minos at level 83, he quickly congratulated him, feeling that the whole group was stronger with their improvements.


    "Shall we continue?" Minos asked before seeing everyone there return to their formation and head back to the tunnel they had passed through earlier.


    Leaving this camera behind, they would spend the next few hours traveling through this underground place, facing new traps but also passing other cameras like the one before.


    However, the places they passed didn''t have much to offer them and had either already been visited by visitors of the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom in other events like this, or they didn''t have anything special.


    Not all places in this area would have valuable things, medicine, etc. Just like in a house, there would be places to store valuable things, places for plants, etc., so was a Spatial Kingdom.


    The Dragon Ceremony area was very important to these beings, but not every corner of this area would have significant possibilities.


    ...


    After the first day since the Minos group entered the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom, they traveled halfway underground from the space they had entered.


    They were still in this underground area, now standing at a camera they had just finished fighting several giant insects.


    The underground of this area was filled with spiritual beasts, from snakes to scorpions and even giant worms.


    Most of them were high-level Sages, but Minos'' group had faced half a dozen low-level Demigods after a whole day there.


    Their strongest opponent had been a level 92 spider, which lay dead at Forrest''s feet.I think you should take a look at


    While the entire group sighed in relief at the death of the group''s strongest enemy, Minos wiped the sweat from his face as he held the corpse of a level 90 creature in front of him. He said. "Let''s collect these corpses. Insects have excellent properties, and their parts are valuable not only to alchemists but also to blacksmiths."


    "With these paws, blacksmiths can make many grade-4 weapons." Forrest agreed, knowing how valuable it was to any cultivator.


    Ordinary cultivators would use it to get new weapons, armor, or even potions. Still, they would also sell a portion of such a harvest, which could bring them a great return.


    But their group wouldn''t do that. They all had enough people to feed and arm, so the remains of these creatures would serve to feed their forces.


    Forrest soon had his men collect several of these insect corpses, while Minos'' women did the same with their share of the battle.


    Meanwhile, Minos took a closer look at the chamber they were in, a place that appeared to be a sacrificial altar.


    But as he surveyed the area, he suddenly realized that there was a portal there.


    Forrest had already seen this and said, "This place must lead to another pocket of space. Do you want to continue your journey to another space pocket? This wooden dragon certainly has other body parts in 2 of the other 5 pockets. So our chances of finding the parts that go elsewhere are not small."


    What prevented them from checking the surface of that pocket of space was that wooden dragon, which they could not defeat by fighting alone.


    Minos could even use his weapon up his sleeve to destroy it, but he didn''t think it was worth sacrificing some of his cultivation to form the Divine Sword.


    As for his black hole, as much as it had the potential to swallow that thing, it would be too risky for him to create something that powerful in this place.


    What he was willing to do there was to create a low-level black hole that he could destroy. But the black hole that would evolve after swallowing a level 93 creature would be so powerful that it would be beyond his control!


    In a limited space like that, which had several flaws and could collapse if something terrible happened there, Minos didn''t want to risk it like that.


    So either they would have to move slowly in this area not to alert the creature, or they would have to leave from there to another pocket of space, hoping not to run into another part of the wooden dragon.


    Minos then said, "Let''s stay longer in this pocket. I think there are things here that might be of interest to us, and as far as we know, we are one of the few who have entered this place.


    But we will mark this place. If we collect more resources and feel that things are getting riskier, we''ll come back here to try our luck in another area."


    "All right." Forrest saw no problem with that. "Worst-case scenario, Kaleb and I will fight the wooden dragon while you gather resources for the group. I think that can work for at least a few minutes."


    "Hmm." Minos nodded, watching his group cultivate as they regained their energy.


    With that taken care of, some more time passed, and soon, they were ready to continue.


    This underground area was large but not endless, so they would soon find the ends of the area where the last cameras were.

 Chapter 1817 Expiration Date

    ?


    Upon encountering a glow coming from the last chamber on their way, Minos stopped his party and saw an opportunity just ahead.


    "It looks like we have some artifacts right ahead." He remarked, not noticing any enemies at first glance but cautious, for this place was treacherous.


    But there were more than just artifacts in this place. As they approached, Minos and the strongest of the group soon noticed the number of humanoid and bestial skeletons in this chamber.


    "It seems that several beings who entered there died..." The weakest Demigod commented with a frown.


    They continued with their Soul Avatars active, while the weaker ones followed in the middle of the group, seeing large pieces of shiny and metallic objects in that chamber.


    As they passed the entrance to this area, Minos stopped in front of his group. "This place is hazardous. It''s best if only Forrest and I go in there."


    "Why?" Abby asked, interested in what the bodies in the area might have for them.


    Forrest saw what was there and answered instead of Minos. "We are at the edge of this spatial pocket. Inside this chamber is a wall of spatial distortion. Anyone distracted and attacked by possible enemies in there could die without even realizing it."


    This was the main danger of this place!


    They had to be as careful as possible, or they would end up worse than falling into one of Minos'' black holes!


    Gulp!


    Harold looked at this place and asked, "Is it worth the risk?"


    Minos answered without hesitation. "Yes. I see 4 spatial rings on the fingers of some of these skeletons. Each is classified as medium-level grade-4, so we might find some good resources here."


    In addition to these four spatial rings, the beast bodies also had valuable items on them, beastly armor, weapons, and adaptations of spiritual equipment for their bodies.


    On one such skeleton, Minos and Forrest could see special footwear useful for birds that had long, sharp blades instead of the creature''s claws, as well as special armor made for birds.


    This was very valuable, even if it was only a low-level grade-4 item!


    The two looked at each other and agreed, wasting no time to enter the room cautiously after leaving the group, ready to defend themselves against any possible trouble.


    In the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom, one would not only have problems with creatures from this place but also with the instability of this space itself.


    At any moment, the gravity of this place could change, rising or falling, with earthquakes, spatial storms, and more.


    Even though they had already cleared the traps in the part of the tunnel they were in, many problems could still catch up with them!


    But as these 10 people nervously held their positions waiting for Minos and Forrest, they entered this chamber of over 30,000 square meters and 40 meters high to the ceiling.


    There was not much in the way of buildings or vegetation. It looked like an ordinary underground cave with several unlit torches on the walls.


    The whole place was very dark, but because of the Spiritual Sages'' visual ability, they could see the place as clearly as if there was a sunny sky instead of a cave ceiling.


    There were skeletons with dust-covered clothes and equipment in various places in this area, some closer to the spatial distortion wall and some farther away.


    From how these bodies were distributed and the various items still on them, Minos and Forrest immediately came to the same conclusion.I think you should take a look at


    ''They must have died around the same time, fighting over each other.'' They both thought about it and imagined that no one else had arrived at this place between the time these beings died and their arrival.


    With every opening of the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom, hundreds of beings from all parts of the Spiritual World tried their luck at this place. So it was not strange for some of them to meet and fight to the death for something in a place like this.


    As he realized what had probably happened there, Minos looked to the side of the spatial distortion and frowned.


    "This distortion is eating this Spatial Kingdom!"


    Hearing this, Forrest sighed and said, "After the battle that damaged this Spatial Kingdom, it has been losing space bit by bit. In another 500,000 years, this place will be completely wiped out by the chaos of space."


    This was something that the Spiritual Church was aware of, as several of their members were studying the results of groups from their organization that participated in this event whenever the portals of these space pockets opened around the Spiritual World.


    The battle of long ago had not only severely damaged this space but had actually doomed it!


    Minos did not know this, but after noticing how much it seemed to ''eat'' space, he did not doubt Forrest''s words.


    Looking to the side of the distortion, near the distortion was the most valuable item in this place at first glance, a large medium-level grade-4 armor.


    "How are we going to divide these things?" Minos asked, changing the subject.


    "We will divide the rings equally. They''re like a lottery, so whether they contain valuable items or not won''t change our division afterward." Forrest suggested.


    Seeing that Minos did not disagree, he continued. "As for the other items, we can negotiate later. For now, let''s collect the skeleton near the distortion before something happens, and he touches it."


    Minos agreed and asked Forrest to keep an eye on him. Soon after, he activated Chaotic Gravity and pulled the skeleton near the distortion.


    But as the giant, heavy skeleton moved slowly, something moved in the cave''s darkness and went into Minos'' back.


    Forrest felt the air shift around the chamber and immediately moved to defend his ally.


    Seraphim''s Domain!


    A golden glow spread from his body, forming a golden sphere that covered him and Minos.


    A moment later, several grunts of pain rang out in the area, but they still could not see the position of any of these opponents.


    Minos frowned as he realized that he and Forrest were surrounded, but he could not see or even identify the position of these creatures.


    But Forrest was much more experienced than Minos and soon realized the problem.


    "It''s not that we can''t see them. It''s just that they''re extremely small!" The disciple of the Supreme Pontiff shouted as he felt the gaseous displacement in the surroundings of this chamber.


    Hearing this, Minos let go of the large bestial skeleton he was pulling.


    "Small? Small or large, you still have mass. Let''s see what happens when you get crushed!"


    ...

 Chapter 1818 Time To Return

    ?


    Chaotic Gravity!


    Clenching his hands while manipulating his 7th technique, Minos pressed down on everything around him as his cultivation rose to level 85 with Forrest''s help.


    Forrest was much stronger than Minos, but his abilities were quite different from his.


    Knowing the capability of Chaotic Gravity, he gave a small part of his cultivation to his ally and paid attention to the area as the sounds of creatures in pain increased.


    Within moments, several of them died under the great pressure of the peak of level 90, and both Minos and Forrest could see where some of them were from the explosion of their small bodies.


    But they were even smaller than flies. As their bodies were crushed by Minos, some of them could only mark a few square centimeters at most, just enough for these two to notice their position before they died.


    Their bodies were so small that after they exploded, it was impossible to tell what was blood and what was body parts. Everything was so small that they seemed to be made of one essence.


    But not all of them had the same end!


    Minos felt that some of these creatures withstood the pressure on their bodies well and frowned.


    "They are very resilient!" Minos remarked in surprise, as he had never seen anything like this before, not even in the vast memories of Henricus Longus.


    From what he could sense, these little creatures could withstand the pressure of his technique very well!


    Only the weakest had their bodies blown apart, but the strongest held their ground relatively well.


    But that was the world. A large-bodied creature would suffer greatly from the effect of gravity on itself, while a smaller creature tended to withstand such pressure better.


    Realizing the impasse of the situation and having nothing in mind to solve their problem, Forrest suggested. "Keep them in their positions. Even if you can''t kill them, I think you can keep them still, right?"


    "Yes, I believe so," Minos said, his hands shaking from the force he was using.


    "Very well, I will collect the items on these bodies while you hold them. We will leave the area after that." Forrest said, already moving towards the various items and rings scattered around the area.


    "Won''t they come after us?" Ruth asked, looking at Minos.


    "We can set up a barrier at the entrance to this chamber when we leave." He replied, but he didn''t think it would be necessary.


    These creatures living underground in this space pocket probably knew the dangers of moving through the area, the traps, and more of what could happen there.


    There had to be a reason why several chambers in this place had beasts, but none of the tunnels they had traveled through had any such creatures.


    While the group held their position at the area entrance, watching the surroundings carefully, Forrest finished collecting all of these items, finding no difficulty.


    All the creatures there seemed to be those little creatures that Minos was pushing all the way down.


    With that done, Minos flew out of the area with Forrest, still holding all the space inside the chamber under his pressure.I think you should take a look at


    In an instant, Forrest''s men built a wall at the entrance to the area, figuring that the spatial distortion would take care of any creatures that tried to attack their people.


    Gathering in the tunnel where they had already defeated all the traps, the group briefly celebrated another victory before Forrest allowed Minos to choose the rings.


    Minos immediately took two rings from Forrest''s hand and said, "What are we going to do with these artifacts you collected?"


    "Let''s divide them equally. Which of them would be most useful to your people?" Forrest asked.


    Minos immediately thought of Starclaw and that item birds could wear on their fingers.


    He and Forrest would spend the next 2 minutes discussing what was most important to each of them. At the end of that time, they would come to a division regarding the 13 artifacts collected from the skeletons'' bodies.


    "What do we do now?" Abby asked.


    "We go back to the surface," Forrest declared, knowing that Minos intended to explore a bit of this space pocket before trying his luck in another unstable area of this Spatial Kingdom.


    When they had arrived earlier, they had all sensed the spiritual fluctuations of mature medicines in this area, so there was certainly something there for them.


    On the other hand, just like in the chamber, they had just closed, they could find more bodies of ancient experts who had entered this space and died countless years ago.


    With this in mind, the group soon returned to the path they had taken earlier, not interested in further exploring this underground area.


    There were several tunnels they had not entered, but it was not their goal to stay there for long. They had only entered this dark area to escape the wooden dragon.


    As for what might be there, they thought it was not worth it. This was because moving in a dark and difficult-to-explore place like this was much more complicated than it was on the surface. This area had spatial distortions that one could approach without noticing, a great danger for all of them.


    Not only that, both Minos and Forrest knew that the underground areas of the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom were not where the greatest riches of the beasts that created this space were!


    Both moved without hesitation toward the surface as the two checked what they had gained from the collected spatial rings.


    A few thousand high-grade crystals... Millions of medium-level crystals... Several high-level grade-3 items... Wow! A medium-level grade-4 female armor!'' Minos explored what was in one of those storages, hoping to find something useful for one of his wives in the future.


    Unfortunately, they couldn''t use something of this level until they reached level 90. Until then, he would have to keep it for her.


    In the first ring he scanned, there were also some King-grade medicine and low-level grade-4 pills.


    However, when he examined the contents of the second one, Minos opened his eyes wider and found not only copies of three Golden-grade techniques, something that was not in the other one, but also two Saint-grade medicines!??


    Medicines of this quality did not perish as long as they were stored within spatial rings, as these items did not allow living beings to enter their storage space, and all the spiritual energy of the items within them was contained within these spaces.


    Anyway, there were other exciting resources for his army in this second ring, and Minos soon decided how to use these new resources and items!


    ...

 Chapter 1819 First Week

    ?


    Upon discovering the resources of these spatial rings, Minos immediately decided to keep one of the Saint-grade medicines for future use.


    This medicine didn''t have much affinity with any of his family, but if he kept it with him, he could use it to upgrade someone''s physique in his army, people who had King-grade Physique and could achieve the Saint grade. Another possibility was to hire a grade-4 alchemist to make pills with it.


    But the second medicine was exceptionally compatible with Gloria, who had an innate ability related to mercury, the same as the medicine he had just received.


    While moving through the tunnel with his group, he said to Gloria, who already had the Saint-grade medicine in her hands. "Take this. The next time we stop, I want you to eat it and absorb its essence. It will strengthen your innate ability and also help you reach level 82."


    Gloria was at the peak of level 81, even closer to level 82 than Minos was to level 83 when they entered this room.


    Knowing this, Minos knew it wouldn''t hurt his wife and could help the group increase their strength a bit more.


    Gloria took the thing from Minos'' hands, feeling the compatibility she had with it.


    This was the fruit she would have to use if she had been born with a King-grade Physique and wanted to upgrade it to a Saint-grade. Luckily, she didn''t need to evolve, as she was born with the highest possible Physique, and only Divine-grade medicine would help her evolve that part of herself.


    However, as much as she didn''t need to evolve the quality of her Physique, Gloria and everyone else there could increase the quality of their characteristics with such medicines.


    The women of Minos saw her storing a gray plant in her ring and were happy for her, noting that they might have secured some more advancements in these first moments of theirs in the ancient home of the dragons.


    Forrest noticed Minos and Gloria''s good fortune but said nothing, happy to see another of the women there growing stronger.


    He knew Minos was probably only in this Spatial Kingdom to help his wives. Seeing that Emperor Stuart was doing well in his goal, Forrest was naturally pleased, as it would mean a better future for his plans.


    Not only that, the stronger these women were, the less problematic their group''s journey would be!


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, a whole week had passed since the stabilization of the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom portals!


    In those days, Minos and his group left the underground area they had explored in their first hours in this space and returned to the surface, where the wooden dragon roamed and protected the area.


    But this time, unlike when they first arrived in this Spatial Kingdom, their group did not encounter that artificial creature.


    The space pocket they were in was not small, and there were many areas for that creature, from which it could hardly perceive humans like them moving around in distant areas.


    Therefore, when Minos'' group returned to the surface, they did not fight right away but concentrated on finding valuable resources in the area.


    Using the information they had from the Spiritual Church or the Pantheon of Honor, their group went to where there should be interesting things for 9th-stage people.


    They spent the last three days doing this, and they were involved in some confrontations with beasts in the area, as well as complicated situations caused by the spatial instability of that place.


    The day before, their group was standing around resting when suddenly, the pressure on them increased significantly, and they were chased by destructive lightning.


    At the beginning of this incident, they thought they were being attacked by another group that had entered this space with them, but that was not the case. As they tried to defend themselves and fight off these attacks, they realized that these were just natural phenomena!I think you should take a look at


    For the first time in their lives, they were faced with a complicated Spatial Storm, something that was unlikely to happen in ordinary places but which has the power to kill even Spiritual Sages!


    Some people in the Spiritual World thought that the phenomena in the North Sea were Spatial Storms, not conscious beings trying to protect their domains.


    As a result, many of the experts from the central continent disregarded the recent concerns raised by the Western Empire''s emperor.


    Whether that was the case or not, Minos and even Emperor Quinn could not say for sure.


    But what the emperor''s group with Forrest encountered that day was indeed a terrifying phenomenon of the Spiritual World''s nature, something that could happen in this space due to its instability.


    Fortunately for them, Demigods were quite resistant to such phenomena, and their group had been saved by the combined powers of the two 10th-stage experts with Minos.


    After that incident, they found some more useful resources for their group, especially for the Church''s personnel, who had not seen much improvement like Minos'' group.


    ...


    In the middle of the forest where Minos'' group had arrived, two high-level Sages were meditating while the rest were watching the surroundings.


    After consuming some resources, pills, and medicines, they had found the day before, two of Forrest''s group mates were concentrating on trying to increase their capabilities!


    One was trying to raise his Physique grade from King to Saint, while the other was trying to reach the 10th stage!


    Forrest had not brought just any people into this space. He had chosen some of his most trusted men who were about to make crucial breakthroughs. As such, some of them were already trying to take advantage of this opportunity to develop their strength.


    Minos and his wives had not accomplished much in the past few days; they had gotten things for their army but nothing useful for those within this Spatial Kingdom.


    However, in the past few days, Gloria had successfully absorbed the medicine Minos had given her and finally reached level 82!


    Meanwhile, Minos had been feeding the level 89 hybrid in his group with the King-grade medicine he had received from the previous rings, helping him to get closer to level 90.


    He didn''t have high hopes of raising this hybrid''s cultivation stage during this event, but he had fed it well to bring it closer to a breakthrough.


    Unlike pure humans, beast-human hybrids had characteristics of both races, so this hybrid could absorb resources without risking destabilizing his cultivation base.


    But he had to use his cultivation technique, unlike beasts who could simply process these resources by going to sleep and waking up stronger later.


    Without much time to cultivate in this dangerous place, it might take him longer to progress there than if he were outside of this place with the resources Minos had given him!


    Anyway, while they were in that area, there was a sudden cracking sound from one of those two cultivators!


    ...

 Chapter 1820 The Situation Of The Other Groups 1

    ?


    After the characteristic sound of a breakthrough came from one of those two men, everyone who was watching the area looked in the direction of the person who had advanced to level 90!


    Sensing the spiritual fluctuation of this faction ally, Forrest smiled while clenching his fists. This was a new Spiritual Demigod for his group in the Spatial Kingdom, but also for his faction when they left this space.


    Minos was also pleased with this successful breakthrough. With every advance they made, the dangers of this space would become less and less for them.


    There were many dangers native to this flawed Spatial Kingdom that could endanger their entire group. As they became stronger there, these dangers would naturally decrease.


    Also, any group that entered the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom was a potential danger to everyone else.


    If they were not strong enough when encountering troublesome enemies, they might end up very badly during the months they had to stay there!


    The hybrid from Minos'' group saw the progress of that Church member and sighed, wondering when it would be his turn to experience the same thing as that human.


    But soon, the other cultivator managed to improve the quality of his Physique, and everyone there felt the dense spiritual energy of the Saint medicine leaving his body.


    The weakest of the group who were not guarding the area, such as Isabella, Abby, Ruth, and Harold, took advantage of this and immediately focused their attention on absorbing the essence of this medicine leaking from the body of the level 89 Sage.


    Unfortunately, it was not yet time for him to advance to the 10th stage.


    Even so, he was in a good mood because he could feel that his abilities developed significantly.


    He had an innate ability that was useful in battle. Thus, even though he hadn''t greatly improved his soul''s spiritual wealth by increasing his Physique ranking, this man had still become much stronger than before with this period of meditation.


    When he opened his eyes a few moments after the new Demigod of the group, he smiled and soon heard the congratulations of everyone there.


    After a minute of general happiness and relaxation, Forrest said, "All right, we''ve come a long way, but we still have many things to do here."


    Everyone agreed, and soon after Forrest''s words, they began to make their way back through this area in search of more resources, but always keeping an eye out for possible competition, especially the wooden dragon.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in another space pocket of the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom...


    In a place even larger than the area where Minos and his group were, a group of 3 low-level Demigods was standing in an area surrounded by dead creatures.


    Some of these corpses seemed to have been there for a long time, but others had met their end only a few hours ago.


    Near the bonfire, two men were barbecuing parts of the previously killed enemies. At the same time, the third sat facing the bonfire flames, watching them intently.


    "Jay, be careful, man! Don''t do shit like before! You almost died at the hands of that level 92 worm!" One of the two men next to the fire said this to the person in front of him.


    ¦Ñ¦Ánd¦Ás¦­¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm "Tsk! That was a mistake. It won''t happen again." Jay said, feeling embarrassed and not wanting to talk about it.


    But the man in front of him was not happy about it. "We still have to deal with the people from the damned Spiritual Church and Maximilian''s emissaries. You can''t die before we eliminate those bastards!"


    This was the group sent by Vico, there to take advantage of the opportunity this space offered but also to eliminate people from Maximillian''s group.


    "Let''s not forget Minos Stuart. His Majesty said he would be here with us." The man staring into the flames in front of him casually commented to his group.I think you should take a look at


    Vico had been obvious in his orders. The priority of this group was to strengthen themselves and collect resources, but also to eliminate Maximilian''s envoys. As for Minos, they were not to look for him, but if they found him somewhere, they were to kill him without a word!


    Hearing their leader''s comment, the two stopped looking at each other and stared at him.


    "Minos? Will he dare to come here?"


    "His Majesty said yes, so keep that in mind. If we find him, we will tear his head off in the name of His Majesty!"


    ...


    Meanwhile, in another space pocket...


    Two dragons were fighting the wooden dragon from the area where they had arrived.


    Although they were dragons, the protective wooden dragon of this dimension could not recognize them as young masters because it was incomplete.


    These two dragons from the Continent of Beasts already knew this, and when they encountered this creature, they did their best to destroy it.


    Even though the two were only level 89 Sages, and their opponent was as strong as a level 93 Demigod, they maintained an even fight with this artificial being!


    Both of them were in their bestial forms, as big as or bigger than that wooden creature, and they were attacking it with their special abilities.


    "Let''s end this and continue with our plans!" The strongest of the dragons said this as he saw his companion standing in the air with his mouth open as blue flames spewed from his large mouth.


    Meanwhile, much of his body was covered with a surface that looked like diamonds, and he attacked the wooden dragon with his own body, ignoring his colleague''s flames.


    Dragons, like high-level beasts, had special abilities similar to the innate abilities that came from humans'' Physiques.


    Of course, just as different humans had different abilities depending on their origins, the same was true for dragons, and not all of them had the same powers.


    Pow!


    The dragon with the diamond-covered body smashed hard into its opponent''s chest, destroying a part of the wooden dragon''s body.


    The large and powerful artificial being didn''t make a sound when it was attacked, but the blow hit it hard enough for it to temporarily lose some of its power.


    Flames Prison!


    The other dragon manipulated its flame ability and took advantage of the artificial being''s ''carelessness'' to finally trap it!


    As real dragons, they were much stronger than creatures of the same level. Not only that, they knew what to do to stop this artificial being from bothering them.


    Thus, after days of intense battle with this wooden dragon, they finally managed to stop it so that they could focus on their plans there!


    "Very well, let''s continue to remove our elders from the area!"

 Chapter 1821 The Situation Of The Other Groups 2

    ?


    On the other hand, in another space pocket of the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom...


    In this place, two groups that had entered through one of the still-open portals in the Flaming Empire were facing each other in the Ancient Dragon City at this very moment!


    ¦Ñ¦Á¦°d¦Ás¦­¦Ïvel.c¦Ïm The Spatial Kingdom that Minos and company had entered was a gigantic place, with a total area of over 50,000 square kilometers before it was damaged.


    But even after losing nearly a third of its space after the battle many years ago and slowly losing space due to spatial distortions, it was still a very large place.


    There were underground areas, forests, a lagoon as big as the cities of the Black Plain, a dragon graveyard, and a city where the headquarters of the dragon tribe used to be.


    At this former Dragon Headquarters, the party sent by Maximilian encountered a group of beasts from the Continent of Beasts.


    Calvert and Drogo, the Evergreen Emperor''s son and grandson, and their two subordinates were there to help them as they faced two phoenixes and three nine-tailed foxes!


    Three of the five beasts were at level 89, but one of the phoenixes was at level 91, and a Nine-tailed Fox was at level 88.


    "Humans, we found the Dragon Fruit before you!" The strongest Phoenix said as he flew around the edge of the ruins of the ancient dragon headquarters.


    Calvert''s group, consisting of 2 level 90 and 2 level 91 Demigods, didn''t care about the order in which things happened.


    They had seen a Saint medicine with incredible properties that could be used to produce medium-level grade-4 pills, and they naturally wanted it.


    "There is no preference for taking possession of resources from this room, bird!" One of the strongest Demigods in the group shouted confidently. "If you do not have the strength to keep what you have gathered, you can only blame your own weakness!"


    Golden seraphic wings flew against the orange flames of the phoenix while the Nine-tailed Foxes, high-ranking elders of Emlyn''s tribe, fought against the weakest enemies in the surrounding area.


    They had very strong mental abilities and could create illusions or even lower the attention span of their enemies.


    With these special abilities, they fought very well against Calvert and his nephew!


    "Damned beasts. Just give us what you''ve got!" Drogo shouted, glaring hatefully at the creatures that were making life difficult for his group.


    "Drogo Evergreen, don''t think I don''t know that your family is behind the Blood Triangle Pirates!" The strongest of these foxes shouted, feeling hatred at having to find these people there.


    Drogo was the heir of the Evergreen Empire who would become the leader of the Blood Triangle Pirates in the future.


    As someone who knew that several beasts from his region had been kidnapped by that group throughout history, this elder could not help but hate those people and show it in his words.


    "I will never allow you to become stronger because of this, you bastard!" He said with hatred. "I may not be able to stop your people from what you are doing outside here, but today, I will kill you, bastard!"


    "Tsk! I''ll take your carcass to feed my mount, you filthy fox!" Drogo snarled, thinking of the fox he had enslaved and raised to the same level as this elder of Emlyn''s tribe.


    "Motherfucker!!"


    ...I think you should take a look at


    While several fights were going on in fice space pockets, things were relatively quiet in one of them.¦Ç¦ÏVelusB.COM


    In this place, slightly larger than the area where Lothur was, a tall, very strong man who looked like a blue-haired balloon was walking towards the large lake in front of him.


    ''You''re here, aren''t you?'' The sharp-toothed man thought as he finally found the place he sought.


    He had already switched spatial pockets once during this event, as he had gone to the wrong place when he had crossed the portal in the Flaming Empire.


    Unfortunately, there was no way to know for sure where you were going when you went through one of those portals. Even though he had in-depth knowledge of the various parts of the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom that still existed, someone like him would have to rely on luck to enter it.


    However, after realizing that he had not reached his destination, this descendant of the most powerful tribe in the Spiritual World quickly made his way through another pocket of space, having found a portal that brought him to this area.


    However, before reaching the great lake of this space, this Sky Whale stopped when he saw a brown, humanoid-shaped, giant creature with a large eye on its head appear in front of him.


    "Wooden dragon, huh?" He muttered. "Get out of my way, or we''ll have trouble, artificial creature."


    As he said these words, he unleashed his powerful aura, causing the entire surrounding ground to tremble while the spiritual energy in the air seemed to freeze in front of him.


    The wooden dragon continued to stand in the creature''s way, but even it trembled before the presence of the whale.


    "So be it. If you want destruction, you shall have destruction.'' Having said that, he leaped towards the wooden dragon and struck into the air.


    His punch created a spiritual pulse, and a wind strong enough to make the wooden creature have trouble standing still blew toward it.


    Pow!


    When a blue pulse formed in the air and hit that part of the wooden dragon, it flew wildly toward the middle of the lake.


    Seeing this, the Sky Whale smiled and appeared above where the wooden dragon was flying.


    The next moment that blue-haired youth''s body transformed and wildly grew until a shadow that was large enough to cover a small city appeared over the wooden dragon.


    Then, the magnificent sea beast moved its gigantic fin and made a move so fast that the wooden dragon had no chance to dodge it.


    When the fin finally hit the wooden dragon, it turned to dust in an instant as the power of this attack spread wildly through space.


    The vibration generated by that single movement hit the lake below, and its entire surface shook, forming waves over 200 meters high in the next few moments.


    The entire land of this space shook violently, many giant trees fell, and the surrounding mountains cracked.


    If there were any other visitors from the Spatial Kingdom in that pocket, they would feel the most terrible thing they could witness at that moment: the terrifying power of a creature descended from the only race capable of destroying the entire world!

 Chapter 1822 Facing The Wooden Dragon

    ?


    Another three weeks passed, and things were getting hectic in the various space pockets of the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom!


    As time passed, the groups that had departed from the Flaming Empire through the six portals were moving through more and more areas, and encounters, like Calvert''s group''s with the beasts of the Continent of Beasts, were becoming more frequent.


    Disputes over natural resources and items left behind by the fallen beings of previous generations were taking place in the various pockets of space, as well as the hunt for enemies.


    Those who entered this place were usually the descendants of the strongest families or tribes in the Spiritual World. Some of them were involved in intrigues with each other.


    Minos'' situation with Vico''s group and Maximilian''s group with the people of the western region were not the only ones that could bring groups into battle without there being anything at stake. Several other old enmities would affect and were already affecting the groups that entered this place!


    And with that, the first deaths due to disputes between these people finally occurred in the past few days!


    Before these deaths, five people had already died at the hands of creatures from the Spatial Kingdom or even the strange phenomena in this area.


    ¦Ñ¦Á¦°d¦Ás¦­¦Ïvel.c¦Ïm ...


    Meanwhile, in the space pocket that Minos and his group had entered...


    In a part of the great forest of this area, a group of six humanoid beings, two of them with pointed ears, stood around meditating. At the same time, two men were entertaining the wooden dragon, and one was protecting the rest of the group.


    A few hours ago, they had found one of the most valuable resources in the area inside a spatial ring on an elf skeleton.


    After coming across such a thing, the two elves who had entered this Spatial Kingdom together soon took the opportunity to absorb those resources together.


    Meanwhile, the rest of their group, beasts, and humans, took the moment to cultivate what they had obtained so far, relying on the two level 92 Demigods in the group.


    After hours, one of the elves finally opened his eyes, feeling much stronger and close to breaking through to level 90.


    When he stood up, he saw his allies from the Divine Continent and the Continent of Beasts around him. Then, he looked to one side of the forest, and his eyes narrowed.


    He closed his eyes for a few minutes and then said to everyone there. "Get ready to leave. A group is coming our way. Let''s let the wooden dragon take care of them so we can get their resources."


    Immediately after these words were spoken, the remaining people who were meditating there opened their eyes.


    None of them were close to a breakthrough, and after hours of cultivation, most had already absorbed almost everything they needed to absorb and were approaching the end of this short period of meditation.


    As the second elf opened his eyes and felt that he would be able to increase his level the next time he cultivated, he looked at his fellow tribe member and said. "Let''s all stand aside. It looks like Elion has seen something interesting for our future."


    "Oh?" One of the humans fighting the wooden dragon looked at these elves, very skilled creatures who could read the fate of others and predict things very easily with their abilities.


    "How many are in this group? Are they strong?" The other Demigod asked.


    After weeks in this place, they had yet to meet another group.


    "There are 12 people. The weakest is at level 81, and the strongest is at level 93." The same elf said, surprising his companions that a group with such weak people had entered this place.


    "That''s quite a difference in level." One of the beasts commented.


    With everyone up and confident in the elf''s abilities, the group soon moved away, leaving only the two level 92 Demigods to entertain the wooden dragon.


    Realizing their people were hiding from their opponent, the two combined their skills and threw the artificial creature away in one fell swoop.I think you should take a look at


    Pow!


    The two Demigods then disappeared from the area, leaving the wooden dragon behind.


    ...


    On the other hand, as Minos'' group slowly followed some kind of spiritual fluctuation he had just felt, a sound of snapping branches appeared in front of them.


    A moment later, a huge creature they already knew appeared, flying towards them at great speed.


    "Wooden dragon!" Ruth exclaimed as she saw this creature again, remembering what had happened weeks ago when they entered this space.


    Immediately after noticing this creature, Minos and the three Demigods of the group were surprised by the sudden appearance of this creature there.


    "Someone threw it in our direction!" Minos said as he noticed the unnatural movement of this artificial creature.


    Boom!


    The large wooden dragon slammed its back into a large tree and finally stopped moving after traveling a distance of almost 2 kilometers.


    The Soul Avatars of the strongest of the group appeared while Minos'' cultivation level rose to level 85.


    Minos placed his weakest personnel within his soul projection and maintained a guard position next to the level 89 sages. At the same time, the three Demigods moved to attack the wooden dragon that was already looking at them strangely.


    Since there was no time for Abby to activate her technique fusion, the three Demigods launched their joint cultivation pressure against the creature, forming large hands of spiritual energy that clasped the wooden dragon.


    Three hands appeared against the creature, taking advantage of its moment of weakness caused by the collision with the tree that had stopped its trajectory.


    Rumble!


    The incomplete dragon trembled under the pressure of the three Demigods, unable to get up from where it had fallen.


    Forrest had about the same combat level as this creature, so he alone would be able to make it very difficult for it to move. However, pushing this artificial creature along with his two faction allies made the situation even better for them than if he had acted alone.


    Amid their movement, Minos took advantage of the wooden dragon''s immobility and fused two of his techniques!


    Spatial Sword: Blades'' Detention!


    He danced with his medium-level grade-4 sword as it glowed an intense gold.


    Divine Seal: Blades'' Detention!


    After successfully merging these two techniques, several swords similar to his appeared around Minos before flying like projectiles toward the wooden dragon pressed to the ground.


    "Seal!"


    ...

 Chapter 1823 Encounter With The Elves

    ?


    As the ten glowing swords moved toward the large wooden dragon, they pierced the creature''s body one by one.


    The first of these swords fell on its head, immediately dimming the intensity of its glow as inscriptions formed around the sword.


    Forrest and his person immediately noticed the pressure against their movements decrease after only one of these swords had penetrated this creature, and they were surprised.


    Then, another blade fell on the creature''s tail, others on its legs, and several on its back, impaling it to the ground.


    Each time one penetrated its large wooden body, more inscriptions appeared around the swords penetrating it. In contrast, the ones already on the body increased in size.


    With 8 blades penetrating its body, the wooden dragon stopped moving altogether while the inscriptions growing around it began to merge.


    Minos dropped the last two swords on that creature, controlling everything while making a hand seal and using a large amount of spiritual energy from the environment to maintain that fusion.


    When the last of those swords fell on that creature, the entire wooden dragon began to turn to stone as the swords embedded in its body solidified.


    At the same time, the tenth of those swords grew in size as spiritual lines joined the other nine and solidified as if it were a large sword-shaped building set against a small mountain.


    No longer feeling any spiritual fluctuation from this creature, Forrest stopped pressing against the wooden dragon and looked at Minos in surprise. "You..."


    "I didn''t just raise my level," Minos said as he noticed the other Demigods also looked at him curiously.


    Minos had been able to do this fusion before. But when he came to this place, he had no reason to face the wooden dragon head-on. Not only that, but he was also weaker than now.


    His comprehension of cultivation had greatly increased after absorbing the previous purple fruit!


    After that, he gained a new attribute that indirectly affected his ability to seal things!


    "Don''t get too confident. The wooden dragon will be stuck in this seal for a week at most. We''d better move while it''s in this situation." Minos said, looking around, searching for the spiritual fluctuation he had felt a few minutes ago, the reason why his group had finally moved toward this wooden dragon.


    "A week? That''s pretty good." Forrest commented, feeling that if the wooden dragon was level 90, it was probably in danger of being sealed indefinitely by Minos'' fusion!


    ¦Ñ¦Ánd¦Ás¦­¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm That was a terrible fusion!


    The weakest Demigod in the group was shocked by Minos'' abilities, still amazed after weeks of living and fighting alongside Emperor Stuart.


    But he soon became serious and said. "Someone threw this wooden dragon at us. I think we have enemies nearby, waiting to see us weakened."


    The others became more serious and put aside Minos'' shocking ability to pay attention to the area.


    They all found the courage to turn their backs on Minos'' sealed creature, checking their surroundings for possible enemies.


    Narrowing his eyes and focusing on his surroundings, Forrest soon found a spatial distortion.


    He was the disciple of the Supreme Pontiff of the Spiritual Church for a reason. As one of the most gifted youths the Evergreen Empire had ever produced, Forrest was very talented and soon noticed the group''s trail near this area.I think you should take a look at


    "Show yourselves!" He shouted in the direction where he felt a level 92 Demigod was watching him. "You tried to eliminate us with that dragon? What do you want with us?"


    With those words from Forrest, his group kept their guard up while Minos still felt his cultivation at level 85, enough for him to do two or three more fusions before returning to normal.


    "If you don''t move now, I will destroy this entire pace." Minos threatened, but he didn''t talk tough without methods to achieve what he said!


    Of all the people who had entered this Spatial Kingdom, Minos was the second one who actually had the power to destroy this entire space!


    The Sky Whale could do that by using all his power in continuous attacks for a while, but Minos could do that with the black hole.


    One of the elves in the area looked at Minos and strangely felt that this Sage''s words were not an empty threat.


    "How would you do that, young human?" The strongest elf of the group, level 89, said as he appeared hundreds of meters in front of Minos'' group. "I feel that your words are true, even if unbelievable."


    "I think you would prefer not to know how," Minos said as he looked into the eyes of this being, a tall man with the typical appearance of beings blessed with spiritual energy.


    "Hahahaha, I really prefer that." He said as he looked deeply into the brown eyes of this strange human.


    The aura emitted by Minos was frightening even to him!


    Obviously, what scared this elf was not Minos'' power level since he himself was stronger than this human. The most frightening thing was that a level 83 Sage was able to do such a terrible thing.


    Besides, the elf could clearly sense that Minos'' real level was not 85.


    "You have some strange power inside you, huh?" This being''s eyes opened wider when the others of his group appeared in the surroundings. "It''s not for nothing that someone from my people has already chosen you."


    Minos made an ugly face as the church people looked at him in surprise, hearing this for the first time.


    "What is he talking about?" Forrest asked.


    Then, the other elf in the group, a level 89 woman, answered in Minos'' place. "This level 83 human is connected to someone from our tribe. His fate is already sealed with one of us. I can feel the contract between them."


    "What? Is that true?" The second strongest of Minos'' group asked, feeling sorry for the young man for letting himself be tricked by an elf.


    Forrest did not like to hear that at all, fearing to lose his precious allies.


    "Unfortunately, it is true. But the elf who did this will regret forcing me into such a disadvantageous deal. When I go to Elves Island in the future, I will fulfill my agreement with her and severely punish her."


    "Hahaha, you have high hopes, young human. Why don''t you make a deal with me and give up that old agreement? I assure you that I can end your relationship with her!" The elf said, mischievously looking at Minos while wishing for the strange power this human possessed.


    ...

 Chapter 1824 Fight For Resources And Honor

    ?


    Minos'' eyes narrowed even more as he looked at the elf. "I am not interested. I can solve my own problems. But you threw that wooden dragon at us, didn''t you?"


    "Is that so?" The elf laughed as he looked into Minos'' eyes.


    Then the woman asked. "What if we did? What will happen? Are you going to blame us for taking that thing off our trail?"


    The humans and beasts in the group remained silent, watching Minos'' group, especially Forrest and the Demigods of the Spiritual Church.


    Their group had only 2 Demigods, while all the others were level 89 Sages.


    Most of the beings who had entered this space over the years were high-level Spiritual Sages who wanted to advance quickly.


    ¦Ñ¦Ánd¦Ásn¦Ïv¦Ål.c¦Ïm Many of these beings came from tribes or groups that had Spatial Kingdoms. But those domains and their resources were for entire tribes or organizations behind such places.


    Each thing in those places had a purpose tens of thousands of years before it matured, so having access to these spaces was no guarantee that everyone would get good things from their organizations.


    Even though it was flawed, the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom was still interesting to these beings. The things there had no owners, and the strongest and fastest in taking and absorbing what they found would get the bonuses of those resources!


    For this very reason, even elves, sky whales, phoenixes, and others came to this place in search of resources.


    Even with the formation of the group now against Minos, which had allied in the weeks before the full opening of the event, they would not be able to easily defeat Minos'' group.


    A battle between them would be pretty difficult, so these beasts and humans from the elven group were cautiously watching the men and women from Minos'' group.


    ''Three Demigods, three level 89 Sages, and that human...'' One of the level 92 Demigods looked at the most troublesome people in that group.


    On the other hand, Forrest had one hand on a weapon at his waist, ready to fight.


    He''d rather not, but he wasn''t the type of person who would casually accept a setup like the one that had just happened. The group of elves had clearly tried to eliminate his group by throwing that wooden dragon in their direction!


    If he just accepted that aggression, these people would think they could do whatever they wanted to them!


    Abby was also looking at these people with sharp eyes, ready at any moment to merge her techniques and bring these beings to their worst nightmare.


    Minos was silent for a moment, thinking about what to do with these people. ''They must be behind the spiritual fluctuation from earlier... If we fight, my group can take what they have received since the event began.''


    "I think you should reward us, no?" Minos said, holding up his medium-level grade-4 sword, the same rank as the armor over his soul projection. "We handled the wooden dragon situation for you, so you must pay a toll. How about giving us the resource you two elves started absorbing?"


    "Hahahaha, we hand over our resources?" The male elf laughed, seeing that this human was not easily intimidated. "I was thinking of telling you to hand over your resources, human. Do you think we will do the opposite? Never!"


    Minos said nothing more and simply moved while ordering Abby to quickly merge her techniques.


    ''Do it, Abby!'' He said in mental communication with everyone in his group, indicating his intentions for dealing with the enemy team.


    While everyone in their group understood what they had to do, Minos fused two of his techniques.


    Chaotic Gravity: Shaking Reality!I think you should take a look at


    He activated one of his techniques and immediately fused it with his mental technique to distract his various opponents long enough for Abby to act.


    Infinite Dream: Shaking Reality!


    A colorful glow erupted from Minos'' eyes and passed through his hands, attacking each member of the elven party without distinction.


    Immediately realizing how determined this level 83 human was, the male elf couldn''t help but be cautious, raising his mental defenses to the maximum, knowing that even he might be in danger.


    He was at the peak of level 89, but just like Minos, he had a fighting ability higher than his level. He wouldn''t be hit as badly by this attack as some of the humans or beasts in his group. However, if he was even remotely affected by it without being able to defend himself, he would be in trouble because there was a level 93 Demigod in Minos'' group.


    This creature would be in trouble against someone as strong and talented as Forrest!


    "Shit!" One of the level 92 Demigods didn''t like this and moved to defend himself as well. He wasn''t as talented as that elf, so even at a higher level, his combat ability was only slightly stronger than that elf''s.


    His situation wouldn''t be much different from the elf''s, so he immediately moved to defend himself, unable to counter Minos'' sudden move.


    The two groups were very close in terms of total strength. Therefore, a fight between them might not end well for either of them.


    When Minos acted, he gained a small initial advantage, giving his group crucial seconds.


    The men of Minos'' group, except for Forrest, quickly mobilized around Abby as his other women left his Soul Avatar to form the final layers of barriers for the blue-haired young woman.


    Reincarnation of the Fallen Ones!


    Abby fused two of her techniques, immediately causing the area to shake as creatures dead for countless generations began to rise from their places of death.


    Taking advantage of Minos'' attack and Abby''s action, Forrest activated the domain of his 8th technique, attempting to weaken and slow down the opponents.


    "Shit!" The female elf exclaimed as she felt the terror of Abby''s fusion, not expecting that the weak human could actually do something so powerful.


    "Damn it! I can''t adjust my aim!" One of the level 89 Sages shouted, unable to aim accurately as the shaking reality made him completely wobbly.


    When Minos felt the effects of his wife''s fusion, he immediately retreated to use the little time he had left at level 85 to get those skeletons out of the ground.


    Dark Sea!


    Darkness began to pour out of Minos'' body, spreading rapidly for up to 1 kilometer away from him.


    After sensing this, the strongest elf felt bad and judged that his group should escape.


    "Motherfuckers! How can two people have such compatible abilities?" He saw the eyes of the dead creatures turn dark and look in his direction.


    Unfortunately, under Forrest''s pressure, he and his group could only fight, as it was already too late to flee!


    ...

 Chapter 1825 Theft And Run

    ?


    In less than ten seconds since Minos had fused his techniques, the group of beasts, humans, and elves had been surrounded by more than a dozen level 89 to 91 skeletal creatures!


    Considering the strongest men in Minos'' group, the situation of the two groups with initially balanced power changed significantly in a single instant.


    The situation had suddenly become unbalanced in favor of Minos'' team, while these beings from different parts of the Spiritual World were facing a rather complicated situation.


    "Shit! Retreat! I said retreat!" The elf shouted, knowing that it wouldn''t be easy but that it was the only way for their group to escape in one piece.


    But as Abby''s skeletons began to attack, most of them using their large bodies to leap at their opponents, the high-ranking Demigods and Sages of the Spiritual Church there did not stand idly by.


    Alongside Forrest, they took the lead in the battle, circling the area and beginning to launch deadly attacks from different angles.


    Against such strong opponents, only attacks with lethal intent could give them the advantage and prevent the opponents from casually ignoring them and fleeing the area.


    Aiming to steal this group''s stuff, they could not allow these creatures to escape with their precious resources!


    Vuup!


    The wings of one of the Soul Avatars of one of the Spiritual Demigods over there smacked hard into the bodies of two level 89 beasts, causing them to move to protect themselves.


    But just as they did, one of them felt a powerful attack from a dragon skeleton approaching its chest.


    "Damn it!"


    It immediately activated its special ability, consuming a great deal of its power, even though it would quickly exhaust itself.


    In a high-level battle, one would always try to conserve as much energy as possible in order to stay on one''s feet for as long as possible. Sometimes, what determined the winner of a conflict was not the type of power of those involved in the fight but the stamina to fight for longer.


    The one who was exhausted first would naturally not be able to defend or attack with excellence and would end up as an easy target for someone who was still capable of delivering deadly blows.


    By using his powers to escape almost certain death, this creature used as much as he had, preferring exhaustion to his own end.


    Meanwhile, the two elves broke into a cold sweat as they manipulated their abilities and tried to counter the skeletal creatures moving against them.


    For some reason, these creatures seemed to hate them and were focusing on the two of them!


    "Damn it! Filthy creatures! You are already dead! How dare you rise up against us!?" The elf said, angry that these creatures were attacking them aimlessly as if they had the right to do so.


    Minos did not even need to command these creatures to act this way. The very essence of a being called back from the dead pitted them against elves, beings rich in vitality, blessed by the heavens.


    These two elves were the complete opposite of the creatures Abby had summoned. How could they not be attracted to them?


    In essence, they felt two great opponents near them. It was only natural that they would try their best to eliminate them!


    Large roots sprouted from the ground as one of the elves used his ability to try to stop the creatures from moving around.


    "Stay strong! These creatures can only take so much. They will surely disappear after a few moments!" Seeing that he had no choice but to fight, the strongest elf calmed down a bit and realized Minos and Abby''s situation.I think you should take a look at


    After using their skills, Abby was already exhausted, while Minos had lost one level of cultivation.


    It would only be a matter of a few moments before all these enemies that the combination of their powers had created would disappear.


    Unfortunately, knowing this did not change the temporary situation of their group.


    With only the combination of a skeleton and one of the members of the Spiritual Church attacking each of the other members of their group, the elves'' team would soon become as exhausted as the individual who had just used everything in his power not to die prematurely.


    Pow!


    One of the two level 92 Demigods could not withstand the pressure of the two Demigods in Forrest''s group, a level 89 and a level 90 skeletons fighting him.


    His soul avatar vibrated and slowly disintegrated, revealing his full-sized body, which was extremely injured after receiving heavy blows.


    ¦Ñ¦Ánd¦Ás¦­¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm However, even though he was bruised and exhausted after using all of his strength, this man was still breathing.


    The two Demigods in Minos'' group were also almost exhausted but still had some energy left. They looked at the man''s condition and ignored him, soon focusing on the other level 92 Demigod, who was surrounded by skeletons.


    At that moment, Minos saw that he could end the fight and activated one of his techniques, using all of his remaining power to try to end the enemy''s chances.


    Chaotic Gravity: Meteors of Destruction!


    Huge stone clusters quickly formed on the area''s outskirts and soon flew toward the remaining level 89 enemies.


    The hybrids in Minos'' party saw this and opened the way for his leader''s attacks while the skeletons moved to prevent the creatures from dodging the attacks.


    Half a dozen skeletons attached themselves to the bodies of the enemy Sages, trying to block the legs and arms of these creatures.


    "Oh, shit!" A great beast of the Continent of Beasts felt the problem of facing creatures that felt no pain, and even breaking the bones of the skeletal lizard that trapped him, he could not escape.


    BOOM!


    A moment later, Minos'' attacks hit his targets, sending fragments of various sizes flying through the area at high speed while screams of pain came from the last individuals still standing before his attack.


    "Shit! You''ll pay for this, human!" One of the elves, already in a cold sweat with blood dripping from various parts of his body, screamed in rage, feeling increasingly exhausted as he watched his group being defeated without him being able to do anything.


    The skeletons that attacked him were almost gone, but with hardly any allies to fight alongside him and Forrest pushing him, he felt he wouldn''t be able to escape defeat today.


    "If you go on like this, I''ll hunt you down wherever you go, damn it! Don''t you dare go any further! I''ll never forgive you!" He threatened.


    But Minos didn''t care and ordered his group. "Steal all the spatial rings from these bastards and destroy the spiritual marks on them.


    Time to run!"

 Chapter 1826 Gains And Change

    ?


    Following Minos'' orders, his group quickly collected the spatial rings of their fallen opponents and used what little spiritual energy they had to destroy the markings on those rings.


    The owners of these spatial rings were too exhausted to do anything about it, so all the markings protecting these items were quickly destroyed.


    "You bastards! This doesn''t end here!" The strongest elf, the only one still conscious, shouted as he witnessed the theft of this group.


    Minos'' group didn''t care about this person and was already moving away, leaving them behind.


    The right thing to do in such a situation would be to kill these already fallen enemies. Unfortunately, except for Ruth, Gloria, Harold, and Isabella, all of them were too exhausted to deal with any killing blows.


    But those four people were not enough to eliminate those opponents.


    They could even kill some of those unconscious individuals. Still, the stronger ones, such as the elves and Demigods, they couldn''t kill them.


    If they couldn''t kill everyone, it was better not to kill anyone, or else they would attract even bigger problems in the future.


    Either way, a simple theft was less harmful than murder!


    So, their group left the survivors behind and fled with only the resources of those opponents.


    "We''ll have trouble because of them..." Gloria said as she helped Minos move away from the area.


    ¦Ñ¦Ánd¦Ás¦­¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm Minos didn''t disagree. "Yes, but maybe not. This place is too dangerous to be as vulnerable as they are now. There is a chance that some of them will perish in the coming days due to the natural effects of this area, beasts, or even other opponents like us.


    Whether they will meet us in this Spatial Kingdom in the future is uncertain. There is no need to worry about that now."


    Forrest agreed. "Even if we run into them later, it''s not like we can avoid it. At least we have their resources. That''s good enough."


    Each of them had already identified the resources of the spatial rings they''d split when they''d left the elven group.


    One of the elven rings had been left to Forrest and his men, while the other was with Minos and his family.


    In these two rings were the remains of the resources the elves had been using to reach level 90, as well as some other interesting items.


    As elves, the two had Spring of Life in case they needed them, but they also had a lot of special items from Elves Island.


    Elves fed themselves even at high levels. They valued food much more than humans. But they didn''t eat just anything.


    Elves were basically vegetarians, eating only fruits, grains, vegetables, and leaves. But their favorite food was a type of grain that grew only on their island.


    This grain and other plant foods in the spatial rings of these two were rich not only in spiritual energy but also in laws, the kind that could help even Sages to increase their understanding.


    Minos had such plants on the Black Plain, something he had cultivated for a long time and used to his advantage to strengthen his population. But even though his products were of great quality, they could not be compared to the things grown on Elven Island.


    In addition to these resources, the elven rings contained many minerals, artifacts, and ingredients that could be important to Forrest and Minos'' forces.


    The spatial rings of the humans and the storage items of the beasts of that defeated group also held great resources, especially for the Spiritual Sages there.


    In particular, the hybrid of Minos'' group was the one who could benefit the most from this harvest, for in addition to valuable medicines, he had received an artifact that matched his bestial form.


    In general, the returns from this battle were very good, and part of the group wanted to take advantage of this to cultivate and try to absorb some of these gains.


    With this in mind, they soon found a place to meditate, and the more exhausted of the group soon began their cultivation hours while the rest watched their surroundings.


    ...


    Three weeks had passed after the battle between Minos and the elves.


    During that time, another level 89 Sage from the Forrest faction reached level 90, as he was one of those who benefited the most from the items collected from the enemy group.


    But even though he hadn''t made much progress, Forrest had begun to absorb the main resource those elves were using earlier and was already feeling stronger.


    It had taken their group a few days to fully recover from that fight, but after that, they all felt stronger than before and had fought a few more times in that period.


    They hadn''t encountered the group of elves after that day. With the reappearance of the wooden dragon in that space, they thought that those beings had either died or were hiding somewhere.


    After almost 2 months since they entered this place, they finally decided it was time to leave this space pocket and try their luck in another area of the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom.


    According to the information from the Church and the Pantheon of Honor, this area they were in shouldn''t have many more important things than what they had already achieved in the past weeks.


    After finishing their last cultivation session there, the group manipulated space and reappeared in that underground area where they had found one of the portals a few days ago.


    When they arrived there, they all observed this portal for a moment, preparing themselves for new dangers and adventures.


    Minos and Forrest activated their avatars and then took the group''s lead, walking through the portal that they knew led to another part of the Spatial Kingdom, not the Flaming Empire.


    A few seconds later, the first of them appeared tens of meters above the ground, near one of the spatial distortions of the area in which they had arrived!


    "Shit! The spatial distortion of this area almost swallows this portal!" Minos commented as soon as he realized the danger nearby, ignoring the large lake in sight where they had just appeared.


    Forrest looked at that and swallowed his saliva, quickly standing in the middle of this portal to the spatial distortion to protect the group coming from the other space pocket.


    The others were also surprised when they arrived there. Yet, since they acted cautiously, they could escape the danger without further trouble, quickly moving away from that portal as they headed toward the lake in the center of that area.


    ...

 Chapter 1827 Golden Opportunity

    ?


    As they flew toward the lake, gradually losing altitude, Minos and his group soon realized something was wrong with this place.


    Aside from the magnificent lake and the frightening spatial distortions on the sides of this large area, this whole space seemed to have gone through some kind of catastrophic event.


    More than half of the trees in the area had fallen, with many dead leaves on them. At the same time, the hills and rocks devoid of vegetation were broken, as if a powerful earthquake had struck this place.


    However, as much as earthquakes existed in the Spiritual World, such phenomena were impossible in dimensional realms.


    Even in this flawed place, an earthquake of that magnitude could not happen!


    Realizing this, Forrest narrowed his eyes and tried to scan the surroundings to find out what had happened there.


    As he did so, he noticed the remains of a wooden creature.


    "Someone powerful has passed or is here." He commented to his group. "The wooden dragon of this space pocket was completely annihilated a short time ago."


    "What? Who would do that?" Abby exclaimed when she heard such nonsense. "Our men said that no high-level Demigods have entered this Spatial Kingdom."


    "And they didn''t." The second strongest Demigod in Forrest''s group said. "The strongest to enter this Spatial Kingdom in this event was a level 94 Demigod."


    ¦Ñ¦Á¦°d¦Ás¦­¦Ïvel.c¦Ïm "Then how do you explain that?" Ruth asked.


    "That could have been done by the Sky Whale that entered that Spatial Kingdom," Minos muttered, knowing that no 10-stage dragon had entered this space, but on the other hand, a being of that race would not destroy the guardian of this space.


    Forrest agreed with Minos. "We have to consider that there is a Sky Whale in this place. So, people, don''t insult this beast. A confrontation with it would not end well for us."


    Even with Minos'' abilities, his union with Abby, or even Forrest''s own powers, this level 93 Demigod didn''t think his group could survive a confrontation with such a creature.


    Even Minos had no hope and said. "If we meet him, we must be respectful and do our best not to offend him. If he decides to act against us, our journey will be over."


    Gulp!


    Harold and the hybrid of Minos'' group swallowed their saliva, feeling the same level of awe and respect for this creature as they did for mid- and high-level Demigods.


    However, the presence of this creature in this pocket of space was not the end of the world for them.


    Minos said. "Anyway, as long as we don''t interfere in his affairs, everything should be fine. After all, Sky Whales don''t go around looking for trouble, and they usually give their opponents a chance before they move."


    Elves were the most arrogant creatures in the Spiritual World, followed by dragons and then phoenixes. Sky Whales were not even in the top ten of the most arrogant species and were even more quiet and humble than humans.


    Knowing this, Minos felt that it was worth it for them to continue in this pocket of space, even with the possibility of encountering this creature.


    "Let''s look at the bright side." The weakest Demigod of the group commented. "At least we will find less trouble here. That Sky Whale used his powers here and probably killed all or most of the creatures that could cause us trouble.I think you should take a look at


    Now, all we have to do is collect what he left behind."


    This was indeed the truth. When the Sky Whale acted in this place a few weeks ago, all the creatures below level 90 died along with the wooden dragon, while only the strongest vegetation in the area survived the ''tsunami'' and the earthquake.


    Other groups like theirs would not dare to do anything conspicuous with the possibility of such a might beast still being in that pocket of space, so even disputes with other participants in the event would be unlikely.


    Minos said. "Let''s get started. I want to collect as many items as possible in the next few days to go into seclusion in this place. There will be no other place as safe as this for us to cultivate in peace for the short term."


    Everyone agreed, and soon, the group was moving along on the ground, no longer flying, so as not to attract unnecessary attention from potential competitors or even the whale that was supposed to be in that lake.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the depths of the lake, which was so large that it looked like a small sea, in the darkness of that area, 500 meters deep, a gigantic whale opened its eyes and looked up.


    ''Another group? But this one is just as weak as that one. None of them would dare disturb my sleep...'' He thought momentarily before closing his eyes and falling asleep again, digesting the many resources he had eaten weeks ago.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in another part of that pocket of space, a group of humans from the western region of the Central Continent stood near a temple where several high-level artifacts were scattered around.


    In particular, a high-level grade-4 weapon was embedded in a square stone, available to anyone with the will and power to come and try to take it.


    This weapon was an axe, but it was pretty large, with a blade the size of a human house and a handle over 30 meters long.


    This was obviously no ordinary weapon!


    In that area, one of the humans in the group, with his Soul Avatar fully activated, had his two hands on that weapon, trying to lift it off the ground and return it to its normal size.


    Weapons of such a high level could be manipulated by their wielder to increase in size along with the Soul Avatar of the wielder. However, if the owner of such a weapon did not decrease or increase the size of the weapon, it would remain in the same state until someone changed it.


    In the case of this weapon, there was a legend that a powerful dragon had stolen it from a human in the past and placed it in this temple to train its descendants.


    To manipulate it, one would have to reach a high level of understanding. If one did not have a deep understanding of how the world worked, it would be impossible to master this weapon.


    Unfortunately, such descendants could not be encouraged to strive to become stronger to conquer this weapon because this Spatial Kingdom was damaged soon after it arrived there.


    After this catastrophe, only a few people knew about this story, and even fewer were lucky enough to find this temple and try their luck there.


    One could not control where one went when passing through any of the portals of this Spatial Kingdom, and those who knew about this weapon did not talk about it to others.


    "Damn it! This is too heavy! It''s impossible to move this weapon!" The level 92 Demigod trying to conquer it said as he finally gave up on taking this weapon to his home state of Mairin.

 Chapter 1828 10th Stage 1

    ?


    Three months passed after Minos and his group arrived at the space pocket where the Sky Whale was.


    During that time, their group did not encounter any major problems as they had expected. Even though they encountered two other groups in this space pocket, they did not engage in any fights or disputes because they were all wary of the creature sleeping in the lake.


    Also, with the blow he had dealt earlier to destroy the wooden dragon, this whale had made life much easier for anyone who entered this area.


    He had practically left the most valuable resources of the area unguarded, free for anyone to take.


    With so many exciting things and so few people to fight over them, all three groups in this space at that time had achieved good results and had not wasted their time fighting each other.


    For all three groups, most of these months had been cultivation and training time, and the few moments when they had to act strongly were due to the chaotic effects of this dimension.


    Minos'' group had even encountered two natural phenomena that caused them to suffer greatly during this period, even forcing some of them to use the Spring of Life to recover.


    Other than that, they simply used this time to absorb the essence of some consumable resources they had received from the previous elven group, but also in this area.


    After almost two months of seclusion in this place, Abby had advanced to level 82, while the first Demigod of the Black Plain Empire had appeared!


    The hybrid from Minos'' group finally had enough peace to digest the energy from the various medicines he had consumed so far.


    Forrest had also enjoyed this time and was approaching level 94.


    However, he had no expectations of advancing within this Spatial Kingdom and focused on getting things for his group and helping his faction partners become stronger.


    One person in his group still needed to advance to the 10th level. Meanwhile, the time had come for him to seek more high-level resources for his faction.


    At the beginning of this event, it was common for groups like theirs to search for things to strengthen their team members. But as the event gradually drew to a close, more and more beings would go after things for their families, factions, and so on.


    When the hybrid of Minos'' group finally moved on today, the group decided to end their seclusion and go back to searching, this time not just for things that would benefit them.


    ...


    Leaving where they had spent the last few weeks meditating and training, Minos'' group began their journey searching for a new portal to leave this space pocket in search of another area.


    As they grew stronger, they all became more confident in facing the natural threats of the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom, as well as the many experts who entered this space.


    It had been more than five months since the stabilization of the portals in the Flaming Empire, so with practically half of the event having passed, many of those who had entered this Spatial Kingdom should have died by now. Also, some had probably already gotten what they wanted and left since not everyone would have to worry about finding things for their organizations.


    After making small advances that wouldn''t harm their foundation, even if they used outside resources, many would surely return to the mainland.I think you should take a look at


    Thus, the stronger their group became, the less chance there would be for problems to arise and get in their way.


    However, the group suddenly came upon an ancient temple when they were looking for a place to leave this space pocket where the Sky Whale was.


    This area was very large, and they had gathered a lot of resources before they had even explored half of the forested area of this place.


    They hadn''t been through this area yet, so when they arrived there, they were naturally surprised to find this ancient temple.


    "This..." Ruth saw several gigantic weapons at the edge of the altar-shaped temple in an area with almost no vegetation.


    Minos looked at them and said. "This must have been a place to encourage the young members of the dragon tribe in the ancient past."


    Henricus Longus had never entered a dragon Spatial Kingdom, but he had lived in the Spiritual World for over 50,000 years and had enough experience with dragons to know a lot about them.


    With the most important memories of this ancient God, Minos could easily realize certain things about this space. "Dragons are powerful. One of the reasons is that they have a great affinity with many natural laws.


    ¦Ñ¦Á¦°d¦Ás¦­¦Ïvel.c¦Ïm Humans usually reach 5 to 10 affinities after a long and arduous cultivation journey up to the 10th level. But dragons are born with 10 natural affinities, and throughout their lives, they can not only strengthen these affinities but also add new ones.


    Because of this, these creatures are among the strongest in the Spiritual World in terms of raw power."


    Forrest nodded and said. "So they naturally place great value on training and strengthening their offspring... This place must have been made for that."


    Just as humans could use artifacts to become stronger, so could beasts.


    Many of them proudly preferred not to use artifacts. Yet, in a fight against someone of equal level and combat skill, even proud creatures would use artifacts to increase their strength.


    Dragons were born with a taste for valuable things, so by providing high-level weapons in this area in the distant past, the elders of this tribe helped their juniors to have goals to become stronger.


    Not everyone wanted to get revenge, get stronger to impress someone, or change their status and be respected. Some simply wanted to get stronger to be like their leaders and family members or even to have enough to use an artifact.


    Dragons provided high-level weapons in the Weapons Temple for their juniors to compete with each other for these artifacts. Anyone skilled enough to remove one of these weapons from its location would have the right to possess it.


    Even without knowing the legend of this place and the weapons there, knowing what dragons were like, Minos and Forrest immediately understood what this place was about and became interested in the artifacts there.


    In particular, a giant high-level grade-4 axe!

 Chapter 1829 10th Stage 2

    ?


    When Minos'' group came across those artifacts that were freely placed in the area for anyone to pick up, they quickly spread out.


    There wasn''t just that big, high-level grade-4 axe. Several other low- and medium-level grade-4 artifacts were scattered around the area.


    For some equipment, it was not enough to have the appropriate level to wield it.


    Above low-level grade-3 artifacts, all kinds of items would have unique characteristics, such as innate powers, that their users could activate by infusing their powers into these weapons.


    But could a cultivator with an affinity for ice, for example, activate the flame ability of an axe?


    Not likely!


    ¦Ñ¦Á¦°d¦Ás¦­¦Ïvel.c¦Ïm To master these weapons and use them, one would not only have the strength to bear the weight of the artifact but also have to have an affinity for it.


    Otherwise, even if they had the strength to wield them, they would not have the strength to restore them to their original size and remove them from this place.


    The dragons who built this temple did not want anyone with raw power to come to this place and take all the artifacts. Each piece of spiritual equipment was deeply connected to remarkable rocks that held the items firmly in place.


    Strength alone would not be enough to move them, and only a level 99 or higher could take these items without having an affinity for them.


    But no one at that level would come to this place just to collect items that had nothing to do with them. So even after so long since the ''end'' of this dragon''s home, this area still existed and had equipment available.


    It was not necessary to have the strength to get these items out of there but to have the affinity to find the right ''way'' to get them out of where they were placed.


    So even Gloria and the other low-level Sages in the group soon found themselves scattered around the area looking for items that were compatible with them.


    Minos and Forrest looked at the large axe before them, both interested in this item.


    Minos did not use hammers, but someone in his group might have an affinity for this weapon. Besides, he only had one high-level grade-4 weapon. If he wanted more at his disposal, he would have to go after such equipment by buying or earning it.


    Facing this challenge, he was willing to try his luck.


    But being the weakest one there, he gave way to Forrest. "Try it yourself first. If you can master it, our group will be stronger."


    Demigods of level 94 or higher could easily wield high-level grade-4 artifacts. Below that level, it would be difficult even to bear the weight of one of these artifacts.


    But as someone who possessed a complete set of Golden-grade techniques, Forrest must have had some technique that increased his physical strength a bit and probably gave him a skill higher than his own level.


    Thinking about it, Minos judged Forrest had enough power to fight with this weapon if he could master it.


    He wanted this artifact for his own army. Still, knowing that it could also benefit him if it ended up in Forrest''s hands, Minos didn''t bother to give his ally room to try to grab the best item in the area.


    Forrest nodded to Minos and was soon in his Soul Avatar form, a little smaller than the gigantic item but more compatible with how the weapon looked.I think you should take a look at


    As Forrest moved his hands, a large amount of spiritual energy from the area suddenly converged on his arms, significantly increasing the spiritual pressure around him.


    Everyone in the group noticed this as they were already in front of the items they were interested in and momentarily distracted themselves from the challenges they were about to take to watch Forrest.


    The only one who didn''t pay that much attention was Harold, who was the weakest in terms of combat skills and was standing in front of a low-level grade-4 weapon that he thought could be very useful to him.


    Low-level Sages could easily manipulate artifacts of this quality. However, even though this place had received several people of that level over the years, some artifacts were still left behind.


    This was a sign that could indicate a lack of affinity on the part of many of the talents passing through this area, as well as a lack of interest in low-grade items.


    For the high-level Sages, the primary public of this event, only medium- and high-level grade-4 artifacts could catch their attention!


    But Harold thought this was perfect. Because of this, he could have good artifacts that he could try to collect in this place without going through a big competition or spending too much of his crystals!


    He was also already in his soul projection form, with both hands underneath one of the artifacts, pouring all of his power into it in an attempt to control the item.


    ''If I can get at least one of these artifacts, I''ll leave the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom before the group continues.'' Harold thought to himself, knowing there were still many dangers in this event and that he had already taken enough chances.


    Continuing wouldn''t get him much further, so he was already thinking of retreating to the Flaming Empire!


    After a few moments, Abby, Gloria, and two of the Demigods in Forrest''s group began making their own challenges in the area, trying to gain artifacts for themselves or even for the people in their forces.


    With so many of them acting in tandem with Forrest, the others continued to stand still and observe the area, enduring the tremendous spiritual pressure while cheering on their allies.


    Anything they could get there would strengthen them in this event and when they left this Spatial Kingdom!


    But while these people were testing their affinities and strengths, a powerful spiritual pulse suddenly came from the direction of the great lake in that area.


    A whirlpool of energy and laws formed above the center of that huge body of water, and in a single instant, it shook this entire space, causing it to tremble as a cracking sound rang out.


    ''A breakthrough?'' Minos looked at the lake and swallowed his saliva. "The Sky Whale is entering the 10th stage!" He exclaimed.


    There was a big difference between an ordinary human like Forrest''s allies advancing from level 89 to 90 and the advancement of such a powerful creature.


    This whale''s advance would put pressure on all of this space for the next few hours, even if it did not intend to!


    This might be bad for those who were trying to get weapons in the meantime, but it would move so much spiritual energy that this place would become a good spot to cultivate for the next few hours.


    Those who advanced in level concentrated more spiritual energy in their surroundings than they could absorb. Knowing this, Minos immediately ordered.


    "Hurry up! Seize the opportunity! When this advancement ends, we must retreat quickly!"

 Chapter 1830 Whales Target

    ?


    Within minutes of sensing the advance of the great Sky Whale, the entire Minos group, except for Forrest, was focused on absorbing the vast amount of energy and laws being drawn into the area by the advancing beast.


    Spatial Kingdoms were special!


    When a God folded the space of a certain region and created one of these cultivation sanctuaries, the spiritual richness of such spaces was precisely the folding of space.


    A God fold not only separated the area into a secondary space that was incredibly difficult to access, but it also acted as a collector of energy and laws.


    At the "nodes" of the fold, all forms of energy from the Spiritual World were drawn into the Spatial Kingdom, like a drain that draws all the water in a bathtub toward itself.


    In normal situations, this "drain" would simply cause the flow of "water" toward itself to be high. But reality changed a bit during relevant breakthroughs, like that of the beast in question.


    To support the progress of the beings in those Spatial Kingdoms, during their progress, those "nodes" would become stronger, and they would draw more energy and laws into those spaces.


    This was not something remarkable in the advancement of a low-level being or an ordinary being. But when a being from one of the strongest races in the world was ascending to the 10th stage, things were different.


    Even though that space was damaged and incomplete, features common to the Spatial Kingdoms still worked!


    The moment that creature''s cultivation reached level 90, and its body and soul ''attracted'' large amounts of energy and laws, that space''s node would immediately increase the number of laws and energy in that space''s pocket.


    As the spiritual pressure of the area increased, even for ''ordinary'' level 92 Demigods, the area had suddenly become much more interesting for cultivation.


    ¦Ñ¦Á¦°d¦Ás¦­¦Ïvel.c¦Ïm


    It would be like this for the next few hours, so almost the entire Minos group was already cultivating in that area of the temple where they had tried to get weapons earlier.


    Only Forrest was too strong to be affected by this progress and did not fall into a state of meditation.


    As he watched the people in his group cultivate, he looked toward that beast and noticed that it was quickly solidifying its cultivation base at level 90.


    ''Impressive. He is so talented and strong that even advancing with the help of outside resources, his aura is as solid as someone at my level.'' Forrest thought to himself as he saw this creature''s body trembling as it grew with his advancement.


    ''Sigh... I hope he doesn''t come at us. I want to try and get that weapon when the spiritual situation in the area returns to normal.'' Forrest looked at the large axe he had been forced to put aside for the moment.


    The spiritual pressure in the area had significantly increased, so trying to get one of these weapons out of where it was would be much more difficult now.


    So he wasn''t working on getting that weapon right now.


    As he watched the area, keeping an eye on his group and occasionally watching the whale''s transformation, Forrest suddenly realized the end of the sea creature''s reclusiveness.


    The great whale changed shape and transformed into its humanoid version, leaping out of the lake and appearing dozens of meters above the surface.


    His humanoid body looked slightly smaller than before, but his musculature seemed much more developed, as if he had lost unnecessary points and strengthened what mattered.I think you should take a look at


    His dark blue eyes glowed as his terrifying aura was still free, and he looked at himself and felt amazing.


    Progress was something gratifying for any creature, beast, human, or elf!


    But while enjoying his new abilities, this whale looked at one area and then two others, noticing the three groups of humans meditating around this pocket of space.


    ''Enjoying the benefits of my advancement, eh?'' He smiled as he looked directly at where Forrest was, noticing this level 93 human looking in his direction.


    ''Spiritual Church, uh... Well, you''re not my target this time, so I''ll leave you alone.'' He closed his eyes and expanded his senses, searching for one of the portals in this area.


    It was not uncommon for creatures of this race to have hundreds of thousands of small ''fish'' following them around the oceans of the Spiritual World, as the remains of what they ate were often of great value to others.


    When this creature saw those humans enjoying the benefits of his progress, he saw no problem with it, as it was no different from that.


    But then he became more serious, feeling that he could now resolve the situation in the Flaming Empire from months ago. ''My target is those two damned dragons!''


    With that in mind, after identifying one of the portals in the area, he left without further ado, causing not only Forrest but everyone else in the space to sigh with relief.


    However, it was not a permanent relief. What had kept the peace in that pocket of space was that very creature. Now that he was gone, some of the people there might become bolder!


    ...


    Hours later, Minos'' group finished cultivating after the spiritual pressure in the area returned to normal.


    When he opened his eyes and saw some of his group already standing next to the large artifacts in the area, Minos sighed, feeling that his strength was 1% stronger just for taking this opportunity.


    It seemed small, but if he could improve by 1% daily, he could change levels quickly!


    Best of all, this improvement came from absorbing the free energies and laws in the atmosphere with his cultivation technique. It was something that was 100% beneficial to him and his group, something that not only could not harm their foundations but could also help solidify unstable foundations!


    Noticing how much stronger those who had not advanced since the beginning of this event, Ruth, Isabella, and the level 89 Sage from Forrest''s group, were, Minos smiled and said.


    "Let''s finish our business here quickly, folks. The other groups in this space or coming in the next few hours won''t be so peaceful. Let''s grab what we can and head for the next pocket of space!"


    With that, those not already around the artifacts in the area soon moved on, and Forrest returned his focus to the large axe.


    ...

 Chapter 1831 God!

    ?


    Later that day, some members of Minos'' party received defensive or offensive artifacts from this temple.


    Unfortunately, not all of them were compatible with the artifacts in the area, so they ended up with nothing.


    However, Harold had been successful and obtained a low-level grade-4 shield, which was extremely important to him.


    One of Minos'' wives had received armor, and two of the Demigods in Forrest''s party had received medium-level grade-4 weapons.


    Forrest tried for over an hour to move the large axe from its position, but after nearly exhausting himself, he could barely shake the large weapon.


    In the end, he gave up, as many had done in the past when passing through this area.


    Finally, Minos had a chance to test his skills with this challenge!


    While Forrest tried to pick up another item in the area, Minos borrowed some levels from Gloria and activated his Soul Avatar, placing both hands on the handle of the weapon and then forcing everything he had into it in an attempt to manipulate it.


    As he did so, Minos felt the chaotic energy from the giant bones vibrate in his being as his muscles contracted violently, growing and tearing through his spiritual clothing.


    The veins in his body quivered as they appeared on his now extremely thin skin. His face turned as red as a tomato, and sweat dripped from every pore on his body.


    Minos suddenly opened his mouth and screamed, causing the surroundings of the weapon to shake as the spiritual energy there became highly disorderly.


    ¦Ñ¦Á¦°d¦Ás¦­¦Ïvel.c¦Ïm Seeing this, Forrest momentarily stopped what he was doing to look at Minos, noting the power of Emperor Stuart when he could concentrate on one thing.


    For several reasons, Minos could not demonstrate high combat skills at his current level.


    First, Demigods generally had complete sets of Golden-grade techniques. Even though some of them had achieved this later in their lives and had changed techniques, which weakened them, these people still had excellent fighting skills.


    Second, creatures that could reach level 90, such as beasts, were very talented beings with special characteristics, which gave more "weapons" to his potential enemies and decreased his efficiency.


    Third, the difference in power levels between the levels of the 10th stage was ridiculous. For example, the difference between level 90 and 91 was greater than the entire cultivation of a level 88 cultivator!


    Minos was officially at level 83, so he was suffering a lot to improve his combat skills, although he was still advancing with relative ease compared to the Sages and Demigods.


    But now, instead of facing an opponent, he was trying to master a weapon!


    Weapons, no matter how strong or special their abilities were, did not pose the same challenge as conscious living beings capable of thinking for themselves!


    More importantly, the test was not about strength but about understanding cultivation.


    As Minos was demonstrating everything he had, and his body was glowing with the fusion of the Indestructible Body and the Divine Seal, the large axe suddenly shook and rose two centimeters from its original position!


    "What?" Forrest exclaimed upon seeing this, realizing that all the mighty Spiritual Demigods who had tried to master this weapon for countless years had all failed and lost to a young level 83 Sage!


    Minos felt the weapon move and made a terrible expression as he tried with all his might to remove it from where it was stuck.


    Blood began to ooze from his pores, and Minos screamed even more, trying to lift the weapon and quickly end his suffering.I think you should take a look at


    If he could get that weapon, a high-level Demigod of his force could have a proper equipment in the future!


    ''I have to obtain it! This weapon is so close to me! I can''t give up now!'' He thought as he felt pain all over his body.


    Seeing this, Minos'' wives felt worried about seeing him go so far for that weapon.


    "Minos..." Isabella muttered as Harold looked at him with narrowed eyes.


    At that moment, a half-dark, half-golden silhouette began to form behind Minos'' body as the Spatial Kingdom ring released some of its invisible aurae in one of his hands.


    ''Let me help you a little!'' A voice rose in Minos'' heart before this half-dark, half-golden silhouette pushed his back with a gentle touch.


    Feeling this, Minos suddenly opened his eyes, and a golden glow came out of them. In an instant, he felt his strength increase to the point where he could lift the gigantic axe in one motion, despite this being even bigger than he was.


    As he raised the weapon over his head, Minos continued to scream, but now his sounds carried a power that made even creatures kilometers away from where he stood looking in his direction in amazement.


    "That aura..." One of Mairin''s experts looked in astonishment at where Minos was standing.


    At the same time, Forrest''s eyes twitched as he stepped backward, feeling an unmistakable aura coming from where Minos was standing.


    "Go... Go... God!"


    He was not the only one to feel it. Everyone in that part of the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom suddenly felt a level 100 aura covering Minos'' body, holding the weapon in the air.


    The mouths of the women in Minos'' group fell open, but before anyone could say anything, the silhouette behind him became even denser, changing shape until it turned into a huge man.


    Minos continued to hold the weapon in the air. Yet, he looked to the side and saw a black-haired man with golden scales in the shape of clothes, 2.5 meters tall and very muscular, appearing behind him.


    "Young Spiritual Sage, congratulations on achieving 100% compatibility with me.


    After millions of years of waiting, someone has finally passed my challenge.


    Let''s begin the inheritance!"


    An elderly voice broke out from that spirit form as the temple''s surroundings changed, with the appearance of dense, dark, egg-shaped walls that quickly covered the entire space up to 3 kilometers away from Minos.


    ''Inheritance?'' Abby looked at the man and remembered the inheritance from the Goddess of Life.


    However, this was not a simple inheritance from someone at level 99. This was an inheritance from a true God, someone who once was at level 100!


    Not only that, this was not the inheritance of an ordinary being!


    As they stared at this man in shock, the entire group watched his body transform again, this time into a gigantic creature whose origin they all knew.


    A dragon!

 Chapter 1832 Heir Of Two Gods

    ?


    ''Huh? An inheritance?'' Minos was surprised to hear this as he looked at the dragon''s body next to him while still holding the axe over his body as if he had been frozen that way. ''Your test was to take the weapon from where it was?''


    ''Wrong!'' A voice rose in Minos'' heart. ''This weapon was left in this area by one of my descendants. The real test was to show your essence and your compatibility with me.


    Taking the weapon from where it was would not in itself entitle you to my inheritance. But you, young human, demonstrated something that reminded me of myself.''


    Minos looked into the creature''s eyes and sensed that it was related to the energy he had acquired over the years by stealing the powers of the giant bones in the Spatial Kingdom.


    ''It seems that high-level beasts really do have more in common with those prehistoric creatures than we humans do.'' Minos no longer had doubts and understood why some races of the Spiritual World, such as dragons, were so strong.


    Not even Henricus Longus had realized the connection between these mighty beasts and the ancient giant skeletons scattered worldwide. To this ancient God, the world simply had more and less powerful beings. For him, that was nature, chance.


    But Minos saw it differently after knowing and feeling things that Henricus Longus had never had the chance to do!


    He clenched his fists over the weapon above his body and looked at one of his hands. ''Anyway, you continue to help me. Thank you for your support so far, Elder Longus.''


    Minos realized that the level 100 dragon remnant itself had helped him lift this grade-4 weapon. But the ring of the Spatial Kingdom had also done that.


    Knowing that this ring had already prevented several beings from prying into his fate and even helped him in other situations, Minos could not help but thank the guy who had left several helpful inscriptions on such a ring for this thing that helped him on his journey.


    As for why the dragon had helped him, it was simply a gift for his heir, who had shown compatibility with him. But this weapon had nothing to do with that inheritance, and soon, the level 100 dragon announced.


    "Young Sage, choose a person to share the inheritance with you. Unfortunately, you are still too weak and do not have enough to carry my wealth." The dragon said this for all to hear, doubly surprising the group watching in shock.


    ''Besides, you already have another colleague''s inheritance in you... I can''t leave too much of my power in your body for you to absorb in the future.'' The creature said only to Minos, lamenting that another had already chosen this genius.


    Even the Goddess of Life could sense the presence of Henricus Longus'' legacy in Minos, so it had been much easier for this dragon remnant to realize the same.


    Minos'' soul was clearly too pure to be something natural. He had undoubtedly received an inheritance that had qualitatively evolved this essence of himself!


    Moreover, the dragon could see that the powers of another God were sealed in this body!


    ''God of Time, huh?'' The level 100 dragon thought to himself as he saw a golden glow on Minos'' left chest, with a mark of ''Time'' there, something he had heard of in his time.


    ''It looks like you''re watching this young man''s journey... Are you having fun, God of Time? Or are you busy?'' The dragon''s eyes narrowed, but he didn''t delve too deeply into his analysis, lest his own plans be disrupted.


    ''Sigh, you have chosen your heir. It''s time for me to earn mine! ''


    Minos said. "Ruth, come with me. You will go through this inheritance with me. "


    Minos knew very well how inheritance worked. After all, he had dealt with three of them in his lifetime, and he had seen several others in the memories of Henricus Longus.I think you should take a look at


    Regardless of what they gave their heirs, the experts always used their soul fragments to help qualitatively evolve their heirs'' souls. Only then could they truly help these people approach level 100, their destiny.


    Knowing that Ruth was the least talented of his wives, Minos chose her without hesitation.


    "Me?" The beautiful black-haired woman asked, feeling a little embarrassed to be chosen instead of the others.


    But her harem sisters soon supported her and wished her good luck.


    "Seize the opportunity, Ruth. You have two children to look after. You must be powerful!"


    "We will watch over you here. Soak up as much of this inheritance as you can."


    The three women spoke words of encouragement until the great dragon looked at Ruth and floated her close to where Minos stood.


    As he looked at them, the level-100 body of the great dragon stood still for a moment, assessing what he should give to each of them.


    ''Very well, I will seal my power into your body, young level 83 Sage, and give the rest to this woman. I want to see how your journey will continue!'' He said before he started to fly around Minos and Ruth.


    After only one circle around them, the dragon disappeared, and a colorful aura appeared around them, drawing closer and closer to them.


    There were no additional tests in this legacy. By succeeding in awakening the remnant of the level 100 dragon, Minos had completed every test he needed to pass.


    By demonstrating the greatest compatibility with this dragon that such a remnant had ever felt in his entire existence, he chose to pass on his inheritance to Minos without hesitation!


    After more than 4 million years of waiting, someone 100% compatible had finally appeared. There was no reason for him not to move forward with Minos, even though he was a human, even though he had already been chosen by another God, and even though he was only a Sage.


    For some reason, the people of his race had abandoned this space, and no dragons of particular note had attempted to pass his test.


    ''Maybe I should have left a warning for my tribe members back then...'' The dragon flying as fast as light thought to himself, imagining it had been a mistake not to let a hint for someone come to him and prove themselves.


    ''It doesn''t matter anymore. My waiting is over!''


    As he thought this, he entered the bodies of Minos and Ruth and began their transformations.nov¦Ålusb.cOm


    Amid it, they both fell into a deep sleep and suddenly found themselves in a strange place.


    ...

 Chapter 1833 The Dangers Of Inheritance

    ?


    Suddenly, Minos and Ruth awoke side by side in a completely different place than they had been moments before.


    When they opened their eyes, they saw a majestic forest filled with powerful creatures. They could sense the auras of dragons, phoenixes, and various other special beings that one might encounter when traveling through some regions of the Continent of Beasts.


    When they looked at each other as they stood up, they both had the same expression.


    "What is this? Where are we?" Ruth asked, not understanding what was happening.


    Minos was silent for a moment but soon understood what it was as he felt a creature pass through his body.


    "This is a memory... I think we''re seeing things that level 100 dragon saw on his journey." Minos commented in a low voice as he saw many creatures running on one side of the forest and smoke rising into the sky from a place a few hundred kilometers away.


    Noticing this, he showed Ruth one of his hands and said. "Let''s see. I think it has a purpose."


    "Isn''t it dangerous?" Ruth hesitated.


    Even though she felt something pass through her body like Minos had just felt, she couldn''t help but ignore the powerful mental fluctuations she felt in her surroundings.


    She couldn''t tell if this was a dream, an illusion, or even a piece of reality. But all her senses were working at the moment, and she felt the heat of the area, the air winds, the sounds, and the smell of the surroundings.


    Feeling the spiritual density of the area, as well as the spiritual fluctuations of the living organisms there, she couldn''t help but hesitate.


    Being something so real, were there really no dangers for them?


    Minos said. "No. Rest assured. This is a memory. The dragon wants to show us something. We won''t awaken until we reach our destination here."


    Some legacies had their dangers!


    Once, Henricus Longus had met a level 99 Demigod who had left an heirloom before his death that held many opportunities for the one who found it. But among these opportunities, one would have to be wise and navigate the memories of this Demigod before his time was up!


    In this legacy Henricus Longus has known when he was a Sage, if you were to initiate such a heritage, you would be taken to an illusion that showed the memories of that expert. One would have to find something specific in that illusion, and until they did, they would stay in the illusion.


    If you didn''t find your goal, you would be trapped in that legacy for the rest of your life!


    As a rule, experts were not generous beings who just left everything they had built to their heirs for no reason.


    Those who left something behind really wanted to "live" on the strength of others, with their abilities showing up in the world even after they left. But they would not just hand over everything they had built to the first person who came.


    If you didn''t have the least bit of ability, it would be dangerous for you to pass on an inheritance!


    In the case of the Goddess of Life''s legacy, if you were not strong enough, you would die in the first phase of it. In the case of the God of Death''s inheritance, the darkness of that being would destroy someone without an affinity. On the other hand, for the Henricus Longus era expert, one would die within the inheritance if one were not good at deciphering what to do within such an illusion.


    Few inheritances were like that of Henricus Longus, where one received all the prizes immediately at the cost of one day''s fulfillment of a promise.


    It was not a promise that could be easily broken. But even so, anyone who passed on such an inheritance would be given every opportunity at the outset and would have a chance to live before fulfilling their purpose.I think you should take a look at


    Minos was no fool and knew there were no free lunches in the world. This dragon probably wanted to give them what he had after waiting so long for someone compatible. But he certainly wanted to show them something they would have to see for themselves.¦ÇOVeluSb.c¦Ïm


    If they hid, who knew if they would not experience the same situation as some of those who tried to inherit that level 99 Demigod from the time of Henricus Longus?


    Minos then flew towards the ashes rising into the sky, taking Ruth with him at first, but soon managed to convince her to fly towards the fire.


    After flying through the forest for some time, they saw the number of powerful beings significantly increase as they approached the smoke.


    Many beings of different races seemed to follow the same path, curious to see what was happening.


    But several others were running in the opposite direction, with expressions of fear and concern.


    Were they running away? Were they in a hurry to settle something?


    Minos and Ruth didn''t know, but they kept moving forward, noticing several bestial sounds of the creatures chattering around them.


    Mighty beasts could speak the common language of the Spiritual World, spoken by humans and elves.


    But in the Continent of Beasts, these creatures would rarely use that language to communicate since there were not many humans there.


    To give you an idea, the human population of the entire Continent of Beasts, a continent more than half the size of the Central Continent, was not even half the population of Dry City.


    Most of these people were just people working in the area on behalf of families, organizations, and groups from the other two continents. But many were also just tourists or people looking for opportunities.


    As such, it would be challenging for someone like Minos and Ruth to hear comments in their language, and the two naturally did not understand much of what the many creatures around them spoke.


    But the language went far beyond words. One could understand another by their gestures, by their intentions.


    Little by little, the two discovered the commotion about where the dragons'' territory was supposed to be.


    As they approached where the smoke began, they found a desolate area with several battle traces nearby.


    In a large crater in the middle of the area, two massive bodies, one fallen and one standing, were covered in red flames, while many creatures of various races were surrounding them.


    When Minos and Ruth stopped, looking at the two beasts, they saw a bloody scene as one dragon began to devour the other after the end of a battle.


    At that moment, a voice arose in their minds. ''On that day, I saw my father being devoured by an enemy.


    I was only a level 89 sage at the time, so there was nothing I could do to stop that creature from devouring my old man''s entire body.


    But that day led me to my destiny, which I share with you, young level 83 Sage.''


    ...

 Chapter 1834 Minos Theory

    ?


    The environment changed, and Minos and Ruth found themselves in another area.


    Once again, they found themselves alone in a part of the Continent of Beasts.


    Realizing that he would have to follow his instincts to see what exactly the level 100 dragon wanted them to see, Minos took the lead and once again led Ruth through the area.


    This time, there were no obvious signs of where they should go, unlike where the level 100 dragon''s father had died and been devoured by an enemy.


    "Where are we going?" Ruth asked, feeling that this area they were in, although it had the same characteristics as the previous one, was much quieter, and the creatures around seemed to be at peace.


    Minos thought and said. "The dragon said that we have something in common. The only thing we have in common besides high talent is the chaotic energy of the giant skeletons... Let''s go where this energy takes us."


    "Do you feel anything?" Ruth asked, not feeling anything herself.


    Minos was helping his people in the Spatial Kingdom grow stronger by stealing the energy from these bones and giving it to them. But while he could ''easily'' absorb the special energy from those remains, his people could absorb less than 5% of what he could.


    That was pretty good, but it didn''t compare to the bonus of the owner of the innate ability behind it!


    Even with some of that energy herself, Ruth couldn''t feel anything.


    But Minos had already absorbed so much of the giant bones that his compatibility with them was currently so good that he could even track the lost giant skeletons through the Spiritual World.


    Of course, he would not be able to sense the location of a giant skeleton or anything related to them at a great distance. But he could use his abilities to get to it if there was something like that within an area of a few tens of square kilometers.


    And right there, Minos felt something very similar to what he felt from the bones in his Spatial Kingdom.


    "I feel something in the northern direction. Let''s go there. Maybe that''s what the level 100 dragon wants to show us". He commented to his wife, smiling.


    The two walked for a few minutes, quickly passing several creatures on their way, which could do nothing to them as they were mere memories.


    After a while, the two reached the top of a volcano where they could see the burning red lava in this unique "lake," a small island in the middle of it.


    Right there was a huge white mass, half covered by land, half in sight of Minos and Ruth.


    When they saw it, they both narrowed their eyes and realized that there was indeed one of those skeletons.


    Minos did not know where it was since Henricus Longus only had the location of the giant skeletons in the Central Continent and part of the Divine Continent.


    But Emperor Stuart was shocked for a different reason than Ruth.


    While Ruth was admiring her husband''s skill and watching the dragon floating in the lava of that scalding ''pool,'' Minos was sensing the shape of that skeletal creature.


    ''This was obviously the body of one of the 101 races, specifically a bestial race.'' He narrowed his eyes, noticing the similarity of this remnant to dragon bodies.


    ''Four wings, four legs... They have more wings than current dragons, but that means nothing. Losing two wings is much easier than losing the original size of these creatures.'' Minos thought, remembering that the ancestors of today''s humans probably belonged to the Fah''um of Dunov''s race.


    Minos had a theory that he had never revealed to anyone. It linked natural talent to the genetic heritage of the 101 races that managed to leave their "mark" on this world.


    According to Minos, people with high talents who had the potential to learn soul techniques to form the Soul Avatar were more compatible with the beings of the 101 races than those who were unable to reach level 70.


    People with White and Blue talents had cultivation limits at levels 49 and 69, so they could not form the Avatar.


    To Minos, these talents were nothing more than a lack of compatibility with the Fah''um of Dunov''s race.


    The higher one''s potential, the greater one''s compatibility with these ancient races.


    In his theory, these White and Blue talented humans probably carried more genetic inheritance from their powerless ancestors than from the people of the 101 races. Their compatibility with these fantastic beings was so low that they could not even display the basic characteristic of these races, the enormous size of their bodies.nOV¦ÅlUsB.Com


    But talent alone would not explain everything. For Minos, the physique also influenced this theory, and he had in mind that some innate powers were more or less close to those creatures.


    However, this did not mean that the direct descendants of those creatures were more powerful than modern humans or beasts. At the beginning of the spiritual human race in the Spiritual World, the descendants of those beings were not powerful, and many perished. At that time, a great catastrophe had destroyed much of Panvuter, and many of those early descendants had undoubtedly died.


    Even though they were genetically very close to those magnificent creatures, those who survived were left in a terrible situation. In a new world where the existing essence was utterly different from the old one, they were probably limited to levels much lower than their ancestors.


    Techniques had not yet been created then, so they did not have the same kind of technology to access their bloodlines.


    Even with much less compatibility than today''s high-level humans, those beings were probably much weaker than today''s experts.


    But weakened or not, these beings had passed on the genes of their powerful parents to the next generations. Over millions of years, these beings developed new technologies and methods to access their ancient powers.


    Those with promising talents and high-level Physiques were currently more compatible with these ancient skeletons, so they were naturally more capable of approaching the greatness of these beings.


    Minos thought so, but to this day, he didn''t have any proof if it was just a coincidence that made him think of this theory or if this could actually be behind many things in the Spiritual World.


    When he saw the corpse and the dragon swimming in the volcano, Minos noticed not only the great structural similarity of their bodies but also the energy they were emitting.


    Henricus Lognus didn''t have the same sensitivity to those bones, so he hadn''t noticed it in his time. But already with a lot of chaotic energy in him, Minos immediately realized that this dragon and the giant skeleton were emitting a very similar sensation!


    But then he heard. "This is me swimming near the remains of the Ancestral Dragon God. This place in front of you is the Sacred Dragon Altar, where only level 99 Demigods have the right to enter..."

 Chapter 1835 The Story Of Three Special Races

    ?


    "When I reached level 99, I came to this place and dreamed about the ancestor. He showed me something and opened my eyes. Fifty years later, I reached level 100 and became the 4th Divine Dragon of my tribe." The voice behind this legacy said this for Minos and Ruth to hear.


    "The Ancestral Dragon God helped me a lot during my ascension. I narrowly missed making a mistake by absorbing the powers of my Divine Medicine, and I escaped perishing in my ascension. But even after I became a God, I still could not understand the meaning of what he showed me."


    ''Ancestral Dragon God?'' Minos frowned upon hearing this, realizing that such creatures saw this giant skeleton as an ancestor.


    It should be noted that there were no dragons with 4 wings, and the size of that creature was at least twice the size of this level 100 dragon.


    But the history of the animals of the Spiritual World was much deeper than that of humans, considering the long life of these creatures in that world.


    Dragons could live for more than 250,000 years when they reached level 100!


    Because of their ability to live longer, these creatures had much more important memories of the ancient past of this world.


    "This skeleton... What is its relationship to your tribe?" Minos asked. "What exactly did it show you?"


    "That is the secret of the dragons, young one. But since you will inherit my powers, I will tell you. This is our ancestor''s body, the Spiritual World''s first dragon.


    In the beginning, we did not exist. Only the beings of our ancestors'' tribe lived in our world. But then something happened, and as the last hope of his tribe, our ancestor sacrificed himself to divide his own powers.


    This division created his corpse, but it also created three weaker races that could carry fractions of his power throughout the world. These were the sea dragons, the dragons of my tribe, and the wyverns."


    Wyverns were ancient creatures that had become extinct in the Spiritual World. Still, in the distant past of such a world, they were mighty, though they lost in raw power compared to these two "siblings" races.


    "For some reason, the Wyverns perished before they even discovered their origin. But sea dragons and we had instincts that led us to this place. Unfortunately, we were weak at that time, so our tribes kept this area a forbidden secret, where not even our members could go."


    Dragons below level 90 would die if they came near the remains that attracted them so much. So, millions of years passed before the first of them reached that level, and the two tribes kept the volcano under protection.


    The Spiritual World was in its infancy since the end of Panvuter, so there was nothing powerful to threaten them at that time, and they protected such a place with ease.


    Eventually, these creatures adapted to the new reality of this world and grew stronger.


    "When the first ones who entered this place did so without being burned, they soon realized that below level 99, sleeping here would do more harm than good. But as soon as this was discovered, my tribe took this place and drove out the sea dragons.


    Since then, we have kept this place under our control and passed on the story of the ancestor among the high elders of the tribe.


    After I killed and devoured the body of my father''s murderer, I was privileged to be close to the ancestor and receive his help."


    "That..." Ruth heard all this and was shocked. "He divided? Is that even possible?"


    "That is what my ancestors who were closest to him felt, young woman. I was not alive at the time, so I cannot speak for sure. No dragon in my tribe has that ability, either. However, the cultivation world is mysterious and profound.


    Some innate abilities can do more impressive things, so why doubt it?" He said.


    ''Probably a special kind of sacrifice...'' Minos thought. If this was reality, then his theory was more or less correct.


    These dragons were descendants of that creature through a mixture of bloodlines or the splitting of its powers. Either way, they would have fractions of the characteristics of this creature.


    The dragon replied to Minos. "As for what he showed me, I think it will be easier for you to understand if I say it was the sky. I saw something starry. But I still don''t know for sure what he was trying to tell me. All I know is that by thinking about it during my advancement, I was able to reverse a mistake and successfully advance to level 100."


    "The sky?" Minos opened his mouth, not understanding what that meant. ''Is it because pieces of Panvuter were sent away? Is he telling us that...''


    At this thought, Minos'' eyes opened even wider. ''Could it be that the enemies Henricus Longus expected are other descendants of those giant creatures? Perhaps descendants that survived on other fragments of Panvuter?''


    If that were the case, it would be both good and bad.


    It would be good because it would mean that the limits of these creatures were close to their own, and his worries about the future would be less. But it would not be so good because it might mean that there were several potential enemies of theirs among the many fragments of Panvuter.


    What if each fragment of Panvuter was like the Spiritual World? What if several of them were somehow connected because some of them were closer?


    Then the threat to him could be much greater than he thought!


    The dragon saw that Minos was seriously thinking about something but continued to speak. "Anyway, this brought me to the peak, and you two should look for this place when you reach level 99. Fight with the dragons of my tribe and earn the right to come and meditate in such an area.


    With what you''ll gain with me, you will surely have strong bodies to withstand the temperature of that place."


    The two felt their vision fade with these words as everything around them changed.


    "That''s all for now. I hope you can come close to my level... Perhaps we can meet again in the future." The creature said before disappearing.


    Meanwhile, Minos'' entire group watched as his and Ruth''s bodies were surrounded by half-golden, half-black energy.


    "How much longer will it last? They''ve been like this for a week." One of the Demigods in Forrest''s group asked.


    ...

 Chapter 1836 Conversation During The Inheritance

    ?


    Seven days had passed since Minos and Ruth began receiving the inheritance from the level 100 dragon, even though to them, it seemed like only a few minutes had passed.


    Forrest''s group was trapped inside a large sphere that prevented them from coming and going, and they were stuck there while they waited for the inheritance to be completed.


    Most of them had taken advantage of this time to cultivate and train, as there was no danger to them in this area. But as the days passed, some of them began to worry.


    What if this inheritance would last for months? What if they could not leave until the event was over?


    This concern was on the minds of some of the men in Forrest''s group, who still had a lot of work to do in the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom.


    So far, they have been more focused on getting promotions and things for themselves. But now that half of the event had passed, they wanted to focus on getting things for their faction to strengthen the high-level experts in their group who were taking care of serious matters in the Evergreen Empire.


    One of the reasons why the high-level experts didn''t come to this event was that not only were the weaker youths almost as efficient as them at getting things in this area, but they also had critical matters to attend to.


    In other words, was it worth it for a guardian to leave their position if they could send a representative to collect something they wanted? Was it worth the risk of weakening their position for such a thing?


    So, as they watched time pass and Ruth and Minos continued the same way, some of these men began to worry.


    After one of them asked, Forrest sighed and said. "I don''t know. But there''s nothing we can do. An inheritance like this can''t be stopped; even a level 99 Demigod would find it extremely difficult to get out of this area.


    I think it''s best if we cultivate without worrying too much. Eventually, the legacy will come to an end."


    He glanced toward the last Spiritual Sage in his group, who had been trying to keep up with Minos and Ruth as they received their inheritance.


    Meanwhile, Gloria and Abby were resting after a workout and approached this member of the Spiritual Church headquarters.


    "Cardinal Forrest, since we finally have a moment of peace without worries, I want to ask you a few questions. Could you clear up some of my doubts?" Gloria asked.


    In theory, Forrest was her superior, and even though he was an ally in and out of this Spatial Kingdom, she couldn''t casually demand answers from him, let alone talk to him so freely.


    But after months of working side by side, the relationship between their groups had grown closer. Now, the red-haired beauty felt confident enough to open a dialogue with the Supreme Pontiff''s disciple.


    "What do you have in mind, Cardinal Frost?" Forrest looked at Gloria and Abby, putting aside the previous topic.


    "I have two requests. One about the North Sea and one about the Blood Triangle Pirates. Do you know anything about these subjects?" She asked as Abby sat down with Forrest''s group around a campfire.


    The rest of her group was either training or meditating.


    Hearing this, Forrest nodded in agreement. "I know a little of each."


    "Then, can you tell me the purpose of the Blood Triangle Pirates? I confess that my husband has been investigating this group for some time. Still, some of the information about them confuses us."


    Forrest saw no problem in talking about something that had nothing to do with him, like this group concerning the Evergreen family. So he answered. "The Blood Triangle Pirates act for the good of the imperial family of my state.


    They take orders from the emperor and whoever is in that position. Right now, that would be the Supreme Elder of the Evergreen Family, but with Maximilian''s return, things have changed somewhat.


    The current Evergreen family has the same ambition as Maximilian. Expansion. That''s why they listen to this guy instead of following the Supreme Elder."


    "What''s the point of kidnapping and enslaving beasts from the Continent of Beasts?" Abby asked, making several of the Demigods look at her.


    Forrest bitterly laughed and said. "This is for power, young miss. The Evergreen Family is among the 20 strongest families in the Spiritual World. Would it be worth it for a tribe from the Continent of Beasts to fight for a low-level beast kidnapping?


    The Blood Triangle Pirates are weak. They can only take beasts up to the 7th stage. So, it''s not worth the risk for 10th-stage powers to get into trouble with this imperial family.


    Meanwhile, the Evergreen family raises these beasts to become stronger, sells the weaker and less talented ones, and keeps the others as protectors.


    I don''t like their methods, but I can''t deny their effectiveness."


    Abby and Gloria heard this and didn''t comment on how wrong it was. Minos did something similar!


    Of course, Minos didn''t take low-level beasts, kidnap them, and force unfair contracts on them. But he did use the strategy of domination against beasts that stood in his way, giving them the choice of dying or serving him.


    Several of the Black Plain Empire''s protector beasts were conquered in this way and helped to strengthen the state. Without these beasts, Gloria and Abby knew that the number of experts in their state would be reduced by at least 40%.


    Therefore, they both knew how good it was to use beasts as protectors.


    Forrest continued. "So they act this way to gain the power they need to pursue their expansionist plans. To keep these beasts under control, they enforce accords that prevent these creatures from speaking of them and their methods, making it difficult even for fugitives to reveal their plans to the world.


    But those close to this family know what they want. My master tried for a long time to stop them. Unfortunately, he was unsuccessful, something that has always shamed him."


    Hearing this, Abby was surprised. From everything she had heard in the last few years of the war before Duncan''s seclusion began, this man seemed to be a peaceful and good person, the opposite of what one would typically expect from someone in charge of an organization like the Spiritual Church.


    "This is surprising. It seems the Supreme Pontiff was quite a figure." Abby murmured.


    "Hmm, he is." Forrest agreed, looking toward the level 100 aura covering Minos and Ruth. ''I hope he reaches that level in the future...''


    "What about the North Sea? What does the core of the Church think of it? Is it a dangerous place due to natural phenomena or the actions of sentient beings?" Gloria asked.


    ...

 Chapter 1837 Movements In The Other Space Pockets

    ?


    "Natural phenomena or the actions of sentient beings, huh?" Forrest repeated as the people in his group looked at Gloria and Abby with interest.


    "It looks like you two think there''s something there." One of them commented with a smile.


    "Do you know anything?" Abby asked. "We heard that even Emperor Quinn thinks something strange is going on in this area. Why shouldn''t we suspect that there really is?"


    "So you''ve heard those rumors as well." Another of those Demigods commented before Forrest answered Abby and Gloria.


    "We''ve also heard of Emperor Quinn''s concerns and his failed attempt to convince his own allies to join him in looking to the North Sea. But as far as we know, there is nothing in that area.


    Two hundred thousand years ago, this place was as troubled as it is today. Some incidents happened to members of the Church and motivated the Supreme Pontiff of that time to go there himself to investigate if something was wrong.


    Before that, the incidents in the area were controlled, but suddenly, they became more chaotic. Yet, it must be some kind of natural phenomenon, a cycle.


    When the Supreme Pontiff of that time visited that sea, he concluded there was nothing there and the area was just more agitated than before. He concluded that some kind of cyclical phenomenon was happening in the North Sea. The phenomena in that area will increase and eventually decrease every few hundred thousand years.


    This must be a common feature of our world, something like the seasons, but with much longer-lasting cycles."


    Some Demigods had heard of this theory while studying at the Spiritual Church headquarters and nodded.


    Many wanted to fantasize about what was happening in the North Sea out of sheer fear, alarmism, and conspiratorial thoughts. But they had it on good authority that these were just natural phenomena, dangerous even for low-level Demigods, but limited to that uninhabited area.


    The second strongest Demigod in the group added. "The Spiritual World is not dead, ladies. Continents are moving. The ocean floor is moving. Islands are floating, and so on. There are traces all over the world that all the continents were once one land mass.


    These are cyclical processes. Sometimes, the world will cool down. Sometimes, it will warm up, and the continents will separate or come together. However, this is part of the reality we live in. What happens in the North Sea follows the same rule.


    So don''t worry about these phenomena. As long as you stay away from that area, you will be safe."


    Abby and Gloria looked at each other for a moment, and then the blue-haired woman asked. "But what if there is something? Let''s say there was something in the North Sea that threatened the Central Continent, the Church''s territory. How would you deal with it?"


    Forrest laughed when he heard this, seeing that they really did believe the same things as Emperor Quinn, even after hearing the voice of reason. "In that case, if we had proof that our territory was being attacked or harmed by something in that area, we would act."


    Abby was pleased to hear this and brought the matter to her husband''s attention. ''Then we''ll gather that evidence for you.''


    "But things would be a bit complicated now with the war between Maximillian and Vico. Any expert would think twice before getting involved in a high-level problem that has nothing to do with them." One of the level 90 men said.


    ...


    While the group was talking inside the inheritance area, the two groups that were already inside the space pocket when Minos awakened the inheritance were on the outskirts of the area.


    Just as Forrest''s group could not leave that space, those curious and interested in taking what was not theirs could not enter that space.


    But confident that something of high level was happening there, the two groups parked nearby, waiting for the end of this legacy to see if they could benefit from it.


    Luckily for Minos'' group, there were only humans around so far.


    ...


    On the other hand, after leaving the previous pocket, the large level 90 Sky Whale had spent the last few days investigating the whereabouts of the dragons that had previously angered him.


    However, as strong as he was, this creature did not have powerful tracking abilities, and he had yet to find his targets after all these days.


    However, the day before, this creature had stumbled upon a major battle in the space pocket he was in, and he had seen two high-ranking groups engaged in a deadly battle.


    Vico''s and Maximillian''s groups met by chance in this space pocket and fought a great battle for three hours!


    However, both groups had already had random but problematic encounters in this Spatial Kingdom. So they had fought to a draw, even though they were very different in composition when they left the Flaming Empire.


    Calvert''s group had struggled to win the previous battle against the beasts they had encountered along the way. The group sent by Vico, however, had run into a group of angry elves and missed a few opportunities as well.


    Both sides had had their luck before they had even met, and despite their chance encounters, neither had managed to gain an advantage over the other.


    The great whale saw one such confrontation and merely watched as the two groups battled for a while before seeing them give up when they realized his presence in the area.


    Unfortunately for them, few had the courage to act forcefully in his presence.


    But for these young talents, there was no harm in retreating from the mere presence of this whale in the area. Even Vico and Maximillian would be careful if they were near a Sky Whale of a level close to their own!


    This was what it meant to belong to the most powerful and feared race in the Spiritual World!


    ...


    Meanwhile, the dragons were in another space pocket, minding their own business, in the dark about the search for this level 90 whale.


    However, just like the enemy they were searching for, the two dragons had advanced and reached level 90 in the past few days!


    In the same pocket where these dragons were, the group of Nine-tailed Foxes noticed the movement of the dragons and decided to leave from there, entering a spatial portal that led to another area of the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom.


    ''Hm?'' Upon arriving at another area, the elder fox suddenly felt a terrible spiritual fluctuation and looked to where a large energy ball was covering a vast area.


    "A level 100 aura! Has anyone managed to initiate one of the lost heirlooms from this place?"

 Chapter 1838 Battle Of Beasts 1

    ?


    Another 3 weeks have passed!


    While Minos and Ruth were still receiving the inheritance from the level 100 dragon, in addition to the two groups already in the space pocket they were in, two new ones had joined the waiting on the sides of the inheritance area.


    ¦Ñ¦Ánd¦Ás¦­¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm One group was basically made up of special beasts, phoenixes, and nine-tailed foxes. The other group consisted of humans from the Divine Continent and an elf.


    This was not the same group that Minos and his party had fought and robbed earlier. Elves were rare in the Spiritual World, but there were several different families, clans, and elven organizations on Elves Island.


    Not every elf was allied, and there were even many rivalries among the powers of Elves Island.


    More than a few elves had left their island to participate in this event.


    But without much to do while they waited, and with no waiting group interested in starting confrontations against each other, these four teams quietly meditated and waited.


    What interested them was this area of inheritance!


    Who knows what inheritance from a God could give to their heir? Such a thing was rare, and aside from the spiritual benefits one could have, such as increased talents, purification of powers, and acquisition of skills and techniques, Gods were beings that amassed great wealth. It was unlikely that there would not be a spatial ring with all kinds of resources for their heir!


    As such, none of these groups wanted any trouble with each other, and some of them were even preparing to unite and fight the people who received this inheritance, depending on how strong these beings in this area were.


    Unfortunately, they would have to wait until this inheritance was over to know how many people were in this area and how strong they were.


    ...


    While some were waiting in the space pocket where a large lake was, the Sky Whale, who had advanced one level in that lake, had changed space pockets again. This time, he had finally found the tracks of the two dragons!


    After finding the tracks of those two, this whale moved toward them, ignoring what those dragons were doing to challenge them.


    "I want to see if you have the courage to say the previous words to me now." He shouted as he saw the two level 90 individuals already radiating his powerful aura.


    The two dragons noticed the newcomer to the place where they were retrieving their tribe''s riches and stopped what they were doing to look at the man who looked like a blue balloon.


    "It looks like you''re not so bad after all... Even though you don''t have any talent, you still managed to advance your level, huh?" One of the two dragons provoked.


    There was a long-standing feud between dragons and sky whales. They were two of the strongest races in the world, and they had problems many times in the past.NOv¦ÅlUsB.Com


    Among their tribes, there were reports of dragons and sky whales clashing since the beginning of the Spiritual World, and there were few powerful members of these races who had never fought each other.


    Dragons were arrogant and felt uncomfortable around sky whales. On the other hand, even though sky whales were the strongest, it was infrequent for a member of this race to have a belligerent personality. They rarely looked for trouble, and because of this, they were much more irritated when dealing with dragons.


    Even if they weren''t the strongest, the dragons behaved like them. This irritated the sky whales!


    However, as peaceful as they were, the sky whales changed a lot when they decided to hunt and fight someone. When their interests were focused on someone, they would go all the way!


    When the descendant of the strongest race saw those two arrogant souls in front of him provoking him once again, he clenched his fists as the spiritual energy around him vibrated.


    "Let''s fight! Both of you come against me! Let''s see if you stand a chance!" He shouted, insulting the ability of these dragons.


    Dragons were not only arrogant, but they were also proud. They would avoid fighting in pairs against a single individual as much as possible.


    To challenge them to such a fight was tantamount to calling them weak!


    "Motherfucker!" One of the two dragons, in their humanoid forms, growled. "Don''t play games with us. It''s not because our tribe hasn''t fought yours for the past 60,000 years that we''ll accept anything you say!"


    "Tribe? This has nothing to do with my tribe. This is between you dragons and me. What? Are you afraid and want to use your tribe to run away from the fight?" The whale teased.


    Sky whales were peaceful, but when angry, they would mock and curse their enemies just like dragons and other creatures did in ordinary situations.


    The stronger of the two dragons looked at the blue-haired fellow with narrowed eyes and clenched fists.


    "Well done, you''ve managed to annoy me, fatso. I hope you won''t regret it later." As his body changed shape, the dragon said, losing the humanoid features as he grew considerably.


    The other dragon followed his partner and also began his transformation, saying. "I have never tasted sky whale meat... This will be our chance!"


    "I can say the same for you, dragons. I hear your meat is delicious." The blue-haired fellow continued in his humanoid form, smiling as his razor-sharp teeth showed.


    Land and sea beasts had difficulties fighting in the water or on land.


    In the case of this sky whale, if he transformed into his full beast version, he would have problems because he would not be able to move as well in the air and on land.


    But he wasn''t worried about being unable to use his powers fully!


    Even in his humanoid form, he still has a brutal force!


    When he saw the two dragons transforming, he moved, appeared near one of them, and punched it hard in the face.


    Pow!


    The slap displaced the air in the path of his hands so quickly that the air exploded.


    Boom!


    As the whale''s hand struck the dragon''s face, the creature''s scales shook violently, and that part of his face deformed before he was flung away!


    A scream of pain came from the dragon''s throat, already in his natural form.


    If anyone witnessed this, they would be shocked to see a creature the size of a mountain being beaten by someone only slightly larger than an ordinary human!


    The whale laughed as he felt the pain in his hand, noting that even though he had wounded his opponent, the dragon''s flesh and bones were tough.


    "Good! Good, if you were weak, it would be boring. Let''s fight, damned dragons!"

 Chapter 1839 Battle Of Beasts 2

    ?


    "Damn, you! I''ll rip your head off!" The dragon that collided his back against a nearby mountain angrily shouted as he felt pain in his face.


    The blow he had just received was so strong that it would have killed a normal level 93 human Demigod!


    If this creature did not have the massive body of a level 90 dragon, it might have been seriously injured by this blow.


    However, sky whales were even more powerful than dragons, so that beast felt much pain.


    Even in human form, and with his opponent in beast form, the strongest for beasts, this whale had managed to hurt his opponent more than himself by slamming his hand against something so hard.


    The other dragon made an ugly face and showed his teeth, which were even bigger than the body of this humanoid whale.


    "Tsk, your breath stinks!" The whale said out loud as he raised his guard.


    A moment later, blue flames shot out of the dragon''s mouth, burning everything in its path until it hit the whale.


    The other dragon stood up, covered some parts of his body with a diamond-like surface, and flew towards the whale.


    Seeing his opponent''s movement while holding those flames, the large whale transformed part of his body and leaped into the air, forming a large fin in place of his legs.


    He spun his body in the air, leaving his place under the attack of the other dragon''s flames, targeting his opponent as he flew toward him.


    As the two collided, his rear fin struck the diamond-armored dragon''s chest.


    Boom!


    The air exploded once again, causing several trees in the area to topple over due to the strong wind. The spiritual pressure suddenly increased, and the ground began to sink as sparks appeared between one''s blow and the other''s body.


    Even with the diamond armor on his body, the giant dragon that had been struck earlier roared in pain as he felt the strength of this enemy to attack.


    But this time, the whale let out a howl of discomfort, realizing the high level of this creature''s defense.


    "Not bad! Not bad at all, dragon. I almost got hurt by your body!"


    "Almost got hurt? You''re clearly in pain, you bastard!"


    "Not a bit. That scream was pure adrenaline! I''ve never been so happy!" The whale laughed out loud, releasing some of his pent-up emotions.


    Sky whales were so strong that they could not casually show everything they had, or they would destroy even their homes. Being peaceful, they could take a lot of trouble on their "shoulders" before a fit of rage, so they kept many things in their hearts.


    They felt very happy when they could fight and show their true strength to a worthy opponent!


    "Damn, you!" The other dragon shouted, hating this creature that enjoyed fighting more than dragons.


    The dragon with the flame ability moved quickly, using more power against the blue creature, showing this whale the dragon''s greatest ability, spatial manipulation!


    One of the reasons why these spaces of the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom Realm were so large was because of the dragons'' natural ability to manipulate spatial laws.


    Dragons were beings that had outstanding spatial characteristics from birth, so when they reached level 100, it was much easier for dragons to bend the space of regions and create Spatial Kingdoms.


    The size of a Spatial Kingdom only depended on the spatial understanding of the God behind it.


    When he combined his spatial abilities with his flames, that dragon threw several blades of fire at that whale''s eyes, causing them to emerge from the vacuum of space without giving the whale much room.


    The blue guy saw this and closed his eyes momentarily, turning that part of his body into the whale''s eyes.


    His clear and bluish humanoid eyes transformed, and they were already completely black when he opened them.


    The eyes and the flame blades touched, but nothing happened. All the blades dissipated into the air after a few seconds due to the coldness of those eyes!


    Sky whales lived in the underwater world, in an icy part of the ocean where even high-level Demigods could risk death if they did not take care to protect their bodies.


    One of the most common abilities of these whales was related to ice laws.


    Unfortunately for this dragon, ice beat fire in almost all circumstances!


    "Nice try. But you''d never hurt me with that alone." That part of the whale''s body returned to normal, and he moved again, continuing this high-level, high-speed battle.


    Beasts could freely change certain parts of their bodies while maintaining their humanoid form. This was an ability of those above level 70, who could change not only the appearance of their bodies but also the size and characteristics of their body parts.


    That whale''s eyes would be as big as a house in its original size. But by transforming them just now, he had made them look only slightly larger than human eyes while still revealing their abilities.


    However, such a creature could never unleash 100% of himself without transforming completely.


    Even though he wasn''t using his bestial form, this whale used his power at almost his maximum and was fighting an equal battle with those dragons!


    Unfortunately, no one but the participants would have the chance to witness this high-level battle, which would surely make experts tremble with fear and excitement.


    Battles between such powerful beings were uncommon, and when they happened, it was usually impressive, even if it was over in a few moves.


    In the case of a fight between dragons and a sky whale, even an arm wrestle would be impressive. Then, a fierce battle where one side tried to kill the other would make even high-level 10-stage experts stop what they were doing and watch it!


    But only these three would know what would happen there.


    Neither side was looking for glory, and they soon showed the first injuries from this battle.


    "Aaaagh! You bastard!" One of the dragons screamed in pain as it felt the whale rip off a piece of his tail with his teeth!


    "Hmmm, even raw, your meat tastes excellent!" The whale chewed on the piece he had just ripped from his weaker opponent, feeling pain in his teeth but ignoring it.


    The two dragons flew at him, one spewing flames and the other with his head covered in a thick layer of diamonds, determined to eliminate this daring enemy!


    "Die!"

 Chapter 1840 Awakening 1

    ?


    Another three days have passed...


    While the various groups in the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom searched for old problems, fought, or continued to look for opportunities, the situation of Minos and Ruth finally evolved a bit.


    A little over a month after the beginning of the legacy left by a level 100 dragon, the cocoon of energy around Ruth and Minos had finally changed, becoming less dark and more transparent.


    However, the situation between the two was slightly different. While the energy cocoon around Minos'' body was still relatively dense and dark, the one around Ruth''s body had almost disappeared.


    As the level 100 dragon had said earlier, they would inherit different parts of this legacy!


    Ruth would get the lion''s share, but the trickiest part of the transfer of power from a level 100 being to its heir was the transfer of its innate ability, not the development of talents and spiritual blessings.


    Level 100 beings could pass their special abilities directly to their heirs!


    Unlike level 99 Demigods, they didn''t need to give their heirs techniques that could be fused for them to have a chance to unlock that being''s unique ability. A level 100 expert could pass their skill directly to their heir as a soul skill.


    Henricus Longus had done this with Minos, and the young man had been asleep for 6 years!


    However, Minos was very weak when he received the God of Time skill, and to this day, such a trait is sealed in his being.


    Since neither of them had inherited everything from the Dragon''s legacy, and both were already Spiritual Sages, the time it would take them to absorb everything left by that God would not take 6 years.


    In just over a month, Ruth was already showing signs that she would awaken soon!


    Noticing this, the group that had spent the last few weeks meditating and training, with even the last level 89 Sage having advanced to become a level 90 Demigod, began to pay attention to her.


    "It looks like Ruth is about to wake up," Abby smiled at her harem sisters.


    The others looked over to where the beautiful black-haired woman and Minos were floating.


    Three hours later, the almost invisible cocoon was completely gone, and Ruth''s body fell from where it lay.


    Some in the group almost moved to stop her from hitting the ground, but Ruth opened her eyes an instant before that happened and nimbly controlled her body.


    Flying over to her group in this area, Ruth frowned as she narrowed her eyes, feeling something strange.


    The sensation she felt at the moment was similar to that of a person who had just replaced the lenses of their glasses with more modern and compatible versions.


    Seeing this world from a new position, feeling much easier to ''see'' and notice certain things, Ruth stopped what she was doing to familiarize herself with her new abilities.


    Her talent had risen from the Silver grade to the level above Golden, the same as Minos!


    Not only that, unlike humans, beasts had much more of their power concentrated in their bodies. By inheriting from a level 100 beast, Ruth had improved her Physique, and now its level was only one step away from Divine!


    The way it was, even without consuming a Divine-grade medicine, Ruth could dream of reaching the qualitative peak of her Physique!


    Her ability to regenerate had significantly developed, and she felt a "hunger" in her being, a desire like that of a pregnant woman.


    Pregnant women sometimes feel a strange urge to eat certain things during pregnancy. As strange as this may seem, there was a biological explanation for it!


    Sometimes, their bodies lacked a nutrient essential for developing the fetus in their wombs. To meet that need, there were times when pregnant women would have these sudden cravings for things that contained those nutrients!


    What Ruth was feeling now was similar, and she was almost salivating at the thought of Saint medicines compatible with her.


    Gulp!


    At the moment, she had nothing in her ring that was compatible with her, so she tried to control the desire in her being to understand what else had changed in her existence.


    ''My talent has increased, my physique is at its peak, and my understanding of cultivation has dramatically improved.'' She realized that if she was at level 89 now, she could already attempt to break through to level 90 since all she needed at the moment was spiritual energy.


    All the understanding she needed to advance one level had already been completed, even though she was at the beginning of the 9th stage!


    ''Moreover, even though I only recently ascended, I feel that my soul is already close to ascending to level 82.'' She thought about the spiritual wealth of her soul.


    Gods could give their heirs a few levels of advancement if they wanted to!


    Henricus Longus had not given this to Minos because he had not even started his cultivation then. On the other hand, these heir promotions were by no means stable.


    Therefore, they were usually only suitable for those already at the final stage, as they could control their soul more effectively to reduce the damage such an advancement might cause them.


    For example, if Ruth had received all of these inheritances when she was a level 95 Demigod, she could have easily reached level 97 with them and still kept her soul stable enough to one day try to advance to level 100.


    But at level 81, she had almost no chance of receiving such a benefit because a single full breakthrough would make her soul so unstable that even reaching the middle of the 10th stage would be difficult in the future.


    The level 100 dragon remnant had only given Ruth and Minos the maximum level increase they could receive so as not to hinder their journey.


    But even though she was nearing the peak of level 81, Ruth realized that she would have to train and meditate hard for at least 6 months before she could attempt a level-up.


    She smiled as she realized the essentials. Very good. In about 6 months, I can advance to level 82 and enjoy having top-notch talent!


    Now, she could keep up with the rest of the family in terms of cultivation speed, something she had been lagging behind lately, not only because of her pregnancy but also because of her former lower-level talent.


    With this in mind, she went to her harem sisters to celebrate!

 Chapter 1841 Awakening 2

    ?


    After joining her harem sisters and the rest of the group, Ruth quickly described how it felt to pass on the inheritance of a level 100 expert to these people.


    She didn''t tell them all the riches she had gained because that was something very special to cultivators. But she said enough to satisfy some of the curiosity of those people.


    Not even Forrest had ever had the chance to talk to someone who had actually received something from a God''s legacy and was willing to talk.


    Fewer than 60 human Gods have appeared in the Spiritual World since the first human reached level 100. Still, even if all of them had left inheritances, that would be very few inheritances for the millions of years and trillions of humans that had existed during that period.


    Many of the heirs of those Gods had died or become Gods, so those inheritances were extremely rare, even if you considered the beast inheritances.


    Forrest was a very talented person who had already traveled throughout the Spiritual World and passed through many unique places. He was also a member of the Spiritual Church, one of the organizations with the most Gods in history.


    But even he had never had the chance to go through such a legacy, and the first one he had witnessed was this one!


    So even he had listened to Ruth carefully, amazed at the little she was willing to tell them.


    After talking about what she had experienced and found out how long it had been since the inheritance began, Ruth quickly looked around for something to eat before concentrating on meditating.


    From what she could sense of Minos, he would not awaken that day, so she quickly focused on stabilizing her soul.


    She was thirsty for a Saint-grade medicine that was compatible with her, but since there was no such item in this place or on any of her teammates'' spatial rings, she focused on meditating after eating.


    The others would soon return to focusing on themselves and spend the next 4 days that way until Minos called for their attention!


    ...


    By the end of the fourth day after Ruth''s awakening, the cocoon of energy surrounding Minos'' body had become almost transparent when suddenly, the entire group in the area of this legacy heard a strange sound.


    Upon hearing what sounded like a strong heartbeat, everyone in the area turned their eyes to Minos, looked at him, and sensed that he was about to awaken.


    Ruth left her meditative state and looked at her husband, hearing another loud heartbeat sound as Forrest raised his guard.


    Instinctively, the strongest one there sensed something was about to happen and acted, activating his Soul Avatar.


    "Shit! Take cover!" He shouted as he appeared between Minos and the rest of his people, forming a large barrier.


    Then, when Minos opened his eyes, everyone there felt cold and indescribable fear, as if his eyes had suddenly grown 200 times larger and a great dragon was watching them.n0v¦Ålusb.c0m


    At the same time, the pressure on their bodies suddenly changed, and everyone there felt like kneeling down, with the weakest starting to tremble with fear.


    Even though they were Minos'' wives and trusted him completely, the four wives of Emperor Stuart could not control their instincts and found their hands shaking uncontrollably.


    Luckily for the whole group, Forrest acted quickly and blocked the worst by taking a powerful spiritual blow that had broken out of Minos'' eyes when he awoke.


    Dragon''s Gaze!


    Minos released the energy that had been building up in his eyes for the past few weeks, unable to control the ability he had just received from the remnants of the level 100 dragon.


    This was a special mental-type ability that could make any creature feel threatened and temporarily weakened while being watched by him. At the same time, this ability could deal a powerful spiritual blow to anyone who was in the direction the user was looking when he activated it.


    This was like an invisible spiritual punch, capable of injuring even those who were 100% stronger than the ability user!


    Mental strength was not Forrest''s strong suit, and when he received the total onslaught of this new skill from Minos, this member of the Spiritual Church felt dizzy as goosebumps broke out all over his body.


    But he continued to stand even though he felt terrible. He was not injured, but he was in a very dull state, where even though he knew he was much stronger than Minos at level 83, he felt how much harder it would be to fight this emperor with this new skill.


    Perhaps Minos'' skill could not seriously injure or even kill someone of Forrest''s level. But with it, this Cardinal was sure that Emperor Stuart could easily run away from him if both were in a fight and such a skill was used.


    The mental confusion caused by this skill was so strong that even those who were stronger than its user would be temporarily unable to eliminate or track such a person!


    While Forrest was impressed by this and Minos'' group was trying to recover from this sudden awakening, this brown-haired fellow realized what had happened and quickly got his new powers under control.


    ''Dragon''s Gaze, huh? That''s pretty strong. Good thing Forrest was here.'' Minos thought to himself, glad he hadn''t hurt his family.


    But when he saw this ability, he couldn''t help but be impressed, realizing how strong this dragon must have been in his time.


    Imagine having a skill that could intimidate even those stronger than you with just a look? That was impressive!


    Not only that, but among Minos'' techniques and skills, this was the first one that allowed him to fight opponents stronger than twice his strength!


    ''It looks like I got some improvements in the quality of my Physique as well...'' Minos thought to himself as he made an apologetic gesture to his group. ''I haven''t changed the quality of it, but I have made a significant breakthrough. Now, it should be easier for me to steal the unique energy from these giant bones!''


    Minos now felt much more compatible with the bone in the Spatial Kingdom that had his seal.


    When he thought about it, even though he had not come close to breaking through to the Divine grade of his Physique, nor had he even improved his soul cultivation, he was delighted.


    What Minos wanted most at the moment was to be compatible with those ancient beings. Thus, he had received what he could best deserve in this legacy!


    ''Perfect! He also left behind a spatial ring.'' Minos felt something metallic in one of his hands and immediately put it into his own storage item.


    ...

 Chapter 1842 Inherited Wealth

    ?


    As he landed in front of his wives and saw them returning to normal after the horror of moments before, Minos apologized to them and the rest of his group.


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t want to do that."


    Forrest heard that and continued to breathe heavily, feeling the great discomfort of Minos'' blow. "That''s quite a strong skill. Did you get it from that dragon?"


    "Yes, he gave it to me and some other things..." Minos was about to say that when he looked to the side and asked. "How long was I unconscious?"


    "Just over 5 weeks," Abby answered him.


    "Then we must hurry. We probably drew trouble in our direction when the inheritance started. And this protective barrier will only last another day!" He said, worried about the opponents they might have to face.


    "One day?" Everyone there murmured the same question, as they thought this barrier would disappear after Minos awoke.


    "Yes, that was how much the dragon told me his barrier would stand after the inheritance was completed. He saw my memories, and that''s why he gave us this bonus," Minos explained. Minos explained.


    This level 100 dragon had left his legacy long before this Spatial Kingdom suffered the catastrophe millions of years ago. However, after seeing his heir''s memories, this dragon remnant realized that his heir''s situation after inheritance would not be easy at all.


    With this in mind, he had used some of his remaining energy in this world to maintain this barrier long enough for his heir to prepare.


    "That''s really convenient..." Forrest sighed, feeling better that he could recover from this attack before worrying about the enemies outside.


    He and the rest of the group expected to run into trouble as soon as the level 100 dragon''s inheritance ended, even though they couldn''t sense what was outside this area. After all, they knew other groups were in this spatial pocket when Minos activated the legacy.


    Knowing how valuable a God''s inheritance was, there was no way they wouldn''t expect something to happen after Minos'' awakening!


    "Get ready. In a few hours, we will fight our way out of this space." Minos said, without telling much more about what he had been through.


    The men of Forrest''s group, Harold and the hybrid, soon began meditating to raise their spirits to the maximum before the confrontation.


    But Minos'' women didn''t do that right away. Instead, they approached him curiously.


    "How do you feel?" Gloria asked.


    "Excellent. Not only have I gained a dragon''s ability, but I feel like my body is much stronger now. I could probably fight low-level Sages without using any of my techniques or abilities." Minos replied.


    Ruth nodded her head positively and said. "I feel the same way. My body has improved a lot in terms of attributes."


    Normally, a cultivator''s physical strength was 10% of their spiritual strength. For example, a level 81 cultivator like Ruth would have the same physical strength as a level 70 cultivator.


    But now, the two had bodies as strong as those of low-level 9th-stage beasts!


    "I also feel that my connection with the giant skeletons has greatly increased. I think I''ll be able to help our forces more than before." Minos said, leaving his theory to be discussed with his wives in the future.


    His theory was more than understanding the origin of this world. It could even affect the fate of the cultivators, for Minos thought it might allow him to revolutionize the rules of this world!


    For now, he would gather more data on his ideas and continue strengthening himself. But he already had some ambitious plans in mind.


    Not wanting to talk about it so as not to raise false hopes, he ended up hiding part of what he had gained from this legacy because, in his opinion, the most important thing was not the Dragon''s Gaze but his progress in terms of compatibility with those ancient beings.


    But Emperor Stuart''s wives understood that he had significantly benefited from this inheritance and that his future would be even brighter once he became a Demigod.


    They all smiled, congratulated, and hugged him.


    Then Abby asked. "Did you win anything else? Like resources?"


    It was not only the people out of this protected area who thought that the heir of that level 100 being had gained more than indivisible qualities. Everyone imagined that some wealth had been left behind.


    After all, dragons were creatures that were known to accumulate wealth. How could a level 100 being of that kind leave nothing behind?


    In the case of Henricus Longus, he had left the Spatial Kingdom with abundant resources for Minos.


    Knowing this, the four women were curious.


    Minos smiled when he heard this and looked at the spatial ring in one of his hands.


    "Yes, I won some stuff." He said as he examined what was on the ring.


    It was imperative that he use everything at his disposal to help his group increase their strength before they faced the opponents who were surely waiting for them outside of this area.


    This spatial ring could be crucial in this battle, depending on what was inside it!


    ''Let me see. Here it is...'' Minos injected a part of his consciousness into this high-level grade-4 item and soon felt an ample space filled with resources and riches.


    There were various armor and artifacts that were useful not only for dragons and beasts but also for humans of both genders. There was practically nothing of low or medium level, and almost everything was of high-level grade-4 rank.


    ''As expected from a dragon. He was really very rich!'' Minos thought as he noticed the number of high-grade spiritual crystals, Saint-grade medicine, and even special resources.


    There were dragon skeletons, dragon skins, phoenix feathers, sky whale scales, precious minerals, and more.


    In short, this ring had enough riches to arm a high-level battalion, provide ingredients for high-level grade-4 alchemists and blacksmiths, and even cultivation items for 9th and 10th-stage beasts and humans!


    These items were nothing compared to a Spatial Kingdom with Divine Medicine, but they were second to nothing more!n0VELuSb.c0m


    ...

 Chapter 1843 Divine Physique 1

    ?


    There are 4 million high-grade crystals here, about 50 different kinds of Saint-grade medicines, more than 50 high-level grade-4 artifacts, 7 Golden-grade techniques, 2 bottles of Spring of Life... Some maps of the Spiritual World, especially the Continent of Beasts...'' n0VElUsB.c0m


    Minos said in his mental communication with his wives, presenting them with the numbers of the riches he had just acquired.


    There were many things there that were not useful to dragons. But things that were valuable to humans and other races had their value to every being in this world. As long as you could barter, any kind of currency was valuable!


    There were also many documents and books there, things that Minos would eventually have his men of the Black Plain Army study and catalog.


    Depending on what they contained, they could help him with his plans for the Central Continent and the rest of the Spiritual World!


    ''Besides, there are many valuable things here. For example, phoenix feathers and dragon teeth.'' He said to them, causing them to look at him wide-eyed.


    This was all very valuable!


    "This is fantastic!" Gloria commented.


    Isabella then said. "With these resources, the empire will surely have enough to develop and create its first squad of Demigods...'' Isabella said. "But Minos, is there anything we can use now? It would be nice if we could protect or strengthen ourselves with it.


    Minos nodded positively. "Yes, some arrays, pills, and medicines could be useful for us.


    He looked at Ruth and said. "I have something here that is compatible with you. You are close to improving the quality of your Physique, right?"


    They all looked at Ruth as she nodded very eagerly. "Yes. Even a Saint-grade medicine can help me evolve qualitatively."


    Physique evolution was utterly different from the evolution from level 99 to level 100.


    To cultivate from level 99 to level 100, one would have to increase one''s strength about 11 times in a short period.


    It was impossible to do this without a Divine-grade medicine because nothing but such a medicine contained so much energy AVAILABLE for absorption.


    There was even a lot of free energy and laws in the world, but a Demigod''s power was INSUFFICIENT to achieve everything they needed. The only way they could achieve what they needed was through Divine-grade Medicine.


    But for the Physique, things were a little different. Typically, one would upgrade one''s Physique to the Divine grade at the same time as trying to reach level 100.


    The power of Divine Medicine was sufficient for both advancements.


    However, the Physique evolution required much less energy and laws than the cultivation evolution.


    The problem was that an ordinary person''s Physique could only be improved once in a lifetime and that one time was just one chance, not several attempts. If one failed to improve one''s Physique, one would be limited to that quality forever!


    On the other hand, one could not simply combine the power of two Saint medicines to achieve this breakthrough.


    In the past, tests had been conducted, and people had even tried using 10 Saint medicines of the same type to improve their Physique, but they still failed.


    Why was that? Later in the history of this world, along with the appearance of the first Gods, the cultivators discovered that in addition to the amount of energy needed for the process, a special "push" was needed for qualitative advancement.


    That push would not come if you tried to combine multiple resources. Only a qualitatively superior resource could provide that push.


    Thinking analogously, it is as if there was an energy filter that filtered what went into a reservoir. Adding more medicine would be like adding more faucets to send fluids into that reservoir. But holes on the side of that reservoir prevented all that energy from building up.


    For a successful breakthrough, you would need a supply of liquid so intense and with such tremendous pressure that the filter and the reservoir itself would be filled and even destroyed!


    Only by destroying the qualitative limitations of a human body could one reach a new Physique level.


    Under normal circumstances, adding Saint-grade medicines would not work because of this problem.


    But Ruth had experienced something extraordinary!


    By receiving a lot of the Spiritual Blessings of the level 100 dragon, her body had evolved, and the side "holes" of her "reservoir" had been closed.


    With a Saint-grade medicine, she felt she could provide the pressure needed to ''explode'' this lower-grade reservoir.


    In Minos'' case, he had also greatly improved the quality of his body and Physique and was not far from what Ruth had achieved. But his case was exceptional. His Physique was a mutant that could constantly evolve, relying on higher-level resources to improve itself.


    His Physique was becoming more and more like the ancient skeletons of this world. Minos would not risk a breakthrough with Saint-grade medicine. He would use a Divine-grade one and ensure the maximum benefit for himself.


    Unlike his other wives, who would have to wait until level 99 to try to evolve their Physiques qualitatively, Minos could do it when he reached level 90.


    He then summoned the Saint-grade medicine compatible with Ruth and showed her a black fruit. "Eat it and start meditating. You have a good chance of success after what you received from the ancient dragon."


    Ruth felt very confident with the feeling of desire she had in her body, and even though it was risky to go through with it, she didn''t hesitate to take it and bite into it.


    The other women looked at her in silence, feeling that if it worked, Ruth would be the first person in this world in a long time to achieve a Divine Physique!


    She devoured the fruit, immediately sat in the lotus position, and began meditating.


    Meanwhile, Minos quickly distributed some defensive and offensive items to his wives and pills for them to take in case they were seriously injured.


    He did not want them to use these to strengthen themselves artificially but to protect their lives in case trouble came.


    Many of the resources in that spatial ring would be most beneficial to the high-level Sages of the Black Plain Empire who were trying to advance to level 90. Thus, Minos would keep them for his men.


    Also, some of those resources would only be useful to mid and high-level Demigods. But he didn''t have anyone like that in his group yet.


    Minos put those items aside and soon began meditating with his wives.

 Chapter 1844 Divine Physique 2

    Hours Later...


    While the people of Minos'' group were leaving their meditative states, ready to leave this space protected by the legacy barrier, Ruth was in a critical state of her meditation.


    As she finished recovering from the damage from earlier, Forrest immediately looked at the black-haired woman and frowned.


    "What?" He exclaimed as he felt the spiritual fluctuation emanating from Minos'' wife''s body.


    Minos and the rest of his wives were already standing around Ruth, watching along with almost everyone else in this group this woman''s passing through the qualitative advancement.


    Some were looking around, seeing that the barrier over this area was thinning, and slowly, they could see the various groups outside this place.


    Feeling that they had little time, some of them were worried about Ruth being able to get ahead in time.


    But when Forrest woke up and saw this, he couldn''t help but be shocked.


    She is clearly advancing to the Divine grade of her Physique! He realized how pronounced the spiritual fluctuation was around Ruth''s body.


    The entire body of this black-haired woman was covered with a layer of colored energy that distorted the space around her. It was so dense with laws that it seemed it was not of this world.


    But Forrest, as a disciple of the Supreme Pontiff of the Spiritual Church who had already read various records of this organization, knew the signs of a Physique''s qualitative advancement to the highest level that existed.


    The qualitative advancement of a Physique involved three stages. The first was destruction, which consisted of the spiritual pressure of medicine that destroyed the Physique''s limitations. Then came the reconstruction, which was the formation of a new ''cocoon'' made of stronger laws that strengthened the particularities of that being. Finally, there was consolidation, the "solidification" of the powers at a new level.


    The first two were the most difficult because in order to trigger them, one would have to find special circumstances that would normally only be possible through the use of Divine Medicine.


    Not only that, but the evolution process was dangerous. If one failed how he direct his powers during the first two stages of qualitative evolution, even death or mental crippling could happen to such a person.n0velUsb.c0m


    However, Ruth had already passed these two stages, which showed that she had miraculously obtained something capable of providing enough energy and laws to destroy and rebuild her foundations!


    "How?" Forrest muttered, seeing that it was only a matter of time before Ruth would solidify her Physique to the Divine grade!


    One of the Demigods in his group answered him, something Minos had already told them a moment ago. "The level 100 dragon could not give them cultivation levels because they were too weak. So, he gave them a qualitative improvement.


    Minos and Ruth have reached the highest level of understanding that can be attained at the 9th stage, and their Physique has also reached the peak of the Saint grade. Even with a lower-grade medicine, they could attempt this qualitative evolution with a good chance."


    Forrest''s mouth dropped open when he heard this, but he did not refute it.


    It was indeed possible!


    Level 100 beings reached this level after using at least one Divine-grade medicine to increase their spiritual energy and physical characteristics to the maximum. After that, their bodies and souls would be so strong that they could go from changing a person''s talents to even giving high-level cultivators advancement levels.


    Of course, none of this could be done without sacrifice. Therefore, most Gods only gave things to their heirs after they departed this world when it would no longer be harmful to them to lose part of their soul or body.


    Considering that inheritance from a Spiritual Church had once raised a Church Cardinal''s level from 97 to early 99, Forrest readily believed Minos'' justification.


    "Unbelievable! Inheritances from Gods are truly fantastic!" He exclaimed in a low voice, watching as the spiritual disturbance in Ruth''s surroundings changed and gradually decreased in intensity.


    Minos saw this and clenched his fists, sensing his wife was about to complete her qualitative breakthrough.


    Five minutes later, while everyone was watching Ruth, she opened her eyes, and a golden glow emanated from them.


    Immediately feeling her Physique at a new level, she tested her own powers.


    But as she circulated her energies through her Physique, Ruth suddenly frowned as she realized a strange connection with the people in her group.


    As she sensed this, Minos'' eyes became colorful, and he saw streams of energy, invisible to the others, emanating from Ruth''s body and connecting to the bodies of everyone there.


    "That''s..."


    Ruth put some of her energy into the connection she felt with these people, surprising everyone.


    "Huh? I feel strange all of a sudden." Isabella was the first to speak up, feeling something different within herself, but it wasn''t bad. On the contrary, it was something pleasant.


    "I feel something too."


    "The same for me."


    Everyone there said the same until Minos explained. "We are all affected by Ruth''s ability. Before, she could heal herself from almost any kind of injury, poisoning, or illness. Now that she has improved the quality of her ability, it seems she can affect people other than herself."


    Realizing this was the case, Forrest couldn''t help but congratulate the Stuart family. "Haha, congratulations to you, Ruth, and your family. You have fantastic, unique abilities. With something like this, you can fight together much easier now."


    With Abby''s army of dead creatures, Minos'' control over those creatures'' minds, and Ruth''s regeneration ability, they could form a team that would be hard to fight in a few years.


    The greatest weakness of the cultivators who could use the power of the dead was their bodies. But with Ruth''s ability, Abby''s defense would be much better, which was very relevant to the strength of the Stuart family.


    But then Gloria activated her ability and formed mercury bows, realizing something the others didn''t.


    "It seems that this also regenerates our spiritual energy. As long as we don''t use much of our power, we can even fight continuously without exhausting ourselves!"


    Everyone noticed this, and their eyes sparkled with excitement!


    ...

 Chapter 1845 The Siege

    ?


    When they realized the extent of Ruth''s ability, everyone in the group became excited.


    This was an impressive power for a Sage to have!


    But this was the reality of the Divine grade!


    Normally, people in the Spiritual World believed that all the greatness of the Gods came from their powerful souls. In fact, their souls were so powerful that it was hard to tell how much of their powers were influenced by that alone.


    However, their Divine Physiques greatly influenced their powers. After attaining this quality, their innate abilities significantly changed, giving them unimaginable possibilities before the qualitative advancement.


    Many people associated how impressive the Gods were with their souls, but much of it was the merit of their innate abilities!


    After reaching the Divine grade, Ruth''s ability was even able to regenerate the spiritual energy in the bodies of her teammates.


    The only weakness of Ruth''s ability at the moment was that she was still only a level 81 Sage, and she would not be able to keep her entire group under the effects of her ability for long.


    But as long as she got stronger, that would change a lot!


    To give you an idea of how ridiculous Ruth''s power was right now, she would practically no longer need to cultivate to recover spent spiritual energy. Her own ability could already regenerate everything she consumed for her own use!


    Minos smiled at his wife, happy she had succeeded and awakened such great potential. But he didn''t stay in that state for long and soon turned back to his wife.


    "Raise your guard. Our protection will fall!" Minos said aloud as he activated his Soul Avatar and prepared for the many enemies nearby.


    Everyone in his group put their smiles aside and circulated their energies to form their huge, powerful versions.


    They quickly formed a circular formation with the Demigods and Minos at the front and Harold and Emperor Stuart''s wives in the middle.


    An instant after they all raised their guards, cracking sounds were heard above them, and then the entire barrier fell.


    Immediately after the barrier fell, they felt the spiritual fluctuations of the four groups waiting for this moment, and each of these beings flew toward them.


    ''Forty enemies between levels 88 and 93.'' Minos immediately counted the number of enemies, a bit stronger than he thought his group could handle.


    The team members realized the same thing and had ugly expressions on their faces.


    They were not in a situation where they would either give up what they had or die. But their chances of winning without any casualties were not great!


    However, the beings from the groups that approached them also noticed the strength of these people.


    ''Six Demigods and six Sages, most of the latter of low level.'' A phoenix flying alongside two nine-tailed foxes thought to herself.


    Meanwhile, the people of Mairin''s group quickly realized the identities of those people, the group from the Spiritual Church and the group from the Black Plain Empire.


    ''Emperor Stuart, huh? So that guy came to this event... Is he the one who activated the level 100 legacy?'' One of the strongest humans, level 93, thought to himself as he gave Minos a look.


    He did not underestimate Emperor Stuart. This guy had great talent, so he might have awakened such an inheritance. If that was the case, then a terrible enemy of Vico and possibly the Western Region was right in front of them.


    If Minos escaped and were allowed to grow, he would surely reach level 99 as he had received the level 100 inheritance!


    One of the other groups, consisting of humans from the Divine Continent and an elf, was also there, staring intently at Minos'' group.


    "That human..." The pointy-eared woman looked at Minos strangely, realizing that one of her people had already connected with him.


    "Syndra, is there a problem?" One of the elf''s allies asked, noticing her strange behavior.


    "This level 83 human is linked to someone from my tribe."n0velusb.C0m


    When she said that, all the groups finally stopped advancing and stopped a few hundred meters away from each other while surrounding Minos'' group.


    Before a battle like this, which wouldn''t be easy given the strength of each group, each party had to try to engage in dialogue. In certain situations like this, it was possible to negotiate a way out.


    If that were not possible, the surrounding groups would at least have to organize to share the enemy''s collected resources. Otherwise, the conflict would escalate until only one was left with all the items.


    Each party had its own concerns and fears, so no one took the first step in a hurry.


    Seeing the enemies floating in the air, Minos looked at the group of three beasts and saw two nine-tailed foxes, one level 88 and one level 89. Next to them was a level 91 phoenix.


    Minos then said in a loud voice. "Friends of the Continent of Beasts, do not oppose me. I am a friend of the Nine-Tailed Fox Tribe, and I will soon visit your home. If you do not attack us, I promise to bring gifts to your people."


    "Oh? Your Majesty is really good at getting out of trouble, huh?" One of Mairin''s natives said aloud, realizing that Minos was trying to destabilize the enemy group.


    "Your Majesty, don''t tell me you''re afraid?"


    "I''m afraid I''ll have to kill everyone here," Minos confidently said. "Some of you I would rather have on my side. The Spiritual World will soon face a disaster. I''d rather have more friends than enemies when such time comes!"


    The elf looked at Minos with narrowed eyes. As an elf, she knew something terrible would happen in the world!


    But she didn''t know if Minos was serious or trying to escape the trouble. "Your Majesty? Are you a ruler of the Central Continent?"


    "I am Minos Stuart of the Black Plain Empire," Minos said to the woman before showing his group. "These are my family and friends from the Spiritual Church. Elf, you must have felt or heard strange rumors in your tribe. You know that something will happen. So do not stand against us today. When the time comes, I will help those willing to fight for the Spiritual World.


    But today, I have no intention of sharing what belongs to me with strangers. Stand back, and we can share my wealth when we are on the same side."


    "Tsk!" In the other group of humans, also from the western region, one of the men there did not like Minos'' words. "Are you afraid, Minos Stuart?"


    "As I said, I fear I must kill you all. You are important talents for the future of our world. It would be a shame for you to die here." Minos clenched his fists as he showed his chaotic aura to these people, making even the elf feel uncomfortable.


    As Minos showed more of his aura to these beings, they almost felt like a giant dragon was in his place!

 Chapter 1846 New Allies

    "what?" the level 88 nine-tailed fox shouted as she felt the aura coming from minos'' body while unconsciously lowering her head closer to the ground and returning to her bestial form.


    the phoenix of this group also felt impressive pressure coming from minos and transformed into a huge orange flaming bird.


    the elf narrowed her eyes and looked at minos, feeling a chill in her body that she usually didn''t feel in ordinary beings. only high-ranking individuals of special races caused this sensation in her!


    ''what is it with him?'' the elf wondered. she could clearly feel the chaotic energy in minos, which was even greater than that of level 95 dragons!


    but minos was only a level 83 young human!


    realizing this, she could not help but become more cautious, trying to understand what this level 100 legacy had given this human.


    the personnel of the two groups from the central continent narrowed their eyes, forming ugly expressions. they all retreated a few meters, terrified by the sensation coming from minos'' body.


    unlike the beings from elves island, divine continent, and continent of beasts, they knew minos'' abilities very well!


    this man could create black holes that could swallow those several levels above his cultivation. however, from what they knew, minos should not have such a terrifying spiritual fluctuation.


    "this is terrible! this person doesn''t even look like a human anymore! his aura is like that whale''s and the dragons'' from before!" one of the people from the central continent shouted, feeling that minos resembled those three creatures who had argued before this event began.


    the phoenix narrowed his eyes when he noticed these humans were slightly afraid of minos. "it seems that his words were not completely unfounded. he really must have a way to kill us."


    "what should we do, senior eos?" the level 89 fox asked, unsure of what to do.


    "he said he was a friend of your tribe... don''t you know anything about that?" the big bird asked.


    the phoenix tribe and the nine-tailed fox tribe were very close. not only were they allies on missions, but they also had many partnerships on the continent of beasts.


    however, they did not know everything about each other''s lives!


    "no. this is the first time i have heard the name minos stuart." the nine-tailed elder behind him commented in a low voice as each of the groups talked to each other.


    aside from the central continent, minos'' name only circulated in a few places on the divine continent. on the continent of beasts, no creature had ever heard his name.


    "he must be a prodigy... he must have met a low-level member of our tribe." the level 88 fox said.


    "is that so?" the phoenix asked his companions in a low voice before looking at minos and asking. "is what you said true? are you a friend of their tribe?"


    "yes, a good friend of mine is a level 80 nine-tailed fox. i met her when i rescued her many years ago when she got into trouble trying to hide from the blood triangle pirates.


    anyway, i am going to take her to visit her tribe. i will do that as soon as i leave this spatial kingdom. minos said as he looked at the others around him.


    fighting there would be difficult, but not only that, fighting there against these 4 groups could bring him trouble in the phoenix and nine-tailed fox tribes, as well as increase his trouble with the elves.


    minos didn''t want that, so he would rather not have to fight.


    when they heard minos'' story, the two foxes believed him and were happy to hear that he had saved one of them from the blood triangle pirates.


    months ago, this group of beasts had 5 members: 3 foxes and 2 phoenixes. but after an encounter with the group sent by maximillian, which had the future leader of the blood triangle pirates, they lost two of their companions.


    after that, these three creatures hated the evergreen family group even more!


    "alright, we won''t fight you if you help us." the phoenix shouted and moved away from minos'' group, demonstrating that he would retreat if he got something.


    "don''t do that!" one of mairin''s humans shouted, sensing that it would be terrible if these beasts left their siege. "such a human is terrible. now that he has demonstrated all this power, killing him and his group is our only salvation!"


    no matter how few they were, this group had a level 91 phoenix, a member of one of the ten strongest races in the spiritual world!


    the elf group there wanted to say something, but they followed the elf''s lead, and seeing that she was silent, none of them said anything.


    minos ignored these humans from the western region and asked. "what do you want?"


    "help us avenge the deaths of our companions. we want your help in finding and fighting drogo evergreen''s group."n0velusb.c0m


    "the emperor''s grandson?" forrest could no longer keep quiet when he saw that this beast wanted to get minos and the rest of their group into trouble. "minos, think before you accept this. it could complicate your situation with maximilian and create something that could be used against you after the war."


    minos already knew that drogo was the heir to the evergreen empire and the future leader of the blood triangle pirates. but he had long ago promised emlyn that he would help her take revenge for what had happened to her and her late husband.


    so he said. "all right, i''ll help you. but it will cause me trouble, so you will have to travel and fight with my group from now on."


    the two foxes looked around and understood that if the phoenix decided to do this, the other people around them would immediately become their enemies.


    but revenge was even more important to these beasts than to ordinary beings!


    the dead nine-tailed fox was the wife of the level 89 elder, and the dead level 89 phoenix was a prodigy of her tribe who could become the future tribe leader.


    avenging her was so important to them that they were willing to die for it!


    "ok, let''s ally!" the flaming bird shouted, attracting the attention of everyone in the area.


    minos smiled upon hearing this, seeing his chances increasing, while forrest broke out in a cold sweat, thinking of the trouble this would cause them outside of this place.


    ''fuck! i''ll think about it when i leave this damned spatial kingdom!'' this level 93 guy decided to ''sweep the dust under the rug.''

 Chapter 1847 Time to Battle!

    chapter 1847 time to battle!


    minos looked at the group of the elf as he saw those beasts looking in the direction of the central continent''s enemy teams.


    "so, what will it be? you don''t have to ally with me. as long as you retreat, i will owe you a favor. i''ll pay you back when i go to elves island for the continental tournament." minos proposed.


    he especially disliked elves. not only were they arrogant, but they also played with the fate of others.


    but the previous incident in the ancestral sea would not prevent him from having friendly relations with some elves. minos knew that in the fight against the future enemies of the spiritual world, the elven tribe would be one of those who could help his group the most.


    the elves were few in number. but even though there were only a few thousand of them, each elf had the potential to reach a high level, and many of them eventually became demigods.


    ignoring them in a catastrophe would be foolish, and minos was willing to work with them.


    he added. "my empire will work to defend this world from the possible catastrophes in its path. you can charge me. i will welcome anyone who is willing to fight, and i will give what i can to feed these people."


    under normal circumstances, the whole group around minos would ignore his words. after all, who could support even members of the elven tribe?


    but minos had just inherited the legacy of a level 100 dragon!


    in known history, only 15 dragons had ever reached level 100. all of them were extremely wealthy, far more than some of the human gods or even other beast races.


    the dragon tribe was one of the oldest in the spiritual world, and it had existed since the very beginning of the world when the cultivation level limit was level 60!


    after the destruction of panvuter, this remnant, later called the spiritual world, was weaker than it is now because the cultivate-capable beings were not accustomed to the new cultivation laws. until their descendants became accustomed to the new reality, they were limited to a shallow level of strength for a long time.


    but even though they came from such a time, the dragon tribe had accumulated wealth ever since!


    thus, the wealth of a level 100 dragon could not be measured, and minos'' words were not questionable at all. if he wanted to, he really could support even elves!


    this elf heard minos'' words and hesitated. as arrogant as they were, elves had one unique characteristic that even their greatest enemy had to recognize their importance. they were the guardians of nature, the beings most in tune with the cultivation laws of the spiritual world.


    they were the ones most concerned with maintaining the order of things and preventing a world disaster. at the same time, any changes in the world would reach the elves first, and they were usually the only ones who could be trusted to act for the world''s good.


    many times in the past, the spiritual world had experienced difficulties that nearly destroyed several ecosystems. but in all of these times of trouble, the elves had shown themselves willing to work for the good of the world.


    but make no mistake. they did not do this for the sake of other races. they did it for the sake of the spiritual world, the world that had blessed them with the most extreme abilities that could make even the strongest of them live long lives, sometimes over 320,000 years!


    for this reason, the elf couldn''t help but be touched to see this human with great talent and prospects set himself up as a spiritual world warrior, willing to do anything to protect it.


    "very well, human, i will retreat with my group. but i have the nature laws as a witness to your words! if you go back on what you said, may you be struck by lightning!" she said as her eyes glowed an intense green.


    after her words, a golden bolt of lightning appeared in the sky of that dimensional pocket, causing an intense sound capable of destroying the eardrums of cultivators without soul avatars.


    everyone there noticed this powerful lightning and the ridiculous abilities of these beings from the elves island, who could make treaties with beings of other races at will.


    minos had made promises, and she had quickly made the laws of this world validate a contract against him!


    minos bitterly laughed, but he had been sincere. if he did not fight for the spiritual world in the future, it would be the same as giving up his life, becoming a slave, or being destroyed.


    the two groups of humans from the central continent were furious when they saw that minos had made two of the teams surrounding him and his people change sides with just his words.


    but they still had most of the humans and demigods there, so even though they feared minos'' monstrous abilities, they stood their ground.


    the elf had nothing more to say and quickly retreated with her group, somewhat surprising her 4 allies from the divine continent.


    "syndra, was it worth it?" one of the demigods asked the level 89 elf. "i think the legacy could have helped us a lot more than he will if he lives."


    she said in a low voice as she left through one of the portals in the area. "that human is not simple. he had his destiny tied to one of my tribe members when he was weaker and had not yet received this inheritance... his potential is much greater than you think!"


    as this group disappeared from the area, minos turned his eyes to the western region men and women in the group of about 30.


    the two foxes and the phoenix were not in their formation, but they already had enemies in mind and were ready to fight.


    seeing that the enemies would not back down even after his words, minos gave up trying to talk with them and closed his eyes for a moment.


    then, he consciously used his new ability for the first time!


    dragon''s gaze!


    all the humans of the two opposing groups saw minos'' eyes grow huge and felt as if they were small prey in front of the biggest predator of the spiritual world.


    even the beasts allied with minos felt pressure on their bodies at that moment, impressed by this human''s inherited ability.


    in a single moment, all the humans below level 90 felt very bad, as if they would faint.


    but when minos'' cultivation level rose to level 85, everything changed, and several bodies fell from the sky, the weakest ones already dead.


    minos'' ability was not simple. by raising his cultivation level, he immediately reached a new class that could significantly affect even level 91 enemies.


    even without fusion, minos was able to defeat several 10th-stage opponents!


    ...n0velusb.c0m

 Chapter 1848 Sacrifice in Vain

    chapter 1848 sacrifice in vain


    while high-level sages and even demigods were falling dead from the sky like raindrops, the enemies of minos who had endured his new ability were not doing well at all.


    even the strongest one there, level 93, felt sick from minos'' powerful mental move and couldn''t help but be shocked by the power of that blow.


    "motherfucker!" the strongest one there shouted, feeling immense hatred towards minos, but also towards the beasts and the elf who had given up fighting this monster.


    if minos were allowed to continue growing, the central continent would have a massive problem in the future!


    maximilian was terrible, but if minos reached his level, one of the level 93 demigods did not doubt that things would be even more chaotic for those lands.


    minos seemed to have the same expansionist interests as maximilian!


    new wars of conquest or defense of territories would surely occur if minos were allowed to grow.


    and now, with the resources of a level 100 inheritance, minos could surely grow much more easily alongside his family and the members of the black plain army!


    "damn it! we can''t let him escape. this is no longer a battle for resources but for the peace of the western region!" another of these men shouted as orange flames rushed towards them.


    the level 91 phoenix was already attacking this group alongside forrest, while the two foxes used their abilities to distract the remaining opponents.


    they thought they would fight, but after a single glance from minos, all the opponents they could face individually had died!


    in this case, they quickly joined minos'' group to attack these 10th-stage humans.


    they did not have much offensive power, but with their innate mental abilities to manipulate the minds of their targets, they could at least try to reduce the efficacy of these individuals.


    combined with minos'' attack, their chances of success were not small.


    not content with just one attack, minos immediately caused several swords to emerge from the vacuum of space and slash at the bodies of the remaining 8 individuals in the opposing group.


    forrest used the seraph''s feathers and targeted the strongest of the enemy group, planning to kill them without much consideration.


    he did not want problems with the powers of the western region. but when he was attacked, forrest saw no problem in eliminating all of them!


    seraph''s sword!


    after activating his second most powerful offensive skill, a gigantic golden blade appeared in the hands of his soul avatar, slicing through space against the enemies who were being attacked from practically all sides.


    amid this, abby promptly fused her techniques, causing skeletal creatures to emerge from underground.


    at the same time, ruth had linked her innate ability to each group member, including the phoenix and the two nine-tailed foxes.


    ruth had a good impression of emlyn''s tribe because of this beast. so, with those beasts on her side, she did not hesitate to bind those three to her ability.


    after sensing this, the phoenix immediately noticed that his spiritual regeneration had increased significantly.


    going above and beyond, he went all out against one of his level 91 opponents.


    phoenix''s feathers!


    boom!


    the men coming from the west region felt great pressure. after a few moments of being attacked from all sides with no chance to counterattack, the first fell under forrest''s blade!


    by this time, the skeletons that abby had summoned were already under minos'' mind control, and several of these creatures were making ''suicidal'' moves to attack the humans of this group.


    living humans had to be careful when dealing with those of a similar or even higher level. but these summoned creatures had no such problem, and as they attacked with everything they had in the short time they had before collapsing, several of them tried to make direct contact with the enemy bodies.


    "shit! what the fuck is that?" one of those humans felt two level 90 skeletons pinning him down as the phoenix used his feathers to slash at his body.


    seeing the desperation of some of his men suffering similar problems, the strongest one still standing looked at minos full of hatred and decided to risk himself even if he had to sacrifice himself.


    ''dying to kill minos stuart is no tragedy for me.'' he thought as he used his final move, disappearing from where he was standing and appearing in front of his target.


    as he appeared there, he screamed like a crazy man and slashed at minos'' left shoulder with an axe, imagining that he would destroy his target''s body with one blow.


    while grinning and screaming madly, this man saw that his attack touched minos'' left shoulder, destroying several layers of the young man''s defenses and partially damaging his armor.


    using his sacrificial art, this man reached a level of power that would endanger even level 95 demigods!


    with that power, even minos'' high-level grade-4 armor could not completely stop the blow, paving the way for the blade to pierce through the brown-haired man''s shoulder.


    minos felt the pain of being hit in the shoulder, but his opponent would die in vain!


    since his body had reached the level of a level 83 dragon, his body''s natural resistance was already as strong as that of a level 93 human!


    moreover, since ruth was sharing her skill with minos, the cut on his shoulder would only cause him pain without any danger!


    "is that all? you need much more!" not waiting for this opponent''s sacrificial art to bear fruit, minos immediately used his sword and slashed horizontally at his neck.


    as he broke this soul avatar''s neck in half, minos and everyone in his group saw the soul projection disappear and the small body of this level 93 demigod fall from the sky.


    he quickly shrank, lost all his life force, and turned pale before his heart stopped beating a second before he crashed to the ground.


    at that moment, the battle was decided! n0velusb.c0m


    with the last level 93 enemy falling in front of minos, the remaining 4 level 91 and 92 demigods had no chance.


    quickly, the rest of minos'' party moved in, and by concentrating their attacks on the remaining four, they would soon end this high-level battle for the resources the level 100 dragon left behind!


    ...

 Chapter 1849 Back to the Empire

    chapter 1849 back to the empire


    as the last of minos and his group''s enemies fell lifeless to the ground, he and his people lowered their spirits and sighed as the battle ended.


    this had been a good battle for them to test their powers after weeks of cultivation and training without running into much danger.


    without minos'' new ability, the new feature of ruth''s regenerative ability, and the change in enemy numbers due to emperor stuart''s persuasion, everything would have been different.


    after finishing another high-level confrontation victoriously, these people smiled and relaxed a bit, sitting down on the outskirts of that destroyed area, while the more exhausted ones there, abby, ruth, and forrest, sat down to meditate.


    seeing many high-level bodies, minos ignored the fatigue in his body and the slight pain in his left shoulder.


    that wound had already closed with ruth''s skill, but the pain would still last for some time.


    however, seeing so many useful corpses for nurturing the northern region''s spiritual roots, minos immediately began to collect his spoils.


    the spatial rings of these individuals belonged to those who killed them. but who would want those corpses there but the beasts?


    minos asked the phoenix. "do you want the bodies of this one you killed? it will be useful to me if you don''t want it."


    "is that so?" the phoenix muttered. he had only killed one enemy, and only because of the help of minos'' group.


    even though such a body had the potential to feed him for a few months, he didn''t care and said. "you can collect it. i''ll just keep this person''s spatial ring."


    minos gave the rings that now belonged to forrest''s group and this beast, keeping most of the rings due to his earlier attack.


    after storing the bodies of each of these beings, he counted his earnings from the spatial rings of the enemies he had killed.


    among them, the richest was the man who had struck minos'' shoulder and left behind incredible artifacts and resources that were likely to be found in this spatial kingdom.


    any group that entered this place would always have the secondary goal of finding things for their elders and higher-level experts. so when minos found some things in those people''s spatial rings that were higher than their levels, he did not find it strange and simply celebrated.


    without having to exert himself through searching and several hours of hard work, he had obtained several items for his future demigods!


    ...


    two hours later, minos'' party had finally recovered from the previous battle and left the area where the great lake, the sky whale''s advance to level 90, was.


    before leaving, the group had said goodbye to harold, who had decided to return to the flaming empire before the group continued its journey in such a dangerous spatial kingdom.


    the group had then located one of the portals in this area that led to another pocket of space, through which they carefully made their way to a new part of the ancient dragon spatial kingdom!


    ...


    outside of the ancient dragon spatial kingdom, several elders from various powers of the spiritual world were in the area, waiting for the return of their young prodigies.


    while a ''mountain'' of scales was scanning the area with his eyes closed, a spatial disturbance suddenly appeared from one of those portals, and several experts looked in that direction.


    the dragon opened his eyes to see who was returning from that space, but it was not the first to leave his tribe''s ancient spatial kingdom.


    since more than half of the event had already passed, several low-level individuals who had entered that space and survived had returned to the flaming empire.


    seeing that it was only a level 82 human, the giant dragon ignored the red-haired man who had just emerged from one of the portals and closed his eyes again. n0velusb.c0m


    but minos'' men in the area and the edwardstone family soon moved when they saw harold again, curious to know about this man''s earnings and the current situation of emperor stuart.


    oswald, a high-ranking elder of the edwardstone family and a level 89 hybrid, quickly appeared beside harold to welcome him back to his state.


    "your majesty, did something happen to the party?" the local imperial family elder asked, anxious to know why his leader had returned alone.


    harold smiled and reassured the men. "guys, don''t worry. our group is still in one piece. most of our people have made breakthroughs within this spatial kingdom and are still looking for opportunities."


    upon hearing this, oswald sighed in relief, seeing that all was well with minos and the rest of the group.


    harold looked in the direction of his capital and said. "let''s talk about their situation in my city. i want to tell everyone in the family about our progress at once."


    the men understood, and before the level 89 sage returned to his post and the three left for payton, oswald congratulated harold on his advancement to level 82.


    "congratulations on your promotion, your majesty. the whole empire will rejoice when they hear of it."


    harold smiled, hearing something similar from his family elder.


    "this is nothing. the first demigod of the black plain empire emerged a few days ago!"


    "oh?"


    ...


    meanwhile, in another area of the ancient dragon spatial kingdom, a group of 2 elves, humans, and beasts were facing off against a group of humans from the western region who were arguing at that very moment.


    after encountering each other, both sides exchanged a few blows, as both sides had their reasons to believe that the other party had interesting resources.


    however, when they realized that their strengths were not far apart and noticed each other''s origins, they lowered their spirits when one side proposed a deal.


    "humans of the eastern empire, you are enemies of that damned one from the northern region, right?" one of the elves whom minos had robbed asked, already knowing who this man was after several weeks of traveling through this spatial kingdom, meeting several other groups, and fighting for resources and information.


    knowing who these opponents were and who minos was to them, he thought of an exciting thing.


    "why don''t we unite against this damned minos stuart? i''ll help your group to destroy this filthy human!" the strongest elf declared.


    "oh? are you enemies of minos stuart?" one of the members of the group sent by vico asked.


    "yes, we had the displeasure of meeting the filthy one weeks ago."


    hearing this, the leader of the group sent by vico thought about the possibility and felt it might be interesting to ally with this other group with more up-to-date information about minos'' group than the one they had.


    "good, let''s join forces to eliminate minos and his people!"

 Chapter 1850 A Problem for the Future

    chapter 1850 a problem for the future


    it had been six weeks since minos'' group and the beasts of the continent of beasts had joined forces...


    after leaving the previous space pocket, minos'' group traveled through another area of the ancient dragon spatial kingdom, where they had not encountered many problems.


    with 7 demigods between levels 90 and 93 in the group, not many of the teams that entered this spatial kingdom could compete with minos'' people.


    the pocket of space where they had stopped to search for resources and calvert evergreen''s group had no challengers to minos or enemies of those beasts.


    as a result, their time in that pocket had been relatively peaceful, with the most they had to do being to protect themselves from the spatial dangers of that unstable place.


    once again, minos'' group had been confronted with a spatial storm and traps left by the dragon tribe.


    but without losing any of their companions, minos'' group had made good use of the opportunities offered by this pocket of space. this was especially true for forrest''s group, who had secured several useful resources from their faction elders.


    by finding part of the dragon''s treasure and 4 corpses of ancient experts who had entered and perished in this space pocket, they had managed to collect several items for their elders.


    minos and his group had also managed to obtain resources for high-level 10th-stage experts in this space, as well as some fact, the only one in the group who had increased strength was the nine-tailed fox, who had previously been at level 88.


    interesting resources for high-level sages.


    however, no human in the group had advanced in cultivation. in fact, the only one in the group who had increased strength was the nine-tailed fox, who had previously been at level 88.


    with this breakthrough, this fox had reached the maximum level she could achieve with her genetic inheritance and had completed her purpose for entering this dimension!


    as the future leader of the nine-tailed fox tribe, she was ready to take on the responsibility of her tribe once she left this space.


    but first, she and her elder and fellow phoenix tribe member wanted revenge!


    when the group had explored enough of this pocket, they went through another portal, searching for more resources useful to their people and in the hunt for the evergreen family group.


    ...


    arriving in a new area, minos and his people remained vigilant as always, for the parts of this spatial kingdom had their own dangers.


    but as soon as they reached this other part of the former home of the dragons, they all realized that something unpleasant had happened there.


    this whole place, which should have been filled with trees and ancient dragon buildings, was devastated, and only the dragon buildings were left standing. all the vegetation and natural components of this area had been destroyed!


    in addition, powerful and chaotic energy remained in the atmosphere of this area, telling minos'' group a bit about what had happened there.


    "it seems that the dragons that entered this spatial kingdom had a high-level battle with the sky whale we saw earlier." minos was the first to speak up, noticing the dragon''s aura mixing with the sky whale''s.


    his wives and the demigods of forrest''s group became more serious upon hearing this, sensing how terrible this confrontation had been to leave this area even worse than the other one where the whale had made his advancement.


    the phoenix then muttered. "it looks like one of the dragons has died... i can feel a negative sensation in the air."


    this beast could talk about it better than anyone else because of his special characteristics, the mythical power of his lineage, and his knowledge of the strongest tribe on the continent of beasts.


    dragons and phoenixes were not friends, but they had known each other since the beginning of this world.


    "this is terrible. if this sky whale had killed one of these dragons, the two strongest tribes in the world would face each other!"


    at the thought of a level 99 dragon facing off against an elder of the sky whale tribe, everyone there felt goosebumps.


    this confrontation could plunge the entire spiritual world into chaos!


    "what are we going to do, minos?" forrest asked.


    "whatever happened here is out of our control, so let''s not worry about the future for now," minos said to the beasts in his group before answering forrest. "let''s observe what''s going on in this area. it seems that the battle of those three destroyed all the living things in this area, so we can easily search this place for items. after that, we can take a look at that dragon construction."


    he pointed toward a spot that should have been covered by vegetation but now only had a layer of dirt and dust over it, not enough to hide it.


    with that, the group quickly set out to search the area for any corpses, spatial rings, or artifacts that could have withstood the battle between the three creatures.


    even though there was no vegetation to hinder them in this area, this place was still huge, and it would still take the group 3 hours to check the entire surface before they went to the dragon building.


    after checking the entire area, they found some interesting items.


    for example, minos had acquired a dragon tooth, which one of the two dragons had probably lost during the previous battle.


    one of the beasts in the group had gotten a piece of diamond in the shape of a dragon''s claw, something very valuable in the beast world.


    other than that, the group had only found a few medium-level grade-4 spatial rings.


    from the position where they had found these items, it seemed that a group had witnessed the battle of those three, but they had perished in this space as a result.


    after dividing these items, the group moved to where the previous dragons had arrived months ago, where they had remained for most of the event.


    arriving at the entrance of this place, which was inside a large cave, they noticed that a massive stone door with several special symbols on it was opened.


    in minos'' group, only he understood what was written there.


    he frowned. "this is a dragon graveyard!" he remarked, using some of the knowledge the level 100 dragon had given him in the previous legacy.


    but since there were no reports of a graveyard in this space, everyone in minos'' group, who knew a lot about the history of this spatial kingdom, was surprised and looked strangely at the place''s entrance.


    but before anyone could ask any questions, they all felt a terrifying aura coming toward them as soon as they passed through the entrance.


    "what?"


    ...n0velusb.c0m

 Chapter 1851 Whats Next?

    chapter 1851 what''s next?


    as soon as they entered the huge, dark area, one of the beasts in minos'' group screamed in shock as he sensed the one approaching them.


    "what?"


    "he''s still here!"


    everyone in minos'' group looked forward, adjusting their eyes to better see the dark area.


    as they did so, they saw the area where there were various dragon skeletons and special tombs inside this cave, and a tall and very muscular blue-haired man approached them.


    ''damn it! that sky whale!'' forrest looked in the direction of this being and circled his energies, afraid of having to face this creature.


    but when he saw who had just entered the area, the sky whale suddenly slowed down and made a strange expression.


    ''wasn''t a dragon?'' he wondered. ''just now, i felt something dangerous approaching me... i thought that damned thing had come back.''


    but even though he felt a dragon aura, the visual information in front of him contradicted his instincts.


    no matter how much he believed in his instincts, in front of a group of humans and beasts, he couldn''t help but doubt what he had just sensed.


    ''was i wrong? i seem to be a bit affected by the last few weeks'' events.'' he thought as he finally stopped 30 meters in front of minos'' group.


    "hmm, i''ve seen you somewhere before." he commented.


    as strong as they were, sky whales weren''t that difficult to deal with.


    facing these people who probably thought he would attack them, this level 90 couldn''t help but talk, trying to dissuade them from that thought.


    how humiliating would it be for him to be accused of trying to attack a group of weak people? he didn''t want these people to think he would attack them without provocation!


    hearing this, minos immediately realized that this beast did not want any trouble with his group and stepped forward, making a gesture of greeting. "you must have sensed us near the lake. we were nearby when you made your advancement."


    "oh?" the blue being remembered and looked at minos curiously, noticing something strange about this level 83 sage.


    but this person seemed friendly and was of such a lower level than him that such a whale did not feel comfortable pushing this strange young man. n0velusb.c0m


    how crazy wouldn''t the spiritual world be if someone with potential was persecuted for no reason? being talented could definitely cause trouble, but few would hunt down such people without ever having had trouble with such a being.


    the whale then relaxed and commented with a smile. "anyway, you were lucky to come to this place. it seems that the dragons have been hiding their true treasure very well for countless generations.


    after i defeated two bastards, one of them ran away. but while i was devouring the second one, i noticed this place and decided to see what they were doing here... who would have guessed that there are still bodies of ancient dragons here? some of them are even useful for high-level experts."


    hearing this, the people in minos'' group felt uncomfortable for different reasons.


    isabella couldn''t help but feel scared when she thought this creature was telling them he had devoured a dragon!


    ''damn it! that dragon was a level 90 one!'' she thought to herself, remembering the feeling when she first arrived in this space.


    meanwhile, the phoenix had another thought in mind. ''so there are still dragon bodies here?''


    a single dragon body could feed several high-ranking elders of his tribe!


    even those two nine-tailed foxes could greatly benefit from a 10th-stage dragon body even if they could no longer increase their cultivation. they could improve the quality of their skills and bodies and raise their strength to the peak of level 89.


    such a body would be precious to any beast!


    minos heard this and said. "is that so? it''s really amazing that they kept this place a secret. but with the noble member of the sky whale tribe here, i don''t think there''s much for us."


    upon hearing this, the level 90 beast was pleased to see that minos respected him and would not challenge what was his.


    feeling magnanimous for having devoured a dragon in the past few days, he laughed and said. "don''t be so pessimistic, human. i already took what i wanted. you can enjoy what you find here.


    now i''m leaving. time to go." he moved, walking toward their group, toward the exit of this place.


    some of minos'' group were afraid to see him pass so close to them, but minos, the phoenix, and forrest just watched him.


    "now i''m afraid i''m going to have some trouble out there, haha." the blue being said, but he didn''t look sorry at all. "you must prepare yourself for a difficult future. be careful when you leave this spatial kingdom, humans, and beasts. the dragons will surely be angry."


    with these words, he disappeared and quickly left the area, heading for the portal that led back to the flaming empire.


    still standing at the entrance of that place, everyone in minos'' group still had the whale''s words in their minds and felt the tone with which he had announced such a thing to them.


    the whale did not seem worried at all. but at the same time, his words announced a catastrophe, which was why those left behind felt so strange.


    ''he ate a dragon... that''s terrible!'' the phoenix clenched his fists and realized what had happened in this area was much worse than he had thought.


    if killing a dragon was bad, eating one was 100 times worse!


    even minos was worried, noticing the amount of trouble brewing as the catastrophe henricus longus had predicted came closer and closer to hitting the spiritual world.


    ''what a piece of shit! a high-level war in the central continent, now a problem between the strongest beast tribes... it seems like everything is heading toward a perfect storm against us! what''s next?'' minos wondered as he felt the pressure on his shoulders grows.


    but knowing that there was nothing he could do but continue with his plans, minos sighed and said to his group. "forget what he said. let''s look for possibilities here. maybe he and the dragons didn''t take everything in this place."


    with that, everyone turned their attention to this area and soon began exploring the ancient dragons'' resting place.

 Chapter 1852 Revenge

    chapter 1852 revenge


    after leaving the ancient dragon spatial kingdom, several experts in the area immediately noticed the level 90 sky whale.


    unlike harold, this was a critical individual to those in the area.


    sensing the powerful spiritual fluctuation of this sea creature, the dragon waiting for his two young masters opened his eyes and probed the creature.


    but when he did so, he immediately noticed a strange sensation coming from that creature. he stood up from where he was, sensing that something unpleasant might have happened between his young masters and that whale.


    "hey, what have you done?" the terrifying voice of that mountain-sized dragon asked as its aura appeared, pressing down on the area where the level 90 whale had just appeared.


    sensing this, the sky whale, which had just emerged from the spatial kingdom, noticed his movements were slowing down and looked at the creature, which already knew he had eaten dragon meat.


    there were only two ways to explain this, and both of them somehow involved the young masters of that dragon!


    when he thought of this, he naturally became angry and felt that he had to interrogate this level 90 fellow.


    however, when this dragon stood up, the elder of the sky whale tribe there, who had been waiting in this area of the flaming empire, suddenly appeared next to his junior, making all the pressure on him disappear.


    "are you crazy?" the man, who was even taller and stronger than the one who had just arrived from the spatial kingdom, asked as he raised his aura and counterattacked the mighty dragon looking in that direction. "you think you can make demands on one of my tribe members? bold!"


    "you fat bastard, this junior of yours has the smell of my people on his body! i demand explanations!" the level 93 dragon shouted, making all the experts in the area tremble with the power of his voice.


    minos'' envoy nearby looked at the two of them and had a bad feeling, so he immediately ordered his partners to withdraw from the area as a precaution.


    meanwhile, several spiritual demigods in the area, waiting for their groups, frowned. n0velusb.c0m


    dragons and sky whales were not enemies, although there was much rivalry between them. but occasionally, they would engage in high-level battles that would shake the entire spiritual world. whenever that happened, the rest of the world would be affected.


    seeing these two experts discuss because of their juniors, many in the area feared that it would not end well.


    the level 92 sky whale said. "it doesn''t matter. questioning one of our tribe members is not your responsibility, dragon. withdraw your aura, or we''ll have problems."


    even though he was one level weaker than that mountain of flesh, this elder of the sky whale tribe was not afraid of that dragon. if they were to face each other, even on land, this sea creature was confident that he would not die.


    "you bastard! what have you done?" the dragon could not stand it any longer and jumped from his position, charging at the two blue creatures with his massive body.


    realizing the enemy''s audacity, the level 92 sky whale also jumped into the air and fully transformed into his full size, showing the people in the area a shadow superior to that dragon.


    that whale''s body was at least twice the size of that dragon''s!


    the moment the two attacked each other with their body parts, everyone in the area, including the level 95 demigods, felt goosebumps rise on their bodies in fear.


    "shit!"


    one of them shouted as he raised his defenses, knowing that a clash of blows from these two creatures would be enough to threaten the lives of even ''ordinary'' level 96 human demigods!


    even the level 90 sky whale raised his guard to protect himself.


    ''there is no turning back now. we will be in trouble.'' he laughed bitterly, but in truth, he had no regrets about devouring the body of one of those dragons.


    then, as many fled the area and others raised their defenses to the maximum, the two giant creatures collided, resulting in an immense explosion.


    orange lightning bolts formed in the surrounding area, while the atmospheric pressure suddenly changed, stirring up the winds in the area.


    at the same time, the ground beneath the two creatures suddenly ''retrogressed'' as if being pushed with great force into the world''s core.


    small mountains were flattened instantly, while the surrounding area''s gravity stopped working properly.


    huge cracks began to appear not only in the ground of the area but also in the sky, while even space could not withstand the clash of forces between these two creatures.


    as they clashed, neither of them withdrew their powers, and their massive bodies touched each other, but that initial clash of powers injured neither of them.


    as much as they did not suffer, it would not be the same for creatures up to a few dozen kilometers away from this area!


    that afternoon, a catastrophe would occur in that area of the flaming empire near the evergreen empire!


    ...


    while those creatures were disputing in the flaming empire, in another area of the ancient dragon spatial kingdom, a huge creature was lying in a forest, his body stretched out on the ground.


    he had large dark scales and wounds all over his body. some of the wounds were oozing blood, capable of making one think he was dead.


    but this large level 90 dragon was breathing, his eyes open as he hated his current situation.


    even after days of trying to recover from the previous battle, this beast, which had even lost some of his claws in the previous battle, was still far from recovering enough to leave this place.


    he wanted revenge. he wanted to kill the damned enemy that had defeated his partner and even started to devour that dragon in front of him.


    if it hadn''t been for the speed with which that creature escaped, he probably would have died and been devoured as well!


    with that in mind, this dragon wanted to take revenge, return to the spiritual world, and send his entire tribe to hunt down the damned sky whale that had done this to him and his partner.


    unfortunately, he needed more time to recover and move.


    ''just wait, you bastard! you''re going to die for what you did!'' he thought to himself while emitting a dangerous aura that would make even other experts in the area avoid him.


    he was injured, but as a dragon, he had many ways to deal with anyone who tried to exploit his vulnerable situation!

 Chapter 1853 A Great Opportunity?

    chapter 1853 a great opportunity?


    meanwhile, at the place where minos and his group had encountered the level 90 sky whale earlier...


    after the creature left, minos and his party immediately began investigating the dragon graveyard they had discovered.


    it was a vast cave with several levels. after spending an hour there, they would find out how big the place was, and when they finished exploring the first level, they quickly went to the lower levels of the area.


    there were several skeletons and some sealed dragon tombs on the first level. there were only a few useful resources for minos'' group in these remains, and none of them were preserved to the point that the group was tempted to steal corpses from the area.


    but with minos'' current knowledge of the dragon tribe, he and his party soon made their way to where the remains of the tribe''s most important members were buried.


    dragons often passed their powers onto descendants or stronger enemies in special ceremonies. but for various reasons, some tribe members could be buried with their whole bodies.


    this was most often seen with the bodies of low-level dragons, the children of experts who were not worth devouring. it could also happen that experts would not allow these bodies to be devoured.


    the group saw some of the graves of such low-level beings and the skeletons of dragons that had been devoured.


    during the ceremony of one dragon devouring the body of another, the bones of the devoured would never be eaten or sold, despite their value. they were usually sent to cemeteries like this one, where the dragons were laid to rest.


    some of the skeletons the group had seen were those of devoured creatures.


    anyway, leaving the first level without many items, the group soon arrived at level 2 of this graveyard, where minos immediately realized something relevant to his group when he saw some inscriptions at the entrance to this second area.


    "we need to go to level 4 of this graveyard," minos commented to his group. "the inscriptions on these walls speak of a river of bones. if i''m not mistaken, all the bodies and skeletons that have rested here for millions of years must have given rise to something in the last level of the cemetery."


    "river of bones?" forrest asked as he narrowed his eyes, not understanding what that could be.


    minos explained to the group. "the bodies of powerful beings, even skeletons, contain much power. you know that, right?" he saw the group nod their heads in agreement while they were already walking through the second level of this place.


    "so, the power of strong experts'' corpses slowly leaks out of them and can be used to spiritually enrich places, help a spiritual root, or even be used to make pills or fertilize medicines.


    but in a special place like this, that kind of power can "leak out" and accumulate somewhere. i think the dragons have found a way to accumulate these remnants of their ancestors in this place." minos said with interest, feeling that they should get to the bottom of this location first.


    "are you saying that this river of bones is like an essence left by all the bodies buried here?" the level 91 phoenix asked with interest, feeling this would be great.


    as much as there were many low-level dragon corpses in this place, there were also high-level dragon corpses.


    if something had accumulated the essence of dead dragons for millions of years, this river of bones would be extremely valuable!


    "hmm, i can''t tell what it is. it must have evolved after that level 100 dragon died. but it''s something like what''s written on the walls of this place." minos said.


    forrest agreed with minos'' suggestion. "then let''s go to the last level of this place. ignore what''s around here. we''ll leave it to you to search the area for items when we leave this place."


    with that, the group moved through this level, quickly finding the passage that led to level 3, where it would take them even less time to find the other passage.


    as they moved deeper, the areas of the levels of this dragon''s resting place decreased. at the same time, the "density" of high-level tombs remains increased.


    when they reached the 4th and last level of this place, after 15 minutes of moving inside this cave, minos'' group came to a red place that looked like a fracture of a tectonic plate where magma was visible. n0velusb.c0m


    the place of red rocks was not large. from the place where the passage from level 3 to level 4 was, there was what looked like a small beach in front of a red lake the size of minos'' spatial kingdom house.


    the dragon skeletons there were small compared to what they had seen on the previous levels, and they seemed to be slowly melting away.


    upon seeing this, one of minos'' women sighed and said. "as expected. most of what was here has already been taken."


    they all felt the density of that dark red essence that looked like magma but was only a special kind of liquid power.


    there was still something there for them, but it was something extremely weaker than what was there when the two dragons came to this place months ago. not only that, but the sky whale had also taken some of that liquid with him, leaving spiritual wealth in that small river of bones for minos'' entire group.


    minos understood the frustration of one of his wives and a few others in his group but said. "do not underestimate this place. i sense that it can still be replenished. the next time this spatial kingdom opens up, i have a feeling that this place will be regenerated and will be able to help even 10th-stage dragons improve their strength and physical quality.


    as for us, i think we can get three jars out of this river of bones. i doubt that anyone here will get a big improvement from it, but this liquid can help three of our men.


    forrest can probably reach the peak of his level if he uses this liquid to meditate." he finished and looked at the black-haired man.


    forrest felt the same way and decided to use his group''s share to strengthen himself.


    in the meantime, the beast group wouldn''t be able to get any stronger from it. still, they were sure they could pass it on to one of their companions when they returned to their continent.


    with this in mind, the group quickly divided the three bottles and took the remaining essence from this place until the red lake became clearer.

 Chapter 1854 Meeting of Enemies

    chapter 1854 meeting of enemies


    one week later...


    a few days after minos'' party arrived at the resting place of the ancient dragons, forrest finished absorbing the essence he had collected for his party in the river of bones.


    as minos expected, he reached the peak of level 93, and in a few weeks of cultivation, he could reach level 94.


    after he finished absorbing this precious resource, the whole group returned to explore the dragon graveyard.


    this time, unlike the first level of this place, minos'' group had good results exploring levels 3 and 4 of this underground place. not only had they found high-level artifacts, riches that dragons usually buried with their loved ones, but they had also received some preserved bodies.


    they had found 3 bodies of 10th-stage dragons that had not completely decomposed, which could be helpful to the beasts that could devour them, the production of items, or the regeneration of spiritual roots.


    minos had kept one of these corpses to take back to the black plain empire, and forrest had kept one to make cultivation items for his faction. the beasts of the continent of beasts would naturally take the corpse they got back to their tribes, where they would divide such a resource among their people.


    afterward, they found one of the portals to this area they had entered a week ago and headed for another special pocket.


    ...


    arriving in a new part of this space, minos and his group soon began searching for the team maximilian had sent to help his beasts take revenge.


    but while searching for the tracks of these enemies of the foxes and the phoenix, their group suddenly found someone else''s tracks!


    the moment he noticed the remaining spiritual fluctuation in the forest area he was in, minos and forrest looked at each other and muttered the same thing.


    "those elves."


    that''s right. they had just found traces of the group of elves they had stolen weeks ago!


    but before they could decide whether or not to go through with this elf problem, the hybrid from minos'' group said. "they''ve spotted us, and they''re not alone."


    this was the smallest pocket of space their group had passed through so far. noticing the tracks of such a group, they soon realized that their former rivals were nearby and had already sensed their position.


    as they focused their attention on the group about 4 kilometers away from them, everyone in minos'' team sensed more people than there should be in that group moving toward them at once.


    minos then ordered his men. "raise your guard. they may have new allies!"


    immediately, the group did as they were told, as the enemies appeared in the area, quickly surrounding them on all sides. n0velusb.c0m


    the moment they came face to face, the elven group looked at minos'' and noticed the advances of these people who had robbed them earlier. but emperor stuart''s team did the same, seeing that although these rivals had lost much to them, they had turned the tables and made new advances.


    moreover, while the elves looked at the beasts allied with minos, this emperor''s group looked at the humans sent by vico to this spatial kingdom.


    the three sent by vico, currently at levels 91 and 92, were focused on minos, their target there.


    they did not care about the rest of minos'' group, not even forrest, a member of the spiritual church. all that mattered to them was the head of emperor stuart, who had caused all the current calamity on the central continent.


    "minos stuart!" the weakest clenched his fists.


    "minos, i will take your head to his majesty vico travisani!" the strongest of the three shouted as she looked him in the eye, catching the emperor''s attention.


    "vico? so you are from the eastern empire..." minos said, understanding why these groups had united against him. "ambassador of vico, we are not enemies. your emperor''s problem with me is a misunderstanding."


    "tsk! are you trying to escape the consequences of your actions, minos?" one of the three asked, sensing their enemy was cowering before them.


    but minos said. "i would rather not fight nor increase my enmity with your people. but if you wish to die allying yourselves with these dirty elves, then so be it."


    "dirty? you are very good at speaking lies and insults, damn you!" one of the elves shouted. "that''s easy for someone who ran away after robbing us! who''s the dirty one, minos stuart?"


    forrest looked at the group and said. "where is the rest of your party?"


    not everyone who had faced minos'' group that day survived. some had died from injuries sustained in that battle or from losing their restorative and protective items from the earlier theft.


    as such, the two elves'' group was furious and wanted revenge, not just for what they had lost in that robbery!


    they wanted revenge!


    "tsk! the same place you will all be going in a few moments!" one of the elves'' allies said before charging at abby.


    because of this woman''s ability to fuse techniques, their group suffered so much that day. knowing that it would be a huge risk for her to fuse her techniques again, the group didn''t wait for the conversation to end and moved immediately, with several of them attacking her.


    seeing this, minos didn''t hesitate and showed them all his current abilities!


    dragon''s gaze!


    circulating his spiritual energy through his eyes, minos suddenly let his terrifying aura rise as he attacked the enemy group, terror of this ability.


    especially the bolder ones who tried to hit abby.


    "die, vermin!" he said as everyone in the enemy group felt the pressure of emperor stuart''s new ability.


    minos was already at level 85, so even the level 91 men felt the terror of this ability.


    noticing this, vico''s men immediately grimaced, seeing something new in this enemy, something shockingly powerful.


    "shit! the bastard must have found something incredible in this place!" one shouted as he raised his mental defenses to the maximum, trying to withstand minos'' mental blow.


    meanwhile, several black rings appeared around this group, with minos already using his devouring art technique even though ruth''s ability was already in contact with his body.


    ssss!


    his allies did not stand still, and one of the first to act was the phoenix, already in its bestial form, as it used its fiery flames to strike at one of the enemies in the area.


    the two foxes took the lead in defending minos'' women, who had critical support skills for the group.


    forrest and his group of demigods did not hesitate to use their deadly powers to attack the enemies who were pressed by minos'' skills and techniques.


    he was opposed to the war against the western region that maximilian wanted his organization to wage. but he would not hesitate to act in the face of enemies trying to kill his allies!


    ...

 Chapter 1855 The Way To Avoid Trouble: Killing!

    ?


    while forrest acted for the good of the group, the weaker of the elven party and vico''s emissaries felt their powers diminish, and minos transferred their cultivation bases to his wives.


    in the blink of an eye, his wives increased their cultivation by one level, strengthening their skills and techniques.


    unfortunately, the enemies already knew what abby was capable of, and with several of them focusing on her, she could not get any space to merge her techniques, even with her group''s actions.


    however, this was not necessarily a victory for the elven group!


    after minos'' initial attack, 3 of the elven partners who tried to act against abby had their minds destroyed by dragon''s gaze and were already dead in the area!


    with the first bodies on the ground in the opening moments of the battle, the fight soon began to heat up as the now level 90 elves countered minos'' initial move.


    "damn you, human. today, i will rip everything you have from your corpse!" one of them shouted at him, forming giant wooden snakes out of the ground in the area and heading towards minos.


    this elf was level 90, but such an attack had a strength similar to the attacks of level 93 humans with golden-grade techniques!


    this was stronger than minos could withstand with his normal strength at the moment.


    seeing this powerful attack, minos manipulated the space around him and changed his position while appearing on the back of this elf.


    chaotic gravity: meteors of destruction!


    appearing behind the attacking elf, minos already had several landmasses behind him that quickly flew toward the enemy the moment he gestured forward.


    the other elf was as focused on killing minos as the members of the travisani family sent by vico. this one, too, manipulated space, appearing near minos with the intention of eliminating him in one fell swoop.


    the elf sliced the air with a sword, aiming for minos'' neck.


    as the sword moved, a gigantic bolt of lightning suddenly appeared above this elf''s body, hitting him full-on as ruth used one of her techniques.


    the level difference between the two was huge, and such an attack only caused the elf to miss his movement by less than 2%.


    but for minos, who currently had fantastic spatial manipulation abilities due to his level 100 dragon heritage, that was enough to move through space for the enemy''s blow to miss him.


    thus, while one of the elves was suffering from the meteor shower caused by minos, one of vico''s men managed to come out of his mental confusion and attack his target.


    piercing sword!


    in the blink of an eye, he passed minos while a sword spinning on its own axis quickly passed through the brown-haired young man''s waist, piercing the right side of his waist!


    this blow contained a lot of the level 92 demigod''s power. it even damaged minos'' armor a bit until it wounded his waist!


    however, the blood from there barely soiled the blade of this opponent''s weapon as minos'' wound closed.


    "what?"


    "you bastard. you''re going to die for this!" minos retorted, feeling pain even though ruth''s skill had already closed his wound.


    explosive steps!


    minos activated his movement technique before making a few hand seals and activating his latest technique.


    divine seal: hell!


    appearing on the man''s back, minos didn''t hesitate to inscribe a seal on his back before orange flames exploded from that spot, covering the opponent''s entire body.


    he was a level 92 cultivator, so this alone would not be enough to kill him. knowing this, minos continued with his defensive technique, activating his indestructible body and attacking the man''s neck.


    as he quickly moved one of his hands towards his opponent''s neck, the air around minos'' soul avatar''s hand created spatial cracks as it moved, making the space around it increasingly chaotic.


    pow!


    upon striking the neck, minos sent his opponent''s burning body far away as a scream of pain erupted from the man''s throat.


    "aaaagh!"


    meanwhile, forrest attacked one of the two elves who tried to take action against minos, forming orange and golden flames from the glowing eyes of the seraph avatar.


    sss!


    "die, you bastard!"


    this time, his level was much higher than when he had encountered these creatures. moreover, seeing that he would have problems with these elves and vico''s group, forrest realized that he could not risk letting these enemies escape alive!


    unlike his last confrontation with them, he now had the chance to kill them and didn''t hesitate.


    the only way for anyone to know what had happened in this space would be to return to the mainland alive and then spread the word throughout the spiritual world. but if everyone who knew about the events there kept quiet, it would be straightforward to escape from vengeful relatives!


    with this in mind, forrest struck at the elf''s body, piercing the elf''s abdomen with flames capable of burning even dragon scales.


    elves were very talented and powerful but were not known for their physical strength or ability to withstand attacks.


    feeling the enemy''s attack hit him without having time to dodge, the elf howled in pain, unable to pay attention to minos, and looked at forrest in anger.


    "motherfucker!"


    meanwhile, minos'' wives joined the defense of ruth and especially abby, using their skills and techniques to try at least to deflect the attacks of the few enemies who were focused on preventing the blue-haired beauty''s techniques from merging.


    a large silver barrier covered abby''s surroundings, while gloria kept as much of her innate ability active as possible, manipulating the mercury around her harem sisters.


    even though she was only a level 82 sage, her mercury was so dense and strong that gloria could withstand even level 89 attacks in her full defense state!


    meanwhile, isabella maintained a barrier of flames in front of gloria''s defenses, combining her powers with the other redhead''s to reduce the power of enemy attacks that reached them.


    noticing her harem sisters'' efforts to help her, abby did what she could to merge her techniques, trying to ignore the enemies and focus on her two golden-grade techniques left by the goddess of life.


    ''rise from the darkness, my warriors!''


    ...n0velusb.c0m

 Chapter 1856 The Poison That Saved The World

    ?


    as abby focused all her energy on merging her techniques, making the moves and seals necessary to succeed, she suddenly felt a blue glow in the darkness.


    opening her eyes, she saw a powerful spear breaking through gloria and isabella''s defenses and heading for her chest.


    at the same time, the ground around her cracked as dozens of long-dead creatures awakened.


    abby felt she had managed to merge her techniques, which was good. but when she saw the deadly attack closing in on her, she turned as pale as a sheet of paper, feeling that she had nothing to do in this situation.


    as several people in her group looked on with concern, the ground beneath her feet cracked, and a skeletal, completely yellow hand emerged.


    as abby prepared to receive the blow that could kill even level 91 cultivators, the hand cut through the space and appeared in the spear''s path, blocking it like a shield.


    sparks flew from the point of impact until a loud metallic sound rang out for a moment, and then the spear blade shattered into countless pieces!


    "what?" the level 91 eastern empire demigod who threw the spear shouted in surprise, not expecting the fusion of a level 82 woman to be strong enough to stop his weapon.


    if that was the level of abby''s fusion, then this woman was even more dangerous than minos!


    but abby''s fusion was very different from what minos could do. she could only temporarily resurrect those who had fallen near her.


    if these people were experts, her ability would even bring back those with ''n'' levels above hers. if they were just weak individuals, they would not become stronger by being awakened by her. if they were stronger than her, she would not be able to control them.


    in other words, as incredible as it was, she had no control over what she could achieve, unlike minos, who could manipulate his fusions as he wanted.


    however, for that man, abby''s fusion was shockingly terrible for his group!


    "shit!" one of the elves saw this and cursed his group''s luck, as well as their inefficiency in stopping abby before anything else happened.


    abby saw the hand in front of her and sighed in relief. but when she noticed the cultivation level of this creature, she couldn''t help but feel afraid of the being she had summoned!


    ''level 94!'' she and all of minos'' women in the area realized the level of this humanoid skeleton.


    not even minos could control such a creature!


    ''damn it! who is this one?'' minos thought as he looked in the direction of his women, thinking about manipulating space and creating a black hole to destroy that creature.


    but when both sides of the battlefield were tense with the appearance of such a skeletal being, the 2-meter tall skeleton finished rising from the ground and looked at abby for a moment.


    seeing a golden-blue glow in the darkness of her eyes, he remembered his life and did not hesitate to kneel down at abby''s feet.


    "goddess of life, i am happy to serve you even after my death!" he said aloud, feeling great reverence for the woman before him.


    ''does he think i''m the goddess of life?'' abby wondered. ''is he one of this woman''s soldiers?''


    "unfortunately, i died at the hands of a dragon while on a mission at the continent of beasts, goddess of life. before i died, i was taken to this space and never had a chance to return. please let me serve you one last time!"


    abby''s fusion and the goddess of life''s innate ability were fantastic. still, in addition to the points already mentioned, they had one crucial flaw. once a being was summoned from death, once the fusion or ability was undone, that already dead creature could never be summoned again.


    the skeleton knew this, and knowing he would never be able to help his goddess again, he stood up and immediately activated his unique ability.


    abby just nodded, but that was enough for the skeleton to act!


    in an instant, it disappeared from abby''s side.


    it appeared among the strongest demigods of the enemy group, increasing its body size significantly. in contrast, several skeletal hands appeared from spatial holes on the area''s outskirts.


    divine palm!


    he moved as his skeleton vibrated, becoming increasingly invisible, cracking as his many hands descended from various portals, from the ground, and from the sky, to fight abby''s enemies.


    "shit! run!" the strongest elf shouted, feeling that if they were hit, all those targeted by this skeletal creature would be killed.


    however, this ancient warrior didn''t let these enemies run away casually. knowing that he would disappear in less than 5 seconds, he accelerated the movement of his palms, shocking minos'' entire group and destroying 4 high-level enemies at once!


    the level 91 demigod who had attacked abby with the previous spear felt desperate at the sight of two large skeleton palms pressing against his body, but he had no chance to do anything. the level 94 skeleton put more force into the blow against this individual who had endangered the life of the heiress of the goddess of life.


    as punishment, he would be crushed to death!


    "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!"


    this man and others tried to resist the mighty palms of the skeleton, but they were much stronger than them. in just 3 seconds, more than 50% of their bones were crushed, and their spirits were shattered.


    at the last second of this skeletal creature in this world, the four enemies exploded, their blood spreading tens of meters away.


    the skeleton also reached its end, cracking utterly, and then...


    booooom!


    yellow dust and spiritual energy flew out from whatever that being was, shocking the elves there.


    "damn it, that woman can''t be allowed to live! the damned will take over the world if she gets any stronger!" one of them shouted, feeling real fear.


    beings capable of reaching level 100 were rare. but in the history of the spiritual world, hundreds of thousands of people reached level 99!


    if abby could awaken just a few of them and keep them conscious for days or even weeks, she and minos would be able to rule the entire world!


    as members of one of the oldest races, the one that knew the most about the history of this world, these elves were well aware of the threat this fusion posed to the world!n0velusb.c0m


    in the distant past, a human expert had developed such an ability and reached level 99. fortunately, an elder of the elven tribe had noticed her before she attempted to reach level 100 and managed to poison her secretly.


    the goddess of life herself did not know what was behind her failure to reach level 100. but the elves knew that without the act of one of their high-ranking elders, she would have become a true god, capable of awakening even dead gods!


    after seeing the danger looming before their tribe again, these elves could not help but feel threatened by abby and wished for her death.


    ...

 Chapter 1857 Extermination

    ?


    while the elves and the stronger ones of their group were trying to escape from the stronger one of minos'' group, the rest of the skeletons around abby finally got up from the ground, understanding their situation.


    unlike the level 94 skeleton that hadn''t even lasted 20 seconds since it appeared and disappeared, these others could exist longer because they were weaker.


    however, some were high-level sages and level 90 and 91 demigods, stronger than abby could control. without being ancient subordinates of the goddess of life, there was no reason for these creatures to help abby willingly.


    sensing the enemy''s movements and these skeletal beings trying to flee the area to avoid trouble, minos finally teleported to abby''s side and spread his dark sea to cover the entire area with darkness.


    with a level of 85 and a presence as strong as a dragon''s, minos instantly intimidated these beings, dominating their minds and getting them on his side.


    "fight!" he commanded as he stopped before abby, using his body to defend his wife from the various individuals who tried to attack her.


    abby was still shocked by the level 94 skeleton that had mistaken her for the goddess of life, but being exhausted, there wasn''t much she could do but trust her group.


    the two nine-tailed foxes and the group hybrid, along with the other three women of minos, stopped next to her and raised their defenses again.


    seeing this, forrest and the other group of demigods aimed at these daring individuals to ''turn their backs'' on them.


    the enemies were so determined to finish off abby that they were willing to risk their own lives by leaving vulnerable points for these other enemies to attack.


    but their priority was to kill abby and rid the world of a future disaster!


    "you bastards! you are protecting a monster! what are you going to do when she turns on you and summons an army of level 99 demigods?" one of the elves asked, breaking into a cold sweat as he felt the various injuries all over his body.


    the other elf was nearly dying from the injury forrest had inflicted on him a moment ago. still, he pushed himself to attack abby along with the rest of their group.


    minos heard this and cursed these creatures in his mind, seeing how stupid they were.


    ''you bastards! abby''s fusion will give us a fighting chance against the damned invaders of our world!'' he thought to himself as he fused his techniques and formed several black holes within the space and time domain.


    the people from the church and the phoenix could understand the elf''s concern. but they did not want to worry about it during the battle. those creatures wanted to kill them! there was no reason for them to spare them now!


    with this in mind, the phoenix, who hated elves as much as many other beings in the spiritual world, set his sights on the more injured of the two elves.


    activating his unique ability, he made his flaming wings burn the creature, forcing the elf to lose his concentration and strength while his screams grew louder.


    "aaaagh!"


    forrest did the same but focused on the strongest enemies there, using his holy sword to decapitate the rest of the group.


    with minos'' previous action of using dragon''s gaze and then the level 94 skeleton killing four enemies, the enemy group had been greatly weakened.


    the survivors already had multiple injuries on their bodies before they suicidally attacked abby, so when almost all of the demigods in minos'' group attacked them, they didn''t last long.


    even if some of their attacks reached minos, they could not overcome the defenses over his body to hit abby.


    before minos'' cultivation even began to return to normal and ruth was exhausted by her ability, more than half of the survivors fell dead on the outskirts of the space and time avatar''s domain.


    the last standing was the strongest elf, but even this one could not hold out much longer and was brutally killed, surrounded by enemies!


    everyone in the group was exhausted when the last body of the enemy party fell lifeless to the ground.


    seeing this, minos did the same as his allies and deactivated his soul avatar, as his cultivation had already stabilized at level 83.


    faced with the corpses of the elven group and the envoys of vico, minos soon proposed a division of the resources of these creatures.


    this time, he and his team would not steal resources from their opponents but would share the spoils of war left by their dead enemies!


    many weeks had passed since the previous encounter with the elven team and months since those sent by vico had entered this spatial kingdom.


    all of them had gained more than they had lost.


    soon, the group would find out how much they had gained from this battle.


    as expected from people who were there to gather opportunities for themselves and their leaders, practically all of these individuals had medium-level and high-level grade-4 resources in their possessions!


    this was especially true for the travisani family group in this spatial kingdom to disrupt maximillian''s group and collect items for their empire.


    unfortunately for vico, they ran into a mighty group!


    with plenty of resources in their hands, even the most injured and worried after this battle was happy with the outcome of this day''s battle.n0velusb.c0m


    with those resources, they could leave this spatial kingdom and return to the central continent if they wanted to.


    however, without fulfilling the promise they had made to the beasts of the continent of beasts, their group still had a goal and soon began to meditate to recover.


    no one there brought up the subject of abby''s fusion, though some of the elves'' words from earlier were indeed wise.


    for now, abby and her group were their allies; moreover, she was only at level 82. before she became the threat the elves feared, she would have to face countless challenges and dangers.


    knowing how difficult it was for sages to cultivate until they became demigods and then reached the high level of the 10th stage, everyone there put aside their worries.


    and so, the next few days would pass before they left this pocket of space to once again search for calvert and drogo''s group!

 Chapter 1858 Meeting Of Enemies

    ?


    a few more days passed in the ancient dragon spatial kingdom, and finally, the level 90 dragon that had been injured by the sky whale earlier in that space finished recovering and returned to the flaming empire.


    when the level 90 dragon arrived in the flaming empire, near the evergreen empire border, he found out what had happened in this area weeks earlier, when a level 93 dragon and a level 92 sky whale had fought.


    after hearing this, the dragon understood why no one from his tribe awaited him when he left the spatial kingdom.


    the level 93 elder of his tribe had not been defeated. still, after facing the level 92 sky whale, that creature could no longer wait on the central continent, which was much closer to the sky whale tribe''s territory than the dragon tribe.


    therefore, that creature had not hesitated to leave such a state by using a teleportation artifact he had with him, something valuable that could even take him back to the continent of beasts. but in his precarious situation, he had used it without hesitation, knowing that a war between the strongest tribes in the world could break out at any moment.


    meanwhile, none of the lookouts in the area had caused any trouble for such a dragon, as they had too many problems of their own to get involved in anymore.


    such was the case with vico''s and maximillian''s envoys in the area, who were waiting for their men to return to the spatial kingdom.


    even though vico''s envoys had been dead for days, the people of the travisani family had no idea what had happened. unlike in the real world, the soul lamps could not show the actual vital status of people who had died in the spatial kingdoms.


    for these devices, the vital signs they displayed would remain active even for several decades after one''s death within a spatial kingdom.


    those who participated in this event could not be sure of the vital status of their people until the one-year period was over, and the portals to that space were closed. when that happened, it would prove that anyone who did not return was dead or about to die!


    so one of vico''s envoys was still in the area, watching the surroundings and waiting for his men.


    ...


    inside the defective spatial kingdom...


    at this moment, minos'' group was finally in the last area of this space, the only part of the ancient dragon spatial kingdom they had not yet stopped to search for their group''s beast enemies.


    they were ready to give up and return to the central continent if they did not find maximilian''s people there. even the beasts of this group agreed on that, for this space had its natural dangers that could put them between life and death at any moment.


    there was no way they could spend months endangering themselves from enemies who may have already left such a space!


    it was not uncommon for participants in such events to leave about halfway through the event. after all, many would die in the first few moments of the event, and the strongest would quickly achieve the results they hoped for.


    halfway through the event, this spatial kingdom would become empty and quiet.


    but just as the beasts were losing hope of finding their enemies, their group suddenly noticed a trail of smoke in the forest they were in.


    realizing that someone was ahead of them, the group immediately moved more cautiously, getting closer as they watched to see if this was their target.


    minos was at the front of the group and soon saw three enemies, all blonde, with medium-level grade-4 armor on their bodies, sitting around a campfire.


    he had never personally seen a member of the evergreen family. still, when he came across these people, he immediately identified them by their blonde, almost golden hair.


    when he saw them, he clenched his fists and felt it was time for revenge!


    he wanted to act against these people not only to fulfill his promise to the beasts of his group but also because of things that had happened to him in the past.


    minos had not forgotten the day he was attacked by the blood triangle pirates leader, forcing him to go after the seraphim ancient sarcophagus and eventually free maximilian.


    he had not forgotten the threats of the blood triangle pirates and how the evergreen emperor had allowed that group to pressure him.


    finally, calvert''s actions bothered him greatly when that prince tried to force gloria''s faction to join his group.


    thinking of all this, minos felt his blood run hot. "it''s them. they are alone." he said to his group.


    upon hearing this, the nine-tailed foxes and the phoenix immediately changed their expressions while in their humanoid forms.


    forrest saw that calvert and drogo were there, both at level 91. besides them, there was a third individual, someone at level 92.


    ''they won''t stand a chance...'' forrest sighed as he imagined witnessing the deaths of his master''s nephew and younger brother.


    but even without the help of this group of spiritual church demigods, minos'' group and those beasts were more than capable of facing and defeating those three.


    as he thought about it, the entire group, except for the men from the church, soon split up and surrounded calvert''s group, slowly changing their forms to show their true spiritual forms.


    the beasts transformed into their bestial versions while the humans activated their soul techniques, revealing their soul avatars.


    as they did so, they naturally attracted the attention of the three men sitting around a campfire in the middle of the forest.


    sensing enemies nearby, the three put aside their food and looked at minos and his people.


    "minos stuart!" calvert opened his mouth as he shouted, looking at the central continent''s most famous level 83 sage.n0velusb.c0m


    the other two looked at minos before realizing their former enemies were standing next to the stuart family group.


    minos was with forrest''s group, and these three evergreen family members soon realized the trouble they had gotten themselves into.


    "are you here for revenge?" drogo asked with a haughty look, staring at the level 91 phoenix.


    because of the item he and his uncle had stolen from the group of beasts, he and calvert had gone from level 90 to level 91!


    confident that maximilian''s prote?ge? and the members of the spiritual church would not attack them with all their might, drogo said arrogantly. "stupid beasts. you''ll end up as food for my mounts!


    forrest will not stand against two factions of the spiritual church, and minos will not challenge maximilian! you don''t fool us. stop pretending you''re going to fight us!"


    ...

 Chapter 1859 End Of The Event

    ?


    listening to the words of the level 91 man, minos saw how easily people could forget the loss their actions had caused to others.


    ''those who smashed forget, but those who were beaten don''t.'' he thought silently, seeing how wrongly that man had judged the situation.


    then he said. "calvert evergreen, drogo evergreen, have you forgotten what you did to me, to my state? i remember the day a demigod, the leader of the blood triangle pirates, appeared in my city. i remember being pressured by your factions!"


    calvert frowned and said. "that was a long time ago. and now you are a friend of ancestor maximilian. we''re on the same side now, minos!"


    "wrong!" minos said as his aura rose.


    he would never forgive these people for their actions!


    after all he had suffered because of their interests, how could he do that? how could he forget or even give up his ways that had brought him here just because the situation changed?


    minos was no fool and knew when to control himself. but this was not one of those times!


    faced with the chance for revenge, he couldn''t help but show these people his true feelings.


    "i have no problems with maximilian, but you are different. i have many problems with you, calvert, and with you, the future leader of the blood triangle pirates!" minos said aloud, making the three rethink their position. "today, forrest will close his eyes while i kill you!"


    looking at forrest, calvert saw that this individual did what minos had just said, closing his eyes and turning his back on them.


    forrest would not participate at this moment out of respect for the family his master had been born into. still, he would not stop minos from pursuing his plans for revenge.


    whether that would lead to trouble for all of them outside this place, he could not say for sure. but that was a topic for another day. now that minos had said all that, there was no reversing what would happen there!


    when they realized they were alone against minos, the level 91 phoenix, the level 90 hybrid, emperor stuart''s women, and the nine-tailed foxes, those three also raised their fighting spirits.


    "damn, you! don''t think you''ll get out of this in one piece!" drogo shouted angrily, seeing his confidence from earlier shattered by minos.


    "is that so? let''s see!" minos said as he activated dragon''s gaze, completely surprising his opponents with a powerful mental attack.


    not expecting this attack from minos, as they had different data on this man''s power, the three of the evergreen family group were taken aback.


    they all changed their expressions, becoming even uglier as they felt a gigantic pressure hitting them.


    minos was already at level 85, and as his gaze made the three of them tremble, with drogo and calvert suffering considerably, black rings appeared on their bodies.


    infinite dream!


    minos continued to attack the mental part of the three, while the hybrid of his group attacked the strongest of the opponents along with the level 91 phoenix.


    the hybrid, in his bestial form, opened his mouth and screamed, unleashing a powerful sound wave.


    feeling the destructive sound waves hitting him, the level 92 demigod put his hands to his ears and felt blood dripping from them.


    but as he did so, he was covered in scorching flames that could threaten even strongest cultivators.


    even though the hybrid and the phoenix were at a lower level than him, they were both from unique races in the spiritual world. both of them had battle skills higher than their levels!n0velusb.c0m


    weakened by minos and mercilessly attacked by these two, the level 92 demigod was soon severely injured, howling in pain without even being able to counterattack these enemies!


    "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!"


    meanwhile, minos'' wives supported their husband while he stole the enemies'' energy and attacked them with his offensive techniques.


    semi-transparent, bluish blades appeared in their surroundings, flying at their bodies as if they were parts of a giant shredder trying to destroy them.


    meanwhile, the pressure of chaotic gravity on drogo and calvert was so immense that neither of them could even move.


    under normal circumstances, minos shouldn''t be able to affect level 91 cultivators this much. however, in addition to the fact that these two had recently increased their strength, they had both been severely injured by emperor stuart''s gaze.


    by attacking first with dragon''s gaze and then with infinite dream, minos destroyed many barriers he would have to face to hurt these two.


    feeling immense pain and unprecedented danger to their lives, drogo and calvert despaired and cried out for forrest''s help or even minos'' mercy.


    "please don''t do this! we can talk, minos! we can solve these problems!" calvert shouted.


    "damn it, forrest! are you really going to abandon your fellow church members?" drogo asked angrily, trying not to scream in pain as the blades of the spatial sword tore his skin.


    under the restrictive effects of not only chaotic gravity but also the spatial sword, they could barely open their mouths to speak.


    with no chance to defend or counterattack, they would quickly be injured to the point where they could not recover. even if minos and his allies stopped, they would die after a while!


    but minos didn''t like to let his enemies breathe, so he kept attacking them as he watched the demigods'' bodies slowly disappear under the destruction of their techniques.


    by the time his level returned to normal, the enemies were practically destroyed, and minos could only see the few remnants of those two falling to the ground not far from the burning piece of flesh.


    seeing the last of their enemies die, the two nine-tailed foxes felt a great relief in their beings.


    they hadn''t killed these enemies themselves, but to have helped minos on the side of his women was something significant.


    meanwhile, the phoenix watched the level 92 man''s body turn to ash, feeling the fatigue of fighting against this individual.


    "young minos, thank you. the phoenix tribe and i will never forget what you have done for us." the elder said gratefully. "i hope to welcome you to my tribe in the future. i will certainly do my best to help you then."


    the two nine-tailed foxes said the same as the group lowered their spirits, finally accomplishing their goals in this ancient spatial kingdom!


    now, it was time for them to leave this place and return to the central continent!

 Chapter 1860 A Quick Visit

    ?


    a full day after the conclusion of the battle against the group sent by maximillian, minos and his group finally left the ancient dragon spatial kingdom.


    in the past few hours, they had divided up their final spoils of war and spent most of the remaining time cultivating and recovering from the battle earlier.


    after finishing this time, they conversed about what they would do next while searching for the portal to this space that led back to the flaming empire.


    at that moment, forrest said. "minos, maybe you''ll have some quiet time before bigger problems hit you. but what happened to the groups we encountered in this spatial kingdom may eventually harm us somehow.


    don''t underestimate high-level demigods and 4th-grade spiritual practitioners. it may take a long time, but what happened here will somehow affect us one day. so take the time to improve your strength and contacts. eventually, we''ll need them against maximillian or vico."


    "hmm, don''t worry. now, i want to go through the dry city to deliver some things for my men and give my people some warnings and advice. but soon after that, i will leave for a journey outside the central continent." minos said as he flew alongside his group, already with the portal they were about to leave in sight.


    one of the beasts in the group asked. "are you going to our continent? if you like, we can travel together."


    minos looked at the nine-tailed fox and rejected the offer. "i will not go to the continent of beasts right away. i plan to pass through your lands on this journey, but i also want to go to the marine empire. since i''m closer to that state, i want to do that before i visit your lands."


    "oh? then i hope to see you on our continent in the future." the other fox said, thinking that it would take minos a few years to get to them, as he would probably explore the spiritual world a bit and make new contacts, in short, things that took time.


    then the phoenix said. "we will return to the continent immediately and will not leave our tribe for a while. so if you want to meet us, just go to our territories in the north of the continent. we will welcome you when the time is right."


    minos nodded and said. "that will help me a lot."


    forrest then commented. "in the meantime, i will remain in the evergreen empire. i''ll try to improve the strength of my faction, but i''ll wait for your return to the mainland, minos. you plan to be gone for a few years, right?"


    "yes." minos did not hide it. "i will go to the marine empire, then to the continent of beasts, and then to the divine continent. it will take me about 2 years to make all those trips and return to the continent. but most of the traveling will definitely be in those places..."


    "well, when you return, let us meet to talk about the future and what we have done in the meantime. that will be important for our church and continental goals."


    "certainly."


    with those words, the group finally crossed the portal that led to the southeastern border of the flaming empire, where they promptly arrived in an area where many experts were watching.


    there, the group ignored the high-ranking men in the area and split up, each party flying off in different directions within seconds.n0velusb.c0m


    forrest and his demigods headed southeast, returning to the church headquarters. the spiritual beasts headed south, where their boat awaited them to return to their continent.


    as for minos and his group, they headed for the city closest to this area of the portals while their observers in the area were already at their side.


    while observing the craters left by the battle between the sky whale and the dragon, they quickly heard a brief description of the events that had taken place in this area during their absence. in particular, they heard about those who had successfully left the ancient dragon spatial kingdom.


    as it had been over 8 months since the event began, many of those who had gone through those portals had not returned, but dozens had already left the area before minos and his people.


    upon hearing the news, they quickly moved to the first of the wormhole ports that could take them back to the black plain empire.


    minos had no intention of staying in his empire for long. instead, he wanted to get to his territory, access the spatial kingdom, and distribute resources to his people from that space and dry city.


    in no more than a day, he planned to be away from his capital and on his way to the marine empire!


    after some of his men in the flaming empire congratulated him and his family for their progress and improvements in this event, minos'' group wasted no time in leaving for their capital.


    they knew harold was in payton, but no one there was planning on having a family reunion at the moment.


    after sending ruth and isabella back to the spatial kingdom to stay with the stuart family''s children, the group entered the first wormhole in their path.


    ...


    a few moments later, minos and his wives arrived at the wormhole port of dry city, where promptly every soldier in the area prostrated before the imperial family core.


    ignoring these soldiers and many onlookers, minos, his wives, and the level 90 hybrid quickly made their way through the defensive dome of his capital.


    upon arriving at the core of his capital, minos did not hesitate to present the many resources he had obtained to the most important people of his state, quickly leaving half of these riches in the hands of these people.


    minos said to dillian. "use these resources with our strongest and closest men of the 10th level. that should be enough to get them closer to their breakthroughs."


    dillian accepted the spatial ring minos gave him, his fists clenched tightly. he couldn''t help but observe the level 90 hybrid, the first demigod of their state.


    he had seen the black plain take off and reach the 10th stage!


    thinking about it, he couldn''t help but be excited.


    but minos paid no attention to that and said. "the other resources i have i will leave in the spatial kingdom for the men who will stay there to absorb some of them."


    not everything could be absorbed by his men, so some of what minos had received at this event would remain for the future.


    finally, with these words, minos did not hesitate to go to his spatial kingdom with abby and gloria, ready to make the last preparations and start his new journey.

 Chapter 1861 New Destination: Marine Empire

    ?


    upon arriving at his spatial kingdom, minos immediately paused for a moment to contemplate the difference between this space and the one he and his wives had spent the past 8 months in.n0velusb.c0m


    as much as the spatial kingdom henricus longus had left to minos was much smaller than the former home of the dragons, this place of the stuart family was much better than that of the strongest beasts of the continent of beasts.


    not only that, minos, who had not been to this place for eight months, immediately noticed some differences in this space from the last time he had been there.


    ''it looks like the spatial kingdom is evolving!'' minos sensed this and noticed that the spiritual wealth of the area and the medicines planted there were improving.


    some saint-grade medicines were almost jumping levels and reaching the divine grade!


    noticing the effect of leaving the corpse of fah''um of dunov in this area, minos smiled subtly, imagining what good things would come from this in the future.


    but after noticing this growing spiritual wealth, minos quickly ignored the giant bones around the area where he had arrived and made his way to the lake house where his family was already gathered.


    when he met the women of his family and the children there, minos was direct. "folks, it is time for you to make your decisions. those of you who want to stay here with rowan, lily, and hollie, make up your minds now.


    after that, you will be staying here for the next few years. i plan to leave for the marine empire in the next 24 hours."


    the women of the family soon began to talk among themselves, some wanting to stay to see their grandchildren, nephews, or even great-grandchildren grow up. but others had business on the mainland and could not stay.


    as these women talked, sarah approached her father and asked. "father, i want to stay on the black plain. i am strong enough to take care of myself."


    sarah was at level 70, close to level 71. in addition, she had the inscriptions that minos had put on her body, and the black plain empire even had a demigod now.


    with that in mind, gloria defended her daughter''s request to minos. "it is time for her to have some freedom. let''s allow her to have some fun."


    minos looked into sarah''s eyes and thought for a moment. after much thought, he sighed and said. "very well, i will leave you in dry city.


    but you will not be able to leave the empire''s territory, and you will always have the company of at least one high-ranking sage when you are not in the capital."


    "all right! i''ll do that!" sarah said with a smile on her beautiful face.


    hearing this from afar, kendrick looked at his father and said. "hey, dad, could you..."


    "shut up! you''re not staying behind, kendrick! focus on becoming a saint before you worry about that!" abby said in minos'' place, ending any chance for the level 54 boy.


    kendrick listened to his mother and bowed his head. he wasn''t expecting much, but seeing his old man in a ''good mood,'' he decided to try his luck.


    unfortunately, abby was there to pull his ear.


    as kendrick''s grandmothers laughed at his misfortune and sarah celebrated, minos approached some of the mid-level sages in training and said. "i have some resources to help you, people. my wives will distribute them among you over the next few days before you prepare to go into seclusion.


    minos quickly advised the group, which would be staying in the spatial kingdom, but also some of the people who would be returning to dry city with him when he left later.


    having done that and having stored in that house all the resources he would be leaving there for the use of the personnel in the spatial kingdom, minos wasted no time in taking the next few hours to rest and spend time with his young children.


    at the end of the day, they would have a big feast to celebrate their group''s victorious return from the ancient dragon spatial kingdom before things returned to more or less normal in such a space.


    with the house full, minos did not have much room to enjoy himself with his wives. however, he and his wives already planned to use the next few years to have fun in their free time.


    on the upcoming trip, minos planned to leave ruth and isabella in the spatial kingdom as long as possible for rowan, lily, and hollie''s sake. but he intended to bring gloria and abby to his side when he reached continents or islands.


    besides, minos already had his methods of getting into his spatial kingdom without attracting attention, so if they were in need, they could easily ''help'' each other.


    anyway, as the hours passed, the time finally came for him to leave his spatial kingdom.


    returning to dry city alongside some people who had previously been in this space dimension, including sarah, minos left them in their capital, saying a few words to his people before finally leaving.


    but this time, for the first time in a long period, minos made his way alongside emlyn, entering one of the wormholes of a dry city port with this beast in her humanoid form.


    kyla stayed behind in the spatial kingdom, as she was still a saint and working towards becoming a sage when her mother and minos reached the continent of beasts.


    leaving the empire''s capital, minos and emlyn would reach the southern border of that state with the flaming empire minutes later, and from there, they would immediately make their way to the flowers kingdom.


    located between the ancestral sea and the south sea, the marine empire was the closest to the western empire of all the states in the central continent. however, with the war intensifying in that area, minos did not want to risk going through the quinn family''s territory.


    he and emlyn were heading to the flowers kingdom, a state that was friendlier to them and not as problematic to enter through the border with the flaming empire.


    still, they would both take great care on this journey and after arriving at the southernmost city of the flaming empire connected to their wormhole network, minos quickly changed his appearance before heading to the mcbride family''s state.


    he and emlyn quickly flew through this territory of women, where they were soon stopped by the famous women of this territory, who naturally wanted minos'' seeds.


    not knowing who he was from his different appearance, they could not help but desire this level 83 man!


    so, the first troubles of this journey would begin!

 Chapter 1862 Problems at the Beginning of the Journey

    chapter 1862 problems at the beginning of the journey


    when minos and emlyn met women from the flowers kingdom in a forest near the flaming empire border, they did not want to fight. the beautiful beast in her humanoid form took the lead.


    "flower warrior, we are sent by the black plain empire. my companion and i have requested passage through your state. we are on our way to the marine empire, so we need to pass through your state." emlyn said, making the tall and muscular level 86 woman in front of them look into her eyes.


    "emissaries from the black plain empire?" the woman narrowed her eyes, not liking this at all. this man looked extremely interesting. it would be a great pity if the queen allowed him to move around freely in this state.


    "don''t joke about it. we received no warning that the black plain empire envoys would pass through our state. we are very close to the stuart family. do you really think such an excuse will fool me?" she said, laughing at them.


    "if you can pass me, pass me with your strength. lies like that won''t ease your way to the coast."


    minos saw that dialog would not solve anything for him and emlyn and closed his eyes and began to show the woman his terrible aura.


    but since he did not want to kill that woman, minos did not use dragon''s gaze. he just activated one of his techniques, and when he opened his eyes, he fired a powerful mental attack at the woman who was already jumping toward him and emlyn, attacking her with his fists.


    infinite dream!


    a colorful beam came out of minos'' eyes and hit the woman in a single instant.


    after being hit, she immediately found herself in a different place while her body in the real world fell freely, already completely unconscious.


    boom!


    seeing the woman fall face first to the ground, minos made a funny face and commented to emlyn. "ah, that''s going to hurt when she wakes up."


    emlyn sighed. "well, she chose this path... but what do we do now? others like her will come our way."


    even though they were sages, these two would still have to fly at high speed for at least an hour to cross the entire flowers kingdom.


    in doing so, they would surely attract the attention of experts like the now fallen woman, women who would surely try to challenge minos.


    minos sighed and said. "there is not much we can do. the flowers kingdom is too close to the battlefield, so it would be dangerous for me to show myself to these people.


    let''s continue on our way. after we beat up a few women, they will leave us alone."


    these would be the first "stones" in their path. thinking about how much worse things would soon get, emlyn thought that she really had nothing to do.


    with that, the two soon continued their journey through the flowers kingdom, moving quickly through this flowery state.


    unlike when minos had come to this place, he was much faster now, reaching places in a matter of minutes that had taken him days before.


    at the same time, as much as there were women in this state who were interested in challenging men like him, their situation was different now than it had been years ago. back then, minos had been watched from the moment he entered the kingdom, and thousands of women had heard about him.


    this time, however, he was acting outside the expectations of the people of this state. by moving quickly and without stopping to make himself the target of ''hunters,'' few had noticed his and emlyn''s movement.


    also, as strong as it was, the flowers kingdom was a state with few high-level sages who could cause trouble for these two travelers. at the same time, most of those experts were in cities that minos and emlyn could not even get close to.


    thus, when they crossed this state to the coast, they would only encounter 4 more women like the one before, women between levels 85 and 88.


    after defeating them all, they finally reached the coast and saw the calmest sea in the entire spiritual world!


    the day was sunny, and the sands of this beach stretched for tens of kilometers to the east and west but reached as far as 1 kilometer into the flowers kingdom.


    feeling the warmth of this morning and the pleasant breeze of the area, minos almost felt like taking a swim and relaxing. but with more pressing goals in mind, he looked around and soon found a town where he and emlyn could get a boat to marine empire.


    unlike his first time in this kingdom, minos now had a very detailed map of the area and knew what to look for, where, and when.


    with a lot of information in his head, he led his companion, and soon, they were in a city of about 500 thousand inhabitants, one of the few in the flowers kingdom where men and women lived together.


    this was the place where the children of the flower warriors lived, where men could move freely without running the risk of being stopped by women interested in their genes.


    arriving in this place, minos and emlyn had no trouble moving around and soon went to a large local harbor where large ships could be seen from afar.


    not only were there cargo ships but many passenger ships as well.


    in high-level spiritual world states, especially those with access to the sea, there were always ports where large organizations offered transportation services to other states or continents. n0velusb.c0m


    some companies would transport people between states on this continent, which was a much safer way to travel than traveling in groups through the forests. so, such services were very popular in the higher-ranking states, and even trips within the same continent were often made by boat.


    but there were also companies that took people to other continents, islands, etc.


    this kind of service was not so common, and only a few ports in the central continent had companies that made such long journeys. but that was no problem for minos and emlyn.


    from this city in the flowers kingdom, they could travel to another port with connections to the marine empire!


    so, without encountering any problems on their way through this city, the two soon arrived at the port, from which ships departed daily for the evergreen empire and lusmait.


    from lusmait, there was a connection to the marine empire, so minos and emlyn soon went to the port''s counter to buy their tickets to that kingdom in the western region!


    ...

 Chapter 1863 A Warm Start to the Journey (*)

    chapter 1863 a warm start to the journey (*)


    "welcome to solaris transportation. where would you like to go today?" a woman dressed in the uniform of one of the transportation companies operating in this port asked minos and emlyn politely at a counter in the local port.


    hearing this, minos came straight to the point. "lusmait."


    "two tickets to lusmait... we have two schedules for this trip, sir. one ship leaves in 45 minutes but has only first-class flats. another ship leaves in 8 hours, and we have 1st, 2nd, and 3rd class rooms. which do you prefer?" she said while looking at a screen that displayed this information.


    minos wanted to reach his destination as soon as possible, so he said. "let''s go on the first ship that leaves."


    "ok, 2 tickets to lusmait in 1st class on ship 666. that will cost a thousand high-grade crystals." she said, revealing a rather high cost for a trip that would take less than a week by ship.


    in any case, it was a lot less expensive than a yacht, and since the ships of this company had demigods in charge, minos and emlyn would hardly have to worry about problems in the middle of the trip.


    he paid for the crystals to be serviced and soon received his and emlyn''s tickets.


    with those tickets in hand, the two followed the signs on the outskirts of the port and quickly made their way to ship 666, which was already preparing to leave.


    as they approached the ship, the two realized it was a low-level grade-4 ship. but its crew was mostly mid- and high-level sages, with a small group of level 90 demigods in command.


    that was a pretty good crew for what was basically the calmest sea in the world and on a voyage that would take a week.


    minos didn''t think the price he''d paid was too bad, and soon he and emlyn were at the entrance to the first-class section of the ship, from where they soon came to a large entrance hall where many of the ship''s personnel were profiled, waiting for those they would serve in the coming days.


    emlyn observed the luxury and care of the people in this area, remembering how different things were for lower-level beings.


    when she and her late husband had tried to leave the continent of beasts decades ago, when they were only spiritual kings, they could only afford low-level ships that looked like fishing boats.


    entering this place today made her think back to that day and realize how much she had changed since then.


    as much as it was obvious from her strength since she was always in the spatial kingdom or surrounded by stronger and stronger friends or enemies, she had gotten used to having more or less the same relevance and roles.


    unlike in her tribe, where one grew stronger, fought less, and became more important within the tribe, things were different in the black plain empire, which grew stronger and stronger.


    until now, emlyn had not stopped thinking about her current situation.


    but when she saw this place of luxury and how she was treated like an expert on this boat, she clenched her fists and realized that she had become so great that she could be appointed as an elder of her tribe.


    ''ah, we were so weak back there... i know if you were here, dear, you would be happy for me. then i will live for both of us!''


    emlyn loved her husband. but after decades of his death, that feeling had changed and was no longer romantic but more like the memory of a loved one.


    knowing that minos had recently ''avenged'' her and her husband, she felt free from some old obligations, and as she looked at the human beside her, she couldn''t help but smile. n0velusb.c0m


    "thank you for everything, minos. you''ve given me a really interesting and exciting life." she said to her companion before stopping in front of the apartment they would be staying in for the next week.


    hearing that, as she turned the door handle in front of her, minos smiled at her and said. "don''t say that. we are old friends. we fought together to get here."


    as they entered the 50 square meter apartment, they both stopped at the door, minos enjoying the view from there while emlyn looked at him with something in mind.


    she clenched her fists tighter and then stepped forward to minos and hugged him.


    "still, i never got the chance to thank you properly. please let me do this for you."


    upon hearing this and feeling emlyn''s fingers move through his clothing, minos'' expression changed as he felt his companion''s body go ''up in flames.''


    he could feel emlyn using her charm ability, but he didn''t stop her, letting her do what she had planned while keeping a curious expression on his face.


    in the blink of an eye, emlyn was kneeling in front of minos without the black fur coat over her body.


    minos could see emlyn''s medium-sized breasts and her pale skin, which in no way gave away that she was a beast.


    meanwhile, minos was already without underwear while his little brother was standing, ready for even the bloodiest battles.


    while emlyn had both hands on minos'' baseball bat, she ran her pink tongue down the length of that fiery piece of flesh, eyes closed, smelling his masculine scent.


    she hadn''t done this in decades, and as she ''tasted'' what she was doing, emlyn couldn''t help but feel wet and wanted to do much more than she had planned.


    at that moment, minos suddenly felt a warm, soft sensation surrounding his little brother. he ran a hand through emlyn''s hair and watched as she put more than half the length of his baseball bat in her mouth.


    feeling the delicious sensation of emlyn''s mouth and throat, minos felt a more intense urge and quickly removed his clothes from his upper body.


    in an instant, he and emlyn were completely naked, looking at each other with the same intention, wanting to ''consume'' each other.


    ''ah, this trip is going to be really interesting...'' minos thought to himself before he looked into his partner''s eyes and moved, taking her into his arms.


    then he carried her to the bed...

 Chapter 1864 A New Taste (18+)

    chapter 1864 a new taste (18+)


    taking emlyn to bed in his arms, minos bent down to place the fox''s beautiful body gently on the bed, kissing her as he relaxed. n-,ov,el(usb(c/o)m


    as he did so, he slowly pulled away from her, separating his lips from emlyn''s and opening his eyes, looking down.


    at the sight of his companion''s beautiful naked body, minos quickly glanced at the slit between emlyn''s legs, feeling the urge to taste the nectar flowing from it.


    his heart beat faster, and he slowly slid down to that glorious part of emlyn''s body, where he immediately smelled the fragrant scent of this fox, which quickly got him hooked, making him want more and more.


    inhaling the air sharply, minos closed his eyes and then opened his mouth, working his tongue in a way emlyn couldn''t handle, tightly contracting her abdomen, unwillingly pressing her partner''s head down with her legs.


    minos endured emlyn''s strong thighs closing in on him and used his hands to massage the woman''s waist, making her squirm even more while emitting sounds of pleasure.


    "ahhhhh~"


    emlyn couldn''t stand even a minute of minos kissing her little sister, quickly pouring her love liquid into his mouth.


    minos felt like a dam had been opened in emlyn''s lower parts, but he didn''t stop, starting to use one of his hands to penetrate this woman''s burning cavern.


    she couldn''t stand this movement and opened her eyes, screaming passionately.


    "ahhhhhhhhh~"


    "minos~ i won''t last like this~" she complained, already feeling a strange sensation in her legs, unable to fully control them.


    seeing his companion''s weakened state, minos smiled and gave her a little ''peace,'' moving his lips away from that fox''s little flower.


    but seeing the look on her face that told him to use his ''sword'' on her, minos didn''t hesitate to position himself above emlyn, placing the dragon''s head at the entrance to the passionate cave.


    feeling the contact of her sensitive parts with that ''rock,'' emlyn bit her lips, longing for the sensation she was about to feel.


    minos put a bit of his baseball bat inside this woman while looking at her face, seeing the expression of pure pleasure on emlyn''s beautiful face.


    hearing her moan, minos almost didn''t kiss her, as he loved how emlyn screamed in pleasure. but seeing her lips ''begging'' him to kiss her, he couldn''t hold out long and once again kissed her vigorously, stealing the air from her.


    "mmmmmm~"


    in this way, minos worked his little brother into emlyn''s flower, making him enter her faster and faster, generating sounds of pounding flesh while the animalistic smell of sex spread through the room.


    emlyn was a beast, a being with physical characteristics far superior to humans. so even though she was weaker than minos'' women, she could ''dance'' with emperor stuart much more than his wives.


    even though minos had reached a physical level similar to that of dragons of his level, emlyn''s physical characteristics were not so inferior to his. mating with him on that cruise traveling to lusmait, emlyn would endure the most from her lover, vibrating in excitement as she felt the full ''power'' of emperor stuart''s rod.


    after almost four hours of intense ''dueling,'' both would reach the tenth peak of their activity, reaching simultaneous orgasms while in another apartment room.


    the surroundings were totally messy, with sweat marks here and there and the whole room smelling of their sex.


    minos and emlyn were on the floor at this very moment, with minos lying on his back on the wooden floor of the apartment while emlyn was above him, with his little brother completely inside her.


    a whitish liquid dripped down emlyn''s flower, reaching minos'' testicles and accumulating in a small puddle.


    meanwhile, drops of sweat ran down emlyn''s back while her hair was tied up so that her neck was visible.


    her skin was reddened at various points on her body, and her face was completely flushed.


    meanwhile, her eyes looked somewhat cloudy, like those of a person intoxicated by alcohol. but this was not the effects of alcohol, but of extreme pleasure after a sex session following decades of abstinence!


    she couldn''t take it anymore and collapsed on top of minos, extremely tired and exhausted to the point where she could no longer control her own body.


    "hah... hah... minos, you''re a machine..." she said, not believing that she had ''lost'' to minos in this long battle.


    he smiled at her and hugged her body. "but you impressed me, emlyn. i didn''t expect that, let alone that you would be so resilient." he ran one of his hands down her body until he reached one of her buttocks and squeezed it.


    feeling emperor stuart''s rod tremble inside her, emlyn opened her eyes wider to see that he still had energy despite how hard they had worked.


    gulp!


    ''not for less! it''s not for nothing that none of his wives are unhappy, let alone fighting for his attention!'' emlyn realized how minos managed to keep four wives happy and still find time to have fun with friends.


    at the moment, minos paid much more attention to his wives than to others. but every now and then, when he had time, he still visited elen, elena, and other old ''friends'' of his.


    ''actually, one can''t keep up with a monster like him! these women need help to keep him happy!'' she thought as she closed her eyes and smiled, feeling that she probably wouldn''t have any problems with abby, ruth, isabella, and gloria.


    minos didn''t know what was on emlyn''s mind and quickly took her to bed to let her rest.


    he had spent a lot of his energy on her, but still, unlike emlyn, minos had some strength left, and he quickly took a shower, smiling as he imagined the next few days of travel.


    he would have a few weeks of fun with emlyn on this ship if nothing went wrong.


    but minos wouldn''t stop cultivating and training in the meantime. so, after he had cleaned up and eaten something, he quickly went to the ship''s training area, leaving emlyn to rest in their apartment.


    ships like this provide a complete experience for customers. there were all kinds of shops, restaurants, and training areas, as well as places of the highest standard.


    knowing this, minos quickly found a place, paid the appropriate fees, and went to meditate in a low-level grade-4 cultivation room, the best there was.

 Chapter 1865 First Goals

    chapter 1865 first goals?


    after a few days of sailing the south sea, minos and emlyn had used the days to get to know each other better, having spent almost half of the voyage locked in their room.


    during the other half, while one of them rested, the other used most of the time to train on this ship, continuing his work to get closer to level 84.


    on a few occasions, minos and emlyn had dined in the ship''s restaurants after trying out some of the services offered to make the trip more enjoyable for the transport company''s customers.


    since this ship followed an old route and had a capable, experienced crew, no incidents disturbed them after seven days of travel. on this last day of their journey, they were already approaching the port of lusmait when minos and emlyn finished their entertainment and prepared to change ships.


    as they left their first-class apartment, the two observed the coastal city they were about to reach, a very beautiful and peaceful place despite being in the troubled western region.


    but the most dangerous places in the west were those closest to the flaming empire''s border, so the effects of the war were not visible in this remote area of lusmait.


    there were many effects that they would notice if they entered the city. but from a distance, they couldn''t see or feel them.


    seeing this place from afar, minos and emlyn soon heard the captain''s warning about the ship docking and then went back to the area where they had to wait to get off the ship.


    minutes later, they arrived at the local harbor, a place more than three times the size of the harbor they had seen in the flowers kingdom. this place had ships leaving for many more destinations than the last port they passed, with ships from the marine empire to the divine continent.


    in the central continent, you could take ships from four states to any destination in the spiritual world. three of them were in the western region, and one of them was lusmait.


    arriving there, minos and emlyn soon made their way through the harbor and found the counter of one of the local companies that offered trips to the marine empire.


    "hello, welcome to lusmait. where would you like to go today?" a well-dressed attendant asked them.


    "hello, we''d like tickets to the marine empire. we''d like to go as soon as possible and in the first class." minos said.


    the man quickly found a ship soon leaving and said. "we have a ship leaving for the marine empire in 3 hours. two first-class tickets cost 10,000 high-grade crystals."


    the price difference between traveling within the same continent and traveling to distant islands or other continents was really huge!


    the marine empire was practically at the south pole of the spiritual world, almost as far from this city of lusmait as it was from dry city.


    since this journey had to be made by ship and couldn''t be made through wormholes, it was a journey that could take several weeks!


    knowing this, minos didn''t try to haggle over the price. he quickly paid what he owed before picking up their ticket and making his way to the new boat he and emlyn would be taking.


    after a few minutes of walking around the harbor of the city of lusmait, the two arrived at the entrance to the first-class of the ship 878 of this other transportation company.


    as they entered the ship, they quickly realized how good it was, a medium-level grade-4 ship!


    not only was this ship of higher quality than the previous one, but the crew was also much stronger, with several demigods and even level 96 individuals in command.


    but that was what one should expect from a ship that was going to the marine empire. nov(elu)sb/c,0-m


    the marine empire was a high-level empire, as strong as the strongest states in the spiritual world!


    the journey there had its dangers, even though the south sea was considered the safest in the spiritual world.


    realizing this, minos and emlyn appreciated the fact that this crew and this ship were of a higher level, something that could guarantee them not only more safety on this journey but also better services for both of them.


    having finally found their apartment on this giant ship, which could carry up to 4,000 people, the two soon prepared for their departure and the start of their journey to the marine empire.


    "what are we going to do there, minos?" emlyn asked as she felt the ship begin to move away from lusmait.


    "the marine empire is a special state not only because of its level, emlyn. it is the home of the sea folk but also the home of the strongest mercenaries in the spiritual world.


    in the distant past, it was founded as a safe stopover for pirate crews and a home for mercenaries fleeing trouble on the divine continent. eventually, its founders got together and decided to create something organized where anyone could come and go and be protected from the troubles of their past."


    in the marine empire, hunters and people looking for criminals couldn''t go after their targets if they were in such a state. if that happened, the forces there would act against the pursuer, even if those people were doing what was correct.


    because of this characteristic, there were many more people willing to sell their services in that state than in any other state in the spiritual world, and it was cheaper to hire mercenaries there than on the divine continent.


    "at the same time, the sea folk are the most similar to the elves in the spiritual world in terms of their role in keeping the world as it is. they are almost as sensitive as elves and are among the beings most likely to join our cause."


    minos added that this tribe was also very influential. "they also have ties to almost as many groups as the elves. with just one member of the sea folk, we will access hundreds of thousands of tribes around the seas of the spiritual world."


    the spiritual world had more sea creatures than land creatures. therefore, a sea race as relevant as the elves were important to someone like minos looking for allies!


    "but can we really get help? why would these creatures act any differently than the humans in the western region that emperor quinn informed of his concerns?" emlyn asked.


    "these beings can sense things like elves. but i''m not looking for immediate assistance. i''m looking for contacts with people who can lend their strength or join us later. if just one member of the sea folk agrees to come with me when i investigate the north sea, that will be enough.


    i''ll use their testimony to get us the support we need."


    "so that''s it... i hope it all works out. but i''m confident that we can get help from my tribe. with what you''ve told me about what happened in the ancient dragon spatial kingdom, i''m sure the elders will welcome us and listen to your request." she said.


    "for now, i don''t need to bring any armies. as long as i can get one person from each tribe or place i visit to agree to come with me to the north sea, that will be perfect." minos said, thinking about the dangerous journey he wanted to make before the continental tournament.

 Chapter 1866 Problems Ahead

    nov-¦Ålu,sb/c-0-m


    chapter 1866 problems ahead?


    three weeks later...


    after days of peaceful travel through the south seas, minos and emlyn had had a great time together without much to worry about, as they enjoyed the experience on this top-of-the-line ship.


    they interacted with each other as if they were addicted to each other''s bodies, having spent more than 35% of the voyage deeply connected...


    but while they enjoyed a peaceful start to their voyage, they had also taken advantage of many of the ship''s services. minos loved to eat and taste high-level cuisine, and on this ship, he had been exposed to unique dishes prepared by grade-4 chefs.


    on the other hand, even though they had a great time on this trip, minos and emlyn had trained together several times in the days since they left lusmait.


    cultivation and training were some of the most important things in their lives.


    but while they were peacefully enjoying this trip, they gradually began to hear inside the ship about some recent problems related to the ancient dragon spatial kingdom!


    ...


    "so the two tribes are moving to confront each other because of what happened in this place?" minos asked a man with white hair, black clothes, and a calm look who was standing in front of him and emlyn in a rather dark cabin.


    the information vendor nodded and said. "yes. it seems that the young sky whale devoured one of the dragons that entered that space. this has made the dragon tribe very angry.


    there are already reports of at least three incidents between members of these two tribes in the oceans and on the central continent.


    even the calm waters of the south sea are becoming more turbulent."


    emlyn already knew what had happened in the unfinished event in the flaming empire. so when she heard what the man minos was paying for the information said, she wasn''t confused at all.


    minos had expected something like this. to him, the man''s words only confirmed his suspicions.


    but he had to keep an eye on such serious problems, so he had sought out this man to get information, even though he was on this ship.


    this ship was like a small, high-level city. just as one could get information in cities, one could get that and much more on this ship.


    minos asked. "will we have problems on our journey because of this?"


    the territory of the sky whales was in the south sea. if this tribe started to move against the dragons, the calm seas in this area could change a lot in a short time!


    "unlikely. although the sky whales have begun to take action against the dragons and are more agitated than usual, they are still the rulers of the seas, and no one would dare attack their territory.


    at the same time, our crew is well aware of the problems in the south seas and knows the routes to avoid trouble. so if i were you, i''d rest easy." the man said with a neutral expression, "but it''s completely different for the marine empire''s voyages to the divine continent or the continent of beasts.


    there are reports of elders from the two tribes becoming estranged on their way to the area that ships from the marine empire would have to pass through on their way to one of those two continents."


    sky whales would not attack the heart of the dragon''s territory, and dragons would not attack the headquarters of the other tribe. it would be too risky for both sides to act in the name of the juniors.


    so, the clashes between them were expected to take place halfway between their tribes, between the south sea and the east sea.


    when emlyn and minos heard this, they looked at each other and saw they would have some problems on their journey.


    but they could do nothing about it, as it was beyond their control.


    with that, they left the information vendor''s establishment, for the moment, unconcerned about part of their journey but aware that they would have some problems later on.


    "will we make it to the continent of beasts in one piece?" emlyn asked with a bitter smile.


    "it is hard to say. but i believe the shipping companies are already sending their specialists to their ships. this is a very important operation for the powers behind these ships, so i think we''ll have a good chance of reaching your continent," minos said.


    these shipping companies had friendly and commercial relations with the major sea beast tribes on their ships'' routes.


    this was one of the reasons why continental voyages were so expensive, as there was almost a guarantee of safety for those traveling with one of these companies.


    at the same time, these were high-level powers with even high-level demigods in their ranks. they had enough to definitely create defensive barriers that could protect their ships from even high-level beasts of the strongest races.


    because of this, minos believed that his chances were better than the words of the information vendor made it seem.


    still, he didn''t underestimate the problem, and his words didn''t mean they wouldn''t face any challenges.


    "anyway, we can do nothing but continue to become stronger and more influential. don''t think about it too much. when the time comes, we''ll deal with whatever comes our way." he said, leading the way to this ship''s cultivation and training area.


    ...


    for the next few days, the group traveling from lusmait to the marine empire would continue their journey peacefully without encountering many problems along the way.


    because of the marine transportation company''s relationships with the tribes along the way, they had the safest possible route for this journey.


    but even with the best route, a good ship, and a strong crew, the passengers on this ship would witness some clashes in the coming days, the appearance of powerful beasts nearby, and much more.


    fortunately, there would be no high-level battles in their vicinity, and most of the time, the beasts that would come their way would only be those who were interested in doing business.


    the seabed was very rich in minerals and precious resources for humans. as such, the beasts used many of these resources to barter with humans whenever possible, which often happened when humans traveled on ships like the one minos and emlyn were on.


    only twice during the entire voyage did the group of demigods on this ship have to act in any way to protect their passengers.


    and so another few weeks would pass before the party finally arrived near the marine empire, the first stop for minos and emlyn on their journey to find followers and fighters!


    ...

 Chapter 1867 Marine Empire

    chapter 1867 marine empire?


    seeing the beginning of the marine empire''s island, emlyn looked at the place with a twinkle in her eye, for when she left her continent decades ago, she had intended to come to this place after getting to know the divine continent.


    the marine empire was based on an island the size of the flaming empire, but that wasn''t all of its territories. the sea folk, the island''s rulers, were a unique race that shared characteristics of sea and land creatures. they could live well on the land or in the sea without the limitations that land and sea creatures would have when living in incompatible environments.


    as such, these beings had no weaknesses from being in one environment or the other, and their condition was not limited to this island. beneath the sea surface, where minos arrived on this island, was an area twice the size of this island, where the sea race ruled supreme.


    the marine empire was divided between the land world and the underwater world, with a gigantic territory, one of the largest in the entire spiritual world.


    in terms of area, the marine empire was second only to the territory of the sky whale tribe, those gigantic creatures that ruled over an area as large as the divine continent itself.


    however, despite its vast territory and the presence of thousands of different races, the marine empire was not particularly overpopulated, nor were there as many sea folk as one might think.


    a race also blessed by the heavens in terms of talent, the sea folk had less than 100,000 members of pure blood.


    aside from the rulers of this state, there were approximately 900 million living creatures living in this territory, not very many considering the size of this state.


    by comparison, the black plain empire now had about 3 billion inhabitants but had an area of less than 60% of this territory.


    however, more than 90% of the marine empire''s population lived in the underwater part, and less than 90 million creatures lived in this area, similar to that of the flaming empire.


    seeing this place that was almost as rich in resources as the divine continent, minos clenched his fists, hoping to have some luck with the sea folk.


    although the sea folk were not as complicated as the elves, who could be terrible depending on how one approached them, the rulers of this territory were not so easy to approach.


    ''first, i''ll get some mercenaries to work for me. i''ll use their strength to gain some influence to get close to a relevant descendant of this race.'' minos thought to himself as his ship slowly approached the local harbor.


    a mere level 83 sage wouldn''t attract the attention of relevant members of one of the ten most powerful races in the spiritual world. but if he were accompanied by high-level sages or low-level demigods, things might be different.


    aware of how important appearances were, even among the strongest in the world, minos had already made up his mind to look for mercenaries as soon as the ship he was on docked in the area ahead.


    "ladies and gentlemen, welcome to larany, the land of queen nineveh. thank you for choosing..."


    the voice of the ship''s captain came over the ship''s public address system as it docked in a local harbor, welcoming these newly arrived travelers to the marine empire.


    minos and emlyn soon followed the path to the ship''s exit, passing through the port''s screening station, where visitors were required to identify themselves. n.o-vel)u(s,b.(-c-o(m


    "names?" a being in humanoid form but with hair in the shape of squid tentacles and an animal face asked minos and emlyn in the common language of the spiritual world.


    "minos stuart and emlyn." he said, quickly answering some basic questions from this member of the imperial forces.


    this was not to select who could or could not enter this state. it was just something to identify the visitors. as such, they answered basic questions such as name, origin, and purpose in the state, etc., before being given small identification cards that would be useful if they wanted to use official services on this gigantic island.


    after passing through this port, they finally entered the city of larany and saw how different this place was from the ordinary cities of the central continent.


    this was not a large city. with only about 200,000 inhabitants, the place seemed quite peaceful at first glance. but the most striking thing about it was not the buildings, which were no higher than the third floor, but the members of different races walking the streets.


    the marine empire was even more diverse than the divine continent!


    here, humans, sea creature races, sea creatures themselves, and land creatures lived in "harmony."


    but unlike the divine continent, where you''d see many hybrid races, there weren''t many hybrids here. in the marine empire, mixing bloodlines was considered blasphemy and a serious crime by the imperial family.


    minos and emlyn were not concerned with local political issues and soon made their way to the city''s center, where they thought they would find a mercenary guild.


    as a home for refugees from other continents, this place was full of people willing to sell their services to continue living in this paradise for them.


    when they arrived in the city''s center, minos and emlyn came across a square with four mercenary guilds, something impressive for such a small city.


    "impressive! and there are even demigods in these guilds!" emlyn commented to her partner as she felt the auras inside the buildings.


    it wasn''t common to see 10th-stage mercenaries in the spiritual world. after all, demigods usually had very important roles wherever they went, casually selling their power to others.


    however, there were nobles, royalty, and wealthy people who had the resources to hire even demigods. besides, not all 10th-stage cultivators had access to the best resources and lands in the world.


    therefore, in a few places in this world, there were people with that level of strength who were willing to sell their strength for temporary jobs. this was especially true in the marine empire, where the cost of living was particularly high.


    "let''s see this place first." minos pointed toward where he felt the strongest aura from these mercenary buildings, eager to see the world''s strongest mercenaries and their prices.


    with that, the two quickly entered a building that looked like an ancient ruin, but it was not abandoned, and many high-ranking individuals were coming and going from the area.

 Chapter 1868 In Search of Mercenaries

    chapter 1868 in search of mercenaries?


    upon arriving at the guild, minos and emlyn soon found several groups of mercenaries or contractors waiting for jobs in the area.


    there were people of various races, humans, land and sea beasts, and even other types of beings that existed in the spiritual world.


    most were at the 7th stage, but there were also 8th and 9th-stage individuals in the common area, which everyone could enter when they entered this guild.


    customers could hire mercenaries there by going directly to the group they were interested in, or they could pay a ''small'' fee to the guild and have that organization refer them to names that fit their needs.


    minos didn''t know anyone there and didn''t have access to the strongest ones. so he and emlyn went to the guild''s reception desk to ask for a referral.


    "good morning. how can i help you?" a human at the rectangular reception desk, surrounded by a beautiful counter, asked with a smile.


    even though minos and emlyn were not the strongest in the world with their levels 83 and 80 of cultivation, with this cultivation, they would be treated well anywhere in the spiritual world. 9th-stage cultivators were experts even on the divine continent.


    upon hearing this, minos came straight to the point. "i want to hire some men for a mission that will start in the marine empire but end outside of it. the mission''s duration is indefinite, and i will pay the men willing to join my group weekly.


    i''m looking for level 89 sages and low-level demigods."


    when the receptionist of the strongest guild in the city heard what minos was looking for, he wrote down the information, but his face suddenly changed when he heard the strength of the people this customer was looking for.


    ''demigods?'' he looked at minos as he stopped writing down what he wanted as if to ask if this person hadn''t made a mistake.


    but seeing the look on minos'' face, the attendant realized that this strange customer hadn''t made a mistake.


    "are you serious?" he asked.


    the problem here wasn''t that this attendant underestimated minos and emlyn. the problem was that sage men like them would hardly have problems of this magnitude to solve. at the same time, the people who were able to hire such a professional were usually extremely complicated.


    maybe it wasn''t in this guild''s interest to provide services to someone who could put a target on their back!


    and even if minos wasn''t such a problem, could he afford it?


    the man who attended them didn''t want to underestimate anyone. still, normally, people who could pay for demigods usually had their own 10th-stage cultivators.


    "the daily rate for our available demigods is between 30 and 50 high-grade crystals."


    it might not seem like much, but a single level 90 demigod would cost 900 high-grade crystals per month, equivalent to 9 million low-grade crystals. that was the equivalent of more than 100 million low-grade crystals annually, enough to build a city from scratch!


    few people could afford to pay this fee. even princes of high-level states usually received only a few hundred high-level crystals per month.


    only kings and emperors of the spiritual world could hire such people without feeling the weight in their pockets!


    "this price seems fair to me," minos said with a smile.


    but he was astonished. the amount these mercenaries charged per month of service was higher than what the men in his army would earn in salary by the time they reached the 10th stage.


    in the black plain army, 10th-stage soldiers could receive 800 high-grade crystals every month after their promotion. however, this amount could be increased depending on the role of certain people.


    for example, a demigod who only stood guard at a post was unlikely to receive a bonus on their salary. however, the commander of an army operation could receive bonuses that could double their monthly income.


    even so, in the future, most of the demigods in this organization would only receive 800 crystals per month. seeing that these mercenaries wanted even more than that, minos couldn''t help but be interested.


    normally, demigods who worked for someone other than themselves would earn between 400 and 700 crystals per month.


    this was the case for the demigods of the longus family before they were destroyed.


    the man was surprised, but seeing that this customer didn''t seem impressed, he quickly finished searching the guild''s system.


    "if that''s the case, we have 39 names that match your search. of those high-level sages and the low-level demigods, 22 can start new missions now." he said as he read what was on the screen of the array he was manipulating.


    "16 of them are level 89 sages, 4 are level 90 demigods, and 2 are level 91. exactly how many men does the senior want? i can inform them of the service opportunity, and tomorrow morning, those interested will be here to meet you." he looked minos in the eye.


    "i want 6 sages, 2 level 90 demigods, and 1 level 91. that will be enough for me for now." minos said, thinking that with this strength, he would attract the attention of some relevant members of the sea folk if he tried to approach one of them.


    at the same time, with this number of mercenaries, his chances of getting one of them to follow him to the black plain empire and the north sea would be better than if he hired only one or two men.


    "six sages and three demigods... that will cost you 230 high-grade crystals per day, equivalent to 6,900 crystals per month. all right, we''ll add a 5% fee on top of the monthly contract price for our men.


    so that will be 345 high-grade crystals."


    minos immediately paid what he owed and placed a small bag of crystals in front of the man.


    after receiving the service payment, the guild official concluded the transaction and handed minos a card.


    "thank you for doing business with the tremblehands guild. you can come back tomorrow to see the results. however, we cannot guarantee that these men will be able to complete the mission you''re interested in.


    the guild simply refers our clients to the mercenaries who are most compatible with them. if both sides want to do business, that''s up to them and has nothing to do with the guild.


    minos already knew how this worked, as his guild in the dry city operated the same way.


    with the item in hand, he and emlyn set out to find a place to stay while they waited for the next day.

 Chapter 1869 Talk and Agreement

    chapter 1869 talk and agreement?


    the next day, after a hot night at a local inn, minos and emlyn made their way back to the mercenary guild building they had passed the day before.


    upon arrival, they were immediately directed to a room in the private area of the building where only authorized personnel could enter.


    when they got there, they met a group of 8 people who were interested in the service they wanted to hire. of those 8, 5 were level 89 sages, 2 were level 90 demigods, and 1 was level 91.


    the guild had only been able to convince 5 sages out of the 6 minos had asked for the day before.


    seeing this, minos didn''t mind having one less sage. this group was strong enough for the journey he had in mind.


    "are you the contractors for this service?" one of the two level 90 demigods asked, already knowing the level and appearance of his contractors.


    minos looked at this level 90 woman, young, wearing armor the same color as her brown hair, tall and slender. he smiled and said. "yes, that''s us. the one beside me is emlyn, and i''m minos stuart.


    as i told the person who took care of us the day before, i will pay your fees once a week. i''ll make the first payment as soon as we leave this city, and i''ll keep paying in advance until one or all of you give up accompanying me."


    "oh?" the level 91 demigod looked at minos with narrowed eyes and asked. "does that mean you plan to hire us indefinitely? what exactly are your goals?"


    "for now, i intend to gather allies and mercenaries to face a problem in my state." minos knew how important it was for these men to know who he was and where they were going, so he immediately spoke the truth. "i am from the central continent, leader of the black plain empire.


    i''m currently expanding my state''s naval operations across the ancestral sea. but near my state is the dangerous north sea, so we need men to help us guard the areas where my men are building outposts.


    once these outposts are completed, the mission will be over.


    he obviously didn''t want to tell the whole truth because it was too shocking. but in a way, that was the purpose of these men: to go to the border of the north sea and help the group keep an eye on the area.? beyond that point, minos knew that only witnesses interested in risking themselves with him would go on.


    "now i''m on a journey in search of brave and strong people who are willing to accept what i offer in exchange for their strength.


    i am now in the marine empire, but next, i will travel to the continent of beasts, where i intend to visit the tribes of the phoenix and the nine-tailed fox. after that, i''ll go to the divine continent before returning to my state to prepare for the end of this mission."


    everyone listened to minos seriously, knowing how dangerous the north sea was.


    they didn''t care that minos was a ruler, nor did they care about the black plain empire. besides the north sea, nothing else mattered.


    but there was one positive point in everything minos had said. despite the danger of the north sea, they could tell that this guy didn''t intend to take on established organizations on any of these continents with the strength of this group.


    not having to provoke large organizations was a sign that at least they wouldn''t have to deal with future revenge from minos'' enemies.


    minos watched these people in silence and added. "but don''t worry about following me. the last and most dangerous part of this mission will take years. in the meantime, you can abandon this mission at any time.


    the opposite is also true. if one of you wants to go all the way, i''ll even open up opportunities for you to bring more people you trust over to our side, and i''ll even give you cultivation opportunities."


    "that all sounds very good."


    "yes, young minos is truly generous."


    some of the sages commented among themselves, seeing that they could gain a lot from this mission despite the danger of the north sea. until they reached the north sea, they could live for years receiving minos'' generous rewards and still give up before reaching that place.


    the level 91 demigod looked seriously into minos'' eyes and asked. "your majesty, how are your forces at the moment? why do you need the help of mercenaries? doesn''t your state have enough capable people to do that?"


    minos replied sincerely. "currently, i only have one level 90 demigod in my army. so the help of allies and mercenaries like you can make a big difference."


    "that''s not bad." the level 90 woman, the only one in the group, commented. "but let''s leave that for the future. since your majesty isn''t seeking a firm commitment, we can discuss it later. however, what is your short-term goal in the marine empire?"


    this was the most important point for this group, so everyone was paying attention to minos and emlyn.


    he replied. "i have no intention of fighting here if that''s what you''re worried about. we would only fight if we were attacked first. but my goal is peaceful, so that''s unlikely to happen."


    "what do you want?"


    "i want to contact a relevant member of the sea folk. i want to form an alliance with at least one high-ranking sage of that race and have him accompany me to my state. if possible, i want to visit some of the native tribes in the area and try the same thing.


    after that, i intend to travel to my companion''s continent."


    they looked at the nine-tailed fox next to minos and thought his goals weren''t that complicated.


    trying to make deals wasn''t usually dangerous.


    the sea folk had about 100,000 members, but even though most of the strongest were directly related to the imperial family, it wasn''t that difficult to make contact with a level 89 sage. there were a few thousand people of that level. some of these mercenaries knew such individuals themselves.


    since this was not a dangerous short-term mission for the rewards they would receive, the group immediately agreed to follow minos for the time being.


    whether they would follow him to the end would be decided in the future. but for now, these were easy crystals for them, and none of them gave up on making a deal with him.


    after a few minutes, they left the guild, already paid for their first week''s services, with one of them leading the group into the interior of this great island, where he knew he could lead his contractors to members of the sea folk!


    thus began minos'' journey through this domain!

 Chapter 1870 The Terrible Natural Phenomena of the Marine Empire

    chapter 1870 the terrible natural phenomena of the marine empire


    after two weeks of traveling through the terrestrial part of the marine empire, minos, and his group had made it most of the way to the terrestrial capital of the state.


    due to its division into land and underwater areas, the marine empire had two capitals, one in each of these two areas.


    however, unlike what one could see in many states around the spiritual world, the land capital of this state was not located on the coast but inland.


    therefore, minos and his group had to move from the northeast coast of the territory to the southwest, where the capital and the main cities of the territory were located in the center of the state.


    due to the volcanic nature of the land part of the marine empire, there weren''t many forests in this state. most of them were located in a 10,000 square kilometer area in the center of this gigantic island.


    outside of this area and the strip that extended up to 100 kilometers from the local coastline, there was practically no vegetation, with volcanic areas and extreme terrain that made normal life impossible.


    minos and emlyn had seen this for themselves while traveling with the 8 mercenaries they had hired earlier, and they had had virtually no problems with beasts or other groups like theirs because of this characteristic.


    but even if the terrain weren''t full of natural hazards that prevented lower-level beings from thriving, they still wouldn''t have encountered many opponents on their way.


    in a territory as large as the flaming empire but with a population of only 90 million, or 4.5% of the population of the edwardstone family''s state, it would be challenging to find living beings outside of the cities.


    and so, after days of traveling through this area, they hadn''t even come across another group on their way.


    but that didn''t mean they hadn''t encountered any dangers!


    ...


    it was late afternoon, and the sky over the marine empire was blue, with not a cloud in sight, while much of this great state was hot.


    while the weather looked perfect from afar, things weren''t so simple for minos'' party as they tried to get past a geyser area.


    as they walked slowly through the area, where violent jets of scalding water erupted from holes in the ground almost every moment, minos'' group had their guards up in whatever form they could best use their characteristics.


    "wait a little longer!" one of the demigods said as the group stood in a position waiting for the right moment to pass through another part of this area.


    this area they were in was so unstable that they couldn''t just open wormholes and cross them through the void of space. if they attempted to do so, which was already difficult enough to open a spatial rift, they would still risk the wormhole''s space walls collapsing and seriously injuring them.


    on the other hand, even with the speed of several of these mercenaries, they couldn''t cross this geyser field without getting hit once, as it was more than 50 kilometers long.


    emlyn stood motionless, waiting for the moment to act, sweating as she felt the searing heat of the area.


    but looking at the jets of boiling water that could reach tens of kilometers high, she wouldn''t think of just trying to fly over this area.


    even if the special hot water in this area didn''t reach the highest point that a cultivator like her could fly to, it still didn''t mean it was safe to pass through this airspace. the steam and the area''s laws were so terrible that even spiritual sages could die if they risked going there.


    if someone of emlyn''s level were caught in one of those water jets, they would melt before their body even reached a high altitude.


    still, it was the least dangerous way to reach the state''s interior. other routes would expose them to diamond rains, volcanic eruptions, space storms, and even areas where lightning could injure demigods.


    this desolate area of the marine empire was one of the most chaotic in the spiritual world due to the high local spiritual density and the geographical location of this gigantic island. for this reason, experts worldwide would come here to train when they reach the final parts of the 10th stage.


    although these areas were hazardous for cultivators up to the low levels of the 10th stage, for the strongest ones, those above level 95, the power of these natural phenomena could help them prepare for their future advancement, especially the advancement to level 100.


    but because minos'' group chose the less dangerous path, they didn''t encounter any of these high-level beings who were tempering their bodies in this area.


    "now!"


    when the man leading the group saw one of the geysers reach the peak of its jet, he immediately signaled his group, flying at the maximum speed the weakest of them could go.


    all the others flew after this mercenary, covering several kilometers in an instant until he stopped again.


    they would do this for the next hour and a half until they finally crossed this dangerous area.


    "hah... hah... i didn''t think traveling through the marine empire would be so dangerous." emlyn commented to her group, shocked at the dangers they had faced so far.


    before passing through this area of geysers, they had experienced several other strange natural phenomena, many of which could kill careless sages.


    after feeling enough natural forces to kill her several times, emlyn couldn''t help but shout along with her teammates.


    one of the women in the group heard this and smiled at the beast. "it would have been much more dangerous if we had taken a different route, emlyn. this area we traveled through was definitely the safest of all."


    "hmm, perhaps the only route as ''safe'' as this would have been the one from the southeast to the center of the state. but there is a region of endless ice in that area that could freeze those who cannot protect themselves."


    "that''s pretty extreme!" emlyn commented, finding it absurd that people would live in such a place. "how do people from this state move around here?"


    the level 91 demigod explained. "the marine empire was created by beings of high talent and level who allied themselves with refugees from all over the spiritual world.


    while some of them had extreme characteristics that allowed them to live in this place, others had no choice but to accept those circumstances."


    minos nodded and said. "nobody wanted to live on this island in the distant past, emlyn. think about it. most of the enemies of the people who managed to cross this desolate area wouldn''t be able to do the same and would end up dying before reaching their destination.


    in a way, despite the dangers, this is a paradise for people on the run!"


    as emlyn understood this, one of the demigods in the group said. "in any case, we''ve already passed the greatest danger. in one day''s journey, we''ll reach the part where there is life in our state. from now on, we won''t have these natural dangers.


    with that, they continued their journey toward the center of the marine empire.

 Chapter 1871 Reaching the Capital

    chapter 1871 reaching the capital?


    after passing through the geyser area, minos'' party traveled for another two days until they finally reached the first green area since leaving the coastal city where they had arrived in this domain.


    at the sight of this area, minos and emlyn quickly realized the reward that would come after a great challenge.


    this place was very different from what they had experienced, and life flourished there like almost nowhere else.


    for those who knew the spiritual world in depth, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that this place was a bit like elves island.


    the spiritual energy was extremely dense, and the aura of life in the area radiated from the ground, the rocks, and the roots in the surroundings in such a way that anyone there could easily heal from injuries and regenerate some of their vitality.


    at the same time, the plants and medicines in this place could develop deeper than in 99% of the spiritual world.


    the vibrant colors of the forest in front of the group were so striking and special that those who had just overcome the desolation of much of this area couldn''t help but stop and sigh at sight.


    after so much desolation, to come upon something so vibrant was truly strange!


    "beautiful!" emlyn said as minos looked at this place, feeling the difference from what henricus longus'' memories told him.


    even the mercenaries of this state, who had seen it countless times in the thousands of years of their lives, couldn''t help but observe the area for a moment before continuing their journey.


    "the first city ahead of us is only a 30-minute flight from here." the person responsible for guiding the group commented.


    hearing this, minos snapped out of his trance and said. "what''s in this place? is this a big city?"


    "the city ahead is a headquarters city. it serves to meet the needs of the imperial guard soldiers working in the area. although it''s a richer place than the city where you arrived in our state, it doesn''t have much of what you''re looking for.


    the best place to find sea folk is in the capital. there are politicians there, members of the imperial family, and it''s also a renowned training ground in the state. there are definitely relevant members of various branches of the sea folk there.


    with over 100,000 members, the sea folk race wasn''t just made up of close relatives and heirs to the state. no, the imperial family of that state must have had at most 500 members who were in the line of succession.


    most of the sea folk were subordinates or vassals of the imperial family, with or without close blood ties to the family.


    but all sea folk were of great importance in the state. in a sense, the various branches of this race either served as direct subordinates of the imperial family or were the nobles of the marine empire.


    with this division similar to what one might see in human territories, it was very common for different families or branches of this race to send their members to train in the state''s land or underwater capital.


    as beings capable of evolving in both types of habitats, they moved between the two areas from an early age to train their skills best suited to each environment.


    if they lived in only one place, they might weaken other essential traits and lose what made them special.


    knowing this, minos didn''t want to stop in the town ahead and thought it better to continue his journey to the capital, where there would surely be many members of this race for him to meet.


    "then let''s pass this place quickly and continue our journey to the capital." he said to the group.


    "how long until we reach our destination?" emlyn asked.


    "well, two or three days. it depends if we run into any problems that make our journey take longer." one of the sages in the group commented.


    "trouble? isn''t this area safer than the one we passed through recently?"


    "yes, but that''s exactly why the density of living beings is much higher here. in this green part of the empire, a lot will make traveling difficult or easier for groups like ours."


    "sigh... all right." she sighed.


    but emlyn preferred it this way. although she wanted to finish this journey as soon as possible so that she could see her tribe again on the continent of beasts, she preferred to travel through an area without the dangers of the region they had just crossed and to have the chance to see the different races of this place.


    their group continued to fly forward, quickly arriving at the city they had just talked about.


    it wasn''t a big place, just an urban area with about 100,000 inhabitants, most of them guards of the imperial forces. if you took those men out, there wouldn''t even be 20,000 people left who lived there with their families just to serve those guards.


    but as they passed quickly through the place, stopping to buy supplies, emlyn and minos had the chance to see new races.


    there, they saw ogres and orcs, types of humanoid beings, but with extreme appearances and body shapes, not so beautiful from a human point of view.


    however, despite their hideous appearance, these beings were very helpful and were behind much of the construction work around this state.


    they had a lot of strength, and when they were commanded by beings of a higher intellectual level, they could do great things quickly and with impressive speed.


    although they were horrid and sometimes aggressive, they were very common on the land side of the marine empire.


    in the aquatic area of this domain, one could find beings like mermaids who lived in this area of the south pole of the spiritual world.


    minos was curious to meet the mermaids and other races in this area, but for the time being, he was content to observe the ogres and other beings of races that were unusual to find in other parts of the world.


    after the beasts and humans in his party had received their supplies from the city, they made their way back to the forest they had just entered.


    from then on, they would encounter various special creatures on their way, from sentient plant beings to even mythical races that lived in the local forests.


    with a powerful formation capable of scaring off even demigods, the group would have no trouble traveling for the next two days, finally reaching the capital of this magnificent place.


    even before entering the largest land city in the state, home to more than 4 million beings of various races, the group would encounter the first members of the sea folk, one of the strongest races in the spiritual world!


    ...

 Chapter 1872 The Faith of the Sea Folk

    chapter 1872 the faith of the sea folk


    when they encountered the first member of the sea folk they saw before them, minos and emlyn looked at the green-skinned humanoid with blue algae-like hair and fish-like eyes.


    the members of this race had holes where their noses should be, while gills were scattered along the sides of their bodies, through which they breathed in the underwater world.


    males of this race were usually between 1.9 and 2.2 meters tall, while females were between 1.7 and 1.9 meters tall. both genders would have shapely bodies but without much muscle volume. however, the physical strength of these beings should not be underestimated. they had extremely strong bodies that even rivaled those of beasts.


    because they resembled beasts, they had special body transformations when they exceeded level 70, and they could transform into humanoid giants on land or aquatic beings like fish in the water.


    the aura of these creatures on land and in the water carried great spiritual density, and in terms of compatibility with the natural world, they were second only to the elves. as such, when people saw one of these beings, they would normally feel a sensation very similar to what they would feel around an elf.


    the surrounding laws are concentrated around his body as if he were their favorite person in the world. emlyn looked at the being walking along one of the sidewalks of the city they had just arrived in, surprised at the characteristics of the members of this race.


    the sea folk were the second race that could live more in the spiritual world, but they lost in brute strength to the sky whales, dragons, and elves, while they ranked fourth in cultivation speed.


    even though they had similar characteristics to elves, they weren''t as number two in this world as one might imagine. they were only second in terms of vitality, or rather, compatibility with the rules of this world.


    minos already knew a lot about these beings from henricus longus'' memories, but seeing something in person for the first time was always special.


    ''if one of these beings believes in me and follows me, i''ll have enough to bring this race to my side.'' minos thought to himself.


    the sea folk shared special powers that allowed them to see everything another of them had experienced. because of this ability, if a single one of them saw something, their entire race could see the same if that one had the chance to pass those memories on to others.


    with this race''s ability, minos wanted to use one of these people to convince the entire marine empire to side with him!


    the man leading the group interrupted the two''s observation and said. "here in oxbarrow are the seats of some noble families and one of the posts of the state''s imperial family.


    we won''t be able to get to the imperial post because only authorized people can enter that part of the city. so we should look for one of these noble families."


    he looked at minos and said. "considering that your majesty is the ruler of a state in the central continent, our chances of gaining access to one of these houses will not be small.


    however, whether the relevant nobles will receive us is another matter."


    minos said. "fine. talking to any powerful member of this race will be fine."


    emlyn thought of something and suggested it. "minos, isn''t this race almost as sensitive as the elves? so why don''t we look for someone from this race who observes the world and senses trouble? we''ll have a better chance of getting what we want here if we go to someone like that."


    minos didn''t disagree and looked at one of the mercenaries. "do you know anyone like that?"


    the men and women looked at each other and exchanged a few comments.


    "i think we should go to the sanctuary of visions."


    "yes, there are members of the sea folk who can do what emlyn said."


    "but it won''t be easy to approach that place. you know how the sea folk feel about their temples."


    the sea folk had their own beliefs. that faith was preached by the sanctuary of visions, which looked after the welfare of the empire and the spiritual world.


    they saw themselves as part of nature, essential to the balance of the world as it was. they taught that they should protect the world, protect animal and plant species, and not consume more than the environment could sustainably provide. in short, there were myriad practices that a follower of this faith was to adopt in their life to ensure the good of the world and their race.


    but just as it wasn''t easy for anyone to gain access to the core of the spiritual church, it wasn''t easy for the group of non-believers in the local faith to gain access to the sanctuary of visions.


    this organization had shrines in all the cities of the empire, but since this was one of the two capitals, the local shrine was one of the most important and highest-ranking. the highest-ranking members of this group worked there.


    "let''s give it a try. even if it''s not easy, our boss is a ruler and someone who just wants to chat." the level 91 demigod said before looking at minos and instructing him. "your majesty, it will be easier for all of us if you pretend to be interested in learning the local beliefs.


    this is the faith of the sea folk and the people of the marine empire. still, some of them believe that anyone interested can learn the truth to follow the right path."


    minos immediately accepted the suggestion. "very well. let''s do what you have in mind."


    minos didn''t know that the local religion still existed after such a long time and had changed so much that the sea folk accepted members of other races into their sanctuary.


    in the time of henricus longus, these people were very close, and only elves were allowed into their shrines.


    that was why minos hadn''t thought to look for such an organization at first.


    ''something must have changed in the last million years.'' he thought, not surprised that not even the pantheon of honor had this information.


    before starting his journey, he had searched the pantheon of honor for information on the marine empire. after all, he was an active group member with several merit points. it would be foolish not to take advantage of this group.


    however, not even the pantheon of honor had access to everything.


    there were certain things that only the most intimate groups had access to.


    as minos'' group approached the local shrine of this religion, he asked. "how long has this faith started to accept people of other races? i''ve heard that the sea folk were very defensive about it in the past."


    "that changed about 50 years ago. at that time, one of the elders of the shrine, who had been in seclusion, woke up and said that his people should change their ways and accept members of other races.


    many didn''t like it, but since then, tens of thousands of beings from various races of the marine empire have joined the local faith.'' said one of the men as they walked toward the local shrine.

 Chapter 1873 Sanctuary of Visions

    chapter 1873 sanctuary of visions


    arriving at the sanctuary of visions in oxbarrow, minos'' group didn''t stop to admire the magnificent ten-story oriental-style building that resembled a pagoda. they made their way through the garden on the area''s outskirts, where many sea folk could be seen.


    several of them wore similar clothing, all red, and walked in groups around the garden, strolling or watching the area.


    this was a place that the sea folk highly regarded, but even so, it was open 24 hours a day and any believer could go there whenever they wanted or needed to.


    but that didn''t mean it was easy to get into. some artifacts around this building limited those who could enter the central part of this religion''s sanctuary.


    if you didn''t have the talent and compatibility with certain natural laws, or if you didn''t have a high cultivation level, it would be impossible to enter!


    but this wasn''t done to restrict beings of weaker races because some of the sea folk didn''t want other races to intermingle with their beliefs. it was something ancient, part of the way of that faith. the creators of this sanctuary believed that only those who were compatible with their purpose could enter the doors of their sanctuary.


    whether these people were members of the sea folk or any other species, those who were not compatible with this place had to wait until a later time to try to discover the secrets of this world.


    when they had walked about 30% of the way to the front steps of that huge building, some of the people in minos'' group began to feel their bodies getting heavy.


    ''this...'' emlyn was one of the first, but as a member of a very talented race, despite its limitations, she still had a better understanding of this world than level 89 humans.


    however, there wasn''t much difference between her and the three level 89 humans in this group. as such, she and these three experienced almost the same difficulty when trying to walk toward the entrance of this building.


    "minos..." she said with difficulty. "i don''t know if i can keep up with you..."


    minos hadn''t felt anything yet, but when he noticed that almost everyone in his group had changed their expressions, he understood why.


    ''so this place has something like that?'' he thought but without surprise.


    the sea folk''s faith existed before the marine empire''s creation. it had existed as long as this ancient race had existed in the spiritual world.


    he saw that the demigods in the group were also feeling some pressure, but they were still able to move with him. "let''s continue." he said, encouraging the group''s three humans and the two level 89 beasts.


    with a few more steps forward, minos'' group had reached 65% of the way to the entrance of this building. but now, only he and the three demigods were moving forward.


    all the others were standing behind, unable to move forward or even backward, stuck in their positions.


    even though the three demigods were still able to move, it was with great difficulty, especially the two level 90 demigods.


    realizing how much they were struggling to move, sweating, and in pain, those two looked at minos in an ugly manner, not understanding the situation.


    "how?" the level 91 man, a little better than his companions, asked in shock as he looked at the young man next to him.


    minos moved as if nothing was pressing on him!


    minos laughed and said. "i may be level 83, but i''m stronger than you, my friends. just because i hired you doesn''t mean i can''t protect myself and turn around."


    the man clenched his fists, realizing that minos wasn''t actually being arrogant, but stating a fact.


    they were relevant to minos'' purpose but weren''t necessarily his bodyguards.


    when he understood this, these people''s respect for him went up a few notches.


    minos no longer waited for his companions, and after his comment, he took several steps forward until he reached the last step he needed to overcome this area that limited the weak and those with low spiritual understanding.


    when he got there, minos felt a little pressure on him, but he managed to take the last step when an elder from the shrine appeared in front of him with an astonished expression.


    this member of the sea folk looked at minos strangely, incredulous to see the first level 83 human able to overcome the powerful artifacts in the area.


    to get to where minos was now, a human would have to have a golden-grade talent, an almost divine-grade physique, and be at least level 93.


    due to the high requirements and the fact that until a few decades ago, no human was allowed even near this area, less than half a dozen humans had ever entered this place. all of them had cultivations higher than level 95!


    but minos had only reached level 83, which came as a complete shock to the level 90 elder standing before them.


    minos'' arrival there had already attracted the attention of several of the shrine''s elders, and many eyes were turned in his direction, watching him intently.


    "young human, who are you? where do you come from?" this elder, who looked very similar to all males of the species, asked minos, trying to analyze the young soul before him.


    minos was sincere, knowing he didn''t have to hide from the humans in this place. "my name is minos stuart. i am the emperor of the black plain empire, a state in the central continent.


    i have heard of your faith and found that we have much in common, elder. so, of course, i''m here to learn, if possible."


    "oh? central continent?"


    "i didn''t expect the central continent to produce a new genius."


    "after vico travisani, i didn''t expect such a talented person to appear on this continent."


    some members of the shrine in the vicinity commented among themselves, while this elder saw that minos wasn''t lying or joking with him.


    this young man really seemed to have many compatibilities with this place.


    in particular, there was something powerful and chaotic in his being, something similar to what had created this world as it is today.


    as a worshipper of the truth and stability of the spiritual world, this individual looked at minos as if he were in front of a singularity that he needed to investigate.


    few in this world had the characteristics he could sense in this young human.


    with this in mind, he said. "minos stuart, come with me. i''ll introduce you to someone who can answer your questions.


    ...

 Chapter 1874 The Truth Already Known (1)

    chapter 1874 the truth already known (1)


    accompanying the previous elder, minos saw the inside of the building that not even henricus longus had entered in his time.


    this particular building didn''t exist then. but the sea folk''s faith already existed, and other places similar to this one were scattered throughout the underwater area controlled by this race.


    but henricus longus hadn''t done this and many other things in his time because of lack of interest, not because he didn''t have the power.


    after reaching level 100, he spent most of his time preparing to leave a good legacy not only for his heir but for his family.


    he had been one of the few gods in the entire history of this world to leave behind two spatial kingdoms!


    so everything minos saw in this place was new to him, and he couldn''t help but look at the inside of this building with interest, seeing this place full of mirrors everywhere he went.


    the arrangement of the mirrors created an illusion in the area, making it seem much larger than it was. not only that, it would be extremely easy for someone entering this sanctuary for the first time to get lost.


    as he surveyed the area, trying to understand his surroundings, the demigod in front of him commented. "what you see is a combination of mirrored arrays. it has defensive purposes, but also to hide what''s here."


    "and you don''t mind talking to me about it?"


    "not at all." the sea folk elder replied quietly. "our sanctuary is for those with compatibility. after elder boyle''s new resolution 50 years ago, we changed how we look at the people who come to our doors.


    while some of us still prefer people of our own race, we have no problem presenting the world''s truth to those who are compatible and interested.


    we obviously hate those who only want to use us and have no interest in protecting the world as it is.


    besides, these are not meant to hinder people like you, young minos. they''re meant to stop powerful and evil cultivators."


    minos frowned and asked. "but would someone like that get here?"


    "a god could easily come here. that test you passed can''t stop a god, and even if they weren''t compatible with us, someone like that could get to us..." even though he was talking about something serious, the old man smiled, showing his pointed green teeth. "but even someone like that would have a hard time beating our high-level grade-4 arrays!"


    "that''s impressive," minos said with a smile.


    "anyway, this hides one of the many bodies of the creators... you''ll understand when you know the truth of the world." he said.


    the sea folk were very sensitive to intentions. different from the elves, who could easily see into the future, these beings could easily empathize with others. this made it very easy for them to understand the feelings of those close to them and to tell them their true feelings and intentions.


    even if the men in minos'' group outside this place had advised him to feign interest in this faith, it wouldn''t be necessary. emperor stuart had a real interest in this group, in acting for the continuity of this world, with real concerns.


    those who didn''t know him might have thought that he was only interested in the growth of his own state and power. and indeed, his actions were in that direction. but they had an additional purpose that only those aware of the world''s problems could understand.


    knowing that this young man really had an affinity with them that went beyond special talents and characteristics, the elder didn''t bother to tell the newcomer the truth.


    without realizing it, minos arrived at one of the top floors of the building, where a high-ranking elder was already waiting for him.


    "young man from the central continent, what is your purpose?" an old member of the sea folk asked minos while looking at what looked like a glowing sphere, slightly larger than an adult human head.


    minos saw this level 97 individual, the strongest of the sea folk he had ever seen.


    as important as it was, the faith of these people did not attract the most powerful and talented. there were certainly demigods as powerful as this elder and even stronger in some shrines like the one in this city. but they were few and far between since becoming an elder of this faith was as difficult as becoming a spiritual judge among the human professions.


    therefore, the strength that minos would see in this post did not reflect the power of one of the strongest races in the spiritual world.


    minos replied. "my goal is the freedom and continuity of the spiritual world. i don''t want to get involved in other people''s problems or stop third-party confrontations and wars. but i do seek a world where people can choose to live in peace or not."


    "hmm, free will is important. without it, we wouldn''t have half the wealth of our world." the weakest elder there commented, seeing that minos understood what it meant to be an agent of this world.


    those chosen by the heavens were not necessarily good people who preached peace and the common good. on the contrary, to maintain the world''s stability, their true purpose, many of them would sometimes bring chaos into the lives of those in their path.


    they weren''t neutral. they didn''t fight for the good side. they simply did what they felt was necessary to prevent disaster!


    to some, they would be terrible demons, but to others, they were the saviors of existence.


    minos didn''t want to do anything that would put him in a saintly position, but his purpose was the noblest of all, even if it seemed ordinary.


    the older man said. "and what brings you here, young man?"


    "i seek those who think as i do about the truth and what should be done. specifically, i''m looking for witnesses to come with me and witness the horror i intend to show the world.


    something terrible is about to happen, elders. but our world as a whole doesn''t see what''s right in front of it. however, i believe terrible things will happen very soon, and i want to gather as much strength as possible while there is still time.


    i know the purpose of the sea folk, but i also know that you won''t join my cause without proof. so my goal is to convince you of my cause and win you over to my side in the coming war."


    the two elders heard this from minos as they looked at him earnestly, feeling the sincerity of his words but also hearing a concern that only the most important people in their shrine had ever spoken of.


    the shrine was looking to the future, and some of its elders had already noticed that dark ''clouds'' were beginning to cover their world.


    minos wasn''t part of their group, but he still had something on his mind that few in this world had!


    ...

 Chapter 1875 The Truth Already Known (2)

    ?


    ''was it for him? was it for him that elder boyle ordered us to accept beings of other races into our faith?'' the level 97 elder wondered as he looked at emperor stuart with interest.


    boyle''s decision hadn''t just been an unreasonable idea or the whim of an elder. boyle was one of the three main seers of the sanctuary, and he had awakened 100 years earlier than expected.


    unlike human seers, seers from other races of the world, who were of different races, had completely different abilities from humans. in the case of these professionals'' visions, the members of the sea folk who did this saw the future in their visions, which usually lasted for centuries.


    to see, a few months into the distant future, beings like boyle would sometimes spend 300, 400, or 500 years in seclusion!


    but these seclusions didn''t end at any time, depending on the interest of the seer. they only ended when something went wrong!


    in this case, elder boyle had awakened prematurely after an apocalyptic vision. amid the chaos, however, he had seen humans acting in concert with their people.


    only the most important of the faith knew. as one of those who knew, the level 97 elder couldn''t help but take a closer interest in minos, as his words matched some of the comments he''d heard in the sanctuary.


    but the other demigod there, who didn''t know that part, narrowed his eyes and asked. "how do you know that?"


    the elder didn''t know why beings of other races had been allowed to join his faith decades ago. but he knew that something bad would happen in the future because several of his elders had suffered setbacks in their seclusion.


    minos said. "there is something wrong in the north sea that is connected to the advice i received from a prophet in a spiritual legacy i received some time ago."


    "oh?"


    "the north sea? that place has always been chaotic. do you think there''s something wrong there?" the level 97 elder, someone who had lived for over 100,000 years, asked minos.


    "yes, in the distant past, that place was difficult because of the spiritual nature of the north pole of our world. but things are much worse than they should be, and we''re not in the middle of a generational cycle that could explain it." minos said, aware that special phenomena from the spiritual world could aggravate or ameliorate spiritual phenomena worldwide.


    "apart from some reports i''ve heard from survivors who passed through the north sea, i feel that this would be the perfect place for something terrible to start. who would suspect that something was wrong in that area, which was already chaotic and uninhabited in the past?


    it''s the perfect place for vile beings to hide and take the first steps toward terrible plans for the rest of us."


    it was logical. what place, if not a place where no one wanted to go or live, would be the best place to lay the groundwork for plans that would endanger the entire world?


    in the spiritual world, there was no place better for this than the north sea!


    the two knew this, but it was tough to believe minos'' theory that the world''s problems would come from that already chaotic area in the distant past.


    without any indication that the problems they felt would hit them would come from the north sea, these beings couldn''t fully trust minos'' suspicion without first investigating it.


    however, investigating the north sea would be very difficult, and there were many other things they needed to investigate!


    the two elders looked at each other, and then the stronger one said, nodding to minos. "come here, young man. let me show you the truth of our world. i don''t know if your fears will turn out to be true. but what we have here is what we suspect lies behind the difficult times ahead."


    minos followed the recommendation of this member of the sea folk until he got close enough to the glowing sphere to see what was there.


    from a distance, he could only see an intense white color emanating from the object. but when he arrived next to the level 97 elder, minos could see a large corpse sealed by several chains and arrays in the vacuum of space.


    this sphere was like a small spatial hole that connected the two areas, and minos soon saw this being that had a body as preserved or more so than the corpse of fah''um of dunov.


    "that..." he saw the non-human form of this corpse, which indicated that this being was not of the same race as fah''um of dunov.


    the elder beside him explained. "we found this body 8 million years ago. at that time, we didn''t have our first god, who created this sealing space connected to the shrines of our faith. but our demigods of that time managed to put enough seals on it to preserve and bind it.


    since then, we have kept safe and imprisoned this creature, which even exceeded level 100 in its death!"


    the two elders clenched their fists, feeling the weight of this truth. but surprisingly for them, minos was not surprised to hear such things.


    "eight million, huh? that was a long time ago."


    "huh? you''re not surprised?" the strong elder asked.


    "actually, i already knew that, elder. this body you sealed isn''t the only one in the world..."


    the two of them changed their expressions even more when they heard this, feeling that they would have to search for these beings to seal them away and prevent them from affecting this world.


    if there were others like this, the danger they posed to the world would be gigantic!


    even when they were dead, their aura was stronger than that of gods!


    imagine if someone in this world managed to use just one of these beings? the entire spiritual world would be destroyed!


    "this is terrible! young minos, where did you find this? we must seal it immediately!" the weaker one said.


    minos said. "it''s already sealed by another group like yours...


    anyway, i know that level 100 isn''t the limit. in fact, these beings are from a time when the spiritual world was completely different and much bigger than we know."


    "so you already knew the truth..." the stronger man sighed, knowing that others like them had inherited the purpose of taking care of this world and didn''t immediately worry about minos'' words.


    "but if you know all this, why are you still worried about the north sea?"


    "what if other fragments of this world that gave rise to the spiritual world gave birth to races like ours? what if one of them found a way to come to our world?" minos asked, raising a new doubt in the minds of these beings. "as far as i can see, these bodies are not a threat. what they represent, however, is very worrying."


    ...

 Chapter 1876 Getting Witnesses

    ?


    "that''s your theory?" the older of the two demigods asked, seeing the meaning behind minos'' words.


    if what had created the spiritual world was home to beings like the one sealed in that space, and such a place had collapsed and eventually given rise to new life forms, there was a possibility that other parts of this larger world had life forms similar to or superior to those of this world.


    if there was a way to travel between one place and another, destructive wars for both sides could break out quickly after first contact.


    obviously, the chances that minos was right were slim. but his theory was by no means implausible or less credible than what the members of this faith feared today.


    the two demigods grew more serious as they considered the possibilities, worried that aliens might invade their world and endanger everything.


    what if the rules behind those other fragments of the world that formed the spiritual world differed from those of this place? what would happen if this world were ''flooded'' by aliens?


    in short, there were ''n'' questions to be asked, and these beings couldn''t help but worry about the many possibilities.


    "if you''re right, your worries could be about beings far worse than we realize." the weakest demigod commented worriedly.


    what they thought could destabilize this world was a combination of beings from this world capable of controlling the preserved bodies of beings from the races of the time of fah''um of dunov. in other words, they were worried about corpses and people from this world.


    minos, however, was worried about unknown beings who were alive and capable of doing unexpected things that could break the standard rules of this world.


    it was much worse!


    better a ''known'' enemy than a stranger!


    the level 97 elder looked into minos'' eyes and asked. "young minos, your concern seems justified. but are you willing to take an oath?"


    many people with good intentions give up or fail to keep their promises. even though he was so willing now to do something for this world that would help this race fulfill its purpose, it didn''t mean that minos would continue like this until the end.


    whether he liked it or not, he was still weak in terms of his level. there was still a long way to go before minos reached the peak of the 10th stage, and by then, he might have changed his mind and preferred to hide.


    between reaching the peak and dying for the world, the first option was definitely preferable. perhaps his concern and willingness to act were great today. still, as he grew and became stronger, minos might become more defensive about the powers he had worked so hard to build.


    this elder of the sea folk faith could only demand a commitment from emperor stuart to prevent this from happening.


    if minos swore to the heavens that he would do as he said, no matter what, the man was willing to choose some observers to accompany the young man.


    "i am," minos said.


    immediately, the level 97 elder raised one hand to his navel height and said. "well then, as a witness to your words, the heavens will punish you terribly if you return on what you said. from now on, you are part of the defense of our world and cannot shirk your responsibilities."


    as the being said these words, the energy around the area changed, circling one of the elder''s hands and minos'' body, while the three felt like they were being watched.


    minos felt as if a handcuff had connected him to the heavens, something similar to what one would feel when signing soul contracts, but on a much higher level.


    "raise your dominant hand and say, ''i agree.'' that will complete our agreement." the elder advised.


    minos did so without hesitation, confident that he wouldn''t return his words since he had already committed himself to such a thing. besides, he didn''t expect to get agreements to support his crusade without compromising, so that was fine with him.


    after this agreement, minos felt his surroundings return to normal. yet, he also noticed that he now had some limitations on himself, something that would probably only change once he reached level 100 or fulfilled his promises.


    after completing this deal, which was directed by the elder who was currently guarding the shrine, minos heard from him. "very well, i will send three of my people to accompany you on your journey in search of evidence.


    if they see enough for us to take up the possible problem in the north sea, i''ll bring the matter to the imperial court to get men to join your cause.


    how long will it take you to get this evidence?"


    minos thought for a moment and answered. "a few years. no less than five. the north sea is dangerous, so i want to strengthen myself before going there. i''ll also be looking for allies and people who are willing to follow me and witness what my group and your emissaries will see."


    "hmm, i agree to leave these men at your side indefinitely as long as they report to me once a year about their actions. at the same time, they will accompany you only as observers. don''t think of them as your troops or soldiers. they won''t act unless their own lives are in danger." the elder clarified the rules of how their partnership would work until the journey to the north sea.


    after that trip, they would either be on the same side because there was something terrible in the north sea, or they would be on the same side because they had the same goal of acting for the spiritual world. therefore, this elder would lose nothing by sending only three of his men with minos, even if they would discover nothing relevant.


    with that, minos thanked the man for his support, and then the weaker demigod left to call the names the level 97 elder had chosen.


    this elder wouldn''t send weak people to the north sea. that place was dangerous. soon, three demigods, two at level 90 and one at level 91, stood in front of the elder and minos.


    "you three will follow young minos from today. cooperate with him and don''t hinder his group''s journey." the old man ordered, quickly introducing emperor stuart and the purpose of this mission to the group in front of him.


    with that decided, minos and the three of them soon left the building, following the level 90 elder who had led him earlier.


    ...

 Chapter 1877 New Destinations

    chapter 1877 new destinations?


    after leaving the pagoda, where one of the shrines of the sea folk''s faith was located, minos said goodbye to the old man who had welcomed him in the first place and headed back the way he had come earlier.


    his companions were still standing in the positions where they had stopped earlier, still under the pressure of the test in this area.


    as he followed the three sea folk who would accompany him, two men and a woman, minos didn''t hesitate to help his companions by pushing them in the opposite direction so that they could escape the pressure on them.


    with this move, minos saw all of his traveling companions manage to escape their previous situation, heavily breathing as they felt relieved to have finally left their previous circumstances.


    "hah... thanks for that, minos." emlyn commented while in her bestial form.


    the three individuals who would follow minos and his group from now on saw these companions of the human beside them, and one of them asked.


    "is this the group we''re going to the north sea with?"


    the level 97 elder had only explained what they should and shouldn''t do¡ªeverything else they would have to discuss with minos to understand this mission.


    minos replied as he watched his group take regeneration pills. "no. we have a long journey ahead of us to assemble a team capable of going to that region.


    from where we are, we''ll travel through the marine empire to get the support of at least one or two local tribes. after that, we''ll go to the continent of beasts, where i''ll see what i can do with the nine-tailed foxes and the phoenixes.


    but that''s only the beginning of our journey. we won''t go to the north sea for another five to ten years."


    when the sea folk heard this, they didn''t think it was terrible, even though they would be out of their state for a ''long'' time.


    ''at least he''ll prepare a group strong enough to venture into that area...'' one of them thought, considering that they certainly couldn''t go there with beasts of emlyn''s level, but aware that the journey minos planned might bring several new specialists into the group.


    they were brave and powerful, but they didn''t want to go to the north sea with a group of weaklings who wouldn''t support them. you could only venture out in that dangerous place if you had a strong group!


    "i know some tribes in the underwater part of the empire that might have fearless members interested in joining our crusade." the level 91 woman told minos.


    as dangerous as it was, there were beings who would be interested in journeys like the one minos wanted to follow. this was especially true at the beginning of his journey, which would take him through many powerful places normally of interest to lower-level ''young'' demigods.


    as powerful as some beings were, seeing beings below level 90 exploring places far from their home was unusual.


    few sages from the central continent knew about the other continents and the most powerful islands in the world. the same was true for the members of the aquatic and terrestrial beast tribes, who would typically only explore the world near the peak of their cultivation.


    in a way, the beginning of the 10th stage was the ideal time to explore this glorious world in search of new opportunities.


    it became more difficult to progress at this stage, and it forced the world''s strongest people to search for new and different opportunities. at this point, most of them wouldn''t have much to improve upon, and they would finally have some time to actually live.


    considering the characteristics of some of the groups of beings this woman knew, she was sure minos would gain support on his journey.


    "oh? then, i ask you to lead the way. i promise to support those who travel with me and risk their lives on adventures with us." minos said, pleased to see that someone from the group was already volunteering to lead the way.


    "who do you have in mind, maryam?" one of the two level 90 men asked.


    the other asked. "are you thinking of visiting the arctic whale tribe?"


    there were several races of whales in the spiritual world, but they were all quite strong, considering their massive bodies. the sky whale tribe was the most famous and powerful, but the others were not insignificant.


    "we can go there. but before that, i wanted to visit the mermaid tribe and the kraken tribe. these two races have excellent characteristics for our adventure to the north sea." she explained, catching minos'' attention.


    "mermaids, huh?" minos muttered, remembering the characteristics of these half-human, half-fish sea creatures.


    mermaids were very powerful and had strong mental manipulation abilities. on top of that, they were among the three fastest underwater races when it came to swimming and had practically perfect sensory abilities.


    it was said that a mermaid could only be found or captured if they wanted to be!


    as for kraken, they were sea monsters of terrifying power, among the strongest beings in the spiritual world when it came to fighting on the high seas and against large groups of enemies.


    a single kraken could fight more than a dozen crews or warriors of its own level!


    both races were extreme, and their members were very self-confident. many loved to fight and were often just waiting for trouble to let them show some of their powers.


    maryam had these two tribes in mind because of these characteristics and how fearless their members were.


    "krakens and mermaids... they''re more suitable than arctic whales." one of the two sea folk said, agreeing with their group leader''s suggestion.


    they soon decided to search for the mermaids first since they were closest to them, following the path they would have to take to reach the continent of beasts.


    as soon as minos'' group had finished restoring their energy, they gathered together, introduced themselves, and set off to return to the coast of that great island.


    this time, they were going to a different place, where the sea folk group had a boat they would use for their next journey.


    so minos'' journey in this state began well, and soon, he would travel through the underwater world after years since his first experience of the deep sea.

 Chapter 1878 Fish People

    chapter 1878 fish people


    after a few days of traveling with the three members of the sea folk, minos'' group crossed the most challenging area of the terrestrial part of the marine empire and arrived at a coastal area in the southeast of the state.


    from there, the group took a sanctuary of visions ship, which the three individuals were allowed to use for their travels, and immediately set off into the underwater world.


    the main point of their journey through the terrestrial part of the marine empire was to obtain witnesses of the sovereign race on these lands, where they could more easily contact members of the sea folk. after that, there was no longer any reason for them to remain in that fugitive''s paradise.


    and with the superior navigational skills of the sea folk, the race that dominated one of the largest underwater territories in the spiritual world, they quickly and easily began their journey underwater.


    for the first few days of their voyage, they simply increased the depth of their ship without encountering any particularly troublesome groups or even underwater cities.


    this was the marine empire. hardly anyone would seek trouble with beings traveling on a sanctuary of visions ship. second, due to the local geography, there were no coral reefs or areas inhabited by beast tribes for up to 500 kilometers off the coast of the large island where they had been.


    only after a few days of traveling would they reach the first areas with the presence of beasts and other sea creatures.


    however, with their smooth progress, they were quickly approaching the territory of the first tribe they would pass on this journey!


    ...


    when they encountered a glow on the bottom of the sea, minos'' party soon realized they were about to meet the first mermaids of their lives.


    as they already knew, mermaids were extremely difficult to find, even for high-level cultivators like the mercenaries in minos'' group.


    but mermaids lived in the marine empire, and the members of the sanctuary of visions knew how to get to their underwater city.


    knowing they were minutes away from meeting the beings of one of the most special races in this world, even the beasts who had spent thousands of years of their lives in this empire were excited about their arrival in such a city.


    this was especially true for the men on board, as the mermaids'' features were particularly attractive to them.


    the mermaids were beautiful, with charming features that could easily enchant even the most demanding of beauty seekers. in addition, they were naturally noble in their gestures and were known to have good hearts.


    however, this didn''t mean they were stupid, easily fooled, or innocent. mermaids were very emotionally intelligent and could easily read people''s intentions, just like the members of the sea folk.


    when they encountered ill-intentioned people or enemies, they became extremely dangerous because of their ability to hide, which could fool even the cleverest of villains.


    even if they sensed something wrong with those around them, they would still act sweet, even if they were setting a trap.


    the crueler side of these spiritual beings could only be seen when they fought in fierce battles, which was challenging to see, considering how hard it was to find even a single one of them.


    so even though there was a brutal side to these beings, few knew about it, and they were famous for their angelic behavior.


    but there weren''t just female beings within this race. mermaids were the females, but they were not hermaphrodites. within their race, there were beings of the male gender known as mermen.


    mermen were like mermaids, half fish, half humanoid. although they could mate and reproduce with mermaids even in their natural form, these beings had unique characteristics quite different from the females of their race.


    instead of powers related to charm, mental manipulation, etc., mermen had great physical strength and were known for their abilities to manipulate water.


    but no one there was particularly interested in these creatures, for even they were no match for some of the mermaids'' abilities!


    when their group got close enough to this well-lit tribe in the deepest part of the sea, where spiritual roots kept the underwater as clear as twilight, they weren''t too impressed to see the first mermen of their lives.


    "sanctuary of visions'' crew, what are you doing in our territory?" two level 89 mermen stopped in front of the group''s ship, and one of them immediately asked.


    even though they were in the marine empire and this tribe was a vassal of the imperial family, it didn''t mean that they would let members of the main race of this state into their tribe at will.


    the level 91 woman from the sea folk there said. "mermen of the fish people tribe, we''re here in search of mermaids willing to join us. but don''t worry, we will follow your rules and traditions, and i guarantee that no one will do anything they don''t want to do with us."


    just because a member of the ruling race of that state was looking for traveling companions, it didn''t mean that the people of that state had to accept and do things against their wishes. there were rules in the marine empire, but no one was forced to do things they didn''t want to do or even to go against their own principles and beliefs.


    not even a member of the imperial family could demand such a thing, so it wouldn''t be this group that dared to disregard the customs of this tribe.


    "oh? looking for adventurers?" one of the two guards watching this quadrant asked in surprise.


    his people were naturally interested in adventures and such. no matter how sweet mermaids seemed to be, even the calmest of them loved to travel and go to mysterious places.


    right now, a whole group of mermaids was traveling to the ancestral sea, where an island had fallen from the sky a few years ago and had already become known throughout the spiritual world.


    "very well, i''ll escort you to our tribe. please follow me calmly." one of the two said before swimming towards the illuminated spot the group had seen from afar a few moments ago.


    under the command of the sea folk, their ship, which had a giant serpent as its driving force, followed the path of the half-fish, half-human being in the blink of an eye.


    mermen weren''t as big as beasts, but even the smallest was about four meters tall.


    this individual looked smaller than he was close to the group''s ship, but he was huge for a humanoid being.


    despite his size, he swam very fast, and soon, the group came across a city unlike anything they had ever seen before, where several mermen and mermaids could be seen on the outskirts.


    ''incredible!'' emlyn thought as she saw one of the most beautiful creatures in the world, with silver scales, blond hair, blue eyes, and a height of about 2.9 meters.


    ...

 Chapter 1879 What’s the Catch?

    chapter 1879 what''s the catch??


    when minos saw the first mermaid of his life, he opened his eyes wider, for the beauty of that being was truly magnificent.


    the skin of the first mermaid they saw on their way was like a precious gem of a tone and texture that an ordinary man would definitely feel in heaven just by touching her hands.


    her eyes were a bit large, but that was normal for her size. however, because they were large, it was easier to look at her beautiful irises, which looked like blue starry skies with black holes in the center.


    her fin was incredibly adorable, and even though it was the non-human part of this being, it could make men adore her, for it hid what this mermaid would have when transformed into her humanoid version.


    seeing how thick this mermaid''s fin was, some of the men in minos'' group couldn''t help but swallow their saliva as they imagined her dimensions when she was in her humanoid version.


    her nose, mouth, and ears were perfect, neither too big nor too small, allowing her to use her hearing and breathing abilities both underwater and in the air.


    mermaids had super-hearing that allowed them to hear things being said up to 30 kilometers away. in addition, they could emit a sound pulse that could reach up to 100 kilometers away from them, making it an outstanding special ability for communication.


    "mermaids are gorgeous. even our people can''t say otherwise." one of the level 90 men from the sea folk commented to the humans and beasts in minos'' group, seeing that most of them were looking at the first mermaid in their path with shining eyes.


    "but don''t stare at her too much. some of them can accept being watched and even enjoy it. but if you stare at them for too long, you might incur the wrath of one who isn''t so patient and understanding." the woman in charge of the boat advised the weak-willed humans in the group.


    gulp!


    minos said. "come on, guys, don''t scare our potential traveling companions. there are few mermaids here, so we don''t want them to think we''re a bunch of perverts."


    the fish people tribe was not large. there were about 50,000 members, and of them, about 27,000 mermaids.


    this race''s members could cultivate to the limit, but only a few could go beyond level 97. moreover, only a fraction of those few members of the race could reach level 90, the ideal level for traveling companions in this group.


    if they offended a particularly powerful mermaid, they could easily find themselves in a situation where they couldn''t get any support in this place!


    the men in the group listened to minos'' advice and tried to control themselves a bit, which was not so complicated for them, considering their level.


    it was inevitable not to be enchanted at first contact, but by controlling themselves, they all managed to put aside their strange looks from a few seconds ago and become more serious.


    even so, they couldn''t help but admire the abilities of these creatures.


    ''i just saw a level 85 mermaid, and even then, i almost got lost in my thoughts...'' the level 91 demigod hired by minos thought to himself, shocked by the seductive abilities of the female members of this race.


    amidst the thoughts of the members of this group, they soon arrived at the center of the village, a place where coral reefs served as the home of the local inhabitants.


    the place wasn''t huge, but with a few tens of thousands of inhabitants, this tribe had a bustling city that covered an area of about 100 square kilometers.


    but unlike a human city, there were no streets in this city. on the contrary, there were waterways where some could swim at high speed and quickly get from one side of the city to the other.


    there were also a lot of lights on most of the coral reefs, with shops in the city center and some very nice residential areas on the city''s outskirts.


    the tribe was somewhat isolated from the outside world, so there weren''t many members of other races around. the only exception was a subordinate race of the tribe, which was used by them and whose members also lived there.


    but visitors and tourists were practically non-existent there, and minos'' group was definitely the majority of visitors to the place that day.


    stopping in the center of town, the merman said to him. "leave your boat here. come with me to the tribe''s central square. there, you can try to recruit people for your voyage."


    the fish people tribe was very liberal when it came to the freedom of its members. as much as there were rules that everyone had to follow, if one wanted to leave the tribe to venture out into the world, that was a personal decision that the tribe would not interfere with.


    since it involved members of the sea folk, no one there would see a problem with a foreign group looking for traveling companions.


    with that said, they soon arrived at the indicated spot, and the female leader of the group sent by the elder level 97 member of the sea folk said. "minos stuart, it''s up to you now. you must convince the mermaids we come in contact with on your own."


    she and her group had already done a great job in getting the group to this place, where they certainly would not have been able to go without their help.


    minos thanked her and took the lead on the matter, quickly putting up some posters and signs and placing them around a military tent he had in one of his spatial rings.


    this has already attracted the attention of many beings passing by in the area. still, soon after he had finished, minos stopped in front of the tent and began to speak loudly.


    "ladies and gentlemen, come closer! we are a group of travelers passing through your tribe to bring you opportunities!" he said with a smile. "we have several opportunities for those who wish to try their luck. in particular, i will give a saint-grade medicine to the mermaid who manages to defeat me in an arm wrestle!


    that''s right! saint medicine! it''s not a lie, look at it!" he displayed a medicine of the promised quality while talking like a market vendor trying to attract customers.


    seeing a level 88 mermaid looking at him, even though he wasn''t interested in someone of that level, minos didn''t underestimate the potential of attracting someone like that and said. "miss, come and test your strength. it''s not a lie. if you beat me, you can keep this medicine.


    you can use all of your skills to defeat me, while i''ll only use one of mine!" he smiled, showing this beauty that it would be very ''easy'' to obtain the medicine in his hands.


    "are you serious? what''s the catch?" she asked as several creatures at the square''s edge stopped what they were doing to look at minos.


    even the merman accompanying their group looked at minos strangely.


    minos replied. "the trick is that you have to listen to my proposal before the showdown, and if i win, you have to do me a favor that''s within your power."


    ...

 Chapter 1880 Attracting Attention

    chapter 1880 attracting attention?


    the mermaid, who looked at minos with interest, was silent for a moment. but when she saw a merman next to this guy and his group, she didn''t suspect this was some kind of false advertising.


    if he went back on his words, he would definitely incur the wrath of the entire tribe and be punished!


    even if he was with members of the sea folk, could minos and his group withstand the pressure of the entire tribe?


    confident in her people, she smiled and approached where minos was standing.


    "what do you have to say to me? i''m interested in testing your strength, human." the mermaid with red hair and cherry lips said with a charming smile.


    minos smiled back at her and showed her what was inside the military tent, which had its sides open so everyone could see what was there: a table.


    minos quickly sat down on one of those chairs and said to the beautiful mermaid, who had already changed the shape of her body a little to contest the arm-wrestling with this human. "beautiful mermaid, my group and i are about to embark on a journey full of adventure and danger.


    we''re looking for brave, high-level beings willing to travel to the continent of beasts, then to the divine continent, and make a brief stop in the central continent before heading to the north sea.


    we''ll challenge that sea and discover what''s hidden in that area."


    the moment minos said this, this level 88 mermaid looked at him with a strange expression, wondering if this person was crazy.


    ''going to the north sea? that dangerous place?'' she thought.


    but minos had said it to her loud enough for dozens of mermen and mermaids in the area to hear his words.


    immediately after he said it, the various creatures of different levels and sizes in the town square took an even greater interest in minos'' group.


    watching a show was always interesting. but seeing crazy people was different¡ªcrazier people willing to travel to the north sea.


    "are you serious?" the merman next to minos'' group asked the sea folk members there.


    "this young human is telling the truth. we are forming a group to go to the north sea. it will take a few years to reach the crucial moment of our journey, but we will eventually enter that chaotic place." one of the two level 90 sea folk men said, confirming minos'' words.


    it was one thing for minos to say he was going to that place. humans found it very easy to lie. it was quite another for this member of the sea folk to confirm his words.


    and so, not only the mermaid in front of minos but also several people around the square put their hands over their mouths, thinking about the dangers this group would face.


    meanwhile, a level 90 person there looked at minos'' group with narrowed eyes, imagining the journey this group was about to take.


    ''the continent of beasts, the divine continent, the central continent, and then the north sea? that sounds like quite a journey. one who travels with them could learn a lot about the spiritual world and have a few years of adventures.'' this level 90 guy thought to himself, curious to see and hear more of these people.


    the mermaid in front of minos then asked. "my name is rillie, what''s yours?"


    "minos stuart." he said before putting his arm in the right position, indicating to rillie that that was all he had to say.


    rillie followed minos'' lead and positioned her right arm, quickly intertwining her hand with his. "then i wish you good luck with your plans, minos stuart. but today, i''m going to take this saint medicine!"


    the level 91 member of the sea folk stood on one side of the high-level steel table and signaled for the match to begin after speaking to both of them.


    "begin!"


    the moment the woman said that rillie didn''t hesitate to use all her strength to force minos'' right hand against the table.


    but as soon as she did so, she felt a tremendous force emanating from minos'' right arm as she tilted his arm just 30 degrees to the opposite side.


    minos felt this mermaid''s strength and smiled, realizing the benefit of receiving the level 100 dragon''s legacy.


    ''ah, it''s really good to have a powerful body...'' he imagined as he closed his eyes for a moment and then looked directly into the reddish eyes of the beauty in front of him.


    rillie changed her confident expression from a moment ago and looked into minos'' brown eyes, seeing that he wasn''t playing to lose. despite his low level, he had a lot of strength.


    the people in the surrounding area crowded around minos'' military tent, interested in this fight.


    a level 91 mermaid stopped by to watch this show and realized that rillie would have to use her charm, or she wouldn''t be able to beat this human.


    at first, rillie didn''t try to use her mental abilities. she felt it would be cheating, even though minos had told her it was okay to use all of her abilities.


    she tried to use as much strength as she had without using her mental abilities, quickly making the veins in her arm and face start to quiver.


    the energy around her and minos'' bodies grew stronger. it began to affect the surroundings, causing everyone there to take steps backward. in contrast, the water there began to move away from that point of contact, forming a vacuum between their hands.


    "aaagh!" she shouted, feeling pain in her right hand and all of her arm while using the other to keep her balance.


    minos also felt a lot of pain, but he didn''t utter a single sound of pain, standing still as he watched his opponent.


    "use your mental abilities, or i will defeat you."


    as he said these words, minos tilted her arm 60 degrees to the other side of the table, gaining the upper hand.


    rillie looked into minos'' eyes and made an angry expression, showing many there something that mermaids rarely showed.


    ''damn it!'' she cursed her weakness in front of this strange human and finally couldn''t hold back any longer.


    her eyes shone brightly, and the contours of her face became more beautiful to those around her while a strange melody rose in the air.


    ''the song of the siren...'' minos closed his eyes as he noticed his opponent''s special ability, feeling the melodious song she would soon sing to him, trying to dominate his mind and make him obey her orders.


    ''surrender! give me victory, and i''ll give you all my love, noble human!'' a voice rose in minos'' heart, showing him the maximum of this ability.


    but as the mermaid devilishly watched him, feeling less and less strength in minos'' arm, he suddenly opened his eyes.


    ...

 Chapter 1881 Overcoming The Challenge

    ?


    dragon''s gaze!


    activating his latest ability, minos immediately dispelled all the effects of rillie''s ability without attacking her, as he could easily cause dangerous damage to her life.


    but just protecting himself from her with this ability was enough for minos to make her feel great fear, and her seductive expression completely changed as her ability dissipated.


    everyone around noticed the sudden change in her and realized that this young level 83 human was not normal.


    ''as expected... he wouldn''t promise saint-grade medicine if he couldn''t even withstand a challenge and make it difficult for anyone who came near him to take it.''


    one of the few demigods around thought to herself, even more interested in minos.


    minos was a monster. at only level 83, he was not only able to show strength superior to that of a level 88 mermaid but also withstand her mental attacks.


    ''it looks like he''s not just a madman trying to kill himself...'' an even stronger mermaid than rillie thought to herself when she saw that minos really had the minimum necessary to think about going to the north sea.


    the group that went with him wouldn''t necessarily be weakened by his presence in the group. on the contrary, they could rely on him as a partner, for he was already quite powerful.


    ''a journey through the three continents of our world... hmm, this group will probably only go to the north sea when he is level 85 or higher. in that case, he''ll probably be able to keep up with the low-level demigods without too much trouble.'' a demigod in the area thought about it and considered minos'' invitation more carefully.


    several others in the area became more interested in minos'' proposal when they saw he was not a weak madman but a strong individual with high ambitions.


    with this demonstration, minos made the beings there change their minds and see this less as entertainment and more as a demonstration of power, of his seriousness about his proposal.


    meanwhile, rillie broke into a cold sweat as she felt minos move her arm closer and closer to the table.


    in the middle of this moment, minos said to the surrounding people. "to those interested in joining my group, i want you to know i will cover all travel expenses. none of my allies will have to pay for food, lodging, cultivation items, or taxes. i''ll pay for everything as long as there are people willing to accompany me to the north sea."


    hearing this, rillie nearly exploded when she realized the ''importance'' minos attached to her by speaking while defeating her.


    when he had finished speaking, he finally placed the tip of rillie''s right hand on the table, marking the end of this challenge.


    "the winner of this arm wrestling match is minos stuart!" the level 91 woman from minos'' group said aloud as she realized the end of the match, while the merman standing with her group supported her.


    at that moment, many voices appeared simultaneously in the surrounding area, adding to the clamor of the people watching the match with excitement.


    rillie let out a loud scream after her defeat was confirmed, but in front of so many eyes, and after losing so badly to minos, she didn''t blame him or think it was unfair.


    she simply shouted out her frustration, feeling that she still had a long way to go, even though she was already a powerful level 88 mermaid.


    amid this, emlyn and the rest of her group congratulated minos. this was especially true for the mercenaries he had hired.


    these men and women realized that their contractor was very powerful and understood why he had easily passed the test at the shrine of the sea folk''s faith.


    ''he is a monster...'' one of the women in the group looked at minos with a smile, satisfied that it would be a much better journey for her group if they had powerful contractors.


    as much as powerful contractors meant higher-level problems, it also meant that they would have to worry less about protecting third parties, which meant they could use more of themselves in combat.


    at the same time, they could earn their fat commissions without having to work hard most of the time!


    ''this black plain empire must be really rich... with someone like that in charge and willing to gamble with saint medicine, they must have much to fall back on.'' the level 91 demigod thought to himself, remembering everything he had heard and seen from minos.


    as he watched the people around him take an interest in the challenge minos had created that day, he realized that emperor stuart would form a powerful group before heading to the north sea, and he became more certain about this journey.


    not only that, as he felt that his group would become much stronger over the next few years, he became more and more anxious about the future.


    as much as he hadn''t wanted to face the dangerous north sea before, that didn''t mean he wasn''t curious and interested to see what lay in that legendary place.


    with the right group, even he would be willing to risk his thousands of years of cultivation to go to the most dangerous place in the spiritual world.


    as the human demigod clenched his fists, rillie asked minos. "what do you want from me?"


    "i want you to bring me a level 91 or 92 acquaintance who can agree to join my group. tell this mermaid about my purpose while you bring her here. that''s all." minos smiled at her.


    then, one of the mermen in the area approached minos and asked.


    "would you be willing to go on this challenge with me?" this level 89 guy asked with a smile on his face.


    minos looked at the muscular man and said. "i am willing to accept mermen into my group. but the saint-grade medicine challenge is for mermaids, as i said before."


    "oh? are you afraid?" this person asked with a clever smile on his face.


    the people in the surrounding area lowered the tone of their comments, interested to see this competition.


    minos smiled back. "without the mental abilities of mermaids, you won''t be able to defeat me. your physical strength is indeed superior to the mermaid''s, but so is mine. so our clash will end with me winning. the moment i use my mental ability, you will fall."


    the guy didn''t know if minos was joking or sincere and clenched his fists, trying to think of something to counterattack.


    but just in that moment of silence, one of the level 91 mermaids swam closer to minos and said. "all right, i''ll be your next opponent. if i win, you''ll give me the medicine."


    ...

 Chapter 1882 Agglomeration: Goal Accomplished

    chapter 1882 agglomeration: goal accomplished?


    minos looked at that level 91 mermaid, blonde hair, big breasts, extremely beautiful, as it should be for beings of that race and level of cultivation.


    he couldn''t deny the challenge, so he said. "of course, that''s the rule. if you defeat me, i''ll give you this medicine." once again, he displayed the item that was relevant even to cultivators above level 90.


    "then i''ll say it again. our group will travel through a large part of the spiritual world, passing through the strongest and most dangerous areas until we finally reach our destination, the north sea.


    we will challenge the north sea in a few years. so those who are interested in this adventure, please come to this place in the next two days. we''ll be staying in your city during that time." minos said again, emphasizing what he had already said but confirming what many of the newcomers had discovered in the last few moments.


    the longer minos and his group stood in the middle of the square, and the more people paid attention to them, the more of the city''s sea creatures began to come out of the buildings in the area to see what was going on.


    since there were many more people there now than when minos had explained his goals to rillie a few moments ago, his words were now relevant to most of the mermaids and mermen there.


    "north sea?"


    "that''s pretty extreme!"


    "i never thought there would be people willing to go there on purpose. the few who are thrown there by spatial storms rarely survive the experience. just imagine a group of fools going there..."


    the newcomers commented on various things, many of them thinking that minos and those on his side were crazy, but some wondered what this group would experience in the years to come.


    ''i have lived for 10,000 years, but i hardly know the world i live in! i feel so ashamed... those who go with this group will probably see more of the world in a decade than i''ve seen in 10,000 years.'' a level 90 mermaid thought to herself, embarrassed in front of this show.


    meanwhile, the mermaid in front of minos stood in her place and looked at the young human with interest.


    before their match began, she asked him. "minos stuart, why the north sea? not everyone wants to venture into such an area. however, the dangers there are indeed the most impressive you can encounter in our world.


    so answer me, is there a deeper reason for this choice?"


    minos looked at her seriously and said. "there are always reasons for every action. we will unravel the mysteries of this place and understand the threat it poses to the rest of us.


    don''t make the mistake of thinking we''re safe just because we''re far from that place. terrible storms are brewing above us."


    minos didn''t touch on the main point, the possibility that conscious beings were acting in this place. but what he said was enough to justify his interest and to warn the beings there that the dangers of the north sea might not be tied to it.


    "do you believe that?" she smiled at him.


    "miss, come with us. you''ll find out whether i''m right or wrong by traveling with our group." minos smiled and spoke. he looked at the people around the square and said. "do you think i''m crazy? do you think the north sea is just an unstable place without danger for the rest of the world? you don''t have to agree with me. come with our group! see for yourself what''s there when we take the last step of our journey!


    in the meantime, enjoy the journey and enjoy what not even the strongest demigods in our world have ever relished!"


    minos said all this eloquently, touching various sensitive points of the people in this area, who couldn''t help but see the logic in his words.


    whether he was right would be easy to determine. on the other hand, the adventure would definitely be unique, the kind that anyone who survived it would talk about for the rest of their lives, for generations to come.


    the north sea hadn''t been explored as minos wanted for millions of years. so there would surely be countless secrets in that area, which had once even been the home of the sea folk.


    in the ancient past of this world, the sea folk tribe was divided into several branches, one of which was located on the border between the north sea and the east sea, near elven island.


    but after the last age of storms, about 6 million years ago, the last branch of this tribe had left that area and come to the place where the marine empire would later be formed.


    thinking about these things, some people there couldn''t help but be curious and long for answers.


    the mermaid liked minos'' words and said. "very well, let''s begin. but win or lose, i wish you luck in your adventure."


    with that, the level 91 woman in minos'' group would soon allow the competition to begin, with the two of them increasing their strength to the maximum right at the beginning of the fight.


    having promised to use only one of his skills in this challenge, minos immediately used dragon''s eye as soon as the referee started the match.


    knowing that this level 91 mermaid was very different from rillie, minos attacked her instead of using this skill to defend himself.


    the moment he did so, not only this mermaid, adrina, but also several people in the vicinity of the square felt the power of minos'' skill, feeling the oppression that superior beings caused in inferior ones.


    although he was only a level 83 human, minos could intimidate even mermaids, mermen, and level 90 beasts!


    even the level 90 demigods of the sea folk felt a sudden uneasiness towards him after minos activated his special ability.


    ''this ability...'' the referee looked at minos, sensing the special power of a dragon race coming from the eyes of this young human.


    ''oh? can you do that?'' adrina looked into minos'' eyes and felt a strong headache. however, she was still able to think and understand how strong his attack was.


    as she tried to defend herself with her own skills, she felt emperor stuart''s hand move hers against the table, and the initial advantage was in his favor!


    ...

 Chapter 1883 End of the Duel

    chapter 1883 end of the duel


    as she felt emperor stuart''s strength press her hand against the table in her first moment of weakness, adrina realized that minos would not allow her to win this challenge easily.


    physical strength was not the focus of mermaids. even at level 91, their strength was equivalent to that of a level 90 mermen and would be equal to that of a maximum level nine-tailed fox. therefore, even without raising his cultivation to level 85, minos had a chance to fight with this mermaid after attacking her with dragon''s eye.


    but the mermaid''s focus was on the mental part. even though the dragon''s gaze attack could significantly destabilize demigods of her level, adrina felt less dizzy than a human of her level or stronger than she would have felt in that situation.


    if forrest had received that mental attack from minos, he would have lost the arm wrestling match, even though he was stronger in level than that mermaid!


    however, adrina was different, and using her special powers, she felt much less weight from minos'' mental attack. she managed to counter his move, preventing his right hand from touching the table.


    her arm trembled, and she activated her unique ability, distraction, a mental ability capable of subtly distracting its targets.


    it wasn''t enough, for example, to make someone of similar strength to her move completely wrong and miss all their moves. but it was enough to make her target miss so badly that they could not seriously hurt her or even dodge her attacks.


    this skill was especially useful during escapes when she could move quickly and make her target unaware of her movements.


    minos sensed this, and even with dragon''s gaze activated, he suddenly realized that his hand and adrina''s had changed position and were at 90 degrees, the starting position.


    ''oh? you did all that without me noticing?'' he looked at her with wide eyes, impressed.


    but adrina was looking at him the same way because before she could even defeat him, he had managed to recover from her attack and was once again blocking her movement.


    "you are so strong, minos stuart... i feel so hot fighting you." she stared at him while biting her lower lip, forming an extremely interesting seductive expression.


    considering how beautiful she was, minos bit his tongue lightly to resist this woman''s seduction, only to realize that he had weakened himself enough for her to advance 15 degrees and gain the upper hand for the first time in this fight.


    "please let me win... we can end this quickly and find a place of our own." she said in a melodious tone as a colorful glow shot out of her body and surrounded minos.


    some of the nearby men weren''t even adrina''s targets, but they were already hard as stone when they saw her expression and heard her voice. minos was strong, but even he couldn''t help but feel different during such difficult attacks.


    as a man, he was much more vulnerable to this kind of being and its powers!


    ''damn it!'' he strained as he felt her advance another 15 degrees, trying not to lose to this mermaid so easily.


    even though his goal wasn''t necessarily to defeat everyone who showed up to challenge him, and he didn''t mind distributing the saint medicine to attract the public''s attention, minos didn''t want to make it easy for his opponent.


    his goal was to show everyone how capable he was, to the point where even a level 91 mermaid would be forced to use all of her tricks.


    whoever came with him could trust that they would have his support and even protection if necessary!


    but even though he showed everyone how strong he was for his level, minos still had less spiritual energy in his being than that level 91 mermaid.


    unable to use his innate ability to increase his cultivation temporarily, he slowly began to lose his strength, while adrina had the same level of pressure as before.


    pow!


    less than a minute after adrina''s first attack, she smashed minos'' right hand into the table, marking the end of the match!


    "in this match, the winner is adrina, representing the mermaids!" the female referee announced the result, causing everyone in the area to silently leave their state to celebrate or discuss the match''s outcome.


    even though this was an event that didn''t affect the lives of most of the people there, it was always nice to see competitions, and the spectators usually chose their favorites.


    when they saw the mermaid win the saint medicine contest, many began celebrating as the mermaid smiled and breathed more deeply.


    although she had defeated minos, adrina had spent more than 80% of her energy on this arm wrestling match and was still feeling the mental damage from her opponent''s initial attack!


    considering how well he had done considering the level difference between them, she couldn''t help but look at him differently, feeling respect for this opponent.


    but before anyone in the area could question the saint-grade medicine, minos threw it into the hands of the mermaid in front of him.


    "congratulations on your victory. this is the promised prize." he told in a sighing tone, also breathing heavily, having exhausted himself trying to prevent his defeat.


    with the medicine in her hands, adrina looked at minos and sighed. "you really gave me this... i didn''t expect you to keep your promise so easily."


    minos smiled. "and i will keep every promise i''ve made here today. i swear to the heavens that i have no evil intentions and that all my words have been sincere. i will not promise anyone who cares to come with me that they will one day return home. that''s out of my control.


    but i will try my best to return from the north sea with as many people as i can gather along the way."


    hearing this, the members of the sea folk agreed with minos'' words and felt he was the right person to follow. he didn''t hide the dangers, but at the same time, he was truly willing to do anything for those who joined his group.


    even the mermaids and mermen in the area noticed this through their empathic abilities, giving emperor stuart an extra vote of confidence.


    adrina looked at him gravely and said. "you said you would stay here for two days, right? very well, i''ll think about joining your group and give you an answer by the time you leave."


    when she said this, half a dozen people, including some mermen, did the same, saying that they were tempted to join minos'' group and would think about it in the next few days.


    and so minos achieved his goal of attracting the attention and interest of relevant members of this tribe!

 Chapter 1884 New Companions

    chapter 1884 new companions


    on the second day of minos and his group in the city of the fish people...


    after their demonstration of power and show for the curious in the central square of the fish people''s city, minos and his party made no further challenges in the hours following his defeat.


    the city of the fish people was small. in a place with only a few tens of thousands of inhabitants, what they had done had attracted enough attention for the entire city to find out about their group by the end of the first 24 hours after the challenges.


    after that, several groups of mermaids and mermen made their way to the spot in the town''s central square where minos'' group was, waiting for interested parties.


    some of those who came to see them were just curious, but several others were interested in joining his group.


    however, many interested parties were weaker than the minimum level required by minos, level 90, and they were naturally advised to return home and not think about the north sea until they were stronger.


    however, two 10th-stage mermen had appeared during this time and were interested in joining minos'' group.


    although the goal of the sea folk woman who had brought the group to this tribe was the mermaids, minos was interested in any kind of support from 10th-stage creatures. that''s why he had taken a level 90 and a level 91 merman into his group, even though they weren''t mermaids.


    at the beginning of his group''s second day in the city, before being summoned by the local leaders for a private meeting at the government headquarters, minos and his people had run into rillie again.


    she had done as he had asked, communicating with several 10th-stage mermaids she knew in an attempt to send them to minos.


    unfortunately, none of them had shown any interest so far, and she had met minos again just to inform him of her possible failure.


    but even though she had failed, minos didn''t care. his purpose in the previous challenges was to attract attention, and the request he had made to rillie was only to give her a mission. if she succeeded, good. but he didn''t have high expectations.


    afterward, he had gone with emlyn and the sea folk of his group to the tribe''s seat of power, where he had answered questions about their interests.


    although the fish people tribe was libertarian when it came to the freedoms of their people, that didn''t mean they didn''t care about their people and wouldn''t intervene to protect the interests of their tribe members.


    after answering a series of questions about his interests, where he was from, and where they could look for him, minos and his group were released to return to their previous place, from which they would leave at the end of the day.


    ...


    at the bottom of the sea, day and night were completely different from what could be seen on the surface.


    since the light from the ocean floor practically only came from the most exposed spiritual roots in these areas, the illumination level depended on the nearby roots and how they behaved.


    contrary to what one might expect, spiritual roots were not immutable beings that always functioned in the same way. like living things that could get stronger or weaker, spiritual roots had their cycles.


    due to the metabolism of these important components of the world, the intensity of the glow of their roots varied throughout the day.


    during the night on the surface, spiritual roots usually worked much harder because they had a nocturnal preference. for this very reason, when it was night in the ocean''s surface area, the environment in the depths of the same area would be at the peak of its luminosity.


    the opposite would happen during the day on the surface, and those at the bottom of the sea would experience their night.


    at that moment, it was daylight on the surface, but in that underwater city on the ocean floor, the darkness of night was present, while many high-level underwater beings took their time to rest or sleep.


    however, while this was the case for most of the beings in that fish people''s city, around the square where minos had performed the previous challenges, several mermaids and mermen were standing on the outskirts, watching the results of the emperor''s group''s actions.


    just then, the mermaid who had defeated minos arrived with a level 90 friend and said, "we''ll join your group. after considering what we have to lose or gain, we''ve decided to take a chance with you."


    upon hearing this, minos smiled with satisfaction as he saw the first mermaid willing to join his group. so far, only mermen had shown interest.


    but while several beings from this tribe were there just to watch this group depart, another level 91 mermaid took a step closer to minos'' group and said. "i will also join your group.


    i''ve lived for 70,000 years and only know the south sea. i''m looking forward to seeing the land world and the most dangerous sea of our world! if i have to die on this journey, at least i''ll have fulfilled my dream!"


    the people in minos'' group were pleased to hear this, seeing that this mermaid, after living safely in this sea for a long time, was eager to take a chance on real adventures.


    sometimes, people hold back from making decisions that would bring them closer to their dreams because of fear and many other things.


    but sometimes, all one has to do is give immovable beings a little push to make up their minds and take a course.


    would that lead to death and the end of this mermaid? only time will tell. but that day, she put her cowardice aside and finally made a decision she had been hesitating for over 11,000 years!


    "what''s your name?"


    "lynn."


    "welcome to our group, lynn. i hope we won''t disappoint you or our other companions." minos said before introducing his crew. "anyway, ready to go? now it''s time for our next stop!"


    with that, lynn, adrina, merise, hiro, moby, and bay, the new crew members of this group, soon introduced themselves and heard the names of the people in minos'' group before joining them and heading to their ship in another area of the city.


    moments later, the level 91 woman from the sea folk would take control of the group''s ship and set sail for the home of the krakens!

 Chapter 1885 Kraken

    chapter 1885 kraken


    leaving the fish people tribe, minos'' group would sail east for the next few days, heading for the kraken tribe, which lay at one of the outermost borders of the marine empire.


    the krakens tribe lay between the marine empire and the territory of the sky whales.


    the territory of the strongest creatures in the world was vast. it started about 300 kilometers from the south coast of the central continent and went all the way to the south pole of the spiritual world, stretching more than 50,000 kilometers between the marine empire and another sea creature territory near the continent of beasts.


    there weren''t many powerful beast tribes within the sky whales, only on the borders of this vast territory.


    on one of these borders, there was one of the 20 strongest tribes of sea creatures, the small but mighty tribe of krakens.


    krakens were extremely rare. there were less than 10,000 members of this race. however, they had no cultivation limit, and if they were lucky, they could even reach level 100.


    however, given the unique abilities of kraken and their bodies that gave them a high level of combat power, this race was not weak, and a single 10th-stage kraken would already be very powerful. that''s why the sea folk woman on minos'' ship led the group to such a place.


    ...


    about five days after leaving the tribe of the fish people, minos and his group were now near the marine empire''s southeastern border with the sky whales territory.


    in this arctic region, their party was currently sailing along the ocean floor, quietly approaching their destination.


    once again, this crew''s journey had been very peaceful, as few would attack a ship of the sea folk faith that was controlled by 10th-stage beings of that race.


    at the same time, as members of the sovereign race of the area, the beings controlling the group''s ship knew the place they were sailing very well and had naturally deflected the greatest dangers to the group.


    without encountering any problems during the first few days of their journey, most of the group used the time to cultivate and get to know each other better.


    for those who were there for the adventure, this had not yet been interesting enough to prove the value this journey would have in their lives. but no one there was disappointed, nor did they think it would be like this for their entire journey.


    the members of the sea folk would not be able to do what they had been doing once they left their people''s territory. once they started traveling to the south pole of the spiritual world, outside the territory of the marine empire, they would surely encounter problems of various kinds, and their adventure would begin.


    but before that, they had the kraken tribe in front of them, where they would arrive in less than 12 hours from their current location, sailing in the same direction as they were going.


    seeing the ocean floor from the current they were using to navigate, one of the mermaids kept an eye on the path to the kraken tribe.


    "guys, you should stay alert. i feel we''re about to encounter a 10th-stage kraken." adrina commented to her group, sensing that they were close to the location of this tribe''s first observer in the area.


    ''as expected from mermaids... they are very sensitive.'' minos heard this and appreciated even more the fact that these people from the sanctuary of visions had led him to the tribe of fish people.


    and just as the mermaid had warned, a kraken the size of the dry city arena appeared in their path!


    they encountered this gigantic creature with 13 huge tentacles, each as big as a building, 60 meters long and 16 meters in diameter.


    it had a huge head, with eyes larger than the ship minos'' party was on, and a mouth 20 times larger, with razor-sharp teeth in a pattern that made its mouth look like a crusher.


    its appearance was frightening, worthy of a monster famous throughout the spiritual world for the countless shipwrecks caused by tribesmen throughout history.


    but what was most impressive was its sharp and powerful aura, which was both intense and icy.


    when the level 93 elder saw the crew heading toward his tribe, he didn''t hesitate or stop to question them. he simply acted, sending his tentacles toward the ship''s sides and quickly immobilizing it.


    as he did so, pointing the tip of his razor-sharp, poison-tipped tentacles at the ship''s crew, he asked in a low tone. "what do you want here? what''s with this formation of your group?"


    even though the krakens lived in the marine empire, and even though this was a sanctuary of visions ship, it didn''t mean that this creature would bow down to these people.


    the krakens were much more aggressive and protective of their tribe than the fish people. to enter their territory, one would have to do more than just use their influence to ask for passage.


    the tone of that creature''s voice and its hostile appearance made emlyn''s legs tremble when she saw its huge mouth high above the ship.


    she put aside the good feeling she had in her body after a night with minos and circulated her energy.


    the others in her group did the same. only minos and the sea folk didn''t act so defensive.


    the level 91 woman who had led this group there made a gesture of greeting to this elder and said. "we are looking for brave members of your tribe who might be interested in joining our group on an adventure.


    please, elder, let us enter your territory. we will do nothing more than present our interest to the young demigods of your tribe."


    "you''re looking for allies, huh? is that why your group has humans, land beasts, and fish people?" he asked with interest. "where do you want to go?"


    "yes, that''s the reason. as for our destination, that''s the north sea." the woman said as minos watched the creature''s eyes light up.


    "oh? you would dare to go there?" he didn''t think she was crazy, as many mermen and mermaids had judged minos when they heard him talking about it earlier.


    the members of the kraken tribe were much braver and enjoyed danger more than the fish people. krakens were violent by nature, and many left their tribe every day just to challenge powerful opponents from other races.


    so, for this elder, the challenge to the north sea was something he couldn''t help but be interested in.


    ...

 Chapter 1886 The Advantage of Numbers

    chapter 1886 the advantage of numbers?


    "we will go. it''s only a matter of time before the group is formed and we finish our preparations. but in less than a decade, we should reach the north sea". minos answered the question of the kraken elder before him.


    despite the low level of this human, the kraken didn''t doubt it. even though he was weak, this young man spoke confidently and determinedly.


    when he saw the expressions of the many people of different races on this ship, he said. "it''s a pity that i''m busy guarding this area. otherwise, i would join your group myself."


    the most nervous people on the ship opened their mouths in surprise, not expecting this being actually to say something so positive to them.


    basically, he was saying that he would support them in their ambition to go to the most dangerous sea in the spiritual world.


    the level 91 sea folk woman smiled when she heard this and asked. "too bad, you''d be a great help. but then? will the elder allow us to join his tribe? we just want to present our travel plans and try to recruit one or two interested people. if no one is able or willing, we''ll leave."


    he let go of these people''s boats and hid his terrible teeth in his mouth.


    he pulled his huge body away from the small ship and said. "go ahead. i''m sure you''ll find someone brave enough to join your group."


    this group was not strong enough to cause trouble within the kraken tribe, and members of the sea folk would not lie to get permission to enter a place like this. confident of this, the elder made way for minos'' party without a second thought.


    but as their ship set sail again, he added. "i look forward to hearing your group''s stories. i hope at least one of you survives to tell the tale, haha."


    the mercenaries and the mermen and mermaids on the ship looked at the kraken in silence, imagining that many of them might actually die on this voyage.


    but at the same time that their adventure made them shy away from the mortal danger of that place, the distance they were now from the north sea also protected them from trembling with fear and considering how close they might be to death.


    years would pass between the decisive point of their journey and the present.


    even with the recurring thought that they might die, they held on so as not to back down or give up!


    as each of them dealt with the problem in their minds, they soon saw the kraken from earlier disappear as their ship continued on its way to the kraken tribe.


    sometime later, during this nocturnal part of their journey, they began to see a small glow on the ocean floor from afar.


    it was night on the ocean floor near the south pole of the spiritual world.


    in these icy waters, their group soon set their sights on the "small" tribe of krakens, where a few thousand of the race lived on a gigantic coral reef.


    though few in number, the krakens were very large. as such, their headquarters were much larger than those of the fish people, where minos'' party had recently stopped.


    arriving near this coral reef, the group soon noticed several krakens of various sizes and levels watching them.


    but none of them stopped them. given their level, it would be impossible for them to reach this place without being authorized by one of the elders in the area.


    as beings who highly valued hierarchy within their tribe, no one there would stop a group that ''deserved'' to enter this place, even if some of them didn''t like beings like some of those on the boat.


    realizing this, minos'' group made their way to the center of the coral reef, where there was more movement around the city of the krakens.


    this time, minos would not use the same strategy he had used in the fish people''s city.


    with only 10,000 members and less than three-quarters of them present, minos managed to get the attention of more than half of them in a matter of minutes!


    while the sea folk woman piloting her boat was looking for an interesting place to stop, many low, medium, and high-level krakens had already noticed them.


    minos saw this, and thinking back to what the elder had told them earlier, he imagined that he could achieve his goal there even more easily than he had in the fish people tribe.


    as soon as he left his boat, he simply put up some posters around it, indicating that this was a crew heading for the north sea, looking for brave krakens willing to join the group.


    "north sea?"


    "that''s absurd! even our elders wouldn''t go there alone. imagine a small group like that..." a level 79 kraken nearby thought to himself, feeling that this group wouldn''t get anyone.


    on the other hand, a level 88 being commented. "don''t be so rash, young man. don''t underestimate the numbers. even though a trip to the north sea is dangerous even for our tribe''s elders, it doesn''t mean that a group with balanced strength would have so many problems."


    in battle, it would definitely be better to have a higher-level being on your side than to have a larger number of lower-level people with equal strength combined. however, this was only true for combat. beyond that, numbers always won.


    no matter how strong one was, one was still just one. could such a being be in 2 places at once?


    most of the time, no. therefore, having several lower-level specialists might be better than having one high-level specialist, as each member of the group could perform different functions.


    in the case of minos''s party, while some could detect enemies, others could defend, others could attack, and others could support. in short, the possibilities were endless.


    "the level of one doesn''t set the limits for the others. this group may only be at the beginning of its formation, but it already has important elements in it." a level 95 elder saw minos'' group and commented to the young man who had made that first negative remark. "if he gets another 10 or so members of powerful races capable of performing various functions, his chances of success will increase exponentially."


    while the guy in his bestial form was making this comment, a member of that race in his humanoid form left a smaller part of the coral reef to see these newcomers, looking at them with interest.


    ''north sea, huh? that''s a pretty crazy destination!''


    ...

 Chapter 1887 Good Reception

    ?


    in the blink of an eye, minos'' group managed to attract the attention of almost the entire tribe, causing several people to look at them curiously and start talking about them.


    some thought it was absurd. others thought it was a possible journey to make and come back alive. of course, the risks would be great, and the chances of not returning would be high.


    as members of this tribe from different generations discussed how crazy this group was or was not, the first interested party soon approached minos and his group to ask questions.


    "we are far from the north sea. what route will you take to get there? and how long do you think it will take to get there?" a level 89 asked.


    minos, who had stopped at the central location of the kraken tribe only 10 minutes ago, smiled and answered the kraken''s question. "we''ll go to the cont..."


    he quickly described the route he had already told several mermaids and mermen in the city of the fish people, making it clear that the group would not reach the endpoint of their journey until they reached the black plain empire, from where they would set out for the north sea.


    "i think that will take about 10 years. we''re still looking for allies, so it won''t be that fast. but i would like to point out that if you''re interested and don''t want to join us right away, you can go to the black plain empire in 5 to 10 years.


    we will accept anyone interested in joining the journey into our group."


    "sounds interesting..."


    "yes, you could give up the journey before they get to the north sea... although they have a crazy goal, their adventure until they reach the black plain empire will not be small." a level 86 kraken said to another one nearby.


    minos heard this, but he didn''t care. even if a few people joined his group on the eve of their journey to the north sea, it wouldn''t be a bad thing.


    the more experts of different races his group could get, the more experts would look at his team with more seriousness and interest, which could increase the number of new group members in the next places they passed through.


    whether or not they made it to the end of the journey, everyone who joined the group could contribute somehow to its preparation!


    then one of the krakens asked. "is there a minimum level to join this group? i see that most of you are demigods."


    minos shook his head and said. "right now, we are looking for demigods. it''s not impossible for us to accept high-level sages into our group, but such beings will have to prove their strength before we accept one of them.


    we won''t accept anyone who can''t protect themselves from demigod threats."


    some of the 9th-stage krakens in the area heard this and felt disappointed that they weren''t strong enough to join this group.


    but some of the few 10th-stage krakens looked at this group differently.


    at first, some of them looked at this group more harshly because of the presence of minos, emlyn, and the level 89 sages in the group. but when they heard emperor stuart, some tribal elders saw that whoever joined this crew wouldn''t have to worry about protecting weak allies.


    ''interesting. considering that they''ll be looking for allies in the phoenix tribe and also passing through the divine continent, this group could have around 30 demigods of different races at the end of their journey...''


    ''not bad. with this power, they''ll certainly be able to see some things in the north sea before too many of them perish.'' a level 94 elder thought to himself before looking at a ''junior'' next to him and saying.


    "sesku, get your things. you will accompany this group." the elder said as he looked at a level 91 kraken.


    the level 91 kraken next to his master looked at him momentarily, understanding that this was probably a challenge that would make him stronger if he survived.


    rolling up some of his tentacles, he became more determined and said. "okay, master, i''ll do my best."


    with that, this kraken and another being from this tribe, but in humanoid form, approached minos'' group almost simultaneously.


    both level 91 beings glanced at each other for a moment before looking at the members of minos'' crew.


    "i want to join your group."


    "me too."


    upon hearing this, the group members smiled with satisfaction, seeing that it really wouldn''t be difficult for them to find new crew members when they passed through this place.


    minos greeted them with open arms. "well, welcome to our group. what''s your name?"


    "sesku."


    "cryqes."


    the two krakens said before stopping a few meters away from minos, now both in their humanoid form.


    it wouldn''t do for them to travel with this group in their bestial forms!


    when they greeted the rest of minos'' group and introduced themselves, more people in the area showed interest, but they couldn''t meet this group.


    most of them had specific roles in the tribe and couldn''t be away for years. in fact, apart from the two of them, no other kraken could go on this journey with them.


    a level 90 being of that race then said. "i won''t join you now, but i''ll see if i can get to the black plain empire before you leave."


    having heard similar comments from at least four other demigods in the area, the party would soon thank this tribe for welcoming them so well and releasing some of their elders to accompany them.


    of the 10,000 krakens that existed in this world, 100 were demigods, and less than 40 were free to see and speak with minos'' party that evening.


    leaving with two of them on their side was already an impressive result for them, and they couldn''t help but be happy and grateful to those who had freed them and to those who had promised to make an effort to join them in the future.


    after their thanks, the group drank with their new crewmates before leaving the krakens'' tribe four hours after their arrival.


    with that, they would now sail towards the southeastern exit of the marine empire, finally leaving the safe area of their journey to begin navigating the southernmost border of the territory of the world''s most powerful beings.


    in a few more days, their party would reach the south pole of the spiritual world, the coldest place on the entire planet!

 Chapter 1888 The South Pole And The Arctic Ocean

    ?


    after three weeks of traveling by boat, minos'' party had left the marine empire''s territory and entered the sky whales tribe''s southern border.


    after more than two weeks since leaving the krakens'' tribe, the group had finally entered the main part of the spiritual world''s south pole, the most icy area in the entire world.


    in this area, the water was so icy that countless icebergs floated on the sea''s surface. at the same time, frozen mountain ranges at the bottom of the ocean which provided beautiful scenery for anyone traveling there.


    even though they were traveling along the ocean floor, minos'' group got the same impression as if they were traveling on foot near the endless snow mountain range, where the highest peaks in the world were located.


    the only difference in this part of the world was that this was the ocean floor, and they were covered by water.


    but even the frozen parts of those mountains on the bottom of the sea were the highest because, near the bottom of the sea, the spiritual roots warmed the ground closest to them.


    but even though the spiritual roots in that place worked to warm the environment, that area was so icy that the roots could barely warm the ground. it was only up to 10 kilometers away from their closest points that they had any effect.


    in addition, the seawater itself could freeze and form new icebergs, and people below level 80 could instantly die if they were more than 10 kilometers away from one of the nearby roots.


    these waters were so cold that everyone in minos'' tax office felt as if countless small blades were trying to pierce their bodies.


    perhaps because of these life-threatening characteristics, they had encountered few beings traveling through this area in the days since they had entered it.


    however, all the ones they saw were large beings, whales in general, all above level 80.


    many of them were peaceful, but when they had encountered two arctic sharks three days ago, minos'' group had had their first fight, when they had combined the formation with mermaids, krakens, and mermen along with the land crew of their group for the first time.


    those who hadn''t seen minos'' skills in action had a chance to see them in this situation and finally understood why he was the leader despite being only a level 83 sage.


    ...


    at that moment, minos'' group was all inside the compartments of the sea folk''s boat, all wearing special items to keep them warm.


    they could withstand the cold of these waters even without special resources, but no one would constantly expend their energy on that alone while merely passing through the area.


    therefore, even the krakens in the group used their scales to cover their entire bodies in their humanoid versions to protect their insides from the icy waters of this area.


    "the arctic is truly impressive!" emlyn said as black, white, and orange fur covered her humanoid body. "i didn''t think the situation here would be so drastic." she commented as she looked out of one of the windows of the area where she and the rest of the group were staying, where she could see the nearby mountain ranges even though the light in the area was low.


    due to the characteristics of the south pole, there was no night on the surface. thus, there was practically no daylight at the bottom of the sea, and there was only average lighting, the minimum for being able to see the mountain ranges up to about 5 kilometers away. beyond that, you couldn''t see anything.


    not only that, considering that the presence of life in this area of the spiritual world was much more sparse and scattered than anywhere else on the planet, there were few cities in this region, so there were fewer bright spots in the distance.


    minos listened to emlyn''s comment and told her something old that he knew. "yes, the situation in this area is so terrible that some tribes in this area used to punish their members by banishing them from their territory.


    if someone committed an unforgivable crime, instead of being killed quickly or spending the rest of their lives in prison, these tribes punished such individuals by throwing them out of their territory.


    this may sound less severe than immediate death, but it wasn''t. although it seemed like a weak way to punish someone because there was a chance of survival, it wasn''t that simple.


    by being thrown into the coldest parts of the sea, these beings'' bodies would gradually freeze, and even their spiritual energy would solidify and break down!


    this was the worst way to die in the spiritual world because it was slow and irreversible.


    "it still happens." one of the krakens in the group commented, remembering things he had heard from the elders of his tribe. "the arctic ocean is dangerous in any area outside the spiritual roots range. but there are areas where the danger is so great that even high-level sages cannot withstand the low temperatures unless they are special beings from the races in the area.


    humans or land animals, even at level 89, would definitely not be able to withstand the cold in that area."


    as the atmosphere had different temperatures depending on the area you looked at, the seabed suffered from the same situation.


    "this is terrible!" one of the level 89 beasts in the group commented, not imagining that this place was so terrible.


    "but how can there be life here?" a level 89 human, one of the mercenaries in minos'' group, asked in doubt.


    as much as everyone there was an expert, everyone had different backgrounds, experiences, and contacts. not everyone knew everything just because of their high cultivation level.


    minos was one of the sages who knew the most about the spiritual world, thanks to the memories of henricus longus and his experiences over the years. but even he didn''t have access to much information about this world.


    therefore, the fact that one of those mercenaries from the marine empire did not know about the south pole of the spiritual world was more normal than it might seem at first glance.


    the other kraken, the one who had the most information about this area among the group members, said. "this is possible, as it is for races that can live in absolute heat, at high altitudes, under extreme conditions, and so on. some races simply evolved to live in these environments.


    we demigods can withstand any conditions because of our high cultivation. but some beings from the spiritual world have their own characteristics that allow them to even benefit from the frozen spiritual energy that exists in this area!


    ...

 Chapter 1889 Arctic Shark

    ?


    under normal conditions, spiritual energy could be considered a fluid, especially a plasma.


    99% of the living beings in the spiritual world could only absorb this energy when it was in the form of plasma, which was easily found in the atmosphere, in living beings, and in spiritual crystals.


    although the crystals were solid objects, the solid part was not crystallized spiritual energy as one might think. the solid part was just the envelope that contained a certain amount of spiritual energy plasma.


    so, spiritual crystals and frozen spiritual energy were two completely different things!


    frozen spiritual energy was actually another physical form of spiritual energy that was completely crystallized, extremely dense, and difficult to access.


    most of the beings in this world couldn''t absorb this kind of energy, and they didn''t even have any methods to change the state of this form of spiritual energy. therefore, it was natural to think that it would be impossible to live or cultivate in this area, as some of the sages in that group thought.


    however, there were beings native to the arctic who could devour and assimilate this kind of spiritual energy!


    "are there such beings?"


    "the sharks we dealt with a few days ago were one of those beings capable of absorbing crystallized spiritual energy," minos said to his people. "but even these beings have to be careful of the arctic.


    these icy waters can strengthen them and create the conditions for them to become stronger. but beyond their limits, even they can freeze to death, even considering their special characteristics."


    "incredible!"


    "your majesty seems to know a lot about this area." one of the two sea folk men commented as the mermaids on the boat looked at minos with interest.


    he said with a smile. "i read an old book about them."


    after that, the group continued talking about how special and unique this area was and the dangers and precautions one had to take while there.


    the sea was treacherous. sometimes, you could think you were safe, and then something would happen that would subtly change the conditions but enough to endanger the lives of even high-ranking people.


    as they talked about this dangerous environment, the three individuals from the sea folk drove the ship through the area, following the less icy path in front of them.


    as beings who are extremely sensitive to spiritual energy, they could use the crystallized energy in the environment and the frozen water to determine the coldest and least cold spots.


    thus, they made their way through the area that would soon bring them close to the region of the arctic whale tribe.


    but as the hours passed and they approached this other powerful tribe of the deep sea, one of the mermaids suddenly noticed something unusual.


    "guys, i feel something''s wrong about 15 kilometers from our position." she said as she noticed something beyond the distance the group could see.


    another level 91 mermaid agreed and said. "i smell blood and two powerful auras in that distance, just ahead of where we''re going.


    they are two 10th-stage beasts, level 92 and 93. the stronger one is chasing the weaker one, which is wounded."


    listening to adrina, minos became more serious, along with the mermen in this crew and the members of the sea folk.


    a confrontation between specialists of these levels near them would be dangerous for the crew!


    the krakens there became interested and tried to observe further ahead while their ship continued to approach the two beasts in front of them.


    minos ordered his group. "prepare to defend our ship."


    immediately after he said this, the creatures of various races in that group left where they were sheltering from the icy waters of that area and headed for the sides of that ship.


    as soon as they did so, all of them circulated their energies in their bodies and transformed into their giant versions, with the two krakens positioning themselves at the front of the ship and the mermaids and mermen at the sides behind them.


    minos, the humans, and the land beasts on the ship were soon on the deck, all in their larger forms, showing either their bestial bodies or avatars.


    even though they weren''t sea creatures, like the 9th and 10th-stage experts, they could still fight in the underwater world.


    they would be weakened in that environment, just like a marine being on land. but they could fight in an environment different from the one they were used to.


    when they were fully in the defensive formation they had set up after their recent battle, they finally spotted two huge creatures as big as the krakens in front of their ship.


    one of them was a level 92 whale, its scales as light blue as the sky. it was currently missing several parts of its large body, with bite marks in the middle of the bloodied areas of its body.


    there was so much blood gushing from the back of this enormous creature that there was enough to fill dozens of human swimming pools with blood alone!


    even so, this creature remained conscious and tried its best to escape from the cruel opponent trying to devour it.


    on the other hand, the level 93 creature, a giant shark with dark blue, almost black scales, swam rapidly after the whale, its enormous mouth open as it prepared to lunge and tear another chunk out of its enemy.


    it wasn''t as badly injured as its target, but even though it was one level more powerful in cultivation than its target, it had several purple spots all over its large body.


    "you bastard! i''m going to eat you! i will make you regret standing up to us, the arctic sharks!" the fearsome-looking being said as it gave another thrust to attack the fleeing being.


    "you bastard! you''re insane! the sky whales will destroy you when they discover what you''ve done!"


    "not if they don''t find out!" the shark said as it attacked its target, once again unleashing a powerful bite and making its target scream in pain, making the surroundings tremble with its loud scream alone, capable of piercing the eardrums of lower beings.


    emlyn heard that and had to hide behind minos, realizing that she couldn''t help protect this ship.


    but when her group realized what was happening up ahead, these two beings realized that there were observers nearby.


    "a crew?" the whale commented to itself as it looked in the direction of minos'' group and saw these huge beings on the sides of the ship.


    "krakens!" the shark also saw the crew while chewing on a piece of its enemy''s flesh, feeling that it would have problems if it allowed observers to see what was going on.


    ''but at least they''re weak...'' it thought as it looked in their direction and attacked.

 Chapter 1890 Intelligence in Action

    chapter 1890 intelligence in action?


    as it charged toward the ship surrounded by creatures of different races, the arctic shark moved its tail fin from side to side with great force, shooting out a beam of energy blades.


    this creature was so fast and powerful that it instantly caused multiple attacks to form around it, traveling to various points on the ship in its vicinity.


    these razor-sharp, fin-shaped blades sliced through the water with ease, approaching minos'' group so quickly that there was little room for them to dodge.


    "attacking us?" one of the krakens at the front of the boat shouted in a changed tone, not liking the shark''s movement at all.


    as strong as the shark was, the creatures in minos'' group couldn''t help but be offended by this attack when they had nothing to do with these two creatures.


    but while the strongest of the group were offended, the others felt the danger of these attacks that could even end their journey there in this place!


    "shit!"


    one of the mermen shouted as he prepared to counterattack with everything he had, the only thing he felt he could do.


    minos saw this and immediately raised his cultivation level to the peak of level 85, using emlyn to help him achieve what he needed to help his people withstand the attack.


    in the process, his avatar grew in size, while minos found it easier to control the laws around him.


    jumping from the deck of his ship, he used chaotic gravity to manipulate the pieces of the iceberg that were forming there, as well as frozen spiritual energy to defend his ship.


    using this technique on the ocean floor was more difficult than on land. but perhaps because the liquid covering them in this place had a considerable mass, unlike what would happen in the open air, minos felt something different while manipulating this technique.


    narrowing his eyes, he suddenly decided to move the masses of water near his group, making huge air pockets appear in the path of the enemy energy blades.


    as he did so, minos saw the enemy shark''s attacks change from fluids and then change direction, quickly passing through the air pockets, re-entering the water, and changing direction again.


    with one simple move, he made all of the shark''s attacks miss his ship by a wide margin!


    "oh?" one of the sea folk who was about to intervene saw this and was impressed.


    but what minos had done was very simple. he knew that light changes direction when it changes the substance it passes through. for example, a light ray would go straight up in the air. but if it hit a glass surface, it would subtly change direction.


    the same thing could happen with attacks launched in an underwater environment!


    when you launched an attack, you were considering the variables of air or water, variables that could change the direction of your fired item.


    but if you changed the density of the substance the projectile was passing, i.e., the place where the item passed through, it could be subtly deflected.


    by applying this twice in the path of the blades sent by the shark, minos protected his entire crew by deflecting those terrible attacks that could kill everyone on his ship onto the adjacent terrain.


    realizing that they were safe because of minos'' quick movement, everyone in the crew looked at him in surprise, seeing how great his understanding of how this world worked was to change a desperate situation with such a simple move.


    what determined how talented and powerful someone was was not the amount of spiritual energy they used but how they used small fractions of their powers.


    by demonstrating this with a simple movement of masses of water, minos showed everyone in his group why he was the leader, even though there were beings there who were stronger than him in terms of physical strength in close combat.


    but as the kraken looked at him with more respect than ever, minos moved the frozen masses nearby and fired them at the shark that was staring furiously in his direction.


    "you court death!" the creature turned and began to look only at minos'' group, sensing that these beings were more capable than he had thought and that he would have to eliminate them as soon as possible.


    even the great whale was shocked and slowed its flight, looking at the group with hope.


    ''can they defeat that bastard?'' this huge whale thought to itself as it saw minos'' attacks flying in strange directions.


    but as this was happening, the surrounding waters were changing again, with pockets of air appearing in the path of the artifacts minos was launching.


    as he did so, each of the frozen masses he launched at high speed subtly changed direction, misleading the great shark as to where they had been launched.


    seeing them too close for it to evade, the shark closed its big mouth and raised its defenses, preparing for the shock.


    pow!


    boooom!


    the collision was so intense that chunks of ice and frozen spiritual energy exploded as they hit different parts of the shark''s body.


    amid minos'' powerful long-range attack, the shark couldn''t hide its pain, and as blood began to flow around its body, it opened its mouth again, this time because of the agony it felt throughout its entire body.


    it was at level 93, but for the first time in a long time, it felt that not only had its outermost layer of skin been pierced, but even some of its cartilage had been destroyed.


    "damn it! i''ll kill you, human!" it shouted in hate, glaring at minos with its eyes growing redder and redder.


    "we''re going to eat you for dinner tonight," minos said as he activated dragon''s gaze and looked directly into the eyes of the angry creature that was swimming towards him.


    as he activated this ridiculous ability that could make even level 93 creatures tremble with fear, the shark, who wasn''t particularly strong in mental power, felt something terrible enter its eyes.


    shit!


    meanwhile, the whale realized it no longer needed to flee and stopped to look at minos, shocked to see a human doing all this while only being a sage.


    ''who is this?'' it asked itself simultaneously as its enemy thrashed around in the water, and minos'' allies finally moved.


    when minos mentally hit the shark, the two kraken and the level 91 mermaids didn''t hesitate to swim over and attack it.


    they knew that minos wouldn''t be able to keep attacking for long, and they should take advantage of the moment when it was temporarily weakened.


    with that in mind, while the mermaids were already using their mental manipulation skills to swim around him, the two krakens used their arms to attack the shark with all their might.

 Chapter 1891 We Must Travel Together

    chapter 1891 we must travel together


    when the two level 91 krakens wrapped their arms around the big body of the level 93 shark, they felt like they would lose several of their arms.


    that shark was mentally injured, had various physical injuries all over its body, and was still under the effects of the mermaid''s special abilities. still, it struggled while the two of them held it, moving from side to side so hard that they both felt pain despite using everything they had.


    minos saw this and jumped towards the shark, making a series of seals with his hands.


    divine seal: mental prison!


    he quickly circulated his energies through his mental technique, causing a beam of colored light to shoot out of his eyes and hit his hands.


    infinite dream: mental prison!


    fusing two of his techniques, minos threw a large seal at the creature''s head, finally bringing the whale that was watching them into action.


    "damn it, i must join them and end this wretch''s life!" the large level 92 whale thought to itself as it ignored the wounds around its large body and swam back to the writhing shark.


    sensing that it had a chance to eliminate this guy after fusing the techniques of the temporary level 85 human, this individual did not hesitate and moved its body in a manner characteristic of whales.


    the two krakens around the shark realized that such a creature was going to crush its opponent with its own body, and they were afraid that if they didn''t let go of this creature, they would be in trouble as well.


    "let''s hold him off until minos'' attack hits this bastard!" one of the two shouted as he saw his ally''s seal move furiously just moments before hitting the shark.


    meanwhile, the shark could sense that everyone was acting against it, and if it didn''t move from its position, it would die!


    even though it had a higher cultivation level than that whale, it couldn''t compare to it in terms of brute strength.


    its strength was its speed and the strength of its jaw. this was what gave it the advantage in dealing with a whale, a being that naturally possessed immense physical strength, capable of crushing even those of higher levels.


    as long as it could swim freely, it was confident that it would never lose to that whale. but if it were trapped for a few more moments, it would be its end!


    "damn it, i''m going to kill all of you, krakens, mermaids, humans!" it finally managed to overcome the weight of the mental damage it had suffered and opened its eyes to see minos'' fusion rapidly approaching it.


    feeling a chill in its soul, it realized that it would be its end if it were hit by this and the whale''s attack that was preparing to crush it.


    then, it began to rotate its body on its own axis, strengthening its fins so that they quickly became as hard as medium-level grade-4 weapons.


    as it did so, it severed the arms of the krakens that were trying to hold it down, causing the two creatures to release it as they let out screams of pain from their huge mouths.


    released, it didn''t hesitate to flee, knowing that fighting so many demigods and that whale would be difficult.


    "live a few more days. i''ll be back!" it swam quickly, even outpacing the speed of the mermaids in minos'' crew.


    the mermaids could keep up with it if they wanted to. but they wouldn''t risk going after it alone.


    so, as it fled without anyone following it, minos'' seal missed its target and hit the ground, while the attack of the giant whale landed on the bodies of the two krakens.


    "shit!"


    they both screamed in fear as they felt themselves being hit by the whale''s huge body.


    already exhausted and unable to do anything else for the day, minos simply watched as the other demigods in his group joined forces to manipulate the space around his two companions.


    in a single instant, as the huge bodies of those two kraken were being pulled closer to the ship by more than 8 demigods, that whale''s fin finally made its final move, unleashing an extremely powerful attack.


    rumble!


    everything below where that level 92 whale attacked was pushed down as if the gravity in that area had suddenly increased dozens of times.


    the sea floor itself was pressed against itself, sinking hundreds of meters over an area of more than 10 square kilometers!


    the place where the ship of minos'' group had been was barely hit and damaged by that powerful attack!


    the three members of the sea folk saw this from the command center of this ship and finally sighed, gradually letting go of the tension they had just felt.


    meanwhile, everyone on the outside of the ship held their positions, feeling the strong movements of the water in that area rushing past them, trying to carry them away.


    that whale''s attack had been so strong that all the water in the surrounding area had become agitated after its movement, and everyone there felt the masses of water trying to carry them away.


    ''that was close!'' one of the mercenary demigods thought to himself as he saw half of one of the kraken''s arms was missing from the whale''s attack.


    as such, this most injured kraken was screaming in pain, feeling how terrible the attacks of whales were, the beings with the most powerful bodies in the spiritual world!


    meanwhile, minos controlled his position and managed to stay still, looking at where the shark creature had fled and disappeared.


    ''damn it! that thing got away!'' he hated loose ends, so he couldn''t help but feel terrible about this escape.


    "what are we going to do?" one of the mermaids asked, feeling terrible for not being able to contain the creature.


    "what else can we do but talk to this one?" minos said as he looked at the great whale, the only one there who could help them in any way.


    the enemy had fled, which meant it could return with allies to destroy them.


    having seen much of what the group was capable of, that shark had suddenly become the enemy to be eliminated by this crew!


    minos then flew to it and asked. "arctic whale, can we talk? we have a common enemy now. i''m afraid we''ll have to travel together for now, or we''ll both be in trouble."


    upon hearing this and looking at the wounded kraken, the level 92 whale changed its physical form and turned into a woman about 2.7 meters tall, quite strong, but without losing her femininity.


    "thank you for helping me. as much as it wasn''t your intention, it may have saved my life." she said as she made a gesture of thanks to minos and his people.


    ...

 Chapter 1892 New Circumstances

    ?


    when they came face to face with this magnificent but gorgeous woman, minos, and his people looked at her differently among themselves, some a little annoyed that they had acquired a mortal enemy because of her.


    but others didn''t see it as such a problem. if it was her fault that they got into trouble with the shark, it was their fault for being so close to those two during the previous confrontation.


    in short, no one had forced them to make their journey through this place!


    minos saw that such a whale wouldn''t make things difficult and smiled at her. "what is your name?"


    "my name is trilla." she said as she looked at minos, knowing that he was the leader of this crew because of how much power he had shown just a moment ago.


    minos was a monster. even in the city of whales, there wouldn''t be many who could compete with him at his level or stage!


    with that in mind, she already respected him, and even though she was at level 92, she didn''t consider herself superior to this young human.


    ''his fighting skills are as great as those of the geniuses of the strongest races in our world!'' she thought to herself, comparing minos to dragons, sky whales, and elves.


    not every elf, sky whale, or dragon was the same. even though one was a member of the most talented and strongest races in the world, not all members of those races had similar talents.


    they were not equal. some were more promising!


    minos was similar to the most promising of these beings this whale had ever heard of.


    she waved at him, and when she saw that he remained silent, she took the opportunity to apologize to the kraken, who felt the pain of losing an arm because of her.


    "i''m sorry about that. i wanted to kill that shark as much as you did. unfortunately, things didn''t work out as expected, and i ended up hurting you unintentionally." she said as she bowed her head to the creature one level below her.


    the kraken gave the woman an ugly look but didn''t say anything while the people in his group helped him.


    "what do we do now, minos?" the other kraken, already in his humanoid form, asked the group leader.


    minos had already gotten the whale to travel with his group, at least for the time being, so he already had plans in mind for dealing with the shark.


    he said. "well, first, we have to get to the arctic whale tribe. staying here or continuing our journey without resolving the situation with that shark will be dangerous. it''s already very strong on its own, and if it gets allies, we won''t stand a chance.


    therefore, we must take shelter among powerful allies." he said, looking at trilla while everyone in his group also looked at her.


    she saw no problem in taking a group that had saved her life back to her tribe and said. "the one you saw is a member of the arctic shark tribe.


    normally, my race and his race are not friendly with each other. but beings at our cultivation level don''t hunt each other unless something drastic happens.


    a few days ago, when i was traveling near their tribe, something dire happened.


    that day, i witnessed high-ranking sharks from that tribe meeting with land dragons and acting together against a weakened sky whale." she said in a very serious tone, concerned.


    sky whales were like the rulers of the sea. even outside their territory, the beings of this race had their way, and the entire sea had to be on their side when confrontations like the one between dragons and whales broke out.


    this was especially true for the other whale races, who were like high-ranking vassals of the sea kings.


    as such, trilla was loyal to the sky whale tribe, and when she witnessed the betrayal of the arctic sharks, she was determined to report it to the sky whales.


    without this information, many sky whales could soon perish at the hands of the traitorous sharks!


    because she had discovered this contact, she had been pursued by that shark. not only that, but because she had fled with minos'' ''help,'' she was now sure that her tribe would be attacked.


    "then we really must go to my tribe. we must tell my elders what happened and pass this information on to the sky whale tribe." she said seriously before apologizing again.


    "anyway, i''m just sorry that i got you involved in all of this. but as long as we eliminate those who know your identity, you shouldn''t have too much trouble continuing your journey... where were you going?"


    "continent of beasts." one of the sea folk men replied as all of his crew slowly returned to the ship he was on.


    "a chaotic journey. the clashes between land dragons and sky whales are making the area you must follow quite dangerous.


    but i''ll try my best to get an elder from the sky whale tribe to guide you part of the way, at least until you reach an area far enough away from the territory of those damned sharks.


    before that, i ask you to fight by my people''s side until you can return to your journey." she said sincerely.


    since they could not turn back in this situation, no one complained. now, they could only look for the best possible outcome to all of this, which, in the opinion of everyone there, was to help this information reach the strongest tribe in the world so that, in return, they could receive something like help to travel through that tribe''s territory.


    the people there agreed, and as soon as the injured kraken began to sleep in his humanoid form, the members of the sea folk there changed the direction of their ship.


    "alright, guys, let''s go to the arctic whale tribe." minos said, looking to the south of that area.


    earlier, someone had mentioned this tribe for them to stop. the arctic whales were very strong and could be important on a journey across the north sea.


    however, after minos'' success in gaining allies among the fish people and the krakens, they thought it would not be necessary to risk approaching a tribe that was not in the sea folk''s territory.


    they would have to be very careful with these whales, and there was still the risk that they would not welcome them into their tribe and would see them as enemies.


    whales were generally docile, but some didn''t like visitors in their homes!


    to avoid confrontation for no gain, the crew had already given up on passing through such a tribe. it was already on its way to the continent of emlyn, no longer interested in stopping to recruit allies at sea.


    the area they were traveling through was sparsely populated, and there were many dangers ahead. in other words, even if they wanted to continue recruiting, there weren''t many tribes to stop at.


    however, now that things had changed, they were already adapting their plans to the new circumstances!


    ''let''s see what we can get out of this tribe...'' minos thought to himself.

 Chapter 1893 Prevented from Communicating

    chapter 1893 prevented from communicating


    ten days passed in the blink of an eye as the arctic whale traveled with minos'' crew to his tribe.


    they hadn''t encountered many problems on their journey so far. as fast as the arctic sharks were, the individual they had encountered was injured and on the run. it would be a while before it caught up with its people, recovered, and assembled an attack party.


    in the meantime, minos'' party had traveled hundreds of kilometers, enough to make any scouting trip difficult.


    thus, after days of travel, they had encountered no problems on their way, having reached the beginning of the arctic whales'' territory hours ago.


    with a member of this tribe in their crew, the group had no problem passing the tribe''s first observer in this territory, and they easily made their way to the place where some of the greatest creatures of the spiritual world lived.


    ...


    as minos and almost everyone else on his shit hid from the intense cold of the region they were in, they saw from where they were the home of the arctic whales, where dozens of gigantic creatures swam together.


    each race in this world had its own peculiar habits. for example, monkeys, even high-level ones, habitually sat on tree branches or used them to move around. so even if they lived in cities, you would see them behaving like that, and naturally, there would be a lot of trees at the headquarters of the tribes of such beings.


    in the case of the whales, even though they had their own city where they did business and had resting places, they would swim together around their headquarters, which was a beautiful image for someone who came to that tribe.


    this was a habit of all whale breeds, not just arctic whales.


    seeing this, the beings in this crew observed beings twice the size of their ship, or even 50 times bigger, swimming alongside many other race members.


    "this is really fantastic. the big ones and the ''little'' ones side by side, swimming and smiling." emlyn saw this and commented, feeling that the beings swimming together were all happy.


    trilla heard this and explained. "for us whales, swimming together is like living in society for humans. if we miss it, we can feel awful and very sad.


    it is also a special form of cultivation. by swimming like this, everyone, even the strongest elders, can benefit from the spiritual energy around them.


    anyway, i want to prepare my tribe for the sharks immediately. wait for me. i''ll be right back."


    as she left the ship and changed into her bestial form, minos said to her. "in the meantime, we''ll do what we already told you, okay?"


    "okay." she said, knowing that this group wanted to get allies from their tribe for their journey to the north sea.


    the tribe wouldn''t need one or two low-level 10th-stage whales. so she didn''t feel the need to stop them or even that the elders of her tribe would stand in the way of what this group would do.


    after days of traveling with them, trilla had gotten to know more of them and discovered their goals and that they were trustworthy and honest in their purposes.


    if someone joined them, it would be of their own free will, so she had no reason to worry about members of her tribe joining them.


    if someone wanted to go to the north sea, that was their problem, not hers!


    ...


    while minos'' group was getting to know the arctic whale tribe, trilla quickly arrived at her tribe''s headquarters city and headed straight for a magnificent underground cave in that city, located on one of the area''s frozen mountain ranges.


    upon arrival, she immediately opened her mouth and warned her people.


    "the damned arctic sharks are conspiring with the land dragons! they have betrayed the sky whales!" she said, encouraging the elders to solve the problems.


    the place where she stopped was like a huge cave chamber, where several side rooms were where the elders rested around where she stopped.


    the moment she shouted those dangerous words, the four elders there immediately opened their eyes. they felt the seriousness of the problem that this junior had brought.


    "what are you talking about, trilla?" one of them recognized her lineage and immediately knew who she was.


    the arctic whale tribe was small. there were only 3,000 members, and each of them knew every one of their tribe, whether they were young or old, strong or weak.


    trilla responded immediately. "elder, i witnessed 10th-stage sharks conspiring with the land dragons to eliminate an elder of the sky whale tribe. one of them almost killed me, but fortunately, i survived by gaining allies.


    but i ask that this information be relayed to the sky whales immediately. i''m afraid we will be visited by those fucking sharks very soon!"


    listening to trilla''s words and especially feeling her emotions, each of these elders realized this was a gigantic problem.


    in terms of strength, their tribe was on par with the arctic shark tribe. however, that didn''t mean those creatures wouldn''t attack them after what trilla had described.


    "this is terrible!"


    "how long ago did this happen?"


    the elders asked as they commented on the seriousness of the situation.


    if the arctic sharks attacked them by surprise, they could lose many of their people!


    "less than 11 days," trilla said, imagining that enemies must already be moving into this place to silence her and anyone else who could bring this information to the strongest tribe in the world.


    "11 days? that''s too long! the enemies could reach our tribe at any moment!" the oldest elder there shouted, immediately raising his aura.


    "alert everyone to start the defense formation! and send a message to the sky whale tribe. the arctic sharks have rebelled and are on the same side as the land dragons!" the elder said as pulses burst from his mouth, reaching only those he wanted to hear his words.


    booooooooooom!


    but just as he gave those orders, one of the caves in that frozen mountain range suddenly exploded, and all the elders in the area felt a presence that shouldn''t have been there.


    "damn it!"


    "fuck! has one of them infiltrated our tribe?" all the elders moved from their resting places while trilla looked fearfully in the direction where a huge level 97 shark had just appeared and swam out of the place.


    amid this, the entire tribe went into alarm, with several individuals changing their quiet, everyday behavior.


    "elders, our communication with the sky whale tribe has been cut off!


    we cannot communicate with them!" one of the people in charge of communication between the tribes shouted this after realizing what the enemy had done!


    ...

 Chapter 1894 Powers That Can Destroy The World

    ?


    the moment they realized what had just happened, the elders of the arctic whale tribe were furious as they left their resting places around their tribe''s headquarters.


    seconds after the explosion in the area responsible for this tribe''s communication with others in the arctic sea and the south sea, a dozen elders between levels 95 and 98 appeared around the frozen mountain range at the bottom of the sea.


    when they saw the level 97 shark fleeing at high speed, the elders of this tribe didn''t hesitate to show their true size, becoming as big as the mountain range where they lived.


    they immediately began to chase after the level 97 creature, attacking it with their massive bodies, causing chaos that was difficult to see even in the territory of such powerful beings.


    the strongest whale, level 98, was the first to act, swimming upward and then turning around and launching a powerful back fin strike in the direction the shark was fleeing.


    the other whales made similar moves, attacking in the direction of the daring creature''s various escape routes, not caring for the chaos these moves would cause.


    as the first attacks formed and flew toward the dark blue shark, the surrounding waters cooled a few tens of degrees more as spiritual pulses surged.


    immediately after the first wave of attacks was launched, such strong pulses spread outward that the hundreds of whales swimming in the area were suddenly hit, and more than 70% of them lost consciousness.


    just from the lingering effects of these attacks, these elders created such a powerful spiritual pressure that anyone below level 80 in the vicinity would immediately pass out from blows that didn''t even come close to them!


    but that wasn''t all. within a distance of up to 100 kilometers from these creatures, all living beings between levels 80 and 90 felt the pressure on them suddenly increase to the point that some of them began to tremble in agony.


    at the same time, the sounds produced by these elders, who were shouting to the entire tribe, were destroying the eardrums of all non-whale races, the only ones capable of withstanding these sounds, even at levels lower than those of their elders who were producing such signals.


    minos and his crew were more than 30 kilometers away from the tribal elders who had just arrived, but the moment the attacks began, they all felt the weight of them.


    all the beings below level 90 in this group put their hands to their ears as they circulated their energies over their bodies, trying to protect themselves from the spiritual pressure, the more intense cold, and the high-pitched sounds that hit them at that moment.


    "damn it! what''s happening?" one of the krakens shouted, feeling goosebumps all over because even he was a little afraid.


    even though the demigods in the group weren''t affected as much as the sages, they felt the restrictions, the earaches, and the cold that their weaker crewmates were feeling right now.


    meanwhile, minos had an ugly look on his face as he tried to hold back the remnants of the first attack by the elders of this tribe, looking in the direction where creatures much larger than the ones they had seen earlier were charging full force at an enemy.


    ''shit! are the enemies already here? so fast?'' he felt terrible and clenched his fists in frustration.


    their group had just stopped at this place and was beginning to attract the attention of the 10th-stage whales who were interested in dangerous adventures. but suddenly, while they were talking to a level 91 individual, everyone around them changed with the first shout of the strongest of the tribe.


    in this situation, he could only stand by and deal with whatever came at his group and could no longer consider his previous recruitment interest.


    with his plans disrupted, minos was furious, while even the sea folk members of his crew raised their guard, aware of the danger they were in.


    not only were they in danger from a possible battle between sharks and whales breaking out near them, but also from the defensive actions of the whales themselves!


    "raise your defenses! we must leave this place!" the level 91 woman said to the rest of the group.


    "what? what about our interests here?" one of the mercenaries in the group asked with an ugly expression on his face.


    "don''t be an idiot. when whales fight, only those of the same level or stronger can have the privilege of watching! if we stay, we''ll die!" the woman screamed as she saw the first attacks of those creatures hitting the ocean floor where the shark was passing.


    the level 97 shark had been very skillful and fast, escaping almost all of its enemies'' attacks.


    however, even though it had survived the worst, it still suffered from fractions of each attack. its body was already riddled with cuts and purple stains from its enemies'' first burst of attacks.


    but it had avoided the worst by letting most of the power of those attacks hit the seabed.


    when those very powerful attacks hit the seafloor almost simultaneously, hundreds of square kilometers of rock and sand were completely destroyed, crushed in upon itself.


    some simply sank in on itself, creating huge craters up to 10 kilometers deep. but other parts turned into lava, even considering the surrounding arctic area.


    some of the attacks were so strong that their great pressure on the ocean floor caused it to melt and form "pools" of magma in this icy area!


    finally, tremors appeared in that area, so strong that even living beings more than a thousand kilometers away would feel the tremors caused by the attacks of the strongest whales of that tribe!


    minos'' crew felt it, and those who still didn''t understand why the whales were said to have the power to destroy the world finally understood where it came from.


    "fuck!"


    "tsk! we have to get out of here!"


    "damn it! i never thought i''d see this in my life!"


    the people on the boat screamed as they tried to hold on to the boat''s sides, realizing that every word of this sea folk woman made sense and that they couldn''t stay in this place.


    except for minos, the sages there were all unconscious and could not stand this situation any longer while he was enduring it all because of his heritage from the level 100 dragon.


    he looked at his group and said. "let''s go to the sky whale''s territory!"


    ...

 Chapter 1895 Awakening of Mighty Beasts

    chapter 1895 awakening of mighty beasts?


    when minos decided to leave, one of the nearby whales, who had just heard the group''s propaganda, asked.


    "hey, where are you going? if you leave the tribe now, you''ll face unimaginable dangers. you''d better stay and fight with us!" a level 91 whale shouted.


    but then minos said to him. "not everyone in our group is strong enough to withstand a high-level confrontation. we''d like to stay and help, but we must think of our weaker comrades."


    this was a plausible justification. considering how bad the current situation was and the possibility that there might be several high-level sharks nearby, sages of other races really couldn''t stand to be there for long.


    it was different for the members of the arctic whale race. after all, not only were their bodies different from those of humans or land creatures, but they were also adapted to withstand extreme situations.


    even if some of them weren''t strong enough to withstand the consequences of the high-level elders'' fight, they would still be protected by some of the tribe''s elders, which would never happen to the people in minos'' group.


    that level 91 whale felt that these individuals didn''t need to fight an enemy that wasn''t theirs and that they needed to protect their own people. then he made up his mind and said.


    "all right, i can''t go with you to the north sea in the situation my tribe is in. but i will help you get out of our territory."


    "okay!" minos said in a grateful tone as he tried to cope as best he could with the terrible mental fluctuations that hit him.


    as the chaos that had arisen in that tribe spread across the sea and brought catastrophic phenomena to places far away, the sea folk''s faith ship departed from that tribe, guided by two giant level 91 whales.


    on the way out of that tribe, that first individual had recruited another tribesman to accompany the ship''s escort, and so the group gradually began to leave that area.


    but while those elders'' battle against the shark continued, minos'' group heard trilla''s voice reach them minutes after leaving their previous point.


    "guys, are you leaving?" she asked them as she swam towards them.


    "yes, we have no choice. even though it will be difficult to escape from that shark, it would be worse if we stayed... we didn''t expect them to attack the core of your tribe directly." minos said to the whale he could already see approaching his crew.


    the two level 91 whales with the group looked at trilla in silence as she looked back at them.


    as she approached the group, trilla said. "then please accompany me to the territory of the sky whale tribe.


    the damned enemy who just attacked us has destroyed our communication with the outside world. in order to warn the sky whale tribe of what has happened, we must go directly to them to pass on the information." she looked nervous as she spoke.


    "is that true, trilla?"


    "how can it be?"


    the two whales escorting minos'' group asked in disbelief.


    "yes, it''s a fact. one of the elders has ordered me to go to the territory of the sky whale tribe. why don''t you come with me? this is an important mission for our tribe."


    the two immediately agreed, while the people in minos'' group realized it was better for them to do what trilla suggested.


    if they ventured out alone, they would face danger even from members of the strongest tribe in the world. but if they were accompanied by these three, at least the sky whales would have to see them as allies of their subordinates.


    with the threat of being hunted by 10th-stage sharks still looming, they couldn''t refuse trilla''s request.


    "alright, let''s go to the strongest tribe in the world!" minos said, making trilla sigh as she went back to the boat.


    "i''m sorry for all of this. i hope i can repay you in the future for everything you''ve done for my people." she said as she boarded the ship.


    once there, she quickly went to the side of the sea folk members controlling the ship and gave them the best directions to follow to their new destination.


    "guys, we''ll have some excitement ahead of us, but hang in there. after that, we''ll just have to worry about the ''normal'' dangers of traveling like this." trilla said as everyone took in his words, paying attention to their surroundings while in their strongest form.


    the whales, sailing side by side with this ship, continued to swim with it, helping to lessen the effects of their elders'' movements on minos'' people.


    and so the group of minos began their journey to the most powerful tribe in the spiritual world!


    ...


    as minos and his group traveled toward the central part of the sky whale''s territory, tsunamis were already forming in places thousands of kilometers away from the arctic whale tribe.


    the movements from earlier had been so powerful and destructive that even the coasts of the marine empire, the continent of beasts, and the central continent would feel the effects of those elders'' attacks.


    the power of the whales was truly destructive, and not only the beings of the strongest race in the world could display this trait. all whale races were like that!


    the sky whales were the most famous for this because not only were their members stronger and even more terrifying than the members of other whale races, but they also commanded all the whale races in this world!


    because of this, they could truly bring chaos and destruction to the entire world if they ordered all of their experts to act simultaneously.


    anyway, while some of the powers around the spiritual world were feeling the effects of the confrontation that had begun between the continent of beasts dragons and the sky whales, the members of the strongest tribe realized that something was wrong.


    even in their own territory, they noticed tremors and spiritual disturbances far above normal, indicating a movement of powerful experts to the south.


    knowing that the whales would not act without first warning their tribe and that they would only do so in a matter of life and death, the first beings of the strongest race in the world did not have to wait for minos and his crew to arrive to realize that trouble was brewing in the south.


    one of the elders of this tribe, observing the southern part of their territory, realized the problem and opened his eyes while he was in the dark region of the sea, not hesitating to leave his post and head for danger.


    with the departure of a level 97 elder, several creatures in that dark area of the underwater world awoke from their slumber, sensing that dangerous things were about to happen.


    when the strongest beasts awoke, chaos and terrible things happened worldwide!

 Chapter 1896 Eras of Chaos

    chapter 1896 eras of chaos?


    in the capital of the evergreen empire...


    maximilian was meditating when he suddenly felt an icy wind at his back and opened his eyes.


    as he did so, he frowned and made an ugly face as he stood in a windowless training room.


    "this..." he opened his mouth and felt that the cold wind on his back was not an ordinary wind but something spiritual that only very high-level cultivators could feel.


    something terrible is about to happen. something has just changed! he clenched a fist and stood up from where he was sitting, not caring about the surprise at all.


    eager to find out what was behind this feeling, he left the place and quickly went in search of the seers of the spiritual church.


    ...


    meanwhile, vico was doing almost the same thing as his enemy, searching for information about the sensation he had felt just moments ago when he was sorting out the affairs of his region''s war with the southern region.


    "elders, did you feel that? did anyone else notice that an inexplicable wind hit them and made them shiver?" this leader of the eastern empire asked his people with a sullen expression.


    the event in the ancient dragon spatial kingdom had just ended, and he had discovered that all of his emissaries in that space had perished.


    it would still take some time for his family''s investigators to understand what had happened, but with the news that maximilian''s envoys had also met their end in that place, vico and his family weren''t too depressed about the results of this endeavor.


    but they weren''t happy either. since the confrontation between the sky whales and the dragons had started because of this event, the travisani family and the spiritual church were very worried.


    feeling a bad sensation like the one he had just noticed was not at all pleasant, even in normal situations. but already in the shit, vico couldn''t help but feel terrible, as if everything was against him.


    as they listened to their leader, some of the most powerful seers in the spiritual world looked at each other and realized they weren''t the only ones who had felt such a sensation.


    "it seems you felt it too..."


    "i thought it was just me."


    "me too..."


    "but if we all feel it... bad things are coming."


    "your majesty, have you sent people to investigate the situation of the sea creatures?" one of the oldest seers in the spiritual world, a level 98 man, asked his leader.


    vico frowned when he heard that and realized he really had to do that.


    "no."


    observing the sea creatures was extremely important for discovering problems in the spiritual world. why was that? simply put, beasts were more sensitive to changes in the world than humans because they had a greater spiritual affinity with the laws of this world.


    sea creatures and elves were even more sensitive but were few and far between in the spiritual world.


    the majority of the living beings in this world were sea creatures.


    in particular, most of the experts were sea creatures living on the bottom of the sea.


    due to their greater sensitivity to change, they were usually the first to make significant movements that indicated trouble.


    the questioning elder said. "when terrible events are about to happen that will shake the world, the beasts become more agitated and are more likely to start confrontations that would not usually happen.


    in these situations, the strongest beasts in the world don''t act with purpose and awareness that things are wrong. they simply become more defensive and look for ways to stand out. observing the behavior of sea creatures is important for this reason because it tells us their level of sensitivity.


    we must look into this immediately, your majesty. if the sea creatures are agitated, something is bound to happen. that probably is what''s behind this sensation we all felt."


    "shit!"


    ...


    "shit!"


    "did you feel that, elder merritt?" elder aarav of the pantheon of honor faced the strongest level 99 demigod in his organization and noticed the concern in the tall, strong man''s eyes.


    "what could be behind this?" merritt asked with a terrible expression on his face. "could this be related to the unexpected awakening of one of the elders of the elf tribe years ago?"


    "anything is possible... maybe it''s another scorching age." aarav sighed, sensing that times were changing and something was about to hit the entire world hard.


    the world had its cycles; in a way, it was alive. and as a living being, it would sometimes fall on hard times.


    a few million years ago, the world went through an era of extreme heat when the glaciers of the highest mountains and all the icebergs had melted. volcanoes erupted worldwide, and the temperature of the whole world rose by about 50 degrees celsius.


    crops became unproductive during this period, while many lower-level beings died due to the overheating of the world, which lasted for more than 50,000 years.


    more than 100 races became extinct during this period, one of the worst in history.


    but other eras of intense chaos have occurred throughout known history. there had been the age of lightning, the age of ice, and the age of decline.


    the latter occurred during the great migration on the central continent and was related to the spiritual decline that had affected many areas of the world.


    some areas had recovered after a few tens of thousands of years, while others had never recovered.


    "according to our ancestors, the volcanic area in the middle region of the central continent was formed during that scorching time, while the south pole was formed after the ice age," aarav commented. "perhaps we are on the verge of a new chaotic era."


    merritt heard this and clenched his fists, not liking it at all.


    such chaotic eras were of no use to the living beings when they arrived. they might even create special new inhabitants that were useful for certain types of organisms, but that would come after stabilization, thousands of years after the chaos began.


    amid the chaos, billions of living animals and plants would perish!


    even though it wouldn''t directly affect cultivators or high-level organizations like theirs, the entire spiritual world would be impoverished in the face of such an era, which would be terrible for cultivators like them!


    "contact the elves. let''s see what they know about what just happened." merritt said before disappearing from aarav''s sight.

 Chapter 1897 Time to move on

    chapter 1897 time to move on?


    on the elves island...


    in the middle of the territory of the most talented tribe in the spiritual world, there was a huge, colorful tree, the oldest tree in the world, the source of the spring of life.


    on the sides of this tree was a small lake that collected the drops that fell from the thousands of leaves of this ancient tree.


    but there was a reason why this huge tree was so special and produced such a precious liquid. looking through the soil to its roots, you would see something unique in the whole world.


    the tree was connected to a spiritual root!


    it was the only one in the whole world, the only one that had successfully connected with one of the highest-level life forms in this world.


    because of the importance of this tree to the elves, the strongest of this tribe lived near it, in the inanimate parts of this gigantic organism that was worth more than divine medicine.


    but right where the strongest demigods of this tribe lived, a group of them were gathered on one of the branches of this tree, all with resolute looks on their faces, deeply worried.


    "we haven''t found out what''s going on yet. but we have already sent some of our siblings to travel the seas and the continent of beasts to investigate further.


    but the recent behavior of the sky whales and dragons can clearly be explained by a new race for supremacy in the face of disaster." a level 99 pointy-eared being said while analyzing the matter with some elders of the same level as him.


    "what should we do?" an elf asked, feeling that signs of trouble had reached them too often in recent years.


    another male elf said. "the continental tournament will be held soon. we''ll have all the leaders of the spiritual world in our territory to discuss measures to prevent disasters."


    "that will take a long time. i have a feeling that the problem behind this sensation we''re all feeling will hit us before the tournament." another elf commented.


    "then let''s invite representatives from each continent to a meeting. we can meet on the divine continent in five years. that''s enough time for even the rival powers to get some space to send representatives to this conversation."


    "hmm, we need to start rationing food and spiritual resources immediately. we don''t know what will happen yet. still, it is almost certain that the harvests of common resources and high-level medicines will fall within a few decades."


    the elves were one of the three oldest races and the most knowledgeable about the history of the world. they had already witnessed several global catastrophes and knew what global crises entailed.


    they knew that to keep the world strong and get it through one of these eras, many measures had to be taken to protect as many races as possible.


    not only that, but the world leaders had to be as strong as they could be before that happened!


    it would be twice as difficult to reach the peak of cultivation during such an era!


    knowing this, a level 99 elf, the strongest elder of the elf tribe, stood up from where she was sitting with her back to the other elders who were talking.


    when they saw her standing on the top of that branch, looking at a giant moon that could only be seen from elves island, they all fell silent, waiting for the decision of one of the five strongest level 99 demigods in the spiritual world.


    she was the strongest among the elves, losing in power only to two sky whales, a dragon, and a human from the divine continent!


    she moved her right hand, and the space around that part of her body distorted before returning to normal, with a bright orange fruit appearing there. "it''s time for me to take the next step." she said subtly as all the elders looked at the divine-grade medicine in her hands.


    "aurae..." one of the elders murmured the name of this 140,000-year-old woman, one of the oldest living beings in the world.


    even the elven tribe didn''t have many divine medicines. every generation, the tribe would have one or two medicines of this quality.


    but at this time, only one had matured, and the tribe had yet to decide who would be lucky enough to absorb it.


    unlike other races worldwide, where the strongest had this privilege, things were different on elves island.


    you had to get the permission of the tree of life!


    however, in this pre-chaos situation, things might be a little different!


    "does anyone here disagree with me doing this? elders, the tribe needs a leader, and it needs to be as strong as possible. i will fulfill this mission and lead our people to the end of the next chaotic era." she said before disappearing to begin her absorption of the most precious resource.


    the other elves just watched as the blonde woman with the greenish-blue skin disappeared from their sight; probably the last time they would see her at level 99.


    unlike many beings who could reach level 99, elves had an almost 80% chance of reaching level 100 when they had divine medicine in their hands!


    because of their spiritual affinity with this world and its resources, these beings needed only a small push to make such a breakthrough!


    in a few years, decades at the most, that old woman could reach the highest level known in the spiritual world!


    ...


    while the powers of the entire spiritual world were reeling from the sudden phenomenon that had stunned experts on every continent and island, minos and his crew managed to leave the territory of the arctic whale tribe.


    after overcoming the problems of leaving the tribe, their group would continue to travel northeast for the next few days, toward the sky whale post closest to their position.


    they wouldn''t go to the headquarters of the most powerful tribe in the world, as it could take weeks or even months to reach that place.


    considering the difficulties of the whale tribe accompanying them, they only wanted to deliver information about the betrayal of the arctic sharks to the sea rulers.


    only four days after leaving their tribe, their group would arrive at the first location of the sky whale tribe''s group, where they would encounter chaos that most of them would not have expected.


    the dark zone of the sea was completely empty, while many experts above level 95 had left their resting positions to sail the world again!


    ''shit... trouble is coming!''

 Chapter 1898 Calamities

    chapter 1898 calamities?


    when minos noticed that the area where several powerful beings should have been sleeping while searching for new advancements was empty, he immediately noticed a serious problem.


    beasts, especially high-level elder beasts, wouldn''t move from their positions without strong motivations, without feeling a bad premonition.


    for all the beasts in an area like the one minos and his crew had just passed through to have moved, there had to be more to it than curiosity about a war or confrontation.


    high-level beasts only acted so defensively when they felt threatened!


    and threats from other races didn''t cause this kind of reaction!


    the spiritual world has existed for a long time. even though there had been conflicts here and there for practically every generation, they were ordinary conflicts that wouldn''t disrupt the natural order of things.


    the experts would fight sooner or later. there was no way to avoid it. sometimes, it would be over resources. sometimes, it would be over personal issues, like a fight over a woman. and so some problem or other would cause the elders and especially the juniors to clash, sometimes bringing things to a level of mutual destruction.


    rare, however, were the movements that would cause planetary catastrophes, threatening a large portion of the world''s races to such an extent that the high-level elders would become alarmed and leave their places of retreat.


    this kind of threat could only be caused by something of the highest level that had to be strong and broad enough to reach the experts scattered worldwide!


    an ordinary dispute between beasts wouldn''t cause experts thousands of kilometers away to leave their retreats!


    after two days of traveling through the dark part of the sea, minos and his crew realized that not only a small part of the area they were in had been emptied, but the entire path to the vicinity of the sky whale tribe''s post was like that.


    with this in mind, minos began to think more and more about the possibility that something devastating was about to happen to this world!


    ...


    ''damn it. something''s going to happen.'' he thought as he saw the outpost of the strongest tribe in the world, where his crew would arrive in a few moments.


    while he was in a bad mood, which was quite common during the last days of the journey, emlyn approached minos and asked. "do you think this phenomenon is related to the danger in the north sea?"


    the rest of the crew, most of whom already knew what minos expected to find in the north sea, turned to him immediately after emlyn broke the silence.


    minos replied. "no. what could be in the north sea, if it''s what i really fear, would not cause a disturbance that could alert beasts so far away."


    specialists could threaten tribes and races. a single god could decimate life in the spiritual world if there were no others of his level to stop him.


    however, one or more specialists of that level would not cause species from such distant places to sense the coming disaster. that''s because, as unusual and rare as they were, level 100 beings were ''normal'' things for this reality. in other words, it was something that was ''allowed'' by the rules of this world.


    what could cause so many high-level beings to have a bad premonition was something that was completely out of the ordinary, something that went against the ''normal'' way of this world.


    in a way, gods were like important and rare cells in a body that functioned according to its normality. disasters, on the other hand, were like diseases, a malfunction, something that could cause the end of many parts of the body or even the whole body.


    only something like that could cause a reaction that could alert so many specialists simultaneously!


    so, it couldn''t be level 100 beings behind this, even if they were invaders from this world.


    ''that is, of course, if henricus longus was completely correct in his visions.'' minos thought to himself, without raising the hypothesis to his companions, that the invaders he feared could actually be stronger than level 100.


    but he remained confident in such a god''s abilities, and even considering that there might be stronger beings outside the spiritual world, minos felt that level 100 would be the limit of the enemies he would have to face first.


    he said. "what could be behind this is a global catastrophe like the age of lightning."


    hearing minos'' last words, the three members of the sea folk looked at each other and felt that this human was right and that something like the age of lightning could begin again in a few decades.


    "age of lightning?" one of the level 89 mercenaries asked while the weaker and less influential group members had curious looks on their faces.


    one of the two krakens said. "the age of lightning happened 9 million years ago. at that time, there weren''t even any spiritual sages in our world. the strongest ones were level 79 saints.


    at that time, there was a dark period that lasted about 90,000 years, when almost the entire lands of the spiritual world were rendered uninhabitable by the powerful lightning that struck the land and sea every day.


    90% of the land life was wiped out at that time, and countless races of marine hybrids arose from it, eventually giving rise to the races of the fish people and others."


    "at that time, the divine continent and the continent of beasts also separated." the sea folk woman said, remembering that in the distant past of their world, the continents and islands had once been part of the same continent.


    another member of the sea folk closed his eyes and said in a low voice. "legends say that these two continents were one land at the beginning of the age of lightning. but in the end, they were separated by 10,000 kilometers of the purple sea."


    "what?"


    "did that really happen? how absurd!"


    the ignorant members of the group exclaimed in surprise as they discovered a little of the truth about the spiritual world and how, after tens of millions of years of existence, some groups were still living like their ancestors.


    countless catastrophes had befallen the spiritual world since the destruction of panvuter. some of these catastrophes were terrible, but some were necessary to stabilize this fragment of the world and make it a stable place.


    either way, this stabilization didn''t happen suddenly and wasn''t easy.


    it came from chaos, and with chaos, the less fit beings were wiped out, while the more fit faced countless challenges, often losing their progress as new disasters struck.


    and so life in this world had changed many times over, but the few who survived it all didn''t change much, confident that old habits were responsible for their continued existence.


    it was good to have technologies and methods to strengthen and protect oneself. but only individual strength could guarantee survival amid the chaos that could strike them at any moment.


    the strongest tribes in the world knew this, and that''s why they still existed in much the same way as they did millions of years ago!

 Chapter 1899 The Great Crime of the Arctic Sharks

    chapter 1899 the great crime of the arctic sharks?


    throughout the history of the spiritual world, various tribes, races, and civilizations have grown and evolved, using auxiliary technologies to facilitate their progress and stay ahead of other groups.


    this was the case with the seraphim tribe, which had ended in the ocean cataclysm when the sky whales, quilins, and dragons fought before the world''s first god was born into the world''s strongest tribe.


    just before that chaotic time, when several tribes met their end in the struggle for supremacy, a devastating era had ended, bringing countless benefits to the survivors.


    however, some of them, such as the seraphim tribe, were very weakened after the devastation, while others, such as the sky whale tribe, hadn''t lost much of their strength during that era.


    the sky whale tribe had never changed their ways. they believed in absolute power and strengthening their members to the maximum. as a result, they had overcome all calamities and reached the present day, becoming the strongest race in the world.


    but the seraphim had relied on technology to advance, and when the era of calamities came before they departed from the divine continent, this tribe suffered a severe blow and lost much of its strength.


    after that, they would never recover, and eventually, an internal conflict would cause them to flee to the central continent, where they would later mix their genes with those of humans and disappear during the ocean cataclysm.


    the seraphim tribe was just one of many that went through this. technologies were only accessories. when disasters struck the world, the rules changed, and many of these devices became obsolete in the face of things as powerful as the lightning of the age of lightning.


    the only thing one could use to protect oneself was strength, which could only be cultivated slowly over time!


    the beings of the strongest races on minos'' ship knew this, but emperor stuart had an even deeper understanding of the subject.


    only those who can show similarities with the beings of the 101 races of panvuter have a chance to survive!


    by relying on auxiliary technologies, one would distance oneself from those beings and naturally become more vulnerable in extreme eras.


    anyway, while some were worried about what might happen very soon, others there were amazed and frightened by the history of this world.


    but as they did so, these individuals finally got close enough to the post of the strongest tribe in the world for one of the vigilantes in the area to stop them.


    "arctic whales, what are you doing here with such a strange crew?" a level 91 elder at that post on the ocean floor asked as he approached their group, emerging from a nearby cave.


    seeing this member of the strongest race, trilla immediately swam closer and made a respectful gesture to the elder.


    "we are here to file a complaint against the arctic shark tribe, elder. this tribe has betrayed the sky whales and sided with the dragons of the continent of beasts." she got right to the point, quickly forcing the elder to change his expression.


    even in his whale form, this creature showed the people in minos'' group an ugly expression, showing that this was news he didn''t like at all.


    as the rulers of the sea, the sky whales controlled all the sea races, and even when they gave them freedom to other sea races to act as they pleased, they would never allow something like treason!


    "treason is a severe crime, punishable by death. do you have proof of that?" he asked.


    "yes, i have witnessed how 10th-stage sharks gathered with dragons to devour the body of an elder of your tribe who was wounded after a battle." she said, her words earnest.


    "let me see what you saw." the whale, more than 50% larger than trilla, even though he was of a weaker level, moved close to her, resting his huge head against trilla''s.


    trilla didn''t make it difficult for the old man and let him rummage through her memories.


    sky whales were physically very powerful, but that wasn''t the only special characteristic of their race. in addition to the special powers that each whale could have that distinguished them from other whales of the same race, they could also connect their minds with those of other living beings and read their memories.


    this would not work against the will of the target of these beings if the target were of a similar or higher level. however, it was handy for analyzing information in the minds of injured enemies and determining situations witnessed by others.


    while this elder was using that ability on trilla, he quickly saw what had happened to the arctic whale tribe a few days ago and understood where the tremors and chaos had come from.


    but he soon moved on in that whale''s memories, reaching the moment when she''d witnessed the crime of the arctic sharks when she''d been chased by the level 93 shart before.


    after seeing those memories, that level 91 being was immediately enraged and began to tremble with rage, emitting a terrible aura and alerting his companions at that post.


    "what''s wrong?"


    "what happened?"


    two voices from nearby caves reached the ears of everyone in the crew as the elder whose head touched trilla''s opened his eyes and separated from her.


    "elders, the damned arctic sharks have betrayed us! they''ve joined the dragons and attacked the arctic whales!" he shouted angrily, feeling that his tribe needed to move quickly to deal with the traitors in the south.


    "what?"


    "how dare they?"


    after the words of this level 91 whale, five whales even bigger than him quickly emerged from the caves in the area, the strongest of them at level 96!


    the strongest of them was so big and powerful that even minos couldn''t help but swallow his saliva in front of such a creature, seeing a being potentially stronger than most of the high-level human demigods in this world.


    even the sea people and krakens in that crew couldn''t help but feel oppressed by those creatures, and their auras dropped as they stood silently in that boat.


    the sensation they felt was not just a difference in level. it was a spiritual oppression caused by beings of higher purity of blood against beings of lower genetic quality.


    in a way, even if those beings were at the same level as them, they would still feel like they were standing in front of superior beings and would naturally feel the need to bow their heads.


    but one of them didn''t feel that way, and those giant sky whales soon realized it when they sensed something strange coming from minos!

 Chapter 1900 Recognized

    chapter 1900 recognized?


    "you..." the strongest of those whales looked at minos as they felt a dragon aura coming from him, one so strong that they couldn''t help but feel that an elder of the dragon tribe was standing among them.


    everyone looked at minos as the oldest and most powerful of those elders gave him an ugly look when he felt that sensation coming from his body.


    minos made a bitter expression but didn''t say anything right away. he didn''t need to because when he scanned his body, everyone there could see that he was a human, not a dragon.


    and no matter how difficult the situation was between the strongest tribes in the world right now, a connection to the dragons wouldn''t be enough for him to fear that these elders would attack him without even talking to him and probing him.


    "human, why are you giving off that disgusting feeling?" a level 94 elder asked, looking at minos with a serious expression on his huge face.


    minos made a gesture of greeting and said. "elders, this junior attended the recent ancient dragon spatial kingdom event. until the opening of this space months ago, i had never seen a dragon in person. but there, i received the powers left by the elder."


    he couldn''t hide the truth. these powerful beasts were very sensitive to lies and could also imagine how a human could have a dragon aura.


    there were only two ways to explain this. the first and most obvious was a high-level inheritance in which the human received a portion of a dragon''s powers. the second was that minos was a descendant of dragons and humans.


    but the second hypothesis couldn''t explain how such a weak human could have such a strong aura. hence, everyone there quickly realized that he had indeed inherited dragon powers through an inheritance.


    "an inheritance?"


    "the ancient dragon spatial kingdom?"


    some of these elders weren''t fully aware of the news of this event because they had other things to worry about. however, they were aware of what the ancient dragon spatial kingdom was and that their tribe''s current confusion with the leaders of the continent of beasts was related to that place.


    with that in mind, they felt less bothered by minos'' presence there, even though he was displaying that aura that bothered them so much.


    the level 96 elder asked. "human, what are you going to do now? why don''t you enjoy your inheritance on land? why are you risking yourself at sea in such a dangerous place?"


    this was a critical question. he had been disturbed by the sensation coming from minos'' body, and when he thought about it, it didn''t make sense for someone like this young human to be in this place during all this chaos.


    an inheritance comes with many benefits, not just inherited power. surely, minos had things to absorb and enjoy when he went into seclusion.


    considering that the event had just ended, it could be very interesting for him to spend the next few years in seclusion, absorbing and adapting to what he had gained in that place.


    but instead, minos was with a strange crew, traveling through a place full of tension.


    how could that not be strange, coming from a young man with a power that bothered even them, the elders of the strongest tribe in the world?


    as these whales looked at him, minos replied. "my time is short. i feel that high-level problems will hit the whole world, especially my central continent.


    i could really improve my strength faster if i concentrated on being in seclusion. but i won''t be able to strengthen myself enough to protect everything i have by myself. i can only do that with powerful allies on my side.


    so that''s what i''m doing, elders. i''m gathering powerful and brave beings to face some problems that will surely hit my home in the near future." he had a determined expression on his face as he spoke.


    the elders knew that one could only guarantee one''s destiny if one had strength, but considering this young man''s cultivation and how worried he was about the future, if his worries turned out to be true, he was right. he wouldn''t be able to prepare by himself because even if individual strength were the most important thing, it would still take him a long time to reach a relevant level.


    if the threat was as close as he thought, it might be better to gather allies than to concentrate on raising his level!


    they looked at each other, believing this young man was sincere and wouldn''t be a problem for their tribe.


    "and where exactly are you going?"


    "i''m going to the continent of beasts to gather more allies. i have friends in the phoenix tribe, so i''ll try my luck with them. then, i''ll pass through the divine continent, where i have some business to take care of.


    i will return to the central continent and then go to the north sea. what i do next will depend on what i find in that dangerous place." he showed everything he had in mind for the next few years.


    "north sea?"


    seeing the expressions of minos'' fellow travelers, including the arctic whales who had already heard of his destination, the elders believed in the crazy journey this human was about to undertake.


    "is there something special about the north sea?"


    "i hope not. it''ll be better that way." minos sighed, feeling that he had already convinced these elders not to pick on him.


    he was just a sailor passing through this place on his way to another destination that wouldn''t necessarily cause problems for these beings.


    having made that clear, he saw the elders become less annoyed with him as they seemed to somehow recognize him.


    "what is your name, young man?" the strongest of them asked.


    "minos stuart of the black plain empire."


    "hmm, young minos, good luck on your journey to the north sea. if you survive your journey, come back to the sky whale tribe. we''d like to hear your stories." the whale said as he tossed minos an object the size of a house, a giant, razor-sharp tooth.


    "use this if you survive and are interested in becoming a friend of our tribe. it will give you access to the heart of our territory." having said this, the elder took his leave and disappeared from minos and his crew, along with the other stronger elders who had appeared in the area moments before.


    storing it in his spatial ring, minos smiled to himself, happy to have gotten something like that tooth.

 Chapter 1901 Preparation Before Disaster

    chapter 1901 preparation before disaster?


    as the tension eased, trilla looked at the level 91 sky whale and asked. "senior, please help minos'' crew cross the area ahead. i only survived to alert my tribe and the seniors because they saved my life by getting in the way of that level 93 shark.


    now, they are marked by several members of this tribe, and they''ll have problems if they travel alone through this area we''re in."


    hearing these words, the elder knew that minos'' group had really done a lot, and it was only because of them that this information about the treachery of the arctic shark tribe had reached them.


    considering the fact that the strongest of this rank had recognized minos, this sky whale didn''t oppose the request of minos and trilla.


    "i will see what i can do. if no elder of our tribe is available to escort this group to the territory of the flooded dragons, i''ll take them there myself."


    the flooded dragons could be found all along the south sea. however, their territory bordered the sky whale''s territory and arctic shark''s territories to the east.


    even though it was so close to that tribe of sharks, this sea dragon territory was by no means accessible to those creatures.


    sea dragons were relatively friendly compared to their land cousins. but they were very defensive of their territory against powerful beings from unfriendly races.


    in the case of the shark tribe that had fallen out with trilla''s tribe, they were no friends of the flooded dragons and had a long history of problems with each other.


    sharks from that tribe would definitely not enter the flooded dragons'' territory just because of a group like minos'', so those whales knew that by leaving their crew there, they would be able to continue their journey with relative peace of mind.


    at least there would be no one to hunt them down and try to kill them!


    "i appreciate that, senior." trilla thanked him before returning to the side of minos'' group, where the people were sighing after the tension of a moment ago.


    "thank you for your words, trilla. this elder''s help will be very valuable to us." minos said as he watched her transform into her humanoid version.


    the rest of the crew also looked at her favorably, and emlyn asked. "trilla, why don''t you join us? now that you''ve delivered the message to this tribe, i''m sure your people will be fine."


    trilla shook her head negatively and said. "i can''t. as much as you met me when i was on the run, i have a certain position that i have to be in. even if the tribe will be fine with the help of the elders from before, i have to go back."


    "that''s too bad. your strength would be greatly appreciated in our crew." one of the mermaids said sadly.


    while the group members commented on this and started to say goodbye to trilla, one of the two demigods from the arctic whale tribe said.


    "well, i was in the middle of my retreat when we were attacked. i can join you on your journey if that''s not a problem." the whale, who had joined them before trilla to escort them out of their territory, said, attracting the attention of minos'' entire group.


    "are you sure?" the other whale asked, but he could not join the group because he was worried about his family in the tribe.


    "hmm, i think our friends'' journey here will be very good. and i''m free to do what i want, so i want to see how far they get." the level 91 guy said.


    "what about our tribe?"


    "i alone won''t make a difference. with the help of the sky whales, everything will be fine, and what has been lost cannot be regained. if i stay behind, nothing will change." he was determined, feeling that if even the elders of the strongest tribe in the world recognized minos, he couldn''t miss this opportunity.


    hearing these words, minos smiled and welcomed this great fellow to his crew.


    it wouldn''t be long before trilla and the other arctic whale said their goodbyes and headed back to their tribe''s territory.


    minos'' group waited there for a few minutes until the elder returned with a level 93 sky whale that had accepted the mission to lead them to the flooded dragons'' territory.


    with that, the group left this outpost of the strongest tribe in the world, accompanied by an elder who would guarantee their safety for the next few weeks.


    ...


    a few weeks after the incident at the south pole of the spiritual world, the world''s greatest powers had already understood what had happened that day and what was behind the turmoil on the seas.


    this was yet another consequence of the confrontation that had begun in the flaming empire between the two strongest tribes in the spiritual world, who were now at war in the south seas.


    however, while those who had been affected by the rough seas, storms, and tsunamis of the past few weeks understood the situation they were in, the world''s mightiest had already noticed the strange actions of the most powerful sea beasts.


    the powers of all the continents and islands of this world were already aware of the movement of high-level sea beasts from the dark part of the sea to their tribes and territories, indicating that trouble was approaching worldwide.


    with this information, the elves had already sent invitations to the powers with level 99 experts to meet on the divided continent in less than five years. at that meeting, they would discuss what they needed to do to intervene in the catastrophe that was approaching the world.


    meanwhile, the war on the central continent had finally begun to cool down a bit, with both sides in the conflict calling back their main combatants.


    vico and maximillian were worried about being weakened amid a catastrophe like the age of lightning, and both had already gone into seclusion.


    in maximillian''s case, he had finally entered the seraphim spatial kingdom, where duncan evergreen was absorbing the power of divine-grade medicine!


    it was time for him to finally put into action his plan to strengthen himself and dominate the central continent!


    meanwhile, minos and his crew, traveling in the dark about most of these facts, arrived in the territory of the flooded dragons, from where they could continue their journey to the continent of beasts alone.

 Chapter 1902 Road to the Continent of Beasts

    chapter 1902 road to the continent?of beasts


    after being dropped off by their guide in the territory of the flooded? dragons, minos'' party would travel through this maritime part of the south sea for a few weeks without encountering any major problems.


    of course, their journey hadn''t been so peaceful that the crew members hadn''t had to use their skills. the most powerful environments in the spiritual world were never peaceful.


    even if intelligent beings didn''t cause problems for each other, spiritual phenomena could cause countless problems on one''s journey.


    at the bottom of the sea or on a floating island, anywhere rich in spiritual energy, one might encounter extreme natural phenomena that would require action from those close to the place where something like an exceptional storm or a massive earthquake occurred.


    minos'' group had encountered some of these problems in the first few weeks after entering the flooded dragons'' territory, but without too much difficulty, as his group was very well prepared.


    since most of the group were 10th-stage beings, surviving the natural phenomena of the spiritual world wasn''t much of a challenge.


    in any case, as they began their journey through this area, some of the crew of this sea folk''s ship learned more about the reality of the bottom of the spiritual world''s seas.


    the area in which they were sailing bordered the arctic sea of the south pole and the continental sea of the continent of beasts.


    due to its location, the vast territory of the flooded dragons had two distinct areas: the area closer to the arctic sea beings, which was less densely populated, and the area closer to the continent of beasts, the one most densely populated.


    as much as that was the territory of the flooded dragons, many races of sea creatures lived in such a region, just as one would find in many territories of powerful sea beasts.


    like royal families on continents, these sea tribes were like rulers of their states, and inferior races served them within their domains, receiving lands and places to live in safety in exchange for their services and loyalty.


    as they saw this and much more at the bottom of the sea, the group drew closer to their destination, the south of the continent of beasts.


    ...


    that day, after weeks of traveling through the underwater world, minos'' party finally began to make its way back to the surface.


    they had already gathered the necessary forces after leaving the marine empire. with six fish people, two krakens, and an arctic whale, all demigods between level 90 and 91, the group was much stronger than minos had expected they would be when they reached the motherland of emlyn.


    not wanting to take any more risks or spend time searching for new crew members, the group had decided to return to the surface, where they could sail more calmly.


    on the high seas, the surface was like forests on land, while the ocean floor was like large cities and their surrounding areas. in other words, they were places where it was easier to find services and powerful beings but also easier to get into trouble.


    the surface was also dangerous, as beasts often used this area to fight their battles. but for a group with minos'' composition, it might be more interesting to travel on the surface now that they were no longer looking for new sea allies.


    they could even do that if they wanted to, but it would take time they didn''t want to lose, and it could also get them into trouble that had nothing to do with them. also, the fflooded dragons were completely different from the continent of beasts'' dragons and some of the creatures the group had attracted so far.


    flooded dragons were much more peaceful than one might think, given the name dragon. they were creatures that usually didn''t want any trouble with other races, and there was neutrality between their cousins on the continent of beasts and the strongest tribe on the seas.


    aware of this, minos was calm as he returned to the surface, certain that he wouldn''t be able to accomplish much at the bottom of the sea for the price he might have to pay.


    his party passed through the dark zone of the sea again, where they saw another place without powerful beings.


    unable to do anything about it, the group simply continued their journey until they finally returned to the surface, where they saw the blue sky again after weeks of traveling in the underwater world.


    breathing the air out of the water again, minos smiled and let out a long sigh, feeling the repressions he had felt before fade away.


    the group''s land creatures felt the same way, while the sea creatures began to feel the opposite.


    however, the discomfort one would feel outside of their natural environment was not enough to be considered a problem. a human of minos'' level could easily live at the bottom of the sea for years without any problems. but upon returning to the surface, such a person would definitely feel less restricted. the opposite was true for beasts when they came to the surface.


    "what should we do now, minos? sail directly to the continent of beasts?" asked one of the three sea folk on the boat when they returned to the surface.


    "yes, we have nothing else to do at sea for now. let''s go to the territory of the nine-tailed foxes." minos said while emlyn felt anticipation.


    it would take them another two months to reach the coast of the continent she had left decades ago. but that was an extremely short time for her, who hadn''t seen her tribe for so long.


    while she was thinking about this, the level 91 woman from the sea folk said. "we just have to be careful about the clashes between the dragons and the sky whales. we''ll probably see something related to the clashes between these two tribes."


    "yes. we''ll change our route a bit if necessary to avoid possible clashes between these tribes." minos agreed that they might have this problem later on their journey.


    but for him, these clashes would affect them in the same way if they were sailing on the ocean floor. so he wasn''t so worried about being back on the surface and just wanted to get to the continent of emlyn to visit the two tribes he had made good contact with within the ancient dragon spatial kingdom.


    "anyway, let''s get on with it. some members of my family should arrive on that continent in a few weeks to join our group." minos said, planning the moment when he would bring his wives to his side when he arrived on that continent.


    "okay."


    with that, they made their way to their destination, sailing with ease as soon as they left the underwater world.

 Chapter 1903 The Motives of Minos

    chapter 1903 the motives of minos ?


    a month and a half later...


    after weeks of traveling across the surface of the south sea in the southeasternmost part of that vast sea, minos and his crew had finally passed through the territory of the flooded dragons.


    two weeks ago, they had left that territory and entered the continental waters of emlyn''s homeland, where they were now sailing, days from the coast of the nine-tailed fox tribe''s territory.


    over the past few weeks, the group encountered several problems related to the conflict between the two most powerful races in the world. they had often had to divert their route slightly to avoid the consequences of the battles between the specialists of these two races.


    but the route they had chosen for this journey was one of the safest and least chaotic, so even though they had encountered problems, there weren''t many, and the group was still in one piece.


    not only was the group whole, it was stronger!


    in the past week, one of the human mercenaries minos had hired in the marine empire had reached level 90, while emlyn had reached level 81.


    minos was already in the last half of level 83, but he still had a long way to go before advancing to level 84. however, he hoped to break through to that level before leaving the continent of beasts.


    the continent was almost as large as the central continent, and it had even more territories and tribal problems than minos'' homeland. therefore, the journey through this land would not be as quick as a stroll through the lands of the central continent. emperor stuart expected to spend two to four years in this place!


    that was why he wanted to take his family with him when he reached the southern coast of the continent of beasts because after he arrived there, it would take some time before he traveled back across the seas to the divine continent and then returned to his state.


    but while he was preparing to unite his women''s group with his own, minos took some time that day to distribute resources among his crew.


    as he had promised everyone, he would cover all the expenses necessary for his group to travel to the north sea, including providing cultivation opportunities for his people.


    as he distributed saint-grade medicine to the sea creatures in his group, they looked at him with gratitude and curiosity, seeing this situation for the third time on their journey here.


    saint-grade medicines were very valuable to demigods, especially beasts, but even they couldn''t consume too many of them in a short period.


    each medicine of this quality would take up to several weeks to be completely absorbed into the beasts'' bodies.


    beasts didn''t have the ability to learn cultivation techniques like humans, so they couldn''t easily absorb essential medicines into their bodies.


    anyway, some of the beasts that had joined the group at the beginning of minos'' journey had received these resources for the third time, and they looked at the young sage with gratitude and interest.


    ''this black plain empire is truly rich.'' one of the 9th-stage beasts in the mercenary group thought to herself, already having no doubt in her heart that it would be perfect for her to follow this group to the end of the journey.


    if she were lucky, with minos'' help, she would be able to reach level 91 in 5 to 10 years, something she would hardly be able to achieve as a mercenary in normal situations.


    "thank you for this, minos. you really are doing what you promised." one of the mermaids said to him after picking up her medicine.


    adrina asked. "but tell me one thing. why do you feed us so much? don''t get me wrong, i''m happy about it, haha. but i''m also curious. why not keep some for your people?"


    minos heard this and said to all the crew who wanted to know why he invested so much in mere allies. "because as the catastrophe approaches, it will become more difficult to absorb certain types of resources and make progress.


    at the same time, the stronger you are, the better our chances will be in the north sea expedition in the future."


    minos had other goals. he wanted to establish meaningful relationships with the tribes behind each of the crew members on his ship.


    by nurturing these individuals, he might not gain their eternal cooperation. but his chances of making himself and the black plain empire more friendly and interesting to these tribes in the future would be greater.


    in the best-case scenario, he could not only gain easier access to these tribes, but he could even bring some of these beings into his state.


    in short, minos had a lot to gain by cultivating them, and his interests were not limited to the disaster that was about to befall the spiritual world.


    but he didn''t want to talk to these beings about it, and in a way, his words were true.


    when disasters struck the spiritual world, the laws of nature became weaker and harder to absorb, which could greatly hinder the progress of high-level experts.


    by giving some of the resources he had to these beings, minos could actually use them more effectively on these individuals than if he saved them for some of his men to absorb during the coming calamity era.


    those who knew what the spiritual world was like in such times believed minos, while the others imagined that his action made sense since the survival of everyone in the group depended on how strong they were.


    if they were to reach the north sea without at least making any progress, they would be in for a lot of trouble when they entered the area to the north!


    with minos'' answer, the most interested would soon put their doubts aside and get on with their plans for the day, some keeping watch, others going to sleep to start absorbing the medicinal powers of these resources.


    as they continued their routine of the past few weeks, time would soon pass, and the moment of their arrival on the continent of beasts would arrive!


    after another 9 days of traveling, the group would finally be able to see a vast landmass in the distance that would grow larger and larger as they approached.


    after months of traveling through the waters of the most tranquil sea in the spiritual world, late one afternoon, the party would finally arrive at emlyn''s motherland and set foot on firm land.


    arriving on this continent, minos took the initiative while his group hid their ship somewhere and went to a further area where he ''felt'' he would find his group of women waiting for him...

 Chapter 1904 The Dangerous Continent Of Beasts (1)

    ?


    after a few moments, the members of minos'' group sensed that he was using his black hole fusion, which he had avoided during the recent journey but had shown the group on two occasions.


    as a result, several of these demigods moved, sensing that their ally had run into trouble as he advanced along this coast of the continent of beasts ahead of the entire group.


    a merman, a kraken, and the group''s arctic whale, all in their humanoid forms, advanced toward minos ahead of the rest of the group, quickly reaching where his black hole had formed.


    when they reached this region of space devoid of light, the three individuals with nervous looks stopped for a moment before noticing something coming out of the black hole, something that only minos could do.


    "minos, what..." one of them was about to ask when he suddenly saw seven beautiful women coming out of that region of space alongside emperor stuart.


    while the other members of their crew appeared in that place with fear on their faces, minos laughed when he noticed the situation and said. "sorry, guys. i felt that a tree was about to attack my family, and i acted quickly against it." he lied.


    meanwhile, abby, ruth, gloria, and isabella watched the beings in minos'' group, seeing how well their husband had done in his goals after leaving the central continent just over six months ago.


    in addition, there were two elders from the longus family, both at level 89 and kyla, who was currently at level 80.


    seeing emlyn appear in the area, minos'' wives and kyla were happy to see this fox as this beast in its humanoid form approached them.


    "kyla, you have become a sage!" she said with great satisfaction, much happier with her daughter''s advancement than with ruth''s advancement to level 82.


    with ruth''s advancement to level 82, the only woman on minos currently at level 81 was isabella, whom the black-haired woman had left behind because of the earlier inheritance.


    in any case, isabella was the closest to breaking through among them. she would probably reach level 82 before gloria reached level 83, which wasn''t far off either.


    while parts of this family were meeting, minos'' crew soon understood that he had quickly solved the problem and they wouldn''t have to fight once they arrived on this continent.


    but considering the level of minos'' family, some of them couldn''t help but imagine that they would have more difficulties than opportunities with those women joining them.


    as much as they were minos'' relatives, they were of a lower level than him, something that would hardly contribute to the group''s power.


    ''why are they gathering at this place?'' one of the sea folk descendants wondered, not understanding why minos would risk so much to travel with these women at his side.


    these individuals and others with the same doubts could even understand the situation of kyla, a fox from the nearby tribe they would pass in a few moments. they also understood the importance of the two level 89 sages who could contribute to the group''s goals. but the case of his wives was challenging to understand.


    it was as if they were there for tourism...


    however, tourism on the continent of beasts was something only demigods could afford!


    the continent was home to the most powerful land beast races in the spiritual world, and most of them were much more aggressive than the sea beasts or land beasts from the central continent.


    moreover, just as there were clashes between states, clans, organizations, and so on in the central continent or other areas of the spiritual world, the same thing happened here, but with much more intensity.


    the central continent had 13 states, and some of the beast tribes were as strong as the sovereign powers of their states. but the continent of beasts had more than 200 tribes, and more than half had similar powers.


    as beings that could devour the bodies of their opponents and absorb some of their powers, the beasts found reasons to fight and start wars much more easily.


    in such a competitive environment full of powerful beings, this place was a real mess for those who didn''t know the area or were ''weak.''


    as such, this was not the place to make tourism with mere low-level sages!


    "minos, can we talk for a moment?" the level 91 sea folk woman asked him as she watched emlyn and the newcomers interact.


    "what is it?" he questioned.


    "won''t it be dangerous for them to travel with us?" she got right to the point because even if she was only there to observe and didn''t want to help the group keep these women alive, she knew that any weak link in the group could affect them all.


    minos understood the woman''s concern and said. "don''t worry. as much as my wives are weaker than me, they have abilities that can help raise the level of the group as a whole.


    besides, this isn''t just a trip for us to put together a powerful group. this is a journey of training and opportunities for us. i won''t leave them behind just because this continent has some dangers."


    "some dangers?" the level 91 human demigod of the mercenary group heard this as he approached the two, not entirely doubting the beginning of minos'' speech but thinking that his contractor underestimated these lands.


    "your majesty, in this place, even normally calm trees attacked beings within their range for no reason.


    we''re going to have many problems on our way just because we''re traveling with nine-tailed foxes... i think you''re underestimating the local dangers."


    every tribe on this continent, except for the area''s rulers, the dragons, had enemies. by arriving at this place alongside the nine-tailed foxes, this group had already guaranteed to run into problems with enemies from that tribe if they encountered them on their way.


    in this place, a friend of an enemy was an enemy, someone to be eliminated!


    some beast tribes wouldn''t even hesitate to attack creatures they had never seen before just because they noticed signs of friendship between those creatures and groups of their enemies.


    knowing that, the mercenary was naturally worried.


    but minos knew that better than anyone there. henricus longus might not have known and explored every place in this vast world. but the continent of beasts was a place he had traveled for more than 800 years after becoming a demigod.


    of course, many things had changed from then to now, but even so, the competition, the tribal issues, and the strongest races in the area were still very similar to those of the past.


    he looked at this level 91 man and said. "i''m aware of that...."

 Chapter 1905 The Dangerous Continent of Beasts (2)

    chapter 1905 the dangerous continent of beasts (2)


    "even though it''s not the most powerful land in the spiritual world, this place could be considered the most dangerous place to travel to.


    even the glorious sky whales would have to be careful when entering this continent."


    as marine creatures, the sky whales relied heavily on the sea. given the size of the continent of beasts and the presence of powerful beings in the area, even members of the strongest tribe in the world would have to be careful when venturing into this land.


    only the strongest, those between levels 97 and 100, could venture out with some degree of safety. still, there were few of them, and there were beings from the strongest races on this continent that could make things difficult even for them.


    yet, minos was willing to bring his women to this dangerous place!


    he looked thoughtfully at the two most powerful members of his group and said with a smile, "rest assured. you''ll understand how much stronger we''ll be when we''re in danger."


    hearing his insistence, the two looked at each other and no longer pressed him on the subject.


    minos was the group leader and the one who would lose the most if something happened to his women because of the local dangers.


    on the other hand, he was a brilliant fighter and must have had his reasons for taking such risks.


    ''what kind of skills do these women have? i doubt his confidence is because they have the same techniques as him.'' the level 91 woman from the sea folk thought to herself, knowing that having the same techniques did not mean having the same level of power.


    minos might be a monster with his techniques. but with the same techniques, someone else might not be able to perform even the simplest fusion that he was capable of. also, one might not even have abilities beyond their level just by having techniques similar to someone who could.


    even if minos'' wives had the same techniques as him, no matter how incredible those techniques were, those women would hardly be like him.


    as such, this woman from the sea folk couldn''t help but be curious about other characteristics, especially individual ones, that these women might have.


    after minos'' initial conversation with the two of them and a few moments of reunion between minos'' wives, kyla and emlyn, they soon introduced themselves to the rest of the group, hearing the names of everyone there.


    gloria commented. "the group you''ve formed so far is very powerful. if we continue like this, by the time we reach the end of our journey, we''ll have 20 to 30 demigods on our side."


    "we''ll see... maybe we won''t be so lucky here." minos smiled at gloria before he looked at emlyn and said. "anyway, you can take the lead of the group. i think you know the area best from now on."


    and indeed, emlyn was the most familiar with the place. as weaker than some of the members of her party, most of them were sea creatures who hadn''t gotten very far in their adventures on land.


    hence, no one saw a problem with emlyn leading the way, and soon, the level 81 fox was at the head of the group, already running in her bestial form.


    the land creatures there did the same as emlyn, transforming into their bestial versions, while some of the humans there rode those creatures.


    as for the sea creatures, they kept their humanoid versions, as it would be difficult for them to act in the terrestrial world with their true forms.


    thus, the group set off across this magnificent continent to explore the southernmost region of such a gigantic domain, an area of sparse forests and dry air.


    the southernmost region of the nine-tailed foxes, where minos'' group had arrived, was an area of plains with vegetation and a relatively dry climate.


    even so, the surrounding area was gorgeous, with fields here and there and spots of creeping trees that glowed even in the daylight.


    as they began to make their way through the area, the group soon noticed the first animals in their path: several types of snakes, rodents, and insects that were quite common in the area.


    as she walked ahead of the group, emlyn said. "my tribe''s territory stretches from the coast up to 300 kilometers into the continent. in addition, we have more than 500 kilometers between one end of the coast and the other. however, there are several tribes with powers similar to my tribe along this coast. so, there are many relatively powerful races in the first few kilometers into the continent.


    but after that, only our friends from the nine-tailed fox tribe are allowed to live, so we won''t be in too much danger once we pass that point. we just have to be extra careful for now, and then we''ll be fine."


    "mom, how strong is our tribe on the continent?" kyla curiously asked as she saw several relatively powerful beings in the area.


    "there are currently 20 tribes on the continent that are able to pass level 89 and reach the 10th stage. so we''re obviously weaker than those 20 tribes. but that''s not all. there are more than 100 tribes that are capable of reaching the final of the 9th stage, just like us.


    so theoretically, we have many competitors, and it would be difficult to say for sure how relevant any one of us would be in relation to others from these other races because there can be variations in power within the same race, just as there are among humans.


    but our tribe is certainly among the 40 strongest on the continent. our characteristics are brutal for many races with similar spiritual potential to ours." emlyn answered sincerely, without overestimating her people, but with pride, for the nine-tailed foxes were respected on the continent, even though they weren''t even among the 30 most powerful tribes.


    "that''s it?" kyla didn''t like that very much.


    "that''s not bad, actually," minos said to the young fox. "there must be about 60 tribes that can reach the 10th stage in the spiritual world. and even though there are hundreds or even thousands of races capable of reaching the 9th stage, the nine-tailed fox tribe is definitely among the 200 strongest.


    that''s no small feat, kyla."


    "but how can we maintain our position on this continent if we''re so weak?" she asked, feeling disappointed even by minos'' words.


    "just as there are lesser powers in powerful states on other continents," emlyn replied. "by allying ourselves with stronger groups, in our case, we have a long history with the phoenix tribe!"


    ...

 Chapter 1906 Tribal Reality

    chapter 1906 tribal reality?


    being weaker than the leaders of a continent was not the same as being weaker in an enemy''s territory. lower-level powers would naturally align themselves with stronger powers that could protect them from threats they could not handle.


    this was easily seen in human states, where ordinary people would subordinate themselves to wealthy families or organizations, while these did something similar to noble houses being vassals of royal or imperial houses.


    the weakest would always have to ally or relate in some way to someone stronger than themselves, or sooner or later, they would face the risk of destruction by getting involved with someone stronger than they could handle.


    the whole world worked this way, and emlyn''s tribe basically depended on the phoenix tribe to survive on this powerful and dangerous continent.


    but it wasn''t as bad as it seemed to kyla. in a way, her tribe lived on this continent as well as the flaming empire''s imperial family lived on the central continent.


    they weren''t weak, had access to resources, and were close to high-level areas. but they were still weaker than some of their neighbors and couldn''t do everything they wanted.


    the big difference was that while the flaming empire was close to 4 stronger states and 4 of a similar or weaker level, emlyn''s tribe was close to about 40 tribes of a level close to or higher than theirs.


    unlike the central continent, where people could move around freely, going from one state to another with a chance of returning home even if they weren''t experts, this wasn''t the case in the continent of beasts.


    there, a member of a tribe couldn''t choose to live in the territory of tribe ''x'' because it might be better for them. either they would live in their tribe, or they would most likely be killed, devoured, or enslaved in another area of the continent.


    touring or traveling around the continent was very dangerous for those who weren''t experts above level 80, and normally, such beasts would live in their territory.


    as for living elsewhere, the only place they could go without many risks was the divine continent. it was the only place in the spiritual world where they could freely live in cities with humans, hybrids, and beasts of other races.


    for this very reason, the divine continent was a special place in the spiritual world that was coveted by countless beings from all over the world.


    there, even beasts could live in a society with completely different beings without running the same risks as they would in other areas of this vast world.


    the continent of beasts had many special things. still, it was very complex, and the weaker natives, most of them, didn''t have much freedom to move around without taking great risks.


    like some of the sea beasts in minos'' group, who had basically only traveled around their tribes until they joined their group, most of the land beasts on this continent didn''t know much about their world or continent.


    they would not have a chance to learn more about the world until they crossed the level 80 barrier, and they would not have a chance to safely travel until they became demigods.


    after learning a little more about the reality of her people, kyla couldn''t help but feel a little disappointed.


    she already knew the entire black plain empire and the territories of albano, blackrock, rosser, and the flaming empire. even though she was only at level 80, she probably knew an area almost half the size of her tribe''s continent, something that perhaps not even the oldest elders of her people knew.


    but that was the reality of the beings of this dangerous world.


    while talking about the reality of the beasts of this continent, they quickly entered the deepest parts of the nine-tailed fox''s territory without any problems.


    it wouldn''t be long before they encountered the first nine-tailed fox on this continent!


    when they saw a member of that tribe running through the area they were passing through, everyone in minos'' group looked toward that level 75 creature.


    it seemed to be running from something, and when it saw the two foxes with nine tails on their backs, it rushed to emlyn and kyla''s side.


    "elders, help! i''m being chased!" the fox said, ignoring the various demigods beside them.


    hearing this, kyla narrowed her eyes and saw a colorful serpent, as big or bigger than the feathered serpents of the same level on the black plain, and took a few steps forward.


    "who dares to intimidate a junior of my tribe?" she shouted, barely aware that she was several centuries younger than the eight-tailed fox.


    "shit! sages and demigods!" the serpent chasing the ''young'' eight-tailed fox screamed when it saw kyla and minos'' entire group.


    but before it could flee, kyla moved, appearing beside him and moving one of her paws at high speed toward the serpent''s head.


    the claws of the paw sliced through the air, and in a single instant, kyla sliced off the head of the level 76 serpent.


    seeing this, emlyn sighed. "some things never change... those damned serpents still bother my people." she said, remembering some of their main rivals in the area.


    the nine-tailed fox tribe had basically two types of enemies. one was those who usually competed for items and were on the same level of strength. the others were those they could not fight and could only flee to their territory, where few would dare to invade due to the protection of the phoenix tribe.


    the phoenix tribe was one of the strongest on the continent of beasts, so even other tribes with 10th-stage members would avoid invading their territory.


    in the case of that serpent, it was a member of a tribe at the same level as emlyn''s.


    seeing the lifeless body of her daughter''s target, emlyn remembered the many dangers she had faced in this place when she lived there.


    "elder, thank you for your help." the level 75 fox thanked her, finally feeling less fearful enough to look closer at his surroundings and notice the creatures accompanying emlyn and kyla.


    "but elder, who are those with you?" the creature asked.


    the nine-tailed fox tribe had over 60,000 members and more than 700 9th-stage elders. therefore, this one with an 8th tail formed wouldn''t know all the elders in his tribe, and he wasn''t surprised that he didn''t know the aura of these two 9th-stage foxes.


    emlyn said to that fox. "these are our tribe''s friends and allies. i''m taking them to meet some friends."


    "oh? is that true?" the level 75 fox looked at them with a wink.

 Chapter 1907 Arriving at the Nine-Tailed Fox Tribe

    chapter 1907 arriving at the nine-tailed fox tribe?


    it was incredible for them to have such strong and strange friends!


    in this group, there were humans, sea beasts, and land beasts that didn''t exist on the continent of beasts. and most of them were near the end of the 9th stage or the beginning of the 10th stage, enough to influence the tribe.


    when he thought about it, he felt incredible that he had appeared in front of such a prestigious group. especially since one of them had such a strong aura that it even seemed like a dragon was among them.


    feeling excited and grateful for the help of one of those elders, he asked. "elder, may i guide you? it would be an honor for me to take you to the leaders of the tribe."


    emlyn knew many things might have changed in her tribe since she left, so she readily accepted the young man''s request.


    "hmm, very well, take us to the tribe leaders."


    with that, the group soon followed the level 75 beast until they reached the area near a large lake where the nine-tailed fox tribe lived.


    however, before entering the nine-tailed foxes'' city, the group was stopped by a 9th-stage elder who, unlike the level 75 fox, knew all the elders of his tribe.


    "you, stop! where do you think you''re going?" a level 85 elder jumped in front of minos'' group, not afraid of the fact that there were demigods in this group.


    even if he wasn''t strong enough to stop this group, would these beings dare to act in the phoenix-protected area? besides, it was his job to protect this territory, even if he had to risk his life!


    "elder, the two elders are returning to the tribe with important allies and friends." the level 75 ''youth'' said, not knowing what was in the stressed elder''s mind.


    "fool. these two are not elders of our tribe!" he said when he saw that this youth had been deceived by this group.


    not every nine-tailed fox was a member of the tribe. some left the tribe to venture out into the spiritual world and try to start a new life on the divine continent, while others were forcibly taken to the central continent.


    regardless of how they left this continent, emlyn and kyla were not registered as elders of the tribe. as far as this elder knew, they could be beasts tamed by the humans of that group.


    such beings would never be welcomed into this tribe without reservations!


    even if some were taken by force, and the tribe tried its best to resolve such cases, they wouldn''t let such beings into their territory without several precautions.


    some tamed beasts might plot against the tribe to benefit their masters, so even those forced to leave the tribe and live away from this place would not be free to enter this territory without a series of precautions.


    emlyn knew this and made a respectful gesture to the elder, bowing her head to him. "senior, i left the tribe with my late husband decades ago.


    unfortunately, many things prevented me from returning, but today, i''m here with my daughter and friends to see old acquaintances and attend to business.


    if you don''t trust us, please ask someone to accompany us. we won''t make it difficult for your group."


    "tsk! do you think it''s that easy?" the even bigger fox than emlyn asked, looking especially at minos, who was at her back and seemed to be one of the most dangerous ones there, although he was not as high level as the various demigods in the group.


    "we don''t have anyone to accompany a group as strong as yours. if you really care about the tribe, leave. bringing such beings into our territory is a huge risk to our people!" he complained.


    they had excellent relations with the phoenix tribe. still, no phoenix stayed in this territory to act together with them in situations like this. they would only act after the aggression against their partners, but they would hardly be able to protect this tribe in real-time against the arrival of groups like this.


    a large part of the phoenix tribe''s protection was their power of persuasion, which meant that if you did something wrong, you could be sure to be persecuted by them.


    since there were no demigods in the tribe at the moment to accompany this group, the elder didn''t feel safe letting these people into his city.


    but then minos opened his mouth: "elder, tell demi that minos stuart is here. she will authorize you to allow my group to enter."


    when he heard that name, the level 85 elder looked at minos strangely, not expecting that this guy actually knew demi, the first in the line of succession of the nine-tailed fox tribe.


    but demi wasn''t just an heir. since the tribe''s leader was already very old and wasn''t expected to live much longer, she was already acting as a leader on several fronts.


    this was especially true after she had returned from her trip to the central continent, where she had participated in the ancient dragon spatial kingdom event a few months ago.


    "how do you know that name? who are you?" the elder felt uncomfortable, not liking that such a strange person knew about someone so important and pretended to know her.


    "i met demi on the central continent. that''s all you need to know. tell her i''m here. i''m sure she''ll come and welcome my group. we''re friends after all." he said enough to make the old fox uncomfortable but without giving too many details.


    that fox stood where he was, the fur on his large body standing as he stared at minos intensely.


    but without many options, he looked at the level 75 ''youth'' and said. "kid, deliver this human''s message to the tribe''s leadership."


    "okay..." the fox with eight tails on his body said, feeling rather uncomfortable with the situation.


    meanwhile, several other protectors of the tribe with levels similar to that of the first elder who stood in the way of minos'' group appeared on the outskirts of their group, surrounding them.


    minos and his allies noticed this but didn''t bother to react. they just stayed where they were and waited for the tribe''s decision.


    "are you really friends of the nine-tailed fox tribe?" one of the mercenaries asked minos, remembering he had said he was friends with this tribe.


    but none of them had expected that a friend of this tribe would be greeted with such suspicion...


    "yes, but we haven''t known each other very long. maybe the elders on the outskirts haven''t heard about us yet..." minos replied casually.


    "won''t that cause us problems? the phoenix are quite strong." one of the sea folk members asked.


    "don''t worry. we have friends in the phoenix tribe as well."


    ...


    meanwhile, the level 75 ''youth'' made his way through the nine-tailed fox city, quickly arriving at the center where the tribe''s headquarters were located.


    once there, he approached one of the guards with the symbol of the level 85 elder who had stopped minos'' party, thus gaining access to the most important building in the place.


    "a guy named minos stuart is on the city''s outskirts, waiting for permission to enter with a group of more than 10 spiritual demigods. he claims to be a friend of madam demi!" he shouted as he entered a hall where several of the tribe''s strongest elders were on the outskirts dealing with internal affairs.


    "what?"

 Chapter 1908 Welcome

    ?


    when he heard minos'' name mentioned there, the level 89 elder who had lost his wife to the group sent by maximillian in the ancient dragon spatial kingdom was the first to react, surprised to hear it from this guy so soon after the event.


    he and demi thought it would take a few years for minos to complete his journey between the central continent and the continent of beasts.


    after all, since they were going to gather a group while passing through various sea areas, it was expected that they would take their time to get to know each place before moving on to the next.


    thus, this elder was surprised to hear that minos was already in this tribe, as he had promised months ago.


    ''he really traveled fast... didn''t he stop once to get to know the places he passed?'' he wondered, not knowing what minos'' goal was on this journey.


    minos hadn''t told the group that had traveled through the ancient dragon spatial kingdom with his staff everything about his plans. he had talked about a few points, especially with forrest''s group, but he hadn''t gone into detail with the nine-tailed foxes and the phoenix.


    so this guy didn''t know how much minos was in a hurry.


    "where is he?" blake, the elder who had returned from the central continent with demi, asked, eager to see minos again and welcome him into his tribe as he should.


    minos could already be considered a great friend of the nine-tailed fox tribe after everything that had happened in that event months ago.


    without his help, the foxes who returned from that space alive would never have taken revenge on some of their great enemies, nor would they have had half of the gains they had there.


    after hearing the elder''s tone, the other high-ranking members of the tribe realized that this newcomer was indeed the person demi and blake had said they had met on that continent.


    "so this young man is already in our territory?"


    "chap, lead us to him."


    the high-ranking foxes in the place said almost simultaneously, showing the level 75 ''youth'' that minos'' group was truly friends of the tribe and not enemies as the elders who had stopped the group feared.


    he said. "he and his group are being stopped outside the city by a group of elders standing guard."


    "what? that''s terrible!"


    "we should have told the rest of the high elders about this young man and what happened to demi."


    "but since we didn''t, now they have embarrassed us in front of young minos..."


    the few who knew about what had happened in the ancient dragon spatial kingdom commented as they walked, letting the level 75 ''youth'' show them the way.


    they would have preferred to receive minos, someone so talented and so important to this tribe, in a more respectful and friendly manner.


    stopping him outside of the city and surrounding him as if he and his group were criminals was not the best way to welcome a friend into your home!


    seeing the concern of these elders, the level 75 ''youth'' stood with his mouth open as he was carried by a level 89 elder.


    ''are they that important?'' he asked himself, feeling good again for leading this group.


    while he was thinking this, he and the other level 89 elders who had heard him moments ago quickly got close enough to where minos and his group were surrounded by a dozen foxes between levels 85 and 86.


    there, the group of nearly 30 beings with minos was surrounded by 15 large foxes, enough to make these four elders scream as soon as they saw them.


    "return to your posts immediately!" one of them shouted at the men, looking at them with wide eyes.


    meanwhile, blake took the group lead and walked over to minos and his wives with a happy expression.


    "young minos, it''s good to see you again." he said as he carried the level 75 junior, but he also noticed the presence of emlyn and kyla with this foreign group.


    minos and his wives stood over emlyn, while kyla sat next to her mother, who stood to greet these elders of her tribe.


    kyla had never been there before and didn''t know how much to respect these level 89 elders. however, her mother had heard about them when she was still living in the tribe and respected them very much, as they had thousands of years of experience and service to the tribe.


    even emlyn''s parents'' parents had been in the tribe under the protection of these same elders!


    as such, she stood in front of them, respectfully bowing her head while keeping minos and his family at her back, at a height where they could speak to the newly arrived elders.


    "blake, it''s good to see you too," minos said as his wives waved to the old fox.


    the other three level 89 elders quickly approached this group, looking at minos with great respect, but they couldn''t help but notice the women with him, especially the black-haired woman and the one with blue hair.


    both of them had monstrous abilities that could not be underestimated!


    this was especially true for abby, who could even summon a high-level army of the dead to serve her!


    ''and she''s only level 82...'' one of the elders there sensed abby''s power, remembering what he had heard from demi and blake.


    meanwhile, the others couldn''t help but feel the pressure of minos'' presence, who looked like a dragon in a human body.


    "your majesty minos stuart!" they said simultaneously, making the same gesture as they would for very important guests.


    meanwhile, the foxes who had stopped minos'' group a moment ago couldn''t help but open their mouths as they retreated from the area, noticing how respectable this newcomer was.


    after the first words of the reunion, blake focused on emlyn and kyla and asked. "are these the two foxes you mentioned earlier? they are mighty for their age."


    minos pointed to kyla and said. "i''ve been raising her since she was born. in just over 50 years, she was born and went from level 0 to 80."


    "what?"


    all the beasts in the area, not only the level 89 foxes but also the level 75 fox, the land and sea beasts in minos'' group, all looked at kyla with wide eyes and mouths.


    this was a ridiculous cultivation speed!


    kyla had practically reached the peak of her potential in less than 100 years, while the elders of the nine-tailed fox tribe usually took thousands of years to achieve the same!


    ...

 Chapter 1909 The Origin of Minos’ Resources

    chapter 1909 the origin of minos'' resources?


    "is that true, minos?" the level 91 woman from the sea folk asked as she narrowed her eyes and looked at that fox.


    minos said that on purpose, to prove to all these creatures the value of being at his side. not only did he want witnesses and interested beings to join their journey to ensure the group was powerful enough to travel back and forth from the north sea, but he also wanted more high-ranking members in his state.


    since a chaotic era was about to hit the entire spiritual world, many problems that could affect the future growth of the black plain empire might hit it in a short time.


    if he didn''t prepare himself even better, minos was aware that the chances of his people continuing to progress would diminish.


    this could mean a decrease in the pace of development of the black plain empire or even a delay in preparing his people for the threat henricus longus predicted.


    to avoid this, he wanted to attract beings on this journey not only to risk themselves with him in exploring the north sea but also to join his empire as members of his forces, not just as external allies.


    he said. "what i''ve been offering you these past weeks, months, is what i''ve been offering kyla since she was born.


    with the best resources and enough peace for her to take advantage of opportunities, i helped her reach the 9th stage even though she was young and had little time to cultivate.


    but don''t be surprised. there are several cases like kyla''s on my side. just look at my wives." he said as he waved at two of his four wives. "abby and ruth were just a spiritual warrior and a spiritual general when i started my relationship with them back when we were between 16 and 19. but a little over 50 years later, they are both spiritual sages, just like me.


    i also have a few disciples in my empire who i saw begin their cultivation, and they are currently at levels 73 and 74." minos remembered lee and alison.


    gloria saw the impressed looks on the faces of her group and the newly arrived foxes. she said. "my husband is very generous with those who are committed to the same cause as us. we currently have a few dozen elders at the end of the 9th stage whom we are training to become demigods in the next decade."


    she looked at the group minos had gathered so far and said. "although we are gathering you to join our journey to the north sea, we will also have people from our empire join us. we won''t be relying solely on friendly forces, although we greatly appreciate the courage of all of you and also of those who are yet to join us."


    "how are you doing that?" the arctic whale over there asked, looking at minos.


    "well, i''m the emperor of a state with over 3 billion people and hundreds of millions of beasts. on top of that, i have alliances with half of the central continent and have had my own random encounters." minos said as he looked at blake, who could prove it.


    "it''s true... young minos received an inheritance from a level 100 dragon." the fox said, but almost everyone there heard him.


    it wasn''t enough to explain how minos had managed to raise kyla and the various others he mentioned. still, the fact that he was an emperor of such a large and influential state helped those beings to understand.


    supporting a few individuals like kyla wasn''t impossible. as long as you put a large part of your resources into just a few individuals and give them a chance to train in peace, achieving what he had achieved with these people was not impossible.


    considering other possible chance encounters minos might have had over the years and the wealth of the enemies he had surely defeated, there was enough in his history to justify the origin of the resources he had now, but also in the past.


    "impressive." one of the elders of the nine-tailed fox tribe looked at kyla, wondering how lucky this young fox had been.


    meanwhile, the level 75 fox couldn''t help but stare in shock at this level 80 being, who he thought was much more experienced than him.


    ''is that all?'' he wondered how young kyla was.


    blake looked at emlyn and said. "well, how nice of you to find someone as good as young minos. i''m sure your journey was much better with him than it would have been anywhere else or with any other companions."


    "hmm, i was lucky, elder." she said, happy for all that had happened to her.


    "anyway, welcome to our tribe. i''m sorry for the way you were received earlier. we didn''t expect to see you here so soon and with such a strong group." blake said as he waved in the direction of the nearby city.


    "we were fortunate to have the support of sanctuary of visions. without the support of the sea folk, it would have taken a lot longer and been a lot harder to get a group like this together." minos said, giving all the credit for reaching the continent of beasts so quickly with such a strong group to the elder who had welcomed him to the land capital of the marine empire.


    without his support, the group would not have been able to get the three envoys from the sea folk, which would have prevented them from having easy access to the tribe of the fish people and the krakens.


    as they talked about it, with minos telling these foxes and his wives part of his journey, the three sea folk members were naturally pleased to see him give credit to sanctuary of visions.


    meanwhile, they quickly made their way to the inner city, where they would soon see the home of the nine-tailed foxes, a beautiful place where creatures of this race could be seen by the thousands.


    emlyn was able to revisit her old city, while kyla saw the home of her people for the first time in her life, eager to get to know the area and explore the city.


    the members of minos'' crew were also eager to get to know the place, as this was also a voyage of discovery for several of them.


    so, while minos and the group''s most important members accompanied the foxes, part of the group split off to explore the city in the company of representatives of that tribe.


    ...

 Chapter 1910 New Crew Member

    ?


    "where is demi? isn''t she with the tribe?" minos asked as he stood next to the strongest elders of the tribe, his wives, the members of the sea folk, and the strongest mercenary of the group.


    the rest of the group had separated from them to get to know the tribe, rest, trade, etc. thus, only a part of the large group that minos had assembled so far accompanied him along with the elders of this tribe.


    when blake heard his question when they arrived at the tribe''s headquarters in the middle of the city, he answered truthfully. "she is no longer with the tribe. after we arrived from the central continent, she barely had time to rest from her journey and was sent to the phoenix tribe by the tribe leader."


    "if you want to see her, you must go there. she''ll be staying with the phoenixes for the next year." another elder said.


    demi was like the leader of the tribe at the moment, and she was supposed to stay in this city to perform various functions that only she could do. but whenever the tribe''s leadership needed to travel to an important meeting with allies, she was the one to do it since the de facto leader of this city only had a few decades left to live.


    the phoenix tribe had decided to hold a gathering of their allies in the coming months, where they would work on joint exercises and a series of special meetings.


    the phoenix tribe was one of the strongest on the continent. after some recent events, the war situation between the leaders of these lands and the strongest race in the world, their leaders were worried about the future.


    to prepare for the coming years, the tribe had summoned powerful representatives and leaders from each of their allies weeks ago.


    minos didn''t know this, but when he heard the elders'' comments, he didn''t find it so strange or bad. "really? then it won''t be a problem. after i leave this city, i intend to go to the core of the phoenix territory."


    "that will be good for you, young minos," blake commented. "perhaps you''ll be able to meet several races of powerful beasts at the meeting the phoenixes are holding.


    not only that, but since they''re gathering the strongest of their allies, it''s possible that you''ll be able to meet relevant elders of this tribe more easily than you would have without this congregation."


    "hmmm, but where are they doing that?" abby asked.


    the phoenix territory had the territory of the nine-tailed foxes and 19 other tribes within its sphere of influence. this territory was as large as the old kingdom of waves, the largest territory in the northern region before the rise of minos.


    but this meeting could occur anywhere in the area, including the spatial kingdom controlled by the phoenixes!


    one of the elders looked at abby respectfully and replied. "you must go to the city of the phoenixes. there, you will find the way to where this meeting occurs."


    "but young minos, how long will you stay in our tribe? you seem to be in a bit of a hurry." blake said as they entered the area they were going to.


    "i don''t know. a few days, a month at the most." minos said.


    he had two reasons for coming to the nine-tailed fox tribe. the first was to bring emlyn and kyla home, where they could meet acquaintances, friends, and maybe even family. minos had promised them a long time ago that he would bring them to this place one day, so he wasn''t going to come and go right away.


    besides, even if the beings of this tribe couldn''t advance to the 10th stage, they could be useful on the journey minos planned to take to the north sea.


    the nine-tailed fox tribe had one of the strongest mental abilities in the spiritual world.


    combined with the mermaids in his crew, a few level 89 nine-tailed foxes could help the group protect themselves from mental traps and even counter high-level mental blows from any enemies they might face.


    even though they couldn''t reach level 90 or higher, these creatures could even fight beings that were 2 or 3 levels stronger than them in terms of mental power.


    for the current minos and the needs of his group, this was enough for him to be interested in recruiting some of these elders.


    but in this tribe, minos'' situation would be a bit different. unlike the places where he had recruited so far, he wanted to recruit some of the strongest beings in the tribe, beings that were very relevant to this city.


    so he came right to the point and asked in a different way than he had in other places. "i''d like to meet some foxes from your tribe who are at the end of the 9th stage but also at the end of their lives."


    "huh?" the four elders looked at minos strangely.


    wanting to meet the strongest was quite normal. but to seek out beings who were about to die was not what one would expect from a group like minos''.


    but the members of the sea folk and the mercenary next to minos and his wives understood what he wanted.n-/o//v-)e(/l--b).1)(n


    only a fox of such power, so close to death, would agree to join this crew!


    anyone else would have to think for the good of the tribe before risking themselves by agreeing to travel with minos.


    as these elders looked at minos strangely, the being they were bringing emperor stuart''s party to meet heard this and laughed.


    "you''ve come to the right place, young man. i don''t have much time left, and i''m at the peak of my cultivation." a soft voice said, drawing the attention of minos'' entire group to an obvious cave where a white-furred fox appeared, gradually transforming into a humanoid version.


    the humanoid version looked relatively young, but its hair was white, something unusual to see in foxes of this breed.


    "leader of the tribe!" the four elders looked at her and shouted at the same time.


    "minos stuart, my name is bella beech. i fit what you''re looking for... what do you want?" this woman asked, smiling at this group, very grateful to him for what he had done for her people.


    minos didn''t hide his interest. "i''m looking for brave people to join my group for a journey to the north sea."


    "oh? that''s quite a dangerous destination." she said good-naturedly. "very well, i''ll join your crew."


    everyone there opened their mouths in surprise, not expecting that the tribe leader herself would decide to join the most daring crew in the spiritual world!

 Chapter 1911 Willing to Die

    chapter 1911 willing to die?


    "what?"


    "tribe leader, what are you talking about?"


    "this is madness!"


    "suicide!"


    the four elders shouted similar things almost simultaneously while minos'' group looked at the beautiful woman at the absolute peak of level 89, who was looking at emperor stuart with a sincere smile on her face.


    "tribe leader, please don''t do this. what about the tribe? how would it be without you?" blake felt his heart beat faster, afraid that this woman would leave and lose her life along with minos'' group.


    he sincerely wished the best for the group''s crew and the young man''s goals. but he didn''t think a trip to the north sea was intelligent, and he didn''t want any of his friends and companions to go on this journey with minos.


    it would be fine if any of them wanted to join minos'' group and return to the tribe before the crew left for the north sea. but risking their lives was too much, even for grateful beings like them.


    after all, they had a race to protect and couldn''t be so selfish!


    but the woman said something the four of them couldn''t disagree with. "the tribe will have to get used to living without me in a few years. i won''t live another 50 years, so i might as well go now.


    gulp!


    "tribe leader..." when she heard those words, one of the four felt her eyes fill with tears.


    she had known bella for more than 20,000 years and had practically lived side by side with the tribe leader for all that time. how could she remain calm when her friend told her it was time to go?


    even experienced old people could be moved!


    "bella..."


    "don''t be like that. i''m still here! besides, i''ll be able to have one last adventure and repay the favors that young minos stuart did for our race. it will be good for everyone." she said calmly.


    for someone who had lived as long as she had and who had waited so long for her death, she was no longer afraid of dying. her only concern was the tribe, and so she would try to live as long as possible.


    but after watching nearly all of her loves, friends and family perish on her journey, she was ready to leave, especially now that her heir had reached her level. nove)lb-1n


    in her opinion, the tribe would live just as well in her absence as in her presence. so leaving now wouldn''t hurt anyone!


    minos heard this and liked it. he wasn''t a member of this tribe, and the level 89 fox was right.


    as strong as she was, if she didn''t do anything, the tribe would surely lose her in a few decades. so it wouldn''t make much difference if she left now, especially since she wouldn''t risk any trouble at her age.


    high-level cultivators nearing their limit didn''t become weak until their last days. only when they had less than a week to live would they show that they were no longer able to fight, and they would quickly fall ill. but until then, they could fight as if they were far from death.


    yet. that didn''t mean there were no risks. when you were young, even fatal damage could be reversed if you had the resources and high-level personnel to help you. but at the end of one''s life, even life-saving resources like the spring of life would have no effect if one was severely injured.


    therefore, high-level cultivators had to be very careful not to fight because no matter how much they could fight normally, any injury would affect them far worse than people who were far from the end of their lives.


    therefore, this woman rarely moved and would only fight when all the other elders of her tribe were either absent or unable to protect the tribe without her help.


    if nothing extreme happened in the next few decades, she might even spend her last years doing nothing, meaning that her absence would probably not be felt.


    minos said, not caring about the sadness of these four elders. "very well. i accept you into my group. while you''re with us, we''ll try to make sure that you don''t have to fight until we enter the north sea. after that, i can''t guarantee anything else."


    she appreciated minos'' words. "thank you for that. i''ll do my best when the time comes. i hope i can help you in some way in the future."


    seeing the determination in the woman''s eyes, the three sea folk members said nothing, aware that this fox was willing to die to help the group.


    if they were faced with a desperate situation in the north sea, bella would certainly be someone they could count on to protect another crew member.


    no one there wanted to have to use others to protect themselves, but knowing that someone from their group was willing to do anything for the good of the team was very gratifying.


    "minos..." blake looked at the brown-haired guy, clenching his fists while already in his humanoid form.


    "blake, don''t act like it''s certain that i will die. don''t underestimate me that much." bella said in a harsher tone. "maybe i''ll come back from the north sea. then don''t be so quick to declare me dead. i can still beat you up."


    with that, the group laughed at the older woman''s good humor, while minos felt that he would hardly get anyone other than bella in this tribe.


    even if bella didn''t make a big difference in the stability of the tribe, the others there would make a big difference because they all had enough vitality to live for a few more centuries.


    centuries was plenty of time to raise new promising young people to replace them!


    but as their conversation became less negative, as these beings put aside the fact that their leader was nearing her end, bella said to minos.


    "i don''t know if you''ll get any more foxes for your group because not everyone is like me. but i have the location of an old fox who lives outside the tribe and might be useful to your crew.


    although he is no longer a member of our tribe, he is a powerful nine-tailed fox. he could be as influential as i am, if not more so." she said, which made the elders look at her differently, seeing that she was willing to associate even with a renegade.


    but they understood that she wasn''t acting as the leader of the tribe for the moment but as a member of minos'' crew, even if she was wrong to say ''your crew.''


    "are you sure about that, tribe leader?" one of them asked worriedly.


    ...

 Chapter 1912 Guinea Pig

    chapter 1912 guinea pig?


    hearing the question from one of her elders, bella understood that it would be difficult for her tribe members to understand that a renegade from their tribe could be helpful to a friend of theirs. but this man''s very rebelliousness could make him of interest to minos'' group.


    titus gamble had always been a fox capable of doing questionable things, taking risks beyond his limits, and known for not valuing his own life. how could someone as fearless as him not be compatible with minos'' group?


    "titus may not be someone the tribe can trust or rely on. but he is powerful and capable of helping young minos'' group."


    "but you would have to be alongside him on this journey..." blake commented as minos'' group watched the dialogue between the elders.


    she laughed as she realized that her elders were also worried about her having to put up with such a fox in the last years of her life. "don''t worry about it. i would never let titus return to the tribe, but i don''t see him as unbearable or despicable.


    even though i kicked him out of the tribe, we were once friends, and this could be the opportunity to make things right at the end of our lives."


    "who are you talking about?" gloria asked curiously.


    "titus gamble, an ancient elder of our race from the generation of the tribal leader," blake replied. "he was banished from the tribe generations ago when one of his dangerous exploits sacrificed an entire group of elders, and only he returned alive.


    that incident would eventually lead to a lot of trouble for us. when he was banished from the tribe, he even tried to take over the position of the tribe leader so that he could continue to act ''for the good of the nine-tailed foxes,'' as he put it."


    in some ways, titus had a similar leadership style to maximillian flamen. the difference was that while one wanted to dominate the world, the other wanted to find ways to increase the genetic potential of his race through adventure and dangerous experimentation.


    but both wanted supremacy for their people and were willing to do whatever it took to achieve it.


    titus had tried his best for thousands of years, and the tribe tolerated his actions'' negative consequences. but the situation had reached a breaking point a few thousand years ago.


    bella had decided to punish him by expelling him from the tribe after a group of 9th-stage elders had not only perished because of titus but also because he had provoked attacks from rival races of the tribe against them.


    at that time, if it hadn''t been for the intervention of the phoenix tribe, the nine-tailed fox tribe might have disappeared from the continent!


    but even after causing such complex problems for his tribe, titus still dared to try to seize power in this city by acting against bella.


    "someone troublesome, huh?" abby commented, not quite sure if it was good to have such a being in their group.


    but minos thought otherwise. "he''s clearly a danger to the nine-tailed fox tribe. but that doesn''t mean he wouldn''t be useful for our group."


    as he said this, minos'' eyes closed as he imagined that someone like this elder could be advantageous to him in the future.


    ''someone with such ambitions... someone capable of doing what he did... someone like that might agree to be my guinea pig.'' he thought to himself, considering his theories about this world and how they could make fantastic things possible if they were correct.


    but to carry out his theories and plans, minos needed people capable of taking great risks.


    titus seemed to have what it took to become one of minos'' guinea pigs!


    "where is he?" minos asked, showing the people that he wasn''t the least bit concerned about the creature''s past.


    the members of minos'' group there, apart from his wives, were not so surprised. they were on their way to the north sea. the chances of these level 89 nine-tailed foxes dying were very high. therefore, having more than one of these creatures could benefit the group, even if one of them wasn''t as stable as they would have liked.


    bella looked at minos and dropped a small crystal into his hands. "he can''t be far away. as much as i forced him out of the tribe, he never strayed far from our territory. over the past centuries, we''ve heard reports of guards along the borders of our territory who''ve seen him or even noticed his tracks.


    follow this map. it will take you to an area where there are more reports of tracks or sightings of titus. he''s still alive, so you should be able to find him there."


    looking at the map, minos thanked the fox and quickly put it away to search for titus later.


    then he said. "i''ll see about that tomorrow. for now, i''d like to rest with my women for a while. do you have somewhere we can stay?"


    "of course. please come with me." bella said as she led the way to minos'' group while the elders of her tribe accompanied them.


    amid their movement, one of the sea folk members asked one of the tribe''s high-ranking elders. "by the way, do you have contact with any other tribes with demigods besides the phoenix group?"


    "we have contact with the gorgon tribe, but we don''t dare get too close to them. so we can''t be considered allies, even though we have no problems with each other." nove)lb/1n


    gorgons were terrifying female creatures from the spiritual world, with incredible lineage power and a reproductive capacity comparable only to the plant species of this world.


    there were no males in this race. the females could reproduce among themselves!


    but with their ability to turn those who looked into their eyes into stone, it would be tough for their race to exist otherwise.


    "gorgons? do they really exist?" the level 91 mercenary asked as his eyes widened considerably.


    "hmm, they do exist. but i wouldn''t advise your party to approach them in search of companions. a single gorgon could turn your entire crew to stone." this level 89 old man said, warning this group.


    "indeed, gorgons are very dangerous. it''s best to leave these creatures where they are." one of the sea folk members said.


    "one of them would only be interesting to have on our side if we could cut off its head and use its powers..." one of them muttered, smiling, because that would be the only way to guarantee the safety of the group with such a creature on their side.

 Chapter 1913 In Search of the Renegade

    chapter 1913 in search of the renegade?


    after the previous conversation, no one in minos'' group showed any interest in dealing with the gorgons.


    even minos understood that they were too dangerous to have in his crew and preferred not to encounter them by chance.


    gorgons could control their special ability to a certain degree, but it required a lot of self-control on the part of one of them, and you could never be sure if you could trust one of them.


    with the slightest carelessness on the part of a group like minos'', one of these creatures could incapacitate an entire crew.


    since there were many other races of beasts on this continent that might be of interest to them, there was no reason for the group to take a chance with such a dangerous race.


    then, soon after this conversation, the group left for this city of the nine-tailed foxes, and minos and his wives were given a useful possession in a part of this city that was designed for beings with human body limits.


    even on the animal continent, there were cities shaped like human cities, just as there were on the bottom of the sea and elsewhere in the spiritual world.


    the human race was not the ruler of this world, nor was it the strongest or most talented to "force" other races to follow these parameters.


    the fact that there were buildings suitable for humans worldwide was a matter of practicality for all races that could change their bodies and had some relevance.


    for example, how could a snake tribe welcome a dragon to do business in their tribe? the places where these two kinds of beings lived were completely different. their body sizes were different.


    a dragon, even a young one, could be the size of dozens of human houses. on the other hand, a snake or a fox were usually much smaller, even if they were older and more powerful.


    thus, the only way to welcome a member of another race into one''s city or territory was through buildings that were accessible to different types of races.


    the most common form in this world was the humanoid, which was very versatile.


    so, every territory had places that were useful to humans, and soon, minos and his wives settled into a villa where they were left alone to rest.


    from the point of view of minos'' crew and the city foxes, they had been traveling apart for a long time. so, it was time for them to rest while they could share each other''s presence.


    but only minos needed to relax since all his wives had spent the last few months quietly in his family''s spatial kingdom.


    however, the kind of relaxation he wanted to share with his wives was rather special and exhausting...


    and so he and his four wives would soon spend a fiery night in the territory of the nine-tailed foxes!


    ...


    the next day, minos and his wives woke up early, all of them much more fulfilled after hours of fun and then sleeping together, something they hadn''t done for months.


    after waking up this morning and eating a hearty breakfast with bella, who had personally served them, the stuart family would soon leave town with only a portion of their party to go in search of titus.


    most of the group would remain there, continuing their exploration or resting from the boat ride they had taken to get here. minos had not yet returned to this city and was only going to explore the surrounding area in search of more reinforcements.


    so when he left with his wives, only the members of the ancestral folk, the mercenaries, and the two descendants of the longus family went with them on this morning''s journey.


    the territory of the nine-tailed fox tribe was not large enough for people with the cultivation of those individuals in the group, so in a few hours, they would arrive at the place that the map bella had given minos led to.


    arriving in this area, minos'' people would soon notice the presence of beasts that were somewhat different from those one might see in this tribe''s territory, a foretaste of what one would find on this continent.


    the tribal territories covered about 90% of this continent. most beasts, whether low-level or high-level, respected the boundaries of the territories, as the chances of problems arising from territory invasions were not small.


    precisely because of this, in the 10% of the continent''s land that had no owners, anyone passing through these places would find a density of beings beyond the ordinary, with individuals of different races coming and going.


    seeing this, the women of minos looked with interest at some of the creatures around them, creatures that only existed on this continent.


    at the top of one tree was a large black eagle, while on the stump of another tree was a creature standing upside down, looking at its surroundings.


    here and there, creatures crawled, jumped, or ran, often using the sound of the wind hitting the surrounding trees or leaves to camouflage the sound of their movements.


    but while several creatures could be seen or sensed in the area, only a few had a relevant level of power for minos'' group to look at and worry about.


    despite being so strong, this continent obviously had weak creatures. what made it special was not the absence of weak creatures but the strong presence of powerful beings.


    but like everywhere else, most living beings there were at a low level, mostly young or still in their youth. n.)ovelbin


    minos ignored these many beings who were of no interest to him and looked directly at where he felt the aura of a level 89 sage, perhaps the mark of the being he was looking for.


    "let''s go. maybe we can find the elder titus sooner than we thought." he said to his people, confident that the fox was still alive since bella''s tribe still had the item that signaled titus'' vital status.


    with that, he walked ahead of the group, ignoring the lower-level beings around him while attracting the glances and attention of some of the 9th-stage creatures nearby.


    among those who looked at him as he went deeper into this land was a snake wrapped around a tree trunk, who immediately noticed a special aura coming from those in minos'' group.


    ''friends of those dirty foxes?'' this being thought to himself as he looked at the group of 9th and 10th-stage beings.


    ''but that human... why do i get this feeling from him? this being was worried, sensing that the enemies of his tribe might have managed to ally themselves with dangerous humans.


    ''i must warn our allies. if these foxes have a new trick up their sleeves, we must react somehow!'' he thought before crawling to the ground and quickly moving away from minos'' group towards a cave near a nearby waterfall.

 Chapter 1914 Unexpected Encounter

    chapter 1914 unexpected encounter?


    while some of the beasts were moving around the area without owners, minos and his group approached a hollow where there was a small cave for the size of the beasts in the area.


    arriving there, while the rest of the group looked around for potential problems, minos looked at the path of stones in front of the entrance to the small cave and noticed the same type of fur here and there.


    "white fur... that''s probably from a nine-tailed fox of bella''s age." gloria said as she looked at it and smelled the distinct scent of the fur.


    the sages'' sense of smell was very refined. a person at this level of cultivation or higher wouldn''t need to get close to something or someone to notice distinct smells.


    since every being had its own natural scent, it was relatively easy to identify the origin of a scent left on something or someone.


    even though there was no other indication that this was the fur of a nine-tailed fox, everyone in minos'' group was sure that this was most likely the elder they were looking for. n./o()v-.e.(l.-b/)i.-n


    minos continued on, sensing that there was a level 89 being in this small cave. still, as he got closer, he could sense that this being had a spiritual fluctuation that was rather strange for nine-tailed foxes.


    just as each race had its own unique scent that made it easy to identify the race of anyone who left certain traces, each race also had characteristics that made the auras of its members relatively similar.


    of course, just as humans would have a different smell, each being of the same race would have a different aura. but like the smell, the aura of beings of the same race also had some similarities that could only be found in that race.


    for example, nine-tailed foxes were beings known for their mental powers. meanwhile, snakes were usually associated with their poisonous powers. therefore, it was easy to tell the difference between the aura types of these two beings because of the vast difference in their affinities.


    when he noticed that the creature in the cave that might have belonged to titus had an aura that didn''t match the powers of the nine-tailed foxes at all, minos immediately decided that it wasn''t his target.


    ''be on your guard.'' he said in the minds of the people in his group, warning them that this was not his target.


    since they were approaching this being, they had to be twice as careful as if they were only going to titus.


    as they followed minos'' recommendation and approached the place with him, the others in their group noticed a bad feeling coming from the being in the place.


    as minos entered the place ahead of everyone else, he saw what looked like a woman standing inside the small cave, which had several strange objects around it that looked like a laboratory.


    she had her back to him, but still, the moment he saw her, minos didn''t hesitate and jumped back, feeling a chill run through his entire body.


    "get back!" he shouted before recommending. "do not look at her face!"


    "that''s..."


    the members of the sea folk were very quick to understand things and quickly realized that there was a gorgon there.


    "damn it!"


    "what is a member of that race doing here? isn''t this phoenix territory?" one of them asked his companions as the creature with its back to the cave''s exit turned its face to look at the newcomers.


    it had snakes instead of hair, a perfect face that would make any man lose his way, but pulsating orange eyes that looked more like magma dots than the eyes of a living being.


    her torso was very similar to a human''s, and she had full breasts with nothing to cover her pink nipples.


    but that was the end of her beauty, for below her waist, instead of legs, there was a thick, long snake tail, at least 2.5 meters long.


    then she opened her mouth and smiled as she watched the strange group retreat, revealing her razor-sharp teeth but also the forked tongue in her mouth.


    "oh mine, how disrespectful of you..." she commented as she left the cave interior and quickly came face to face with the group of sea and land beasts and humans. "do i deserve this kind of treatment without having done anything to you?" she asked them, but her tone was humorous, which told them all that there was a smile on her lips.


    but none of minos'' group dared to look at her, knowing that if they did, they could be turned to stone.


    even the strongest of them could have parts of their beings petrified.


    one could protect oneself from beings of this race with spiritual energy. however, in addition to the innate power of the members of this race being able to affect even those more powerful than them, it could also damage parts of the body and soul of its targets.


    if it couldn''t petrify an enemy''s entire body, this power could do so in smaller parts. it could damage one''s spiritual structures to the point where it could go from hindering their future progresses to spiritually crippling its targets!


    aware of this kind of risk, even the level 91 demigods in the group did not look at the woman''s face but only observed her hands and feet to determine how she would act against them.


    "who are you? what are you doing in the phoenix territory?" the sea folk leader asked as she circulated her energy, ready to act if necessary.


    "phoenix territory?" she asked, laughing. "woman of the sea folk, you don''t understand how the division of power works on the continent of beasts. this is a territory without owners. even the enemies of the phoenix can walk through this place without causing a clash of tribes or even a hunt."


    theoretically, this area belonged to the phoenix tribe''s sphere of influence. however, the tribe''s territory only counted the areas directly controlled by their people or allies.


    since this area was part of the 10% of this continent that was not controlled by anyone, even though it was within the phoenix''s sphere of influence, it was not really part of that tribe.


    even if a member of this tribe appeared there right now, the mere fact that this gorgon was there would not be enough to start a confrontation between the two parties.


    minos knew this, and just talking about phoenixes wouldn''t scare this gorgon. not wanting to start a confrontation with her but also curious about her presence in this place, he asked her. "is this titus'' cave? were you here because of him?"

 Chapter 1915 Tense Situation

    chapter 1915 tense situation?


    hearing minos'' question, the gorgon looked at him, narrowing her eyes as she paid more attention to this human.


    "you... you really have a powerful aura! are you really a human?" she ignored his question, feeling a slight oppression coming from minos'' body, even though he was weaker than her and a member of the human race.


    gorgons were not one of the ten strongest races in the spiritual world. however, their characteristics and the fact that their members could reach the 10th stage placed them among the 15 strongest races.


    even though the human race was one of the 10 strongest, it didn''t mean that every human had a talent or a level of strength superior to any being from one of the "lesser" races.


    the few humans with golden-grade talents and saint-grade physiques made humans relevant in this world. but most spiritual humans didn''t have those traits and were naturally inferior to beings like the creature before minos'' group.


    moreover, not all people with golden-grade talents and saint-grade physiques were the same. some had more refined and heavenly characteristics!


    the same was true for the members of the various races in this world.


    not every sky whale would be impressive enough to challenge every dragon on the continent of beasts who was at the same level as them.


    so when she realized that minos had something that made her feel like she was facing a higher level being, even considering the level disadvantage he had compared to her, this gorgon couldn''t help but look at him more seriously. nove)lb)in


    it only took a second for her to realize that this human was similar to the most talented dragons on this continent!


    with that in mind, she immediately became defensive and raised her guard against this group.


    "who are you? where are you from?" she asked minos, thinking about how strange the formation of this group was. "and why is your group so diverse?"


    minos clenched his fists and said in a thick tone. "i asked you first, gorgon. why were you here? does this place belong to titus? answer me, and i''ll tell you who we are."


    against certain beings, one had to act defensively to protect one''s own continuity. this was the case with the sky whales, for these beings rarely attacked those who showed humility toward them.


    but other beings could be complicated to deal with if you showed inferiority. the best way to deal with them was to puff out your chest and show that even if your side loses, the other side will lose something too, because you won''t take it without damaging the other side.


    gorgons were very different from sky whales. if they saw someone acting cowardly towards them, they would become even more interested in ''playing'' with such beings. on the other hand, if they felt they had to respect or fear the other party, they would consider not getting involved with such beings unless they really had to.


    gorgons were very intelligent and wouldn''t risk their lives for unnecessary things like a problem with an unknown group that didn''t want to face them.


    then she stepped back, although she kept her terrible aura and the snakes on her head in a lunge position. "i was after that old fox. we had an agreement, but he didn''t keep his side of the deal."


    "so it was really him..."


    "do you know where we can find him?" minos asked as the people in his group realized that this place really belonged to titus.


    "your turn to answer, human." she said, waiting to find out who these people were.


    minos knew he had to be strong in the face of such a treacherous creature, but he couldn''t just demand things and give nothing in return. so he answered her. "my wives and i are from the black plain empire. we''re on a journey to form a strong group to go to the north sea."


    "north sea?" the gorgon''s expression changed when she heard this, understanding why there were so many beings of different races in this group. ''are they idiots seeking their own death?'' this thought crossed her mind while she couldn''t help but let her guard down a bit.


    this explained the presence of sea creatures in this group on the continent of beasts, but it also explained why this group was so diverse, even among the beast races. they were definitely recruiting because this gorgon could also smell the scent of other races coming from these creatures.


    "yes, the north sea," minos confirmed.


    "is that why you want titus? do you want to recruit him?" she realized what they wanted.


    "yes, he seems to be nearing the end of his life and has an exploratory nature. he''s a good match for us." minos said.


    "is not being able to keep your promises and contacts also useful for your group? that bastard promised me to solve a problem weeks ago, and i haven''t heard any good news from him... i went looking for him but found nothing! the bastard has run away."


    "so you don''t know where he is?"


    "if i did, he would have turned to stone by now." she said angrily, but she wasn''t really planning on it.


    titus was willing to experiment on beings of all species. as much as there were crucial differences between him and beings of other races, any discoveries he made with beings of other races could be samples of the path he should follow.


    he dared to contact anyone who was willing to give him ''material'' to work with and had recently made a deal with this gorgon for the body of a member of that race. in exchange, he would have to fulfill a promise to this gorgon, something he had not yet done and which would harm this creature.


    ''the bastard didn''t get rid of the body of that bitch, and now i''m wanted for murder.'' she thought silently, looking forward to her reunion with titus. ''if he can''t help me out of this mess, i swear i''ll turn him to stone!''


    meanwhile, minos and his people had no idea how the gorgon and titus were connected. still, now they had a glimpse of him by confirming that this place belonged to him.


    with that in mind, they had a path to follow to find this individual.


    but before they left the area, the gorgon asked them. "what are you going to do? aren''t you going to recruit me?"


    hearing their silence, she laughed, aware that it would be impossible for any group with levels so close to hers to accept her. "it doesn''t matter. but you should be careful. i''m not the only one looking for titus. and i hope you don''t find him before i do. if you do, expect trouble."


    with those words, she disappeared from there, moving quickly to where she thought she might find her target, leaving minos'' group staring at where she had disappeared.

 Chapter 1916 Tribal Enemies

    chapter 1916 tribal enemies


    a few days later...


    after the strange encounter with a gorgon, minos'' group continued investigating titus'' whereabouts in the area without owners near the nine-tailed fox territory.


    nothing much had happened in the past few days, and they had not encountered any other gorgons or other powerful beings common to this continent.


    as for their search, they had found several traces of titus and were on his trail. however, they didn''t know for sure how close they were to the fox, only that they were getting closer to him with each passing day.


    the group didn''t want to give up the search for the moment. minos felt that he could use titus, not only in the exploration of the north sea but also for some experiments after he reached level 90.


    for now, he didn''t want to give up on finding this beast and inviting it to join his group. but with time, that might change.


    minos wondered how long he could stay in this place before returning to his search for allies on the continent. it wouldn''t be worth spending months searching for a level 89 fox.


    but without thinking too much about giving up now, minos and his group were closer to titus than they thought.


    ...


    at a certain point in the southernmost forest of the continent of beasts, not far from the nine-tailed fox tribe, an old-looking being, currently in humanoid form, was slowly moving around in one of the trees on a plain.


    in this area, tens of thousands of square kilometers were irregularly scattered with several trees that could reach hundreds of meters in height, many of them high-ranking plant beings.


    but no matter how defensive they were, even sentient plant beings had their limits. when they died, they left behind high-level structures perfect for humanoid beings to hide or even live in.


    just inside the corpse of a magnificent tree that was still standing, there was a place that looked like a laboratory, built halfway up the tree, where one would find it difficult to find even if you scanned the surroundings.


    there, a white-haired man with wrinkles around his eyes had a strange smile on his face as he walked over to where a half-humanoid, half-snake-like creature was bent over a table with several chains attached to her.


    on her head was an eye patch over her eyes, while the snakes on her head were constantly trying to attack that old man.


    unfortunately, they weren''t big enough to reach him.


    "damned old fox! you''ll pay for this!" the creature said as he felt intense pain in his abdomen, where a deep cut had opened.


    the old man ignored it, used to the threats he always received from his guinea pigs.


    he looked at her face and laughed.


    how many could tell what a gorgon looked like? very few!


    but he was one of them!


    as he looked at her face again, he couldn''t help but feel good about himself for ''overcoming'' the taboo of looking at a gorgon.


    for him, looking at her and not turning to stone was like slapping her in the face!


    but when he took his eyes off this creature, he looked around, where there were pieces of corpses of beings from various other races, but also some beings still alive, waiting for him to work with them. n--ovelb1n


    "miss gorgon, can''t you see that what i''m doing for you is good?" he said as he used a cane to walk around his lab. "you were supposed to die weeks ago. dunyxa gave you to me to dispose of your body. but i''m keeping you alive. not only that but if you survive my experiments, you may make a significant breakthrough!"


    as he said this, he had an unprecedented passion in his words, almost to the point of performing in front of this and the other captive beings in his laboratory.


    "you should all thank me! i am your salvation! without me, you''d all be dead! what''s a little pain next to the nothingness of death?" he asked aloud as he picked up a tube of some substance.


    "why don''t you do it to yourself, you bastard?" the gorgon asked, smelling the poison the bastard had used to attack her body.


    "if i did that, who would be doing my experiments?" he laughed before pushing a tube into the creature''s mouth that could go down to her stomach, forcing his special poison into her.


    "stop complaining, gorgon. i''ll soon finish my experiments on you."


    ...


    meanwhile, a few miles away from the large tree, minos and his group stood still.


    they weren''t resting but scanning their surroundings for clues about where to go next.


    as capable as he was, titus was at the end of his life and had even less time to live than bella. while this might make him less cautious in some places, the fact that there were level 91 demigods in minos'' group greatly helped him investigate this level 89 fox.


    it was only a matter of time before they found the place where titus had been hiding from dunyxa!


    but while they were standing in that area, with the mercenaries of the group working to find new clues that would lead to titus, the level 91 woman of the sea folk suddenly sensed something strange and looked to the north.


    "several beasts are approaching our position. raise your guard. we have less than 20 seconds before they arrive." she said as she looked to the north.


    immediately after her words, minos'' entire group changed their posture and turned towards the north, his women quickly standing in the middle of his people as they circulated their energies.


    as the humans there activated their soul avatars, a group of 10th-stage snakes appeared from the direction that the bluish-skinned woman had alerted them to.


    ''snakes?'' gloria looked at the creatures approaching them in formation.


    they clearly weren''t just passing through! these creatures were there for them!


    seeing how they made their way to their position with no intention of stopping, minos realized that this was not an attempt at dialog but an attack.


    "it''s been a long time since i''ve tasted snake meat... it looks like some fools are here to help me change that today". minos commented for everyone in the area to hear as he looked at the two types of snakes arriving there, one from a race limited to level 89, next to another that could reach the 10th stage.


    ...

 Chapter 1917 Unexpected Barbecue

    chapter 1917 unexpected barbecue?


    upon hearing minos'' comment, a level 92 snake leading the enemy group gave him an ugly look as he crawled toward this group of enemies.


    "is this the group you warned us about?" he asked the weakest of this group of 20 snakes, 8 level 89 sages, 6 level 90 demigods, 4 level 91, and 2 level 92.


    one of the level 89 snakes said. "yes, senior. i noticed them a few days ago. they are friends with the nine-tailed fox tribe. and from the fillings in their bodies that day, i can tell their group must be stronger than the one in front of us."


    "this is really serious." a level 91 snake said to his people. "our tribe has been under much pressure from the phoenix tribe lately. if any of those damned birds'' associates become strong with such beings, we may soon face extinction."


    hard times were approaching in the spiritual world. all of the powerful races in that world had already sensed that something was about to happen, and they were becoming more defensive in the face of dangers or problems that normally wouldn''t bother them too much.


    one would worry about rivals forming alliances and growing stronger at any time. but now, it was more serious for all the tribes on the continent of beasts because all these tribes were becoming more worried about the future.


    when resources became scarce, those with the best contacts and influence would have the best chance of getting them. at that time, those who lagged behind would lose out in the race for survival, and even if they survived, they might be considerably weakened.


    fearing that this neighbor of theirs would become stronger, the weaker snake tribe between these two snake races had asked their allies for help in wiping out minos'' group.


    as long as they limited the potential of the nine-tailed foxes, they and their entire alliance could go further in the times of trouble that were about to reach this world!


    with that, those beings didn''t hesitate to attack minos'' group with all their might as soon as they encountered him, not wanting to talk or even be cautious.


    if there were more of them, their mission wouldn''t end with this slaughter. so they had to kill them quickly to go after the others and end any possibility of improving the conditions for the nine-tailed fox tribe!


    seeing those snakes charging at some of them, some already spitting venom and other forms of poisonous powers in their direction, minos'' group didn''t hesitate to attack them with force as soon as they saw them.


    "kill the bastards!" one of the mercenaries shouted, ignoring the enemies of his level to fight with his allies against the strongest enemies.


    a level 91 snake laughed when she saw the level 89 creatures charging at them, not understanding what the problem was with these creatures.


    "i''ll kill them in one move!" she shouted in a terrifying tone while the demigods in minos'' group looked at the two level 92 demigods in that team.


    as one side attacked the other, minos disappeared from where he was and appeared in front of the group of enemy beasts, quickly bringing them within range of his techniques and abilities.


    when they least expected it, these creatures sensed emperor stuart''s dark innate ability and felt this human''s level suddenly rise until it reached level 85.


    noticing this, some of those beings took notice of minos'' previous words.


    "damn it! this person isn''t even..." one of them was about to shout when minos suddenly used another of his abilities.


    dragon''s gaze!


    all 20 serpents immediately felt a strong spiritual pressure in their consciousness as an invisible attack flew towards minos'' two strongest enemies.


    meanwhile, several of them felt their bodies freeze in place as several blades of energy sliced through space, coming from different directions toward their vital points.


    gulp!


    a level 91 snake felt it and realized that all the spiritual sages in his group were dying because of a simple move by a level 83 human who was currently at level 85.


    ''how could that be?''


    but even he was affected by minos'' skill. as he saw the attacks of the level 89 mercenaries coming at him faster and faster, he could do nothing to defend himself.


    not dying from minos'' first attack was already a great achievement for him, but even though he survived, he was mentally affected to the extreme.


    when the spatial sword also attacked him, he ended up in a situation where he could only watch as one of his enemies unleashed deadly attacks on him!


    the two level 92 demigods of the opposing group suffered the brunt of minos'' attack, feeling such fear in their hearts that they imagined themselves shrinking in front of this human.


    they were about ten times larger than minos, even compared to his size in his soul projection form. even so, at that moment, they felt as if they had suddenly become small snakes in front of a giant dragon.


    as minos looked at them, they felt as if his eyes and body had grown larger, and their lives were now in his hands.


    ''it can''t be!'' one of them wanted to scream but frozen by some strange force, he could only watch as minos and the stuart family crew wiped out his entire group.


    meanwhile, attacks from the demigods in minos'' group hit their enemies'' vital points, along with more attacks from emperor stuart himself.


    using the devouring art, chaotic gravity, divine seal, and spatial sword, minos quickly inflicted serious wounds on the two level 92 demigods, opening up significant openings for his men!


    "barbecue time!" minos muttered into the creature''s mind, using the infinite dream to show what he and his companions would be doing very soon: a big barbecue where they would eat all those creatures'' bodies.


    but before that creature could even react to such a horrible vision, someone cut his heart in half, and he was eliminated without much difficulty, barely a minute after one group discovered the other!


    the people in minos'' group had been helped by him by temporarily receiving the level increases generated by the cultivation bases of the level 89 and 90 enemy beasts that emperor stuart easily influenced.


    since they were no longer weak, even without his help, they quickly used their many advantages to wipe out the snake group, killing all the level 91 and 92 creatures in no time.


    minos'' women didn''t even have to act together with the group this time. they just stood still and maintained their defensive positions.


    their group''s action was so fast and effective that ruth''s skill was not needed.


    seeing this, isabella commented to her husband. "you have become very strong, minos. but what are we going to do with these bodies? this will probably get us into trouble with even stronger elders from these tribes."


    "let''s eat them," minos said seriously. "that will make these beasts think twice before they decide to attack us just because of our relationship with a local tribe." n.-o..v/)e-/l-(b--1--n


    ...

 Chapter 1918 Attracting Attention

    chapter 1918 attracting attention?


    as brutal as minos'' proposal was, it was common practice in the spiritual world.


    when two sides engaged in a confrontation, especially one between beings of different races, it was very common for the winners to devour the bodies of the losers.


    beasts did this to other beasts of different races and to humans, and humans did it to beasts.


    but there were cases of beasts of the same race devouring their rivals, which was more common among beasts. even cases of humans devouring other humans existed, although very rare.


    when minos suggested this, his group didn''t find it so strange, and soon, the mercenaries there were setting up large bonfires, some of them already cutting up the corpses, removing the useless parts, and quickly preparing the edible ones.


    you didn''t have to be a spiritual cook to know how to prepare a barbecue!


    cooks were chefs who could enhance the nutritional and spiritual quality of the food, increasing not only the flavor but also the spiritual richness of meals.


    they weren''t entirely necessary to prepare a minimally tasty feast. anyone with a bit of spice and a minimum of knowledge about meat and its preparation could prepare a satisfying barbecue.


    in less than ten minutes, three large fires were blazing with long skewers of snake meat, while the men of minos'' group had already destroyed the remains of the creatures killed by their group.


    the smell of the meat gradually permeated the air, bringing the delicious smell of barbecue miles away from where minos'' group was.


    the beasts in the area noticed this and naturally looked in that direction, with several creatures of different species salivating at that hard-to-resist smell.


    gulp!


    a giant toad at the edge of a pond near the tree-covered area sniffed it and noticed the distinct smell of snake flesh.


    ''it looks like some snakes have died at the hands of human experts.'' he thought to himself.


    barbecuing was a human practice. beasts usually devoured the bodies of their enemies without any preparation.


    by smelling the distinct smell of barbecue, that creature and several others nearby knew it was humans'' deeds.


    but no one dared to approach them at first. to dare to light a fire and grill the flesh of the snakes of the tribes that were in the vicinity of this area would require a great deal of courage or strength.


    even a member of one of the tribes of these dead beings realized what was happening and broke into a cold sweat with fear but also anger at these humans.


    devouring enemies was a common practice, but it was a sign of extreme disrespect, a way of saying that one side was superior to the other, etc.


    by doing this openly, minos'' group was provoking the two snake tribes that had attacked his group.


    ''damn you! you''ll pay for this, you bastards! i''m going to report this to the tribe!'' a weaker snake that was nearby left in a rage and went back to his home to bring this information to his people.


    ...


    on the other hand, inside the tree where titus was doing his experiments...


    sensing a distinct odor in the air, titus immediately stopped what he was doing with his guinea pig and looked toward minos'' group.


    ''this smell...'' he recognized the scent of specimens from rival tribes of the nine-tailed fox tribe and became immediately curious.


    you couldn''t tell the level of the dead just by smelling the barbecue. even though these corpses and the enemies who were probably preparing to devour them at that moment were likely to be strong, it didn''t mean these creatures would be so strong that they would scare this old fox.


    with his curiosity and the chance to perhaps steal one of the corpses of these beings, titus clenched his fists in his humanoid form and walked slowly toward the exit of his tree.


    ''i will spy on this group. if they''re weak, maybe i can get new guinea pigs from different races.'' he thought to himself as he left the place.


    ...


    meanwhile, enough time had passed for the meat to roast, and everyone in minos'' group was tasting the meat of the snakes they had eliminated a few moments ago.


    the flesh of these beasts was delicious. however, it didn''t taste so unique. like many meats in this world, snake meat tasted like chicken.


    however, like the meat of sages and demigods, it was the most delicious chicken-flavored meat that anyone in that group had ever tasted.


    as they ate with gusto, not at all disgusted that they were eating individuals they had just fought, minos'' group chatted among themselves.


    "what are we going to do now? this tribe won''t let this go unanswered." one of the mercenaries commented.


    as frightening as their act was, it was customary for a group that had been insulted in this way to first test the enemy''s strength before giving up on revenge because the other side was so terrifying that it would devour them. nove/lb-in


    devouring enemies after a battle was a simple act of threat. it meant something like, "if you attack me, i will devour you. stay away from me or risk destruction."


    but one would always test the level of the one making the threat because there was always the risk that a weak group was behind it.


    minos then said. "the tribes that attacked us aren''t that strong. the weakest is at the same level as the nine-tailed fox tribe. the other one is a bit stronger and should have mid-level demigods. however, the chances of either of them coming after us are slim.


    even though we''re in an area without an owner, this area belongs to the phoenix tribe''s sphere of influence. if a level 94, 95, or 96 elder from a tribe unfriendly to the phoenix tribe enters this area, the observers of such a race will take action."


    minos knew the races of the continent of beasts well, especially the difficulties of some races and the differences in the spiritual wealth of the territories on the continent.


    the continent of beasts was not a single entity. what''s more, certain races had their own characteristics that made it more difficult for their members to progress in certain environments.


    being in a rich environment wasn''t everything!


    take the case of the women of the flowers kingdom in the central continent. even though they were in a high-level location near the two strongest states on the continent, that state only had a level 93 demigod as its leader.


    ...

 Chapter 1919 No Way Out

    chapter 1919 no way out ?


    not every being with the potential to reach the 10th stage could necessarily reach level 99 or attempt to break through to level 100. many suffer from variables that could trap them in the beginning or middle of such a stage, so they might never reach the peak of their potential.


    this was the case with the race of the strongest snakes that had attacked minos'' group that day.


    such a race was supposed to be only slightly stronger than the mcbride family from the flowers kingdom. still, minos had estimated by overestimating the strength of this tribe just so that his group would understand the real risks they could face.


    "how did you..."


    as one of them was about to ask how he could know that, half of them suddenly sensed something and looked up at the top of one of the trees in the area, where a white-haired man was looking down at them with a frightened expression.


    "huh?"


    "that''s..."


    "a nine-tailed fox!"


    the people in minos'' group noticed this individual almost simultaneously, spoiling titus'' observation.


    titus was very proud of his abilities, but not even he expected that the beings he was about to observe would notice him so quickly.


    he had not expected those he wanted to spy on would be highly talented beings, including beings as sensitive to certain things as elves.


    when he arrived, the three sea folk people from minos'' group looked in his direction along with minos.


    after these four, all the group members did the same, immediately identifying titus while this guy made a terrible expression.


    ''damn it!'' that was all he could think before he turned and fled, realizing his big mistake.


    however, no matter how skilled he was, he couldn''t compare to the sea fol demigods in that group.


    when one of them moved, the old fox barely saw the demigod motion and suddenly faced a stranger.


    "shit! who are you?" he shouted as one of the creature''s hands landed on his right shoulder.


    almost instantly, minos appeared behind the old fox, who was surrounded by a faint smell of blood.


    "titus gamble, i''ve come to meet you," minos said as he shook the old fox''s hand, giving him no time to dodge. "bella told me a bit about you, and i couldn''t help but be interested in someone so curious."


    the white-haired old fox narrowed his eyes and looked at this young level 83 human, noticing that he wasn''t normal.


    ''what is wrong with this person?'' he tried to move his hand, but for some reason, he didn''t even have the strength to shake the clenched hand. ''was this a trap?'' titus wondered, seeing that this group didn''t just happen to be in the area. nove.lb)1n


    "are you here to kill me? has the tribe finally decided to get rid of me?" he asked, a little afraid but no longer expecting to escape.


    minos'' group was too strong for him. not even if he was the best in the world at deception and using his mind tricks to take advantage of others would he be able to escape from these people!


    aware of this, he was ready to meet his end if that was his fate for the day.


    minos laughed and said. "get rid of you? would it make sense for the tribe to do that when you''re so close to your end?


    titus, i''m here because i''m preparing to go to the north sea to explore that dangerous place! don''t waste your last years in this place. come with my group and use your little time left to see this world more deeply."


    upon hearing minos'' tone and the content of his words, titus naturally formed a strange expression.


    if this group wanted to force him to go to the north sea, it was the same as the tribe getting rid of him!


    he knew that he couldn''t treat these beings casually. he couldn''t causally refuse them if they were there to ''invite'' him!


    "north sea?" he laughed sarcastically. "why should suicide be better than dying on my land while i search for the truth about cultivation?"


    minos didn''t answer him right away. he distorted space and appeared with this individual near where his group and the area''s bonfires were.


    with titus in front of him, minos finally lets him go and gives the fox a meat skewer.


    "titus, do you think you''re going to discover in a few years what you couldn''t discover in a lifetime?" minos was surgical, touching the fox''s weak spot. "it''s all very well to be persistent, but to insist on making the same mistake for a lifetime is too much, don''t you think? there comes a point when you have to change and see things differently."


    "tsk! that''s my problem. if i''m going to lose my life in a mistake, that''s something that only affects me. why do you bother?" titus didn''t like minos'' words.


    he had lived to try to find methods to change his potential, to raise not only his limit but that of his entire race. unfortunately, even gods'' inheritances didn''t work for them!


    inheritances from level 100 cultivators could change the talents of those who received them. but there were conditions for it to work!


    one of them was that the inheritance had to be passed on to a being with peak potential, that is, something at least similar to the silver talent, or it had to be given to a being of the same race.


    this meant that a level 100 dragon couldn''t change the talent of a nine-tailed fox through its inheritance, but it could change the talent of a human with a silver-grade talent or a beast with a lower talent.


    the inheritance of a human god could raise the talent of another human with any talent. still, it could only raise the talent of a being of another race with at least a silver-grade talent.


    this meant that even a god''s inheritance wouldn''t make a nine-tailed fox change their talent and reach the 10th stage.


    titus knew this was how things worked in this world, but he didn''t understand what was behind it.


    however, the person he was questioning at that moment had a theory in his head that explained it perfectly!


    minos told the old fox, showing him one of his hands as an invitation. "titus, come with me, and i''ll give you a chance to understand the truth about this world. you are a scholar, aren''t you? you want to understand why members of your race cannot reach the 10th stage or beyond, right?


    i have an explanation that may be behind the answers you seek. if you come with me, i''ll share some of my knowledge with you."


    upon hearing this, titus couldn''t help but change his expression when he saw how this human was willing to provoke him.


    ...

 Chapter 1920 Minos’ Hypothesis

    chapter 1920 minos'' hypothesis ?


    titus was irritated by minos'' earlier remark. but he couldn''t help but think that this strange human with an even stranger company might actually have something in mind to help him.


    it could be a bluff since bella had directed this group. but there was a slight possibility that minos'' last words were valid.


    "do you want me to join your group? why?" he asked.


    minos could sense that such a fox had already killed many beings in experiments and was not normal.


    then he laughed, feeling that this fox''s fate was rather strange.


    "besides having valuable skills for the journey i intend to take, you would be a perfect guinea pig, titus. you''ve spent your whole life experimenting on other beings. it''s about time you experienced it yourself, isn''t it? don''t worry. i''m not going to force you into anything. i''ll tell you what i have in mind and let you decide if you want to do some of the things i have planned."


    minos'' words were strange, to say the least. but as crazy as it sounded to say that you would turn the one you were trying to recruit into a guinea pig, things weren''t that simple with titus.


    titus had actually experimented on others all his life and had never done anything to himself. but that wasn''t because he had a sense of self-preservation that kept him from taking risks or anything like that.


    what he had done to others all his life were things he would be willing to do to himself if he could be sure that he would have ways to further develop his knowledge after experimenting on himself.


    but since he''d never had anyone he could trust to control the experiments for him to risk himself like that, he felt he couldn''t risk it as he was the only one in his tribe pursuing development.


    he couldn''t risk himself like that!


    but that didn''t mean he didn''t have what it took to do it if the conditions were right!


    so when he heard minos'' words, he didn''t find them as strange as the people in emperor stuart''s own group.


    "and what can you offer me? what knowledge do you have that makes you think i would be interested in putting my life in your hands?" titus asked.


    minos then said. "i have a theory that explains why some beings can reach the 10th stage and even level 100 while others are completely incapable of doing so. n-(0velbin


    it''s not just a difference in talent. it''s a problem related to the structure of these beings. they lack a form that allows them to connect with higher forms of power." he said a little about his theories just to get titus curious.


    the problem that prevented races like titus'' from evolving and reaching a new point wasn''t that they lacked talent. the form of their powers, essences, bodies, etc., were incompatible with those of other beings of higher complexity.


    for example, think of an electrical outlet. a socket could have several possible inputs, and if you had an adapter, you could plug in different kinds of devices, even with different inputs.


    however, if you didn''t have the adapter, it might become impossible for that socket to connect to an external device that could provide it with the final essence it would need to evolve qualitatively.


    in short, minos'' theory held that the problem with limited races like the nine-tailed foxes was that their beings lacked the "adapter," or the final essence that would allow them to access higher-level possibilities.


    all his life, titus had wondered what might be behind this problem. but he had never considered the minos hypothesis. for him, the problem was related to a form of power that members of his race could not absorb. that''s why he had sought out different races, whether they could reach the 10th stage or not, in search of different forms of energy and one that could be compatible with his people.


    but he had never considered the possibility that they lacked something that would allow them to ''connect'' to this particular form of energy.


    with that in mind, titus couldn''t help but be interested in minos'' words.


    it wasn''t enough for him to accept minos'' hypotheses as correct. he didn''t even know them to talk about it. but hearing those single words from emperor stuart was enough to distract him from the group around him for a moment to think about it.


    ''a difference in form... if that''s true, there''s no point in finding another form of energy. none of them will be compatible with us if we don''t have a way to connect to them.'' he thought to himself as he saw the implication of minos'' words.


    if minos were right, all his research would be useless, and he would have to think of a new way to investigate!


    but with only a few decades left before he died, titus couldn''t help but imagine that he wouldn''t have time.


    ''if he''s right, i''ll die without knowing if it''s possible or not!''


    ''


    the worst thing for him was not dying but knowing that his whole life had been useless. even if he were to die, he wouldn''t be too moved if he could leave something for future generations to pick up where he left off.


    titus was sure that sooner or later, someone would find some of the information he had already spread across this continent about his many experiments.


    then, if all went well, someone might use his theories to develop a method with a good chance of success in raising the potential of living beings, perhaps changing the history of the nine-tailed fox tribe.


    that was his goal, to raise the status of his race!


    but if he were wrong, it would never happen.


    faced with this possibility and with no time to develop a new base for study and experimentation from scratch, he felt he had to take a risk.


    "all right. i agree to join your group if you give me access to everything you know. i want to know where you came up with this theory, your proofs, and possible experiments. i also want to be free to leave at any time." he said seriously, scaring the mercenaries who weren''t so sure that this fox would join them.


    "i don''t want to be stuck with your group if your hypotheses have a high chance of being wrong."


    minos was confident in his theory so far and didn''t worry about this request.


    "it can be done. but everything you come into contact with on my behalf, you''ll have to keep secret. if you accept that, we can..."


    as minos spoke, he and some of the more sensitive members of the group felt a familiar sensation that changed the expressions on their faces.


    when they looked around, they saw a group of gorgons surrounding the area where they were talking and eating snake meat.


    ...

 Chapter 1921 Troubled Newcomer

    chapter 1921 troubled newcomer?


    "titus!"


    a hideous scream came from the throat of one of these gorgons, making everyone in minos'' group shudder at the hatred this creature had for the old fox in their midst.


    ''shit!'' minos looked at the hands and feet of the strongest of these creatures and felt the trouble he had gotten himself into by getting involved with titus.


    as the previous gorgon had warned them, she wasn''t the only one after this guy!


    titus looked toward the level 89 gorgon and felt his fur stand on end as he realized that this was the gorgon he had been experimenting on for the past few weeks.


    ''did she run away? he felt a shiver run down his spine, knowing that these six gorgons, three level 89 sages, and three level demigods between levels 90 and 91 were there to kill him.


    "titus! i will kill you for everything you''ve done to me!" this creature shouted as it pointed in his direction.


    "elders, that bastard tortured me for weeks after that bitch handed me over to him! you have no idea what that son of a bitch did to me!" she screamed, demanding justice.


    she wanted to kill him herself, but after being rescued by these fellow tribeswomen, she had overheard part of titus'' conversation with minos'' group and, of course, knew that these men and women there might make it harder for her to get her revenge.


    "is that so?" one of the strongest elders there asked, looking at titus askance, while the snakes on her head also looked at him viciously.


    realizing the trouble he was in, titus said to minos. "young human, if you want me in your group, you''ll have to get me out of this place alive. those damned gorgons will use everything at their disposal to kill me!"


    "tsk!"


    "what the fuck!"


    "damn it, do we have to fight these creatures?"


    the mercenaries in this group, earth beasts and humans, commented almost simultaneously, each a little afraid of having to deal with creatures with such terrible abilities.


    minos'' women raised their guard while he clenched his fists, feeling that he couldn''t let him down now if he wanted to have the fox by his side.


    minos didn''t want to risk the life of one of his men in the experiments he planned to conduct when he reached level 90. but there would be few willing to become his guinea pigs among beings not allied with him.


    so titus'' value was greater than anyone could imagine! nove.lb)1n


    he said. "miss gorgon, my name is minos stuart, and i come from the black plain empire, central continent. i am here to discuss important matters with the elder titus. is there any way we can resolve this matter peacefully?"


    "peacefully?" the gorgon looked at minos and asked hatefully. "are you crazy? that bastard has been torturing me for weeks! leave the area, and maybe we won''t chase you because you want to do business with a scumbag like him!"


    the strongest of these beings looked at minos attentively, seeing she couldn''t underestimate him despite his low level.


    "what could someone of your stature want with a decrepit old fox about to die?" she asked curiously.


    minos said sincerely in a light tone, trying to calm the situation. "i am forming a crew whose final destination is the north sea. the elder titus has just agreed to join my group, so you no longer have to worry about him. we''ll soon be sailing towards our destination!"


    as much as minos knew how to be decisive and when to frighten daring beings like gorgons, the situation of this group surrounding him and that of the previous gorgon were quite different.


    that gorgon alone would be unlikely to try anything against them if they showed strength. on the other hand, the group in front of him was unlikely to back down.


    but minos wanted to avoid a confrontation with the gorgons. they were extremely vengeful creatures, members of a powerful race that could cause his group a lot of trouble if they became enemies.


    "north sea?"


    "that can''t be true..."


    "he wants to escape death here and today to commit suicide?"


    these creatures commented to each other as everyone in minos'' group prepared for battle, with titus hiding in the middle of their group along with emperor stuart''s women.


    "titus has committed a grave crime. hand him over now, or be prepared to face the consequences!" the strongest woman there made up her mind, feeling that even if minos was sincere, titus deserved to be punished by them!


    it wouldn''t be enough for him to die in the north sea or of old age!


    his crimes were just too serious!


    seeing he had no way out of this situation, minos sensed the difficulties this newcomer to his crew would put him in, but he didn''t weaken.


    since they didn''t want to negotiate, he didn''t hesitate to activate his innate ability and immediately manipulated the cultivation levels of his opponents, his own, and some of his allies.


    by stealing the cultivation bases of the gorgons, he raised his cultivation to level 85, enough to affect the strongest in the area, and used his ability to raise the cultivation of the demigods in his group.


    when the leader of the sea race and the leader of the mercenaries felt their cultivation leap to level 92, they immediately moved, knowing that in a battle between powerful creatures, those who acted first had the best chance of success.


    minos also moved as soon as he had manipulated the levels of practically half of the creatures in the area, immediately using dragon''s gaze against those gorgons.


    with an innate ability as powerful and dangerous as that of these creatures, he couldn''t let so many of them near his party!


    in his first offensive move, minos targeted the weakest of the group, giving them no chance to defend themselves.


    "if you want to make it difficult, then die!" he shouted as he flew towards his enemies, while his mental attack made all those hideous creatures feel the pressure.


    as much as they possessed supernormal abilities and were able to fight those above their level, these creatures could not compare to a dragon!


    with an ability that came from a being of such a high rank, there was no way that minos'' power wouldn''t severely affect these creatures!


    "shit!"


    "fight!"


    the strongest ones shouted simultaneously and began to move as their eyes flashed, looking for a mere glance from these enemies in their direction.


    as they did so, parts of the side vegetation in the area turned to stone, while everyone in minos'' group moved in their bestial or soul-projecting forms.


    looking into the eyes of that creature was the worst thing that could happen to them. but that didn''t mean they couldn''t be affected by these creatures in other ways!

 Chapter 1922 Marked

    nove(lb-in


    chapter 1922 marked?


    as the living creatures in the surrounding forest turned to stone at the sight of the two strongest creatures that had survived minos'' move, he and his party moved at high speed.


    the gorgons'' ability went beyond a look in their eyes. if one made such a move, the gorgon wouldn''t even have to bother to turn living beings into stone. as long as she didn''t suppress her own ability, anyone who looked into her eyes would turn to stone. however, during combat, these creatures could also turn living beings hit by power shots out of their eyes.


    these shots were not continuous but happened at a high frequency while their eyes were open, enough to hit beings standing still in their vision and turn them to stone.


    as soon as they started fighting in this forest area, several unfortunate trees and small creatures in their range turned to stone as they moved around, trying to target minos and the strongest of their enemies.


    minos and his group had suddenly ceased to be a team powerful enough for them not to want to fight for a group of monsters that could wipe them out in an instant.


    if they couldn''t kill the strongest ones there, they would be killed and would have no chance to avenge their fallen comrades!


    as for running away, that would never work.


    since minos was so strong, and the demigods in his group were temporarily at a higher level because of his ability, there was no way these gorgons could run away.


    if they tried, they would surely be killed.


    in this situation, it was kill or be killed!


    ignoring titus, minos'' four wives, and the other nearby sages, the gorgons only had in mind emperor stuart and his two allied demigods, who were currently at level 92.


    but even though they were only targeting the three strongest in the area, they were still dangerous enough for the whole group, and naturally, titus, minos'' wives, and all the others ignored by these gorgons were on the move as they felt a chill run down their spines.


    if they were careless and fell into the sight of these creatures, they would be in serious danger!


    "damn it! they are moving too fast! if it weren''t for that..." abby commented as she flew alongside her harem sisters in a cold sweat.


    "let''s not try to interfere," gloria commented to her harem sisters, knowing it would be complicated for them to make room for abby to merge their techniques.


    at the same time, ruth only used her ability on the weakest of the group because as much as the strongest might be in danger, she wouldn''t be able to keep up with them and stay around to help.


    meanwhile, minos and the stronger ones moved around, dodging enemy blows while attacking the two creatures themselves.


    devouring art!


    two black rings appeared around the two half-human, half-beast creatures, immediately making them feel the energy under their control diminishes.


    but minos also used the infinite dream to try to further erode the mental structures of these two, which were already not in the best condition due to the previous attack.


    both of them were mentally wounded and hadn''t collapsed yet because the people of their race had mental resistance abilities beyond normal.


    like gorgons, they used their mental strength to draw their enemies'' eyes to their own. this was their main weapon.


    it was the only reason why these two had withstood minos'' powerful attack!


    however, even though they could still see their enemies and direct their attacks at them, the two of them were severely weakened, with more than 70% of their mental strength lost and worsening.


    "damn it! you''ll pay for this! even if we can''t kill one of you, our tribe will hunt you down to the end!" the stronger of the two shouted as she opened her mouth and released a poisonous gas into the air.


    "tsk!" minos covered his nose as his two moving allies did the same.


    this was no ordinary poison. as gorgons were able to use some of the common powers of snakes, these creatures could use a variety of poisons.


    the one used wasn''t particularly deadly, but it contained a distinctive signal that only the people of this tribe could sense.


    it was a biological tracer, something that was extremely complicated to avoid, even if you used spiritual barriers or avoided breathing such a thing.


    this substance didn''t need to enter the body of its targets. once it reached the skin, the clothes, in short, any part of their targets, would stick to them and become almost impossible to remove.


    only an advancement could eliminate such a substance!


    minos was aware of this and immediately expressed his displeasure at being caught by some of the substance, while his two stronger companions thought they had escaped by not inhaling it.


    but even though they felt less bad after this attack, they both seized the moment and launched attacks in the direction of those gorgons.


    minos didn''t lose his rationality due to his anger. when he saw his allies'' movement, he immediately acted to stop the two creatures, attacking them with chaotic gravity and the spatial sword simultaneously.


    swooish!


    at that moment, the two gorgons could no longer bear to move and attack and fell to minos'' techniques, being attacked by 4 blades and pinned to the ground while being attacked by the level 92 individuals.


    "aaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!"


    both screamed in agony, but even in their final moments, they didn''t show total desperation, knowing that it was only a matter of time before the people of their tribe discovered their enemies.


    meanwhile, titus had watched the entire battle alongside minos'' women, his mouth hanging open as he watched the two level 92 end the lives of those gorgons.


    he had many things on his mind at the moment. first, he and this group would now be hunted by the tribe of gorgons, which was very worrying. secondly, his allies were much more special than he had thought, particularly minos and the black-haired woman in the group.


    both of them had innate monstrous abilities, which was good considering the enemies they would soon have, but not so good considering that he had agreed to join this group.


    thinking about that and how the poison of those creatures had marked those three, titus himself was full of worry, not knowing if this was all good or bad for him.


    would he have survived if it hadn''t been for minos'' group? or had he been found by the gorgons due to emperor stuart''s group?


    none of that mattered now!


    ''to the hell! i hope this young man has good plans, or we''ll all be dead long before we reach the north sea!'' he thought to himself as the last two living gorgons took their last breaths and died near where the barbecue had been held earlier.


    ...

 Chapter 1923 New Destiny: Phoenix Tribe (1)

    chapter 1923 new destiny: phoenix tribe (1)


    when the two gorgons finally died, everyone who was moving around the outskirts of the now half-destroyed forest area, with several fallen trees and various plant and non-plant creatures turned to stone, stopped.


    realizing that the immediate danger to them was over, the sages of the group stopped running from the remaining attacks of those gorgons and breathed more calmly.


    "what now?" one of the level 89 mercenaries asked.


    "now we have to leave as soon as possible," minos shouted for all to hear, speaking in a tone that showed that the death of these individuals had not solved their situation.


    "the poison of these creatures can lead members of this tribe to us. not only that, but this is an enemy mark. anyone hit by this poison will become a target of the gorgon tribe!"


    "what? but we didn''t absorb the poison!" the level 91 mercenary asked, his cultivation already back to normal, the same for all those who had benefited from minos'' ability in the past few minutes.


    the level 91 woman from the sea folk stared at minos, thinking the same as the mercenary.


    although she was from a very talented race and had a lot of knowledge about this world, she didn''t know the characteristics of all the races of living beings. therefore, just like the human mercenary, she didn''t know the characteristics of the previous substance.


    minos explained with an ugly expression on his face. "this poison doesn''t have to enter our bodies. it can attach itself to our skin on a microscopic level and become an invisible marker that is almost impossible to remove in a short time."


    "what? is that possible?" a level 90 demigod asked in surprise.


    "but you said almost... how do we get rid of it?" the level 91 woman asked.


    "by leveling up," minos said with a bitter smile.


    although it wasn''t the most complicated thing in the world, leveling up wasn''t easy or quick. as much as he was confident he could do it in a few months, everyone would have to level up for the group to surpass such a mark. n--0velb1n


    could they all advance in weeks, the time it would take for the members of this tribe to realize what had happened?


    no, so it was practically impossible for them to get rid of it without running into high-level problems!


    "complicated... i won''t move on for at least two years."


    "my case is worse. i''ll need much more time."


    those affected by the poison commented to each other, knowing that as long as one of them was marked, the whole crew would be.


    "so where are we going?" isabella asked, worried about the group''s current situation.


    not only had they already provoked two local beast tribes earlier, but now they were involved in delicate problems with another high-level race, one that was very difficult to deal with, by the way.


    "let''s go back to the nine-tailed fox tribe, gather our group, and head to the core of the phoenix territory." minos was direct. "the phoenix are stronger than the gorgons and are not friendly to viper creatures. we''ll be in less danger once we reach that territory."


    "is that so?"


    suddenly, a voice that the people in minos'' group, and even titus, already knew, sounded in the vicinity of where they were.


    looking in the direction from which they had heard the similar voice, minos and his group realized that the gorgon from days ago was there.


    "you!"


    "dunyxa!" titus''s eyes widened as he recognized the level 89 creature he had dealt with weeks ago regarding the gorgon that had caused his group so much trouble.


    "titus... it looks like you were lucky enough to escape death again." she looked at the old fox with mixed feelings.


    dunyxa wanted to take action against titus and punish him for not keeping his promises. this caused her problems within her tribe and made her a murder suspect.


    now, with what had happened, she was sure that she could never return to her people or she would be severely punished.


    meanwhile, titus and the rest of the group were in much the same situation as she was.


    feeling the distinct aroma on the bodies of some of the members of minos'' group, she knew what had happened there and that they would be pursued until one side perished!


    "dunyxa, this is all your fault! you''re the one who introduced me to that damned gorgon!" titus shouted angrily, relying on the group he had gotten to protect him.


    "you fucking fox! you''re the one who didn''t do the job you were supposed to. now, you are marked, and i''ve lost everything i own!" she screamed at him, saliva pouring out of her mouth as she showed absolute rage at that creature.


    but minos was in a hurry to get out of there and asked. "what do you want here, gorgon? we''ve already killed several of your people. killing one more won''t make any difference to us."


    dunyxa was aware of this and, of course, did not want to make trouble for these creatures.


    their last encounter had been quite different. on that day, she had been confident that they wouldn''t attack her, and she hadn''t had enough to want trouble with them, even though she didn''t know how strong they could be.


    but now they had shown themselves capable of threatening her, and they already had their hands dirty with the blood of other members of her tribe.


    if she wasn''t careful, they could decide to kill her in the blink of an eye!


    she said. "we are in the same situation. so, let''s unite. you''re forming a crew to go to the north sea, right? well, i''m here to join your group."


    "what?"


    "absolutely not!" titus shouted as minos'' women looked on in surprise.


    minos narrowed his eyes when he heard that but let the gorgon explain.


    "i can be of use to you. i can help you escape from the tribe and eventually use my powers to your advantage." she said, knowing she had to convince them to accept her into their crew.


    minos then asked her. "would you be willing to wear a device to cover your eyes? without it, i won''t feel comfortable with someone like you traveling with us."


    "i am willing." she clenched her fists, for her eyes were the most important thing she had.


    but given the risk of being killed if she stayed on this continent and the risk of dying if she traveled alone, she couldn''t negotiate and willingly accepted this condition that would limit her greatly.


    nevertheless, minos threw her a grade-4 artifact, something that wasn''t designed for this purpose but would serve for the time being while they began their escape.


    thus, with two new companions, they left that place and quickly made their way to the city of the nine-tailed foxes!

 Chapter 1924 New Destiny: Phoenix Tribe (2)

    chapter 1924 new destiny: phoenix tribe (2)


    four days later...


    after leaving where they had fought two kinds of snakes and the gorgons group, minos'' group quickly made their way back to the city of the nine-tailed foxes.


    after accomplishing their objectives in this area and preparing to flee to the core of the phoenix territory, they moved without much difficulty and reached the main area of emlyn''s tribe this morning.


    upon entering this territory, they attracted the attention of some of the tribe''s elders as they stood next to a gorgon and a nine-tailed fox that had been banished from the tribe.


    however, since bella and blake had already told the elders that minos was a great friend of the race, no one stood in their way, even though they found his two new companions strange.


    so they entered the city of the nine-tailed foxes in the early afternoon!


    ... n)(0velb1n


    as they entered the headquarters of the nine-tailed fox tribe, minos'' group split into three.


    two of these groups rushed to search for their crewmates to reunite them as soon as possible.


    about three weeks had passed since the group''s arrival in this tribe, so most of their people should already be waiting for minos'' return to continue their journey across this continent.


    meanwhile, the third group went to the core of this tribe to say goodbye and to pick up the newest addition to the crew, bella.


    arriving at the tribe''s main building, minos, his wives, and the two new crew members caught the attention of the main elders before they even entered the building.


    titus'' aura was well known among the strongest of the tribe, while the feeling that a gorgon exuded was not easy to ignore.


    "minos, i feel you''re going to get us into trouble with this," blake said when he saw the two creatures standing next to emperor stuart.


    minos smiled bitterly at the sight of blake and the other high-ranking elders of the tribe.


    then he said. "elders, if any gorgons visit you in the next few days, don''t hesitate to tell them where we have gone. there''s no need for you to try to protect us. just say that we passed through here on the run and that we were heading north."


    minos didn''t want to make trouble for this tribe. but since he had acted against the gorgons and would certainly be pursued, it was almost certain that those creatures would pass through this tribe.


    to avoid the worst, he preferred that this tribe didn''t try to protect him.


    the chances of the gorgon tribe taking strong action against these foxes were slim. but that didn''t mean that there wasn''t a risk that they would harm this group.


    bella heard it and sighed, seeing that the search for titus had led to trouble.


    "sigh... your group is bigger and more dangerous, but your chances of survival on this continent have diminished." she commented to minos without blaming the young human for getting involved in problems that could spread to her tribe.


    blake said. "young minos, don''t worry about us."


    "yes, we''ll be fine. you''re the one who has to worry about getting into trouble with this tribe."


    "be careful..."


    several elders said things like that before minos thanked them for their understanding and concern.


    after that, they said goodbye to the elders before all the foxes wished bella a safe journey, hoping they would hear from her again one day.


    a few minutes after the group had arrived, they left with bella to go to the meeting place with the rest of the group.


    halfway there, bella spoke to titus after a long time without doing so.


    "you''ve aged more than i expected." she said as she looked at the man with white hair and wrinkled skin who was currently in his humanoid form like her.


    "you do very well for your age, bella. the perks of leading a tribe, i''d say." titus said in a sarcastic tone.


    "if you hadn''t done what you did, you might have been the one to enjoy those benefits, titus." she said, looking him in the eye. "don''t act like i''ve been unfair to you. you''ve caused us more problems than benefits."


    "tsk!"


    "haha, looks like even the foxes in your tribe can''t tolerate you, titus," dunyxa said, laughing at the old man''s predicament.


    he looked into the face of this gorgon, who at the moment had an item that prevented her from looking people in the eye and vice versa.


    but that didn''t stop her from knowing what was around her. with the soul sense that living beings had after they reached the 8th stage, even a blind person could use that part of themselves to map their surroundings and get a clear idea of what was around them.


    with this, such a gorgon wasn''t limited to the point where she couldn''t walk on her own even though she had a high-level item blocking her eyes.


    "titus, your life is really..."


    just as dunyxa was about to say something, minos suddenly gave her an ugly look that made her stop what she was about to say.


    "keep your opinions to yourself. i don''t want to hear arguments in my group." he said, making it clear to these individuals that there were rules in their group.


    minos was the leader, and he decided how things should be. as part of the team, they had to follow his orders or be asked to stay behind!


    danyxa said nothing when she heard this, while the other two remained silent.


    after about half an hour, their group saw the last members of the north sea-bound crew arrive at their rendezvous point.


    seeing emlyn and kyla, as well as the mermaids, mermen, krakens, and the arctic whale, minos announced to everyone there: "we have enemies who can reach us and threaten us if we''re not quick enough. then we''ll head for the core of the phoenix tribe immediately!"


    hearing that, most of those people didn''t worry too much since they were on this journey to venture out and face trouble. but emlyn and kyla were worried.


    "what enemies?" the older of the two asked.


    she and her daughter wanted to stay with this tribe for a few more days, as they were determined to return with minos to the black plain empire, their current home. so, all their time in this place was valuable to both of them.


    hearing this, minos looked at his old partner and said. "two tribes of snakes and the gorgons."


    gulp!


    "then why do we have a gorgon in our group?" one of the two krakens asked as he looked at the level 89 woman.


    "she''s a traitor to her tribe. she''s also on the run." minos didn''t give too many details, just showing the group the bare minimum to understand danyxa''s presence there. "anyway, she knows this tribe and how they''ll track us. with her help, we might be able to reach the phoenix territory before trouble catches up with us."


    with these words, he answered the main doubts of his people.


    with three new group members, minos'' party set off from the nine-tailed fox city, heading north from that coastal area toward the central-southern part of the continent of beasts, where the phoenix tribe''s territory lay.

 Chapter 1925 Persecution

    chapter 1925 persecution


    three days later...


    near the place where minos'' group had found titus, a group of 10th-stage serpents, half destroyed by the powers of the gorgons but also by those who had exterminated them, were investigating the area.


    the four snakes, two level 91, one level 92, and one level 94, all in their humanoid forms, looked at that terrain they had just arrived at with ugly expressions on their faces.


    "this is worrying." one of the weaker ones said, seeing that the place one of his tribe''s juniors had pointed out to them wasn''t just where some of his tribe''s members had died.


    "yes... if the group that killed our comrades was the same group that fought those gorgons who died here, then they''re more powerful than we thought, or they''re crazy." the other level 91 commented, feeling that avenging his tribe members would not be easy.


    "don''t be so pessimistic." the strongest of the group sounded as he looked with a terrible face toward the ashes of a campfire.


    he clenched his fists and said reluctantly, "what this group has done to our comrades is unforgivable. we will not let them get away with it!" n-/o.-v//e))l--b//i))n


    "but elder, if they are brave enough to challenge the tribe of gorgons, there may not be much we can do against them..." one of the two weakest members of the group of experts sent to investigate and avenge the death of the previous group of snakes said, somewhat fearful of this revenge.


    "don''t be so quick to condemn us for failing to bring justice to our tribe." the level 92 demigod commented. "it is true that we have little chance of eliminating them on our own. if they dare to attack even the gorgons, their group may be strong enough to withstand our forces.


    however, they have provoked a powerful tribe. they''re probably on the run now, afraid of being caught by the terrible warriors who are probably already after them." the elder mischievously smiled.


    "this is our chance! we can get our revenge if we use the gorgons'' pursuit!


    when they catch up, we can shoot those bastards down while they''re trying to fend off the gorgons!"


    "oh?"


    the two weaker ones realized that they actually still had a chance to eliminate those who dared to eat the flesh of their precious tribemates.


    ...


    meanwhile, in another area of the southern region of the continent of beasts''..


    in a forested area not far from the city of the nine-tailed fox tribe, a group of half-human, half-serpent were moving north, following the direction their senses led them.


    this group of 10th-stage gorgons had left their tribe a few days ago when suddenly a whole group of relevant members of their race disappeared, their life signs extinguished.


    immediately after that, the creatures of that small tribe in the south of the continent of beasts noticed new enemies, marked by the particular poison of their companions and the trail they had left behind.


    the biological marker under the bodies of the three members of that enemy group not only served as a sign of where the members of this race should go to reach their goals. it left subtle signs along the path these individuals took.


    because of this, this group of gorgons didn''t even have to go through the nine-tailed fox tribe, and they followed the traces left by the marker on the bodies of the strongest members of minos'' group, gradually approaching them.


    they had a movement disadvantage of about two days. still, with an average level 94 group, they were getting closer to their targets by the hour!


    as they did so, they realized where the enemy group was heading.


    "they''re heading for the phoenix territory." one of the strongest ones there commented after noticing the group''s direction.


    not only that but considering that they had passed by the nine-tailed fox tribe, it was very likely that they were heading for the friendly territory of that race.


    "it seems that our enemies are close to the phoenix and nine-tailed foxes..." one of the strongest women there commented with an ugly expression. "we must do something about this, or it could become an incident without precedent in our history."


    "you want us to deal with these foxes?" one of the weaker ones there, level 93, asked.


    "no. not at the moment. i just want to know the relationship between this group and these tribes and the group''s composition." the gorgon said, looking ahead as she and her group moved. "depending on their situation, we may have to alert the whole tribe!"


    they knew that the enemy group had passed through the territory of the nine-tailed foxes and probably had members of that tribe with them. but since they hadn''t passed through that place because they were in a hurry to catch up with minos'' group, they still didn''t know the full composition of the enemy team.


    with this order, the leader of these gorgons wanted to find out how difficult it would be to eliminate this group if they didn''t have the support of the phoenixes.


    but if that happened, things would get complicated, and the tribe would have to send all their specialists to fight them simultaneously before some powerful phoenix decided to protect them.


    they wanted revenge more than anything, so they were willing to try anything!


    "okay. i''ll send a message for some of our partners to visit the home of the nine-tailed foxes." one of them said before stopping to send a message to his tribe.


    they would be the first to investigate, understand what was happening, and, if possible, act in justice for their tribe. but if necessary, they could ask for reinforcements and more investigators.


    thus, the persecution of minos'' group developed without him or his associates realizing the magnitude of the problem they had become involved in!


    ...


    two days later...


    minos and his group were flying at high speed toward the territory of the phoenix tribe, which was not far from the territory of the nine-tailed foxes.


    since their group was very strong and could move quickly, they could cross great distances in no time. even a continent as large as this could be crossed by demigods in a few weeks, which wasn''t very long.


    a spiritual emperor could take more than a year to make the same journey, even if they traveled in a straight line and did not stop to fight, rest, or for any other purpose!


    by not stopping to explore and look for new group members, the group could quickly reach their destination and were not far from the phoenix domain.


    and so, the group was less than two days away from reaching that place!

 Chapter 1926 No Optimism

    chapter 1926 no optimism?


    another day passed...


    as minos'' group moved closer to the heart of the phoenix territory, their pursuers were not far behind!


    the gorgon group was now less than two hours away from minos'' group, while the snakes of one of the tribes that had lost part of their people to emperor stuart''s group followed in the gorgon''s footsteps.


    these snakes were not as good at hunting as the gorgons, but they were very good at following the footsteps of other snake-like creatures.


    by following the footsteps of the gorgons, the serpent group was practically on par with the most dangerous group for minos'' people, even though they were much weaker than those creatures!


    but as they silently approached their targets, these snakes would soon stop their pursuit when they saw that something had reached the gorgons and caused them to stop their chase temporarily.


    unable to hear what it was, the group of five snakes, a different one from the one that had been investigating the place where their tribe members had been barbecued, stopped to wait for the gorgons to move again.


    meanwhile, those creatures gathered around the strongest of the group, a level 95 gorgon, the strongest of the group!


    "so? what have you discovered?" the gorgon leader asked, holding up a communication crystal that had caused her group to stop moving after it had started ringing seconds ago.


    a gorgon on the other end of the line said. "there really are nine-tailed foxes in the group you''re chasing, just as you thought. two of them are unknown foxes, probably bred outside the tribe. but we already know two of them.


    one is bella, who left her position as leader of the tribe to join minos stuart''s crew. the other is the treacherous old titus, who allied himself with the damned danyxa."


    "so that bitch is with them!" one of the gorgons in the group chasing minos said as she clenched her fists, feeling that she could eliminate this traitor along with the rest of the crew.


    "who is this minos stuart?" the leader of this group of gorgons asked.


    "minos stuart seems to be a ruler of a state in the central continent. he is forming a crew to travel to the north sea." the female voice said, but she couldn''t hide the mocking tone in her voice.


    but she believed what the foxes of the tribe she was now had told her. with her special poison that could force creatures of all kinds to tell the truth, there was no way they could fool her!


    "oh? that''s rather unexpected. did they have this goal in mind before they challenged us?" the gorgon holding the communication crystal asked.


    "yes."


    "what about their group? what''s it like?"


    the female voice replied. "it is not weak. there are 32 beings in it. there are humans, hybrids, land, and sea beasts, but also danyxa... in short, the group is a great mix of beings from different races.


    their goal of recruiting members to join their exploration of the north sea seems sincere. they must not have lied to the foxes of this tribe."


    "what about their level?"


    "most of them are demigods between level 90 and 91. the weakest of the group is level 80."


    upon hearing this, all the gorgons in the group chasing minos smiled in relief, seeing they could handle this problem without any major worries.


    if that were all this group had, it would be impossible for those bold enemies to withstand the strength of these gorgons!


    the group leader said before ending the conversation. "report this to the tribe. in the meantime, we''ll continue our hunt."


    with eight gorgons in this group, three level 93, four level 94, and one level 95, it would be virtually impossible for minos'' group to survive them!


    even if their group were at the same level as minos'' group, they would still have a chance to inflict incomparable damage on them. after all, their abilities were genuinely terrifying. however, they were two levels stronger, and even the weakest of them was stronger than the strongest of the enemies!


    realizing this, right after the previous call ended, they went back to follow the path of their opponents, feeling that they could reach them in a little over 4 hours.


    "let''s do it! time to kill these bastards!"


    ...


    meanwhile, minos'' group was several dozen kilometers ahead of their pursuers, flying at the highest speed they could muster.


    "how much further until we reach the core of this area we''re heading for?" the group''s arctic whale asked, eager to reach the group''s next destination.


    "about six hours," bella said since she was the one in the group who knew the most about the way to the headquarters of the phoenix tribe.


    hearing this, the sea folk made worried expressions of displeasure.


    "this is going to be a problem. i sense that our enemies are not far away." the level 91 woman commented.


    neither she nor the other two affected by the gorgon poison could say for sure how close their enemies might be due to the poison in their bodies.


    but from what they had heard from minos and danyxa, not only this woman but also the level 91 mercenary and emperor stuart had the same feeling.


    the enemies were definitely not far away!


    danyxa''s expression was even more terrifying, for she knew how her tribe worked.


    "the group chasing us won''t come to talk to us. they will turn us into stones when they find us and take us back to the tribe to expose our bodies to our allies. this group must have mid-level demigods for that." she commented, indicating that if they didn''t enter the core of the phoenix territory sooner, where these gorgons would avoid going, they would probably face death.


    the gorgon tribe didn''t mess around when it came to revenge. they used their advantage to crush their opponents!


    level 92 gorgons had fallen to minos'' group? then the group chasing them would surely have level 93 and 94 gorgons!


    danyxa knew this and was not optimistic.


    hearing that, bella said. "we won''t reach the core of the phoenix territory before then i said. but that doesn''t mean we won''t be in their territory before then. we''ll reach the phoenix territory in two hours. nove/lb)1n


    there will definitely be elders around the area we will soon pass through."


    "that''s not so bad. but it won''t be enough." danyxa said, knowing that this group would not respect the border.


    her tribe respected the phoenixes. but only the core of this territory, where there were high-level phoenixes, could frighten these creatures enough to stop them.


    outside of that place, no place could make them fearful enough to give up their revenge!

 Chapter 1927 Surrounded

    chapter 1927 surrounded?


    ?


    two hours later...


    minos'' group finally entered the phoenix territory, passing one of the tribe''s elders who was in charge of watching over the area they had come from.


    his group had attracted the attention of the elder in charge of this piece of borderland. but with four nine-tailed foxes in his party, including the leader of the tribe, minos and his people were not stopped by the elder.


    ''what a strange group...'' that guy, in his bestial bird form on a hill, thought as he looked in the direction of those moving individuals, the strongest two levels below him.


    feeling strange but not enough for him to move, this phoenix picked up his communication item with the tribe''s headquarters and warned the people in that place about the group heading in that direction.


    "okay, elder tinder. we''ll keep an eye out for this group''s arrival."


    someone at the headquarters answered his contact and quickly ended the call.


    with that, the large orange bird with flames around his head and wings closed his eyes and went back to scanning his surroundings while meditating.


    however, 30 minutes after minos'' group had passed, he suddenly opened his eyes as he sensed eight powerful gorgon auras.


    ''what is that?'' he looked in the direction where those creatures were passing through the border, taking the same route as the previous group, something totally unusual that had alarmed him much more than emperor stuart''s strange group.


    strange as it was, minos'' group had allies in it despite the strange presence of a gorgon among them. but this group was different!


    not only was this group stronger than that elder, but it also consisted of only gorgons, a sign that it was a group on a mission for their tribe!


    "shit! something''s wrong!" he felt his feathers itch but didn''t want to risk facing those creatures.


    those gorgons could defeat him in the blink of an eye!


    even though he was a member of an elite race, he was alone in this situation, and his enemies had a powerful group. to act now would be tantamount to risking his life for something that might not be a problem for his tribe!


    but even though he didn''t move to stop them, this large bird with flaming feathers took back his communicator and once again communicated with his tribe''s headquarters.


    "we have a problem at the southeast border! a group of eight gorgons between levels 93 and 95 just passed through here behind the group i warned you about earlier! i request that the tribe send observers immediately!"


    ...


    a few dozen minutes later, the group of gorgons finally got close enough to minos'' group to see his strange team moving.


    the moment they saw the 32 members of this group, the eight gorgons smiled and didn''t hesitate to manipulate space by jumping from their positions to the surroundings of this group.


    feeling a shiver run down his spine, minos immediately realized that enemies were about to arrive in his vicinity and stopped moving.


    having one of the best senses among his crew, when he felt spatial distortions appearing near his group, he immediately moved his energies and formed his soul avatar while raising his cultivation level with the help of emlyn and kyla.


    he brought them into his soul avatar and warned his group to prepare for enemies.


    "enemies!"


    already knowing that the enemy behind them could only be the group of the gorgon tribe, which frightened minos at this level, everyone there immediately became more serious, bearing in mind that they wouldn''t be able to look these opponents in the eye when they arrived.


    danyxa felt her entire being shudder at the sight of a level 95 gorgon appearing there, fearing her own demise.


    ''shit! we''re dead!'' she made a horrible expression as her face turned pale with fear.


    the level 89 nine-tailed foxes also felt like they were facing death, and they immediately became more pessimistic about the future of this group.


    they hadn''t imagined that one of their opponents would be a level 95 gorgon!


    gulp!


    minos'' wives were also shocked, but realizing how drastic the situation was, they quickly formed their soul avatars and prepared for battle.


    of all of them, minos looked at abby and focused on helping her raise her cultivation level first and foremost.


    ''it''s up to you now, abby.'' he said in her mind as the blue-haired woman felt her cultivation level rise to the peak of level 83, while one of the mercenaries in their group lost a cultivation level for the sake of the temporary advance of the black plain empress.


    before the enemies could even act against her, abby began to fuse her techniques related to the goddess of life! n).o(.v((e-/l).b)(1.-n


    the other women of minos and the members of this group already knew that abby''s ability was their last weapon. therefore, even though many of them still didn''t know how strong she could be, as they felt her cultivation increase, they all realized that emperor stuart was putting into practice their last alternative.


    as a group that had to fight as a team, they had to take a series of measures depending on how serious the situation was. as such, everyone who joined the group soon learned their strategies and what to do in each situation.


    "shit! i hope this works!" one of the mermen shouted, joining the formation around the blue-haired woman, forming a powerful barrier together.


    danyxa also joined the group, finally placing the item over her eyes and seeing a fantastic scene.


    various shields of spiritual energy, barriers, and forms of power appeared around where abby stood. everyone there did their best to create solid defenses for her, some on the ground, others floating at different heights.


    at the same time, the eight gorgons that had just appeared didn''t flinch when they saw them. as soon as they saw the enemies moving, they all activated their abilities simultaneously.


    their eyes brightly shone as they floated in the air and looked at the enemy group with dreadful smiles while the energy and laws of nature in the environment condensed, forming terrifying figures in the background.


    as the only one who could see all this without taking any risks, danyxa was the most nervous of the group, knowing that once this simultaneous attack hit them, they would have less than 10 seconds to do something about the situation. after that, everyone there would turn to stone!


    "rise from the darkness!"


    at that moment of danyxa''s nervousness, abby suddenly opened her mouth, and the blue energy circulating in her body suddenly exploded, causing a violent earthquake in the area while cracks the size of canyons appeared.


    and then, suddenly, a sound came from nearby.


    tu-whit, tu-whoo!


    ...

 Chapter 1928 Fighting Together For The Last Time

    ?


    when the sound of a bird was heard nearby, the eight gorgons attacked minos'' group with all their might, shooting bolts of power from their eyes, while his group kept their defenses up with all their might.


    their defenses turned to stone as the breaths of each person there became agitated as they saw the forces capable of killing them coming closer and closer to them.


    but when that bird sound came, everyone in the vicinity, whether it was minos'' group or the gorgons, felt goosebumps rise on their bodies as the heat around them suddenly increased.


    even a phoenix flying tens of kilometers away felt the same as the people fighting in the middle of the forest.


    ''what is it?'' this elder of the phoenix tribe, who was sent to observe the situation, asked himself as he felt his flaming feathers tremble.


    as he gazed curiously at the spot where a battle was clearly taking place, a bird''s claw appeared from one of the cracks in the ground near where abby''s group was standing.


    when that claw appeared there, the strongest of the gorgons couldn''t continue attacking minos'' group because she felt a terrifying sensation coming from her back.


    ''it can''t be!'' she opened her eyes wide, doing the same as several members of minos'' group did at that moment, seeing the madness of abby''s fusion of techniques.


    "that..."


    "how?"


    "impossible!" the arctic whale sensed an extremely restrictive power for him, the only thing capable of overcoming the arctic ice of his tribe.


    as he focused on the creature that emerged from the underground, the arctic whale saw a gigantic skeleton fly into the sky while orange-black flames covered that skeleton''s body.


    when they heard the cry of the phoenix being called back to the world of the living, they and everyone else around them couldn''t help but look at it for a moment.


    that was a level 95 phoenix!


    abby''s technique fusion had summoned a creature of the highest level. this was no ordinary creature, but a creature from one of the ten strongest races in the world!


    after seeing this elder hovering in the air, everyone was shocked by its power, and not only that, but the ability of a spiritual sage to summon this black terror.


    but this wasn''t the only awakened elder. as he drew the full attention of abby''s allies and enemies, a dozen dark phoenixes emerged from the cracks in the ground and hovered in the air around the elder, their auras at their peak.


    "elder!"


    "elder!"


    "we have failed with you, elder!"


    "forgive us for our mistake!"


    several of them shouted immediately after realizing where they were and feeling the powerful aura of that level 95 creature, their former leader who had died in battle along with several of them.


    the behavior of the dead when they were brought back to life could vary, depending on their personalities and how they died.


    some would mercilessly attack those who summoned them. in contrast, others would fight for the good of their summoner without even needing to be controlled. some would like to fight again and take a few more people to the world of death.


    even though they understood that they had been temporarily brought back to life by abby, none of them bothered to attack her. instead, upon seeing their leader who had died for their mistake, all of the low-level demigods and high-level sages summoned by abby took the opportunity to ask their leader for forgiveness, something they hadn''t been able to do in the past.


    while listening to these subordinates, the dark phoenix looked in the direction of the strongest in the area, a gigantic bird surrounded by orange flames rapidly approaching the area.


    seeing the level 96 phoenix sent to this place, this elder smiled to himself, seeing that his tribe still dominated this area and had powerful experts in this generation.


    ''it looks like we won the war.'' he felt that he only had a few seconds before disappearing. still, he was delighted to be called back to life and see that the place that had once been a battlefield was now just a green and beautiful area as it had been in his youth.


    satisfied that he hadn''t died in vain, he looked at abby, the young human who was clearly behind it all. ''you''re in trouble, huh?'' he smiled. "let me kill gorgons one last time!"


    with those words, he looked toward the level 95 creature near minos'' group, glaring at him, and flew toward it, not afraid to look it in the eye.


    "you wretches!" the gorgon shouted as it saw the black phoenix coming at it quickly, its eyes glowing brightly and imitating energy beams that would turn everything in its path to stone.


    the other gorgons noticed the sudden change in the environment. they retreated immediately, realizing that not only this strongest elder but all the black flame phoenixes in the area had decided to attack them.


    "kill the gorgons!"


    "fight alongside our leader one last time!"


    the battalion leaders brought back to life by abby shouted, flying towards the gorgons as their flames exploded in power, burning everything in their path.nove(lb.in


    after seeing this, all of the beings in minos'' group who had not yet seen abby''s fusion in action were shocked at the amount of power she could bring to the group.


    all three members of the sea folk stood there with their mouths agape and their eyes wide open, almost unable to believe what was happening.


    "what a monstrous ability!" one of the two level-90 demigods said as he looked at abby, seeing that she alone could bring unimaginable chaos to this world.


    even as a low-level sage, she alone could threaten entire groups of demigods!


    "abomination! we must kill that human!" one of the gorgons in the group of creatures being attacked by the dark phoenix shouted, sensing that such a human could bring about the end of their race.


    being so weak and already able to summon such powerful dead creatures, abby was a real threat to the powers of this world!


    if she could resurrect gods, she alone could rule the entire spiritual world!


    even minos'' allies couldn''t help but think of the blue-haired girl''s potential and stared at her in amazement, finally understanding where emperor stuart''s trust in his women came from.


    ''that''s why! that''s why he was so confident!'' the leader of the sea folk group there thought to herself as she moved along with the rest of the group, dodging the gorgon power beams that had threatened them moments ago.


    ...

 Chapter 1929 Counterattack

    chapter 1929 counterattack?


    while minos'' group found a place to escape the gorgon''s previous attacks and escaped alive, dunyxa''s expression changed when she saw the change in the situation.


    a few moments ago, she felt like she was facing death. but now, seeing the members of her tribe being attacked by many angry phoenixes, she saw hope for her group''s survival.


    even though these resurrected creatures probably wouldn''t last long, and even though some of them couldn''t kill the gorgons there, she knew that they could make way for her group!


    seeing several of her tribe elders with their backs to her, she smiled maliciously and didn''t hesitate to attack the weakest of those creatures with her powers.


    "die, you bitch!" she shouted as her eyes glowed an intense red before turning white and shooting beams of energy at the back of the level 93 gorgon.


    "you traitor!" the gorgon felt an attack coming at her back, but she couldn''t dodge or counterattack as she was currently dealing with the attack of two level 91 phoenixes.


    seeing dunyxa''s actions, minos didn''t hesitate to call out to his group. "attack! use everything you have on our enemies!"


    they had seconds before most of the phoenixes abby had revived would perish. if that happened, they would have an angry group of gorgons to deal with.


    with that in mind, minos didn''t hesitate to combine his techniques while encouraging the people in his group to attack the gorgons with more problems.


    the sea creatures there heard this and quickly transformed parts of their bodies, not completely into their bestial forms, but enough to attack those beings.


    the arctic whale leaped into the air as his legs transformed into his rear fin, revealing a massive part of his whale body while using his immense body strength to attack one of the level 93 gorgons.


    the mermen in the group did the same, while the mermaids used their mental abilities to try to affect the mental conditioning of the weaker gorgons.


    the krakens had no fear of the phoenix flames and used their long, many arms to try to hold the creatures back, pinning the wrists and heels of some of their enemies.


    even the sea folk, who weren''t there to help minos fight, moved, knowing that if they didn''t eliminate these creatures, they would be in big trouble and be targeted by this tribe of gorgons!


    the three of them moved simultaneously, using their continental abilities to manipulate the laws around them and attack the enemy creatures with lightning and very strong winds capable of cutting through rocks.


    all three of them had storm-related abilities, so the weather over the area quickly closed in even more as it began to rain.


    ruth stayed close to abby and her harem sisters but kept her innate ability activated, helping all her teammates attack the enemies with everything they had while they recovered from their energy expenditure with her help.


    seeing and feeling all this, titus and bella continued to stay close to minos'' women along with the longus family elders, following the group leader''s orders to protect them, but both felt less fearful now.


    "maybe we can survive!" bella said to titus as the pallor on her face faded, and she saw the gorgons surrounded by attacks from all sides.


    titus looked at the area, saw an orange glow, and agreed. "but today was close. we almost died here!"


    he sighed as he said this but was much more confident of surviving this attack as he could see a powerful phoenix hovering in the air above the area.


    arriving at the place where he had felt the terrible sensation of a dark phoenix, the elder sent to that area hovered in the air as he watched the battle unfold there, paying special attention to the dark phoenixes in that area. nove.lb-1n


    he wasn''t shocked that someone had resurrected so many of these creatures. nor was he impressed by the audacity of the gorgon tribe members to fight in their tribe''s territory. what shocked him was that these creatures, surrounded by black flames, even in their current form, clearly radiated rationality and a sense of duty to the tribe.


    the phoenixes had a very special power that allowed them to return to life after death!


    when a phoenix passed through nirvana, if it succeeded, it would return to the world perfectly, but a few levels weaker, with a completely new body. if it failed, however, the creature''s body would be consumed by darkness, and it would form what was known in its tribe as the black phoenix, a chaotic being capable of using black flames that were even more powerful than the ordinary flames of beings of that race.


    according to legend, the black flames of these creatures were special and would not extinguish until they had completely consumed their target!


    seeing those black-flame beings behaving rationally without showing the chaos that those flames usually brought, the elder couldn''t help but be impressed as he watched the situation closely.


    meanwhile, more than half of those phoenixes had already perished, along with the level 95 elder, who had completely cracked and exploded after the first attack before disappearing from this world.


    but as the legends said, his flames continued even after his departure, causing that level 95 gorgon to scream in pain as she felt her body being consumed by the most terrifying flames in this world.


    "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!"


    others from the gorgon group also howled in pain, feeling close to their limits as they suffered from those terrible flames and the many attacks from minos'' group.


    at that moment, 28 seconds after abby''s fusion showed results, minos finished fusing two of his techniques, causing several black holes to appear around his space and time domain.


    with this at his disposal, he didn''t hesitate to hurl these lightless regions of space towards those gorgons. he was not at all comforted by the current situation as some of them were in agony from the black flames.


    as much as these flames would eliminate them if they couldn''t overcome them with something of a higher level, it didn''t mean that the gorgons would become harmless.


    with the ability to turn everyone in their party to stone, even in agony, these creatures had to die as soon as possible!


    with that in mind, minos tried to take control of the situation, aware that there was a phoenix there but unsure if such a being would help his group.


    so he managed to hit the first of those creatures in agony who were too busy to notice the danger with his black holes!


    ...

 Chapter 1930 End of the Battle

    chapter 1930 end of the battle?


    when they felt a terrible premonition approaching, two of the first gorgons to notice the approaching black holes barely had a chance to react.


    as they burned under the black flames of the fallen phoenixes, they only looked back to see great darkness closing in on them before disappearing.


    the black hole was unrivaled in the speed with which it destroyed its targets!


    if you entered the event horizon of one of these regions of space, you would be accelerated to the speed of light until you merged with the black hole''s singularity.


    this happened so fast that there was virtually no room for escape!


    even someone of a higher level than the black hole''s would have their body accelerated toward the singularity the moment they fell into the event horizon.


    someone stronger than the black hole could try to escape and have a chance of succeeding. but this had to happen very quickly. otherwise, the black hole itself would evolve and become stronger than its target.


    the first two gorgons attacked by minos didn''t do anything in time, and by the time they realized the horror of such a fusion, it was too late. in less than a second, they were completely degraded and became essences for those black holes to become even more powerful. nove)lb-in


    minos felt the level of those regions of space reaching a level that would make it very difficult for him to manipulate them. however, he still tried to unite them and throw the result of their union in the direction of the strongest gorgon in the area.


    "die!" he shouted as he struggled to do so, at the same time, some of the other gorgons found their ends for the other black holes in the area.


    the people in minos'' group realized their leader''s move and promptly stopped attacking, retreating close to his women as they saw the horror of emperor stuart''s fusion.


    some of them saw it for the first time, so they couldn''t help but be shocked again by this battle, realizing the monstrosity minos could create.


    if abby was terrifying because she could bring the mighty dead back to life, minos was terrifying because he could create something capable of devouring this world!


    this was the most dangerous couple in the spiritual world!


    but luckily for these beings, they were allies of these two and didn''t have to worry about them too much.


    meanwhile, the level 96 phoenix, who had arrived in the area and flew over the region while watching all this, couldn''t help but see it with different eyes.


    ''this is a bit scary.'' he looked at one of those swirling lightless regions and felt his feathers bristle.


    if that region of darkness swallowed the level 95 gorgon, it would be able to threaten even him, a powerful level 96 phoenix!


    feeling threatened, this elder moved to aim at the burning level 95 gorgon, the target of the strongest black hole in the area that was moving toward it.


    the phoenix tribe elder moved his wings to fly out of the way of the black hole and attacked with his orange and yellow flames, helping the black flames of the previous elder to destroy that body.


    since someone from his tribe had moved against those gorgons, and they would have died anyway, he decided to kill the creatures that had threatened minos'' group.


    ''better i do that than let this human''s fusion of techniques devour those bodies and become stronger!'' he thought to himself as he quickly took action against the other gorgons in the area.


    as a level 96 being, he was many times faster than minos'' fusion, and before those black holes devoured any more gorgons, he had dealt with the remaining gorgons.


    being several times stronger than most of those creatures, this elder ended the lives of half of them in a single move, turning them to ash with his high-temperature flames.


    the three remaining creatures wouldn''t last much longer. after the second flap of their wings in the skies of this area, they would fall dead in this area, still burning from the black flames over their bodies.


    the last of those summoned by abby had already disappeared at that moment, and only her group remained in the phoenix tribe after this whole incident.


    as the battle ended, the old man looked at bella and shouted.


    "bella, what is the meaning of all this? why are you here with such a strange group? and why did those gorgons attack you?" he asked several questions at once, looking at the white-furred fox he had known for thousands of years and giving this group the benefit of the doubt.


    bella finally took a deep breath and left the side of minos'' women to approach the elder.


    "elder norton, i''m sorry to bring this problem to your tribe. to make a long story short, i have joined minos stuart''s crew and am no longer the leader of the nine-tailed fox tribe. but before we left, titus and dunyxa got into trouble with the gorgon tribe, and now we''re their targets.


    we were on the run, but since young minos has friends in the phoenix tribe, we decided to escape through your territory."


    she said all this after pointing to each of the names she had mentioned and making it clear to that phoenix who was to blame for the day''s troubles.


    he looked at minos and asked. "what do you want in my tribe? and why are you recruiting on our continent?"


    norton had heard the name minos stuart from demi and the phoenix who had returned from the ancient dragon spatial kingdom months ago and were now in this area.


    not only that, as one of the strongest tribes on this continent, the phoenix tribe knew about the geopolitical situation of the central continent, which made this elder aware of emperor stuart''s name.


    "elder, i would like to pass through your territory while we flee from the gorgons. if possible, i would like to find people interested in joining my group to go with us to the north sea. that''s my main goal on this journey." minos was direct as he gestured to the giant bird that watched his group from above.


    "so you want our help." he muttered, remembering what he had heard about minos and what he had just seen, which confirmed everything the level 91 phoenix who had returned to demi''s side had told the tribe.


    ...

 Chapter 1931 Going To Demi

    ?


    looking at minos and his group from his position, norton thought carefully about what he had seen and heard about this person, ignoring the rest of the beings at emperor stuart''s side.


    most of minos'' companions were powerful beings who would be relevant anywhere in this world. but next to him, they were in his shadow.


    even abby, who had a phenomenal fusion, was not on the same level as minos in this elder''s eyes.


    to him, abby''s ability was excellent, but it depended a lot on her either becoming much stronger or having allies to protect her. conversely, minos could act on his own and eliminate 10th-stage beings without relying on allies.


    considering the black holes he had created to eliminate those gorgons, this huge phoenix couldn''t help but stare at him in silence for a moment.


    ''if you hadn''t helped the tribe and shown yourself to be a potential ally, it would be best for me to kill you here and now. that would avoid problems with the damned gorgons and a potential concern for the future.'' he observed as the flames on his body extinguished, and his bestial form changed to humanoid. ''i will leave your fate in the hands of the tribe leaders!''


    he then said to minos as he pointed with one hand in the direction of the black holes around the area. "first of all, can you make them disappear? i don''t want things like this welding over my territory."


    "if the elder lends me some of his power, i can fix that. otherwise, i won''t be able to. i''m exhausted after what i did a few moments ago." minos said with a bitter smile.


    "all right. but do it quickly." norton agreed.


    with that, minos would soon use the devouring art on norton''s body before using his innate ability to raise his level once again while turning his attention to the black holes in the area.


    meanwhile, norton watched him as he approached bella and titus, his old acquaintances.


    "what trouble you''ve gotten yourselves into... it will spread to our tribes later." he commented to both of them as he watched minos make the black holes in the area disappear one by one.


    "we had no choice. it was this or death." titus said with a terrible expression, aware that this was all his fault.


    "what will you do after you leave my tribe''s territory?" he asked bella. "don''t think that the gorgons will give up on you. after today, they''ll just wait for you to leave my tribe before they come after you again."


    dunyxa stood next to the three and mentally agreed, knowing that the danger wasn''t over. it had just been delayed a bit.


    "i..." bella hesitated. she hadn''t thought that far!


    "indeed. if we leave this area, we''ll have trouble with the damned gorgons again!" she clenched her fists, already in her humanoid form.


    seeing that his old acquaintances still hadn''t thought of anything, he suggested. "if you don''t have anything in mind, you''d better take your chances in a place where your pursuers might meet their death while chasing you.


    go to the dragon tribe. it''ll be dangerous for you but even more dangerous for the gorgons who decide to hunt you."


    gulp!


    hearing this, the arctic whale couldn''t help but become even more anxious, for the dragons of this continent were his enemies, and he would naturally be afraid to enter such an area.


    not only he but everyone in the group thought about the danger they would face if they entered the territory of the dragons, one of the most powerful and talented races in the world.


    entering the dragon territory was very difficult. considering how defensive the dragons were about their territory and how violent the dragons were, it would be practically impossible for them to enter that territory without attracting new problems for the group.


    "that would be dangerous..." someone commented.


    "more dangerous would be to travel with the gorgons hunting you without anything to intimidate them. anyway, it''s up to you. i''d do it if i were you." norton commented before seeing minos finish the black holes in the area.


    minos had heard all this and said. "what the elder said makes sense. i''ll think about going through dragon territory after leaving the phoenix''s area of influence."


    "won''t that be too dangerous for us?" one of the mercenaries asked.


    "more or less... maybe not." minos muttered, thinking of the possibilities they would have if they went into such territory, and he gained access to the place the level 100 dragon had told him about.


    "but we''re really in trouble, so we have to hide for a while." he said out loud to the entire group. "if the phoenix tribe doesn''t see any problem, i intend to stay here until i reach level 84. we won''t start the rest of our journey until then."


    norton commented. "that depends on the tribe leaders. if you can convince them not to punish you for giving us trouble, they''ll probably allow your party to spend some time in our territory."


    with that, the more worried members of the group sighed, feeling that they would have some time to strengthen themselves before having to deal with this problem.


    they were confident that minos would be granted that permission since he had been instrumental in saving a high-ranking member of this tribe and avenging the death of a phoenix of noble lineage in this race.


    during their journey here, the group members talked about many things among themselves, and those who did not know about the events in the ancient dragon spatial kingdom had heard various stories about the place.


    with bella adding new information, everyone in the group was aware that the group sent by maximillian had killed two members of demi''s group in that event months ago.


    one of them was a nine-tailed fox, blake''s wife, while the other was a high-ranking phoenix in her tribe who could become the heir to the leadership of the tribe in this generation. but she had been killed in that space, and without minos'' help, the tribe might never have been able to take revenge on her killers.


    because of this history, everyone was more or less confident that this tribe would not deny them anything as a refuge during the time minos planned to stay there.


    if everything went as they expected, they would still have problems after minos'' advance. but at least the group would have time to better prepare for their enemies, think about plans for the future, and find ways to strengthen themselves before leaving this area.


    with that in mind, those 32 individuals would soon follow norton into the heart of the phoenix territory, where the stuart family would soon see demi and the phoenix who had fought alongside them in the ancient dragon spatial kingdom.n)-o(-v--e))l--b--i(-n

 Chapter 1932 Arrival At The Camp

    ?


    hours later, minos'' group would finally reach the core of the phoenix tribe''s territory, where they would no longer be in danger of being overtaken by the gorgons.


    even though the gorgon tribe had high-level demigods, they were not as strong as the phoenix tribe. they would never try to operate within the core of this territory.


    therefore, even though their situation was temporary, the group was safe!


    when they reached the core of this territory, the group was much lighter as they enjoyed the journey to demi and the tribe''s leadership.


    as they flew alongside the level 96 elder toward the phoenix city, minos asked. "elder norton, i heard that your tribe is hosting a meeting with several representatives of friendly tribes. is that where we''re going?"


    "yes. the tribe is already aware of the problems the spiritual world will face in a short time, and we are preparing with our allies for the difficult times ahead." norton said as he saw a large camp not far from them. "demi and nite are there. you''ll be able to see them in a few moments." he pointed toward that place as he began to slow his speed and altitude.


    after seeing the camp not far from the tribe''s headquarters, minos and his group realized how many races were represented in that camp, which must have had around 10,000 individuals there by now.


    the camp looked like a small tent city!


    the phoenix tribe had many allies and subordinates from other races. with each group having between 5 and 20 members, if one counted the phoenixes there, 10,000 individuals weren''t much.


    minos saw this from a distance and liked what he saw. with so many beings of different races in that place, this would be an excellent opportunity for him and his group to make new friends.


    minos had no intention of inviting any more spiritual sages to join his crew. from now on, he would only look for demigods to join the group going to the north sea in a few years.


    however, his empire could greatly benefit from friendships with beast tribes capable of reaching the 9th stage. even if the black plain empire had many demigods one day, high-level sages would still be important.


    therefore, making friends with these people and possibly attracting some of them to the state could be very advantageous for the stuart family.


    thinking ahead, minos couldn''t help but look at the place ahead of him with interest.


    but while he looked at the camp and thought about how he could make friends with as many of the people there as possible, norton continued to speak.


    "... anyway, before you meet these two, you should accompany me to the leaders of the tribe. they''re in this camp as well."


    "oh? all right." minos didn''t mind.


    seeing how calm this human was, norton remained silent as he watched him. but not only minos was under his gaze, but also abby.


    ''these two... are they worth helping? if they don''t survive their escape from this continent, all the problems we might face because of them will be too heavy even for us.'' he thought, not knowing what would be most worthwhile in this situation.


    but as someone with ''only'' level 96, he didn''t decide anything in this tribe and naturally only led minos'' group to the leaders of his race, those who had the real power to decide.


    since they were already very close to the camp, they would land there in less than 15 minutes, where they would quickly make their way to the main tent in the area.


    on their way to the tent, they naturally attracted the attention of all the unoccupied people around the camp at the beginning of the night.


    there were allies of the phoenix among the members of minos'' group, but there were also non-allies and even a gorgon. in short, it was a very strange group.


    passing through the narrow corridors between the tents of various sizes and types in the vicinity, where many individuals sold their services and food, the group soon arrived at the place where the strongest auras in the area originated.


    arriving in front of a ten-meter-high tent that covered an area of about 300 square meters, the members of minos'' group stopped talking to each other. they paid attention to the entrance of this tent, where four high-ranking demigods were.


    of the four, three were level 98 elders, and the last was the strongest, the level 99 leader of the tribe!


    each of them had a terrifyingly powerful aura, and the heat emanating from them was enough to make everyone feel warm in the middle of this cold night.


    the heat these beings passively emitted was so strong that even the climate in this area of the continent of beasts was affected by their presence.


    if it weren''t for this tribe living in this area, the climate would be freezing, and there would even be blizzards at certain times of the year. however, due to the presence of these beings, this place had a warm climate all year round.


    the arctic whale of the group was the one who felt it the most when he entered this camp and began to sweat even more intensely than he had since the level 96 elder started leading their group.


    ''these beings are terrible! even without exercising themselves, they can release so much heat!'' the whale thought as he used his spiritual energy to cool himself down.


    meanwhile, minos stood in front of the tent next to norton, one step ahead of his group.


    ''even though this camp is an excellent opportunity for me, i must ensure those phoenixes are on my side.'' he considered, ''with the support of such a strong tribe, it will be easy for me to make more alliances in the spiritual world.''


    as he thought about that, norton bowed his head and announced.


    "tribe leaders, i''m here with minos stuart from the central continent. i found his group facing gorgons in our territory and brought them here for you to decide their future."


    as he said these words, the guards around the tent looked at minos and his group with different eyes, some impressed, others with doubt in their expressions.


    all of them were in their humanoid forms. after all, this was a camp with several beings of different species, and it would be difficult to accommodate them all if they were in their natural forms.nove)lb/in


    so when four individuals in their humanoid forms, two men and two women, left the tent, no one in minos'' group was surprised.


    "so you''re minos stuart?" the oldest man in the group said as he stepped forward and looked at emperor stuart with a neutral gaze.


    ...

 Chapter 1933 For The Sake Of The Future

    ?


    looking into the orange eyes of the white-haired man dressed in battle equipment, minos felt the depth of such a level 99 creature''s soul.


    he wasn''t the strongest level 99 demigod the emperor stuart had seen on his journey. still, this individual in front of him would definitely not bow down to any of minos'' acquaintances.


    even maximilian flamen would not be enough to make that individual bow his head without a major battle between the parties.


    with the power of the phoenixes, one of the most powerful races in the world, that elder was probably one of the 50 strongest beings in the world!


    with his special power over flames, he would probably be able to severely burn even dragons and other powerful beings.


    in front of this individual, minos bowed his head respectfully and greeted him as he should.


    "elder, this junior is called minos stuart. i met a member of your tribe during the recent ancient dragon spatial kingdom event and promised to come to this place. unfortunately, i had no luck and brought trouble to your tribe."


    minos had his pride. but there was no reason for him not to respect these four individuals, especially considering they weren''t his enemies.


    if they were his enemies, he wouldn''t be so respectful as to bow his head. since this was not the case, he saw no problem in being humble in front of them.


    the two women behind the tribe leader heard minos'' words, but they observed the spiritual fluctuation coming from this young man''s body.


    ''what young nite said wasn''t an exaggeration. he really looks like a dragon.'' one of them said in mental communication with the other three.


    ''impressive! i didn''t think an inheritance from a level 100 dragon could do that!'' the second man commented with great interest but without showing it on his face.


    level 100 heritages were very rare and were usually found by descendants or beings of the same race as the one who left the heirloom. therefore, very few people knew about the limitations of level 100 inheritances.


    for these four elders, it wasn''t obvious that a level 100 inheritance from a dragon would give a human an aura and body as strong as a dragon''s. seeing the young emperor stuart in front of them emitting such an aura was a revelation to them all.


    meanwhile, the leader of the tribe, onyx, was looking at minos, but he had in his eyes not only minos but also abby and ruth, who were right behind emperor stuart and had their own merits.


    ''the black-haired girl seems to radiate life energy, while the other must be the one who resurrected some of our ancestors earlier.'' onyx thought to himself.


    the strongest members of his group didn''t know everything that had happened earlier. but they clearly sensed when several long-dead phoenixes temporarily returned to this world with their black flames.


    seeing minos'' group in front of them, they didn''t need to hear what had happened from anyone. they knew that abby had been responsible for it, probably doing it during the battle against the gorgons.


    precisely because they had felt those spiritual fluctuations from so far away and now saw that this woman was only at level 82, everyone there took this wife of minos seriously.


    thinking about the pros and cons this group could bring them, onyx didn''t even wait to hear his companions'' opinions and said. "minos stuart, you don''t have to apologize for the way you entered our territory. desperate times call for desperate measures. it''s natural for someone like you to get into trouble.


    as much as it will cause us some friction, there''s no need for you to act like this. as a friend of my tribe, it''s evident that we understand your problems and will help you."


    his words were neither strange nor unexpected to the three elders behind onyx. the times they found themselves in were becoming genuinely desperate. with the unexpected approaching the spiritual world, they wanted to raise the level of their forces and alliances as much as possible.


    for this very reason, forgiving the problem minos had brought upon them and welcoming him with open arms seemed to be the best course of action for these four old and experienced souls.


    minos had been involved in a high-profile problem with gorgons? it wasn''t as bad as it seemed. after all, the phoenixes had always had problems with such a tribe.


    what''s more, minos and at least two of his wives seemed to have a potential unknown even to these elders!


    minos had a strong dragon aura, a compelling innate ability, and unusual fight proficiency that allowed him to fight against people many times stronger than him. ruth, on the other hand, had a divine physique, the only one in the world at the moment.


    as for abby, she could potentially form the most powerful army in the world if she was allowed to grow. whoever was on her side could gain a lot in the future.


    aware of it, these three saw minos'' group as a chance to make an important ally for the chaotic times to come, perhaps one who could lead their tribe into a future where they would surpass many rival tribes on this continent!n--o(-v.(¦Å-)l(-b./1.(n


    besides, minos had actually helped the tribe when he had no obligation to do so. aware of this, these elders would use this event to hide their interest in being on the side of someone with great potential and would relate to this young man because they saw him as a friend of the tribe.


    as grateful as they were to minos for what he had done, no gratitude in the world would accept high-level problems without changing its mind. what attracted them to help this young man was his potential, not the fact that he had helped a member of the tribe!


    but as obvious as all this was to these elders, the people in minos'' group were, for the most part, still impressed by onyx''s words, not expecting them to deal with this encounter so easily.


    minos lifted his head and smiled. "i am grateful for your understanding." he said, relieved that these leaders were smart enough to look into the future when he would become a demigod.


    if they had been more skeptical about him and had considered the losses they would suffer if he fell before reaching the 10th stage, this encounter would have been much more complicated and bad for minos!


    one of the two women behind onyx stepped forward with a smile. "minos stuart, tell us about your party. we''d like to know what you did and what happened before we see what we can do to help you."


    with that, it wasn''t long before the entire group entered the tent, where they would spend the next hour talking to the leaders of the tribe about their origins, goals, and what they had been through in the last few days.

 Chapter 1934 Visiting Acquaintances

    ?


    after talking with the leaders of the phoenix tribe for some time, the members of minos'' group had not only introduced themselves to the four high-ranking demigods but also told them a little about their origins.


    in addition, they had talked about their arrival on the continent of beasts, how they had met titus and danyxa, and how they had gotten involved in the problem that had caused the high-ranking gorgons to chase them.nove.lb/in


    with this conversation, the leaders of this tribe had a better idea of everything that had happened, and how much the members of minos'' group were to blame for the problem they would have to deal with in the short term. however, even though they knew that titus and danyxa were questionable individuals, the leadership of this tribe didn''t change their minds about helping emperor stuart''s group.


    minos and at least two of his wives would still have a bright future if they survived the journey to level 90.


    as long as they reached that level, these elders of the phoenix tribe were confident that the path would be easier for them.


    cultivating at high levels was more complex, and the competition was tougher. but given the abilities of these three, as they became stronger, their influence would greatly increase, and they would be able to bring about positive changes for their allies and friends.


    so, by those three reaching level 90, those elders could benefit their tribe by helping them now while they were "weak."


    knowing what had happened, the goals of the people in minos'' crew, and what he wanted on this continent, the group of phoenix leaders naturally saw no problem in welcoming emperor stuart and his people for the next few months.


    this would be great for them to re-evaluate the talent and potential of these three, but also help minos get better contracts that would force danyxa and titus to follow his rules.


    with all that settled, the group was free to follow the training at this camp or go to phoenix city.


    they couldn''t move freely through the territory as if they were natives, but as long as they were with the watchers, they could come and go in the territory''s core.


    as friends of the tribe, they were welcome to attend the training the tribe was doing with allies. they could also attend the meetings related to the calamity that was forming over this world, which would soon begin to negatively affect everyone''s lives.


    since they were free to come and go, some of the most curious members of the group, the mermaids, the mermen, the mercenaries, and the kraken, quickly separated from the rest of the group and went off to explore the area.


    meanwhile, danyxa, titus, bella, the artic whale, emlyn, and kyla stayed with minos, his wives, and the three sea folk members.


    leaving the huge tent of the leaders of the phoenix tribe, they were soon led to demi and nite by another phoenix, while the elder norton had already left to return to his observation post.


    ...


    a few minutes after being released by the tribe''s leaders, minos and his group arrived where the nine-tailed foxes of demi''s group were camped.


    arriving at a part of this large camp far from where the leaders'' tent was, they soon encountered several fox tribemates of some of their group members nearby.


    "tribe leader!"


    "titus?"


    "minos!"


    several of these creatures identified the newcomers, seeing these individuals in completely different ways.


    the older elders next to demi positively shouted when they looked at bella, while some frowned when they looked at titus.


    but the youngest one there, demi, couldn''t help but see minos and his wives and got up from where she was and walked over to them, smiling, not expecting to find them so soon.


    nite, the phoenix who had been in the ancient dragon spatial kingdom, was also there. when he saw minos and the group behind him, he was surprised as well since no news of their arrival had reached this place.


    minos and his wives met demi and nite. they immediately greeted them, reuniting with these battle buddies who had lived side by side for weeks in that unstable region of space.


    it may have been a short time they had spent together. but they had spent enough time together to become close.


    but minos had his reasons for wanting to get closer to them and see them again. he was not a fool, nor did he overestimate himself. emperor stuart knew he was not at the level of the tribe''s leaders and could not gain their trust and future partnership by talking to them.


    for him, the best way to move forward in this place was among the late 9th and early 10th stage individuals, those he could influence and thus make a good impression on the local leaders.


    those in his group knew this and didn''t judge this meeting as a mere reunion of acquaintances.


    "minos, i didn''t expect you to come to our lands so soon!" demi said as she approached him. "i thought reaching our continent would take you a few years."


    "but it seems you travel much faster than we thought," nite commented as he looked at minos'' group and saw individuals there that they had probably brought into their group after the journey from the central continent to this place had begun.


    "is that so?" he smiled. "well, i never planned on taking too long to get here. anyway, i will stay in this area for the next few months. i hope you can help my group while we''re here."


    "oh? you''re going to stay here all that time?" nite liked what he heard because this would be a good way for him to try to repay what minos had done for him.


    even if minos'' deed in that spatial kingdom wasn''t the reason for his current situation in this tribe, it had been great for nite, and he was determined to help this group of friends.


    gloria replied. "yes. we got into trouble with the gorgons, so we''ll stay here for a while to strengthen ourselves and improve our chances for the future."


    these foxes and nite were not surprised, and they understood why a gorgon was in minos'' group.


    "well, if that''s the case, let me help you. i may not have access to all the best of my tribe, but i can certainly help a group like yours." nite smiled.


    demi didn''t have that much influence in this tribe, but she knew several other groups like theirs in this camp and could help minos'' group in some way as well.


    "count on me too. if you need anything, i''ll do my best." she said, curious to understand the situation of the nine-tailed foxes in minos'' group, but left that for the future.


    now they would have plenty of time to talk about that and other things!

 Chapter 1935 Improvement

    chapter 1935 improvement


    in the blink of an eye, 20 months have passed since minos and his group arrived in the heart of the phoenix tribe''s territory!


    in the meantime, minos and his group had done everything they could in this area where gorgons didn''t dare to go, and so they had spent months without any problems.


    things had gone so well for the group during such a period that they had even decided to stay a little longer than the 1.5 years that minos had planned to stay in this area when they had arrived months ago.


    but it wasn''t for nothing!


    during their time of seclusion in this area, he and his group had not only experienced opportunities for advancement in this high-level territory but had also made many important contacts for the future.


    minos and his wives had acted for the good of their group and the black plain empire, searching for contacts and potential friends or allies of theirs or this state.


    however, nothing prevented his teammates, such as the arctic whale and the krakens, from making their own contacts in the area.


    these individuals were on the side of minos'' group for the adventure they would have until they entered the north sea. but why not use this trip to make new friends and contacts for the future? those who survived such a journey might one day have new relationships that could benefit them or even their tribes.


    so, in the place where the phoenixes gathered their subordinates and friends, the whole group had great opportunities to create new partnerships for themselves or their groups.


    meanwhile, as a friend of the tribe, everyone had been given access to places that were important to the tribe and the opportunity to meditate in places that could improve their chances of progress.


    with opportunities, some of the members of minos'' crew had made significant progress, with some reaching the 10th stage, but most of those who benefited had only improved their levels.


    besides, the group had gained new companions for their departure, which was not far off!


    ...


    in the large camp near the phoenix city...


    at this moment, minos had just entered the tent of the tribe''s leaders, preparing to say goodbye and thank them for the opportunities this tribe had created for him and his people.


    in the 20 months he had been there, minos had raised his cultivation to level 84, and he already felt that he could make another breakthrough in no more than two years.


    in addition to him, the stuart family had benefited from the progress of gloria, abby, and isabella, the first two of whom had advanced to level 83 and the last to level 82, the same level as ruth.


    but they weren''t the only ones in the stuart family to improve!


    of the two women from the longus family who were in the group, one had reached level 90 weeks ago, becoming the second demigod for the black plain empire from minos and his wives'' point of view.


    they didn''t know the situation of the level 89 people in the northern region of the central continent, so until they returned to their state, that woman would be the second of their empire''s forces to reach the 10th stage.


    in short, he and these women, as well as the other members of the group, had achieved advances not only with the resources of emperor stuart himself but also with the help of the phoenixes.


    arriving at the place where the four strongest elders of the tribe stood, minos curved his head and thanked them.


    "elders, thank you for welcoming my group so well and still offering us opportunities." he said sincerely. "i hope to be able to give back some of what i''ve received here when i''m stronger. i certainly won''t forget my friends when i get over my current troubles."


    that was all these high-ranking demigods wanted to hear from minos.


    all that mattered to them was that this young man survived in the short term and was willing to work with this tribe in the future.


    they didn''t need minos to sign a soul contract or anything like that. his word was enough for them.


    hearing his words, they looked at him with discreet smiles, wondering what they would hear from such a young man in the future.


    "there''s no need to talk about it, minos," onyx commented. "but i must congratulate you and your people on what you''ve accomplished in your period here. we really haven''t done much. you are the ones who achieved so much."


    "hmmm." one of the two women there agreed. "the doors we have opened for you are the same ones we would open for many of our friends and allies.


    but the progress you''ve made is all your own. without your extraordinary resources and talents, you wouldn''t have accomplished 20% of what you have in the last few months."


    everyone there had seen how much stronger minos'' group had become, witnessed their skills in action, and realized the true potential of the crew he was putting together.


    hell, even though they had assessed minos'' forces well before, they were still surprised by some of the things they had seen in the past few months.


    considering the speed at which minos and especially his women were progressing, they saw that such a crew could reach the level that would make them relevant to the strongest in the world in less time than they had previously imagined.


    as such, they were more confident than ever that they had supported minos!


    "in any case, take care of your women, minos. you can do great things with them." the other man in the group said.


    the last woman there agreed. "and be careful on your journey ahead. the moment your group leaves our territory, you will be pursued by a team of gorgons even stronger than the last. n-/0velbin


    i imagine you''ll have from weeks to two months of ''peace.'' after that, be prepared to face these creatures."


    "i am aware of that. thank you for your concern." minos said, still bowing his head.


    onyx looked at him and asked. "are you really going into dragon territory?"


    "yes, my group has already agreed this way we have the best chance to survive on this continent. unfortunately, we''ll have to take our chances." he confirmed.


    "be careful. even if you have the aura of a dragon, it doesn''t mean you will be welcome in this tribe. it might even cause you more trouble than good." onyx advised. "but it''s not impossible for you to find some allies there. try to earn the respect of a 10th-stage dragon if you can. that will be the way for your group to survive."


    "thank you for the advice, elder."


    "now go. we don''t want to slow your people down." with these words from onyx, minos returned to his group, who were already waiting for him outside that camp to return to their journey across the continent!


    ...

 Chapter 1936 Leaving the Phoenix’s Territory

    chapter 1936 leaving the phoenix''s territory?


    ?


    leaving the tent of leaders of the territory he was in, minos soon caught up with his group, which was waiting for him on the north side of the camp.


    when he got there, he met 35 people of various races, where the four new crew members were waiting with the others to begin their journey.


    in the months he had been in this phoenix territory, minos had acquired four new names for his crew. among them were two phoenixes, but also two beings of different races, allies of the phoenixes, with whom emperor stuart had had contact in that camp.


    one was a longbeaked hawk, and the other was a rare pegasus!


    these were two of the three vassal races of the phoenix tribe whose members could reach the 10th stage.


    not every tribe capable of reaching this level had high-level demigods in their ranks. therefore, it was very common for such tribes to be subservient to more powerful races, such as the phoenix race.


    the phoenix race was the second most powerful race on the continent of beasts, after the dragon tribe. as such, it was one of the best options for one to join and have a good time in those lands.


    because of this situation, the pegasus and longbeaked hawk tribes were in that camp to prepare for the chaotic future of the spiritual world.


    minos had trained and talked with the members of these tribes many times until a few months ago when he was able to convince these two individuals, one a level 91 and the other a level 92.


    as for the phoenixes, they had been easier for minos to convince. one of them was nite, with whom he and his family already had a history.


    the other was a good friend of nite''s, also at level 91, whom he himself had convinced to join minos'' crazy crew.


    but in addition to these four new group mates, minos saw some of his old comrades, some of whom he hadn''t seen in months, and they were stronger now!


    among the fish people, out of the six individuals, three mermeids and three mermen, two of them who were previously at level 90 had advanced to level 91.


    at the same time, one kraken had reached level 92, the same as the leader of the mercenary group, who had reached this level a few days ago with the help of minos'' resources and the training of the phoenix tribe.


    none of the sea folk members there had advanced in those 20 months.


    as for the mercenaries who had previously been at level 89, they had all reached the 10th stage.


    finally, kyla was still at level 80, but emlyn had reached level 82 after benefiting greatly from some of her tribe''s special meditation sites.


    she was the one who had progressed the easiest out of everyone in the group. but that was because of something unique that only a nine-tailed fox could pass if they received the tribe''s privilege.


    unfortunately, this was something that only one nine-tailed fox was entitled to each year, so kyla hadn''t been given a chance.


    if she stayed a few more months, she might have the chance to experience the same thing as her mother. but it wasn''t minos'' intention to stay there, and kyla would have to continue her cultivation naturally.


    in the end, the group was much stronger, having raised the average level of the group by about one level, which might not seem like much, but it was very good.


    seeing his crew assembled, all in their humanoid forms, minos smiled and said. "ready to go?"


    hearing this, danyxa and titus clenched their fists, a little afraid but aware that they had been standing still for too long.


    minos'' group had a clear purpose; if they had stayed there for mere years, some of their members might have lost interest in continuing to ally with him. so, even though staying there for another year or two wouldn''t necessarily interfere with their schedule, they couldn''t stay any longer.


    the two anxious level 89 beings realized this when more than half of the group cheered at minos'' words, all eager to return to their journey.


    minos then said. "very well. nite, ashes, please lead the way for us."


    hearing this, the two phoenixes in the group quickly transformed into their bestial versions, having already agreed with minos to carry the group out of this area.


    the enemy gorgons would surely come after them again very soon. and considering the level of the beings that would be waiting for them, it wouldn''t be long before they had to face them again.


    but that didn''t mean that they couldn''t do something to prolong the time these gorgons would have to chase them before they reached them!


    minos intended to use the two large birds in his group, beings with much greater flying abilities than ordinary humans of their level.


    beings with wings had an advantage over those who didn''t have them when it came to flight. although any being could fly after reaching the 7th stage, those with wings would always have an advantage over those without.


    not only were they faster, but they could stay in the air much longer than beings without wings, and they could fly without disturbing the spiritual energy of their surroundings.


    when a spiritual emperor or higher level being flew with the energy in their body, they were basically manipulating the energy in themselves and their surroundings to levitate their body and move it through the air. birds, on the other hand, could do this to enhance their flight-related attributes, but they could fly without using their spiritual energy, which might make their movement undetectable.


    and even though one crew member was still marked by enemy poison, it didn''t mean that minos'' strategies couldn''t hinder the enemies.


    even though they couldn''t completely hide from their opponents, they could use those birds to slow down the enemy group. n)-o(-v)-e).l.-b((i(/n


    according to dunyxa, if they used this method and she used the same poison on the creatures in their path from time to time, they could make their enemies temporarily confuse their tracks and miss them.


    it wouldn''t be very effective in the long run, but she thought it might buy the group a few days or even weeks if they were lucky.


    so everyone in the group climbed onto the backs of the two large birds and then set off from the heart of the phoenix territory.


    it was time for them to travel to the dragons'' territory, which was further north on this continent, about three months away, at the maximum speed these phoenixes could fly.

 Chapter 1937 A Curious One?

    chapter 1937 a curious one??


    after leaving the core of the phoenix tribe''s territory, minos'' group left that territory the same day they left, using a wormhole path controlled by that tribe.


    after that, the dangerous part of their journey began, as they headed north at high speed into the territory of the second-strongest tribe in the world.


    the first few days of the group''s journey had not been complicated. using various strategies to leave the phoenix tribe''s territory without attracting attention and having the advantage of moving first, the group left the tribe''s area of influence without any major problems.


    with the group members working together, they would travel for almost a month without any problems.


    dunyxa had manipulated her poison on targets they encountered every day, making them follow in directions similar to their own, not so far away from them that it would be obvious it wasn''t them, but far enough away that their group wouldn''t be in too much danger.


    in addition to her and the action of the phoenixes carrying the group, the demigods of the crew had done their best to distort the space around the still-marked level 91 sea folk woman, trying to get in the way of her possible pursuers.


    all of these strategies had been in place since they had left the core of the phoenix tribe, the only place where they knew there would be no observers or pursuers coming for them.


    but even though it had worked for the first few weeks of the group''s escape, they knew it wouldn''t last long!


    before they even reached the 7th week since their departure from the previous camp, the group''s peace would come to an end!


    ...


    at the moment, minos'' group was in the central part of the continent of beasts, an area full of powerful beasts and tribes capable of reaching the 10th stage.


    if one looked at the map of the continent in terms of power level, one would notice that most of the tribes capable of reaching the 9th stage were located on the coasts of this land, especially in the eastern and western areas.


    the strongest tribes, on the other hand, were located in the continent''s interior, spread out in the central part, extending a little to the south and mostly to the north of these lands.


    minos'' group was following this path, and a few days ago, they had reached an area where it was unusual to see beings below the 10th stage traveling alone.


    in this part of the continent, beings with cultivation below the 10th stage would never travel without the company of at least one demigod.


    in this area, the weakest lived in their tribe''s territory, and when they went out, they were accompanied by elders!


    as such, the density of beings one would see when traveling there was very low, even considering the large number of living beings on such a continent.


    however, every being one saw there was a demigod, which was shocking to the unprepared and very dangerous, as any problems that arose would be of the highest level.


    since this area was close to many powerful tribes, even though the minos'' group had only used the areas not dominated by tribes, they had to be careful because not only were these beings powerful, but they were from different tribes.


    it wouldn''t take much for a confrontation to break out!


    just that afternoon, while the group was traveling, a level 93 winged lizard that was in their path couldn''t help but take an interest in minos'' group.


    spying the human who exuded the power of the sovereign race of this continent, this subordinate of the dragons approached minos'' group as soon as he saw him, looking strangely at the brown-haired fellow.


    "who are you? are you related to my lords?" he asked loudly, attracting the attention of the people in minos'' group.


    minos looked in that direction, remembering the words of onyx, who had told him that his dragon aura could cause him problems. ''damn it. will he get in our way?'' n(-ovelbin


    that lizard didn''t seem to be interested in attacking their group, but as long as he stood in their way, it would be enough to disturb them and help the gorgons that were chasing them.


    "more or less. sorry, we can''t stop now. we''re on our way to the dragon tribe." one of the phoenixes answered in minos'' place, causing the lizard to change its path to go in the same direction as this group.


    "you can''t stop? why is that?" he wondered.


    there were no reports of humans possessing dragon aura. and even if there were hybrids of this race with humans, hybrids didn''t have such strong auras, and minos clearly wasn''t a hybrid.


    so when the creature saw minos, it didn''t know whether to consider him a friend or an enemy.


    if minos had been alone, or just with the phoenixes and other humans, this creature wouldn''t have bothered to get in his way. however, several sea creatures were in this group, especially an arctic whale, a creature directly subordinate to the sky whales.


    seeing several creatures directly or indirectly under the command of the sky whales, creatures at war with the dragons of this continent, the demigod immediately was suspicious of such a group.


    unlike some of the creatures minos'' group had encountered in the area over the past few days, this individual was a direct subordinate of the dragon tribe. unlike many of the demigods they had seen, he would act against them if they turned out to be enemies of the dragons!


    concerned about his leaders'' war and how he could contribute to the continent''s strongest race in these difficult times, this level 93 lizard was willing to put aside his plans to join this group of 36 individuals.


    minos saw that his group might have to get into a conflict with such an individual, which would be very bad for him. so he intervened and said. "we are fleeing from enemies. gorgons are chasing us, so we can''t stop. if you want to know more, come with us. we''re going to the heart of the dragons'' territory."


    "gorgons?" the beast narrowed his eyes as he looked strangely at dunyxa.


    "are you a friend or enemy of my rulers?" he put the problem of the gorgons aside, looking for a sincere answer from the human.


    if minos lied, he would take action against that group!


    as much as this was only a level 93 beast that they could deal with, killing it could cause more problems for them.


    in addition to delaying their escape, it might also create more enemies for the group!


    with that, while the people there got a little nervous, minos replied.


    "i consider myself an ally." he said, thinking of the future when tribes, nations, and races would no longer matter to this world, and it would be time for the beings of the spiritual world to fight the invaders.


    ...

 Chapter 1938 The End of Peace

    chapter 1938 the end of peace


    when he heard minos'' answer, the winged lizard sensed sincerity in the words of the human who was emitting the terrible aura of dragons.


    then he asked. "why is your group being pursued by gorgons? gorgons are terrible, but they don''t act without a reason."


    "they attacked one of my companions because of old problems, and i had to defend him. anyway, it''s a complicated story." minos said, looking around while standing over nite''s head.


    "is it? but for your group to be on the run, they must be pretty strong, right? at what level are they ones chasing you?" that creature probed, looking for as much information as possible.


    these days, everything made him more defensive and worried about the future of his people.


    with a war already raging between the sky whales and the dragons, he didn''t want his rulers to get into any more trouble, especially at home.


    minos tried to make an assessment. "i don''t know. if we had found them, we probably wouldn''t be in one piece, and maybe we wouldn''t even be able to have this conversation with you. a level 95 elder led the last group that attacked us. i imagine the one currently chasing us is led by someone stronger."


    gulp!


    "are you serious?" the creature slowed down and distanced himself from minos'' group.


    but he could sense that there were no lies in minos'' words, and considering what he himself knew about gorgons, it was very likely that it was all true.


    gorgons were vengeful and didn''t bother using elders to deal with juniors.


    "i wouldn''t lie," minos replied sincerely. "i wouldn''t risk my group going into the dragon territory if it weren''t for my situation."


    the creature felt his scales tremble as he thought about what could happen because of this group and the ongoing hunt. nove-lb/in


    ''the gorgons aren''t strong enough to threaten the dragons, but given the current sensitivity of the continent, anything could start a widespread rebellion in our lands.'' he thought, trying to decide what to do with this information.


    with the changing times and the beginning of an era of scarcity, anything that would inspire acts of vengeance was more likely to raise the ''temperature'' of these lands.


    everyone moved to increase the level of their supplies and strength, for once the hard times began, natural resources would take much longer to mature, and cultivation itself would become more difficult.


    so, battles for resources were sure to occur in the future. and anyone who had reason to believe that a new rivalry would arise was more likely to become violent against other groups.


    no one could say for sure who would survive the coming disaster. still, it wasn''t uncommon for weaker tribes to become bolder during such times, causing problems for the stronger ones.


    with this in mind, before such times began, any heated act could provoke immediate responses to prevent future rebellious acts.


    ''as for this group, i don''t think they''re here to sabotage the dragon tribe.'' he considered it as he looked at the many sea creatures above the two phoenixes.


    although the group had a rather strange and suspicious configuration, they didn''t seem to have any warlike intentions.


    with this in mind, the large-winged lizard said. "you should go to the great hyena forest. i''ve heard that a level 94 dragon is doing business there. maybe he''ll dissuade the group of gorgons that are chasing you."


    after saying this, the large winged lizard flew away from them, determined not to follow them any further, lest he get into trouble that could cost him his head.


    as much as he was a subordinate interested in helping the dragons and willing to sacrifice himself, he was not a fool who would accept dying for any reason.


    seeing no reason to join this group and see what would happen to them, he watched them disappear over the horizon as he flew in the opposite direction and looked back.


    ''if i''m wrong, the old man will take care of you...'' he thought as he sighed, wondering what would happen next.


    ...


    meanwhile, minos'' group was not bothered by the winged lizard''s departure after his last comment.


    "do you want to visit the great hyena forest, minos?" nite asked. "we''re not far from there.


    "but is it safe for us to follow the advice of a stranger? who can guarantee that the gorgons aren''t behind him?" the arctic whale, the creature in this crew who least wanted to meet dragons, voiced this doubt.


    but then the other phoenix standing beside nite said. "impossible. that creature belongs to a race loyal to the dragons. he would rather die than submit to other beings.


    for the subordinates of the dragons, their superiors are like gods. taking orders from anyone else would be like equating mortals with gods."


    "hmm, there is no chance that level 93 elder is related to gorgons," dunyxa said, confirming what the large phoenix carrying minos had said.


    minos was aware of this, as he knew very well the relations of the ancient tribes of this continent and how the direct subordinates of the dragons acted.


    "let''s go to the great hyena forest. it''s not far from the path we were on. if we don''t find anything there, we''ll lose at most two travel days." he said, willing to risk it.


    "but that will wipe out the advantage we''ve gained by working so hard these past few weeks!" the whale argued.


    "it''s worth the risk." the level 91 woman of the sea folk agreed with minos. "if we can meet such a powerful dragon, it is worth the risk of losing these days."


    with a dragon around, there was no guarantee they would be safe. but if the gorgons caught up with them near such a creature, they and the gorgons could draw the creature''s attention and force it to act.


    since they were the weakest, they were confident that the gorgons would have more trouble in such a situation than they would.


    this was minos'' plan!


    with that decided, the two phoenixes carrying the group soon subtly changed the direction of their flights, pointing toward the great hyena forest.


    meanwhile, dunyxa felt a shiver run down her spine as she realized that it wouldn''t be long before some of her tribe''s strongest elders caught up with them.


    she thought as she sweated. ''i don''t think the previous strategy will work this time.'' she looked at abby and minos.


    one way or another, their peace had already come to an end. as they flew into the great hyena forest, a group of gorgons was only a few hours away from them.


    and as they had expected, this group was much stronger than the one from months ago!

 Chapter 1939 Reaching Greater Hyena Forest

    chapter 1939 reaching greater hyena forest


    the day after their encounter with the level 93 lizard, minos'' party reached the entrance to the great hyena forest.


    however, they were not the only ones who reached this area of vast fields and plains in the central part of the continent of beasts!


    arriving at this place in the middle of the afternoon, their group continued to fly north, but they didn''t fail to notice the other group coming towards them from the south!


    after seeing nine gorgons on the horizon, minos''s face immediately turned ugly as he saw that the enemy group was, as expected, even stronger than the previous team they had faced in the phoenix territory.


    "shit! nine mid-level demigods!" dunyxa shouted as she looked at the group of elders between levels 94 and 96.


    the average level of the group that had chased them before was 94, but this group had an average level of 95, something much worse, even considering the difference of just one level.


    one might think this was no big deal since minos'' party had also gained a level and added new companions compared to the time they dealt with the other gorgons. but things weren''t that simple.


    the progress made by minos'' group was mainly at the 9th stage and the beginning of the 10th stage. on the other hand, the group that was chasing them had improved their strength regarding the middle of the 10th stage!


    the difference in strength between the higher levels was much greater than that between the lower levels. as a result, the enemy group had become much stronger than minos'' team.


    their situation that day was definitely worse than it had been months ago! nove(lb.1n


    "fuck! what are we going to do?" the new crew member, a pegasus, asked as he looked back to see the angry gorgons preparing to cross space and attack them.


    "we have no choice! we''re going to create wormholes here!" minos said, feeling that they should try to escape until the last moment they had room to do so.


    abby''s fusion had little chance of working this time. that''s because her fusion depended a lot on the dead creatures in the area, and even if she managed to summon powerful creatures, there was no guarantee that those creatures would ally themselves with her group.


    what had happened to the phoenix tribe had been very fortunate for their group and had little chance of being repeated!


    knowing that he couldn''t control the stronger beings that abby could summon and that there was still the risk that they would turn against his group, minos didn''t want to use such a strategy now.


    he preferred to try to escape, which had its own dangers but seemed less terrifying than facing those gorgons.


    the big problem with traveling through wormholes was that you could hardly control the situation of the place you arrived at if you went further than the eye could see. this could lead someone using this method to a quiet place or even to the headquarters of a powerful organization that would attack them immediately.


    there was also the possibility of arriving at a place where a high-level battle was taking place, which could also mean the end of the party.


    in short, wormhole travel was handy, but it was only safe enough in controlled areas. using it in a chaotic place like this ownerless area of the continent of beasts could be the perfect formula for trouble!


    however, with such powerful enemies hunting them down with the intention of exterminating them, minos accepted the risks and, together with some of the strongest demigods in the group, quickly began to manipulate the space, creating a giant wormhole for the two phoenixes to enter side by side.


    "trying to escape?" the strongest gorgon in the group chasing them, a peak level 96 being, one of the strongest elders in her tribe, screamed as she sensed this.


    her eyes glowed, and then she shot out powerful flesh energy, causing the spiritual energy in her path to solidify, something extremely terrifying to see.


    even though she was powerful and fast, she could hardly destroy a wormhole created by several demigods.


    when her icy gaze reached that spatial distortion, minos'' group had already broken through the spatial fabric and disappeared from the area.


    "tsk! don''t think that''s going to save you!" she shouted as she manipulated her way forward into the closing hole.


    "follow their route. we''ll eliminate them before nightfall, whatever it takes!" she shouted to the others in her group, quickly getting her group mates to open wormholes in the same direction as minos'' group.


    meanwhile, she disappeared into the wormhole created by minos'' own group and spotted them in the space tunnel created by the manipulation of some of the group members.


    "shit! she managed to follow us!" titus shouted in desperation, sensing that they wouldn''t escape a fight as they flew through the space tunnel of a wormhole.


    the workings of wormholes were far more complex than anyone could imagine. these parts of space were not like portals that took those who could manipulate them from one side of space to the other in an instant.


    some people could do that, but that was not a characteristic of wormholes but of the speed of the person using that spatial possibility.


    wormholes were tunnels. these tunnels greatly reduced the distance between two different points. but there would always be a way to travel between one point and the other, no matter how small that distance was.


    however, depending on the speed of the person traveling through the tunnel, one could travel through it so fast that after opening a wormhole, they would reach their destination instantly.


    minos'' group wanted to get as far away from the gorgons as possible, so the space tunnel they had to go through couldn''t be traversed that quickly.


    it would take them at least 30 seconds to cross all that space and reach the central part of the great hyena forest.


    as they flew through the dark tunnel at high speed, surrounded by unstable space walls that could destroy even the bodies of level 99 demigods, their group faced the big problem that such a strong enemy had appeared there.


    "what are we going to do?" abby asked as she turned pale.


    seeing he had no choice, minos stepped back and quickly borrowed the cultivation of one of the group''s demigods.


    "i''ll ensure we have the time to get through the wormhole!" he shouted as he moved his energies into his strongest fusion.


    now, it was all or nothing. he could not hold on any longer!


    ''it''s time for the divine sword to show itself to the world again!'' he swallowed his saliva and quickly fused the divine seal, the spatial sword, and chaotic gravity.


    ...

 Chapter 1940 Shocking Supreme Weapon

    chapter 1940 shocking supreme weapon?


    jumping from the back of one of the phoenixes, minos quickly fused his three techniques, causing a huge seal to appear in the space in front of him.


    he placed one of his hands inside the seal and pulled out a special weapon. this sword had a rainbow-like glow around it. it seemed to densely condense the laws of nature, distorting the surroundings, even inside this wormhole.


    when minos held it in both hands above his body, everyone in his group and the level 96 gorgon herself looked at him differently, seeing it for the first time.


    even the two members of the longus family had only felt minos'' fusion of techniques before, so when they saw it in front of them, they were shocked.


    "this is even stronger than what he used to destroy our elders!" a level 90 woman said with a terrible expression as she felt the pressure of that fusion affect her and her group. n/-o)-v-(e--l-)b.-i(.n


    looking at the dragon''s eye on the sword''s pommel, even the level 96 gorgon felt discomfort.


    even though this was a wormhole where the standard rules of the spiritual world didn''t work perfectly, as soon as he raised the weapon, the scarce spiritual energy in the surroundings flowed towards minos'' body, especially the sword.


    the laws became even more unstable, causing some of minos'' allies to lose control of their avatars or humanoid forms.


    the gorgon herself felt a strange restriction in her surroundings and couldn''t help but open her mouth at what that temporary level 86 human was doing.


    "what''s that?" she screamed as she saw him move the sword in a vertical slash towards her.


    meanwhile, several of the demigods flying ahead stared intently at minos'' movement, having difficulty seeing the sword due to its intense glow.


    except for the level 96 gorgon, no one could look directly at the divine sword. it looked like a small star for how much it shone.


    however, whether they could see it or not, everyone there could feel the terror of such a fusion!


    "deal with it, elder of the gorgon tribe!" minos shouted, the veins in his head showing, shaking violently as his skin became extremely thin.


    his cultivation was being sucked away by the fusion of three techniques at an absurd speed. even with his energy advantages, he couldn''t rely on them much while the divine sword was activated.


    to strike this blow, minos knew he would have to sacrifice the last six months of his cultivation!


    moving his sword downwards, he launched his attack towards the gorgon''s own attack, which was already casting a freezing ray towards him and his group with her eyes.


    if he couldn''t destroy it, he and his entire party risked being wiped out before they even crossed this wormhole!


    the space around the blade of his sword collapsed while the spatial fabric itself opened up, momentarily revealing several layers of real space, carrying the consequences of this movement to other such tunnels on the continent of beasts and even to the outside world.


    at that moment, minos'' movement would have repercussions throughout the great hyena forest!


    even mid-level demigods wouldn''t be able to manipulate the space in that area with the instability caused by minos'' movement.


    the 12-meter-long sword glowing in the hands of minos'' avatar suddenly doubled in size, ending its movement.


    the gorgon saw the glow of that weapon become everything in front of her and couldn''t bear to keep her eyes open, so she closed them for a moment for fear of being blinded by it.


    as the freezing ray shot out of her eyes and collided with a giant blade, the space tunnel of this wormhole shook as if it would collapse while the blade overcame the enemy attack and made its way toward the gorgon.


    if she had been weaker, that blade would have destroyed her soul when it hit her body, splitting her in two.


    that gorgon felt it clearly. even a level 94 peak demigod would have been in danger of being killed by such a blade in a single instant.


    luckily, she was at level 96. as she watched it come at her more slowly, the gorgon found time to raise her defenses, creating a shield of energy around her body.


    ''gods'' slayer, huh?'' she kept her guard up when she saw the symbols on the blade, which emitted a strong dragon aura. ''that''s an absolute terror. i don''t doubt that you could do that if you were allowed to reach high levels.''


    "but that won''t be enough to stop me from reaching you today, human!" she shouted as she endured minos'' movement, stepping back as he and the rest of his party finally found room to finish crossing the space tunnel.


    as they crossed the wormhole''s end, the group saw the space around them change again as they reached a forested area near the center of the great hyena forest.


    however, everyone in the group immediately realized something was wrong with their surroundings, as they noticed that the spiritual energy in the area seemed strange. at the same time, several spatial rifts could be seen in the air.


    it seemed as if massive explosions had just occurred at various points on the horizon, leaving tens of square kilometers of area in chaos.


    looking at the sword still glowing powerfully in the hands of the minos soul avatar, the level 92 mercenary clenched his fists, seeing how terrifying his contractor could be.


    ''is he even capable of this?'' he asked himself as he felt the horror of the divine sword that had evolved since minos had passed through the level 100 dragon inheritance.


    since he was even stronger than before, and minos'' body and soul were also much stronger than when he first used this fusion, emperor stuart could now make more than one move with such a supreme weapon.


    even after his move against the gorgon, he still managed to hold the divine sword while keeping his guard up and looking toward the closing wormhole.


    but as he expected, two seconds after he arrived at that spot, the level 96 gorgon passed through that closing hole.


    but now she wasn''t as good as she had been a moment ago. she looked much more tired, pale, and sweating while her breathing was disturbed.


    she had withstood minos'' strongest attack, but it had cost her!


    "very good, human! but how much more can you take? my group will be here in a few seconds. will you be able to use this blow against all of us?" she asked as she shouted in minos'' direction, preparing to exhaust this opponent before her allies arrived.


    with no choice, minos prepared to defend his party against that gorgon and once again show the world the power of a glorious supreme weapon!


    ...

 Chapter 1941 Daring!

    chapter 1941 daring!?


    as minos moved against the gorgon once again, his group quickly prepared to use the strategy they had used before.


    the risks of using abby''s fusion would be enormous. but after minos'' next move, he would be exhausted and need days or weeks to fully recover.


    without the support of the one with the greatest potential in the group, the rest of them could only form around minos'' women, while ruth was already using her innate ability to try to buy her husband time.


    he had to last as long as possible, or they would all be in a bad situation!


    "hurry, make your fusion!" the level 91 sea folk woman shouted as everyone in the group tried to control their soul projections or bestial forms, even under the devastating effects of minos'' supreme weapon.


    in a few instants, another eight mid-level 10th-stage gorgons might arrive. if they didn''t move quickly, they would be finished in a few moments!


    amid the confrontation between minos and the level 96 gorgon and the preparation of emperor stuart''s 35 allies, beings of various cultivation levels moved around in terror.


    a few moments ago, the environment around this area suddenly became chaotic, with space collapsing and extreme spiritual phenomena appearing.


    several beings in the area had been killed or injured by these sudden changes, and those who hadn''t been affected were already moving out of the area, terrified of what was happening.


    but amid all this, an extremely muscular humanoid being, over two and a half meters tall, with horns on his head and wings on his back, frowned as he flew over the area, searching for the cause of these sudden phenomena.


    when he felt a dragon''s aura coming from the direction further south from where he was, he looked back, his expression changing as he thought a fellow tribesman might be nearby.


    ''that aura...'' not only did he look in that direction, but he also showed a strange expression as he sensed a dragon aura that was even stronger than his own, even though he was a powerful level 94 demigod.


    dragon aura was not a simple thing that every dragon had in the same way, depending on their level. some beings of this race had stronger auras due to their talents and more extreme future prospects.


    even a weaker being could have a stronger aura than a higher-level being.


    however, when this elder of the dragon tribe, who was accompanied by two people of different races but of the same level as himself, noticed such a strong dragon aura coming from the south, he felt the sensation of a supreme weapon.


    "a supreme weapon!" he exclaimed, not understanding what could be happening.


    supreme weapons were a possibility that only high-level demigods should be able to use in normal situations!


    they were the weapons of the gods, unique creations that stood at the pinnacle of this world.


    but even if high-level demigods could create them with some effort, they would rarely use them because they were the kind of items only used in mortal combat.


    but high-level beings hardly fought!


    with it in mind, the dragon changed shape and showed his bestial version as he began to fly in that direction.


    his two companions looked at each other. they also transformed into their bestial versions and flew after the dragon, breaking into a cold sweat.


    they also felt that terrible fluctuation and could tell it had caused


    the caused chaos in the area.


    it would only take them a few seconds to fly from their position to the area where minos had just made his last move.


    "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!"


    the level 96 gorgon screamed in pain as she was struck by the blade of the gods'' slayer and thrown to the ground, while minos could no longer stand it and began coughing up blood.


    his weapon distorted and flashed as he fell to the ground, exhausted. his cultivation returned to level 84, while his whole body resembled that of an old man about to die.


    however, his situation wasn''t as bad as the last time he used such a fusion. despite everything, he was still conscious enough to stand up when he fell to the ground, confident that he wouldn''t faint.


    as minos spat blood onto the ground, the gorgon felt her back hit the ground as her injuries caused her to lose even more blood.


    trembling with rage at having to suffer as much to deal with a 9th-stage opponent, she opened her eyes to take one last deadly look in minos'' direction.


    she didn''t feel like she would die there, but before she passed out, she wanted to at least kill the bastard who had made her suffer so much.


    her companions had just arrived in the area to pressure minos'' group, so her victory was only moments away.


    even if she fainted, everything would be resolved when she woke up later!


    "di..." she was about to call out when she suddenly saw a large shadow looming over the area where the ground was destroyed, with large skeletons rising from the ground.


    abby had just succeeded in her fusion after summoning two dozen creatures, the strongest of which was a level 94 demigod, a little weaker than she had summoned before. but there were more demigods in this group of skeletons than in the one she had resurrected in the phoenix tribe''s territory.


    however, whether they would help her was another question that neither she nor anyone else in her group was sure of as they tried to withstand the attacks of eight powerful gorgons.


    "daring!"


    then, at the decisive moment for the parties involved in this conflict, the gigantic beast that had already cast a shadow over the entire area opened his mouth and said in anger when he saw so many daring beings acting disrespectfully within his sphere of influence.


    one human had used a supreme weapon. another had used a kind of fusion that could bring the dead back to life. meanwhile, the gorgons there were doing everything in their power to wipe out everyone in the area, not to mention using their powers to turn into stone various beings who had nothing to do with the conflict.


    the dragon there couldn''t help but be angered by so many disturbing things. nove)lb/in


    what angered him the most was that level 96 gorgon was trying to kill minos, this human who had a strong dragon aura even though he was severely weakened.


    the dragon didn''t know who minos was, but he couldn''t let someone with those characteristics die before interrogating him!


    seeing the audacity of that level 96 gorgon, he opened his mouth and released scorching flames.


    ...

 Chapter 1942 The Dragons Intrusion

    ?


    the moment the level 94 dragon opened his big mouth, the level 96 gorgon felt like she was standing in front of a volcano about to erupt.


    she felt death closing in on her, but she kept looking at minos. now everything had changed. when that creature attacked her, there was no escape for her.


    even though she was a powerful level 96 demigod, compared to a level 94 dragon, she wasn''t so impressive that she could compete with him even when she was at her best. but in this situation where she was wounded and practically exhausted, there was no way she could survive the opponent''s attack.


    knowing she would probably die there, she was determined to kill emperor stuart before falling!


    "you''re coming with me, you bastard!" she glared at the exhausted young man coughing blood dozens of meters away from her, already in his normal form, his soul avatar and supreme weapon gone.


    the only reason minos hadn''t collapsed and lost consciousness was due to the blessing of the level 100 dragon, which had made his body much stronger and able to withstand the fusion of three techniques. however, he was truly exhausted and would need a few days to recover.


    in this situation, he was completely vulnerable to that gorgon!


    however, the gorgon''s plans would not be completed so easily. sensing the mood of the great level 94 dragon, the two creatures he had business with earlier looked at each other and decided to help their partner.


    the two moved in front of minos, easily crossing the space and then moving together to counter the movement of emperor stuart''s adversary.


    "not so fast, gorgon!"


    "you''re too far north to act like that. remember, these are dragon lands!" the other said, throwing a colorful flash toward the gorgon''s attack, enough to destroy its icy gaze before it hit minos.


    meanwhile, red flames erupted from the level 94 dragon''s huge mouth, burning the level 96 gorgon''s entire body instantly, leaving her no room to scream in terror.


    exhausted and wounded, that gorgon didn''t stand a chance in front of the dragon''s flames.


    in the blink of an eye, she was breathing and looking at minos, and then her body was reduced to ashes.


    meanwhile, the gorgon''s allies in the surrounding area realized the problem and broke out in a cold sweat, realizing that they would meet the same fate as their leader if they didn''t flee.


    "shit!"


    "let''s retreat!" the strongest ones there stopped looking at minos'' group, finally giving space to the people who were suffering to withstand their powers.


    however, as they fled the area, the skeletons summoned by abby finally moved.


    "hahaha, trying to escape?"


    "since you came, you should stay." a large bone monkey said. "why run away? fight! show what you''re capable of!"


    the beasts abby summoned weren''t doing it to help her group. on the contrary, some even felt the urge to attack the blue-haired woman''s group.


    however, after awakening and sensing the aura of a great level 94 dragon, a ruler over all inferior races, all those beings decided to stop the gorgons from escaping.


    but in doing so, they didn''t attack those beings to kill them. they merely acted to prevent their escape and force them to stay there for the judgment of the angry dragon.


    ''what cruel creatures.'' bella thought to herself. ''they''re not here to help us, but they won''t make it easy for these gorgons either. they want to see everyone''s blood dripping in front of the dragon.'' she looked at the giant creature staring at her.


    after killing the level 96 gorgon, the dragon saw the skeletal beings and then looked at minos'' group, first at abby and then at emperor stuart.


    ''he can''t use the supreme weapon anymore, and she won''t be able to do the fusion for a while.'' the dragon pondered, seeing that the two most troublesome of the gorgon''s strange group of enemies had no means of threatening him.


    then he looked at the level 94 and 95 gorgons around and saw that some of the skeletons were slowly disappearing, but they were able to prevent those women from escaping.


    "stay here, or i''ll go to your tribe myself." he said as he looked at the gorgons, making them fearfully tremble.


    the strongest of the gorgon tribe was a level 97 elder, but even she would have problems fighting this level 94 dragon!


    a visit from this individual would be highly problematic for their entire tribe!


    "your excellency, we did not want to take action against this group near your territory. but they are dangerous outlaws who have eliminated many of our tribe members. we were only trying to eliminate vile lawbreakers from our continent." the strongest gorgon in the remaining group said as the others looked at the still-standing skeletons.


    ''those bastards! they''re already dead, but they''re still giving us trouble!'' one of them thought to herself, seeing that these creatures acted on their own free will, not under orders from their enemies.


    that irritated them even more!


    while others had similar thoughts, the dragon''s two business associates returned to their humanoid forms as they stood next to emperor stuart, watching him.


    they hadn''t expected to meet someone as strange as this young man that day.


    ''how is this possible? i''m standing right in front of him, but i can''t believe it.'' one of them thought as he felt like he was standing next to a dragon, but the visual information couldn''t confirm the feeling he and all others nearby would feel.nove-lb-1n


    looking into minos'' eyes, the other level 94 individual felt he was facing a prehistoric beast and should be careful with him.


    ''that must be the most extreme human in history! to be level 84 and still be able to make me feel like this...'' the other one thought.


    meanwhile, the dragon changed its form and shrunk its body considerably to deal with those gorgons.


    without any fear, it looked into the eyes of the level 95 creature, knowing that even if such a creature were bold enough to try to turn him to stone, she wouldn''t succeed.


    that''s how extreme dragons were!


    "if your actions are for the good of the continent, that''s up to me. but don''t think that your words can fool me, gorgon. your leader attacked this person indiscriminately." he pointed at minos. "look around you. several beings unrelated to this conflict have been turned to stone."


    dragons were not merciful. but they were highly defensive about their territories. above all, they all had a certain amount of arrogance and would never allow brazen behavior in front of them without getting involved in the problem.


    since none of them were stronger than him, he had no reason to ignore them.


    as he had already made his move, he wanted to punish all of these creatures in front of him!


    ...

 Chapter 1943 Punishment

    ?


    in front of the two groups of troublemakers, the level 94 dragon saw his two business associates appear at his side. still, he ignored them to enunciate the punishment of these beings.


    "you have disturbed my people. to act in dragon territory is a sin that must be paid for with blood." he said as his aura pressed down on almost every creature in the area.


    the only ones who didn''t feel it were his two business partners and minos, whom he couldn''t pressure even with this young human exhausted.


    everyone in the area trembled with fear, and the woman of the sea folk in minos'' crew said. "but that''s not..."


    "the entire continent is our territory." the dragon said as he opened his mouth and showed his razor-sharp teeth.


    the sea creatures in minos'' group couldn''t argue with that and quickly lowered their heads, fearing that this would be the end of their journey.


    the gorgons were even more worried about the situation, angry at the place they had reached because of a group as weak as minos''.


    but amid this tense moment, minos found a way to stop coughing up blood and stood up, creating a strange image for these three level 94 creatures.


    on one side, these three creatures stood up in their humanoid forms, while in front of them, almost all of minos'' group and the gorgons lay prostrate, pressed to the ground.


    "what will be the punishment?" minos asked with difficulty, trying not to fall while being the only one on his side to stay upright.


    the dragon''s pressure didn''t weigh him down, but his tiredness was getting in the way.


    either way, the surrounding creatures looked at minos differently, seeing how determined he was to stand up to such a strong dragon.


    this muscular being looked at minos momentarily, narrowing his eyes in curiosity.


    but first, he answered minos'' question. "your groups will have to give up one of your companions. each of you will have to make a sacrifice to me if you want to live to see another day."


    silence was all they heard, or rather, didn''t hear, as they pondered that punishment.


    "choose your victims. you have one minute to do so." he said with a smile on his face.


    when he finished speaking, the gorgons quickly pointed to the weakest of their group. they unanimously decided she would be the sacrifice without giving her companion a chance.


    "no! no..." she was about to scream when the dragon moved to her side and lifted her by the neck into the air, then manipulated her body.


    everyone stared, eyes wide, as the dragon devoured the gorgon without giving her a chance to scream or express her great sadness at being betrayed so easily by her tribemates.


    dunyxa saw this and swallowed her saliva in awe, turning a few degrees paler when she saw some of her crew looking at her.


    ''i am the one the group would miss the least...'' she was thinking this when minos opened his mouth to answer.


    "i offer myself as a sacrifice for my group." he said, surprising most of the people around him.


    "you?" one of the dragon''s two companions asked, surprised to see someone as talented as minos willing to sacrifice himself for others.


    in minos'' situation, many would sacrifice even their family members without blinking an eye if it meant ensuring their survival!


    but minos shocked these three, and especially the gorgons, who knew nothing about him.


    "you?" the dragon swallowed the gorgon''s body and returned to his humanoid form, looking at minos strangely. "no. you c..."


    "either you punish me, the crew leader, or you act against all of us. we won''t choose someone to be sacrificed." minos interrupted the dragon.


    the creature looked at minos differently, experiencing the feeling of being interrupted by a creature other than another dragon for the first time in his life.n-.0v¦Ålbin


    but he wasn''t annoyed. he looked at minos with interest.


    "why? why would you sacrifice yourself for these creatures? none of them can compare to you. few are of your race, and even fewer are of your family."


    "because i promised to bring them to the north sea. until we reach our destination, their lives are my responsibility." minos said with difficulty. "i can''t guarantee that nothing will happen to them on the way, but i can promise that i will do everything in my power to bring them to the end of our journey."


    "oh?"


    "the north sea? you''re going to the north sea?"


    "that''s a dangerous destination..."


    "but it makes sense. your group has a lot of sea creatures and birds."


    the three commented to each other, seeing that there was a great possibility that this group''s destination was indeed the mysterious and dangerous north sea.


    the dragon believed minos'' words, seeing that this guy had a lot of determination and would certainly try to fulfill his words.


    feeling the dragon''s aura and the chaos that existed in this human body, he smiled, for such a personality would not be so uncommon in his tribe.


    "very well, i won''t kill anyone from your group... for now." he announced, causing the expressions of the people in minos'' group to improve, while the gorgons felt immensely hurt.


    "but elder..." one of them was about to shout in protest, feeling guilty for the death of her group member, when he glared at her, making her stop before saying more.


    "you have nothing to offer me. don''t think you can bargain." he said as he moved, forming a seal of spiritual energy before throwing it in their direction.


    "i said the rest of you could live, but i never said you would be free." he announced as he saw the creatures feel the terror of what was about to befall them.


    "i sentence you to a thousand years in the searing seal! if you survive, you will be free."


    the remaining creatures saw their surroundings change as a scorching, scarlet world, an inferno of flames, covered them.


    in that situation, they could only scream in despair, feeling the worst punishment they could suffer that day.


    when the demigods in minos'' group saw them being absorbed by the seal created by that dragon, they thanked the heavens for not making a rash decision.


    that would have been their fate, too, if minos hadn''t intervened in time!


    "as for you, don''t think you''re off the hook. two of you have done something terrible." the big dragon looked seriously at minos'' group. "if this one doesn''t convince me, you will face the same fate as those gorgons." he pointed at emperor stuart.


    "but for now, i''ll give you a chance!"


    ...

 Chapter 1944 Presentation

    ?


    after hearing the dragon''s words, minos'' group relaxed a little from the tension that had come over them, but not too much, for the danger was not completely over yet.


    minos also relaxed and finally sat down on the ground, trying to recover a little from what he had done earlier to prevent the worst for his people.


    he ate some fruit that he always kept in his spatial ring and began to meditate, causing the spiritual energy around him to focus on him at an impressive level for a level 84 sage.


    despite being at level 84, minos was manipulating an amount of spiritual energy during his meditation, similar to the amount manipulated by level 86 sages.


    that meant that he was cultivating faster than any other level 84 sage!


    noticing it, the dragon saw another part of this human with a dragon aura and realized minos'' talent was even higher than his own.


    when the dragon saw some human women approaching minos, he noticed ruth sitting behind emperor stuart with her two hands on their backs.


    ''divine physique? how is that possible?'' not only the dragon but also his two business partners noticed the quality of ruth''s physique and noticed that not only minos and abby had impressive things about them in this crew.


    the dragon then looked at gloria and isabella, the strongest in the area, who had minos'' scent on their bodies and weren''t busy recovering or helping their husband. "where are you from? who are you?"


    "we''re from the black plain empire, central continent. that''s minos stuart over there, the emperor of our state." gloria said, pointing one by one toward her husband and the harem sisters. "this is abby miller, the empress. on the other side, the one helping our husband is ruth, his second wife.


    the one next to me is isabella, princess of the flaming empire and the youngest member of our family.


    i''m gloria frost, a member of the spiritual church."


    "oh?"


    "spiritual church? i thought members of the spiritual church only married other members of the church." one of the dragon''s two business associates said, finding the situation rather odd.


    "indeed. but the church made an exception for minos and me." gloria replied.


    "is that true? but isn''t it strange that you would leave your state without its leaders during a high-profile war on your continent?" the other level 94 beast asked, while the dragon gave minos a few minutes to recover enough to hold a dialogue without the risk of passing out.


    "we are not involved in the war," isabella replied. "senior maximillian flamen has pledged his protection to the black plain empire, which has given us much peace and freedom to come and go throughout the spiritual world in recent years."


    everyone there had heard the name of the spiritual church revolutionary who had returned to the world of the living after millions of years. after all, he was a level 99 demigod, someone with extremely relevant cultivation.


    "are you friends of maximilian?" the dragon asked.


    isabella and gloria looked at each other momentarily, not knowing what to say.


    then gloria said. "i don''t know if he thinks of us that way. but my husband was the one who freed him from where he was imprisoned. so he has a real reason to protect us from our enemies on the central continent."


    at that moment, minos took a deep breath and opened his eyes.


    emperor stuart was not 100% recovered. it would take him months to regain everything he had used that day to use his supreme weapon. however, with his current abilities and ruth''s help, with just a few minutes of meditation, he had achieved enough to remain conscious in the face of that dragon.


    he stood up and said. "thanks for your help, ruth. concentrate on helping abby now that i''m better."


    with that, he looked at the three level 94 creatures, grateful that the dragon had shown him mercy for the moment.


    minos didn''t trust that creature blindly. he was sure this dragon had many curiosities about him and would not kill him or allow anyone else to kill him until he had answers.


    however, he knew he had to gain the dragon''s trust now so that his group wouldn''t be in danger once he had answered its questions.


    the dragon looked at minos and said. "my name is umuss. these are kian and alfie."


    "nice to meet you," minos said sincerely. "without your help today, my group would have been wiped out. so thank you for what you did, even if it wasn''t just to save us."


    "hmmm..."


    the two creatures nodded at him while looking at minos with interest.


    but the dragon took their lead and asked as he approached minos. "well? will you explain to me where your aura comes from? i''ve never seen a being from a race not related to dragons with our aura. what''s more, your aura is quite powerful for someone of your level. you must have acquired it through some artificial method, right?"


    minos said in the dragon''s mind. ''senior umuss, can we talk privately? what i have to tell you has to do with the secret of the dragons. perhaps it would be better if we could talk alone.''


    umuss immediately became more animated when he heard these words, without doubting minos.


    ''do you know our secret?'' he asked, feeling his heart beat faster, for the history of his tribe and its secrets were known only to high-ranking members.


    but minos had such a strong dragon aura that umuss didn''t doubt this level 84 human.


    ''yes, i know about the ancestral god of the dragons and where he is.'' minos said, making umuss look at him with wide eyes.


    "very well, minos and i will lead the way. i want you two to bring his group to my tribe. take them to my men. i''ll meet you there later." he told his two partners before grabbing emperor stuart with one hand and leaving so quickly that no one had a chance to question his decision.n--o-.v//e-.l.(b--i/(n


    minos'' wives looked worriedly at where he had gone, as did his group. meanwhile, the two level 94 demigods couldn''t help but sigh when they saw that they would have to become observers of this group for a while.


    however, they had no one to complain to and soon left, leading minos'' group into the dragons'' territory.


    meanwhile, minos and umuss quickly reached the dragon tribe''s territory after crossing a wormhole only 10th-stage dragons could use in this area.


    ...

 Chapter 1945 Dragon Tribe (1)

    ?


    crossing the wormhole created by umuss, minos came upon a place henricus longus had passed through, but not only that, an area where the level 100 dragon he had recently inherited had spent much of his life.


    that was the dragons'' territory, one of the strongest tribes in the world, home to some of the most powerful level 99 demigods of the era!


    arriving there, minos closed his eyes and felt the spiritual fluctuations of the surroundings, ignoring the many floating islands in this area of the northernmost part of the continent of beasts.


    that was the most spiritually rich area of the entire continent. not only that, but it was the home of not only dragons but also the strongest beings that were subordinate to them.


    therefore, every being there, even the lowly ones, would have powerful auras over their bodies because their potential was enormous.


    even the plants in the area were different from what one would find in an ''ordinary'' high-level place.


    if one were to look for better places than this in the entire spiritual world, one would only find elven island, a part of the sea folk''s submerged territory, and a small area on the divine continent.


    there was nowhere on the central continent that even came close to this area!


    even though he wasn''t there for a walk, minos couldn''t help but smile as he felt the difference between being there and seeing the memories of others who had once walked these lands.


    "no wonder you''re so powerful. cultivating in a place like this, reaching the pinnacle is only a matter of time." he muttered, attracting the attention of the level 94 dragon.


    "do you know my tribe?"


    "i''ve never been here before. but it''s not difficult to recognize it. after all, i got my aura from a dragon."


    hearing that answer, umuss wasn''t surprised. "so it was an inheritance..."n)-0velb1n


    "yes. i found an heirloom left by a level 100 dragon in the ancient dragon spatial kingdom." minos said casually, knowing his chances in this place would exponentially decrease if he lied to that creature.


    "what?"


    even though he had expected minos to have gotten something like that from an inheritance, umuss hadn''t expected that such an inheritance would actually be that of a god, let alone one in the ancient spatial kingdom of his people.


    "are you serious? why do we have no news of an inheritance in this space?" he looked at minos more seriously, not understanding how something so relevant to his people could have gone unnoticed by his tribe.


    they knew about a place where dragon bodies were and could be of great value to beings of this and other races who went there and used the opportunity to cultivate or absorb the power of those older bodies. however, they did not know about the legacy in the unstable pocket that had a large lake. to them, it was just an area to encourage beings to become stronger.


    "i don''t know. but there was a level 100 heirloom hidden in a place where various high-level weapons were left for members of their tribe to try to conquer. i managed to remove a weapon that was there, and that showed my compatibility with the heirloom... anyway, that''s how i got this aura and such a strong body for my level." minos said, answering some of umuss'' questions at the same time.


    "is that why you know about the ancestral god of my race?" umuss didn''t doubt minos'' words.


    according to the information he had from the elders of his tribe who had managed to reach level 100, there were at least three of them whom no one knew where or if they had left any heirlooms.


    one of them was the 4th divine dragon, the one minos had received his last legacy from.


    but he was curious why such a prominent member of his race would give the truth of his people to a human.


    even if minos had received his inheritance from this individual, it didn''t mean he had become a dragon or a friend of dragons. it would be risky, to tell the truth about them to someone like that, who might one day decide to go to the tribe and cause chaos in order to profit from their wealth.


    so minos responded not only with words but by showing the dragon some of the chaotic energy in his body. "yes, he told me about it. in fact, he showed me his memories, and i saw where he said the ancestral god of dragons helped him as he advanced to level 100.


    he advised me to come to his tribe one day and challenge his people to gain access to such a place." minos laughed.


    meanwhile, umuss looked at minos with narrowed eyes, already in his dragon form. he couldn''t help but be frightened when he sensed the chaos hidden in the small human''s body.


    ''he has the same energy as some of the tribe''s leaders.'' he thought, feeling a little inferior to minos, even though he ignored the dragon aura of the young human in front of him.


    every dragon had such a chaotic energy within them. but only elders near the peak reached such a density of chaos in their beings. however, minos, at level 84, had already achieved this feat.


    "what are you?" he asked. "not even the level 99 elders of your race have this energy in such density in their bodies!"


    minos bitterly smiled when he heard this. "i am just a human with an innate ability that is compatible with it. i''m not that different from you dragons. anyway, that''s exactly why i got the recognition of your ancestor, senior umuss.


    as for challenging your people, i do not intend to do so. i''m just passing through on my way to escape the gorgons. i intend to go to the divine continent for a meeting in the pantheon of honor. after that, i intend to continue my journey to the north sea."


    "pantheon of honor?" umuss was familiar with this high-ranking organization and was naturally surprised to learn that minos was related to it.


    "yes, i''m an active member of it." he said, showing his card up his sleeve to dissuade the dragon from doing anything dangerous to him.


    minos knew he couldn''t lie because that creature would know, and that could provoke an action, something that could put an end to all his plans. but telling the truth was also dangerous, so he had included this critical piece of information so umuss would know he wasn''t some bum who wouldn''t be missed.


    he had powerful friends!


    ...

 Chapter 1946 Dragon Tribe (2)

    chapter 1946 dragon tribe (2)


    "this is strange. i thought they only accepted demigods into their group." umuss said as he looked at minos, still uncomfortable with the chaotic energy in that small body.


    "and they only accept them. i was the first and only exception. but i think the senior can understand why." minos smiled, dosing his comments in a way that wasn''t overly arrogant but also without false modesty.


    ''to be able to create a supreme weapon and to have a talent as high as his, that''s possible...'' umuss thought, feeling the situation of the human in front of him had become a few degrees more complex.


    even though his tribe was one of the strongest in the world, it didn''t mean they could casually get into trouble with high-level powers.


    they could undoubtedly act boldly and take more risks than others without jeopardizing their continuity. but while fighting the sky whales, the dragons couldn''t afford to get into a fight with a group as strong as pantheon of honor.


    pantheon of honor had several level 99 demigods in their group, and they were influential throughout the spiritual world.


    angering them over something small could cause damage that such a level 94 dragon didn''t want to suffer on behalf of someone like minos.


    however, he still didn''t know how to deal with someone who knew the secret of his tribe. even more so, considering the many oddities and unparalleled talent this young man had already shown him.


    with that in mind, he went over what minos had already told him and asked. "why would you risk traveling to the north sea?"


    "that''s a good question, senior umuss." minos took the opportunity to talk about a subject that might make him less of a threat to the dragons.


    there was nothing better to ease the tension between two groups than the emergence of a third group capable of threatening all parties!


    "the level 100 legacy wasn''t the only legacy i received on my journey. i''ve experienced other inheritances myself, and i''ve heard stories from people close to me who''ve also received inheritances from cultivators who''ve reached the peak or near the peak of cultivation.


    through these chance encounters, i was able to come in contact with the prediction of a prophet who, before he died, saw the spiritual world facing a great extraterritorial threat."


    "extraterritorial?"


    "yes, a threat from outside our world." minos shook his head in agreement. "given what i know about the north sea and some reports of soul fragments from old experts in the spiritual world, i know that area shouldn''t be as dangerous as it is in our time.


    i suspect the extraterritorial danger to our world will come from that place."


    "that..." the dragon hesitated, finding it hard to believe this was true.


    but minos informed umuss that he was not the only one who believed it. "i know it''s hard to believe, but i''m not the only one who thinks that way, senior. i currently have an agreement with emperor quinn of the western empire for an alliance to deal with any threat that may exist in that sea.


    i also have a promise from members of the sea folk that they will try to help me if i can get proof of my theories.


    that''s what this voyage is for. it''s for me to prove to my allies and contacts the danger that might exist in that place.


    that''s why i''m putting together such a diverse crew. if i''m right and we return from our adventure in the north sea, i hope to have as many witnesses as possible to spread the truth and convince their tribes of our common enemy."


    it all made sense. that is, it was crazy, but the way minos was organizing things, making contacts, gathering witnesses, etc., it all made sense.


    he didn''t seem to be making it all up, and his passage through the area really did seem to be an escape from the gorgons they were getting into trouble with.


    ''if all this is true and he''s right, then the fact that he knows the secret of my tribe is not the worst thing we have to worry about.'' umuss thought. ''not to mention that it would eliminate any chance of him using it against us. if he''s right, there''s a good chance he''ll die on this journey north, or even if he survives, he''ll be in too much trouble to think of acting against us.''


    "this is all very difficult for me. how certain are you of your theories?" he looked into minos'' eyes as he returned to his humanoid form, the human in front of him already having withdrawn the chaotic aura within him.


    "about 75%."


    "all this?"


    "what i know about this world makes me believe that it is unlikely that we are alone in the universe. your ancestral god was someone who surpassed level 100. but i can tell you that he wasn''t the only one. the place he came from may have also given rise to the enemies i believe our world will have to deal with." minos replied soberly, deep in his words.


    "sigh... i hope i''m wrong. but it seems unlikely that i am. the further i go, the more certain i become about my theories."


    hearing minos'' worried tone, even umuss, a being who normally wouldn''t care about the fears of others, became concerned.


    already knowing that he couldn''t handle this human alone, he made up his mind. "minos, i will take you to the heart of the tribe. the things you''ve told me are too disturbing for me to handle alone. my elders will decide your future."


    minos clenched his fists as he felt umuss carrying him once again, aware that where he was being taken now would be the end of his life or the end of his problems on this continent.


    high-ranking dragons might even prevent him from escaping to the spatial kingdom. if someone decided it would be better for him to die, there would be no other way for him to escape! nove)lb-1n


    luckily, he had several levels of protection, even though he was temporarily unable to use his powers due to the lingering effects of using the supreme weapon.


    ''i hope these guys aren''t as petty as some of henricus longus'' acquaintances...'' minos thought, already seeing this tribe''s core as he was carried by umuss.


    henricus longus had sought the help of the world''s strongest tribes when he had his prophetic dream of the world''s troubled future.


    but because his vision was so far removed from his time, no one believed him, even though he was already highly respected.


    after all, visions became less accurate the further they were from the present.


    in this sense, minos felt the aura of the first level 99 dragon he met!


    "so you''re the one who can use a supreme weapon at the 9th stage, huh? nice to meet you, minos stuart."

 Chapter 1947 Dragon Tribe (3)

    chapter 1947 dragon tribe (3)


    hearing a female voice in his mind, minos was surprised to realize that the one behind the strongest aura he had just felt was actually a female dragon.


    one''s gender would never determine one''s potential. however, given the more violent and often rebellious nature of males, it was much more common to see high-level specialists or even leaders of organizations of the male gender throughout the world.


    in the history of the dragon tribe, few women had ever led their people.


    but from what minos realized when he reached the top of a giant volcano where some of the strongest of the dragon tribe were, in this generation, a woman was leading the tribe.


    seeing a dark red, wine-colored, mountain-sized scaled dragon, minos immediately lowered his head and greeted her and the other two who were there at that moment.


    "this junior greets the elders of the dragon tribe." he said, sensing the auras of those creatures, two at level 99 and one at level 98.


    that tribe had a third level 99 demigod, but he was currently busy with the war with the sky whales.


    minos could see that, but he wasn''t surprised by the strength of this tribe.


    the most powerful races in this world had an average of one to six level 99 demigods per generation.


    it was rare to see a tribe with more level 99 elders than that or none at all.


    the only exception was the tribe of elves, the most talented beings who could live the longest in this world.


    but even if the woman who had first spoken to him was the only one in that tribe, minos was sure this would not make that tribe weak in the slightest.


    this creature was at the absolute peak of her level, and given the chaotic energy in her being, she probably had more than an 80% chance of advancing to level 100 if she absorbed divine medicine.


    she was so strong that not even a monster like maximillian could compare to her.


    feeling her power as she smiled at him, minos was confident that not even maximillian''s divine weapon would be of any use in giving such a demigod an advantage in a battle against that dragon.


    argy, the leader of the dragon tribe, looked at minos when she saw him break into a cold sweat. she had known about this human even before he met umuss.


    she had heard about minos from a contact in the pantheon of honor. what''s more, after this man had used his supreme weapon so close to this area, she had seen and heard almost everything he had talked about with umuss after he had separated from his group.


    that''s why umuss had found it easy to get through to his tribe leaders without even having to tell them why he was there with a human.


    "your dragon aura is very strong. which elder gave you your heritage?" the level 98 demigod, a dark blue scaled dragon, asked while a frozen cipher on his forehead caught minos'' attention.


    "the 4th divine dragon of your tribe."


    "brammet?" argy murmured, seeing that the deathlord hadn''t left without leaving something behind.


    "so it was him." the other level 99 dragon, a male with dark green scales, said as he looked at minos with eyes that looked like two giant balls of fluorescent energy.


    "and where did you get our energy?" such an individual with a penetrating gaze asked minos, making the human feel the spiritual pressure of a level 99 demigod.


    that pressure was nearly 20 times greater than what he could generate himself!


    but it wasn''t just a quantitative difference. even if his spiritual pressure were equal to that of the expert, minos would still lose if he didn''t have the same quality!


    "the same as you elders." he said as he felt his knees shaking.


    "oh?" the green being pushed him a little harder when he heard that, causing minos to slam his knees to the ground.


    "brailzryrus!" argy said that, and the green creature immediately removed his pressure on minos.


    "what do you mean, minos?" argy asked him.


    "you got some of your chaotic energy from your high-level origin. dragons are the direct descendants of a being who transcended the boundaries we know. however, as distant descendants of that being, you are born with only a fraction of that special energy.


    most of what you have came from your ancestor, the ancestral god of dragons. i got what i have similarly. but of course, i didn''t use your ancestor. i used the ancestors of other powerful races in our world." minos was sincere when he referred to the giant bones he had access to.


    "you can do that?" the level 98 dragon was surprised to hear it.


    but their surprise was that minos could do it, not that there were other ancestors.


    they were aware that there must be others like their ancestor in this world. minos'' words only confirmed their theories about some higher powers in the spiritual world.


    ''the damned whales must have something like that, too...'' brailzryrus thought as he made an ugly face, thinking that minos had probably found the ancestor of humans.


    the other two thought the same thing as they looked at each other, but they didn''t find the fact that minos had achieved something like this so worrying since other powerful races hardly didn''t have the same advent as they did. nove)lb-1n


    however, the fact that minos were weak and among them gave them a great advantage, something they didn''t have against the established groups.


    "minos, would you be willing to join our tribe?" argy ''suggested,'' trying to make sure that he would be on the side of the dragons when things got complicated for this world.


    with the support of the dragons and the things he had already achieved on his own, it was almost inevitable that minos would reach the peak of cultivation in a few centuries. facing him, the dragon leader couldn''t miss the opportunity to win him over to her side.


    it would be foolish to eliminate minos. of course, it would be best if he was on the side of the sky whales. but since he had not yet made any real commitments to anyone, it was better to have him on their side than to lose him!


    ''with someone who has the potential to become as strong or stronger than us, we can reach the peak more easily.'' argy thought as she looked at minos, less concerned about the threat to the spiritual world he feared and more interested in raising her tribe''s power to a level never seen before.


    ...

 Chapter 1948 Final Support

    chapter 1948 final support?


    when he heard argy''s ''proposal,'' something he couldn''t refuse or he would surely be devoured on the spot, minos understood almost immediately what the dragon leader of this tribe had in mind.


    ''even if there is no threat to our world, if i reach the end of the 10th stage, your tribe would have an ally with some sensitive obligations towards you...'' he thought for a second.


    but minos knew that he wouldn''t be a mere ally. the agreement these dragons would have with him would certainly be one where he would almost be an external subordinate of the tribe.


    he would certainly have many freedoms to make it look like he was just an ally. but he would have obligations to the dragons on a level that only subordinates would have, which would force him to defend the tribe or even support it if asked.


    even without listening to argy''s conditions, minos was sure that what she wanted was to give him some superficial support in the short term so that he could more easily achieve his goals. then, when he matured, the tribe would reap the benefits of having a powerful and influential ''member.''


    this would be an excellent deal for the dragons as it would cost them very little. for minos, on the other hand, it was a deal that would give him a lot of responsibility for little benefit in the short term.


    ''it''s better to have this disadvantageous deal than to be killed by those dragons.'' minos bitterly laughed at his situation but was aware that it wouldn''t be all bad to make this deal.


    "it would be an honor for me to become an outsider member of the tribe." he said, pleasing the elders, while umuss sighed in relief next to minos.


    as much as minos was a stranger, he had many peculiarities that umuss wanted to see developed a bit more.


    with that answer, emperor stuart was one step closer to reaching the 10th stage and surviving to show beings like umuss what he would be like once he became a demigod.


    the three high-level 10th-stage dragons smiled at each other as they transformed into their humanoid versions to greet the young emperor stuart.


    "haha, with this alliance, minos, you''ll easily become a demigod!" the level 98 dragon commented.


    minos seemed to have almost everything he needed to reach the 10th stage. all he needed was the support of a powerful group to protect him until he reached that stage.


    the organization he belonged to on the divine continent still didn''t consider him essential because of his low cultivation level and also because they historically didn''t send their men to protect their members.


    but the dragons were different. if minos made a deal with them, they would send someone of high rank to travel with him and make his journey smoother until he became a demigod!


    that was the final support minos needed on his journey!


    hell, these dragons were even willing to help him deal with vico and maximillian if either of them became hostile to the black plain empire in the future!


    argy said with a beautiful smile on her human face. "very good, minos. you won''t regret it. being an outside member of my tribe means that you will have responsibilities with us in the future, but also opportunities.


    when you reach level 99, we can let you meditate in the area where our ancestor god is." she said, knowing that minos would be compatible with that but also that it would be a good incentive for him to work for the good of the tribe.


    the two elders beside her thought the same and saw no problem with their leader''s words.


    minos narrowed his eyes when he heard it, unable to hide his smile. ''that is better. it is better for me to reach such a place without getting into trouble with this tribe. even if they aren''t the strongest in the world, they are not to be underestimated.''


    "thanks for the opportunity, senior. i''ll do my best from now on!" he said with his head down, knowing there would be other benefits.


    all the responsibility he would have in the future would not come without opportunity for him and his people!


    ''maybe this will help me out of trouble on the central continent when vico and maximilian''s war is over.'' he thought as these old dragons approached him to shake his hand and greet him as a new outside member of the tribe.


    given the level of these creatures, they didn''t need a spiritual judge to confirm an agreement with minos. emperor stuart''s oath and their will were enough to guarantee an agreement that could not be violated unless one of them became a god.


    soul contracts were also limited to level 99, so this weakness in their agreement with minos would exist even if they used a high-level grade-4 spiritual judge, something that didn''t even exist in this world.


    when the agreement between them was finalized, argy asked. "so, minos, what are your short-term goals? what are you going to do until you become a demigod?"


    the biggest concern for the three of them would be minos'' journey until he reached level 90, his moment of vulnerability. after that, they could already see that everything about this human would change, and their worries would be greatly diminished.


    so the three of them listened while minos answered.


    "i have a few things on my mind. i intend to continue my journey through the continent of beasts until i reach the northern coast. of course, i''m injured now, so i''ll have to delay my journey for a month or two.


    but after that, i''ll take my crew to the divine continent when i reach the north coast. in about three years, there will be a meeting of the members of the pantheon of honor. i must attend this event, so we''ll make this trip to those lands as soon as possible.


    after that, i''ll return to the mainland to prepare for my trip to the north sea. i intend to travel when i''m close to level 87." nov¦Å.lb.1n


    they didn''t see a problem with most of minos'' journey, but this last part was especially dangerous.


    "why don''t you wait until you reach level 90? it won''t take more than a few years." the green-eyed dragon asked, still as threatening as before, even in his humanoid form.


    "the war on the central continent has been going on for several years, and as far as i know, the leaders of both sides are trying to make final breakthroughs before deciding the conflict. this means that the war could end at any moment with the success or failure of one of them." minos said seriously. "but it wouldn''t be good for me if the war ended before i could prove my theories.


    if i do that, i''ll have a problem for the winner of the war to worry about, in addition to the catastrophe approaching us. this will remove the danger from my state, and i''ll be able to develop my plans better.


    i''ll also have more support, which will be good for me and my allies."


    these three heard that and understood emperor stuart''s haste.


    ...

 Chapter 1949 Present for the New Outside Member

    chapter 1949 present for the new outside member?


    minos'' haste was justified. as much as he could risk it and wait for his advancement to level 90, it could be pretty dangerous.


    advancing to level 90 wouldn''t give minos supreme powers. it would make him much stronger. he knew that better than anyone. but level 99 demigods would still be a problem for him to deal with.


    if the war ended before he made this breakthrough, or even a little later, he might end up in a situation where he would have more enemies than allies.


    even with the support of the dragons, he wouldn''t be able to protect himself from anything that might endanger him.


    would those dragons come to the central continent to protect or help him? hardly. they had their own problems!


    a war far worse than the one between vico and maximillian, a tribe to lead, and a catastrophe on the horizon.


    it would be good for minos and his allies to have more allies at the high level of the 10th stage as soon as possible!


    he would achieve this if he could prove his theories, as he would almost immediately gain the support of the sanctuary of visions and the quinn family. he might even have a chance to convince the phoenixes and the pantheon of honor to join him more closely.


    counting on the dragons and the strength minos would have built up by then, even if vico or maximillian wanted to act against him or the black plain empire, they couldn''t.


    as dangerous as it was, minos'' plan was the best he had to protect himself in the short term and guarantee his future progress.


    "it makes sense." the level 98 dragon looked at his superiors and commented. "maybe we should send a lower-level demigod with minos'' group."


    "yes, that might increase his and his group''s chances of survival in the north sea." the man with the fluorescent green eyes agreed.


    argy looked at umuss and gave the order. "find a level 93 dragon to accompany minos on his journey."


    "okay, tribe leader!" umuss said before disappearing from the area.


    minos clenched his fists in satisfaction after hearing that.


    it would help him a lot. a level 93 dragon would be as strong as a level 95 gorgon or a level 96 human!


    ''that will increase the power of my group exponentially.'' he thought, ignoring the pain around his exhausted body.


    after such an order, argy looked at minos and said. "as for you, you should rest to recover from your current situation, minos. we''ll send one of our doctors and some resources later to increase your recovery rate."


    nevertheless, minos would soon be taken by a weaker dragon to another area of such a tribe, where there were structures more like human cities, where dragons of this tribe went about their business.


    however, this was not a great place. the dragon tribe was not open to the world, and few beings from races not allied with them were allowed to enter the area.


    with a population of less than 10,000, the city was tranquil and seemed more like a sect''s nucleus than the continent''s capital.


    ...


    a week after encountering the level 94 dragon, minos'' party arrived at the heart of the dragon''s territory.


    guided by umuss''s two business partners, minos''s entire party was a little apprehensive about the future, especially the situation of their leader.


    but when they arrived in the city where minos was and noticed his aura in a building for humans in the center of that urban area, everyone in the group felt a little less bad.


    they were still in an extremely dangerous place, but the fact that minos was still alive was a great sign.


    maybe they wouldn''t die in such a place!


    minos'' wives were the most relieved of all when they arrived at the building where he was and received permission to enter.


    in front of his room, a level 93 dragon was guarding the place where minos was, which was strange to everyone in the group.


    but they ignored the dragon for a moment to see how he was doing after everything that had happened. nove-lb/in


    "minos! are you all right? what happened these days?" abby was the first to question her husband as she knelt beside the bed where emperor stuart rested.


    seeing minos wrapped in dragon scales, with various strange liquids attached to those scales by wires, everyone there was curious to know his actual situation.


    "i am sorry to worry you. but everything is going well, guys, i''m being honest. i was lucky enough to make a deal with the dragon tribe, and soon after, they treated my injuries and left me here to rest." minos said in a much better tone than the women of the longus family standing next to his wives thought he would have now.


    the last time minos had used the divine sword, it had taken him weeks to reach a recovery rate similar to his current one.


    seeing him and feeling his powerful aura, these women could see that he would recover much faster and easier this time!


    minos was more aware of this than anyone else. not only did he recover with the help of the dragons, but he was also growing stronger!


    after receiving the level 100 inheritance, part of his existence had ceased to be that of a talented human. in some ways, he now resembled a prehistoric beast.


    with the help of the dragons and their extremely effective dragon resources, he recovered while cultivating his body to a higher level than before.


    minos had sacrificed months of cultivation to use the divine sword against the level 96 gorgon. still, he felt the lost months could be made up in another month at this place!


    "we''ll have to stay here for a few weeks to finish my recovery, but soon after that, we can continue our journey north." he said with a smile, but without moving from the bed so as not to lose the benefits of the treatment he was undergoing.


    "is that true?" isabella asked.


    minos commented. "yes. besides, we''ll have a new companion when we leave this tribe in a few weeks."


    "oh?"


    "the dragon outside this room will accompany us until the end of our journey," minos said, surprising the strongest of his group, who also entered the room he was in.


    sensing the level 93 of that powerful creature, everyone in the group opened their mouths in surprise, not expecting minos to turn their complicated situation around so much!

 Chapter 1950 All Or Nothing

    ?


    five weeks had passed since minos and his people were reunited at the core of the dragon tribe.


    at that time, he had fully recovered from what he had suffered because of the supreme weapon. not only that, he felt even stronger than before the battle against the level 96 gorgon.


    after finishing his treatment the day before, minos finally met up with his group to plan the rest of their journey.


    after waking up in the morning and being released by the dragon tribe doctors, minos quickly reunited with his wives and went to meet the rest of the crew.


    ...


    upon meeting all the members of his group, minos introduced them to the dragon that would be their companion from now on, one that many of them had heard about over the past few weeks but had not had the opportunity to interact with.


    smiling at his people, minos said. "with nymmas joining us, our journey through the continent of beasts can be considered complete. we''ve already gathered a group of new allies strong enough to continue our journey."


    "already?" one of the mercenaries in the group asked while the great arctic whale looked at such a mercenary with an ugly expression.


    being in dragon territory, that whale couldn''t help but feel uncomfortable. for him, the news of their group''s departure was great.


    he wasn''t delighted to have a dragon as his companion, but the fact that no one from this tribe had threatened him in the last few weeks made him willing enough to continue on this journey.


    if dragons could bear to welcome an enemy''s subordinate into their territory, then he could bear to travel with such a dragon!


    but that didn''t change the fact that he felt very uncomfortable with this tribe.


    minos replied to the mercenary who questioned him. "our goal on this continent was to look for reinforcements for our group so that we could continue on to the north sea. but we''ve already gained eight companions here, including nymmas. if we consider my women have also joined the group on this continent, the number jumps to 15."


    "yes, we''ve greatly improved our numbers in these lands over the past two years. it''s time to go to the divine continent." the level 91 woman from the sea folk commented.


    "not to mention that many of us have improved our strength on this continent." another member of the sea folk there added.


    "i hoped we''d be adventuring on this continent for a few more months." adrina, one of the mermaids, commented with a sigh.


    "that was the plan. but with the gorgon problem, we can''t take any more chances. we''ve already almost died twice at their hands. let''s not risk a third." abby commented, making the sea creatures who were curious to know more about this continent agree with her and see that it really wasn''t possible.


    they had already explored the main areas of the continent, dealt with beings of the predominant races in these lands, and escaped death more than once. their adventure in these lands had been no small matter, even though much of their journey had been within the tribes, where the dangers were controlled.


    "well then. may i come to the divine continent!" one of the krakens said in an excited tone, eager to visit the most famous ancient continent in the spiritual world.


    everyone there knew that minos had appointments on the divine continent. however, his appointment was about three years in the future. but the travel time between the divine continent and these northern lands was only five months.


    in other words, they knew they would have about two and a half years to explore the lands of the old continent, plenty of time for those seeking adventure!


    "when do we leave?" gloria asked minos, eager to visit that continent for the first time and see the magnificent pantheon of honor, one of the most powerful forces in the world, an institution even more important than the spiritual church.


    "today," minos replied. "if everyone is ready, i''d like to leave now."


    most of them indicated they were ready, while only the dragon looked at minos as if he still had some things to sort out.


    nymmas asked him. "you were supposed to talk to the tribe leaders first, weren''t you?"


    "no. i told them i would leave their territory as soon as i recovered. they already know i''m leaving." minos smiled at the muscular, tall, black-haired man before him, whom he had seen for the first time on the central continent.


    nymmas had been the bodyguard of the two level 89 dragons that had entered the ancient dragon spatial kingdom years ago.


    but unlike in the past, when he had ignored emperor stuart''s group, nymmas was fully aware of how powerful and important this young brown-haired human was.


    even though he was on a higher level and had superior fighting power, nymmas heeded minos'' words and no longer stood in emperor stuart''s way.


    with that settled, the group quickly left the tribe, not stopping to say goodbye to anyone, as they had barely communicated with the small town''s citizens over the past few weeks.


    the dragons were closed to the outside world. apart from those who had been appointed to take care of minos'' group''s affairs during their time there, hardly anyone else had contacted them.nove/lb-in


    but as they set out, they caught the attention of the locals, with minos attracting everyone''s attention as he led the group out of the town in the middle of the volcanic mountains in this part of the continent.


    minos looked to the north and said to his people. "we are about a week from the northern coast of the continent of beasts. but this is dragon territory, so nothing can stand in our way."


    "we can shorten the journey by traveling through a wormhole." nymmas suggested.


    but minos rejected the offer. "no. we''re in no hurry. since it will be a few years before my appointment on the divine continent, we can take our time and explore a bit while we travel north."


    a week less wouldn''t make much difference to those who were up to date with their obligations and had no urgencies.


    so the group set off from the core of the dragon tribe, finally preparing to leave the continent of beasts!


    ...


    while minos and his group were leaving, the gorgons had not forgotten all that had happened between them and the crew.


    at the organization''s headquarters, the tribe''s level 97 leader had just issued a new persecution order against minos!


    ''this is not over, minos stuart. if i can''t reach you this time, i''ll send a group to your state!'' she thought as she held the map of the current central continent in her hands.


    she took her eyes off it and crumpled it up as she angrily saw the image of minos in her mind.

 Chapter 1951 Months Of Travel And New Lands Reached

    ?


    in the blink of an eye, five full months had passed since minos and his crew left the dragon tribe!


    after leaving the dragon homeland months ago, they had been traveling smoothly for weeks, and the group was ending another sea journey.


    with the tranquility they had enjoyed in those first weeks, the entire group had taken advantage of the opportunities minos had given them and had made improvements, with some new advances emerging among them.


    dunyxa had been the one to make the most significant advancement, reaching level 90 and becoming a demigod!


    in addition to her, one of the level 90 sea folk man had reached level 91, and ruth had advanced to level 83, the same level as gloria and abby.


    these were the only advancements the group had made during that period, not much, but enough to improve the group''s overall strength.


    the advances of dunyxa and the sea folk man had been very important for the group!


    but perhaps the most important breakthrough for them had not happened during this initial period of peace, something that was responsible for the problems they would encounter in the middle of their journey.


    the leader of the group sent by the sanctuary of visions had not yet advanced to level 92 and, as such, was still marked by the gorgon''s poison.


    as a result, in the middle of the group''s third month of travel, they were reached by a group of gorgons who had been chasing them since they left the continent of beasts!


    that group of gorgons was just as strong as the previous one, and they had the advantage that abby couldn''t use her ability on the sea''s surface.


    their fusion required not completely decomposed bodies, but such bodies could only be found underground on land or on the sea floor.


    the group hadn''t taken this into consideration when they left the continent, so they traveled on the surface, which made it easier for them to be reached by the gorgons and caused the first of the two battles they would have during the period.


    but with a much larger group than the gorgons and the presence of a level 93 dragon to help them, minos'' people had managed to escape these creatures'' deadly threat.


    however, they didn''t manage to wipe out their opponents. after a long battle, both sides moved away from each other, which would lead to their reunion at the end of the fourth month of the minos group''s journey.


    by that time, the level 91 sea folk woman had reached level 91, enough for her group to no longer have to worry about their opponents knowing their location at all times.


    unfortunately, it hadn''t been that fast, and the day after the woman''s breakthrough, the group faced the gorgons again.


    once again, they had finished without extinguishing each other. however, four members of minos'' party had died in the battle!


    among the dead were a mermaid, a merman, and two mercenaries, a level 90 human and a level 89 beast.


    these were heavy losses for the group, but they had managed to kill 3 of the 10 opponents between levels 94 and 96.


    this time, they had used the sea floor to their advantage. abby had managed to fuse her techniques quickly enough to significantly affect the group of enemies, helping to kill two of the three enemies and seriously wounding two others.


    thus, minos'' party had reached the end of yet another sea voyage, finally approaching the divine continent, where they would arrive in a matter of hours!


    ...


    seeing the southern coast of the divine continent, where the state that housed the pantheon of honor was, minos clenched his fists tightly as he stood on the deck of the sea folk ship.


    "we''re going straight to the pantheon of honor. i''m going to destroy those fucking gorgons!" he said angrily, making even dunyxa next to him a little afraid.


    but after all that had happened, with minos and most of his group having been attacked by gorgons four times in the last few years, he had every reason to be angry.


    they had lost companions he had promised to protect, and they had been constantly threatened and forced to flee.n--o--v(.e-/l//b-(i/-n


    the feeling of being constantly on the run was not pleasant!


    minos felt this bothering him more and more and wanted to try to use his influence in that organization to find allies.


    since the damned gorgons wouldn''t stop coming after him, they had to be exterminated!


    convinced that there was no other way to solve the problem, minos was determined to advance his arrival at the pantheon of honor.


    "this is good. even if they don''t help us eliminate that threat, we can at least make the gorgons an unwelcome tribe on the divine continent." the level 93 dragon said, knowing that even he couldn''t deal with the group that had been harassing them.


    but minos'' friends in the pantheon of honor could, with the stroke of a pen, turn the gorgons into hunted creatures and ensure that their group would no longer have to deal with these enemies, at least while they were on the divine continent.


    "do you know how to get to the headquarters of the pantheon of honor?" gloria asked, aware that her husband had been taken there before.


    "yes. it''s in one of the largest cities of this empire, which we''re about to enter. we can get there quickly. the pantheon of honor has partnerships with all the states on the continent, and its members have privileges with the imperial forces and local nobles.


    i''ll be able to get a wormhole to take us there once i show my id as a member of the organization. that will get us there in less than a day."


    "oh? that''s really convenient." one of the mercenaries commented.


    and it really was very convenient to be a member of that organization. it wasn''t so convenient for those outside of the divine continent. still, within these vast lands, one would feel a colossal difference between not being a member of this force and being one.


    even being favored by the continent''s leaders wouldn''t be much compared to the opportunities available to people with the prestige of being members of the continent''s most important group of experts.


    nevertheless, minos and his people would soon arrive on the divine continent and head for the first human city along the way, from where they would seek access to the local wormhole network.

 Chapter 1952 Comfortable

    ?


    arriving in the first major human city on the divine continent for those who arrived via the coast of the continent''s most southeastern state, minos and his people soon attracted the attention of the locals.


    even though this was the divine continent, where experts were seen in droves, and racial mixing was common, it was not natural to see a group like minos''.


    with more than 20 demigods in his party, a dragon and an arctic whale, actual enemies, minos'' party was strange even by local standards.


    there was even a gorgon and a pegasus in the group, extremely rare beings in the spiritual world that were rarely seen outside of their territories.


    even though this was a mid-level group from the beginning of the 10th stage, which was not very powerful for the leaders of the continent, it was still a powerful group that soon attracted the attention of the local powers.


    less than 5 minutes after entering this city, minos and his group were stopped by a group of local nobles, with a level 95 demigod there to deal with them.


    "visitors to my city, what is your purpose in coming here? what power have you come from?" a blond human male, relatively young, tall, and strong, asked as he looked at the members of minos'' group, the beasts in their humanoid forms and the weaker ones awkwardly standing at the front of the group.


    stopped by guards and high-ranking local nobles, minos found himself being watched by dozens of people at the edge of the avenue they had just passed when they were stopped by this group.n--ovelbin


    but the situation didn''t surprise him. with a group as strong and strange as his, it was to be expected that they would cause such a reaction.


    ''the way we are, we can''t enter cities without attracting attention. we''re really strange.'' minos laughed inwardly before taking something from his spatial ring.


    everyone in the area looked at him as he made this move and narrowed their eyes, but without feeling threatened by a level 84 young man.


    ''that boy...'' the level 95 man watched minos closely, ignoring the level 92 and 93 beings around emperor stuart to finally notice the dragon-like aura of this brown-haired young man.


    minos then showed the symbol of the pantheon of honor, surprising everyone around him.


    ''i wonder if this young man is a subordinate...''


    "my name is minos stuart, and i am a member of the pantheon of honor. we are passing through your city. i would like to go to that organization''s headquarters to report some problems to the elders." he answered the questions of the level 95 demigod in front of the group on their way, causing the man and the other demigods in the vicinity to open their mouths in surprise.


    "a member?"


    "is he serious?"


    "i''ve never heard of a sage being a member of the pantheon of honor."


    some of the nearby men commented in low voices, but the level-95 demigod looked at minos strangely, aware that an exception had indeed been made in such an organization.


    ''so this is the famous emperor stuart...'' he narrowed his eyes, understanding why a young man of level 84 had achieved something that not even he, a level 95 demigod, had been able to do.


    with such a strong aura and being able to gather such a group, even though he was a sage, minos was truly different from ''ordinary'' people like him.


    ''he is clearly the leader of these people. and he''s going to the pantheon of honor headquarters with such a strong group... big trouble must be brewing.'' he looked at the faces of the men and women beside minos and saw they looked worried.


    what could a level 93 dragon be worried about?


    with this in mind, that nobleman didn''t want to make things difficult for minos'' group, let alone raise questions about why members of enemy races were in this group.


    "so this is the group of your majesty minos stuart. i didn''t expect to see someone so famous in my city this afternoon. please allow me to lead you to the local wormhole port." he said as he showed the group the way, completely changing his demeanor from a moment ago.


    seeing how easy it had been to get this person''s help, the women of minos were a little impressed. but those in the group who knew what the pantheon of honor looked like were not surprised.


    with this, they would soon arrive at a wormhole port in that city, and it wouldn''t be long before they found a way to quickly reach the headquarters of such an organization.


    "elder, thank you for your help," minos said to the level 95 demigod, a noble in this state. "if i can ever help you with anything, come to me, and i''ll do my best."


    the level 95 demigod smiled when he heard that while clenching his fists in satisfaction.


    as much as minos was level 84 and could do little for him at the moment, this man did not underestimate the potential of someone with emperor stuart''s characteristics.


    "i am the one who thanks you. it is an honor to help someone like your majesty." he said as he saw the first of minos'' party enter the wormhole that led to the destination of interest to that party.


    seeing emperor stuart enter with his wives, the level 95 demigod wondered what would happen when minos reached level 90.


    ''i will search for the black plain in a few decades. that will be the moment for me to enter the pantheon of honor!''


    ...


    minutes after being greeted by nobles and guards from the previous city, minos'' party reached the headquarters city of the pantheon of honor, a place he had left more than 10 years ago.


    upon arrival, minos immediately looked in the direction of where the temple should be, eager to seek the support of his faction to deal with the gorgons.


    "let''s go. getting a meeting with the members of the faction i belong to won''t be quick, so we need to move soon." he said as he took the group''s lead, leaving the port they had just arrived at and heading towards the pantheon of honor temple.


    by this time, minos had his credentials as a member of this important organization around his neck, so no one stood in his group''s way, even after they drew attention to themselves with their unique configuration.


    thus, in less than 10 minutes, he and his group would arrive at the headquarters of one of the most influential organizations in the spiritual world, where some of the elders watching the city noticed his return.


    "minos stuart?" a level 99 elder standing nearby opened her eyes as she felt an aura she already knew, but much stronger than the last time the young man passed through this place.

 Chapter 1953 Spectacular Growth

    ?


    as wren, one of the five level 99 demigods in the pantheon of honor, opened her eyes and looked in minos'' direction, she remembered the day she had tested this young man, who had previously been level 80.


    ''level 84, huh? also, he''s half that level and still has an entirely different aura than when he came here... it seems that this young man has had a fortuitous encounter in the past few years.'' she got up from where she was sitting, wondering if she should go and see minos.


    she was curious to talk to that young man and find out how he had achieved such a feat!


    but as she stood up, she heard the voice of the strongest member of her organization in her head.


    ''wren, let julian take care of minos stuart.'' the eldest of the six elders of the pantheon of honor council, merritt, told her, also sensing how much the boy had changed in such a short time.


    ''but elder merritt...'' she didn''t understand why and asked him.


    ''minos stuart is part of julian and aarav''s faction. we can''t question him unless he''s done something that compromises the organization or comes to us. stay in your position.''


    ''i understand.'' the white-haired woman sighed, realizing her carelessness.


    as much as they were all members of the same organization, this group had internal disputes.


    as she sat back as a temple observer, aarav, currently in a cultivation area for high-level demigods, also noticed minos'' arrival in this city.


    but unlike wren and merritt, he was a member of julian and minos'' faction. sensing that the young emperor stuart was completely different from a few years ago, he moved towards the temple''s entrance.


    at that moment, minos and his group arrived in front of that organization, in that beautiful huge temple that overlooked the entire metropolis they had just come from.


    arriving there, even nymmas couldn''t help but sigh as he felt several high-level auras coming from inside the temple in front of him.


    the minos women had smiles as they stood in front of such a place, imagining how much support they could get from such an organization.


    even if the pantheon of honor didn''t want to help them with the gorgons, they would certainly help them when minos became stronger and reached a high level of influence.


    but while thinking this, they saw a white-haired elder dressed in a white robe appear in front of the temple they were facing.


    "minos..." aarav commented, attracting the whole group''s attention, especially the strongest ones, for they understood better than the others how difficult it was to reach the end of the 10th stage.


    reaching level 99 was extremely difficult, and even beings with talents that could theoretically allow them to reach that level rarely managed to reach the peak!


    if there were 10 million beings capable of reaching level 99, less than 200 of them would actually come to it!nove-lb-in


    as far as minos knew, there should be less than one hundred level 99 demigods in the world today.


    that was how difficult it was to reach level 99, and that was why there were many beings who had the potential to reach that level but who got stuck at lower levels for various reasons.


    for that reason, the level 92 and 93 individuals in minos'' group immediately bowed their heads in the presence of such a man, aware that even if some of them had origins as good or better than aarav''s, they still owed him respect.i think you should take a look at


    minos looked into aarav''s eyes and smiled. "elder, it''s good to see you again. i''m here for the meeting of the members of the organization."


    "oh? but isn''t it a bit early for that? our meeting is still a few years away." aarav said, curious about minos'' journey since he last saw him, but hurried on.


    as an experienced elder, he knew he would have his chance to hear answers to his questions and didn''t rush to question minos.


    "yes, but i got into trouble on the continent of beasts, so i postponed my journey here." minos laughed bitterly. "i will stay on the divine continent until the meeting of the members of the pantheon of honor is over. after that, i''ll return to my state."


    "i see..." aarav immediately realized why some beings were in minos'' group and understood it must be related to such problems.


    "i imagine this group is your crew going to the north sea, right?" he asked.


    aarav, julian, and the members of their group knew that minos intended to go to the north sea, as he had told them before he left for the marine empire.


    seeing so many beings of different races at minos'' side, most of them at the 10th stage, aarav realized that the young man was succeeding in his plans to create a powerful group.


    "yes, we already have a mighty group," minos said with a satisfied look. "i intend to look for a few more supporters on the divine continent, but we''re almost there in terms of numbers. i plan to leave for the north sea in about five or seven years."


    aarav looked at minos differently when he heard that, believing now more than ever that the message he had received years ago was true.


    but instead of what he had thought years ago, he wasn''t so doubtful now about minos'' chances of succeeding in what he was trying to do.


    not only had he gathered a particularly powerful group, but he was also much stronger, not only at level but also with a mighty aura that even such a level 99 demigod was aware of.


    minos'' powers were impressive, but what made this organization''s high-level beings and elders consider him important was his future.


    no matter how strong he was, no matter how incredible his abilities were, they couldn''t make a level 99 elder feel worried about minos.


    however, the aura that minos was emitting at that moment could do just that!


    even though he was a level 99 demigod who had been at that level for a long time, aarav couldn''t help but feel the hairs on his body stand up in front of minos.


    his senses were clear. such a young man was dangerous!


    with this feeling, he no longer doubted minos'' plans and the young man''s chances of success.


    then he smiled and asked. "what was the trouble that made you run away? tell me about it. maybe i can help you."


    ...

 Chapter 1954 Protection ’Guaranteed’

    chapter 1954 protection ''guaranteed''


    "well, to put it simply, one of our crew members got involved in something he shouldn''t have and ended up attracting gorgons to us. so as not to leave him or my group in the lurch, i eliminated those chasing him.


    that provoked the wrath of such a tribe, and we have now been attacked by them 4 times.


    more than a dozen of their mid-level demigods have already died because of this hunt." minos tried to summarize the big problem that had caused him to postpone his trip to this place.


    "gorgons?" aarav looked in dunyxa''s direction, imagining that she was the one who had gotten the whole group into trouble.


    he knew minos'' cleverness and didn''t ask him why he had gotten into trouble for a single being. if he had done it, there must have been a reason.


    aarav then asked, forming a strange expression as he thought better of what minos had just said. "is that true? then how did you survive to come here?"


    gorgons were powerful. and beings of such a race at the mid-level of the 10th stage should be able to wipe out minos'' entire group!


    how did they survive to tell the tale?


    hell, minos'' group had a lot of members! they didn''t look like a group that such powerful enemies had hunted!


    minos laughed bitterly and said. "well, we''re lucky and not as weak as we look. i had to use my supreme weapon and other fusions with some of my companions. we also had the help of the phoenixes and the dragons."


    "these two races helped you?" he understood why members of both races were in the group minos had formed.


    ''did he make a deal with the dragons?'' aarav looked at nymmas differently.


    a level 93 dragon choosing to follow minos on his own was not so absurd to imagine. but for this tribe to allow him to do so after helping emperor stuart deal with the gorgons was something else entirely, suggesting a greater meaning behind it all.


    sensing that the dragons might be as interested in minos as his group was, aarav sighed when he saw how lucky this young man had been.


    ''sigh... this isn''t bad. at least they saved you. even if it reduces our future earnings, it''s better to earn less than nothing.'' aarav thought as he imagined that if the young man had died, his faction would have lost all their investments in minos if the dragons hadn''t intervened.


    "yes, i was lucky enough to contact the phoenix tribe in the ancient dragon spatial kingdom.


    also, i''m more like dragons than my appearance would suggest." he laughed. "if it hadn''t been for that, i probably would have turned to stone on the continent of beasts...


    anyway, the gorgons don''t seem interested in stopping coming after me, elder. in the last attack, we managed to kill a few more of them, but we lost companions.


    since they don''t seem to accept defeat, i''m ready to take the next step in our hostile relationship!"


    "you want to destroy the gorgons?" aarav understood minos'' intention.


    "yes. i would like the support of the faction. if that''s not possible, i would at least like the organization to ban the gorgons from entering the divine continent for the next few years. i''ll deal with them in the future if you can''t help me." minos was direct with his intentions, giving aarav two options.


    there was a third, to do nothing. however, this option meant allowing the gorgons to act against someone they wanted to evolve. such an option was somewhat paradoxical, so it was unlikely to be taken.


    aarav was silent momentarily, looking at the level 92 and 93 beings in minos'' group.


    ''i don''t think any of them are actually minos'' subordinates. but since they fight alongside him and have the experience of accompanying someone so talented, it is unlikely that they will completely separate themselves from the black plain empire in the future.


    at worst, these beings will be part of minos'' sphere of influence when they return from the north sea.''


    aarav thought to himself, considering the importance of these people. ''for a sage to be able to influence so many demigods means that he will be much more capable than my group had imagined for his eventual advancement to level 90.


    minos will probably be able to influence mid-level demigods when he advances to level 90. considering the speed at which he is progressing, he will have such influence in a few decades!''


    he smiled because from the moment emperor stuart could influence mid-level demigods, aarav and julian''s faction would be able to greatly increase their position within the pantheon of honor.


    from then on, they would benefit much more from their relationship with minos than the other way around! nove-lb(1n


    then he said. "i see... minos, i promise to take this matter to the faction and then to the council of the organization. i cannot guarantee that we will destroy the gorgons for you, but banning them from entering the divine continent won''t be that difficult."


    "i thank the elder."


    aarav said. "while we decide this, you should stay in this city. no gorgon will dare move against you here.


    once we''ve decided what to do, you''ll be free to travel the continent in search of more allies for your crew."


    everyone in minos'' group sighed when they heard aarav''s words, realizing that with the help of the pantheon of honor, they would have at least another 2.5 years to prepare to deal with the gorgons.


    ''i''ll probably reach level 84 and minos level 85 in that time.'' abby thought to herself, imagining that they could take a step further in their fusions and abilities with these advances.


    that wouldn''t be much against level 95 or 96 gorgons like the ones chasing them. but it would reduce their chances of dying on the battlefield while increasing the lifespan of the high-level skeletons she could summon.


    if they could gain more allies on this continent, they would have another level of options to deal with the enemies that might come after them when they returned to the central continent.


    ''that will be enough.'' she concluded, imagining that the empire''s forces would advance even without the core of the imperial family from these lands.


    anyway, with aarav''s words, part of the group would soon disperse around the city, and only minos, his wives, and some of the strongest of the group would be left behind with that level 99 elder.


    as someone so strong, he could call meetings with the leaders of his faction or the pantheon of honor with his thoughts!


    in an instant, he had done so and looked at minos to report. "done. now we just have to wait until later to find out when we can bring your question to the council. in the meantime, let''s go to the faction headquarters. we''ll be able to talk about your problem with our comrades right away."


    ...

 Chapter 1955 Little Time Left

    after hearing aarav, minos and his group followed the elder to julian''s faction.


    as they moved, aarav asked minos. "by the way, minos, how did you raise your level so much? and from where comes this dragon aura?"


    "i was lucky enough to find an inheritance in the ancient dragon spatial kingdom. i have benefited greatly from it, elder." minos said without going into details.


    "oh? that was lucky!" aarav opened his mouth in surprise, not expecting this. "such a place has been explored for hundreds of thousands of years, but counting the inheritance you got, this is only the 4th heirloom discovered there in all that time!"


    "that was really lucky," nymmas murmured, imagining that if his young masters had found such inheritance before minos, perhaps the sky whale that started the war with the dragons wouldn''t have managed to devour one of them.


    "in any case, luck favors those who are talented and competent. inheritance does not guarantee success. many die when they come into inheritances they can''t afford." aarav shook his head in satisfaction that minos had managed to absorb a dragon''s legacy and become so much stronger. "so that''s your merit. your luck was only in finding it."


    "hmmm..."


    "and these four? are they your wives?" aarav asked, looking at isabella, gloria, abby, and ruth but noticing that emlyn also bore the mark of minos, though weaker than the four closest to him.


    "yes. i''ve known abby and ruth since i started cultivating." minos said as he pointed to his two oldest companions.


    "oh? that''s good. there''s nothing better than growing up with your mates." he commented as he congratulated the group, while inwardly seeing that minos'' women also had super talents.n-/o-)v-/e(/l.-b/)i/)n


    ''it seems that the central continent has produced many geniuses in this generation. is this a sign of difficult times ahead?'' he asked himself, not as happy as he seemed on the outside.


    having lived tens of thousands of years, aarav knew that it wasn''t common for such talents to emerge in humble places like the one minos and his wives came from.


    however, when difficult times arose, it was not uncommon for the spiritual and genetic quality of the beings in a given area to improve.


    in a way, this was like the reaction of a body that was about to die, and at the last moment, it tried everything to avoid the worst by functioning beyond normal.


    in the case of the spiritual world, when terrible things were about to happen, it was very common for stronger generations to be born even in poor places.


    if aarav hadn''t known that these five were from the poor areas of the central continent, he wouldn''t have found their existence so strange. but since none of them were from a particularly powerful background, he couldn''t help but wonder about the significance of their appearance.


    ''the central continent will probably face a greater challenge before anyone else.'' he thought before he heard minos'' voice.


    "elder, where is elder julian?"


    "julian is moving to the west of the continent. there will soon be a great congregation of spiritual world experts with the elves to deal with the difficult times our world will face." aarav got right to the point. "a new ice age will begin in less than 20 years."


    "ice age?" isabella asked, making a terrible face.


    for someone with fire-based powers, an ice age would be twice as bad for them!


    someone with ice-based techniques could advance more easily during such an era. in contrast, someone with fire-based powers would find it twice as difficult as other people to advance during such a period.


    and a chaotic era was so terrible that even spatial kingdoms could be affected.


    thinking about this, the red-haired woman couldn''t help but feel a little worried.


    "are you sure about that?" minos frowned.


    "yes. one of the most powerful seers of the elven tribe recently managed to predict the kind of disaster that will befall us." aarav replied.


    ''this is terrible.'' minos clenched his fists, especially at the part about the time left until the catastrophe hit the world.


    the elves were usually very accurate in their predictions, so something like this should really happen within that time frame!


    ''an ice age is terrible. plants and medicines will take much longer to mature in such an era.'' he lamented.


    any chaotic age would somehow disturb the spirituality of the world. but the ice age, in particular, might have a much more terrible effect on the maturation of medicines than other types of chaotic ages.


    not only would medicine be affected, but ordinary crops would also be harmed much more.


    that meant there would be a worldwide food shortage, and the hunger problem would hit the weakest and poorest!


    ''i have to tell the people in the dry city about this.'' minos thought. ''we need to start building up our food reserves right away!''


    the crewmembers of minos and his wives were also worried when they heard this, wondering how this would affect their respective tribes.


    even the arctic whale, who would probably be the least affected by these changes, was worried.


    ''this is going to be a problem.'' he imagined. ''even if my tribe has a good chance of surviving this period, some of the races essential to our continuity could be harmed to the point where it affects us negatively.''


    ''is minos really right about the threat in the north sea?'' the level 92 sea folk woman thought as she looked at him. ''a disaster like that would be enough to destabilize our entire world. will we face two disasters at the same time?''


    meanwhile, the dragon looked at minos and thought something else. ''i hope you manage to reach the 10th stage rapidly. otherwise, it will be difficult for you in the future.'' he imagined that his elders'' plans would be hindered by the coming ice age.


    in any case, he couldn''t do anything about it and could only wait to see how things would develop in the next two decades.


    whatever the outcome, there would be problems ahead, and many dangers would still threaten minos and the intentions of the young emperor''s allies.


    while everyone pondered this, the group led by aarav arrived at the headquarters of his and julian''s faction, where other demigods of the group were already waiting on the outskirts to see minos again.


    minos had made some promises years ago. today, they wanted to see how the young man had grown in the meantime!

 Chapter 1956 Getting Help

    chapter 1956 getting help


    upon arriving at the location of julian''s faction, minos immediately encountered half of the faction''s elders who were present, including the level 96 woman, charlotte barnes, who had questioned him years ago.


    arriving at the courtyard with his group, minos was confronted with faces he already knew but could not hide their astonished expressions as they looked at him.


    that was especially true for charlotte, who years ago had asked minos how strong he would be during the continental tournament. at that time, he had said he would probably be at level 88 during such a competition, while he only had five demigods in his organization.


    but the continental tournament was scheduled to take place in just over 20 years, and minos was already at the middle level 84!


    at this rate, it was very likely that he would surpass his previous promises, which were already very good when they were made!


    feeling minos'' dragon-like aura and seeing emperor stuart''s group, charlotte couldn''t help but be shocked by this young man''s growing power and influence.


    "you''re right before me, but i can''t believe what i see and feel." she muttered as she saw that julian was right in every way about bringing this young man into her faction.


    the other demigods there, people between levels 91 and 94, also admired emperor stuart, seeing how much he had grown in the little over a decade since they had last seen him.


    "young minos, it looks like your journey has been quite good, hasn''t it?" a level 94 man asked in a humorous tone. "but i have the feeling that you''ve deliberately lowered your previous analysis of how strong you would be in the continental tournament."


    minos didn''t deny it. "it would be nice to exceed the seniors'' expectations."


    aarav ran a hand over his face, pleased with minos'' manners.


    "so you''re here to ask for our help?" a level 93 man asked. "what do you need help with, even though you have such a strong team?"


    "well, in a nutshell..." minos quickly explained his situation to the elders of julian''s faction, making them even more surprised that his group had survived opponents as terrifying as the gorgons.


    "so that was it..."


    by the time minos had finished speaking, everyone in the group was sitting around a large stone table in the courtyard outside their faction''s estate.


    charlotte closed her eyes and sighed, understanding the young prodigy''s situation.


    "nothing can be done. geniuses grow up quickly, but they will always cause problems because of that growth."


    "hmm." aarav agreed. "to reach great positions or achievements, one always has to do things that go against the wishes of others."


    there was no way they could blame minos for getting into trouble. he was growing so fast. it was only natural that he would get into trouble all the time!


    one didn''t climb the ladders of success with their hands in their pockets!


    one had to challenge the prevailing norms and established experts to reach the top. without that, it would be impossible to beat the system imposed by others.


    but there was a big difference between understanding the problem minos was involved in and actively helping him to solve it.


    "minos, i can''t promise you what you asked for," charlotte said. "exterminating the gorgons would be too costly for our group, and it could create problems that would possibly haunt us for a long time."


    the others nodded their heads in agreement.


    the white-haired woman continued. "but i can assure you that no gorgon on this continent will threaten you or your group."


    "hmm, i can talk to some of our contacts on the central continent and also transfer some of our men to the black plain empire." a level 94 demigod commented while looking into minos'' eyes. "i think we can even move some level 93 demigods to their capital in a few weeks.


    in case the gorgons try something in your territory, we can have some extra defensive barriers for your people."


    upon hearing this, minos'' wives and minos himself were naturally pleased, knowing that this would help a great deal.


    the gorgons were unlikely to come to the black plain empire with their main forces. even if they decided to attack their family estate, the level 93 demigods would probably be strong enough to protect the core government of the empire.


    "i appreciate the decision of the elder." he said sincerely.


    but considering that even the elders of julian''s faction, the group most friendly to him, refused to help him exterminate the gorgons, minos could already imagine that the rest of the pantheon of honor wouldn''t help him either.


    ''sigh... i''ll deal with you on my own, you bastards.'' minos closed his eyes and sighed inwardly. ''as soon as i''m done with the north sea, i''ll take care of your tribe.'' he had made up his mind.


    after this decision, the people of julian''s faction quickly listened to the presentation of those of minos'' group who were with him at that moment and soon understood why there were so many experts of different races with him.


    upon meeting minos'' wives, the members of the pantheon of honor were naturally pleased, for although they were only spiritual sages at the time, they were relatively close in age.


    in particular, abby and ruth were almost the same age as minos, which meant that they were almost as far along in their cultivation as he was.


    at level 83, the two of them would probably become demigods in a few decades, which would greatly increase the power of the stuart family.


    while they were talking, minos asked. "by the way, do you think i could join elder julian at the meeting of world leaders hosted by the elves? would there be time for that?"


    the people of the pantheon of honor looked at each other, wondering if this was appropriate.nov¦Å.lb-1n


    "well, the meeting should take place in the next few days. then there will still be time." a level 92 demigod commented.


    "but this is a meeting of high-level demigods. i don''t know if it would be appropriate." charlotte commented. "what would you do at this meeting if you were allowed in with julian, minos?"


    minos looked at charlotte and said. "i would sound out potential allies while acting as elder julian''s advisor. if there were other 9th-stage helpers, i could use the opportunity to talk about some future interests and facilitate some of my goals."


    it would also be a chance for me to find out what the strongest forces in the spiritual world are like. minos thought inwardly, knowing the importance of knowing the current configuration of the world''s greatest powers.


    if there were any gods in this world today, or if any peak demigods were trying to ascend, he could find out at this meeting!


    ...

 Chapter 1957 For the 3rd time

    chapter 1957 for the 3rd time


    "if it''s just that, i don''t see a problem," aarav commented as he looked at the rest of the group. "but minos, if you really want to do this, be careful and don''t speak unless asked. as much as high-level experts don''t look at juniors like you with the intention of acting without reason, you''re way off the mark.


    the slightest slip on your part could cause someone powerful to look at you differently and treat you as someone to be eliminated."


    "hmmm," charlotte commented. "you''re probably safe if you''re with us or elder julian. but you could get into trouble if you''re not with us. so you should be careful in this encounter."


    a level 94 demigod said. "if you want to go on this encounter, you''d better go with as few companions as possible. and definitely don''t go with your wives."


    that demigod didn''t know about the magnificent fusion that abby was capable of, nor did he know about ruth''s divine physique. what motivated him to make that comment was something simpler.


    historically, women have caused problems because of their beauty and charm. even without meaning to, one of these women might catch the eye of one of the experts who would be meeting at that event.


    and hell, they would be the strongest beings in the world. if one of them took a liking to one of minos'' women, there could be endless problems.


    to avoid this kind of situation, a kind of situation that was made famous by the stories that circulated in the spiritual world, that demigod advised minos.


    in most of the world, no one would think bad things of other people''s wives. and since most people didn''t have the power to do anything vile against the stuart family, the chances of something like that happening were slim. but in a place where there were people of the highest level and from many different races, powers, and organizations, the chances of such a thing happening would increase significantly.


    minos knew how the world worked, and even though he didn''t have the same thing in mind as that demigod, he agreed that it would be better to leave his wives to cultivate in seclusion in this city while he went to the meeting led by the elves.


    "hmm, i''ll just take nymmas, niamh and louis." minos gestured to the dragon, the sea folk woman and the strongest mercenary in his party.


    all three agreed to accompany him on the journey, eager to see the gathering of the spiritual world''s strongest experts.


    as for the others, minos looked at them and said. "take advantage of the half-time to train in good cultivation halls in this city. take advantage of the benefits of being a member of the pantheon of honor.nove.lb-1n


    until the organization''s leadership decides to judge my request, it''s best that no one from the group leaves this city."


    "okay." gloria and several others who were with minos agreed.


    aarav said to them. "by the time minos returns, we''ll probably already have a decision on this matter of the gorgons. then, you''ll probably be free to come and go on our continent without having to risk too much because of them."


    everyone heard this and understood they wouldn''t have to stay stuck in this city for long.


    with that said, minos'' group soon split up, with the remaining beasts going in different directions and his wives staying behind to follow the lead of charlotte, who had willingly volunteered to help them.


    as minos'' wives, they were the ones who could most use the benefits of his membership in the pantheon of honor.


    meanwhile, aarav saw minos finish saying goodbye to his wives and the faction group and said. "are you ready? i will open a wormhole for you and your group that should reach julian''s camp. you will reach their position in no time."


    "thank you, elder. and yes, we''re ready." minos said as he saw his three companions in their humanoid form waving at him.


    the four of them entered the wormhole opened by aarav and flew through this region of space, heading towards the final position of this tunnel, which wasn''t particularly large.


    the stronger the cultivator, the shorter the length of the wormhole tunnel for the same distance.


    thus, in a few seconds, minos and his three companions quickly crossed a large part of the divine continent and arrived at a place that was between the three states of these lands.


    as they crossed the wormhole''s exit created by aarav, they immediately came upon a forested area where a small camp had been set up.


    before they had even scanned their surroundings, they were already noticed, and a level 95 person immediately appeared in front of them to question them, his aura already pressing toward them.


    "elder, we are here in the name of the pantheon of honor!" minos shouted at the man before showing him the symbol of the organization. "we are here for elder julian. i am minos stuart, a member of julian''s faction."


    before the level 95 man had even opened his mouth to speak, minos had already said all there was to answer the expert''s questions.


    "oh? minos stuart?" he lowered his aura, already knowing the name, as this was the young man his uncle julian had been talking about for years within the kleinmann family.


    before he could ask any more questions and try to get to know the genius his uncle cared so much about, julian himself came out of one of the surrounding tents, surprised that minos had appeared there.


    "minos! are you back?" he exclaimed as he walked towards minos, seeing his three companions, but not too surprised.


    "it looks like things have been going well for you, huh? level 84 cultivation and demigods as companions... that''s not bad!" he exclaimed as he patted minos on the shoulder with both hands, quite pleased with all the progress the young man had made.


    "minos stuart, who sent you here? was it aarav?" julian''s level 95 nephew asked as the rest of the group, four other people, two women, and two men, all mid-level demigods, looked on.


    "yes. elder aarav sent me here. i''ve just arrived on the continent and spent some time talking to him and the rest of the faction before coming here. i''d like to join elder julian''s group for the meeting with the world leaders." minos replied without delay, making his intentions clear to everyone present.


    "would you like to accompany me?" julian controlled his excitement about the matter. "why is that? more importantly, what happened to you?"


    minos sighed and told for the third time that day a part of his latest story.


    ...

 Chapter 1958 The Continental Tournament

    chapter 1958 the continental tournament


    after minos told julian what had happened to his group, why he was back on the divine continent, and the origin of his dragon aura, he managed to upgrade the level 97 demigod.


    having also heard about minos'' group and the journey they were about to embark on, julian understood why aarav had sent this young man to him and emperor stuart''s motivations for participating in the elf-led event.


    looking at minos in front of a fire in his camp, where only his subordinate staff, members of his family, were present in addition to the staff with emperor stuart, he said. "your journey has been fascinating. it''s no wonder that you are so capable and talented. with such an adventurous personality, you will make great progress as long as you don''t die.


    but minos, take it easy. is it indispensable for you to go to the north sea? right now, i can''t guarantee you anything about that place, but when things settle down, i could personally go there with you if you want."


    "unfortunately, there''s no time to lose," minos commented, looking at the man next to him on the other side of the fire that warmed the area on this cold night.


    "the timing is terrible. if it were any other era, i would have gotten someone to travel with me to that area, and the risks wouldn''t be so significant. unfortunately, all the high-ranking demigods of our time are busy.


    some are at war. others are preparing for the hard times of the next ice age. apart from them, there are only those who have to watch over their territories or tribes... in short, the current situation has left practically no one of a high level free to worry about the same things i do." minos commented to the group as they sat or stood around the fire in silence.


    "but while you''re all busy, elder, time doesn''t stand still. i could be wrong, but if i''m not, then our time is short. if i don''t act now, there may not be time to prepare for the worst. so i have no choice but to hurry on."


    "it''s really a shame..."


    "it looks like a perfect storm is brewing." julian''s nephew muttered, imagining that if minos were right, the spiritual world would probably face the worst moment in its entire history in a matter of decades or centuries.


    too bad it had happened in their generation!


    julian looked at his nephew and closed his eyes, agreeing with these words, just in case minos was right.


    ''i hope he''s wrong.'' he thought to himself, aware of how absurd minos'' theory was but also certain that the brown-haired young man''s determination didn''t come from absurdity.


    minos really cared and was willing to take risks to gather evidence for his theories!


    he didn''t try to convince his allies that he was right without doing anything to prove his words. he assembled a group on his own to go to the north sea and bring back witnesses and proof of his words.


    that was the method of a person who did what they did sincerely and didn''t try to deceive others for their own benefit.


    "well, i wish you good luck. i won''t be able to join you in the near future, so i hope your journey to the north sea will be quick and successful. i''ll wait for the results." julian said after looking at the starry sky and then at minos.


    "hmm. i hope to bring results during the continental tournament."


    "continental tournament?" julian''s nephew asked. "will it still happen? i mean, if the predictions are correct, the ice age will begin just before the continental tournament... will the powers of the spiritual world still participate in this event?"


    "that''s a good question..." a woman from julian''s group asked.


    then nymmas, the dragon from minos'' group, said. "of course, the continental tournament will take place! in the last searing era, the tournament was held on schedule.nove-lb(1n


    do you think the world''s strongest will fail to win the continental tournament?"


    the continental tournament was an important event for the participants and the bettors. the participants could win unimaginable prizes, and the bettors could win bounties worthy of divine medicine!


    how was that possible? where did the funds for the prizes come from?


    the answer was related to the history of the organizations behind the event.


    as the main organization associated with the continental tournament, the pantheon of honor was born as a group that had organized events for large organizations in the past. if a family, sect, or state wanted to create a high-level event without developing it themselves, they would hire this group.


    from the beginning, the pantheon of honor was very good at creating attractive events, and their tournaments, parties, etc., became famous and were played worldwide.


    with the meteoric rise of this organization millions of years ago, they had obtained their first god.


    through this man, they created a spatial kingdom to host the events, which has since been treated as a unique sanctuary that this organization invests in developing and making as big and rich as possible.


    over time, this spatial kingdom had received space from other gods of the pantheon of honor or their allied organizations. eventually, it became the largest of all the alternative spaces in this world.


    thus, the continental tournament had been established between a partnership of the pantheon of honor and the elves and had been held in this space for a long time.


    it provided most of the resources for the participants of the tournament.


    however, this was not the only funding source for the continental tournament. in addition, those interested in participating in the tournament had to pay considerable fees to enter the event. not only that, but the winning bettors received only a portion of the amount accumulated from all the bets, which could be used to "buy" even divine-grade medicine!


    you might ask, how can you buy divine-grade medicine? weren''t they rare and challenging to mature? who would sell them?


    no one would, but with the resources generated by the tournament, the best spiritual professionals in the world would get resources for their activities, and together, during this event, they could try to predict where and when such resources would appear.


    then, the event''s big winner could get information about it if those involved in the prediction could find traces of the appearance of something of such value.


    that''s why the event had so much power to award such large prizes and was so attractive that it was unlikely to be canceled due to an impending disaster!


    ...

 Chapter 1959 Going to the Meeting of World Leaders

    chapter 1959 going to the meeting of world leaders


    "the dragon is right. an ice age won''t stop the continental tournament. it will definitely happen." julian commented to the group.


    the man''s nephew gave him a strange look. "but wouldn''t that be stupid? are we really going to compete and have fun in such a tournament, risking the lives of specialists from our forces during an ice age?"


    the continental tournament wasn''t just dangerous for the competitors, who would enter the organizers'' spatial kingdom and be an attraction for event viewers. it also carried many risks for the bettors, who tended to be individuals from the most powerful powers in the world.


    by bringing together world leaders to gamble, all kinds of problems could arise during and after the event.


    during the event, the gamblers could actively help or hinder the young people competing in the spatial kingdom by sending items and resources there.


    that could lead to more deaths in the spatial kingdom and, thus, more excitement for the many non-fan spectators who go to the venues where this event is held each tournament. but this could also lead to conflicts among the gamblers themselves, which could have consequences even hundreds of years after the tournament.


    at the end of the competition, not only would those who lost members feel a sense of vengeance, but the winners would have such good prizes that they would be watched for decades and eventually have to fight to keep their prizes.


    it wasn''t common for high-level demigods to die in battle in this world. yet, after the continental tournament, it happened with some frequency!


    that was the level of danger that came with being a bettor or competitor in the biggest tournament in this world!


    it was so chaotic and important that people couldn''t register for it. only states could register as competitors or bettors in the event!


    knowing all of it, that level 95 demigod couldn''t believe that in a chaotic era, the strongest organizations in the world would still risk becoming even weaker in an event like that.


    minos smiled and said. "for a mere piece of information from a divine-grade medicine, these strongest powers in the world are willing to burn down their organizations and families."


    that was the final truth about the continental tournament and its participants!


    why did the organizations and nations care about a tournament that could cause great losses to the participants?


    simple, for the chance that one of them would achieve something truly great and reach level 100!


    it would be worth everything to reach that level!


    in the entire history of the continental tournament, 7 divine medicines had been used as prizes, and 4 gods had been created because of these medicines.


    because of such a history, practically every level 99 demigod in the current spiritual world would participate in the tournament, no matter what the cost!


    almost all of them wanted to be the fifth to accomplish such a feat!n-)o)-v-(e--l-.b--i-.n


    a single god could create one of the strongest organizations in the world from scratch in a few weeks.


    so, even if they destroyed a sect that was hundreds of thousands of years old, it would not be a big deal for these strongest organizations in the world.


    would it be a big risk? yes, obviously. but the prize had the potential to be so good that it was worth any risk.


    julian agreed with minos. "for those who are far from level 99, this is hard to accept. but for the old people at level 99, in their last centuries of life, this is the last chance to move forward, extend their lives for a few thousand more years, and fulfill all their desires.


    an ice age will be no big deal to them. they will certainly put pressure on anyone who tries to delay or cancel the tournament. the tournament must be held!"


    the tournament was supported by practically every 10th-stage organization in the world. it was completely reliable due to the high-level contracts of the people involved in organizing it and the deterrent power of the many people interested in it.


    so it was not only reliable, but it was also an event that such a chaotic situation couldn''t stop.


    unless something happened to make it impossible for all the level 99 experts in the world to participate, nothing could stop it!


    minos then said. "anyway, i''ll try to make public what i can on my trip to the north sea during the continental tournament. but i''ll warn my allies of everything before then."


    "hmm, that''s good. the tournament is the best place to make contact with the strongest and most influential people in the world." julian said to minos.


    after that, he thought for a moment and asked. "but are you really interested in the meeting in the next few days? you won''t have a speaking place if you accompany me, minos. even if you have a lot of potential, you''ll have to act like a subordinate. world leaders don''t care about the potential of people outside their organizations. on the contrary, you might even get into trouble if you show too much."


    "i know. i''m just going with the elder. i want to see the world leaders and where i''m most likely to get help in the future. just listening will be enough for me to determine the personalities of many of these people." he said.


    "if that''s the case, then there shouldn''t be any problems. but try to retract your dragon aura as much as possible and stay very close to this guy." julian motioned to nymmas. "this will help you camouflage that part of you."


    "all right."


    "and if anyone tries to approach you, talk to me first. since your friends will be coming with you, some dragon, sky whale, or sea folk members may try to approach you."


    minos thought he wouldn''t have a problem with dragons because of his recent meeting with the leaders of that tribe. but he might end up being sought out by sky whales and sea folk, beings who might see him strangely because of his companions.


    "i''ll do what the elder said," minos spoke, seeing no problem in following such recommendations.


    "good. rest for today. at dawn, we''ll leave for the meeting led by the elves." julian rose and went to his tent, also a little anxious about the meeting in which he would represent the pantheon of honor.


    of course, his concerns were not the same as minos''. what interested him in this meeting were the measures the world''s strongest powers would take to deal with the difficult times ahead, how they would deal with the lack of resources and the problems that would come with an ice age, etc.


    so the group would soon spend the whole night resting in that camp, and at daybreak, they would move on to the appointed meeting place for some of the strongest in the world!

 Chapter 1960 Meeting of Acquaintances

    chapter 1960 meeting of acquaintances


    when julian''s group set out at dawn, it wasn''t long before they encountered the first groups of the world''s most powerful forces on their way to the meeting place hosted by the elves.


    the elves had arranged the meeting in the ruleless area between the three empires of the divine continent. in such an area, each of the groups that would participate in the event was already in small camps like julian''s on the outskirts of the area, from where they could walk to the meeting place.


    therefore, on their way to the meeting point, julian''s group would encounter three other groups, each as impressive or more so than the group of pantheon of honor representatives.


    the first group they encountered was a high-ranking power from the divine continent itself, a sect of half-breeds from the northeasternmost state of that continent. this group had six representatives: two high-level demigods, three mid-level demigods, and only one low-level demigod.


    the second group they encountered was a tribe of beasts from the continent of beasys, from an area of that continent minos had not passed through on his recent journey.


    but as soon as they saw minos'' group, those 10th-stage beasts paid attention to them, curious why there was a dragon among the pantheon of honor group.


    the third group was of humans from the central continent, a group from one of the strongest organizations in the evergreen empire.


    contrary to what one might think, not all the powers of that state were necessarily under the wings of the imperial family and the spiritual church.


    a very powerful clan lived in the evergreen empire and wasn''t necessarily involved in the church''s affairs. however, it was a little weaker than the church, and its leader was only at level 97.


    however, that was enough for such a family to be invited to this meeting of experts.


    minos watched in silence until someone approached his group.


    "julian, good to see you." a young-looking man with black hair approached the strongest of minos'' group with a smile on his face.


    "logan... i haven''t seen you in a few centuries, have i? do we need a crisis to bring you back to the continent?" julian smiled at his old acquaintance, one of the members of his faction and the pantheon of honor, who lived on the central continent.


    "it wasn''t so long ago." the eldest brother of the king of lusmait said as he looked at the strange group of his old friends.


    "who are those with you?"


    "you must have heard of him. this one is the emperor of the black plain empire, minos stuart." julian introduced the level 84 young man next to him.


    "oh?" the level 97 man there to represent his state opened his mouth, not expecting to find emperor stuart in this place. "you are part of the pantheon of honor?"


    "you didn''t know?" julian narrowed his eyes, for this man should know such a thing.


    logan bitterly laughed and said. "i have left the affairs of the pantheon of honor to my son..."


    "doesn''t that brat keep you up to date? damn it, logan. he has represented you at the last ten meetings of the organization. don''t tell me you don''t know what''s been decided?" julian was irritated.


    the pantheon of honor didn''t demand exclusivity from its members. many of them had a lot of freedom to stay in their organizations and only used such an institution to do business and get information.


    for someone like julian, who was a full-time member of the pantheon of honor, it was appalling to know that some of his colleagues behaved that way. it was very disrespectful!


    "don''t think too much about it. i intend to resign my position in kian''s name very soon." logan made no secret of it.


    getting into the pantheon of honor was tough, but once inside, a member could easily pass on their position to one of their heirs.


    of course, the heir of an invited member would be watched for a while and would have to meet the temple''s requirements. however, the difficulty of meeting those requirements couldn''t be compared to being invited by a temple elder.


    "that is a pity. an old man like you will always be useful to groups like ours." julian sighed when he heard that.


    "anyway, it was nice to see you." logan smiled and squeezed one of julian''s hands.


    "the same for me. you represent your state here?"


    logan nodded affirmatively. "yes, my brother is busy looking after the state." he looked at minos and thought how the war on that continent was due to this young man''s actions.


    "sigh... you should prepare yourself, young emperor." he said to minos. "the war shouldn''t last much longer. and whatever the outcome, expect trouble. they will surely come knocking at your door."


    minos didn''t doubt it and thanked the man for the reminder.


    as they talked and walked towards a place where several luxurious tents stood, other groups in the area spotted the people with julian, and some couldn''t help but narrow their eyes as they looked at minos.


    ''minos stuart!'' vico''s envoy, a level 98 demigod, clenched his fists at the sight of the culprit of all the war and instability in the central continent today.


    at the same time, an old acquaintance of minos, representing maximilian, also looked at him with interest but much more interested in emperor stuart''s journey.


    ''that human...'' the level 99 whale, who had almost killed minos and was then forced to become maximilian''s ally, looked at emperor stuart and couldn''t help but approach him.


    "minos stuart. you are a box of surprises. always surprising." he commented with a smile as he looked at the brown-haired man, seeing how much such a person had grown in the years since he had seen him.


    minos recognized the man in the humanoid form while several high-ranking cardinals of the spiritual church in the area looked at him. "senior, you look better than ever. how is senior flamen?" he said respectfully while julian and logan looked at the whale.


    "what are you doing here with the pantheon of honor, minos?" he ignored the question of the young human in front of him.


    "senior, i am here to follow elder julian. we belong to the same faction." minos didn''t hide it but avoided saying more than necessary.


    julian looked at the beast and asked. "do you have a problem with my junior, representative of the spiritual church?"


    "not at all." he laughed as he looked into logan''s eyes and then turned away.


    on the central continent, they were enemies. but there, neither of them would fight each other, even if it could be very advantageous for the fate of the war.n--o((v--e-.l))b--i(-n


    and so the meeting of the experts began with a tense start for minos'' group!


    ...

 Chapter 1961 Beginning of the World Leaders Meeting

    chapter 1961 beginning of the world leaders'' meeting


    as the level 99 whale moved away from minos'' group and the high-ranking cardinals of the church looked on, logan said goodbye to julian and went to join his own group.


    at the same time, one of the elves in charge of this meeting saw the tense little encounter between minos'' group and that of the spiritual church while they were being watched by the trevisani family and noticed something strange about the young 9th-stage human.


    "that human...'' a level 98 elf noticed minos'' dragon aura and emperor stuart''s connection with the elf who had helped him before he reached the seraphim''s ancient sarcophagus.


    minos'' destiny was tied to an elf, something any member of that race could easily sense.


    ''it seems that someone from my tribe has made an excellent deal with this young human.'' he smiled discreetly, seeing minos was not ordinary and his fate would be very valuable to such an elf.


    when an elf did well, the whole tribe won. so even though this man was not the one who had minos'' destiny, he was naturally pleased to see that a junior had made a deal with emperor stuart.


    therefore, he was curious to know who held the destiny of such a strange human who was clearly connected to the dragons and the sea folk.


    ''they aren''t the pantheon of honor members, so they are with that young sage.'' he thought as he watched the female member of the sea folk and the dragon walking very close to minos.


    while the elf thought about the group, a level 97 representative of the sky whale tribe glared at julian, seeing that the pantheon of honor dared to come to this meeting with a damned dragon.


    ''those bastards call themselves neutral, but in reality, they see no problem in hanging out with a fucking dragon!'' one of the representatives of the strongest tribe in the world thought as he glared at julian''s group.


    the dragons were already there, represented by one of the elders minos had recently met on the continent of beasts.


    ''i didn''t expect to see this young man again so soon...'' the level 98 dragon thought as they stared at minos'' group in silence, surprised that this young human was there.


    ''he must be here as julian''s escort.''


    the leader of the phoenixes was also there and wasn''t surprised that minos was with julian since he already knew this young man was part of the pantheon of honor.


    "hey, why is everyone looking at the pantheon of honor group?" a young blonde woman, very well dressed, level 94, asked the leader of her group, a level 99 man.


    looking at his niece, that peak expert sighed. "i don''t know."


    "you don''t know?" the woman looked at her uncle, hearing such an answer for the first.


    "your highness, don''t blame the supreme elder. we can''t possibly know everything." a level 97 man said to the blonde.


    the supreme elder of one of the three imperial houses on this continent said. "i know that a few years ago, the pantheon of honor accepted the first member in its entire history with cultivation below level 90. i''m guessing it''s this young man."


    "oh? that''s impressive. he must be very talented." she thought. "but that shouldn''t be enough for him to attract all the attention, right? look, the dragons, phoenixes, sky whales, elves, sea folk, the strongest of the central continent, you name it, everyone is looking at him.


    only we from the divine continent don''t seem to know what''s going on here."


    the two people standing next to the princess remained silent, understanding her doubt but having no idea what could be behind that unusual situation.


    at a meeting of demigods representing the strongest powers in the world, a sage had stolen all the attention.


    "perhaps he''s someone famous outside our lands, your majesty..." the advisor of one of the emperors present said to his leader, who, like the blonde princess, was curious about the situation of julian''s group.


    "find out for me." the old level 99 emperor said to his advisor. "if possible, find a way to bring this young man to me. i''d like to know what this newest member of the pantheon of honor is like."


    while everyone else seemed to be talking or looking in minos'' direction, the strongest of the elves there, level 99, ignored julian''s group when he saw sista''s representative approaching.


    "senior agis, where is senior aurae?" this level 97 man from the sista asked, seeking information about the strongest of the elves.


    looking at the human, a white-haired old man not far from the end of his life, the relatively young-looking elf, though much older than the human, said. "aurae aegolor is in seclusion."


    ''seclusion?'' the man sent by queen sista thought about it, wondering what that word meant to someone at the absolute peak of the 10th stage.


    ''will she try to advance?'' he wondered as he felt anxious because the emergence of gods at this time might change a lot of the current circumstances in the spiritual world.


    currently, there are no gods in this world. therefore, the appearance of one would give the state, tribe, family, or organization that had such a being great power over everyone else.


    of course, this was a bad thing, especially since these were times of crisis, different from normal when one didn''t necessarily need to hinder or disrupt the lives of others in order to grow.


    but with a god on their side, the elven tribe could gain an unimaginable advantage over the world''s other races in a time of chaos!


    ''this is terrible!'' the man thought to himself as he smiled and wished the strongest of the elves good luck. ''i hope his majesty vico succeeds in his seclusion. only he can give us some balance in the difficult times ahead!''nove/lb.in


    there were currently three level 99 demigods in seclusion, trying to advance to level 100. in addition, there were rumors among powerful seers that a fourth divine medicine would appear after the continental tournament, and someone else would have the chance to advance one level in that generation.


    considering how difficult things would be from now on, this man hoped that either everyone would fail in their attempts to advance or beings from different races would achieve such a feat. only then could the world remain stable in the face of the current chaotic era!


    with that in mind, the man returned to his group just before the elf he''d asked that question to stand up to get everyone''s attention.


    "since you''re all here, it''s time to begin..."

 Chapter 1962 The Importance of the Weakest

    chapter 1962 the importance of the weakest


    "we are here today to discuss the next calamity that will hit the spiritual world in about 20 years, the new ice age." the level 99 elf said, drawing everyone''s attention there in a large tent where the meetings of these world leaders would take place.


    inside that tent were a few tables here and there, sofas, cushions, in short, places where the members of the world''s greatest powers could sit as they pleased.


    standing around were the companions of each group, as well as a few elves who served drinks and snacks to the groups of specialists present.


    as the elf spoke loudly for all to hear, those who were still chatting, revisiting their acquaintances, or meeting new groups, everyone stopped their random conversations, fell silent, and turned their attention to the most important topic of the moment.


    julian sat in a chair next to a round table that could seat up to eight people while minos and his team stood beside him.


    ignoring the many experts around, minos looked at the level 99 elf who had started this event, curious to see what would be decided there.


    ages like the one that was about to begin had hit the world several times, but henricus longus had never seen such a chaotic period in his time. what he knew of these extreme times was the same as minos, that they had happened and had been challenging for the many races of the world.


    as such, minos had no experience with it and was naturally curious how organizations that had already experienced several such moments would deal with the challenges that were about to hit them.nove/lb(in


    the elf continued his speech when he noticed everyone''s attention was on him. "the next ice age will hit us hard. in less than 40 years, we expect the world''s highest peaks to be covered with a meter of ice, while even the warmest climates will have snow for a few months of the year.


    at that time, all the world''s crops will begin to suffer, and many areas will lose their growing conditions altogether."


    he said, frightening many there with how quickly this ice age would progress.


    a chaotic era doesn''t start overnight, and it doesn''t reach its climax quickly.


    the last ice age lasted 350,000 years and reached its climax 20,000 years after it began.


    that was not much, considering the length of such an ice age. but the current one was expected to reach the same in less than a century!


    if it was that strong, then either its duration would be shorter, or the current catastrophe might become the worst in the entire history of the spiritual world!


    "this is terrible!"


    "we won''t be able to replenish our supplies!"


    "if this is true, countless species will perish..."


    comments in low voices came from the surrounding area, and everyone there was somber.


    "yes, it''s all awful, but this is what our seers predicted." the elf who spoke said. "therefore, we must begin our joint efforts immediately.


    i''d like to ask all the powers here to tell their subordinates to start rationing food and stockpiling supplies immediately.


    start preparing your cities, but above all, invest what you can in your agricultural fields. in the last ice age, the ones who suffered the least were those who concentrated on developing their arable land."


    these people were experts of the highest level, beings who no longer needed to eat to live. but as far away from their reality as starvation was, it was the thing that worried them the most at the moment.


    why was that?


    most of their strength depended on lower-level beings who needed food to survive and do their activities.


    if there were a food shortage, 80% of the world''s population would suffer, and less than 20% of the world''s strongest would be endangered.


    the ordinary people who needed to eat were the ones who produced 99% of the world''s food, mined 99% of the crystals, produced more than 90% of the world''s economy, and so on.


    without ordinary people, the world''s greatest powers would lose much of their operations. after all, even if a single high-level cultivator could do the work of many low-level people, such a being could not be in several places simultaneously.


    in other words, while a thousand people could do a thousand different jobs simultaneously, a person who''s a thousand times stronger wouldn''t necessarily be able to do all of their jobs.


    they might even be able to do everything in a specific amount of time. still, they wouldn''t be able to do it as quickly because they wouldn''t be able to do all the services simultaneously.


    that could delay many things and, of course, waste the power of someone at a high level on simple things.


    in short, losing ordinary people would be terrible for the powers represented by the strongest people in that tent. therefore, everyone there was worried about something as simple as basic food.


    ''in order to deal with the threat to the crops, i have to increase the temperature of the soil, the flow of spiritual energy, and the brightness of the area. the ice age comes with a decrease in not only the temperature but also the illumination of the world.'' minos thought about what he should do to protect his many fields.


    ''on the other hand, we''ll have to heat the cities similarly, and they can''t be far from the fields... fortunately for me, my territory is practically an agricultural state, and the most important cities are well located concerning the plantations.''


    ordinary people were not like specialists. during the ice age, they would be very limited by the low temperatures, and, of course, they wouldn''t be able to go far from their workplace to their homes.


    therefore, it wouldn''t be unusual for many cities to be abandoned during this period and their populations to move to the cities closer to the agricultural fields.


    "we need to start moving the population from the cities far from the plantations..." the elf suggested such a thing, something that would harm many businesses of people in cities that would be practically abandoned during such a period, something terrible that would intensify the crisis that would soon reach that world.


    ''i will be less affected by this because of the formation of my empire. but the cities of vogel, end, waves, and especially snow will suffer greatly.'' minos pondered, aware he wouldn''t be as affected as the other powers there, but still, tens of millions of people in his state would be affected.


    especially the snow lands, which already had a cold climate in many parts in normal times, could be completely ruined in this era.


    ''i''ll try to keep only the capital of snow, where the harbor connecting our territory with the fastest way to elves island is.'' minos felt, realizing that he would lose a lot of business in that area.


    but there was nothing he could do about it. low-level workers wouldn''t be able to live there anymore, so they could only lose the potential of an entire territory during the approaching crisis.


    the good thing was that these people could contribute to maintaining the empire''s most important territory, something very important to minos.


    finally, the world experts discussed the food and housing problems that the world would soon face, with many suggesting strategies to mitigate the damage that would come with the ice age.


    after more than an hour of discussion, they moved on to the next topic, still related to crops but more relevant to them and their powers.


    ...

 Chapter 1963 Main Purpose of the Meeting

    chapter 1963 main purpose of the meeting


    "moving on to the next topic, we should reduce the planting of high-level medicines in our territories and focus on the more elemental ones." a level 98 elf said, surprising some juniors who were less aware of the challenges ahead.


    "what?"


    "but why should we do that? it would be even worse for us. don''t disasters like this already reduce the amount of high-level medicine? will we have to do that for ourselves?"


    several people commented in unhappy tones, and even someone from julian''s group talked about it.


    minos then said. "if you plant a high-level medicine next to a low-level one, the higher-level one will steal the energy and laws that the lower-level one would absorb, which could infinitely increase the maturation time of the one that should mature the fastest.


    in a chaotic ice age, high-level medicine can sabotage food crops and low-level medicine, even if they are very far away from each other. in short, continuing to cultivate high-level medicine could create an even more intense problem for us."


    hearing minos, a woman from julian''s group opened her mouth, not expecting this.


    if they didn''t want to destroy the structure of society and give the weakest a chance to survive and develop, they would have to sacrifice their resources!


    "that''s why chaotic eras are so bad." julian sighed. "either we make difficult decisions like this, or we will eventually face a spiritual collapse caused by the end of the progress of our weakest cultivators."


    and that would be disastrous. after all, who created the world''s population in this world? it was the weakest ones who had the least trouble reproducing.


    but what would happen if those weaker ones ran into cultivation bottlenecks at lower levels? the talents of their descendants would be downgraded, and the world''s average level would drop drastically.


    high-level cultivators wouldn''t be able to have children, and most of them wouldn''t live very long. what would happen in such a terrible scenario? well, most of the strongest experts would die within the first few thousand years after the catastrophe. after a while, the world would run the risk of being unable to produce demigods if the preparations before the catastrophe were not done well.


    throughout history, several races have perished because of this, so even the strongest were willing to cut back on the production of high-level resources from their territories, even if it was counterintuitive.


    in practice, this meant they would have to immediately start rationing medicine and reducing the overall production of resources such as pills.


    high-level resources were to be used only as a last resort, for example, during the evolution of a physique grade or during a breakthrough that could not be achieved without the help of such resources.


    only with rationing would the world as a whole have a chance to survive the crisis and one day flourish again without significant losses.


    the ecosystem of the spiritual world was complex. if too many races collapsed, it could even affect the future of the races that survived the disaster.


    in short, it was as if the stronger the races and the more high-level beings there were, the easier it was to become a high-level expert.


    in other words, the more level 99 demigods there were, the easier it would be for other lower-level beings to reach that level. on the other hand, the fewer high-level beings there were, the more difficult it would be to achieve that.


    if too many experts disappeared from the world and were not replaced by members of new generations, there was a danger that all races would face greater difficulties in ascending to higher levels.


    that''s why all the world leaders were so worried about the impending catastrophe and why they were willing to meet and discuss ways to survive this period.


    even enemies like dragons and sky whales, those sent from the eastern and western regions of the central continent, could tolerate each other''s presence at this meeting!


    as much as they wanted to continue their conflicts, they were willing to sit down in peace with these enemies and other powers to discuss the future and the necessary measures to be taken in the face of the new ice age.


    several people, including humans, beasts, and hybrids, expressed their opinions on the matter, discussing how to utilize their resources more efficiently while reducing the number of high-grade medicine plantations.


    they would decide that plantations above the saint-grade, i.e., saint and divine ones, should be reserved exclusively for the spatial kingdoms after the medicines of this quality that still exist outside these regions of space have matured.


    on the other hand, they should focus on cultivating common and warrior-grade medicines, while the production of king-grade medicines should be reduced but maintained at 50% of the current level.


    soon after that was discussed, the event would be temporarily paused so that those present could have a chance to do business with each other and organize themselves to better follow the recommendations.n)-ovelb1n


    some states had more medicine and food than others. in contrast, others, such as the ancient kingdom of stone island, did not produce any food and would naturally suffer during such difficult times.


    aware of what they needed to do if they didn''t want to face extreme problems in the future, those who needed food the most immediately took advantage of such a pause to try to do business with those who had more options on their side.


    this meeting wasn''t just to advise those who didn''t know how to deal with the difficult times ahead or to agree on joint actions. it was a meeting for the powers to negotiate among themselves and make exchanges and agreements based on what they were advised to do.


    only through negotiation could they meet all of the demands that the elves, in particular, had made in order to overcome their future difficulties or to lessen the severity of the problems they would face.


    with that, the dozens of humans and beasts in the large tent were soon talking to each other and making deals, while the area had been divided into several separate booths where they would have privacy to discuss their business.


    while julian was dealing with the first group interested in negotiating with the pantheon of honor, someone appeared at the entrance to his small business area, looking for someone from his group.


    "hello, my leader would like to see emperor minos stuart. is he available?" a level 97 demigod asked julian''s nephew, surprising the level 95 guy.


    "minos?" the man looked where minos was standing but didn''t refuse. "wait a minute."


    ...

 Chapter 1964 Unexpected Encounter

    chapter 1964 unexpected encounter


    "what? someone wants to see me?" minos made a surprised face when he heard julian''s nephew. "who is this person?"


    "i think he''s a ruler on the continent. a level 97 representative of the crora empire was the one who asked your name, minos." this level 95 man said, making emperor stuart even more surprised.


    julian heard this while talking to a beast from the continent of beasts and mentally said to minos and his nephew. ''you two should go through with this. but be careful what you say, and if anything strange happens or even if these people ask dangerous questions, alert me immediately.''


    ''all right.'' the two said in mental communication with julian and then left, along with minos'' companions on this journey.


    seeing minos next to that level 95 man, the level 97 demigod sent by the emperor of the crora empire smiled and said. "your majesty minos stuart, it''s a pleasure to meet you. this one is called dale. i''m here to escort you to his majesty zac crora. please accompany me."


    ''zac crora?'' julian''s nephew thought, knowing that this was the name of the emperor of the northernmost state of the divine continent. ''what would someone like him want with minos?'' he asked himself, somewhat curious but also worried.


    all meetings of this event took place inside the large tent where the meeting had started, so in less than a minute, minos and his group were in front of emperor crora''s small hut.


    once there, dale immediately made room for them to get to where their leader was sitting on a cushion on the floor.


    seeing that level 99 demigod, minos, and the other four at his side immediately made gestures of greeting, introducing themselves to emperor crora while bending down to avoid looking down at him.


    emperor crora ignored minos'' companions and looked only at the brown-haired young man.


    "young minos, i''ve been looking forward to meeting you." he said with a smile, making the wrinkles and expression lines on his face more friendly, making him look like a kind old man.


    "your majesty must be joking. i''m just a nobody." minos said sincerely.


    no matter how high his talent and how significant his possessions were, compared to that man, he was no different than an ordinary person.


    "don''t be so modest, young man. one day you''ll get far enough to be respected by experts as strong or influential as me." zac commented before addressing what he wanted to do with minos.


    "anyway, i''m curious about you, young man. to enter the pantheon of honor as a sage at such a young age is an impressive achievement. i''d like to know how you did it... i know people at level 95 who don''t have the same privileges as you." he said as he looked at minos, still with a friendly expression.


    "i was lucky," minos spoke. "the elder julian found me, and he saw potential in me with his ability... that''s all. maybe others around the world are better than me in many ways but lack the opportunity to come in contact with an expert who doesn''t want them dead."


    "hmm, luck definitely helps those with skills," zac commented, not thinking it was a lie, even though minos had skillfully hidden what julian had seen in him.


    zac also recognized the ability of young people to deal with experts of his level, so he didn''t press minos since the young man had evaded the question without showing any ill will towards him. "and what do you think about this ice age that will hit us, young minos? i know you have a large population to feed. how do you plan to deal with these times?"


    "sigh... it will be complicated. i believe the times ahead will be far worse than anyone can imagine, your majesty. hundreds of millions of living beings, perhaps even more than a billion, will perish in the next 50 years.


    so i''m not too excited. the challenges ahead will bring out the worst and the best in all of us." minos answered without mentioning his concerns about the north sea.


    it wasn''t interesting to talk about the fact that there might be beings from outside the spiritual world threatening a world about to enter what might be the most extreme ice age of all.


    there was a limit to how much bad information one could give to others without causing unnecessary misunderstandings and problems!


    hearing minos'' solemn tone, the emperor and his two right-hand men who stood with him looked earnestly at the young man before them, giving him room to say what was in his heart.


    "but i have many plans to protect my state. as soon as i return to the central continent, i will begin internal migrations in my territory and focus on investing in the most important cities and agricultural fields.


    i have many alliances throughout the central continent and beyond, so i intend to do business with my partners, establishing special routes and resource exchanges that will be good for my state.


    i hope to have everything ready before the new ice age begins in 20 years."


    "hmm, that''s the right thing to do," zac commented before asking. "but how much food can you offer your allies, young minos? i know you probably don''t have many high-level medicine plantations, given the old reality of your state. so your state will probably have a good chance of success with food crops and low-level medicine."


    zac''s logic was simple. the northern region of the central continent suffered from spiritual poverty, so even with the improvements minos had made in recent decades, there shouldn''t be any saint medicine plantations there.


    that meant there would be nothing to stop the black plain empire from developing its foods and medicines, giving it an advantage in these productions over states that would have to wait for high-grade crops to mature.


    thus, while minos would probably have few high-grade medicines, he would have plenty of food to trade!


    if minos had plenty of common food to trade, someone like him, the leader of the crora empire, would have high-level medicine to trade for common food!n-)ove1b1n


    his state was huge, with a population even larger than that of the black plain empire but with less arable land than minos'' domains.


    in other words, he would have to import food if he wanted his state to suffer less during the coming ice age.


    doing business with minos might be the best thing for him and his state!


    "oh?"


    ...

 Chapter 1965 Accidentally the Most Influential

    chapter 1965 accidentally the most influential


    when he realized what emperor crora wanted, minos was surprised at first, as he hadn''t expected a leader of a high-ranking state to want to do business with him.


    but when he stopped to analyze his and the world''s current situation, minos realized that he could be considered as important or even more important than some high-ranking powers!


    no matter how weak he was, he had allies who could guarantee his operations. as the leader of the black plain empire, he had such a large arable land that his state could be one of the top food producers in the spiritual world!


    even though the black plain empire still had to improve a lot to be able to compete with the top-level empires, and even though he, as a ruler, was far away from people like zac due to the approaching ice age, minos could already sit at the table with experts like this emperor in front of him.


    he hadn''t received an invitation from the elves, but he could be considered one of the most important people at this meeting, which had as its crucial point the plantations around the world during the ice age.


    ''that is true... my agricultural fields are the largest in the entire central continent! i have more to trade than states like evergreen empire, sista, lusmait, eastern empire, etc.'' minos thought about how to answer emperor crora''s question.


    "my state currently produces about 8 billion tons of food per year. in normal times, i can provide 40% of that. during an ice age, i''m not sure. i don''t know how much my harvest will be affected."


    "8 billion tons?" one of the two men behind emperor crora asked in surprise, not expecting the production of the black plain empire to be that high.


    but these three men didn''t understand the current food reality of the central continent. at present, more than 70% of the continent is fed by resources planted and harvested in the black plain empire!


    the empire minos created was now the largest agricultural breadbasket in the world!


    no one knew this because of the lack of information and contacts between the various players in the market, but that was the case.


    hearing minos'' words, the men of the crora empire and those behind him were amazed at emperor stuart''s production capacity.


    but minos had lowered his estimate of how much he should be able to offer now.


    with the expansion of the marine part of his empire in the northeast of the ancestral sea, his underwater plantations would increase such production significantly. he was sure that in a few years, he could significantly increase the amount of food at his disposal.


    minos replied. "yes, that''s right. i can trade about 3.2 billion tons of food with my disposal.


    minos replied. "yes, that''s right. i can trade about 3.2 billion tons of food with my allies."


    "and how much will you be able to store until the ice age begins?" emperor crora asked.


    minos thought for a moment and answered. "currently, my reserves are no more than 5 billion tons. but i will try to reserve about 3 to 4 billion tons from now on. so when the ice age begins, i''m confident i''ll have about 75 billion of food."


    emperor crora almost turned pale when he heard that because if those words were true, minos alone could feed the entire spiritual world for a couple of years.


    but as impressive as that was, an ice age could last for thousands and thousands of years. not only that, but when the disaster began, it was expected that in less than 50 years, crops worldwide would lose between 40% and 70% of their yield.


    that could worsen throughout the disaster and also depending on the measures taken before and during the crisis.


    in other words, as fabulous as minos'' figures were, they alone would not guarantee the entire world''s survival for the duration of the ice age.


    but knowing that someone in the current generation had that much capacity was good news for these people, especially since they had been the first to approach minos with the intention of doing business.


    "how much of that number would you be willing to pledge to my state?" zac asked, looking seriously at minos. "i intend to pay in high-quality medicine and also in crystals."


    "we can make a deal for 3 billion tons of these reserves, with the potential for an increase of 2 billion, depending on how my production performs during the crisis," minos replied.


    that amount of food would be worth between 1.5 and 2 billion high-grade crystals or the equivalent of about 500,000 high-grade medicines.


    that was an astronomical value, even for the mighty crora empire!


    however, this would not be an agreement that would be fulfilled in the blink of an eye, but over the course of the crisis, something that could be paid for with crystals, medicines, and who knew what else.


    aware, zac said. "that figure sounds good to me. let''s make a deal. i''ll pay you when my state gets this food."


    "okay. i''ll have your reserve in 20 years. when you want to use it, just let me know before you send your ships to the black plain empire." minos said, already making it clear that the transportation job would be this man''s, not his.


    minos already knew that there would be fights for food as the crisis worsened. to better protect himself, he wouldn''t transport food outside his state, and he already intended to make arrangements with his allies to prevent powerful beings from looking dangerously at his state.


    zac saw no problem in making the transport, and soon, he and minos would discuss the numbers and how the payment would be made and quickly come to an agreement. n.(o--v((e-/l--b.-i-/n


    the crora empire would pay for half of the food it bought from minos with king or saint grade medicines, while the rest of the debt would be settled with high-grade crystals. if the minos state wished, they could negotiate other forms of payment later.


    as minos and zac detailed their agreement, julian''s nephew sighed, seeing nothing problematic would happen after all that had been said.


    ''uncle julian, minos is making a deal with the crora empire. that''s all the emperor wanted to talk to him about.'' he said to the level 97 guy in another part of the tent.


    ''oh? that''s not bad. keep up with him.'' julian told his nephew.


    meanwhile, minos'' companions reconsidered their partnership with him, seeing that their tribes had to communicate with such an emperor about this food.


    "tell minos that i am going to the envoys of my empire. i will return as soon as possible." said the level 92 woman of the sea folk to the mercenary and the dragon before leaving to search for her people.


    nymmas didn''t hesitate to do the same, leaving only julian''s nephew and the level 92 mercenary in emperor crora''s business area.


    ...

 Chapter 1966 The Northern Stronghold of the Central Continent

    chapter 1966 the northern stronghold of the central continent


    after a few minutes, minos finished his nearly 30-minute conversation with emperor crora, formalizing his first agreement with a state on the divine continent.


    afterward, minos wore a satisfied expression on his face, for he now had a new partnership that could be of great use to him in the future, whether it be in dealing with the instability of the central continent or in dealing with possible threats in the north sea.


    "where are the others?" he asked the mercenary and julian''s nephew, the only ones waiting for him.


    "these two went looking for groups of representatives of your people. when they saw you doing business, they were interested in bringing you and your people closer together." the mercenary said while julian''s nephew looked at minos a little strangely.


    "minos, is all this serious? your state can produce so much food?" the level 95 demigod asked.


    with what the black plain empire produced each year, they had enough to feed the entire human population of the central continent!


    since the black plain empire didn''t even have half of the continent''s territory, julian''s nephew couldn''t help but wonder if minos'' words were really true.


    "yes, i can actually produce more than i said. the problem is that i''m starting to get results with underwater crops, and i''ll soon have to give up some land because of its location." minos replied. "so i gave a number that i''m sure i can produce and accumulate over the next few years. but i''ll probably exceed that number."


    "how? how can you produce so much with so little territory?" the man was surprised.


    "because the region where my state is located is great for growing food." minos smiled. "in the distant past, this area was the richest in the central continent. did you know that?"


    "yes, but the great migration and the spiritual collapse of the northern region of your continent changed that."


    minos nodded in agreement. "exactly. but there are reasons to explain the former prosperity. it wasn''t just due to spiritual wealth since the central continent was very balanced in terms of spiritual wealth in the distant past. the reason that this region was the most important was because of the terrain of the northern region.


    the northern region of the central continent has the most favorable terrain, soil, minerals, and climate for practically every crop type.


    unlike the high-level states of today''s central continent, most of the land in the north is arable. therefore, i can produce more in an equivalent area than any other state on the continent."


    every piece of land in this world would have a different productivity if they were compared. the area of the black plain empire that stretched from vogel to the southern border of end, from the coast to the endless snow mountain range and albano, was almost 90% arable. n()0velb1n


    since this was the area that had benefited most from minos'' interventions in the past decades, it produced almost all of his state''s output, enough even to meet the needs of all the people on the continent.


    however, minos couldn''t meet the needs of every living being on the continent since the beasts existed in similar numbers to the humans and ate far more than them.


    therefore, he and his state could still greatly increase their production without risking losing it for lack of a market.


    "then you should trade some of your food reserves with the organization." the level 95 demigod said, knowing that it would be important not only for the pantheon of honor but even for his family to do business with minos.


    even if they had their own production and contacts to share food with each other, a food guarantee from minos would be very worthwhile.


    in the coming times of crisis, there would certainly be disputes over resources, which would eventually lead to the loss of entire shipments.


    it would be good to have more than one supplier in such a catastrophe so that such a loss would not hit them even harder!


    "i''m open for business," minos said with a smile on his face. "however, if we do business, i will have problems, and i will need the help of my allies."


    "what problems?" the man asked as he, the mercenary, and minos walked back to where julian was standing.


    "as i make deals regarding my food reserves, i will be unable to make new deals and will become a target of those with fewer deals. that could eventually make my state a target for powerful organizations.


    in order to protect my people and the resources in their interest, i will need protection and an upfront payment for every deal we make." minos narrowed his eyes and took the opportunity to make other demands.


    the leader of the crora empire, for example, had made a simpler agreement with minos. however, he had been the first to do so, and according to emperor stuart, he when making such important agreements, one was not obliged to treat all partners equally.


    the leader of the crora empire, for example, had made a simpler agreement with minos. however, he had been the first to do so, and according to emperor stuart, he hadn''t been the last.


    now that his resources would be more important to outside powers than before, minos had no reason to continue with the same strategy as before.


    "if you want, the protection itself could be considered as an advance payment for some of the resources, even if it will be for the good of both sides," minos added, making his offer more attractive.


    the level 95 demigod saw no problem with that, as it made perfect sense that minos would try to protect himself and that his allies were the only ones with the power to do so.


    ''we can be trusted because we''re from the same organization. at the same time, this could give our side a big discount, while others will probably have to pay a part of the bill for us.'' he thought as he saw the dragon return to minos'' side, imagining that other, less reliable organizations would have to make different payments, which would probably offset some expenses that might have been theirs but could be passed on to others.


    "i''ll see what i can do with my uncle." he said, knowing there would be arrangements within the pantheon of honor regarding that matter.


    the pantheon of honor was basically made up of demigods. but all of these experts had their families, and many of them were still members of other organizations, sects, clans, and so on.


    they certainly had low-level people who depended on such food!


    when they arrived where julian was alone, nymmas took the opportunity to say. "minos, my tribe is interested in doing business with you. we''ll give you support, resources, in short, anything you want in exchange for low-grade food and medicine."


    "oh? that''s good." minos laughed.


    "the dragons want that? but will you be able to suppress the dragons'' demand, minos?" julian asked.


    "yes," minos said. "even though each dragon eats 200 to 1,500 times more than humans, their numbers are much smaller than humans. trading some of my reserves with them won''t be that complicated."


    "and how much can you offer our faction?" julian came straight to the point, using his group to make a deal with minos since together they were as influential as a state.


    at the same time, minos'' food reserves in the pantheon of honor would give his faction an advantage over the others in that organization.


    "the same as i offered to the crora empire. either way, it''s up to you. but i need demigods to protect my crops and storehouses." minos asked.


    "hmm, we can do that." with that, minos would soon be in business with julian!

 Chapter 1967 Excellent Accords

    chapter 1967 excellent accords


    while minos negotiated with julian, agreeing on the points that needed to be met in order for their faction to have rights to the black plain empire''s food reserves, niamh was with the group of marine empire representatives.


    in another part of the huge tent, the level 92 woman who had been traveling with minos for years was standing in front of a level 98 marine empire emissary.


    next to the high-ranking demigod was a high-ranking member of the sanctuary of visions, level 96, who was watching the woman with a curious look.


    "niamh, what do you want from us?" this level 96 man asked. "i hear you''re on a journey to accompany minos stuart to the north sea. what are you doing on the central continent?"


    "to answer the elder, we are preparing for the journey to the north sea." she said as she prostrated herself before her superiors. "the north sea is dangerous even for beings stronger than us, so from the beginning of our journey, minos planned to travel the seas, the continent of beasts, and the divine continent to gather crewmates and strengthen ourselves.


    his goal is to actually go to the north sea in another four to six years. nothing less.


    the man from sanctuary of visions was already aware of this, as there was a notice in his organization about minos'' visit, what he had promised, and about the group of members from his organization who were accompanying this human.


    minos had done what he had promised so far, so this man had no suspicions about emperor stuart and the possibility that he was using his organization to strengthen himself.


    in any case, minos was not expected to attend this event, so not in any case, minos was not expected to attend this event, so not only he but also the members of the imperial lineage who were there to represent the marine empire were naturally curious about the situation of the young emperor stuart''s group.


    in particular, they wanted to know what this woman, or perhaps minos, wanted with them.


    "and why are you here?" the level 98 demigod asked. "is minos stuart trying to contact us in some way?"


    "no. i came here on my own." niamh replied, getting right to the point. "minos stuart is more powerful than anyone can imagine. i don''t just mean in spiritual power but in influence.


    he''s just made a deal with the crora empire for 3 billion tons of food, and i have a feeling he''ll be making many more deals like that soon."


    "oh?" the sea folk men were surprised by this information, not expecting minos to actually have that much food to trade.


    ''is that why he came to this meeting?'' the level 98 demigod thought to himself. ''it makes sense. with so many resources, he could even get support from some of the strongest groups in our world.''


    ''so he doesn''t know that you''ve come here? would he make a deal with us? if he''s already promised so much food to the crora empire, he might not be able to meet our demand." the level 97 demigod said.


    "i believe he can supply our needs as well. as far as i know, the black plain empire is a major producer of common food, elder." she said with a smile. "but he certainly won''t be able to do business with many organizations. i believe he will make 4, 5, or 6 deals at most and not promise food to anyone else.


    so, i''m here to suggest that the elders go to minos for such a deal. he certainly needs a lot of what we have."


    during the ice age, the creatures on land suffered the most in terms of food.


    water''s ability to retain heat far exceeded the atmosphere''s, so the ocean floor could remain relatively warm during such eras, meaning that some marine food production would not decline during such a crisis.


    however, a significant portion of the food of underwater origin came from a region where the light from the surface reached a strip of water that would be immensely affected during the ice age.


    marine food production would definitely decrease during the ice age, although the decrease would be less than on land.


    so, even beings who could live on the surface or underwater might need food deals like the one minos had made earlier with emperor crora.


    "you have done well, niamh. please arrange a meeting between us and emperor minos stuart''s group." the level 98 demigod said, seeing no problem in further strengthening the relationship between his empire and this young human.


    ...


    an hour and a half later, minos had already made two or three new agreements about food and had made reservations for the dragons, the sea folk, and julian''s faction.


    with the food promised to zac, minos now had to gather the equivalent of 13 billion tons of food over the next few decades to meet the demands of these treaties.


    that was small compared to his productive capacity. still, his empire and its alliances before this day consumed most of what was produced annually. moreover, his state would need a significant portion of its reserves during the ice age!


    with this in mind, minos didn''t plan to make many more treaties than these four.


    but with just these four treaties, he had managed to secure the future of the black plain empire!


    over the next 20 years, these four powers would pay him about 15% of the promised food, enough for him to invest in the agriculture of his entire territory to protect himself from any future crisis.


    at the same time, julian, the dragons, and the sea folk would send 3 mid-level demigods to the black plain empire over the next 10 years, 1 every 3 years, starting at the end of next year.


    in addition, when the ice age actually began and began to significantly affect the entire world, these three powers would take turns protecting that area with at least one high-ranking demigod. n/-o(/v/(e/-1--b/)i//n


    with that decided, minos was one of the biggest beneficiaries of this first day of the world leaders'' meeting, quickly attracting the attention of those attending the event.


    few knew what he had discussed with his new or old allies. but everyone at the event could easily see that minos was the one who had met the most with the forces represented at the event!


    it wouldn''t be long before the elves turned their attention to him again.


    ''minos stuart... it seems that your influence is greater than i had imagined.'' thought one of the strongest elves in charge of the gathering, curious to see what this young man had to offer.


    comment

 Chapter 1968 Conversations with Elves (1)

    chapter 1968 conversations with elves (1)


    ''minos stuart, i want to see you in person. come to me.''


    a voice reached the minds of minos and everyone in his group, including julian, and made them look in the direction of where the elves, the leaders of this meeting, should be.


    "such a voice..." julian recognized who was behind that message and immediately realized that one of the strongest people on elven island wanted to meet with minos.


    "minos, you must go and meet him. but be careful and as respectful as possible. that being is probably the strongest here at the moment". julian said, looking soberly at the brown-haired young man in front of him.


    even the strongest sky whale there, representing his tribe, lost in strength to that elf!


    as was said before, just because the sky whale tribe was the strongest in the spiritual world, it didn''t mean that every member of the race was stronger than members of other races, at the same level.


    for example, there were level 99 humans who were stronger than level 99 sky whales.


    that was extremely rare, and most sky whales were much stronger than those of other races at their level.


    but the elf who had just called minos was one of those rare exceptions, someone who was second in strength only to the leader of the sky whale tribe!


    "okay, then i''d better go alone." minos looked at his companions, confident that the elves wouldn''t do anything against him.


    many experts were there, and minos had already made deals with several groups. what''s more, his leadership of the black plain empire could serve the elves'' purpose of keeping as much of the spiritual world as possible at a high level during and after the crisis that was about to hit the world.


    elves were the protectors of nature, of the world itself, but also those who benefited most from the spiritual riches of the spiritual world.


    to them, anyone who acted in defense of the world and did things that brought wealth to the world was welcome.


    knowing the truth, though aware of the elves'' dirty side, minos set out to meet this level 99 elder.


    in the blink of an eye, he entered a small room inside the large tent of that camp, where he encountered two elves sitting on cushions on the floor, drinking some sort of hot beverage.


    "seniors." minos made a gesture of greeting to the two individuals there, one a level 99 elf and the other a level 98.


    both had greenish skin, blond hair, and an extremely youthful appearance, with their characteristic large, pointed ears.


    these were the common characteristics of all elves, something that made it easy for an inattentive person to confuse two elves of the same gender.


    "minos stuart..." the weaker of the two looked into the brown eyes of the human standing before him and his companion and saw a glimpse of the young man''s fate while feeling his powerful aura and spiritual fluctuation. "you are truly a rare gem. where exactly are you from, minos? who were your parents?"


    "ordinary people, far way to the greatness of the elders," minos answered sincerely.


    "as expected... indeed, you are a child destined for disaster." the stronger elf muttered while analyzing minos at the same time.


    "does the senior think i''m unusual because of the difficult times ahead?" minos easily understood the elf''s words, knowing hard times made strong warriors.


    "yes, i do. but that doesn''t take away from your merit. the world gives its inhabitants more powers when in danger. but the things you''ve achieved are not guaranteed just because you were chosen randomly." the elf said, slowly speaking as he used a piece of bamboo to shape the steam from his tea.


    the steam took the shape of the things he was talking about, showing minos an animation of a world in trouble, with several ''stars'' appearing around it.


    "we elves are also part of the world''s chosen ones, so we protect it. do you understand that, minos? i can see that someone from my tribe has made a deal with you, so i''m afraid you understand us wrong."


    "is there a wrong way to understand you, senior?" minos asked.


    the level 98 elf replied. "when one of us makes a deal like the one one of our juniors made with you, minos, it''s not necessarily to your detriment. nove-lb-1n


    you must have benefited before making a deal with one of our tribe members, right? as long as you keep your word, your deal with that elf will be completed, and both sides will have won.


    the actions of our tribe members are not about stealing the destiny of talents. this trait of ours is just an advantage that the world has given us to guarantee our agreements and our ability to foresee disasters and protect the world from them.


    "if it weren''t for that, minos, we wouldn''t be able to foresee the current crisis, let alone stand up as the leader of the world coalition to organize the forces around the world in these difficult times ahead." the other level 99 elf said, showing emperor stuart that they weren''t necessarily bad for acting the way they did.


    the one who had called minos there, levis, said. "we''re not telling you this to make you think we''re your friends. we''re just explaining things. many people don''t understand why we act as we do, which can greatly hinder our plans for the world in this difficult time.


    i know you must hold a grudge against the elf who forced a deal on you, but you shouldn''t think it was necessarily done to harm you or that the elf tribe has that intention. a few of us deviate from the norm and do things we despise. but most of us just use the ultimate consequence of our agreements so that we don''t lose all the investment we''ve made in people like you.


    in any case, i hope this doesn''t discourage you from seeing the elven island as a friendly force. as long as you have the same goal as us, and i know you do, we''ll be fine, and we can have a great time working together."


    "work together? is that why the senior called me here?" minos asked.


    the level 99 elf placed a pillow beside him and pointed to minos. "sit here. let''s talk as equals."


    "oh?" minos didn''t disagree with the elf''s recommendation, but he hadn''t expected to be treated like that.


    but there was a reason for it!


    "we heard that you''re going to the north sea. is that true?" kolvar, a level 98 elf, asked, having already heard from the dragons and the sea folk about minos'' group and how he intended to go to the most dangerous sea in the spiritual world.


    "as expected... the seniors know about it." minos smiled.

 Chapter 1969 Conversations with Elves (2)

    chapter 1969 conversations with elves (2)


    "yes, it''s true. i plan to go to the north sea after making some preparations in the black plain empire. that should take a few years, but before the ice age even begins, i should have finished exploring that area..." minos said before smiling with a more humorous remark. "if i survive, of course."


    but as much as he had joked about it, that was a risk that not only he but also kolvar and levis recognized.


    "so your fears about that area are real?" levis asked soberly, aware minos had disturbing theories about the world''s future.


    the elves were very close to the sea folk. after minos had stood out in this meeting, even though he was the weakest of the many individuals in the camp, they had sought out their old friends to talk about emperor stuart.


    through it, the elves learned of the agreements minos had made today, as well as his fears and the agreement he had made with the sanctuary of visions.


    but unlike many beings in this world who would doubt minos at first, the elves knew something serious was coming long before they noticed the ice age!


    an ice age, or any chaotic age, would be enough to worry the elders of the elven tribe. however, these were phenomena that happened in the spiritual world from time to time, something that was predictable and part of reality. as such, one catastrophic era shouldn''t have been enough to make some of the strongest elders of the elven tribe feel uneasy years before the signs of the ice age appeared.


    the elves knew something else would affect the world in the near future, which not even their strongest seers could tell what it was, where it would come from, or when it would appear.


    it worried them!


    having learned minos had similar fears to theirs but with much better-developed theories about where the threat would come from and what might be behind it, these elves wanted to discuss the matter with him.


    minos didn''t hide his thoughts, "i think so. i can''t say for sure, but my suspicions seem to make more and more sense as i grow stronger and learn more about the truth of our world.


    i feel the north sea is not supposed to be the way it is now. what''s more, some reports from survivors of shipwrecks in the area agree with my theories, which makes me think perhaps there is a problem there that everyone is ignoring.


    i intend to travel to gather evidence and alert the world to the possible existence of extraterrestrial beings in the north sea."


    "extraterritorial beings?" the two realized minos'' theory put living beings behind such a threat.


    "yes, i believe that we are not alone in the universe. the spiritual world is just one of many other places where life can exist." minos said. "i say this considering the distant history of our world, especially the great skeletons scattered around the world."


    as he spoke, minos made the two elves move their eyes and look at each other as they realized he knew things and had a theory that went toward the secret truth of the elves.


    like the dragons, the beings of that tribe also had their primordial ancestor, to whom they attributed their origin and whom they secretly worshipped on their island.


    throughout history, they had never revealed the truth about it, but minos had come up with a theory that was very close to their own, considering it!


    minos knew more than the elves, but even without talking to a soul fragment like fah''um of dunov, the elves had an idea that in the prehistoric past of the world, a larger world existed in place of the spiritual world.


    such a primitive world was definitely of a higher level than the present one. otherwise, it wouldn''t make sense for such great beings to have existed, capable of leaving mysterious skeletons behind.


    the spiritual world was definitely not capable of supporting the cultivation and existence of such beings!


    that presupposed that there was something more prominent than the spiritual world in the past, and this world was a small part of that great realm.


    that was the elves'' theory about the giant skeletons around the spiritual world, which they believed could be related to minos'' theory about life outside their planet.


    the two elves came up with different theories to minos'' words.


    ''does he think there could be other fragments like our world with life equal to or greater than ours?'' levis thought.


    kolvar pondered. ''perhaps there are other places similar to the world of the time of the ancestor. if that''s the case, we could be in big trouble. a single living being with the power of our ancestor''s corpse would be enough to decimate the spiritual world!''


    "this is really worrying..." they both agreed.


    levis said. "if what you think is true, the ice age ahead of us could be much worse. why didn''t you try to warn the other powers at this meeting?"


    "i don''t want to cause panic. the ice age is already enough to stop people from sleeping well. i don''t think it would be appropriate to talk about it openly before it''s certain." minos replied. "but if i find proof that i''m right, i''ll present it to the world during the continental tournament."


    "hmm, you''re right. it''s not good to make an unnecessary fuss."


    the two elves agreed, seeing minos had good plans for the short term and his goals were in line with those of the elves.


    their goal was not to find minos to get the resources of the black plain empire. the elves island was too large for the size of the tribe and their numbers, with production far exceeding local demand. what they wanted from emperor stuart was to understand whether or not he would be on their side when the adversity ahead reached them.


    seeing that minos was on their side, they saw no problem with this promising young man and his growing plans.


    "very well, minos. i hope you make your voyage to the north sea and return safely. suppose you can prove your theories, good. we''ll see what we can do about that area in the future." levis said, but without the willingness to go to the north sea. n/-ove1b1n


    it was possible for people to go to the north sea and come back alive. it was the least likely to happen, but there were stories of survivors all over the world. however, the situation in that area was complicated even for high-level cultivators.


    under the current circumstances in the spiritual world, with wars raging on the seas and on the central continent, a catastrophe looming, no high-level expert who was indispensable to their people would go on a scouting expedition through the dangerous north sea.


    even after discovering minos'' theories, the elves, like their other contacts who were aware of his concerns, would not go there to investigate.


    if minos didn''t return from his voyage, there was a good chance his theories were correct. if he did return, he would certainly have more than just hypotheses to talk about.


    at that time, if he could prove the danger in the north, they and others would try to deal with the problem. but until then, they could only pledge their future support to minos in his fight.


    "in the meantime, don''t worry about your deal with one of our tribe members. if possible, we''ll help you finish the deal when you come to our island during the continental tournament." one of them said before dismissing minos back to his people and preparing to return to the final talks of this meeting of world leaders.

 Chapter 1970 Laws for the Calamity

    chapter 1970 laws for the calamity


    after minos returned to his group, the negotiating portion of this great meeting of top specialists would come to an end, and everyone would return to their positions from the beginning of the meeting.


    after first discussing measures to minimize the damage to their forces and states and then having the opportunity to form partnerships and do business with each other, it was now time to determine the final points of this meeting.


    for everything that had been discussed to work, rules and deterrence would be needed to deal with the highest-level issues.


    as soon as they had the attention of the people in the big tent, the elves presented their proposals.


    "we must create a common supervisory organization to enforce the world''s laws in the time ahead. if we can''t follow some rules during the ice age, chaos will reign, and even the strongest of us will be in danger." levis said as he looked into the eyes of the strongest. "but for laws to work, we need deterrence. that is, people capable of enforcing the rules we make here."


    "what exactly are the elders of the elf tribe planning?" someone asked.


    another elf said. "we want to temporarily assemble a group of people, starting 20 years in advance and continuing until the end of the disaster, who will make the rules and enforce them.


    we propose that every force with at least level 97 specialists send a representative to elves island in no more than 5 years. this group will collectively decide on most of the rules that we will use to reduce the chances of this disaster destroying us.


    once we have all the rules, each of these powers will have to send a number of specialists equal to their power and number to be part of the world coalition.


    that temporary institution will take care of the laws of the world and will do its best to enforce the rules we will agree upon".


    no one thought that was a bad thing. as much as the elves'' ideas implied that there would soon be one power above all others and that they would have to follow the rules agreed upon by the majority, everyone was aware of the need for such a thing.


    that was especially true for the older beast tribes present, for they knew how important rules and some predictability were in the chaos.


    without rules, the world would fall apart!


    "where will this world coalition be based?" julian asked.


    "good question. i suggest it be based here, where we are. that is an area without rulers, but it''s also very well located." a female elf said. "but we''ll have posts on all the continents, islands, and even on the bottom of the sea. we need to be able to quickly enforce the rules we agreed upon during the ice age."


    that was necessary, and the location of the headquarters was not bad. even though this was the divine continent, a land with several rulers and high-level organizations, the area they were in had actually been treated as a free land since ancient times.


    since this was not the territory of any enemy of the forces present, no one questioned the location of the headquarters of such a group.


    "anyway, if everyone agrees, let''s decide on our basic laws," levis said, aware that they couldn''t stay there to discuss every single rule, which was why they would let representatives do that for them over the next few years. but at the same time, as the strongest, they should decide on the basic rules for the time to come.


    "as a suggestion, i propose that wars between high-level powers or between states be banned from the beginning of the ice age," levis commented, looking at the area where the sky whales were. "don''t get me wrong. i don''t want to ban fighting. it''s just general wars.


    if a power feels offended by a foreign act, it has the right to defend itself or to strike back. but i don''t think it would benefit the world for two or more powers to be involved in a generalized war."


    after levis closed his mouth, the strongest people in the room weighed in on the issue, with many agreeing that generalized wars would be bad but that long-standing conflicts couldn''t simply be resolved that way.


    "i propose that wars started after this day be banned, regardless of their justification." a level 97 dragon spoke up. "as for old wars, i propose letting the parties involved settle them by a certain date. from then on, even if the confrontation has not been resolved, the parties will have to stop their movements."


    a sky whale agreed, wanting to continue the war with the dragons. "i agree. and i go further, i suggest that before this date, wars should not last more than 40 years. that will ensure the world will be at peace when disaster reaches its climax."


    several supporters of the dragons and sky whales spoke in their favor, and even maximilian and vico''s emissaries agreed.


    it was terrible for both sides to stop a war in the middle before the winner had been decided. in other words, both sides had to invest a lot, and a lot was lost during the war. victory could bring many benefits, but until it was achieved, the warring powers would only have losses.n./0velbin


    how could they agree to stop fighting before the winner was determined?


    therefore, everyone currently at war wanted to continue their wars!


    so the majority present soon agreed that wars before that day would have 40 years from today to be resolved, while new conflicts after such a day would be forbidden.


    however, one of the dragons there suggested that if the conflict couldn''t be resolved in the remaining time, then a single battle of three matches would determine the winner of the conflict after that time.


    since this would not be a general battle, and since it was not certain that it would happen, almost everyone agreed to go along with the proposal.


    with it agreed upon, they would soon decide on other fundamental laws, such as not allowing the extermination of entire species after the present date.


    minos was one of the few who saw a problem with this, but unfortunately, he didn''t have enough to change the decision of people at the end of the 10th stage.


    he accepted the decision of these world leaders, knowing that he would have to find a way to deal with the gorgons without exterminating them.


    other rules would be decided later, but since they wouldn''t involve too much negative news for anyone involved, they would be easily approved, bringing the meeting to its final moment!


    ...

 Chapter 1971 Time to Return to Seclusion

    chapter 1971 time to return to seclusion


    at the end of the event, hours after the arrival of the many groups, they slowly left the camp set up by the elves.


    having agreed upon the main rules that would be in effect from this day forward but which would have a greater impact during the ice age, everyone prepared to return to where they had come from. it was time to take the decisions and agreements made at this meeting back to their respective organizations.


    all groups had to quickly choose their representatives and send them to elves island to decide on the rest of the rules. since time was short, they would have to hurry to settle it.


    on the other hand, they would have to start planning now to give up some of their specialists who would have to leave their posts in 20 years to serve the world coalition.


    amidst all this, minos and his group were slowly with julian, as emperor stuart had many things on his mind.


    he had many things to take care of!


    ''i must send communique?s to the dry city immediately. my government needs to start building food reserves as soon as possible.'' he thought as his eyes narrowed. ''i will use the communication network of the pantheon of honor to send these orders to the dry city.n--ovelbin


    i''ll take the opportunity to communicate with the staff of the marine expansion and the bank of the black plain. we need to increase the amount of funds set aside for farming in the submerged areas. that will be very important if we are to keep our promises and the food situation of my empire.''


    he looked at julian and said. "elder, i need to communicate with my people in the central continent. i need to send some orders to fulfill the agreements made today."


    "do not worry. when i get to the temple, i''ll help you deliver your messages to your people on the central continent." julian commented as the group left the area of the elven camp undisturbed.


    when they reached the area where they had been before, julian immediately took the lead, distorting space to create a wormhole that would lead them back to the pantheon of honor''s headquarters city.


    following the path of this tunnel through space, it would only take a few moments for them to disappear from the forest in the central part of the divine continent and reach the area where minos'' crew was.


    once back in the city, julian would soon lead minos to the part of the pantheon of honor where he could send his message.


    meanwhile, minos'' companions and julian''s family separated from them and went to different parts of the city.


    ...


    after sending his messages to the pantheon of honor contacts in the black plain empire, minos said goodbye to julian to return to his wives at their faction headquarters.


    as he walked towards where he felt their spiritual fluctuations, minos planned other things he had to deal with.


    ''i won''t be able to deal with the gorgons as i wanted to, but i can try to resolve my situation with them...'' he thought about resolving his revenge within the rules recently set by the world experts.


    he couldn''t wipe out his enemies, but that didn''t mean he couldn''t kill important members of that race!


    since he knew they wouldn''t stop chasing him and his revenge on the dead gorgons, he would be justified in taking action against them and eliminating one or two high-ranking members of the tribe.


    ''in the short term, i''ll use the strength of my allies and business partners to protect my interests, and then, when i advance to the 10th stage, i''ll give them back everything i''ve suffered.'' he clenched his fists, determined to solve this problem.


    when he arrived where his wives were, minos put these thoughts aside and watched them cultivate in a high-level room.


    "back already? i thought you''d be longer." isabella opened her eyes and smiled at minos.


    he smiled back at her. "traveling with experts is really fast. i was there and back in the blink of an eye. as for the meeting of the world leaders, we quickly decided what needed to be decided.


    fortunately, everyone agreed on most of the issues discussed."


    "you seem to have gotten something out of it..." she commented, seeing that minos seemed more pleased than worried after participating in such an important event.


    "yes, i didn''t expect to gain anything other than information. but in the end, i got important business deals, but also support." he commented cheerfully. "now we don''t have to worry about too many past problems. as long as we continue with our current plans and are successful, we''ll get all the support we need to deal with our biggest concerns."


    "fantastic," abby commented as she awoke from her meditation state to hear her husband''s positive words.


    gloria also ended her meditation to greet her husband. "so what will this change about our plans?"


    "not much in the short term. we''ll still have to travel around the continent looking for new companions for our crew. but after that, we''ll just have to do our seclusion before we go to the north sea. everything else is in place. everything will be settled with the results of this journey to the north." minos answered and then sighed.


    countless situations could arise after the journey north. depending on what they discovered, they might not have to worry about it at all or even give the ice age less importance and concentrate on that.


    but until they returned from that journey, there wouldn''t be much more for minos and his people to do. now it was time to finish gathering their traveling party and cultivate.


    in about two years, they would leave the divine continent and stay in the black plain empire until the fateful day of their journey.


    "good!" ruth commented when she woke up. "we''ll be able to stay with our children longer from now on. we haven''t seen them in a while."


    on this journey, they stopped from time to time to "cultivate" as minos used his fusion techniques to create space for him and his wives to travel to the spatial kingdom.


    but even with such an opportunity, they would go months without seeing their young children, which was difficult for the mothers of the newest members of the stuart family.


    but with the change in the group''s situation, they could spend more time with their family in the spatial kingdom before making the most dangerous journey of their lives to the north sea.


    soon, minos'' wives would spend some time with him discussing what had been decided at the council of elders of the pantheon of honor regarding the situation with the gorgons.


    "minos, come with me..." aarav appeared where he and his wives were and quickly called him to his side.


    ...

 Chapter 1972 Promises

    chapter 1972 promises


    ?


    following aarav, minos soon found himself in the most important part of the pantheon of honor''s temple, the place where he had been tested years ago.


    arriving there, he first saw julian talking to wren, this white-haired, young-looking woman who had already lived for over 10,000 years.


    when he got there, the three remaining council elders arrived almost simultaneously, all of them looking at him when they saw this young man.


    merritt, the most powerful elder there, looked at minos with a gentle smile, pleased with the addition they had made years ago.


    "young minos, you are growing up fast. you''ll be on our stage in no time." he said as he came to minos'' side and greeted him with a few light pats on the shoulder.


    "yes, he''s exceeded all our expectations," wren said with a smile on her beautiful face. "he led us to believe that he would be a high-level sage until the continental tournament, but it seems that he wanted to surprise us. that''s not going to happen."


    "the elders have already figured out my plans. now, i can''t surprise you anymore." minos laughed as the old people looked at him.


    "that''s not bad. but now that you''re here, it will be hard to surprise us anymore." julian commented with a smile. "but that was enough to prove your worth to the temple, minos. now, you''re no longer in danger of losing your rights here just because you''re a sage. i think everyone here understands your value."


    minos was now a de facto member of the pantheon of honor, with rights and responsibilities like any other. however, he still had to prove himself, at least until he reached the 10th stage. until then, he could be kicked out of the temple at any time.


    but that was no longer the case!


    wren agreed with julian and commented. "yes, you don''t need to worry about surprising us any more than you already have. everything you''ve done has been enough for us to understand your true value to the temple."


    everyone agreed, showing minos he would no longer have to fulfill any requirements regarding his cultivation.


    however, merritt was curious about minos'' strength. "young man, you said earlier that you would have 5 level 90 demigods in your forces during the continental tournament. how many do you have now?"


    "i can''t say for sure, since i''ve been away from my state for a few years, elder. but i''m sure of at least 2. one is in the black plain empire, and the other is with my group.


    but considering the opportunities i''ve left for my men and the number of soldiers i have at peak level 89, i wouldn''t be surprised if there are already 3 or even 5 new demigods in my state." he said, looking into the eyes of the old white-haired man.


    "impressive." two level 99 elders commented, seeing that minos had fulfilled his promises regarding the experts under his command about 20 years before the end of his term.


    some of them looked at each other, with wren looking at julian and seeing how right that man''s move had been years ago to bring minos to the temple and then give the young man all the support he could to become a member of their organization.


    even though they had accepted minos into their group, all the credit went to julian!


    merritt then said. "good. keep working hard. when the ice age begins, it will be harder for you and your state to continue on this upward path of strength. so enjoy the good time before you.


    but don''t worry about the gorgons. we can''t wipe them out, given the laws that were agreed upon by the world leaders at the meeting you just returned from. still, we will prevent them from entering the divine continent."


    everyone there already knew everything that had been decided at the meeting that had ended a few tens of minutes ago. but even without the decision of the world leaders, they would never exterminate the gorgons for minos.nove(lb-in


    that would be too much trouble for them to make a level 84 sage happy.


    minos had a lot of potential, but they wouldn''t go so far as to do such an atrocity to him now.


    the situation would be different if he were a level 93 or 94. but since that wasn''t the case, there was no way they would get involved in the extermination of a race for his sake, even before the world leaders had decided.


    minos had expected an answer like that and wasn''t surprised.


    "just wait in our city for a week. that''s all the time we need to talk to the powers on the continent and put the ban on gorgon entry into effect." merritt added.


    wren nodded and said. "you won''t have to worry about them on our continent after this week. if any of them come after you, we''ll take personal action and even visit their tribe to punish them."


    "thank you for your support, elders. i am very grateful to see how the temple values me and treats me well." minos made a gesture of gratitude.


    julian smiled and added. "as for your condition, i already have men traveling to the black plain empire. we can''t guarantee your state''s safety there, given the current war on the continent and our local partners with many problems to solve. still, you will have our support there as well.


    in any case, once the gorgons realize that you''re not alone, they''ll probably stop pursuing your group. so rest assured, everything should work out fine."


    after hearing the elders'' decision and their promises, minos thanked them once more before returning to his wives.


    now that everything was settled, they had to wait before returning to their exploration in search of new crew members.


    minos had recently lost four companions, so he intended to gather more than that number of new crew members before leaving the divine continent.


    he had about two years to do this, enough to travel around the three major states of the richest continent in the spiritual world!


    and so days and weeks would soon pass, and a year and a half would pass in the blink of an eye!


    this time, the journey of minos and his group would be much more peaceful than the one on the continent of beasts, and the results would naturally be impressive!

 Chapter 1973 Level 85

    chapter 1973 level 85


    after a year and a half, a lot had happened to minos'' party. however, their time on the divine continent had been particularly enjoyable!


    with his status as a member of the pantheon of honor, an ally of emperor crora, and with the gorgons banned from these lands, minos had practically lived a year and a half without getting into trouble.


    at that time, he hadn''t even had to fight for his life!


    that was something that hardly ever happened when he wasn''t in his capital or in the spatial kingdom, so minos'' entire group was naturally amazed by this period.


    some wanted adventure and challenge, but after suffering so many deadly and dangerous problems related to the gorgons, even the most daring had seen no problems in the peace of the last few months.


    amid peace, they had traveled the divine continent from north to south and east to west, visiting the three states, meeting with local tribes and organizations, and making new allies and crewmates.


    after 18 months on the divine continent, minos had recovered the maximum number of his party and overcome the four deaths that had befallen his crew.


    with 5 new companions, 3 of them hybrids and the rest humans, the group had become stronger again with the addition of level 91 and 92 beings.


    in addition to these personnel additions, several members of the group, especially the sages and level 90 demigods, had made breakthroughs during this time.


    the second woman from the longus family who was with the group and had not yet reached the 10th stage had finally reached level 90, making her the third in the stuart family to reach that age. at least, that''s what minos and his wives thought.


    but apart from her, the last level 89 beings in the group had advanced to level 90, while one of the sea folk, one of the krakens, a mermaid, and a merman had managed to advance one level each, reaching level 91 or 92.


    but the most important advancement in the group was definitely that of the leader, minos, who had reached level 85 about two months ago.


    none of his wives had improved then, but gloria and abby were approaching level 84 and might reach that level before they reached the dry city.


    with only a few months left until the pantheon of honor members'' meeting, the group was already preparing to return to the central continent!


    with that, their journey to the north sea was getting closer and closer!


    ...


    now, minos, his wives, and some of his party were camping in a large forest in the grinia empire, the westernmost state of the divine continent, where he had arrived on his first passage through these lands.


    there, the strongest of the group gathered around a campfire while a region without light rotated on itself nearby.


    while minos'' black hole covered his journey to the spatial kingdom with his wives, his companions in the grinia empire were waiting for him along with two envoys of the local imperial family.


    the crown prince of grinia and his bodyguard were waiting for minos and his wives to return.


    "how long will it take for them to return?" asked the prince of that state, a blond man of level 94, who had been waiting for minos there for more than a day along with the companions of emperor stuart.n-.o/-v)/e(/l-/b-/i(.n


    "we don''t know. we can''t communicate with him if he''s cultivating in this region of space." the level 93 dragon said as he looked at the thing, which gave him a bad feeling as if his soul could be sucked out by it at any moment.


    "but it shouldn''t take long. he doesn''t usually stay like this for more than a month. and it''s been 19 days since he and his wives began this seclusion." the level 92 woman of the sea folk commented.


    minos had been traveling with his group, taking short breaks occasionally to cultivate in seclusion. during these times, the group would stop in places like the one they were in now, and the crew members would have the opportunity to cultivate on their own or have a few days to explore the surroundings.


    in this way, they could improve their strength while exploring the divine continent in search of new teammates.


    "all that?" the prince sighed, feeling that he would have to wait for days to get a chance to talk to minos.


    minos had traveled through the pantheon of honor headquarters state for about 6 months and then another 7 months through the crora empire, where he had many meetings with local organizations. after that, he came to the grinia empire, where he spent more time in the spatial kingdom than exploring the area.


    but with about six months to go until the pantheon of honor members'' meeting, he wasn''t worried and had spent a little more time in his spatial kingdom during his first few months there.


    knowing they would be there for another six months, none of minos'' companions saw any problem with him taking two breaks to cultivate during that time since he had recently advanced and was consolidating his strength.


    "yes... but after he leaves cultivation, he will probably be available for two or three months to care for local affairs. so your highness can relax. he should return to meet you in no more than 10 days." one of the two women from the longus family said to the prince.


    "what should we do, your highness?" a level 97 demigod asked.


    "sigh... let''s wait. this is an important meeting for me." the blond young man picked up his cultivation pillow and sat down to cultivate by himself.


    since he had to wait, he would do it by cultivating, just like minos!


    no one there saw a problem with this, and they continued to sit around the fire on this cold night, knowing that minos would not return now.


    ...


    meanwhile, on the border of the black plain empire with albano, a group of high-level beings stood in a large forest in that area and looked in the direction of an area that even they felt shiver at the sight of.


    if minos had been there, he would have seen that this group was very close to a place he had already entered, where the place of the god of death''s inheritance was.


    "it seems that even this weakened area of the central continent has its dangers..." a female voice came out of the mouth of one of those individuals, each of them dressed in hoods that covered a large part of their bodies.


    "hmm, we cannot underestimate this area. our enemy also has important allies, so we must be careful in our mission." another commented, aware of the setbacks her tribe had suffered over the past two years due to their new great enemy.


    "anyway, in no more than six months, we''ll be able to complete our mission and avenge the deaths of our sisters!" one of them, a level 96, said as something moved in her head, causing the hood above her to move strangely.

 Chapter 1974 No forgiveness, No Matter What

    chapter 1974 no forgiveness, no matter what


    meanwhile, in dry city...


    it had been about five years since minos and his wives had left the capital of the black plain empire, and a lot had changed locally, with the local power increasing significantly in the meantime.


    minos didn''t know it yet, but in those five years, four level 89 sages from his forces had advanced and reached level 90!


    in addition to them, practically all of the sages in the empire had improved by at least one level during that time, while the saints had improved by 2 to 3 levels.


    even without access to the spatial kingdom, the people of minos had cultivated easily in dry city and other important places in the state, taking advantage of the peace around them to improve their strength.


    for example, sarah stuart, the princess who had stayed in that city, was not far from reaching level 73 and was expected to break through before her parents returned from their current trip.


    with the strengthening of the imperial family, the state and the northern region became more attractive to the continental community, especially to those who had left their home states due to the war in the south.


    in short, the state of minos has been doing very well in recent years. a few months ago, groups of low-level demigods had arrived in the capital to wait for the emperor.


    if one were to arrive in dry city right now, one could feel the soul fluctuations of several levels 90, 91, and 92 demigods, mostly sea creatures.


    where did these beings come from? from the tribes minos visited at the beginning of his journey outside the continent, where he had invited beings to join his crew heading to the north sea.


    not everyone he had invited could join his party at that time, but some of those interested had promised to do their best to join him later.


    among those who had promised, ten demigods were already in dry city, awaiting minos'' return, which the local forces expected to happen in 12 to 18 months.nove/lb/in


    however, these were not the only demigods in the city at the moment. following minos'' agreements on the divine continent a year and a half ago, as well as his requests to the pantheon of honor, several mid-level demigods from that organization had reached this state.


    among the strongest was a level 95 hybrid, someone sent by the elder aarav to help minos protect these lands from the gorgons.


    but in addition to this individual, there were several demigods between levels 92 and 94, all at the disposal of the people of minos to protect these northernmost lands of the central continent!


    with the presence of these experts, the citizens enjoyed peace to go about their lives and grow with the state.


    but as another day dawned over the great dry city, one of the experts observing the capital''s perimeter noticed something strange approaching them.


    ''there is a spatial distortion near the south side of the great dome of dry city.'' a level 94 demigod said into the mental communication of his companions, drawing the attention of several experts in the direction of that piece of space.


    looking in that direction, the dozen or so 10th-stage experts who were available soon saw the arrival of a group of beings of the same stage as themselves, individuals between levels 92 and 96.


    seeing it, the strongest of them, a level 95, narrowed his eyes and immediately recognized the newcomers.


    "gorgons!" he immediately realized and warned everyone in his group to get ready.


    distorting space, he headed toward the newly arrived creatures, who were staring with ugly expressions at the dome of the dry city, something even they would not be able to cross.


    the dome of the city could evolve as it was fed. as years and years had passed since its creation, this place could no longer be invaded by mid-level demigods. only the strongest experts in the world could challenge it!


    however, they didn''t have much time to worry about the dome that would protect minos'' people from them. soon after arriving there and seeing dry city''s dome, these gorgons noticed several spatial distortions of demigods appearing around them.


    "i had no idea that the influence of the damned emperor minos stuart was so great!" one of them commented when she saw the number of demigods there.


    there were five mid-level demigods!


    that was impressive, considering minos was only at level 85, and the black plain empire had no 10th-stage cultivators until about six years ago.


    however, there were several demigods who were obviously there to prevent them from starting their mission.


    "gorgons, you are not welcome in the black plain empire. if you don''t want to be visited by some of our superiors, leave immediately." the level-95 hybrid shouted, while the forces inside the dome were already aware of what was happening outside the city.


    "you think that''s enough to stop us?" the leader of that group, level 96, said in a rude tone, not caring about the man''s words.


    "don''t be so confident, gorgon. we won''t wipe you out, but our elders will kill your leader if you go too far. minos is very important to us and the elves, dragons, and various states in the spiritual world. if you do anything against him, we''ll punish you ten times worse!"


    "tsk!"


    "you bastards! this is just revenge! why are you involved in this?" a level 95 gorgon felt irritated by the oppression against them.


    they had suffered a lot over the past few years, being unable to enter the divine continent to go after minos, being restricted by the dragons on the continent of beasts, and still suffering from their losses to emperor stuart''s group.


    they were at their limit!


    come to think of it, they weren''t going to give up so easily!


    "if you stand in our way today, we''ll deal with you while we destroy this place!" one of them threatened.


    "if that''s how you want it, we''ll send you to build the local defenses!" one of the level 94 demigods pointed to the great dome of dry city, seeing that these women would not listen to the voice of reason.


    "if you want to meet your own end, we''ll have no choice but to eliminate you. where do you think that will lead? your tribe will only become weaker. considering the catastrophe about to befall our world, by the end of the ice age, you will probably be gone because of your stupidity!"


    "tsk! shut up and fight!" one shouted, preferring to die there rather than fail and return to the continent of beasts.


    with that woman''s move, another devastating battle would occur near dry city!

 Chapter 1975 Different Situations

    chapter 1975 different situations


    days later...


    minos finally ended his seclusion and left the black hole where he and his wives had hidden their journey to his spatial kingdom.


    after the group had finished cultivating or staying with their children in the spatial kingdom, they returned to the divine continent, where they promptly met the heir to the grinia empire, who was waiting for them in their group''s camp.


    upon meeting him, minos readily agreed to follow him to the empire''s capital, where the first prince of that state wanted to take him to do business and strengthen relations between their states.


    the black plain empire was a major food producer, something that could not be ignored in this day and age. this local heir wanted to do business with minos and become his friend to ensure his continuity and growth during the ice age.


    thus, minos and his party were now in the capital of grinia, home to many high-ranking demigods, but where a young sage of level 85 was treated as a renowned expert.


    ...


    "your majesty..." a mid-level demigod gestured with his hand, showing minos the way around the estate where he had spent the last hour talking to the crown prince of grinia.


    having heard what the blond man wanted, minos made his way back to the women''s side, keeping in mind what he had just discussed with the crown prince.


    the first prince of this state obviously wanted to get close to minos for the food production capacity of the black plain empire. however, he also wanted access to emperor stuart''s influence.


    because of his potential and current state characteristics, minos had become very influential and had contacts on his side that were worth a lot to anyone.


    the heir of grinia wanted to be able to count on minos'' network of power as long as he did food business with this emperor!


    although his family was already very influential, his grinia family also had a lot of history, with rivalries, disagreements, and stories that could make things difficult for its members in the present.


    for someone in the position of grinia''s heir, having other means of gaining high power besides his family was a must. therefore, an agreement with minos would be highly beneficial to him.


    on the other hand, minos had much to gain from his alliances since he was, strangely enough, the one with the upper hand in these talks.


    with a food crisis looming, those with fertile farmland naturally had an advantage over those with little or no farmland.


    one might think minos was weak and couldn''t keep that up. why do business with him when one could invade his state and take his things? but the support he had was already too great, even before he made deals at the earlier meeting of world leaders.


    now, it would be foolish to think of taking what was his or even threatening him in order to get better deals.


    if even dragons, sea folk, and high-ranking imperial families were willing to accept minos'' terms, how could other powers of equal or lesser rank dare to oppose him?


    it would be like challenging all the powers behind his business!


    hence, minos'' influence and his current ability to make good deals were more favorable to his side than to those who sought him out.


    with that, minos considered the amounts promised by the prince of grinia and imagined he could do many things in his state with that amount of money until the peak of the world crisis.


    ''prince kane grinia will support me with high-ranking techniques from the spiritual professions and also with military support, with mineral resources, men, and weapons. with that, i''ll be able to ease the burden on my reserves and raise the level of the state more easily.'' he thought as he walked through the luxurious corridors of the imperial palace.


    he would stay here for a few more days to negotiate with kane and even talk to the emperor. but after a first conversation, he returned to the side of his group to better plan his next actions as his situation progressed.


    "your majesty, please feel free to call on me if necessary." the butler finally said as he stopped at the front door of the chieftain''s residence, where continental leaders usually stayed when visiting the grinia family.


    minos thanked the butler of the local imperial family and was soon with his group.


    "so?"


    he smiled as he saw the curious look on his wives'' faces. "i''m going to get us a new good deal here in grinia."


    these words didn''t surprise anyone, but they brought a smile to the faces of many of minos'' companions.


    something similar had happened several times in the last 18 months, and the group had become somewhat accustomed to minos'' deals.


    "we''ll stay in the capital for a few days to formalize my dealings with the imperial family and take part in some official ceremonies, and then we''ll continue our journey through this state."


    ...


    meanwhile, in the capital of the black plain empire...


    the interior of dry city was business as usual, with hundreds of thousands of people going about their usual business, living their lives as if nothing had happened there recently.


    after so many problems over the years, this population has learned to live in crisis. even with the clash of the demigods a few days ago, most of the locals had gone about their lives as usual, forgetting what had happened. n--0velb1n


    however, the local forces were not like that!


    as used as some of them were to having enemies at their doorstep, many of the state''s strongest were a bit scared. for the first time, a group of mid-level demigods had attacked them!


    before that day, only the leader of the blood triangle pirates, a level 90 demigod, had dared to perform in this city.


    however, even with their local growth, great worldwide influence, and maximilian''s protection, an organization had dared to act locally, causing disaster outside the dry city dome.


    some of the sea beasts who had previously been in the city to join minos had died or been seriously injured in the fight against the gorgons, and even some of the men of the pantheon of honor had perished in the battle.


    they had won the confrontation, but the cost had been high, and tens of thousands of crops had been lost to the remaining blows of those involved in the battle that day.


    because of that, sarah stuart, the current chairperson of the empire, was giving orders to her people to deal with the problem.


    "send people to the evergreen empire. we''ll tell maximillian flamen''s group what happened here recently!" she said, knowing that her group had already informed the pantheon of honor, and that was all they had left to do against the damned gorgons.


    ...

 Chapter 1976 Local Concern

    chapter 1976 local concern


    after everything that had happened in dry city recently, sarah was taking all possible measures to deal with the gorgon problem.


    having already sent messages to the divine continent, where her father was, and to the organization that had lost subordinates of its members, she now wanted to deal with the matter within the central continent.


    maximilian had made a promise to the black plain empire, threatening anyone who dared to act against minos'' lands in the central continent. so she wanted to bring this incident to him and seek positive answers for her people.


    until now, the black plain empire had stayed out of the war in the southern region, neither supporting nor turning away people from either side.


    although the local government was more inclined to side with the spiritual church in the war, they were not supporters of maximilian, nor had they acted in the light of day to show themselves as such during these years of conflict.


    however, with sarah''s action, this situation could change very soon!


    "your highness, if we send people from our state to the headquarters of the spiritual church in the evergreen empire, we can attract the attention of the western region." dillian, currently level 80, commented as he stood to sarah''s right.


    as much as the western states had sided with vico in the war against maximilian, they were not as hostile to minos and his state as emperor travisani. however, that could change if the black plain empire started acting too close to maximilian.


    "we have no choice. we must seek help from as many people as possible. we can''t sit on the fence and wait for our problems to solve themselves. it is better to choose a side now than to choose neither and suffer for lack of support." she said, with no intention of going back on her words.


    sarah already knew about the agreements her father had made on the divine continent and how much support they would have just before the ice age began and during that time. however, this aid would arrive in the black plain empire in 10 to 15 years.


    in the short term, only a few specialists would reach them. however, in a year or two, the gorgons could wreak havoc if they wanted to!


    not knowing what was in the gorgon leader''s mind or how minos'' allies on the divine continent would react to the latest incident, sarah preferred not to stand idly by.


    dillian knew their difficult situation and how important it was for them to have peace now.


    ''if we can''t manage our plantations in peace, we won''t be able to create the food reserve his majesty promised our new allies.'' he considered what the gorgons might do if they decided to attack his plantations. ''we need all the help we can get, or we''re finished!'' he clenched his fists in fear.


    the position of the black plain empire was currently comfortable, given the agreements made over the years. however, the state was not unshakable!


    an enemy who wanted to destroy the empire might be able to do a lot in a short time if they attacked the right points!


    "i understand. our situation is very complicated. but how should we approach maximilian? he''s currently in seclusion. so if we want the support of his subordinates, we''ll have to please them somehow." dillian raised this point.


    he believed that if they managed to contact maximilian, they wouldn''t have to do much to get his support. after all, he had told the entire continent that anyone who acted against the state of minos in these lands would be in trouble with him.


    as a matter of honor, he had to protect the empire.


    but he was in seclusion, and his men wouldn''t do the same things he would! n--0velb1n


    sarah then looked at her maternal grandmother and said. "i will rely on you and my grandfather for help, grandmother. please bargain on my behalf."


    margot, currently level 81, immediately accepted and promised to help her only granddaughter.


    "i will do my best." she said.


    "i''ll go with you, margot." oswald, emperor stuart''s grandfather, currently level 83, said. "i know about minos'' plans, so i''ll be able to negotiate alongside you to reach an agreement that won''t harm the empire."


    "things will go better that way. but get support as soon as possible. we can''t remain vulnerable." sarah agreed to have her great-grandfather accompany her maternal grandmother and grandfather on this trip to the evergreen empire.


    with that, this meeting in the imperial throne hall would soon end. oswald and margot would make their way to the flaming empire, where they would meet up with joseph frost, gloria''s father. together, they would make their way to the evergreen empire.


    meanwhile, dillian would return to his activities in government administration, and sarah would take a break from her activities to get some rest.


    she had stayed behind to enjoy herself, but due to the restrictions her father had left her and her responsibilities, she had been solving many problems lately.


    however, sarah did not regret asking her ''old man'' to stay behind. as much as she had been dealing with problems lately, most of the five-plus years that had passed since her parents left had been very good for her.


    leaving the imperial palace, she soon arrived at her favorite spot in the city, a shop owned by a painter who had fled the war to the south, someone she had seen practically every week for the past five years.


    arriving at the private room at the back of the shop, she met a relatively young man with blond hair and level 87 cultivation.


    seeing him, she smiled, then hugged him and followed her lips to his.


    "mmmm~"


    after a long, intense kiss, she pulled her lips away from his as she looked into his eyes. "george, everything is so stressful... now i''ve made a decision that could hurt us."


    the blond man smiled at her and said. "don''t worry about me. whatever you decide, i''ll stand by you. you know i love you no matter what."


    "yes, but what about your family? that is going to cause us problems." she worried.


    "we''ll sort it out. when the time comes, i''ll try to intervene on behalf of your people. your current decisions are out of self-defense. how can anyone blame you?"


    "i hope you''re right..."


    ...


    a few weeks after sarah''s decision, news of what had happened in the black plain empire had already reached the divine continent.


    meanwhile, margot''s group, oswald and joseph, arrived in the evergreen empire, where they would try to drum up high-level support within the continent for their state!

 Chapter 1977 Negotiating in the Spiritual Church

    chapter 1977 negotiating in the spiritual church


    upon arriving in the capital of the evergreen empire, joseph, who already knew the area, quickly led his group to the temple of the spiritual church.


    since he was currently a low-level cardinal who served in the flaming empire, he didn''t encounter much difficulty on his way, and it didn''t take him long to gain access to his group.


    he had previously served the flaming empire. but when he became a spiritual sage a few years ago, he was called back to the headquarters to receive a new post.


    since the flaming empire was considered a mid-level power compared to the high-level powers of the continent, it wasn''t considered appropriate for such strong church members to stay there.


    however, two years ago, the spiritual church changed the permissions for the flaming empire because the edwardstone family state, like the black plain empire, was becoming stronger and stronger.


    with closer ties between the state of harold and minos, isabella''s family empire benefited greatly.


    as the richest of minos'' old allies, the state had invested heavily in its top specialists for several years, sending them to dry city and enabling them to make important advances.


    to give you an idea of what they had achieved with their friendly relationship with dry city, 20 years ago, they practically only had harold as a spiritual sage in their state. however, there were now more than 60 native sages in the area, not counting those who had come to the state because of the war in the southern region.


    these native sages in the area were between levels 80 and 84, with harold still being the strongest locally, even though there were some sages from the ancient grey clouds sect in his state.


    in any case, the current flaming empire could afford to have low-level cardinals of the spiritual church at their post in the capital, which is why joseph returned to payton, where he and margot continued to live and pursue their careers within the church.


    but even as someone who worked in the flaming empire, joseph was already known at church headquarters, for he was one of the fathers-in-law of minos stuart, grandfather of one of the princesses of the black plain empire!


    accompanied by his wife and minos'' grandfather, he quickly made his way to the deepest part of the temple, where high-ranking cardinals were active.


    "joseph, what are you doing here? i thought you were in payton these days." a low-level demigod saw his fellow faction member and smiled as he walked over to the three of them, who had just entered a large waiting hall.


    "cardinal seth, i need help contacting senior maximillian flamen''s representatives. i''m here to deal with a matter concerning the black plain empire and the old promise of the current supreme pontiff." joseph said seriously.


    after the beginning of forrest''s master''s seclusion, maximilian had been appointed by the high-level cardinals of the church as the new supreme pontiff, which was supposed to happen when the occupant of that position became incapacitated.


    as such, maximilian was currently the leader of the spiritual church, which was why he had so much power to even start a war.


    "oh?" the low-level demigod looked at oswald, recognized the figure of minos'' grandfather, and saw that this was an opportunity.


    after the meeting of world experts on the divine continent, the people of the spiritual church already knew minos could no longer be compared to a low-level junior with great potential for the future. he was already performing feats that could influence great experts, so he should be treated as such.


    his status in the spiritual world had suddenly increased after the encounter on the divine continent. the fact that oswald was there now, looking for some kind of deal or conversation, was a good sign for the faction joseph belonged to, the church itself, and even the evergreen empire.


    even though minos was only a spiritual sage and had many problems around him, dealing with him was very positive, and anyone in this force today would be interested to hear what his emissaries had to say.


    "what exactly do you need? i can help you solve everything." the man smiled.


    oswald replied. "the supreme pontiff is in seclusion, so we would like to speak with those of his confidence who can make decisions while he''s away." n-(o))v--e()l).b/-i()n


    "if that''s the case, come with me. i''ll try to arrange a meeting between you and his representatives." the man said, then led the group through the corridors of the church temple, talking to joseph and margot until they reached an area where auras of levels 97, 98, and even 99 could be felt.


    there was only one level 99 aura around, that of an acquaintance of minos, the only one at that level in the evergreen empire besides maximilian himself.


    feeling a spiritual fluctuation similar to minos'', the sea beast that had almost killed him once turned his attention to oswald, understanding who was there to talk to them.


    "don''t stand on ceremony, envoys of the black plain empire. let''s negotiate what you want." said the beast in his humanoid form as he looked through the door of the place where he stood next to some high-ranking cardinals in the church.


    as they were told, margot, joseph, and oswald soon found themselves face to face with the high-ranking demigods there, in this situation for the first time.


    but since he was there to negotiate, oswald wasn''t overly modest. after greeting everyone there with respect, he got right to the point.


    "cardinals, we are here because of the problems that have recently befallen the black plain empire..." he began to explain what had happened and why the gorgons had ignored maximilian''s warning.


    that would only be the beginning of a long negotiation, something that would not end this day and would take days to reach a conclusion on what would happen.


    ...


    meanwhile, a few more weeks passed, and the minos group on the divine continent was already aware of everything that had recently happened in the black plain empire, including sarah''s decision.


    after discovering the gorgon''s disturbing attempt, minos'' group was naturally more angry with that tribe and longed to return to the central continent to help their state.


    but they weren''t so rash as to plan to return without first completing their plans on the divine continent.


    minos knew that despite the gorgon attack and the loss of allies, his state was functioning normally, and sarah was protected within dry city''s defensive dome.


    so he prepared for the meeting of the members of the pantheon of honor, and only after that day, which was not far off, would he leave for his state.


    as for the gorgons, the pantheon of honor was already taking action against them, and minos himself would visit them in the future to repay them for what they had done to his state!

 Chapter 1978 No Mercy

    chapter 1978 no mercy


    a few weeks later...


    at that very moment, a group of three demigods passed through the end of a wormhole and arrived at the southernmost central part of the continent of beasts.


    upon arrival, the three armored men, two of them level 97 and one level 98, wasted no time in observing the beautiful area they had arrived in. since they had a mission to accomplish, they headed straight for their destination, which was only five minutes away.


    looking at an area of this phoenix-influenced area, they soon saw a patch of land where there were many strangely shaped rocks.


    there were rocks shaped like trees, rocks shaped like giant beasts, and rocks shaped like smaller creatures that were still large enough to be seen from a distance.


    in the middle of this area, where there were many such rocks, was the home of a local tribe, where about a thousand of them were standing around at this very moment.


    seeing the infamous gorgons of the continent of beasts, these three people from the divine continent felt nothing special toward them, as they were there to punish them for their recent actions.


    after the attack on the black plain empire and the deaths of the subordinates of the members of the pantheon of honor, the leaders of that world organization decided to punish the tribe of gorgons.


    not only had this tribe attacked the territory of an important member of the pantheon of honor, but its members had also killed powerful demigods subordinate to the most important members of the organization. nove-lb(in


    how could they accept everything that had happened around dry city without giving an answer?


    minos hadn''t even had to pressure anyone to convince the council elders to agree to such a mission. they had convinced themselves that the gorgons'' lack of respect and boldness needed to be answered.


    on merritt''s orders, this mighty group was there to solve the tribe''s latest crime!


    without delay, the three high-ranking men arrived above the gorgon tribe''s headquarters, where the strongest one there, level 97, sensed their arrival and moved immediately.


    "humans..." the tribe leader looked at the three of them, while the few levels 94, 95, and 96 elders who had remained in the tribe after the confrontations with minos'' people also moved around, imagining that they were there to cause trouble.


    "gorgons, we''re here on behalf of the pantheon of honor." the strongest of the demigods said aloud, not looking the creatures in the eye, not for fear of turning to stone, but out of sheer contempt for these hideous creatures. "you have committed a terrible crime in the black plain empire!"


    "tsk!" the tribe leader''s face immediately turned ugly when she saw that minos'' friends were there to solve his problems for him once again. "that bastard really is a coward. he creates problems for himself but always has friends to help him. first, it was the phoenixes, then the dragons, and now you... who will be next to act against us? the elves?" she said angrily.


    "that''s right! we''ve lost several members of our tribe, and there''s nothing we can do about minos stuart''s cowardly actions!"


    "we are the right ones here!"


    "we only want revenge! those who fell to our members risked themselves by siding with our enemy, but we never intended to overthrow beings from other races or groups!"


    "minos is our target!"


    several of the strongest in the area voiced their opinions, while the weakest of the tribe on the surface looked up in awe as they saw their elders surrounding the three newcomers.


    the three high-ranking demigods didn''t care one bit about what was behind the dry city incident.


    "gorgons, don''t be foolish. it doesn''t matter whether you''re right or wrong. against those with power and influence, you have to know when to put your head down and give up.


    "strong are those who can swallow their grudges against those who can destroy them." said a level 97 demigod, showing them the reality of this cruel world.


    but they should have known better. after all, the gorgon race was known to use their high-level experts against juniors who dared to act against them.


    if a saint did something against an 8th-stage gorgon, a sage from that tribe would appear to punish them. if a sage did such a thing, a demigod would be the one to go and resolve the situation. that had been the case for hundreds of thousands of years, and the gorgons used their terrifying power to oppress their opponents, whether they were innocent or guilty.


    now, in this situation, they had to understand that the tables had turned. now they were the weaker side being persecuted by the stronger!


    after minos had shown them all his support, they just had to give up their revenge and be strong like the demigod had just done. that was what they would tell their victims in other situations.


    however, they had made the mistake of constantly attacking minos!


    "today, you will pay for what you have done. leader of the gorgons, we are here to obtain your head to emperor minos stuart!" the strongest of them said as he no longer held back his powerful level 98 aura, causing everyone around him to break into a cold sweat as they directed their power into his eyes.


    the punishment decided by the pantheon of honor for this tribe''s latest act was very severe!


    in order to pay for their mistakes and not suffer anymore for what had already happened, the leader of the gorgons would be sacrificed!


    "huh! if you want my head, come on! but it won''t be easy!" this level 97 woman said as her eyes glowed a white-red color, and the atmosphere of tension around her reached its maximum.


    "stupid gorgon!" the strongest man there looked into her eyes as the space behind that creature cracked open as he pointed a hand in that direction.


    as the space crack opened, a golden glow shot out as something extremely dense and metallic slowly descended from the crack toward the creature''s back.


    divine guillotine!


    he poured a large amount of his spiritual energy into this supreme weapon, using his own creation, his most powerful tool, without giving the gorgon any room to try the same.


    the moment she felt the suppression of a supreme weapon by someone even stronger than her, the leader of the gorgon tribe immediately paled.


    this was a weapon that even she, using her main weapon, would have difficulty facing.


    but while she missed the opportunity to strike first, the other two high-ranking demigods sent by the pantheon of honor quickly fused their own techniques to create supreme weapons.


    they weren''t there to chat or play a friendly game. they were there to carry out the order to assassinate the tribe''s leader, and they would use all the power at their disposal to eliminate those who stood in their way!


    giant hands!


    granite rain!


    and so the battle began, with the gorgons at a huge disadvantage!

 Chapter 1979 Meeting Time!

    chapter 1979 meeting time!


    a few weeks later...


    at this moment, minos and his crew, now finally ready to leave the divine continent with a total of 40 members, were in the headquarters city of the pantheon of honor for the upcoming members'' meeting.


    with only two months to go before the big meeting, minos had decided to return to this city after completing his journey through the grinia empire, gathering the last members of his group, and seeing some of his companions level up.


    already anxious to return to the central continent, he had decided to spend the last few weeks he would have on this continent in seclusion in the city where the meeting of the pantheon of honor members would take place.


    aware of what the organization had decided to do about the gorgons, as well as the recent agreements sarah and her people had made on the central continent, he was at once calm and hasty.


    his peace of mind came from the fact that there was unlikely to be anything against him in the coming months, either on the central continent or even at sea once he began his journey back to those lands.


    but he was also in a hurry, as he had many promises to keep, revenge on his mind, a very dangerous journey ahead of him, and changes of plan to make.


    he wanted his journey across the divine continent to end soon so that he could leave these lands and return to his home state, where he planned to spend about three years before finally leaving for the north sea.


    he hoped that neither maxmillian nor vico would fail in their attempts to advance during these years but also that they wouldn''t succeed.


    the ideal for him would be that one of them would leave their seclusion with a failure or a victory, and then they would go to the north sea.


    however, since it had been years since they had gone into seclusion to try to reach level 100, their success or defeat could happen at any time.


    worried about this, minos had this mixed and contradictory feeling in his heart.


    ...


    that afternoon, while training in a special high-level cultivation room of julian''s faction, minos received a message from the pantheon of honor asking him to go to the organization''s temple.


    thinking it must be important, he quickly left his wives alone to train and went to the temple, where wren was standing by.


    "elder, i was called here." he said when he saw the beautiful white-haired woman.


    "minos, merritt is waiting for you. go where he is." she gestured to him.


    following the old white-haired man, minos soon entered a room that seemed to have no boundaries, where he seemed to be in heaven, surrounded by clouds on all sides.


    there, he saw the old merritt sitting in a lotus position with a black bag containing something in front of him.


    "minos, it''s good to see you well. i have something for you." he said, pointing to the bag.


    looking at it, minos felt what was under the bag and understood what it was just before merritt took the bag away and revealed the head of a woman who had snakes instead of hair.


    "this was the leader of the gorgons. i''m giving you this head to complete justice for what happened in your state recently."


    minos heard this and clenched his fists, then made a gesture of thanks to merritt.


    "thank you for your assistance, elder. without your help, my people would still be in danger." he said in a solemn tone.


    "hmm, don''t thank me. it was fair. i''d do the same for any member of your caliber." he said as he pulled the black bag back over his head.


    "this is a weapon for low-level people. if you want to give it to someone you trust, that person can turn those below level 90 to stone by opening and closing these eyes." he commented. n--o--v()e-/l.(b/-i(-n


    gorgons had extreme powers, and the strongest of them could leave behind features like the one described even after their death.


    minos knew how valuable the head of a high-level gorgon was and didn''t refuse the gift.


    "thank you, elder. i''ll do my best to repay you in the future."


    "hmm, anyway, minos, how are you? your departure from the divine continent is imminent. what will you do next? any change of plans?" merritt asked him curiously.


    "i will return to my state, and as soon as i reach level 87, i will leave for the north sea. but i don''t intend to do anything other than what i''ve already told the elders of the council. that is, of course, if nothing else happens until then."


    "okay. that''s good." merritt closed his eyes after handing the gorgon''s head to minos. "now go. i''ll see you again in two months, so i won''t get in your way."


    "i will. thank you again, elder."


    minos soon made his way back to where his wives were, feeling one less weight on his shoulders.


    with the leader of the gorgon tribe dead, the chances of that tribe continuing to attack him would be exponentially reduced.


    in any case, even if they still dared, now that oswald had made a deal with maximilian''s men, the gorgons in the central continent would have one more problem to deal with if they dared to go there again.


    after oswald''s encounter with the level 99 beast that minos already knew about, they reached a cooperation agreement between the spiritual church and the black plain empire.


    in exchange for food, more space for church temples in the black plain empire, and the support of gloria''s faction for maximillian''s group, the church would maintain peace in the northern region against all enemies.


    such an agreement had completely committed the black plain empire to the eastern side in the central continent conflict, but this would give the state of minos further protection, at least until the war on that continent came to an end.


    when that happened, everything could change depending on which side was victorious!


    however, this was more than minos and his people could handle at the moment, so they simply waited to see where fate would lead them as they cultivated and strengthened themselves.


    and with that, time would pass quickly, and the next few weeks would fly by until the eve of the meeting of the members of the pantheon of honor.


    after a long journey and years since he had promised to come to the pantheon of honor meeting, it was finally time for minos to join the members of the organization to decide on their next steps.


    the next such event would take place just before the continental tournament, at the beginning of the new ice age, so the group of members of this organization had a lot to decide now!

 Chapter 1980 Beginning of the Great Gathering

    chapter 1980 beginning of the great gathering


    the day had finally arrived for the great gathering of the pantheon of honor, an event held every 20 years at the organization''s headquarters on the divine continent.


    at dawn, minos and his group were ready to leave the divine continent, as the great gathering of the pantheon of honor lasted only one day.


    later that afternoon, they would make their way to the continent''s west coast, where they would begin their journey to the central continent later that day.


    with all the deals minos had made over the past few months, the roads between this easternmost city of the continent and the west coast would be open to him. with the many wormhole ports between this vast area, his party could reach the west coast in a matter of minutes.


    so the whole group was ready to leave these lands, just waiting for minos.


    meanwhile, he had already left his group and his wives at julian''s faction headquarters, having gone to the pantheon of honor temple earlier in the day.


    ...


    "minos, you''re a little early, aren''t you? it''ll be an hour before the members of the organization arrive." wren said to the level 85 young man as she saw him arrive at the large hall where the event would take place.


    when he saw that his seat was marked at the large oval table in the hall, which even had bleachers for the temple members'' subordinates to follow their leaders'' conversations, he commented to wren. "i had nothing else to do locally, and there''s no more time to cultivate. so i decided to come here once and for all."


    "really?" she smiled at him as she approached minos and watched him sit down in his rightful place. "are you scared?" she sat down beside him. "i was very nervous at the first meeting i attended. i was only a level 94 demigod then, much younger and naive."


    "not much. i''m looking forward to returning to my state and going into seclusion." minos said with a smile.


    "oh? but you should be. do you know what this meeting is about?" she asked him, not blaming minos for attaching little importance to this meeting.


    for a young man with so many problems to solve, it was straightforward not to understand the importance of it.


    "it serves to update our achievements, alliances between members, business, but also the council of elders to raise new requirements or withdraw others, as well as change policies," minos said. nove-lb(in


    "exactly, this can all happen at these mandatory meetings," wren said before adding. "but you''re missing something fundamental. at these meetings, we decide the distribution of the temple''s resources, as well as the positions of more and less powerful members.


    that''s why we have factions in our organization. to discuss, at times like today, what the next 20 years will be like."


    that''s why this is a critical moment and could change the situation of an entire faction for better or worse.


    minos had ignored this possibility and was a little surprised to hear it from wren.


    "how is this dispute made? how exactly is it decided? by votes?" he asked her.


    "on specific issues, yes. on others, it''s based on merit. whoever has made the most positive contributions to the temple, i.e., who has the highest balance, can get some special credits, including the right to cast a tie-breaking vote.


    in other situations, an exclusive member of the organization like me can change their position so that they can spend the next 20 years in service or seclusion. as for a non-exclusive member like you, this could affect the level of information and resources you have access to.


    all in all, today will be an essential day for all of us, minos."


    "i see." he said as he saw more members of the temple arrive, individuals he had never seen before and who soon came to his side to greet him.


    as the minutes passed, more beings arrived, humans and hybrids from the divine continent, humans from the central continent, elves, as well as sea beasts and beasts from the continent of beasts.


    in addition to the many minos didn''t know, the rest of the council elders would arrive after the members of julian''s faction arrived and take their seats.


    in total, there were 76 members of the pantheon of honor: 40 from the divine continent, 8 from the central continent, 7 from the beast continent, 3 elves, and the rest were beasts from the seas, including beings from the marine empire.


    among the people sitting around that table, minos was obviously the only sage, six levels weaker than the weakest demigod in the area.


    in addition, there were 10 high-level demigods in this organization, 5 of whom were at level 99, 2 of whom were at level 98, and 3 were at level 97. there were 23 mid-level demigods: 11 at level 94, 8 at level 95, and 4 at level 96. of the rest, most were between levels 91 and 92, and 7 were level 93 demigods.


    but that wasn''t the actual power of this organization. those were just the members, whether they were exclusive or not.


    if one were to consider the families, sects, and clans behind these members of the pantheon of honor, the number of demigods they could influence might be four, five, or even more times the said numbers.


    therefore, several high-ranking subordinates would come to this place with their leaders and then sit down on the outskirts of the area, leaving the large table in the center of the hall for only the actual temple members.


    once everyone was seated and speaking in low voices, merritt saw that everyone was present and decided to begin the meeting.


    "all right, be quiet. it''s time to begin the 309,231st meeting of the members of the pantheon of honor to decide the future of our organization for the next 20 years, but also for the ice age that is about to begin."


    hearing merritt''s pause, harvey richards, the second oldest and most powerful person there, stood up and said. "given the difficult times ahead, i propose a divine conclave to decide the next 100 years of the pantheon of honor."


    when harvey stopped speaking, all the members began to speak, some surprised, others already expecting the elder to make such a proposal.


    among those surprised, julian clenched his fists, seeing harvey''s clever move to keep the power of the organization on his side during the upcoming meetings.


    a divine conclave was a special mechanism useful in extreme times to protect the pantheon of honor. when it was used, the decisions made there were valid not just for 20 years but for an entire century!


    ...

 Chapter 1981 Divine Conclave

    chapter 1981 divine conclave


    if harvey successfully called a divine conclave, he could ensure that his faction would be in charge of the temple for the next century!


    though much would change in the meantime due to the presence of minos in julian''s faction, the growth of the black plain empire and its treaties, and the changes to the organization caused by the ice age, harvey would still have his faction at the top of the organization if he succeeded today.


    as such, when julian heard harvey, he clenched his fists in anger at that level 99 demigod because that was the one thing he didn''t want to happen today.


    as long as his faction could grow stronger over the next 20 or maybe 40 years, he was confident of taking over the leadership of the temple at one of the next two membership meetings.


    ''damn it, harvey!''he thought as he looked at the old man with the white beard and mustache standing there while everyone muttered about the point.


    but since the older elders had the privilege of speaking and making suggestions, julian couldn''t say anything right away while everyone began to discuss whether a divine conclave was necessary at the moment.


    aarav stood up and said. "i don''t think this is a good idea. a divine conclave is necessary for the ice age. but we will meet again in 20 years, at the beginning of this crisis. it would be better to use this mechanism that time when we''ll have better information about what will happen to the spiritual world in the future."


    "that would be too late." harvey replied to aarav''s words: "in 20 years, we won''t be able to do anything about the ice age. everything that needs to be decided will have to be decided in the meantime. years, we won''t be able to do anything about the ice age. everything that needs to be decided will have to be decided in the meantime. but is it a good idea to risk changing factions in the organization''s leadership at that time?" he said, looking at the most powerful people at the table.


    "i don''t want to see our organization go to absurd lengths for the next 20 years so that a new faction can take control of the temple in 20 years and change everything we''ve done."


    there were three major factions in the temple, and it wasn''t uncommon for power to alternate between the two strongest factions.


    harvey''s speech wasn''t necessarily because he felt threatened by julian''s faction. he simply recognized the possibility of a change in leadership that could affect the temple at the beginning of the ice age.


    another high-ranking member of harvey''s faction stood up and said. "this is true. we can''t risk changing the direction of the organization in 20 years. better to decide now on a faction to lead the temple for the next 100 years."


    the pantheon of honor was an organization that usually decided together how it would function for years to come. however, every organization needs people to run it and decide what to do in emergency situations.


    you couldn''t rely on votes every time you did something. that could slow down problem-solving too much.


    so, to quickly resolve "minor" matters such as strategies, access to resources, sending experts, accepting new members, managing resources, etc., a group elected at such meetings would resolve these matters.


    unless something severe happened that could affect the entire pantheon of honor, the chosen group could handle these and many other matters with almost complete autonomy.


    that obviously gave such a group a great deal of leverage, which was worth a lot to the faction that remained in that position.


    a corrupt group could use such a position to divert resources. but even an honest group could use such a privilege without breaking the organization''s rules.


    for example, if there is a service to be developed, the group in charge of these administrative matters might decide to hire the services of people who are related to them and who might give them other favors in return.


    such a thing would not be against the rules and could create a win-win situation for the administrative side and the organization itself.


    another example was a member of the administration faction giving subordinates access to the resources of the pantheon of honor and even their spatial kingdom, which was obviously beneficial to both sides.


    anyway, there were infinite possibilities for whoever was in the position of being the regular administrator of the pantheon of honor, which is why there were factions that fought over such things at meetings like this every 20 years.


    all the members there began to talk to their faction partners through mental communication, trying to understand what they could do to be the ''winners'' of this decision.


    ''in a crisis like the one we''re about to face, the group in power at the beginning of the crisis is usually the one that has been in control of the pantheon of honor the longest.'' aarav told his faction members. ''such a group is also usually the least weakened of all and the one with the fewest casualties during the crisis.''


    ''that is the point.'' julian remarked with a rueful expression. ''so we have to try to get that position. we''re not doing so well now, but if we don''t do it today, it will be challenging in 100 years, even if young minos grows a lot with his empire.''


    if a divine conclave wasn''t called, julian was sure his faction would be in charge of the temple in 100 years with minos'' help. but with another faction in power for an entire century, even with emperor stuart on their side, he wasn''t sure he could change anything in 100 years.


    in this case, it was all or nothing now!


    either they achieved this position today, or they would probably be under the leadership of one of their rival factions for the next few millennia!


    while they were talking among themselves, the people from the other factions there were also preparing themselves, wondering who would have the upper hand today, how they could get new supporters, etc.


    the two main factions didn''t have that many members. so, they depended on the election of the factionless members to decide who would take the top position in the temple.


    of the 76 members, 15 had no faction, while 11 were from julian''s faction, meaning they wouldn''t vote for either of the other two factions. the strongest faction had 26 members, while the weakest had 24.


    the chances of julian''s faction winning were slim. still, if everyone without a faction voted for them, they could tie with harvey''s faction and have the council of elders decide the winner!


    that was julian''s only hope, while the other two factions didn''t care about it.


    ...n-.0velbin

 Chapter 1982 Proposals

    chapter 1982 proposals


    one way or another, the three factions had only one group in mind: those independent members of the pantheon of honor!


    merritt was one of those members, the one who, by virtue of his position, voted last and could be the one to decide who would actually become the temple administrator for the next century.


    then, seeing that everyone was already getting organized, he said. "the three factions here have 20 minutes to decide among themselves what they have to offer the temple. after that, each group will have 5 minutes to explain to the other members why their group should be chosen.


    at the end of the next hour, we will decide who will control the temple for the next 100 years!


    with that, everyone in the hall would be silent for the next few minutes as members of the same factions talked among themselves, some trying to convince the 15 members of the factionless organization.


    meanwhile, the subordinates of the members of the pantheon of honor watched in silence as the divine conclave began, knowing that their situation could change dramatically in a matter of minutes.


    some could gain access to guaranteed wealth for the next 100 years, while others could lose out!


    considering how important this was, almost everyone there became a little tense as they nervously waited for the 20-minute time limit to expire.


    when the time was up, merritt opened his mouth again and asked the three groups to choose their representatives to speak on behalf of their factions.


    the leaders of each faction were the ones who stood up and then of their factions.


    the leaders of each faction were the ones who stood up and then took part in a little lottery to determine the order in which their projects would be presented.


    the first to speak was julian, followed by wren and then harvey.


    "elder julian, you have five minutes to present your proposal to the temple members," merritt said as he gave the floor to one of the leaders of the minos faction.


    looking at the experts there, julian said. "i did not expect a divine conclave today, but since we are here to decide the next 100 years, i would like to ask the organization''s members to think about where we will be in 40 or 60 years. by then, the worst of the ice age will have caught up with us. then we need the best we have at the helm!"


    as he spoke, julian gestured and changed his tone, drawing the attention of the people there to him while looking mainly at the factionless members. nove.lb)in


    "i suppose my faction is not the best in our temple at the moment. but will we always be like this? with the young emperor minos stuart on our side, everything could change in a few decades.


    not only that, but as a genius who has built his state from the ground up, minos can be an important part of the temple''s leadership from now on!


    he can certainly work with elder aarav and me, combine our knowledge and experience with his ideas and come up with fantastic plans for the temple.


    so i ask you to consider this carefully. in 50 years, minos will be a demigod capable of stealing the cultivation base of his opponents and will have an army of demigods in the black plain empire. he will also be the greatest agricultural force in the world and will be able to help us all.


    with our faction in control of the temple, i''m confident we will come out of this crisis with the best possible outcome."


    "all right, your time is up," merritt said right after julian''s last word, and the man sat down while many of the temple members looked at minos.


    most of them had expected julian to use the prominent minos. however, some of the temple members were surprised because the level 97 demigod''s greatest hope was a level 85 sage.


    as talented as minos was, some felt he needed to grow more before they could place their hopes in him!


    when wren began to speak, she used this very topic.


    "elder julian is right about young minos'' potential, but he''s far from reaching that level." she looked at minos and then at those who didn''t have factions yet.


    "i believe that one day, minos could be the strongest in this temple. but until then, there is a long and difficult way ahead of him...


    don''t get me wrong, i want minos to reach my level one day. but will that ever happen? how many prodigies fail in the middle of their journey?


    i''m not saying he will fail because of his own mistakes. even geniuses are endangered by the steps of others.


    i don''t want to put the future of our temple on the shoulders of a level 85 boy. if he''s still here in 100 years and willing to lead the temple, then i will vote for the faction of elders julian and aarav myself. but today, i can''t agree that we should consider this faction, which has so much to develop.


    on the other hand, everyone here knows my faction''s specialty. we may not be the most numerous, but we have a long history of leading the temple in times of crisis. we were the leaders during the last calamity, and the temple''s results then were the best we''ve ever had during such difficult eras.


    so, i am asking the temple to trust us again. we can lead the organization to the end of the ice age, as we have done in so many other calamities."


    merritt again hinted at the end of wren''s faction''s time, then turned to harvey.


    "members of the temple. what will you choose?" harvey pointed with his hands. "a faction that relies on a junior? a group that uses a distant history to try to convince you and gain your trust?


    no. we are much more than that. we can''t risk our millennia of cultivation or the million-year history of this temple like that!


    as the current temple administrator, i ask you to trust our management. in the coming years, we will increase the number of members, provide access to information and resources at a lower cost, and even increase the flow of experts into our special domain.


    instead of trusting those who promise an uncertain future, trust those who have done much for you and can do much more now.


    under the command of my faction, i promise you that the temple as a whole will be strengthened. not only my faction will benefit, but everyone here, whether they are from rival factions or factionless members.


    even young minos can benefit significantly from our leadership!


    whether he''ll make it to the end of the next 100 years, i don''t know. but as far as my faction is concerned, we will open all doors to someone of his potential, and if he is to become the next leader of the temple, then so be it.


    but until he is ready, i ask you to trust those who have the experience of running this great organization for thousands of years.


    minos may be the future. but we are the present."


    with those words, harvey sat down while the undecideds pondered the possibilities, some talking among themselves, others trying to predict what would happen depending on their choices.


    ...

 Chapter 1983 Fierce Dispute

    chapter 1983 fierce dispute


    merritt addressed everyone. "now that the candidates have their time to expose their plans, the temple members will have 10 minutes to consider their options. at the end of that time, you must cast your votes."


    everyone looked at the box in the center of the large table that was used to record votes on issues discussed at the meeting so as not to reveal who each person was voting for.


    thus, the next few minutes would be even more tense than the factions'' moment of deliberation, as the members of each faction would vote first, while the neutrals would think more about their choices.


    each faction member would obviously vote for their own group, which didn''t require much thought.


    but the neutrals had three options to consider, and given their numbers, they could choose the leader between three options. if they all voted for julian''s group, the tie-breaker would go to harvey''s group. if only one of them voted for another group, minos'' group would be out of the running, and the decision would be between the other two.


    depending on how many voted for julian''s faction, it could be difficult for wren''s group, who needed votes from the neutral members to win.


    with 24 members, they needed at least 2 votes to tie with harvey''s group or 3 votes to win if all the other neutral votes went to julian''s faction.


    so, the very fact that one decided to vote for julian could favor harvey''s group because the more neutrals voted for minos'' faction, the harder it would be for wren''s group to win.


    thus, the most calm people at the beginning of the vote were naturally the people from harvey''s group, while the most nervous people were from wren''s group, who needed to get more support.


    julian''s group needed more support, of course. still, given that they needed 100% of the neutrals and a favorable decision from the council of elders, their chances of winning were slim.


    most of minos'' group, with emperor stuart, didn''t believe they could win.


    so they weren''t as nervous as wren''s people, just disappointed that a divine conclave had just been called.


    but soon, the first factionless members of the temple began to cast their own votes, dropping their tokens into the box, which was a device that would display the final result when all the tokens were in.


    these tokens were completely smooth, with no numbering or inscriptions of the kind that carry spiritual information. in other words, it was impossible to know who someone had voted for or even whose vote they had cast. only that array could count the votes for the three possible factions.


    that was a vote where you had to choose between the three groups, so there was no way to not choose anyone.


    finally, at the end of the time merrittt had mentioned, he cast his own vote, ending the ballot.


    when his token went into the box, everyone was silent momentarily while the lights in the box-shaped array glowed, preparing to show everyone the result.


    this box displayed the result in colors. each faction had its own, with julian''s being red, harvey''s being blue, and wren''s being black.


    when the white light in that array went out, many of the subordinates there held their breath, knowing the result would appear in the next moment.


    [blue!]


    the members of harvey''s faction rose to their feet at the sight of that bright light appearing on all four sides of the urn, seeing that they would remain in charge of the temple for the next century.


    harvey felt his heart race, for this was probably the most important moment for him of all the meetings in the last few thousand years.


    while his group celebrated, the others watched the results, which showed the number of votes received by each group immediately after the winner was announced.


    [blue: 26]


    [black: 25]


    [red: 25]nove)lb-1n


    when the number of votes for each faction appeared, everyone, whether winners or losers, changed their expressions as they saw that the result was extremely close, and the winning faction had not even received a single vote from the neutrals.


    almost all of the neutrals had voted for julian, while the one who decided the outcome that day had voted for wren, giving the result to harvey''s group.


    julian felt a terrible sensation when he saw that he had lost by only one vote.


    ''shit! if we had one more vote, we would have tied. with me, aarav, merritt, and wren, we could have won this!'' he thought, knowing that if he tied with harvey''s group, wren would vote with his faction, and they would have beaten harvey.


    unfortunately, someone had voted for wren instead of him, giving the better result to the faction with more people on their side.


    but even though he had won, harvey was concerned to see that even as the head of the organization, he hadn''t received a single vote from the neutrals in the temple.


    wren was the most upset of all, as she felt it was wrong for a faction that could not get the votes of the neutrals to be the big winner.


    but she knew there was nothing she could do about it. a vote could not be taken back, and the winner was declared!


    "the blues have won and will lead the temple for the next 100 years," merritt announced the result, frustrating most of the temple members who hadn''t voted for harvey.


    undeterred, merritt continued. "with that decided, let''s get on with our meeting. although the divine conclave has decided that the blue faction will continue in leadership, we have several matters to deal with at this meeting.


    as elder harvey reminded us at the beginning of this meeting, an ice age is yet to come. in less than 20 years, we must be prepared to deal with the onset of this new crisis.


    so, i ask everyone to put aside their defeats and focus on helping the temple. whether we come out of this crisis with a good or bad result will depend on the joint action of all members. one faction cannot decide this."


    all of the faction leaders there knew this and quickly tried to put the outcome of the divine conclave aside, knowing they had other matters to attend to.


    minos himself didn''t care about the outcome of the previous vote, as he had never considered things beyond his control in his plans. he considered that he could benefit from julian''s faction. still, he didn''t consider that it would come from this faction reaching the leadership of the temple.


    in other words, the situation was the same for him as it was yesterday. he was much more concerned about the decisions and agreements that could be made at this meeting regarding the ice age!


    anyway, they would soon begin to talk about rule changes, moves, and business that would be valid for the next few years.

 Chapter 1984 Level 100 Within Reach

    chapter 1984 level 100 within reach


    after a whole day of discussing things similar to what had been discussed at the elves'' expert meeting, the temple group also discussed things of their own.


    as an organization with lower-level members who didn''t have access to the elven-led meeting, not everyone from the temple had attended it. many had to listen, talk, and negotiate things necessary for their forces to survive the ice age ahead.


    part of the conversation, of course, was to advise these temple members with partnerships and conversations similar to those that had taken place at the elven-led meeting in the pantheon of honor''s headquarters temple.


    but soon after this discussion, the group moved on to internal matters concerning the temple''s leadership in the coming years. even though the blue faction had won the previous vote, that didn''t mean they would decide everything themselves.


    the power of the temple members in meetings like this outweighed the power of the faction at the top of the organization. the ruling faction was merely the group that could make decisions and get things done in the short term. but when such meetings took place, the rules decided upon were those that pleased the majority, not necessarily the interests of the faction in control of the temple.


    in short, the blue faction would have to follow the rules chosen by the temple members at that meeting.


    among the measures approved at that meeting were an increase in the number of temple members, a decrease in the number of merit points required to access temple resources, the creation of food reserves to alleviate food shortages for temple members, and a ban on temple members becoming involved in outside conflicts.


    there were several other points decided at the meeting, but these were the most important and were to be implemented immediately.


    finally, after the members had finished talking and negotiating with each other, the great meeting of the members of the pantheon of honor came to an end.


    because of the divine conclave, the mandatory membership meetings that took place every 20 years would no longer be mandatory for the next 100 years - they would only have to hold a new mandatory meeting in 50 years.


    since the ice age was a time when each power had to focus on protecting itself, its strongest representatives couldn''t travel to other continents and distant lands.


    but a lot could happen in 50 years, so the temple couldn''t continue for much longer without another mandatory meeting.


    without constant maintenance and changes, a high-level organization couldn''t remain intact for millions of years!


    so when minos finished his business in the late afternoon, he promised julian and aarav to see them again at the continental tournament and then at the meeting in 50 years.


    as evening fell in the temple''s headquarters city, he and his party departed through a local wormhole port to begin their journey back to the black plain empire!


    ...


    the following day, minos'' party was already sailing across the east sea, heading west, toward the north of the central continent, to the snowlands.


    having no trouble leaving the divine continent, minos'' party left at midnight, having already sailed for hours, long enough for these lands to have disappeared over the horizon.


    with the sea folk''s ship and several high-level beings to help them, the journey ahead would be quick, and in less than three months, the group should reach the capital city of snow.


    with all of them having had unique experiences there over the past few years, some having traveled there with minos for more than 5 years, it was time for them to make their final preparations.


    in a few more years, it would be time for them to enter the most dangerous sea in the spiritual world!nove.lb)1n


    there was no guarantee who would be able to return from that place. so, everyone could already feel a certain nervousness, knowing that they had to make the most of the next few years in the black plain empire but also strengthen themselves as much as they could with minos'' support.


    so, while they sailed, most of the crew took their time to meditate, leaving only the essential personnel to take care of the journey.


    minos was among those who cultivated, using his divine seal on one of the giant bones in his spatial kingdom to cultivate and further increase the density of the chaotic energy of the supreme beings from the distant past of this world in his body.


    in this way, he could better prepare his body and soul for the experiences he might have to deal with in a few years!


    ...


    while minos traveled to the central continent, maximilian was in the spiritual church''s spatial kingdom, cultivating with a smile on his face while an old man''s body lay beside him.


    in that high-level place that only he could enter at the moment, a cloud of colored spiritual energy surrounded the outskirts of a large cultivation chamber.


    in this place, powerful spiritual fluctuations were causing the entire surrounding space to tremble, and spatial distortions were attempting to form, even though this was a stable spatial kingdom where spatial manipulation was not normally possible.


    but with a divine-grade medicine right in front of maximilian and him processing the chaotic energy of that essence, there was no way this space could handle it as if nothing was happening.


    he was cultivating to become a god, someone who could manipulate this space!


    maximilian cultivated with satisfaction after successfully stealing the divine-grade medicine from the former head of the spiritual church without losing its medicinal effect.


    ''just wait a little longer, vico. in a few years, i''ll leave this room...'' he continued with closed eyes and a broad smile on his face.


    ''i will leave this place at level 100!''


    ...


    meanwhile, the people on the outskirts of the spatial kingdom had no idea what was going on inside the supreme pontiff''s cultivation chamber.


    but forrest, who was there at the time, would soon discover what maximilian had done.


    shortly after his master''s soul disappeared, he and duncan evergreen''s other disciples would learn of the former supreme pontiff''s unexpected death!


    considering the presence of maximillian flamen in the spatial kingdom, minos'' partner in the journey through the ancient dragon space kingdom, currently at level 94, would soon become suspicious of the circumstances of his master''s death.


    ''guys, we have to assume that maximilian is behind this.'' he said in the minds of his companions in the spiritual church.


    ''what are we going to do? no one below level 99 will be able to enter the chamber where he is. and if he succeeds...'' someone worried.


    forrest then suggested, trying to suppress his loss since there was no time to mourn now. ''let''s go to the black plain empire. we''ll talk to minos. he''ll help us find a way out of this problem.''

 Chapter 1985 The Next Target

    chapter 1985 the next target


    three months later...


    it was late afternoon in the east of the black plain empire when a sea folk''s ship appeared on the horizon from the capital of the snow area.


    at the sight of the ship bringing the emperor and his family back to their state, the soldiers of the black plain army immediately rang the local bells, alerting the forces in that city to the moment they had been waiting for the past few months.


    minos had sent word of when they would arrive from their long journey. as such, there were several people who wanted to see him again in the city run by the snow family.


    as it was snowing locally, the members of the leading family in the area rushed to the local harbor, happy but without any hope of getting a chance to speak to minos.


    at that moment, demigods from the imperial army, spiritual sages from allied states, and subordinate forces were waiting for minos in the city, and even mid-level demigods were there.


    among them was a level 94 man with black hair, a high-ranking cardinal of the spiritual church.


    when he arrived at the local harbor and saw these experts from afar, the son of misty and ambrose snow watched from a distance beside his mother at the arrival of emperor stuart, about whom he had heard many stories from his mother.


    the blonde woman was there with her son to see the arrival of the ship of the man she had such fond memories of. but misty no longer had any hope of physically bonding with minos, as she had done a few times in the past.


    she had reached level 70, but the distance between them only grew as the years passed. meanwhile, minos had his own family and many problems to deal with.


    after longing for him, this woman had learned to admire him from afar, working for him and his empire.


    "look, little albert. that''s the great emperor of our state." she pointed to the brown-haired man who was climbing down from his ship and showed her son, who had the same name as minos'' father.


    the boy looked at minos with a gleam in his eye, seeing someone as famous as the emperor for the first time in his life.


    as little albert snow watched minos with his mother and a crowd of local nobles, emperor stuart disembarked from his ship with his wives, followed by the long line of demigods on the ship.


    as soon as he met forrest in the harbor, minos put aside his expression of happiness to be back in his empire, realizing that trouble was likely awaiting him.


    "congratulations on reaching level 85, minos. you truly are a cultivation monster." forrest said as he stood next to two other members of the spiritual church, both at level 94, just like him.


    meanwhile, there were two men from the longus family who had reached the 10th stage, as they were currently serving the army in this area.


    seeing them there, along with emissaries from albano, blackrock, and rosser, minos didn''t need to hear from anyone to know that his forces had developed well in his absence.n)/o-.v./e.)l.)b--i-/n


    he greeted his men and then asked forrest as he walked toward the local wormhole port.


    "why are you here?"


    "we have problems. maximillian may have killed my master and is about to reach level 100." forrest said without wavering.


    hearing the words of this black-haired man, the women of minos and his crewmates changed their expressions.


    that was critical news even for the least connected to the black plain empire!


    the advancement of a level 99 demigod to level 100 was relevant to every being in the spiritual world!


    even the dragon in its human form narrowed its eyes upon hearing such information, seeing that the rumors about the experts from the central continent trying to advance to level 100 were true.


    "this is terrible!" abby muttered.


    "if he advances to level 100, the war in the south will end along with our peace here in the north." gloria was blunt while wearing a worried expression.


    "this is really a problem." minos sighed, understanding forrest''s urgency in coming to this place to wait for him.


    forrest commented. "minos, i hope that from now on, we can help each other more than ever. if maximilian succeeds, the first thing he''ll do is kill vico and end the war.


    we''ll be safe for a few weeks, maybe months. but after that, he will come after our groups for his own reasons.


    we have to be prepared!"


    "i understand. he''ll probably eliminate the disciples of the one he killed, and he might change his mind about my state." minos understood forrest''s thinking.


    with the war in the south over, the black plain empire would, of course, be of most interest to maximilian in his expansionist plans!


    as much as the northernmost part of the continent was considered an area of influence for the spiritual church, that force had less and less influence in the area because of the growth of the stuart family and especially the growth of minos.


    from forrest''s point of view, minos would be a big problem for maximilian in the future, so the man would definitely try to deal with the stuart emperor as soon as possible after the war ended!


    since he wanted to take revenge on his master and also protect himself from maximilian, he was there to plan with his ally.


    minos sighed and then said. "let''s talk about this calmly. maximilian could still fail, and even if he doesn''t, the evolution of a demigod to level 100 is not easy.


    so let''s talk about it in my capital after i''ve been informed about the local situation, shall we? my daughter has made some arrangements in my absence that may make some of our actions difficult. at the same time, we have several other problems to solve."


    "i understand." forrest knew there was time for them to talk about it and didn''t insist. "but minos, are you aware of the ice age that is upon us?"


    "hmm, i attended a meeting of experts on the divine continent on this subject. some of the issues i have to resolve now are for the sake of my state''s future during this crisis." minos said as he saw the wormhole port, he would use to return to dry city.


    "and that group next to you?"


    "these are companions i picked up on my last journey. we''ll be leaving for the north sea in a few years."


    after saying this, which caused forrest to become a few degrees more serious, minos entered a wormhole with his group and returned to the empire''s capital!

 Chapter 1986 Entering the Dome

    chapter 1986 entering the dome


    quickly crossing the wormhole space tunnel that connected the main city of the snow area with dry city, minos and his group were soon back in the empire''s capital.


    arriving at one of the satellite cities of the capital of the black plain empire, their entire group saw that strange human area, which couldn''t be found anywhere else in the spiritual world.


    on one side of the place where they arrived, there was a huge ring-shaped city surrounded by almost endless agricultural fields on the outside, while on the inside of the metropolitan ring, there was another area of plantations. in the center of this area was a space completely devoid of light, dark to the limit, something that emits crackling sensations even to mid-level demigods.


    "is this the capital of the state of minos?" one of the mermaids in the group wondered as she sensed the strange spiritual fluctuations in the area.


    however, even though their group was basically made up of demigods, none of them thought that dry city was poor in spiritual energy. on the contrary, this city was currently as good as the most spiritual energy-rich places on the central continent!


    it still lost out to the city where the pantheon of honor temple was located, as well as the headquarters of the dragons, elves, phoenixes, and sea folk. however, the difference between these places and dry city was not significant.


    you would only feel such a difference if you spent thousands of years in dry city instead of one of these places!


    therefore, the group couldn''t help but be surprised when they compared the sensation they felt when they arrived at this place with the stories they had heard before and even during their journey here.


    minos had elevated a poor area in the north of the central continent to a high level, a place that could even host high-level demigods without embarrassment!


    forrest saw and heard the reactions of these beings for the first time in this city, and he agreed with them about what they thought of this place and of minos.


    as he did so, he saw their confidence grow, even though they would soon leave for the dangerous north sea.


    seeing how capable minos, the commander of their crew, gave everyone more confidence that they would survive such a voyage.


    forrest himself felt less doubtful than a moment ago, feeling once again the richness of this city, which not so long ago had been nothing like the current reality.


    ''minos really is someone who can work miracles... perhaps he can return from the north sea.''


    what worried forrest the most was that minos would not return, and he would be left alone with his faction members within the spiritual church. even though young stuart was still nothing compared to maximilian, that could change soon, and this cardinal very much wanted the brown-haired man next to him to be able to face maximilian together with him.


    then he sighed and said. "minos, i hope you will be successful on your journey. the black plain empire, our allies, and my faction depend on your return from this journey.


    when will you leave?"


    "in a few years. i''ll go into seclusion now, and when i reach level 87, i''ll leave."


    ''level 87, huh? that would temporarily make you level 89 when you use your innate ability.'' forrest thought as he flew with the group between the ring of cities and the dome of dry city.


    "well, the stronger you are before the journey, the better. but i think that will be your limit. in no more than a decade, either maximillian or vico will show results from their seclusion." he said as everyone forgot dry city to look at the black-haired man again.


    "let us hope they both fail in their advances. but if one of them succeeds, the war in the south of the continent will be over in a decade at the most. that''s how long we have to prepare for the consequences if one of the two sides wins the war."


    "that''s enough," minos said, thinking about the time he would take to get to and from the north sea but also about the deals he had recently made that would bring many experts to his state in the coming years.


    "it will take me six months to get to and from the north sea. i''ll try to explore the area in less than three years and then return. that should be enough for me to be in my city before the end of the war."


    "hmm, yes, that would be enough. but be careful. your plans won''t work out the way you think. the north sea forces even demigods to do things out of plan." forrest advised.


    "i know. don''t worry, we''ll try to get back before that interval you mentioned." he looked into forrest''s eyes. "do you expect to reach level 95 by then?"nove-lb/1n


    "it is hard to say. it is much harder to advance at the 10th stage than on the 9th." forrest commented without much hope.


    a demigod who could advance one level every 20 years could be considered extremely fast in their cultivation, a genius rarely seen in the world!


    forrest had only reached level 94 a few years ago. therefore, he didn''t know if he could advance to level 95 by the time of the continental tournament.


    it wasn''t impossible to advance before then, but the probability was very low.


    "i see... well, i''ll try to get to level 89 by then. my state will also improve a lot in the meantime." minos said confidently, knowing he had to improve a lot in the next few years.


    forrest didn''t doubt emperor stuart''s words. before going to the east coast of the continent to await the arrival of minos and his family, he had been to dry city.


    there were currently a few dozen demigods there, many of them friends and allies of minos, but some were soldiers of the black plain empire.


    many of the high-level sages that minos had left in his state five or six years ago had improved their levels to the peak of their stage, and some had advanced to the 10th stage.


    even though many others were still stuck at level 89, most could advance in the next 10 years, which would give the black plain empire more than 30 demigods.


    considering the resources minos had, forrest didn''t doubt that one or two level 90 demigods from the local forces could advance to level 91 in the meantime. as difficult as it was to advance within the 10th stage, the first few levels were generally the easiest for cultivators to advance.


    since minos had always worked wonders, forrest didn''t want to underestimate his ally!


    trusting his ally''s words, they entered the dome of dry city and quickly made their way to the imperial palace, where several of the demigods currently in the area were.


    ...

 Chapter 1987 The Current Power of the Empire

    chapter 1987 the current power of the empire


    "your majesty, welcome back!" dillian, level 80, said as he bent his knee in front of minos, doing the same as several other guards around the imperial palace.


    seeing their leader again after years of separation was an incredible thrill for many of these people.


    and when they sensed the level minos was at now, they couldn''t help but be moved to see how far their leader had come, how strong he must be now.


    eduard, barbara, elen, and elena, all currently at level 80, were also there, some with their knees bent, others standing next to members of the government and the imperial family.


    some of the women from minos'' family and his wives were currently in the spatial kingdom, but many old acquaintances were there with sarah and dillian, showing emperor stuart how much they had improved in the past few years.


    sarah had reached level 73 and stood next to lee and alison, who had reached levels 77 and 76, respectively.


    in addition to them, many of the 9th-stage army members had improved by one or two levels since minos had last seen them, and there were now several demigods in this imperial force.


    minos greeted them all with a nod, smiling with satisfaction at seeing his forces on a whole new level, with many of his men finally reaching the limit of what their talents could take them.


    that was the case with dillian, who with a black-grade talent should be limited to level 89, as was the case with emlyn and kyla, there with the group of newcomers among the many demigods who were minos'' companions.


    while the mood was positive, sarah went to her parents'' side, missing them after years of not seeing them.


    she also missed her siblings, but she knew she would soon have the chance to see how the children of the stuart family were doing in the spatial kingdom.


    minos looked at his people and said. "thank you for the warm welcome, my friends. i''m glad everyone here has grown stronger in my absence. that''s good, we''ve got a lot of problems ahead of us, and i''ll need to borrow your strength again."


    everyone there had expected this and wasn''t surprised by minos'' words about more trouble.


    minos then looked at the demigods, who were not part of his forces and were waiting for him in the city.


    among them were several sea beasts from tribes minos had passed on his journey through the south sea years ago. but in addition to these beasts, there were beings from races that minos had not encountered in his travels.


    stories of him and his crew had spread across the oceans in recent years, and some brave individuals from the seas had heard of the human forming a crew to sail the most dangerous sea in the world.


    some of those who had heard such rumors had decided to come to dry city simply to see how true the rumors were, while others were there to offer themselves to minos on this voyage.


    but when they saw the crew minos had assembled over the past few years, they soon realized that the stories were true and that his group was preparing for such a journey.


    minos said to these creatures. "i see that many of you are here for the journey to the north sea, right? well, i don''t want to disappoint you, we will leave in a few years. but before that, i must take care of some things in my state and finish my preparations.


    if someone here has problems to solve, if they come back before four years, there will be plenty of time for them to join our group. after that, you might be late and miss our departure.


    in any case, i thank those who have come to join us. everyone is welcome in my crew."


    "four years? that''s not long." a kraken said as he looked at the two members of his race in minos'' group.


    while the beasts waiting for minos'' group to go to the north sea agreed, the mercenaries he had hired from the marine empire looked at his group and those of the beasts who wanted to join them.


    ''we will have more than 50 members in our crew by the time we leave for the north sea...'' one of the level 90 demigods among these mercenaries thought to himself, considering it would be worth staying at minos'' side until the end of this journey.


    minos had given them the option of accompanying him to the north sea and then leaving if they wished. but after all they had gained with him, and what they could gain by going all the way, the mercenaries were more confident about going to the north sea.


    some were even considering joining the black plain empire, as minos had invited them several times on their journey here.


    with his resources, they could more easily reach their dream levels!


    meanwhile, the members of minos'' group who had recently joined the crew on the divine continent naturally liked what they saw when they arrived here.


    ''this is good. we''ll have one more power boost before we leave for the north sea.'' one of the humans in the group thought to himself.


    minos then said to everyone there, "very well. those of you who are here to travel with me to the north sea, please feel free to use the services and resources of my city. for now, you can travel or go into seclusion in my state.


    whatever you choose, my men will keep you informed of events that may interest you over the next few years, so don''t worry about being stuck near me.


    in the meantime, for those interested, we have some great cultivation areas in our capital."


    after he finished speaking, the many members of his group, including those already in dry city waiting to join them, started talking to each other.


    in a few minutes, everyone there would make their decisions, with the majority deciding to stay in the core of the black plain empire, while a few would explore the central continent.


    but the dragon, the members of the sea folk, and the mercenaries hired by minos in the marine empire would stay in dry city, as they wanted to be as close to emperor stuart as possible.


    meanwhile, the two nine-tailed foxes, bella and titus, and the gorgon, danyxa, stayed behind with emlyn and kyla, the latter two waiting for their moment to return to the spatial kingdom.


    danyxa didn''t want to take risks, so she preferred staying close to minos.nove-lb/1n


    bella wanted to stay at the side of these two low-level 9th-stage foxes, while titus was eager to have access to minos'' theories.


    but there was no time for that now, and first, minos wanted to meet with his government to discuss the local decisions and events that had taken place in his absence.

 Chapter 1988 Updates

    chapter 1988 updates


    after several demigods left the imperial palace, those who remained made way for the men of minos'' forces as they stood aside in the imperial throne hall.


    minos settled into his throne as his men from the local government and army stood before him, ready to update him.


    he looked at sarah, standing next to gloria, and asked. "how was your time ruling dry city?"


    "difficult, at times." sarah was honest. "most of the time, it was smooth sailing with the help of everyone here. but the situation with the gorgons made things a bit difficult... we had to move to secure enough protection before anything else happened."


    "about that, you can rest assured. the gorgons won''t cause us any more trouble." minos removed the level 97 gorgon''s head from his spatial ring as he said this.


    seeing that head, forrest narrowed his eyes, surprised at the level of influence minos had achieved in such a short time.


    those in the local forces who still didn''t know the pantheon of honor had punished the gorgons in such a way were also shocked, not expecting minos to have the head of the leader of the gorgon tribe with him.


    even danyxa''s eyes widened as she looked at the head of the former leader of her tribe, seeing it for the first time since minos had told her what had happened.


    this woman had been the strongest in all of gorgon''s history!


    yet she had fallen because she had ''chosen'' her opponents wrongly.


    ''i''ll never forget that lesson.'' she thought, realizing sometimes one had to give up on revenge and justice, or else the worst could happen.


    "in any case, our agreements won''t lose their validity because of this," sarah commented to her father.


    her state had practically left its ''neutral'' position in the war and was now a supporter of the evergreen empire. that couldn''t be changed, so even if the gorgons were no longer threatening them, they still had to keep their recent promises to maximilian''s men.


    "i know. anyway, the victory of the evergreen empire is the least of our worries." minos said, thinking it wouldn''t change much for him.n/-0velb1n


    vico hated minos so much that he wanted to kill him even before these new agreements. it wouldn''t change anything for emperor stuart.


    what might change was his relationship with sista, that state that had never been hostile to him, even after the start of the war in the south of the continent, which he had basically started.


    "we''ll deal with the consequences of that later. but for now, i wanted to know how our reserves are doing. have you begun to follow my orders?" minos asked, looking at dillian.


    "yes, we have, your majesty. we''ve increased investment in the agricultural fields, begun to reduce business with forces not allied with the state, and instituted food rationing rules.


    our actions on the continent have gone as expected, and we are already increasing our reserves.


    however, things are going even better in our undersea territories. since your majesty''s order, we have doubled our underwater food production."


    currently, more than 30 million inhabitants of the black plain empire live in the underwater part of the state northeast of the ancestral sea.


    however, the empire''s marine population was multiplying, and before the ice age began, the government expected at least 100 million people to live in that area.


    if their expectations were met, the food production of this undersea area would exceed many of the minos government''s anticipations for food production in the coming years.


    that would be crucial for the state at the beginning of the ice age!


    "this is great. we must invest as much as possible in the development of underwater agriculture." minos said, knowing that underwater areas suffered the least during the ice ages.


    having said that, minos asked about the state of the army, which had already reached the impressive figure of 60 million soldiers, with an average cultivation of level 60.


    with over 10,000 sages and a few demigods, the group was much stronger than when he left the state to go to the ancient dragon spatial kingdom.


    minos was curious to see the strength of his men in action, and he soon told his cabinet members to plan extensive military exercises and even competitions to be held in dry city.


    competitions were a great way to encourage cultivators to become stronger, and not just for the prizes. even the spectators could get excited about such events, which could increase the entire strength of a state if used wisely.


    minos promised he would fight in a few public fights and even attract the interest of the demigods in the area, as this was the kind of power level that was unlikely to be seen.


    normally, only other demigods had the chance to see people with 10th-stage powers fight!


    however, the people of the black plain empire would be different. in the coming years, anyone who had the crystals to pay to enter arenas would have the chance to see someone that strong fight.


    with that decided, minos would soon hear some information about his city, migrations, changes in his empire, and, in short, the basics that a ruler like him would need to know after returning from a long journey.


    after more than two hours of conversation with his men in the imperial palace, minos would finish getting up to date, having given several orders to be carried out immediately or over the next few months.


    with that settled, titus would approach him to ask when they could begin their experiments and studies.


    minos would ask him to wait a little longer as he had to get stronger to start the experiments. however, they could already begin to discuss their theories in more detail and agree on how to proceed with their subjects over the next few months.


    after talking with titus, minos would sign some agreements with some newcomers to the empire to join his group, guaranteeing them support but also secrecy about things relevant to the state.


    with all this done, minos reunited with his family and returned to the spatial kingdom.


    now it was time to bring the children of the stuart family back to dry city, as well as the people who had spent the last few years in the cultivation sanctuary caring for the little ones.


    emlyn, kyla, and bella would go to the spatial kingdom together to stay there, while minos would soon return to dry city with a group of 9th-stage women.

 Chapter 1989 Stabbed in the Back

    chapter 1989 ''stabbed in the back''


    ?


    after returning from the spatial kingdom with their family, maisie, level 83, patience, level 82, angelica, level 81, the women from minos'' side of the family returned to dry city after spending more than five years in the spatial kingdom with rowan, hollie, kendrick, and lily.


    rowan, lily, and hollie had grown up a lot in those years and were now very active children, very different from the small children when minos had left the central continent.


    they still didn''t know who they were in the spiritual world. still, they already understood the basics of the cultivation world and that they were part of a sovereign family.


    as for kendrick, he hadn''t changed much in appearance, but he had greatly improved his cultivation and reached level 61 during this period of seclusion.


    when he left the spatial kingdom with his grandparents, eliot, level 79, and nicole, level 78, he had quickly distanced himself from his family and gone searching for his local "friends," eager to enjoy his freedom again.


    ruth''s parents had also returned to dry city to watch their grandchildren, along with isabella''s mother, who had stayed there all this time.


    but harold''s second wife would soon return to the flaming empire to rejoin her husband, having seen enough of her granddaughter lily''s growth. she had made good use of her stay in the spatial kingdom and increased her cultivation by one level, reaching level 81.


    finally, the beasts of the imperial family had also evolved a great deal in recent years, with starclaw achieving the best result of all, reaching level 90 months ago.


    but while the stuart family and the government of the black plain empire were learning about the progress of their most important members, gloria realized something about her daughter and was with sarah in her office in the temple of the spiritual church in dry city!


    ...


    when gloria looked at her daughter while in the leader''s chair of that office, she had a severe look on her face as she looked at her daughter, seeing some details in her daughter''s body that she couldn''t ignore.


    sarah looked more mature. her bust and hip measurements were more advanced than before, but her waist was slim, indicating that she had gained measurements without gaining body fat...


    sarah had gained body and was much more feminine!


    her expression was also different and carried the maturity of someone who had experienced things...


    as a woman who knew how to notice these signs, it wasn''t hard for gloria to see the obvious!


    her daughter was doing things she shouldn''t be doing!


    "sarah, are you still a virgin?" gloria asked, closing her eyes and clenching her fists, not needing to hear the answer to know the obvious.


    ''who was the bastard?'' she asked herself, angry that someone had stolen her daughter''s purity without even introducing himself to the family and asking for a marriage commitment.n)/o-.v./e.)l.)b--i-/n


    sarah swallowed her saliva and turned pale, not expecting her mother to notice such a thing even after she was so careful.


    ''how does she know?'' she shuddered, imagining that if her mother knew, her father would soon find out.


    if that happened, her beloved george would probably lose his head!


    "mother, please don''t tell my father!" she went to her mother''s side and begged as she knelt and leaned on gloria''s legs. "i''ve done things i shouldn''t have, but i''m going to marry my boyfriend..."


    "boyfriend?" gloria asked, still with her eyes closed but pushing so hard that sarah could see she wasn''t happy about it.


    "yeah, i''m dating him. his name is george sista. he''s a prince of sista!" sarah decided to take a risk and tell her mother the whole truth to maybe prevent something worse from happening.


    george was only level 87, so he wouldn''t be a match for minos. he might even get killed if there wasn''t something else to protect him from an angry father!


    not knowing how her old man would react to this since george had been her first lover, sarah''s heart was filled with fear and anticipation.


    "sista?" gloria opened her eyes in surprise, not expecting a prince from that state to actually be in her territory and even seduce her daughter.


    "yes, he came here to observe the state to see if we could fulfill our agreement with queen sista. but we fell in love, and things got complicated after that." sarah was sincere as she didn''t know how to lie, revealing everything without difficulty.


    "oh? so he probably just used you, you stupid child!" gloria didn''t like this at all, especially since her daughter was so naive. "i''ll tell your father right away."


    "no!" sarah stood up, feeling tears fill her eyes. "give me a few days, mother. i''ll talk to george and ask him to meet my father. then we can make it official."


    "huh! if we do that, that damned george will run away to avoid facing your father!" gloria snapped at her daughter, not believing that this prince of sista''s feelings were identical to her daughter''s.


    "he won''t! he''s not a coward!" sarah tried to hold on to her mother, even though she knew she couldn''t go against her. "please, just give me a day, mother. if you want, you can get someone to watch him. i can tell you where he is."


    "where is he?" gloria asked as she looked into the eyes of this level 73 girl.


    ...


    while sarah was telling her mother everything there was to tell, george was working in his shop in the center of dry city when he suddenly felt a pang in his heart.


    he stopped what he was doing, feeling as if something bad was about to happen to him as if someone had stabbed him in the back.


    "is there a problem, your highness?" the demigod who accompanied him during his stay in the black plain empire asked.


    several low-level demigods are currently living around the black plain empire. the war in the south of the continent had caused several such experts to seek refuge in the state of minos.


    the local forces did not take the number of these individuals into account, as they were not part of the imperial forces and did not add much power to the local forces aside from the resources they attracted to the state by living there.


    however, several individuals like george sista''s guard lived in the major cities of minos'' state today, especially in dry city.


    "it''s nothing. i just had a bad feeling." george said before he returned to his work.


    ...


    meanwhile, minos had no idea of his eldest daughter''s problem and was now walking with his three youngest children next to esmond, level 89, the strongest sage of the family''s group related to the goddess of life.


    "your majesty, when can we have our revenge?" esmond asked as he saw minos'' children running happily around them, witnessing how their father acted as the leader of an empire.


    ...

 Chapter 1990 A Fathers Disappointment

    chapter 1990 a father''s disappointment


    upon hearing the question from esmond, the chief bodyguard of the goddess of life''s relatives, minos remembered the situation this family had with the rulers of the veora kingdom.


    the veora family had persecuted the relatives of the goddess of life for a long time because of an item that an ancestor of that family had stolen and hidden from the royal house.


    because of this, the relatives of the goddess of life, who didn''t know anything about it, were persecuted for a long time and naturally wanted revenge.


    in addition, minos himself wanted to help his current subordinates complete their revenge because the item in question that had caused them so much suffering could help him.


    these people related to the goddess of life didn''t have the idol with them, but they knew where to look for it. but to do so, they would have to act in the veora kingdom, which meant that they would have to complete their revenge before searching for such an item.


    remembering this, minos answered esmond''s question. "the veora family is a power with mid-level demigods. so we can''t act against them until we have such people in our army.


    but we''re not far from that. before we reach the worst moment of the ice age, we can do what you want."


    esmond didn''t want to die in a vendetta that was impossible to complete. so, waiting for his group to get stronger wasn''t a problem for him.


    he had only questioned minos that day, for the young leader had been away for several years and might have forgotten the subject. but as someone who had only agreed to join the black plain army because of emperor stuart''s promise regarding this revenge, he couldn''t let the matter ''die.''


    "then i''ll prepare my leaders for this moment. more time won''t hurt. that way, they''ll be able to act on our side when the time comes." esmond commented with a smile while minos remembered the three.


    "how are they?"


    "well, they''re currently..."


    they continued walking near the imperial palace while minos'' young children played near him.


    meanwhile, a group of imperial guards stood around them, watching over the children but also there to keep citizens or members of the government from approaching their leader.


    at the moment, the area protected by dry city''s dome was as large as the city itself. also, the core of the capital, where practically only government buildings were located, was a very busy place, even though it was a difficult area to access.


    with such a large government and army, this city area was bustling, even though more than 90% of the capital''s population couldn''t enter it.


    since minos had become a famous public figure and was increasingly difficult to see, many curious people could approach him if they weren''t intimidated by guards.


    whenever he walked through the central parts of the city, as he was doing today, his soldiers would accompany him so as not to waste time.


    but while these imperial guards were watching the surroundings, a member of the spiritual church, dressed in the uniform of a patriarch, was suddenly noticed by one of these guards and quickly approached minos.


    "you there, stop where you are!" a level 80 man said to the level 76 spirit saint standing there under gloria''s orders.


    minos saw the church member standing there and imagined this was some kind of message from gloria.


    "what do you want?" he asked as esmond looked at the spiritual saint.n)/o-.v./e.)l.)b--i-/n


    the red-robed saint replied as he bowed his head. "your majesty, i was sent here by cardinal frost. she wishes to speak with your majesty urgently."


    minos narrowed his eyes, sensing that serious trouble was approaching.


    he looked at lily, the eldest of the children with him, and said. "follow uncle eduard for now. behave yourselves."


    the three children stopped running around at their father''s command while lily tugged on rowan''s ear to get him closer to eduard.


    meanwhile, minos disappeared from their sight, quickly making his way to the temple of the spiritual church in dry city, where he soon found gloria waiting for him with a terrible expression on her face.


    next to gloria was sarah, extremely pale and frightened, her heart pounding in her chest.


    seeing them there, minos looked at them in silence for a moment, trying to understand the problem.


    but he didn''t notice anything right away. sarah had been careful in her adventures, and minos hadn''t really paid enough attention to his daughter''s body to notice the obvious.


    if he had done so, he would have noticed that she was much more beautiful than ever, even if her strength hadn''t changed much in the past years.


    "what''s wrong?" he asked, slowly walking over to the two women standing in gloria''s office.


    "fath..."


    "quiet!" gloria interrupted her daughter, aware that minos had spoiled this girl for too long and couldn''t let her speak.


    "minos, do you know what this girl has done?" she looked into her husband''s eyes and asked.


    "what?" minos asked curiously, not understanding what this was all about. ''did sarah do something she wasn''t supposed to?''


    minos'' mind was on higher-level problems, not the affairs of young people getting to know their bodies. he didn''t notice the problem right away, but gloria would soon open his eyes.


    "your daughter is dating!" gloria said with a disappointed tone. "not only that, but the boyfriend of hers is a prince from sista, to whom she gave herself, even though he''s a spy in our state!" gloria said, looking at sarah disappointedly, seeing what a fool her daughter was.


    she herself couldn''t remember how many times minos had tricked her in the past...


    minos clenched his fists as he felt his heart beat faster, receiving terrible news for a father like him.


    minos saw no problem in his daughter looking for love and someone to relate to. but he wanted her to introduce him to her family first and do her thing within the rules.


    he didn''t want his little girl unprotected with some scoundrels!


    "oh? did you do it, sarah?" he asked in a louder tone, terribly shocked.


    the feeling minos had now was similar to that of being betrayed!


    he couldn''t believe his little girl had tricked him and acted behind his back!


    "father..." sarah didn''t dare to look at him. she felt terrible now.


    unfortunately, she hadn''t given it much thought when she had done her thing with george... after she''d done it once, twice, three times, it wouldn''t have made any difference if she''d done it again, so she''d continued.


    but now, with her father in front of her, she felt the weight of having done so much for so long behind her family''s back.


    they at least deserved to know that she had a boyfriend, especially who he was!


    ...

 Chapter 1991 Confronting the Father-in-Law

    chapter 1991 confronting the father-in-law


    "father... i''m sorry. i didn''t mean to hide my relationship from the family, but you were away, and i didn''t want to say this in a message." sarah gathered her strength to say these words, trying to show her family that she hadn''t intentionally kept them out of everything.


    "oh? and why didn''t you tell us this right after we arrived in the city?" minos asked, seeing that enough time had passed for her to tell him, and yet she hadn''t.


    he only found out because gloria realized the problem and called him!


    "i was scared," sarah said, stuttering a little. "father, george is very good to me. even though his family sent him to look after us, he really loves me. please don''t do anything against him!"


    "whether he loves you or not is for me to decide." minos closed his eyes, wanting to hit someone. "where is that bastard? why didn''t the coward come to me to talk about it?"


    "it''s not his fault, father! i told him not to come near you!" sarah said in a louder tone, protecting her man''s honor.


    that only irritated minos more and made him dislike george even more.


    gloria saw that her husband was about to explode, and if sarah said any more words, she would be punished on the spot, something minos had never done before.


    then the mother said. "i already have his location and men watching him."


    as much as sarah deserved to be punished, gloria didn''t think it was appropriate for minos to beat their daughter. no matter how big a mistake the girl had made, they couldn''t take physical action against her.


    "where is he? i''m going to meet this little spy to see his intentions. if he really used my daughter..." minos stopped at this part of his speech and looked seriously at sarah. "i hope you''re right. otherwise, we''ll all be in trouble."


    sarah said nothing more, as she had never heard her father speak to her so rigidly before.


    gloria then grabbed one of her daughter''s wrists and said. "let''s go see him."


    with that, she carried her daughter as she flew alongside minos towards george''s shop.


    in the blink of an eye, they appeared in front of a painter''s shop, a rustic place, relatively small but with many paintings on display.


    upon entering the shop, minos immediately caught the attention of the few customers there, but especially george and his two bodyguards.


    a level 94 man and a level 93 man immediately decided to move before their leader and appeared in front of minos, wondering what this was all about.n)/o-.v./e.)l.)b--i-/n


    but george wasn''t a coward and also moved, seeing that his relationship with sarah would no longer be a secret.


    not only that, but sarah had probably told minos everything that she couldn''t keep to herself, even if she wanted to.


    with the special power of the empress of this state, extracting the truth from anyone was a simple matter!


    but george himself knew that abby wouldn''t even have to move for sarah to tell the truth. being a sincere person who didn''t know how to lie, the young redhead with the frightened expression next to her mother would hardly keep the whole truth to herself.


    george laughed bitterly in his mind at this situation, seeing no problem with sarah ''betraying'' him, as he had expected something like this to happen sooner or later.


    "your majesty. it''s good to see you again." he said, breaking the terrible silence at the entrance to his shop, as the few customers there fainted from minos'' intense presence.


    even without using the dragon''s gaze, minos'' mental pressure was enough to knock out those customers and make the three members of the sista family aware that he was not happy.


    seeing the young sista heir he had met years ago to discuss the continental tournament, minos clenched his fists, not expecting that this person would be the one to steal his daughter''s purity.


    "george sista, do you realize what you have done? my daughter is not just anyone you can have a relationship with without commitment, without my permission, or even outside of my rules. no matter who you are, i won''t let you get away with what you''ve done."


    the two demigods beside george stepped forward, aware that if minos wanted to, he could kill the heir to their estate in an instant.


    minos saw their movement and gave them an ugly look, making them feel the pressure of a dragon''s gaze.


    ''that has nothing to do with you, guards!''


    the two guards listened in their minds and realized that even though they had much stronger cultivation than minos, the young local leader would not be easy for them to deal with.


    then george raised his hands and asked his guards to calm down.


    "i am aware, your majesty. i truly have good intentions for sarah. i want to marry her." george got right to the point, making the young redhead look at him and smile, seeing he hadn''t lied to her.


    "oh? but are you being honest?" gloria asked. "george sista, you have infiltrated our state without our permission. these words of yours are merely the speech of a spy caught red-handed. why should we believe you?"


    george knew it wouldn''t be easy to gain the trust of this family and said. "i know that my acting in secret in your state may be suspicious. but i was only here on my mother''s orders to observe whether our previous agreement would actually be fulfilled.


    we are not enemies, and even after the war in the south began, our family still acted favorably toward the black plain empire. why would i come here to do something that would jeopardize our relationship?"


    "i don''t know. maybe vico has convinced them that there isn''t enough room for all of us." minos said, looking into george''s eyes. "but if that''s all, why don''t you let me check everything out? you''ll still have to make amends even if everything is true."


    "i''m willing to do anything." he took a step forward.


    "let my empress use her power on you. if your feelings for sarah are real and you have not acted for the evil of my state, i will allow you to live." minos said, making the two strongest men there break into a cold sweat at the threat against george.


    ...

 Chapter 1992 Pressure from the Father-in-law (1)

    chapter 1992 pressure from the father-in-law (1)


    ?


    after minos'' threat, george bitterly laughed at his situation but without despairing.


    what gave him confidence in the situation he was in wasn''t the two demigods there to protect him. what gave him confidence was the fact that he hadn''t really come to dry city with nefarious intentions. he''d also been honest about his feelings for sarah.


    when he first came to this place, his goal had been to observe the progress of minos'' children, whom emperor stuart had said he would send to the continental tournament.


    to do that, he would have to get close to kendrick and sarah.


    kendrick was more difficult to get close to, as he was always away from dry city, and even when he was there, he was always busy with family or women.


    but sarah had a more well-developed life locally, being a woman who occasionally strolled around the city and enjoyed the local options, such as theaters, restaurants, etc.


    sarah was also the strongest, which george thought would best reflect the black plain empire''s outcome in the continental tournament. so he approached her, intending to follow her spiritual progress and even help her if possible and necessary.


    amid his plans, however, george had become more deeply involved with sarah than he had planned.


    drawn to her, and she to him, the two had developed a relationship over the past five years to the point where they knew exactly how they felt about each other.


    george loved sarah. he knew he wanted her in his life, so he wasn''t afraid of minos'' threats, for when his father-in-law saw the truth about him, he was sure that his problems would not be fatal.


    with that, he quickly accepted minos'' demand while at the same time asking his bodyguards not to get involved in this problem.


    with his answer, minos, gloria, and sarah soon made their way to the imperial palace, where abby was attending to local matters.


    arriving at the empress'' office without delay, minos soon explained the situation to his wife, which was not entirely surprising since abby herself, as well as ruth and isabella, had already noticed something different about sarah.


    but being on her husband''s side, abby soon used her skills on george, extracting the truth about the interests of this heir of sista for all those who mattered in the situation to understand his feelings.


    hearing from george how much he loved her, sarah was on cloud nine, seeing her instincts weren''t wrong.


    even happier to have this confirmation, the princess shed tears of joy when she saw abby finish using her ability on george.


    "i told you! george and i love each other!" sarah said as she ran to the first prince of sista''s side, looking at her parents in a wronged way.


    minos and gloria saw that they had been wrong to distrust george, but they didn''t regret what they had done. sarah was their daughter, their responsibility. how could they regret looking out for the welfare of their daughter?


    but while gloria felt less worried, minos thought the situation couldn''t end like that.


    then he said to george. "very well, you will live. as someone who loves my daughter and hasn''t acted for evil in my state, i won''t ask too much of you.


    but since you have stolen my daughter''s purity, you must take her as your wife. george, you have one year to arrange a marriage with sarah. if it takes longer than that... well, we''ll have problems."


    "a year?" the two demigods looked at each other while abby and gloria agreed that a marriage would be necessary.


    "i can try. but i''d have to talk to my mother first." george said, aware he might be able to marry sarah but not so sure that a year would be enough.


    minos continued. "besides, you must understand that sarah is my daughter. i won''t accept you spending your free time with other women. if you want to be with my daughter, be prepared for her to be your only one."


    when they heard this, gloria and abby looked at minos, not expecting him to say such a thing when he had so many wives and partners.


    that was especially true for abby, his first wife and the one who had been the most reluctant to accept the others in the family.


    ''funny how you don''t do what you say yourself...'' abby closed her eyes and laughed bitterly.


    sarah thought the same and looked at minos strangely. but she didn''t say anything because she didn''t want to share her husband with others.


    as much as she loved her family, she didn''t know if she could live like her mother.


    "your majesty..." one of the demigods spoke up, trying to defend george on this point since it was a tradition in sista for successful men to have several wives.


    "this is non-negotiable. not only do i demand that you not marry anyone other than my daughter, but if i hear that you''ve been casually sleeping with other women, i will come after you, george." minos threatened, looking into the blond man''s eyes.nove(lb.in


    he was a womanizer himself. but sarah was his daughter, and he wanted her to have the best marriage possible.


    his marriages to different women had worked out, but cases like this were more rare than common. he had to demand such a thing to protect sarah from a competitor who wasn''t as harmonious as his wives.


    george heard this and sighed, realizing he had an overly demanding father-in-law.


    he looked at beautiful sarah and said. "i can do this. i already have everything i want by my side."


    "george..." sarah smiled and blushed.


    "cough! cough!" minos closed his eyes, finding hearing and seeing this situation terribly painful.


    "everything i''ve said is basic and non-negotiable. but if you want my daughter, you''ll have to prove it to me somehow." minos said as he raised his aura, showing his level as he made even the solid walls of the imperial palace tremble.


    "george, i challenge you to a duel of will. if you cannot withstand my pressure for even one minute, then forget the whole thing. i will not give my daughter to someone who does not have a will strong enough to endure the worst!"


    ...

 Chapter 1993 Pressure from the Father-in-law (2)

    chapter 1993 pressure from the father-in-law (2)


    gloria sensed minos was serious and quickly took her daughter away from george, while the two demigods of the sista family saw that the situation would not be resolved by talking alone.


    the two demigos didn''t move immediately, seeing that their young master seemed willing to go along with this latest test from his father-in-law.n/-0velb1n


    george raised his spirit and used his cultivation technique to deal with the spiritual pressure of minos, who didn''t wait to attack him, making him feel his knees tremble and almost knocking him down at the beginning of the duel.


    george was at level 87, while minos was at level 85. however, even without emperor stuart using his innate ability or dragon''s gaze, he still got the upper hand in the duel.


    at the very beginning of the duel, george began to sweat as he tried to keep his knees from touching the ground, and a shocked expression appeared on his face as he realized minos'' natural power.


    everyone who valued minos these days did so because of his influence, cultivation speed, and ability to temporarily steal others'' cultivation. but when he felt his father-in-law''s aura, george realized this was only the surface of sarah''s father.


    even without using the dragon''s gaze or his innate ability, minos was still much stronger than him!


    the difference was not insignificant, which shocked george, who had golden-grade talent, saint-grade physique, and a complete set of golden-grade techniques.


    if he were ranked among the level 87 sages of this world, george was confident that he would be among the 30 strongest humans in the world. yet minos, at level 85, was stronger than him!


    ''is this the true power of emperor minos stuart?'' he asked himself as he grimaced, feeling pain as he tried not to make a fool of himself in front of his beloved''s family.


    ''no wonder he''s considered a monster! even though he''s at level 85, his spiritual pressure is not a bit lower than that of a level 88 cultivator!''


    with the difference in minos'' favor, george soon realized there was no way he could maintain his position for long. sooner or later, he would lose to his father-in-law, so he tried his best to hold out as long as he could.


    with his strong determination, he put his hands over his body, trying to form a barrier over it to protect himself from the pressure coming from all sides.


    meanwhile, sarah watched her father''s display of strength and noticed the message minos was sending her.


    he was still the strongest, the one she could look to for help and protection!


    as much as she would have her family with george, minos would never stop being her father and helping her. as long as she sought his help, he would do his best to help her, even if she left the empire one day and went to live with that man in sista.


    sarah was impressed by her father''s power, seeing he could completely surpass even someone like george, who was a great continental talent.


    according to george''s own guards, queen sista had high expectations for her son, believing he would one day reach level 99.


    but still, this man with great prospects ahead of him was practically kowtowing to someone two levels weaker than him!


    minos watched the time pass, and with almost 45 seconds since he had started the test with george, he noticed sarah''s boyfriend was struggling to resist him but still hadn''t touched his knees to the ground.


    ''tough, huh?'' minos thought as he smiled inwardly. ''your talent and determination are not bad. i''ll let you win this one so i won''t humiliate you in front of my daughter, george.''


    at this thought, minos stopped increasing his mental pressure and kept it constant for the next five seconds before it gradually began to decrease, not too much to be obvious, but enough to give george some relief.


    while influenced by abby, george''s statement had been enough for minos to accept this heir of sista alongside sarah. his goal was not to make it impossible for queen sista''s eldest son but to assess the prospects of this person he knew little about.


    even though he loved sarah, that didn''t mean he would be an ideal mate for her. george must have the talent, determination, and strength to defend himself and his family.


    seeing that the blond man in front of him had what it took to accept the current situation with sarah, minos decided to give sista''s heir a vote of confidence.


    at the end of a minute, minos stopped pushing him, and george finally felt relieved, but he couldn''t stand it any longer and fell to the ground.


    before he fell, his two bodyguards held his body by the arms and prevented him from falling.


    but inside, george knew that minos had made it easy for him in the end.


    ''damn it, he didn''t use everything he had. he saw that i would lose and let me win.'' george closed his eyes as he breathed heavily, feeling bad that minos had spared him even though he really wanted this victory.


    minos looked at him strangely, and george soon realized this, opening his eyes to see emperor stuart''s expression.


    gulp!


    that look clearly told him not to mention it to sarah and to continue as agreed.


    "not bad, sarah. not bad at all. you didn''t make a terrible choice. very well, i''ll give my blessing to your union. make your preparations quickly. your wedding must take place within 12 months at the most."


    with these words from minos, he soon disappeared from the area, leaving his two wives next to george''s men, this prince and sarah.


    "george, are you all right? did my father hurt you?" sarah approached her lover, worried but happy inside that everything had been resolved.


    george didn''t hesitate to answer. "i''m fine, don''t worry. anyway, we have a wedding to plan now. i guess i''ll have to return to my state, sarah."


    he couldn''t handle this subject without a face-to-face conversation with his mother. considering the importance of a wedding between sarah and him and its many implications, a lot would have to be discussed with the sista family.


    sarah had already imagined this, as their relationship had always had this problem since she was a princess of the black plain empire and he was the crown prince of sista.


    although it was natural for princes and princesses to marry each other, their states were on opposite sides of a war. even if their relationship wasn''t bad, that could change if maximilian or vico won the war.


    whatever the outcome of this conflict, it was almost certain the western states would have some kind of problem with the black plain empire after the war was over!


    so, as much as he wanted to marry sarah, george knew he had to talk to his mother first and make strategic changes with his family to make that possible.


    "all right. when are you leaving?" sarah asked, not wanting to be away from george but even more eager to marry him.


    he thought for a moment and said. "i''m leaving in two days. i''ll try to return as soon as possible with a result."


    "okay."

 Chapter 1994 Reaction of the Sista Family

    chapter 1994 reaction of the sista family


    a few weeks after minos'' return to the black plain empire...


    after the previous situation with the stuart family, george sista left dry city for his homeland after traveling between the northern and southern regions of the continent for a few days.


    finally, this morning, he and his party had managed to bypass some of the battlefields between the western and eastern regions of the vico-maximillian war and reached the ''safe'' part of their state.


    there was nowhere in the western region that was 100% safe. there were even occasional sneak attacks in the capitals of some of the states in this region.


    but these were isolated events, infrequent, and difficult to cause many casualties.


    even at war, the states'' capitals involved in the current conflict could be considered safe to live in, even considering the low-level inhabitants.


    arriving at the capital of his state, george sighed in relief at being back but also at what he was about to do.


    but before he could even head in the direction where he had already noticed his mother''s presence, he and his two bodyguards were approached by a group of the kingdom''s royal guard.


    "your highness, welcome back to the capital of the kingdom." a level 96 man said as he appeared in front of george with a group of six soldiers. "may i ask what happened to make you return so soon? your mission is still several years away. besides, you didn''t tell us you were coming back."


    george was a member of sista''s royal guard who had to follow the local military hierarchy more or less until he became king.


    since he was only a sage, he had many duties and responsibilities and couldn''t escape certain military rules. as someone on a mission, he had to follow the rules, even though he was a prince.


    in the kingdom of sista, the local heirs didn''t assume leadership responsibilities until they became demigods. even then, until the day one of them was crowned, he would have to follow the family hierarchy or the guard.


    that''s why the high-ranking guard in front of george didn''t hesitate to question him as soon as he saw him back in the city.


    george didn''t mind being questioned because he was used to following the military hierarchy of the royal guard. then, he answered his superior. "general jacob, some things have changed regarding the black plain empire. these are personal matters of mine, so i had to interrupt my mission to return. i have urgent matters to discuss with her majesty."


    the man frowned, not quite understanding what had happened. "what happened?" he asked.


    "sigh... minos stuart demands that his highness marry sarah stuart within the next 12 months." one of the two demigods said briefly.


    "what?" all the royal guards in front of george''s group shouted similarly.


    "this is absurd. who does he think he is to demand anything?" one of the less observant men asked.


    but the level 96 demigod, looking at george, understood the problem. "he''s a father protecting his daughter... it seems that your highness has done more than you should."


    "sarah stuart will be my wife," george said with determination, while the less intelligent men realized that minos had every reason to demand such a thing.


    but being right didn''t mean getting what you wanted!


    "if your highness hasn''t signed an agreement, all you have to do is not return to the black plain empire. if you stay in sista, minos won''t be able to reach you."


    "yes, that''s what should be done."


    "we can''t marry the royal family to house stuart just because of the mistake of two youths..."


    some of the men remarked to each other, while the strongest there remained silent.


    as they did so, willow''s voice reached their minds.


    ''minos stuart is someone who invaded the flowers kingdom to save two men when he was still a low-level saint... what do you think he''ll do with george? just leave the one who did things he shouldn''t with minos'' daughter?''


    hearing his mother''s voice, george felt ashamed for letting his emotions get the better of him.


    he loved sarah and wanted her in his life. but as a soldier of the kingdom, he knew he had been wrong to get involved with her.


    he was on a mission. he should have been calmer and not gotten so involved with sarah. furthermore, he shouldn''t have allowed himself to fall in love with the target of his observation. that was where he had failed, and he was ashamed of it.


    "mother..." he muttered just before the queen appeared near where he was standing, in front of the royal palace.


    one of the queen''s advisors, level 97, also appeared next to willow and answered the question the queen had asked the man.n)-ovelb1n


    "with minos stuart''s track record, it''s safe to say that he won''t give up on dealing with george if his highness breaks his promises. if our heir hides under our wings, sooner or later, the leader of the black plain empire will knock on our doors with hostile intentions."


    one of the weaker men said. "if he does, we''ll take care of him! we''re not like the women of the flowers kingdom!"


    "we''re really not..." the old advisor closed his eyes. "but minos stuart isn''t the same as he was when he attacked the flowers kingdom."


    willow looked into her son''s eyes and asked. "george, what are your intentions?"


    "i want to marry sarah stuart. but i don''t want to disturb the kingdom. so i''m here to ask your permission and to find the best way to resolve the matter." he said sincerely.


    "what about minos stuart? what exactly does he want, and how does he feel about it? do you think he''s doing this to get someone from his family into our government?" the level 97 advisor asked.


    "i don''t think he''s planning it. at least not before he finds out about my relationship with sarah." george pondered. "but i can''t say anything about the future. maybe he wasn''t interested before, but now i can''t say."


    one of his bodyguards commented. "your excellency, minos stuart threatened the life of his highness. he used the innate ability of one of his wives to force his highness to reveal the truth, and he also challenged the prince to a spiritual duel.


    i know his highness doesn''t see it all the wrong way. still, i believe that the sovereign of the black plain will do everything possible to punish his highness if he doesn''t comply with what has been agreed upon."


    george looked at his strongest bodyguard, not liking what this person had said.


    "he did all this?" willow looked at george.


    "i can''t blame him. i personally didn''t take the situation badly, mother. i was the one who went behind his back and got involved with the first princess of the black plain empire." george defended minos.


    "and what do you think of minos stuart''s strength? how was your duel?" willow asked with interest, curious about the current situation of this young ruler.


    ...

 Chapter 1995 Unexpected Marriage

    chapter 1995 unexpected marriage


    "emperor minos stuart is a monster," george commented with a sincere look, reliving his defeat from days ago. "he beat me soundly. even though he was at level 85 and i was at level 87, he outclassed me in every way.


    he could have humiliated me in front of the woman i love... but he held back. he didn''t even use his special abilities. he just used part of his mental pressure against me."


    "oh?" the level 97 advisor opened his mouth in surprise.


    minos'' talent was known throughout the continent. few didn''t know emperor stuart was a great talent, someone stronger than those of his own level.nove-lb-1n


    but george himself was a prodigy. for him to be defeated by minos when he was two levels above that northern ruler gave a whole new meaning to emperor stuart''s powers.


    minos was stronger than those of his level, but most people in the world were not prodigies or geniuses. as such, few knew his position among the world''s greatest talents.


    in particular, since they did not know minos'' true level of talent, few understood exactly how strong he would be when he reached the peak of cultivation.


    in other words, where would minos stand if he were a level 99 demigod?


    all the demigods at that level were prodigies, cultivators outside of the curve.


    but when those experts close to queen sista heard that minos could surpass even a prodigy like george, they realized the true potential of emperor stuart.


    ''if he can beat george, then he''d probably be the strongest on the continent if he were at level 98.'' willow thought to herself, aware that she was less talented than george but that the difference between her and vico wasn''t great. if minos could defeat george while being two levels below her son, he could probably defeat vico, one level below this man!


    but george reminded the demigods that his father-in-law wasn''t so easy: "but if he had used his ability to steal my cultivation base, not only would he have temporarily lowered my level, he would also have become stronger.


    using such a skill, his cultivation should be similar to that of someone at level 89, but not a ''normal'' person at that level, but someone with golden-grade techniques, the highest level of talent, and the highest level of physique quality.


    to face him at the 9th stage, you have to be a genius in every way. otherwise, only 10th-stage cultivators can compete with him." george finished his analysis of emperor stuart''s potential and current power.


    the advisor looked at the queen as she understood what was in the old man''s mind.


    "minos stuart is indeed very talented. what about his daughter? what do you think of her?" willow asked before giving her verdict on the matter.


    "sarah is also a prodigy but can''t compare to her father. with her current cultivation at level 73, she should be able to join the continental tournament." george said, proud of his girlfriend.


    "she''s cultivating as fast as her father." the level 97 man said.


    "she must have the same techniques as him. so it''s no surprise." willow commented before making up her mind. "well, i don''t see a problem with you marrying sarah stuart.


    however, we need to discuss how this is going to happen and also come to an agreement with the black plain empire. we''re not going to risk uniting just for the sake of a wedding. if we''re going to unite, it has to be backed by deeper business." she said, already aware of minos'' deals on the divine continent.


    as the ruler of a state that consumed more food than it produced, she placed a much higher value on making deals in the face of the continent''s chaotic future than some of her colleagues in the western region.


    since george loved sarah and minos wanted this marriage so badly, she would do it if she could get a favorable deal for her state.


    as for the situation of her allies in the war against the spiritual church, she intended to keep the marriage of the eldest sons of the sista and stuart families a secret.


    as long as no one knew of their relationship, they should have no problem being associated with a supporter of an enemy of their region!


    listening to his mother, george sighed in relief while the demigods there silently thought about the queen''s decision and judged whether it would lead them to the best possible outcome.


    ''sigh... the war will be over soon, for sure. after that, if we''re still alive, we''ll have to face the ice age.'' one of these demigods thought to himself, fully understanding the queen''s decision to accept minos'' demand.


    besides, if minos survived and grew stronger in the future, being linked to him by family ties could help sista a lot!


    "george, you and sarah stuart should try to produce an heir as soon as possible. that will unite the sista and stuart families during the ice age." the queen''s advisor said as the group walked towards the interior of the royal palace.


    george looked at the old man and understood that this person wanted to benefit from having a grandson of minos in the sista family.


    with a grandson of minos among them, the agricultural products of the black plain empire would be available to them to maintain their state during the crisis!


    "i''ll try my best." he laughed. "i hope fate will help us a little."


    ...


    over the next few days, the sista family would discuss george and sarah''s marriage, as well as the possible deals they could make with the black plain empire for the sake of their future during the ice age.


    only the most important members of the family would have access to these discussions, while the family intended to keep everything that would happen regarding george''s unexpected marriage a secret.


    after the initial discussions and decisions, some representatives of the family had already been sent to the black plain empire to negotiate with minos some conditions necessary for the wedding to take place.


    but since the sista family itself was willing to pay for minos'' food and help him protect himself at the beginning of the ice age, there wasn''t much to refuse.


    minos didn''t want to make any new deals, as he had already made several on the divine continent. but for the sake of his daughter''s future, the chances of him accepting a new deal were not small.


    and so the next three months would pass with the two sides actively discussing business and organizing their two states'' marriage!

 Chapter 1996 Return of the couple

    chapter 1996 return of the couple


    nine months after minos discovered sarah''s relationship with george, their wedding had finally taken place!


    after much negotiation by sista''s representatives in the black plain empire, the two sides of this marriage had reached important agreements regarding the future.


    minos had promised sista access to his food during the ice age and a series of promises regarding the future when he would become a 10th-stage expert.


    in return for his promises, sista had made her own commitments to dry city, promising to help protect the agricultural fields and warehouses from enemy attacks during the ice age. she would also prepay a portion of the food they would be entitled to during the ice age to help the empire better prepare for the future.


    willow sista had promised to speak on behalf of minos if vico travisani won the war against maximillian and came to visit the black plain empire. not only that, but if emperor stuart''s crew discovered something in the north sea, the kingdom of sista would help him with mid- and high-level demigods to deal with the problem in that area.


    if maximilian won the war, it would be minos who would speak on behalf of sista, and if he were unable to protect the state, he would have to secretly welcome some members of the sista family into his lands.


    in addition to these points, there were a dozen minor points in their agreement and the rules for the marriage of the two houses.


    with everyone agreeing that the marriage would be kept secret and would remain so until at least the end of the war, sarah and george''s marriage ceremony had taken place a few days ago, when the two families gathered in dry city to celebrate their union.


    queen sista had been unable to attend the ceremony due to her high rank and the fact that the spiritual church always kept an eye on her movements. however, she had participated in the whole event by watching from afar what happened in the city of minos.


    after the wedding, sarah and george would live in the black plain empire indefinitely.


    the stuart family had agreed that their eldest daughter would eventually leave to live with her husband in sista. but given the war and instability in the southernmost part of the continent, that would not happen until she and george were stronger and vico and maximillian''s conflict was resolved.


    until then, george and sarah would live in the empire.


    finally, with the wedding over and their situation accepted by their families, they both honeymooned in the northern region, taking advantage of the last few years of regional stability to wander around and celebrate their marriage.


    the north was at peace while the south was at war, and the ice age would be a few years away.


    that was the perfect time for them to enjoy the region!


    in a few years, everything would change; there would no longer be conditions for casually strolling around the north of the continent, and the war in the south would come to an end.


    so, the two of them prepared for the difficult future ahead while enjoying their happy time.


    ...


    while sarah and george traveled through the northern region on their honeymoon, their families had turned their attention to problems that preceded their situation.


    the sista family had turned their attention to the war in the west and east, knowing that it would be some time before the situation involving them would produce positive results for them.


    meanwhile, the stuart family continued with their previous plans, with the main members of their forces preparing for the end of the war in the south of the continent, the possible consequences of that, and preparing for the beginning of the ice age.


    while members of the government and minos'' family dealt with these matters, he and his crew prepared for the voyage to the north sea, constantly trying to improve their forces.


    most of the members of minos'' party were in seclusion in dry city, while he and his wives took breaks every few months in the spatial kingdom, returning to attend to local affairs.


    in this way, the first few months after sarah and george''s wedding would pass quickly, with the local forces growing stronger while they experienced peace.


    with no problems to worry about in the short term, the black plain empire would spend the next two and a half years in peace!n..o/)v)(e.(l--b//i/.n


    after more than two years of honeymooning, sarah and george finally returned to dry city after so many months of exploring the black plain empire!


    ...


    arriving near one of dry city''s satellite towns, sarah looked around with a smile while wearing a hood on her head to hide her identity.


    meanwhile, george stood to her right, holding one of his wife''s hands, also wearing a hood to hide his face.


    "is it just me, or has this place changed in the last few years?" george asked sarah in a quiet voice.


    sarah knew this place like the back of her hand. there was no way she couldn''t have noticed the local changes in the two and a half years she had been away with her husband.


    "yes, the city really has changed." she murmured, eager to return to her family and see how her parents and siblings were doing. "there seem to be more people here. i think the local population must have increased by 20% while we were traveling."


    for a ring of cities with a population of more than 20 million, a 20% increase in less than 3 years was very significant!


    "it looks like the local government''s ice age measures are already taking effect." george immediately understood what was behind the sudden growth of this area near the empire''s capital.


    this area was close to the main agricultural fields, and it would be the most protected and prosperous during the coming disaster. it was obvious that many people would move to this part of the empire.


    "anyway, let''s go to the capital. i''m looking forward to seeing my family again."


    "okay."


    with that agreed, the two continued on their way, quickly crossing the ring of cities in front of them until they entered the inner part of that area, where they could reach dry city in a few moments of flight.


    but before they reached the site of dry city''s magnificent defense dome, they encountered an old acquaintance of sarah''s.


    "aunt regina?" sarah saw a purple-haired, young-looking, level 76 woman flying in the same direction as her and george.


    upon hearing this voice, regina, a poison master, immediately slowed down and looked at the level 74 woman who had just called her name.


    looking at the woman in the hood, regina took a closer look at sarah''s face and saw that she was the eldest princess in the empire.


    "your highness! you''re finally back?" regina smiled at sarah as she saw them approach.


    regina was very fond of sarah. since she often played with the young princess after her time with minos, this poison master taught the princess many things about poisons. as a result, sarah was also very fond of regina.


    "yes, i''m back, hehe," sarah replied with a smile. "anyway, are you going back to dry city? let''s go back together."


    "all right, then we''ll have a chance to talk a bit." regina agreed and soon followed the two as they talked about the last years of their lives, particularly the couple''s adventures.


    ...

 Chapter 1997 Joke

    chapter 1997 joke


    "so you finally got your revenge, aunt regina... i''m happy for you." sarah said after the three of them finally passed through the entrance of the defense dome and arrived in the kingdom''s capital.


    regina sighed and said. "sigh, after all this time, i felt nothing when i saw his body... as much as he killed my first love, so much time has passed since my youth and my revenge. in the midst of it all, i still met your..."


    she was about to speak but suddenly stopped and smiled. "forget it. i kept my promise of revenge. that''s all i wanted. even if it wasn''t as good as i thought it would be, that''s all i have to worry about."


    sarah looked at the woman and realized she had feelings for her father. but she didn''t say anything about it. she had known about her father''s relationships with women other than his official wives since she was a child.


    sarah found some of her father''s relationships strange, but she didn''t get involved with them, so when she heard regina, she just smiled and nodded at the woman.


    "it''s just a shame that angela didn''t get the chance to be here with me... she was my great companion, someone who was with me for a long time on my quest for revenge." regina remembered her old mate who had died several years ago.


    angela had died at level 63, shortly after sarah''s birth. as a result, the young first princess of the black plain empire didn''t remember regina''s old sparring partner very well.


    "i''m sure she''d be happy," sarah said as she touched one of regina''s shoulders.


    "yes, she would." regina smiled, imagining she should visit her friend''s grave again to talk about her revenge, something she hadn''t done yet.


    with those words, sarah and george made their way to the imperial palace, while regina made her way to the dry city mausoleum, the home of the local heroes.


    ...


    arriving at the imperial palace, sarah found neither her father nor her mother on the premises.


    however, she spotted her younger brother, kendrick, and promptly stopped him.


    "kendrick, where are our parents?" she asked as she removed the hood from her face, attracting the attention of the brown-haired young man who was currently at level 64.


    "sarah? you and your husband are finally back!" he laughed as he ran to sarah''s side to hug her. "sister, are you pregnant?"


    "what did you say, you brat?" sarah looked sternly at her younger brother as he laughed while hugging his older sister.


    "at your age, our father had already impregnated your..." kendrick was about to say when he was pinched in the stomach and forced to stop and jump away from his sister.


    "you are the one who must give our father a grandchild, not me. you''re his heir, kendrick." sarah said, not liking what her brother was saying as she had tried ''hard'' to have george''s child.


    unfortunately, having a child together wasn''t easy for people as strong as them with such unbalanced powers.


    sarah thought it would be impossible for her to get pregnant until she reached level 80. however, they kept trying because they both wanted to have a child together.


    "don''t be like that, sister. i was just playing with you." kendrick said as he tried to deal with the pain of sarah''s pinch. "anyway, our father is in seclusion at the moment. he has reached level 86 in your absence and is approaching level 87. since he''s about to leave for the north sea, he''s increasing the amount of time he spends in seclusion.


    but since he has been absent from our city for about two months, i believe he will return in the next four weeks along with his mother and aunt isabella." he answered sarah''s questions.


    "my mother and aunt ruth are in the city. if you want to look for them, go to army headquarters or the central warehouse in the city."


    "oh? i''ll see them later."


    kendrick saw his sister walking toward the imperial throne room and waved to george, greeting sarah''s husband before continuing on his way.


    arriving at the imperial throne hall, sarah saw some of the imperial guards she had grown up near, such as eduard and grayson, both currently at level 80, not far from the next level.


    but besides them, they also saw starclaw, whom she hadn''t seen for several years before her marriage to george.


    starclaw was level 90, and since she had been working a lot in the sea area of the empire, she was rarely found in dry city.


    but today, she was there, returning from a mission.


    meanwhile, dillian sat on the throne of minos, handling local affairs in the leader''s absence.


    at level 81, dillian was no longer able to cultivate as fast as some of the most important members of the imperial family.


    since he was at the last stage of cultivation that his talent could take him to, from now on, this butler and doctor of the stuart family would go through something similar to what happened to demigods. his cultivation would become slower and slower, and he would no longer be able to improve his level.


    it was sad but also unbelievable because only a few people could reach the peak of their potential.


    seeing the man who had always been there for her father, her, and her siblings, sarah smiled as she watched dillian take care of local business.


    meanwhile, maisie and oswald were also there, father and daughter finally on the same cultivation level.


    oswald was already quite old, over 5,000 years old. meanwhile, mabel was practically the same age as george, so she could advance through the 9th stage relatively quickly.


    so it was only a matter of time before she surpassed her own father, which was impressive but something sarah had no hope of achieving.nove-lb.1n


    anyway, having been noticed by these people, dillian and company would soon finish what they were working on to welcome sarah back after years of her absence.


    upon meeting some of her family, sarah would hear them congratulate her on her spiritual growth during her honeymoon, while george would stand on the sidelines and watch this reunion.


    he hadn''t improved his level over the years but wasn''t far from reaching level 88.


    his cultivation speed couldn''t be compared to the most important members of the stuart family.


    while things were more difficult for people like george, the women of minos had all made progress in the past two and a half years, and gloria was even close to reaching level 85.


    george and sarah would soon discover this when they talked to the people in the imperial throne hall!

 Chapter 1998 Time of Peace

    chapter 1998 time of peace


    after sarah and george''s return, a few days passed before minos returned from the spatial kingdom.


    after returning with two of his wives and the youngest children of the stuart family, minos was thrilled to see his daughter again and to see how well she was progressing.


    according to his expectations, sarah would be a spiritual sage by the time of the continental tournament and could, therefore, participate in the event as a competitor. this would be a great opportunity for her.


    gloria was also pleased to see her daughter, but none of them were as happy as the children in the family. rowan, lily, and hollie were all very fond of sarah. after so many months without seeing their beloved big sister, they naturally jumped with joy at the chance to be by her side.


    the youngest of them was already 8 years old, while the oldest, lily, was 9 and approaching the time when she would start cultivating.


    they all understood the spiritual world well, how strong their family was, and how far they would have to go to reach their relatives.


    when the whole family finally gathered in dry city, minos, his wives, and children would spend a few days in the city, living together for the last time in a long time.


    soon it would be time for him to leave for the north sea, and several problems would arise after this journey. at the same time, the three children of the family would begin to cultivate and eventually go their separate ways within the empire.


    since no one in the family knew when they would have a moment like this again, they enjoyed the next few days as if they were their last together.


    with the black plain empire having no major problems lately and waiting for the conflict in the north to be resolved, there wasn''t much for minos or his wives to worry about.


    so, he would use this time with his family to train his older children, teach the younger ones, and take care of his wives. not only his wives but also his close friends whom he hadn''t had much time to visit in recent years.


    ...


    in dry city, minos was standing next to his wives, lily, rowan, and hollie, all in the courtyard of the emperor''s residence.


    the three children were playing in a large pool that was there, a place that minos and his wives had often used in the past, but now only the three of them used it.


    meanwhile, minos and his wives were dressed according to their surroundings, with very few clothes on as they enjoyed the afternoon sun.


    while two of his wives lay by the pool with their backs to the sky, the other two sat around a stone table with some drinks on the table.


    minos was with abby and gloria at the table, looking at the beautiful backsides of ruth and isabella as they sunbathed naturally while watching their children play.


    then minos said. "gloria, abby, and isabella, i want you to stay in dry city while i go to the north sea. in fact, i want bella to stay in the spatial kingdom while you two stay here in the capital."


    hearing this, the four women looked at minos, not understanding why he had suddenly changed his mind about going to the north sea with all of them.n-(ovelb1n


    "i only want ruth to travel with my group on this trip." he said, seeing the women were about to open their mouths to refuse his words.


    "why?" gloria asked.


    "because it will be hazardous. with ruth''s regenerative ability and the dragon''s level 100 blessing, she''ll have a high chance of survival. what''s more, she can be crucial to our group''s return. that''s why she''s indispensable on this journey." minos came right to the point.


    "but as strong as you have become and as fantastic as your abilities are, i think it will be too risky for the whole family to travel to the north sea.


    so i want you to stay and care for the empire and our children. i don''t think anything problematic will happen in my absence. still, the level of our relations with the outside powers has reached the point where we need to have relevant family members in dry city whenever possible.


    so i will have to rely on you, gloria, and abby."


    with abby in control of the state and gloria in the spiritual church, any problems that arose while minos was in the north sea could be resolved through their contacts.


    the two understood the need to stay behind but also the dangers they would face if they went to the north sea with minos and ruth.


    but abby still wondered. "wouldn''t my fusion be good for your group?"


    "it would, but there are too many risks. unfortunately, our levels are still too low to control the skeletons you can bring back to the living world. besides, we don''t know if our situation in the north sea will give us a chance to bring creatures back to life. if we were forced to fight on the surface, we wouldn''t have the advantage of your ability..." minos said, looking into his wife''s blue eyes.


    "but not only that, we don''t know the enemies and the phenomena they cause. what if we were to temporarily bring back to life a being allied with these creatures?" minos asked.


    since they were still far from reaching the level where they could control all the skeletons abby could summon, it was better for them to be cautious when using their fusion against these unknown enemies.


    "your ability might be more important to our group in the future, abby," ruth commented as she stood up. "if you go and show yourself, it might put a target on your back. so you should stay behind while we figure out the enemy''s characteristics so you can use your powers better in the future."


    "that''s it." minos nodded positively.


    sighing, abby accepted their words completely.


    "what about me?" isabella asked as she sat down on the ground.


    "i want you to take care of the children in the spatial kingdom and help them with their first steps in cultivation. when i leave for the north sea, it will be time for lily to start cultivating. rowan and hollie will also come of age in the following months."


    the three children looked at their father when they heard their names while isabella looked at them.


    "all right, i''ll do my best to train the little ones." she smiled as she looked lovingly at the three of them.


    "when do we leave?" ruth asked, excited to see the north sea for herself.


    "in seven months i will reach level 87. that will be the moment of our departure." minos said, ready to end this moment of tranquility in dry city soon to focus on his cultivation and advancement to the next level.

 Chapter 1999 Time for the trip to the North Sea!

    chapter 1999 time for the trip to the north sea!


    in the blink of an eye, more than six months had passed!


    on this day, it was cold in the black plain empire, a type of weather that was becoming increasingly common in the northern region of the central continent.


    as the ice age approached its "beginning," the characteristics of the spiritual world became colder.


    the ice age wouldn''t start overnight. it would gradually reveal itself to the world, and on the day predicted by the elves, it would suddenly intensify when it reached a certain stage in its development.


    but that day was still several years away, and the current temperatures were not cold enough to damage crops worldwide.


    but even so, the local population already knew what climate change meant. with each cold day that hit, the locals became more worried, and many moved to prepare for the future.


    but while ordinary people were huddled together in the major cities at the heart of the black plain empire, a group of powerful experts were gathered in dry city, ignoring the cold that day.


    in this group were several sea and land beasts, all in their humanoid forms, who had just reunited in front of one of the exits of the local defense dome.


    since some hadn''t seen each other for several months, the conversations were rather animated, with some talking about their experiences on the central continent, while others only talked about their local progress.


    those who hadn''t made any progress while traveling with minos had finally improved their strength a bit and managed to advance one level.


    as for those who had already advanced with minos'' help, none of them had made any significant progress during that time.


    it wasn''t easy to advance to the 10th stage!


    however, some of the beings who had previously come to dry city to wait for minos'' return had made progress and were now ready to join his crew.


    among them, a level 92 sea beast was the last of minos'' 50 crewmates to arrive and wait for his crew leader to leave.


    "am i too late?" the man with the colorful scales asked as he greeted his companions.n-(ovelbin


    "no. minos has scheduled our departure for nightfall. so there''s still time." one of the mermaids said as everyone there felt the thrill of being about to embark on the most dangerous journey of their lives.


    even the dragon in the group was a little excited, anxious to see the treacherous north sea, rumored to be dangerous even for demigods.


    "where is minos?" the last one to arrive asked.


    the leader of the group of sea folk there answered. "he has just returned from his retreat. he''s saying goodbye to his family and his government."


    titus heard this as he stood next to bella, anxious to leave for the north sea, for after this journey, it would be time for minos and him to do their experiments.


    titus had already heard all of minos'' theories. he agreed on the procedure they would follow after the emperor reached level 90. as such, he was among the dozens of powerful beings there, including the group''s gorgon, who was at his and bella''s side.


    apart from them, the only being who couldn''t be considered strong there was a crippled human, grant, who had come from the western empire to join minos'' group on the journey to the north sea.


    even without his powers, grant wanted to return to that place and see for himself what had caused his misery.


    whether he would die for risking so much, he didn''t know. but this man was willing to die to find the truth!


    so he, too, stood among these powerful beings, a little nervous but not afraid.


    ''time for the truth.'' he thought to himself, confident minos would keep him alive at least until they could face the enemies he believed were behind the strange phenomena in the north sea.


    ...


    while the group of adventurers waited for minos at one of the exits of dry city, he was currently in his imperial palace with all the relevant members of his family and government.


    in addition to his children and wives and some of the children''s grandparents and great-grandparents, there was the strongest group of specialists in the empire, with people from the army and the imperial government.


    some of minos'' old companions, like eda, elena, elen, eduard, and regina, were among his relatives, as well as maisie, patience, angelica, oswald, and ruth''s relatives.


    sarah was next to george, who had recently reached level 88 and was still above the level of his father-in-law, who was currently at level 87.


    as for kendrick, he was there with his two girlfriends and was currently at level 65.


    as for the rest, minos'' family members hadn''t made much progress in the past few months, with only gloria having reached level 85 and abby and ruth close to it.


    finally, after bidding farewell to his family, friends, and subordinates, minos gave a few orders to the demigods there and offered some important advice in case the war in the south ended in his absence.


    vico and maximillian''s war was still unresolved, as neither had yet failed or returned from seclusion.


    so minos had to prepare his people in case one of them ended the war while he was in the north sea.


    having taken care of that, he kissed wives before walking with ruth to the exit of his palace.


    halfway there, minos saw old joey, who was currently level 73.


    remembering the story of this old man who had been kidnapped as a child and had long been traumatized by the experience, he smiled and said in this soldier''s mind.


    ''joey, i will find out if what happened to you has anything to do with the enemy i expect to find in the north sea. if our expectations are correct, we will prepare our revenge against them.''


    upon hearing this, joey smiled as he thanked minos, murmuring to him since he couldn''t send a message to his sovereign''s mind.


    "thank you, your majesty. i hope you have a safe journey and come back even stronger." joey said.


    minos smiled as he nodded to old joey, feeling he had a good chance of returning successfully from the north sea and being even stronger when he came back to dry city.


    so he and ruth soon left the imperial palace and arrived where the dozens of crewmembers were waiting for them.

 Chapter 2000 Towards the North Sea

    chapter 2000 towards the north sea


    after meeting his crew, minos didn''t waste much time. over the next few weeks, they would have plenty of opportunities to socialize and talk.


    with that in mind, he led his people toward the naval city area to the west of his territory.


    theoretically, their group''s journey would be shorter if they used the wormhole ports to go to the end area and then set out from the northernmost point of the central continent to the north sea.


    however, minos wanted to use this trip to find out how far his sea empire, further northeast of the ancestral sea, could go in a northeasterly direction. thus, he would begin his voyage from naval city, the closest coastal city to stone island.


    from there, he and his crew would travel for a few weeks, passing through the underwater territory of the empire until they reached the border between the ancestral sea and the north sea.


    ...


    after a few days of travel, minos'' party was already sailing through the northeastern area of the ancestral sea, near the coast of the black plain empire.


    after leaving dry city, it had only taken a few minutes for the group to begin their journey on the sea folk boat that had been carrying minos since their stop in the marine empire more than nine years ago.


    twelve days had passed since they left the naval city closest to stone island, and minos'' crew was now approaching the area where emperor stuart''s underwater empire was located.


    since they would be passing the most important underwater city in the area before leaving it for good, the group''s boat was already below the surface, where they could see the beautiful seabed of this region.


    if one of them had passed through the same area decades ago, they would have seen nothing but dead corals and a sizeable uninhabited space with no beasts, algae, or any sign of living creatures.


    that was an abandoned area that would have only a few ships passing overhead as they traveled from the northernmost states of the continent to those further south.


    but considering the lack of trade in the area before, even the movement of cargo ships on the surface wasn''t that frequent then.


    but all that had changed with minos'' naval expansion, which began a few decades ago.


    when minos returned from his journey searching for the seraphim ancient sarcophagus, he had begun building cities in the area and exploring the ocean floor for minerals.


    after more than 20 years of working on the seabed in this area, his state had reached a relevant level of local population, and even in this marine area farthest from where the main submerged settlements were, minos'' group noticed the differences he had brought.


    in the place where they were, there was a lot of movement of mid-level and low-level sea beasts, with many crafts carrying resources to the mainland, while many others brought people and food from the continent.


    although the underwater part of minos'' empire produced food, not all of the food for humans and land beasts was produced in this underwater area.


    therefore, trade between this area and the mainland was intense.


    in addition, the abandoned corals had been improved by beasts, while artificial human cities could be seen in this place from afar, like stars in the sky.


    in short, this part of the ancestral sea was now alive, much richer in spiritual energy and population density.


    when some of the sea creatures in minos'' group noticed this, they were astonished to see that if they moved to the black plain empire, they would have a great place to live.


    minos had invited practically every crew member to join his army, even the dragon.


    some were very tempted to accept the invitation at the end of this journey. still, others were doubtful because they had their own affairs in their tribes, and change was never easy.


    but minos certainly had enough to feed them all and ideal habitats for the sea creatures in the group.


    seeing this place, which they knew had been abandoned hundreds of thousands of years ago, vibrate, these sea creatures were impressed and more favorable to minos than before.


    "this place is very well-kept for an area that was abandoned until recently." one of the level 91 sea folk demigods said to minos as he stood next to the brown-haired man.


    standing next to minos, ruth smiled as she saw and heard the reactions of her crewmates, seeing this place for the first time in person and enjoying it as well.


    "it can''t have been cheap to make so many changes like this." the arctic whale of the group commented, imagining that minos had put a colossal amount of crystals into developing this area.


    minos heard this and smiled. "yes. the amount i spent to develop this area would probably have been enough to raise someone with a golden talent for about 10,000 years..."


    grant heard this and wasn''t surprised. minos had always invested a lot in his state, in the people who allied themselves with him, in short, in anything that could help the state move forward.


    as someone who had seen the black plain become a state, grow from a kingdom into an empire, and then become the powerhouse it was today, grant had a very special feeling for this territory.


    "i''m sure this place will be much better in the future." he said with a smile on his face. "this area will be able to suppress the food demand of the empire and its allies and has the potential to be the first barrier against the enemies of the empire."


    minos looked at the man beside him and nodded. "hmm, it''s just a matter of time. we have the mineral, financial, and human resources for it."


    as they spoke, the dragon observed a great glow in the distance, a glow so large and powerful that it looked like a star capable of illuminating the entire world.


    but it wasn''t a star. it was the most important city in this underwater area, the largest man-made city in this area, with more than 20 million living beings currently living there.


    ''all of this was built in just a few decades?'' he looked at his surroundings and then at minos, impressed.nove(1b.1n


    the effort minos had put into building his state had been immense. others in his place would not have done the same, preferring to invest in themselves or even their most trusted men.


    however, it was because minos had taken this alternative path that his state had grown so much, and he now had so many people with potential.


    if minos had chosen the path of investing in only a few people, he would probably have a group of only a few hundred people and would still be the ruler of an area of a foreign kingdom.


    but considering the risks he had taken, he had built a huge empire capable of producing food for the whole world, with an army of tens of millions of soldiers and several people capable of becoming demigods.


    looking at his current success, it was easy to think that his choices were correct, but many would have made many different choices during a similar journey.


    upon reflection, this dragon saw that his leaders were right to support minos, not only for his talents but also for his intelligence and long-term vision.


    as each being in the group watched minos'' beautiful sea empire, they would soon pass the largest underwater city, reaching a crucial point in their journey toward the north sea.


    in the next few days, they would enter the border between the ancestral sea and the north sea, the area where the outposts of the black plain army were located!

 Chapter 2001 Entering the North Sea

    chapter 2001 entering the north sea


    after 8 more days of traveling through the underwater world, minos'' group finally reached the most advanced point his army had built on the border between the north sea and the ancestral sea.


    arriving in this area, minos'' party could see a relatively small underwater base that could hold a maximum of 100 individuals at a time.


    the place looked like a floating box between the surface and the dark part of the sea, an observation post.


    arriving near this place, minos'' group noticed the presence of powerful sages and even some demigods in this advanced place.


    in terms of danger, this was the most extreme outpost in the entire empire, where the chances of trouble were very high.


    given its proximity to the beginning of the north sea territory, which was less than a week away by sailing northeast, this place would be one of the first to suffer if the existence in that most dangerous sea in the world began to advance their territories.


    as such, the place minos'' party was about to pass was a high-ranking post of the black plain army, where some of the empire''s strongest men were sent to watch over the area.


    upon arrival, minos saw the shark he had defeated several years ago, which had been involved in the construction of the black plain empire''s sea region from the very beginning.


    that shark, which was previously at level 84, had greatly increased its level and reached level 88 with all the support it had received from minos.


    seeing this individual and some members of the longus family, minos smiled at them as he saw a small group of them coming towards him.


    "your majesty, are you finally going to that terrible place?" the level 88 shark asked as it looked at minos, feeling impressed by the powerful level 87 presence of its sovereign.


    back then, minos was already so strong when he was only level 79... but now, his power had grown exponentially, and this sea beast could no longer fathom its leader''s limits.


    "yes, it''s time to understand what''s in this damned sea," minos said as he saw the two level 90 demigods of that rank also coming to greet him.


    "good luck on your journey, your majesty." these men said simultaneously, feeling their hair stand on end as they looked north.


    "this place is hazardous. be careful, your majesty." a level 89 sage declared as he saw minos'' group''s power but still felt strange about it all.n..0velbin


    the north sea was so terrible that the mere thought of someone traveling to that place scared some of these people.


    unlike those who lived far away from the north sea and didn''t really understand the risks involved, these beings were very close to the most dangerous area in the world and could feel some bad feelings about this place.


    "we will take it. at worst, we have a black hole on our side. there''s nothing extremer in this world than that." minos said confidently, knowing his fusion could help him deal with the dangers ahead.


    the rest of his group watched these men, beasts, and women of such rank, looking at them apprehensively and naturally feeling a little strange.


    as much as they knew how dangerous the journey ahead was, they had thought about it until now and prepared for what would happen based on the experiences of others while they were far from the north sea.


    but now they were about to enter the most dangerous area in the world, and when they saw the people who lived nearby, they couldn''t help but feel different.


    this was especially true for the sages and humans in the group, especially the mercenaries in minos'' crew.


    "we can''t give up now..." one of them muttered with a green smile as he watched the rest of minos'' army fall further and further behind as their ship advanced.


    minos felt the tension rise in his ship and said. "position yourselves around the ship and start circulating your defensive tactics. we''re not in the north sea yet, but let''s start the security protocols."


    over the past few decades, minos'' government had gathered much information about the north sea, using survivors'' accounts, analysis from high-level organizations, and the help of seers.


    thanks to the efforts of minos'' group over many years, he held a map with reports of what could happen if he entered the north sea along the route he was following.


    based on this data, he and his people had already developed defensive methods to use when sailing through this area and made predictions about what they might encounter deeper in the sea.


    as far as he and his people knew, the strange phenomena that usually befell crews thrown into the north sea by storms occurred in a sea lane near the borders of this territory.


    beyond that strip, minos'' group had no way of knowing what might happen. still, they were more than 80% certain that a group traveling to the north sea would encounter special phenomena in the first few thousand kilometers of areas they entered.


    consequently, his group traveling now would be in danger of encountering extreme phenomena soon!


    "the area we''ll be traveling through for the next 30 days is the most problematic in terms of ''natural'' phenomena. storms of all kinds are quite common in this area and are usually the cause of 95% of crews lost in the north sea.


    so be prepared. if we''re on the defensive from the moment we enter this sea, we''ll have a better chance of surviving the first part of our journey".


    at minos'' words, all of the slightly frightened individuals took a deeper breath as they remembered the information and training that the government of the black plain empire had given them over the past few years.


    quickly, 40 of the more than 50 crew members moved to sit in lotus positions in different parts of the ship, immediately circulating their energies, ready to protect themselves and the ship.


    only minos, ruth, grant, some of the sea folk, and the sages of the group didn''t join this defensive formation.


    the one who controlled the ship then asked. "what should we find after this first area? have your seers found anything?"


    minos replied, the many members of his group paying attention to his voice. "we are not sure. but we hope that we won''t have to deal with atmospheric and marine phenomena after these days of travel.


    towards the center of the north sea, there should be a cluster of small islands, and if our theories are correct, that''s where we should find our enemies.


    if we reach this part of the journey, it''s unlikely that we''ll have to deal with strange phenomena capable of harming even demigods. however, we will have powerful enemies, so the journey''s difficulty won''t decrease as we progress."


    some swallowed their saliva as they stood in silence, feeling what they had only glimpsed for several years.


    ''to the hell with it! i''ve lived long enough! now i''m going to enjoy one last adventure. if i survive, i''ll retire!'' one of the demigods thought to himself as he took his position at the ship''s bow.


    thus, the group would cross the boundary between the ancestral sea and the north sea, and in a few days, they would finally enter the most famous and dangerous sea in the spiritual world.


    up to this point in their journey, nothing unusual had happened. however, as soon as they entered the north sea, the group would encounter the classic stormy areas of that region.


    less than 12 hours after entering the north sea, they would face the first challenges in a part of that sea covered in fog and gray clouds!

 Chapter 2002 Strange Storm

    chapter 2002 strange storm


    a few hours after entering the north sea, minos'' party realized why it was considered the most dangerous place in the spiritual world!


    as soon as they entered the north sea, the entire crew noticed black clouds and choppy waters ahead of them, with fog so thick that they couldn''t see more than a few hundred meters ahead.


    entering this area of dark skies, the group encountered the first high-level storm of their journey, and their defenses had been tested a dozen times in their very first challenge.


    spiritual storms were not as simple as ordinary weather events. a high-level storm was a special atmospheric event with intense and abundant lightning, rain, and strong winds, which together could form frozen and liquid droplets that could fly so fast that when they hit high-level objects, they could damage or destroy them.


    such a storm could be much more dangerous on the high seas than on land. after all, while land masses were harder to move, the ocean was a liquid region that was easily influenced by the surrounding climate.


    consequently, storms on the high seas could cause even more headaches for those facing them, given the risks posed by rough seas, giant waves, and the high-level sea creatures that usually move beneath such phenomena.


    when minos'' group entered the north sea and faced their first challenge, they encountered a giant whirlpool surrounded by lightning capable of killing even high-level saints, along with a rain of granite so strong that all the items below grade-4 of that crew were destroyed in a single hour of storm.


    the only reason why the sea folk''s ship hadn''t suffered significant damage was because of the formation of the group of demigods, who also hadn''t been seriously injured or killed in that first challenge, simply because they had followed emperor stuart''s strategy.


    however, as they passed through the first challenge, everyone in the crew knew they had narrowly missed several of their companions!


    a bolt of lightning powerful enough to destroy a level 89 sage had struck one of the crew members. still, fortunately, he had been using his power in a defensive position at the time of the attack.n)-0velbin


    it was only because of this that he survived without suffering any after-effects that could have severely limited him for the rest of the journey.


    but even after surviving the first of the north sea''s strange phenomena, minos'' party was scared!


    ...


    "fuck! how can this be? another bloody storm?" one of the mercenaries in minos'' group shouted out in a cold sweat, seeing from a distance a situation similar to the one they had just experienced a few minutes ago.


    after enduring more than an hour of stormy weather, the group managed to leave the area under the influence of that storm and reached an area of more stable weather.


    but while many of the crew were relaxing a bit, feeling in their own skin why so many beings around the world avoided this place, they spotted another storm not far from them.


    this time, it was a spatial storm, a much more dangerous type of phenomenon than the earlier event.


    seeing regions of space not far from them collapse and then explode, with a gigantic wave at least 100 meters high forming in front of them, minos narrowed his eyes.


    "this is very strange..." he muttered, but everyone in his group heard him. "storms like the one we just survived are possible. however, two storms can''t occur so close together without some kind of unnatural interference."


    that didn''t mean that aliens had to be behind these two storms. but natural phenomena could not produce two storms so close together in such a short time.


    that meant there had to be something behind at least one of these two storms, whether it was an intelligent being or a high-level array set up by an intelligent being.


    the members of the sea folk realized minos was right, and there had to be a civilization behind the phenomena in this region.


    until a few moments ago, they couldn''t say that. even though some of the lightning that had hit them had made some of them feel strange, considering how accurately it had hit some of them, they couldn''t say it was artificial. there was nothing to indicate that other than how strange the local phenomena were.


    even though the sea itself seemed to want to sink them, without proof that something or someone was behind it, thoughts were useless.


    however, when the witnesses from minos noticed something that could not have happened according to the known laws of nature, they soon realized there really must be something else in the north sea that everyone was ignoring.


    seeing the spatial storm ahead that seemed to be there to take care of them, the level 92 woman of the sea folk said. "it is very likely that the phenomenon ahead will be more extreme than the previous one. let''s return to our positions immediately!"


    the dragon looked in that direction, feeling a strange sensation in his being, not understanding why he felt so uncomfortable despite being at the highest level there.


    but having already suffered from the storm they had just gone through, he quickly returned to his position, raising his defenses once again as he joined the formation designed by minos'' people.


    "minos, i feel something similar to what i''ve felt in the past." grant came out of his cabin, pale, with a strange look. "i believe the storm ahead is controlled by the enemy who destroyed my cultivation and my crew back then!"


    hearing this, ruth, who was standing next to minos, narrowed her eyes as she looked ahead and saw a huge wave coming toward them while several spatial explosions appeared between them and it.


    "will we face an enemy as soon as we enter the north sea? we''re not even halfway to our destination." she commented to her husband.


    minos looked in that direction and wondered if they would have to face any enemies within hours of starting their exploration of the north sea.


    ''really?'' he doubted it, but groups like his didn''t exist, and even the crews thrown into this sea rarely survived the first of their trials.


    by proving themselves capable of weathering the first storm and continuing on to areas further from the borders of this sea area, they might have attracted the enemy''s attention!


    "alright, get ready to fight!" he preferred to be cautious. "let''s start the attack formation!"


    ...

 Chapter 2003 Alien Arrays?

    chapter 2003 alien arrays?


    when minos gave his order, everyone in his group moved their forces, acting a little differently from what they had done against the other storm.


    this time, instead of positioning themselves defensively to protect themselves from the phenomena around them, they would fight the storm in front of them!


    "bella, titus, i want you two to work together with the mermaids to consume the mental power of our possible enemies," minos said as he positioned himself at the ship''s highest point.


    they immediately looked at the two level 92 mermaids and knew what they had to do, as they had been preparing together for months in the black plain empire.


    their mental powers were the strongest in this crew, so any action against enemies would involve them to reduce the enemy''s attention or efficiency.


    but that wasn''t the only move the minos planned, considering the beings he had at his disposal.


    he called out to the weakest mercenaries in his crew, level 90 demigods, "you will lend me some of your forces while you remain on the defensive with the ship''s controllers and grant.


    in the meantime, i''ll help ruth increase her strength, and she will share her regenerative abilities with the rest of the crew."


    ruth agreed, standing in the ship''s center where she could affect all the crew.


    minos called to the krakens, the arctic whale, and the dragon, the creatures with the most powerful bodies in his group. "you will act with your bodies, protect the group, and deal with enemy attacks that could damage our ship or even sacrifice our companions."


    "okay!"


    "as for the rest of you, attack the enemy movements with everything you have! let''s destroy the damned storm ahead of us!" minos shouted as he pointed his sword toward the giant wave gradually bearing down on them.


    everyone on the ship moved their forces, positioning themselves around the ship as they watched the wall of water crashing against them, trying to sink them into the north sea.


    when they saw a huge amount of water coming down on them, enough to supply the capital of the black plain empire for a month, they felt a bit scared.n()o(.v(/e--l-.b--1.-n


    but just as they were about to be hit, minos moved and instantly raised his cultivation to level 89.


    as he hovered above the ship, minos moved his two hands above his head, causing the space around him to vibrate under the effects of chaotic gravity and spatial sword simultaneously.


    as an invisible barrier seemed to form about 40 meters away from the ship''s highest point, gigantic blades appeared from the void space, slicing through the columns of water ''frozen'' by the effect of the spatial sword.


    meanwhile, a world of water seemed to be crashing down on minos''s crew. still, not a single drop of liquid advanced to flood his ship, passing through them as if there were a giant dome covering the entire ship.


    divine seal: water dragon!


    minos moved his hands, forming a symbol with his fingers, and then launched a giant seal at the column of water that was trying to sink his crew.


    when it touched the water, the great seal glowed an intense golden color before drawing in a ridiculous amount of spiritual energy, forming a body similar to that of a giant snake made up almost entirely of water.


    minos'' eyes flashed rainbow colors, and then the water creature moved and wrapped itself around the ship his group was on.


    ''his abilities are incredible!'' grant saw this and clenched his fists, thrilled to see minos dealing with this mighty sea.


    but as almost all of minos'' crew struggled to hold their positions or attack the immense masses of water crashing down on them, the dragon suddenly sensed something strange.


    "shit! the space..." he shouted as he looked towards the ship''s center, where a spatial distortion had just appeared.


    but as he and some of the stronger members of the group looked at where ruth was, fearing that a piece of unstable space would swallow the body of one of minos'' wives, darkness formed around her.


    "trying to sacrifice my wife?" minos said aloud as his black hole finished forming over ruth''s location, completely destroying the spatial instability that was about to victimize the beautiful black-haired woman.


    meanwhile, ruth was perfectly safe inside minos'' black hole, as he was currently fully capable of absorbing only what he wanted into the singularity of his black hole.


    but even if she had escaped, minos was not reassured. he felt that the previous attack was no coincidence, as it had targeted the cultivator who could heal his companions, and he looked at the surrounding area with hatred.


    even if he used his spiritual energy to improve his vision, minos couldn''t see very far from where he was, and there was nothing in his field of vision to indicate the presence of an enemy nearby.


    he narrowed his eyes in anger and activated his ability inherited from the level 100 dragon, causing a gigantic pressure emanating from him in all directions.


    dragon''s gaze!


    everyone in minos'' crew, even the level 93 dragon, felt the power of this ability today, capable of significantly affecting even the group''s dragon.


    even nymmas felt that if minos attacked him today, he would be seriously injured!


    when minos acted, the space around him shook under his abilities, emitting cracking sounds that were hard to ignore.


    hearing one of these sounds, minos looked up to a place above the clouds in that area, where a large circle with inscriptions was moving, several cracks in it.


    seeing such a thing ''pulsating,'' sometimes invisible, sometimes in a light green color, minos clenched his fists as he realized this was some kind of array.


    "i found you!" he shouted as he made a swirling dark ring appear in that area.


    devouring art!


    when he activated his support technique, minos gave everyone in his group the proof they needed that something or someone was manipulating this marine region.


    crack!


    as the devouring art absorbed most of the energy from that particular circle, the cracks in it reached their limit, and soon after, it exploded as if it were made of glass.


    boom!


    the moment that circle exploded, several similar circles appeared in the sky, showing minos'' group an intricate defense system that not even the largest organization in the world was capable of creating.


    as they looked at the sky and saw the phenomena around them diminish, minos'' group noticed countless circles like the one over the north sea, far more than the eye could see!


    "unbelievable!" one of the phoenixes in the group exclaimed.


    however, just as the group was about to move to help minos destroy more of these circles, a spatial deformation suddenly appeared over the area, and something huge and metallic came out of it.


    ...

 Chapter 2004 Strange Armor

    chapter 2004 strange armor


    when everyone noticed a spatial deformation appearing above their location, they turned their attention to that place and saw something metallic, resembling full body armor, emerge from space.


    this armor was all silver, four meters high, and humanoid in shape. but no one there could see what was inside it, as it perfectly covered every part of what it protected, with even the eyes covered by something.


    at the eye level of this giant armor, all the people in minos'' group could see were two green lights staring at them as if they were nothing more than insects.


    "that..." minos narrowed his eyes as he focused on that thing, feeling an extraordinary sensation that his crewmates soon felt as well.


    "there''s something wrong with this armor." the sea folk woman commented as she stopped attacking and prepared her forces to deal with that thing instead of the increasingly weaker atmospheric phenomena around them.


    "that thing... it doesn''t have a spiritual fluctuation!" the gorgon said as she looked into the thing''s eyes and couldn''t feel the soul of the being inside the armor.


    the gorgon''s petrifying powers were special. they affected not only their targets'' physique but also their souls. otherwise, sages or demigods could survive even if their bodies were petrified by keeping their souls intact.


    what made the gorgon''s power so terrifying was that it could even turn the souls of cultivators to stone!


    it was because of this characteristic that gorgons could'' see'' their opponents'' souls, even if they didn''t look them in the eye.


    they could tell how difficult it would be to turn a living being into stone just by looking at them!


    but when dunyxa looked at the armor and searched for the creature underneath, she found nothing!


    the rest of minos'' group also realized they couldn''t feel the spiritual fluctuation of a living being inside that armor. they only felt a large amount of spiritual energy inside. still, this sensation was the same as what they would feel in an array, something completely different from what they would feel in living beings.


    "it can''t be..." a level 92 phoenix opened his mouth, imagining that there was no one behind that armor.


    minos clenched his fists and flew towards the armor, not caring if there was anyone inside it. that was definitely an opponent for his group!


    indestructible body!


    as he moved, he activated his defensive ability, transforming his soul projection and making his entire essence stronger as he attacked the silver armor with a single blow.


    "daring!" a voice came from inside the great armor, and it moved to draw a huge sword with a blade five meters long.


    as it moved against minos, the armor showed impressive speed, as fast as a level 94 demigod.


    "shit!" the dragon immediately transformed into its bestial version and jumped off the ship to join minos in this disadvantageous confrontation.


    simultaneously with the dragon''s move, all the level 92 beasts and humans there did the same, while the weaker ones stayed on the boat to protect and support the ship.


    the two mermaids looked at titus and bella and immediately formed a formation, finally finding an opponent to attack with their mental abilities.


    minos sensed the enemy''s attack and quickly realized if he didn''t change his attack, he would suffer a fatal wound.


    he then manipulated space and jumped from his position onto the back of the giant metal armor.


    chaotic gravity: meteors of destruction!


    he opened his mouth and let out a loud scream, causing huge stone clusters to form in the sky, pulling them towards the armor that had just sliced through the void of space, missing its attack.


    ssss!


    the dragon opened its mouth when it got close enough to the armor, releasing flames capable of melting even 10th-stage dragon bones.


    the two phoenixes in the group joined the dragon in setting fire to the armor, which immediately protected its body by forming a huge shield in front of it using part of one of its arms.


    as it withstood the onslaught of enemy flames, a semi-transparent wave of spiritual power crossed the path between minos'' ship and it, reaching it without giving it a chance to defend itself.


    "you insects dare to attack this protector?" it shouted as it looked down in the direction of the two mermaids and two nine-tailed foxes.


    low-level beings had dared to abuse its attention to distract it from the enemies trying to destroy it!


    it realized this and felt outraged, seeing that perhaps it should eliminate these creatures first.


    seeing this, minos didn''t hesitate to activate his infinite dream and launch another mental attack on this creature that didn''t seem to be a living being but had mental structures behind its actions.n/-ovelb1n


    ''even if you''re just an array, even arrays can be hindered by mental attacks!'' minos hit his opponent and saw several of his allies attacking that huge armor, which had practically no way to escape.


    attacked from the sides, the giant armor could only defend itself while being shot at!


    ''my energy will only stay at level 89 for another minute. we must end this situation quickly.'' minos thought, knowing that no matter how long his temporary powers lasted, he wouldn''t have much time to finish off this being.


    if he could not incapacitate the giant armor in a few tens of seconds, he and his group would be in serious trouble!


    divine seal: prison of blades!


    since he didn''t want to destroy this thing with a wormhole, nor was he willing to use his supreme weapon, minos decided to fuse two of his techniques to seal the array behind that armor.


    forming a seal with one hand, he used his other hand to control his medium-level grade-4 sword while using his sword technique.


    spatial sword: prison of blades!


    by channeling his energy into the two techniques simultaneously, several energy blades similar to his sword appeared around minos like stars in the sky.


    then, as special symbols appeared on his blades, he moved his sword, causing all of these spiritual weapons to fly toward their target at the same time.


    "damn it!" that armor looked in his direction and realized that if such a move hit it, it would be in danger!


    ...

 Chapter 2005 Beating The Armor

    ?


    when it felt that those blades were capable of temporarily suppressing it, the armor moved, ceasing to defend itself and attacking anyone in its path.


    if it didn''t evade the blades chasing it, it would be vulnerable in the hands of these bold enemies, something it couldn''t allow to happen.


    stopping to conserve its energy, it attacked the dragon and the two phoenixes that tried to burn it with their flames, ignoring the high temperature of the flames coming from their throats to kick them.


    even though these creatures were in their bestial form, many times larger than the body of the armor, when it hit the dragon, nymmas closed his mouth and felt an impressive force hit his body.


    he roared in pain as his body was thrown against the bodies of the two phoenixes, all of whom realized the true offensive power of the great armor.


    even with such a small body and energy compatible with a level 94 being, the raw power of the armor was greater than that when it used all of its power at once.


    "shit! be careful!" the level 92 woman from the sea folk shouted as she moved her energies, forming a huge vortex of water from the sea and heading towards the metal thing.


    meanwhile, the armor flew through the area as fast as it could, chased by the blades created by minos'' fusion, attacking everything in its path.


    as it did so, its previously perfect metallic body gradually began to change shape and color, with dents and cracks appearing as it tried to counter the opponent''s attacks.


    "damned you! you''ll all pay for this!" it shouted as it realized it couldn''t run anymore, and it used its sword to attack one last time before minos'' fusion hit it.


    quickly, it appeared in front of one of the krakens trying to prevent it from moving freely with his various arms, and used its sword to slash its opponent.


    swooish!


    as it made its move, the armor unleashed a powerful and enormous attack, sending a blade of energy from its sword and slashing at the various arms of the large kraken.


    in a single instant, its attack hit its target so fast and decisive that everyone could barely react to its attack before they saw half of the giant beast''s arms being severed from the body.nove/lb)in


    "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!"


    a loud scream erupted from the level 92 creature while ruth felt a chill run down her spine as she noticed the severe damage to the bodies of the kraken, the dragon, and the two phoenixes.


    within moments of attacking its enemies while trying to escape from minos, that armor had managed to severely injure four of the strongest members of such a crew!


    attempting to focus her regenerative abilities on those four, ruth paled as she felt her energies being rapidly drained and realized how serious the situation was for those four.


    ''shit! how can that thing be so strong?'' she asked herself as she saw the great armor looking in her direction just as it was hit by the golden blades of minos'' fusion energy.


    as the various blades launched by minos entered the metal body of the armor at different points, emperor stuart focused all of his remaining strength on forming a seal with his hands.


    "seal!" he shouted as he flew towards the thing, seeing various inscriptions appear on the armor''s body as its movements became slower and slower.


    at the same time, its body began to solidify from the various points where the energy swords sent by minos had pierced it.


    "you... you will... pay... for..." the armor looked at minos and tried to say something. still, before it could finish its sentence in its strange, heavily damaged voice, it was completely sealed by emperor stuart''s fusion!


    seeing the creature fall motionless to the bottom of the sea, the group of less injured or exhausted demigods nearby moved to make the thing float toward their ship.


    in the midst of this, someone asked in a breathless tone. "what do we do now?"


    except for the four beasts who were injured by the armor''s attack and were already receiving help from their companions, the others looked at minos, expecting an answer.


    even though 80% of them were exhausted from the attacks they had just launched against the enemy, nothing was more important to them now than what they were going to do with that armor.


    minos felt his cultivation return to normal as the fatigue in his body set in. he looked in the direction of that armor''s extinguished eyes and said. "let''s open it."


    "won''t that be dangerous?" the sea folk woman asked as she stopped next to minos, with this man and the armor already on the deck of their ship.


    "the seal i made will last 10 minutes at the most. after that, i can''t guarantee what will happen. if this were a living being, it would undoubtedly recover to fight us. but since i don''t know what it is, i don''t know what might happen.


    just in case, we need to find a way to destroy it while it''s under the effects of my seal. but don''t worry, during those minutes, even if we try to modify it, it won''t get rid of my seal." he said aloud.


    "how are we going to disassemble it?" one of the two mermen asked as grant left the cabin where he had taken cover to look at the huge thing that was probably connected to his enemies.


    minos replied. "destroying a small part of it." he controlled the black hole that had saved ruth''s life a few moments before, making it shrink and come into his hands.


    then he manipulated his black hole and threw it at the head of the armor.


    with his ability to control what his black holes devoured, minos closed his eyes and focused on degrading only the outer structures of the armor''s neck, destroying the first defensive layer of that area of the armor.


    the moment he felt he had destroyed enough of the body to be able to dismantle it without further destruction, minos moved his black hole into a mirrored sphere.


    ''let''s save this for the future.'' he thought as he placed his black hole bomb at his waist, revealing the body of that enormous armor, now with several of its internal structures visible at the level of its neck.


    minos then addressed his people. "those of you who are less exhausted, return to your humanoid forms and join me in dismantling this thing. as resilient as it is in the rest of its body, its structures beneath its defenses are not so sturdy."


    as minos said these words, a dozen of them moved towards that body, towards the fragile parts of the armor, at the level of its neck, where he had disassembled it.


    ...

 Chapter 2006 Extraterritorial Technology

    ?


    as they advanced against the enormous armor, the group working with minos soon realized the inner structures of this metallic thing were not as resistant as the outer parts.


    while the surface layer of this metal body could stop the attack of even mid-level demigods without being seriously damaged, the inner parts could be affected even by the power of high-level sages.


    intending to dismantle this armor as quickly as possible, minos'' group was able to disassemble the first parts of the armor easily.


    as they did so, they could sense that this armor, even though minos sealed it, was aware of what they were doing.


    but minos'' seal was powerful, and for the moment, the armor could do nothing against them.


    "this thing is impressive! i''ve never seen anything like it!" one of the marine empire mercenaries said as he helped dismantle the neck of the armor.


    "yes, i''ve never seen anything like this before. the inscriptions on the body of this armor look like spiritual energy veins of living beings... it''s like a living metal body!" one of the sea folk members agreed with the mercenary, seeing that minos was entirely right in everything he had said.


    there was indeed an extraterritorial threat!


    nothing in this world could justify some of the technology they saw in that armor, and the special circles around that part of the north sea were also completely out of the ordinary.


    together with their testimony, these two things were what they needed to prove to the rest of the world about the danger hidden in the north sea!


    sensing this, some of minos'' witnesses felt their hearts beat faster as more and more pieces of that armor''s neck fell to the deck of their ship.


    minos watched alongside the people who were dismantling the metallic creature, his eyes narrowing as he saw more and more of the inside of the armor.


    from the outside, the armor looked like a large and very powerful version of things that could be made in the spiritual world. you couldn''t tell from its appearance that no one was controlling this thing from the inside.


    but looking inside, anyone would have the look of shock and doubt that minos'' companions had on their faces at the moment.


    inside this armor was a complex robotic system with structures similar to those of living beings but without a single organic part, something very strange to these individuals.


    this armor looked very much like some kind of artificial life!


    ''could it be that life on other fragments of panvuter evolved so differently from ours?'' minos wondered as he watched the last parts of the armor''s neck being dismantled, finally revealing the core essence of the thing.


    looking at what would be bone marrow if this creature were organic, minos'' group saw a metal structure with a golden essence inside that connected the rest of the body to the head.


    when they separated this structure from the head, the golden glow diminished in intensity until everyone in the vicinity felt as if this being was watching them.


    meanwhile, the detached end of the head continued to glow, indicating that its essence was inside the head.n)(o/)v--e-(l)-b/-1))n


    as he looked at it, minos'' expression changed, and he moved quickly, picking up in an instant what was in place of the creature''s brain: a soft, golden thing, something that carried extremely strong energy.


    compared to what the sea folk''s ship crew knew, it would rank higher than saint-grade medicines.


    but to minos, it seemed like a pseudo-divine-grade medicine!


    it lost out to medicines of that quality, but it was closer to divine medicines than saint medicines!


    not only that, that essence, which felt like absorbent cotton when touched, had cultivation laws that minos had never felt before, something very strange to him.


    everyone on the ship, including the four severely injured beasts, looked at minos'' right hand, held their breath, and fell silent for a moment.


    "what do we do with this?" ruth was the first to speak, while no one else was worried about the armor that had lost any sign of danger to them.


    minos looked at his wife and then at the beasts standing there. "as incredible as it sounds, we know nothing about this essence nor about what might happen to those who use it. so i''ll keep it for now to decide what to do in the future. but we must consider that there may be others of this kind in the north sea and..."


    as minos spoke, everyone in the group shifted their gaze as they looked up at the sky and saw the many circles in the sky change, opening their way towards the depths of the north sea while the path towards the central continent closed in on them.


    seeing these unique circles grow in size and some even change shape, manipulating more spiritual energy, the entire crew understood what was happening.


    if they tried to continue to the central part of the north sea, they wouldn''t have any of these enemy defense formations to get in their way. but if they tried to leave this place and go back to where they came from, their journey would be even more difficult than it had been to enter it!


    "i think we..." grant was about to say when a black thunder suddenly appeared above them and came down on them so fast that no one had time to react.


    as they felt time stand still in front of them, everyone there saw the special essence of that armor and its entire body being obliterated by that bolt of lightning.


    in a single instant, the various parts of that being were erased, turned into dust and spiritual energy, and ceased to exist as if they had never been there before.


    the level 93 dragon saw all this while being carried by a crewmate and felt his heart beat faster, experiencing fear for the first time.


    gulp!


    ''that... what just happened was...'' he shuddered as he forgot the pain in his body and thought about what had just vaporized that creature.


    "lightning tribulation, black lightning," minos said as he felt his heart almost bursting out of his throat, saying what several people in his group had been thinking, almost all of them too scared to say anything now.


    but his voice confirmed their worst nightmare and showed them that their enemies were much worse than they had thought.


    having lost their only proof, they were finished!


    ...

 Chapter 2007 Lightning Tribulations

    chapter 2007 lightning tribulations


    the group had just lost the great proof they had achieved, which was enough to attract the interest of the great powers of the spiritual world. as such, they felt terrible about losing the essence and the body armor.


    they were also worried about how the enemy''s defense system had changed, making it more difficult for them to leave the north sea. however, nothing could worry them more than that black lightning, the way that the parts of that metal object had been erased.


    that was one of the lightning tribulations, a special phenomenon that only gods could resist!


    there were six known lightning tribulations: black lightning, golden lightning, red lightning, blue lightning, white lightning, and green lightning.


    after reaching the peak of level 99 and attempting to advance to level 100, one would have to attain divinity by overcoming the lightning tribulation, which could send up to six types of lightning to test the one attempting to reach the 11th stage.


    little was known about the special thunderbolts of the lightning tribulation.


    even the strongest organizations worldwide didn''t know much about what was behind each lightning bolt. still, through the observations of the oldest and most powerful tribes in the world, everyone knew something critical about black lightning.


    when black lightning appeared in an attempt to reach divinity, level 100, failure and death were a certainty!


    100% of the times that black lightning had appeared, those who tried to reach level 100 had failed and died in their attempt!


    it was possible to withstand the other five divine lightning bolts. according to the ancient history of the spiritual world, there was once an elf who had reached level 100 after facing five thunderbolts in his tribulation.


    but when the black lightning appeared, everyone died, and many considered it the symbol of death.


    as the most powerful divine bolt of lightning, it was enough to scare all those talented individuals to death.


    "black lightning... can they control lightning tribulation?" one of the two phoenixes in the group asked, not knowing what to do.


    if the enemies could control the lightning tribulation, then they had no chance of surviving. that would be a mission with a 100% chance of them dying!


    even the level 99 demigods of this world couldn''t stand up to these extraterrestrial beings, which practically guaranteed the end of the world as they knew it!


    "impossible," minos said, drawing the eyes of everyone in his group to him. "we must consider that our enemies did not activate that divine lightning. it could be something of the spiritual world."


    "what?"


    "what are you talking about? that lightning clearly acted to erase evidence..."


    several crew members said similar things, unsure about the whole thing.


    minos was afraid, too, for a bolt of black lightning would be frightening even for a god. but he tried to stay calm and rational.nove.lb)1n


    "think about it. if foreigners can control the lightning tribulation, why are we still alive? why haven''t they taken over the entire world? with that power, they could do it in a matter of days!" minos said, bringing all the people back to reality.


    "indeed. the lightning tribulation could easily wipe out 99% of the world''s population. if someone were to master it, there would be no chance for the living beings of our world. even level 99 sky whales would die from a single attack." the arctic whale commented.


    minos looked at him and nodded positively. "exactly. if our enemies were behind this attack, there would be no point in destroying the body of that armor. it would be better for them to act against us and kill us all. only then would they be able to guarantee the leak of information!


    but the black lightning acted against the enemies'' creature, not against us. meanwhile." minos pointed to the sky. "they are already moving to prevent our escape. what does that mean?"


    "that they are afraid of our escape?" ruth asked.


    "exactly! the enemies can''t be behind such a high-level thing as they act so fearfully!" minos finally managed to convince most people there to think more calmly about what had just happened to them.


    ''indeed... that makes much more sense.'' the dragon thought to himself, but he still felt the terrible sensation of witnessing the lightning.


    "so what could be behind what just happened?" dunyxa asked.


    "that..." minos thought for a moment. "i can''t say for sure. but the lightning tribulation is a way to protect the world and its rules."


    "according to the legend, gods are people who break the rules of the spiritual world, so it is practically impossible to reach level 100, and the world itself tries to prevent beings from reaching that level." the level 92 woman from the sea folk commented.


    minos continued. "perhaps... maybe our world doesn''t recognize these invaders."


    "oh? but it was fine before." someone pointed out the obvious.


    "it was when we exposed its essence that everything happened..." grant looked into minos'' eyes, causing the people there to look at him and agree on that point.


    minos said. "perhaps these invaders have a way of circumventing our rules. but if we expose them for what they are, without using their methods, the world itself will recognize them as invaders and destroy them."


    "that seems to be the case..."


    "but if that''s the case, it doesn''t help us at all. we can''t use their essence to our advantage, and the lightning tribulation would only work against them after they''ve fallen." titus commented in a despondent, extremely tired tone.


    "hmmm." minos couldn''t disagree.


    he looked at his people in silence and then said. "we have two options before us, my friends.


    either we ignore what lies ahead of us and try to return home to warn the world about the enemies, or we go on to find out more about the enemies.


    going home now will be difficult, and we won''t have any evidence or knowledge of how to deal with the enemies more effectively.


    as for going into the depths of the north sea, well, we''ll face dangers equal to or greater than that armor. however, by following this path, we will be able to discover the enemy''s numbers, their secrets, how they reached our world, and most importantly, how we can fight them and use their essence without attracting lightning tribulations.


    what would you prefer?"


    he asked as he seriously looked at the strongest ones there, smiling in a mysterious way, frightened but also excited to challenge the greatest enemies they could find in the world!

 Chapter 2008 Extraterritorial Beings

    chapter 2008 extraterritorial beings


    upon hearing minos'' suggestion, the members of the frightened crew fell temporarily silent as they considered what might happen if they followed the two options.


    ''if we try to go back the way we came, we''ll have to face that.'' the level 92 sea folk woman looked to the south and saw that the energy circles were much more fierce now. ''i don''t think we''ll make it back in one piece. besides, we won''t have any proof except our memories."


    although the sea folk could share their memories, which was enough for this woman to convince her people that there was something in the north sea, it couldn''t compare to having one of those giant armors.


    with just one of those and the essence that minos had gotten his hands on earlier, they could convince the entire spiritual world to attack the north sea!


    without it, it would take months or years to put together a minimally relevant alliance. but with just one of those beings, they could attract the attention of even the level 99 demigods of the spiritual world!


    ''the risks would be great, but we would have almost no interesting information. in short, we''d be taking a lot of risks for little benefit.'' she thought to herself.


    ''not if we venture north.'' she looked in that direction and clenched her fists.


    the wounded dragon did the same, imagining it would be just as dangerous or more so to go north instead of back south, but the rewards for the risks would be much greater.


    ''if i get one of these for my dragon tribe, i''ll be rewarded considerably by the elders.'' he thought to himself.n--o(/v/(e(-l-.b()i/.n


    then ruth said. "we will have to face them sooner or later. in the future, they will be even more prepared to deal with us or others, and we won''t have a chance to discover their weaknesses until they are ready to deal with us.


    better to take the risk now than in the future! at least we''ll get valuable information for our people!"


    listening to the black-haired human, the fish people, as well as the arctic whale and other sea creatures in the group, looked at each other in agreement.


    "all right. we''re ready to proceed." the strongest kraken in the group said as he looked at minos.


    "since we''ve come this far, there''s no reason for us to stop now!" one of the phoenixes said.


    the other agreed. "we managed to defeat one of them. then we''ll definitely be able to fight others!"


    in the blink of an eye, almost everyone agreed, while dunyxa felt like she was in a crew of madmen.


    unfortunately, with most of them ready to move on, there was nothing anyone who was afraid of the situation ahead could do. if she tried to return south alone, she would surely be killed by the enemy''s defenses!


    with no options left, they and those who weren''t so lucky had no choice but to agree to continue their journey into the depths of the north sea.


    ''damn it! i''ll probably die in the next confrontation!'' dunyxa thought, feeling rather frightened by what had happened earlier, as she looked at titus and saw that annoying fellow laughing.


    ''what''s wrong with this old fox? he''s weaker than me. isn''t he afraid to die?''


    titus didn''t want to die. but after all he had learned from minos and all he felt he could learn from the invaders of the world, he was full of desire to continue this journey.


    that was a chance for him to learn the truth about this world!


    as titus laughed, minos smiled at his crew and gave his orders. "then let''s go!"


    with that, their ship would soon be moving again, this time without any strange phenomena in front of it other than those common in the seas around the spiritual world.


    ...


    meanwhile, on one of the few islands in the central part of the north sea...


    on an island with an area of about 5 square kilometers and a large volcano in its center, a beam of energy continuously shot out from the inside of the volcano toward the sky.


    while this white beam of energy seemed to go on forever, several lines and circles like the ones minos had seen earlier could be seen in the sky of that area.


    some of them spread out in all directions, indicating that such a thing covered the entire north sea. meanwhile, some of these special circles and lines formed what looked like a semi-transparent dome.


    from inside that protected area, you could see all those lines and circles of energy in the sky or even the beam of white energy to infinity. but from outside that area, none of that could be seen.


    not only that, if you looked at this place from a distance, you would see this island as just another ordinary piece of land. but if you looked from inside that dome, you would see that the huge volcano was filled with complex structures on its side walls, with various entrances and exits here and there.


    if one were to float above its top, one would see several entrances between the entire volcano and the lava plane, through which various green creatures with big black eyes, big hands and feet, and small bodies would go from one side to the other.


    meanwhile, giant armors like the one minos and his crew had faced earlier would pass through occasionally, carrying things or flying back and forth.


    meanwhile, in the center of this gigantic secret base, the strongest man in the place, level 91, was being updated on yet another incident around his north sea.


    "commander, a protector has just moved to the southwest of the north sea. it seems that another crew of fools from this world is trying to challenge us." a being very similar to many of the others around this facility said to his leader while standing on a plane closest to the lava of this volcano.


    hearing this level 89 sage, the level 91 demigod, who was sitting with his eyes closed in meditation, continued as he was but said. "another group? this is becoming more and more common, isn''t it? in the past 100 years, we''ve faced ten times more enemies than in the past 500 years. have the inhabitants of this world noticed us?"


    "impossible." the sage said, thinking his leader was joking. "those peasants are light years away from our mechanic empire! not even the greatest blacksmith or array master in this small world could understand our robots and formations. how could they know about us?"

 Chapter 2009 Frightened

    chapter 2009 frightened


    "they''re really primitive, but like us, they''re also capable of cultivating immortal energy. so don''t underestimate them, maarqrens. we have many advantages, but we''re not invincible." the commander commented in a deep tone, speaking in a language minos and his people wouldn''t understand. "the techniques they create are compelling and mysterious. without our technology, we would have trouble facing them."


    "so what does the commander want me to do?" maarqrens asked, thinking it unlikely that the primitive races of this world would have noticed them.


    their technology was advanced compared to what existed in the spiritual world. with them, they had accidentally arrived in this world about 550 years ago. since then, they have been operating in this world without attracting unnecessary attention.


    when they arrived in this world, the group of 2,000 space explorers from the mechanic empire had found a world similar to their own where immortal energy existed.nove.lb-1n


    unfortunately, when they arrived here by accident, several mechanisms of their spaceship were destroyed, causing them to lose contact with the empire, which forced them to spend a long time without being able to call for reinforcements.


    but there were people in this world capable of killing them. afraid of losing the great treasure they had found while they couldn''t count on reinforcements, this group had been working in secret in the least inhabited place in the spiritual world ever since.


    but now that they had managed to reestablish contact with the mechanic empire, they were running into more and more problems.


    the commander opened his mouth to speak. "well, let''s..."


    however, just as he was about to give his order, another level 89 sage rushed in with a terrible expression.


    "commander, one of the protectors has just been killed in the southwestern part of the north sea! a crew from this world faced it and defeated it!" the newcomer said in an agitated tone, bringing news of the first death his group had suffered in 500 years.


    as soon as they arrived in the spiritual world, several of them died because of the way they had arrived, having traveled through an unstable wormhole that they had previously used with the intention of going to another place.


    due to a space storm that brought them to this world, their ship had been badly damaged. upon arriving on this world, several of their crew had died of related causes days, weeks, and months after that incident.


    however, after the deaths of their companions due to the way they had arrived in this world, they did not suffer any new casualties.


    with their technology and the great intelligence characteristic of their race, they had found an excellent place to hide, learned about this world, and used local things to their advantage.


    but even if some of them had died, it had been among organic beings. their protectors had never been killed since they arrived in this world!


    upon hearing the words of this member of their group, the two in the well-lit office opened their eyes wide as they stared at the newcomer in disbelief.


    "what?"


    "what did you say?" the commander rose from his place, even more startled by this information than the previous one.


    "after we sent a protector to deal with the troublemakers in the southwestern north sea, the enemies managed to defeat it and dismantle part of it and get their hands on the mechanical essence of the 2435 protector.


    then, black lightning struck the parts of our envoy, completely erasing its existence from this world." the man said in a heavy tone, extremely scared.


    given how their civilization had developed, the cultivators of his race weren''t particularly strong physically. their strength was concentrated in their intellectual activities, their skill with tools, and their great vitality.


    they were not physically strong and relied heavily on their robots, the protectors, to act when they needed to deal with threats to their lives or to achieve goals by force.


    as long as they had their protectors by their side, they were virtually invincible, even if they were weak in individual strength. but if the enemy could destroy even their powerful and advanced robots, that was something to worry about!


    gulp!


    "how is that possible?" maarqrens asked. "don''t tell me there''s a level 96 demigod in this group?"


    the robot sent was supposed to be as strong as the demigods of this world who were between levels 94 and 96. below those levels, no ordinary opponent should be able to defeat that protector, and only someone at or above level 96 from the most powerful races in this world could defeat it.


    if someone like that came at them, they would be in trouble!


    their strongest protector had a power level equivalent to level 96 demigods, so if there was someone of that level in minos'' group, the risk of this crew causing them problems was not small!


    the man replied to them. "no. a level 87 sage did that."


    the leader of this mechanic empire group wore a solemn expression when he heard this. "if that''s true, then he''s like the people of irpoll."


    irpoll was the name of one of the many civilizations the mechanic empire had encountered on their journey, and it was the most powerful one they had ever encountered, the only one they were powerless against.


    "is that so? what should we do? this human is the first one with this trait that we''ve encountered in this world. if he is the only one of his kind, we must find a way to eliminate him as soon as possible." maargrens said, clenching his fists and speaking in a more aggressive tone.


    the commander agreed. "first, prepare everyone in our group. awaken all the protectors and increase our defenses to prevent this group from escaping."


    "we''ve already done that, commander." the man who had brought the bad news said as he bowed his head.


    "perfect. awaken the 20 protectors. i want them all in place. if the enemy dares to come at us, we''ll destroy them with full force. if they decide to hide, we''ll hunt them down in the north sea!"


    "yes, commander!" the two level 89 sages agreed, took up military positions, and then exclaimed. "glory to the mechanic empire!"


    "glory to the mechanic empire!" the commander made the same gesture as those men and repeated those words.


    left alone after his men left, he made his way to the communications center of this secret base.


    arriving at a round chamber with a bridge leading to the center, which had walls completely black with several crystals inside, he didn''t hesitate to use much of the energy stored over the last 40 years to activate the universal communicator.


    an instant after all the crystals in this chamber began to glow like stars, a hologram appeared floating in front of this bridge.


    "udos, what good news are you bringing me today?" the being in the hologram looked at the commander of his people in the spiritual world.

 Chapter 2010 Hall of the Gods

    chapter 2010 hall of the gods


    "supervisor iktun, i''m afraid i bring bad news. the natives of the world i''m in have recently killed one of our protectors and are coming for us. i am afraid that we will soon be discovered."


    hearing this, the man represented by the hologram changed his expression and became much more serious. "how long will it take your group to finish building the road to us?"


    "at least a hundred years, supervisor."


    "that is too long. all right, i''ll push the construction of our side of the universal wormhole to this planet. we''ll try to reach you in the next 30 years."


    "i appreciate that, supervisor."


    "in the meantime, be careful. if possible, use the cryogenic chambers to wait for us. those yokels from such a world won''t be able to resist us when we get there."


    "thank you for the advice. we''ll do our best to prepare the ground for the mechanic empire.


    glory to the mechanic empire!"


    "glory to the mechanical empire!" this level 99 holographic being repeated the same words before disappearing.


    ...


    meanwhile, in a distant place from the spiritual world...


    amidst the stars of deep, infinite space, there was a planet about 40% the size of minos'' homeworld but with nearly 70% more immortal energy than that world.


    immortal energy was nothing more than spiritual energy, but in a denser form and richer in natural laws than that found in the spiritual world.


    this planet in question was shaped like a loaf of bread and was almost completely monopolized by the dominant civilization, which had even dominated the solar system in which it was located.


    if one could observe such a place from the sky, one would see several strange structures around the planets of this solar system, with many ships constantly moving around.


    meanwhile, the headquarters planet of the mechanic empire, the adamant land, was home to one of the most powerful civilizations in the galaxy, the ruler of an entire star quadrant!


    with its advanced robotic technology, advanced forms of communication, and remoteness, the civilization of this planet was a colossus that extended far beyond its homeworld.


    meanwhile, while the hundreds of millions of living beings on this world lived among the artificial life created by the infinity naga race, robots similar to those minos had recently met, at the center of this world was the capital of the mechanic empire.


    in this shining place, made entirely of an extremely resistant material found only on this planet, was a palace as large as dry city.


    there, on one of the highest levels, was the man who had just received a message from one of the leaders of the many groups of space explorers that the state had around the galaxy and star quadrant.


    after finishing his conversation with the man in the spiritual world, this level 99 demigod, iktun, clenched his fists with a smile on his face.


    "this spiritual world could be the greatest discovery of the empire since we mastered the dark rift. we can''t mess around with this world, or another civilization of equal or greater strength than ours will take over and steal the precious resources of this prehistoric world." iktun muttered as he moved his immortal energy through his body to a ring on his left hand.


    as the blue jewel glowed brightly, manipulated by the energy of this level 99 demigod, the space around him vibrated, and an instant later, he disappeared from where he was.


    in the blink of an eye, iktun saw his surroundings change, moving from his office in the imperial palace to one of the moons of the adamant land, where a gigantic temple stood.


    arriving there, iktun, a high-ranking elder of the mechanic empire, felt an overwhelming energy wash over him and didn''t hesitate to prostrate himself.


    "supervisor, what are you doing in the hall of gods?" a giant that looked like a statue opened its eyes and looked in iktun''s direction, making this high-ranking man of the mechanic empire feel as if his life depended on the will of this existence.


    standing before him was the protector of the hall of gods, the level 100 god of giants!


    "your excellency, i''m sorry to disturb you. this mere mortal brings important information about the spiritual world. local forces are threatening our operations. i''m afraid that if we don''t speed up our plans, we''ll lose our advantage in this world." iktun said, avoiding looking at the god in front of him.


    "oh? spiritual world, huh? did the natives find out about our presence there? how long ago did that happen?" the great giant was interested.


    "i have just received contact from the group of explorers on that distant world, your excellency. it seems that a group of natives is heading toward our secret outpost on that world after killing one of the protectors."


    "these natives are powerful and bold. very well, go ahead, supervisor." he said as he looked up at the stars, just before returning to his motionless state, stopping blocking iktun''s path.


    having received permission from one of the 16 gods of the mechanic empire, iktun followed the grand temple staircase until he reached the main hall where those behind the mechanic empire lived.


    the emperor of this state was one of the 16 gods, so he lived in the hall of gods, not the imperial palace.


    the emperor''s eldest daughter was the one who acted as his representative in the imperial palace most of the time. but as a level 99 demigod, there were things the crown princess couldn''t order.


    so iktun was there to speak to his sovereign and ask the hall of gods for permission to focus the empire''s actions on ending the universal wormhole to the spiritual world.n(-0ve1bin


    wormholes were the only way to travel long distances in the universe since even the most advanced spaceships were limited in speed to cover the entire universe.


    without wormholes, not even gods could reach certain places in the universe!


    since the group in the spiritual world had arrived there by accident, they had to establish a connection between that world and the mechanic empire''s territory if they wanted to receive reinforcements or return home one day.


    for this reason alone, this state had not yet ruled the entire spiritual world and was still in the process of establishing a universal wormhole there.


    "your majesty, i''m here to ask for your help. please send the god of space to join the group of space builders who are establishing the universal wormhole to the spiritual world." the man begged as he once again prostrated himself.


    in front of him was the strongest being in the mechanic empire, the god of robots!


    "spiritual world, huh?" the god of robots muttered as several giant armors of the same level as his activated, their eyes glowing an intense red.


    "alright, time to take over another civilization. chaos, come out." said the emperor, calling out to the god of space.

 Chapter 2011 Change of Destiny

    chapter 2011 change of destiny


    meanwhile, in the spiritual world...


    the elves island was quiet as usual, even considering the increased frequency of their allies'' visits to this sacred land.


    the elves were also on the move more than ever lately, but life in this place went on more or less as it always had.


    with a history of more than 10 million years, the elven tribe was the oldest in the world and had seen a bit of everything and had the means to protect themselves from almost any calamity that came their way.


    however, while most of the small elves island functioned with a sure normality, in the heart of this area, a level 99 elf sitting on one of the branches of the tree of life suddenly changed his expression.


    while he was using his powers to predict the future, the life energy of the tree, which shone brightly in a white hue around his body, suddenly dissipated.


    at that moment, his open eyes, which were covered with a white layer of energy, were suddenly shrouded in darkness.


    sweat dripped down his forehead, while his skin became extremely opaque, and his entire body shook.


    in his mind, he saw a metallic warrior he had never seen before in the spiritual world.


    this warrior was floating in the air, carrying a red trident with blood dripping from its tips.


    meanwhile, he had an absolute level 100 aura, the same as several other individuals similar to him who were in the surrounding area.


    the sky was black but also bright, with many more stars above, shiny flying ships, and an army of armors all looking in the same direction.


    gulp!


    shifting his focus, the elf tried to look at the same place as the beings in his vision.


    ''it can''t be...'' he looked and saw what he feared the most.


    at that moment, the layer of dark energy covering his eyes dissipated, and he felt as if his breathing, which had long since stopped, came back all at once.


    "shit! we''re in trouble!" he opened his mouth as he breathed heavily.


    "elder valvalur, what''s going on? i thought you were having a vision." one of the high-level demigods nearby promptly approached the level 99 seer.


    several of the elves island elders who could predict the future were currently focused on trying to catch a glimpse of the coming years, especially the beginning of the ice age.


    so far, most of their visions had been rather vague and practically changed daily, something that rarely happened.


    the future could be changed, but usually, it didn''t change that much, and it continued along crooked lines to the same destination.


    lately, however, the endpoint, the goal, or rather the destination, seemed to be constantly changing, something very strange to the elves, which had hindered their attempts to predict the future.


    but recently, for the first time, one of the elders had seen something so dark that he despaired after awakening from a vision.


    "warn everyone. powerful enemies are coming! soon, we will be attacked by gods!" he said as his eyes, hands, and legs shook.


    "the target of the invaders is the world, not the people here. they will destroy everything in their path until they reach their goal!"


    "what?" the other elf shouted, while several others in the branches of the tree of life heard this and felt bad feelings in their hearts.


    "when will this happen, elder?" a level 98 elf asked, curious to try to predict the future at the same period as valvalur to confirm what he had seen.


    "the same time we reach the pinnacle of the ice age." the level 99 said, sensing that this time, all the races of the world would be tested with the greatest of difficulty.


    he looked up at the sky, fearing the end of the world as he knew it.


    ...


    meanwhile, in the seraphim spatial kingdom...


    maximilian had been processing the spiritual energy of divine medicine for years, meditating in the most secluded place in that spatial kingdom.


    but as he was doing this, he suddenly felt a change in the day, as if the complex problem he was trying to solve to get to level 100 had suddenly changed.


    one moment, he seemed stuck, not knowing how to proceed. the next moment, he felt as if a clue had just appeared in his mind, and he saw a special path forming before him.


    ''level 100... that''s the way! this is my destiny!'' he felt the changes in his being, sensing his chance of advancing had jumped from 43% to 71% in a single breath.nove(lb.in


    as he felt this, he became more and more confident, finding it easier and easier to master the chaotic and extreme energy of this special power source.


    ''vico, you bastard, wait a little longer! soon, this god here will knock on your door!" he thought confidently, feeling he would complete his closed cultivation in no more than a year!


    ...


    meanwhile, in the depths of the south sea, there was a place that even the rulers of that area, the sky whales, avoided approaching.


    in a part of the south sea where there was a gigantic ancient ruin, the strongest living being in the spiritual world of this era, the leader of the sky whale tribe, lived in seclusion in that area.


    as he slept, digesting the last ''snack'' he had eaten 99 years ago, the leader of the strongest tribe in the world, who didn''t even know about the current war with the dragons, suddenly opened his eyes when he felt something strange.


    ''have you finally matured?'' his aura rose exponentially, single-handedly causing the seabed to tremble, while tens of thousands of kilometers away, the sea level would soon rise a few meters just by his action at this moment.


    meanwhile, his large eyes turned to the surrounding ruins, where a huge colored seaweed floated above an exposed spiritual root.


    seeing that the spiritual medicine had reached its peak, the giant creature, as big as a mountain or a floating island, opened his big mouth and let out a long, loud laugh, seeing his wait was finally coming to an end.


    "hahahahahahahaha, it took you long enough, little plant. i''ve been living in these damned ruins for 200,000 years, but you''re finally mature!" he said out loud, not caring about anything else.


    "time for you to give me my advancement!" he moved to swallow the medicine that had just reached the divine grade after hundreds of thousands of years since his discovery.


    without hesitation, the strongest creature in the world devoured the potentially most valuable resource in the world and prepared to go back to sleep in order to get closer to the coveted level 100!


    ''in another 15 years, i''ll return to the surface. in that time, i''ll solve all the problems!''

 Chapter 2012 Minos Worries

    chapter 2012 minos'' worries


    days after the confrontation of minos'' group with the robot of the enemy forces...


    their group had set sail again after the previous battle, this time without any problems with the storms and extreme natural phenomena that made the north sea famous.


    of course, the north sea itself had strange phenomena, as it was an area rich in spiritual energy but also an extreme part of the spiritual world.


    but much of what was currently happening in this region, and what made this place so famous, was caused by enemy formations created by the people of the mechanic empire hundreds of years ago when they arrived in this world.


    before the arrival of the space explorers from the mechanic empire, the intensity of the natural phenomena in the area had already worsened by several degrees due to changes in the region.


    as minos knew, the world was ''alive'' and wasn''t just a big stable rock. it went through unique processes, such as continental drift and ice ages. its movements could cause areas to become stronger or weaker, increase or decrease the intensity of phenomena, and so on.


    however, the technological level of the people of the mechanic empire was so high they could even control the intense natural phenomena of this region, easily manipulating them to become more or less stable at will.


    as a people capable of mastering their solar system itself, it was easy for them to master the natural phenomena of the north sea!


    when they used their formations to ''close'' the escape route from the north sea a few days ago, the people of the mechanic empire had left the way open for minos'' group and their own groups to travel through that sea region without danger.


    because of this, the minos group''s journey was easier than they had expected after the previous confrontation, and they moved faster than they had previously estimated.


    at that time, they were about one-third of the way to the secret base of the mechanic empire in this region.


    they didn''t know exactly where they were going, but they knew they had to go to the depths of this region, where it would be more difficult for a group like theirs to reach the ideal place to build a base.


    as they moved, tense with the possibility of being attacked at any moment, everyone in the crew was ready to fight if necessary.


    with the group''s wounded people having recovered from the previous battle with the help of minos'' pills and other resources, everyone was 100% at their best for the moment!


    meanwhile, minos stood on the deck of his ship and looked out at the vast sea before him, thinking about what might happen in the next few days.


    ''i think there are two possibilities ahead. the first is that the enemy will attack us to test our strength and then send a group capable of destroying us. the second is that they are preparing for an all-out confrontation in the heart of their territory.


    minos knew the enemies had watched the confrontation between his group and the previous robot. from what he could see of the special circles of the controllers of that area, as well as the powers of that mechanical being, the enemies had almost total control over the north sea.


    they controlled the natural effects, the accessible places, but also the entire sea.


    to give you an idea, there were practically no conscious living beings in the waters they sailed.


    for thousands of cubic kilometers of sea, there wasn''t even a single conscious living being.


    the only living things were types of algae and marine vegetation in general. apart from these sea creatures and animals without the ability to think, there was practically no life in the gigantic north sea.


    with this in mind, minos was sure they were being watched, and the enemy could act against them at any time.


    in that case, they would either test him soon enough to deal with them properly, or they would be waiting for them at the place they had chosen to confront them.


    from his point of view, the second alternative looked more promising for the enemies and worse for his group.


    lights¦Í¦Ïvel.c¦Ïm ''if they do what i would do, that''s bad.'' minos pondered. ''we won''t have a chance to test their powers a bit more while those bastards can set a trap for us.''


    luring the enemy to a place already prepared for battle was one of the best ways to deal with a problem. controlling the terrain in a battle was of immense importance!


    since his group hadn''t been attacked in the last few days, minos believed the second possibility would happen, although he didn''t rule out the other alternative.


    ''now that they''ve seen how i destroyed the armor''s defenses, they''ll probably be more careful next time.'' minos thought, not ruling out the possibility that the first enemy attack had already been a test of their strength for the enemy preparing to destroy them.


    either way, he was looking forward to exploring the north sea.


    ''the powers of that armor were too challenging. the creature felt no pain and didn''t seem to be afraid of many things that living beings were afraid of. at the same time, if it was an artificial life form, then there was a possibility there were countless beings like it.n-.ovelbin


    if that were the case, then the spiritual world would be lost!


    even if they could be defeated, those creatures would be able to turn this world upside down if they had a large number of them on their side.''


    "sigh..." he sighed as he thought about the possibilities ahead, somewhat pessimistically.


    when he came to the north sea, minos hadn''t imagined encountering such formidable enemies!


    the level of the enemies didn''t scare him, but their ingenious methods and strangeness did.


    who in the entire world could replicate what the enemy group had done in the north sea?


    absolutely nobody!


    even though some powers in this world were mighty and had powerful cultivators on their side, none of them could control such a large area.


    even the dragon tribe occasionally had to deal with brave beings invading their land because the tribe couldn''t protect its entire territory.


    but the north sea was many times larger than their territory!


    if the enemy''s technology was so advanced, it might be much harder to deal with them than minos had imagined!


    he wasn''t afraid of dying on this journey, but he was worried about the future. if he had to face the gods of this race, as henricus longus had predicted, he didn''t know if the spiritual world would hold out!


    ''i hope he was wrong. otherwise, we''re in an alarming situation!''

 Chapter 2013 First Discoveries

    chapter 2013 first discoveries


    after a few more days of traveling through the north sea, minos and his party finally came face to face with the end of their peace.


    having reached more than halfway to the central area of the north sea, where the core of the enemy forces lay, they spotted an islet in their path.


    it was one of the various installations of the mechanic empire''s space explorers, with a few guards on the outskirts.


    not knowing this was just one of the many enemy outposts around this sea, minos and his group had attacked the place the previous morning, acting as if it were their last enemy.


    after facing two robots similar to the previous one, the group fought a great battle in this place, achieving victory but suffering greatly, with even two deaths in their group.


    as strong as they were, the enemies were extremely tough and fast, which had given them a chance to finish off minos'' people before they fell.


    but after such a battle, minos and his party discovered what was on the island previously ruled by the enemies!


    there were no organic beings in the enemy facility there since all the essential personnel had been before their arrival there.


    but minos and his group found one of the many experimental stations of the mechanic empire, where those foreigners had conducted countless experiments on the natives of the spiritual world during the centuries they had been in the area.


    ...nove/lb(in


    "the damned invaders have been plotting against us for a long time!" one of the sea folk in minos'' party shouted as the group explored the terrain they had conquered the day before.


    having won the battle here and noticing what had been left behind, they had decided to stay and investigate the enemy''s facility while the group''s wounded recovered.


    but, as one would expect from more technologically advanced people, they hadn''t left anything significant behind.


    what minos'' group had found were only the basics, mostly information about the spiritual world, which said the enemies had been investigating this place for centuries.


    minos and ruth realized the beings behind the past abductions of people in the northern region of the central continent had been made by their enemies in this area of the north sea.


    those behind joey''s abduction and the experiments he described were actually the invaders of this world!


    they had been quietly operating in this world for a long time, learning the local language, customs, powers, rules, and forces to beware of.


    in the process, they had built sophisticated facilities in the north sea region, things that didn''t even exist in the most advanced states of the spiritual world.


    "our enemies are formidable. not only have they been operating secretly in this area for so long, but their methods are anything but ordinary." one of the people from the divine continent who had joined the group during their passage through these lands commented.


    "yes, even though there weren''t many robots like those fighting beings, there were a few dozen special robot creatures in this facility." another being from the divine continent commented on the word they had learned after arriving on this island.


    they had found little useful information about the enemies in this facility. but there were things left behind by the enemies that had helped the group understand a little about their opponents.


    they now knew that the enemies used robots as their main force, not only in matters of war but also in their internal activities.


    in the enemy forces, there were practically an equal number of robotic and biological. those robots performed various functions, generally, those that were not so essential for living beings to do or that were too dangerous for living beings to do.


    for example, if they wanted to explore a new world, usually only the robots of that race would move around first to test the conditions of the unknown place. if they wanted to wage war, these creatures would be the soldiers they used. in short, there were countless ways to use these creatures.


    just as there were different kinds of cultivators in the spiritual world, there were different kinds of robots, from warriors to scientists, builders, and so on.


    but robots were not seen by that society as the main essence of their civilization. they were used as support, and the biological people were the ones behind these creatures.


    lightsn¦Ïv¦Ål.c¦Ïm they could develop them without limit as long as they had the resources.


    it was the resources of the spiritual world that the enemies wanted!


    according to the enemy''s estimates, the minerals and resources of this world they had discovered by accident were enough to build millions of new robots and increase the strength of their civilization by 30% to 50%!


    that was their purpose in this world, a sign that they didn''t need the living beings that occupied this magnificent world!


    finally, minos'' group had discovered all this, or at least deduced it from the few traces left behind. but they still hadn''t discovered the weaknesses of their opponents, so they thought the living beings of this civilization were even more problematic than the robots.


    even though the robots were powerful and had enough intelligence to fight as well as conscious beings, their creators could mass-produce them.


    that was scarier than an artificial being capable of fighting at a high level!


    minos listened to the comments of the members of his group as they gathered in a central part of the enemy installations, about to leave this place and head towards the core of the north sea.


    he said. "this civilization must have its weaknesses. as strong and incredible as they seem at first glance, i believe we have a chance against them in the short term."


    "what do you mean?" someone asked.


    "if the enemies were capable of mass-producing robots like the three beings we destroyed, then they should have overpowered us by the time they were in our world. but that didn''t happen. not only that, the enemies don''t seem to be as strong as some of the world leaders, and they''ve been hiding all this time..." minos said, pondering the matter.


    "i think they can''t get reinforcements in the short term. on the other hand, they don''t feel strong enough to act openly in our world, which means they fear the strongest forces in the spiritual world.


    they also seem to be concentrating on the core of this area, which means that they don''t have the strength to destroy us without taking great risks. so they''re being taken care of because they have weaknesses to protect!


    let''s take advantage of those weaknesses!" he clenched his fists, convinced that no matter how frightening and uncertain the future might be, the short term might not be as bad as they all imagined.


    depending on their luck, they might still have a few years to prepare for the real challenge!

 Chapter 2014 Enemy Forecast

    chapter 2014 enemy forecast


    while minos and his crew were sailing to the north pole of the spiritual world, the group of space explorers from the mechanic empire were preparing to receive their "guests."


    the main island of this place already had its defenses up and its special weapons in position.


    meanwhile, all the protectors at the disposal of the local leader of the space explorers were already awake and ready to fight.


    they didn''t want to risk going after the enemy because minos'' black hole was something even they didn''t know how to deal with. with no one among them who could ignore the effects of the black hole, they wanted to settle everything in one fight, using all the advantages they had on their side.


    unlike the forces of the spiritual world, the beings of the mechanic empire possessed various technologies in the form of weapons that even low-level beings could use to deal with powerful threats.n-/0velbin


    with sonic weapons, lasers, plasma, and so on, they had various ways to destroy a crew like minos''.


    but before using these devices, they had to make sure the enemy leader, minos, fell. as long as he stood, his black holes could stop even the most advanced technologies of this group.


    to ensure he would indeed fall, they planned to use everything they had in the core of their territory, where they could best control the battle to their advantage.


    that''s why they didn''t take any unnecessary risks and had only recently lost a few robots to minos'' group due to a delay in moving their people from that island to their core territory in the north sea.


    in any case, minos and his group were less than a month''s journey away from them, but the core of that territory was already prepared to deal with him, with weapons, defenses, and protectors in place.


    meanwhile, in the depths of the mechanic empire''s secret headquarters on this world, the leaders of this outpost were completing preparations for the final measure that would guarantee their success.


    in a huge area of the underground of this region, a place so large that it could even contain the body of an adult dragon, several light blue glowing urns were spread out evenly, forming a large warehouse.


    from these glowing urns, one could easily see the symbols of the language of these people, which said similar things to each other.


    meanwhile, several bodies of members of this race were inside them.


    "commander, we have confirmation that all non-essential personnel for the upcoming battle are in deep sleep in their cryogenic urns." a level 89 being said to the strongest biological being there. "their memories have been stored and sent to the central server in the mechanic empire. in no more than a week, the information in their minds will be secured.


    if the enemy succeeds in destroying our defenses and the bodies of our people, the empire will be able to create robots with their knowledge."


    "perfect." the commander of this post said, not wanting to have to use the memories of the many specialists in his team in this way but aware of the risks ahead.


    if it were anywhere else, he wouldn''t have worried about the danger to his people''s lives in these cryogenic urns. not only were these urns capable of temporarily stopping the biological clocks of the beings inside, but they were practically invincible defenses.


    even a god would have difficulty destroying even one of these units!


    but their enemy this time was very unusual and could recreate the highest existence in the universe: black holes!


    even the civilization of these people had no way to deal with black holes. therefore, the commander of this outpost and some of his men knew there was a risk that even their last defenses would be breached and their many experts would be killed.


    fortunately, they could copy their memories and knowledge and protect the work that had been done in this world over the past few centuries.


    with these memories protected and able to be used in robots, the mechanic empire could easily dominate this world with the information gathered by these many beings, even if minos managed to kill them in the near future.


    with that, there was one less worry on the shoulders of those beings who would be left behind to deal with the crisis while the rest of the native beings of the mechanic empire slept in their urns.


    "commander, before we go into hibernation, doctor cauns said we must be careful. our target must be killed, or we''ll have endless problems. according to the doctor''s mathematical calculations, this minos stuart could become our greatest enemy if he is allowed to leave the north sea." another level 89 being said seriously.


    lights¦Í¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm doctor cauns was the mathematician of iktun''s group of space explorers and a renowned "seer" in the empire.


    through minos'' potential, doctor cauns developed a mathematical method to predict how strong minos would be in the future and how difficult it would be for the mechanic empire to succeed on this journey if he were allowed to live.


    "he left this to the commander." that sage handed over a glowing object that showed two graphs and data related to minos.


    "what is this?" commander iktun asked.


    the being explained what doctor cauns himself had told him. "this graph shows minos'' power level compared to our protectors. the other shows our chances of success according to his cultivation level."


    looking at it, iktun felt a chill in his soul when he saw that if minos reached level 90, his people''s chances of victory in the spiritual world would be less than 60%. if he died before then, their chances would be 98%.


    however, if minos reached level 95, the empire''s chances would be -7%!


    "what does that mean?" iktun asked when he saw this information.


    "if our chances of victory become negative, it means that we will lose the war, and our state will be in danger of being influenced by our enemies. according to doctor cauns, a -100% chance of victory for us means the destruction of the empire!"


    that was when iktun saw the graph in question reach such a point in the possible situation of minos reaching level 100.


    "shit!" he understood how formidable minos was in doctor caun''s vision and saw how necessary it would be for his people to eliminate emperor stuart as soon as possible.


    "we will do our best to stop minos stuart in the next few days. even if we have to lose our current position and everyone dies in battle, it will be worth it if he dies too!" he said as he left the place where the many cryogenic urns of his people were.


    ''if we fail, i hope doctor cauns was wrong in his analysis. otherwise...''

 Chapter 2015 Start of the War of the Worlds

    chapter 2015 start of the war of the worlds


    another three weeks passed in the blink of an eye!


    after days of traveling toward the north sea core, minos'' crew had finally reached a critical point in their journey.


    a few dozen kilometers from them were the main islands of the north sea core, where the crew members could already see their opponents nearby, ready to deal with them.


    on the main island of this place, most of the battle robots of the mechanic empire were in position, while from there, minos'' allies could see a beam of light aimed at the sky.


    looking at that, as well as the number of robots, high-level items, and buildings in the vicinity, the people in minos'' group couldn''t help but feel strange.


    facing them were the most formidable enemies they could encounter in the spiritual world!


    "we''re in trouble..." titus commented pessimistically, seeing that the enemies were stronger than they had thought.


    on the outskirts of these three islands, positioned at roughly the same distance from each other, were 18 protectors, combat robots with power between levels 94 and 96. at the same time, 43 strange weapons were pointed in their direction, while a gigantic energy barrier protected the alien structures on those islands.


    in addition, 10 flying ships hovered above the islands, their weapons aimed at minos'' group, while warships with robots they had never seen before were in front of the islands.n-/0velbin


    when the people in minos'' group felt the power of the weapons on those structures, they couldn''t help but feel a little afraid.


    "tsk! since we''ve come this far, let''s send some of these bastards to the underworld!" the dragon in the group said aloud, looking in the direction of those behind them.


    seeing the green creatures that matched joey''s description of those who had kidnapped him, minos clenched his fists.


    ''i''m finally facing you.'' he looked in the direction of the strongest of those creatures, a level 91 demigod. ''you are the invisible enemies i''ve been preparing for since my youth!''


    on his journey, minos had sought revenge, peace, happiness, family, wealth, power, and, in short, a little bit of everything. but from the beginning, his goal was to confront the invaders of this world, not out of kindness, but out of self-protection.


    as someone who had received the heritage of a level 100 god as a child, minos had always believed in the dangers henricus longus had warned him about.


    when he finally saw the source of the first human god''s nightmares, he couldn''t help but feel something different in his being.


    but amid this special feeling, minos noticed a weakness in the enemy but also their greatest strength.


    he said in a calm but determined tone. "as far as i can see, the enemies are not strong in level. on the one hand, that''s good, because it will be easier to deal with them. but on the other hand, it''s bad because if they can develop beings stronger than them, we have to consider that high-level demigods of this race can create level 100 robots."


    the people on the ship fell silent when they heard the crew chief''s words, and they were somewhat worried by this fact.


    there were only ten demigods in the opposing group, and the strongest of them was only a level 91 demigod. most of these strange creatures were sages. however, their robots were at the 10th stage, which was worrisome.


    but minos noticed another problem these enemy forces probably had. ''from their numbers, i can tell that as impressive as they are, it is not easy to create these robots. maybe we won''t have to face so many enemies in the future.''


    seeing the enemies standing still, waiting for the decisive moment, minos had no trouble figuring out the aliens'' plans.


    while they were positioned on their islands, these creatures looked at him sharply.


    minos closed his eyes for a moment and clenched his fists.


    then he said. "my friends. the enemy before us must be stopped today. if we don''t defeat this threat, our entire world will be in danger.


    our only chance is to act together and eliminate as many opponents as possible this afternoon!


    in the future, our descendants will read about today''s battle, the beginning of the war of worlds, and the brave warriors who shed their blood for the spiritual world!


    forget your races. today, we are all natives of the spiritual world, those whom the aliens wish to destroy!


    lightsn¦Ïv¦Ål.c¦Ïm i can no longer guarantee your lives, but i ask you to lend me your strength again. i will lead the way to the main enemies.


    attack while i lure the enemies!"


    with these words, minos stole the cultivation of one of the level 90 mercenaries in his group before jumping into the air and flying toward the large island where a volcano stood.


    seeing minos'' movement, everyone on the boat moved, circulating their energies as they took on their bestial forms or soul projections.


    ''shit! it''s starting!'' grant felt a chill run through his being as he saw the great dragon fly after minos alongside two phoenixes while the great arctic whale disappeared into the sea alongside the krakens and other sea creatures.


    meanwhile, the leader of the sea folk group in that crew stayed behind next to ruth, shouting to everyone. "attack!"


    at that moment, the aliens'' leader looked at minos, who was flying in front of everyone and raised one of his hands, also giving the signal to his people.


    "attack!"


    several shouts rang out on the three islands dominated by these space explorers from the mechanic empire.


    as he saw the protectors of his group looking and moving in minos'' direction, as well as the many weapons aimed at him being fired, iktun felt a chill run through his being as he looked into the eyes of the enemy leader.


    ''is this the enemy doctor cauns fears so much?'' he looked at the brown-haired human who was currently at level 89.


    the sonic and laser cannons on the outskirts of this place, on the islands, on the ships, and on the surrounding spaceships shone brightly, all pointing in minos'' direction.


    as the protectors flew over the islands, more than half of them with minos in their sights, ruth saw from her ship the first moment of confrontation with so many powerful enemies attacking her husband.


    "minos..." she clenched her fists in frustration at not being able to help him more actively.


    at that moment, a gigantic seal appeared in the space in front of minos, and he drew a golden sword from the void of space, his entire body glowing as a stream of bright energy of the same color flowed through his being.

 Chapter 2016 Breathtaking Battle (1)

    chapter 2016 breathtaking battle (1)


    divine sword!


    by revealing his supreme weapon right at the beginning of the battle, minos made the strongest enemies look at him seriously when they saw that their weapons wouldn''t be enough to deal with the opponent.


    "no wonder he''s so feared by doctor cauns! he is truly worthy of all our attention." the strongest robot in the group of metal creatures looked at minos and commented as he felt the spiritual fluctuation of a supreme weapon.


    minos'' supreme weapon emitted an oppressive sensation even stronger than his dragon''s eyes, something capable of negating lower-level powers but also capable of bringing the free spiritual energy in heaven and earth closer to its user.


    high-level cultivators usually used more of the world''s free energy in battle than their own energies. but supreme weapons were so demanding that a single one of them would be able to take all the free spiritual energy in the environment away from those who could not use a supreme weapon.


    the person who activated such an alternative would have all the energy he could manipulate in the environment in his favor, a great advantage.


    but at the same time, while the supreme weapon was at work, its user would be temporarily faster, more resilient, think faster, and see openings more easily.


    after all, what would be the point of having such a powerful weapon if the limitations of the cultivator who activated it were the same as before? considering how costly it was to activate this alternative just once, the cultivators who could summon their supreme weapons became significantly stronger as long as their strength could withstand the pressure of continuously using the supreme weapon!


    the moment minos'' supreme weapon appeared in his hands, a golden glow covered the brown-haired man''s entire body. with a single movement, several attacks formed.


    "today, you will die by the blade of the gods'' slayer!" minos said as he saw the many shots fired in his direction blocked by the energy blades he had created with his first move.


    "gods'' slayer? let''s see if it''s as strong as its name suggests!" one of the level 95 protectors said as he flew closer to minos and attacked him mercilessly.


    as the first of several high-level enemies to attack minos, this robot attacked the vital point in minos'' soul projection.


    a human cultivator''s soul projection was relatively safer than their own body since it was neither their actual body nor their actual soul. however, it had one vital point!


    when he struck toward this point of minos'' essence with his giant sword, the first robot appeared beside him and moved its sword at high speed toward minos'' body.


    minos saw the movement and the other robots approaching him and moved, dodging at close range the rapid attack of the second opponent coming at him with a huge axe.


    at the same time, minos dodged the attacks of the first and third enemies acting against him while striking a blow at the fourth of his opponents.


    "acting simultaneously?" one of the phoenixes saw this and felt fear for minos but also anger at the enemies for almost completely ignoring everyone else around them.


    practically 80% of the enemy forces were focused on minos at the first moment of the attack, while only a few protectors looked at the rest of the group. however, even if only 8 robots were keeping an eye on them, those individuals alone were enough to affect minos'' entire group.


    searing sky!


    the two phoenixes acted together, using their flame ability, while the dragon also attacked the enemies in front of them.


    at the same time, a giant creature appeared, swimming quickly from the bottom of the sea to the surface, his huge mouth open as he tried to destroy one of the robots.


    as the krakens joined the group, the mermaids moved through the water at high speed, using their nearly impossible speed to dodge opponents while mentally attacking nearby enemies.


    lights¦Í¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm tropical hurricane!


    the level 92 sea folk woman activated her most advanced skill, causing the seas in the area to churn as heavy gray clouds appeared in the sky.


    at the same time, minos moved his sword against the fourth enemy to attack him, hitting the enemy''s weak point, the upper back of his head, where the creature''s essence was located.


    when he struck the robot with his glowing sword, minos found it difficult to cut through the enemy''s defensive layer on his way to the robot''s essence. however, the divine sword still managed to overcome the hardness of the enemy''s outer armor.


    when he reached the essence of that level 94 robot, minos saw a golden liquid staining his sword as he pulled it out of the already dead robot.


    "wretch!"


    "damned human! we''ll kill you today!"


    "we''ll see who dies first, alien!" minos said as he used the metallic corpse of his enemy to gain momentum, jumping up as one of his opponents slashed at his previous position.


    swooish!


    a vertical slash appeared, splitting in half the large robot that had just died.


    meanwhile, 6 of the 9 remaining enemies chasing him appeared in his surroundings, ignoring the fall of their companion to complete their mission.nove-lb/1n


    "minos stuart, accept your death!" one of them said in the language of the spiritual world, deliberately maintaining communication with the enemy.


    seeing himself surrounded by enemies, minos picked up the divine sword and pointed it downward as if to drive it into the ground.


    as he did so, a golden circle appeared in the center of the sword, and for the first time, minos activated one of the alternative uses of his supreme weapon.


    supreme weapons could be used in an infinite number of ways. it all depended on the amount of energy available to the user, as well as their creativity.


    minos'' gods'' slayer was not just a powerful sword that could temporarily strengthen him and unleash powerful attacks. it was a weapon with all these characteristics, but it also had three special moves.


    before leaving dry city for the last time, minos had mastered the first of these moves, but he still had a long way to go to master the other two.


    when he found himself surrounded by enemies with nowhere to run, he used the first of the three moves without hesitation.


    "divine sword: will of the blades!" minos poured most of his energy into this move.


    at the same time, several circles of golden energy like that seal appeared in the air at various places in minos'' field of vision, with more and more blades appearing according to his intention.


    at that moment, the robots and biological beings of the mechanic empire saw minos'' world of blades!


    in a single instant, more than 10,000 blades appeared under those islands, cutting the air into dozens of different paths, making the whole area chaotic.

 Chapter 2017 Infinite Blades

    chapter 2017 infinite blades?


    as he initiated the first move of the divine sword, minos transformed his will into razor-sharp blades, causing thousands of energy blades to appear on the outskirts of those islands.


    from where he was floating in the air, surrounded by six robots attacking him, a huge semi-transparent golden blade formed and appeared around his body, covering every angle of the enemy''s attack.


    just as they were about to strike the soul avatar of minos, these metallic creatures encountered the opponent''s powerful ability and found a solid defense but also a counterattack.


    as it prepared its blade to decapitate the head of the soul avatar of minos, one of the level 95 artificial creatures felt its weapon collide with the huge blade around the projection of emperor stuart''s soul.


    clang!


    even though it was mighty and capable of hurting even level 96 humans from this world with such a move, that robot felt its weapon stop and its attack force come back at it, causing it to move its mechanisms to avoid being thrown backward.


    the other five robots faced a similar situation. at the last moment of their movements, they ran into that giant blade around minos, unable to overcome the thing.


    "that..." one of them opened its metallic mouth, and it looked at it strangely.


    as members of a technological civilization, they were very good at certain things. but when it came to the secrets of the technologies that had been cultivated in this primitive world for millions of years, they still had doubts.


    even the artificial intelligence of these creatures couldn''t fathom or understand the abilities of the spiritual people of this world.


    when they encountered the sword in their path, the six robots realized it was not just a defense.


    "my will is infinite blades!" minos commented as the environment around this figure of spiritual energy and natural laws flashed, making each of these robots feel that something terrible was about to happen to them.


    "watch out!" the strongest of the group, who was a bit away from those six robots, said, but it was too late.


    the moment its words left its sound structure, those six individuals felt blades like the one that had appeared around minos materialize underneath them, slicing vertically upward.


    swooish!


    in a single instant, all six of them were cut down by minos'' will, while everyone on the battlefield, whether it was the busy allies of emperor stuart or the biological beings of the mechanic empire, realized how dangerous this fusion of three techniques was to the enemies.


    in addition to the thousands of blades slicing through thousands of cubic kilometers of space, minos alone mortally attacked six beings with combat and defense skills between level 94.


    even though he was only temporarily at level 89, he acted against those six in a single instant, causing their bodies to crack as they were broken in various parts.


    "shit! is he that strong?" one of the robots fleeing from minos'' nearby blades, but also from the attacks of emperor stuart''s allies, shouted as it flew at high speed.


    "an enemy with the potential to destroy the empire can''t be easy!" said a robot trapped by several tentacles as a giant whale attacked it with its tail fin.


    "but can he keep fighting after all he''s done?" one of them asked, feeling that as incredible as minos was, this was his limit, but also not enough to guarantee victory for the spiritual world in this battle.


    minos saw his six dead opponents, but he did not see any lightning tribulations forming.


    ''it seems that what happened before only happens when their essence is removed from their metallic bodies.'' he thought to himself as he breathed heavily and began to feel the effects of merging three techniques at once.


    nowadays, the damage from using his supreme weapon wouldn''t be as high as in the past. but it was still quite costly for minos. in no more than two minutes, he would reach his maximum, and he would not be able to fight anymore.


    if he could not finish this confrontation by then, he would risk meeting his end in this area of the north sea!


    he kept his thoughts about the nature of these alien synthetic creatures in his mind and moved around, looking at the other high-level robots in this area.


    meanwhile, his many blades destroyed some of the enemy''s war power, mainly targeting the ships, spaceships, and structures not protected by barriers on those islands.


    as much as he had dodged the mechanic empire''s powerful weapons at the beginning of the battle, minos didn''t underestimate the power of those weapons.


    some of them were so powerful that they could even hurt high-level demigods!


    fortunately, they weren''t powers controlled by living creatures, so they were easier to dodge.


    however, they were one of the main dangers in the area. whenever he had the chance, minos would direct the many blades generated by his will to destroy such structures.


    the mind-powered beings of his crew moved skillfully at that moment, with the mermaids singing while the nine-tailed foxes tried to distract those who tried to protect or control those armaments.


    meanwhile, the combat robots were focused on directly confronting minos or his strongest allies, so they couldn''t protect the warlike artifacts in the surrounding area.


    seeing this from inside the area protected by his defensive formation, iktun sensed that either side would not easily win today''s battle.


    while 7 of the 18 robots had already fallen, 2 of them in bad shape in the hands of minos'' allies, the spaceships and ships of the north sea sovereign group were hit hard by the many enemy blades.


    lights¦Í¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm


    the ships hit first couldn''t withstand the combined attacks of the surrounding sea creatures and minos'' blades and soon began to sink. at the same time, the spaceships fell from the sky in flames, with much debris breaking off from the damage to their structures.


    amidst this, the robots that controlled these armaments and cannons around the outer areas of these islands were destroyed by minos'' high-level movement.


    ''minos stuart... can you survive this day?" the level 91 demigod asked himself, fearing his own death but confident in the victory of the mechanic empire.


    the defeat of his people in this battle was not yet decided. there were still 11 protectors fighting while their defenses stood. meanwhile, most of their opponents were already showing signs of exhaustion.


    and if they fell today, the mechanic empire group would reach this world in 30 years. would minos reach the level necessary to guarantee the spiritual world''s victory in that time?


    even though doctor caun''s predictions were pessimistic, minos would have to improve a lot in a short time. in the meantime, the people of iktun would just have to finish building the universal wormhole to this world! nove/lb(in


    ''if you don''t die today, minos, i''ll make sure that you''ll be the first to be hunted down by my people when they arrive!'' iktun thought as he sent a message to the mechanic empire while watching the high-level battle in the surrounding area.


    ...

 Chapter 2018 Hints on How to Fight Back

    chapter 2018 hints on how to fight back?


    while the ships and spaceships of the alien race were sinking into the sea under the attacks of minos'' blades and the movements of his people, the strongest of both sides were fighting at a high level in the area.


    the dragon, phoenix, and a great whale of the group were currently fighting side by side against three level 94 robots.


    since only these beasts had bodies strong enough to fight the robots directly, they took the lead in the battle.


    with the help of the many blades minos had just created, they managed to take down the first two enemy robots, reducing the number of creatures fighting their group from 8 to 6.


    now that they were facing 3 of the 6 opponents who weren''t paying attention to minos, their dozens of allies could act with "less" risk against the other three.


    however, even though these huge creatures entertained half of the remaining group of enemies, the three robots acting against the rest of minos'' crew were not easy to deal with.


    seeing the mermen, krakens, and humans of the group struggling to put pressure on these enemies capable of high-speed flight, the three sea folk members looked at each other. they saw that they could no longer hold their own on the ship.


    "ruth and the rest of you should be doubly careful from now on. we''re going into battle." the level 92 woman said aloud as she hovered above her race''s ship.


    with that, she and her two racemates set sail from the ship, leaving behind grant, ruth, the two nine-tailed foxes, and some level 90 mercenaries.


    except for the 10 people on the ship at the moment, all the others in their group were fighting on the outskirts of these three islands, some of them countering the enemy''s blows and others imposing their cultivation pressure on their opponents.


    although they were weaker, they could still counter their opponents and even force them into passive situations.


    for example, with 10 level 92 cultivators, it would be possible to completely block a level 94 entity, as long as the group could deal with it for a few seconds without being destroyed.


    given their numbers, minos'' group fought as hard as they could to gain this advantage while their leader was still standing and fighting.


    seeing this from the ship, ruth once again strengthened her group by focusing her energies on her innate ability to help her allies who had used up most of their strength or were injured.


    invisible threads of energy connected her to these people more strongly, while others like minos received little help from her at the moment.


    before the battle, minos had told her to help him only when he was at his limit since her powers wouldn''t help him much when he used the supreme weapon.


    if ruth were to help him at such a time, she would only be degrading herself and would not have much of a positive effect on him.


    even with him having temporarily raised her cultivation to level 86, ruth couldn''t help him.


    for that, she would have to be at least level 90 to help him deal with the wear and tear of the divine sword. if her cultivation were lower than that, she would only lose her strength trying to help him.


    that''s why she didn''t send her regenerative energy to her husband while she helped those she could without exhausting herself excessively.


    but she couldn''t help looking in minos'' direction every few seconds, watching him fight the three remaining robots in the sky.


    at the moment, minos seemed to be in the middle of a swordsman''s duel, moving at high speed while dancing with his opponents, exchanging blows, deflecting attacks, and trying to injure his targets.


    meanwhile, the three robots fought with everything at their disposal, with excellent speed, strength, and movement forms, displaying the formidable power of level 95 and 96 beings.


    but as minos fought with these artificial creatures, he noticed another weakness in his enemies.


    ''they seem to be more limited than they appear from a distance.'' minos dodged an attack that could have decapitated him and then used his divine sword to attack an enemy in front of him.


    ''you are strong, have a solid body, and are fast, faster than cultivators of your level. however, your fighting skills are limited to brute force and simple arts!'' minos realized this problem when he noticed that none of the opponents had any special techniques.


    they fought by combining their great physical strength and speed with the weapons in their possession.


    some had sonic, laser, and plasma weapons, which could be a problem if you weren''t fast enough to dodge them, but most relied solely on weapons like swords and spears. n.-0velbin


    as incredible as it was that these beings could be created from scratch, it still wasn''t as special as flesh-and-blood cultivators.


    cultivators could far surpass the complexity of these creatures!


    even those who were less talented and would suffer at the hands of these robots could display more complex powers than those minos saw!


    for example, sarah had an innate ability to control gravity. so, if she was at the same level as these creatures, she wouldn''t even have to move to fight them. she could crush them with a snap of her fingers!


    if these beings had similar abilities to the cultivators of this world, sarah''s power might not be enough to deal with beings at the same level as her. but from what minos observed, these robots didn''t seem to be that complex, which might allow the spiritual world to react!


    but even if other robots of this race were the way he thought, minos still couldn''t smile. even if these creatures were as limited as he thought, they would still be difficult to fight.


    ''that''s a weakness my group will have to work on, but we shouldn''t get our hopes up yet.'' minos thought before he delivered his final blow, shouting for all the members of his group to hear him.


    "fall back!"


    he said as he combined his spatial understanding with his supreme weapon and delivered a horizontal sword blow, causing several blades to cut through space behind the last robots flying nearby.


    as this happened, the enemies were surprised by minos'' movement, but they weren''t so afraid when they realized that he was only changing their position.


    the rifts in space sucked up the 9 robot creatures on the outskirts of those islands and threw them onto the southern wall of the main island.


    at that moment, minos grabbed a mirrored sphere from his waist and threw it at the island while his allies swam into the sea depths to protect themselves from what was coming next.


    "shit!" iktun saw minos'' black hole bomb appear very close to the last of the combat robots that were there to protect him and his group.


    ka-booooooooooooooooooooooom!


    ...

 Chapter 2019 Result of the Explosion

    chapter 2019 result of the explosion


    swimming as fast as they could, everyone in minos'' group who had survived so far, about 80% of the group, broke out in a cold sweat as they hurriedly swam into the depths of the north sea.


    minos had already warned everyone he would use the black hole bomb at some point during the battle that day, and the moment he gave his signal, everyone should flee as far away as they could.


    he had advised them to flee to the depths of the sea because the water could partially protect them from the explosion of this powerful bomb.


    as soon as he gave the signal, everyone stopped what they were doing and changed their courses, with the sea beasts returning to the sea. in contrast, the land beasts molded their bodies into humanoid forms to accompany their sea companions.


    lights¦Í¦Ïv¦Ål ?¦Ïm the weakest of the group received help from the mermaids, who were the fastest swimmers in the group and could escape the reach of the black hole bomb more quickly.


    but even the mermaids broke into a cold sweat as they swam to the bottom of the sea, feeling the terror of what minos had just unleashed as they swam away, already physically and mentally exhausted.


    after a high-level battle, almost everyone was mentally exhausted, some with severe injuries on their bodies, while others were not as badly off but mourned the deaths of their comrades.


    while minos fought against the strongest of the enemy protectors, nearly 10 people who reached this last part of their exploration of the north sea died in battle.


    the enemy protectors were powerful and fast, and while they were being killed or entertained by their group, these mechanical beings managed to deal fatal blows to some of minos'' companions.


    among them, two members of the sea folk, a kraken, a phoenix, and some mercenaries had met their end in the intense battle a few moments before.


    the closest companions of these dead fighters naturally felt terrible at the moment.


    ''damn it! i didn''t think we would suffer so much!'' one of them thought to himself as he walked through the dark part of the sea and saw everything in his path lit up very brightly while the explosion above the main island had just happened.


    first, the light from the flash of that explosion hit minos'' group of companions, signaling that the bomb had been detonated.


    then, as they swam with even more trepidation, the shock wave, along with the sound wave from the huge explosion, reached them, causing even the level 93 dragon to shake violently.


    ka-booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooom!


    the temperature of the place they were passing through suddenly increased. at the same time, the gases in the water stirred up the surroundings, causing great turbulence on the path they were passing through.


    ''shit! is it that powerful?'' the dragon thought to himself as he avoided looking up because, according to minos, the flash from the bomb''s explosion would be enough to blind even level 93 demigods, who were up to 100 kilometers away from the blast''s focus.


    meanwhile, he endured the pain in his body, having lost one of his legs and half of one of his wings as a result of being severely injured.


    fortunately, he had companions to help him swim to the depths of the sea and quickly reach the safe zone, about 300 kilometers away from the explosion.


    if they had been in the air, the safe zone would have been a thousand kilometers from the source of the explosion. but in the water, the distance they had to cover was naturally much shorter.


    minos...


    arriving at the point where they no longer had to swim, the group stopped, and ruth looked up, seeing a lot of smoke in their path as she worried about her husband.


    while everyone was wondering if everyone had escaped the massive explosion of the bomb, minos appeared in front of ruth and the mermaid who had been carrying her and grant.


    "minos!" ruth saw her husband fine but extremely exhausted, finally reaching the end of the divine sword''s effect.


    with him in a severely weakened state, she immediately used what little energy she had left to focus her regenerative powers on helping her husband.


    minos was still conscious, breathing rapidly and feeling pain all over his body.


    he said in a low voice. "save... your strength for... for the most wounded..."


    "but..."


    "i am... well... despite everything... i''m not badly hurt... i can... cough! i can hold out... for a while..." he said, not wanting to risk the lives of his companions, as he thought he was capable of recovering normally.


    minos hadn''t used ruth''s ability to regenerate when he first went to the divine continent. after all, she hadn''t accompanied him there. so, in the current situation, where he was much stronger than back then, and his group had been hurt much more than he had, he didn''t want to ''waste'' her powers.


    the level 92 woman of the sea folk, the only survivor of her group, moved to minos'' side, not as wounded as the dragon and other of their strongest.


    "minos, did we win?" she asked as everyone turned their attention to him.n-)ovelb1n


    minos looked up, where the boiling sea still covered the space where the focus of the explosion had been.


    "if those robots weren''t vaporized... then there''s nothing left for us to do... we''ll meet our end today." he said with great difficulty.


    but inwardly, minos was very confident. the black hole bomb he had used contained a black hole that could easily devour even level 94 demigods.


    since it was a mechanism that amplified the power of the black hole, it should be able to threaten the lives of level 95 and even level 96 beings!


    ''even if they didn''t disappear after that, they''re probably as weakened as us, if not weaker.'' minos thought as he looked up.


    meanwhile, hundreds of kilometers above where they were, the outskirts of the three islands where the mechanic empire''s people were based in the spiritual world were devastated.


    the surrounding sea had evaporated in an instant, and the space where those islands had been for a few kilometers was suddenly replaced by water and vapor.


    meanwhile, two of the three islands had been completely wiped out, along with the many cannons, ships, and spaceships that had been in the area before.


    only one of the bodies of the protectors who had been tricked by minos moments ago remained. in contrast, all the others had been instantly annihilated by the core of the explosion.


    but even if this creature hadn''t been completely destroyed, all of its defensive armor had been melted, and the surrounding steam was melting its internal mechanisms.


    there was still a glimmer in its eyes. still, it was fragile at the moment, as this creature floated in the air in front of the defense barrier where its superiors were.


    but even if that barrier had withstood the blast of minos'' black hole bomb, it was not in good shape, with thousands of cracks all around it, while only the structures inside those defenses were intact.


    "damned minos!" iktun shouted from inside the protected area, realizing the situation they had reached.


    ...

 Chapter 2020 Entering the Enemy Base (1)

    chapter 2020 entering the enemy base (1)


    as he watched the smoke and water vapor gradually dissipate, iktun realized the real damage minos had caused outside of the area protected by the last defenses of his base.n))ovelbin


    aside from those defenses, which were as strong as high-level grade-4 defense barriers, virtually everything had been destroyed for a few dozen kilometers away from the blast center.


    the surface of two of the three islands in the area had been completely obliterated. at the same time, the surroundings of the main island, where the defensive barrier was located, had also disintegrated.


    the sea had lost a ridiculous amount of water and was gradually covering the spaces left by the evaporated water.


    the explosion had evaporated all the water within a certain distance, temporarily turning the area around these three islands into what looked like a dome of water, as the evaporated water had left the space in the shape of a hemisphere.


    but as the water vapor rose, the seawater that hadn''t evaporated moved to cover the spaces left behind.


    a lot of water had evaporated there, but compared to the great sea, it was nothing. in the next few moments, the sea level would return to its previous level, with a difference in height of only a few millimeters.


    but it wouldn''t be tranquil!


    as terrifying waves formed a few kilometers away from the islands, the sky above the area turned dark, and heavy clouds formed.


    the winds in that area were extremely strong, and the spiritual energy there was chaotic.


    seeing what was happening outside the area protected by his barrier, iktun knew that even if minos'' entire group had died in the previous attack, he would still be in trouble.


    such an extreme phenomenon would attract the attention of the powers of the spiritual world!


    not only that, but the disaster brewing in this area alone would cause problems for them as their defenses were about to collapse.


    "damned minos! i curse your name and your family!" iktun shouted as he grabbed the universal communicator in his hand to send another message to his people.


    this communicator wasn''t as efficient as the holographic one in the facility''s center. but once the information was sent, it would reach his empire in a matter of days, even if the device in his hands was later destroyed.


    "this is commander iktun. i am sending you a warning regarding the attack you were warned about in the previous warning. minos stuart has succeeded in his plans and has managed to destroy all of our protectors." he said as he held the object in his hands while his companions around him trembled with fear.


    gulp!


    if the commander is sending this message... one of them wondered, sensing that their leader no longer had any hope of survival.


    sending such a message now was a sign that they would probably die in the next few hours or days!


    iktun continued. "i don''t know what happened to minos. he may or may not be dead. in any case, i don''t expect to be able to withstand the enemy''s pressure for much longer.


    by the time this message reaches the headquarters, my men and i will probably be dead!


    so please come as soon as possible, and when you arrive, look for minos stuart. if he''s still alive, he''ll be our main enemy!


    that''s all there is to say. it''s been an honor to serve the mechanic empire!" he said aloud before striking a military pose and said with his men. "glory to the mechanic empire!"


    as they said this, the power of the communication device ran out, and their last message to their people was sent.


    at that moment, silence fell over the entire interior of the area protected by the cracked barriers until a black glow appeared in the sky.


    ka-booooom!


    then, as everyone felt the horror of the moment they were in, black lightning descended from the sky, cutting its way at lightning speed to what was left of the strongest protector.


    the level 96 creature didn''t stand a chance and was vaporized in an instant as the space explorers of the mechanic empire watched the spiritual world put an end to the last of these combat robots.


    but this was what their theories had predicted would happen if their robotic technologies were exposed without protection.


    as they watched, they could only sigh in defeat as the defensive barrier above their island began to emit louder and louder cracking sounds.


    at that moment, a violent storm was already beginning in the area, as large and powerful waves were crashing towards them.


    with no way to control the climate of the north sea and with the consequences of minos'' actions added to the natural phenomena of the area, it was only a matter of time before their defenses collapsed!


    iktun clenched his fists and commanded his men. "put on your armor and grab your weapons! we will fight to the death!"


    "yes, commander!" all the men who hadn''t been frozen in the cryogenic units on the island said and quickly materialized armor over their bodies.


    they weren''t powerful, but they had special armor and weapons that could boost their powers a bit. even if it didn''t put them on the same level as their protectors, it was something that made their combat skills 1 or 2 levels higher than their cultivations!


    while they were doing this as their last hope to kill enemies before they fell, several shadows appeared on the sea''s surface near that island.


    at that moment, minos and his group finally returned to the surface and noticed the result of the bomb explosion.


    "it seems that those outside the ''tortoise shell'' have been completely wiped out. but we still have living enemies." the surviving phoenix, minos'' old acquaintance who had been with him in the ancient dragon spatial kingdom, commented as he returned to his bestial form, eager to avenge his friend''s death.


    the arctic whale was also eager to fight due to the injuries he had suffered earlier. since he wasn''t seriously injured, this being was eager to fight the lower beings hiding behind the barrier that was about to break.


    minos looked in the direction of the strongest of the enemies, seeing how strong the defenses of this place were, but without much concern. if the enemy had been hiding during the entire conflict, letting them destroy so many things, it could only mean they weren''t strong enough to deal with them.


    otherwise, there would have been no point in hiding. joining the battle would have been best for them.


    with that in mind, he said, feeling a little better as he saw those beings preparing for them. "my friends, take care of these bastards on my behalf. but leave some survivors for us to interrogate in dry city. as for the others, just leave their bodies intact. today, we will win this confrontation!"


    ...

 Chapter 2021 Entering the Enemy Base (2)

    chapter 2021 entering the enemy base (2)


    after minos'' words, the less exhausted of the group lifted their spirits, some returning to their true forms, others activating their avatars or changing their bodies to humanoid forms.


    hatred was in the eyes of many of the group who had either lost companions or been seriously injured by the enemy''s actions.


    titus was one of the angriest, having just lost his old friend, bella, who had tragically died while providing mental support to the group.


    bella, as well as other dead members of minos'' crew, had suffered from the remaining attacks of the enemy protectors, but also from their space weapons.


    while they had been destroyed by minos and the strongest members of this crew, the enemy protectors and the aliens'' high-level weapons had done more damage than anyone could have imagined just by watching the main battles.


    titus had nearly died with bella, watching his old friend go up in smoke next to him, as if her level 89 meant nothing.


    dunyxa had lost an eye and watched bella die. she was also angry at the enemies she couldn''t hurt because of their artificial, soulless existences.


    but the enemies behind that grandiose barrier that was about to collapse looked like biological beings just like her. in other words, they had souls!


    ''even though i''ve lost one of my eyes, i''m still fully capable of using my innate ability!'' she thought as her eye glowed with hatred.


    "please, my friends, allow me to attack first." the arctic whale said as he floated ahead of the group in his humanoid form. "the enemy''s defenses will soon fall, but i prefer that control of the battle be on our side. so allow me to attack first and knock the turtle shell off these bastards!


    prepare to attack after me!"


    he did not wait for an answer. after he finished uttering these words, that being with the bulky body moved upwards, reaching a height of more than 2,000 meters in a single instant.


    lights¦Í¦Ïvel when he reached the ideal height, he transformed back into his bestial form, turning into a mountain of flesh even bigger than what was left of the enemy island.


    "look at the splendor of the whales, you damned invaders!" he shouted as he spun in the air, falling faster and faster toward the barrier beneath his being.


    "move!" the dragon roared as he saw the whale''s movement, knowing that the best time to attack would be when the blue individual hit the barrier.


    hearing the warning of this hovering creature, the less exhausted and more vengeful ones moved, circulating their energies as they surrounded what was left of the core of the enemy territory.n/(o/-v-(e--l--b--1/-n


    minos didn''t join his companions, staying with ruth and grant, two survivors who weren''t doing too badly, though they weren''t the strongest.


    grant had almost died in the previous battle. but having held out until the moment the black hole bomb detonated, his situation was now stable, and his chances of dying were practically nil.


    seeing the moment when the fin of that colossal creature collided with the top of the enemy''s defensive barrier, grant closed his eyes and sighed. ''those who crippled me have probably been killed or will die today. but the future looks too dark for me to be happy.'' he clenched his fists with mixed feelings in his heart.


    meanwhile, minos tried to absorb the free spiritual energy around him, watching the movement of his allies as he stood next to the two people supporting him.


    ''let''s see how powerful you aliens are.''


    crack!


    at that moment, a huge crack erupted as the level 92 arctic whale hit the enemy''s defense barrier hard, causing the many cracks in the barrier to instantly double in size.


    then, as more than half of minos'' group moved, parts of the barrier exploded as if made of glass, finally opening up space for both sides of the conflict to attack each other.


    "minos, take your punishment!" commander iktun shouted, flying quickly towards his main enemy as the sword in his hands caught fire, and he passed several of the first enemies in his path.


    "not so fast, green worm!" the sole survivor of the sea folk shouted as she appeared in front of this level 91 enemy''s path.


    strong winds and columns of water formed in the environment at the will of this level 92 woman, attacking the man in armor that made him look like a smaller version of the protectors.


    at the same time, the last phoenix of the group joined the woman, forming a sea of flames behind the back of the level 91 alien.


    "you bastard! that is for what you did to us!" the burning bird shouted as dunyxa joined him and the sea folk woman.


    "turn to stone, you bastard!"


    some of the strongest wanted to take action against the enemy leader since almost all of the other opponents were sages.


    minos'' other strong companions, who didn''t attack the base commander, soon took action against the other demigods in the enemy group, while a minority dealt with the dozens of enemy sages.


    as much as the difference in numbers was against minos'' group, this time, they had the advantage in level.


    also, once they started fighting their opponents, they realized how weak those beings really were, even considering their armor.


    without their armor, they were practically as strong and skilled as human beings with black-grade talents.


    but each member of minos'' crew had powers comparable to those of humans of their own level with silver-grade or golden-grade talents!


    the armor of these creatures was powerful and could provide them with a solid defense against enemies. still, in the hands of these low-talent beings, it was of little use to them.


    "what a waste. these armors will work better on the people in my group." minos commented as he watched iktun withstand several attacks while counterattacking and even putting a little pressure on the three beings that were pressing him.


    that might sound impressive, but it wasn''t. withstanding those three while wearing that armor was simply too little to be amazing. minos thought if he were in iktun''s place, he could fight his entire crew on equal terms, even without using his innate ability to increase his cultivation base!


    however, that man''s fighting power was only a little higher than level 92, just enough to temporarily withstand the many attacks of those three creatures.


    meanwhile, the other space explorers of the mechanic empire suffered much more because their levels were lower, and their opponents were just as vicious as those three!


    ...

 Chapter 2022 Time to Understand the Aliens

    chapter 2022 time to understand the aliens


    "die, green bugs!" one of the level 90 human mercenaries charged full force at three level 89 sages, causing them to retreat immediately.


    "damned primitives! you''re going to die sooner or later!" one of the attacked beings said as he flew towards the raging sea.


    "accept your death, primitive beast!" another of those high-ranking sages, dressed in the armor of the mechanic empire group, brandished a sabre-shaped weapon at a beast that was oppressing another of his companions.


    "aaaagh!"


    as strong as the members of minos'' group were, they were still suffering from some enemies capable of hurting them as they fought on the outskirts of the enemy headquarters at the beginning of this second part of the north sea battle.


    "invaders, die!" the great dragon saw the creature with a saber in his hands and didn''t hesitate to move, opening his mouth as he bit down on a group of a dozen aliens between levels 87 and 89.


    when they saw that giant, badly wounded creature, they felt terrible, seeing an enemy so big and crazy that it would try to kill them like that.


    "you will pay for this! listen to me. this will happen very soon!" some of those within the dragon''s jaws wailed, unable to escape their fate.


    although they were much smaller than the dragon, and one might have thought that these beings could escape the terrible teeth of this gigantic creature, it wasn''t that simple. dragons were great at spatial manipulation, as well as being very resistant and having many ways to kill.


    the moment he closed his huge mouth, the dragon would control the space around those people, making it impossible for them to escape.


    lightsn¦Ïv¦Ål some of them died immediately when the dragon''s huge teeth pierced their bodies, but others escaped into the large space of the dragon''s mouth.


    unfortunately for the latter, this dragon could spit fire!


    the moment his mouth closed completely and the sounds of breaking bones and armor rang out, scorching flames formed inside his mouth.


    at the same time, the strongest mercenary in minos'' group used his techniques to defeat several enemies with the help of titus and the mermaids.


    while the invading beings from the spiritual world had excellent physical defenses due to their armor, the same wasn''t true when it came to their minds.


    working together, the mermaids and titus quickly affected more than a dozen of these enemies, putting them into a state of inattention.


    at the same time, the level 92 mercenary attacked with enough force to destroy the souls of those creatures but not their bodies.


    at this rate, the battle soon became desperate for the mechanic empire''s group, and the first 30 aliens died within moments of the arctic whale''s attack.


    of the original demigods, half fell to minos'' group without much resistance, while the other half quickly lost some of their strength and were wounded.


    minos'' party was even more worn down in this battle against the biological beings invading this world, but no one died in this part of the battle.


    none of iktun''s men, not even he, managed to get close to minos during the first part of the confrontation when the groups didn''t have an overwhelming advantage over each other.


    but after several falls of his men, iktun saw his people dying faster and faster, while the people in minos'' group found it easier to act.


    he felt angry, but there was nothing he or his men could do.


    by the end of the next seven minutes, more than 90% of the warriors who hadn''t been sent to the cryogenic chambers had died at the hands of the natives under minos'' command!


    only iktun and two demigods were left alive while minos'' men immobilized them.


    "minos! you wretched! kill me if you dare!" iktun shouted as he was pinned to the ground by the level 93 dragon''s cultivation pressure.


    "i will, but not today," minos said, still very weak but able to think very clearly.


    but he wasn''t surprised the enemy knew his name, let alone would ask for it now. any questions he and his group had would be answered when they took these three enemy survivors to abby to force them to tell the truth.


    on the other hand, it was quite obvious that these alien creatures knew about him because they were watching what was happening in the spiritual world.


    minos then told his group. "remove the armor from the bodies of the dead enemies and bring them to me. we''ll divide them according to our influence in this battle but also according to your strength in the spiritual world.


    we''ll do the same with their bodies, so don''t destroy them any more than we already have. let''s study the technology of these beings and how their bodies work.


    the least injured or tired of them quickly left to carry out this mission, while the most important stayed on the side of minos and the living enemies.


    "minos!"


    "silence these vermin. they need to talk, but not now." minos said as grant and ruth helped him to walk, and he and his group were already on the surface of the island that the enemy barrier hadn''t completely destroyed.


    someone quickly did what they were supposed to do and put the three of them into a state of deep sleep.


    "what do we do now?" ruth asked.


    "we will recover. we don''t know if we''ll be able to send long-range communications to our forces outside the north sea, so we''ll stay here for now." minos replied. "we have much to find out about the enemies, so let''s search every inch of this headquarters."n//o-.v)-e/(l//b-)1--n


    everyone in the group looked at the place, which looked like a volcano but was full of overdeveloped buildings under the rocky walls of the area.


    meanwhile, they began to move cautiously, aware that there might be enemy traps anywhere.


    now, it was finally time for them to explore the home of the aliens who had long controlled the fearsome north sea!


    being in this place with the enemy bodies, their armor, and even the bodies of some of the protectors, they had all the evidence they needed to attract worldwide attention!


    not only that, but considering how advanced the alien civilization was, now was the chance for the forces behind these brave explorers to take advantage of the technology left behind!


    and so, the group would soon survey the entire enemy base without delving too deeply into mysterious things, just mapping the place while finding places to rest.


    from now on, this would be their home until minos felt ready to return to the continent and begin the worldwide effort against the invaders that supported the group they had defeated!

 Chapter 2023 Impossible to Enter

    chapter 2023 impossible to enter


    two weeks later...


    after the events in the central area of the north sea, experts from various parts of the spiritual world noticed signs or news of a high-level explosion emanating from that area.


    places as far away as the continent of beasts, for example, didn''t feel the explosion of the most potent black hole bomb ever created by minos. but places like the north of the central continent, the northwest of the divine continent, and the elves island had received part of the shock waves from that great explosion.


    these three areas were hit at different times. still, they all received impacts and other natural phenomena caused by the terrific detonation of minos'' bomb.


    the elves island and the north of the central continent experienced great storms and rough seas in the first days after the battle of minos and realized that something had happened.


    after the beings from these two places realized that something had happened in the north sea, the divine continent also felt the signs of the bomb''s detonation, and those who knew of minos'' plans quickly connected the dots.


    as a result, several powers worldwide sent experts to the north sea, fearing that minos'' terrifying theories were true.


    that was the case with the imperial family of the grinia empire and the elven tribe, who sent level 95 and 96 demigods to investigate the situation in the north sea a week after the major incident.


    other powers also began to move as soon as they discovered that something had happened in the north sea that might be related to minos stuart.


    however, not all of them were that close to the area. since some of these forces would take months to reach that place, even with high-level beings flying at high speed, many of minos'' contacts would take time to move.


    but near or far, whoever reached the north sea would have problems on their way!


    ...


    a group of four elves in a ship of their race were now stopped about 50 kilometers away from the border between the north sea and the elven sea.


    the elves island was about the same distance from the north sea as the end of minos'' territory was. however, just as they reached the border of their sea and the area this group was heading for, the four high elves there were forced to stop.


    "we can''t go any further." the strongest of the elves there, level 96, said with a terrible expression as he looked ahead and saw dark clouds in the sky, very rough waves, several whirlpools, but also a lot of lightning and unstable spaces ahead.


    from what he felt, the area ahead might be deadly even for his group!


    ''if we continue like this, we''ll be dead in less than an hour.'' the level 96 elf thought, feeling goosebumps on his body but also an incomprehensible fear.


    the members of his tribe knew how challenging the north sea had been, especially in recent centuries. but what he saw and felt was completely out of reality.


    that elf couldn''t help but feel that someone compelling was trying to prevent humans from entering the north sea, looking at the place in front of him!


    however, there was no one like that in the world, so he couldn''t help but find the situation strange.


    his crewmates weren''t as strong and talented as that man, but they could all feel the threat to their lives from the sea ahead.


    "what are we going to do?" a level 95 woman asked. "we have a mission to accomplish. if we can''t see the north sea''s core, we will fail."


    "yes, but even high-level elders would take considerable risks trying to pass through that area as it is now." another man, level 95, commented pessimistically but correctly. "if we try, we''ll die."


    "but that doesn''t mean we can''t act. why don''t we turn around? maybe the situation is better in other parts of the border." the fourth elf suggested.


    hearing this, the strongest of them all agreed, as it was the only alternative. "we''ll send a message to the island to let them know what we''ve encountered on our way and how we''ll try to solve it. for now, we''ll travel along the border areas of the north sea until we find a minimally secure entrance."


    with this agreement, they would soon change their route and head for the border of the north sea and the vicinity of the central continent.


    ...


    a few days later...


    another group of explorers arrived at one of the borders of the north sea and immediately encountered the same situation as the group of elves.


    however, after deciding to follow basically the same plan as the elves, this group from the divine continent would soon find groups of observers from the elven tribe stationed around the border of the north sea.


    after the warning from the previous group, the elven island quickly turned its attention to the north sea, and while the first group was still searching for a passage, the phenomenon in this area was already being studied by more specialized elves.n--o)-v-(e-/l).b)-1.)n


    not only was part of the north sea in the same state as the point the first group of elves had found a few days before. tens of thousands of kilometers of the already-tested border were in the same situation!


    that worried not only the elves but also the high-level humans who had just discovered the theory of the pointy-eared creatures.


    "do you think such instabilities surround the entire north sea?" asked a level 96 demigod from an empire allied with minos, just after hearing his suspicions from some elves.


    meanwhile, his entire crew of 15 expressed concern, feeling how absurd it would be if true but also how worrying it was.


    "so minos was really right?"


    "we don''t know. but it''s possible." an elf commented in a negative tone. "some elders have been making rather pessimistic predictions about the future lately. if they have anything to do with what happened to the north sea, then he might be right!"


    "what does the black plain empire have to say about this? what is the life situation of their leader?" the strongest of the group asked, somewhat concerned about minos'' vital status.


    considering what was happening in the north sea and the fact that he had left for that place months ago, neither he nor anyone else in his crew had any good omens about his situation!


    but one of the elves standing on an observation ship surprised them. "we don''t know exactly how minos stuart is doing. but his vital signs are still active. a few days ago, we communicated with the black plain empire, and we were told about it at that time."


    "what will they do?"


    "nothing. the black plain empire says they are confident in their leader''s mission and will wait for his return."

 Chapter 2024 The Groups Situation

    chapter 2024 the group''s situation


    while the elves island and some of the first envoys from the divine continent could not enter the north sea, the situation in dry city was somewhat tense.


    the local government had been one of the first to notice signs of the detonation of minos'' black hole bomb weeks ago. hence, the government and the stuart family knew their leader had recently fought.


    minos'' soul signal was still active, but no one knew what his situation was. he could be from fine, investigating his enemies and the core of the north sea, to be held hostage by his enemies or seriously injured.


    there was no way of knowing his situation, but it was a fact that he was alive, along with ruth, while several of his party had died.


    before leaving for the north sea, minos'' companions had left items with his vital signs so that the imperial government would have an idea of what was going on.


    several deaths had occurred on the day of the explosion, so the group in dry city knew something big had happened. but whether or not their people had succeeded was a question no one could answer.


    but after the elves had contacted them a few days ago about the situation on the north sea border, local concern had risen a few notches.


    lights¦Í¦Ïvel from the looks of things, the north sea was completely inaccessible, which might indicate the enemy had sensed trouble and was taking cover. such a sign was awful because it meant that there was a high probability that the enemy had won the battle against minos'' group!


    so minos'' wives, gloria and abby, had been under a lot of stress in the last few days, while the part of the family that wasn''t in the spatial kingdom had had almost daily conversations about what might have happened and how they should act.n--o-)v-/e((l/(b--i)-n


    at this very moment, another such meeting was taking place in the imperial palace!


    ...


    "all we can do is wait," gloria commented as she looked at several of ruth''s family members, abby and herself, in the hall, along with key members of the army and local government. "i know that some fear that minos has been taken by the enemies, but don''t forget the means of escape he has at his disposal.


    there is a strong possibility that he and his group have lost and fled to the spatial kingdom. if that''s the case, he could go months or years without communicating with us. so we have to stay calm."


    abby agreed. "gloria is right. i know everyone is worried. she and i are the ones who have the most reason to be. but we can''t stay like this. if he''s in the spatial kingdom, he''s preparing to act against the enemies and return home. let''s trust minos and wait for his return."


    dillian nodded and said. "in the meantime, we must continue with his majesty''s plans. as much as we have to worry about the north sea, we can''t interfere.


    we''ve already communicated with the elves and shared everything we know with the pantheon of honor. we''re also trying to communicate with the dragon and phoenix tribes, so we should let them deal with the north sea.


    they are the ones who have the power to intervene in the situation. in the meantime, let''s focus on fulfilling his majesty''s expectations to carry out the many agreements we''ve made in recent years."


    the people there continued to worry but agreed that there really wasn''t much they could do. the north sea was inaccessible even to high-level cultivators at the 10th stage, so they should leave it to the experts.


    in the meantime, all they could do was pray for their families and comrades while doing their best to develop the black plain empire!


    ...


    while the powers outside the north sea were in the dark about the recent events in those vast areas of the spiritual world''s north pole, minos'' group was still on the island that had previously been the headquarters of the world invaders.


    after weeks there, their group had largely recovered from the previous battle. some of those who had lost body parts were still not doing so well, as they needed specialized doctors to recover fully.


    but even they were no longer in danger of dying, while the others had fully recovered, with minos having returned to his peak the day before.


    but while they were slowly recovering in that relatively quiet place in the north sea, the group had been exploring the gigantic enemy installation.


    the place was huge. despite being built inside a volcano, it was anything but simple and could easily contain a city of 10,000 inhabitants.


    however, many of the rooms in this place were not human dwellings but laboratories, assembly lines, and training areas.


    from what the group had discovered, the enemies were producing new robots here, as well as special warships, spaceships, and much more.


    they could develop much of their technology with the minerals in the spiritual world, which is why they wanted this world so badly.


    yes, they wanted this world for its minerals, which minos'' group had recently discovered after analyzing what was left behind.


    unfortunately, there wasn''t much information about the enemy, such as their reinforcements, where they came from, how to get there, and so on. there wasn''t that kind of information because iktun had predicted his group''s possible defeat and had skillfully erased the essentials.


    but he didn''t destroy everything because if his group had won, they would have needed information and methods to produce and repair their weapons and robots because all their specialists were not available after entering the cryogenic chambers.


    because of this, minos'' group found some blueprints and important information on how to repair the armor they had taken from their enemies'' bodies!


    that was very important to them!


    therefore, minos had brought some of his experts from the spatial kingdom to this place to take care of the education of their young children.


    given the situation, he saw no problem in revealing the truth about his spatial kingdom to his allies. then, he brought people with skills to study and learn how to manipulate the enemy''s technology.


    however, not all good things had happened to them while studying the enemy''s headquarters!


    a few days ago, minos had ordered some of the group''s sea creatures to vascularize the depths of the north sea to understand better the area they were in.


    that led them to discover many underwater mines where the enemy''s resources came from, but it also made them realize the current situation of a large part of the north sea!

 Chapter 2025 Time to Take Advantage

    chapter 2025 time to take advantage


    after the previous battle, the enemy headquarters had lost control of the many special formations around the north sea. now, those circles around the entire region were activated to the maximum.


    from what minos'' group had discovered so far, it would be impossible to enter or leave the north sea in the short term, which meant that they were trapped in this area!


    knowing that enemy reinforcements would definitely come to this world to deal with them, the group was already at work trying to find a way to control the enemy defenses around the north sea.


    amidst this, they had also discovered the situation of the many alien beings in the cryogenic chambers of this facility and were attempting to break into those urns.


    if they could force those individuals to work for them and control the special phenomena in that region, they could more easily return home and warn the rest of the world about the problems approaching the spiritual world.


    unfortunately for them, these were high-level devices that were virtually indestructible. the cryogenic chambers were programmed not to open until the activation time set when they were closed had elapsed.n).0velbin


    iktun and his group had programmed this to happen in about 30 years, about the same period their group of reinforcements would arrive in the spiritual world.


    getting these people out of their cryo-chambers before then would be almost impossible!


    but the group would soon discover that this would not be the method for them to leave this innermost area of the north sea!


    ...


    on the final level of the alien installation on the last remaining island in the area...


    minos, ruth, and some of the men he had brought from the spatial kingdom were now in the area where the hundreds of alien cryogenic units were located.


    after everyone in the group had tried to open these chambers with their skills, it was left to minos to try to use the black hole to deal with them.


    nothing the enemies had left behind was of any use against these special units. at the same time, the group knew there was no way they could wait for these units to open up on their own.


    by the time they did, the enemy reinforcements would probably already be in this world!


    either they would break into those units and get access to aliens capable of controlling the situation in the north sea, or they would have to handle it themselves!


    then, while the seven people there with minos looked at him tensely, he combined two of his techniques and formed a rotating, lightless sphere in front of him.


    attempting to do the same thing he had done to the first enemy robot he had gotten his hands on, minos tried to devour the outermost parts of this structure with his black hole.


    while controlling his black hole to do so, he noticed a problem.


    lightsn¦Ïv¦Ål "hmm?" his eyes narrowed as his eyebrows knitted together.


    "what is it, minos?" ruth asked, looking at the serious expression her husband had just made.


    after a moment of silence, minos said. "this device is really special... i can''t open it like this. if i try to ''eat'' the sides of this urn, my black hole will swallow the whole urn".


    as he spoke, he tested what he had just realized and felt what he had said.


    he said. "strangely enough, the metal alloy in this urn can''t have just a part of it swallowed. either all of it is consumed, or none of it is consumed."


    "what? that''s very strange!" one of the experts minos had brought from the spatial kingdom said, feeling this didn''t make sense.


    "yes, but that''s the way it is," minos said. "this alloy can''t withstand the power of the black hole, but either i obliterate it, or i do nothing. any attempt to degrade just one piece of it will cause the whole unit to enter the singularity of my black hole."


    "if that''s the case, it will be impossible for us to get any of these aliens out of their urns. so what do we do?" ruth said in a pessimistic tone.


    everyone was silent momentarily until an array master raised his voice. "i think we can only try to understand a little of the enemy''s technology. if we can at least learn to manipulate these energy circles, we might be able to get out of here before the enemy reinforcements reach us."


    that was a logical thought. unfortunately, the professionals minos had left in the spatial kingdom were only grade-3 individuals since he didn''t need more skilled professionals to teach the children in their families.


    as much as these professionals were better qualified than him and the rest of the crew to understand enemy technologies, it wouldn''t be enough for his group to master high-level things that were compatible with mid- and high-level demigods!


    minos clenched his fists and said. "i have an alternative, but i can''t guarantee that it will work."


    "what do you have in mind?" grant, standing next to ruth, asked with interest.


    "i can use my black hole to devour all these cryogenic chambers and then use it to create a black hole bomb." he looked around and did some quick calculations. "considering the enemy''s strength and the level of these urns, i think i''ll be able to get a slightly stronger bomb than the one i used recently."


    "your idea is to detonate this bomb in a border area of the north sea to clear the way for our group?" ruth understood minos'' idea.


    "yes. several of the energy circles over this island disappeared after the black hole bomb i detonated. maybe we can do the same on our way back to the mainland." he said as he looked into his wife''s beautiful eyes.


    the people there pondered for a moment, feeling that minos'' alternative was better than nothing.


    besides, minos'' strategy wouldn''t stop their other plans. since they couldn''t reach the people in the cryogenic urns, they might as well kill them to avoid further problems. meanwhile, part of the group could try to understand the alien technologies while the rest prepared to test minos'' plan.


    "so when are we going to try this?" someone asked.


    there were only members of minos'' family, government, or friends there. so he told them. "we will hold our position on this island and try to understand as much of the enemy''s technology as possible until i reach level 88.


    surely, there are people outside the north sea who have noticed the signs of the previous battle. i''m afraid that some powerful experts are interested in the north sea and will join us as soon as we open the way for them.


    so, let''s make sure that the empire secures as much of the enemy''s technology as possible before we allow others access to it."


    minos was no fool. siding with the other powers of the world against the alien threat did not mean that he would give up power and the chance to understand enemy technologies first.


    he had a genuine interest in protecting the spiritual world. but he also had priorities to protect his state and his friends before helping others.


    he wanted to stay in this place as long as possible to ensure the best for his people!

 Chapter 2026 Learning the Alien Technologies

    chapter 2026 learning the alien technologies


    according to minos'' decision, he used his black hole to swallow all the cryogenic urns in the alien military facility, forming a black hole capable of threatening even the existence of level 96 beings.


    by storing such a region of space in a high-level grade-4 array he had previously purchased on the divine continent, minos had secured the mass destruction weapon he intended to use to lead his people out of the north sea.


    however, he kept his plans a secret from most of his crew after explaining the situation they were in to the rest of the group and asking for everyone''s cooperation in understanding the technologies left behind by the enemies.


    but even without giving the rest of his crew all the details, minos didn''t keep everything from all. he told them he had one last alternative to try to leave this area in a few years and that he was even willing to use his supreme weapon if necessary.


    however, before using his highest-level cards, he wanted to try everything within the group''s reach.


    understanding the enemy technology, mastering the special armor, and understanding the robots were some things they had to try to master before leaving this place, as it was not so far out of their reach and could contribute to their successful escape in the future.


    since everyone in the crew trusted minos very much, he had no problem convincing them to focus on learning the things left behind by the enemies.


    ...


    six weeks after minos used the black hole to devour all the alien cryogenic urns, his group had made some progress with the artifacts left behind by the enemies.


    the nature of the robots and how the aliens used them to keep them stable in this world without being hit by the black lightning still remained a mystery to the group. however, minos'' people had made progress on the armor used by the aliens in their last confrontation.


    after many days of studying the armor, its structure, how the aliens maintained it, and how their enemies had used it in the previous battle, some of the group managed to use it for the first time!


    it wasn''t that they had mastered the technology. however, a few days ago, a mercenary had managed to harness the power of one of the armors and integrate it into his power.


    he still needed to learn a lot and gain more experience with such a thing. still, after some training, he could already use such armor at the same level as his natural abilities.


    it wasn''t much, but if he continued to improve his mastery of the armor, he might be able to achieve something vital in the future!


    with this person''s success, the other members of minos'' group were able to make faster progress in this regard, and now practically everyone in the group had been able to use it at least once.


    some needed more training than others, and at the moment, the armor was more of a hindrance than a help. but people like minos and the most talented of the group were finding it easier rather than harder.


    because of this progress, everyone was more confident in mastering the enemy''s technology, even if they only understood a little about the armor so far.n/(ovelb1n


    minos was particularly impressed by what the enemies could do with these wonders and thought that if he had the chance to master more of the things the enemies left behind, he could strengthen his empire much faster.


    after another training session with the armor he had chosen for himself at the enemy base, he kept it on his body before going to the detention facility where the enemy survivors were.


    lightsn¦Ïv¦Ål iktun and the other two demigods were still with the group since minos wanted to use abby''s innate ability to interrogate them in the future.


    so, for the time being, they lived in detention at this headquarters, a place where they had kept several guinea pigs in the past.


    arriving at this place, minos immediately caught the attention of the three by showing them that he was trying to master their technologies.


    "tsk! minos, wearing that armor is no big deal. are you just trying to scare us?" iktun laughed provocatively. "when children from my state start studying, they can master armor of your level in a matter of hours... how long did it take you to do the same? a month? more than that?"


    minos wasn''t bothered by this comment and laughed. "so that''s why you''re so weak without your weapons. you''ve been relying on weapons that don''t depend on your levels since childhood."


    "weak? we can build mechanical warriors capable of killing the strongest in your world, you ignorant fool!" one of the three brandished angrily.


    "i don''t doubt it. but that''s not all. you have your advantages, i admit. but we have our strengths, too!" minos clenched his fists before releasing the armor, causing its components to open up and give him room to walk out of it.


    as he stowed it away in his spatial ring, minos asked curiously. "iktun, answer me a question. why are you still alive?"


    "why?" iktun looked at minos and thought that this human was playing with him.


    "i mean, why does the lightning tribulation allow you to breathe the air of the spiritual world? you are beings that break our rules. at least, that''s the case with your robots. so why don''t you suffer the same way they do when they are exposed?"


    "oh, so that''s what you want to know." iktun and the other two understood.


    they looked at each other and smiled at minos'' ignorance.


    "and why should i answer that? find out for yourself, minos." iktun replied, not wanting to help his enemy at all.


    hearing this, minos did nothing, only regretted that there was nothing he could do for the time being. these aliens weren''t the strongest when it came to combat skills, but their mental strength was impressive for their level.


    even if he tried to torture them with the infinite dream, minos was sure that until he reached level 90, he wouldn''t be able to put enough pressure on them with this technique to force them to tell the truth.


    ''unfortunately, i''ll have to wait until i get back to dry city.'' he thought, confident abby''s ability would work on the aliens since it didn''t depend on the mental but on the physical side.


    "you''ll talk sooner or later. but you''re right. i''ll find out some things myself." minos said as he left the place and headed towards the construction site of this gigantic facility.

 Chapter 2027 Path of Development

    chapter 2027 path of development


    after a brief conversation with his captives, minos went to the robot construction area of the alien facility.


    arriving at the site after walking around for a few minutes, minos came across a place that could easily accommodate the body of the group''s level 93 dragon.


    this place was huge, with several different assembly lines, assembly areas, casting areas, and maintenance areas. in short, there was a little bit of everything in this enormous place where several robot bodies were being built before.


    at the same time, spaceships and ships were there, some of which were nearing completion, while others were at the beginning of their construction.


    the aliens were preparing to dominate the spiritual world, along with the reinforcements that would come to this planet when the universal wormhole was ready. but that didn''t mean they weren''t taking care to prepare for that moment.


    some of the items they needed to finish building had components that didn''t exist in the spiritual world. but their people would bring these things to them, so they created the troops and transportation for their group to use to rule this world and later to send resources to the mechanic empire.


    so there were several structures in this large area, some that minos'' group wanted to find ways to use and others that they wanted to learn how to build.


    passing many of these alien technologies, minos soon arrived where those most capable of understanding them were working with what little they had.


    "so, what have you discovered so far?" he asked as he stopped next to a large robot that was 50% complete.


    the grade-3 blacksmith, who was there along with an array master of the same grade and some of minos'' 10th-stage crewmates, said. "your majesty, we are far from understanding the enemy robots. their methods are very complicated. i myself have no idea how they can create this kind of armor on their robots."


    minos saw the man tapping on the outside of an already completed part of the robot.


    the array master said. "they seem to have found a way to combine very high-level forging skills with special inscriptions. however, i haven''t been able to understand how these structures work together."nove/lb(1n


    a mermaid who was there, someone with great mental ability and learning capacity, then said. "i don''t dare talk about the forging or inscriptions that may or may not be related to the construction of these robots. but minos, it''s clear that they won''t work without that special essence you got your hands on months ago."


    minos remembered the golden thing he had taken from the head of the first enemy he had destroyed.


    the mermaid continued. "without these essences, these robots don''t have the intelligence of the beings we have faced. in fact, without them, they''re practically big armors with no room for humans to wear them."


    "the enemy is probably bringing in more of that essence to give life to these beings in production," minos muttered, understanding that there would be reinforcements, but they wouldn''t necessarily come to the spiritual world in full force.


    part of the invaders'' previous plans had been to create an army there!


    but those plans would surely change since so much had happened!


    ''we have to consider that the enemy might have the means to know what has happened here. in that case, they will come with more force than they would have if we had not acted.'' minos closed his eyes, worried.


    but he did not regret what he had done. if he had not acted against the enemies, there would have been no way for minos to know the opposing forces and the nature of the threat he faced, let alone ways to counterattack.


    he had done something that would have had negative consequences, but there were no alternatives. either they had to ignore everything and face an utterly mysterious enemy, or they would have to do what they did and end up provoking their enemies to put even more force into their plans.


    minos looked at these people and said. "let''s continue to study the robots. it may be impossible to figure out how they work for the most part. but if we can understand how they form these super-resistant metals, how they protect the essence of their armor so that lightning strikes won''t destroy it, we will have made great progress.


    we don''t need to completely master the enemy''s technology. as long as we can learn a few things from them, we''ll strengthen what we already have. this will increase our chances in the future war!"


    lightsn¦Ïv¦Ål upon hearing minos'' words, the people nodded in agreement, knowing that they really didn''t need to understand everything.


    anything they understood and were able to combine with what they already knew would have a great positive effect on strengthening themselves and their power.


    while some were looking more enthusiastically at this 50% complete robot, another person approached minos and said. "your majesty, as much as robots are a mystery to us, enemy ships and spaceships seem less complex to understand.


    like alien armor, they are easier to learn how to control. we are still in the early stages of controlling these ships, but we are making encouraging progress."


    "oh?" minos walked next to this man while the sea folk woman was currently on one of the 100% ready ships in this area.


    she said to him. "i used to think that my sea empire was the most advanced in the world when it came to ships... but i have to admit that we''re a long way from our enemies'' naval technology, minos.


    i''ve only understood 10% of what this alien ship can do, but i can tell you that it easily surpasses my people''s most advanced ships.


    to give you an idea, if we had made the voyage we have made since we met using this shit, we would have saved more than 60% of our time on the high seas. with ships like this, the enemy could reach the major points of the spiritual world before our forces moved, which could give them many advantages in a war of conquest."


    that was exactly the purpose of the spaceships and ships being built by iktun''s group: to create the tools that would give their state victory in the war of conquest of this world!


    someone else said. "they really are fantastic. not only that, we can certainly learn to control and maintain them within the next few months. the only problem is learning how to build more like them. assembling them isn''t a problem, but building them from scratch, without off-the-shelf parts, will be a problem."


    the problem was that they didn''t know how to build the components of these vehicles. if they did, they could have hope. but without those methods, it would be virtually impossible to build anything from scratch.


    "that''s good. keep working." minos said before asking. "but are you really able to finish assembling some of these ships?"


    the man thought for a moment and said. "it is possible. if we use the remaining parts and the unfinished ships, we may be able to do it once we''ve learned more."

 Chapter 2028 Dont Get Attached

    chapter 2028 don''t get attached


    for the next three months, a lot would happen in the inner parts of the north sea.


    minos'' group of about 40 creatures, humans and beasts, focused practically all of their time on understanding the enemy''s technology without having to leave the old enemy headquarters.


    even the strongest members of the group who didn''t have much useful knowledge of enemy technology, such as the great dragon, immersed themselves in exploring what the enemies had left behind.


    during the three months that passed, they focused on better understanding the enemy''s armor and fought many battles with each other to test it and improve their speed in mastering these structures.n-)o)/v.-e--l-.b(-i/(n


    at the same time, the group led by the sea folk survivor had developed much of their ability to control ships and even enemy spacecraft.


    they could now navigate the alien ships while they were close to understanding how to control the spaceships.


    they still needed time to understand everything about these two modes of transportation. still, with each passing day, they became more confident in what they were doing.


    in the midst of this, some of the group studied the aliens'' special cannons thoroughly, trying to understand how to replicate those armaments and how to use the technologies behind them to strengthen their own powers.


    the power of those cannons was fantastic. since they were based on laws that cultivators could learn on their own, it was possible to use the operation of these cannons to create new techniques or even to develop old ones.


    some in the group had similar powers, some based on flames, some based on sounds, and so these more compatible ones had tried to learn how the enemy''s cannons worked to strengthen themselves.


    they didn''t intend to use artifacts like those cannons but to strengthen their spiritual fighting methods!


    however, some of them obviously wanted to replicate such cannons because, as much as it wasn''t interesting to rely on a power that wasn''t yours, weaker people could make good use of such things.


    not everyone in the world had a chance to reach the top level. but many might be able to control such powerful weapons, which could greatly help a state like the black plain empire.


    as for the robots, minos'' group had made almost no progress with them. these robot creatures were still almost 100% mysterious to the group.


    however, minos'' group of blacksmiths was well on its way to understanding how some of the robots'' special metal alloys were made.


    that was definitely the least relevant thing of all to these creatures, but for the blacksmiths, who were excited about the possibility of learning how to develop more resistant metals, this in itself was incredible.


    ...


    while the survivors of minos'' group worked on their experiments, trying to understand more about the enemy technology, he was at the side of his two wives, ruth and isabella.


    since he didn''t intend to leave this place anytime soon, minos had brought isabella from the spatial kingdom, where their children were still with the rest of the humans.


    he wouldn''t bring children to an enemy base he wasn''t sure he could control!


    but his wives were strong enough to be there with him and help him understand the place better, but also to control the group''s situation.


    by now, the three of them were in the botanical area of the grand enemy facility, where there was a large greenhouse with various types of plants unknown in the spiritual world.


    upon their arrival there, isabella looked at the plants and asked. "they are like medicines... do you know if we can eat them?"


    "no. we have no idea where these alien resources might take us. even though they seem stable, we don''t know if they won''t be destroyed by lightning outside of this special chamber." minos commented.


    in this headquarters, there were not only robots, spaceships, armor, ships, and weapons among the many interesting alien technologies to study. there were also greenhouses with plants that didn''t exist in the spiritual world, a medical area with equipment that no one in the group had ever seen before, and various artifacts that didn''t exist on this planet.


    in short, the entire enemy base was full of technologies that could revolutionize the world if they could be replicated.


    unfortunately, most of these technologies could only be studied by people with special skills. these people were not part of minos'' current group, nor were they part of his family''s spatial kingdom.


    until they left the north sea and found ways to send their experts to study this place, much of what was there was temporarily out of their reach.


    "this... we have to test them. some of these medicines feel better than the saint-grade medicines of our world!" isabella said, feeling that this had a lot of value.


    "hmm, unfortunately, we don''t have any guinea pigs with us." ruth smiled bitterly.


    "you''d better not get attached to the things in this place. what we can''t master by the time we leave will probably be mastered by high-level powers from the spiritual world." minos commented nonchalantly.


    as much as he wanted to use all the technologies there to his advantage, he was aware that he couldn''t do so. at the same time, considering the short time it would take for enemy reinforcements to arrive, he couldn''t be stingy and try to keep this place for himself.


    once he had mastered what was within his reach, he would leave the place and make room for other powers from the world to come and study the technologies there.


    some things other powers would take over and would never reach minos'' hands. but others would become the property of the spiritual world and might reach his hands indirectly.


    either way, he saw no problem in letting other powers in the spiritual world learn many things that were there and that he probably couldn''t bring back to his empire.


    ruth and isabella looked at minos hard because it was tough to give up so many good things. but they knew there was no way they could convince the strongest powers in the world to share these things with them.


    as much as minos had his treaties and great influence, the moment others found out about the potential of this place, his whole good history would be forgotten.


    with the ice age approaching and now the alien invasion, everyone would try to strengthen themselves and not have a 9th-stage junior as their hope!


    "anyway, concentrate on what we can. when the time comes, we''ll leave this place, and high-level demigods will most likely dominate this alien facility. we may never have the chance to come back here again." minos said quietly.


    the two agreed and would soon leave him to try to understand the enemy technologies for themselves.


    and so a few weeks passed.


    by then, the powers of the world would know what was happening in the north sea!

 Chapter 2029 Many Observers

    chapter 2029 many observers


    after another 2 months, the outside of the north sea was already much more ''hectic'' than it had been weeks ago when the elves had first moved to the edge of the area.


    nearly a year after minos and his crew had left dry city and about six months after the great detonation of the black hole bomb, powers from the farthest reaches of the spiritual world had sent representatives to this area.


    while a few had yet to arrive in this area, most of the groups were already studying and surveying the outskirts of the north sea.


    there were already groups from the three divine continent states, the pantheon of honor, elves island, at least five central continent states, as well as the ancestral sea and the east sea.


    the sea folk and some tribes from the southernmost part of the continent of beast were still on their way. the same was true for the dragon tribe and the sky whales, who had not yet reached the north sea area but had sent representatives.n)(o()v)-e)/l-.b/.i-(n


    but even if there were still people to reach that region, which passed near the end area in the territory of the black plain empire, tens of hundreds of kilometers of sea could already be observed. at least 30 different crews were at this very moment at the edge of that sea, as far as they could go without taking too many risks, observing the ''intensification'' of the ''natural'' phenomena in the area.


    among the groups was a crew from the western empire, where the first princess of that state was together with some representatives of her family.


    amber quinn, currently level 93, was with the mid- and high-level demigods of her family, having come from her state to this place to investigate her father''s doubts.


    after decades of believing that there was something in the north, emperor quinn had finally found the space to send a really strong group to the north sea after even the spiritual church had moved like this.


    with the strongest powers in the world turning their eyes to the north sea, the conflicts around the spiritual world suddenly cooled down a few months ago, and everyone sent groups to observe that area to the north.


    at first, the detonation of minos'' black hole bomb might not have seemed all that relevant. after all, it was powerful enough to "only" affect demigods at level 96 or lower.


    the problem was that the explosion, something compelling and rarely seen in the world, had happened at an awful time when the world''s seers were predicting bad times for their powers, but also just before the beginning of the ice age. at the same time, virtually all of minos'' allies, who were no longer few at this point in his journey, knew of his fears.


    knowing that he was going to the north sea, various powers connected one point to another. they realized that there was a problem they needed to watch out for in that place.


    if minos'' theories were correct, powerful enemies were hiding in this area!


    his allies knew they had to check what was going on, so they moved.


    but as several powers began to move north, other forces that had nothing to do with the situation began to move as well, worried about what these other powers might be doing.


    as a result, more groups had moved into the north sea than anyone had originally expected.


    in addition to the quinn family''s boat, there were boats from the evergreen empire, the eastern empire, and, of course, the observers from the black plain empire and the forces from outside the central continent.


    many groups were separated from each other, observing what was happening, while others were clustered together, trying to understand the situation.


    that was the case with the powers of the divine continent, who had gathered not far from the elves.


    the strongest of this group was julian, level 97, who had been sent as a representative of the pantheon of honor to deal with this problem.


    ...


    "elder julian, what do you think? what are our chances if we venture into the area ahead?" a level 96 demigod asked as he looked out at the frightening storms of the sea a few hundred kilometers ahead of them.


    julian narrowed his eyes and said in a pessimistic tone. "our chances would be small, minimal. i don''t know what''s going on, but this climatic and spatial instability in the vicinity could endanger the lives of even high-ranking demigods."


    "what?" the people in the nearby boats shouted together, feeling this was very difficult to be true.


    but these were the last defenses of the aliens in the north sea, something they had built with everything they had more than 500 years ago.


    these were special formations that every group of special explorers of the mechanic empire would carry with them to ensure the security of their bases on distant and unknown worlds.


    these defenses weren''t very useful in battle, but they were instrumental in protecting occupied territories.


    that''s why even a group that couldn''t deal with teams like minos could leave such complicated things behind.


    ''it seems that minos'' fears were indeed true. there is an extraterritorial civilization in the north sea.'' julian pondered with a terrible expression on his face.


    he didn''t need any proof other than what he saw. there couldn''t be natural phenomena in the world that were so powerful that they would manifest themselves in how he and everyone else around him were seeing.


    that is to say, the phenomena in front of them were not only capable of killing high-level demigods, but they also seemed to be controlled by something or someone who wanted to drive them all out of the north sea!


    a natural phenomenon would never work like that, so the only possible explanation was minos'' theory!


    ''but if they''re able to do that, we have to assume that they''re stronger than us.'' julian swallowed his saliva in awe, having just arrived at this place but already understanding that the great problem of his generation was right in front of him.


    unlike the ice age everyone feared, the worst they would face was yet to show itself to the world!


    he then ordered his group. "send this message to the temple: minos was right. there are alien forces in the spiritual world. prepare for war!"

 Chapter 2030 Level 100

    chapter 2030 level 100


    a whole year has passed in the blink of an eye!


    nothing had changed around the north sea. it was still inaccessible to enter or leave this area, and the forces that had been watching it before were still there.


    the last ones to join the ''party'' had arrived and started their work of study and observation.


    meanwhile, the powers around the world were beginning to understand what was happening in the north.


    extraterrestrial forces had arrived in the world and were hiding in the central part of the north sea. these invading forces were not peaceful and would attack everyone in the spiritual world in the near future.


    as for the phenomena around the north sea, they were part of the enemy''s defense system, a protection that prevented the local forces from entering that sea area to understand better what was going on.


    aware of this, the most powerful forces in the world were full of uncertainty about the future, unsure if they would still have to worry about the ice age.


    no one needed to see the alien robots to understand that they were more technologically advanced than the forces of the spiritual world. just observing how the aliens could control the entire north sea was enough for everyone to understand.


    the enemies had powerful methods of controlling territory, and they probably had powers that were harder to fight than the forces of this world!


    thus, powers such as the pantheon of honor were already preparing for the war to defend the world, and talks had already begun among the major powers of the divine continent to form a coalition.


    at the same time, more powerful groups were sent to the north sea during this time, with each power monitoring the area and preparing to confront their enemies.


    if they were hiding now, it meant that they would act sooner or later. when that time came, it would be time for the strongest in the world to act together!


    ...


    while more than 200 demigods between levels 93 and 98 were watching him at various places in the north sea, a golden flash of lightning appeared in the sky above the capital of the eastern empire.


    when that happened, the sky, which had been blue with a few white clouds here and there, suddenly changed color and became completely golden, while the density of spiritual energy over that city suddenly increased.


    a rainbow appeared in the sky, and the nature laws difficult to absorb in most of the spiritual world suddenly condensed over this city and made their way to the imperial palace.


    the people in the streets of that city felt that everything around them suddenly changed, and they looked up to the sky and saw golden rays of light coming from the heavens toward the imperial palace.


    sensing the spiritual richness of the environment, the most talented and intelligent people didn''t care whether they were standing in the middle of the street or going out to do something meaningful. many just sat where they were and began to meditate!


    meanwhile, on the outskirts of the palace, all the guard members at that moment were on their knees, looking in the direction where the rainbow and the golden ray of light were going.


    if you followed the direction of those two special phenomena, you would end up in the main garden of the imperial palace, where there was a kind of portal in the middle of the garden, and space was distorted in the middle of it.


    on the outskirts, all the soldiers and family members who were there at that moment were facing the direction of the portal''s exit, all with their knees bent as they looked in that direction with eyes full of emotion.


    just as the special effects around the place began to fade, the portal vibrated, and a blond man stepped out.


    "your majesty, welcome back!" everyone said at the same time. "congratulations on reaching level 100!!" n--o()v-/e)/l-/b--1//n


    upon hearing this, the young-looking blond man smiled while a golden, semi-transparent spiritual fluctuation covered his body, radiating the cultivation pressure of a god!


    after years of trying, vico travisani had become the first of this generation to reach level 100, the first god in the spiritual world since the last of them disappeared tens of thousands of years ago!


    vico was thrilled with himself, but he was more interested in the war with maximillian, whom he wanted to eliminate immediately.


    so he asked. "how is the war going? where is maximilian?"


    "your majesty, maximilian flamen is in the seraphim spatial kingdom still trying to reach the 11th stage. as for the war, a lot has happened in the past few years, so i''m afraid your majesty needs to catch it up." a level 98 man said as he stood up and threw something in vico''s direction.


    he saw that demigod threw him a copy of his most important memories, which could be absorbed and quickly make someone like him understand years of events in a single moment.


    closing his eyes for a moment, vico understood many things that had happened since he began his seclusion, from the ice age that was about to happen to the most recent event at the north pole.


    seeing this last part of what his trusted subordinate had told him, vico became more serious, for even to him, the situation in the north sea seemed rather strange.


    "minos stuart... involved in another disaster? that brat really has a rotten finger. everything he gets involved in turns out to be terrible." he muttered as he clenched his fists, a little undecided about what he should do now that he had this information.


    on the one hand, this seemed like the ideal time to end the war and kill maximilian. on the other hand, the situation in the north sea seemed to demand his full attention.


    there was also the information that the strongest elf in the world was trying to reach level 100, and a divine medicine matured in the depths of the south sea.


    considering this, vico felt that he was only the first of the gods of this new generation and could not act grandly or carelessly.


    ''first, i''ll look at the north sea. then i''ll see you, maximilian.'' he decided before looking at his people and floating into the air.


    "i will visit the north sea. i''ll see what exactly is behind these intense spiritual phenomena in that area."


    after saying these words, vico moved so fast that no one there could follow what he had done. they just watched him disappear into thin air.


    but everyone who stayed behind was more confident about the future. with a god leading them, everything would be easier for them and their state!


    while they stayed behind, vico quickly crossed the central continent, arriving in the black plain empire''s end area in just a few minutes.


    ...

 Chapter 2031 The Arrival of a God

    chapter 2031 the arrival of a god


    at a point between the end area''s territorial sea and the north sea, 10 high-level spiritual world ships were stationed there.n(-o()v((e(.l--b((1-.n


    of these 10 crews, two were from the central continent, and the others were from sea beast tribes from the ancestral, southern, and eastern seas, as well as land beasts from the continent of beast.


    there was the ship of the phoenix tribe, and there was also the ship of the strongest tribe in the world, the sky whales.


    from the powers of the central continent, there was the group from the black plain empire and the evergreen empire, which obviously had members of the spiritual church on their ship.


    in short, there were about 60 demigods on these ships at that moment, with the weakest being the black plain empire, which only had level 90


    demigods and sages on their side. on the other hand, the strongest people there were level 97 demigods, the leaders of some of the ships there.


    they had been stationed in this area for a few weeks, and each group had information from other groups around the north sea because they all communicated with each other, even though some were closer than others.


    since no one could keep an eye on the entire north sea border with the other areas that this vast territory came in contact with, the groups cooperated with each other with information.


    every few hundred kilometers, there was a group that watched different points and passed the information to the other groups.


    in this way, the spiritual world watched a large part of the north sea border. if something unusual happened in one of these areas, distant groups could quickly learn of it.


    of course, each crew had its own interests, and if one area had calmed down, there was no guarantee that the information would reach the others quickly. but the groups communicated every six hours, so the disappearance of one group for longer than that would be an alarm in itself.


    so the groups had been working together for the past few months, confident that their cooperation would work very well most of the time.


    even former enemies had put aside their rivalries to do their jobs over the months, resulting in the success of all these forces around the north sea watch.


    in particular, those groups that were relatively close to each other near the central continent had worked very well together, even though some of them had no recent history with each other, such as the phoenixes and the sky whales.


    but on this very day of observation, which seemed like an ordinary day to these 10 nearby crews, they all noticed something different coming from the continent and took their attention away from the north sea for a moment.


    when they did, almost all of them saw the arrival of vico travisani in the area, with the members of the nearby spiritual church widening their eyes when they saw the man there.


    ''a god?''


    gulp!


    everyone was shocked, especially the men of the black plain empire, who knew that vico would kill him as soon as he had the chance!


    ''shit! has this guy succeeded in his advance?'' thought one of the demigods of the longus family on the empire''s ship while hiding behind his cabin.


    the surrounding beasts were also shocked by vico''s appearance there, even more so with his current cultivation level. reaching level 100 was a herculean task that less than 1% of those who reached level 99 could accomplish!


    at the same time, the difference between level 99 and level 100 was so great that even if all the level 99 demigods in the world got together, they could not defeat a single god!


    that was the difference in proportions between the 10th and 11th stages!


    seeing this existence so close to them, the members of the strongest crews there didn''t hesitate to bow their heads and greet vico as he deserved.


    "your majesty, congratulations on reaching level 100."


    several beasts and humans said simultaneously, some fearful, others full of reverence for vico.


    below level 100, there were beings of different species with different problems to solve. but these differences did not exist at the highest level of this world. any god, regardless of his race, would be respected by the beings of this world.


    as someone who had overcome all the challenges of cultivation, a god would never be treated as an enemy or an ally but rather as a supreme being to be worshipped.


    only other gods could react differently to one of them!


    thus, even the men of minos or the spiritual church congratulated vico while this man watched the sea ahead and saw the storm that could threaten even high-ranking demigods not far from where he had stopped.


    vico ignored the people from the black plain empire and the spiritual church in the area and concentrated on what was in front of him.


    ''this... this isn''t something natural. those things above the atmosphere are causing all this commotion.'' vice immediately understood the problem when he saw the various energy circles of the enemy formations.


    when he looked more closely at one of these circles, he noticed the essence behind it, something that showed ways of using the laws of this world that were completely foreign to vico. not only was this thing completely different from the ways of the spiritual world, but there were laws behind it that this man had never seen in his life.


    ''what the hell? how can i have reached level 100 and still not understand everything about the spiritual world?'' he frowned. ''that''s...'' vico remembered what he had heard from emperor quinn''s people before the war with the southern region started.


    ''are these the external enemies he feared? the enemies that the brat minos also fears?'' vico connected the memories he had absorbed earlier with what he himself had experienced several years ago.


    when he thought about it, he concluded that the people watching the north sea had taken days or weeks to notice.


    ''damn it! enemies are trying to invade the spiritual world!'' he clenched his fists at this thought, not knowing what to do with this information.


    he had reached level 100, but things in those defensive formations told him that the enemy was not simple.


    then he looked at the sky whale tribe''s ship, and in a single moment, he appeared on the deck of that huge ship.


    even the strongest people on that ship couldn''t see vico''s movement, but they weren''t too afraid either.


    "your majesty..."


    vico said first. "tell me about the situation in the north sea." he knew only the basics of the problem at the north pole, so he wanted more details from these beings who had been watching the area for weeks or months!


    ...

 Chapter 2032 Change in the North Sea

    chapter 2032 change in the north sea


    "your majesty, we believe the north sea has been taken over by a force from outside the spiritual world. considering their unusual methods and their power to dominate this entire region, which not even the greatest powers in the world possess, we feel that they are not weak.


    we don''t know the exact strength of their opponents in the spiritual world, but we think that the place they came from is superior to our world.


    but we still have to go through that area to better understand the situation." a high-ranking sky whale said to vico.


    a phoenix then muttered. "we have to find a way to talk to minso stuart. he''s probably the one who can answer our questions."


    "minos?" vico looked at the level 96 phoenix and then at the black plain army boat.


    "where is that young man?"


    one of the demigods on the empire ship saw vico''s look and didn''t hide the truth. "our leader is in the interior of the north sea, your majesty. i can''t say what his current situation is, but he''s alive. maybe he''s being held by his enemies, or maybe he''s trapped in this area ahead for the same reason we can''t get into the north sea."


    "what was his purpose in traveling to this area? does your group know what might have happened to trigger this phenomenon?" vico asked as his subordinate''s memories from earlier told him only the basics.


    there were many things the people of the travisani family didn''t know!


    the soldier of minos'' army answered truthfully. "he wanted to get proof that there were enemies in the north sea who would threaten the entire spiritual world in the future. his goal was to use this evidence to draw the world''s attention and create a coalition to defend our planet.


    as for what might have happened, the government has no idea. all we know is that before this phenomenon appeared, our leader seemed to have played one of his cards up his sleeve. so, a high-profile battle took place in the north sea.


    ''so he wanted to gather evidence... how nice of him to act as an agent of the world.'' vico thought, but he didn''t see minos in a positive light. to him, the young man had only done a good deed for selfish reasons.n.)o)(v(/e/-l--b()i/-n


    but he wouldn''t let minos fool him. this young man was capable of cruel deeds, like throwing an entire region into war to escape his own problems!


    vico remembered all too well how this young man had been riddled with problems in his state before maximilian''s return.


    "so he fought against a threat to his life? what is your leader''s current level?"


    "level 87."


    vico''s eyes narrowed at this answer. level 87 was shallow compared to this man''s current reality. but when the war between the western and southern regions began, minos wasn''t even a sage!


    how could vico not be shocked by minos'' rapid growth during those years?


    considering emperor stuart''s special powers, he probably had a current fighting ability similar to that of a low-level demigod. as for his black hole bomb, it should be powerful enough to threaten low-level demigods.


    ''this brat has really grown up fast. i woke up at the right time. if i''d waited a little longer, he''d probably have reached the 10th stage and become a problem even for me.'' vico clenched his fists, still thinking about punishing minos for everything that had happened.


    but he would only do that when he understood everything happening.


    "what exactly are you doing around the north sea? i''ve heard that there are other groups like yours in the whole region. is that true?" he asked.


    a beast from the ancestral sea answered vico. "yes, your majesty. there are dozens of groups like ours around the north sea right now. we are observing this phenomenon along the entire border of this sea in search of an answer as to how we can use our forces to invade it without being exterminated."


    "oh?" vico laughed. "you''re lucky i went advanced and am here. without a god against these things, it would be almost impossible for you to get through without taking great risks."


    everyone looked in the direction of the north sea, feeling strange at what vico''s words implied.


    but then that god moved and appeared hundreds of meters above the sea, on the threshold of the area affected by the enemy formations.


    "fortunately for everyone, i''m here. i will stop what''s happening around the north sea and check what exactly is in this area!" he circulated his energy as he said these words, causing a huge aura to appear around him while the people nearby felt the spiritual pressure of a god.


    ''shit! what absolute power!'' one of the men from the black plain army thought to himself, feeling a terrible sensation in his being as if his life was suddenly in vico''s hands.


    being in the domain of vico''s soul avatar, all these beings were now under the influence of this man. if he wanted to hurt them, there was nothing in this world they could do to prevent themselves from being hurt!


    as he acted, all the spiritual energy in the area fell under vico''s control so that none of the demigods near him could use their abilities in front of him.


    a golden giant appeared behind vico''s body. then, a spear-shaped weapon materialized in his hands before he began to move, preparing to unleash a level 100 attack.


    the level of this attack would be so high that even ships thousands of kilometers away would feel the power of vico''s move.


    however, he only used his spiritual energy and an ''effortless'' way to use his powers!


    if he were to get serious and use the special power he had gained by reaching level 100, he would cause catastrophes all over the north sea, temporarily making that area much worse than it was now.


    that was the power level of a god, the why cultivators who could reach the 11th stage don''t fight!


    in this way, vico attacked the enemy formations, causing them to explode one by one under the power of his ''simple'' attack.


    thus, that afternoon, the extraterritorial defenses around the north sea would fall under vico''s attacks, paving the way for everyone in that region to enter the area where minos and his group were.

 Chapter 2033 Invasion of the North Sea

    chapter 2033 invasion of the north sea


    the moment vico acted, everyone around the north sea noticed the change caused by his attack, feeling the power of a god and the change in the enemy formations.


    ...


    at the southeastern border of the north sea...


    the group of elves were observing the strange phenomena that prevented them from entering the north sea when it suddenly changed, weakening considerably.


    as the enemy formations in the sky glowed brightly like light bulbs about to burn out, the people on the nearby ships circulated their energies and felt an overwhelming power coming from the southwest.


    "that feeling..." a level 97 elf looked in that direction, realizing the enemy defenses were falling, but this was caused by the movement of the being behind the aura that he and everyone else there were now feeling.


    "that... it''s a level 100 aura! some elder has advanced a level!" a human on another ship commented while some of them tried to recognize whose aura it might be.


    the elves clenched their fists, feeling this could be a good thing or a problem. a god was virtually invincible. if the person acting in the southwest was foolish and decided to do dangerous things, the whole world could be in danger.


    on the other hand, if such a god were reasonable and joined forces with the spiritual world to fight the alien invaders, his existence would be essential to everyone. with a god on their side, the world would at least have a protector who was truly capable of dealing with extraterritorial threats.


    no one could say for sure the level of the enemies. but it was certain that they were not ordinary. hence, only with a god leading the spiritual world could the local forces stand a chance against their opponents!


    that''s what everyone thought just by looking at the complexity of the defenses in the north sea.


    ...


    while the elves watched the enemy formations fall, julian''s group also witnessed the decrease in intensity of the phenomena around the north sea.


    seeing the sudden change caused by the attack of a level 100 cultivator, he and the demigods of the divine continent were very serious at the moment, aware that someone had passed the level 99 bottleneck, but also that it was time for them to find out the truth.


    ''it''s vico travisani''s aura... shit, this is going to be trouble.'' julian thought to himself as he looked in the direction where vico was, remembering the problems this god had had with minos in the past.


    but he couldn''t do much about that, so he concentrated on what was in front of him. "get ready! we''ll enter the north sea in five minutes!" he shouted, noticing vico''s progress in destroying the enemy formations.


    another demigod shouted. "leave your ships here. if we sail, we''ll be late for our destination. let''s fly to the north sea. that is our only chance to keep up with the various groups coming with us."


    julian agreed. "raise your guard. we don''t know what we might find in this area ahead!"


    since there were no sea beasts in the north sea and everyone there was at a high level, there was no reason for them not to fly over those waters.


    so, like several other groups around the borders of the north sea, as soon as the storms ahead of them calmed down, the group left their ship and headed toward the central part of that region.


    they didn''t know exactly where they were going, so as they flew toward their destination, they would scan the area for signs of enemies.


    ...


    the same thing that had just happened to julian''s group happened to everyone around the north sea, starting from vico''s position and spreading rapidly in both possible directions.


    those closest to vico saw the space to move first, while those further away had to wait a few seconds longer.


    but the difference in time was minimal. the alien defenses around the north sea fell at practically the same time around the observed locations.


    vico was the first to enter the north sea, followed by the men guarding the place where he had arrived earlier.


    having waited for no one, he left them all behind and headed for the center of this area, quickly understanding what lay beyond the enemy defenses.


    lightsn¦Ïv¦Ål but even he would need a few minutes to travel all the way to the island where minos and his people were at that moment.


    ...


    while vico was moving towards minos, emperor stuart and his entire group in the core of the territory previously controlled by the space explorers of the mechanic empire had already noticed the change in this territory.


    after more than a year of living in this place and learning about enemy technologies, the group had begun to understand various armor technologies and the alien base enough to significantly improve their observation of the north sea.


    as a result, they all noticed that vico began to destroy the alien defenses almost instantly at the man''s movement.


    everyone in the group was now gathered at the alien headquarters at the top of the volcano, looking in the direction from which vico was flying toward them.


    "a god... i didn''t expect to meet a god on this journey." the dragon of the group commented as he looked in the direction vico was coming from, sensing that something unusual was approaching them.


    minos had a complicated look, having been hindered just when his people were making interesting progress in this area.


    if he stayed in this place for another year, he felt that not only could he reach level 88, but his group could understand the first part of the alien robots, which they needed to learn how these beings could exist in the spiritual world without being hit by the black lightning.


    they were close to mastering other technologies, but fortunately, they could continue their progress even if the newcomers got in the way.


    but any loss would be a loss for the black plain empire and humanity. so when he looked in the direction vico was coming from, minos couldn''t help but sigh in defeat.


    as for the problem of this man''s approach, minos didn''t think about it at the moment because he didn''t know vico''s aura and didn''t know this was the man coming to him.


    apart from frustration, the only thing on his mind was that now was finally the time for the spiritual world to start preparing for the external enemy.n.-0velbin


    ''i wanted to stay here for a few more months, but it''s not the end of the world if we leave now. we can interrogate those three and finish understanding what we''ve learned. meanwhile, the rest of the world''s powers can finally start investigating this place.


    that will help us prepare better.'' he clenched his fists just before he saw a golden glow cross the space and appear above this island.


    ...

 Chapter 2034 Facing the Enemy

    chapter 2034 facing the enemy


    when vico travisani appeared above the volcano, minos and ruth looked at him wide-eyed, seeing how unlucky they were.


    ''did it have to be him?'' ruth looked at minos with a frightened expression.


    if it had been maximilian, their situation would have been much less dire. but vico was someone who had openly threatened minos many times!


    what''s more, the black plain empire had sided with the spiritual church in the war on the central continent, something else that could endanger them!


    and now they were facing the strongest enemy they could have!


    isabella and the rest of the black plain empire personnel were not there, as minos had sent them to his spatial kingdom when he realized that the defenses around the north sea had collapsed.


    thus, only the survivors of the expedition that had traveled together from dry city to this place were at his side.


    ''what will happen?'' minos took a deep breath, knowing that even if he wanted to flee to the spatial kingdom, he wouldn''t be able to escape in time.


    if vico decided to kill him right now, that would be his end!


    but while minos was looking at vico along with all the survivors of his group, the newly arrived god observed the volcano and immediately noticed what was inside it.


    besides being a gigantic facility, the place contained many things of the highest level, ships and spaceships that vico had never seen before, but also robots.


    some of those in minos'' group wore alien armor, but the level 100 man wisely understood that they were not enemies but people from this world who were there with emperor stuart.


    ''tsk! that brat is really smart...'' he looked in the direction of the person who had the most threatening feeling there. ''he defeated the enemies with a weapon similar to the one around his waist, and since then, he''s been in this place absorbing extraterritorial technologies.''


    vico saw at a glance what minos'' group had done in the last few months, while he also noticed the mass destruction weapon on the brown-haired young man''s waist.


    then he approached these people.


    "your majesty vico travisani. congratulations on reaching level 100..." minos'' group said simultaneously, all bowing their heads and greeting the man.


    the blond man walking in the air ignored everyone and looked at minos.


    narrowing his eyes, he saw a ring on one of minos'' hands that no one but him and emperor stuart could see.


    ''i see... so that''s why. that''s why you grew up so fast and so strong.'' he understood the ring of the spatial kingdom in an instant.


    gods could even invade enemy spatial kingdoms if they knew their location. so, it wasn''t difficult for vico to sense the spatial kingdom ring that henricus longus had left behind.


    vico then opened his mouth and addressed his words to minos.


    "minos stuart, i never thought we would meet like this."


    "your majesty, i can say the same." minos bitterly laughed as he looked at the man''s feet. "unfortunately, many things have gone wrong between us. i hope we can put that aside in the face of the alien threat."


    vico laughed and moved even closer to minos, touching the young man''s neck as he saw the truth about emperor stuart.


    "great talent indeed. your talent is even greater than mine. that must have been the inheritance you received." vico said for all to hear as he squeezed minos'' neck. "your physique isn''t bad either. it''s just one step away from becoming a divine grade one. but will you be able to take that step? if you do, you could even threaten mid-level demigods."


    everyone looked at vico with fear, not knowing what he would do to minos.


    everyone there knew about emperor travisani''s grudge against his colleague from the black plain. not only that, everyone knew how important minos could be in the future war, so they didn''t want to lose him now.


    ''what should we do? the tribe is on minos'' side...'' nymmas, the great dragon, thought.


    vico continued. "besides, you have a strong dragon aura and an ability sealed in your body... it looks like you''ve received two level 100 heritages! you must be the first in history, minos."


    "i was a bit lucky," minos said with difficulty, unable to move while being held by vico.


    vico clenched his other hand, feeling that the young man in his hands could challenge him in a few decades if he hadn''t advanced. but even at level 100, he felt a strange sensation that told him it would be better to eliminate the young man.


    ''should i kill him and take his spatial kingdom? surely, there are things of value in this alternate space.'' he narrowed his eyes, imagining that a god who had left even a spatial kingdom would have left things of value even to a god.


    doubtful about what to do, vico squeezed minos'' neck a little tighter as a solid murderous intent left his body.


    ''take it easy, boy.''


    suddenly, vico heard a voice in his head and looked to the side, letting go of minos'' neck as he felt he was being watched.


    looking down at his own body, he frowned when he saw a thread of golden energy entering him, coming from one of minos'' hands.


    "shit!" he realized he had underestimated this ring and immediately circulated his energies to protect himself.n(-ovelbin


    but at that moment, everything around him stopped. the people in minos'' group became immobile, and his own body slowed down many times over, slowly ceasing to move.


    a huge, semi-transparent hourglass formed around this area while only vico''s consciousness remained stable at real-time speed.


    ''don''t be so hasty, young man. think twice before you make a mistake.'' the same voice as before sounded as vico saw the figure of a bearded old man appear in front of him and slap him on the forehead.


    unable to move, he recognized what it was and cursed his luck. ''damned god of time! i didn''t expect someone like you to get in my way!''


    ''don''t be so angry. let me show you a bit of the future. look at it!'' the white-haired old man with the semi-transparent body said before his slap generated a stream of information into vico''s head.


    at that moment, vico saw the same thing minos had seen long ago and felt henricus longus'' terrible prediction for the spiritual world as perfectly as possible.


    seeing several gods appearing in this vision, vico suddenly changed his state of mind, understanding the true power of the enemy of the spiritual world!


    ''we are in trouble!''

 Chapter 2035 Sudden Change

    chapter 2035 sudden change


    upon seeing henricus longus'' prophecy for the spiritual world, vico was shocked to find that the enemy side not only had more and stronger demigods than his world, but they also had several gods.


    vico knew that there were others besides him who tried to reach the 11th stage in this era. however, even if everything went well, the spiritual world would only have 4 gods when the enemies reached their planet. with that number of experts, it would be practically impossible for them to win the supremacy war!


    ''this is terrible! we''re screwed!'' he concluded while still feeling the power of the god of time, the last fraction of henricus longus'' power left in the ring of the spatial kingdom.


    ''young man, don''t make the mistake of killing my chosen one. i chose him for a reason.'' the voice said in vico''s mind while the spirit body, which had been visible to the emperor a moment ago, was no longer visible. ''he has the potential to change the fate of the world. so work with him. you are already a god, so he won''t be able to do anything against you.


    besides, it will take time for him to grow up, and you can become the one who spared him. i''m sure my chosen one won''t be unfair to you.''


    vico looked at minos as he saw how everyone around him stood still under the power of the god of time.


    ''think about it...'' the remaining fragment of henricus longus said in a much weaker tone, while vico gradually felt that he could move more easily. ''i just spent the last remnant i had in this world on you. after my departure, nothing will stand in the way of you and my chosen one.


    but be aware that whatever you choose will return to you in no time! if you choose death, it''s death you''ll see again in a few decades!''


    with these words, the last spark of henricus longus disappeared from this world, and minos lost the last layer of protection that the ancient expert''s legacy had left him.


    with the complete disappearance of henricus longus from the spiritual world, vico saw the passage of time in the surroundings return to normal. at the same time, minos'' companions looked at him strangely, afraid he was doing something he shouldn''t.


    vico closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. he had many reasons to take action against minos. but all along his journey, he had believed in the words of the prophets and seers.


    he had only grown so much and became the bastion of the eastern empire because of his ability to listen to the words of older experts and seers.n(-o./v-(e((l()b-/i-)n


    as someone who had seen the destiny predicted by the seers come true many times in his life, he didn''t doubt what the greatest seer of all times had shown him!


    then he opened his eyes and said. "minos stuart, as much as we had our problems, i believe you didn''t behave badly regarding maximillian. at the same time, the problem you''ve exposed to the rest of the world is really complicated. so let''s leave our past problems where they belong, in the past.


    from now on, i''ll judge your situation and your person by the things you do. i''m giving you my trust, so don''t waste it."


    minos was the most shocked of all the people there to hear this, not expecting that the most terrible enemy he thought he might have to face in the world would actually forgive him in such a simple and sudden way.


    ruth was one of the most surprised people there, not expecting vico to act so simply.


    ''is he serious?'' she looked at the blond man with the terrible aura, her eyes wide open while her hands trembled.


    vico was so strong that it would be natural for him to be arrogant and decide to kill minos without a second thought. but after releasing that murderous intent, he suddenly became much calmer and decided to let minos live.


    that was even strange to minos'' companion, who knew the least about emperor travisani''s situation with their leader.


    ''it looks like everything is going to end well...'' nymmas sighed as he realized that his tribe would not be harmed by an act of a god and that he wouldn''t have to try to intervene in the situation.


    on the other hand, grant looked at the historic enemy of his western empire, saw how far this man had come, but still remained calm.


    ''vico is really very impressive. he sees minos'' potential better than any of us.''


    minos smiled bitterly and said. "i thank you for your confidence. i hope i won''t disappoint you, your majesty travisani."


    he breathed quietly, greatly relieved after vico''s sudden change of mood.


    minos had no idea what could have happened to change vico''s mind, but he thought it had something to do with the situation in the world.


    so, while this god was still watching him closely, he said. "since we''re going to be working together from now on, your majesty travisani, i have good and bad news."


    "tell me the bad news first." vico landed beside minos and walked towards the entrance of the alien headquarters.


    "the bad news is that although my group has killed almost all the aliens in this area, these creatures are much more technologically advanced than we are and have already notified their reinforcements about our planet. sooner or later, we will be visited by a much more formidable force than the one that was here before, which will come to exterminate us and take over this planet."


    "and what''s the good news?"


    "the good news is that it won''t happen overnight, and in the meantime, between now and the arrival of stronger enemies, we can try to learn the enemy''s technologies," minos said sincerely. "over the past few months, my group has managed to learn a lot, even though we don''t have good experts or top-level cultivators.


    before, we were stuck here with no way to get out of the north sea, but now, with your majesty''s help, we can use the strongest in the spiritual world to master what the aliens left behind.


    if we can learn at least 10% of what they left behind, i think we''ll be much stronger in the short time we have before their main forces arrive."


    vico looked at one of the men in minos'' crew, who was dressed in alien armor, and immediately understood what the young emperor stuart had in mind.


    "you are right. this isn''t bad news. we have the people and the time to try to master what our enemies left behind."


    when vico said this, several levels 97 and 96 demigods finally arrived in the area, a few minutes behind emperor travisani.


    ...

 Chapter 2036 Fears

    chapter 2036 fears


    sensing different auras of demigods arriving at that place, the members of minos'' group looked at the sky in different directions and observed elves, dragons, phoenixes, sky whales, sea folk, and humans arriving.


    when they arrived, these individuals noticed minos'' group and some of the things the aliens had left behind. still, most of them focused on vico travisani.n.)o/-v.)e-(l-.b--i-.n


    "your majesty!" one of the men from the eastern empire shouted as he approached their leader, his eyes shining as he sensed that vico had reached the legendary level 100.


    several other experts looked at vico, some with respect, others with apprehension, knowing they would have to follow this man''s rules in his presence.


    even the proud level 97 sky whale there, who would normally be quite confident against level 99 humans, lowered his head when he recognized vico''s figure.


    julian saw how close vico was to minos and approached his young ally. "your majesty travisani, congratulations on reaching level 100. by the way, thank you for destroying the enemy defenses and allowing us to enter the north sea."


    "julian, huh? don''t thank me. i did it for my own reasons."


    experts of the highest level knew each other. although they were from different continents, julian and vico knew each other by name.


    while looking at vico, julian asked minos in his mind. ''are you all right? didn''t he threaten you?''


    ''it seems that senior travisani has other plans in mind. he seems to be as worried about the enemy as i am.'' minos answered julian without showing he was talking to the man who greeted vico.


    on the other hand, minos waved to several acquaintances who had just arrived and heard many comments congratulating vico and thanking him for his initiative.


    as the one who had risked coming to this place, minos had opened the eyes of the forces of the entire spiritual world to the external enemy.


    "so, minos, what exactly have you discovered so far? what do these enemies trying to invade the spiritual world look like?"


    after a few moments of chatting among themselves on the volcano summit, the newcomers heard some of the comments from the people in minos'' group about the enemies and how they wanted to invade their world.


    soon, someone asked the question.


    minos answered. "first, we know that the enemies are not individually strong. their fighting skills, to be honest, are mediocre. however, their technology and intelligence are top-notch.


    they can create armor that gives them combat abilities several levels above their own cultivation." he said as he pointed to one of the men in his group wearing such armor.


    "on the other hand, they can build autonomous armor, what they call robots, which are basically artificial beings that can be created on a large scale. the ones we faced were level 94, 95, and 96 beings, but i''m sure they''re capable of building stronger robots.


    in addition to these robots, they have ships that are much faster and more practical than ours, with armaments that can threaten even level 99 demigods.


    they also have something called spaceships, a type of ship useful for traveling through space. as far as we know, our enemies are great space explorers, and we''re not the first ones they''ve ''visited.''"


    everyone listened to minos'' words as they entered the enemy facility, all of them very serious about the current situation in the spiritual world.


    "so they are dominators who travel between worlds to dominate planets like ours?" an elf asked.


    "yes." minos confirmed.


    "so if that''s true, it means that there are several worlds and life forms outside the spiritual world that we don''t know about." a phoenix said, pointing out the obvious, but which some of these men and women had not yet noticed.


    "if that is the case, then the current enemies are not necessarily our only concerns. the universe could be full of civilizations equal to or stronger than the one we''re about to face." an elf concluded, making everyone there even more worried.


    if there were different civilizations and they had different levels, there was a great possibility that those behind the invasion of the spiritual world were not the strongest. if that were the case, the chances that this planet would be visited by stronger and stronger beings in the future to take it over would not be small!


    so not only did they have to worry about a potential war against those behind the current invasion, but also a war by the mechanic empire against others interested in the spiritual world and the ramifications of it.


    in short, they were in dire straits! discovering the universal civilization amid their invasion, they were unprepared to deal with the level of problems the universe could hold!


    "this is really worrying," vico commented as he listened to the questions and comments of the demigods observing this enemy base next to him.


    minos sighed. "let''s worry about what''s in front of us first, guys. i know that what lies beyond the spiritual world can be vast and frightening for us. but the most worrying thing right now is the beings behind the current invaders of our world. so we have to deal with them.


    to begin with, we must understand as much of the enemy''s technology as possible and use it to strengthen ourselves. i''ve kept some of the aliens alive so we can interrogate them and learn more about them. that can help us understand exactly how much time we have and the true strength of the enemies we''ll be facing.


    then, when the time comes, we''ll fight those enemies. whether or not there will be more enemies in the future, let''s worry about that in the future. for now, let''s try to deal with what we can control, form a world coalition, and prepare our forces for the arrival of the enemies.


    unfortunately, all of this will happen during the ice age, so we must also think about that".


    these experts heard minos'' wise words and agreed with him. since no one there was willing to give up their lives, they would have to fight the enemies with what they had. to do that, they only had to look at what was in front of them and put aside some worries.


    whether there would be more enemies in the future and whether they would be invincible was a problem for them to think about when they had no other choice!


    so those individuals quickly agreed to do as minos had suggested until they reached the production area of that alien facility where the robot bodies he wanted to present to those experts were located.


    "here''s the kind of opponent i think we''ll have the hardest time dealing with during the invasion..."

 Chapter 2037 Bad Situation

    chapter 2037 bad situation


    when minos showed them the body of a robot that was slightly larger than a human soul avatar, the entire group following him focused on this lifeless creature that showed no signs of strength.


    at first glance, the robot looked like a pile of well-designed and assembled metal, with a more or less humanoid shape, two arms and two legs, and a head.


    however, it had no cultivation, and it was difficult to say how it would be classified according to the spiritual world''s classification of inanimate artifacts.


    "is this the kind of opponent we''ll deal with in the future?" a sky whale asked as he looked at the robot strangely, moving one of his hands toward the robot''s left fist.n..o.-v--e((l)-b-)i)(n


    before that level 97 being could test the resistance of that metal body, minos appeared in front of him and said. "this robot''s resistance must be similar to that of the other beings we fought months ago. it will probably be damaged if you use your power on it."


    "and what''s wrong with that?" another sea creature asked.


    ruth explained. "we want to study these robots and find a way to bring them to life. if we can make them fight for our side, we can change the fate of the war to defend the spiritual world."


    "that sounds incredible, but how are we going to do that? i really believe this thing called a robot is a threat because of your words, but there''s no sign of it here." an elf said, full of doubt. "if we can''t even test it, how will we find a way to give it life?"


    "not to mention that there''s no guarantee we can get it to fight on our side. if the alien civilization is more advanced than ours, what guarantee do we have that we can use their weapons against them?


    what if we go down this road and end up creating even more enemies to face in the future?"


    this was a pertinent question that even minos and his people could not answer or give any guarantees to these people.


    he said. "i really don''t know what could happen if we bring some of these robots to life. the fact is, even if we can''t make them fight for us, by understanding how they are created, we can also understand how to eliminate them more easily."


    "and how would we start?" vico asked minos.


    minos turned away from everyone and then took out one of the ''corpses'' of the robots he and his group had faced months ago.


    the moment he removed this mechanical creature from his spatial ring, minos made all the newcomers change their expressions. unlike the new robot, which hadn''t received its essence yet and naturally looked like nothing more than a pile of metal, the dead creature summoned by emperor stuart was completely different.


    even though it was dead, there was something about it that was very easy to understand, something that told anyone with the ability to ''read'' spiritual fluctuations that this creature had once been at level 94.


    not only that, but it had something in its being that radiated laws that no one there knew about, making it a living and special being, as minos and his people had said so far.


    minos then said as those people observed the damage to that robot to observe part of its interior. "this being had level 94 power when it was alive, but don''t make the mistake of thinking it was a simple level 94 demigod.


    the speed of this being was like that of a level 94 movement expert or someone with a golden-grade movement technique. at the same time, the rigidity of its body was like that of a level 94 dragon, and its strength was like that of a sky whale at the same level.


    its reaction speed, or rather how quickly it perceived the world around it and thought of possible ways out, was even better than the reaction speed of elves.


    in short, it was the most complete level 94 warrior you could imagine. the only flaw you might consider is that its powers are not complex. at most, it would use its physical strength to fight its opponents, using its legs and fists, or at most, a weapon. but you wouldn''t see it using a mental technique or soul move. that''s their weakness."


    everyone listened with some trepidation, all very serious about what minos had to say about these robots.


    not having complex abilities was indeed a weakness, but considering how good they were at everything else, that alone wasn''t hopeful.


    "if that''s true, our situation is truly dire." the strongest sky whale there commented.


    what minos had described was basically a beast without the innate ability that high-level beings usually had. however, even without considering such an ability, a being with such good characteristics would still be considered one of the strongest at its level.


    it would have an absolute advantage over 80% of opponents at the same level of it!


    but these were artificial beings that could be produced, unlike, for example, the sky whales, which had to be bred in their mothers'' wombs for more than ten years and still had to go through a long journey to reach high levels.


    that''s what made them so terrifying! to have powers similar to those of the strongest and most talented beings in this world, but without going through the many processes necessary to strengthen creatures in the spiritual world!


    vico was also worried, feeling that if the enemies could create peak demigods, then their problems were genuinely dire.


    "it looks like we really have to try to bring at least one of them to life. even if it can''t work for us, we can at least try to understand more about its limitations and origins." vico commented to everyone as he looked at the essence inside that being, which looked a bit like divine medicine.


    it wasn''t exactly the same as divine medicines, as it had less energy and laws than a medicine of that quality would normally have. but it was more than saint medicines, something that could not be ignored.


    "what about this essence? have you considered taking it from it and putting it into one of these new bodies?" an elf asked minos after realizing they really had to risk giving life to one of these beings.


    this being was dead, but it didn''t look as simple as the living beings of this world when they died. for some reason, the essence of this creature seemed to be alive, so some of them wondered if it wouldn''t give life to other robots if it were transferred from that corpse to new bodies.


    ...

 Chapter 2038 Major Discoveries!

    chapter 2038 major discoveries!


    but then minos said to the one who asked about removing the essence of the dead robot and putting it into a new body. "it''s not as easy as you think. when we removed the essence from one of the robots we killed on our journey, we attracted black lightning.


    it completely wiped out the essence and the robot''s body, so i''m afraid we can''t do what you''re suggesting just yet."


    "black lightning?" vico''s eyes narrowed as he looked at minos.


    he had faced three lightning tribulations on his way to level 100. still, none of them was the fearsome black lightning, and even now, vico wasn''t sure he could handle such a thing without getting hurt.


    lightsn¦Ïv¦Ål ''if there were another god who could share the attack of this tribulation with me, i would risk protecting such a thing. but for now, it''s not worth it.'' he thought to himself as some of the demigods there took a step back for fear of being near such a thing.


    "are you serious?" the strongest dragon there asked, worried.


    "yes, i witnessed it when the black lightning struck the essence that minos held in his hands." nymmas, the dragon from emperor stuart''s group, said, catching everyone''s attention.


    "fortunately, the black lightning only tried to destroy the alien robot''s essence. it didn''t hurt any of us." the level 92 sea folk woman from minos'' group said, showing everyone that the black lightning had specifically targeted the parts of the alien being.


    vico made a thoughtful expression and said. "hmm, that makes sense. they''re invaders from our world and follow slightly different rules than we do. by exposing sensitive parts of themselves, they can attract the wrath of the world."


    the strongest elf there agreed with emperor travisani''s analysis. "that must be the case."


    "but why don''t they attract it just by being in the spiritual world? it''s not hard to see that they don''t belong in our world." a phoenix commented on this question that minos'' group had been trying to understand for months.


    "that must be a flaw in our world." a member of the sea folk said. "do you agree that it''s much easier to see this essence as an invading body when it''s outside of this metallic body? it''s like feeling the fullness of a plate of food inside a box or accessible in the air. it''s much easier to perceive what''s free in the air."


    upon hearing this, the members of minos'' group looked at each other, while this man thought that this might indeed be the explanation they had been missing.


    ''that makes sense. and if you think about it, it would justify why these creatures could live in our world without attracting the black lightning. not only that, but as long as they had a special room on this island, it would be possible to manipulate such an essence!'' minos clenched his fists.


    what his group needed in order to understand better the enemy''s technologies were beings with different affinities, experiences, and stronger individuals like this group that had just arrived.


    with more and better minds than they''d had over the past few months, understanding the enemy would be much quicker and easier!


    "if that''s the case, there must be some structure in this enemy base that can manipulate these essences without risking us with black lightning," vico commented as he looked more closely at the creature minos had summoned.


    someone from minos'' group said. "there are many things here in this alien headquarters that we don''t understand. if everyone in this place works to decipher the alien technologies, we can learn a lot about our enemies and how to strengthen ourselves."


    almost everyone there agreed until julian opened his mouth while looking at minos. "where are the survivors of the enemy? you said you didn''t kill them all, right?"


    julian didn''t think about keeping the most important thing to himself and his group. considering what minos'' group had just presented to everyone, the enemy was so terrible that they might all die in a very short time.


    considering how vico was behaving, the problems of the spiritual world must be deeper than they currently seem. so, there was no point in favoring one or the other, let alone trying to profit from the enemy''s technology.


    if minos was with the survivors, then they should all have the chance to interrogate them for the common good.


    minos agreed and replied. "they are in this facility. we managed to kill most of the enemies, but we kept the three strongest alive so that we could interrogate them. unfortunately, their mental strength is very high. since we didn''t have anyone with us who could interrogate them, we haven''t gotten any answers from them yet."


    "where are they?" vico asked.n.)o/-v()e--l(-b-(1.)n


    "i''ll take you to them," minos said before taking the group''s lead and leading them to the area of this alien unit where the three demigods were.


    ...


    arriving where iktun and his two companions were, the newcomers looked at the three beings strangely, seeing such ugly creatures for the first time.


    the members of the mechanic empire looked like practically no one else in this vast world. the closest to them were the sea people members, but even they found the appearance of these three strange.


    when they entered the place where the three were being held and watched them as if they were animals, minos'' three hostages looked at vico strangely.


    minos had sealed their cultivation, but the moment they looked at vico, they realized the level of this man.


    ''damn it! a god!'' iktun cursed his luck when he saw that someone from the spiritual world had made a breakthrough at this critical moment.


    ''this is bad. with someone like that, they''ll be able to interrogate us.'' the commander of these two thought to himself, fearing that their enemies would use them to worsen the chances of their state.


    iktun didn''t think that the spiritual world would win the war for dominance because of vico. but with a god on their side, the people of that world would have a much better chance of understanding alien technologies and also of resisting the mechanic empire.


    that''s what worried the alien commander!


    "hmm, they really are weak. i can feel that just by looking at them." the strongest sky whale there commented as he looked at iktun.


    "their mental abilities are awe-inspiring." the strongest elf commented. "their talent is also impressive. from that alone, i can guess that the number of high-level beings from where they came from is not small."


    "anyway, time to find out the truth about them." vico appeared in their cell, already holding iktun''s neck, while his domain formed, making the aliens feel as if they were entering a new world, the world of this blond man.


    "aliens, answer my questions. how long do we have before your reinforcements reach us?"

 Chapter 2039 It Tastes Like Shit

    chapter 2039 it tastes like shit


    under vico''s gaze, the three aliens felt terrible pressure as they saw their surroundings change according to their greatest fears.


    at the same time, they felt as if their bodies were bound or trapped in things that only they could imagine since these things didn''t even exist in the spiritual world.


    even though they were aware that they were hallucinating in front of a god, they couldn''t counteract the feelings in their beings and withstand the enemy''s pressure.


    after only five seconds under vico''s domination, the weakest of them opened their mouth and spoke in the common language of the spiritual world.


    "30 years, in no more than 30 years, our reinforcements will arrive! but please, stop what you''re doing. don''t kill me!" the weakest of the three demigods cried out in agony.


    "30 years?"


    "just that?"


    the people outside the cell wondered, all with negative expressions on their faces, as the atmosphere around them became more tense and anxious.


    three decades was not enough!


    to give you an idea, the strongest of those present there didn''t expect to improve their cultivation by more than one level in such a period, even if they went into seclusion after today until the enemies arrived!


    even someone who could improve as quickly as minos couldn''t help but worry about this information.


    ''thirty years is too short. if everything works out for me, i''ll reach level 92 at the most. but if i have problems, i''ll be level 91 at best...'' minos thought, feeling rather uncomfortable.


    considering that he had a powerful innate ability that would become even stronger as he progressed to the 10th stage, minos was aware that his strength would improve exponentially very soon. however, even considering this and what abby could do with her fusion in the future, he still wasn''t confident he could fight on an equal footing with peak demigods.


    but the enemies certainly had such people on their side, while there would also be gods in the battle for the supremacy of the spiritual world.


    so he was worried, just like vico.


    ''if these three folks succeed, it will be enough time for us to form a group of four gods of the spiritual world. but will it be enough to protect our world? i have a feeling that the enemy won''t be intimidated by this number of gods.'' he was silent momentarily while the people in his group muttered negative things.


    then vico asked the most important question. "how many gods does your group have?"


    everyone stopped talking or even thinking about this dire situation and turned their attention to those three.


    two seconds after vico''s question, the other level 90 alien couldn''t stand the mental pressure of his enemy and shouted. "there are 16 gods in the hall of gods!"


    "it can''t be..." the eyes of the strongest sky whale there twitched as he felt as if someone had taken his soul out of his body and shaken it 200,000 times in a single moment.


    the other beings from the strongest powers in the spiritual world were just as shocked as that sea beast.


    the strongest dragon there turned pale when he heard the number of enemy gods, while the dark circles under the eyes of the elves there grew larger as if they had lost a large part of their vitality.


    minos stood with his mouth open. he felt a void in his mind as if everything he had just thought had no meaning anymore.


    ''in 30 years, we will have to face at most 16 gods...'' he closed his mouth and swallowed his saliva while ruth almost vomited next to him, extremely sick after hearing the worst news they could get.


    "16? are you kidding?" vico asked in surprise, not expecting the opposing numbers to be so superior.


    the spiritual world had produced 5 gods simultaneously in its best generation ever. how were they going to face an opponent that currently had 16 gods? hell, they were about to enter a chaotic era where they would be weakened even if they had no external problems!


    "he wasn''t lying," iktun said. "the hall of gods, the home of the gods of the mechanic empire, currently has 16 gods! but that''s not all. the 16 legions have a total of 160 level 99 demigods and over 1 million demigods!" he laughed maliciously. "robots like the one minos stuart destroyed are as numerous as the members of my race. do you know what that means?"


    iktun''s eyes lit up. "we have 16 more mechanical gods! his majesty has 16 level 100 robots under his command, you bastards!"


    there was no way they could resist vico''s power. sooner or later, all this would be said, for better or worse. but iktun preferred to do things his own way. he preferred to show these ignorant hicks how lost they were!


    for him, his life was already over. catching a glimpse of their despair was the best he could do.


    "glory to the mechanic empire! all you hicks will be our slaves if you don''t die in the war in 30 years!" he hatefully said as he looked at these people, villainously smiling as he searched for minos.


    meanwhile, blood dripped from all his orifices as he felt his essence being squeezed by vico.


    "minos! don''t forget that! you''ll be the first to die! i''ve made sure of that!" iktun shouted as he stood up against vico.


    since he had already said all that was important and shown himself to be so violent, he knew that he would die.


    but as the loser of the war, he was already okay with his eventual death. threatening his great enemy one last time was enough for him!


    "commander..." the other two men clenched their fists as they watched iktun''s attitude with emotion.


    "when the skies of the entire spiritual world darken, and space becomes inflexible, the forces that will rule this world will arrive!


    chaos will bring the destruction of all your forces! my defeat will not be forgotten. chaos will bring justice for my crew!"


    after a few moments of speaking, iktun made all his threats against minos and the entire spiritual world, finally giving up and dying under vico''s pressure.


    vico didn''t kill the other two because he had more questions in mind. but after realizing that iktun preferred to die his own way, the new god of the spiritual world decided to eliminate him without further ado.


    the other two seemed to be more cooperative and didn''t seem to have such different knowledge. otherwise, iktun himself wouldn''t have spoken so many truths amid his threats.


    but even with iktun''s death, the natives of the spiritual world couldn''t help but get a bad taste in their mouths.


    ''yeah... this is what shit tastes like...'' minos closed his eyes and sighed deeply.nov¦Å-lb-1n


    they really were in deep shit! there was no way that the situation in their world could get any worse than it already was!

 Chapter 2040 If We Fall, We’ll Take Them With Us!

    chapter 2040 if we fall, we''ll take them with us!


    "it looks... it looks like we''re in trouble." someone said softly after a moment of silence, catching the attention of everyone in the detention area.


    "16 gods... there''s really nothing we can do."


    "16? didn''t you just hear what the damned alien said? there are 32 gods if you count the robots."


    vico heard the elf''s words, which had just caught everyone''s attention, and said quietly. "if minos'' words are true for level 100 robots, then these robots will most likely not be much of a challenge for cultivators from our world who have reached level 100. however, they are very numerous when combined with the beings of this mechanic empire."


    "in other words, high-level demigods from our world will have a high chance of having to fight level 100 robots." minos completed vico''s reasoning and showed how bad it was.


    as much as these robots wouldn''t be much of a challenge for the gods of the spiritual world, who would have a lot of instrumental high-level abilities against beings with only physical power, this was no point for the native forces of this planet to take advantage of.


    currently, only vico was at level 100, and even if there were more local gods in the future, the spiritual world would never reach 31 new gods in 30 years. in that case, the strongest cultivators in this world would have to deal with several enemies of the same level, while there would probably be enemy gods left to fight the local demigods.


    but while level 100 robots might not be frightening to level 100 biological beings, they would be frightening to any demigod.


    and that was where things got complicated!


    "if that''s really the case, then we''re dead. there''s no way we can withstand the enemy''s pressure." a level 96 demigod commented in an extremely pessimistic tone.


    julian heard this and sighed, unable to find a way out of this situation other than what they had discussed earlier about what could be done.


    unfortunately, nothing that seemed possible to this man would improve the situation of the spiritual world against its opponents.


    against the gods, only the gods mattered. but what chance did they have to create several gods in the short time they had left?


    hell, even if all the level 99 people in this world were to receive divine medicine today, more than half of them would fail in their progress and die before their enemies arrived. the other half would be divided among a few who would succeed in the remaining time, while others would take more than 30 years to advance. n(-0velbin


    in the end, even if the world invested in dozens of medicines of such quality, the likelihood of them reaching at least 10 gods in that time would be extremely low.


    but even if everything worked out, 10 new gods wouldn''t be enough against 32 level 100 enemies!


    while everyone was thinking about how desperate their situation was, minos opened his mouth to speak.


    "our situation is terrible. very bad. we have nowhere to run, and the enemy will likely come here with great force, aware of our forthcoming attack.


    even if they don''t know about his majesty travisani''s advancement, they will bring gods.


    besides, we don''t know how efficient their movement will be. if they are very efficient, they may have all the power of their state at their disposal to attack us. in that case, even if we make great efforts to understand their technologies and create a global alliance, we will still have a very difficult time in the future war."


    minos raised many negative points at once while everyone there looked at him, listening to him say the obvious.


    "but even if we are out of options, surrounded by enemies, and close to death, we have no choice but to fight. since we''re probably going to die, let''s fight with everything. let''s kill as many enemies as we can. at least we''ll weaken the enemies so that another civilization can use it to destroy them in the future!" minos emphatically said while the two remaining aliens looked at him with great hatred.


    "let''s unite and work against the damn aliens. when the time comes, we''ll make them prove the strength of the spiritual world!" he said confidently, showing the demigods how much they needed to work on their resolve.


    "if we fall, we''ll take them with us!"


    vico laughed as he heard minos'' words, seeing so many demigods being encouraged by a mere sage. "raise your spirits. don''t continue to be ashamed of this!


    what if your enemies have gods? so do we! and don''t forget what minos said. they''re weak! perhaps i alone can handle several of them at once!"


    the two aliens heard this but said nothing. they just thought about how wrong vico was.


    minos was right with his theory. most of the alien members of this race were weak in terms of combat power, strength, speed, and endurance. however, the mechanic empire had a small fraction of its natives who were far more talented in combat.


    some of the current gods belonged to this group!


    but unlike iktun, none of them would warn the enemy group.


    ''i want to see your surprise when chaos arrives in your world, you damn fools!'' one of them hatefully thought but without showing the slightest sign of disagreement.


    an elf then said in agreement with minos and vico. "no matter how bad our chances are, if we don''t want to die or become slaves, the only way is to fight.


    so let''s fight these aliens until our last breath! better to prepare to die gloriously on the battlefield than to live like cowards for years to come!"


    "tsk! my dragon tribe has never run away from battle. i want to fight the enemy''s strongest robots!" the dragon there said as the sky whale looked at him, feeling he couldn''t look less confident than this enemy from his people''s recent past.


    such a sky whale then said. "my tribe will fight to the end. if we lose the war, we will destroy the whole world, leaving nothing for our enemies!


    with these words, everyone would soon agree to fight together against the extraterritorial enemy, using the remaining time to prepare their states, study the enemy''s technologies, and increase their forces.


    given the advantages that minos'' group had from having stayed at this base for several months, they would be responsible for integrating the groups that would come to this island in the next few months, and only then could they return to the central continent.


    vico would soon leave this place, heading for the evergreen empire, where he had business to attend to.


    thus began a new era for the spiritual world!

 Chapter 2041 On the Verge of Realizing Dreams...

    chapter 2041 on the verge of realizing dreams...


    a few weeks have passed since vico arrived in the north sea...


    during this time, the spiritual world began to learn about the shocking situation in the north sea and some of the discoveries made by minos and his crew.


    the news didn''t spread far enough to reach the low-level cultivators, let alone the world''s farthest reaches in terms of the old local alien base.


    but some of the world''s strongest cultivators from at least two continents were already aware of their drastic situation.


    not only would they have to lead their organizations through an ice age in no more than 20 years. in about 30 years, they would also have to worry about an extraterrestrial enemy coming to the world to dominate or exterminate its living beings.


    these extraterrestrial forces were not easy to deal with and were considered tens of times stronger than this entire world!


    consequently, after the first ones from the island, where minos and his group were still moving to communicate with their leaders, several groups were already aware of the problem and started moving.


    pessimism was the most common feeling among those who knew of the tragic fate of this world. but even without much confidence in the future, most of them were willing to at least try.


    if they were going to be enslaved or killed in 30 years anyway, they wanted to at least prepare and try to impose an opposition on their enemies!


    thus, only a few weeks after vico''s breakthrough to level 100, some of the world''s major forces began to move in favor of the coalition for the defense of the spiritual world.


    at the same time, vico''s breakthrough to level 100 had gone overlooked by most of the world''s top experts, who now had worse things to worry about.


    however, the low-level cultivators who were unaware of the imminent destruction of their world''s civilization were naturally excited, imagining the revolutions a god would bring in this era.


    that was especially true for the people of the evergreen empire, where vico had gone weeks ago after leaving the north sea under minos'' command.


    this state, which had been his enemy for the past few years, was the one that could "suffer" the greatest changes due to his advance. not only that but since his presence was already known to the local population, hundreds of millions of people were anxious and curious as to what would happen.


    ...n--0velbin


    while the population of the evergreen empire was worried about vico, the blond man was at the headquarters of the local imperial family with his son, whom he had not seen for decades because of maximilian and minos.


    when minos returned from the seraphim ancient sarcophagus, maximilian helped him deal with vico''s heir, who was in the black plain empire at the time to "escort" emperor stuart to the eastern empire.


    since then, janus travisani, currently at level 94, has been held captive in the evergreen empire as maximilian''s warranty in the war against vico.


    after so many years, the young man finally saw his father again a few weeks ago when vico appeared in this city and subdued the forces of the spiritual church and the evergreen family.


    however, vico hadn''t killed anyone on the enemy side, having accepted the local surrender shortly after arriving in the empire''s capital.


    no one from either the church or the imperial family had caused him any problems. as someone who had reached level 100, he was practically invincible to demigods!


    even the fragment of a god''s soul was stronger than the power of a level 99 demigod, so maximilian''s trusted man, who was standing by to defend the area had surrendered without a problem.


    the beast that had once nearly killed minos was now at vico''s side, serving this man with a kindness rarely seen in level 99 demigods.


    "your majesty, is this to your liking?" the whale asked as he poured drinks for vico.


    janus stood next to his father and a representative of the evergreen empire''s forces.


    in maximillian''s absence, that level 99 beast and one of the local leaders had been the ones running things in the empire. since vico''s arrival, they had been the ones interacting with this man.


    vico nodded at the beast before turning his attention to his son and the representative of the local leaders. "as i said, you don''t need to worry about past affairs. of course, i won''t ask the families of my men who died in the war to forget what happened.


    but i will not take action against this state or order action against this place. i''m only worried about the enemies that will come from the mechanic empire."


    janus listened to this alongside the representative of the local leaders, feeling rather bad about the whole thing. he had lived through hell in the past decades, and only after much suffering had he managed to rise a level.


    he wanted to take revenge on maximilian, the people of the evergreen empire, and the spiritual church, but most of all on minos, who was to blame for all his misfortunes.


    unfortunately, after seeing his father again and learning of his old man''s magnificent progress to level 100, he also learned of a colossal stone that would prevent him from making the journey he had planned.


    on the other hand, while janus found it difficult to move on without thinking about revenge, the representative of the local forces couldn''t help but feel nervous about the local presence of a god, someone who had been his great enemy until recently.


    how could he remain calm in such a situation? he already knew about the aliens, and groups from various forces of the empire were already on their way to the north sea to join the investigation of extraterritorial technologies. but between the distant and near enemies, he still feared the god in front of him!


    "your majesty, don''t take this the wrong way, but the senior has been in our city for weeks. what are you waiting for?" this level 98 man asked very carefully.


    "what am i waiting for?" vico looked in the direction of the headquarters of the spiritual church, where the entrance to the seraphim spatial kingdom was.


    he felt a different sensation and laughed. "don''t worry, my waiting is coming to an end. in the next few days, i''ll meet the one who has kept me waiting for so many days."


    ...


    meanwhile, in the seraphim spatial kingdom...


    lightsn¦Ïv¦Ål maximilian was on the final step to level 100 at that very moment, his face showing the satisfaction of having reached the peak of cultivation.


    thinking about how he would finally be able to realize all his dreams in just a few days, this man couldn''t help but smile as he raised his cultivation to level 100!

 Chapter 2042 Level 100 Frustration

    chapter 2042 level 100 frustration


    another week has passed...


    after going through the last part of his progress to level 100, maximilian finally reached the apex and unleashed a phenomenon similar to the one vico had provoked in the capital of the eastern empire.


    even though he was in the seraphim spatial kingdom, the final phenomenon of advancing to level 100 was so powerful that within and outside that region of space, special changes would appear hundreds of kilometers away.


    spatial kingdoms were nothing more than regions of the spiritual world that were separated from the rest of the world by folds of space, something that only gods could do.


    but those regions separated from the rest of the world by folds of space remained in the same position as those lands were before the creation of those spaces.


    for example, if minos eventually reached level 100 and decided to create a spatial kingdom in the dry city area, his state''s capital would still be in the same initial position. but after emperor stuart''s action, it would become inaccessible to people without the means to enter it.


    assuming that the northernmost and southernmost sides of dry city were represented by the letters a and b, after the creation of the dry city spatial kingdom, these two points would become the same point c. from then on, it would be as if everything between a and b no longer existed, as if the entire space of the city had been erased.


    there would be no "empty" space left. the spaces at the ends of the city would be joined together, like a pizza that has had a slice removed and then reshaped into a smaller size to look whole.


    lightsn¦Ïv¦Ål but the point of all this is that the dry city in this example would still be in its original position. so if someone were to advance to level 100 within such a spatial kingdom, the city''s surroundings, i.e., the outside of that alternate region of space, would suffer the effects of such advancement.


    this is why vico''s advancement created the previous phenomenon in the capital of his empire, while maximilian''s current advancement creates it in the current capital of the evergreen empire!


    those inside and outside the seraphim spatial kingdom realized this and felt the rich spiritual energy and blessings in the vicinity of the site of the divine advance.


    someone was attaining divinity in the vicinity of this city, so the whole space would benefit from it, bringing opportunities to the local cultivators.


    sensing this from within the spatial kingdom, forrest saw that his master''s great enemy had succeeded and couldn''t help but sigh in defeat.


    ''it looks like it will be impossible for minos and me now...'' he thought to himself as he stood up from where he had been and considered leaving this spatial kingdom and returning to the mainland.


    since maximilian was practically at level 100, it was time for him to run away to warn minos!


    however, the moment he left the domain of the church, he immediately felt a level 100 aura that wasn''t maximillian''s!


    "what? who is that?" he stopped at the exit of the church''s spatial kingdom and looked in the direction where a blond man was coming from.


    soon, forrest faced vico and saw an enemy for him and minos that was even worse than maximillian.


    not knowing anything about what had happened in the last three or four months, forrest was naturally shocked, not knowing how to react to such a discovery!


    "oh? you''re duncan''s student, right?" vico arrived at the entrance to the seraphim spatial kingdom to welcome maximillian back to the continent and couldn''t help but comment to forrest.


    forrest froze in horror, but no one in vico''s group helped him by informing him that they were no longer enemies. janus, in particular, watched that level 94 man with a grin on his face as he saw forrest practically pissing himself.


    "that..."


    but just as forrest was about to say something, someone else came out of the spiritual church''s spatial kingdom, attracting the attention of practically the entire city.


    at that moment, the citizens and experts of the evergreen empire''s capital felt the second level 100 aura of their lives!


    maximilian booted one of his feet out of the spatial kingdom and left the place with a smile on his face, full of anticipation for the things they were about to accomplish.


    "maximillian, after millions of years, you''ve finally made it," vico said as this black-haired, sharp-looking man looked at him with a smile.


    maximillian''s smile immediately froze when he heard such a voice. he could not believe that vico was there.


    but before he could do anything, he realized that his opponent was still at the same level as him!


    "what? how?" maximilian lost his good humor as he glared at vico, unable to comprehend the situation.


    ''what the fuck! has that bastard advanced as well?'' he asked himself as he looked at vico, checking the blond man''s cultivation once, twice, three times, four times, but always coming to the same conclusion.


    ''how? if he advanced before me, why am i still alive?'' that was the obvious question.


    if he had been in vico''s place, he would have already killed his opponent and prevented another from reaching level 100. but vico had clearly allowed him to take his last step towards divinity, which made no sense to maximillian.


    "how, you ask?" vico laughed, imagining that this would be the only victory he could claim against maximillian after all their stalemates over the past decades.


    the blond man came straight to the point, not wanting to prolong the subject unnecessarily. "i thought about killing you, if that''s what you want to know. but in the face of the mechanic empire and its 32 gods, i had no choice but to spare your group and you, maximillian."


    "mechanic empire?" forrest''s eyes narrowed considerably, while maximillian felt as if the number 32 had punched him in the stomach.


    "32 what?" he asked, not believing what his ears had just heard.


    "32 gods. the mechanic empire is the extraterritorial power that ruled the north sea and has been hiding in our world. the brat minos stuart discovered the truth about this region and revealed to the world the terrible enemies we will face in no more than 30 years," vico elaborated.


    "thanks to them, maximilian, you''re still alive, as i alone won''t be able to stop the enemies."


    these words from vico frightened even the people who had been thinking about it for weeks.


    when they heard it from the mouth of a god, forrest, maximillian, and a few others who didn''t know the truth yet could hardly control their hearts.


    ''shit!'' maximillian paled as he saw all his dreams from millions of years ago slip away from him at once.n/-o-)v.-e-/l-/b/-i//n

 Chapter 2043 Formation of the World Coalition (1)

    chapter 2043 formation of the world coalition (1)


    "are you really serious? 32 gods? what do you mean? where did such a powerful enemy come from?" maximilian asked after a moment of silence, cursing his bad luck.


    vico replied. "the enemies come from another world of cultivation like ours. it seems that there is life outside the spiritual world. and these first aliens we met seem to be more technologically advanced than we are.


    the enemy comes from a world called the adamant land, which the mechanic empire rules. this state is wealthy and advanced, to the point that they have groups in various galaxies and space explorers throughout the universe looking for new lands to dominate.


    our spiritual world was their chosen one. right now, the main forces of this state are creating a universal wormhole to the north sea. from there, the enemies will invade our world."


    the two alien survivors had revealed much about the enemies in recent weeks. as a result, vico and hundreds of people connected to the formation of the worldwide coalition for the defense of the spiritual world were aware of these details.


    "universe?" maximilian opened his mouth, hearing some terms he didn''t know but others that already existed in the spiritual world.


    the population of this planet had long recognized the existence of other places beyond their own world. they called what existed beyond the spiritual world the universe.


    to them, the universe was what was in the sky, the stars and distant celestial bodies that they could never reach.


    from the point of view of some of the lesser religions of the world, the universe was infinite.


    so when vico heard that the enemies had explorers in the universe, he immediately understood the difference in scale between them and the natives of the adamant land.


    "that''s terrible, then." he muttered as he turned pale, worse than forrest. "how did we attract such a terrible enemy? can''t we solve this with dialogue?"


    "dialogue?" vico laughed. "would you talk to someone weaker who has what you want, maximillian?"


    if they themselves would not talk to each other if they had greater strength on their side, why should they assume that the enemies were different?


    they had to assume the worst so they could prepare better!


    maximilian clenched his fists, knowing that he would never listen to the weaker side to change his plans about important things.


    "okay, so what''s the plan? what are you doing to prepare?" he realized he had no alternatives and focused on the most important one.


    "the plan is simple. help our forces understand the alien technology as much as possible before the enemies arrive. if we can''t use it to strengthen ourselves, at least we''ll understand it so we know how best to act against our enemies.


    meanwhile, we''ll give the world a chance to cultivate for the next 30 years to raise the average level of our population a little.


    with luck, other relevant cultivators will make progress, and we can try to fight our enemies." vico said soberly, saying what could really be done without saying unrealistic things to convince maximilian of their chances.


    the coming war would be a conflict for the survival of the world. it would not be a conflict in which they would have a good chance. many people would probably die when the aliens began to arrive in this world.


    maximilian sighed and closed his eyes before he said. "alright, let''s get on with it. this seems to be our only alternative anyway."


    "hmm, i''m glad you see it that way. well, since you understand how drastic the current situation in our world is, i advise you to visit the north sea and see the situation there for yourself. it will help you understand your enemies a little better.


    in the meantime, i intend to go to elves island. while we were in seclusion, aurae aegolor began her own attempt to reach level 100. i will go there to inform her of everything if she succeeds in her advance."


    "that woman?" maximilian remembered the name of one of the three strongest beings in this world in the current generation, an elf even more impressive than he and vico.


    "yes, makai also went into seclusion to reach the 11th stage."


    vico was talking about the strongest being in this world before their advancement to level 100, a sky whale.n.)o/.v-.e//l.-b/-1)/n


    "i see. very well, i''ll go to the north sea. who''s in charge there?"


    vico laughed. "minos stuart."


    maximillian remembered the young man who had woken him from his slumber and smiled, imagining how difficult it must have been for vico to move up a level and face the frustration of not being able to achieve his goals.


    ''at least it wasn''t just me...'' maximillian sighed before disappearing, leaving only a few moments before vico left for elves island.


    meanwhile, forrest stood there a little longer, processing everything he had heard.


    but even after the stratospheric changes he had heard, he still felt he had to go to the black plain empire to join minos'' forces.


    ''minos is still in the north sea, but this must be temporary. with so many high-ranking demigods and even gods going there, he''ll probably be back in dry city soon.'' forrest thought to himself.


    he would then leave for the north shortly after, as would other individuals from the spiritual church, since maximilian''s advance had caused several people to leave the seraphim spatial kingdom.


    after discovering their dire situation, many wanted to go to the north sea to understand the real situation of their world!


    meanwhile, those who had already visited the place or heard about the situation at the north pole from people they trusted wanted to go into seclusion as soon as possible.


    with the departure of vico and maximilian, everyone felt more comfortable!


    meanwhile, in the states surrounding the central continent and the divine continent, the strongest powers in their areas had already ordered the strongest of their forces to cultivate in seclusion.


    only those below level 80 and a few who worked to maintain the order and functionality of their areas could waste their time on things other than cultivation.


    lightsn¦Ïv¦Ål meanwhile, practically all the forces in the world began to use the resources they normally kept for the benefit of the future and began to invest more heavily in their members!


    that was the time to invest as much as possible in strengthening their most talented warriors!

 Chapter 2044 Formation of the World Coalition (2)

    chapter 2044 formation of the world coalition (2)


    another three months passed after maximilian''s breakthrough to level 100!


    in the meantime, maximilian had visited the north sea and spent a few weeks learning about enemy technologies and talking to minos'' companions, as well as the two remaining aliens.


    seeing many fantastic things for himself but also hearing honest answers from the very aliens he was questioning, maximillian understood better the problem his world was facing.


    so when he left the north pole a few weeks ago, he returned to the central continent with new perspectives and plans.


    gods could make their own people cultivate faster just by meditating.


    meditating in front of the most important high-level demigods was one of maximilian''s plans to increase the power of this world!


    as for chasing the sky whale in seclusion to reach level 100, that wasn''t in maximilian''s plans. that sea beast had only recently gone into seclusion, so it would take a few years to see results, even if he succeeded on the first try.


    unlike the elf, who had been in seclusion for several years, this whale had been in seclusion for less than two years.


    it would take him at least another 5 years to reach the crucial point of his seclusion, so it wouldn''t make sense for maximillian to go to the sky whale tribe right now.


    vico''s case was different. aurae could advance at any time in the coming months, as her talent was far greater than that of any other level 100 aspirant, and she had been in seclusion since the discovery of the ice age.


    that''s why such a god was already on elves island to present her with the same situation he had presented to maximilian!


    ...


    while maximilian was helping the men of the spiritual church on the central continent and vico was on elves island with many of his men, the continent of beasts and the south sea had finally discovered the disturbing news about the future of their world.


    being at the furthest reaches of the north pole, the forces of these two regions had taken a few weeks longer than the rest of the spiritual world''s powers to learn of the worst challenges of the current generation.


    but even the arctic whale tribe at the south pole of the spiritual world was already aware of the situation in the north sea and the expected arrival of the enemies in no more than 30 years.


    due to the arrival of the news in these areas, some events that were normal until a few months ago had already changed significantly in the surrounding area.


    for example, the problem between the dragons and the sky whales completely ended after the news of an enemy with 32 gods on its side arrived.


    just like the forces of the divine continent and the central continent, the forces of these two regions had already ordered the strongest of their tribe members to go into seclusion and cultivate, forgetting about old problems and focusing on the current challenges of their world.


    even the remaining gorgons had changed some of their recent behavior, no longer being so difficult to deal with and starting to interact better with their neighbors, as in the case of the nine-tailed foxes.


    as such, the continent of beasts was more peaceful than ever, with the leading members of each race secluded in caves around these lands, while only the essential personnel looked after the juniors and the stability of their territories.


    meanwhile, the south sea, which had been very peaceful before the war between the dragons and the sky whales, had become quiet again, but now it was even more peaceful than before.


    with the strongest fearing the end of the world, only the weakest were still strolling around as if tomorrow was guaranteed.


    it was only because of the movements of the weaker ones that there were still problems in these regions that were typical of such places.


    but even these problems were less frequent now that practically all of the tribes had instituted new rules to prevent unnecessary confrontations.


    these groups weren''t outlawing healthy competitive fights, but conflicts involving death were now considered terrible crimes and carried heavy punishments.


    in the midst of all this, the group that was supposed to maintain order during the ice age was being used to form the defense force of this world.


    almost all of the powers of the spiritual world had already sent demigods to this temporary organization, which would be based on the divine continent for the time being.


    lightsn¦Ïv¦Ål ...


    on the divine continent, in the pantheon of honor headquarters city...


    almost all of the exclusive demigods of this group were currently in seclusion at the headquarters of this organization, while the many non-exclusive members were attending to their affairs around the spiritual world.


    julian was still at the north pole, while the groups on the other continents were working alongside their own organizations to strengthen their people.


    meanwhile, the temple''s best spiritual professionals were working between the north sea and this city, trying to decipher alien technologies.


    that was the case with wren, who had excellent analytical skills but was at the organization''s headquarters guarding the temple members'' cultivation site.


    next to her was aarav, who was preparing to leave this place to go to the black plain empire.


    "do you think you made the right decision?" the white-haired woman asked as she looked at aarav, preparing to leave.nove/lb-1n


    aarav had volunteered to go to the black plain empire to guarantee minos'' safety and help him advance to level 90.


    the organization wanted to help minos maintain the stability of the black plain empire and had already sent someone powerful to the area. but the original plans didn''t include sending someone as powerful as this council elder.


    aarav had suggested doing it himself.


    he replied to wren. "minos is the future. he only has 30 years to improve, so i''ll help him improve as much as possible."


    "you think he''s the future? i know his potential and how much he''s contributed to resolving the situation in the north sea. but in 30 years, he''ll still be just someone with potential." she sighed, imagining minos wouldn''t have the time to mature.


    "we''ll see. i think minos can reach level 91 by then. at that level, he should at least be able to join the ranks of the strongest!" aarav said before disappearing after his journey to the central continent.

 Chapter 2045 Leaving the North Sea

    chapter 2045 leaving the north sea


    another four months had passed since aarav left the divine continent for the black plain empire.


    many things had happened in the spiritual world, but on this day, it was finally time for minos to return to the black plain empire with the rest of his party!


    it had been almost three years since they had left dry city to investigate the situation in the north sea, and they were finally free to return home.


    some of minos'' party had already left in recent months, with a few individuals returning to their tribes alongside more powerful members to bring news of the discoveries at the north pole.


    but those who would go to the black plain empire to join minos'' government after this journey had stayed behind with minos and ruth to return together.


    even after everything that had happened, which basically limited minos'' future prospects, some members of his crew had decided to accept his invitation to join the black plain army.


    not only had minos saved the lives of many of them in past battles, but he had also promised to support them in any way he could.


    as much as minos wouldn''t reach his potential in 30 years, they could all become stronger under emperor stuart''s command than if they returned to their tribes or armies.


    on the other hand, as much as minos would improve in 30 years, that didn''t completely define his limits. as those who had spent the most time at emperor stuart''s side, these people knew that he could surprise everyone when that time was up.


    even after almost a year in the old alien base, together with powerful emissaries from practically every side of the spiritual world, minos and his people were still among the most advanced when it came to understanding some alien technologies.


    there were things they had outgrown, but when it came to the armor the aliens used to reduce their weaknesses, he and his companions were still the most advanced regarding understanding!


    what''s more, minos had the spatial kingdom on his side.


    as a result, of the 50 or so crew members on minos'' ship who sailed with him and ruth from dry city to the north sea, 10 were preparing to leave the north pole and join the forces of the black plain empire!


    ...


    at the old alien base in the spiritual world, when one arrived near the great volcano of the only island left there, you would see a number of ships of different races nearby.


    within a few dozen square kilometers of this area, warships from virtually all of the 10th-stage powers of this world were stationed, with powerful crews watching over the area.


    there was a military encirclement there to prevent low-level curiosity seekers from approaching, while inside the volcano itself, more than 2,000 demigods were currently working on the technologies there.


    some of the groups there were already thinking about barriers to be erected in the area in anticipation of the enemy''s arrival in less than 30 years. but the vast majority of people there were seeking progress for the world.n-.o-(v..e-)l./b--i//n


    as such, every imaginable sector of that place was bustling, with thousands of high-level sages there to assist their superiors.


    meanwhile, all the spiritual professions had 4th-grade representatives, sometimes working separately, sometimes together, to try to decipher the things left behind by the enemies.


    the two alien survivors hadn''t been much help to the spiritual world investigators. as much as they knew more than the natives of that world, they were not scholars and only knew how to use their people''s technologies.


    so, all their help had been limited to advising on how best to use their technologies.


    amidst the work of the many people currently living at this base, a group of 13 people were preparing to leave this place on a ship with the symbol of a golden tree.


    in addition to these 13 people, there were several high-level demigods, individuals between levels 97 and 99, from several different races.


    julian looked at minos as he boarded the ship, sighing as he imagined how unlucky this young man was.


    ''sigh... minos has reached level 88 and will probably reach level 91 before the enemies arrive, but...'' he closed his eyes, regretting that such a talent hadn''t appeared 50 years earlier.


    if minos had been 50 years older, he would probably be a mid-level demigod by the time the aliens arrived!


    but the reality was cruel, and someone so strong and talented would be far from his peak when the strongest enemies he could face arrived to threaten his life!


    seeing minos return to the black plain empire without much time to advance was a shame!


    while julian was thinking about this, some of the spiritual professionals that minos and his group had helped introduce the alien technologies to waved goodbye to the rest of the group and smiled.


    "it''s a shame they''re leaving, but considering minos stuart''s fighting skills, we''d better not get in his way anymore." an elf said to the others who would stay.


    minos had impressed several demigods from all over the world who had come to this place to study alien technologies. even though he was only at the 9th stage, he could understand some things about his enemies more easily than high-level demigods!


    some of these experts thought that this was a peculiarity of minos. but only this young man and those who knew him best knew that this was not the case.


    one of those who understood why was at minos'' side as their ship prepared to set sail.


    "minos, when do we start? i can''t wait to begin our preparations." titus asked.


    "we will begin our preparations when we reach dry city. but we won''t make the final part of our plans until after i become a demigod." minos replied, having in mind some experiments with alien technologies using the chaotic energy of the giant bones in the spatial kingdom.


    ''luckily, i was able to negotiate with vico and maximillian and take one of the bodies of the enemy robots with me.'' minos thought to himself as he remembered how he had been forced to return most of the alien things he had obtained before vico arrived in this place.


    but he had kept one item of each kind and received the assurance from two gods that he wouldn''t have to worry about losing what he had been allowed to have.


    with that in mind, he watched his contacts in this place drift further and further away from him as his ship began to move south.


    it was finally time for them to return home!

 Chapter 2046 Minos Ambitious Plans

    chapter 2046 minos'' ambitious plans


    a month and a half after minos advanced to level 88, his party finally reached dry city!


    after traveling by ship between the north pole and the end area of his empire, minos led his party through the state''s network of wormholes to reach dry city quickly.


    thus, the stuart family was finally reunited after years of separation, now in a much worse situation than before, despite the progress made on both sides over the past 3 years.


    ...


    in the imperial palace of dry city...


    minos had just seen his family and important members of the government when he arrived in the capital with his group.


    as they casually talked about how the last few years had gone on each side and some of the changes that had occurred, such as some of the companions who had returned with him joining the empire, minos was finally alone with the most important people in the empire.


    standing in the imperial throne room with his four wives, dillian, his maternal grandparents, some important army members, and the longus family, minos presented what was most important to them.


    "well, you already know what the spiritual world knows or expects about the enemy regarding the planned invasion in about 28 years," minos said as he looked into the eyes of his people, including forrest, who had been in the city since maximilian''s advance.


    he continued. "now let me give you my perspective.


    the enemy will be difficult, and without understanding their technology, it will be impossible to defeat them. but even if we understand it, this is only the beginning of our nightmare. only by raising our level and using the enemy''s technology can we really find a way out of our difficult situation.


    and i have my own theories on this." he smiled and looked confidently at his people, even if the chances of his plans succeeding were less than 10%.


    "what do you have in mind, your majesty?" dillian asked.


    everyone was paying more attention to emperor stuart as he showed everyone the hand that had the spatial kingdom ring.


    by connecting with the skeleton that had his seal in that space, he stole a part of the cultivation base of that remnant, causing a special energy to circulate through his body.


    forrest and the people in the imperial throne room sensed this and immediately became more serious.


    minos explained. "what you just sensed from me is the special energy of the giant bones that exist in our world. fortunately, i can steal some of it and use it for both my own cultivation and the cultivation of those under my influence.


    some of you might be wondering what that means, right?" he looked from side to side before answering.


    "well, at first, i didn''t expect it to help me, but after practically two years of dealing with alien technology daily, i realized that this energy is compatible with us and our enemies."


    "that..."n(-0velb1n


    "if that''s true..."


    some people understood part of what minos meant.


    but then titus, the only one of the group who had come from the north sea to stay behind for this meeting with minos, said. "whoever can have this energy within them can more easily understand and master alien technology. it''s not just a source of power for our races. it serves as a way for us to understand and master alien technology."


    gloria and abby opened their eyes wider when they heard this.


    "if that''s true, you must already have an understanding of the alien technologies very advanced, right?" abby asked her husband.


    minos smiled and said. "i still have a lot to improve on. but it''s a fact that my progress with the things our enemies left behind is quite interesting.


    i''m not a blacksmith or an array master to try to replicate some of the things i''ve understood about the ways of the enemies. however, i will be able to facilitate the understanding of professionals that i help to absorb some of that energy.


    on the other hand, i intend to decipher some of the ways of the enemies myself and, with the help of professionals, try to replicate some things, though in a different way.


    so, i want everyone here to start working on our new plans.


    we will continue with our agricultural projects for the sake of our food reserves during the ice age. but i want as many grade-4 spiritual experts as possible to be brought to me.


    i will help them increase their strength and understanding of alien achievements as much as possible in the next few years.


    i want to build an alien ship division, a spaceship division, an armor division, and eventually, a robot division. we will independently develop our own technologies from what we already have and what we have already discovered.


    we''ll expose the enemy''s weaknesses but also learn how to use their ''poison'' against themselves!"


    everyone there wrote down in their minds what they needed to do. at the same time, some imagined the progress their group could make and how they could surpass the rest of the world in their race for development.


    who in the spiritual world would bet on the black plain empire right now?


    hardly anyone. but the people there with minos saw things differently and couldn''t help but raise their expectations.


    ''maybe there''s still hope at the end of the tunnel.'' dillian thought to himself as he smiled, seeing that their whole journey so far was finally coming to a climax.


    then, as everyone clung to their hopes, minos said the most absurd part of his plans.


    "after all that, we can''t believe that this enemy from the adamant land will be the only threat to us. we have been discovered by an advanced civilization that has already made contact with other inhabited worlds.


    there is a great chance that our position and characteristics will reach other worlds and put us in the sights of enemies as powerful as the present ones or even more powerful.


    in that case, to protect our future, i propose that we prepare to invade the mechanic empire in the future!"


    "what?"


    several people were surprised.


    minos continued with an ambitious smile. "when the problems of the spiritual world are stable again, i''ll lead a group to use the universal wormhole of the enemies and infiltrate the mechanic empire!


    i''ll use this opportunity to bring the enemy ''brains'' over to our side and avenge the losses of our state and the spiritual world in the war that''s brewing!"

 Chapter 2047 Development of the Empire (1)

    chapter 2047 development of the empire (1)


    a year and a half had passed since minos returned to the black plain empire.


    with the changes in the spiritual world and the central continent caused by the situation with the aliens, few external problems could get in the way of minos'' current projects.


    moreover, he had no interest in leaving his nation at the moment, so he had remained in his capital for the past few months, helping his experts to become stronger while strengthening himself.


    all of his family, government members, and closest allies had recently been living in dry city, which had contributed to the rapid improvement of the local forces in terms of strength but also in terms of understanding enemy technologies.


    in a year and a half, they had developed their projects on many fronts!


    ...


    sarah and george inspected one of the empire''s food storage facilities in dry city.


    though most of the local forces were involved in projects related to alien technologies, they and many others had been busy preparing for the arrival of the ice age.


    sarah, level 76, was at her husband''s side, level 89, in the central office of the city''s grain storage facility, where the two of them dealt daily with problems related to the empire''s goals, as well as the security of the silos.


    they should have left for sista months ago, now that the war between maximilian and vico was officially over and the peace treaty between the church and the nations of the western region had been signed. but given the future challenges of the black plain empire and sarah''s desire to be close to her family, george and she had decided to delay their trip to sista.


    until the situation with the aliens was resolved, the two would remain with the stuart family.


    "the numbers are higher than expected," george commented to sarah as he counted the day''s results. "it looks like your father''s investments are paying off. the underwater part of the empire is producing more and more food.


    we may be able to exceed by more than 100% the food reserves he predicted years ago when the ice age actually arrived."


    "that seems to be the case." sarah sighed as she realized that things weren''t going so badly for them despite the bleak future ahead of them.


    if it hadn''t been for the imminent arrival of the aliens, this information would have been enough for her to know that her family would be fine during the ice age. but since the coming age of disaster wasn''t the only problem that awaited them in the future, sarah couldn''t celebrate just that.


    she looked at a subordinate and asked. "how''s the guard situation..."


    ...


    meanwhile, near the large lake in dry city, several experts of the empire were gathered near some members of the imperial family while soldiers were running a simulation on the lake.


    on the lake in question, there was a warship completely different from the army ships and another strange ship completely enclosed, with no deck or other structure open to the air.


    meanwhile, a soldier presented the two vehicles to the members of the imperial family present, including kendrick, currently at level 69, isabella, level 85, and the three youngest stuart children, who were between levels 28 and 32.


    "your highnesses, your majesty, before us are two prototypes created by combining the empire''s most advanced navigation technologies with what we have already understood about the enemy''s technologies." a level 90 soldier introduced it to the group.


    "the first example before us is a model ship developed from the alien superships. it has special cannons attached to its structure and much stronger and more resistant defense arrays than the ones we had before.


    even though this ship can only be considered a low-level grade-4 vehicle at present, its defense, attack, and speed surpass what we found in the spiritual world a few years ago in medium-level grade-4 ships."


    the people who heard this smiled as they muttered about the incredible progress of the state.


    then, that army soldier gave the signal, allowing the soldiers in that prototype to attack a medium-level grade-4 target that was there to serve as a target.


    boom!n/-o(-v.)e)-l--b()i-/n


    the ship''s cannons fired, unleashing attacks that could threaten even low-level demigods, showing everyone the true power of this ship.


    after the attacks, it was fired at by the empire''s ancient cannons, items of the same rank as this ship, which should have been able to damage at least some of its structures.


    however, when the cannons attacked it, its energy barriers were merely pressurized by the attacks without showing any problems with its durability.


    ''excellent!'' kendrick thought as he saw how the empire''s new ship model was more advanced than the technology available around the spiritual world.


    ''if the world''s strongest powers hadn''t made as much progress as we have, their ships would be losing to ours by now.'' he thought, but without considering the possibility that the world''s other powers had mastered the same or more than this state.


    the rest of the group thought such things, while the children there enjoyed the simulation.


    after a few moments, the level 90 man returned to what he was presenting today.


    "that was the demonstration of what we have accomplished with the ships. but now i present to you the first starship of the black plain empire!" he said as he gestured to the fully enclosed ship, drawing all the eyes of this group to it.


    at that moment, the spaceship next to the warship began to float above the lake, with several side turbines lifting it off the lake''s surface, while defensive and offensive structures similar to the ship''s appeared around it.


    "this ship has the same offensive and defensive level as our warship. however, its focus is on speed. it can fly five times faster than the ship!


    meanwhile, it has special structures that may eventually allow it to travel through wormholes! we''re still developing the parts of this ship that relate to that, but we have high hopes of proving our theories in a few years'' time."


    the people next to isabella and kendrick clapped as their eyes lit up, seeing that their state still had much to improve and that the future might not be as bleak as many had assumed!

 Chapter 2048 Development of the Empire (2)

    chapter 2048 development of the empire (2)


    while some of minos'' family saw some of the improvements that would soon be available to the rest of the army, he stood next to titus in the spatial kingdom with other professionals.


    near the house were several individuals between levels 88 and 91 who had come to focus on researching alien technologies.


    the black plain empire group currently had two fronts for technological development. one was in the spatial kingdom, where minos was helping the best professionals in his state cultivate and understand the things he had already understood, as well as studying the things he had brought back from the north sea.


    the other group was in dry city and was responsible for taking what the men of the spatial kingdom had already understood and adapting it to their reality, replicating these new methods in weapons and army vehicles.


    through the combined efforts of these two groups, the two vehicles tested while minos was with his men in the spatial kingdom had been made possible after only a few months of work.


    lightsn¦Ïv¦Ål in short, the best that the black plain empire had to offer was still being developed here, where the professionals were constantly improving their understanding of the enemy''s methods.


    at the moment, minos was with titus and some of the men who weren''t working in a moment of conversation that they held every 12 hours.


    it would be impossible for one person to understand all of the enemy technology in the time available. so, several people would study different parts of the items left behind by the enemy, and at each group break, they would share what they understood with the rest of their companions.


    through the reports of different people discussing ways to understand the enemy''s methods, other professionals, sometimes from completely different fields, could more easily make their way through the aliens'' means.


    so minos was with the group that had just stopped to rest and train, talking about what they had seen in the last few hours.


    "the alien technologies are really dense. i feel that every time i get closer to understanding their methods, new obstacles appear in front of me, hindering my progress, and i end up with more questions than answers".


    "yes, i feel the same way. if the understanding of extraterrestrial techs were a ladder, it is as if two new rungs appear before me with every rung i climb." another person commented.


    "i think the key is compatibility. basically, the problem is that we are ''animals'' trying to learn ''human'' techniques. our understanding of these methods is limited without proper bodies or structures. so, i think it''s normal for new questions to arise." a level 91 individual, someone who had recently joined the empire, commented.n..o.(v.)e-(l-(b)-1.(n


    the black plain empire had recruited 10th-stage spiritual practitioners from all over the central continent.


    it wasn''t so easy to attract such renowned professionals, given the more advantageous position that other states on the continent currently had. however, over the past few months, minos had managed to recruit several levels 90 and 91 experts from virtually every spiritual discipline.


    some of them were currently with him in the spatial kingdom, while others were in the other group that had been working on the production of completely new items in dry city.


    with the participation of these people, the empire had made great progress in these months!


    perhaps the most notable advancements had been in spaceships and ships, for these were advancements that the state of minos had not received information about from other powers worldwide achieving what they did. but even more interesting were the advances in the field of auxiliary armor.


    by now, there was a battalion in dry city specializing in using these armors, as well as a group of blacksmiths and array masters who were gradually creating armor components similar to these alien items.


    some of the men who had made this possible were now chatting with minos in the circle of companions.


    one blacksmith said. "the alien metal alloys are very special. i have the feeling that they have a mind of their own and are 100% efficient when it comes to integrating with inscriptions."


    an array master agreed. "yes. i''ve seen myself in studies with the alien cables and had the impression that the arrays in those items were moving independently, making it difficult for us to understand."


    "in a way, it''s like advanced cryptography." someone there commented.


    titus heard this and looked at one of the doctors there. "these enemies were able to create conscious pieces of metal. we must consider the doctors'' opinions on how the enemy robots and armor work. perhaps they were inspired by living beings from their world to develop these creatures."


    "i agree..."


    they continued to talk, focusing especially on the enemy robots, as this was the alien structure they had found the most difficult so far. even after months of trying to study the robot body in their possession, this group had understood less than 8% of it.


    but that 8% didn''t refer to the most important parts of the robot, but rather the simplest, most external, and easiest to understand.


    but even with the parts they understood, they could not go much further and try to make things. they had grasped the idea behind those parts but lacked the ability to replicate them!


    after a while, minos stood up and sighed, "all right, everyone, that''s all for now. i want you to focus on your cultivation for the next few hours and remember what we''ve discussed.


    we''ll have another meeting in 24 hours, and we''ll let you know what the other group will report in 12 hours."


    with that, everyone went to their meditation places, leaving the other beings in the spatial kingdom to train, meditate, or study enemy technologies.


    meanwhile, individuals like mirya and kyla continued their lives in this place, aware that they shouldn''t get in the way of these people or see anything too unusual happen between them.


    minos used his innate ability to steal the energy from the giant bones in this place and redirect it to the men cultivating in the area.


    while doing so, he looked at the enemy robot, which more than 40 people were studying at the moment.


    ''when i reach level 90, i''ll try to inject some of the chaotic energy of the giant bones into you. then we''ll see what happens.'' he thought as he narrowed his eyes, imagining that such a thing would give him some answers.

 Chapter 2049 Development of the Empire (3)

    chapter 2049 development of the empire (3)


    at the same time that minos was working with the army specialists in the spatial kingdom, abby was in the army headquarters watching a battle between level 90 soldiers.


    two army warriors in different armors were standing on the highest battle platform in the barracks, while more than 20 people were standing near abby on one of the stands.


    among these were some of the army''s demigods, professionals such as blacksmiths and array masters, but also relevant members of the empire''s forces, such as allies and government members.


    that was the case with forrest, but also with dillian and the rulers of albano, rosser, and blackrock.


    they were all watching the demonstration of the black plain army soldiers'' ability not only to use the alien armor but also to replicate it.


    on one side of the battle was a level 90 soldier wearing alien armor brought from the north sea. on the other side was a soldier of the same level wearing a new model of armor developed from the discoveries already made about the extraterritorial model.


    this new model was still under development and had only been released for testing a few days ago. however, it was so promising that minos'' closest allies marveled at how far the black plain empire had come.


    the rulers of blackrock, albano, and rosser, currently between levels 83 and 84, didn''t know how far other powers had progressed with alien technology. but they could see how advanced minos'' state was just by watching the two of them fight.


    the demigod wearing the alien armor was definitely imposing himself on his opponent. however, his opponent didn''t suffer too much. he was able to dodge some of his opponent''s moves from time to time. at the same time, he was able to defend himself without being destroyed in a single blow, and he was also able to attack.


    that might not sound like much, but the same witnesses had seen the same demigods fight without their armor. then, one of them wore alien armor, and the other wore a normal piece of equipment from the spiritual world.


    in the first battle, the result had been fairly even because the two demigods were members of minos'' army and had similar techniques and cultivation. but when one used the alien equipment, the other lost any chance of fighting on equal terms.


    the demigod wearing the alien armor needed only one blow to defeat his opponent!


    such a display of power was so impressive that abby and these rulers were sure that the demigod wearing the alien armor could even challenge level 92 demigods with good odds in his favor!


    because of these two confrontations, in which the same men had fought to the limit of their strength, these people could see how advanced the methods of minos'' men already were.


    "the army''s developing armor still loses a lot compared to the alien creation. however, it is already superior to the armor of the same classification we have in our world." iris west said as she clenched her fist. "the man who wears it has a fighting ability similar to that of a level 91 warrior!"


    "that seems to be the case."


    "that''s impressive." queen rosser commented with a smile. "i can see that this armor can''t do some of the tricks of the alien creation yet, but in terms of combat, it already seems to be between 40% and 50% of the level of the alien version."


    "that''s right." abby, who was in charge of the project to replicate the alien technology in the empire''s armor, said. "we are still facing problems with various parts of the enemy armor to make our model as compact as the enemy''s, as well as auxiliary parts of it.


    but we are confident that we will be able to absorb the essence for ourselves, the protective part and the part that increases the wearer''s combat ability."


    king blackrock understood the black plain empire''s proposal and asked. "will the empire''s new armor be for sale?"


    "no. only those who contribute to the project during its development will have the chance to receive their own models." abby said.


    dillian stood up and said to the minos'' allies there, "the empire has plenty of resources. but given our current needs, we need as much support as possible from our allies.


    natural resources, crystals, men, in short, any kind of support is welcome. only in this way will we be able to speed up the development of the empire and increase our chances of producing enough of this armor model to distribute to our supporters."n-.o(-v-(e/(l//b.-i-)n


    the black plain empire spent billions of crystals every month to maintain agricultural and local development projects based on enemy technologies!


    it wasn''t enough to bankrupt the state. still, the empire was getting to the point where it was using up more and more of its reserves and no longer had enough guarantees to attract foreign "brains" to join its development efforts.


    because of this, they needed maximum support from their allies, such as the flaming empire, blackrock, rosser, and albano.


    isabella was already doing her best to get more support from her family''s state. now, abby was presenting concrete evidence of what her state could offer their friends in the future, which obviously served to convince these three leaders to join minos more meaningfully.


    the three looked at each other, thinking basically the same thing.


    ''with this new model of armor, we can be much stronger when the war comes!''


    forrest was impressed by minos'' progress with alien technology, having just seen something that he knew few in the spiritual world had been able to replicate.


    ''perhaps i should join gloria frost''s faction.'' he thought to himself, knowing he couldn''t offer the same as those leaders but that his support could mean a lot to gloria and minos.


    as a level 95 demigod who had several other powerful demigods in his network of influence, his support alone could get him what these three rulers were after.


    "i understand. his majesty minos stuart can expect the full support of blackrock. we will do our best to increase the pace of local development."


    "rosser will not be left behind. we still have a lot of spiritual professionals wasting their time in our state. i''ll try to convince as many of them as possible to come to dry city."


    "my kingdom will support you financially. i hope you will use our crystals to attract demigods to our side." queen west said, aware that she didn''t have many resources or people minos might be interested in.


    "my group will join cardinal frost''s faction," forrest commented.

 Chapter 2050 Competitors

    chapter 2050 competitors


    meanwhile, gloria was at the spiritual church temple in dry city, acting on behalf of the empire through that ancient continental institution.


    gloria was not in charge of any technology development projects, much less agricultural projects on the continent or in the underwater regions of the empire.


    she focused on improving her influence within the church while strengthening herself.


    the war between maximilian and vico and the end of the conflict due to the threat of the extraterritorial enemy had not changed the reality of the division of power within the church. this organization still had several factions and minor disputes over who should do what.


    but while two groups had coalesced around maximilian before his arrival, the former supreme pontiff''s group had disintegrated, and gloria''s faction had grown in size.


    everyone who didn''t want to be in maximilian''s faction was joining gloria''s group.


    that continued even after maximilian reached level 100, as many believed the current supreme pontiff might fall in the war in a few decades.


    if that happened, many feared that the whole world and the church would come to an end. but some felt that the death of maximilian was more likely than the disappearance of the church.


    in his absence, some people wanted to be on the right side, on the side of minos stuart''s wife.


    so even now, gloria''s faction continued to grow, with more and more members of the church becoming part of her group.


    and how could this help the black plain empire in the future war against the aliens? basically, gloria''s job was to grow within the church, to get better information and resources for her group, and to get in touch with renowned professionals.


    she wanted to raise the level of the empire''s professionals and increase the state''s chances of getting specialists, but also for church members to help them by passing on news of possible advances by their competitors.


    as much as the whole world was in danger, the local powers were competitors until the enemies came. all of them, or at least most of them, cooperated with simple things about their enemies'' techs, but the essentials were developed in secret by each organization.


    but this wasn''t as strange as you might think. that is, each group was developing what they understood about the aliens in their own way, using their individual realities and characteristics.


    the sky whales worked according to their aquatic characteristics and their large, powerful bodies. meanwhile, the elves dealt with the alien ways through their great spiritual affinity and intelligence.


    how could they work together when one''s methods might not work for the others? how could they forget millions of years of history and reveal their secrets just to help others with things that might not make a difference?


    as far as each group could help the other beings in the spiritual world without compromising themselves, they did so. but when it came to parts that involved deep secrets of their races or organizations, each group was secretive about their progress.


    and, of course, everyone knew this, and there were already beings who were watching the powers around the world as if they were competitors in an arms race.


    gloria was taking care of this side of the current moment for the empire, trying to protect the empire while observing her opponents through her vast observation network.nove-lb.1n


    she was in her office, dealing with this with her parents, who had also joined her faction.


    "sigh... what we''re doing seems wrong." gloria''s father commented in a sighing tone after they had finished giving some orders.


    "yes, but it''s necessary," gloria said. "as much as we risk all dying very soon, we can''t rule out the scenario where the spiritual world continues long after the war.


    in that case, would it be a good idea for us to share all our secrets? wouldn''t it be appropriate to have some guarantees and means to protect ourselves at least?" she said as she looked at her parents, aware of the risks of not sharing everything they knew about the aliens but also prepared for the uncertainties of fate.


    if they survived the aliens, and that was minos'' plan, this state had to be prepared to deal with their fellow neighbors of the spiritual world. if they didn''t, it was almost certain that the forces working together today would turn at least some of their weapons against them in the future!


    to avoid this, they had to do the same as their competitors, hide how much they had developed while secretly observing others worldwide!


    "sigh... you''re right, daughter. but how long are we going to hide what we''ve developed? i must say, the empire seems to be more advanced than other powers i''ve come in contact with.


    even after vico forced minos to stay in the north sea almost a year longer, it doesn''t seem to have been enough for other powers to overcome our initial advantage." gloria''s mother commented.


    some of minos'' group believed that vico had not left minos in charge of the alien base in the north sea so that he could integrate other people from the world with the alien technologies. they felt that god wanted the black plain empire to lose the advantage of their time alone in that area, learning alien things!


    no one knew if this was exactly true, but the fact was that the suspicion was there.


    according to some of the data gloria''s parents had access to, even though the state of minos had lost its initial advantage due to emperor stuart staying there for an extra year, the black plain empire was still more advanced than some of its 10th-stage competitors.


    aware of this, gloria answered her mother''s question: "we will keep our theories and progress secret until minos reaches the 10th stage. at that point, he will decide the best time to share what we''ve achieved."


    minos believed that his state''s most significant progress would come after it reached level 90. so, there was no way the empire could share its discoveries with the competition before then.


    "level 90, huh? at the rate he''s growing, that doesn''t seem so far away." margot commented with a sigh, remembering the first time she had met her son-in-law.


    "i imagine the forces of our world still have about a decade to work on minos'' information." gloria''s father agreed, a little relieved that the empire would reconsider its current position but still worried about the world''s future.


    ''i just hope it''s not too late...''

 Chapter 2051 The Third

    chapter 2051 the third


    another year passed...


    while the black plain empire was secretly making progress with alien technologies, the spiritual world was experiencing a technological boom.


    not only the powers involved in developing war technologies for the fate of the world were learning the alien methods. in addition to the powers most concerned with the survival of this world and its people''s freedom, some organizations seized the moment for short-term financial gain.


    several blacksmiths, alchemists, array masters, etc., had been working with alien technologies for the past two years, but they weren''t just trying to improve the world''s powers. many professionals used part of their knowledge to change pill formulas, array inscriptions, weapon models, and so on. through these changes, better items became available to those with more resources.


    everything from weapons, defensive items, cultivation items, and even new types of lamps, doors, and so on constantly appeared on the market. all kinds of products were being released, proposing that warriors could fight at a higher level, cultivate faster, rest better, and so on.


    as a result, some people became wealthy at an unprecedented rate as their products spread throughout the market.


    before, it would have been impossible for many of these professionals to get enough resources to get protection or access to the world''s most advanced powers in terms of brute force. but through this opportune moment, individuals of all kinds gained notoriety for their "revolutionary" products and gradually gained what they needed to gain protection or access to stronger powers.


    as a result of this revolution, people who were disconnected from the world''s major powers gradually discovered the tragic fate of the spiritual world!


    until now, only high-ranking professionals, their closest associates, and the major powers of the spiritual world were aware of the troubles that awaited them in the future. but this revolution was attracting the attention of people on every continent and island in the world, and they were gradually realizing the strange situation they were in.


    where would this lead? few in the world knew at the moment. but some were already beginning to worry as rumors began to circulate around the world!


    ...


    on elves island...


    vico had been in this state since he had said goodbye to maximilian in the capital of the evergreen empire years ago.


    after more than 2.8 years in this place, he felt his waiting was about to end.


    as he sat with some elves and high-ranking members of his empire, he turned his attention away from the topic at hand, the widespread world rebellion, and looked in the direction of the tree of life.


    "aurae is about to leave her place of seclusion." vico smiled as he felt the last lightning tribulation strike the woman, but her mental state seemed stable.


    aurae had just endured five tribulations, which was extreme, but it also meant that the chances of her experiencing another one were very small.


    rare were the beings who had to face so many trials in their divine ascension!


    considering her talent, vico could feel she would reach level 100 in the next few moments.


    all the elves besides vico turned their attention to where aurae should be, feeling hopeful about the progress of the strongest of the tribe. nove-lb(in


    aurae was second in power only to the leader of the sky whale and dragon tribes, the only ones stronger than her at level 99.


    if she really managed to break through to level 100, the spiritual world would have a better chance than everyone thought!


    she wasn''t like vico and maximilian. she alone could be considered stronger than both of them put together!


    thinking about how much her breakthrough could mean to the spiritual world right now, all the elves on the island turned their attention to the tree of life, sensing the decisive moment for all of them.


    and so, on that fateful day, she would succeed in advancing, overcoming the last cultivation bottleneck between level 99 and level 100, and reaching divinity after several tens of thousands of years in this world.


    the same phenomenon that had already affected the capital of the eastern empire and the evergreen empire reappeared in the world, with ellves island ''suffering'' more than those two places from the phenomena caused by such an advance.


    a few moments after the spiritual signs appeared in this place, aurae left the elves'' spatial kingdom through the door of the tree of life, returning to her homeland after years of seclusion.


    "sigh... the world seems colder now. the ice age hasn''t arrived yet, but it''s very close." she murmured, feeling the laws of the atmosphere, before closing her mouth and looking where vico was.


    "vico travisani... what happened?" she asked the man, seeing that his island was fine and that the man seemed to be waiting for her.


    in that case, something severe must have happened in her absence!


    "lady aegolor, i''m glad you have succeeded in your attempt to reach the 11th stage. in addition to the two of us, maximilian has also become a god." he said as he greeted the beautiful woman with a gesture typical of the spiritual world.


    "maximilian?"


    "yes, but as my lady can imagine, we are in such serious trouble that he and i have given up our war and are uniting with the rest of the world to strengthen ourselves together while we still have time."


    "we have time for what?" she became serious, feeling that things were much worse than she had imagined when she had succeeded in her stage advance.


    vico was direct in his answer. "there are enemies of the world in the north sea, beings who come from another planet. they''re going to attack us with everything in about 27 years. the problem with everything, which even frightens gods like maximilian and me, is the number of opposing gods."


    "what number?"


    "32. our enemy has an army of 32 gods." he replied, looking into the eyes of this green-skinned woman with the same colored eyes, giving this expert the first big shock of her existence!


    as a powerful and talented elf, she had never felt so pressured as she did right now!


    even though she had reached level 100 and was very talented, there were still threats that could scare even her!


    "shit!"


    vico laughed bitterly, realizing that everyone who reached his level in this generation would be frustrated somehow.

 Chapter 2052 New worry

    chapter 2052 new worry


    "so... what are we going to do?" aurae asked after a few minutes of silence, trying to work through her frustration alone.


    "well, if we''re lucky, we''ll have a fourth god in our world by the time the enemies reach the spiritual world," vico commented to her. "makai may succeed in his advance in the next decade."


    "makai?" aurae immediately thought of the strongest being in the world, an old acquaintance of hers, one of the oldest beings in the world in this generation. "did he get a divine medicine? i heard that the medicine of the sky whales would take 29,000 years to mature."


    "he found a wild divine medicine. that guy is really lucky." a level 99 elf commented.


    "so that''s it. is he in the middle of his seclusion right now? how long has it been since he started?"


    "about four years, ma''am." another elf answered her question.


    "i see. i feel that he will not fail. in fact, i feel that anyone with the minimum talent and resources will succeed in their advancements starting from today." she commented as she cooled her head and talked about what she had felt during her breakthrough.


    "what do you mean?" vico asked her.


    one of the level 99 elves standing around the large tree of life asked. "does it have to do with a last effort before death?"


    lightsn¦Ïv¦Ål "yes, it does," aurae confirmed an ancient elven theory that when the world was in danger of ending or being completely exhausted by something, the world itself would change its laws to continue to exist.


    as was already known, this world was alive and depended on the "metabolism" of important spiritual organisms to function as it did.


    as a living being, it could work below what it was capable of, which usually resulted in temporary weakening, or it could work above what it was capable of, which resulted in overgrowth.


    the latter had never happened in the entire history known to the creatures of this world, but the former had happened a few times.


    in any case, the elves had this theory that the world would try to defend itself if it was attacked by something capable of destroying it. the method of defense was quite simple: to facilitate the cultivation of the natives of the planet itself so that they could fight off the threats.


    as she progressed, aurae felt that things were easier than she had expected. when she discovered that vico and maximillian had also advanced and that an unexpected divine medicine had appeared for makai, she couldn''t help but feel that the world was helping them.


    she explained her theory to those who didn''t know much about it. "the world has its defense mechanisms, but it can''t fight back in the normal way that we can. the most it can do is use lightning tribulations to destroy threats. still, with so many living beings in the world, it''s hard to distinguish between enemies and allies. so only we can do that.


    therefore, the spiritual world probably uses its foundation or origin to temporarily increase spiritual wealth, which should make it easier to advance from any cultivation level," said the elf.


    a level 99 elf said. "if that''s the case, it will be easier for divine medicine to mature and for those who consume it to reach level 100."


    "not only that. it will be easier for everyone to cultivate; even spiritual kings and emperors will be able to advance more easily from now on." aurae said, very sure of her words.


    "if that''s the case, good. we''ll need it." vico said before continuing what he had said before. "while this news is not bad, there aren''t many known divine medicines that will mature in a short time. moreover, the number of low-level cultivators won''t be important in the future.


    only the number of demigods and gods will make a difference, so let''s focus on that. that''s why we''re working on alien technologies. you must see this, lady aegolor. go to the north sea as soon as you can. most of what the enemies left is there. you''ll understand why i said all this when you get there."


    "i will." she agreed quietly.


    but before she could move, the second strongest of the elves'' tribe stepped forward and said. "before you go, aurae, we have a problem developing in the world that you might want to know about right away."


    "what is it?" she asked, looking seriously at the elf.


    "as we speak here, around the divine continent and the central continent, low-level people are gradually spreading rumors about the future and the arrival of enemies." he said, returning to the topic they had discussed before the end of their foray.


    "and what''s wrong with that? the people of our world must know what will happen next, so they''ll cooperate and fight alongside us." she said naively, unaware of the disturbing signs that some groups had already noticed.


    vico closed his eyes while some of his men there took a deeper breath as they considered what was emerging on a larger scale on these two continents and what was already appearing at the bottom of the seas.


    the elf from before said. "the problem is that some people think that the spiritual world doesn''t stand a chance against the aliens. they think that if we fight, we''ll only bring disaster to everyone. some people just think that surrender is worth considering."


    "what?" aurae couldn''t believe her ears.


    vico confirmed it. "we already have reports of groups holding protests, demanding that we give up fighting the enemies and prepare to surrender. at least a small portion of the people on my continent seem to prefer living as slaves to facing almost certain death in 27 years."


    "but that''s not the worst of it, aurae. a minority of these people are radicals who are gradually taking action to try to hinder our progress with alien technologies!" another level 99 elf said.


    "as much as we are making significant progress in various areas and hope has not yet died, more and more people in the spiritual world are programming this madness of surrender.


    if we''re not careful, we could face a widespread internal crisis before the enemies arrive in 27 years!"n).o.)v/)e.(l/(b-.i(-n


    everyone was worried at the thought of this, imagining what would happen if 80% of the world''s population, who were weak but responsible for almost 99% of the world''s production of food, resources, minerals, etc., stopped working in a kind of strike against the powerful people trying to strengthen themselves to fight the aliens.

 Chapter 2053 The Emperors Decision!

    chapter 2053 the emperor''s decision!


    a few weeks after aurae''s level-up...


    minos was back in dry city this morning after several months in the spatial kingdom.


    earlier today, he had completed his final breakthrough within the 9th stage, reaching the last level of this stage, level 89!


    after stabilizing his cultivation, he decided to return to his city and take a few days off to spend more time with his wives and children.


    that was an important time for the world to prepare against the aliens. still, minos felt that a temporary break from his interests could give him new perspectives when he was too stressed.


    working with alien technology was very stressful. as much as he and his group were constantly learning new things, it was a lot of work to make improvements. moreover, they were still far from understanding the core technologies of the people of the adamant land.


    after leaving this morning, he left his spatial kingdom to take a breather and hear from his men how things were going on this side.


    leaving the imperial palace, he managed to reach the central part of his city before any of his men could reach him.


    looking around this place, well-lit by the area''s lighting arrays, he saw many members of the government and army walking from one side to the other while some people were wearing or carrying things he had never seen before.


    ''new technology?'' he realized what it was and how it had come about without needing anyone to explain it to him.


    but in less than five minutes of watching the movement of his city, several soldiers caught up with him, and one of them brought him important news.


    "your majesty, it''s good to have you back in the city. and congratulations on reaching level 89." a 10th-stage soldier said as he made a military greeting to a superior.


    "your majesty, i don''t want to interrupt your observation, but we have some urgent matters that need your opinion."


    "what is it?" minos asked as he looked at his citizens, noting the changes in his city, this place that had once been a barren, undeveloped end of the world.


    "first, we have good news for the world. the strongest of the elves, aurae aegolor, has succeeded in her attempt to reach level 100 and is now the third to become a god."


    "oh? is that true?"


    "yes, she''s currently in the north sea, catching up on what happened during her seclusion. we still don''t know what she will do, but she may come to dry city." the soldier said.


    "why?" minos looked at him.


    "our state has received some advantages that only the strongest powers in the world received after the discovery of what''s in the north sea. she''s a god, so it''s possible that she wants to question us or change something that the gods maximillian and vico have already decided.


    she''s supposed to be stronger than them."


    "i see. and what else has happened in my absence?"


    the demigod replied. "many things. as your majesty can see, the continent is being transformed by alien technology.


    many new things appear on the market almost weekly. these adaptations of alien technologies are already beginning to influence our world, giving more power to individuals at all levels but also facilitating cultivation, communication, transportation, and so on.


    there is a positive side to all of this, but there is also a significant negative that has concerned leaders around the world in recent months.


    with technological advances, more and more people are suspicious about the status of the north sea and the sudden peace of the high powers of our world..."


    minos frowned. "speak directly, general."


    "yes, your majesty. at the moment, groups of people who believe in waging war against the aliens are already gaining notoriety on the divine and central continents.


    there are even radical groups fighting against the technological advancement of the spiritual world and calling for surrender." the general said as the soldiers around minos felt anger at these cowardly people.


    minos didn''t express his thoughts when he heard this, but he was really disappointed.


    how could anyone prefer slavery or even death to fighting for freedom?


    the fight for freedom would have its dangers, and many would die. but wouldn''t it be better to die fighting for the chance to live the way they wanted to than to be humiliated, possibly beaten, tortured, and then killed by a ruthless enemy?


    that''s what most of the strongest people in the world thought, and that''s why they didn''t talk about surrendering. they wanted to strengthen themselves as much as possible and try to fight their enemies at least once before giving up and surrendering.n./ovelb1n


    many would prefer to die, while others were willing to humiliate themselves if it meant living a minimally acceptable life. but even those who thought of the latter alternative saw the rebel movement to fight the war in defense of the world as absurd!


    "this... are you serious?" minos asked after a moment''s thought. "be honest with me. is there such a group in my state?"


    the general of the black plain army lowered his head and sighed.


    "i am serious, your majesty. and yes, there is such a group in our state. after all, we are the largest state in terms of area and population on the central continent, and practically every state on our continent suffers from these rebel groups these days."


    minos clenched his fists in anger. "wretches! since these cowards prefer certain death, let''s help them reach their destiny!"


    "what do you mean?"


    minos walked over to the army headquarters and said. "we will start a program to surrender groups to the aliens and offer them to the rebels."


    "what?"


    "all those who decide to surrender will be marked for death. we''ll kill all the fools who choose to serve the aliens! that is the punishment for treason against our state!"


    all the soldiers heard this and looked at each other, remembering that there were not one or two people in the rebel groups but millions of people!


    the black plain empire currently had nearly 4 billion inhabitants. the number of rebels already identified by the army was over 5 million, a significant number of people for the state to eliminate with a single order.


    "your majesty... we''re talking about millions of people. it''s not a small group. these cowards have a very attractive speech."


    "how many are we talking about?" minos asked as he walked alongside his men.


    "about five million."


    "hmm, so if we count their families, it must be between 10 and 30 million. all right, do as i say. start a program to make it easier to identify the rebels. let''s kill them all and expel their families from the empire!"

 Chapter 2054 Controversial Program

    chapter 2054 controversial program


    a few days passed after minos'' order, but the black plain army had already publicly released a surrender plan that promised to hand over all those who signed it to the aliens before the war began.


    in short, this plan promised to help these people surrender to the aliens and make them hostages of the world invaders, so that the aliens could decide for themselves the future of the defectors from the forces of the spiritual world.


    at the plan''s beginning, everyone thought the army was playing a trick on everyone. however, after a few days and the news of what was happening in many of the empire''s major cities, the population slowly began to believe that the plan was real.


    minos still intended to fight the aliens, but he opened the possibility for his citizens to surrender to the aliens before the war began.


    as the people realized the plan was serious, minos'' allies began to worry about what was happening in this state.


    his allies were also facing protests and even terrorist attacks in their states by groups who wanted to surrender to the aliens. how could they not be concerned that such a famous and important ally would take such a rash action?


    but even though many of his allies were looking for him, minos had refused to meet with virtually everyone who had tried to arrange a meeting with him recently.


    even members of the pantheon of honor and julian and aarav''s faction hadn''t had a chance to meet minos to talk about it.


    aarav was already living in dry city by that time. still, even on the occasions when he and minos had met, emperor stuart had refused to talk about it.


    since aarav was one of the few in the pantheon of honor who knew about minos'' empire''s advances in enemy technology, he didn''t insist, determined to see how far minos would go.


    so, the first hundreds of thousands of people around the empire signed up for the project, signaling their preference to surrender to their enemies rather than fight their opponents and be exterminated without any chance of surrender.


    ...


    three weeks after the start of the black plain empire''s surrender project, aurae reached this state.


    specifically, this god arrived in dry city, where she wanted to meet minos and talk to him about her experiences and see how he was doing with his projects.


    upon arriving at the core of the empire, the blonde woman, with a serious look on her face, smiled when she saw the dome of dry city, that thing made of the combination of several black holes.


    ''this is impressive. these defenses can currently prevent even level 97 demigods from invading this city. besides, this thing almost looks like a spatial kingdom to me. if it advances a little further, the space in this area will probably fold up and form a space region independent of the normal world.'' she quickly analyzed the situation of the defenses created by minos when he reached level 80.


    but that wasn''t enough to stop her. as soon as she moved, she passed through the defenses of dry city''s dome as if it were nothing and reached the inner part of that place where millions of people important to the empire lived.


    looking at this place, she immediately realized how alien technologies had already changed how people lived there.


    she didn''t know the black plain empire, but she knew very well what the lifestyle of the entire central continent was like. seeing how things were today in the most important city in the north of that continent, she realized the changes brought about by alien technologies.


    ''it looks like my generation will have to get used to these things.'' she saw a group of children flying around in canoe-like artifacts.


    but it was there that she saw the most important changes, noticing a large boat floating in the air near the city''s lake.


    "that..." she identified the thing, a spaceship, something only the elves and sea folk had understood enough to make their boats fly.


    but from what she had just noticed, the black plain empire was as advanced or more advanced than the two most intelligent races in the spiritual world!


    ''it seems that young minos stuart has been hiding his discoveries... it''s good i came here, or we''d be in trouble.'' she laughed, pleased to discover the truth about this state, and imagined that her people could advance quickly with the discoveries of the young local leader.


    lightsn¦Ïv¦Ål but as she watched the empire''s technological advances, the woman with the big pointed ears realized the famous emperor stuart wasn''t around.


    she saw a woman with a strong scent of minos and moved towards her, appearing in front of a beautiful blue-haired woman who was looking in the direction from which she had entered the city.


    everyone in the city had noticed the arrival of a god, so abby wasn''t surprised to see this person appear before her.nove-lb(in


    "lady aegolor..." she immediately recognized who this person was, knowing that she was the strongest member of the elven tribe, the only one in this generation to have reached level 100.


    "human, your talent isn''t bad. you''re close to level 87, not bad. but you''re still below your husband." she commented as she touched abby''s body, quickly understanding many things about this person, from the empress''s age to the fact that she had already carried a child in her womb.


    "where is your husband?" she moved from abby''s back to the front of the young woman so quickly it was as if she was teleporting.


    "my husband is in a city in the brown area right now. he''s dealing with the problem of the rebels who want to surrender to the aliens." abby said as aurae looked in the direction of brown.


    "oh? is he working on that little project? i heard about it. it''s quite interesting, although i disagree with it." she commented.


    "forgive my impertinence, but you may have misunderstood my husband''s intentions, lady aegolor," abby said. "many underestimate the laws of the empire and the consequences of breaking them."


    aurae narrowed her eyes. "what does he intend to do?"


    abby asked instead of answering. "lady aegolor, do you know the laws of my state? here, not only soldiers are punished for crimes of treason. any citizen can be punished.


    in normal situations, citizens who betray the state are punished with expulsion from the empire along with their families. however, betraying us to the aliens is an unforgivable crime punishable by death."


    "you''re not saying that..." she looked away from abby and in brown''s direction, feeling a shiver run down her spine.


    while they were talking there in dry city, a massacre that would soon make headlines across the continent and the world was taking place in brown''s area, where more than 2 million people who had joined the surrender program were being killed!


    meanwhile, their relatives already had army men at their doors to tell them to leave the empire!

 Chapter 2055 The Owner of the State Makes the Rules

    chapter 2055 the owner of the state makes the rules


    after hearing from the empress of the black plain empire what minos was planning, aurae went to where emperor stuart was supposed to be, leaving abby behind.


    it didn''t take aurae long to figure out where minos was, but it was too late to do anything about it when she reached him.


    arriving in the area of brown, where minos had arranged an extensive meeting with the citizens of the empire who wanted to surrender, aurae found an empty place, while a black hole capable of swallowing lower demigods was near minos.


    she couldn''t distinguish the energy in minos'' black hole, but she sensed that much of it didn''t come from the young level 89 sage. in her opinion, it had come from the 2 million or so people who were supposed to be there.


    seeing that only a few hundred people were there but were all wearing symbols of the black plain empire, the elf looked around, her eyebrows furrowed.


    "what have you done?" she asked in a somber tone.


    the silence in the area and the way some of the people there seemed to be there, not to organize the previous event but to record everything that was going to happen, disturbed her immensely.


    minos looked at aurae, not so surprised that she was there since his government had expected her to come to him at some point.nove)1b)in


    "lady aegolor, i did not expect to meet you under these circumstances..." minos said as he controlled his black hole, shrinking it even more while preparing a suitable device to store it.


    "by the way, congratulations on your breakthrough. the spiritual world is counting on your strength." he smiled at her.


    seeing minos'' attitude, this level 100 woman questioned him. "minos, don''t you want to explain yourself? did you kill all the people who were here? aren''t you afraid that this will cause a widespread rebellion?"


    "rebellion? we don''t have time for that, lady. that''s why i solved the problem at the source before it could cause any more problems.


    my state has laws. i''ve never hidden them from anyone. if someone has come here to take advantage of the opportunities i offer but doesn''t want to follow the local rules, they have two choices. one, leave immediately. we don''t force people to stay. or two, accept the local laws or pay for their crimes.


    i will punish anyone who breaks my laws! this is my commitment to the black plain empire and the war heroes who gave their lives for this state!


    if you want to join us, you''ll have to expect this. today, i didn''t kill any innocent people. but i have punished over 2 million traitors who took advantage of the empire''s services but wanted to side with our enemies.


    as we speak, i have hundreds of thousands of soldiers expelling the families of these traitors from my domains. they have already lost all their property and investments in the empire and will be forbidden to return or use the services of the state for eternity."


    as minos spoke, a man from the local government used a recording array to broadcast the local supreme leader''s words live to the largest cities in the empire.


    minos had broadcast everything that had happened there before aurae''s arrival, and it was still on the big screens in the empire''s largest cities.


    at the moment, his words reached at least 200 million people north of the central continent.


    over the next few days, newspapers throughout the region would report on the event from the empire''s point of view, with reports from the journalists minos had invited to cover the entire trial that afternoon.


    yes, it was a trial, but it was also an execution. before aurae arrived, he had read the laws of the empire and the crimes committed by the people who had appeared in this place today.


    after finding them guilty of the crime of treason, he did not hesitate to punish them for using the black hole to kill more than 2 million living beings.


    understanding everything that had just happened, aurae couldn''t help but feel a little frightened by such brutality, seeing that minos was more determined than ever.


    ''the rumors said that he was ruthless, but i never thought it would be like this.'' she looked at him in silence, realizing that there was nothing she could do for the dead. ''but i don''t think there''s anything to say to him. people who sign agreements when they come to this state must follow the local rules.


    if they are foolish enough to break imperial laws while they have such a strict ruler, well, that is their problem. ''


    "sigh... you''re very hotheaded, minos stuart. your people won''t like this at all." she sighed but didn''t press the issue because he was right.


    this was minos'' empire. everything that existed there was only possible because of his decades of effort. even though many people had given their sweat and blood for this place, without emperor stuart, nothing in this area would be the way it is today. the northern region of the central continent would still be the same as it was more than 60 years ago if he hadn''t made all the decisions he did!


    anyone who came to this state should accept the local rules.


    wasn''t it natural that violators should pay for their transgressions?


    ''it was just a shame that so many people had to die in a moment of fragility and that such a delicate matter had to be given such prominence.''


    "the black plain empire is focused on developing and becoming the bastion of the spiritual world if necessary. we will develop our technologies as much as possible and eventually win the war against the aliens!" minos said with great determination as he looked at aurae and had his image and voice broadcast throughout the empire.


    when the person responsible for the transmission signaled that everything was over, minos went to aurae''s side.


    "hunting criminals is not an easy or efficient task, your excellency. i''d rather frighten the rebels in my state than deal with them individually." minos explained to her. "some will hate me for it, but i think most of the disgruntled will leave the state after that.


    that will reduce the number of people and problems my men will have to chase in the coming years."


    "oh? you don''t seem so hasty now." she understood his motivation.


    whether the plan to scare off the traitorous rebels would work or not was another question that only time would tell.


    in any case, since minos had already broadcast everything to the entire state, it wouldn''t make any difference for her to interfere.


    "i would have thought of another solution if i were you. but since you''ve already done everything your own way, i wish you luck. in the meantime, we need to talk about alien technologies. minos, what do you think about a partnership between the black plain empire and elves island?"

 Chapter 2056 Agreement with the Elves

    chapter 2056 agreement with the elves?


    when minos heard that level 100 woman talking about a partnership, he smiled because what she really meant was, "kindly give me your technologies in exchange for me not taking them from you.


    aurae wasn''t there to make a deal with him but to get what she wanted and pretend to give him something in return!


    there was no choice, and minos'' answer could only be one.


    "establishing a partnership between my state and the elven island would be an honor." he said as he looked into the green eyes of this beautiful woman who was a little smaller than he was.


    "what do you need?" she asked him. "i already know about your advancements, so you don''t have to list what you have to give me. i want you to give me everything your empire manages to develop over the next ten years concerning the models you brought here from the north sea."


    ''what a naughty woman!'' minos looked at her, pretending that everything was fine, thinking about what he could ask of her in return, but also how much of an advantage it would give him against the elves.


    ''so basically, i have 17 years left to try to outdo the elves before the war... tsk, as little as it may seem, that''s the same as nothing for ordinary people. she wants to limit my state''s development level to the same level as elves island!''


    seventeen years was no small feat for minos and the black plain empire. but aurae didn''t know how that state worked, nor emperor stuart''s theory, or how that theory implied local technological development.


    in 10 years, the state of minos should be close to the maximum it could reach before the aliens arrived due to the understanding curve.


    the understanding curve was a special model developed by the elves that indicated the maximum a cultivator could understand in a given time interval.


    once a certain limit was reached, even the most talented elves could not continue learning. in other words, even if the whole world were to study alien technology right now, at some point in the future, about 10 years from now, most or almost all of the world would stop making progress.


    after reaching the critical point of the understanding curve, one would have to make a qualitative advance. in other words, one would have to advance one stage to continue advancing and understanding the enemy''s methods.


    however, after these 10 years, there would be less than 17 years until the aliens arrived. in the meantime, it would be unlikely that the vast majority of the world''s cultivators could advance any further, let alone focus on the enemy''s techniques.


    therefore, aurae''s words to minos were very clear from the perspective of anyone who understood the spiritual world. she wanted all the knowledge he was supposed to get from the alien technologies and had only not asked for the next few years until the enemies arrived to limit what emperor stuart could ask.


    in a way, she was taking everything from the black plain empire without even showing it!


    for a high-ranking elder, this was perfect for protecting her honor!


    ''i will probably be a demigod by then, so my chances will change... fortunately, she underestimated my importance in developing the empire''s technologies.''


    he then replied to her. "if that''s the case, i would like to ask your excellency for three things."


    "what are they?" she asked as she crossed her hands behind her back and began to fly back to dry city alongside minos.


    "first, i would like your protection in case another god decides to make similar or more demanding requests on my state in the future."


    "another god? you mean the leader of the sky whales?"


    "that is correct. he''s mighty, and i don''t know what he might want from my homeland in the future." minos nodded as he spoke. "as much as it''s in my interest to protect the world, i also want to protect my state and my legacy. i cannot give everything i have and have nothing to protect my own people.


    i have already recognized with my men that certain alien technologies cannot be replicated in large numbers. so, if i''m forced to give away everything i have, i''ll end up with nothing for my state.


    that''s why i want you to help me. maybe this guy won''t even waste his time on me. but if he or one of the other two gods decides to demand something of me, i''ll either spend it on having lady aegolor speak on my behalf and even act if necessary."


    "i can speak on your behalf and plan things to keep them from coming to your state. but i will not fight them." she said.


    "all right, that''s enough," minos said before making two signs with one of his hands. "secondly, i would like the elven tribe to share their progress with us. perhaps we have perceived alien technology in a different way due to our origins. it''s possible we could develop faster if we shared information." nove)lb-1n


    "oh?" she liked that and saw no problem in sharing information with someone as advanced or more so than her people. "very well. we''ll cooperate until the ten-year deadline i mentioned."


    "third, i would like lady aegolor to grant me access to the tree of life. i would like to visit that place during the continental tournament."


    the continental tournament was still scheduled to take place about five years before the arrival of the aliens.


    it would no longer be as expected before the alien invasion was discovered. on this occasion, which would take place in about 22 years, the world''s powers intended to use the event as a major test before the alien invasion, where their most talented high-level warriors would train together and receive tips from top experts.


    there would still be prizes and stakes for such a competition, which would still be held on elves island, as planned.


    aurae became more serious after hearing this, for the tree of life was a place that only the strongest elves or very strong beings from the spiritual world could enter.


    she asked him. "what are you going to do there?"


    "i am going to test a theory, but mainly to cultivate. i believe that by having access to such a place, i''ll be able to advance one level further than i could without this chance." minos said without revealing too much of the truth but without lying.


    looking at minos'' serious look, aurae felt it was worth taking a chance on this human who had inherited the legacy of the god of time.


    all current gods knew about it at this point.


    then she said. "very well. i can allow you to do this."


    "then we have a deal."

 Chapter 2057 Reactions (1)

    chapter 2057 reactions (1)


    days later...


    the entire empire was still discussing what minos had done in the brown area days ago.


    more than 200 million of the empire''s citizens had watched as the emperor judged and executed more than 2 million traitors to the nation before ordering the expulsion of the same number of families from his territory.


    of the 5% of the state''s population that had witnessed the event across the state, more than half of the inhabitants of the black plain empire were aware of everything that had happened.


    the day after minos'' deeds, all anyone talked about was the punishment the emperor had meted out to the group of rebels who had tried to surrender to the aliens.


    many people were a little afraid because many had done nothing but express their desire not to join the war. but the part of the state''s population that had lived in the region the longest and knew the most about minos'' history, who had followed him since the war of independence, saw things differently.


    minos was not a leader who ruled only to be admired and supported by his people. he had a clear interest and would do anything to achieve his goals.


    he didn''t create opportunities for his people out of compassion. he did it to strengthen his state and increase his chances of gaining more power with the army and, more recently, with alien technologies.


    in the past, he had exterminated families, expelled people from his state, and punished those who broke the rules he created.


    so when the news of what he had done came, at least 1.5 billion inhabitants were not so surprised by the massacre of the rebels, as they had treated it as just another of minos'' moves.


    but another part of the state had been in the black plain empire for less time, having arrived there after the war in the south had begun when things were relatively stable in the north of the continent.


    these people had heard the stories of minos'' past exploits, but they had never lived through the terrible experiences.


    faced with the first great moment of uncertainty, many couldn''t help but fear the future and wonder if they were on the right path.


    but when the first news of the event was published a few days after minos'' deeds, the discussions around the state would reach new heights!


    ...


    in a tavern in the capital of the end''s area, one of the most developed areas after the core of the empire...


    several sheets of newspapers lay on the tavern''s floor, and there was a lot of noise in this place where people normally came to eat, drink, and relax among friends.


    on one side of the tavern, some people were talking in low voices with worried expressions, while on the other side, the customers were loudly talking while drinking.


    one of the loudspeakers said. "the empire must kill these bastards! aliens come to the spiritual world, and a bunch of cowards want to surrender? they want to get in our way because they''re afraid to fight? fuck them!"


    "yes! if anyone from our state wants to side with the aliens, then let them leave our land and find a place to wait out the invasion! but we don''t have to live with those bastards or accept their opinions!"


    "i won''t accept an enemy that sees my children as food or slaves to dictate things in the world! if we have to live in misery, i''d rather fight to the death! his majesty is more clear than ever. his decision couldn''t have been better!" a local man said aloud, his face shaking.


    he had seen the war of minos and the rest of the northern region decades ago and then seen the benefits of being on the side of emperor stuart. he had suffered before, but by siding with his former enemy, he had grown up, stopped being a spiritual king, and then reached the end of the 7th stage!


    he now dreamed of advancing to the 8th stage, something he had never dreamed of before the rise of minos.


    but these opportunities didn''t come for free. first, he had lost a lot in the war of independence, and then he had to learn to live by minos'' rules. n/)o-/v--e)/l.(b/-1-.n


    the price was that he had to forget the past, accept the enemy, and even work for him.


    was it worth it? of course, it was!


    but now he couldn''t help but feel irritated when he saw that there were people who had never lost anything or given anything in return but thought they couldn''t be accused by his majesty minos stuart.


    how could he see these people muttering about it and remain silent?


    to him, these people were ungrateful for the opportunities they had been given, foolish for thinking that everything in the world should be fair, and ultimately cowardly for not seeing that the current situation was one of life and death.


    by now, more than half the continent was aware that an alien invasion was planned to take place in a few decades, something that would bring a war of world proportions to this planet.


    the enemy was coming to this world to gather resources, not to make friends. it would exterminate everyone in its path, as it didn''t need the local people to work for it.


    all this had been revealed in the latest newspapers, which minos had used to convince his people to work even harder for the empire and to justify his actions of days before.


    knowing this, minos'' supporters could not remain silent!


    meanwhile, those who were afraid couldn''t help but comment on the situation''s absurdity.


    "what are we going to do? these people are fanatics! at least half of the population is willing to die in this absurd battle that the newspapers are talking about." a person who had been in the empire for less than 10 years said to the group of 5 people sitting around two tables.


    "i didn''t expect there would be people who would side with his majesty after this." a woman said quietly. "not only were 2 million people unjustly killed that day. more than 8 million people were expelled from the empire for being related to the dead.


    do you believe that? innocent people were punished simply for having blood ties to the so-called ''traitors.''" she said as she looked wide-eyed at her tablemates.


    "the situation on the ground is really complicated. his majesty seems to have control over a large part of the population, even though he has acted so cruelly." another said with a sigh, not knowing what to do.

 Chapter 2058 Reactions (2)

    chapter 2058 reactions (2)


    conversations similar to the one in the previous tavern were elsewhere in the empire.


    "what do we do now, people? this situation is too dangerous. two million people just expressed their opinion about surrender and were killed. there''s no freedom of speech here." a young man commented to his friends from the western region who had come to the black plain empire with him after the beginning of vico and maximilian''s war.


    a woman commented. "it''s extreme, but where are we going to go? back to mairin? the black plain empire currently has the best professionals for saints like us. local resources are the cheapest on the continent, while salaries are among the best.


    here, we can invest in the state and earn crystals without working. we have various benefits, such as free special cultivation areas, opportunities to join the army, and much more.


    are we really considering giving up all these opportunities to people who died for opinions we don''t even agree with?" she looked at her old friends.


    "don''t you see the problem here, alice?" a man of level 74 asked with a disgusted look on his face. "what if we''re the following ones? what if some of your relatives think differently from his majesty in the future? you could lose everything, including your investments in the empire just because of that!"


    "yes, that''s a problem." a blonde woman said to alice. "i don''t even talk to my older brother. i haven''t seen him in over 100 years. but i know he lives in the empire today. what will happen to me if he screws up?


    what happened to those 8 million people is very unfair, you know? i understand that maybe the punishment for those who actually expressed their opinions is understandable, but this is entirely out of touch with reality. it doesn''t exist anywhere!"


    "i understand your concern. i, too, feel uncomfortable with all of this. but people, we''ve come from our state to this place. we have to abide by the local rules." alice spoke. "no migrant comes here without being introduced to the imperial law book. if you accepted the rules when you came here, why hesitate now?"


    ...


    meanwhile, ambrose snow, currently at level 73, was in a fancy restaurant in the largest city in the snow''s area, where he was still the local leader as the current representative of the assembly.


    next to him was a high-ranking saint with whom he had a business meeting this afternoon but who was talking to him about local insecurity.


    "ambrose, what do you really think about this?" the black-haired man in front of ambrose asked, a little concerned about continuing in a state where the emperor could kill so many people so quickly, and the local population had no right to ask questions. n-(o-/v)-e/-l).b((1..n


    some residents had recently attempted to protest, demanding further justification from the imperial family. however, all attempts at protest were prevented by soldiers or police, and many people were arrested for public disturbance.


    knowing this, this man, who had lived here for less than six years, couldn''t help but be concerned and ask for the opinion of someone who had dealt with minos since the very beginning of the emperor''s rise to power.


    ambrose smiled as he listened to his business partner''s delicate question. "james, his majesty is both generous and ruthless. would i do the same as him? no, but i''m not him. i don''t have his ability and knowledge. otherwise, i would be the regional leader, not his majesty.


    his majesty sees things differently, and maybe that''s why he''s so successful in his journey. so i think he is right in his decisions.


    and from a lawful point of view, these people have committed a crime. the aliens are threatening the whole spiritual world, so it''s right to say that they are enemies of the empire and that they are trying to destroy the state.


    anyone who says out loud or signs a declaration that they will surrender to the aliens and be at their disposal in the future is basically saying, ''we are on the side of the enemy of the empire.'' how is that not treason?" ambrose smiled as he gestured.


    he continued. "so the punishment was appropriate and followed all the empire''s law book rules." he placed a small book on the table where there was food and drink, drawing james'' eyes to the item that every migrant would receive with their id when they migrated to the black plain empire.


    ambrose finished his thought. "james, we''re businessmen. when you sign a contract, you must follow through with it, right? so why question his majesty''s actions in enforcing the ''invisible'' contract he had with these residents?


    anyway, if you follow the state''s rules, you and your family will be fine. here, you''ll have a chance to grow like nowhere else in the world. so i wouldn''t worry if i were you."


    "do you really think so?"


    ambrose asked, spreading his arms. "do i look nervous? just learn to dance to the music, james. you''ll be very big when you do it."


    ...


    meanwhile, in an area near brown''s border with albano, a group of people were hiding in a house on the outskirts of a large city.


    in the basement of that house was a group of four nervous people, each of them breaking into a cold sweat as the latest newspapers littered the floor of that sparsely decorated or lit area.


    "shit!"


    "we have to leave this state." one of the people there, a woman, said as she felt afraid to continue planning her group''s actions in this place.


    "but our plans to sabotage the empire haven''t even gotten off the drawing board yet! how will we stop the madmen of this world from further developing their powers if we give up now?" a bald man asked.


    that was a group of terrorists from a faction on the central continent who had planned to interfere with the powers of that continent to prevent the development of technologies based on alien projects.


    the group they came from believe that the war minos and his allies wanted to fight was a losing confrontation. fighting would only cause more casualties for the world as a whole. so, instead of fighting, they wanted to make the world aware that accepting the aliens as their new monarchs might be the best way out for everyone.


    some may find this strange at first. however, this group used an excellent narrative and was successful in recruiting more and more people as more and more people believed similar things to them.


    this story was very simple. the spiritual world was already dominated by less than 0.1% of the population, those high-ranking individuals from organizations such as the travisani family, the elves tribe, the pantheon of honor, etc. for 99.9% of the population, switching from these and other groups to the aliens wouldn''t make much of a difference!


    so why not avoid unnecessary deaths and surrender to the aliens?


    that was the group''s argument!

 Chapter 2059 Terrorists Terrify the Continent

    chapter 2059 terrorists terrify the continent ?


    while the ordinary people of the black plain empire were discussing the current issues affecting them, the terrorists in the state were divided.


    some of them wanted to give up their intentions in this empire, fearing what would happen to them if they defied emperor stuart.


    as terrorists, they would be in great danger anyway. but before minos'' action, they had more than 2 million people they wanted to use to cover their movements in this state.


    but with the murder of those 2 million people and the rest of the like-minded people in the empire becoming afraid to expose what they really thought, the terrorists were more alone than ever.


    if they acted now, they would most likely have no people to cover their actions, and the chances of being caught by empire soldiers or police would be exponentially greater than before.


    that made some of the terrorists reconsider what they would do in the black plain empire.


    but another part of them believed that now was the time to act, to show that they weren''t afraid of the tyrant known as minos stuart.


    for these people, fighting now was more imperative than ever, as it would show the world the oppression of the powerful people, the only ones who would "really" be harmed if the aliens took over the spiritual world.


    who else would lose in the event of an alien victory in this world? the ordinary people who farm and mine? or the influential leaders of organizations like minos, vico, maximillian, aurae, and many others?


    99.9% of the population was so weak that they could be compared to ants. it would be easy for the aliens to make them follow their rules. and so there was a chance that these people could continue with their lives as they were if they surrendered to the invaders from the spiritual world.


    but the strongest 0.1% of the population, those who could give the aliens a headache, wouldn''t be needed by the world invaders at all and would be the only ones who could make domination difficult.


    so they would certainly be eliminated when the aliens arrived, and that''s why they so desperately wanted to fight their enemies.


    but should the ordinary people suffer? the terrorists didn''t think so, and the boldest of them wanted to act now more than ever to show the actual situation in the world to ordinary people who hadn''t yet realized the obvious!


    and with that, minos'' action was not enough to put an end to the dangers posed by the terrorists!


    ...


    meanwhile, the rest of the continent reacted to the latest events in the north.


    but outside of the black plain empire, hardly any people spoke out in minos'' defense. after all, there were hardly any people in other states of the continent who understood that state as well as the more experienced inhabitants of that area.


    moreover, the further south you went, the fewer allies minos had to defend his side.


    the first terrorists to act across the continent after minos'' recent actions took the opportunity to expose what was happening in the north and how the world''s leaders were thinking just like emperor stuart.


    a group had just attacked a facility belonging to the imperial forces of the evergreen empire, where military products based on alien technology were being developed.


    as the terrorists fled the scene and local soldiers rose from their positions to secure the area and pursue the criminals, hundreds of civilians came out to protest the actions in the north.


    "punish the tyrant minos!"


    "we want the genocidal minos stuart to be punished! we demand the empire sever its ties with the black plain empire!"


    people appeared in the vicinity of the newly attacked site, carrying banners and placards in support of the families expelled from minos'' state but also mourning the deaths of the innocents in that terrible state. n--o-.v-)e--l--b-)1..n


    meanwhile, the local soldiers didn''t know what to do, as they were prevented from doing their job while the protesters cleared the terrorists'' escape routes.


    "shit! where did this crowd come from?" a soldier shouted.


    "they were protesting outside the imperial palace a few minutes ago. it kooks like they''ve moved here."


    "what about the enemy tracks?"


    "i lost them."


    "me too. the bastards used these people against us!"


    ...


    meanwhile, in the capital of the flowers kingdom...


    queen mcbride received news of attacks across the continent, with estimates that radicals would soon hit her state.


    having also heard about the recent incidents in the black plain empire and the continental''s concerns about the rebels, this woman had a worried expression on her face.


    this woman, who was currently at level 94, then commented to her group. "what was minos thinking? after what he did, the whole continent is worse off than before!"


    her advisor, a level 92 eunuch, then said. "minos stuart has always been arrogant and decisive in his actions. i don''t think the power has changed that in him. he''s just more rash now that powerful enemies are approaching."


    "but how do we deal with this situation?" she asked. "the flowers kingdom is a closed state, but these terrorists seem to be everywhere. i''ve heard of incidents even in the city of vico. nothing like this has ever happened before!"


    one of hannah''s eldest daughters then said. "i think we have to make a quick decision and get the state on minos stuart''s side. our state is closed, so whatever we decide will be accepted by our people. but if we remain undecided for too long, the terrorists may succeed in winning the hearts of our people."


    "to side with minos..." the queen murmured, aware she couldn''t stand against him even if she wanted to.


    her history with him was too long to turn against him. besides, she had promises of support from the state of minos, so it wouldn''t even make sense to stand against him.


    but now, siding with minos was like asking to be attacked by radicals.


    "how can we do this without losing too much of our progress?" she asked, looking at the people in the royal throne room in her state''s capital.


    "the only alternative we have is to ally ourselves even more with the black plain empire. why don''t we implement the same rules as minos?" suggested a level 91 eunuch. "anyone who chooses to side with the aliens will be considered a traitor to the kingdom. meanwhile, any man who enters our state, regardless of origin or background, will be captured by our strongest members!"


    the flowers kingdom only acted against men with women of a similar level to those men. they didn''t use experts to force weaker men to sleep with their juniors.


    this was a matter of honor for these women but also a method to keep the continent''s powers from looking too closely at them.


    this eunuch, however, had suggested doing away with it!


    "but that would make the whole continent angry..." said one of hannah''s daughters.


    "not if we have the support of his majesty minos stuart. then we can do what we want and protect the flowers kingdom!"

 Chapter 2060 A Global Movement?

    chapter 2060 a global movement?


    minos was currently one of the most respected experts in the spiritual world. how had he achieved this as a mere sage?n--ovelb1n


    not only was he the big name behind the discovery of the alien invaders, but he had also received the approval of several gods to take parts of the alien technologies to his state, something that only peak powers in this world had achieved.


    less than 20 organizations in the entire spiritual world had obtained parts of the technologies in the north sea to bring back to their headquarters.


    the black plain empire was one of those 20 powers. as such, minos'' position was higher than ever, and many respected him as much as some high-ranking demigods on this planet.


    in addition to these accomplishments involving the aliens in some way, minos also had a large food-producing state under his command, something important at a time when the world was about to enter an ice age.


    as much as the aliens were a real problem that threatened everyone, the ice age could also affect the powers of the world if the people of that world didn''t organize against it.


    that was another point that gave minos influence in the present, which is why members of the flowers kingdom government might think of using him as support to justify their plans to defend their state.


    the demigod, who suggested taking action against anyone who entered the flowers kingdom, then said to the queen. "your majesty, if we do nothing, rebels will invade our state, and we will have internal problems. but if we quickly stop the infiltration of foreigners into our kingdom and enact aggressive laws against pro-alien positions, we can improve local control until the enemies arrive.


    with the support of his majesty minos stuart and the justification that we are closing our borders to prevent rebels from entering our state, no power on the continent will try to act against us."


    another eunuch thought about what this man had just said, remembering minos'' promise to this state years ago. "it may be time to use his majesty minos stuart''s promise to you, your majesty. right now, we are just ordinary allies. using that promise to get closer to the black plain empire might be interesting.


    why don''t we temporarily ally ourselves with them? we could cooperate with his majesty minos stuart in the development of new technologies, help with specialists, or even finance projects. in return, he could speak on our behalf to the continental community and help us fight our enemies."


    "do you think we''ve gone so far as to use that promise?" queen mcbride asked, wondering if it was worth getting so close to minos.


    the relationship her men were proposing did not seem to be one of equals but of powers on very different levels. but minos seemed to be in a higher position than them, even if he still didn''t have the numbers of the flowers kingdom.


    such a decision would be difficult for any leader to make!


    hannah had her pride, but she also didn''t know what could happen if she relied so much on minos.


    "yes." the two eunuchs said, while others agreed it seemed to make sense.


    not only was minos currently influential throughout the spiritual world, but he also seemed to be the most rigid regarding the problem with the rebels. it would be interesting for anyone with similar thoughts to take his side.


    besides, minos was on the verge of becoming a demigod, which would put him in an even better position than the one he''s in now. being by his side when that happened would be extremely beneficial.


    to achieve the best results for the flowers kingdom, the eunuchs agreed to a deeper alliance with the black plain empire and to support the non-tolerance policy for those willing to surrender to the aliens.


    hannah then announced. "very well, since all advisors seem to think the same and no one has any arguments against these plans, let''s proceed with what has been suggested. contact the government of the black plain empire and initiate local procedures to implement these changes immediately!


    ...


    in the following days, minos'' allies in the world received news of what had happened in his state and the worsening situation of the rebels and terrorists in the central continent.


    some reacted with concern to minos'' actions, but they all understood his motives. they all faced similar problems and wanted to stop the part of the population that was thinking of surrendering.


    it might seem reasonable to think that if aliens replaced the strongest in the world, maybe things would stay the same for the weakest.


    but the ordinary people didn''t understand how strong their enemies were!


    they didn''t understand the super-advanced technologies of the aliens, let alone what these beings looked like. they were entirely in the dark about 99% of the enemies, not knowing whether the aliens were world conquerors or something else.


    the world leaders talking about what little they knew wouldn''t help either because part of the population would never have the chance to deal with the invaders personally to understand the reality. any justification given by world leaders would result in distrust and disbelief on the part of the terrorists and the mentally weak people.


    even if the world leaders were truly trying to protect the world from the worst, it would be challenging to solve the problem.


    but minos'' ways were somewhat extreme, which made many powers concerned about what he had done.


    only a fraction of minos'' allies and business partners had publicly expressed their support for him, even after the recent news.


    but even those who avoided the subject understood minos'' move and didn''t blame him for anything. contrary to what the terrorists and surrenderists had expected from the world after his actions, no one would put pressure on emperor stuart for his actions!


    on the contrary, he had gained more support from some powers than ever before while keeping all his relationships intact.


    amidst this, those who were thinking of surrendering were more frightened than ever, seeing that tyrannical acts like his could soon be repeated outside of this state of the central continent!

 Chapter 2061 The Right Decision

    chapter 2061 the right decision?


    the entire spiritual world would be abuzz with talk of minos'' methods.


    when he was weaker and less relevant, no one really cared if he killed left and right or if his methods were fair or unfair.


    but after he became influential, the leader of one of the most populous nations in the world, and as powerful as 10th-stage experts, everything he did caused reactions.


    weaker people all over the world talked about how terrible he was and how bad it must be to live under a tyrant like him. meanwhile, the strong envied minos and imagined how good it would be if they could act like him and deal with the rebels in their states the way he did.


    unfortunately, doing what minos did wasn''t easy. as much as it seemed that it only depended on the will of someone powerful, most of the states in this world had been formed based on the trust of the ancient powers in the sovereign forces.


    if the sovereign forces of each territory started doing extreme things, the pillars of their states would become uncomfortable, and this could even lead to internal wars or even worse weakening than the weakening caused by terrorists.


    in short, the reality of most of the world was too delicate for others to repeat minos'' actions.


    but the strongest agreed with him, even if some publicly said they did not.


    as these discussions spread north and south, east and west, other information spread among the strongest in this world.


    amid the chaos of his actions, minos had forged an important partnership with the elven island, having made a direct agreement with aurae, the elven god of this generation!


    even after the terrible deeds, the winds continued to blow in minos'' direction!


    ...


    "your excellency, was it the right decision to partner with minos stuart?" a level 99 elf asked the level 100 woman who had just returned to elves island after traveling through the north sea and then the central continent.


    hearing this, aurae didn''t hide the truth. "what are 2 million lives? hagen, the black plain empire, and minos stuart will be critical in the war against the aliens.


    do you know how much progress they''ve already made in dry city?"


    "how much?" hagen, one of the five strongest on the island, asked. "30% of what we''ve accomplished?"


    "funny." she laughed. "that''s what the ignorant think. but the state of minos stuart is probably the most advanced in terms of foreign technology in our world right now."


    "what?" the elf found that hard to believe.


    "i''ve seen it with my own eyes, hagen. i don''t know how minos did it, but i think we''ll find out once we begin our partnership. anyway, the black plain empire will be vital if we are to continue to be the protectors of this world.


    with their advances in the technologies of the people of the adamant land, we will resist the invaders of our world!


    as for those fools who thought of surrendering, he was right to kill them. the world will not miss them." she said as she looked into the green eyes of the elderly-looking elf.


    the man was completely surprised by minos'' state. but as for the fact that aurae didn''t care about the dead beings, he really wasn''t surprised.


    in normal situations, minos'' actions would be viewed negatively, as he was one of the most important axes of the world today. any strange action on his part would be worrying.


    but if he really was so good at facilitating alien technologies, then his action made more sense than anyone could have imagined. after all, he wasn''t just eliminating annoying people. he was trying to reduce the number of fools in his state who believed in surrender and thereby reduce the chance of terrorist attacks on his territory.


    why was this important? simply because the terrorist attacks had targeted spiritual professionals and technology development sites. in other words, they were trying to stop the world from progressing!


    but while it might be worrisome for someone to kill so many people for small advances, it was pretty different when their advances were significant.


    ''if minos can really make such a difference, then eliminating these problems was the right move.'' the level 99 elf thought to himself, seeing that the strongest of his tribe hadn''t gone mad to support emperor stuart.


    "i see... now, it makes sense. what did your excellency promise him in return?" he asked with a smile on his face.


    "three things, two easy things, and one annoying thing. i promised to let you into the tree of life."


    "what?" the man''s expression changed completely.


    ...


    meanwhile, in dry city...


    after the deal with aurae and her departure from the central continent to return to elven island, minos returned to his city to prepare for the start of the partnership with the elves.


    he had explained the situation to his government and family and was now adjusting his plans so as not to give away everything his group could develop over the next 10 years.


    for example, he decided that the plans he had for when he reached level 90 would not be implemented until after the period agreed upon with aurae.


    in the meantime, he wanted his people to focus on using the discoveries of the elves to try to develop what they already knew rather than having to develop everything new in the next few decades.


    they were in a hurry to grow and make further technological advances. but since they would face limits in the future that would prevent them from continuing to learn and develop new things, slowing their pace a little for 10 years wouldn''t change where they would be when their enemies arrived.


    so minos intended to use the loopholes in the agreement he had made with aurae to gain some future advantage over the elves! n(/o(-v(-e)/l--b/-1--n


    as for the problems with the rebels, his state had dealt with them with a zero-tolerance policy.


    army and police had been cracking down on protesters and terrorists throughout the state and had already dealt with a few thousand since the trial and execution a few days ago.


    this action alone wasn''t enough to completely scare off all of the government''s enemies. however, minos and his people had anticipated this and acted accordingly, arresting and punishing those who had fallen victim to their actions.


    meanwhile, the major cities of the empire were becoming more difficult to enter and leave, with more frequent identity checks and inspections inside and outside the city.


    as a result, the state had fewer incidents than other places on the continent!


    amidst all this, new proposals for treaties and alliances arrived at the local ruler''s table!

 Chapter 2062 Gains and New Deals to be Made!

    chapter 2062 gains and new deals to be made!


    in the blink of an eye, another two years have passed!


    during this time, the world''s problems with the part of the population that didn''t want to fight the outside enemy increased, with more attacks and more people joining the cause of those who wanted to surrender to the aliens.


    world leaders had tried to convince their populations that the external enemy was not coming to this world to talk or to replace the world''s experts. they were coming to take over their world, kill everyone in their path, and only keep what they were interested in: the world''s resources.


    for the members of the mechanic empire, all that mattered in this world was how it could be used to their advantage with the economic exploitation of these lands.


    they already knew everything there was to know about the spiritual world because the group of space explorers had spent centuries there, studying what it was like, the civilizations, technologies, forms of power, language, and history of the world.


    the aliens just didn''t know about the world''s greatest secrets. still, even the ordinary population of the spiritual world didn''t know about them... in other words, this population wasn''t necessary and would only cause headaches for the invaders.


    but even with many arguments and proofs that the enemies won''t come to the world to talk, the world leaders still couldn''t convince everyone. most of the world''s population was on their side for the time being, but the number of rebels was becoming alarming.


    only in some of the more radical states of the central continent had things not gotten so bad during this period due to the extreme actions that had isolated these places from the rest of the world.


    these were the cases of blackrock, albano, rosser, and the flowers kingdom, which had begun expelling the families of people associated with the rebels from their states and killing people who publicly expressed their rebellious thoughts.


    unlike the black plain empire, these places didn''t have much to offer the world. as a result, they had all come under heavy criticism from the world''s powers and had lost many of their old allies.


    however, this was not the case for the black plain empire. not only had the minos'' empire begun to do even more business with these states, but it had not lost a single deal as a result of its actions.


    it must be said that during this period, two more massacres, like the one years ago, were carried out by minos. therefore, the incidents in this state remained under control.


    apart from these more radical states, only the states where there were gods were not so chaotic at the moment.


    otherwise, the spiritual world was getting colder and colder and had problems everywhere.


    meanwhile, some of the forces in this world were making fantastic progress with alien technologies!


    ...


    minos and his wives had been getting stronger and stronger over the past few years, but none of them had made any breakthroughs during that time.


    minos was currently near the peak of level 89, but he was at the end of his stage, which meant that it would now take him longer to level up than his wives.


    he didn''t expect to reach level 90 for at least 3 years, so he didn''t waste any time thinking about reaching the 10th stage or improving the quality of his physique.


    but his wives were in different situations, and they all intended to level up in the next 12 months, with some of them close to finally becoming high-level sages.


    the rest of the family was also becoming stronger, with the children rapidly approaching the 5th stage and becoming more mature.


    lily, rowan, and hollie were still teenagers. still, they would soon come of age and begin to take on more responsibility.


    however, they were far from dealing with the important issues of state that sarah, currently at level 77, had already dealt with.


    surprisingly, however, someone who no one expected to be relevant at this time did. kendrick, who had recently reached level 71, had joined the enemy technology development group in the previous months after demonstrating great skill with the alien armor.


    kendrick had an innate ability similar to his father''s, energy boost. as he grew stronger, he displayed powers more similar to those of minos.


    because of this, and the cultivation with the chaotic energy of the giant skeletons he did with his father''s help, this young man was already one of the most compatible with the alien armor in this state.


    he couldn''t use the armor sages wore because it required him to strengthen himself. but kendrick had been working closely with the army professionals, serving as one of the official testers of the alternative armor models the army had developed over the years.


    for the time being, his work was still minor. still, the entire government and the upper echelons of the army already had high expectations for him.


    meanwhile, minos'' group''s progress with the alien technologies they had been studying had been very good over the years. although they had slowed down so as not to benefit the elves too much, they had improved their previous knowledge by more than 30%.n(.ovelb1n


    all of the army''s armor, ships, and spaceships were now based on alien technology, while more advanced versions were being developed in secret in dry city.


    but the partnership with the elves had also helped the empire!


    through the information shared by the elves, minos'' group learned many useful things in developing new techniques, strengthening their soldiers, and manipulating resources from the world.


    as minos had expected, the elves'' view of the enemy''s technologies differed greatly from his and his people''s. upon receiving the elves'' insights, he and his group soon realized the methods the elves understood were more compatible with the new methods of empowering cultivators and managing resources more efficiently.


    as a result, new techniques and ways of absorbing and even harvesting resources were used throughout the empire. at the same time, minos and his government sought out various powers in the spiritual world to do business similar to that one.


    since aurae had forced him to hand over his advancements, why shouldn''t he hand over the same things to other powers in exchange for new ways of looking at alien methods?


    minos had spotted this opportunity after realizing the usefulness of the deal with the elves and was currently in dry city receiving envoys from the continent of beasts to discuss the matter!

 Chapter 2063 Cautious

    chapter 2063 cautious?


    in a conference room of the stuart family''s imperial palace, minos was talking with envoys from the continent of beast.


    among the six beings in their humanoid forms, two were from the dragon tribe, while the others were from the phoenix tribe and the great mammoth tribe, which were among the six strongest races in those lands.


    minos had just welcomed them, having invited not only these tribes to his state some time ago but also other powers from the spiritual world, such as the marine empire and the sky whale tribe.


    however, these were the first to respond to his invitation, as minos was closer to them or even close partners.


    after they had all chatted casually about how things were going in their respective powers, minos got right to the point. "well, i don''t want to waste too much time with unnecessary conversations. i know everyone here has things to do and worry about. i want an agreement with your forces to share the discoveries our people have made regarding the items left behind by the aliens."


    these mid-level demigods looked at minos in silence for a moment, not underestimating him.


    they were in dry city, but that didn''t mean they had seen the progress minos'' people had made. to welcome these beings on this day, the local government kept their most locally developed items in secret locations.


    however, even if they didn''t know the true strength of this state, the representatives of the continent of beast tribes could guess that minos wasn''t there just to get something for himself.


    minos was already well known throughout the spiritual world. and with his many high-level achievements, none of these people thought he would call them to negotiate without having anything to give in return.


    if he wanted to exchange information, it was likely that he would be confident in the progress he had made concerning alien methods.


    "what exactly can you offer us? and what do you want?" the main representative of the great mammoths asked, looking into minos'' eyes.


    minos revealed. "what i''m offering you is the same as what i already offer the elves¡ªeverything i have on alien technologies and what i would have for the next 8 years. in return, i want you to share with me what you understand differently from what my people have already understood and also what you have managed to develop so far and in the next 8 years.


    i don''t care how you arrived at your conclusions. i''m just interested in the conclusions."


    that was exactly what minos did with the elves. neither the members of the aurae tribe nor the people of the black plain empire told each other how they had achieved their breakthroughs against enemy technologies. all they had done was to share the last of the knowledge each side had developed.


    he wanted to do the same with these beasts, to use the things he had already delivered to the elves and would deliver in the future, and to get new things that could help the empire advance more quickly.


    if aurae hadn''t pushed him before, he wouldn''t have done it because he knew how fragile the relations between the continents still were.


    even though almost all high-ranking beings agreed that they had to face the aliens and that they had to learn the enemy''s methods, there was still enough time for internal wars to break out in this world.


    all it would take would be for one group to overstep certain boundaries or expose more wealth than they should, for others to feel that it was worth starting confrontations.


    because of this, minos felt he still had to be careful with his neighbors in this world, for the enemy was not yet close enough for them to be united as they should be.


    that was also the reason why he hadn''t considered talking about or showing any of his divine medicines, as he was almost certain that he would be killed or at least brutally attacked if others knew what he had.


    he was careful with what he had in his spatial kingdom but also with what he was developing in the empire.


    since he was already giving things to the elves, he wanted to arm other powers in the world with the same kind of technology to limit the elves. at the same time, he could get new things.


    aurae had made the mistake of not demanding exclusivity from him, so minos was making the most of the loopholes in his agreement with her!


    "elves? you have such a deal with the elves?" one of the phoenixes asked curiously, not knowing about it.


    rumors had been circulating in the world that the black plain empire and the elves had been involved in something in recent months. few, however, knew the truth about what was really going on.


    when minos told them what it was, four were surprised to hear it, while the dragons heard something they already knew.


    the dragons hadn''t approached minos to make a similar deal because they didn''t want to disrespect aurae.


    but from the looks of it, minos didn''t have the same level of respect for a god that the dragon tribe had!


    since he initiated this agreement, these dragons were naturally less afraid of it being seen negatively by aurae. that was minos'' doing, not necessarily theirs! n(.o).v/.e-.1))b).i--n


    "yes, we''ve been doing this for two years." minos smiled as he confirmed it, while those who had just discovered the truth became more interested in his proposal.


    ''if the elves have made such an agreement, even though they are one of the most advanced with alien technologies, it means that the black plain empire has also made good progress.'' the strongest phoenix there thought before looking seriously into minos'' eyes.


    "very well, i''m willing to make this deal possible. i''ll have to communicate with my tribe, but in six months at the most, we can start our joint efforts if everything goes well."


    "the same for my tribe." the great mammoth said, thinking more or less along the same lines as the dragons and the phoenixes there.


    minos smiled when he heard that and got up from where he was to greet each of them.


    "haha, that''s good. with an agreement between our groups, the spiritual world will become a stronger and safer place. maybe we can even work together to deal with the radicals better because of this agreement."


    they agreed with minos because even though they had fewer problems with radicals on their continent, the problem of rebels had arrived there as well.

 Chapter 2064 Progress Within the Same Level

    chapter 2064 progress within the same level


    after minos received members of some of the major races of the continent of beast in his capital, a whole year passed, and his agreements with the phoenixes, mammoths, and dragons were confirmed.


    during this time, he had also reached similar agreements with the marine empire, which had sent a group of representatives to negotiate with him months after his meeting with the six beasts earlier.


    as for the sky whales, they hadn''t made up their minds yet, but they already knew why minos wanted to invite them to dry city.


    the black plain empire was already working on its partnerships with the elves, dragons, mammoths, sea folk, and phoenixes, which was hard to ignore. but as much as the sky whales more or less understood that he wanted a partnership and that it could be beneficial to all, these beings were more resistant to making a deal with him.


    the sky whales had made great progress in their studies, which focused on their special characteristics and great strength. this race was one of the least likely to use external devices in battle in the spiritual world, so whatever minos might offer them would not be so advantageous to them.


    because of this difference, the sky whale group still hadn''t contacted minos directly, even after more than a year since the young man''s invitation.


    that was unfortunate for minos, as he wanted to make deals with all the major players in the current technological development of the spiritual world. however, this didn''t affect his plans negatively.


    after another year of working with the elves and a few months with their new partners, minos and his state had made new advances in practically every possible field.


    things they hadn''t understood before were becoming clearer to his people, and the army''s soldiers were gaining better resources, techniques, and technologies.


    because of these agreements and the fact he didn''t have to share what he achieved through his allies with the elves, minos had once again gained an advantage over the members of the world''s most intelligent race!


    meanwhile, his family continued to level up.


    ...


    in the empire''s capital, minos was at the army headquarters in the combat and demonstration arena of this high-level local facility.


    there were some professional spiritual demigods with him, people between levels 90 and 92, the strongest in the empire.


    on the other hand, some 9th-stage soldiers were fighting on the battlefield in that area, using not only items based on alien technologies but also new ways of using their powers and techniques.


    among them were lee and alison, who had volunteered to serve as guinea pigs for the tests that had been conducted over the past few months based on what the state had discovered with the help of the beasts from the continent of beast.


    both lee and alison had already reached level 80. they had been studying the new methods with the knowledge of the dragons, phoenixes, and elves, which only a small portion of the empire''s soldiers had access to at that time.


    for each level of cultivation between the 8th and 9th stages, only four people in the army had been given the opportunity to help the state''s spiritual experts improve what they had done so far!


    thus, even though those two were nobles of the empire, they were there to help, but they were also there to take advantage of the opportunity to be among the first to use the empire''s new methods.


    "incredible," minos said as he watched the low-level 9th-stage soldiers struggle with the mid-level 9th-stage soldiers who had not yet gained access to the new methods developed locally. "even with similar talents and techniques, these soldiers, who have had access to the deepening of our ancient techniques through the discoveries of our allies, are displaying combat powers far above normal."


    until a few decades ago, a warrior''s strength in the spiritual world depended first and foremost on their level. second, one''s combat power would be greatly influenced by the characteristics of one''s innate ability, which may or may not be of the martial arts type. third, the quality of one''s techniques made the most difference in combat, which might or might not allow cultivators to fight above their level.


    but most people didn''t have innate martial arts skills, and the quality of most people''s techniques was more or less the same: black grade. therefore, cultivators at the same level usually had fairly balanced powers, and fighting someone above their level was rare.


    lightsn¦Ïv¦Ål however, with the discoveries made by minos'' professionals and the members of the tribes of elves, dragons, phoenixes, etc., this had changed!


    by combining the knowledge of many different beings and adapting it to human reality, minos'' group had arrived at methods capable of making people with similar techniques and common characteristics but different levels capable of fighting as equals!


    that meant if they made all the soldiers in the empire learn what they had developed so far, the strength of the entire empire could be increased by several levels, even without the soldiers having to progress!


    that''s why minos couldn''t help but get excited when he saw weaker soldiers fighting against stronger soldiers, seeing in front of him the realization of years of hard work by his forces.n-(0v¦Ålbin


    one of the leaders in improving the empire''s techniques, a demigod from the longus family, smiled at his leader''s comment. "this is not all. we will improve much more in the coming years, your majesty. as remarkable as the current progress is, we are only at the beginning of revising the army''s techniques.


    what''s more, the level of our soldiers continues to improve. the stronger they get, the better our results in terms of understanding, and the easier it will be to understand things we didn''t understand before.


    several other professionals besides minos and this man nodded in agreement while some watched the battle of those with new types of artifacts.


    "we haven''t done a proper test with a warrior equipped with our new ways of seeing the world and the laws of nature, with the new weapons and armor. i believe that a level 80 sage can single-handedly take on level 84 sages under these circumstances." said one of the men to minos.


    then, this level 92 old man became more serious. "for now, we''ve only managed to improve silver-grade techniques and low-level 4th-grade resources. however, if one day we improve superior techniques and items, we may be able to produce things that will give your majesty the ability to fight against high-level demigods."


    they hadn''t been able to develop things that could affect the power level of someone like minos, but they were aiming for that breakthrough!

 Chapter 2065 Level Improvements

    chapter 2065 level improvements


    after leaving his professionals with the soldiers who were helping them make the necessary changes to the projects under development, minos was soon with ruth and abby.


    these two, as well as isabella and gloria, had been leveling up over the past few months. except for the former heiress of the flaming empire, they were all currently at level 87.


    isabella was at level 86, a level weaker than the others due to her pregnancy and the fact that she hadn''t received an inheritance like ruth and abby.


    in any case, as the years went by, the cultivation became more difficult and slower, and they were actually getting closer to each other in terms of strength.


    their level wasn''t something that affected their family relationships. it was just a measure of strength for them to know how much they could get involved in their state''s current problems.


    that was why isabella was now busy raising the family''s children and managing the state''s partnerships with old allies, such as her paternal family''s empire.


    she did this while gloria was at the headquarters of the spiritual church in the northern region, continuing her work to increase her influence within the church.


    as for ruth and abby, they had finished some of their duties and were spending their free time with minos.


    "how long will it take you to reach level 90?" ruth asked minos as she relaxed in a comfortable chair in their home, a little tired but very much looking forward to his breakthrough.


    many things would change when that happened, and many of their plans could finally be implemented.


    minos replied with a smile. "it won''t take long. i should have all the conditions to attempt my breakthrough in about two more years."


    "two years, huh? we''ll all reach level 89 before you reach level 91." abby muttered, considering the fact that demigods take much longer to advance than spiritual sages.


    "the kids will be spiritual emperors by then," ruth commented, not wanting to talk about anything but her family in this moment of rest.


    hearing this, minos and abby smiled as the young members of their family broke record after record.


    with the new methods of using techniques, but also building arrays and artifacts in general, the training equipment, resources, and everything else these young people were using was much better than sarah and kendrick had had access to.


    as a result, rowan, lily, and hollie had barely reached adulthood and were already close to level 50!


    at their age, minos was only a level 39 youth, while even the most talented and wealthy of his wives was a level 43 cultivator at best.


    "good," minos said, in a good mood. "it''s just a shame that they won''t be able to venture out like we did. their early adulthood will be a bit rough while they''re stuck in our domains."


    "yes... but there''s nothing we can do about it. since the aliens are about to reach the world, they can only stay close to us, where we can keep them safe."


    minos closed his eyes and said. "after i advance to level 90, i''ll try to get high-level grade-4 professionals to open a portal from our spatial kingdom to dry city. this will allow our family and government to come and go from this region of space without depending on me."n-)o-.v-(e.-l.-b.(i((n


    "huh? why do you say that?" ruth was surprised because he had never mentioned it before.


    "because it will be hazardous to continue to have only one way in and out of the spatial kingdom. we don''t know what will happen during the war against the aliens. even if the spiritual world wins, it''s not certain that nothing will happen to us or to the spatial kingdom ring.


    i want to have a way for us or even our relatives to come and go from that place to enjoy the riches there." minos said, being realistic without ignoring the future risks they would face.


    "so that''s it... it makes sense." abby sighed and agreed with her husband.


    "but isn''t it dangerous?" ruth asked him.


    minos said sincerely. "after i reach level 90, some things will be different. but even if i can''t guarantee the risk won''t be zero, i think it will be more dangerous not to do it.


    in any case, i plan to have mid-level and high-level demigods willing to protect the entrance to the spatial kingdom for me. after that, i''ll use as much of my influence as i can to keep it as safe as possible."


    while they were talking, a soldier appeared in their part of the residence with an update for them.


    "your majesties, the professionals developing the empire''s spaceships have just made a major breakthrough. they''ve managed to complete the first unit that will supposedly be able to withstand flight through wormhole tunnels!" the 9th-stage soldier said as he entered the living room where they were.


    the three of them were interested in this because in order for minos'' plan of revenge, which was to invade the mechanic empire, to work, they would need spaceships capable of taking them to the adamant land!


    so far, they hadn''t been able to get these vehicles to fly through the wormholes that existed in the spiritual world.


    when the three heard that the latest project that would supposedly be able to do this was ready to be tested, they stood up and rushed to the test site.


    "where is the ship?" minos asked.


    "it is already being transported to the wormhole port outside the capital''s defense dome, your majesty." the man said.


    with that answer, minos and his two wives soon left the imperial palace and headed for the wormhole port, where the great test of the spaceship would take place in the next few moments.


    arriving at the place that had already been cordoned off for this test, they soon saw a ship with the symbol of a golden tree and those who had been training to pilot it for the past few years.


    "where should the test be conducted?" the group of demigods who had participated in the development of the ship asked minos.


    he thought about it and said. "i want you to take your test to the territory of the sky whales. take this with you." he threw a whale''s tooth at one of the ship''s crew members. "if you succeed and find a high-level sky whale, invite them here for a tour."


    "yes, your majesty!"

 Chapter 2066 Minos Spaceship

    chapter 2066 minos'' spaceship


    minos and his group watched as the test spaceship hovered a few meters above the ground before the entrance to a large wormhole manipulated by the surrounding demigods opened.


    at the appropriate moment, the spaceship activated its engines. it moved forward at high speed, entering the wormhole in a matter of seconds.


    while the people in the wormhole port watched, the ship''s crew collectively controlled the appropriate parts of the ship as it moved through the wormhole''s space tunnel.


    this ship was completely different from the ships of years ago when the minos people began to evolve their techs.


    as the empire''s spiritual experts'' understanding of enemy technologies increased, they were able to create new mechanisms and technologies that were more similar to what one would find in alien objects.


    but this ship was still very different from the ship the empire had brought from the north sea to study, and even though this unit was not ship-like, it had parts of its control with ship-like functions.


    for example, ships always had people in charge of navigation, people who would take care of the route between the ship''s starting point and its destination. this ship also had people responsible for that, who had to use their own powers to determine the path to take.


    a wormhole wasn''t like a straight tunnel leading from one point to another.


    space wasn''t that simple!


    some points in space had different energy densities and other properties that made it more or less difficult to form natural or artificial wormholes.


    because of this difference, wormholes could take on unimaginable shapes even if they were created by conscious beings such as cultivators.


    in most cases, these space tunnels would be curved. as such, someone flying through them would have to make special movements to avoid touching the walls of the space tunnel, which could destroy the bodies of practically all kinds of beings.


    while the spaceship''s navigators were taking care of the path, a group of operators were making it turn, while others were slowing down and speeding up it according to the path ahead.


    at the same time, people were standing by to control the vehicle''s laser and plasma cannons, which wouldn''t be useful in this part of the test but always had to be ready for use.


    they were heading for the central area of the south sea, so they had to be aware of the possibility of an attack, which was not zero.


    so, in addition to the gunners, there were people there to activate the ship''s defenses, which basically had three levels, the first of which was the body of the vehicle itself, which was a large piece of resistant armor. the second level consisted of an electronic barrier capable of degrading attacks and reducing the offensive power of things or attacks that were between the ship''s armor and up to 10 meters away from it.


    the third and final level was a large barrier supported by special arrays that stood 10 meters away from the ship''s armor and were capable of withstanding attacks from even mid-level demigods.


    "get ready! we''re about to reach the domain of the sky whales!" the ship''s commander shouted as he saw the end of this wormhole coming closer and closer.


    the 40 or so crew members of this spaceship prepared to exit the wormhole, a dangerous moment as they traveled through a space tunnel that had just been created.


    they weren''t traveling through a tunnel the empire had built within its territories but one that had been built for a trip.


    moreover, they were going to the middle of the ocean, an uninteresting place for wormhole travel since battles, extreme natural phenomena, and other things could happen where the wormhole exit opens.


    however, the testing of this ship had to be extreme enough for them to take the risk since the empire''s plan was to use such a ship in the future to travel to the mechanic empire.


    the ship''s defenses and weapons needed to be tested after all, so if anything happened when they arrived at their destination, it would be a good opportunity!


    with everyone eager to get to the south sea, they passed through the end of the space tunnel, leaving that dark and frightening area to reach a sea area that seemed to have no end, where it was sunny, and the sky was cloudless that day.nove-lb(in


    by the time they reached the place, the crew had the ship ready to defend itself, with its defenses activated and its weapons ready for use.


    however, there were no strange phenomena at the place of their arrival, let alone any battles or beings displaying their powers there.


    as the ship slowed down to fly more cautiously over the area, the crew smiled as they breathed more easily, seeing that the test flight through the wormhole had been successful. they had managed to reach this place without any problems.


    "navigators, where exactly are we? how do we accomplish his majesty''s mission?" the commander asked the people sitting on the right side of this ship''s command area.


    the empire''s first wormhole-capable spaceship had about 500 square meters of floor space, with bathrooms, a training and cultivation area, as well as dormitories, a mess hall, the command area, a detention area, and the engine area.


    the space on this ship was very well utilized. it had a total of four levels, with the middle two being the living areas, the top being the command area, and the bottom being the engine area.


    then, someone answered, giving directions to the group responsible for controlling the ship. "we are about 800 kilometers from one of the underwater cities in the territory of the sky whales. we should be able to complete his majesty''s mission there."


    "then let''s go there." the commander said, just before the ship started moving again at high speed, following the directions of the navigators.


    by now, it was flying at over 7,000 kilometers per hour, so fast that it could make continental voyages in a few days, even without using wormholes!


    ordinary grade-4 ships would take months to make the shortest ocean voyage in the world!


    so, in less than 10 minutes, this crew would be over the area where this small underwater city was located, where they would soon be identified as they began to move toward the bottom of the sea!

 Chapter 2067 Pact with the Strongest Tribe

    chapter 2067 pact with the strongest tribe


    ?nove.lb-1n


    the spaceship of the black plain empire could not only fly through wormholes and the air but also navigate like a submarine.


    when they arrived above the location of the submarine city, the group on it did what they had to do and entered the sea, still traveling at high speed.


    it wasn''t possible to sail at the same speed as they could fly through the air. but even so, it could still sail underwater at more than 500 kilometers per hour, and it could withstand the pressure of the water at the bottom of the sea.


    in a matter of seconds, that ship passed through the dark zone of the sea and reached the deepest part of that place, where a group of gigantic sky whales were already moving against them.


    "those..."


    "aliens?" some of the demigods imagined this was the case when they saw this spaceship since no one in the spiritual world had yet shown such development to be able to use this kind of technology.


    but when they thought about it, the first to identify the invaders of their territory realized they couldn''t be aliens. otherwise, the world would be in chaos, and their people in the north sea would have already warned them.


    it even made sense for the aliens to attack them first when the time came for war, but a single ship, several years before their enemies arrived, couldn''t be the work of the aliens.


    "who are you? identify yourselves!" a level 96 whale said as he appeared in front of their city, while the spaceship looked like an ant next to these colossal beings.


    then, a hologram appeared on the front of the ship, another alien technology that minos'' group had been working on.


    the ship''s commander was the one who appeared in the hologram since the empire''s technology was not yet good enough to work with beings very far away from the hologram.


    this man, dressed in the uniform of the black plain army and holding a sky whale tooth, introduced himself.


    "your excellency, we are members of the black plain army. we are here on behalf of our leader to invite you for a short trip to dry city." he said, assuming a military stance with a serious look on his face.


    "his majesty minos stuart wishes to do business with the sky whale tribe regarding technologies such as this spaceship i''m on. please consider accompanying us."


    hearing about the black plain empire and how this spaceship had been developed by minos'' people, the nearby whales couldn''t help but be surprised and open their mouths.


    ''they managed to get that far?''


    ''is it really true?''


    they mentally communicated as they stood in silence near the ship.


    that was an outpost from their tribe''s territory, one of the outposts around their tribe''s main city.


    minos'' group of men would never go directly to the main city of these beasts without being taken there, as it could cause too much trouble.


    but since some of these whales were very strong, they had enough influence to decide to go to minos'' state and start a possible negotiation.


    one of the strongest there said. ''don''t be silly. that is the symbol of the black plain empire. can''t you see that thing working right in front of you? i can clearly feel how strong this thing''s weapons and defenses are!''


    ''yes, this can''t be a trick. but how did they do it?''


    "that doesn''t matter now. apparently, emperor minos stuart wants to give us this kind of technology... i think it''s worthwhile for one of us to go to him and hear what he has to say.''


    they agreed until the strongest one there, a level 96 sky whale, transformed into his humanoid version as he approached the ship.


    "very well. i''m ready to visit your leader and see what he has in mind."


    with that, the tension in the area subsided before the creature entered the empire''s spaceship, and it left as quickly as it had arrived.


    that sky whale would be shocked to experience the spaceship''s high-speed flight before the crew returned through the same wormhole as before, which would remain open until the end of the next hour when it would close naturally.


    ...


    less than an hour after the group left to test the empire''s new spaceship, they returned to the same place they had left from!


    seeing the ship back and undamaged, the group waiting for the return of this crew celebrated.


    that was especially true for the spiritual professionals involved in developing this vehicle, who were now thrilled to find that their recent adjustments were correct.


    minos, ruth, and abby also smiled as they hugged each other, happy for a successful test.


    meanwhile, they noticed that someone else was on it and that their men had also managed to attract a sky whale.


    ''it seems that my ship has attracted the interest of one of the strongest creatures in the world.'' minos thought to himself as he saw the spaceship landing at the place he had left from earlier.


    he and everyone else made their way there as the entrance to the spaceship opened, and the first crew members waited to disembark next to the level 96 sky whale.


    "unbelievable! i can hardly believe i was in my tribe''s territory less than 20 minutes ago!" the muscular man in the blue robes made from his own scales said in surprise as he looked around and realized that he really was on the central continent.


    "your majesty, this is the senior olgran. he has agreed to come to the empire to hear what we have to offer the sky whale tribe." the commander said as he introduced minos to the sea beast.


    minos smiled at the 2.6-meter-tall man and said. "welcome to my city, mister olgran. as for what i have to offer, it''s the same as what i offer to my allies, like the elves and the dragons."


    olgran took no notice and asked. "will what you have to offer to enable my people to build such spaceships?"


    "yes, with some minor differences, but yes. you will be able to do most of what you''ve seen."


    "okay, i agree to make a deal with you," olgran said, ignoring almost everyone and staring at the spaceship as if he were in love with it.


    "what did you say?" ruth asked, not expecting this guy to accept their offer so easily.


    "i''ll take it to my tribe, and they''ll accept it. don''t worry, if it''s like your leader said, we''ll accept any condition."

 Chapter 2068 Corrupt Scheme

    chapter 2068 corrupt scheme


    after minos'' encounter with the level 96 sky whale, 15 months passed!


    in those months, the sky whale tribe and the black plain empire would hold some talks and then sign a treaty of alliance and partnership regarding alien technologies. they would start exchanging information 3 months after that fateful encounter.


    in the months to come, the black plain empire would use the agreements made with the world''s strongest powers to increase their understanding of alien methods, combining what each of their allies understood to reach new conclusions.


    that would be a time of great growth for minos'' empire when everyone in the army would be greatly strengthened by the upgrades to the previously developed techniques that had already been released to all soldiers.


    with better techniques, better cultivation items, more efficient pills, and better arrays, practically everyone in minos'' army was evolving while also increasing their combat prowess.


    amidst all this, some old problems continued to irritate the local powers and the people, for even with the growth and advance of the empire, the rebels had not weakened.


    on the contrary, the crisis with the radicals seeking the surrender of the world was getting worse by the day, and even the places with the most minor problems were facing complicated situations.


    even the states with gods and minos'' allies who had followed his methods were under increasing pressure from the people.


    meanwhile, the cities farthest from the core of the black plain empire were suffering from terrorist attacks.


    ...


    in the dry city...


    minos was in his imperial palace, in an audience with some of the empire''s soldiers, advisors, and a recently captured terrorist.


    "so you have your own interests besides surrendering, huh?" minos muttered after hearing his men''s findings, seeing that the terrorists weren''t just acting out of protest and defending the pacifist cause of those who wanted to surrender to the aliens.


    from what the imperial officers had discovered in their investigations, as well as what they had learned from the terrorists they had captured so far, the rebel group had its leadership and was operating on the global black market.


    "your majesty, this is only a small member of the rebel group. he doesn''t know the identity of the leader of this faction. but it is a fact that the leaders of this faction are using the yearning of a part of the population to gain commercial advantages and increase their income.


    when a terrorist group acts in a certain place, it usually causes a lot of trouble for the local infrastructure and loss of resources. but soon after these actions, other members of the same faction appear in these places with resources to sell on the black market.


    the result is a temporary increase in resource prices due to greater demand than supply, which generates profits for these people, your majesty." the chief investigator said, revealing the corrupt scheme of these supposed fighters in the name of world surrender.nove.lb-1n


    "so that''s it," minos muttered as he looked at the chained and kneeling man in front of him, a few steps below where this emperor was sitting.


    "very well, use everything you have discovered to create news against the cause of those who want to surrender. as for this man, as much as he has revealed important things, he hasn''t said what he should out of remorse." minos said as he looked at this person, and he saw abby standing behind the man.


    "in that case, i sentence him to death by dismemberment," minos stood up, tears flowing from the frightened man''s eyes.


    "please! please have mercy, your majesty!" the man cried as he tried to stand.


    but minos would never be merciful to someone like that!


    "mister pierce, your actions have caused the death of 20 innocent citizens of my state. do you think you deserve to live after that?" minos muttered as he looked down at the person, who felt the pressure of being stared at by a dragon.


    when he fell silent and looked away from minos, the men of the local army took him to the place of public execution while the sovereign made his way alongside abby and dillian.


    abby was still at level 87, but dillian had recently advanced to level 83.


    as they left the imperial throne hall, minos said to them. "prepare for my seclusion. in no more than eight months, i will begin to cultivate in isolation in the spatial kingdom. my time to move up a level is approaching."


    they hadn''t spoken to minos about this for months. hearing this warning, they both felt excited about the future.


    "don''t worry, your majesty, we''ll take care of everything, so you don''t have to worry about us while you''re in seclusion to become a demigod," dillian said, the smile on his face showing how happy he was.


    after so many decades at minos'' side, he would finally see his former young master become one of the strongest experts in the spiritual world.


    considering how different minos was from most people, many things would change after he reached level 90, and everything in the empire might be different after he became a demigod with a divine physique.


    abby then said. "don''t worry about anything. even if those damn rebels cause trouble, it''s nothing we can''t handle."


    after she said this, aarav appeared in front of them, having overheard part of their conversation. "are you close to moving on?"


    "hmm, i''ll isolate myself to do it in 8 months," minos replied as he looked at the level 99 man.


    "okay, i''ll help your people more than i promised from now on," aarav said, interested to see what else would change after minos became a demigod.


    he had high hopes for this day. so he was ready to do his best to make that day come as soon as possible.


    minos then said. "then help the empire deal with these damned terrorists. we''ll start a global hunt against the enemies, expose their corrupt plans, and put a bounty on their leaders'' heads."


    "i can start that. but will we be able to solve everything in such a short time? these fanatics already have hundreds of millions of people in their group.


    in just a few years, they have ceased to be a mere group of rebels and are already comparable in numbers to states. however, few have considered the possibility that they are an organization as you suggest," aarav said.


    "it won''t be easy. but if the main forces of the world ally themselves with my state, it will be less complicated and faster to reach the leaders of the terrorists. however, we can only try. otherwise, the loss of manpower, technology, and food will continue worldwide."


    "okay, count me in. i''ll do whatever it takes."

 Chapter 2069 Revolting Action

    chapter 2069 revolting action?


    after minos'' orders on how to deal with the terrorist group, a few days passed, and soon, news of the corruption of the supposed defenders of the weak began to spread all over the world!


    minos'' people had joined forces with their counterparts on the central continent, as well as the divine continent and continent of beasts. they made the world''s major media newspapers publish the truth behind the terrorists.


    they were not individuals who just wanted the weakest to surrender, or instead, the right to surrender. they were profit-seeking cultivators who struck at strategic points to offer solutions to the problems they created.


    they had grown in recent years by taking advantage of the ignorance or innocence of the people, disrupting the high-level powers of the world, and killing innocent people to create the business opportunities that they had used for profit.


    in short, the stories in the world''s mainstream journals treated this group in the same way, as a terrorist group that didn''t give a damn about the surrender of the weakest and only wanted to make a profit.


    it was fine for someone to make a profit, but when they were the ones creating the problems they set out to solve, things got a little weird.


    most people in the world hated that kind of thing. as soon as the news broke about it and how the powers were going to hunt down those responsible for it, the world''s population quickly reacted in favor of minos'' side.


    many people were still unsure of the best course of action for the spiritual world. the world''s populace understood why those who wanted to surrender thought this was a viable option. but they also understood the fear of the world''s strongest organizations and thought it made sense for these powers to try to strengthen themselves while they could.


    but while about 30% to 40% of the population was committed to one side or the other, the rest of the world was unsure which side to support when the enemy arrived.


    this segment of the population was the most reactive to the latest news, viewing the terrorist cause more negatively than ever before.


    regardless of the arrival of the aliens, the ice age was about to hit the entire spiritual world. but still, there was a group that was wreaking havoc on forces worldwide with a justification that had lost all credibility after the current revelations.


    before, one could debate and try to understand the cause of the terrorists, for they were like ordinary people, oppressed by the great powers of the world, who were merely trying to make their own way.


    their actions were questionable, but not their motives.


    but after the revelations that began in the black plain empire, it was difficult for anyone to defend such a group without being connected to it somehow!


    ...


    in the black plain empire, in a city outside the state''s core...


    in this place, a terrorist attack had just taken place on a large resource storage facility, and several groups of people dressed in black and masked were fleeing the scene of the attack.


    as flames engulfed the site, illuminating the area on this cold night, people watching from the street stopped to look at it angrily and disgustedly.


    "this is the central silo of our city! the food in this silo will be essential if our people are not to starve at the onset of the ice age!" a middle-aged man, a level 74 resident, standing a few hundred meters away from that spot, clenched his fists in anger at the sight of those people fleeing.


    another person then shouted. "stop them! those wretches are deliberately trying to raise food prices!"


    "what?" a man with deep circles under his eyes heard this, and his face darkened. "sons of bitches! i''m already spending everything i have on food because of the recent price hike! are these bastards going to make our situation even worse?"


    others became angry at the same thought until one of them took a weapon from his ring and moved, attacking one of the enemies who was fleeing in his direction.


    "you piece of shit! die!" the first civilian to act shouted as he stabbed the level 77 saint, who was running toward him, fleeing from the place he had just attacked with his group, which was dispersing.


    "you..." this person hadn''t expected a civilian weaker than him to act and shout. "we are acting for your good!"


    "the fucking good! let me take care of myself and my family, you maggot!" this man shouted while the others in the area grew bolder.


    "kill the terrorists!"


    "don''t let the bastards escape!"


    in the blink of an eye, as the police and army men began to take action in the surrounding area, more than three hundred people in the streets drew their weapons. they looked at the terrorists as if they were seeing rapists trying to flee the scene of a crime.


    the stronger ones simply acted against their enemies, while the weaker ones began to stalk and observe them, feeling determined to counterattack these people who were trying to make their lives difficult in order to profit from their misfortune.


    until that day, the terrorists of the pro-surrender group only had to worry about the official forces and, in many cases, were even helped by parts of the population. n-(ovelb1n


    but that night, everything changed. citizens raised the weapons of their own accord, angry at the criminal audacity of the terrorists, longing for the heads of these troublemakers.


    an ordinary citizen might not be bothered if the official forces were the only ones to lose in problems like the current one. but after the recent news, a part of society realized that, in fact, every time there is a terrorist attack, those who lose the most are the weakest!


    after witnessing a terrorist attack and quickly realizing what the consequences would be, some witnesses became angry and began to take action.


    as more and more people took action, others gained more courage and joined in, increasing the number of people involved from dozens to thousands as an all-out battle began to spread throughout the city!


    "damn it! what are we going to do? these people are hard to handle!" said one of the strongest terrorists in the group, a level 85 sage, as he saw the men in his group finding it increasingly difficult to escape.


    "kill everyone on the way. if they''re against us, it means they''re fanatics who want to fight in the war against the aliens!" said the leader of the group that had started the attack in that city.


    "won''t that give our enemies an excuse? these are just ordinary citizens." the level 85 person commented with some concern.


    "what could be worse? our situation already sucks! let''s just kill these fools!"

 Chapter 2070 Official Incentives

    chapter 2070 official incentives


    after the previous conflict in a city of the black plain empire, where citizens had joined state soldiers and police to fight terrorists, similar events occurred in other parts of the spiritual world.


    even before the journals began to report the cases of ordinary civilians acting against terrorists, similar events occurred on the central continent and the divine continent.


    after the news of the corruption of those behind the terrorist attacks, the ordinary people of the two continents realized that they had been the real victims of everything those radicals had done.


    as new terrorist attacks followed the news released earlier, events like the one that night in the black plain empire began to take place around the world, even without news of these civic acts spreading.


    but it wouldn''t be long before newspapers around the world began to report the results of these first civilian vs. terrorist battles!n--ovelbin


    given the results of each battle, the terrorists'' standing in the eyes of the public would only get worse from then on.


    in the battle that had taken place in that city in the state of minos, hundreds of civilians had fallen to the terrorists, who had decided to fight back to protect their lives and escape the agents of the empire.


    that was very much frowned upon around the world, as it pushed the terrorists even further away from their previous narrative of being the defenders of the rights of the weakest.


    how could they be defenders of the weakest if they were killing the weakest?


    not only would their actions in such incidents worsen their public image, but the terrorists lost more men in actions like that night than they had lost in recent years in confrontations with official forces.


    that night in the empire city of minos, several hundred civilians died in the confrontation with the terrorists. but it hadn''t been for nothing. all of the terrorists of that day were later killed, most of them lynched by angry citizens, while imperial soldiers and police eliminated a small number of criminals.


    similar results have occurred around the world in events such as this, which have become more frequent in the wake of news of the terrorists'' corruption.


    previously, terrorist actions had a survival rate of about 65%, meaning that for every 100 men who participated in attacks, an average of 65 returned alive. but after civilians joined the official forces to hunt down and kill the terrorists, the survival rate of the radicals had dropped to 8%!


    within weeks of the first civilian involvement in the terrorist crisis, the powers of the world were trying to use it to their advantage in the struggle between those who wanted to fight the aliens and those who wanted to surrender.


    ...


    in the grinia empire...


    an imperial edict had been issued this morning by the imperial armed forces, with the state using official means to publicize something new to the entire population to encourage the fight against the terrorists.


    from this day forward, any citizen who could prove their involvement in killing terrorists involved in attacks would be rewarded for their meritorious deeds!


    the imperial family of this state promised to pay between 1,000 and 10,000 high-grade crystals to any group that succeeded in eliminating terrorists fleeing from attacks!


    in addition, anyone who helped the empire''s forces reach, locate, or pursue fleeing terrorists would receive between 10 and 50 high-grade crystals for information that led to the death of such state targets.


    when these new rules were announced that day, the local population was soon in high spirits, with mercenaries and bounty hunters taking an even greater interest in these battles than before.


    ...


    meanwhile, in the black plain empire, the government of minos had also initiated new measures to encourage its citizens to join the state''s defense against the terrorists.


    posters and advertisements throughout the empire warned the entire population of the new opportunities available to those most brave and willing to protect this land.


    such was the case with a mural in a mercenary guild in the former capital of the old kingdom of waves, where a group of people were reading a poster about the recently introduced opportunities.


    "starting today, any citizen who acts against the terrorists, fights, or provides information that leads to the overthrow of the terrorists will receive opportunities for growth in the empire. that includes better conditions for joining the state forces, discounts on official services, individual and collective awards, as well as public recognition.


    in addition to rewards commensurate with the terrorists'' level, citizens will be able to grow with the state and even gain opportunities to test completely new alien technologies!" a middle-aged man read what was written on the part of the poster that talked about emperor stuart''s new measures.


    meanwhile, a dozen people were silently reading the same poster, excited about the opportunities the empire was opening up for the citizens most enraged by the terrorists.


    the benefits even included the promise of food during the ice age, something very attractive to people who had large families but were far from being able to guarantee their family''s future.


    ''your majesty is indeed very generous.'' a young level 72 spiritual saint thought to himself, excited by the possibilities he had just discovered.


    the citizens of the empire were already ready to take action against the terrorists simply because the radicals'' actions were hurting them most of all. but even knowing it, minos had created incentives that could change the lives of those who vented their anger and frustration against the radicals.


    these opportunities would apply not only to the bravest and most willing to die in battle but also to less courageous people who could become the eyes and ears of the state.


    with this in mind, a young woman of level 68 clenched her fists and remembered a strange conversation she had overheard earlier.


    ''i''m going to report these two people. maybe they''re terrorists planning something.'' she thought as she walked away from the mural.


    ...


    many people in the empire of minos reacted positively to the new opportunities created by the imperial government.


    meanwhile, similar things were happening across the continent, with the situation of the radicals changing significantly in a matter of weeks, losing public opinion and becoming an organization frowned upon by virtually everyone.


    actions similar to those of the black plain empire and the grinia empire were being taken all over the spiritual world. even those who hadn''t cared much about the previous confrontation began to take an interest in the matter and take a stand against the terrorists.


    meanwhile, the terrorists'' leaders saw their plans unravel much sooner than they had imagined!

 Chapter 2071 Those Behind the Terrorists

    chapter 2071 those behind the terrorists?


    on an island in the east sea that was so small that it could only accommodate a maximum of 5,000 people without becoming overcrowded, human constructions covered its entire area.


    but even though it was a tiny place, more than 30 ships were stationed around this island. at the same time, the local population consisted mainly of high-level sages and some demigods.


    in the center of the island, a large building was built at a higher level than all the others, and it was located at the highest point of this relief.


    in this place, a man at level 96 was meditating with his eyes closed and a terrible expression on his face.


    this was none other than the leader of one of the most active organizations in the spiritual world right now, the leader of the radicals who are operating all over the planet! nove-lb/in


    but while he was meditating to break through to level 97, his sister, the number two of the terrorist group, a level 95 woman, was in charge in the very building where he was cultivating.


    she was currently with those who formed this terrorist group about four years ago when they realized the opportunity in front of them.


    they were not the first to act on behalf of the weak people of this world who could benefit if the powers of this world surrendered to the aliens.


    people who really believed that surrender was the right way to go were the first to start fighting against the official powers of the world, trying to stop the development of new technologies by the strongest in the world.


    but as soon as these people found out about the movements that were gaining volume worldwide, they seized the opportunity to profit and began to get involved in the cause of these people for gain.


    by joining the radicals, organizing them, and moving them to their own advantage, this group of about 10 people created an extremely lucrative business!


    in just 4 years of operation, they had netted over 50 million high-grade crystals, enough for each of them to be considered a powerhouse capable of creating their own state!


    that amount was definitely not enough for them to create something of the highest level, such as what minos was currently doing or what the world''s leading powers were investing in.


    but with this amount, they could build a state from scratch and bring it to the level of the black plain empire.


    minos had less than that when he started his journey decades ago. so it wouldn''t be impossible for this group to do what he had done if they had the time to try.


    of course, time was a problem for everyone, as the aliens and the ice age were about to catch up with everyone.


    in any case, these demigods, who had previously been mere mercenaries in the spiritual world, had reached a wealth level that only nobles and rulers had!


    but they still wouldn''t stop what they were doing!


    the sister of the leader of this group said to her companions while they were in a large meeting hall. "the world''s powers are putting more pressure on us than ever before, and things will be difficult from now on. but that doesn''t change the fact that we have a great chance of making crystals.


    as hard as it is for us to recruit new soldiers to fight for our interests, the opportunities for gains will not change in the short term.


    our actions over the past few years have already done a great deal of damage to powers around the world. the prices of the products we sell will not decrease in the short term. and given the lack of them on the market, nothing will affect our profits. even if we stopped using our soldiers now, we could still double our capital in the next two or three years." she smiled.


    she was worried. she still wasn''t sure if they could enjoy what they had built up over the years. but she believed they could make a lot more.


    with more resources, they could get closer to their goal, which was to obtain the best defensive and offensive weapons that the powers of this world would produce in the coming years.


    unlike the fools who had started the terrorist movement for surrender, they didn''t believe in this nonsense. they believed the world would be wiped out, and they wanted to get enough resources to buy the technologies that some of the world''s strongest powers were developing!


    but everyone there believed that these technologies wouldn''t come cheap, so making a profit was paramount for everyone.


    "we have the equivalent of 20 million high-grade crystals in food and other essential resources that we invested before we launched some of our most serious attacks." the group''s number three commander said. "if we look at the current value of these products, our 20 million high-level crystals alone are already worth more than 60 million.


    even if we stop fighting our soldiers, we''ll still make a great profit from selling these products."


    the people in the hall liked what they heard. as long as things continued like this when they had used everything they could from this operation with the radicals, they could come out of this deal with more than 10 million high-grade crystals each.


    with that amount, everyone there was confident that they could at least buy their way into the strongest organizations in the world!


    ''years ago, i was just a low-level demigod, a mercenary on the divine continent. but in another year or two, i can surpass all my old acquaintances and buy a place in even the strongest organizations in the world.'' one of these individuals thought to himself with a smile on his face.


    another man who thought the same thing said. "we must use the radical cause as much as possible. even though our current achievements are great, they are not enough.


    i recently went to the central continent to negotiate with blackrock to gain a place in their kingdom. but the rulers there won''t agree to negotiate what they''re getting from minos stuart for less than 10 million high-grade crystals. so we need to be able to negotiate those reserves but also make new deals beyond that," he said, determined to scrape together enough to get his deal with that state.


    blackrock did not know who it was dealing with. this man had approached this state, just as others there had tried to approach other places around the world, promising to migrate to places where they could help sovereign families in exchange for opportunities to access alien technologies.


    the alien technologies were so rare and high-level that these people were not only willing to pay but also work and advocate for those who had access to these resources.


    not only were they interested in this kind of business, but virtually every state and power in the world with some access to alien technology received proposals of this kind.


    so blackrock didn''t know who it was dealing with, let alone the origin of the coins the man had promised.


    others in the room were in similar situations, so they agreed.


    "let''s take advantage of the current situation as much as possible. we''ll end our operation if we don''t have any more soldiers to fight for us or even if the enemies are close to finding out who we are." the faction leader''s sister said, and everyone agreed.

 Chapter 2072 Encounter Before Seclusion

    chapter 2072 encounter before seclusion


    while the situation of the radicals in the spiritual world worsened, a few months passed quickly between the crisis of the rebels and the preparations for the beginning of the ice age and the arrival of the aliens.


    the cooperation between the world''s strongest powers was getting better and better, with each side more easily developing their new ways of using the knowledge from the alien technologies.


    after minos acted to make the most of his commitment to the elves, this tribe and others who acted with him realized the benefits of sharing their discoveries.


    though each was still a bit suspicious of the other and thought they needed to protect some of their advances, many now saw the exchange of information as beneficial.


    by sharing information and insights into how other peoples saw the same things they did, different tribes made new discoveries about things they hadn''t noticed before, but which could affect them significantly.


    as a result, while minos had made several agreements, tribes such as the dragons, phoenixes, and elves had moved to do the same as him and were already dealing with the positive consequences.


    all of these combined powers were getting stronger, which might be a problem in the future, but for now, no side could stand still. with the chance to improve more together, they put aside rivalries to make faster and deeper progress.


    meanwhile, the rebel issue had lost much of its momentum in the months since the news of the radicals'' corruption broke.


    with incentives from governments around the world, the populations of virtually every state and tribe have become more active in the fight against terrorists.


    the result had been the expected weakening of the radicals, a reduction in their numbers, and a decrease in attacks worldwide.


    but they were still at work, maintaining tensions around the world while raising the prices of various common and cultivation products through their actions, which were more and more directed towards financial gain and less towards defending the surrender of the weakest.


    ...


    meanwhile, in dry city...


    minos was currently gathered with his family, his wives'' families, his great friends, and, of course, his wives and children in the living room of his residence.


    hollie, lily, and rowan, now adults with fully matured appearances and physical forms, were there alongside their closest family members, listening without saying more than they should.


    hollie was currently at level 48, the youngest and weakest of minos'' children. her twin brother, rowan, was level 49, while lily, the oldest of the three, was level 52.


    lily was the most similar to minos of the three, but that didn''t take away from her femininity. she was beautiful with her brown hair and looked a lot like a younger version of maisie.


    as for rowan, he was also like his father, but everyone said he looked more like albert, his paternal grandfather.


    hollie, who had brown hair, stood next to her mother, ruth, as well as her maternal grandparents, elise and vince, and her aunt, talia.


    of the three next to ruth and hollie, talia was currently at level 81, while the woman''s mother and father were at levels 82 and 83, respectively.


    in addition to lily and her mother, isabella, the princess''s maternal grandmother, harold''s second wife, audrey, was currently at level 82.


    neither harold nor the empress of the flaming empire were around today, as they were both busy with their state and isabella''s younger brother.n--ovelbin


    isabella''s brother had already reached level 60, although he was born shortly after her marriage to minos. he was a very talented young man and was currently the heir to this estate.


    meanwhile, rowan stood next to his father and watched as his old man talked to everyone in the room about the beginning of his seclusion, which would take place over the next two days.


    at rowan''s side were kendrick and two of the local heir''s girlfriends, while the latter rested an arm on his younger brother''s shoulder.


    "rowan, what are you going to do? father will be in seclusion for a few months until he reaches the main point of his cultivation when everyone will have a chance to absorb some of the power of the medicine he will use." kendrick commented softly in one of his younger brother''s ears.


    he was still at level 71 but very close to reaching level 72.


    sarah was also close to leveling up but was still stuck at level 76.


    rowan looked at kendrick, aware that his brother was trying to make him choose between staying in dry city and having fun and cultivating with his old man.


    "i''m going with our father. in a few months, he might be able to advance to level 90, so it''ll be a good chance for me to cultivate near him. maybe i can get to level 50 in the meantime."


    kendrick smiled. "are you sure about that? in 20 years or so, we might all die. don''t you want to live a little before then? find a woman and have some fun, rowan. our cultivation won''t make any difference. either our father wins the war and secures our future, or we all die. there are no alternatives."


    rowan narrowed his eyes and turned away. "it is a tempting thought to run away and live out the pleasures that remain in the last moments before the chaos. but i''d rather reach my full potential in the meantime."


    kendrick said nothing more as he took his brother aside.


    ''"you''re right... i''ll go to the spatial kingdom to train as well.'' kendrick thought to himself, ''but if i were you, i don''t know if i would do the same.''


    on the other hand, sarah was there with her husband, who was also about to enter seclusion to advance to level 90 and would join minos in the seclusion he was about to enter.


    "you should be careful while i''m away," george said to sarah, worried about her being away from him for the next few months. "as much as the terrorist attacks have decreased, be careful."


    "i know. don''t worry. i will advance to level 78 while you cultivate. the empire will also continue to improve its forces and technologies, so perhaps the situation with the radicals will be resolved by the time you return." she told him when she saw her mother standing beside minos and abby.


    minos then raised a glass into the air and finished his speech. "well, i wish everyone here the best of luck with their missions and goals over the next few months. next time we meet, we''ll have a lot of new things to do." he looked at harold, maisie, and patience as he spoke, seeing the proud and happy looks on their faces.

 Chapter 2073 Reaching the Peak of Level 89: Time for the Breakthrough!

    chapter 2073 reaching the peak of level 89: time for the breakthrough!


    after meeting with some of his family, minos would soon finish his preparations to leave dry city and begin his seclusion in the spatial kingdom.


    when he had finished everything he had to do that afternoon, he would leave his imperial palace for the army headquarters, where he would leave with everyone who would be staying with him in the spatial kingdom during this period of seclusion.


    much of his family would remain in dry city to conduct the affairs of the state and protect the family''s interests. but several members who were important in the present or the future would join him in this seclusion!


    when he arrived at the place of departure, minos was greeted by almost all of his children, except sarah, who would remain in the city to take care of the agricultural part of the empire, something she had been doing since the preparations for the ice age began.


    minos'' four other children would join him in his seclusion in the spatial kingdom for the next few months.


    but not only them, minos'' aunt, angelica, and his grandmother, patience, were also going to the spatial kingdom, while oswald and maisie, currently levels 86 and 87, would stay in dry city and weren''t even around to see everyone leave that day.


    abby''s parents and isabella would also go with them to the spatial kingdom, while gloria, ruth, and abby would stay in dry city to attend to the affairs of the imperial family and the spiritual church.


    in addition to them, some 9th and 10th-stage spiritual professionals would also go to the spatial kingdom, where minos'' group would stop studying alien technologies for the next few months to concentrate on raising their levels with their leader.


    minos stood before a group of more than 30 people and looked at his eldest daughter''s husband, a man with blond hair and the same level as himself. he asked as he looked at the man who would be entering his spatial kingdom for the first time. "are you ready?"


    "yes," george replied as he greeted minos, knowing it was with physical contact that they would leave for such a place.


    the other people around held hands or touched each other''s shoulders until the last in line touched george''s right shoulder.


    "alright, let''s go to the spatial kingdom!" minos said before using the ring that henricus longus had left him to control his coming and going from that space, which quickly caused all those individuals to be covered in a form of spatial energy.


    a second later, they all disappeared from the courtyard they were in and immediately appeared in the spatial kingdom.


    by the time they arrived, almost everyone there was already familiar with the area and quickly dispersed to their places of training or study.


    only george and some of the stronger members of the group stayed near minos, observing their surroundings.


    the spatial kingdom of minos seemed a bit different from what george had expected from such a place. this wasn''t only because there were no large buildings, as one would expect from the headquarters of an organization. it was also due to the difference in the energy density of the area, as well as the nature of the free laws in the environment.


    ''this feeling... why do i feel this place is more complex than it should be?'' george thought, knowing that spatial kingdoms shouldn''t be like this room.


    but when he looked at the plant-covered skeletons at the edge of this place, he understood a bit why this place was different.


    ''it seems that minos stuart somehow managed to integrate these things into his spatial kingdom... that''s why there is so much wealth here!?he looked in the direction of 38 divine medicines, something he already knew was there because of sarah and some promises he had made over the years.


    initially, there were about 30 divine medicines in this spatial kingdom. but after minos brought several giant skeletons and the body of fah''um of dunov into this space, things changed, and more divine medicines matured.


    that''s why this whole room seemed different from what george had expected from the spatial kingdom!


    minos then said. "don''t touch any plants in this place. cultivate wherever you want, but don''t disturb others with your cultivation. otherwise, do what you want."


    with these words, he went to the central area of the spatial kingdom, where he wanted to start cultivating to raise his soul power to the maximum before starting the critical part of his advancement.


    minos wasn''t at the absolute peak of level 89 yet, but he would reach it in a few months.


    after that, it would be enough for him to collect one of the divine-grade medicines in the area and do the same procedure he had done before to advance the level and quality of the physique simultaneously.


    it would be a great moment not only for him but also for everyone in this place, as they would benefit from the magnificent amount of energy and laws that would become available after consuming the divine medicine.


    seeing minos sitting in a lotus position over a cultivation pillow, george saw that there were more than 300 beings in the spatial kingdom at the moment, ranging from humans to beasts and even hybrids.


    kyla and emlyn were there, going about keeping the spatial kingdom organized, with the mother currently at level 85 and her daughter at level 83.


    titus was also there, eager for minos to reach level 90 so they could finally begin their experiments!


    ''the time has finally come.'' the old white-furred fox thought. ''i''m going to spend the next few months studying the alien items and this corpse, and when he really starts to progress, i''ll focus on trying to understand a bit more of our theories.'' titus planned.


    george saw the foxes and thought, ''this place is incredible! and with so many resources, minos could decide the fate of the spiritual world. i''ll find a way to convince him and my mother to make a deal. this could be her chance to reach level 100 and improve our chances against the aliens!


    so, the newcomers soon set about what they had come to do in this space, cultivating or trying to improve their understanding of enemy techniques, innate powers, and technologies.


    as each sought their improvements, time would begin to pass, and in the blink of an eye, minos'' seclusion would reach the 6-month mark! nove-lb(1n


    but before the 7th month, he would open his eyes, ready to harvest a divine medicine for his physique breakthrough!


    the time had finally come for him to attempt to advance to the 10th stage and achieve the divine physique!

 Chapter 2074 Divine-grade Physique!

    chapter 2074 divine-grade physique!


    after harvesting the divine medicine in front of everyone in the spatial kingdom, minos sat down again and said in a low voice, causing goosebumps to rise in everyone there. "get ready. i''m going to start improving the quality of my physique."


    after minos'' simple but powerful words, his children, isabella, relatives, friends, and subordinates changed their mood, and everyone tried to concentrate on the beginning of his advance.


    from that moment on, they had to pay attention to everything because they could find many answers during the qualitative evolution from a physique to the divine grade. the professionals there, who were trying to understand alien technologies or even improve their skills, had a lot to gain.


    it wasn''t much different for those who just wanted to become stronger, as watching the evolution of a cultivator like minos would be beneficial to everyone, even mid- and high-level demigods.


    unfortunately, there weren''t many people like that in the entire empire. and those with such characteristics were in the empire looking after the good of the state.


    anyway, with the silence of those people focused on him, minos took off most of his clothes, leaving only something to protect his groin.


    sitting on a large light green cushion, he picked up the divine medicine he had chosen for this moment, something shaped like an apple but shining in rainbow colors.


    he looked around and saw everyone with closed eyes, circulating their cultivation techniques to seize the opportunity as soon as possible.


    ''time to start...'' minos thought as he looked at the medicine in his hands. ''time to reach the peak of my physique!''


    he took a deep breath and closed his eyes before he took the first bite of this special fruit, expressing disgust, of course, because medicinal fruits didn''t taste good despite their especially good properties.


    he immediately turned pale as he devoured the small fruit in three bites, trying hard not to vomit.


    he had already blocked his senses before he began to ''taste'' the fruit, but that had only reduced the horrible taste to an ''acceptable'' level.


    with the ''apple'' in his stomach, he began to focus on the parts of the medicine in his body.


    the medicine he had just eaten had more than 100 times the energy his body could withstand, as well as the proportional density of the laws themselves. if he didn''t quickly control what he had just ingested, he might not only miss the opportunity created by this precious resource, but he might also explode and take everyone in the spatial kingdom with him into their next life!


    he quickly directed this energy to promote the evolution of his cells, be they those of his muscles, bones, nerves, in short, everything that was part of him.


    that required millimeter precision, and at the same time, he had to endure great pain while transforming his body, controlling the whole process without making a mistake. the slightest carelessness would lead to the worst possible consequences.


    solar god breath!


    he activated his cultivation technique and began to circulate the spiritual energy of his soul throughout his body. by first transforming his cells, the impurities within them would be released, and he could use his powers to wash away these small parts of his being and improve the quality of his body. to do this, he had to use his soul powers and his special technique to promote the best possible result.


    his body began to turn redder and redder. but at the same time, small golden inscriptions appeared on his soul, especially his skin, transforming his mortal parts into divine ones.


    his bones began to change color, losing their yellowish-white hue to become completely golden. at the same time, his muscles, ligaments, and tendons also evolved to keep pace with his bones.


    a stream of golden spiritual energy gradually formed around him, almost like a star shining at its maximum before exploding.


    evolution had begun!


    minos meticulously followed the process of using the energy released by the medicine to evolve his physique. while every part of his body was immersed in a "cloud" of spiritual energy, his soul was growing in size!


    due to the special requirements of the physique upgrade, minos could not successfully complete it until he reached level 90.


    emperor stuart couldn''t wait for that to happen before starting the process. so he swallowed the medicine and used his cultivation to prevent his body from absorbing all that spiritual energy.


    as he was only one step away from reaching the limit of spiritual energy to reach level 90, he gradually broke through the limit and reached the 10th stage, when the whole process took place in his body.


    every little part of him was transformed under the pressure of the spiritual energy of the divine-grade medicine, as pain even worse than before spread through minos'' body.


    his appearance changed as he made a strong expression of pain while every muscle in his body shook violently.


    his soul expanded and contracted like a heart, pulsing as it tried to stabilize itself on a new level amidst the unbridled influx of energy and laws within itself. but unlike what would happen with this organ, his soul got a little bulkier each time this happened!


    while minos endured all this suffering, the people around him were immersed in their meditations. they felt a huge amount of energy and laws at their disposal.


    given the amount of energy that divine medicine would release into the environment during and after minos'' ascension, everyone there could achieve improvements in understanding and even levels much more easily.


    so everyone was extremely focused at the moment, ignoring how much minos'' aura was increasing to focus on their discoveries.


    crack!


    golden rays of light entered minos'' body, and the typical sound of leveling up echoed through the area, making everyone aware of what had just happened.


    ''your majesty is already level 90!'' several people thought as they tried to take advantage of the opportunity, trying not to lose control of their cultivation techniques.n/.o/.v)/e-)l((b/-i./n


    black goo began to ooze from the pores of his skin in large quantities but in much smaller amounts than minos had expelled in previous breakthroughs.


    amid this moment, he trembled and did his best not to fall to the ground, facing the greatest spiritual challenge of his entire life.


    even so, his talent was so high that for him to reach level 90 and improve his physique to the divine grade was like ordinary people with golden talents reaching level 80 and a saint-grade physique.


    "aaaaaagh!" he shouted in the middle of this important moment in his journey.


    at that moment, however, he felt that his physique was finally breaking through the limits that still stood in its way, breaking through the last barrier to stabilize at divine grade!


    minos felt something strange awaken in his being as a golden dragon of energy appeared around his body, releasing a powerful aura.


    even without using his dragon''s gaze, minos felt this ability of his activating on its own in the middle of the end of his evolution, with this characteristic advancing as well!

 Chapter 2075 Level 90!

    chapter 2075 level 90!


    as the levels changed, everything about a cultivator would change. their understanding of their techniques would reach a new level, and new doors would open for them to use, which is why cultivators would make progress in their techniques after advancing stages. however, it was not only the techniques that could be affected but also the innate abilities or the abilities that were acquired during the cultivation process.


    these abilities were more difficult to influence with a single breakthrough, but they became stronger when one reached a new cultivation level.


    but minos'' current advancement wasn''t only in cultivation but also in the quality of his physique. by raising the quality of this essence of his to the divine grade, he naturally raised all the other abilities he had, the black sea and the dragon''s eye!


    at the final moment of his evolution, he felt that his dragon aura became much stronger, and the characteristics of his physique advanced even further, and he received the final level 100 dragon inheritance.


    at that time, the level 100 dragon soul fragment wasn''t able to give minos and ruth all of their inheritance because they were too weak. in fact, it was because of his weakness that ruth was involved in that inheritance. otherwise, only emperor stuart would have received it.


    however, a part of what minos had received lay dormant in his being. the moment his physique and cultivation level increased in quality, what that dragon had given him was finally revealed.


    a golden dragon of energy appeared around minos'' body, drawing energy and laws to itself as it marked the human body.


    as he felt this, minos realized that his dragon-related ability would evolve into something beyond the pressure and mental attack he could use before.


    however, amid this evolution, he also noticed something in the depths of his being slowly revealing itself.


    remembering the words of the level 100 dragon, he understood what it was.


    ''this must be what henricus longus left me... it looks like i won''t be able to use it yet, but now i can feel that he really left me his ability.'' minos felt a very special energy in his being, something that had been sealed within him for so long that not even he could perceive it.


    but after this breakthrough, he could sense what the level 100 dragon had sensed in him several years ago!


    there was still one last seal that henricus longus had left on his body. but it was no longer so hidden that he himself couldn''t feel that strange part in his soul.


    as he realized this, the energy dragon around him began to dissolve into thin air while a dragon tattoo solidified on his back.


    at the same time, minos felt the amount of energy in his body increase significantly, and his cultivation finally stabilized at level 90, while his energy bonus from his innate ability also stopped increasing.


    before, due to his innate ability, he had an average of 40% more spiritual energy than cultivators of the same level. however, minos now had an 80% bonus after advancing and reaching the divine grade!


    he had only just reached level 90, but his cultivation base was already as rich as that of a level 92 cultivator!


    now, if he used his ability to steal someone else''s cultivation base temporarily, he could go straight to level 92 and have a base similar to that of a level 95 demigod!


    however, it wasn''t that simple. by improving the quality of his physique, minos could now steal his opponent''s cultivation base much more easily than before, use it to advance himself even further, and even help his allies more efficiently.


    as a result, his current strength was much greater than one would think if one used his past achievements to estimate how strong he would be now!


    he realized this for himself soon after he felt his cultivation and physique stabilize, and he noticed that his compatibility and ability to use the giant skeletons in the spatial kingdom were much better than before.


    he felt those skeletons in a way he had never felt before when he looked at them now, realizing the true power those bones held within them and that his control over them would be greater than he had imagined before this breakthrough.


    ''the chaotic energy within me has increased by more than five times. what''s more, i can now feel the true level of these bones. i think they all have more energy than all the divine medicine in this spatial kingdom!'' he thought to himself as he looked in the direction where fah''um of dunov''s body lay. n-)o/(v/.e-(l-)b-/1(-n


    in the case of this corpse, it had much more energy than those bones, a clear indication that the ancient beings of panvuter were much stronger than gods.


    ''is it possible for me to surpass level 100 by using my ability to steal the laws and energy of these bones and this corpse?'' minos clenched his fists as he thought the same thing anyone else in his situation would think.


    but he knew this was far from his current reality, and he still had to survive the aliens before he could worry about that.


    ''forget it... the aliens will come when i''m between levels 91 and 92. i don''t need to think about something that can only affect me when i reach level 100.'' he looked around and saw everyone taking advantage of the cultivation opportunity he had created by consuming a divine-grade medicine.


    seeing everyone busy, minos focused on himself, trying to feel his improvements one by one and understand his real situation a little better.


    ''i can probably start my experiments with titus now, but i can also experiment with the chaotic energy of the giant bones in the alien robot. but i''ll leave that second point for after my agreement with the elves expires in about five years.'' he thought to himself as he felt the parts of himself that would be needed for these two tests.


    then he looked over to where titus was busy improving his understanding. ''but with the evolution of my physique and the new divine seal level i''ve reached, maybe we can do a lot of things in the next few days.'' he clenched his fists as he thought about it, finally reaching the point where he could test his theories.


    if he was right, he could change a lot of things in his state and make it possible for his people not to be hindered by the curve of understanding!

 Chapter 2076 Similar Thought

    chapter 2076 similar thought


    in minos'' ninth technique, divine seal, he had reached the 2nd grade of mastery with his advancement to the 10th stage of cultivation.


    originally, this technique could be used to seal things, seal agreements between people, replace soul contracts and summon objects and beings. in short, its uses were many. these characteristics hadn''t changed much as minos progressed in his understanding. the big change was how he could use this technique on other people.


    previously, he had been able to use the infinity seal to connect with the giant bones in the spatial kingdom so that he could absorb their energy when he cultivated anywhere. but before, he could only do that with himself.


    now, however, things had changed for him, and minos felt that he could create seals similar to the one he used with one of the giant bones in his spatial kingdom so that his people could enjoy the same opportunity he had.


    he would obviously get better results from using it himself. still, now he could make it so that his companions could absorb the chaotic energy of those bones even when he wasn''t around to help them!


    this major breakthrough for him could help the empire progress much faster!


    lightsn¦Ïv¦Ål ''with the divine seal in the 2nd phase, i''ll be able to improve the absorption rate of the chaotic energy of these bones i''ve cultivated outside of the spatial kingdom and without using my innate ability while allowing many of my people to do what i used to do.'' he thought to himself, imagining the implications of being able to do this.


    cultivating the chaotic energy of the giant bones had already proven to be a great advantage in understanding alien technology. now that he could get his men to cultivate this energy even in his absence, it would increase the speed of the black plain empire''s progress!


    looking to the side where his child and isabella were, minos clenched his fists anxiously, wondering how beneficial this would be for them.


    ''i don''t know what my seal limit is right now. but i think it''s not small. the difference between the 9th and 10th stages is really huge.'' he wasn''t discouraged by his previous limits and imagined that he could put seals on his wives, children, and even some of the professionals in the empire.


    but this was only the development of the technique that he thought could be most useful to him in strengthening the black plain empire. however, minos had 8 other techniques that had been greatly improved, 7 of which were useful in combat.


    clenching his fists, he felt the new power he had in his hands and found himself in a situation where he couldn''t get out of control, or he could cause significant damage to the surrounding space.


    his spatial control had skyrocketed, and now minos felt almost able to tear through the space around him and return to the central continent without even using the spatial kingdom ring.


    just by using his defense technique, indestructible body, he felt that he could use his bare hands to cut through the fabric of space-time and return north to the central continent!


    this technique had reached the 8th stage and the point where its defense was so strong that minos could withstand a few seconds of direct contact with the inner space walls of the wormholes without risking his life. at the same time, the brute strength this technique gave him could make him capable of smashing wormholes with his bare hands!


    thinking about the devouring art, he felt that if he activated this technique now, all the free energy in the environment being used by his people would go out of their control and be completely absorbed by him.


    ''the range of the devouring art has reached 1,600 meters from me... its conversion factor has also improved; i can now use 80% of what it absorbs.'' he felt these improvements which would naturally increase his combat power even further.


    the secondary ability of this technique, which worked passively on his body, had also evolved. previously, he had been able to use it on other people by leaving his mark on them, something he had already done to some of his wives and children. but before, he was limited by the number of people he could affect simultaneously.


    before, the limit on the number of people he could give it to was four. but now it had increased exponentially, and he could influence up to 50 people at the same time!


    the ability he could give to this number of people had also improved in efficiency, and he was now able to absorb even more energy than before and convert it into power for whomever he left his mark on.


    at the thought of the spatial sword, minos'' surroundings froze with the aura of this restrictive and offensive technique while a sharp sensation arose amidst the immobility of his surroundings.


    ''the range of the spatial sword is now over 1,200 meters, and every being or object in that space will be under its restrictions. my attacks with it have also become stronger, and i now have a 75% increase in attack power, a 50% improvement over before!''


    now, in addition to being able to create swords in a vacuum and have them attack their targets by surprise, he had reached a new level of mastery in this sword art and could connect his spiritual weapons to the souls of his targets. as a result, he could eventually launch attacks that would only disappear with the end of that soul!


    ''the spatial sword has also evolved to produce something similar to what the divine seal can do. i can create an energy sword with a strong space sword aura. this can be used to unleash an attack on someone who uses this item offensively or even trap someone inside a giant sword when used as a seal.''


    thinking about this, he made a small sword the size of a toothpick appear in his right hand, looking at it and feeling like an array that could be used to attack and seal people.


    originally, the power of the spatial sword temporarily immobilized my opponents within a certain distance of me. but with it in my hand, i could even seal a level 80 sage inside the sword for centuries. he thought as he saw how useful this power would be for him to arm his people.


    minos quickly realized that his powers in general had evolved in such a way that they affected those who fought for him more.


    before, his progress had only been in terms of what he could use. but in this evolution, he found that the improvements in his ability to affect his people by giving or lending them his powers were more significant than ever.


    he was still the most affected and benefited from the advancement of his techniques. but it was clearer than ever to him that his destiny was to be a warrior capable of lending his strength to large groups.


    ''it makes sense... henricus longus knew i couldn''t defeat the aliens alone. he did this to force me to create powerful warriors with me.'' he smiled when he realized that he and that god unconsciously thought the same way.n((o)/v//e-)l--b-.1((n


    since the beginning of minos'' journey in dry city, he had been thinking like that!

 Chapter 2077 Major Improvements

    chapter 2077 major improvements?


    minos was right in thinking that henricus longus'' goal was to make him use his powers to create a super-powerful army based on his techniques.


    immediately after he put the spatial sword aside, he looked at the infinite dream. he could now use this technique to affect 16 people who were 100% stronger than him, a 100% improvement over the previous phase of this technique.


    this number of people might not seem like much, but it was just an illusion caused by the number. with this technique, he could now defeat 16 people who were 100% stronger than him with a single glance, who could be level 94 or 95 demigods if he used his innate ability in conjunction with this technique.


    his dragon''s gaze was superior to this mental technique, so since it had also evolved, minos felt that it could even affect level 96 demigods!


    considering how different the levels of the 10th stage were, he still didn''t feel he could affect high-level demigods.


    however, not only was minos now able to defeat 16 people who were 100% stronger than him with the infinite dream, but if he attacked weaker people of the level of kendrick, who was currently at level 72, he could defeat more than 1 million people at the same time!


    this was a divine ability! if minos wanted to, he could use this ability on an entire city and make the entire population live in an illusion under his control!


    as for his bright eyes, the secondary ability generated by this technique, which gave him the ability to see through people''s auras and even through space, had evolved to an unprecedented level.


    before, minos could spy on people''s talents, physiques, and most compatible laws, and even look through space and see enemies hiding in pockets in the vacuum of space. but now, he could see space folds like those in the spatial kingdom.


    with the help of the bright eyes, he saw the folds of this spatial kingdom and quickly realized that it was located in the northern region of the central continent.


    as he had expected, this spatial kingdom had been created between the borders of the ancient brown kingdom and the kingdom of waves, near the western coast of the northern region.


    ''if i''m going to open a door to the spatial kingdom, it has to be in this place.'' minos realized that he would have to move the headquarters of his forces to the vicinity of the old yellow city if he wanted to proceed with opening an alternative entrance to this region of space.


    however, as he thought about the orders he would have to give to make this happen, he realized the implications of this new ability.


    ''wait a minute... if i can see through this spatial kingdom, doesn''t that mean i can see through others similar to this one?'' he clenched his fists, feeling that this would give him some very great advantages in identifying and even invading spatial kingdoms.


    minos wasn''t necessarily thinking of robbing his neighbors in the spiritual world but rather of exploring some lost spaces in this world, things that perhaps no one else knew about or that had no owners.


    the ancient dragon spatial kingdom he had entered earlier was one such place, and as far as minos could tell, there was no guarantee that there weren''t other such places around the world.


    ''i''ll see about that later.'' he kept this in mind, quite excited about his new possibilities.


    after thinking about it, he focused on his techniques, causing the aura around him to change and a feeling of speed to come over him.


    the surroundings became slightly distorted as minos felt how the explosive steps had developed in this stage.


    ''while using this technique, my maximum speed is now 800 meters per second, and my senses are 85% faster than before. i should be able to handle surprise attacks from even level 95 demigods. only someone above that level would be able to surprise me now!''


    the space around him changed again, this time with the gravity changing according to minos'' analysis of his chaotic gravity technique. n/-o)-v)/e-)l-(b-.i)/n


    in the previous stage advancement, he had greatly increased his mastery over his black holes due to the phase advancement of this technique. now, minos felt something similar to what he had felt when he reached level 80 when he realized he could further develop what he had done around dry city in the dome of black holes.


    ''i have a feeling that dry city will become a quasi-spatial kingdom when i upgrade the defense dome with my new abilities.'' he thought with a smile on his face.


    this would basically raise the defenses of his capital to a level that would make it difficult for even gods to enter the place!


    ''this is perfect. i''ll be able to hide my best advances for the next few decades without too much risk.''


    continuing his analysis of his current characteristics, minos looked at his cultivation technique. it had improved in the speed of spiritual energy absorption, but due to the increased level, it would take him longer to improve from now on.


    even if he used his innate ability to steal the cultivation base of the giant bones in the spatial kingdom, it would still take him more than twice as long to advance in this stage as in the previous one!


    from what he felt, it would take him about 7 or 8 years to reach level 91.


    this was obviously a concern for minos!


    even though his estimate put him at the top of this world in terms of cultivation speed, it was still a long time for someone like him, who would soon have to face the aliens and defend his family from gods.


    after that, he turned to his soul technique to continue to know his strengths to the best of his ability and also to train to strengthen himself for the arrival of the aliens.


    the space and time avatar had improved greatly, tripling the size of his space domain while quadrupling the time difference between inside and outside of his domain.


    the bonus he would receive from activating his other techniques in the form of soul projection had also improved, from a 20% improvement before to a 40% improvement now.


    after reviewing all of his techniques, minos sighed in satisfaction at his growth as a cultivator before picking up the last golden scroll he would use to learn something new in this world.


    when a cultivator reached level 100, they didn''t gain a new place to learn new techniques. they would naturally form a skill that was perfectly suited to them.


    therefore, the tenth technique was the last one for a spiritual world cultivator!


    "i''ve finally arrived here..." he murmured as he looked at the scroll of the last technique that henricus longus had prepared for him.

 Chapter 2078 Minos 10th Technique

    chapter 2078 minos'' 10th technique


    the last technique that henricus longus had prepared for minos was a defensive one. this god believed that his chosen one would need an impenetrable defense when the aliens arrived in the spiritual world.


    henricus longus'' greatest fear was that his homeland would be completely taken over by a distant civilization, wiping out everything of the world he had grown up in. to help his successor deal with the enemies, he had left minos many valuable items, as well as techniques that fulfilled what he thought was necessary.


    minos had techniques that could block enemy movement, attack enemies mentally and physically, and turn his body into a weapon capable of killing those of a similar level to himself. this was all very good and should have built a warrior of the highest combat level.


    however, henricus longus had always considered the possibility that invaders from the world would arrive before his chosen one reached level 100. so he had prepared his chosen one''s 10th technique as a defensive truffle for minos.


    if his fear came true, his chosen one would at least have a better defense than indestructible body to fight against the enemy group that would surely have gods on their side.


    henricus longus had no idea whether minos would win or even survive the war for control of the spiritual world. but he did his best to consider the worst that could happen to his chosen one.


    minos agreed with the ancient god that he needed a new defensive technique and quickly began to read the golden scroll of a technique called nullification.


    nullification was a technique with only two phases to understand and could nullify any blow that came within a short distance of its user.


    it was not a technique that showed up in the form of attacks or appeared in any way when used. when its user circulates their energies to activate this technique, it will create a kind of field with an initial distance of 100 meters from its user.


    within this field, the technique user could use their power to neutralize attacks or even the power and laws of nature in the environment at will.


    this technique had no limits beyond the 100-meter range, and how far the user could reach depended on the amount of energy the user had.


    if the user had enough energy to nullify a god''s blow, then they could do that!


    of course, having no limits on this point wasn''t the same as saying that minos would be able to fight gods because he was only a level 90 demigod, but with this technique, he could nullify attacks that were much stronger than he could defend against, or at least weaken enemy attacks that could kill him to the point of becoming undead.


    a great advantage of nullification was that the allies of its users who were close to them could be protected very effectively by this defensive technique.


    this made it a very interesting technique to use on a battlefield where many people were fighting each other!


    minos quickly studied this technique and understood the basics of it with ease, for the point he was at allowed him to read the truths of this world much more easily than in the past.


    perhaps others would need hours, days, or weeks to learn something this complex. but in less than 15 minutes of reading the nullification scroll, he felt he could activate the technique and did so immediately.


    nullification!


    as he made a seal with his fingers to facilitate the activation of the technique for the first time, minos felt something burst from the center of his existence and quickly covered everything up to 100 meters away from him.


    he felt all the remaining energy of the divine-grade medicine in the environment, along with the free laws there, but also the chaotic energy escaping from the bones of the giant skeletons there.


    at the same time, he also noticed his people cultivating. he felt that if he wanted to, he could disturb everyone there, dissipate all those energies and laws, and even mess up his people''s cultivation.


    of course, he wouldn''t do that, but he couldn''t help but smile with satisfaction as he felt the power of this technique.


    ''this is too much,'' he thought to himself. ''this power seems simple enough, but if i were to use it against a level 96 opponent, i feel that i could nullify all of their movements before their spiritual energy left their body. all i would have to do is get close enough to affect them.'' minos analyzed.


    not only that, he also noticed that the technique was very efficient. it converted his spiritual energy into its special power at a higher rate than golden-grade techniques normally worked.


    this meant that one unit of energy he spent would do more for him than the same amount of energy spent by another cultivator using another golden-grade technique!nove.lb.1n


    ''no wonder! henricus longus has actually prepared a very special defensive technique!'' he smiled as he clenched his fists in satisfaction, feeling much more powerful now that he had mastered his 10th technique.


    ''the way i am now, i could easily defeat robots like the ones i faced in the north sea years ago. back then, i even had to use my supreme weapon, and i had a hard time. but now, i wouldn''t have to go that far.''


    while he was thinking this, minos felt isabella raise her cultivation to level 87 and finally stopped thinking about himself, satisfied with her assessment of his current strength.


    he would still find someone powerful to train with him to improve his mastery of his new abilities. but for now, his initial post-advancement analysis was enough, and he soon focused on the people around him.


    ''now that i''ve raised my level, let me help you.'' he smiled as he used his innate ability and quickly began to steal the energy from the giant bones and give it to the beings cultivating around him.


    the moment minos did this, everyone in the spatial kingdom felt their strength and cultivation capacity increase significantly, much more than they were used to when their ruler helped them.


    amid this, minos did not waste any time and put special seals on the giant bones, on his children, and on isabella as well, something that would help them progress more easily when he left the spatial kingdom later.


    he also put some seals on some of the spiritual professionals who were close to advancing in level, determined to help them progress faster while they were so close to their breakthroughs.


    he looked at titus and said. ''take the opportunity to improve your understanding further in the next few days. i''m going out to test my strength, and when i return, we''ll begin our experiments.''


    gulp!


    ''all right. i hope you will come back soon.'' that fox said that he was not cultivating, but he was trying to understand the laws of cultivation based on the theories that minos had taught him over the years.

 Chapter 2079 Proposal

    chapter 2079 proposal


    leaving the spatial kingdom after delivering his message to titus, minos reappeared in dry city at the same place he had left with a large group several months ago.


    arriving in the large courtyard of the black plain army headquarters, minos wasn''t in a hurry. he sensed the surroundings of this barracks but also of the entire dry city. he was now able to sense the entire area protected by the local dome.


    not only did he sense the living beings in this city, but minos also perceived the black hole dome in a different way, feeling he could develop it whenever he wanted.


    while the soldiers at headquarters noticed their leader''s return, especially his new level, minos manipulated space, flying upward without destroying the walls on his way until he reached the highest point above the city.


    once there, he activated his abilities using a soldier he had picked up along the way, who was still disoriented and did not understand what was going on.


    minos'' cultivation rose to level 92, and his soul avatar appeared, causing much of the free spiritual energy in dry city to fall under his control.


    he then began to manipulate the dry city''s dome of black holes, causing all the major cultivators in that place to feel his power and look up to the sky in shock.


    ''who is that?'' aarav''s eyes widened as he moved from where he was meditating, feeling as if a level 96 cultivator had suddenly appeared in this city.


    not only did this person have an aura as strong as that of exceptional level 96 humans, but he also had a strong dragon aura and chaotic energy stronger than that of the leaders of the strongest tribes in this world!


    for a moment, aarav thought this was an enemy hiding in the city.


    however, when he appeared above the local imperial palace, he saw, besides ruth and abby, who were still at level 87, the figure of minos manipulating the local defenses.n--0velb1n


    "minos!" the two women exclaimed as gloria appeared above the spiritual church building, also sensing her husband''s aura and seeing that he had finally reached level 90 and raised his physique to the divine grade!


    aarav''s eyes widened, "minos? how?" he wondered. still, emperor stuart''s appearance hadn''t changed much, and it was obvious that this was him.


    "how is that possible? only gods can do that!"


    "his majesty is powerful, but he is only a demigod..."


    several people commented as minos smiled and watched his citizens.


    "this isn''t a spatial kingdom... it''s a quasi-spatial kingdom." he announced, making it clear to everyone that aarav was partially right and that he hadn''t wiped out the dry city''s defenses either.


    gulp!


    several people swallowed their saliva at such information, not knowing what would happen from now on, only knowing that minos was a monster.


    minos said. "dry city will not become a cultivation sanctuary just because of what i''ve just done, nor will it be as difficult to detect as one of those special places. but the local defenses will now be difficult for even the gods to penetrate. meanwhile, the city will become richer in spiritual energy, and we will no longer need artificial light as we have in the past decades."


    with this confirmation, all the demigods near minos began to comment to each other on how incredible it was, while his wives approached him to hug him after months of not seeing each other.


    he confirmed their questions and those of other individuals interested in his progress in stage and quality of physique, making them either very happy or curious about his situation.


    among them, aarav couldn''t help but look at minos differently, seeing that he still underestimated this young man, even though he expected great things from emperor stuart.


    however, this level 99 demigod couldn''t help but overlook one important thing. to improve the quality of one''s physique from saint to divine, one should have one divine medicine!


    he approached minos and mentally asked. ''did you have any divine medicine? you should have saved it for the future...''


    minos looked at aarav and then said in the old man''s mind. ''elder, i have a proposition for you. why don''t you join my state from now on? the medicine i used to increase the quality of my physique wasn''t the only one i had. if you become the full-time protector of the black plain empire, i''ll give you another divine medicine that i have.


    let''s get strong together and defeat the damn aliens, elder!''

 Chapter 2080 Minos Plans

    chapter 2080 minos'' plans


    after hearing minos'' suggestion, aarav was silent for a moment, thinking about the young man''s current situation, what he could achieve alongside him, and what would be best for them in this situation.


    ''minos can probably fight high-level demigods these days... this means he''ll probably have the fighting power of a level 99 demigod when the aliens arrive. that''s good. it will be a great help in the battle for the spiritual world.'' aarav thought, and the thought of betraying minos and stealing the divine medicine did not even cross his mind.


    aarav was very experienced and saw things differently than people who would consider betraying anyone, depending on the circumstances. this old man could see the bigger picture and easily understand the consequences of certain decisions.n-/0velb1n


    seeing that minos had been able to create a quasi-spatial kingdom after only reaching level 90, it was obvious this young man''s power level was not normal. as long as he had time, he could surpass all the experts in this world.


    considering the 32 enemy gods, aarav would never have thought of betraying minos in this situation. on the contrary, he saw the young man''s proposal in a very positive light.


    he was an exclusive member of the pantheon of honor, but for the sake of one divine medicine and the survival of humanity, he was very willing to give up his exclusive membership to join the black plain empire!


    ''maybe this is my chance to reach level 100,'' he thought. ''at my age and with my strength, i would never be able to compete with the level 99 experts of the spiritual world for something like this. this could be my way out!''


    he said to minos, ''i''m willing. but what about the other people? they''ll also conclude that you used divine medicine. what do we do with them?''


    minos said in aarav''s mind while talking to the others. ''we will do nothing. i had a single divine medicine in my spactial kingdom, and i used it to increase the grade of my physique. this may be frowned upon by the world''s powers, but it was the act of a leader desperate to strengthen himself.


    considering my position and the technologies i''m developing, i''m sure we''ll be able to handle the pressure that will come after this.''


    ''that''s a good plan. but we need more.'' aarav said. ''at least we need more powerful people to back you up.''


    minos answered the question of the woman who was about to reach level 90, the strongest of the three: "first, i''m going to visit an old acquaintance on the border of the empire and albano.


    in any case, i intend to keep my promise to you on this trip. after i pass through this area and settle my affairs there, we''ll go to veora. we''ll settle your affairs with the royal family of that state."


    "what?" the three asked, not expecting that they would be doing this now.


    but they didn''t know that the moment minos had advanced a level, he had perceived a new kind of energy, which was also one of the reasons why he was already so strong.


    minos sensed millions of people throughout the realm as he advanced in level, and he could easily hear and sense the intentions of some of his worshippers.


    at that moment, he had experienced and felt the so-called power of faith for the first time, something he wanted to explore now that he had become a demigod.


    the relatives of the goddess of life had gotten into trouble with the veora family over a sacred item of theirs that could collect the power of faith. so minos wanted to combine the useful with the pleasant, help his subordinates take revenge, and collect something precious to him.


    ''if i can collect the power of faith that''s available in the empire, i''ll be able to grow faster during my journey in the 10th stage.'' he thought to himself as he watched the three. they were not expecting to get their chance for revenge so soon.


    "get ready. in a day or two, we''ll visit veora to meet the royal family of that state. after that, we''ll settle everything."


    with these words, minos manipulated space and took the three of them to the area that had been the home of the ancients folk''s nemesis.


    minos wanted to revisit a certain curse that had hindered him decades ago!

 Chapter 2081 Back to the Home of the Ancient Folk’s Nemesis

    chapter 2081 back to the home of the ancient folk''s nemesis


    after a few moments of flying with the three relatives of the goddess of life, minos arrived in an area of albano that anyone who knew the area would avoid at all costs. nove.lb-1n


    arriving at this place shrouded in a dark fog, minos took his group''s lead while the three high-level sages followed behind him in fear.


    they could sense that this place was not normal!


    "what is this place, your majesty?" asked the only man there besides minos. "have you been here before?"


    "yes. when i was spiritual emperor, i came here with abby. we were lucky to survive what''s in this place." minos said as he saw through the fog, looking toward the canyon where he and his first wife had stopped long ago to look at the place where an altar stood at the bottom of the canyon.


    "spiritual emperor?" the two women looked at minos with wide eyes, unbelieving that he had dared to come to this place when he was so weak.


    they were high-level sages, but they still felt a threatening energy coming from where they were going. how could minos come here when he was only at the 7th stage?


    ''it''s no wonder he''s so powerful. he has an insane will! he''s willing to do anything to grow!'' the sage who had asked this thought.


    "anyway, let''s go faster. it looks like an old acquaintance is waiting for us." he said as he quickened his pace and soon reached the canyon, from where he could see into the mist-covered area where there was an altar at the bottom of the canyon, in that area of red earth.


    when the three of them reached minos, they immediately saw an old man standing next to the altar, digging what looked like a grave.


    he was dressed all in white, but his clothes were dirty from the red earth.


    according to minos, this was not earth but blood.


    "why wouldn''t i dare?" minos took a step forward as he activated his tenth skill.


    as he stepped forward, all the energy gathered by the being between levels 99 and 100 and the curse realized that minos had really changed a lot.


    feeling that many of his powers were being nullified as if he weren''t there, he felt a little desperate, sensing this human might become a danger to him if he continued to grow.


    in all history, not even the gods had been able to eliminate him.


    however, for the first time in millions of years, he felt this could change!


    ''i don''t know how he became so powerful, but i feel that if i let him go, he will come back in a few years to destroy me.'' this creature thought to himself, being careful as he looked at minos.


    but while he was looking at minos and thinking about how to solve this problem, he heard. "old curse, i''m not here to eliminate you if that''s what you''re worried about. you''ve lived in the spiritual world for so long, so you must know a thing or two about ancient facts. i''m curious if you can answer some of my questions."


    "tsk! don''t try to trick me, human! i know you''re looking for a weakness in me to kill me!"


    minos ignored the curse and asked. "do you remember the ancient folk? do you know about them?"


    the ancient folk were a prehistoric civilization of the world that had left behind the cultivation rules they had developed. but little was known about what this civilization was like, how it had lived, and how it had developed its knowledge. most of what was available in this world was just theories about how they managed to discover the cultivation rules.


    as minos had already discovered, the spiritual world was a small part of a larger world, panvuter. but that larger world and the current world of this level 90 demigod were very different in terms of rules and levels.


    after the destruction of panvuter, the spiritual world changed many times until it reached a stability that lasted several million years.


    the ancient folk were the first civilization to decipher the new rules of the world, and part of their journey was to deal with the instability that preceded the stability that lasted until today!


    that was what interested minos and what was behind his question!

 Chapter 2082 The Ancient Folk (1)

    chapter 2082 the ancient folk (1)


    "ancient folk?" the curse created by this civilization''s nemesis changed its expression as it remembered.


    it was a creation of the destroyer of the ancient folk, and he had the memory not only of his creator but also of all the beings he had killed in this land of misfortune since his creation.


    with more than 10 million years of experience, this being knew far more than anyone else in the world!


    even the tribe of elves didn''t have the information this curse had about the antiquity of the spiritual world.


    "why do you want to know about those cursed people? there''s no trace of them left in the world. there''s nothing to study or discover about them. do you think i''m going to believe that you''ve come here to talk about a people who are now nothing more than a legend?" the curse asked minos in an excited tone.n/-0velb1n


    minos then told the truth, his eyes shining the color of a rainbow as he mentally attacked the being.


    minos said. "beings from outside the spiritual world are preparing to invade and destroy our planet. an alien race from a place in the stars called the adamant land will arrive on our planet in a few years.


    they have 32 gods on their side, and surely some will be among the first groups to land in the spiritual world in a few years."


    when minos'' voice sounded, this curse saw several strange things that were in the north sea, including the beings that emperor stuart''s group had encountered in that sea area years ago.


    this old man was naturally terrified by minos'' power, seeing that this young man had incredible mental attack power!


    "so that''s it..." he muttered, understanding that minos wanted to learn about the alternative methods the ancient folk had developed to better understand the aliens.


    he smiled and asked. "now i understand how it can help you. but why should i help you with it? from what i can see, it can not only help you fight the aliens. i think it will also make you stronger, won''t you? those giant bones in the pocket space are also based on laws that don''t exist in the world right now. that means you have this alternative energy inside you."


    minos saw how cunning this curse was. ''this guy figured it all out with just the basics of what i told him... it seems this mind of millions of years is in excellent condition.''


    minos then turned sideways and looked at the surroundings of the altar and the canyon. "this canyon must be your world, right? even though you might be stronger than level 99 demigods and indestructible even for gods, you can''t leave this area..."


    the curse hated this part of his existence and frowned. "so what? can you do anything about it?"


    "no... at least not the way i am now. but what if i reach level 100?" minos smiled. "not only that but what if i''m able to cultivate different laws of our world and not just absorb different forms of energy?


    right now, what i''ve absorbed only makes me stronger than i should be, which gives me an advantage within the limits of our world''s laws. but if i could cultivate it in a different way, would that still be the case?


    so that''s what i have for you. a promise that i will try to give you the freedom you surely want. i don''t know if i can, but you won''t gain anything by keeping this information to yourself.


    make a deal with me and create your opportunity to leave this place and see not only the spiritual world but possibly other worlds."


    the curse''s eyes shone when he heard minos'' enticing words.

 Chapter 2083 The Ancient Folk (2)

    chapter 2083 the ancient folk (2)


    "would you?" the curse asked minos, knowing it was unlikely he would ever leave this place but that this young man before him was his best chance.


    not only that, but if minos could reach level 100, he might be able to kill the curse. considering this, he saw a clear advantage in making a deal with such a human.


    ''if he fails, my situation will remain the same as it is today, and i won''t have to face him in the future. but if he succeeds, i''ll finally be able to leave this hellish place.'' the old man thought, putting aside his cursing instincts to look at the bigger picture.


    his instincts told him to kill anyone who entered this area. but he had reached the highest point below level 100. he was rational enough to see his situation from a different angle than a simple curse designed to kill.


    his continuity and even the chance to see new places were more important to him than the elimination of minos and the three silent sages behind the brown-haired young man.


    minos answered the question, still with his powers active to prevent his opponent from acting against him. "yes. if i can do that, i''ll free you from this area. but first, i want the information you have about the ancient folk."


    "first, tell me how you plan to reach level 100. from what you''ve shown me and told me about the aliens, they will arrive in this world in a few years. you won''t be able to get to the end of the 10th stage by then. but the enemies will be terrible enough to kill you. how do you plan to do that?"


    minos replied sincerely. "by surviving them and continuing my cultivation path. i don''t know if you know this, but there are currently three gods in the spiritual world, and the fourth will appear in the next few years.nov¦Å/lb-in


    aside from them, i feel that maybe 3 or 4 more people will be able to reach level 100 by the time the enemies arrive, which will give us a better chance of dealing with the crisis.


    i intend to survive with the help of some of these gods and their organizations and eventually leave the spiritual world to explore the universe. that way, i hope to reach level 100 or even higher." he said as he gestured.


    nothing minos said was nonsense. with alien technologies, traveling through the universe would be possible. at the same time, this old man had felt the advances of three gods and didn''t doubt that more such people would appear worldwide.


    what bothered minos the most was if this curse died during the war to control the spiritual world. but when he was a god, things would be different!


    "okay, i can do this."


    in this way, the two of them would soon seal the deal, going through a rapid spiritual process in which they would merge their futures.


    if minos couldn''t reach level 100, their lives wouldn''t be connected. but if he became a god, the spiritual pact would apply as it was known.


    with that settled, both minos and the old curse calmed their tempers and were no longer a threat to each other.


    the curse said. "now, as for the ancients, they were one of the oldest races in the world. according to the legends of that time, they were the children of a celestial race that had fallen long before them.


    in a way, they were like dragons and elves. these two races also existed in the world then, but they lived very isolated from everyone else.


    at that time, beasts, elves, humans, and all the different races in this world were very hostile to each other. wars happened very easily. all it took was for a human to look a dragon in the eye, and a battle would ensue.


    that''s why the two continents at that time were very separated from each other, with the lands we''re on being on the side of the humans and the continent that was the fusion of the current divine continent and the continent of beasts being the home of the dragons.


    going to each other''s land would cause wars. meeting at sea would cause wars. anything you can think of would cause conflict. in this situation where humans barely knew how to cultivate, it was easy to imagine how terrible the situation was on the mainland.


    at that time, the spiritual humans had almost been wiped out many times in conflicts with animals. fortunately, at that time, the natural phenomena were very extreme, and only a few people were able to cross the world''s oceans to the continents and islands.


    even so, humans were at a disadvantage and had to work hard to understand this world. in this context, the most terrifying civilization that ever existed was born!

 Chapter 2084 The Ancient Folk (3)

    chapter 2084 the ancient folk (3)


    the old curse hated the ancient folk. however, he also greatly respected how far those beings had come back then.


    whether he liked the ancient folk or not, he couldn''t deny that this civilization created light amid darkness by developing methods that practically gave the spiritual world to humans.


    millions of years ago, spiritual humans had to hide from beasts in this world and were the weakest race on this planet. but after all this time since the rise of the ancient folk, everything has changed, and humans could long be considered one of the ten strongest races!


    "you were right to think that the ancient folk had developed many different methods." the old man with the shredded face said to minos while the three relatives of the goddess of life listened attentively to the ancient history of this world.


    "back then, it was tough to cultivate. humans were completely different from beasts and elves, beings with a great affinity for the chaotic cultivation laws of that time. humans couldn''t just eat the resources of this world and go to sleep like dragons. therefore, this race was weak, and only a lucky few were able to cultivate to high levels for that time.


    but the ancient folk had a clear goal: to survive the war of the races and rule the world. this civilization gathered all the beings of their race who could cultivate and spent more than a million years studying the methods of cultivating human beings.


    it was very difficult for them. at that time, the world''s cultivation laws were changing very frequently, and some laws were getting stronger while others were disappearing altogether. that greatly slowed their progress but didn''t stop them from succeeding.


    after many failures and methods that didn''t work well for people then, they finally found a stable way with a good success rate for those who used the technique.n()o-/v/.e..l.)b(-1(.n


    that is how spiritual techniques were born, ways to use the powers within the individual and the world to their advantage.


    he laughed at this. "unfortunately for the wretched ancients, they had to leave their discoveries to ordinary humans, as their nemesis wiped them out shortly after they succeeded."


    in the past of this world, there were several races of ghost people. one of them was the race of the ancients, while the most common of them, the race to which minos belonged, was the only one that had survived in the long run.


    some of the genes of the other human races had been mixed with those of the weaker race, so they hadn''t completely disappeared. however, it was a fact that there hadn''t been another member of the pure ancient folk in this world for a long time.


    how did this being know so much? it was because he not only knew the ancient folk''s nemesis, someone who had vast knowledge of that race, but he could also absorb the knowledge of his victims.


    over more than 10 million years of his existence, he had killed beings from different eras of the spiritual world and learned about many of the secrets of this planet.


    as a result, he knew that the ancient heavenly continent had split into two pieces of land, currently called the continent of beasts and the divine continent.


    he also knew about henricus longus, the classifications of spiritual techniques and artifacts, and a lot of basic information about this world.


    he even knew about the black plain empire, as someone with knowledge of that region had fallen into his hands about 15 years ago.


    minos then said. "give me these three methods. i''ll see what i can get out of them. maybe i can use something they''ve developed."


    "all right. but if it hurts you, don''t blame me. i''ll just give you those methods and fulfill what you asked me to do."


    that being condensed his knowledge of three of the six projects of the ancient folk and produced orbs of glowing energy, which contained all the relevant information he had about these methods.


    sensing that there was nothing wrong with these orbs, minos immediately absorbed them. he would soon feel a great flow of ancient knowledge appearing in his mind.


    through this, he could more or less sense what the spiritual world was like in the distant past, the closest he could get to this world of panvuter.


    he didn''t want to come to any conclusions about what to do with these methods without first studying them a bit and considering the opinions of some of his experts. so minos kept this in mind, seeing a few points that he thought were interesting, but he was not rushing to do anything with it.


    ''i will take the rest of this trip and focus on it after i return to dry city.''

 Chapter 2085 Arriving at the Capital of Veora

    chapter 2085 arriving at the capital of veora?


    now that the curse had been dealt with and the ancient methods, an alternative to the classic method of cultivation in the spiritual world, were with him, minos had nothing left to deal with that old man.


    even though the curse had caused him a lot of trouble back then and had almost killed him, he wasn''t minos'' concern now. besides being limited to a small area, such a being could not be compared to the 32 gods of the mechanic empire.


    minos wanted to ''dance'' with this old acquaintance to test his current powers. but since this being had given him everything he wanted without much difficulty, there was no need for him to fight.


    this journey, which minos had started by leaving dry city earlier, was to test his powers but also to settle old matters and some new partnerships. so, not fighting was not necessarily a sign that his goals had failed.


    "well, if that''s all, it''s time to go," minos said as he prepared to leave the area, to the delight of the old man who lived in that red place.


    "what are you going to do now?" the curse asked.


    "i will improve my contacts and solve some old problems. in short, things that will enhance my chances of completing our deal."


    "oh? then i wish you good luck. i expect some fools to come into this area with information about your state." he said because that was the only way he would know what was going on outside this area. n/)o--v(/e(-l-)b.-1//n


    minos said nothing more and simply led his traveling companions out of the area toward the kingdom of veora.


    in the middle of their departure, the heiress of the family related to the goddess of life asked. "would it be a good idea for you to free that creature, your majesty? it would be just as bad as the aliens if it were free in the spiritual world.


    he doesn''t seem to have any meaningful feelings or connections that would stop him from committing atrocities..."


    for now, let''s concentrate on solving what i suggested earlier. we''ll go to the veora family headquarters to take care of your affairs."


    "are we going straight there?" the man asked, feeling that this was a little too fast.


    "there is no point in prolonging this situation. if the veora family doesn''t like it, we''ll make them defend themselves. i''ll take what we get today!" minos said confidently, knowing the strongest person in this state was only a level 96 demigod.


    but even if such a person were stronger, he would have no problem acting as he intended. considering the importance of items that could collect the power of faith, minos was ready to put up a serious fight!


    hearing this, the three of them felt slightly anxious as they approached veora''s territory.


    amid their movement, minos used his bright eyes, aware that there might be exceptional spaces all over the central continent.


    given the long history of this world, strange things could be lost literally anywhere.


    minos knew that an ancestor of the three who accompanied him had stolen an idol from the veora family, which had started all the intrigue between those families. but the man''s relatives didn''t know where he had hidden the item, only that it must have been hidden somewhere in veora.


    as soon as he reached this state, minos began searching carefully for clues that would lead him to the lost idol.


    he found nothing at first, but by asking for clues from the three who had searched for the idol stolen by their ancestor decades before minos, this emperor improved his aim.


    by looking for more specific targets and searching smaller areas instead of everything around him, he would soon notice a strange place underground in the central part of veora.


    ''here?'' he wondered, near the capital of this state.


    from there, he saw what looked like an ancient altar built 250 meters below the surface, about 800 meters from the southern exit of the capital. seeing a spatial distortion in this altar, minos immediately considered the possibility that this was the place the veora family had been searching for countless millennia.

 Chapter 2086 The Location of the Lost Idol?

    chapter 2086 the location of the lost idol?


    minos moved towards the spot that had appeared in his mind''s eye when he discovered it, crossing the space towards the altar.


    as he did so, he felt something trying to hold him back, but he didn''t retreat at the first sign of danger. instead, he quickly activated his tenth technique, making all the energy trying to contain him disappear.


    his three companions followed, realizing how terrible their leader''s latest technique was, but also shocked at how easily he could detect things.


    ''is this where the lost idol is?'' the strongest woman in the group wondered, curious to know if the item they had been searching for so long had been found so quickly by minos.


    even before they were sure if this place was really connected to their ancestor, the other two relatives of the goddess of life pondered why they had failed in their search.


    ''this place was covered with high-level arrays! it would be impossible for us to perceive this place!'' the man thought to himself as he sensed this altar and the spatial distortion in what appeared to be a small lake in the center of the altar.


    but when they reached this place, they all realized it wasn''t as easy as they had thought.n--0velb1n


    "this isn''t the place we were looking for," minos muttered as he felt some auras approaching him. "but here is one of the idols of the veora family!"


    minos easily identified the power of faith, concentrating on one of the three statues around the small lake where there was a spatial distortion.


    why was he sure this was one of the veora family''s items? it''s because the moment he entered the area, he felt several auras of demigods appearing around the capital and probing in that direction.


    "this is one of the veora family''s faith power collection points." he told his three companions.


    before the three of them could say anything, while observing the underground cave where this altar was located, they saw several spatial distortions appear in the surroundings of this place of about 3,000 cubic meters of space.


    he said in a threatening tone. "kindly hand over your faith power-gathering idol to me or face the consequences.


    everyone became a few degrees more serious, not liking minos'' intentions at all. considering his current level and confident voice, emperor stuart must have been much stronger than before.


    that was terrible, and these men immediately felt they were in danger!


    "your majesty minos stuart, are you here to start a war with veora? are you really willing to throw everything up in the air and start a war when we should be preparing to deal with the aliens?" the leader of the guards of this place asked as he clenched his fingers on his spear tighter.


    "there will be no war or conflict between us. at worst, there will be a fight." minos said as he smiled. "but that''s up to you, not me. just give me your idols, and we''ll be fine. i won''t help my three subordinates take revenge on you."


    the three sages didn''t even flinch when they heard this. it was impossible for veora to just hand over their most valuable items to minos!


    items that could collect the power of faith were not common. in the entire central continent, only four states were known to possess such items. veora was not one of them, which justified the existence of this ancient state, even if it had such idols that were coveted by the strongest in the spiritual world.


    only a small fraction of the world''s population knew about the power of faith. among them, an even smaller number of individuals knew which organizations might or might not have idols on their side.


    so there was no way the kingdom would agree to give up what it had to minos just because of his words!


    the leader of this team looked at minos differently, seeing that what seemed to be a promising ally for the future was actually an enemy of his people.


    "if you want what we have, you''ll have to fight for it, minos stuart! now that you''ve declared your evil intentions against veora forget about leaving this place altogether! let''s see what gave you the confidence to come to us with such ridiculous plans!"


    minos laughed even more when he heard that, enjoying the idea of fighting all those demigods. "very well. show me what you know!"

 Chapter 2087 Training for Minos?

    chapter 2087 training for minos?


    after minos called those mid-level demigods against him, all those men from the local royal guard moved in, using their weapons and techniques with emperor stuart in mind.


    they knew how thick-skinned their opponent was when he was only at the 9th stage. now that he was a demigod, minos should be even worse!


    even though the three relatives of the goddess of life were wanted in this state, all these demigods ignored them to focus only on minos, who had openly threatened everyone there and exposed his interests that were against the kingdom.


    "we thought you would be a companion in the war against the aliens... now i see that everyone was wrong about you, minos stuart! you''re a profiteer who will betray anyone who can benefit you!" the level 95 demigod said as his powers exploded.


    not only did this individual use his soul avatar to channel the free energy in the environment into his primary attack technique, but all the others did the same, glaring at minos.


    minos took a step forward from his three companions, looking at the surrounding demigods but not fearing them. "nonsense!" he said, while also using his soul projection to prepare for this fight.


    dragon''s eye!


    he specifically attacked the weakest demigods there, a level 94 man who didn''t expect to be hit first.


    as everyone saw minos'' dominance grow against them, the weakest of those guards fell as if he had been knocked out.


    amid his fall, his aura began to weaken, while minos'' strength became more impressive.


    in a single moment, he left his average level 90 cultivation and easily reached the peak of level 92!


    the space and time domain then grew considerably against the domains of the soul avatars of those demigods of the local royal guard.nove/lb(in


    minos'' domain was, as the name implied, the space and time domain. when he covered practically the entire underground area where the group was about to confront each other, practically everyone felt the passage of time change.


    but this change wasn''t like what had happened before. now, minos could change the passage of time for his targets but make it normal for himself or even those of his choice.


    they had been completely powerless against minos!


    it wasn''t that they had lost. losing was no disgrace to warriors. such situations happened. the problem was that they couldn''t even move against minos!


    even though they were the strongest of the royal guard, they could only watch minos standing in front of them while they all lost any fighting ability.


    it wasn''t that they needed to become stronger. their powers were of a completely different nature, and minos had surpassed them in every way!


    "shit! kill me if that''s what you want!" a level 94 demigod shouted at minos as he fell to his knees, feeling the effect of chaotic gravity pinning him to the ground and making his body many times heavier than it was.


    minos had already stopped affecting time, so these men could now speak, think, and act in real-time.


    emperor stuart laughed when he heard this and said. "i thought you would give me a good workout. i seem to have underestimated my powers..."


    "then how about fighting me?"


    suddenly, a strange voice came from the surface of that area, causing not only minos but everyone else on that underground altar to look up and feel a level 96 peak aura, the aura of the strongest man in veora.


    minos had never met the king of veora in person, but he knew how to recognize such a person.


    "your majesty veora, i didn''t expect to meet you so soon..." minos said as he looked in the direction where this man would appear a second after his words.


    the king of this state was not in a good mood, nor did he feel he could easily solve this matter. he then said, seeing that minos was suppressing so many of his strongest guards in the kingdom. "your majesty stuart, i know what you want. but do you really want to go through with this? are you declaring war on my state?"


    minos laughed and said. "wars are declared against opponents of a similar level. i''m here to take what i want. it''s your choice to fight to keep what you have or to kindly surrender to me and become a vassal state of the black plain empire.


    what do you say? would you instead give me what i want or help me learn my limits better?"

 Chapter 2088 Defeating a Sovereign

    chapter 2088 defeating a sovereign?


    at king veora''s side were his three strongest advisors, all level 95 demigods. n/-o.)v--e--l))b/-1-(n


    one of them said into the mental communication of these four strongest individuals of veora. ''your majesty, we must be careful. that bastard managed to defeat all of our men protecting this altar... he won''t make it easy for us.''


    ''old bai is right. your majesty, try to entertain the enemy for a few seconds. the three of us will attack together and try to open a gap for you to hit the enemy with your primary attack.'' said another of the advisors as the three of them stood one step behind the king, looking seriously in minos''s direction.


    king veora then said to minos. "are you ready to go all the way with this? don''t you care about the consequences of your actions? the entire spiritual world will reject your actions on this day. you may lose your followers when everyone finds out how slippery you are."


    minos said nothing more, only moving one of his hands toward king veora''s neck, causing several swords to appear from space and fly toward the level 96 demigod.


    sensing these forms of attack, not only king veora but also his three advisors moved to dodge minos'' swift attacks while sensing something trying to hold them back.


    "domain? it seems like you''re really good at that at only level 90. but affecting me the way you affected my guards won''t be so easy!" king veora shouted as he temporarily escaped from minos.


    little did he know what was about to happen!


    when minos finally moved, darkness erupted from within the emperor, spreading fog all around the underground chamber. at the same time, the young man''s brown eyes lit up in rainbow colors.


    infinite dream!


    directing his mental attack at one of the newly arrived level 95 demigods, minos used the dark sea to change the old man''s side, quickly taking him away from king veora''s group and bringing him over to his own.


    when he least expected it, king veora was stabbed in the back by one of his most trusted advisors, seeing minos'' terrible power to corrupt the minds of his targets.


    the man had no chance to scream. as minos used the power of the indestructible body, he crushed the neck of the level 95 demigod, ending the old man''s life in a single move!


    "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!"


    amidst this, the king of this kingdom screamed in agony, suffering from the attacks of his advisor, who couldn''t feel pain and only saw the person in front of him as someone to be eliminated.


    "minos! you''ll pay dearly for this! i swear you will die because of this day!" he shouted in a painful tone, full of hatred and regret.


    all he wanted was to rise to the top, become stronger, and eventually become the first god of his family. however, he couldn''t imagine the things that would allow him to achieve such a feat would lead to his own demise...


    a long time ago, his family had found some idols in an ancient ruin on an island in the ancestral sea. that led them to discover the power of faith and how to absorb its essence to become stronger and have a better chance of reaching level 100.


    unfortunately, his family was fragile back then, and it took a long time for the first person to reach the 10th stage, like the king veora of this generation.


    but from what he felt now, all the years of his family''s hard work had only served for this moment when the real man who would enjoy such things dealt him a fatal blow.


    picking up his high-level grade-4 sword, minos crossed the space and appeared behind this level 96 demigod, slashing his sword through the man''s back, passing through the left side of his chest, piercing his heart before destroying him.


    all the demigods minos had defeated earlier and who were still conscious looked on in amazement, fear, and horror as they watched the strongest of the state bleed from various places while the enemy held his body upright.


    "your majesty..." some of them tried to move, but in minos'' presence, they could only mumble as they felt the end of an era in this state.


    minos had become very strong. not many could stand up to him and say no!


    he wanted the idols of this state, so the only thing the people of this place could do was to give him what he wanted!


    at this rate, king veora died at the hands of minos, the first level 96 demigod to die in these lands in a long time.

 Chapter 2089 Power of Faith

    chapter 2089 power of faith?


    after finishing off king veora, minos looked at the living men in the area as he lowered his overwhelmingly powerful aura.


    "you now have a choice. your leader has died, so it''s time to decide whether to follow him into the afterlife or bow your heads and accept a new leader." minos said unashamedly, not bothered by the fact that their leader was practically dead at his feet.


    "i prefer the second option. the black plain empire needs powerful people on its side to fight the aliens that will invade the world in a few years. besides, i have no real reason to want everyone here to die.


    none of this would have had to happen if your leader had done what i asked earlier... anyway, i''ll give you one minute to make up your mind. i will honor the choice of those who prefer the path of death and send them to the same place as king veora."


    the conscious men trembled as they heard minos'' threatening words, both threatening and understanding. n((ovelb1n


    it was strange to hear this from a person who had just killed three powerful cultivators and caused the death of the fourth. but minos had not been insincere in his words.


    as they stood in silence, looking at each other, seeing the result of the brief confrontation that had taken place there, and remembering how domineering minos had been, he moved to the altar in that area.


    there were three statues around a small fountain where there was a spatial distortion. these three statues were filled with an extraordinary power, the condensation of the beliefs of many different people.


    these statues attracted the power of the faith of the people from the capital city of veora, causing this unique energy to circulate them and condense on the main statue of the three. from it, the power of faith followed into the spatial distortion, where minos could sense that the true idol that gathered the power of faith was.


    leaving aside the survivors on the outskirts, he looked into this spatial distortion. he quickly used his spatial manipulation skills to grab what was there.


    knowing what to do, he quickly used his 10th technique to remove everything related to king veora from the rabbit-shaped artifact.


    seeing this, the level 95 man from earlier sighed when he saw that minos stuart could not be stopped.


    ''he is a monster... no one will stop him. since he has such powers, the powers of the world will turn a blind eye to what he''s done in order to have a powerful fighter in the war against the aliens.''


    then he said loud and clear. "i surrender to your majesty minos stuart. i hope you''ll have mercy on me. i was only doing my job."


    "general!" some of the still uncertain men shouted simultaneously, unable to believe that a man of such high rank as their leader would so easily surrender to the enemy.


    but this general told his men. ''his majesty is dead. not only that, but the black plain empire is a large state, and the kingdom has no way of getting justice. minos will take everything we have and rule veora one way or another. the only way for us not to fall now is to help him.


    sigh... as sad and unfair as it is that we can''t take revenge, would it change what has already happened? if it were possible for us to take revenge, his majesty would still be dead... but there isn''t even the possibility of revenge. minos is too strong for us to think of defying him.


    so, quickly surrender and think of your families. maybe we can still protect the ones we care about if we surrender.''


    ''but what about the royal family?''


    the mightiest demigod closed his eyes. ''poor souls. they are lost.''


    while this demigod convinced the others, minos accepted this man''s surrender. "haha, you''ve made the right decision. by my side, you will become even stronger and have the best technologies in our world for when the enemies come to fight us all!"


    soon, all the survivors would surrender to minos and accept seals from him, guaranteeing they would not betray him.

 Chapter 2090 Very White

    chapter 2090 very white?


    after sealing deals with 8 men, 7 level 94 demigods, and 1 level 95, the only survivors of the previous battle, minos had them take pills to recover.


    he looked at his three companions, who were staring at him intently as he held the ''rabbit'' in his hands.


    "your majesty..."


    "now, it won''t be so difficult for us to settle your revenge here. you will accompany me while i deal with the rest of the veora family before i release you to return to dry city." he said, knowing that these people didn''t necessarily want to take revenge with their own hands.


    it would be enough for them to know that the veora family had been removed from this world! n(-0velb1n


    years ago, they had traded their freedom for minos'' support to complete the revenge they desperately sought.


    minos killing king veora and planning to deal with the rest of that royal family was more than they expected from him, so they didn''t complain about the way things were going.


    "thank you, your majesty. i know this isn''t just to fulfill the previous promise, but still, what you''re doing is more than we could ever repay. we are truly grateful to you for taking care of us over the years and now freeing us from years of bitterness." the heiress of this family, level 88, said as she knelt before minos.


    the other two did the same, also thanking minos for taking action against such a family.


    "thank you, your majesty!"


    minos didn''t bother and said. "what do you think about representing me in this state?"


    "what?" the three exclaimed.


    the remaining guards stayed where they were and hovered over the palace, looking strangely at the group of guards next to minos.


    meanwhile, the weaker ones in the palace stayed where they were, realizing great trouble was upon them.


    "ryan! what happened? why are you standing next to minos stuart? what is he doing here? and where is his majesty?" a level 95 man, one of veora''s six cultivators of that level, asked as he took his place in front of the other men.


    the level 95 demigod next to minos took a deep breath before looking into the person''s eyes and saying. "his majesty is dead. now veora belongs to the black plain empire!


    surrender to his majesty minos stuart or face the consequences!" he shouted, his weapon ready to strike.


    hearing ryan''s words, all of the 40 or so demigods around the royal palace felt strange as chills ran through their bodies.


    "damned traitor!"


    minos took a step forward, seeing that words wouldn''t be enough to settle things on the spot.


    he was still at level 92, as his ability to keep his cultivation higher by using his skill had evolved, and he could stay stronger for longer.


    he said before attacking the strongest of the opposing demigods. "ryan is very soft-spoken. those who don''t surrender immediately will die!"


    after closing his mouth, minos disappeared from where he was and appeared next to the strongest level 95 demigod from the enemy side, one of the two individuals of that level currently available in the royal palace.


    when he appeared next to that person, minos already had his indestructible body working on him, and he simply kicked the man in the abdomen, causing the space around his leg to collapse as he moved faster than the opponent could react.


    "sh..."


    the man was about to scream as he felt several of his organs being crushed by minos'' kick while his body was already flying towards the ground so fast that he looked like a cannonball.

 Chapter 2091 Destroying the Veora Family

    chapter 2091 destroying the veora family?


    boom!


    after minos'' kick, the body of the level 95 demigod crashed into a part of the royal palace, destroying several walls and pieces of furniture until his body came to rest in front of a member of the royal family who was hiding there.


    "aaaaagh!"


    this person opened his mouth in a loud scream as he saw the body of one of the strongest members of his family die in front of him.


    this level 95 demigod didn''t die instantly, but minos'' kick so badly injured him that he lost consciousness as his body convulsed in agony!


    all the other demigods around the royal palace looked at the spot where one of their strongest had fallen before turning their attention to minos.


    ''damn it! can that bastard do this?'' the other level 95 demigod in the area wondered as he looked at minos, his face already pale with sweat dripping from his forehead.


    ryan then said to everyone. "members of the royal guard, surrender now. his majesty minos stuart intends to accept anyone who decides to surrender to the black plain empire."


    "are you sure about that, ryan?" the other remaining level 95 demigod asked. "i''m afraid we must consider our future. if we''re going to live as slaves, we''d better think about our situation before we make up our minds."


    but then minos looked in the man''s direction and said. "i have no reason to enslave you. i''m offering you a chance to live under my command, just as vogel did at the beginning of our relationship.


    i suppose that''s acceptable, isn''t it? i have no reason to treat you worse than those individuals. especially in these times."


    "and what''s the cost of all this?" a level 94 woman asked, aware minos had to gain something beyond this state. he couldn''t be there just to subordinate them. there had to be a deeper reason for him to target them that day. n--o((v)-e(-l/(b-(1)/n


    while the subordinates of the veora family thought about this, the local crown prince slowly tried to move away and leave the royal palace.


    those who didn''t want to lose loved ones moved away from the others, quickly separating the sides, one promising to ally themselves with the black plain army and the other, ready to fight.


    minos looked at the 15 people who could have surrendered to him but chose to rebel and said. "very well, you have chosen to die with your former rulers. that is a noble choice."


    with that, he fused his techniques so quickly that hardly anyone near the royal palace saw his movements when a black hole the size of a chariot appeared above the royal palace.


    the moment such a thing appeared above that place, all the people up to 3 kilometers away from minos felt a chill in their souls and realized the power of that terrible essence.


    such a black hole was so powerful that minos would have defeated king veora earlier without even moving if he had used it. with something like that, he could even challenge level 97 demigods!


    minos'' control over the black hole had greatly improved with his recent changes. the moment he made it appear, he made everything and everyone in this place lose control of their realities.


    he chose who and what he wanted to keep, using ryan''s hints while covering everyone in the vicinity with his spiritual energy.


    he then made such a black hole fall over the palace as it grew in size, swallowing the whole place in the blink of an eye!


    minos could now absorb whatever he wanted with his black hole, which meant that not everything that entered that part of space would be consumed.


    after leaving the black hole covering the veora family''s royal palace for about two minutes, minos removed the fusion from that place, revealing a palace still intact while many frightened people were still around.


    these people had witnessed the end of all those with royal blood and those who would rather die than submit to minos!


    as these individuals fell to their knees, some pissing themselves, others shitting themselves, the men who were outside the palace when it all happened couldn''t help but turn pale.


    as much as they were alive and would be part of minos'' forces after that day, they couldn''t help but feel a fear of death, being so close to someone who could easily kill them all.


    minos then said to those who had already received his seal. "bring the power-gathering idols to me. i''ll settle into my new palace while you take care of this."


    ryan immediately accepted these orders from minos, while those who hadn''t yet made a deal with him stayed behind to sort out their situation.

 Chapter 2092 New Local Sovereign

    chapter 2092 new local sovereign?


    after entering the royal palace of the veora family, minos quickly found a comfortable place to wait and took a seat in the king''s chair.


    as he relaxed in the royal chair, he saw the three soldiers associated with the goddess of life with fantastic expressions on their faces.


    none of them had expected minos to do what he did today when they left the empire earlier. everything that had happened was so surreal that they could hardly believe it was real.


    meanwhile, one of the men who had followed the four of them to the king''s office asked. "what should we do now?"


    minos replied. "i want you to bring everyone who will be subordinate to the black plain army from now on. i will seal our relationship so you can return to normal as soon as possible."


    "return to normal?" a level 94 woman asked, not understanding how that was possible.


    minos looked at the beautiful blonde. "for the time being, all the changes here have been concerning your rulers and staff. i am now your supreme leader, and the black plain army is your new greatest ally.


    but your activities remain the same as before me, at least for the next few weeks.


    so continue to prepare to fulfill your old agreements, to prepare for the ice age and the arrival of the aliens. we''ll start integrating you into my forces little by little."


    considering how hasty minos seemed to be in eliminating the entire veora family so quickly, these people thought he wanted to change everything immediately.


    to hear him say that things would change gradually was quite a surprise.


    one of them then left to bring in the people who would become minos'' subordinates. in contrast, others stayed behind to start receiving the sovereign''s seals.


    hearing this, minos couldn''t help but smile bitterly. ''the elves only have what they have because of me. without the technologies my people have developed, they would be far behind...''


    minos didn''t deny that he had benefited from exchanging information with the elves and other races of the spiritual world. but he truly believed that he had given much more than he had received, and without his state''s efforts, no one else in this world could have made the progress they had made so far.


    but he didn''t talk about that with these demigods. he quickly changed the subject to find out what the veora family had done with alien technologies in the last few years.


    veora had achieved very little compared to what the people of minos had done, so he didn''t pay much attention to their achievements. nothing they had achieved would contribute to the progress of the empire.


    however, this state had things that could help minos and his people. not only did veora have many spiritual professionals of a higher quality than the empire, but it also had mineral, financial, and plant resources.


    all this could bring better times to the black plain empire!


    ''i must warn the government of dry city to take a close look at what this state has to offer. this is no time to waste opportunities.'' he thought as he wrote something down.


    the following hours would pass, and the entire capital of veora and the strongest powers of the state would learn of the tragedy of the veora family and the beginning of a new local era.


    from that day on, minos stuart would be the new supreme leader of the state!


    at the end of the same day that he arrived in the veora capital, minos would receive more of the family''s idols before holding a grand meeting with the representatives of the local noble families.


    he would use the conversation with these people to explain his plans for the future and the limits and freedoms these people would have within the empire.


    since everyone was already aware of what minos had done and his current power, no one turned against him, let alone loudly mourned the end of house veora.


    nothing could be done about the spilled milk, and the local nobles simply accepted the new reality.


    amid this, outside powers would soon learn of minos'' advance and his daring to act belligerently at such a sensitive time for the world!nove)lb/in

 Chapter 2093 Willow Sista and Minos

    chapter 2093 willow sista and minos


    three days after minos'' movements in veora, news of his advancement to the 10th stage and his actions in that kingdom in the western region of the continent had already made its way to the central continent.


    some powers, even outside the continent, were already talking about the latest minos-related matter, as he was very important worldwide, and his act was somewhat unexpected.


    in particular, the powers in the western region were more interested in the topic than others on the continent or in the spiritual world.


    because minos had acted so close to them, the sovereign families of the other states in the western region were more concerned or attentive to the issue.


    lightsn¦Ïv¦Ål among those most concerned was sista, the state in that region that was most friendly to the black plain empire since its sovereign families were married to each other through sarah and george.


    perhaps for this reason, on minos'' third day in veora, the first continental leader to relocate as a result of emperor stuart''s actions arrived in veora''s capital.


    at dusk in that city, willow and her entourage arrived to meet minos!


    other envoys from states in this western area of the continent were already in the city, and some had even spoken to minos about their intentions, motives, etc. but none of them could compare to queen sista!


    ...


    in the royal palace of the veora family...


    willow followed the path to where she could feel the strong aura of a level 90 demigod, passing many old acquaintances who had previously served the veora family but now wore the symbol of a golden tree on their chest.


    as she walked through the corridors of the palace, she also saw some representatives from mairin, the eastern empire, and the western empire.


    "so you had something against each other?" she asked in surprise.


    "more or less. i didn''t act against him by chance, lady willow. i planned the day i would face him for a long time. so, don''t think that power went to my head, and i did what i did out of greed. i was just putting into action something i had planned for a long time.


    now, i''m ruling veora because this state needs a strong ruler to guide it through the ''storm'' that''s brewing before us. otherwise, i wouldn''t have gone so far as to start absorbing this territory."


    one of the two level 98 demigods found this very hard to believe. "your majesty stuart is really different... you''re not just going to leave this state without a ruler on the eve of the ice age and the arrival of the aliens."


    minos could tell by the tone of the man''s voice that he didn''t believe these words. "yes, i will do my best to help this nation grow as much as possible in the coming years. under my leadership, veora will have a better chance of surviving the alien invasion."


    whether his motives were sincere or not, what he had just said was a fact.


    even though the black plain empire didn''t have as many experts as veora, it had more capacity to grow and become stronger than veora.


    with the stuart family in charge of this state, it would be difficult for this territory to weaken.


    minos continued. "anyway, i''ve solved my problems with the former ruling family of this territory, and now i''m doing the work of integrating it into my state. i will do my best to fulfill the old agreements of the local powers but also to integrate the local forces with those who work hard in dry city.


    perhaps we can make the best of this situation and grow together. that is my plan, lady willow."


    she was already too close to minos to do anything against him for something that could not be changed. so willow just sighed before commenting in an advisory tone.


    "okay, minos, i understand your motives. i disagree with all this. i don''t think you should have done what you did, but i accept what happened.


    the problem is what you will do from now on. are you going to pick up every old fight? in your own words, you prepared yourself to do what you did. are you going to go on a bloody journey across the continent? if that''s your plan, let me tell you right now: it won''t end well!n)-o).v/-¦Å/-l.-b--i.-n

 Chapter 2094 Proposal

    chapter 2094 proposal


    minos looked silently into willow''s clear eyes and saw that this experienced woman had understood him very well.


    he didn''t lie to her. "i have one more thing to do."


    "are you crazy?" one of the two level 98 demigods asked. "minos, what you did in veora probably won''t hurt you. i must admit you used the current situation in our world very well. considering how important you are and how necessary it would be for us to turn a blind eye, what happened in this city will hardly hurt you.


    but don''t think that now that you''re a demigod, you''ll be able to act freely in the world. because you''ve shown such disturbing behavior, forces worldwide will be watching you closely.


    although most of the higher powers will accept what you''ve done here, that doesn''t mean they''ll give you a blank check to do whatever you want. from now on, the strongest in the world will watch you and take action if you repeat your transgressions.


    so don''t be so bold and leave these matters of the past in the past!" the old man shouted, lecturing minos.


    queen sista agreed with her advisor. "he is right, minos. you won''t be able to act the way you want to. besides, we have our enemies to worry about. even vico and maximillian put aside their differences because of the aliens'' strength. you must do the same now."


    minos explained what he had in mind. "do not worry. my actions will only strengthen the spiritual world. what i intend to do is not to exterminate anyone. i''m going to visit a certain tribe on the continent of beasts and give them the opportunity to pay for their crimes by serving my family for eternity."


    "what tribe are you talking about?" willow narrowed her eyes.


    "the gorgons tribe."


    all three sista demigods understood the problem minos was trying to solve, aware of what had happened years ago when he had traveled through the spiritual world to form the crew that had discovered the aliens.


    "the gorgons won''t accept this easily. i bet they''d rather die at your hands."


    "yes, that won''t work." the two level 98 demigods agreed.


    while she looked at him strangely, time passed differently for them than for the other people in veora''s capital.


    a minute of their conversation would be worth about 10 seconds to anyone outside the space and time domain.


    minos made things clearer by bringing up the most important point. ''lady willow, can you feel the grade of my physique? you know one can''t reach that grade in many ways. and i tell you, i did it the traditional way.''


    willow''s expression changed when she heard minos'' voice in her mind. ''you''re saying...''


    ''yes. not only that, i''m telling you that i have more. if you agree to make a deal with me, i''ll let you take a divine medicine. in return, you will have to defend my state during the coming war and act on our behalf if we eventually win the war.''


    willow stood there with her mouth agape, unbelieving that minos had divine medicines and had even wasted one of those essences to increase the quality of his physique.


    but the most important thing for her was the chance to reach level 100!


    willow was in the last years of her life and would die soon if she didn''t reach the 11th stage.


    in other situations, she would think more carefully about minos'' proposal because the risks associated with such an advance would be high, even more so for someone of advanced age. it would be wise to consider it and even think that it wouldn''t be worth it because if she died, her state would be even more fragile than it already was.


    but the current situation was extraordinary. according to the world''s greatest cultivation experts, anyone with access to divine medicine and who was at level 99 would have a great chance of success, regardless of age.


    therefore, it didn''t take her long to make up her mind, get over her initial shock, and give her answer to emperor stuart even faster than aarav.


    ''i accept. if you really want to give me a divine medicine, i''ll agree to become a weapon of the black plain empire as long as i live. of course, i want the freedom to protect my family and my kingdom, but i will serve your state to the best of my ability.'' she said in minos'' mind.


    ''perfect. then, let''s make an agreement to make it official.'' minos said with a broad smile, seeing that it would be easier than he thought to get the support of level 99 demigods.

 Chapter 2095 Agreement Defined

    chapter 2095 agreement defined


    minos and willow made their agreement official, with this level 99 woman promising to act on behalf of the black plain empire once she reached level 100. in return, emperor stuart would allow her to reach that level with a supply of divine medicine.


    after making this official agreement, she felt incredible but also curious about minos'' true abilities.


    ''did the spatial kingdom come to you with two divine medicines? who was behind such an inheritance?'' she continued to speak through mental communication with him.


    minos said. ''more or less. you''ll learn more in the future. as for who left it to me, that was henricus longus.''


    ''oh? the first human god?'' she was surprised by such a name and understood why minos'' inheritance was so good that he even had such a medicine with him.


    lightsn¦Ïv¦Ål ''it''s just a shame that you used your medicine only to improve the quality of your physique. if you had waited until you reached level 99...'' she was telling him when she realized her mistake and laughed.


    ''reaching level 99... that won''t be easy. he''ll probably die in the war.'' she thought to herself, imagining this was the reason for minos'' despair. ''it''s better to improve his physique now than to hope for an unlikely breakthrough.''


    willow''s thought was simple. minos would need centuries to reach level 99, but the aliens will be in this world in a few years. this young man would most likely never reach the peak of cultivation in this world. in other words, it was more advantageous for him to increase his power as much as possible now rather than saving things for the future.


    ''forget it...'' she bitterly laughed as she said in mental communication with minos, ''you did the right thing. better to take a chance now than to stand still in front of a terrible opponent.


    anyway, what are your plans from now on? how will we act in the future?''


    he answered her without going into the details he had already discussed with aarav. "first, i would like to set a date with you to deliver the medicine in question. for now, i want to test my powers a little and settle some old business, as i told you earlier.


    then, how would you like to go to dry city in a few months? you can enter my dimension and cultivate in seclusion until you reach level 100.''


    willow looked at her two advisors and said. "let''s go. we have some business to attend to."


    "what about emperor stuart?" one of them doubtfully asked when they were already outside veora''s royal palace.


    "i will tell you on the way. let''s go to mairin now. i want to meet tom. we''ll try to help minos with his current situation."


    the two level 98 demigods were surprised to hear this, curious what minos could have offered willow to make her agree to help him so quickly.


    it couldn''t be the fact that sarah and george were married, so there must have been something valuable in their conversation!


    minos stayed behind in the palace to continue receiving envoys from outside veora to talk about what had happened and what he was doing with this sudden action.


    the main concern of the continental powers was not to avenge the death of a king and the end of his family. everyone''s concern was what an important name on the continent would do and his next steps.


    some were genuinely angry with minos and felt he should be punished for what he had done. but most just wanted to know if he could still be trusted or if he would become a problem before the aliens arrived.


    in the midst of all this, the terrorists in veora couldn''t help but change their plans a bit when they saw the local royal palace with someone else in their sights!


    ''we were about to meet king veora... should we try to meet minos stuart?'' a level 95 man thought to himself as he considered his plans for this state.


    not meeting the local leader could be very dangerous for him, but meeting minos could be just as dangerous. now, this man had to think carefully about what he was going to do, or he could lose his future home or even die!


    ''i''ll take my chances! if i don''t make a deal with a powerful state, i''ll be completely unprotected when the war is over!'' this man thought about how his companions had already made agreements with other powers in the central continent to prepare for the chaotic future of this world.

 Chapter 2096 Meeting a Terrorist

    chapter 2096 meeting a terrorist


    the next day...


    following up on what he had discussed with willow the day before, minos spoke with envoys from the continent''s powers, using a softer, more peaceful tone than when he had taken over veora.


    meanwhile, queen sista was working to soften the blow to minos'' image, having already begun to change the story of what had happened in veora so that the truly important people would understand emperor stuart''s mentality.


    amid this, the nobles of veora were already meeting to create the local assembly, appoint representatives, and begin to follow the new local laws.


    the state would continue to function as it had until recently for now. but sooner or later, changes would transform this society, and the laws of the black plain empire would apply locally.


    those most interested in adapting to the changes that would take place began to study the black plain empire''s legal code. that was the first step toward avoiding future problems with the dry city government!


    meanwhile, the entire royal guard was now under minos'' control, with everyone above level 80 having received seals from him.


    there were a few million men in this force, so he didn''t want to waste his time on all of them. only those who had the power to influence something had to receive the seals that would dictate their relationship.


    so, in a matter of hours, the state was practically under minos'' control, and he was already beginning to think about leaving veora''s capital sooner than he had planned.


    but before that, he still had a few appointments to make.


    ...


    i don''t have access to some relevant resources because of my situation. still, i can contribute my resources to a state with access to these things."


    minos understood blake wanted new items or technologies based on the spiritual world''s discoveries concerning the aliens'' methods.


    but he found the situation of this man, who had resources and strength but seemed to be desperate to join an organization, very strange.


    specialists like him didn''t have to offer so much to be accepted into prominent forces.


    even innocent people could do what this man was doing, as the current situation in the world was bizarre. but something about this man bothered minos.


    minos then said. "it is possible for you to join my group..."


    blake opened his eyes and smiled even more.


    "but you are a stranger and have an uncertain past. if you want to join my group, you must earn my trust. but there is a way for you to assure me of that quickly if you''re interested."


    "i''m ready for anything." he said confidently, imagining that minos would accept him.


    minos thought for a moment in silence. "let''s make a deal. i''ll put a seal on you that guarantees you will never turn against me or hide anything from me. in exchange, i''ll accept you into the black plain army." blake lost the smile on his face when he heard this and immediately felt he couldn''t go through with it.


    then he said in a disappointed tone. "so that''s the case... unfortunately, your majesty doesn''t trust the words of this old man. so we''re not destined. i can''t serve as a slave. i haven''t done anything wrong to deserve this."


    he turned to leave while minos narrowed his eyes. ''follow this man and keep an eye on him.'' he ordered one of the level 95 demigods now under his command. ''find out who he is and why he won''t accept something so simple. don''t come back until you''re sure.''


    ''okay!''

 Chapter 2097 Western Empire

    chapter 2097 western empire


    after minos ordered the investigation of the level 95 demigod, he stayed in the capital city of veora for two more days to take care of his local affairs.


    during these days, the three relatives of the goddess of life left veora for dry city to gather a better-prepared group to come to that state.


    minos finished meeting with the envoys of the central continent states, the nobles, and the wealthy families of veora, assuring these individuals of what the next few years would more or less look like, as well as the fact that he would not act against other states on the continent.


    once he''d sorted that out and was finally free this morning, it was time for him to leave veora''s capital!


    three of the four faith power gathering idols of the veora family, which worked best when activated simultaneously, were already in minos'' hands.


    he intended to search for the fourth in the kingdom over the next few days before continuing his journey to the western empire.


    so he took leave of his subordinate staff, ordering them to continue their work and wait for the return of the relatives of the goddess of life so that they could begin to make local changes.


    ...


    after leaving the capital of veora, minos began to travel around the kingdom with a clear purpose: to find the last idol of the old local royal family.


    his plan was simple: to survey this state with his glowing eyes as he traveled from east to west and west to east, slowly making his way south.


    he would survey the entire territory, and if the three relatives of the goddess of life were right, he would find something.


    if he found something, minos would leave his mark on the idols and put them to work when he returned to the black plain empire.


    his current plans wouldn''t take him much time. in a month or two, he could finish all his business. a month or two wouldn''t make a significant difference when it came to gathering the power of faith, so he wasn''t in a hurry to return to the core of his state to use those special artifacts.


    the family''s youngest members, the families of the most important subordinates, in short, all lived in this place.


    while observing this space, minos was noticed by one of the men on guard in the capital, who immediately realized that this newcomer was looking in the direction of a very important area locally.


    "that young man..." a level 97 demigod muttered to himself as he looked at minos, and it did not take him long to realize who this person was.


    he then asked minos, who was still standing, where he was in the imperial palace, while emperor stuart was standing several kilometers away. ''your majesty stuart, you caused some trouble in veora recently... are you in my state for something similar?''


    minos felt the aura of the demigod who had just spoken in his mind and looked in his direction. ''i''m looking for his majesty henry quinn. i wish to discuss an important matter with him. he''s in your spatial kingdom, isn''t he? i''d be grateful if you could call him for me.''


    ''how do you know he''s in our spatial kingdom?'' the old demigod felt uneasy.


    minos laughed. ''if he''s not in the capital, where else could he be? please let him know that i''ll be waiting for him here.''


    with that, minos made his way to the entrance of this city, passing an imperial army post without a problem but drawing the attention of some soldiers who knew how to recognize him.


    he didn''t go straight to the imperial palace and decided to walk around the center of the city while he waited for someone from the quinn family to come and summon him to the emperor.


    he was curious to see how things were going in this city; how the local technologies had improved the state and changed the lives of the commoners.


    in the middle of his walk, he saw some disciples of a local sect and couldn''t help but smile as he remembered an old acquaintance who was part of that sect.


    ''luke nash... i wonder how he''s doing?'' minos thought of the old young master of the nash family who had lived in the western empire for a long time.


    unfortunately, luka didn''t live in the capital. otherwise, minos would have gone out for a drink with his old acquaintance from the beginning of his cultivation journey.


    while he was thinking about this and watching the spiritual emperors of luke''s sect, a woman wearing a suit of armor with the symbol of the imperial family approached him.


    "your majesty minos stuart?"

 Chapter 2098 Proposing to Emperor Quinn

    chapter 2098 proposing to emperor quinn


    when minos heard someone calling him, he turned around to see a level 94 woman, very beautiful, black-haired, and tall, standing next to two level 96 demigods.


    "your highness, i presume." minos smiled as he made a gesture of greeting, immediately identifying emperor quinn''s eldest daughter, amber quinn.


    this level 94 woman silently looked at minos for a moment, observing him attentively and assessing the emperor''s figure.


    twenty years ago, she wouldn''t have paid any attention to minos if someone had mentioned his name in front of her. but now he was a demigod, someone who was already stronger than her, despite the fact that he was younger than her youngest son!


    minos had recently killed king veora, so this woman had even more respect for him and would no longer underestimate him.


    she said in a serious but also friendly tone. "your majesty is right. my name is amber quinn. i''m the eldest daughter of the emperor. it''s a pleasure to finally meet you."


    "are you here to take me to your father, your highness?" he asked her.


    "yes, please accompany me to the palace." she gestured with one of her arms. "by the way, may i ask the reason for your majesty''s visit? i heard that you have been busy with veora lately." she commented as she looked at him while his two men stared at minos, full of doubt.


    it was hard to believe that a mere level 90 demigod had killed a powerful level 96 warrior. however, as they stood next to minos, all three demigods could tell this was no ordinary person.


    they were standing beside a monster!


    the three of them could feel the hairs on their bodies stand on end in minos'' presence, while this emperor''s every step seemed to contain immense power.


    they had been around dragons before, so they knew very well that part of this was due to the fact that minos had an aura and a body as strong as that of dragons.


    also, the mechanic empire was huge and seemed to have many domains. that led minos to believe that the number of gods who would come to the spiritual world would be limited to half of that number at most.


    still, he felt he wouldn''t have to deal with 16 level 100 beings. so, for him, 7 gods in the spiritual world would be a very good number, close to the number of enemies coming to this world.


    for his own sake, he was willing to take a risk and have a smaller number of gods on his side!


    however, as he thought about it, he soon found himself facing the strongest man in this state, an old enemy of vico travisani''s, henry quinn, currently at level 99.


    "your majesty, it''s a pleasure to finally meet you. this one has come all the way from the black plain empire to discuss matters of utmost importance with you." minos greeted henry while the old man looked at him with interest, seeing this talented and promising young man at a remarkable level.


    "your aura is magnificent... it''s too bad you didn''t have more time, minos. if we had another 100 years, you''d probably be enough to protect the whole world single-handedly while the gods fought the strongest enemies." henry sighed.


    "anyway, what do you want to talk to me about? does it have to do with what you did in veora recently?" he came straight to the point after his first remark.


    "not exactly," minos said as he looked around the imperial throne room. "your majesty, may we speak privately? what i have to discuss with you is very delicate. it would really be best if we could have some privacy."


    "oh?" henry looked at his daughter and the men around them. as much as he had differences with his eldest daughter, he completely trusted her and all these men. but if minos wanted to talk to him privately, he didn''t mind sending all these people away.


    he had been the first powerful person to believe in minos'' cause, so he greatly respected the young man.


    he said. "leave us alone."


    as soon as those people were gone, minos showed his domain to that level 99 demigod, impressing him greatly.


    but as soon as he began to explain what he wanted mentally, henry''s expression changed as he received the suggestion he most wanted to hear at this difficult time in the spiritual world.

 Chapter 2099 New Support

    chapter 2099 new support


    henry heard things from minos that were similar to what the young man had said to willow and aarav, and he reacted more or less the same way as those two, with interest.


    but how could he not be interested in joining minos? none of these three peak demigods currently had divine medicines in their possession. willow and henry could even say they had something for the future, but they would never have a chance to absorb it because those plants were far from mature.


    for people like them, who didn''t have access to anything of that grade, who weren''t among the strongest in the world, and who had little time to evolve or die, minos'' proposal was irrefutable!


    hell, minos even made it possible for all three of them in their proposals to protect their families, loved ones, or even former organizations as much as possible. how could any of them refuse such a generous offer?


    so henry quickly agreed with minos to act on behalf of the black plain empire when he reached level 100.


    ''what do we do now?'' the old man asked minos, excited and eager to go to the black plain empire.


    minos told henry. ''i have a matter to settle on the continent of beasts, so you should use the next few weeks to sort out your local situation. when you leave for my state, you''ll probably be gone for over a decade. have everything in your state ready for your eventual absence. have you prepared a successor?''


    henry''s situation in this regard was the same as willow''s. neither of them had an heir ready to take over their estates!


    ''no. he is at level 91. but i''ll leave all my advisors and guards to advise him. there''s not much to do in the short term anyway, so it shouldn''t be a problem for him to control the estate in my seclusion.'' henry replied without much concern.


    at other times, he would have had to worry about social problems, possible betrayals within and outside the imperial family, rebellions, etc. anything could happen when a ruler went into seclusion, and there was a chance they wouldn''t return.


    ...


    later, night fell over the capital of the western empire, and minos was still in the city, having promised the local ruler that he would remain there for the next three days.


    those days would be vital for him to make new local contacts, get to know the imperial family better, and prepare for this state to improve its connection with the black plain empire.


    but for now, minos enjoyed the view of the ancestral sea from the building he was staying in on one of the city''s beaches.


    looking to the northwest, he remembered the place he had passed by decades ago and promised to return to one day.


    ''at that time, i told maximilian that i would return to the seraphim ancient sarcophagus when i became a demigod...'' he thought of that place, which contained many high-level items left behind by demigods and even gods.


    ''but first, i must secure the position of my state.'' he thought about fulfilling those words, but not necessarily now. ''i will go to the continent of beasts to force that tribe to submit to me. if that works, i''ll return to leave those gorgons in my state, take those level 99 demigods to begin their seclusion, and begin my experiments with titus.


    after that, i''ll find some time to go to this place.'' minos planned his next steps, giving more importance to strengthening his state.


    anything he could get from the seraphim ancient sarcophagus would be useful for him but not necessarily for his state. therefore, he could not leave until everything in dry city was ready!


    he continued to think about what he would do for the next days, weeks, and months.


    but not everything went as planned. in the middle of minos'' stay in the western empire, important news would reach him!

 Chapter 2100 Home of the Terrorists

    chapter 2100 home of the terrorists


    two days after his deal with emperor quinn, a level 95 demigod from veora arrived in the capital of the western empire with information for minos.


    after receiving information about the level 95 man who had recently spoken to him in veora and refused to receive the seal of minos, the emperor could not stand idly by.


    from all indications, such a person had ties to the terrorist leaders that the entire spiritual world was searching for!


    upon receiving this information in the middle of the afternoon, minos ignored his local engagements and left without saying goodbye to his new allies.


    following the lead of the level 95 demigod, who was handling the matter for him, minos would soon be flying through the vacuum of space to the final location of their target.


    ...


    two hours after leaving the capital of the western empire...


    minos was standing next to ryan, the level 95 demigod he had defeated in veora, who had investigated the strange man days ago.


    after only two hours of flying, they had crossed the continent and were now in blackrock, where minos'' destination was.


    upon arrival, minos asked. "did he really meet with terrorists? how do you know for sure?"


    "i followed him all the way after he left the royal palace earlier, your majesty. i saw him meet with several groups that i asked other people to keep an eye on.


    of those groups, two were involved in terrorist attacks. one acted in the flaming empire, and the other dared to attack the black plain empire by acting in the veora region."


    "so he really has a connection to terrorists," minos muttered. "did you have someone keep an eye on him to come to get me?"


    the speed of movement of high-level people was something that could greatly affect the spiritual development of the forces of this world before the war, so no one wanted to hinder the movement of experts.


    so that man flew at high speed toward the island where his group was based, not using wormholes so as not to leave tracks that would be easier to read.


    little did he know that an enemy was already following him there!


    ...


    a few hours after leaving balckrock, the level 95 demigod finally spotted the terrorist headquarters island where most of his companions were.


    the terrorists'' situation has deteriorated greatly in recent months. however, the group was still making a lot of crystals from their operations.


    their main partners wanted to continue for a few more months when everyone accepted that it was time for them to stop and enjoy the fruits they had planted.


    but they were still operating, and this island had several ships stationed around it, with more than a thousand people working there.


    when minos and his two men realized what this place was, they soon felt the presence of 8 strong demigods, counting the man they had followed to this place.


    ''he really had a good reason for not wanting to make a deal with me.'' minos laughed when he saw what that man would have had to say if they had made a deal with each other.


    the strongest was a demigod at the beginning of level 97, while there were people at levels 95, 94, and 93.


    there were no weaker or stronger demigods than that, and all the rest were sages, individuals who bore the marks of slavery, something minos and his men could easily notice.


    the two level 95 demigods looked at minos, not knowing what to do since the power of their opponents was not insignificant.


    but before he could even open his mouth to answer his men''s questions, minos stopped manipulating the space around him, appeared above the island, and stopped hiding.


    ''shit! we''re going to have to fight!'' one of them commented in the other''s mind, seeing that minos wasn''t intimidated by so many opponents, one of whom was a fucking level 97 demigod!

 Chapter 2101 The Beginning of the Fight Against the Terrorists

    chapter 2101 the beginning of the fight against the terrorists


    "so this is where the terrorist dogs are hiding?" minos opened his mouth and asked out loud for everyone on the island to hear.


    the moment he said those words, every being on the island felt a chill run through their bodies as they turned their eyes upward.


    flying over the small island were three men, two level 95 demigods and a level 90 man who was famous throughout the spiritual world.


    "minos stuart!" the first sages to see the emperor''s figure exclaimed in surprise, not expecting to find one of their group''s greatest enemies in this area.


    the enemy demigods behind the group of terrorists were not slow. soon, they were all watching minos. this was especially true for the leader of the group, the strongest in the area.


    this elderly-looking man, level 97, looked at minos and the two demigods. "you shouldn''t have come here. this place isn''t for you."


    "oh?" minos asked as he looked into the clear eyes of the old man. "you have been behind many of my state''s losses lately. how is this place not for me? after i rip your head off, this island will be mine."


    "tsk! always arrogant, as the rumors say!" the sister of the leader of this terrorist group exclaimed as she stood next to her brother, along with all the other demigods present.


    meanwhile, the sages in the surrounding area didn''t know whether to flee or stay, but they were certain that a battle would break out in their headquarters.


    the level 95 man who had recently met minos in veora turned pale when he saw that he had brought such a person to them. ''damn it! this bastard really came after me!'' he thought to himself before saying loudly and clearly. "do not underestimate minos stuart. he recently killed king veora, who was just one step away from reaching level 97."


    "oh? is he that strong?"


    when his cultivation stabilized at level 92, he immediately took action against two level 94 opponents, stealing their cultivation to lend to his two level 95 allies temporarily!


    before the level 97 demigod could even approach minos and attack him, the two veora natives felt their strength increase until it stabilized at level 96!


    "that energy..." one of the two level 96 demigods thought to himself as he felt an incredible strength in his body as if he had truly ceased to be a level 95 cultivator.


    as long as the effects of minos'' ability lasted, no one could say that he or these two men weren''t cultivators of the level they were at!


    the enemies quickly realized this when they saw the differences between these three, and all of them became more serious about the battle that was about to begin!


    "be careful. they are really annoying!" the level 97 demigod said to his group as he flew towards minos and used his sword to attack his opponent.


    swooish!


    as minos felt the enemy''s first blade pass by him, for the first time since his breakthrough, he felt the adrenaline rush of fighting someone who could seriously injure him.


    the difference between king veora and the man in front of him was only one level. but that one-level difference was enough to make this fight much more difficult than the one minos had had with veora.


    to get a real sense of this difference, while the previous fight had been easy for minos, the kind he could win with one move, this upcoming confrontation would require all of his skills, and he still had a chance of getting hurt or even losing!


    thus, from the first moment of the fight, minos used everything he had, mixing his defensive, movement, and physical and mental attack techniques to counter the strongest opponent he had ever faced!


    as he did this, showing his opponent that he wasn''t so easy to deal with despite the huge level difference between them, the demigods in the area began to suffer at the hands of these two level 96 men for a moment!

 Chapter 2102 The Fiercest Battle

    chapter 2102 the fiercest battle


    while minos began his "dance" with the level 97 demigod, the two old veora family''s royal guard members teamed up to deal with their seven opponents.


    none of their opponents were particularly powerful or dangerous to them at the moment. the battle between these two and the seven demigods would have been fierce, with great difficulties for the two veora natives. the terrorists'' chances of winning against these two were definitely greater before!


    however, with minos'' move, this changed completely!


    everything was in minos'' group''s favor, with these two men at level 96 and their opponents mostly between levels 92 and 94.


    not only that, these terrorists had only been together for a short time and only for convenience. they didn''t have the same combined combat experience as king veora''s two former guards!


    as soon as these two started to move against the seven, they managed to put them in a passive situation without giving them a chance to escape or pose any challenge to them.


    "damn, these bastards are too strong!" the sister of the terrorist group''s leader shouted as she stood with her back to her allies while she and they tried their best to defend themselves.


    as for counterattacking or even running away, they didn''t even think about it, as the two opponents were simply too formidable!


    one of the two demigods, who was temporarily at level 96, laughed as he moved, feeling an immense joy at fighting in such a dominant and powerful manner.


    "hahaha, we are on the right side of history!" this man said as he laughed, watching the weaker opponents'' injuries increase as he and his old acquaintance attacked.


    "your majesty is truly out of the ordinary. if we can advance one more level before the aliens reach the spiritual world, we''ll probably be able to fight level 99 demigods in the war of worlds!" the other commented, full of anticipation for the future.


    their opponents felt terrible listening to this conversation, seeing that they weren''t being taken seriously, while their enemies were thinking of other opponents amid this battle.


    "you wretches! i''ll kill you!" one of the two level 95 individuals shouted in hatred as he tried to move to counterattack his opponents.


    "minos!" the enemy leader shouted angrily.


    as fierce as they had been against each other, minos'' abilities were harder to defend against or even ignore.


    while minos had various techniques and passive abilities that helped him reduce the offensive attack power that could reach his body, this level 97 demigod had nothing of the sort. so, while emperor stuart could temporarily ignore some of his opponent''s attacks, his opponent couldn''t do the same.


    chaotic gravity!


    minos used much of the energy he had stolen from that individual to bring him back close to him, successfully preventing the opponent from interfering with his subordinates'' battle.


    "let them fight. may the best win!" minos said to the man.


    "you bastard, if my sister dies, i''ll..." "what?" minos interrupted his opponent. "you want to kill me? why don''t you do it now?"


    "even if i can''t kill you, you have a long and weak family!"


    "oh?" minos'' eyes narrowed as the veins on his neck and forehead became more visible.


    minos had nothing to say to his opponent. since he himself had risked the life of the enemy''s sister, the enemy had every right to put the stuart family in danger.


    however, that demigod had to escape before saying those words!


    but in front of minos, he couldn''t say that out loud.


    "you''ve come a long way, terrorists, but this is the end of you. as much as you''ve been my best opponent since my breakthrough, you''re no match for me." minos fused his three most important techniques, forming a seal from which he quickly positioned one of his hands to bring his supreme weapon into the world.


    he would have had little chance of winning this duel without using his fusions. but with the fusion of three techniques, everything could be different!

 Chapter 2103 The Second Strike of the Supreme Weapon

    chapter 2103 the second strike of the supreme weapon


    when minos pulled the divine sword out of the seal, the powerful brilliance of this weapon blinded dozens of sages who looked in its direction. while its blade shone as bright as a star, its aura was even stronger than its brilliance.


    the symbols on it said ''gods slayer,'' and it felt like it had all that potential.


    even though minos was only temporarily at level 92, the level 97 demigod felt something terrifying in that weapon, and he knew that if he were hit by one of its blows, he would be in trouble.


    "shit! that bastard can use a supreme weapon so powerful!" this demigod shouted loudly, knowing that such weapons were difficult to beat.


    he had his supreme weapon, but he had used it not long ago and still hadn''t recovered 100% from it. since he wasn''t like minos, with a much inferior physique, talent, and general state, he couldn''t disclose his main weapon right now.


    minos could sense this, which made him feel a little more comfortable for this fight. he asked. "what''s your name, terrorist?"


    "riley, micah riley." the level 97 terrorist said, feeling he had nowhere to run. either he would survive minos'' next move and win the fight, or he would die right there.


    there was no escape for him. a supreme weapon wasn''t easy, and in the state minos was in, he would never allow such a strong opponent to run away.


    "micah, you are the strongest opponent i''ve ever faced. the blow i will use to defeat you has never been used before, so rejoice, for you will be the first to fall by the second stroke of my supreme weapon!"


    as minos spoke, he danced with his sword, allowing the surrounding laws to enter his body easily while a terrible sensation spread throughout the space above the island.


    even minos'' allies stopped for a moment to look in his direction, sensing how terrifying their sovereign could be.


    at that moment, everyone felt as if minos'' powers were tearing apart space itself!


    "ten thousand cuts in one move!" minos said aloud as he moved his sword faster and faster, and spatial cracks began to appear in the surroundings up to 2 kilometers away from him.


    he did his best to keep his body in one piece, with energy shields around him, spiritual energy in his muscles to keep them strong and resilient, and even using offensive techniques to try to ward off the enemy''s move.


    but even with all this, several points of his body were torn, like a piece of cloth being pulled from all directions.


    "aaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!" he was the one who screamed the loudest, feeling as if an infinite number of invisible blades were slicing into him.


    the second movement of the divine sword was so terrifying that everything within range became its target, and the air itself turned into cutting blades.


    this movement was so powerful that space itself could be torn, and it would suffer just like the living beings around it. but unlike space, these beings would have no chance to recover from these countless injuries.


    with a move that could even cut through the souls of his targets, minos killed almost all the sages and demigods on this island with a single move!


    meanwhile, he saw his target leave his soul projection form and lose all his defenses before his entire body was torn apart at more than 50 different points.


    minos used 90% of his power and used his most powerful attack, but he was able to eliminate virtually all of the terrorist threats on the island.


    with his strongest and most decisive move, he terrifyingly killed a level 97 demigod, reaching the highest point of his power journey!


    in the midst of this, the few remaining survivors saw the remains of the terrorists'' former leader fall from the sky as minos floated by with a glowing weapon in his hands.


    seeing the remains of her brother, the level 95 woman screamed in despair, unable to believe that this had just happened.


    but before she or the other remaining enemy demigod could say anything, minos disappeared from where he was and appeared behind the two of them.


    the last two survivors'' hearts stopped beating, their expressions frozen for an instant.


    then both of their bodies fell to the ground, cut in several places by minos!

 Chapter 2104 Returning to the Continent of Beasts

    chapter 2104 returning to the continent of beasts


    when the bodies of the last two demigods fell to the ground, the battle on this island of terrorists was finally over!


    after a few minutes of fighting, minos and his two subordinates had eliminated all the opponents in the area, with this emperor being responsible for more than 99% of the deaths there.


    even after killing so many people with his supreme weapon, minos didn''t seem tired!


    with the progress he had made since the last time he used his supreme weapon, minos could now withstand the use of the divine sword without any major losses. before, he would have had to sacrifice months of cultivation or use a very high-level resource to fully recover. now, all he needed was a few days of meditation, and he would be back to 100% of his best.


    the two demigods, still at level 96, realized this as they looked at minos, feeling great respect for him but also awe.


    thinking that they had almost fought this man to death, they couldn''t help but feel their mortality as they realized how close they had come to death.


    "your majesty is truly impressive." one of them commented. "we only managed to kill four people before you ended it all, haha."


    "hmm, fortunately, we escaped his majesty''s move." the other man commented as he looked at his partner and then at minos. "but your majesty, please warn us before you use something like that next time. your attack nearly killed us."


    "really?" minos laughed as he felt his divine sword disappear, and the fatigue set in. "you were so strong, i thought you''d get away easily."


    "don''t joke, your majesty. we''ve never been this close to death before." the other one said, knowing that minos was joking with them.


    "it''s all over now." minos sighed as he sat on the ground and prepared to meditate. "collect all the items from the spatial rings from the bodies nearby and the bodies in the area. then i want you to search this island and keep anything that might be of use to us. i''ll give you new orders when i finish my meditation."


    "yes, your majesty." the two immediately set about doing what they were told to do: collecting the belongings of the dead, cataloging them, and then storing the bodies of the dead as requested.


    they didn''t know why, but as minos'' subordinates, they would do as they were told!


    "time to go back." one of them said as he looked opposite to where minos had gone.


    the two of them left the area, heading back to the central continent, where news of the fall of the terrorist leaders would soon spread.


    after that day, the information of the end of the terrorist group defending the capitulation of the spiritual world would become public, leading to the weakening of the rebel cause around the world.


    few would actually know who was responsible for the end of the terrorist movement, but everyone would seize the moment.


    with the end of the terrorists, tensions would ease somewhat in the places most affected by the radicals. at the same time, states and organizations worldwide could better focus their attention on what is most important.


    the beginning of the ice age and the arrival of the aliens!


    ...


    days after the death of the leaders of the terrorist group, minos finally arrived on the continent of beasts after a long but very quiet journey.


    but compared to the months-long sea voyage he had made with his old crew a few years ago, this voyage passed in the blink of an eye.


    arriving in these lands, minos sighed as he remembered the companions he had gained in this area who had fallen on his journey to the north sea.


    some had died before reaching the north sea, while others had perished fighting the alien robots.


    either way, minos considered them all his companions. when he arrived on this continent, he couldn''t help but think of them all, including bella, the nine-tailed fox who had died in the north sea.


    ''i''ll take care of the gorgons first and then pay a few visits to this continent.'' he planned as he opened a spatial rift, aiming for the location of the gorgon tribe.


    it was time for him to meet the beings who had caused him the most trouble before the terrorists!


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 Chapter 2105 The Future of the Gorgon Tribe

    chapter 2105 the future of the gorgon tribe


    after crossing the space, minos came across an area south of the continent of beasts, near the territory of the nine-tailed fox tribe, as well as several smaller tribes limited to the 9th stage.


    upon arriving in this area, minos wasted no time in visiting his friends and acquaintances. he went straight to where the gorgons lived, where he could feel the negative spiritual vibration of those beings.


    he flew around the area for less than five minutes until he reached a point where he could see the territory of one of the most feared tribes on the continent.


    few had the courage to enter this territory, and even dragons would think twice before coming to this place.


    but the reasons were obvious. as soon as he arrived, minos saw many rocks of various shapes, with human forms, foxes, snakes, birds, and many other physical types known to the spiritual world.


    these were obviously the victims of members of the gorgon tribe who had dared to come to this area at some point in the past and ended up fighting against the rulers of the area.


    the gorgons had a habit of guarding the petrified bodies of their targets, so hundreds of such statues could be seen around the core of this tribe''s territory.


    ignoring those statues, which would frighten an ordinary level 90 demigod, minos walked along the path surrounded by many of those statues, where he would soon reach the core of the tribe, where the first beings of the race would stop him.


    along the way, he would see that the statues around him would become more special and powerful, or rather, of more influential races and stronger cultivators, as he approached the core of the tribe.


    the gorgons were very proud of the enemies they defeated, so the strongest enemies defeated by this tribe were displayed like trophies.


    minos mischievously laughed when he heard that. "i''m a member of the pantheon of honor, but that doesn''t mean i have to accept everything they decide. our problem is over from the temple''s point of view, and the organization''s members won''t try to act against you because of our old problems. but that doesn''t mean i won''t see this through to the end!"


    "are you here to kill us?" the level 95 woman, who already knew that minos had recently killed king veora, asked, imagining this was his motivation.


    minos closed his eyes and then snapped his fingers simultaneously with the activation of his 10th technique.


    the moment he did so, all those gorgons felt their powers slip from their control, temporarily losing the ability to fire attacks at minos.


    they felt the energy in his eyes dissipate as if it were nothing and understood why he came to this place alone and looked them in the eye without fear.


    he was so powerful that he could deal with this whole tribe on his own without taking any great risks!


    minos said. "that is one possibility. but i''ll give you a way out, gorgons. we are at a delicate moment. we will soon face terrible enemies, and perhaps many of you will die in the war of the worlds.


    then, i will give you a chance to pay for your persecution of me in the war of the worlds. bend your knees and accept me as your new leader! come with me to the black plain empire and give me your strength to fight the aliens.


    those of you who survive this war will be free to reclaim your freedoms after the situation in the spiritual world is resolved!"


    minos was no fool. killing these women now would really be a waste since they might die in less than 20 years. so, instead of further weakening the forces of his world, emperor stuart wanted to use these women to his advantage.


    several of them would die in the coming war, and those who survived would be too dependent on him to take advantage of this promised freedom.


    at that point, if he won the war, he would have another race to add to his state for the post-war period!

 Chapter 2106 Inviting Allies to the Front (1)

    chapter 2106 inviting allies to the front (1)


    at minos'' suggestion, the strongest gorgons looked at each other in silence, certain they couldn''t refuse the offer.


    whether minos would keep his promises or not was something they didn''t have the luxury of worrying about right now. if they didn''t accept everything he wanted, they would die at his hands!


    even the most skeptical of the news about minos'' fantastic powers couldn''t help but feel that they would easily die at his hands if he decided to act. so, even they accepted that they would serve the black plain empire from now on.


    "then i hope your majesty can forgive the insolence of our deceased companions. they didn''t know who they were dealing with. otherwise, none of this would have happened." the eldest of these survivors said with a smile as she made a greeting gesture common to this tribe.


    all the others gradually followed their elder''s lead, lowering their bodies as the serpents on their heads stopped moving and took on the appearance of braids.


    minos enjoyed seeing how fast these creatures were. ''as proud as they are, gorgons have the ability to follow the decisions of the strongest and do what is necessary to continue living.'' he thought to himself as he stopped using his 10th technique, but he was already moving to place his seals on the creatures of this race.


    there were only 326 gorgons in this tribe at the moment, so it would only take him a short time to seal each one of them, making their new position in relation to the black plain empire official.


    after some time, minos would finish his business with this tribe, learn the names of some of the elders, and also hear questions from these creatures.


    then he said. "i want most of you to go to the black plain empire. you should join the army post in the end area. don''t worry about how my people will receive you. i have already told you that you should join us and go to that post. there are already people there waiting for you."


    "is that so?" a level 94 gorgon asked in surprise, seeing how confident minos was in his plans to have already predicted that they would submit to him.


    but they didn''t know that the way minos was now, he could force slavery contracts on most of them and force them to serve him even if they didn''t want to...


    after remembering the woman, the new tribal leader spoke to minos about his people''s current plans, as well as the black plain empire.


    in their conversation, minos made it clear that the doors of his state would be open to members of the nine-tailed fox tribe when the war began.


    those who wished to fight alongside the army or even seek refuge in the empire would be welcome from now until the conflict began.


    as of this morning, when minos left the tribe, no decision had been made as to what they would do. however, the current leader of the tribe made it clear that he would send elders to join the battlefront with the people of the black plain empire when the aliens came to the world.


    with that visit settled minos made his way to the phoenix tribe, where he had just arrived and was now being greeted by the elders of that race.


    ...


    "minos, i didn''t expect you to reach the 10th stage so quickly!" a level 97 elder said, grinning from ear to ear in his humanoid form.


    next to him were some of the strongest people in the area, all of them happy to see minos in their territory and even happier about the level of cultivation he had reached.


    everyone there was already aware of minos'' recent accomplishments on the central continent and his true strength. because of this, they knew that minos could be one of the main names in the war of the coming decades, who would probably join the strongest in the world to defend the planet from the alien invasion.


    even though they had a good impression of minos before, they now saw him in a much better light!


    "it''s really a surprise that you''ve grown up so fast... but it''s a good thing. with those damn aliens coming at us, we''re going to need young talents like you on the battlefield, minos!" a woman said with an excited smile.


    "i will do my best when the time comes," minos commented. "but before that, i''d like to know if the phoenix tribe is interested in sending high-level experts to my state. given the proximity of the central continent to the north sea, i imagine the war will begin on my territory."

 Chapter 2107 Inviting Allies to the Front (2)

    chapter 2107 inviting allies to the front (2)


    the phoenixes at minos'' side listened attentively to his invitation, not doubting the young human''s interests.


    as much as minos wanted to protect his state, sending people north to the central continent wasn''t a bad idea.


    the aliens would reach the spiritual world via the north sea, and from there, they would go to the rest of the planet. it would be interesting for everyone if the forces of the world could keep as many aliens as possible in such an area.


    the major world powers were already planning to send experts to the north sea to set up sieges around that sensitive area. but many powerful tribe members would have to stay behind in their territories because even with all the strength of the spiritual world, there would be no guarantee that some aliens wouldn''t manage to escape the north sea. tribes and powerful organizations needed specialists in their territories to protect their people and territory in case some enemies escaped from that area.


    since minos was the leader of the most advanced state in terms of enemy technologies, these phoenixes couldn''t help but think it would be beneficial to send some of their experts to him.


    "that''s a good idea." a level 97 beast said with interest. "we already wanted to send some groups to the north sea siege, but we could send one or two groups to join your empire. they will be able to act alongside your people in the siege of the north sea."


    "who else will be on your side, minos? are you planning to invite more groups to join your state in confronting the aliens?" another high-ranking phoenix asked.


    minos affirmed as he nodded his head. "yes, i will visit the dragon tribe after i leave here. i''ve also enlisted the support of the gorgons and some experts from the central continent."


    "oh? you have the support of the gorgons?" these high-ranking demigods were surprised to hear such a thing from minos, as they were aware of the feud between that tribe and him.


    even if the sages of this tribe, who would soon go to the black plain empire, weren''t as strong in combat as the 20 demigods, they could still help just as much as this main group!


    ...


    after leaving the phoenix tribe, minos went straight to the dragon territory in the northernmost part of the continent of beasts.


    if he had no problems on his way, it would only take a few hours between the home of the phoenixes and the home of the dragons, where he would immediately attract attention by passing in front of the first powerful beings of that race.


    but how could it be otherwise? with a dragon aura similar to that of the high-ranking elders of this tribe, minos could easily attract the attention of even high-ranking demigods!


    and just such a being was standing in front of minos right now, looking at this young human while his eyes widened, unable to believe that the sensation he felt was coming from a human.


    as minos floated in the air, the large, mountain-sized level 97 dragon flew, circling around emperor stuart as he probed this brown-haired man.


    "your aura... no, this can''t be right!" the great dragon said for the fourth time, concluding that minos was indeed a human. but minos'' dragon aura was the same as that of the current leader of the tribe, even considering the huge differences between this young man and that old expert.


    "minos, how did you do that?" the great dragon asked, knowing who this young man was and the allied relationship his tribe had with the black plain empire.


    minos said. "you already know, elder. even though we haven''t met in person, you must have received my information from your fellow tribesmen."


    "yes, but you weren''t like that! how did you improve your aura so much in such a short time? no offense, but you look like a monster! you''re not a dragon, but you can still display that aura... that''s scary! there''s something wrong with you!" the guy said as he felt his scales shaking.

 Chapter 2108 Back to the Dragon Tribe

    chapter 2108 back to the dragon tribe


    this dragon didn''t have the courage to approach minos, even though he knew he was stronger than the young man.


    unlike the terrorist leader, this level 97 dragon was far more talented than that man. if he had been in micah''s place, he wouldn''t have died because of the second strike of the divine sword!


    still, he felt great respect for minos and a sudden desire to bow down to this human.


    but his rational side denied his feelings, and he couldn''t help but question minos.


    minos said. "this is because i increased the quality of my physique. after that, everything about me evolved, including my dragon aura and my physical strength. i also changed levels, which added another bonus to that one...


    anyway, elder, i''m still the same friend of the dragon tribe that i was before. i''d like to meet the elders at the head of the tribe. is that possible?"


    the giant dragon thought about what minos had told him and believed the young man''s words because nothing else could explain such a change. but still, he had questions. what else but divine medicine could provide so much energy and laws to change someone like that?


    ''minos consumed a divine medicine... it''s a huge waste, but i can''t deny that he has reached an extremely ridiculous level. but what gave him the confidence to risk it like that? desperation or the possession of other medicines of this quality?'' the level 97 dragon wondered. ''i will discuss this with the rest of the elders. either way, i have to take you to the tribe''s core.''


    he said. "very well, come with me. i''ll take you to the currently available elders."


    "thank you."


    "the tribal chief is not here today. he''s in the territory of the sky whales. the leader of this tribe reached level 100 this morning."


    minos'' eyes widened when he heard such a thing. "so that guy finally advanced?"


    he heard positive things from this individual, while everyone was somewhat impressed by his current aura.


    the level 97 dragon who had brought minos to this place quickly informed his superiors that the young human had most likely consumed divine medicine, which made the three of them even more interested in this ally.


    "so that''s what happened..." the level 99 commented as he looked at minos with interest in making some kind of deal. dragons were very honest and straightforward, so after some thought, this creature couldn''t help but ask. "minos, be honest with us. did you take a divine medicine? did you do it out of trust in others like you, or out of sheer desperation?"


    minos laughed when he saw that he couldn''t get away with it.


    he could fool other races, humans, and maybe even elves. but it would be impossible for him to fool dragons, especially 1oth stage dragons.


    the level 97 dragon didn''t understand everything about minos'' dragon aura. but the level 99 individual easily understood it, feeling as if there was a bit of the ancestral god of dragons in the human body before him!


    that was different from what he and the other level 99 dragons in his tribe had!


    there was definitely divine-grade medicine behind it, but there was also the possibility that there was more, something that this being felt needed to be discovered!


    minos said. "i really can''t hide it from you. as expected from dragons. yes, i really have another one. would you like to trade it with me?"


    since suspicion had already arisen in the minds of these creatures, minos had no choice. either he tried to negotiate, or his relationship with the dragons could stop being so positive and become a problem.


    what he wanted most at this point was to avoid trouble. so he chose the peaceful way.


    "so you really do!" this level 99 dragon became more interested and approached minos, looking at the young man with interest. "what do you want for it? i''m willing to give you anything you want for the medicine, minos!"


    "there is something i want," minos said as he pointed in a certain direction in this central area of the dragon tribe.

 Chapter 2109 Minos Request

    chapter 2109 minos'' request


    "i want you to let me into the sacred altar," minos said at once, pointing in the direction of the place.


    the high-ranking dragons around him looked at it, becoming much more serious than they had been a moment ago.


    the sacred altar of dragons was an extraordinary place for them, where only level 99 demigods of this race could ask for permission to enter.


    these beings weren''t surprised that minos knew about such a place since this human had inherited the powers of a dragon god. such a level 100 creature might still have memories of the home of the ancestral god of the dragons.


    but knowing about such a place and wanting to enter it were two very different things.


    "do you know what this place means to us, minos?" the level 99 dragon asked as he closed his eyes.


    "yes, i do. you revere it, you see it as a guide, and since the beginning, you have reaped the rewards of having access to it. hence, you are very grateful and selective about who can enter this area." minos replied.


    "then how can you ask us for it?" a level 98 dragon asked, thinking minos could ask for almost anything, but not it.


    "that is the cost of divine medicine, elders. what you wish to bargain for is no less valuable." minos wasn''t afraid to be honest. "i won''t be able to use this medicine myself, so i''m willing to trade it with you, my allies. but the same goes for you, elders. in a few years, there may be no one left from your race who can access this place.


    what bad could happen if someone with my characteristics entered it?"


    "alright, we can do whatever you want. a divine medicine for permission to enter the sacred altar." the level 99 dragon said as he looked into minos'' eyes.


    "then how do we do it? i am afraid to bring a medicine of this quality to the continent and attract unnecessary attention from powerful demigods or even the current gods." minos said.


    a level 98 dragon suggested. "let''s allow you to enter our tribe''s sacred altar first. when we have decided who will be the recipient of the divine medicine, we will send him to our spatial kingdom to meet you. you must give us the medicine there.


    the sacred altar was located in the current spatial kingdom of this race. a few moments ago, minos had pointed out the direction of the spatial kingdom of this place, which was in the same place as the sacred altar. in other words, part of the sacred altar was inside the dragon''s spatial kingdom, while part of it was outside, right where one of the two entrances to that region of space was located.


    dragons were excellent at manipulating space. in fact, they were so good that their spatial kingdom actually had another, smaller spatial kingdom inside it. the entrance in the direction minos was pointing to led to the sacred altar, and that was the only way to enter this area. but from inside the sacred altar, one could go to the rest of the dragon spatial kingdom, even without having to leave and re-enter.


    someone in the ordinary part of the dragon spatial kingdom could not see or access the sacred altar. the only way to reach it would be to get permission from the tribal elders to use the special entrance to the space compartment.


    anyway, minos knew it would be safe to make such a payment from within the spatial kingdom, so he agreed without difficulty, promising the 4th divine medicine since his advancement to level 90.


    "very well, accompany me, minos." the level 99 dragon took the lead in leading emperor stuart to the sacred altar. "do you know what awaits you there? you know that if you''re not strong enough, you might even die, right?"


    "i am prepared, elder. no matter how low my cultivation level is on the surface, i will survive this experience." minos said confidently.


    "i hope so. in any case, good luck. if the ancestral god helps you, i hope we can continue our good relationship for a long time. from the moment you leave there, you''ll be no different to us than a dragon."


    "that is my intention." minos thanked him for his words as he stopped in front of the spatial distortion that would take him to the sacred altar.

 Chapter 2110 A Whim

    chapter 2110 a whim


    facing the entrance to this part of the dragon space kingdom, minos only waited for the signal from the level 99 dragon that had brought him to the top of the volcano before heading in that direction.


    as soon as he passed through the spatial distortion, minos felt as if he had passed through a water barrier and entered a subtly different world.


    the surroundings were very similar to the area where he was standing on the top of the volcano. but this place he had arrived at was much hotter and many times larger than the outside of that place.


    the laws and concentration of spiritual energy in the surrounding area were much stronger than in the core of the dragon tribe''s territory, and there was a terrifyingly powerful aura.


    minos immediately looked at the culprit of all this, a large beastly skeleton that was half submerged and half visible.


    looking at this colossal prehistoric carcass, he had already seen it in the memories of the 4th divine dragon, the level 100 dragon he had received an inheritance from earlier.


    "i''m finally here," minos muttered as he remembered the dragon''s advice to come to this place.


    but he had entered this place at a much lower level than the level 100 being recommended!


    the 4th divine dragon had told minos to come to this place when he reached level 99!


    but minos couldn''t afford to wait. when the opportunity arose for him to enter such a place, he didn''t hesitate.


    better to take the risk now than to miss what might be the only chance he would have to go there before the war against the aliens.


    so, even though he felt a great deal of pressure that was already making him feel physically and mentally uncomfortable, minos continued towards the magma pool in the area where the 4th dragon god had swum in the past, decades before his breakthrough to level 100.


    meanwhile, this creature sensed that a small ''fly'' was hovering near it and looked away, causing minos to see an eye as big as a mountain staring back at him.


    it was terribly frightening to come face to face with something so immense, but minos knew it was all just some mental illusion and stood his ground.


    looking at the body of this colossal creature, which had six huge wings, four legs and a long tail, three eyes, and a long jaw, minos muttered. "primordial god of dragons..."


    "you are not one of my children..." the giant beast said in a strange language, but strangely enough, minos understood every word. "yet i sense a little of my children in you... i also sense an old acquaintance. are you somehow related to the people of dunov?" minos'' eyes widened as he heard the words of the great creature. "dunov? what do you know of that name?"


    "it seems i''m right..." the great creature stopped looking at minos and returned to the great sea in front of him. "in that case, you already have your guide. you don''t need my help."


    "wait a minute, senior. what is this place? panvuter? can you tell me more about its history?"


    "panvuter, huh? how long has it been since i heard that name? 30 million years?" the beast closed his eyes as he remembered the distant past of this place. "but you''re right, this was the home of my race, the 98th race. i was the last of my kind. i don''t know how we survived the planetary explosion back then, but i was the only one left alive on the small fragment of the world that was left.


    after that, my strength waned until the day i sacrificed myself to prevent the end of my race. that is how the dragons you know were born and the spark of memory that speaks to you.


    unfortunately, i died a long time ago, young man. i''m just an image of the past."


    minos found all this very interesting since he saw that the dragon theory wasn''t wrong. but then he asked. "senior, what was the purpose of this place you left for the dragons?"


    "it was just a whim of mine to try to revive my race. but it''s impossible. this world is too poor, and my descendants have almost completely lost their connection with me. i can only show them one step forward. unfortunately, it would take dozens of steps for them to even try." the creature gasped as its body became less solid and more transparent along with its surroundings.


    "are you talking about this special energy i have inside me? what if i told you that i was able to raise this energy source in beings like dragons?" minos asked in an excited tone, sensing that his time was running out.


    hearing this, the large beast looked at him again, feeling something other than pure disappointment for the first time.


    "this..." as he, his eyes flashed as if they were about to explode, while a beam of energy shot out of them towards minos'' forehead.

 Chapter 2111 Answers in the Stars

    chapter 2111 answers in the stars


    the moment the great being disappeared, minos felt as if he had been kicked in the forehead as he heard that individual''s voice for the last time while his surroundings changed.


    ''look to the stars. your answers are in the stars.''


    that was what minos heard before the surroundings of the illusion he was in changed, showing him the infinity of space where he could see countless stars, similar to what one would see when looking at the night sky.


    but he saw such a thing in all directions, seeing the vast universe, which no living being in the spiritual world had ever significantly explored.


    the spiritual world had existed as it was for millions of years. but the inhabitants of this world had never come close to exploring the observable universe.


    it seemed impossible to leave the spiritual world with flying abilities. the higher you flew, the slower you became, and the harder it was to keep moving.


    as for manipulating wormholes, you had to have a specific destination for your wormhole. the endpoint of a wormhole was determined when it was created. once created, this wormhole would lead to such a point where one would have to accept the consequences of traversing space to such a place.


    if there were a battle at such a destination, it would be the problem of the person who manipulated space to such a point. if they arrived at such a place and suffered from the special phenomena in the area, there was little they could do but accept the consequences of their actions.


    therefore, it was perilous to go into space. no one knew where they were going, and, as already known, space was not a homogeneous, quiet place.


    thinking of space as the sea was more appropriate than comparing it to something quiet and still. in the sea, there were areas where the water could be more or less agitated because of the climate, the relief, the pressure, and the living beings in the area. there were places where, if you entered, there was no other destination than the end itself.


    for example, great ocean phenomena turned regions the size of states into great convergence areas where huge whirlpools formed. once inside the whirlpools, it would be impossible to escape!


    his level had hardly changed at all, but he felt different as if what had been invisible to him had suddenly become visible.


    he got up from where he was lying, hovered in the air, and quickly put on some clothes while watching what looked like a trail of smoke.


    but it wasn''t smoke. it was something only he could see in this whole world!


    it was the chaotic energy of those ancient skeletons!


    he looked at it and saw it was coming from the big skeleton inside the volcano.


    with his bright eyes, he saw it was overflowing into the dragon spatial kingdom and connecting with other similar trails around the continent of beasts.


    ''there is still a small fraction of the energy coming from panvuter in the spiritual world.'' minos concluded that it wasn''t just coming from the giant skeletons. ''i must find a way to cultivate it as soon as possible. even though the energy is small in quantity, i''m the only one who can absorb or distribute it. it could help me a lot in the coming years.''


    he looked in the direction of the dragon spatial kingdom''s common area, where he would deliver the divine medicine.


    ''i will try to see it urgently. now, it''s time for me to handle business with this tribe!'' he made up his mind, and without hesitation, he headed towards the dragon headquarters, towards the common part of this spatial kingdom.


    upon entering that place, minos was quickly greeted by the dragons from earlier, and it did not take him long to realize that the few moments he thought had passed had actually lasted more than 2 months!


    fortunately, 2 months wasn''t too long for him, and considering what he had improved and gained access to, it was a small price to pay!


    he then handed over the medicine already in his spatial ring, keeping his promise. with that done, it was time for him to leave the beasts'' territory!

 Chapter 2112 Specialists in Dry City

    chapter 2112 specialists in dry city


    after minos left the core of dragon territory after hearing from the elders of the dragon tribe that they would be sending specialists to the black plain empire, he returned to his state.


    he had a few things to take care of outside of his state. still, he wanted to focus on starting his experiments and studying some of the things he had gained access to on his recent travels.


    besides, someone powerful had recently reached level 100, and he''d better get back to his state as soon as possible.


    thus, after getting what he wanted on the continent of beasts, minos quickly made his way to the central continent, where he would arrive a few hours after leaving the dragon spatial kingdom.


    ...


    meanwhile, in dry city...


    the capital of the black plain empire was more crowded than ever with high-level specialists.


    in addition to aarav, who had been living here for the past few years, queen sista was also there, officially visiting the stuart family but with other interests at heart.


    she had come to this city much more to meet minos and go to his spatial kingdom than just to visit sarah, her daughter-in-law.


    however, upon arriving in this state a few days ago, willow had met the four current gods of the spiritual world, something much more important than she had in mind!


    after makai had reached level 100, he went to the north sea with aurae, vico, and maximillian. he saw the alien hostages as well as the many alien technologies. this level 100 sky whale had learned from these three gods and his tribesmen about the dire situation the spiritual world was in. not only that, but he had also learned how a young man who no one had paid attention to until a few decades ago had discovered the aliens and revolutionized the world.


    after crossing the north sea and giving a series of orders to his tribe, accepting the current situation and ignoring the previous war with the dragons, he came to this city together with those gods and their respective groups.


    as such, dry city currently had 4 gods, and several levels 97, 98, and 99 demigods waiting for minos to return.


    "let''s go to makai. i''ll pay him my respects." henry replied, wanting to meet minos but already knowing that emperor stuart wasn''t in the city.


    their group went to the imperial palace, where makai, vico, maximillian, and aurae were waiting for minos.


    also present were aarav, willow, and a few other high-ranking demigods with close ties to the empire or to those four gods.


    minos had already sent a warning about the change in his relationship with the western empire, so as soon as this group stopped in front of the imperial palace, they were escorted to where the gods were.


    ...


    "every day i''m amazed at the current wealth of this place," makai commented to his tribe''s number two, a level 99 demigod standing next to him.


    the two of them were on the terrace of the imperial palace, where he had been staying for the past few days, from where he could see the entire dry city.


    from there, he could see the daily innovations being produced locally, things completely different from what he had considered normal before he began his previous seclusion.


    the demigod beside makai sighed and said. "the aliens have brought a revolution to the world. whatever the outcome of the war of worlds, we will never be the same again."


    "that seems to be the case... but why is this young human''s group so advanced?" makai asked curiously. "what is different about them? why do they achieve things that even elves have trouble with? don''t you find it strange?"


    "yes, it is strange. but minos'' abilities are extraordinary. i think it all has to do with his physique and his innate ability." the demigod was right. "if i''m right, we won''t be able to get much from him. at most, we can get the secrets they''ve already unlocked. but we will never develop new things ourselves, which will guarantee minos a position ahead of all the world''s powers in the future". such a being foresaw what would happen and thought the same as the groups of other gods had already noticed.


    "that''s a problem," makai commented to his man, not wanting to be outdone after working so hard to reach level 100.


    he wanted to win the war against the aliens and secure an even better position for his people in the aftermath. however, this would be very difficult if minos continued to grow.


    he would have to do something about minos if he wanted to fulfill his old wishes!

 Chapter 2113 The Return of Minos

    chapter 2113 ;the return of minos ;


    when henry quinn arrived at the imperial palace in dry city to greet makai, a spatial distortion appeared in the sky of that city.


    only gods or the owner of this quasi-spatial kingdom could enter this place without using the entrance controlled by the black plain army. as soon as this distortion appeared, all the local experts looked up at the sky and thought the same thing.


    ''minos!''


    indeed, as soon as these people looked in the direction of the spatial distortion in the area, they saw a brown-haired man flying towards his palace at high speed.


    minos wasn''t the only one who noticed. when he arrived in his city, he noticed the four gods were waiting for him.


    ''what a problem...'' he thought, feeling willow and henry there as well, glimpsing that everything he had planned for them had gotten out of hand.


    but his main concern at the moment was makai, who watched him with interest, eager to talk to minos and bring the local technologies to the sky whale tribe.


    meanwhile, aurae, maximillian, and vico also had their own interests, looking at minos from different angles, given his recent advancement to the 10th stage.


    "your excellencies." minos stopped in front of his palace, where the four gods were already gathered and waiting for him.


    he turned to makai, a man with blue hair and an extremely muscular body, over 3 meters tall and wearing dark blue scale armor, and said. "congratulations on reaching level 100. with the strength of the leader of the sky whale tribe, the spiritual world will have a chance of victory against the aliens."


    makai liked what he heard when he saw minos'' gesture.


    minos said to the three. ''i have already predicted that this would happen sooner or later. that''s why i''m creating more gods for our world.''


    the three immediately understood who these new gods were, each looking toward one of the three level 99 demigods they already knew would soon be going to the stuart family''s spatial kingdom.


    minos'' point was simple. with more gods in the spiritual world, not only would the planet have a better chance of surviving the invasion orchestrated by the mechanic empire, but the existence of more level 100 cultivators would also create more internal competition in this world!


    ''with more gods, these individuals will have less reason to worry about me.'' minos told them.


    minos already knew that as he grew, he would become a rival to all the high-level powers in this world. after all, his advantage over alien technology was undeniable. everyone knew his empire would eventually be number one in this world as long as he survived the war of the worlds.


    however, this was not in the best interest of some of these gods. as much as some of them didn''t want world domination, it wasn''t interesting to have someone like minos in the world after the war.


    he alone was very strong, and his state had many strengths that could start a dynasty after the war. however, if there were more gods or rather more competition, the size of minos'' would be smaller in the eyes of these people. after all, there would be other people to worry about in the spiritual world.


    since minos intended to create three new gods on the central continent and one on the continent of beasts, he felt that the possible negative intentions of these four gods might change in the next two decades.


    ''i hope your plan succeeds.'' gloria sighed, seeing that no matter how much they improved, there would always be problems to worry about.


    minos would soon meet with those level 99 and 100 experts in a large meeting room in the imperial palace.


    at this meeting, he would talk about what he had done recently and some of his plans for the coming years.


    after that, he would have to negotiate more of his new technologies with these gods, especially with makai, who was newer to the whole situation.


    minos wasn''t stupid, so for now, he accepted what fate had given him.

 Chapter 2114 Chasing Away the Specialists

    Chapter 2114 Chasing Away the Specialists


    After Minos'' meeting with the four Gods, he made new agreements with the specialists, guaranteeing their groups more technology in the coming years.


    Aurae, Maximillian, and Vico didn''t ask much more of Minos than they had already given to many of their allies. None expected the Black Plain Empire to develop much further in the next five or ten years. Emperor Stuart''s progress and state were remarkable enough to make even these Gods a little doubtful about the future. But their rational sides were stronger, and they doubted that this place would continue to develop.


    So it wasn''t too difficult for Minos to get those three away without having to deliver much more than he was already delivering.


    As for Makai, he demanded more than his level 100 counterparts, so Minos would have to make a much more detailed deal to benefit that man''s tribe.


    Not only would Minos have to share data of everything his state would discover on its own, but he would also have to give everything the empire had, whether it was technology from allies or even citizens. Everything that came under the control of the empire had to be given to the Sky Whales.


    In addition, any local progress had to be reported to the tribe, even if it had nothing to do with alien technology.


    Makai obviously wanted to know everything that was going on in the Black Plain Empire. Still, he didn''t care if it was obvious to those involved or not. With his power, he wasn''t afraid to displease even the other Gods!


    Minos swallowed all this dryly, unable to refuse the Sky Whale leader''s proposals.


    He finished these updates on the old agreements he had with each of the forces of these 4 Gods and watched as the groups of Makai, Vico, Aurae, and Maximillian left his city to return to their own territories.


    Meanwhile, Aarav approached him, seeing that Willow and Henry were still in the city, probably to continue Minos'' old plans for them.


    "Did you manage to convince them?" Aarav asked as he watched the groups of Gods leave.


    Minos continued to look at where those level 100 cultivators had disappeared and said. "Yes. But I didn''t intend to bring them to my Spatial Kingdom simultaneously... Sigh, things don''t always go according to plan."


    "We''ll talk about other things later. For now, let me handle the situation with these two." As soon as he had said that, Minos turned his attention to Willow and Henry. "Your Majesties, seeing you in my city is good." He said with a smile. "You would like to speak with me privately, yes? Please come to my office. I''ll take care of each of you individually."


    Henry and Willow didn''t know about the other''s involvement with Minos, so they followed him without mentioning his intention to start their seclusion.


    Soon, they were in front of Minos'' office, where he would speak to Willow first since the woman had more seniority than Henry.


    But what he would say to both of them would be basically the same. Dry City was too full of high-ranking Demigods, people from outside the empire who might spread worrying rumors if he sent them to his Spatial Kingdom now.


    He didn''t want to show the outside powers what kind of deal he had made with them, so he preferred to wait a few days to see if Dry City would lose some of these high-level curiosity seekers.


    According to Minos, he would meet with some groups, and with the Gods leaving, the city would probably be back to normal in two weeks at the most. In the meantime, it would be interesting if they waited for him in other parts of the empire. As soon as everything was in order, he would call them to send them to the Spatial Kingdom.


    The two of them easily accepted what Minos had in mind, knowing they had to be careful. They were talking about Divine Medicine! If any information about it got out, even the four Gods would get involved in the conflict to take such things from Minos and them.


    So the two level 99 Demigods quickly accepted Minos'' advice and left Dry City with their respective groups to wait for Minos'' call.


    With that settled, Minos left his imperial palace and went to the army headquarters, where Aarav was already waiting for him.


    It was time for the first level 99 Demigod to enter Minos'' Spatial Kingdom!


    He took a deep breath at the thought but didn''t hesitate too long. Given his situation, there was nothing more to think about.


    ''After I resolve the situation of my three level 99 allies, I''ll focus on my experiments in the Spatial Kingdom.'' He thought to himself as he came face to face with Aarav.

 Chapter 2115 Reclusion Towards Level 100

    Chapter 2115 Reclusion Towards Level 100


    By taking Aarav to his Spatial Kingdom, Minos shocked this old Spiritual world expert within fractions of a second of their arrival in that region of space.


    As soon as he noticed the auras around the large area where many plants covered the horizon, Aarav sensed the number of Divine Medicines Minos had.


    "That... That''s not right." The old man opened his mouth, and his expression changed significantly.


    "I am sorry, elder, I had to tone down the information I gave you. I had to protect myself until I brought you here." Minos said as he saw the white-haired old man staring at him in horror.


    "With these medicines, you could protect the entire world... Why?" Aarav asked the obvious.


    Minos understood exactly what was on the mind of this old level 99 Demigod and closed his eyes with a sigh. "It''s not that I''m selfish and don''t want to help our world. What do you think would happen to me and my family if I started distributing Divine Medicines? I''m already taking many risks by promising just a few of them. Imagine if people found out how many I really have?"


    Aarav was thinking about this when he heard Minos'' voice and returned to reality.


    For a moment, he thought that the problem of the Spiritual World could be easily solved with what Minos had. But when he thought about it from the perspective of the brown-haired young man next to him, he immediately saw images of a chaotic Spiritual World forming in his mind, with all the powers fighting over who would get the medicines in this place.


    If information about these medicines were to spread, the aliens would not need to try to conquer this world. Much of the planet would perish in the war to decide who would have the chance to absorb the Divine Medicines!


    Most likely, profiteers like Maximillian would try to steal the medicinal power of such plants during the meditation of the first one to start cultivating to advance to level 100. That could result not only in the loss of level 99 experts but also in the waste of medicines and the deaths of people who could reach level 100.


    Thinking about it, Aarav couldn''t help but sigh with regret. "I know it would have been dangerous, but shouldn''t you at least try to bring more level 99 Demigods here besides Willow, Henry, and me?"


    "It''s hard to say how many people I could help. Maybe the three of you are enough to make some powers suspicious of me... Who knows what would happen if I brought in a fourth peak Demigod?" Minos asked as they began to walk towards the place where some of the Divine Medicines of this Spatial Kingdom were kept.


    He would work with that level 94 Demigod''s group, but since this was something that needed to be tested and basic structures created, he would let such a man''s team work on most of this project.


    He would talk to a few people in the Spatial Kingdom until he gathered the group that would return to Dry City.


    Isabella, Kendrick, Rowan, Lily, Hollie and Sarah''s husband had benefited greatly from Minos'' advance. They had already finished their seclusions after his departure months ago. It was time for them to return to Dry City after almost a year in the Spatial Kingdom.


    ...


    After Minos returned from the Spatial Kingdom with the rest of his family, he didn''t immediately attend to official business but instead took time out for a large family dinner.


    After several recent successes, the family needed to celebrate for at least one evening.


    That was especially true for the members of the Stuart family, who were growing stronger and stronger, their children having progressed during their year of seclusion in the Spatial Kingdom, but even Sarah''s husband, George, had become a Demigod.


    Isabella had finally overcome her disadvantage compared to Gloria, Ruth, and Abby. She was now at the same level as those three, level 87.


    Minos and his family would celebrate tonight and not get back to solving their problems until the next day when the Emperor and his wives would return to dealing with the many 10th-stage specialists in their city.


    It would be their job to deal with mid-level and high-level 10th-stage people for the next few days, something necessary for Minos to get Willow and Henry to his Spatial Kingdom without attracting unnecessary attention.


    That wouldn''t be too difficult. On the tenth day after Minos'' return, he would contact Willow to take her to the Spatial Kingdom. Henry would go there in the next few days, having already accepted Minos'' recommendation to wait for the right moment.


    With that, it was finally time for Minos to start his experiments on Titus!

 Chapter 2116 The Experiments Begin

    Chapter 2116 The Experiments Begin


    After bringing Henry to the Spatial Kingdom, Minos stayed permanently in that region of space to finally begin his experiments with Torne and develop methods compatible with what he had received from the ancient curse in Albano.


    Before coming to his Spatial Kingdom, Minos took care of all his affairs in Dry City, even placing the idols that gathered the power of faith throughout the empire.


    His wives stayed behind in Dry City to run the army and government, continuing their work to improve the empire''s position in the face of the ice age and the alien invasion.


    Gloria continued to deal with the Spiritual Church, increasing her importance not only through her level and position in the empire but also through her increasingly influential faction.


    As for Minos'' children and his wives, they were all in Dry City, living a little and enjoying the weeks they would have before returning to cultivation in seclusion.


    Comfortable with his family''s situation in Dry City, Minos was now with Titus and some of the best minds in his domain.


    He wasn''t worried about the three level 99 Demigods who were cultivating to reach level 100, who were scattered throughout the Spatial Kingdom, and who were already making a difference to the people there with the effects of their medicines.


    Each of them had understood why Minos had acted as he had, and there should be no problems if they succeeded in their progress. In any case, it wouldn''t be quick or easy for them to reach level 100.


    It would take 5 to 10 years for them to succeed, which was long enough for Minos not to pay attention to any of them at the beginning of their retreat toward level 100. Alll latest novels at novelhall.com


    Now, Minos explained what he had in mind to Titus and the others in his experimental group.


    According to Minos'' theory, what differentiated the talents of members of the same race was their ability to absorb chaotic energy, or rather, how much of Panvuter''s old energy they could accumulate.


    As such, Titus was the main guinea pig among the creatures in the group about to begin their work.


    Minos explained his theories to his group, glancing at Titus occasionally as he felt the time had come to finally put his theories to the test.


    If he succeeded, many things in the world could change immediately, but much more could change over the next decades if, of course, his side won the war against the aliens.


    "Titus, are you ready?" He asked as everyone looked at the old fox. "What we''re about to do has never been done before. We have prepared well for this day but still don''t know what might happen next. You could evolve easily, become a whole new being, and reach level 90, or die with terrible consequences."


    "I understand the risks," Titus said with an excited smile.


    "There''s no turning back once we start, so I hope you know. Are you really prepared?" Minos asked again.


    Titus said as he looked into Minos'' eyes. "If I go on like this, I''ll die in a few years. Even if I survive until then, I probably won''t survive the beginning of the war. There''s nothing to think about. If the experiment goes badly, I''ll ask you to put me out of my misery and kill me.


    But before that, use your time to study me as best you can. I don''t want to go without making this contribution to the world first."


    Everyone in the group who would participate in these experiments fell silent when they heard this, touched by Titus'' commitment.


    Titus wasn''t just a guinea pig who didn''t know what would happen. He had actively participated in the group''s plans over the past few years as they prepared for this great moment.


    Minos said. "All right, let''s get started."

 Chapter 2117 Minos’ Experiment

    Chapter 2117 Minos'' Experiment


    As he signaled to his group to begin, Minos saw them all taking their positions while the other guinea pigs watched Titus anxiously. At the same time, the scholars who had been involved in the planning of this experiment couldn''t help but focus all their attention on the fox, full of doubts about what would happen from now on.


    Minos had never focused on using his innate powers to transfer chaotic energy from the great bones of prehistoric beings to the beings of his forces. He usually helped many people simultaneously, and he had only done this before his advancement in Physique level and quality.


    Therefore, no one knew what would happen now, and everyone was curious.


    Given Minos'' recent increase in power, he should be able to give Titus a lot of chaotic energy at once, something that would either hurt the old fox or change him significantly.


    As soon as Minos began to act, sitting in front of Titus, everyone felt the spiritual pressure in the area change as some of the giant bones in the Spatial Kingdom trembled.


    The space around Minos vibrated as deformations appeared between him and Titus, with a semi-transparent, glowing gray fluctuation emerging from those bones, circling around Emperor Stuart and condensing in front of him.


    Minos'' level rose to 92, while Titus closed his eyes and felt something penetrating his bones and essence.


    His cultivation gradually began to rise, something that had previously been difficult to achieve when Minos did the same with his men or family members. It was challenging to steal this energy from the giant bones. When it was done on many people, no one would usually receive enough to level up immediately. The most that would happen was that those people would be able to absorb some of the chaotic energy and cultivate the normal spiritual energy of this world more easily.


    As for stealing other cultivators'' cultivation and giving it to his people with inferior talents, Minos had never helped any of his people temporarily raise their level beyond what their talents allowed.


    But that was about to change!


    While directing this special energy at Titus, Minos generated enough power to raise the fox''s level to 90.


    That was the case with Emlyn and Kyla, who watched with concern as the elder of their tribe went through this terrible experiment.


    Minos activated his Soul Avatar and tried his best to combine this technique with the Dark Sea and the Infinite Dream to calm the situation of Titus'' soul.


    ''We seem to have made a mistake, Your Majesty.'' One of the experts observing the experiment said in the minds of Minos and all the other scholars there. ''I think the whole problem here is related to Titus'' level. The fact that he''s at the absolute peak of level 89 means that any attempt at evolution will push him forward. But maybe we''ve misunderstood the essence called the soul.


    Maybe, just maybe, that part has to evolve on its own, gradually and slowly.''


    ''Do you think we''d have a better chance of success if we used someone at, say, level 88?'' Minos understood what the Demigod meant.


    ''I think that''s the case. Then I suggest that Your Majesty not try to raise Titus'' cultivation level. We''d better not raise his cultivation.''


    Another scholar said. ''However, the fact that we are injecting energy into his body will raise his cultivation level. Even before the experiment, Titus was on the verge of reaching the 10th stage. Any energy we give him will make him advance.''


    Minos agreed. ''That''s right. The experiment can''t be stopped even if we wanted to. Part of Titus'' body has already absorbed chaotic energy beyond what a Sage should have. He will reach the 10th stage even if we stop now, and his soul will eventually explode.''


    Titus'' soul was still whole only because of Minos'' many actions. The moment he stopped using his powers on this guy, this fox would explode!


    That was if he didn''t find an answer in the few minutes left before he exhausted himself and couldn''t hold the situation any longer.


    ''Your Majesty, the only way out of here is to follow the methods you gave us earlier.'' One of the elders accompanying this experiment suggested talking about what Minos had received from the curse and passed it on to the group to study.

 Chapter 2118 Soul Puppet

    Chapter 2118 Soul Puppet


    When the level 94 expert, who had recently joined the empire after Veora was incorporated into Minos'' forces, said his words, all the experts watching the experiment looked at him.


    Minos remembered the methods he was taught by the curse in this area of Albano and asked. ''Which method? What exactly do you have in mind?''


    The man explained. ''The ancients have developed cultivation techniques compatible with these bones'' strange energy. Among them, I think two types of ancient methods might work to stabilize Titus'' soul temporarily.


    The first is something that looks like a transmutation technique. It''s hazardous and involves a very high level of spiritual transformation. Titus would have to be in control while Your Majesty would guide him. The risk of this method is spiritual disfigurement... In short, Titus might stop being a Nine-Tailed Fox and become a new creature if this method works. After that, the world might or might not recognize him, which might cause some kind of Lightning Tribulation...''


    Another expert asked, ''What about the second method?''


    ''You''re not thinking of the soul puppet technique, are you?


    ''That''s right.'' The level 94 man nodded in agreement while everyone else looked at Minos with concern.


    This method was one of the oldest of the Ancient Folk, one that involved the loss of freedom of the party being manipulated by the technique. Soul Puppet was a technique for at least two people to use, a method that would turn its target into a puppet of the controlling user.


    ''Soul Puppet can give stability to Titus'' soul if it really works.'' The Demigod from Veora said to everyone, looking at Minos. ''Titus will never be able to have his freedom again and will become a slave to Your Majesty. But this might work to save his life.


    I would use Soul Ppuppet if anyone here wants to know my opinion. This technique will only depend on Your Majesty, so your chances of success will be greater.''


    Minos understood the expert''s opinion and felt it made much sense. ''However, we''ll let Titus decide.''


    Then, he quickly explained the options they had under the circumstances.


    ''I won''t be able to control anything. I''ll trust you, Minos.'' Titus said quickly, choosing the option that would make him a living puppet.


    Willow felt this as she tried to control her curiosity so she wouldn''t stop what she was doing and look at what was happening to Minos. ''That feeling... This looks like a weird level 98 monster!''


    Henry also realized that the person behind this was Minos and that this technique would be able to put him on the same level as a level 98 Demigod while he was using it.


    However, he kept his curiosity to himself, thinking he would have to talk to Minos about this in the future.


    Amid this, everyone else in the Spatial Kingdom looked at Minos strangely, feeling a colossal power coming from his direction but also a great reverence for him, as if he had ceased to be a ''mortal'' like them at that moment.


    "Your Majesty..." Several people murmured as the body of Minos'' soul projection pulsed, and a special pentagram materialized in front of one of his hands, pointing at Titus.


    ''Let''s start with the Soul Puppet, Titus. If it doesn''t work...''


    ''I know. Don''t worry. I''ll be fine even if I die.'' Titus confirmed for the last time.


    With these words, Minos activated the technique, feeling too much pain to do so himself but going all the way as the pentagram connected him and Titus.


    Soul Puppet!


    The space around Titus distorted, the energy around him turning blood red and his body glowing intensely white.


    The pentagram passed through him as if he were made of nothing, pushing his soul out of his body.


    While this was happening, Minos made a hand seal, connecting the extreme points of Titus'' essence to himself while connecting the body to the old fox''s soul.


    Once this was done, the result could not be changed.


    A glow exploded from Titus'' position, causing the entire Spatial Kingdom to glow for a second as if a star had blinked one last time before dying.

 Chapter 2119 Change

    Chapter 2119 Change


    While many people in the Spatial Kingdom covered their eyes or bowed their heads, the few who could see what was happening saw Titus stop moving.


    At that moment, the old man''s body began to change shape, losing some of the classic characteristics of the Nine-Tailed Fox, such as its fur, which was visible even in its humanoid form. Alll latest novels at novelhall.com


    Beasts like Titus didn''t usually wear clothes in their humanoid form. They used their bestial parts to cover their genitals and other body parts.


    The moment Titus began to change, these fur ''clothes'' disappeared from him, and his humanoid body became perfectly human-like as it was born.


    Titus was tall, an old man. As he stood naked, all the people could see him and what they might not have wanted to see...


    But no one found it funny or disgusting. The few who watched Titus saw the essence of this being leaving the unstable state of a moment ago, still a bit chaotic but with less chance of exploding.


    At the same time, his body became more vigorous, stabilizing his strength at the beginning of level 90 without any risk to his life.


    But it had come at a high price. His soul now bore a mark that could not be erased, something that anyone observing the situation knew would allow Minos to control Titus as he wished.


    Despite Titus'' heartbeat and apparent life, he was now no different than a puppet that would follow its master''s orders to the letter, something that would live and exist for its master.


    Titus'' will disappeared, and Minos was all that existed for him. He still had all the memories and knowledge of the Nine-Tailed Fox that he was. But now, he was no different than a tool waiting for orders.


    He could no longer feel any pain or emotion. As soon as he became the puppet of Minos'' soul, he calmed himself down by kneeling before his master.


    Minos felt it all as the lightning disappeared, feeling in his being the control he now had over Titus and what it had cost both sides to use the Soul Puppet.


    That had nothing to do with the Soul Puppet. It was because of the stability he had achieved to stabilize his existence at level 90. With this stability, the changes that had begun at the beginning of the experiment transformed him to allow him to be at the 10th stage.


    Minos and the strongest experts there easily realized this, which was the positive side of the whole experiment. Although they had lost Titus, they now knew what would happen to beings like him if they transcended their limits.


    They would inevitably cease to be members of their race and become special mutants!


    If it were possible to reverse the Soul Puppet, Titus might be able to regain his individuality and enjoy his new characteristics. Unfortunately, this was impossible.


    Minos took a pill to recover from his exhausted state and asked Titus. "What do you feel? How should I call you now?"


    "This one feels excellent, my master! Call me whatever you want." Titus said without feeling in his voice, which made some people feel moved when they looked at him.


    "I see. Given your knowledge, can you still be considered a Nine-Tailed Fox?"


    "Negative. This one has evolved and should now be considered a member of a new species. I''m still a fox, but I''m different from what I was. My powers have also evolved, although they are of the same type and based on the same laws as my previous powers." Titus said, revealing some essential things for this experiment.


    Minos looked at his men and saw that some of their suspicions were correct. "It seems beasts that go through this will evolve and change their race... That must be some kind of evolution aimed at the prehistoric creatures of Panvuter''s time."


    One of their theories was that since the beings of this world retained some of the genes of the ancient beings, by increasing the chaotic energy within themselves, they would change races and look more like their ancestors who had disappeared into the river of history.


    However, it wouldn''t necessarily happen to everyone in the same way.


    But seeing it happen to Titus, those involved in Minos'' experiments and plans couldn''t help but think that it would happen to other Nine-Tailed Foxes going through the same thing as Titus and beings from other bestial races.

 Chapter 2120 Time to Improve

    Chapter 2120 Time to Improve


    Minos ordered Titus. "Show me what you look like now in your bestial form."


    As soon as he heard his master''s command, Titus didn''t hesitate to transform himself and quickly changed his body shape, but in a very different way than what beasts of this generation usually did.


    The nearby scholars immediately took note of what they were witnessing as they saw that the fellow who once had white fur all over his body and nine tails on his back now looked quite distinctive.


    He still had the body of a fox, but his fur had changed from white to silver. Meanwhile, instead of his 9 tails, a single tail began and ended at his back.


    That was like a ring of flesh covered in silver fur, which was vertically positioned so that anyone looking at Titus from the front would feel like a halo surrounding his entire body.


    A special kind of energy began to concentrate in this area, shining and making him very handsome to look at.


    It even temporarily overshadowed the size of this being, which had increased his body mass by about 30% after advancing to level 90.


    "It looks like he''s really changed a lot." Someone muttered, feeling that the charm of the fox was mesmerizing many people who were looking at Titus at that moment.


    "He really has changed his race." Minos sighed at the thought. "I believe that will happen to all beasts limited by the 9th stage or lower. However, I don''t think the same will happen to beasts capable of reaching level 100 or even to humans."


    The level 94 Demigod from Veora agreed. "That must be the case. If there is to be a change, it would require another advancement to level 100. But that''s impossible, so we can rule out changes in beings capable of reaching level 100."


    The purpose of this study was not to help highly talented beings become more powerful through the chaotic energy of giant bones. The goal was to help those limited by "insurmountable" bottlenecks to overcome their limitations and reach new heights.


    That was the only hope for Titus, according to Minos and everyone else. Either he reached godhood and had a chance to return to at least a fraction of his former self, or there would be no destiny for this fox.


    Minos turned to the group part of his studies and experiments and said. "We will no longer work with those of you who are at the peak of level 89. I feel that we can be successful if we work with people at level 88 or 87, so we''ll come back with new experiments in a few weeks with that kind of goal."


    The scientists agreed, feeling that they could direct the evolution of their guinea pigs within the limits set by Minos and not have to go through the same thing that happened that day.


    One of them said. "That must be the proper way..."


    "Yes, but in addition, we must work better on the ancient cultivation techniques and methods left by that civilization. What His Majesty used was one technique among many in a cultivation method. We need to perfect it so that he can cultivate chaotic energy without using his innate ability. In this way, it should be easier for us to correct the flaws in the techniques."


    Everyone agreed while Titus had already isolated himself to start cultivating, with some scholars accompanying him to observe how he would cultivate now that he had evolved.


    The rest of Minos'' study and experiment group would soon disperse, with each party going off to fulfill their responsibilities and study what had happened that day.


    They would not experiment again until all the data from that day had been cataloged and properly analyzed by the group.


    Minos left his men to their work and went to his lake house, where he planned to spend the next few days recovering from his current state and then rejoining his group.


    There were many things they needed to talk about and try to avoid a terrible end like Titus'', but that would have to wait until he was in his best condition.


    After leaving his group, he went to concentrate on his meditation, a little annoyed at losing another of his companions on this dangerous journey of his.


    ''I hope one day I won''t have to go through this again... But I''ll lose a few more people.'' Minos thought to himself as he contemplated the war of worlds that was about to reach the Spiritual World.

 Chapter 2121 Time for Peace and Development

    Chapter 2121 Time for Peace and Development


    After the failed experiment with Titus, two years passed quickly for the people in Minos'' Spatial Kingdom.


    Nothing exciting happened inside or outside this Spatial Kingdom during this period. The Spiritual World was still preparing for the aliens, and the global temperature dropped daily.


    The ice age was to begin in less than four years officially, so many areas of this world were already covered in snow, with extreme climate changes compared to the normal of a few decades ago.


    But aside from the climatic changes brought about by the ice age, the world was relatively calm, the terrorist problem had been completely solved, and there were virtually no more disputes between the major powers.


    If there were destructive interests among the world''s dominant powers, they were interests for the future, and at least for the time being, they didn''t show themselves.


    As a result, the Black Plain Empire grew considerably during this time, with Veora practically fully integrated into the empire''s rules and plans.


    Meanwhile, Minos was still in the Spatial Kingdom with many important men for the empire, still focused on developing technologies based on the aliens'' belongings and new things using the knowledge of the Ancient Folk and his own theories.


    After 2 years of much study and various experiments, his group improved on several fronts, experiencing new mistakes in experiments but also arriving at less flawed methods.


    Some guinea pigs died during these 2 years. Still, most survived, and many enjoyed their new abilities, having already progressed to levels previously thought impossible.


    Beings with talents similar to Black''s could only cultivate to level 89 at most, even with the help of external items. However, with Minos'' intervention, at least 40 people with black talents were now at level 90, while several others were at level 89 and working to advance one level.


    As mentioned earlier, they couldn''t conduct their experiments with individuals at the peak of their stages, or else they would experience the same thing as Titus.


    Did this mean the people at their cultivation bottlenecks couldn''t improve along with Minos'' guinea pigs? No! It just meant that those individuals couldn''t participate in Emperor Stuart''s experiments for now.


    Much had been developed and corrected in the ancient methods that Minos'' allied curse had passed on to him. They were still being worked on and improved, but if he had to use them now, the results would be much better than those of the time with Titus.


    But they were not yet at the point where Minos thought it would be ideal for him to test them thoroughly, let alone give his people access to them.


    Anyway, while almost everyone was working around the Spatial Kingdom, Kyla and Emlyn lived quietly in this place, always watching over the area to keep it in order.


    Mother and daughter were currently at levels 86 and 84, respectively, and the eldest had already told Minos that she would go through the evolution method when she reached level 88. Minos didn''t disagree, feeling that in another five years or so, the time it would take her to reach that level, their group would improve a lot, and the probability of something bad happening to her would be low enough to risk it.


    Kyla was also eager to evolve, eager to try out special powers similar to those of Titus, who had evolved so much that he now looked more like a Fox God than a member of their race.


    Titus continued to cultivate as Minos had commanded. Still, from time to time, he would pause to rest and process what he had improved, and on these occasions, he would show the beings of this Spatial Kingdom a little of what he had become.


    For this reason, the two of them were somewhat anxious about their chances of changing races.


    As for the fear of suffering the same as Titus, they had none, for after the first ten experiments, no death or severe case like Titus''s had occurred.


    In the middle of this quiet day in the Spatial Kingdom, where almost everyone was doing their duties, Minos finished an eight-week-long cultivation experience.


    He felt a little stronger when he opened his eyes, but he was still far from the middle of level 90.


    ''I haven''t been to Dry City for a year. I''ll take a few days off to see what the situation is like there, and then I''ll come back and stay here for another year or two.'' He thought as he stood up and prepared to leave for his capital.


    ''I will leave it to you to build the gate to the Spatial Kingdom in the Yellow City area when one of these three advances... After that, many things will be within our reach!''

 Chapter 2122 More Confident

    Chapter 2122 More Confident


    Upon returning to Dry City after warning his group in the Spatial Kingdom of his departure, Minos found his capital back to ''normal.'' Alll latest novels at novelhall.com


    After bringing Willow, Henry, and Aarav to his Spatial Kingdom, all of the powerful Demigods in the area were either connected to these three or Minos'' direct subordinates/supporters.


    The Nine-Tailed Foxes arrived in the capital of the Black Plain Empire in recent years, and the Phoenixes and Dragons had also sent their groups.


    Currently, there were several powerful Demigods from these tribes, as well as from the groups of the three trying to break through to level 100. As such, the local security was very good and few would try to cause trouble in this city, even in Minos'' absence.


    Feeling the auras of his family and friends around his city, Minos smiled as he felt the auras of the newly promoted level 70, 80, and 90 people who had been close to advancing the last time he had seen them.


    Regina Garza had finally become a Spiritual Sage, having reached level 80 even considering her advanced age when she met Minos decades ago.


    On the other hand, some were very close to major advancements, such as Sarah Stuart, who was currently at level 79. ''Very good, Sarah.'' Minos thought to himself as he thought of his beloved eldest daughter. ''With less than seven years to go until the Continental Tournament, you''re already close to reaching the 9th stage... Your husband''s family will be surprised. They didn''t believe you could go to the Continental Tournament when I planned it decades ago.''


    But Kendrick was still a doubt for Minos, as he was only level 73.


    ''This kid will be at level 75 by the time he gets to the tournament, or 76 at the most. Maybe he can enter the tournament if he can do half of what I did at his level.'' Minos assessed his eldest son, trying to ignore what Kendrick was doing with half a dozen women in his residence...


    After sensing the positions and auras of Lily, Hollie, and Rowan, Minos made his way to one of his wives but didn''t fail to notice that all of his wives were currently at level 88.


    Arriving at the command center of the Black Plain Army headquarters, Minos spotted Ruth working with some of the state''s highest-ranking soldiers, Demigods.


    "Excellent. Be prepared to make deals in exchange for this food. In return, we''ll be asking for specialists and advanced techniques for professionals in all fields." Minos said with satisfaction.


    Soon, another soldier informed him about the changes in the population related to the beginning of the ice age, as many people had left their old homes and moved to new places led by the government.


    A large part of the population now lived around the ten largest cities in the empire, while more than 15% of the empire''s population already lived in underwater cities in the area northeast of the Ancestral Sea.


    In addition, the local improvements due to alien technologies gradually decreased the speed of emergence and capacity for revolution.


    As the world''s leading experts predicted, when the scholars working on the alien items reached about 10 years of study, progress would slow down and become more challenging to achieve.


    As such, those who were not affiliated with the army and were independently developing things were already finding "bottlenecks" in their path, slowing down the number of new items being released into the market.


    However, the number of items developed by the empire did not decrease. On the contrary, with the soldiers whose talents had been promoted in those two years, the scholars had gained new fuel to continue their discoveries and innovations.


    New, more efficient, and more powerful versions of cannons, ships, spaceships, armor, and techniques emerged to strengthen the soldiers of the empire and its allies.


    However, the empire''s best products remained in the Spatial Kingdom, where Minos wanted to protect them and not send them to his allies, such as the elves and beings of other races. The Sky Whales were still a problem for the state, but Minos'' people did their best to avoid these powerful beasts.


    After hearing all this, Minos couldn''t help but feel satisfied, looking forward to the subsequent advances in his plans and the arrival of the greatest challenges he had been preparing for decades.


    "Very good. We''re approaching our potential. But let''s not get complacent. This is the time to expand our position and lead the Spiritual World to victory against the aliens." He told his soldiers, while the people there felt more confident than ever.


    Their chances were still not promising. But with the knowledge of the three level 99 Demigods cultivating in the Spatial Kingdom, the level 99 dragon trying to break through in the Continent of Beasts, these people were more confident in this world''s victory over the aliens than almost anyone else in this world!

 Chapter 2123 A Quick Tour

    Chapter 2123 A Quick Tour


    After talking to his army men about the updates he needed to hear, Minos left his headquarters to visit the empire''s government before stopping to see Gloria at the local temple.


    Later that day, he would care for the needs of his wives and himself, enjoying a bit of pure joy and happiness amidst the preparations for war.


    Then, when it was evening in that area, he would go to one of the places where he had left his idols to gather faith.


    He didn''t expect to achieve anything significant since only a few years had passed since he had placed those ancient artifacts. Minos simply wanted to monitor the progress of his plans regarding the power of faith, something quite essential for one to attain divinity.


    Arriving at one of the altars he had near Dry City, Minos was faced with a better situation than he had expected!


    ''Oh? This idol has absorbed far more power of faith than I had imagined!'' He was surprised to see that the item was at more than 30% of its capacity.


    That might not seem like much, but in just over two years, this item had accumulated more power than the Veora Family normally managed in two centuries!


    ''Is it the size of my population? Veora''s capital only has a few million people near the area that was previously within the range of their idols.''


    There were currently more than 50 million people living within the range of this idol, an impressive number that was largely caused by the onset of the ice age that was just around the corner.


    The government of Minos had encouraged people from all over the empire to come to Dry City, especially the abandonment of cities that would be hit hard by the ice age.


    That''s why the ring of cities around the capital now had a surreal number of inhabitants by the standards of this world.


    The second largest city in the empire was located there, with more than 47 million people, almost reaching and surpassing the population on the capital''s outskirts.


    After passing through these places, checking the status of the six faith-gathering items, and observing the situation there, Minos was ready to return to his capital city.


    As he did so, he had a satisfied look on his face, not only because of the magnificent faith-gathering results, but also because of the old acquaintances he had seen on this quick trip.


    For example, Starclaw was currently at level 91 and still lived in the underwater part of the empire. On the other hand, Kara Carline was at level 82, while her mother and stepmother were at level 75.


    Although Linette and Jade were already of advanced age when they had the cultivation opportunities brought by Minos, they could cross the bottleneck of the 8th stage and become Saints. These two lovers of Emperor Stuart continued to serve him in this area of End and helped Kara fulfill her responsibilities.


    Others who served the empire in the underwater part of the state were Elena and Maida, the former currently at level 83 and the latter at level 80.


    Anyway, Minos saw other old acquaintances on his quick trip, not stopping for a chat or anything before returning to his capital.


    ''It is almost time for me to go to the Seraphim''s Ancient Sarcophagus...'' He thought to himself. ''It will be good if I go there before my agreements with the strongest powers in the world for the technologies we have run out.'' He made up his mind, ready to spend more time concentrating on the Spatial Kingdom before venturing into other matters.


    Soon, Minos would return to the Spatial Kingdom of his state and take a few more people with him to cultivate in his cultivation shrine.


    Months would pass in the blink of an eye amidst the group''s seclusion and study in the Spatial Kingdom, with no really important events happening outside of that region of space.


    This time, Minos would spend his most prolonged interval in that space without leaving, soon completing four years since the beginning of Willow, Henry, and Aarav''s seclusion.

 Chapter 2124 Back to the Center of the Ancestral Sea

    Chapter 2124 Back to the Center of the Ancestral Sea


    After more than four and a half years since reaching level 90, Minos had finally passed the halfway point and reached the last part of level 90.


    This might seem slow to someone who, in the past, would have cultivated more than one level at the 9th stage in the same period of time. However, the 10th stage was not easy, and the difference in energy levels in this realm was huge. A single level might require decades of meditation and closed cultivation.


    Reaching the last part of a 10th stage level in just over 4 years was fantastic!


    Almost everyone in the Spatial Kingdom felt the same way when they saw how fast he had progressed, with the weaker ones feeling more hopeful about the future and the stronger ones feeling increasingly frustrated.


    But how could they not be frustrated, knowing that Minos'' time was short? Even with his cultivation speed, reaching level 92 before the aliens arrived would be difficult.


    However, the people in this place tried not to think about it too much and tried to focus on what they could affect, things that could really change their lives and the lives of many others.


    Minos'' situation was unchangeable. There was no way he could beat time, the only thing that really stood in his way.


    So when he finished some of his experiments this afternoon, he and his closest companions were preoccupied with other things than how sad it was that he wouldn''t have the opportunity to go any further in his cultivation before his enemies arrived.


    He looked at one of the strongest members of his study group and said. "I''m going to take a few weeks off to go to Dry City and care for some things. I want to collect some high-level weapons for my family in a special place."


    "Oh? Don''t worry about us, Your Majesty. At the stage of development we''re at with the experiments and techniques left by the Ancient Folk, we can finish our work without any support." The Demigod said with a smile on his face.


    After years of working with the theories of Minos and the Ancient Folk, his group had achieved significant results, with safer methods that could be used by people like the Emperor and Titus, but also significant results with experiments.


    The weakest of them was currently at level 61, while Sarah, whom he had brought to this place the last time he was in Dry City, was currently at level 80!


    ''Time for me to visit this Seraphim place...'' Minos thought as he teleported to Dry City, arriving at his imperial palace in the blink of an eye.


    Upon arriving in his capital, he simply told his wives where he was going before leaving the quasi-Spatial Kingdom of the empire''s capital.


    It was snowing heavily around the capital, while here and there, unprotected places were freezing, a sign of the changing times.


    ''We''re only a few months away from the official beginning of the ice age, but we''re already in this state...'' Minos sighed as he remembered how colorful this place had been years ago.


    Now, the horizon seemed to have lost all its joy, primarily covered with snow and frozen layers of earth.


    The spiritual energy itself seemed colder than ever, and the laws of nature with an affinity to fire became almost intangible in this place.


    But Minos didn''t observe this for long. Soon, he would manipulate space and set out from the core of his empire toward the Ancestral Sea, toward the Seraphim''s Ancient Sarcophagus.


    Decades ago, he had heard from Maximillian that he could return to that place whenever he wanted to try to obtain quality items. Now that he was a powerful Demigod and had some free time, it was time for him to follow through on what he had decided with the man when he was still a Saint.


    Unlike back then, when it took him months to reach the core of the Ancestral Sea, he would arrive at the location of the floating island he was destined for in just a few hours!


    ''When I''ve finished my business here, it will be time for me to finish my experiments and prepare for the Continental Tournament!'' He thought as he came upon this ancient place, looking ahead to all the way he had to go before the war of the worlds.


    After that, there would be nothing left for him in this world but to fight the invaders!

 Chapter 2125 Realizing What No One Realized

    Chapter 2125 Realizing What No One Realized


    Arriving at the entrance of the island floating in the middle of the Ancestral Sea, Minos saw that there were some people there.


    "A newcomer?" One of the Demigods there looked at Minos while several other men turned their attention to Emperor Stuart.


    "Spiritual Church, as expected..." Minos muttered as he spotted Maximilian''s men there. ''Of course, he would send people to take care of this place for him.''


    When he recognized the origin of the mid-level and high-level Demigods in the area, these men realized who the newcomer was.


    "Your Majesty Minos Stuart..." The group leader in charge of this place, level 97, muttered as the others relaxed a bit, some even dropping their weapons.


    "Make way for His Majesty!" A level 96 man shouted to the Demigods in front of the entrance to the magnificent ancient resting place of the Spiritual Church.


    "Your Majesty, His Excellency warned us that you would come here. Don''t worry, we won''t cause you any trouble. You can take whatever you can get from this place." The old level 97 expert said to Minos. "I thank His Excellency Maximilian. Please send him my thanks if you can." Minos was pleased to see that such a God stood by his words, relieved that he didn''t have to act in this place. "But of course. Good luck on your journey in this place." The strongest Demigod in the area commented as he watched Minos enter the Seraphim''s Ancient Sarcophagus. "Some of us have tried to take things from this place, but it didn''t end well. Be careful. Someone like you will be crucial in the war of worlds."


    "Thank you for your concern." Minos looked back and waved one hand as the large doors of that place closed, and he was already in the area of the former resting place of the experts of the Spiritual Church.


    The men outside the building continued to look in Minos'' direction, wondering what would happen.


    "How much time are you giving him?" One of them asked the leader of the group.


    "That depends. If he tries the weaker sarcophagi, he might spend some time here gathering resources. But if he tries for the best ones, he might be forced out of the building in a few hours..."


    ...


    He smiled as he moved his energies and quickly activated his 10th technique, Nullification.


    The energy shots that could have threatened his life lost more than 80% of their power. At the same time, the gravitational pressure on the four mummies increased to the point where their bones trembled.


    Dragon''s Gaze!


    Minos attacked two of these creatures with his dragon ability and had no trouble killing them as soon as he unleashed this mental attack.


    ''I don''t need to convince you of anything. I already have what I want.'' He turned his back on the beings who could not reach him for the moment.


    Touching the location of the pocket space, Minos used his spatial manipulation skills to open a rift over that part of space, opening an alternate entrance to that small Spatial Kingdom.


    He moved without delay and entered that region of space without bothering to defeat the creatures assigned to defend it.


    While those beings saw that they had failed to fulfill their role, Minos appeared in a strange space where the orange, slightly cloudy sky covered an area slightly larger than the island where the Seraphim''s Ancient Sarcophagus was located. Beneath this sky, there was no solid ground, only a large lake that strangely reflected the sky, making the place seem larger than it was.


    Seeing this place, which at first seemed to have nothing, Minos gradually saw the clouds in the sky change and take the form of a prominent winged being with six wings covering its entire body.


    "Finally, someone has found this place." An ancient voice full of vicissitudes sounded from the direction of the clouds. "I just didn''t expect someone to beat my test so easily... Young man, you''re a monster even to someone like me."


    The clouds shifted, finally revealing a body as real as Minos'' but still hidden by its own wings.


    "Welcome to the final home of the seraphim."

 Chapter 2126 The True Story of the Seraphim

    Chapter 2126 The True Story of the Seraphim


    "This is the home of the True Seraphim, Minos." The six-winged creature said as its voice echoed through the space, growing stronger and more impressive, giving this human the same sensations as hearing the voice of an ancient God.


    ''This... This can''t be. The True Seraphim shouldn''t be able to create such a place, let alone be so strong!'' Minos thought to himself, ignoring the fact that the cloud creature had mentioned his name.


    "You are wrong." The six-winged creature said. "I''m afraid you do not know the true history of the Seraphim, so you cannot understand this place or its purpose. But fear not, I will pass on the words of my Lord. I will show you the truth!"


    Minos narrowed his eyes as his eyebrows knitted together. "Minos? How did you... Did you read my thoughts?" He was startled, not imagining that this creature could overcome the mental barriers of someone like him.


    "That is what matters least now, Minos. You found the singularity my tribe left behind before my men got lost in this world. Unfortunately, no one managed to find us in time, and now my group is extinct. Sigh, I didn''t expect the people of this world to be so different from my original home."


    Minos opened his mouth when he heard this, sensing that this being was about to say something completely new.


    "It can''t be..."


    "That''s right. The True Seraphim aren''t from your little world, Minos. That''s why we are not limited by what you think. The story you know did happen. The seraphim members of my tribe lived in your world and became extinct shortly after leaving their genes with some natives of the Spiritual World. They didn''t expect a climatic disaster to occur at their moment of greatest weakness, and that was our greatest mistake.


    That''s the story you know. But 2 million years before the end of the seraphim living in the Spiritual World, I created this pocket space and sent it with my group to your planet. That is a long story that you don''t know. You must understand the truth to understand my purpose and what you are to do now."


    As the seraph spoke, its wings slowly opened, revealing a golden glow that covered its body. Minos couldn''t bear to look directly at it, so he looked away and closed his eyes.


    "Look!" The seraph''s voice reached his ears, and rays of golden light shone into his eyes.


    Gulp!


    "Immortal?" Minos opened his mouth, not expecting it.


    "You''re right to think that level 100 isn''t the limit. The beings of Panvuter far exceeded that level in their time, and there are even stronger creatures in the Universe. If you ever get the chance, look for worlds like Panvuter. That will be your chance to surpass your limits.


    Minos clenched his fists, feeling like he was nothing but very excited to explore new possibilities.


    "Anyway, as I said, our role was to observe and protect. From your memories, I can see that nothing that would require our action has happened in the meantime. So I''m relieved."


    "But the aliens discovered us! Wasn''t that your role? To protect your domain?"


    "The inhabitants of The Adamant Land are also part of my lord''s domain." The creature said as it closed its wings. "But I''ll give you a chance, Minos. Fortunately for you, I need someone to tell the other vassals of my Lord what has happened in the Spiritual World. If you do what I need, I''ll give you something to help you kill your enemies."


    "What exactly do you expect me to do?"


    "The purpose of this little pocket is to store and absorb the souls of the seraphim. Whenever members of my tribe have died in your world, my wings have absorbed their souls and condensed them into this place. The sea below you is the essence of my people.


    Think of this place as an insurance policy against catastrophic problems. Originally, I was supposed to come back after a job, collect this essence, and bring it back to the tribe. Unfortunately, something prevented me from doing so before I died... So this spark of consciousness that is speaking to you is ultimately to guide you on this mission to take the essence to the Seraphim Tribe and give it to my Lord''s vassals.


    To do this, you must reach level 100. As for the details, don''t worry. I will guide you when the time comes. For now, just accept the promise to do what is necessary to complete these missions. In exchange for this promise, I''ll give you the knowledge and the weapon to kill the enemy Gods."


    Minos smiled when he heard that, not minding to do anything in exchange for something with such ability. "Then I''m willing."

 Chapter 2127 It’s No Secret

    Chapter 2127 It''s No Secret


    "Don''t get too confident. This weapon will give you a chance, that''s all. It will still be difficult for you to defeat your enemies. And many of your world will likely perish before the end of the war that awaits you. Ne?ww chapters will be fully updated at novelhall.com


    Moreover, I can''t guarantee that your enemies don''t have something similar to this weapon. Anything is possible, Minos." The seraph advised.


    As he spoke, a tattoo of wings appeared on one of Minos'' hands, marking the promise he had just made but also giving him the vowed artifact.


    "Do not use this unless you''re in a deadly situation or trying to kill a level 100 opponent. With each use of this weapon, its essence will weaken, and the weapon will gradually lose its qualities." The seraph commented as he saw Minos looking at the hand where the tattoo was.


    Minos watched it solidify and felt its power, even though he didn''t use it.


    "Sigh... We from the Spiritual World are tiny. It seems that the universe is full of powers that can crush us. It''s so strange to discover everything this way." Minos quietly commented, still looking at the relatively small tattoo on one of his hands.


    The seraphim was not surprised by the outburst. "It''s natural to think that way. But it''s also true of your world. Some beings don''t even reach level 20 before they die. But while they are alive, they face unimaginable dangers because they live in a world where there are level 100 cultivators.


    If it comforts you, just as the Gods of your world wouldn''t waste their time looking at level 10 ants, the strongest beings in the universe aren''t that interested in you from the Spiritual World.


    Those who might be interested in you are not so different from you, and most of them don''t know that you exist or how to reach you."


    "But why would your group watch over and protect us? Was there such a group in Pavunter?" Minos asked, aware he had little time to get important answers.


    The six-winged creature nodded approvingly as its body slowly returned to looking more like clouds than the body of a seraph. "Enjoy a little more of what''s in this place. The descendants of my group created a place like this where they placed the wings with this pocket space. I can sense some powerful items for someone of your level in this area where my wings are. They will be able to help you on your journey ahead."


    "Thanks for the tip."


    "Now, go. Your journey before you will be difficult, Minos. So do your best. Who knows, maybe you''ll catch a glimpse of infinity one day..."


    In the middle of this being''s speech, his voice lost intensity until it completely disappeared with his body.


    Seeing the space as it was a few minutes ago when he arrived there, Minos took a deep breath before making his way out of this small Spatial Kingdom.


    ''He is right. There are things here I can''t ignore.'' Minos thought to himself as he returned to the area of the many sarcophagi.


    The mummies from a few minutes ago were no longer there to make his life difficult, for they were a defensive barrier against people who understood what that Spatial Kingdom was.


    As much as the conscience in this place wanted to be found, it wouldn''t give just anyone the mission it had given Minos. It had to test those who could understand it.


    Minos had been the first, but that didn''t mean he would be granted access to the place!


    Since he had already been recognized, the mummies from earlier had already returned to their urns, giving Minos room to look around this large, dark area and decide what to do.


    It wouldn''t be long before he was on his way, searching for artifacts for himself but also for his wives and allies. There were many valuable things in such a place that could contribute to the Black Plain Empire''s performance in the war about to begin!

 Chapter 2128 Beginning of the Ice Age

    2128 Beginning of the Ice Age


    Another year had passed...


    Minos spent practically all of the time since his departure from Dry City in the Seraphim''s Ancient Sarcophagus.


    The passage of time in the Spatial Kingdom he had gone to was different from the outside world. His minutes of conversation with the seraph had lasted for weeks outside of this alternate space.


    After that, Minos had spent months trying to obtain the resources available in that resting place of the dead of the Spiritual Church and had not returned to the Black Plain Empire until now.


    However, it wouldn''t be long before he returned home. While he was still finishing his business in the central part of the Ancestral Sea, the entire Spiritual World was witnessing the beginning of a new era!


    The Ice Age had finally begun!


    ...


    At the southern end of the South Sea...


    Several sea creatures were currently swimming at high speed, desperately trying to get as far north as possible.


    While they were living an ordinary day like any other in these times, several beings witnessed the sea freezing rapidly and uncontrollably.


    The world''s temperature has dropped significantly in recent years, and the glaciers around all the oceans have grown in size. However, nothing like what started this morning had ever happened in recent years!


    Suddenly, the beings around the South Pole felt as if something extreme had changed in the world, and then they witnessed the sea rapidly freezing in all directions.


    Everything in the path of the freezing instantly turned to ice, and not-so-strong beings lost their lives as walls of ice covered them, as if there was nothing in space that wouldn''t freeze.


    The spiritual roots on the bottom of the ocean diminished in intensity, and some of them lost their volcanic glow altogether.


    The sky above the frozen areas cooled to the point that space itself seemed to creak amidst the condensation of multiple frozen layers of various gases in the air.


    Some places would suffer greatly from the advancing glaciers, freezing completely and losing the conditions necessary for life.


    Those who refused to move as directed by the higher forces would freeze to death or narrowly escape during their flight. As for those who followed all the recommendations, they would see and feel the climate change intensify, be less threatened by it, but still suffer greatly.


    Even in the best-protected cities of the world, there would be people who would suffer greatly at the beginning of this new era.


    Meanwhile, the crops that hadn''t been properly prepared in previous years would lose their condition and gradually die in the coming weeks.


    Those that hadn''t been frozen that day would be unable to feed themselves and would soon die.


    From that day on, growing plants or spiritual energy anywhere in the Spiritual World would be much more difficult, naturally making the world''s food and military concerns even more problematic.


    Now, there was nothing left to do to prevent it. The calamity was upon this world, and each party could only do their best to deal with the consequences of their actions in previous years.


    Some would suffer significantly for underestimating the climatic phenomenon. In contrast, others would have an easier time of it, either through their own actions or those of their allies.


    ...


    Believe it or not, one of the best-prepared places for the Ice Age was the Flaming Empire, the state previously limited by the 9th stage.


    With a territory full of volcanoes and hot areas, the cold in this territory at the beginning of this new era was naturally less intense than in places like the Endless Snow Mountain Range and the Snow area.


    While those two areas suffered from the advance of the ice sheet above them, the Flaming Empire was "breathing" at a level similar to the areas that had received the most investment from the strongest empires in the Spiritual World!


    Anyway, along with Harold, level 86, was Oswald, level 87, the leaders of Albano, Rosser, and Blackrock, as well as many members of the Spiritual Church allied with Gloria, such as Forrest, currently level 95.


    "Today, we begin a new chapter in our history." Emperor Edwardstone said to the group of people sitting next to him in the imperial palace, watching a screen that showed the burning ground that gave his empire its name, its flames extinguished by the onset of the Ice Age.


    "I hope the old troubles are behind us. From now on, we will live as brothers in the face of this challenge. Please lend me your strength to get through this moment!" The red-haired man said as everyone took a deep breath, aware that from now on, they had to be perfect in their united stance.


    There was no room for error now!

 Chapter 2129 Worry

    Chapter 2129 Worry


    In the central part of the Ancestral Sea, the island where the Seraphim''s Ancient Sarcophagus was located was floating hundreds of kilometers above sea level.


    But below that place, several icebergs that didn''t exist a few months ago were floating in the sea at various places, and a huge chunk of ice the size of Albano was not far away.


    Hailstorms with sheets of ice so hard and cold that they could slice through the bodies of Spiritual Saints were occurring in various places nearby. Icy winds blew from side to side, while the sky was extremely cloudy and gray as if a storm was brewing.


    On the island where the men of the Spiritual Church were standing, they were all bundled up, unable to protect themselves from the cold with only their spiritual energy.


    As these men watched their surroundings with desolate expressions, the main door of the great resting place of the old experts of the Church suddenly burst open, startling them all.


    But as they turned their attention to the entrance, the surrounding Demigods immediately sighed in relief as they saw a tall, strong man with long brown hair walking out of the place.


    "Your Majesty..." One of them murmured to Minos as the level 90 man looked around, feeling the cold outside the building where he had spent the last few months.


    "The Ice Age is finally upon us..." Minos muttered, feeling the icy winds of this area but in no immediate danger. With a body as strong as a dragon''s, he had a very advanced resistance to temperature that could protect him from heat and cold.


    Even so, the catastrophic situation in the world was still capable of worrying Minos. Even though he wasn''t in any danger, he immediately summoned special cloaks from his spatial ring to wear over his high-level grade-4 armor.


    "Your Majesty, was your journey successful?" A level 97 Demigod asked aloud, speaking loudly because the noise of the strong winds in the area would naturally prevent his voice from reaching Minos.


    Minos nodded positively. "Yes. Now it''s time for me to leave. My state needs me now that the Ice Age has begun." "Be careful. Avoid the use of wormholes, Your Majesty. The Ice Age catastrophe is already causing disasters all over the world. There''s no way to know what''s happening at great distances from where we are!"


    If the chances of getting into trouble now were 30%, at the peak of the Ice Age, they could be 60%, maybe even 70%!


    At that time, getting out of the few safe places in the world would be a deadly challenge!


    That''s what Minos was worried about right now!


    ''It seems that the war of the worlds will take place amidst the storms of this chaotic era... I don''t know if this is good or bad.'' Minos thought, imagining that the chaos over the Spiritual World might hinder not only the alien strategies but also the world defense group''s.


    But there was nothing for him to do but prepare for battle in the middle of the Ice Age.


    ''I hope this will help me when I need it.'' He looked down at his hand, which now bore a small tattoo of six wings.


    Then he continued on his way back to Dry City, a journey that would take him over a month due to the impossibility of using wormholes. Not only that, but he would also have to dodge the many strange phenomena along the way.


    Fortunately, Minos'' skills were currently very high, and few things could bring him down. After almost two months of traveling, he would arrive at Stone Island, from where he wouldn''t hesitate to use his state''s network of wormholes to return to Dry City.


    With this return, it was time for him to bring all the most important people of his state into seclusion in the Spatial Kingdom, their last preparation before the Continental Tournament, scheduled to take place in less than five years.


    Not only that, but the treaties he had with many of the tribes and powers of this world would soon come to an end. So, it was time for him and his state to work hard to make the last technological leap before the aliens arrived!


    At this rate, two years would quickly pass after his return from the Seraphim''s Ancient Sarcophagus!

 Chapter 2130 Time for the Alien Robot Corpse Experiment

    Chapter 2130 Time for the Alien Robot Corpse Experiment


    Two years after the onset of the Ice Age, the first hundreds of millions of living beings in the Spiritual World had rapidly perished.


    Most of the world had prepared for this moment, but not everyone had been as efficient in dealing with the disaster.


    The weakest and least prepared, whether in terms of strength or even alliances and food reserves, perished in the first few months of this new era. Ne?ww chapters will be fully updated at novelhall.com


    However, most of the beings in the Spiritual World survived the onset of the Ice Age relatively well, with states such as the Black Plain Empire coping well with this initial moment of calamity.


    Powerful tribes also survived the beginning of the calamity well, but everyone in the world was already suffering from the initial effects of climate change.


    With less free spiritual energy in nature and with it becoming more difficult to move around the world, the movement of experts away from their tribe or family headquarters was already slowing down significantly.


    Travel had become a problem that the powers of this world were quick to avoid!


    As a result, non-essential partnerships were put aside, and some old agreements were finally nullified.


    That was the case with many of Minos'' agreements regarding alien technology, which his allies themselves wanted to end.


    Even the Sky Whale Tribe had already informed Minos that their agreement would be put on hold from now on, as what they had been receiving over the last few months was not worth the risks of traveling around the world.


    Thus, after years of preparation, Minos was finally free of the restraints that had prevented him from pursuing some of his most ambitious plans!


    ...


    In the Spatial Kingdom of the Black Plain Empire...


    Minos was meditating while the energy around him vibrated intensely, causing several people nearby to look in his direction with smiles on their faces.


    ''Based on their progress, I believe Henry will reach level 100 around the start of the Continental Tournament. But Aarav and Willow will take longer. They are much older than Henry, so it''s only natural that they will take longer.'' Minos thought, confident they would all succeed before the aliens arrived in his world.


    ''The dragon cultivating to reach level 100 should also advance towards the start of the Continental Tournament. That will help me draw the Gods'' attention away from me.''


    "Congratulations on your breakthrough, Father. I hope I can advance to level 81 before the Continental Tournament." Sarah said as she approached her old man and hugged him.


    "You will." Minos smiled as he stroked his daughter''s red hair. "Before the Continental Tournament, I''m going to make you and your brothers absorb a large amount of chaotic energy. That will help you grow faster in the years before the war of the worlds."


    "What is your current fighting ability?" Lily asked.


    "I think I can fight level 98 Demigods and win. But I still can''t beat those old level 99 people." Minos was sincere, feeling he wouldn''t be in danger if he used the Divine Sword against such individuals, but he wasn''t sure he could beat or even kill someone of that level.


    "Incredible! Father really is off the charts!" Hollie hugged Minos as her eyes lit up.


    Minos smiled at his children before asking them to go back to their cultivation and give him space to continue his business with the scholars in his Spatial Kingdom.


    He was at a critical moment in his experiments and studies and would soon be using the new technique his group had developed based on the methods of the Ancient Folk.


    In addition, it was time for him to test his own theory on the alien robot he had with him.


    His group had already learned a lot from this metallic corpse, but now it was time for him to try out on this creature what he had done with living beings from his world!


    He looked at the mid-level Demigods in his group and then motioned to the giant robot.


    "Let''s get started. Prepare to take cover if necessary." He announced, knowing that he alone could deal with such a creature but that if he succeeded, his group might have to take some precautions, at least temporarily.


    All those involved immediately took their positions while Minos took his place, ready to begin one of the experiments he had been most looking forward to since becoming a Demigod.

 Chapter 2131 I Own You!

    Chapter 2131 I Own You!


    As Minos positioned himself over the alien robot corpse, everyone involved in the experiment took their positions, raising their guard in case anything strange happened.


    At the same time, no one unrelated to the experiment stayed near them, aware that what Minos was about to do could somehow trigger a Lightning Tribulation.


    The vast majority of the robot corpses left over from Minos'' final battle against the aliens in the North Sea had not been opened to extract their essences. Since Emperor Stuart''s group had experience with this before, they didn''t dare to obtain such essences casually.


    Other powers in the Spiritual World had experimented with it; while some had succeeded, many had failed. However, the Black Plain Empire did not try because Minos wanted to test something first.


    He had only reached the necessary level after his breakthrough to level 90 about eight years ago. But only now did he have the time and inclination to do it.


    Considering how little the people there had studied about the experiment he wanted to do, no one wanted to be near this creature at the moment.


    The only one who risked it was Emperor Stuart, while the scholars hid behind their defenses but were full of curiosity about what was about to happen.


    Amidst the growing tension in the background, Minos'' cultivation rose to level 93, reaching the highest level that everyone there had ever felt from him.


    With the help of one of the mid-level Demigods in his group, he gradually began to manipulate the chaotic energy of the giant bones around him.


    Doing basically the same thing he did when he forced the evolution of his guinea pigs in other experiments, Minos infused chaotic energy into the essence of this metallic creature.


    The moment he began to do so, the entire armor trembled as if it were a body of bone and flesh, its muscles in an alternating state of tension and relaxation.


    "That..."


    "It looks like we''re going to get results from this attempt."


    ''Who am I? What am I?'' It realized that it remembered almost nothing about itself, although it realized it needed the energy that such a small being was giving it.


    ''My instincts tell me to attack everyone around me, but I also sense something familiar about this individual... Is he my creator?'' The creature quickly came to this doubt, sensing that this being was not entirely unfamiliar to it.


    "Who are you?" It asked, but Minos and the surrounding group didn''t understand anything, muttering incomprehensible things to it.


    But as it watched the lips of the people in that particular place, the robot became deeply aware of many things, from facial expressions, heart and breathing rates, tone of voice, and body temperature, and associated all of this with the words coming out of the mouths of the people around it.


    It gradually began to understand what the beings were saying without understanding how. Rapidly, it mastered their language.


    "Who are you?" It repeated its question to Minos, still lying on the ground, while the brown-haired man hovered above it.


    Minos understood the robot''s question this time and saw that this robot was not only alive but also able to reason.


    That was both very good and very bad!


    It was good because he and his group could get answers from the enemy. But it was bad because there was a possibility that the enemy could also get answers from them through the robot.


    "I am Minos Stuart, the Emperor of the Black Plain Empire of the Spiritual World. I am the one who defeated you and claimed your body, robot. In other words, I am your current owner." Minos said in an authoritative tone as he released his cultivation pressure, Dragon''s Eye, and Dark Sea, revealing an aura as terrifying as that of a peak level 97 being.


    Even without using his fusions, Minos could scare creatures as strong as that level 94 robot!


    By associating the words, tone of voice, and sensations coming from Minos'' body, this creature had no trouble understanding its situation.


    "Robot? Is that what I am? Do you own me?" The creature asked in a strange tone, making the surrounding people feel uncertain about the next moment.

 Chapter 2132 Unexpected Addition

    Chapter 2132 Unexpected Addition


    While the men around Minos and the robot felt their hearts racing, sensing that a fight was about to break out, Emperor Stuart said.


    "Yes, I am. I defeated you and ended your life, robot. Perhaps you don''t remember." Gulp! Alll latest novels at novelhall.com


    The robot''s eyes narrowed as it ignored the sounds of humans swallowing their saliva. "I don''t remember anything about my past."


    "Oh? Maybe that''s for the best, robot. But what are you going to do? What do you have in mind?" Minos provoked, while his aura made the creature''s body immobile, unable to move even if it used everything it had.


    Minos asked. "Will you challenge me again? Or are you going to accept your current position? Let me tell you, without me, you will return to your state of death. If I stop doing what I''m doing, you will die if nothing else is done. So make up your mind quickly."


    "I see... My life is in your hands. I wanted to attack you at first, human. I don''t know why. Your smell and way of being make me want to attack you." It said, moving its neck in a strange, not biological way. "But my survival instinct overrides all others. I must keep my life, even if it means slavery." The metallic creature said in its virtual, emotionless tone of voice.


    "That easy?" Minos laughed, seeing it would submit to him in order to survive. "Don''t you want to challenge me? I can give you a chance, robot. The last time we faced each other, you gave me a hard time. I''m in the mood to show you our current difference."


    Minos stopped pressing the creature and jumped back a few steps, maintaining the chaotic energy flow in the robot but now giving it freedom of movement.


    As soon as it gained freedom, the robot moved, standing up as it re-familiarized itself with its body.


    But it didn''t move aggressively as everyone around it thought it would.


    "I don''t want to challenge you. That would be foolish. I don''t remember my past, but you said you were weaker before but still beat me. What hope is there now that you''re stronger? I don''t have the honor to care about a humiliating defeat, but there''s no point in a fight where the winner is decided before the fight even begins." It said dryly, feeling less and less like attacking Minos.


    ''Robots really are intelligent creatures...'' Ruth thought as she watched the situation from a distance, remembering the attitude of this and the other alien protectors during the battle in the North Sea a few years ago.


    The air around him vibrated, while his aura was not a bit weaker than the aura of the strongest God in the Spiritual World.


    ''Are you trying to take what is mine?'' This one remained motionless while Minos looked at this creature with an astonished expression, correctly recognizing who he was.


    "Mechanical Emperor, I suppose. As expected, there is a sign of you on the robots of your empire... But will that be enough to stop me?" Minos asked, summoning up the courage to challenge that creature.


    The creature moved his head and looked sideways at Minos, seeing that this enemy was much more formidable than he thought. "Iktun has informed me about you, Minos Stuart. I didn''t expect you to be so good, but my men weren''t wrong about you." He said aloud in the common language of the Spiritual World.


    "But you''re right. I can''t completely stop you from doing what you''re planning now. Keep this defective piece for now, and try to improve your strength a little more. I''ll hunt you down personally once the universal wormhole is ready."


    "Tsk! I''ll be waiting for you, you bastard!" Minos clenched his fists before seeing the illusion shatter.


    The Mechanical Emperor might be powerful, but the robot had already died once. Its death hadn''t happened yesterday, but years ago!


    Since so much time had passed since its artificial soul was destroyed, that God''s mark had weakened to the point where Minos was able to temporarily overcome it.


    After a few minutes of trying to control the robot, Minos succeeded. If the Mechanical Emperor didn''t appear in the Spiritual World, he would have complete control over the robot in front of him!


    However, in front of that God, everything would be completely different!


    ''Damn it!'' Minos opened his eyes as he smiled bitterly, seeing that he had achieved something but had also attracted a very powerful opponent.


    He didn''t know how, but he felt that he hadn''t talked to a memory or a soul fragment but to the Mechanical Emperor himself!


    If that was really the case, the problem he would have in a few years would be tough to solve!

 Chapter 2133 Voyager

    Chapter 2133 Voyager


    While Minos was thinking about what had just happened, another being, distant from the Spiritual World, was thinking the same thing!


    In the Hall of Gods, the Mechanical Emperor stood in the main area of this great temple with his eyes closed while his face pointed at the stars.


    Next to him were two other Gods of the Mechanical Empire, who had just been talking to him when the supreme leader of The Adamant Land suddenly fell silent.


    "Your Majesty?" One of the two Gods, a woman, asked as she took a step forward.


    "Interesting." The Mechanical Emperor muttered. "I just met Minos Stuart."


    "Minos Stuart?" The woman asked. The other man there questioned. "The young man from the Spiritual World who is supposed to lead us into disaster?"


    "That''s the one." The Mechanical Emperor laughed. "He has resurrected one of my protectors. I don''t know how he did it, but he just put a mark on one of the 10th-stage robots that were in the Spiritual World."


    "Is that really possible?" The woman made a strange expression under her mask, not liking it very much.


    "What are you worried about?" The other asked good-naturedly. "Even if that young man did it, it will only become more weapons for the empire once we reach that planet.


    A mere low-level Demigod can''t surpass His Majesty''s mark! Sooner or later, such a protector will return to our control!"


    "Yes." The Mechanical Emperor agreed. "But until then, he''ll be in control of such a robot. That protector has lost its memories, but it is able to easily understand our technologies..."


    "In other words, Minos Stuart will be able to decipher our methods." The woman looked at her companion, who seemed very relieved despite the seriousness of the situation.


    "So what? We have the mechanics with us! Or do you think he can develop something so powerful in the few years left until the construction of the universal wormhole is finished?"


    "I''m afraid that the Spiritual World will be able to eliminate many of us." She replied, worried about the prediction of the empire''s high-level analysts, who said that their chances of winning the war with Minos beyond level 90 were minimal.


    The Mechanical Emperor then said. "We will attack the Spiritual World with full force. How many Gods can we send to that planet without compromising our operations?"


    The robot looked in the man''s direction and said. "I don''t know, but I think my body constantly uses this kind of energy. I have the feeling that my body seems to be able to produce it on its own once I absorb it, but something in me isn''t working properly."


    Minos said. "It must be because of its death. We can''t ignore the fact that it was dead and came back to life with the energy I gave it. It may have lost an essential part of itself before it came back to life."


    "Oh?"


    "That must be the case."


    Several experts murmured, thinking of solutions to the problem.


    Someone suggested. "Your Majesty should continue today''s experiment with this robot for two more rounds. That should be enough to pass 90% of its capacity and stabilize its situation."


    The robot rejoined the conversation. "I believe that above 80% of my capacity, I can generate enough to reach 100% with the technique you gave me and also the seal. After that, if I don''t exhaust myself too much, I''ll be able to recover on my own."


    "Very well. We''ll do that." Minos made up his mind. "For now, you will cultivate this technique and share your knowledge with this group in our area. When I''m ready, I''ll help you improve your strength."


    "I''ll do my best, my master." The robot easily accepted.


    "Do you have a name?"


    "I don''t remember, master."


    Minos said then. "From now on, you will be called Voyager. Once we have stabilized your situation, you will join my staff to study some technologies that are particularly compatible with you. That will be your main task for the foreseeable future."


    "Yes, my master."


    Thus, the first experiment with the robot corpse ended, and Minos gained a new group member.


    Many of his group had doubts about this and the dangers, but with him around, no one questioned the situation, and each party soon concentrated on their responsibilities in the Spatial Kingdom.

 Chapter 2134 Omniscience

    Chapter 2134 Omniscience


    After his first experiment with Voyager, a full month had passed since Minos'' breakthrough, and three more experiments with the robot had taken place.


    After bringing Voyager back to life, Minos and his group discovered much about this creature and how the chaotic energy of the giant bones worked upon it.


    Contrary to what the group had hoped, Voyager didn''t return to normal after three experiments. It had improved a lot but was currently only at 70% of its potential.


    The more Minos used his innate ability to help Voyager, the more resistant its artificial body seemed to be to the chaotic energy manipulated by Emperor Stuart.


    Fortunately, this didn''t seem to be Voyager''s incompatibility with the chaotic energy of this world but rather a resistance to outside help. The technique developed by Minos'' group, based on the achievements of the Ancient Folk, had proven very effective and helped Voyager absorb more energy itself.


    When it came to absorbing energy itself, things had been different, and Voyager had become increasingly independent of Minos'' power.


    No longer in danger, it had already begun to work with scientists of various professions in the Spatial Kingdom, helping the groups there to deal with the alien technologies.


    It didn''t remember anything from the past but had something like muscle memory. When dealing with some artifacts, it was easy to understand how to use them, disassemble and reassemble them, and talk about the logic behind them.


    In just 5 days of working with his people''s technologies alongside Minos'' people, Voyager had already begun to make contributions to the Black Plain Empire!


    Everyone in the Spatial Kingdom was positively amazed at what was happening, this unexpected addition to the already contributing empire.


    Considering the speed with which Voyager was dealing with his people''s artifacts, many were already imagining what it would be like in the future when its contributions would affect the empire.


    Moreover, after living with the creature for a month, everyone saw how obedient it was, no matter how much hostile forces created it.


    Concerns about it diminished, and more and more people in the Spatial Kingdom trusted it.


    In a way, when the power of faith was absorbed and stimulated, a connection was established between the worshipped being and the worshippers. From then on, the worshipped being could either temporarily absorb the power of its worshippers to use as it wished or even lend its powers and temporarily possess its worshippers.


    That was not an easy thing to do. For now, Minos felt that he could only increase his powers by 5%. But he felt that as he absorbed more faith power and grew stronger, the day would come when he could do such a thing with great efficiency.


    At that time, he could become a true divine figure!


    Given the potential he felt in this, he couldn''t help but stimulate his faith power and try to guide his worshippers through the mental connection he had with them.


    The worshippers didn''t know that he was listening to them, nor could they easily receive messages from Minos. But he could show them some things that could make them feel his presence.


    Minos then answered several prayers in this way while thinking about how he could increase his power of faith.


    ''In another eight years, I''ll be able to collect more power of faith. That will greatly increase my abilities, but it''s a pity that it won''t be enough to make me much stronger by the time the aliens arrive in the world...'' He sighed but still planned to strive to achieve as much as he could before the aliens arrived.


    As he did so, he could sense the feelings of his worshippers and the situation around them and even see where they were and what they were doing.


    That was a supreme power for those who met the difficult requirements to obtain it. If one could mesmerize an entire world''s population, it would not be impossible to achieve omniscient status in such a world!


    When Minos felt the power of his faith, several Demigods in Dry City couldn''t help but look in the direction of the army headquarters, feeling powerful spiritual fluctuations caused by him.


    ''Level 91, huh? He must be close to his peak. He shouldn''t get much better until the war of the worlds.'' A level 97 dragon is currently in Dry City to join the local defense, he thought to himself without moving from where he was.


    Meanwhile, Minos felt a level 98 aura approaching him and soon stopped what he was doing to greet an old acquaintance.


    "Old Julian, you have advanced to level 98? I didn''t expect that." Minos saw the man who had brought him to the Pantheon of Honor appear next to him.

 Chapter 2135 Agreement

    Chapter 2135 Agreement


    "You weren''t expecting me, were you? I''ve been at level 97 for ages... Conversely, you haven''t even been at level 90 for a decade, Minos." Julian said with a smile, looking back at the young man he had discovered on the Divine Continent decades ago.


    As he greeted Minos, he asked. "How are you? How does it feel to have all this power at your disposal?"


    Minos smiled as he greeted his old acquaintance who had helped him along the way. "Well, I''d say. It doesn''t feel better because I don''t know if I''ll still be here in 20 years." He laughed bitterly.


    Julian sighed when he heard that because he felt the same way about his promotion. "If you think that, imagine how I feel... After getting so close to level 100, I feel it is getting further and further away."


    "But maybe we''ll beat the aliens and have a chance to advance," Minos said, trying to improve the mood of their conversation. "That''s why you''re here today, isn''t it? To talk about how to improve our chances of success?"


    "In a way, yes." Julian smiled as he looked out from where they stood on the outskirts of Dry City. "I''m here because of the Continental Tournament. Even though this competition won''t be as important as it was before we found out about the alien invasion, there will still be great prizes for the bettors and participants. I can''t bet since I''m part of the event organization. But I want to be on your side. I''ll help you in any way I can to be the event''s big winner.


    Maybe we''ll find some wild Divine-grade medicine if we succeed."


    Minos saw Julian''s narrowed eyes and understood that this man wanted to get his hands on such a medicine.


    Most of the time, the organizers of the Continental Tournament didn''t have the main prize. The main item of the competition was given to the winning bettor by the combined work of the seers of the Elves Tribe.


    In other words, not even the elves knew where the prize was! Usually, the most the event organizers knew was the value that would be given to the tournament winner, which usually generated very important prizes for its winners.


    That''s why Julian wanted to join Minos for the upcoming tournament on Elves Island.


    Minos asked. "Julian, let''s say our alliance wins... What would you do with the Divine Medicine? I don''t want to be pessimistic, but you can''t reach level 99 before the aliens arrive."


    "Hmm, you too."


    The two separated, with Minos quickly arriving at the seat of his government, where he would stay for the next few days to attend to the affairs of his empire.


    The Ice Age worsened as time went on. Problems related to climatic phenomena were occurring worldwide, which naturally led to losses and opportunities for the Black Plain Empire.


    Minos wasn''t in charge of the empire during this difficult time, but he tried to learn about local affairs and help out whenever he could.


    His focus was on developing new technologies and opportunities for his group''s future in the war of the worlds. But dealing with his state had its importance.


    But there wasn''t much for him to get involved with. Dillian managed the empire very well. He was well aware of his sovereign''s preferences and had decades of experience running the state and the army in the emperor''s absence.


    Currently at level 84 and having gone through the Minos-led talent evolution, Dillian worked well with the Demigods and Sages of this rich state.


    So, after a few short days in Dry City, Minos returned to the Spatial Kingdom with a group of soldiers to undergo the next round of talent evolution.


    Meanwhile, he was finally ready to test the chaotic energy cultivation methods his men had been preparing for the past few years.


    With Voyager serving as the first guinea pig, it was time for Minos himself to experience the sensation of cultivating the energy from the bones of giant skeletons!


    ...


    Arriving in his Spatial Kingdom, Minos quickly joined the group working with Voyager, leaving aside the soldiers he had brought with him.


    "Let''s continue with the mnemonics of the ancestral cultivation technique," Minos said as he arrived next to his scholars and Voyager. "Time for me to cultivate the energy in my being for myself."

 Chapter 2136 Differences Between Cultivations

    Chapter 2136 Differences Between Cultivations


    As soon as Minos gave his order, the men responsible for passing on the mnemonics of the technique specially developed from the tests of the Ancestral Folk did what they were supposed to do.


    By quickly teaching Minos what they were supposed to do, these men gave him a nearly perfect method of controlling chaotic energy.


    As Minos felt the depth of this technique, Voyager stopped beside him and guided his master.


    "This technique has some differences from the one I was given. You should feel more compatible with it than I do, so don''t be too cautious. Just enjoy the possibilities it will open up for you." The big artificial being said, while Minos felt the depth behind this special method.


    ''This is really different from what we have in the Spiritual World today.'' He immediately noticed several differences between the cultivation of spiritual energy and the energy that existed in the giant bones scattered throughout his world.


    The laws were very different, even though the rules of the Spiritual World seemed to be weaker versions of what existed in the giant bones.


    To say that these laws were incompatible would be a mistake. But they were from different realms to the point that Minos could almost feel an ominous feeling coming from the Spiritual World as he felt for the first time in control of the energy deeply rooted in his bones.


    ''If I overdo it, the Spiritual World will consider me an enemy, just like the aliens and their robot essences.'' He controlled his new technique, which would not replace his old techniques, nor did it require him to have a new space to learn it.


    Unlike the cultivation rules followed by 99.99% of the beings on this planet, the cultivation rules of higher worlds like Panvuter had no such limitation on the number of techniques.


    Therefore, Minos''s method had no such limitation and would not hinder his traditional cultivation.


    But the chaotic energy was so powerful that the Spiritual World itself seemed to consider it a threat, and if you showed more than you should, you would be in trouble!


    However, Minos soon understood Voyager''s words.


    ''Oh? It seems that I only risk it if I expose this energy outside of myself while working on this technique!'' He realized that as long as he only absorbed chaotic energy with such a technique, the world wouldn''t threaten him with its powerful lightning.


    He would have to use other techniques to release such energy, or else he would really run into such a problem.


    From now on, Mino''s immortal cultivation could affect his spiritual cultivation, and vice versa.


    When he felt this when he finished his first cultivation with this special technique, Minos felt especially good. But before he finished, he noticed something on his spatial ring, as if it had become noticeable after being invisible for a long time.


    ''This is...'' He felt the item that Fah''um of Dunov had given him on the island that had fallen from the sky and sunk into the Ancestral Sea.


    His interest was piqued, but he couldn''t understand enough of it to know what it was. ''It seems that I need more immortal energy to understand it.'' He realized this critical point.


    Smiling and opening his eyes, he stopped using that immortal energy cultivation technique. He opened his eyes to see his group completely differently, considering how powerful the energy fluctuations of immortal energy cultivation were.


    "Your Majesty, are you alright?"


    "A few moments ago, it looked like you were going to explode like you were being sacrificed!"


    "Yes, it was terrifying! This kind of cultivation is really powerful!"


    Minos heard these comments and reassured his group. "Don''t worry, I''m fine. This technique is really safe and seems to have great potential.


    Starting today, we''ll form a team to learn how to use it!" He looked at the scholars in his group. "In the meantime, I''ll start learning the few fighting techniques based on this kind of energy."


    The men there nodded in agreement, eager to see him use such methods and get a feel for what Minos'' ultimate power would be.


    Considering what he had done with the Soul Puppet earlier, many believed that this would allow him to deal with level 99 Demigods with ease!


    If that happened, their only concern would be the enemy Gods!


    With that, a few more months would pass, and Minos and his group would use their last chance to get stronger before the Continental Tournament.


    But before they left that space to go to Elves Island, one of the three level 99 Demigods would show signs of advancing to level 100!

 Chapter 2137 New God

    Chapter 2137 New God


    The moment something changed around Henry, everyone in the Spatial Kingdom shifted their focus to look in the direction where that fellow was meditating.


    Those close to Minos, filled with emotion as they sensed this ruler''s potential, pushed Emperor Stuart aside and collectively turned their attention to Emperor Quinn.


    "Is he finally making progress?" Sarah asked her mother while Gloria''s eyes narrowed toward the man now covered in golden spiritual energy.


    Meanwhile, Henry was being illuminated by special rays coming from the convergence center of that region of space, as if the heavens were ready to welcome him into their divine realm.


    Minos looked in the man''s direction and felt the surrounding laws becoming much easier to read than they had been in recent years.


    He didn''t hesitate to command. "Pay attention to his advancement. Don''t waste your time just admiring it!"


    The stronger players quickly put aside their surprise and admiration to focus on the opportunity Henry''s advance presented for them, while even Voyager couldn''t help but take advantage of it.


    Even though it was based on a type of cultivation and energy of a higher standard than the humans around it, it was compatible with the powers of this world, and the advancement of a God could provide insights even for it.


    Even though it was based on a type of cultivation and energy of a higher standard than the humans around it, it was compatible with the powers of this world, and the advancement of a God could provide insights even for it.


    ''The people of the Spiritual World are truly powerful.'' It thought as it considered the things it had learned recently.


    It didn''t remember its life before it died, but it had heard a lot about its past. That''s why it was aware of how fragile many of the natives of The Adamant Land were, despite their unusual ability to develop powerful technologies.


    The beings from the Spiritual World were not as technologically advanced, but they had an incredible variety of special abilities that could even compete with those from The Adamant Land.


    Voyager could feel this for itself as it watched Henry advance to level 100, learning things and finding it easier to control the technology Minos had given it.


    While this artificial being did this, everyone, regardless of their level or race in this Spatial Kingdom, watched Henry''s progress carefully, absorbing what they could in terms of understanding.


    At the same time, Willow and Aarav could sense that Henry was close to completing his ascent to level 100, which was certainly related to how much younger Emperor Quinn was than they were.


    They couldn''t solve the problem and return the world to normal. But they could calmly endure the dangers of the Ice Age.


    ...


    As Maximilian moved, Vico realized the same thing as his old enemy and sensed a new God emerging on his continent.


    Given his proximity to where Henry was finishing his advance, Vico noticed this advance as soon as he opened his eyes and left his state of meditation.


    ''That aura?'' He looked in the direction of the Black Plain Empire.


    It would have taken Aurae and Makai a few hours or even days to figure out what was going on, given the distance they were supposed to be from the Black Plain Empire and the effects of the Ice Age. But Vico and Maximillian figured it out almost simultaneously.


    Without further ado, Vico left where he was and headed toward the Black Plain Empire with a strange expression.


    It was definitely good that a new God was appearing in the Spiritual World. But he didn''t like being surprised like this!


    ''Who did this? Is it that brat''s fault?'' He thought of Minos and felt he could no longer let Emperor Stuart off the hook.


    ''If it''s what I think, you''ll pay for it, Minos!'' He thought as he crossed the space and went to the same place as Maximilian!


    ...


    Meanwhile, inside Minos'' Spatial Kingdom, Henry finished his ascent to the 11th stage!


    As soon as he opened his eyes and felt his cultivation at level 100, old Emperor Quinn broke into a wide smile and clenched his fists in excitement.


    "Level 100! I''m finally a God!" He thought, remembering the Lightning Tribulation he had faced until a few days ago, the moments when he thought he was going to die.


    Fortunately, everything had worked out in the end, and he was now at the legendary 11th stage!

 Chapter 2138 Challenge

    Chapter 2138 Challenge


    "Congratulations on your progress, Your Majesty Quinn." Minos was the first to congratulate Henry and approached the floating man, who was surrounded by a special kind of energy.


    Henry looked at Minos and couldn''t forget who had made this breakthrough possible.


    "Your Majesty Stuart, thank you. I will never forget what you did for me!" He said in an extremely happy tone as he bowed his head to Minos. "I hope I can help you from now on."


    Minos thanked Henry for his words and said. "Now, I expect you to help me with something until at least one of these two moves on. After that, I''ll let you go to your state to gather your things for the war."


    "What is it?" Henry was ready to do anything at this point.


    Minos pointed to the house by the lake, where the portal was that could take people to and from the new headquarters of the Black Plain Army. "Please accompany me."


    Over the past few months, Minos and his government, along with the experts they had hired from the Divine Continent, had done everything they could to create the portal to the Spatial Kingdom.


    All that was needed for this portal to work was for Minos to activate it, something he hadn''t done yet because he had no one to guarantee the security of his Spatial Kingdom.


    But now that Henry had moved on and would be working as the temporary ''gatekeeper'' of the Spatial Kingdom, Minos was confident that he could activate this entrance/exit to his cultivation sanctuary!


    He explained to Henry. "You will keep an eye on the entrance to the Spatial Kingdom and control who goes in and out. When those two reach level 100, the three of you will take turns in that role, at least until the start of the war. You know how valuable the Spatial Kingdom is to us and how much potential trouble we can get into for it. So I hope you understand."


    "But of course." Henry saw no problem with that. Given the amount of Divine Medicines in this place he was in, the allies and natives of the Spiritual World would be their enemies if someone dangerous entered this place and discovered Minos'' wealth.


    Arriving at the door to his Spatial Kingdom, Minos looked at Henry before activating the portal. "Are you ready? I think your approach has attracted someone''s attention. I wouldn''t be surprised if we find the four Gods waiting for us outside."


    Henry smiled and nodded affirmatively. "I''m ready. Don''t worry. I''ll defend you against them if necessary."


    "Good. Then let''s go to the army headquarters." Minos said as he activated the portal, taking no time to make a spatial distortion appear in front of the door in the basement of the lake house.


    Before going through the portal, Minos sent a message to Emlyn. ''Put someone on guard here. From now on, we need someone to record the entry and exit of beings from here.''


    Vico and Maximillian glared at Henry and raised their auras as well.


    Each of them had their pride and would not easily accept someone turning against them now that they were Gods.


    But then Minos muttered. "Are you going to fight? If not, it''s better for everyone if you collect your auras. Don''t destroy my headquarters."


    The three of them looked at Minos and felt the tension ease as the young man showed them something about the aliens.


    Vico took a deep breath and stepped back, aware that he couldn''t seriously fight another God, or it would be too damaging for the Spiritual World.


    As much as he disliked the situation, he couldn''t let his irritation get him into a fight with Henry.


    Maximilian also returned to his rational self, aware that none of them could be put at risk before the strongest of the aliens arrived.


    Henry smiled and said. "You didn''t want me in your little group, but you''ll have to put up with me. I hope you are so excited on the battlefield against the aliens."


    "Tsk!" Vico turned away while Maximilian sighed.


    The black-haired man looked at Minos and said. "Still, you have to change your behavior. You should stop hiding things from us, Minos."


    Vico looked sideways at Minos and said. "I think that was the last straw. You can''t be trusted. If you want to continue working with us, you must prove yourself, Minos!"


    "Prove myself?" Minos smiled, thinking he didn''t have to do any of that, but curious to see what Vico had in mind. "Please enlighten me." "Oh, I''ll enlighten you," Vico said, clenching his fists. "Let''s fight a little. Show me what you''re capable of. If you can force me to use one of my techniques, I''ll leave without bothering you. But if you lose, you must bow your head and obey us from now on."


    "What nonsense!" Henry said in a louder tone. "You dare to threaten His Majesty Stuart?"


    Minos held up a hand and asked Henry to calm down. "I don''t mind learning a little from His Majesty Travisani. But these terms are unfair, aren''t they? If I win, I won''t be bothered. But if I lose, I''ll lose my freedom."


    "What do you want?" Vico asked as Maximillian became interested in seeing the two of them fight.


    Minos suggested. "I want to test my current abilities, but I won''t do it for free for such a meaningless offer. However, if you''re willing to give up your freedom in case of defeat, we can dance a little."

 Chapter 2139 Against a God

    Chapter 2139 Against a God


    "Give up my freedom?" Vico clenched his fists when he heard Minos'' bold words. "You''re quite brave, aren''t you? Well, I want to see what gives you confidence!"


    "Are you really going to do that?" Maximilian narrowed his eyes as he looked at Vico strangely, not expecting such behavior from such a person. "A God should not risk his freedom unless he does it with another God..."


    "Tsk! This brat has no chance of defeating me. So I''ll put him in his place. What difference does it make if my freedom is at stake? He doesn''t have the slightest chance to force me to use one of my techniques." Vico confidently said while he looked at Minos.


    Minos just smiled when he heard these words and saw that he had gotten into Vico''s head.


    Henry shook his head negatively as he looked at them. He asked Minos. "Do you really want to go through with this? Vico can''t force you to do anything. As long as you ignore him, we''ll be able to continue our plans without having to worry about him."


    Maximilian didn''t know about their plans, but he advised Minos. "If you fight, you''ll lose. Carefully think before you proceed with this offense against a God."


    Minos thanked them both and said. "Thank you for your concern. But I''m looking forward to His Majesty Travisani giving me some pointers."


    Vico laughed mischievously. "Good! Very good! I didn''t think you''d be so brave, but since you are, I''ll teach you the difference between a God and a Demigod, Minos."


    "Enlighten me," Minos said as he showed the way as they ascended to the top and left this headquarters.


    Maximilian and Henry looked at each other and quickly agreed on what to do.


    The two joined forces and quickly began creating a temporary Spatial Kingdom for the battle.


    Gods didn''t usually fight. That was a truth that almost everyone knew. But that didn''t mean that Gods didn''t have friendly matches. After all, once a cultivator reached their peak, they were unlikely to stop using their power.


    It would be asking too much for a cultivator at their peak not to use their powers during the best part of their journey!


    "Hold that!" He said as he slashed at Vico''s body with his weapon. Several similar weapons appeared around Vico, attacking him from different directions. Vico only moved his arms to move and let Minos'' attacks reach him without any problems.


    But when the first blades hit him, his expression changed as he felt that for every blade that hit him, two new ones appeared in the surrounding area with even more force than the previous one.


    "Oh?" He didn''t want to stand still and moved, using only his ''normal'' features to dodge Minos'' attacks, which became stronger and more numerous as the movement continued.


    That was the third movement of the Divine Sword, a movement consisting of 10 attacks that would double in number and intensity with each new attack.


    On the very third attack of this move, Minos showed just how fierce this move was, making Vico fly around the area, demonstrating increasingly higher abilities.


    This move didn''t need its attacks to be destroyed to produce the effect Vico felt at the beginning of the fight. Even if the blows missed the target, new attacks would appear, and the previous and subsequent attacks would continue to pursue the target.


    More and more blades flew in space, making the observers more and more impressed by the abilities of a mere level 91 Demigod.


    "Minos is truly an incredible warrior," Henry commented to the leader of the Spiritual Church.


    Meanwhile, Maximilian looked at Vico and saw that this guy wouldn''t stay in his position for long. ''When are you going to attack him, Vico? Are you waiting for him to show everything he has so you can defeat him with a single blow?''


    Maximilian had understood Minos and Vico''s wager perfectly. The bet didn''t limit Vico''s movements, let alone forbid such a God to attack Emperor Stuart!


    As long as Vico didn''t use his techniques, he could do whatever he wanted in the fight, including attacking Minos and knocking him out!


    For this reason alone, Maximilian felt that Vico was only playing with Minos.


    And this was exactly what the God of the Eastern Empire had in mind.


    ''Show me more of what you''ve got, Minos. I''ll defeat you in a single attack.'' Vico thought with a neutral expression on his face, using more and more of his energy to fend off his opponent''s numerous attacks.

 Chapter 2140 Result

    Chapter 2140 Result


    In the blink of an eye, the third movement of the Divine Sword reached the 6th attack, with Minos dancing with his sword, moving against Vico in an increasingly sharp and powerful manner.


    Meanwhile, Vico was already demonstrating the speed of a God as he flew to dodge Minos'' attacks, recognizing the great power of Emperor Stuart.


    If he weren''t a God, he would have been hit and seriously injured by the blades that were chasing him faster and stronger!


    But he kept moving, waiting for the right moment to act and end Emperor Stuart''s hopes.


    In the midst of it all, Starclaw couldn''t help but look at Minos with a gleam in her eye, feeling the power of her master.


    "Maybe he can win!" She commented as she clenched her fists, thinking about how powerful the attacks that were chasing Vico were.


    She didn''t know what was happening, but in fights, there were always winning and losing sides. Seeing Minos'' powers and not seeing Vico using all of his, she thought this God was somehow limited, which would give her leader victory.


    But as she spoke excitedly, she drew Maximilian''s comment.


    "Don''t get your hopes up so quickly. The winner will be decided when Minos'' movement reaches its final attack." He said as he saw hundreds of blades flying faster and faster toward Vico''s vital points.


    But until the 10th attack formed, Vico was still unharmed, having only been hit by the first four blades of the first attack.


    By the time the 10th and final attack formed, 4,088 blades were flying around space, carrying so much power that an ''ordinary'' level 99 Demigod would die if they were at the center of that movement.


    When he felt Minos'' peak, Vico stopped moving, determined to withstand all of his opponent''s attacks before taking this young man down with a single blow.


    ''Come on!'' He thought, smiling as he saw the thousands of blades coming closer and closer to him.


    Minos saw the confidence in Vico''s eyes as he felt exhaustion take hold of his body.


    ''If this doesn''t make you use your technique, this other thing will!'' He closed his eyes as he dropped his supreme weapon and sat in a lotus position in the air.


    Then, Vico used one of his defensive techniques, showing everyone how in danger he felt, using one of his techniques against a mere level 91 Demigod!


    Minos felt his body go numb as he no longer had the energy to fight. But he smiled anyway because beating a God at anything would be very pleasant, of course.


    "I won!" He said as his special attack gradually lost its form, and Vico''s shield withstood the weapon thrown a moment ago.


    The look on Vico''s face was terrible at this point, while Henry and Maximillian looked surprised, not expecting Minos to be the winner of this bet.


    "Hahahahahah, I knew it! Minos is still the best! He can''t lose!" Starclaw yelled in delight as the two Gods moved to Vico''s side, sensing that this man was not in a good mood.


    Gulp!


    "Vico, you made a promise," Henry said as Starclaw stopped beside Minos to support him.


    Maximilian continued to stare at Minos but commented in a teasing tone. "Tsk! You''ve lost. Your advance to level 100 seems to haven''t made you strong enough. I''m afraid we will have problems in the war."


    "Fuck you, Maximillian!" Vico glared at the leader of the Spiritual Church. "If you''re so good, let''s fight a little! I''ll put you in your place!"


    "You must be exhausted after entertaining young Minos..." Maximilian laughed.


    "You wretch!"


    But then Henry said. "His Majesty Stuart has won this challenge. What will you do now, Vico? You have gambled away your freedom. Now, it belongs to our friend here." Minos leaned against Starclaw and said. "Your Majesty Travisani went easy on me. That''s why I won. But it''s a fact that I won, so let''s not pretend otherwise. That would only diminish the honor of someone of your caliber."


    "Tsk! What do you want?" Vico asked.


    Minos replied with a smile. "Nothing much. Just help me to stay out of trouble with the other Gods. Other than that, you can do whatever you want and go on with all your freedom."


    And so their bet was decided!

 Chapter 2141 Time to Go to the Competition

    Chapter 2141 Time to Go to the Competition


    After hearing Minos'' proposal, Vico did not tarnish his reputation by trying to wriggle out of fulfilling his earlier promise. He accepted Emperor Stuart''s orders and left without further delay.


    After losing to Minos, he didn''t want to be around that young man, let alone Henry and Maximilian!


    With such a departure, Maximilian also wouldn''t be in Dry City for long. He was unhappy with what Minos had done, giving someone a Divine Medicine without first consulting the Gods of this world. But after Emperor Stuart''s show of power and, more importantly, his realization that the Black Plain Empire would have Henry and Vico to protect it, he put aside thoughts similar to those Emperor Travisani had earlier.


    After seeing Maximillian off, Henry sighed as he looked at Minos, trying to process everything that had happened and how much this ruler had grown in the last ten years.


    "What was that you used at the end of the fight?" He asked curiously.


    Minos smiled as he felt the consequences of using everything he had against a God. "You will understand better in the future. But in a nutshell, it''s a new kind of technique based on cultivating the same energy as alien robots."


    "Oh? You''ve already reached that level?" Henry was surprised when he remembered that the robot corpse was alive in the Spatial Kingdom, quite different from the situation he had found when he entered that place about a decade ago. "How much has your state evolved in relation to alien technologies in recent years?"


    "Quite a lot." Minos smiled. "We''re still not able to create robots as good as the aliens, but we''re on our way to understanding them well enough to know their weaknesses and strengths and use that to our advantage.


    As for similar techniques, the first group of men in my army are already beginning to learn this method so that we can make it compatible and safe with people from our world."


    "That''s incredible." Henry mused. "I thought my breakthrough was important, but what you did in that Spatial Kingdom was no less important than my breakthrough!


    And your strength isn''t bad either. If you were level 95, I imagine you''d even be able to threaten the life of someone at my level!"


    Even if Minos could get Vico to use one of his techniques, it wouldn''t be enough for him to fight the Gods directly. At most, he could use it against a distracted, tired, or even injured level 100 opponent, but even then, he wouldn''t have a chance to deal a lethal or definitive blow.


    "Yes, will your state participate?"


    "Yes, my daughter will represent my group. Will you participate?" Henry asked while they were already back at the portal to the Spatial Kingdom of the Black Plain Empire.


    "Of course. If I win, I will have a level 99 cultivator with an affinity for ice to pick up a new Divine Medicine. I don''t know if it will come from the prize that the elves will reveal where it is or if it will come from my Spatial Kingdom. But it''s a fact that I have to make an effort for this person to reach level 100."


    Minos didn''t know all of the powerful cultivators in his world. Some elders lived hidden in the mountains, cultivating in seclusion for centuries or even millennia.


    Unless someone knew them or they showed themselves, there was no way for someone as concerned as Minos to know about them and their characteristics.


    Otherwise, Minos would have invited Julian''s friend into his group!


    "If I win the main bet, I''ll be able to use that as a justification to give this person Divine Medicine. That will save us trouble."


    "You''re right." Henry agreed. "Well, I''ll send a message to my state so they can try to help you."


    "Thank you." Minos thanked him before saying goodbye to Henry and finally leaving to begin preparations for his group''s journey to Elves Island.


    It was finally time for the biggest expert competition in the Spiritual World!


    For the next few days, Henry would work as the doorman of the Spatial Kingdom, while Minos would meet with the key figures in his state to present the current situation of the empire and also assemble the group that would travel to Elves Island.


    Aside from Gloria and Abby, almost the entire Stuart family would be going, along with Minos and a few specialists. Apart from them, the vast majority of the important names in the state would stay behind to take advantage of the opportunity to come and go freely from the Spatial Kingdom while developing important measures for the near future.

 Chapter 2142 Attraction for Participants and Players

    Chapter 2142 Attraction for Participants and Players


    A few weeks after Henry''s level 100 breakthrough...


    As the news of the new God of the Spiritual World spread, a dragon from the Continent of Beasts also ascended to divinity, becoming the sixth God of this planet!


    Many powers in the world were shocked by the advancement of these two beings, whom no one expected to reach level 100, and many powers were naturally more excited than ever.


    With two more Gods, the planet''s strength had increased by 50%, which was quite significant for a world that feared its own end in about a decade.


    But while many organizations and even organization leaders were surprised by this new advance, and many wondered where the Divine Medicines responsible for it had come from, Minos and his state had paid no attention to the matter.


    Emperor Stuart was well aware that a dragon would advance to level 100 near the start of the Continental Tournament. After receiving this news this morning, Minos was only happy because, with more 11th-stage cultivators in the world, fewer people would look at him.


    As much as some might suspect strange things about him, they were in the minority and not enough to bother Emperor Stuart.


    So, while the world was reacting to the recent advances of these two beings, Minos and his group traveled to Elves Island to participate in the Continental Tournament.


    They were on the Black Plain Empire''s most advanced spaceship, traveling across the East Sea, where the freezing cold and space storms now made traveling very difficult.


    But unlike many groups who faced these phenomena with less advanced ships or artifacts, the Stuart family was on a spaceship capable of ignoring up to 90% of the phenomena in its path.


    Just a fraction of what was happening because of the Ice Age was enough to cause the crew to take a detour on their way to Elves Island!


    In any case, without the ability to travel through wormholes, the party had already been on the road for several days, and it would be several more days before they reached their destination.


    "So, what do you know about the Continental Tournament?" Ruth asked the people who knew the least about this event, being Minos'' wife.


    "The Continental Tournament is a big attraction." Hannah Mcbride said as she looked into Ruth''s eyes. "You would certainly have a lot of fun taking part in it under other circumstances.


    The tournament lasts a few weeks, but during that time, there are a variety of attractions for spectators and bettors, with fantastic prizes for each side.


    Young people can participate as contestants and win prizes for the competitions they take part in, while gamblers can have fun following the fights and betting at a high level.


    The main part of the tournament is undoubtedly the Secret Hunt in the Spatial Kingdom created by the organizers, but there are many other contests, from races, flying, ordinary fights, arm wrestling, comprehension contests, and, in short, everything you can imagine. There are opportunities for lesser cultivators, gamblers, and powerful people. In a way, it''s a very democratic competition."


    George said to Ruth, not disagreeing with Hannah''s words at all. "This is the Continental Tournament in normal situations. We''ll still have plenty of attractions and opportunities, but we''ll hardly be able to enjoy the event in our current circumstances.


    So, aside from the high bettors, I think the only people who are going to be able to win anything at this event are the people who are going to be playing in the main events."


    "I wouldn''t be surprised if there are more than 60% fewer attractions in this tournament edition." A Sista advisor commented.


    A eunuch from the Flowers Kingdom then said. "The main point of the tournament is the high-stakes betting, which can give away a prize worth as much as Divine Medicine. In the Secret Hunt, 9th-stage participants will face creatures, ruins, and traps to collect items hidden in the area.


    There is no map of the area, as the forest is almost like a living labyrinth. Because the creatures there change so often, each participant will feel as if they are in a completely new place, even though this Spatial Kingdom has been used many times in the past.


    The player''s task is to choose competitors to bet on and invest in, as well as a series of cataloged items that they can bet about whether they will be found or not and who will find them. The more the bettors get right, the more points they earn. The more accurate their bets, the better their scores. At the end of the event, the player with the highest score wins the right to hear the result of a collective vision from the elven tribe''s seers."


    Those who didn''t know what this contest was about became more interested in the event, seeing that participating in the contest could indeed be interesting, both for fun and for great results.

 Chapter 2143 Arrival at the Elves Island

    Chapter 2143 Arrival at the Elves Island


    As Minos'' party traveled to the Elves Island, those who knew the least about the event learned about what was about to happen there.


    The Continental Tournament was a great event for observers, bettors, and participants. It was undoubtedly more beneficial to the bettors who won the best prizes, but it could still contribute to everyone involved.


    Because it was such a prestigious and sought-after competition, just participating or even watching the tournament could change people''s lives in ordinary times.


    That wasn''t the case in the current era. Still, in other times, the Continental Tournament would have been enough to open the eyes of young and old alike.


    At first glance, the bets might seem unfair, as someone with more powerful representatives would have a better chance of winning their bets, right? However, the organization of the tournament wasn''t so simple.


    The tournament was fair despite the apparent imbalance between the participating powers and their respective participants and bettors.


    One empire could send a level 89 Sage, and another state could send a level 80 Sage, each betting on their own envoy. But even with that difference, both sides had a chance to win.


    Obviously, the side betting on a level 89 had a better chance of making the right moves than the side using a level 80. However, the stronger the participant, the lower the score for each hit. On the other hand, the weaker the player, the higher the score for the side that hit the bets on that player''s name.


    For example, an organization using a level 89 player might get 5 points for a particular hit. But if the same hit had come from someone at level 80, that bettor could have collected 40, 50, or even more points!


    In this way, the Continental Tournament balanced out the differences in power and influence of its participants and bettors.


    Stronger individuals had a better chance of success, but the points they could offer their bettors were lower. On the other hand, the weaker ones had less chance of succeeding, which meant that betting on them was riskier, so the prize was higher.


    Now that they knew how the Continental Tournament worked, the group traveling in the Black Plain Empire''s spaceship was reassured about their chances in the event that would begin in the next few days.


    The leader of this group then said. "Your Majesty, welcome to the island. We have closed our territory, and only personnel accompanied by members of the Elven Guard can enter the island. We also need to make a quick inspection of your ship. I''m afraid I can''t close my eyes. These are the orders of my superiors."


    Minos heard the words of this level 95 elf and saw no problem.


    He quickly let some elves into his ship to check the passengers and cargo.


    After making sure that there was nothing that could seriously endanger Elves Island, the leader of the group of guards authorized Minos and his people to enter the area ahead, leaving an elf behind to lead them there.


    The Elves Island was not a large place, but the tribe preferred that their guests not roam freely through the territory. That was especially true in this time of the Ice Age when everyone was in danger.


    It would only take one person with bad intentions to go to the wrong place on the island for all the elves to suffer terrible consequences!


    Minos paid no attention to the elves'' concerns, and soon, his party was on their way in the spaceship, taking only a few seconds to enter the protected area of this territory and land in a suitable spot.


    As he left the spaceship, Minos looked at the island paradise he had been planning to visit for decades, one of the most beautiful places in this vast world, where the spiritual energy was the densest on the planet.


    This was a blessed land, the place in the Spiritual World that most resembled a piece of a higher world.


    However, the immortal energy available there was only slightly stronger than what Minos could feel in other parts of the world, as it was far from the normal levels of the weaker areas of ancient Panvuter.


    In any case, this place was wonderful, and even amid the Ice Age, it was not so affected, with a cold climate but no ice in its territory, something remarkable.


    Minos'' group members were amazed to set foot in this place, and his children loved the trip.


    "Wow! This place really is as beautiful as the stories say." Hollie commented as the elves who led them felt proud of his territory.

 Chapter 2144 Ayla Daeharice

    Chapter 2144 Ayla Daeharice


    As soon as they entered Elves Island, Minos'' group was guided through the territory by the elf who had joined them a few moments ago, with this Demigod showing them where to go while introducing the city.


    "Elves Island is not large, but we still have six cities here, three cities exclusively for elves in the center of our territory, and three other cities where beings of other species are free to come and go.


    In regular times, the island would be open to visitors. However, given our current circumstances, only authorized personnel with good reason to be here are allowed on the island. That''s why you can see that this city we''re in is so sparsely populated."


    "What about the people attending the Continental Tournament? Will there be no crowds at this edition of the competition?" Ruth asked.


    "There will be, but it will be smaller than other editions. Many people who normally come for the attraction won''t venture out into the world under the current circumstances. Only participants, gamblers, and powerful people are expected to attend the event.


    The audience for this edition will be smaller. However, the city will still be filled with beings from different parts of our world, Your Majesty. You were one of the first to arrive here, so it''s natural that you will see less movement in this city." The elf smiled before showing the group interesting monuments and places to visit in their spare time.


    After a while of walking through the main streets of that city that could comfortably house up to 60,000 beings in humanoid form, the group came to a large resort where rulers or representatives of heads of state would stay during this period.


    "This is where you''ll be staying for the next month." The elf said. "The entire building we''re in will be at your group''s disposal only, so make yourselves at home here." The group members looked around with interest, understanding that the other 30 or so buildings in this paradisiacal area of the city would individually serve the strongest powers in the world.


    The elf continued his explanation. "Here, you can move freely. But when you move around the city, you must carry your identification with you and, if possible, be accompanied by a member of the Elven Guard." He said, having already handed over the IDs of each of the people in Minos'' group.


    "Anyway, I''ll stay with you until the end of the day to answer your questions and introduce you to the city. When you''re ready, let me know. I''ll show you where the Continental Tournament will be held." He said as he led the way for the group to settle into their temporary home on Elves Island.


    The Continental Tournament lasted from 7 to 14 days, depending on how some of the games went. Since Minos and his team had arrived a little early, they might have to stay on Elves Island for a whole month. After the elf''s words, the group quickly entered the building that would be their home for the next few weeks, each choosing where to stay, and the Black Plain Army personnel quickly familiarized themselves with the place.


    Without stopping to rest, Minos, his wives, and children soon returned to the entrance of the building, eager to finish getting to know this place.


    Unfortunately, he was too small to fight him. Since someone like Aurae had already made up her mind about it, he and the other elves could only keep their feelings to themselves!


    With that in mind, Minos said to his group. "Enjoy the city until the start of the Continental Tournament. I might be gone for the next few days, so don''t expect me."


    "Okay." The people in the group replied before watching Minos leave in a northerly direction. Minos didn''t hesitate to leave the city he was in and ran so fast towards his destination that, after only five minutes, he couldn''t see the city on the horizon anymore.


    The closer he got to where he was going, the stronger the previous feeling in his being became.


    As he felt the place he was supposed to go become more and more tangible, Minos clenched his fists as he remembered the woman who had forced an agreement with him decades ago.


    With her face in his mind, he murmured the name of the one who had put herself in a position to steal his destiny. "Ayla Daeharice, I''m here to finish our deal!"


    After saying this, he stopped in front of an ancient castle where he could feel a level 91 aura in the place where he could feel something calling him.


    As he stopped in front of the place where more than 30 elves lived and worked, Minos soon saw someone appear at one of the entrances to the place.


    It was a woman whose appearance he remembered very well, someone he had met when he was only level 79 during his journey to the core of the Ancestral Sea.


    She still looked the same as she did then, with long, straight blonde hair and a breathtaking beauty.


    But now she was much stronger, having advanced many levels to become a level 91 Demigod.


    "Minos Stuart." She murmured the name of the person she had made a deal with decades ago, finally coming to the realization of that deed.

 Chapter 2145 Fulfilling the Contract

    Chapter 2145 Fulfilling the Contract


    Facing the elf who had forced a contract between them, Minos remembered that fateful day on the Ancestral Sea.


    "Ayla, I haven''t seen you for a long time, but I can see that you haven''t grown up badly." Minos'' eyes narrowed.


    She laughed subtly. "I''m ashamed compared to you. There was a big difference between us then, but now you''re at the same level as me..."


    "Yes, we''re at the same level now, even if we''re not at the same combat power." He said in a neutral tone.


    Minos didn''t hate Ayla like he had hated many of his enemies during his journey. Even though what this elf had done was quite dangerous for him, he didn''t ignore the fact that she had given him something in return.


    Ayla was a gifted seer who had given Minos something useful and information that had saved his life. If he hadn''t met her, he would have fallen to the level 99 Demigod who had pursued him before he entered the Seraphim''s Ancient Sarcophagus.


    He was grateful to her for that. But of course, he didn''t like having his life in other people''s hands, so he didn''t see her in a friendly light.


    He could do very badly if he couldn''t help her with her goal!


    Ayla could see the contradiction in Minos'' eyes and felt he was more inclined to punish than thank. She closed her eyes and smiled, wondering if she had made a mistake.


    But then a level 98 Demigod appeared beside her and said to Minos. "Your Majesty Stuart, seeing you on my island is good. Ayla has told me all there is to tell about you, and I''ve also heard from Her Excellency how formidable you are."


    Minos looked at the elf and made a greeting gesture. He didn''t want to create a conflict with the elven tribe because of Ayla or the history of the elves.


    He knew very well how dangerous elves could be and how slippery they were. Dealing with a being of that race was never easy, and often, the non-elven side came out very badly.


    "That was me calling you." She smiled. "This kind of agreement shows no signs when it''s completed. So I used the remains of my contract with you to lure you here and warn you."


    After hearing this, Minos looked down at himself, searching his being for evidence of what these two elves had just said.


    He would find nothing, a sign that the agreement between him and Ayla was indeed no longer valid.


    ''That seems to be the case.'' He felt relieved to have solved such a problem, even if he still felt a slight grudge against Ayla.


    "What now?" He asked as he looked at her.


    "Now? Now you do whatever you want, Minos." She said. "You will not be punished for the old agreement, so you are free of your obligation to me."


    "You deserve to be punished," Minos muttered as he clenched his fists and showed them his dragon aura.


    The level 98 elder didn''t like that and gave a strong warning. "Minos, the tribe is your friend, but I will not tolerate your insolence."


    "Elder, Ayla doesn''t deserve to die for what she did, but that doesn''t mean I''m going to forget about this with a mere conversation. Don''t worry, I''ll just teach her a lesson. She''ll be able to fight alongside the rest of the tribe in the war."


    "Tsk! How dare you say that in front of me? I''m telling you to back off!" The level 98 Demigod stepped forward and raised his aura to counter Minos'' mighty power.


    Minos saw sweat begin to form on the woman''s forehead and smiled. "Elder, if you want to get beaten up too, I don''t mind teaching both of you a lesson. I''ll give you three breaths to back off before I move."


    "Three breaths? I only need one!" The old elf loudly said as he disappeared from his position and attacked Minos without further hesitation.


    As he appeared behind Minos, already manipulating the surrounding trees with his super-environmental abilities, the rest of the Demigods from the elven outpost left their position to see what was going on.

 Chapter 2146 Show of Force

    Chapter 2146 Show of Force


    "Nonsense," Minos muttered as he felt a level 98 Demigod acting without restraint against him, a clear sign of respect from his opponent, who knew that Emperor Stuart was not to be taken lightly.


    Even before stealing Ayla''s cultivation to reach level 93, Minos was strong enough to escape the level 98 elder''s attack. He quickly dodged the many trees that tried to reach him with their branches and roots.


    He flew at high speed and quickly arrived where Ayla was.


    Standing behind her without giving her a chance to react, he grabbed her neck, making her weaker as he became more powerful.


    "I would have fought you differently, fairly. But since your elder is interfering, I''m afraid I''ll have to be a little rough with you." He muttered before throwing her to the ground, giving her no chance to react, defend, or prepare.


    "Aaaaagh!"


    After Ayla''s long, high-pitched cry of pain, Minos pushed her aside to take care of the level 98 elder.


    "You''re not bad. Your powers seem quite dangerous, elder." Minos said as he dodged the roots that were trying to reach him.


    He could feel that if he was touched by one of those roots, not only his spiritual energy but also his vitality would be sucked away to the point of exhaustion or even death.


    The level 98 elder used what he had to confront Minos, knowing he couldn''t do it any other way. Re?a?d new chapters at novelhall.com


    Even if his original goal had been to protect Ayla, since he had already failed, he now had to protect himself. There was no way that Minos could ignore an attack. After attacking him, it was certain that the old elf would have to deal with his opponent''s counterattacks.


    So he concentrated on showing Minos his best while he couldn''t help but acknowledge the remarkable skills of Emperor Stuart.


    "Minos Stuart is truly an abomination." One of the elves, watching the battle, muttered to his colleagues as he saw Emperor Stuart escape from the many branches controlled by the level 98 elder.


    Another said. "But his strength is borrowed. He''ll lose much of that power in a few moments and be vulnerable to the elder."


    "But before that, he might win..."


    "Yes, he looks stronger than a level 98 elder..."


    Feeling how much this could threaten his life, the old elf regretted having protected Ayla as he quickly felt the golden paw approaching him.


    In the blink of an eye, he was struck, sliced in several places, and hurled toward Ayla as fast as a falling meteor.


    BOOM!


    When his back hit the ground, the ground shook for several kilometers as dust rose into the sky.


    Not a sound came out of the old Demigod''s mouth, his consciousness already gone, while only his body showed signs of pain, with his facial muscles contorted and a terrible look in his eyes.


    Ayla saw her master fall beside her while Minos floated majestically in the air, not far from them.


    The golden dragon was still close to Minos, emitting a powerful sensation that could make even level 99 Demigods stare in awe.


    Minos looked into Ayla''s frightened eyes and said. "You got away with it today because of your elder. Thank him for that. But be careful in the future. Don''t be so selfish in your dealings."


    Minos had already sensed the presence of level 99 Demigods in the area, so he wouldn''t pursue the matter any further. His demonstration of power had been enough to warn the elves but also to show his value to the Spiritual World and the Elves Tribe.


    "This is a compelling ability, Your Majesty. The dragons will be jealous of you when they find out you can do something so supreme." A level 99 elf said to Minos as he hovered high above the area.


    He and another level 99 elf had watched the entire fight without intervening, as Minos had shown no intention of killing.


    The level 98 elder was injured but would be fine with some rest and cultivation, so the two weren''t angry with him.


    "Are you here to take me to the Tree of Life?" Minos asked, imagining that this was the case.


    "Yes. Are you ready? Do you have anything else to do?" The other elf, a young-looking man, asked.


    "I am ready. I''ve taken care of everything here."


    "Then come with us. We''ll take you to Her Excellency Aurae, and then you''ll have access to what you want." So the three of them left the area, leaving behind many Demigods talking about what had just happened.

 Chapter 2147 Fountain of Life

    Chapter 2147 Fountain of Life


    Not long after defeating Ayla and the level 98 elf, Minos arrived at the location of Aurae.


    When he reached the elven city in the center of the island, he was able to personally observe the Tree of Life not far from the small elven city, where normally only beings of that race could enter.


    The tree was huge, beautiful, and exuded a powerful aura full of vitality.


    Minos felt good when he smelled the scent of the leaves of this gigantic tree, something as ancient and relevant to this world as the many spiritual roots around the planet.


    "Incredible." He murmured as the two level 99 Demigods led him to where Aurae stood with Vico Travisani.


    Of the current Gods of the Spiritual World, Vico had been the first to arrive on Elves Island to accompany the Continental Tournament.


    Not all of them would come, but the presence of at least half of them was expected for this event.


    Feeling Minos'' aura, Vico didn''t take long to say goodbye to Aurae and return to his group, which had just arrived on Elves Island.


    Aurae left the wooden house she was in and stopped in front of her small dwelling to see Minos and two of the tribe''s elders arriving in what looked more like a village.


    "Minos, you look better than ever." She complimented as she saw the brown-haired young man standing in front of her.


    Minos made a gesture of greeting and said. "I am far from your level. But thank you for your words, Your Excellency."


    "Hmm, I heard about your disagreement with Vico." She commented, looking deeply into the eyes of this young man who had hidden something so critical from her and the others. "You are a box of surprises, Minos."


    Minos laughed softly. "I play with the cards I have. I had the option of choosing someone who would help me or risk being targeted by all the Gods of our world. The choice was easy..."


    She laughed when she heard that, not disagreeing with his logic, although she would have preferred to know about such medicine before Henry used it.


    If you''re not careful, you might even die."


    "I''m willing to risk everything," Minos said before thanking them again for the opportunity but also for their concern in warning him.


    As terrible as the elves were in many ways, they were honest when they promised something!


    Soon, Minos was standing in front of the entrance to a tunnel full of roots in the walls, where he could feel a strong spiritual fluctuation concentrated underground.


    "You''ll be going alone from now on." One of the elves said as he stopped in the middle of the path. "Good luck on your journey. I hope you succeed and return the favor by helping in the war of worlds."


    With these words, Minos continued on his way until he reached an underground area surrounded by bars and small roots that completely covered the walls and ceiling of the area.


    In the area, which looked like a crypt of roots, Minos saw the top of the area, where there was a golden root from which drops of a special kind of liquid dripped, colored like a rainbow.


    Below this drip was a small pond with a radius of about 6 meters, where Minos felt that it was 30 centimeters deep at the shallowest point and 70 centimeters at the deepest point.


    Seeing the ceramics in the area and some statues made by the elves, Minos felt like he was fulfilling a dream.


    This place was as valuable, if not more so, than the volcano where the giant skeleton of the ancestral dragon god lay!


    Here was the source of life, the potentially most valuable place in the entire world, where even mortally wounded Demigods could escape certain death if they were brought back in time.


    That was one of the strengths of this place. Still, it was also special for its spiritual cleansing abilities, which could boost the level of talent and physical quality of those who meditated there.


    As one of the highest spiritual forms in this world, it wasn''t even impossible to learn rare laws of nature that went against one''s natural affinities.


    With this in mind, Minos didn''t hesitate and immediately took a bath in the small lake before starting to meditate in its deepest part.

 Chapter 2148 Time

    Chapter 2148 Time


    As he began his meditation at the fountain of life, Minos felt his fatigue from the earlier battle fade away as his muscles relaxed and regenerated with great speed and efficiency.


    The essence in the marrow of his bones, which currently contained a large amount of immortal energy, was stimulated after he started meditating, something that was hard to come by when he wasn''t trying to use his innate ability or one of his seals on the giant bones.


    This liquid seems to stimulate deeper and denser natural laws, similar to those of Panvuter. Minos thought to himself, amazed by the effects of the Tree of Life''s fountain.


    There was a big difference between the laws available in Panvuter and what was in that place on Elves Island. Still, the spiritual density there was the best he had ever seen in this world, and it could stimulate what he had already achieved through years of hard work. Ne?ww chapters will be fully updated at novelhall.com


    Other people wouldn''t feel the same way. But since Minos had already cultivated an immortal cultivation technique and had also absorbed a lot of immortal energy from the giant bones, this source was able to stimulate his marrow to become stronger by itself!


    His physical essence was already at a very high level due to the fact that he had used Divine Medicine to improve the quality of his physique, so just a few hours after entering, Minos could already feel his understanding rising to a new level.


    If before he was able to manipulate laws in a similar way to ordinary level 98 cultivators, now he felt that he could understand the world around him more like someone at the absolute peak.


    That didn''t mean that his strength had reached level 99, but rather that his understanding of reality had reached the peak of this world!


    Sensing this, Minos was naturally excited because even at level 91, he could feel that his understanding was already very close to reaching the threshold between that of level 99 Demigods and Gods!


    ''When I reach level 93, I''ll be able to manipulate laws in a way that only Gods can.'' Minos estimated, imagining that with this power, he could wreak havoc against the group that would soon invade the Spiritual World.


    ''Even if I can''t deal with them here in the Spiritual World, I''ll find a way to take the war to The Adamant Land.'' He thought, considering that this place might be ''weakened'' during the action on this planet.


    In that case, attacking the enemy in The Adamant Land might be a way not only to disrupt the enemy''s plans but also to bring victory to the Spiritual World.


    If I can fight on the same level as a God, I''ll be able to settle the war between our worlds!


    He had less than two weeks to stay in this special area. But while two weeks would pass in the outside world, Minos would feel that his stay beneath the Tree of Life would extend over a much longer period of time.


    ...


    When he felt that he had been cultivating in this place of the elves for almost three months without interruption, Minos finally felt that something was strange.


    ''Why haven''t the elves interrupted me yet?'' He asked himself as he continued to meditate, not noticing that the water level of the lake he was in had dropped by three centimeters.


    Normally, level 99 elves who stayed as long as he did would leave the place 1 centimeter shallower.


    But near the end of his time, Minos came very close to lowering the level of this lake by 4 centimeters!


    While he worried about the passage of time in the lake, the elves outside the place were still waiting for him.


    The two level 99 Demigods were amazed at Minos'' performance, as he didn''t need any help and didn''t have to leave early after more than 10 days in that place.


    One of them kept an eye on the tunnel leading to where Minos was and sighed for another day. "It looks like he doesn''t want to leave before his time is up..."


    "Minos Stuart... What kind of monster is he?" Muttered the other Demigod, quite impressed.


    One of them had entered this place, but even though he was an elf, he couldn''t last the maximum time in such an area!


    As for the other notable humans who had entered, not even the most impressive of them had made it this far into this area!


    Thus, these two would continue to guard the area until Minos'' last day in this place, the day before the start of the Continental Tournament!

 Chapter 2149 The Eve of the Continental Tournament

    Chapter 2149 The Eve of the Continental Tournament


    On the last day that Minos was allowed to stay in the lake below the Tree of Life, he cultivated in the same place as before, using not only the special energy of the area but also that of the giant bones in the Spatial Kingdom.


    At the end of his experience in that place, Minos had enough confidence to use all of himself simultaneously, thus achieving the best result in his cultivation in that area.


    He had become much stronger there, possibly saving a year or two of cultivation in those two weeks or so.


    Considering his short time before the aliens arrived, that was a great result! But today, Minos'' short seclusion finally came to an end when the two level 99 Demigods who guarded the area entered to call him back.


    However, before telling Minos it was time to leave, the two elves looked in shock at the small lake and saw that the place was 6 centimeters shallower than when Emperor Stuart entered it.


    "That..." One looked at the other with concern, seeing they had lost much more than they had expected with Minos'' entrance.


    Minos'' entrance could be compared to the entrance of three level 99 Demigods from this Elves Tribe!


    They knew that the lake would eventually return to its average level, but with this result, they would be left with a weakened lake for centuries!


    "What are we going to do? He sucked up our precious lake like it was nothing." One of the two said as he felt drops of sweat forming on his body.


    "Sigh! He''s really hard to analyze... But some evils come to good. Maybe we should look at this as an investment for the good of the Spiritual World." The other high elder commented, feeling that there was nothing they could do.


    There was no going back and making this place the way it was two weeks ago. Besides, they couldn''t punish Minos for something they had given him unlimited permission to do.


    Besides, Minos was probably stronger now and closer to reaching level 92, something that was just as important for the world at the moment as the situation of this lake.


    "Let''s wake him up."


    The last two weeks had been pretty quiet for the people in Minos'' group, most of them just cultivating and having fun wandering around the city.


    As the elf who had led them earlier had said, the city had become more crowded and diverse as the days went by, with the arrival of the groups participating in the event that was about to begin.


    Of the current Gods of the Spiritual World, Henry and the Sky Whale were the only ones who hadn''t come to this place; all the other groups had already docked on the island and were currently in this city where Minos was.


    Among the high-ranking groups that had arrived on the island was Julian''s group, who had already sent someone to wait for Minos and bring him to them when the young man had finished his business with the elves.


    Upon hearing this, Minos quickly decided to meet the level 99 woman Julian had told him about.


    Betting and matters related to the Continental Tournament could only be dealt with after the event began, so he didn''t need to do anything the day before the long-awaited competition began.


    So he didn''t stay long with his family when he saw them again but went straight to the building where Julian''s group was staying in the beautiful place where they were staying.


    ...


    Arriving at where Julian and his group were staying, Minos met some old acquaintances from his faction with this man before finally coming face to face with this level 98 Demigod.


    Julian stood next to the person he had talked to, Vicente, a woman with a beautiful appearance, attractive measurements, and hair as blue as the sky on a sunny day.


    This woman had a solid level 99 cultivation, and the most striking thing about her was her icy and powerful aura, clearly focused on the Laws of Ice, which made her exceptionally powerful in this day and age.


    "Minos, this is Callie Paull, the leader of the Divine Continent''s Blue Flake Sect. She''s an old acquaintance I had the pleasure of meeting in my youth." Julian said as he pointed to the woman smiling at Emperor Stuart.


    Minos smiled back in greeting. "Lady Callie Paull, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. Julian has told me about you and our plans. What do you have to say? What is your opinion of the current situation in the world?"Re?a?d new chapters at novelhall.com

 Chapter 2150 Opening of the Tournament

    Chapter 2150 Opening of the Tournament


    Hearing Minos'' question, Callie became more serious as she answered him. "The situation is worrying. The enemy has 32 Gods, but even if not all of them come to our world, we might have to face more than 10 or even close to 20 of them. On the other hand, we only have six Gods right now, which isn''t bad, but it''s far from the enemy''s numbers.


    If we don''t get more level 100 people by the time the aliens arrive, our chances of losing the war of worlds will be very high. But our chances still won''t be good even if we get more Gods." She said as Minos and Julian stood on the roof of a building, the three alone there.


    She continued, knowing that she had to convince Minos that she was someone who should be among the Gods of this world. "Since we can''t have an interesting number of Gods on our side, we have to get the best we can afford. I have rare powers among our world''s current level 99 Demigods, and I can use the Ice Age to our advantage.


    Even though I don''t know the strength of our enemies, I''m confident that when I reach level 100, I''ll be able to contribute a strength similar to that of two normal Gods."


    Minos already knew this and didn''t think her words were exaggerated. Just as a fire-focused cultivator would have advantages fighting in the middle of a great fire, an ice-focused cultivator would have advantages during the Ice Age.


    In particular, this woman''s gifts would be especially helpful in any battle today!


    Minos said. "I agree with your opinion. Especially about your powers giving you the potential to have the value of two Gods. But we must be pessimistic. At best, you''ll advance about two years after the enemies arrive. In the worst case, it will take 5 to 10 years longer. Do you realize that even with a Divine Medicine, you might die before you have a chance to fight?" He asked her.


    "I am. I''m willing to take that risk." She replied promptly. "And if we succeed in our plans, I will act as quickly as possible to alleviate the problems of the world."


    Julian looked at Minos, hoping that this would be enough to convince his ally about Callie.


    Minos said. "Very well. I can''t guarantee anything, but I''ll pass it on to you if I get a Divine Medicine. If all goes well, I hope you''ll do your best in the fight against the aliens."


    She smiled as she shook Minos'' hand, glad he had given her this confidence.


    In a way, Julian had also chosen someone from outside the Pantheon of Honor to have a chance to advance to level 100...


    "Anyway, good luck with the competition," Julian said to Minos. "We will be depending on your result. But judging by your skills and your competitors'' talent, I''m confident that our chances aren''t too bad."


    Minos thanked them before saying goodbye, ending this conversation, and finally preparing for the start of the Continental Tournament!


    ...


    Hours later, a new day dawned on Elves Island, and it was finally time for the greatest competition in the Spiritual World to begin!


    This morning, the gates to the area where the event would take place opened, allowing the thousands of people who would either participate, watch, or bet on the event to enter and begin their journeys.


    Minos and his group entered one of the many entrances to the area specially prepared for this event, with Sarah and Kendrick soon separating from part of the group to join their allies in the competitors'' area.


    On the other hand, those who weren''t competing or betting on the event, the majority of the group, made their way to the place where they would watch the entire tournament, leaving Minos and his allies behind.


    Minos, George, and Hannah then made their way to the betting area, an area where they would return many times over the next few days to place new bets and take other actions for the benefit of their competitors.


    Arriving at the bookmakers'' hall, he and his partners soon met many famous figures of the Spiritual World, old acquaintances, and beings they had never seen before.


    In particular, Minos encountered his friends from the Dragon Tribe, who didn''t hesitate to approach him for a chat.


    "Minos, you look magnificent. Your aura is stronger than ever." The level 100 dragon Minos favored said in a delighted tone, seeing this young man who had given him a chance to protect his tribe in this difficult time.

 Chapter 2151 Bets (1)

    Chapter 2151 Bets (1)


    Seeing the level 100 dragon, the leader of the Dragon Tribe, in front of him, Minos smiled with satisfaction, for this was one more ally he could count on in the war that was soon to come to the Spiritual World.


    There was no obligation between him and this dragon since the Divine Medicine had been an exchange for Minos entering the place where the skeleton of the Ancestral Dragon God lay. However, it had been a deal that had brought the strongest tribe on the Continent of Beasts and the Black Plain Empire even closer together.


    The agreement brought good karma to both sides, and Minos had become more compatible with the dragon bloodline.


    As he faced the young brown-haired human, the level 100 dragon God had no spiritual indication that Minos was not of his race.


    Hell, the level 98 and 99 dragons on his side seemed to be "less" dragons than Emperor Stuart himself!


    The sensation this God felt from Minos wasn''t that of a Divine Dragon yet, but it wasn''t far off.


    Minos said to this fellow. "Your Excellency is much better. Level 100 suits you, I''d say." "Hehe, maybe one day you''ll reach my level." The dragon replied in a good mood. "Let''s win this war against the damn aliens and pave the way for a new generation.


    Minos, let''s not be bound by the ties of the past. The future of the Spiritual World lies in the universe. When we finish this war, I hope we can work together to expand our operations to other worlds!"


    Hearing the Dragon''s confident tone, Minos didn''t disagree. "I''ve been meaning to talk to you about this..."


    He continued to talk about it while the two of them walked towards the betting shop in the area.


    Part of the Continental Tournament went beyond betting, competition, and attractions. It was also an event for experts to meet, for business to be done, and so on!


    While Minos and that God of the dragons were discussing a future deal, the members of both groups realized that their parties were not the only ones considering exploring the universe.


    Several people commented on Minos and the level 100 dragon, murmuring as the two temporarily separated to attend to their Continental Tournament business.


    After saying goodbye to this God, Minos ignored the stares and whispers about him and headed straight for one of the VIP betting rooms.


    The Continental Tournament betting room had a general area, a premium area, and a VIP area. Each gave punters access to different levels of betting. In the general area, you could bet on the simplest contests, with maximum bets of up to 5 million low-grade crystals. In the premium area, you could bet on all contests, but your bet was limited to 5 million mid-level crystals. There was no betting limit in the VIP section, and you could bet on any contest.


    The value of the wager indicated the type of prize you were competing for. For example, by betting amounts well above the limit of the reward area, you could stand a chance of winning something as valuable as a Divine Medicine!


    Since only a few players had a chance of winning the many bets available at the event, the prize was significantly higher than the amount placed to enter the bets.


    The more you bet, the more you were entitled to the total amount collected. In other words, the event organizers got a share of everything collected from the bets, but the winners could have more or less of the total amount raised if their bet were for a higher amount.


    The amount distributed to the winners could vary from 30% to 60% of the amount raised. If people who bet more won, the percentage would be closer to the upper limit of 60%. But if people who bet less won, the prize distributed would be closer to 30%.


    In short, there was also a difference in the quality of services and the comfort of gamblers in each of the areas.


    Minos realized this when he walked through a luxurious area and was soon seated in a special room where an event official would come to collect his bets at certain times.


    Meanwhile, he and his fellow bettors, George and Hannah, had the opportunity to analyze each of the events that would take place in this edition of the Continental Tournament and plan their bets.


    Sometime after they had arrived and been served fine drinks and snacks, the person in charge of collecting bets and payments arrived in the group''s VIP room.


    "Your Majesties and Your Highness, welcome to the Continental Tournament. Have you decided on your strategies?" A gorgeous elf asked as she smiled and looked into the eyes of the three important people in the room.

 Chapter 2152 Bets (2)

    Chapter 2152 Bets (2)


    Minos allowed George and Hannah to place their bets first, and the two of them soon chose the events they wanted to bet on and what they thought would happen.


    This type of betting was both good to be right but also impossible to predict the possible scenarios. In other words, if you bet on a particularly strong competitor, it was very likely that they would perform certain feats during their events. But maybe the competitor''s strategy would be different from what the bettor wanted, or maybe a dark horse would show up in the middle of the event. So, while it was logical and even likely that certain things would happen, it was also impossible to say what exactly would happen. The slightest wrong move could lead to a completely unpredictable outcome by the bettors and ruin the bets of many, if not all, of the experts.


    It wasn''t like a lottery with a finite number of possible outcomes. The Continental Tournament could have an outcome where everyone died, or everyone survived, with infinite possibilities in between.


    Experts could bet on virtually anything they wanted, including saying things that the organizers had not anticipated.


    The organizers had several things they used to encourage people to place bets. For example, many resources were available in the contests that would start that day, and finding each item was considered an interesting bet. Players could bet on whether these resources would be found or not, whether certain groups or even certain people would find them.


    It was possible to bet from vaguely on whether it would be found or not to precisely on who would be responsible for it.


    These were the bets that the organizers encouraged everyone to make.


    However, a bettor could make an offer and say something like: ''Sarah Stuart will kill Pyka Stauss with a split dagger on the third day of the main event.''


    That was a very specific option and was unlikely to happen exactly as the bet said it would. But if it did, the bettor would win a lot of points.


    Why would anyone bet on such a thing? To solve past problems, have fun, gain valuable resources, show dominance, etc.


    The Continental Tournament had its more useful goals and benefits to the world. Still, it was also a form of entertainment for high-level cultivators, where such individuals could play with the lives of weaker ones without any consequences. Hell, they could even get prizes for it!


    Because of the secondary purpose of the tournament, all kinds of bets were possible, and there were few limits for the bettors in the VIP area.


    After George placed his bets on behalf of Sista, Hannah placed hers for the good of the Flowers Kingdom.


    With only Minos left to place his bets, he numbered a series of resources and things he would pass on to his children to pursue in the days to come.


    They had made individual and collective bets. So, even if they did well in their individual bets, they could lose as a group if Minos made a big mistake.


    Hannah had more experience with Minos and knew how this young man liked to take risks.


    "Are you confident?" She asked him.


    Minos nodded without hesitation. "Kendrick and Sarah will do as I say. I''ve trained them personally, and I know their limits better than anyone.


    They will do what I tell them. That gives me the confidence to say that we''ll have a good margin of success in what they do."


    "What if we lose?"


    "It will only be a few million high-grade crystals. That''s not much for the Black Plain Empire these days." Minos said calmly.


    "Sigh... I hope you do it right. If we can have a new God in the Spiritual World on our side, it will be very advantageous when the war breaks out." Hannah said, not knowing much of what George and Minos knew.


    Minos agreed with her. "Do not worry. There are still many things to happen before the aliens arrive. Anyway, let''s get back to our groups. The children should have already signed up for their respective competitions.


    Time to tell them what we are betting on and give them some equipment to use".


    The bettors could help their competitors. They couldn''t use items they gave to those competitors in their bets, but they could give accessories to their groups.


    That is, a bettor couldn''t bet that competitor "x" would use a recovery pill on day "y" of the event. Since this was something premeditated and very possible, such bets were worth almost nothing.


    However, bettors could provide resources to help their competitors achieve their goals. For example, Minos could give his children recovery items to use when necessary to recover from fatigue or injury and complete their main goals.


    Soon, those three were back with the rest of the crew that had come to Elves Island!

 Chapter 2153 The Contests Begin

    Chapter 2153 The Contests Begin


    After meeting the group that had come with him to Elves Island, Minos concentrated on talking to Sarah and Kendrick while George and Hannah talked to those of their troops who would be joining Emperor Stuart''s eldest children. Ne/w novel chapters are published at novelhall.com


    They had formed a team for betting and competing in the Continental Tournament. Then, they each advised their competitors on what they should aim for in their respective competitions within the tournament and also provided them with useful resources so that they would have the best possible result at the end of the event.


    The competitors had only one hour to prepare and receive their mentors'' items. After that, they could no longer receive resources or meet with their supporters.


    It was even possible to communicate with their supporters during the competition, but that wasn''t the case for all tests, and it wasn''t easy or cheap.


    Therefore, this meeting before the start of the competitions was essential, and Minos focused on talking to his children before paying attention to the rest of the group.


    ...


    "... That''s all. Do your best and come back safely." Minos sighed as he finished his conversation with Kendrick and Sarah, confident in them but not overly demanding.


    He wanted them to work hard and achieve the best possible results. But he preferred that they protect themselves if they were in great danger. Winning the Continental Tournament wasn''t so important to Minos that they had to risk everything to win. They should just do what they thought was possible within their means, have fun, and take advantage of the opportunities along the way. Apart from that, he would deal with any situation that might arise from his children''s actions.


    "We''ll do our best, father!" They said at the same time, excited to leave and start helping their father more meaningfully.


    Rowan, Lily, and Hollie watched the two say their goodbyes and naturally felt a little jealous, thinking that if they were a few years older, they could join Kendrick and Sarah in contributing to the empire.


    "It is no wonder that this competition is so highly regarded and that the world''s experts have decided to hold it, even with the Ice Age and alien invasion on our doorstep. This competition is a great opportunity and a chance for us to relax and have some fun." Ruth commented to Minos and Isabella as she watched the event start.


    Meanwhile, the rest of the group settled into the luxurious room with several arrays showing ranks, images of various locations, and even audio.


    All you had to do to hear the audio from one of these special devices was to use your powers to receive mental communication from it.


    Everything there was very sophisticated so that the players and high-level spectators could enjoy the experience in the best possible way.


    There were even aura replicators, devices that could replicate the aura of two warriors fighting in one of the exams being broadcast live.


    Snacks and drinks were also available in this room, and service was provided by waiters and helpers. The helpers provided the necessary explanations if anyone had any questions about how anything worked, the contests, or the arrays available.


    Finally, the group watched as the Pantheon of Honor representatives kicked off the Continental Tournament alongside Aurae on the main screen.


    The other Gods who had come to this island also appeared at the opening ceremony, where elves and high-level cultivators gave a beautiful performance.


    Soon after the opening ceremony was over, the first events in which the contestants would participate were introduced, along with their possible scores, requirements, and prizes.


    The first activity of the Continental Tournament was a simple speed contest, which had a land section on the island where the fastest person to complete the race on foot would win.


    The bettors would even have fun with a cat''s fight, then the thrills in the rooms like Minos'' or in the stands around the area where the tournament was taking place.

 Chapter 2154 The Achievements of Sarah and Kendrick

    Chapter 2154 The Achievements of Sarah and Kendrick


    2154 The Achievements of Sarah and Kendrick


    With the start of the Continental Tournament, the rankings of the competitors and bettors soon began to be updated, and points were awarded more frequently.


    Due to the lesser appeal of some of the tests to the general public, some of the tournament''s competitions were run concurrently, so it wasn''t uncommon to see multiple tests running simultaneously during the first few days of the tournament.


    The first few days of the tournament consisted of events that anyone could bet on, and there were fewer restrictions on who could actively participate in the competition.


    The first few contests were enough to captivate many of the event''s spectators, but they also guaranteed the first results for bettors of all backgrounds.


    Minos and his allies scored their first in the first two days of the competition, securing a good result for their bets, but very much under the radar.


    Most of the group''s bets were focused on the main events of the Continental Tournament, so while they were doing well, they were currently losing out on points to many others betting on this competition.


    At the same time as Minos''s group was gaining its first points, their competitors were beginning to show their skills, winning individual or collective challenges and obtaining important resources for people of their level.


    Sarah had participated in four tests in the first few days of the tournament, placing second in a comprehension and cultivation competition, first in a team resource fight, winning a strength test, and placing third in the race on the first day of the event.


    He had participated in fewer races but had already achieved his first notable accomplishment: a battle royale against low-level Sages!


    He had placed fifth in the other exam he had participated in. However, his result was still great, as he had contributed 100 points to Minos, something fantastic that was worth more than all of Sarah''s victories!


    As for the chosen ones from Sista and the Flowers Kingdom, they lost most of their contests, but together, they won three more victories for Minos'' group.


    "Yes, but the resources around the maze will pit competitors against each other." Kendrick pondered. "Also, it''s possible that competitors will try to throw opponents against traps to slow them down."


    "I know, but it''s more likely to happen further into the maze. There''s no point in wasting our energy once we enter this place." She said she was aware of the risks and how slippery humans could be. "We''ll have to watch out for other duos, but it''s more likely that our first opponent will be a trap."


    "Hmm, how will we find our way to the end of this maze? It''s not easy to complete this test in just 30 minutes. And after that, it will get harder and harder because we won''t be able to use the known paths to eliminate the wrong ones." He commented to his sister as the clock ticked down to 3 minutes to start this test.


    "I''ll work it out with my skill. I''ll have to familiarize myself with the area a bit, but I''m confident I''ll find our way in the next three hours." She said, thinking of her innate ability to control gravity.


    There was a critical detail in this test. At the top of the maze were arrays that made flight or spatial manipulation impossible, so there was no way to use these options to reach their destination.


    But inside the maze, one could use whatever other powers one had to try to make their way to its end.


    "Okay. So let''s go through the maze and get you to recognize the area as soon as possible." Kendrick said, not interested in the valuable items that might be lying around but worried about the traps they would have to overcome.


    As far as he knew, this was a test not suitable for those with cultivation below level 80. Since he was below that, he would have to worry twice as much about his upcoming journey!


    Finally, the remaining time until the start of this test was over, and the 50 entrances to the maze opened, making room for the 100 groups of Sages to rush in.


    No one wanted to fight once they entered the maze. Knowing that the corridors would change in less than 30 minutes, the competitors ran along the paths before them, eager to find the right one.


    Soon, the first would find the valuable resources scattered throughout the maze, while others would stumble upon the traps strategically placed throughout the area.


    Those who were less attentive or hurried would suffer a bit at the beginning of the test, as the first battles for resources began there.


    Everyone thought that when they entered the maze, they would just focus on getting to the end. But when they came across items as valuable as Saint-grade medicines, many couldn''t ignore them and fought to possess them!

 Chapter 2155 Problems in the Maze

    Chapter 2155 Problems in the Maze?


    2155 Problems in the Maze


    After some time since the start of the maze competition, Sarah and Kendrick encountered a number of traps along the way and failed on their first attempt within the first 30 minutes of the event.


    As they ran down a long corridor in the middle of the maze, Sarah felt something strange and made her brother stop moving just as the maze paths began to change.


    Everyone in the maze felt the same thing at that moment and stopped moving, paying attention to the changes in their surroundings.


    The long corridor Sarah and Kendrick were in suddenly shrank to half its length, with four new exits appearing in its vicinity.


    The same thing happened around the maze, with participants who thought they understood some of the paths available to them losing all their progress so far.


    "Shit!" A level 85 Sage shouted as he stood very close to the last piece of the maze.


    Now that all the paths had changed, there was a high probability that he would choose a path that would take him away from the end of the maze!


    Many others reacted the same way, while groups that had been fighting for resources found along the way were forced to stop and reconsider their options.


    "Fuck! The damn Saint-grade medicine that was here is gone!" A woman shouted as she noticed that the item that had caused her duo to fight with other competitors had disappeared with the change in the maze.


    None of the participants in the dispute had collected it. The medicine had been moved to another part of the maze, something that would happen every time the sentient being behind this place changed the shape of the maze.


    Meanwhile, other groups saw valuable items appear near their location, some preparing to fight immediately because of the witnesses in the area, while others had better luck getting things without their opponents noticing.


    Sarah and Kendrick saw a spatial ring appear in front of one of the new passages in their path and immediately looked at each other.


    "This contest is really interesting." She commented with a serious look on her face. "Even if we don''t look for trouble, trouble will come to us!"


    He was paying attention to the competition his wife was involved in, watching Kendrick and Sarah run through the maze corridors with excitement.


    "No! That''s the wrong way!" He muttered as he saw them running down an endless corridor that would lead them into a trap.


    Meanwhile, Minos was watching another group that was getting closer and closer to those two.


    ''It looks like those two are going to have a fight soon.'' Minos thought as he sensed that a meeting of duos in this maze could be very tense and easily lead to a conflict.


    Ruth and Isabella thought the same as they watched the area where Kendrick and Sarah were.


    They and everyone else following this race could see the maze from the top, from where they could see the ways out of the maze and also what was happening around the whole area.


    That was also the situation for the people watching the maze from the grandstands.


    While they were watching, Sarah and Kendrick fell into the trap at the end of the dead-end corridor they had been following.


    They were a little surprised by the trap. Still, with Sarah''s gravitational powers, they escaped the worst of it after acting almost instantly.


    That sent them running in the opposite direction, a path that would inevitably lead them to another duo following that dead end!


    After more than 50 minutes from the start of the test, Kendrick and Sarah finally encountered the first enemies in their path.


    ...


    Coming face to face with two Sages, one level 82 and the other level 84, Kendrick and Sarah stopped with their weapons in their hands and looked at the two in the same way they looked at them.


    "So? What do we do?" One of them asked after a few moments of absolute silence.

 Chapter 2156 Battle of the Children

    Chapter 2156 Battle of the Children?


    After identifying Minos Stuart''s children, the level 84 Sage asked. "So? What do we do?"


    His comment was directed not only at his companion but also at the two siblings in front of him, who had more or less the same doubts as these two Sages.


    To fight or not to fight.


    There weren''t any valuable resources around that would give them a better reason to fight, but knowing the identity of these two, the Sages couldn''t help but imagine that Kendrick and Sarah had great resources with them.


    Wasn''t finding these two there the same as finding something precious available to anyone with the strength to pick it up?


    The Continental Tournament was a fantastic event where the leaders of the organizations couldn''t take revenge for things that happened during the event. So even if Minos had been watching them, he couldn''t punish them if they decided to steal Sarah and Kendrick. Ne/w novel chapters are published at novelhall.com


    That gave the two Sages the confidence to think about winning more in this test than they might have been able to if they had simply ignored them.


    "Kendrick and Sarah Stuart, hand over your spatial rings." The level 82 said, sensing that the two young people in front of him were easy prey. "After that, we will let you continue your test without further problems. Just do as I ask, and we''ll clear the way for you."


    Sarah frowned as she made a serious expression. She hadn''t expected a mere level 82 Sage to threaten her like that.


    "You''re courageous to have the guts to say those words." Sarah opened her mouth while Kendrick had a dark expression on his face. "But I''m going to give you a chance. Hand over your spatial rings, and we''ll let you go."


    Hearing words similar to his own, the level 82 man laughed provocatively and said to his colleague. "It looks like we''re going to have to teach these inexperienced brats a lesson..."


    "Yeah, they must have grown up on their father''s wing and don''t know how the world works." The other said as he clenched one of his fists, not intending to go so far as to cause an uproar in the Stuart family but intending to humiliate and rob these two.


    "Kids, today I will teach you a valuable lesson!" This level 84 man drew his gun as he jumped at Sarah, intending to kill her first and then the "poor" level 77 spirit saint.


    Her natural power was ridiculously strong even though she didn''t have her father''s innate ability. Moreover, with the immortal energy she and Kendrick had absorbed over the years, they were naturally stronger than people of the same level.


    With only half a dozen moves, Sarah weakened her opponent considerably, making him howl in pain without being able to counterattack.


    "Aaaaaagh!"


    She wasn''t strong enough to defeat the level 84 Sage with a single attack. Still, after a dozen of her moves, the many spectators of this battle saw the fall of the second Sage, who had humiliated himself in front of Sarah and Kendrick.


    Kendrick had helped his sister finish off her second opponent before finally collecting the items in the spatial rings of the two now unconscious opponents.


    Without resources and wounded, these two would most likely not be able to continue their exams for at least the rest of the day.


    Meanwhile, the victors of this battle didn''t linger any longer than they should have and soon returned to their goal of finding the end of the maze.


    ...


    Meanwhile, the group of siblings watching the maze challenge celebrated Kendrick and Sarah''s victory, the two women and Rowan feeling thrilled to see the full abilities of these two.


    They were even happier for their older siblings because, unlike the rest of the family, they knew what it was like to grow up with the expectation of achieving their parents'' accomplishments while at the same time being considered worthless for having everything without having to work hard.


    Many believed they weren''t strong because they didn''t have to accomplish anything. That bothered them, so of course, it was good to see Kendrick and Sarah prove the opposite.


    ...


    At the same time, Minos was pleased with the outcome of his two eldest children''s fight, enjoying seeing how confident they were and how they were able to dominate higher-level opponents.


    ''These two will go far.'' He thought to himself with pride as he listened to his wives'' cheerful comments.

 Chapter 2157 Nearing the End of the Challenge

    Chapter 2157 Nearing the End of the Challenge


    Later that day, the maze event unfolded, with several couples giving up due to injuries sustained in fights with other competitors or traps along the way.


    The Continental Tournament was a strategy event. One had to know how to give up certain "points" in order not to lose the opportunity to gain more victories throughout the competition.


    Because of this, some competitors would simply prefer to give up on a difficult test after a few defeats in order to preserve themselves for later competitions.


    Thus, two hours into the event, only 56 of the original 100 duos remained in the maze, trying to find their way to the end.


    During this time, three groups had reached one of the 50 starting points of the maze event and were eliminated for leaving the maze in the wrong place. In addition to these eliminations, two of the duos had almost reached the end of the maze. Still, their progress had been delayed by the maze shape changes that occurred every 30 minutes.


    This change had moved those two groups further away from the exit, thus improving the chances of the remaining competitors in that area.


    With these and other preliminary results, the spectators and players were having fun, stopping winning or gaining points as the challenge progressed.


    Sarah and Kendrick were still in the maze, working their way to the end, having fought three battles and dealt with six traps in the last two hours.


    So far, they had collected four spatial rings and two resources that had previously been available to anyone.


    Of the three battles they had fought, they had won two and tied the last, failing to defeat a duo of two level 85 women.


    Fortunately, the opposing group had the same plans as them. After realizing that fighting between them would only lead to both sides losing, they each went their separate ways.


    And so the two of them continued on through the seemingly endless corridors of this maze!


    ...


    Maximillian and Merritt had arrived at the location of Minos'' group moments ago, both there to find Emperor Stuart to discuss important matters.


    They followed the tournament, but this event was also about negotiating future relations!


    Maximilian and Merritt were there for that.


    Minos said to them both. "Anything is possible. If I''m not mistaken, Sarah will finish the maze at the next shape change in this area. So if these two are just a little bit wrong, that will be enough."


    Merritt looked at Minos, a little annoyed that the young man hadn''t remembered the 5 level 99 Demigods from the temple when he chose Henry to advance to level 100.


    But after Julian, he was the least angry Demigod with Minos in this organization, and he knew how important this young man would be for the future.


    Merritt said. "Let us see if your sons are up to the challenge. But in the meantime, tell me what your plans are for the start of the war. What do you expect to happen when the aliens arrive in the Spiritual World?"


    Minos didn''t think long before answering. "I imagine that they will attack with great force from the beginning. I see a future in which half of our world''s forces will perish in a single day on the battlefields near the North Sea."


    Maximillian and Merritt looked at Minos more seriously as they listened.


    Minos continued. "The enemies will lose many of their own, but so will we. After this great battle, I believe we''ll have a few hours or days without other major battles of the same magnitude. The enemy forces will probably choose places to set up bases in our world before they begin to conquer territory after territory. Eventually, the war will have no focal point, and conflicts will be able to occur literally all over the world. From then on, we''ll have an accurate idea of our chances against them. In any case, the first day of the war will be chaotic and bloody. States will definitely fall on the second day of the war due to the death of their main leaders, supporters, and troops."


    He looked at Maximilian and said. "I also think some Gods will die on the first day of the war."


    Maximilian closed his eyes, having already thought the same as Minos. Even with all that the powers of the Spiritual World had done so far, they were still far behind in terms of technology, but also in terms of the number of high-level warriors.


    Even if they had the same number of Gods as the enemy, even for level 100 cultivators, the war would still be chaotic and dangerous. But with lower numbers, it was almost certain that Minos'' words would come true.


    "Do you think our chances are that bad? What could change that?" Maximilian asked.

 Chapter 2158 Strategy to Win

    Chapter 2158 Strategy to Win


    "It is hard to say. Considering the number of Gods alone, I''d say our chances of winning the war are less than 10%. But understand that winning the war doesn''t mean surviving. The Spiritual World may win, but we may all die in the war." Minos commented in a deep tone.


    Merritt and Maximillian understood very well that even if they won, a lot would be lost one way or the other.


    Minos continued. "But we can''t be sure of anything until we face them on the battlefield... However, there is an alternative to improve our chances."


    "What is that?" Merritt asked. "The Mechanic Empire is definitely a great conqueror of worlds, but it''s not the only civilization out there. Surely, there are others like this ruler of The Adamant Land. It must have rivals on the same level or even stronger". Minos replied with a twinkle in his eye.


    "Are you thinking of using one of these rivals against the Mechanic Empire to help us?" Maximilian quickly understood what Minos was thinking.


    "Yes, that would be ideal. I know it would be tough to achieve, and such a plan would bring danger to the Spiritual World. But if we could have a little more time to worry about a civilization capable of destroying us, that would be good enough." Minos replied. Ne?w chapters will be fully updated at novelhall.com


    Merritt thought about it. The strategy of using your enemy''s enemy was an old one. It usually resulted in negative consequences, but when it worked, it was quite useful in the short term, giving the weaker party some ''relief'' and often resulting in a lesser evil.


    "Yes, that would be ideal. I know it would be tough to achieve, and such a plan would bring danger to the Spiritual World. But if we could have a little more time to worry about a civilization capable of destroying us, that would be good enough." Minos replied.


    Merritt thought about it. The strategy of using your enemy''s enemy was an old one. It usually resulted in negative consequences, but when it worked, it was quite useful in the short term, giving the weaker party some ''relief'' and often resulting in a lesser evil.


    The level 99 old man said. "How would we reach the enemies of the Mechanic Empire?"


    "To do that, we would have to send a group of people to explore the universe. Specifically, such a group would use the wormhole built by our world''s own invaders and set out from The Adamant Land in search of answers." Minos said that was the only way to do it.


    "That would be dangerous. We would have to give up warriors, and they could take a long time to reach the enemies of The Adamant Land." Maximilian sighed.ilian said. "Get ready to use all your faith on the first day of the war. While you may not be able to defeat a God on your own, you will be able to temporarily help us against our main opponents.


    You might be able to help us defeat at least one of the enemy Gods, so don''t use this power indiscriminately, and be ready for my signal. I''ll talk to the other Gods about using their powers against the enemies.


    Minos clenched his fists, aware that he could do something with his power of faith but that he would be back to his normal self after a single attack.


    "We''ll help you get out of the main battlefield right away. But you must join us in the first attack." Maximillian said as he squeezed one of Minos'' shoulders.


    Merritt couldn''t feel the power of Minos'' faith like Maximilian could, but he knew how powerful faith could be. Hundreds of millions loved Emperor Stuart, so he did not doubt that the power this young man possessed was impressive.


    ''Unfortunately, we don''t have many people capable of absorbing the power of faith...'' Merritt closed his eyes as he thought about how rare cases like Minos'' were.


    If there were five people capable of gathering faith in this world today, that was a lot!


    Even though he was the leader of the Spiritual Church and a God, Maximilian himself had no power of faith since he had only recently appeared in the world and taken the position of the one who could use that power.


    By killing the man who was considered the leader of the faith of hundreds of millions, Maximilian had put himself in a situation where he could not absorb the power of faith gathered by the Spiritual Church.


    As for the other Gods, only Vico was said to have that power!


    The elves, Sky Whales, and dragons were not worshipped in significant numbers to gather such power, so only humans had a chance to use such power in the war that was about to begin.


    That was exactly why Maximilian was there to talk to Minos.


    "I''ll do my best," Minos said when he had finally finished the matter with these two experts and saw the labyrinth his children were in again.

 Chapter 2159: Near the End

    Chapter 2159: Near the End


    When the maze stopped changing, Sarah opened her eyes and called out to Kendrick. "I found the way!"


    With those words, she continued to use her ability to scan the maze''s surroundings, but soon, she was running through the newly formed corridors of the area.


    Kendrick felt his heart beat faster as he followed behind his sister, quickly ignoring many of the passages that would lead them into traps in favor of the correct path that would take them to the end of the maze.


    The right path had no traps. As for valuable items, they may or may not have. In the hours of the challenge, some contestants tried to decipher the maze using the logic that there were no valuable items on the correct path or that there were valuable items on the path you had to take to finish the exam.


    However, this varied with each change in the sentient plant, making it difficult to find the correct path to the end of the challenge using this information alone.


    Given the size of the maze, it would take Sarah and Kendrick just over a minute to travel 90% of the way to the exit.


    The Minos group saw this on the screens where they were watching the event, while the three siblings of these two young people felt that victory would be theirs.


    As the spectators of the event saw Kendrick and Sarah getting very close to the end of the test and noticed that she seemed to have found her way to the end of the maze, the two turned down a corridor and came across a duo standing in front of a place that had three paths, one leading to the exit of the maze, one to a trap and the last to a valuable resource.


    Sarah stopped running when she saw the two Sages standing there, one at level 84 and the other at level 86.


    Kendrick saw the duo standing in his way and noted the last problem they would have to face before reaching the end of this trial.


    ''Damn it, we had to find competitors here?'' He cursed his duo''s luck while trying to appear neutral.


    "You..." The level 86 man in front of Kendrick and Sarah looked at them and recognized them. "Crown Prince and First Princess of the Black Plain Empire." Sarah recognized this man, a member of an imperial family from the Divine Continent.


    "Prince Nathaniel and this must be your fiance?e, Annie," Sarah said as she walked a few feet away from them.


    ''They may already be at the end of the test and aware of it, but maybe they''ve been here since the labyrinth changed...'' Sarah thought, considering that the paths of this challenge had just changed. ''Maybe they don''t know. I have to make them choose the wrong path.''


    Kendrick sighed and asked. "Are we nearing the end of the challenge?"


    "Who knows..." The blonde woman there commented, not revealing what her duo knew.


    "What happens if someone completes the challenge?" Kendrick asked, looking first at the woman and then at Nathaniel.


    "I think the exam is over for everyone. Second or third place doesn''t matter, so the event should be over for everyone."


    Kendrick smiled when he heard that. "That''s good. It means we still have a chance."


    After those words, Sarah looked at her brother and said. "I''m not sure which way to go. All three seem to lead to different places."


    A glint appeared in Nathaniel''s eyes, and he thought that Sarah couldn''t see as far ahead as he could. ''That''s natural. Her cultivation is five levels below mine...'' He held back his smile so as not to show how confident he was. "So what do we do? We only have 20 seconds left to make a decision."


    "How about this? We''ll let you choose your way, and we''ll follow one of the other two. Then we''ll leave simultaneously, so there''s no mistake." Sarah suggested. The two Sages looked at each other and saw no problem with that.


    Nathaniel nodded as he positioned himself in the passage he had already chosen in the seconds since Sarah and Kendrick had arrived.


    Kendrick didn''t know how to go, so he looked at his sister in anticipation of her answer.


    Sarah had deliberately chosen the path that would lead them into a trap.


    "We''re going this way." She stopped in front of the passageway, nervous that Nathaniel had chosen the path to the precious resource.


    ''I''ll pretend to follow this path, and when we reach the first bend, we''ll stop and return here to finish the race.'' She thought, trying to control her heart so he wouldn''t give any hint of the crucial moment she was in.


    ''If Nathaniel isn''t planning to do the same thing to trick me, Kendrick and I will finish this challenge!''

 Chapter 2160: First Week of the Continental Tournament

    Chapter 2160: First Week of the Continental Tournament


    After Sarah''s decision, Nathaniel and his fiance?e positioned themselves at their chosen entrance while Kendrick prepared behind his sister.


    As soon as both sides were ready, they set out on their chosen paths, not hesitating to go first to show each other that they weren''t trying to deceive each other.


    Sarah planned to deceive Nathaniel because she knew what the right path was. She was afraid of choosing the right path and raising doubts in the minds of those cultivators that she and her brother were unlikely to win in battle. That''s why she preferred the path leading her into a trap. As for Nathaniel, he didn''t think about deceiving Sarah and Kendrick. He was really in doubt between the two paths and had chosen his option to investigate first. When he realized that Sarah had chosen one of the wrong paths, he was a little relieved and at the moment he ran, he only had in mind to go all the way and come back if it was the wrong one.


    If he were wrong, he would go back and take the right path in no more than three minutes. After that, the exam would be over!


    Thus, he moved forward without looking back, paying attention only to his front while watching out for traps and other competitors.


    ...


    Thirty seconds later...


    As Nathaniel and his fiance?e followed the path they had chosen, the maze walls began to move while the ceiling opened up.


    An elf''s majestic voice announced. "Kendrick Stuart and Sarah Stuart have completed the Maze Challenge. Congratulations to the winners."


    Nathaniel and Annie''s eyes widened as they looked around, quickly spotting the end of the maze where the two siblings had just arrived.


    "Those two..." Annie realized what had happened and looked at her fiance?, seeing the dark expression that had just formed on Nathaniel''s face.


    "Bastards!" He said in a low voice as he clenched his fists tightly, realizing that the red-haired woman had tricked him.


    Sarah realized she was being watched and smiled in victory, having done what she could to fool these two and take the victory for herself.


    He didn''t rule out the possibility of Sista winning the main bet. Minos might make a mistake, and since their bets weren''t identical, he might finish ahead of the Black Plain Empire.


    That made George doubly excited, as he felt that everyone would soon have their answers as to the winner of the competition.


    Hannan was more relaxed, already thinking about her return to the Flowers Kingdom, even though she was cheering for Minos. If Emperor Stuart could get one more god for the Spiritual World and the Black Plain Empire, she and her state would be fine.


    So they would soon pay a hefty sum to send their thoughts to the group preparing to participate in the Secret Hunt, the tournament''s main event, which took place in a Spatial Kingdom.


    ...


    On the leading platform of Elves Island in the city where the Continental Tournament was held, a spatial distortion stood in the middle of an area where more than 100,000 spectators were seated in the stands.


    On this platform, dozens of Spiritual Sages were waiting for the Secret Hunt to begin.


    Among them were Sarah, Kendrick, and the rest of their team, planning this final leg of their journey in the Spiritual World''s most prestigious competition.


    "My father has just sent us a message that reinforces his words at the beginning of the competition," Sarah informed the others as they lined up for the entrance to the Spatial Kingdom where the Secret Hunt would take place.


    "We must follow his plans to the letter and complete what we came here to do. If we succeed, we''ll all win valuable prizes to use when the war begins. He has personally promised everyone here armor developed from alien technologies."


    Hearing Sarah''s words, the people from Minos'' allied forces felt more motivated and ready to carry out Emperor Stuart''s wishes.


    Seeing that the group understood that they had to do their best to secure points for their father, Sarah smiled and said. "Do your best. We''ll meet again as winners in a few days!"


    With those words, they were soon on their way to participate in the Secret Hunt that was about to begin.

 Chapter 2161 Beginning of the Secret Hunt

    Chapter 2161 Beginning of the Secret Hunt


    When the Secret Hunt began, the participating groups soon made their way to the spatial distortion on this platform. The Spatial Kingdom where the Secret Hunt took place had a special entrance that gave access to it, but one had to be able to manipulate space to pass through that entrance. Without that, it would be impossible to enter that region of space and participate in the race.


    Once the event was underway, several Sages moved forward into the spatial distortion, manipulating the space in front of them and thus entering the Spatial Kingdom where the event would take place.


    Meanwhile, the arrays showing the interior of this Spatial Kingdom began to function, indicating the arrival of the first participants in the Secret Hunt.


    Sarah''s group began to move, each one passing through the distortion until it was the brothers'' turn.


    "Good luck. We''ll try to meet you inside it." Sarah said to Kendrick before disappearing in front of him.


    The entrance to the Spatial Kingdom from this event not only depended on the strength of those who tried to pass through it, but it also wouldn''t take you to the same place as the others.


    Each person who passed through this passage would arrive at different points in the Spatial Kingdom. Knowing this, Sarah''s group would try to meet there as soon as possible when they arrived.


    Kendrick clenched his fists and used his abilities to the limit of his strength, slicing through the space in front of him and opening a path into the Secret Hunt.


    As the audience watched the only Spiritual Saint in this competition enter the Spatial Kingdom, the crowd erupted with the first Spiritual Saint to accomplish such a feat in the history of the Continental Tournament!


    "Like father, like son," Vico said as he watched the tournament''s main event begin.


    The other Gods present had similar thoughts, while some of the high-ranking experts saw Minos'' position double with this simple event.


    "It seems that Emperor Stuart is betting on his son''s performance... Tsk! That shouldn''t be allowed. It''s quite obvious." Someone complained when they saw the change in the main rankings.


    "No one else bet on it, so the tournament organizers must have thought it would be tough to happen."


    "It doesn''t matter. Emperor Stuart bet on something obvious and won. That should be checked."


    Points would be scored in the first few minutes, with a lot of movement in the rankings that would determine the bettor who would receive the collective vision of the island''s high elves.


    Minos would pick up a few points and drop others, maintaining his position in 5th place at the start of the Secret Hunt.


    ...


    After the first day of the Secret Hunt, the lesser spectators still watched with excitement, enjoying the battles and adventures that many of them would find difficult to experience without risking their lives.


    Amidst all this, the most important specialists on Elves Island met for talks, negotiating agreements for the coming months or the distant future after the invasion.


    Some thought of a possible victory for the Spiritual World, while others thought more of a protracted war should the forces of that world survive the first few weeks after the invasion.


    For many experts, the fate of this world would be decided in the first month of the war against the native aliens of The Adamant Land.


    Basically, there were three possibilities:


    The end of the Spiritual World''s forces as soon as the enemy forces arrived.


    The victory of this planet was because of the possible weakness of the alien Gods compared to the Gods of this world, which could happen based on what the forces of this world knew from the aliens that Minos had fought in the North Sea.


    Neither side would win in the short term, and the war would last for months or years.


    The third possibility was the one that some thought would happen the most, so these individuals were looking for agreements for the months or years of war ahead.


    Minos would meet with some experts from the Spiritual World to discuss the matter and make new agreements, including food from his state to meet the needs of other areas of the planet.


    That would be the case for the next three days until the final part of the Continental Tournament gradually makes all the experts focus on the end of this very important competition!

 Chapter 2162 Final Days of the Tournament

    Chapter 2162 Final Days of the Tournament


    After the Secret Hunt began, many groups found themselves in the Spatial Kingdom, where the event was being held.


    Some people ran into problems before meeting their teammates, some participants were injured after battling beasts, and others had to withdraw from the challenge.


    Throughout the Continental Tournament, one would always have the option to quit. All they had to do was channel their energy into a crystal they received after registering. This device would save their lives in a moment of crisis and return them to a safe place on Elves Island.


    The downside of this device was that by using it, one would have to give up their participation in the tournament. Their previous scores would still count, but they could not participate in other competitions.


    Because of this, some people only used this device in extreme cases that could cause death in the various competitions that existed during this great event.


    Sarah''s group hadn''t suffered from this for a while. After the first two days of the Secret Hunt, everyone in the group had come together to act as a team.


    In the process, they had completed some of their missions, earning some points for their leaders, but not all of the points that were up for grabs.


    The event was really tough, with all kinds of threats and competition, just like in the real world. Losing a little was more than expected, so the group wasn''t desperate after the first few days of winning and losing.


    But some of the group members, like Sarah and Kendrick, were very happy with the whole development so far. For them, who rarely had the chance to fight and win important goals for their state, the whole experience had been fantastic.


    Even their defeats made them feel good since they weren''t usually competing against people who could defeat them.


    ...


    The Continental Tournament was nearing its end as the competitors entered the fourth day of the Secret Hunt.


    When would the event end? That could vary, but it depended on one thing¡ªthe bettors'' bets.


    The event ended when all bets had a result. If a bettor said that someone would conquer a resource, someone else would tame another animal, or a certain person else would advance in level, the event would only end when all those bets could be answered as hits or misses.


    It was simple. If someone said that competitor ''x'' would level up in the event and that competitor died or dropped out of the event before that happened, the bet would be a failure.


    The event was over when all the bets that could give points were answered.


    On the fourth day of the Secret Hunt, 30 bets remained to be answered, including four from Minos.


    At the same time, he had moved up the leaderboard and was currently in third place, just 10 points behind second place and 200 points behind first place.


    On the other hand, first place had two bets remaining, while second place only had one.


    The tournament had proven to be much more difficult to predict than Minos and his group had initially thought.


    Their competitors had actually achieved many of the things they had bet on. But other bettors and their competitors had also done well with their strategies to reach this final moment of the competition, where three people had a chance to win.


    Among them was Minos, one of the rulers of the Divine Continent and a Sky Whale.


    Faced with the reality of the powers with the greatest chance of winning first place, the audience, who could neither win nor lose with the outcome of the Continental Tournament, took their positions, with many cheering for the sovereign of the Divine Continent.


    The Black Plain Empire and the Sky Whale Tribe already had a lot of power and Gods on their side. It was time for the Divine Continent to get its first God of this generation!


    ...


    "Who would have thought that Minos would make it this far..." Wren commented to Merritt as she watched the end of the contest.


    Julian was also with the two elders and said. "This is not surprising. Minos is already as strong and influential as we are. For him, this is just the consecration of his powers."


    Merritt sighed, wondering what Minos would do if he won. "I hope he thinks of us when he wins. If there''s any Divine Medicine left to mature, I hope it goes to someone from our continent. Even though we were the strongest in the world for a long time, the situation is very different now. If we''re not careful, we might be the first continent to be wiped out by the aliens."


    The two high-ranking Demigods beside the old man swallowed their saliva at Merritt''s alarming words, but they were fully aware that it was all possible.


    "Don''t worry. If Minos is the winner and there is still a Divine Medicine in this world, he will definitely help the Divine Continent." Julian commented with an expression full of certainty. "In any case, with or without a God among us, our chances in the upcoming war will be bad. I hope I don''t embarrass myself in front of the elders."


    Wren and Merritt looked at the subject, the youngest among them on the Council of Elders of the Pantheon of Honor.


    The woman said. "Sigh, I say the same. Maybe we''ll all die very soon, but I hope to kill as many enemies as possible before falling.


    If possible, don''t stay near me when I have no chance of victory. I''ll sacrifice myself to take as many of them with me as I can."


    Merritt sighed, "Let''s not think about that yet. If we must die, so be it. We''ve lived long enough. It''s just a shame about the young people who are going to fight in this war. They''ve hardly had a chance to live."


    While these three were talking, the groups of individuals with a chance to win the main competition were fully focused on the matrices showing the event taking place inside the Spatial Kingdom.


    Important battles for the tournament outcome were taking place as each group watched their final bets unfold in real-time.


    In the next few hours, another group would increase their chances or not, while another might fall out of contention for the most valuable prize.


    Minos was at his VIP area with his children and his wives, watching Kendrick and Sarah''s performance, feeling the thrill of having something so important to him decided by his children.


    If they did badly, he would lose the chance to raise another Demigod to level 100 without attracting attention. Still, if they did well, the situation for his family and their state would improve considerably.


    Either way, the tournament would be over in the next few hours, and it would be time for everyone involved to worry about the last few years before the aliens arrived!

 Chapter 2163 End of the Continental Tournament (1)

    Chapter 2163 End of the Continental Tournament (1)


    After weeks on Elves Island, the time had finally come for Minos'' party to leave.


    After nearly two weeks of competition, the time had come to determine the ultimate winner of the tournament.


    Many groups of bettors and competitors had won many things, but the grand prize had yet to be decided. But just today, the last bet of Minos'' remaining competitor was decided, and only one bet remained to end the tournament.


    The Sky Whales group was in first place, while Minos'' group was in second place, with a difference of only 2 points!


    As long as they scored in the last bet, the Black Plain Empire group would win the main bet!


    Meanwhile, Sista was in fourth place, an excellent position considering that they weren''t even one of the top 15 powers in the Spiritual World.


    Fourth place in this ranking only carried a monetary prize, which was not as good as what everyone wanted to win in the main bet.


    And so the Continental Tournament came to an end as Sarah''s group completed the last mission given to them by Minos!


    ...


    Inside the Spatial Kingdom where the Secret Hunt was taking place, Sarah, Kendrick, and their four allies were on the run.


    They had just gathered a resource that Minos had ordered them to collect and were being chased not only by the local beasts but also by other competitors who were still in this space.


    That was the last day of the competition, so the number of competitors in this Spatial Kingdom had dropped a lot, currently standing at just 18 people, counting the 6 people from the group sent by Minos.


    Most of those participating in the Secret Hunt had given up or completed their missions and returned to Elves Island. Only the Sky Whale group and one of their allies were still there with Sarah''s team on their final mission to eliminate Minos'' group.


    The Sky Whale Tribe no longer had a chance to score in the event, but they could still prevent their competitors from scoring more points and taking their position!


    That was exactly what was happening right now as Sarah''s group moved through the magnificent Spatial Kingdom, trying to keep the item they had just collected in their possession.


    If they could hold on to it for another seven minutes, their mission would be complete, and the Black Plain Empire would be crowned the winner of the tournament''s main bet!


    "Die?" The whale laughed.


    He respected Kendrick. This young Crown Prince of the Black Plain Empire was very similar to Minos in many ways. But even if this young man were level 77 Emperor Stuart himself, he wouldn''t be a threat to this level 86 Sky Whale.


    "Try it, boy. If you can threaten my life, your victory will be just."


    Kendrick was already ready to fight. Upon hearing the whale''s words, he moved in front of his opponent and did something that only his father had demonstrated until that day.


    Chaotic Gravity: Black Hole!


    Devouring Art: Black Hole!


    He immediately fused his two main techniques, using some of the immortal energy in his body as the basic foundation for his fusion.


    As a result, a black hole many times more powerful than the one Minos was capable of at level 77 appeared in that normally stable spatial region.


    The moment Kendrick performed such a fusion, the whale that flew toward him to attack him suddenly felt his entire being tremble while the two beasts surrounding the young prince sensed terrible omens.


    Even the other participants who were fighting a short distance away noticed something terrifying in the direction of where Kendrick had acted while the spatial walls of this Spatial Kingdom trembled.


    "Fuck!"


    Not only the enemies of Sarah''s group said this, but also Kendrick''s own teammates in this Spatial Kingdom.


    Kendrick himself hadn''t expected such a powerful attack, and he felt a bleak sensation growing in front of him from that black hole.


    Meanwhile, the space of that cultivation shrine was distorting, as if the black hole was trying to swallow it up!


    Those closest to this phenomenon felt an enormous suction force trying to absorb them, and they immediately shifted their focus in fear.


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 Chapter 2164 End of the Continental Tournament (2)

    Chapter 2164 End of the Continental Tournament (2)


    Seeing what was happening in his organization''s Spatial Kingdom, Merritt got up from where he was sitting to watch the end of the event.


    He looked at Aurae, but the woman had already gotten up from where she was and left for that region of space.


    As much as Kendrick was only a level 77 Spiritual Saint, by pouring the immortal energy he had into his fusion, he had created something capable of threatening the integrity of that Spatial Kingdom!


    It wasn''t enough to destroy the entire Spatial Kingdom where the Secret Hunt was taking place. Still, it was enough to damage it to the point where the entire structure of that space could be thrown into chaos. That could endanger the lives of all living beings in that place and make it difficult for people to get in and out of there for a long time. Ne/w novel chapters are published at novelhall.com


    Fixing the Spatial Kingdoms wasn''t easy and would require the work of more than one God.


    Precisely because it was difficult, Spatial Kingdoms that were damaged were usually abandoned, as it was often easier to build new cultivation sanctuaries than to repair an existing space.


    Not only did Aurae move to prevent the worst, but Vico and Maximillian did the same, quickly appearing in the region of space where Kendrick had made his desperate attempt.


    But when they reached that place, the three Gods were surprised to find a fourth intruder there.


    "Minos!" Aurae shouted the name of the man standing next to Kendrick while the entire space around his son''s black hole seemed to stand still in time.


    The three Gods inside the Spatial Kingdom and those outside this region of space saw the figure of Minos appear to solve the problem. But only the three individuals who moved to solve the problem felt the power emanating from Emperor Stuart!


    "Let me fix it. I can completely undo what my son has done. Just give me a minute." Minos said without looking at the three of them.


    The three looked at each other and agreed, seeing that Minos was using the most mysterious power: Time!


    ''Has he mastered the laws of time?'' Aurae watched Minos attentively, somewhat impressed, as she felt that time around Kendrick and the black hole was running backward.


    Everyone fighting in the Spatial Kingdom a few moments ago had stopped and was now looking toward these top experts.


    Aurae listened to Emperor Stuart and agreed. "That is true. Minos didn''t favor his group. He just did what we wanted to do."


    The Sky Whale didn''t like that. "That can''t be. We''re going to end the competition like this and give him the points? The fight has been interrupted!"


    Minos said. "There are still 40 seconds left on my bet... I''ll get my points if Kendrick has the egg in 37 seconds."


    Everyone looked at the clock, which marked the time that Minos had bet that his group would be able to keep the beast egg that Sarah and company had stolen from a tribe in the Secret Hunt.


    "That''s true." Maximillian agreed as the old level 100 whale turned to look at his juniors at the event.


    He called out to them to deal with Kendrick, but the young heir of the Black Plain Empire had already started running the moment his father''s voice sounded.


    "Shit! The damn humans tricked us!" A level 87 Sky Whale shouted as he moved.


    With only 15 seconds left for Minos'' bet to pay off, there wasn''t much the group of enemies could do against Kendrick.


    He used his advantage to his advantage, using the surrounding terrain to evade his opponents. His allies joined in, giving him a chance to complete his father''s plans.


    After 15 seconds, Kendrick still had the beast''s egg, fulfilling his father''s mission and giving Minos the last remaining points to take first place.


    After a lot of hard work and an unexpected outcome, the competition finally came to an end, and Minos took first place in the competition''s main betting ladder.


    In this way, the Continental Tournament was finally over!

 Chapter 2165 Prize Time

    Chapter 2165 Prize Time


    With Minos'' victory in the Continental Tournament, the Sky Whales were furious that they had lost the grand prize at the last moment of the competition, potentially losing something worth a Divine Medicine.


    That was a lot to lose!


    The tribe''s God glared at Minos, blaming the young man for the outcome. But he wouldn''t move against Emperor Stuart today.


    All bettors and participants had to agree to the tournament rules before attending the event and participating in competitions or betting. Even if he was angry, he couldn''t go against his promises, or else he would be in serious trouble.


    He let out a loud ''huff'' and turned around, then left the Spatial Kingdom intending to leave the Elves Island and return to his own territory.


    Meanwhile, the others who were no longer in the dispute congratulated Minos on his victory and wished him good luck with his prize.


    The prize was a collective vision of the main elves of the area, something compelling and capable of finding precious items anywhere in this vast world.


    The collective vision of the elves wouldn''t be good enough to discover riches in Spatial Kingdoms. Still, anything that was free in the Spiritual World could be sensed by such a thing and indicated to the tournament winner.


    There was no guarantee that the place the elves indicated would contain anything like mature Divine Medicine nor that great dangers would not surround such a place. Upon hearing the words of the four remaining Gods, Minos thanked them and smiled with satisfaction at the thought that he could bring someone more powerful to his side.


    So he returned to Elves Island along with the rest of the experts who had gone to stop Kendrick''s fusion while the competitors were automatically teleported away from where the Secret Hunt had taken place.


    Some participants were still hot-tempered because their battles had been forcibly stopped, but no one caused unnecessary trouble. As soon as they reappeared on the platform surrounded by large stands full of spectators, the last few participants lost their fighting spirit. Ne/w novel chapters are published at novelhall.com


    "Congratulations on your victory, Black Plain Empire group." A level 88 Sky Whale said as he turned his back on Sarah''s group. "I hope you use your prize wisely. My tribe would do that if we were the winners."


    Coming upon what looked like an altar and several elves dressed as if preparing for a ritual, Minos greeted the elders there, the weakest being a level 97 Demigod and the strongest a level 99.


    "Elders, thank you for this opportunity." He said as the male and female elves looked at him.


    One of them came right to the point. "Your Majesty Minos Stuart, what will happen in the next few moments is quite simple. My team will do all the work. All you have to do is open your mind and relax.


    You''ll feel like you''ve fallen asleep as our powers take effect. Soon, you''ll find yourself in a dream. But this will not be an ordinary dream, but a vision. You must pay attention to every possible detail. That''s what will lead you to your prize."


    "Okay."


    "Don''t worry about the secrecy of the information you see. Only you will know what it is and where it is, as long as you keep it secret." Another elf explained. "We will only guide you to help you see it a little better. We won''t have any idea what it is or where to look."


    Minos nodded to indicate that he understood.


    "When you''re ready, sit in a lotus position in the marked area and do as recommended." An old man of level 99 told Minos as he showed him where to sit.


    Following the advice of the elves, Minos soon closed his eyes in his position, almost as if he was going to start meditating.


    But he didn''t. On the contrary, he used his powers to ''open up'' to what the elders of the Elves Tribe were about to do while relaxing the muscles in his entire body.


    With Minos in his position, the high-ranking elders of this tribe looked at each other and began to act, each of them sitting down in their appropriate places before beginning to unleash their powers.


    Lines of energy and strange inscriptions appeared in the surroundings, quickly connecting to Minos as the powers of these elves seemed to merge perfectly.


    Amid this, Minos felt what he had just heard and gradually felt as if he was falling asleep.

 Chapter 2166 Vision Out of Control

    Chapter 2166 Vision Out of Control?


    As Minos slipped into a drowsy state, his eyes moving rapidly and his body muscles twitching, the elves around him watched him carefully as they went about their work.


    What happened there did not depend solely on the power of the seers involved. The seers merely directed the vision that the tournament winner would have to show him something of great value for free in this world.


    But every other aspect of the vision of the winner of the Continental Tournament depended very much on the individual characteristics of the person having the experience.


    Since Minos was very unusual, some of the elves were curious about where this prize would take Emperor Stuart.


    ''I look forward to the beginning of the war.'' Thought one of them. ''I want to see what His Majesty Minos Stuart will present differently... It will probably have something to do with this vision.''


    Others were curious about the same thing, looking forward to seeing Minos in action at the beginning of the war. Still, others simply hoped that whatever it was, it would help the Spiritual World.


    Amid the elves'' thoughts, Minos gradually found himself in a different place, a place not even he, who had traveled the world and had the memories of Henricus Longus, could recognize at first.


    ''This place...'' He thought as he saw an area of black earth that stretched for miles as if that was all there was to the world.


    This place was utterly flat at first glance, perhaps indicating the presence of intelligent beings in the area.


    But as he tried to walk around, Minos noticed that he was walking much slower than he should have, something strange.


    Usually, visions or illusions didn''t have the power to make their target feel this way. A mind''s limitations were usually associated with itself. If there wasn''t something else involved to justify the ''suppression,'' then it wasn''t logical for one to feel like Emperor Stuart felt now.


    ''That...'' He winced as he looked down at himself.


    But as he did so, he saw the giant shadow that had been covering him grow smaller and smaller, drawing his attention to the sky.


    As he looked up, he saw what looked like a giant spherical rock falling towards where he was standing.


    A level 99 elf, so weakened that he seemed to have lost half his life force, took a deep breath and said. "I don''t know what kind of technique you''ve cultivated, but this is really out of this world. We lost control of your vision six months ago when the Continental Tournament ended. Fortunately, you woke up before some of us perished due to the great exhaustion of our energy!"


    "What?" Minos exclaimed in shock, feeling as if only a few seconds had passed for him. But six full months had passed.


    While he was surprised, the still-conscious elves were relieved that he had finally awakened. Strangely enough, the ritual they had performed since the beginning of the Continental Tournament behaved strangely for the first time.


    Not only had the vision of the tournament champion lasted much longer than it should have, but somehow, Minos had forced all the elders to keep using their powers to keep the vision going, even after some of them had used up all their energy and lost consciousness.


    If Minos hadn''t finally woken up, those elders would have started to die in the next few days!


    The situation had gotten out of hand, and Aurae was there to monitor everything. When she saw Minos wake up, she appeared inside the altar where he was getting up.


    "What happened? Can you tell me what you saw? I promise that I will never reveal this information to anyone." Aurae said slightly nervously as Minos'' eyes turned to her.


    Minos tried to figure it out for himself, aware that something was calling him somewhere far away from where he was now, but not knowing exactly what it was.


    He mixed the truth with a little lie. "I saw the end of the world. I saw my prize, but also something I didn''t expect."


    Minos shuddered at the thought of what he had felt while Aurae realized it.


    Something that could make someone like Minos tremble couldn''t be easy!


    "I see..." She clenched her fists, imagining that the end of the world was about the fate of the world. "What will you do now?"


    "I need to return to my state and take care of some things. After that, I''ll try to get my prize and then prepare for the war."


    "Sigh... Do that." Since nothing worse had happened, she let him go, thinking it would be best to let Minos finish his plans for the war that was already a few years away from starting!

 Chapter 2167 Back to the Empire

    Chapter 2167 Back to the Empire?


    After leaving Aurae and the other elves, Minos returned to the city where the Continental Tournament had taken place.


    After months, his party was still waiting for him, so it was time for him to reunite with his children and wives and finally return to the Black Plain Empire.


    It would only take him a few minutes to cross the area between his current location and the city where his family still resided.


    Arriving there, he went to the building that had been assigned to his group. He noticed that the surrounding area was tranquil.


    But that was to be expected. After all, the tournament had been over for months, and almost all of the participating groups had already returned to their states to make final preparations for the arrival of the aliens.


    Even some who had been interested to see what Minos would do after receiving his prize gave up after the second month, feeling that something was wrong and that it might not be worth the wait.


    Only Julian and Callie had stayed with the group that had come with Minos from the Black Plain Empire.


    ...


    Arriving at the place where his family was, Minos found Julian and Callie waiting for him.


    "You''re still here, huh?" He said, surprising the two, who were already starting to worry.


    Callie looked at Minos, and a smile broke out on her face. "So?" She asked with great trepidation, wondering if she would really get the chance to reach level 100.


    Julian looked at Minos silently and gave the young man room to speak.


    Minos said. "You will accompany me to the Black Plain Empire. I''ll see what I can do, and if I succeed, I''ll give you the chance to do what we agreed."


    "If you succeed?" Julian wondered what kind of problems Minos had in mind.


    In other situations, there would be a lot of competition against Minos for this prize, and there would definitely be high-profile fights.


    But in the middle of the Ice Age, with the day of the aliens'' arrival drawing nearer, few would risk themselves against him. So maybe Minos had another problem in mind, something that worried Julian.


    Gloria had already congratulated Sarah on her accomplishments in that competition, while the rest of the family who had remained in the Black Plain Empire took the opportunity to talk to the two young people.


    Everyone was very proud of Sarah and Kendrick''s performance.


    Many had doubted Minos'' words decades ago when he said he wouldn''t enter the Continental Tournament as a competitor because he wanted to be a gamble and train his children to compete.


    But his words proved more accurate than even the most optimistic of his men at the time hoped.


    With that in mind, some of the top men couldn''t help but see Kendrick and Sarah differently, while they even saw Hollie, Rowan, and Lily differently.


    ''Hollie has the same ability as His Imperial Majesty and His Highness. She''ll probably become as strong as them in the future.'' Dillian thought, imagining that the Stuart family would have another member capable of using the black hole and Minos'' techniques on the same level as him.


    Hollie had an innate ability similar to her father''s, even more compatible with Minos than Kendrick.


    As for Lily and Rowan, Lily had the most different innate power of anyone in her family, Flaming Titan, a variant ability derived from the powers of Minos and Isabella.


    Rowan had inherited the ability that was a mixture of Ruth''s and Maisie''s abilities. This ability made his body so strong that his mere presence was enough to intimidate people of his level, and a look from him could knock out weak-minded people. His regeneration was as fast as his mother''s, which made him a born warrior.


    Maisie and Oswald looked at Rowan and saw the heir to their abilities in this young man.


    ''Unfortunately, this young man won''t be able to fight in the coming war. He could make a great difference on the battlefield if he were already a Spiritual Sage.'' Oswald thought to himself, aware of the power of an heir to his abilities.


    Cases like Rowan''s were not uncommon. Children could often inherit the powers of anyone in the family.


    Anyway, soon, all the crew members of the empire spaceship went their separate ways. Callie was led to where she could wait for Minos, and he went to his palace to talk to the most important people.


    He wanted to talk to the core of his family about all that had happened, get some rest, go to the Spatial Kingdom to analyze his people''s progress, and then search for what he felt was his calling.


    He only intended to deliver Callie''s Divine Medicine after all that to disguise the fact that it came from his Spatial Kingdom.


    Anyway, he would soon continue with these plans and let his family know what had happened in the last few months and what he intended to do from now on.


    Now, there wasn''t much time left, and it was time for all the specialists of the empire to concentrate on getting as strong as possible for the arrival of the aliens!

 Chapter 2168 Destination Found

    Chapter 2168 Destination Found?


    Upon his return to Dry City, Minos rested for only a week. During that time, he caught up on everything he had experienced on Elves Island, including what he had done before the start of the Continental Tournament.


    During these days, he also returned to his Spatial Kingdom to check on his groups'' progress and to help a number of individuals undergo qualitative evolution through immortal energy.


    The empire''s technological progress was very advanced, having improved dramatically since the addition of Voyager to its studies and experiments.


    The Black Plain Empire was still far behind the Mechanic Empire in many respects. Still, Minos'' group was gradually developing armor, weapons, and other artifacts similar to those of the aliens from The Adamant Land.


    Meanwhile, the experiments with the immortal energy techniques developed based on the methods of the Ancient Folk were going well, and the special battalion created to test such techniques after Minos was much stronger than it had been months ago.


    New problems had arisen, causing the group to improve their methods even more.


    Finally, Willow and Aarav were approaching the most important moment of their meditations, both very close to reaching level 100.


    From what Minos had seen in his Spatial Kingdom, they should advance in another year at most, and their advances should be very close together, a sign of their advanced age.


    That reassured Minos but also Henry, who was still serving as the Spatial Kingdom''s ''gatekeeper'' at the Black Plain Army''s new headquarters.


    Minos had been talking to Henry during those days, informing the God of what had happened at the Continental Tournament but also of Emperor Stuart''s current plans and how much longer he would be stuck in his position as ''Gatekeeper.''


    And so the day came for Minos to leave his state once again!


    ...


    After leaving his family in Dry City and instructing everyone to go to the Spatial Kingdom to cultivate as soon as possible, Minos went to the thing that was calling him.


    ''I feel like I''m getting closer to the place that''s calling me.'' Minos thought as he looked southwest. ''That must be at the bottom of the sea... I''ll probably have to dig up the seabed to get to it.''


    But as he thought about where exactly the thing calling him was, he couldn''t help but wonder what it was all about.


    The images he had seen in his vision were not clear. He didn''t think the vision had shown him the future but the past. But that was beyond reason. After all, the elves would never try to show the past to the winner of the Continental Tournament.


    So he wasn''t quite sure that the vision was about the past, about Panvuter. His previous thought connected the vision with that great ancient world because that made sense to him. But other things made him doubt it, which only confused him.


    The fact that he didn''t know what was calling him and what he would find also bothered him.


    In any case, he had learned that this world hid deeper stories than anyone could imagine. He honestly didn''t doubt anything else and was just curious to know what this vision would give him.


    The vision had obviously escaped the control of the elves, but it served to find something of great value. Minos still believed he would find such a thing, so he was more excited than worried.


    "Time to move on." After finishing his meal, something he didn''t need at his level but which he used to recover the energy he had used during his journey.


    It was also frigid all over the Spiritual World now, so eating something warm was very pleasant for people like Minos.


    When he finished eating and decided to continue his journey, he put a new layer of warm clothes on his body before he set off in a southeasterly direction, gradually lowering his altitude.


    As he had expected, the place he was heading for was at the bottom of the sea, which he would soon enter, even considering the icy waters that would try to freeze him.


    In a few more days of travel, Minos would arrive at the place where he would have to dig not far from a great spiritual root.


    Where would that lead him? He didn''t know, but he was about to find out!

 Chapter 2169 Prehistoric Egg

    Chapter 2169 Prehistoric Egg


    After Minos started digging into the seabed, he took his time, breaking huge boulders in his path. His goal was to reach the underground of this area, where he believed his object of interest lay.


    He would have to be careful with his digging, as there were several roots on the surface of the seabed due to the presence of the great spirit root in that area.


    Even amid the Ice Age, the spiritual roots still had extreme properties that would cause anyone careless enough to touch them to catch fire from the high temperature of the root''s branches or even explode from the immense amount of spiritual energy inside.


    But Minos had virtually perfect control over his abilities because he also had a very powerful body, both because of his inheritance from the Dragon God and his Divine-grade Physique.


    While using his Soul Avatar, Minos gradually approached something that would far surpass the value of a Divine Medicine.


    As he gave one of his last sword strokes to open the path before him, Minos saw a light source coming from the deepest part of the place he had excavated.


    Not only that, but he felt a distinct energy emanating from the depths of the area and suddenly spreading to the entire surroundings as if an expert had just appeared there.


    Minos made his last move to remove the remaining layer of rock and sand from above his object of interest.


    However, as he did so, he saw and felt the spiritual root of this area move against him while a branch of the root partially enveloped what looked like a large orange-golden egg.


    "Oh?" Minos opened his mouth as he saw the lava-colored branches of that spiritual root chasing after him as if he were the supreme enemy of that living being.


    Spiritual roots were living beings. No one knew for sure whether they were rational or not, but it was a fact that these subterranean organisms were alive.


    But when he saw and felt the movement of that root, Minos realized that it was acting rationally to prevent him from taking that egg full of immortal energy and natural laws condensed within it. Ne/w novel chapters are published at novelhall.com


    With it in his possession, Minos had no reason to stay in the area and soon began his escape to the surface of the sea, where the spiritual root attacking him could never reach him.


    Spiritual roots had several weaknesses. One of them was that they couldn''t move very far from where they lived underground. That meant that anyone who had the problem Minos had today would only have to fly into the sky or onto the surface of the sea to escape the reach of one of them.


    Minos had stored the large egg in one of his spatial rings, so it was easy for him to move and get out of reach of this unexpected enemy.


    Seconds after moving, he reached the sea''s surface, where he changed his clothes and tried to warm up a bit from the freezing climate of the surroundings.


    But he didn''t decide to return to the Black Plain Empire right away. It would take him weeks to make his way back to his capital, but his curiosity about what he had just collected was too great.


    He searched for an uninhabited floating island in that sea area and soon began to fly towards it at high speed.


    After a few minutes, he would land on a relatively quiet and small island where there were no living creatures other than himself.


    There, he would summon the large egg from his space ring to investigate the true value of this prehistoric remnant.


    When he used his glowing eyes, he would notice some important characteristics of that being when it was still alive, clues from the past, but also a possibility within his grasp.


    He had grown up a lot in the past few years and had come into contact with many innovative technologies and information that could shake the Spiritual World.


    Considering all this, some possibilities that would be laughable to others didn''t seem so impossible to the current Minos.


    Finally, thinking about how advantageous it would be for him to be alive, Minos came up with the absurd idea of turning back time for this rest until he came back to life!


    With this in mind, he would spend the next two months using his power over time to try to somehow alter the ancient egg he had found buried at the bottom of the sea!

 Chapter 2170 Three Years

    Chapter 2170 Three Years


    After two months of working hard to bring the egg back to life, Minos made some progress, reversing more than 2,000 years in the egg''s time.


    Unfortunately, he would have to undo a few million years to get the egg back to the way it was when it still had a metabolism.


    At that rate, it would take him more than a thousand years to achieve what he thought was necessary to return the egg to a living state, something completely beyond his means.


    Minos was only in his second century of life. How could he commit to something that would cost him more than 10 centuries of hard work?


    That means he wouldn''t just have to put the egg aside for 10 centuries. He would have to give up his cultivation and focus solely on reversing the egg''s time by more than a thousand years to get any results!


    That wasn''t too bad considering that his life expectancy was currently much longer than 20,000 years, but it was a totally impossible mission, considering that in 5 or 6 years, aliens would invade this world, and their strongest enemies would be interested in his head.


    It was possible that Minos would eventually get stronger and achieve a better time conversion, but until then, it would also take a long time for him to focus on the egg at the moment.


    With these discoveries over these two months, Minos finally gave up what he had been doing this morning, concluding that it would be better to leave the egg project for the future.


    But these two months were by no means wasted. Not only had he learned more about the limits of his ability to control time, but he had also noticed many peculiarities about Panvuter through this egg.


    The egg wasn''t like the giant skeletons that littered the Spiritual World. It was much more like the corpse of Fah''um of Dunov than the giant skeletons corroded by time. Ne/w novel chapters are published at novelhall.com


    But even compared to that great corpse, which made Minos'' entire spatial realm evolve, this egg seemed to have immortal energy and natural laws that were much more accessible than the corpse.


    Minos realized this during his time working on the egg and came to the conclusion that since this egg had not formed a body and consciousness before its death, it had stored energy and natural laws in a way that was much easier for someone to absorb such essences!


    With this in mind, Minos felt he could use this egg instead of the giant skeletons to feed his people for the next few years before the aliens arrived.


    The Black Plain Empire was the only one still researching how to make better items, using Voyager primarily for their research.


    However, the empire had already begun mass production of many artifacts to prepare the army''s soldiers for the time when they would have to protect the Stuart Family''s territory.


    Meanwhile, the Empire''s strongest was in the Spatial Kingdom of Minos, where Willow was finishing her level 100 advance!


    After years of hard work, Willow was about to become a god, the third to reach that level in the Spatial Kingdom of Minos.


    A month ago, Aarav had completed his advancement and replaced Henry in the new headquarters of the Black Plain Army shortly after shocking the world alongside Minos. No one expected new gods to appear, so Aarav''s appearance at level 100 surprised and delighted many people.


    Many were also shocked by Minos'' real power, but with practically 4 Gods deeply connected to him, he managed to continue in his position without risking his Spatial Kingdom in the meantime.


    Anyway, just like that, Willow left Minos'' Spatial Kingdom this afternoon, full of energy and vitality after overcoming her bottleneck and undergoing the potentially life-saving change that had previously come very close to ending her life.


    ...


    "Thank you, Minos; I''ll never forget the opportunity you gave me," Willow said to Emperor Stuart as she appeared next to him at the exit of the Spatial Kingdom in the area of the former Dry City.


    Ali Aarav immediately approached them and congratulated her for being the first human of this generation to reach the 11th stage.


    Minos looked at Willow and said. "Now you''ll have to join forces with Henry and Aarav to take care of the entrance to the Spatial Kingdom. I don''t care how you do your splitting. Just make sure there is a God here 100% of the time."


    The two Gods looked at each other, indicating they would discuss it later.


    "What now?" Willow asked. "What happened while I was in seclusion? How much time do we have before the war?"

 Chapter 2171 Plans for War

    Chapter 2171 Plans for War


    Listening to Willow, Minos, and Aarav sighed, for the time of the enemies'' arrival was near. The 30-year deadline given by the alien hostages was very close.


    Minos said. "In a year or two, the aliens could arrive in our world at any moment. That''s how long we have to finish our preparations."


    Willow hadn''t expected to finish her advance with so little time left before the enemies arrived. "That''s it?" She opened her mouth as her expression turned ugly with worry.


    "Look on the bright side. We currently have eight Gods in the Spiritual World, and a level 99 Demigod is working on her advancement to level 100. In another five years, she might succeed, and then we''ll have a new expert to count on." Aarav commented.


    "Eight Gods is a much better number than I thought we''d have at the beginning of the war," Minos said. "Still, this woman in your Spatial Kingdom may not have any allies when she succeeds... We could die in the time she needs to advance." Willow said in an apprehensive tone.


    "There is nothing we can do. We''ve done our best, and there''s no more time to create new Gods. Now all we can do is produce on a large scale what my group has developed over the years and pray that the enemies don''t come at us in full force." Minos said, trying to show Queen Sista they didn''t have much to do now.


    She looked at him and sighed. "What about you? Will you get to level 92 before the enemies come?"


    Minos is currently at level 91, but his cultivation is almost at its peak.


    "Yes, I think I will. I only left the Spatial Kingdom this time because it was time to gather the power of faith in my empire. It happened to be close to the breakthrough of both of you, so I wasn''t in seclusion." Minos explained. "But now that you''re both at level 100, I''ll do what I need to do quickly and then go into seclusion. I should advance in no more than a year and a half, enough to be at your side when the war begins."


    "I see... Sigh! Everything seems to have happened on the brink." The level 100 blonde muttered. "But I hope you will succeed in your advance quickly.


    "All right. I''ll do that." She said before disappearing to the south of the continent.


    Aarav was left alone with Minos, not doubting Willow would follow Emperor Stuart''s plans.


    As strange as it might seem for the forces of a state to leave their territory and population ''unprotected'' in the war they were about to get involved in, it made a lot of sense to follow Minos'' strategy.


    Just as a stick alone could be weak, a single state could easily perish in the face of enemies. So Minos and his other allies wanted to fight a big battle on the first day of the war to deal a significant blow to the alien forces.


    The population around the Spiritual World would not be in great danger at the beginning of the war. Only after the end of the war''s first major battle would there be risks to the populations around the planet. But even these risks would be small and worthwhile if they could deal a deadly blow to the enemy forces.


    But if the war developed into a more protracted scenario, with the various parties involved fighting for months or years, then this strategy wouldn''t be of much use. It would be time for the forces to split up to protect their main areas.


    Minos'' group already had a plan for this, as they had already taken in many people from their allied states and also built shelters in allied territories. They had also defined the role of each warrior associated with them, from the weakest of the Spiritual Sages to the three Gods deeply connected to Emperor Stuart.


    Minos intended to use Aarav as a bargaining chip to protect the Divine Continent in exchange for high-ranking Demigods from that continent''s forces. Meanwhile, he would have Henry protect the Western Empire, Lusmait, and Sista, while Willow would stay with the Black Plain Empire.


    If necessary, Henry and Willow could move quickly between those territories.


    As such, neither of their partners was too concerned about leaving their territories unprotected for the time being, and soon Minos was on his way, leaving Aarav at this post in the old Yellow City.

 Chapter 2172 Moderate Reaction

    Chapter 2172 Moderate Reaction?


    After leaving the Black Plain Army headquarters, Minos quickly made his way to his faith-gathering items, heading for the first of the four points in his territory where the faith-gathering idols were located.


    His first destination was the capital, Dry City, where the seat of government was still located.


    He arrived at his capital within seconds of leaving his army headquarters through one of the state''s wormhole ports.


    As he made his way to the seat of government, Minos felt the auras of his wives, who had left their seclusion a month and a half ago and were currently in Dry City.


    They had all advanced to level 90 in the last seclusion, having taken a few days away from the Spatial Kingdom to attend to some state affairs while Minos prepared to return to his seclusion.


    Either way, he was the only one who had a chance to advance between now and the arrival of the enemies in the Spiritual World. So even if they didn''t return to their seclusion, it wouldn''t make any difference to them.


    But they would soon return to the Spatial Kingdom with Minos, as they wanted to train their new characteristics from the changes brought about by their husband.


    Minos had made them go through the evolution of talent with immortal energy and start practicing techniques based on immortal cultivation.


    In addition, they had to train with their new armor and weapons based on alien technologies. Ne?ww chapters will be fully updated at novelhall.com


    Anyway, he ignored his wives, who were between the temple of the Spiritual Church and the imperial palace, and then went to the place where he could gather the faith around the Dry City.


    He met his grandfather, Oswald, who was on guard duty there that day.


    "Minos." Oswald, currently at level 88, said as he looked at his grandson.


    He was very proud of Minos, so he smiled whenever he met the brown-haired young man, even now in such a difficult time.


    "Old man, it looks like you''ll have a chance to reach level 89 by the time we leave. Take the opportunity to go to the Spatial Kingdom as soon as possible." Minos said as he walked past his grandfather.


    Minos might never reach level 100, so he could no longer be considered the greatest competitor for the victorious survivors of the war.


    That was what Minos wanted to do with the promotion of four new Gods!


    Maximilian then said. "Send my congratulations to Willow Sista and strengthen our friendship with the Black Plain Empire. Tell them that I look forward to meeting the majesties of these two states on the battlefield to face the invaders."


    The whale left, leaving the level 100 black-haired man alone.


    ''The beginning of the war may be different from what we all imagined. I will investigate the enemy forces in the first battle and try to eliminate as many targets as possible. But if the Spiritual World can''t win, I''ll have to follow a better strategy for me...'' He imagined the possible conspiracies that could take place in the next few years.


    He wanted to fight however he could to beat the aliens, if that was possible. After all, winning the war and eventually invading the Mechanic Empire could be very valuable for him, one of the eight strongest individuals in the Spiritual World.


    The spoils of war would be divided among the surviving Gods, which made winning the war very attractive to any level 100 cultivator in the Spiritual World.


    But if it wasn''t possible to win, Maximilian already had alternative plans in mind!


    ...


    The other Gods of the Spiritual World reacted to the appearance of a new God in more or less the same way as Maximilian, sending their congratulations and wishing to fight side by side with the new level 100 cultivator.


    No one wanted to move to Willow or Minos. At present, there was no way for anyone to start cultivating to reach level 100, and the chances of anyone else cultivating in Emperor Stuart''s Spatial Kingdom were very slim.


    Even if there were, it wouldn''t change anything, so all the powers in the world were just waiting for the war to start, and they didn''t think about pressuring Minos for his wealth.


    Thus, even after two level 99 Demigods had advanced to level 100 within a few weeks, Minos wouldn''t have to deal with any external pressure in his way.


    He would quickly gather all the power of faith and then return to his Spatial Kingdom to cultivate until he leveled up!

 Chapter 2173 The Remaining Time of the Spiritual World

    Chapter 2173 The Remaining Time of the Spiritual World


    More than a year passed since Willow''s level-up.


    It was a period without much action in the Spiritual World, with everyone focusing almost entirely on the North Sea.


    The thirty years the aliens had promised were practically over, and now the aliens could arrive on the planet at any moment.


    As such, the most powerful forces on the planet had already stationed their key specialists near the North Sea, and the eight Gods had already moved to the site of the enemies'' arrival.


    While the strongest watched the North Sea, waiting for the war to begin, the weakest around the Spiritual World waited for news from that area. Everyone was waiting for the war to begin and to see how the forces of this planet would fare against the Mechanic Empire. Most people no longer had the spirit to meditate in seclusion, so each day, everyone focused on the methods they had to discover the situation.


    Since there were forces in the spirit world that were famous for reporting highly relevant information, it wasn''t difficult to get this information. As long as one subscribed to newspapers, one could receive news of what was happening with a delay of a few days at most.


    Thus, even those unconnected with the powers in the North Sea had a way of knowing what was going on, and anxious conversations were taking place all over the world. Ne/w novel chapters are published at novelhall.com


    That was true for the Central Continent, the Divine Continent, underwater societies, and land beasts worldwide.


    Even powerful and talented elves couldn''t help but focus on the information coming and going.


    War was coming. In a few days or months, the entire reality known to the living beings of this world would change in one way or another!


    ...


    While the Spiritual World was experiencing its dilemma, the situation in the Mechanic Empire, in The Adamant Land, was quite different.


    On that day, the forces of the empire began to gather in the state''s largest cities, answering a call from the Emperor himself.


    Amidst this, the Mechanic Emperor descended from the Temple of the Gods with his troops.


    "Chaos, you''ve done a good job finishing the universal wormhole." He said as he came face to face with his empire''s God of Space.


    "Your Majesty flatters me. I only used the minimum of my abilities. When we reach the Spiritual World, I will show you what I''m really capable of." Chaos said in a neutral tone but full of confidence.


    The Mechanic Emperor smiled from beneath his mask. "Come on. We''re still a few weeks away from facing the forces of this world."


    So the Mechanic Emperor''s group left his state, heading for the Spiritual World with more than 50,000 warriors between levels 80 and 89 and 16 Gods, 8 of them robots and 8 biological beings native to The Adamant Land.


    "Minos, we''ll meet in person soon." Thought the empire leader as he boarded his spaceship with the other 15 Gods.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the Spatial Kingdom of Minos, in the Spiritual World...


    Crack!


    Suddenly, a distinctive sound emerged from the depths of Minos'' body, signaling the moment he and the people around him had been waiting for.


    When he reached level 92, it would be time for all those who would participate in the war of the worlds in any way to leave this space and return to the Central Continent.


    Just then, Minos made his breakthrough, reaching level 92 after months of seclusion since he last left the Spatial Kingdom!


    Now, there wasn''t much time left for the war to begin!

 Chapter 2174 Time to Go

    Chapter 2174 Time to Go


    After stabilizing his cultivation at level 92, he felt a sense of unprecedented power in his body, and he noticed how much his immortal energy had increased since the beginning of the seclusion he had just completed.


    Not only had it improved, but with the increase in level, he could feel that he could control his faith power better and more easily, and he also felt a deeper connection with the wing tattoo on one of his hands.


    When he opened his eyes after meditating, he looked at his hands and imagined how powerful he would be using his abilities.


    I believe I can fight and defeat a level 99 Demigod even without using my fusions. It would be difficult to kill someone like that without fusions, but I would definitely win.? He thought to himself.


    `However, if I use the supreme weapon and other of my fusions, I can definitely deal with the strongest below level 100. As for my power of faith and what that seraph left me, I don''t know how much I could really do with those abilities.`


    Thinking this, Minos stood up when he saw the people approaching him.


    "Congratulations on your breakthrough, Minos. What now? What do we do now?" Isabella asked him as his wives and children surrounded him.


    "Now it''s time to act." Minos looked at the other people in the Spatial Kingdom. "Time to go, everyone. Pack up everything you brought here and get ready to leave. The pre-war seclusion is over. Time to move and wait for the enemies to arrive."


    Everyone stood still for a few moments, already aware that this was about to happen, but still, they couldn''t help but remain silent, thinking about the crucial moment they were in.


    Many of them could die in a very short time!


    Even if they didn''t die, they could still suffer significant changes in their lives, which was enough for everyone to think about the idea of going to war.


    Preparing the battlefield where we will receive the damned of the Mechanic Empire is the best thing we can do now."


    As they listened to Minos'' voice, the people there sighed, thinking about their last move before the end of world peace.


    "The time has finally come." Forrest, currently at level 96, said as he looked at Minos, eager to go to the battlefield.


    His motivations had changed over the years, from surviving Maximillian or Vico to now having to deal with the aliens. He still hated Maximilian and wanted to see him die one day. But now he knew how much he needed the current leader of the Spiritual Church.


    Meanwhile, Dillian could only sigh. He would stay behind to deal with the Empire but sincerely wished he could fight alongside Minos. Unfortunately, he was only a doctor.


    "I didn''t expect this day to come so soon." He commented to his wife as he watched Minos talking to high-ranking allies. "I remember the day we left the City of the Setting Sun. He had barely begun his cultivation at that time."


    "Time was really short. If we had another 30 years, we wouldn''t be so worried. Minos would have defeated his enemies on his own." Eda commented as she looked at Abby, remembering the time when she was the woman''s bodyguard.


    Back then, Eda would have been amazed if Abby had become a Spiritual King. But now, the blue-haired woman was at level 90, and Eda couldn''t help but worry about the Empress'' life.


    Minos said to everyone. "From now on, we''re under a state of emergency. Use martial law to make the state last as long as possible. I don''t know if I will return from the battlefield; I might die, or I might have to continue with the infiltration plan. So be prepared.


    This may be goodbye." Gulp!


    Elena approached Minos with a sigh. "If this is goodbye, then so be it. We''ve had a great life. If we''re going to die, let it be fighting the damn enemies."


    Comments like these continued until it was time for the capital''s forces to split up, with a small group staying behind to protect the city and the strongest going to the North Sea.

 Chapter 2175 Siege of the North Sea

    Chapter 2175 Siege of the North Sea


    After a few days, the troops of the Black Plain Empire arrived at the place where they and their allies had agreed to siege the North Sea.


    The allies of Minos'' group were naturally surprised to see more than 30 spaceships arrive at the location, accompanied by 40 high-level warships.


    Each of these ships had many soldiers between levels 80 and 97, while only a few of them had people above that level.


    Among those with such people, Minos'' spaceship was the most notable of all, containing him, his allies, and his most important family members.


    "Your Majesty Minos Stuart, welcome to the battlefield!" A high-ranking elf shouted from his ship when he saw the ship Minos was standing in a little ahead of the others.


    Minos'' hologram appeared in front of the ship, and he asked. "How is the schedule for this post? Have all the allies arrived?"


    "With your group, we have 65% of the promised specialists for this area. But we have news that the other groups are already on their way and should arrive in the next few days." The elf commented, imagining that they would all show up.


    "Good! The aliens could arrive at any moment, so be ready." Minos said to the elf. "Anyway, I''ll go ahead with my group. Good luck in the battles ahead."


    "Good luck to your group as well." Said the elf leader of this post, already knowing that Minos and his group would meet at the main location of the first confrontation with the aliens, where the exit from the enemies'' universal wormhole was. There had been signs of where the aliens would arrive for days. Thus, the main forces of the global coalition, including the eight Gods, were focused on the area where the enemy base had previously been. Ne?ww chapters will be fully updated at novelhall.com


    Minos was already expected in that area, so he and his group soon left in the spaceship, taking an uneven route full of detours due to the intense weather in the area.


    After a few minutes, his ship arrived at the remaining island in the area where he had detonated a black hole bomb about 30 years ago.


    There were a dozen ships and five spaceships from forces that had obtained the technology for these vehicles through the Black Plain Empire''s development of such means of transportation.


    Only Demigods and Gods were in the area, including Willow, Henry, and Aarav, who were already there to join the decisive battle ahead.


    Several people in the area looked at Julian, the members of the Pantheon of Honor not knowing if he had been right or wrong not to choose one of them.


    Vico liked what he heard and said. "This is good. Callie has a strong ice power. She''ll be powerful when she reaches level 100 in the middle of the Ice Age."


    Those who knew Callie''s name thought the same thing and felt that this had been a hit by Minos.


    "Sigh... Too bad she might not get the chance to fight alongside our group." Willow commented in a pessimistic tone. But everyone there knew their chances and that it would be complicated for them to survive the enemy''s advance without heavy losses.


    It was almost sure that some Gods there would die after the great battle they expected to happen!


    As strong as Callie could be in the middle of the Ice Age, having her only in the future wasn''t the best scenario. The best thing would be for her to be there now, combining her unusual powers with those of the other eight Gods.


    "Well, at least we have someone who can be the light at the end of the tunnel in four years," Merritt said in a low tone but not so pessimistic.


    For someone who had not reached level 100 and was at the end of his life, he did not fear death as much as some of the Gods there.


    "Anyway, it''s good that you contributed like this, Minos," Aurae commented. "With another God, our chances will be better." "Yes, I hope so. Anyway, I wanted to discuss our strategy with you. I have a few cards up my sleeve that might help us a little. But after I use them, I''ll have to retire from the battlefield.


    I may have to follow a certain strategy I''ve already discussed with some of you."


    Wren asked. "Are you talking about the plan to infiltrate The Adamant Land and seek allies among the enemies of the Mechanic Empire?"


    "Yes. After the initial battle, I would be unprotected, and the enemies would certainly try to kill me. If enough strong enemies are left to threaten me, then I''ll have no choice but to do so.


    I can only promise you that I will try my best to hurt the enemies as quickly as possible. But I can''t guarantee anything. The enemies will certainly leave the Gods in their state, so I''ll have to be careful over there.


    It might take me a few years to get help."

 Chapter 2176 Last Days Before the War

    Chapter 2176 Last Days Before the War?


    2176 Last Days Before the War


    Maximilian listened to Minos'' words, imagining that this young man alone would not be enough.


    "We must think about sending one of us with him if we have the chance. As important as it is to defend the Spiritual World, if we split the enemy between a war here and in The Adamant Land, we can defeat them more easily."


    Aarav agreed. "That makes sense. I propose that we keep this in mind. When Minos begins his escape, one of us who manages to accompany him on his escape will join him in this infiltration of the Mechanic Empire."


    The level 100 people simultaneously agreed, unsure that they would succeed but determined to go ahead with the plan.


    "What about that thing?" The level 100 dragon pointed to the robot among Minos'' people.


    Minos looked at Voyage and said. "Well, I managed to revive it. I haven''t mastered the enemy technology enough to replicate the alien robots. For that, we need a special essence that is difficult to obtain with our methods in the Spiritual World.


    However, perhaps that will change with my trip to The Adamant Land."


    "But can you trust it?" Julian asked.


    "I am not sure," Minos answered sincerely. "It''s very possible that it''ll get out of my control once it''s face-to-face with the Mechanic Emperor. He created that robot, and he''s a God. So I can''t compete with him."


    Everyone looked at each other, thinking that they had an enemy in their midst.


    "But don''t worry," Minos said. "I have a device on him that will destroy it if it turns against me. Besides, it is no threat to any of us on its own. The real threat will be whoever comes to the side of the Mechanic Emperor."


    This was a fact. The Mechanic Emperor was bringing a battalion to dominate the Spiritual World. A single robot that could fight ordinary level 95 Demigods wasn''t much of a problem for these people, most of whom were above level 97.


    So, the first days of the group there would pass, more specialists would arrive for the start of the war, and little by little, the control over the area would become stronger.


    In the meantime, the group would learn some methods that Minos had taught them to use when the aliens arrived.


    Minos had also prepared the group with information about the kind of movement he planned to make alongside his women, which had led several experts to learn about Ruth and Abby''s abilities.


    Because of Abby''s fusion, several people had gone to their states to collect the corpses of high-level specialists so that she could summon them to the battlefield at the beginning of the war.


    Abby''s ability was very threatening and extreme, something that had shocked even the Gods who didn''t know about her fusion.


    But now, no one could stand against her. Something like her fusion could be crucial in front of the aliens!


    As for Ruth, her ability to recover and heal could save the lives of many cultivators like Minos. Thus, her value was in no way inferior to Abby''s, even though the scale of their powers was completely different.


    Gloria and Isabella were powerful at their own level, but they couldn''t compare to those two in terms of what they could do to change the fate of the war.


    In any case, the group of the strongest in the Spiritual World adapted to Minos'' ideas, accepting that they had to make room for him and his group to act, thus giving everyone some advantage at the beginning of the war.


    After that, it would be time for Minos to go ahead with the escape plan, something everyone believed had to happen since it would be difficult for their side to eliminate the strongest enemies in the first battle.


    ...


    While the Spiritual World was preparing for the decisive moment, the aliens who would come to this planet were flying through the universal wormhole, a few days away from their destination!


    Being very close to their goal, everyone in this large group was ready to brutalize the forces of the Spiritual World that stood in their way!


    And so the alien invasion of the Spiritual World was about to begin!

 Chapter 2177 Arrival of the Aliens

    Chapter 2177 Arrival of the Aliens


    A few more days passed, and the forces of the Spiritual World were already fully focused on the North Sea, with all those who had promised to join the first battle of the war already in that maritime area.


    The whole world lived in anticipation of the start of the war, with those who feared their own end contemplating the possibility of surrender if the worst came to pass.


    Those who still believed in surrender were just as nervous as those who believed the world had to fight the aliens with everything it had until the last hope. For those who wanted to surrender, the forces of this world moving in to fight would only make their situation more difficult later on.


    So, of course, everyone who thought about surrendering nervously watched the news in their respective regions, waiting for the sign of the changing times.


    As soon as the news of the aliens coming to the world was announced, it would be time for each side to move!


    This day was closer than anyone expected!


    Just this afternoon, the universal wormhole showed signs of change!


    That was the arrival of the aliens from The Adamant Land in the Spiritual World!


    ...


    In the central area of the North Sea, warships and spaceships were circling the area where the distortion of the universal wormhole was.


    The Gods, the strongest Demigods, Minos, and his wives were flying around, not far from where the spatial distortion had been vibrating violently for the past 30 minutes.


    Everyone in the area could sense that the arrival of the enemies was imminent, as they had already been in their respective positions for the past few weeks.


    If one were to observe closely, one would see many unusual things in this area. For example, many coffins were scattered around the only island in the area, while several sea beast corpses were floating in the sea nearby.


    At the same time, some distance away from the universal wormhole, there were cannons and many men dressed in special armor that made them look like robots, surrounding the area in front of the ships and spaceships.


    "Mechanical Emperor," Minos said as he looked at the being in front of his enemies, feeling an aura that he found difficult to quantify.


    To put it simply, the aura of the Mechanical Emperor was even stronger than the aura of the strongest God in the Spiritual World, the level 100 Sky Whale!


    All eight Gods of the Spiritual World realized this simultaneously as they stared at this being in astonishment.


    Not only did the Mechanical Emperor seem to have infinitely more strength than they thought such a being would have, but all the other seven biological Gods seemed to be strong as well.


    That was completely different from what they had expected because the beings of the Mechanic Empire that were previously in the North Sea were too weak for their level. The powers of this world had considered the possibility that the alien Gods might be like that.


    However, the reality was quite different from the expectations of those people. Not only did the biological Gods there seem much stronger, but the artificial Gods there didn''t seem easy either, even though they seemed weaker than the biological Gods.


    ''We''re screwed!'' Aarav thought as he broke into a cold sweat.


    "Minos Stuart." The Mechanical Emperor looked at Minos and then at the Voyager, standing among the members of the Black Plain Empire.


    The alien leader looked at the spaceships with the golden tree symbols and understood what had happened. ''Damn you, Minos. You used one of my subjects to develop yourself... It''s too bad for you that I''m here. Otherwise, things would have been different.''


    The Mechanical Emperor raised a finger, and Voyager immediately knelt in the air, recognizing his true master.


    "Forces of the Spiritual World, I''ll only give you one chance." The Mechanical Emperor began his speech of dominance. "Surrender to me. I am willing to take all of you here into my domain, with the exception of Minos Stuart.


    The population of this world is of no interest to us, so we will cleanse this planet from north to south and east to west. But the strongest of you are welcome in my realm.


    Don''t worry, I''ll allow you to bring 10 people with you. You won''t have to leave everything and everyone behind."


    "Tsk!" Aurae stepped forward and said. "Is the Mechanical Emperor afraid? If you can easily overpower us, do it by fighting. There''s no point in negotiating with us if you''re not afraid!"

 Chapter 2178 The Beginning of the War

    Chapter 2178 The Beginning of the War?


    "Oh?" This being looked at the beautiful woman with blonde hair, green skin, and pointed ears. "Scared of you? I alone can handle half of you. What I want is to easily resolve the situation in this world and gain some powerful subordinates." He pointed to the man next to him, the God of Space of his state.


    "This one is Chaos. He was once a member of my enemy forces, a native of a planet I dominated. He saw that he was on the wrong side of history and joined my group. Many years have passed since then, and he has never regretted his decision.


    Today, he is a respected member of the Temple of the Gods, someone who could build a universal wormhole himself if he had the time."


    Chaos opened his mouth and said. "Forces of the Spiritual World, do not resist. You will only needlessly suffer if you do.


    Join us and be on the side of the strongest man in the universe."


    Minos laughed when he heard this. "The strongest in the universe? I doubt that very much."


    As Minos spoke, his level was already at level 94, while a special aura surrounded his entire body. "Mechanical Emperor, stop talking. Today, we''ll see if you have what it takes to rule the Spiritual World!"


    When Minos said that, his wives and the Gods in his group did the same, all agreeing that this being had to show that he was capable of mastering the Spiritual World to say all that and still have subordinates call him the strongest in the universe.


    Even Maximilian, who had some alternative plans in mind, wouldn''t accept mere words to change his position. Everyone there wanted to fight to the limit to be sure of their chances and potential gains.


    So when Minos moved, they all acted together, some of them initiating the attacks against the enemies, while others acted together with Emperor Stuart''s wives.


    The enemies didn''t know their strategies and underestimated those who weren''t Gods or Minos. Then Abby quickly sprang into action, demonstrating her fusion almost simultaneously with Minos forming the Divine Sword.


    "Godslayer? Tsk! Let''s see if your weapon can really kill Gods!" One of the Gods from the alien group moved against Minos, while the level 100 robots began to fly toward the Gods of the Spiritual World.


    The Mechanical Emperor didn''t move at first, looking at Minos as he sensed a unique power coming from this guy''s body.


    He then looked at his tribe''s level 100 ''junior.'' "Kid, I don''t have much time. Help this old man here."


    "It would be an honor, elder." The still-alive level 100 dragon shouted as he flew alongside his ancestor.


    Meanwhile, the newly alive elf looked at the Mechanical Emperor as he stopped next to Aurae.


    "Who knew we''d end up like this? And in the end, I was revived by that woman''s skill." He looked in Abby''s direction, feeling the mark of the Goddess of Life on Abby''s young body.


    "Forget the past, ancestor. Now, the Spiritual World is in trouble. Please help us neutralize at least one of the enemy Gods in the short time you''ll have between us."


    Abby was only at level 90. Even if Minos used his power to raise her to the peak of level 91, she could only hold off the level 97 and 98 beings for 5 minutes at most. As for those at level 99, they could last a little less than 3 minutes.


    The three Gods had a maximum of 50 seconds before her fusion lost its effect on their corpses!


    Aware of this, the three Gods resurrected for this battle moved, the dragon teaming up with the other level 100 dragon, the elf teaming up with Aurae and the phoenix with Vico.


    Maximillian, Willow, Henry, and Aarav moved against the alien biological Gods, leaving the artificial Gods for Minos and the level 100 Sky Whale to deal with.


    Meanwhile, the other aliens in the other spaceships that had already come out of the wormhole left their spaceships halfway through while the rest of Minos'' allies began to move.


    Thus began the great battle that would decide the fate of the Spiritual World as both sides moved to destroy their opponents.


    The Mechanical Emperor moved to dodge his opponents and headed toward his main target, who grew stronger as he moved.


    "Minos! I''m going to kill you today!" He shouted as Emperor Stuart began to demonstrate higher and higher abilities, drawing more and more of the power of faith from his millions of worshippers.


    "Mechanical Emperor, you may be the one who dies today!" Minos said as he used the Godslayer to launch increasingly dangerous attacks for level 100 individuals.

 Chapter 2179 Power of Faith at its Limit

    Chapter 2179 Power of Faith at its Limit


    As Minos attacked the enemy Gods closest to him, including the Mechanical Emperor himself, the aliens and Gods of the Spiritual World gradually realized that his power of faith increased his fighting ability.


    Minos couldn''t fight against the Gods with his powers, using only his fusion and immortal energy. He could undoubtedly impress level 100 cultivators with his overall abilities. Still, he didn''t have enough to make them fear him immediately.


    However, as he used his power of faith, his strength increased steadily. With every move he made, he became more dangerous and more like a level 100 warrior.


    The Mechanical Emperor, the strongest in this battleground in the core of the North Sea, realized this when he dodged one of the blades slashing at him, sensing Minos'' danger.


    Minos'' threatening words to the Mechanical Emperor were not entirely unfounded! If this divine being, the leader of the Mechanical Empire, wasn''t careful, he really could be seriously injured!


    "Wretch!" The Mechanical Emperor shouted as he realized why some of his experts had said decades ago that if Minos reached the 10th stage, the Mechanic Empire''s victory in this war of domination would have very little chance of happening.


    He became more serious and increased the immortal energy he used in this place, causing several mechanical items to appear around him to attack Emperor Stuart.


    Minos continued to fly around the area, dodging the many attacks that flew back and forth in this area where 27 Gods and at least 90 level 99 Demigods were currently fighting.


    The battle had just begun, but the area was already showing extreme signs, as the sea near this island had already dropped more than 50 meters from its level while the space around it was cracking.


    With such powerful beings fighting over there, there was no way that this part of the Spiritual World wouldn''t suffer!


    Minos and everyone else ignored this, knowing that this was the price of battle.


    The level 100 Sky Whale moved through the air, transforming its humanoid body into its bestial version, causing a large shadow to appear over the area.


    It then attacked three of the level 100 robots chasing it, for it was the strongest of the native Gods of the Spiritual World.


    Then, as the Mechanical Emperor ordered these beings to focus on Minos, two level 99 men appeared next to Emperor Stuart.


    "Do what it takes to reach your maximum. We''ll give you all the time you need." One of the two said.


    Meanwhile, everyone on the battlefield saw the bodies of those two glowing with the same golden light as Minos, both of them being the other natives of this world capable of using the power of faith.


    They did not use the same faith as Minos but absorbed the powers of their own followers.


    As such, even without Minos'' qualities, they were both fully capable of directly engaging in the battle of the level 100 cultivators!


    Minos immediately focused his attention on completing his power increase with the energy of his millions of followers while at the same time helping his wives increase their power through his innate ability and the Devouring Art.


    "Damn humans! You will all die now!" The Mechanical Emperor formed a gigantic mechanical arm and didn''t hesitate to attack the two level 99 insects that stood in his way.


    "Die!"


    He attacked them simultaneously as the three level 100 robots closest to Minos helped to deal with the two level 99 Demigods.


    The two Demigods didn''t try to hit back at the 4 Gods attacking them. They just raised their defenses to the maximum, knowing Minos'' move was the most important.


    Minos'' power of faith was stronger than theirs, and Emperor Stuart had several cards up his sleeve that could give him an advantage if he were the one to attack with the intention of killing these enemy Gods.


    So they held off their opponents'' moves for only 10 seconds when Minos finally reached his peak of power, just as they were about to be completely exhausted.


    "Time for a God to die!" Minos said as he began the third movement of the Divine Sword!

 Chapter 2180 The Death of the First Gods

    Chapter 2180 The Death of the First Gods


    When Minos finished accumulating as much faith as his body could handle and used the most powerful move of the Divine Sword, the enemies immediately realized the danger this person posed.


    "He can''t be allowed to live!" Chaos shouted as he moved away from the enemies trying to deal with him. He wanted to join the Mechanical Emperor''s efforts to kill Minos!


    One of the level 100 women of the Mechanic Empire agreed, feeling that Minos was threatening enough even for their leader.


    ''If he hits His Majesty, we might lose our leader.'' One of the robots thought to himself, moving closer to the Mechanical Emperor as the man began to run away from Minos'' blades that were chasing him.


    "That boy really is a monster." The skeletal elf commented to Aurae as he felt Minos'' cultivation pressure, which was now as strong as that of level 97 Demigods. But even though this pressure was lower than that of level 100 cultivators, it was still enough to hurt Gods seriously!


    That was impressive!


    "Hahahaha, as expected from someone who has the aura of my race!" The level 100 skeleton dragon shouted in satisfaction as he saw practically all of the enemy Gods trying to get close to Minos'' target.


    Not only were the enemies moving, but Minos'' allies were doing the same, but with the intention of thwarting the plans of these alien Gods.


    "Let''s seize the moment and kill the bastards!" Shouted the level 100 phoenix engulfed in black flames.


    Minos quickly came up with the 5th attack of this Divine Sword move, causing more and more deadly blades to fly around in search of the Mechanical Emperor''s head.


    Vico attacked one of the many Gods trying to help the enemy leader. Still, he couldn''t help but be shocked by the power of this move, which Minos had used to win a bet against him years ago.


    ''He can do all this while using his power of faith?'' Vico thought to himself as he imagined the level of combat Minos would have if he had the chance to reach level 100.


    ''This is the kind of monster we need right now!'' Aurae thought to herself as she attacked her opponents, ignoring the Demigods'' battles on the island''s outskirts, which were already completely destroyed by the powers of the many high-level fighters battling in the area.


    Enemy and allied ships attacked each other, hitting each other with their nearly identical cannons. At the same time, soldiers on both sides fought battles that would go down in the history of this world.


    Minos felt the fatigue and pain in his body nagging at him after he had done as much as he could with his power of faith while Ruth was already using her ability to make him recover as quickly as possible.


    He swallowed a couple of recovery pills himself, noticing that two Gods had died.


    ''Shit!'' He didn''t like what he witnessed when he saw that the Mechanical Emperor survived such an attack with hardly any injuries.


    On the other hand, the Mechanical Emperor looked at Minos angrily since he had to sacrifice two of his level 100 robots to survive the previous attack.


    In addition to these two dead robots, the third level 100 robot was severely injured, losing one of its arms and one of its legs.


    It was still alive and was eventually able to fully recover. However, this could not be done during a battle, let alone in such a short time.


    Thus, Minos'' attack hadn''t "only" killed two Gods, it had incapacitated three level 100 beings!


    The Mechanical Emperor swallowed his hatred and moved against Minos, causing a number of metal swords to appear in the air and fly toward Emperor Stuart''s vital points.


    At that moment, Willow, Aarav, and Henry appeared around Minos. At the same time, the other Gods took advantage of their enemies'' weakness to attack them even harder.


    "Die, you damn robot!" The Dragon God, reborn from Abby''s fusion, shouted as he attacked the robot wounded by Minos, taking the opportunity to launch a suicide attack.


    He and the others had less than 10 seconds to produce results, so not only this dragon but also the elf and the level 100 phoenix were going after the weakest or weakened opponents in the area.


    "Tsk! That shouldn''t have happened!" A level 100 woman from the alien group shouted as she glared hatefully at Minos and then at the women who had his scent in this area.


    Then she moved through the space, heading towards the group of women, especially the blue-haired one.


    "Feel this, Minos Stuart!" She shouted as she used her special power while laser beams shot out of her eyes with the intention of burning Abby''s body in half.

 Chapter 2181 Minos’ Last Trump

    Chapter 2181 Minos'' Last Trump


    The moment the level 100 alien woman attacked Abby, Gloria and Isabella teamed up to defend their harem sister, joining forces to create barriers between the enemy and Abby.


    In an instant, a barrier of flames and another of mercury appeared in front of Abby, while Isabella and Gloria used the maximum of their level 91 abilities to at least deflect the enemy''s attack.


    "Tsk! Nonsense!" The level 100 woman muttered as she continued to attack, quickly destroying the defenses of the two women.


    Pow!


    As she did so, the woman felt someone kick her in the head and could barely turn around to see what it was. In a flash, Aarav''s right foot smashed into her head, knocking her away from Abby and company.


    "You should back off now!" Aarav shouted as they had already done what they were supposed to do. Now, they could no longer fight most of the opponents in the area, so it was much better for everyone if they left.


    Minos watched from a distance and realized what had just happened. ''Shit! That bastard almost killed Abby, Gloria, and Isabella!'' He shivered with concern and flew towards the three of them to send them to the Spactial Kingdom.


    The Mechanical Emperor saw this and changed his expression, seeing a way to weaken Minos and end the battle quickly.


    ''Let''s kill these women!'' He shouted to all his allies who were fighting nearby, making them look toward the two red-haired women and the blue-haired woman.


    ''If we kill them, Minos will put himself in danger, and we can eliminate him before he causes us any more trouble.'' The Mechanical Emperor said in his mental communication with the others. ''Once he''s dead, there will be no more danger to our domination of this planet!''


    Abby, Isabella, and Gloria despaired as they realized their situation. The two redheads were exhausted from defending Abby for only a few milliseconds, while the Empress of the Black Plain Empire was exhausted because of her fusion.


    They then flew towards Minos as he flew towards them to send them to the Spatial Kingdom.


    In the midst of this, two robot Gods and two biological Gods from the Mechanic Empire moved toward these women, attacking them as if they were their main targets.


    Seven of the eleven Gods of the Spiritual World were busy dealing with six alien Gods, leaving only four to protect those women and Minos, who was very weak now.


    "Shit! That isn''t going according to plan!" Vico moved to Willow''s side to protect the low-level Demigods in the enemy Gods'' sights.


    "What the hell?" One of the Gods who was fending off the suicidal attacks of the Gods summoned by Abby, about to disappear, asked himself, feeling something that he was sure was even stronger than the attack that had killed two Gods moments ago.


    Meanwhile, the Mechanical Emperor''s expression changed as even the robots at the bottom of the sea fighting the level 100 Sky Whale realized the enormous danger that had just appeared.


    "It can''t be..."


    "Where did he get this?"


    Minos clenched both hands on the staff and poured in all the energy circulating in his body, following his instincts to use what the previous seraph had given him.


    He looked at Chaos and focused mainly on this enemy God.


    As Minos moved, his speed surpassed that of anyone else in the area, and he instantly appeared behind the man.


    His wings moved, and as he attacked Chaos'' back with the staff in his hands, the man panicked, suddenly feeling that he could no longer manipulate space to escape.


    "Shit!" Chaos shouted, but that was all.


    After being hit by that staff, his body glowed intensely for a moment before imploding, causing no disturbance to the environment, only releasing a large amount of energy and laws into the environment.


    With a single touch of this weapon, Minos killed one of the strongest Gods on this battlefield!


    Then, everyone stared at Minos in shock.


    But just at that critical moment, he heard a faint voice calling out to him.


    "Minos..."


    Looking at Isabella, Minos'' expression changed utterly from the hatred to fear.

 Chapter 2182 Death

    Chapter 2182 Death


    Looking at Isabella, Minos saw the woman''s internal organs appear as her aura rapidly weakened from Chaos'' attack.


    Chaos was dead, but before he died, he had torn the space inside Isabella''s body, resulting in her body being split in half between her groin and neck!


    She had narrowly missed having her head split into two vertical halves and almost died without a chance to say goodbye.


    But even though she was still conscious, her situation was dire. With a large part of her body destroyed by Chaos, her chances of survival in the next few seconds were less than 0.01%!


    The other women of Minos saw this and turned pale as they approached her, sensing that the worst was about to happen.


    "Isabella..." Minos felt as if his heart had stopped beating for a moment, and he didn''t know what to do.


    "Attack!" The Mechanical Emperor shouted, fearing that Minos would kill more of them now that his wife was mortally wounded.


    There was no way Isabella could be cured of what she had just suffered! Minos would surely enter a Berserk state in the next few moments, which would be terrible for the entire alien group.


    Before that, the aliens had to ensure his death in the short time they had with Minos in shock and vulnerable to them.


    Those who could escape their opponents moved against Minos, concentrating all their strength on killing him in what might be their last chance.


    Isabella saw this as she fell from her position and gradually lost consciousness.


    She said with difficulty. "Do not waste your time. Kill the enemies and protect our daughter. I have no regrets, my love."


    She closed her eyes, and tears flowed from them as Minos began to manipulate time over her body.


    She felt worse about how he would feel after today than the fact that she could no longer live.


    "I''m the one who''s sorry. Unfortunately, I won''t be able to stay by your side... But I don''t want you to change, Minos. You shouldn''t change your ways or take any more risks. Just think of me from time to time. If there is an afterlife, I hope to see you again."


    He cried like a child when he heard that and hugged her tightly as if that could prevent her from leaving this world.


    But his mental technique had its limits, and with Isabella''s death, he wouldn''t be able to stay by her side for long.


    Soon, the minutes in this illusion would end, and he would open his eyes back on the battlefield one second after using the Infinite Dream.


    Unfortunately, the Infinite Dream couldn''t be infinite until he actually became a God. Otherwise, even after Isabella''s death, he would still be able to see her in such an illusion.


    He didn''t want to think about that right now. When he opened his eyes and saw Isabella''s lifeless body fall into the sea, he moved as fast as before, using the temporary wings on his back to reach the three women crying at the edge of the battlefield.


    He didn''t hesitate to send them to the Spatial Kingdom before turning his attention to the 7 Gods in the area who had tried to take advantage of his weakness after Isabella''s fatal wound.


    He felt his heart beat faster, and the white wings on his back suddenly turned blood red.


    Then he spun the staff in his hands, attacking the enemies in his path with the two moves he had left before the serath''s aid faded.


    Ominous pillars of light emerged from the sky, chasing after the enemy Gods, especially the Mechanical Emperor.


    These pillars of light were menacing, carrying the same power that had killed Chaos!


    If the alien Gods were hit by it, they would have no chance of survival!

 Chapter 2183 The Death of a Leader

    Chapter 2183 The Death of a Leader?


    The alien Gods moved when they felt Minos'' threatening attacks, frightened to the core of their existence.


    But Minos was focused on eliminating the strongest of them and those closest to him, not giving any of these alien Gods much of a chance.


    The weapon he had in his hands was supreme, even above the level of Maximilian''s trident. This item already put this leader of the Spiritual Church a few steps ahead of his fellow members of the Spiritual World.


    As a result, when the pillars of light attacked Minos'' enemies, it wasn''t long before the first alien Gods turned against each other to save themselves.


    The Mechanical Emperor once again tried to protect himself behind his level 100 robots, but this time he also used one of his artifacts to summon one of his men.


    The Mechanical Emperor summoned a level 100 man from his empire, who was about to be destroyed by one of those pillars, and said. "You were going to die anyway. Now, at least you''ll have a chance to save your leader with your death!"


    At that moment, the pillar of light above them shone brightly and made a magnificent thunderous sound, destroying everything in its path.


    Suddenly, almost everyone on the battlefield at the outskirts of the North Sea core stopped for a moment and looked in the direction where the Mechanical Emperor, a human, and a level 100 robot were standing.


    The only ones who weren''t paying attention were the three skeletons, who had only two seconds left to live before Abby''s fusion completely lost its effect.


    The dragon, phoenix, and level 100 elf joined forces and attacked two of the biological Gods within their reach, surrounding them as their bodies glowed brightly.


    "Hahahaha, this is the end for us. Let''s leave this world now in an honorable way for warriors!" The level 100 dragon shouted as he made his sacrifice.


    "Who knew I would end up like this..." The elf smiled as black flames covered his body, and a strange smile appeared on his face.


    At the place where the three Gods had been a moment ago, the robot and the level 100 alien had vaporized their bodies while the Mechanical Emperor was still there.


    However, even though he had left a body behind, the Mechanical Emperor was no longer there, his soul having been extinguished by the supreme light of the seraph.


    His body fell lifeless from the sky while many people in the surrounding area swallowed their saliva, watching Gods die as if it were common.


    "Wretch!" The strongest remaining alien God shouted as he cut off Henry''s head, killing this Spiritual World God, the first level 100 cultivator on this planet to die in this battle.


    "Minos, we''re still going to kill you, you bastard!" One of the level 100 women from the Mechanical Empire shouted as she flew towards him with the intention of killing him.


    Minos felt his level 92 powers stabilizing again, finally unable to fight in this place.


    ''I have to start my escape,'' he thought to himself as his body felt very tired and full of pain.


    He was in such a bad state that he didn''t understand how he could still be conscious!


    He wanted to continue fighting and see the end of more enemy Gods, but from now on, he would not be able to fight. He was afraid he wouldn''t even be able to summon his wives of the Spatial Kingdom to escape through the universal wormhole, so he couldn''t think about continuing in this place.


    While he was thinking about this and the woman who had almost killed Abby earlier was attacking him, Maximillian appeared in front of him to defend him.


    "I will escort Minos out of this area. Take care of the enemies in my absence." Maxmillian shouted as he used the trident in his hands to defend Emperor Stuart.


    ''Where are we going now?'' He asked in Minos'' mind.


    ''We are going to the capital of the End Area in my territory. A special spaceship with its crew should be waiting for me there.'' Minos communicated as he felt one of the God''s hands grab his body and then move through space without hesitation.

 Chapter 2184 The End of the First Battle of the War

    Chapter 2184 The End of the First Battle of the War


    When Minos and Maximilian left the area, the other enemy Gods didn''t try to follow them because the leader of the Spiritual Church had suffered the least among all the Gods of the Spiritual World.


    Not only that, but he was the one with the best weapon, so he was the strongest one left now that the level 100 Sky Whale had just died and the level 100 Dragon was retreating from the battle with deep wounds on its body.


    Meanwhile, the five remaining Gods of the Spiritual World stood side by side, watching the enemy survivors gather with cautious glances in their direction.


    "It looks like we have a temporary truce," Willow said as she took a deep breath. "Minos, the summoned Gods, and that guy helped us a lot. We managed to eliminate 9 enemies, and 2 of the enemy survivors are seriously injured." Vico commented as he looked at the two surviving robots.


    Only 7 alien Gods survived this great battle, while 6 Gods of the Spiritual World survived. Of the six, only five were left on the battlefield, and four of them were still able to fight.


    Meanwhile, only five of the aliens were able to continue fighting. But even though they still had some advantages, the aliens didn''t feel comfortable enough to fight in that area again.


    As they gathered, the surviving woman said to the others. "Let''s retreat for now. It doesn''t make sense to keep fighting here. We''ll have the advantage if we settle down in this world and begin expanding our territory here."


    "With His Majesty''s death, we have no choice but to retreat and wait for reinforcements. The forces of this world won''t get stronger in a few months, but we can get more Gods on our side in a few months." Another commented as he could hardly believe all that had happened.


    "The most important thing is to find out where Minos Stuart went! We must kill him before he can use that power again!"


    "Do you think he''ll be able to use it again?" One of the two robots asked. The robots of the Mechanic Empire did not depend on the life of the Mechanical Emperor to live. They had to obey him in his presence, even if they were at level 100. But their existence was completely independent of the Mechanical Emperor''s.


    Also, some of them had been created by the predecessors of the man who died a few moments ago, so they didn''t even have the relationship of creation and creator with him.


    One of the biological beings said. "Impossible. It''s a weapon of a high-level civilization. I don''t know how Minos Stuart got it, but after what he did, he will lose it.


    So they also left the area, leaving only essential personnel to keep an eye on their enemies.


    The extraterrestrials also moved because it was not a good place for them to establish their new base in this world. They needed a secret place with a good geographical location. Thus, none of them would stay behind to try to control their universal wormhole.


    Since they didn''t know exactly what technological level the Spiritual World was at right now, they couldn''t possibly have imagined what Minos'' plan was against them!


    ...


    Meanwhile, Maximilian was already with Minos in the capital city of the End lands in the territory of the Black Plain Empire.


    He had flown there with all his speed and was now face to face with the most advanced spaceship of Minos'' forces, where the crew that was going to The Adamant Land was already waiting for them.


    Arriving in front of the spaceship, Minos said to Maximillian. "Give me a minute. I''m going to bring my wives along for the ride."


    "Are you sure about that?" Maximillian asked him. "I don''t want to poke your wound, Minos, but one of your wives just died. If you leave them in your Spatial Kingdom, they''ll be able to grow up in peace for at least a few more months or years. Even the alien Gods will find it difficult to enter your cultivation sanctuary. But if you take them to the Mechanic Empire, they will face dangers equal to or worse than today''s battle."


    Minos looked at Maximillian and clenched his fists, not knowing what the best decision would be.


    Maximilian sighed and advised. "If you want my opinion, listen to this. Bring Ruth with you. She has an essential power for your recovery and can support you in the future. Abby''s power is enormous but more useful in the Spiritual World. If she went with us and used it in The Adamant Land, she would only summon more enemies. Here, she can help our forces when she gets stronger.


    As for Gloria, she''ll be in danger here and there. So it''s best to leave her with Abby. At least they''ll be able to take care of your children.


    That''s my advice." Said the God, eager to leave the Spiritual World.

 Chapter 2185 Leaving the Spiritual World

    Chapter 2185 Leaving the Spiritual World


    After listening to Maximilian''s advice, Minos sighed at having to make such a choice, leaving part of his wives in the Spiritual World and risking Ruth''s life in an unknown place.


    Ruth, Gloria, and Abby would be in danger everywhere. Next to Minos, he could try something and say goodbye to them if the worst came to the worst. But Abby''s powers were necessary for the powers of the Spiritual World and could possibly be the salvation for many people in his absence.


    As for Gloria, if Maximillian went with him to the Mechanic Empire, as seemed to be the case, then this woman could take over the leadership of the Spiritual Church, as she was the leader of the most powerful faction in that organization now.


    With Maximilian in the Spiritual World, no one would support an internal power struggle in the Church. But if he was gone, that would change, and Gloria had a good chance of taking over the organization.


    That could help Abby, the Stuart family, and the Black Plain Empire, making it worth leaving her in the Spiritual World with the Empress.


    Minos saw that he would have to stay away from them for a while and clenched his fists in anger at the weakness that had put him in this situation.


    "Alright, I''ll follow the elder''s recommendations," Minos muttered quietly as he quickly wrote a letter to Gloria and Abby explaining his motives and plans before sending it to the Spatial Kingdom.


    Minos saw that he would have to stay away from them for a while and clenched his fists in anger at the weakness that had put him in this situation.


    "Alright, I''ll follow the elder''s recommendations," Minos muttered quietly as he quickly wrote a letter to Gloria and Abby explaining his motives and plans before sending it to the Spatial Kingdom.


    Then, he used what little he had left to activate the Divine Seal and summon Ruth to her current location.


    Rowan and Hollie approached Lily to comfort her, while Abby found the strength to say everything. "I''m sorry we couldn''t save her, Lily. Isabella unfortunately died on the battlefield."


    Gulp!


    Kyla heard this, and her mouth fell open; she could not believe that someone so close to her had died like that.


    Hours ago, Isabella had been fine, but now everything had changed...


    "Sigh... How many will fall from now on?" She muttered as she worried about her mother, knowing that Isabella was much stronger than Emlyn and many others who were ready to fight along the empire and the North Sea.


    Kyla''s concern was justified, and soon, more news of the deaths of family acquaintances would reach them, including the death of Henry Quinn, Emperor of the Western Empire and God''s ally of the Black Plain Empire.


    Allies, subordinates, and friends of the family had also died on that first day of the War of the Worlds.


    Unfortunately, most people couldn''t even take the time to mourn their losses, as news of the enemies infiltrating and spreading throughout the Spiritual World would soon reach them.


    Thus began a new period for the entire Spiritual World, marking the end of many lives, the beginning of a war, and the departure of the planet''s greatest hope to a distant place.


    Minos and his crew would successfully leave the Spiritual World later that day and begin their journey to The Adamant Land with what little information they had and the two hostages who had been in the hands of the world forces for the past three decades.

 Chapter 2186 Journey and Doubts

    Chapter 2186 Journey and Doubts?


    Minos and a group of more than 60 people from the Black Plain Empire, as well as Maximillian, were in the spaceship, moving through the universal wormhole.


    After passing through the spatial distortion in the Spiritual World through which the aliens had arrived earlier, the group began to make their way through the massive tunnel ahead of them, of which they had no idea how large it was and where exactly they would arrive.


    All they knew was that they would reach The Adamant Land if they followed this path.


    Now Minos, Maximillian, and Ruth were in the control center of the spaceship, where a group of Black Plain Army soldiers, properly armed with alien-like armor, were making their vehicle move.


    Ruth used her powers to treat Minos while he ate and drank food rich in energy. Ne/w novel chapters are published at novelhall.comillian sat next to Minos, curious about everything that had happened earlier.


    "Minos, how did you do that in the battle?" He asked as he looked at the wing tattoo on one of Emperor Stuart''s hands.


    Minos looked at the hand and explained. "I had a chance encounter in the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus. It gave me the weapon I used to kill Bella''s murderer."


    Maximilian frowned, not expecting something so valuable to be kept in that place. ''Is this really true?'' He asked himself, but he sensed that Minos was sincere.


    And it was obvious Minos had demonstrated seraphic wings and very unusual powers.


    ''But how? Didn''t the Seraphim die long ago when they weren''t just Demigods?''


    Minos said. "Don''t ask me how. I can''t explain it. I just found something compelling hidden in the wings of a seraph. In exchange for this weapon, I was given a mission that I must fulfill if I meet the requirements."


    "Oh? May I ask what that is?" He looked into Minos'' eyes as he put aside the things he had in mind.


    "I can''t sense my Spatial Kingdom either," Minos replied. "I definitely can''t go there or summon things from that place from where we are. But it might be possible to send small things, like letters.


    Anyway, I''ll have to do the test in the future. But depending on how far away the place we''re going to is, even that might not work."


    "That''s too bad. I imagine you had good riches there." Maximilian commented, thinking about what he would give up on this journey.


    Minos nodded in silence, thinking of the things he had collected before leaving.


    Minos had not been careless. He had prepared very well, collected 5 Divine Medicines, and stored them in his spatial ring.


    He thought that he, Ruth, Gloria, Abby, and Isabella might be unable to access the Spatial Kingdom for many years, depending on their journey through the universe. So, he had prepared for their possible progress toward level 100, away from the Spiritual World.


    Now, only he and Ruth would need the medicines and other items he had collected before his group left for the North Sea.


    ''At least Abby and Gloria will be able to collect their respective medicines if I''m away from the Spiritual World for too long.'' Minos thought to himself.


    After learning more about time and how to control this essence of the universe, Minos came to the question: does time pass the same everywhere in the universe?


    Since he could not confirm this while in the Spiritual World, he feared that even if the journey through the universe seemed short to him, it might be excessively long for others in other places.


    For example, one year on a given planet that he could visit in the future could be equivalent to 20 years in the Spiritual World, while 10 short years for him in such a place would be 200 years, enough for Abby and Gloria to reach level 100.


    But that wasn''t what concerned him most at the moment, so he quickly pushed those thoughts aside and imagined what his journey would be like trying not to think about Isabella all the time.


    He would have his time to mourn, but it couldn''t be now!

 Chapter 2187 The Great Burial in the Dry City

    Chapter 2187 The Great Burial in the Dry City


    Hours after the great battle in the heart of the North Sea, forces from all over the Spiritual World were already aware of what had happened in that maritime region.


    Of the more than one hundred thousand individuals between levels 80 and 100 who were on the front lines facing the aliens that day, about 45% of them died, fighting directly against the strongest or those who had fled the main battlefield.


    The survivors were not left behind in their positions after the aliens dispersed in search of places to settle in this new world they were invading.


    As such, the survivors did not remain in the North Sea, each returning to their respective forces to join their people in the war of movement that was about to begin.


    Because of these individuals, news of the major deaths and what would happen in this world from now on began to spread rapidly within hours of the deaths of the Gods from both sides in this confrontation.


    Among the survivors who returned to their forces was Willow Sista, who arrived at the headquarters of the Black Plain Army now, along with Aarav and the 10th stage specialists.


    ...


    Arriving at that place together, Aarav and Willow set off for the Spatial Kingdom of Minos, carrying Isabella''s body in a high-level urn that could preserve corpses almost perfectly for short periods of time.


    When they arrived at the lake house in the Spatial Kingdom of Minos, the two looked at each other and sighed at having to carry out this difficult mission.


    But soon, they were in front of the people who would live there during the war.


    "Sorry, all we could do was bring her back," Willow said as she bowed her head in front of the Stuart children.


    Abby and Gloria saw the body of their harem sister, the destroyed parts covered, only her face visible.


    Isabella appeared to be asleep from a distance. Still, up close, one could see that there was no breathing, let alone the spiritual signs common to higher beings.


    Lily saw her mother and collapsed beside the urn, crying desperately while the silence of the surroundings made the moment even more overwhelming.


    Gloria took a deep breath and said. "Thank you for bringing her back. In the heat of the moment, we couldn''t be bothered to do anything but run from our enemies."


    The main streets and avenues of the city dawned closed while flowers and all manner of popular mourning were strewn on the local sidewalks.


    Early in the day, the sidewalks were crowded with well-dressed people, handkerchiefs in hand, waiting for the imperial funeral procession.


    There wasn''t much time for mourning and grand farewells, so the local imperial family rushed everything to happen as quickly as possible.


    The funeral procession would take place at the very beginning of the day, followed by the burial in the local mausoleum.


    Soon, the people in the city center, waiting to see the First Princess of the Flaming Empire and Queen of the Black Plain Empire, saw her procession pass by.


    On the imperial hearse were Harold, Oswald, Minos'' wives and their children, but also Isabella''s mother, stepmother, and half-brother.


    They all had terrible expressions on their faces as Harold, Oswald, Isabella''s brother Kendrick, and Rowan held her coffin in the middle of the ceremony.


    People on the street mourned the loss of this red-haired woman as they watched the procession pass by. In contrast, others were silent, feeling the tragedy that had happened and would likely be repeated very soon.


    How many more would not die in the coming days, weeks, or months? The tragic truth was that Isabella was one of the first in a long list of deaths of people important to this city or any other in the world.


    Some thought that their bodies would soon be dumped on the battlefield or taken to the cemeteries, and many were silent as they looked at themselves.


    But no one disrespected the moment of Isabella''s farewell, and soon, her procession would arrive at the mausoleum of the local heroes.


    As the wife of the Emperor of the Black Plain Empire, Isabella would be buried at the highest level of this eternal resting place of the state''s heroes.


    Harold felt his heart break as he saw his daughter''s coffin placed in a hole, but he held back his tears, promising himself that he would one day avenge this loss.


    He did not blame Minos. One of the strongest Gods in the Mechanic Empire had acted against Isabella. And, after all, she had chosen to fight in that battle.


    The culprit for her death was none other than the Mechanic Empire itself!


    ''One day, your old man will kill many members of that state, my child. I will bring justice to your name, even if I have to die for it.'' Harold thought as he closed his eyes, ready to do whatever was necessary.

 Chapter 2188 Early Days of the New Era

    Chapter 2188 Early Days of the New Era?


    After Isabella''s big and quick funeral in Dry City, everyone involved, especially the family, returned to what they had to do.


    Some people, like Lily, were dispirited but still tried to focus on what they could do from now on.


    The weakest of the Stuart family, but also some of the great hopes of this world, had to turn to cultivation and raise their levels as soon as possible. No one knew what might happen in the short or medium term, but if there was a chance for them to become stronger, they should do so to help the forces of the world in the future.


    That was especially true for Abby, who could even bring Gods back to life to help the Spiritual World.


    The further she went, the more the world powers would thank her!


    As such, she would soon shut herself away in seclusion in the Spatial Kingdom of her state with the weaker members of her family.


    Meanwhile, Gloria wanted to cultivate as well. Still, at the moment, someone had to look after the state and make the best decisions for the future of the family and the empire.


    So she was in the Spatial Kingdom along with the others, but unlike Abby, she would be running the state from such a place instead of focusing on cultivating.


    She was aware of Minos'' plans regarding the Spiritual Church, as well as the need to bring specialists from the Evergreen Empire to the north of the continent.


    That would not be easy, nor would it happen overnight, just because Maximilian had left the Spiritual World at Minos'' side. Therefore, she would have to work on ways to increase her position and influence for a while until she achieved what her husband wanted.


    How long would that take? No one could say for sure. But given what they would learn about the enemy forces in the coming days, it would eventually become clear that it would take months or years for her to succeed.


    In the meantime, they would still have to deal with the alien invasion and the catastrophic effects of the Ice Age!


    ...


    So, the first few days after the alien invasion passed, and the world was relatively quiet for most of those days.


    By the time the group of survivors in the Spiritual World had managed to contact the forces in The Adamant Land, a new ruler had already been chosen to take the place of the enemy killed by Minos!


    The Mechanic Empire was startled by the news from the Spiritual World, and several experts were already discussing what to do. But nothing had been decided yet, for with the rise of a new leader, only that individual could decide what to do.


    The chosen one, a cousin of the former Mechanical Emperor, had gone into seclusion after ascending to the position of emperor, a common occurrence in this state.


    Such a person was only a level 99 Demigod, so he had to increase his cultivation to lead the empire.


    In the meantime, no one was going to make decisions for him, and he hadn''t given any orders himself because he didn''t have the best information, and the situation in that world didn''t seem that desperate.


    Nor could he send reinforcements so quickly, for his state had enemies to protect, and they would first have to study how their remaining forces would behave in the Spiritual World.


    If they received worrying data, then the state could send more powerful reinforcements. But if the forces in that world managed to get their project off to a good start, then the state could wait or even send weaker reinforcements.


    So the state was just studying the matter, trying to identify the weapon Minos had used and its origin, as well as preparing to counter the power of the enemies'' faith.


    Meanwhile, the Gods at their disposal continued their duties of protecting the Empire''s territory and keeping an eye on the enemies'' movements in the part of the universe where they were.


    The region where the Spiritual World was located was weak, and only that world had powerful beings. But the place where The Adamant Land was located was different, and there were several planets not too far away with powerful beings.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Minos and his crew continued to travel toward the enemy planet, still several weeks away from their destination.


    As similar as his ship was to that of the aliens, Minos'' ship was still a notch below the ships of the Mechanic Empire. If the alien party had taken six weeks to travel between their starting point and the Spiritual World, it would have taken Emperor Stuart''s party twice as long to get to The Adamant Land!


    So, the group on that spacecraft continued to travel while they were concentrating on cultivation or training, preparing their plans for where they were going.

 Chapter 2189 The Trump Card of the Spiritual World

    Chapter 2189 The Trump Card of the Spiritual World?


    In the blink of an eye, a whole month had passed since Minos left the Spiritual World.


    That was the time it took for the forces of the Spiritual World and the invaders from The Adamant Land to settle their respective affairs and return to battle in search of victory over their opponents.


    The forces of the Spiritual World sought to exterminate as many of the aliens as possible. In contrast, the invaders sought to conquer lands.


    Both sides achieved victories and defeats in their first more strategic and less uncontrolled moves, as the first battle of this great war had been.


    These battles were also characterized more by the 10th-stage specialists on both sides, while the Gods on each side were more concerned with protecting their troops and territories or defeating their level 100 opponents.


    The level 100 aliens in battle condition gradually began to move with only their level 100 opponents in mind. Meanwhile, the level 100 cultivators of the Spiritual World were in their states, constantly moving to protect their lands and disrupt the interests of the enemy Gods.


    Thus, in this first month, the war had boiled down to a first major battle with massive casualties on both sides, followed by a brief period of peace and then the start of turf wars.


    Several tens of thousands more of the Spiritual World''s creatures died in those weeks, while several thousand aliens and robots fell all over the planet.


    The aliens also gained lands, which had begun in the central part of the Ancestral Sea, and gradually began to expand their territory in every possible direction.


    For the time being, the sea forces in the area they had chosen as their headquarters had suffered the most. However, forces from all over the world had either lost something or taken part in the battles so far.


    In particular, the technologies developed with Minos'' help saved lives and prevented deaths daily.


    ...


    In the Black Plain Empire, the headquarters of the local army...


    With Abby''s ability to resurrect such beings, one death wouldn''t be enough for the powers of this world to lose warriors!


    Virtually all the powers on this planet had agreed that they had to send their corpses to Abby, as this was the only way their specialists could remain useful and return to defeat enemy forces.


    Other corpses that had been killed before the war began were also being transported to the Black Plain Empire.


    There weren''t many level 100 corpses for Abby to use, but the number of level 97 to 99 corpses was enormous.


    In addition to this place, three other outposts stored 10th-


    stage corpses because they were too important to be stored in the same place.


    The enemies were already aware of Abby''s fusion ability that resulted in the summoning of the dead, and there were already alien groups moving in to disrupt the efforts of the Spiritual World forces to collect corpses or bring back their dead from the battlefields.


    Even one of the enemy Gods had attacked the Black Plain Empire last week in search of Abby, intending to neutralize Minos'' wife.


    But Willow had managed to hold off such an opponent until Vico''s arrival, and the two of them had forced the enemy to retreat.


    Considering how dangerous it would be for Abby to engage in combat now that she was one of the enemy''s most wanted people, the powers of the world wanted to keep her in seclusion for as long as possible.


    Unless new gods arrived in the Spiritual World, the plan was to accumulate corpses and disturb her seclusion only in emergency situations.


    Given the current pace of the war, that wasn''t likely to happen in the short term unless, of course, many enemy Gods decided to attack the Black Plain Empire simultaneously.


    Anyway, the exchange at this post went smoothly, and the group left their position and headed to the battlefield in the Ancestral Sea.

 Chapter 2190 Options Ahead

    Chapter 2190 Options Ahead?


    Minos'' party soon completed their eighth week of travel in the universal wormhole, heading for The Adamant Land.


    At this point in the journey, Minos had recovered from about 75% of everything he had suffered previously, with some way to go to reach his best state, but much better.


    He had improved a lot due to Ruth''s help, the drugs he had taken, and the special powers of the two high-ranking doctors in his crew. The fact that he was still young, had an excellent recovery rate and had a lot of immortal energy in his being helped him a lot.


    Therefore, he was finally ready to resume his cultivation while traveling and prepare for the terrible place his party wouldn''t be far from.


    Minos hadn''t just left the Spiritual World with the natives of his planet. His crew also included the two aliens who had been held hostage by the forces of his world for all these years, as well as some alien robots his group had brought from the battlefield.


    After the death of the Mechanical Emperor, these creatures were vulnerable to Minos'' powers, an opportunity he couldn''t help but take advantage of.


    These individuals were artificial beings that had never died, so by being dominated by Minos, they now served him in a way that Voyager had never done. Giving critical information about the Mechanic Empire and the plans of this world to the crew going to The Adamant Land!


    With the two aliens and the robots now under Minos'' control, the group knew they were not far from their goal.


    With their imminent infiltration of The Adamant Land, Minos and his group were already preparing for what they were about to do!


    ...


    In one of the meeting rooms of Minos'' spaceship, he, Ruth, Maximillian and some high-ranking individuals, including a Gorgon, chatted while alien robots were at their disposal to answer their questions.


    "So, when we arrive in the Mechanic Empire, where exactly will we be? What should we expect when we arrive?" Ruth asked one of the robots with them.


    "The universal wormhole connected to the Spiritual World is located at the headquarters of the Mechanical Army. All of the empire''s wormholes are located on the lowest level of the barracks, in a highly protected area.


    "Yes. If we do nothing, we run the risk of meeting several Gods, but if we do something, we could die or get lost in the universe."


    The people there commented to each other, not knowing what to do but certain that they were in trouble.


    "We have no choice," Minos said seriously. "Going to the end of this wormhole is the most dangerous. Our chances of success are meager. Even if we manage to reach this world without attracting attention, it would be very difficult to pass ourselves off as aliens.


    But if we survive the attempt to go somewhere else, we can become space explorers."


    "What about our chances of dying?" Someone asked, a little uncertain.


    Minos looked at Maximilian and said. "Let us not forget that we have a God in our midst. The group that discovered the Spiritual World didn''t have the same, so they went through a drastic situation to reach our planet and finally contact their homeworld.


    But with him by our side, we can protect our artifacts and spaceship and eventually protect ourselves from any enemies that might appear along the way."


    Ruth said. "And Minos also has very strong space powers. I think it''s possible to protect ourselves from what the robots say. The problem will be to find our way to Irpoll afterward."


    Minos asked Maximillian. "What do you think we should do?"


    Maximillian agreed with him. "Let''s try to take an alternative route. Our chances are minimal if we follow the current path. Trying something else will have unimaginable consequences, some of which could even be very positive for us."


    "So when will we do it?" Someone asked.


    One of the robots suggested. "I think the best time would be in two weeks. By then, we''ll be too close to The Adamant Land to try an alternate route."


    The group agreed to go ahead with this daring plan in two weeks and venture into the unknown universe!

 Chapter 2191 Suicide Plan

    Another two weeks went by quickly...


    On this day, Minos and his crew were about 10 days away from the Mechanic Empire when everyone in the group began to position themselves around their spaceship for the decisive moment ahead.


    The robots of the Mechanic Empire, under Minos'' mind control, positioned themselves next to Emperor Stuart and Maximillian, ready to guide them through what needed to be done for their plan to work.


    Their plan was simple. Create a space rift in one of the walls of the space tunnel they were traveling through and escape from that wormhole before the space rift closed.


    That would theoretically take them to another location in the universe, most likely near The Adamant Land, but with the possibility of taking them literally anywhere in the universe.


    For the group''s best performance, Maximillian and Minos prepared to act and defend their spaceship, as well as follow the advice of creatures who understood more about these wormholes than they did.


    Maximillian was at one of the front ends of the spaceship with a level 98 robot at his side, while Minos was at one of the rear with two level 97 robots.


    At the same time, each member of the spaceship''s crew was in place, with its controllers positioned to control it as best they could.


    Ruth was in the safest area of the spaceship, while her innate ability connected her to Minos and the native beings of the Spiritual World, except Maximillian.


    Her powers would never affect the body of a God like Maximillian at the level she was at. So, she could only try to help the Demigods in her group.


    Meanwhile, the two aliens who had been held hostage by the Spiritual World for the past three decades were scared to death to witness the madness this group was willing to risk.


    "We''re all going to die!" One of them commented as he was shackled to his companion in the spacecraft''s control room. "Do you realize that this is collective suicide? Do you think a single God and the damned Minos will be able to contain the violent spatial distortions that will try to crush us?"


    Hence, there is a great fear of these two despite their obvious interest in taking this crew to The Adamant Land.


    "Put something on these two to stop them talking." Said a level 97 Gorgon as she glared at the creatures.


    Then Maximillian''s voice rang in the ears of everyone on the ship. "We are one minute away from our destination. Get ready for what''s about to happen!"


    Minos heard this and did not hesitate to raise his cultivation to level 94 by borrowing the powers of one of the mid-level Demigods in his group near his location.


    As the crew prepared for the final moment of their plan, Maximillian activated his divine abilities and prepared a spatial attack strong enough to open a crack in the spatial wall of the tunnel that his group was flying over at high speed to collide with it.


    He momentarily appeared outside the spaceship with his golden trident in hand and made his move, using half of his energy to unleash a blow capable of severely injuring even Gods as strong as the former Mechanical Emperor.


    Swooish!


    A blade of energy the size of Minos'' spaceship sliced through the space tunnel towards the distortion the group was trying to pass through.


    When this attack hit its target, Maximillian was already back inside Minos'' spaceship, while a terrifying sensation spread from the direction where his energy blade had just collided with the spatial distortion.


    A crack appeared at that shock position, and then black rays emerged from the dark space inside the crack, releasing an aura of death capable of frightening anyone inside the wormhole at that moment.


    Maximillian clenched his teeth and directed his divine powers to protect the ship he was on, while Minos did the same, manipulating the space around the ship to protect the group as best he could.


    This ship was all that could protect them, so their barriers were the only thing they could rely on the moment they stepped through that rift!

 Chapter 2192 Unknown Place

    As they entered the space rift, the entire Minos'' spaceship crew felt their vehicle''s structure creaking as if great external forces were trying to twist it.


    Meanwhile, three dark rays struck the spaceship''s surface, much of their power weakened by the defenses of Minos, Maximillian, and the spaceship''s defensive arrays. Even so, parts of it were shattered, with cracks appearing in structures that should have been able to withstand the full power of level 99 cultivators.


    While much of the spaceship was crumpled, and the crew tried to steer it through the chaos of space that was trying to destroy it, some of its major components failed.


    "Shit! We''ve lost the attack system!" One of the crew members shouted as he saw the failure warnings on the part he was responsible for.


    "Someone must go to the engine room and check the situation!"


    "The defense system is failing! Our defenses will hold for another 40 seconds at most!"


    Several people commented almost simultaneously as everyone broke into a cold sweat from the horrible experience of being in a spatial storm.


    Ruth sensed the first crewmembers to be affected by the chaotic power around the spaceship, noticing the weakening of those individuals as spiritual energy from inside the vehicle escaped into the void of unexplored space.


    She directed her powers to help more of those who needed it, but she focused on Minos as she felt her husband''s powers diminish.


    Not only was Minos running out of energy, but so was Maximillian. The God had already used up 50% of his power in the previous attack, and now, defending the ship, he had already lost another 25% of his energy.


    "Shit! How long is this going to last?" He asked the level 98 robot next to him, who was feeding his energy into one of the many shields around the spaceship.


    "45 seconds or so. It might be a little less or a little more." Said the robot.


    Meanwhile, Minos felt various pains throughout his body, as if his very soul was being attacked.


    He didn''t hesitate to use his immortal energy with one of the defensive techniques based on this form of power.


    Directing almost everything he had into his attempt to defend the ship and give his companions some relief, he made a golden shield grow around the ship, completely blocking a black lightning attack.


    At the same time, most of them were clad in alien-like armor that could protect them from the fall.


    The entire ship''s crew abandoned the spaceship and jumped out through the cracks and alternative exits.


    The less exhausted robots in the group tried to fly toward the more exhausted humans to rescue them. However, when they tried to fly alongside the less exhausted individuals in the group who were trying to do the same, they sensed something wrong.


    "Uhu?" One of the robots made a strange sound as it looked down and felt its body falling faster and faster.


    Meanwhile, the whole group saw their spaceship fall out from under them, speeding towards the ground.


    "What the hell? Where are we?" Maximillian felt himself being pulled towards the ground, unable to float in the sky of this strange world they had arrived in.


    One of the robots said. "I have no idea. But we shouldn''t encounter any deadly dangers in this world. The air here is breathable, and there seems to be a strong source of absorbable energy.


    However, I can''t estimate the dangers." "What about our fall?" Ruth asked as she tried to approach Minos in free fall.


    The level 98 robot said. "We can do nothing but use our respective defensive and evasive devices. If they don''t help us, we''ll all die!"


    Gulp!


    Minos clenched his fists, not understanding where they were and why they couldn''t fly in this place.


    But knowing that there were higher powers in the universe, he worried about where they were going.


    ''Could it be that our powers don''t work here?'' He swallowed his saliva in fear, feeling out of options.


    Meanwhile, their altitude was decreasing, and they could see the greenish place they were arriving at closer and closer, in this world of pink skies and seemingly large forests.


    At the right moment to act, Minos said to everyone. "Use your equipment now!"

 Chapter 2193 Signal from the Spatial Ring

    Chapter 2193 Signal from the Spatial Ring


    When everyone used their special devices, some had their speeds drastically reduced, while others had large protective barriers appear around them.


    Others had their bodies suddenly teleported to lower altitudes and had their accelerations redirected to their new positions. While some continued to fall, they had their bodies fall slower and slower, something strange at first but quite possible considering their special devices.


    The robots used their powers to create powerful attacks that could slow down their fall. Even though they couldn''t fly temporarily, they used their advanced mathematical knowledge to save themselves from free fall.


    One minute after leaving their spaceship, Minos'' group saw the mainland coming closer and closer to them. At the same time, they narrowly managed to save themselves.


    They still fell to the ground with great force, causing earth tremors where they fell and leaving them with bruises and broken bones all over their bodies.


    They also lost most of their defenses, which they had to sacrifice to avoid dying in that magnificent fall that could endanger the lives of even high-level 10th-stage beings.


    The robots and Maximillian helped Minos and Ruth, so they didn''t suffer as much as some of their companions, even though they had fallen hard to the ground in the forest area they had reached.


    Eventually, after all of them had fallen in different parts of this forest over an area of more than 8 square kilometers, the least injured of the group climbed out of their craters and began to help the others.


    Minos and Ruth left the hole they had fallen into together, both showing pain on their faces but making no strange sounds.


    He and she looked around and saw a forest with trees completely different from those in the Spiritual World, a pink sky, and small organisms that looked like insects.


    "What is this place?" Ruth murmured in a low voice. One of the robots near them heard this. "I can''t answer that. There''s no data on this place in my system. I''m afraid we''ve fallen into a world far from The Adamant Land."


    Ruth heard this and looked at Minos as she heard the voices of her companions nearby, several individuals searching for the many members of their crew.


    They could imagine that if this planet was so good for cultivating, then there would certainly be powerful beings there. That could be dangerous for newcomers like them. But it was a relief to be able to rely on their own abilities.


    One of the robots analyzed this place while the group gathered where Minos was. "According to my estimates, this planet is six times the size of the Spiritual World. As for the presence of living beings, there is a 99.8% probability that there are beings here who are able to cultivate and reach level 100.


    I can''t say for sure how many beings there are on this planet or if there are any powerful beings around. Considering the size of this world, powerful beings could be anywhere out of my reach."


    "What is more certain is that we could encounter powerful beings at any time." The strongest robot commented, looking at Minos. "We must recover as quickly as possible, Your Majesty."


    All who were already nearby agreed.


    Then Minos said. "Very well, the less injured of the group will observe the surroundings, support the more injured, and find our spaceship. The others should concentrate on recovering and cultivating the special energy of this world.


    The group quickly divided into two groups, with about 30 people sitting close together on cultivation pillows while the others split up to take care of the tasks Minos had set out.


    Half of the group that wouldn''t be cultivating for the time being would stay to observe the surroundings or help treat the most injured.


    Meanwhile, the other half would split up to go after their spaceship but also to explore the surroundings a bit.


    There were many trees around, so perhaps there would be fruit for them to pick and judge whether it was edible. Finding a source of water was also important, as any kind of spiritual product depended on water to some degree.


    In the group, there were blacksmiths, alchemists, doctors, poison masters, array masters, and so on. So, the group could produce a lot of things for their own use, which, of course, depended on materials and ingredients, some of which had to come from this world.


    They had brought a lot of things from the Spiritual World with them, but when they realized that the place where they had accidentally arrived was rich and compatible with them, they couldn''t let go of the idea of using local resources in their products.


    Soon, more than 50 people were working around the forest where they had arrived, a place where there didn''t seem to be any powerful beings around.

 Chapter 2194 A Precious World

    2194 A Precious World While most of the people in Minos'' group were cultivating, Maximilian was meditating with a smiling expression on his face.


    He had been very worried when he arrived in this world and couldn''t fly, as he had almost died in freefall earlier.


    But when he started to cultivate, he could feel his strength improving rapidly and his wounds closing up, something he knew wouldn''t happen in the Spiritual World in the situation he was in before.


    Gods in the Spiritual World rarely fought in the distant past of this world for a simple reason. Recovering lost energy was arduous, and most Gods would need many years of meditation to recover 10% to 20% of their strength.


    But Maximilian had used up practically 100% of his energy when he arrived in this world!


    Earlier, he had been very pessimistic, imagining that it would take him a long time to recover, even if this place had an energy compatible with the way people in the Spiritual World cultivate.


    But the moment he started cultivating and felt the energy of this world, he changed his mind and became more and more positive.


    In just 10 minutes of cultivation, his energy went from being exhausted to 10% of its maximum capacity!


    That was impressive!


    He would be fully recovered in less than two hours at the rate he was going!


    ''There are definitely Gods in this place!'' He thought as he meditated, feeling that there couldn''t be so much power without high-level beings.


    That made him a little afraid, but he was more excited than afraid because this was the chance for him and the group to enjoy a higher-level civilization.


    So he continued meditating, intending to reach 100% as soon as possible, and set off to explore this world.


    Meanwhile, Minos, Ruth, and those in their group who had already experienced the benefits of immortal energy and the cultivation methods of this superior form of energy felt the effects of this world even more than Maximilian.


    While they pondered this problem, the group exploring the area for resources had already found a few things.


    From a small stream 8.5 kilometers north of where their ship had crashed, the level 98 robot was able to extract some drinkable water.


    This water didn''t seem to have any components harmful to the group''s biological life forms, and it seemed to be very rich in vital energy.


    If you were to compare it to natural things in the Spiritual World, such water would look very much like the Spring of Life.


    However, some of the fruits, roots, and leaves that were collected in that area seemed to contain special and potentially dangerous forms of energy and substances if they were consumed without special care.


    They could certainly be used to extract power and make living beings stronger, but a special kind of process would be needed to separate the interesting parts from the ''poisonous'' ones.


    One of the alchemists in the group held a root he had just collected, using his powers to understand the properties of this natural resource.


    As he realized the many benefits it could provide to those who consumed it properly, he soon noticed something special that caught his attention.


    ''This feeling...'' He changed his satisfied expression as he felt as if he was being watched by something deeply hidden in this root.


    As he followed this feeling deeper, he noticed something similar to a spiritual connection, something that was connected to that root but also to many other plant beings in the surrounding area.


    As he followed the path of this connection, he felt like he was being watched, like he was looking at a large body of a higher-level being.


    Gulp!


    ''That can''t be...'' He thought as he opened his eyes, just before he felt the ground beneath him tremble, and a terrifying sensation come over him.


    Then, a second later, a razor-sharp root appeared underneath where he was standing, penetrating his body until it cut him in half, causing everyone in the area to freak out at his sudden death!


    "Aaaaagh!"

 Chapter 2195 The Dangers of the New World

    The moment the roots destroyed the body of that level 95 Demigod, the small group of six people who were gathering and studying resources in that area were startled.


    The first person to see it screamed and dropped what he was doing to run from where he was.


    Crack!


    When the first of them noticed it and started to move toward the dead Demigod or their group, more razor-sharp roots emerged from the ground, attacking everyone in their path.


    Those experts who moved faster managed to escape the deadly attacks, but those who were weaker and took longer to move met the same end as the level 95 alchemist.


    Their bodies were penetrated by roots and destroyed as if they were large pieces of fragile flesh that couldn''t withstand even a simple root attack.


    "Shit!" Of the original group of six, only three were alive as roots appeared around them, attacking them from various angles.


    Two of the three standing men had wounds on their arms and legs, having escaped fatal attacks but still suffering damage to their bodies.


    Only the last of the three, who was the furthest away from the others, managed to completely escape the root attacks and ran towards the group in desperation.


    ''Shit! Shit! Shit!'' He felt his sweat run cold amidst the sound of the earth shaking and roots coming out of the ground at high speed.


    He looked back for a moment and saw the carnage in the place that had seemed so quiet and peaceful moments before.


    ''What the hell is going on?'' He saw his two companions escape the root attacks more easily after suffering their earlier injuries.


    "Are you all right?" The doctor asked as he saw the wounds on the legs and arms of these two, while small roots seemed to be growing in these wounds.


    The eyes of one of the two men became opaque, and when he opened his mouth to speak, a root went from his throat to the neck of the uninjured man.


    "Fuck!" That was all the man could say as he felt something pass through his throat.


    He died instantly after the root returned to the throat of the wounded man in front of him, and he fell to the ground as blood flowed from the hole in his neck.


    When they tried to attack the one infected with something, they felt the difficulty of dealing with this new enemy who didn''t seem to be affected by the local gravity or the same exhaustion as these men.


    Soon, more people were wounded, and a new corpse fell to the ground.


    ...


    Meanwhile, where the 30 or so people were meditating, and a small group was watching the surroundings, the people there had already realized something was wrong.


    One group had already left to investigate the situation in the direction of where the alchemists and doctors were gathering resources. At the same time, those who had stayed behind stood guard, worried.


    Amidst this, all the cultivators in the area were still in meditation, with some individuals having already recovered interesting fractions of their powers but still focused on cultivating.


    Minutes would go from the first strange signs and cries to new signs appearing closer to the area, causing the first cultivators to awaken from their states.


    Ruth opened her eyes when she sensed something was wrong nearby, looked around, and saw the few remaining guards in combat positions.


    "This... What''s going on?" She asked one of the guards.


    Meanwhile, five individuals in Black Plain Empire armor appeared on the outskirts of the camp, each with strange auras and signs of injury all over their bodies.


    Immediately after their appearance, they opened their mouths much wider than spiritual humans could, and strange roots emerged from them.


    More similar roots came out of their fingers and struck out at the people standing guard around that meditating group.


    These roots were not simple and could move very quickly.


    Even though the group of guards on the outskirts had prepared for the enemies, some of them were killed and wounded as soon as the enemies acted!


    "Shit!" Ruth realized the problem and stood up, immediately moving into position to help her companions.


    Amidst this, other meditating individuals left their states to see the chaos around them, which had already claimed more than 20% of the crew that had arrived in this world!

 Chapter 2196 Tragic Beginning

    Chapter 2196 Tragic Beginning


    Opening his eyes, Minos heard the sounds of battle around him, immediately narrowing his eyes and frowning.


    He was surprised, shocked to tell the truth. But he didn''t ask any unnecessary questions to the people around him or to himself. Being in an unknown and powerful world, he judged it as a problem that would come his way sooner or later.


    When he got up from his seat and saw his wife running to help the wounded in the area, he activated his techniques and used his special ability to increase his and Ruth''s cultivation while jumping toward the enemies attacking his people.


    Five enemies had just arrived at the spot where the group was meditating. But within seconds of their arrival, those five had become seven, while three corpses of guards were lying on the ground, torn apart in various ways.


    "Don''t let these roots hurt you!" Suddenly, a shout came from the forest, alerting everyone who was already fighting on the outskirts of that place and those who were still awakening from their meditation.


    A badly damaged robot emerged from the branches of a tree, shouting. "These roots infect the wounded and turn people into the enemy. I don''t know exactly how it started, but if we don''t destroy them, they will soon wipe out our entire group!"


    Hearing this, Minos didn''t hesitate to act, using his powers to create black holes around him, quickly directing them into the path of the roots coming out of those seven bodies.


    The moment he did so, the enemy roots changed direction as if they felt the terror of what they would encounter if they followed their previous paths, showing Minos that eliminating them wouldn''t be so easy.


    "Oh?" He opened his mouth in surprise at the reaction. "All of you, fall back!" He shouted to the people standing around trying to deal with the enemies.


    Then, as black rings appeared around the bodies of the seven infected men, Minos condensed his black holes into one region of space while using his powers to pull the enemies into the black hole in front of him.


    Maximilian awoke from his meditation just as Minos was dealing with the enemies, immediately realizing the problem around him and the difference between this world and the Spiritual World.


    ''This feeling...'' He felt a chill run through his body because of Minos'' black hole, and he imagined that if this guy could create such a powerful black hole in the Spiritual World, even the Gods would fear him.


    Minos clenched his fists, not expecting to deal with such a significant loss when they thought everything was quiet.


    Even Maximilian was a little shocked, not knowing how to deal with the situation.


    Then a Gorgon asked. "Are there no survivors?"


    "There might be." The robot said as he thought about it. "The alchemists and doctors outside the meditation group were definitely destroyed. But I returned here as soon as my group was wiped out, so it could be that someone from the group of blacksmiths and array masters was left.


    Maybe one of my robot companions. For some reason, these roots have no effect on us artificial beings."


    The group fell silent when they heard this; many were a little afraid to continue meditating, while others were afraid to go after what had happened there.


    Minos made up his mind. "Let''s not separate anymore. We have to consider that there are powerful and strange enemies nearby. So let''s go together to where our other two groups were.


    If there are any survivors, we''ll find them in those two places. Once we better understand what happened, we''ll see what we can do to prevent a repeat."


    Minos looked at Maximillian and saw that the man didn''t disagree.


    Then he looked at the only robot in his group, who was fine, and asked. "Can you read the memories of dead robots? The robot that was with the group of alchemists and doctors must have seen something before he was killed".


    "It is possible, but it will destroy his essence, Your Majesty." The level 98 robot said.


    "No problem. His body is probably destroyed to such an extent that we can''t rebuild it. Even with my powers over the immortal energy, I won''t be able to bring him back if he''s worse than this guy." Minos said as he pointed to the partially destroyed robot that had alerted his group.


    Soon, they would follow the path to where it all began, where they would find the only survivors of this incident.

 Chapter 2197 Finding the Enemy

    Chapter 2197 Finding the Enemy


    Arriving at the place where the doctors and alchemists had been, Minos'' group encountered two members of his crew exploring the area, a robot and a native of the Spiritual World.


    That was the group that had split off from the team that had dealt with the group''s ship earlier. By separating from that team, they had come to this place where it all began.


    They had escaped dying with their comrades near the spaceship, but when the plant-infected individuals from this place returned to this place a few minutes ago in search of them, they fought for their lives.


    As a result, the two of them were quite tired and had signs of battle all over their bodies, having lost their companion who had come to this place with them.


    Fortunately, they were able to spot the enemies before they were surprised by their roots, and so they were able to eliminate some of the individuals who had attacked them. Ne/w novel chapters are published at novelhall.com


    Two of them escaped and made their way to the camp, where they eventually died at the hands of Minos and Maximilian.


    Anyway, after the escape of those two, these two crewmates from the group that had just arrived at that location stayed behind, too exhausted to return to the group.


    Not having much to do other than look around while waiting for help, they began to explore the surroundings of this area.


    "Your Majesty..." The robot saw Minos'' group approaching and immediately stopped what he was doing to look at the humans in his group.


    He and the human next to him looked closely at Minos'' group, searching for injured people.


    "When we got separated from our companions and came here to see what happened, we were attacked by people from our own group..." The human next to the robot was about to speak when Ruth finished.


    Ignoring Ruth''s question, he said to Maximillian. "Two kilometers below us, there''s a creature that looks like a spiritual root. But it''s a bit strange. It seems to be a level 100 sentient being."


    "Oh?" Maximilian turned his attention to the depths of the area he was in and soon found the organism Minos had just noticed. "That seems to be the case. But it seems to be a bit afraid of u... Me?" He smiled as he noticed the shrunken roots of the creature.


    Minos looked at Ruth and motioned for her to hand him the spatial ring she had just scanned.


    Using the device, Minos summoned its resources while observing the root''s behavior.


    When he showed the water collected by one of the dead in the area, the strongest robot there shouted. "Stop!"


    Everyone looked at the metallic being while the other robots understood what had happened. "The first of our men to be attacked was exploring one of the natural resources in the area. I imagine that the sentient being among us acted because of this attitude. I can''t tell if it didn''t want to be spied on or if it just felt disrespected. But I think we''ll be fine as long as we don''t do the same." The level 98 robot said.


    Minos pondered for a moment while his eyes narrowed.


    "I wonder..." He murmured, attracting Maximillian''s attention.


    "What do you have in mind?" Maximillian asked.


    Minos revealed his thoughts. "Think about it: our wounded companions were affected by something that took over and turned them into enemies. That makes me think that maybe, just maybe, this creature has left parts of itself in the resources of the area to infect those who use those resources."


    The strongest people there opened their eyes and imagined that this made sense. By trying to analyze an infected resource, the alchemist from earlier had discovered the enemy''s plan and provoked the creature''s wrath.


    "Oh?" Maximilian pointed a hand at the resources floating in front of Minos and drew them to himself. "Let''s see if that''s the case." He said as he uncovered the resources, not hesitating to use his divine energy to search them for something similar to what had infected his companions.

 Chapter 2198 Beginning of the Journey to Zocarro

    The moment Maximillian scanned the resources in front of him, the creature underground in that area moved as if it saw its children fall into the hands of evil enemies.


    Minos saw the creature move and alerted his people. "It''s coming! Stay back!"


    Meanwhile, his level rose to 94; at the same time, he activated his soul avatar and brought Ruth into his soul projection.


    The people in the area moved backward as roots like the ones that had started this whole incident broke out of the ground and struck out in the direction of all of them.


    The ground shook as several rocks broke, and the surrounding plants withered as if they had lost contact with their life source.


    Then, a strange creature emerged from the ground and attacked Maximillian directly.


    "It looks like I pissed you off, huh?" Maximillian muttered as he sensed the magnitude of the threat before him. This subterranean creature, which looked like several roots piled together, was strong, as strong as some of the Gods Maximillian had faced in the first battle of the War of the Worlds.


    But this creature was no warrior, and this human God could clearly sense that.


    He took from the resources he had summoned the creature''s tiny particles, which, Minos thought, could infect those who consumed them.


    Once infected, such a being would have its soul degraded and its body possessed by the consciousness of this sentient being.


    This being had already reached a very high level, but he was looking for something more. There were things that someone like him could only access with a human body or by moving freely on the surface in order to make a more important breakthrough.


    Dominating creatures like these newcomers to this great world was a good strategy, and that''s why it had attacked them when it was discovered. If it were going to lose its nutrients and soldiers, it would rather do it by destroying the group around it.


    So it attacked Maximillian in a rage while having its nearby roots, which were connected to the trees in the area, attack Minos'' group.


    Meanwhile, Maximillian laughed as he picked up his trident, feeling that this would be a good opportunity for him to vent his recent stress.


    Minos kept a close eye on the creature and couldn''t help but feel a little disappointed that he hadn''t hurt it more. But if he could defeat a level 100 being so easily, he would still be disappointed, so he quickly moved on, this time merging three of his techniques, curious to see how his Divine Sword would behave in this world.


    If his black hole had evolved this much just because he had arrived in this world, then his Divine Sword would surely have evolved a level as well!


    Maximilian said nothing more and prepared to do his best, knowing that his enemy was not easy and that it would be best for him and Minos to finish the creature as soon as possible.


    As soon as the temperature around the explosion of the Black Hole Bomb dropped, the two attacked the wounded creature in the devastated area.


    Their companions stopped fleeing, no longer pursued by the enemy''s roots, no longer in danger from Minos'' weapon of mass destruction.


    They then began to use their powers to help Minos and Maximillian fight the level 100 creature.


    Even though level 100 creatures were much stronger than Demigods, that didn''t mean that the collective action of Demigods wouldn''t make things difficult for the Gods.


    With that strange creature wounded and Minos and Maximillian working together to kill it, the action of those thirty or so individuals between levels 95 and 99 was enough to make things difficult for their enemy.


    The creature realized this soon after the battle resumed while experimenting with the blades of the Divine Sword''s third movement and Maximillian''s own supreme weapon.


    At first, the creature would withstand the enemy''s movements for a while. Still, after a minute of fighting, things would change, with Minos'' side gradually gaining the upper hand in this battle.


    Over the next few minutes, they would deal with the creature, avenging their companions who had been killed earlier and eventually obtaining the first level 100 corpse of their current journey.


    As they would later discover, level 100 corpses were extremely valuable to people of their level!


    That was the end of the Minos party''s first major battle in this new world, a great and mysterious place where they would stay for a long time and face many problems on their way.


    That was just the beginning of their journey in Zocarro!

 Chapter 2199 Different Cultivation Speeds

    After a few minutes of confrontation in this forest area, Maximilian, Minos, and the rest of their group were once again exhausted.


    But this time, they wouldn''t make the same mistake as before. They wouldn''t split up again, and as soon as one part of the group started meditating, the other would stay in the area and watch for strange signs.


    Just in case, Maximilian and Minos decided not to meditate simultaneously.


    Since Minos could fully recover in less time, he was the first to meditate. At the same time, the level 100 guy stayed with the other half of the group to observe the area.


    Maximillian took the opportunity to examine the corpse of the level 100 creature that had attacked them.


    ''This body really looks like a piece of spiritual root...'' Maximillian looked curiously at the corpse, wondering if every planet, like the Spiritual World, had such creatures and if there was any possibility that the roots of his world could become aggressive like such a creature.


    But he wouldn''t get any answers to the many questions that would arise in his mind. He would only become more and more curious about this strange world, as well as enchanted by the local reality. Ne/w novel chapters are published at novelhall.com


    However, he would gradually realize the immense value of the creature his group had killed after much effort.


    ''This corpse contains an amount of energy equivalent to 25% of what I have in my best condition.'' He thought with a smile as he explored the inside of the large root. ''If that''s the case, this could be useful for feeding our entire group!''


    If such a corpse had enough energy to be equivalent to such a large piece of a living God''s cultivation, it could make a big difference to the Spiritual World natives there!


    He looked at one of Minos'' robots and thought such a creature might be his ideal first guinea pig.


    Only Maximilian and about 13 others were meditating, these being the people who had stood guard at the beginning of the group''s second recovery.


    As some of these 13 individuals neared the end of their recoveries, Minos said to Ruth. "What do you think? Maximilian wants to increase the power of the group members with this thing... But in the Spiritual World, it''s never been a good idea to increase the powers of cultivators artificially."


    "Yes, I have my doubts, too," Ruth said. "But this is a new world. Let''s see what the robot discovers and then continue with the tests. If we can become stronger without losing our spiritual stability, why not? We''re in enough trouble to use more hasty methods."


    Minos clenched his fists at the thought. "True. We can''t act as usual. Apart from the war, we''re in a place with unknown and powerful creatures. The next enemy might be our last!"


    "But I think we''ll be able to use its body to our advantage without a problem," Ruth said as she looked at Minos thoughtfully. "Haven''t you noticed the differences in your body and soul after cultivating in this place only twice?"


    Minos became more serious after he realized what Ruth had in mind. "Yes. The feeling I had while meditating was like using some kind of resource to recover faster. However, I didn''t consume anything, and my foundation didn''t destabilize as you would expect after using external resources."


    "I think cultivating in this world is even better than what you told me about cultivating under the Tree of Life on Elves Island," Ruth said as she pointed to the corpse in front of them. "But if it''s like that just by cultivating the free energy in the sky, what will it be like when we consume this body?


    It seems like it''s more powerful than one Divine Medicine when we look at its entire body. But even small parts of it should be more powerful than Saint Medicines," She said.


    "We''ll see about that later." Minos looked in the direction of the robot, who was still meditating.


    But he agreed with Ruth. Cultivating in this world was very different from what they were used to in the Spiritual World!


    If he could stay there for another three years, he was sure he could reach level 93 without using outside resources!


    That was less than 40% of the time it would take him to make the same breakthrough in the Spiritual World!

 Chapter 2200 Bad News

    Chapter 2200 Bad News


    After talking to Ruth for a while and seeing a few more men finish their recovery, Minos turned his attention to the artifact left behind by Fah''um of Dunov.


    Now that he was no longer exhausted and felt at least minimally comfortable examining this item, he took some distance from his people to not endanger them and summoned the great artifact that the giant had left behind.


    Minos had been hiding this artifact for a long time, but now that his situation wasn''t easy and it was showing strange signs, he couldn''t hide it any longer.


    If it could help his group, he wouldn''t mind revealing it to everyone.


    As soon as his cultivation reached the peak of level 94 and he activated his Soul Avatar, Minos saw the artifact that Fah''um of Dunov wore on one of his wrists appear in front of him.


    Such a thing was as big as a house compared to the size of him and the people around him.


    But its size was the least of the group''s concerns the moment it appeared. When it landed on the ground, the sizeable golden object with a crystal in the middle and two openings at the ends of it shone brightly.


    Free energy from the surrounding area quickly entered it, like water entering a newly unclogged drain.


    Everyone in Minos'' group turned their attention to the artifact, especially the two robots standing guard.


    "This artifact..."


    "An ancient telescope?" The level 98 robot asked with interest, seeing the device recharging without Minos'' command.


    "Telescope?" Minos opened his mouth curiously.


    "A telescope is a device that facilitates the observation of the universe, Your Majesty. There are no such devices in the Spiritual World, but the Mechanic Empire has a few of them on its already-dominated planets.


    Some planets and stars were just celestial bodies with no activity. But others seemed to be vibrating magically, indicating the possibility of cultivation and fantastic things on them.


    "Superb!" He commented as a smile appeared on his lips for the first time since Isabella''s death.


    "Indeed it must be." The level 98 robot next to Minos commented in an interested tone.


    After letting its master play with the artifact for a while, the robot pointed. "Your Majesty, please, in order for us to know where we are, you must first enlarge the viewfinder of your telescope." It said as it formed with its own energy something the shape of the telescope and showed Minos how to do what it asked.


    The analytical abilities of the robots of the Mechanic Empire were incredible. With just a brief observation of Minos playing with that item, this level 98 learned how to use such an artifact.


    Minos followed its instructions and soon had the item showing the space to the others in the area.


    The robot continued to guide him, gradually making the telescope show less of the great universe and more of the solar system in which this great planet was located.


    The robot also saw the galaxy in which that solar system was located until it identified the galaxy in which The Adamant Land and Irpoll should be.


    "As expected, we''re nowhere near our destinations." It said after a while. "Where exactly are we?" Ruth approached them. The robot said. "I don''t know what planet this is or what solar system it''s in. But we''re in the Omega Hyperion galaxy near the Snowflake Nebula."


    The only ones who understood the importance of this information were the two natives of The Adamant Land, who turned pale upon hearing it.


    "It can''t be..." They both said the same.


    "What does that mean?" Ruth asked strangely.


    Another robot said. "We are about 2 billion light years from The Adamant Land. Without a universal wormhole, reaching the Mechanic Empire would take us 2 billion years.


    But even with universal wormholes between here and our destination, we may never reach the Mechanic Empire in our remaining lifetimes."

 Chapter 2201 The Group’s Decision

    Chapter 2201 The Group''s Decision


    The entire group standing around fell silent at the robots'' conclusion about their location in the universe.


    Considering how powerful this place seemed to be, they had expected that they were nowhere near The Adamant Land. But when they heard that they might never be able to return, they couldn''t help but remain silent, thinking about what that meant for them.


    Minos didn''t doubt the robots in his group and understood that it would be difficult for them to return. But he tried to remain positive. After a few moments of thought, he said. "At our level, we may not be able to return to our plans. But we''re in a world where we can get stronger faster than we thought we could on our journey.


    I''m at level 92, and I thought it would take me about 10 years to get to level 93 in the Spiritual World. But now I feel that if I stay in this world for 10 years, I can reach the peak of level 94. Then what if we stay here for 20 years or 30 years? That''s how long we considered it would take us to help our world somehow.


    Maybe in that time, we''ll find solutions to this problem. So don''t get discouraged too soon."


    The robots looked at Minos and said nothing. But they thought that even if he progressed rapidly in the next few years, it would still be almost impossible for them to return to their plans in time. Ruth clenched her fists and asked. "All right. We won''t be leaving this place for a while. I understand that. But what about the characteristics of this world? What can you tell about it from where we are?"


    The level 98 robot replied. "From what we can see in the telescope, this world is located in a fairly powerful area of its galaxy. I can''t tell you the exact level of the creatures we''ll encounter on our journey here. Still, the cultivation limit in this world is likely to be different than what we had in the Spiritual World.


    Considering some of the characteristics of the solar system we''re in and the data I have from The Adamant Land and the Spiritual World, this place should have an average level between 80 and 87."


    Some of the Demigods opened their mouths wide when they heard this, wondering what it could mean.


    If that was indeed the average level in this world, then they were only slightly stronger than average. In the Spiritual World, those who were slightly above average were Spiritual Emperors, individuals with a much lower level of strength than the strongest in their world!


    "How sure are you about this?" Minos asked.


    "40%." The robot said. "My margin of certainty is low, of course, because I''m not judging the living beings of this world, but what the laws and energy available in this world can make possible.


    Even Maximilian, a cultivator who was supposed to be at the peak of cultivation, felt such a sensation, which naturally made him think of Minos'' words about civilizations superior to them.


    When he finished cultivating and talked about it with the group, he practically assured his group that the root they had encountered was not the most powerful opponent they could encounter on this planet.


    However, the people had already woken up before Maximillian had expected this due to the discoveries from Minos'' telescope.


    They were in danger and urgently needed to be strengthened!


    Maximillian listened to the group''s discoveries about how strong this world was and soon came to the same conclusion as most of them, that it was worthwhile to focus on cultivating where they were before exploring this world.


    They were probably stronger than average, but it would only take one encounter with a being more powerful than Maximilian, and they would be finished.


    Maximilian himself valued his life very highly, so he agreed with everything most of them had said during the hours of meditation.


    But shortly after he woke up, the level 97 robot that was testing one of the fractions of the level 100 root''s body finished its work.


    After he finished his meditation, having greatly improved his cultivation and about to advance to level 98, he told the group the results, saying that it was possible for them to safely become stronger by consuming the level 100 root.


    With that settled, the group quickly separated those who would serve as guinea pigs from the spiritual experts who would try to create resources from the creature''s remains.


    They had brought a lot of resources from the Spiritual World, so they had a lot of options to combine with this root and try to create new spiritual products.


    So, the group''s first few days in this world would be focused on meditating to strengthen themselves. At the same time, some of them would work on experimenting with the best ways to use the corpse of the level 100 root.

 Chapter 2202 Rapid Progress (1)

    Chapter 2202 Rapid Progress (1)


    In the blink of an eye, three months had passed since Minos'' party arrived in the new world.


    In that time, they had experienced ups and downs, but most of their losses had occurred upon their arrival in this land. The group became very cautious after the initial incident with the level 100 root.


    The group''s precautions had been very efficient, and nothing out of the ordinary had happened since then.


    However, the group had some problems with the experiments with the corpse of the level 100 root, which had proven to be very powerful and valuable to the group.


    In the very first experiments, the group suffered a loss when one of the two aliens in the group died after exploding because he couldn''t handle the amount of energy and laws that entered his body from consuming the resources prepared by Minos'' experts.


    The group then learned that in addition to the strongest members of the group, the others would have to consume resources from this root that were much weaker than the products originally made, or they would have problems.


    The free energy of this world was not so different from that of the Spiritual World when it was much stronger, except for its density and laws. But the same energy source in the bodies of special beings was quite violet. If you weren''t prepared to degrade such a resource, losing control of your power and exploding wasn''t difficult.


    Therefore, it took some time for the group to learn how to separate the power of this corpse more efficiently and produce something that could be ''softer'' for the fragile bodies of the weaker members of the group.


    While this was happening, most of the group focused on cultivation, and some of the remaining crew members made their first breakthroughs in this new world.


    But these were people who had already reached the peak of their levels before, so it didn''t count for much as a direct effect of where they were.


    But that was about to change!


    ...


    "He''s advanced to level 92!" One of the men in Minos'' group exclaimed as he looked at the body of the blue-skinned man sitting in the lotus position.


    After what had happened with the ancient telescope, he thought he might be able to change something about this egg, which had the same origin and age as the item left by Fah''um of Dunov.


    As soon as he connected the egg to this world, he realized that this essence had completely changed, and even some of its layers were broken.


    The egg was clearly dead. But the energy of this world was causing it to change, something that made Minos and Maximillian look at it in anticipation of what would happen in the future.


    Amid this, cultivating near the egg seemed even more beneficial to the group than before Minos placed it in that area.


    Even those who weren''t so familiar with immortal energy were improving their mastery of the immortal techniques that Minos had taught them, while everyone''s combat skills were improving.


    Anyway, while looking at it, Maximilian asked. "What do you think this will unleash in the future?"


    Minos had no idea but answered anyway: "Some valuable item to create a powerful weapon. That should be a living being, but since it''s dead, it must have left something that will be useful in an artifact or something."


    "Do you want to use such a thing?" Maximilian looked at Minos.


    "I''m weaker than you. Then it''s best, isn''t it? Anything that makes our group more powerful specialists makes sense."


    Maximillian smiled when he heard that, looked at Minos, and remembered the time they had met. Back then, he hadn''t imagined that he would reach such a moment.


    "I just hope it pays off quickly. We''ve been stuck here for months... It''s only a matter of time before something finds us and problems equal or greater than this root find us." Maximilian said with a sigh.


    "I know. But let''s be optimistic. We''re getting stronger fast. In another two months, we should be able to use up all of that root''s corpse and improve our levels even more." Minos commented, hoping they would have peace for at least that long.


    After that, even if nothing happened, it would be time for them to at least try to explore the surroundings a little bit, which, of course, would have its dangers.

 Chapter 2203 Rapid Progress (2)

    Chapter 2203 Rapid Progress (2)


    Time passed, and Minos'' party had already been on the planet they had accidentally landed on for about six months.


    Their group was still in the same area of about 100 square kilometers where they had arrived, and they had not tried to explore beyond the designated area.


    However, even standing in this place where one would hardly understand this world better, they had made progress, and the whole group was stronger after months of standing there.


    Through the group''s experiments with special resources using the body parts of the level 100 root, they came up with formulas that could benefit the spiritual humans in the group as much as possible.


    After successfully testing these resources, the group began to mass-produce items using the level 100 root body as the main resource but also using water from the surrounding area.


    After the first few weeks of testing and mass production of mainly pills, the group began to consume these cultivation resources to increase their overall strength.


    In addition to the pills, a portion of the large root body was used by the group''s only cook, who prepared several nutritious dishes using the level 100 corpse during this period.


    After a few weeks of the group using such things to increase their strength more quickly, everyone in the group had increased in level, even those who had advanced immediately upon arriving on this planet!


    ...


    Minos awoke from his cultivation after days of digesting the spiritual power of the fourth pill he had consumed in this world, which had shortened the distance between him and level 93 and given him a breakthrough that should have taken three years of hard cultivation in just six weeks!


    When he felt his cultivation stop in the middle of level 93, as solid or more solid than before, Minos looked down at his hands as he felt the power coursing through his veins.


    That was due to the stronger cultivation base that any cultivable being would have when cultivating in this world!


    Therefore, to shorten the distance between themselves and the beings that could exist in this great world, Minos and his whole group were willing to use artificial substances that would shorten their paths to higher levels.


    ''I can probably get to level 94 with this method without any problems.'' Minos thought with a smile on his face until he looked in Maximillian''s direction.


    Maximilian had become much stronger even though he was already at level 100!


    In the last two months, this God''s aura had become about 10% stronger, which happened after he had consumed 8 pills similar to the one Minos had used, consuming 35% of the level 100 root''s body.


    Before that, Maximilian was already quite powerful, but he was far behind compared to the Mechanical Emperor killed by Minos and some of the biological Gods of the Mechanic Empire who fought in the first battle of the War of the Worlds. But now, after his improvement over the past few weeks, he was almost on par with the strongest enemy Gods that had invaded the Spiritual World!


    Looking at this fellow, Minos knew that his group would depend heavily on Maximilian''s strength for their survival and the success of their plans. Even if he could move faster than this guy, harnessing the power of someone who was already so strong would be crucial for him and his group.


    ''We must find other ways for him to increase his strength.'' Minos thought as he narrowed his eyes. ''More importantly, we need to explore this world and learn more about strengthening ourselves here.''


    Until now, they had lived like animals in a place they had found by chance. But this place might be average or even weak compared to other places in this world. Perhaps there were cities in this world where intelligent beings had developed more advanced ways of living and cultivating than those Minos'' group knew.


    Staying there could be good, but it could also be a setback for their group!


    Thinking about how Maximillian, more than anyone else in his group, needed to find more advanced methods to strengthen himself, Minos couldn''t help but think that the time was coming for them to leave this area.

 Chapter 2204 Time to Start Exploring

    Chapter 2204 Time to Start Exploring?


    Minos got up from where he was and went to Ruth''s side, who was standing guard around their camp in the middle of the forest.


    She was currently at the beginning of level 92, having advanced to this cultivation two days ago.


    Ruth was at level 90 when the group arrived on this planet. However, since she had a Divine-grade Physique, something that only Minos and Maximillian had besides her, she had made better use of the resources she had ingested compared to the rest of the group, who had only increased their strength by one level in the past few weeks.


    Her cultivation base was the smallest compared to Minos'' and Maximillian''s, so she managed to go from level 90 to level 92. At the same time, those two had improved by one level and a fraction of their strength, respectively.


    Minos was delighted with her progress but didn''t want to talk about it right now.


    "Ruth, prepare the group. We''ll leave this place and explore beyond the area we''ve already explored as soon as the last meditating wake up." He went straight to one of the three robots there.


    She didn''t question her husband and went about her business while Minos approached the robots next to the giant egg in that place.


    Several men in the meditating group were near this egg, which had shrunk by 50% in the past few weeks but was still very useful in helping those who cultivated near it.


    Of the three remaining robots in the group standing in front of the egg, one was currently at level 99, another was at level 98, and the last was still at level 97.


    This last one was the one that had many of its parts damaged during the group''s initial problem in this world. However, in the months since that battle, he and his fellow robots had used the remaining robot parts they had to solve their problems.


    Because this had taken time, he had missed out on the opportunities to advance that his companions had had, even though he was already stronger than when he arrived in this world.


    Minos asked the three, "How is this thing coming along?"


    The strongest of the robots said. "Slowly, I''d say. We thought we''d have a result after these months of standing here, but the progress of this thing has completely changed since a month ago. I don''t know what''s behind it, Your Majesty. We''ll have to study it when we move."


    They weren''t as weak as they had been when they arrived here about six months ago, but they weren''t as strong as the kind of powerful creatures that could exist in this world.


    The robots agreed with Minos, while one was curious to see more of what this world had to offer.


    ''If there''s any chance of completing our plans, it will depend on the existence of intelligent beings that are stronger than we know.'' The level 99 robot thought, ''If there are only Gods in this world, it will be impossible for us to return.''


    Meanwhile, another of these artificial beings discreetly looked at Minos and thought, ''If there''s no way back to our plans, His Majesty will probably become an expert in this world. We must ensure he doesn''t get burned by the local experts!''


    ...


    A few hours passed, and Minos'' group finally left this area; everyone had finished stabilizing their powers with the last resources they had left from the items produced from the level 100 root body.


    Another reason for them to explore this world was that they had already completely consumed the level 100 root body and wanted to find new ingredients to produce special resources.


    The group was willing to make one more major breakthrough before returning to traditional meditation so as not to harm themselves by advancing too quickly.


    An increase in cultivation would still do more good than harm to the group, so everyone was interested in finding ingredients to produce new resources.


    That was especially true for those people who were at level 99, and they thought they could reach level 100 in a few years if they found good opportunities in this world.


    So when they left that area, the group was more hopeful than fearful about their journey in this world.


    However, they still left where they had arrived cautiously, scanning the terrain ahead as they moved in formation, ready to fight if necessary.


    They would travel this way until they left the 100 square kilometer area where they had spent the last few months, encountering no problems along the way.

 Chapter 2205 First Intelligent Being?

    Chapter 2205 First Intelligent Being?


    When Minos and his group began to explore Zocarro, only two months had passed to those in the Spiritual World since he and his group had left through the universal wormhole!


    Neither Minos'' group nor the people of the Spiritual World were aware of the difference in the passage of time between the places they were in.


    Meanwhile, the war in the Spiritual World was heating up, with more deaths on both sides of the war against the alien invaders.


    The aliens were expanding their territory while the powers of the Spiritual World were losing experts and ground, but in return, they were getting more kills among the aliens.


    Just over 50,000 aliens had come to this world for the war of domination. No reinforcements had arrived on this planet yet, so with the losses of this group over the past two months, their numbers had now reached half of what they had when they arrived.


    That, of course, was a positive point for the forces of the Spiritual World, who had been preserving the use of their secret weapons as much as possible during these weeks.


    The forces of this world had surrendered areas to the aliens and lost many people. But this had been done according to the plans of the planet''s experts, who wanted to reduce the number of aliens more than they wanted to prevent the advance of the Mechanic Empire on the Spiritual World.


    Thus, most of the battles had taken place in the Ancestral Sea, while some groups were preparing to deal not only with the strongest enemies already in this world but also with the reinforcements that might arrive sooner or later.


    ...


    In the Spatial Kingdom of the Black Plain Army...


    Gloria was currently in the main office of the lake house in this area, where she could see the place where the level 99 ice woman was cultivating but also where Abby was meditating.


    She had been dealing with the affairs of the war from there while also working on her ascension within the Spiritual Church.


    She hadn''t received any letters from Minos in the last two months, which had already led her to believe that where her husband was was too far away from the Spiritual World for him to be able to send anything to this Spatial Kingdom.


    So, she concentrated on continuing her husband''s plans and her own to make the main forces of her group grow stronger while they endured the difficult time of war.


    They had learned that even if there were other beings like the root from before, there was no danger in just gathering resources along the way. As long as they didn''t thoroughly investigate the resources near the gathering spot, their chances of passing through the areas on their way unnoticed were good.


    Minos and Maximillian had noticed in their first days on the road that there were many other beings like the level 100 root they had killed in the forest they were in. However, these beings didn''t seem to want any direct problems with their targets.


    They wanted to infect them and take over their bodies without a fight.


    By pretending not to know them or their strategies, the group passed through the dangers on their way relatively well, having gathered various resources over the past few days.


    They could drink water without danger. But the fruits, herbs, and roots they had collected had to be decontaminated after they had left the reach of the beings who had deliberately contaminated these resources.


    These beings usually stayed where they were, so every few days, the group was able to better analyze these resources and purify them for consumption.


    In this way, the group had been consuming resources as they traveled. In contrast, the remaining alchemist of the group took advantage of every stop they made to produce more pills.


    He did this while the rest of the party took the opportunity to rest and observe their surroundings.


    One of the level 97 Demigods in the group, who was drinking water from the stream, asked one of his companions, who was closest to him. "What do you think of those insects? Could they be cultivators from this world?"


    The woman next to this level 97 man looked at a strange creature that didn''t exist in the Spiritual World but resembled the butterflies of their world. "I don''t know. I think they are just ordinary insects from this area. But maybe they are controlled by the strange roots of this world. After all, they eat leaves and fruits..."


    "That must be the case." A robot agreed with the woman''s analysis. "This creature has an 87% chance of being contaminated by a root similar to the one we encountered. It''s probably the eyes of the root."


    Minos listened while eating some of the already purified fruit they had collected and asked. "Do all organisms in this world work by parasitizing other living beings? If that''s the case, we''re in trouble."


    A level 98 robot said. "As long as they don''t understand us or attack us before we attack them, we''ll be fine. At least the dangers will be moderate."


    "Guys..."


    While the group was chatting, one of the men guarding the area said suddenly in a shaky tone while raising a hand to indicate something in front of them.

 Chapter 2206 Learning the Language

    Chapter 2206 Learning the Language?


    When everyone turned their eyes in that man''s direction, they saw him pointing straight ahead, where they soon noticed a creature standing there looking at them all.


    This creature looked like a giant ant but stood like a human being. Its head was small, smaller than its ''shoulders,'' where two wings, almost as big as its own body, were ready to fly.


    It had two huge black eyes that contrasted with its tan exoskeleton.


    Gulp!


    "What''s that?" One of the group muttered as they felt a relatively strong aura coming from the creature''s body.


    At first, they hadn''t paid any attention to this creature''s aura, but the more they looked at it, the more they realized the strange sensation of a level 97 creature from this world.


    As they looked at the creature, the creature looked at them, its big eyes moving as it tried to understand who these terrible creatures were in its path.


    ''Which group is this?'' It asked itself as it hesitated to take a step back.


    ''My group is a bit far away, but I can''t risk going home while these creatures are watching.'' It thought to itself. ''There is a Sovereign among them.'' It looked at Maximillian, aware that it couldn''t offend someone like that, or it and its tribe could end up badly.


    Minos narrowed his eyes as he looked closer at the creature, sensing that his companions were becoming tense. Vissit  for updates


    He raised both arms and called for calm.


    "Don''t move." He said to his people. "Let''s try to communicate with it."


    Maximillian watched in silence as the group looked nervously at the creature.


    Minos tried to approach, making peace signs without weapons in his hands. "Can you understand me? My name is Minos. M-I-N-O-S." He said as he walked as slowly as a snail.


    The ant-like creature looked at Minos with fear at first, but he was intelligent enough to recognize a non-belligerent sign.


    You might think that peace signs could be different in every world, and there were indeed different customs. But the most important thing about a peace sign was not the gesture but the feeling behind it.


    In this exchange of words, both sides learned a little of each other''s language, quickly improving their communication.


    "So you want to know where you are and what''s on my planet?" Strin asked while the people in Minos'' group grimaced, understanding only parts of its speech.


    But Strin understood the Minos group''s doubt after five minutes of trying to talk about it.


    "What did it ask?" Someone asked one of the robots.


    The robots there were some of the most adaptive beings in the group, and they helped both sides in this conversation to understand each other.


    The level 99 robot said. "I think it understood our question."


    The ''ant'' saw this robot nod positively to his question and said, gesturing. "We are on Zocarro. That''s the name of our world."


    "Zocarro?"


    "Zocarro? It''s the name of this place? What a strange name." The people in the group understood as they commented.


    "Zocarro is the name of this place? Can you tell us more?" Minos asked.


    "Yes, that''s the planet''s name," Strin said firmly. "I am a native, a member of one of the many tribes of Zocarro. As for where we are, this is the Contaminated Forest. You shouldn''t travel here. It''s dangerous."


    After 10 minutes of trying to talk about this area and how they should move around, Strin managed to get Minos'' group to understand it.


    "This is the home of a race of parasitic creatures. They will try to take over your body whenever possible. It''s not safe to travel through this area for long. There is a special path you must take if you want to reach a safe area."


    After the group understood why they had encountered problems upon arriving at this place, Minos asked. "Can you show us the way? We just want to find our way out of this world."


    "Out?" The ''ant'' liked what it heard because this group didn''t seem malicious, like other space explorers who came and went from Zocarro.


    "Come with me. I''ll show you something."

 Chapter 2207 Learning more about Zocarro

    Chapter 2207 Learning more about Zocarro?


    The group followed Strin after the creature called them, and Minos felt it was worth following the native of this world.


    On their hour-long journey from their meeting point, Strin would lead them along a special path where none of the subterranean parasitic creatures the group had sensed over the past few days were present.


    The group noticed this and learned that there were special paths through this area where they could travel unobserved by these creatures, where the natural resources in the area were abundant and toxins-free.


    Amid this, Strin tried to improve the vocabulary of the people in Minos'' group, showing them various things and teaching them the names of each of the things they saw on their way.


    An hour was enough for the group to learn practically all the names of natural things, such as earth, sky, stone, sand, water, leaves, some living creatures'' names, and variations on the basic names.


    The language of Strin was not complex. There were several basic words in it that could be modified to form other words that were related despite their differences.


    With these teachings, he helped the group become more fluent in his language, one of the six languages of Zocarro.


    Then, after an hour of moving around, Strin stopped in front of the group near a cliff in the area they were in.


    He motioned for the group to come closer, then pointed down at Minos. "City. That''s an area where many creatures live, work, and trade."


    This time, Minos'' group understood what Strin meant almost immediately. They still had some difficulties, but they understood the main message of this ''ant.''


    Minos'' group looked down, and everyone there noticed at the base of the cliff the silhouette of a stone city, a place not so big compared to the biggest cities in the Spiritual World but quite busy, with many beings coming and going through the streets.


    The streets and buildings there were very different from what they had in the Spiritual World, but none of them were very surprised. They had expected the beings of this world to be physically different from them, and so the cities and such would be adapted to bodies with different needs from their own.


    As the group looked around the area, which must have had some 50,000 inhabitants, some of them muttering to each other, Strin explained.


    "That is Sree. One tioisk is the time it takes Zocarro to circle Sree three times."


    The level 99 robot did the calculations and said. "1 tioisk is the equivalent of 4 months in our measure of time. So 6 tioisk is 24 months or 2 years."


    Maximillian looked at the ''ant'' and exclaimed. "All that?"


    "Zocarro is very big. Believe me, that''s not much. If you tried to cross our world, it would take you 100 tioisk, even at this Sovereign''s top speed." He said as he pointed at Maximilian.


    "Sovereign?" Maximillian and Minos frowned.


    "What''s that?" Minos asked curiously.


    Strin had expected them not to know the nomenclature of the levels in this world and explained. "Sovereign is the name for those who are stronger than Mortals, us, and are at the beginning of their Divine Journey. They are weaker than the cultivators of the Supreme stage."


    The people in Minos'' group looked at each other and finally received confirmation that there was something above level 100 in this world and that there was a well-defined hierarchy, which meant that they could access the knowledge about it as long as they traveled through this world.


    Maximillian clenched his fists in determination, feeling that this was his chance to become stronger. At the same time, Minos thought about the opportunities and problems this would bring them.


    "I see..." Minos muttered.


    Strin said. "In Examire, you can find a way back to where you came from and also opportunities. Gopok is a place that offers many opportunities and freedoms for space explorers. You can do many things there and even live on Zocarro permanently if you''re interested.


    I don''t recommend that you try this in places other than this civilization. Although some beings on Zocarro may not segregate you immediately, many will try to eliminate you as soon as they can.


    Only in civilizations that are friendly to space explorers can you count on a more positive attitude towards you. Outside of those places, it''s too dangerous to live. Space explorers have a terrible track record in our world, having caused many wars and tribal problems that have led to the deaths of many native and alien beings."


    "Is that so?" Maximilian said. "Then I thank you for your words. But why are you willing to talk to us about all this?"

 Chapter 2208 Decision

    Chapter 2208 Decision?


    The ant got right to the point. "There''s no reason why an ordinary Mortal like me shouldn''t help a practitioner of the Divine Journey. And I wouldn''t gain anything by lying to you."


    "Do you gain anything by telling the truth?" Maximilian asked curiously.


    "Certainly. Not earning the enmity of a group led by a Sovereign is enough to leave a Mortal in a good position." Strin commented before adding. "As much as many natives of Zocarro dislike space explorers, and some will try to make trouble for you, the vast majority don''t dare to risk themselves against practitioners of the Divine Journey.


    The Divine Journey is long, and there are different levels of power. But the weakest practitioner of it still has enough to terrorize entire tribes of Mortals.


    In Zocarro, the highest law is the law of the strong. The weak must obey and help the strong whenever possible or necessary. I just do what I have to do and help my tribe stay out of trouble."


    That was the truth. This world was much more complex than the Spiritual World and The Adamant Land. Here, beings of different strength levels would not just respect the strongest. They would truly fear the strongest, bow their heads, and act like subordinates to beings they had never seen before, just out of fear for their very existence.


    Of course, some would act this way out of self-interest to gain access to stronger people. But they were the minority, and the vast majority of living beings would behave similarly to Strin.


    "So what do you recommend, Strin? Is this place up ahead worth it? Or should we continue on our way to Examire?" Ruth asked when Maximillian fell silent.


    "If you want to learn more about this world and return to your home planet as soon as possible, I recommend traveling to Examire. Even if you don''t achieve some of your goals there, you can certainly learn a lot.


    In Examire, you will have access to resources, jobs, cultivation opportunities, techniques, historical books, and even opportunities to join the great powers of my world.


    On the other hand, you will have many difficulties in this place. But it would definitely be safer for you to enter this city first. You''re not weak by local standards, but that wouldn''t be the case if you decided to go to Examire. You won''t have the same opportunities here, but you won''t face the same dangers and could learn a few things.


    If you plan to stay in Zocarro for a long time and aren''t in a hurry, staying here for a while might not be such a bad idea". It was sincere in its advice.


    Minos agreed as he nodded to Maximillian, while the others in the group sighed as they looked at the city at the base of the area before them, curious but also nervous to get to know this new place.


    Minos said to Strin. "We will stay in this area for a while. Could you lead us to this place?"


    Strin wasn''t surprised by this decision and nodded as it led the way. "The city ahead is called Kilburn. As I said, it''s influenced by one race of ants. However, there are at least 30 races living there in harmony.


    Most are definitely ants, but there are other beings of related races here."


    "Are all the beings in your world like you, Strin?" Ruth asked.


    "Not at all. Subterranean parasites and beings with exoskeletons characterize this area we''re in. But if you travel the world, you''ll find beings very different from me. But there is nothing like you. So don''t be surprised if they look at you like you''re monsters...


    I didn''t mean to offend you..."


    The people in the group smiled because, to them, the monsters were actually the natives of this place, especially those who looked like Strin.


    "So that''s it... But what about the space explorers?" Minos asked.


    "There are space explorers who are said to be more or less like you. But I''ve never seen them in person. I''ve only heard reports about them." Strin explained. "That is certainly the case for most of the natives of Zocarro. As much as this is a world that has long had contact with extraterritorial civilizations, more than half of this planet is fairly close to foreigners.


    It will probably take you a while to meet other space explorers until you get to Examire."


    So the group continued to talk to this being as they approached the city they would be entering in a few minutes.

 Chapter 2209 New Classifications

    Chapter 2209 New Classifications


    When they entered Kilburn, Minos'' group soon attracted the attention of practically every being in the area, many of whom were similar from their point of view. But to the people of Kilburn, the people in Minos'' group were the ones who really resembled each other.


    They were very strange and ugly to the locals, with a fragile appearance, strange clothes, and unnecessary hair that only got in the way.


    The locals watched them as if they were wild animals coming to civilization, but most didn''t try to approach them or get their attention. They were merely curious about these unknown specimens.


    But everyone there was a strong enough cultivator to realize that there were about 30 individuals at the end of the Mortal Journey and one Sovereign at the beginning of the Divine Journey.


    There were no Sovereigns in Kilburn, so even though Minos'' group was unknown, no one would casually take a chance on them.


    "We''re really interesting to the locals..." Ruth commented in a low voice as her group looked at the beings watching them.


    Strin said. "Don''t get me wrong, but you''re very strange. Some of my kind will feel deeply uncomfortable just being around you... Some find it very difficult to accept beings like you. But don''t take the looks of these natives personally. They''ll stop looking at you that way in a day or two."


    Minos didn''t mind and asked. "What are the cultivation levels of the Mortal Journey and the Divine Journey?"


    "I don''t know all the levels of the Divine Journey. The Divine Journey is special, and less than 1% of cultivators who are able to reach it have a chance to enter it. But that''s just to enter it. Most of those who begin the Divine Journey end their lives at the Sovereign level. The few who make it to the highest level have little chance of going beyond it. As for what''s beyond that, I personally don''t know.


    You''ll have to find a place where there are Supremes and ask someone powerful..."


    Maximilian listened carefully and saw that there was not only a whole stage above his current level but also something beyond it.


    Strin continued. "As for the Mortal Journey, there are five stage in it. The first is the Apprentice Warrior, then comes the Intermediate Warrior, followed by the Senior Warrior, then the Master, and finally, the Grandmaster.


    Minos'' group understood, and each of them quickly realized there shouldn''t be much difference for them since the big difference was in the starting point.


    This world was more powerful than theirs, so the starting point for cultivation was higher. But for them, who were already strong, it wouldn''t make any difference because their levels were the same as what they could find at the end of the Mortal Journey or the beginning of the Divine Journey.


    "So there are 15 levels in the Sovereign stage... What level am I at?" Maximilian asked Strin. "Can you tell me that?"


    "You must be at the first level. I personally can''t judge you because I am much weaker than you. But your aura is very similar to that of a newcomer who left the Mortal Journey to begin the Divine Journey.


    So, if we''re going to use your rankings, you should be between levels 100 and 101."


    Strin noticed Maximillian''s look and said. "Don''t worry, you''ll know when you''ve progressed. Just as something happened in your world during your breakthrough, it will happen here. It''s the same for cultivators on both the Mortal and Divine Journeys. If you haven''t felt it yet, it means you''re still at level 100."


    "I see..." Maximilian thought it made sense since the people in his group had advanced only two levels at most. So he, the strongest of them all and had the largest cultivation base, couldn''t have advanced by even one level.


    Anyway, while the group understood the local power ranking better, they arrived at the center of Kilburn, where most of the local businesses were located.


    Any developed intelligent civilization would reach the point where the exchange of resources or services took place in special places where you could use a common currency to get what you wanted.


    That was the natural path of evolution, so even the "insects" who seemed somewhat primitive in this place traded and had commercial establishments.


    The only differences there from what existed in the spirit world were the quality of the products, the beings who sold them, and the way the products and shops were constructed.


    The group didn''t mind, and soon, they had a better understanding of what they would find in this world.

 Chapter 2210 Divine Fruits

    Chapter 2210 Divine Fruits


    Arriving at the first shop in this city that Strin had taken them to, he introduced the group to the shopkeeper, who was an old acquaintance of theirs and gave them space to look at the artifacts and resources for sale.


    Meanwhile, he exchanged a few words with the ''ant'' who was working as a vendor there.


    "Strin, why did you bring such a group into my store? Don''t you know how greedy and violent these space explorers are?" The ant said in a way that only they could understand. "I thought you were a friend, man!"


    Strin laughed bitterly and said. "Accan, these people aren''t like that. And even if they were, what would I do? Let them go and risk them getting into trouble with us? We''d be the ones to lose! Don''t forget that our tribe lives nearby.


    Better I guide them and keep them out of trouble or away from our tribe than let them go alone."


    "You''re taking a big risk. The last group of space explorers that passed through the area betrayed their guides and devoured their bodies before leaving our world." Accan commented as it looked around at the people in Minos'' group. "Be careful not to become the barbecue of these aliens!"


    "Let''s do that." Maximillian looked at Minos and felt that it had been a good decision for them to pass through Kilburn before going on to Examire.


    While they were talking, Ruth picked up a piece of fruit from the shop and asked Accan. "How would you classify this? In my world, we''d call it Divine Medicine. How rare is it here?"


    Accan looked at Ruth and was not surprised by her question. It was normal for space explorers to ask such questions as soon as they arrived in a new world. It answered her. "This is a Divine fruit. It can be used to awaken special traits in the person who consumes it, or it can be used to help a cultivator of the Mortal Journey progress to the stage of a Sovereign.


    Divine Fruits are not that rare, but they are not easy to find. Therefore, one can cost a few thousand tioisk of your time." Strin explained. "There are eight levels of classification for resources and artifacts in Zocarro. Divine Fruits are at position fifth and are considered 5th-grade items, which are what we call artifacts of the same rank.


    Fifth-grade items are the highest for Mortal Journey cultivators. They are usually used by Grandmasters or even newly promoted Sovereigns..." It continued to talk, briefly explaining the lower level items to her, but without investing too much into the subject since people like Minos'' group wouldn''t be too interested in lower quality resources.


    As for the higher-quality ones, Strin didn''t know much about them since they were rarer resources and usually only useful to Divine Journey cultivators.


    So the group learned a bit more at the shop before they were finally led to a place that Strin thought they could stay at in Kilburn while they were in the city.

 Chapter 2211 New Progress

    Chapter 2211 New Progress


    The first few days of Minos'' group in Kilburn passed quickly, without any major incidents or level advancements for the group''s Spiritual World personnel.


    The first few days of Minos'' crew in Kilburn had basically been about getting used to the place, learning more of the local language, and discovering more of the opportunities available in this city.


    Although Kilburn wasn''t the most interesting place for the Zocarro group to grow up, this simple place had a lot of opportunities for people as "backward" as they were.


    That could be seen in Accan''s shop, where resources that would make the strongest in the Spiritual World fight to the death for them were sold at ''affordable'' prices.


    Obviously, the price of 5th-grade items in this place wasn''t low, and only those at the end of the 10th stage or beginning of the 11th stage would have a chance to gather the capital needed to buy them. But unlike the Spiritual World, where someone would only agree to negotiate for a Divine Medicine in a very drastic situation, it was possible to buy such things in this place in shops all over the world.


    Kilburn was just a small city in a relatively remote area of Zocarro where there weren''t even any Gods. But even there, some shops sold such impressive resources!


    There were other local opportunities that might be of interest to Minos''s group, such as professionals who could create special resources through their skills, fighters who were willing to demonstrate different fighting styles, and so on.


    There were other local opportunities that might be of interest to Minos''s group, such as professionals who could create special resources through their skills, fighters who were willing to demonstrate different fighting styles, and so on.


    Realizing the value of the place to them, the group spent a few days learning about the local opportunities while improving their language skills.


    He and she were the youngest and most talented of the group. They also had Divine Physiques, so their abilities and cultivation speed were far superior to everyone else in the group.


    Even though the others were also getting stronger, they were improving at a slower rate than them, which might allow Ruth to become more influential in the group over time.


    As someone who had a very interesting ability to save lives, Ruth naturally had high expectations for her strengthening.


    "Everyone in the group has improved. Only Maximilian and the three group members who were previously at level 99 haven''t advanced to the next level. But they are all stronger." She commented to him.


    Minos nodded as he looked at the rest of the group. Except for those four people who were still cultivating but were unlikely to be able to advance, everyone else in the group had improved their cultivation.


    Even the alien from The Adamant Land who was in the group had advanced and was now at level 93.


    Why had Minos'' group cultivated even this enemy? He was the official guinea pig of the group, and Emperor Stuart thought he could help them when they finally went to The Adamant Land. So, they kept him alive and even gave him opportunities to advance.


    Apart from him, Ruth, and Minos, everyone else in the group was between level 97 and 100, with seven Demigods currently at level 99 and three of them already at the peak of that level.


    They wouldn''t be able to advance to level 100 now, but as soon as the group had a chance to stop for a longer retreat, Minos and Ruth were sure that these three could become Sovereigns/Gods!

 Chapter 2212 Zocarro’s Deeper Information

    Chapter 2212 Zocarro''s Deeper Information


    After everyone in the group finished their breakthroughs and left their meditation states, they took a day to test their current abilities and note their new specialties.


    In the Spiritual World, this wouldn''t be necessary for ordinary breakthroughs, but for breakthroughs with special features that would allow cultivators to improve rapidly, they always needed to do some reconnaissance training.


    That was not hard to understand. After all, if you improve too fast, you might lose the calibration of your strength and end up using much more or much less strength than you should in certain situations.


    But a simple few hours of training could easily solve this problem, and soon after the group''s training day, they met for a special purpose.


    To discuss the group''s departure from Kilburn!


    ...


    It was evening in the Kilburn area, and by this time, Minos'' group was gathered in an area near the local forests that surrounded the city.


    There, they had a large fire going while everyone in the group was sitting on rocks or logs around it, some with cups in their hands, others with fruit and roasted meat.


    They weren''t just there to eat but to talk about something of the utmost importance to the group: their departure from Kilburn!


    So the group''s most important members were already talking about important things after they had just started this meeting.


    Maximilian said. "Regarding the peculiarities of Zocarro I''ve tested, I''ve come to some conclusions about this place. The space here is more difficult to manipulate than in the Spiritual World. We might even be able to create wormholes here with a little effort, but traveling through them would be dangerous.


    It also means that Spatial Kingdoms can hardly be created by mere Go... By mere Sovereigns. I don''t rule out the possibility that there are special spaces here, but stronger cultivators would have to be behind those regions."


    "As difficult as it is to use wormholes in this world, I''ve heard that there are special places in the major cities that can be used to quickly reach other parts of the continent.


    I''ve even heard there is a way to travel to another continent quickly. The problem is that there are many requirements to access such a method..."


    "I heard a rumor about the situation of space explorers. According to a traveler I recently came in contact with, Zocarro has special paths that lead to a gigantic city on an artificial moon of this planet. From there, it is possible to find transportation to various parts of the solar system we are in and even to other parts of the galaxy."


    When someone mentioned this, the whole group turned their attention to this level 99 individual.


    "How did we get there?" Maximillian asked.


    "That''s the tricky part. There are only two ways to get to this artificial moon. One is to go to the largest city on the other continent. The other is to travel to an island in the far north of the continent we''re in."


    Geographically speaking, Minos'' group was at the southern end of Oqia, the continent they were in.


    It would take them at least 15 years to reach the far north!


    Not only would it take a long time to get there, but it would also be difficult to get to such an island since that area was the only viable route to the other continent.


    There, traveling to the other continent was extremely dangerous, but it was possible to travel to the other continent. Nowhere else in the world could people travel very far by sea before encountering all sorts of catastrophes.


    The group had already learned the basics of the world map of this world and the continent they were on to know how far and dangerous it would be to reach such a place.


    Everyone was silent for a moment until Minos tried to be positive. "Let''s not be too negative about it. Traveling to such a place would take a few years, even if we don''t stop to take care of other things on the way. That means we''ll be very different from what we are now when we enter that dreaded sea.


    So let''s keep that possibility in mind and think about our departure from Kilburn to Examire first. It might not be such a problem for us to reach that island in the future."

 Chapter 2213 Going to Examire

    Chapter 2213 Going to Examire?


    After the group of Minos talked about their possibilities, they decided to leave some future issues for the future and not worry too much about them right now.


    Having possibilities, no matter how difficult they were, was better than nothing!


    So the group focused on what was immediately in front of them but kept their hopes alive of one day leaving Zocarro and returning to their plans to prevent the Mechanic Empire from winning the War of the Worlds.


    The group agreed to leave Kilburn within three days of that night''s meeting.


    In those days, before leaving for Examire, the group would finish their business in Kilburn and gather the resources they would need to make such a journey.


    They already had most of the necessary items and resources, including maps and vital information for the journey they would soon begin. But there were still small items they would need to buy or gather nearby.


    The group wasn''t in a hurry, so they wouldn''t leave Kilburn until everything was taken care of!


    ...


    Three days after the all-night meeting that determined the group''s departure from Kilburn, Minos and his people were already preparing to leave this strange place where they had spent the last few weeks.


    Minos and his people were now walking through the central streets of Kilburn, heading for the exit that led to the path they would follow to Examire.


    But they weren''t alone. With them were Strin, Accan, and two other natives of the area who had been working with the group over the past few weeks.


    They were all very happy that Minos'' group was leaving because even though this group hadn''t caused any local problems, they were still strangers in the house of these ants.


    From that part of Minos'' group''s route, he knew about the rumors and what the route looked like. Still, he didn''t know very well what kind of being was acting in the area, nor did he know the current condition of the road.


    The roads in Zocarro were similar to those in the Spiritual World. They were basically paths opened by travelers, usually created in ownerless areas where beings of all kinds could pass through without offending anyone.


    But precisely because they were ownerless areas, the roads usually had the presence of all kinds of beings who acted without bothering to follow laws. This made such places dangerous for people who didn''t know their way around!


    Strin pointed this out to warn the group that the things they had heard about the road to Examire over the past few weeks only applied up to that point. From that point on in their journey, they could trust the map and the areas to avoid, but everything else was uncertain. Only by traveling and experiencing the route could they understand exactly what they would have to deal with.


    "Thank you for everything, my friends from Kilburn." Minos thanked them as soon as their group reached the city exit.


    The ants said nothing, just nodded as they watched Minos'' people make gestures of thanks and then turn to leave.


    "They''re finally leaving..." Accan commented to his companions there, relieved that everything had ended well.


    "What do you think will happen to them? Will we hear from them again?" Strin asked.


    One of them said. "No, if they don''t turn around and come back here in the next few days, we won''t see them again."


    Accan commented. "Either they''ll die, or they''ll run into opportunities and problems that will only push them further away from us... If you ask me, I don''t think they''ll make it to Examire."


    "Sigh, the journey there is really very dangerous..."


    As they chatted, they returned to the city at the same time that Minos'' group began their journey to Examire!

 Chapter 2214 ’Safe’ Area

    Chapter 2214 ''Safe'' Area


    After leaving Kilburn, Minos'' party traveled for a few weeks without any major problems.


    Strin had helped them a lot with some very precise instructions on this first part of their journey to Examire. Following the ant''s advice, they would have two to three months of peace on their journey, as the area they would pass through during that time would be relatively quieter than the rest of the journey, while Strin knew all the important points.


    The party knew what to avoid and where to go, what times of day they could travel, and where best to stop to rest, gather wild resources, or even venture out to explore the area.


    Following Strin''s recommendations for the first few days of their journey, the group found exactly what this ant had told them they would find. As a result, they didn''t get involved in battles like the one against the level 100 parasitic root, let alone harass the creatures in the area they passed.


    They had also avoided a few traps during this time and had reached the current point where they were already approaching the end of the area Strin had led them deeper into.


    They hadn''t stopped in a city similar to Kilburn during this time, as that would have been more dangerous than camping in the woods. According to Strin, the only reason they had no problems in Kilburn was because they were not only stronger than the average locals but also because he accompanied them. But they could quickly get into trouble in a place where no one would escort them and where there might be Sovereigns in the area.


    Some beings would take advantage of them and commit crimes and then blame those crimes on the space explorers who were notorious for such acts.


    If they encountered such a situation on their own, they would already be in so much trouble that they might not be able to achieve their goal of reaching Examire!


    But neither of them was surprised. That was an egg of Panvuter, from the same era as the giant skeletons scattered throughout the Spiritual World.


    Even the ancient Gods of the Spiritual World had many unknowns about these things, so they already expected that whatever happened to this egg would not be normal.


    They both looked at it expectantly, but as soon as the mist around the strange thing disappeared, the group saw what looked like a golden insect flying at high speed toward Minos.


    "Shit!" He tried to swerve, but the thing was too fast.


    In an instant, the insect-like thing crashed into the middle of Minos'' back while Ruth and the robots there flew closer to him, worried.


    Maximillian frowned but was soon even more surprised to see the creature suddenly integrate itself into Minos'' spine and then make large golden wings emerge from the man''s back.


    "Aaaaagh!" Minos screamed in agony as his arms spread wide, the giant golden wings on his back moving more or less in the same way as his arms.


    "That..." Maximillian wondered, trying to understand how something like this could happen and, more importantly, what it meant.Ne/w novel chapters are published at novelhall.com

 Chapter 2215 Absorbable Weapon

    Chapter 2215 Absorbable Weapon


    While everyone in Minos'' group looked at him with concern, the majestic golden wings integrated into his being, gradually making him feel less pain and more aware of what was happening.


    ''Is that thing integrating itself into my body?'' Minos asked himself as he felt the despair of a moment ago fade away and his sanity gradually return.


    But as he felt his entire skeleton change to accommodate those wings, he felt the tattoo of seraphic wings on one of his hands react to what was happening to him.


    ''I didn''t expect you to come up with something so interesting, young man.'' The voice of the seraph Minos had met before came to his mind, startling him as he felt his consciousness being taken to a place similar to where he had met such a being.


    ''You... Can you talk to me?'' Minos asked as he saw the seraph amidst the clouds of the white area where his mind was.


    ''More or less. I left something in you so we could communicate when it was time for you to act, but I don''t have much time. My energy is not significant.'' The remaining fragment of that being''s soul said. ''Anyway, what you''ve just defeated is an absorbable weapon. High-level bodies usually create weapons like this under special conditions. They can connect with living bodies and become extensions of beings like you, young man.


    ''More or less. I left something in you so we could communicate when it was time for you to act, but I don''t have much time. My energy is not significant.'' The remaining fragment of that being''s soul said. ''Anyway, what you''ve just defeated is an absorbable weapon. High-level bodies usually create weapons like this under special conditions. They can connect with living bodies and become extensions of beings like you, young man.


    You''re fortunate. You probably found the last valuable thing from your world before you came to this other place. And that thing even recognized you as its master, haha, congratulations. You''ve done it very well.''


    ''This... What''s that for?" Minos felt that the entity in his mind could answer him.


    Several people in the group expressed their doubts and questions. In contrast, others felt this should be considered an important step forward for the group.


    Minos said. "It is not dangerous to me. It has no conscience. Those wings just flew to me because they probably sensed a familiar aura. But by integrating itself into my body, it is no different from one of my arms or fingers."


    Minos had spent a long time trying to control the Time around this thing before giving up and putting it aside before finishing his preparations for the war.


    Most of them knew that, so they didn''t doubt it and imagined that the wings saw Minos as their main body, where it should be.


    Maximilian was the only one who didn''t like it so much because he felt that it might be of more use to him. But he didn''t say anything; he just watched curiously to see what Minos would be able to do.


    Now, Minos was probably stronger than him, so he could only be curious to see Emperor Stuart in action.


    And that wouldn''t take long!


    While the group was talking about what had just happened, powerful auras appeared nearby, coming towards them!


    "Stay alert! Enemies are approaching!" Minos himself was the first to notice.


    "Tsk! As expected! Those wings have attracted attention!" Maximilian said as he turned to face the approaching creatures.

 Chapter 2216 Demonstration of Power

    Chapter 2216 Demonstration of Power


    When Minos alerted his group, they all turned their attention to their surroundings while already using their energies to activate their Soul Avatars or other forms of combat.


    Ruth activated her innate ability and didn''t hesitate to connect her powers to the people below level 96 in her group, the ones she could do her best for now.


    Meanwhile, Maximillian saw the group of creatures that had begun to move toward them due to the attractive energy fluctuation of the wings now integrated into Minos'' body.


    Two dozen creatures of different races, between levels 96 and 100, appeared quickly on the horizon from six different directions.


    Some looked like the insects Minos'' group had encountered in Kilburn. In contrast, others resembled the parasitic root they had killed months ago.


    A creature that looked like absorbent cotton was one of the first to approach Minos'' group. It stopped when it saw that the object that had drawn its attention to this place had already merged with someone else.


    "Space explorer, you were really quick! I''ve never seen an absorbable weapon integrate into a being so quickly!" The being that looked like absorbent cotton said.


    Meanwhile, a creature that looked like a giant fly, 3 meters tall, with a three-pointed horn on its head, looked at Minos and threatened. "Space explorer, give up your life and the absorbable weapon, and I''ll give you a quick death."


    Maximillian looked at the level 100 being, who seemed slightly stronger than him.


    Minos frowned as he saw not only the level 100 but also the group of enemies that had quickly surrounded his group.


    These creatures spoke the same language as Strin''s people, so everyone in Minos'' group understood the threatening words that came one after the other in the next few moments.


    Minos then said seriously. "What if I give it to you? What will you do? These wings can only be used by one person at a time."


    Minos already knew that these wings could be given to others, but he would die when they separated from his body. That meant it could only belong to one person at a time, and these beings couldn''t share it.


    "Nice try, space explorer." One of the other Sovereigns commented with a humorous tone. "But let''s not fight each other until you are dead!"


    However, at that moment, Minos looked in the direction of the creatures under level 100, and with a single wave of his hand, he caused them all to explode under the pressure of his powers.


    The four Sovereigns nearby felt the bodies of their temporary allies or even tribe members explode and quickly changed their behavior.


    "Bastard!" One of them shouted as Minos glared at them hatefully.


    "You think you can act against my companions before me?" Minos said, remembering Isabella''s death. "It will never work again!"


    He moved, quickly crossing the space between him and one of the Sovereigns as his wings slashed toward the center of one of those beings'' bodies.


    Maximilian used his trident to attack one of the level 100 opponents, ignoring the insect bodies that fell in the surrounding area.


    Minos wasn''t strong enough to make those bodies explode and disappear completely. He managed to kill all the 10th-stage enemies so they could leave large body parts behind.


    Minos'' allies also quickly ignored the falling body parts in the area and joined forces to attack one of the enemy Sovereigns, trying to make it difficult for these beings to escape or even threaten their leaders.


    Minos got close enough to his target''s body while using his techniques to try to prevent his opponent from escaping.


    Previously, Minos couldn''t affect level 100 beings with his normal techniques. But at this moment, he could finally steal his targets'' energy with the Devouring Art while also affecting them with other techniques.


    "Die, insect!" Minos shouted as he attacked the level 100 creature with several swords.


    Just as the creature was about to defend itself against Minos'' ''normal'' attacks, the young man''s wings moved as if their tips had extended from under his arms.


    The two tips of the wings penetrated the central part of the insect''s body and hit it hard.


    "Shit!"

 Chapter 2217 End of the Battle

    Chapter 2217 End of the Battle


    In the blink of an eye, two of the enemy Sovereigns were killed by the actions of Minos and the 30 or so members of his group there. Ne/w novel chapters are published at novelhall.com


    After killing the first enemy by using his wings to surprise the insect, Minos moved to the enemy his people were attacking.


    With his high speed, which was even superior to Maximillian''s, he quickly caught up with his group''s opponent and took advantage of the bad timing of this opponent, who was facing so many high-level tenth-level beings, to perform another movement of his wings.


    At the moment of his attack, both of his wings opened as wide as possible before several feathers burst out like energy swords, slashing at Minos'' opponent.


    Semi-transparent wings of energy ten times larger than the pair of wings appeared behind Minos and then moved toward the opponent as if they were hands about to clap.


    The level 100 Sovereign felt Minos'' attacks, but while he tried to dodge the feathers that could kill him if he was hit, he ended up not being able to escape the two giant wings that pressed down on him with the intention of crushing him.


    The moment the two wings touched each other, the man''s body was pressed hard.


    He screamed for a second, but soon after, his temporary allies saw a lot of blood oozing out from under those semi-transparent energy wings.


    In an instant, his aura was gone. As the energy wings gradually disappeared, they all saw his body crumpled here and there but with countless punctures all over his body.


    When the two energy wings pressed him, the feathers of the wings moved to positions where they acted like piercing blades.


    The wings were unable to crush the creature, but the feathers pierced its body in many places until they reached its vital organs.


    Thus, another level 100 creature had died, while Minos'' strength had only been reduced by 50% since the beginning of the battle.


    Ruth''s power was connected to him, but not only that, while he was still standing, the black rings of the Devouring Art absorbed the energies of the other two remaining level 100 creatures that were attacking them.


    One of them, Maximilian, was putting up a fierce fight, while the other was already being attacked by Minos'' remaining companions in the area.


    Battles always took place in a short period of time. Powerful cultivators were able to move very quickly and exchange a large number of blows in a short period.


    However, Minos and almost everyone in his group were exhausted from this battle, and they soon used up the resources they had prepared for such moments.


    "Collect the bodies and remains of these natives." He said as he took a deep breath. "Even if some of them aren''t whole, every part of them is valuable to us."


    The remaining alchemist, doctor, and poison master of the group began to collect the remains of their 23 dead opponents there while Minos'' wings shrank and hid behind his back.


    As they were now, they didn''t radiate the overwhelming sensation of this weapon. But they were visible to anyone who saw Minos now.


    Ruth approached him, looked at the pair of wings on his back, and asked. "How do you feel? It looks like this weapon is quite powerful."


    "It''s incredible." He was sincere when Maximillian approached him. "I feel like it''s changed the whole quality of my being. My level hasn''t increased much, but I have undergone a qualitative evolution after these wings integrated into my skeleton."


    "Will they stay on display as they are now? Or can they retract into your body?" Maximilian asked curiously, sensing that Minos would no longer look like a spiritual human if he walked around with those wings all the time.


    "They will stay as they are," Minos said while Maximilian looked at the way the wings were tucked away on Emperor Stuart''s back.


    They wouldn''t get in the way of him doing ordinary things, nor were they overly conspicuous. But even from a distance, the wings on Minos'' back would be noticed.


    They looked like a special ornament as if they were made of metal, completely gilded.


    "Can you think of an explanation for them?" Maximilian asked after he had studied the wings for a minute.


    "No." Minos was honest. "I believe they belong to a winged creature from Panvuter''s antiquity. But I don''t know anything about such weapons, so I can''t explain how it happened.


    Anyway, time to go." He said when he saw that all the bodies had already been collected and his group had recovered enough for them to flee this paradise area where enemies were sure to come after them very soon.

 Chapter 2218 Level 104

    Chapter 2218 Level 104


    After the battle with the group of natives interested in Minos'' wings, the group from the Spiritual World traveled for 15 days, moving quickly without many stops to rest or explore the areas along their way.


    They were on the run from potential enemies who had already been warned by the Sovereign who had survived the battle. Since they didn''t know much about these beings, they couldn''t take any chances.


    If a single being above level 100 decided to go after them to avenge those deaths or to go after them because of Minos'' wings, they would be screwed!


    So they fled as fast as they could, taking care not to leave any traces but also not taking any chances to collect things. Vissit  for updates


    Taking advantage of the fact that they were still within the area Strin had given them, they moved smoothly, finally reaching the end of the ''safe area'' they had so much information about.


    But that wasn''t the end of their journey. With more than a year and a half of travel between the end of the ''safe area'' and Examire, the group continued to follow the map they had received in Kilburn.


    ...


    After almost a month since the battle against the beings interested in Minos'' wings, he and his group had relaxed a bit. The distance they had covered in that time was not small, and they were now in an area more dangerous than the region Strin knew well.


    As such, the group finally felt that they could slow down a bit, both to be more careful of the area they had begun to travel through as well as to get back to their necessary rest and cultivation.


    Today, the group was stopping for the second time since the battle, a time when the group had longed to return to cultivation.


    They couldn''t get stronger without stopping for a while to meditate, so they couldn''t keep traveling like they had been doing lately.


    Since they didn''t plan to enter any cities on their way until they reached at least nearby Littlemere, a place that was more friendly to space explorers than the others in the area they were in, they couldn''t wait to meditate until they were in places with guaranteed safety.


    If the difference between level 100 and level 104 was more than three times the difference between level 99 and level 100, he couldn''t imagine how difficult it would be to reach level 114, let alone level 115, the beginning of the Supreme stage.


    Thinking about it, he clenched his fists and felt a mixture of emotions.


    On the one hand, he felt it might be better to return to the Spiritual World or even go to The Adamant Land, where he would be among the strongest. On the other hand, he couldn''t help but think about the interesting idea of living there.


    If he could cultivate there for the next 26,000 years, the time he would have to live if nothing went wrong, he would surely become extremely powerful and live much longer than if he returned to his home world.


    However, staying in Zocarro would mean that he would have to give up all his previous prestige and live as a relatively "weak" foreigner.


    Of course, he couldn''t be considered weak since his power was already well above average in this world. But in Zocarro, he was in the same power range as a Spiritual Saint would be in the Spiritual World.


    He would be considered an expert, but there would be many people above him who could kill him in an instant.


    For someone who had once been one of the strongest in his world and had even lived with that status for a long time, it wasn''t easy to make such a decision.


    He watched the group pass by with many thoughts in his head, but he was relieved that the creatures on the flying boat didn''t stop to talk to them or even deal with them.


    As soon as the flying boat disappeared over the horizon, he warned the meditating people to leave the area, feeling that it wouldn''t do to stay there any longer.


    When they left the area, Maximilian and the others told the rest of the group how powerful the being that had passed them earlier was, surprising Minos and the others with existences above level 100.


    That was their first "contact" with anything above level 100, but it wouldn''t be their last on this journey to Examire. In the coming weeks and months, their group would encounter many more such beings and have even more direct contact than this one!

 Chapter 2219 New Battle of Gods (1)

    Chapter 2219 New Battle of Gods (1)


    As Minos'' party traveled through Zocarro, the War of the Worlds in the Spiritual World entered its fourth month.


    Many battles had taken place in the months since Minos'' party left, with casualties on both sides of the conflict. But during this time, the first reinforcements from the forces of the Mechanic Empire arrived in the Spiritual World, with reinforcements from both 10th-stage beings and Gods.


    The new Mechanical Emperor was still in seclusion. Still, due to the losses suffered by the invading forces from the Spiritual World, the forces from The Adamant Land were forced to send reinforcements.


    Of the 16 Gods who had come to this world at the beginning of the war, only 4 remained alive. Of the 50,000 or so 9th and 10th stage soldiers, only 8,000 had resisted the war so far.


    Therefore, about a month and a half ago, the forces of The Adamant Land sent a new group to the Spiritual World.


    These reinforcements had arrived in the Spiritual World three days ago, with about 40,000 men between the 9th and 10th stages, along with three Gods.


    Meanwhile, none of the Gods of the Spiritual World had fallen since the departure of Minos'' group, unlike the many 10th-stage experts who had died in those weeks.


    Among the 10th-stage experts who had fallen during this period were some of Minos'' acquaintances, such as Forrest, Amber Quinn, Henry Quinn''s daughter, and Hannah Mcbride, the former Queen of the Flowers Kingdom.


    In addition to them, many others died fighting the invading forces of the Spiritual World, who, despite their loss of personnel, continued to expand their territory.


    Because of these territorial advances, the alien group was already targeting areas in the Central Continent, and the war in this area of the Spiritual World was becoming increasingly heated.


    And with the arrival of new reinforcements, the situation was about to get even more hectic!


    ...


    At the headquarters of the Black Plain Army...


    "That..." Henry looked around and soon saw Abby and Willow not far from him.


    "Sorry to have to bring you back to life, experts of the Spiritual World," Abby said to everyone. "But we need your strength to deal with the aliens. I hope you can help us again before you return to your eternal sleep for good."


    "Tsk! Damned aliens!" The level 100 Sky Whale shouted as he flew out of the area, eager to take another enemy God to his grave.


    Everyone there was eager to take revenge on their killers. As soon as Abby said her words, hardly anyone there hesitated before making their way to the outer reaches of the quasi-Spatial Kingdom of Minos'' army headquarters.


    Abby exhausted herself to the limit, and soon Willow brought her back to the Minos Spatial Kingdom since she wouldn''t be needed in battle after what she had already done.


    "I''m going to join the fight," Willow said as she said goodbye to Abby. "If I fall, bring me back so I can scare the damn aliens."


    With those words, she left the place and quickly arrived at the place where a battle of phenomenal proportions was taking place.


    The first battle of the War of the Worlds had been incredible. But that conflict had taken place in the faraway North Sea, where there wasn''t much to destroy and create consequences for weak living beings.


    This area in the Black Plain Empire was completely different from that maritime location, with nearby cities, plantations, forests, and much more.


    Because of this, when Willow joined the battle in this area, she couldn''t help but be struck by the sight of her surroundings.


    While gods and Demigods fought over an area of more than ten cubic kilometers, the surrounding terrain was devastated, with mountaintops already completely destroyed, pieces of terrain flying away, and flames covering a large area.


    At the same time, many forms of attack were flying from one side of the area to the other, and the remaining attacks that could injure people between levels 95 and 100 were escaping from the area and heading to the outskirts.


    She didn''t think much of the destruction around her and soon joined the group of living and dead that Abby had revived to fight the aliens.


    That was the beginning of the second great battle of the Gods in War of the Worlds!

 Chapter 2220 New Battle of Gods (2)

    Chapter 2220 New Battle of Gods (2)


    ?When Willow joined the group of level 100 Sky Whale, Henry, Vico, and Aarav, the level 100 battle immediately changed.


    The Spiritual World Gods'' side was no longer under pressure, becoming competitive.


    The side of the Gods of the Mechanic Empire lost their numerical advantage and soon reached a situation where they couldn''t force their enemies and were even a bit pressured.


    "So that''s the damned ability you were talking about..." Said one of the Gods who had just arrived in this world and was fighting in this war for the first time.


    One of the enemy Gods who had been in the Spiritual World longer said. "Yes, this is caused by the wife of the leader of the Black Plain Empire. She''s hiding behind the defenses of this area. So if we can''t get to her, we''ll have to kill each of our targets twice before we can guarantee they won''t cause us any more trouble."


    These aliens already knew a great deal about each of the world''s nations and the main secret weapons of the local forces.


    They had been fighting this war for months, losing and winning battles. Among their victories, they were able to take many of their enemies into their territories and interrogate them with their advanced interrogation techniques.


    As a result, they knew much about their main enemies!


    Among them was the leader of the Black Plain Empire, who could temporarily bring the dead back to life.


    In addition to Abby, the aliens also had other targets, such as Callie, who was trying to get to level 100 in the Spatial Kingdom of the Black Plain Empire, as well as each of the Gods of this world.


    The alien forces believed that once they eliminated these people, the war would be easily resolved, so while they were fighting for territory bit by bit, they had been planning things and even making their attempts against these targets.


    Now that their reinforcements had arrived in the Spiritual World, they were finally implementing their main plan, the one that targeted Abby''s head!


    "All right, try to ignore these resurrected Gods and focus on eliminating the living." Said one of the reinforcements fighting there.


    "Shit!" One of them shouted when he saw that today''s mission had failed.


    "Fall back!" Another shouted, looking for a way to escape the area.


    They were stronger than the Gods of this world, so even in this desperate situation, they still had alternatives.


    However, just because they had ways to escape didn''t mean it would be easy!


    While those two acted before disappearing forever, Vico, Aarav, and Willow teamed up to make their decisive attacks, using much of their remaining strength to attack those four.


    Vico slashed his sword through the air to target one of the four. At the same time, Aarav used his special power to send giant energy snakes flying at the enemies.


    Willow used her divine technique to make sharp flowers appear in the sky, while the weapon in her hand moved so fast that even other the Gods would have trouble keeping up with her movements.


    Swooish!


    Boom!


    Explosive sounds erupted from the area where the gods of the Spiritual World were attacking, changing the pace of this battle of the Gods, which would now be won by the local forces.


    However, despite all the power on display, the enemies wouldn''t lose much in this battle. Of the four Gods who launched this attack, only one would fall that day.


    Whether they liked it or not, the forces of this world had to admit that their enemies were stronger than them. Moreover, it was difficult for the Gods of this world to recover here. Vico, Aarav, and Willow hadn''t even recovered to their best since the beginning of the war, while the enemy''s reinforcements were at their best.


    As a result, the outcome was not the best they had hoped for.


    While that day''s battle of Gods would end with a not-so-good result, the battle of the Demigods would bring a bit more good news for Minos'' forces!

 Chapter 2221 After the Battle of Gods

    Chapter 2221 After the Battle of Gods


    At the end of the Battle of Gods, the Demigods on both sides of the conflict began to retreat around the headquarters of the Black Plain Army.


    The aliens'' plan was to try to force the enemy forces back and look for a way to eliminate Abby. But since the alien Gods had failed in their plans, it would be a waste of strength to continue to fight the Demigods.


    Thus, the group of 10th-stage aliens soon began to disperse while the Demigods of the local forces attacked with vigor to take out as many of the retreating enemies as possible.


    The local Demigods were not as strong as the same-level enemies. However, thanks to the many Demigods that Abby had resurrected, the local forces had the support they needed in the final minutes to inflict heavy casualties on the enemy side.


    Of the thousand or so 10th-stage aliens that attacked this base moments ago, 400 fell by the time the alien retreat began.


    On the other hand, most of the local natives who died in this conflict were those who were already dead and would naturally disappear after Abby''s fusion ended.


    Even those living beings who died in today''s battle could eventually return to contribute to the Spiritual World by being revived by Abby!


    Thus, this battle ended with the Black Plain Empire defeating the aliens!


    Unfortunately, this was not the only battle around the empire, and many other forces around the state would suffer quite different results!


    ...


    Vico, Willow, and Aarav remained together above the Black Plain Army headquarters as they watched the situation calm down.


    The three of them were exhausted, with worried looks on their faces as they felt that despite their victory in the battle, their situation was not good.


    "The next time we''re attacked like this, we won''t be able to count on those two," Vico said as he thought of the Sky Whale and Henry.


    While the Gods of the Spiritual World were discussing such a delicate matter, the aliens who had escaped from the Black Plain Empire were also talking about it.


    "The enemies were weaker than I expected." One of the aliens, someone who had been on this world the longest, commented. "If I''m not mistaken, the natives here don''t have the same kind of resources as us, and it''s hard for them to recover their energy."


    "Oh? Do you think they''ll be weaker the next time we attack them?" Asked one of the two gods new to this world who had survived today''s battle.


    One of the Gods in the group who had been on this world the longest had died on the battlefield, which was a shame and worried the three wounded survivors who were now fleeing to their territory. But if the alien''s words were true, then today''s battle might give them the chance they needed to defeat the forces of this world.


    "Yes, I believe so." Said the alien. "I think we should focus our attention on recovering from this battle for the next few months and let our 10th stage experts take care of our plans for this world.


    When we are at our best, the enemies will most likely be weakened. They won''t be in their best shape, and they still won''t have the help of those two dead men.


    That will be the time to eliminate several of them and go after the Empress of the Black Plain Empire!"


    "All right, let''s do it." Said the strongest of them. "Let''s leave our 10th stage men to take care of expanding the empire''s territory in this world. Meanwhile, let''s make them use the local natives who want to surrender to us. We''ll let the natives take care of the basics in our territory until we defeat the enemy leaders."


    With this decision, the three of them continued their journey to the core of their territory in the Ancestral Sea, having already sent messages to the other three Gods who were acting around the Spiritual World.


    They also ordered an end to today''s action throughout the Black Plain Empire, willing to give the local forces some peace while they began to prepare for the next massive attack.


    ...


    Thus, the two forces battling in the Spiritual World began to follow more or less similar plans, with both sides retreating with their key specialists for the time being.


    Aarav and Willow would soon talk to Gloria about their plans and get her approval to take 2 Divine Medicines with them for the recovery of the Gods of the Spiritual World.


    Meanwhile, Abby would return to her seclusion to increase her level and prepare for the next enemy attack. She had never used resources to speed up her cultivation before, but now it would be part of her strategy to avoid future defeats!

 Chapter 2222 Arrival in Littlemere

    Chapter 2222 Arrival in Littlemere


    In the blink of an eye, nine months have passed since Minos'' party left Kilburn.


    They had traveled a long distance, encountered many problems, encountered several experts beyond level 100, and even had to flee from one of them.


    Five group members died due to the problems they encountered during this time, including the creatures that chased them because of Minos'' wings.


    A few months after the battle for those wings, some members of the survivor''s group caught up with them and fought a great battle against Minos'' group. Ne/w novel chapters are published at novelhall.com


    Fortunately, there was only one enemy above level 100 with such a group, and after using everything they had, Minos and Maximillian were able to defeat that enemy and escape.


    Unfortunately, three of their companions died in this battle due to complications from the massive fight against their enemies.


    After that, the group ran into more problems that caused the other two team members to die.


    Fortunately, the rest of the group survived these challenges unscathed. But those months were not all bad. They also encountered good opportunities and resources, as they collected many things and even took advantage of some of the chances that came their way.


    As a result, some survivors made new breakthroughs, with some people raising the quality of their physique to the Divine grade and more people reaching levels 98 and 99.


    Only seven people in the group were below level 98 now, with Minos, Ruth, and the native of The Adamant Land being three of those seven.


    Finally, the group was very close to reaching their second level 100 Sovereign or God. But before they made any further progress, they finally reached Littlemere, the first city they would stop since Kilburn.


    ...


    When they got close enough to Littlemere to see the place, the group paused momentarily to stare at the magnificent city in front of them.


    So a group of about 25 people went into a downtown store where a clerk soon took care of them.


    ...


    "Hello, how can I help you?" A creature that looked like a monkey but with an exoskeleton instead of skin and hair asked the group as he looked at them with his big black cockroach eyes.


    "I want to see your language crystals," Minos spoke as Maximillian stood beside him.


    "We have four kinds of language crystals in my shop. Each one costs 215 Qilnats." The level 92 creature said as he took the four crystals and placed them on the counter between him and Minos'' group.


    "Which one will you take?"


    The price was slightly higher than Strin had said but not enough for Minos to back out of the deal. "I''ll take all four kinds." He said as he placed a bag of 860 Qilnats on the counter.


    The clerk quickly closed the sale and handed Minos the crystals. "Can I help you with anything else?"


    "Do you know where I can sell corpses in this city?" Maximilian asked.


    They already knew that the beings of this world killed each other in droves, and the trade in body parts of beings of different races was not uncommon. Not only that, but the beings of this world had bodies with a fascinating composition for beings of many other races, so there were always places in the cities of this planet that would buy body parts from beings of practically any race.


    "I know a few places..." The vendor soon pointed out four different places in Littlemere that the group would have to pass through to complete their sales. Not all of these places would buy every type of remains, but if they went to all four, they would most likely be able to sell everything they had.


    With that, the group would soon set out to find a place where they could learn their new languages, something they wanted to do before selling the bodies they had accumulated over the months.


    They also had wild resources to trade, but they would do that later when they searched for the resources they had been longing to buy.

 Chapter 2223 Business in Littlemere

    Chapter 2223 Business in Littlemere


    By the next day, Minos'' entire party had learned the four different languages from the language crystals they had purchased upon their arrival in Littlemere.


    With their new knowledge in mind, the group left the place where they had spent the "night" and went back to roaming the local streets in search of shops that could trade the resources they wanted to buy or sell.


    With four new languages, they would find it easier to negotiate with any vendor, and their chances of being cheated would be greatly reduced.


    ...


    "Four bodies of Eabil, three trunks of Muthaiampal, eyes of two Mixansians, and legs and arms of Utocon..." A strange, pale green, gelatinous creature standing in front of Minos'' group in a shop they had just entered said as he counted the remains in front of him that had caught his eye.


    "I will buy the corpses and body parts I mentioned. You can keep the rest. I''m not interested in them." The creature commented to Minos while using its large, slimy body to swallow what he had just mentioned.


    The people in Minos'' group watched the creature''s actions and looked at him strangely. But no one said anything to displease this level 98 creature while their bosses sold the remains they had with them.


    "How much are you ready to pay for them?" Maximillian asked.


    Their group wasn''t entirely in the dark about the value of these body parts and corpses, but they were far from knowing their true worth.


    However, this slime didn''t know anything about that and said the price he thought was fair for this deal so as not to disrespect the other side or take away from his potential profit from reselling these things in the products he would make from them. "How about 1,800 Qilnats for all of them? Eabil''s four bodies are quite valuable because they''re whole, but the others are in small pieces, so their value isn''t high. I won''t be able to do much with them."


    Maximillian and Minos looked at each other and felt this value was good for them. With this first sale of the day, they would recoup the 860 Qilnats from the purchase of the language crystals and still have 940 Qilnats left over for their later purchases.


    Even in the Spiritual World, one had to be careful about the origin of the pills they bought. So, in a strange place where they still had a lot to learn, it made no sense to rely so easily on resources that others had manipulated.


    Kilburn hadn''t taught them much about such things, as it wasn''t an amiable place for space explorers. As for Littlemere, they didn''t plan to stay there for long. Besides, it wasn''t the best place for them to learn.


    The group intended to stay on Examire for a while to learn more about the world and to take advantage of the local opportunities for space explorers like themselves. Only then would they plan their journey to the far north of the continent, to the island from which they could travel to the station on the artificial moon that would give them access to the galaxy.


    Once more group members reach level 100, and the spiritual experts learn more of their specialties from the knowledge of beings from this and other worlds, they can make better use of Zocarro''s opportunities.


    Until then, they would have to be careful, or their group might suddenly shrink, just as it had in the group''s first hours on this planet!


    So Minos'' people spent the next few hours visiting various shops in Littlemere, making various deals with the resources and enemy parts they had accumulated over the months. After collecting about 6,000 Qilnats, the group would visit the shops indicated by some of the beings they had done business with that day.


    In some places, they found the herbs, plants, and minerals they were looking for, while in others, they were told to look in other places or even given areas between Examire and Littlemere where they could find such resources for free.


    All the resources they were looking for were more or less well-classified, as they were above the Zocarro average. Even so, some of them could be easily found by traveling through the continent''s forests.


    Some merchants who didn''t deal in such resources wouldn''t mind telling these foreigners after doing business with them, so the group would also gather good information in Littlemere.


    After a full day of coming and going, the group would end up with a positive balance of 3,000 Qilnats when they returned to where they would stay for a few more days before leaving.


    Cultivating in towns like this was safer than in the woods, so the group would stay there for a few days to focus on their training and meditation but also to produce and buy everything they would need for the next few months of travel.


    After Littlemere, they didn''t plan to stop in any towns until they reached Examire!

 Chapter 2224 Opportunity or Problem?

    Chapter 2224 Opportunity or Problem?


    After leaving Littlemere, Minos'' party traveled for another six months, finally leaving behind the area where Strin''s language was dominant.


    They were stronger and better informed after their passage through Littlemere, so their losses during these months of travel were far less than in this region of Strin''s people.


    Still, two group members died during this time, one being the native of The Adamant Land and the other being the weakest robot in the group.


    These losses came from traps in special areas the group had passed, where the robot that died had gone to save Minos and Ruth, while the alien had died in an 11th-stage bandit trap.


    There were many groups of bandits in Zocarro, and Minos'' party had encountered several of them on the roads of the Oqia continent. Most of the time, they had been able to defeat their opponents, most of whom were space explorers. However, in some situations, the group suffered greatly and even had their belongings stolen.


    Fortunately, the region they were now in was less dangerous for travelers, and the dangers on the roads were gradually increasing.


    But this was not out of kindness to the local people. The area they were now in, to which Examire belonged, was run by high-ranking Sovereigns and was also friendlier to space explorers.


    There were dangerous places in this area, but the roads there were already much safer than those in the territory of Strin''s people.


    The number of living beings traveling through the area was also much higher, and even members of the local oppressive forces were present at many points along the roads.


    But amid this less problematic route for travelers such as space explorers and traders, Minos'' group came across an opportunity this afternoon!


    ...


    Stopping for the night at a place not far from the road they were following toward Examire, Minos'' party had been there for almost a full day when someone keeping an eye on the area noticed something changing.


    ''Guys, I''m sensing a strange fluctuation coming from a few kilometers ahead.'' Said the person in charge of monitoring the area where the change was coming from.


    "This is really powerful," Maximilian commented to Minos. "If it''s not a monster, this could be a great opportunity for us!" His eyes sparkled, and he couldn''t help but marvel at his advancement to level 101.


    "Hmm, let''s take a closer look." Minos agreed as he cautiously raised his level to 96 with the help of one of his level 99 party members.


    With his cultivation at a higher level, Minos motioned to Maximillian, and they both moved in the direction of the bluish glow simultaneously, leaving their group ready to act on the outskirts of the area.


    Once they had cleared the vegetation and relief from their path, they came upon a strange place they hadn''t expected to find so close to their resting place.


    "This..." Maximilian kept his guard up but looked around with a less tense expression when he saw a place that looked like the entrance to a cave.


    From there, they could see the entrance to a rocky area where crystal clear water, which they could easily see at the bottom of the shallowest parts, covered a good part of an area slightly larger than an ordinary training platform. Deep down, they couldn''t see what was there because a strong blue glow was coming from there, indicating that something or someone powerful was heading in that direction.


    The plants around that cave entrance were experiencing intense spiritual fluctuations and seemed to have developed unusual characteristics. At the same time, the energy there seemed to be flickering as if something special was drawing a lot of energy from the surroundings to the entrance of that area.


    "What could that be?" Maximilian asked aloud.


    "Maybe it''s the birth of a valuable resource?" Minos said in an inquiring tone. "In our world, it''s common for the birth or maturation of powerful resources to emit phenomena similar to what we''re witnessing."


    "It''s possible this is it... What should we do?" The level 100 guy looked at the young man with the golden wings on his back.


    Minos then said in the minds of everyone in his group. ''Form a defensive belt over this area and use all our defensive and hiding forms.


    Maximilian and I will enter this area to explore it further. But if it is what we think it is, we may all have opportunities here.''


    The people in the group quickly did what they were supposed to while Maximilian and Minos cautiously entered those waters, heading towards the blue glow.

 Chapter 2225 Grotto of Miracles

    Chapter 2225 Grotto of Miracles


    After Minos and Maximillian entered these waters, the group stood outside the thing for 30 minutes.


    Everyone there was tense, worried about what might have happened to their stronger companions after a few minutes without any sign of them.


    Some of them were sweating slowly with nervousness, wondering if they should leave their positions and venture into the place to see what had happened.


    But just as Ruth and some of them were about to move, Minos appeared in the small lake at the entrance to the cave.


    "There is no danger ahead." He said with a smile on his face, making everyone there breathe a sigh of relief. "Come on, follow me. This place is fantastic. There are many possibilities here."


    "Aren''t we leaving someone on guard?" One of the robots asked.


    Minos looked at the arrays they had set up in the area and said. "That won''t be necessary. Maximillian and I identified the source of the phenomenon a few moments ago. We won''t have to worry about it attracting the attention of any beings in the area, and the arrays you''ve set up will be enough to camouflage the area."


    With that, the group soon began to follow him through the crystal clear water, swimming for about three minutes toward the bottom of the area where the most important part of the cave was located.


    When they reached a relatively dark spot, lit by small crystals on the surrounding rocks, they left the water they were in and walked to a small underground "beach."


    Immediately upon arriving there, Minos'' people looked at the surroundings differently, just as this emperor and Maximillian had looked when they arrived there.


    "Incredible!" A level 98 Gorgon said as she looked at the crystals and small plants surrounding this area, sensing the powerful resources there.


    Everyone''s eyes, except for the robots, glazed over, as Minos explained. Ne/w novel chapters are published at novelhall.com


    Minos then gave those four with compatibility, 4 of the 5 medicines he had brought from the Spiritual World, while another 3 individuals between levels 97 and 98 split up to take the other 6 vacant spots in that area.


    Unfortunately, the group didn''t have enough people to take advantage of all the opportunities there.


    "Cultivate in this place as long as you need to. We''ll wait for you to continue our journey to Examire." Minos said after dividing the place and indicating to the other group members to accompany him to another part of the cave.


    They wanted to get to Examire to understand this world better and to make better use of the possibilities that existed in Zocarro. But when faced with a place like this, Minos and Maximillian couldn''t rush to that city. It would be better for them to stay in this cave for one, two, or even three years and get more Gods, or rather Sovereigns than to go to Examire right away and miss this great opportunity.


    Since there were many resources in this world that could help people reach level 100, and even the possibility of reaching the 11th stage without the help of resources, Minos didn''t hold such resources for himself and Ruth.


    He handed over the four medicines without blinking an eye and soon led the group to another cave area.


    "How long do you think we''ll be here?" Ruth asked him, imagining what it would be like for level 99 cultivators to advance to level 100 in this world.


    If it were the Spiritual World, it would take these four at least ten years to succeed. But Ruth expected that in Zocarro, it would take much less than that.


    "I think one year." Minos came right to the point, surprising Ruth and the others.


    "That''s it?" One of those level 99 people who hadn''t found a place for themselves in this area asked seriously.


    "Yes, I believe that outside of this place, using our Divine Medicine, it would take the four of them 3 to 4 years to advance to level 100. But this place we found is extraordinary and compatible with the four of them. So their breakthroughs should come in less than half the time." Minos said, trying to analyze the situation logically. "But I don''t rule out the possibility that it will take less or more time. There are still too many things about this world that I don''t understand to make precise analyses of this place."


    After he said this, the group beside him reached another area of the cave, a place that seemed much more ordinary than where Maximillian or those seven individuals were now.

 Chapter 2226 Seclusion in the Cave

    Chapter 2226 Seclusion in the Cave


    Arriving at an area where several roots ran up the walls and covered part of the ceiling, where several semi-transparent bluish stalactites stood, the group came upon a special cultivation area.


    There was no fountain there, nor were there any extraordinary resources that would make them stronger quickly. However, how the place was formed and the way the energy and laws of nature flowed through it made this 40-square-meter area a ''natural cultivation room.''


    However, this was not a ''cultivation room'' in the Spiritual World, but in the powerful and rich Zocarro!


    The energy and laws were extremely concentrated in this area, and any being that cultivated or even breathed in this area would benefit!


    The fountain where seven of their companions were was probably much more attractive than this place, but this would be the best place for everyone there to use after those fountains.


    "This is a good place to cultivate." Said one of the few remaining spiritual experts in the group. "We''ll probably be able to get closer to our levels by cultivating here while those seven take advantage of their opportunities."


    Minos nodded in agreement. "We can take turns using this area. Half of us can fit in here simultaneously, so we can take turns cultivating here while part of the group attends to other matters in the cave."


    It wasn''t just these two special areas that the cave had. There were interesting minerals and plants for the group to study and collect, and the professionals there would need time to produce resources and work.


    Even though the place wasn''t big enough for all of them, it was enough for the group to settle in without any problems.


    Minos soon chose those who would start their shifts there, placing Ruth among them and leaving the spiritual professionals and the two remaining robots out of the group for the first shift.


    "I want you to study the minerals and plants in this area. Gather what you can, but be careful. Although there doesn''t seem to be anything to threaten us here, this is a special place that could react against us depending on the circumstances."


    The people agreed and soon moved on to explore this underground area while the robots stayed behind Minos. Ne/w novel chapters are published at novelhall.com


    "I want you to help our professionals, but there''s something here I want to show you." Minos led the way through the area, heading for the last part of it for them to explore.


    With that, he left the two robots alone to work with the large crystal that would be able to create a few dozen robot essences while he returned to the area where Ruth was already meditating.


    ''Time for me to join you.'' He thought as he found a place for himself, planning to meditate for the next few hours until it was time for the group to change shifts.


    ...


    The group would remain in this grotto for the next six months, but none of the seven individuals cultivating in the special springs of the area would leave their places, nor would Maximillian succeed in advancing.


    Meanwhile, the robots would finish removing the crystal Minos had ordered them to remove, while the group''s spiritual experts would finish collecting and analyzing everything they had managed to take from the cave during that time.


    The group hadn''t encountered any problems since they began their seclusion there, so they would follow Minos'' plans to continue there until their more fortunate allies had finished taking advantage of their opportunities.


    That would take some time, so the whole group would eventually be in seclusion there for several months.


    Even then, no significant progress would be made in the meantime, as no one in the group would take special pills to speed up their progress.


    They wanted to focus on cultivating hard for a while before going back to consuming resources that would facilitate their progress in this world.


    So they would stay in that cave for another nine months until the first people came out of those fountains.


    With the first to succeed in their special seclusion, new individuals would reach levels 98 and 99. Not only that, the first level 99 Demigod of the group would advance to level 100 since their arrival in Zocarro!


    So the weeks following the second level 100 in the group would pass until finally, it would be time for Maximillian to awaken from his state and reach a level never before imagined by beings from the Spiritual World.


    Maximilian would be the first native of this world to reach level 101!

 Chapter 2227 The Group’s New Strength

    Chapter 2227 The Group''s New Strength


    After more than a year in the miraculous cave, Maximilian opened his eyes and felt his cultivation base at a new level!


    When he reached level 101, he felt his level 100 strength increase by more than twice the energy of a level 99 Demigod.


    That was impressive!


    Most Demigods needed at least a few millennia to reach level 99. But after Maximilian arrived in Zocarro, he only needed about 3 years to cultivate more than twice as much as a level 99 Spiritual World Demigod would normally cultivate in a few millennia!


    Considering that he was already a Sovereign, someone whose strength was ridiculously greater than that of level 99 Demigods, this was an important addition for him to differentiate himself in this world!


    He smiled in satisfaction, immediately feeling less doubt about his previous thoughts of staying in Zocarro longer or even never returning to the Spiritual World.


    ''Now, I''m the strongest Spiritualual World native in history!'' He vibrated with happiness while he couldn''t help but remember his old rival, Maximus.


    ''Tsk! You died in the Spiritual World, old man. But I''m going to live a completely different story!'' He got up from where he had spent all his time cultivating.


    Just as he was about to leave this area and return to the rest of his group, he felt the auras of four new Gods, or rather, the auras of four new Sovereigns in the group.


    "It seems that Minos has succeeded in his plans." He smiled as he reached where half of the group was meditating, waiting for him. Vissit  for updates


    When he arrived there, he met two human Gods, one from Sista and the other from the Western Empire.


    The strongest Demigods in Minos'' group, when they left the Spiritual World, were obviously not all members of the Black Plain Army.


    There were a few such individuals, especially spiritual professionals, some of whom had died, but there weren''t many of them. In this crew, several of Minos'' allies man had been given to him by his greatest associates, such as Henry Quinn and Willow Sista.


    Fortunately, the group had no deadlines to meet, only the need to strengthen themselves.


    They wanted to find ways to learn more about this world to know how to return to their mission concerning the war in the Spiritual World, but for that, they had to become stronger, which they had done during that time.


    So when they returned to the road, none of them felt that they had wasted their time or were too late.


    Besides, they were only a few months away from Examire, so they would soon reach the city Strin had recommended for them to get a better understanding of this vast world.


    Time would begin to pass quicker for them, and they would soon approach their destination without dealing with too many problems along the way.


    Demigods were already beings with above-average powers in Zocarro. But with 5 Sovereigns in the group, one of whom was at level 101, the amount of problems that could arise for the group was far less than it would have been if they had ignored the previous cave.


    Therefore, they wouldn''t have any battles to test their strength until they were very close to their destination city.


    When they were about to complete 4 years since their arrival in Zocarro, they would finally reach Examire, one of the most space explorer-friendly cities on the Oqia continent!


    Just before reaching this city, the party stopped at a place where they could see the silhouette of this huge international city so that Ruth could meditate on her advancement to level 94.


    Shortly after consolidating her power at the same level as her husband for the first time in a long time, the group would come across the deepest contact they had ever had with stronger Sovereigns!


    ...


    While Minos'' group was in the area where Ruth had just finished advancing, four alien beings approached where they stood.


    Among them was a level 106 creature!

 Chapter 2228 The Great Examiner

    Chapter 2228 The Great Examiner


    Minos, Maximillian, and the other four Sovereigns of the group were soon standing in front of the rest of their people when they saw four aliens stop a few meters in front of them.


    "Fellow special explorers, where did you come from?" Asked the weakest of the Sovereigns, a level 102 individual with green hair, four legs, and three arms that resembled octopus arms.


    The people in Minos'' group looked nervously at this being while he and Maximillian were one step ahead of the four newly promoted Sovereigns in the group.


    Then, the being continued. "You seem to be quite different from the space explorers we usually meet here. What galaxy are you from?"


    Minos looked at the individual and said, trying to be friendly, because a problem with these beings would cost them a lot. "We come from a planet we call the Spiritual World. I don''t know which galaxy we belong to. We came to Zocarro by accident."


    "Oh?" The strongest of the four opened his mouth in interest. "So you have no connection to any powerful force? How do you feel about visiting our group? I''ll be honest; I felt that woman''s magical fluctuation, and I couldn''t help but be interested in your group. You don''t look weak."


    "Can I learn more about the seniors?" Minos asked with a respectful tone.


    Another of those creatures that looked identical in appearance said to Minos. "We are part of a force that only consists of aliens on Zocarro. Our headquarters are in Examire, not far from here." The creature pointed with one of its arms toward where they could see that city.


    "Anyway, we''re a group whose purpose is to explore Zocarro''s potential, to reach new worlds, and to find a place in the Upper Realm for as many of our members as possible."


    "Upper Realm?" Maximillian asked when he heard this name they had never heard before.


    "The Upper Realm is a place in the universe where only cultivators at the 13th stage or higher than that can enter." The level 106 being said.


    "Strin was right. Examire is the best place for us." The level 100 dragon in the group commented as he thought about the ant.


    "What do we do now, Your Majesty?" One of the men in the group asked Minos.


    Minos clenched his fists and said. "Let''s go to Examire and get to know this place better. We''ll get a taste of the city and then go to that group, the Armhands, to see if this proposal is really as good as it seems.


    Depending on the conditions, I''m not against joining this group. Although it''s not our goal to stay in Zocarro, we may be in this world for a few decades before we reach the point where we can return to our original plans."


    With that settled, the group soon left the place, quickly completing the journey between that point and one of Examire''s many entrances.


    Examire was truly a large city. The city area covered dozens of square kilometers, and there were more than two million inhabitants from at least 10,000 different races.


    There were five floating districts around the city, where some large local organizations were said to have their headquarters.


    Apart from these floating areas, the place had many unique buildings in the center and more residential areas on the sides, where the local natives usually lived, more or less the same way Minos'' group had seen in Littlemere.


    The city center was where all the local diversity could be understood, where there were all kinds of businesses and opportunities for both native Zocarro beings and space explorers.


    Stores sold everything from basic information to complex materials useful to newly promoted Sovereigns or those who aspired to become Supremes.


    Unlike places that sold items usually made for the natives of this world, this city had all kinds of shops where one could easily order resources and artifacts useful only to those of their race.


    This place was huge, but soon Minos'' party would learn the basics of the area!

 Chapter 2229 Examire Possibilities (1)

    Chapter 2229 Examire Possibilities (1)


    As soon as Minos'' group entered Examire, they headed toward the city center, where they would encounter a variety of living beings, businesses, and experts casually walking from one to the other.


    Just as in the great, powerful cities of the Spiritual World, one could easily find Spiritual Sages walking the streets, one could easily find high-level Demigods and low-level Sovereigns circulating in the major areas of Examire.


    The auras of some people at levels 109, 110, and even 111 could be noticed near some critical areas of the city, which was shocking to Minos'' group.


    They thought that when they arrived in Examire, they would encounter beings of levels close to that of the alien who had invited them to join a local force earlier. But the truth was that there were several beings in this city that were stronger than that level 106 being.


    However, they didn''t feel any aura stronger than that, and they didn''t notice any beings in the areas they passed through at the end of the 11th stage or even at the beginning of the 12th stage.


    Maybe there were no such beings in Examire, or maybe these were the strongest experts that could only be found in the headquarters of very powerful organizations.


    The group didn''t have access to any floating neighborhoods in this city, so they couldn''t say for sure that the strongest people locally were people between levels 109 and 111.


    In any case, that alone was many times stronger than they could handle, so the whole group became more cautious as they walked through the city center.


    After a cursory observation of what Examire was like, the group soon began to visit some of the places where they could afford to spend their money and get a better understanding of the opportunities available locally.


    ...


    After passing three shops that sold and bought resources, Minos'' group learned a few important things in this place before moving on to their next stop.


    The group observed until they reached the information and registration area, where several holograms were available to serve groups like theirs.


    "Welcome to Steelbeards. How can I help you?" An artificial voice asked from the hologram of a woman who looked very much like the women of the Minos race.


    Everyone in the group looked at her with interest for a moment, some of them thinking there could be beings that looked like them.


    But then the level 99 robot said. "Zocarro''s level of technology is probably much higher than that of The Adamant Land. This hologram probably used the image of Ruth and Anne to create an appearance pleasing to most of our group."


    Besides Ruth, there was only one other woman in the group, as the others who had come with them had died in the middle of their journey here.


    They understood, and Minos quickly got to the point. "We''re new to this place. What do we have to do to complete the missions here?"


    The hologram looked at him and explained briefly. "Steelbeards doesn''t have many requirements for registering new members. All you have to do is agree to our terms, and I''ll give you your IDs.


    Don''t worry, you don''t have to give me any information. These IDs are just for your mission registration and access to your possible rewards. All I need to do this is a drop of your blood.


    With your IDs in hand, all you have to do is find a mission that interests you and sign up for it by placing your IDs on the holograms that speak about it.


    An important point to note is that each mission has a main party and a reserve party. The main party is the one that has the chance to complete the mission first. However, if all of its members die or fail to complete the mission in time, the reserve team will become the main team, and someone else will get the chance to be on the reserve team... There are advantages to being the backup team, so don''t give up on a mission just because there''s already a main team.


    Finally, mission payments will be credited to your ID as soon as our members meet the minimum requirements for their missions. You can collect your gains in the Prizes Hall."

 Chapter 2230 Examire Possibilities (2)

    Chapter 2230 Examire Possibilities (2)


    After listening to the hologram''s explanation, the group understood how this place worked.


    It was easy and quick to join the guild and accept a mission. Not only that, from what they understood, they didn''t have to stay in the guild building and wait for opportunities.


    With the ability to become a backup group for specific missions, as soon as the opportunity arose for the group to take on a mission as the main team, their IDs would notify them of the change wherever they were.


    The guild''s terms also seemed interesting, and they wouldn''t have to undergo any evaluation that might reveal their characteristics to others.


    One would only have to accept the guild''s terms and share genetic information so that only that person could receive their own rewards.


    The hologram finished. "For team missions, the mission leader must register the mission on their ID and then link their ID to the IDs of their group members.


    The leader can exclude group members or divide the mission reward as they see fit, so choose your leader wisely."


    Maximilian then asked. "Do the Steelbeards have any kind of allegiance requirements? Are there other groups like you offering missions in Examire?"


    "Steelbeards is the largest free group for foreigners and natives to post their missions or sell their services. However, several groups in Examire do the same thing, including forces in the city such as The Toads, Armhands, The Knives, Coldlaws, and others that accept missions even though that is not their main purpose.


    However, only the Steelbeards don''t demand loyalty from their members and accept members of any local group. As I said, we don''t ask for information from new members." Ne/w novel chapters are published at novelhall.com


    Minos heard the name of the group that had invited them and asked. "Armhands? Do you know anything about that group?"


    The hologram explained. "Armhands is a force based in Examire, basically made up of aliens. It is the third most powerful of the local organizations. Their next selection of members is open, and anyone interested who is at least at the Grandmaster stage can compete for this year''s vacancies.


    After 40 minutes of walking, they arrived at a place below one of Examire''s floating districts.


    "What now?" Ruth asked as she looked around, while they all felt that there was no way they could reach this place by flying.


    "I think we have to go over there." One of the two robots pointed toward a square building with a line of people in front of it.


    From the roof of this small building, there was a bright light beam that went up to the floating neighborhood above where they were standing.


    Minos and Maximillian made their way to this place and asked the last person in line if this was the way to Armhands.


    With the confirmation that this was indeed the way to go, they joined the line and waited for about 11 minutes until they finally entered the small square building.


    Inside were three alien beings of different races and what looked like an elevator door.


    "Who are you? What do you want?" One of them asked in one of the five languages Minos'' group knew.


    Maximillian then showed them the bone they had received earlier. "We were invited here to meet the Armhands. We''d like to continue if possible."


    The level 104 being looked at the bone in Maximillian''s hands and quickly recognized what it was.


    "All right, you can pass." He said in a neutral tone, slightly different from the one he had spoken to the beings before Minos''s group.


    With that, they soon entered what seemed to be an elevator and headed for the Armhands'' headquarters.

 Chapter 2231 Deceived

    Chapter 2231 Deceived


    After entering what appeared to be an elevator, the group quickly reached the floating area a few hundred meters above the surface of Examire.


    Arriving at one end of this floating area, the group came upon a place where many people were gathered near the elevator they had arrived in.


    In front of these people was a platform where some of the elders who were members of this organization were standing. At the same time, from there, the group could see a peak and some stairs leading to the top of it.


    They couldn''t see anything beyond that peak. The de facto headquarters of the Armhands was on the other side of this floating neighborhood, behind this hill that no one there for the first time would have expected to find in their path.


    The people there were silent, while one of the elders on the platform seemed to be explaining something important.


    The group surveyed their surroundings, not understanding what was going on and feeling like they had been sent to the wrong place.


    "Is it just me, or do we feel like we''re in the middle of people who are here to compete to get into this organization?" Ruth commented to her group while Minos and Maximillian narrowed their eyes.


    "Let''s wait for these people to leave so we can talk to the elders. We may have to wait to take a closer look at this place." Maximilian remarked as he stepped back.


    Then, they listened to the words of the level 105 alien speaking on the platform.


    "... Today, only 10% of you will have the chance to join the Armhands, Examire''s largest alien group. Those of you who are not among the 10% most capable will have to accept your inferiority and wait for a new opportunity at the lowest rank of the group. But even you will have a chance to join Armhands if you survive.


    Even the weakest worm has importance and power if it has the virtue to stand the test of time. So don''t give up while you''re alive. Sooner or later, you can achieve what is necessary to join our universal force!"


    Another alien, utterly different in appearance from the one who had just spoken, stepped forward onto the platform and said.


    "The first test of selection is the ascent to the Motionless Peaks. There are 2,000 steps on the stairs you see behind us. Contrary to what you might imagine, the difficulty of each step does not increase as you progress.


    One of the Sovereigns of that organization in the area looked at Minos with interest when he felt his cultivation increase by two full levels.


    "It''s not for nothing that one of us gave you this. With such an impressive ability, we must absorb this talent into our group!" Said one of the individuals on the nearby platform.


    An individual who looked similar to the natives of The Adamant Land laughed and said. "Thank the companions who gave you this gift. You''ll get some benefits if you survive."


    "Thank them?" Maximilian clenched his fists in anger, but he couldn''t do anything until he was on the first step of the mountain.


    The moment he and the others felt their bodies under the staircase area, they all felt an overwhelming pressure on their bodies, as if some higher being was trying to crush them.


    The first inclination anyone would have in that place was not to stop and scream in anger at their situation but to move to escape the overwhelming force trying to destroy them.


    However, as the alien from earlier explained, the first few steps in this place were the hardest!


    As they tried to move, everyone in Minos'' group felt the horror of becoming immobile, as if they had suddenly lost total control over themselves.


    Even Maximilian felt this as he tried to move and realized how ridiculous this place was.


    Minos even tried to use his wings, but he couldn''t. For some reason, the force behind this overwhelming pressure on them was preventing not only him but everyone on this staircase from using any accessories.


    The Sovereign members of the Armhands smiled when they saw them in this predicament, curious to see the top-notch performance of this new team that had the previous item.


    That item truly gave them an advantage, as it was a recognition of their potential. However, it would only be valuable once they became Armhands members. Until then, they would have to work hard, or they could go from being enslaved to dying!


    They had the option of accepting the previous invitation. But once they entered the headquarters of Armhands or any of the other major local forces, there would be no turning back for them or anyone else. Either they went all the way to the end of the selection test, or they were screwed!

 Chapter 2232 First Test

    While some of the Armhands, who were there to guide the selection of new members of the group, looked curiously at Minos'' team, the first people to die in this selection had their bodies destroyed.


    Still on the first step, Minos and his people watched as the bodies of some of the aliens on the same step as they exploded after they couldn''t withstand the overwhelming gravity on them.


    That made some of these individuals from the Spiritual World even more anxious as they tried to move to the second step.


    Maximilian was the first of the group to move and reach the second step. But he immediately understood the trick behind this test.


    ''Shit! The pressure dropped, but now I''m a bit exhausted!'' He looked at his surroundings in shock, seeing how diabolical this test was.


    As much as he had moved from the first to the second step and the pressure on him had decreased, the test''s difficulty had not decreased!


    The gravity on each step would be smaller and smaller compared to the previous steps. However, with each step one passed, one would have to make a considerable effort and could not use any accessory items to pass the test.


    One would already be so affected by the previous step that the difficulty of the test would not decrease even if the subsequent steps had less pressure on them.


    The next people of Minos'' group to move realized the same thing, noticing their urgency to reach the top as quickly as possible.


    The longer they took on each of the lower steps, the worse their climb to the top of this area would be!


    Minos looked at Ruth, concerned for his wife. ''Do you want help?'' He asked since she was the weakest of the group in terms of cultivation.


    Ruth was having a harder time than everyone else, but she managed to move a little and reach the second level on her own.


    ''No, my ability will help me climb the steps of this place. You should save yourself the trouble of getting to the end of this test.'' She said with a pained expression as she walked towards the third step.


    Minos knew how his wife''s ability worked, but he still decided to help her a little.


    Dragon''s Gaze!


    Suddenly, a giant golden dragon emerged from Minos'' body, its terrifying aura spreading through the surroundings as it charged at the enemy.


    At that moment, Minos felt his powers rise a bit and took the opportunity to take two quick steps while moving under the dragon''s form.


    The creature that first attempted to attack him had little choice but to raise his guard to defend himself, changing his stance when he saw that the enemy was no simple matter.


    Then, while Minos was attacking this enemy, another individual attacked him, causing the figure of a huge transparent green insect to appear above him.


    Minos felt the creature descend on him with its sharp legs aimed at his body, intending to pierce him mercilessly.


    He didn''t hesitate to use his most advanced technique, causing everything around him to deteriorate as it approached.


    "If you want to play against me, go ahead. Don''t regret it later!" He said loudly to his opponents around him before merging Chaotic Gravity with Devouring Art to form black holes in the area.


    He had been taken by surprise in this test, and he saw Armhands as his enemies. However, when he encountered those aliens who were attacking him, he turned his anger on those who were attacking.


    Then, four black holes appeared above the first 30 steps of that staircase, causing the 587 or so people on that staircase at that time to change their expressions as they looked at those regions of space.


    Even the Armhands observers couldn''t help but be surprised by this sight, as they noticed a change in the gravity above those stairs caused by the formation of the Minos'' black holes.


    In an instant, the four regions of space attacked the 40 or so individuals closest to Minos'' group, leaving them no chance to defend themselves.


    As the black holes absorbed those lives and some of the gravity in the area, Minos'' people felt the difficulty of this test temporarily decreased for them.


    "Quickly, take advantage of the opportunity Minos has created." Maximilian realized this as he took 15 steps forward in an instant.

 Chapter 2233 Malicious Organization

    With the appearance of the black holes, the gravity near those regions suddenly decreased, giving Minos'' companions room to move quickly.


    Maximilian was the one who made the most of the opportunity, taking 24 steps before the gravity of the long staircase made things difficult again.


    But Ruth also made the most of the opportunity, climbing 14 steps in a few breaths.


    Minos didn''t let the opportunity pass him by either, quickly reaching the 43rd step.


    But he didn''t get as far as the Sovereigns in his group because he had to focus some of his attention on controlling the black holes he had just created.


    He then focused his powers on dealing with those regions of space that were growing in size and power, controlling the space and time around those black holes in a way he had never done before.


    For the first time since he began merging his techniques to form black holes, Minos didn''t use his device to detonate these regions of space. He allowed the four regions to merge until the surrounding light changed, with an intense glow coming from the result of the merging of these regions of space.


    The observers of this process looked at it and frowned, noticing something with such strong energy that it could even threaten the lives of level 102 beings!


    Minos skillfully moved it against the opponents he hadn''t been able to affect with the black holes, causing some of the individuals who had tried to act against his group to change their expressions of terror.


    "Oh, shit!"


    One of the observers felt the need to move, feeling that this was a bit beyond what they should allow.


    However, the strongest of them in the area stopped him.


    "He''s just using his own power. That''s within the rules."


    The first hour of the test would pass, and Minos'' group would reach the halfway point of this most dangerous part of the test, arriving between steps 150 and 210.


    Maximilian was the most advanced at this point, standing on the 210th step. Meanwhile, the four remaining Sovereigns of Minos'' group were between steps 199 and 202, close to other alien Sovereigns participating in the trial.


    Minos and most of their group were just behind them, between steps 163 and 182.


    Ruth was the furthest back, currently at position 150. But contrary to what one would expect after watching the trial so far, she was the one who was moving faster and faster.


    While most of the competitors in this first phase of the selection were moving at the same speed as at the start of the race, Ruth found it easier to move and improved her speed with each step she climbed.


    But how could one expect her to be any different? As someone with a Divine-grade Physique and an innate ability focused on regeneration, she couldn''t help but recover from her fatigue with each step she climbed.


    Thus, while the number of competitors would continue to dwindle over the next hour, she would soon catch up with the high-level Demigods in her group, closing in on Minos after the gap between them had widened in the early moments of the test.


    Two hours into the test, Maximillian was already in the 399th step, while Minos and the rest of his group had just left the death zone of the test.


    As they completed the first 300 steps of this test, they better understood the fate of those who failed between steps 301 and 1,000; their lives were not in danger, but they couldn''t just walk away.


    When they saw the first humans fail this part of the staircase''s climbing test, the people of Minos saw them being sucked into rifts in space and taken to distant, unknown regions.


    The Dread Barrens was the fate of those who failed between steps 301 and 1,000. Once sent to such a place, the losers would be forced to perform manual labor for a set period of time until they reached the level necessary to retake the selection test.


    The Armhands was not a simple group, and once you entered their territory, your freedom was lost until you met certain requirements there!


    That was the kind of information that no outsider had, and since most of the losers died or were sent to places wholly controlled by this group, teams like Minos''s were constantly falling for the alien organization''s tricks.


    Unfortunately, there wasn''t much they could do now other than continue this selection process!

 Chapter 2234 End of the First Selection Phase

    Chapter 2234 End of the First Selection Phase


    After the Dread Barrens, which was the worst fate a survivor could face after failing this first challenge of the Armhands Selection, anyone who failed to climb the stairs between steps 1,001 and 2000 would be sent to the Blue Field.


    Minos and his people didn''t know the real difference between being sent to these two places, but the difference was brutal.


    In the Dread Barrens, one would basically live as a slave, working most of the time and barely having time to rest. As for cultivation, even if one could find the time, it would be a luxury, as the area was particularly low in energy for a demigod or sovereign to make progress there.


    The area''s requirements weren''t low either, and if you didn''t put in a lot of effort or weren''t very lucky, you might be forced to stay in such a place for the rest of your life!


    One would live much better in the Blue Field than someone in the Dread Barrens. Such a place had cultivation conditions for people at the 10th stage, and the services in this glacial region were not as degrading and demanding.


    Usually, after being sent there, one would have to work hard for a few decades and achieve what was necessary to retake the Armhands entrance test.


    But these two places were somehow connected. If someone in the Dread Barrens didn''t want to risk the selection test again, they could work to be sent to the Blue Field, where they could improve their options and then enter Armhands more easily.


    But these two places were somehow connected. If someone in the Dread Barrens didn''t want to risk the selection test again, they could work to be sent to the Blue Field, where they could improve their options and then enter Armhands more easily.


    It was a longer road but less dangerous. If one had talent, luck, and perseverance, sooner or later, this path would lead them to become de facto members of one of Examire''s greatest forces!


    Minos and his people didn''t know these details now, but they would find out in the future. Ne/w novel chapters are published at novelhall.com


    Of the few more than 20 remaining crew members, 3 would fail between steps 1,102 and 1,230.


    "What are we going to do? Will we continue with our plans with only these remaining competitors?" Asked one of the people at level 104.


    "If we do that, it''s possible that less than 10 people will actually join our organization today... That''s below acceptable". The leader of the observers commented. "Let''s proceed with the second phase of the selection as planned. Depending on the results, we can change the third test."


    They agreed, knowing that after this survival test, designed to eliminate the weakest and highlight the jewels to be polished, the second test would be less risky and have fewer eliminations.


    Then, the leader of the observers looked at the beings from different species and worlds and explained what would happen next.


    "Congratulations on your success in climbing the Motionless Tips. As a reward for your success, you will all receive a Tonic of Purification potion and have three hours to rest.


    Once you''ve recovered, we''ll move on to the next part of our selection. But don''t worry, your chances of dying from now on are quite low, and even if you fail, you won''t be sent to places as bad as the Dread Barrens or the Blue Field.


    However, your performance will play an essential role in your possible positions in Armhands after the selection is over. Not all of you joining our organization will have the same rights and duties, so don''t underestimate the next test, even if the risks are not great."


    Another alien from the Sovereign Stage stepped forward and signaled for the Armhands Grandmasters to distribute the prize resources of the winners of the first part of the selection test.


    In an instant, everyone had strange potions in their hands, which the competing aliens from Minos'' group quickly consumed without hesitation.


    Minos'' people were hesitant to consume those potions. But in just three hours, they wouldn''t be able to recover from their current condition without special resources.


    With a strange force preventing them from accessing their spatial rings, the group had no choice but to take the risk and continue to consume the Tonic of Purification.


    Whether it would do them any good or harm them, they would find out in the next few hours!

 Chapter 2235 Second Selection Phase: Nightmare

    Chapter 2235 Second Selection Phase: Nightmare


    After the time for the group of survivors to rest in the selection was over, all of the remaining survivors were at their strongest, having recovered 100% of their previous condition. Ne/w novel chapters are published at novelhall.com


    Minos'' group still had some doubts about what they had ingested and whether it would somehow harm them in the future. But it was a fact that they had all recovered very well after consuming the Tonic of Purification.


    When their three hours of rest were up, they gathered together and looked at their surroundings in silence, waiting for what would happen next.


    They could try to question one of the aliens behind this selection, but each of them knew that this would not lead to a positive position for themselves. After what they had seen during the initial phase of this selection, they couldn''t help but fear that they would cause even greater problems for themselves if they insisted that they shouldn''t be there.


    The only way forward for them was to overcome this challenge and understand what cards they could use to deal with the challenge before them.


    But each of them couldn''t help but look at the examiners of this selection as if they were great enemies. They were not the only ones who felt this way. Even those who had come to this place to participate in the selection looked at the Armhand members with hostility.


    But how could they not? Anyone who looked at this force from the outside would think it was just a large local organization that allowed people of all kinds to join its ranks. But in reality, this was a den of creatures willing to sacrifice and use the naive fools who came to them yearly.


    Armhands hadn''t forced them to go there, but once on the island, you could only choose to die or become a part of Armhands!


    That was completely different from the positive rumors about this organization, which naturally made even the aliens who were there for the selection feel cheated.


    The examiners of this selection didn''t mind the stares of these beings between levels 94 and 101. When the rest period was over, one of them caught the eye of the remaining contestants and said.


    "All right, your rest is over. Now, we''re going to start the next phase of this selection. This stage doesn''t test your physical strength but rather your mental strength.


    I don''t want to explain too much about this selection phase, as it may be quite different for each of you. In short, you will have to drink another portion which, when combined with the Tonic of Purification, will put the person who consumes it in sequence into a deep sleep.


    As she felt the sensation of falling so realistically that she broke out in a cold sweat and feared for her life, she slowly saw the figure of a golden dragon emerge from inside her body.


    "Ruth Miles, you have come farther than I expected." The voice of the dragon she had seen in the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom next to Minos sounded from the golden figure as she felt the majestic aura of a level 100 being.


    As she paid attention to that being with her eyes wide open, her surroundings changed, and she felt that she was no longer falling.


    "I didn''t expect you to get any further than me..." The dragon shifted as black and red lines began to cover its body.


    When the dragon opened its mouth and let out an evil laugh, Ruth suddenly realized something wasn''t right.


    ''That can''t be that God.'' She became more serious as she took in the volcanic surroundings of the area where the thing had taken her.


    "Who would know? Who would have thought that a fool would reach a higher realm than the one I''ve lived in all my life?" The dragon asked as a negative aura emanated from its being, growing darker and darker in front of Ruth.


    "Ruth, stand still and let this God take over your body!" It shouted as it moved forward to attack her.


    "Shit!" Ruth moved, realizing what this test would be about.


    While she was facing the dragon that had allowed her to raise her talent to Golden-grade, everyone else in this trial was facing their own demons in the illusions they had been forced to fall into.


    In particular, Minos now faced a golden dragon, an old man with blond hair, a man with black hair and a black trident, a giant, and a creature with six wings on its back.


    "Oh, fuck!" He said as he was surrounded by Henricus Longus, the God of Death, Fah''um of Dunov, the seraph, and the dragon that Ruth faced in her own nightmare!

 Chapter 2236 The Trick Behind the Nightmare

    Chapter 2236 The Trick Behind the Nightmare


    "Minos, all your power is ours." Henricus Longus said as he stared thirstily at the brown-haired young man surrounded by him and the other beings on what looked like a floating island in the Spiritual World.


    "It is time for you to return all we have lent you." The God of Death said as he licked his lips, a horrible sensation emanating from his being.


    Fah''um of Dunov looked down at the body of the small being and said. "You are now in a world like Panvuter. It is time for me to take your body and return to life, Minos. These wings of the Ailuravens will show their true power at my command!"


    Minos looked strangely at the beings who had brought him to this point in his journey as he felt their powerful auras.


    "Oh, fuck!" Vissit  for updates


    He realized that he would be screwed if he had to deal with all of them. But as he kept his guard up, waiting to do something, he couldn''t help but understand what this test was all about.


    ''Is this some kind of debt I owe them?'' He asked himself. ''In my subconscious, I feel like I''ve only gotten this far because of them?''


    But as he thought for a moment, he changed his expression, gaining a little courage to face these beings, feeling that this was all absurdity.


    ''Nonsense! I''m certainly grateful for the opportunities they''ve given me, but I''ve worked hard to achieve my victories!


    Even with the same opportunities I had, others in my place could have made many mistakes and ended up dying! If I''m so strong today, it''s because I committed myself to becoming stronger, fighting the right battles, and thinking of the greater good!'' He thought to himself because he couldn''t believe he might owe these people some debt.


    He had honored them in every possible way, respected them, and used their powers or abilities to the best of his ability.


    The only one there who might have something to question him about was the God of Death, whose legacy he had destroyed and used part of it to strengthen his murderous intent, something that had given him the ability: Dark Sea.


    ''That is from the damn potions I was forced to take!'' He clenched his fists as he looked at the creatures that were already moving to attack him.


    The retracted wings on his back moved, and then he flew to dodge the attacks of these beings, who were at a completely different level than they were in life.


    "Once again dependent on the powers of others, eh, Minos?" Henricus Longus said as he looked at the young man and moved towards him with a sword. "When will you learn that this is the way of the weak?"


    "Tsk!" Minos clenched his fists in anger and moved toward the elder so quickly that the old man couldn''t keep up.


    "I''m sorry, elder, but I have to destroy this impostor!" Minos muttered to himself, aware that a true remnant of Henricus Longus existed within his body.


    Meanwhile, the level 100 dragon began to fight its evil version inside this illusion.


    Just as Minos was about to reach the neck of the false Henricus Longus and kill him, the false Fah''um of Dunov acted and charged Emperor Stuart with full force.


    Seeing this, Minos changed his movement before making a huge wrist telescope appear on the spot.


    Then, looking through the lens of the thing, he activated his mental ability, the only one besides his skills and the wings on his back that he felt he could count on.


    Infinite Dream!


    A bright beam of light shot out of Minos'' eyes and passed through the lens of the device, which was a telescope and a special weapon.


    When it hit him, the giant suffered for a moment.


    "The real Fah''um of Dunov would have just ignored that!" Minos said as he moved against the God of Death, the enemy closest to him.


    As he attacked this black-haired individual, Minos didn''t hesitate to use his Dark Sea, showing this man a power even more terrifying than his own.


    "I have killed at least ten times as many people as the real God of Death. You dare to appear before me in his form?" Minos said as he used his wings to attack that one, weakening him and confusing him with the Dark Sea.


    These individuals were strong together, but when he got help and realized that he not only could not be fooled by these imitations but that he only had to defeat them to meet this challenge, Minos reacted accordingly!

 Chapter 2237 First to Succeed

    Chapter 2237 First to Succeed


    "You want to keep me in this illusion by using those who made me the warrior I am today? That will not hold me!" Minos said as he pierced the body of the false God of Death with his golden wings.


    Unleashing a power greater than level 100, the imaginary being in front of him slowly disappeared, while Minos felt like a key had been turned in his mind.


    After killing that illusory enemy, he felt as if a chain restricting him had suddenly disappeared while his movements and powers became stronger.


    He flapped his wings and flew towards Henricus Longus, this time forming the Divine Sword, feeling that he could use more of his powers after killing the false God of Death.


    "This disrespect will end soon!" Minos dodged his opponent''s attack attempts, who was using Time to try to prevent him from reaching it.


    But Minos also had some control over Time and wasn''t completely limited by the ability of the false Henricus Longus.


    He used his Godslayer sword and attacked the enemy, using the third and strongest move created by this fusion of the techniques of the real Henricus Longus.


    The enemy tried to dodge the attacks, but it was useless. The more he dodged, the more blades would chase him, and the eventual moment of collision would be worse for him.


    "Let me show you the true Space and Time Avatar!" Minos controlled the area, causing not only time to pass at a different speed but also the space of this illusion to behave strangely.


    The blades chasing the fake Henricus Longus changed their trajectory, surprising this illusion created by the combination of resources Minos absorbed.


    While he dealt with his opponents in his own mind, a dark substance began to leave his skin, attracting the attention of the observers of this selection test.


    "It looks like he''s going to wake up soon." One of the Armhand aliens commented, only 10 minutes into this challenge.


    "Impossible! Nobody passes this test in less than 30 minutes!" One of the level 104 men overseeing this selection shouted in disagreement, not believing that Minos would do such a thing.


    "Child, you have come further than I thought." Said the false Fah''um of Dunov. "It looks like I won''t be able to take over your body... You were better than I ever imagined." A smile appeared on the giant''s face as the red and black lines disappeared from his body.


    "Will you disappear?" Minos asked, holding the Divine Sword in one hand and his wings spread wide on his back.


    At that moment, he looked like an angel of destruction capable of destroying everything in his path.


    "Hmm, thank you, Minos. Not only have you completed an important mission by going through this experience. It is also a liberation for us." He said this while glowing an increasingly white color. "Even though what you faced wasn''t really us, rest assured that we felt your victory and evolution. Now, you are ready to surpass all of us completely!"


    "Ancestor..." Minos murmured as he saw the smile at the corners of the giant''s mouth.


    "Reach the pinnacle, Minos! Become the strongest and bring some of Panvuter''s ancient glory to your world! If you can become a Supreme, everything will be different!"


    With these words, the figure of Fah''um of Dunov exploded like glass, ending the illusion Minos had been in for the last 22 minutes.


    In the midst of this, Minos'' aura rapidly strengthened while the old binds that had existed on his body disappeared.


    His mental and spiritual stability was at its best, while his aura closed the gap between level 94 and level 95.


    When Minos opened his eyes after passing the selection test, his cultivation had stabilized at the beginning of level 95!


    His breakthrough had come six months earlier than he had expected, which made him smile with satisfaction at this bonus in the midst of the difficult situation he had fallen into.


    As he stood up and looked at the horizon, he clenched his fists, feeling different than he had all his life.


    ''Isabella, just wait. I''ll end this war sooner than anyone expects!''

 Chapter 2238 End of the Second Trial

    Chapter 2238 End of the Second Trial


    As soon as Minos stood up, the strongest alien observing this trial approached him and quickly drew his attention.


    "What''s your name, kid?" The level 105 alien asked, a being 2.3 meters tall, with brown fur over most of his body, a bear''s head, and hands and legs similar to those of humans, but with large claws on them. Ne/w novel chapters are published at novelhall.com


    Minos looked at this being, whom he considered an enemy after being forced to participate in this selection test.


    He wouldn''t deny the benefits of passing the two trials, which would help him to greatly strengthen his cultivation base in just a few hours. However, it wouldn''t change the fact that he was forced to take this test and even risked his life.


    Several people died in the first test or were sent to places where who knew if they would come out alive. Some of Minos'' companions were sent to The Blue Field.


    Still, Minos knew his precarious position. He was only a level 95 Demigod, while the being in front of him was a level 105 Sovereign.


    "Minos Stuart." He said to the alien.


    "Where do you come from, Minos boy? Your abilities are not ordinary."


    "I come from a place we call the Spiritual World. That planet is very far away, and I can''t tell you how to get there myself. My group and I came to Zocarro by accident a few years ago." Minos was sincere, not wanting to make his group''s situation in this place even more difficult.


    "I see... You''re smart, boy. Keep it up, and one day, you''ll have the chance to be free again and even go in search of your companions." The alien understood very well what was going through Minos'' mind, as he himself had once been in the position of this strange creature.


    "The Armhands are a powerful old Examire guild. The traditions of our organization are perhaps older than your own world, so don''t get carried away by momentary feelings. One day, you''ll be in my position, and you''ll understand what we do.


    Don''t think too much about the ''injustice'' you''ve been forced into for now. It will probably be your greatest blessing." He turned away from Minos, thinking about returning to the side of his people.


    Sovereigns or the strongest could move around freely, but Grandmasters like Minos didn''t have the same opportunities. In other words, it would be a while before he had a chance to do anything relevant and leave this headquarters, even with all his good achievements.


    Thus, these observers would remain silent for the next few minutes, and when the test was one hour and fifteen minutes old, the second person who managed to get rid of the nightmare he was in would wake up.


    This test didn''t depend on the person''s cultivation level at all but rather on how fragile their minds were. No matter how strong their cultivation and body were, if their minds didn''t reflect the same power level, they wouldn''t be able to wake up in time.


    Therefore, the first ones to awaken after Minos wouldn''t necessarily be the strongest ones there but rather those who were mentally well-conditioned.


    Ruth would pass the test in the last 20 minutes before the end of the 2-hour time limit, while Maximillian and the other group members would narrowly pass when there were between 10 and 5 minutes to go.


    Of the just over 60 people who began this test, 43 would manage to come out of their states within the 2-hour period, with another five members of Minos'' group failing their tests.


    With this result, less than 15 people from the group that left the Spiritual World would be able to pass the second test of this selection and would eventually be sent to the Speckled Bear Wilds, where they would spend the next five years preparing for this test.


    When the time was up, the alien in charge of this test stood in front of the 43 individuals who had passed this test and congratulated them on their success.


    "Well done. You are the best of this selection and now the newest member of the Armhands. Forget about your comrades who failed this test. They''ll have another chance in five years and be back on your side before you know it.


    For those who failed the previous test, it will be harder to see them again, but it''s not impossible. Don''t give up yet.


    Now, you''ll go through the last part of this selection before receiving your new assignments.


    Get ready. That is the beginning of your new life!"

 Chapter 2239 A Little About Armhands

    Chapter 2239 A Little About Armhands


    After the words of the level 105 alien, the group of 43 people descended the Motionless Tips and reached the part where Armhands'' headquarters were actually located.


    There was a large wall around the organization''s headquarters, which was strange considering that they were already at the top of a floating island that this organization completely dominated.


    Why would they have a wall inside their own territory? Getting there would be impossible for anyone who didn''t use the path Minos and his people had used. What''s more, there were powerful guards on the outskirts of this floating neighborhood, which was enough to ward off malicious people who had nothing to do with the Armhands.


    However, this 15-meter-high, 8-meter-thick wall was not enough to prevent people from entering this headquarters!


    "What''s this for?" asked a level 99 Gorgon, one of the two remaining Gorgons in Minos'' group.


    One of the two robots still in the group muttered. "Isn''t it obvious? This wall is to prevent the weaker members of the Armhands from leaving..."


    That was true. Even those who passed the guild entrance exam had no freedom until they reached certain requirements and hierarchy in the organization. Until they became actual contributing members, people like them lived there as if they were in prison!


    "Shit..." One of Minos'' companions muttered at the thought that their situation was far from improving.


    "Let''s not think about it too much right now," Minos said to his companions. "Let''s understand this place and figure out how to get out of here."


    The rest of his staff agreed, and they soon fell silent until the group reached one of the entrances to the wall.


    There, the selectors soon gained access to the group, and they passed through those walls without leaving the area for long.


    All 43 individuals observed their surroundings, especially the passage they had entered, aware that they were now stuck in that place.


    The outer area was quite large, with most of it on the side where Minos and his people now stood.


    As much as the members of the Armhands used the outer and inner nomenclature, the positions in this city didn''t follow it to the letter. This headquarters had an elliptical shape, with the city''s core and the inner area at one of the ellipse foci, while most of the outer area was around the other foci of the ellipse.


    Then, as the group entered this outer area of the city, another alien soon changed the subject and said. "You will learn more about the divisions of our guild. For now, don''t forget what we have already told you. Now it''s time to complete your entry into Armhands."


    They led the group into a building on a busy street in the area, where they would register as members of the organization.


    "Is this the new recruit group?" A level 105 female alien asked the leader of the screening group.


    "Hmmm, they''re going through the talent and aptitude analysis."


    That was the last phase of the selection test, which was usually eliminatory, but it wouldn''t be on this day.


    "But they''ll all be joining us. More aliens than we expected died in the first test... So I''m going to accept them all." Said the level 105 alien who had talked to Minos earlier.


    "Are you sure about that? They''ll be under your care from today on." The alien woman at the registration desk warned her friend. "This will go on your record."


    The brown-furred man smiled and said. "I have confidence in this group. They won''t be an embarrassment to my record."


    "I hope you''re right... Anyway, if that''s what you want, we''ll do it the way you suggested." She walked through the entrance hall of this building and soon faced the people from the group of candidates.


    "Come with me. I''ll sign you in, and we''ll finish this selection."

 Chapter 2240 Registering in Armhands

    Chapter 2240 Registering in Armhands


    Armhands did not divide its members based on cultivation alone. However, since none of these 43 people had ever done anything for the guild, the woman who would register them divided them according to their levels for registration.


    Soon after they arrived at a room in the back of the building, she told Maximillian to go with her to a glass room where special items could be seen.


    Entering the room with the woman, Maximillian felt something strange but could do nothing about it. Before he could react, he felt something penetrate one of his hands.


    Looking at his right hand, he only saw what looked like the tail of a small parasite before it entered his body and made him desperate.


    "Shit!" He said as he felt the thing move towards his vital areas.


    "Don''t fight it." The woman said as she used a fraction of her aura to make Maximillian pay attention to her and not the worm that had just entered his body. Vissit  for updates


    "This is the Fleshdrain. It is a biomechanical parasite capable of collecting your information, transmitting it to our headquarters, tracking you, and much more. When it finishes what it''s doing to you now, it will change shape and lodge itself in your forehead." She said as she pointed to his bare head, where there was no hair at all, while there was a snake mark over her one eye.


    "Every member of the Armhands has one of these. Those with the black mark are outer members. Those with the black and red mark, like mine, are inner members. The Council members have colorless marks."


    ''Do they?'' Maximilian doubted but said nothing, feeling he could only accept the situation.


    "I won''t hide it from you, alien. This parasite will harm you if you become a traitor or don''t contribute to the guild. But it can also benefit you if you are a valuable group member. If your contributions are high and you find yourself in a desperate situation, the parasite may even sacrifice itself to save you from a problem that you could not save yourself from on your own.


    Don''t think of it as just a dangerous sign for you. It''s a secret weapon, an ace up your sleeve that you can use if you''re smart."


    "I see. I''ll keep that in mind, ma''am."


    "Don''t call me that. I''m an Officer. You should call me that." She said as she looked Maximillian in the eye with her one big eye.


    His talent was far greater than even the most talented and strongest of the group, while all of his other characteristics differed from those of his fellow mortals.


    "Yes, I was born and raised in the Spiritual World," Minos replied, feeling the discomfort caused by the parasite in his body.


    "Are you just a warrior?" She asked him as she turned her eyes to his dice, where she could see a hexagonal graph of how strong his skills were for each type of thing.


    Normally, you would have balanced dice, with one skill being slightly stronger than the others. But Minos'' graph looked like a triangle with a strong focus on combat areas.


    "Yes, I''ve been a warrior all my life."


    She then used what looked like a stamp and marked Minos'' analysis, giving him the designation that would benefit him the most.


    As she handed him his identification, she looked at him momentarily, sensing that she would hear from him in the future. "When you become a Sovereign, come to me. I''ll help you."


    "That..." He hesitated when he heard that but soon felt a sharp pain in his forehead and brought his hands to that part of his body.


    "Go on. Don''t think too much about it now."


    "Can''t you help me now?" He asked.


    "No, you have nothing to offer me now." She laughed but said something of value to him. "Some of your doubts will be resolved very quickly, Minos.


    You should go. Your new boss will now introduce you to some of the rules and conventions of our organization. Follow his instructions, and you''ll soon have a good understanding of your actual situation." She said as she used her aura to help him leave the glass room before calling Ruth, the last of the 43 new Armhands members to register with the guild today.


    With Ruth''s test and the mark she would receive in the next few moments, the entire group of 43 would soon return with the furry level 105 alien who had commanded their selection.


    From that day forward, they would be members of the Armhands!

 Chapter 2241 Armhands Hierarchy

    Chapter 2241 Armhands Hierarchy


    When all the new members of the Armhands were in the waiting room where Maximillian had been the first to wait, the chief examiner of the just-completed selection entered the room alone.


    "Well, from now on, you''re under my responsibility. So let''s start with a short introduction." Said the furry level 105 individual.


    "My name is Rhett. As you might have guessed, I''m an internal guild member." He spoke, showing the red and black snake mark on his hairy head. "In Armhands, external members have few leadership responsibilities. With rare exceptions, you''ll mostly be working under someone else''s command.


    Two types of guild members will usually be in charge of you. One is me, and the other will be the member responsible for you in special activities."


    Pointing to the alchemist in Minos'' group, he said. "This alien is an alchemist. So he''ll work with other alchemists in the guild, and another internal guild member will stay with him under their control group.


    Some of you have special skills like this alchemist, so you''ll have another boss besides me. But make no mistake, you owe me the utmost respect and obedience. If the day comes that you have to choose between obeying me and another boss, come to me, and I''ll resolve it.


    But don''t worry about guild members trying to make trouble for you and putting you in difficult situations. That''s not going to happen. None of the internal members have any interest in interacting with mere external members, even those who have potential." He looked at Minos as he said this.


    "Any kind of problem you''ll have will be with others of the same status as you, in other words, external members. But even among external members, you won''t be equal.


    In Armhands, we have a complex command hierarchy with 10 different levels. As I said, your level of cultivation isn''t everything. This hierarchy doesn''t just depend on your cultivation level.


    The lowest level in our hierarchy is the recruit level. Right now, you are all recruits, and you will remain recruits until you meet the requirements to become Rank-and-File Soldiers. After that, you will work towards becoming Elite Soldiers, and the most talented among you will soon become Officers.


    The first Officer''s level is Junior, followed by Intermediate and then Senior.


    Above them are those with the rank of General, whom the Chief Commander oversees. There is only one Chief Commander in the entire guild, and it is not the highest rank.


    "Use this to learn the rules of the guild. It will save you headaches and wasted time." He handed these crystals to each of the 43 people in front of him.


    When these Recruits realized that they had to do this now, they immediately used the crystals in the same way that one might use a language crystal.


    But it was much easier than a language crystal. In just two minutes, everyone there had learned the rules of Armhands guild.


    Minos raised a hand and said. "The Intermediate Officer who collected our data said that each of us would be assigned to a function that correlated with our talents."


    "That''s what I''m going to talk about now," Rhett said calmly before activating a device on his right wrist, and a screen with the data of this group appeared for him.


    Then he began to call these beings by their names, first calling the individuals who had nothing to do with Minos'' group and giving them their orders.


    He gave each of them different locations to search later and show their IDs. This would lead them to the positions they would fill in that place starting the next day.


    After calling all the aliens not connected to Minos, he told them all. "From now on, I can come to you any time to check on your progress individually or give you orders. Although some of you will be alchemists, blacksmiths, etc., everyone here is ultimately an Armhands warrior.


    In any case, we will meet every 15 days for a more relaxed follow-up. You''ll get the meeting place and date soon.


    That''s all. You''re free for today."


    The group that had already received their instructions left shortly thereafter, leaving only Minos'' group behind.


    Rhett then said to Minos'' group. "Before I give you instructions, we must clarify the situation with your group. You didn''t just try to join us. You were invited into our group. And there are advantages to being invited to Armhands!"

 Chapter 2242 Benefits of the Invitation

    Chapter 2242 Benefits of the Invitation


    "What are the benefits?" Maximilian asked, hearing something positive for his group.


    Rhett said. "Beings who join us after being invited have a few more rights than those who simply come to us without an invitation. While those who have just left here will receive nothing at the beginning of their journey in the guild, your group will receive 3 rights and 2 prizes, one individual and the other collective.


    The prizes you will receive are access to a special cultivation area in the outer area of our headquarters and cultivation resources compatible with your affinities.


    As for the rights, the first one is about your duties. The other recruits who joined the guild with you must complete four mandatory collective activities and 10 individual activities during their first year here. You will have half of these. If you want to do more, it will count as your merit."


    The Armhands'' mandatory activities did not count as merit points for the members of this force. That was the minimum they had to do for the guild. Only what the guild''s members did outside of their duties would earn them benefits and help them climb up the guild''s power hierarchy.


    "Your second right is related to inviting new members. Since you have been invited into the guild, you have the right to invite new members."


    "What''s the point of that?" Minos asked, imagining there must be a reason why a stranger would want to interfere so much in the lives of strangers like them...


    Rhett nodded positively because there really was a good reason. "There are advantages to you doing this.


    First of all, each merit point earned by those you invite is worth 0.1 points to you. That doesn''t sound like much, but if you invite talented and numerous beings, you''ll be able to earn almost as many merit points as you would if you risked yourself on several missions, but without taking risks.


    Second, the more people you invite into the guild, the more influence you have and the more chances you have to grow, not only because of your merit points but because of your influence. Although I am responsible for you, the one who invited you is the one who has rights over you.


    "What now?" Someone there asked.


    "Now you''re going to do what the others were supposed to do," Rhett said before he began to guide each of them to the places where they should perform according to their affinities.


    He would also tell the group where they could get their individual consumables resources and the cultivation area they could use from now on.


    This guild''s headquarters was like a city, and just like a city, there were different types of cultivation areas.


    There were places in the city where you could use your merit points to get special cultivation rooms. There were places on the city''s outskirts where you could buy your own cultivation cave, and there were places where each force member had their own room where they could cultivate for free.


    There was a big difference between each type of cultivation room, so the group didn''t underestimate the place they would get. At the very least, it had to be better than what an ordinary Recruit would get.


    So they soon left the place where their data had been collected, parting ways with Rhett to go to the places where they would work, live, and collect their prizes.


    The group was still unfamiliar with the area or even the idea of living in this strange place. They moved around tensely, looking at everything, not talking to anyone as they tried to find themselves in this place that was not small despite not having such a large population.


    Before going to the places where they would work, they would collect their individual resources, the key that would give them access to the area where they could cultivate for free.


    Soon after, they would find the recruits'' dormitories and receive the keys to their rooms before splitting up to go to the places where they would develop their special skills.


    Most of them were pure warriors, so they went to the same area, while a few went to the alchemy, forging, and medicine sectors of the guild''s outdoor area.

 Chapter 2243 New Professions

    Chapter 2243 New Professions


    In the blink of an eye, the alchemist, the blacksmith, and the remaining doctor of Minos'' group left for the places outside the city headquarters where they would now develop their skills.


    Not surprisingly, Ruth followed the only doctor in the group, as the one-eyed woman from earlier had assigned her to learn the medical practices of the local healers.


    She had never studied it because, at the beginning of her journey, her ability only worked on herself, and she wanted to be a warrior. However, after significantly increasing the potential of her innate ability, she was able to help people recover, which meant she had good potential to become a doctor. Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com


    So she followed the only remaining doctor in the group to Armhands Medical School.


    Arriving there alongside a level 98 human, they followed the signs in the area until they reached the registration area for new doctors.


    "Are you the new recruits assigned to my post?" Asked an alien who looked like a bird with white feathers and golden eyes.


    Seeing this creature with chicken legs and humanoid arms, with level 104 cultivation, Ruth just nodded in confirmation, along with the companion next to her.


    "Which one of you is Ruth?" The man in charge of the two asked, already knowing that these two would be there today.


    "That would be me, Officer," Ruth said, recognizing this alien''s rank from a symbol on his feathers.


    After absorbing the knowledge from the crystal with the information about the rules of the guild, she and everyone else in her group learned the symbols that represented each hierarchical rank in this place.


    The bird-shaped alien looked at her silently for a moment. "Sigh, your case will be difficult. I''ve never had to deal with a doctor who knows nothing about medicine. But we''ll manage it."


    He turned his back on them and motioned for them to follow him.


    "You have a lot to learn, Recruit Ruth. So for now, your job with me will be to come to this place and study ten hours a day according to the schedule I''ll give you.


    Meanwhile, almost all of the rest of the group were assigned to the warrior wing, where they could use their skills to the best of their abilities. Not all of them had the potential to become blacksmiths, alchemists, doctors, and so on. Most of the cultivators had skills only useful for minor things or combat.


    In the case of Minos'' group, most of them were born warriors and would join the guild guard. But just like the spiritual experts in the group, they also had things to learn. As guards, they needed to have more in-depth knowledge of certain external guild matters, such as which powers were the guild''s rivals or allies, which places were important to the guild, and so on.


    So, even the warriors had a lot to study.


    Meanwhile, Minos was in a different place from the others, having been assigned to the seers'' wing in this outer part of the city!


    ...


    Having just entered a white spherical building in a not-very-busy part of the outer area of the headquarters, Minos saw a few individuals on his way into the building.


    They all seemed to have some strange visual powers, able to look directly into his soul and see his destiny.


    He did nothing and made his way to the reception area, where he was soon led to where the person who would be responsible for him from now on was waiting.


    When he met a being that looked like a tree-humanoid, Minos stopped for a moment in silence, feeling the strong power of this level 106 creature.


    "Officer." He mumbled a moment after observing the 3-meter tall creature in the middle of a strange room with an oval ceiling and completely white from floor to ceiling.


    "Recruit Minos Stuart, I presume." Said the creature, which had no mouth but was able to speak by emitting sound waves from the top of its body.


    "You have some talents outside the curve, recruit." Said this being as a screen with Minos'' data showed him Minos'' talents and physical characteristics. "When you become a Sovereign, the power sealed in your body will be fully integrated into you, giving you an ability that can give you refined control over time.


    You''ll probably be able to see into the future with some ease from this point on your journey."


    Minos understood what this was about, as Henricus Longus had left his innate ability to this young man when he passed his powers on to him. Unfortunately, Emperor Stuart was too weak at the time to absorb the power sealed within him.

 Chapter 2244 The Group’s New Routine

    Chapter 2244 The Group''s New Routine


    Minos still couldn''t use the ability Henricus Longus had sealed in his body. However, he was certainly close to gaining control of it and bringing the powers of the Spiritual World''s God of Time back to life.


    He knew what that guy could do in the Spiritual World''s past. After all, he had the memories of the most relevant parts of Henricus Longus'' life. As such, Minos understood very well why he had been assigned to this place.


    The alien then said. "Because of this possibility of yours, recruit, you are here to learn about clairvoyance. Come with me."


    Minos walked a few steps behind that creature as he listened to its words.


    "Have you ever thought about becoming a clairvoyant? It''s a unique path, Recruit. Seeing fate is like spying on the plans of the creators and mighty experts of the universe. If we make the slightest mistake, we could find ourselves up against someone capable of killing because of our attempt to spy on the future of someone we''re not supposed to be spying on.


    There are ways to look at people''s lines of destiny so that the seer doesn''t have to take any risks. In short, there is a balance between risk and clarity. The greater the risk, the greater the clarity of vision and the more detail you will have about the future. The lower the risk, the less clarity and detail you will have.


    Sometimes, what makes a good psychic is not their courage to take risks but their ability to read the little signs and interpret fate correctly.


    I''m going to make you a good seer, recruit. But you''re going to have to learn a lot of things to do that."


    He said as he entered a library very different from the one Ruth had entered a few moments ago, but a place with plenty of study materials.


    "You will be studying the basics of clairvoyance for the next few weeks. I won''t ask too much of you right now. You''ve never practiced my art, and you have other skills to develop. So I just want you to spend all your time here studying the materials on shelves 1 through 5.


    If you have any questions, come and ask me. When I have some free time, I''ll see you so we can talk."


    Minos wasn''t normal. The alien could see that. So he was willing to give this young man a little more attention than other guild internal members would give to people in this young man''s situation but without his strange qualities.


    "After you''ve learned the basics, we''ll change your routine a bit so that I can teach you some methods and put what you''ve learned into practice.


    But everything there was connected to everything else. By learning more about this world, improving their skills and knowledge, and cultivating, they could do more for the guild and earn their merit points.


    Therefore, they had to have time to learn ordinary things, cultivate, train, and prepare for mandatory and optional missions.


    They would have time to do some of these things later. Today, after finishing their studies, the group would gather to go to the cultivation cave they had won by being invited by the guild.


    After trying to understand the local map for a while, the group left the urban part of the city and arrived at a waterfall area within the area surrounded by the local wall.


    There were several caves there, including the one they could use starting today.


    "This place is magnificent." Said one of the men in the group when he noticed that the rocks surrounding the cave they had just entered were special and naturally increased the energy density inside the cave.


    The place they were given wasn''t large, but it could comfortably accommodate eight people cultivating simultaneously.


    Maximilian then suggested. "Let''s split up into shifts to take advantage of this area. We have more than 30 free hours a day, so we can divide the group into two and cultivate here for 15 hours a day."


    "Yes, that would be better." Minos agreed. "Each of us will have to adjust our schedules according to our shift of cultivation in this room.


    Today is our first day here, so some of us must wait outside to cultivate. We''d better use this day to absorb the resource we received earlier."


    One of the level 99 robots nodded in agreement and said. "We need to prepare ourselves as best we can for life in this place. As far as I can tell, it won''t be easy for us to grow up here. We haven''t run into any problems yet, but the competition here is fierce.


    You don''t just have to do your own thing to grow in this guild. For example, there''s a certain number of Rank-and-File Soldiers. For someone to become a new Soldier, they have to take the place of an old Soldier, taking the place of a guild member who has been promoted or died. We''ll be competing with all the Recruits in this place, but even the Rank-and-File Soldiers will look at us warily.


    I don''t know how long we have, but I have a feeling we will be in trouble soon!"

 Chapter 2245 Learning Days

    Chapter 2245 Learning Days


    The next day, the entire group had already spent some time cultivating and absorbing the beneficial effects of the resources they had each received.


    The resource they each received was compatible with their qualities, something created from the data the parasite had already collected in their bodies. These resources had an expiration date, after which they would lose their properties exponentially.


    As much as any of those people still had reservations about the Armhands, they knew they were already in the clutches of that organization. What could be worse than the parasite inside their bodies?


    Hell, even the robots hadn''t escaped having such a strange creature invade their bodies and mark their essence.


    They had already consumed two different resources during the selection test, so they were already ''dirty'' enough to be bothered by the situation to the point of not using the few things that could help them in this place.


    That''s why they had all used up their prizes and improved their general qualities on this first day as de facto members of the Armhands. Vissit  for updates


    After that, the group would begin their new routine in this place, where some of them would spend part of the day in their cave cultivating, while the others would do random things such as solving missions, learning about the organization, the city they were in, and other things.


    During the short period of the day when none of them were in the cultivation cave, they would be at their respective posts learning the external arts of the headquarters city.


    Not only that, Zocarro wasn''t like the Spiritual World where Demigods didn''t need to sleep, rest, or eat. The conditions in this world where Minos'' people were now were much more extreme than those in their homeworld.


    They needed to eat, rest, and sleep, so they used the dormitories they were given for part of their first few days in this force.


    In this part of the guild, they would begin their first relationships with other recruits and even Rank-and-File Soldiers.


    In the Mortal Journey, one would never be truly unique. There was always the possibility of someone with innate abilities and techniques.


    That was the case with Kendrick, who had the same innate power as Minos and the same techniques.


    But that wouldn''t happen on the Divine Journey. Even if Kendrick entered it one day, his power would develop into something different from his father''s.


    In a way, it was as if, by becoming a Sovereign, each cultivator gained their own cultivation throne, which could only be his until the end of his life.


    That was the purpose of the Divine Journey. Individualization and the search for the peak, the search for one''s own rules, and the development of one''s own power!


    Each stage of the Divine Journey had a deep connection with this purpose of individualization and divinization.


    Ascending to level 100 was the first step in this journey when one would gain a new skill, leave certain limitations behind, and reach a new level.


    According to the legends available in Armhands, by the time one reached the peak of the 13th stage, their position in the universe would be so good that their throne would cease to be a divine position and would reach the level of the universe. Their powers would be so beyond reality that the doors of the Upper Realm would open to such a being, and their throne would light up to become a position that controlled entire galaxies.


    At this level, one could live forever and be omniscient!


    However, there were techniques that could be learned on the Divine Journey, which were more suitable for professionals in more than one profession than for people who focused on just one field.


    Such techniques could turn a cultivator who focused on their physical strength into a blacksmith, an alchemist, or whatever they had an affinity for but hadn''t developed during their Mortal Journey.


    In addition to the essence of cultivation in Zocarro, the group also learned more about the universe and galaxy they found themselves in during their early days in the guild!

 Chapter 2246 Important Information

    According to the information available in Armhands, which was not little, let alone bad, considering it was an alien organization, Zocarro was an A+ world.


    What did that mean? Well, it was an excellent rating.


    The world''s classification, most common in this galaxy, took into account many factors, from the presence of living beings to the existence of cultivable energy on the universe''s planets.


    A planet with no conditions for the development of life and no energy that could be absorbed was considered the commonest type of world, classified as F.


    After the F classification came E, followed by D and C, then B- and B+, up to A- and A+.


    The Spiritual World should be a B- or B+ world, but Minos'' staff wasn''t sure yet, but it certainly wasn''t below or above that.


    As for the A+ worlds, they were good places to be born in the universe because they weren''t the most powerful or dangerous places. Still, they had favorable enough conditions for one to seek the peak.


    In worlds with this classification, a person could cultivate to the 12th stage with relative peace as long as they had talent, luck, resources, and time. Reaching the 13th stage would be as difficult or more difficult than reaching level 100 in the Spiritual world, but it wasn''t impossible.


    Panvuter should have an A- or A+ rating, but given the little information Minos had about that world, he couldn''t say whether the one that had given rise to the Spiritual World was similar to or weaker than Zocarro.


    In any case, A+ was not the pinnacle. Above that rank was S and then SS. According to Zocarro''s information, this was the classification of the Upper Realm worlds, and one had to be at least a peak 13th-stage cultivator to enter one of them.


    With this information, they now knew that it was possible but that they would have to work hard before thinking about returning.


    Meanwhile, Minos also learned about where some of his companions had been taken. The Blue Field was an extreme place far from Examire, where the guild mined a special type of material.


    The place was harsh, and those who went there would definitely have a hard time. But it wasn''t the end of the world. Anyone with determination in that place had a good chance of overcoming their difficulties and eventually getting a place in Armhands, leaving aside their status as servants.


    As for the Speckled Bear Wild, it was a place where Armhands could get useful resources for 10th and 11th-stage cultivators. The place wasn''t as ''safe'' as the headquarters for the Recruits, but it was much less bad than The Blue Field. Another good thing was that you didn''t have to do anything special in such a forest region. After five years in such a place, they would return to this floating island to take the guild entrance test again.


    It was very likely that the companions of the group that had been sent to the Speckled Bear Wild would return to the side of the others on their own. The only ones Minos had to worry about were the ones in The Blue Field, as they might stay there longer than the group of Recruits would need to improve their position within the guild.


    There were ways for someone to get a servant out of The Blue Field, but it depended on getting a favor from a high-ranking member of the guild or even on that person being the high-ranking member.


    At the very least, one would have to be a Senior Officer to even consider removing servants from The Blue Field!


    With that in mind, Minos''s goal was to become stronger as quickly as possible, to stop being a Recruit, and to gain enough standing in the guild to regain some of his freedom and rescue his companions.


    None of this would be easy, as they weren''t the only ones trying to improve within Armhands. There were already people of the same rank as them who had been trying to change positions for longer, while those in higher positions didn''t want to lose their positions or had the same dilemma as the Recruits about moving to higher positions.


    Some aliens were sociable and not difficult to talk to and maintain a friendly relationship with. But some beings in the wing where their group had started living a few days ago were quite competitive and difficult to deal with!


    Thus began Minos'' journey in such a headquarters!

 Chapter 2247 The Aliens’ Plans

    Meanwhile, in the Spiritual World...


    It had been a little over a year since Minos'' group left for the Spiritual World to join the people fighting in the War of the Worlds.


    The last few months since the battle of the Gods around the headquarters of the Black Plain Army had been chaotic but not as bad as one might imagine.


    The Gods of the Mechanic Empire had rarely appeared outside their territory during those months. After the fall of one of them on that fateful day and the withdrawal of their level 100 allies from the battles on the Continent of Beasts and Elves Island, the level 100 aliens went into seclusion to recover.


    Their goal was simple. Recover from their injuries and cultivate until they are at their best. The native group from the Spiritual World had already shown that they had more difficulties than them in doing it, so these experts from The Adamant Land invested this time in doing just that.


    The Gods of the Spiritual World basically followed the same plan after retiring to their respective headquarters after that day''s battle.


    Although the Spiritual World had won the most important battles that day, Vico, Willow, Aarav, and Aurae were left exhausted and with superficial injuries that would be difficult to recover from. Meanwhile, the level 100 dragon suffered deeper injuries because he and his tribe faced two level 100 enemies practically alone.


    Although the Spiritual World had won the most important battles that day, Vico, Willow, Aarav, and Aurae were left exhausted and with superficial injuries that would be difficult to recover from. Meanwhile, the level 100 dragon suffered deeper injuries because he and his tribe faced two level 100 enemies practically alone.


    Fortunately, this dragon had not been mortally wounded and had spent these months recovering and preparing for the next level 100 confrontation. But the dragon hadn''t evolved as much as it could have during these months.


    Nevertheless, a lot had happened in practically the entire Spiritual World.


    The aliens had begun to accept the surrender of the Spiritual World natives, who didn''t want to fight or risk their lives, and it had thrown the entire planet into turmoil.


    Until that moment, about 11 months ago, the narrative of the leaders of the Spiritual World was that they had to fight the aliens because there would be no dialogue with these beings. Surrender would not be an option. They would end up dead or enslaved if they didn''t fight.


    But after the first million beings surrendered to the aliens and began living in the territory of the Mechanic Empire, rumors and information on the subject changed many minds.


    That was the headquarters of The Adamant Land''s forces in the Spiritual World!


    And right at the most important point of this place, on the 23rd level of the basement of the main building, there were the six remaining Gods of the Mechanic Empire in this world, gathered after their reclusion.


    They had just gathered in this meeting room, sitting in chairs around a large table, when one of them began to speak.


    "It is time to proceed to the climax of this war." Said the strongest man there, the one responsible for leading the group into this world.


    "We have reached our best condition, while the enemies are probably in pretty bad shape compared to us. Therefore, we must act quickly and seize this opportunity. If we can kill these five, we can solve the problem of ruling this world in a few months.


    Each of the Gods there felt encouraged by this and agreed with this man about the possibility of their victory in the war if their plans went as expected.


    "When do we act?" The last remaining robot in the group asked.


    "We will send a few battalions to fight against the forces of the Black Plain Empire to investigate the situation of the most powerful enemies. We''ll make a decisive attack after gathering the necessary information." The group leader replied.


    "How are our numbers? Have we received any reinforcements while we''ve been in seclusion?" One of those who had come out of seclusion asked last, knowing that even though his forces had been more cautious during these months, many of his people had surely fallen.


    The leader of the group, who had finished his recuperation first, replied. "Yes, a group of 25,000 Demigods and 30,000 Spiritual Sages have joined us in these months.


    Half of our forces before our seclusion have fallen in these months, but with these additions, we should have a little more men now than we had back then."


    "Well, that should be enough." Said another of these level 100 experts.


    "Then it''s decided. We''ll attack the headquarters of the Black Plain Empire right after a battalion tests the enemies." The group leader said in a humorous tone. "We''ll kill Minos Stuart''s bitch wife, and then we''ll end this bloody war by eliminating all the local Gods."

 Chapter 2248 The Plans of the Natives of the Spiritual World

    Chapter 2248 The Plans of the Natives of the Spiritual World


    ??Meanwhile, at the headquarters of the Black Plain Empire...


    There, the five surviving Gods of this world had gathered with Gloria at the army headquarters in the old Yellow City.


    Inside the quasi-Spatial Kingdom where this place was, which was the entrance to the Spatial Kingdom of Minos, the group was at the place where the many corpses of their companions or ancestors lay.


    Four of the five Gods there were in their best fighting condition, having used and exploited the opportunity Gloria had given them with the two Divine Medicines she had passed on to Willow.


    By dividing these two medicines into ten parts, each of these Gods had ingested one part of each medicine and spent the last few months trying to assimilate the benefits they brought.


    A single Divine Medicine was so valuable that it could even help Gods, or rather, Sovereigns, become stronger!


    These people in the Spiritual World didn''t know it. Still, in the world Minos was currently in, resources of the same classification as Divine Medicine were used to produce pills and potions for Sovereigns.


    Just because these resources were used to help someone ascend from the end of the Mortal Journey to the beginning of the Divine Journey, it didn''t mean they couldn''t continue to help newly ascended people to the Divine Journey.


    Therefore, even though these five had only shared 2 medicines of this quality, they had been able to earn quite a bit in the past few months.


    Aarav, Willow, Vico, and Aurae had not only recovered from their injuries and reached their best state, but they had even become a bit stronger than before!


    As for the level 100 dragon, he hadn''t used much of what he had consumed, as he had used most of it to heal many of his injuries. But he had left his exhausted state for the current one, in which he had about half of his energy left.


    This dragon still needed some time to recover, but he was already ready to fight again!


    "This is the best plan we have. Let''s stay here and prepare for the next level 100 attack." She said as she looked at the level 100 dragon, the one most likely to dislike this proposal.


    The dragon agreed. "Fine, let''s stay and fight. How many resurrected Gods can we count on for the next confrontation?" He asked Gloria.


    "We have four level 100 bodies with us right now. We''ll be able to bring two of them and keep the other two for a future emergency." Gloria replied, looking at the Gods'' corpses that the forces of the Spiritual World had managed to send to this place.


    There were none left. All the others had either been used or lost to history.


    Once Abby used these four corpses, they would only have themselves!


    "But these corpses are those of ancient beings who don''t know about our situation. One of you will have to make them understand that we need their strength." Gloria made that clear.


    "I can do that," Aurae commented since she was the one with the best mental powers in this group and also the strongest in the Spiritual World under the current circumstances.


    The level 100 dragon had more raw power than her when he was at his best, but he was only half as strong.


    Therefore, the group agreed to stay at the Black Plain Army base and wait for the stronger enemies to attack.


    While the aliens wanted to destroy them and end the war, they wanted to prolong the battle while they still didn''t have enough abilities to eliminate the enemy leaders in the Spiritual World.


    Meanwhile, Gloria could only lament her weakness and inability to help the group beyond commanding the empire''s forces from the shadows.


    She thought about Minos and Ruth every day, but she could do nothing to know what they were doing. Anyway, she really trusted them and knew that they were somehow working to resolve this war!

 Chapter 2249 Organization Incentives

    Chapter 2249 Organization Incentives


    While the Gods in the Spiritual World prepared for another decisive battle, Minos and his people spent their first two weeks in Armhands.


    Even though they couldn''t leave the guild''s headquarters on the floating island, there was still much for them to do in the city.


    They had to cultivate, train, learn new information about their respective fields, and complete mandatory and optional missions.


    Even though this place was relatively small compared to the huge world below them, there was enough for each of them to keep busy long enough not to see the time pass by.


    The outskirts of the Armhands'' headquarters city had everything imaginable, even places for fights and disputes between members of the same rank.


    As the group had expected when they arrived, the competition was brutal. The guild forbade irregular fights or assassination attempts. But if you weren''t careful and got mixed up with the wrong people, you could find yourself in deadly trouble.


    The guild turned a blind eye to cases where those involved were concerned about erasing evidence, so relying on the guild was not interesting. Either you stayed out of trouble, or you used your own strength to protect yourself.


    Minos and his group had learned a bit about who they shouldn''t get too close to in this place and the problems they could get into, even if they weren''t looking for trouble.


    Some aliens simply wouldn''t do business with others if they weren''t from the same coalition or if their resources weren''t unusual.


    In other cases, some deliberately spread misinformation to delay or prevent competitors from completing missions.


    So the group learned that if they wanted to succeed in this place, they had to play dirty!


    ...


    There were other ways to earn merit points. For example, if you were at a certain rank and you moved up a level, you would get points. If you were in the middle of a mandatory mission and went above and beyond the call of duty, such as rescuing someone important to the group or obtaining special information, you would also earn points.


    In short, anything that could help Armhands in any way generated points for the members behind those actions. Not only that but doing good deeds for the guild or being a more important member naturally generated respect and opportunities.


    By getting on the good side of an Officer, a Recruit could gain access to information and special missions that would be more difficult for a common Recruit to discover or access. In this way, such a Recruit could grow faster.


    That''s why Minos wanted to fulfill his obligations immediately and start the optional missions.


    "Good luck then. My mandatory missions are a bit more boring. I''ll have to learn more about medicine to care for some of them." Ruth sighed as she thought about her individual missions.


    The collective missions she had to do would be with the rest of the group, but they were waiting for the moment to do them. Some group members were busy with other things and thought it best to leave the obligatory collective missions until they were more familiar with the place.


    "Don''t worry about improving too fast. Concentrate on learning medicine and improving your cultivation. That''s more important to you than doing these missions so quickly." Minos told her as she got up and went to the shower.


    Not all of them had to follow the same strategy. Their strategy depended on what kind of skills and abilities they had. Minos had the potential to become a powerful seer, but none of his missions were related to that because his superiors knew that it would take time for him to become a seer.


    It would take longer than the first mandatory missions he had, so during his first year in Armhands, his missions were more focused on his combat skills.


    In Ruth''s case, it was the other way around. Her superiors hoped she would soon be able to work as a doctor, so her mandatory missions were related to her new profession.


    Therefore, it wasn''t even possible for her to follow the same plan as Minos.


    It was the same for the other members of her team and even the other Armhands Recruits. Each of them had their peculiarities, and it wasn''t necessarily interesting for everyone to do what Minos wanted to do.


    With that in mind, they said their goodbyes after leaving their room, with Minos quickly heading to the mission building while Ruth went to the medical area of the external city.


    Arriving at the place where he would be doing one of his mandatory missions, Minos quickly presented his ID and was given directions on where to go to meet the person behind the mission.

 Chapter 2250 Mandatory Mission

    Chapter 2250 Mandatory Mission


    After registering his mission for today, Minos followed the directions given to him by the officer.


    After walking a few minutes to the border between the external and internal areas of the Armhands'' headquarters city, he noticed the difference in the quality of the buildings and streets of this place as he approached the part of the city where the most powerful of the guild lived.


    But he was still on the external part of the sect, so most of the people there were external members between levels 90 and 104.


    A person''s cultivation level had nothing to do with their position in the sect. There could be external members at the 11th stage and internal members at the 10th stage. That was rare because the stronger one was, the easier it was to fulfill one''s responsibilities and earn merit. Still, such situations could be seen in this city.


    In any case, most external members were Grandmasters, and most internal members were Sovereigns.


    Some of the internal members worked in the external area of the city, so it was already common for the people in Minos'' group to find people over level 100 there. However, some 11th-stage cultivators, especially those between 100 and 103, were often external guild members.


    But most of them were Elite Soldiers, people who could be promoted at any time depending on what happened in the internal city and the city council.


    The best parts of the external city were close to the border with the internal city, so Minos encountered many beings above level 100 near where he would be doing his mission today.


    He carefully watched until he arrived at the door of a beautiful mansion.


    "Hello, I''m Recruit Minos Stuart. I''m here to guide Recruit Wana." He introduced himself as he stopped in front of the entrance of an estate that had a beautiful lawn behind its gates, in front of a house that must have been about 180 square meters, built on three levels.


    The creature standing guard there, a three-eyed creature similar in appearance to the aliens from The Adamant Land, looked at Minos for a minute in silence, not believing that this was serious.


    "Are you kidding me, Recruit?" The being asked in a harsh tone. "You are only at level 95. How could you be given the mission to teach someone stronger than you?"


    "Who are you?" The feline creature with purple fur and hair asked.


    Minos momentarily looked at the strange creature, which was 1.3 meters tall and almost 2 meters long.


    She had beautiful wings in the middle of her body, whose feathers were a little lighter than the fur and hair all over her body.


    Minos was used to meeting the aliens of this place, and after watching her for only two seconds, he introduced himself.


    "My name is Minos Stuart. I''m here to guide you." He showed her his identification card while Wana made a strange expression, associating the cultivation of the alien in front of her with his mission to guide her.


    As she confirmed that he had indeed been assigned to teach her, she couldn''t help but become increasingly nervous, her face showing a dark expression.


    "You''re here to guide me?" She exclaimed after a while, thinking about how disrespectful that was.


    But amid the anger, she felt more and more towards not only this alien in front of her but also the one responsible for this joke, she couldn''t help herself and attacked Minos.


    "If you think you can lead me, take my blows!" She lunged at him, letting her sharp, dagger-sized claws emerge from her front paws.


    She was vicious in her attack, specifically targeting Minos'' jugular vein!


    Minos stood where he was when he saw her attack and did what he had to do. Spreading his wings, he attacked Wana mercilessly, first defending himself from her attack with one wing and then using the other to deliver a "slap" that hurled the feline into the interior of her apartment.


    While she screamed in pain and cursed him, he simply entered the apartment and locked the only exit door.


    He then touched her wound. "You have no discipline. No wonder you''re still a Recruit."

 Chapter 2251 Competition in Armhands

    Chapter 2251 Competition in Armhands


    The moment she slammed her back against the thick walls of her apartment, Wana''s expression changed as she looked at Minos, feeling the Recruit''s ''slap'' on her and the pain in her back.


    ''What just happened?'' She asked herself as she calmed down a bit and put aside for a moment the great insult of having to be led by someone of a lower level than herself.


    Minos finished locking the apartment door and turned his face to this Sphinx. "Calm down, or we''ll have to start this the wrong way. We have 10 hours of training ahead of us. It wouldn''t be good for us if you didn''t accept me as your superior."


    She gave him an ugly look, full of pain and anger, but this time she didn''t attack him. "What makes you think you can be my superior? I''m almost a Soldier!"


    "You are not yet. As long as we''re of the same rank and I''m your temporary teacher, respect me as your superior." Minos said as he approached the creature, revealing some of the terror of his aura, capable of frightening even newly promoted Sovereigns.


    "We will have two 3-hour training sessions and one 4-hour session to complete the training given to us by your Officer." Minos changed the subject and talked about what was most important. "We will do it today, tomorrow, and the day after. Is that a good schedule for you?"


    She was a little hesitant, feeling it was still unfair for her to be treated like this. Unfortunately, she had no way to seek justice for this humiliation. They had the same hierarchy in the guild. But Minos had been ordered to lead her, so he was her superior until the current mission was over.


    Wana had attacked a superior so he could take action against her, and the guild could still punish her if Minos decided to report her. Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com


    She retracted her claws and lowered her head. "Alright, this time is fine with me. But before we start, alien, what are those wings? What race are you from?"


    Minos answered her, liking the alien''s change of attitude. "I am a spiritual human. I got these wings on my journey."


    Armhands knew this was not a natural part of Minos'' body but an absorbable weapon. However, the guild itself didn''t allow members to steal other members'' possessions. So, Emperor Stuart didn''t bother to hide something that anyone with good connections in the guild would easily discover.


    But only a few would succeed. Meanwhile, those who failed would lose their points and would have to start accumulating merit points again for new attempts.


    This competition was greater in the lower ranks, as there were more people on the external part of the guild. But even in the internal area, there was competition.


    "So that''s it." Minos understood why she lived so well, even though she was only a Recruit.


    The guild did everything it could to encourage its members to contribute. In a way, providing a better standard of living was a way of giving back to its members.


    He knew about the possibility of using merit points to get things in this place, but he didn''t know that merit points could be used to buy anything, even better housing.


    But it all made sense on second thought, and Minos didn''t ask any more questions about it.


    "So how do you want to start, Recruit Wana?" He came back to the main topic. "My mission is to guide you, but the kind of guidance depends on your needs. Do you want to spar with me for a while so I can discover your weaknesses, or would you rather talk to me, and we can start working on it right away?"


    He only knew he was there to train Wana and help her use her powers better. He didn''t know exactly how to do that, so he needed her cooperation.


    Wana knew what kind of guidance she needed since her advisor had told her he had created missions for special beings to teach her certain things to help her in the promotion exam.


    "I need to improve my fighting skills with my wings. I''m not weak, but I admit I have trouble properly using my wings in battle. I usually only use them well for flying." She was honest, not hiding behind her pride.


    Minos understood why he was chosen to lead her and smiled, understanding more about this organization.


    "I see. Then let''s go to a place where we can fight freely. I have something in mind to help you."

 Chapter 2252 Information and Advice

    Chapter 2252 Information and Advice


    After listening to Minos, Wana quickly grabbed what she needed from her house and headed to a public training ground not far away.


    Special training grounds, where one could obtain unusual conditions, could only be accessed by paying with merit points. However, there were also ordinary training grounds where one could train as long as one booked the time in advance.


    Wana had been in Armhans longer than Minos and was so used to the place that she had fewer tasks to do than Minos. That''s why she had scheduled several training sessions in different arenas outside the guild headquarters.


    When she brought Minos to this place, he asked her a question he had been curious about since he arrived. "Recruit, why does the guild limit the number of members in positions higher than ours?"


    She turned her face to the side and smiled at Minos. It was a common question among new guild members.


    One might wonder why the guild didn''t allow its members to advance through the ranks without having to compete against each other. That would prevent people like Wana from wasting their time in lower ranks, getting access to better opportunities, etc.


    But it wasn''t that simple!


    She explained to Minos. "If the guild allowed it, we''d have to let people develop in practically all the higher ranks, don''t you think? After all, these beings would need leaders to command and supervise them."


    That made sense. There was a limit to how many people a single individual could lead without being negligent.


    "Besides, you don''t grow just because you want to. There are factors beyond us. The guild couldn''t keep growing, or there would come a time when every being in the world would be a guild member. But there are competitors as strong or stronger than the guild, so it is challenging to expand our numbers.


    When an Examire organization reaches the size of Armhands, it is extremely difficult to grow by 0.5% in a decade. Hell, it''s hard for the guild to maintain its size, so imagine how Herculean the task is to increase our numbers." She smiled at the man, who still didn''t know much about this place.


    The only way any of us can leave this guild is if it''s destroyed. Otherwise, we''ll die trying to get better, or we''ll get better and not leave the advantages we will have here."


    Minos had already thought this was the case and didn''t say anything more about it until they arrived, where Wana had an appointment for today. It would be a few minutes before they were allowed to enter the place, so the two waited together in front of the training room in question.


    "Is this your last individual mission?" She asked him as she waited, sitting on the floor like normal cats would.


    "No, it''s the first," Minos said, making her look strangely into his eyes.


    "You don''t mean that..."


    "I don''t want to insult you, but the other missions seemed much harder."


    "Tsk! You''ll change your mind when we''re done." She muttered, not liking it but getting used to the situation enough not to show anger in her expression or words.


    "Since this is your first mandatory mission, you haven''t done any free missions yet."


    Free missions were those that generated merit points. However, they could only be done after the mandatory missions were completed.


    "Be careful when doing your free missions. Most of them can be done by multiple guild members simultaneously, so don''t be surprised if some Recruits try to get in your way in the middle of your mission.


    In my experience, there are 7 free missions for every 10 Recruits. That means that 3 out of every 10 Recruits will end up competing with other Recruits for the same mission.


    The guild will award points to whoever completes the mission. So if you do all the work and a rogue completes the mission, they''ll get all your points. So be careful. It''s not uncommon for newbies like you to be targeted by older Recruits looking for merit points."


    "I appreciate your advice," Minos said as the door to the room where they would train finally opened.

 Chapter 2253 Blind Trust?

    Chapter 2253 Blind Trust?


    When Minos and Wana got up to enter the training room, the two people who had been using this place before saw them and stopped in front of them.


    "Wana." Said a woman of a strange race to Minos, who looked more like a robot than a normal biological organism.


    "Elupi." Wana stopped in front of this woman while Minos stayed a step behind her, keeping an eye on this woman called Elupi but also on the other creature that had come out of the training room, which must also be a female of her own race. Vissit  for updates


    This other creature didn''t look like an artificial being. It had large traces of fur all over its body, which looked like a ball. However, the most remarkable thing about this being was not its appearance but its cultivation. It was a level 102 individual.


    "Do you have a mission to guide this Recruit?" Elupi asked while pointing at Minos, causing Wana to blush slightly.


    "Not exactly." She said without going into details. "This is my friend, Minos."


    "Oh? A friend?" Elupi looked curiously at that strange being.


    "Minos, this is Elupi. She''s a friend of mine who joined the guild almost simultaneously as I did. In a way, we''re also competitors. She''s also planning to try for promotion in the next few weeks." Wana said, briefly introducing this woman to Minos.


    "Minos has recently joined the guild, Elupi." She said as she introduced the mysterious human behind her.


    "Oh? Then, good luck on your journey here, Recruit Minos. If you need help from a future Rank-and-File Soldier, talk to me." She threw a small crystal to Minos while Wana looked at her strangely.


    Elupi followed her mentor away from them, smiling.


    Wana said nothing and just watched the woman go, looking at her with narrowed eyes. "That bitch..."


    "Oh? That''s impressive." She was surprised. "But watch out for them."


    Minos laughed as he spread his wings and released his aura over the area. "There is a difference between my group and yours, Wana. I brought this group here from my world. We have a different history than you had with these people."


    "That''s what everyone says." She also released her aura as she got into position to fight.


    "You wouldn''t understand me," Minos said confidently. "I understand what you mean by your words, but that''s not true for everyone. My group would not stand against me under any circumstances."


    "Be careful with your confidence. It gets geniuses killed all the time." She moved with the start of their training.


    ''That''s not blind trust.'' Minos thought to himself, aware that Armhands'' possibilities could indeed seduce his companions. But did any of them have his cultivation speed? The potential he had? Not only that, but they had families in the Spiritual World and extra motivation to stick together and eventually complete their plans there.


    Only Maximilian didn''t have as much motivation to follow Minos'' lead. Still, even that person, Emperor Stuart was confident that he would stay by their side in this place.


    But he didn''t waste his time talking to Wana about it. As soon as he moved to force her to use her wings to attack, he gradually dropped the subject and began to focus on analyzing Wana''s fighting skills.


    She was strong and very agile. She was at level 98, but she might be able to fight, for some time, one of the level 100 Gods of the Spiritual World.


    She certainly didn''t have the power to kill one of those individuals, but her fighting ability was above her own level, which would allow her to fight someone with the strength of one of those individuals and even escape from a fight.


    But Minos was stronger, faster, and more intelligent than her. He could easily see her movements and her weaknesses.


    After only a few minutes of moving around and making her attack him with her wings, Minos realized that his devised training method could work with her.


    "All right, let''s stop. I have some guidelines for you."

 Chapter 2254 Wana’s Training

    Chapter 2254 Wana''s Training


    "Wana, your problem is that you treat your wings as parts of your body that are only useful for flying. You must think of your wings in the same way that I think of my hands or that you think of your paws.


    You can use them to "slap," just as I slapped you with one of my wings earlier. Besides, your feathers aren''t simple, Wana. If you use them as weapons, they could hurt someone who isn''t careful..."


    Minos said several things to the creature, first talking about the simplest things he had noticed while watching her move a few times before going deeper and talking about more complex possibilities she might be able to achieve with some dedication.


    As expected, Minos was prepared enough to guide this level 98 creature. The Armhands didn''t give their members mandatory missions that were impossible to complete. If one of them had a mandatory mission requiring them to do something, that was certainly possible to complete, given their characteristics.


    Some missions would be more difficult, requiring not only time but also preparation. Others would be easier, as the guild did not want to hinder its members'' progress by giving them tasks that would prevent them from doing other things.


    The competition that existed at every level in this place, as well as other conditions, was enough to force its members to strive to improve themselves and benefit the guild. The organization had no reason to make the mandatory missions, which were basically designed to get someone to do the less pleasant internal services of the force, very difficult.


    This mission with Wana, for example, was something her mentor would have to do if there was no way for them to pass it on to others. But an Officer would hardly agree to waste their time teaching a Recruit.


    So, external members of the various ranks did all sorts of service through mandatory missions that no one inside headquarters wanted to do.


    Teaching a Recruit wasn''t the "worst" thing someone like Minos could do. There were missions to catalog resources, clean public streets, repair damaged equipment, etc.


    The optional missions were a little better and dealt with topics that could help the guild more, so they paid merit points.


    Minos was slowly learning how the guild worked, but he would know much more about this place in the future.


    After guiding Wana for a while, he gave her a training method to use when she had free time.


    "You will follow this method even after this mission is over. I think it will make it easier for you to control your wings. But for now, I will use something more drastic to help you understand all of this." He told her as his Soul Avatar took shape.


    This would continue for the next two and a half hours, the time he would train Wana in the illusion he had made her enter.


    At the end of his mental technique, Wana would gradually return her consciousness to the real world without having the slightest idea that Minos had spent all that time cultivating in that training room.


    When she awoke from her state, she smiled at him and thanked him. "That was incredible! Even after only a few hours of training in this illusion, I feel like I''ve experienced everything in the real world! I feel different about my wings now!"


    Minos smiled at her as he stood up. "That is normal. It''s your mind that controls your wings, Wana. If we continue this training tomorrow and the day after, you should be able to train on your own after my mission ends. You will eventually improve your fighting skills."


    "Hmm. Then we''ll see you tomorrow at the same time as today." She agreed, eager enough to continue.


    When the two saw that their time there was coming to an end, they picked up everything they had used and headed for the exit.


    Wana commented to him. "Your skill is truly monstrous. I didn''t think there were beings in the universe who could steal other people''s cultivation. It seems to be against the rules of cultivation."


    "Really? I thought there might be others like that in the universe." Minos commented.


    "I have never heard of such a thing in my 2,000 years of experience outside of my home planet... But some beings can copy certain abilities or powers. You have to watch out for them. If you come across someone who can do that, kill them immediately. Such beings are hunted all over the universe."


    "Oh? I''ll keep that in mind. I don''t want anyone else to be able to do what I can do." He thanked her.


    As much as he had been there to guide her, she had advised him on many things.


    So the two of them said goodbye to go and take care of their own business. They would continue their training for the next two days, but their relationship would go much further than this mission.


    That was Minos'' first friendship in Armhands, but he would soon make other friends as well as enemies!

 Chapter 2255 Optional Mission

    Chapter 2255 Optional Mission


    After a few more weeks, Minos and his group were more familiar with Armhands and the reality of Zocarro.


    Some of them hadn''t done any individual missions yet, as they had business to attend to before continuing with their responsibilities to the guild.


    However, Minos, Maximillian, and the other group members had already completed all the mandatory individual missions they had under their responsibilities for this year.


    They were already starting to think about the collective mandatory missions, two of which they had to complete in the coming months. These missions couldn''t be done with the whole group, as they were missions for a maximum of six members in each team. So, they would have to subdivide into 3 groups to carry out their two compulsory group missions.


    But they had already made their team divisions, and two of the three teams were already preparing to go ahead with these responsibilities before each of these individuals turned their focus to the optional missions.


    That was not the case for the group that Minos, Maximillian, and Ruth were part of, which preferred to wait longer to pursue these responsibilities.


    In Armhands, a force member didn''t have to fulfill all of their responsibilities to gain access to the optional missions. As long as one carried out their mandatory missions, they would have access to a certain number of optional missions that they could do before continuing to fulfill their duties with the guild.


    Then, when one had completed all the mandatory missions, individual and collective, one could access everything at their disposal until new mandatory missions were escalated to them.


    As such, Minos and those who had already completed some individual mandatory missions were already turning some of their attention to ways of earning merit points more easily. Vissit  for updates


    As already known, one could earn merit in many different ways. But between earning the respect of a stronger member, increasing one''s strength, and doing an optional mission, doing the optional mission was the most direct and simplest method of earning points.


    Optional missions were freely chosen by the sect members and had predefined scores. In other words, one would commit to something knowing exactly the level of the ''payoff.''


    Anyway, Minos was at Armhands headquarters while he was with a small group of guards in the middle of the city.


    As much as this was the headquarters of an organization, there were guards there who focused on keeping things in order. Why? Simply because the guild was as big as a city and problems happened there in the same way as in cities.


    There was no stealing, as that was the kind of crime that would result in the punishment for treason, namely death. But troubles did happen. Many members competed assiduously against specific companions. Sometimes, they had problems with each other over missions or competitions within the guild itself or even over minor issues, such as a dispute over a woman.


    Having lived in Zocarro long enough to understand this world, Minos and his companions had already realized that, no matter the world or origin, women caused problems everywhere.


    Where there were women, there were men and disputes between men over women, which caused problems for those directly involved and sometimes even for unrelated people.


    In short, there were enough problems within this place for the guild to have guards, or rather a repressive force, that enforced the guild''s rules.


    Minos had just joined a group of guards, the Law Enforcers of Armhands, as a Recruit of the Law Enforcement Hall. He would earn 300 merit points per week of service to this group, a great job, in his opinion.


    This job was simple on the surface. One had to work for the Law Enforcement Hall as Law Enforcers for a week and then receive their pay and the option to continue with that mission.


    However, not everything was so simple. Despite being well paid and a relatively easy activity to understand, Law Enforcers dealt with problems of all kinds and had to get involved with problems and problematic beings.


    Why was there an assignment for this service with such good pay? Minos was about to find out as he left the Law Enforcement Hall alongside a group of four other Law Enforcers!


    "Recruit Minos, is this your first time working as a Law Enforcer?" Asked the leader of the group, a level 100 individual.


    "Yes, Soldier Bavis."


    "Then you''ll be in charge of neutralizing offenders today. Try your best before asking for our help."

 Chapter 2256 The Routine of a Law Enforcer (1)

    Chapter 2256 The Routine of a Law Enforcer (1)


    "I''ll do my best," Minos said as he looked at that guy who had a humanoid body, the legs of an ox, and the head of a bull.


    Meanwhile, the other three group members, two level 99 individuals and one level 98, looked at Minos curiously, interested in seeing this mid-level Grandmaster acting.


    Normally, Law Enforcers were either Rank-and-File Soldiers or Elite Soldiers. The reason was obvious: they had to keep order and enforce the guild rules, so they had to be able to deal with guild members living in the area where they operated.


    That was the area external to the headquarters, so any problems that arose for Law Enforcers to solve would be with individuals of the Recruit, Rank-and-File Soldier, and Elite Soldier ranks.


    In other words, a guard from the Law Enforcement Hall in this external area had to be able to deal with individuals from these three hierarchies!


    ''Will he cope?'' Asked one of the two level 99 to his level 98 friend. ''We''re here to help him, but the tradition is that new Law Enforcers solve the problems of their first day on the job by themselves, and we don''t help him until he''s in mortal danger.''


    ''He accepted this mission because he wanted to, Banus. The optional missions have warnings about their risks and the indicated cultivation range for accepting these missions.'' Said the level 98 individual. ''If he was greedy for the 300 merit points, that''s his problem.''


    Meanwhile, the group leader began their patrol, walking ahead of his men while thinking about Minos'' audacity.


    ''I want to see what this kid can do.'' He thought to himself, ''He''s probably not a fool, so he must have power. But does he know our job isn''t just enforcing the law?''


    One might think that a Law Enforcer would put on their uniform, fulfill their responsibilities, and then put these matters aside when they left their cloak. But it wasn''t that simple.


    Once a Law Enforcer, always a Law Enforcer, that was the motto of the Law Enforcement Hall.


    Why was that? Well, because by taking action against problematic guild members, Law Enforcers ended up earning the enmity and sometimes the hatred of those they punished, prevented from something or even humiliated.


    People who broke the rules within an organization, like Armhands, were usually not very sensible beings. Some of them would not simply see the Law Enforcers'' attitude as one of their own organization that had nothing to do with personal problems. Some would take it personally and have problems with specific guards.


    I may be able to do other missions simultaneously and earn a little more than 1,500 merit points a month. That will speed things up for me.''


    While he thought about what his next few months in the guild might be like, their group crossed half of the external city, with the group members talking little to each other the whole way.


    But Minos was left with a question after a while when he stopped thinking about his future plans.


    "Why are we patrolling this place together? I mean, I heard earlier that there aren''t many Law Enforcers in the external part of the city. Wouldn''t it be a case of each guard patrolling different locations?"


    The leader of this team nodded to Minos positively. "It would be, but only Elite Soldiers can do that.


    As it''s more difficult to solve the problems that can arise around the guild without other guards'' help, the premium for service is higher, and there are fewer such missions. All of them are already being taken up by Law Enforcers of Elite Soldier rank at the moment, and as soon as one of them leaves the service, someone like me will try to pick up the mission."


    "The pay for patrolling the external city alone is 800 merit points a week." Said one of the two level 99 individuals.


    "Oh?"


    The group leader continued to explain. "Some of our comrades in the Law Enforcement Hall do their patrolling on their own. But those of us who can''t take on these patrol missions individually have to act in groups."


    "I see. Is there any benefit to someone like you being with a group like ours?" Minos asked.


    "Yes, when you serve as a Law Enforcer, you get preference to take that individual patrol mission. So even if I get paid less to do it together with you, I''ll get a much better mission because of it." "I see."


    After more than an hour and a half of calmly patrolling the zone they were responsible for handling together, they spotted a situation near a predominantly residential area.


    As soon as they heard sounds of combat and murmurs of concern or even interest in the dispute, the five started running while the group leader gave Minos guidance.


    "Recruit, I hope you can handle this. That is your responsibility! If you can''t handle it, I''m afraid this will be your first and last time on this kind of mission!"

 Chapter 2257 The Routine of a Law Enforcer (2)

    Chapter 2257 The Routine of a Law Enforcer (2)


    As they stopped in front of the trouble spot, Minos'' group saw the way open up for them while a small crowd spread out on the outskirts, giving a view of two alien beings fighting each other. The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n))


    The beings appeared to be of the same race, while some individuals in the surrounding area seemed to be trying to contain the trouble between the two but were not very successful.


    Meanwhile, the two creatures basically used their bodies to attack each other without using any special abilities. Even if they were breaking a guild rule and confronting each other without prior warning or authorization, they wouldn''t take the situation to the next level by using their skills.


    The guild rules were unambiguous. A disagreement or a fight could result in punishment, but nothing too serious would come of it. However, using special skills was forbidden for ordinary members in unjustifiable situations and, therefore, carried heavy punishments.


    But just because the two didn''t start their dispute using their abilities didn''t mean they wouldn''t use them as their fight developed.


    Moments of great stress and tension could make even powerful beings in a guild like this lose track of reality for a few moments and do more than they should.


    The Law Enforcers'' job was not only to enforce the law in this place but also to prevent this kind of situation from happening and creating bigger problems for the organization.


    Seeing these two beings, one at level 99 and the other at level 98, fighting against each other, Minos'' companions stopped in their tracks and waited to see what the newcomer to their group would do.


    Minos didn''t wait for orders or a specific moment to stop what was happening. He walked forward, entering the space in the middle of the crowd where only those two were fighting.


    Then, as they faced each other, exchanging blows with great destructive power and speed, Minos used his Chaotic Gravity, causing the pressure on those two to quadruple in a single instant.


    Simultaneously, blades of energy appeared above where the two were standing, making them both realize the danger to their lives.


    "Shit!"


    Almost instantly after Minos'' first steps into the area where the two were fighting, they moved away from each other with great difficulty, trying to escape the attacks which, if they hit them, could even kill them.


    The other ignored his rival, who had started arguing with him over an important resource. He looked at Minos strangely and then noticed the rank of this young human on the Law Enforcement Hall uniform.


    "Recruit, you can''t punish me! What''s more, you can''t give us the maximum punishment for something like this! Don''t you know how guild rules work?" This level 99 individual brandished, feeling that he could use the fact that he was a newly promoted Elite Soldier to try to change the punishment he would receive there.


    He saw other guards from the Law Enforcement Hall group were around, so he wouldn''t escape this problem. But that didn''t mean he would accept this punishment easily.


    He was a higher-ranking guild member than Minos, so no one would punish him for questioning a Recruit.


    Besides, he knew how the Law Enforcement Hall worked well enough not to worry about those guards.


    ''This Minos Stuart is on his first day as a Law Enforcer. Let me teach him how things work at Armhands.'' This level 99 guy thought to himself.


    Minos momentarily looked into that creature''s eyes while he emitted a dark feeling from his being. "I can''t? You''re mistaken. As the Law Enforcer of the city''s external area, I can punish everyone except internal and council members. My rank or yours doesn''t matter."


    "Recruit, you''re right!" That being changed his posture. "Then how about lowering my punishment? 500 merit points are way out of line for a minor problem like this."


    "You''re right," Minos said. "Your punishment will be 1,500 merit points and 5 mandatory missions!"


    "What?"


    "Are you going to disrespect a Law Enforcer doing his job again?" Minos took a step forward as he spoke more roughly to that being. At the same time, the people in the surrounding area fell silent, seeing that this was no common Recruit.


    "Are you really going to take this to that level?" The level 99 individual clenched his fists, imagining that he couldn''t beat Minos there but that he could put a real damper on this fool''s life.


    The other being realized that Minos'' focus was on his rival and lowered his aura, feeling that it was better not to say anything and let things develop on their own.


    "Are you threatening me?" Minos stood in front of that being while everyone in the surrounding area felt the dark aura of someone who had already killed millions of living beings on his journey.


    Gulp!

 Chapter 2258 Trouble?

    Chapter 2258 Trouble?


    That individual trembled with fear at seeing Minos so close to him as he felt the terror of this level 95 Recruit''s aura.


    ''Is he going to kill me?'' This level 99 creature hesitated, feeling somewhat fearful and uncertain.


    The others in the vicinity feared the same, and the guards'' leader there couldn''t help but move, stopping next to Minos and touching one of the human''s shoulders.


    "Recruit." He said as he looked into Minos'' eyes while Emperor Stuart stood facing the troublemaker, thinking about what to do.


    "Recruit!"


    Minos turned his eyes to his superior and listened. "Recruit, you don''t have to give such a..."


    Then, as this Sovereign was speaking, Minos interrupted him to justify himself. "The punishment for this troublemaker is just and deserved. It is laid down in the Law Enforcement Hall''s code of rules and punishments.


    Not only did this creature get involved in an unauthorized fight within the guild, but he also disrespected a Law Enforcer and threatened him. I have many witnesses here, so I''m confident that none of our superiors will change this punishment."


    The level 100 Sovereign agreed, but even so, he felt that this Recruit was crossing the line for his first day as a Law Enforcer.


    "People will view this negatively, Recruit. Some of our superiors might think you''re using this to accumulate more merit for yourself." Said this level 100 being, while only the two could hear what they were saying.


    The Law Enforcement Hall was basically made up of guild members who accepted missions as Law Enforcers. There were no permanent members in this force, but ultimately, it was directly observed by the Supreme Leader!


    In a way, the Law Enforcement Hall was Armhands'' main component for the long-term maintenance of the guild. As such, the highest-placed individual in that force oversaw this repressive force.


    Because of this, all the other members of the Law Enforcement Hall had to act following the guild''s laws because if they were excessively unfair or negligent, sooner or later, someone would notice their problems and take action against them.


    "If they value the guild and want to make it stronger rather than weaker, they will accept this punishment and change their attitudes," Minos said coldly. "If they don''t have the guild as their priority, they will suffer bitterly."


    "You don''t need to convince us that you''re acting for the good of the guild, Recruit." One of the two level 98 individuals smiled, aware that all the newcomers in this force hated Armhands.


    Minos did have his selfish goals. But as long as he was inside this place, he would play by the rules, which would undoubtedly benefit the guild more than himself.


    He thought this was the path he should follow after joining the Law Enforcement Hall and felt he could grow as he acted as a Law Enforcer of this force.


    His words were not merely the empty words of someone planning to stab this force. He had already realized this would not be possible when he discovered the organization''s hierarchy.


    So, as long as this organization was not threatened with destruction, the only way to his freedom was to grow in this place, which could happen more easily if he followed the rules of Armhands.


    As someone who had led for a long time, he knew how the mentality of leaders in general worked.


    For his own selfish reasons, he wanted to be the most loyal and faithful to Armhands while he was there!


    "I''m not trying to sound like that, Soldier," Minos commented but didn''t press the issue. "Anyway, I think that problem is solved."


    "Our problems are never solved so simply." Said the group leader before returning to their activity. "But let''s get back to our patrol.


    You''re still in charge of solving the problems for today, Recruit Minos. But be more careful, or you''ll regret it later when you can''t buy reliable resources or have challenges showing up on your doorstep."


    Minos smiled when he heard that. "A few challenges wouldn''t be bad. I''ve heard that the side that challenges loses part of their merit points when they lose."


    "Exactly. When they lose, but they don''t usually lose." Said one of the men.


    Minos said nothing more and was soon back at work with them, walking through the areas under the responsibility of this group.

 Chapter 2259 Facing the Law Enforcement Hall Supervisor

    Chapter 2259 Facing the Law Enforcement Hall Supervisor


    Three days after Minos began his optional missions, devoting his time mainly to his work as a Law Enforcer, he had dealt with a dozen troublemakers.


    In just three days, Minos came to the attention of his superiors outside the Law Enforcement Hall because he acted vigorously and always gave the maximum punishment to offenders.


    Not only had the Law Enforcement Hall staff already learned about him, but external members of the guild were gradually talking about a brave and fearless new recruit acting as Law Enforcer.


    When the first problems related to his actions as a Law Enforcer reached him, Minos was not surprised.


    However, in this external area of the guild, there weren''t many individuals capable of scaring him!


    ...


    "Minos! I challenge you to a battle!" Shouted an alien at the door of the Law Enforcement Hall, where Emperor Stuart was leaving after completing his shift today.


    Next to Minos were his teammates, who were also leaving the place to go about their other business.


    When someone appeared in a crowd in front of that building, these men immediately turned their attention to the level 101 creature there to challenge Minos. Chee?ck out latest novels at novelhall.com


    Minos stopped 15 meters in front of that level 101 creature and heard the comment of his team leader within that repressive force. "That guy must be related to that level 99 Elite Soldier from three days ago. You should be careful. They are members of a very close-knit race with several members in the guild.


    If you take this matter to the next level, you''ll soon be in the sights of an internal member. From then on, your life will be hellish."


    Minos looked at the creature challenging him and didn''t think much of it. "I accept your challenge!"


    But even those who had seen him in action didn''t know what might happen because so far, Minos had acted against individuals of level 99 at most.


    Could he withstand a battle against someone at level 101?


    "That was a bit risky." A being Minos had seen before commented as he approached him.


    "You..." Minos saw the level 106 individual who had invited him and his group to Armhands.


    He smiled when he realized that Minos had recognized him. "Surprised? I''m also part of the Law Enforcement Hall. But I didn''t expect that one of my men would join this force and act so boldly."


    "Are you our supervisor?" Minos asked as he looked at the cloak folded over one of the individual''s shoulders.


    "Yes, but you don''t have to call me boss. Anyway, how do you intend to handle this?" He looked Minos in the eye without trying to justify why he had invited this guy into his guild.


    Minos should have learned that for himself by now!


    Minos wasn''t going to ask something he already knew either, so he looked in the direction of the dispersing crowd and replied. "I''ll defeat him. It will cause me some problems, but it will be my passport to the rank of Elite Soldier."


    "That''s a good plan. But what will you do when no one wants to accept your points in the external city?" That alien laughed.


    "It''s not that simple. I can transfer my merit points to my friends." Minos explained, talking about something impossible to do directly. "I''ll create missions to help my companions progress faster."


    "Oh? That is indeed an interesting possibility. I''m looking forward to seeing where you get to, Recruit. But let me give you this piece of advice. Don''t try to grow in Armhands by taking other people''s merit points.


    Sooner or later, you''ll regret it if you follow that path. The best path to success is by contributing to the guild."


    "Thanks for the advice, Officer." He thanked her before heading off to settle other matters.

 Chapter 2260 The Challenge (1)

    Chapter 2260 The Challenge (1)


    Three days after the challenge made by the level 101 Sovereign, it was finally time for the battle between Minos and that Elite Soldier.


    Minos had already been making a name for himself around the city by taking strict action against local lawbreakers. But what''s more, as rarely would a Soldier challenge a Recruit, the news of someone so much more influential and strong challenging a Recruit attracted a lot of attention.


    When the Challenge Arena opened this afternoon, a crowd of people, mostly Recruits and Rank-and-File Soldiers quickly filled the stands of the main combat platform. Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com


    The supervisors of Minos and the level 101 alien were already in the area, while even the supervisor of the Law Enforcement Hall arrived there to watch the most anticipated battle of the day.


    Minos'' law enforcement teammates had also settled down in the surrounding area, while the people who had come from the Spiritual World with him were also there, having found a little free time to come and watch this contest.


    Some were nervous, but others were curious to see Minos in action against a truly talented level 101 individual.


    Everyone who made it into Armhands had great potential, unlike the beings they had fought before coming to Examire.


    They had seen Minos in action against Sovereigns before, but those were beings who didn''t have much chance of becoming Supremes one day. That was different for the Sovereigns of Armhands.


    After months in this place, everyone in the group was aware that, to pass this place''s selection exam, one had the potential to become a Supreme someday.


    That wasn''t a guarantee that everyone there would reach the 12th stage. However, if they survived the trials ahead and took advantage of their opportunities, becoming Supremes wouldn''t be impossible.


    As such, there was no way for Minos'' group to predict exactly how today''s outcome would turn out, and even Maximillian was anxiously awaiting the start of the fight.


    While the crowd of more than 5,000 individuals from at least 600 different races waited for the challenge to begin, the organizers of this event gathered with the challenge''s participants, but also the strongest spectators there today.


    "Very well, you may proceed to your areas. The challenge will begin in one minute!" After saying this, this scorpion-shaped insect saw the two of them heading in opposite directions before he sighed and signaled for the remaining people to go to their places.


    After a few seconds, he appeared in the middle of the combat platform that Minos and Oxo were about to enter and announced the start of the challenge.


    When this creature stopped talking, metal doors in front of the stairs that Minos and Oxo had followed opened, revealing the level 95 young man and his level 101 opponent on opposite sides of the combat platform.


    The crowd there to follow the fight celebrated, then watched as the two prepared to move while an invisible but very strong barrier formed around that area to prevent anyone involved from fleeing or using external aids.


    The being that looked like a large scorpion moved up to that area, outside the space protected by the barrier that only he, who had control of the area, could access.


    When they saw that everything was ready for their fight to begin, Minos and Oxo moved.


    Everyone focused on Oxo, a creature with a muscular and robust body covered in skin and scales that resembled the texture of a rhinoceros.


    His legs were large and strong, ending in sharp hooves that provided him with powerful propulsion and stability to move across the rugged terrain of his home planet.


    His head was adorned with twisted, sharp horns reminiscent of those of a bull or buffalo, giving him an intimidating and imposing presence. His eyes were large and expressive, capable of frightening the weakest with their glare alone.


    Given his appearance and aura, only those who knew more about Minos didn''t think this was just a show of humiliation designed to teach him his place.


    That was the case with several of the offenders who had suffered at the hands of Minos recently, who were there cheering Oxo on.


    However, Minos would soon change the opinions of those in the stands by showing off his real combat skills, forming his Soul Avatar, and starting the battle using his most powerful abilities.


    By spreading his wings and flying at Oxo, Minos didn''t hesitate to combine his techniques and show the thousands of people in the surrounding area the Divine Sword right at the start of the fight!

 Chapter 2261 The Challenge (2)

    Chapter 2261 The Challenge (2)


    The moment Minos picked up the Divine Sword and moved using his wings, his aura changed substantially, causing not only Oxo but the entire audience following the challenge on that combat platform to change their expressions.


    Minos was still at level 95, but even so, he seemed to have gotten stronger overnight, while his speed startled everyone who had never seen him use his wings.


    In an instant, he was out of Oxo''s sight and coming at him from the right side, already using the third movement of the Divine Sword to attack his targets.


    Swooish!


    "Shit!" Oxe realized his opponent wasn''t as simple as he had thought and moved to dodge that blade attack in his direction.


    He managed to dodge Minos'' first attack. Still, as Emperor Stuart prepared the next attack of this special move of the Divine Sword, his wings opened to their full span before several feathers broke out of them like projectiles.


    The feathers flew at extremely high speed, as fast or faster than the blades created by Minos'' first sword movements, already chasing Oxo.


    Realizing that he would run out of space to escape if he continued to dodge Minos'' attacks, Oxo changed his strategy by planting his legs firmly on the ground and then opening his mouth.


    Then, a fabulous ''moo'' sounded from his throat as the form of a giant energy buffalo enveloped Oxo''s body, causing external protection to appear for his body and attacking Minos.


    Minos didn''t stand still when he saw the massive beast''s spirit body appear around Oxo. He blocked his hearing and then activated the most advanced form of his Dragon''s Gaze.


    The moment his eyes glowed an intense gold, a form of golden energy left Minos'' body, quickly causing a dragon spirit body to appear not far above where he was standing.


    Then the energy dragon opened its eyes and let out a great cry as it moved its grandiose mouth.


    The two sounds countered each other, while the tension within that combat area rose a few levels, causing the spectators to open their mouths in surprise at seeing Oxo using so much power already at the start of the fight, but also a Grandmaster exposing so much power without the use of external artifacts.


    "It sounds like you''re asking me to let you win." Minos laughed when he heard that and then struck the last blow with the Divine Sword before it disappeared.


    Swooish!


    Oxo moved his arms and quickly formed a leather shield with several horns in front of it to defend himself against the Divine Sword''s strongest attack.


    That blow was so strong that even a level 101 Sovereign could be threatened by it!


    "You have no choice!" Oxo said while trying not to cry out in pain as he was thrown backward shortly after his defenses exploded.


    "Your chances of victory are slim. But more importantly, losing is better for you. It will give you an excuse to be whiter, and it will solve our problems." Said Oxo in a low voice as he rose from his fall.


    Minos stood still for a second without doing anything else while the buffalo and dragon energy forms disappeared as his Divine Sword dissipated into thin air.


    "Accept your defeat, Minos!" Oxo lunged at him as he closed his fists and prepared a punch capable of knocking out an opponent of the same level as him who was exhausted!


    But the moment he attacked, Minos raised one of his hands in the air and then controlled the passage of time.


    Oxo felt as if he was moving more slowly, while Minos seemed many times faster.


    At that moment, Minos finally used his trump card, using his opponent''s momentary weakness to steal his opponent''s cultivation base!


    When Minos reached level 97, Oxo and everyone else who didn''t know about his ability saw this challenge take a different turn.


    "I''ve never feared war," Minos said in determination, wanting Oxo''s merit points too much to give up as easily as that alien wanted him to.


    He made his last move by raising his cultivation and reaching a level even higher than the one he normally had!

 Chapter 2262 Victory Prize

    Chapter 2262 Victory Prize


    After speaking his last words in this challenge, Minos focused all his energy on his body, making his Indestructible Body glow as he made space collapse with the strongest punch of this challenge.


    His Soul Avatar grew larger and larger as his fist came down on Oxo, making this individual trapped in a time trap open his eyes wide and see the real size of his opponent.


    He hadn''t known that Minos could do something so extreme, so he hadn''t prepared himself to deal with an opponent with so many weapons up his sleeve.


    Taken by surprise by Minos'' unparalleled abilities, he could only accept his opponent''s move that would hit him full-on, making him shudder to his core before he was thrown hard against the floor of that platform.


    All the spectators at the event watched in silence, some with their mouths open, not knowing what to say. In contrast, others closed their eyes as they saw the probable end of this challenge.


    ''He really is a monster like no other.'' Wana thought to herself as she stood on the bleachers surrounding that combat platform.


    Meanwhile, Maximillian asked Ruth. "Will that be a problem? He''s pitting himself against several guild members by winning this challenge. Does he have a plan for that?"


    "Minos always has a plan." The black-haired woman next to Maximillian replied confidently. "But this will certainly get us into trouble. That''s the way it''s always been. That''s how he became so strong and relevant in the Spiritual World."


    "This isn''t the Spiritual World," Maximillian commented, feeling that even he and the other Sovereigns in their group could end up badly off because of this.


    "This isn''t our world. However, this guild has its rules. Let''s not worry too much for now. Let''s see what he''s planning, and then we''ll go with what comes our way." She said as she stood up from her seat and applauded Minos'' performance alongside the thousands of creatures there.


    Many were there to see Minos humiliated and defeated by Oxo. But the truth was that most of them had no reason to cheer for one side or the other. Oxo winning was what most expected. But Minos'' victory was not entirely unpleasant.


    Some even preferred it that way, as it was much more exciting for a person of level 95 to win a fight against someone of level 101 than the other way around!


    When they saw the gigantic projection of Minos'' soul disappear, and Oxo''s unconscious body became visible in the crater where he had been thrown, most of the crowd in the vicinity applauded Emperor Stuart''s performance. The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n))


    Minos'' supervisors there looked at him in satisfaction, liking what they had seen today, becoming even more interested in his journey in Armhands.


    "Minos Stuart, congratulations on your victory. You beat an Elite Soldier, Oxo, who had 123,352 merit points accumulated. You are entitled to around 90% of that amount, that is, 111,016 merit points."


    A creature that looked like a slime said to him as it threw Minos'' ID in his direction.


    "Your points have already been credited, and you can use them as you wish."


    Minos took his ID and stared at the thing in silence for a moment, shocked at the amount he had just earned in one go.


    "All that? How many merit points must an Elite Soldier collect to become a Junior Officer?"


    "120,000 points." That Officer said directly, scaring Minos with the number of points he would eventually have to collect if he wanted to become an Officer and gain enough freedom to try to return to the Spiritual World.


    "And from Rank-and-File Soldier to Elite Soldier?"


    "50,000 points."


    ''So I must collect 190,000 merit points to become a Junior Officer.'' He concluded, imagining that this wouldn''t be easy, nor would it be quick.


    Even disregarding the enemies who would try to act against him and hinder him, it would take him a long time to gather that many points.


    Now that he had shown his powers, no one weaker than him would challenge him, so he could hardly use other challenges like this to grow in the guild.


    At the same time, he couldn''t use much of his current points for promotion exams, as he needed to become stronger to try to be promoted to the rank of an Elite Soldier.


    He also had to help his group members, so he would probably have to raise a lot more than the minimum amount needed!


    ''Shit! I''ve got a long way to go!''

 Chapter 2263 Four Years

    Chapter 2263 Four Years


    In the blink of an eye, four years have passed since Minos'' group entered Armhands!


    In this period, the group from the Spiritual World had worked hard and faced tremendous difficulties because of how they had started their journey as members of the guild.


    The problems that Minos got into as soon as he started working as a Law Enforcer were added to the problems that anyone would have in this force if they wanted to grow.


    The competitiveness in such a place was extreme, and the group experienced it well during this period, especially in the first year after Oxo''s challenge to Minos when things were rather difficult for all of them.


    However, amid the problems that Minos brought to his entire group at that time, he also brought many opportunities to everyone who came from the Spiritual World to Zocarro with him!


    Through the many merit points he earned after defeating Oxo, Minos created more than 60 missions throughout their first year in Armhans for Elite Soldiers to help his comrades in different ways.


    Oxo had gotten serious back then, and Minos really couldn''t get anyone to do business within Armhands apart from his own guild. He couldn''t buy anything for himself using his many merit points.


    However, he did manage to create many missions for members of higher rank, power, and influence in the outer area of that guild to help their teammates.


    These included teaching missions, missions to help carry out the duties of their teammates, and even missions for one to buy and collect resources on behalf of the group.


    Minos had spent most of his little over 100,000 merit points from Oxo on these missions, which had significantly helped his teammates in the midst of their own difficulties.


    In addition, he and his group continued to cultivate and use the resources they had before going to Armhands, and as such, several members of the group advanced during this period.


    Now the group had 9 Sovereigns, 7 of them at level 100 and 2 at level 101. Meanwhile, apart from Minos and Ruth, everyone else was at level 99.


    He already had the confidence to compete with the other Rank-and-File Soldiers for this rank. Still, there were no such vacancies at the moment, so he was waiting for the right time to act.


    He has continued his work as a Law Enforcer since then, having grown to the point where he now leads a team of Law Enforcement Hall guards.


    He still occasionally got into trouble for his exploits in his early days as a Law Enforcer, but as he grew stronger and more influential within the guild, some of the problems diminished. Some persisted, but in general, his life had been promising enough for him to wake up every morning with a smile on his face.


    "Good morning, Ruth." He kissed his beautiful wife.


    "Good morning, darling." She kissed him with a smile, already excited to wake up because of their current situation.


    "Are you looking forward to leaving this place?" He asked.


    Their group had been given an opportunity to carry out a mission outside the guild, something rare but which could happen under certain circumstances.


    Some members of Armhands had recently been involved in a small war with a force from a city a few weeks'' journey from Examire, which had created the current situation in which external members were being given chances to act outside the headquarters.


    The Minos, Maximillian, and Ruth group had accepted one of these missions, which they would leave the headquarters to solve in the late afternoon.


    Having been in this place for four years without leaving, Ruth was a little anxious about this first experience outside the guild in years.


    "Hmm. Aren''t you? This is not only a chance for us to breathe a little better in a different place but also to gather a lot of merit points.


    Every act we do on a special mission like this can earn us extra points." She said, without even thinking about the possibility of escape, since the parasites in their bodies would prevent them from doing so, and a supervisor would also accompany them.


    Minos smiled at her in agreement. That really was an opportunity for them to collect merit points!

 Chapter 2264 Situation in the Spiritual World

    Chapter 2264 Situation in the Spiritual World


    "Yes, I''m looking forward to collecting merit points and having some ''fun'' outside this place," Minos said as he smiled at Ruth. "I think we''ll be away for a few months during the mission. That will be as long as it takes our comrades in the Speckled Bear Wilds to finish their five-year stint in that place and return to our side."


    "That''s true. I''d forgotten that." Ruth opened her eyes as she thought about it. "Will they succeed in the selection exam this time?"


    "Of course. Most guild members who go through what they did manage to get into the guild." Minos nodded affirmatively. "Anyway, let''s tell the other group members to leave some merit points so we can help them when they succeed in getting into the guild."


    Minos'' group had remained close-knit since their entry into Armhands. Even though several of them were confident enough to resolve the War of the Worlds on their own and no longer needed to contribute to each other with the future of the Spiritual World in mind, they continued to act as a group.


    Or rather, they had been acting as a faction, one of the many such groups that existed in the Armhands.


    Being alone and having a low rank in Armhands was synonymous with difficulties. But a group of low-ranking people united around the same purpose could make things easier for each group member.


    Being alone and having a low rank in Armhands was synonymous with difficulties. But a group of low-ranking people united around the same purpose could make things easier for each group member.


    That wouldn''t put them too far above their ranks, but it would help with contacts, information, influence, bargaining power, etc.


    That''s why the group was very united around Minos, and the rest of the group would certainly welcome the individuals who were in the Speckled Bear Wilds. That was their chance to increase the size of their faction and their power to collect merit points.


    Anyone looking at Minos'' group wouldn''t see people capable of carrying out missions and competing with opponents but rather a united group that could use their merit points together.


    The whole group could, for example, work for Ruth''s promotion to become a Rank-and-File Soldier. So Ruth''s opponents, for example, would have to look at her whole group if they didn''t want to end up more damaging after a dispute with her.


    Having more members in the group would invariably increase their power, which would be worth the investment Minos cited.


    "Hmm, how long will it take for our whole group to be together again?" Ruth asked him, also thinking of the group members who had been sent to The Blue Field.


    "Not before one of us becomes a Junior Officer," Minos commented soberly. "That could even take more than a decade."


    "Sigh! That''s a long time. I wonder what our family will be like when we return to the Spiritual World?" She asked.


    As such, even though several organizations and states were still standing at this very moment, the situation in the world was serious!


    ...


    In the Spatial Kingdom of the Black Plain Empire...


    Gloria was now looking nervously at Callie in anticipation of the woman''s success in advancing to level 100.


    The other Gods of the Spiritual World were injured, trying to recover with the other two Divine Medicines she had given them.


    As only three Gods were left alive, they were each in their respective territories.


    Aurae was looking after Elves Island, while Vico was looking after the south of the Central Continent. Willow was the only one in the Black Plain Empire at the moment.


    Because of these three individuals, the Central Continent and Elves Island remained largely under the control of the natives of this planet.


    But with the deaths of Aarav and the level 100 dragon, the situation on the Divine Continent and the Continent of Beasts was becoming increasingly chaotic.


    It would be some time before the native forces of those continents lost their dominance in their homelands. But the aliens were advancing every day across those two continents.


    With these advances and the surrender of more and more natives of the Spiritual World, it was only a matter of time before the forces of the Central Continent were isolated and surrounded by enemies.


    Once that happened, it would become more difficult for them to continue fighting in the War of the Worlds!


    The empire needed Callie more than ever, so Gloria couldn''t help but look at her expectantly, aware that this woman wasn''t far away, but they didn''t have much time left either.


    In the next Battle of Gods, perhaps they won''t be able to withstand their enemies, and this Spatial Kingdom will be invaded.


    If that happened before Callie''s advance, that would be the end of all their plans!


    ''Be quicker, Callie!''

 Chapter 2265 Breakthrough

    As Gloria anxiously waited for Callie to advance, a spiritual fluctuation that she knew well suddenly increased in volume and intensity, attracting the attention of everyone inside that Spatial Kingdom.


    Turning and looking in that direction, Gloria saw Abby opening her eyes as her cultivation stabilized at level 92.


    After consuming various resources to strengthen herself over the last few years, the Empress of the Black Plain Empire had rapidly progressed while most of the Demigods in her family were still at the same level as when Minos had left.


    However, that was as far as she could go using artificial resources without jeopardizing her prospects. In addition to what she had already done, she wouldn''t become stronger, as it would destabilize her cultivation base, and she would only end up with more energy but the same useful power.


    From now on, she would no longer advance with such speed!


    In any case, this was an important breakthrough for Abby and the Black Plain Empire.


    Even in the presence of Minos, when he could help her get stronger by temporarily stealing the cultivation base of others, the maximum level Abby had reached had been level 91. But now she was at level 92, meaning her summons would be stronger and longer-lasting!


    That could help a lot in the War of the Worlds!


    Gloria and the children of Minos quickly approached Abby, each of them pleased with her progress in their own way.


    "Congratulations on your breakthrough, mother." Kendrick, currently at level 80, said as he approached Abby to give her a hug.


    Also, there was Sarah, level 83; Rowan, level 73; Lily, level 74; and Hollie, level 72.


    Gloria was still at level 90 but didn''t envy her harem sister''s advancement. It wouldn''t make any significant difference if she advanced as quickly as Abby, so she continued to deal with the issues of the empire and the Spiritual Church.


    Gloria couldn''t yet be considered the leader of the Spiritual Church. Still, she was currently the big name in that organization on the Central Continent.


    "Let''s honor the deaths of our friends and soldiers and ensure victory for the forces of the Spiritual World!" She said as she looked at the children of this family.


    She did not doubt that her people would win the war. But she didn''t know if she would still be in this world when Minos returned, and everything was settled. As such, she couldn''t help but teach the heirs of the Stuart family what they should do in the future.


    No matter what happened, they had to keep persevering and fighting the aliens. That was not only for their own good but to honor the many lives that had been and would be lost in this war.


    If anyone had to surrender, it wasn''t them but the aliens! They would fight to the end!


    Those young people clenched their fists in determination, feeling the weight of living this brutal reality.


    Even though it was too much for them, they agreed with Abby, nodding in agreement.


    She sighed and said. "Go back to cultivating. Leave these serious matters to Gloria and me."


    The young people walked away, leaving the two of them alone as they surveyed the area of the Spatial Kingdom.


    "Any change in Minos'' situation?"


    "None. We don''t know if he''s managed to achieve his goals. We also have no information about changes in his vital status." Gloria commented on this great unknown to them.


    "That''s bad. Do you think something might have happened?" Abby asked.


    "Anything is possible. But let''s keep our hopes up that we''ll see him again one day." Gloria sighed. "One way or another, I think it''s best if we act as if he and the others aren''t going to come back in time. Maybe they''ll save us and settle the war. But we''d better not count on it despite our hopes."


    "That will be difficult... But you''re right." Abby lamented as she looked up at the sky, wondering what Minos was doing right now.


    ''Wherever you are, Minos, make it quick! We might not be able to see each other again if you take too long!''

 Chapter 2266 Leaving Headquarters

    Chapter 2266 Leaving Headquarters


    Meanwhile, in Zocarro...


    Minos, Ruth, Maximillian, and two other members of their group that had come from the Spiritual World to this place were leaving the wall of the Armhands headquarters city for the first time in over four years!


    Next to the four humans and one robot from The Adamant Land was the furry level 105 individual who had led the selection process they had participated in years ago to join the guild.


    As this being walked in front of them, he explained. "You know the guild''s rules well, especially you, Soldier Minos. So don''t cause any trouble for me when we''re out there.


    We''ll stick to the plan, and if anything has to change, you''ll talk to me before you do anything stupid."


    "All right, Officer Rhett," Minos said as Maximillian and the others nodded affirmatively.


    "If you follow the guild rules and things go minimally well for us, everyone here can return to this place better than they are now." He said as he stopped in front of the exit post of that fenced-off area and looked back.


    "Every action of yours and even mine can generate merit and big differences for the guild, no matter how small we are today. So be prepared to act on behalf of the guild.


    It''s not impossible that in addition to merit points, we''ll earn the respect of our superiors."


    That was just as important as merit points if they really wanted to achieve positions of great distinction within the guild.


    With good contacts and a good reputation, one could be favored in disputes over resources and promotions. Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com


    The people in Minos'' group were already aware of this, so they didn''t say anything, but they also didn''t think of any dangerous ideas, such as an escape attempt during the mission.


    Even Maximillian was committed to completing the current mission and eventually returning to the guild!


    The moment Rhett activated that structure, it moved in a straight line as fast as the speed of light until, in just an instant, they felt that cabin stop, already in a totally different place from the top of the floating island they were on.


    Even though their group was so strong, the five of them there with Rhett couldn''t help but feel dizzy as the urge to vomit surged through their beings.


    But despite feeling unwell, they quickly controlled their powers by circulating their energies in such a way as to reduce the strange symptoms caused by this special displacement.


    "Your bodies haven''t got used to this kind of spatial displacement yet. Don''t worry; in time, you''ll learn to cope better." Rhett laughed as he watched these people.


    "Where are we?" Ruth asked, surprisingly having been the first to recover from the state the activation of that thing had put them in. "By the way, how did we get here? I can''t even see Examire from where we are!"


    "That''s natural. We''re 50 kilometers from Examire; more precisely, we''re behind the mountain range where the city is hidden. That''s why we can''t see our home from here. In any case, this is a quick and useful form of travel over short distances.


    If one day you want to access the artificial moon of Zocarro, you''ll have to be able to endure a trip like this for much longer." He said, while the four worst individuals in the group gradually improved their expressions.


    "We''ll continue our journey to the Bellowing Garden from this point. I''ll give you 10 minutes to finish recovering, and then we''ll continue as planned." He said as he turned his senses to the surroundings of that area.


    "That''s quite a method of transportation," Maximillian commented as he looked at Minos. "Have you been able to understand anything useful about this technology?"


    "No. Zocarro''s level of technology is a few degrees above that of the Mechanic Empire. This must be a way of traveling quickly in a world where gravity is too strong for us to easily alter space. I''ll try to learn a bit about this in the future.


    Now, let''s focus on the mission in front of us."


    "Hmm."


    Everyone agreed, quickly focusing on recovering until they would leave that place shortly after their arrival.


    For the next few days, they would travel to their destination, the Bellowing Garden, where an unauthorized war between guild members and a rival force was raging!

 Chapter 2267 About the Mission

    Chapter 2267 About the Mission


    Ten days after leaving Armhands headquarters, Minos'' group arrived in the area where they had to carry out their mission.


    With one more day of travel, they would enter the area where the unauthorized warfare of some members of their guild was taking place.


    Today, they were stopped in a forested area, where the group was resting and preparing to deal with the situation of their mission from tomorrow!


    ...


    At the place where the group stopped to rest, Rhett was sitting on a rock next to a peak where they could see hundreds and hundreds of square kilometers.


    There were forests densely covered with trees in one corner, a large lake not far from where they were, but also mountain ranges with their tops frozen in the distance on the horizon.


    Although Zocarro was very different from the Spiritual World, some things would always be more or less the same in any habitable world in the universe. Just as the natives of the Spiritual World would appreciate nature''s beauty, the alien next to them could do the same.


    "Do you have views as beautiful as this in your world?" Rhett asked the people in his group.


    "Certainly. Our home world is tiny compared to Zocarro, but there is plenty of diversity and many beautiful landscapes." Minos replied, being the one in his group who had traveled the most in the Spiritual World despite his young age.


    Rhett commented. "Not mine. Where I come from is an endless savannah without many breathtaking views like this."


    "Where do you come from?" Ruth asked as she sat in front of a small fire, roasting some vegetables.


    Rhett didn''t answer her as he changed the subject. "I want to hear from you what we''re going to do from tomorrow. How should we deal with this problem, Recruit Ruth?" He looked at her.


    Everyone turned their eyes to Ruth as she took a deep breath. "We should solve the problem created by the guild members. Even if the guild didn''t authorize this confrontation, now that we have members involved, we can''t just back down."


    Minos complemented her speech. "We have to deal with the rebels as well. First, we''ll win the confrontation and show the strength of Armhands, and then we''ll punish those who started this little war."


    That force represents a great danger for a Grandmaster and a newly promoted Sovereign. Be aware that there are even high-level Sovereigns in that sect."


    High-level Sovereigns were those between levels 110 and 114!


    "We''ll be careful, Officer," Maximillian said, agreeing to take that risk because the result of their investigation could earn him a lot of merit points if there really were a secret behind Silverdawn''s actions.


    So the group agreed to go ahead with these arrangements, and as soon as they had finished resting, they got back on the road, heading towards the point in Bellowing Garden where they would go their separate ways.


    That would take place over the next 20 hours when Ruth''s group would reach the men of their guild waiting for reinforcements, while Minos and Maximillian would move on to Misthall.


    ...


    Arriving at the location of the guild members who had started the current war, Rhett and those of his group still with him were soon in what looked like a tent, where several aliens were on special medical stretchers.


    There were no other reinforcements besides them there, so as soon as they arrived, the only doctor on hand came over to them.


    "Officer, where are the other groups? Why haven''t we received any help so far?" The doctor from that group of rebels asked.


    Rhett didn''t know the exact reason why no one but them had arrived, but he could imagine. ''The groups sent are probably more interested in solving the problem than saving these rebels.''


    He said nothing about it and asked. "Officer, what''s the situation with your group? I have a doctor here with me and men to help defend the area."


    "Help? A group made up of external members?" That doctor looked at the two individuals next to Ruth.


    Rhett had the same rank as that being, but he was a warrior, while the one in front of him was just a doctor. So he asked. "Are you going to answer me, or will you keep making things difficult?"


    "Sigh... I don''t know how to explain it. My group had about 30 members. We didn''t often act simultaneously. When all this madness started, my colleagues and I, who are still conscious, weren''t with the part of the group that started the fight." He said.


    "Those who know what happened are either unconscious or dead."

 Chapter 2268 Whats Behind the War

    Chapter 2268 What''s Behind the War


    Hearing that the only ones who could explain the situation were dead or unconscious, Ruth changed her expression and commented. "We have to get one of them to wake up. I sense that the enemies are attacking us to prevent anything about the origin of this incident from leaking out."


    "That must be the case." The level 104 doctor agreed with her, having been thinking about this for some time.


    "Unfortunately, waking them up is more difficult than you might think. I''m alone here, and they''re either badly injured or in special states that can''t sustain energy in their bodies." The doctor explained to her. "But without energy in their bodies, waking them up will be impossible."


    "I''m not as strong as the Officer, but I can try something." She took a step forward, putting herself at the Sovereign''s disposal.


    The doctor had no expectations of this level 95 human, but Ruth was the only doctor besides him there. As weak as she was, her help would be better than nothing!


    Meanwhile, Rhett ordered those two who had stayed behind with him.


    "You two should split up and help protect this place. Try talking to the guards on the outskirts and understanding more about what happened to this group earlier."


    The two of them accepted and then went on to find out more about the situation.


    ...


    While Rhett''s group realized that there was something behind the situation they were in, Minos and Maximillian continued on to the only city in the Bellowing Garden region.


    They traveled for a few hours longer than their companions alongside Rhett. Still, soon, they entered an alien-friendly city in that area of the continent.


    Misthall was a city with a quarter of the population of Examire, which was large enough to contain a lot of diversity and opportunities for Grandmasters and low-level Sovereigns. Vissit  for updates


    "It could be. Legend has it that the Scroll of Hearts only appears every 10,000 years. It''s been a month since the local sects moved in search of it, so if someone hasn''t found it, it''ll be hidden for another 10,000 years." The same person who started this conversation commented, sighing in disappointment.


    "I hope I''m still here next time..."


    While that group continued talking about it, Minos turned his attention to the barista serving him and asked. "When did these local sects return from their search for the Scroll of Hearts?"


    "Oh? Interested in that, traveler?" An individual with blue scales, four arms, and 1.9 meters tall dressed as a barista asked from the other side of the counter where Minos was standing. "That happened about three weeks ago.


    Even though the appearance of the Scroll of Hearts happened about a month ago, the area where it was supposed to appear is close to where we are. A few days would be enough for one to go there and return in success or failure."


    "What is this Scroll of Hearts all about?" Minos saw that it coincided with the start of the Armhands'' conflict in this area and was interested in looking into the matter.


    "This ancient book is said to be a historical relic left by a Supreme being who was at their stage''s peak. It is said that this Supreme wrote the book using the hearts of a thousand enemies.


    From it, they condensed some of their wisdom and had it hidden somewhere in Oqia before they made their final attempt to advance to the 13th stage.


    What happened is unknown. All we know is that a long time later, people appeared around our region talking about the book of hearts. Eventually, it got its current name and became a sought-after artifact.


    But there are legends that it only appears to predestined people. That is, it is not something that can be found. One has to earn it, and through that, it would show itself."


    "Interesting. Is there any possibility of a competition developing for this book if someone were to find it?" Minos asked.


    "Competition? You mean like taking someone else''s book and using it to your advantage?" The barista asked, understanding Minos'' question.


    Seeing the brown-haired young man nod in the affirmative, the alien said. "It wouldn''t work. But there would certainly be a fight. As far as I know, the book can''t be stolen, as you asked. But the information that someone has it would be enough to attract enemies and people looking to kill or study it."


    "I see," Minos muttered as he paid for his drink and left a generous tip for the barista.

 Chapter 2269 Decisive Moment

    Chapter 2269 Decisive Moment


    While Minos and his group were solving the problem concerning their mission in Zocarro, the situation in the Spiritual World was reaching a new level!


    At this moment, troops were once again fighting on the outskirts of the ancient Yellow City, with alien forces trying for the fourth time to invade this place and destroy those hiding in Minos'' Spatial Kingdom.


    The four remaining Gods of the alien forces were currently fighting Vico, Willow, and the last level 100 bodies they had, Aarav and the level 100 dragon.


    Aurae wasn''t around. She was on Elves Island, too far away to arrive in time for this battle, which was already in its decisive moments.


    The last living robot of the enemies in this world was fighting directly against the resurrected level 100 dragon, while Aarav was supporting his companion, who had died to that robot in the last battle.


    But this fellow helped by Minos to reach level 100 was also assisting Willow while this woman faced two enemy Gods, trying to hold them off while the others tried to seriously injure or even eliminate their opponents.


    They were in equal numbers, but if each of them tried to take on a different enemy, they would end up losing the fight.


    Willow wasn''t the strongest one there, but she was the one who had the best defense of the group of Gods fighting for the Spiritual World above the Black Plain Army headquarters.


    As such, she kept two enemies busy while Vico focused on one opponent and the level 100 dragon on another.


    As Abby''s summons would only last another 30 seconds or so, Aarav helped Willow with counterattacks to the enemies to give this woman more time, but he was also helping the level 100 dragon deal with the level 100 robot.


    "Watch out!" One of the enemy Gods said as he saw the ferocity of the level 100 dragon''s attack, watching it act frantically against the partially damaged robot from the last few battles in this world.


    The level 100 dragon was in its peak condition, and as it was already dead, it had nothing to fear. Not only that, but because it was a summon, it felt no pain, and its energy would remain at its peak until the summoning time was up and it disappeared.


    As such, even though he had died to that robot in the last battle, he demonstrated a good performance in the short battle so far, even outperforming the enemy at times.


    "Aaaaagh!"


    Suddenly, Willow let out a loud cry of pain as she was hit full-on by an attack from one of her opponents, finally making the other level 100 individuals there realize that the current situation wouldn''t hold for long.


    Vico saw this and also noticed Aarav moving to help Willow. Meanwhile, the level 100 dragon was about to disappear and was slowly destroying the level 100 robot with his teeth.


    Vico shouted. "Finish off the other enemy first!"


    Aarav looked over and saw that if he didn''t help that dragon, they wouldn''t be able to kill any of the opponents.


    He felt sorry for Willow and moved to help the dragon finish eliminating that robot.


    Meanwhile, the level 100 blonde woman didn''t complain, even though she had a spear stuck in her abdomen.


    "Die!" One of her enemies disappeared into thin air before reappearing behind her with another spear in his hands.


    This time, Willow didn''t manage to dodge so well that the enemy missed his target. He hit her in the back, sending a three-meter-long spear through her body at the height of her left breast.


    "Cough!"


    She coughed up blood as she felt herself being knocked off balance.


    ''Damn it!'' Willow realized she was lost and thought about sacrificing herself right there to finish off these enemies.


    However, the opponents had seen this strategy before, and the second God dealing with her appeared in front of her, causing chains to appear around her body, quickly sealing this weakened woman''s powers.


    Just as they were about to kill her, something suddenly happened, attracting the attention of everyone there!

 Chapter 2270 Reinforcement at the Right Moment

    Chapter 2270 Reinforcement at the Right Moment


    Just as the two enemy Gods were about to kill Willow, with one of them preventing her from moving and the other attacking her with his spiritual weapon, a golden pillar of energy appeared from the quasi-Spatial Kingdom below them.


    Vico and Aarav looked in that direction and gradually changed their expressions, smiling as they saw it.


    On the other hand, the alien Gods understood what it was all about and naturally felt worried when they saw it. One of them was about to die, and suddenly, a new expert was appearing in the enemy forces.


    "Shit! Kill that woman quickly! Time to retreat!" Said the enemy facing Maximillian.


    But it was too late for them to escape without putting themselves in danger. As Aarav finished helping the level 100 dragon eliminate the enemy robot, a woman with light blue hair appeared above that quasi-Spatial Kingdom.


    But the aliens quickly realized that she was not the wife of Minos, the great enemy they had wanted to eliminate since the beginning of this war. Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com


    That woman was at level 100 and had never shown herself before since the beginning of the war!


    That was Callie, the ally that Minos had obtained through Julian!


    Callie quickly understood the situation the Spiritual World was in, seeing that the Ice Age was at its worst, but also that the aliens had arrived in this world and done a lot of damage.


    She quickly saw Aarav and the level 100 dragon gradually disappearing. She noticed that several Gods from her world had probably already fallen in this war.


    "Aliens, you shouldn''t have come to this world!" She opened her mouth as she looked in the direction of the two individuals trying to kill Willow.


    After saying that, space itself froze at her words as she clenched her fists and made all the space around her give way to her Ice Domain.


    The leader of the aliens there saw this and opened his eyes wide, feeling a power so threatening that he felt goosebumps all over his body.


    He no longer hesitated and began to run, ignoring his companions and also Vico.


    As he said these words, increasingly transparent and weakened, Aarav closed his eyes and sighed one last time in his world.


    "Good luck." He muttered before disappearing in front of Callie. At the same time, the newly promoted 11th-stage woman clenched her fists, angry at herself for not having advanced earlier.


    If she hadn''t taken so long, perhaps the situation in the Spiritual World wouldn''t be as bad as it seemed to be now!


    "Damn it!" She closed her eyes.


    But then, she heard Vico''s voice getting increasingly agitated as he landed with Willow near the entrance to the Black Plain Army headquarters.


    "Don''t give up! Don''t do this to us, Willow! You''ve become a God! You can go further than that!" Vico said as he saw the blonde woman''s eyes gradually turn opaque.


    A subtle smile formed at the corners of Willow''s mouth before her last words in life left her lips. "It was my honor to fight for this world at the end of my life. I hope I can fight alongside you one last tim..."


    After she said this, the Black Plain Army medics arrived where she and Vico were, almost simultaneously as Callie stopped next to them.


    However, it was already too late. Another of the Spirit World''s specialists had fallen to the aliens!


    That day, Willow Sista, one of the oldest spiritual humans in the world, died in Vico''s arms!


    Vico and Callie stood side by side as they watched the doctors signal that there was no more hope, both feeling great sorrow for the Spiritual World''s losses.


    Callie respected all these experts, but now that she could finally join them, hardly any of them remained behind.


    Even if they had won today and only one God enemy remained now, they couldn''t celebrate their victory.


    "I''m sorry. I took too long." She muttered to Vico as Minos'' wives finally appeared around, all of them with terrible expressions on their faces.


    "It wasn''t your fault. You did your best." Vico shook his head negatively as he looked at Callie and touched one of her shoulders. "Now it''s our mission to end this war. Together, we can eliminate the last aliens in our world!"

 Chapter 2271 New Situation in the Spiritual World

    Chapter 2271 New Situation in the Spiritual World


    Arriving at Vico and Callie''s side, Abby and Gloria mourned the loss of Willow, once again coming across losses among their specialists.


    Now, only Vico and Aurae remain alive among the level 100 individuals who had been in the Spiritual World before the war began.


    The number of experts on this planet has dropped considerably in just a few years, reaching the current point where their situation is still extremely serious despite this day''s victory.


    "Sigh... How many more of us will fall before the war is over?" Abby muttered as she saw that the Demigod battles on the outskirts of that area had ceased with Callie''s appearance and the escape of the last enemy God.


    "That will change, Your Majesty," Callie commented to Abby. "Now that there''s only one enemy God, we''ll end the war." She clenched her fists, full of determination and the will to fight.


    "It won''t be that easy," Gloria commented. "The enemy will hide and most likely ask for reinforcements... In any case, we''ve gained an advantage and can force the enemy to retreat for at least a few months."


    Vico agreed with Gloria and said to the level 100 woman there with them, "Callie, you should join Aurae in taking action against the enemy forces. I''m not in a good state to accompany you, and these lands need someone on hand to deal with the enemies.


    But you two could do a lot of damage to the enemy forces and soften the situation for the Spiritual World forces."


    "Where is she? Is she the last remnant of the Gods on our planet?" Callie asked.


    "Yes, unfortunately, we''ve lost many companions. She''s on Elves Island. Maybe she is coming here now because of this attack, but if you move now, you should find her faster." Vico replied.


    Callie looked at Abby and Gloria and asked. "Are you going to be all right?"


    "Yeah, don''t worry. We don''t like to use the dead to defend ourselves, but if anything happens, Her Majesty Willow Sista will be able to help us one last time." Abby said, this being the last card up her state''s sleeve to fight level 100 threats.


    As a result, the Mechanic Empire now had just over 10 Gods to deal with in all its domains and still tried to dominate the Spiritual World.


    Would the forces of The Adamant Land drop everything to take over the Spiritual World and send all their experts here? Abby didn''t think so.


    In her humble opinion, the enemies would send one or at most two Gods to reinforce their forces in the Spiritual World, and even then, their plans would no longer be for domination, but for integration into that world.


    In all likelihood, the aliens from The Adamant Land would either be eliminated from the Spiritual World or would become milder in their strategies as they recovered their lost strength. One way or another, the great danger to the forces and beings of that world had passed, and now it was time for them to reclaim their land and strengthen themselves again with the future in mind.


    Gloria listened to Abby and couldn''t help but agree, feeling that Callie''s advance and her actions had bought them some time.


    The danger was still there. They could still die at any time in the future, so they wouldn''t weaken just because the situation had changed.


    However, they could now see a light at the end of the tunnel and a more distant future for their family and state.


    They didn''t know where they would be in a year or ten years. But if everything around them was dark and difficult to analyze before, now they could see better and have better expectations. They could once again think about the long term and the continuity of their lineage.


    ...


    The day after Callie''s advance, forces from all over the Spiritual World would celebrate the victory in the previous battle and the advance of this woman, finally glimpsing hope of victory in this war of the worlds.


    The forces most disbelieving that the world would win the war, or rather survive the worst of it, changed their minds immediately after the news spread, talking about the drastic change brought about by Callie.


    That wasn''t the end of the war, but it was a new phase in the conflict, where the local forces would finally be able to hit the invading forces and make them retreat, rather than advance, as they had done until now.


    Thus began the retaking of the forces of the Spiritual World, a new path that few knew exactly where it would lead but which was already being celebrated on all sides of the planet!

 Chapter 2272 The Reason for the War

    Chapter 2272 The Reason for the War


    Meanwhile, a few days had passed in Zocarro since the start of Minos'' group''s mission to The Bellowing Garden.


    Since then, Minos and Maximillian have discovered several things about the situation that could have provoked the start of an unauthorized war between internal members of Armhands and Silverdawn.


    As Minos had suspected, the confrontation between one of Misthall''s great sects and a group of internal members of his guild was related to The Scroll of Hearts.


    From what Minos and Maximillian had discovered over the last few days, high-ranking members of Silverdawn had gone out to hunt for the book in question. They returned to their headquarters the day before the clashes between this sect and the group of around 30 Armhands members began.


    The two exchanged messages with the rest of their group during those days, having learned a little more about what those Armhands'' internal members had been up to about a month ago.


    That group was returning from a mission at the time when they heard rumors that The Scroll of Hearts was about to emerge in this mountainous area of The Bellowing Garden.


    Because of the news they heard on their way out of Misthall, the group headed towards the area where other local groups were hunting for the book when they split up. The weakest and least important group members stayed behind to maintain a camp and look after some of their wounded men from the previous mission; the rest went on to explore the area in search of the legendary book.


    A few days later, some of the members who had set off in search of the book returned on the run while members of Silverdawn were in pursuit.


    The rest was the story that Minos and Maximillian already knew when the remaining group activated their rescue devices, and some sacrificed their parasites to fight the enemies, escalating the conflict to its current proportions.


    Although Minos and Maximillian entered the city and discovered several things, this place and the surrounding area were very dangerous, with members of Silverdawn coming and going from the forest areas where they were hunting the survivors of Armhands.


    From this story that the two heard from Rhett''s message, they were certain that either one of the guild''s internal members had found the lost book or someone from Silverdawn had done so and was hunting down those who might know about it!


    ...


    They were counter-attacking and gradually marching against the enemy to win this conflict. But if it was confirmed that the enemy had started all this to prevent one of them from spreading their successes, then the situation could quickly change from a rescue mission and the conclusion of a problem to a vengeful mission.


    Winning a war did not require the end of one side in the war. But something like this could happen depending on the success of the group!


    Minos said. "I''ll start. You''ll support me, and I''ll approach someone capable of confirming what we want."


    "How do you want to do that? A kidnapping? We''ll have to act against someone not so strong that we can''t fight back but influential enough to know what we want to confirm." Maximillian said as he looked into Minos'' eyes.


    "I''ve already commissioned an investigation looking for information on relevant members of Silverdawn who aren''t so powerful. We should have results on that in the next three days," Minos told him. "We''ll act on the results we get. But I warn you. Be prepared to deal with someone at level 103 or stronger. Our target is unlikely to be weaker than that."


    "Sigh... I know. I''ll be prepared."


    "I''ll approach this person when we get the chance. You distract any companions of them, and I''ll collect the confession we need."


    With that decided, they would soon split up to return to their disguises and avoid attracting attention.


    They couldn''t act immediately. They had only had Rhett''s approval but still had to wait for information and the best time to act.


    They split up with the intention of continuing to observe Silverdawn as they had done for the last few days.


    But their wait wouldn''t last long. In three more days in Misthall, they would get what they needed and define the target against whom they would act!


    They would follow Minos'' plan to observe it and then wait for the best moment for him to approach and fulfill his mission plans!

 Chapter 2273 Risky Action

    After a few days of observing their target, Minos and Maximillian had the chance to act this afternoon!


    While they were walking separately in the center of Misthall, the two saw the level 104 Sovereign they were following enter a commercial establishment unaccompanied.


    Maximillian noticed this and stood guard outside the place, paying attention to the individual''s guards, who stood on the far side of the anthill-shaped building.


    Minos followed alone in the footsteps of the individual who had just entered the place where various kinds of services were offered on the levels of the large building.


    Minos couldn''t say for sure why that being was there alone, but considering that this was a place where most of the beings were weaker than his target, he went ahead, determined to carry out this mission.


    Upon entering the large, anthill-shaped building, Minos came across many individuals coming and going through wide corridors.


    He followed his target until he reached the middle of the anthill, where the stairs and ramps leading to the lower levels were located. From there, one could see dozens of meters below or above the floor they were on.


    Minos'' target descended those stairs and was soon on floor -6, a less-trafficked part of this grandiose building with the highest average strength among the beings that were there.


    When the Zocarro native Minos was following stopped at a store and came across a female of his own species, Emperor Stuart understood the creature''s motivation for going there alone.


    ''Tsk! Males, of whatever species, will put themselves in danger for females.'' He laughed to himself as he realized the motivations behind that individual.


    But he didn''t miss his chance when he saw that most of the individuals near that area, of which there weren''t many, were working or busy with other things, he moved.


    Instead of going directly against the level 104 individual, Minos stole the cultivation of a level 100 alien in his path, quickly raising his cultivation to level 98.


    Feeling more powerful than ever, he spread his wings and circulated his immortal energy as he attacked that level 104 being 15 meters away from him.


    When Minos attacked that native of Zocarro, that being realized it before he was hit.


    The female Atar loved felt her powers being sucked away as she seemed to be watched by death itself, and she couldn''t help but express her fear on her face.


    Atar cursed this foreigner, but he told the truth. "Some members of the Armhands found out about the young master finding The Scroll Of Hearts."


    Minos'' eyes lit up at this confirmation, getting enough from that being to alert the guild to the actual situation in this area.


    He flapped his wings and tried to lure that female into his black hole before flying away quickly.


    "Son of a bitch!" The Zocarro native cursed at Minos as his level 104 aura shook the entire floor of the building.


    He didn''t pursue Minos immediately and focused all his strength on avoiding the worst.


    Minos didn''t see what would happen in that place, but for the first time in his journey, someone used their claws to tear through the space region of one black hole, destroying it as if it were nothing.


    The destruction of a black hole was no simple matter. The moment that Sovereign destroyed it, a tremendous amount of energy spread violently throughout the surrounding area, causing everyone within a kilometer''s radius to immediately feel such a disturbance.


    Immediately afterward, the level 104 Sovereign made a shrill sound as he narrowly saved his beloved from the enemy''s blow.


    "I''ll kill you!" He shouted as he made sure she was okay. Then, he took off at high speed.


    ...


    Minos appeared at the top of that anthill-shaped building, flying as fast as mid-level Sovereigns could fly. At the same time, several experts around the city turned their attention to him.


    Just as the level 104 Sovereign''s guards were about to fly towards Minos, having already felt his lord''s aura stirring, Maximillian joined his companion in attacking the two enemy guards from behind.


    He was close to advancing to level 102, so creatures one or two levels stronger than his couldn''t ignore his blow!


    The moment he acted, Maximillian surprised the two, knocking him out temporarily and preventing them from following after Minos.


    "Time to run!" He said to Minos as the two began their escape from Misthall.

 Chapter 2274 Escape from Misthall

    As Maximillian and Minos began to fly through the sky above Misthall, several powerful auras appeared around the city.


    It didn''t even take a minute from Minos'' departure from where Atar was for the mainly Silverdawn forces to realize the action of enemies in their city!


    "Shit! Several mid-level Sovereigns are appearing one after the other." Maximillian said as Minos carried him, as he was the faster of the two.


    "I think we''ve poked a bloody hornet''s nest," Minos said in a pessimistic tone.


    "Did you at least get the proof we needed?" Maximillian looked at him as he could already see a dozen Sovereigns chasing them.


    Minos'' speed was excellent, so they would have a few minutes'' respite before their problem became serious enough for them to try another strategy.


    Unfortunately, the amount of energy Minos had at his disposal was much less than the level 104, 105, 106, and even 107 individuals chasing them!


    Minos confirmed. "As soon as I had asked the questions we had to confirm, I transmitted that recording to Officer Rhett.


    After I said goodbye to Atar, I sent the recording to all the nearby guild groups.


    There must already be some group moving. If we can hold off the pursuit of the enemies for a few minutes, we can get away with it."


    "Tsk! We won''t last more than five minutes at the current rate." Maximillian said in a highly pessimistic tone. "But you did the right thing. That was our only alternative.


    Use my energy to prolong our escape as long as you can."


    Minos quickly did as his long-haired black companion suggested, using the Devouring Art to absorb Maximillian''s energies, who had much more energy than him despite their differences in strength.


    As they flew over this city, Minos dodged many attacks launched in his direction, which tried to prevent them from fleeing the area. Meanwhile, the enemies pursued him with hatred in their eyes.


    Then, as the two stopped flying away and tried to defend themselves, that gigantic insect''s paw reached them, destroying all of Maximillian''s barriers as if they were nothing.


    The man collapsed in Minos'' arms before the powerful feathers of Emperor Stuart''s wings were hit.


    Minos'' eyes opened wide at the same time as his mouth dropped open, and a high-pitched cry of pain erupted from him.


    "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!"


    Then Minos and Maximillian were thrown with great force towards the ground. Neither of them could withstand the enemy''s attack, and they fainted before they even reached the ground.


    Boom!


    When they hit the ground, a loud explosion sounded, with the two of them destroying many stones in the ground where they fell, creating a huge crater due to the size of their Soul Avatars.


    The two avatars disappeared while the bloodied and unconscious bodies of those two stopped moving, covered in dirt and debris.


    Two seconds after they fell there, the level 110 being stopped in mid-air, 12 meters away from them. He looked at them for a moment, then aimed his legs in the direction of the two targets, prepared to eliminate the enemies of his sect right then and there.


    He moved, making his menacing legs attack those two, giving them no chance.


    From that distance and with the difference in powers between them, there was no way Minos and Maximillian could survive that!


    Pow!


    The space collapsed with the attack of this individual, the first to come so close to killing Minos!


    A voice suddenly came out when he was only 3 meters away from Minos.


    "Trying to kill members of my guild, Stin?" A winged being suddenly appeared in front of Minos and Maximillian while putting one of his hands forward.


    Then, using only one of his hands, the newcomer defended Minos and Maximillian from the brutal attack of the level 110 Sovereign!

 Chapter 2275 A Fallen Angel

    Chapter 2275 A Fallen Angel


    Just as that member of the Silverdawn sect was about to kill Minos and Maximillian, the newcomer, a member of Armhands, defended his two juniors with just one of his hands.


    The enemy''s attack cracked before exploding under the human hands of that internal member of Armhands, while Stin, the enemy of Minos and Maximillian, realized who had just arrived.


    That being narrowed his eyes as he looked at the winged fellow, with a humanoid body and a pair of wings on his back, a member of a race foreign to Zocarro, a Fallen Angel.


    "Stadiel!" Stin said as he took some distance from his opponent, immediately changing his demeanor.


    "Stin, you have two choices now. One, come with me and explain the current situation to my supervisors. Or two, leave your body here and now." Stadiel said as his aura surged violently from his body, creating his domain, while his red body began to glow a golden hue.


    Stin also raised his aura, aware that the Fallen Angels were powerful within their own levels. Most of them could fight against those of higher levels from other races. Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com


    "Stadiel, that alien invaded my city and tried to hurt members of my..." That native of Zocarro was about to say it when Stadiel let out a laugh and said, "I know what happened. I saw everything. Soldier Minos transmitted his action to the Armhands groups in the vicinity."


    "What?" The Zocarro native gave Minos an ugly look.


    If that were true, then it would be impossible for his sect to stop the leak of information about what the young master of their sect had recently achieved.


    It would only be a matter of time before the upper echelons of Armhands heard of it, and a Supreme appeared in Misthall to deal with Silverdawn.


    "Shit!" He said as he despaired, relaying this information to the men in the surrounding area as he prepared to test the Fallen Angel''s strength.


    If they didn''t want to surrender and Stin still didn''t want to do that, the only alternative was for his group to eliminate all the members of Armhands in the Bellowing Garden.


    "Hmm, take care of your two team members," Stadiel said as he pointed to Minos and Maximillian. He then put the matter aside when he came across the strongest Sovereigns of his guild standing there.


    "What are we going to do?" A level 109 being asked.


    Stadiel replied. "We''ll eliminate those who come after us today. I''ve already sent a message to the Guild Council to choose what we should do. So, for now, we''ll hold our ground and fight if we have to."


    Everyone in the group of about 15 people there, apart from Minos and Maximillian, agreed, then left the place to deal with the approaching enemies or return to the wounded camp.


    Meanwhile, Ruth was already at Minos and Maximillian''s side, using her powers to the full while trying to help them.


    As much as they had survived, they were both extremely badly injured. This was particularly true for Minos, whose wings had been heavily attacked by the enemy assault.


    Thinking about it, she was pale with worry, imagining the terror he had faced at being attacked by a level 110 Sovereign.


    Meanwhile, the rest of the group carried her and them, with Rhett returning with them to the camp.


    "Those two did a good job. They''ll get a lot of merit points for what they''ve done," Rhett commented with a smile. "What they''ve just achieved could be considered Supreme-level information!"


    The actions of Armhands members were evaluated according to the stage of cultivation they could influence. If a piece of information could influence Sovereigns, it was Sovereign-level information.


    When Rhett said that, the robot and the Spiritual World native, who were carrying those injured individuals, and Ruth, couldn''t help but be excited for the group.


    That meant that the merit points of those two would be very high!


    Rhett looked at Ruth, aware that this woman was worried. "Don''t think too much about their situation. The sect should send a mid-level Sovereign doctor to take care of them. They''re alive, so they''ll soon be on their feet again."


    They returned to the wounded men''s camp, where several other Armhands members would soon arrive to gather now that it had been proven that this group had not rebelled, but had discovered something important and then defended themselves.

 Chapter 2276 General Commander

    Chapter 2276 General Commander


    While Minos'' group was at the wounded men''s camp in the Bellowing Garden, the information he had gathered was already at Armhands'' headquarters!


    On that floating island in Examire, in the most important area of the city, a level 114 Sovereign was at that moment taking the information in question to the guild''s Chief Commander!


    Arriving at one of the most important buildings in the Armhands headquarters city, the General responsible for overseeing Stadiel and the other groups sent to the Bellowing Garden was soon in front of his boss.


    "Commander, I have an important update to make on the case of the Bellowing Garden incident." This alien at the peak of the 11th stage said this to the being in front of him, an individual who looked like a bull in the body of a giant, 6 meters tall and very muscular.


    But this alien''s appearance wasn''t what was most striking in him. His level 117 cultivation was what would attract attention!


    That was the Chief Commander of Armhands, a being at the 12th stage, a Supreme!


    The Chief Commander of the guild looked at the General in front of him and signaled for him to continue.


    "We have this recording made a moment ago by one of our members." The General show Minos'' recording as he spoke. "This confirms the fact that our men didn''t start a war against our orders, but also Soldier Minos Stuart''s theory about someone from Silverdawn having found the Scroll of Hearts."


    "Oh?" The guild''s Chief Commander saw the part of the recording where Atar confirmed Minos'' theories.


    "Who is this Minos?" He asked as he watched the recording end with Minos fleeing desperately.


    "He joined the guild about five years ago, Commander. He was invited to the guild by the Intermediate Officer, who is under my responsibility. As for Soldier Minos'' supervisor, he is a Junior Officer in my group.


    The Soldier is currently at the middle level of the Grandmaster stage and has been a Law Enforcer for most of his time here." The General was sincere, giving some remarkable details about Minos.


    "Interesting. It''s a surprise that someone of such low cultivation is already a Soldier and is taking part in such complex missions... He''s even obtained some extremely important information for us." The Chief Commander liked what he heard.


    Arriving at where Ruth was helping Minos and Maximillian, the slime got straight to the point.


    "You can step aside, girl. I''ll take over from now on." Said the doctor, while Rhett and the other two group members watched the situation closely.


    "What''s their condition, Officer? Are they going to be okay?" Rhett asked.


    "Yes, they''ll be unconscious for a few days, but they''ll be fine. They''ve hurt themselves quite a bit, but it''s nothing I can''t fix. But they must stay inside my body while we return to Examire."


    "Are we going back already?" Ruth asked.


    "Hmm, your group has completed its mission, and I have something to sort out in the city in a few days. So let''s head back." The slime said as it made the bodies of Minos and Maximillian enter its gelatinous body.


    He threw something in Rhett''s direction, confirming that they had completed this mission and should return to headquarters. With it in hand, the supervisor of Minos'' group said to the group. "Get ready to accompany the Officer. We''re going back to Examire immediately!"


    "What about the war here in this area?" The human next to the robot asked.


    Rhett said. "That''s no longer our problem. The guild will sort it out for itself."


    They couldn''t do anything against his orders, so they accepted it that way, quickly gathering their things and leaving that place alongside the level 108 doctor.


    As they left, the group saw the arrival of a level 114 being, with Ruth and the two of them seeing the strongest being they had ever witnessed in their lives.


    Over the last few days, they had heard how strong the level 110 Sovereign who had saved Minos was, and they were already frightened by the difference in power between individuals of the same stage. But when they felt the mere cultivation pressure of that newly arrived General, they realized the reality of the universal cultivation system.


    The differences between levels of cultivation that existed in the Spiritual World were irrelevant!


    Anyway, they would travel peacefully for the next few days before arriving in Examire to hear the news of the outcome of the conflict with Silverdawn.

 Chapter 2277 Back to the Guild

    Chapter 2277 Back to the Guild


    Days after leaving the Bellowing Garden, Minos'' group finally arrived in Examire that afternoon.


    When they entered the city, Minos and Maximillian were no longer inside the body of the level 108 slime that had helped them recover from their injuries. Both had finished their treatment the previous day and could now return to their routines within the guild.


    Minos and Maximillian heard from their group what had happened after they fainted in front of a level 110 Sovereign. When they heard the rumors circulating around Examire, they had no trouble understanding how the war had ended.


    After they were saved by a level 110 Sovereign from the guild, Armhands moved and sent someone to finish the war while they returned to Examire.


    A level 114 Sovereign from Armhands went to Silverdawn''s headquarters in Misthall and delivered an ultimatum to the master of that sect. Either they surrendered to Armhands, or the Chief Commander of the guild himself would exterminate that organization!


    Silverdawn hesitated, but on the second day after the ultimatum, they gave up their resistance and agreed to join Armhands in order to preserve their existence.


    Thus, the confrontation between Armhands and Silverdawn had come to an end, and that sect had become an arm of the guild in the Bellowing Garden.


    According to the rumors, soon, members of the guild and the sect would exchange positions, with the weaker members of that sect having to come to the headquarters to undergo the natural process of growing within the guild.


    As for the stronger ones, some of them would also come to the headquarters, but others would stay behind in Misthall to take care of the sect''s business in that area.


    Finally, with this information, the group arrived at the guild''s entry point, where they would soon ascend to the floating island where the guild''s headquarters city was located.


    ...


    "Home at last," Rhett commented to his group as they exited the elevator at the same place Minos and his people had arrived about five years ago.


    Before splitting up, the group went to the hall responsible for the mission they had received, where they were soon attended to by an Officer of a higher rank than Rhett.


    They all earned merits for successfully completing the mission, with three of them earning extraordinary merits and the others receiving bonuses for being part of the team that solved the mystery of that conflict.


    Rhett earned 60,000 merit points, while the robot and the human who had stayed by his and Ruth''s side earned 35,000 merit points each.


    Ruth had received extra merits for her excellent performance as a doctor in the wounded camp, which earned her 45,000 merit points for this mission.


    Maximillian earned 70,000 points for partnering with Minos to discover the real reasons for that unauthorized conflict, while Emperor Stuart, who had taken the greatest risk, earned 100,000 points.


    These two also won other things as prizes. Maximillian won the right to claim a pill and a weapon from the second level of the guild vault. At the same time, Minos received the right to claim a potion, a pill, and a weapon from the first or second level of the guild vault.


    They also received letters congratulating them on their service, with signatures from several of their superiors in the guild.


    Finally, when they parted at the end of the day, they each went to their rooms to rest from their hard journey over the last few weeks.


    Now that they had completed their mission, it was time to rest and cultivate in seclusion for a while!


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, the next six months would pass quickly, with Minos'' group improving its position within the guild''s external area with new promotions and new additions to the team.


    Some of the individuals who had failed to join the guild with them 5 years ago had finally had the chance to retake the guild selection test. This time, they made it through the selection and finally became recruits.


    Meanwhile, Minos was the first of the group to become an Elite Soldier, having achieved this after taking advantage of the opportunities following Misthall''s return.


    Maximillian also achieved the same, while Ruth became a Rank-and-File Soldier with another group member.

 Chapter 2278 Status of the War of the Worlds

    Chapter 2278 Status of the War of the Worlds


    More than two months after the death of the Gods who had encountered Callie, the forces of The Adamant Land sent more reinforcements to the Spiritual World with two more Gods.


    However, as the forces of the Spiritual World had expected, these reinforcements were not going to their world to return to the war as it had been previously. They were going to that planet to protect what was left of the Mechanic Empire on Minos'' home world.


    The objective of the group currently traveling through the universal wormhole between those two worlds was clear. To defend their lands and maintain their position with as few losses as possible.


    While the reinforcements were traveling through the universal wormhole, the new Mechanical Emperor had finally awakened from his seclusion to reach level 100!


    ...


    In the Hall of the Gods of The Adamant Land...


    An alien native of the Mechanic Empire who looked very similar to the Mechanical Emperor Minos had faced in the Spiritual World was currently at the headquarters of his organization with his advisors and experts.


    He had advanced much faster than the Gods in the Spiritual World could, something that was natural to expect, given that his talent was greater than that of most of the natives of that planet, and his resources were better, too.


    But with more than four years since the start of the war in the Spiritual World, many things had happened outside of his plans or expectations.


    As such, he had a terrible look as he faced the men on the outskirts of the large oval table where he stood in the main position, from where he could see his planet.


    "I think you all owe me an explanation. I went into seclusion in a state that had more than 20 Gods. But to my surprise, I now only have 9 level 100 experts at my disposal."


    "Your Majesty, the situation in the Spiritual World has gotten out of hand. The war was catastrophic for us from the start." Said a level 99 Demigod, advisor to this new Mechanical Emperor.


    There was a large gorge where the rocks were blood red, and the aura of death nearby was strong like nothing else in the world.


    At the bottom of this place, several graves were open, and only one man was working.


    This being had a strange appearance, looking like a patchwork of several different corpses that formed a single body.


    ''Where''s the bloody Minos?'' The curse of this area thought to himself as he dug yet another grave for the enemies he had killed in recent months.


    Several aliens had come to him during the war, and they had all died at his hands. So many bodies had fallen there that this conscience of the curse in the area was still occupied until now, even considering that the last enemy he had faced had died months ago.


    As he buried the bodies of his enemies bit by bit, this creature couldn''t help but think of Minos, who had promised to help him when he became stronger.


    Unfortunately, all he knew about Minos was that the young man was alive and no longer in the Spiritual World.


    How did he know that? Well, apart from having interrogated the aliens who had come to him, he could also sense that his agreement with Minos was still valid.


    So he had been waiting for Minos to return when he would have his answer as to whether he could really leave this place where he had been for millions and millions of years.


    ''Sigh! I think that''s enough for today.'' He thought as he finished off another corpse before looking in the direction where there were several essences of the aliens, something he had been consuming since the beginning of the war of the worlds.


    ...


    Meanwhile, the group of aliens in the Spiritual World were hiding on the floating islands of the Ancestral Sea, the core of their territory in this world.


    They knew that reinforcements would soon be arriving and what the new orders were for them in this conflict. But while they had to hide and protect themselves from Callie and Aurae''s attacks, these aliens were dealing with another problem.


    The stampede of the Spiritual World natives who had previously surrendered!

 Chapter 2279 Irpoll

    Chapter 2279 Irpoll


    After the battle that had ended with the death of 3 of the 4 Gods of the Mechanic Empire in the Spiritual World, the forces of The Adamant Land had collected defeats in the world of Minos.


    After Callie joined Aurae and began hunting down the last remaining God of the enemy forces on the planet, many alien outposts on that world were destroyed, marking the loss of territory for that force.


    The Divine Continent and the Continent of Beasts had been thoroughly cleansed of alien forces until only in the Ancestral Sea were there still alien territories in this world.


    With the decrease in the number of men in the invading forces and their loss of territories, the millions of inhabitants who had surrendered to them out of fear that the local forces would lose the War of the Worlds began to change their minds.


    They felt ashamed that they hadn''t trusted their world and had surrendered. But more than that, they didn''t want to be exploited by beings who could be killed in no time.


    As the forces of the Spiritual World regained control of their own planet and advanced against their enemies during this period, the local dissidents gradually began to abandon the alien side or even rebel.


    The Mechanic Empire''s side in the Spiritual World had weakened significantly in just a few weeks.


    If it hadn''t been for the technological advantage of the invading forces from that world, they would possibly have been wiped out by now!


    But even though they were still on this planet, these alien forces had lost much of their local power. They were now hiding in special locations built in the previous years of the war.


    Despite the alien arrogance, the forces of The Adamant Land on this world knew they could get into trouble in this war from the moment they arrived in the Spiritual World. Consequently, they had created locations along the Ancestral Sea where, should anything critical happen to their plans, they could maintain their presence in this world.


    In just one of these places were some of the survivors waiting for reinforcements from the empire!


    ...


    In a hard-to-reach part of the Spiritual World, which few had explored before, there was a cave at the bottom of the sea where several defensive and camouflage devices were in place to protect and hide the area. The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n))


    If one didn''t go to the right spot in that underwater area, finding this place would be impossible, even for a God!


    "Now all we can do is wait..." He muttered.


    ...


    While the forces of the Spiritual World and The Adamant Land were experiencing a totally different situation from that of recent years, a new player was about to learn about the situation of these two worlds!


    In the same galaxy as the solar system of The Adamant Land, there was a solar system not so far away from the world of the enemies of the Spiritual World.


    In this part of the universe, there were several habitable planets, but one world in particular, a little larger than The Adamant Land and the Spiritual World, was the most striking.


    But unlike The Adamant Land, this was not such a technologically advanced place. It resembled a gigantic forest where there were practically no large cities.


    With a few exceptions, the place was predominantly dominated by natural life forms, without many buildings made by intelligent beings.


    Amidst the many different types of forests in this grandiose world lived the dominant race of the place, which was made up of tribes and clans that lived in harmony with nature.


    While The Adamant Land was characterized as a mechanical civilization, this place in question was a wild civilization.


    Although there was cultivable energy in both worlds, and one could develop the same kinds of technologies in both worlds, this place developed completely differently from The Adamant Land.


    While the planet of the Mechanic Empire was dominated by beings who used their intelligence and advanced devices to go further in cultivation, Irpoll''s homeland was a place where the natives had druidic powers.


    They used nature magic to grow living cities, communicated with animals, and controlled the environment around them with special kinds of powers without destroying or altering the environment.


    Humanoid and furry beings, similar to monkeys, with large bodies and tails, dominated this world.


    Anyway, one of the strongest beings in this world was receiving new information from his great enemy, the Mechanic Empire!


    "Senior Callio, I have some curious information about The Adamant Land."

 Chapter 2280 The Calm Before the Storm

    The moment he heard one of his men talking about Irpoll''s arch-rival, Callio, a being 5 meters tall, with pale skin, brown fur covering most of his body, and wearing only a large pair of trousers, changed his gaze.


    He stood up from his wooden throne in the middle of his forest and indicated for the level 99 being to open his mouth.


    The man continued with what he had to say. "The Adamant Land is in trouble. I don''t have all the pertinent information since the problem has only just come to my attention. But it is a fact that some of the outposts of the damned Mechanic Empire have been weakened.


    According to the news my group intercepted, the forces of that world have discovered a new world similar to ours and have begun a war of domination. However, things don''t seem to be going well for them."


    Callio narrowed his large eyebrows, remembering the war of long ago when the robots of The Adamant Land had invaded his world.


    However, unlike the many enemies of the Mechanic Empire who fell to that state, the forces of Irpoll stood firm. They expelled all the aliens from The Adamant Land from their world!


    The druidic forces of that planet defeated their enemies, forcing them to retreat!


    But as strong as Irpoll was, they could not seek revenge until that day.


    However, victory in the war did not mean forgiveness for their enemies. The forces of this world had lost much to achieve their victory, and individuals like Callio craved the blood of their enemies.


    With that news, the giant ape clenched his fists tightly, excited for what it might mean.


    "You did well to warn me, Leriac. Continue with your observation. Send a group through the universal wormhole to the neighboring solar system. If it''s confirmed that The Adamant Land is weakened, we''ll strike them!"


    "I''ll do my best, Senior Callio."


    Before Leriac left, Callio added. "Find out everything you can about this new world that The Adamant Land has found."


    "All right. I''ll send you news when I have updates."


    With that being gone, Callio shaped a smile on his large lips, imagining that it was finally time for his world to stand out from those who had attacked them in the past.


    Irpoll was originally a peaceful society that had no intention of exploring other worlds. However, that changed with the attempted domination of The Adamant Land and other problems they had after that war!


    Minos continued his work as a Law Enforcer, but he was currently acting alone, being one of the few guards in his position in the external part of the city.


    If his situation remained as good as it was at the moment, he could become an internal member of the guild even before he reached level 98!


    So he and his group had been living peacefully in the Armhands headquarters, taking advantage of local opportunities and strengthening themselves in the hope that one day they would be able to return to the Spiritual World and settle the war!


    ...


    Today, Minos was once again patrolling the external area of Armhands'' headquarters when he suddenly came across an old enemy.


    While observing possible disturbances, Minos saw a creature staring at him. That was no ordinary being but a level 110 Sovereign!


    He remembered the member of Silverdawn who had almost killed him and watched the one in silence for a moment.


    "Minos Stuart, I suppose." The Zocarro native approached this young human, face to face with this now guildmate for the first time since joining Armhands.


    "You''re that expert..."


    "No, that was my twin brother. He died that day."


    "Oh?" "But don''t look at me like that. I''m not here for trouble, hehe.


    Anyway, you look well. Those wings of yours are really powerful. They saved you from my brother." The Sovereign said, looking with interest at Minos.


    "Senior, what do you want with me?" Minos asked. "What happened back then..."


    "As I said, don''t worry. I wouldn''t be crazy enough to seek revenge on the hero who resolved our forces'' conflict." He smiled. "I just couldn''t pass up the chance to give it to you." He handed Minos what looked like a necklace.


    "What''s this?" Minos took it carefully.


    "This is something the lea... Cough, this is something someone wanted me to give you. Take it, it''s not dangerous. This is an opportunity. You''ll understand when you put some of your energy into it."

 Chapter 2281 Opportunity or Trap?

    When Minos picked up the item that looked like a necklace of precious stones, he felt a weight on his conscience, which immediately forced him to put his energy into it and protect himself.


    He then fell into an extremely realistic illusion, which showed him in the middle of an unknown forest while he couldn''t help but hear the sound of a heartbeat.


    Following this sound, he was soon in front of a majestic tree. Given its large and thick trunk, it must have been millions of years old.


    At the point where he stopped, he felt something inside the trunk pulsating like a beating heart and felt the urge to move toward it.


    Amid this, something in one of his hands warmed up, quickly making Minos leave this illusion a few seconds after falling into it.


    He opened his eyes and looked at that native of Zocarro, but that individual couldn''t help but look at him with interest.


    "What a surprise..." Said this level 110 being. "You were faster than I expected. But then? What did you see?"


    "I thought you would know. It was something you showed me." Minos commented as he sensed the seraph''s remaining consciousness was awake.


    That level 110 Sovereign shook his head negatively. "That jewel is unique. It shows different things to each creature that touches it. In a way, to say that it can read someone''s past, present, and future is not incorrect.


    So I don''t know what it showed you. I just didn''t expect you to be so quick to use it when you''re only on the Mortal Journey."


    "Why did you give it to me? Does it seem too valuable?" Minos asked.


    "Unfortunately, this jewel is for single use only. You can use it as a decorative item, but once the liquid inside its jewels is consumed to place its wearer in the illusion you were in, it loses its special power." That being said. "Anyway, that was a gift, as I told you."


    "Why would someone from your group give me a gift like that? I did something that your people should hate me."


    The being smiled and turned away from Minos. "If this helps you in any way, look me up in the future. You''ll understand why then."


    As that being walked away, the remaining consciousness of the seraph in Minos'' wing tattoo said in his mind, ''Don''t trust that being. If I hadn''t acted, the one behind that artifact would have seen your past and destiny.''


    Meanwhile, in the internal area of the Armhands headquarters city...


    A level 108 being was sitting in front of a white sphere while steam covered the surroundings of what was supposed to be a training room.


    This being''s six eyes opened wide while he still had in mind the face of the brown-haired young man he had just turned his skill on.


    ''There are many secrets about this young man. He managed to get rid of me very quickly.'' This being thought to himself as he felt the frustration of failing in his plans.


    "Young master, are there any problems with your hunt?" a voice hidden in the steam around the room asked.


    "Yes, my target managed to escape from me before I understood him better."


    "That''s unusual. What do you plan to do?"


    "Keep an eye on him. Even though he escaped, I saw enough to know that he''d accomplished a good thing. When he moves off this island, report it to me immediately." Said this three-meter-tall, four-armed, two-legged being with insect antennae instead of hair.


    "I will do my best, young master." The voice said before the one behind it moved, quickly disappearing from the place.


    When he was alone there, the being clenched his fists before opening a box, and several hearts floated out of it towards him.


    He moved his arms and hands strangely, converting those hearts of different sizes and shapes into a special form of energy.


    This form of energy then entered the being''s body through his mouth while the being''s eyes turned intensely red.


    His aura brutally rose until he felt the heart of a creature right there with him in that room and could no longer contain himself as he moved like a hungry animal toward his victim.


    If Minos had been there, he would have known that this was the young master of Silverdawn, who had managed to find The Scroll of Hearts!


    But unlike what many people thought, this was no simple book but an artifact teaching a macabre path of cultivation!

 Chapter 2282 High-Level Grandmaster

    Chapter 2282 High-Level Grandmaster


    In the blink of an eye, four years had passed since the strange gift Minos had received from a level 110 Sovereign identical to the enemy who had almost killed him and Maximillian earlier.


    In those years, he hadn''t had a chance to leave the guild headquarters, nor had he encountered the previous Sovereign. From the looks of things, his time to meet that strange tree had not yet come. As for the one interested in him, the creature had shown no reaction during this period.


    Minos merely continued with his responsibilities as an external member, fulfilling his obligatory individual and collective missions, doing his Law Enforcer work, and accumulating merit points.


    He was already an Elite Soldier, so his next promotion would be to the level of a Junior Officer. However, Minos still didn''t feel ready to compete for this position, as he had yet to finish gathering his merit points, and he still wanted to advance a few more times before making his attempt.


    So he was still at the same rank as then, with a routine very similar to that of four years ago.


    He had fun with Ruth practically every day, carried out his work as a Law Enforcer, trained, rested, studied clairvoyance, and did his obligatory missions when he had to.


    His influence and level of contacts grew as time went by, so time and again, he also had to meet with other guild members to do business. In a way, living there was like living in any other city in the Spiritual World.


    The leader of a faction (family) had to do business with the leaders of other groups, seek partnerships for the growth of his people, and envision new heights.


    He also had to give reports to his supervisors and occasionally have more in-depth encounters with these beings, such as Rhett and the alien who had invited him to Armhands.


    Anyway, amid this journey, he had advanced in level once again, something that several of his fellow faction members had also achieved during this period!


    With that, Minos was now finally a high-level Demigod or, by local standards, a high-level grandmaster! Vissit  for updates


    ...


    How could he do that with much less energy than his rivals? He could even last much longer than a Grandmaster, but it would be difficult to compete fairly with the huge difference he had to his competitors!


    Minos knew that he had 3 Elite Soldiers who were currently close to advancing to level 105, so he wanted to wait until all 3 were promoted or something else happened so that he wouldn''t have to face them as competitors.


    He would try to get promoted as soon as something like that happened.


    He thinks such a thing could happen in another five or six years, which would be long enough for him to advance to level 98.


    "That''s good," Wana commented to him. "That''ll make you a guild internal member in less than two decades here. That''ll be a record."


    "What do you intend to do when you become an internal member?" Maximillian asked.


    He was currently at level 102 but felt he could advance in another three years at most. Apart from him, two members of the group were also at level 102, 6 others were at level 101, and the rest, with the exception of Ruth, were at level 100.


    Minos looked at the black-haired man and said. "I''ll wait for you all. I''ll carry out as many missions as possible while you all become an internal member of the guild.


    I''ll also gather resources and information for our trip north to Oqia. Then, when everyone is ready, we''ll set off in search of our return to the Spiritual World."


    They no longer planned to go to Irpoll or The Adamant Land to cause trouble for their enemies before heading to the Spiritual World. They would pass through the Mechanic Empire on their way back, but that would only be for them to catch the universal wormhole that would take them back to their planet.


    They knew it wouldn''t be easy to get home, but after years in Armhands, they had figured out how to get back.


    For the time being, they weren''t worried about the journey''s dangers back but about getting ready to start it!


    The people there who most wanted to return liked what they heard, feeling that they would only have to prepare for another two decades at most, and then it would be time for them to return!

 Chapter 2283 The End of the War of the Worlds?

    Chapter 2283 The End of the War of the Worlds?


    While Minos'' group on Zocarro was getting more excited about their future departure back to the Spiritual World, a lot had happened on their home planet since the change in the war situation.


    After the arrival of enemy reinforcements 11 months ago, the local forces lost some of their momentum in retaking territory. They achieved stability in the war situation for the first time since the confrontation began.


    With the arrival of the alien reinforcements, the forces of The Adamant Land in the Spiritual World stopped losing ground and having losses among their ranks. Not only that, but these forces have stopped hiding at the bottom of the sea and have once again shown themselves on the surface.


    But even though Callie''s group tried something against these beings, they didn''t get very far.


    Callie was powerful, but the Gods sent by the Mechanic Empire weren''t simple either.


    Different from the situation in which she had ended her advance back then, the enemy Gods were not inattentive or tired. They were at their best in combat and knew exactly what kind of power she had.


    Consequently, they knew how to protect themselves and escape her well enough that the level 100 cultivators in this world couldn''t think of exterminating each other.


    Because of this situation of the top experts on both sides of the war, the conflict had lost much of its tension, and it had been more than six months since the last confrontation between the opposing forces of the war.


    The forces of the Mechanic Empire were developing their activities in the territory they still had, while the native forces of this planet were doing the same in their territories, preparing for the future.


    Each side was watching the other in vigilance, but for the moment, the war had reached a state where neither side would act unless something major happened.


    With this new situation, ordinary people all over the Spiritual World were already considering the possibility that the war was really over!


    ... Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com


    On the Divine Continent, in particular, at the headquarters of the Pantheon of Honor...


    With the pacification of the Spiritual World, soldiers like her were once again making journeys around the planet, although until recently, only Demigods had been authorized by their respective forces to do this kind of thing.


    Elena thought about the proposal of the Pantheon Of Honor becoming part of the Black Plain Army, which Julian believed was the only possible salvation for his organization.


    Perhaps the war was really over, and he would have the peace to rebuild what his group had lost. But the Ice Age was still in the Spiritual World to make life difficult for everyone. Besides, as far as they knew, the alien forces still had the same intentions for this world. They were just acting differently because of their lack of strength.


    Would it be like this forever? Julian didn''t know, so he preferred to prepare for the resumption of the war!


    Elena then said. "I think your proposal is good. But I don''t know if you''ll get what you want. You''ll first have to join our organization, become part of Her Majesty''s forces, and then discuss it directly with her."


    They were obviously talking about the Divine Medicines of the Spatial Kingdom of the Black Plain Empire!


    After Minos created so many Gods and the various medicines used by the Gods of the Spiritual World during the war, the native powers of this world were almost certain that Emperor Stuart''s Spatial Kingdom had several Divine Medicines.


    No one outside the Black Plain Army knew exactly how much this force had, but they had such an expectation. That was the case for Julian, who wanted to merge what was left of his organization with Minos'' army and perhaps have the chance to cultivate with a Divine Medicine in the future.


    "That''s good enough for me." He said with a smile, aware that he couldn''t demand anything.


    "Anyway, get your group ready. I''ll return to the empire and take this proposal to Her Majesty. If she accepts, you must move your group immediately to the empire.


    As much as we value the Divine Continent, unfortunately, we can''t divide our forces. The war is paused now, but we don''t want to risk too much."


    "As soon as Her Majesty announces his position, I will move to the Black Plain Empire with my group."


    Other soldiers like Elena were hearing similar things from other powers on the Divine Continent, the Continent of Beasts, and the Central Continent itself at the moment.


    With the change in the war, the Black Plain Empire could now be considered the great power of this world for local forces to trust and depend on!

 Chapter 2284 Enemies of Enemies = More Enemies

    Chapter 2284 Enemies of Enemies = More Enemies


    A few months after Elena and Julian met, the Pantheon of Honor forces moved to the Black Plain Empire with Abby''s approval.


    Not only did this group go to the empire of Minos during this period, but in addition to the Pantheon Of Honor Demigods, two other groups from the Divine Continent and three tribes from the Continent of Beasts migrated from their lands to the Black Plain Empire.


    As for the Central Continent, the situation of this patch of land in the middle of the planet had changed a lot in recent months. With control of the entire continent returning to local forces and momentary peace, the remaining powers on this continent were quick to move.


    Albano, Blackrock, Rosser, the Flaming Empire, and the Evergreen Empire officially asked to join the Black Plain Empire, and all the sovereigns or heirs of these states bent the knee to Empress Abby Miller in those months!


    Meanwhile, Vico had reunited the old Ancient Empire, which had been split up long ago and given rise to the Eastern Empire and the Western Empire.


    Unfortunately, the entire Quinn family, sovereign of the former Western Empire, perished in the war. As a result, the Travisani family seized power in that state and became the rulers of those lands.


    Lusmait and Mairin had also asked to join the new Eastern Empire.


    Sista and the Flowers Kingdom were the only states that remained independent from the empires of Vico and Minos on the Central Continent.


    These two were already very close to the Black Plain Empire, but were still persevering to maintain their independence. Vissit  for updates


    As it wasn''t Vico''s or Abby''s forces that had been pressuring the continent''s powers to integrate with the stronger states, these two states weren''t facing foreign pressure. The pressure on them was the fear of a new intensification of the war, which had made the powers of these states consider possible integration into the Black Plain Empire in the future. But for now, they remained independent.


    Finally, with these recent developments, most of the strongest in each of these states were now around the main cities of the former Eastern Empire or the core of the Black Plain Empire.


    That was the case for the remaining experts of the Spiritual Church, which was currently being officially governed by Gloria, who had become Supreme Pontiff three months ago.


    Thus, several groups like Julian''s were currently around the Black Plain Empire, several receiving support from the Stuart family, while others were waiting for the opportunity they were currently looking for.


    The robots saw that they couldn''t convince these people, so one of them decided to explain the problem that could soon reach them all.


    "You must know that The Adamant Land had an enemy long before you that we were unable to defeat, right? Irpoll is the name of that civilization."


    "Yes, we interrogated members of your empire. We''re aware of Irpoll." Dillian commented provocatively.


    The robot that had started talking about the problem looked at him and said. "That''ll be easier then. Irpoll has somehow discovered the war we''re fighting in this world. Now they''re moving to attack the Mechanic Empire."


    moving to attack the Mechanic Empire."


    Some people in that imperial throne room opened their eyes wider, for it was Minos'' plan to play Irpoll against The Adamant Land!


    When they heard the robots saying such a thing, some of the people who knew about Minos'' plan couldn''t help but imagine that this was their sovereign''s doing!


    "And what does that have to do with us, robot? If you''re in trouble, work it out for yourselves! Go back to your world and leave us alone!" Dillian said to those creatures.


    "Unfortunately, it''s not that simple. Irpoll isn''t just starting to move against us. They tried to break into our organization''s headquarters a few days ago to access the universal wormhole that connects our world and this planet where we are.


    Our forces managed to prevent this, but it became clear to us that the enemies intended to enter the Spiritual World.


    What do you think they want here? They''re coming to take advantage of the weakness of our groups and take over this planet for themselves!"


    "Coming to the Spiritual World?" Maisie cracked a smile, imagining that this must be Minos'' doing. "And why should that be a problem for us? They''re your enemies, aliens, not ours."


    "It''s not that simple, Maisie. These aren''t potential allies of yours because they''re enemies of an enemy." Said the other robot. "These individuals are much worse than us. They''re not coming just to kill us and leave. They will become your greatest enemies if we don''t prepare and act together!


    Take this to your leader. We have 6 months to a year to prepare. After that, rest assured that not only we but you too will be brutally attacked by those damn apes!"

 Chapter 2285 Intensification of the War of the Worlds

    Chapter 2285 Intensification of the War of the Worlds


    After the message from the robots of the Mechanic Empire, the group of high-level government members of the Black Plain Empire watched those beings leave.


    As soon as they were alone, Dillian, Maisie, and some of them decided to discuss the matter with Abby, with Minos'' mother leaving for the current headquarters of the Black Plain Army.


    After making her way there quickly because of the wormhole connecting the place to Dry City, Maisie soon entered Minos'' Spatial Kingdom, where she would meet Abby and Gloria.


    Upon arriving at the lake house of that place, where several high-level Demigods were in the vicinity, she would quickly summarize for the two women what had just happened.


    "What do you feel about that?" Abby asked Gloria while they were in the business room of the house by the lake in the Spatial Kingdom.


    Gloria closed her eyes and said uncertainly. "This could be an enemy strategy, or it could be sincere. The truth is, as much as we planned to involve Irpoll in our war to end the Mechanic Empire, we have no way of knowing for sure that this is Minos'' doing.


    If it is his doing, we will receive some sign when or if Irpoll''s forces reach the Spiritual World. But we have to be prepared for something else. Nothing can guarantee that, even if Minos managed to alert Irpoll to our situation, such a civilization wouldn''t turn against us by coming to deal with the Mechanic Empire.


    We must remember that Irpoll is the enemy of our enemy but not necessarily our ally. Depending on what the Irpoll leaders think, we could be their next target after The Adamant Land."


    Abby couldn''t disagree with that. "You''re right. We have to be prepared. I don''t want to fight alongside the forces of The Adamant Land, but it might be interesting to keep ourselves on our toes. If Irpoll turns violent against us, we have to be ready to defend ourselves and act against them."


    "So we''re not going to attack our enemies simultaneously as Irpoll?" Maisie asked as that was one of the plans they had in case Minos succeeded in involving that other civilization in this war.


    "I don''t think it''s a good idea. Unless Minos shows himself and assures us that Irpoll won''t act against the Spiritual World, it would be too risky for us to fight the Mechanic Empire together with Irpoll.


    While the Spiritual World was experiencing more or less the same peace it had been experiencing for about a year, the situation in The Adamant Land had evolved negatively.


    From a peaceful world that was only dealing with the tensions of the war in the Spiritual World, this place has changed significantly in recent months with the start of the Irpoll attacks.


    For the first time in the long history of the world home to the Mechanic Empire, they were the ones being invaded and attacked by a foreign force!


    Months ago, Irpoll began its attempts to enter The Adamant Land and access that planet''s universal wormhole, which is connected to the Spiritual World.


    In The Adamant Land, there were a number of wormholes like that, which led to several of their domains around their galaxy and neighboring galaxies that they had already reached during their explorations.


    But Irpoll specifically wanted the Spiritual World. Why was that? Simply because the world of Minos had been the first after Irpoll to demonstrate such resistance as to withstand the mighty Mechanic Empire.


    That was something that only intelligent, powerful beings with good strategies could achieve, normally something that could only come from compelling worlds.


    The stronger a world was, the greater its value to each civilization. As such, Irpoll didn''t just want to take down the core of the Mechanic Empire. They also wanted to invade the Spiritual World, in particular, a planet that should be more weakened than the Mechanic Empire''s domains, which they could access by invading The Adamant Land.


    But even weakened, the Mechanic Empire was still a formidable force. In the months since the start of the war with Irpoll, this state had resisted the attempts of its enemies'' forces to invade the wormhole connected to the Spiritual World.


    However, this was not promising at all. As long as they had lasted this far, they had collected losses in those months, even losing two more of their Gods!


    The entire planet of this force was now in tension with the inclusion of yet another world fighting a war against them, with the many artificial or biological inhabitants of the said planet beginning to fear the ramifications of this new conflict.


    Amid this, the civilizations dominated by the Mechanic Empire were slowly learning about that situation while rebellious intentions were emerging here and there.


    This was only the beginning of the problem for them. The War of the Worlds was about to prove to be a truly large-scale conflict involving several different worlds!

 Chapter 2286 Opportunity for Promotion

    Chapter 2286 Opportunity for Promotion


    More than two years passed in Zocarro as the situation in the War of the Worlds worsened with Irpoll''s entry into the conflict.


    Minos and his people at the Armhands headquarters had no idea what was going on involving those civilizations connected to them. They were still fulfilling their responsibilities within the guild.


    None of them had had any chance to leave the headquarters in recent years, so they hadn''t gotten involved in problems outside the guild, which could be good or bad, depending on your point of view.


    In any case, the group was still whole and stronger than before, which was the most important thing for them.


    They all believed that, sooner or later, they would succeed there and become Junior Officers. As such, they had been doing what they could to become stronger and more influential in this organization.


    ...


    Another day, Minos was acting as Law Enforcer in the external part of the guild''s headquarters city, once again having most of his working hours quiet.


    The people of the external part of the guild already knew him well. Even the troublemakers changed their behavior when they saw him nearby, some changing their routes, others behaving better when they noticed he was around.


    As such, Minos currently acted very rarely while wearing the Law Enforcer''s uniform.


    And that was just fine with him. Law Enforcement Hall didn''t want its members to have to act constantly to impose the order it wanted. This correctional group preferred it when its guards didn''t even have to act.


    That generated a lot of respect for Minos within the Law Enforcement Hall, and superiors constantly talked about him and how he would be a good asset when he moved into the inner part of the city.


    And it was precisely one of his superiors, the Law Enforcement Hall Supervisor for the external part of the city area, who was approaching this young man at this very moment.


    "Officer..." Minos greeted the level 106 individual who had just approached him, the one who had invited him to the guild more than a decade ago.


    That area does not allow Sovereigns or stronger individuals to enter it. However, it does have Sovereign-level dangers. Do you understand what I''m talking about? The guild has failed for tens of thousands of years to get what that group on the Black Heart mission managed to find due to a lack of members capable of going there and trying again.


    But you and Ruth could be our new hope of obtaining the treasure on The Obsidian Shore.


    If you succeed, not only will the guild give you an automatic promotion when you return here, but we''ll also give you many merit points and resources to match. It''s also likely that you''ll get a lot of things there, too.


    So what do you say? Would you be interested in this opportunity?"


    Minos thought for a moment and immediately remembered his vision of a strange tree that seemed to have a heart beating in it.


    He then accepted. "All right, I''m interested. When can I go on this mission? By the way, where is The Obsidian Shore?"


    "Regarding the mission details, the group that will accompany you to The Obsidian Shore will take care of that with you. But you should prepare to spend the next three or five years away from here. The place isn''t close, and the conditions in that area aren''t simple. Once you get in there, your life will be at risk daily, so be prepared."


    "All right. I''ll talk to Ruth, but I''m very interested in this." Minos said again, not wanting this alien to pass on his special mission to someone else.


    "By the way, how will this group be formed? Do I have any choice over it?" Minos asked.


    "The group will be made up of people to accompany you inside that place. You can choose them according to your preference, as long as they are Grandmasters. And the other group mates will protect you on the journey there and back. But they won''t enter that special place."


    "I see. I''ll see who might be interested in taking part in my group. Is there any chance I could take someone who is in The Blue Field?"


    "It''s possible, but why would you take someone from that place?"


    "I have more affinity with my companions."


    "All right. You can do that. Just give me their names, and I''ll do the necessary work. But if you fail the mission, they must return to The Blue Field."

 Chapter 2287 Group Gathered for Departure

    Chapter 2287 Group Gathered for Departure


    A few weeks after hearing from their Supervisor at the Law Enforcement Hall of the opportunity they would have, Minos, Ruth, and two of their companions who had until recently been at The Blue Field were leaving the guild headquarters.


    That level 106 alien had done as promised to help Minos get his remaining companions into the guild.


    The two were not yet official members of Armhands. Still, if their team succeeded in the mission they were setting out to complete, they would receive their official entry into the guild as a mission prize.


    In addition to these two individuals, one of whom was level 98 and the other level 99, there were four other Grandmasters in the group that Minos would lead on the mission to The Obsidian Shore.


    In addition to these 6 individuals alongside Minos and Ruth, there were also Rhett and 3 other Sovereigns, two of them level 104 and one of them level 105.


    They would accompany the group to and from this mission, just as the Law Enforcement Hall Supervisor had told Minos.


    Finally, Minos and his group said goodbye to the rest of their people who were staying behind in the guild and would soon leave the area protected by the wall at the top of that floating area.


    After using the second exit from this place, the group was soon in the same place that Minos and his people had gone to years ago when they had gone on the mission to The Bellowing Garden.


    This time, Minos and Ruth were more accustomed to traveling by that means of transport and could handle the journey to that point more easily.


    Their companions who had just come from The Blue Field suffered the most, having never before experienced such extreme methods of travel.


    Once the group was back on their feet, the Sovereigns began to guide them on the journey that would last five months just to get to the vicinity of The Obsidian Shore.


    The Obsidian Shore was far away, outside the alien-friendly area, which had Examire as its most important city.


    "I hope so... But I hope I don''t delay the plans of the rest of the group." The stronger of the two said, looking at Minos and Ruth.


    Minos commented, "Don''t worry. Over the last few years, we''ve collected a lot of merit points in the guild, and we can help you grow quickly there.


    Even if you don''t become Sovereigns by the end of this trip, you''ll be able to do so within a short time of joining the guild.


    Anyway, it will be over a decade before we can return to the Spiritual World. So don''t think you''re going to slow us down. Returning to our world won''t be easy, let alone quick."


    "But is there a method?" The level 98 man asked.


    They didn''t know anything about what Minos'' group had learned over the last few years.


    Ruth said to them both. "Yes, there is. We''ll have to get to that island to the north, which will require us to overcome dangers even for Sovereigns. But if we manage to get there, reaching the universal space station on Zocarro''s artificial moon will be easy. From there, we can go to a galaxy close to the galaxy where the Mechanic Empire is located."


    "Oh? I see. Once we get there, we can quickly return to our world through the universal wormhole." One of the two individuals said.


    "Yes, that''s our plan," Minos commented. "But there will be a long way to that world. We''ll undoubtedly have many challenges on the way, so try not to think about it too much. Just focus on getting stronger and helping us in our missions.


    Eventually, we''ll be closer enough to those goals to think about the details."


    The two agreed before turning their attention to the rest of the group and flying off together with those many beings following the Sovereigns'' command.


    They would travel quietly for the next few weeks, until they left the alien-friendly territory that had Examire at its center.


    Their journey to The Obsidian Shore would have its dangers, its ups and downs, but eventually, the group would reach that place in one piece!

 Chapter 2288 Arrival at The Obsidian Shore

    Chapter 2288 Arrival at The Obsidian Shore


    After five months of travel, Minos'' group finally reached The Obsidian Shore''s outskirts.


    After a long journey with many problems so far, the group would enter the last city on their way this afternoon, from where they intended to continue to the place where they would split up tomorrow.


    As they entered this city later that afternoon, they encountered a place with little presence of aliens. But even so, the place had a few other individuals from outside Zocarro.


    That was not to surprise anyone. Even though this was an alien-unfriendly place, the natural phenomena that made the area of The Obsidian Shore virtually impenetrable for most of the time had recently changed with the end of a cycle.


    For the next few years, this place would be accessible to Grandmasters or weaker individuals, so forces from various parts of the continent had already sent members to explore it.


    Consequently, when they arrived in this city, the group encountered beings from other planets and many natives of Zacorro who were not common in the region they were in now.


    Some of these beings were only there to escort groups like Minos'', who would enter the dangerous and precious area nearby. However, some of the newcomers to the city in recent days were coming for other reasons.


    What was in that dangerous region was very valuable. If an unsupported individual found something and survived their passage through The Obsidian Shore, organizations of all kinds would try to recruit them.


    Not only that, if someone without support or from some ''weak'' force got their hands on important things, many would be ready to take the earnings of cultivators who got their hands on more than they could afford.


    ...


    In that city, a group of high-level 11th-stage beings were gathered somewhere.


    The place looked like a party room, and the experts were eating and drinking.


    However, this wasn''t a celebratory gathering, as it might seem at first glance. There were the strongest envoys of the forces, with members preparing to enter The Obsidian Shore!


    At the same time, Minos'' group had just settled into a local establishment.


    While the group''s Sovereigns were stationing themselves around the group in different positions to ensure their safety, Minos was meeting with the 7 members of his team who would be entering The Obsidian Shore tomorrow.


    He looked at the aliens and his Spiritual World companions and said. "Tomorrow, we will enter The Obsidian Shore. As far as we know, the area has natural hazards at the Sovereign level. So we can''t go wrong with our strategy.


    Each of you must carry on with your duties, as I''ve already shared. But if you have something to say, seize the moment. Once we enter that area, I won''t accept any changes."


    Minos'' companions agreed with him, but one of the aliens in the group said. "Isn''t it too risky to bet everything on you? I know you''re strong, Soldier. But there are dangers capable of killing high-level Sovereigns in the area we''ll be entering."


    "Exactly." Minos agreed with that alien. "Do you think it will make a difference to us if everyone acts freely and tries their best?"


    "That..."


    "You''re right. Acting on trust or otherwise won''t make any difference. If we come across something capable of killing high-level Sovereigns, we''ll end up perishing in that place," another alien said. "But are you sure you don''t want to change our plans a little? I see no problem in lending you my forces. But that will make you have to deal with all the problems that get in our way."


    "Don''t worry; I''ll be fine. You just have to do what we agreed to. Lend me your powers, protect Ruth, and help me reach the guild''s area of interest. We can all gain a lot if we can do this without misunderstandings.


    I give you my word that if we can find places to get stronger, I''ll help everyone get what they have compatible."


    The aliens listened to Minos and felt more comfortable and interested in following his plans.


    ...


    While Minos'' group was planning the actions that would be very relevant to them from tomorrow onwards, a level 110 individual that Emperor Stuart already knew arrived in this city accompanied by his young master.


    "What do we do now?"


    "All we can do now is wait. There''s nothing we can do inside The Obsidian Shore. We''ll have to wait for our target to succeed and leave that place."

 Chapter 2289 Going to The Obsidian Shore

    Chapter 2289 Going to The Obsidian Shore


    The next day, Minos'' group gathered in front of one of the city''s exits, preparing to set off on their mission to The Obsidian Shore.


    In addition to them, several other groups were leaving today.


    Even though The Obsidian Shore became accessible to Grandmasters or weaker people a few days ago, groups arrived in this city practically every day.


    Many of them were already ready to move on with their missions. Still, others took a few days of preparation before moving towards the area, which was about three days of journey from here.


    As such, Minos'' group and five other teams similar in size to his group were saying goodbye to their superiors at the start of a new day.


    While some individuals were already walking towards the road that would take them to their target, Minos'' group, made up of him, 7 other Grandmasters, and 4 Sovereigns, stood in front of the level 114 General who had arrived in that city before them and would stay there until the mission was over.


    "I made a deal last night, and that team over there will be our allies on the journey to The Obsidian Shore," the level 114 Sovereign said to Minos'' group as he pointed in the direction of the group he had tried to approach the day before.


    "They''re not entirely reliable. But they will help you until something significant comes up and puts us on two different sides. You can work together until then. After that, do whatever it takes to leave The Obsidian Shore successfully." He advised them.


    The people in Minos'' group looked at the group of aliens not far from them, who were receiving similar recommendations, and so they also looked in their direction.


    "Anyway, now go. The longer you delay, the more dangers will be in your paths. Those who entered that area before you have probably already laid traps there. So be careful and good luck. I hope to see you here again in a few years."


    With these words from their superior, the group soon left, joining the group for which this high-level Sovereign had managed to forge an alliance.


    The people from both groups introduced themselves to each other, before beginning the journey to the point on The Obsidian Shore where Sovereigns could not go any further.


    Minos took his group''s lead, making his way to the front of the large portal, which was 10 meters high, 7 meters wide, and 3 meters long.


    There were flights of stairs on both sides of the portal and a small raised area connecting the two sides of the portal.


    Stopping there, Minos looked at the group of his allies and waited for them for a few seconds until they followed suit, stopping next to his people.


    This other group was basically made up of peak Grandmasters, individuals at level 99.


    Every organization would try to send people like that to this place. Why is that? Well, as much as Sovereigns weren''t allowed to enter that area, the rules of The Obsidian Shore were a little more complex than they seemed.


    One couldn''t enter their region while already in the 11th stage. But if they entered there while they were 10th-stage cultivators and advanced during their stay in the area, then they wouldn''t suffer from the negative consequences of being a Sovereign in an area that didn''t accept Sovereigns.


    Consequently, most organizations that sent groups to this place usually sent level 99 individuals there.


    Even though their allied group was stronger, the two groups intended to work with an equal division of labor right from the start of their journey there.


    The two leaders of each group went ahead of their companions, with everyone there moving into combat positions according to their respective characteristics.


    The support specialists and the trackers stood in the middle of the group. Meanwhile, the natural warriors positioned themselves at the front or rear of the group.


    Thus, they would enter The Obsidian Shore, a home of opportunities and dangers, where items, resources, and beings devoted to death and other things existed in droves around an area the size of the original territory of the old Brown Kingdom.


    Given the size of this area, there was a bit of everything there, from tribes native to the area to different types of terrain and climates, with places with opportunities for different types of beings.


    That was the start of Minos'' new journey!

 Chapter 2290 The Obsidian Shore

    Chapter 2290 The Obsidian Shore


    The Obsidian Shore was a vast expanse of enigmatic land shrouded in an aura of mystery and danger. As soon as Minos'' group entered it and walked for about 3 kilometers, far enough that they could no longer see the place they had entered earlier, they felt as if they were being watched.


    Located in an extreme area of Zocarro, this grandiose region was an impressive sight at first glance.


    The cliffs were carved into sharp peaks and hidden caves, with many shadowy hiding places for unknown creatures and unfathomable mysteries.


    As travelers ventured further inland, they would discover a wild and rugged landscape covered in lush and exotic vegetation, capable of doing things that the natives of the Spiritual World had never seen before.


    Dark, dense forests of twisted trees and thorny bushes were home to a myriad of monstrous creatures, each more frightening than the last. The trees whispered ancient secrets, and the streams murmured songs of enchantment and doom. Vissit  for updates


    Between the shadows of the trees, ancient ruins emerged from the ground, silent testimonies of a civilization long gone. Abandoned temples, ruined palaces, and crumbling towers echoed in this area with the echo of centuries gone by, each stone telling a story of glory and tragedy.


    Those who ventured into the depths of these abandoned structures could find forgotten secrets and treasures but also face ancient curses.


    Beyond the immediate threats of hostile fauna and flora, The Obsidian Shore hid even darker and more seductive secrets. Rumors spoke of magical springs capable of bringing the dead back to life, granting immortality, powerful artifacts lost in the depths of the soil, and portals to distant areas of Oqia.


    The group would experience a little of all this over the next few days in this place. But in their first hour on The Obsidian Shore, they would come across a ruin by the side of the road they had been following until then.


    The group was faced with a question. To explore or not to explore.


    Minos'' group''s plan was simple. Follow the directions given by the group that had come to this place during the Black Heart mission.


    "So I''d like to suggest that we explore this off-road area on the way to our targets. The dangers of this area are great, so if we can find opportunities to advance in level at the beginning of our journey here, our chances of success will be greater."


    "I agree with her, Minos," Ruth commented. "We have some places indicated by the guild that are interesting for us to explore. I believe our allies also have information like this."


    One of the individuals from the other group nodded in the affirmative.


    "We can share our information and come to an agreement as to where we can explore first. Or we can head towards a point of interest to us and a point of interest to you in sequence."


    Minos agreed, looking at the leader of that other group and saying, "We can do that. My guild has information that a particularly interesting place is not far from the entrance we passed earlier.


    According to our information, this area has an ancient ruin of the civilization that caused the disaster that eventually generated the climatic cycles that characterize this area.


    Significant spatial and temporal distortions exist in the area, but precisely because of these distortions, much of what this place holds must have been preserved since ancient times."


    "Would you venture into such an area at the start of our journey?" That being asked, aware that there was an area exactly like what Minos had said near the entrance to The Obsidian Shore.


    This level 99 being just didn''t expect Minos to suggest that they go to such a place directly after entering this dangerous region!


    Minos smiled confidently. "It''s like you said. If we don''t strengthen ourselves at the start of our journey, we may not be able to achieve our goals here. We have to behave differently from other groups who have come to this place before us. Otherwise, we''ll have the same results as them."


    That meant death, so the individuals in that group couldn''t help but think silently about it for a moment.


    "Do you have an expert capable of controlling space and time in your group? Without someone like that, it would be very difficult for us to get into that place." Said the leader of Minos'' allies.


    "Yes, we do." Minos smiled.

 Chapter 2291 Predicting the Future

    Chapter 2291 Predicting the Future


    After the group agreed to continue on to the location indicated by Minos, they would follow the route to the ancient ruin surrounded by spatial and temporal distortions.


    This area was not far from the entrance to The Obsidian Shore. After just two hours of cautious travel from the time of the previous conversation in which this had been decided, the group arrived in the vicinity of this ruin. Chee?ck out latest novels at novelhall.com


    When they stopped in front of a lake, where its shores were walls of old buildings covered in lichen and undergrowth, the group looked at their surroundings, with the strongest ones there forming strange expressions on their faces.


    They could sense that the passage of time in that area was a little different from normal for Zocarro.


    In fact, the area was strange. At certain points, time passed more quickly than normal for Zocarro, while at others, it passed more slowly.


    What was wrong with that? Well, if one wasn''t careful, they could go very wrong, lose contact with the rest of the group, or even spend too much time where it would be advisable to stay too little, and vice versa.


    However, there were also several areas of spatial distortion in addition to temporal distortions.


    Each spatial distortion could either destroy the bodies of those who passed through them or even send them to different places inside and outside The Obsidian Shore.


    Without the right skills, exploring this place could easily lead a group like Minos'' team to failure or even extermination.


    That is precisely why few would venture into such a place of their own free will, which is why it is considered a high-value area but also one to avoid.


    Faced with this submerged ruin, the leader of Minos'' allied group asked, "Well? Are you in the mood to risk it? We''ll follow you there as long as you do as you promised."


    Minos smiled at the man before taking a few steps forward and beckoning his group to get ready.


    The place was a little different from what Armhands had said, but he didn''t think it would be impossible for him to get in.


    But sensing Minos'' powers, that group soon followed behind him, quickly adapting their bodies to breathe underwater.


    In less than five minutes, the whole group was in the submerged part of that ruin, where the remnants of an ancient civilization that had been based in this area a long, long time ago were.


    As soon as they entered that grandiose lake, they could easily see the outlines of the city that had once stood there, noticing algae here and there, as well as many strange underwater creatures.


    The group remained in combat position, with the support members ready to help the fighters if necessary.


    Meanwhile, Minos continued to use his skill to lead the group to what had once been the surface of this city.


    They swam for a few moments under the water-covered and distorted area, but soon Minos and they reached the bottom of the lake, where there weren''t so many spatial and temporal distortions to get in their way.


    By stopping using his domain so actively, Minos would see his surroundings normally, while his cultivation would gradually return to normal.


    He stopped and said to his staff. "There are some opportunities here that will advance some of us to the start of the Divine Journey in a few weeks of cultivation. However, the variables here will kill half the group if we act disorderly."


    The level 99 beings narrowed their eyes, interested in Minos'' words.


    "Have you seen a bit of the future? What is our best alternative?" asked the other group leader.


    "I have. We have to stick together. We must collect our opportunities and leave them for us to take advantage of in a specific place in this ruin. If we don''t do as I say, I assure you, half the group will perish.


    Traps, strange phenomena, and dangerous creatures are hidden in various parts of this place. One wrong step will be enough for one of us to die." Minos said, looking at those he had seen perishing.


    Gulp!


    "There are 16 of us now. If we do as I plan, we can leave with 16 members in our large group, and 3 of them will have advanced to become Sovereigns. But if you don''t do as I plan, we''ll leave here with 7 or 8 people and only 2 Sovereigns."


    "Let''s do as you say. Lead the way, Minos." Said the alien leader of the group allied to the Armhands team.

 Chapter 2292 Abandoning Opportunities

    Chapter 2292 Abandoning Opportunities


    The group followed in Minos'' footsteps, listening to his recommendations to watch their step and not do anything without a very good reason.


    They weren''t supposed to touch anything without sensible reasons. A mere underwater plant floating in the water could change and become a danger to their group if someone tried something they shouldn''t have.


    There were beings who would only act against other individuals if they felt threatened, which was standard in the wild. So, as long as they were careful, they could avoid much trouble.


    After a few minutes walking cautiously along what had once been one of the main avenues of that ancient city, the group would come across valuable items in the vicinity.


    "Minos..."


    "No!" Minos shouted when he heard his name being called, aware that someone in his group had taken an interest in the items in the rubble of what appeared to be the remains of a wrecked vehicle.


    Someone there would soon see a suit of armor that matched his body and show interest in it.


    "On the right leg of this armor is a special parasite. Anyone who tries to take over this parasite''s home will be infected by it and become an enemy to us all." Minos said as he warned the individual that he would die and even cause the death of one of them if he went ahead with his plan to collect that compatible item for himself.


    Minos didn''t just speak. He used his mental technique to make that individual see the terrible vision that showed how his body would be used to give rise to a monster from that parasite.


    Gulp!


    That being swallowed his saliva as he quickly saw the scenes of a fate that Minos was trying to avoid.


    The others saw the change in that level 99 individual''s expression, imagining that they had better give up some opportunities on their way, as Minos seemed to suggest.


    They kept walking until they came to what looked like a square.


    Once there, Minos stopped and pointed to the other side of the square, where there was a building that led underground.


    "There are also things in that place that are interesting for us to take back to our organizations." He commented as he looked at one of their temporary allies. "Let''s divide this information equally. It''s cataloged in books, charts, and parchments. We''ll choose what we take and keep it in our spatial storage devices until we leave this place.


    We''ll only check what we get out of The Obsidian Shore."


    There were no tags with information on these items, so if they chose without looking at what they were choosing, they could ward off the chance of one being interested in stealing from the other.


    "What kind of information is that?" The alien asked curiously.


    "All I know is that they have value and are associated with the time when the civilization that lived in this place still existed. We''ll divide up the materials as follows: you choose one material, and then I''ll choose another, and then we''ll repeat the cycle until we''ve finished with everything in the area."


    "All right."


    That said, they would soon turn a corner of that lost city and see the level 102 snake that Minos had warned them about.


    When they came face to face with the apparently sleeping creature, the whole group would stop, with Minos'' allies raising their guards and preparing to defend themselves.


    They would have to overcome this being to get to their place of interest, which would require Minos to expose more of his powers.


    He didn''t want to show everything he could, so he didn''t intend to use his wings or fusions. He had already shown his innate ability, so he intended to keep at it.


    Before moving against that golden-red-scaled serpent, he said to the group, "I need the strongest combatants among you to help me. The others will lend me their energy."


    Three level 99 individuals put themselves at his disposal before Minos quickly used his ability again, raising his powers to level 99 while making those individuals feel their strength increasing as well.


    They were amazed to feel their cultivations being taken to the peak. Even though they didn''t reach level 100, they all felt their strength improving three to four times!


    With this increase in power, those most worried quickly became more confident, understanding why Minos had chosen to come all this way and risk a fight against a level 102 being.


    With these three individuals feeling practically on the same level as Minos, they smiled as they moved together, no longer hesitating to act against the level 102 creature!

 Chapter 2293 Fighting Before the Opportunity

    Chapter 2293 Fighting Before the Opportunity


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    In the blink of an eye, Minos and the three aliens he had used his ability to make stronger began to fight the level 102 snake.


    The rest of their companions stayed to the rear, where they could help their allies with support skills or even attack the creature they intended to face.


    The three alongside Minos acted together in attacking the vital points of the snake, which appeared to be asleep, but was in fact very attentive to the beings in its vicinity.


    If these individuals made the mistake of thinking they could pass by without attracting its attention, it would devour them!


    Fortunately for this group, Minos had seen a future in which two of them would die to the snake before he could kill it if they behaved as the snake wanted.


    Minos then used his Chaotic Gravity technique to press the creature to the ground while a black ring appeared around it, sucking out its energy.


    At the same time, Minos'' eyes lit up, and he immediately attacked the creature with the Infinite Dream, using several of his techniques simultaneously to push the opponent out of its comfort zone.


    Minos was at level 99 at this point, but his normal techniques could at most bother a being with the power of that snake. He would never beat it using just that!


    However, he wasn''t alone!


    The beings next to him weren''t weak either and naturally had the ability to fight beings one or two levels above their own.


    With Minos'' help, they became even more powerful, enough so that when they began to attack the snake along with him, they immediately made the huge creature in their path exclaim in pain.


    The snake suddenly left its previous state, moving its large mouth and showing its vicious fangs.


    A jet of purple poison shot out from the creature''s two gigantic front teeth, spewing poisonous gas toward Minos'' companions.


    After two minutes of combat, Minos'' group achieved enough dominance in the battle for their companions to realize that victory was within their grasp.


    The group''s support members sprang into action to help those four main combatants finish off the enemy and help them recover from energy exhaustion.


    Meanwhile, the others remained careful, watching their surroundings to avoid any unexpected surprises that could lead to significant losses.


    At this rate, Minos and his three companions would soon finish off the level 102 creature, killing it after another minute and a half.


    By the end of the fight, the ground in that area had been partially destroyed, but not by much. Fighting in the water was different from fighting on the surface, which meant that attacks and counter-attacks by fighting warriors caused less damage to the surroundings.


    Even so, the spot where the snake''s brutalized body had fallen bore many signs of combat, with cracks in the ground and craters here and there.


    When he finally calmed down a bit, Minos said. "Quick, get the essence of this creature, and let''s go."


    "What about its body? A being of that size and level has magical properties for those who use its flesh and body parts." Said one of the men who had fought directly against the level 102 snake.


    "The value of its corpse is magnificent. But only if we''re alive to take advantage of it." Minos said. "Unfortunately, monsters of all kinds are probably already on their way here to devour that body. We only have time to take its essence and run.


    We''ll soon be unable to leave the building I intend to enter because of this battle for months."


    "Months?" Ruth swallowed her saliva, not imagining that the situation would become so serious after just one battle.


    The others took Minos'' words to heart, and in less than a minute, the less worn-out ones had collected the snake''s brain, which was the essence of this monster, the most valuable item from its corpse.


    With it in hand, they set off towards the place Minos wanted to reach, arriving there just seconds before the first monster stronger than that snake appeared where the battle had taken place.


    They had narrowly escaped a being of level 104!


    Minos closed the entrance he had just passed and looked meaningfully at his group while they all saw the same thing he had seen outside the building.

 Chapter 2294 Moving On

    Chapter 2294 Moving On


    "I saw a fucking level 105 Sovereign coming from a distance! Did anyone else see that?" Said one of the level 99 Grandmasters in the group after the door they had passed had closed completely, ensuring their safety temporarily.


    "Yes, I saw it too."


    "Me too."


    "You said we''ll have to stay in this place for a while... Is it because of those creatures?" The leader of the alien group allied to Minos asked.


    The young brown-haired human nodded in the affirmative. "That''s the case. Those creatures will fight each other, and the winners will devour the bodies of that snake and those who die in the dispute.


    After eating, they will digest the food in that place, which will make it dangerous for us to pass through then... So we had to stay here for a few months."


    "What about this place we''re in? Is it safe?" Ruth asked.


    "There''s nowhere safe in this region," Minos sighed. "But there aren''t as many dangers here as there are outside. There are some opportunities for our group to collect in this building."


    "What about the level 102 snake brain?" One of Minos'' guild mates asked.


    Minos looked at the alien who had taken that giant organ and stored such essence in his own storage device.


    "Let''s split it up. Half the brain for my group and the other half for yours." Minos said, looking at that individual and the leader of the group allied to his.


    There wasn''t much to talk about. That creature''s brain was valuable to both sides, but not to the point of making them fight each other over it.


    In a few minutes, the group split the snake''s brain in half, with the leaders of each team taking what belonged to them.


    "Yes, that''s it. Several of us could still die from now on." Minos stated. "The fact that we''ve overcome some dangers doesn''t mean everything will be smooth sailing from now on."


    "Then we can''t absorb the resources we get here for the time being." Said the leader of the aliens allied to Armhands'' group.


    "That''s the case. But we''ll have a chance to do that before we leave this ruin and get back out of this lake." Minos confidently said as he began to swim down the long, dark corridor ahead of their group.


    The 15 individuals there followed behind Minos carefully and quietly, each aware of the possible dangers in their surroundings. They couldn''t help but feel that every move they made could be activating natural or artificial mechanisms that would act against them.


    They followed that long corridor until they swam down three flights of stairs to the basement of that area.


    They could all see very well in the dark, so they would soon see the number of real levels below them.


    There were a total of 10 underground floors in this place!


    For the moment, they didn''t think too much about what they would find swimming deep in this place, as they would soon reach the area where there seemed to be a grand library.


    When they arrived at the entrance to this submerged area, the group encountered a space of more than 3,000 square meters, where shelves decorated a large part of the room, many of them crammed with items.


    The area was 4.5 meters high, but the shelves went all the way to the ceiling, and some of them had items stacked even at their highest points.


    The external markings of the books and scrolls there had long since been lost. The group wasn''t even sure if they would be able to read anything from those materials when they left. However, they followed Minos'' proposal not to read what was in those materials, and they divided them up at random.


    So Minos and the group leader allied to his would spend the next two hours dividing up the many materials in that place, each of them storing those items in their spatial rings.


    At the end of this time, they would clean out the library and then leave the area, which they would later discover was the last level of this place where they would face no danger.


    Returning to the previous staircase, they would continue into the depths of that area until they reach the first point, where they would encounter more obvious opportunities but also more significant dangers!

 Chapter 2295 Last Target Before Peace

    Chapter 2295 Last Target Before Peace


    After two days of entering that building and making their way to its underground area, Minos'' group faced several dangerous situations in this place.


    After leaving the place that seemed to be a library, they came across several strange creatures on their way, but also traps and terrible phenomena in their path.


    In one situation, they were attacked by spears stuck in the wall mechanisms they had to pass through to reach the lower levels. In another, a parasitic plant tried to attack them and take over their bodies on the way to a valuable resource for the group. Chee?ck out latest novels at novelhall.comid these dangers, the group also found opportunities. The first was the chance to collect the blood of an underwater creature known for its healing powers. On another occasion, they came across fantastic items that, when used, could confer special characteristics on their users.


    There was everything in this world. There were even artifacts that could make ordinary people much stronger when in possession of one. In the Spiritual World, there was nothing like this. But in Zocarro, one could even threaten the lives of Supreme beings while they were only low-level Sovereigns in possession of something like this.


    Obviously, there weren''t many such fantastic artifacts in the world. But there were weaker variations of these things, like some of the items the group had found in this place, and could be compared to the wings on Minos'' back.


    The group had also found absorbable cultivation resources, which they had already divided up according to their combination. Still, no one had tried to use them, of course.


    They were now on the last level of this place, where the building''s most valuable resource was, but also where the most problematic creature in the whole area was to protect said resource.


    ...


    After leaving the penultimate level and arriving at the entrance to the last part of this grand underground building, the members of Minos'' group looked tired and stressed.


    As much as they had all survived by following Minos'' advice and trying as hard as possible, they had suffered a lot to get there.


    Moreover, this crystal seems to be an interesting one to cultivate near it. As much as we can''t absorb the resources we''ve obtained so far, we can meditate while we wait for our moment to move again."


    Minos looked at the individuals who had been left with the special artifacts they had found in the last 48 hours of exploration and said. "If we fight together, we might be able to eliminate that creature and stay in this place safely for a few months."


    Those beings who had been left with the artifacts that could make them stronger looked at each other, aware that their artifacts were powerful but that they could be damaged if exposed to their limits.


    These artifacts and the other resources the group had found so far had been divided up in a simple way. They were divided according to the affinity of the beings there.


    Three of the four artifacts they had found were compatible with two of Minos'' allies and one of his guildmates.


    The last item was incompatible with anyone and was in Minos'' spatial ring.


    They had obtained three absorbable resources, one of which could be shared between several people and two of the individual type. One was with Minos'' allies, and the other with his group, in the space ring of the only one compatible with such a thing.


    The three individuals looked at each other thoughtfully. Their items were precious and could help them a lot. So they didn''t want to risk a fight against a level 105 being. But on the other hand, the strange phenomena of this place could threaten the lives of all of them. Their items weren''t defensive, so these things wouldn''t protect them.


    "All right, let''s do it." One of them said after hesitating for a minute about what to do.


    The others agreed soon after, and Minos said. "Let''s wait for our recovery potions to take effect. Once we''re in our ideal state, we''ll attack."


    After saying this, Minos looked through the side gaps of the large door in front of him. From there, he could see a purple glow inside that area, but also a strange creature that looked like a mixture of root and slime and could create body parts at will.


    As long as they managed to beat that being, the next few months in this place would be guaranteed!

 Chapter 2296 In Search of Victory

    Chapter 2296 In Search of Victory


    Just as Minos'' group was ready to go ahead with their last fight in that underground building, he raised his own cultivation and that of five aliens.


    By strengthening two of his guildmates and three of his group''s allies, Minos advanced alongside those five individuals into the large area at the deepest point of that building.


    Upon entering what looked like a huge crypt, the group was immediately attacked by the brown creature there.


    The creature there formed several snake-like body parts. It used them to attack the vital organs of the six individuals who had first invaded its home.


    But simultaneously with its merciless attack, the three individuals with special artifacts used their belongings, making the special powers of those devices show their differences in battle.


    Even though they were only Grandmasters and that one was a mid-level Sovereign, the three aliens immediately managed to counterbalance their opponent''s powers.


    The first of them used what looked like a staff, throwing a beam of golden light at the brown creature. Immediately, it dodged for fear of having its body burned by it.


    The second of them used what looked like a 60-centimeter-long chain, manipulating it while a giant stream of energy appeared around the creature''s body.


    Simultaneously with the actions of these two trying to hurt the creature, the third, armed with special artifacts, used the power of his device to counter the creature''s attacks.


    The ability of that item was to mimic the power being counterattacked. Then after that individual began infusing his energies into his device, an energy being with a body similar to that of the creature in that place appeared near that alien, before attacking against the enemy''s snake-like body parts.


    Minos and the two remaining individuals, the strongest in combat power in the group, excluding the existence of those special artifacts, moved using their natural powers and techniques.


    Minos tried to help his companions by protecting them while using Chaotic Gravity and Infinite Dream to help the others immobilize that level 105 being.


    But the difference in cultivation between him and that creature was immense!


    His techniques had practically no effect when used in the normal way!


    Pow!


    One of the men was hit by one of the brown creature''s attacks and thrown against one of the crypt''s walls.


    Crack!


    Cracks appeared on that wall, while the entire floor of the area where the group was fighting broke as the fight evolved with each passing moment.


    Meanwhile, the creature was emitting sounds of agony as it came under attack from the beams of light from the weapon of one of those six opponents attacking it.


    They could only attack uncontrollably at everything and everyone in their surroundings while being pressed and attacked by Minos and those three individuals with artifacts.


    "Aaaaaagh!"


    Sounds of screams arose among that group attacking the level 105 Sovereign, with the two individuals allied to Minos and without powerful artifacts with them suffering from that opponent''s attacks.


    But when Minos reached the last attack of the Divine Sword''s most advanced move, all his moves so far came together against the level 105 creature.


    An attack so strong that it could kill a level 103 Sovereign and seriously injure a level 104 one formed, cutting through that creature''s body.


    The individual using an artifact that ''mirrored'' his opponent''s attack felt his artifact emit cracking sounds as he joined his companions in wounding the enemy even more.


    He regretted what he had heard but didn''t stop, moving on, as it was more important to beat that level 105 creature than to preserve that equipment.


    He could only lament as he lost the bracelet-shaped artifact on one of his wrists.


    Fortunately, this would be a victory for his group!


    After 10 minutes of intense combat against a level 105 Sovereign, the group ended this battle by killing that creature!

 Chapter 2297 Time of Reclusion

    When the creature finally died, its many body parts stopped moving, receding into its brown gelatinous body.


    The surrounding group continued to stand in front of this now-dead creature as it finally fell silent in this dark underground area.


    Minos sighed as he swam towards the body while the rest of his people stayed where they were.


    But he quickly warned them. "Don''t stay outside this crypt. Close the doors to this place immediately. We''ll only be safe here if none of the beings we''ve diverted on our way here enter this place."


    Those individuals had already realized that the doors of this place had some kind of special power capable of suppressing the power emanating from the purple crystal at the center of that crypt. So, the less tired members of the group soon joined together to close the grandiose doors in this area.


    At the same time, Ruth and the doctor allied to them on this journey went to the two wounded men on the outskirts, while the three individuals who had special artifacts earlier approached Minos and the dead creature.


    One of them had a terrible expression as he looked at the broken bracelet on one of his arms.


    As much as they had won, this individual had lost the artifact that could make him capable of even hurting mid-level Sovereigns!


    The other two still had their devices in one piece but were very tired. They also had bad facial expressions, but they didn''t look as bad as that man.


    Minos ignored these beings while paying attention to the corpse of the brown creature in front of him.


    He picked up his sword and then cut this being in half while using his Bright Eyes to identify exactly how to cut this corpse so as not to damage the monster''s valuable organs.


    Within moments, the group saw the insides of that brown creature and its strange organs, some of which looked like silver pearls.


    These were valuable cultivation resources for beings of all kinds.


    With that, they would soon settle down in that area, some of them starting to prepare what to eat, others setting up tents there.


    Soon, they would establish a routine of cultivation, training, and observation of the area. As safe as this place was supposed to be, they weren''t going to take any chances.


    Of the 16 people there, four would always keep an eye on their surroundings to alert the others if anything strange happened nearby.


    The others would be free to cultivate, train, or rest during the four cultivators'' watch.


    That was the beginning of their journey in this underground area, where they would spend the next few months waiting for the monsters above them to move.


    Minos wasn''t sure when it would be a safe time to leave. He only knew that, between 7 and 9 months there, the monsters on the surface would no longer be there, and it would be safe for them to move on to the ruin area where they could absorb their resources.


    Why couldn''t they do that now? That was related to parasites and other types of essences, which, according to Minos, would leave their resources once they entered a certain part of the ruin, a place they would go to after leaving this underground building.


    Everyone in the group would agree to follow Minos'' words because of his success in bringing them alive to this point in their journey. For the next 9 months, they would cultivate in peace in that place rich in energy and laws!


    ...


    As the group approached the 10-month anniversary since they had entered that underground building, they were finally preparing to leave the place where they had been cultivating since that time.


    In 10 months, no one had progressed in level, but they had all made the most of their cultivation time, experiencing advances in their strength and understanding that might have taken 2-3 years in the places they normally cultivated.


    Minos was in the early part of level 97 when he arrived there, but in less than a year, his cultivation was already close to level 98!


    So, after their 10th month there began, Minos and his would collect the purple crystal from that underground area before they finally began their journey back to the area they had entered this building months ago.


    It would only take them two days to get from the top level of that building to the first floor, and then they would open the gate that had protected them from the monsters outside that building reaching them!

 Chapter 2298 Going to a Safe Area

    After leaving the building they had been in for the past few months, the group of 16 came across the place where they had left the corpse of the level 102 snake months ago.


    There were no mortal remains of that or any other creatures there, a sign of what Minos had told the group would happen after they passed through the area.


    Fortunately, there was no sign of any monstrous creatures there either.


    "Let''s go to the center of this place. There''s a building that the old inhabitants of this town used to cultivate and benefit from certain natural phenomena in the area. There, we can safely absorb the resources we''ve obtained so far." Minos said as he moved cautiously towards the place he had seen in his vision of the future.


    "Wait a minute." Said one of those beings. "Aren''t we going to explore this area more? I believe there are more valuable things for our group in this ruin."


    That was a fact. This place had been explored very little, and they had only found resources in one place in the whole ruin. But that place was the size of a city.


    The people in the group, especially the aliens allied to Minos'' group, couldn''t help but think it would be worthwhile to explore more of this ruin.


    Minos smiled at his companions'' and allies'' greed. "There are many valuable things here. But so far, we''ve only moved to take the simplest and least problematic resources.


    We can continue here, but soon, we''ll have to fight not only a level 105 Sovereign but several of them and even beings of levels 106 and 107.


    Sigh! I consider myself strong. Anyone who knows me knows that." Minos changed his tone as he gestured to his staff. "But even I don''t have the confidence to deal with these monsters. If the group has that confidence, then Ruth and I will go alone to the safe area of the ruin. The rest of you can go without us."


    ''Level 107?'' One of those individuals swallowed his saliva when he heard Minos'' words.


    Minos would lead them through this building until they reached the highest level of that place, where a special phenomenon would cause several of the artifacts and resources they had brought there to change.


    Spectral creatures, worms, and microscopic parasites would die or try to flee the area immediately after the group settled down on the outskirts of a grandiose cultivation room illuminated by a strange glowing power source.


    Soon, the whole group would understand why Minos had told them not to consume anything before coming to this place, and they realized once again how important it was to have a seer in the group.


    Seers rarely saw the future with 100% efficiency. But their visions could help groups like Minos'' avoid various problems and improve their chances of surviving a dangerous journey.


    So, soon, those who had cultivable items to absorb would begin their seclusion in that safe place, an extremely pure and friendly environment for cultivators like them.


    Minos and Ruth hadn''t achieved anything useful for them in the short term, so they were merely going to do their normal cultivation there. But three group mates would absorb important resources in this place that would advance them from level 99 to level 100 in the next two weeks!


    But these wouldn''t be the only advances made by members of the group during this period. Of Minos and Ruth''s two Spiritual World companions, the one who was at level 98 would advance to level 99 along with the three who would become Sovereigns at the end of this cultivation session!


    ...


    Time would pass, and, in the blink of an eye, Minos and his 15 current companions would leave the lake they had spent almost 11 months submerged in!


    As they left that place with the three Sovereigns he had previously promised would appear on this journey, the whole group was more confident about the future, their missions, but especially about Minos.


    Minos had shown himself to be a reliable leader, an effective seer, and a fighter of the highest level. As such, everyone followed behind him as they left that area under his protection.


    Leaving that ruin once and for all, the group would soon return to the road they had planned to travel on before deciding to pass through the area near the entrance to The Obsidian Shore, where few had ventured before them.


    From there, they would make their way to their next joint target, which would be interesting to explore, but at the same time, would be closer to the area where they were to carry out their missions in this place.

 Chapter 2299 Whats the Allied Goal?

    Chapter 2299 What''s the Allied Goal?


    Two months later...


    After leaving the submerged ruin that the group had entered on their first day on The Obsidian Shore, Minos'' group traveled to an area further from the exit of this territory.


    They had been through a series of challenges over the last few weeks, having had to deal with a storm that had almost caused their group to split up. After overcoming this challenge, they faced some Sovereigns native to the area, creatures who were uncomfortable with the presence of Sovereigns from outside this region.


    Luckily, the enemies they faced during these days were low-level Sovereigns. After some effort on the part of the group, they managed to overcome these adversities.


    They then reached an area of opportunity in the region, where there was a hot spring with great benefits for those who managed to enter it.


    This area had several challenges capable of killing warriors like them, but once someone managed to get past its challenges and entered inside it, majestic cultivation opportunities would become available to them.


    This was one of the best places for a high-level Grandmaster to enter in the whole of The Obsidian Shore. The downside of the place was that, after a week inside, the laws behind the area would throw anyone entering their eighth day there out of it.


    That had happened to Minos'' last companion, who was in the place, this afternoon!


    ...


    After their last companion had finished his exploration of the hot spring he was in, the group of 16 was reunited again.


    This time, they were stronger than ever!


    Over the past two weeks, another level 99 Grandmaster has advanced to level 100, while Minos has advanced to level 98!


    When they arrived near a large crater obviously caused by a fight, the group stopped not far from the slope in that area, where they could see bare rocks and several skeletons in the surroundings.


    Worms and parasites as big as human children were in the vicinity of these bodies, even though there was apparently nothing else to be degraded there.


    Facing this place, Minos narrowed his eyes as he saw more than some of his companions could.


    At the deepest point of that crater, a four-meter-high body of a humanoid creature, with two legs and two arms, a dragon''s tail, and ox horns on its head, was lying lifeless there, where the worms and parasites were gathered.


    This body was obviously dead. But apart from anything else, its appearance seemed somewhat preserved.


    Considering that this place had been inaccessible for a long time and that this body appeared to be that of a high-level Sovereign, Minos quickly understood that the mission of his allies was related to this ancient body.


    "What are you going to do in this place?" He asked without informing those individuals that he was seeing the body of that being.


    "We have to collect some things in the area. Old members of the sect have passed through here and left items to be collected. Can you help us keep an eye on the surroundings?" the leader of the group allied to Minos'' group asked.


    "Hmm, all right." Minos nodded as he motioned for his companions to spread out and pay attention to their surroundings.


    Meanwhile, the group allied to them descended that slope, going to the vicinity of that body, where the 11th-stage worms were.


    They would fight these disgusting creatures for some time, using special items from their organization, which they had been given to deal exclusively with dangers around their target.


    After fighting for a few minutes, they would manage to drive away or kill the parasites and worms trying to eat that grandiose body that only through their devices could they see it.


    Minos observed these individuals discreetly, curious to know if this was an old member of these people''s sect who had stayed in this place, what they were about to do and what they would do when they left The Obsidian Shore.


    ''I''ll just watch. When I leave this place, I''ll pass on everything they do here to the General. Maybe that will earn me some merit points.'' Minos secretly thought.

 Chapter 2300 Pulsar

    Chapter 2300 Pulsar


    After a week of observing the surroundings of the crater that the group of aliens had started working on earlier, they had finished their mission there.


    Unlike Minos'' group''s mission, which was very difficult to carry out and which many of the Armhands had failed in the past, this group''s mission was simpler. They weren''t there to take something shocking that would even influence the lives of Supreme beings.


    Their goal was to take advantage of The Obsidian Shore''s opportunities and then take the corpse and belongings of that ox-horned being.


    Minos paid attention to everything and kept what had happened in mind, eager to leave this place and show his superiors what had happened. Through his mental technique, Infinite Dream, doing so would be easy.


    So Minos said nothing, nor did he ask any questions to those aliens allied to his group. He merely stood in position, ordering his men to protect that crater, without letting their curiosity make the group allied to them realize that he knew something or that they would be a problem.


    ...


    "Are you finished?" One of the aliens from Minos'' group asked their allies, who had finally returned from the large crater they had spent the last few days surrounded by.


    "Yes, we had to dig something out, but it wasn''t difficult to access our target here." Said one of the aliens.


    "Was your mission just that? Our leaders said that our target was risking the lives of everyone here." Said that a member of the group of envoys from Armhands.


    "We didn''t have such a difficult mission... But if your group hadn''t helped us deal with the threats in the surrounding area over the last few days, we would have had some problems." Said the leader of Minos'' allies.


    What he said was the truth. Minos'' group hadn''t just stood around in the surroundings over the last few days. They had fought three times while that allied group of theirs collected what they wanted in the area.


    Minos then changed the subject. "Well, now that you''ve finished, it''s time to move on to the Black Heart site. Do you intend to honor your words?"


    The leader of Minos'' alien allies nodded in the affirmative. "Don''t worry, friend. We''re not liars. We said we would help you, so we will.


    However, it''s like your companion said. Your mission is much more difficult than ours. So we''ll help you as far as we can accept the dangers."


    In his deep consciousness, he saw himself walking alone in this forest as he heard a muffled sound repeating at a specific frequency.


    As he felt this, he couldn''t help but feel as if something was calling him, something he had sensed before.


    "Hah... Hah..." He suddenly opened his eyes, breathing heavily, somewhat puzzled.


    He hadn''t tried to predict the future, but apparently, he had just predicted his fate.


    ''Is this what the level 110 Sovereign showed me?'' He remembered the day he had been stopped by the brother of an old opponent of his.


    But while he was thinking about this, Minos suddenly heard a distinct sound and stopped thinking. He left his tent and looked around.


    Thump-thump!


    Thump-thump!


    "Do you hear that?" He asked his companions on the outskirts of the camp.


    Those on guard in the surroundings immediately turned their eyes to Minos, not understanding what he was talking about.


    "Hearing what?" Someone asked.


    "Don''t you hear that heartbeat sound?" Minos asked as he looked in the direction from which he felt it.


    "I don''t hear anything." Several people said the same thing, as Minos made his armor appear around his body, with him already walking towards what he was hearing.


    "Minos! Where are you going?" One of these men asked, but Minos didn''t hear him.


    "Shit!" This man exclaimed as he left his position and alerted the others to move.

 Chapter 2301 Incorruptible Heart

    Chapter 2301 Incorruptible Heart


    With the speed at which Minos could move currently at level 98, no one in his party could keep up with him if he didn''t want them to.


    Without realizing it, Minos moved with great speed to the place where he heard a beating heart that attracted him.


    He didn''t understand what was going on. Still, relying on what the conscience of the seraph who had helped him in the Spiritual World years ago had told him, he followed it, imagining that he would get something good out of it.


    After the vision of the future he had had because of the jewel given to him by a level 110 Sovereign, the seraph''s hint had been clear. He had narrowly escaped giving valuable information to a potential enemy. Still, he had managed to see something that would help him on his way to power.


    Soon, Minos found himself in an area not far from his group''s camp, a place shrouded in mist with many similar trees standing close together.


    There wasn''t much undergrowth. Because the trees there were very tall and prevented the sunlight from reaching the surface, there weren''t many undergrowth plants. Most of them were small plants that didn''t need light and used the dead leaves of the larger trees as a natural fertilizer.


    Then, just as he could hear the sound of his heart beating louder and louder, he stopped 40 meters away from a tree that he could easily identify from his previous vision. Chee?ck out latest novels at novelhall.com


    It looked exactly like the tree from his first vision years ago when he was at Armhand''s headquarters.


    Something inside that large tree seemed to be calling him, drawing him closer and closer to touch the trunk of the tree.


    He slowly approached the thing while the seraphic wing tattoo seemed to understand where Minos was.


    At the same time, the dragon power sensed that Minos was approaching something special and couldn''t help but display the young man''s terrifying aura.


    Even the sealed power of Henricus Longus in Minos'' body trembled as if it realized it was in the presence of something superior.


    ''Upper Realm...''


    Gulp!


    He then saw what looked like an energy box through the trunk of that tree and used his powers to reach it.


    After cutting down that big tree, he saw the box made of a kind of white energy that made it look like a small star suddenly change, revealing an energy heart and a letter.


    As soon as he saw these two things, the heart entered his body without him being able to do anything to ''defend'' himself, and the letter turned into a ray of light and entered his eyes.


    "Unknown cultivator, if you are reading this, you are one of the many natives of my small universe who have obtained the minimum requirements to begin my legacy.


    Cultivate until you reach level 100. You will take the first of the 3 tests to reach the Upper Realm at that time. As your first prize for meeting the minimum requirements to compete for my legacy, I leave you the Incorruptible Heart. With this essence, your eyes will understand all that they see, your mind will be unshakable, your instincts will be perfect, and no lie will be able to deceive you.


    Prepare yourself. Once you reach level 100, you''ll be sent to an alternate dimension. There, you will fight the first Millennial Massacre of your journey.


    The message left by this being disappeared as soon as Minos read these last words, and he felt this heart integrate perfectly into his body.


    He could feel the impurities leaving his pores, and his cultivation became more solid than ever.


    If his cultivation was as solid as a sand cake when he arrived in this world, it was as solid as an ordinary piece of rock before he absorbed that heart. But now, his cultivation base was as solid as a diamond!


    Minos no longer felt any energy under his control. But he felt that all his senses had tripled in range as he seemed to have a sudden epiphany about his understanding of reality.


    He stood still, his eyes vibrating, as he noticed various things about himself and others, even noticing what was around this area that his group had traveled through.

 Chapter 2302 New Level of Dominance

    Chapter 2302 New Level of Dominance


    Feeling his Bright Eyes much stronger than before, Minos noticed the dark hand over the area where his group was, where the Black Heart mission had supposedly failed.


    Looking through the mist in that area, he saw what looked like a giant specter with its hands over that area, while not far from where he was, an ancient corpse was buried.


    In the surroundings of that ancient tomb, many bodies and remnants of bodies long dead in the area remained. At the same time, beings invisible to ordinary people existed in droves there, practically venerating that corpse.


    Around that being''s burial place, a black liquid like tar seemed to corrupt all the surrounding ground, and anything that fell into it would surely die.


    However, Minos could also see its potential. If it were used on an already dead body, this black liquid would bring it back to life in a kind of dark reincarnation.


    Someone like him could think of the possibility of bringing back to life those they had lost along their journey. That was a sensible thing to consider. But Minos now had eyes that couldn''t be fooled.


    When he saw that thing, he quickly understood that, even if he had Isabella''s body with him and tried to bring her back to life, what he would have as a result of such a taboo practice would be a monster, not his beloved wife.


    But he readily understood that it was a bit of what Armhands wanted!


    ''My leaders in Armhands want this liquid, so I''ll take it. That is my path to freedom and my return to the Spiritual World.'' He thought to himself as he set out to get his hands dirty and collect that corrupt liquid.


    He felt that nothing good would come of that liquid or the corpse in that grave. But there was no other way for him to solve this than by collecting what his leaders wanted.


    While he was thinking about this, Ruth and the others found him in the fog.


    "Minos!" She shouted as she ran towards him, feeling her heart leap in her chest.


    Ruth asked him, trying to dampen the bad mood in the surroundings. "How difficult is our objective in the area? What kind of opponent will we have to face?"


    "We can have access to what we want in a few days. The problem will be collecting what we''re here to collect. It''s quite threatening and dangerous. With the slightest mistake, we could all die.


    But if we take it easy, we can survive and succeed in the Black Heart mission." He said, looking at his staff.


    "That''s it? I thought Black Heart was a challenging mission many failed to complete." Said one of Minos'' guild mates.


    "Indeed. That is an impossible mission for those who don''t have the necessary requirements. But we''ll be able to do it because of my visual ability." Minos said.


    The heart he had just gained would help him a lot in this. In particular, it would greatly reduce the risks and time needed for them to complete the mission. But even without such a thing, he could complete this objective. It would be more difficult and time-consuming, of course, but it could be done.


    The problem was having a way of seeing the problems in that area and knowing how to deal with those creatures.


    Minos knew how to do this even before he received such a heart, so he was confident in what he had to do to complete his mission there.


    "The biggest problem will be post-collection. As far as I know, some guild groups have almost completed the collection stage. But they failed when trying to leave the area with such essence." He said to prepare his staff.


    "This could cost us as much as or more than the work needed to reach this goal."


    After he said this, the group fell silent, waiting for his orders. Minos had become immense in comparison to everyone there. From now on, they would only move when he gave his order.


    He realized the situation and ordered. "Follow me. Let''s approach the area."


    With him finally releasing his allies from the previous pressure, he went ahead of the group while the others followed behind him in silence.

 Chapter 2303 Simple Plan

    Chapter 2303 Simple Plan


    After some time, Minos'' group was closer to where the grave surrounded by black liquid was.


    As soon as they reached that place, Minos saw the ghostly creatures and various kinds of malicious attacks from the surrounding negativity being launched at them.


    He made his move by borrowing the cultivation of his companions and brought his cultivation to the peak of level 99. Even though he was at level 98, and he usually would have gained 2 levels of power by using his innate ability, the difference between the 10th and 11th stages was so great he couldn''t do it today.


    However, his strength had reached the absolute peak of a cultivator''s strength in the Mortal Journey.


    Minos had already made his allies afraid of his power, so he didn''t hide anything anymore. As soon as he reached the critical point between the 10th and 11th stages, he spread his golden wings, showing the power of this absorbable weapon.


    It emitted a golden glow as he activated his most advanced technique, Nullification!


    The moment he stood in front of his group in that piece of forest that corrosive and negative forces had degraded, he made several of the spectral creatures that only he could see disappear.


    His group couldn''t see these creatures, but they could feel the terrible auras around them, staring at them as if they wanted their bodies.


    When Minos acted, and several of these auras disappeared, his group members realized it was because of him that the level 114 general behind this group had confidence in them.


    Minos'' allies felt the terrible spiritual fluctuations they were sure could kill them being erased by their ally, and they felt even more respect for this brown-haired man.


    Minos'' wings moved, and several golden feathers flew out from both of them, flying in specific directions to attack the negative creatures in the area and make the many creatures attacking them a little afraid.


    There were a lot of creatures there. It seemed that for every one Minos killed, two or three new creatures appeared in the area, while skeletons began to rise from the ground and turn on them.


    In addition to the Bright Eyes and his ability to raise his cultivation level, he also possessed the Dark Sea, a powerful mental technique, and the aura of a dragon. It would be tough for that tomb to affect him, so the level 114 General had decided to give him this opportunity and was confident that he would succeed.


    But as Minos himself had told his companions, it would take time and effort to reach their destination in this area. He''d have to spend the next few days dealing with the many lost souls in the area if he was to get the chance his superiors had been waiting for.


    ...


    Two weeks after the first battle against the harmful creatures at the Black Heart mission site, Minos'' group was still on the area''s outskirts.


    Minos had fought the ghosts and dead souls of this place several times, using the fight-and-retreat strategy.


    It had paid off, and he expected to reach his destination in the area in another week.


    However, things would only get harder once that happened, so he was already preparing for the most important battle in the area.


    Amid this, other groups of beings who had entered The Obsidian Shore had passed close by and gotten into trouble with his group.


    That had resulted in three battles for the group, with the first casualty among their 16 members since they entered this dangerous region over two years ago.


    The group was wiser to the threats of those who also wanted the useful resource of the death worshippers, so some of them were now positioned around the area to keep an eye on the terrain in which they operated.


    Meanwhile, Minos and some of the group entered the area''s place of doom again for another big fight to clear a path to the tomb where the body of an ancient creature lay.


    As they approached the corpse, Minos''s opponents grew stronger, demanding more from the young level 98 Grandmaster.


    Soon, he would face the most powerful of these beings, a magnificent level 106 shadow that surrounded this land of doom!

 Chapter 2304 The Power of Doom vs. Fleshdrain

    Chapter 2304 The Power of Doom vs. Fleshdrain


    After killing the last of the weaker creatures in the area where he was with his people, Minos sighed as he encountered one of the last enemies on his way.


    A giant shadow, 8 meters tall, with three hands and two legs and level 106 cultivation, stopped in front of him on his way to the tomb in the middle of the area.


    This creature had three strange jewels on the fingers of its three hands, which emitted powerful fluctuations.


    When it stood in front of Minos, it used those three jewels, making them glow while three special powers appeared in its body, raising its level to 107.


    Minos watched as his staff focused on providing him with energy, regeneration, and cultivation support, standing a few dozen meters behind him.


    Minos saw the trail of darkness between the shadow and the grave in that area and realized that the shadowy creature in front of him couldn''t be the last one there.


    ''It looks like this corpse is more special than I expected.'' He realized the problem.


    "Creature, reveal yourself! I know you''re conscious!" He shouted towards the grave, where a creature with a humanoid body was buried.


    In the midst of this, an energy dragon attacked the place with the intention of destroying it.


    However, all that came out of that place was a loud laugh as that superior form of the dragon''s gaze struck the ancient tomb there, failing to even cause the place to shake.


    "Hahahahaha." The sound of laughter reached Minos and his companions'' ears, causing them to feel a strange sensation as they realized that the one nearby was not normal.


    "Young man, are you trying to challenge me with that?"


    As this voice came out, the lid of a coffin was kicked off, revealing the inside of an ancient urn where a humanoid body with a preserved appearance stood up.


    This being was dressed in an ancient costume and had several glowing orange tattoos around its body, indicating ancient curses.


    When it opened its eyes, all Minos'' people could see was a reddish-orange glow, while the many hairs on the creature''s face hid its expression.


    His defense withstood the enemy''s attack, but not without him suffering the consequences!


    When he was struck in the back, Minos felt his wings breaking, while a large part of his energy was spent on his defense, making him quickly turn pale.


    "Cough!" He coughed up blood as he was thrown to the ground, unable to help but taste his own blood once again in this terrible world.


    The undead creature saw him in this situation and felt that everything was settled there. There was no way that this young creature, who was already fighting so far above his own level, could do anything more to it in this situation.


    It moved and appeared in front of Minos, looking interested in this body.


    "Perhaps your body is what I need to leave this place, young Grandmaster." It said in its dark voice, which alone was capable of making all of Minos'' companions in the area tremble.


    But none of Minos'' allies moved. They knew what their boss''s plan was to deal with this terrible level 108 creature.


    A subtle smile appeared on Minos'' face as he felt the creature grab him by the neck and pull him close.


    "That''s your mistake, underestimating me."


    After saying these words, the snake tattoo on Minos'' forehead moved as his weakened aura suddenly changed, quickly causing his level to break the level 100 barrier for the first time in his life!


    The moment this happened, the creature realized the problem and trembled in fear.


    But before it could even move away from Minos, it froze in its position in front of the young man''s Space and Time Domain, who was using the sacrifice of the parasite Fleshdrain!


    Realizing that the life of an important member of the Armhands was in danger, Fleshdrain sacrificed itself, temporarily giving Minos the powers of a level 102 true Sovereign!


    Having temporarily attained the cultivation of a level 102 Sovereign, Minos felt his vision of the future come true, as the space tens of meters away from him became his domain for him to dictate.


    "This is my victory, undead creature!"


    ''NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!''

 Chapter 2305 Mission Over?

    Chapter 2305 Mission Over?


    By temporarily reaching level 102, Minos had reached a level of power that would allow him to easily have total dominance over an opponent of up to level 107.


    However, as much as that undead was at level 108, Minos'' powers were special within his Space and Time Domain.


    If that creature hadn''t been so close to Minos, if it hadn''t been unprepared, it would have been able to move even a little within the space under Emperor Stuart''s influence. But by confidently grabbing Minos'' neck with its hands as it prepared to defeat its opponent, this creature made the big mistake of underestimating him.


    As the Flashdrain sacrificed itself to prevent the death of its host, Minos'' power skyrocketed, just as he had predicted would happen in this battle.


    Knowing what would happen at this point in the battle, Minos was not slow. When he felt his cultivation at such a new level, he caused space and time around him to stop functioning properly.


    A spatial trap quickly formed around him and the level 108 undead, while time for that creature began to speed up to an absurd degree.


    While 1 second passed for Minos, 10 seconds passed for that creature.


    How could something like that help Minos? Well, one unit of energy expended by Minos would be equivalent to 10 units of energy expended by that being for the same period of time.


    That being still had more energy than Minos, so it could use more of its powers to try to escape its opponent. However, the distance between it and the opponent who wanted to kill it had become much smaller, and it couldn''t stay in that situation.


    That being quickly felt that it couldn''t escape Minos and couldn''t start screaming in its mind in desperation. But it couldn''t break the time-space trap even if it used everything it had. Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com


    Minos recovered the glow of the Divine Sword to this supreme weapon while aiming it at the black heart of the motionless creature in front of him.


    To collect what was in that area, they couldn''t come into direct contact with those things with their skins. But there was a simple way to collect such resources. As long as one used the free energy in the air to control these things and stored them in special devices, it was possible to collect everything there, even considering the danger of these essences and materials.


    As soon as he had warned his group how cautious they should be in this area, Minos began his work, using a large urn he had in his spatial ring to store the body of that ancient being.


    According to his group''s information, this creature had been there since ancient times. It was an ancient specialist who had come to this place, fleeing from Zocarro''s forces, and wanted to hunt it down.


    After entering The Obsidian Shore and finding a place where it could evolve, such a creature made this place its home until the first one who hunted it discovered not only its situation but also what it had accomplished.


    According to the informants behind the creation of the Black Heart mission, this being had found a magical source for necromancy, something extremely valuable for special practices.


    Armhands was not a force that sought supremacy through sacrifice or necromancy. But the guild was interested in any resources that could make it stronger.


    That was why they had created the Black Heart mission, whose main purpose was to collect some of the essences that such an ancient expert had found, as well as its corpse.


    It hadn''t been as strong as it was now during that mission, so the Grandmasters had a better chance of defeating it back then. But there weren''t many beings like Minos in the universe. Even if there were a few like him in the far corners of the universe, only a few of them would be from the same organization.


    Since none of the groups that had gone after this being until that day had the same characteristics as Minos, the mission in question had only become more difficult as this being grew stronger.


    Armhands still hoped to get what they wanted by sacrificing their members'' parasites, so the guild continued to invest in it.


    Anyway, today, they succeeded in the first part of their interest in The Obsidian Shore. But this was only the beginning of their journey!


    After gathering everything the guild wanted from this place, Minos and his people would have to escape safely!

 Chapter 2306 Weeks of Gathering and Defense

    Chapter 2306 Weeks of Gathering and Defense


    The special thing about the resources in the area where the undead had spent its time over the past few millennia was that while it existed, this being protected itself by hiding the area''s powerful spiritual fluctuations.


    With its death and the inability of Minos'' staff to contain the powerful fluctuations in the area, many beings in the vicinity would soon realize that there was something valuable there.


    Not only special creatures from this area of The Obsidian Shore would notice and take an interest in it. Competitors who came to the area for opportunities would also notice the change Minos had brought about.


    After two weeks of working and protecting the area since the undead died, the group had gathered almost everything they wanted there, but leaving the place wouldn''t be easy.


    While Minos had returned to his normal level of 98 and was weakened by his Flashdrain''s sacrifice, many enemies would want to collect what they had worked so hard to obtain!


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    By the third week after the undead''s death...


    Minos'' party was almost completely surrounded by powerful creatures at this point, with the members of the Armhands and their allies fighting to defend the group''s position.


    Even after three weeks and the improvement in Minos'' condition, the group had been surrounded for several days and couldn''t just leave the area.


    They wanted to move to begin their retreat from this place. Still, the monsters of The Obsidian Shore, who had been closest to them when everything happened, were on their trail, trying to take what they had collected.


    While the creatures attacked them and their stronger companions counterattacked to try and keep the group''s situation in check, Minos was at Ruth''s side with the group''s doctor.


    "Ruth, this will depend on you," Minos said with a terrible look on his face.


    Just like Minos, Ruth''s power suddenly increased, crossing the level 100 barrier and reaching level 101.


    Of course, this wasn''t enough power for her to defeat the enemies around her. However, with her cultivation reaching such a level, she would not only be able to defend and counterattack better, but she would also be able to help the various members of her group recover faster.


    By temporarily strengthening her soul, she could even help Minos recover from his weakened state faster!


    As soon as she felt that her cultivation had stabilized at level 101, she did what she had to do and directed her innate ability to help all of her companions recover from their conditions. At the same time, she focused on helping Minos, who could really help them get out of this area.


    Minos wouldn''t fully recover as a result of her actions. However, in addition to the fact that his recovery was immediately accelerated when Ruth connected with him, he felt his strength improving temporarily.


    He would be able to fight as long as her power was at level 101 and she helped him!


    Minos did not hesitate to use his innate ability to steal the cultivation of some of his less useful allies and increase his cultivation, but he also tried to help Ruth become even stronger.


    As much as she was helping him, that didn''t stop him from trying to help her as well!


    But Ruth''s level didn''t increase much with Minos'' help. Without reaching the 11th stage, it would be tough for him to influence Sovereigns in this way.


    In any case, as soon as he had the chance to join the battle, he didn''t hesitate to merge his techniques and create a huge black hole.


    It would be suicide to try to defeat these enemies by fighting ordinarily. So he quickly prepared to use the Black Hole Bomb while he still had the chance!


    At this rate, he and his allies would face the first desperate situation of their journey out of The Obsidian Shore.


    They would be able to leave the area where they were surrounded, but they would not be able to kill all of their enemies, nor would they be able to escape from enemies with the same goal as them.


    From now on, they would be on a desperate run to get out of this region!

 Chapter 2307 Sacrifices and Losses\

    Chapter 2307 Sacrifices and Losses


    Three days later...


    Minos'' group was currently being attacked by competitors who had entered The Obsidian Shore for more or less the same reasons as themselves: to take advantage of the opportunities in the area.


    Level 99, 100, and 101 creatures were attacking them, while some of the monsters in the area were taking part in the attack under the influence of these creatures.


    You might think that Minos'' party would be able to deal easily with these threats, but things weren''t that simple!


    Minos was still not 100%, while the sacrifice of her Flashdrain severely weakened Ruth. Almost the entire party was wounded from the battle they had fought against mid-level Sovereigns to escape the previous area where they had collected the Black Heart mission objective.


    As a result, even creatures weaker than those they had recently defeated were able to pressure them!


    However, the group would not fall today. As the team''s main warrior, Minos would fend off or kill the enemies closest to his people today.


    Using his powers to the maximum that his current state allowed, Minos increased his and his allies'' cultivation with the help of their enemies. Meanwhile, he displayed the splendor of his technique fusions, using several variations to shock the unprepared enemies.


    Even when weakened, they were difficult to defeat. After 5 minutes of fighting with what they had at their disposal, Minos'' group killed half of the aliens and monsters that attacked them.


    "Damn it! I didn''t expect them to be so strong!" Said one of the fleeing aliens after his group''s attack, and others failed, mostly because of Minos.


    "Who is this man with the golden wings? That bastard killed a level 103 Sovereign with one blow!" Shouted another fleeing individual, who couldn''t help but think of the scene when Minos used the indestructible body to deal with one of the monsters that had also attacked him along with those aliens competing in the area.


    As much as monsters and competitors were no allies, the powerful beings who lived on The Obsidian Shore were no fools. They knew when to ignore or even temporarily ally with other beings against their goals.


    "Yes. Be prepared to use whatever cards you have up your sleeve. Either you use them to get there, or you''ll probably fall in the next few days." Minos said without any doubt in his heart.


    Everyone in the group was more or less nervous about what they had to do. But Minos was right to think of the Obsidian City.


    Obsidian City was the main point of The Obsidian Shore, a place abandoned by time and relatively safe from special phenomena that could surprise and kill visitors to the area.


    It was considered a neutral point in the region, where the monsters of the area could not enter, but also a place where it was impossible to use powers to fight.


    Obsidian City was like a sacred place amid chaos. Its natural laws prevented almost any violent action, so even if it wasn''t impossible for other groups like Minos'' to enter, no one could force their group to do anything there.


    On the other hand, this site was blessed for cultivation. Any injured person or cultivator who wanted to improve their strength and who was in the area would always consider entering Obsidian City!


    Knowing the area''s characteristics, Minos'' fellow cultivators could understand his motivation. Not only that but considering the dangers they had already experienced in the short time since they had left the undead''s place of death, they couldn''t help but feel pessimistic about traveling out of this area in the condition they were in.


    If only they were in their best condition, they might hesitate to go to Obsidian City. However, since they were mostly tired and injured, they couldn''t help but like the idea of a place where they could recuperate and cultivate for a while.


    So they would soon start their journey to that place while already thinking about what they could use to make sure they got there.


    ...


    Over the next four days, Minos'' group would face another great battle that would take the most out of some of them but would also be the end of life for others.


    Unfortunately, this was not a journey that everyone who started would finish.


    However, the group would use the sacrifices of their companions to continue their goal until they reached the Obsidian City. With no other choice, they would do whatever it took to reach their goal!

 Chapter 2308 The Obsidian City

    Chapter 2308 The Obsidian City


    A few days later...


    That afternoon, Minos'' party had finally gotten close enough to their destination to see the silhouette of the old Obsidian City. Chee?ck out latest novels at novelhall.com


    But their group was no longer the same. With their losses in the battles of the past few days, only nine of them had reached this place.


    Of those killed in the last few days, one was a native of the Spiritual World, one was a member of the Armhands, and all the others were allies of Minos'' group.


    Minos and Ruth were still there. She was still suffering from the consequences of sacrificing her Flashdrain. At the same time, Minos suffered serious injuries to his body that would have killed others. However, given his strength and resilience, he was still strong enough to carry his wife in his arms.


    The other members of the group were equally bad or worse. Of the Armhands there, another had managed to use his flashdrain parasite to gain power and help the group, so he was in the same situation as Ruth.


    So far, Minos'' surviving allies have used every weapon in their arsenal, even losing the powerful artifacts they obtained during the group''s first exploration of this region.


    Such artifacts might have saved some of the remaining lives at that point!


    Anyway, now they were finally within reach of the Obsidian City. Upon arriving there, they quickened their pace, anxious to enter this sanctuary as soon as possible to avoid further casualties.


    ...


    After a few minutes, Minos'' group entered Obsidian City under the gaze of other aliens who were already there to rest or cultivate.


    But not only these beings watched them as they walked through the first streets of this long abandoned place. The last few individuals who had been chasing them watched them enter the place and couldn''t help but show their hatred for the ''cowardice'' of this group.


    The monsters who arrived there didn''t leave the area and soon settled down to wait for the moment when Minos'' people would leave their hiding place. Meanwhile, the competitors who were in the area to take advantage of the opportunity entered the city just after Minos'' group.


    ''Tsk! Zocarro is truly a fantastic place. The opportunities in this world are unparalleled. I''ll bring Gloria and Abby here in the future.'' He thought to himself.


    Soon, however, he would focus entirely on absorbing the energy in his surroundings and channeling it into his wounds and his soul.


    He would need a period of seclusion just to recover his physical condition. Only after a long process of recovery could he attempt to meditate in search of spiritual improvement!


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, 19 months had passed since Minos'' group had arrived in the Obsidian City.


    That had been enough time for most of the group to recover from their conditions and start cultivating, seeking improvements in their spiritual levels and understanding of cultivation.


    But it took Minos all that time to recover from his injuries and the sacrifice of Flashdrain. The greater the effect of that worm''s sacrifice, the greater the remaining effects.


    After more than a year and a half in this place, he would finish recovering and return to his best state before the sacrifice.


    Having reached the best state to cultivate his soul and seek improvements in terms of understanding, Minos ignored the enemies watching him in this area and began his meditation in search of level 99.


    As it was, he thought that if he were at the Armhands'' headquarters, it would take him six and a half years to become a level 99 Grandmaster. However, in this place, he thought that he could achieve the same result in less than 4 years.


    There were still a little over 6 years left before The Obsidian Shore returned to its previous state of chaos when those in the area would have to leave or hide for the next few thousand years.


    That was enough time for him to move on and leave the area safely, so he intended to stay there for the time being.


    Ruth and their companions would meditate while he was in seclusion, but the first of them to complete their progress would try to take advantage of the opportunities this city offered.


    As reliable as Minos was, it would be better for everyone if they had methods of leaving The Obsidian Shore without having to rely on him so much!

 Chapter 2309 Nearing the End

    Chapter 2309 Nearing the End


    As this generation''s opening of The Obsidian Shore entered its fifth year, the first people who had entered the place and managed to survive up to that point began to leave the area.


    Each week, one group or another left the area while the groups waiting for their emissaries began to grow nervous.


    It would be just over four years before the place returned to its unstable and inaccessible state. However, as time passed, the groups waiting for their subordinates or companions became concerned about their plans and the vital status of their personnel.


    One of the interesting facts about this place was that even if an individual with people outside with devices connected to their vitality were to die, this information would not reach the people outside of it!


    Only by the end of the time the place could remain stable could the groups be sure their messengers had died.


    There was no way that Grandmasters or low-ranked Sovereigns could survive in that place after the catastrophic phenomena in the area had returned to their worst.


    The monsters that existed in the area had special characteristics that allowed them to survive the worst times in the area, and some of them could go into hibernation for thousands of years.


    Most visitors should not be compatible with the place, so staying there after the 10-year period was the same as dying. Either such a being had to have died, which prevented it from leaving the area, or it would die, as ordinary beings could not survive in the area.


    Thus, groups like the Armhands became increasingly nervous about the possibility that their emissaries had failed.


    ...


    In the city near the area where Minos'' group was, the level 114 Sovereign, General of Armhands, was still waiting for his guild''s envoys in this generation.


    Today, he was again on a conference call with the Sovereigns who were waiting for Minos'' group''s return near The Obsidian Shore entrance.


    "So? Are there any results?" he asked, hoping to hear something different from what he had heard recently.


    "No." Said the leader of the Sovereigns in the place where individuals as strong as this General could not go.


    The Obsidian Shore prevented Sovereigns from entering its region. But the stronger the Sovereign was, the farther they had to be from that place, or they might suffer negative effects.


    "This is better than nothing. Soldier Minos shows great promise. He''ll make Officer even without this mission."


    The alien next to Rhett did not comment, continuing to observe their surroundings, where there were still 35 other groups like theirs.


    Some groups had already moved on with the departure of the first survivors from The Obsidian Shore, so there had already been chases, escapes, and battles outside of this place.


    There would be many more fights in the coming months, and some of these 35 groups would leave to return to their organizations or even die on the way.


    ...


    Meanwhile, two more years passed within The Obsidian Shore.


    More groups had left the area. As time passed and the end of the ten years of ''tranquility'' approached, the phenomena around the area became more intense.


    The Obsidian Shore did not have the same stability in all areas or throughout the entire 10-year interval.


    The first few months after the ''stabilization'' of the phenomena in the area were the best, while every day that passed after the 5th year of this period of ''tranquility,'' the phenomena in the area got worse.


    Even though the place still had many opportunities and valuable resources, several groups that had survived so far abandoned their interests and left the area every day.


    In the midst of this, Minos and his party were still in Obsidian City, where all of their surviving allies and party members had not only recovered but had also increased in level over the past few months.


    Some of them had even begun quests within the city in search of valuable resources to help them on their way out.


    Only Minos was still cultivating, but that was about to change.


    Nearly 4 years after recovering from his injuries, Minos has finally reached the peak of level 98 and has begun to advance to level 99!


    With this breakthrough, the group''s departure from this area was finally imminent.


    Of the nine people there, with the weakest of them, Ruth, at level 98, and the strongest of them, a level 102 alien, it would be time for them to face their final challenges in this region!

 Chapter 2310 New Level of Power

    Chapter 2310 New Level of Power


    When Minos opened his eyes, he felt his aura rapidly increase his power by more than 11%, while the range and capacity of all his abilities increased accordingly.


    After a long journey of cultivation, he reached level 99, which was previously considered the pinnacle of the Spiritual World. Those who reached this level would lead with virtually no enemies able to defeat them.


    He had often wondered what the day would be like when he reached this level and could realistically consider advancing to level 100.


    Now he was finally there!


    As he thought about it, he suddenly felt the wing tattoo on one of his hands warm up.


    ''Congratulations on reaching level 99. Don''t get hung up on reaching level 100. If you really want to deal with the problems of the Spiritual World, don''t go enter the Divine Journey until you''ve sorted everything out there.'' The conscience of the seraph in the wing tattoo advised Minos.


    ''Why?''


    ''Because of the legacy you''ve received, which will test you when you reach level 100. Even though the passage of time in the place where you will be sent is different from the passage of time in the Spiritual World, the Millennial Massacre lasts a thousand years. Even if time in your world is slower than in that place, you could still be gone long enough for all your acquaintances to have perished in the War of the Worlds.


    It''s better to hold off on progressing when you reach the peak of the 10th stage and only go after you''ve accomplished all your goals.'' The soul remnant in the tattoo explained. ''After that, I''ll guide you in fulfilling your promise to me.''


    ''I see. Thank you for the tip.''


    ''Anyway, I don''t need to become stronger than I already am to solve the problems of my world. What worries me is the way back to the Spiritual World.'' Minos commented.


    ''Yes, I understand. But you should be fine. Invest in your companions. It won''t be a problem if they get stronger. In any case, good luck. I''ll talk to you again when you''ve finished your business in the Spiritual World.''


    But they were not the only ones moving. The moment their group passed the exit of that place, three other groups followed them, one moving faster towards them and the other two moving more cautiously.


    As soon as they left the area, the monsters waiting for Minos on the city''s outskirts also moved and immediately started chasing them.


    Minos looked at the creatures that hadn''t given up and sighed, seeing that he wouldn''t get any rest.


    ''So be it. If you want the terror of death, here I am.'' He thought as he stopped, not hesitating to take the lead of his group and use his innate ability against one of the aliens who approached him, armed with his group, to attack Minos'' people.


    Minos then made his cultivation jump from level 99 to level 100, this time without the use of a special parasite sacrifice but through his ability!


    When his cultivation reached level 100, his powers increased until his strength became similar to that of a level 103 Sovereign, even though he was only at level 100.


    At that moment, Minos quickly made the Divine Sword appear while his wings opened, emitting an intense glow against the creatures moving against his group.


    He moved his sword vertically against the strongest enemy in the area, a level 106 creature, slicing through space as he moved the weapon.


    Then, under the gaze of dozens of surrounding creatures, a giant of energy with the appearance of Minos crossed the space with a sword in its hand until it sliced through that huge snake-like monster as if that level 106 creature was nothing.


    "I have given you years to make up your minds. Now, there is no salvation." Minos told all these creatures as his allies felt their auras reaching levels 101, 102, and 103.


    As their powers increased, the strongest cheered as they took up their weapons to face the many enemies in the area.


    After suffering and being forced to flee and hide, they couldn''t help but crave the blood of those many creatures around them that were trying to pressure them once again!


    "Attack!"


    "Kill those wretches!"

 Chapter 2311 Leaving The Obsidian Shore (1)

    Chapter 2311 Leaving The Obsidian Shore (1)


    With Minos'' help, but also with their situation much better than it had been years ago, his group quickly exterminated the aliens and monsters in their path.


    They were now much stronger and had better support from their companions, such as Ruth, who, with Minos'' help, improved her regeneration after reaching level 99 and helped the group much more than before.


    At the same time, being stronger and equipped with the weapons they had acquired in Obsidian City, the group naturally stood a better chance against those creatures that were unprepared or hadn''t improved as much as they had.


    The key to all this, of course, was Minos. His allies had improved at about the same rate as some of his enemies in Obsidian City over the years. But he was different. He had improved much more and reached a level that gave him the chance to completely upset a confrontation like this.


    Soon, all the enemies in his group would die under his powerful attacks, which in itself would scare away other creatures interested in what Minos had collected earlier.


    Aware of this, when he finished killing those creatures, Minos immediately consumed a spiritual restorative potion before collecting the bodies of the enemies and their belongings.


    Normally, he would have fled after finding an opening. But today, he had the luxury of taking his enemies'' precious resources before leaving with his team still in good fighting condition.


    "I didn''t expect you to be so strong at level 99, Your Majesty." Said the Spiritual World native who was standing next to Minos and Ruth as they flew toward the exit of The Obsidian Shore.


    "Me neither." Minos smiled, feeling sincere. Chee?ck out latest novels at novelhall.com


    Without the opportunities he''d found in Zocarro over the past 15 years, he wouldn''t have reached level 99, let alone his current fighting skills.


    Minos estimated that if he had been in the Spiritual World and had reached such a level without leaving this planet, he would have been more than 90% weaker.


    Even if level 99 in Zocarro and the Spiritual World were the same, anyone who reached such a level of cultivation in that magnificent world would naturally be more powerful than someone on the home planet of these three individuals.


    In the midst of all of this, today, the group once again encountered a problem on their journey as they faced yet another atmospheric calamity common to this area.


    Strong winds, capable of cutting through mountain rocks and injuring Sovereigns, were showing up where they were now, while colored lightning bolts, similar to the Lightning Tribulations of the Spiritual World, were cutting through the sky.


    In the midst of this, spatial and temporal distortions were on the outskirts, threatening to disintegrate this group amid the disaster that had suddenly appeared around their group.


    Everyone was tense as they positioned themselves in the defensive formation Minos had devised, using his Space and Time Avatar to try to mitigate the atmospheric effects on his group.


    The ideal would be to stay away from an area affected by such things. Unfortunately, the phenomena had suddenly started all around them. The only option for them there was to cross the stormy area!


    So Ruth and the group''s support members were inside Minos'' soul projection, supporting him and the strongest men there, while he and the group''s level 102 Sovereigns cautiously walked through the area.


    Ka-Boom!


    A bolt of red lightning struck a huge tree not far from them, shattering it into thousands of pieces in a matter of moments.


    Ruth saw the wood splinters flying through the surrounding area so fast that they could hurt Grandmasters like her!


    The chaos in this area was so bad that the secondary effects of its phenomena could be deadly dangerous!


    Minos also sensed this and continued to move slowly and cautiously.


    While he and his stronger companions were sweating and expending their energy to resist the chaos of the area, their eyes widened when some of those phenomena suddenly weakened.


    "Now!" He shouted for everyone to fly, already moving to carry those inside his soul projection.


    Everyone in the group moved quickly, aware that these phenomena would suddenly vary in intensity, which could be their chance to escape from this piece of chaotic space.

 Chapter 2312 Leaving The Obsidian Shore (2)

    Chapter 2312 Leaving The Obsidian Shore (2)


    2312 Leaving The Obsidian Shore (2)


    After a few more days, Minos'' party overcame the rocks in their path, escaped the previous stormy area, and then defeated another group of monsters in their path.


    Fortunately, the closer they got to the exit of The Obsidian Shore region, the weaker the creatures on their way became. The creatures on this part of the journey were mostly low-


    level Sovereigns, creatures that could no longer be considered a major challenge to Minos'' group. Chee?ck out latest novels at novelhall.com


    On the 19th day after leaving Obsidian City, the group entered the dirt road they had used to enter this region and soon came upon the portal where they could successfully leave The Obsidian Shore!


    Minos and his 8 remaining companions smiled upon seeing this place about a kilometer away, satisfied that they had completed their journey.


    Not only had they survived this terrible place, but they had also completed their missions and grown stronger in the 8 or so years they had been there.


    As they climbed the steps in front of the massive portal in this area, the two groups of experts from their sects moved as they appeared in front of the steps on the other side of the portal.


    Minos caught a glimpse of Rhett, a smile on his furry face as he saw that his soldier had survived, though he looked rather wounded and tired.


    Minos and his group were in terrible shape. If they had to fight one more time, the group would probably lose some of its members!


    But before crossing the portal and reaching the area where there would be no more danger for his group, Minos paused with his people as he pointed out the various other groups on the outskirts of this area and turned his attention to them, their auras rising one by one.


    "Don''t worry. We''ll take care of this." Said the leader of this group, a level 106 Sovereign.


    Minos looked strangely at the level 102 ally next to him.


    Rhett said to them. "You have already put in more effort than you should have. Now, enjoy the ride while we return to the city. The General will personally escort you back to headquarters."


    Some of Minos'' companions relaxed when they heard this.


    However, while they were being moved at great speed by Rhett''s powers, two individuals, one level 110 and one level 108, began to chase them!


    None of them realized it at first, but not long after leaving the entrance/exit of The Obsidian Shore, the group faced two beings from their own guild attacking them!


    When they realized that someone was attacking them, Minos quickly identified the level 110 creature, the twin brother of the creature that had attacked him several years ago during the Silverdawn crisis.


    "You!" Minos shouted as he looked at them, realizing the one behind the seraph''s soul remnant alarm was most likely the guy next to the level 110 Sovereign.


    "Minos Stuart, I presume." The young master of the level 110 Sovereign said as he looked at the human being Rhett was carrying.


    "You... You''re from our guild! What do you think you''re doing?" Rhett asked as he looked at these beings.


    "Officer, don''t get this wrong. We don''t want the guild''s target in this mission," the level 110 Sovereign said. "We just want what Minos took from this place for himself."


    The former young master of the Silverdawn sect raised his weapon and said. "Just give Minos Stuart to us. The rest of you can return to the city where the General awaits you."


    "You!" Rhett stopped flying towards the city and immediately became more serious. "Do you realize who Minos is to the guild? What you''re doing is treason!"


    "We will tell the story as we see fit." Said the level 110 Sovereign. "Young master, it looks like this group isn''t going to cooperate like I said..."


    "Hmm, if they''d rather die with Minos, so be it!" Said the level 108 individual before he moved against Minos, and his ally followed against Rhett.

 Chapter 2313 Priceless Sacrifice!

    Chapter 2313 Priceless Sacrifice!


    Suddenly, several scorpion stings appeared in the vicinity of Minos'' group, with the level 108 attacks heading toward Emperor Stuart''s teammates.


    At the same time, Rhett had no choice but to face the level 110 Sovereign, who was attacking him with a giant insect paw.


    As much as Rhett could try to fight the former young master of Silverdawn in his current state, he couldn''t causally take on a level 110 Sovereign!


    Being the brother of the enemy who had almost killed Minos years ago could kill him in a few blows if he wasn''t careful and fought with him as his sole focus from the beginning of the confrontation.


    "Minos, run! The General is not far from here. If you leave us, you might be able to escape!" Rhett shouted before pulling Minos and the others aside to entertain his level 110 opponent.


    Minos, Ruth, and his other three companions who had just left The Obsidian Shore trembled, but he didn''t take long to make a decision, using his allies'' cultivation to raise his own level.


    "Sorry. I can''t do this." He shouted to Rhett as he raised his cultivation to level 100, not at his best, but currently in much better condition than when he had almost been killed by the level 110 Sovereign.


    Minos spread his wings as his soul projection grew considerably, instantly covering the entire space where his companions and Ruth were. His wings covered his magnificent body, creating a golden barrier of wings between them and the scorpion sting attacks.


    "Huh? That absorbable weapon is really impressive!" The young master of the level 110 Sovereign said as he felt his attack hurt Minos, but not enough to knock him out, let alone fatally wound him.


    "But how long can you last?" This guy asked as he laughed devilishly before moving and, this time, attacking Minos with his own body.


    He brought his scorpion sting into position and aimed it at Minos'' heart, intending to take away what this young man from the Spiritual World had taken from The Obsidian Shore.


    Minos did the only thing he could, using his strongest fusion, the Divine Sword, to counter his opponent.


    As the golden blade of his sword touched the creature''s brown stinger, Minos felt several of the bones in his arms break as his sword shattered.


    The level 108 Sovereign realized Minos'' risky action and turned pale!


    That was the purpose of the Black Heart mission!


    He had never imagined Minos wasting that precious resource trying to kill him!


    "Oh, shit!" He couldn''t help but curse as the surroundings deteriorated under that liquid''s corruption and deadly power, which was already causing the surrounding plants to rot even though it hadn''t touched anything yet.


    The creatures fighting not far away felt the sensation of that resource becoming ten times stronger, something that would even reach the city in the vicinity of that area.


    The spatial ring Minos had used was special and could contain the aura of resources, which could significantly weaken the aura that left its interior.


    With this resource exposed, its true deadly aura would be perceptible to all the Sovereigns up to 400 kilometers away from this place!


    "Minos!" The level 110 Sovereign shouted as he reached his young master before trying to run away, screaming in agony as that terrible liquid hit him.


    "Fuck you, you bastards!" Minos said as he flew towards the city, not wanting to stay there. Soon, that area would be completely corrupted, and every living thing there could be poisoned or even killed.


    Rhett appeared next to Minos, pale as a sheet, not believing that his man had done such a stupid thing to survive.


    "Minos, thank you. You probably saved my life. But I have to warn you. The guild won''t give you anything without this resource. Not only that, but it''s possible that you''ll be punished for not sacrificing yourself instead of using the liquid!"


    Minos didn''t say anything as his Soul Avatar dissipated, and he gradually lost consciousness, too tired and injured to stay awake.


    Ruth tried to help him as soon as he closed his eyes, but nothing she could do would help him in time.


    Soon they were being carried by Rhett again, now in a very different mood from a few moments ago when they thought they had finally succeeded in their mission.

 Chapter 2314 Return to Headquarters\

    Chapter 2314 Return to Headquarters


    Later that day, Rhett and the group of Armhands survivors who had entered The Obsidian Shore arrived at the town where the Level 114 General was waiting for them. Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com


    The moment the aura of someone who had sacrificed their Flashdrain parasite appeared in that place, the level 114 being moved, crossed the space, quickly appearing among Minos'' companions.


    Several other high-ranking Sovereigns like him moved as well, sensing that these people had released the terrifying aura from a moment ago.


    The General looked at Minos'' body with an angry expression, feeling that someone had forced this young man to do something stupid.


    But before punishing his guild members, he couldn''t help but look around and say with hatred in his voice. "Anyone who tries to come near us will die." As he said this, a symbol in the shape of a golden snake appeared on his forehead.


    The Guild Council members'' flashdrain mark was transparent. However, when these individuals prepared to use their parasite sacrifice, it would glow golden.


    The higher up in the hierarchy the Armhands member was, the stronger the Flashdrain effect would be as the parasite grew with its host. In other words, the Flashdrain sacrifice of someone with this General''s level of strength would be much stronger than that of internal or external guild members!


    Those in the area knew this and that one of the main things that made Armhands one of the most powerful forces on the continent was the alien parasites that the guild''s founder had brought to this world.


    However, not only was this something capable of suppressing several of these high-ranking Sovereigns, but the fact that Minos had previously used the valuable resource Armhands wanted also helped them remain calm in the face of that guy''s warning.


    "Rhett, what the hell happened?" The General asked.


    "General, members of the Silverdawn attacked us. If Minos hadn''t done what he did, we''d all be dead by now." Rhett tried to help Minos.


    "What? Those bastards attacked you? Why?" This level 114 Sovereign didn''t understand.


    "I don''t know. They attacked Minos. They said they wanted something he got for himself at The Obsidian Shore." Rhett replied sincerely.


    But they didn''t look normal. As they groaned as they crawled to the riverbank, much of their bodies had been consumed.


    Their auras looked completely different from before, while a down look pervaded their eyes.


    With every movement they made, the ground they touched turned purple, and the plants died slowly but fast enough for a being to see their decomposition with the naked eye.


    One of them couldn''t take it longer and died halfway to the lake, leaving behind a highly deadly corpse.


    The stronger of the two saw this, and what little rationality he had disappeared before he approached the corpse and began to devour it!


    His look changed after he started eating the body of the level 108 young master, but one instinct remained in his corrupted existence.


    The image of Minos was the last thing on this creature''s mind!


    After devouring the body of level 108, he looked up to the sky and opened his mouth to let out a high-pitched scream, something like a promise that he would one day take revenge on the enemy who had put him in this situation.


    ...


    Three weeks had elapsed since the battle when Minos'' people left The Obsidian Shore.


    After all that time, Minos'' party was already halfway to the Armhands'' headquarters, as the level 114 General''s speed was much faster than what their party had traveled on the way to The Obsidian Shore.


    Minos awoke today from his unconscious state, causing the group leader to change their plans and stop at a suitable place for them to talk about what had happened in The Obsidian Shore and on the way out of that region.


    The whole group quickly sat down by a lake before the General asked when he saw Minos'' eyes.


    "Soldier Minos, explain to me your motives for wasting such a precious resource." Minos gazed into the General''s eyes, and the bewilderment on his expression vanished as he recalled what had transpired before.

 Chapter 2315 Back to the Guild

    Chapter 2315 Back to the Guild


    The moment Minos understood that he had survived and was safely under the protection of the level 114 General, he sighed, imagining that this man had already heard the basics from Ruth and the others.


    "I''ll be honest, General. I did it to save my group and, ultimately, my own life. As a member of the Armhands, I know that acting for the good of the guild should be my goal in every action I take.


    But the truth is, I can''t help the guild if I''m dead. Was this resource worth my death? I can''t say. Maybe it was for the elders or other guild members. Not so much for me.


    In any case, would there be any guarantee that the resource would reach the guild if I gave up my life in that place? Those Silverdawn members had violated the guild rules by acting against me. I wasn''t sure if they would return the resource to the guild after they defeated us..." Minos said, speaking normally since his body had fully recovered in the past few weeks.


    The General listened to Minos'' explanation without saying anything because it was natural for everyone to have a sense of self-preservation. There was really no way of knowing whether those two traitors would return the resource they had taken from The Obsidian Shore to the guild.


    Even so, Minos had deliberately used a valuable resource for the guild when he would never have received permission to do so if he had tried to obtain such permission.


    "That will certainly be considered when we get to the guild. But it''s not enough to ignore the case," the General said sincerely. "Was that all you got at The Obsidian Shore?"


    "No." Minos smiled. "In fact, I managed to preserve some of that black liquid, General. I lost 75% of it, but I figured there was a risk of us being attacked and robbed, so I kept smaller portions of it in the group''s various devices.


    I also have the corpse of the undead necromancer who was in the area, all the skeletons of our guild mates who fell there, and various artifacts that were there."


    Minos quickly removed the seals that blocked some of his and his companions'' spatial rings before handing them to the General.


    The General''s look changed as he began to examine the rings, realizing greater wealth than he had expected from Minos.


    In addition to the Chief Commander, one of the Council Elders was there to receive the items that Minos'' group had collected on the recently completed mission.


    This being was even stronger than the Chief Commander, being a level 119 being, the strongest Minos and his companions had ever seen.


    Once they had prostrated themselves, the General handed his boss the items Minos had obtained. By quickly summarizing what happened on The Obsidian Shore and the following problems, he made them understand Minos'' mistakes and successes.


    "So Silverdawn isn''t completely overrun..." The Chief Commander muttered as he looked at Minos. "Young Soldier, why were those two interested in you? Do you have any idea?"


    "Commander, the level 110 Sovereign who attacked us was the twin brother of the enemy who almost killed me a few years ago when we were on a mission against Silverdawn. The other level 108 Sovereign was the young master of that sect, and he tried to get close to me years before this mission we''ve just completed.


    I imagine that they didn''t like me before. When they found out that I was going to The Obsidian Shore, they probably thought that they could get my fate and kill me before I returned to the headquarters."


    Minos would never have said that those beings had tried to steal his destiny of finding the Incorruptible Heart on The Obsidian Shore!


    But what he said wasn''t a lie. There might indeed be some hatred towards him from those beings, and they really did want something that he got in The Obsidian Shore.


    "So that''s it..." The Chief Commander muttered, wondering what would motivate such powerful Sovereigns to act against a mere Grandmaster.


    The Council Elder then said to him before leaving with the items the General had delivered. "Solve this problem with Silverdawn. In any case, give this group its prize. They''ve done well."


    As much as Minos had wasted something valuable, what he had brought back was already more than his mission required!


    So even after this problem, he still completed his mission with extra merit!

 Chapter 2316 Junior Officer

    Chapter 2316 Junior Officer


    After the Council Elder left, the guild''s Chief Commander said a few words to Minos'' group and gave them items that would allow them to collect their awards in the proper places.


    Soon after, the General congratulated them once more before sending them on their way through the sect.


    Someone led them out of the main area of the city, and their group soon reached the inner area.


    When they got there, Rhett said to Minos, "I''ll take you to the external area. You can''t stay here yet, but that will change soon.


    You must collect your merit points in the external city. Once you''ve done that, find the guy who invited you to the guild. He''ll go through the process of making this friend a Recruit and then making you a Junior Officer.


    In a few days, you can enter the internal area and begin your new duties."


    "Thank you for the instruction, Officer," Minos said sincerely, then followed one of the exits from the internal area and arrived at the outer part of this headquarters city.


    ...


    After saying goodbye to Rhett, the group made their way to the Mission Hall of the external area, where they were soon greeted by the man in charge of the place, an Intermediate Officer.


    As soon as he received Minos and the other external members'' credentials, the Officer''s eyes widened when he saw the mission this group had collected.


    "Unbelievable! Have you completed the Black Heart Mission 12.3? Did you really succeed?" This level 106 alien exclaimed as he looked at Minos and the others.


    "Hehe, yes, finally someone from the guild succeeded." One of the aliens in Minos'' group said.


    "How much did it give to us?" Ruth asked.


    "2.4 million merit points." The creature said, causing all five surviving Armhands'' members to widen their eyes.


    That was what Minos was going to do over the next few days!


    ...


    Ten days after Minos'' return to the Armhands'' headquarters...


    Minos had finally been promoted to Junior Officer the day before when Ruth had also become an Elite Soldier, and Rhett had reached the rank of Intermediate Officer.


    In addition to them, the group that had stayed in Armhands had also improved in the eight years or so they had been on the mission.


    Maximilian had once again progressed in his cultivation and had reached level 103, almost becoming a level 104 being.


    The other group members were mostly at level 102, but there were still some at level 101, and one of the men from the Spiritual World had recently reached level 103.


    Some of them had become Elite Soldiers in the years that Minos had been away, but only Maximillian had become a Junior Officer, having achieved his promotion a month ago.


    But Maximilian fought hard and spent all his merit points, unlike Minos. Emperor Stuart had spent nothing and was now a wealthy internal member of the guild!


    After receiving his new rank, Minos didn''t move to the inner area. He stayed in his apartment with Ruth, planning to stay by her side while she became an Officer, too.


    But he wouldn''t have much time to spend with her from now on. Now that he had become a Junior Officer, he had been given new mandatory duties, one of which was to supervise new members of the Armhands, a job similar to the one Rhett did with his group.


    To be able to be absent from the guild in the future, he would have to do a lot of missions, which he wanted to start doing right away!


    Even though he had just returned from a challenging mission, Minos'' life wouldn''t get any easier from now on. He would only work harder and harder from that day on now that he was getting closer and closer to returning to the Spiritual World.


    But before that happened, he would still have to live in the Armhands'' headquarters for a few more years!


    Meanwhile, neither he nor his companions in Armhands were aware of what was happening in the Spiritual World, where just over two years had passed since Irpoll had become involved in the War of the Worlds!

 Chapter 2317 The Evolution of the War

    Chapter 2317 The Evolution of the War


    While Minos and his people continued their journey to leave Zocarro, the situation in the Spiritual World had changed for the worse in the more than two years that had passed since Irpoll became involved in the War of the Worlds.


    After the initial attacks on The Adamant Land, Irpoll had successfully reduced the Mechanic Empire to a fraction of its size!


    The state that had once been sovereign of its own solar system, with worlds from several galaxies and other solar systems in its own galaxy under its control, had lost almost everything it had in those 2 years.


    When the forces oppressed by the Mechanic Empire learned of the fragile situation their rulers were in after being weakened by the Spiritual World and then by Irpoll, many worlds previously under the control of that state rebelled. The end of such a universal empire began for the forces of The Adamant Land.


    In less than a year and a half of Irpoll''s involvement in the war, half of the remaining Gods of the Mechanic Empire died, while that state shrank significantly, losing 90% of its domains.


    Not only had this state suffered a significant defeat in its homeland, where it had lost control of its own world, but these aliens were also forced to flee to the Spiritual World to seek refuge from its enemies.


    As much as the forces of the Spiritual World had not allied with them in those years of war against Irpoll, the forces of that world had no choice but to try to prevent the Irpoll beings from entering their own planet.


    Thus, The Adamant Land was currently in Irpoll''s possession, while several of the worlds previously dominated by the Mechanic Empire had become independent again.


    For the time being, Irpoll wasn''t interested in these worlds, so these places took the opportunity to reestablish themselves amid their independence, which had returned after such a long time.


    Meanwhile, Irpoll had focused their efforts in recent months on attacking the Spiritual World, where they not only wanted to finish eliminating their historic enemy but also to dominate the world of Minos!


    Anyway, Abby and Gloria were standing next to Emlyn, who had recently advanced to level 90, overcoming her genetic barrier before her evolution.


    She had just returned from an expedition to the south of the continent and said to the two most important women in the empire.


    "The situation in the Evergreen Region is not good. After the core of the Spiritual Church moved here, that region was greatly weakened. Now, the aliens from Irpoll are concentrating on trying to infiltrate our state through that area." Emlyn said in a worried tone.


    The closer the enemies got to them, the worse it would get. For now, the East Sea protected them. The sea was the worst place to travel these days because of the Ice Age.


    The barriers that had protected the native population of the Spiritual World were the oceans and the Ice Age. But if aliens entered their continent, everything could be lost very quickly.


    Four months ago, the Divine Continent was still under the control of the native forces. However, when Irpoll set up their first outpost in the area, they quickly expanded their domination efforts, reaching the current state of having more land on the continent than the native forces in the area.


    Aware of what had happened on the strongest continent in their world, these two women were naturally very concerned about keeping their continent under the total domination of the natives.


    If this situation changed, they would be in serious trouble!


    Already knowing that Minos hadn''t reached The Adamant Land and hadn''t made contact with Irpoll, these two women already assumed that he and the others had died. As such, they were no longer waiting for outside help and had only considered what they had at their disposal.


    Ruth clenched her fists and said. "Let''s take some bodies to the capital of this area. I''ll go and wait for the enemies in the Spatial Kingdom of the Spiritual Church.


    When the time comes, I''ll bring Her Majesty Willow Sista back to life to fight for our world again!"

 Chapter 2318 Surrender

    Chapter 2318 Surrender


    A few more months passed in Zocarro...


    Today, Minos was back to his routine as a Junior Officer.


    In the hours when he wasn''t resting or cultivating, Minos divided his routine between working as a law enforcer in the inner city, supervising new guild members in the external city, and studying his profession as a seer.


    That might not seem like much, but the job of supervising new guild members could be considered a cumulative type of work. What does that mean? Well, for every new group that a Junior Officer had the chance to supervise in the selection test, they had the right to supervise the successful ones until they became internal guild members.


    That meant that someone in Minos''s position could have several groups under their wing; it was like having several jobs at once.


    Armhands required a Junior Officer to be responsible for at least one group of external guild members. However, one could take more than one selection test and become the supervisor of more than one group at a time.


    Each group was a completed mission and credits that could be used to take time away from the guild.


    But Minos didn''t just do that. His work as a Law Enforcer had evolved greatly since his return from The Obsidian Shore.


    He patrolled the inner city streets, preventing incidents and punishing offenders. However, he had also found another job within the Law Enforcement Hall. After becoming a Junior Officer, the alien who had invited him to the guild and who was the supervisor of the Law Enforcement Hall in the external area had been promoted to Senior Officer. With this promotion, he handed over his function of supervising the Law Enforcement Hall in the external area of the city to Minos.


    Now, Minos had this additional function within the most important internal force within the guild!


    Maximilian closed his eyes and commented in a pessimistic tone. "I have the impression that even if I go with you, I won''t have the chance to see many of my old comrades and rivals again. I''m afraid the war has been devastating for them.


    Soon, we will celebrate the 40th anniversary of our arrival here. How much time has passed for our friends and subordinates?"


    Minos said nothing, aware that this was a big problem for their return to the Spiritual World. They could easily resolve any conflict that still exists on this planet. But what if no one was left to save when they got there?


    ''I hope it hasn''t come to that.'' Minos thought to himself. ''Callie has probably managed to advance a level. With someone like her and the medicines I left behind, my family should have plenty of methods to protect itself and deal with enemies.'' He thought silently.


    "Well, it''s a shame you''re considering staying, but that''s okay. I''ll see with the group if the others feel the same way. As dangerous as the journey to our galaxy is, the absence or presence of one or the other of the group won''t change much.


    Honestly, I''d prefer everyone to return with us, but I understand the side of those who prefer to stay. If I didn''t have a family and people to avenge, I would honestly have the same doubts as you." Minos commented after a while, as he and Maximillian walked and the people in their path made way for them.


    Minos had become famous throughout the guild and was respected even in the inner city.


    Not only had he completed a historic mission, but he had also survived mid- and high-level creatures of the 11th stage while being a mere Grandmaster!


    Since he was the first level 99 Grandmaster to become a Junior Officer in Armhands, everyone who knew him respected or feared him in some way.


    That was especially true for the internal members who knew the terror of this former Law Enforcer of the external part of the city.


    So they would go on their way until each of them found their respective groups of external members under their responsibility.

 Chapter 2319 Political Matters in the Armhands

    Chapter 2319 Political Matters in the Armhands


    Meeting one of the four groups of Recruits he was currently responsible for, Minos soon heard from these individuals about their missions, their problems, and other relevant information about their lives.


    When dealing with groups like these, the job of a Junior Officer like him was mainly to guide these Recruits on how to grow in this place, become useful, and perform positive deeds for the organization.


    One of the many things that made Armhands such a successful and powerful force was that its high-ranking members knew how to turn weaker members from individuals who hated the guild into loyal and dedicated guild members.


    When Recruits first joined the guild, they hated the place and everyone above them. However, as they grew stronger and had opportunities, they would see the benefits of this place and being part of this system.


    Almost everyone who became an internal member of the guild eventually left all or most of their resentment behind and became loyal, joining this force in its quest to reach the Upper Realm.


    Junior Officers like Minos were responsible for the first part of this work: advising the external members under their charge on how to deal with their problems and grow in the guild.


    So, after hearing these Recruits'' updates, Minos would tell them what to avoid and do in each situation.


    He also informed some of these individuals of opportunities. Another important part of Minos'' job was to identify those most worthy of the guild''s investment and pass on opportunities to them.


    People in the role of Minos earned merit points when people under their supervision earned merit points. Even if it weren''t their duty, they would still try to help those with more potential grow faster because of it.


    Rhett had done this with Minos in various ways over the years. Now, he was doing it with the external members he had supervised during the selection exams he had conducted over the past few months.


    When he had finished with this group, he watched them leave the building where Officers like himself usually worked in the external part of the city.


    Minos clenched his fist. As much as he was respected and feared by many, that didn''t mean everyone on the external or internal part of this city made things easy for him.


    Some of these people were Minos'' direct rivals, people who had either lost positions to him or were about to lose certain things that only a winner could obtain.


    This was the case with the other two judges, who wanted a higher position and had Minos as their main competitor.


    That was not the case with the man in front of Minos. This person belonged to Emperor Stuart''s faction, and for that very reason, he knew that in a few years, this person would leave for a long journey outside of Armhands.


    That meant Minos would temporarily leave his position and cease to be their competitor for that period!


    For the judge in front of Minos, that was enough to not have to see this human as his rival.


    "Those bastards never tire of finding ways to get in my way," Minos commented. "This nonsense doesn''t make sense. Ruth earned 700,000 merit points in the Black Heart mission. Why would she go after external guild members to get more merit points?


    Even if she found a way to punish 50 external members a day and did it for months, she still wouldn''t get even 1% of what she currently has in her account."


    Punishing 50 insiders a day was impossible. There weren''t that many problems in the external area of the city daily. Even the most experienced Law Enforcers couldn''t handle more than 4 offenders a day on average.


    The Junior Officer smiled at Minos'' words because such protests really didn''t make much sense from that point of view.


    Still, the judges could judge the protests of those external members and cause problems for Ruth.


    Minos then said. "Very well, since those two want trouble, I''ll take their case and judge it with a possible hint of corruption within our group in mind."


    "Corruption?" This individual changed his expression.

 Chapter 2320 Insubordination

    Chapter 2320 Insubordination


    "Let them think they can still try the case. As soon as they show themselves corrupt, I will announce my decision and judge them as such." Minos said as he signed an order that would nullify any decision these two individuals made in the matter.


    The alien in front of Minos couldn''t help but sigh as he imagined the trouble these two had gotten themselves into.


    Being accused of corruption was the second worst thing that could happen to a guild member. The only thing worse was the crime of treason!


    The Law Enforcement Hall was the only group within Armhands that could regulate itself, so as the supervisor of these two judges, Minos had the power to judge them as he wished. But that didn''t mean it was good for him. The higher-ups in the Law Enforcement Hall from the internal part of the guild would look at it negatively, which could damage Minos'' morale.


    However, these people would never get involved in the problem until these two were in bigger trouble with Minos! Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com


    Aware of what this meant for Minos and the two judges, this alien couldn''t help but like his superior''s decision.


    It was a dangerous move for Minos and much worse for the two judges. As a result, the one who would benefit the most could be this person who had nothing to do with it!


    So he wanted to keep Minos'' decision a secret and wait for the show.


    It was a dangerous move for Minos and much worse for the two judges. As a result, the one who would benefit the most could be this person who had nothing to do with it!


    So he wanted to keep Minos'' decision a secret and wait for the show.


    The only way for one of the two judges to escape Minos would be to challenge him for the position of supervisor in order to invalidate his orders, but that wouldn''t be so easy.


    Minos was only at level 99, while they were level 105 Sovereigns. Still, they had to obey him. Why were things like that?


    It was because Minos'' power was monstrous!


    So either these two would be punished, or they would have to take their chances against Minos in the Challenge Arena!


    The two judges looked at Minos strangely while everyone in the courtroom remained silent to see what would happen.


    "What does this mean, Officer Minos?" asked one of the two judges as the Intermediate Officers approached him and his ally.


    Minos replied by showing the paper he had signed a few days ago. "I have removed you from judging this case because I suspect corrupt intentions on your part. However, I gave you a chance to prove me wrong. Unfortunately, that didn''t happen."


    The two were caught by the six men Minos had brought while his allied judge rose from his seat.


    Minos sat down in the chief judge''s place. "The two judges will be relieved of their duties and tried soon for the crime of corruption. For now, I pronounce Soldier Ruth Miles innocent in this case." He said before looking at the group of protesters. "Your disobedience will no longer be tolerated. Because of this waste of time and resources and your inability to accept your punishments, I am adding an additional sentence to Soldier Ruth Miles'' punishment.


    Starting tomorrow, you will serve 10 years in the Blue Field!


    This session is adjourned!" Minos banged his gavel as he ended the matter while more guards appeared in the area where the public was in this courtroom, ready to arrest these protesters.


    "No! That is an abuse of authority!" Shouted one of the two level 105 men being led out.


    "Minos Stuart, you will pay for this! I challenge you to settle our differences in the fighting arena!" Said the stronger of the two, knowing that the decision wouldn''t be reversed if one of them didn''t suggest that.


    Even if Minos'' superiors would eventually punish him for his abuse of power, today''s decision would hardly be reversed without one of them replacing the current supervisor of that post.


    Minos looked such a person in the eye and commented. "Challenging an Officer of a higher position than you? Are you sure about that, Officer?"


    "Tsk! Fuck you, Minos!" Diazzos shouted. "Do you think I''m afraid of you? Everyone talks about you, but I''ve never seen you in action! If you''re capable of killing me, then so be it. But I won''t accept that without a fight!"


    "Then so be it. I accept your challenge." Minos said, accepting the second such event since entering Armhands.


    With that decision, the protesters and the other judge were soon taken away by the men from the Law Enforcement Hall, leaving behind a group of Intermediate Officers, Minos, Diazzos, the judge allied with Emperor Stuart, and Ruth.


    Unlike other challenges, cases like Diazzos'' had to be solved immediately!


    With Minos'' acceptance, one of the Intermediate Officers took the lead and soon invited them to follow him to the Challenge Arena in the city center.

 Chapter 2321 Minos Second Challenge

    Chapter 2321 Minos'' Second Challenge


    Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com


    Arriving at the inner Challenge Arena, Minos and Diazzos soon found themselves on one of the battlegrounds in the area.


    There were always creatures around the guild''s inner and outer Challenge Arenas. As a result, when Minos and Diazzos entered one of the platforms, the seats in that area were quickly filled to 50% of their total capacity.


    Ruth and Minos'' allied judge sat in the stands with some of the Intermediate Officers who had gone to arrest the two judges accused of corruption.


    Soon, the man who had brought them to this place stood in the middle of the stage and said. "Diazzos, this could be a fight to the death for you. Are you sure you want to do this?"


    When one guild member challenged another of equal rank, such as two Junior Officer judges, the challenge lasted until one was unconscious or unable to continue. Neither side could kill the other, and the referee would have to intervene if either''s life was in danger.


    However, if a lower-ranked guild member challenged a higher-ranked one, the higher-ranked one had the right to kill their opponent.


    Although Diazzos and Minos had the same rank as Junior Officers, they had completely different positions within the Law Enforcement Hall. Minos was Diazzos'' superior, so Diazzos owed him obedience.


    When Diazzos challenged Minos, he naturally put himself in a position where he had to win to stay alive.


    Armhands did not accept insubordination in their members. The only way to do what Diazzos was doing and stay alive was to issue a challenge in which the one behind the challenge had the opportunity to kill the challenged person.


    Only by defeating the challenged side and proving yourself to be the strongest could you go against the decisions of someone higher up in that place!


    If one couldn''t achieve victory, the challenged side was obligated to kill the challenger for their insolence!


    "I''m sure," Diazzos said with an ugly look on his face, glaring at Minos full of hatred.


    He thought it was extremely unfair that a mere Grandmaster should lead the Law Enforcement Hall when someone like him, who had been in the guild for over 500 years, was up for the job.


    Minos suddenly disappeared in front of Diazzos before he felt as if time had stopped.


    Realizing what had happened, Diazzos saw Minos appear behind. This human used his glorious golden wings to attack such a scaled being.


    "Shit!" He didn''t understand what had happened but tried to defend himself.


    But once again, he felt trapped by something until he noticed that Minos appeared to his right, even closer to him.


    Not expecting this attack, Diazzos couldn''t defend himself as Minos'' two wings flew towards his back.


    A circulating black ring appeared in the area where Diazzos would be penetrated, quickly sucking out the energies and weakening him before the two wings penetrated his body.


    Diazzos'' eyes widened as he felt Minos'' wings penetrate his body, seriously injuring him.


    "You shouldn''t have defied me," Minos muttered to Diazzos as this being understood why some people called Emperor Stuart the Time Manipulator.


    Minos'' mastery of space and time had grown stronger as he strengthened himself and used the Incorruptible Heart.


    He could now temporarily seal his opponents, rendering them completely immobile for a few moments, just long enough for him to move and reach the weak points in his targets'' guards.


    By using his other powers simultaneously with this supreme skill, Minos could easily find his enemy''s weak point before attacking it without giving Diazzos a chance to defend himself.


    "Mer..." Diazzos tried to say as he felt his whole body shaking, realizing his huge mistake.


    "You, of all people, should know that I am not merciful," Minos said in a determined tone before he let his wings withdraw from Diazzos'' body.


    Right after those blood-stained wings left his body, one of them sliced horizontally, separating Diazzos'' head from his body in a single breath of time!

 Chapter 2322 Situation Resolved

    Chapter 2322 Situation Resolved


    The moment Diazo''s body fell to the ground, the entire audience of more than 500 people on that battle platform fell silent, watching a match between a level 105 Sovereign and a level 99 Grandmaster end in less than a minute.


    Even the mid-level Sovereigns there couldn''t help but stare at the outcome of the match and at Minos with open mouths, shocked by the power of this Law Enforcement Hall supervisor.


    ''No wonder he was chosen to lead such a group...'' thought the referee, the Intermediate Officer who had assembled the group of guards to deal with the two corrupt judges.


    Meanwhile, Minos'' allied judge, sitting next to Ruth, couldn''t help but close his eyes and sigh. ''I didn''t know he was already so strong.''


    Since Minos had returned from The Obsidian Shore, he hadn''t fought once. The result? People only supposed how strong he must be based on the rumors about what happened at The Obsidian Shore and his power before the Black Heart mission.


    But no one really knew the exact level of Minos'' power at the moment.


    Even Ruth was surprised at how easily Minos dealt with Diazzos.


    ''He didn''t even use his innate ability in that fight.'' The black-haired human thought to herself, aware that Minos had achieved something before they had finished the Black Heart mission.


    Minos hadn''t given her any details because he wanted to protect her from trouble. But he had said he had gained something that had made him stronger. Yet, Ruth had no idea how much stronger Minos had really become.


    But seeing him fight so well in that match made her understand better just how strong her husband had evolved!


    Then, after almost 10 seconds of pure silence, the referee deactivated the barrier on this fighting platform and announced Minos'' victory.


    It was a typical challenge victory. Minos was entitled to almost all of Diazzos'' merit points, but he also took Diazzos'' personal items.


    Since this was also a battle between superior and inferior members, Minos also won Diazzos'' position and could appoint someone who met the necessary requirements to fill the position of this now-dead creature.


    The superior of this post was a General, but he was very busy and didn''t have time to deal with a problem the size of Minos''.


    Minos remained silent in front of this man in the judge''s office. At the same time, the subordinates of this level 111 Sovereign also remained silent in the surrounding area, standing guard or taking note of what was being said.


    "Do you have anything else to add to your defense?" This level 111 being asked.


    "No. My entire defense lies in my account of the situation, Officer. I am confident that I acted for the good of the guild and the hall. However convenient my actions may seem, I would have done the same if my wife hadn''t been involved and if Diazzos hadn''t challenged me.


    He and the other judge had dangerous ideas. They were willing to do anything to gain power, including framing guild members. I did what I thought I had to do, considering my role," Minos said without fear of excessive punishment.


    The judge looked at him in silence, seeing that this young man was calm and firm in his position. Considering what he knew about Minos and the young man''s potential, this judge was not inclined to punish the Junior Officer before him.


    "Very well, I''ll give you your first call. You can continue with your duties and merit points, but this will go on your record." The judge said before he banged his gavel and ended the matter.


    What did that mean? Well, the Law Enforcement Hall had an internal three-call policy.


    The first call was given to those who made a mistake or did something that shouldn''t have been done or at least should have been avoided. It had no consequences other than a negative record for the individual.


    The second call brought punishments such as imprisonment, loss of merit points, and obligations to new missions. The third call was the final and came with a dismissal and more serious punishments. After that, one would lose the right to serve the hall, lose one rank, lose all their merit points, and be forced to work for a period of time.


    Minos knew this was the minimum penalty he could receive for handling the situation the way he had, so he thanked his superior for the decision.


    The right thing to do in such a situation would have been to take the matter to one of the judges with the rank of Senior Officer. He had overstepped his bounds since he hadn''t done so to prevent harm to Ruth.


    The fact that he had been right was what had prevented a greater punishment!


    With that settled, he left with one less weight on his shoulders.

 Chapter 2323 Promotions

    In the blink of an eye, more than three years have passed since the problem with the Law Enforcement Hall judges was resolved.


    Minos and his companions haven''t had any problems with those two judges since then.


    After Maximilian joined the Law Enforcement Hall, he played his role exemplary, just as Minos had promised. With all the experience and talent of such a person, it was unlikely that he wouldn''t take advantage of such an opportunity.


    Being a member of the Law Enforcement Hall wasn''t just a way to earn merit points on a regular basis. It was one of the best jobs to grow up in Armhands. The men in this group were highly respected by the guild and had access to information and opportunities that were difficult for ordinary members to obtain.


    Of course, the Law Enforcement Hall was very strict, and the competition within it was even greater than in other parts of the guild. However, as long as one followed the Hall''s rules to the letter and had the potential, growth was something that would come naturally over time.


    Maximilian understood this and took advantage of the opportunity, overcoming the trial period in which he had to prove himself.


    After overcoming this period, he was now a regular judge in the group, who would only lose his position if he left for personal reasons or committed an infraction.


    Meanwhile, Minos had continued as the supervisor of the post where Maximilian was now a judge. He had spent the last few years preparing to leave the guild for the Spiritual World while waiting for his companions to grow stronger and improve their ranks within the guild.


    These three years were basically about the growth of his allies, as he was already in the position he needed to be in and couldn''t get much stronger than he was now.


    Three years wasn''t enough time for all of Minos'' Spiritual World companions to accomplish what they needed to, but several of them succeeded in their plans.


    Of the little more than ten people left in the group, in addition to Minos and Maximillian, three more had become Junior Officers during this time, while four people had improved their cultivation during these years.


    "Hmm." Minos shook his head in the affirmative, not hiding the fact. "I intend to settle some business from the past and return to the guild. After that, I''ll focus on my journey to try to reach the Upper Realm alongside my superiors one day."


    "When exactly are you leaving?" Rhett asked.


    "I can''t say. It could be six months or two years. It depends on how much time my companions who will travel with me need. But I''m ready now."


    The two Officers looked at each other.


    What Minos wanted to do was very common in the guild. After decades of working as an external member, internal members would seek to settle matters outside of headquarters shortly after their promotions.


    The guild didn''t mind. As long as you followed the organization''s rules and returned to the guild after accomplishing your goals, everything was fine.


    What worried these two was how long Minos would be away and how much it would affect the young Emperor Stuart.


    "How long will you be gone?" The Sovereign, who was currently at level 108, asked.


    Minos answered directly, "That depends on how long it takes me to reach my planet. My journey in the Spiritual World shouldn''t take more than a few months. However, the passage of time between that place and where we are is different, so I really don''t know. For me, it might be a few years, but for you, it will be a few decades."


    "Won''t that slow you down too much?" Rhett asked.


    Rhett knew that even if it took Minos only 20 years to go to the Spiritual World and return, given his enormous talent, he could use that time to reach level 102, in Zocarro. But if he went to that world, he might not even reach level 100 in the meantime!


    "This is something I have to do. And once I do, I won''t have to worry about it much anymore." Minos said with determination. "Then I''m willing to slow down my progress a bit. It won''t affect my talent or potential at all. It will just put me behind you and some of my companions."

 Chapter 2324 Valuable Advice

    Chapter 2324 Valuable Advice


    After listening to Minos'' answer, the two superiors couldn''t disagree with his words. It was a fact that his talent and potential would not change with this journey. At most, he would spend more time at the same level, or even if he advanced, he would spend more time at level 100. But when he returned, his progress would be the same as it was now.


    The big difference was that during this time, his friends and rivals in the guild might get stronger faster than him, which might cause some problems for him when he returned. Another problem was that these two wouldn''t benefit from Minos'' growth until he returned.


    "Sigh. If you''re really determined, then go ahead," the man who had brought Minos to this guild said. "When the time comes, we''ll deal with the problems together." Findd new stories at novelhall.com


    Rhett knew he couldn''t convince Minos otherwise, so he asked. "Do you think you''ll get to level 100 before you come back here?"


    "I think so." Minos lied.


    He had no intention of advancing to level 100 in the Spiritual World. Why was that? Simply because of what would happen when he became a Sovereign.


    He would be taken to a place where he would undergo the Millennium Massacre, which, although it took place in a dimension where time passed differently, would certainly take a long time for the people outside such a dimension.


    He didn''t want to go to such a place while he was in the Spiritual World. It could greatly delay his plans for his family.


    His goal was to solve the Spiritual World problems and bring his family to Zocarro. After that, he would move on, giving his companions a chance to grow up in that glorious world while he participated in the Millennium Massacre.


    "But I''m not 100% sure. Although I''m not far from my breakthrough, the Spiritual World is much weaker than Zocarro. I might not be able to advance there... Either way, I''ll try."


    Staying in a weaker place where time passes faster could be a way for you to become stronger, but it could also be a way for your life expectancy to be used up quickly.


    For someone like this level 108 Sovereign, that wasn''t interesting. He could advance in Zocarro without wasting his life years.


    However, for Minos, this strategy might pay off because of two factors. First, this human was young. Going to a world where his life expectancy would be rapidly depleted would not be a great loss to him. Second, he was a member of a competitive organization. His rivals might even cause his death if he didn''t advance quickly. Therefore, he would have to keep an eye on his cultivation speed while he was away from Zocarro, as well as his level after he returned.


    For these two points, it would be worthwhile for Minos to go to his superior''s galaxy!


    After Minos thanked him, the alien gave the human a few tips for when Emperor Stuart visited this galaxy.


    "The worlds of my galaxy are perfect for cultivation, but because of that, there are many territories with owners. Be careful with them. The Sovereigns there are not as strong as those on Zocarro, but the difference is not that great. The high-level Sovereigns there can definitely kill you.


    However, if you stay out of trouble and try to keep a low profile, your chances of finding a good place for you and your group to advance a few levels quickly will be good.


    Even though my galaxy is weaker, there are still plenty of opportunities for Grandmasters or low-level Sovereigns."


    Minos talked a bit more with his two superiors, getting advice on what he should do when he returned to the guild, both to avoid trouble with the organization and with his rivals.


    They also advised him on how Minos could more easily bring his family members into Armhands upon his return without them having to go through the usual selection process.


    Anyway, their meeting would soon be over, and Minos would return to his apartment to get some rest.

 Chapter 2325 Time to Leave the Guild!

    Chapter 2325 Time to Leave the Guild!


    Another two years have passed for Minos'' party in Zocarro!


    After decades in this world, after decades since they learned about the place in the far north of Oqia, Minos'' group would finally move forward with their plans to return to the Spiritual World!


    That morning, Minos and his companions submitted their notices to the guild that they would be taking some time away from the organization to deal with personal matters.


    They had already given up their positions in the guild the day before and used some of their merit points to buy the right to postpone mandatory missions until they returned to the guild.


    Thus, at dawn on this new day, Minos and his traveling companions found themselves face to face with those who had come with them from the Spiritual World but who would remain in the guild to further strengthen themselves.


    ...


    "Good luck on your journey back to the Spiritual World," Maximilian said to the five natives of this planet who were about to leave.


    "We will wait for you here. Your Majesty, I hope to hear about the end of the damned aliens from The Adamant Land when you return." Said another of these individuals.


    "Your Majesty, give this to my family. Don''t worry. There''s nothing in this Zocarro spatial ring. Here are just my riches accumulated while I was still in the Spiritual World and a letter," said a man who had once been a subordinate of the Sista family but who didn''t intend to return to his planet.


    Minos accepted this spatial ring and other things that the people who would stay behind wanted him to take on this journey.


    Minos smiled at this group and said. "Now it''s time to separate. We may not see each other for decades, then be careful. Take advantage of the opportunities along the way, but be careful. Everyone here knows how dangerous this world is."


    While staying behind was logically more interesting for these men''s spiritual growth, it was also the most dangerous path. To overcome it, these men would have to face dangers like those Minos had faced as a member of the Armhands over the past few decades.


    "Here at last," Ruth commented with a beautiful smile, feeling the good sense of once again embarking on this journey to resolve the War of the Worlds.


    They had been busy strengthening themselves in Armhands for much longer than they had planned, but neither of them regretted it.


    As much as they had hated Armhands for forcing them to join the guild and slowly improve their position on the island, they now viewed their time there positively.


    Why? Simply because if they left this world, they would face dangers that could kill even Sovereigns. Without the experience and opportunities they had in Armhands, it might have taken them much longer to reach the level they were at now.


    They might already be dead if they had tried to go to the north of Oqia prematurely. But after joining Armhands, they understood the dangers that lay ahead and were better prepared.


    Minos smiled at his wife and agreed with her positive tone. It had taken them a while, but they were finally going on this journey.


    "We will fly north for the next few weeks, following the Silent Mountain Trail," Minos told his five companions. "When we reach the Dreaded Expanse, we''ll see if we can trust the information about the route to the northern coast."


    The group agreed and soon flew north, following the Silent Mountain Trail, a region used as a route for those interested in traveling further north from Oqia.


    But this was just the beginning of a long journey. By the time they reached the northern tip of the continent, where they could access the sea and go to the island with access to the artificial moon of Zocarro, it would take them between 4 and 6 years to complete this first part of the journey, even considering their current speeds.


    Previously, the party had reached Zocarro at the southern end of Oqia. From there, it would have taken them 15 years to reach the northern tip of the continent, given their cultivation at that time.


    However, they had already traveled some distance from the area they had reached in this world, and they had also grown much stronger over the past few decades. Therefore, the journey from Examire would be much shorter.


    Still, there were many dangers ahead of them, and it could take several more years before they reached the northern coast of Oqia, from where they could set out for the island they had to pass through before leaving this planet.


    And so began the great journey back to the Spiritual World!

 Chapter 2326 Surrounded by Enemies?

    Chapter 2326 Surrounded by Enemies?


    In the blink of an eye, two years have passed since Minos and his party left the Armhands'' headquarters!


    During these first two years of their journey, the group encountered some problems on their way north, but they also encountered some opportunities.


    Since they already knew the continent very well, especially the area closest to Armhands, they managed to overcome their problems without any losses, although it wasn''t easy.


    On the positive side, the growth opportunities during this period allowed two of the level 101 Sovereigns to advance to level 102, as well as the opportunities to gather special resources.


    It wasn''t the group''s goal to collect things to cultivate or trade for more interesting items for the time being. However, they all wanted to return to Zocarro in the future and become even stronger. Therefore, they naturally collected things with an eye to the future when they could return to this glorious world.


    In addition to these opportunities, the group managed to cover 40% of the distance between Examire and the north coast, which is very good progress but very much related to the fact that they were still close to home.


    The farther north they went, the farther away they would be from Armhands, meaning the less influence that great organization would have and the greater the chance that native or alien beings would cause them problems.


    Thus, this first part of the journey had been the smoothest. From now on, the group expected to encounter more problems and, consequently, not to progress as well as they had up to that point.


    ...


    After reaching the Dreaded Expanse, a region of lakes in the center-north of Oqia, Minos'' group paused to re-evaluate their plans in light of everything they had seen on their journey so far.


    The information they received in Armhands was very good and helped them avoid and solve problems over the past two years.


    However, the further away they were from that guild, and the older their information became, the more variables might arise that would make certain plans difficult to follow.


    The group had stopped in this region two days ago to re-evaluate their plans and set a new route to the far north of the continent.


    "Armhands? I''ve never heard of them. Are they an alien group?" The level 108 individual asked.


    Not everyone in this great world knew of the existence of organizations as powerful as the Armhands. Although Minos'' guild even had supreme beings, which was a very good thing even for Zocarro, this world was so big that it would be difficult for individuals so far from Examire to recognize that guild.


    "Yes, it''s a force that mainly consists of aliens. Anyway, my group and I aren''t on a mission. We''re traveling with the goal of reaching the Ganaway Sanctuary. From there, we intend to go to the artificial moon." Minos gave some more information, trying to avoid a fight.


    "Ganaway Refuge? Do you intend to risk leaving Zocarro?" Asked the group leader, who couldn''t help but find this strange.


    Although some aliens traveled outside of Zocarro, the vast majority of them came to this world for the opportunities it offered. They would hardly give up this place to return to their old homes.


    Most of those who used the Ganaway Refuge to reach the artificial moon were natives of Zocarro, curious to learn more about the galaxy and even a part of the universe.


    The journey there, however, passed through a small stretch of sea, one of Zocarro''s notoriously dangerous places.


    "Yes, we came to this world by accident, Senior. Now, we''ll settle our affairs in our old home. Therefore, I ask your group to let us pass. We have no intention of interfering with the problems in this area." Minos said politely.


    Then he threw the Zocarro native a spatial ring, an item with some resources that could be valuable even for mid-level sovereigns like this creature.


    The Zocarro native understood Minos'' gesture and smiled between his shadows. "It looks like this is just a group of travelers."


    As much as they had to protect this area, it was stupid to fight beings that had no intention of fighting or causing trouble.


    They wouldn''t just trust Minos; for now, they would let this group pass and watch them from a distance. If they left this area without causing trouble, everything would be fine. If not, they could fight later!


    Minos thanked them for their understanding and then moved on with his group, aware that in a place like this, where there had probably been a big battle recently, there might be enemies who were tense and afraid of fighting again.


    In a place like this, unless you acted suspiciously or had a lot of power, you would avoid trouble and not make life easier for possible enemies in the area.


    With that, he and his companions quickened their pace and soon left this area, heading north.

 Chapter 2327 Exchange of Information

    Chapter 2327 Exchange of Information


    Another year and a half had passed since Minos and his group had made a detour in their plans.


    After overcoming the previous area, they returned to their original route, which was supposed to be safer and faster since it was between areas without rulers.


    However, the group had faced adversity to get through another 35% of the way to The Bland Gulf. The group had fought about ten times in the past few months and had had many close encounters with death.


    Fortunately, none of them had fallen in those months. But in return, the group received another increase in strength, with the last man from level 101 reaching level 102.


    Now, Minos and the robot were the closest to making progress. But while Emperor Stuart wouldn''t do such a thing now, even though he could achieve it without even using a Divine Medicine, the robot would need at least four more years to reach level 103.


    Even with their resources when they left Armhands and the things they had achieved in the more than 3.5 years of their journey, it would still take that long if he wanted to advance in Zocarro again.


    However, the robot hoped to reach level 103 before returning to The Adamant Land since it would be at least another year and a half before his group reached the Bland Gulf, and after that, they would still have a difficult journey until they reached the Artificial Moon.


    However, today, the group had finally entered the northern region of Oqia, where they could reach The Bland Gulf in a few months'' journey.


    The Bland Gulf was the northernmost place in Oqia, the best way to get to the Ganaway Refuge, the island in the far north of Zocarro, from where aliens and natives of this planet could come and go from the Artificial Moon.


    ...


    "So you''re going to Ganaway Refuge..." Said an alien in front of Minos and his group, who had eight other aliens of the same race as him at the edge of what looked like an abandoned altar in the middle of a forest. The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n))


    Before, he had been arrogant when he arrived at Ganaway Refuge, thinking that he didn''t need to share information with anyone. Now that he had been tricked and experienced some bad situations, he was wiser.


    "I see," Minos muttered, understanding the dangers that lay ahead. He thanked the aliens for their guidance. "Then let me advise you about the journey to Examire. There are several dangers. It took my group a little over three and a half years to get to where we are now, and we faced dozens of problems, some of them capable of killing us.


    But we''ve learned on this journey to always think twice before coveting a valuable resource. Almost every time we ran into trouble, we were close to something of great value.


    You''ve just arrived in Zocarro, so you must be looking for opportunities. But don''t be too hasty. For low-level Sovereigns like you, there are plenty of opportunities in sects and guilds where you don''t have to risk the unknown.


    So, it would help a lot if you could avoid valuable things until you join a major force on the continent.


    If you''re interested, I''m part of a pro-alien guild that''s one of the strongest in Examire. If you go there with this item, you''ll have good chances on your way." Minos handed them an item similar to the one his group had received when they were invited to Armhands.


    "Oh? Then I thank you for the opportunity." The alien said sincerely.


    Minos replied with a smile. "I''d tell you how I came here, but that wouldn''t guarantee your safety. We''ve only survived this far. So it might not be the best way."


    "Don''t worry, we intend to find our own way. But your information will help us." Said the leader of this group.


    Minos quickly gave the information he had about the route between this point and Examire before receiving information from that group about the journey between this place and the Ganaway Refuge.


    According to the group''s information, there were some problems with the route that Minos and his people had defined. Since these problems were in line with the kind of trouble they thought might be ahead, they trusted the aliens'' information.


    So, not long after finishing their business, each group headed in opposite directions, considering what they had just discovered about each other.

 Chapter 2328 The Bland Gulf

    Chapter 2328 The Bland Gulf


    After following the advice and information from the aliens they had met earlier, Minos'' group continued on their way to The Bland Gulf.


    They traveled more cautiously, making a few detours here and there as they cautiously approached their final stop on the continent. After another 15 months of traveling north, the group finally reached their final destination in Oqia.


    It was time for them to finally find a crew to take them to Ganaway Refuge, the island 8 months'' boat ride from The Bland Gulf!


    ...


    At the dawn of this new day, Minos and his five traveling companions finally glimpsed the great sea they were about to cross.


    From where they stood, there was no way to comprehend the terror of that sea. From there, one could only see the beautiful surface of this extreme point of Zocarro, where if one went a few dozen kilometers from the coast, it would be enough to see what it was capable of.


    But the Bland Gulf had a beautiful coastline, with pink waters that perfectly matched the sky of Zocarro.


    The area''s tropical vegetation gave it a special warmth. In contrast, the spiritual richness of the area rivaled even some of the best places Minos and his people had been to in the decades they had lived on this planet.


    But even though the place was beautiful and held many possibilities and stories, the group wasted no time admiring it. As soon as they sighed at reaching this point in their journey, almost five years after leaving their guild, they headed for the road that led to one of the entrances to the city built at the northernmost point of Oqia.


    ...


    As they entered the city''s first busy avenue, Minos and his companions noticed a large number of advertisements for crews leaving daily for the Ganaway Refuge. The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n))


    Although this was a large city with many services and opportunities for both natives and foreigners, the city''s main business was transportation to Ganaway Refuge and the reception of those coming from that island.


    Several local businesses sold information about the continent and the states, and many individuals were willing to teach the local languages to aliens newly arrived on Zocarro.


    This city was a transit point for aliens arriving on Zocarro and locals going to the Ganaway Refuge with the intention of going to the Artificial Moon.


    Consequently, advertisements for these services could be seen throughout the city, but there were also several locals working the streets, advertising their services to both aliens and natives.


    "Please, I would like to speak with him. I have some questions about the voyage."


    Minos quickly got the location of the captain''s boat from behind the shop.


    He set off with his companions, first going to other establishments like this one to try to get more options. But there wasn''t much difference in the services offered. Practically all the places they would pass in the next few minutes charged between 10% more and less than this group, and they also had two options, the exclusive and the common.


    Of the six groups they would pass that morning, they managed to locate the captains of five ships, all of which were moored in the city''s gigantic port.


    With these five locations in mind, the group would soon head to Oqia''s largest port, where more than a thousand ships were moored along the gigantic local coastline.


    There, they would soon make their way to the first captain they would speak to.


    ...


    "Hmm? Are you here to see our captain?" A suspicious-looking being asked as he looked at the group of low-level Sovereigns and high-level Grandmasters. But after seeing Minos'' confirmation, this native wasn''t too bothered by the strangeness of these people wanting to travel to Ganaway Refuge and quickly called his capital.


    Three minutes after Minos'' group arrived, a being with a humanoid body and the head and arms of an octopus appeared in front of their group.


    "Are you the ones who want to talk to me?" The ship''s captain asked.


    "Senior, I''m curious about the journey to the Ganaway Refuge. I''ve already discussed the values with your staff, but I''d like to know what I can do to prepare for this journey." Minos said, trying to see if this creature would be greedy.


    As soon as Minos finished speaking, this creature showed that he couldn''t be trusted.


    ''Don''t they know about the Ganaway Refuge? Maybe they came to Zocarro another way?'' This being wondered, wondering what he could get from these weak individuals compared to him, a level 110 Sovereign.


    "Heh, as for that, the journey is quite simple. Despite the rumors about this area, it''s only dangerous for people who don''t know it. You just need to get a good crew and relax, my little friend." Said the captain.


    "What do you say? That''s enough for you."


    "Hmm, I''ll settle the payment with your people." Minos lied as he smiled at the man, seeing what he was.

 Chapter 2329 Finding a Crew

    Chapter 2329 Finding a Crew


    After three attempts to find an honest crew, Minos'' group stopped in front of a large ship decorated with the bones and remains of giant sea creatures.


    The sides of this 30-meter-long and 10-meter-wide boat were completely lined with giant bones, while the quilla of the ship was a giant vertebrate spine.


    A large skull at the top of the boat made room for the command center, where the ship''s navigators probably traveled.


    The ship''s crew was milling about, going about the typical routine of preparing a ship like this for voyages.


    As Minos and his people arrived, someone at the main mast, preparing the sails, saw these strange people and asked. "What do you want? Are you looking for our captain?"


    "Hmm. I''d like to better understand what my group would need to travel with you. We''ve heard what you charge, and we''re interested in an exclusive trip to the Ganaway Refuge." Minos replied directly.


    "Captain, someone wants to see you," shouted the native, who was a humanoid crab.


    A few moments after this creature spoke, a four-meter sea serpent emerged from inside the giant skull on the boat and looked at the people in Minos'' group with its snake-like eyes.


    With his cultivation at level 109, this captain wasn''t far behind the others Minos and his companions had talked to so far.


    "Do you want to know what you need to prepare for the journey to this island? Well, nothing you do will make a difference." This being already appeared and spoke in his high voice. "You are weak. Will it make any difference if you prepare? The truth is that this journey depends a lot on our luck and the route we take.


    But if we face a terrible storm on the way, even if you were all on the same level as me, we could not succeed."


    Minos listened and noticed that, for the first time today, a captain didn''t try to deceive them and was completely sincere.


    They all agreed, and not long after, they stopped at the shop they had passed earlier, where they quickly booked on the boat that would leave at dawn.


    After that, Minos and his crew would do some shopping in the city before resting for a few hours to prepare for what might be the last journey of their lives.


    ...


    After doing everything they were supposed to do in this city in the far north of Oqia, Minos, and Ruth were finishing something in a special room made for beings with bodies similar to their own.


    In this strange place, even by the standards of beings from the Spiritual World, they were completely naked as they enjoyed themselves one last time before the dangerous journey ahead of them.


    They were standing next to a wall, Ruth leaning against it with her arms while Minos held one of her legs and thrust his staff quickly and forcefully into her pink cavern.


    They were both sweating and making the pleasurable sounds typical of human mating. But as much as they enjoyed their favorite pastime, neither of them was ready to become pregnant. So not only was Minos careful, but Ruth was also careful not to get pregnant.


    Although they both loved her and the idea of having more children, they couldn''t risk it. Even though the chances of them having children now were slim, neither could risk it on the eve of their departure from this world.


    Thus, when Minos poured his magical contents into Ruth''s cave of love, making her tremble with excitement, it was just a nourishing liquid there, incapable of causing the "germination" of anything in Ruth.


    When Minos did it, the beautiful black-haired woman couldn''t stand it and came as well, feeling the muscles in her lower parts tremble beyond her control while she couldn''t help moaning.


    "Ahhhhhh~"


    That was how they would end their journey in Oqia, soon they would take a relaxing bath before preparing to leave this continent where they had become so strong after arriving in this world.


    That morning, the group would finally leave Oqia for the Ganaway Refuge!

 Chapter 2330 Beginning of the Journey to Ganaway Refuge

    Chapter 2330 Beginning of the Journey to Ganaway Refuge


    In the early morning hours after the group arrived at the northernmost point of the continent, the six companions boarded the bone-decorated boat they had discussed with the captain the day before. The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n))


    They were joined by eleven others, all natives of Zocarro, in the group of up to twenty beings that the snake behind this boat had made available on his ship for this journey.


    Even though he hadn''t filled his boat to capacity, this level 109 Sovereign left this city at the promised time with 17 of the 20 seats on his boat filled.


    His boat didn''t have much room for his 17 customers and his crew of seven. Apart from three bathrooms, a cultivation room, and two living rooms, there were no bedrooms or other types of environments on this ship.


    In addition, there were the defensive structures behind the operation of this water vehicle, as well as the location of the boat''s crew.


    Thus, Minos and his companions left this continent, heading toward the dark sea on their way to the Gunaway Refuge!


    ...


    After the group left the continent, they traveled for days until they left the quieter areas of the sea between their starting point and their destination.


    These three days and the last three days of the journey were the only ones where they could be sure that nothing too alarming would happen. Between the two areas was the danger of this sea, where natural phenomena and terrible monsters lived.


    As soon as the group finished the peaceful part of the journey, the entire group on Cloven''s boat changed its behavior.


    The natives of Zocarro, heading for the Gunaway Refuge, took up defensive positions while Minos and his people went into formation, ready to act as they had so often done on their journey there.


    From the area where his group was, they could see part of the outside of the ship, which was the reason why they finally got into formation.


    The group entered a dark area covered in fog, where the sea was rough, causing the group''s boat to rock violently.


    There were detours, but none of them were comfortable. The best route was the one planned before the trip started!


    That meant that the captain had to be prepared to stop or even change his destination at any time, which could be difficult when sailing at high speed.


    That was why such voyages could take several months, even though the distance between the Gunaway Refuge and the northern tip of Oqia wasn''t as great as one might think.


    While Minos was observing the terrible areas where his group would surely die if they had to face them, the captain was in his control cabin, steering his boat.


    He wasn''t just paying attention to the phenomena in Minos'' field of vision. He was also paying attention to possible monstrous sea creatures.


    For some unknown reason, there were monstrous creatures in the seas of Zocarro, creatures that could not be convinced by common sense and were very powerful.


    In some ways, these creatures were similar to the ones Minos had encountered on The Obsidian Shore, but the ones in this sea were much stronger, more numerous, and more chaotic.


    Minos didn''t know that yet. But as this journey progressed, he would discover just how terrifying this sea was!


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, the first three weeks of the voyage passed without anything really worrying happening.


    Cloven''s crew was just as alert or just as tense as before, still cautiously watching their progress. As much as nothing worrisome had happened in those days, there was no guarantee that nothing would happen today or tomorrow.


    So the group stayed prepared, with Minos'' group and Cloven''s other clients traveling wisely in their surroundings.


    No one had taken the time to cultivate, so no one had improved their strength or had any expectation of leveling up in the coming months.


    Soon, however, the group would encounter the first problems of their sea voyage!

 Chapter 2331 Problems in the Middle of the Voyage

    Chapter 2331 Problems in the Middle of the Voyage


    After a few more days at sea, Minos and his crew finally encountered the first problem of their journey.


    Sailing at the same speed they had been traveling since Oqia''s departure, the party encountered a gigantic sea creature in their path.


    This creature was like the Kraken of the Spiritual World, but its body was the size of a dragon''s body, as big as a mountain!


    When the captain saw the creature''s many arms, he stopped his boat and alerted the entire crew to the problem ahead.


    Everyone on the boat was already aware of their surroundings, so they didn''t change their reactions. They just slightly shifted their focus.


    As they did so, Minos saw that the giant creature was in the only safe place for them to pass through.


    "Shit!" He muttered.


    "What is it?" Ruth asked.


    Minos said. "The damn thing is blocking the way. There''s no way forward without going through it." "So what do we do?" One of the natives of the Spiritual World asked, worried.


    He and the others could clearly sense that this was no ordinary creature. That was a level 115 Supreme monster!


    "So what do we do?" One of the natives of the Spiritual World asked, worried.


    He and the others could clearly sense that this was no ordinary creature. That was a level 115 Supreme monster!


    The difference between a level 115 being and a level 114 was even greater than the difference between a level 100 and a level 99. As such, it would be impossible for them to survive if this creature attacked them!


    The captain heard the comments not only from Minos'' companions but also from the Zocarro natives his crew was transporting and tried to reassure his group. "Do not despair! The monster in front of us doesn''t pay any attention to us. It seems to be laying eggs. If we stand still for a while, we might be able to get through this place safely when it leaves."


    All of the ship''s defenses and cloaking barriers were already active when he said that, but just in case, it was best for everyone to stay as still as possible and not move their energies around too much in their bodies.


    The whole crew heard him and quickly shifted their senses to the underwater world, where creatures ten kilometers below them were swimming towards the surface at that very moment.


    "You have senses much stronger than your level, alien boy." The captain said with a satisfied tone. "These are really annoying creatures. However, they''re not fast enough to catch up with us at my ship''s top speed.


    Thank you for warning me in time."


    The captain immediately began to accelerate, rapidly increasing the speed of his boat, while Minos continued to keep an eye on the strange creatures that had begun to follow them.


    He soon realized that the previous situation had changed, and the creatures were getting further and further away from them.


    He asked. ''Isn''t it dangerous to travel so fast?''


    ''It would be worse if they overtook us. Let me tell you, these monsters are much worse than the Kraken we saw earlier.


    That Kraken was much stronger, but it was only interested in laying its eggs and returning to its territory to rest. But these creatures are coming right at us to devour our bodies!


    Fortunately, my ship is faster than most of the creatures in this area. So if I can escape them in time, I always do what I have just done.'' The captain explained in Minos'' mind, seeing that this level 99 young man wasn''t weak.


    ''But it''s really dangerous to travel that fast. I''ll be back to cruising speed in 10 minutes. That should be enough for those monsters to give up on us.''


    ''Hmm, that makes sense. They''re already giving up.'' Minos commented, understanding the difficulty of this task.


    ''I hope you''ll keep an eye out for those monsters on the way. I know the way to the Gunaway Refuge well, so I''m sure I can speed up my boat a bit if necessary.''


    ''I''ll do what''s necessary.'' Minos readily agreed.


    After these problems, the group would be able to travel for the next two weeks without encountering similar situations. There would be dangers in the coming days. Still, they would be associated with extreme phenomena that were dangerous but wouldn''t intentionally pursue anyone.


    The dangers they would face during these days would be difficult, but not so much as to endanger the crew.


    So, they would continue with their goal of reaching the island north of Zocarro.

 Chapter 2332 The Last Weeks of the Boat Trip

    Chapter 2332 The Last Weeks of the Boat Trip


    Over the next few weeks, the group would complete a large part of the route to the Gunaway Refuge, overcoming the most difficult parts of the journey.


    The most dangerous part of the sea voyage between Oqia and this island was the middle of the route, where special phenomena occurred even on the safe routes, where there were no areas of extreme conditions like those seen by Minos at the beginning of the voyage.


    Occasionally, some phenomena intensify the spatial cracks, temporal whirlpools, and other problem areas of the sea. That was enough to raise the level of these problem areas and close all safe paths in front of you.


    In such a situation, such a crew didn''t have much of a choice. Either they challenged these phenomena and tried their best to overcome them, or they found a way to wait safely. It wasn''t always possible to wait for a problem to resolve itself. Sometimes, these phenomena would appear suddenly and everywhere. In such situations, all you could do was try your best to escape the problem!


    The group experienced several such events during their weeks of travel following their encounter with the octopus-shaped monster.


    Fortunately, they all survived, although they had to fight, defend themselves, and suffer physical and material damage to their belongings.


    Thus, the group entered the final 3 weeks of their journey to the Gunaway Refuge!


    ...


    Today, the surroundings of Cloven''s ship were not as dark and stormy as they had been during the last weeks of the journey.


    Minos and Ruth were currently on their 10-minute break, which they took to eat something or drink a restorative potion while their companions stood guard.


    Meanwhile, two natives of Zocarro, who had traveled with them to this island with the same goal of leaving this planet, talked to them about their destination.


    They had become very familiar with everyone on the boat over the past few months, having overcome many things together and developed a very friendly relationship.


    "We must be close to the island." Said one of the two Zocarro natives. "As far as we know, the island''s surroundings are very stable. So the favorable weather conditions extend much further from this island than from where we left Oqia."


    "I see," Minos commented, seeing that he had no choice and that it would be better for them to take advantage of this opportunity.


    ''You and the robot must use these months to become stronger. It should advance in less than a year, and you can advance in another 3 years.'' Minos commented to Ruth.


    ''I will try my best.''


    After this conversation, both sides returned to where their groups were supposed to be and watched the boat''s surroundings.


    Nothing would go wrong that day, and the group would continue on to their destination, getting closer and closer to the safe area where they could finally see the majestic island that served as the entrance for aliens from all over the universe to come to Zocarro.


    For the first time in almost 40 years, Minos was about to leave this world!


    ...


    Two weeks later, the group had overcome their final challenges and reached the stable area of the sea, from where they now sailed at full speed.


    Having successfully overcome the many dangers of the sea voyage, the group would arrive on the island in the next few days, with everyone using these final days of travel to finally begin to rest.


    After months of traveling together, they would soon see the silhouette of the great Runaway Refuge, an island the size of Stone Island, Minos'' first allied territory on his spiritual journey.


    But unlike Stone Island, which had many rocky areas without much vegetation, this island before them was a magnificent jungle where a gigantic city had been built over much of the territory.


    It was one of the largest cities on the planet, with more than 100 million creatures living near one of the only ways to safely leave the planet.


    When they got close enough to the island, the entire group would observe the magnificent pillar of colored light that seemed to cut the sky to infinity, the path that the largest local organization used to transport living beings to and from the Artificial Moon.


    It wouldn''t be long before the group disembarked on the island and got to know this last stop on Zocarro better.

 Chapter 2333 The Queue

    Chapter 2333 The Queue


    Arriving at the Gunaway Refuge, Minos'' group quickly said goodbye to the people they had been traveling with for the past few months.


    The level 109 serpent had proven to be as reliable as Minos had predicted, and nothing strange had happened in the middle of the group''s journey, as the group of aliens they had encountered before reaching the north coast of Oqia had warned.


    After disembarking at a large port on the island, the group soon set off in search of information on how to reach the Artificial Moon.


    They already knew that the only organization on the island that offered travel to the Artificial Moon was Century Terminal. So they quickly sought out one of the stations of this large local group.


    Century Terminal had several outposts around this large island. The main post, where the beings went to and from the artificial moon, was in the central part of the island. But around that area, there were a dozen branches where people interested in traveling to the artificial stellar body could get information and get in line to travel to that place.


    As soon as Minos'' group heard where they could find the nearest outpost, they made their way through the wide streets of the large city they had arrived in, a very diverse place with creatures of infinitely different races.


    Most of the people in the streets were not natives of Zocarro but aliens who had recently arrived.


    Once an alien arrives on the artificial moon, they wait for the moment to come to this island, where they can learn more about Zocarro and earn their first Qilnats to pay for the trip to Oqia.


    Normally, it would take a few years to earn enough to go to Oqia, so the many aliens who arrived in this world every day spent a lot of time on this island.


    Minos and his people noticed this when they saw a place even more diverse than Examire.


    Even so, the vast majority of creatures here wanted to go either to Oqia or to the artificial moon. Only a few of them really wanted to stay on the island.


    But that was to be expected. After all, Gunaway Refuge was a place completely dominated by Century Terminal, and there weren''t many opportunities for anyone who wasn''t a part of that great power.


    As a result, the population of this place was constantly changing with the coming and going of aliens and natives of Zocarro.


    "Then we can send them in 623 and 695 days." Said the creature. "But there will be an additional handling fee. You''ll have to pay another 1 million Qilnats."


    "Why is sending the whole group at once cheaper and more time-consuming?" Ruth asked curiously.


    "Because we only have 5 places to go and 5 places to return from the Artificial Moon each day. To take 6 people at once, we''d have to change our schedule, and we can''t change the list of reservations already made.


    In short, I could only send them all together on a day when there weren''t any reservations. But only 3 of us had that slot in 623 days and the other in 695 days. And so it''s more expensive because there are two charges at the same time."


    "So that''s it." One of Minos'' companions muttered.


    "That''s fine. I''ll pay the extra fee." Minos accepted without further ado.


    He would rather pay more and only have to wait 72 days to be with his companions on the Artificial Moon.


    So they soon made their reservations to leave this place.


    Minos asked the attendant before leaving the station. "By the way, where can I get information about destinations departing from Century Terminal?"


    "You can get it right here in this building. Just go to the other side of the building where it says ''Information.''"


    So the group made their way to that place and soon arrived in an area that looked like a museum, with several screens displaying information, furniture with artifacts, and models of solar systems, galaxies, in short, the places that could be easily reached from the Artificial Moon.


    Minos and his group soon searched for the path that would lead them to the galaxy from which they knew they could get to the galaxy where The Adamant Land was located.


    They soon found the information they were looking for.


    After discovering the stopping points of the spaceship that would take them to the world closest to their target galaxy, they understood the dangers along the way, the interesting places to explore in the future, how to get to the place Minos'' superior in Armhands had indicated, and how long it would take them to reach the Spiritual World!

 Chapter 2334 Journey Back to the Spiritual World

    Chapter 2334 Journey Back to the Spiritual World


    The journey back to the Spiritual World passed through five galaxies, 11 solar systems, and a total of 23 planets.


    The first part of the journey was between the Artificial Moon and the galaxy, where the group would be able to travel to the galaxy where The Adamant Land was located.


    There was no spaceship that could take them directly to the galaxy where the Mechanic Empire was born, but there was a place that could take magical creatures to the galaxy where the solar system of The Adamant Land was located.


    From that place to The Adamant Land, the robot in Minos'' group was sure it could lead them to their homeland.


    From there, they could return to the Spiritual World through the universal wormhole that this empire had created for Minos and Ruth''s home planet.


    According to the robot, once they reach the galaxy where his home planet is, the journey will be quite safe for them. The problems would be before that, i.e., the two journeys they would make in spaceships belonging to unknown powers.


    The first part of this journey, from the Artificial Moon, would take them most of the way through 3 galaxies, where they would stop to unload and recharge their spaceships on a total of 11 planets.


    After that, their other journey would take them through two more galaxies and 11 planets in 6 different solar systems.


    These two journeys would be the most dangerous because, at each stop, they would have access to places of a higher level than their home planets, where there were Sovereigns and beings interested in acting against beings from higher-level cultivation worlds.


    "If all goes well, we can reach the Spiritual World in 115 weeks after leaving the Artificial Moon." The robot said after calculating the data from the station they were at.


    After all, it wasn''t a ''long'' journey. Their waiting time on this island would be almost as long as the journey itself!


    "However, there may be problems along the way that require more time for us to get there. In that case, the journey to our destination could take much longer." Minos muttered, considering how unlikely it was that they would reach the Spiritual World without encountering any problems along the way. The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n))


    "Sigh, but it''s better than nothing. At least now we have an idea of when we''ll be able to go home." Ruth commented, clenching her fists in anticipation of seeing her family again.


    Minos nodded positively. "Yes, in five years, we can be back on our planet and quickly resolve the War of the Worlds...


    Since then, he had only cultivated to replenish his energy when he spent it on missions on the island, which had become his main pastime in this place.


    During that time, the group didn''t face any local challenges except for the missions that some of them had undertaken. As mentioned earlier, Gunaway Refuge was a very well-organized and safe place. There was little trouble on the island.


    Because of this, the group''s year there had been extremely peaceful, and they had taken the opportunity to gather resources for relatively simple tasks while they built up their forces.


    This time was enough for them to learn four new languages and acquire various resources and items that they could use in the worlds they would pass through in the near future.


    Meanwhile, they could only wait for the moment when they would leave this place to finally leave this solar system for the Artificial Moon.


    Minos and Ruth thought daily about the Spiritual World and how much time had passed on their home planet since the beginning of the War of the Worlds.


    When they left, they had planned to be away from home for a maximum of 20 years. But for them, it would soon be 50 years away from their family.


    How much time has passed for the people in the Spiritual World?


    They had no idea, but they were about to learn!


    ...


    While Minos'' group waited to leave Zocarro, today in the Spiritual World, it had been 11 years since Minos, Ruth, and their crew of dozens of companions had left that world.


    Today, their planet is divided between three different civilizations, with the central continent currently being the last refuge of the race of humans.


    But it was in danger!


    At that time, Abby had moved to the area of the former Evergreen Empire, where she and her companions were defending their continent from the aliens of Irpoll!


    Irpoll had already completely taken over the Divine Continent and had begun to dominate the Continent of Beasts. Now, only the Central Continent remained untouched!

 Chapter 2335 The Ice Age and Its End

    Chapter 2335 The Ice Age and Its End


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    In the Spatial Kingdom of the Spiritual Church...


    Abby had lived in this place since the aliens from Irpoll began attacking the Central Continent about a year and a half ago.


    Since then, there have been many battles between the continent''s forces, and Abby has been forced to fight twice, once bringing back 10th-stage warriors and once bringing Willow back to the world of the living.


    These two actions of hers had greatly helped the forces of the spirit world. As more time passed since the start of the war, the effects of Abby''s technique fusion became more permanent.


    Previously, she had been able to return level 100 experts to the world of the living for a few tens of seconds. Today, with her almost at level 94, she could keep someone like Willow alive for more than 1.5 minutes.


    That might not seem like much, but it was enough support for Callie, Aurae, and Vico to get themselves out of danger or even take decisive action against their opponents.


    When Abby had resurrected the last level 100 corpse from her world, Willow had helped to seriously injure one of the Gods coming from Irpoll to the Spiritual World.


    That had been four months ago, and there had been no other high-level combat on the continent since then.


    This central land part of the Spiritual World had had to deal with attacks from 10th-stage beings, but Abby hadn''t been involved in most of them.


    She had used up most of her cards and was saving herself for a more important battle for her people.


    Unless one of the three remaining gods of the spirit world fell or the continent suffered a significant attack, she didn''t intend to move in the short term.


    So she was in position in case something worse happened to her land, ready to use the last corpses she had at her disposal.


    Many beings from this planet have died in the last nearly four years of this civilization''s problems with Irpoll. But the aliens from this other place were very different from those from The Adamant Land. They rarely left the bodies of their enemies whole, which had greatly hindered the native forces'' plans to reuse their warriors with Abby''s fusion. Therefore, the former headquarters of the Spiritual Church currently held the last 500 corpses for Abby to use in an emergency situation.


    The family line no longer existed, and its headquarters served as one of the main posts for the Imperial forces to keep watch over the area.


    Arriving there, Maisie met one of the observers and heard.


    "Irpoll''s ships are stopped where they were, Your Grace. There is no sign of them attacking us at the moment." Said the high-ranking demigod, one of the few remaining members of this planet''s native forces.


    "Why are they standing still? Are they waiting for reinforcements?" she asked as she examined a device created from the technology of the Mechanic Empire.


    The technological level of the native forces of the Spiritual World had not improved much since Minos had left. However, his forces had improved their mastery of the technologies of The Adamant Land and even acquired new technologies in the little over a decade of war.


    The high-ranking Demigod sighed and said. "It could be. It could also be the Ice Age. It''s tough to navigate in the current weather conditions.


    Sigh... We''re fortunate, Your Grace. We''d all be dead by now if it weren''t for the Ice Age. The only thing keeping Irpoll from wiping us out is this."


    "Don''t you think Callie could protect us from them?" She asked as she looked at the sea.


    "She can only do that because of the Ice Age. Without the extreme phenomena of this climatic disaster, Her Excellency wouldn''t be able to do half of what she''s capable of...


    One day, the world''s climate will change. It shouldn''t be long now that the worst of the Ice Age is over. By then, we''ll be completely defenseless." He warned Maisie.


    The Ice Age was already half over. Unlike the previous eras of extreme weather that the Spirit World had experienced and suffered for thousands upon thousands of years, the current calamity was coming to an end after only a few decades.


    According to the elves, the Ice Age would be over in six years at the most!


    Maisie was aware of this and sighed in concern.


    "I know. I never thought I''d say this, but it''s a shame it''s coming to an end. But I hope we can improve our chances a little more before the worst happens."

 Chapter 2336 Expectations of the Stronger Side

    Chapter 2336 Expectations of the Stronger Side


    Meanwhile, on the Divine Continent...


    In the ancient temple of the Pantheon of Honor, a group of giant ape-like creatures stood on the outskirts of this place, which had been abandoned years before they arrived on this continent.


    Now, the former home of the Pantheon of Honor was the headquarters of the forces from Irpoll!


    From this place, the strongest of the Irpoll who had come to this world were commanding their forces in this world, leading the "purification" of the central continent, where they were gradually tearing down the human cities to build lush forests like those of their homeworld.


    There were 3 Gods of this civilization, the only ones in this world to deal with the enemies in their path on this expansionist journey they had started about 4 years ago.


    As much as Irpoll was stronger than The Adamant Land, they had won the last war by a small margin. It had been nothing like what the Spiritual World had done in the early part of the War of the Worlds.


    Irpoll had suffered much more in the past, losing as many or more of its specialists as the forces of the Minos world.


    So when they joined the War of the Worlds, they didn''t have dozens of Gods to send to the Adamant Land and the Spiritual World. The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n))


    The group had only sent ten experts, five of whom had survived to this day, two in The Adamant Land and three in the Spiritual World.


    The others had died in the battles that basically ended the Mechanic Empire''s dominance over The Adamant Land and in the battles they had fought in the Spiritual World over the past few years.


    Anyway, just three Gods in the Spiritual World were enough for this group. Each of their experts was as strong as Callie, and even when they had to face the survivors of the Mechanic Empire and the Spiritual World at the same time, they were able to handle their problems well.


    Of course, their situation wasn''t easy. They had a better chance of winning in the current situation, but there were problems on their way.


    The biggest of these problems was the Ice Age, which affected them greatly.


    ...


    Another year has passed on Zocarro...


    Meanwhile, in Gunaway Refuge, Minos and his people were finally preparing to leave this place!


    Another year had passed without a hitch for everyone, and the wait for the first group to travel to the artificial moon was finally over.


    This afternoon, Minos, Ruth, and one of their companions would leave this island to finally go to the Artificial Moon, more than a million kilometers away from Zocarro.


    Meanwhile, the group was fully prepared for the start of their intergalactic journey, with everything in place for their departure from the Universal Space Station on the artificial moon.


    Not only that but with one more year of cultivation, Ruth was practically on the threshold between the end of the Mortal Journey and the beginning of the Divine Journey!


    With a few more months, she would be able to reach level 100 even without the use of Divine Medicine!


    So, as soon as the group gathered in the morning, Minos gave all the necessary advice to the three people who would stay behind to travel in two more months.


    After their last meeting in this world, they bid farewell to the robot and the two Spiritual World natives who would stay behind before heading to the station from which they would depart.


    When they arrived at that magnificent place, which seemed to have a large elevator leading to the sky, they didn''t hesitate to enter and follow the directions to the departure area of this world.


    As soon as they showed their reservations, the three of them gained access to a special platform, where two other individuals departing from Zacarro soon joined them for this special moment.


    Minos and Ruth held each other''s hands, having prepared well to endure the long journey via this world''s special means of transportation.


    As they smiled, beams of colored light appeared around them before their journey began!

 Chapter 2337 Artificial Moon

    Chapter 2337 Artificial Moon


    In the blink of an eye, Minos, Ruth, and their level 102 companion felt space distort, and then colored lines appeared and disappeared in their surroundings.


    In a single instant, they disappeared from the starting point in Gunaway Refuge and were immediately transported to the Artificial Moon.


    Arriving there one second after leaving Zocarro, the three of them and the two people who traveled with them showed signs of having traveled more than a million kilometers instantly.


    They all felt their legs weaken, and they fell to the ground while they couldn''t hold back the urge to vomit.


    All five of them vomited while feeling as if their bodies had been shaken a hundred times in a single moment.


    "Fuck! This feeling is horrible!" one of them shouted as he broke out in a cold sweat and felt chills running through his body.


    Even though everyone there had gotten used to the effects of such instantaneous travel over the years, it was nothing compared to traveling over a million kilometers in fractions of a second.


    Even Minos vomited horribly during his group''s first moments on the Artificial Moon while members of the Century Terminal waited on the edge of the platform for them to finish.


    Such a phenomenon happens every day in this place. Everyone there was prepared for such an event, including the area itself, which was prepared for what the group had done when they arrived, with a floor capable of absorbing vomit and spray jets capable of cleaning up and preventing foul odors.


    Five minutes after their arrival on the Artificial Moon, members of this outpost came to them with towels and recovery potions as the newcomer finally stopped vomiting.


    As soon as he drank his potion, Minos felt immense relief throughout his body, although he still had a severe headache. However, for a level 99 cultivator like him, this discomfort was bearable.


    "You may experience some residual effects from the instant transport for the next few hours. It''s normal, so there''s no need to worry," one of the alien members of the station reassured the group. "In a day or two, you should acclimate to the conditions of the Artificial Moon, so just try to relax for now. It will help you cope with the side effects."


    Then another being spoke up. "Now that you''re feeling a bit better, please follow me. I''ll take you to the exit of this station."


    Even so, the density of energy and laws there was higher than the best cultivation places in the Spiritual World.


    Additionally, the place was very diverse, with beings from many different worlds, various trading opportunities, and places to exchange information and resources.


    But as they walked around the place, Minos and his group soon realized that everything there was very expensive. Considering the conditions for a place like this to exist, the fees charged by Century Terminal were high.


    Still, they needed to stay in this place for a few months, hire some services like the one the rabbit woman had mentioned earlier, and also do other things they planned to do while they waited for their moment to leave.


    ...


    The next day, Minos and his two companions had fully recovered from their previous journey and had adjusted to the Artificial Moon.


    They hadn''t yet gone to find out when the next spacecraft would leave for the destination of their interest. Yesterday, they had taken the opportunity to adapt to this place and get to know the area.


    There were still a few places to see. Still, by the day after tomorrow, they should know everything that was easily accessible on the Artificial Moon.


    However, now that they were in a better condition, the group headed for the universal station, where they could get information about the crew that was leaving for their destination.


    Soon, Minos, Ruth, and another human were in the grand metal station, where several counters and many alien creatures were coming and going.


    As they followed the instructions in the surrounding area, they soon came face to face with one of the Century Terminal employees.


    After hearing Minos'' question, the skeletal-looking creature with the body of a bird said, "The next departure for Aether Terminal is scheduled in 109 days. Each ticket costs 2.4 million Qilnats. Are you interested in booking?"


    Minos thought about it and concluded that it would provide enough time for the other three companions who were still in the Gunaway Refuge to join them and train a bit before their departure.


    "Very well. I want to reserve six seats for my group," Minos said as he handed over 95% of the Qilnats he still had with him.

 Chapter 2338 Towards Level 100

    Chapter 2338 Towards Level 100


    Three months flew by since Minos'' party arrived on the Artificial Moon.


    During this time, Minos and his companions, the first arrivals at this magnificent structure, adapted seamlessly to their new surroundings. They commenced their training regimen, focusing on their journey to the Aether Terminal¡ªthe departure point for their spaceship voyage to the galaxy of The Adamant Land.


    A few weeks ago, the remaining three companions who were still in Gunaway Refuge completed their journey out of Zocarro. Upon arriving on the Artificial Moon, they experienced some initial challenges similar to those faced by Minos and his two companions. However, with the assistance of the inhabitants of this magnificent space city, they swiftly adapted and began preparing for their departure.


    With less than a month remaining before their spaceship journey to the Spiritual World commenced, they found themselves stronger, better prepared, and having already acquainted themselves with other travelers who would accompany them on part of their journey.


    Despite the vastness of the place, making it challenging to meet everyone, those destined for the same journey often trained in similar areas, facilitating introductions to their fellow travelers. The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n))


    The ships departing from the Artificial Moon were not grand spaceships, typically accommodating around 100 passengers at a time. Nevertheless, the journey was worthwhile. These ships didn''t merely embark on long, non-stop voyages. Instead, they traversed numerous planets, making stops to drop off and pick up passengers along the way.


    The ships in this place boasted remarkable advancements. Even voyages spanning the universe and traversing multiple galaxies, typically took no more than a few weeks round trip.


    While Minos and his group''s journey to the Spiritual World would require at least 115 weeks, the transit between the Artificial Moon and the Aether Terminal would only take 42 weeks. That meant a single spaceship could complete the round trip in just 84 weeks¡ªless than two years of travel!


    With the prospect of a relatively swift journey ahead, the group found themselves more anxious than ever as they finalized their preparations.


    ...


    "How''s your training coming along? Think you''ll be ready in the next two weeks?" Minos inquired, addressing the robot and the two Spiritual World natives who had spent less time on the Artificial Moon.


    "I should be prepared within another 10 days," responded the robot, now at level 103.


    Once Ruth started her meditation after ingestion of the Divine Medicine, the men of the Spiritual World congregated around her to cultivate, leaving only Minos and the robot on the sidelines.


    The robot would soon resume cultivation to prepare for the impending journey, while Minos maintained vigilance over their surroundings, mindful not to provoke any action that could lead him to the Millennium Massacre trial.


    He settled down not far from the training area where his group would continue to hone their skills over the next few weeks, gathering books and materials to delve into.


    Having exhausted his remaining Qilnats to secure a place for his group to train and lodge at this station, Minos found himself with limited options for passing the time.


    He had already acclimated fully to the conditions of space travel along the route his group would undertake, leaving him with nothing to do but wait.


    But Minos wouldn''t have to wait long. In the blink of an eye, their final weeks in this place would be over!


    ...


    Time flew by swiftly, and at last, the moment arrived for Minos'' party to bid farewell to the Artificial Moon!


    Ruth had achieved level 100 three days prior when she had marked her transition from the Mortal Journey to the Divine Journey.


    Beside her, their companions had completed their preparations and stood ready to embark on their journey through the uncharted expanse of the universe.


    As a new day started, they cast one final gaze upon the silhouette of Zocarro, uncertain when they would see it again before making their way to the embarkation port.


    Encountering no obstacles along the path, neither during their sojourn nor as they journeyed to their awaiting spacecraft, they soon found themselves boarding the vessel that would be their home for the next forty-plus weeks.


    At long last, they were returning to the Spiritual World!

 Chapter 2339 Beginning of the Universal Journey

    Chapter 2339 Beginning of the Universal Journey


    Upon embarking on the spaceship that would serve as their abode for the ensuing weeks, Minos, along with his companions and fellow passengers, navigated the intricate passageways of the colossal six-story metallic behemoth.


    Within this vast spacecraft, four of the six tiers were designated for the accommodation of approximately a hundred voyagers embarking from the Artificial Moon.


    Spanning two of these levels were 40 cabins, offering a range of accommodations from solitary retreats to communal spaces, designed to cater to the varied needs of individuals seeking travel, camaraderie, or a secluded respite.


    Fortuitously, Minos and his entourage secured a spacious cabin capable of hosting up to eight beings, allowing them to journey together in a blend of comfort and privacy without the necessity of separation.


    Moreover, a distinct level was devoted to fostering interaction among the ship''s clientele, where individuals could mingle, conduct exchanges, and savor culinary delights within the confines of the ship''s marketplace.


    Despite its primary function as a vessel for interstellar travel, potentially spanning several months for certain destinations, the crew ensured the provision of an array of services on this communal deck, enhancing the overall experience of their cosmic voyage.


    The pivotal services aboard the spacecraft revolved around gastronomy and cultivation within specialized chambers. Given the limited capacity, not all passengers could engage in cultivation simultaneously, necessitating a reservation system for access to these areas.


    While these amenities were partially complementary, they weren''t entirely without cost. Each passenger was allocated one hour of cultivation time and one complimentary meal per day; any additional consumption required payment.


    The fourth level, accessible to passengers, diverged from commercial activities, offering instead a sanctuary of leisure spaces designed for relaxation and enjoyment throughout the journey, devoid of any commercial establishments.


    This spacecraft stood as a standard of service diversity, promising an enriching experience for its occupants. Diiscover new stories at novelhall.com


    Upon their arrival, Minos and his companions were swiftly acquainted with the ship''s extensive offerings, courtesy of crew members who welcomed the ensemble of approximately a hundred travelers departing from the Artificial Moon, heralding the start of an unforgettable odyssey.


    As the passengers stood around in their cabins, the captain of the spaceship was given the go-ahead to leave.


    "Starship 666, you are cleared for departure. Proceed to departure in space warp corridor 328R. Space ahead is stable, with a small zone of temporal instability 4 million kilometers ahead. Have a safe journey."


    "Artificial Moon, Starship 666, roger that. Thank you for confirming conditions and we''re ready to go." Said the captain as he signaled his men to move the ship.


    Not long after, the ship moved, accelerating little by little until, four seconds later, the ship went into space warp and crossed space so fast that it simply disappeared halfway down corridor 328R.


    For the passengers, experiencing this advanced space travel technology for the first time felt akin to undergoing instantaneous teleportation, leaving many feeling queasy as they departed from the Artificial Moon.


    However, the discomfort wasn''t severe enough to induce vomiting. The sensation was mainly due to feeling anchored by their seats during the sudden acceleration, which initially took a toll on their bodies.


    This unsettling feeling wouldn''t linger indefinitely. Throughout the first hour of their journey, the group would continue to experience these effects, which would start to diminish after the first thirty minutes. Eventually, as their seatbelts disengaged, the discomfort would fade away entirely, allowing them to acclimate to the journey ahead.


    At that moment, the group looked at the screen showing images from outside the spaceship and could no longer see Zocarro or the Artificial Moon. The robot, the best navigator in Minos'' group, couldn''t help but be surprised when he noticed on the travel map that they had already left Zocarro''s home solar system.


    "Incredible!" He commented to his group, while the humans there, no longer feeling so bad about the effects of this journey, slowly got up from their seats to stretch their legs.


    Minos felt his heart beat faster and told the three level 102 Sovereigns to go and make their appointments in the cultivation rooms, while the robot should also go and improve his strength, but without being in the same hurry as the three of them.


    The robot had recently advanced to level 103, so it was likely that he wouldn''t have a chance to improve his level until he returned from the Spiritual World. However, those three at level 102 might be able to reach level 103 in the next two years.


    So the group would soon disperse to the common area of the ship, where several people between levels 100 and 105 would travel with them for part of the way.

 Chapter 2340 Second Stop and Problems

    Chapter 2340 Second Stop and Problems


    After departing from the Artificial Moon, Starship 666 embarked on a five-week journey without encountering any issues. Their initial destination was Vanquish Station, a spaceport comparable to the one they had left, situated near a significant planet akin to Zocarro within the same galaxy.


    This stop marked a relatively safe phase of their voyage. Zocarro''s influence, backed by its powerful presence and the spread of its forces within its home galaxy and even into neighboring ones, provided a measure of security.


    Nevertheless, as they ventured further, Zocarro''s protective reach diminished, increasing the potential for encountering dangers.


    Yet, space travel is unpredictable, and it''s not that uncommon for a journey of 42 weeks to pass without incident.


    Continuing on their path, the crew and passengers of Starship 666 navigated smoothly into their sixth week, edging closer to Scout Base. This upcoming stop, set for ten days ahead, would be their first in a new galaxy, marking a new chapter in their expedition.


    ...


    As the ship cruised through space, Minos and his group scattered across different sections of the vessel.


    The level 102 Sovereigns dedicated themselves to cultivation in the third-level chambers, focusing on their personal growth, while their robot companion conducted business on behalf of the group. However, his purpose wasn''t to acquire resources but to gather information. Following their recent stop, new passengers from various alien races had come aboard, bringing with them diverse knowledge about the Zocarro''s galaxy and other insights that could influence both the current journey and the group''s future prospects.


    Meanwhile, on the third level, Ruth and Minos took advantage of the complimentary daily meal offered at the food court, enjoying a moment of leisure and food together.


    Although the cafeteria offered both complimentary and premium meals, there was no noticeable difference in quality between them. Every dish was exceptionally prepared, so much so that Minos believed he could advance in his cultivation simply by eating, without any deliberate effort!


    As he enjoyed his meal, Minos already had plans to waste the energy within the food using his special abilities.


    Fortunately, this task was well within his capabilities. Minos possessed a unique skill that not only accelerated his own cultivation but also significantly boosted the growth of his companions, allowing them to gain strength more rapidly.


    ...


    The journey continued as smoothly as the initial five weeks, leading up to today when Starship 666 began to decelerate upon nearing its second destination, Scout Base. This facility, though significantly smaller than the Artificial Moon, buzzed with activity as various ships navigated to and from the adjacent planet.


    This nearby planet, unlike Zocarro, which leveraged instantaneous transport to move living beings to the Artificial Moon, relied on more traditional methods of space travel.


    This distinction between Zocarro and the neighboring planet wasn''t merely technological but also a reflection of the differing spiritual laws governing them. Zocarro''s intense gravitational pull and stringent spiritual restrictions necessitated the use of instantaneous transport for departure, highlighting the unique challenges posed by its environment.


    That''s why Zocarro''s powers remained "hostage" to its means of transportation, which could only transport 10 people per day.


    But on the other planet in the ship''s path, things weren''t so extreme. The native forces were able to leave their surface without any major problems, using much less technologically advanced ships than the one Minos was on at the time.


    As the ship approached the base, the captain was aware of the possible trouble he might encounter there. However, as a level 114 Sovereign, he would stop there to drop off and pick up passengers, no matter what the problem was.


    "Prepare for landing at Scout Base," the captain announced, ensuring that both crew and passengers were securely stationed in their cabins.


    At the same time, a contingency of the crew was poised to counter any pirate threats that might emerge.


    In this world, there was the presence of Sovereigns and even lower-tier Supremes, but that was no guarantee that the enemies had beings powerful enough to stand in the captain''s way!


    Upon establishing communication with the planet''s space station, the captain maneuvered the ship to dock at one of the available ports. He then promptly opened the ship''s entrance, bracing to deal with any potential challenges that might arise.


    The moment the entrance was disclosed, this level 114 entity was met with the stark reality awaiting at Scout Base!

 Chapter 2341 Assault

    Chapter 2341 Assault


    The moment the entrance to Starship 666 opened, the captain and his group of men prepared to defend the ship were faced with a problematic situation.


    Outside the ship, two dozen armed aliens were positioned in front of the bridge that connected the ship to the landing platform.


    But the most important thing was not the many men waiting for the ship''s crew. Among the pirates were three level 114 Sovereigns, as strong or stronger than the captain of the ship.


    As soon as he noticed the presence of these specialists in the group causing trouble at the Scout Base, the captain stopped in front of his spacecraft and felt that the situation there was worse than he had imagined.


    ''Shit! The situation on the planet below is worse than I thought!'' He thought to himself.


    For a group of pirates to brazenly target Scout Base as they did, there must be formidable backing for them from the nearby planet. Without support from at least one Supreme, such a daring move would never occur.


    The seasoned Captain swiftly grasped the gravity of the situation. If he wasn''t cautious, he could find himself in dire straits.


    "Captain, be kind and cooperate with us," urged one of the three level 114 Sovereigns. "Allow my men to board your vessel and conduct a search of your passengers. We are only interested in specific resources and artifacts. We won''t tarnish your company''s reputation too severely."


    "Tsk! It seems I have no choice," the captain grumbled. His odds of prevailing in a potential confrontation were slim to none, but he wouldn''t risk the continuity of his service. Frankly, he''d prefer being robbed over the potential loss of his crew. Diiscover new stories at novelhall.com


    The pirate leader smiled when he heard the captain''s whisper. He motioned for his men to move on while one of his level 114 companions went inside the spaceship, leaving him and another ally outside.


    "Where are you going?" One of the two strongest pirates in the area asked.


    "Aether Terminal."


    "Wow. That''s far!" One of the two level 114 Sovereigns said.


    "May I ask what your goal is? Won''t your group have trouble capturing the Scout Base?" The captain asked curiously.


    So, less than 10 minutes after their arrival at the Scout Base, a group of alien space pirates stopped in front of Minos'' cabin.


    "Reveal the contents of your space storage artifacts!" Shouted a level 109 being, someone who was just an ordinary pirate in this group that was invading the spaceship.


    Minos imagined that the level 109 Sovereigns from this place weren''t as strong as those from Zocarro of the same level. But hell, a dozen of them were surrounding their ship right now.


    Even if he were confident that he could take on one of them, he would never be able to escape the many others in the vicinity!


    He waved his five companions to obey the order, quickly revealing their cultivation resources, coins, crystals, artifacts, and food.


    There were a lot of things from the Spiritual World there, as Minos had taken things from his companions who had stayed in Zocarro, but wanted to give their ''heirlooms'' to families or people important to them.


    Besides, there weren''t many things left from Zocarro. After all, the group had used up most of the resources they had obtained on the planet during their stay and departure.


    As soon as he saw the items of this group, the level 109 alien made a sound of contempt, sensing how poor these cultivators were.


    Nevertheless, he took three items before leaving Minos'' group behind.


    Minos and his companions remained silent, not complaining about the contempt of the creature that had just attacked them.


    Unfortunately, Minos had lost the special telescope Fah''um of Dunov had left.


    The good thing was that it was no longer that important to him, and the other stolen items would not be missed as much by the group. They would rather not have lost the three items, but this loss would not affect their current plans.


    "I hope that was enough." Ruth sighed as Minos grew angry at the situation.


    He hated being in such a passive position!


    ''I hope this thing helps me get stronger.'' He thought of the mark he had left after absorbing the Incorruptible Heart.

 Chapter 2342 Halfway

    Chapter 2342 Halfway


    Weeks after the incident at the Scout Base...


    Starship 666 had departed quietly following the raid weeks ago. While passengers and crew had suffered some losses during the encounter, it hadn''t been so severe that anyone was left destitute or desperate.


    Operating under the protection of a prominent figure on the planet linked to Scout Base, the space pirates had refrained from excessive aggression. Nevertheless, nearly everyone aboard Starship 666 had suffered some form of loss.


    Following the uneventful robbery, those bound for Scout Base disembarked at the station while other awaiting passengers boarded, joining the journey to the final destination at the Aether Terminal.


    With the departure from Scout Base, the travelers aboard the ship resumed their usual space travel routines. Since then, they had encountered no further issues, fortunate to have avoided any further encounters with space pirates. Diiscover new stories at novelhall.com


    Their luck had held out. Under different circumstances, a pirate attack could have been far more devastating, potentially resulting in the loss of their vessel or even capture as slaves.


    Fortunately, such brazen acts by pirates were rare, particularly during transit.


    With the previous stop, the party should have five weeks from the Scout Base to the next stop, a period during which they were unlikely to run into any pirates.


    And indeed, that''s what had happened in those weeks, as the party gradually moved closer to their next stop, only having to deal with temporal and spatial instabilities along the way.


    The challenges faced by a space-traveling crew include exposure to extreme radiation that can compromise ship systems, spatial instabilities that can destroy ships or divert them to distant points in the universe, and temporal fluctuations that have the potential to alter the ship''s timeline.


    The party faced some of these problems but arrived at the present point in one piece, without any significant malfunctions.


    ...


    At this point, the crew was preparing for another stop. Today was the beginning of a long series of stops before a long period of no stops.


    Among the 22 creatures waiting to board the ship, one looked like a snail because of most of its body, but it had the head of a serpent with poisonous fangs protruding from it.


    As he watched the passengers disembark, his forked tongue quivered, and his eyes narrowed.


    ''This is my chance.'' He thought to himself.


    Minutes later, disembarkation ended, and the captain''s group began boarding. Some of the passengers who had been shopping in the area began to return.


    At the end of the two-hour rest period, the ship would be ordered to leave the area, heading for its next scheduled stop in two days.


    ...


    Hours later, the ship was cruising, just minutes after the signal from the cabins changed to allow passengers to move around the four levels of the ship again if they wished.


    Meanwhile, the serpent from earlier left his stateroom with a strange look on his face.


    He circled around the area of the cabins, noticing that several of them were open while only a few were closed from the inside.


    Then, looking from side to side, he pressed a button on a device he had with him.


    As soon as he had done so, he strode confidently toward the trio of aliens who were walking nearby, while the sounds of startled shouts echoed from the passenger common areas.


    "Attention, everyone! This is an assault! I urge you all to remain calm and refrain from attempting heroics. No one here desires any harm. Place your arms and hands on the ground immediately! Follow my instructions precisely, and my associates and I will depart without incident."


    With those words, the creature launched into action, targeting the strongest individual in the vicinity, a level 104 being who was walking a short distance away from a group consisting of a level 99 male, a level 100 female, and a level 102 male.


    This formidable adversary, a serpent with a cultivation level of 108, was not acting alone. Five other beings of similar strength, two at level 111 and one at level 114, were accompanying it!


    Minos observed the unfolding situation with a growing sense of urgency.

 Chapter 2343 Turning Against the Kidnappers

    Chapter 2343 Turning Against the Kidnappers?


    The moment Minos saw a level 108 creature with the body of a snail and the head of a serpent attacking a level 104 Sovereign to neutralize the strongest in the area, he didn''t hesitate. He instinctively borrowed the cultivation power from his level 102 companion and boosted his own to level 100.


    He had already spread his wings, and his body had grown several times its original size with the activation of his Soul Avatar.


    The Divine Sword materialized in his hands as he approached the level 108 alien, who was oblivious to his presence.


    Minos then made a horizontal swing with his sword, slashing at the creature''s neck.


    For a moment, the snail-bodied snake turned back, caught off guard by the attack, while the level 104 Sovereign seized the opportunity to retreat from the enemy that would surely overwhelm him if he did not flee.


    But while these two were thinking about how crazy this young man must have been to attack someone so many levels above him, they both noticed that there was something wrong with this situation.


    Minos was at level 100, but his attack seemed as strong as the final attack of a level 107 Sovereign of this galaxy!


    Since Minos had cultivated and learned in Zocarro, a place superior to the home worlds of the two individuals in front of him, he was naturally much more powerful in this realm than he would have been in Zocarro.


    For the serpent with the body of a snail, ignoring the presence of Minos around him had been his biggest mistake. As he tried to increase the power of his body''s defenses, he felt Minos'' sword slash through his neck.


    The attack wasn''t enough to kill her in one blow, but it did a lot of damage to the creature, something that might kill it later and would certainly weaken it in the short term.


    ''No!'' This creature despaired as it felt a yellowish liquid coming out of its neck while Minos'' two wings moved to penetrate its snail body.


    But he didn''t know anything about his opponent''s abilities. Without realizing it, this creature became much weaker than he should have been as he felt the Devouring Art draining his energy, while Nullification weakened his attempt to defend himself.


    In just 15 seconds, Minos mortally wounded his opponent before using his wings to penetrate the body, causing the creature''s snail body to explode like fragile jelly.


    The level 108 creature died at the wings of Minos! Findd new stories at novelhall.com


    With that, the four of them moved on to the next level, where the sounds of battle could be heard.


    However, the situation on the upper levels was quite different from what had just happened to Minos and his companions. The enemies were stronger than 80% of the passengers, so many people were simply overwhelmed without a chance to fight back.


    Some put up a little more resistance, but even so, they were quickly weakened.


    Although most of the passengers had come from Zocarro at the beginning of the journey, a world much stronger than the one the current enemies came from, most of them had already disembarked.


    The few that remained were low-level 11th stage beings, weak enough to be intimidated by these mid-level Sovereigns.


    In this context, the group that tried to take over this spaceship was doing better than anyone could have imagined, considering that they were fewer in number and weaker than the crew behind this spaceship.


    However, it wouldn''t be that easy for them to take over Starship 666!


    As soon as he reached the upper level from where he had been with his allies earlier, Minos immediately moved against the level 108 Sovereign closest to them.


    Approaching the enemy with a group of already defeated hostages, Minos pretended to duck while his temporary level 104 ally pretended to attack.


    When the level 108 enemy realized the problem and turned his attention to the level 105 creature, Minos moved quickly and used his wings to slash through the body of another enemy who had neglected him.


    The hostage creatures in the area were startled by Minos'' sudden action, but when they felt something full of life connect with them, some of them realized what this was all about.


    That was an uprising against the kidnappers!


    "Aaaaaagh!"


    Minos'' enemy screamed in pain as he was taken by surprise. He did not expect someone capable of hurting him to appear so suddenly, hidden by the aura of a mere level 100 Sovereign!

 Chapter 2344 Abduction Failed

    Chapter 2344 Abduction Failed


    In the blink of an eye, 30 aliens from various planets and races witnessed Minos defeat the level 108 opponent and were equally shocked by the level 104 individual who had acted as bait for this attack.


    However, after two high-level attacks, Minos stopped in front of the dead body of the level 108 alien and felt his cultivation drop to level 99.


    Ruth and his ally remained one level stronger than usual, as the effects of Minos'' enhancement would last for a few more moments.


    Despite his weakening state, Minos maintained his serious demeanor. Upon noticing that he had captured the attention of the hostages in the area, he declared, "Enemies are attempting to take over our spaceship. If we allow them, they could transport us anywhere in the universe and end our lives. However, these enemies are not strong enough to overpower the crew. Their plan involves using us as hostages to coerce the crew into surrendering. But if we thwart them, we can foil this kidnapping!"


    Hearing Minos'' confident tone, the aliens nearby felt a mix of unease and alertness, recognizing that the enemies were formidable. Concerned about the potential takeover of the ship, one of them asked, "How many enemies are there? How strong are they? We only saw the one enemy you killed."


    Minos replied, "That was the second enemy I killed. Besides him, there are four more at the same level, two at level 111 and one at level 114."


    "A peak Sovereign?" Someone asked in awe.


    Minos reminded them of something important. "Do not forget that our captain is a level 114 Sovereign himself. His crew also consists of a level 112 Sovereign and several mid-level Sovereigns.


    As long as we take down the four remaining level 108 Sovereigns, we''ll be able to thwart the enemy''s plans!"


    From this perspective, the terrified creatures felt that they truly had a chance. Minos had already defeated two level 108 beings, so surely they could overcome the remaining four together, right?


    "So what should we do? Not everyone here is a warrior like you, a winged creature," said one of the many aliens present.


    The aliens under Minos'' command did as he had planned. As soon as the enemy moved, those with long-range offensive capabilities attacked. At the same time, the remaining individuals positioned themselves in defense of the attackers or in support of the group.


    Some of the strongest of the group of more than 40 hostages felt their injuries and strength suddenly improve without anyone telling them what was going on.


    As soon as one of the level 108 Sovereigns attacked and defended against the many new enemies that had arrived at that level, the aliens at the edge of the food court began to rise up against the remaining enemy to take care of them.


    "Shit! These bastards are rebelling!" shouted the second alien trying to take control of Starship 666.


    As the two allies trying to take over this level stood with their backs to each other, unable to do much to help each other as they had to worry about the dozens of enemies turning on them, Minos stepped in.


    He quickly strengthened some of the strongest passengers while using his wings to fly closer to one of the two opponents.


    As long as he took out one more enemy, dealing with the second enemy in this area would be easy. As for the last ones, who were holding a group of 20 hostages on the fourth floor, they would be the least problematic of all.


    With more and more passengers on his side, Minos wouldn''t even have to be the most active of the group trying to defend the spaceship against those trying to hijack it!


    Without realizing it, the kidnappers failed in their mission, losing control of the passengers they so desperately needed to threaten the crew not to attack them.


    However, amid the passengers'' revolt, the strongest of the enemies were currently fighting the three high-ranking Sovereigns trying to take over the ship.


    In particular, the capital was currently exchanging blows with the level 114 opponent.


    "Give it up, captain! My men are holding your precious passengers! If you and your person threaten the lives of my companions, our subordinates will start killing your passengers!" said the level 114 opponent, unaware of his group''s real situation.

 Chapter 2345 After the Crisis

    Chapter 2345 After the Crisis


    Minutes after being summoned, Minos stood in the cockpit of Starship 666, face to face with the ship''s captain¡ªa figure he recognized from the communications picked up en route.


    Yet, despite familiarity, meeting someone at the level 114 remained a remarkable encounter.


    The captain''s striking features, complete with horns and eyes resembling those of a cockroach, failed to startle Minos. His years at the Armhands'' headquarters, followed by extensive travels, had inured him to extraordinary appearances.


    Encountering someone at the pinnacle of the 11th stage of spiritual cultivation was always a profound experience.


    "Captain," he greeted the formidable alien before him, his attention fully focused on the encounter without a glance at the surroundings of the cockpit.


    There were many devices and several other aliens around, but Minos understood nothing about these things. The technological level of this spaceship was far above the level of the ships of the Mechanic Empire that Minos knew.


    The young alien also impressed the captain, the alien noting the powerful aura of a mere level 99 Grandmaster, but also the powerful life force of Minos.


    Minos had only been cultivating for a little over two centuries. Yet, his vitality would easily allow him to live for over 30,000 years. Even though the captain had over 40,000 years to live, his vital energy was weaker than Minos''. Why is that? Because of the ratio of used vital energy to available vital energy.


    The captain was a being with over 50,000 years of experience!


    His vitality was much lower than Minos'', considering the young man hadn''t even lived 0.7% of his life expectancy, while the captain had already lived over 55% of what he could if he didn''t advance to the 12th stage.


    "Young man, you are truly impressive. It''s no wonder you led the group of passengers. Someone as formidable as you must be a great fighter."


    This was a precious reward for his efforts!


    But the captain and his crew hadn''t given Minos everything. They would keep the bodies of the aliens killed that day, which was also valuable to them.


    So Minos exchanged a few more words with the captain and soon returned to the passenger lounge with many prizes in his spatial ring.


    From what he''d counted so far, aside from the strange coins that he didn''t know where to use or whether he could exchange them at the Aether Terminal, he also had alien techniques, maps of galaxies, solar systems, and planets, cultivation resources superior to Divine Medicine such as pills and potions, as well as minerals, plants, and tools useful to mid- and high-level Sovereigns.


    For someone like him, the leader of a group of low-level Sovereigns, this was a level of wealth that alone surpassed all the wealth that existed in the Spiritual World!


    This income today would help his group and his family greatly in the future!


    Then Minos returned to the side of Ruth and the others, applauded by some passengers upon his return from the cockpit of the spaceship.


    Besides all the prizes and benefits, he had also earned the respect and admiration of everyone on Starship 666!


    ...


    After the previous situation, there would be no more problems for Minos'' group. Starship 666 would finish its unloading and recharging stops by the journey where they had to stop at various space stations, and then begin the long journey where they would travel most of the way to the Aether Terminal without further stops.


    Over the next few weeks, Minos and his group seized every opportunity presented along their journey. They used privileges extended by the captain, along with some cultivation resources Minos had gained. Although Minos himself couldn''t use these resources, his five companions would employ them to advance their cultivation during this peaceful period.


    As they continued their journey towards the peak of cultivation, dangers still lurked along their path. However, the voyage grew progressively safer as they moved beyond the most perilous stops. Despite this, they remained vigilant against unique phenomena capable of devastating their ship or casting them into distant corners of the universe.


    With a bit of luck, their journey post the hostage crisis would proceed without significant incidents. Time would swiftly pass, and before they knew it, the group would arrive at their next major destination: the Aether Terminal!

 Chapter 2346 After the Crisis

    Chapter 2346 After the Crisis


    Minutes after being summoned, Minos stood in the cockpit of Starship 666, face to face with the ship''s captain¡ªa figure he recognized from the communications picked up en route.


    Yet, despite familiarity, meeting someone at the level 114 remained a remarkable encounter.


    The captain''s striking features, complete with horns and eyes resembling those of a cockroach, failed to startle Minos. His years at the Armhands'' headquarters, followed by extensive travels, had inured him to extraordinary appearances.


    Encountering someone at the pinnacle of the 11th stage of spiritual cultivation was always a profound experience.


    "Captain," he greeted the formidable alien before him, his attention fully focused on the encounter without a glance at the surroundings of the cockpit.


    There were many devices and several other aliens around, but Minos understood nothing about these things. The technological level of this spaceship was far above the level of the ships of the Mechanic Empire that Minos knew.


    The young alien also impressed the captain, the alien noting the powerful aura of a mere level 99 Grandmaster, but also the powerful life force of Minos. Findd new stories at novelhall.com


    Minos had only been cultivating for a little over two centuries. Yet, his vitality would easily allow him to live for over 30,000 years. Even though the captain had over 40,000 years to live, his vital energy was weaker than Minos''. Why is that? Because of the ratio of used vital energy to available vital energy.


    The captain was a being with over 50,000 years of experience!


    His vitality was much lower than Minos'', considering the young man hadn''t even lived 0.7% of his life expectancy, while the captain had already lived over 55% of what he could if he didn''t advance to the 12th stage.


    "Young man, you are truly impressive. It''s no wonder you led the group of passengers. Someone as formidable as you must be a great fighter."


    "The captain is flattering me. I was only protecting my group." Minos said as he made the usual gesture of thanks from Zocarro.


    But the captain and his crew hadn''t given Minos everything. They would keep the bodies of the aliens killed that day, which was also valuable to them.


    So Minos exchanged a few more words with the captain and soon returned to the passenger lounge with many prizes in his spatial ring.


    From what he''d counted so far, aside from the strange coins that he didn''t know where to use or whether he could exchange them at the Aether Terminal, he also had alien techniques, maps of galaxies, solar systems, and planets, cultivation resources superior to Divine Medicine such as pills and potions, as well as minerals, plants, and tools useful to mid- and high-level Sovereigns.


    For someone like him, the leader of a group of low-level Sovereigns, this was a level of wealth that alone surpassed all the wealth that existed in the Spiritual World!


    This income today would help his group and his family greatly in the future!


    Then Minos returned to the side of Ruth and the others, applauded by some passengers upon his return from the cockpit of the spaceship.


    Besides all the prizes and benefits, he had also earned the respect and admiration of everyone on Starship 666!


    ...


    After the previous situation, there would be no more problems for Minos'' group. Starship 666 would finish its unloading and recharging stops by the journey where they had to stop at various space stations, and then begin the long journey where they would travel most of the way to the Aether Terminal without further stops.


    Over the next few weeks, Minos and his group seized every opportunity presented along their journey. They used privileges extended by the captain, along with some cultivation resources Minos had gained. Although Minos himself couldn''t use these resources, his five companions would employ them to advance their cultivation during this peaceful period.


    As they continued their journey towards the peak of cultivation, dangers still lurked along their path. However, the voyage grew progressively safer as they moved beyond the most perilous stops. Despite this, they remained vigilant against unique phenomena capable of devastating their ship or casting them into distant corners of the universe.


    With a bit of luck, their journey post the hostage crisis would proceed without significant incidents. Time would swiftly pass, and before they knew it, the group would arrive at their next major destination: the Aether Terminal!

 Chapter 2347 Aether Terminal!

    Chapter 2347 Aether Terminal!


    Nearly a year after leaving Zocarro''s artificial moon, Starship 666 finally arrived at the Aether Terminal.


    Various complications arose during the voyage, leading to a four-week delay and causing a change in the captain''s initial course. Despite these setbacks, the crew and passengers of Zocarro''s grand spaceship overcame all major obstacles and arrived at their destination intact.


    Originally, over 100 passengers had embarked from Zocarro, but now only 15 remained on board. Now, 50 aliens who had joined the ship in the recent weeks were approaching the end of their voyage.


    Minos and his group were in the cabin they had used throughout the months of travel. The six, still at the same level as when they started the journey, were secured in their seats with their belts.


    After the attempted hijacking and the group''s time of peace, they hadn''t had to fight any enemies. At most, they had had to deal with strange phenomena on the journey, and the hostility of some passengers who had boarded the ship toward the end of the voyage.


    Still, they were in good shape, having gained more than they had lost during the entire voyage.


    The moment the ship docked at the universal port of Arther Terminal, the captain''s image appeared on the screens of all the spaceship''s cabins, announcing their arrival at their destination.


    He thanked the passengers for choosing his company and then wished those who wouldn''t stay in the world around Aether Terminal a safe journey.


    Shortly thereafter, the seat belts of all the seats around the spaceship deactivated, releasing the passengers.


    Minos and his group left their seats and soon followed the stream of passengers disembarking.


    Halfway out, he met the captain and crew of Starship 666.


    "Good luck on your voyage, Minos," the captain greeted him one last time.


    He was already planning his return journey to Zocarro, which would include a stop at the planet recommended by his superior. For that, he would have to pass through the Aether Terminal, where future payments would also be required.


    Holding their tickets, Vicente and his group departed from the travel area and headed towards the small living space present there.


    Aether Terminal served as a hub for both intergalactic travelers and aliens looking to explore various parts of the universe. As a result, it featured accommodations, facilities for cultivation, and spaces for social interaction.


    The place wasn''t big, but it could still fit a maximum of 4,000 beings. Luckily, it had enough space for the group of six beings who wanted to go back to the Spiritual World.


    Once they discovered a spot to wait for their departure to the galaxy of The Adamant Land, the group started adjusting to the spiritual conditions of the area.


    They couldn''t go without cultivation for the next few weeks. Hence, they would spend the rest of the day making adaptations to meet the needs of most of the group. In the meantime, Minos would be vigilant about the well-being of his group.


    Aside from the dangers one would face traveling across the universe in a spaceship, stops like this always had their dangers related to theft and fraud.


    If you weren''t careful, you could even lose your life!


    When Minos finally took up his position as the group''s guardian, he recalculated his plans. At first, they believed they could make their journey between the Artificial Moon and the Spiritual World in about 115 weeks.


    After delays on the journey to the Aether Terminal and the current wait, Minos recalculated how long it would take them to reach their home world.


    ''We could reach the Spiritual World in at least 83 weeks.'' He clenched his fists and felt his heart beat faster.


    If there were no major incidents on this part of the journey, they would already be more than a third of the way back to the Spiritual World!


    "Damned aliens from the Mechanic Empire, just wait for me! I''m coming to destroy your civilization!" Minos let out a sinister giggle, his homicidal intentions burning even stronger.

 Chapter 2348 Departure for The Adamant Land

    Chapter 2348 Departure for The Adamant Land


    In the blink of an eye, the six weeks Minos'' group had to wait at Arther Terminal flew by.


    Ruth and the other four companions dedicated themselves to cultivating in this period. One of the men at level 102 was close to advancing to level 103; however, he needed a few more weeks to complete his progression.


    The rest of the group also hoped to advance before the spaceship completed its journey to The Adamant Land, where they planned to continue their journey independently. Nonetheless, there was no assurance of success for everyone, as the forthcoming area was weaker and weaker.


    After spending weeks in seclusion, the group left to embark on their voyage to the galaxy of The Adamant Land.


    "How have the last few weeks been, Minos?" Ruth asked as she walked alongside her husband.


    "I had to handle some issues, but everything turned out fine. The beings in this area aren''t strong enough to intimidate me," he said with a smile, choosing not to divulge the details of his various encounters, including an argument with the leader of Aether Terminal a week earlier.


    Seeing the smile on Minos'' face, Ruth imagined he had a lot of fun while he could not cultivate and level up.


    "It looks like you got a few things while we were cultivating," she laughed.


    "Our return will be interesting in the future. I made some good friends and resources." Minos said, confirming what she and the others had already thought.


    Soon they would join the queue of 45 creatures who would travel with them to the galaxy where the solar system of The Adamant Land was located.


    The spaceship they would travel was much simpler than Starship 666. Within this specific area of the universe, using wormholes for travel was effortless, enabling the group to rely heavily on this method. As a result, the need for extensive defensive systems like the ones aboard Starship 666 was minimal.


    "At Zocarro, you will uncover the true essence of cultivation and the ultimate peaks of the universe. However, it''s not good to be alone anywhere in the universe. I recommend my guild. I am part of one of the strongest forces on the Oqia continent, a guild that will pick you and give you opportunities to grow. If you join the Armhands, I will supervise you in the future and help you reach the top."


    Minos tried to seduce the curious aliens. He obviously did it for himself. Over the years, as an Armhands internal member, he had successfully brought into the guild 20 creatures with the potential to become Supremes.


    But Minos had invited even more creatures into the guild!


    ''This must be the 250th group he''s invited into Armhands,'' Ruth smiled as she watched her husband build his reputation and position in the guild.


    If at least 10% of the aliens he invited made it to Armhands, his influence in the guild would grow considerably!


    Minos had obviously become an active member of Armhands, someone capable of inviting people in, just as his superior had done with him.


    But how could he not? The benefits were immense. Not only that, but for those with talent and courage, the guild could be a great place to grow!


    Although the aliens he invited might not be too happy about following his recommendation, they would eventually adapt and enjoy it as much as he had.


    Minos was already so strong and influential that none of the 11th stage aliens doubted him. They accepted Emperor Stuart''s invitation, eager to finish their current travels, gather resources, and go to Zocarro.


    Some of them asked Minos about Armhands and Zocarro. He replied by telling the truth about the best of these places, hiding the worst, but revealing some problems common to all opportunities.


    The offer couldn''t seem too miraculous, or these aliens would get suspicious!


    Over the next few weeks, he would continue to make invitations like this in the midst of the passenger exchanges that would take place. Meanwhile, he and his companions would continue to await when they could make their way to The Adamant Land.

 Chapter 2349 Journey to Nemo Colony

    Chapter 2349 Journey to Nemo Colony


    The journey to Nemo Colony would be significantly quicker than the trip from the artificial moon to the Aether Terminal.


    Traveling through a region of the universe known for its spiritual weakness, between the Aether Terminal and Nemo Colony, the group would face fewer risks from space-time anomalies, space pirates, or thieves. This would be less worrying for Minos and his companions.


    While there might still be attempts at theft, kidnapping, intimidation, and attacks by other spaceships after departing the Aether Terminal, someone as capable as Minos would ensure that the voyage proceeded swiftly and without significant harm to the crew taking them to Nemo Colony.


    The initial few weeks of the voyage were to be the most eventful, with several situations likely needing Minos'' intervention. However, as the journey progressed towards its final 12 weeks, these problems would nearly vanish.


    By the time of the ship''s last three stops before reaching Nemo Colony, the journey would face virtually no issues, including an absence of unstable space phenomena, ensuring a smooth last leg to their destination.


    Amidst all this tranquility, Minos'' companions would take advantage of the trip to cultivate as much as possible, knowing that with each passing day, they would get closer to their destination, but also closer to weaker areas where they could hardly cultivate with the same success rate.


    The third stop of the group had already been a place where the cultivation limit was at level 105, but from what they had already discovered, the limit in the Nemo Colony''s galaxy, where the solar system of The Adamant Land was located, was at level 102.


    Thus, at the end of this space voyage, they would reach a place where the strongest of the group could no longer advance, while even Ruth would find it difficult to advance in such a region of the universe.


    In the last days of the group''s spaceship journey to Nemo Colony, the group would stay in their cultivation areas as long as possible!


    ...


    "Senior Minos, you should inform your companions. We''ll arrive at Nemo Colony in three days," said the ship''s captain as he stood beside Minos in the command center of his ship.


    This ship bore a strong resemblance to those of the Mechanic Empire, making Minos very familiar with the onboard technologies.


    Having honed his skills during his journey through Zocarro, understanding these technologies was now effortless for him.


    Once there, he sat down and talked with three of the five individuals in the cabin, including the robot and two level 102 Sovereigns who were unlikely to advance in the coming days.


    He allowed Ruth and another level 102 Sovereign to continue their cultivation undisturbed and informed the three who had just awakened about their imminent arrival at Nemo Colony.


    ''That was fast,'' the robot said to Minos via mental communication with the three awakened individuals there in the cultivation room where there were no others but his group. ''Once we arrive at Nemo Colony, we''ll have a long journey to The Adamant Land, but that''s up to us. It would be nice if we had a spaceship to travel in, but that won''t stop us. It''s possible to find our way by flying through wormholes.''


    ''Hmm, let''s do that. Unfortunately, we can''t spend too much of our resources, otherwise we will compromise the return trip,'' Minos commented, mindful of the substantial cost of the return journey, especially since he would bring his family along.


    ''I just wonder about the current state of the War of the Worlds,'' the robot said. It genuinely did not know which side might succeed.


    Given the initial battle in which many Gods from the Mechanic Empire had fallen, the outcome was unpredictable. Its homeland might be defeated, Minos''s world might suffer a loss, or both might reach an equilibrium after significant casualties.


    The only way to find out the latest developments in the War of Worlds would be to head to The Adamant Land!


    ''How many weeks are we from your homeworld?'' asked one of the level 102 Sovereigns.


    ''About 25 weeks, I''d say,'' the robot said.


    ''Will you have any problems?'' asked the other Sovereign.


    ''No. Even if the current Mechanical Emperor has reached level 100 and is in The Adamant Land, he could never compete with me, since I am at level 103 and His Majesty is at level 99.''


    ''That''s good.''


    They continued to talk as they waited.


    Unfortunately, Ruth wouldn''t be able to advance, but the level 102 Sovereign who was still cultivating would get his breakthrough with one day left before the group arrived at Nemo Colony!

 Chapter 2350 Nemo Colony!

    Chapter 2350 Nemo Colony!


    The party finally arrived at Nemo Colony!


    The spaceship they had been using so far had just docked at the small universal space station, which only had room for two ships of that size to dock at the same time.


    Minos and his companions left the ship, following the flow of passengers who wouldn''t be staying long in Nemo Colony, and were already thinking about leaving this ring-shaped colony.


    There were no planets near Nemo Colony, so the population there was a little larger than in other places Minos and his group had passed. So much so that this place wasn''t called a terminal, but a colony, since it served much more as a colony than a terminal.


    In this artificial ring-shaped structure lived over 100,000 aliens, many of them waiting for the moment to leave this place or others, building their departure opportunities.


    According to the robot of the group, it was very common in this galaxy for beings to try their luck to come to this point farthest from the center of the galaxy, where the spiritual energy was strongest and where the only point of departure to other galaxies was.


    There you could grow to level 102 and get your ticket to another stronger galaxy, where you could pursue your dreams of becoming stronger and living longer.


    But Minos and his party had no intention of staying there. As soon as they left the port, they headed for the wormhole area of the small loading and unloading platform.


    There were wormholes in different parts of the huge galaxy.


    The robot said to the group. "We will take the wormhole to the Omega Solar System. It is the closest place to the solar system of The Adamant Land that we can go from Nemo Colony. The journey there takes only 9 weeks. After that, we''ll have to fly until we find the other universal wormholes in the galaxy."


    Once they had paid for access to the universal wormhole connecting Nemo Colony to the Omega Solar System, the group entered the region of space they knew well from their previous journeys through the Spiritual World, and then the last part of the journey to the colony they had just left.


    Minos spread his wings and borrowed the cultivation of one of his companions. "Let''s speed up our journey a bit," he said to his companions as he activated the Soul Avatar and held their bodies before flying at high speed through the wormhole.


    "Your Majesty, were you going to carry us like this for the entire trip?" The robot asked in surprise as it sensed Minos'' extreme speed, which was as high as that of level 108 native Zocarro''s Sovereigns!


    "Mostly, yes," Minos confirmed with a serious look on his face. "The difference in the passage of time between the Spiritual World and the places we travel to was different until a few weeks ago. But I believe that the passage of time in this galaxy is like that of the Spiritual World. If we take too long, we might be too late."


    None of them had any idea exactly how long it had been since they left. Minos estimated that between 10 and 20 years must have passed for his relatives in the Spiritual World, even if it was over 40 years for them.


    That was good for them because they had become much stronger, but now that they were in a place where time passed at the same rate as in the Spiritual World, they couldn''t delay!


    Minos put himself in the position of carrying his group for the rest of the journey!


    "In that case, maybe we''ll save 30% of our time," the robot said, having previously calculated the time it would take to reach The Adamant Land at its maximum speed.


    "Good! We have to walk. It''s time to end the War of the Worlds, kill the enemies and prepare for a new journey in our lives!" Minos announced as the group felt their space shift as they quickly flew through the wormhole.


    The next few weeks would pass quickly for the group. Traveling through wormholes was rarely dangerous for beings as strong as Minos. The only problem on their way was the route they had to take, something that couldn''t be avoided.


    However, with no problems to stop them and Minos'' speed, they would soon reach the Omega Solar System!

 Chapter 2351 Situation in The Adamant Land

    Chapter 2351 Situation in The Adamant Land


    After a few weeks of traveling through the wormhole, which the group had entered at Nemo Colony, they reached the other side of the space tunnel and arrived in the Omega Solar System.


    The point of arrival in the Omega Solar System was obviously not a random place where the group would encounter the emptiness of space. It was a known point in that galaxy, on a planet partially inhabited by one of the many races that existed in the galaxy.


    The galaxy they were in had countless solar systems and civilizations. Some of them were at a level similar to the civilization of The Adamant Land, but most of them were inferior ones that couldn''t even leave their worlds.


    Some of them had much higher cultivation limits than that of The Adamant Land.


    However, among the few high-level civilizations capable of traveling through the galaxy itself, there were three, besides The Adamant Land, that came and went throughout the galaxy.


    The strongest of these was the galaxy''s great dominant power, which prevented the others from strengthening much further than they already had, in order to avoid changes in the galaxy''s power structure. This civilization was the one that regulated the exit of living beings from its domain, but it had little to do when aliens arrived in the area.


    Still, their actions were enough to prevent coalitions like the old Mechanic Empire from advancing their plans within the galaxy and causing instability in the area.


    As a result, before its fall, the Mechanic Empire ruled at most a few solar systems in its own galaxy, as well as a few solar systems and worlds in other galaxies of equal or lesser power than its own.


    As old as the Mechanic Empire seemed, it was actually a young civilization compared to the one behind the world where Minos'' party had just arrived.


    Minos and his group were not surprised. They had expected to come face to face with the local beings.


    The level 103 robot then said. "We''re going to The Adamant Land. Can you lend us a spaceship? We don''t intend to stay here for long."


    "Oh? Of course!" One local said, smiling broadly, unable to hide his satisfaction at hearing that they didn''t intend to stay. "Please join us."


    As they followed the locals, too afraid of them to utter any hostile words or actions, someone mustered the courage to ask. "Are the elders friends of the civilization beyond The Adamant Land?"


    "No, we are enemies," Minos got right to the point.


    "Oh? Then I believe we have good news for the seniors," the leader of the group smiled even more, because they knew some facts about The Adamant Land.


    They didn''t have real-time information, as their technological and spiritual level wasn''t high enough to keep up with everything that was happening in the galaxy. However, they knew about things that had happened on that planet in the center of the galaxy up to two years ago.


    Minos'' eyes lit up. For the first time in a long time, he had the situation on his home planet explained to him with news of the war. The leader of the guards there told him. "A civilization called Irpoll conquered The Adamant Land. After years of war with a discovered planet, the Mechanic Empire becomes weakened. Irpoll seized the opportunity to take revenge for old grievances, leading to a rebellion of the nations once ruled by the Mechanic Empire."


    "Now Irpoll dominates The Adamant Land, while the last survivors of the Mechanic Empire have fled to the world that weakened them. Irpoll is attacking both the native civilization of this planet and the refugees from the Adamant Land."


    The six members of the group who were going to the Spiritual World couldn''t help but look worried when they heard this!

 Chapter 2352 Last Moments of Resistance!

    Chapter 2352 Last Moments of Resistance!


    "Shit! Did Irpoll go to the Spiritual World?" Ruth asked with concern in her voice, feeling that this was a terrible sign.", Findd new stories at novelhall.com


    "Your Majesty..." One of the level 102 men looked at Minos, also disturbed by this change in the War of the Worlds situation.


    Minos looked at the being that was leading them to the spaceship that this force would lend them and asked. "How long have you been collecting this information? Can you tell me the real-time situation of the fighting between the Mechanic Empire and Irpoll?"


    "No, unfortunately, we don''t have control over the galaxy at that level. Otherwise, we wouldn''t have allowed Irpoll to invade one of our worlds... Anyway, this information must be 15 to 20 months behind the current situation." The individual replied before they entered a spaceport on the planet.


    "Shit! We''re still over 20 weeks away from The Adamant Land," the robot commented to his group. "We must hurry, Your Majesty. Maybe we''ve taken too long."


    Minos already had that in mind as his aura became infinitely more intimidating, showing the natives that the seemingly weakest of the group was actually a hidden monster.


    "Aren''t you enemies of the Mechanic Empire?" The level 100 Sovereign asked, sensing that something was wrong.


    "We are, but we''re also from the world that weakened the Mechanic Empire before Irpoll got involved in the current war." Minos said, making all the creatures between levels 97 and 100 understand the situation of this powerful group.


    "That''s... I''m sorry." The strongest one immediately expressed his regret. "Unfortunately, we can only help with our best ship. We have no way to shorten the journey any further. Universal wormholes take hundreds of years to form."


    The group knew this. Even powerful beings couldn''t create space tunnels that were stable and long enough to travel across the universe. The limitations of a single cultivator, even as powerful as those in Minos'' group, were far inferior to the combined work of many individuals behind the creation of universal wormholes. Therefore, they had little else to do but continue their plans to get to The Adamant Land as soon as possible.


    "Sigh! Thank you for your help. When we''ve sorted everything out, we''ll give you back your ship and pay you for your gesture of support," Minos said, knowing these natives were not to blame for the problems in the War of the Worlds.


    As soon as he had said this, Minos led his people to a medium-sized spaceship, but with even more advanced technology than the ships of the Mechanic Empire.


    At the current rate, in a few more months, the enemy Gods could launch a powerful and final attack against the forces of the Central Continent to end the War of the Worlds once and for all!


    Meanwhile, the core of the Mechanic Empire was hiding in the depths of the Ancestral Sea, where they had suffered occasional attacks from their historical enemies, but had lost far less than the natives of this world.


    But all sides in the confrontation knew that, with or without Minos, the War of the Worlds would have to end in the coming months!


    ...


    In the Spatial Kingdom of the Stuart Family...


    Abby was back there after her defeat in the continent''s south, having returned for the ending battle against her enemies.


    Unfortunately, the outlook for her people was not positive. In a few months, they could fight the last battles of their lives!


    Thus, the Spatial Kingdom was not at its best, and the people there cultivated in silence, preparing as best they could for the ultimate disaster that might lead to the death of most of them.


    The children of Minos had lived in this place all these years and had improved their strength. Unfortunately, only 14 years was not enough for any of them to become experts.


    As for Minos'' elderly relatives, such as his grandfather, grandmother, aunt, and wives'' relatives, unfortunately, they had only improved by 2 to 4 levels since he left, even counting those who abused cultivation resources to forcefully increase their strength.


    If you went to that place that was once so cheerful and vibrant, you would see a tense area where several people were cultivating in silence with terrible expressions on their faces.


    Even the cheerful Kyla, who had recently reached level 90, was not optimistic about the future.


    ''Sigh! It would be so nice to see my big brother again...'' the fox thought. ''Will we meet in the afterlife? I hope so. That might be the only good thing about our end.''

 Chapter 2353 Plan of Attack and Extermination

    Chapter 2353 Plan of Attack and Extermination?


    A few weeks after arriving in the Omega Solar System, Minos and his party had entered another universal wormhole through which they were currently traveling.",


    Their current destination was the RK-56 Solar System, from where, according to the level 103 robot and the navigational instruments of the group''s spaceship, they could travel directly to The Adamant Land.


    Once they finished this journey through the space tunnel they were traveling in, they would be less than 10 days away from the planet now controlled by Irpoll.


    At this moment, the group was concentrating on the remaining 12 weeks of travel ahead of them, some of them cultivating, others planning their future actions.


    Ruth was in seclusion, searching for level 101, something difficult to achieve in this area of the universe, but still possible. Meanwhile, the robot was controlling the ship, something easy for him who was at level 103 and knew many of the ship''s technologies.


    Minos stood next to the Spiritual World native, who had reached level 103 before they arrived at Nemo Colony, and talked about his plans and prospects.


    Minos looked at the man beside him and said. "We must assume the worst has happened. Maybe our companions and family members have already died, or they''re hiding in Spatial Kingdoms. Either way, it''s likely that we won''t find any trace of them once we reach the Spiritual World."


    "Do you really think so?" The level 103 Sovereign asked, worried.


    "According to the natives behind the civilization that lent us our spaceship, it''s very possible that the Irpoll monkeys were successful.


    About 14 or 15 years have passed since the beginning of the War of the Worlds. So, at most, the Spiritual World produced Callie as a God, and probably no one else. It would be impossible for them to survive the war with the Mechanic Empire and then against Irpoll without some kind of rest in between," Minos said, looking at his companion with a serious expression.


    They realized how much time had passed since the beginning of the Mechanic Empire''s weakening. Considering the war had been brutal for both sides at the beginning, and that Abby and Gloria were unlikely to risk their medicines, it was unlikely that they had created several Gods with their Divine Medicines.


    The problem was giving up the few level 99 warriors from the Spiritual World to let them cultivate for a decade or more. Could the forces of such a world afford to lose several of them in anticipation of their breakthroughs?


    Now he looked a few years older, but much crueler than he had been after Isabella''s death.


    This time he didn''t want to kill only those responsible for the catastrophic situation of his world. His bloodlust was running high, and he didn''t intend to stop as long as there were survivors of the civilizations that had caused all the problems his world had faced after his departure.


    The level 103 Sovereign could sense Minos'' hatred for those civilizations and didn''t go against his superior''s intentions. "All right."


    "We must also monitor the aliens who rebelled against the forces of the Mechanic Empire years ago. They originally acted to regain dominance over their worlds, but we can''t be sure that they won''t become greedy with the disappearance of Irpoll and the Mechanic Empire, as well as the weakening of the Spiritual World," Minos said, anticipating the movements of his world''s potential adversaries once he had completed his journey of vengeance.


    "Before I leave for Irpoll, I will send each of you to dominate these civilizations on my behalf."


    "Okay. How long will it take us to do that?" The young-looking man with black hair, beard and mustache asked.


    "Just as long as it takes to travel from one world to another. The robot should have a better idea of that. Anyway, I intend to solve everything in only two years.That will only be about 8 years for those on Zocarro."


    They had already done all the calculations to understand the difference in the passage of time between this place and Zocarro. So they knew that one year there was about 4 years on Zocarro.


    It was no wonder that their nearly five decades outside this area of the universe had only lasted a few years for the civilizations of the Spiritual World and The Adamant Land.


    Thinking about how long Minos intended to stay in this weakened area of the universe, the man concluded that they could return to a powerful part of the universe in the equivalent of 20 years for their companions on Zocarro.


    This wasn''t ideal, and Maximillian would probably be at level 106 by the time they returned. But it wasn''t a frightening statistic to make him think they were going to waste their time there.


    Most importantly, they could use this time to get their revenge and complete their connection to the Spiritual World before finally turning their attention to their journey to Zocarro!

 Chapter 2354 Road to The Adamant Land

    Chapter 2354 Road to The Adamant Land


    In the blink of an eye, another 12 weeks had flown by!


    During this period, Ruth maximized her spiritual energy and understanding, reaching the pinnacle that someone at level 100 could achieve, and successfully advanced to level 101.


    On the same day she ascended, her group completed their journey through the universal wormhole, arriving at a point in the galaxy from which they could reach The Adamant Land in just ten more days.


    Currently, the group was traveling at high speed aboard the ship they had borrowed over 20 weeks ago, headed towards the former stronghold of the Mechanic Empire.


    Once Ruth completed her cultivation, they all ceased their cultivation practices and entered a region of the universe so energy-deficient that even Minos would struggle to make any advancements.


    For those at levels 101, 102, and 103, attempting to cultivate in such a place was effectively futile!


    With no productive activities available, the entire group was now fully briefed on Minos'' plans, understanding their roles before and after the assault on The Adamant Land, as well as the return journey to the Spiritual World.


    Previously, using a ship akin to those used by the Mechanic Empire, the trip between The Adamant Land and the Spiritual World would have taken about three months.


    However, the ship the group was on was more technologically advanced and could make the same trip through the universal wormhole in just over a month.


    Thus, the party was now officially less than two months away from their homeworld, from finding out what had happened since their departure.


    ...


    Two days after leaving the wormhole that brought them closer to their destination, Minos'' party was sailing through space when a situation arose.


    While Minos and his companions were closer than ever to The Adamant Land, the Irpoll monkeys in that world had already made many local changes since their arrival.


    After destroying most of the natives of this world, the Irpoll apes had been destroying the technological constructions of the Mechanic Empire for over four years, gradually bringing their native Irpoll trees and vegetation to The Adamant Land.


    With their civilization dominating this world, over 100,000 Irpoll creatures now lived on the home planet of the Mechanic Empire, where four Gods currently stood guard in the former Hall of the Gods of the Mechanic Empire.


    The group of Gods was not only there to protect their new domains but also to assist the forces of the Spiritual World if necessary.


    Anyway, this was just another day for the Irpoll natives on this planet, which currently had a green area 100% larger than the green area that existed before the fall of the Mechanic Empire.


    At the current rate, it would only take the Irpoll another 10 years to completely change the structure of the planet and turn it into a copy of their native home, just as they intended to do in the Spiritual World.


    This was exactly what the four Gods in the Hall of Gods were talking about, this artificial temple floating 50,000 kilometers away from the planet''s surface.


    "When will we be able to expand our activities in the Spiritual World?" One monkey asked, looking at The Adamant Land, seeing the green area that their civilization had already transformed on this planet.


    "In another three or four months, the war will be over and our brothers will have finished exterminating the natives of this small world. After that, we''ll be able to expand our operations. The Ice Age will end in another two years, but it''s already weak enough for our plants to grow there," said the leader of the group, the one who had first involved his civilization in the War of the Worlds.


    The others liked what they heard and were eager to carry out their plans, finally dominating the first planets at the beginning of their civilization''s expansion.


    It hadn''t been their goal before, but the Mechanic Empire had taught them that there were only two fates for civilizations in the universe: to dominate or to be dominated!


    Now they were on the dominator''s journey, pursuing their plans to ensure the sovereignty of their race and their way of life!


    But when they least expected it, a metallic glow would appear among the stars in this solar system, bringing with it an unimaginable enemy!

 Chapter 2355 Arrival in The Adamant Land

    Chapter 2355 Arrival in The Adamant Land


    In the blink of an eye, the remaining week of the party''s journey to The Adamant Land ended, and after decades of hard work, the party finally arrived at their destination!


    After maneuvering their spacecraft 1 million kilometers from the surface of The Adamant Land, the robot announced to the entire crew. "We are here."


    All the natives of the Spiritual World on this ship stopped their thoughts for a moment and turned their attention to this world, which was a little smaller than their original home, but clearly spiritually stronger.


    Minos stood up after a moment and said to the group. "Stay here. I won''t be long." He quickly put on a suit similar to the armor of the Mechanic Empire, something useful for traveling through the vacuum of space, which even beings of his level needed to wear when traveling outside of spaceships.


    The group said nothing to Minos, knowing he wouldn''t accept any help now. As eager as they were to enter the atmosphere of The Adamant Land, they didn''t want to stand in the way of their leader starting the Spiritual World''s counterattack in the War of the Worlds.


    The main entrance to the ship opened, and Minos flew into the Hall of the Gods, where he and his party could see creatures all around. According to the robot, this was the former headquarters of the strongest people on the planet, where the strongest enemies were supposed to be.


    Minos fly so fast that he would reach the majestic Hall of Gods in less than 10 minutes!


    ...


    Inside the Hall of Gods, the four Gods of Irpoll were in position when one of them suddenly sensed something approaching rapidly from the southwest.


    "Hmm?" Looking in that direction, he saw a being clad in bulky armor, very similar to that worn by individuals from The Adamant Land.


    "Everyone, a guest is approaching us. He appears to be a survivor of the Mechanic Empire," the giant ape warned as he rose from his seat.


    The other three immediately turned their attention in Minos'' direction, sensing the peak level 99 cultivator approaching them.


    Thinking how strange this situation was, the leader of the creatures in the Hall of Gods attacked Minos without hesitation, his heart pounding with the fear that something was wrong.


    Minos observed the movement of energy within the ape''s body as the enemy''s druidic powers took shape, causing branches, plants, and roots made of energy and laws to sprout in the area.


    Minos closed his eyes and raised a hand towards his opponent, using Chaotic Gravity to force the ape to kneel on the ground, simultaneously crushing all the ape''s special abilities.


    "You shouldn''t have interfered with the people of my world," Minos declared.


    His tone shifted dramatically, causing all the energy in the surroundings to change, while death lingered in the air.


    The temperature dropped, and Minos'' aura displayed the stark difference between him and these creatures.


    Compared to Minos, these beings, despite being Gods, could hardly be considered Sovereigns because of the instability of their foundations; they couldn''t even compare to the level 97 Grandmasters of Zocarro!


    Minos was simply many times stronger than any of them!


    The four individuals found this out the hard way, as three of them saw time slow down at the same time as a sword appeared from the void and slashed at the body of the strongest in the area.


    Even without moving, Minos forced those three individuals to watch as he used his Spatial Sword to slowly kill the strongest of the group. He cut every tendon in that large body, destroying the ape''s bones with the Chaotic Gravity, while preventing the being from dying easily by avoiding bleeding and his opponent''s soul.


    "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!"


    Amid this, the great ape could do nothing but scream, completely unable to defend or counterattack, completely at the mercy of Minos.


    At that moment, Minos'' revenge began!

 Chapter 2356 Going to the Spiritual World!

    Chapter 2356 Going to the Spiritual World!


    Minos demanded little from his enemies. Although he could torture them for as long as he desired, he was much more interested in returning to the Spiritual World to discover the true situation of his family and his state.


    He tortured the white-furred ape, the strongest in the area, for only two minutes, during which part of the creature''s body became unrecognizable from Minos'' actions.


    Then the brown-haired young man made his last move. With a sword attack, he cleaved the creature''s body in two, from head to groin.


    The three remaining apes watched as Minos effortlessly exterminated the ancient being of their world. They were all powerless to intervene. At that moment, they realized they had provoked someone they should never have provoked.


    They were not cowards, nor were they afraid of death. But when confronted with the vast disparity between themselves and Minos, they couldn''t help but fear the worst and beg for clemency.


    "Mercy¡ª" one of them tried to say in a low voice, trembling with fear not for himself, but for his civilization.


    This human before them was so powerful that he alone could annihilate their race!


    "There is no mercy. You brought death upon yourselves when you entered the War of the Worlds. Now bear the consequences!" Minos declared as he opened his arms and then clenched his fists tightly, causing the local gravity to act on the three of them with such force that their bodies exploded with no resistance.


    Boom!


    Thousands of liters of flesh, bone, and blood paste splattered across the ancient and glorious Hall of Gods, staining a large part of the place, while the subordinates of those four now-deceased beings were already dead on the outskirts.


    Their bodies were left behind, but their souls had been completely extinguished by a single glance from Minos as he crushed the three Gods of Irpoll.


    With a smile on his face, Minos massacred every one of them by creating a black hole that mercilessly swallowed their bodies. Then, he manipulated this dark essence to create a quasi-Spatial Kingdom that covered all the universal wormholes of this world.


    For the current Minos, this was like a walk in the park. In less than a minute, he had created a spatially independent and impenetrable region that wasn''t a Spatial Kingdom, but was much more resilient than one.


    When he had made sure that no one could escape, he looked up at the sky and saw his spaceship already on its way to his current position.


    It would now be the job of his two level 103 companions to deal with the rest of the living beings on this planet, just as he had previously planned.


    Within less than 30 minutes of Minos'' arrival in The Adamant Land, he had successfully conquered the planet!


    Five minutes after the formation of the quasi-Spatial Kingdom, the group''s spaceship landed near to Minos, and its passengers disembarked without further ado.


    "Sigh! Finally here," Ruth commented in a disappointed tone. "It''s strange to be here now. This place seems so simple compared to what we thought when we left the Spiritual World."


    "Zocarro did that to us," the robot commented, also feeling his home planet seemed too simple for him. "Let''s not waste any time," Minos said as he made a seal, marking his spaceship, the robot and the level 103 human who would be left behind. "Use the seal to move in and out of this dark zone. All universal wormholes connected to The Adamant Land now lie within this area. When you''re done destroying the creatures on this planet, use it to study the way to Irpoll and the former planets under the Mechanic Empire," Minos said, looking at his spaceship and showing to those who would accompany him they should return to it.


    "Now it''s time to continue our return to the Spiritual World!" he said, causing smiles to appear on the faces of those who would accompany him, finally reaching this point in his plans.


    "I hope you find the forces of the empire resisting the enemies. Have a safe journey and good luck, my friends," the level 103 human said as he watched the group enter the spaceship, not staying a minute in the place they had just landed.


    Soon after, he and the robot saw the ship enter the region of the quasi-Spatial Kingdom, as they were finally alone in this world with the many goals they now had.


    But they weren''t going to just stand there. As soon as their companions left, they split up, one going south and the other north to begin the destruction!

 Chapter 2357 Prepare Your Family!

    Chapter 2357 Prepare Your Family!


    A few weeks later in the Spiritual World...


    The situation was unchanged from weeks prior. The Irpoll aliens had conquered the Evergreen''s area and were steadily extending their control into the territories of their adversaries.


    The forces of the Black Plain Empire, now including Callie and Aurae, along with the forces of the Eastern Empire, led by Vico, faced daily assaults on their lands.


    How did the Irpoll manage this? The Gods of Irpoll keep the Gods of the Spiritual World busy, while the alien warriors, strengthened by years of conflict and superior to the surviving natives, gradually triumphed in battle.


    Thus, Irpoll''s territory had consistently expanded over the recent months, pushing the native forces to a point where they could only defend the heart of their domains and impede the enemy''s progress.


    With the aliens'' maneuvers on the continent, all lands once part of the Evergreen Empire and the Flowers Kingdom had fallen under their control. Portions of Blackrock and the Flaming Empire were also captured, and it seemed only a matter of weeks before they, too, would be finally absorbed by Irpoll.


    As the Ice Age receded, Irpoll''s forces gained strength.


    However, they refrained from launching a major offensive to overthrow their mightiest enemies. Even for the three level 100, defeating Callie, Vico, and Aurae posed a formidable challenge.


    All three were exceptionally powerful, and with the Ice Age still over two and a half years away, Callie remained a formidable opponent.


    Instead of seeking an immediate decisive battle to conclude the war, Irpoll had more calculated strategies to dismantle their foes. Their plan involved seizing all enemy territories and systematically eliminating the remaining Demigods until the three Gods were left with no options.


    Ultimately, they intended to either eliminate them or exile them from the planet.


    The forces of The Adamant Land in the underwater part of the Ancestral Sea were also still in hiding, having not yet encountered their enemies because of the solid layers of ice protecting them.


    ...


    In the Dry City, the tension in the city grew stronger every day.


    "Lee, Alison, it''s good to see you well. What do you want today?" asked the old man with the now gray hair that showed not his vitality but his state of mind.


    Looking at the Dillian sitting on the throne of Minos, Lee, currently at level 86, got right to the point. "More and more people are arriving in our territory, fleeing from the south. We need resources to build places to receive these people."


    As the aliens advanced across the continent, the populations of the conquered territories fled north or west. These areas were already very saturated, and even with the death of many living beings over the years of war, there wasn''t room in every place for all the remaining living beings on the continent.


    Many beings died during the war. But before, most of these beings were spread over three continents. Nowadays, though their number was much smaller than 15 years ago, practically all the survivors were on the Central Continent. In particular, most of them were in the central area of the Black Plain Empire.


    Cities controlled by nobles like Lee and Alison could not accommodate all those who migrated from the south to the north!


    "Sigh! We''re at our limit, Lee. I wish I could help you, but you''re going to have to lead these people to set up camps outside of your town," Dillian said regretfully.


    The time had passed when the Black Plain Empire had the resources to develop different parts of its territory. With the loss of men and territory, the state had stopped growing its crystal collection while maintaining its expenses.


    More recently, the state had rapidly depleted its financial reserves, forcing the rationing of resources.


    Lee understood the problem, but he had to try. "Isn''t there something we can do together? Are these people going to freeze to death in ordinary shelters?"


    As much as the worst of the Ice Age had passed, it could still kill the weakest.


    "What I can do is suggest that your city create a foster care program. The strongest would leave their properties and temporarily make room for the weakest to come into the city. That might give you and us some time to solve the problem in other ways," Dillian suggested.


    "Sigh! Thanks anyway," Lee lamented. "Prepare your family, Lee. If you want to send them to the Spatial Kingdom, do it quickly," Dillian said in a somber tone.


    Lee saw Dillian''s deep look and felt the gravity of the situation.


    As much as he was a nobleman and a renowned soldier of the empire, he didn''t know everything that was happening in the North.


    "I''ll get ready. Thanks for the advice."

 Chapter 2358 The End of the War of the Worlds!

    Chapter 2358 The End of the War of the Worlds!


    While those closest to the imperial family of the Black Plain Empire prepared for the worst, the Irpoll forces in the North Sea were positioning their ships around the spatial distortion of the universal wormhole.


    After the ape civilization entered the War of the Worlds and took over The Adamant Land, they seized control of the universal wormhole on both sides of the space tunnel.


    Since their arrival in the Spiritual World, they monitored this area of the North Sea to prevent the natives, or even the aliens of the Mechanic Empire, from fleeing. Another reason was to wait for news from their people in The Adamant Land, which happened frequently.


    However, it had been nearly six weeks since they had received any communication from their group in The Adamant Land, something that had never happened in the past four years.


    One observer in the area was pondering over this as he mysteriously looked at the spatial distortion there.


    "Don''t you think it''s strange how long we have received no alerts from our superiors in The Adamant Land?" asked a brown-furred ape, one of the 12 individuals in the three wooden boats in the area.


    These boats looked nothing like the ships of the Mechanic Empire or the forces of the Spiritual World. They looked like simple, huge wooden boats that couldn''t carry many members of those creatures'' race.


    "It must be nothing. The Adamant Land is subdued. We''re not trying to expand our operations until we''ve mastered the Spiritual World, so there''s nothing to be afraid of," said another ape.


    They could distinguish among them many physical characteristics. But humans, like the natives of this world, would have a hard time distinguishing these beings, except for the color of their fur. From the point of view of the natives of this planet, they were very similar to each other.


    However, even though they had their own characteristics that they could recognize and distinguish from each other beyond the color of their fur, while those two were talking, three other apes couldn''t help but make identical expressions that could confuse even beings of their own race. Ge?t latest novel chapters on nov(e)lbj/n(.)c/om


    Seeing this while talking to his friend, the brown-furred ape frowned and then looked toward the spatial distortion in that area.


    The distortion changed and the tip of what looked like a spaceship appeared. However, it wasn''t a ship from Irpoll, let alone The Adamant Land.


    All 12 level 99 apes sensed something was wrong until, in a single instant, the spaceship left the spatial distortion and stopped between the three boats.


    The two level 102 Sovereigns heeded Minos'' words and soon opened space rifts as they moved toward their respective destinations.


    Left alone with Ruth, Minos controlled the space around their ship and the spatial distortion through which they could access the universal wormhole, ensuring that their enemies wouldn''t escape.


    Soon after, they departed together, opening a rift in space as they flew toward the central continent.


    "Go to the south of the continent, Ruth. I will go to the center of our territory to secure the situation of our people. If the enemies haven''t done their worst yet, I''ll join you as soon as I know the situation there," he said, with no fear of his wife having to deal with the aliens all over the world.


    Ruth was at level 101, and her special ability was super regeneration. Even if someone could hurt her in this world, they could never kill her.


    Ruth agreed and then separated from her husband to go to the battlefield in the continent''s south, while he went to the core of the Black Plain Empire.


    ...


    A minute after Minos and his people arrived in the Spiritual World, a spatial rift appeared above the Dry City, attracting the attention of all the experts watching the area.


    Callie and Aurae were not there. They were in the continent''s south, dealing with the expansion of the Irpoll forces'' territory.


    The strongest on the outskirts of the city was a level 95 Demigod who couldn''t help but open his eyes wide and tremble with fear as he felt the terror approaching the capital.


    However, at that moment, millions of people, not only in Dry City, but in much of the Black Plain Empire, felt something special rise within them.


    Feeling the power of the people''s faith in himself, Minos arrived in the area with a smile on his face, realizing that his people had held out long enough.


    "You have held out for a long time. Now relax. Let me take care of the rest. The War of the Worlds is over!" His voice resonated with every heart connected to his power of faith.

 Chapter 2359 Reuniting with the Family

    Chapter 2359 Reuniting with the Family?


    The moment Minos spoke his words upon arriving in Dry City, not only in that place, but in the entire northern region of the Central Continent, everyone heard his voice in their hearts.",


    Even those who had no faith in Minos somehow listened to him, for after all his past deeds, he was now considered a legendary figure in this world. Even though he was presumed dead, many people thought of him constantly, wondering what things would be like if he were on the continent.


    This was a belief, a way to put one''s wishes in the hands of a figure who could gather all the power of those people.


    Millions of people all over the domain recognized Minos'' voice and stopped what they were doing to look at the sky, tears of hope streaming from their eyes.


    Only those within his Spatial Kingdom didn''t hear his voice.


    But even those inside the quasi-Spatial Kingdoms made of black holes clearly heard the voice of their supreme leader.


    Dillian, who was currently in the imperial palace of the Stuart family, heard that voice and a smile appeared on his face for the first time in years.


    "Your Majesty?" He asked aloud as Minos crossed the spatial barrier between the Dry City and the outside of the quasi-Spatial Kingdom.


    Minos saw the many changes that had taken in the city after entering it, from the large number of new inhabitants, not only humans, but various beast races and hybrids, to the improvements of several of his subordinates.


    One of the first he sensed was Dillian, who he hoped was still alive.


    Minos'' subordinates left their places and quickly appeared in front of His Majesty, all of them surprised by his sudden return, but also by their leader''s majestic level 99 aura.


    "Your Majesty!" Dillian kneeled before Minos, overjoyed to see their leader, the hope of the Spiritual World.


    "I''m sorry I couldn''t come earlier, but it''s good to see you again. Anyway, now let''s talk about something more urgent. What''s the status of my family? How many casualties have we had?" He asked as he looked at the most important people there.


    Minos'' aura was unmistakable. No matter how much stronger he became, his ''signature'' could never change.


    The two women realized it was him and did not hesitate to hug him as several people in the Spatial Kingdom heard the name they occasionally thought of, mourning his departure years ago.


    Rowan, Lily, Hollie, Kendrick and Sarah opened their eyes to see Abby and Gloria hugging their father, all of them quickly getting up from where they were to go to his side, full of questions in their hearts.


    "I''m sorry I was away for so long," Minos explained as he saw the dozens of shocked eyes looking in his direction, understanding that they had a lot to talk about and ask. "We''ll have some time to talk about everything that happened in the Spiritual World and what I''ve been doing in the meantime. For now, keep your thoughts to yourselves. I''m just here to reassure you and let you know that the war is over."


    "Is it?" Maisie asked, clasping her hands together, finding this all very difficult.


    "Before I came here, I wiped out the Irpoll aliens in The Adamant Land... Ruth and the others are exterminating the aliens right now. Now that I''ve seen them here, I''m going to join them in cleaning up our planet. The war isn''t over yet, but it will be by the end of the day. I guarantee it."


    Oswald smiled when he heard this and felt a great weight on his shoulders disappear.


    Minos spoke to each of his children there, regretting his absence and apologizing to Lily for not being able to protect her mother, Isabella. All he could do now was to finish avenging Isabella''s death.


    "Will you come with me?" He asked his children.


    "Won''t it be dangerous?" Hollie asked, her voice trembling.


    "No. Enemies are not too weak for your old man, Hollie." He played with her. "Come on, all of you. I''ll let you see the end of the aliens invading our world."


    Minos'' five children, Abby, and Gloria left the Spatial Kingdom with him, heading back to the Dry City, from where Minos would soon open a wormhole to the south of the continent, where he had already heard the enemies and gods of the Spiritual World were.


    Dillian and some important men from the Dry City would join the group and travel under Minos'' protection to the major battlefield of the Spiritual World!

 Chapter 2360 The Massacre Begins

    Chapter 2360 The Massacre Begins


    While Minos led a large group of spectators onto the battlefield, Ruth had arrived at the southern tip of the continent.


    She hadn''t arrived on the battlefield where a clash of Gods was taking place, but on the territory of the aliens from Irpoll.


    She arrived at a place between the former Flaming Empire, the Flowers Kingdom, and the Evergreen Empire. The absence of spirit world creatures and the presence of some alien apes caught her eye.


    In an area where there should have been a few cities and at least two dozen beast tribes, there were almost no living creatures, except for the 40 invading Demigods she noticed nearby.


    ''It looks like the enemies have taken the area over,'' she thought to herself as she approached the strongest beings there, level 95 and 96 Demigods.


    The strongest of the Irpoll forces were currently expanding the borders of their territory in the Central Continent against the allied forces of the Eastern Empire and the Black Plain Empire.


    As soon as she moved, the nearby apes noticed a powerful enemy and panicked, sensing the enemy had hidden a new expert to fight them!


    "Shit! A new God!"


    "Fuck! This woman''s aura is even stronger than Callie''s!"


    The apes despaired as they tried to flee the area without attempting to confront Ruth, knowing that death awaited them if they tried to fight someone of her stature.


    Ruth let out a long, powerful "humph!" to these creatures as she used her ancient techniques to keep them from running away.


    With a single move, they were all at the mercy of her judgment, with their lives in her hands!


    Ruth asked no questions. In her current position, she could simply kill her way through without worrying about any secret information these creatures might have.


    ...


    Those were tempting words, but neither Callie, Vico, nor Aurae would be swayed by such a suggestion.


    Considering everything that had happened so far, the chance that these apes would not attack them to death during an escape from this world was practically zero!


    Even if they agreed they had nothing left to fight for, they honestly didn''t see how they could survive an escape from the Spiritual World.


    The only place they could escape to was The Adamant Land. But Irpoll dominated that place, possibly with even more Gods in such a planet.


    Going there would be like choosing to enter a monster''s lair!


    As such, none of the three let themselves be taken in by their enemies'' attempts, while hundreds of beings on both sides of the battlefield died in today''s confrontation.


    As Irpoll was on his way to another victory over the forces of the Spiritual World, a space rift the size of a normal human house appeared not far away, showing human reinforcements.


    The apes saw it and weren''t surprised, but the members of the Central Continent''s allied forces couldn''t help but wonder what it was. No reinforcements were supposed to arrive there, because they didn''t have enough strength to ask for reinforcements!


    The situation on the continent was so sad that in two more battles, they wouldn''t have any warriors left to prevent Irpoll''s troops from advancing against their territories!


    Vico, Aurae and Callie turned their attention to that crack, from which Minos and many spectators would arrive seconds after it appeared.


    The appearance of Minos shocked the three Gods of the Spiritual World, while the alien apes didn''t understand what was happening.


    ''Who is that?'' One of the Irpoll Gods realized Minos was the strongest of the newly arrived group.


    As soon as he felt the situation, Minos changed his earlier good mood and recognized the trail of the enemy slaughter.


    "The audacity of your race knows no bounds. It looks like I''ll really have to wipe you out until there''s nothing left." With a snap of his fingers, his wings opened, revealing the glow of this weapon, but also the powers of Emperor Stuart.


    As if he had become the master of the Spiritual World, dozens of Black Lightnings appeared in the area, heading toward each of the Demigods massacring the native forces.

 Chapter 2361 Beginning of the Extermination of the Aliens

    Chapter 2361 Beginning of the Extermination of the Aliens


    The moment Minos unleashed his aura, which was as robust as that of a level 104 Sovereign, even without using his innate power, he not only caused the entire battlefield to change with the death of the Irpoll demigods, but also deeply shocked everyone.


    Minos'' allies stared at his actions with wide eyes, unable to believe what was happening right in front of them.


    Being at the peak of level 99, Minos was so powerful that he controlled the natural laws of the area and unleashed dozens of Black Lightnings against the enemies of the Spiritual World natives.


    Several Demigods who were in dire situations on the outskirts of the area, saw the black lightning strike the enemies and push them down, completely destroying those apes bodies as if they were nothing.


    In one instant, dozens of apes terrorized the native forces, and in the next second, dozens of bodies were obliterated, their bodies destroyed, leaving no trace.


    Minos'' allies saw this and did not expect him to become so powerful.


    The enemies felt the terrible sensation of facing death. They were only a few steps away from dominating the Spiritual World. No one there had expected a new opponent to stand in their way and put them in such mortal danger!


    "Shit!" One of the three Irpoll Gods sensed the true level of Minos'' powers, something that was clearly much higher than he and his two allies could handle.


    He tried to move to escape the area, but before he could do anything, he felt his powers diminish, as if he suddenly became a mere mortal.


    The Devouring Art kicked in, causing black rings to appear around the three level 100 apes, sucking up all the useful energy they had around them.


    A sinister smile appeared on Minos'' face as black mist poured from his body and the Dark Sea formed. "Before you lose your minds and destroy yourselves, know that I will go to Irpoll and exterminate every single living creature on your planet. I will not allow a single sentient being from your world to survive."


    Rendered powerless, the aliens could neither resist nor retaliate against Minos. Completely dominated by this warrior, their only option was to mourn. This might mark the end of their druidic race!


    As soon as Minos spoke, the three of them lost their sense of reality, perceiving their own allies as foes. Minos soon released them, leaving them to annihilate each other like savage beasts.


    The group accompanying Minos, along with the three Gods from the Spiritual World, observed as the level 100 apes assaulted each other, and the locals overwhelmed the remaining 30% of the enemy Demigods, who had been present before Minos'' arrival.


    The carnage in the area was swift. With more power than ever, the weakening of their enemies, and their great hatred for the aliens, it took the locals less than two minutes to "taste" the blood of their enemies.


    Meanwhile, the level 100 apes attacked each other with everything they had, with vicious moves aimed at their opponents'' vital points, quickly injuring each other in a few moves.


    Callie, Vico, and Aurae approached Minos as they saw the end of the battle, a defining moment for the continent. For now, there was no way Irpoll could win the war. As long as they wiped out Irpoll''s forces and then dealt with the exiles from The Adamant Land, the War of the Worlds would be over!


    "I don''t know where to start," Aurae said as she looked into Minos'' brown eyes, feeling that this was not the young man she had seen fighting 15 years ago. "How did you get so strong? What happened?"


    The others nearby looked at Minos with curiosity, all of them wondering the same thing, wanting to hear the story of their leader and friend.


    Minos let the enemies kill each other, watching the battle but not getting involved. He said as he watched, "Fifteen years ago, my group left the Spiritual World to go to The Adamant Land. We were sure that we couldn''t leave the universal wormhole through the standard exit because the enemies would surround us. So we created an alternate exit.


    We ran into the problem of spatial distortion in this type of tunnel and barely survived. Fortunately, we ended up in a place far away from both the Spiritual World and The Adamant Land. At first, we thought this was bad because we did not know how to get back. But we soon realized the many possibilities in the area. After nearly 50 years there, myself, Ruth, and four other members of our group could leave the planet in question and begin our journey back."

 Chapter 2362 Where Minos Was

    Chapter 2362 Where Minos Was?


    "50 years?" Aurae quickly grasped how Minos had ascended to level 99 so swiftly. Time had passed differently for him than for them!",


    Advancing so many levels in just 50 years highlighted the spiritual richness of the region where he had spent those years.


    "Time flows differently there compared to here. Fortunately, my group found a place where we could advance without worrying about being away from here for too long," Minos explained soberly.


    "But I must admit, until recently, we weren''t aware of how much time had passed for you. I''m relieved it wasn''t longer than we expected."


    "What is this place?" Rowan asked his father.


    "It''s called Zocarro, a colossal world, even more formidable than the one that gave rise to the Spiritual World. This place offers incredible opportunities and perils beyond level 100," he disclosed.


    His followers had already suspected that something like this might exist in the universe, given his earlier suggestions that level 100 was not the ultimate limit.


    "What happened to the others who left with you? Why did only a small group return?" Vico asked, curious about the current levels of individuals like Maximillian, but also about the fate of the allies who had departed with Minos 15 years ago.


    Minos responded just as the first of the three ape Gods plummeted from the sky, lifeless. "Most of our party perished on our first day in Zocarro.


    That planet is exceedingly powerful and home to creatures several levels above 100. We were fortunate to land in one of the weakest areas of the Oqia continent, but even there, several of us fell on our first day. Gradually, we adapted to the conditions of the planet until we joined a guild where we could find stability and face fewer dangers.


    Since then, we''ve strengthened within that group. When we left Zocarro, we were 13 survivors, including myself, Ruth, and those who returned with us."


    "That''s it?" Gloria opened her mouth to ask, realizing how many in the group had died.


    "Yes. Of the 13, seven stayed behind of their own free will. Zocarro is very good for cultivation. To give you an idea, Maximilian was already close to level 104 when we left. By now, he should have made his breakthrough and started his quest for level 105." He said, to the shock of Vico, Callie and Aurae.


    "Yes, but it wasn''t the damned apes that made us bleed so much. It was the damn aliens from the Mechanic Empire that got us into this situation. It was only when Callie moved in that things stopped getting worse for us gods," Vico quickly summed up what had happened.


    "So it was them... Where are they? I heard they came to our world to hide from Irpoll''s forces," Minos said with a bloodthirsty expression on his face.


    "They are in the Ancestral Sea," Abby said to her husband, also eager to see the end of the aliens from The Adamant Land.


    Minos looked narrowly in that direction and said. "I will deal with them later today. But first let''s meet Ruth. I want to clean up the Central Continent before I go to the Ancestral Sea."


    "That''ll be quick," Aurae commented. "With their current powers, dealing with them will be easy. Although they''ve already taken over an impressive amount of our continent, there should be less than 3,000 apes in the entire area of the former Flowers Kingdom, Evergreen Empire, Blackrock, and Flaming Empire."


    "Former?"


    "The Black Plain Empire has absorbed them," Gloria commented to her husband.


    "I see... That''s a shame. I feel like so many of my old friends have died." His regret was not that these territories were now part of his state, but that too many people from these states had probably fallen for such a thing.


    ''Now we can only avenge them by killing every single one of their enemies.'' Minos thought to himself as he led his people towards the nearest enemies in this area, knowing he would reach Ruth in this south-central region of the continent in no time at all.


    Thus, all the local natives would follow at Minos'' side, watching him brutalize the enemies along the way, showing just how strong he had become.


    Amid the action for the next few dozen minutes, Minos would also allow the group to fight a few enemies, proving how good it felt to kill enemies that had seemed invincible in the recent past.


    The murderous trail of Minos and his group would soon meet the trail of Ruth, who had now killed over 500 aliens in this southernmost area of the continent.


    Finally, the Stuart family was fully reunited in the Spiritual World!

 Chapter 2363 Going to the Sea of Ancestors

    Chapter 2363 Going to the Sea of Ancestors


    After meeting Ruth, Minos'' group spent a few moments together, reuniting the woman with her children, Hollie and Rowan. For both, only 15 years had passed. For Ruth, however, it had been over 50 years since she had last seen her children. Seeing them again today touched her to see they were still alive and had grown in the intervening years. Their appearance was still the same, but they showed more maturity in all their gestures and words, and they had grown spiritually.


    Not just them, but all of Minos'' children and Ruth''s harem sisters were different, stronger, more mature and hardened by the war.


    Not that she and Minos hadn''t changed a lot. But they obviously thought of these people much more in terms of how they were in the past when they left the Spiritual World.


    Either way, it was good to be reunited. Seeing her parents there also took a worry out of Ruth''s heart, who had worried about the situation of her mother, father and sister all these years.


    Seeing them again that day made her feel relieved that the worst hadn''t happened and that she had returned to her world in time.


    "How is the Edwardstone family?" Ruth asked when she saw that none of Isabella''s relatives were there.


    Abby explained. "Isabella''s mother and stepmother must be in the far north. As for Harold, unfortunately, he died in battle a year ago."


    "Sigh! So this misfortune happened..." Minos muttered as he laid one of his hands on Lily''s head, who had lost a lot in this war.


    "Many people died in the battle," Gloria commented. "Forrest, Eduard, Elena, Eda, Ivy, Brooke, Celeste, Regina, you name it, the list is long. We lost many people."


    Ruth and Minos could only regret hearing so many names of close friends who had perished over the past 15 years.


    The family had survived, but not without many scars that would never fully heal!


    "You are right. The Spiritual World is my home and I''ll do what I can to help you, but I can''t live here anymore." Minos said in a resolute tone, displaying the certainty of someone who had pondered it extensively.


    "I will solve the problems of the Spiritual World, destroy all our enemies, ensure the safety of the planet and also create a stable method to leave here and go to Zocarro. After that, I''ll take my family to Zocarro.


    Unfortunately, I can''t take many people. Even if you want to go to Zocarro, I can only take you part of the way. I''m not rich enough to take a large group of people to that planet. The cost of the trip is really very high."


    Minos knew that these three Gods would be interested in accompanying him to Zocarro. But even if he wanted to take them with him, it would be difficult, simply because he didn''t have the means to pay for the spaceship tickets.


    All he could do was make sure that these people had a way to leave the Spiritual World and go to Zocarro.


    This method would not be as fast and good as the one he had used to return home. If any of them wanted to make such a journey, they would have to travel little by little, increasing their power and wealth on their way to Zocarro.


    The three understood, imagining how difficult it must be to travel across the universe.


    "Anyway, I''ll talk to you about it in the next few days or months. If you want to come with me, I can drop you off in an area of the universe where you can cultivate beyond level 100. That should be better than staying in the Spiritual World for the rest of your lives."


    "If we all leave, who will take care of the Spiritual World?" Kendrick asked.


    "Your grandparents, your aunt, Dillian, Emlyn, Kyla. There are many people who can help control the Spiritual World in our absence. I''m going to leave them some things to help them become stronger and have defense methods and high-level technologies. Then the world will recover and protect itself, even in our absence," he said, having already thought of the things necessary to make his words come true.


    "Are you going to give up the empire and everything you''ve built?" Sarah asked with difficulty in her tone.


    She understood her father''s motive, but she couldn''t help but lament the idea of abandoning an empire they had built from the ground up and brought to the pinnacle of the Spiritual World.

 Chapter 2364 Galactic Empire

    Chapter 2364 Galactic Empire


    Sarah''s question was important. Minos, like his family members, felt a sense of care and belonging to the Black Plain Empire. He had created the state from scratch and made it the greatest power in the Spiritual World.


    But he couldn''t live in the Spiritual World if he wanted to become more powerful, let alone leave his family behind. As much as there were dangers in Zocarro, it has immense opportunities for everyone. Even the weakest of them could quickly become Grandmasters if they went to Zocarro with him.


    That would be enough for them to become Recruits in Armhands, for example.


    But Minos didn''t want to give up everything he had built up.


    He answered all doubts. "I will not leave behind the empire. I will be mostly absent, but I will still look after it from a distance.


    I intend to make the empire the most important force in the galaxy. Before we leave, I will make some contacts and agreements with alien civilizations in our galaxy to ensure the growth and security of the empire beyond the Spiritual World. After that, I will leave, but from time to time, either I or an emissary of mine will come to the galaxy to monitor the situation and act on behalf of the empire''s development. As long as nothing big goes wrong, this should be enough for it to develop and endure, even with my residence in Zocarro."


    "Do you want to create a state like the Mechanic Empire was?" Gloria asked with interest. Diiscover new stories at novelhall.com


    "Yes, but a state that will be limited to our galaxy until it can, without my help, reach a level capable of defending itself against civilizations stronger than Irpoll."


    "That sounds interesting. If we all go to this place called Zocarro, we could always have someone coming and going. Even if we weren''t here all the time, we''d be close to the situation in our state, even if we were on the other side of the universe." Sarah understood what her father had in mind and liked his preference for not abandoning the Black Plain Empire altogether.


    "How long is the journey between Zocarro and our world?" Kendrick asked.


    "Between 2.5 and 3 years from the Artificial Moon. But it took me and my companions over five years to make the journey between Armhands headquarters and the Artificial Moon. So the whole one-way trip would take 8 to 10 years," Minos said, startling his companions at the great journey he had completed.


    For someone as strong as Minos to travel for about a decade meant the distances were truly gigantic.


    "Minos Stuart!" he muttered as he pointed in Emperor Stuart''s direction, while the other three level 100 men turned horribly pale.


    They all remembered the prediction that if Minos exceeded a certain level, he would wipe their civilization out.


    Minos was currently at an absolute peak of level 99 cultivation, enough to wipe out all 21,000 survivors of the original race of The Adamant Land!


    "Fuck! We''re screwed!" The Mechanical Emperor muttered, fully aware that attempting to reason with Minos would be fruitless.


    After one of his countrymen had killed Emperor Stuart''s fourth wife, there was no way they could escape without fighting for their lives!


    "Get ready!" He gave the signal for war, knowing his chances were slim, but unwilling to surrender his life to Minos without a fight.


    As Minos got close enough to the creatures that were already attacking his group, the enemy shots disappeared as he got close enough for his 10th technique to take effect.


    Then, under the gaze of allies and enemies alike, Minos revealed the Divine Sword for the last time in the Spiritual World, using the first of his supreme weapon''s three movements to destroy the remnants of that race with a single strike.


    Divine Sword: Will of the Blades!


    Minos injected a small fraction of his energies, causing several golden energy circles to appear in the air at various locations around the members of the Mechanic Empire.


    The robots and biological beings of the Mechanic Empire saw a world of blades appear, covering their entire escape space, with over 50,000 blades appearing under their headquarters, slicing the air in countless different paths, making the total area chaotic.


    Without even exchanging a few words, ask for mercy, or anything else, the aliens from The Adamant Land were sliced and diced, meeting their deserved end after 15 years since the start of the war!


    This was the end of the ancient civilization of The Adamant Land!

 Chapter 2365 Spiritual World Returned!

    Chapter 2365 Spiritual World Returned!


    With the death of the last powerful enemies of the Spiritual World, Minos ensured the end of the War of the Worlds, fulfilling everything he had promised his people upon his arrival in the Dry City.


    Seeing the remains of the aliens from The Adamant Land scattered in this underwater area, Vico clasped his hands together, feeling a mixture of sadness and joy.


    It was good to see the end of the enemies who had caused the misery of his world. This action of Minos wouldn''t bring any of the dead back to life, but it would at least put an end to the terror of war, bring justice to the dead, and ease the consciences of the living.


    Still, Vico wanted many of those who had perished in the war to be with him, such as his son, his great rival, old acquaintances from the Spiritual Church and the Divine Continent. Unfortunately, almost everyone he could call old friends, family, and people he respected, like Willow, had died in the war.


    Seeing the end of the aliens from The Adamant Land, Vico felt the death of all these people once again and couldn''t ignore his melancholy side, even though it was a good day for the Spiritual World.


    But he didn''t blame Minos. The young man had done a Herculean job to become so strong and cross the universe just to save the planet. Others, like Maximilian, wouldn''t have done such a thing in Emperor Stuart''s place. That alone showed the young man''s dedication, which was more than enough for Vico not to hold anything against him.


    Still, Vico couldn''t help but think how different things might have been if Minos had arrived a little earlier or if his companions had been more defensive in their positions.


    Many had risked too much to defeat their enemies, thinking that Minos was dead or that it would take them too long to return to the Spiritual World.


    Callie and Aurae thought similar things to what Vico felt, both touched by the moment.


    Lily was especially moved to see her father put an end to the cursed civilization that had caused her mother''s death.


    Sarah and Kendrick sighed with relief, feeling this was the end of a chapter for the Spiritual World and the beginning of a new journey for all of them.


    "It''s finally over," Dillian murmured, unable to ignore the good feeling that came with justice.


    Although she was tired and weakened from the battle Minos had intervened in earlier, she was still much stronger than the level 90 to 97 beings now on her island.


    Minos allowed her to brutalize those opponents, merely supporting her while preventing the aliens from fleeing the area.


    For a God, even an exhausted one, dealing with Demigods was like a child killing ants. In less than ten minutes, Minos could see hundreds of giant ape corpses throughout the previously elven-dominated territory.


    When Aurae finished the massacre on Elves Island, her blonde hair was smeared with the blood of her enemies, while she had a fierce look on her face.


    Minos instructed her to move on to investigate the East Sea, while the North Sea was already clear, something he had ensured earlier by killing the only aliens in the area when he and his group arrived.


    He said goodbye to the blonde woman and headed south to the Spiritual World, where he intended to clear the former domain of the Sky Whales.


    As much as the apes of Irpoll were terrestrial beings, they had brought with them aquatic creatures from their world. The journey of Minos and his group was not only to kill the apes of this civilization, but to eliminate all alien life forms in his world.


    Thus, their work would also involve killing aquatic creatures, special plants, and other organisms capable of cultivating and working as a team with the apes that had almost taken over the planet.


    It would take Minos and Aurae three days to complete their sea missions, killing all the alien organisms in the South and East Seas before he moved on to the Continent of Beasts and she to the Divine Continent.


    They would soon discover the situation of the two Minos envoys on those continents!


    On the fourth day since the arrival of Minos'' group in the Spiritual World, the planet would finally be 100% free of alien beings, free for the natives to regain control of their ancient lands.


    Some places had been devastated or lost their original natives, but a significant portion of the planet could still be occupied by its original rulers!

 Chapter 2366 The Great Farewell of the War Dead

    Chapter 2366 The Great Farewell of the War Dead


    By the fourth day since the arrival of Minos and his group in the Spiritual World, all the invading beings of the planet were dead, their bodies buried or devoured by the native beasts of the planet.


    Today, the surviving creatures from the various races of the Spiritual World began their journeys back to their lands on the Continent of Beasts, the Divine Continent, the Ancestral Sea, the South Sea, and Elves Island.


    But the strongest of the survivors, the remaining leaders of the major forces that had fought in the war, were gathered in the Dry City for the great farewell to the dead.


    Ruth had organized the great farewell ritual for those who had fallen in the war, an event that would close this part of the Spiritual World''s history.


    Tomorrow would mark the beginning of a new era, the beginning of the rebuilding of this shattered world.


    So, in the early afternoon, the most important surviving names were gathered in the Dry City and walked through the streets of the city towards the Dry City Mausoleum.


    Most of the dead had lost their bodies to their enemies or had even been used by Abby before disappearing altogether. Thus, there were no graves for the billions of living beings who had died there.


    But the imperial family had skillfully created murals with names, murals with arrays that could show a little of the many living beings who had fallen in the war.


    Those who passed by the Dry City Mausoleum in the future would understand how much the planet had lost in the catastrophe that began with the Ice Age.


    Fortunately, the planet''s civilization survived the perfect storm, weathering the worst of the Ice Age and the alien aggression.


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    Minos, his two companions who had come with him and Ruth from The Adamant Land, and the primary names of the Stuart family were leading the way to the Dry City Mausoleum.


    The armor she wore was there, as well as letters she had written, things she had used in her life.


    Everyone there knew that they could speak to Isabella again through the fusion of Abby''s techniques, but no one would desecrate her body in this way.


    Talking to Isabella again would be fantastic, everyone felt that. But Abby''s fusion wasn''t simple. When she used such a power, she forced the destruction of the essence of the revived warriors, something that would completely erase their essence at the end of the fusion.


    In short, anyone temporarily resurrected by such a fusion would become less than someone who had sacrificed themselves, their existence erased until they could no longer be reborn.


    Neither Minos, nor Abby, nor even Lily, wanted to desecrate Isabella''s body. In front of her grave, they just mourned, remembering the good times, but also missing her terribly.


    "The place looks good. Did you do it like this?" Ruth asked Abby and Gloria, holding a handkerchief in one hand to wipe away her tears.


    "We tried to do the best we could in the time we had. But a lot of things happened after you left. We couldn''t do more," Abby said in a sad tone.


    Meanwhile, Minos stood silently in front of Isabella''s grave, eyes closed, thinking about the last time he had seen her, inside the illusion he had created after she was mortally wounded.


    ''I wanted you to be here... But even with all the power I have, it''s out of my control.'' He thought, as if talking to Isabella.


    ''I really hope I can see you again. Things didn''t start well between us, so I want to behave better next time.'' He remembered how Isabella had pursued him at the beginning of their relationship.


    ''If you''re reincarnated somewhere in the universe, I''ll find you one day and make you remember this life. No matter how long it takes, we''ll meet again.'' He clenched his fists and vowed he would understand life and death enough to know how to read reincarnation.


    He hoped that the symbol on his chest, related to the Upper Realm, would one day give him the chance to learn enough to try something about Isabella''s reincarnation!


    So he ended his farewell to Isabella, hoping this was just a ''see you later'' and not the farewell that everyone around him thought it was.

 Chapter 2367 Beginning of the Restoration of the Spiritual World

    Chapter 2367 Beginning of the Restoration of the Spiritual World


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    After the great farewell to the dead in the Dry City, almost all the non-humans there left for their respective destinations.


    Most of the beasts began their journey to the Continent of Beasts, and even creatures native to the Central Continent went to those mythical lands for the beast races.


    For a long time, the continent had been a place full of powerful beings and tribes that were difficult to deal with. But now, with the extinction of several tribes and the decrease in the number of members of each lineage native to the area, even some beasts from the Central Continent were going to those lands to live in a different and better place.


    With the war over, it was time for the surviving creatures to take advantage of their victory in the war and establish new realms!


    While the terrestrial beasts had the Continent of Beasts as their major destination, the hybrids of the beast races and humans returned to the Divine Continent, along with the local humans who had survived the war so far.


    About 20% of the natives of the Divine Continent had survived the terrible catastrophe of the past 15 years. This was a fraction of the previous number, but it was enough for the civilization in these lands to rebuild amidst the current ruins.


    As for the rest of the beings left behind on the Central Continent, many of them gradually moved to the areas of the former Evergreen Empire, Flowers Kingdom, Flaming Empire, and Blackrock.


    As incredible as the core of the Black Plain Empire was, surpassing all parts of the continent in wealth and opportunities, there were too many people in this area now. Meanwhile, in the continent''s south, there were more opportunities than people competing for them.


    It was only natural that a migration to this area in the continent''s south would now take place, with the former natives of the states of such an area being the first to move.


    Aurae said goodbye to Minos after bidding farewell to the dead in the Dry City Mausoleum and left with the survivors of her race for the Elves Island.


    Vico made his way to the Eastern Empire, having told Minos before his departure that he would like to meet the Emperor Stuart a few times before the core of the Stuart family left the Spiritual World.


    Minos promised each of them he would visit their homes for dinner and more in-depth conversations about what lies beyond the Spiritual World, and that he would give them plenty of notice when he was ready to leave.


    Before turning his attention to the preparations for his family''s departure from the world, Minos intended to take a few weeks "off" to enjoy some peaceful time with his family, giving them a chance to relax a bit after a lot of trouble.


    He intended to stay in the Spiritual World for one to two years, enough time to live with his family, teach his acquaintances about the wonders of the universe, restructure his planet, and even return to The Adamant Land. He planned to deal with the remnants of Irpoll and the problematic civilizations on other planets previously dominated by the Mechanic Empire.


    However, this was not something he planned to do in the next few weeks!


    ...


    Eleven days after Minos and his companions arrived in the Spiritual World...


    He was at the lake house of his Spatial Kingdom, where only he and his wives were now.


    Minos, Ruth, Gloria and Abby were relaxing in a bathtub, drinking some kind of alcoholic beverage, smiling and talking about plans.


    Despite all their tragedies, they still knew how to enjoy each other''s company!


    After having their sexual adventures together again, having a few days to themselves in this Spatial Kingdom, the four were having their best days since the preparations for the War of the Worlds began decades ago.


    For the past few days, they had lived there alone, leaving in the afternoon to be with their children and other family members, but always returning to the Dry City after a few hours to be alone in this sanctuary of cultivation.


    There were too many things for them to talk about, so they still talked about Minos'' trip to Zocarro, focusing on the positive for now, as they already had too many tragedies in their lives.


    As much as Minos and Ruth''s journey on this planet was full of dangers, there were many good things to talk about with the rest of the family, from the possibilities of cultivation to even ordinary things like the incredible places to visit and live on Zocarro.


    In short, this was what life would be like for Minos and his wives for the next four weeks!

 Chapter 2368 The Foundations of Minos’ Galactic Empire

    Chapter 2368 The Foundations of Minos'' Galactic Empire


    After the first month of rest for Minos and his family at the core of the empire, it was time for them to focus on what they needed to do to rebuild the state and prepare the family''s future departure.


    The two level 102 Sovereigns¡ªwho had come with Minos and Ruth were in the Spiritual World¡ªwas now helping to rebuild the great infrastructure that had been lost during the war.


    The Ice Age was getting weaker by the day, but with the combined efforts of the Sovereigns in Minos'' group, the negative climatic effects had disappeared by the end of their first month in the Spiritual World.


    With no more of the storms and very low temperatures of before, ordinary ships began to ply the planet''s seas, while sea creatures left their hiding places to return to their normal pre-war lives.


    Meanwhile, Minos and Ruth tended to the empire, which had changed in terms of its population, but also in terms of the land available to the local monarch.


    ...


    In the imperial throne room of the Black Plain Empire, Minos stood before his children and wives, as well as the nobles and soldiers of his state.


    It was there that Minos discovered the true extent of his lands, which basically encompassed over 75% of the Central Continent, not just a few states in the western part of the continent where Vico''s domain was located.


    After the many departures from the continent in recent weeks, there were 6 billion inhabitants left in Minos'' domain, most of them human, between levels 50 and 70.


    This was a large population for the empire, but tiny for the area of the continent that already had over 15 billion humans before the war.


    Minos then began his rebuilding plans with something simple.


    Wouldn''t it be interesting if new high-level demigods or gods appeared and immediately left the planet!


    In order to maintain the strength of the world and to encourage the population not to leave the planet so quickly, Minos formed a group to plan all the rules for leaving and entering the planet.


    What he was doing was basically the same as what other civilizations throughout the universe were doing in civilizations that had achieved the ability to leave their home civilizations throughout the universe were doing in civilizations that had achieved the ability to leave their home planet and travel the universe.


    Suppose some God in the future left the Spiritual World. There would be no problem. As long as they paid a certain amount, enough for the Minos'' empire to raise a high-level Demigod with the potential to become a God in the future, that would be fine.


    If someone like that didn''t like the rules, well, that''s what the Stuart family was for.


    The Stuart family, or rather the core of the family, would leave the world, but they would monitor what was going on in their galaxy. If problems arose in the future, Minos would send people he trusted to enforce the rules!


    Unbeknownst to them, those in the imperial throne room were witnessing the birth of Minos'' galactic empire, the beginning of a new era for the Spiritual World.


    Minos'' decisions today would be the most important laws that would make the state and the world grow and eventually reach higher positions in the galaxy.


    Since there was no one in the entire galaxy who could 10:51


    contradict Minos, they would implement everything without objection, without delay, with the strongest remnants accepting his words as supreme and inviolable orders.


    But that was only the beginning. Except for Minos and Ruth, the others would only truly understand his decisions as time passed and their consequences gradually became apparent.


    Meanwhile, Minos would pass on his knowledge of the universe, alien languages, and the cultivation ranks above level 100 to his state''s new order of elite soldiers, who would be responsible for traveling the galaxy and dealing with the planets Minos planned to conquer in the coming months!

 Chapter 2369 Leaving the Spiritual World

    Chapter 2369 Leaving the Spiritual World


    A few days later...


    The Spiritual World was buzzing with post-war changes and changes brought about by Minos.


    Not only had the Black Plain Empire adopted the fresh changes brought about by him, but all the continents, tribes and states had adopted the most important rules gradually being released by the government of Minos'' empire.


    Everyone agreed it would be a bad thing for the world to lose its strongest experts to the universe. It would be very welcome to have rules regarding the exit of being that would make it difficult for beings who would probably die easily after leaving the planet. It would also be good to have methods of using the departure of experts to nurture new beings capable of reaching the same level as them.


    Even the three current Gods of the Spiritual World understood the need for this and felt it was important to go ahead with Minos'' methods to preserve their world. They had their families and states on the planet and already understood that they couldn''t take everything with them when they left. Leaving mechanisms in place to keep the planet functional seemed sensible, even to those who could be harmed by these rules at first.


    Apart from that, the power configuration of the world could no longer be the same. Minos alone had the power to destroy the planet, so it made no sense for any force other than the one chosen by himself to be in charge of dealing with the entry and exit of living beings from the planet.


    All the other states around the world were reformulating their territories, as was already happening in Minos'' empire. Going back to the way things were made no sense. Many forces had fallen, new possibilities had arisen, and now each group in the Spiritual World had different perspectives on the future. The recovery of the world was more about the numbers of native living beings, but not the old power structure or division of territories.


    While each part of the planet was moving in different directions, Minos was currently in the North Sea, facing the quasi-Spatial Kingdom covering the universal wormhole connected to The Adamant Land.


    ...


    On the outskirts of the maritime area of the North Sea, Minos, his three wives, the three Gods of the Spiritual World and the two Sovereigns who had come from Zocarro, were floating in the air ahead of the fate of some of them.


    Now it was time for him to return to The Adamant Land, join the robot and the level 103 Spiritual World native to end the War of the Worlds with the extermination of Irpoll!


    That would be good enough for all of them!


    Callie and Vico had already shown an interest in moving on to Nemo Colony in two years'' time, while Aurae was still uncertain whether she should do it so soon or stay in the Spiritual World until her tribe recovered and new Gods appeared on the planet.


    Vico thought differently. "I''ll go with you." He said firmly.


    Having lost almost all of his family during the war and being one of the few Spiritual World leaders who had kept much of his home state untouched, there weren''t many things in the Eastern Empire that required Vico''s presence.


    Being very curious about what lay beyond his world and also thirsty for the blood of the race that had brought calamity to his Travisani family, he couldn''t pass up the opportunity.


    Minos nodded to the three of them, before looking at the two level 102 Sovereigns standing there. "You two must continue your work around the Spiritual World in our absence. Enforce our position against those who are disobedient. But I don''t think that will be necessary."


    "Yes, Your Majesty." The two men agreed simultaneously, while Callie and Aurae looked at these old acquaintances, who were now many times stronger than them.


    Minos, his wives and Vico entered the spaceship inside that quasi-Spatial Kingdom, then set off into the spatial distortion of the universal wormhole.


    Staying behind, those two women and two Sovereigns were silent for a second, imagining the future ahead.


    Aurae asked after a while. "How long will it take for them to return?"


    "Six to nine months. Hardly less or more than that. The problem with everything for them is the road can''t be shortened. They''ll spend most of their time flying." Said one of the two Sovereigns, who wasn''t so keen on flying with the group at the moment.


    As weak as the Spiritual World was for them, here at least they had a lot of things to do daily. Minos'' group would travel for months with nothing to do, without even the possibility of cultivating, since the area was so weak that none of them could get stronger by cultivating there.


    "Let''s go back. In about a year, everything about our enemies will have been erased by them." The other Sovereign commented before the group left, each of them heading off in different directions to settle their own affairs.

 Chapter 2370 Back to The Adamant Land

    Chapter 2370 Back to The Adamant Land


    One month later...


    After traveling through the universal wormhole built by the Mechanic Empire, the group arrived smoothly at the former headquarters of the forces previously controlling The Adamant Land.


    As soon as they arrived in another quasi-Spatial Kingdom created from the black holes of Minos, the group disembarked from their spaceship, with Vico, Abby and Gloria keeping a close eye on their surroundings, obviously curious about this new place for them.


    For many years they had thought about this planet, what it should be like and the native civilization. However, as they passed through one barrier of the quasi-Spatial Kingdom of Minos, they saw two level 103 Sovereigns waiting for them, while no other intelligent creatures remained on the entire planet.


    They couldn''t say that every living thing on this planet had been exterminated by arriving there, but given what they already knew about the two men from Minos waiting for them, coming to that conclusion wasn''t difficult. Ge?t latest novel chapters on nov(e)lbj/n(.)c/om


    As the three of them set foot on this world for the first time and looked at the abandoned or destroyed buildings in the surrounding area, the two level 103 Sovereigns noticed the arrival of Minos'' group after just over three months since they arrived in The Adamant Land.


    That time had been enough for them to interrogate and then exterminate the enemies from Irpoll and the slaves from that civilization, natives of The Adamant Land.


    For the last six weeks, they had been waiting quietly for Minos, with everything they needed to move forward with the end of the War of the Worlds.


    "Your Majesty." The two stood up, making their way closer to Minos. They noticed Vico and Minos'' two wives there, and thought that, somehow, the civilization of the Spiritual World had held off the enemies long enough to be saved.


    Minos informed the two, aware that they must be curious. "The War of the Worlds in the Spiritual World is over. My group has exterminated all the aliens who were in our homeland. Luckily, a fraction of the natives on the planet were still resisting the aliens."


    "A fraction?" The level 103 human, an old acquaintance of Vico''s, asked as he looked at this blond man.


    It was possible to destroy space paths, but normally nobody would do that, because such tunnels were an important means of traveling quickly between different parts of the universe. However, the galaxy of Irpoll was stronger than the galaxies where the Spiritual World and The Adamant Land were. In order to prevent his people from meeting powerful civilizations in the future, Minos intended to deal a brutal blow to Irpoll and then destroy the universal wormhole connecting that civilization and The Adamant Land.


    With two level 103 Sovereigns, he and Ruth, it would be easy to do that!


    The entire group agreed with his decision, while Vico couldn''t help asking about the planet they were on. "What will happen to The Adamant Land? I can sense that this planet is a little stronger than the Spiritual World."


    "It will be the base of my galactic empire. It will also be an entrepo?t for those interested in going to stronger places in the universe. From here, we can easily leave for powerful parts of the galaxy and reach places where one can cultivate a few levels above level 100. Anyway, when we get back to the Spiritual World, I''ll establish a group of a few hundred thousand people to come here." Minos replied, having already ordered a group from his government to plan such a thing for him.


    His empire couldn''t do everything on its own, so he would allow other states, tribes and organizations to join his army in this endeavor.


    Abby looked at the level 103 robot and asked Minos. "Don''t you intend to use others like him? Why don''t I see more like him around here?"


    Minos smiled when he heard that. "We don''t need to at the moment. But you''re right, I will use them."


    The robot informed Abby. "I haven''t completely destroyed the empire''s robots, Your Majesty. Their bodies are gathered together, waiting for His Majesty''s ''magic touch'' to bring them back to life.


    When he eventually can revive them, there could be over 200 robots in the empire''s possession, spanning levels 95 to 99. Unfortunately, my level 100 brothers were completely exterminated by Irpoll."


    The group understood Minos'' objectives and soon headed for the quasi-Spatial Kingdom, where all the wormholes were that they could use to reach Irpoll or the other four planets.


    They boarded the spaceship and were soon on their way to the civilization of the druidic apes!


    With nine weeks of travel ahead of them, they would talk about everything that had happened in the Spiritual World and The Adamant Land on their journey to Irpoll.

 Chapter 2371 Arriving in Irpoll

    Chapter 2371 Arriving in Irpoll


    In the blink of an eye, over two months had passed, and Minos'' group traveling through the wormhole between Irpoll and The Adamant Land was about to reach its destination!",


    During those weeks, those who had been in the Spiritual World during Minos'' arrival had exchanged information with the two Sovereigns who had remained in The Adamant Land.


    The robot had little interest in what had happened on his master''s home planet, but the level 103 Spiritual World native valued information about his home world. Although he didn''t intend to stay there long before departing for Zocarro, the man couldn''t help but mourn the loss of his homeland. He also sighed in relief that there was still a future ahead of his world.


    With Minos in charge of the Spiritual World and implementing reforms, it would only be a matter of time before the planet recovered from the war and progressed to a new level.


    The spirituality of the Spiritual World would never change, but the planet could become the birthplace of a civilization present on stronger worlds.


    Anything was possible as long as one was alive. So it was a relief to know there were enough beings left to take the Spiritual World to a better future.


    The group from the Spiritual World was anxious about conquering The Adamant Land. Not only was that planet stronger than their home planet, but it also possessed several technologies and methods of traveling through space that would lay the foundations for Minos'' galactic empire.


    The time that Minos intended to attend to the affairs of the Spiritual World was short, but it was more than enough for many things to be done.


    As they left the wormhole for Irpoll, the group looked forward to their return to establish the future of their civilization.


    ...


    As soon as they left the universal wormhole built long ago by the forces of the Mechanic Empire, Minos'' group landed in a grand local forest.


    As they arrived there with their spacecraft, native creatures sensed their arrival, behaving apprehensively as they moved away from where the group would land.


    So they went along with Minos to watch him deal with their enemies, something that wouldn''t be long in coming.


    Irpoll was a relatively small world, with few sentient creatures. While the Spiritual World had billions of inhabitants before the war, this world had only a few million living beings capable of cultivation.


    In contrast, every being in this world seemed to be 5 to 10 times larger than the natives of the Spiritual World, with gigantic trees, beasts that exceeded the size of dragons and sky whales, but also an impressive variety of races.


    There was no race in this world with as many members as humans in the Spiritual World. Irpoll''s dominant race was the apes who led the invasion of The Adamant Land and the Spiritual World, but the ape race in question had just over 2 million members.


    As they traveled through the area where they arrived, at the north pole of that world, Minos and his two wives would come across a situation similar to what they had seen in the Spiritual World, with small groups of aliens controlling large territories.


    But this did not surprise them. As Irpoll was home to a Druidic civilization, most of the living beings there were powerful plants, while organisms like apes were the minority who used the power of nature to their advantage.


    But faced with Minos, these intelligent beings and the powerful plants of this place were no match for the group.


    Seeing the first enemies shortly after separating from his companions, Minos killed his way through without asking questions, taking down the enemies while leaving Abby and Gloria to collect bodies and valuable plant parts.


    This world was like a great botanical garden where many valuable medicines grew!


    Luckily, they had brought with them plenty of space storage items to take the riches of this world back to their home planet.


    ''That''s what you get for trying to exploit us, Irpoll!'' Abby''s heart sank as she watched Minos clear the path ahead, the once beautiful green world transforming into a desolate, barren wasteland.


    And so, the downfall of Irpoll began, an ancient civilization that would crumble within a mere week when faced with the assault of the group''s four formidable experts!

 Chapter 2372 The End of Irpoll

    Chapter 2372 The End of Irpoll?


    2372 The End of Irpoll


    Within days of the arrival of Minos'' group on Irpoll, the entire planet understood the slaughter being caused by his group, with the peaceful world becoming a home of death and destruction.


    In just over a week, Minos'' group made the civilization of Irpoll understand the scourge of war, feeling in their hearts what billions of living beings in the Spiritual World felt before being killed by the apes invading their planet.


    The natives of Irpoll felt in an even worse situation, having no chance of fighting the three Sovereigns and the powerful Emperor Stuart.


    The four who had cultivated for decades on Zocarro killed their way through without giving their enemies a chance, leading to the almost total destruction of the planet''s druidic civilization in just over a week!


    The level 103 robot and the Sovereign, who had been journeying through this world alongside Vico, had completed their rampage and were now making their way back to where they had initially landed.


    Ruth was exterminating her last opponents to the east of the planet, being the laggard of the group, given her lower destructive power. Even so, she would be finished in another day at most.


    Minos was currently facing the last tribe in his path, having purposely stayed north of Irpoll, where the strongest living beings on the planet were.


    ...


    In a ruined forest in northern Irpoll, there was a formerly glorious place where the sky was usually colored by the area''s many rainbows, caused by the area''s flying river and the drops produced by the leaves of the giant trees.


    Today, however, the sky was dark gray, while beautiful, grandiose trees, home to many local creatures, were lying on the ground, some of them on fire, others cut in different ways.


    Blood from different creatures marked the wreckage in this area, where several pieces of the corpses of immense beings could also be seen over an area of over 30 square kilometers.


    Amid this, the energy of the area was agitated, totally different from usual, with a mark of terror going on for the last survivors of that tribe under attack by Minos.


    "Let''s collect whatever''s valuable in this place. Some of it will help our forces in the Spiritual World and the empire''s subsequent universal expansion, but it could also help us pay for our trip to Zocarro," Minos said as he collected the remnants of value in that devastated area.


    The two agreed, going back to doing what they had done most since arriving on this previously beautiful planet, now ravaged by destruction.


    Their action would only take a few minutes, until he would take them in his arms to search the area north of Irpoll, looking for survivors that they might have overlooked unintentionally.


    ...


    The next day, Minos and his wives were already back on the group''s spaceship when Ruth appeared on the horizon, signaling the end of their mission.


    Like everyone else, she had exterminated the opponents, collected what was valuable, things above the Saint-grade, and then searched the area under her responsibility for survivors.


    In just over a few hours of scouring her area, she confirmed that she had left no survivors behind and returned to where the rest of the group was already waiting for her.


    "It looks like I made you wait," she commented with a smile on her face, seeing her group camped around their spaceship.


    "We finished 11 hours ago," Abby said to her harem sister.


    "Hmm, that''s good. Anyway, I got a lot of old items from this world''s civilization with historical accounts from Irpoll, but also some curious facts about their galaxy and what they knew about the universe," Ruth said as she looked at Minos, thinking it might be interesting for him to look at the materials she had got.


    "There''s an interesting account that talks about a supposed supreme being sent to observe. It sounds a lot like what you told me about the real seraphim, Minos."


    "Oh?" he opened his mouth in surprise, not expecting to hear something like this from Irpoll.


    "Very well. I''ll study these materials while we return to Irpoll. Now, let''s go. We have a long journey ahead of us to destroy the wormhole," he said as he stood up, defining the group''s departure after their quick passage through this planet.

 Chapter 2373 Destruction of the Wormhole

    Chapter 2373 Destruction of the Wormhole


    Soon after Minos and his group left Irpoll, they began their slow return to The Adamant Land.


    Although they could make the journey back in about 9 weeks, as the group intended to destroy the wormhole as they traveled, it would take them a little longer.


    How could someone destroy a wormhole? The process was relatively simple. As long as one had the power, energy and patience, destroying a wormhole would only require tearing down the space walls of the tunnel and closing the path.


    They needed to close the path by making the tunnel''s side walls close in on themselves, causing them to come together at all points of contact. One could do this little by little, closing the overgrown path as they went, or they could simply destroy everything simultaneously through one entrance.


    The second option would require an absurd level of power that none of the travelers had. There wasn''t even a being that strong in this area of the universe. As such, the group was traveling and destroying the path, having already disconnected the entrance in Irpoll to this wormhole.


    Minos was now closing the wormhole behind his spaceship. The robot commanded the spaceship, while Ruth rested and the level 103 man helped him keep the destruction under control so as not to affect the group.


    Abby, Gloria and Vico were watching the path behind them being forcibly closed, something that would guarantee peace and tranquility for the forces of the Spiritual World for at least a few decades.


    At the end of the current route, they would have the entire path to The Adamant Land destroyed and anyone trying to get from Irpoll to the world of the Mechanic Empire would have to create an entirely new path, something slow, difficult and costly to do.


    This was enough for the group to establish their dominance over The Adamant Land and the Stuart family to make their way to Zocarro, maybe even grow stronger.


    The next few weeks would basically be for them to travel slowly while, now and then, they would swap shifts, with others taking over Minos'' task and giving the whole group space to rest as they progressed.


    ...


    Over three months after the start of the group''s slow journey, they arrived at their destination, back in The Adamant Land after the civilization of Irpoll had been wiped out.


    Minos and his three strongest companions were currently finishing destroying the spatial distortion they had just passed through, returning the area to normal, with no more of the classic signs of that kind of place.


    When they had finished, the four of them sighed in relief, coming back having used up 30% of their energy, but finished their aim of destroying the path to Irpoll.


    After just over six weeks of travel, his spaceship passed through the spatial distortion of his destination, arriving at the place where rebels, local natives, had destroyed the forces of the Mechanic Empire and regained their long-lost independence.


    As soon as they arrived on that world of bestial creatures, Minos and his fellow travelers realized how much weaker that world was compared to their homeland.


    "How did the Mechanic Empire lose control of this world?" Gloria muttered as she sensed the local spirituality, capable of nurturing cultivators up to level 97.


    It would be unreasonable for a level 100 being to appear in this world, given how weak the natural laws were there!


    "Amidst the many fronts of the war, they probably neglected this world," Vico commented, seeing that the journey there would be quick and easy.


    "How are we going to deal with them?" Abby asked her husband as she sensed many of the locals noticing their arrival and moving to hide, fearful of the group that had a God in their numbers.


    Minos looked down at where they were floating inside his spaceship and said. "Let''s show them what we''re capable of. The strongest will naturally come to us to surrender."


    They landed their spaceship on a continent where, according to the level 103 robot, were the strongest natives of that world.


    Minos and his companions sensed the rodent society, super-


    advanced by local standards, before he revealed his aura, making half the world tremble with his overwhelming powers.


    The skies darkened, while the temperature dropped, with dark fog rising around much of the planet, now almost entirely in Minos'' hands for him to manipulate as he wished.


    Lightning, similar to Tribulation Lightning, flashed while the continent shook as if it were facing the biggest earthquake in its history.


    Minos then mentally transmitted his message to all those within his reach.


    ''Natives of Gohoc, my name is Minos Stuart. I have just exterminated the Mechanic Empire and the civilization of Irpoll. Your civilization now has a choice to make.''

 Chapter 2374 Before Returning to the Spirit World

    Chapter 2374 Before Returning to the Spirit World?


    As soon as Minos spoke into the minds of Gohoc''s beings, using the local native language he had learned from the level 103 robot, the strongest creatures on the planet trembled with fear. They found themselves once again in the terrible situation of being invaded by stronger beings.


    Just as they believed they had finally escaped the clutches of superior civilizations that enslaved them, a new faction emerged, obstructing their path.


    It was a cold shower for these creatures!


    Minos'' aura was so much stronger than the leaders of The Adamant Land who had taken over this world in the past that no native dared to stand up to him. They merely prostrated themselves before Minos, accepting his supremacy.


    "What are we going to do with them?" Abby asked, her eyes wide with anticipation.


    Unlike the natives of the two planets they had recently conquered, they had no history with the poor Gohoc. This was a precautionary mission to avoid future problems, but they really had nothing more to justify aggression against this civilization.


    Minos said. "I''ll leave a seal on all the Demigods in this world to make sure they don''t betray us. Each successive generation will be bound by contracts with the aging Demigods, ensuring their allegiance to the Black Plain Empire after the previous generation''s demise.


    I don''t intend to exploit them in the same way as the Mechanic Empire did. The universe is vast. If these beings want to get stronger, they''ll have to leave their little world and go to The Adamant Land themselves. They will join our forces of their own free will. We just need to leave the opportunity open and eventually, it will happen."


    That''s what happened in most of the universe. Slavery was used much more as a punishment than as labor. Selfish interest made most intelligent beings in the universe work as a team.


    This civilization was limited to level 97. Others that would come under the rule of the Black Plain Empire could go further, but were limited to level 100. Through Minos'' plans, he intended to make it possible for these beings to reach the area of the galaxy of The Adamant Land where they could exceed such a limit.


    Is it possible for these civilizations to maintain a working relationship?


    Thinking of the being at the peak of his world''s cultivation, would he wait in silence for his death or try something else to evolve and live better and longer?


    Minos believed that most would choose to join his empire or at least follow its rules, as long as the rules weren''t too oppressive.


    "Minos, I''m going to travel around this planet to explore the place. Do you have a problem with that?" Vico asked with enthusiasm.


    "Go ahead. Try to get back before eight weeks. By then the group should be assembled, ready to set off back to the Spiritual World," Minos said, imagining that everyone in his group wanted to do a bit of exploring in the lands of the aliens of the Mechanic Empire.


    Gloria and Abby were also interested in exploring the area, but they wouldn''t go too far from Minos.


    When he was finally alone, Minos would reach the place where the metallic corpses of the Mechanic Empire''s robots lay.


    He then summoned a giant skeleton from his spatial ring, from where he intended to use the chaotic energy of the huge bones to revive the robots with preserved bodies in their surroundings.


    There wasn''t enough natural energy for Minos to revive all these metallic and artificial beings at once, so his work there would be repetitive for the next few days or weeks.


    But with nothing better to do, given the fact that he didn''t want to advance a stage in this place, he began this work while letting his companions explore the planet.


    ...


    Minos would spend the next six weeks working to revive all the 10th stage robots that were fit to be revived.


    Ruth and the level 103 human would return from their journeys, successful in mastering the civilizations they had visited during these weeks in similar ways to what Minos had done on Gohoc.


    With only the level 100 robot left to return, the group would spend the next three weeks rebuilding some areas of The Adamant Land, using the help of the robots revived by Minos, to create the initial bases that their empire would soon use.


    Over 70% of The Adamant Land''s infrastructure had been destroyed in the war between the Irpoll and the Mechanic Empire. Amid these ruins, the group worked to re-establish some of the less destroyed outposts.


    But after another three weeks, the level 103 robot would return so that the group could finally head to the Spiritual World to prepare for the galactic expansion of the state of Minos and the departure of his family for Zocarro!

 Chapter 2375 The Future of the Stuart Family (1)

    Chapter 2375 The Future of the Stuart Family (1)


    A month after the entire group gathered in The Adamant Land after the conquest of four worlds, Minos'' spaceship arrived in the Spiritual World this afternoon!


    Returning to the Spiritual World after almost a whole year away, the group returned to the Central Continent as soon as they left the quasi-Spatial Kingdom in the North Sea.


    Given the capabilities of Minos and his fellow Sovereigns, it would only take them a few minutes to cross half the planet, arriving above the Dry City.


    "Minos, I will return to my empire. I intend to settle the affairs of my state and my family for the next few months before our departure. I''ll see you in a year." Vico greeted Minos and his wives, thanking them for the opportunity and wishing to see them again soon.


    He didn''t intend to leave his state until the moment of his departure from the Spiritual World, so he only planned to see them all again at the end of next year.


    Before he left, the level 103 Sovereign of the human race told him to wait. "Your Majesty, I will accompany Vico. I intend to visit some places in the Spiritual World to better understand the changes brought about by the war. When it''s a few days before our departure, I''ll return to the group''s side."


    Minos merely nodded to the two, watching them leave shortly afterwards, both heading for the south of the continent.


    Standing next to his three wives, the level 103 robot and 20 Demigod robots between levels 95 and 97, Minos made his way into the quasi-Spatial Kingdom of his capital.


    Most of the 200 robots that Minos had revived in The Adamant Land he left behind to rebuild the infrastructure lost on that planet during the War of the Worlds.


    But aware of the Spiritual World''s current weakness, he brought 20 individuals that he intended to leave in the main territory of the Black Plain Empire to support his people after his departure.


    As soon as the group entered the Dry City, the strongest people in the area, as well as Minos'' relatives, noticed their return, each of them sighing in relief.


    As strong as Minos already was, after discovering that there were monsters several levels above Minos'' current cultivation throughout the universe, many of them couldn''t help but be a little worried about him traveling the universe.


    Lily and Hollie had little to think about. Both were keen to join Minos on his journey through the universe. This was particularly true for Lily, who had lost too many people in this world to want to stay behind.


    Minos'' wives would obviously join him, which could make two spaces left on their spaceship during the departure, should Rowan and Sarah decide to stay behind.


    But for the moment, nothing had been decided.


    Minos did not know what his children were thinking. As soon as he joined his government staff in the imperial throne room, he talked about what his group had achieved in recent months.


    "Irpoll and the remnants of the Mechanic Empire have been completely annihilated. Those with the potential to connect to our civilization are also defeated, granting our people four new worlds that will help us build the galactic empire in the future.


    Now we can turn our attention to rebuilding and strengthening our forces. I''ll be sticking around for another 12 months and helping to establish our forces in The Adamant Land.


    Hopefully, in a year, everything will be ready for me to leave without having to worry about the empire in the short term."


    At the end of Minos'' words, everyone in the hall applauded him, with people like Dillian, Oswald, Patience, Maisie and others feeling their eyes water, moved by the moment that had arrived.


    Some of them summed up the things that had happened in their world during Minos'' absence, things that were only good news.


    In about a year, the Spiritual World had changed a lot with the help of the two level 102 Sovereigns and the absence of disputes in those lands. During that time, 9% of the infrastructure destroyed during the war had been recovered, while Minos'' previous orders had been implemented.


    The group of individuals who would go to The Adamant Land was already ready, while the special battalion that would take care of universal travel, the exit and entry of beings into the Spiritual World, had also been formed.


    The empire''s professionals were producing spaceships similar to those of the Mechanic Empire, to enable the space exploration about to begin, while the economy of the empire and the planet began to function normally.


    With only good news, the group continued to exchange information for the next few minutes, both sides updating each other before taking the next steps in the empire''s expansion.

 Chapter 2376 The Future of the Stuart Family (2)

    Chapter 2376 The Future of the Stuart Family (2)


    The day after Minos returned to the Spiritual World, 40,000 soldiers of the Black Plain Army, cultivators between levels 70 and 93, set off in over 100 spaceships towards The Adamant Land.


    Many of the ships had been developed long before Minos'' return, as the empire had achieved what was necessary to build these ships even before the War of the Worlds began. During the war, when the planet was defeating the Mechanic Empire, the empire of Minos had taken many damaged ships from the aliens and repaired them.


    With the ships built over the last few months of peace, the empire now had 314 spaceships capable of carrying between 150 and 320 crew members each.


    With The Adamant Land conquered and the short time they would have with the presence of Minos and the Sovereigns on their world, the empire''s forces advanced their plans, immediately heading to that planet to begin their work there.


    Minos had a chat with the leaders of the 40,000 soldiers before their departure, explaining that the robots working around that world were his subordinates and would help in the defense and reconstruction of the world''s essential infrastructure.


    With little ado, the group made their way through the universal wormhole that they would have to travel through for 10 weeks, a much longer interval than Minos'' group needed, given that his spaceship was slightly superior to those of his state.


    Meanwhile, Minos was in his capital, dealing with the results of his recent trip.


    ...


    In a well-flowered and organized courtyard of the imperial palace, Minos was sitting in front of a fountain, with his three wives near him, but also the two level 102 Sovereigns and the level 103 robot.


    Dillian, Oswald and Maisie were also there, each of them standing while silently listening to their leaders'' conversation.


    "One of the good things about entering the Upper Realm is that those of your lineage automatically gain access to it with the entry of one of your relatives into it," Ruth commented with a smile on her face, while everyone else there looked at Minos, understanding what this meant.


    If he eventually gained access to the Upper Realm, those with blood ties to him, such as his mother, grandparents, and children, could automatically ascend to the Upper Realm along with him!


    Maisie looked at the women of Minos and asked. "What about you?"


    "The supreme beings of the Upper Realm can appoint people to follow them into that place. There''s a difference between entering there by genetic rights and being appointed. But that''s not such a big concern for us. We''ll still be able to live together for a long time," Gloria said with a smile.


    All they had to do was support Minos, continue to persevere in their cultivation and, eventually, they could move forward with him to complete any cultivator''s goal.


    Immortality!


    Even those who had no way of being taken to such a place by Minos were happy about these possibilities, for their leader to reach such a place would already be magnificent.


    That was the thought of Dillian, who didn''t care about immortality and just wanted to see, or at least imagine, his leader''s journey.


    As for the Sovereigns around Minos, they couldn''t help but imagine that they would still have the chance to pursue these rights to compete for places in the Upper Realm.


    Their current life expectancies were too great for them not to give up on their dream of living forever, maybe one day becoming Supremes in Zocarro and then going in search of the Upper Realm!


    "The problem with everything is just getting there," Minos muttered with a smile on his face. "It can take millennia for one to reach the minimum level needed to enter the competition. But even after that, it can take a long time for one to pass all the tests and actually enter the Upper Realm.


    According to what we''ve gathered, the last person to make it into the Upper Realm took 100,000 years on their journey."

 Chapter 2377 The Future of the Stuart Family (3)

    Chapter 2377 The Future of the Stuart Family (3)


    After talking about the Upper Realm, Minos and his family put the subject aside, since the path to the Upper Realm seemed very distant, even to him.


    No one there knew about Minos'' Incorruptible Heart, or that he would soon take part in the Millennium Massacre, one test for the Upper Realm. But even he didn''t think he would have any chance of ascending to such a place in a short time.


    He had three tests on his way until he achieved something, so even he wasn''t worried about that now. The Upper Realm was so far away from him that thinking about it would be a waste of time.


    With his companions updated on some discoveries relevant to them and other facts relating to Minos'' journey of conquest and extermination for Irpoll and the other four planets, the group split up to go fulfill their responsibilities.


    Given the few months they would be in the Spiritual World, they had to hurry to help the native forces re-establish their infrastructure and organization in the meantime.


    This would save a lot of time for the local forces, time that they could focus on investing in expanding their forces across the galaxy of The Adamant Land.


    Not only the Black Plain Empire would be involved in this expansion. It would definitely be the most important state, since it had the most technologies, men and the support of Minos. But the rest of the world would take part in space exploration and win fractions of the planets that the empire would rule.


    This was the case with The Adamant Land, where 40,000 of Minos'' men were traveling there and, in another three months, the empire''s allied forces could send their own troops to occupy the spaces that would be theirs on that planet.


    Other Minos troops would also travel to The Adamant Land in the coming months. It was his government''s plan to have 300,000 natives of the Spiritual World in the former home of the Mechanic Empire until the core of the Stuart family left for Zocarro.


    The Sovereigns within the group made significant contributions. The level 103 robot played a crucial role in constructing new spaceships, while the two level 102 Sovereigns assisted in the reconstruction of the damaged infrastructure. Minos provided stability for the local forces as they began anew, and Ruth aided in healing the war casualties.


    I want to stay with George in the Spiritual World, or even go to The Adamant Land. When we''re ready, we''ll go to Zocarro to meet up with the rest of the family." "Are you sure about this, big sister?" Hollie asked as she felt her heart beating faster, not liking the idea of having to stay away from her sister.


    Gloria and Minos said nothing as their daughter answered.


    "I do. After you leave, I imagine you''ll all become stronger than me, Kendrick, Hollie, Rowan, and Lily. Next time we see each other, I hope you''ll help me with my start in Zocarro."


    Rowan clenched his fists, before standing up and saying. "Father, I would also like to stay. Since my elder brother wishes to go to Zocarro, I would like to stay behind and continue our lineage in the Spiritual World.


    When I have prepared an heir worthy of leading the empire, I will leave together with or after my eldest sister."


    "You too, Rowan?" Ruth asked her son, while she didn''t like the idea of having to be away from her boy for so long.


    For those people in the Spiritual World during the War of the Worlds, it had only been 15 years since she and Minos left the planet and then returned. But for the two of them, it had been about six decades. However, since their departure, they had had the goal of returning. The next time they left the Spiritual World, it wouldn''t be their goal to return, so perhaps they would go centuries or even millennia without seeing those left behind!


    "My intention is to stay. Until I am ready to take the lead, I will stand by my sister''s side, and afterwards, I will either journey to The Adamant Land or continue leading our forces in the Spiritual World. Having a member of our family on both planets in leadership positions will be significant."


    Oswald smiled in satisfaction at his great-grandchildren''s words, obviously pleased with Sarah and Rowan''s decision. It was important to take advantage of opportunities, but taking care of the family legacy was just as important!


    With Minos'' recent actions, the family would most likely have a great opportunity to grow in the Spiritual World and in the galaxy of The Adamant Land. If everyone in the family left, they might miss out on some opportunities ahead. But with Rowan and Sarah staying behind, everything would be different.


    All the Stuart family''s subordinates and even their allies would think ten times before taking any action, contrary to the family''s benefit with Sarah and Rowan left behind.


    Minos looked at his two children and didn''t try to convince them otherwise. "I''m glad you''re able to decide something so important for yourselves and are thinking of the good of the family and the empire. For now, keep thinking about what you''ve already told us. In 7 months'' time, I would like to hear from you again about your choices. Whatever they are, I will accept them."

 Chapter 2378 Time to Decide

    Chapter 2378 Time to Decide


    For the next few months, the family would talk avidly about Rowan and Sarah''s choices, with their mothers talking a lot with them about the opportunities of Zocarro, as well as the difficulties they would have staying behind.


    As much as they wished well for the empire and the family left behind in the Spiritual World, they wanted their children to be close to them and have better opportunities to grow up.


    Gloria, and especially Ruth, made it clear to both of them that once they were left behind, it could be more than a century before they had another chance to go to Zocarro. This meant they wouldn''t be able to advance as many levels of cultivation while their siblings would improve rapidly, but also that they would have to deal with problems without their father''s help.


    Although things are going well now, there is a potential risk of external forces encroaching on Minos'' territories in the next two to three decades.


    As strong and influential as Minos already was, his power of intimidation might not be as effective against every kind of enemy that could get in his children''s way. The two would have to prepare for anything, including facing a new mortal enemy who, this time, they couldn''t count on the fact that their father was struggling to return.


    Minos had already explained to his family that his advancement to level 100 would be special and he would be unable to move for a long time. During this period, his family could not go to Zocarro, but neither would they be able to return to the Spiritual World.


    Only after his return to Armhands and the solidification of his family''s position in the guild could they think about the possibility of returning to the Spiritual World to give more family members the opportunity to go to Zocarro.


    Besides the many conversations Rowan and Sarah would have with their mothers and other family members, they would cultivate hard during this period, learning as much as they could from their parents while they were there.


    As the world recovered, with the population returning to seeing the future in a positive light, the two would only become more and more certain of their decisions to stay behind.


    Sarah was already trying to get pregnant, while Rowan, although not looking for a wife yet, was already considering choosing a good wife for himself.


    Although he wasn''t as much of a womanizer as Minos was, or as Kendrick is, he had his ''girlfriends'' and had already experienced his adventures before the war began.


    ...


    Zacorro''s resources could do more harm than good as long as the cultivators used them in the Spiritual World, so the group couldn''t let their local subordinates and friends take advantage of what they had with them.


    In this way, those who were going to leave the Spiritual World together with Minos and his family were gradually moving towards the Dry City to join the group about to leave!


    ...


    Vico had just arrived in the Dry City alongside the level 103 Sovereign who had accompanied him months ago when they returned to the Spiritual World.


    Upon entering the local quasi-Spatial Kingdom, the two made their way to where the strongest people in the city were, both having already sorted out everything they had to resolve before their departure.


    Vico had left his post as emperor of the Eastern Empire, having directed his state to become a kind of government without a defined leader, because practically everyone from the Travisani family had died in the war.


    With Vico''s departure, the Travisani family would end!


    As for the level 103 man at Vico''s side, this guy had reviewed those of his acquaintances who were still alive and visited the most important places in the Spiritual World.


    "Aurae and Callie are in the city. Will they go with us?" this guy asked Vico when he noticed their aura.


    "Let''s find out," Vico muttered just before they reached the place where the two were waiting to meet Minos.


    As soon as they saw them, they greeted each other, talking about some of the good things that had happened in recent months, until Aurae explained her decision.


    "I''m staying in the Spiritual World. Since Sarah and Rowan are staying behind, I intend to join one of them and leave for Zocarro when they''re ready. In the meantime, I''ll help our forces develop harmoniously." The elf said firmly, fully resolved.


    Callie was going to join Minos'' group, so she liked what she heard from Aurae, more sure of the world''s future with this being left behind.


    Then, while they were talking about it, Minos'' secretary called them into his office.

 Chapter 2379 Group Defined

    Chapter 2379 Group Defined


    Upon entering Minos'' office, the three Gods of the Spiritual World, but also the level 103 Sovereign, soon came across Emperor Stuart, alongside the two level 102 Sovereigns.


    Sarah and Rowan had just left after a conversation with their father and had greeted these men and women before they settled down in Minos'' office.


    Minos looked silently at Vico and Callie before asking Aurae. "What is your choice regarding our departure from the Spiritual World? My group is preparing the last details before our departure between 35 and 50 days from now."


    The blonde woman with pointed ears smiled and said sincerely to Minos. "I appreciate the opportunity. But I will stay in the Spiritual World to observe the planet while new Gods do not emerge. I know your state has Divine Medicines, and it''s only a matter of time before we recover some level 99 Demigods to get new Gods to replace us all. But until then, it could take a few decades. I''ll stay to help finish rebuilding the planet and be ready for trouble. Diiscover new stories at novelhall.com


    When the first God after your departure appears, I intend to send them to The Adamant Land and wait for the next one to replace me in the Spiritual World.


    I''ll leave for Zocarro when one of your children goes on this journey."


    "I see," Minos commented as he looked into Aurae''s green eyes. "That''s good. Staying behind isn''t bad. Those who leave now will have a better chance of advancing more quickly, but it will be more dangerous. Those who go later will take advantage of what my group builds in the meantime."


    They all agreed, with Vico and Callie understanding this point, but still wanting to go ahead with their intention to leave the Spiritual World.


    Minos looked at these two individuals with a serious expression on his face before presenting his proposal. "Rowan and Sarah have decided that they will stay in the Spiritual World. They''re both sure and won''t go back in their words. Then I have two new Zocarro slots available in my group."


    Vico and Callie changed their expressions, both realizing Minos'' invitation.


    "However, I have one condition for bringing you with me," Minos said before either of them could ask questions or celebrate the opportunity.


    If Sarah and Rowan wanted to go to Zocarro with him now, he would take them, even though they were weak. But since they wouldn''t, he took the strongest people he could with him.


    "I see... How long do you think it will take for them to return?" she asked.


    "For those in the Spiritual World, I believe it will be a few decades, less than a century. It took Maximillian about 40 years to reach the peak of level 103, so I imagine that with 50 years in Zocarro, he must have reached level 104. To reach level 107, it will probably take him 70 to 100 more years. So for us, the time for that to happen should be about two centuries."


    It impressed her, even though she already knew how extraordinary Zocarro was.


    Hearing how ''easy'' it would be to progress to the 11th stage in Zocarro made Aurae''s heart flutter with uncertainty. But she stood by her choices.


    "That''s impressive. One day, I still want to experience what it feels like to cultivate in Zocarro," she murmured.


    One Sovereign smiled and said to her.


    "You''ll still feel it. In a few decades for you, you''ll be in Zocarro to experience the wonders of cultivating in that great world."


    The group chatted leisurely for a few minutes, with the Sovereigns there talking about how incredible it was to cultivate in Zocarro, with tones full of desire to return, but also curiosity. Although they had lived there for around 50 years, the truth was that they knew a tiny fraction of the planet.


    They were still weak by Zocarro standards, so they still had a lot to explore!


    The group split up to continue their local affairs. Aurae would remain in the city to follow the last days of Minos and company in the Spiritual World, seeing the prosperity of the empire up close in the presence of Emperor Stuart.


    Soon it would be time for him to set off on his space journey!

 Chapter 2380 Before Departure

    Chapter 2380 Before Departure


    The days passed and the start of the Minos group''s new journey was approaching, with each day passing seemingly more quickly for those who would stay in the Spiritual World. Diiscover new stories at novelhall.com


    Everything the group could have done to help the planet recover had already been done, with all the groundwork for the completion of the recovery and subsequent development of the local forces having already been carried out.


    Now it was just a matter of letting time take its natural course for the plans of Minos and his companions to come to fruition.


    Those who were going to leave the planet said goodbye to those they had to in the remaining time they had, while those who were staying were focusing on spending the remaining time with the Stuart family.


    They could soon go decades or centuries without seeing Minos and company, so people like Dillian, Maisie, Oswald, the parents of the emperor''s wives, among others, were focused on experiencing these last days together in the Spiritual World alongside their loved ones.


    ...


    Dillian, Maisie and Oswald were at Minos'' side, with the doctor there having reached level 90, the emperor''s mother having reached level 92 and the grandfather about to become a level 93 Demigod. They had all benefited from the resources Minos had brought to his family.


    In the last almost 12 months, all the family''s Demigods had advanced their cultivations at least once, while several Sages had improved two levels in a short 12 months. Best of all, these advances were extremely stable, given that the resources used were from civilizations stronger than the Spiritual World.


    Abby hadn''t had the chance to use these resources, given the instability of her cultivation. But Gloria had taken the opportunity and reached level 93.


    The children of Minos who were in the 8th stage each improved by 2 levels, while the children in the 9th stage only improved by one.


    Anyway, as they walked side by side, those three were spending their last moments alongside Minos for who knows how long.


    "The next time one of us returns to the Spiritual World, I hope to take 10 to 15 people to Zocarro. I don''t know what you''ll decide then, but if you want to join the next group leaving the world, try to reach the end of the 10th stage. I know there will be plenty of opportunities for you to get there," Minos said to the three people walking beside him.


    ...


    At the same time, Ruth''s parents were watching this mother of two show her concern for her son.


    "Take good care of Rowan. He''s always been very responsible, but now his father and I will no longer be available. Use Minos'' robots to make him think carefully before making important decisions," Ruth said to Elise and Vince, he at level 88 and she at level 87.


    "Don''t worry, Ruth. Rowan is a good boy, and it will take some time before he becomes a man capable of challenging his grandfather," Vince said firmly, while Elisa looked at him curiously. He was a silly grandfather who always spoiled his grandchildren.


    "I''ll take care of everything, Ruth. Go ahead with your journey to the pinnacle of cultivation without worrying about it. In the future, we''ll join you in Zocarro." Elisa hugged her little girl, while Talia, Ruth''s older sister, currently at level 85, felt tears welling up in her eyes.


    She was the one who would miss her sister the most there!


    ...


    Margot and Joseph, one at level 89 and the other at level 90, stood in front of Gloria, sighing as they thought about the great journey their daughter had made to get to this moment.


    Gloria had always dreamed of becoming the Supreme Pontiff of the Spiritual Church. But after becoming the supreme leader of that organization, she was now passing her position on to her daughter, Sarah, the new leader of the church who would now preach on behalf of Minos Stuart.


    As they watched the ceremony unfold, they knew it was for the best, but it was still so disappointing to go through such a long journey only to abandon it in the end.


    They would not expose their thoughts as they stood side by side with her, while Sarah received promises from her subordinates that they would serve her faithfully until their last days.


    "Good luck on your journey ahead, child," Joseph murmured to her with a neutral expression on his face. "I don''t know if we''ll see each other in Zocarro one day, but I hope you''ll eventually return to the Spiritual World before heading with Minos to the Upper Realm."


    "I''ll certainly remember that, Father." She promised.

 Chapter 2381 Departure!

    Chapter 2381 Departure!


    A few more days passed, and it was time for Minos'' group to leave the Spiritual World!


    That morning, Vico, Callie, Minos, Ruth, Abby, Gloria, Kendrick, Lily, Hollie and the four Sovereigns gathered in the Dry City, coming face to face with the leaders of the state and their allies, as well as the rest of the Stuart family who would stay behind.


    The farewell wasn''t long, and there weren''t many tears. Everyone there had been preparing for this moment for weeks. Today they merely stood in front of each other for the last time in a long time, each side wishing the other good luck.


    Rowan and Sarah stayed behind with their grandparents and many advisors, as well as 20 10th stage robots, while Minos and the strongest of the world left through a wormhole to the North Sea.


    Now everything differed from the last time they left, so this was a much happier moment than a sad one, the start of new journeys for both those left behind and those leaving.


    ...


    Not long after leaving the Dry City, Minos'' group reached the North Sea, while Kendrick and his sisters smiled with anticipation.


    As they neared the area where the quasi-Spatial Kingdom that protected the exit from the Spiritual World to The Adamant Land stood, they came across a group of soldiers stationed in that area.


    In that part of the North Sea, four ships and two spaceships were stationed nearby, keeping control of this important place for the planet.


    Only Demigods were there, each of them subordinates of Minos, members of the newest squadron responsible for handling the control of people entering and leaving the planet.


    As much as they had learned many things in the last two years of access to Minos, there were things they didn''t know.


    "That I don''t know. But he himself said his advance will take longer than we can expect," said the level 103 Sovereign, looking at Minos, who was standing next to Abby and Gloria, talking about other things.


    ''He must have gotten something from Zocarro.'' Vico thought to himself, feeling Minos'' next advance would make this young man even more monstrous.


    "Sigh! Anyway, get ready for a journey of at least a decade. We''ll still be making stops in The Adamant Land''s home galaxy to ensure the safety of the empire''s expansion plans, so it''s going to be a long journey," said one of the two level 102 Sovereigns.


    "Fortunately, we''ll soon be able to go back to cultivation to get stronger," remarked the other level 102 individual, eager to get stronger again.


    "Speaking of getting stronger, have you left any inheritance in the Spiritual World to give future young talents a chance to grow?" Callie remembered this subject.


    Many of them, including Minos, had grown up because of opportunities and inheritances they had received along their journeys, chances of fate related to ancient experts from the Spiritual World.


    Expert cultivators often lived so long, accumulated so much wealth, only to die in the end because they couldn''t strengthen any further. Most of them, eventually, left special places, heirlooms to keep part of themselves alive after their deaths, but also passing on items and resources that were once important to them.


    Certain resources, such as pills, didn''t spoil over time. Some lost a little of their properties if left for tens of thousands of years in extreme conditions, but there were even resources that became more powerful over time. Even things of a low level for people as strong as them could be precious treasures for others.


    Callie had left her heritage in her sect, but unfortunately, she hadn''t managed to create a stable enough Spatial Kingdom to benefit her people in the long run.


    Vico said. "I left something to the government of my state, but I didn''t create a Spatial Kingdom. Unfortunately, I don''t have the same ability as Minos to create stable space regions at the speed he can."


    The three Sovereigns heard this and smiled. They had created quite complex inheritances and left behind their own Spatial Kingdoms to help their families and also to help their future heirs.

 Chapter 2382 Legacies Left Behind

    Chapter 2382 Legacies Left Behind


    The three Sovereigns were many times stronger than Vico and Callie. As much as these two were at level 100, their cultivation base was so weak that they couldn''t even be considered Divine Journey cultivators. Only when their powers developed, their foundation improved, could they be considered Sovereigns, or Divine Journey cultivators.


    They had difficulties that the Sovereigns in the group didn''t have.


    As their conversation showed, while it would take Vico and Callie at least a century to create a good, stable Spatial Kingdom big enough to become a headquarters, the three Sovereigns had made places as big as the Ancient Dragon Spatial Kingdom in just weeks of hard work.


    In fact, the strongest of them, the level 103 Sovereign, had created two Spatial Kingdoms during his 12 months in the Spiritual World. He made one for his old family and another as an inheritance, where his future heirs and geniuses of the world could compete for growth opportunities.


    They hadn''t been the only ones. Overhearing their conversation, Ruth and Minos joined in to talk about what they had done besides ruling and helping to rebuild the empire.


    "I also made a Spatial Kingdom. I created an independent space in the former Flaming Empire in honor of Isabella. It will open every 100 years with opportunities to cultivate and get powerful artifacts.


    It has three levels. The one for cultivators below level 70, the weakest, the one for cultivators between levels 70 and 90 and the strongest of them, for Demigods. Anyone willing to take a chance there can join my inheritance," she pointed out, having lovingly made that place where she left almost all her wealth associated with the Mortal Journey.


    Minos said. "I didn''t make any Spatial Kingdoms. Only cultivators from level 100 upwards can create areas like that. But I''ve established a dozen quasi-Spatial Kingdoms, most of them for my estate, but two of them with inheritances. One of them is in the Seraphim''s Ancient Sarcophagus and the other is in the area between Albano and Brown."


    This area was where the ancient curse that Minos had come into contact with a few times on his journey in the Spiritual World was located.


    There are too many opportunities currently available in the Spiritual World and The Adamant Land. Someone would have to be idiotic to cause trouble right now.


    But in a few decades, when the world has fully recovered, the surviving forces have completely dominated their territories and set a new norm, things should stir.


    But by then, your siblings will be Demigods, and there will be new Gods in the world. Then they''ll have ways of solving internal problems."


    "What about the dangers from outside?" Lily asked, thinking of the aliens who had killed her mother.


    "That''s the biggest problem they could have in the short and medium term," the level 103 Sovereign reflected on the subject. "But the problems should be limited to the galaxy of The Adamant Land in the short term, where the maximum level is level 102.


    But don''t worry too much about that. Most level 102 Demigods would never waste their time in the Spiritual World or The Adamant Land. It''s even less likely that stronger enemies will try to contact them.


    What is more likely is that civilizations on the level of Irpoll will take an interest in our world if they discover it. But the dangers will be more or less on the same level as our friends in the Spiritual World have already faced."


    "That may sound worrying, but the chances of anything happening before the new Gods emerge in our world are slim," Minos said to reassure his family. "But dangers are part of a cultivator''s life.


    It''s good that you''re worried about our companions and family members in our world. I''m worried too, but think more about your situation. In a few months'' travel, we''ll be passing through places where even our Sovereigns could die," Minos warned everyone.


    With this warning, the weakest of them would soon begin to meditate in seclusion for the weeks of travel ahead to The Adamant Land.

 Chapter 2383 The Situation in The Adamant Land

    Chapter 2383 The Situation in The Adamant Land


    In the blink of an eye, the month-long expedition between the Spiritual World and The Adamant Land has ended. Minos and his group arrived on the planet currently ruled by the Black Plain Empire!


    The group left the quasi-Spatial Kingdom where they had arrived, encountering the outside world where their forces and tens of thousands of Spiritual World natives now lived.


    In terms of available area, The Adamant Land was smaller than the Spiritual World. However, the difference was not so extreme that one could notice it without first exploring the place.


    Even so, as soon as they arrived there, the group that had set off some 14 months ago to return to the Spiritual World couldn''t help but notice many changes around.


    The place they had arrived at, near the quasi-space kingdom of the universal wormholes, had left its previous state of ruins and been completely repaired.


    It now looked like a metal city, very similar to what had existed there in the past, before Irpoll joined the War of the Worlds. Relatively weaker inhabitants, Spiritual Sages, were on the outskirts, going about their business, going from one place to another. Besides the warriors who had come to this planet to protect it, there were many workers among these new inhabitants, as well as the families of many of these people.


    Living away from family was always difficult. The conditions one would be in when taking part in the exploration and reconstruction of a planet like that were obviously stressful. Having a bit of their families and entertainment would be important for those first to come to The Adamant Land.


    That''s why the families of the workers and soldiers could accompany them, while the entry into this world of people like merchants and their families had already been allowed by the government.


    Until six months ago, this place didn''t seem so ''alive'' and similar to the cities of the Spiritual World. But with over 300,000 beings currently living around, the city of 80,000 inhabitants already resembled what one would expect from ordinary cities.


    There, some Generals of the Black Plain Army were standing by to receive them, with updates on the situation in The Adamant Land to pass on to their leaders.


    "Your Majesty, welcome to the headquarters in The Adamant Land!"


    Several of them said simultaneously, while making military gestures of respect for Minos and his companions.


    "How is the current situation here?" Minos got straight to the point as he sat down at the head of a table in a meeting hall.


    His group did the same, intending to stay in The Adamant Land for a couple of days to get an update on the local situation and give some orders before their departure from this world.


    "Our plans are going smoothly, Your Majesty. We''ve rebuilt the entire former headquarters of the Mechanic Empire and we''re learning a lot from the robots and information left behind by that civilization. In a decade or less, we can have this planet fully recovered. In that time, we should fully master the technologies of our former enemies."


    "Keep up the good work. But get ready for my next moves. As soon as my group leaves the planet, we''ll travel to the strongest civilization in this galaxy where we are. I''ll leave the foundations so that one day you can ally yourselves with that civilization and expand your operations across the galaxy," Minos said, preparing his group for the second phase of his plans.


    The first phase of Minos'' plan was the current one, to recover the infrastructure of both The Adamant Land and the Spiritual World. In the meantime, they should try as much as possible to recover the lives lost through new births.


    In the second phase of Minos'' plans, something that should happen in a century or two, his empire should explore the galaxy where his planets were and ally itself with civilizations of a similar level. In the galaxy of The Adamant Land, Minos would leave someone to help them. But in the galaxy of his homeworld, his people would have to make contact on their own.


    That would be the de facto start of the Stuart family''s galactic empire!

 Chapter 2384 Beginning of the Universal Journey

    Chapter 2384 Beginning of the Universal Journey


    The two days that Minos'' group had planned to spend in The Adamant Land passed, with the group learning the most important points about the planet''s current situation.


    The recovery of the planet''s infrastructure was going well and every week more natives of the Spiritual World, mostly humans, arrived on the planet to speed up the establishment of their civilization there.


    Since the domination of the four planets, when Minos and his companions guaranteed those civilizations would follow their rules, no being from one of those four worlds had come to The Adamant Land. On the other hand, none of the new inhabitants of this planet had tried to contact those civilizations.


    Other than that, local forces had been establishing themselves, with groups not led by the army gaining their property through the laws created by Minos.


    The Black Plain Empire owned 100% of The Adamant Land. Minos made this clear to the forces of his world. But buying land there wouldn''t be extravagantly expensive. The price of the land would cost about the same as land in the Spiritual World, but the buyers would have to do something more to buy it. They had to take part in the planet''s reconstruction and follow the rules of Minos in these purchased territories.


    Thus, many wealthy men from the Spiritual World were migrating to this planet and establishing stores, restaurants, cultivation sites, as well as the first sects were springing up.


    It would take a long time for the place to resemble the reality of the home world for the new inhabitants, but Minos'' group was certain that, eventually, the place would be completely converted into a second Spiritual World. Ge?t latest novel chapters on nov(e)lbj/n(.)c/om


    With the conclusion of their two-day stay, it was now time for the group to embark on their thrilling journey through space.


    ...


    "You''d all better start cultivating. We''ll be facing more dangers soon, so use the opportunity to meditate quietly while you can," Minos warned his children, in particular.


    Seeing Kendrick and the girls stop chatting and move into the cultivation room of their small spaceship, Minos turned his attention to his next steps.


    ''After I secure an agreement with the civilization behind this spaceship, I will begin our journey to my supervisor''s planet.'' He remembered the advice of the Armhands member who had invited him to the guild.


    In a year and a half from now, I will embark on my journey to the next stage.''


    ...


    The journey of Minos and his group unfolded over a few months, with their group entering the wormhole closest to The Adamant Land and making their entire journey through it.


    The group experienced a quick pace throughout, as they dedicated the majority of their time over the past few months to cultivating as much as possible.


    No problems capable of worrying the group have hindered them in these months, with them finally getting close to their first stop in the galaxy today, on the planet where Minos had borrowed the group''s current spaceship about 3 years ago.


    Seeing that planet was home to one of the strongest civilizations in this galaxy, which had low-level Sovereigns in its ranks, the level 103 robot directed the spaceship to that planet, where the universal wormhole that would take them to Nemo Colony was located.


    Soon the entire group would leave their meditations to take their seats, with their spaceship re-entering the atmosphere of another planet since leaving The Adamant Land.


    They intended to stay for a week to complete their objectives in this galaxy before leaving for Nemo Colony, the most extreme point in the galaxy, from where they could continue their journey to Zocarro.

 Chapter 2385 The Empires New Allies

    Chapter 2385 The Empire''s New Allies


    As they entered the atmosphere of the planet where Minos had borrowed the spaceship they were using today, the forces responsible for controlling the entry and exit of living beings from their planet soon identified the group.


    Before the group even landed, one communicator on the group''s spaceship emitted the voice of one of the local Sovereigns.


    "Your Majesty Minos Stuart, welcome back to Ciri TF. We, His Majesty''s humble guards, are once again at your disposal."


    The voice of the same level 100 cultivator that Minos and his companions had encountered just over three years ago sounded through the speakers of their spaceship.


    Minos and his group were not surprised, as Vico, Callie, Abby, Gloria and Minos'' children heard for the first time an alien language, different from those spoken by Irpoll and the natives of The Adamant Land.


    They had all learned all the languages Minos knew in recent years and understood the friendly words that one member of the local forces said when he welcomed them to the planet.


    As soon as they landed at the same port they had left years ago, Minos walked down the ramp of the spaceship ahead of his group, soon spotting a group of alien guards waiting for him.


    "It''s good to see you again, Your Majesty, seniors," the same alien from that time said as he greeted the Sovereigns from Minos'' group, seeing that he had succeeded in his plans and added a few people to the group.


    "Friends of Ciri TF, I would like to meet with the leader of your civilization." Minos got straight to the point, making those guards change their smiling expressions to worry about what these powerful beings wanted.


    The leader of Ciri TF was a level 105 Sovereign, but such a being had cultivated in an area where the limit was level 110 before returning to his world. Compared to Minos and the Sovereigns who had cultivated in Zacorro, that individual was not strong at all!


    "Your Majesty Minos Stuart, it''s good to meet you in person." The level 105 Sovereign, alongside his level 104 advisors and warriors, said in a courteous tone, welcoming this powerful person whom he knew it would be best not to anger.


    His civilization was not in the dark about Minos'' journey. They had observed from afar many of the things the group had done as a precaution against the presence of such a powerful group passing through their galaxy.


    Aware of how Minos had exterminated Irpoll and The Adamant Land, as well as beginning the colonization of the ancient world of the Mechanic Empire, this being knew what the level 99 young man in front of him was capable of.


    Minos greeted the local emperor back before getting down to the business of his visit. "Today I''m here to propose a deal to you, Your Majesty. Help my empire expand its operations across the galaxy and avoid powerful enemies and I will help you with cultivation resources and opportunities for your state.


    My group here will go to Zocarro with me, but in 100 years at most, I will send some of them to return to this galaxy and analyze the situation of my empire. Depending on how things develop by then, maybe they will bring with them cultivation resources from Zocarro for you and there will be one or two vacancies in our group for Your Majesty''s chosen ones to accompany them to Zocarro."


    "Oh?" The emperor listened with interest, obviously interested in both the resources and the possibility of sending beings of his choice to Zocarro.


    He had no method of going that far out into the universe, given the cost of the journey, the danger of the road, and much more.


    For Minos, it was easy to go to Zocarro, since he had left that world. But for someone who had never even been near that wonderful planet and only had rumors of worlds like it, getting to Zocarro was extremely difficult!


    Besides, because Minos and his people were stronger than Ciri TF, the emperor couldn''t refuse an offer like that!


    "Helping Your Majesty will be our honor," he said after thinking for just a few seconds, imagining this would be the way for him to expand his empire and become even more powerful!


    Minos smiled and approached the local monarch for the two to sign an agreement sealing their promises and duties to each other.

 Chapter 2386 Towards Aether Terminal

    Chapter 2386 Towards Aether Terminal


    After sealing their agreement with the leader of Ciri TF, Minos and his group would spend the next few days on this planet, getting some rest from their journey and preparing for the road to Nemo Colony.


    Besides the main agreement to this civilization to support the Black Plain Empire, Minos would use the days on this planet to train with the strongest local cultivators and talk about the future.


    He would show these creatures in practice just how strong he was, giving them a glimpse of the terror they could face if they did the wrong thing against the empire. But this demonstration of power also showed the local natives how strong Minos'' support for them could be in the future.


    Minos was a terrible enemy, but he was also a wonderful ally to have!


    His plans for both the Black Plain Empire and Zocarro, especially for Armhands, were very ambitious, the kind that, if they worked, whoever was with him would grow a lot with him.


    Preferring Minos as their ally rather than their enemy, the local experts took their days with him positively, showing their affinity and assuring him they would do their best.


    Some of them couldn''t help but be excited about the possibility of joining Minos'' group on Zocarro, something that could transform them substantially and allow them to reach positions that perhaps none of them could reach on their own.


    On the group''s seventh day on this planet in the Omega Solar System, they set off through the local universal wormhole, heading towards Nemo Colony!


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, two entire months had passed since the group''s passage through Ciri TF!


    Minos and his group didn''t need any of this, being already prepared for the journey ahead, when the real dangers to the group would begin to appear as they moved closer to Aether Terminal.


    Aether Terminal was in an area where the cultivation limit was level 110, so the dangers near the end of the journey to that stopping point would be enough to put even Minos'' strongest companions at risk.


    Soon the group would find places to go into seclusion in Nemo Colony. Apart from Minos, everyone there was interested in spending the next two months cultivating in this interesting place for most of the group.


    ...


    The 8 weeks at Nemo Colony would pass in the blink of an eye!


    For a group as strong as Minos'' team, the dangers and problems of a place like this were so limited that his people had nothing to worry about over the weeks.


    They cultivated peacefully in good local cultivation halls, in places where even level 103 cultivators could easily recover their powers. They couldn''t get stronger by cultivating there, but recovering their spent energy was possible, even without the use of Zocarro''s cultivation resources.


    At the end of the group''s two-month wait, they made their way back to the boarding terminal, where they soon came face to face with the spaceship that would take them to Aether Terminal.


    The ship was not the same as the one that had brought them there, much less was the crew the group Minos had already met. But he and his family soon boarded, while he gave his recommendations to those new to the experience.


    They had done their best to prepare their companions for the extreme spatial effects of journeys like the one about to begin, but only by experiencing it could these individuals get used to it.


    In this way, the group began their journey to Aether Terminal, where they were due to arrive, if there were no delays, in 30 weeks!

 Chapter 2387 Significant Improvements!

    Chapter 2387 Significant Improvements!


    Time has flown by, and nine months have passed since Minos'' group departed from Nemo Colony.


    The newcomers to the group traveling the universe had learned the basics of what was like to travel and the dangers of long journeys by spaceship. One had to deal with the effects of the acceleration and deceleration of the spacecraft every time the vehicle was to stop or depart from a terminal, but also always be prepared for dangers during the journey.


    The dangers weren''t just distortions in space, capable of generating electrical, spatial and temporal storms, breaking up space and throwing them far from their destination, or worse, killing them. There were also dangers related to space pirates, space bandits, scammers, and much more.


    Luckily, this part of the group''s journey was not yet dangerous enough to frighten Minos. Even though the group had faced problems in the months up to this point, none of them had suffered or lost anything.


    After nine months of travel, they were arriving today at Aether Terminal, with their entire group, a functional spaceship, which Minos had constantly protected during the journey.


    Unlike their journey to Nemo Colony, the journey to Aether Terminal had been fraught with problems, with three attempts to take over the crew and kidnap the passengers, four space disasters, and a problem with the ship during one of the group''s stops.


    As a result, the planned 30 weeks of travel stretched to over 36 weeks by the end of the journey.


    But these problems weren''t all bad. Minos acted practically alone in most of these situations, winning not only the respect of the crew and passengers, but also the resources of the bandits who tried to take over the spaceship.


    This had added several cultivation resources, artifacts, and financial resources to Minos'' pre-existing wealth!


    By arriving at Aether Terminal today, the group was also stronger and more prepared for the future!


    If they were to travel directly to the Artificial Moon from Aether Terminal, it was almost certain that the two highest levels members of the group would not advance until they reached the Artificial Moon of Zocarro. However, Minos would stop halfway, so the two will return to that planet stronger than they were now.


    That was the group''s current situation when they heard the captain of the spaceship thanking everyone for choosing his company for this trip, before they left the ship along with the other just over 30 aliens.


    As soon as they came across the large Aether Terminal arrivals hall, Minos led his people to the counter to secure their departure for The Enchanted Realm!


    The Enchanted Realm was the name of the planet that Minos'' superior in Armhands had recommended he stop at before returning to Zocarro.


    For the group to reach The Enchanted Realm, they would have to buy tickets from Aether Terminal to Dream Station, from where they would have to make their own way to their target planet, which was supposed to be a few weeks'' journey from Dream Station.


    According to Minos'' superior, The Enchanted Realm was a special place where time passed more slowly than in the Spiritual World, but which was stronger than Aether Terminal, with a cultivation limit at level 114. According to that Zocarro expert, time on his home planet passed at a ratio of 1:10 in relation to Zocarro.


    100 years in that world would only be 10 on Zocarro!


    With that in mind, Minos was soon at a counter to buy his tickets to Dream Station.


    "Our next ship to Dream Station leaves in 35 days..."


    The ticket seller explained to Minos and his group about the ticket prices, which, fortunately, they had enough of to guarantee them all places on this spaceship that would leave in just over a month.


    However, when they wanted to travel from Dream Station to the Artificial Moon in the future, the group would have to have resources that they didn''t have right now!

 Chapter 2388 Future Dangers for Minos

    Chapter 2388 Future Dangers for Minos


    The five weeks that the group would have to wait to leave Aether Terminal for Dream Station passed, with Minos and his 12 companions setting off for their next stop.


    Dream Station was at a point equally distant from Aether Terminal and Zocarro, around 35 weeks of spaceship travel, excluding possible delays.


    The start of the new journey was, like the departure from Nemo Colony, less worrying and risky. However, with the group in an area of the universe where there were even level 110 Sovereigns, the dangers ahead were enough to put everyone at risk.


    Not least, the captain of the spaceship taking them on this journey was a powerful level 114 Sovereign, the strongest creature that most of the natives of the Spiritual World on this journey had ever seen in their lives. Findd new stories at novelhall.com


    But the departure from Aether Terminal was uneventful, with the group following the recommendations of their more experienced space explorers, focusing on cultivating and not getting involved with aliens.


    The weaker ones should let Minos and the stronger ones sort out all the issues, while they should focus on getting stronger. For 8th, 9th and 10th stage people, cultivating in this part of the universe was like cultivating in the first three stages of cultivation in the Spiritual World. Progress came easily and quickly.


    This marked the start of yet another journey for the group!


    ...


    Over ten weeks of travel ahead, Minos'' group was flying on the spaceship that had departed from Aether Terminal and had 13 stops to make to Dream Station.


    After the first two stops, the spacecraft was still running perfectly smoothly, with Minos keeping an eye out for dangers ahead, but not yet needing to take action.


    However, he was talking more and more to the aliens on the spacecraft, hearing worrying information about the road ahead.


    Today, after lunch, he left the group of aliens he talked to every day and went to the cabin where his group was traveling.


    ...


    While Minos and his group prepared as best they could for the problems ahead of them, 60 years had passed for those in Zocarro since his departure from the Armhands'' headquarters!


    In six decades, Maximillian had improved his powers and position in Armhands, having been in seclusion for over 20 years since Minos left and advanced his cultivation in that time.


    He had recently reached level 107 and become an Intermediate Officer, a level above the hierarchy that Minos had achieved before leaving the guild to go to the Spiritual World.


    In Minos'' absence, he had assumed the position of leader of the faction created by the survivors of his group at the time they joined the guild. Since then, he had expanded the group and improved some factors for his allies.


    However, while he had made a lot of progress in those years and strengthened the entire faction created by Minos, Maximillian hadn''t done all this without his losses, without giving up certain things!


    He was now in a high-end estate in the inner part of the headquarters, together with other mid-level Sovereigns like himself.


    In particular, an old enemy of Minos, from the days when this young man was a Law Enforcer, was in front of Maximillian, drinking tea with this native of the Spiritual World.


    "I hope you won''t stand in my way when Officer Stuart returns from his time away from the guild, Officer Flamen," said the level 109 alien in front of Maximillian. "That brat impeded some of my plans with his actions as head of the Law Enforcement Hall of the external part of the city.


    I think about him every day and how I''ll make him kneel in front of me after I beat him up!"


    Maximillian heard this person''s emotional tone and smiled. "I certainly won''t get involved in his affairs."


    Cleverly, Maximillian would not cause trouble for this and Minos'' other enemies. Almost all the young Stuart Emperor''s rivals knew about his journey to the Spiritual World and how his cultivation had stagnated over the last six decades. As Minos had simply made too many enemies before his departure, now, as well as the level 109 Sovereign in front of Maximillian, there were at least a dozen powerful Sovereigns aiming for Minos'' head!


    Some wanted to embarrass and physically harm him, while others truly desired to see him suffer and die!

 Chapter 2389 Different Passages of Time

    Chapter 2389 Different Passages of Time


    While 60 years had passed for those in Zocarro since Minos'' departure from Armhands'' headquarters, just over a year had passed since Minos'' departure from the Spiritual World.


    Even though he and his group had been traveling for almost two years, they had entered a part of the universe where time worked a little differently. In particular, the zone they were passing through had several locations with opposite extremes, from galaxies where time passed more quickly to other galaxies where time passed more slowly.


    Meanwhile, the native civilization of the Spiritual World had been hard at work rebuilding their planet since the departure of Minos, but also colonizing The Adamant Land.


    Sarah and George had left the Spiritual World to govern the people colonizing The Adamant Land, taking the Spiritual Church to that planet with them.


    Rowan had already been crowned the new emperor of the Black Plain Empire and had stayed in the Dry City to rule over his people. He was joined by Maisie, his maternal grandparents, and Dillian, who would stay by his side to support him as he grew up. Rowan was still at the same level as when his father had left, far from any close progress for at least another year or two.


    Until he became a Demigod, his relatives would support him as much as possible, when it would be about time for him to walk this journey of his own.


    He had begun his search for the ideal empress for his state, looking among his previous mistresses, but also among the new suitors.


    Apart from Kyla, with whom he had had secret relations since the War of the Worlds, he had found no one worthy enough to help him continue his family lineage. Most of the women approached him out of sheer interest in the opportunities and power of the Stuart family, and not just because they loved him.


    But he still hadn''t decided and continued to meet not only Kyla but also other women, be they human or high-level beasts.


    His planet had reached 45% recovery since the end of the War of the Worlds, with some of his father''s plans coming to fruition.


    Amid this, he had to govern his grand and powerful state!


    There, a large level 92 one-tailed fox could be seen lying down, monitoring her surroundings, this being her new workstation.


    After centuries of looking after the Spatial Kingdom of Minos, Emlyn had come to this place to help Sarah and look after the religion that would preach the name of Minos.


    She couldn''t join the group that left for Zocarro with Minos, but she wasn''t disappointed or sad. Aware that in a century or so, Vico and Callie could return with new opportunities to leave for that planet, she and several others were calm about the future.


    Emlyn only hoped that Minos and his people would grow up well in the coming decades. As long as they could withstand the challenges ahead, sooner or later, they would meet again.


    While she was keeping an eye on the surroundings of the Hall of the Gods, Sarah and George were waking up at that moment in a luxurious room.


    They both had extremely happy looks on their faces, the looks of people who had achieved their big short-term goal.


    Three nights ago, Sarah had fallen ill and needed the help of 4th-grade doctors, who quickly associated her symptoms and physical conditions with her current condition.


    After years of trying, Sarah''s dream of becoming a mother had finally come true with the news of her pregnancy with George!


    Minos'' future first grandchild was gradually growing inside his eldest daughter''s belly at that moment!


    As such, the couple were more than happy, with George eager to teach his first child and pass on some customs of his Sista family.


    But he wouldn''t be keen to pass on his name to his first child. As agreed with Sarah earlier, their first child would have the surname Stuart, while the next would be a Sista, to honor the family of the elite warrior, Willow Sista!


    Anyway, as soon as they woke up the two of them ate together before splitting up, she staying behind to look after church affairs; he leaving for The Adamant Land to look after the affairs of the empire.

 Chapter 2390 Needless Worry

    Chapter 2390 Needless Worry


    Two more months passed for the group traveling aboard the spaceship bound for Dream Station.


    In those months, the ship had made yet another stop, with no incidents occurring during or after boarding and disembarking at that station. The group of Minos continued their seclusion during this period, until, one week ago, the group left their constant meditation sessions to focus on the stop following the spaceship.


    Three days ago, the spacecraft made its stop, where there were supposed to be dangers for the crew and passengers.


    However, even after three days of traveling following this stop, the group had yet to encounter any strange situations on board. Minos was alert, but with enough time having passed for something to happen, he recommended that his group return to meditating in seclusion.


    There were methods of avoiding problems on journeys like this. Even though rumors said that dangers lay ahead, they didn''t always come true. Sometimes the crew could prevent problems from entering their ships and in other situations, the organizations behind space stations could prevent problems even before malicious beings boarded spaceships.


    ...


    With the preparation for a battle in vain beforehand, the group would continue traveling for another three months, facing in that time only the infamous spatial instabilities of long journeys through the vacuum of the universe.


    But no incidents occurred in the group''s last three stops in those months, with the spaceship reaching the last leg of its journey to Dream Station. With only a few more stops to make in the coming months, the passengers were slowly preparing for their arrival at their final destination.


    Some passengers on ships like these disembarked in the middle of the journey, at points other than the end of the route. But the majority went all the way to the end of the journey.


    So, even though there were less than half the stops to go before they arrived at Dream Station, the spaceship Minos'' group had been traveling in had just departed from yet another station, with its capacity still made up of beings who had departed from Aether Terminal.


    Minos was aware of this, observing whenever the spaceship stopped to check who was a real passenger and who might be dangerous to his group.


    Today 12 new passengers boarded the spaceship at the terminal they had just left, and Minos was watching them intently through his Bright Eyes.


    The group of five strangely behaving beings left their cabin doing nothing wrong, soon heading towards the cafeteria area of the spaceship, where most of the passengers were going at the moment.


    As they followed this path, without realizing it, 18 creatures were walking right next to them.


    When two of them split off from the rest of the group to go in different directions, the group of 18 creatures also split up, with 8 of them following behind those two.


    Minos and his two companions followed behind the three strongest, heading for the spaceship''s cafeteria.


    When they reached that area, as he had expected, the three of them drew weapons and fired towards the ceiling, starting what he had expected would happen.


    ''Now!''


    All 10 allies on the cafeteria floor saw the signal to act, with Minos using the cultivation base of a random alien nearby to raise his strength to level 100.


    In the blink of an eye, he fused his techniques and attacked against the level 109 creature, acting in tandem with the level 103 robot and human, those most familiar with his fighting style.


    Simultaneously, his companions felt their levels rising, while Minos used the cultivation of one who was unaware of what he was starting to strengthen his 9 partners.


    While the Divine Sword cut against the level 109 Sovereign, Minos'' other 7 allies acted against the level 108 Sovereign and the level 107 alien.


    With cultivations ranging from level 104 to 106, Minos'' allies surprised their opponents with an unexpected attack.


    Minos focused on his opponent, spreading his wings and moving at high speed, using them to decisively attack the level 109 opponent who naturally didn''t have a dense cultivation base like that of Zocarro cultivators!

 Chapter 2391 Fighting in the Middle of the Journey

    Chapter 2391 Fighting in the Middle of the Journey


    Attacking the level 109 enemy''s back, Minos made his golden feathers fly along with the cutting blades of air and energy fired by the movements of his Divine Sword.


    The two forms of attack combined, a result of years of battles and Minos'' observations of his powers and natural laws.


    By staying at the same level for so long, he could better evaluate many of his skills and reformulate how he could use his powers even without having more energy or better control over the laws.


    Through his creativity, he united the feathers of his powerful wings with the rain of blades from one movement of his supreme weapon.


    Feeling deadly attacks for cultivators up to level 108 coming at him fast, that level 109 alien trembled as he realized his plans wouldn''t work out so easily.


    He spun around and tried to defend himself as best he could. But as he faced Minos'' merciless attack without paying attention to his surroundings, he let his guard down against the robot and the human, both momentarily at level 104.


    The robotic creature moved a large trident-shaped weapon against the 4-meter-tall creature being attacked by Minos, targeting weak points such as the enemy alien''s heels.


    A spiritual giant emerged from the body of Minos'' human ally, pressing against the level 109 creature.


    As much as the level 109 being was stronger individually than those two and could even face them simultaneously in other situations, his momentary situation put him in a dangerous position.


    Under Minos'' attacks, which couldn''t easily kill him but could severely injure him, he found himself vulnerable to the attacks of these two low-level Sovereigns.


    Opening his strange mouth to let out a cry of pain, the creature faltered in front of Minos, while the young man''s Soul Avatar took shape, its skin glowing with the activated Indestructible Body.


    With the participation of a third of the ship''s passengers in the fight, the captain could not fail to thank the efforts of Minos, who had started today''s action, avoiding a major problem.


    At the end of the combat, every participant was left feeling exhausted, but it was Minos who truly pushed himself to his limits, draining every ounce of energy he had stored up for the first time in approximately five years.


    Fortunately, today''s threat had been neutralized and the group would have the next three weeks to recover before the spaceship''s next stop at a terminal like the one they had stopped at that day.


    ...


    Following the previous confrontation, Minos and his group emerged unscathed and fully intact, allowing them to resume their travels in a peaceful manner for the subsequent weeks.


    He recovered fully during this period. At the same time, Vico and one of the level 102 Sovereigns advanced, Vico reaching level 101 and the other man reaching level 103.


    Minos'' two daughters improved another level during this period and would probably advance again before their arrival at Dream Station.


    The others in the group continued to look for their next advances, especially the strongest members of the team, those who felt they needed to get stronger in order to better protect themselves.


    Minos added a lot of power to the group, but soon they would be without his help for an indeterminate period. They had to get stronger on their own and prepare for their arrival in The Enchanted Realm.


    Luckily, their remaining travel time spanned a few more months, providing ample opportunity for a few additional attempts at advancing to the next levels.


    Anyway, the last part of the group''s journey would develop quickly after the previous incident, with few problems in the way of their spaceship, but a lot of effort by each of them to cultivate and make the most of their resources.


    After spending a full year aboard the spaceship, they would finally reach their destination¡ªthe highly anticipated Dream Station!

 Chapter 2392 Problems Around Dream Station

    Chapter 2392 Problems Around Dream Station


    Twenty years since Minos reached level 99, today his group left the seclusion of the cultivation room, where they had meditated a lot during their journey, while the spaceship approached Dream Station!


    Shortly before arriving at this crucial station in their journey, Abby and Gloria advanced their cultivation to level 95, while Minos'' two daughters improved their strength once again, Hollie reaching level 81 and Lily level 83.


    Kendrick had advanced once in the last few months, too, and was no longer far away from his next breakthrough. He was currently at level 85, but even before the group reached The Enchanted Realm, he could reach level 86.


    Apart from them, no one else had advanced in recent months, with Ruth, Callie and the last Sovereign in the group at level 102 being the closest to advancing.


    Callie and the level 102 Sovereign could improve at any time from now on, while Ruth should only get there after the group landed in The Enchanted Realm.


    In any case, the group had grown stronger over the last few months of travel. As they began disembarking at Dream Station, everyone was much more confident about the future than at the start of their journey in The Adamant Land.


    ...


    After disembarking from the spaceship they had been traveling in for almost an entire year, the group made their way in formation through the grandiose Dream Station. Station was in an area of the universe where the limit of cultivation was level 114, where there were at least two dozen intelligent civilizations capable of cultivation. Consequently, the place was grand, being a space station capable of holding several hundred thousand beings at the same time.


    The nearest planet to Dream Station was only a few hours away, so there was a space taxi service in the area, with many small ships leaving and returning daily.


    The group made their way through the grandiose corridors of the station, which were more like city streets, heading for one of these transfer options to the nearest planet in the area.


    "Those engaged in the war have no way of knowing if you''re just passing visitors or if you''re going to get involved in the conflict. If they suspect your group for any reason, you could be attacked.


    I recommend not hiding your levels, not acting suspiciously. If you''re here to visit the galaxy, behave like such. That should improve your chances, although there are no guarantees."


    Minos accepted the risk by taking that special contract and leaving his mark on it without further hesitation. "Very well, I''ll take the risk."


    He made the payment before the local native directed them to his group''s ship, which was very simple, shaped like a capsule, with a small space with seats for the passengers.


    This was a vehicle that repeated the same route back and forth between the station and the nearby planet, so when it was activated, no other commands needed to be given.


    In less than half an hour at Dream Station, the group set off from there towards The Mirror Realm.


    According to the information on the ship itself, the journey would take four hours, considering the current conditions in space.


    Minos and his companions would follow the recommendations of the previous local native, acting like tourists to avoid problems on their way out of Dream Station.


    For the next few hours, they would be watched by several warships in the vicinity, flying nervously towards their short-term destination.


    Luckily for the group, they could be considered quite weak from the level of threat that the crew of the nearby spaceships were concerned about.


    Even Minos didn''t seem like much of a threat to the enemies, since he wasn''t using his innate ability, being still at level 99.


    After a few tense hours, they would enter the atmosphere of that great planet, the last on their way to The Enchanted Realm!

 Chapter 2393 The Mirror Realm

    Chapter 2393 The Mirror Realm


    Upon landing in The Mirror Realm, Minos'' group arrived on this planet in an area where dozens of ships, similar to their capsule, were departing and arriving every minute.


    The place was huge, with many 11th stage beings coming and going, a sign of the abundance of this planet and, of course, how prosperous its galaxy was.


    Compared to Zocarro, this place certainly paled. But even on Zocarro, one would, mostly, be in close contact with low and mid-level Sovereigns at most. This was also the case on The Mirror Realm, a planet that had a high density of Divine Journey cultivators, because of that world''s proximity to Dream Station.


    As in other areas of the universe where populations knew about the great universal community and about worlds stronger than their own, many natives of the area wanted to leave their galaxy.


    It wasn''t easy to do so, but the starting point for many in this galaxy was to reach The Mirror Realm and prosper there. Consequently, Sovereigns from many planets in the galaxy lived there, waiting for the opportunity to move on to higher-level worlds.


    Minos and his group noticed the local aspects as soon as they left the space capsule they had returned to the group from the being they met in Dream Station four hours ago.


    As they saw the significant movement of small spaceships and sensed the enormous presence of Sovereigns near the floating space station, 2,000 meters above the surface of The Mirror Realm, Minos and his companions moved on towards the surface.


    "The wormhole we want to access is about a three hours'' flight from the station we just left," Minos said to his companions, flying ahead of the group while following the directions his superior in Armhands had given him.


    As he spoke, his children watched the terrain below them as they lowered their altitude.


    The Mirror Realm looked nothing like its name implied. This was a ''normal'' world, from the point of view of appearances. It was certainly strong, with a density of energy and laws greater than anything any of Minos'' family and his companions knew.


    "I agree. That sounds best," Vico said, eager to explore a new world, but also worried about his own life and continuity.


    There would be no point in him starting this special journey, being able to cultivate above level 100, only to die right at the start. Even if it was interesting to venture to this planet, it wasn''t the time for them to risk too much.


    Once they reached Zocarro, they would have a better chance of doing so in a place where they would have the support of more allies in a less unstable environment.


    This way, the group would spot the first city of The Mirror Realm on their way, but also their last stop in this place, where the wormhole that was connected to The Enchanted Realm should be.


    In this galaxy, there were many planets with dominant civilizations. Although some of them were currently at war, several of them were connected to each other by wormholes like the one Minos'' group intended to enter the city ahead.


    The current war was recent, and these wormholes had existed for hundreds of thousands of years. It was helpful for these civilizations to have a method of communicating and reaching Dream Station.


    However, just because these paths existed and were still useful for traveling around the galaxy at this time of crisis, that didn''t mean accessing them would be easy!


    As soon as they entered the city open to aliens, the group entered the Pavilion of Spatial Distortions, where guards blocked most of the way.


    As they tried to head towards the counter to get through the area, Minos and his group were stopped by the guards on the way.


    "Senior, we''re trying to get to The Enchanted Realm. How do we get through this barrier?" Minos took the lead of the group as he spoke to a level 111 Sovereign, the leader of the guards in front of him on that estate surrounded by a large garden.


    "The Enchanted Realm? I advise you not to go ahead with your plans for your own good, little alien," said the being as he looked Minos up and down. "The rulers of The Enchanted Realm are at war with the civilization of The Blossom World. Anyone who goes to The Enchanted Realm will now be considered an enemy of The Blossom World."

 Chapter 2394 Risky Decision

    Chapter 2394 Risky Decision


    The Blossom World was home to the dominant civilization involved in the current war in this galaxy targeted by Minos'' group. Among the enemies of this galaxy-spanning civilization was The Enchanted Realm.


    The situation between the two civilizations was so drastic the leaders of The Blossom World had issued a galaxy-wide warning that they would consider anyone who went to The Enchanted Realm an enemy of their civilization.


    But the rulers of The Enchanted Realm did the same, warning that anyone who entered The Blossom World would be seen as allies of the civilization behind that world; enemies of The Enchanted Realm.


    Because of this, posts where there were wormhole exits like this one in The Mirror Realm were surrounded by guards, men not only from the local forces but also observers from both sides in the war.


    The guards were not stationed there to stop people coming and going across the galaxy, but to frighten and ultimately mark those who chose one side or the other of the conflict.


    Minos'' group understood this as they observed their surroundings, with some groups like theirs giving up on moving towards their goals, others moving on, but not escaping the enemy mark that would surely perturb them in the future.


    Callie clenched her fists as she swallowed her saliva. She asked. "Do we really have to go to The Enchanted Realm? It looks like we''ll be involved in something with no turning back if we do." Those in the group who didn''t understand why Minos was going to The Enchanted Realm watched him in anticipation, waiting for his answer.


    He closed his eyes and said. "We have no choice but to choose a side on this journey. The entire galaxy we''re in is in a region of space-time that favors those of a low level cultivating here in order to go to other planets in the universe.


    As time passes more quickly here, we can live many years here, while a few years would pass on Zocarro. But The Enchanted Realm differs from all the other planets in the area. This is where the galaxy''s time distortion is strongest.


    100 years in that place is equivalent to 10 years on Zocarro. I and my friends who came from Zocarro can reverse our ''lost'' time by traveling to the Spiritual World if we cultivate in The Enchanted Realm for a few decades."


    So the group made up their minds, accepting the risk of moving on.


    "We''re going to The Enchanted Realm anyway." Minos informed the level 111 guard in that area.


    That being looked at Minos in silence for a moment, seeing yet another group taking a side in this dark war.


    "You''ve made your choice. Don''t regret it later." The creature open the way, while the beings from The Enchanted Realm and The Blossom World looked at the group sternly.


    Neither side could act against those who were making their choices to join one side or the other, as the guards in the area would hinder them and one side would fight the other to defend those choosing their side.


    Their point was not to stop anyone, but to mark out enemies and allies, beings who, when they left their planets or were not in places dominated by sovereign forces like that, they would attack to kill!


    The group moved on, passing through the spatial distortion on their way, while feeling marks on themselves that wouldn''t erase no matter how strong they got during their time in this galaxy.


    With the simple decision to enter the wormhole connected to The Enchanted Realm, Minos'' entire group was marked as allies of that world, enemies of The Blossom World!


    After entering the wormhole, dressed in space armor, Minos'' group flew towards their destination, each of them in silence, with solemn expressions on their faces.


    For the moment, they could only think about how they had made a choice that could not be reversed and, in the future, would certainly have consequences for each of them.


    Now they could only hope that the enemies of The Enchanted Realm would not become the dominant side in the ongoing war they had just joined!

 Chapter 2395 The Enchanted Realm!

    Chapter 2395 The Enchanted Realm!


    In the blink of an eye, two entire months have passed since their tough decision, fraught with benefits and harms for the group.


    The journey between The Mirror Realm and The Enchanted Realm was uneventful despite everything, with the group having traveled without encountering others traveling, nor having to deal with extreme spatial effects.


    Given the current situation in the galaxy, both those in The Enchanted Realm were leaving their world less frequently, and those in The Mirror Realm were going less frequently to the destination of Minos.


    After two months of traveling without being able to cultivate, given the group''s travel conditions, they were arriving at their destination this morning!


    Seeing the spatial distortion in front of them, the group slowed down in that wormhole, with Minos taking the lead of his group to enter this new world, his family''s next place for who knows how long.


    With everyone prepared to encounter some difficult situation on the other side, they crossed the spatial distortion ahead of the group!


    ...


    Crossing the end of that wormhole ahead of his people, Minos was prepared to fight and generate powerful defenses ahead of his group. But when he reached the other side of the distortion, he relaxed when he saw it was still a safe place to reach this world.


    Dozens of powerful guards, similar to those around the outpost where they had left The Mirror Realm, were on the outskirts, blocking the passage of the newcomers.


    Leaving this world would be easy. Even though the guards there were also on hand to warn the natives interested in traveling off the planet, they wouldn''t stop anyone from leaving. But entering the planet was another matter.


    Who could guarantee these guards that this wasn''t a group of enemies disguised to infiltrate the planet?


    Minos answered several questions, questions very similar to those his companions would answer during their first 30 minutes in The Enchanted Realm.


    The crystals showed the surrounding guards whether the newcomers'' intentions matched their words, discovering that this was just a group of space explorers trying to take advantage of local opportunities, as many others had done in the past.


    They saw no problem with that. Space explorers gave as much or more than they took from worlds like this, and the local ruling forces liked the competition beings like Minos brought to their world. It was a way of encouraging the local population to become even stronger than they already were!


    As the group''s motives were sincere and not harmful to the local forces, after half an hour of talking, the entire group was approved by the guards stationed at the border post.


    As soon as they finished answering the questioning, they were given IDs, which wouldn''t give them any special rights in this world, but would ensure that local forces wouldn''t crack down on them without them committing crimes.


    These IDs contained basic information about The Enchanted Realm, such as local laws and the things a newcomer should avoid in order not to get into trouble that could cause their death or being hunted down.


    Thus, the group got past the guards in position around that spatial distortion, one of the few three ways of leaving this large planet, about three times the size of the Spiritual World.


    Passing that border point, the group came across a large forested area, where, according to the information Minos had, it was a good place to cultivate as he wished at ordinary times, but not so interesting at present.


    Given its proximity to one entrance to that world, that forest would be quite dangerous if enemy forces from the local civilization brutally attacked that planet through one of the three local exits.


    He and his group would not stop there, but would continue on to one of the other interesting points for them, something already indicated by Minos'' superior in Armhands on the map that being had given Minos earlier.


    Taking care not to get into trouble on this planet, the group would begin their first few days of travel there, until they reached the point where Minos intended to begin his advance to level 100.


    It was finally time for him to become a Sovereign, a cultivator of the Divine Journey!

 Chapter 2396 Level 100!

    Chapter 2396 Level 100!


    After two weeks of traveling through The Enchanted Realm, Minos'' group found a place for part of the group to go into seclusion.


    This place wasn''t close to any city, but it wasn''t so isolated that the group would need months of travel to reach cities and places where the strongest could take advantage of local opportunities.


    The group needed to be close enough to places where the Sovereigns of the team could go back and forth for jobs and missions that would guarantee them opportunities for growth and financial accumulation.


    Meanwhile, the area they chose couldn''t be part of the territory of any powerful force, but it couldn''t be weak either. Although the cultivation threshold in this world was level 114, that didn''t mean every area of the planet could be useful for reaching it.


    Some locations in this world pose challenges for cultivation beyond level 105.


    Fortunately, most of the group was weak and a place capable of taking them to level 105 was already too good for them in the short term.


    The region they had chosen met all these requirements, where they could cultivate to level 107 with no problems, they were only three weeks away from a large city with opportunities for Sovereigns and they were not in anyone''s territory.


    ...


    "Now I''ll start my advance," Minos said after seeing that his entire group was settled in the camp they had built in this mountainous area of The Enchanted Land.


    They had arrived there hours ago, discussed their plans for Minos'' imminent absence and also established their defenses in the area. Everything was ready when they started dinner under the local night gloom, the last meal with everyone there together for a while.


    When Minos finished eating and warned his group, everyone rose from their seats to wish him good luck and tell him not to worry while he was busy.


    After speaking his last words before the start of his advance, Minos sat down a little away from everyone in the group, going back to meditating to increase his spiritual power for the first time since leaving Zocarro.


    The Incorruptible Heart beat at a stronger pace, causing a drumming noise to emerge from within Minos'' being.


    Then, under everyone''s observation, a golden glow emerged from Minos'' forehead, causing the black and red snake tattoo to thicken as his Spatial Kingdom ring exploded.


    At that moment, Minos opened his eyes and found himself in a totally different place from where he had started his meditation.


    An old man appeared in front of him, sitting on a golden throne, while the passage of time seemed to have stopped completely.


    "You''ve finally arrived here," said the voice of Henricus Longus, as Minos looked into the eyes of the figure who had been so important in his life.


    "God of Time..." Minos muttered Henricus Longus'' old title.


    The old man rose from his throne, as a giant hourglass appeared behind him, with him raising one of his hands towards Minos.


    "Congratulations on solving the calamity in the Spiritual World. I never thought you would go through such an incredible journey to achieve it, but what matters is your result. Now you can inherit all my powers. Use them to reach the Upper Realm!"


    After the words of the old man with white hair and many wrinkles on his face, a pillar of golden light enveloped Minos'' body, undoing the seal left on that body when Minos was 9 to 10 years old.


    Centuries had passed, but that seal remained, waiting for when Minos would become a God ''like'' Henricus Longus.


    Minos narrowed his eyes, seeing Henricus Longus'' move to nurture someone capable of fully awakening his powers upon reaching level 100.


    The old man began to disappear, but not before smiling and muttering. "As long as you live, I''ll be alive through your powers. Go ahead, Minos. Achieve immortality!"


    After these words, Henricus Longus disappeared completely, while Minos felt the hourglass completely under his control.


    At that moment, Minos'' new ability was born, a combination of his 10 techniques and Henricus Longus'' inheritance, his first divine ability!

 Chapter 2397 Temporal Sands

    Chapter 2397 Temporal Sands


    As soon as Minos had finished his advance, he stood up where he was, unconsciously moving his hands as a golden hourglass took shape around him.


    Time around him sped up, with the plants on the ground developing rapidly, some dead creatures rotting until they disappeared, while everyone watched the eerie fluctuation coming from him.


    Meanwhile, Minos sensed the future, seeing himself in a red hell marked by death, with hundreds of beings fighting each other.


    His vision changed, revealing to him what appeared to be The Adamant Land seen from someone else''s memories, while a young man who looked like him, but with red hair, brought significant changes to his world.


    Another vision appeared over the previous one, showing him a face similar to that of Isabella.


    At that moment, his heart beat faster, making him wake up to reality, gradually seeing his children and women looking at him.


    When he felt something on his left chest burning, he looked under his shirt and saw the infinity symbol¡ªwhich he had gained when he got the Incorruptible Heart¡ªglowing brightly.


    ''Shit. I''m going to be taken to the other dimension.'' He realized he had little time and aimed at his children, Abby and Gloria, forcing his new ability to act on them.


    The moment he acted, his hourglass turned, with five grains of sand falling from the top of the hourglass to the bottom.


    Temporal Sands: Five Cycles in One!


    Five hourglasses appeared, each connected to one of Minos'' children or his two wives, while the others watched without understanding what he was trying to do.


    But they all felt the power of it, noticing as if those five had started to act at very high speed, beginning to meditate and suck in huge amounts of energy for themselves.


    "Good luck. They''ll cultivate five years in just one. These hourglasses will only disappear in a year, so don''t worry," Minos said, as he felt the sensation in his left chest getting stronger and stronger.


    ...


    While the group was preoccupied with cultivating, Minos crossed a time rift, crossing not only a large space but also leaving his home dimension.


    The infinity seal carried him the whole way, practically dragging him towards a white glow in front of him, so fast that he seemed to fly at the speed of light.


    This only lasted a few minutes, until he passed through another spatial crack, arriving on what looked like another planet.


    This place, however, was not a planet, but a plane, similar to what an ordinary person might imagine of hell, with flames and very little vegetation, a desolate, hot and frightening place.


    The sky there was blood red, but at some points, it was as if the sky was broken, with small pieces of it showing the vast faraway universe.


    Various spatial distortions covered the outskirts of the plane, but other types of destructive phenomena could also be seen from Minos'' position.


    As he noticed the terrible place he had been brought to, several others like him appeared one after the other, something strange to Minos.


    ''What is it? Did everyone meet the requirements at the same time?'' He frowned as he plummeted from the sky, unable to control his body in this special place.


    ''No, it can''t be. It probably has something to do with the time warp of this place. Perhaps this place breaks the rules of the universe. Soo many beings advancing at the same time is ridiculous. We were probably brought here during our advances, but only when everyone had completed the requirements did the event begin.''


    At the thought of this, Minos opened his mouth, noticing what this could mean.


    ''Shit! If that''s the case, perhaps several decades have already passed for my group in The Enchanted Realm!''


    As he thought this, more or less certain in his theories, a giant, semi-transparent figure appeared in the sky of that plane, attracting the attention of all those there to dispute this Millennium Massacre.


    "My heirs, the time has come to select the top 100 who will compete in the next phase of my inheritance."

 Chapter 2398 The Contest for the Vacancy in the Upper Realm Begins!

    Chapter 2398 The Contest for the Vacancy in the Upper Realm Begins!


    ??The semi-transparent creature, with a giant humanoid silhouette, observed his one thousand chosen ones from different parts of the universe.",


    As this omnipotent and omniscient existence watched them, they all cleared their minds of thoughts to hear what he had to say.


    The celestial being said, beginning an explanation to the group of a thousand competitors. "The Red Expanse is a dimension where the laws you''re used to don''t work according to logic. Here you can''t manipulate space, fly, get stronger or gain new powers or abilities.


    This doesn''t mean that your thousand years will pass without you absorbing opportunities. All the advances and improvements you gain here will remain sealed inside your bodies until you leave. They will be revealed as soon as you return to the worlds you came from.


    A thousand years here is equivalent to about 100 years on the worlds you came from, so be prepared to encounter enemies and allies stronger than those you left behind.


    Finally, here you can only use your natural powers, that is, your innate abilities and your divine power you gained after advancing to the Divine Journey. On this great ancient battlefield, you must survive the next thousand years and acquire the 100 slots for the next phase of my inheritance.


    Today you are all level 100 Sovereigns, newly transformed into Divine Journey cultivators. Those of you left alive in a thousand years can go back to the worlds you came from and prepare for the next event when you become level 115 Supreme beings.


    Before we begin, I will send you to a thousand different positions around the edges of The Red Expanse. Your mission is to reach the center of these scarlet lands and hold out for as long as remains until my return.


    Good luck to you. I wish your travels are as amazing as the destiny of the last one chosen. May the next Celestial shine on their way to the Upper Realm!"


    As soon as he finished saying this, distorted spheres of energy appeared around the thousand cultivators of different races in that place, taking them to different positions, more or less the same distance from the central point of that plane.


    He moved forward, figuring that he had to start his way to the center of The Red Expanse as soon as possible. Unable to fly, to use his spatial manipulation skills and to use his movement technique, it could take him more than a century to cross the path to his target!


    Because of the gravity of this place, the speed of Minos and everyone in this place was significantly reduced.


    ''I have to be aware of what might be here. That being said that we can take the opportunities we get here home... It might mean there could be things of high value for us here!'' He concluded his thought, looking at the desolate, scorching terrain in front of him.


    In the place he was in, he could sense absolutely nothing of value nearby. Even the energy of this place was strange, at once seeming much stronger than that of Zocarro, but also extremely difficult to absorb.


    Minos still had to cultivate, but just from the feel of it, he imagined that even in 100 years there, he wouldn''t be able to achieve enough to become a level 101 Sovereign.


    However, he was certain that, if he fought, he would have enough energy to expose powers even stronger than those he could expose in Zocarro, as well as being able to recover quickly.


    This made him understand the purpose of this place: fair fights and no advantages related to the background of the competitors.


    Whether one had excellent weapons, high-standard techniques or inheritance from powerful experts, none of that mattered. The only relevant thing was the powers they were born with or gained upon reaching level 100.


    Not only would Minos notice these factors, all the competitors would notice them on their first day in The Red Expanse.


    But with everyone far away from each other, it would take some time for this red hell to absorb the blood of the first dead!

 Chapter 2399 First Months in The Red Expanse

    Chapter 2399 First Months in The Red Expanse


    ??Heat, thirst and loneliness. These were the feelings that Minos had experienced repeatedly over the last 11 months.",Alll latest novels at novelhall.com


    His start in The Red Expanse didn''t involve any combat against competitors. He honestly would have preferred to face enemies during this period rather than just walk towards the center of this territory.


    The walking was difficult, slow, boring. The terrain was tough to move through, devoid of variations that would entertain a tired mind, with only the same landscapes repeating themselves every few days of travel.


    Not to say that The Red Expanse was just one big repetition of similar areas, there were a few differences that would make one realize how unique the terrain of this plane was. But for most of Minos'' journey here, he only saw small things that weren''t worth investigating.


    Apart from that, only the moments when he had cultivated had brought him any relief.


    ...


    Today Minos was standing still, cultivating on top of a black rock, while he had an ugly expression on his face.


    Cultivating in The Red Expanse when one wasn''t in a state of exhaustion was extremely boring and difficult. The amount of mana he was absorbing now was several times less than he would have been able to cultivate in The Enchanted Realm in the same time.


    For someone who had gotten used to cultivating by always improving his energy absorption speed, this was a sensation that made it feel like he was moving at a slow speed.


    "Tsk! Fuck!" He muttered as he opened his mouth and eyes, feeling he had reached his cultivation goal.


    Minos'' goal these past few months had been to walk for 40% of his time, recover his energy from walking for 10% of his time, investigate ''flashy'' areas for 10% and cultivate to become stronger for the rest of his time.


    "Oh? That seems to be the case. Your language is quite peculiar, but I can understand you perfectly well," said the being about 1.1 meters taller than Minos.


    After a moment of silence, the creature with three eyes on his head, a human-like mouth, but no nose in the middle of his face, asked Minos. "What do you think about allying ourselves? At the end of the selection of the Senior''s heir, there will only be one of us. But we''re a long way from that point. You and I don''t need to be enemies today. There are 100 vacancies at the moment, while we only need 2 of them."


    That really was the case. As well as there being more vacancies than they needed, even after winning this phase of the selection for an heir to the Celestial being, there was no guarantee that one of the 100 winners wouldn''t die before the next test. And even then, the next test would still have 10 places for the winners.


    Minos readily agreed. "We can make an alliance agreement. What do you think? I see that you have good tracking skills. I''m able to see into the future and strengthen those on my side. If we ally, we can more easily achieve good results in this test."


    "It seems that you also understand the real purpose here." The alien smiled as he agreed to enter into a temporary pact with Minos.


    ''This test isn''t about beating opponents. It''s about enduring and using the opportunity to nurture our future second divine power!'' This tall, furry being thought to himself.


    Minos had already come to the same conclusion. Staying in place for a thousand years would be pointless if the test was only about defeating opponents. The point there was for the 100 future winners of the test to take advantage of the place to conquer things that would strengthen them outside of The Red Expanse and, possibly, nurture stronger and more special divine powers!


    As Minos knew, Divine Journey cultivators gained new divine abilities with each stage they advanced.


    "But of course. How about an agreement that prevents either of us from turning against the other until the end of the thousand-year period?" Minos smiled at the alien as he approached.


    "That''s good. Let''s talk about our abilities to each other before we move on."


    When they reached this consensus, the two of them would sign a pact to seal their millennium-long alliance before each of them talked about what they could currently do.


    Soon after, the two would work together to find the item that Forfax was ''sniffing out.''

 Chapter 2400 A Year in The Enchanted Realm

    Chapter 2400 A Year in The Enchanted Realm


    ??Weeks after making his alliance with Forfax, Minos and the alien found what he was looking for when they made their alliance.",ing across a glowing crystal at the bottom of an underground cavern where scalding magma covered part of the surroundings, the two level 100 Sovereigns cracked a smile on their faces as they felt the value of it.


    As much as they couldn''t add powers to their bodies while they were in The Red Expanse, that didn''t mean they couldn''t feel the benefit that resources from this plane could generate for them in the future.


    "This is a top level elemental crystal. If we cultivate its energy, it''s possible that we''ll raise the characteristics of our bodies, increase our energy reserves and even have the chance to inherit some kind of ability." Forfax said as a smile broke across his face, looking at the crystal embedded in the middle of that cave, surrounded by magma.


    "First, we have to get to it, Forfax." Minos reminded as he analyzed the path.


    But Forfax was right in his analysis. That crystal should be able to stimulate those who cultivate by using it to refine the energy they absorb.


    "How should we do this? Do you have any good feelings?" Forfex looked at Minos, hoping to know what would be the best future for them there.


    Minos closed his eyes for a second as a golden hourglass appeared in one of his hands, its energy vibrating with the surroundings as he saw scenes from the future.


    "The magma in front of us is extremely corrosive. If we bring our limbs into direct contact with it, we will be crippled. The best way to the crystal is for you to help me reach it with your enormous body."


    "Can you do that?" Forfex looked at the crystal 7 meters away from them.


    To achieve what he had just said, Minos would have to jump about 5 meters. Forfex''s arms were just over 2 meters long, which would help him complete the last leg.


    "I think I can do it. My physical strength is very good. Just be ready to catch me in the air and save me." Minos said as he prepared himself, with his companion agreeing to go ahead with it.


    Shortly afterwards, Forfex picked up Minos'' small body and threw it towards the red crystal.


    "All right. But we''d better stay here for a while. This crystal has a lot of energy; it could be dangerous to cultivate it while we''re traveling."


    Minos agreed. "You''re right. Let''s not bother getting to the center of The Red Expanse for now. Some competitors must be rushing there, but I feel that''s a mistake. A thousand years is more than enough time to slowly explore the place while we travel to the center of the plane."


    "Then we''ll stay here until we''ve at least cultivated more than half the potential of this crystal."


    With that decided, Forfex would soon infuse his energy into that item, starting to cultivate with this natural wonder while Minos stood guard.


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, an entire year had passed for Minos'' group in The Enchanted Realm!


    Minos didn''t know it, but when he was taken to The Red Expanse by the infinity seal, his body had traveled for a few thousand years, enough for a year to pass in The Enchanted Realm even though he had only been there for a little over a year.


    The time difference between the two places should be 1 to 10. But Minos'' travel time had lasted longer than the seconds he thought he had spent!


    But while he was already on his journey in The Red Expanse, his companions in The Enchanted Realm had used the last year to cultivate in seclusion. Ruth had advanced to level 102, and Callie had reached level 101. Besides the two of them, the last level 102 Sovereign before Ruth''s breakthrough had also succeeded in his cultivation, reaching level 103.


    The group had no problem cultivating in seclusion in the area chosen by Minos, having spent these months concerned only with meditating and advancing their strength while they were still together.


    After the advances made by the three of them, the time was coming for them to separate in order to get to know this world better and explore the opportunities for collecting important resources for the future.


    They were just waiting for the children and wives of Minos to awaken, which would happen this afternoon!


    Today they would finally have the result of Minos'' actions months ago before he was taken to The Red Expanse!

 Chapter 2401 Division of the Group

    Chapter 2401 Division of the Group


    ??When exactly one year had passed since Minos'' departure, the five hourglasses around the bodies of Gloria, Abby, Kendrick, Lily, and Hollie disappeared.",


    All the members of the remaining group there paid attention to this, gradually seeing those opening their eyes after having experienced the sensation of cultivating 5 years in just 1.


    Previously, Kendrick had been at level 85. But in just 1 year of time for Ruth and the others, he had reached level 89!


    Besides him, Lily and Hollie achieved performances very close to their older brother''s, with the former reaching level 87 and the younger child of Minos having become a level 85 Sage.


    Meanwhile, Abby and Gloria improved more or less the same, both advancing 2 levels and becoming level 97 Grandmasters!


    "Impressive! Minos'' divine ability really is monstrous!" Vico said, as he couldn''t help but look at those five people with a little envy in his eyes.


    ''If I went through the same thing as them, I''d probably be at level 102 by now!'' Vico thought to himself as Ruth congratulated those five.


    After Ruth explained what had happened since Minos'' departure and the rest of the year that had passed, Abby sighed and said. "We really felt the time pass as if we''d been in seclusion for five years. Just because his ability is so good, we''ve lost five years of vitality in one year on this planet. The skill has its pros and cons."


    But none of them cared about this effect. They were much stronger than before, more prepared to deal with this powerful world.


    Besides, Ruth and Minos had already used up a lot more of their vitality because of their journey on Zocarro, while neither of the two women would mind going through Minos'' ability a few times. This would bring them closer to those two in both age and level!


    "Apart from that, our father''s skill is wonderful indeed. Until a few moments ago, I thought that time had passed in the same way for all of us. It''s amazing to feel that time has actually passed differently for us," Kendrick said, as he couldn''t help but be excited to reach level 90, a breakthrough that should only be a few months away from him.


    Once he achieved it, he would no longer be so vulnerable and would perform closer to what a strong cultivator from The Enchanted Realm should!


    So, as soon as they had agreed on their next steps, the four Sovereigns appointed by Ruth said their goodbyes and headed for the nearest city, which was about four months away.


    The others stayed behind to talk more, eat something, and train a little after their long period of seclusion.


    But soon the weakest of the group would be back to cultivating, and they wouldn''t have to worry about taking part in the group''s surveillance shifts.


    Only Ruth and the two Sovereigns who stayed behind would have to worry about alternating shifts, with two of them standing by while the third could take the chance to cultivate on this rich planet.


    ...


    As Minos'' friends and family put his plans into practice, with the first few months since the effects of Minos'' ability wore off, his first four years in The Red Expanse passed in the blink of an eye!


    That period in question, Minos and Forfex would stand still for practically the entire time, alternating between the lookout and the one cultivating the crystal they found earlier.


    But weeks ago, the two achieved their initial goal of absorbing over 50% of the special characteristics of the scarlet crystal.


    That day, they set off from the sweltering cave they had entered earlier, moving on towards the center of the plane, but always looking for new chances.


    The two felt they had improved a lot since they had used the crystal, but at the same time they felt they couldn''t use or better understand what they had absorbed.


    The Celestial being''s words really seemed to have no flaws or tricks.


    Finally, back on the road, with their routines of cultivation, rest and exploration, the two of them would soon face the first competitors on their path since they had teamed up!

 Chapter 2402 Minos First Battle

    Chapter 2402 Minos'' First Battle


    ??After years of traveling alone, Minos and Forfax finally spotted competitors beside themselves today!",


    About two kilometers ahead of where they were, the two spotted three individuals of different races traveling together towards the north of the area where they were.


    The two were traveling west, a little behind the position of those three, so the two spotted the group of three first.


    But it didn''t take long for the three level 100 Sovereigns to see Minos'' duo as well, with all three stopping moving to turn their attention to the two competitors approaching them.


    "What are we going to do?" Forfex asked Minos, watching the creatures ahead get into combat positions as they watched them.


    "Let''s see what they want. I don''t want to fight unless I have to."


    "I think so too."


    The two continued to advance, slower and slower, until they were about 180 meters away from the three individuals watching them cautiously.


    They couldn''t just walk past that group as if it were nothing. Turning your back on a potential enemy could be a deadly mistake!


    And although they weren''t against allying themselves with more aliens, they didn''t know what the three of them thought about it.


    Perhaps they would ally if they were in equal numbers. But in a situation where one group had one more member than the other, was it in the interests of those three to ally with them?


    Even if the purpose of The Red Expanse wasn''t necessarily for the competitors to kill each other quickly, it could be quite interesting to kill enemies along the way. There were only 100 places, but there was no guarantee that a group would get all the places it needed for all its members.


    Certainly, other groups had already been formed around the plane, but the larger the groups, the more competitive the journey would become for them to get their places. If a group had 50 members, then it was to be expected that of the 950 remaining competitors, almost all of them would be against such a team!


    With that decided, the three of them acted as if they were on the defensive, just wanting to move on without getting involved with Minos and Forfex.


    "Fellow competitors, we don''t want any trouble. Please move on. We''ll continue on our way north."


    "They''ll try to attack us. Get ready to fight." Minos muttered as he sensed the treacherous action of the trio as they drew ever closer to them.


    "I hope your skills are everything you said. I''m not as strong a warrior as I look." Forfex tensed, never having to fight beings with conditions, talents and numbers of powers so similar to his own.


    Minos just smiled, his eyes glowing a golden hue, as he walked forward as if he believed his enemies.


    When the two were at the shortest possible distance from the trio, passing alongside them, the strongest of the three stepped forward to begin his plans.


    Simultaneously with that man''s decisive step, two of them felt a terrifying sensation, as their cultivations seemed to shrink to level 99!


    As good as the rules of this place were at making the conditions of the contest even, Minos'' innate skill worked perfectly there!


    The moment he saw the enemy taking the decisive step to attack them brutally, he stole the cultivation of two of the three Sovereigns, raising Forfex''s forces to level 101 and his to level 102.


    Forfex''s eyes widened when he felt the energy of a level 101 Sovereign under his control, and he couldn''t help but smile seeing how right his choice to ally himself with Minos had been.


    He didn''t let his ally move alone and activated his innate ability, Visual Triad, attacking the two opponents temporarily at level 99 with his mental power capable of not only helping him track things but also attacking the minds of his targets.


    The two individuals felt as if their bodies had been penetrated by large stakes, instantly becoming immobile in their positions, while blood dripped from their mouths.


    Simultaneously, Minos moved, in the blink of an eye, appearing next to the Sovereign against whom he hadn''t stolen the man''s energies, but who couldn''t help but be startled to feel the speed of movement of a level 102 Sovereign.

 Chapter 2403 Next Target

    Chapter 2403 Next Target


    ??The moment he saw Minos appear next to him, the level 100 Sovereign paled at the sight of his enemy crossing the space so quickly, appearing next to him while aiming a punch at his face.",


    Minos was at level 102, while he was at level 100. Not only that, neither his divine ability nor his innate ability was related to speed or reaction capacity.


    He saw the enemy appear next to him, but could do nothing to dodge or even protect himself!


    He felt the big mistake he had made before he experienced Minos'' right fist, which was so strong that it could make a continent of the Spiritual World shake vigorously if he attacked it with that force at his disposal today.


    The level 100 Sovereign only felt the moment of touch between Minos'' fingers and his left cheek, before he died, his skull shattering, his brains scattering in the opposite direction of Minos'' blow.


    The blow from Minos'' fist was so powerful that he practically severed his opponent''s head, leaving behind only a large body with no more vital signs.


    Forfex saw this as he acted against his two opponents and couldn''t help but open his mouth in awe at the magnitude of Minos'' power.


    Minos'' power was so extreme that he couldn''t help but feel pessimistic, imagining that, even if he did well in The Red Expanse, sooner or later he would die during the subsequent contests for the place in the Upper Realm.


    ''Shit! I have no chance of winning against someone like Minos!'' he thought to himself, watching Minos move to help him finish those two opponents.


    ''If I don''t get rid of this inheritance, I''ll end up dead!''


    Forfex was clever. Perhaps there were competitors as monstrous as Minos. But he honestly wasn''t one of them.


    "Hmm, let''s keep going." Minos gave one of the spatial storage items to Forfex and keep the other two. He also kept those three corpses in his ring, as they had a value for burial in the Spiritual World in the future.


    When they moved, they were still at their altered levels, so Forfex asked. "By the way, how long will we stay in these current conditions?"


    "About 30 minutes more. Since we didn''t have to use much of our powers earlier, the effects will last quite a while," Minos said based on what he knew of his own ability.


    The rules of this world didn''t seem to affect the competitors'' innate and divine abilities, so his estimate should be more or less correct.


    "That''s impressive! I honestly doubted you about your abilities until a few minutes ago, haha." Forfex laughed at his foolish thoughts. "I didn''t think that even in a place like this, there would be someone who stood out so much from the rest. You''re probably one of the favorites in the competition, Minos."


    "Maybe in this test I really am." Minos didn''t get carried away by the conditions favorable to him. "But there''s no guarantee that the next events will give me the same favorable conditions. This test limits us to our innate abilities. But what if other powers or forms of contest are unleashed in the future? There''s also no guarantee that the last test will be related to fighting ability."


    Forfex looked silently at Minos, feeling that his companion''s words made sense.


    ''Really, I hadn''t thought of that. Maybe future tests will be about understanding or something not related to innate power!


    This cheered him up a little, although he felt Minos wasn''t just powerful and would certainly have advantages in other aspects, too.


    "In any case, the Millennium Massacre shouldn''t be a problem for you. Let''s move on and deal with our competitors as we did today. Sooner or later, we''ll have our positions," Forfex said confidently.


    "Yes. Perhaps adding some allies will be necessary in the future. But eliminating opponents at this part of the journey makes sense."


    They continued towards the dead trio''s destination.

 Chapter 2404 Endurance Challenge

    Chapter 2404 Endurance Challenge


    ??A few more months had passed, and the pair had made their way all the way to the place that the map they had conquered earlier led them to.


    Unlike the crystal they had found earlier¡ªwhich they still cultivated with it occasionally¡ªthis place they had arrived at a few days ago didn''t have a special resource that could be taken.


    What was available in the area was an opportunity that could only be seized there.


    That''s why, after Minos and Forfex''s first few days since arriving there, they were still in this area, both amid a test of endurance.


    ...


    In an area where magma covered an enormous terrain, which seemed to have no limits, as if it were a scorching red sea, Minos and Forfex were in the middle of a small black island surrounded by the sea of magma.


    The two of them were bound by huge chains, their arms and legs stretched out, while with each passing day, the level of the magma got closer to where they were.


    They were both naked, sweating profusely as they used as much of their powers as they could to feel the temperature of the area less.


    Meanwhile, black stone statues with veins of magma were holding the chains, restraining them, as they passed through the scorching temperament promoted in the area.


    As soon as they arrived there, the two thought it was a trap when they were attacked, their wrists and heels bound with chains that seemed indestructible. But after being at the mercy of the stone statues, they were placed in their current positions and told that they had to put up with the current situation for an entire month.


    If they endured the month, they would be released and could drink the essence of the flames available in the area.


    But today was the 11th day there, and they already felt like their bodies would catch fire at any moment.


    Forfex was mourning as his whole body trembled, his fur having already burned completely, while his skin seemed to be burned too.


    Minos wasn''t as bad off as his companion, as he had similar stamina to a dragon, a type of beast accustomed to high temperatures.


    ...


    Another two weeks passed...


    Minos and Forfex remained firm in their positions, with the alien almost losing consciousness, while the young human had lost all the hair on his body and his skin was badly burned by now.


    Minos had talked a lot with Forfex to make time pass more quickly over the last few days, but even he was too tired at this point to continue his conversations with the alien.


    Still, with 25 days having passed since they started this challenge, they had to hold out until the end. There was so little left, so they couldn''t weaken!


    "Don''t lose your conscience... Hah... Hah... If you sleep, you''ll miss the chance to drink the flame essence. It will heal all our wounds and strengthen us!" Minos said with difficulty, seeing the magma only 30 centimeters away from him.


    By his reckoning, he and Forfex would be thrown into the magma shortly after the month-long test ended!


    ''Shit! Fucking test!'' he thought to himself as he tried to hold himself together.


    But thinking about how strong he would have to be to get his family out of The Enchanted Realm and then protect them in Zocarro, Minos stayed strong, lucid while his body shook uncontrollably.


    This was how the next five days would go for Minos and Forfex in this test of endurance, with the young human trying to cheer up his companion, interested in the continuity of the millennia-old partnership ahead of them.


    Even though he was powerful, Minos wasn''t foolish enough to think that he could beat the 900 competitors who might stand in his way. With allies, his path would be much smoother!


    ...


    At the end of the five days, Minos and Forfex were about to be released into the magma, when the bubbling and extremely hot liquid in front of them revealed a bottle with a strange liquid for each of them to drink.


    They didn''t even have to move to drink the liquid. Those bottles opened and something similar to an orange vapor penetrated their bodies, immediately awakening two devastated individuals.

 Chapter 2405 New Allies

    Chapter 2405 New Allies


    ??The moment their bodies were penetrated by the orange vapor, Minos and Forfex opened their eyes vigorously, at the same time as their badly injured bodies improved in speed visible to the naked eye.",


    Forfex, in particular, improved much more significantly than Minos when he fell into the magma of that area, with his body, which looking like a burned piece of wood, returning to its former vitality.


    His mind, which had been exhausted for days, felt a sudden awakening as he saw his surroundings again with the energy he had had for most of his journey alongside Minos. He felt so much better that, for a moment, he ignored the fact he had fallen into the magma and nothing had happened to his body, which was still recovering.


    Minos felt his improvements as he watched the magma that should previously have been able to destroy his and Forfex''s bodies.


    ''I can''t feel exactly how much better my physical and spiritual state is now compared to before. But the fact that the magma is no longer a risk to us means that we are much stronger.


    Even if we can''t use it actively within The Red Expanse, we will certainly develop impressive capabilities by the time we finish the Millennium Massacre!''


    He clenched his fists in anxiety, curious to know how strong he would become by the end of the event.


    As he thought this, Minos left the magma and returned to the small black island in that area, where the black stone statues were returning to their original positions, forming a stone path between that area and the place the two competitors had come to.


    "Forfex, let''s go," Minos said as he caught the alien''s mind, reveling in his own recovery as he swam through the magma as if it were just a pool of hot water.


    Forfex jumped out of the magma, arriving next to Minos, already fully recovered, his energy back to its peak state.


    In just a few seconds, since the essence of the area''s flames had penetrated their bodies, they had recovered all their injuries, their degraded mental state, and also their energy.


    "I feel amazing, even though I can''t actively use what I''ve gained here," Forfex said to Minos.


    "Yes, I feel the same way... But let''s continue on with our plans. There are certainly new opportunities awaiting us ahead."


    Today, the group of seven individuals, Minos and six others, were standing around cultivating, following the team leader''s recommendations.


    While three members of the group were on guard duty, four level 100 Sovereigns were going through the boring process of cultivating in this place.


    Minos wanted to continue cultivating for around 40% of his journey on this plane, so the entire group had quickly agreed on how to do this in the best possible way.


    After a journey of weeks from the last opportunity they had encountered, the group was stopping for everyone to rest, with most of them there cultivating, while only 3 of them monitored the surroundings.


    The closer they got to the central area of The Red Expanse, the greater the chances of running into competitors interested in taking down their group.


    Unlike the initial area in which Minos began his journey, it was no longer so interesting for everyone to cultivate at the same time without preparing to defend themselves against trouble.


    Minos was one of the three in position at the moment, monitoring the surroundings while his companions cultivated.


    "Boss, shall we increase our group further?" asked one of the team''s recent additions, one of the other two men standing guard in the vicinity.


    "No. You and Ozzy only joined the team because of your special abilities. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have increased the size of the group any further."


    The alien laughed bitterly when he heard the answer to his question. "I was lucky, then."


    "But even if we find competitors with interesting abilities from now on, we''d better eliminate them. It''s not interesting to grow our group too much. That could hinder us more than help us as we move towards the center of the plane." Minos added, aware that the larger the group, the more enemies they would have.


    ''Seven people capable of fighting above level 100 are enough for us to deal with dozens of enemies at once. We''d hardly have to fight more opponents than that, so there''s no need for any more additions.'' Minos thought to himself, while his two fellow guards understood his point.


    Another reason was that the more allies there were in their group, the more they would have to share the items they gained from enemies, but also the opportunities they found on their way.


    So the group would be stuck in that position for a few weeks until everyone had cultivated for a similar length of time and it was time for them to get back to their short-term goals!

 Chapter 2406 Advances in Strength

    Chapter 2406 Advances in Strength


    While Minos continued his journey towards completing a century since the start of his journey in The Red Expanse, his companions had experienced The Enchanted Realm for another 9 years!


    This was a relatively quiet period for the group, even though, 9 years ago, they had begun to explore this planet little by little.


    As Ruth had been careful in her orders, emphasizing they would start getting involved in the affairs and opportunities of this world little by little, the group had, for the most part of time, acted without getting involved in risks.


    Their group had lost no one in those years and got involved in missions and more serious matters as they grew stronger.


    Nine years in The Enchanted Realm was no small feat for a group as weak as theirs. In those years, everyone in the group had improved in strength.


    The robot and the four humans, who were previously at level 103, advanced to level 104. Ruth advanced to level 103, with Vico and Callie reaching level 102.


    Of those currently at level 104, the robot was furthest ahead and could achieve a further breakthrough in a maximum of another five years. Ruth was next in line for advancement among the strongest, and could advance to level 104 around the same time as one of the level 104 humans went for level 105.


    But apart from the old Sovereigns in the group, these 9 years were enough for Abby and Gloria to reach level 100, becoming Sovereigns, cultivators of the Divine Journey!


    The two had recently advanced, while their group was still in the same position that Minos had chosen for them just over a decade ago.


    The group had stayed there all this time, where the 7 Sovereigns of the group took it in turns to guard the area to protect the weak members of the group or to explore the region they were in.


    Having made a lot of progress in the last few decades, the group thought they were better prepared than ever to get involved in missions and local affairs with all their members.


    Their goal was obvious. To gather resources so that, when Minos returned, they could leave for Zocarro together.


    Minos had spent almost all the financial resources he had with him to bring his group to The Enchanted Realm. If they wanted to continue on to Zocarro, they would have to build up local wealth similar to that which Minos had built up in his time in Armhands.


    Minos had stayed in that sect for several decades, so the group was rushing to move through The Enchanted Realm and use all the hands they had at their disposal.


    After the return of Vico, and the three Sovereigns who had been with him outside the group''s camp until a few days ago, the group of 12 set off towards the nearest city.


    They were now in a flying boat they had gained in this world, with the robot commanding the vehicle while the weaker ones there learned what was necessary by talking to the more experienced ones.


    "Kendrick, Lily and Hollie, you''ve gotten a lot stronger over the years, but don''t let your powers fool you. We''re in a world where the strongest are high-level Sovereigns. Even I can''t stand up to cultivators this strong. So be careful what you do." Ruth advised the three children of Minos.


    Abby looked at her son and the other two. "You''ll always be accompanied by members of the group, but watch your actions. Depending on the situation we face, you may be left alone temporarily. If that happens, don''t step on anyone''s toes. Respect even those who seem weak. We can''t risk angering someone with powerful support."


    The three nodded in agreement, aware their group would split into three when they went on missions. That was the best way for them to quickly complete their objectives locally!


    "But don''t get too tense. The city we''re heading for has mid-level Sovereigns as its peak experts. The danger of the missions locally won''t be so ridiculous, but it''s impossible to foresee all the negative implications." One of the level 104 Sovereigns said confidently.


    As they talked, they continued on their way, which would take a few weeks to reach the city of their interest.

 Chapter 2407 Kendrick: God of Portals

    Chapter 2407 Kendrick: God of Portals


    For the next seven years, Minos'' group in The Enchanted Realm would go through many things, collecting opportunities and resources for the journey ahead.


    At the beginning of their journey, after leaving the camping spot chosen by Minos, the group worked independently for some time.


    Splitting into 3 teams of four members each, one with three Sovereigns and a Grandmaster each, the teams had, for almost 2 years, worked on missions in that city closest to the previous camp.


    They got involved in minor problems at the start of their activities, working as mercenary guards, sometimes helping to hunt forest creatures, other times helping to collect important resources.


    But as they grew stronger, the missions the three teams had to do became less lucrative, while their contacts grew.


    Consequently, in the middle of their journey, they joined a powerful sect on the continent they were on, joining a group that accepted their conditions that they would be free to leave whenever they wanted.


    Since then, the group has acted according to the opportunities and conditions of this sect in question, having moved even further away from the place chosen by Minos, a stronger area of The Enchanted Realm.


    Now more deeply involved in the planet''s reality, the group had a good understanding of the war in the galaxy and their situation within that world.


    The war in the galaxy had begun in a similar way to the wars started by the Mechanic Empire in the past. When that state, now dead, had reached a certain level that gave it the confidence to act against other civilizations, it had expanded its domains.


    The current case of the galaxy where The Enchanted Realm was located was precisely the same as that of the Mechanic Empire. The Blossom World had reached a new level of power, with its leaders reaching level 114, something that gave it the confidence to begin its expansion plans!


    By now, the galaxy had been in a war of worlds for 22 years, with several powerful planets positioning themselves either on the side of The Blossom World or The Enchanted Realm.


    Even though there was a level 105 Sovereign in Kendrick''s group, the Banished Crossfire sect had him as their current main hope, who they wished to nurture so that, allied with the forces of The Enchanted Realm, they could deal a mortal blow to The Blossom World!


    Today, Kendrick was being introduced to the sect''s group of geniuses, so he could choose the one who would become his squire. Among his choices were Sovereigns from levels 103 to 105!


    Behind Kendrick, besides his sisters, was the level 105 robot of their group, who had recently advanced to become the chief bodyguard of Minos'' eldest son.


    Kendrick understood his position in Banished Crossfire very well, as well as his group''s desire to grow in this sect and even counterattack The Blossom World. Although it hadn''t been their primary interest to join the war in this galaxy, they were now committed to helping The Enchanted Realm destroy its enemies.


    This was the way for them to accumulate wealth, but also to prepare to leave this world safely when Minos returned!


    So, when presented with those options, Kendrick chose his squire well, taking the choices in front of him seriously.


    ''A squire is someone who will be my right-hand man in this sect. They will become my most trusted ally among these aliens and help me reach the top. As such, they must not only be talented in combat but also a brilliant strategist.'' Kendrick thought to himself as he narrowed his eyes, remembering the reports he had received about each of those natives.


    There weren''t many aliens like his group in this sect, so most there were natives of this world.


    "I already know who will walk beside me for the next few decades." He opened his mouth, speaking in a tone of voice very similar to that of Minos, while raising one of his hands towards a level 104 native.


    "Grisdi, I hope I can count on your support from now on."


    A woman stooped, bending her knees as a smile formed on her face.


    "I hope I can serve the young master to the best of my ability. Please, young master Kendrick, lead me to the pinnacle of The Enchanted Realm!"

 Chapter 2408 Back to The Red Expanse

    Chapter 2408 Back to The Red Expanse


    While Kendrick and the rest of his group were getting on with the political matters necessary to continue growing in power and resources in The Enchanted Realm, Minos had experienced another 75 years in The Red Expanse.


    Coming up to 180 years since he began his journey in the grand plan to compete for the places in the next phase of the Celestial being''s inheritance, Minos had experienced many things.


    After another 75 years, he had faced another 60 enemies alongside his 6 allies, having eliminated all the opponents his team had come across.


    None of his allies had been seriously injured in these battles, with Minos helping them both with his ability to strengthen them, but also with his temporal power, capable of even reversing time for injuries.


    Minos'' abilities have proved powerful in this test over the last 180 years, with his team taking advantage of these abilities to reach their current position.


    As well as collecting more space storage items over the last few decades, the group had also found three more great opportunities available in The Red Expanse.


    In one of them, Minos benefited from having the chance to absorb a feather from a true seraph, coming from a being that was supposed to have the cultivation of a Supreme being.


    Others in the group took more advantage of other chances. Not every fortuitous encounter for the group was the kind that would benefit everyone, like when Minos and Forfex had the chance to absorb the essence of flames.


    In short, the group didn''t find as many opportunities as they had in their first 100 years of travel. So they moved further towards the center of the plane, and are now about 44% of the way to their destination.


    ...


    As Minos'' group moved north, having got signs they were close to a new opportunity, the member of the group with the best visual capacity suddenly sounded a warning signal.


    "That... That seems to be the case. They''re in formation, waiting for something. Either that something is our group, or this really is a big coincidence." Said the observer of the group.


    "But how? Everyone we meet on our journey, we killed, leaving no witnesses."


    Minos said in a confident tone. "Everyone in The Red Expanse is a genius in their own right. Some have monstrous combat skills, others have impressive support skills. Someone may have had some kind of foresight or foreboding about us. Think about it, we''ve already defeated over 100 enemies. We have over 100 space storage items with us. Defeating us would give even a group of 50 enemies a lot of resources."


    "Thinking along those lines, the enemies might also be interested in eliminating a powerful group for the 100 places at the end of the selection." Forfex added.


    "It''s possible..."


    The men there looked at each other as they moved more slowly, more and more certain that it would be better to fight than to flee.


    "But if they know about what we have or what we''re capable of, fighting them could be much more difficult than we can imagine." Said the one with the best defense in the group, looking specifically at Minos.


    "That''s true. But my powers are inevitable. No matter what they try, they won''t be able to stop me," Minos said, slowly seeing the enemies on the horizon. "Remember, just because we''re all geniuses doesn''t mean we''re equal. There are some who are stronger than others for this Millennium Massacre test."


    That was a fact. From what everyone there already knew from having shared their experiences of finding the infinity seal with each other, finding the seal wasn''t necessarily something for those destined for it. It could happen to anyone, even someone not that talented.


    Obviously, one would have to be quite strong and talented to access the seal, since the places of inheritance left by the Celestial being were difficult to access. But there was no special condition that had to be met for those who wanted to access such an opportunity. By reaching its location and coming into contact with it, one could gain it.


    In Minos'' case, he had only predicted where he should go because of a special item used by the enemy who wanted to steal his ''destiny'' with the infinity seal and the Incorruptible Heart. Otherwise, his encounter with the inheritance would have been completely accidental.


    In other words, not everyone there was necessarily the biggest monster in the universe!

 Chapter 2409 7 vs. 51

    Chapter 2409 7 vs. 51


    ??With Minos'' confidence, his six companions moved forward, prepared to deal with the opponents. ",


    As they flew quickly north again, it would take the seven of them 20 minutes to cross all the space between their previous position and where the 51 enemies spotted by the group''s observer a few moments ago were.


    As Minos'' team approached their opponents, those 51 aliens, who, in fact, as Minos imagined, were there for them, prepared themselves for the fight about to take place.


    "Minos Stuart is coming! Get ready!" shouted the overall leader of those aliens, an alliance of three groups that had come together to fight Minos'' forces.


    How did they know Minos'' name and where they would be? It was because of a seer. Thirteen years ago, one of the most prominent members of one of the three groups forming this alliance had predicted his own death for Minos.


    Aware of the formidable capabilities of such a rival, the seer had spent years getting ready to minimize potential dangers, teaming up with fellow aliens who were keen on removing the event''s strongest competitors.


    Like Minos, the leaders of the three groups knew that there were greater and lesser geniuses in the Millennium Massacre.


    If the lesser-genius individuals didn''t deal with the most favored enemies while they could unite to do so, eliminating the strongest opponents in the future would become extremely difficult, if not impossible.


    Learning about Minos, the riches this competitor had surely already gained and how strong he was, the 51 individuals allied themselves to face the group of seven now in front of them.


    Being aware of Minos'' type of power and also the abilities of his companions, these 51 level 100 aliens were in a position to deal with Minos as best they could.


    "Get ready! We have to get the first move right, or several of us could die!" Shouted another of the strongest there, while the group''s defense specialists were at the front, with the attack specialists positioned and those who could provide support at the rear.


    Minos narrowed his eyes as he saw those 51 enemies up close, sensing what they would do to attack him.


    ''A fight of seers can be really complicated. Unfortunately for you, I can steal your cultivation and kill you first. Minos looked in the direction of the man he had already realized was the main responsible for today''s encounter.


    "Kill the wretch!"


    Those unaffected by Minos'' initial actions shouted as they attacked in his direction, 12 of them turning on the six enemies momentarily at level 101, and all the others focusing on the young man at level 102.


    Minos did not forgive his enemies. They wanted to exhaust him and his group by imposing ranged combat to force them to use their energy and return to their normal levels.


    It was an excellent strategy if they could really pin him down in his position, as the 12 enemies of his allies would be able to do in the next few seconds. However, being at level 102, Minos was a monster, even compared to the greatest geniuses in the universe.


    There were one or two out there who could provide him with good competitive combat experience. By trapping them in a time trap capable of reducing their speed, Minos practically crippled the enemy group.


    He moved first against the 12 individuals trapped in his time trap, attacking the strongest first, using his bare hands to brutalize his opponents, lopping off heads or destroying their hearts.


    His punches and blows were so powerful that they could destroy his opponents'' souls at the same time as destroying their body parts.


    Already in the first 30 seconds of combat, Minos killed 13 enemies, leaving his companions to entertain 12 competitors, while 6 enemies retreated after losing a level each.


    With 20 opponents attacking him or trying to suppress him with mental blows, spiritual suppression, or even defend their allies, Minos moved like an animal towards the Sovereigns with defensive skills to test his fists.


    Punching a man with a large shield in front of a group of five individuals who were attacking him from a distance, Minos made the entire battlefield tremble. At the same time, powerful winds formed in the surroundings.


    The enemy''s shield cracked into many pieces, withstanding Minos'' movement for an impressive 2 seconds. But that alien didn''t last long, and soon coughed up blood as he wobbled backwards.


    "That would be a good defense if I couldn''t steal your cultivation." Minos complimented before somersaulting into the air and then kicking the alien in the head, killing the man in two noteworthy moves.


    Temporal Sands: Reversal!

 Chapter 2410 The Celestials Opinion

    Chapter 2410 The Celestial''s Opinion


    Dozens of attacks heading towards Minos suddenly stopped after his large hourglass glowed brighter, spinning counterclockwise in the air.


    The men in the group of enemies were shocked to see this, not believing that someone could have two such powerful abilities at the same time and using them so masterfully.


    "Nice try, but today''s not your day!" Minos muttered as he used another of his Temporal Sands, this time affecting his own body while accelerating his movement speed.


    Time passed differently for him than it did for his opponents, with him moving like lightning across the battlefield.


    He appeared behind an enemy defending another group of attackers and supporters of Minos'' enemies. With a single blow, he pierced that creature''s chest, dropping it mortally wounded as he moved towards another opponent.


    Appearing behind one being trying to restrict his companions with a field skill capable of creating several troublesome roots, Minos ripped out the spine of that being. By penetrating his right hand into its back, he closed his hand and pulled the bones of that structure out of the enemy''s body.


    Following this kill, he moved again, appearing in front of the enemy closest to seriously injuring one of his allies, punching that opponent in the jaw with a left jab.


    The creature''s skull exploded with Minos'' punch, its brains flying in the opposite direction to Emperor Stuart''s fist.


    After these three kills in a row, Minos killed one more opponent, before his ability lost its effect, with the passage of time for him returning to normal.


    With four enemies down, 18 enemies had already died, when he finally targeted the 6 men at level 99, who had given up the fight and were trying to flee.


    "It seems you wish to test him." The subordinate said, seeing his master''s interest in Minos.


    "The next test will show whether he can become my heir. His current performance is excellent, but in the next test I''ll have others who are more favored than him." The Celestial being said as he looked at three other faces different from Minos'', competitors who would benefit most from the conditions of the next selection event, scheduled to take place when the 100 winners from the Millennium Massacre reached level 115.


    Thinking ahead, this Celestial being ignored the over 330 deaths of competitors that had occurred in just over 180 years, less than 20% of the exam, but over 30% of the competitors.


    If it continued at this current rate, the last 400 years of the Millennium Massacre would see no action, since the 100 places for the next test would already be guaranteed.


    ...


    Minos and his companions did not know what the Celestial being behind the inheritance they were vying for had in mind, having just finished the previous fight.


    They were all tired, back to their normal cultivations, as they breathed a sigh of relief beside the corpses of their many opponents.


    Minos looked at this group and ordered. "Collect the space storage items from the corpses. I''ll give you two storage items and two corpses of your choice. I''ll keep everything else."


    This was only natural, since Minos was the leader of the group and the main fighter. Those six individuals having the chance to choose from whom they would take the storage items and corpses was already very good for them.


    The six aliens did what they had to do, handing Minos 39 space storage items and 39 corpses.


    They didn''t leave immediately after all this killing. The group split in two, with Minos and two others starting to cultivate, while the others stood guard.


    Fortunately, cultivation in The Red Expanse was fast, when it was for one to recover. In less than an hour there, they would all be ready to continue north, their previous destination.

 Chapter 2411 300 Years of Testing!

    Chapter 2411 300 Years of Testing!


    Time flew for those in The Red Expanse and soon the team would complete its first 300 years!


    In just over 110 years after Minos'' group''s great battle earlier, not only his team, but several others would reach a crucial point in the event, with the numbers of competitors still alive reaching less than half of the original competitors. Meanwhile, the first individuals had arrived at the center of the plane to wait for the end of the event!


    With less than a third of the test time having been completed, there was still a long way for the many aliens competing to go.


    ...


    In an area under a windstorm, Minos and his group were heading west, having already completed 75% of their journey to the meeting point in the middle of the plane.


    He and his six companions had energy cloaks around their bodies, protecting themselves as best they could as they traveled through an area with a lot of sand particles in the air, making it difficult for them to see what was around. The wind there was not normal. Each gust cut through the air as if blades were being thrown from one side of the area to the other, while the seven individuals endured the blows against their bodies.


    There was nothing for them to do in this situation but endure. Their enemy today was not a conscious creature, but the strange climatic phenomena of this area, capable of even threatening the lives of the competing geniuses.


    Minos and his companions didn''t know it, but phenomena like this had already killed 4 competitors in the last 300 years of the Millennium Massacre, a frightening number considering that everyone there was on the same level.


    Even if some were stronger than others in terms of combat ability, their resistances didn''t differ so much that this information wasn''t important.


    But while they were in the dark about the reality of most of their competitors, these seven men of different species moved forward in formation while enduring cuts to their bodies.


    "Aaaagh!"


    The leader of the group, the one with the strongest combat powers, looked at this woman of great mental power, who, although not as strong physically, had killed half of their enemies on this journey.


    "We can only find out by trying."


    The group had encountered many opportunities in the 200 years they had traveled together. But among the places they had passed, they had also faced problems that had brought them nothing good!


    The Red Expanse wasn''t just about opportunities. There were several areas and resources that only tested one''s endurance capabilities, without giving them any improvement.


    The group had encountered two such areas on their journey here and had barely survived, gaining practically nothing on both occasions.


    With this in mind, some of the team members were more careful about where they went.


    They preferred to get stronger with the opportunities in the area, but they didn''t want to put their lives at risk for areas that would give them nothing.


    "We''re less than 100 years from the center of the plan. I''d rather not risk much more from now on. Dealing with our competitors and taking their storage items should be enough for us after everything we''ve faced." She suggested to the team.


    "I agree."


    The team was divided between those who agreed with her and those who wanted to experience where the black crystal would take them.


    "Let''s move on and split up when we''re close to where it will take us. We''ll wait for a while to continue to the center together or you can go ahead alone, in case the worst happens." The team leader decided with difficulty.


    Just like that, another group would continue with its objectives in The Red Expanse, approaching either its end or its great opportunity to become stronger.


    In a few more decades, groups like this would meet more and more often!

 Chapter 2412 Event Shortened

    Chapter 2412 Event Shortened


    ??In the most central area of The Red Expanse, a group had just arrived at the objective point of all the competitors.",


    Arriving there, the nine aliens of different races looked around cautiously, while some of them paid attention to the pyramid built in the middle of the mountains there.


    Rivers of magma ran through the surroundings, while there were several flat areas to the south, mountains to the north, just beyond the pyramid, and several spatial distortions to the west.


    This was the first group to travel all the way to the center of The Red Expanse, so after a few minutes there, they relaxed while focusing on the pyramid in the area.


    "There must be some kind of opportunity here." Said the leader of the group, a sentient being with green skin and broccoli-shaped hair. "Let''s enter this pyramid and see where it takes us."


    "What about the competitors who get here?" One of the group asked, worried about the competition.


    "I don''t think there''s any danger at the moment. No one is going to dominate this area and I believe many competitors have already fallen so far. It should also take decades to centuries for over 100 competitors to arrive here." Said the second strongest of the group, a type of humanoid insect.


    "Let''s move on to the pyramid. The senior wouldn''t make us come to this place if there weren''t chances of fate here for us." Another member of the group said in agreement with the leader''s suggestion.


    They headed for the only entrance to the area, the first to explore that space full of special areas.


    ...


    Meanwhile, to the north of the center of the plan, a group of 11 individuals was in position in an area where several different storms were present.


    In one area, a windstorm was tearing through the red terrain of The Red Expanse, while in another, lightning and torrential rain were cooling the magma present in the surrounding area, creating lots of steam and even worse weather conditions.


    In several areas of The Red Expanse at this time, battles were taking place, with blood mixing with the ancient terrain of this plane, as more competitors died.


    As they got closer to the pyramid at the center of the Celestial being''s dimension, the contestants came up against each other more often, fighting to eliminate their opponents.


    At this stage of the event, almost no one was interested in increasing the number of teammates, so all that remained was to eliminate the ''extras'' who were left competing.


    Over the next 50 years, the greatest number of deaths for just 5 decades would take place around the center of the plane, where almost all the remaining competitors were at this point!


    ...


    "It looks like my chosen ones will finish the first Millennium Massacre soon." The Celestial being watched his pocket dimension as his subordinate watched the battles in The Red Expanse with interest.


    "Will you wait a thousand years to finish the Millennium Massacre, master? There were only 199 competitors left now, with over 640 years to go." The subordinate, next to the Celestial being, asked.


    "There''s no point in me just leaving them to cultivate for centuries in my dimension. Since they''ve gone ahead with their slaughter, I''ll finish the Millennium Massacre 50 years after the 100th competitor enters my pyramid. That should be enough for them to prepare to return to their worlds."


    "Do you think some of them will awaken the Celestial Physique, master?"


    "Unlikely. But I hope they take advantage of these years in the pyramid to temper their bodies. If they can raise the quality of their natural abilities, they will be closer to inheriting my position." The Celestial being replied with an interested look on his face, looking forward to the day when he would pass on his position.


    For a being with millions of years of life like him, a few hundred years passed in the blink of an eye. Even so, he couldn''t help but look at those 199 remaining competitors with an anxious look on his face, who, in a few millennia, could relieve him of his position.


    He turned his gaze to the dimension where the Millennium Massacre was taking place, soon watching a few more decades without noticing the passage of time for himself.

 Chapter 2413 Competitors Face to Face

    Chapter 2413 Competitors Face to Face


    ??After another 80 years, Minos and his group were finally arriving at the central area of The Red Expanse, having, strangely enough, passed through the most peaceful period of all for the group.",


    After their great slaughter in the first 300 years of their journey, the group had only eliminated 12 competitors in the last 80 years of the event.


    Nearing 400 years since they began the Millennium Massacre, they finally spotted the pyramid in the center of the plane where the original thousand competitors had arrived almost 400 years ago.


    As soon as they spotted the place, Minos'' companions sensed several groups nearby, with 83 competitors there.


    One of them informed the group about the number of creatures they sensed around that pyramid, including those inside the pyramid.


    "How strange... Counting us, we only have 90 competitors here." Said one of Minos'' companions. "There should be more, shouldn''t there? The event is nearly four centuries old. Almost all the competitors should be in the area by now."


    "Most of them must have died. Our group alone must have killed around 200 competitors. It would only take four groups as efficient as ours to eliminate almost all the competitors and leave just 100 with the right to continue the legacy." Forfex said with a smile on his face, feeling that there would be no competition from now on.


    If there were only the 100 aliens left with the right to move on to the next stage of the inheritance, then they should be safe until the end of the event!


    "That must be the case. But let''s proceed with caution. Nothing guarantees that we''re safe." Minos said as he moved on, eager to enter the pyramid and be able to cultivate until the end of the selection.


    The group followed behind him, soon arriving at the front of the pyramid, where 44 other aliens were also arriving, each of them looking strangely at each other.


    Everyone there had seen various competitors on their journeys and had killed aliens repeatedly to get there today. However, everyone was aware of the number of competitors there and the number of places for the next stage.


    As much as this was a massacre, was it worth the risk of killing more opponents if their positions weren''t already at such a risk?


    Forfex laughed bitterly, feeling that his alliance with Minos was finally at an end.


    They still couldn''t act against each other and, in case of need, they had to help each other. But from now on, it was time for everyone to go their own way!


    Minos followed ahead of everyone who had just entered the pyramid, making his way to the highest levels, scaring even those who had already started their way through the area decades ago.


    ''What? What is this aura?'' A woman of strong mental power looked down at the level of the pyramid she was on, shocked to sense someone on level 102.


    A sentient plant being thought the same, while a blind man sensed that Minos was finally there.


    ''Sigh! It looks like he''s arrived.'' The blind being weighed this up as he rested in one area on an upper level of the pyramid.


    This pyramid comprised 10 levels in all. The levels were separated by a thousand steps, which one had to overcome in order to reach the different areas and opportunities in that area.


    At each level, there were basically cultivation areas with opportunities for one to understand the cultivation laws they had specialized in, as well as to temper their bodies. The higher the level of the pyramid, the better the effects one would have in seclusion.


    Those who had first reached this place were at level 6. Others were between levels 2 and 5, some of them having already advanced, stopped for a few years to cultivate and prepare, before trying to advance further.


    But just half an hour into entering the pyramid, Minos reached the level 5, when his cultivation returned to normal and he was forced to take a break to prepare to continue forward.


    ''I''ll cultivate in this place for a while and then move on alongside one of these competitors...'' Minos thought to himself as he breathed heavily and looked at the three individuals meditating at that level.


    Immediately afterwards, he went into seclusion, quickly recovering before starting to seize the opportunity.

 Chapter 2414 Next Level of the Pyramid

    Chapter 2414 Next Level of the Pyramid


    ??From Minos'' first moments on level 5 of the pyramid, he could see that this place differed from the areas he had spent the last century in The Red Expanse.",


    Cultivating energy there was still difficult, just as it was anywhere in the dimension. The purpose of this place was not to help the survivors advance in levels, but to improve their powers, their physique, and understanding.


    It was their duty to raise their cultivation in ''normal'' areas of the universe, where it was possible to go far when facing challenges. But in order to inherit the position of Celestial being, certain opportunities could only be seized during the tests of inheritance.


    Minos realized this point as soon as he started cultivating at level 5, feeling the pressure of the area to make him understand more about the laws of cultivation he had trained for centuries in his life. Not only that, his Divine-grade Physique seemed to vibrate in response to the area, a sign that put a smile on his face.


    ''I see... This place is even better than all the rest of The Red Expanse. The senior has made it very difficult to analyze this place.'' Minos thought to himself, as he felt the benefits he would get from cultivating there for the next 600 years.


    At the beginning of the Millennium Massacre, almost all the competitors thought the purpose of the place was for them to explore in search of opportunities, as each of the survivors had done. But as he cultivated there, Minos realized this might not be the real purpose of the area.


    The Celestial being wanted part of them to take advantage of the opportunities in his dimension, but his real objective was now clear to everyone in the pyramid¡ªto nurture heirs in the pyramid.


    Minos would continue his seclusion on level 5, keen to advance to the higher levels as quickly as possible.


    Meanwhile, Forfex had just reached level 2, the furthest he could go per hour. For him, the vast majority of those entering the pyramid today, reaching higher positions would take time and preparation in the cultivation areas of each level of the pyramid.


    Luckily, they had plenty of time ahead of them; they thought...


    The other aliens in the area saw Minos'' grimace, watching the situation as they left their meditations to listen to the alien''s response.


    He didn''t like what he was hearing, but frankly it was better for him to reach level 6 than to remain at level 5. Besides, if Minos stole his powers temporarily, the young human would probably reach level 7 and it wouldn''t be a problem for him later.


    "All right. Let''s do as you say." He made a sign, proposing a deal with Minos.


    The other competitors sighed, both because they were relieved that Minos was leaving and that they wouldn''t be his next targets, but also because they were afraid, as this meant a breakthrough for Minos.


    There was no way anyone could sacrifice themselves to harm Minos. Everyone there, in the situation of that alien about to reach level 6, would do the same as him!


    Minos smiled as he made a deal with the alien, then left the area together with his temporary ''ally'', both of them going on with the next 100 steps between level 5 and 6.


    Minos had made the most of the last 10 years. As much as he had reached level 5 because of his temporary advancement to level 102, in recent years he had improved his understanding and ability of his Physique. When he set foot on the stairs, he didn''t feel the same pressure that had forced him to retreat at level 5 back then.


    He carried on, climbing rung by rung, feeling the weight of his body increase as he made his way, beginning to feel pain, sweat and express discomfort in his expression.


    He and the alien who had just left level 5 climbed the first 30 steps in front of them with relative ease, until they struggled to reach step 555, reaching the point where they had to use their powers to continue with the remaining 45 steps.


    Their journey dragged on, with the first hour of their movements passing as their strength dwindled with each step they took. When they had to hold on tight and get used to the pressure before moving on to the next step.


    Reaching step 589 two hours after starting this journey, Minos was almost stealing his ally''s cultivation, seeing this guy look like he was going to collapse at any moment.

 Chapter 2415 Warning from the Celestial Being

    Chapter 2415 Warning from the Celestial Being


    "Eleven steps to go! Stick to it, or you''ll lose your years of effort!" Minos encouraged, giving the creature a push upwards, surprising the being.


    "If you have the strength to go ahead, why do you want to steal my cultivation?"


    "If I can go to level 6 on my own, then with your help I can go to level 7, maybe dream of level 8 of the pyramid. Why settle for just level 6?"


    With these words, Minos would help that being reach step 597 with just his encouragement, until he reached this point in his ascension, feeling his bones making cracking sounds, while the pain was excruciating enough for him to scream.


    He gathered all his strength and jumped forward, throwing himself over the alien''s body to take him to the entrance of level 6.


    When he reached that level, Minos did what he had promised his ally, stealing the alien''s cultivation base to strengthen himself.


    "Enjoy your cultivation at level 6. Good luck!" Minos felt his energy improve substantially before he threw that alien''s body into the area where only one competitor was meditating right now.


    That alien felt his strength reach level 99, but luckily, inside that cultivation area, he was in no danger of suffering from the previous pressure. As long as he waited for his cultivation to return to level 100 again, he could start taking advantage of the opportunities on level 6 of the pyramid.


    Minos moved forward with the steps in front of him, quickly reaching step 666 without realizing it, given his present conditions while he was temporarily at level 102.


    Two years after Minos reached level 7 of the pyramid, the last remaining competitors arrived at it, challenging those already in the area.


    To the misfortune of the members of the group that arrived last, those in the area had made deals with each other before. By the time this last group arrived, they could only try to defend themselves as they were attacked by over 20 creatures.


    In less than 5 minutes in the area, more than half of them died, leaving only 2 competitors, protected by a red aura similar to that of the Celestial being behind this inheritance.


    Those two saw death up close, but sensing they were still alive, they heaved a sigh of relief, being the last of the 100 competitors to move on to the next stage of the inheritance!


    The remaining men outside the pyramid wondered for a moment why the senior was protecting those two, but then they understood why.


    Just as he had 400 years ago, the Celestial being appeared again to his heirs, appearing in the same place where he had presented them with The Red Expanse at the beginning of the Millennium Massacre.


    "My chosen ones, you have had a long journey so far, surpassing many of my expectations. Congratulations, you are the last 100 competitors in The Red Expanse.


    Because of your voraciousness in the competition over the last few centuries, I have shortened the Millennium Massacre. From now on, you have 50 years to take advantage of the opportunities in my pyramid. Good luck with your cultivation. In 50 years, I will send you back to your worlds."


    With these words from the Celestial being, those outside the pyramid understood they had to hurry to enter that building, hurrying their steps towards its stairs.


    Those inside the pyramid, also aware of the Celestial being''s warning, saw that they didn''t have all the time they thought they would have to cultivate there.


    Their opportunities would be limited to the next 50 years. They couldn''t falter or they would waste the magnificent chances of cultivating at the pyramid''s highest levels!

 Chapter 2416 Back in The Red Expanse

    Chapter 2416 Back in The Red Expanse


    While the 100 contestants who would be returning to their world in 50 more years picked up their pace inside the pyramid in The Red Expanse, Minos'' relatives had gone through many experiences in his absence.


    With around 400 years having passed for Minos in the dimension of the Celestial being, his children, wives and allies had lived in The Enchanted Realm for just over 41 years!


    In particular, over 25 years had passed since Kendrick''s advancement to level 100, enough time for the group to develop considerably!


    ...


    Somewhere in The Enchanted Realm, where the headquarters of Banished Crossfire was located, part of Minos'' group was at the headquarters of this sect.


    In particular, the group was amid a recent problem deeply connected to the sect''s disputes!


    Kendrick was standing next to his two sisters and the robot, facing an elder from Banished Crossfire, who had just brought them news of the other part of the group.


    Three years ago, the three women of Minos and the three strongest Sovereigns of the team had set off on a mission in an area far from the headquarters, a long and dangerous mission.


    After six months of no news, today was the first time that Kendrick and the rest of the group were coming across new information.


    "Elder, what happened? Why don''t you just tell us what you came to talk about?" Kendrick asked in a nervous tone.


    Even though he was currently at level 103, he couldn''t help but feel nervous when he saw the worried expression on the face of that level 109 old elder.


    "Kendrick, what''s the situation?" Vico asked as soon as he entered the young master''s area, his level 104 cultivation clear and potent.


    Callie was at level 103, having had a good chance, but not as good as the one Kendrick had.


    She saw the cloth being held by Kendrick and frowned. "The Blood Squad?"


    The Blood Squad was a group of local natives who had turned against the forces of The Enchanted Realm and betrayed their world to ally themselves with the forces of The Blossom World.


    According to reports, this traitorous sect had left The Enchanted Realm 4 years ago to join the galactic battles taking place between the forces involved in the war of worlds in this area of the universe. However, now the Banished Crossfire group seemed to have indications that the organization had not completely left the planet.


    "Were our six companions taken by The Blood Squad?" Vico asked the sect elder standing there with his companions and Kendrick''s squire.


    "That seems to be the case. Our group of investigators have just discovered it. The sect will lead a mission to search for our missing members, but some of our experts already fear that their Excellencies have been taken off-planet." The elder said in consternation.


    He and his group didn''t understand how, but The Blossom World had found out about Kendrick''s existence and his divine powers. Since then, several attacks on the young man''s group had taken place and, now with this kidnapping, the old man couldn''t help but fear what would happen in the future.


    His enemies would surely use Kendrick''s family to blackmail him!


    The elder''s fear was that this blackmail would work!


    "Where were they taken?" Kendrick asked as he crushed the cloth in his hands. "I will open a portal to the world they are in!"


    "Young master, you must calm down. What the enemy wants most is to destabilize us. One ill-considered action could do more harm than good." The elder said as he gestured for Kendrick to sit down. "We''ll let the sect''s experts confirm what the situation is. Even though we''re at war, it''s possible to create a line of communication."


    "Do it as soon as possible. If anything happens to my mother, I''ll go to The Blossom World!"

 Chapter 2417 The Blossom World

    Chapter 2417 The Blossom World


    In another part of The Enchanted Realm''s home galaxy, The Blossom World, a world on the same level as the one Kendrick and the group were on, was at one end of the galaxy.


    This place is similar in size to The Enchanted Realm, but it has a much larger and more technologically advanced population. This civilization is the actual cause of the chaos in the galaxy in recent times.


    Until a few decades ago, The Enchanted Realm was the most powerful planet in its galaxy. The Blossom World was in the shadow of the galaxy''s most powerful sovereign, acting in no-man''s-land on worlds that were not liked by the major forces of the galactic community.


    This civilization wasn''t particularly powerful, like the civilization of The Adamant Land had been in the past. But its technologies put it in a powerful position in the galaxy, giving it a good foothold.


    Everything changed when a brilliant generation of natives from The Blossom World emerged millennia ago. This was the start of the journey that would bring the civilization up to date and finally get it Sovereigns at level 114.


    As a result, the most developed planet in the entire galaxy currently had three level 114 Sovereigns, which made it the planet with the highest number of such cultivators in the entire galaxy!


    At this very moment, six natives of the Spiritual World were facing one of the level 114 Sovereigns behind The Blossom World.


    Abby, Ruth, Gloria, and the three Sovereigns who had gone to and from Zocarro with Minos were on their knees in a grand hall, their wrists and heels bound by chains, while they were surrounded by several armed guards in strange armor.


    Minos was always going to be these women''s hope. If he didn''t make it in time to help them, the best thing they could do was to cooperate. It would be pointless for them to die there or to subject themselves to torture by refusing to cooperate, so their leader looked at the level 114 being and said.


    "We''re at your service, Your Excellency. Our group isn''t originally from The Enchanted Realm, and we don''t have any fixed commitments to the forces of that world. We''re just passing through the galaxy. Hence, we don''t care which side of the war we might end up in." Ruth said in the local language of the area.


    The level 114 being smiled when he heard that. He wasn''t planning to keep any of the group members alive for long, but until he got Kendrick Stuart''s head, they could be useful.


    "How can we help you, Your Excellency?" One of the level 106 guys in the group asked.


    "Right now, nothing. You''ll be taken to your new place and given a chance to recover from your injuries. When I need you, you''ll know." He said this as he signaled for one of his men to take the six alien creatures.


    As the group was leaving, an advisor stopped beside his leader and asked. "What should we do with them?"


    "Just monitor them for now. Keep an eye out for any attempts to escape or communicate with their enemies. Just don''t stop them unless they''re being really careless. Let''s give them a chance to lead the enemy into our trap while we wait for the right moment to send our demands."


    "What do you think? Will this work?" The level 112 Sovereign inquired.


    "I don''t think the forces of The Enchanted Realm will let the kid Kendrick give himself up to me easily. But maybe this group will impede our enemies." The being''s three eyes narrowed maliciously.


    ''Once I''ve secured the safety of my world, I''ll be ready to take a more direct approach to dealing with The Enchanted Realm!''

 Chapter 2418 8th Level of the Pyramid

    Chapter 2418 8th Level of the Pyramid


    Another 15 years passed while Minos was on level 7 of the pyramid in The Red Expanse.


    The last few years here have been pretty quiet. Lots of competitors have been advancing levels of the pyramid, while everyone has been working on improving their comprehension abilities, quality of physique, and powers.


    They still couldn''t access these improvements and weren''t sure how much they had advanced compared to their powers before the Millennium Massacre. But they all had a good feeling that they were much more powerful now, with new abilities and old skills that were much more refined.


    Minos could feel this while meditating on level 7 of the pyramid. He''d spent most of the last 15 years there, cultivating alongside only the woman of strong mental power. However, four years ago, the first person after he arrived there got into the meditation area of this level of the pyramid.


    Right now, three of the hundred remaining competitors are at level 7, ten are at level 6, 33 are at level 5, and almost everyone else is at level 4.


    However, that was about to change!


    As the woman with strong mental power rose from her seat, Minos and the broccoli-headed alien opened their eyes to see the first competitor trying to reach level 8 of the pyramid. But instead of going straight to the next level, the alien woman looked at Minos and said. "Let''s make a deal. You''ll take my cultivation, but you''ll take me as far as you can. Otherwise, you''ll have to go it alone. I''m not going with you, and I''m afraid this alien will do the same and prefer to stay behind rather than help you."


    Minos and she headed straight for the area of the steps, and then they went back to the hard climb up the pyramid. Minos and his partner made it up the first few steps without using their skills, but as soon as they reached the 722nd step, they felt the weight on them and started pushing themselves. That woman was really talented, and even though she didn''t quite get the requirements for ascending the pyramid right, she was pretty close. She''d make it to step 744 on her own, when she''d finally look at Minos with an exhausted look on her face, showing it was time for him to step in.


    Minos got the message and got to work, wrapping his arms around the woman''s furry body while raising his cultivation to level 102.


    As he moved forward with her in his arms, he felt the pressure against him double, but he kept going, carrying the woman.


    Even with the pressure doubled, he moved more easily as soon as he started his way. But when he reached step 784, his cultivation dropped to level 101, which was a sign of how difficult it was to climb this area.


    He kept his promise to the woman who had fainted in his arms. Unfazed by the majestic pyramid''s oppression, he continued on his path.


    He took an opponent to level 8 of the area with him!


    ''It looks like the Senior wants to see the circus on fire, huh?'' Minos thought to himself. ''I guess the celestial being is letting me take this woman to make the competition even stiffer in the next stage of the inheritance.


    I might face some negative consequences for bringing this woman with me, but she''s right. If we don''t move fast, we won''t be able to take advantage of the best in this pyramid!'' Minos reached step 800 and level 8 of the pyramid with that woman in his arms.


    When he got to level 8 of the pyramid, his cultivation was already back to level 100. He put the unconscious woman down and took the opportunity to cultivate for longer than his opponent there.

 Chapter 2419 Kendricks Plan

    Chapter 2419 Kendrick''s Plan


    A week after reaching level 8 of the pyramid, Minos was pleased to see that his alien ally had awoken from her coma.


    "You...." She suddenly stood up and let out a scream, looking around to try to recognize where she was.


    Every cultivation area in the pyramid was basically the same, but she soon noticed that this wasn''t level 7. The energy and laws were much denser here compared to level 7.


    When she looked over and saw Minos cultivating, she realized he had succeeded and fulfilled their agreement.


    Even though she''d lost a few days unconscious, she couldn''t help but smile, feeling the differences from this level to the previous one.


    Each level of the pyramid differed greatly from the previous one. It was tough going, but once you got to the next level, you could spend a few weeks there and get all the knowledge and power you needed to make it up and down the steps to the next level.


    After just a few weeks, you could start preparing to climb to the next level, which would really test your skills.


    Even if she had to work hard to get there and lost a few days, in a few days she would be way ahead of where she would be if she stayed at level 7 for years.


    But before she could start cultivating, Minos opened his eyes and said to her. "I''ll help you get to level 9 if, and only if, you let me use your cultivation so that I can try to go to level 10 two months before our time in this dimension is up.


    I''m afraid I can''t take you with me, as that would be too costly, which would prevent either of us from reaching level 10."


    She looked at Minos, unsure of what to do. She didn''t know if she should keep her agreement with him or back out. If he only stayed at level 10 for two months, he''d be well ahead of her. However, she knew she wouldn''t make it to level 9 without Minos'' help. And he should be able to reach level 9 without her help.


    ''Reaching level 10 is going to be tough for him. He''ll probably fail.''


    Kendrick was stuck in the Banished Crossfire headquarters, his cultivation was sealed, and he couldn''t leave his property in the headquarters.


    His group of allies from the Spiritual World were basically in the same situation as him, even though they could move around the sect''s headquarters freely.


    Since the sect couldn''t do anything about its enemies, the only option was to arrest Kendrick and stop him from making a dangerous move.


    However, not everyone in the sect was happy about the idea of him not being able to continue cultivating.


    ...


    At Kendrick''s place, his squire was always around, following him everywhere, even though her young master was in confinement.


    He was strolling around his estate, taking in the gorgeous natural scenery of his garden, the only thing he had to do these days.


    "Grisdi, why do you keep following me around? I don''t think there''s any need for you to be by my side every day in my current situation." Kendrick said sullenly as he looked at the woman a few steps behind him.


    "Despite everything, young master, you''re a valuable sect resource. I hope the elders change their minds and let you go back to cultivating. I agree that acting rashly will be a mistake, but your cultivation shouldn''t be restricted."


    "The sect leader doesn''t agree." He muttered as he sat down on a stone bench, his fingers clenched, eager to leave his current situation.


    "The rest of the group is trying to persuade the sect elders to change their minds. Maybe they can change the sect leader''s decision so you can at least get back to cultivating."


    ''If that happens, I''ll go to The Blossom World without a second thought.'' Kendrick thought to himself. ''I could quickly leave my current world to reach my mother!


    Time passes differently in The Blossom World, so it''s only been about a year since my mother was kidnapped. But I can''t wait too long. As soon as I get the chance, I''ll try to rescue her!''Ge?t latest novel chapters on nov(e)lbj/n(.)c/om

 Chapter 2420 The Last 10 Years in The Red Expanse

    Chapter 2420 The Last 10 Years in The Red Expanse


    In the blink of an eye, another 25 years have passed for the people on The Red Expanse, with the Millennium Massacre reaching its final 10-year point!


    The various aliens in this dimension''s pyramid have worked hard in recent years, making the most of their opportunities, with more individuals reaching levels 5 and 6 of the pyramid. Level 7 has also received two new aliens during this time, while the broccoli-headed alien made it to level 8 months ago.


    Minos and Soli were still on level 8 when the alien they left on level 7 years ago reached them, but they didn''t stay there long along with the broccoli-headed alien.


    Two months ago, Minos had achieved enough to go to level 9 on his own if he wanted to. Soli hadn''t achieved the same as him and thought she could only get a third of the way to level 9 without his help.


    But Minos thought he was ready to take his ally to level 9, so two months ago, he set out with her to challenge the pyramid once again, this time to level 9.


    As expected, he succeeded, once again overcoming the challenge in his path by a wide margin and successfully taking Soli to level 9.


    For the past two months, he had been cultivating there practically on his own, and today, Soli finally woke up from her coma to cultivate in this level 9!


    ... Ge?t latest novel chapters on nov(e)lbj/n(.)c/om


    Weeks after starting to cultivate at the level 9 of the pyramid, Soli was already accustomed to the area, had regained her strength, and had cultivated enough to handle the 900th step if she wanted to.


    Her current plans were no longer to challenge the pyramid, but to spend her last 10 years at this level, making the most of the advantage she had gained over the other 98 competitors.


    She was certain that for the next 10 years, only she and Minos would be at this level. They would leave The Red Expanse in 10 years as the favorites for the next phase of the legacy!


    When he became a level 100 sovereign, he felt he could challenge the level 108 sovereigns of Zocarro without using his fusions. But now, he believed that his foundation was so solid that even at the same level, he could challenge level 110 Sovereigns.


    But that was just his speculation, considering how much more he understood about the laws of cultivation, the use of his innate and divine abilities, and how much of his old techniques and secondary abilities he should be able to use.


    He would not know his current abilities for sure until he returned to his universe!


    Meanwhile, his physique was improving every day, and he was nearing the peak of the Divine grade, approaching the point where he could challenge the Celestial grade.


    He didn''t know if he could complete the entire journey necessary to reach this important step for cultivators of the entire universe.


    Having a Celestial grade Physique in the universe would be like having a Divine grade Physique in the Spiritual World.


    Only the strongest would have such a quality! ...


    While Minos was taking advantage of his opportunities in the pocket dimension of the Celestial being, the situation for Kendrick and the others was changing!


    Lily ran through the corridors of her sect''s headquarters toward her brother, holding something very important in her hands, a smile on her face that showed her recent victory.


    Upon entering Kendrick''s mansion, where the young man was standing next to his squire and a sect guard, Lily ignored her agitated breathing and got right to the point, showing him the seal in her hand.


    "The Grand Elder has just allowed my brother to return to cultivation. Please, Igiro, remove the suppression artifacts from my brother''s body!"


    As Lily spoke, a clever smile appeared on Kendrick''s face, his political actions alongside his companions finally taking effect, allowing him to put his plan into action.


    ''I will finally be able to move!'' He thought as he secretly clenched his fists and watched as Igiro confirmed he could remove the restricting items from his body.

 Chapter 2421 Escape from The Enchanted Realm!

    Chapter 2421 Escape from The Enchanted Realm!


    After confirming that he could indeed release Kendrick to allow him to return to cultivation, Igiro did what he had to do and removed the devices that sealed the powers of Minos'' eldest son.


    As soon as he felt those items leave his body, Kendrick felt a great sense of relief, but he was still not at his best, being completely exhausted.


    "I beg your pardon, guard Igiro. Thank you for releasing me, but I would like to cultivate to recover." He made a gesture of thanks before heading to his cultivation room, the level 110 guard watching him from where he stood.


    Kendrick''s squire followed behind him, leaving Lily with the guard behind.


    ''Prepare our group. We''ll leave for The Blossom World in a week.'' Kendrick said in Lily''s mind as she smiled.


    She thanked Igiro as well before she said goodbye and hurried to alert her companions in the sect.


    They had had to get involved in the sect''s politics for years in order to gain some of their freedoms and finally to have Kendrick''s cultivation released again.


    It had been difficult to go against a decision made by the sect master. However, Kendrick was supposed to be the weapon of this organization and The Enchanted Realm to fight The Blossom World. Having him locked up and unable to cultivate was tantamount to wasting his potential.


    Since he could not cultivate for over four years, and after receiving advice from many experts in the sect, the elders of the organization felt that it was time to let him return to cultivation and further strengthen himself.


    The kidnapping of his relatives and The Blossom World''s subsequent demand that he turn himself in was a sad thing for him and his group, but the sect couldn''t agree to any of this or even try to resolve the matter. The only thing they could do was to continue to cultivate and nurture him, and one day, avenge what happened to those six people from Kendrick''s group.


    But now that they had finally regained the trust of part of the sect, this was the chance for the group from the Spiritual World to act or abandon their comrades!


    Kendrick, his sisters, and the others would never give up on their comrades, so Lily rushed to break the news to her younger sister, the robot, Vico, and Callie.


    ...


    The days would pass quickly, and the surveillance of Kendrick would continue with each passing day.


    Meanwhile, his group was losing patience, having already developed their plan to ''safely'' enter The Blossom World, and now meeting with Kendrick daily to plan their departure.


    Yesterday, they had almost gone through with their plans and left the cult, but the sect master had stopped by to visit Kendrick just as the group was about to attempt their escape.


    After that, the group had been forced to continue in this place, and today they had arrived at their new moment together and a new chance to leave.


    ''The only one watching us at a high level of the 11th stage right now is Igiro. This could be our chance to leave!'' Callie said to her companions as they all felt their hearts beat faster, the tension in their surroundings almost revealing itself to the many observers.


    Kendrick then stood up from the table and said to his group.


    "I''m going back to my training. Would any of you like to give me some pointers?" He looked at Vico and Callie and motioned for them to get ready.


    "I''ll show you some moves." Vico stood up and led the way to the training room of the Kendrick estate.


    When they entered the room together with Kendrick''s squire, Vico and the brown-haired young man positioned themselves on the fighting platform, looking as if they were just going to fight once more, as they had done several times in the past few days.


    The moment Vico activated his powers, Kendrick acted in a rather dubious manner, using his divine ability to distort the space in the center of this battle platform.


    ''Now!''


    All six members of Minos'' group that remained there thought as they moved towards the portal that was forming in that area.

 Chapter 2422 Trouble in a New World

    Chapter 2422 Trouble in a New World


    The moment Kendrick and his companions moved, his squire, Grisdi, widened her eyes as she unconsciously moved behind her young master.


    ''Shit! What''s he doing?'' She broke into a cold sweat as she tried to prevent the worst from happening. ''If you do that, you''ll be considered a traitor! Forget The Blossom World. Our world itself will consider you an enemy!''


    Simultaneously with Grisdi''s move, the level 110 Sovereign and 10 other individuals between levels 107 and 109 moved towards the spatial distortion created by Kendrick, each of them widening their eyes and sensing bad omens.


    "Shit! Don''t do that, brat!" Old Igiro shouted as he crossed the space to prevent Kendrick from going through the portal.


    Kendrick looked at Igiro and took a deep breath before jumping into his portal, doing what he felt he had to do to save his mother.


    He was truly grateful to The Enchanted World, and the Banished Crossfire. This world and his sect had given him everything, from cultivation opportunities for him and his group to resources that would be very important for them to leave this world and move on to Zocarro when Minos returned from wherever he was.


    But he couldn''t leave his family and keep waiting, maybe losing his whole family before his father returned, or he got enough power to act.


    All he said before entering his portal was a simple "sorry" before commanding his divine powers to close this spatial distortion zone.


    Seeing the thing disappear before him, Igiro turned red with rage and continued forward to enter the portal.


    But just as he was about to reach the spatial distortion, it closed completely as all the surrounding Sovereigns appeared on the battlefield.


    "Shit!"


    "Grisdi, you know I can''t do that. If you hurt my sister, I will kill you here and now. Remember, you''re my squire!" He gave her an ugly look, putting the alien in a terrible position.


    "You betrayed the sect! How dare you order me around now? I know how much you care for your sister. Come back to The Enchanted Realm with me and I''ll leave Hollie." Lily, Vico and Callie watched Grisdi warily as the level 106 robot prepared to take action against this level 105 alien girl.


    Aware that it wouldn''t be easy to kill Grisdi without risking his sister''s life, Kendrick thought he would have to do something else.


    "I''ve just crossed the galaxy, Grisdi. I couldn''t go back now, even if I wanted to. But let''s make a deal. If you release Hollie and surrender, we won''t kill you and we''ll let you go. The area we''re in poses no immediate danger to us, but if we stay here too long, we''ll be in trouble, especially you. There are enemy forces from your world who will hunt you down first. So it might not be in your best interest to keep us in this situation for long."


    "Damn it, Kendrick! Do you realize this is suicide?" she asked him angrily, sensing that there was indeed trouble for her near to this place. "Even if I ally myself with you, we will all die to the forces of The Blossom World or the forces of my world. If we don''t return immediately, we will be considered traitors!"


    "We''re not going back, Grisdi. I won''t abandon my mother!"


    Looking at the four of them preparing to attack him, Grisdi knew she would die as soon as she slit Hollie''s throat. Worse, the moment she died, her sect wouldn''t be able to track down this group, who had surely prepared well before coming here.


    ''I''ll back off for now. They don''t know about my emergency communicator, which is connected to my life force. That will be enough for the sect to send a group to my position.'' She thought to herself.


    "All right. Let''s make a deal and calm our hearts." She opened her mouth when Kendrick offered her the contract with the previous conditions.


    As soon as she was sure that she wouldn''t be killed, she let go of Hollie and had her things taken away, as she had expected.


    "You will accompany us for now." Kendrick tied Grisdi''s wrists and heels while she continued with her plan to secretly sabotage this group.


    "I hope you will not kill us all." She said as she looked into his eyes, really wishing it.

 Chapter 2423 Challenging Level 10

    Chapter 2423 Challenging Level 10


    In the blink of an eye, the 9 years and 7 months that Minos had promised Soli passed, and they both woke up from their meditation at almost the same time.


    Seeing Minos get up from the place where he had been meditating for almost 10 years, Soli sighed and did the same, following him to the exit side of the cultivation area.


    "Do you really want to challenge level 10? What are your chances?" She asked curiously, wanting to know if this man could succeed or not.


    She sincerely believed that he would not. Logic said it was unlikely, but Minos was a monster, and when the time came for him to try, with only two months left until the end of the Millennium Massacre, she couldn''t help but hesitate.


    "We''ll find out in a few moments." He said with a serious expression on his face, preparing to take the last step inside the pyramid before the heritage event ended.


    As he clenched his fists, he thought about how his family must be feeling and imagined himself doing his best in these last moments in The Red Expanse before returning to his group.


    ''After this step, it will be time for me to prepare for the journey to Zocarro.'' He thought as he reappeared in the stairwell, Soli by his side, watching him anxiously.


    "See you at the next stage of the legacy, Soli. Good luck when you return to your planet." He smiled at her confidently, with a resolute look in his eyes as he stole her cultivation.


    Soli felt weaker at the end of Minos'' words, but since she had improved a lot over the past 10 years, she maintained her consciousness while still at the 900th degree.


    "Good luck to you as well. I''m curious to hear your story on the next legacy test."


    With that exchange of words, Minos moved forward, quickly overcoming the first 35 steps of his path.


    But this being wouldn''t go back on his words for anyone''s benefit. If Minos could only enjoy the benefits of this inheritance for a few more days, the Celestial being wouldn''t change that.


    Interested in getting the best out of his heirs, this being would help none of them directly.


    "In any case, it will be interesting to see his path to the next test." The Celestial smiled when he saw Minos had reached the 994th degree, and that this young human''s cultivation was becoming fragile, showing he would return to level 100.


    "He won''t be able to improve the quality of his physique in the short time he has left, but maybe he''ll make it to the next test. Hehe, I liked this Millennium Massacre. I see I have some suitable heirs to compete in the future."


    "Congratulations on your success, master. Soon, you''ll have someone to take your place in the Upper Realm!" the subordinate said in a tone of immense joy for his leader.


    Minos did not know he was being watched by the Celestial behind this strange dimension. All he cared about was taking the next step and achieving his short-term goal.


    ''Gloria, Abby and Ruth, wait for me! I''m about to return home!'' He smiled through the excruciating pain of reaching the step 999 as blood dripped down his body instead of sweat.


    His leg bones were almost completely broken by the time he moved to take the last step, and his cultivation had already returned to level 100.


    He did what he could, using his hands to strengthen his deformed or broken limbs, and bravely pushed his way toward level 1,000.


    One hour after beginning his challenge to the highest level of the Celestial being''s pyramid, Minos reached the last step of his journey!


    He used what little he had left to advance toward the cultivation area at the top of the pyramid, shocking Soli, while the two beings from the Upper Realm watched him from the top of the pyramid.


    Having reached his goal, Minos would focus on meditating and recuperating in order to make as much progress as possible in the last two months he would have before the end of the Millennium Massacre!

 Chapter 2424 End of the Millennium Massacre

    Chapter 2424 End of the Millennium Massacre


    During the last eight weeks of the Millennium Massacre, Minos would use half of that time to recover his body and soul from the severe injuries he had suffered in order to reach level 10.


    Luckily for him, his body was practically as strong as that of a dragon of the same cultivation level, which gave the young Stuart significant resistance to pain, regeneration ability, and mental strength.


    By taking advantage of the dense energy and cultivation laws of the cultivation realm at the highest level of the pyramid, he could heal his entire body, from the bones to the muscle structures that had previously been severely injured.


    If he had been in another area, he was sure that it would have taken him several months to recover his body from such severe injuries. Fortunately, after a month of hard work, he would be able to complete his recovery and reach a new level.


    If he were to try the level 9 to 10 advancement test again, he would be able to make it all the way to level 10 without Soli''s help, without having to go through what he had gone through.


    However, after this first half of his time at level 10, it would be time for him to really make the most of this place and use all the pressure of this area to push his characteristics to even higher heights.


    His physique would reach the threshold between Divine and Celestial in his last days in The Red Expanse, and all of his techniques, secondary skills, and soul traits would show signs of evolution.


    He wouldn''t discover all of his progress for a while, but he already knew in this place that he was growing at an absurd rate.


    But he wouldn''t stop to think about it during any of his last days there. In fact, none of the other 99 remaining competitors would even take the time to think about how they were doing. The last days of the Millennium Massacre would be all about cultivating to the limit and gathering as much as possible.


    Thus, without realizing it, these 100 aliens would reach their last day there, when they could finally return to their worlds and prepare for the next encounter!


    At the headquarters of Banished Crossfire, Igiro was receiving news from the group he had sent to pursue Kendrick''s group about a year ago.


    Despite Kendrick''s escape a year ago, the cult''s forces hadn''t completely lost track of him. After searching for the tracker attached to Grisdi''s communication device, the sect had sent allied groups of its forces to hunt down the team led by Kendrick.


    Hunting people in space or on neutral planets in this galaxy in the middle of a war wasn''t easy. Even more so, considering that time passed more quickly in The Enchanted Real, which meant that as much as a year had passed in this world, only a few months had passed for Kendrick and the others since their escape.


    So, the last few months had been a lot of investigating and hunting, and only now was the sect closing in on the trail of Kendrick''s group, which obviously hadn''t stopped.


    "Guardsman Igiro, our group is about to intercept Kendrick''s group. They''ve just entered The Blossom World, so it will be a tough approach." A level 108 Sovereign said, while Igiro feared the worst.


    "Tell the group infiltrating The Blossom World not to hesitate. Kill Kendrick Stuart! We can''t take that risk, or he might become a member of the enemy forces. By then, he''ll turn against our world completely and we''ll be screwed!" Igiro said worriedly, his voice hoarse.


    "Of course. Our allies know how delicate the situation is with him. They will assassinate him as soon as..."


    As this member of Banished Crossfire went to secure one of the sect''s ten most important elders, a guard rushed in with a glowing object in his hands.


    "Guard Igiro, our group in Mensnet Gorge has just reported a change in that location. Kendrick Stuart''s father seems to return to our world!"


    "What?" Igiro stood up from his chair and moved to Mensnet Gorge moments later!


    Everyone in the surrounding area went on alert, while various teleportation devices began to be used.


    If they couldn''t eliminate Kendrick Stuart in time, the best way for them to prepare for the future was to capture Minos Stuart!

 Chapter 2425 The Return of Minos

    Chapter 2425 The Return of Minos


    When Minos saw the space in front of him stop changing, he saw the exit of the special crack that had brought him to the Red Expanse over 450 years ago.


    He crossed the remaining space on his way and appeared in the blink of an eye at the place where he had broken through to level 100, smiling as he encountered a group of creatures similar to his superior in Armhands.


    But Minos didn''t focus on these locals right away. He expected his family wouldn''t be around the whole time he was away, and that there might be locals around when he returned.


    When he arrived back in The Enchanted Realm, he immediately paid attention to himself, checking his physical and mental condition, as well as his soul power, which had increased significantly while he was in the Celestial''s dimension.


    ''Level 103, huh?'' A smile broke out on Minos'' face. His cultivation had gone from the beginning of level 100 to the end of level 103!


    Not only was his level higher, he could feel a new ability related to flames; the feeling of his wings was different; all his skills and techniques were much stronger, including a clairvoyance that was stronger than ever.


    He wanted to focus his moment on checking the characteristics of his body and the limits of his current abilities, but his clairvoyance was so much more efficient and stronger he saw minutes ahead of his time without even trying.


    With only 25 seconds back in this world, his eyebrows knitted together while his aura became much stronger, suddenly leaving level 103 and rising to level 106.


    His Physique was so close to reaching the Celestial grade that his ability had strengthened a bit more even with no qualitative advancement!


    "What happened to my wives? Why do you want to kidnap me to deal with Kendrick?" He opened his mouth as the level 107, 108, 109, and 110 Sovereigns standing around him learned the hard way that Minos was not simple.


    Igiro was already there when Minos returned, so he was one of those who fell under the mental attack that could imprison even high-ranking sovereigns like him forever.


    In this imaginary world, Minos was the supreme being in the area, able to control everything that existed there, including denying the powers of any of those Sovereigns from Kendrick''s old sect.


    "This is... Senior, forgive us if we''ve offended you..." One of those Sovereigns said, his voice trembling, his heart beating very hard in his chest. "We have done nothing against your relatives and allies. It was they who acted against us. We helped them for decades, but a year ago, Kendrick betrayed us and fled The Enchanted Realm."


    A level 109 said this while expressing confusion, not understanding how he could speak so sincerely in Minos'' presence.


    It was the truth, but in front of someone like Minos, wouldn''t it be better to lie a little and make it look like his side was sorry and wrong for besieging this place?


    But as he answered, this being had an aura of darkness around his body, making him see Minos as someone he should tell the truth to above all else!


    Minos manipulated his Dark Sea to encourage this furry creature to tell the truth, using the evolution of that ability to get what he wanted.


    "He betrayed you? How?" "A few years ago, six of Kendrick''s companions, including his mother, went on a mission before being kidnapped by The Blossom World. The forces of that world tried to use them to blackmail Kendrick and force him to surrender. We arrested him to prevent him from making that mistake, but a year ago, he managed to escape with the rest of his group and betrayed the cult."


    "Right now, Kendrick is on The Blossom World, and a group is closing in on him to assassinate him before the forces on that planet decide to use him instead of killing him."


    "Why would you and your enemies want to kill Kendrick? What has he done?" Minos made a strange expression, not understanding this part of the story.


    "Because of his divine ability." Igiro said as he trembled with pain. "Kendrick can easily open portals to any part of the galaxy. If he falls into the most hostile ones and opens portals against our world, we could be defenseless against a massive attack from our enemies!"


    "Oh?" Minos understood the potential of such a thing, not expecting his son''s divine ability to cause such problems for their group.

 Chapter 2426 The Fastest in the Galaxy

    Chapter 2426 The Fastest in the Galaxy


    "Wait, Kendrick can really do that?" Minos couldn''t help but smile at how strong his group had become. "What level is he at right now?"


    "Level 103, Senior." With a hint of fear in his voice, one of the locals responded.


    "Level 103? It seems that The Red Expanse wasn''t all about benefits for us... Anyway, I have new skills now and can do much more with my techniques."


    The idea of being reached out to by one of his children was not part of Minos'' life plan. However, his experience in the Red Expanse had provided him with many advancements that extended well beyond his spiritual growth.


    Despite not having tested his powers yet, Minos was already aware of the newfound abilities he possessed. For example, the Devouring Art could now reach a distance of up to 50 kilometers from him, over 30 times greater than its previous range. The conversion factor of the energy absorbed by it had improved, and now 100% of what it absorbed would go to his control, the limit of the technique.


    The secondary ability of the technique, which worked passively on his body, had also strengthened. Before, he could use it on other people by leaving his mark on them, but it was limited to a few dozen people. Now, he could leave his mark on an infinite number of cultivators!


    Those who had Minos'' mark could use the skill at almost the same level as him, and even protect themselves from level 110 attacks, even if their cultivation was far from that level.


    As for the Divine Seal, it had reached the 3rd level of mastery. He felt he could summon beings with his seal, even if those beings were on the other side of the universe!


    Regrettably, in order to accomplish this, he would need to affix modern seals onto the object or entity he wished to summon, enabling it to traverse vast distances.


    Under the watchful eyes of these mid- and high-ranking Sovereigns, Minos raised his powers as high as he could, fusing his three compatible techniques together as he formed a sword sealed in space.


    As the members of Kendrick''s sect watched, Minos summoned his supreme weapon after years of being unable to use the Divine Sword.


    This time, this weapon possesses an aura 100 times stronger than the last time Minos summoned it, causing the very space of The Enchanted Realm to tremble in its presence.


    Gravitational waves spread from Minos'' position to the surroundings of this planet, while the laws and energy connected to this weapon vibrated.


    For a moment, Minos became the center of this world, making even the level 114 expert on the other side of this world feel his presence and tremble.


    But before he had to talk to any more people in this world and maybe impede his new plans, Minos used the 2 meter long sword with several runes glowing on its blade to cut through the space in front of him.


    His cut revealed a place Minos already knew, the planet he had passed through before coming to The Enchanted Realm, where he knew he could reach The Blossom World in a few days'' travel.


    As he moved, he used his movement technique and disappeared in front of the men from Kendrick''s sect, so fast the spatial fabric he was in shook and he disappeared as if he had never been there.


    Minos has achieved a top speed of 100 kilometers per second, which undoubtedly makes him the fastest entity in the entire galaxy.


    Within a matter of seconds, he would find himself not only distanced from the men in The Enchanted Realm but also completely removed from the location where he initially appeared in The Mirror Realm.

 Chapter 2427 Arrival at The Mirror Realm

    Chapter 2427 Arrival at The Mirror Realm


    As soon as Minos left The Enchanted Realm, the space he had cut closed with golden lines, while an energy sword solidified there.


    A seal in a language the natives of the area didn''t understand formed in that place before the sword disappeared, the spatial cut vanishing as if it were just an illusion.


    But all the remaining Sovereigns could understand what Minos had done.


    "He has created a portal with brutal power for a world he had been on before!" Igiro commented as he struggled to rise from the ground.


    "Not only that, he''s marked this place with a seal. He''ll probably be able to teleport here easily in the future!"


    "This is bad! We may have angered someone even more dangerous than the leader of The Blossom World!"


    "How is it possible for a low-level Sovereign to have so much power?"


    "We are ruined!"


    The men commented in a terrible mood, feeling as if they had faced death and narrowly escaped.


    While they were commenting and understanding what had happened, a terrifying aura suddenly appeared in the area, causing them all to turn their attention to the person who had just appeared.


    "Your Excellency!" Igiro recognized the owner of the level 114 aura, which was even stronger than Minos'' extreme powers.


    All the other members of the Banished Crossfire opened their mouths as they recognized the leading figure of The Enchanted Realm, the high-ranking Sovereign at the limit of the cultivation that his world could take him to.


    "Who did this? Who left this mark on my world?" asked the 200,000-year-old elder, the one responsible for the greatness of his world, the one who prevented The Blossom World from directly attacking The Enchanted Realm, the one responsible for the stability of the pre-war galaxy.


    Aware of the problems his family might face, Minos ignored the warnings he had received decades ago when he went to The Enchanted Realm and went to the area where there were observers from both sides of the war of the galaxy.


    It would take Minos only 20 minutes to cover the entire distance between his point of arrival in The Mirror Realm and the location of the wormholes when he spotted it and planned to pass through one wormhole in the area.


    As soon as he appeared there, several mid- and high-level Sovereigns realized that a member of The Enchanted Realm alliance had just appeared there.


    A level 111 alien from The Blossom World saw Minos moving quickly and didn''t hesitate to act, leaving his post to attack the extremely fast young man who was moving towards the wormhole port.


    Minos saw his opponent''s attack, but since he was still at level 106, he simply spread his wings as he flew, causing a golden halo to appear around him.


    The attack of the first Sovereign to move vanished when it touched Minos'' golden halo, while a terrifying gravitational pressure surged over those near the wormhole port.


    "Get out of my way!" Minos shouted as he moved forward, aiming for the spatial distortion he knew would lead him to The Blossom World.


    Unlike Kendrick and the others, who feared the forces of such a world enough to enter secretly the planet of their enemies, Minos didn''t have the same concerns. He headed straight for the enemy world without hiding or fearing the forces on the other side of the spatial distortion that would take him a few days to cross completely.


    Several aliens in the area turned away in fear of Minos, and the members of The Enchanted Realm looked at him without understanding the situation, for he bore the mark of an ally, but they had never heard of this powerful Sovereign.


    A level 110 being attempted to attack Minos, using its massive body to strike at the small spirit man in his Soul Avatar form.


    Minos looked toward this individual''s face and stimulated the Dragon''s Gaze.


    The figure of a colossal dragon appeared around Minos'' body, as the creature felt its powers weaken in the face of a being capable of opposing it with a single glance!


    "Get lost!" Minos muttered as giant meteors formed in the area and flew towards the giant being, along with the terrifying pressure of the surrounding laws trying to extinguish it.


    Under the terrified eyes of the Sovereigns of The Mirror Realm, Minos extinguished a level 110 being without a fight!

 Chapter 2428 Arrival at The Blossom World!

    Chapter 2428 Arrival at The Blossom World!


    There wasn''t a battle to stop Minos from passing through the spatial distortion that took him to The Blossom World.


    The moment he suppressed a level 111 Sovereign and killed a level 110 Sovereign on his way through, everyone else in the vicinity was startled by his power.


    Even the strongest level 112 cultivators stared at Minos as they stood still in their places. They were the strongest in The Mirror Realm, but they weren''t confident they could defeat this human without sacrificing too much of their strength!


    The battle that could make his journey difficult would not develop, but that didn''t mean his actions today wouldn''t have consequences throughout the galaxy.


    The moment Minos passed through the spatial distortion, the men of The Enchanted Realm would see a great opportunity ahead of them, seeing a monster like Minos making his way into the interior of The Blossom World.


    "We must act now! Attack!" One of the high-ranking Sovereigns of The Enchanted Realm saw the opportunity and moved, not hesitating to attack the level 111 giant Minos had just stunned with his previous blows.


    Seeing the leader of the group act, the other allies of The Enchanted Realm''s forces also moved and attacked the aliens and allies of The Blossoming World''s forces at that location.


    The neutral forces in the area could do nothing as the two sides fought each other, with the first to attack putting more pressure on the enemies.


    "Shit! Retreat! Retreat!"


    The natives of The Mirror Realm began to leave the area as a decisive battle in this galaxy''s war of worlds began.


    As this was happening, Minos was already traveling at high speed through the wormhole that would take him to The Blossom World, unaware of the chaos his actions were already causing.


    The only thing on his mind now was to get to his family, to regain his wives and children!


    ...


    While Minos traveled to The Blossom World, Kendrick and his group traveled through the mountains of this super-technological planet, sneaking their way to the place where Minos'' women were supposed to be.


    ...


    Meanwhile, at the headquarters of the force behind The Blossom World...


    There, Abby, Ruth and Gloria were together in a cell, the place they had lived since arriving on this planet less than two years ago.


    Time passed differently in The Blossom World than in the Enchanted Realm. For the women of Minos, they had been separated from their husbands for only 39 years.


    But just like Kendrick, Lily, and Hollie, all three felt the seals on their bodies warm up, making them look at each other and think the same thing.


    ''Minos!''


    The eyes of the three of them opened significantly as their spirits improved, giving them more energy even in this situation where they were trapped and unable to cultivate.


    "Is what I think really happening?" Abby asked, looking at her harem sisters, but not daring to say anything she shouldn''t have.


    For almost two years, they had lived in captivity, helping the local forces to ask Kendrick to surrender, giving information about the sect they had lived in and where Kendrick was supposed to be. They even revealed their origins, their destination, and Minos, who had disappeared in The Enchanted Realm.


    They did what was necessary to avoid antagonizing the enemies who could kill them and waited for the day that seemed to have finally arrived.


    "I think so," Gloria commented with a twinkle in her eye. "If that''s the case, our time is coming. We must offer to do what the local leaders expect of us." Ruth saw her family''s moment to rebel.


    The local leaders wanted Abby to resurrect several local leaders from this world in exchange for their freedom to cultivate and move around in The Blossom World!


    Abby imagined this would be their only chance of not having ropes around their necks when Minos arrived in this world, something essential to their escape.


    "Let''s do it." She agreed with her harem sisters as she stood up and motioned to the nearby guard to come to her.


    "Tell your leaders that my mind is made up. As long as they keep their end of the bargain, I''ll bring the former leaders of your planet back to life!"

 Chapter 2429 Abbys Divine Ability

    Chapter 2429 Abby''s Divine Ability


    Soon after Abby''s announcement, she and her five companions were taken to the level 114 Sovereign who was currently in The Blossom World.


    As soon as one of his men informed him of the blue-haired woman''s decision, the individual behind the local forces welcomed them into his pavilion.


    "I''ve been told that you''re willing to make the deal I proposed. Is that true?" The intimidating looking being asked.


    Abby nodded and said. "Yes. As long as you allow us to cultivate again and have the freedom to move around this planet of yours, I will resurrect all those you wish."


    The high-level Sovereign, who was currently the strongest in this world, smiled, while he couldn''t help but clench his fists, feeling that it was time for the war to enter its decisive moment.


    "I can do that, but you''ll be limited to my world. I''ll leave tracking artifacts in your bodies that can track you and prevent you from leaving the planet. Is that all right with you?"


    The women of Minos looked at each other and agreed that this was the best they could get for now.


    Abby nodded in agreement.


    The native then said. "In that case, I''ve already collected the bodies of my predecessors. I want you to revive them all."


    Abby''s divine ability was deeply connected to the fusion of the techniques left by the Goddess of Life, something that could make her capable of unleashing mystical phenomena even more impressive than the fusion of those techniques.


    The only leaders in the history of The Blossom World to have advanced to level 114 are the three current leaders of that world, two of them fighting the war away from their planet and the man before Abby, there to ensure the safety of their home.


    Abby and the others looked at the 23 coffins with hesitation in their hearts, wondering how much stronger the local forces would be with these additions.


    Although The Blossom World currently had 3 level 114 Sovereigns, it only had 3 level 113 Sovereigns and 8 level 112 Sovereigns. The addition that Abby could make today could greatly increase the local forces!


    Abby said to the man. "I can bring them all back to life. It will take me a week to revive them all, but you should prepare yourself for realistic results.


    I won''t be able to control any of them. If they want to attack you or each other, that''s beyond my control. At most, I will help them understand that they have been resurrected and calm the confusion of a newly resurrected dead soul.


    Also, don''t expect them to last long in battle. Those at level 113 should be able to last 90 minutes before disappearing. Those at level 112 can last up to 3 hours.


    Otherwise, they should have between 95% and 99% of their power left before they die."


    "That''s good enough for me." The present leader said firmly, wondering what it would mean for him.


    ''If I use each of them only in times of great need, I can count on them for between 5 and 10 battles. That''s more than enough to make a big difference on the battlefield!''


    Abby stepped forward, moving her powers while activating her divine power, and began what she had promised while waiting for Minos to speed up his pace.


    ''Be quick. If you take too long, the local forces might use it to disrupt your plans and put us in even more danger!''

 Chapter 2430 Approaching the Goals

    Chapter 2430 Approaching the Goals


    One week after Abby''s agreement with the level 114 Sovereign, the blue-haired woman, level 103, finished what she had promised.


    By the time she had finished summoning back to life two individuals, one level 112 and one level 113, Abby had exhausted all of her powers, but she had completed her most immediate mission.


    The moment she finished this summoning of darkness, the two reanimated dead, with almost perfect bodies that seemed to have died only moments before, looked around and more or less understood where they were.


    Given Abby''s skill, neither felt confused, and they felt their sanity at its best, allowing their reason to overcome their irrationality.


    "This is..."


    "I''m back in The Blossom World."


    "Welcome back, dear colleagues." The local leader said as he showed himself to these two ancestors, former leaders and the most powerful members of this planet in their generations. "I am sorry to disturb your eternal sleep, but our world is at a turning point in our expansion. With your help, I hope to complete our plans and dominate the galaxy!" Alll latest novels at novelhall.com


    "Oh?"


    The two reanimated dead understood the situation. It had been a long-standing plan of this civilization to grow, expand its territories, and become the leader of the galaxy.


    The two resurrected by Abby today had helped to build important pillars for the project being put into practice today, so they were interested in how their world was doing, and more importantly, they wanted to help.


    "It seems that our powers have grown a lot since we died. Are you, by any chance, the first of our race to reach level 114?" The level 113 asked the strongest of his race he had ever seen.


    "No. A companion of mine was the first to reach it. Besides him, there''s another one of us and me. They are now fighting in the galaxy, while I''m on guard duty in The Blossom World."


    So the group stopped for the moment, sat close together, and talked about what they could do next.


    "Our mothers are close. We need to prepare to fight the enemies." Hollie said, while the members of Minos'' group had determined looks on their faces.


    The only one who wasn''t so happy was Grisdi, who couldn''t help but warn the group. "Do not be so bold as to operate in the city ahead. The local forces have absolute control over their cities. The chances of a level 101 girl''s powers protecting us are practically zero!"


    Kendrick looked at his former squire and said. "There will be dangers ahead. We are aware of them and ready to fight. I''ll open a portal to The Mirror Realm as soon as we have our family by our side."


    Kendrick''s other five companions agreed with this plan, with his sisters especially looking forward to being reunited with the rest of the group.


    Grisdi gritted her teeth and glared at Kendrick, fearing the worst.


    ''Shit! He''s going to kill us!''


    She looked up at the starry sky of this area and wished that the natives of her world would move faster or all would be lost for her.


    ...


    While Grisdi wished that her world mates would catch up to the group, those sent from The Enchanted Realm to kill Kendrick were closer to them than to Ruth and the others!


    A group of men from The Enchanted Realm were heading toward Grisdi''s location, three level 111 Sovereigns with determined looks on their faces, there to kill and quickly return to their world.


    As much as the forces of The Enchanted Realm had already dealt with Minos and discovered that he was on the move, it would take weeks for that world to communicate with these men now in The Blossom World. These individuals were in the dark as to the current position of their planet!


    "Get ready to move. We''ll reach our destination in 3 hours!" The team leader said as they put cloaks over their bodies to fly secretly through the forest where Kendrick''s group was.

 Chapter 2431 Moviments in The Blossom World

    Chapter 2431 Moviments in The Blossom World


    While the group of pursuers sent by The Enchanted Realm, Kendrick''s group, and Ruth''s group were moving, Minos was on the last leg of his journey through the wormhole between The Mirror Realm and The Blossom World.


    He had returned to his normal peak cultivation level of 103 and had lost much of his previous speed. However, his current speed was still very good, and he was only a few hours away from reaching his destination!


    As he flew through the spatial tunnel on his way, he had a profound look on his face, thinking about his family''s situation on the other side of the spatial distortion he would pass through in a few more hours of travel.


    ''Just hold on a little longer. I''m almost there!''


    That was the thought in his head as he flew at top speed, using his own divine ability to alter the passage of time for him, speeding him towards his destination.


    Besides, he could only think about what he would do when he arrived in The Blossom World, where he would face a complicated situation when he arrived at a post that would surely be guarded by many guards.


    But at his current level, there wasn''t much for him to plan. He would fight those who stood in his way and try to go straight to his relatives as soon as he found them. Escape was his plan for when he had gathered all 12 of his companions.


    Other than that, Minos had only been thinking about the items he had brought back from The Red Expanse over the past few days.


    He had finally gained access to his spatial rings after returning from the dimension of the Celestial and had been counting his winnings for the past few days.


    As he had expected when he was in The Red Expanse, the many enemies he had killed and the space storage items he had collected there had left him with great wealth.


    In addition to a lot of information about rich and magnificent worlds, as well as the location of some important places in the universe, Minos had got several precious artifacts and cultivation resources.


    Not all of them would be useful for him and his family to strengthen themselves or even use to their advantage, but they could become enough of a bargaining chip for him to be considered a wealthy man, even in Zocarro!


    With his current wealth, even if his party had collected nothing in the four decades he''d been away, Minos could pay for the trip to Zocarro and still have over 60% of the items he''d collected left over!


    Everyone on her team stopped hiding in the sewer they had just entered and looked at Hollie seriously.


    "Are you sure about this?" Kendrick asked.


    "Yes. She''s going in the opposite direction we''re going." She said, not understanding what that could mean.


    "Are they taking her somewhere bad?" Lily feared the worst.


    The way she and everyone else saw it, if these women were standing still, their chances were better. If they were moving, considering this was a hostile world, it could mean terrible things!


    Thinking of her mother, Abby, Kendrick clenched his fists as his expression turned grim. "What are we going to do? If it''s what we think, we could be closer to losing her than catching up!"


    "I think we should take our chances, young master." The robot said, amidst the concern of these five humans. "You won''t be able to use your ability for a while after you get us close to them, but we can unite and fight together, maybe rescue Their Majesties and hide until you recover.


    If we don''t, we might get nowhere and lose them forever."


    "Our father is coming, that''s for sure." Lily commented. "Let''s take our chances now. Maybe he''ll reach us in time."


    Grisdi swallowed her saliva as she listened to them, wanting to stop these people from making this mistake.


    But with her cultivation sealed, she could do nothing when Kendrick used his divine ability to forge a portal near where Abby and the others were passing.


    The moment he opened that portal, his action became visible not only to his group but also to the detection items above that area, as well as to a group rapidly approaching them in that underground area!


    "Shit!"


    One of the level 111 Sovereigns sensed this before seeing Kendrick''s group enter the newly created portal just as his group was about to catch up with them!

 Chapter 2432 Reunion

    Chapter 2432 Reunion


    The moment they left, the level 111 Sovereigns who were about to catch up with them failed to touch Kendrick''s portal before it closed.


    "Shit! That brat screwed us!" said one native of The Enchanted Realm as he realized that not only had they lost contact with this group, but that an even bigger problem was now within their grasp.


    While they had been left behind, they had attracted the full attention of the intelligent surveillance devices that had just noticed Kendrick''s actions.


    At this moment, the forces of The Blossom World were aware that Kendrick Stuart was in this world, but local experts were already being called in to catch up with the three invaders now being monitored in this sewer tunnel!


    "Let''s get out of here! We can''t go after this group now!" The leader of the group said in a cold sweat, immediately heading back the way they had come, but this time flying much faster.


    ...


    Meanwhile, for Kendrick''s group...


    Grisdi saw the group of envoys from her planet attack toward Kendrick''s group a few moments ago, when he threw her body into the portal before going through that region of space himself.


    The native of The Enchanted Realm could only turn pale as she realized her great opportunity to save herself had been ruined by a simple moment of desperation by Kendrick and his group.


    ''Shit! I almost got rescued!'' she moaned in her mind as the others appeared at the spot near where Hollie had told Kendrick to open her portal.


    But not only did she realize her group had almost been reached by three high-ranking Sovereigns. As soon as they reappeared in the forest where they had been hours before, the level 106 robot alerted their group as Kendrick closed the portal.


    "Sovereigns from The Enchanted Realm were about to reach us!" He said, glaring at Grisdi.


    "How could this happen? I thought we were untraceable." Vico commented in disbelief, but he had felt the auras that had tried to approach them as soon as Kendrick had used his divine power.


    "Let''s do this. You check it out, and I''ll keep an eye on their group. But be careful. I have a bad feeling about this," said the other.


    Soon after, the two went their separate ways while Kendrick''s group moved, now finally without Grisdi sabotaging them.


    ...


    "Did you feel that?" Ruth looked back in the direction where she had just noticed a familiar sensation.


    Abby also looked in that direction as she stopped flying and felt the sensation of Kendrick''s ability.


    "Shit! That''s Kendrick!" She was the first to alert her group, not expecting him to be so close.


    "Kendrick? What''s he doing here? Doesn''t he know the locals want his head?" One of the three level 106 men standing with Abby, Gloria, and Ruth asked.


    "Let''s go back! He could be in danger. This spatial fluctuation is too strong for only us to have noticed it!" Ruth turned around and was the first to move forward to where the rest of Kendrick''s group had already left to come toward them.


    For the next five minutes, their two groups would move in opposite directions, with Minos'' women heading toward where Kendrick''s group had arrived and his group heading toward them.


    Halfway there, they would meet before either of the two level 111 locals realized they were together.


    "Mother!" Kendrick shouted at the sight of Abby, while looks of relief appeared on Lily and Hollie''s faces.


    Seeing that they were all okay, the members of both groups felt the relief of being reunited before worrying about what to do next.


    But as soon as they had hugged each other and exchanged a few quick words saying they were fine, the level 106 robot warned them of the enemy they had just spotted.


    "Prepare to fight. A level 111 Sovereign is watching us," said the artificial being with the androgynous voice.

 Chapter 2433 Inevitable Battle

    Chapter 2433 Inevitable Battle


    The moment they heard the robot''s warning, the strongest of the group turned their attention to the level 111 Sovereign who had just stopped a few hundred meters away from them, while watching them in silence for a moment.


    Seeing Kendrick Stuart standing there, and immediately realizing that this was the God of Gates, this observer paused for a moment to assess the situation.


    ''Kendrick Stuart has infiltrated our planet? How did he do that? No, it doesn''t matter now. He''s right in front of me. I should kill him first!'' He thought while secretly preparing to move.


    ''Apho is nearby. As soon as I start fighting here, he''ll notice me and know what''s going on. Kendrick has just used his divine power, so he must be weak to use his power to escape far away... Hmm, he might escape my grasp, so I''d better make sure our forces know about it before I attack.'' He activated a communication device so that his superior at headquarters could hear what he was about to say.


    "Kendrick Stuart, who knew you''d come to The Blossom World?" He asked aloud as everyone in Kendrick''s group became deeply worried, their auras rising as they surrounded him in a defensive position.


    "Senior, what do you want?" Abby stepped forward, trying to negotiate.


    She knew that on the surface, these natives would pretend to be interested in Kendrick''s power. But the best thing for them was to eliminate this young man with extreme powers who had no positive ties to the forces of The Blossom World.


    In the meantime, she had to try to negotiate and buy time!


    ''Minos is on his way here. We need to buy as much time as possible before we face the local forces.'' Gloria said in mental communication with her group.


    ''We feel father is coming, but will he get here in time?'' Hollie asked.


    Ruth linked her innate regenerative power to all eleven of her companions as her soul avatar grew and took up a defensive position in front of the group.


    "Quickly! Get to Kendrick''s gate!" Ruth shouted as she threw everything she had into her defense to hold off the powerful attack of the enemy moving against them. Even though she didn''t have the highest cultivation level there, she was the one with the most powerful body among Minos'' companions because of her innate regenerative abilities.


    The robot and Minos'' two daughters entered Kendrick''s new portal, followed by Grisdi, who didn''t have her cultivation sealed anymore, but cooperated for fear of being killed by The Blossom World''s forces.


    By the time half of the group had passed through Kendrick''s portal, the level 111 Sovereign''s attack had destroyed the various defenses and counterattacks of the group.


    "Tsk! Useless! That''s not enough to stop me!" He commented in a superior tone as he faced Ruth''s Soul Avatar, surprised that this woman could hold out longer than the others.


    "Oh?" The look on this being''s face changed as he realized that even though Ruth did not have much power, she could defend herself very well, even against him.


    "It looks like you''re telling me to kill you first." He said to Ruth at the same time his ally realized what was going on, leaving the place where Kendrick''s group had arrived to reach the area of the current clash.


    "You will regret those words." Ruth''s voice rang in his ear, just before he realized that one of his enemies had deceived him.


    Suddenly, Ruth''s soul avatar disappeared, revealing a tree in its place as Kendrick''s portal finished closing.


    "Tsk! They''ve escaped! It looks like one of them has a great illusion-type divine ability." The other level 111 commented as he stopped next to his ally.


    "Never mind. I threw one of my parasitic insects at that native girl from The Enchanted Realm. Let''s follow my little ones to them!" The alien said, missing the attack, as several tiny insects appeared from his hands and flew toward where Kendrick''s group had gone.

 Chapter 2434 Escape Attempt

    Chapter 2434 Escape Attempt


    Once everyone arrived on the other side of Kendrick''s portal, where Abby had told her son to take them, the group stood still for just ten seconds before moving.


    Realizing where they had arrived and where they needed to go to reach this world''s wormhole port, they quickly began flying in that direction.


    "We won''t make it to our destination. We have to get ready!" Ruth said as she looked at her fellow Armhands, pointing to the snake tattoos on their foreheads. "Prepare to sacrifice your parasites!"


    The three level 106 humans and the robot immediately nodded in agreement, ready to raise their levels with the sacrifice as soon as they reached it.


    The rest of the group already knew about this last trick of the Armhands, so they couldn''t help but be solemn. Once these five used their Flashdrain parasite sacrifices, they would be weakened for a long time.


    At that time, the group would be left with the strongest of them completely vulnerable, while the others would have to deal with all the problems that would come their way after that.


    But even the other members of the team were not in the best shape. After using his power twice in a row, Kendrick was now completely exhausted, in a situation similar to that of Grisdi, whose cultivation had been sealed until a few moments ago.


    The two were carried by Hollie and Lily as the group fled, signaling how bad their situation was.


    Ruth said. "I will sacrifice my parasite last. Given my abilities, it''s possible I can heal your wounds and make your sacrifice last longer."


    "What about us?" Vico asked worriedly, his face as dark as night.


    "You should prepare to carry us or protect us after we''ve used everything we have." Ruth considered the worst-case scenario, one in which even if they survived the two level 111 Sovereigns chasing them, they wouldn''t have much time before other enemies caught up with them.


    Meanwhile, Minos made a shower of blades appear below that area, and the strongest there looked at him in horror as they sensed either his mental power, the power of his Spatial Sword, or his divine ability and Chaotic Gravity.


    In the blink of an eye, the ground in this outpost of the sovereign forces of The Blossom World cracked, and buildings flew into the air, while other areas turned into ruins, destroyed by Minos'' blades.


    The 35 natives between levels 105 and 109 died without understanding how, while Minos quickly caught up with the five individuals between levels 110 and 112.


    "Who are you?" The only level 112 Sovereign in the area asked with a horrified look on his face, trying to defend himself against Minos, but finding it extremely difficult as an hourglass appeared and disappeared near his body.


    "Kendrick Stuart''s father, husband of Abby, Ruth and Gloria!" Minos replied with bloodlust in his voice, his gaze full of bloodlust.


    "You will die for the simple mistake of provoking me." Minos added as three level 110 bodies fell to the ground, one slashed by the blades of the Spatial Sword, the other killed by the Infinite Dream, and the last fallen by Chaotic Gravity.


    With only one level 111 and one level 112 left, these two felt the need to retreat or their lives would be ended right there!


    Minos didn''t seem to be interested in following them, so just as they were retreating, they saw Emperor Stuart use the Explosive Steps and fly out of the area towards the planet''s interior.


    The symbol of an hourglass appeared on Minos'' forehead, while his eyes went completely white, and scenes from the future flashed through his mind.


    ''I found you!'' He sensed the direction where he would meet the auras of his family members and didn''t hesitate to head in that direction, flying without hiding his presence in this world.


    The men left at the border post, now totally destroyed, immediately sent warning signals to their superiors, each of them terrified by what they had just seen.


    "General, we have a problem. An enemy, supposedly Kendrick Stuart''s father, has just invaded our planet! He has powers similar to those of level 113 cultivators, so send reinforcements immediately! We may have a machine of mass destruction in our world!"

 Chapter 2435 The Fight Begins

    Chapter 2435 The Fight Begins


    While Minos was moving at high speed toward where he should find his group in no more than an hour, Kendrick and his companions found themselves in a tricky situation not long after he had used his powers for the last time.


    Thinking they had escaped from the two level 111 individuals, their group would come across a group of 5 level 110 Sovereigns after only 45 minutes on the run.


    The first two members of the group to use the sacrifice of their Flashdrain parasites were fighting, both temporarily at the peak of level 109, the maximum their parasites could take them.


    Ruth was putting her innate ability to good use, trying her best to help those two fighting the five opponents in the patch of forest they were now in.


    Her remaining companions were in position, surrounding Kendrick, Grisdi and the two Stuart sisters, the weakest of the group at the moment, eyeing their surroundings with anticipation.


    The five enemies weren''t taking it easy. While dealing with those two opponents, temporarily much stronger than they should have been, they attacked with their sights set on Kendrick in particular.


    The level 114 Sovereign''s order, already aware of Kendrick''s entry into his world, was clear. Kill the young God of Gates while they had the chance!


    The three Sovereigns of The Enchanted Realm who had almost reached Kendrick were already dead, and Minos was on the move. To calm the situation in this world, they needed to deal with Kendrick, or the worst could happen: an escape from very dangerous elements!


    While they were fighting the robot and the human, both at the peak of level 109, the five local Sovereigns were taking it in turns to get close to Kendrick.


    The robot and his companion tried to fight on the defensive, but facing five individuals stronger in level than them, even if they didn''t have stronger spiritual foundations than their own, was quite complicated.


    As soon as she had achieved this substantial improvement in her powers, she felt her senses, speed, ability to resist and support her companions, improve greatly.


    The two members of her group, who had been struggling the longest, immediately felt this as they noticed their energy reserves improving. Meanwhile, Ruth connected her powers to all her companions, before shouting to Vico, Callie, Abby and Gloria.


    "Fight with everything you''ve got! My innate ability will protect your bodies and help you recover instantly when you''re injured or use up your powers."


    Utilizing those exact words as her motivation, she fearlessly leaped towards an enemy of level 108, engaging in hand-to-hand combat to defeat that being.


    Only four of her companions wouldn''t be able to fight off the 10 opponents surrounding them. But as soon as she moved, the combat situation changed, becoming more advantageous for her group.


    Gloria and Abby were to protect the weakest of the group, while Vico and Callie flew towards one of the weakest enemies there.


    Ruth quickly reached her target''s face with a punch so powerful that the creature''s entire existence shook before it was thrown with substantial force to the ground.


    Seeing that, the level 111 Sovereign, the only one of that level in the area, opened his mouth in shock at the strength of this woman, who was displaying a level 108 temporary cultivation, but who seemed capable of hurting even him.


    "Shit! Is it within their capabilities to do that?" As he signaled the situation of his group to his superiors, this individual asked for their help.


    They had just been sent by headquarters to deal with this group, but they did not know that the enemies could use a sacrifice as strong as this!


    ''We need more reinforcements! This group will neutralize us and continue on the run, maybe even catch up with Kendrick''s father!'' He sent this message to headquarters, feeling that he needed more personnel.


    Headquarters was already aware of Minos'' arrival and had sent even stronger men to neutralize him. But, as it turned out, Kendrick''s group alone could cause immense problems for these forces before being neutralized!

 Chapter 2436 Victory?

    Chapter 2436 Victory?


    While the level 111 Sovereign retreated a bit to secure reinforcements for this group, Ruth killed the first of her opponents and quickly appeared where the opponent she had struck had fallen.


    Stomping on the native''s head, she destroyed the creature''s brains, using her powerful body along with her techniques to extinguish the opponent''s soul.


    While she was doing this, the robot used his sword against a level 110 enemy, fighting evenly against this enemy now that Ruth was helping him even more than before.


    With more energy and parts of his body working better than before, he focused on challenging the level 110 opponent, giving the weaker ones of his group room to not worry about someone so strong.


    "Kill the mid-level Sovereigns!" He shouted as the three other Sovereigns who had sacrificed their parasites held off the strongest enemies in the area, while Ruth, Callie, and Vico moved to attack the others.


    Once she was sure her opponent was dead and Callie and Vico were holding off a level 108 enemy, Ruth attacked a level 109 enemy, moving faster than the level 110 Sovereigns there.


    She disappeared from where she was and quickly crossed the space to her opponent. Stopping at his side, she grabbed his wrist and swung it from side to side as if the creature''s body were a whip.


    The stones on the ground exploded here and there with her attacks, while the ground shook as if a giant were hammering something.


    "Aaaaaaagh!"


    Regardless of race, creatures from all over the universe expressed the sensation of pain in more or less the same way, opening their mouths and revealing the horror of having parts of their bodies injured or destroyed.


    Gloria made her orb of mercury appear around Kendrick, Grisdi, Lily, and Hollie while Abby used her innate power to influence the enemies and help her companions fight.


    The bluish mist of Abby''s special power spread over an area of over 500 square meters, reaching some of the weaker Sovereigns first.


    With an innate power that could affect the nervous system of her targets, Abby could make her targets feel more or less pain, move more or less easily, etc.


    Knowing what would happen from their own experiences, the five sped up their pace, spending more of their energy as they eliminated their opponents.


    After 10 minutes of fighting in this ruined place, 6 corpses of the enemies would be on the outskirts of this area when the 9 warriors fighting the locals would force their forces against the group of four remaining individuals.


    The robot moved his sword once more, aiming for the enemy''s neck. But unlike his repeated failures of the past few minutes, this time he reached the neck of his target, who was already weaker than him at this point in the battle.


    "Die!"


    Swooish!


    His metal sword severed his opponent''s head, causing the creature''s greenish blood to flow from the base of its neck as its head spun in the air.


    Almost simultaneously with the robot''s killing blow, one of the three Sovereigns of Armhands unleashed his divine ability on the level 110 opponent who he had been fighting since the beginning of the confrontation.


    A huge wooden portal formed in the sky and fell on the creature, while the target felt his entire body stiffen and realized that he was losing his ability to move.


    "Shi..."


    He had barely finished his words when he felt a hand clasp his heart and then rip it out from behind him.


    Ruth ended this life, while Callie and Vico assisted another of the Sovereigns in dealing with a level 110 opponent who was already in a deplorable state.


    "Shit! You''re going to regret this!" said the level 111 native, the only one who looked like he would survive this massacre led by Ruth.


    Just as his last companion fell, and he thought he was surrounded by his enemies, he suddenly felt something and looked back.


    At that moment, two new auras appeared in a newly opened spatial distortion, while two shadows appeared on the horizon and quickly flew to that place.

 Chapter 2437 The Brutal Power of the Level 112 Corpse

    Chapter 2437 The Brutal Power of the Level 112 Corpse


    The moment the two new auras emerged from the spatial distortions, Abby and the others became more serious as they retreated against the almost exhausted level 111 individual they were facing.


    At the sight of the two level 111 Sovereigns who had been chasing them earlier flying towards them and the two newcomers, one level 111 and the other level 112, the group changed their mood.


    They were about to defeat an opponent and continue their escape from the area. But now they had four new enemies!


    Abby looked at the level 112 being, a corpse she had recently brought back to life, and couldn''t help but get much more serious than her companions.


    "Be careful with him. He feels no pain and has practically infinite energy. Unless we destroy his body, he''ll keep fighting us until we lose." She warned her people of the significant point of her divine ability.


    The dead she brought into the world of the living were not simply powerful because of their origins. They were also powerful because, as long as the resurrection ability lasted, it could give these beings immortal bodies and infinite energy!


    Ruth and the others looked at the corpse-like creature, while he looked into the eyes of the beautiful level 103 woman.


    "You must be the one who brought me back to life, right?" He asked as he looked at Abby, stopping this battle momentarily, while the exhausted level 111 man joined him and the other individual who had teleported over there.


    The two who had been following Abby''s group used the moment to catch up with their targets, seeing with surprise that Kendrick was still alive.


    Abby ignored those two and said. "If I were stronger, I''d make you fight your own people."


    "Hehe, too bad you didn''t! But don''t worry, I won''t kill you. I''m afraid I''ll disappear if you die. Then I''ll just deal with the rest of your group." He said as he raised one of his hands in the air.


    But before he acted, his eyes narrowed, and he asked. "Wouldn''t it be possible to make a deal? Despite the casualties here, I feel obliged to pay some respect to the person who brought me back to life."


    "So be it. I''ll rip your head off while I kill your companions on my way!" said the corpse resurrected by Abby as the three Sovereigns moved.


    Ruth and the four members of Armhands there moved to attack the four enemies in fighting condition, with Vico, Callie, Abby and Gloria going after them, fearing they wouldn''t be able to prevent the worst from happening if they didn''t brutally attack their enemies.


    Each of them attacked with what they had, techniques, divine abilities or innate skills, unleashing a series of attacks capable of frightening Sovereigns newly promoted to the high level of the 11th stage.


    The energy in the area became more chaotic, with the ground shaking again amid the deafening sounds of the group''s attacks.


    The three level 111 Sovereigns attacking formed solemn expressions as they faced these attacks capable of making them cautious, while sensing that the enemies would be able to put up resistance to them.


    Meanwhile, the level 112 Sovereign laughed, with the exhausted individual on his side retreating from the area, unable to help.


    "Eh? It seems you''ve not only grown stronger over time. Although you''ve gained some very talented individuals, you still have a lot of idiots in your ranks." He said to the four members of his race in his grasp.


    "Let me show you how to deal with these insects."


    As he said these words, he stepped forward, crossing the space in a single instant and appearing only 40 meters away from Kendrick.


    Meanwhile, all the attacks that had been launched by Kendrick''s group mates cracked or were completely obliterated.


    The level 112 corpse then showed Kendrick and his sisters the small blade he had used to do this, an item the size of a toothpick.


    "Any last words, Kendrick Stuart?" he asked as Abby and the others broke out in a cold sweat, their eyes widening as they feared the worst.


    "Die, you old corpse!" Kendrick advanced against the enemy, as he fused his techniques and a black region of space formed between him and the enemy.

 Chapter 2438 Kendricks Last Words

    Chapter 2438 Kendrick''s Last Words


    Everyone watched as Kendrick''s black hole formed, swallowing the surrounding space as the brown-haired young man directed it at the level 112 corpse.


    The energy in the area was swallowed up by this massive region of space, causing the exhausted level 111 individual in the area to stare in disbelief at Kendrick''s power.


    He felt if he had to deal with it in his current state, exhausted and having temporarily lost a level to Kendrick, he would be in serious trouble.


    ''It seems like the God of Gates isn''t just dangerous because of his divine ability...'' This individual thought as he stepped back.


    The level 112 corpse looked at it in admiration for Kendrick, seeing he would have to use everything he had to deal with this boy.


    "Those were nice last words. Now I will show you what power really is!"


    The lifeless body exhibited a peculiar phenomenon by bringing his hands closer towards each other, eventually intertwining his fingers in front of his chest.


    Large metal structures formed in the surrounding air, with enormous weapons charging at Kendrick while dark energy surged from the corpse''s hands.


    ''Let''s see how much he can take.'' As he focused his thoughts inward, he channeled his energy into obliterating Kendrick''s menacing black hole.


    Although unfamiliar with the black hole, he swiftly comprehended its inner workings. He was astonished. If someone wasn''t much stronger than it, this individual would have had no choice but to run as far away as possible. Facing the black hole would be foolish!


    But for someone at his level, this area of space wasn''t that frightening. Knowing what he had to do, the level 112 corpse stole the internal pressure of the black hole, making it tremble as it encountered an enemy more voracious than itself.


    Meanwhile, Kendrick flew through the area, dodging as best he could from the weapon-shaped metals that followed him.


    "Shit!" He muttered, a horrified expression on his face as he flew around the area while his sisters attacked the enemy metal weapons that were chasing him.


    ''Is he talking about his own father?'' The corpse thought to himself and turned his weapon on Kendrick''s body, making the young man suffer a little more.


    Abby despaired at the deadly attack on her son, neglecting the other opponents as she left the formation and tried to attack the damned corpse.


    "NOOOOOOOOO!" she shouted with horror in her voice.


    "No, Abby!" Ruth shouted as she saw the level 111 enemy closest to her harem sister take the opportunity to make a deadly attack on the blue-haired woman.


    Appearing in front of Abby, Ruth took the creature''s blow instead of her harem sister.


    "Aaaaagh!"


    Ruth screamed as she felt her intestines ripped open as her party lost control of the situation, with the three enemies acting quickly to injure nearly all of them.


    Grisdi saw it all happen in the blink of an eye as she lay near to Kendrick, her eyes welling with tears.


    ''I told you not to do this!'' she cried again, seeing she would die in this terrible place and her world would probably lose the war after the death of all of them.


    "Kendrick! I''ll hunt you down in my next life!" She screamed, feeling furious and wishing she could kill the young man herself.


    The level 112 corpse saw the situation of this group deteriorating rapidly, and his group''s victory was assured.


    He did not hesitate before pulling the weapon out of Kendrick''s body, causing him to open his eyes wide and let out a last scream of pain.


    Kendrick felt his body grow cold as the light in his eyes was replaced by darkness, and he felt the loneliness of death approaching to embrace him.


    ''So... this is how I die?'' he asked himself as he saw the sky above this area through the darkness of his eyes, noticing a golden glow miles above where he could see clearly.

 Chapter 2439 Deaths on the Battlefield

    Chapter 2439 Deaths on the Battlefield


    The moment Kendrick''s body was released by the enemy and fell to the ground, unable to move his body, the level 112 corpse narrowed his eyes and felt a great chill run through his body.


    He slowly turned around and looked up at the sky.


    He witnessed a golden glow, resembling wings, emerge miles away, but in the next moment, it magnified and materialized directly in front of him.


    As this level 112 corpse swallowed his saliva and felt the terror of the newcomer, who was currently at level 111, he could do nothing as he felt his own demise.


    "NOOO!"


    The moment the golden glow appeared in front of him, a two-meter sword pierced through his neck, severing his head.


    Before he felt his death, a colorful glow appeared in his eyes, and he found himself in an imaginary world completely different from where he was.


    A summoning hell filled with black chains and hideous creatures appeared so suddenly that he felt as if he had been teleported there.


    "Your punishment for trying to kill my son is to be consumed by the eternal flames of the Infinite Dream." A powerful voice arose in the corpse''s mind as he noticed the similarities between this being''s aura and Kendrick''s aura.


    "Minos Stuart!" He screamed in horror.


    "Suffer here for the next 10,000 years. Your soul will only die after that, corpse." The part of Minos'' consciousness responsible for this dimension said this as his main, true self watched the head of the creature he had just attacked roll through the air as the body decayed with its death.


    To Minos and everyone around him, the death of this level 112 being lasted only a second. But in the Infinite Dream, where time passed as Minos wished, the corpse had suffered 10,000 years before his death! Ge?t latest novel chapters on nov(e)lbj/n(.)c/om


    "I will send you back to this world first. We have no time to lose. We must leave while we still can." He announced, aware he would have 15 minutes at most before he lost his best fighting moment and approached a time when he would have to worry about hiding.


    "The Enchanted Realm? That''s not a good idea!" Vico said as he approached the man, grateful to Minos for arriving in time, not quite understanding the situation but leaving questions for another time.


    "I have already seen the future of our group. The future in which we survived and went to Zocarro is the one in which we fled to The Enchanted Realm today. Believe me, it''s our best alternative."


    "But at your current level, shouldn''t you be able to do a lot more damage if we stay here?" Ruth woke up after being helped by Minos and quickly understood the situation they were in.


    They were all subtly influenced by Minos'' mental powers, leaving aside the shock and surprise in their hearts.


    "It''s not that simple. We''re a long way from Zocarro and we don''t have many advantages once we leave. So the positive and negative consequences of Flashdrain''s sacrifice will be worse than they were back then." He looked into Ruth''s eyes and spoke in a low tone.


    "But I have a plan. Don''t worry about it. Now just go!" He helped the weaker ones move through the spatial rift while he saw the stronger enemies coming.


    "You''re here..." His expression changed when he saw the group that had followed him and stayed behind while his portal was still open.


    "Minos Stuart! You bastard!" The level 114 creature shouted when he saw Kendrick was not only alive, but had escaped with everyone else.


    "You''re lucky I have little time. But you shouldn''t have come here." The look on Minos'' face changed as he raised his Divine Sword into the air.


    "I''m leaving, but not before I chop off a few heads!" Minos announced loudly as thunder rumbled and black clouds formed in the sky above him.


    Then, as if the gates of the underworld had opened, a shadow giant, surrounded by lightning and wielding a gigantic sword, formed behind Minos and charged at the group.


    Minos was about to flee, but not before launching a deadly attack on the forces of this world!


    "Those of you who survive today, I''ll see you on the battlefield. From now on, I, Minos Stuart, will terrorize your civilization!"

 Chapter 2440 Attack and Retreat!

    Chapter 2440 Attack and Retreat!


    After Minos had passed through the portal he had created, just in time for it not to close, his attack continued towards the group of enemies between levels 113 and 114.


    The corpses associated with the last guardian of The Blossom World felt it with terror, an attack that could even threaten their lives.


    The shadow giant sliced with its sword through the space where they were standing, causing the sky in that area to split in two, while a vast crater formed beneath its attack.


    The guardian of this world felt the error of his ways and regretted both forming a group to attack Minos and ordering Kendrick''s murder.


    "Shit! We''re dead!" He shouted, pale with fear in the face of a power that surpassed even that of a level 114 Sovereign!


    He didn''t know how Minos, an enemy of only level 103, could have raised his powers so high. But it was a fact that such an attack would be enough to make the entire planet tremble that day!


    ''Who have I pissed off?'' he asked himself as he used all the energy at his disposal to save himself, using the level 113 corpses to protect him.


    Half of those corpses disintegrated under the powerful attack Minos left behind, but it did not lose any power as it advanced against the remaining souls.


    If repentance could kill, all of them would have died even without Minos'' attack. However, there was nothing left for them to do but wait for the outcome of this disaster.


    They had thought there was no way a level 103 cultivator could threaten them all, and they had risked eliminating several potential problems at once. Now, they would only have to face the consequences of such a decision!


    BOOOOOM!


    Several explosions rang out in the forest area, which was now completely gray and destroyed, the clouds in the sky shattered, and the terrain below the area, which was once flat, was now a vast canyon.


    The body of the level 114 Sovereign was obliterated, erased from existence in a single instant by the most powerful blow Minos had ever unleashed.


    "But how are we supposed to deal with this situation? We fled this world after betraying the sect we belonged to." Hollie asked.


    "Leave that to me." Minos looked to the south, where a spatial distortion soon appeared, revealing a level 114 individual.


    "At last we can meet, Senior Egerton." He smiled as he made a gesture of greeting to the forces of The Enchanted Realm.


    "Do you know my name? How do you know me?" The newcomer asked as Minos'' companions fell back behind him and the local men fell back behind Egerton.


    "I don''t know you. I just saw a future where we became allies." Minos said as he approached the man.


    As Egerton watched him intently, Minos got straight to the point with what he wanted. "Senior Egerton, originally neither of us planned this situation, but now I''m afraid fate wanted to bring us together.


    The effects of the sacrifice I made to become so strong will soon wear off. At that time, I will need a good place to protect myself and recuperate. That place is your world, Senior Egerton.


    In exchange for your protection, I will become the weapon that will help you put an end to The Blossom World. I still have enough energy for one big move, so decide quickly. This could be your chance for me to give you the option you''ve been waiting for." Minos'' eyes narrowed as his energy vibrated violently, showing that his possibilities were indeed still very great.


    "What do you mean by you can still make a big move?" The leader of the local civilization asked.


    "Prepare your forces. I''m going to do what you expected my son to do in the future. I will open 20 portals to The Blossom World and help your world unleash a massive attack on your great enemy."


    Minos'' companions watched in silence as he extended a hand to the level 114 Sovereign, a wily smile on his face.


    ''It will be difficult to win this war in the situation we''re in. But if this guy makes the right decision and massively attacks The Blossom World today, my victory will be inevitable.'' He thought, while Egerton couldn''t help but enjoy the moment.


    Minos was very calm. He had already seen the future of the coming weeks, so he wasn''t surprised when the local leader decided.


    "All right, let''s make a deal. Your help for my protection and support."

 Chapter 2441 Fathers Advice

    Chapter 2441 Father''s Advice


    As soon as the level 114 Sovereign announced his decision, he and Minos shook hands, while the allies on both sides were relieved.


    Minos'' companions had had enough trouble in the past few hours. When they reached a peaceful situation, the relief was visible on each of their faces, while the weaker and less experienced ones let down their guard and sat down on the ground.


    The men of The Enchanted Realm also sighed at the peaceful resolution, for the feeling Minos radiated seemed even stronger than that of their leader!


    Minos shook the hand of the man, who resembled his superior in Armhands, and said. "Summon your warriors quickly. We have little time before my level drops and we lose the opportunity."


    The level 114 Sovereign nodded in agreement and activated an emergency device capable of moving his men quickly within their planet, which should only be used in emergencies. With a recovery time of a few years, this device would be inaccessible to the local forces for the next decade!


    Nevertheless, the local leader did what he had to do, and in the blink of an eye, a group of 50 Sovereigns between levels 111 and 113 with 4 warships appeared on the outskirts of the area.


    With just over three minutes to act, Minos ignored his companions and family as he used the Divine Sword to open several portals to The Blossom World!


    As he held his supreme weapon in front of his body, focusing all of his current energy on that weapon, 7 portals, large enough to pass the spaceships in the area, opened to the limit of what he could make them open.


    "Be quick! The place I''m sending you to has no enemies at the moment, but they''re not far away. Take advantage and kill as many of them as you can," Minos shouted to those individuals, while the level 114 Sovereign signaled for his people to do as Minos said.


    This being looked at the Sovereigns that would be left behind and said. "Minos Stuart''s group is now my guests in our world. Please assist them in my absence, treating them as if they were me."


    Seeing Minos flying ahead, all the cultivators there, whether or not they were from this world, followed behind him.


    Kendrick approached his father with a few questions on his mind. "Father, thank you for saving me. I have many questions for you. But first, why did you bring that woman with you?" He looked at Grisdi out of the corner of his eye.


    Minos looked away and saw the native, who now had a look of immense joy on her face, but also of doubt. Her doubt was the same as Kendrick''s. He said to his son. "Do not worry about her. She''s not an enemy, she''s an ally. If you treat her well, she''ll be there for you when you need her most."


    Kendrick frowned as he looked at Grisdi. "Is this serious? After she betrayed me, she''s going to be someone of value? How can I trust her?


    Minos advised. "You don''t have to believe me. Just do what you think is right."


    "I thought you didn''t forgive mistakes like the one she made."


    "You''re not me, Kendrick." Minos looked into his son''s eyes with a smile on his face. "Don''t try to act like someone else. It will be easier for you that way. But if you prefer the way of pain, that''s your choice."


    "All right... But tell me, how can you make these portals? I thought divine powers couldn''t be imitated."


    "How can they not? There are races in this galaxy that copy powers, so of course I can do something similar." Minos taught his son.


    "But you''re right about one thing. What I did is not the same as what you would do at my level. I spent a ridiculous amount of energy to force those portals to open. You could have done the same thing with 20% of the power I used... Anyway, my ultimate weapon can do that because we have similar techniques and innate abilities. Besides, I have seen you use your portals, so I can more easily achieve a similar result to yours."


    While the two spoke, the rest of the group was curious to hear about Minos'' journey out of The Enchanted Realm, including how he had become so strong.


    After five minutes of answering Kendrick, Minos turned his attention to answering his people''s questions.

 Chapter 2442 Minos Story

    Chapter 2442 Minos'' Story


    Minos looked at his staff and smiled. Then he said. "I know you have many questions. I will explain some things in the future, when I have the chance. Certain parts of what I experienced cannot be revealed, unfortunately. For now, I can only say I''ve been in a different place for the last 44 years, taking advantage of certain opportunities. In that place, I made the improvements you will learn about in the future. Among them are new skills and my ascension to the peak of level 103."


    "Peak level 103? Is that your true cultivation?" Vico asked with a strange expression on his face.


    They had thought that after four decades, Minos would be at the same level as Ruth, level 105. They hadn''t expected him to have cultivated so slowly in the meantime.


    "The place I was in was by no means simple. Although it had impressive opportunities, it was also extremely difficult to cultivate. As a result, my cultivation didn''t progress as much as I would have liked while I was there. Fortunately, I''m stronger than my level shows."


    This was the truth. His development itself wasn''t impressive to him. But Minos couldn''t help but be happy with his current situation. His physique was about to advance to the Celestial grade! When he advanced to level 115, he would probably have a good chance of achieving this qualitative advancement!


    This was the greatest of all the benefits of his nearly 450-year stay in the Red Expanse!


    "But you were lucky." Minos laughed in relief. "I should have spent another 55 years away. Fortunately, my time in that place was shortened. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have been able to save you today."


    Reflecting on their close call with death, each member of Minos'' group couldn''t help but feel a profound sense of gratitude and relief.


    "But don''t think about it. Now that I''m here, I have many things for you." Minos threw three spatial rings toward Vico, Ruth, and the robot. "I have separated these for you to divide among yourselves. I think these artifacts and resources will help you."


    Minos continued to make way for the group until he spotted the location of the sect headquarters, where he had already spotted the sect''s leaders and the strongest men in the area.


    Minos sped up his speed, leaving his group behind as he entered the headquarters.


    The moment he appeared there, the entire sect was alarmed, and the strongest people there, level 111 and 112 Sovereigns, dropped what they were doing to move against him.


    When the sect leader saw Minos'' face, he changed his expression.


    The words of the level 114 Sovereign earlier were valuable not only to those who heard him announce his alliance with Emperor Stuart. Everyone who sees Minos in this world now felt he had all the authority of the planet''s leader!


    Sensing that something big had happened, the six strongest individuals in the sect lowered their guard as they looked at each other and gradually approached Minos.


    "Your Excellency Minos Stuart, I presume." The sect master identified Minos by his appearance, which closely resembled a more mature and powerful version of Kendrick.


    "Senior Kaith, it is good to meet the man who has taken care of my family in my absence." Minos appeared in front of the sect master, touching one of the man''s shoulders without hesitation and with a smile on his face. "I hope you can forget the little escapade of Kendrick and the others. As you can see, no one was hurt. We''re all on the same side in this current confrontation."


    Kaith looked at Kendrick and then at Grisdi, his only niece, one of the exceptional talents of his sect. "So it seems... Well, Your Excellency, I''d like to apologize for what happened. We didn''t intend to have problems with each other, but a war forces us to make terrible decisions."


    "You did the right thing. If you hadn''t held the group as long as you did, I wouldn''t have been able to save them." Minos looked back and saw Kendrick and the others landing in the area where he was. "Then let''s forget each other''s mistakes. From now on we''ll be partners until the destruction of The Blossom World!"

 Chapter 2443 Time to Recuperate

    Chapter 2443 Time to Recuperate


    After settling the matter of the Banished Crossfire with his group, Minos had the two sides shaking hands, and the sect master smiled as he shook Kendrick''s hand.


    "It''s good to have you back, Kendrick." He said, knowing the young man in front of him had harbored some resentment towards him in the past years.


    "Hmm." Kendrick just nodded and followed his father''s wishes.


    Minos saw everyone greeting each other and stopped next to Hollie and Lily, hugging them both and making them smile again after years of worry.


    "You two have grown up well, huh? I''m looking forward to training with you. You''re almost at my level, so we can train harder from now on."


    The two girls swallowed their saliva upon hearing their father''s comment, not knowing if this was necessarily a good thing.


    "No..."


    "There''s no need to rush things..."


    "Let''s play together when I''ve recovered. Now let me speak to your mothers." Minos left the two and walked towards a nearby garden, with Gloria, Ruth and Abby following him.


    "I''m glad you made it through the years of my absence. I was afraid that something dangerous had caught up with you." He sighed as he sat down on a stone bench, Gloria and Abby sitting next to him while Ruth remained standing.


    "It wasn''t easy. We had to carry out many missions, gather resources, take part in the political game of this sect and the problems of the war in the galaxy.


    Those who hadn''t sacrificed anything because they weren''t members of the Armhands yet wanted to start meditating right away to get stronger, so they didn''t want to be bothered by the sect either.


    Grisdi left Minos'' group and joined his uncle, who was currently dealing with the men who had come with the group on the orders of the level 114 Sovereign. "Sovereign Kaith, good luck with His Excellency Minos Stuart''s group. Do your best to help and protect them while they recover. We''ll be waiting for warnings from you about their group."


    "Hmm, don''t worry. I know what I have to do. But what about Senior? What has he decided after allying himself with this group?" The sect leader asked.


    "He went to The Blossom World to attack the planet. His Excellency Minos Stuart opened seven portals to the enemy planet." Said one man who had witnessed everything.


    "Oh?"


    "We won''t hear from him for a while. Let''s stay alert in case the enemies notice our momentary weakness."


    "All right. Good luck on your way back."


    The two sides said their goodbyes, with the group that had accompanied Minos there heading back to their post, while the members of Banished Crossfire stayed behind with Grisdi.


    "What now?" One of the level 111 elders asked. "Return to your positions and correct the previous situation of Kendrick''s group. Make everything go back to the way it was before Their Excellencies were kidnapped." He said before looking at his niece. "You must go back to Kendrick''s side and ask for forgiveness for everything you''ve done in the past months, Grisdi. Commit yourself to him, no matter what it takes." He ordered, as the level 105 girl felt that there was no escaping her fate with the mad Kendrick.


    "I just hope he doesn''t put us in so much danger again. We''ve been attacked by mid-level and high-level groups from the 11th stage in The Blossom World. Even a level 112 corpse attacked us, almost killing our entire group." She told her uncle about one of her near-death experiences. "Level 112 corpse?" He frowned, not expecting Abby to have revived such strong beings in The Blossom World.


    "Yes. But I wouldn''t worry about these corpses. Most of them must have died from Minos Stuart''s attack when we left here. I have to say, he''s much more impressive than his son." She assessed what she had seen and couldn''t help but shudder at the thought of Kendrick''s father on the battlefield.


    "Unlike Kendrick, he didn''t give me any instability. He looks like he was born to fight on the battlefield."

 Chapter 2444 The Positioning of Neutral Civilizations

    Chapter 2444 The Positioning of Neutral Civilizations


    The day after Minos'' party returned to The Enchanted Realm, he and his Armhands companions were already facing the terrible consequences of sacrificing their Flashdrain parasites.


    Minos and the others returned to their normal cultivations, weakened, their bodies in terrible shape.


    They were now in seclusion in the deepest and most secret areas of the Banished Crossfire headquarters, slowly recovering from their losses.


    Given the situation they were in, it would take the entire group a few months to recover and cultivate again to become stronger. Meanwhile, Kendrick and the others had already recovered from the previous battle, having received help from the sect to treat their fatigue and minor injuries, which could be quickly cured with local help.


    Now, the seven individuals who had sacrificed nothing to become temporarily stronger were cultivating the resources they had received the day before.


    Vico, the robot, and Ruth had distributed the items from the spatial rings they had received from Minos the day before, giving each of their team members artifacts and resources compatible with them.


    With great resources from different parts of the universe in hand, the group concentrated on cultivating in seclusion for the time being, leaving the war in the galaxy to the native forces, while there were no more internal problems for them in this world.


    Grisdi, too, had recovered and would be at the disposal of the entire group to help them in the time to come.


    But for the time being, she would have little or no contact with them. Interested in enjoying the peaceful time ahead of them, everyone in Minos'' group would spend the next few months concentrating on improving themselves!


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, the first month after Minos and his group returned to The Enchanted Realm following the death of the level 114 Sovereign from The Blossom World, the war had rapidly changed pace in that brief interval.


    While Minos'' group was cultivating on the planet with the largest time distortion in the galaxy, news of The Blossom World''s two major defeats in recent weeks was spreading throughout the galaxy.


    In a place where some beings of different races were gathered, a level 113 individual said. "We must take a stand in the war now, or it will be too late in the future. With the fall of The Blossom World Sovereigns, that world has become very weak. It''s possible that their alliance will fall apart soon. At that time, the victors of the war will take all the spoils for themselves.


    We can''t ignore the resources that will end up in the hands of the likely winner of the war, The Enchanted Realm."


    The Mirror Realm was neutral in the current confrontation, but not because it didn''t want to get involved in the confrontation, but because it didn''t want to side with the losers!


    One alien behind that civilization said. "I vote we ally ourselves with The Enchanted Realm. There are rumors among my people this civilization has gained a powerful ally, the one who is truly responsible for the death of the old man who stood guard in The Blossom World."


    "If that''s true, we''d better not oppose them. Even if the old man is dead, having such an ally would be enough to give them the upper hand in the war." Said another person.


    "If everyone agrees, I suggest we send our men to eliminate The Blossom World''s allies who are on world and Dream Station. This will be a good entry request for The Enchanted Realm alliance."


    Everyone agreed to the offer, more than willing to take the minor risks of joining a war when one side of the confrontation was weakened and the other was strengthened.


    But this situation in The Mirror Realm was not the only one in the galaxy. Around this powerful area of the universe, several civilizations that had not yet positioned themselves in the current conflict were emerging with new positions amidst the rumors.


    ...


    While various civilizations were discussing the future of the war and how to position themselves at this time, Egerton reappeared in the galaxy, returning to The Enchanted Realm after a month''s disappearance.


    Emerging from a spatial distortion in the same area where Minos'' party first arrived on this world decades ago, Egerton activated a communicator and said.


    "This is Egerton, I''m alive. I have won the battle against the damned Ophion!" He said, sending this message not only to his men at the headquarters on this world but also to the other native of his world with level 114 cultivation.


    "It''s about time we won the war!"

 Chapter 2445 New Progress

    Chapter 2445 New Progress


    Another three months passed in the blink of an eye...


    At this point, the war in the galaxy was becoming very difficult for The Blossom World alliance, even though it was still standing against its enemies.


    Although it was not the strongest world in the galaxy, the native forces of The Blossom World were very advanced. Also, aside from the two level 114 Sovereigns, much of the numbers they had recently lost were corpses that had been resurrected by Abby.


    These men would be missed by the forces of The Blossom World. Winning the war would be easy if they had them all on their side. But even without them, even without their two top Sovereigns, they were still hard to defeat!


    The neutral worlds that had joined the war were not quite on the same level as those that had been involved in the conflict so far. As much as they made a difference in the fighting and the chances of victory for one side of the war, they weren''t decisive enough to help The Enchanted Realm end the war quickly. The Blossom World was still on its feet, countering the aggression it had suffered in recent months while trying to find ways out of the confrontation.


    Meanwhile, Minos'' group was finally seeing results in The Enchanted Realm!


    ...


    Over four months after their return to this world, the group of Armhands had recovered from the sacrifices of their parasites.


    Minos, Ruth, and the others were now in seclusion to improve their strength after finishing their recuperation and consuming some of the resources he had brought back from The Red Expanse.


    They had all been at the same level for some time, so it was time for them to continue their breakthroughs.


    At the same time as the six strongest members of the group went into seclusion, the other seven had achieved results in the four months of cultivation.


    The soul fragment from the wing tattoo on one of Minos'' hands had congratulated him on returning alive from The Red Expanse and told him the time had come for him to fulfill his promise.


    The fragment had already given Minos the instructions for the man to follow once he had established his family in Zocarro. Once he had left his family safely in Armhands, it would be time for him to take the essence of the seraphim from the Spiritual World to the seraphim''s planet!


    This would take several years, but Minos was already rushing to accomplish each of his short-term goals. According to the seraph, he would receive a magnificent prize for the completion of this goal, which could help him in the next phase of the Celestial''s inheritance.


    Thinking about how much more difficult the next phase of the legacy would be, he just wanted to finish what he was doing and return to his journey to Zocarro.


    While he was doing this, cultivating at a level that none of his guild mates cultivating near him could understand, those people were improving their strength at a much slower rate than he was.


    Strangely enough, Minos didn''t seem to be cultivating at a slower rate, like you would as you progressed. He was cultivating faster and faster, signaling it wouldn''t be long before he would reach the next level.


    Sensing this, his three wives couldn''t help but be happy for their husband, because even if he had to go on some trips alone in the future, it would mean he would be better prepared.


    ...


    The next three months would be quiet and positive for the Stuart family in The Enchanted Realm.


    But seven months after his return, Minos would open his eyes as he finally completed the last step of his progress.


    As he stood up from where he had been meditating for months, Minos felt his aura rise, reaching the beginning of level 104!


    ''The time has come for us to leave!'' He clenched his fists as a smile appeared on his face.

 Chapter 2446 Time to Destroy The Blossom World!

    Chapter 2446 Time to Destroy The Blossom World!


    As soon as Minos finished his cultivation, feeling much stronger than before, he assessed his strength as he walked away from where his group members were still meditating.


    ''Now, I should be able to temporarily raise my cultivation to level 107, and even be able to fight level 113 opponents... Excellent! That should be enough to end this war.'' He smiled as his children, who were chatting with Abby and Gloria, spotted him in front of the Kendrick sect''s place.


    "Father! Congratulations on your breakthrough!" Hollie said with a smile on her face, happy not only for her father''s progress, but to see him smile.


    Kendrick approached his old man and congratulated him as well until he asked. "When are we leaving? You''re not planning to stay here and cultivate to level 105, are you?"


    "We will wait for Ruth and the others to finish their seclusion. It should happen soon. They''re all close to breakthrough." Minos got right to the point, ready to move forward with his plans, but willing to wait another month or two until everyone could leave together.


    "We''re going to The Blossom World after that? Will we attack them directly?" Gloria asked her husband, expecting something like this, given Minos'' ruthless and vengeful profile.


    "Yes, I''ll plan with the local forces and we''ll set out together to deal with this civilization." He looked up, where the level 114 cultivator, Egerton, would soon appear.


    As soon as he reached the area, the local leader saw a group watching him and smiled, imagining Minos was already waiting for him.


    "It is annoying to deal with a seer. You''re never surprised by anything." Egerton commented with a smile on his furry face. "Anyway, congratulations on your breakthrough."


    "Thanks for the words. But it''s good that you came. It''s time for you to prepare the forces of your civilization for a fresh attack on The Blossom World."


    "Oh? Will you accompany me this time?" Egerton had already imagined Minos would return to that world when he advanced in level.


    This local leader had a lot of experience and knew how to read Minos'' situation very well. The young Emperor Stuart had used a sophisticated method to become stronger the last time he was in The Blossom World. He shouldn''t be able to repeat the feat.


    But she tried to be useful to him while he dealt with her as he saw fit.


    "I''ll join you in The Blossom World and then we''ll split up." She told him as she entered his cultivation room. "Is that okay with you? After that, you''ll cross the universe and never return to the sect, so our relationship will be over."


    "That''s fine with me." He said coldly to her before consuming the resource his father gave him and starting to cultivate.


    ...


    Time passed, and soon Minos'' companions, who were close to his progress, would complete their time of seclusion.


    With the help of Minos'' resources, the four level 106 Sovereigns advanced to level 107, while Ruth reached level 106.


    Kendrick completed his brief seclusion and reached the same level as his father.


    Since everyone in the group had used the last time to improve their strength, it was time for them to go to The Blossom World!


    At the end of the day, in the area they were in, Egerton''s group was ready to leave with over 100 Sovereigns and 4 warships.


    Minos'' group, comprising his twelve companions and Grisdi, was also ready as they finished saying goodbye to the members of this sect that had helped them in so many ways.


    Minos looked at Kendrick and signaled to his son, and they both used their abilities simultaneously, increasing their cultivation, before opening the portals to The Blossom World.


    Kendrick opened three portals, while Minos opened four, enough for their group to enter seven different areas of this world, and cause panic among the enemy forces.


    It was time for the group''s ending battle in the galaxy!

 Chapter 2447 The Battle Begins

    Chapter 2447 The Battle Begins


    After passing through the seven portals to The Blossom World, the warriors led by Egerton and Minos arrived at seven different locations on the planet.


    Of these seven locations, two were very close to each other, having been marked by Minos before he left for The Enchanted Realm.


    These two portals brought Minos'' party and Egerton''s main party close to the strongest area of the planet, where the most powerful Sovereigns were today.


    As soon as he arrived there, Minos at level 107 and Kendrick at level 106, Heidi spotted an alien and raised her level as well, reaching level 104.


    He looked at his children and companions and said. "We''re going to attack the enemy headquarters. Be prepared to face mid- and high-level Sovereigns!"


    Each of them nodded in agreement before flying after Minos and Kendrick, who were currently the two strongest in the group.


    Grisdi followed these three individuals, feeling her heart beat fast, somewhat excited about the battle in which she could see the end of the war in her galaxy.


    Knowing how strong Minos and Kendrick must be right now, she couldn''t help but be excited to see them in action and take part in the battle ahead.


    She soon sensed the spiritual fluctuations of the nearby enemies, noticing at least 150 opponents between levels 109 and 113, as well as one level 114 opponent.


    But while they were moving, Egerton was also moving to the same place his group had come from, taking 10 Sovereigns between levels 111 and 113 with him.


    The enemy forces at this headquarters were powerful, but they wouldn''t be able to face the remaining leaders of The Blossom World alone.


    On that occasion, their powers were stronger, but they were also more unstable because its origin was related to sacrifice, which would inevitably put them in complicated situations after the best of the sacrifice had passed. Now, however, they didn''t have to worry about such consequences, since Minos was stealing the opponents'' cultivation to strengthen his allies.


    Feeling the hatred from that day when they were on the brink of death, the four of them began the battle, already fighting at their best, exposing their will to kill while activating their divine abilities.


    Meanwhile, Minos moved around the battlefield like a ghost, causing hundreds of locals to become immobilized by his powers as he fought the three strongest nearby.


    Minos wasn''t just there to kill the enemies in his path. He was there to massacre this civilization and teach this galaxy what happened to those who targeted his family!


    While dealing with these three, already using his Divine Sword, Minos used his various techniques against the inhabitants of this magnificent city.


    As he exchanged blows with those three, more and more locals died from the Dragon''s Gaze, losing their energy and becoming vulnerable to the Devouring Art. Others simply had their bodies disintegrated by the golden rays of light from his wings.


    "Wretch! What are you doing?" asked one of the three who tried to fight Minos.


    But even though they were level 113 cultivators, they couldn''t pin Minos down and force him to fight only them. At the level he was at, with all the skills he had gained in The Red Expanse, Minos could easily dodge their attacks, kill the citizens of this city, and even look for openings to hurt them.


    Of course, at his current level, Minos couldn''t easily kill those targets, even with his fusions. But they couldn''t stop him from slaughtering his way, and they certainly couldn''t neglect him to try something similar to what he was doing!


    Minos ignored the questioning of these three angry locals and continued to do what he was doing, while a giant of lightning and darkness attacked the three of them with a giant sword.


    Several powerful cultivators from the local forces had their minds changed by the Dark Sea and turned against their own comrades in uniform.


    Minos was a terror on the battlefield. In less than five minutes of battle, the streets of this capital city would be littered with corpses!

 Chapter 2448 Decisive Attack

    Chapter 2448 Decisive Attack


    Five minutes into the battle, Minos'' three level 113 opponents broke out in a cold sweat as they felt their energy being wasted. Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com


    "We have to do something or he''ll kill us all!" Said one of the three men as he watched Minos kill hundreds of locals per second.


    At the current rate, Minos alone would wipe out the population of this city in a few minutes!


    ''Shit! What''s wrong with this monster?'' Wondered one of the three who found himself in a situation where he did not know what to do.


    All of their blows against Minos had missed, while he only seemed to play with them. As much as none of his blows could threaten them with death with just one attack, he kept landing blows and wounding their bodies and souls bit by bit. Meanwhile, they hadn''t hit him yet!


    As they fought this high-level battle, Minos left a trail of bodies in his path, showing these locals the variety of techniques and skills he possessed.


    "What can we do? This bastard seems to know everything we''re going to do!" Another of the three shouted, barely able to bear the wounds on his body in the 12th minute of battle.


    Of the 150 mid- and high-level Sovereigns that surrounded the headquarters of The Blossom World forces at the beginning of the battle, only 18 were left. Most of them had fallen to the combined forces of Minos and Egerton''s allies fighting around the city.


    Meanwhile, the strongest were fighting Minos, Egerton, and two aliens from The Enchanted Realm.


    In this situation, Minos saw an interesting future ahead and made his next move.


    The Divine Sword in his hands disappeared, while an hourglass appeared around his body.


    "Shit!" His enemies shouted in unison, knowing this was not a good sign.


    Minos disappeared from where he was and immediately reappeared 5 kilometers above the area.


    By the time the three level 113 Sovereigns realized his new position, Minos was flying toward them, with a region of space completely devoid of light in front of him.


    The brightness of this explosion was so great that even civilizations on the other side of the galaxy would notice it in the next few hours or days!


    In the blink of an eye, the headquarters of The Blossom World''s sovereign force was completely destroyed, with the areas closest to the focus of the detonation disappearing and all life there disintegrating at the subatomic level.


    Those a few dozen kilometers away would die, or the infrastructure would be destroyed, but leave traces behind.


    Meanwhile, earthquakes and storms would erupt all over the planet in the next few minutes!


    Minos was only at level 107, but he had already reached a destructive power capable of threatening the existence of an entire planet like The Blossom World!


    ...


    On the other side of The Blossom World, Egerton, his subordinates, and members of Minos'' group appeared in the same area where he had left his seal before.


    Even in this place, hundreds of thousands of kilometers away from the scene of the battle, Egerton''s eyebrows furrowed as he felt the soil tremble and the flash on the horizon.


    ''This power...'' He clenched his fists and imagined that all the enemies in that area had died under Minos'' attack.


    As he looked in the young man''s direction, he felt how monstrous Minos really was.


    Egerton was an enemy of The Blossom World, but on his own, he wouldn''t have had the courage to unleash such a weapon of mass destruction on a city in this world!


    But Minos had risked everyone''s lives with this move, and frankly, he might even kill himself if he couldn''t escape quickly enough.


    Fortunately, the worst hadn''t happened, and everyone had escaped successfully!


    Minos noticed this as he looked at his group, while his level and that of his allies returned to normal after they had used up everything they had in the 20 minutes of battle.


    "Let''s keep going. We still have a long way to go before we wipe out The Blossom World!"

 Chapter 2449 The End of The Blossom World

    Chapter 2449 The End of The Blossom World


    "Do you want to wipe out the dominant race of The Blossom World?" Egerton asked Minos, looking at him seriously, finally realizing it wasn''t beyond their means.


    "That''s what I promised them when they tried to kill my whole family," Minos said as he looked at the man who, like everyone else in the area, was at his limit and needed a few hours'' rest. No one there was seriously injured enough to require medical attention or complex treatment. But everyone had suffered to some degree in order to eliminate the strongest enemies earlier.


    "Is that really necessary? Their strongest men are already dead. We just need to kill the remaining high-level Sovereigns and our work here will be done." Egerton suggested.


    "Senior, if you disagree with my methods, you can return to The Enchanted Realm. My group and I can finish this planet on our own," Minos said seriously, while Grisdi and the 12 members of his group looked at Egerton.


    Minos needed powerful allies to carry out the crucial part of his plans in The Blossom World, to eliminate the strongest remaining natives. Without someone to weaken and distract the level 114 Sovereign from such a world, he could never use the Black Hole Bomb as he had done. For that, he needed the support of Egerton and those high-level Sovereigns from The Enchanted Realm.


    But now that the local level 114 Sovereign had died along with many of the world''s strongest men, what was left in The Blossom World wasn''t enough to threaten Minos.


    He alone could wipe out that civilization in a matter of days, considering what was left behind.


    Egerton could see this for himself after witnessing Minos'' abilities at their peak earlier.


    ''He will wipe out this civilization and take all the wealth of this world with him if I let him...'' Egerton thought about what less loss would mean for him and his planet.


    "All right, if you want to take your revenge, I''ll help you. How about we divide the resources of this planet according to those we kill?" Egerton suggested.


    "That''s good enough for me." Minos saw no problem with that. He certainly wanted the resources of his enemies. After all, he wasn''t the type to give up the spoils of war. But his primary goal was to deal with an enemy that had nearly wiped out his entire family. So he didn''t mind sharing his booty with Egerton.


    "Egerton, are you listening?" He used his communicator, trying to understand the situation of his companions.


    A month ago, Egerton had warned him about the attack his group was planning and how interesting it would be to have reinforcements join the attack to end the war once and for all.


    But when he finally overcame the odds against him, he couldn''t help but be shocked to find The Blossom World without air defenses and with signs of fighting spread over areas large enough to be seen from space.


    After three minutes of trying to contact Egerton, the voice of Minos'' ally sounded over the comms of the warship that had just entered The Blossom World''s atmosphere.


    "This is me, Egerton. We''re on the ground at the planet''s north pole." "What''s your status? What happened on this planet? I just got here and came across an enormous crater where the capital of this civilization was supposed to be."


    Egerton laughed and said. "We defeated the damned enemies! We''ll wipe out the population of The Blossom World and get our new colony!"


    "What?" this peak Sovereign asked in shock, while everyone in his crew thought they had heard wrong.


    "Don''t ask me too much. It has to do with my new ally. We''ll talk about it later when we get home. For now, just come to the north pole. We''ll have a banquet to share the spoils of war after we finish destroying this civilization."


    This newly arrived level 114 Sovereign accepted Egerton''s recommendation, even though he found it all strange and outside of what he would expect from his old comrade-in-arms.


    "We will reach your position in a few minutes. I''ll talk to you when I get there."


    The newcomer ended the call and ordered his men to set sail for the planet''s north pole, where they would meet Egerton and Minos'' group in a few minutes.


    On that day, the civilization of The Blossom World would end, the first step toward ending the war in the galaxy!

 Chapter 2450 Dividing the Spoils

    Chapter 2450 Dividing the Spoils


    After a few minutes, the other level 114 Sovereign from The Enchanted Realm arrived at the north pole of The Blossom World.


    Arriving with his spaceship and two other warships, the man who had been called to this world to assist his companions was surprised to find Egerton and a group around a campfire.


    There were no enemies around, only allies or natives of the Enchanted Realm, while huge skewers of meat lie around the large fire.


    "Egerton? What''s going on here?" This individual asked as he looked around with a strange expression on his face, walking around the area while feeling the good mood of the group there.


    His companions disembarked from their three warships and then turned their attention to defending themselves in case any enemies appeared.


    Seeing the group of newcomers, Egerton laughed and said. "Ozodat, we''ve conquered the planet. We killed all the natives!"


    "Is that serious?" A level 113 Sovereign from Ozodat''s group asked, looking seriously at Egerton.


    When Ozodat gave him the same look, Egerton replied. "Yes, we''ve just eliminated the last group of locals. We arrived here 20 minutes ago to divide the spoils of war. Sit down, there''s plenty of meat for everyone."


    At first, Egerton didn''t want to wipe out an entire civilization. But since Minos wanted to commit such an atrocity, the specialist agreed to do the same and enjoyed its benefits.


    With The Blossom World now having lost 97% of its natives, that world could now be colonized by a new civilization, and the war in the galaxy could be ended after news of this event spread.


    Among the most immediate benefits to Egerton and The Enchanted Realm were the vast resources they could immediately bring back to their planet.


    "All right, we can accept those terms. Do you have any specific areas to choose from?" Ozodat asked Minos.


    Minos tossed the two leaders from The Enchanted Realm a map of the planet they were on. "I have already divided the areas according to my suggestion. My group will stay here for a week to collect the resources that catch our eye. After that, the entire planet will be left for your civilization to explore."


    The two men analyzed the map and accepted Minos'' proposal.


    "After that, will you go directly to Dream Station? Aren''t you interested in staying here for a while?" Ozodat asked.


    Someone like Minos would be worth staying longer in the galaxy!


    But Minos was in a hurry to get back to Zocarro.


    "I intend to return to Zocarro as soon as possible, so I have no interest in staying here any longer. I''m a member of a guild on such a planet, but I''ve been away from it for a long time. I''m afraid that if I don''t hurry, I''ll be in serious trouble." Minos explained with a bitter smile. By his reckoning, if he left in a week and didn''t have too many delays on the way, by the time his group reached Zocarro, about 80 years would have passed for Maximillian''s group that stayed behind.


    That was a long time, which meant he and his five guild mates would have a lot of work to do to make up for the long time they had gone without doing any missions.


    "So that''s it..." Ozodat said in a sighing tone, until his eyes fell on Grisdi and Kendrick, who were looking at each other meaningfully.


    Ozodat''s eyes lit up with a certain thought. He smiled and asked Minos. "Is there any chance that a native of my world could accompany you to Zocarro? It''s not easy for our civilization to send people to that planet, so I''m willing to pay any cost for you to take her with you." He pointed in Grisdi''s direction.


    Minos smiled when he heard this, while Kendrick and Grisdi stood up from where they were, realizing that this was somehow about them.


    Minos surprised them all. "Of course I can. Don''t worry, I''ll make sure she gets to Zocarro all right. But I can''t guarantee her long-term safety. Zocarro is even more dangerous than this galaxy."

 Chapter 2451 Leaving The Blossom World

    Chapter 2451 Leaving The Blossom World


    As Minos and the two leaders from The Enchanted Realm shook hands in agreement, Grisdi approached Egerton while Kendrick approached his father.


    ''What is the meaning of this?'' They both asked the same question.


    Ozodat told Grisdi. ''Take advantage of this opportunity. In the history of our planet, only four natives have left the galaxy and reach high-level worlds. This is your chance to advance beyond level 114 and improve our civilization.''


    Egerton agreed. ''With the end of the war approaching, we will have some time of peace and benefits, but after the extermination of a civilization, the galaxy will be more attentive to our forces. As much as this was Minos'' doing, no one will blame the alien who leaves without looking back. If we''re going to maintain our position and defend our civilization, we need powerful people we can rely on. Minos and his group are very promising, but we can''t count on their support. You''re the best person to take this position because you''re already close to them.'' Finnd new chapters at novelhall.com


    ''Kendrick and his sisters hate me! I won''t make it. Please reconsider, Your Excellencies!'' she said nervously.


    Egerton smiled gently at her as he touched the girl''s forehead. "Everything will be fine. Just trust Minos. He''ll take care of you."


    Meanwhile, Minos said in his son''s mind. ''Just follow the tide. Everything happens for a reason. One day you''ll understand why.''


    ''What have you seen? Do I need her in any way? Will she play an important role in my life in the future?'' Kendrick insisted.


    But with a slightly more serious look from Minos, the young man stopped insisting and took a few steps back.


    "Senior Egerton is right, Grisdi. I will take care of you as much as I can. You''ll have to grow up in Armhands and face dangers I can''t help you with, but every cultivator who aspires to the peak must prove themselves in certain circumstances. But as long as you do your best, I''m sure you can go far." Minos said to her with a smile on his face.


    "This... Then I am at your disposal, Your Excellency. I hope I don''t get in your way too much." She said in a humble but also defeated tone.


    Each of them had experienced ups and downs on their journey through this galaxy, and now they had a new companion on board. Still, their victories were far more significant than their defeats, and they now had considerable wealth to begin their lives on Zocarro.


    It would be a few years before they reached the Artificial Moon, and then they would have to wait until they entered the planet''s atmosphere. Still, the group was excited about the last part of their journey before they could settle down in a place where they could invest their time.


    Not knowing how long they would stay in Zocarro, the group had in mind that it would be their new home!


    ...


    "How long must it have been for Maximilian''s group since you left Zocarro?" Vico asked Minos as they traveled through the wormhole that would take them to The Mirror Realm.


    "About 77 years, more or less. By the time we set foot there, it will have been over 80 years for Maximillian and the others. But we won''t see them when we arrive on the planet. The journey between the entry point and Armhands should take about three years, even with our current cultivation," Minos said sincerely.


    "Will the journey within such a world be longer than our journey between Dream Station and Zocarro?" Gloria asked.


    "Yes, that''s how big Oqia is." Ruth nodded in agreement with Minos.


    "And how long is it for our companions in the Spiritual World?" Hollie asked her father, curious about the Stuart family''s current situation.


    Minos calculated the time for a moment and said. "About four years."


    "That''s it?" Kendrick exclaimed. "We''ve lived almost five decades since we left The Adamant Land!"


    "That''s the spatial distortion between the places we''ve been and our birthplace. If we were to return today, it''s possible that Rowan and Sarah would have improved only one level each, while you have evolved over 20 levels." Minos said, making everyone who was on the journey to Zocarro for the first time think for a moment and see how wrong Sarah''s and Rowan''s decision had been.

 Chapter 2452 Leaving the Dream Station

    Chapter 2452 Leaving the Dream Station


    "Then we must hurry and return to the Spiritual World. Leaving them there will only delay them endlessly!" Hollie said, feeling her heart race.


    She hadn''t seen such a problem with her siblings staying behind before, but listening to Minos today and considering all her experiences, she couldn''t help but worry about their future.


    "Don''t worry, they''re fine." Minos smiled at his youngest daughter. "It''s true that you''ll probably become mid-level Sovereigns, while they probably won''t even become low-level Demigods. But while you''ve had nearly 50 years of your vitality consumed, they''ve had about 4 years. They have lost nothing, and they will make up the difference with you in the future.


    Let them live their lives, have their families, and be happy in our home world. We''ll have them on our side again in the future."


    Ruth and Gloria sighed at the thought of Rowan and Sarah, but Minos was right. These two would have the chance to make up the difference in cultivation for them in the future, but they would also have the opportunity to join the group when they were in better circumstances.


    The current journey had been quite hard and complicated for them, and all of them had almost died in the past few decades. If they returned to the Spiritual World today to take a larger group to Zocarro, these people would not face as many dangers as they did on their own. So not returning now was tantamount to making things easier for Sarah and Rowan in the future!


    While the family members thought about this, Vico and Callie thought about how strong Maximillian should be.


    "He''ll probably be level 108 by the time we get back to the planet." Said the level 107 robot as he looked at Vico and Callie.


    "Only that? You''re already level 107. How could he, who''s been on Zocarro all this time, only be at level 108?"


    One native of the Spiritual World, who was also at level 107, answered Callie''s question. "It''s not that simple. If His Majesty''s estimate is correct, then Maximilian had an advantage of only about 15 years of cultivation over us.


    If a man like Minos was weak in Zocarro, how insignificant would she be there?


    But this thought only made Grisdi eager to enter Zocarro and experience a world of high-level cultivation.


    ...


    For the next few days, the group would quietly travel through the wormhole to The Mirror Realm, in the spaceship of the ancient civilization from The Blossom World.


    After completing this journey, the group arrived in The Mirror Realm to a grand welcome, as the local leaders had allied themselves with The Enchanted Realm before the war ended. The war had already ended, and news of Minos and his party''s departure from the galaxy had already spread to the powerful planets in the region.


    When they arrived in The Mirror Realm, the natives were already waiting for them, which only made it easier for them to pass through this world before continuing on to the Dream Station.


    Since it was so close to The Mirror Realm, the group would buy their 14 tickets to Zocarro the same day they left the wormhole, guaranteeing their passage to Zocarro on a spaceship leaving the station in 3 months.


    For a group that had been planning to go to Zocarro for nearly 50 years, another 3 months of waiting and then a few dozen weeks between their current location and the artificial moon was nothing.


    The group quickly settled into the Dream Station, where they received VIP treatment, with free services and cultivation rooms, a gift from the galaxy''s leaders to the group that ended their war.


    The group would live peacefully in this place for the next three months, cultivating most of the time, as no problems would come their way during this period.


    When the 3 months were up, they would board the spaceship that would take them to the Artificial Moon near Zocarro!

 Chapter 2453 What to Expect When Entering Armhands

    Chapter 2453 What to Expect When Entering Armhands


    In the blink of an eye, two years have passed since Minos'' party left Dream Station.


    The spacecraft bound for the Artificial Moon had already traveled more than half of the route, making several stops, landings, and embarkations. Meanwhile, Minos and his group remained steadfast, living between cultivating and enjoying the "peace" of the journey to Zocarro.


    As dangerous as this part of the journey was, for a group that included several mid-level Sovereigns, Minos, with his ability to strengthen everyone and fight like a high-level Sovereign, few dangers could scare them.


    For a group that had already experienced what this part of the journey could expose them to, the troubles of the past few months were not enough to disturb the peace of the group.


    Amid it, the group obviously didn''t grow stronger. With all of Minos'' companions at high levels, it would take between 5 and 20 years of his companions'' previous progress for them to make any further improvements.


    Hollie and Lily had the best chance of advancing in the short term, but even they were far from advancing to the next level.


    Nevertheless, cultivation was a daily thing that had to be repeated tirelessly, even if it took a while to produce results.


    Therefore, if someone tried to contact the group today, they would find most of them cultivating in the cultivation area of the spaceship, while some of them stood guard.


    It was good to be cautious about the problems that might arise on such a journey!


    ...


    On the spaceship to Zocarro, Minos sat next to Vico and Callie while they ate in the passenger cafeteria.


    There will certainly be some pressure, direct attacks, attempts to turn relevant guild members against us, etc." He said what he could imagine.


    "But we won''t be completely alone. I left a faction behind, and I have friends within the guild who will help us. I don''t expect them to sacrifice anything for me, but they will be available to at least advise us and point us in the right direction." Minos said without being naive.


    "Are you talking about Maximilian?" Vico asked with a strange expression on his face. "I wouldn''t trust that guy, Minos. Maximilian is treacherous."


    Minos smiled and said. "I know, and I''m not talking about him. Maximilian is plan D for me. If plans A, B and C don''t work out, I wouldn''t count on him."


    Callie and Vico smiled, but also sighed with relief.


    Maximillian and Minos had experienced things in Armhands that they didn''t know about. But Maximillian''s history in the Spiritual World was too long for them to ignore the treacherous personality of this former member of the Spiritual Church.


    Minos said. "You are familiar with the regulations of the Armhands. I trust certain guild members because they benefit from my personal growth. So these friends I told you about can be trusted. They''ll help us with information and advice."


    He sighed and said. "As for joining the guild, I''m not sure what the process will be for you. You''ll certainly join as Recruits, since you''ll need merit to get better positions. But your position won''t be that of simple Recruits.


    You will probably become internal members of the guild in less than a year after we enter the headquarters. During that time, the only problems you''ll have will be related to me. Only after that will you get involved in situations that have nothing to do with me."


    "Sigh!"


    "I''m looking forward to it."


    The two said similar things before finishing their meal and returning to their shifts, when they would cultivate and other members of the group would stand by to monitor the situation on the spaceship.

 Chapter 2454 Return to the Artificial Moon

    Chapter 2454 Return to the Artificial Moon


    Two more years have passed while the party has been traveling through the vast space of the universe!


    After a long journey from the Dream Station, facing various challenges related to long journeys through the universe, and being stuck in the spaceship they were traveling in for a long time, the group was about to reach their destination.


    After over 60 years of traveling through the universe, the group would arrive at the Artificial Moon today!


    ...


    All of Minos'' companions were in their seats as the spaceship, similar to Starship 666, made its approach to the spaceport of the Artificial Moon.


    Back on this artificial object built by the forces of Zocarro, about a million kilometers away from the planet in question, Minos, Ruth and the other four who had left decades ago couldn''t help but smile at finally arriving there.


    They had often doubted they would ever be able to return, as they had encountered many problems during their journeys back and forth, as well as during their stay in The Enchanted Realm. Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com


    But apart from them, their eight companions also had smiles on their faces. This was the first time they had arrived in such a powerful area of the universe, and they all were eager to experience a world of cultivation where Supreme beings existed.


    This was the case with Grisdi, who even after all her problems with Kendrick in the past and her reluctance to come with the group to Zocarro, couldn''t help but show her eagerness in the smile on her face.


    Kendrick saw the humanoid face of this woman, who was in a human form similar to theirs, and preferring not to clash with the group''s appearance, he couldn''t help but smile as well.


    After all, this woman had feelings just like them.


    On the other journeys, they would always try to put stronger and weaker members of the group together to make sure everything went well.


    With that settled, Minos would lead his team across the Artificial Moon, looking for places for his 8 companions who had never traveled by instant transport to train their bodies. They would also look for places to trade the resources they had with them, which Minos believed would be more valuable on the Artificial Moon than on Zocarro.


    In addition, it was important to have a good place to stay for the next few months, so at the end of their first day there, they would get good facilities in this artificial structure, with a good cultivation area for the group.


    ...


    The first group to go to Ganaway Refuge finally made their way to Zocarro, while most of the others stayed on the Artificial Moon to prepare for the future.


    Meanwhile, the group members continued to advance, with Grisdi reaching level 106 and Hollie advancing to level 103!


    With over five months on the Artificial Moon, the strongest of the group would be able to adapt to the conditions of instant transport, progressing much faster than Minos and his allies had previously.


    But that was to be expected. The overall quality of the current group was much better than that of his group when they left Zocarro decades ago.


    The group had already had the experience of traveling in spaceships, which had also helped to harden their bodies for instant transportation.


    In these first months on the Artificial Moon, Minos had exchanged almost all the resources that would be of no use or great value for him once he returned to Zocarro.


    With the things he currently had, even after paying the travel costs for a group of 14, he still had enough to enrich even high-ranking Sovereigns of Zocarro.


    So he would continue to prepare for his return to Zocarro with his group on the Artificial Moon, planning to arm his team once they were all in the Ganaway Refuge.


    This would be their first step on Zocarro before heading to Oqia!

 Chapter 2455 Back to the Ganaway Refuge

    Chapter 2455 Back to the Ganaway Refuge


    About a year after the first three members of the group left for Ganaway Refuge, Minos and Abby left the Artificial Moon and made their way to that island on Zocarro.


    As they arrived at the instant transport platform on Ganaway Refuge, Abby nearly fainted as she felt the effects of instant travel along with three other aliens who were arriving in this world for the first time.


    Of the five travelers who made their way between the Artificial Moon and Zocarro today, only Minos didn''t show the typical signs of newcomers in this situation.


    Even though the four people next to him had trained on the Artificial Moon before coming to the Ganaway Refuge, the training was still not the same as the real thing.


    Abby threw up everything in her stomach, feeling the terrible sensation one would feel for the first time experiencing such a massive journey.


    Minos endured it, seeing how even a person who could seal their senses very well, as with Abby, could suffer from such a journey.


    He said to her. "Close your eyes and try to breathe slowly. I''m going to take you to the rest of the group. You''ll feel better by the time we get there." She agreed before he put her on his back and walked away from the platform under the watchful eyes of the locals from the organization behind the place.


    As he left the organization''s building, Minos saw the sky of Zocarro again, the pink and cloudless local sky.


    He stopped for a moment and smiled as he took a deep breath of the air in this place, which was not as strong as his guild''s area, but it was already much stronger than the Artificial Moon and any other place he had been to in the past few decades.


    Of course, this place couldn''t be compared to the Celestial''s dimension¡ªThe Red Expanse. But this place was an exception that Minos would never compare to other areas of the universe.


    After a minute of feeling how good it was to be back in this rich world, Minos made his way towards his companions with Abby on his back.


    Minos would monitor Abby for the next few hours, waiting for the other members of the group to return to give him a chance to cultivate.


    But of all the members of this group, Minos was the only one who didn''t need to stabilize his strength. While his 13 companions had made all of their level advancements over the past few decades on worlds weaker than Zocarro, Minos had made three of his five advancements on The Red Expanse.


    Because of this, his foundation was so solid he would lose absolutely nothing compared to if he had cultivated on Zocarro!


    ''Tomorrow, I can go back to cultivating to become stronger... At my current pace, I''ll be in the last half of level 104 by the time we reach the Armhands'' headquarters.'' He smiled as he planned his next steps.


    ''This should be the time the group needs to stabilize their cultivation and become more like local cultivators.''


    ...


    Over the next few days in Ganaway Refuge, Minos and Abby would integrate into the group''s routine in the island''s capital, cultivating in the area to stabilize their strength while preparing to leave.


    The group had enough resources to leave the island and venture out into the murky sea between Ganaway Refuge and the northern tip of Oqia. However, the small strip of sea between these two areas was dangerous even for high-level Sovereigns.


    Minos planned to prepare well before his return to the mainland, planning to do some shopping on the island and give his weaker companions a chance to stabilize their powers and even advance in level.


    Amid these short-term plans, he learned of an important auction to be held in the capital city of Ganaway Refuge, an event where even absorbable weapons would be up for bid!


    The auction was scheduled for two months in the future.


    Interested in attending this event, Minos planned to continue cultivating locally until then, when it would be time to decide the best time to leave for Oqia.


    In this way, the group would continue their previous activities on the island until Lily reached level 104, a week before the auction!

 Chapter 2456 Auction at the Ganaway Sanctuary

    Chapter 2456 Auction at the Ganaway Sanctuary


    On the day of the auction that Minos had been waiting for, his group gathered in this city at the end of the day and headed to the place where the auction would be held.


    The place looked like a typical auction house, with VIP areas for the most important people there to attend the event with some privacy and high-quality service, while a large common area was available for the interested in the event, among the more ordinary group.


    In the center of the building was a grandiose platform, where the lighting favored certain parts of it, demonstrating the opulence of the auction house, while staff stood here and there.


    Many aliens were already sitting in the common area, chatting among themselves or between groups, waiting for the items to be auctioned off.


    As with any auction, there were a few items that everyone expected to be auctioned off, including the main artifacts of the evening, which were the real draw for the crowds.


    In a way, the major items of the evening drew the attention, and the secondary items brought in the profits for establishments like this.


    Regardless of whether it was an auction in Zocarro or any other world, this was how auctions were organized.


    As soon as he arrived with his group, Minos took his place in a private area, looking forward to the artifacts and the evening, but also preparing himself for the problems that might arise after the auction.


    He couldn''t fight Sovereigns from Zocarro as strong as those he had faced in The Enchanted Realm. There was a vast difference between the beings who cultivated in these two worlds. However, he could already fight against high-level individuals at the 11th stage.


    He was confident in his group''s strength because this was an island where, aside from the natives, most of the people were newcomers to Zocarro, who didn''t understand things as well as the natives and weren''t as strong as the natives.


    At the end of the day, even though Zocarro was impressive, only a fraction of the population made it to the end of the 11th stage¡ªthe necessary to scare the group.


    With that in mind, Minos wasn''t tense while his companions looked around, chatted among themselves, and waited for the auction to begin.


    "Maybe."


    "This item starts at 1 million Qilnats, with a minimum bid increase of 50,000 Qilnats."


    "That''s really expensive..." Ruth muttered beside Minos and Gloria.


    Minos thought to himself when he heard the price. ''I have the equivalent of 200 million Qilnats with me, but if the first item of the evening starts at this price, how much will the last items cost?''


    This was the doubt that everyone would have at such events, whether to save their savings for the most valuable items of the event.


    He said to his wife. "If you want it, I''ll buy it for you, Gloria. Then feel free to bid on the Eternal Storm Bow."


    While she was thinking, the auctioneer started the bidding, and the first aliens in the vicinity started to bid, eagerly raising the price of the artifact.


    Gloria knew Minos had a lot of resources with him and that she wouldn''t have to give up anything so quickly. But since she felt it wouldn''t increase her power as much as the next items might have the potential to help other members of the group, she didn''t bid any more.


    The item was hotly contested for two minutes until some of those interested in the bow gave up on the artifact when the price reached 3.2 million Qilnats.


    It was sold for 3.4 million Qilnats to a level 103 alien, an individual in the common area of the auction house.


    Even though there was a common area, it didn''t mean that those cultivators were normal. Even the poorest in the area had riches that would be the envy of the masses on the island, and even in Oqia!


    The next item of the evening came shortly after the first lot of the auction was finished, and the auctioneer presented a semi-transparent scroll, written in gold with symbols that were strange to most of the creatures there.


    "This is a holy technique, Immortal Flame Phoenix!"

 Chapter 2457 First Half of the Auction

    Chapter 2457 First Half of the Auction


    "The Eternal Flame Phoenix technique is one of the most advanced and powerful skills in the Divine Bird World, specially designed for those with a deep affinity for fire. By mastering it, the cultivator can summon a majestic phoenix made of pure flame that possesses devastating offensive and defensive powers."


    The moment the auctioneer presented the second item of the evening, the entire audience at the event was stirred by the sensation emanating from the semi-transparent scroll, especially those with an affinity for flames.


    "That technique..." Lily stood up and clenched her fists, feeling a numb sensation as her body heat rose.


    Her eyes turned completely red as she felt the figure of a reddish-orange bird emerge from that technique, screaming in her mind.


    Minos narrowed his eyes as he noticed his daughter''s situation, seeing the truth with a single glance. "You two are meant to be." He opened his mouth when he saw he had to get this technique.


    Meanwhile, in another VIP room, a creature with horns on its head and parts of its horse-shaped body burning with black flames couldn''t help but take a closer look at the thing.


    "Bird World, huh?" he muttered when his fellow group members saw his interest in the sacred art of a legendary fire master similar to himself.


    "This technique can be useful even for a cultivator who aspires to the highest level. Whoever masters this technique will be respected and feared, even in the great Zocarro! This is the technique of someone who aspires to the Upper Realm!" This guy said as a smile appeared on his humanoid face.


    "I will buy this technique!"


    While other auction participants commented on the origin of the technique or the Bird World¡ªa legendary planet with special birds¡ªthe auctioneer presented the starting price for someone to join the battle for the technique.


    "The Eternal Flame Phoenix can be purchased for a starting price of 2.2 million Qilnats, with a minimum increase of 100,000 Qilnats. The contest for this technique is open!"


    "3 million Qilnats!" Minos raised his nameplate and started the bidding with a significant increase in value.


    "If there are no higher bids, the Eternal Flame Phoenix technique goes to the lord of room 112 for 6.6 million Qilnats!" the auctioneer announced the result.


    At the same time as the man''s words, Hollie and Lily were celebrating with Ruth, Abby, and Gloria in the group booth.


    ...


    Half an hour into the auction, the 6th item of the night was sold for 13.6 million Qilnats, making it the second item of the night to go to the Minos group!


    After Lily''s compatible technique, the other three auctioned items were also impressive in their own right, but no one in their group had any compatibility with them.


    When one reached such a high level of cultivation, the artifacts that could make a difference for them were those that were highly compatible and could cultivate future divine abilities.


    Not just any artifact of great power and value would change a cultivator''s life!


    But the sixth item of the evening caught Callie''s eye: an absorbable artifact that could greatly enhance the powers of cultivators with an affinity for ice.


    After Minos won the battle for this item, Callie didn''t hesitate to thank her leader, feeling immense joy in her heart and eager to absorb the frozen crystal and increase her spiritual abilities.


    Immediately after her thanks, Minos made the payment before Callie received the item in the VIP room, already planning to absorb it over the next few days.


    Just like Lily''s technique, this item couldn''t be perfectly integrated into its user without some time and effort to absorb and understand it.


    It wasn''t as slow as completely mastering a technique, but it would take Callie at least three days to successfully absorb it.


    Callie and Lily continued to pay attention to the auction when the auctioneer presented the seventh item of the evening, already entering the last part of this event with 13 items to be auctioned today.

 Chapter 2458 Second Half of the Auction: Conspiracies

    Chapter 2458 Second Half of the Auction: Conspiracies


    The seventh item of the evening attracted no attention from Minos'' group, as he and his staff simply waited for the next item to be auctioned.


    After 11 minutes between the presentation of the item and the bidding, the seventh item was sold for 15.2 million Qilnats, a sum that only mid- and high-level Sovereigns could normally afford.


    For weaker people at the 11th stage, this was a staggering amount that would take several centuries to accumulate!


    Some of them had been living on the island for decades, while others came from powerful worlds where they had already made their fortunes.


    Just as Minos had his story, others of these aliens had their successes as well.


    Soon, the eighth item of the evening would be auctioned off, and Minos set it aside until the ninth item appeared in the darkness on the platform in front of the attendees.


    A crystal object, approximately 15 centimeters in diameter, glowing with a dark blue light and surrounded by constantly moving runes, appeared inside a glass jar.


    Looking at the metal connectors on the crystal, the level 107 robot said to Minos. "Your Majesty, I am compatible with this particular core. I feel that if I absorb it, I will increase my power, increase my energy, create force fields and more powerful magical weapons."


    As Minos listened to his robot''s explanation, the auctioneer said. "This is Titan''s Arcane Core, an artifact designed to be integrated into mechanical and robotic systems, imbuing them with colossal magical power. It has been known to transform ordinary robots into unbeatable warriors with extraordinary abilities."


    Several groups began talking about the item, with robotic individuals like Minos''s robot discussing its value among themselves.


    "This could be the most valuable item of the night for artificial beings like us!"


    "With something like this, we can easily cultivate to the 12th stage and greatly increase our strength."


    "Too bad. The price will be stratospheric. I can''t imagine this item selling for less than 30 million Qilnats."


    "Can anyone outbid the gentleman in room 112?" He counted to three as he looked at the crowd present, but no one else would bid more for the Titan''s Arcane Core.


    Even though there were several artificial beings present, most of them weren''t as wealthy as Minos!


    "What a show-off bastard!" The individual with a horse''s body and black flames on his body muttered as he glared angrily at Minos'' group.


    "We will join the pursuit of his group later. Maybe we''ll have a chance to humiliate them in the future!" said one of the alien''s men.


    "Idiot! Are you thinking of trouble? Didn''t you feel that bastard''s aura earlier?" The level 106 being asked.


    "But boss..."


    "We''ll just watch. People who are bigger than us will surely hunt down this group. There''s no way we can deal with all the competitors interested in their many items." The horse was rational.


    If it had only been Lily''s technique that Minos had bought, the situation would have been different. But with several valuable items in his team, Minos would probably attract more groups, and stronger groups than that horse''s!


    As he received the item from his robot, Minos looked around, aware this was going to be a night of battle for him.


    ''We''ll see what my actual power is later.'' He thought to himself, feeling that the battles he had fought in the galaxy of The Enchanted Realm were not good parameters for him to know his strength.


    Only by fighting on this island could he get an actual idea of his power for the upcoming journey to Oqia and the Armhands'' headquarters!


    While he was thinking about this, the auctioneer would soon present the tenth item of today''s auction, the last one that the people around didn''t know what it was before today''s event began.


    The remaining items to be auctioned were all known, as they were the main reason most of the cultivators present today had come to the event!


    When the tenth item was sold for 35 million Qilnats, the first absorbable weapon of the evening would be presented to the public by the auctioneer!

 Chapter 2459 End of Auction 1

    Chapter 2459 End of Auction 1


    Shortly after the tenth item of the night was auctioned off, the first of the last three items of the night that were publicly known in the city appeared in the middle of the auction platform.


    The auctioneer smiled and displayed a multifaceted emerald crystal about ten centimeters in length. The crystal glowed with a pulsating inner light and was encased in golden metal, with engravings of dragons and runes. The native presented the item to everyone. "This is the Ascending Dragon Prism. It is an absorbable artifact of immense power, created to integrate into living bodies like an appendage, granting extraordinary abilities and the ability to form a powerful exoskeleton.


    By integrating with this artifact, its bearer can become an unbeatable warrior even at the high level of the 11th stage.


    When it is not activated, it integrates into the wearer''s body like an appendage at the base of the spine, as shown in the painting depicting it."


    Everyone looked at the shiny item, next to a beautiful painting in the shape of a being that had absorbed such a thing, both when the artifact was activated and when it was not.


    "It can amplify abilities, create an exoskeleton that can greatly increase the wearer''s physical abilities, give an affinity to a new law, speed up the wearer''s cellular recovery, and even help with camouflage!" Said one of the event attendees as he left his seat, unable to stop looking forward to possessing the item.


    "The Ascending Dragon Prism is also a source of special abilities that are extremely compatible with those with powerful bodies and characteristics of the divine beings of the dragon race!"


    "This is also the Ascending Dragon Prism''s only flaw. As a creation of an ancient dragon clan, it must have requirements that only a very close member of the race could meet. It won''t be easy to integrate with it!"


    "Sigh! That''s a fact."


    Several onlookers were impressed by the quality of the item, but some couldn''t help but sigh in disappointment, feeling that, depending on the value, it wouldn''t be worth buying something so valuable.


    After two more bids, the auctioneer announced the result of this bid.


    "For 63 million Qilnats, the Ascending Dragon Cousin goes to the senior in room 112!"


    Lily, Hollie, and Kendrick celebrated Minos'' victory in another round, winning the fourth item of the night for their group.


    With that fight over, the chatter around the area picked up again, with many attendees talking about Minos and his group as the transaction between Minos and the auction house was completed.


    Soon, Kendrick was holding the small artifact, the size of a human wrist, while his father looked at him with determination.


    "Use it and increase your attributes as much as you can. It''s possible that by the time we reach the Armhands'' headquarters, you''ll have reached level 105 and a cultivation stability similar to that of the natives of this world with the same cultivation."


    "I''ll do my best, father!" Kendrick said as he bowed his head and made a gesture of thanks to Minos.


    "Hmm, let''s see the penultimate item of the evening. I still have a few tens of millions of Qilnats with me. Maybe I can buy something for another member of the group." He murmured with a smile on his face.


    Everyone knew what the last two items of the evening were, but they still needed to feel them up close to know if they were worth their value, or if they were just impressive items for other cultivators.


    Soon, they would see the twelfth and penultimate item of the evening, an item that, though impressive, would prove to be no match for any of Minos'' companions.


    As a result, the group would only observe the bids of the other participants in the auction, which would bring the bid for this artifact to a value similar to what Minos had spent in the 11th round, with the winner taking the item for 65 million Qilnats.


    Thus, the 13th and final artifact to be auctioned today would be displayed on the auction platform!

 Chapter 2460 End of Auction 2

    Chapter 2460 End of Auction 2


    A silver-colored liquid crystal ball appeared in the center of the platform as its spiritual fluctuation was revealed to all the participants of today''s auction.",


    Approximately eight centimeters in diameter, with an internal pulsating light that changed color according to the energy acting upon it, the Metamorphosis Core caught the attention of everyone there.


    As Gloria looked at the orb, which was encased in a black metal structure with inscriptions underneath that could fuse with the wearer''s skull, she said to Minos. "This item can help me a lot!"


    But she was not alone!


    Of all the items of the evening, the one with the greatest compatibility with the auction participants was the very last item of the evening!


    "The Metamorphosis Core is a powerful artifact designed to integrate into the body of its bearer, granting extraordinary abilities to transform and control the environment.


    This artifact allows the wearer to change their own form and manipulate the properties of the environment around them, becoming a plastic essence of infinite adaptability." The auctioneer explained the main reason it was of interest to many people about to enter the auction house.


    Gloria realized this and felt that not only she, but Abby, Ruth, and Minos himself could absorb such an item and become stronger, as well as the others in their group who might also have this possibility.


    The most impressive thing about the Metamorphosis Core was not its special power, but its compatibility with many types of cultivators!


    But Gloria explained. "Many people here will be able to become stronger if they absorb the Metamorphosis Core. I have no doubt about that. But this absorbable weapon will be more impressive on bodies with liquid divine abilities or innate abilities.


    In our group, I have an ability that fits perfectly. If I integrate with it, I can achieve a physical freedom that will allow me to do almost anything I want on the battlefield with the least potential risks."


    Minos looked at Gloria seriously, wondering what would happen if she was indeed the one to absorb such an object.


    ''We can''t say for sure how far the orb would take her, but it''s certain she could gain some kind of ability like body metamorphosis, plastic essence, camouflage, and even regeneration. The possibilities were endless.'' He clenched his fists as he analyzed the situation and agreed with Gloria''s point.


    He said to his staff. "Gloria''s words make sense. Many of us could gain something from this orb, but some of us would gain little compared to what she can gain from the same artifact.


    As Gloria felt her heart pound nervously, Minos said. "This friend, let''s end this. I have 86 million Qilnats with me. If you have more, the item is yours."


    The auctioneer looked at the face of the level 109 alien, the strongest of the auction participants that night.


    "Senior, will you bid higher than the gentleman in room 112? In that case, will you bid 87 million Qilnats?" The auctioneer asked, as the sound of swallowing saliva could be heard from several spectators.


    The alien looked at Minos with wide eyes, unable to believe the situation. Unfortunately, he had only 84 million Qilnats with him, a wealth he had accumulated over centuries of his life on journeys through the universe.


    He thought he had finally reached a level of wealth that would place him among the greats of Zocarro, but now he faced someone younger and richer than himself, who was pushing him in this auction.


    He clenched his fists and closed his eyes, saying nothing to the auctioneer.


    This was an inseparable item. As much as some might consider joining forces to buy it, it was more interesting to let Minos take it than to do such a thing.


    If they were going to fight over this artifact, it was better to have it in the hands of a single individual, someone they could all ally against.


    Joining forces to buy the item at auction would only cause the disputes to get messy and everything to get complicated after the auction.


    No one offered to join this alien, so the auctioneer counted to three until he ended the night by announcing Minos'' victory!


    Gloria jumped into her husband''s arms at the announcement of Minos'' victory, unable to contain the happiness in her heart, and gave her husband a long, wet kiss.


    Minos accepted the gesture with satisfaction, getting his fifth item of the night, but also the stares of at least dozens of mid-


    level Sovereigns.


    ''It''s time for the truth... These individuals won''t attack me in the city, but they won''t allow us to absorb these artifacts either. We need to leave the city to sort out who can absorb what.'' He thought to himself as the auctioneer said his last words before the night ended.


    And so ended the most important auction of Ganaway Refuge!

 Chapter 2461 Post-Auction

    Chapter 2461 Post-Auction


    Shortly after receiving the Metamorphosis Core and paying the remaining Qilnats, Minos looked at his group and said. "It''s time for us to leave this town and head to the harbor from where we''ll continue our journey to Oqia."


    "Shouldn''t we absorb these items first?" Callie asked Minos.


    "I doubt the bidders in today''s auction will allow us to do that. Most of them must have better contacts in this city than we do, so we won''t be able to do much after today. If we want to continue with our plans, we''ll have to leave the city and fight them." Minos answered the doubts in the hearts of his companions.


    "Won''t it be dangerous? There are many aliens watching us," Grisdi said worriedly, aware they were no longer in The Enchanted Realm, where everyone of their group would be a high-level warrior at their current levels.


    "It will be dangerous." Minos smiled. "But our chances aren''t bad. This will be a good test for us to define our strengths against the really powerful Zocarro cultivators. Our experience in The Enchanted Realm galaxy isn''t enough to tell us how strong we are here."


    Everyone in the group had expected to face immense dangers when they left Ganaway Sanctuary for Oqia. The sea between the island and the mainland was extremely rough and dangerous, with dangers capable of killing even high-ranking sovereigns.


    Considering this alone, dealing with a group of mid-level Sovereigns didn''t seem too difficult to them, despite the uncertainties they had in their hearts.


    "Let''s do it!" Lily said as she clenched her fists in determination.


    With the others nodding and agreeing, they left the VIP room after Minos'' explanation, while other people who had acquired artifacts at the auction left the area in a hurry.


    Those who hadn''t managed to buy anything, most of the visitors to the auction house that night, just watched for the moment.


    Aware of how powerful and dominant the force behind the island was, maintaining order in the area''s cities with an iron fist, those interested in taking action after the auction simply watched the night''s winners from a distance.


    In this place, where there were no powerful beings other than those who had just moved in, the group came into formation, with Minos looking around and noticing his many guests.


    He smiled and shouted for all to hear. "Fellows, I sense you want a chance to take what I have, right? Hehe, I see no problem with that. It''s a universal behavior.


    But if you want to take what I have, I''m afraid you''ll have to fight to the death! Please, show us what you''re made of!" The over 150 people watching Minos'' group in the surrounding area narrowed their eyes as they hesitated.


    Minos'' behavior earlier had been strange enough. But to stop in the middle of a place like this and confront them like this seemed unreal.


    Some of them felt shivers running down their spines at Minos'' words, doubting his sanity while fearing it wouldn''t be interesting to go ahead with their ambitions.


    ''Something is wrong here.'' One of the more insecure thought to himself, ''Why is he so calm?''


    ''I''d better wait for the strongest to move first. If there''s a chance for those like me to get something, I''ll join the fight.'' thought a level 107 alien.


    Minos'' companions looked around curiously, not seeing a single soul move forward after the first 10 seconds of their leader''s speech.


    Hollie smiled to herself, thinking that maybe they would get out of this situation without having to fight.


    ''If that happens, it will be a good story to tell our friends in the Spiritual World in the future.'' She continued to wait for something to happen, smiling amidst the tension of the surrounding beings.


    "Nobody?" Even Minos couldn''t believe how long it took them to make up their minds and wondered if that wasn''t the right way to behave in situations like this.


    ''Who knew? All it takes is one person to act with courage and confidence to frighten so many high-ranking warriors? Tsk! If I had known this before, I would have avoided problems in the past.'' He laughed as he saw the strongest in the area looking at each other, but none of them moved in front of the others.

 Chapter 2462 Battle

    Chapter 2462 Battle


    After standing there for almost a minute, surrounded by dozens of people interested in the five items Minos had bought at the auction, the first of these beings showed some courage.


    "If no one is going to stand up to him, we''d better get out of here. Otherwise, we''ll see what he''s capable of. All this courage might be fake." Said a level 108 alien, while the strongest in the area looked at him and watched him show himself to Minos.


    As soon as this opponent had shown himself, three others, two level 107 Sovereigns and the only level 109 Sovereign around, moved in as well, looking at Minos in challenging manners.


    "I''m curious to test the skills of the one who beat me at the auction earlier." Said this one with the highest cultivation level on the area, taking a risk while hoping that Minos'' words and confidence were a bluff.


    Everyone was a little afraid of Minos, but it was just as the level 108 foreigner had said. If they didn''t test it, they might miss out on a lot because of a trick.


    For experts, there was nothing worse than regret. Afraid of missing out on big money because of small clues, most of them stayed where they were, while the more defiant ones came out to fight.


    "Ten brave creatures and dozens of cowards." Minos muttered as he looked at the ten beings, four level 107 cultivators, five level 108 cultivators, and the single level 109 opponent.


    Then, under the gaze of the aliens who were waiting to see if they should join the confrontation or not, and the guard of those ten individuals who were prepared to deal with Minos'' possible hidden allies, he raised one of his arms in the air and spread his wings.


    As soon as a golden glow emanated from his position, Minos disappeared and reappeared in the middle of the ten individuals who were guarding him and his group.


    Each of the ten aliens narrowed their eyes as they turned their attention to the person next to them, before realizing why their move today had been a mistake.


    Gulp!


    Minos'' cultivation went from level 104 to level 107 in a flash, and one of the level 107 cultivators in the group lost one level of cultivation.


    Black Sea!


    Darkness spread through the surroundings, reaching more than half of the standing enemies, while Minos watched as the level 109 enemy finally had its defenses torn apart by the golden energy dragon''s claws.


    ''It seems that a level 109 Sovereign can''t withstand my current power... But he''s definitely stronger than a level 111 Sovereign from The Enchanted Realm.'' Minos thought as he watched that individual get wounded, but still stand even after such a vigorous attack.


    ''My limit is probably level 111 natives. Beyond that, I would probably face real challenges that could put me in danger.'' He concluded as he made his next move, slicing through space with his Spatial Sword.


    The enemy froze under Minos'' action, just before a blade of energy emerged from the vacuum of space and passed through his body.


    The first corpse of this post-auction competition fell, the body of the level 109 alien split in half, while the competitors from earlier felt like they were in hell.


    With the death of the strongest among them, and at least half of the group turning on themselves, they were in dire straits!


    Minos stopped after the first death in the enemy group, realizing it would be better to let his group test their powers than to go through with the killing.


    Fighting the remaining enemies would make little difference to him. But for his companions, this was a genuine test that could reveal their approximate strength compared to the type of enemy they would face in Zocarro.


    Less than a minute into the battle, Minos watched his wives fight, seeing Abby use her divine ability to revive the dead at a higher level than herself, while Ruth supported her companions with great efficiency.


    Gloria was the first of the three to kill an enemy, using her mercury weapons to attack the heart of a level 106 opponent.


    ''Abby is very strong. She could become a major influence in Zocarro even before she becomes a Supreme.'' Minos clenched his fists as a smile appeared on his face.


    With such a strong necromantic ability, Abby would definitely have a glorious future within Armhands, even if Minos didn''t help her!

 Chapter 2463 Post-Auction Conflict Resolved

    Chapter 2463 Post-Auction Conflict Resolved


    In the five minutes of fighting, Minos would focus on his wives and children. After all, they were the ones he cared about or was interested in the most. But he would pay attention to all of his companions, not just his family. Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com


    Of his wives, he was very sure of Abby, while of his children, Kendrick was the one who attracted the most attention.


    With Abby''s ability, she was like a one-person army. With Kendrick''s powers, which were similar to Minos'', he could fight above his level and make a big difference in the battle.


    But even though they weren''t as impressive as these two, Ruth and Gloria, as well as Lily and Hollie, also showed a lot of potential.


    Ruth had her support skills and great physical strength. With Minos'' help, she even killed a level 108 opponent with her bare hands!


    As for Gloria, Minos couldn''t help but imagine how much she could gain by absorbing the item he had purchased at the auction, which could completely change her.


    Hollie would grow up to be another member of the family who could fight above her level. All she had to do was get stronger. For now, she still had a long way to go, as she was the weakest of the group.


    Lily didn''t seem to have the same potential as the others, but Minos didn''t doubt her. Despite lacking extreme talent and skills, she had more will to fight and become stronger than Kendrick and Hollie could put together!


    After seeing her fight with anger and bloodlust, Minos sighed and wondered how this must be related to Isabella''s tragedy.


    The only silver lining was that Lily could go on because of her perseverance and will to win.


    He saw that clearly in today''s battle. Even though she was weaker than Kendrick, Lily still killed the same number of opponents as her older brother!


    Minos hadn''t tested his strength that well, but everyone else had tested their abilities very well.


    They all felt that they still needed to cultivate and train on Zocarro for a while to reach their best condition. But in general, they could fight against those who were at the same level or only slightly weaker than them. Some could fight above their level, and all could improve if they adapted to the planet.


    This was enough per hour to keep them busy for a while with their necessary training and cultivation routines.


    ...


    The group made it to the southern coast of Ganaway Refuge, arriving at the place from which they would leave for Oqia a few hours after leaving the central area of the island.


    Minos secured a safe and suitable area for Gloria, Lily, the robot, Callie, and Kendrick to cultivate while they absorbed or took advantage of the opportunity he had acquired at the auction.


    He had obtained two other artifacts from the auction using the resources left behind by the dead from the previous battle, but no one on his team was compatible with those artifacts.


    As soon as he left the group, Minos went in search of the crew that would take his people to Oqia once the last of the five had finished what they had started.


    As he had done before when he left Oqia and came to the Ganaway Refuge, Minos looked for a reliable crew that wouldn''t threaten his group or even try to rob them in the middle of the sea.


    The sea ahead was dangerous enough to frighten Sovereigns, so an experienced and reliable crew was a must.


    But with the Incorruptible Heart on his side, Minos would be able to find the group to take his people to Oqia the same day they arrived on the south coast of the island.


    After paying for the boat reservation, he returned to wait for his people and quickly went to cultivate himself in anticipation of their departure from the island.


    It was finally time for him to return to Oqia and face the problems that surely awaited him!

 Chapter 2464 Strengthening the Group Before Departure

    Chapter 2464 Strengthening the Group Before Departure


    Finnd new chapters at novelhall.com


    In the blink of an eye, three weeks had passed since the auction where Minos had spent 200 million Qilnats for five artifacts.


    In that time, the group had received no problems from the dozens of enemies who had attacked them that day. As they had expected, their opponents that day were mostly individuals new to Zocarro, coming from other worlds and with little support.


    They had influence while alive, being powerful and wealthy even by Zocarro standards. But once dead, few in this world would seek justice for them.


    As far as the official forces were concerned, the dispute had caused no trouble on the island, so Minos'' party hadn''t been bothered.


    After over two weeks in the southernmost city of Ganaway Refuge, Minos'' group reached the moment of their departure!


    Of the five individuals who had stopped to absorb the opportunities Minos had given them over the weeks, four had already completed the essential part of taking advantage of their opportunities. The only one left to complete his mission was Kendrick, who was finishing absorbing the Ascending Dragon Prism.


    ...


    As Kendrick finished absorbing the Ascending Dragon Prism, Gloria stood beside her two harem sisters, having finished absorbing the Metamorphosis Core.


    The two women standing next to the redhead couldn''t help but gape at the sight of the beautiful orb embedded in her forehead, resembling a priceless gem.


    They had just seen Gloria''s new abilities in action and couldn''t help but be impressed by what they saw.


    Gloria was stronger, with a more stable cultivation, a faster regeneration factor, and a much more refined body manipulation ability than before.


    But the most impressive thing about her gains was her new abilities. By combining the power of the Metamorphosis Core with her innate ability, she could now transform her body into a living weapon, a liquid that could change shape at will.


    But that was about to change!


    As Gloria felt excited, face to face with Ruth and Abby, the three felt Kendrick''s aura change as the sensation of a monstrous being suddenly emerged from his position.


    Looking at Kendrick, who was in the same cultivation room as the three, they saw him open his eyes while his skin glowed, forming dark golden scales.


    An exoskeleton covered his entire body, his eyes glowing brightly, while the pressure of a superior being emanated from his body, making the three women feel temporarily confined.


    Dragon wings sprouted from Kendrick''s back, allowing spiritual fluctuations to escape from his skin, distorting space.


    Ruth, the strongest of the three, looked at Kendrick and realized the boy was closer to Minos than ever as he finished absorbing the Ascending Dragon Prism.


    Even if they attacked him now with everything they had, they wouldn''t be able to overcome the boy''s exoskeleton defenses!


    Besides, with those wings, he should be much faster than before, one of the most important characteristics for a warrior on the battlefield.


    As they watched the boy awaken from his little seclusion, Minos appeared after realizing the last of them had finished.


    A smile appeared on Minos'' face before he punched his son in the stomach, determined to test the boy''s current state.


    Minos'' punch was not weak, frightening not only the three women, but Kendrick himself as he realized the power of the attack.


    However, when he was hit, Kendrick didn''t feel all the pain he expected before falling to his knees on the ground!


    "This exoskeleton is impressive! I''m proud of my physique, but I''m afraid this exoskeleton has a better defense than mine!" Minos praised as he scanned the situation of his son, who was now feeling quite a bit of pain, but was fine despite the attack that could have killed others stronger than himself!

 Chapter 2465 Departure for Oqia

    Chapter 2465 Departure for Oqia


    "Father, did you have to test me like that?" Kendrick asked in a pained tone of voice as he clutched his stomach with his arms.


    Minos just smiled at his son before looking at the three women in the cultivation room. "Anyway, since everyone is ready, it''s time to continue our journey to Oqia."


    The four of them put aside their thoughts about how much stronger they were now that they had finished absorbing the items they had acquired earlier.


    Kendrick picked himself up from the ground with his father''s help as his exoskeleton returned to normal, fully retracted into a crystal embedded at the base of his back.


    Despite the pain caused by Minos'' blow, he was well enough to walk alongside his parents.


    Soon the five of them were on their way to meet up with the rest of the group, from where they would leave for the local harbor.


    The boat that Minos had reserved for its services was subject to a daily payment contract. So the crew was waiting for him, and as soon as he wanted, they would set sail for Oqia.


    With no further reason to stay on the island, Minos would gather his entire group in the next few minutes before heading to the magnificent local harbor.


    On the way, Gloria asked him. "By the way, what did we get from those alien spatial rings? I imagine they left a lot of valuables behind, right?"


    "Indeed." Minos smiled in confirmation. "We got 300 million Qilnats, various resources and artifacts of great value, as well as information about galaxies and worlds we didn''t know about."


    What was the value of knowing about other regions of the universe? For someone who had founded a galactic empire, all kinds of information had their value.


    Perhaps Minos himself wouldn''t use some of the information he had, but it might be interesting for his children or eventual grandchildren to explore the possibilities he had reached.


    For example, the trip to The Enchanted Realm had helped the group a great deal, as the time distortion that existed in that area had allowed the group to strengthen and prepare for their return to Zocarro. Perhaps there were places in the universe that were similar or had the potential to help some of the Stuart family in the future that the group didn''t know about yet.


    The first few weeks of the journey passed without the group encountering any dangers that could put them in a life-or-death situation.


    As the members of the group who had made the journey before already knew, the beginning and end of the journey were the most peaceful points. The greatest danger was in the middle of the journey, on the high seas, where the unknown could suddenly overtake them.


    Because of the dangers of this journey, none of the group members cultivated in the middle of the journey. They were all following Minos'' instructions to prepare for the challenges they might face along the way.


    While the weaker ones were in less dangerous positions, the stronger ones stood by to protect the ship and help the crew complete the journey.


    As much as this sea could frighten even high-level Sovereigns, the group was already quite powerful, and it wasn''t all kinds of danger would be able to eliminate them.


    However, they wouldn''t complete this journey without facing mortal danger!


    Unlike the last time they crossed this dark sea, this time they would face a mortal risk in the middle of their journey!


    ...


    A little over three months after the start of Minos'' group''s voyage, the ship passed through a very dark area of the sea, where fog covered the surroundings and obscured the view of what lay beyond 10 meters from the observation point.


    At its reduced speed, the ship slowly followed the route that the captain had traveled dozens of times in his history in this dangerous line of work.


    While the creatures on the ship were paying attention to their surroundings, Minos suddenly opened his eyes and stood up from his position on the highest level of the ship.


    Sweat poured down his face as he activated his powers, causing a large hourglass to cover the entire ship.


    Then, as his group noticed his reaction and raised their guards and their eyebrows, the body part of a giant creature appeared in front of them, dangerously closing in on them in a way that would surely hit and destroy the ship.


    "Oh, shit!" The captain shouted at the sight of a sea monster, similar to the Krakens of the Spiritual World, but as big as a mountain.

 Chapter 2466 Escaping a Terrible Fate

    Chapter 2466 Escaping a Terrible Fate


    Just as they were about to be hit by the giant monster arm with a level 115 aura, their entire ship glowed with a strong golden hue.


    Everyone in the party felt it as time stopped for a moment.


    Minos wasted no time in saying. "Raise your guard! I''ll go back a few seconds, but that''s as far as I can take us. Everyone must be ready for this attack if you want to survive!"


    Minos'' group and the crew didn''t need to hear any more from him. Everyone already knew of Minos'' clairvoyance powers, which had saved them from trouble several times in the past weeks. If he took such drastic measures now, then the future was truly dreadful.


    Even the captain of the ship, a level 114 Sovereign, put himself at Minos'' disposal, taking a defensive stance. He had already been guided by his contractor at the beginning of the voyage to take this seriously!


    As everyone prepared, feeling the nervousness of the moment, they felt time recede to everything outside the ship a few dozen kilometers from them.


    When Minos'' ability lost its effect, he stole Lily and Hollie''s cultivation to increase his own power, merging his techniques to form a powerful and massive black hole.


    Everyone scrambled to create a defensive barrier around the ship, while Ruth used her innate ability to connect with everyone.


    Seconds after going back in time, they saw the same arm from before appear in front of them, rapidly approaching the ship to destroy them.


    The captain watched in fear, aware of how much stronger a level 115 being was than all of them. Even if it were possible to combine all the powers of all of them into one individual, that being would still be weaker than a level 115 creature!


    Several layers of defense appeared beneath Minos'' black hole as he positioned himself with his wings in a defensive stance, with Kendrick right behind his father, with his exoskeleton already fully closed.


    Callie used her powers to freeze the sea, using the large amount of water particles suspended in the air to create ice shields over a large area.


    Then, under the terrified eyes of the group, dozens of extremely powerful explosions, each capable of killing or severely injuring even the strongest of the group, erupted around that Supreme level creature.


    For a moment, all the water in the area evaporated, causing the sea to become even more turbulent, but also revealing tens of square kilometers of area that had been hidden by the fog that was now being blown away.


    The group flew on the ship while watching the sea creature turn its eyes toward them, as if marking its soul with what had happened today.


    Fortunately, they moved on without being followed, while Minos steered the ship in the direction he knew they could escape from the terrible creature.


    Still, after coming face to face with death and seeing 80% of his party die in the future he had prevented, Minos couldn''t help but turn extremely pale.


    "We came very close to death today." He commented to his group in a weakened tone, his cultivation already back to normal while Kendrick, Callie, and several others were unconscious.


    "Fortunately, we escaped for now. But don''t weaken. Our fate in this sea is not yet certain!"


    With those words, the few conscious people on the boat did what they could, landing back in the sea shortly thereafter, quickly trying to regain their strength and identify where they were.


    After only ten minutes, the crew members reassigned the boat back to the route that had been planned before the journey began, and Minos and the other conscious people split off to cultivate and recuperate.


    ...


    The next two months of travel wouldn''t be as dangerous as the previous encounter with the Supreme being, but the group would still face their challenges, facing problems that were difficult even for them.


    Fortunately, nothing like a Supreme being would come their way until they finally entered the final weeks of their journey, away from the greatest dangers of the Dark Sea.


    At the end of the sixth month of their journey, they would finally see the mainland, about to enter Oqia after many years of planning to return there!

 Chapter 2467 Back to Oqia

    Chapter 2467 Back to Oqia


    On the last day of their boat journey, Minos'' party enjoyed approaching the continent, finally free from the dangers of the dark sea between Ganaway Refuge and Oqia.


    After the many trials and tribulations of the group''s months-long boat journey, everyone was a little more seasoned for the future challenges this continent had in store for them. Finnd new chapters at novelhall.com


    The group still needed time to stabilize their cultivation and become truly competitive against those of the same cultivation or even stronger individuals. However, these months of travel have allowed the group to progress much faster toward their goal of becoming stronger.


    To give an idea of the group''s growth, Lily had reached the third of the four levels of her newly acquired technique, having completed two progressions toward full mastery of the technique much earlier than he had expected.


    But that was to be expected. After all, the greater the dangers, the greater the rewards for those who survived the trials along the way!


    So, eight members of the group now watched the coast of Oqia with gleams in their eyes, eager to see more of this glorious world.


    Minos and his five Armhands companions were also eager to dock on the continent, especially to return to the guild, where they would surely have many duties to perform.


    Among the things they were most interested in were recovering their Flashdrain parasite and seeing their old companions, who were expected to be much stronger and in better positions within the guild.


    Minos, in particular, had several local tasks to complete as quickly as possible so that he could finally embark on the journey the seraphim hoped he would complete.


    ''What about the dangers?'' Minos had many questions, but he left them to learn more about in the future and asked only the most important ones now.


    ''The dangers are the same ones you''ve already faced on your journey to and from the Spiritual World. Just keep getting stronger. There''s nothing special you can do to improve your chances other than what you will do without my help.'' The seraph said before disappearing and falling asleep again in the wing tattoo on one of Minos'' hands.


    Minos sighed and wondered what his next journey would be like. ''It won''t take me less than 10 years to clear my backlog of mandatory missions. Then I''ll have to secure my future absence and the positions of my companions.


    Hmm, I''ll probably be able to improve another 2 or 3 levels before I go on my next journey. That should be enough to deal with the dangers of such a journey.'' He imagined, aware there were things he would still be vulnerable to, like the sea creature that had nearly wiped out his party months ago.


    As he thought about the future, the hours passed and soon the crew would park their boat at a port in The Bland Gulf.


    Once in Oqia, the group would thank the crew for bringing them to this area before saying goodbye and actually entering the continent.


    Once ashore in the continent''s northernmost city, Minos and his party soon set out to explore the trade center in search of information.


    Having been away for so many years, there were things they needed to learn before heading south.


    As much as they had Minos'' old travel map from their trip to the Spiritual World, that map might be very outdated compared to the events of the last eight decades in Zocarro.


    Fortunately, the group currently had enough funds to pay for the services of local informants and thus plan their trip to the Armhands'' headquarters in the central area of the continent.

 Chapter 2468 Old Problem

    Chapter 2468 Old Problem


    After a few days in this coastal city in the far north of Oqia, the group had obtained the information they needed to begin their journey to the more central areas of the great continent.


    Leaving the city at the dawn of a new day, they flew through the same area that Minos and five of his companions had passed through on their way to the Ganaway Refuge.


    This area wasn''t as dangerous, after all, it was further away from the continent''s most interesting places to live, and the sea was nearby, limiting the area available for cities and tribal territories.


    As a result, most of the dangers common to traveling on the continent were a few weeks'' journey inland to the south.


    The party would experience this while gradually getting to know Zocarro better, seeing the different races of creatures in this vast world.


    But while they were traveling south, someone was looking for them in the far north!


    ...


    As Minos'' group moved south, about 20 kilometers from their current position, a being with an immense body, several legs and arms, level 112, paused.


    Until a few moments ago, he had been moving at a slow pace in this area, searching for the scent he had been chasing for decades.


    The moment he felt that scent become stronger than ever, he looked in front of him, where the signal came from.


    "Minos!" His black mouth, dripping with a strange and disgusting liquid, opened and uttered a horrible voice capable of frightening even assassins.


    He quickened his pace, sprinting towards where he was sure he would reach his mortal enemy in a few minutes, moving as the ground he stood on turned purple, the surrounding plants dying while the terrain lost its life.


    After years since the incident after The Obsidian Shore, the result of the two enemies who tried to assassinate Minos after he left that special place was about to reach him!


    "That''s because of the black liquid." Minos said, aware that what he had encountered on The Obsidian Shore was not normal.


    "Do you think your powers can affect this thing?" Gloria asked Abby, but her focus was on the creature that was spreading death and destruction wherever it went.


    "I definitely can''t do anything about it. It''s much stronger than me. Even though I''m only level 112, I feel it''s stronger than the level 114 Sovereigns of The Enchanted Realm." Abby was sincere as she considered the possibilities. "But I think if I had some of that black liquid, I could do something with a dead person who I revived with my skill."


    "We''ll think about it when we get back to the guild. There''s more of that black liquid I collected on The Obsidian Shore." Minos said, interested in the possibilities Abby might have.


    The black liquid was definitely terrible for living people, but for a dead person, it could have a very positive effect.


    "Minos!"


    As they spoke, the creature opened its mouth, screaming with hatred and resentment at the person who had destroyed its targets and put it in this terrible situation.


    "I don''t know what to call you. You seem to be the brother of the Sovereign who almost killed me, but your spirit seems to be that of the young master of Silverdawn." Minos said as he summoned his ultimate weapon, quickly fusing three of his techniques to create the Divine Sword.


    "Bastard! You really are that much stronger. How did you do that? Show yourself!" this individual shouted as he raised his arms and legs to prepare for an attack.


    Ruth linked her powers with Minos'' body, while Abby supported her, stimulating her husband''s senses to the maximum.


    The moment the enemy attacked, he moved, spreading his wings and quickly approaching the dangerous creature.


    With his indestructible body already activated, Minos made a seal appear around his enemy''s body, creating an extra layer over his opponent''s skin, while several small dark rings appeared in this layer to devour his energy.


    Then the surrounding gravity changed terribly as Minos sliced diagonally through the air toward that body, temporarily immobilized by the Temporal Sands.


    As the blade of the Divine Sword touched one of the creature''s arms, Minos frowned as he realized how strong this level 112 being was, possibly his current limit.

 Chapter 2469 The Limit of Minos

    Chapter 2469 The Limit of Minos


    When he saw his blade stopped after cutting only 6 centimeters into his opponent''s arm, and then purple spots appeared on the blade of his supreme weapon, he frowned in concern.


    "It looks like I''m going to have to expose everything I have today..."


    Minos'' eyes turned orange as flames of the same color shot out from all over his body, covering his supreme weapon.


    His silver-gold wings changed, glowing brightly before moving and attacking that part of the enemy''s body.


    Swooish!


    "Aaagh!"


    A muffled cry of pain rose from the creature''s throat as it felt its corrupted parts being degraded by the golden, disintegrating light of Minos'' wings, while those wings penetrated it far more than the Divine Sword.


    In a single instant, Minos saw the increasingly purple blade of his supreme weapon reverse the degradation caused by his enemy, while a scalding orange glow covered the blade.


    His weapon sank in more easily until it completely severed the enemy''s arm, making the level 112 being realize it would not be easy to kill him.


    Minos was much stronger now. With a temporary cultivation at level 107, but with a base as strong as that of a high-level 11th-stage being, this human could fully defend himself and even putting the enemy in danger.


    At first, this creature was terrified, because after decades of wandering the continent in search of Minos, he hadn''t expected to find his enemy so much stronger.


    But it wasn''t just Minos'' cultivation and abilities that had grown and strengthened over the years!


    Attempting a surprise attack, Minos'' enemy saw the young man move just before he was hit by a poisonous sting.


    He screamed in agony, struggling as he was held by Minos and the golden dragon while his body burned and the darkness of his essence was gradually erased.


    "Now!" Minos shouted to his staff, finally seeing the moment for them to enter the fray and finish the enemy.


    For the first time in a long time, he couldn''t see himself killing this opponent alone. Sure, he could fight, weaken the enemy, and protect himself. But killing was something he really couldn''t do right now.


    However, he was not alone. The moment he gave the signal to his staff, the strongest ones moved to attack different parts of the opponent''s body, while his wives acted to support Minos.


    Abby used her divine ability against the creature, causing it to look at her with fear, even in desperation, seeing someone capable of tampering with the dead part of itself.


    But being attacked by more than a dozen enemies, it could only continue to scream and struggle, with Lily using her flames to aggravate the enemy''s burns, and Hollie and Kendrick using their similar powers to destroy parts of the enemy''s body.


    Callie froze nearly 20% of the enemy''s body, while the robot sliced off the remaining arms and legs until the level 112 Sovereign could no longer fight.


    After four minutes of working together, the group watched as Minos'' flames finished devouring the creature''s darkness, as its life signs diminished until they disappeared completely.


    Minos felt his cultivation return to level 104, and his body ached in various places, especially his right leg and his mental part.


    But even though he was wounded and exhausted, he was still standing when he let go of part of the enemy''s body and signaled to the group that they had succeeded in killing the powerful opponent.


    "He was very strong." Said the level 107 robot as parts of his metallic body recovered from the attacks the enemy had tried to make while being pressed by all of them a moment ago.


    "That was the black liquid." Minos sighed as he sat down on the floor. "There are surely level 112 Sovereigns as strong as he was. But the black liquid changed him into something even more terrifying. If it hadn''t been for that, I could have defeated him on my own."


    "Why was he after you?" Kendrick sat down beside his father.


    "Revenge. A creature in that state is not rational at all. As much as he could talk, he was only driven by his hatred for the one who put him in that state: me." Minos replied, taking a deep breath. "Anyway, don''t worry, it means nothing. It was just an attempt at revenge. Let''s get some rest before we hit the road again."

 Chapter 2470 Years of Journey

    Chapter 2470 Years of Journey


    After recovering from the battle with the black liquid creature, the level 110 Sovereign and the level 108 Silverdawn young master, the group continued on their journey.


    Well-informed of what lay ahead, and already knowing part of the way, the group would have a much better time once they left the vicinity of The Bland Gulf.


    The three-year journey to the Armhands'' headquarters city of Examire would unfold quickly, with two years passing uneventfully for the group.


    When they least expected it, they would find themselves in the last third of the journey to Examire, with new breakthroughs in the group and, more importantly, with everyone finally stabilizing their spiritual foundation.


    ...


    With just over two years since their arrival in Oqia, Minos'' group had avoided many problems through their ability to spy on the future and know the problems that lay ahead.


    By avoiding many situations and directing his group to the best opportunities that lay in their path, Minos had maintained the integrity of his group of 14.


    Today they stopped to rest after weeks of travel. Not only that, but Kendrick was already on the verge of reaching level 105, having cultivated for about 8 years since advancing to level 104.


    Minos had reached level 105, the same level that Gloria and Abby had reached after stabilizing their spiritual forces.


    The other members of the group hadn''t improved their cultivation in the two years they had been traveling, but they had greatly improved their strength by stabilizing their cultivation according to the energy density and laws of Zocarro.


    Now, they shouldn''t be so weak against opponents of the same level or weaker than them who had lived in Zocarro longer than them. Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com


    "But our enemies are stronger. It''s almost certain that they''ve improved by 3 or 4 levels in that time, and perhaps even moved up in the guild hierarchy." Minos warned his companions.


    "When we left the guild, we were only Junior Officers, and our biggest opponents were at the same or even the next rank, Intermediate Officer. It''s almost certain that when we return to the guild, our problems will be with these people, who must now be Intermediate and Senior Officers.


    For those of us who are already Junior Officers, we need to move up to Intermediate Officers as soon as possible. In addition, I want at least one of us to be a Senior Officer before my next trip outside of Armhands."


    Minos said this while looking at Ruth, whom he wanted to take on this mission to become a major influence within the inner realm of the guild.


    "I''ll do my best, but it won''t be easy." The black-haired woman warned.


    "Just be prepared to make the effort... Anyway, Kendrick will have finished his progress. It''s time to get ready to move on." He warned the group as he sighed and stood up.


    "How much longer will it take us to get to Examire, father?" Hollie asked curiously.


    "About 11 months." He said as he looked south.


    Despite the months the group would have to travel, he already felt fully prepared for the situation he expected to encounter at the guild.


    ''I wonder what that guy did in the short term. Will he betray me and side with my enemies?'' Minos thought about Maximillian while his family members looked at Kendrick, who had just finished his advancement, with his cultivation stabilizing at level 105.


    ''It doesn''t matter. No matter how strong and influential he has become, he will return to my control as soon as he sees me.'' Minos smiled as he looked at his son, seeing not only Kendrick, but his entire powerful family.


    ''My superiors will love it when I bring young talents as strong as these five into the guild.'' He clenched his fists at the thought that his wives and children would help him gain even more support from his old superiors.


    With that, the group would soon prepare to leave and complete the months of travel they had left before arriving in Examire!

 Chapter 2471 Back in Examire

    Chapter 2471 Back in Examire


    After another year''s journey, Minos'' party arrived near Examire, with the six members of the Armhands seeing the city again after decades away from this place.


    As for the eight who had never been there before, they took a deep breath as they looked at the place and its floating districts, seeing their new home for decades or centuries to come.


    Without further ado, they followed the path Minos had already taken several times, entering the city and going directly to the place where they could advance into the interior of the Armhands'' headquarters.


    Arriving at the area where there was an instant transport elevator to the floating island hundreds of meters above this place, Minos quickly identified himself as an internal member of the guild who had been out for decades.


    ...


    "Minos Stuart?" The man standing at the post on the surface of Examire asked as he looked at Minos and the large group behind him. "Weren''t you dead?"


    Minos closed his eyes and laughed bitterly. "No. Do you think it''s because of the sacrifice of the Flashdrain parasite? I had some problems on my journey, but I survived." "So that''s what happened? All right, I''ll let you in, but I warn you, you''re going to have problems. Someone high up has marked you as dead. As soon as you enter the city, fix it right away," said this mid-level Sovereign before making way for Minos and his staff.


    Minos wasn''t surprised and thanked the man before he and his companions entered the elevator.


    A few moments later, they all felt space distorting and their bodies changing position, quickly arriving at that headquarters island hundreds of meters above Examire.


    When they reached that spot and saw the mountain there, the eight members of the group who weren''t part of Examire felt a pressure on their bodies, with someone nearby acting against them.


    "Who are you?" The guard in the area asked.


    ...


    Upon entering the outer area of the city, Minos and his companions encountered no problems, nor did they see any acquaintances there.


    Most of their acquaintances were currently internal members, which meant they were more likely to be active in the inner city or even outside the headquarters.


    Even if there were any internal members doing activities in the outer city, they were probably busy and wouldn''t see the group of six coming.


    Entering the internal area without a problem, they soon found the building responsible for updating the status of guild members who had gone on missions or reported temporary departures.


    Once inside, however, Minos and his companions saw some of their old acquaintances, both allies and rivals, looking at them with wide, surprised eyes.


    "Minos!" said one of Law Enforcer Stuart''s enemies, as he formed an ugly expression on his face.


    "Ash." Minos remembered the guy''s name, surprised this individual had reached level 109 while he was out of the guild. "You seem to be stronger than before." Minos approached the individual before shaking one of Ash''s hands.


    When Ash felt Minos'' handshake, he frowned, feeling the immense strength of this guy who everyone thought had died.


    "You''ve moved on a few times in the last few decades, huh? Any luck finding treasure? It''s unusual for someone to advance 6 levels in just under 9 decades." Ash said, trying to hide the pained expression on his face.


    ''What kind of fucking power is that? How can he suppress me so much?'' the individual asked himself as he looked into Minos'' eyes.


    "That''s none of your business, Ash. You should take care of your own business." Minos let go of the alien''s hand before greeting a few people he had brought into the guild, or who had been part of his faction.


    "Anyway, I''m back, guys. I''ll talk to you later. For now, I''m here to alert my superiors." With those words, one of the members in charge of that post soon appeared to greet Minos and his five companions and lead them to a private room where they could talk about their situation.

 Chapter 2472 Playing with Fire

    Chapter 2472 Playing with Fire


    "Officers, it is good to hear that you are well. The guild thought that you had died years ago after the sacrifice of your parasites." Said the level 110 individual in front of Minos'' group as they stood in a well-decorated living room.


    "However, it will not be easy for you to regain your former positions. I will regularize your situations, but you will lose what you had achieved before you left," said this individual with a humanoid body, scales instead of skin, and the head of a crocodile.


    "What are you talking about?" Minos asked as he narrowed his eyes, realizing he would have problems from the start of his return.


    "We have researched your backgrounds. We know you were members of the guild from your IDs, but there''s nothing else here with your record. All we have is that you were members of the guild for about 2 centuries and died in battle outside of Zocarro." The Intermediate Officer said with a bitter expression, understanding the group''s surprise. "In other words, you''ll have to start your journey from Recruit to Officer all over again, and you''ll lose all your previous benefits, including the ability to recruit new members." He said dryly.


    Minos stood up with a grim look on his face. "Don''t joke about it! If I have to retrace my steps in this guild, I''m afraid a lot of blood will be spilled!" The level 110 man suddenly felt a shiver run down his spine as he felt as if Minos was getting bigger and bigger while he was getting smaller and smaller.


    "Officer, or rather, Recruit Minos, put yourself in your place. I''m your¡ª"


    "Finish what you were saying." Minos ordered as he appeared behind this high-level Sovereign, his right hand touching the back of the Intermediate Officer''s head.


    Gulp!


    ''What is wrong with this person? How did he move so quickly?'' The Officer remained silent, feeling Minos could kill him if the boy wanted to.


    "Minos, I understand your frustration. That''s why I''m going to ignore the fact that you''re threatening your superior. But I can''t do anything to help you. Your record has been erased, along with those of your comrades. All I can do is re-register you as Recruits." He said, trying to calm the nervous group.


    "Jembei?" Minos and his companions frowned, remembering a man he had punished when he was the outer guild''s Law Enforcement Hall supervisor.


    This was one of the last people Minos had dealt with before leaving his post to return to the Spiritual World.


    Back then, this guy had a cultivation level of 107 and had tried to influence the situation in the Law Enforcement Hall, but he had been stopped by Minos.


    "Jembei is currently at level 111 and has recently been promoted to Senior Officer rank." Rhett said with an ugly expression on his face. "He is now the supervisor of the Law Enforcement Hall for the inner area of the guild. Dealing with him won''t be easy."


    "What about Officer Asafe?" Ruth asked for the name of the man, a native of The Enchanted Realm, who had invited them to the guild and who had previously been Minos'' superior.


    Rhett shook his head negatively and said. "He was killed on a mission 22 years ago. Jembei took over his position as supervisor of the Law Enforcement Hall for the inner area of the guild."


    "And Maximillian?" Minos frowned as he remembered how he had appointed this man to the position of judge of the Law Enforcement Hall for the outer area of the city. This man should have grown up in that time and achieved the minimum to at least try to protect them while they were away.


    Rhett said. "Maximilian works as an Intermediate Officer for the judge of the Law Enforcement Hall for the inner area of the guild. He reached level 108, but he didn''t bother to help you. As far as I know, he and the faction you formed back then didn''t help Jembei, but they didn''t stop him either..."


    Rhett looked at this group with sympathy while he imagined how angry they would be with this information.


    "So that''s it..." Minos closed his eyes as he felt a powerful urge to kill, his hands shaking with the rage in his heart.


    Releasing the high-ranking Sovereign he held by the neck, he said. "If they want to play with fire, I''ll show them a blaze they''ll never forget."

 Chapter 2473 Meeting the Chief Commander

    Chapter 2473 Meeting the Chief Commander


    After saying his words, Minos motioned for his group to follow him as he made his way to the Council of Elders.


    "Hey, what are you doing? Where are you going?" The level 110 Sovereign asked as he and Rhett followed behind them. "Aren''t you going to sort out your situation with the guild?"


    "Not now." Minos said dryly, while Rhett watched him in silence, wondering what this guy could be up to.


    Considering the small size of the guild''s inner area, they soon reached the border between the inner area and the council area, where the organization''s command center was located.


    "I request passage to speak with the Chief Commander about the Black Heart mission. I have new discoveries about the dark liquid my party found on The Obsidian Shore."


    The moment Minos said this to the General standing at the entrance to the council, the man recognized the young guild member who had completed that difficult mission decades ago.


    Considering how important the Black Heart mission had been to the sect for a long time, he cleared the way for this group, while Rhett swallowed his saliva and stayed behind for fear of getting into trouble by accompanying Minos.


    ''Be careful with this meeting with the Commander. Trying to lean on him could lead to losses for you!'' Rhett said in Minos'' mind, not knowing what the young man had in mind.


    Did Minos really have something about the Black Heart mission to discuss with the guild commander? Or was he using it to gain access to that Supreme being?


    And even if he knew something, would the Commander help him?


    Not knowing these answers, Rhett stayed behind at the border between the inner area and the council area.


    While he waited to see what would happen, the people who had been in the Records Hall earlier were already spreading the news of Minos'' return.


    ...


    "What? Minos'' group has returned?" Maximillian stood up from his chair in his office in the Law Enforcement Hall in the inner center.


    Seeing his strongest ally leave, Jembei felt like breaking his desk in half as he felt Minos standing in his way once again.


    ''Damn Stuart!''


    ...


    As various people in the guild found out about Minos'' return, he got permission to enter the office of the guild''s Commander.


    As soon as he came face to face with the person who looked like a bull in the body of a giant, six meters tall and very muscular, Minos and his companions made the traditional greeting, bowing their heads in front of this level 117 alien.


    "Chief Commander." They said while this individual looked at Minos with interest.


    "I believe we have met before, right? You were the young man who completed the Black Heart mission after wasting a large amount of the essence we wanted." The Commander laughed as he remembered Minos, not expecting to see this guy here today.


    As the head of a large part of the guild, he obviously wasn''t as aware of certain matters that involved lower-ranking members of his organization.


    He had even been informed of Minos'' death, but he hadn''t given it a minute''s thought. Therefore, he didn''t immediately remember the situation of the young man in front of him.


    "You seem to have grown stronger since the last time we saw each other... Your physique seems to have improved along with your strength." This giant being commented as he raised one of his hands and correctly analyzed the situation of Minos'' body.


    He couldn''t help but admire the fantastic ability of his guild member''s physique.


    "Is this related to the black liquid from the Black Heart mission? Is that why you came to see me today?"


    "Commander, I have an update that I believe is relevant to the Black Heart mission. But before we talk about it, are you aware of my position in the guild?" Minos asked seriously.


    The giant alien looked at Minos more closely when he saw the boy didn''t have the Flashdrain parasite. After thinking about it for a few moments, he remembered something.


    "I see. You were presumed dead, right?"

 Chapter 2474 Minos Attempt

    Chapter 2474 Minos'' Attempt


    "Yes, Commander.


    I was far away from the guild, in the middle of an arduous journey, when I was forced to sacrifice my parasite. Fortunately, the sacrifice helped me achieve my goals and survive. I just didn''t expect someone at Armhands to use it as an excuse to delete my data.


    It hasn''t even been 10 years since it happened, but my data has been erased, and now I''m supposed to lose everything I''ve done for the guild". Minos presented his case to the man, hoping the Commander could help him. Minos wasn''t doing this out of naivete. Surely this giant at the 12th stage wouldn''t help him out of pity. He had his value as a member of the sect. He had already carried out a tough mission, and he had information to give this man that could certainly make a difference to the guild''s plans.


    That''s the reason the giant in front of Minos didn''t expel these humans when he heard the young man''s complaint.


    The Commander snapped his fingers and a level 114 General quickly appeared at his side.


    "Commander."


    "General, are his complaints true?" He asked without looking at his level 114 subordinate. ViiSiit  for latest novels


    This General had been in charge of Minos'' superiors before, someone who had even taken part in a part of the Black Heart mission by escorting Minos'' group back from The Obsidian Shore.


    Looking at Minos, he said. "Yes, the Records Hall considered Officer Stuart dead and completed his registration months ago.


    According to those in charge, the Officer had either died or had abandoned his duties for whatever reason. Even if he were alive, his record should be erased as punishment for his disappearance."


    Fortunately, with the help of my party, I could kill it." Minos showed a spatial ring in one of his hands before the Commander took the item and checked what was inside.


    When he felt the body of the creature and a small amount of the black liquid that was so valuable to the guild, the Commander''s eyes lit up with interest.


    "So, this is what you have for me?" He asked Minos with a smile.


    "There is something else, Commander."


    "Oh? Tell me about it. I''ll help you get back some of what was yours." The Commander decided to help Minos and his group.


    Minos sighed with relief and said. "I left the guild for a good reason. I went to save my family and bring some of them back to Armhands. In particular, one of my wives, Abby, has a special necromantic power. After seeing this guy in the spatial ring I gave you, she realized she can use the black liquid on the dead she can revive.


    We don''t know exactly what will happen if we test this, but it might be interesting for the guild to test it. I don''t know what the elders and the Commander have in mind, but I believe her powers are in line with some of your interests." Minos already had a good idea of what the guild might want with the things related to the Black Heart mission, so he believed Abby would be of great value to the guild.


    He had already planned to introduce her to the higher echelons of the guild in the future, but the current problems forced him to move things up a bit.


    The Commander''s eyes narrowed as he silently pondered the man''s words.


    "Where is such a woman now?"


    "She''s taking the entrance exam to join the guild, Commander." Minos replied promptly.

 Chapter 2475 Time to Go After the Damage!

    Chapter 2475 Time to Go After the Damage!


    "Good! I''ll monitor this person called Abby. If she proves to be valuable to the guild as you believe, I''ll approach her to test what you have in mind.


    For now, I''ll wait to see what she can do as she grows as an external member." The Commander made up his mind, interested in the possibility, but also cautious.


    He would never waste the black liquid on Abby without being sure of her abilities. Minos had once again done a good job for the guild, but the Commander wouldn''t trust the young man blindly. In order for them to get the chance to test the black liquid, they would have to prove themselves through service to the guild!


    "Take care of the situation with Minos and his group for me." The Commander stood up as he said this to the General. "Give them back the position of Junior Officers, as well as the benefits they had when they joined the guild.


    As a punishment for being absent to the point of having their records erased, give them 20 mandatory missions."


    He looked at Minos and said. "Unfortunately, what you''ve earned, such as merit points and other things, cannot be restored. But with your current strength, I think you''ll be able to make it on your own." Minos accepted the situation and thanked the man. "Thank you for your decision, Commander."


    The Chief Commander left without looking back, leaving Minos'' group and the level 114 General behind.


    "Come with me. Let''s resolve this situation." Said the alien as he made his way to the Records Hall to settle the group''s situation.


    Halfway there, he warned them. "Be careful when you return to your guild routine. Whoever did this to you will not accept your return easily."


    This alien had nothing against Minos'' group. He would act to help or harm them, depending on their actions. If they did well, he would even give them advice. But if they made mistakes, he would castigate them. That was the person he was.


    Aware of how important everything related to the Black Heart mission was, he wouldn''t treat the group badly just because Minos dared to ask the Chief Commander for help in solving the group''s current problem.


    The General said nothing to Minos and concluded what he had to do and posted the message that these six would have to perform 20 individual missions at the Junior Officer level.


    These missions would be selected by another sector of the guild, so for now, they only had this warning sign on their record to complete once someone pointed out exactly what these missions would be.


    "All right, everything''s fine. Their records have been cleared. Now all you have to do is absorb your new parasites." The Records Hall guy said as he showed the Chief Commander''s representative that everything was fine.


    "You may proceed to the post in charge of the Flashdrain parasites. After that, you can return to your guild activities." The General who had advised them a few moments ago, said before watching the group leave after thanking them once again.


    He stood behind the head of the Records Hall and listened. "Can you explain this situation? It''s not normal for the boss to help people like them."


    "Just don''t get involved with them. If you don''t have a personal reason to be against Minos, don''t put yourself in that position. This boy is not simple." He left with these words, leaving the colleague of the same rank with many thoughts in his head.


    ''He''s not simple, is he? It really seems to be the case.''


    ...


    After the registration was done, Minos and his companions went to the place where they had to absorb new Flashdrain parasites.


    They were all less angry now, while Minos'' cultivation had returned to normal for him.


    "What are we going to do about this?" Otis asked his master.


    Minos was no longer so nervous, but he was angry and felt that he had many problems to solve. "Let''s absorb our new parasites before we regulate our situation. The most important thing now is to complete the 20 mandatory missions and find out who exactly is on Jembei''s side. Once we''ve done that, it will be time to take action against them!"

 Chapter 2476 Confronting the Traitor

    Chapter 2476 Confronting the Traitor


    As he faced the one-eyed alien he had met centuries ago, Minos remembered the offer she had made him.


    When he first went to the guild to absorb the Flashdrain parasite, he had met this Intermediate Officer in charge of that service in the external part of the city. She had told him to come to her when he became a Sovereign.


    Facing her at the inner city post in charge of parasites, Minos greeted her and asked about the opportunity.


    "Are you still available to help me?" He asked as she prepared Ruth''s parasite, having already implanted Minos''.


    She smiled when she heard that. "I don''t think I can help you as much now as I could when you joined the guild. Back then, you were only a Grandmaster, and I was a level 106 Sovereign. Now, I''m only at level 108. I can''t offer you as much as I could if you were a level 100 Sovereign."


    She hadn''t expected Minos to come back so strong from his trip, just like Jembei, Maximillian, and several others he knew in the guild thought.


    Almost all of them had expected him to return to the guild at level 101, or 102 at best.


    However, at the beginning of level 105, Minos was completely different from the one his guild friends knew. "Don''t be modest. Now all I have is my strength and my title. I have 20 penalty missions to complete, and a lot of missions accumulated during my absence... Any help you can give me would be appreciated."


    She looked at him as she finished implanting Ruth''s parasite and moved on to the next of the group. She wasn''t aware of the whole situation that Jembei had caused, but she knew Minos would indeed have some problems when he returned. "If you insist, I have some information and contacts that can help you. While you were gone, I monitored your and Maximilian''s faction."


    "Oh? How are they?" Ruth asked with interest.


    "The faction has grown, losing some original members but gaining others. Besides, their position is quite strong in the outer area of the guild, and Maximillian wants to strengthen it in the inner area.


    She knew that Minos really had some incredible things in his possession. After all, even though he had been away from Zocarro for decades, he had advanced to level 105, and all of his companions were much stronger than she had expected them to be when they returned to the guild.


    To have advanced so much, they must have encountered many opportunities on their journey here!


    "Just tell me where you''re going to organize, and I''ll come by to make my membership in your new faction official." She said with a smile on her large lips.


    "I will send someone to escort you there when I have everything ready. See you later."


    Minos said goodbye and then led his group away from the post in charge of the guild''s special parasites.


    As they left this place in the guild''s inner area, they encountered the four humans who had remained in the guild after all these years.


    In front of Maximillian, Minos stood still and watched the man for a moment, only to see that Maximillian was also watching him without saying anything for a moment.


    While Minos'' expression seemed to be that of a disappointed man, Maximillian looked a little frightened, his expression well marked, while his face seemed to have lost some of its color.


    His heart was beating faster, while his back was completely sweaty.


    Looking at Minos and sensing this guy''s impressive level 105 cultivation, Maximillian had many questions in his mind, but he also had explanations to give.


    It wasn''t his plan to do this today, but after discovering Minos'' current cultivation and abilities that far exceeded his expectations, he couldn''t help but change his plans and leave Jembei aside to come to this human.


    "Minos, it''s good to have you back in the guild." He said with a bitter smile. "Before you misjudge me, I think you should give me a chance to explain myself."

 Chapter 2477 Conversation with the Traitors

    Chapter 2477 Conversation with the Traitors


    In a matter of moments, Minos, his five companions, Maximillian, and the other three survivors of the group that had come from the Spiritual World centuries ago were together in a commercial establishment in the inner city of the guild.


    The Armhands'' headquarters was a city in every sense of the word. Guild members could invest in their own businesses, speculate to their advantage, and earn merit points in a variety of ways that went far beyond the guild''s optional missions.


    There were restaurants, shops selling cultivation resources and artifacts, blacksmiths, rune masters, doctors, clairvoyants, in short, establishments offering a variety of professionals and services.


    Wanting to speak to Minos and to have a chance to explain himself, Maximilian led the group to the main restaurant in the inner area, a place that was usually reserved for high-level individuals of the 11th stage.


    Seated around a beautiful table in a private room, the group of six stood face to face with the group of four, the glances of those on Minos'' side sharp, while those on Maximillian''s side sweated and avoided looking their old world and faction mates in the eye.


    Maximilian broke the silence when they arrived with a casual question. "How was your journey through the Spiritual World?"


    "Well, we won the war when it wasn''t too late." Minos kept his words short, not giving much information or room for questions.


    Maximilian smiled bitterly and sighed at Minos'' tone. "I understand you might be angry." Maximillian decided to get straight to the point and talk about what Minos should be upset about.


    He knew what Jembei had done and how it could hurt Minos in many ways. He didn''t know what the guy''s situation was, but he imagined it would be impossible to find a good way out.


    So Maximillian tried to remove himself from the delicate situation Jembei had tried to put Minos in.


    "To have your data deleted is certainly terrible, I know that. But you have to understand, Minos, it wasn''t me or any of us. Jembei forced the Records Hall men to erase your data and enforce the guild''s rules on his own.


    But on a mandatory mission years ago, Officer Asafe died after one of Jembei''s partners left the guild to settle a personal matter..."


    "What happened after that? How did Rhett escape even though he helped us?" Otis asked.


    "After Officer Asafe died, Rhett received a letter from Asafe. He then signed up for a mission at The Prison and stopped interfering in matters related to you and Jembei''s plans. It was only recently that Officer Rhett returned."


    "So Rhett stayed away so he wouldn''t be killed as well?" Ruth understood the situation.


    "That must have been the case." Maximillian nodded in agreement, even though he didn''t know Rhett''s position very well.


    Rhett had not been in contact with them since, so all they knew was what they had seen and heard.


    The Minos group didn''t find Rhett''s behavior strange, nor did they think he had betrayed them. Of all the members of the guild, Rhett and Asafe were the only ones who were truly guaranteed to benefit as Minos grew stronger and more relevant. That was why they had tried to help in the group''s absence.


    But with Asafe dead, Rhett getting out of trouble by going to the prison was by no means strange or even a sign of betrayal.


    ''The prison is a tough place to get into. Only those allowed can enter it, and given the security protocols of the area, it is very difficult to take action against any of the guards... Rhett probably went there to hide,'' Minos thought to himself.


    This prison was a high-level facility maintained by Examire''s allied forces to hold some complicated elements who were difficult to kill or who deserved to suffer for their crimes.


    Each of Examire''s major forces could send a few men to the prison each year, men who could remain in the prison for up to 20 cycles in a row.


    "So you didn''t get involved to avoid ending up like Asafe, huh?" Minos asked, causing the four men to smile and nod in agreement.

 Chapter 2478 Punishment for Maximilians Group

    Chapter 2478 Punishment for Maximilian''s Group


    "We really wanted to help, but we would have died if we had done anything. Officer Asaph was a powerful sovereign back then, but even he was killed by Jembei''s group.


    I''m sorry we were cowards, but as I said, nothing we could have done would have changed that. Jembei even has a general on his side!" Hearing this, Minos'' five companions narrowed their eyes, while Ruth looked worriedly at her husband.


    Minos realized that Maximilian''s last words didn''t seem to be a lie, something important for him to know.


    This guy could have done something, but he didn''t, not for fear of hurting himself, but because he didn''t want to take the trouble. But this information is really disturbing...'' Minos clenched his fists as he thought about what to do with this group.


    After a moment of silence, he opened his eyes and announced his decision. "I understand. You didn''t want to get involved against someone who could kill you at any moment. And you took the opportunity to strengthen yourself in silence. That was wise of you.


    In that case, to avoid you having to deal with our problems, my group will leave your faction and form a new one."


    With these words, Minos rose from his chair and motioned for his people to follow him. "Good luck with your plans. We''ll go our separate ways from now on." Maximillian clenched his fists as he also rose from his chair, not liking this at all.


    "Come on, Minos! Is that really necessary? Sorry, but you don''t have to take it like that, man!" He escorted Minos'' group with his four men out of the dining room.


    "I understand. But weren''t you afraid of the level 114 general? Of being attacked by Jembei''s group?" Minos looked seriously into Maximilian''s eyes. "I''ll do what you want. Don''t worry, I won''t bring my problems into your life. From now on we go our separate ways."


    "That''s..." Maximillian and the others stood there with their mouths agape, listening without knowing what they could say to change Minos'' mind.


    But how could they say anything? They had just used their fear of being killed by Jembei''s group to justify their lack of action in the past years. How could they show courage now?


    ...


    While Maximillian''s group moved on, Minos and his companions left the restaurant in search of an establishment that would exchange merit points for Qilnats and vice versa.


    On the way, Minos heard Ruth ask him if he really intended to leave these people alone.


    He answered her question. "Yes, I''ll let them go. As long as they don''t get in our way from now on, I''ll forgive this betrayal."


    "You seem to be changing, Boss. In the past, you wouldn''t have done this." Said one of the level 107 men in their group.


    Minos shook his head negatively. "I don''t know the whole truth about what they did, but it''s a fact that they don''t have the power to influence things and change Jembei''s plans very much. They might even have made a deal with the enemy, but that would hardly be a high-level betrayal.


    Maximilian''s betrayal is more of a breach of trust than a stab in the back. They abandoned us, but I doubt they meant to harm us.


    In any case, they served me for many years in the guild, and some of them worked for me in the Spiritual World. As the last remnants of our group that came to Zocarro in the first place, I''m going to give them a chance to get on with their lives, even after this mistake.


    Minos was a man with a reactive personality. The stronger the reaction on his side, the more intense his movements were in response.


    Asafe had died, but Minos didn''t think it had anything to do with Maximilian and the others. If he ever found out otherwise, his current decision might change. But since no one seemed to have died because of Maximilian''s decisions and their situation hadn''t been completely ruined by Jembei, Minos wasn''t so angry against his old allies.


    Because of this, his companions saw a benevolent side of Minos today that he hadn''t shown for a long time.


    "But will they stay out of trouble?" Ruth looked back in doubt. "Let them decide their own fate." Minos said reassuringly. "Whatever they decide, I''ll help them carry it out, whether it''s death or peace."


    With that, he entered the shop, where he intended to exchange some of his Qilnats for merit points to begin organizing his group''s situation in the guild. After that, he planned to follow his companions to find out the results of the guild entrance test.

 Chapter 2479 The Result of the Companions

    Chapter 2479 The Result of the Companions


    "Huh? You want to exchange Qilnats for merit points? That''s not an ordinary exchange." Said the man in charge of the Armhands Exchange Office, not knowing the identity of these six.


    "Yes, you do that, right?" Minos asked with a smile on his face.


    "Yes, we do. But to be honest, the exchange isn''t good. Since we value merit points more than Qilnats, the conversion factor is twice as bad as if you were to exchange merit points for Qilnats." This level 107 alien told the group.


    Usually, guild members would come to this place to get resources to use outside the guild on missions or long journeys. As such, the Exchange Office was always willing to deal with those who wanted to leave Qilnats in exchange for merit points. But since merit was the only currency for growth within the guild, the conversion factor wasn''t good for people in Minos'' position.


    "No problem." Minos wasn''t bothered, since he and his companions had no merit points to grow within the guild after everything that had happened.


    "I would like to convert 100 million Qilnats into merit points and split half between my five companions and the other half for myself." Minos said as he handed the alien a spatial ring.


    "100 million?" He opened his seven eyes wide, not believing the amount Minos had just said.


    But when he quickly examined Minos'' storage item, he realized the young man before him wasn''t exaggerating.


    "We can do business, but let me warn you. Merit points exchanged in this manner are not valid for class advancement within the guild. You can use them to buy resources, property, and other things within the guild, but for promotion exams, your merit points must be earned through quests."


    Ruth frowned. "So bringing Qilnats into the guild is not a merit? We''re using these resources to help the guild function properly. As valuable as merit points are, they''re only valid within the guild."


    The alien looked at them and explained. "I understand your frustration. But purchased merit points only become valid after three transactions within the guild.


    As he finished talking to Kendrick, Maximillian and his three companions spotted this young man who looked a lot like Minos, stopping halfway when they felt the aura of the boy Stuart.


    "That... Isn''t that Kendrick Stuart?" The only one of them at level 107 asked.


    "How is it possible he''s already level 105? Is he, is he on the same level as his father?" Maximillian didn''t understand either. He felt that something was wrong with all of this.


    When he took his eyes off Kendrick and looked at the rest of the group, his eyes widened when he saw Abby and Gloria, who were at level 105, but also Callie, at the same level, and Vico, at level 106.


    In addition, there was an alien of the same race as Asafe with a cultivation of level 106.


    ''Something is wrong here. Not only have Minos and the five increased their cultivation, but these others, who shouldn''t be so strong, are at levels that are completely out of touch with reality! How did they do it? What has Minos achieved?'' Maximilian asked himself, his heart pounding with doubt.


    Vico finished his examination and spotted the old enemy who had forced him to fight a war in the southern region of the Central Continent for years.


    As soon as he left the examination area, he approached Maximillian, drawing the attention of everyone in his group to these old natives of the Spiritual World who were members of the Armhands.


    "Maximilian, how long has it been?" Vico stopped in front of the man, who had a strange smile on his face. "Why didn''t you go to the Spiritual World with Minos?"


    "Vico, it''s good to see you so strong again." Maximilian hid his shock as he looked at the blond man in front of him. "Minos alone was enough, so we stayed behind... But tell me about your journey. How did the war end?"


    "Did you see Minos?" Vico interrupted the conversation. "Didn''t he tell you? It''s been a few hours since they entered the guild."


    "We saw Minos, but we talked about other things. We''re still in the dark about what happened in the Spiritual World. Would you be willing to join us to talk about it?" Maximilian offered.


    Vico''s eyes narrowed as Callie, and Abby approached them.

 Chapter 2480 New Recruits from Armhands

    Chapter 2480 New Recruits from Armhands


    "Maximillian..." Callie commented as she approached the man, while Abby stood next to her, looking seriously at the black-haired man.


    "Where is Minos now?" Abby asked, drawing the attention of the four who knew that even though she was at level 105, she was definitely not to be underestimated.


    With the ability to resurrect the dead and use them as subordinates, Abby was a living battalion that had to be handled carefully.


    "Abby..." Maximillian muttered as he looked at the blue-haired woman, wanting to know how she had grown so much in such a short time.


    One of the questions on his and his companions'' minds was how these individuals had cultivated faster than Minos in the last nine decades.


    ''Something happened during that time. Minos faced some problems and then benefited greatly from resources.'' Maximillian estimated as he considered the current level of Minos and the situation of this team.


    "We saw him and the others in the inner guild area a few minutes ago... They''re probably waiting for you or on their way here." Said one of the three men next to Maximilian in response to Abby''s question. ViiSiit  for latest novels


    "Is that so? Then we''d better talk later." Abby motioned to Vico and Callie, preferring to give her group more time to find out where Minos stood in relation to Maximillian and these three men.


    Maximillian sighed when he heard this. "Then I''ll wait until you have some time, haha. The guild has many rules and things for you to learn.


    When you''ve adjusted, come to me whenever you want. I''ll be there to guide you and help you if you need it."


    Before he and his companions left in defeat, he saw Gloria finish the guild entrance exam and identified a pendant on the woman''s body.


    The man in charge of the group of eight smiled and said. "Of course. Now I have some business to attend to, so I''ll see you later."


    As the alien left, Abby approached Minos and said. "We met Maximillian and three natives from the Spiritual World. They were interested in having dinner and talking with Vico. He also offered support."


    "Looks like he''s nervous." Ruth commented as she looked at Minos with narrowed eyes.


    "That must be the case." Otis, the robot, said in agreement.


    Minos told his eight companions. "Maximilian abandoned us and avoided trouble by ignoring things that could have kept us safe. Anyway, it''s a long story. Let''s find a place for you before we talk about it."


    With that, he left at the head of the group and led them to the cave he had bought from an old acquaintance in the guild.


    Upon entering the cave, Minos and his group organized themselves to determine the order in which they would divide up the area before talking about Maximillian and the problems he and his five companions were facing because of Jembei.


    After half an hour of discussion, everyone understood why Minos no longer wanted to deal with Maximillian, and some of them were even surprised that he didn''t seek revenge against the man.


    But with bigger problems on the horizon, everyone agreed it made sense to ignore Maximillian and focus on the mandatory missions at hand, as well as the power play within the guild.


    Minos and company had yet to face Jembei, but they knew it was only a matter of time before they did. They would also have a hard time growing within the guild, whether it was through business or opportunities for class upgrades.


    Minos advised the eight newcomers to focus on staying out of trouble, fulfilling their responsibilities, and taking advantage of the opportunities he and his five fellow officers had created for them. When they became accustomed to the guild and stronger, they would be able to help them more lovingly.


    In the meantime, they could only continue with their plans and wait for answers from Jembei''s group!


    As the more influential side, Jembei would certainly not hesitate to act!

 Chapter 2481 The Groups Obligatory Missions

    Chapter 2481 The Group''s Obligatory Missions


    The day after the group joined the guild, the eight new members of Armhands followed the recommendations of their superior.


    They would have to adjust to the guild and begin their activities to develop their skills, just as Minos and Ruth had been guided centuries ago, with him developing his clairvoyant skills and her, her medical skills.


    In addition, they would need to start solving mandatory individual and collective quests, as well as thinking about optional quests that could generate merit points for them.


    Understanding the guild''s rules and opportunities was also among the activities they needed to focus on. Despite the advice and stories the group''s six Junior Officers had shared with them over the past few years, there were certain things they would only learn by focusing on them in the guild.


    Meanwhile, Minos and his five fellow Junior Officers headed to the Mission Hall at the start of this new day to learn about their mandatory punishment missions as well as the more routine ones.


    Junior Officers, like all members of the guild, had to complete several missions each year to maintain their status in the regular organization. ViiSiit  for latest novels


    Unlike external members of the guild, who couldn''t reschedule these responsibilities, internal members could reschedule or move up mandatory missions if they requested it in advance.


    Minos and his companions owed between 70 and 90 years'' worth of missions, considering the advanced missions they had completed before leaving the guild.


    When they entered the Mission Hall this morning, they found out exactly what they had to do for the next few years!


    ...


    "How many mandatory missions do you have to do? I have 98 missions on my record," Minos said with a bitter smile on his face as he took his score.


    Even though his and his companions'' previous records had been erased, the guild had set the missions they had to complete for the period between their departure and the destruction of their previous records.


    Even with a clean record, and one that should have no such obligation, each of them received the missions due, a sign that someone was already acting against them.


    "That''s the one." The level 107 man said with a bitter smile on his face.


    Gallell is an alchemist and doctor of the guild, a scholar so to speak. He was constantly experimenting in search of new creations, which is why he was known to some of the guild members.


    It wasn''t uncommon for his experiments to go wrong, so everyone understood why this man considered this to be his most difficult mission.


    Helping a level 110 scholar with experiments was as dangerous as fighting creatures more powerful than Gallell himself!


    "We will try to help you become stronger and leave this mission for you to solve last. In the meantime, concentrate on solving the easier missions." Minos told him.


    After he said that, they would talk about the other 19 punishment missions for each of them, which were mostly different from each other.


    But there were missions where one or the other of them would have to do similar things, near to each other. Minos realized this was probably Jembei''s doing, an attempt by the enemy to unite them on various occasions outside of the guild in order to eliminate them.


    Fortunately, the enemy didn''t know what they were capable of right now!


    "The Magma Barrens mission should be the place where our enemies want to eliminate us. The other missions are to try to eliminate us, with several chances for the enemy group to hurt us, but if they fail, the Magma Barrens is the enemy''s last move." Minos'' eyes lit up as he spoke. "In that case, let''s prepare for this damn mission first. We can travel there together and help each other. We''ll use that to our advantage to deal with them in one fell swoop.


    If I''m right, we''ll be able to eliminate the enemies in a single mission, and then do the 19 punishment missions without running into the dangers we''d run into if we followed a different plan."


    Rather than keep giving his enemies opportunities, Minos preferred a single confrontation to settle his differences with Jembei in one fell swoop!


    His companions understood Minos'' point and agreed that it would be much more difficult to survive if they followed another plan.


    "So, when do we leave? We don''t have much time for each of these missions." Ruth asked him.


    "We will give our companions a month to adjust to the guild and prepare the ground for them to grow in our absence. We''ll leave for the Magma Barrens in a month!"

 Chapter 2482 Faction Formed

    Chapter 2482 Faction Formed


    Two weeks after the group''s return to Armhands, all fourteen newcomers had more or less adjusted to their new surroundings after the long journey from The Enchanted Realm.


    In particular, Minos'' eight companions were aware of his plans for dealing with the enemies within the guild and their impending departure for the Magma Barrens.


    In two weeks, they would depart for the area, and they would be gone for a few months, traveling back and forth from that fiery hell to deal with any assassins who might follow them.


    Aware of this, the group had been working to prepare for this temporary separation, with Minos setting up his new faction and bringing over some of his old contacts within the guild.


    ... ViiSiit  for latest novels


    Despite the difficulties, Minos had secured good lodgings for his companions in better locations within the guild, as well as purchased some resources, artifacts, and books for his people.


    Today, he had secured a place for his faction to meet or even use as a training and cultivation ground.


    After sending some of his sons to deliver the news to the guild members he had invited to join his faction, he and all of his 13 companions who had traveled with him over the past few years gathered there.


    Near the mountains of this floating island, Minos had bought a second cave, much larger than the one he had purchased for his family to meditate and train in private.


    This place for his faction could hold up to 30 people at a time, an ideal size for a faction, unlike the 6-person cave his family had been using for the past few weeks.


    In this place, decorated with various high-level artifacts from his experiments over the past few decades, Minos and his companions were chatting as the guests began to arrive.


    First came the one-eyed alien, followed by Rhett, and then the supervisor of the group of recruits there. Then, three of Minos'' old friends who had left Maximilian''s faction joined the beings in this large cave, which was of a high level, even by the guild''s standards.


    But even the most undecided among them, the overseer of Minos'' eight companions, quickly decided when he heard Minos'' comment.


    "I hope I can help the faction become stronger from now on. Please accept me into your group." Said the man in charge of the group of eight.


    Minos smiled as he looked at the alien, enjoying seeing how quickly he made up his mind.


    Soon, the others did the same, swearing their words of loyalty to Minos and how they wanted to be part of the faction''s journey of growth.


    By leaving seals on the bodies of each of these new members, Minos confirmed their acceptance into the Faction.


    "From now on, meet here daily, if possible. I''ll be leaving soon to carry out a special mission and try to deal with the problems you can already imagine are waiting for me. Try to protect and guide the Recruits in the group." Minos told them, pointing to his eight companions.


    With the group''s agreement, he explained what he planned to do together with Ruth and three of the group''s four officers, who had to carry out a mission in the Magma Barrens.


    "So you''re going to risk it anyway..." Rhett commented worriedly, imagining how risky it would be for the group to go directly to the Magma Barrens as soon as they returned to Armhands.


    But he didn''t try to talk Minos out of it. After hearing the faction leader''s full motivation, Rhett agreed this was indeed necessary.


    Without such a risky move, they would be in the enemy''s sights for months, giving the enemy several chances to kill them!


    "I''ll get you some information about this area, Minos. But be careful. Don''t underestimate Jembei''s influence. He may not be the greatest danger to you in his group." Rhett warned.


    "I know. We''ll be careful." Minos said solemnly.


    ''I just hope he doesn''t play all his cards against me in this move... Otherwise, it will be very difficult.'' Minos thought to himself, curious about Jembei''s next move.

 Chapter 2483 Opportunity for Action

    Chapter 2483 Opportunity for Action


    While Minos and his group were planning their moves, their enemies were doing the same!


    In an important area of the inner city, Jembei stood next to a group of high-ranking Sovereigns, old enemies of Minos or not.


    Around the strange living room, with different decorations and seats to accommodate beings of completely different races, six individuals between levels 110 and 113 were seriously discussing the subject of Minos.


    "According to my group''s observations, Minos has well understood the subliminal message of the punishment missions his group received. He and his people want to complete their missions in the Magma Barrens first." Jembei said with a smile on his scaly face.


    "We will deal with them during this mission!" He added.


    "Won''t that be risky?" The weakest of these high-ranking Sovereigns asked. "If they understand this is a trap, won''t it be a counter-weapon on their part?"


    "Certainly." Jembei agreed with this ally''s point, even though his plans went against it. "However, we can''t deny the great opportunity of having almost all of them together in the Magma Barrens. Our plans were to use their punishment missions to eliminate them. But we can''t rule out the possibility that shit will happen and our plans will fail. Our last chance should be the Magma Barrens, so throwing away the chance to deal with almost all of them there might also be a mistake."


    "What if they have something to protect themselves with?" This uncertain level 110 alien insisted.


    The strongest there, a jelly-like level 113 alien, voiced his opinion. "Suppose they really have something to rely on. So what? We''re stronger, and we''re the ones who chose the place to fight. If they really have their methods, we can still retreat and use their separate missions to achieve our goal.


    But if we eliminate Minos now, everything will be easier. That''s why I vote we go ahead with Jembei''s plan." "I can agree if you agree to test them before we act." The cautious man said. "Let''s send one of the Magma Barrens monsters after them before we show ourselves.


    Even if they have a card up their sleeve, it will signal what we need to watch out for and weaken them for us."


    "We can do that." Jembei agreed, looking at the others and seeing that no one else had questions about it.


    Listening to his subordinate''s opinion, Jembei thought of a possibility. "Does he think our chances of winning and losing are similar?"


    "If he thinks that, then his behavior makes sense. If you are not sure which side will win in a confrontation, it is indeed better to stay away from both sides," Jembei''s subordinate said.


    "Tsk! Monitor Minos'' group. While I''m gone, I want every one of his relatives to be watched by our people."


    "Yeah, I''ll take care of it."


    As soon as he heard this, Jembei entered the other room of his faction''s headquarters and ran into the level 114 General allied with his group.


    "Are you planning to act against Minos?" The general tried to guess what Jembei must have been doing to make him wait a minute.


    "Indeed." Jembei smiled at his superior before he said. "This human is difficult to deal with. I didn''t expect him to reverse the situation we put him in so easily." "I was also surprised to hear how he reversed the loss of his previous data. He''s quite competent. We can''t deny that. Anyway, when do you plan to take action against him?"


    Jembei made no secret of it. "As soon as he leaves the guild, my men and I will go after him to settle this once and for all. Minos is a monster, so there''s no point in giving him time.


    However, General, I would like to make a request of you, just in case my plans don''t work out as well as I had hoped."


    "Oh? Are you having second thoughts?" The man narrowed his eyes.


    "No, I''m just being cautious. If I can''t handle him the way I planned, I hope I can count on your help for the next foreign missions Minos goes on. Don''t worry about his allies. You''ll just have to deal with him." Jembei warned this important resource of his faction.


    "If that''s the case, I''ll keep my schedule free to move if you fail."


    "I thank the General. Once we''ve dealt with this nuisance, we can move forward more powerful and influential than ever." Jembei clenched his fists and spoke with determination and confidence.


    Minos was an old enemy of his, but more importantly, this human was known and respected by many guild internal members. Killing Minos could be an important step for someone who wanted to become the guild''s Chief Commander one day!

 Chapter 2484 Preparing for the Mission

    Chapter 2484 Preparing for the Mission


    A week before Minos and his group left, he took his last steps before heading to the Magma Barrens with four of his guildmates.


    He was now with Abby, Gloria, Ruth, his children''s supervisor, and Rhett, who had just arrived at their faction''s cave.


    Once there, Minos'' old supervisor handed him a black box and said. "This is all I could do in the short time I had. I hope it''s enough."


    Minos took the black object, the size of a jewelry box, but with a much larger storage capacity than its size would suggest.


    After scanning the item, Minos nodded positively to Rhett. "This should do."


    He then handed the box to Abby. "It''s up to you now, dear. I hope you can get these fighters ready for me."


    Abby nodded to her husband before focusing her powers on the artifact containing 12 corpses of level 110 Sovereigns. She said as she made the moves to use her divine ability on the 12 corpses Rhett had obtained. "I don''t know how much control I will have over each of them. But it''s likely that they''ll last anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half before they disappear."


    "Hmm, let''s work with that." Minos wasn''t bothered by this limitation, while Abby''s cultivation temporarily reached its peak at level 106, and his, at level 108.


    The others watched intently as Abby resurrected the twelve corpses of former Armhands members, aliens who had died, and the guild brought their bodies back to the headquarters.


    Only a fraction of the guild''s members got the chance to be buried or have their bodies preserved in the guild after their deaths. But those with great merit, extreme accomplishments, and suitable positions within the force were always somehow "rewarded" with burials and a place to be remembered.


    The guild valued those who strove to bring the organization to its peak, so this approach to the dead was natural.


    But there was a limit to how long the bodies of guild members could be kept. As a force that had existed for hundreds of thousands of years, the guild couldn''t keep all of its dead forever.


    "Why did you bring us to life?" asked another of the aliens as he looked at Abby and Minos.


    Minos gestured to them and explained the situation. "We are members of Armhands, just like you. As you can see and feel, this is the headquarters of the guild you once served.


    The time has come for the guild to dispose of your bodies, so I''ve taken this opportunity to use your power once again. I''m sorry, but I have to bother you in order to cause some chaos on the continent once again."


    Minos could control these 12 corpses to obey him completely. But since he had nothing against these dead, he first tried to explain what was going on.


    Dead aliens as old as these always had a lot of potential beyond their powers. Not wanting to waste that potential, he preferred to be minimally friendly with them at first contact.


    Understanding they couldn''t avoid being used, one of the corpses looked around and asked. "What exactly is the situation of your group? I don''t mind fighting for you. I fell in battle back then, so it will be good to use my powers again."


    "There is a group of members of Armhands who will try to kill us during a mission in a few weeks. I want your help in dealing with them. If you help us and survive the battle, I will release you to carry out your last wishes on this continent." Minos promised.


    "That sounds tempting. Too bad we''ll only last a few tens of minutes... How can we help them and still enjoy this second chance at life?" asked the most sensitive of the corpses.


    "My wife''s power will give you just over an hour. But this will make that time seem four or five times longer." Minos showed them the golden hourglass, the Temporal Sands.


    As it entered each of their bodies, the 12 felt the rules of time change for them, as the decay of their bodies suddenly slowed.


    They were impressed to see how compatible this couple''s abilities were, but also how terrifying the combination of their powers was.


    "Also, I hope you''ll wait for my signal in these urns." Minos showed them twelve special coffins that could hold these revived bodies for much longer.


    These coffins replicated Maximilian''s innate ability that had preserved him for millions of years in the Seraphim Ancient Sarcophagus before Minos freed him centuries ago!

 Chapter 2485 Going to the Magma Barrens

    Chapter 2485 Going to the Magma Barrens


    "Interesting." The strongest corpse in terms of raw power touched one coffin and felt how it could help them.


    "I agree to help you achieve your goals against your enemies. However, I have one request." He said to Minos while the others looked at him.


    "What do you want?" Minos smiled with interest.


    "I will tell you the location of a valuable treasure I found 50,000 years ago. If the information you''ve given me isn''t wrong, it must have been long enough for the area in question to have produced another such treasure. In return, I want you to help me find someone."


    Minos scratched his chin, wondering what this creature had in mind. "After helping me in battle, you want to be stored in one of these coffins until I find this individual for you. Is that it?"


    The alien smiled as he shook his head in agreement. "Yes. I remember well the day I died. The one who caused my death was a 10th stage worm who took advantage of a vulnerable moment of mine. I have things to settle with that worm!"


    Minos and the others looked at each other, but no one said anything to stop this corpse. He was already dead, and if he was willing to pay for the opportunity, they wouldn''t mind.


    "All right, but you have to give me the information about this resource before I look for this creature." Minos said.


    "I''ll give you all the information you need before you have to use me." The being said without trying to force the situation with Minos.


    Minos was willing to negotiate with him, but if he demanded too much, he could risk to be left with nothing!


    Minos could certainly force him to talk!


    Seeing the situation, the others around showed similar interests. They were willing to give information, talk about places that only they had found on their travels, or give advice to the group in exchange for being kept in those coffins, while the group did some favors for them.


    Some wanted revenge, others just wanted to know what had happened to friends, family, and even crushes.


    One month had been enough for the entire group of newcomers to the guild to adjust to their new surroundings, learn the rules of the place, its opportunities, and what they needed to do to grow.


    With his plans in place, Minos led his group of five out of the guild that afternoon.


    Stopping at the exit post in the fenced-off area of the guild, he explained to the guards in the area the reason for the group''s departure, and was granted access to the exit thereafter.


    As they made their way from the immediate transport area to the surface area, where they would continue on to the Magma Barrens, Jembei and his six companions appeared in one of the corners of the guild.


    After a man from the exit post approached them and confirmed that Minos'' party was about to embark on the most difficult punishment mission they would face, Jembei got his confirmation.


    "Are you ready? Let''s go to the Magma Barrens to prepare the traps for this group." All of his cronies nodded in agreement before Jembei activated his teleportation device, causing the surrounding energy to vibrate as the space distorted.


    As Minos and his people reached the mountain near Examire, Jembei''s group made their way to the Magma Barrens!


    ...


    Arriving at the Magma Barrens only a few seconds after leaving the guild''s headquarters, Jembei and his companions found themselves in this blazing inferno.


    "The targets of these five''s missions are at these locations." Jembei showed the group a map that led them to the five targets their enemy group would be pursuing over the next few weeks.


    "How long do we have before they get here?" One of the cronies asked.


    "About 20 days. That''s how long it should take Minos and his people to reach the entrance to the area. After that, they can go to those places we''re passing at any time."


    "Good. That''s enough for us to prepare some surprises for them, hehe."


    They quickly went to the five places in question.

 Chapter 2486 First Destination in the Magma Barrens

    Chapter 2486 First Destination in the Magma Barrens


    About three weeks after leaving the Armhands'' headquarters, the group of five companions was finally in the Magma Barrens!


    At this moment, Minos was leading his group, walking slowly through this scorching area where they had five different missions to complete.


    As they walked slowly through the desolate and unforgiving terrain, dominated by an ever-changing volcanic landscape, they talked about what they had to do there.


    In this region, dotted with active and inactive volcanoes, with rivers of incandescent lava meandering through the terrain, and fields of solidified volcanic rock forming a maze of rough and jagged formations, they had their primary and secondary objectives in the area.


    On the one hand, they had to complete the missions given to them by their superiors in the guild. On the other hand, they had to deal with the enemies they were sure would attack them.


    "What should we do first? We''re not going to split up, are we?" Otis asked as he looked at Minos.


    They had talked a lot about how to deal with the possible assassins that would come after them during the mission in the Magma Barrens. But they hadn''t talked much about the punishment missions they would have to carry out.


    Looking at the atmosphere, thick with sulfuric fumes, hard to breathe, and with visibility reduced by clouds of steam and ash, Minos said. "The enemy must act sooner or later. They''re probably waiting for us with traps or ambushes in the places where we have to do our jobs. There''s nothing for us to do but confront them and solve these missions, so let''s move forward together in the quest to complete each of our missions."


    Their missions should be accomplished individually. But how could anyone say that they wouldn''t be done individually? The group would travel together to deal with potential enemies, but each person would carry out his or her part of the mission alone.


    This had already been agreed upon, so Minos'' words were nothing new to anyone there.


    "Let''s go after Otis'' target before we finish our other missions." Minos decided, feeling that this was the best course of action for them.


    Each of these creatures had its own magnificent characteristics, all of them adapted to the characteristics of this scorching region, which had a huge crater at its center with multiple lava flows converging, which was the center of the region''s geothermal energy.


    However, the location of the fire essence that Ruth needed to collect was not where the fugitive from Armhands was hiding.


    About 80 kilometers south of the center of the Magma Barrens, Minos and his group would come close to the hiding place of an alien who didn''t expect to be visited today!


    ...


    While cultivating in a cave where the temperature of the area was lower, a four-meter tall, two-legged, four-armed, monkey-headed being was meditating when suddenly the sound of one of its formations went off.


    He opened his eyes inside the cave, illuminated by the countless scorching veins of the magma rocks in the area.


    ''Enemies?'' His head tilted slightly upward, from where he could feel 5 auras weaker than his own landing above the mountain where he was hiding.


    At first, he sensed the cultivation of those five and thought they were no threat. But when he noticed the Flashdrain parasites of those strange creatures, and a shiver ran down his spine, he immediately stood up.


    "Zaltran, surrender to me or I''ll rip you out of that cave you''re hiding in!" Otis raised his voice as he landed on a flat rock in this rocky area of the Magma Barrens. Meanwhile, Minos was ready to help his companion when he noticed one of the two level 107 humans in the group looking at the top of the rocky area.


    ''Your Majesty, I feel we are close to my destination. Coincidentally, my destination and Otis'' destination seem to be very close to each other.''


    ''Excellent. Wait until we resolve the Zaltran situation and we''ll get to your destination.'' Minos communicated, feeling a sense of foreboding about the near future.


    He said nothing to his companions, but secretly took the precautions for something very close to them!

 Chapter 2487 First Enemies

    Chapter 2487 First Enemies


    ''Otis, act quickly and cut off Zaltran''s head.'' Minos sent this mental message to the robot at the same time as the level of one of his level 107 allies suddenly decreased and the metallic creature''s level increased.


    In a single instant, the robot''s cultivation reached the peak of level 108 as he understood what it had to do.


    Otis formed a huge metal sword and sliced through the rock below him, revealing the inside of a cave, from which a creature as large as the robot emerged, leaving that place and appearing in the sky above Otis.


    Minos motioned for his companions to move away as huge chains left Otis'' body and quickly reached Zaltran''s heels.


    "That..." The monkey-headed being looked down and opened his mouth in shock, not expecting an enemy capable of altering his cultivation so strangely.


    "Since you won''t surrender, I''m afraid I''ll have to take your corpse back to the guild!" Otis shouted as he moved, pulling his chains back on himself while preparing a deadly dangerous attack with his giant sword glowing in a bluish hue.


    Zaltran could barely react as he was pulled toward Otis, only managing to raise his four arms in defensive positions in front of his face.


    "Aaaaagh!"


    Even so, after Otis had absorbed a powerful component while still in Ganaway Refuge, he was no longer the same robot as before.


    Even though he was temporarily one level behind Zaltran, Otis cut off two of the four arms of the creature he had to hunt in that area.


    Sensing his master was in a hurry, he used his last weapons, forming a giant cannon after cutting off two of the enemy''s arms and wounding a part of the other two remaining arms.


    As the enemy fell to the ground in pain, feeling his blood leave his body and weaker than ever, Otis fired his weapon, causing an eerie glow to emerge from his weapon''s tunnel.


    High-level resources like the Eternal Fire Flower could not be collected casually. One would have to go through spiritual and physical challenges to get permission to collect the resource itself.


    This flower was valuable even to mid-level Sovereigns, so for someone like Theo, it wasn''t as simple as just moving around. At the very least, he would have to go through some kind of ordeal that even he would find difficult to overcome in a few moments.


    He moved towards his challenge and soon felt several fire elemental forms that only he could see appear near the flower''s location.


    Meanwhile, Minos turned his attention in the opposite direction and said. "They are coming. Get ready."


    With his words, six Fire Manticores appeared from the north, each with their eyes turned towards them, their level 110 and 111 cultivation displayed, pushing the weaker ones in their path.


    Seeing these creatures that he already knew were there to attack them, Minos didn''t hesitate to activate the Divine Seal, making a series of movements with his hands as four seals and coffins appeared from the void near them.


    ''Why are you dealing with them like this?'' Ruth asked her husband curiously.


    ''Jembei is watching us. He probably set these creatures against us. But he doesn''t know what I know. So let''s lead them to a counter-weapon.'' Minos said only to his wife, so that she narrowed her eyes and understood the situation.


    While she and the others were preparing to follow Minos'' orders to stay out of the developing situation, Jembei and his five companions were hundreds of kilometers away from this place.


    However, having set up devices near the points where Minos'' group had to pass, he and his companions could monitor the enemy group''s position in real time.


    "Those coffins... What''s that?" one of Minos'' enemies asked.


    "Let''s see what they are. It looks like Minos has some new fighting methods at his disposal." Jembei muttered as he narrowed his eyes, keeping an eye on the monitor in front of him.


    ''Show me your weaknesses, Minos!''

 Chapter 2488 Enemy Decision

    chapter 2488  enemy decision  the moment the four coffins in front of minos opened, the eyes of the level 110 experts resurrected by abby widened.


    "your skills are truly impressive, minos. i don''t know how much time has passed, but for us it was only a few seconds with our eyes closed." said one of the corpses as it left its coffin and looked in the direction of the six enemies coming towards it.


    of the six creatures with lion''s bodies, bat''s wings, and scorpion''s tails dripping lava, four were level 110 monsters and two were level 111.


    "are these our enemies today?" asked one of the four creatures summoned by minos.


    minos smiled and said. "yes, can you solve this problem for us?"


    one of the corpses looked at minos out of the corner of its eye and realized the human''s intentions.


    ''are you hiding? you''re obviously planning something more interesting.''


    "fire manticores, impressive creatures, especially in a scorching area like this volcano peak. however, dealing with this old man here won''t be easy." the strongest of them said as he raised one of his hands in the air, feeling the thrill of being able to fight again. the moment he acted, sounds of air being cut appeared in the area, with several cracks appearing in the air. then, suddenly, the body of that corpse disappeared from around minos and quickly appeared behind one of the two level 111 enemies.


    the fire manticore looked back, its eyes blazing with pure hatred, its mind altered to see these individuals as its mortal enemies.


    it moved its tail to strike the enemy. but the corpse pointed a spear-shaped weapon at the enemy''s stinger and struck hard, unafraid that it was one level stronger.


    ''let''s see how you handle this...'' the corpse smiled as icy white mist left its weapon, fighting the burning poison of the enemy''s tail.


    sensing something strange, the manticore flew back, moving away from its attacker as it felt something strange in its body.


    "eternal ice cannot be countered easily. only eternal fire can." another corpse said, understanding the power of this guild ancestor. "i have nothing like that, but it''s easy to deal with a level 110 beast like that."


    the four of them attacked the six opponents, while minos moved on, only raising his cultivation to level 107 to join the corpses in the fight against the six enemies.


    ''stay alert. the poison of these manticores is dangerous for all of you. and be ready to help theo. his situation could deteriorate if any of the remaining attacks reach the area where he is.'' minos warned his companions as he used the divine sword against the enemies.


    with the help of the four corpses, he soon put pressure on the six beings, who together should have a power similar to that of a level 112 sovereign.


    with his cultivation at only level 107, minos could only deal with this group today with the help of his allies.


    however, since his allies there were stronger than the ones he had when he returned to oqia, he quickly overcame the speed of those creatures that could spit fire from their mouths and poison from their tails.


    while this was happening, jembei watched minos'' powers in action, seeing how strong this enemy''s helpers were, but also how the battle between his group and minos'' would be.


    minos'' allies didn''t worry him. they could certainly become stronger with minos'' help, but their powers or talents themselves were of no concern. the same was true for the corpses, even though they were a surprise to jembei today.


    the only genuine concern was minos himself, who was a monster in his own right.


    "how do we deal with him? i''ve heard that he can raise his cultivation to level 108. he''s having trouble killing those six manticores, but he''s not using everything he has. i believe if he uses all of his power, he could be a threat to sovereigns up to level 112." said the level 110 individual, the most cautious of the group.


    "but that''s what we expected. besides, our group is stronger than that. we have the power of a level 114 sovereign. he wouldn''t be able to handle us even if he used everything he has." said the level 113 sovereign, the one who was most interested in minos'' death after jembei.


    he might not have the same ambitions as jembei, but he was very interested in what might be in minos'' space ring!


    according to rumors already circulating in the guild, minos had returned very wealthy, and because of the combined strength of his group, many believed he had found some great treasure on his travels.


    "it will be a good fight. but he shouldn''t stand a chance against us. his fight against those manticores is proof of that." jembei told his companions, even though he admitted how strong minos was.


    "besides, one of his companions is undergoing the test of the eternal fire flower, one of them lost his energy earlier to deal with the previous enemy, and minos is already exhausted from fighting the manticores. once this battle is over, he and his four level 110 allies won''t be in the best fighting condition!"


    the seven people looked at each other at jembei''s words, which were actually quite reasonable.


    dealing with minos wouldn''t be as easy as it seemed. but they had been expecting it ever since they had heard of his return.


    "let''s continue. i think we have a real chance here." said one of the two level 112 sovereigns in the group as he clenched his fists in determination.


    jembei felt it was time to act as the fifth of the six fire manticores died to the group of five attacking them.  s~ea??h the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    he poured his energy into a teleportation crystal attached to himself and his six companions, quickly activating the spatial movement of his group toward the summit of the eternal pyre.


    in a single instant, they crossed several kilometers and arrived at the place where minos had just killed the last of the six opponents thrown at him to test him that day.


    "you took your time," minos said with a smile on his face, startling the newcomers with his unexpected words.

 Chapter 2489 Face to Face with Jembei

    chapter 2489  face to face with jembei the moment the seven enemies arrived near the peak of the eternal pyre, the four corpses and the rest of the group shifted their positions as they sensed the power of those beings of levels 110, 111, 112, and 113.


    minos had already warned them of what would happen in the first few moments after the enemies arrived.


    after minos killed the last fire manticore, the cultivation of one of the corpses decreased to level 109, while his cultivation increased rapidly to level 108.  s§×ar?h the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ruth activated her ability and connected with all of her living companions except theo, who was facing the challenge of the eternal fire flower.


    as he greeted the enemies with his words, minos used the divine seal again, causing six more coffins to appear around him, while two of the four corpses he had summoned earlier returned to their urns before disappearing from the area.


    seeing minos'' change, jembei narrowed his eyes as he realized what was happening.


    "it''s trap!" he said as his companions realized the same, already get in formation for the battle about to begin.


    the group of fire manticores should have been enough to test the strength of minos'' group and reveal just how powerful he was. however, they had been deceived and had misjudged their opponent''s strength!


    minos smiled as he saw what greed and the traits of overestimating and underestimating others could do to the minds of powerful and influential creatures.


    he, too, could be driven by greed, but his incorruptible heart was at work to protect him and make him see reality clearly when he came face to face with the enemy.


    "jembei, you will pay with your life for defying me." minos said as he raised one of his hands while his beautiful golden wings opened.


    from his position, a golden beam of light shot out at the group, an attack with minos'' maximum strength, capable of terrifying even the strongest of those enemies.


    it wasn''t enough to kill those at level 112 or higher, but it was enough to show them all how powerful minos really was.


    jembei swallowed his saliva as he felt this attack and minos'' subsequent action as his weakest ally lost one level of cultivation, while ruth and one of the corpses in the surrounding area grew stronger.


    ruth''s cultivation reached level 107, while one of the two corpses that had been there since the beginning of today''s incident felt his strength surpassing what he had in life.


    "hehe, fighting alongside you is really comfortable, minos." this corpse said as he felt his cultivation reaching level 111.


    the other six newcomers understood what they had to do and surrounded the seven opponents, already unleashing their cultivation energy to pressure them.


    minos pulled out the divine sword from a seal in space before charging at the group of seven with an attack deadly even for local level 112 cultivators.


    having been strengthened by one level since facing the monster created by fusing the black liquid with two of his former enemies, minos was now strong enough to kill a level 112 enemy on his own. he wouldn''t be able to do that against someone at level 113, but he certainly wouldn''t be overwhelmed without a chance to counterattack someone at that level.


    the level 113 cultivators in jembei''s group realized this when they felt the power of the dark giant attacking them with an enormous sword, mimicking minos'' movements.


    "shit! fight for your lives!" this individual said as he stood in front of the group and formed a huge hand of red energy in front of them.


    the moment the hand and the sword touched, gusts of wind blew from the area, while the energy in the surroundings vibrated with the power of attack and defense.


    with such a strong clash of forces, the air exploded, while the pulse of wind and energy overwhelmed the surroundings, causing the smoke in the area to drift away from the vicinity of the two groups that started the fight.


    the eight corpses, seven at level 110 and one at level 111, attacked together with minos, three of them forcing the stronger enemy into a difficult situation by adding more power to minos'' attack, while the others attacked the other members of the opposing group.


    the level 113 cultivator defended his group from minos alone, leaving the other opponents for his allies to deal with.


    "shit! i told you we shouldn''t have come here!" the individual at level 109 shouted as he saw black rings appear around him and those of level 111 cultivation and begin to suck their energy.


    the giant hand defending them from minos cracked, while the strongest cultivator in the group turned pale, with blood dripping from his lips.


    then, as everyone defended themselves, jembei regretted it to the core of his soul when he sensed something and looked down with his eyes wide open.


    "no!"


    he barely opened his mouth before the rock beneath him shattered and searing flames covered his body.


    "aaaaagh!"


    jembei was not the only one facing this terrible situation. three of his six companions were attacked by burning flames, while minos skillfully controlled his powers.


    ''absorbing the flame crystal and suffering in the red expanse was really worth it.'' minos smiled as one of his hands burned in red flames, before making his second move against the level 113 sovereign.


    dragon''s gaze!


    crack!


    as a golden dragon flew from minos'' body towards the red energy hand, the hand exploded into countless pieces as the level 113 sovereign was thrown backward.


    with their principal men against these enemies wounded and thrown away from them, the group of six, some of whom were trying to protect themselves from the flames manipulated by minos, saw their defenses shatter as the corpses approached them.


    minos flew past them toward the level 113 sovereign, using the moments he had to end the battle before his powers weakened.


    as he passed the enemies, the two level 112 sovereigns fell to their knees on the ground with energy swords piercing their bodies.


    meanwhile, jembei saw the last scene of his life flash before his eyes.

 Chapter 2490 Alternative Exit

    chapter 2490  alternative exit  as he suddenly felt the pain from the deep burns on his body fade away, jembei saw his surroundings spinning strangely while his eyes gradually lost their light.


    rolling in the air for a moment, he caught sight of his own body, now headless, looking at the situation in astonishment, not even having seen the movement of minos, the man who ended his life.


    darkness invaded his soul from the position of the cut on his neck, burning him without him being able to do anything to save himself.


    in just two breaths of time, his severed head would fall to the ground, his aura completely consumed, and he would be the first of his group allies to die.


    but he wouldn''t be the only one!


    while the rest of his body rested on the ground, the two level 112 sovereigns felt their auras weaken at an alarming rate as their knees touched the ground.


    with the energy swords in their hearts, they seemed to be watching the battlefield helplessly as they felt their bodies being immobilized by the restrictive effect of the spatial sword.


    but they weren''t looking at the battlefield. as they were immobilized, their auras weakening terrifyingly, the two of them found themselves in a dimension of blades as they suffered cuts to the most painful parts of their bodies.


    "shit! we''re dead!" one of the men in jembei''s group shouted as he watched three of his six companions die before his eyes.


    "you''re absolutely right!" said the level 111 corpse as he appeared behind this person of his cultivation and used his freezing spear to attack his opponent''s back.


    the living alien tried to defend himself, but with his energies being sucked away by the devouring art, he only resisted for a second before expressing his pain and feeling the enemy''s weapon cut into his skin.


    "aaaaagh!"


    a muffled cry of pain rose from the living alien''s throat before 30% of his body froze upon contact with the eternal ice.


    a smile appeared on the lips of the level 111 corpse as he saw the lifeless look on the face of the enemy who had a part of his soul frozen by this attack.


    ''my powers are even stronger now because of minos'' help! excellent!'' this creature pulled the spear out of the enemy''s body before kicking the frozen area of the corpse, causing it to shatter like a statue.


    in the next instant, the two remaining individuals suffering from minos'' flames would die, the weaker of the two being consumed by the red flames, while two corpses would deal the final blow to the second.


    minos'' living allies moved in with him and the remaining corpses, surrounding the level 113 alien who had just fallen near the top of the volcano where they were.


    feeling weak, but not to the point of being unable to stand up, the remaining sovereign of jembei''s group understood his circumstances as he tried to get up.


    "let''s make a deal." he shouted as he wiped the blood from his mouth. "i will serve you for the rest of my life, as long as you forgive my insolence, minos! i''m willing to be your slave!"


    "oh?" minos stopped where he had just appeared after dealing with three of his enemies, while the remaining corpses gathered to surround the strongest enemy.


    minos and his team had certainly used a lot of their power to eliminate these six after dealing with fire manticores. but the enemy was wounded and without allies. if they wanted to continue, they could win after a good fight.


    but the enemy''s offer didn''t seem too bad either. "what would you have to offer me as my slave?"


    the man smiled, but spoke sincerely. "besides my services as a slave, i have information you may need soon. i know things about your enemies, jembei''s faction, and other groups monitoring you, and i have contacts with high-ranking members of the guild. i know you can do everything you need to grow without my help. but i can speed up your results and help make your actions more efficient."


    "prove that you are willing to accept me as your master." minos said while holding his divine sword in one hand, his dominant hand making a seal.


    the level 113 sovereign saw he had no choice. he looked around and found himself surrounded by over 10 enemies.


    escaping would be impossible, as for fighting, well, he could kill some of them, but victory was so unlikely that after a moment of serious consideration, he sighed and released his spirit.


    showing his fundamental essence, he surrendered to minos, and soon after, the seal created by this human marked his soul, forcing an almost unbreakable bond between them.


    given the current cultivation of minos and this guy, it wouldn''t be impossible for the dominated side to reverse his situation in the future. but only if the dominated side becomes a supreme, and the dominating side doesn''t advance so quickly.


    as the seal of that being''s inferiority to minos solidified, everyone in the surrounding area calmed down by restricting their powers, relieving the pressure on the area.


    the level 113 sovereign took a deep breath as he was freed from the threat of imminent death, and couldn''t help but look at jembei''s body and sigh.


    ''it would have been better for you if we had sent the general...'' he thought to himself.


    although he was now a slave of minos, his thoughts were free enough to lament the events and to think about the mistake of jembei and the group.


    he admitted to himself what a big mistake he had made by thinking that they could fight minos today.


    after a minute of processing everything that had happened, while minos'' group turned their attention to the surroundings, he said as he slowly approached his master.


    "master, prepare yourself for trouble. as much as jembei was the leader of the faction i belonged to, he wasn''t the strongest, nor was he the last card against you.  s~ea??h the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    jembei may have had many faults, but he knew how to read the personality of those he dealt with. that made him so influential.


    before we left, he left a guild general to deal with you in case he failed..." looking at jembei''s body, this survivor said in a deep tone. "his death will be noticed by the faction. in the next few days, before we even return to the guild, that general will have already been paid to hunt you down."

 Chapter 2491 Pressure and Chances

    chapter 2491  pressure and chances  after hearing sender''s warning, minos remained silent for a minute, realizing the maximum danger to his group had not passed, as he had expected before coming to the magma barrens.


    one of the corpses approached him and asked. "what are you going to do? those men ended in their situation today because we surprised them and killed them quickly. you won''t be able to do the same against a general. and even if you find a way to survive the fight against them, all the general has to do is sacrifice their flashdrain, and you are finished.


    with the power of a 12th stage cultivator, such a general will be unstoppable against any of us.


    ruth was worried because she had not thought of this possibility.


    today''s enemies didn''t use their parasites to strengthen themselves for two reasons. first, they didn''t have time. the enemy attack was quick and decisive, since minos knew how they would behave in battle. since they weren''t that much stronger than this group, the enemies had no way of thwarting the plans of someone who could see the future. the second reason was that even if they used it, it would be enough for minos'' group to do the same. in the end, the battle would be the same.


    but with a general, everything could be different. they could easily surpass minos'' reaction speed, and even if this group''s members sacrificed their parasites, the power of someone who could temporarily reach 12th stage could not be countered by it, even with the sacrifice of the group''s members'' parasites.


    minos looked at sender and pointed at the level 113 sovereign. "for now, this guy is my weapon against the general. but let''s think more about our options when we get back to the guild. there are some missions we can do without risking so much in the short term."


    sender sighed, realizing he wouldn''t last long in this world.


    "what else do i need to prepare?" minos asked him.


    sender replied. "resistance within the law enforcement hall, difficulties in buying resources, stronger competitors in promotion attempts, attacks on your companions on external missions, in short, the usual.


    jembei had reasons beyond personal motivations to act against you. many in the guild may not hate you or even have a history with you. but they want your head because of the things you can have, because it''s good to defeat someone famous and respected, and because they fear you will threaten them in the future.


    i can give you a complete list of who might be against you from now on. we''ve prepared enough in advance to stand against you."


    "hmm, prepare the list. i want my group to have it in hand before we return to headquarters." minos said before turning his attention to the corpses.


    "thank you for your help in today''s battle. unfortunately, you must return."


    each of the eight individuals nodded in understanding before minos returned their bodies to their coffins. they disappeared as they were transported back to the faction''s headquarters.


    while otis and a human collected the corpses of the enemy, as well as the space storage items of these dead people, minos and ruth walked towards theo, where the man was still undergoing his test.


    sender followed in silence, having already drunk a restorative potion to heal the wounds in his soul and body.


    "looks like it''s going to be a while before things get easier for us," ruth commented to her husband, feeling stressed by yet another deadly problem in their path.


    he laughed bitterly, but he was used to dealing with situations like this. "the enemies are stronger than ever, but that means the pressure to get stronger will take us even further. we''ll deal with it as we always have." he grabbed her waist before kissing her, obviously worried, but not losing his composure.


    "we''ll split up to cultivate while theo finishes his mission. i don''t sense any trouble nearby, so sender and i will cultivate while you monitor our surroundings." he said as he sat down on a black rock at the top of the active volcano.


    ruth and the other two soon positioned themselves to observe the surroundings while the two strongest there began their cultivation.


    ...


    four hours later, everyone in the group had had a chance to cultivate and recover.


    at the end of those hours, theo conquered the eternal fire flower and completed his mission by storing it in his spatial ring.


    however, even though he had to give this resource to the guild to complete his mission, this human had a twinkle in his eye when he finished collecting this flower.


    after being able to cultivate for 30 minutes, he was ready to follow the group to help the next one complete their mission when he said what he had experienced in the past few hours.


    "these missions aren''t just to put us in danger. while i was earning the right to harvest the eternal fire flower, i went through many difficulties. but at the end of the process, i felt as if my soul had been washed by flames, and my foundation had been strengthened a little more! even cultivation was easier after i finished harvesting it!"


    "oh?" his companions looked at him, happy for theo.


    "i feel like i''ll be able to get to level 108 faster!"


    minos looked at ruth differently and made her understand what he had in mind.


    there were enemies waiting for them and plotting against them, but while the enemies were putting them in danger, opportunities were appearing in front of them!


    "let''s go find the fire essence ruth has to collect in the central caldera." minos said, eager to complete the third of the five missions they had to complete in the magma barrens.


    the six made their way to the core of the magma barrens, the most dangerous area in the region where ruth and minos had to carry out their missions, according to what sender had told them in the previous hours.


    sender knew the location of each of the places the group would have to pass through to complete their missions. so now, instead of moving around the area looking for their targets, they went straight to the places where there were also traps that jembei''s group had left behind.


    but with sender in the group, dealing with these traps would be the easiest of the difficulties the group would face in the next few days!


    s§×ar?h the n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 2492 Final Part of the Magma Barrens Mission

    chapter 2492  final part of the magma barrens mission  two weeks after the battle with jembei''s group, minos and his party were in the obsidian valleys, an area further north in the magma barrens.


    having completed ruth''s mission in the central caldera days earlier, minos was now amid his quest to collect the remains of a long-lost creature in the obsidian valleys.


    in this area of glowing black volcanic glass, where deposits of rare minerals lay, minos'' group of companions sat in lotus positions in the area while he walked along a burning path in the area under constant fire.


    minos endured the torture of the flames as he walked through the bluish flames of the area where sand was forming glass in large quantities with loud cracking sounds.


    at that time, his cultivation had reached the peak of level 108, and he had borrowed the power of one of his group mates. meanwhile, his flame-resistance ability was in action, with red flames covering his body and protecting him from the area.


    sweating profusely as he felt the pressure of the area trying to prevent him from reaching the central point of the funnel-shaped slope he was climbing, minos used his physical and mental strength to finish this fiery ordeal.


    with the dragon''s eye fully activated, as well as the mental protection of the infinite dream, all the imaginary forms of the flame monsters resisted him as he tried to manipulate them. meanwhile, he felt his resistance to the flames finishing its improvement, evolving after challenging the burning area for more than a day.


    with his last step, minos reached the top of the slope and suddenly felt the fiery aura of the area no longer pressing down on him, even though the flames around him remained the same as they had been a moment ago.


    a special flame exploded in front of minos, forming a semi-transparent body of a conscious being, but with no definite shape. "congratulations on surviving the ordeal of the flames. enjoy my legacy, young prodigy." as minos turned his attention to this creature, it quickly disappeared after its words.


    as if something had changed, the flames on the top of the burning hill extinguished, revealing the shiny black skeleton of what appeared to be a winged creature.


    next to this skeleton, three colored eggs covered in a special kind of scale caught minos'' eye.


    his goal was to collect the skeleton in front of him. but as for those eggs, he was under no obligation to give them to the guild!


    ''interesting.'' he stored the skeleton and the eggs in his spatial ring, wondering what they would give him.


    but as he turned to leave, he felt a sensation in his body similar to a breakthrough and stopped. it wasn''t a breakthrough, even so, minos didn''t hesitate to sit down to calmly process what was starting in his body.


    ''my ability is developing!'' he realized where this was coming from, quickly feeling his ability to control and resist flames as he covered his body in flames, even without his command.


    the red fire that covered him changed color, gaining bluish patches that grew as minos'' breaths passed.


    in less than a minute, minos'' entire body was covered in blue flames, while instead of the suffocating sensation he had felt a few moments ago, he felt something liberating, as if all the pressure on him had suddenly disappeared.


    even as his cultivation began to return to normal, he continued to feel free and at home in this area.


    at the same time, without even realizing it, the piece of sand that touched him turned into a crystal, an obsidian crystal!


    obsidian was a special material, an important material for making powerful weapons, with many properties, including spiritual reflection, super-resistance, and powerful against spirit forms.  s§×arch* the ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    according to the legends about obsidian, weapons made of this material could easily wound the souls of their targets, even if their users didn''t have the power to wound the soul of an opponent.


    sender saw this while he was the only one watching minos, and he noticed how much easier it had been for his master to complete his own mission in the magma barrens compared to the other three who had already completed theirs. not only that, but he couldn''t help but sigh in appreciation of minos'' natural ability to seize opportunities.


    ''he seems stronger now. minos really is a monster. now i see how foolish we were to stand up to him.'' sender thought to himself as he saw the time approaching for them to leave for the group''s final destination in the magma barrens.


    after a few minutes, minos finished his skill and left the summit, returning to the side of his companions.


    ruth and the others soon left their meditation states before the group moved on after another victory.


    now they had only one more mission to complete. after that, it would be time to return to examire!


    ...


    as minos and his party made their way through the magma barrens, news of jembei''s death had already reached the guild''s headquarters.


    with his death confirmed by members of his own faction, jembei''s information had already been removed from the records hall, and news of his faction''s succession was already circulating downtown.


    amid all this, the general, jembei''s contact, received payment that afternoon for the mission jembei had discussed with him earlier.


    at that moment, facing the new leader of jembei''s faction, a level 112 sovereign, this general looked into the eyes of the alien in front of him and asked.


    "when do you want me to deal with him? i can''t do it now. according to the schedule jembei left, minos'' probably finishing his mission or has already finished it. it would be almost impossible for me to reach him now."


    "make your move on the first external mission he does after returning from the magma barrens," said the one in front of the general. "we''ll take care of his other companions on our own, general."


    "hmm, all right... by the way, do you know how minos dealt with such a powerful group?"


    "no. we suspect that sender somehow fell under minos'' control and must have helped his new leader delete the group''s automatic communication devices before we received the mission transmission." the faction leader said, somewhat annoyed by this failure and loss.


    not only had they failed to kill minos, they had lost one of their own to the enemy!

 Chapter 2493 Growing Influence

    chapter 2493  growing influence  while jembei''s faction prepared for their next moves, with their new leader ready to continue the hunt that jembei had begun, the group of recruits that minos had brought to the guild moved forward on their own.


    outside the city, abby was walking alongside gloria and lily, all three of them dressed in law enforcer uniforms.


    among them, abby wore the symbol of a private on her uniform, a higher rank than the recruit rank that gloria and lily still wore.


    of minos'' companions who had recently joined the guild, three had already completed enough optional missions to earn the merit points needed for the promotion exam. all three of them had earned their places as rank-and-file soldiers after registering for the promotion test and easily beating their competitors.


    aside from abby, kendrick and vico were the only two who currently held the rank of soldiers.


    meanwhile, the others were trying to grow as fast as possible, doing optional missions and training less during the last few weeks. since they were already very strong, they didn''t need to train and cultivate to be able to perform their duties as recruits with ease.


    even so, all eight of them had served as law enforcers at some point during their time in the armhands, just like these three women patrolling the guild''s outer area.


    "this job is fantastic. even though the regular pay isn''t much, there''s always a troublemaker who gives us the chance to earn commissions for the arrests and punishments we hand out." lily said as she walked next to her stepmothers.


    minos had recommended that all of his companions become law enforcers.


    the job of a law enforcer did not promise high pay in a short time. if you were a law enforcer for a long time, it was a job that paid a lot. but in the short term, the chances of making a lot of points were minimal.


    abby smiled as the people in their path gave way when they recognized her. "there are arrogant fools in the entire universe who get into trouble with people they shouldn''t. minos was right. being in a position where many hate you actually bring many opportunities."


    abby and her son kendrick had earned their merit points for their promotions in the same way. external members of higher positions than theirs challenged them both.


    just as minos had done in the past, they had defeated their opponents and earned their merit points, which were enough to pay for the promotion exam.


    as for vico, he hadn''t been challenged. he had taken advantage of an opportunity that had arisen to go on an external mission started by the law enforcement hall.


    although he was an external member of the guild, his cultivation was high enough to be a junior officer. his superior got him a chance by pulling some strings in the inner realm, which guaranteed the merit points vico needed to grow faster.


    anyway, while the three women were talking about the advantages of being a law enforcer, gloria spotted one of the members of jembei''s faction in the distance.


    "they''re watching us again." gloria muttered to her colleagues. "looks like what happened last week didn''t scare them."


    after defeating the enemy in the challenge and earning her promotion to private, abby had arrested a level 108 member of jembei''s faction for stalking and spying on her comrades.


    obviously, the man didn''t stay in jail for long, since he was an internal member of the guild, while she was only an external member. but on that occasion, abby had used one of her level 110 corpses to show how difficult she was to deal with.


    now that she saw a stronger man than the previous one watching her from a distance, abby frowned before walking over to the level 110 individual.


    it was unusual to find such strong cultivators outside of the guild. so while this guy was watching them, hidden away, few people in this busy area of the city had any idea that he was there.


    abby and her two companions walked up to him, an intermediate officer, the blue-haired woman with a defiant smile on her face.


    "it''s not every day we see an intermediate officer in the area." she said loudly, attracting the attention of the many recruits and soldiers at the edge of this important street in the outer city.


    the alien looked curiously at the blue-haired woman, removed the hood from her head, and stopped hiding.


    "law enforcer miller, i''m just passing through, hehe. i didn''t expect to meet a rising star like you." he said in an obviously sarcastic tone.


    abby smiled back at him. "i heard jembei died... he was a good friend of yours, rumor has it."


    "it''s a shame that such a tragedy happened. the guild will miss someone of officer jembei''s caliber." the man said seriously while clenching his fists behind his back.


    abby commented in a lower tone, just enough for her two companions and the middle officer in front of her to hear. "i don''t know. maybe the guild will use his power in the future, hehe."


    after that, she walked past the wide-eyed man, who glared at her while one of his hands shook.


    ''blue bitch! are you threatening us?'' he restrained himself from attacking a law enforcer in broad daylight, but he couldn''t help but be angry at the possibility that abby would resurrect jembei and use the man to fight the faction members after his death.  s~ea??h the n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    unfortunately for him, even though he was an intermediate officer, the law enforcers were the only ones in the entire guild who didn''t follow the natural hierarchy of the organization.


    if he moved against abby there, he would give the woman reason to attack and punish him!


    abby moved on with her companions, while dozens of aliens in the area muttered about the trio''s encounter with the intermediate officer.


    "did you see that? am i wrong or did law enforcer miller just intimidate an intermediate officer?"


    "shit! i think that''s right! she said something that made him angry. look at his ugly face!"


    "law enforcer miller is strong. with her corpses, she can easily deal with someone a few levels stronger than her!"


    "this is the beginning of a new era. minos stuart has returned to rule the guild!"

 Chapter 2494 Changing Threat

    chapter 2494  changing threat  meanwhile, in another part of town, outside the armhands'' headquarters.


    kendrick had just finished his duties as a blacksmith.


    like his father, kendrick had been directed to a field where he had the aptitude to become a skilled professional.


    the armhands required its members to have at least two specialties, the warrior''s and a secondary art. the guild believed that only by cultivating geniuses who could do more than just fight could they achieve their goal of creating supremes capable of reaching the upper realm.


    the path of cultivation was arduous the higher one went. without extraordinary methods, it was impossible to approach the perfection needed to enter the upper realm.


    because of his spatial abilities, but also because of the dragon powers he gained from the artifact he absorbed at ganaway sanctuary, kendrick had a strong affinity for forging. ever since he joined the guild, he had been learning to forge daily, combining it with his mandatory and optional missions.


    as for training and cultivation, he had barely spent a day on it since he joined the guild.


    as minos himself advised the group, none of the eight newcomers to the guild were trying to become stronger at the moment, but rather to gain merit and get closer to a higher position in the guild.


    so when he finished his forging studies today, he made his way to the law enforcement hall, meeting grisdi halfway.


    "there''s an interesting optional mission in the mission hall this afternoon. you should check it out. it sounds interesting." the woman said as she walked beside him.


    "what is it?" he asked.


    "it''s a trap, but it''s a trap that can earn you a lot of merit points if you handle it well." she explained the crucial part.


    "it basically requires you to help a junior officer test his weapons. you need to be a blacksmith to take part in this mission, and you also need to have a cultivation level of at least 105."


    "what''s the trap?" he asked, looking at the beautiful woman next to him, with whom he did not get along as well as before her betrayal, but not as badly as after her attitude in the blossom world.


    grisdi explained. "this blacksmith who created this mission is a member of the jade chainsaws."


    the jade chainsaws is the name of the faction formerly led by jembei!


    "oh? do you think they created this mission to lure me?" kendrick narrowed his eyes.


    "the mission only appeared in the external part of the city. how many outside members who are blacksmiths and have level 105 cultivation in the outer city?" she smiled at him.


    "i see. how many merit points are we talking about?"


    "20,000 points for the mission. but if he tries to kill you, as i think he will, you could challenge him to death and take a good portion of his merit points. that would be enough to pay for your promotions until you become a junior officer!"


    "hmm, that''s interesting. i''ll stop by the mission hall later." kendrick smiled with interest. at first, he and his companions were only watched by the members of the jade chainsaws. but since jembei''s death, and especially after vico, abby and kendrick had been promoted, strange things had happened.


    they were no longer just being watched, and their enemies were actively trying to take action against the guild''s eight newcomers!


    but kendrick hadn''t just inherited his womanizing side from his father!


    ''if they want blood, so be it. i''ll help them taste blood when they die!'' kendrick clenched his fists before spotting the law enforcement hall building on the outside of the guild.


    however, before entering this facility, he and grisdi encountered one of the judges of this post, who seemed to be leaving after his daily shift.


    "soldier kendrick stuart..." the alien said as he stopped in front of the young man, who was a mixture of abby and minos. "i''ve heard a lot about your actions... just like your father, you exaggerate your punishments. be careful, it''s not good to grow up in the hall like that. your superiors don''t like it."


    kendrick ignored grisdi''s question and looked deeply at the level 107 elder in front of him. "if my decisions aren''t fair, eventually the chief commander will punish me. until then, i will continue to enforce the guild''s rules.


    as for those who want to cause trouble, they will receive the maximum punishment under my watch."


    seeing the ugly expression on the girl next to kendrick, and the two of them walking towards him without making any gestures of greeting, this judge made a sound of displeasure.


    ''damn humans! they''re all insolent vermin!'' he walked away without saying anything, in a position he hated. when he saw the looks on the faces of the surrounding law enforcers, men he usually oppressed and pressured, now looking at him and seeing he only stood up to the weakest, he couldn''t help but hate kendrick a few degrees more.


    ''on the day your father dies, i''ll see if you can keep all that cheek in front of me, brat!''


    ...


    meanwhile, in the best restaurant in the guild''s outdoor area, vico found himself face to face with one of the humans from maximillian''s group.


    although his group and maximillian''s didn''t speak to each other, vico didn''t see any problem in meeting one of his old acquaintances to talk about the spiritual world and the past.  s§×arch* the n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    maybe there was no room for trusting the future, but the past had already been decided, and talking about it wouldn''t change it.


    in the weeks since he had joined the guild, vico had met with maximilian''s three human companions and talked about the spiritual world as well as the men''s journey on zocarro.


    since each of them was a busy man with many responsibilities, it could take weeks to talk about everything they had to talk about from the past, even with frequent meetings.


    but after they had finished discussing another of their experiences prior to their reunion in armhands, maximilian''s ally brought up a current topic.


    "i heard about jembei''s death... you must be careful. this faction is difficult to deal with. i''m afraid that unless you improve your average power by one or two levels, you won''t be free of problems that could threaten your existence." said the level 107 individual.


    maximillian paid the bill for his food and got up to leave. "hmm, we''ll work on that. just watch while we show you the right way to grow up in this place."

 Chapter 2495 Welcome Back!

    chapter 2495  welcome back! another three weeks had flown by since the new rank-and-file soldiers of minos'' faction encountered problems in armhands. for the time being, they persevered, striving to improve their positions as outsiders and fortifying their faction in anticipation of minos'' return.


    just that morning, minos and his five companions, including a new member who hadn''t been with them before, arrived on the floating island of armhands above examire.


    as they stepped onto the island, the city bustled around them, a hive of activity and whispers.


    walking down the main street of the headquarters'' outer area, they drew countless gazes. internal members paused in their work, their eyes lingering on the group. minos, a figure of fascination and rumor, marched ahead, his expression unreadable.


    among the lower-level members, minos was merely an intriguing prodigy from afar. to the guild insiders, however, he was a near-mythical figure, surrounded by stories of his possessions and enemies, discussed almost daily.


    minos''s gaze remained fixed forward, unflinching amid the stares. his companions exchanged uneasy glances, feeling the weight of the attention.


    sender''s steps faltered as he noticed the strange looks directed at him.


    he sighed, the sound barely audible. thoughts churned in his mind: returning to the guild meant inevitable ostracism and the looming threat of being silenced¡ªpermanently.


    hiding or pretending not to be an ally of minos wouldn''t help sender at all. he knew the guild well enough to realize that bluff would only delay the inevitable. that''s why he preferred a more direct approach, showing that he had changed sides, that he was not alone, and that he would work for minos from now on.


    standing tall, his gaze unwavering, he hoped that by being forthright, he could gain some measure of respect or at least reduce the hostilities. the surrounding murmurs grew louder, but he kept his head high, knowing that this was the best path forward.


    as they entered the guild''s inner sanctum, they quickly recorded their successes in their quests in the magma barrens, with the group delivering what they were supposed to deliver to the mission hall.


    once that was done, they headed to the faction lair.


    ...


    when they arrived at the faction cave, minos, ruth, and the others didn''t see all of their companions there.


    the cave was big enough to hold everyone in the faction at the moment, but many were out fulfilling their responsibilities in the guild.


    at the moment, abby and gloria, as well as hollie and callie, were there. three of them were cultivating, seated in meditative positions with auras of concentration surrounding them, while one of them had just finished and was about to leave.


    hollie''s eyes snapped open as minos walked in. a smile spread across her face, and she sprang to her feet, her excitement palpable. she rushed to him, her footsteps echoing through the cavern.


    "father, you''re finally back!" hollie exclaimed, her voice a mixture of relief and joy.


    she leaped into minos''s arms, holding him tightly before turning to hug her mother. "i was so worried!" she said, her eyes shining as she looked seriously at them, momentarily overlooking sender.


    minos and ruth exchanged a few words with hollie, their voices soft and reassuring, before the other women around them stirred from their cultivation states.


    as their eyes fluttered open and they stretched, minos turned his gaze towards sender, nodding in his direction.


    "many things have happened," he began, his voice carrying the weight of recent events. "from now on, sender will be a member of our faction. cooperate with him so that we can better deal with our enemies."


    the four women immediately agreed, recognizing the group''s success over the nearly two months they had been gone. their expressions shifted from curiosity to understanding as they processed the recent addition to their ranks.


    abby was the first to break the silence. "how were things in the magma barrens? we heard jembei died weeks ago."


    "yes," minos replied, a grim smile playing on his lips. "we killed him. in the end, they underestimated us, thinking we were exhausted. i surprised them with the corpses we left behind." his eyes flicked to the coffins surrounding them, a silent testament to their recent battle.


    "but just killing jembei won''t change our situation," ruth added, her voice steady and pragmatic.


    "hmm, we are aware of that," gloria sighed. "the jade chainsaw has already changed their hierarchy and acted against us."


    callie stepped forward, her face serious. "they started watching us as soon as you left for the magma barrens. but once abby, vico, and kendrick were promoted, they acted more aggressively, setting traps for us.  sear?h the ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    kendrick dealt with one of these threats three days ago when he challenged a level 107 supervisor who tried to kill him during a weapons testing mission to a fight to the death."


    "oh? who was that?" minos''s eyes narrowed, his tone dark and icy.


    "a blacksmith from the jade chainsaws, a man named fredis quiphine," abby responded, her voice low.


    "that''s the name of a blacksmith in the faction. this man is part of inigo''s support group, who is supposed to be the new faction leader," sender interjected.


    "he is indeed the new faction leader," callie confirmed.


    "when is this battle?" ruth asked the group.


    "tonight," abby replied.


    "i''ll talk to kendrick before the fight," minos decided, his mind already strategizing. "there''s not much we can do right now. we have more enemies than i imagined before i left for the magma barrens.


    the next time i go on a mission outside the guild, one general will probably try to kill me." as he spoke, the corpses of sender''s former companions materialized in the cave, encased in their coffins.


    abby and the others glanced at the bodies, understanding minos''s unspoken plan. with abby''s necromantic powers, their army of the dead would grow stronger. their only limitations were the level of these corpses and the special coffins, which weren''t easy or cheap to build.


    minos turned to abby, his eyes full of determination. "let''s prepare to deal with the level 114 enemy that will be chasing me, starting with them.


    abby, are you ready?" he looked at his blue-haired wife, knowing that resurrecting some of these people would be more complicated than those already in the twelve coffins around them.


    abby nodded, signaling her readiness.


    minos used his innate ability cultivation to reach level 108, boosting his wife''s strength to the peak of level 106.


    with both at their maximum limit, abby''s divine ability flared to life, and she began bringing the dead back to life.


    minos focused on the two level 112 corpses, sealing them into their coffins, knowing he couldn''t control them as easily as the others. they would remain in reserve until he and abby grew stronger or needed their power urgently.


    as for the other four, he easily mastered their minds before turning his attention to jembei.


    "welcome back, jembei," he said, a provocative smile curling his lips. "i hope you''re ready to serve me." he sent an hourglass to his body.


    "minos..." jembei''s voice was a whisper, filled with a mixture of defiance and resignation.

 Chapter 2496 Jembeis Council

    chapter 2496  jembei''s council the moment he found himself face to face with minos, remembering his death and feeling that there was nothing he could do against this human, jembei laughed bitterly.


    "it seems that i made a mistake with my plans... i just didn''t expect that one of my own would still be here. looks like you chickened out, sender." jembei commented as he looked at the individual weakened by minos'' powers.


    sender said nothing. there was no point in arguing with a corpse. jembei was dead, under minos'' control, and as soon as the effects of abby and minos'' abilities wore off, jembei would disappear.


    "now that you''re among us, i hope i can count on your support in dealing with the enemies. is there anything you can tell me now to help me deal with the general you left behind to kill me?" minos asked.


    being under minos'' control, jembei could never refuse to answer his new master. he quickly said what he had to. "i don''t know how far your powers can go, but dealing with artaud won''t be easy.


    perhaps the use of sender, your innate ability and all those corpses will help you a little. but i doubt it will be enough to kill him and make sure you at least escape. to defeat him, you need stronger help than you already have, or a level up. anything else won''t work."


    "i agree." sender said.


    minos sighed and then, with a wave of his hand, jembei joined the other corpses stored in his special urn, where he could wait for the call of his masters.


    minos placed the six new coffins at the edge of the cave before picking up the eggs he had obtained in the magma barrens.


    "hollie, come here. pick one of these three for yourself." he motioned to his youngest daughter.


    hollie''s eyes lit up as the others realized these eggs were of great value.


    "this is some kind of ancient beast egg. i don''t know what will happen in the future. it could become an ingredient for pills or potions, or even give birth to a beast. take good care of it and use it to your advantage."


    hollie thanked her father by choosing the egg she found most interesting.


    determined to give the other two eggs to his other two children who were in zocarro, minos took the essences with him before turning and leaving the cave.


    "go back to what you should do if i''m were not here. i''ll take care of some business before i watch kendrick''s fight." ruth and sender followed him, while the others either stayed behind or left the cave to attend to their guild business.


    ...  s~ea??h the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    after leaving their faction''s cave, minos and ruth followed sender''s instructions.


    this man had promised to introduce his master to contacts he had in the inner city, and since minos had to prepare for a deadly battle in no time, he quickly made use of his slave''s contacts.


    after 15 minutes, they were in a commercial area of the guild''s inner area while sender explained who they would meet first.


    any contacts sender would introduce to minos would obviously have to be non-members of the jade chainsaws faction. although sender knew more faction members than members of other groups or even neutral guild members, he had enough names to spend at least an afternoon trying to negotiate alongside his master.


    as a level 113 sovereign who had been in the guild for over a thousand years, sender had made many contacts over the years, old rivals or even companions with whom he had carried out missions together.


    "master, segiel is the one i believe is the best companion for you to bring to your side. she is a morgen, a water spirit, with a cultivation similar to mine, but much more relevant than me.


    she doesn''t belong to any faction. yet, she is a member of the armhands for over 2,000 years. she is very close to one of the elders of the guild. of all the people who want to be the guild''s next chief commander, she is one of the favorites in the competition.


    jembei has a good chance because of the influence of the jade chainsaws and his ability to make deals and gain the cooperation of the right people. but segiel is different. she doesn''t have many supporters, but her big backer can move even the current chief commander!


    i can''t promise you that winning her alliance will guarantee you the support of the elder, but having someone with such contacts on your side has many advantages".


    "she''s close to an elder? how is that possible?" ruth asked curiously.


    "they say she''s from the same world as the elder." sender commented. "maybe that''s why. but regardless of how, it''s a fact that segiel is often seen entering the guild council and has met this level 120 elder several times."


    "level 120?" minos swallowed his saliva after hearing those impressive words.


    sender smiled in confirmation. "all the elders in the guild are stronger than the chief commander. they all have cultivation beyond level 117."


    "how does one become an elder?" ruth asked. "there are only 10 seats in the guild''s elders council. unless one of those seats opens up, there''s no way for a new member to become an elder. however, when a vacancy occurs, the chief commander has the option of giving the seat to one of the generals, or they can become an elder and leave their seat vacant.


    supposedly, one of the council elders is at the end of his life after living for over a million years. if he doesn''t enter the upper realm in the next few centuries, he will die. that''s why several high-ranking sovereigns are already preparing for the opportunity to become the next chief commander of the guild, as well as the next general."


    this was one of the main reasons minos suffered so much upon his return.


    jembei, as well as others who were left alive to harass him, wanted to grow and become more influential in order to take advantage of the death or ascension of the eldest member of the guild council!

 Chapter 2497 In Search of Allies

    chapter 2497  in search of allies  after learning the essentials about segiel from sender, the group entered an upscale downtown mansion that housed the store of the level 113 water spirit.


    seeing sender enter her study, segiel turned her eyes to the three newcomers and quickly recognized the two humans next to her old acquaintance.


    "looks like the rumors are true," she muttered, finishing a formation and inscribing the last runes on the device she was preparing.


    minos and ruth looked at the 1.4-meter-tall, proportionally built, exquisite, blue-haired woman. the woman''s skin had a bluish glow to it, making her appear almost ethereal. in her current state, it would be impossible for anyone to tell that she wasn''t human but a morgen.


    "it''s good to see you again, segiel," sender said as he greeted her warmly.  sear?h the n?vel(f)ire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "hmm, i say the same. after the recent news, i thought i wouldn''t have the chance to have tea with you again. but i see you''ve found an alternative to a deadly situation." segiel''s eyes sparkled with curiosity.


    sender smiled at her and gestured to minos and ruth. "i imagine you already know them from the rumors circulating in the guild. these are minos and ruth, my new faction mates."


    she looked the two humans in the eyes, somewhat interested, since the rumors about minos were especially impressive.


    "please, sit down. companions of sender are always welcome in my studio." she waved her hands and water chairs formed in front of a table.


    minos and ruth greeted segiel before sitting down to discuss the matters that had brought them to this place.


    "officer segiel, sender told me about you, so i don''t want to mislead you. i''m looking for allies to join my group. in exchange for joining, i''ll give you this." minos placed a navy-blue crystal artifact on the desk, its glow hinting at great power, particularly valuable to those with water affinity powers.


    segiel''s eyes widened at the sight of the crystal, recognizing its worth instantly.


    "i see you''re very direct in your approach." she smiled and pushed the artifact back. "i would love to accept your gift, but i can''t join any faction. it''s not about your offer or the risks; i just can''t."


    "can you tell me why?" minos'' brow furrowed, a mix of frustration and curiosity in his voice.


    from her aura and the artifact, minos sensed she stood to gain immensely from it. why refuse?


    "minos stuart, i know your name well. there''s an elder watching your progress since you joined the guild. did you know that?"


    minos, ruth, and sender, who had long been allies, narrowed their eyes, caught off guard by segiel''s revelation.


    "it was the same with me," segiel continued, her smile fading slightly. "but the elder watching me has been in contact since i joined the guild. i know what she expects of me, unlike you.


    so i know i shouldn''t join any factions. that''s what she expects of me. it may be the same or different for the elder who is watching you. that''s my motivation. otherwise, i would have joined other factions since i joined the guild millennia ago."


    "an elder has their eye on minos? what do you mean, segiel?" sender asked.


    "i don''t know their motives or intentions. but i heard the name minos from my master''s mouth over 200 years ago. so i''m sure someone is watching you, minos." she replied, looking him in the eyes and causing him another worry.


    "is that good or bad?" ruth looked at minos worriedly.


    "i don''t know. the elder is so old and powerful. maybe they want minos to be the next chief commander of the guild. maybe they want you to train a generation of high-level warriors or die for the guild. all i know is that they are watching you from the shadows." she said, her voice filled with a mystery that was impossible not to think about.


    but she didn''t do it to scare minos and those two. she really had no evil intentions.


    "i can''t join you. my master doesn''t like factions and thinks it wouldn''t do me any good. but i''m interested in you, minos stuart. i''ll give you some advice about where to find your allies." she said, being as direct as minos had been moments before.


    minos clenched his fists as he put aside the worry of being watched by a supreme and asked. "i would appreciate any advice, officer."


    "look for wovar and clexvog. they are two giants. they are powerful warriors on the battlefield, but in the day-to-day running of a faction, they are useless and extremely expensive to maintain.


    because of their flaws, which many in the guild feel outweigh their qualities, they have never stayed in factions for more than a few days. so if you approach them, you''re likely to get their support.


    the only problem is that they''re expensive, and if you kick them off your team right after using them, you''ll probably have to deal with their aggression." "wovar and clexvog?" sender asked, surprised. he hadn''t thought of those two names, considering others who could make more of a difference for minos both on the battlefield and in guild politics.


    "yes, they''re perfect for this group," segiel affirmed before asking, "have you thought of any other names?"


    "pirene and lamedesa. perhaps niel, if he happens to be in a good mood today."


    she shook her head, her expression firm. "they''re not good options. while wovar and clexvog are only level 112, their unwavering loyalty makes them helpful. pirene, lamedesa, and niel might betray you or leave if the situation worsens. but once you have wovar''s and clexvog''s loyalty, they will serve you forever."


    sender felt a pang of uncertainty. not having given much thought to wovar and clexvog, he now acknowledged that he may have underestimated their capabilities.


    "can you please let us know where we can find them?" minos showed great interest as he asked.


    "that''s the only problem." segiel''s tone dropped as she replied, "they''re in the blue field."

 Chapter 2498 Generous Gift

    chapter 2498  generous gift  "the blue field?" minos exclaimed as he remembered the location.


    the blue field was an extreme place far from examire, where the guild mined a special type of material.


    the place was harsh, and those who were sent there after failing one of the stages of the guild''s entrance exam would definitely have a hard time.


    however, such a region was not the end of the world. someone with determination had a good chance of overcoming their difficulties and eventually getting a place in armhands, and then leaving their servant status behind to become a recruit.


    however, in the blue field, there weren''t only guild servants, but also cultivators who couldn''t pass the entrance exam to join the army. as a post of armhands, there were high-ranking members there.


    segiel explained, "yes, since it is very difficult for them to stay in the factions and they need a lot of merit points to pay for their cultivation expenses, they usually do the most tough missions that no one wants to do.


    the mission to stay at the blue field post pays over 100,000 merit points per month, so they are there all the time doing that mission.


    only when an internal guild member desperate for merit points signs up to take their position will they return to the headquarters for a while. even then, since no one wants to stay there for long, they always end up returning to the blue field."  s~ea??h the n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    within the guild, there were many missions that paid absurdly well. usually, these were missions that put guild members in great danger, or had extreme conditions that would prevent them from cultivating, or even keep them isolated for a long time.


    most didn''t want to do those kinds of missions, so the guild paid a lot to encourage those who were desperate for merit points, like wovar and clexvog, the giant intermediate officers segiel recommended to minos.


    "if you want both of them in your group, all you have to do is pay their expenses of about 200,000 merit points a month to make them work for you." she smiled as she said this, knowing this was a high cost.


    even the elders of the council would avoid spending that much and would think twice before making such a commitment!


    "this is impressive." ruth commented as she looked at minos. "can we really sustain this level of spending? for that matter, is it really worth the investment?"


    minos couldn''t be sure, but sender had a better idea than he did. "is it worth it in the long run? well, if you have a recipe of increasing merit points and high possibilities, it definitely is. even though the two giants are only level 112 sovereigns, each of them is stronger than me. because of their massive and extremely powerful bodies, they are practically immortal at the 11th stage. only a supreme can kill them.


    however, if you don''t have a growing income or even the desire to fight for the highest positions in the guild, this investment might not be worth it. hiring the two giants for a temporary mission would be more worthwhile."


    in sender''s opinion, if it meant spending 200,000 merit points a month, it would be better to find other allies within the guild. but he had no doubt that wovar and clexvog would return the favor if they had to fight.


    sender couldn''t say what would happen if artaud fought those two giants and the rest of minos'' party. but this level 113 sovereign''s chances would definitely be much better if the two giants were on his side.


    "i''m not worried about the merit points. the problem with all of this is getting those two to our side in time." minos said in response to his wife''s question.


    "looks like you''re really rich. the rumors that you''ve found a great treasure are not unfounded." sediel commented with an interested look on her face. minos said to her without paying much attention to her comment. "everyone who puts themselves in danger either dies or gets rich. there''s no other choice in the whole universe. i''m still here, so you can imagine that i have all the riches my enemies left behind."


    "oh? so that''s it. actually, you''re right. someone like you has definitely fought a lot." sediel narrowed his eyes, feeling this was true, but it wasn''t the whole truth about minos.


    ''that still doesn''t explain the advances of your companions.'' she thought as she looked at ruth.


    but she was only curious about minos and had no intention of getting involved with him in a negative way.


    "if you want the two giants on your side, hurry. the two of them will finish their month in the blue field in ten days. after that, once they renew their mission, they won''t be able to return for several weeks."


    "thank you for your advice and help." minos made a gesture of thanks before getting up to leave.


    "officer sediel will not be joining my faction, but that doesn''t mean we can''t be friends. please accept this gift from me," he said as he offered her the absorbable artifact he had given her earlier.


    sender''s eyes widened, while sediel became more serious. she asked, "are you sure? this is a precious artifact. i advised you for my own reasons. you don''t have to give it to me." "please accept this gesture of gratitude." minos insisted as he bowed his head.


    just because she didn''t join his faction didn''t mean she couldn''t be an ally!


    as sender had told him and ruth earlier, having someone like sediel on one''s side was something valuable, something that could bring unlimited results, depending on how things developed.


    sediel accepted minos'' gift at the human''s urging, before inviting him to dinner once things had settled down for him.


    he agreed to join her for dinner, where they could discuss less formal matters.


    he didn''t hesitate to order his wife to run to her fellow faction members who had been in the guild the longest.


    ruth went to rhett, while minos stayed behind with sender, going to other meetings he thought worthwhile in case he couldn''t get the two giants to join his group in time.

 Chapter 2499 Before the Death Match

    chapter 2499  before the death match  after a few hours of meeting and trying to get allies to join their faction and help them fight the level 114 general, minos and sender headed to the place where kendrick would face a deadly battle in less than two hours.


    on their way to the challenge arena outside of the city, minos and sender dropped the subject of the only two allies they''d managed to get that afternoon.


    a level 112 sovereign and a level 113 sovereign had accepted minos'' proposals and promised to join his group and help him with his current problems.


    minos didn''t need to mention the current level of his problems. any guild internal member who was aware of what was going on in the inner city knew what obstacles stood in this human''s way.


    nevertheless, the two aliens agreed to join him, believing in both the potential of minos'' faction and the welcome gifts he had given them for their initial agreement.


    but as they made their way to the arena outside the guild, minos and sender had something more important on their minds.


    "what do you think of sediel''s warning? i didn''t expect her to tell us that an elder is watching you." sender looked at minos worriedly.


    why had an elder been watching minos for centuries? if it was for a good reason, why hadn''t this elder already contacted him? if this elder hadn''t done so, what were the chances that it would be negative for minos and his allies?


    these doubts already frightened sender!


    "i was surprised, too. i confess, i can''t think of a reason for it." he answered sender''s question sincerely, wondering if it was something he had done, his potential, or something he had yet to do.


    anything was possible, considering the power of cultivators at the highest level of cultivation!


    minos himself knew about things that would only happen in the long run, which is why he let grisdi live and brought her with him. so it was quite possible that someone stronger than him, with clairvoyant abilities, could also know about his future.


    henricus longus had helped him for a long time by protecting his future from third parties. but now he could no longer rely on him. someone much stronger than him, who knew him and had clairvoyant abilities, could check minos'' fate.


    ''i hope it''s nothing negative. the fact that he''s been watching me for so long without giving me any signs or even approaching me means he''s probably waiting for something¡ªwhich means i don''t have to worry, at least for now.'' he thought as he clenched his fists, feeling the insecurity and unease of someone who couldn''t do anything about something so serious.


    "all we can do is wait. eventually, we''ll have a development on this."


    with those words, he entered the dueling arena and soon made his way to the fighters'' area, where kendrick was already with lily and vico.  s~ea??h the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the rest of the faction would watch kendrick''s duel, but they would only come to the arena at the time of the match, which was scheduled for over an hour and a half in advance.


    seeing his two sons there, minos smiled and said aloud. "looks like you two are getting into trouble, huh? no wonder you''re growing up so fast!"


    hearing minos'' distinctive voice, the three who were chatting in a special cultivation room turned their faces to the two newcomers.


    "father!" lily said, her lip curling as she saw her favorite person in the world back in the guild.


    kendrick smiled at his old man''s comment and said. "we''re following the stuart family line of troublemakers."


    minos laughed as he stopped next to kendrick and patted the young man on the shoulder, looking forward to the confrontation ahead. "how are you doing? are you confident that you will defeat your opponent?"


    "yes. i would have killed him if we weren''t in the guild. but since i couldn''t do that in the situation where he tried to kill me, i preferred to make it official. this way, i''ll at least be able to collect his merit points."


    "hmm, you did well." minos nodded, confident in his eldest son''s abilities.


    looking at vico and greeting him, minos showed the two eggs he had brought with him.


    "these are gifts i collected in the magma barrens. choose one, lily." minos said as he gave his daughter the chance to choose in front of kendrick.


    after the girl chose one of the eggs and thanked minos, he gave the remaining egg to kendrick.


    after telling them both similar words to what he had already told hollie, he told kendrick to show him some of her skills.


    for the next 50 minutes, minos traded tips with his eldest son, helping him adapt and learn how to better deal with tough opponents.


    dozens of minutes weren''t enough to change all of a warrior''s mistakes, but it was enough for a genius to improve a few points in his fighting style.


    at the end of this training break with his father, kendrick would cultivate to recover and mentally prepare for his fight, which would take place in less than an hour.


    lily stayed behind to accompany her brother while minos, vico, and sender made their way to the spectator wing.


    "how was your trip out of the guild? did you hear about the problems we had recently?" vico asked as he walked next to them.


    "it went well, i''d say. and yes, we are aware of the problems. we''ll solve them little by little. but for now, we have no choice but to take things slowly and withstand the pressure. many people are watching us right now," minos answered the man beside him.


    "when will you go out on missions outside the guild again?"


    "in a month at the most. in the meantime, i''ll stay here and do some of my punishment missions that can be done inside the guild. as soon as i''m done with some preparations, i''ll leave to face the worst of my problems." vico looked worriedly at minos as he sat down next to him in the front row of the arena. "are you confident?"


    "don''t worry. just keep working and take advantage of the opportunities. there will soon be many opportunities for advancement within the guild. you and the others must take advantage of them to become internal members."

 Chapter 2500 Quick Duel

    chapter 2500  quick duel  upon an elder''s ascension to the upper realms or death, there would be a new vacancy in the guild''s council of elders.


    besides this vacancy, a new general would replace the elder or chief commander. a senior officer would become a general, which meant that an intermediate officer would leave their position and a junior officer would change ranks.


    in short, every position above the rank of recruit would become vacant because of the death or ascension of the elder. this in itself was an opportunity for all guild members to seek advancement.


    however, as much as a single position could increase the importance of the guild and provide better rights and benefits, the competition for that position could create distortions and even more opportunities.


    for example, jembei wanted to deal with minos not only to get revenge but also to gain prestige and influence within the guild, which would bring him closer to becoming the next chief commander.


    but jembei''s intentions had resulted in the deaths of six senior officers, and now six new opportunities for growth within the guild had been created for intermediate officers, junior officers, elite soldiers, rank-and-file soldiers, and recruits.


    the power play that jembei had lost had created opportunities for 30 members of the guild to advance!


    but while jembei and his five allies were already dead, general artaud was planning to hunt down minos, and the new leader of jembei''s faction intended to continue the opposition to minos.


    in other words, the struggle for supremacy and advancement within the guild was heating up!


    it was only a matter of time before more members would die, giving growth opportunities to people like vico and the rest of minos'' companions who had come to zocarro with him.


    "i know, i had noticed." vico commented as he nodded to minos. "it seems that we arrived in armhands at a special time." "yes, when my group first joined the guild, the strife was less. but after our decades here and then our trip to the spiritual world, things got a bit more hectic." minos commented as the arena began to fill with spectators watching kendrick''s deadly challenge.


    "that''s because of you." sender said with a bitter smile on his face. "sooner or later, the competition for supremacy in the guild''s inner area would have intensified to the current point and even gotten worse. but with your return and the greater-than-expected power, many of them now feel threatened or forced to act sooner."


    some of minos'' enemies saw him as a stepping stone to greater fame and prestige within the guild if they could defeat him. other rivals, however, saw him as an opponent to their intentions. even though minos was only a junior officer, several senior officers saw him as a direct competitor!


    minos looked at sender, but didn''t disagree. "by all means, use this to grow quickly. i hope you reach a good position before you leave for the spiritual world with callie." minos said to vico.


    "hmm, i''ll do that... by the way, should i leave before or after you leave zocarro?" vico asked as the rest of their group entered the area and headed towards where they were.


    "it won''t make any difference. as soon as you two have the necessary requirements, you can leave. by the time i can leave to sort out my responsibilities, all major dangers to the group will have passed." minos replied with a sigh.


    he had intended to make a quick pass through zocarro before going to settle his betrothal with the true seraphim, but the current problems for him and his companions were too great for him to simply drop everything and go to the world of the seraphim.


    anyway, the rest of the party soon reunited, with minos seeing grisdi and the level 107 sovereign who hadn''t joined his party on the trip to the magma barrens. with the arrival of rhett and the supervisor of kendrick and the others, the lights on the side of the arena would soon change as the event began.


    when the two warriors appeared on the fighting platform, they both looked in the same direction, and the blacksmith who had been challenged to this duel by kendrick realized minos was there.


    the sight of minos sent a shiver down his spine, but he held his ground. his faction would take care of minos, and soon, general astaud would eliminate this fellow. ''even if i kill kendrick stuart today, minos won''t be able to do anything against me, and he''ll be dead soon!'' the blacksmith thought to himself as he positioned himself in his corner of the platform.


    with the referee''s words defining the rules of the match, the silent audience would soon roar as the fight began!


    as soon as the referee gave the signal for the fighters to move, kendrick looked at the level 107 opponent standing where he was, his sword raised in the air in front of his chest.


    "fredis, we had no grudge, but you still tried to kill me during a mission you hired yourself. if it weren''t for the corrupt people behind the guild''s repressive forces, you would have been killed as a traitor. however, you will not escape punishment."


    as he spoke, kendrick''s cultivation didn''t increase. he didn''t use his innate ability to become as strong or stronger than the enemy. keeping his cultivation at the same level as before, the son of minos let a sword aura emerge from his body, transforming the weapon in front of him.


    as the audience watched kendrick summon his supreme weapon, a sword similar to the divine sword of minos, he uttered his ultimate words of this unofficial trial. "fredis quiphine, i, law enforcer kendrick stuart, sentence you to death for treason. have you anything to say before you die?" "tsk! fuck you, brat..." as fredis spoke and moved to attack kendrick''s neck with his giant axe, kendrick narrowed his eyes and sliced through the space.


    a portal appeared where he had slashed, with the golden blade of his supreme weapon appearing behind fredis'' body, causing the crowd that had been agitated at the start of the fight to stop talking and witness this quick battle.  s§×arch* the n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    after 10 seconds of talk from both sides, kendrick decapitated his opponent with a move that lasted only half a second!

 Chapter 2501 Political Movements

    chapter 2501  political movements  the moment fredis'' head hit the ground, the audience fell almost completely silent. dozens of people waiting to see blood and action opened their mouths without knowing what to say.


    many already knew of kendrick''s impressive strength. however, since minos'' young heir hadn''t shown his full potential in the one previous challenge, most of the guild members, both internal and external members of the guild, were unaware of his abilities.


    minos stood up from his seat next to sender and straightened his clothes, a satisfied smile on his face as he enjoyed watching his son''s manners.


    "that was an excellent display of strength. he didn''t overdo it with his skill, but he didn''t take it lightly either, giving the enemy a chance." sender praised. "yes, he showed just enough to let the spectators feel the mysteries of the depth of his powers." vico followed minos and sender while kendrick looked in their direction.


    his sisters and mothers rose from their seats, preparing to leave moments after arriving in the arena.


    abby looked toward some of the jade chainsaw faction observers, a defiant look on her face.


    simultaneously with the taunts of minos'' companions, the members of the jade chainsaws had deep expressions on their faces. a few individuals expressed their anger by standing up before the referee concluded the event.


    simultaneously with the taunts of minos'' companions, the members of the jade chainsaws had deep expressions on their faces. a few individuals expressed their anger by standing up before the referee concluded the event.


    "tsk! how pointless!" one of them turned and left.


    "fucking humans! you''ll pay for this!"


    the referee announced the result at halftime, giving kendrick the victory, but also his prize as the winner, fredis'' inheritance!


    with that, the ordinary crowd finally stirred, shaking off their initial shock and chanting kendrick''s name and how special he was.


    ...


    "those bastards! they''re on the winning side and nothing else matters!" said one man from jade chainsaws as he descended the stairs of the arena and left with three companions.


    "they''re just ignorant fools. the focus is different now. minos stuart and his group are looking for allies. they have realized our position and are ready to fight." said one of the men, ignoring the masses in the arena to focus on what was most important.


    "kendrick may be as talented as his father. he''s a little weaker, but the difference isn''t noticeable. even if we deal with minos, we''ll still have to deal with this kid eventually, otherwise we''ll end up in the same situation we''re in now." "but dealing with kendrick might be even more difficult than dealing with minos. the kid is just an external member. he''s unlikely to leave the guild in the next few years." said the most skeptical of these men, observers of minos'' faction.


    "i''m not sure. he didn''t hesitate to take the test to become a soldier. i think he''ll become a junior officer as soon as he gets the chance." the first to speak calmed down a bit and thought about the circumstances.


    narrowing his eyes, he said with a smile in the corner of his eye. "if we give him the chance, he''ll become an internal member and start doing missions outside the guild headquarters."


    "is that so? that would be interesting." "let''s discuss it with the faction leader. the right thing for us to do is not to hinder the growth of minos'' eight novice companions. it''s better to let them grow into positions in the guild while not increasing their cultivation. we''ll deal with them all when they go on missions outside of the headquarters!"


    ...


    later, minos met with all of his companions to discuss the magma barrens mission and what the group should expect in the near future.


    sender already had a list of names of enemies they should avoid and, if possible, eliminate.


    the list was not short. with 45 names, almost all of them sovereigns between levels 111 and 114, dealing with them all would not be easy or quick!


    just as the enemies had the big problem of not being able to act directly inside the headquarters, minos'' group couldn''t do the same even if they wanted to.


    for now, the best they could do was avoid certain contacts, keep an eye out for those 45 names and their cronies, and prepare for the future.


    sooner or later, on missions outside of headquarters, they would face these problems.


    for now, they would focus on improving their position within the guild and gaining allies. maybe then they could avoid some confrontations and prepare for the battles they would surely face!  s§×arch* the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    seven days after minos and his staff returned from the magma barrens...


    sender had just received word of the party''s attempt regarding the giants wovar and clexvog!


    he rushed from the guild''s post office to the faction''s cave and entered the place full of coffins and powerful artifacts.


    "master, wovar and clexvog have agreed to join the group. they will leave the blue field in a few days and return to the headquarters." this level 113 man said as he greeted minos, who was just about to settle a matter with two aliens from his group.


    "oh? when will they arrive? i intend to leave for my next mission as soon as they join us," minos said with interest, eager to solve the problem with the level 114 general.


    he wouldn''t be able to complete his missions smoothly until he had dealt with such an enemy. even though this alone would probably not solve his group''s difficulties in the guild, he wanted to deal with it as soon as possible.


    as long as he survived the level 114 general, he would be able to complete his other tasks and continue to grow within the guild with his people. the other enemies who would surely be left to harass him later would be difficult to deal with, but it wouldn''t be easy for them to eliminate him, either.


    preferring a political dispute to the constant threat of death, minos was obviously looking forward to having these two giants join him.


    "a month or so."


    "very well. you should prepare to leave with me and the giants in a little over a month. that''s when i''ll leave for my fourth punishment mission, the second one outside the headquarters."

 Chapter 2502 The Enemy Of My Enemy

    chapter 2502  the enemy of my enemy  another month flew by for minos'' group.


    while his group waited for wovar and clexvog to arrive at the guild headquarters, the members of their faction were hard at work on various fronts of the political war being waged by many groups of armhands.


    kendrick, his sisters, and grisdi were now in a dimly lit, elegantly decorated room of a restaurant outside the city. the air was thick with the aroma of exotic spices, but kendrick ignored the drinks on the table and faced the two aliens who had asked to meet them that afternoon.


    "what do you want?" kendrick asked, his voice steady but his eyes betraying a flicker of suspicion.


    the man and woman in front of them were not ordinary people. as stronger cultivators than them and of higher rank, they were people kendrick and his companions knew were involved in the succession dispute in the internal area of the guild.


    "you''re just like your father, ha ha... but that''s okay. that''s better." the woman''s voice was smooth, her smile calculating. she had done business with minos in the past, and there was a hint of nostalgia in her eyes.


    the man next to her, a level 111 alien, leaned forward. "i will not pretend that we''re your allies, soldier kendrick. but that doesn''t stop us from working together temporarily."


    lily, kendrick''s sharp-witted sister, narrowed her eyes. "is that what you want?"


    the level 110 woman nodded, her gaze shifting to lily''s rank-and-file soldier insignia. "in the past three weeks, three of your group members have been promoted, and soon abby will become an elite soldier.


    don''t you find this strange? before, you had a lot of competition to become a rank-and-file soldier. but then, suddenly, the competition disappeared..."


    hollie clenched her fists. "are you saying that the enemies did this?"


    kendrick and grisdi looked at each other and couldn''t help but see the problem, but also the reason. come to think of it, it really had been easier for their faction to make progress lately.


    "this is the work of the jade chainsaws," the woman explained. "they want to kill your entire group. if you become internal members of the guild, you''ll be doing mandatory missions outside the headquarters..."


    the level 111 man finished her thought. "at that time, you will all be brutally attacked by members of their faction."


    minos'' group hadn''t realized this point, so the four faction members who were there with these two strangers couldn''t help but become serious when they thought about it.


    "what do you suggest?" kendrick asked.


    "be careful of becoming internal members," the man said seriously. "i would suggest that you take advantage of their movements to become elite soldiers, but then stop there.


    becoming an internal member of the guild may offer opportunities, but it also comes with deadly risks. with minos and the others in your group, you don''t have to deal with that."


    "what''s in it for you?" hollie''s eyes flashed with suspicion.


    the woman''s smile widened. "the jade chainsaws and their group are our rivals. disrupting their plans benefits us all. they are strong and dangerous. putting them in a difficult position is the best thing for everyone right now."  s§×arch* the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    that wasn''t a lie, but it wasn''t the whole truth, either.


    ''let''s keep those bastards focused on you longer. my group will grow if you fall out.'' the man thought silently, playing to win.


    the woman remained silent as these young people looked at her. her interest was in getting these two groups to focus on each other!


    ''there are a lot of talents in this group, but as long as none of them reach the high level of the 11th stage, there will be ways for us to deal with them even if they survive the jade chainsaws.'' she thought.


    meanwhile, kendrick couldn''t help but stare at the woman. ''she is right. the jade chainsaws have a lot to gain if they can deal with us in the short term. for their enemies, like the group of these two, a victory by jembei''s faction against us would be bad. us not moving too much would also benefit them, as my father''s influence would grow more slowly.''


    ''these people probably have ulterior motives, but they''re right. we really will be in greater danger if we continue as we are.'' lily, the smartest of the stuart siblings, pondered as she looked skeptically at the two aliens.


    ''we need to talk to our father about this.'' hollie looked at her siblings after considering the situation.


    "thanks for the warning," kendrick finally said. "we''ll consider that option from now on."


    "hmm, be careful," the man cautioned as he stood up to leave. "some want your heads, while others just want to beat you. not everyone is like the jade chainsaws."


    "we''re not allies," the woman added, "but we''ll help you put pressure on them. as long as you''re careful with your advances, we can open up some opportunities for you."


    ...


    after kendrick''s meeting earlier, he took on the task of seeing his father while his companions went about their respective duties in the guild.


    standing at the entrance to the inner area, kendrick watched the bustling activity around him. he shifted from one foot to the other, his mind replaying the conversation with the two aliens. they were right¡ªthis situation needed careful handling.


    soon, he spotted minos approaching with sediel, a strikingly beautiful woman, walking beside him. as they drew nearer, kendrick caught snippets of their conversation.


    sediel''s melodic voice reached him. "he resembles you, not only in personality."


    minos chuckled. "not so much. you have to see my youngest son, rowan. he''s even more like me."


    "will you bring him into the guild in the future?" she asked, her eyes twinkling with curiosity.


    "certainly. he''ll be here in a few centuries," minos replied with a proud smile.


    "well, i look forward to meeting little rowan. but for now, be careful. artaud is not easy. even with the help of the two giants, it will be a tough battle," she cautioned, her tone serious.


    although she hadn''t joined his faction, she had watched him and given him advice. after the previous gift, she had completed her advancement to level 114, enough to compete for a place as a general.


    artaud was a general, so her alliance with minos seemed natural¡­


    "try your best to assassinate him during your meeting. if he survives, you can expect even greater threats. don''t think he won''t use his influence to move others as strong as he is," she warned, her eyes locking onto minos'' with intensity.


    "i know. i''ll prepare myself well for the fight against him. anyway, i hope to see you again when i return," minos said with a hint of appreciation.


    "good luck. i''ll be waiting for you," she replied, waving goodbye, her expression softening slightly.


    as she walked away, kendrick approached his father. "father, we need to talk."


    they moved towards a quieter area, the weight of upcoming battles and alliances heavy on their minds.

 Chapter 2503 Elder Navey

    chapter 2503  elder navey after leaving minos, sediel went to meet her master in the guild council area.


    upon entering the property of the level 120 elder, the serene atmosphere of a well-cared garden greeted sediel. her master, a stunning figure with smooth skin and a bluish glow, awaited her with a question.


    "are you helping minos stuart?" the elder''s eyes, sharp and inquisitive, studied sediel intently.


    sediel bowed respectfully. "minos stuart is a strange fellow. there''s something special about him i can''t quite explain."


    "oh? you feel that?" the elder''s gaze hardened. "sediel, i thought i taught you well. how many times have i told you not to decide based on feelings?"


    "master, i don''t believe minos could become important solely because of this feeling. i don''t know if what i see is the same as what elder navey sees, but there is something about him i cannot explain." sediel replied, her tone measured and thoughtful.


    "what are you planning?"


    "minos could become someone important to help me in the future. but right now he''s a singularity, chaos, so to speak." she said seriously, looking at the situation in its entirety. "as long as he has the possibilities, the disorder necessary for the possibilities to arise will be felt.


    if he overthrows artaud, i''ll soon be able to compete for the position of general. that''s my first step towards fulfilling your expectations."


    the elder''s eyes narrowed. "if he succeeds. but what if he fails? your alliance might embolden his opponents. and even if he succeeds, who''s to say he won''t turn against you? minos is talented and ambitious. positions are limited, sediel."


    "if he becomes a threat, i''ll deal with him myself," sediel said firmly.


    ...  s§×ar?h the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    meanwhile, on another estate of the guild''s council of elders...


    navey, an alien with a muscular body covered in tiger hair in shades of gold and orange with black stripes, sat in an austere meditation room.


    his face combines human and feline features, with piercing eyes, a flat nose, and sharp fangs emerging from a menacing smile. his hands have inverted palms and long, sharp claws, ready to manipulate objects with precision.


    from the position he was in, he seemed harmless. but with his cultivation at level 121, one of the strongest in the guild, he would make anyone tremble with fear.


    while he seemed to cultivate, he was actually monitoring a meeting between two similar-looking people, despite the vast difference between their auras and destinies.


    from his position, he could see and hear minos and kendrick talking as if he were standing next to them in the area between the inner and outer parts of the guild.


    ''artaud is going to act against you, huh? i heard he has a rare jewel from the hydra tribe. if that''s true, it could be a valuable resource in the right hands.''


    he thought to himself, wondering what would happen if minos got his hands on such a special treasure.


    ''i just don''t know if it will be as interesting as a few rounds of combat between you... having power can help you, but your potential will be greater if the pressure is more intense.''


    a strange smile appeared at the corner of his lips before he moved them and whispered something unintelligible.


    ''go ahead. i look forward to meeting you when you transform your physique into a celestial-grade constitution!''


    ...


    while some talked about him and others watched, minos had heard from kendrick about this young man''s previous conversation with their rivals.


    after thinking about it, minos couldn''t help but agree with the two high-ranking sovereigns who had approached his children.


    "let''s do what they suggest. our faction members who came with me to zocarro will advance to the rank of elite soldiers and wait for a position from me.


    promotions to internal members will be dangerous. internal members are required to perform missions outside the headquarters, while external members only perform special optional missions. it will be safer for you to wait."


    kendrick frowned. "but won''t that benefit their faction? our influence would be much greater if we could all perform tasks as internal members."


    "i know," minos sighed. "but there''s nothing we can do about it. we have several enemies within the guild, but the ones that threaten our lives are the most important. let''s focus on them for now. if others get stronger while we deal with the jade chainsaws, we must be patient."


    he looked down the avenue, his expression resolute. "but this is only temporary, kendrick. once the chief commander allows us to test the black liquid with abby''s powers, everything will change."


    "do you think that will solve our problems?" kendrick asked, skepticism clear in his voice.


    "anything is possible. the question is how long it will take. once the chief commander decides, we''ll eliminate all obstacles," minos said confidently.


    as they walked and talked about these political games in the guild, a faction member ran up to them when he saw them walking through the busiest area of the outer city.


    "faction leader, i have good news!" this person said. "the giants wovar and clexvog are about to arrive in town. we''ve just received word from them they''ll be at the headquarters tomorrow night!"


    minos and kendrick opened their eyes in interest, having just heard the news that would set the date for minos'' departure on his journey against artaud!


    "if that''s the case, get the group ready to meet tomorrow night. we''ll gather in five days to discuss my departure!" minos commanded.


    the man who had brought the news rushed off to relay the information to the others, while kendrick stayed with his father to attend to other matters.


    but soon they would go their separate ways, minos going back to cultivating to prepare for his departure, while kendrick would return to his "race" to pursue his promotion to elite soldier.


    until this point, minos and his fellow faction members had been focused on getting stronger and solving their problems with mandatory missions, while the other faction members were looking to gain merit points for their promotions.


    that was about to change a bit, but until he left for his next mission outside of headquarters, he and his companions would stick to those guidelines!

 Chapter 2504 Next External Mission

    chapter 2504  next external mission  the next day, the giants wovar and clexvog arrived at armhands'' headquarters, reuniting with minos'' faction.


    led to the group''s lair by sender, the two individuals, who could change the size of their bodies to temporarily enter smaller places, had just entered the home of their new group.


    arriving at the place where the rest of the faction had gathered at minos'' request, the two giants met the little over 20 faction members who would be their companions from now on.


    the strongest alien in the area was clearly sender, level 113, while the weakest was hollie, level 103.


    after learning the names of their new companions, minos'' relationship with some of them, and how to keep an eye on the stuart family, the two heard what interested them most.


    "... as i promised you, i will give each of you 100,000 merit points per month to cover your expenses. in return, i expect you to be at my disposal to fight alongside me and carry out missions on behalf of the faction." minos said to the two men very similar to humans.


    the big difference between these two and humans was the size of their bodies. giants like wovar stood between 20 and 25 meters tall and weighed between 150 and 290 tons.


    it was no wonder that they spent so many resources to keep themselves growing in power!


    besides their size, they were also quite simple in their intelligence. although they weren''t stupid enough to be easily fooled, they were simple enough to devote themselves to people who would do them good.


    giving their strength in return seemed only fair to these two!


    "fighting is our strength," wovar said, a broad smile spreading across his face.


    "hmm, we don''t like to stand around. sender says we''re going to fight soon. is that true?" clexvog''s voice rumbled through the cave.


    minos nodded. "rest for two days. we''ll embark on a two-week mission, with at least two significant battles ahead of us. i will need your strength during it."


    the two were pleased to hear this and didn''t bother to ask what this mission would be about.


    after a few more words from minos and the members of the group, they left to rest from their journey and wait for their group to leave.


    in addition to the two of them and minos, sender and two other men who had recently joined their faction would go on this mission, going on this journey to help the leader of the group survive the probable assassination attempt that was about to take place.


    ...


    two days after their first encounter with the level 112 giants, minos prepared to leave headquarters once again.


    that afternoon, minos set out on his next punishment mission, tasked with hunting down an enemy of the guild in a city a week away from examire.


    his five companions had left ahead of him, waiting at the guild''s exit point on a mountain near the city. however, minos'' attempt to remain inconspicuous was futile. as soon as he exited the guild, artaud followed, having been tipped off by the jade chainsaws about minos'' departure with his powerful allies.


    with a determined expression on his face, artaud approached his target and swiftly made his way to the designated spot where he would patiently wait for minos.


    ''you have some helpers, but let''s see how far they can help you.'' he thought to himself, confident in his level 114 skills.


    "just you wait, minos, i''ll use you to become the guild''s next chief commander!" artaud muttered before disappearing over the horizon.  s§×ar?h the n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    finding out where minos was now would be difficult, even for him. taking action against a seer was never easy. but even if minos wasn''t a seer, it would still be difficult to reach him. after all, minos had the advantage of having left first and could be anywhere right now.


    for artaud, it was better to go to the place of minos'' mission, where his target would surely go in a few days, where he could wait for his opponent.


    ...


    while artaud made his way ahead of minos'' group on this journey of a few days, minos'' group traveled along the ground, running between the trees.


    they knew they would be hunted if they flew above the canopy. having a seer by their side, there was absolutely no chance that they would opt for such a perilous route. the group, now on their cautious journey toward dustdrift, had minos scouting ahead. the giants traveled in their subdued forms, while the others kept serious expressions, anticipating their encounter with artaud.


    "boss, i was wondering if there is a possibility that the enemy has any allies. artaud isn''t simple, and he might know you''re not alone."


    "the jade chainsaws probably know our numbers," another added.


    "there''s no telling," minos sighed. "our fate is uncertain, but i believe he''ll face us alone. i''ve seen something in him that makes me believe he would rather risk his life to kill us alone than ask for help to face a group that doesn''t even have someone at his level."


    for powerful cultivators, it might be humiliating to ask for help to eliminate someone weaker than themselves. not only that, but artaud would gain a lot by killing minos¡ªenough to continue his ascent to level 115.


    if he asked someone of a similar level to help him, he would certainly have to give up some of his resources, which could jeopardize his advancement.


    minos had seen this by observing artaud in the days before his departure, which gave him some confidence that he would be able to face the enemy in a few days.


    ''that won''t be the case if we don''t kill him... if he escapes, he will surely find allies to fight against us. until then, it will be difficult for us to withstand the pressure he will be able to exert.'' minos thought silently, imagining the worst-case scenario of their victory over artaud.

 Chapter 2505 Intrusion of the Superior

    chapter 2505  intrusion of the superior days later, minos'' party was near dustdrift, having made it there without a hitch.


    the area where armhands was located wasn''t the strongest on the continent, but it was one of the best cultivation areas in oqia. there were several supreme beings nearby. however, they were as numerous as the high-level demigods in the spiritual world.


    there were places like examire where there were several of them, but in extensive areas, it would be difficult to find at least one of them. the most common thing to be found in this area were sovereigns, who weren''t strong enough to be prominent leaders, but they weren''t weak enough to be ignored, either.


    a group with the strength of high-ranking sovereigns was too strong for this area and would have little trouble traveling around.


    thus, the group was about to reach minos'' target, who was supposed to be hiding in dustdrift or near this small city of locals.


    dustdrift wasn''t like examire¡ªwhich was home to a vast population and many aliens. it has had tens of thousands of inhabitants, most of them surely locals.


    minos'' goal for the current mission was to deal with a local who should have been nearby, a man who had been murdering guild members for the past two decades.


    the armhands didn''t go after every enemy who killed their members. some assassins were difficult to catch or even identify as enemies. even if one was sentenced to death by the guild''s court of law, since the punishment of these enemies was always done through missions for internal members of the organization, certain hunts could take months or years to be completed.


    minos'' current mission had been going on for six years when the armhands investigators received concrete evidence that the local native named khiacot, a type of being similar to the spiritual world''s hyenas, was a tough opponent, being a level 111 cultivator.


    khiacot was remarkably vicious in battle. he was a renowned assassin with many known kills in the central area of the continent. it would be quite difficult to deal with him, even for internal members of the guild.


    the mission had languished in the mission hall for six years, with no one choosing it because of the high risks and low reward, until someone gave it to the member who had been punished by the chief commander.


    minos knew this, but when he arrived near the city this afternoon, he wasn''t worried about khiacot.


    he looked at the built-up area in front of his group, blending in almost perfectly with nature, and stopped, narrowing his eyes with a certain foreboding.


    "something wrong, boss?" one of the giants asked when he saw minos standing still for almost 10 seconds, with them so close to the city ahead.


    minos made a hand sign and concentrated on his psychic powers.


    his eyes turned completely white as energy condensed under his hands, forming a colorful mist around him.


    sender narrowed his eyes and said to clexvog, "i think he sensed something about our mission."


    minos'' seer powers had two phases. the primary phase was passive: if something entered the space his powers covered, he would sense it moments before it happened. the secondary, active phase required focus, allowing him to see further into the future.


    the giants watched as minos transitioned to the secondary phase after the primary phase had briefly tormented him.


    "get ready to fight. there''s no enemy for me to hunt here. artaud killed khiacot," minos said, his voice a mix of realization and urgency, as the vision solidified in his mind.


    "what? why would he do that?" sender narrowed his eyes, not understanding where such a reaction from artaud would come from.


    "that... did he kill your target to force us to come to him directly? if that''s the case, we must retreat. this could be a trap, boss," said the other level 113, standing with minos.


    minos clenched his fists as the realization sank in. "unfortunately, we are in the hands of the enemy."


    "what does that mean?" another asked, confusion clear in his voice.  s§×arch* the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    sender, understanding his master''s predicament, stepped in to explain. "my master has no choice but to complete his punishment missions, or he won''t meet the requirements to rejoin the guild completely. if we don''t continue, we won''t get the proof that khiacot is dead."


    "that''s why we have to go to him, whether we like it or not," minos said firmly, clearly displeased with the situation.


    "what are we going to do? can you tell us what''s going to happen when we reach him, boss?" wovar asked.


    "he''s waiting for us in a hut ten minutes'' flight in that direction," minos pointed to where he had seen their group meeting with general artaud and khiacot''s body. "the only trap in the area is a formation that can prevent us from leaving for a few minutes."


    being trapped for a few minutes didn''t seem like much, but for cultivators capable of moving at hundreds of kilometers per hour, it was enough time for major battles¡ªcertainly enough for a high-level battle and for everyone involved to reach their physical limits.


    "let''s continue. two of you will help me by lending your strength and staying behind to provide defensive support for those who are going to fight the general directly. the rest of you will accompany me in the fight against him." minos ordered as he changed direction and made his men breathe more deeply in preparation for battle.


    "be prepared to sacrifice your parasites. it is likely that artaud will do so when he realizes that we are capable of putting his life in danger."


    unfortunately, minos couldn''t use this trick. the flashdrain parasite was not a secret weapon that guild members could use without preparation. these parasites were only for members with a lot of merit.


    minos had just received the parasite in his body after returning to the guild, so it would take some time and many meritorious deeds for him to regain the ability to use the sacrifice as he had in the past.


    but his companions had such an opportunity!


    the five of them agreed to use this last step if the enemy did the same, knowing that artaud would have the strength of a supreme after sacrificing his own parasite!

 Chapter 2506 Facing Artaud

    chapter 2506  facing artaud minutes after minos'' decision, artaud sensed his guests approaching khiacot''s hut and left the wooden building.


    when he appeared in front of the hut with the body of this native, the target of armhands, he smiled as he looked in the direction of minos and the group of enemies coming towards him.


    "minos! looks like you''re really fearless!" said the creature when he saw minos and the human''s five companions coming from a distance.


    artaud was confident of minos'' need to win khiacot''s corpse. without that body as proof, the junior officer giving him an ugly look would now not be free of the punishment handed down by the chief commander and would have problems gaining merit within the guild.


    that''s why artaud had killed khiacot and was now waiting for his target outside the hut where he had met this enemy of the guild a few days ago.


    minos stared at that peak sovereign; the man was clearly confident he would win today.


    stopping a kilometer away from artaud, on the edge of where the formation in that area would prevent them from leaving without a serious fight, minos looked into the general''s eyes and asked.


    "general, is there really any need for you to stand against me? as far as i know, there are no old grudges between us. and any agreement you had with jembei should have ended with his death." artaud looked with interest at minos, seeing the human wanted to talk before they fought.


    he wouldn''t move outside the area where his formation was already positioned, so he agreed to answer his target''s questions.


    "you''re right. we don''t have any old grudges. but that''s not how this world works, minos. jembei died, but his successor promised me an even bigger payout than the one jembei promised. so why wouldn''t i act against you?"


    "to preserve your life," minos said coldly, his fists clenched while his allies were already in position.


    "oh? i''m afraid you don''t have the ability to do that, even if these fools help you." artaud looked at the five individuals, making a point of remembering their appearances.


    "to you five, i have a proposition. leave now, before my fight with minos begins. if you don''t, or if you join him, i will hunt each and every one of you down. even if one of you manages to escape today, i will never forget of this act." his voice was as dark as his murderous intent toward minos.


    those five felt in their souls the threat of a general, who could certainly oppress them inside and outside the guild in many different ways. but they had all agreed to join minos in this battle, knowing that they would be threatened. more importantly, they were well were of the risks involved in the process.


    none of them would retreat until, as artaud looked at them with narrowed eyes, minos made a series of seals, summoning 10 of his 18 high-level corpses to the area.


    artaud put aside the five opponents challenging him next to minos and looked at the 10 coffins that emerged from the vacuum of space, before revealing three level 111 sovereigns and seven level 110 men.


    seeing jembei there, next to four of his five companions who had recently died on their last attempt, artaud narrowed his eyes, not expecting to come across this guy again.


    jembei found himself in this place in the middle of the woods and soon spotted the enemy, understanding the situation he was in.


    "the next one i''m going to eliminate is that damned woman behind such a nefarious ability. individuals who resemble her should not be granted the right to continue their existence." astaud said with flickering rage, emitting a murderous intent that made minos a few steps darker.


    as minos'' cultivation increased, he ordered his 15 allies over there. "our goal here is to kill artaud. don''t hesitate with anything else!"


    with those words, he signaled the group to move forward, each of them activating their special powers as they flew towards the only enemy in their path, but one who, alone, could certainly impose a great challenge to them.


    the moment they entered that space protected by the formation capable of blocking escapes for the next few minutes, they all felt the restrictive characteristics of the area showing themselves to the full.


    from now on, their only way out was to survive for as long as the enemy''s formation would stand!


    minos said to one of his level 110 men, ''take khiacot''s body and keep it safe during the battle. i''ll send you back to the faction cave as soon as the enemy formation stops working.''


    ''i''ll do my best!'' said this individual, as the cultivations of some of the strongest people there decreased and the strengths of the two giants and the two level 113 sovereigns rose.


    the giants let their great bodies grow to heights of between 20 and 25 meters. their cultivations reached level 113, while sender and the other level 113 individual felt their strength stabilizing at the beginning of level 114!


    astaud clenched his fists as he threw khiacot''s corpse aside, immediately raising his strength and activating his divine ability right at the start of the fight.


    despite the fact that these were weaker individuals and that he thought he could handle them alone, he wasn''t arrogant enough to think that he could wipe out this entire group easily.  s§×ar?h the n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    with this formation, minos'' group had power equivalent to that of four sovereigns recently promoted to level 114, enough to pose a danger to him if he didn''t dedicate himself 100% to this fight.


    this impressed him, because even though he had heard rumors of minos'' powers, until now he hadn''t thought his target was that capable!


    nevertheless, confident in himself and in what his powers could do, he looked at minos and said before launching his first attack. "you shouldn''t have come here. your confidence is what''s going to get you killed today!"


    with those words, he moved against minos, with a spatial blade forming towards the neck of the young human who was already at the peak of level 108 at this point.


    thus began the most important battle in minos'' life!

 Chapter 2507 12th Stage Battle (1)

    chapter 2507  12th stage battle (1) activating his divine ability, artaud''s aura grew stronger and his attributes increased as dragon shadow appeared on his body.


    his hands turned into deadly weapons, while wings spread out from the center of his back, forming an unmistakable silhouette around him.


    the corpses that moved to attack him felt the pressure of artaud''s aura, feeling their speed slow as the enemy suppressed them on a smaller scale.


    but with minos as his target, artaud was much more focused on this young human than on any of the aliens in the area.


    as he performed a series of incredibly fast and precise movements, slashing at minos'' neck, a series of blades formed in the air around artaud''s target.


    blade''s dance!


    minos felt the many attacks capable of injuring even level 114 sovereigns flying towards his body, the first of them aimed at his neck.


    he wouldn''t face something like this at the beginning of the battle. by using the temporal sands to his advantage, he moved from his position to an area not surrounded by artaud''s dragon claw blades.


    ''very good. but is it enough?'' artaud saw his blades change direction, heading towards where minos had just appeared.


    in their path, however, an enormous foot appeared and slashed vertically downwards at a part of those blades.


    the moment wovar jumped in the direction where minos had appeared, he destroyed more than half of those energy weapons with one of his feet, smashing them to the ground.


    then, stopping in front of minos, the giant smiled as he opened his mouth and sucked in the surrounding air. positioning his lips close together, a moment later he blew against the weapons that were still pursuing minos.


    wovar''s blow froze almost every blade in the air, even freezing the airborne particles as they flew in the opposite direction of his blow.


    clexvog appeared next to artaud and stepped toward this individual, who was only 5 meters tall.


    artaud saw the giant foot coming dangerously close to his position, breaking the air in its path, and he intended to crush it.


    but even though these giants were faster than their size would suggest, they were no match for artaud.


    seeing clexvog''s attack, the man moved toward minos, his mouth open as he stared defiantly at wovar.


    then a celestial roar erupted from artaud''s mouth, sending a shockwave toward where wovar and minos were standing, instantly disorienting the giant in a defensive posture in front of the brown-haired human.


    minos put his hands to his ears. unlike wovar, who wasn''t so immune to sonic attacks, he coped better with the dragon''s roar, a variation of artaud''s divine ability. instead of being temporarily stunned, minos felt only pain as he watched his enemy once again attack him with deadly intent.  s§×ar?h the n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    just as artaud was about to reach minos again, however, another of the human''s allies appeared in his path, causing an enormous cauldron to appear around minos.


    as he reached the cauldron before hitting minos, artaud temporarily felt the power of the level 114 individual, who certainly couldn''t defeat him alone, but could defend himself against this general now.


    "tsk! annoying skill! let''s see how long you can last like this!" he shouted angrily as he looked through the thing and saw sender and minos.


    then a huge hand of energy formed above the area, a concentration of the powers of each of the corpses in the area, led by jembei, to put pressure on artaud.


    feeling his body suddenly become heavier, the man looked up with anger in his eyes. but he didn''t have time to deal with the corpses when the second opponent, who was temporarily at level 114, attacked him, causing extremely cruel, poisonous, and sharp spider legs to appear from the ground against his body.


    "i will kill each one of you! starting with you, you wretch!" artaud''s gaze shifted, realizing that he must eliminate these pests before minos. otherwise, achieving his goal in the area would be impossible.


    as soon as he focused on someone other than minos, he felt his whole body tremble; the dragon silhouette covering him becoming more and more physical as he showed as much as he could without sacrificing his parasite.


    the giant hand that was about to reach him exploded, making each of the ten corpses feel as if they had been pushed toward its movement, while their souls felt wounded.


    the spiders'' legs broke as they touched artaud''s dragon silhouette.


    he then jumped up before briefly counterattacking the level 114 enemy that had just attacked him.


    ''i''m going to kill you and those two idiot giants before i kill minos!'' he used the dragon''s tail on his back to reach the underground enemy and unleashed an attack from the sky that was far more terrifying than the stomp of the giant clexvog a moment ago.


    minos narrowed his eyes as he saw the movement of artaud''s rising dragon, ordering his men to move while sensing scenes from a future he would rather avoid.


    a black ring appeared around artaud before seals appeared in the air around him, forming chains that grew around his body.


    dragon''s gaze!


    minos condensed a lot of his powers and formed an attack in the shape of a golden dragon that was so powerful that it could even hurt level 113 sovereigns.


    minos'' golden dragon attacked artaud while wovar left his state of mental confusion and moved together with clexvog, both of them punching the air as if they wanted to hit each other''s fists. but their target was clearly artaud, who moved between their two fists.


    the air exploded as blue flames rose from minos'' body, appearing next to sender in artaud''s path.


    as much as he couldn''t hurt or deal with artaud on his own, that didn''t mean minos would fall to a single attack from the enemy, or that he couldn''t face him directly for a few moments!


    artaud found himself attacked from all sides as the corpses moved again, leaving him in a situation where he had no choice but to deal with the enemy attacks while attacking his target.

 Chapter 2508 12th Stage Battle (2)

    chapter 2508  12th stage battle (2) the moment artaud struck minos'' attack, he saw his enemy''s counterattack shatter into pieces. his tail lashed out toward the position where three opponents blocked his way.


    as minos'' counterattack weakened, artaud could not defend against the giants'' blows. he was struck from both sides, the giants'' enormous fists threatening to crush him between them.


    artaud felt the enemy''s blow as he lost his fire on minos and the two strongest sovereigns in the area, realizing he could not ignore the attacks of these two giants.


    even though these two were currently one level below him, they could both hurt him badly if he gave them the chance!


    pain radiated through artaud''s body as he felt his limbs crack. realizing he could not ignore these giants, even though they were a level below him, he knew they could still cause significant harm if given the chance.


    he retracted his powers and shrunk instantly, flapping his wings to escape from the space between the giants'' fists.


    artaud stopped a few dozen meters away, breathing heavily, determination etched on his face.


    "wretches! i didn''t think you would push me this far, but fuck you!" he snarled.


    a symbol suddenly appeared on his forehead, revealing his invisible flashdrain parasite, a mark of his high status within the guild council.


    "each and every one of you will pay for this!" he shouted as his aura flared.


    sender and the others recognized the battle was about to become even more decisive. as there was no way to avoid this escalation, they prepared for the worst.


    their auras exploded as they too sacrificed their parasites, readying themselves for the final showdown.


    only minos and the surrounding corpses didn''t use this method because of their current state¡ªdead or having recently recovered his parasite.


    however, the five living companions who came from the guild with minos followed artaud''s lead, raising their cultivation to levels 115 and 116.


    artaud increased his own cultivation to level 117, maintaining his advantage.


    "you sacrifice your parasites against a superior!" artaud blanched, realizing his enemies were stronger than he had expected.


    "tsk! what are you complaining about? you''re trying to kill us, you son of a bitch!" sender shouted, feeling his powers surge to level 116. the absurd amount of energy at his disposal was far beyond what he had moments ago.


    the other four felt the same surge, with one reaching level 116 and the other three at level 115. for the moment, they were all at the 12th stage!


    minos and the corpses in the area took a few steps back, moving together as they sensed the changes on this battlefield.


    their conflict had just reached a new level. if they weren''t careful, the movements of these six temporary supreme beings could harm them even without being directed at them!  s§×ar?h the n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    minos clenched his fists as he felt the power of the enemy, but also of his allies, enough to know that he would be a minor player in the 12th stage battle that was about to begin.


    at his command, the ten corpses between levels 110 and 111 gathered around him and condensed their powers to form a powerful barrier.


    although they weren''t strong enough to fight in this new phase of the battle, they had no choice but to take a defensive position for the time being.


    minos activated his indestructible body to the maximum while covering his entire body with his golden wings, preparing to endure the next few moments of battle.


    ''the temporary advancement to a higher stage granted by the parasite won''t last long. i only have to endure a few moves between them before their cultivation weakens.'' minos pondered as he looked through his wings with his bright eyes.


    at that moment, the two giants moved faster than ever, not caring that they had only reached level 115 and the enemy was level 117. wovar opened his hands and attacked artaud, eager to show off his new abilities.


    clexvog also moved, kicking the air in front of him as he performed a deadly pole vault into the air, causing a room in his path to collapse under his attack.


    "fucking giants!" artaud cursed, realizing that his situation hadn''t improved much despite his significant power boost.


    he felt if he didn''t watch out for these giants'' attacks, he would end up badly in this fight!


    aware of the weakness of the flashdrain sacrifice, he didn''t want to linger there. looking at minos, he flew at the guy protected by the many corpses, leaving the giants aside.


    sender sensed this and moved, creating an additional defensive barrier over minos, while artaud went back to having the only human in the area as his first enemy to shoot down.


    boooom!


    the parasite sacrifice strengthened everyone, maintaining the previous level of difference. however, the difference between the levels of the 12th stage was greater than the difference between the levels of the 11th stage.


    artaud hadn''t become as strong as he would have liked, but he was slightly stronger than these men compared to his pre-sacrifice situation.


    his attack and sender''s defense clashed, quickly turning the alien slave of minos pale as the cauldron around that area cracked.


    artaud sensed his opponent''s defenses, noticing a painful sensation in his arms from attacking something resistant. still, he continued, pushing harder until he had destroyed the cauldron and reached the barrier of ten corpses.


    barely touching the barrier, it exploded as if made of fragile glass, the creature''s claws following minos'' position.


    but having already lost much of their initial attack power by reaching minos'' golden wings, the dragon''s claws could not overcome this defense.


    having lost some of his power to the passive ability of the devouring art, artaud''s blow was only enough to throw minos away as the human screamed in pain.


    but when he slammed his back against an enormous tree trunk nearby, minos was still conscious, wounded, but not so badly as to be incapacitated.


    ''now!'' minos shouted this warning to his companions, having controlled the entire battle until that moment by talking with his men before every move they made.


    as soon as he spoke, a black hole appeared beneath artaud as sharp, poisonous spider legs attacked the man, along with the subsequent movement of the giants and sender.

 Chapter 2509 12th Stage Battle (3)

    chapter 2509  12th stage battle (3) seeing this region of space approaching, artaud did not underestimate the potential of this fusion of minos'' technique.


    the black hole wasn''t merely the condensation of a power capable of killing a level 113 sovereign if caught off guard. it had already been fed by something and had reached a level beyond even minos'' control.


    cautious not to fall for a trick from someone weaker, artaud used the blade dance to destroy minos'' creation, giving the five ''supremes'' attacking him time to complete their moves.


    meanwhile, half of the corpses minos had summoned disappeared, having reached the limit of their existence after the severe damage from the previous attack. the survivors, along with minos, watched as the five supremes attacked together.


    wovar and clexvog teamed up again, attempting to crush the enemy, while sender concentrated his powers to force his mental weapon, the cauldron, to hold artaud in place for a few moments.


    the general''s other two enemies made their moves: one pierced artaud''s legs with his spider limbs, while the other launched a mental attack.


    artaud struggled to fend off minos'' black hole while defending against his enemies. as he destroyed the terrifying essence that could later end him, he felt the impact of his opponents'' attacks.


    his legs were pierced before something caught his arms and legs in a dangerous position. then two enormous feet reached him, just before the two essences that were trapping him disappeared.


    at the decisive moment, something seemed to pierce his mind like a sharp sword, and then he felt the heavy attack of the giants.


    "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!"


    his arms and legs broke as he opened his mouth to scream, emitting a painful sound that could be heard dozens of miles away.


    then, as the men looked at him and saw the opening to massacre him, the barrier created by the formation in that area collapsed, losing its restrictive effect.


    minos didn''t hesitate when he saw this. with a wave of his hand, he made the five remaining corpses disappear back into their coffins, one of them carrying the corpse of the target of minos'' mission.


    artaud didn''t even notice minos'' movement. the moment he found himself under mental and physical attack, all he could do was flee while he still could.  sear?h the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    already badly injured and with enemies led by a seer, his chances would only diminish with time! his big chance there was to kill minos before he suffered in a fight against those five ''supremes''. but after failing to do so and now being seriously injured, he thought about how weakened he would be in a few more minutes and flapped his wings in flight from the area.


    "shit! stop him! he has to die!" minos yelled, ignoring the pain in his body as it began to regenerate, burning in a blue flame as his heart pounded.


    the five men moved in pursuit, attacking artaud''s escape route as they pressed him.


    minos moved behind them, using the divine seal to teleport to the position of one of his allies.


    appearing above sender, minos climbed onto the alien''s back and ordered him toward the enemy, watching artaud''s future steps as he ordered his group to prevent the general''s escape.


    ''we have to kill the bastard! next time he won''t be able to use the victim, but he might have allies on his side against us!'' minos thought as he watched artaud dodge the men''s movements.


    as much as artaud could hardly fight against minos'' allies trying to kill him right now, the situation wasn''t quite right for his escape.


    since he was on a higher level than the strongest of the aliens chasing him, he managed to deftly dodge most of the attacks of minos'' men while gradually increasing his distance from them.


    the only attack to hit him was one of minos'' moves, which left a mark on his body and made him look at his enemy strangely.


    angry, artaud cut off the arm without much thought, feeling that it would be impossible for him to get rid of his enemies if he took the mark with him.


    when he tried to move his space storage item from the severed arm to his other arm, one of the giants prevented him from completing the movement, making him tremble with rage.


    but his life was more important than what he had with him, so he simply ignored it and continued to increase his distance from his enemies.


    five minutes into the chase, artaud would leave his initial 30-meter lead and gain an advantage of over 100 meters, showing the group that he was moving toward a successful escape!


    minos tried his best, but even though he could predict the enemy''s future movements, he couldn''t do much about the maximum speed of his companions. he couldn''t affect the enemy''s senses, and his powers had their limits.


    with another 15 minutes of movement, minos'' side would be forced to stop attacking and start looking for signs left by the enemy.


    artaud got enough distance from these six individuals that they lost sight of him!


    "shit! the bastard made it!" minos shouted, ignoring the pain in his entire body.


    "what now, boss? his strength will soon fade. but so will ours." one man currently at level 115 asked with a troubled expression.


    he didn''t want to give up. letting artaud go meant even bigger problems for all of them in the future. but what could they do?


    their forces would soon dwindle as well and the enemy would surely be able to at least hide from them.


    minos knew this as he looked back and sighed. "it will be useless to go after him. let''s get the arm he left behind and get back to the guild.


    he''ll probably go into hiding for a few months to recover from what happened before returning to the guild. let''s prepare to deal with him in the meantime."


    they turned back the way they came.


    even though they were determined and sure that this was the best thing to do, they couldn''t help but express their frustration at not being able to eliminate artaud.

 Chapter 2510 Escape

    chapter 2510  escape  returning to the path they had taken in pursuit of artaud, the group found the arm that the general himself had cut off to avoid the seal minos had placed on it.


    upon reaching the area, minos'' men soon found the enemy''s space storage item lying not far from that limb.


    minos stored the item in his spatial ring before signaling for his men to gather around it. then, while his cultivation was still at level 108, he used the divine seal to teleport his group back to the vicinity of examire.


    he couldn''t bring living beings directly to the guild, as there were powerful formations around the headquarters that would prevent him from teleporting inside. the corpses in minos'' special coffins were different. such corpses were not considered living beings in their coffins, and they were beings that had their position in this guild as their original position; the defenses of the headquarters did not consider them to be invading objects.


    but things were different for living beings. hence, minos had already marked out a spot quite close to examire. from there, he could lead his group to the current location and walk the rest of the way to the headquarters.


    minos and his five companions felt their strength diminishing as the surrounding space distort, teleporting their bodies away from the area where the chase had taken place.


    ...


    as minos and his people returned to the guild, artaud moved and felt his level 117 cultivation drop to level 116.


    ''i need to find a place to hide and spend the next few months recuperating safely. if i take the easy way out, minos will find me and kill me. i can''t let that happen!''


    artaud ran across the forest, one arm holding the wound in his cut arm.


    going back to the guild was something he couldn''t do. since he would be weak for the next few months and there was a risk that minos was looking for him in the area, his only alternative was to find a place to hide.


    unlike minos, he wasn''t a seer, so there was nothing to guarantee that his enemies weren''t after him.


    ''i will survive! when i recover, you''ll pay for this, minos!'' he thought as his eyes flashed violently, his most negative and cruel aura capable of frightening almost any being in his vicinity.


    even though he was hiding his cultivation for fear of minos catching up with him, his murderous intent slipped out of his control for a moment, causing dozens of 11th stage beings around to faint.


    "shit!"


    he saw an area of underground tunnels not far away and soon followed the trail to hide in a part of that region dominated by a race of special ants.


    ...  sea??h th§× novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    while artaud was finding his hiding place, minos and his people had left the place where his teleportation seal was and were heading back to examire.


    since they were only a few dozen kilometers from the city, the group quickly made their way between their arrival point and the magnificent guild headquarters city.


    before checking what artaud had left him as a legacy, minos led his men back to the armhands'' headquarters, where his five allies would have to arrive quickly to go into seclusion.


    with the two who had temporarily reached level 116 returning to level 114 and the other three returning to level 113, their cultivation would soon return to normal and they would begin to weaken.


    the sooner they began their recuperative seclusion, the better the conditions for their regeneration would be, and the less time it would take for them to return to their best condition.


    as soon as they gained access to the guild''s interior, the five of them went to the cave of minos'' faction, accompanied by him, but with a different purpose in mind.


    while the men in the cave began to cultivate under the observation of the faction members, minos went to the coffin of the corpse that had taken the body of his target on the previous mission.


    "minos, what happened?" vico, standing next to the level 107 robot, asked as he approached the brown-haired human, who currently had long hair with a few white strands here and there.


    the faction leader explained as a smile of relief appeared on his face. "things got out of hand on the mission. artaud killed my target and confronted us before sacrificing the flashdrain parasite himself."


    "what? he did that?" vico''s eyes widened as he looked at the men cultivating there. "did you win?" otis asked, seeing that they had returned alive, but unsure if they had achieved all their goals since they had returned much sooner than expected.


    otis knew his master could teleport, but its cost was not cheap!


    minos couldn''t use such a possibility whenever he wanted!


    "no, we stalled. the enemy escaped after he realized he couldn''t kill us and that he was in danger of dying." minos said as he retrieved the body of his target from the previous mission. "at least we could complete my external mission and eliminate the threat of artaud for the next few months. he must not return to bother us until he has fully recovered his post-sacrifice seclusion."


    the greater the cultivation and the temporary increase in power brought about by the sacrifice, the greater the rebound effect of the sacrifice. thus, those who understood the flashdrain parasite easily understood that they would indeed be free of general artaud for a while.


    "but when he returns, we''ll be in serious trouble." otis commented, concerned for the welfare of his master and the faction.


    "that is true. we must prepare for the worst to come against us in six months to a year. that''s the maximum amount of peace time we''ll have before an attack by multiple peak sovereigns. artaud certainly won''t let what happened today pass without a proper revenge."


    minos said this as he looked at the enemy''s camp, imagining the riches he would find there. but before that, he left the cave to complete his mission.


    later, he would calmly check the enemy''s belongings!

 Chapter 2511 Artauds Wealth

    chapter 2511  artaud''s wealth now that minos had made it official in the mission hall that he had successfully completed another punishment mission, he now had 16 missions to complete the punishment missions.  s~ea??h the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    besides these missions, he had another 66 mandatory activities to complete in order to regularize his position in the guild and regain the ability to perform optional missions¡ªthose that generate merit.


    he planned to complete these missions in the next year, when he would be rid of artaud and most of his level 114 enemies.


    as much as his allies who had helped him deal with artaud this time would be unavailable to him for a while, minos didn''t expect to have to deal with any other level 114 sovereigns just yet.


    there were a few dozen level 114 sovereigns in the guild, but most of them weren''t involved with jade chainsaws. as far as minos knew, because of sender and jembei, only artaud had been willing to work for the faction until a few months ago.


    whether that had changed recently or would change in the future, they couldn''t say. but at least in the short term, minos was reassured that he wouldn''t have to deal with such strong superiors looking out for his head.


    sender had told minos¡ªbefore he began his seclusion¡ªthat it was unlikely that the jade chainsaws would get another general to act against him in the short term, or even one of the level 114 senior officers.


    it was very expensive to pay for the services of such powerful cultivators. and artaud would return in the future to complete the mission. so the faction would most likely wait for the man to return.


    in that case, minos had the next few months to prepare for a new high-level battle!


    ...


    after completing his business in the mission hall, minos was back in his faction''s lair, now with artaud''s storage item in his hands.


    as soon as he could remove the spiritual mark from artaud¡ªwho must have been too weak by now to keep the artifact safe¡ªminos broke into a broad smile as he realized the riches he had collected.


    in addition to the millions of qilnats, various artifacts, pills, and 5th-grade resources that could arm even high-level sovereigns and aid in their cultivation, there were also some special items in it.


    the one that caught minos'' eye the most was an amulet in the shape of a hexagon, each end of which had a gem of a different color¡ªruby, sapphire, emerald, topaz, amethyst, and black diamond¡ªshining brightly.


    picking it up, minos felt the coolness of the amulet''s body, forged from rare metals.


    feeling the vibrant power of the item in his hands, minos opened his eyes in shock, not believing the sensation enveloping his body.


    ''what is this?'' he asked himself, feeling a regenerative aura envelop his body as a special field appeared around him, creating a powerful barrier.


    ''this item... it has many high-level abilities for 11th-stage cultivators! why didn''t artaud use it against us? with this artifact, he could have easily defeated us.'' minos narrowed his eyes, not understanding the situation.


    he did not know that in order to use the amulet from the hydra tribe, one had to be a hydra, or have powers similar to those of hydras, or have something like the incorruptible heart on their side.


    artaud didn''t have any of these characteristics, so the hydra tribe amulet was just an item with barter value, but no potential use for him.


    minos didn''t know that, so he remained doubtful while he sensed the other properties of the amulet.


    like the hydras, the amulet had several special powers related to the different heads of the serpent. besides the regenerative power of the barrier that now surrounded minos, it could enable elemental manipulation, spiritual connection, invisibility, and intangibility. it also had some weak temporal powers, which proved to be an attribute with a lot of potential when in contact with minos'' temporal sands.


    ''this is precious!'' minos clasped the amulet in his hands, his recent worries suddenly disappearing as he imagined its potential in action.


    ''as far as i know, artifacts that can affect divine journey cultivators always affect the formation of divine powers. if i use this artifact, it''s likely that my second divine power when i reach the 12th stage will be related to one of the amulet''s powers.'' minos thought as he considered the possibilities in front of him.


    that would be incredible!


    the abilities of the amulet sounded impressive. considering it would probably take him longer to reach level 114 than it had taken him to reach level 100, these abilities of the amulet would be strong in his next skill and he might not even need the amulet in the future.


    while the amulet was a "dead" item that could not change, minos was alive and developing. the best thing about the artifact was not its powers, but the possibility of giving him something that could grow and become stronger with him!


    ''hehe, artaud, looks like you made a big mistake leaving it behind.'' minos looked out of his cave, from where he could see the horizon beyond the floating island he was on. ''this won''t be enough for me to run the guild smoothly, but it can certainly get me out of the desperate situation you''ve put me in!''


    minos stood up, feeling full of energy and the will to continue.


    "otis, i''m going to visit ruth, gloria and abby today and leave tomorrow for my next mission outside the guild. you should prepare to use the resources i''m leaving behind." he said as he placed the items from artaud''s room storage in his faction''s resources and artifacts section.


    "but already?" the robot asked, not expecting minos to leave so soon after his return.


    "i want to test something and seize the moment. the enemies are still not ready to give me an answer after what happened today..."


    ...


    meanwhile, in the council area, elder navey, level 121, was watching toward minos'' faction''s cave.


    ''artaud has failed... although he didn''t die, he lost the hydra tribe amulet to minos.'' a smile appeared at the corner of the alien''s lips.


    ''good. so there will be some balance in your next encounter. i look forward to your next high-level battle!''

 Chapter 2512 New Mission

    chapter 2512  new mission minos met up with his wives again and spent an evening with them without interfering with the guild''s business.


    after telling them about his recent experiences and the most valuable item of the artifacts left behind by artaud, he explained his desire to leave soon to take on more outside missions.


    he had just dealt with artaud, and the enemies would need some time to digest this information and reorganize themselves to deal with him. hence, he wanted to use the time to do as many external missions as possible.


    right at the start of a new day, minos would stop by the mission hall to let them know he was leaving headquarters to do another external mission.


    this time, instead of hunting down a criminal wanted by the guild, he was going to collect a special essence that could be found in an area ten days away from the guild.


    ...


    in the blink of an eye, minos had set off on yet another mission, this time traveling alone with only the hydra tribe amulet in his possession.


    after traveling a long distance, he was about to reach the area where the plant he needed to collect for this mission was usually found.


    minos was now standing in front of a fire in a dark area of the dense forest he was passing through. there, he ate and relaxed a bit from the journey to this point.


    he was eager to test the power of the hydra tribe amulet, but he wasn''t looking for enemies. if no one tried to approach him, he wouldn''t move. he wanted to complete as many missions as he could in the short term, despite his desire to use the amulet.


    ''of the 15 remaining punishment missions, 8 are outside of examire or the guild. i''ll prioritize completing them while artaud is away. i think i can complete them all before he comes back to give me trouble.'' the most important thing for him now was to complete these missions, return to do optional missions, gain merit, and grow hierarchically within armhands.


    before he left for the seraphim world, he wanted to have at least one senior officer in his group, not from among the people who had joined his faction, but from among those who had come with him from the spiritual world on the recent journey or on their first visit to zocarro.


    he and the others could only advance in rank by earning valid merit points, so it was a duty for them to complete these mandatory missions in the short term.


    knowing artaud would hunt him down and try to eliminate him as soon as he returned to the guild, minos wanted to complete the external missions now. when artaud returned, he could spend some time without leaving headquarters.


    at that time, minos could complete his last mandatory missions and end this difficult phase of his journey as a member of the armhands and become even stronger.


    ''after i take care of all this, i''ll earn some merit points with an external mission and deal with that guy. i have to prepare for that.'' minos clenched his fists.


    he thought he could become an intermediate officer and return to compete for a prestigious position within the law enforcement hall in no more than three years. if things went well for his faction, in the meantime, it would be enough to ease the current pressure on his shoulders and give his group the stability to grow.


    minos stood up with a smile on his face, confident that if he carried out his missions this way, he could stabilize his group''s situation in a few years.


    with a snap of his fingers, he extinguished the fire in front of him, looked to the north, and moved on, traveling out of this gloomy forest in search of the plant, which could be anywhere in an area of over 100 square kilometers.


    fortunately, he was a seer. even though this area was not small enough for him to search for the plant in question, he was relaxed about the difficulty of this mission.


    his punishment missions were meant to discipline him for disappearing for years and not being able to return to the guild in time to avoid having his record expunged. but they were not meant to make minos'' life in the guild impossible.


    they were all designed for junior officers, people who usually had cultivation levels between 102 and 107. as such, most of the missions for him and his five companions were within their capabilities.


    the most dangerous of all was the one in the magma barrens, which they had already completed. aside from that, the other most dangerous missions were the outside missions, not because they were difficult or deadly, but because they endangered the lives of the party members, who currently had too many enemies within the guild.


    however, excluding the existence of the group''s internal enemies, most of their missions could be completed with minimal effort on the part of the six individuals.


    unfortunately or fortunately, today would not be minos'' day to test the properties of the hydra tribe amulet. after a few hours in the area, he would find the level 107 plant and collect it with ease.


    with no enemies to face, he would move on to his next mission, heading west from his current location, where he could reach a city in 6 days, where he would have to conclude a certain negotiation on behalf of the guild.


    ...  s§×arch* the n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    while minos continued on his journey to fulfill his responsibilities, jade chainsaws discovered what had happened to artaud on the previous mission.


    upon the return of minos and his party, the faction had discovered that their plan to eliminate him had failed, but they didn''t know exactly how this guy had done it.


    this morning, however, a letter from artaud had reached the leader of the faction, who had just read it while meeting with his trusted men at the faction''s place.


    "so artaud narrowly escaped... i didn''t expect the group minos had assembled so quickly to be capable of something so extreme," said one of the faction''s high-ranking men, a level 112 sovereign.


    "this is very serious. if minos has such powerful support, how will we deal with him?"


    "let''s not get ahead of ourselves, guys," the faction leader said, smiling confidently. "although the general failed, he made his intention to eliminate minos clear in the letter.


    as soon as he recovers in a few months, he himself will gather a group of peak sovereigns to hunt minos down!


    even if minos is a dark monster and lucky, can he handle a group that will be four or five times stronger than the general?" this guy opened his arms as he looked positively at his group.


    "let''s give the general this chance. he''ll end the life of that damned minos for us!"

 Chapter 2513 Transport Mission

    chapter 2513  transport mission   seven days later...


    today, minos was in a city similar to examire in terms of housing composition¡ªwhere many aliens lived among the locals.


    in this place, which wasn''t as big and important as examire, being an average city by the standards of the region, minos stayed in a hotel for aliens in the center of the city of about 100,000 inhabitants.  sear?h the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    yesterday afternoon he had arrived in the city after his journey between the point where he had collected the plant for another mission he had to solve on this journey, and now he was in coldgrasp to end a negotiation on behalf of armhands.


    as much as zocarro was a high-level cultivation world, the ordinary things that would happen on weak worlds were very much part of a cultivator''s or local organization''s routine.


    in the case of minos'' current mission, he was in coldgrasp to settle a negotiation for locally produced cultivation resources that armhands needed to make special pills, artifacts, and potions.


    as was to be expected, the guild sent internal members to resolve such matters through missions. everything official that happened in the guild was like this. when a guild higi-level member saw an opportunity, they would order missions to be created for the missions hall, which was responsible for estimating the need, the value of the mission, its urgency, and so on.


    this was how the guild leaders'' orders were fulfilled for virtually everything, from assassination missions, resource negotiations, hostage exchanges, special essence gathering, investigation missions, protection, and so on.


    the most important missions were usually optional, merit-based activities, while the less "difficult" and more necessary for the guild to function were usually mandatory, such as this current minos activity.


    after arriving in coldgrasp and notifying the local power with whom the guild was negotiating about his arrival, minos spent the night cultivating until he felt the time approaching for his meeting today. as soon as he left the alien hotel, he arrived at the headquarters of the largest local force.


    "officer stuart, please come with me. the elders are waiting for you," said a guard when he recognized minos'' figure.


    minos followed him into the headquarters of the local forces, which were led by high-level sovereigns.


    as he walked through some corridors and internal areas of the main building in the area, minos ignored the many aliens and natives around him, most of whom were in their humanoid forms.


    although there were countless races of creatures in the universe, and only a few of them had humanoid forms, most specialists¡ªbeings capable of changing their body forms¡ªused humanoid body variations when in cities or for more detailed tasks.


    smaller bodies were easier to receive in special environments and facilitated interactions.


    in a universe where there were beings as large as floating islands and as small as fleas, it could be quite difficult to interact if everyone kept their body shapes in their natural state 100% of the time.


    minos saw several beings with humanoid shapes and bodies completely different from his own, some of them semi-transparent, others with fur, fish scales, more or fewer eyes, with more or fewer appendages over their limbs, and so on.


    their shape, torso and head, was what resembled human forms, but there were no rules limiting their appendages and appearance.


    minos was used to seeing creatures in these forms and simply ignored the beings in his path until he entered the room where three elders of this organization were waiting for him.


    "elders, it is a pleasure to meet you," minos said as he greeted the three before the guard who had led him there stepped aside and closed the door to the room, leaving them alone.


    "officer stuart, we heard you were here to settle the matter of the soulbloom harvest," said one of the three elders as he gestured for minos to sit across from them.


    minos sat down on one chair arranged around a small centerpiece in the middle of the living room. "yes, the guild has sent its communiques to your troops and made the down payment. i''m here today to complete the deal and take the 50 sacks of soulbloom."


    soulbloom is a mystical plant known for its unique properties in spiritual cultivation. this plant can be cultivated on a large scale and is highly valued for its applications in infusions and teas, which can help stabilize the mind and cultivation base.


    the members of armhands often used it during meditation, sometimes even as ointments and creams that could be used to gradually absorb its essence over hours of cultivation.


    but soulbloom wasn''t cheap. a single plant with a few blossoms could cost up to 50,000 qilnats.


    the amount of sacks of soulbloom that minos had to pay for and collect could be as much as 100 million qilnats.


    but for a guild like armhands, this cost was practically negligible!


    a member of high talent and ability like minos could collect that amount of qilnats in a few years of effort, so the guild that had many such members could do it much faster.


    with powerful supremes on its side, armhands was so rich that it could give that amount of qilnats to minos to come to here to pay for and collect the resource.


    of course, this payment was inaccessible to minos. since it was stored in a special device that could only be accessed by those who knew the password, it would be impossible for a guild member on this mission to access those qilnats.


    "hmm, we have the bags of soulbloom ready for you to take. but are you sure you can take them back to armhands? we won''t be able to produce any more for two years... if you lose it, your guild will be left without this vital resource," said one of the elders, a level 113 sovereign, looking at minos with an uncertain expression.


    could a single level 105 sovereign bring something so valuable back to the guild?


    even though 100 million qilnats weren''t much for armhands, the value of those bags was enough to move several weaker groups and powerful cultivators from the coldgrasp region!


    because of its properties, soulbloom couldn''t be completely contained in storage rooms without letting signs of its essence escape. even if minos didn''t carry them in his hands, those bags would leave a trail wherever he went!

 Chapter 2514 Surrounded by Enemies

    chapter 2514  surrounded by enemies  minos smiled as he heard the concern of the elders and saw how they looked at him with suspicious eyes. they didn''t want to insult him, but they couldn''t help but doubt his ability to complete this difficult mission alone.


    normally, every two years, they delivered these many bags of soulbloom to a group of mid-level sovereigns, who usually had a hard time completing the mission, but succeeded after their ordeal.


    but minos was there alone, and he was only a newly advanced level 105 sovereign!


    how could they not doubt this young human''s capabilities?


    when the three elders saw minos, the first thing they thought was he would fail and armhands would be angry with them if they couldn''t help it with more soulbloom!


    "don''t worry, the guild chose me because i can complete this mission on my own. although there are disputes in every organization, hardly anyone from my guild would make such a big mistake by risking so many valuable resources," minos said with a confident smile.


    it was obviously given to him to expose him to problems that could weaken him and give his enemies a chance to use it against him. but whoever had given minos this mission knew he could complete it, despite the difficulties he might face.


    the three elders watched as minos summoned the storage item with their qilnats.


    "are you sure about this?" the most unsure of the three asked.


    "you won''t be involved in anything that happens after i leave," minos said, reassuring those men.


    one of them sighed and then handed minos the bags of soulbloom that were in a space storage item they had already prepared.


    "the scent of soulbloom cannot be contained. even if it''s in this storage item and you store it in another artifact, the scent of its flower will still escape from you and reach up to a few hundred meters before dissipating into the air.


    since you''ll be traveling alone, beware of approaching powerful or scent sensitive beings. if that doesn''t work, you''ll have to fight for a good part of your journey. that amount of soulbloom would attract even cultivators at our level," said one of those level 113 beings.


    since minos had the armhands'' symbol on his forehead, it was unlikely that stronger beings would risk themselves for just a few sacks of soulbloom. but beings who could benefit more from that amount, weaker than these individuals, might find the risks worthwhile.


    "i will keep an eye out. thanks for your concern and warning." minos stored the resources of interest to the guild in his storage ring after checking that everything was in order. "now, i bid you farewell. have a good time."


    with these words, he ended the small agreement with these beings, who stayed behind to think about his journey in silence, imagining they would soon receive news about this young man.


    minos didn''t care if these three trusted him or not. after leaving the place, he continued with his plans, sorting out the next mission he wanted to do before returning to the guild''s headquarters.


    as dangerous as it would be to wander around with those plants, he had another place to perform one of his punishment missions close to his way back to examire.


    with only a two-day detour to complete the third mission of this trip, he left coldgrasp and headed to dewville, where he had to meet the local leader and make a future prediction for the man.


    the missions of the members of the armhands were obviously compatible with their abilities. since he was a seer in the guild, minos had several missions related to his clairvoyant abilities to complete in the coming months.


    ...


    dewville was an eight-day journey from coldgrasp, and nine days away from examire.


    but soon after leaving coldgrasp, minos encountered a dozen problems in the first two days of his journey to dewville.


    the first to attack him were the residents of coldgrasp, local cultivators who noticed he had left the city alone and promptly pursued him.


    some attacked him almost immediately after he left the coldgrasp security zone, intending to kill him and steal the bags of soulbloom. these individuals were quickly killed by minos without even using his innate ability to increase his strength. he dealt with the mid-level sovereigns who challenged him, killing each of them with little effort.


    then, a day ago, a large group attacked him, this time forcing him to use more of his powers against them with a numbers tactic, as these enemies had tried to drive him to exhaustion.


    to deal with these level 109 and 110 sovereigns, minos used his innate skill and eliminated the entire group of 20 individuals after half an hour of battle.  s§×ar?h the n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    everyone he killed on this journey, he collected their bodies, not for abby to use her divine ability, but for vico and callie to take to the spiritual world on the journey they were to make in a few years.


    the corpses of these creatures could surely increase the spirituality of the spiritual world by a few degrees!


    after these battles, he knew he was still being pursued, and with each hour of travel, more beings in his path realized what he had and joined the pursuit.


    but on the fourth day of the journey to dewville, things would change when the first level 113 sovereign appeared in his path with a group of level 112, 111 and 110 sovereigns!


    ...


    seeing 11 creatures between levels 110 and 113 in front of him, minos stopped where he was and looked back to see that besides this group that had just appeared, those who had been chasing and watching him for the past few days were also nearby.


    ''in addition to these 11 enemies, there are 31 creatures between levels 109 and 112 surrounding me... as soon as i''m weakened, they''ll attack me and steal my spatial ring.''


    minos pondered as he found himself surrounded by powerful creatures that individually were no problem for him, but together, with the goal of killing him, could cause him some trouble and even hurt him.


    ''looks like it''s time for me to test you.'' he cupped his hands over the hydra amulet, a mischievous smile forming on his lips, frightening even the most confident of creatures in his path.

 Chapter 2515 Amulet Put to the Test

    chapter 2515  amulet put to the test seeing the malicious smile on minos'' face, the only level 113 cultivator in the area narrowed his eyes, deciding it was best to deal with the situation quickly.


    "member of armhands, out of respect for your sect, i''ll let you go as long as you leave your belongings behind," he shouted, while the others took up fighting positions, knowing minos had fought hard to get there and wouldn''t give up easily.


    the 11 individuals in front of him and the 31 creatures lurking around, waiting for the moment to attack, were all aware he wasn''t easy prey. they were ready to fight for the soulbloom at any moment.


    minos looked into the level 113 man''s eyes and gave him the same opportunity. "i say the same to you. get out of my way and leave your things. i''ll let you go with your lives intact."


    blue flames appeared in minos'' hands, while some of the men looked at him differently, recognizing the bravery of someone willing to face so many opponents of higher cultivation than his.


    but even if he was a monster, surrounded and without allies, how would minos deal with all of them?


    "spare me your bravado! you don''t stand a chance!" the level 113 cultivator narrowed his eyes, angered by minos'' audacity.


    "is that so?" minos asked, as the object around his neck glowed in different colors, his energy penetrating it.


    feeling its power, which only revealed its true nature when activated or closely analyzed, the level 113 sovereign''s face paled. he signaled for his group to attack, a tremor in his hand betraying his uncertainty.


    minos'' body became invisible as the blue flames of his powers merged with the elemental control of the hydra''s amulet.


    the forest was engulfed in a furious storm of flames, spreading rapidly towards the individuals who were nearest to minos.


    the mid-level sovereigns nearby, who had been waiting for a chance to join the fight, felt the gravity of the area shift, forcing them toward minos'' 11 enemies.


    "shit!" shouted a level 109 being as he felt out of control of his own body.


    when he was halfway to the group that was attacking from the direction minos had been in a moment ago, this alien felt his cultivation drop.


    minos'' power increased, reaching level 108 as he passed through the enemies'' attacks, happily using the hydra amulet for the first time.


    minos was amazed when he tested the power of intangibility.


    the only thing he had to worry about was the attack of the level 113 sovereign, as it was the only one in the area that he couldn''t completely ignore with his power. despite the immense power possessed by that person, minos did not have to worry as much as he would have under ordinary circumstances. by utilizing both the amulet barrier and the invulnerability simultaneously, he would create an impenetrable defense, making it impossible for that person to harm him with his attacks.


    he then said while being invisible, "none of your attacks can harm me. but that''s not the case for you!"


    when minos'' voice came from behind one of the level 112 cultivators, the alien was startled and turned around. it was already too late.


    when he turned around and saw minos'' figure appearing, he almost couldn''t scream as the mighty divine sword cut him in half.


    while the gravity of the area caused the 31 opponents in the area to fly towards minos'' other 10 opponents, his blue flames¡ªinfluenced by the amulet¡ªburned some of these stronger people, causing them to lose their focus on him.  s§×arch* the n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    a group that might have been strong enough to force minos to flee if he hadn''t had the amulet with him was destabilized, with the first creatures dying from his attacks without even being able to make him fear them.


    "fuck! i''ll kill you!" the level 113 sovereign shouted as he appeared behind minos.


    just as this creature was about to tear minos apart with his violent, sharp, long claws, an energy barrier appeared around minos, with one of the hexagram-shaped amulet crystals glowing brightly.


    the barrier cracked, but before it weakened further with the opponent''s movement, minos passed through his body while using intangibility, using the energy absorbed by the devouring art against the men around him to continue acting at a high level.


    as soon as he appeared behind this opponent, a huge hourglass appeared around the opponent''s body, making him show a terrible expression before he felt his movements slow down.


    in this situation, minos used his right hand like a sword, focusing on his indestructible body and intangibility to reach the enemy''s heart.


    as his hand solidified inside the target''s body, minos let out a light laugh and said. "i told you to go away."


    with these words, he ripped the enemy''s heart out of the creature''s back, showing the surrounding beings the brutal scene that would lead to the death of a powerful level 113 sovereign.


    "aaaaagh!"


    this being cried out in pain as it lost all its strength while losing something vital of his body.


    but under minos'' temporal ability, which was much stronger now that he had the hydras'' amulet with him, that being would have nothing to do and would die after a few seconds.


    turning his attention to the rest of his enemies, some of whom were fighting other enemies of his because of the dark sea, minos saw a small group of six desperately trying to flee after the catastrophic results of their attempt.


    "are you seriously considering leaving now, after all that has taken place? tsk! regrettably for you, i lack the kindness to permit such a thing."


    as he moved, he muttered under his breath, eagerly anticipating the challenge of confronting either a level 114 sovereign or, at the very least, a group of level 113 sovereigns in the days to come.


    depending on his results, the next time he faced artaud, the outcome would differ completely from the previous one!

 Chapter 2516 Fighting a Level 114 Sovereign?

    chapter 2516  fighting a level 114 sovereign?  in the blink of an eye, the test of the hydra amulet was over for minos, and he achieved a fantastic result with 42 new corpses in his spatial ring.


    he collected the bodies of these cultivation enemies between level 109 and 113, bodies that were nutritious for the spiritual world, but some of them even had value for abby to resurrect in the future.


    by gathering the artifacts of these beings into a single storage item, minos would continue his journey forward to the next stop, which was four days away from his current location.


    the items left behind by his enemies weren''t that impressive to the current minos, even so, the wealth of 42 sovereigns was not something to be ignored.


    after analyzing what could be used by his group or exchanged for other resources or even merit points in the future, he was more than satisfied with his harvest.


    his main purpose was to test the hydras amulet, so these artifacts were a bonus for him!  s~ea??h the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''let''s see if i will be followed in the next few days... someone will notice the smell of soulbloom by the time i get back to the guild...'' he thought to himself as he felt his energy return to its best, the amulet glowing and helping him to recover faster.


    one of the amulet''s special powers was like ruth''s innate ability to speed up cell regeneration and spiritual recovery.


    "i look forward to the next battles!"


    ...


    in the blink of an eye, another 10 days had passed!


    after fighting more battles on the way to dewville, gaining more bodies, resources, and training opportunities, minos passed through the city, where he had to fulfill a mission to predict someone''s future.


    this was easy for minos, so after less than 2 hours in this city, he left dewville for examire, 9 days away from this place.


    after passing through dewville, minos once again faced enemies interested in the resource he had collected earlier. another 39 enemies tried to take action against him after he passed through the city and arrived at his current location, where he was halfway back to examire.


    after killing over 100 enemies in the last two weeks, including 3 level 113 sovereigns, minos was calmly sitting by a stream today, grilling fish and resting to continue the last part of his journey.


    as had been the case since his departure from coldgrasp, several people were watching him. however, several of them had felt or seen the fight six hours ago, the last battle in which minos had taken part, killing a group of four level 112 sovereigns.


    afraid to act against him while he was at his best, these individuals were only watching him for now.


    minos knew that while he eat his grilled fish with a mischievous smile at the corner of his lips.


    he wouldn''t use his teleportation to examire because of these opponents in his way. it might be more advantageous for him to fight them directly, he had been traveling slowly, not making any effort to move faster from one point to another.


    when he finished eating his fish, he calmly sipped a cup of tea, making his observers bite their nails in anticipation.


    ''wretch! you''re lucky there''s no peak sovereign around,'' thought one creature watching minos.


    after a few minutes of standing there, minos put out his fire and continued on his way back to examire.


    ''in four more days i''ll reach examire. soon those guys will stop following me,'' minos thought as he moved, knowing these individuals knew he was part of armhands, and the closer he was to the headquarters, the less likely they would attack him.


    he would travel for the next 12 hours with no problems, attracting a dozen more individuals who were interested in soulbloom, but who didn''t act when they felt so many others just watching minos without doing anything.


    but at the end of another night''s journey, he would encounter the first level 114 being in his path!


    ...


    finding himself face to face with a level 114 zocarro native, minos became alert and prepared to summon his corpses at the guild and test the hydras amulet at an even higher level.


    but while the being in his path stood still and watched him intently, and minos felt the tension of the moment, this creature raised a hand in a sign of peace.


    "member of the armhands, a few soulblooms aren''t enough for me to challenge your guild. i''m just passing through. go your way and i''ll go mine." said this being, who wasn''t as bold as the many levels 111, 112, and 113 sovereigns standing around watching minos intently.


    ''we are only a few hours away from the headquarters of the armhands. if i take action against this alien, i''ll be in trouble. the guild wouldn''t send a level 105 junior on a mission like this... there must be more to this than meets the eye.''


    the creature thought as he walked around, making the peace sign without turning his back, while the human did the same.


    for a level 114 sovereign like him, the amount of soulbloom with minos wasn''t enough for his greed to fool his sharp senses!


    ''looks like i won''t be testing it today... that''s not bad either. i''ll have other missions in the future.'' minos thought to himself as he walked forward without turning his back on the enemy.


    the only people who didn''t like this development were those who were there to chase minos and find an opportunity to act against him.


    after the initial tension, the two sides went their separate ways, moving further and further away from each other until one was so far from the other that it could no longer feel their presence.


    with the battle between minos and the level 114 sovereign not taking place, some of his enemies would give up the chase in the next few minutes, listening to their rational sides.


    they were too close to armhands! if they didn''t act soon, they''d better give up and run before minos got to examire and reported them to his guild members!


    at this rate, the last three days of minos'' journey would be uneventful, with no more confrontations with individuals interested in soulbloom.


    at the end of those three days, minos would return to the guild''s headquarters before completing three of his 16 punishment missions.

 Chapter 2517 Months

    chapter 2517  months  after minos returned to the guild, the months would fly by. eight months would pass in the blink of an eye!


    the situation of minos and his companions now differed greatly from what it was nine months ago when they had dealt with artaud the first time.


    ...


    today, minos'' entire group was at the armhands'' headquarters, each of them carrying out their activities around the internal and external areas of the guild.


    in the cave where minos'' faction had developed, prospective new faction members stood near its entrance, waiting for an opportunity to attract the attention of one of the faction members.


    at the entrance to the mountain, where the entrance to the minos faction''s cave could be seen, a group of 13 creatures with cultivation levels between 102 and 105 were standing at the edge of the area where the bars separated the inner area of the mountain from the part of the outer city.


    "look, soldier lily is coming down next to officer otis!" a female alien said, getting the group''s attention.


    "they say it''s easier to get close to the stuart girls... unfortunately, officer otis is standing next to her today." one alien commented with a sigh.


    in the last few months, minos'' faction had only accepted five new members. but all of them had joined the guild because of hollie or lily, while those who had tried to approach the other faction members had all been rejected.


    seeing otis talking to lily, those elite soldiers of the same rank as the young human walking down the hill sighed and realized today might not be their day.


    some of them tried to talk to lily as she passed them, but the robot otis promptly shooed them away.


    as he watched minos'' daughter leave, one alien in the area said to his companion. "we have to stay here. officer minos'' faction is the fastest growing faction in the guild.


    in the past few months, eight members of their group have become elite soldiers, reaching that rank in record time. if we join the faction, we''ll be able to make our promotions to internal guild members faster!"


    the alien''s companion agreed, standing firmly in place, eager for an opportunity.


    all eight of minos'' allies who had joined the guild with him just over a year ago were now elite soldiers!


    "look! officer minos stuart is coming!" one of them shouted as he saw minos and abby walking toward the mountain.


    while these people shouted for minos to give them a chance, he and his wife continued on to the cave, with her smiling at him because of the many requests thrown in their direction by this group of outside guild members.


    "aren''t you going to give them an answer? that way, they won''t keep asking us to join their faction," abby asked him as she walked hand in hand with him.


    "it''s not time to expand yet. let them get on with it. those who stick with it until we can do our optional missions again and earn merit points will be the first ones we recruit."


    in 8 months, minos had spent over 4 million merit points training his group. also, he hadn''t yet reached a level of merit point generation that was sustainable to maintain his faction, so he was restricting the development of his faction.


    but as soon as things changed for them, he intended to recruit at least 15 more members to the group!


    abby knew this, but she preferred minos to talk to these people so they wouldn''t hang around every day.


    but when she entered the faction''s cave, and no longer heard the cries of those individuals, she sighed, back in that silent place where there were even more coffins than before.


    with minos'' return with many high-level 11th stage corpses months ago, they had recovered all the corpses lost in the battle against artaud and increased their numbers even more.


    aside from these beings and the allies lily and hollie had brought into the group, they had gotten little stronger over the months, and no member of the group had advanced recently.


    the closest to advancement were the level 107 sovereigns in the team, but even they would take months or years to reach level 108.


    this was the reality of mid-level sovereigns!


    minos told abby when they arrived at the cave. "i only have one punishment mission and two mandatory missions left to complete my period of not being able to do optional missions.


    soon i''ll be preparing for an optional mission that will earn me the amount of merit points i need to advance to the rank of intermediate officer. you and the others should continue to earn merit and become stronger. don''t become an officer until you''ve reached the new level of advancement."


    that could take over 10 years! however, it had taken minos much longer than that to become an internal member of armhands, so he saw no problem with his group slowly growing by the hour.


    besides him, his five fellow officers who had been wronged by jembei were finishing their punishments and could soon accumulate valid merit points for their promotions. however, it might take years for all of them to do so, so there was no rush for the weakest of the group to rise through the ranks.  sea??h th§× n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "sigh... are you really preparing? artaud should be returning to the guild any minute. your mission will probably be his next attempt.


    as much as jade chainsaws hasn''t tried to kill you in the last few months, it won''t stay that way for long!" abby warned him, worried about her husband.


    over the past eight months, minos, ruth, otis, and the three humans who had traveled from zocarro to the spiritual world and then returned to zocarro and stumbled upon jembei''s conspiracy, had completed almost all the punitive and mandatory missions they had to complete.


    they had tried to complete the out-of-quarters missions first, at almost the same time, taking advantage of artaud''s absence to fulfill their responsibilities. during that time, they had hardly had any clashes with jade chainsaws outside the guild.


    even though the enemy faction within the guild was still pressuring them to deal with minos'' eight companions, they didn''t try to deal with the six strongest members of this spiritual world''s group. by waiting for artaud''s return, the enemy group had given minos and his people the freedom they wanted to complete their punishment.


    but abby and all the members of the faction knew that wouldn''t be the case for much longer!

 Chapter 2518 The Return of the Enemy

    chapter 2518  the return of the enemy  "i know. the time has come to deal with him. our problems won''t end with just eliminating him, but if we can kill him, we can achieve a more stable position within the guild." minos said to his wife, aware of the dangers and challenges ahead, but there was no easy way out.


    if he dealt with artaud, jade chainsaws would surely find other ways to get rid of him. even if he didn''t have to fight against stronger and stronger cultivators, he would at least have different pressure and movements from his enemies.


    this would be the case indefinitely. this was the power play in a guild like armhands.


    but minos had a plan to win this conflict once and for all!


    "as long as we have stability for you and the others to grow, sooner or later, we''ll have a chance to access the black liquid again. you''ve only been in the guild for a little over a year, so it''s not yet time for the chief commander to give you a chance. but eventually, he''ll give you the chance to test this resource. i''m sure of it." he said and looked into her eyes.


    depending on the results of abby''s experiments with the black liquid, she and he would gain many merit points and could even influence generals who were currently neutral or siding with other groups.


    once they showed their potential and gained more influence than jade chainsaws, they could easily solve such a problem!


    "we just have to hang on a little longer, abby. the dangers along the way are nothing more than stepping stones on our journey to the top." "you''ve always been optimistic." she smiled at her husband as she walked over and gave him a hug.


    minos smiled with a twinkle in his eye before turning his attention to the over 25 coffins in the cave.


    there were beings between levels 110 and 112. the weaker ones minos wanted to send to the spiritual world with callie and vico in a few decades, while the stronger ones he wanted to wait for his and abby''s next level advancement.


    but before his next journey out of zocarro, he intended to combine his skills with abby''s to revive the level 113 corpses, leaving powerful supports behind when it was time for him to leave for the seraphic world.


    the two of them soon put aside their affairs to go and cultivate in this area, where there were many powerful resources and artifacts besides the coffins.


    after so many obligatory and punishing missions, minos and his people had gained many things for their faction. even though they weren''t recruiting right now, their wealth and opportunities were growing as time went on.


    ...


    while minos'' group continued their activities, approaching their best point since his return to the guild, the guild''s chief commander was in his office talking about him and abby.


    since officer stuart''s words, the chief commander had followed up on this human''s case every two months.


    today, the general in charge of updating him was there to talk about minos and abby again.


    "so he''s about to finish the punishment missions i gave them? looks like he''s really good. completing that many missions in three-quarters of the maximum time is impressive." the level 117 giant said to the general in front of him.


    "yes, if he and his people weren''t hindered by rivals within the guild, they would have completed all these activities by now and gone back to doing meritorious deeds for the guild." the level 114 man said in front of the chief commander.


    "rivals, huh? but that''s part of it. we all have our own stones in our path." it didn''t bother the chief commander that the guild members were competing against each other.


    competition was everywhere. as much as it was against the guild''s rules, the higher-ups in the organization turned a blind eye to actions that didn''t cross the line too much and didn''t leave any evidence.  s~ea??h the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    of course, they wouldn''t forgive a fool who left evidence of his actions behind, so just because they turned a blind eye didn''t mean they accepted everything!


    "let them compete and grow stronger. those who survive will be the new pillars of the guild." the chief commander said with an exuberant smile on his ugly face.


    "as for the girl officer minos stuart told us about, she looks like an impressive necromancer. she completed all of her required and optional missions in record time and has a perfect performance. according to several officers who have seen her in action, she is extremely efficient at using the dead to accomplish her goals.


    if someone gives her just a few seconds, she can revive several corpses of higher levels than her own, which can last long enough for a long battle.


    some of her pre-prepared corpses have been seen in action more than once. but it is said that there are remnants of officer minos stuart''s powers in these corpses."


    "so he can make her divine ability stronger?" the chief commander asked.


    "yes, with his help, the corpses last longer and are more loyal to her." the general confirmed.


    "interesting. monitor her. i''m still not convinced it''s worth giving them some of the black liquid. but if they manipulate level 114 corpses, i might change my mind." "i''ll keep an eye on them, commander."


    ...


    meanwhile, outside the armhands'' headquarters, on the surface of examire, a level 114 being covered in a cloak had just entered the city.


    after gazing at the floating island of armhands for a moment, this individual made his way to a location at one end of the magnificent alien city.


    ''minos...'' he thought of his enemy, feeling anger pulsing through his body. ''i''m going to kill you soon, you wretch! just you wait! the next time i see you, it will be your end!


    artaud made his way through the city, looking for one of the local forces in charge of mercenary services.


    when he reached this place, he identified the member of jade chainsaws who had ordered to come to this place today.


    "general..." the level 112 man saw him and stood up.


    "be quiet." artaud said in a somber tone before asking. "did you bring the resources i requested?"


    "yes, it''s all here." the alien handed artaud a storage item.


    "very well. go back to the guild and keep quiet. i won''t be coming back just yet. i''ll take care of my business and wait for minos. when the time comes, i''ll take action against the damned thing and then return with its head in my hands!"

 Chapter 2519 New Mission Outside the Guild

    chapter 2519  new mission outside the guild two weeks later, minos and his five fellow junior officers had finally completed the last of the punishment missions and the ones that had accumulated during their absence from the guild while traveling to and from the spiritual world.


    now that everything was settled, they could return to their optional missions and, in minos''s case, begin the mandatory missions for the next few years in preparation for his next journey.


    the journey to the seraphim world shouldn''t be as long as the journey to the spiritual world. nevertheless, minos wanted to prepare himself and intended to start doing mandatory missions in advance soon.


    but first, he wanted to accumulate enough merit points to quickly advance to the rank of intermediate officer, the same goal as his five fellow junior officers.


    ...


    "so you''re going on the lost soul trail?" rhett asked as he joined minos in one of the high-end restaurants in the guild''s inner area.


    besides rhett and minos, abby, ruth and otis were also present for today''s important conversation.


    minos had just explained that he was leaving on a mission to destroy a portal created by an enemy force of armhands on one of the main roads the guild used to access one of their mining sites.


    the lost soul trail was an ancient road in the central region of oqia, used by many creatures and organizations. recently, however, a rising force in the central region had dared to build a portal at one of the road''s critical points, making it difficult to transport minerals from the armhands through the region.


    given the difficulty of the mission, minos could gain more than half of the merit points he needed for his intermediate officer promotion exam on a single trip!  sea??h th§× n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "this mission wouldn''t take long to pay off so many merit points. so i''m going to take a little risk on a maximum level mission for a junior officer. don''t worry, i''m confident that i can handle it in no time. i''ll be back in the guild in two months at the most." minos said in a confident tone, looking forward to completing this mission and the problems he might encounter along the way.


    "are you really ready to deal with artaud? our comrades who fought him have already recovered. the enemy has probably recovered as well and should prepare for you." abby said and stared at her husband.


    sender and the others had recovered after months of cultivation in seclusion to deal with the negative effects of the flashdrain sacrifice. these five were already returning to missions and cultivation in pursuit of their advancement to the next levels, a clear sign of the imminent danger to minos.


    "i know, but i''m prepared." minos looked into his wife''s blue eyes, making her feel more confident despite the uncertainty in her heart.


    despite the many mandatory and punitive missions minos had completed outside of headquarters over the past few months, he had yet to test the hydra amulet against level 114 cultivators. the strongest of his enemies in those months was a native of zocarro, with a peak cultivation of level 113.


    minos could defeat him after some effort, but this experience wasn''t enough to tell him his limits, as there was a considerable difference between level 113 and 114.


    besides, minos was about to set out on the lost soul trail alone, a completely unique situation from the one he had faced artaud in.


    but minos was confident. having already seen artaud''s powers in action and having an idea of how strong a level 114 sovereign was, he felt that even though he wasn''t at a point where he would find the confrontation easy; he had ways to defend himself and hurt the enemy.


    "i will summon some of the strongest corpses we have here in case he comes my way. that will give me what i need to deal with artaud and whoever he takes to find me."


    "sigh! despite the risks, we must continue. while minos goes to the lost soul trail, the rest of us must take the opportunity to go on external missions as well." ruth said as she looked at otis, suggesting the five of them who got into trouble because of jembei should act at the same time.


    "i agree." rhett looked at ruth and otis. "all eyes will be on minos when he leaves for the lost soul trail. it would be better for the five of you to seize the moment and earn merit points with outside missions. that might be the way for you to ascend to my hierarchical position within the guild.


    minos shook his head in agreement as he looked at otis. "do that. be prepared to leave the guild in no more than two nights and return in no more than two months. i leave tomorrow morning."


    otis nodded and understood what he had to do.


    minos looked at abby and said. "the rest of you, keep working hard. a lot of heads will roll in the next few years. there will be many opportunities for you to move up in the guild. just keep collecting your merit points, and when the time comes, you''ll all be able to become in-house members."


    with these words, their meeting that night ended, and minos left this restoration with his wives, heading home to spend one last night with the three women in his life before embarking on another dangerous journey outside the guild.


    the next morning, he would set out alone from the floating island of armhands to continue his plan to reach the lost soul trail, specifically the location of the enemy portal he would need to destroy!


    as soon as he left the headquarters, the men of the jade chainsaws would spread the news of minos'' movement and send the message to artaud, who was already ready to pursue minos as soon as his target moved out of examire!


    after receiving the information he had been waiting for days, artaud and three cronies would head towards the lost soul trail, flying alongside level 114 mercenaries!


    ''wait a little longer, minos. we''ll meet again soon! you''ll be dead by then!'' artaud thought to himself, imagining the surprise his enemy would have when confronted with a group of four peak sovereigns.


    he hadn''t taken his investments for this revenge lightly. now it was all or nothing for artaud!

 Chapter 2520 Dont Give Him Time!

    chapter 2520  don''t give him time! minos would travel alone for the next few weeks, heading for the lost soul trail.


    the lost soul trail was no small road. it was over 50,000 kilometers long, and even if you could reach it, it would take you a long time to travel it.


    after two weeks of traveling, minos arrived at the halfway point of his journey, near the entrance to the lost soul trail, where he would have to be especially careful as he moved forward.


    accustomed to the dangers of this world and the methods of his enemies within the guild, minos was prepared for possible attacks as soon as he entered the lost soul trail.


    before that, he thought it unlikely that any old enemy would give him any trouble. there were many ways for him to get to lost soul trail, while there weren''t many options once you entered that famous road.


    if artaud had already recovered and united enemies to deal with minos, then the young human would discover this as he began his journey through this place where he had a mission to complete!


    after stopping at a stream today and observing the lush nature of this patch of forest, minos continued on his way, feeling a mixture of worry and satisfaction.


    the warrior side of his heart, eager to face the enemy, made him smile at the horizon. but his rational side couldn''t help but make him cautious as he moved towards the start of the road that was only four days away from him today.


    ''it''s time for the truth.'' he thought as he flew between the treetops of this forest. ''as long as i return victorious, my faction will grow faster and without so many dangers in the coming years before my journey.''


    ...


    five days later, artaud and his three companions on this mission stood in the middle of a mountainous area of the lost soul trail, where they were sure minos would have to pass.


    at that moment, just after the dawn of a new day, artaud was sitting behind a large rock from which someone in his position would have a privileged view and someone outside would have difficulty analyzing the surrounding terrain.


    from there, artaud looked up at the pink sky of this part of zocarro, his fists clenched as he intently studied the area ahead, where his target would come from.


    he didn''t want to wait for minos to finish the mission to destroy the enemy portal a few days ahead. as much as this could be an opportunity for him and his mercenaries, it could also be a way for the enemy to protect himself and deal with them.


    artaud was all too aware of how slippery minos could be!


    he wouldn''t risk minos turning those behind the portal against them and escaping again!


    artaud preferred to act directly against minos, in a place where there were no potential allies for the enemy to use to his advantage!


    ''where are you, you damned human? i want to show you all the hate you''ve made me feel these past few months!'' he thought to himself, his eyes shaking with rage.


    meanwhile, the three level 114 mercenaries were on the area, keeping an eye out for potential trouble, but also looking for signs of minos'' approach.


    from what their contractor had told them, the enemy wasn''t that strong, but he had complicated abilities, could predict the future, could temporarily become stronger without side effects, and could quickly summon an army to his side.


    someone like that was frightening, even to people as strong as them!


    aware of minos'' summoning abilities and the fact he had left armhands alone meant nothing, the three of them solemnly stood in position to deal with the human as soon as they spotted him.  s~ea??h the n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    this area of the lost soul trail was special. with a gravity five times stronger and peaks over 30 kilometers high, there weren''t many routes that could be taken through this area, even by flying.


    in addition to the characteristics that would make it extremely difficult to fly through the area, the rugged terrain didn''t help the groups traveling through the area. apart from the road that these four level 114 sovereigns were observing, there were no other paths to take within the lost soul path.


    from this fact came the group''s certainty that sooner or later they would encounter the level 105 human who was so terrifying that artaud paid these three to fight alongside him.


    after a few more hours of standing in the same place they had been for two days, one of the mercenaries spotted the shadow of someone similar to the one artaud had described to them.


    "boss, i think the enemy is coming towards us." the man said as he spotted what he thought was minos, about 11 kilometers ahead of them.


    artaud stood up immediately upon hearing this and quickly checked to see if this was indeed his target.


    when he saw it was indeed minos, a smile broke out on his face, his aura changing as his heart beat faster.


    "we have to act. let''s attack him immediately. if he has time to summon his minions, we could be in trouble. they know what he''s been doing the last few months." artaud said as he prepared for the battle that was about to take place in this mountainous area.


    the three of them already knew how formidable minos was and didn''t hesitate to follow the wishes of their employer. with all of them ready, they moved against their target, traveling along the beginning of the lost soul trail toward the middle of this very long road.


    moving their energies and activating their attacks without even considering an exchange of comments between their group and the enemy, they attacked minos.


    the moment he felt the attacks forming in the air, minos shed the neutral expression on his face as he narrowed his eyes, and six level 112 corpses emerged from their shadows while his cultivation reached the peak of level 108.


    as a seer, there was no way that minos could not have known that he would be attacked there today. having previously summoned his allies to use in this battle, he was more prepared for this clash than artaud would have liked.


    "you have run long enough, artaud. time for you to pay with your life for plotting against me!" minos said, to the surprise of the three mercenaries who moved with his vital points in their sights.

 Chapter 2521 Maximum Power of the Hydra Amulet

    chapter 2521  maximum power of the hydra amulet artaud listened to minos while he was already in his dragon form, showing an aura similar to the one he had shown before sacrificing his flashdrain parasite days ago.


    now he couldn''t overcome his cultivation as he had before, but against minos, without the same allies as before, he ignored his opponent''s comment as he continued to assassinate his target.


    artaud didn''t want minos to suffer. as much as it would please him, all he wanted was for his enemy to end as quickly as possible.


    he didn''t even care who delivered the final blow. as long as minos was killed today, everything would be perfect.


    so, attacking with his hands already shaped like deadly weapons, his wings flapping as he flew downwards, he used his first variation of the divine skill against minos, ignoring the level 112 corpses lying around.


    as he slashed at minos'' body with three quick and precise movements, blades formed in the air around artaud''s target.


    blade dance!


    minos felt the attacks, capable of injuring even level 114 sovereigns, flying towards his body, but he wasn''t afraid. as he poured his energy into the hydras amulet, an hourglass formed around him.


    in a single instant, minos'' body became invisible, before disappearing from where he was in time to escape the attacks that even he could barely defend against.


    "look out!" one of the mercenaries in the area shouted as he saw his opponent appear behind the weakest of the three level 114 mercenaries.


    unfortunately for these men, minos had already seen this battle and knew the abilities of each of them, who to attack first, and the weaknesses of their targets.


    with his bright eyes vibrating with energy, he pierced the enemy''s back with his divine sword, which he had quickly formed with the help of temporal sands.


    as he pierced the enemy''s back with his weapon, blue flames engulfed the body of the level 114 enemy, while strong winds arose in the surroundings, forming blades toward the alien''s body.


    "wretch!" the alien shouted, but before he knew it, minos had already moved away from him as his body began to paralyze, a world of swords forming around him.


    weakened by minos'' deadly and dangerous attack, this powerful opponent completely lost focus on his enemy as his life hung by a thread.


    "shit! he''s even more dangerous than you said! what the hell is going on, artaud?" one of the two men shouted as he sensed minos'' terrifying speed, but also an offensive capacity that could not be explained by his level alone.


    meanwhile, the level 112 corpses stood in the same place they had appeared, black rings around their bodies as they cultivated the energy around them to help their leader.


    artaud saw minos move up behind one of the other two sovereigns he had hired, his eyes narrowing tightly as his expression was the worst he could manage.


    ''it can''t be...'' he felt a shiver run down his spine as he moved toward minos, opening his mouth to unleash the dragon''s roar, sending a shockwave in the direction of his target.


    a new glow appeared around minos'' neck as his body disappeared again, passing through artaud''s shockwave and continuing on its way to his opponent.


    minos felt pain, but only at a level that was acceptable enough to keep him from losing focus on the fight or his fighting condition.


    a golden dragon formed around minos, attacking the magnificent body of the alien in his path, who, if eliminated, would not be mortally dangerous to him in today''s battle.


    ''the limit of the hydra tribe amulet is level 114. still, this artifact can help me defeat these four as long as i have enough energy...'' minos secretly looked in the direction of the corpses cultivating in their place.


    but when a massive black hole formed in front of minos as he fought against this second level 114 enemy, the third mercenary in the area realized where all of minos'' power came from.


    "shit! we have to destroy these corpses, then he won''t have enough energy to activate the device on his neck!" the mercenary said as he stopped looking at minos and moved against the six level 112 corpses.  s§×ar?h the n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    artaud clenched his fists, finally realizing minos was using the artifact that had once belonged to him, but that he had never been able to use before.


    "how did he do that?" he wondered as he used his last move to raise his physical features, making the dragon silhouette covering him even more corporeal.


    his anger made him reach an even higher level than before the sacrifice of the flashdrain parasite, so he used ascending dragon against minos while looking at him in absolute horror.


    "minos! i don''t know how you used the hydras amulet, but i will remove the truth from your corpse, no matter what it takes!" this armhands general attacked with his gigantic dragon tail, ignoring how minos had killed the second level 114 cultivator with the black hole.


    at the same time, the last mercenary in battle condition attacked the six corpses, realizing too late that minos was using the seal around the corpses as a battery in the battle.


    when he reached the six corpses, he managed to prevent minos from absorbing any more energy from them, but he suffered a decisive counterattack!


    as the corpses flew around wildly, their bodies were half destroyed and their essence was condensed, causing a strange energy to vibrate from the core of each of them.


    "this..."


    noticing the sacrifice of six level 112 sovereigns, he could only raise his defenses before powerful explosions shook the very fabric of space, creating strong winds and destruction over tens of square kilometers of area in this part of the lost soul trail.


    ka-boooooooooooooom!


    minos'' black hole also condensed into a single point of energy, exploding a second later in a counterattack on artaud, quickly joining the explosions from the sacrifices of those six.


    minos moved away from the area as he felt his energy drain away, grimacing as he saw his enemy narrowly escape the worst of it.


    "tsk! looks like that won''t be enough." he paused before preparing to return. "but i won''t let you escape this time!"

 Chapter 2522 Near, But Also Far

    chapter 2522  near, but also far  after the big explosion, which shake the space of zocarro itself, minos saw his enemy flee with superficial burns, flying in the opposite direction.


    "tsk! not so fast!" minos grabbed his divine sword with both hands and sliced through space, a feat reminiscent of kendrick''s divine ability.


    a portal materialized kilometers ahead, and with a powerful flap of his wings, minos crossed through, appearing before artaud in a few breaths of time.


    seeing the enemy appear before him, the wounded alien''s eyes widened in terror.


    "minos! you''ll pay for this!" he shouted, though his voice quivered, revealing his fear. this was a deadly encounter¡ªone of them would have to die for the other to continue.


    artaud''s confidence wavered. officer stuart now controlled the hydras amulet, an artifact of immense power, coveted even by newly promoted supremes.


    the amulet around minos''s neck pulsed with an eerie glow, its power radiating through him. artaud knew the legends, knew the peril he faced, and for the first time, truly feared for his life.


    wounded and without allies, artaud couldn''t help but wonder about the fate of this fight.


    "if they find out what you''re doing against one of your superiors, you''ll pay with your life, minos!" artaud shouted as he prepared to defend and counterattack.


    as he attacked the enemy, becoming a giant of shadows, carrying a sword bathed in blinding golden light, minos shouted. "tsk! so you have every right to kill me, but i can''t do anything about it?"


    "exactly! that''s the difference between a council member like me and a mere internal members like you!" the alien said as the giant dragon silhouette around him prepared to defend him against the aggression.


    "son of a bitch!" minos grimaced as he lunged forward, colliding with the enemy after his words, causing strong winds to blow in the area from the powerful clash between his powers and artaud''s.


    artaud defended himself despite feeling his legs tremble as he made an expression of pain, but without voicing his feelings.


    chaotic gravity!


    with one hand, minos increased the weight of his opponent''s body, using his technique in accordance with one of the hydras amulet''s powers that could even affect gravity.


    temporal sands!


    the great hourglass formed beneath artaud, giving the general a sense of how dangerous minos'' ability was when it could affect his targets.


    just as he was about to counterattack while the dragon silhouette held the enemy''s sword still, artaud felt his opponent''s speed double almost instantly, and his dragon silhouette shattered as if it were made of glass.


    minos'' wings changed shape and pierced artaud''s body like two very dangerous spears.


    artaud could only stare wide-eyed at the aggression of the enemy as he tried to change his position. unfortunately, he was affected by the temporal sands and soon found himself pierced by minos'' two wings.


    he opened his mouth and screamed, unleashing a powerful dragon roar right into minos'' face.


    minos felt his enemy''s high-pitched scream as he clenched his teeth and narrowed his eyes to the point that wrinkles formed around them.


    blood dripped from his ears, but he held on. under the enemy''s powerful attack, he let the hydras amulet work to regenerate his body while his wings rotated inside artaud''s body.


    he couldn''t remain immaterial now, otherwise he wouldn''t be able to affect his enemy''s wounded body. fortunately, the heavenly regeneration of the hydra amulet was not to be underestimated!


    "damn you! even if i have to fall, i''m taking you with me!" artaud said as he moved his mouth forward to rip a chunk out of minos'' body.


    minos used his indestructible body, swinging his arms until he struck artaud''s head with his two open hands, using his gravitational ability to his advantage to power his attack.


    minos'' powerful blows took effect before artaud reached him, temporarily trapping his enemy''s head while the human''s wings finished crossing that body.


    the moment this happened, minos used his immunity to pass through artaud''s body while the enemy missed his last attempt at a counterattack.


    as he overbalanced and fell forward, artaud felt a sting in his chest and noticed a seal left there by minos.


    his eyes widened in pain as he turned his attention to minos, opened his mouth in horror. "no!"


    he just screamed as minos made a few hand seals, activating one variation of the infinity seal technique, causing the seal on artaud''s chest to freeze, petrifying vital parts of the enemy''s body.


    as he kept his seal working, putting the rest of his energy into this move, minos stood 22 meters away from artaud, his wings fully spread as his eyes flashed violently.


    "don''t worry, you''ll see zocarro again soon. i''ll make sure you serve me for a long time before i prevent you from being reborn." minos said with a devilish smile, ignoring the various injuries he had suffered and that the hydras amulet was helping him to recover.


    artaud shook with rage, but he was already incapacitated. immediately after realizing minos would revive him in the future to force him into the humiliating situation of serving an enemy even after death, artaud felt his heart stop before his entire field of vision lost light.


    his soul cracked and exploded a moment later, marking the end of the life of a powerful level 114 sovereign!


    minos watched the end of his enemy, gazing at the frozen corpse with great joy as his legs trembled.


    this wasn''t the situation where minos'' life was most in danger, but this was the strongest opponent he had ever defeated.


    as he watched his enemy''s corpse fall to the ground, minos glimpsed his journey so far and felt he was one step away from the next stage of cultivation.


    however, the next step was so far away from him that he could only look up and see he still had a great climb ahead of him to reach the point where he could challenge supremes.


    even with the hydras amulet, his limit was at most level 114. as for level 115, only time would tell how long it would take for minos to challenge it!


    sear?h the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 2523 Mission Site

    chapter 2523  mission site  with artaud dead, minos collected his enemy''s body and belongings.


    checking where he was and what was around him, minos found no major problems that would require his quick action to flee the area.


    exhausted and with some wounds that hadn''t completely healed yet, he needed to cultivate as soon as possible.


    but first, he had to leave the area, leaving the site of the battle of peak 11th stage beings behind without hesitation.


    unfortunately, the black hole and the detonation of that region of space, along with the sacrifices of the six level 112 sovereigns, had destroyed the bodies and belongings of the three level 114 cultivators who were artaud''s allies. otherwise, minos would have collected them before leaving.


    but without lamenting the spilled milk, minos moved on to find a safe place to rest.  sear?h the n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    soon dozens of kilometers away from that place, reaching an area far enough from his battle stage to be sure that no one there had noticed his ''show.''


    once he found a fairly secluded cave, at a point where he was sure no creature traveling or exploring the area would approach, he set up traps and prepared to cultivate.


    ''i''ll stay here for a few days until i''m ready to begin my mission. now that artaud is dead, i''ll have some peace.'' minos thought to himself after he had already checked the contents of artaud''s spatial device.


    minos didn''t know how artaud had amassed so many resources in just a few months, since the man must have spent most of that time in a hiding place. but the alien had with him this time a vast wealth even for sovereigns at level 114.


    the contents of his inventory today were not as good as the one he had left for minos earlier, but it would still make many peak sovereigns jealous.


    minos assumed artaud would use it to pay for the three mercenaries, but he was still curious about the origin of these sums.


    in any case, it wasn''t something that would change his life, and he couldn''t find out now. therefore, minos only had himself in mind.


    as for these resources, of course, they would help his faction as soon as he returned to armhands!


    ...


    in the blink of an eye, two weeks had passed for minos since artaud''s murder.


    minos had already recovered and left his previous position, having made two more stops on lost soul trail, continuing his cultivation in search of higher levels while traveling to the point of his mission.


    fortunately, he had encountered no problems on his first journey along lost soul trail. he had managed to avoid problems with the help of his divination ability.


    by minos'' reckoning, he should now be between 7 and 12 days from the point where the enemy portal he was supposed to destroy was located.


    after another stop this afternoon, he continued on his way through this extreme mountainous area of central zocarro, where even powerful individuals like himself would find it difficult to move.


    for this reason, a portal in this area could be quite devastating to groups that needed to use this road!


    but minos went ahead anyway, feeling how he could push his own strength towards his goal just by running through this area.


    even though this was a dangerous mission for junior officers, he was calm. this mission shouldn''t be any more difficult than dealing with artaud and three level 114 mercenaries. as such, he was relaxed and confident he could handle any adversity along the way.


    ... minos continued his journey for another 10 days, slowing down his speed and becoming more cautious.


    based on the guild''s expectations and his own analysis, minos knew he was close to the enemy portal, which he could reach at any moment.


    now he was walking along a difficult stone path, where several sharp hills surrounded the horizon, with almost no vegetation in sight.


    the narrow terrain, only wide enough for a wagon to pass at a time, and the proximity of a gorge, would make the heart of an unprepared person flutter.


    the area''s strong winds, capable of blowing bodies off the ground if one wasn''t careful, also sent shivers down the spines of people unprepared for the challenges of the area. these winds came out of nowhere, surprising even people like minos.


    but he used his ability to predict the future to his advantage, keeping steadily on the path that led to the top of one mountain in the area, the only route available to anyone who needed or wanted to use the lost soul trail.


    but for groups like minos'' guild, using lost soul trail was a necessity. considering the areas within the lost soul region that were rich in various types of special resources¡ªareas that could only be reached by using that path¡ªthe guild couldn''t give up on this journey or the mission at hand.


    knowing this, minos would soon be nearing the top of the mountain he had been climbing for the past few minutes.


    when he finally had a certain feeling, he stopped moving and focused his bright eyes forward to where a spatial distortion lay.


    ''this is the portal.''


    minos noticed this construction of high-level, difficult to build even for powerful cultivators.


    only supremes with special characteristics in zocarro could create portals like it without spending many years of their lives on such projects!


    for sovereigns like minos, such a thing was almost impossible, and usually required a lot of time and many men working together.


    but firestone mines had invested a lot in the construction of this portal, making it difficult for other forces to pass through this area of the lost soul trail, but also taking advantage of this opportunity to make better use of the lost soul region.


    because of this, minos would soon see others who, like him, were there to sabotage firestone mines'' plans for the area!


    as he approached the portal, he saw three groups lurking around, each plotting against the portal and the firestone mines men in the area.


    ''it seems the missions hall has misclassified this mission. this is much more difficult than a junior officer can solve.'' minos noticed the cultivation of the firestone mines members, as well as the spiritual stability of that portal, which was the size of a four-story building, in the highest area of that hill.

 Chapter 2524 Temporary Allies

    chapter 2524  temporary allies  as soon as he got close enough to the top of the hill, minos noticed the cultivation of the surrounding men, either those who were there to cause trouble, like him, or those who were part of firestone mines, the guards stationed around the portal.


    the groups of people who seemed to have negative intentions toward the portal and firestone mine were basically sovereigns with cultivation levels between 111 and 113. meanwhile, the guards around the portal, who numbered over 50 people, had cultivation levels between 112 and 114.


    there didn''t seem to be any supreme beings around, which was to be expected, since such beings would hardly stay outside their headquarters.


    in a world where the strongest were supremes, regardless of whether they were the strongest or weakest of the 12th stage, it was unlikely that such a strong specialist would be in a place like this, where there was nothing of great value for supremes.


    as much as such a portal would cost the efforts of supremes, it would be difficult for a supreme to attack such a place because they would force other supremes to move. therefore, what wasn''t essential for such strong cultivators was usually guarded by sovereigns.


    minos knew this. the logic behind it was the same for lower levels. however, there was one problem that someone who had once been a monarch couldn''t help but notice.


    ''is firestone mines trying to start a war?'' he asked himself with a sour expression on his face.


    if he and the other groups in the area destroyed this portal today, what would firestone mines do next? revenge, of course. this sect didn''t go to the trouble of creating this place just to have it destroyed!


    ''is this sect looking for an excuse to start a confrontation with the guild and other powers?'' minos thought as he watched. certain things couldn''t happen. as much as certain plans could strengthen a group, in some situations, if several other groups were fighting over the same resource or exploit it, if one tried to take a dominant position, a conflict would break out.


    therefore, the appropriate decision was always to avoid being dominant and to share the resource to be exploited in order to take advantage of the opportunity and avoid clashing with forces of similar power.


    of course, the competing forces had to be of similar power to yours for this situation to be valid. otherwise, the strongest could act without worrying about the weakest.


    that''s why acting like firestone mines was so complicated. their actions in that area of lost soul were the same as shouting to the world that they were stronger than all the other powers interested in that area!


    but the powers that were there, like armhands, wouldn''t take that easy!


    ''are they trying to provoke a confrontation to justify their actions? i have a bad feeling about this. armhands may soon be involved in a war between supremes.'' minos thought about this, feeling the need to prepare his group.


    but amid his analysis of the situation, he couldn''t help but think of the black heart mission.


    gulp!


    ''don''t tell me that''s what the council wanted the stuff i collected¡­'' he wondered as he turned a few degrees paler, more and more certain that something big was going on between the great powers of the central region.


    ''i will look into it when i get back to the guild. for now, i have to complete this mission, but i''m afraid i can''t do it alone.'' he looked around, where three groups clearly had the same intentions as him.


    because of his bright eyes, minos could see these three groups, unlike the members of firestone mines in the area. because of his incorruptible heart, he easily perceived the negative intentions of these groups.


    there were 10 people in these three groups, far less than the enemy''s numbers, but it was the best minos could use to his advantage.


    he sneaked up on the weakest and least numerous group of the three, a team of three individuals, two of them at level 111 and one at level 113.


    appearing behind the three, about 70 meters away, minos said in their minds, ''you three, let''s talk. i wish you no harm. i want to destroy the portal in front of you as well as you.''


    hearing minos'' strange voice in their minds, the three looked around, frightened, not having noticed anyone approaching.


    ''i am behind you.''


    they immediately turned around, ready to deal with minos if he was an enemy.


    despite minos'' words, they couldn''t trust a complete stranger so easily!


    minos showed his hands in a sign of peace and continued to speak with his mind. ''let''s not get carried away. we don''t want to alert our enemies that we are here. as i said, my goal is the portal, not you three.''


    ''who are you? why should we trust you?'' asked the strongest of them, glaring at minos, but not letting himself be startled, not wanting to spoil his own mission.


    ''my name is minos stuart. i''m a member of armhands. i''ve been sent on a mission to destroy the enemy portal. and you?''


    ''armhands?''


    ''armhands are an enemy of firestone mines.'' one of the two women behind the man commented between them.


    seeing the symbol on minos'' forehead, they were sure he wasn''t lying.


    even so, the way minos had approached them had frightened them, and now they still felt uncomfortable.


    minos said. ''i have some powers that make it easier to analyze terrain like the one we''re in. besides the four of us, i know that there are seven other individuals in the area right now, staring at the members of firestone mines and planning an attack.


    the truth is, our chances of making a difference here are slim. but together, we might destroy this portal and complete our respective missions.''  s§×ar?h the n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''there are seven others? where are they?'' another woman stepped forward, worried.


    the level 112 man motioned for her to be quiet and looked at minos. ''why should we trust you? who can guarantee that you are not an enemy and that you are with these seven?''


    ''i approached you first because you are the weakest in the area. but soon after you ally with me, i will approach the next trio to form a strong, united group with the same goal. the fall of the firestone mine portal!''

 Chapter 2525 Convincing Allies

    chapter 2525  convincing allies  the three cultivators in front of minos became even more tense, staring at him and scanning their surroundings, afraid of what this strange alien might really have in mind.


    suspicious, they wouldn''t easily believe minos just because of the fine words of this level 105 sovereign.


    the fact someone so ''weak'' would risk himself so close to them and the firestone mines portal was a mystery, a warning sign that could not be ignored.


    but after a few seconds of silence, looking around and watching minos'' movements, they realized there was no one else around and he was too peaceful.


    they couldn''t feel the hydra amulet around minos'' neck, and while his spiritual foundation was impressive, it wasn''t to the point where it would frighten them as long as he didn''t use his innate ability.


    ''he''s hiding something. he''s too calm,'' the level 112 man told his companions.


    minos stood silently, waiting for their decision, still holding his hands up, signaling he didn''t intend to act against them. seeing they were unsure whether to consider him an enemy or an ally, minos said, ''i am a seer. if we act together, we can form the team i told you about and deal with the enemies. but if we stand against each other, or even attack the portal separately, we will end badly.''


    ''a seer?'' one of the two women understood why he was risking himself so close to them.


    not every seer could see the future in real time like minos could. but most of those who had reached his cultivation level could at least guess where their next steps would take them.


    if minos were there before them, he must be confident this union would work.


    ''destroying the portal won''t be difficult. i believe we''ve all been given devices that will serve the purpose of destroying it. but dealing with the dozens of enemies here, well, i don''t know if you can.''


    ''but you can?'' the man asked with a sarcastic tone.


    ''yes, because i can see things you can''t. that''s how i found you when you were hiding here. it''s how i know about the other seven and how to reach our goals with the least risk to our lives.''


    minos smiled confidently as he looked into the man''s uncertain eyes.


    one of the two women stepped forward, surprising her companions. ''so what do you propose?''


    her two companions looked at her wide-eyed, the man signaling for her to step back and leave the situation to him.


    ''we have no choice. he''s found us and his analysis is correct. even if his goals aren''t as transparent as he sounds, everything he said is too disturbing not to at least try.'' she insisted.


    minos replied as he saw the three of them looking at each other, clearly discussing the situation. ''the first step is to form a group of 11. once we all agree, we''ll make a plan that involves infiltrating and sabotaging the portal. i can facilitate the group''s journey to infiltrate and confront the forces of firestone mines. in return, everyone in the group will have to swear not to attack each other while in the lost soul region. we will go our separate ways as soon as the situation proves favorable for a separation.''  sea??h th§× n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''can you really do that? why should i trust a level 105 sovereign?'' the same woman who had questioned him asked, her gaze deep. although she was inclined to ally herself with minos, that didn''t mean she would blindly risk it.


    the other two looked at minos in anticipation of his answer, accepting the position of this green-skinned, red-haired woman.


    ''if you agree to join me, you''ll understand better. for now, i can only guarantee in our agreement that i will give you the conditions i promised. i''m willing to make a deal with you before you pledge your alliance to me.'' in other words, he would pledge to keep his words with an oath that could trigger a punishment if he failed to fulfill it!


    the three understood the proposal well and looked at each other, seeing that minos had his plan and they wouldn''t have to ally themselves without a commitment from him first.


    as unsure as they were, it was enough for them to know he wouldn''t become an immediate threat.


    ''all right. if you really do what you say, we agree to work together temporarily.'' the man from level 112 sighed as he agreed.


    minos then did what he had to do to make that commitment, assuring them he would make it possible for them to infiltrate the terrain above and fight their enemies on better terms.


    at the end of their agreement, after the three had promised they would fight with the same goal in return and not act against him while in the lost soul region, they moved on to the other trio nearby.


    this second trio was a little stronger than them, with three level 112 sovereigns.


    the next group they approached was stronger, with four members, one at level 111, one at level 112, and two at level 113.


    after a few minutes of trying to convince the other trio to join them, minos and his new allies were successful, and soon set out to find the remaining group of possible allies out there.


    this time, however, they were more cautious in their approach to avoid any misunderstandings that might spoil their plans.


    minos communicated with them first before approaching, revealing his location, the composition of the group, and his aim before even coming face to face with the four aliens.


    in such a sensitive location and preparing to carry out a dangerous mission, the last four aliens he tried to ally with obviously didn''t accept his approach easily and quickly.


    but with the problems that could prevent the formation of his temporary team in this place in mind, minos skillfully avoided a future in which the two large groups of enemies of firestone mines there would turn against each other.


    two hours after arriving in the area, he had his team of 10 high-level sovereigns ready for action!

 Chapter 2526 Infiltration

    chapter 2526  infiltration  with the ten allies near the peak where the portal was and the men from firestone mines, minos talked about his plans of action.


    ''we need to act quickly, so let''s follow a simple plan.'' he said in the minds of these alien men and women, members of three different forces, all there to deal with firestone mines.


    they would not gather in one place. that would be too risky, with the potential to attract enemy attention. while they were all in different positions near the top of the hill, minos continued to mentally communicate with them.


    ''i need three of you to accompany me and install the sabotage devices our forces have given us. you will come with me to the portal, while the others will prepare to attack the members of firestones mines if the four of us draw the attention of the enemy or get into trouble.


    once we''ve detonated the portal and ensured its destruction, if our group isn''t under heavy attack, we''ll split up and flee the area.''


    minos finished explaining his plan, something simple but also detailed and easy to understand the roles of everyone.


    ''who will go with you?'' asked one of the two strongest members of the group. his gaze turned towards the portal where every few minutes wagons came and went from this huge spatial distortion.


    the firestone mines portal was as big as a building, with a large rectangular arch separating the surrounding space from the area of the spatial distortion, capable of being used as a passageway even by giant beings.


    on the outskirts of this portal was a large stone platform and many tents, with a military encampment on top of it, something that would prevent almost any group from passing through this part of the lost soul trail today.


    minos replied, also with an eye to the problems ahead. ''we can''t take the strongest or the weakest in the group. they should stay behind, ready to help us if we run into trouble.


    therefore, all three of them must be level 112 cultivators.''


    the leader of the first trio that minos approached agreed to take the risk with him, while the other two teams decided who would go with them.


    ''how are you going to help us fight?'' the other level 113 cultivator in the area asked as he watched everyone prepare to put the plan into action.


    ''don''t worry, my life will be in danger if the seven of you can''t support the four of us. if you have to fight, you know how i''ll help you,'' minos replied as he prepared to act, while his three infiltration companions slowly and cautiously approached his position.


    the others didn''t feel so comfortable with minos'' answer and turned their eyes to his position for a moment. but he had sworn an oath, something that would compromise him if he didn''t keep his promises.


    trusting minos'' oath, they took their positions for the start of this dangerous mission.


    ''let''s go. time to act.'' minos said to the three who had arrived at his side, not hesitating to take the first steps forward.


    the three followed behind him, stepping exactly where minos stepped, so carefully that they seemed to be walking above eggs.


    their breathing became almost imperceptible to themselves, while the group watching them sweated nervously, their energies moving in their bodies, ready to act at any moment.


    minos sensed what was about to happen and led his people along the best possible path to avoid as many guards as possible.


    ideally, it would be perfect if they could reach the portal, place their sabotage devices, and then flee the area without a fight. this, however, bordered on the impossible.


    with so many men nearby, they would run into trouble at some point of the infiltration.


    minos delayed the trouble as long as he could and reached the position of three level 112 men in his path.


    ''there is no way we can avoid a confrontation with these three.'' minos turned to his companions as he paused behind a tent just 33 meters from the enemy portal.


    the three broke into a cold sweat when they heard this. three level 112 men as enemies was a guarantee that they would fail!


    they were only level 112 sovereigns. it would be almost impossible to stop those three without causing an uproar!


    ''what are we going to do?'' one man asked worriedly. ''do we get our allies to move?''


    ''i''ll take care of them. you go ahead and arm your detonators,'' minos prepared to act.


    the three looked at him strangely, as they had not seen enough of minos to believe he was capable of something as impressive as dealing with three level 112 opponents.


    "stand aside.'' minos moved away from the three allies, preparing for the chaos to begin.


    before taking the decisive step here, he communicated with the other seven, ''prepare to fight in 20 seconds!''


    they all swallowed their saliva while the three looked at minos, sweating profusely. 20 seconds was more than enough for them to arm their sabotage devices, but not enough to escape the battle.


    however, with no other choice, the three prepared to proceed without minos and take advantage of the position he wanted to give them by acting.


    when they all signaled that they were ready, minos made the divine seal and summoned three black coffins containing level 112 corpses to that place.


    upon seeing this, the level 112 man minos had first approached opened his eyes wide and understood the source of minos'' confidence.  sear?h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''so that''s it! he can summon warriors far away from us!''


    as the three of them hid and prepared to run at minos'' signal, the three enemy level 112 sovereigns nearby sensed something was wrong in minos'' direction.


    however, when they went to check, minos'' cultivation had already reached level 108, while deadly cuts appeared on their bodies.


    ''now!'' minos said to his three allies, causing them to run towards the portal while staring at him in awe.


    ignoring the looks in his direction, minos didn''t let the three enemies he had just dealt with die in vain. using his innate ability, he transferred the cultivation of those three to some of his allies nearby.


    by doing so, he also drew the attention of all the dozens of sovereigns in the firestone miles camp!

 Chapter 2527 Battle and Destruction

    chapter 2527  battle and destruction the moment minos stole the cultivation of those three and finished killing them, the six level 114 sovereigns in the camp raised their auras along with the other guards in position.


    in the blink of an eye, 15 seconds after the start of minos'' flashy move, every single one of firestone mines'' men in the camp had their attention on minos and his three companions.


    the three had already reached the portal and were setting up their detonators, a horrible sight for the men of this unit.


    "shit! invaders!"


    "prepare for battle!" shouted the first men, half of them moving against minos, the other half going for the heads of the three who had just finished installing their bombs in the portal.


    as they flew off, already attacking minos and the three level 112 sovereigns acting with him inside the camp, the enemies'' seven companions attacked the members of firestone mines, now with their backs to them.


    of the seven, three were level 111, two were level 112, and two were level 113 individuals, with the level 112 sovereigns now at level 113, and the level 111 sovereigns at level 112.


    feeling the movement of his charges, minos approached the weaker enemies while deflecting the attacks of the stronger ones. he went in search of the temporary level increase of his level 113 companions and the three allies who had just finished installing the detonation devices!


    three more level 113 allies appeared in minos'' group, while two level 114 men opened their eyes wide as they attacked the enemies from behind.


    "shit!"


    "fuck! it''s a trap!"


    several of the strongest firestone mine members trembled as they felt the spiritual fluctuations of the enemies increase, while deadly attacks approached them while they were unprepared.


    minos didn''t stand still as he increased the total power of his group, surprising each of his allies with this sudden strengthening of the group.


    while the three corpses felt their cultivation reach level 113 and moved around with a smile on their lips, thirsting for blood, minos moved against the strongest in the area, looking for a challenge.


    using invisibility and intangibility, he appeared two meters behind one of the strongest opponents in the area. then, using temporal sands, an hourglass formed around the man''s body, slowing him down as his energies drained from his body and soul.


    a golden sword materialized in minos'' hands and he moved it horizontally toward the enemy''s neck.


    using gravity to his advantage to strengthen his attack and his ability to confine the unprepared enemy in front of him, minos reached the enemy''s neck.  s§×ar?h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    he didn''t sever it, nor did he manage to kill the enemy with this single blow. but before minos disappeared and moved on to another opponent, this level 114 enemy fell to the ground, his body paralyzed as he bled profusely.


    surrounded by blades and with a wound that was sapping his strength, he was in dire straits! if he didn''t flee or get high-level medical help in a hurry, he might die from this attack alone!


    unfortunately for this mighty warrior, not as strong as artaud but tougher than minos'' old enemy, the one who wounded him wasn''t the only worrying enemy around!


    one of the sovereigns who was temporarily at level 114, took advantage of the exciting feeling of being at that level to attack the strongest enemies in the area.


    seeing minos'' enemy was wounded, he dodged the counterattack of another level 114 sovereign before using his octopus legs to break the wounded man''s body in half.


    at the same time, minos used his remaining energy to wound two more level 114 sovereigns, while his other strongest ally in the area took the chance to kill another peak opponent.


    the remaining 8 living companions and 2 corpses also used as much of their temporarily borrowed power as they could, killing over 15 creatures 20 seconds after the battle broke out.


    with half the group dead and the blood and corpses of the enemies spreading like a plague, minos gave the signal for his companions to activate the sabotage devices.


    the bombs of these three groups were activated and their timers began to work, giving 30 seconds to anyone who wanted to flee.


    minos collected the strongest corpses in the area, avoiding all other opponents while feeling his cultivation drop to level 107.


    his innate ability could strengthen him, but how long these temporary powers would last depended on how he used them. if he used it to deal with a level 112 fight, these powers would last for several minutes. but if he used them against level 114 opponents, seconds would be all he had.


    as his powers dwindled as half of his enemies died and his allies weakened, minos prepared for his escape.


    everyone was to leave, as previously planned, when there were 18 seconds left before the bombs detonated¡ªthe time needed to ensure the enemies could not disarm the bombs and they could escape in time.


    at the count of 11 seconds since the bombs were activated, minos abandoned the other bodies in the area and began his escape at the same time as the rest of his temporary allies, each group fleeing in different directions.


    the remaining enemies, three level 114 sovereigns, seven level 113 sovereigns, and the rest level 112 beings, tried to follow them for a moment, angry with today''s enemies.


    but after moving for two seconds, they looked back, knowing they would lose their portal if they just left everything behind and ran after the enemies.


    "you weaker ones will chase them; their power will fall and they''ll be vulnerable to us," said the strongest of the remnants as he and two others returned to disarm the bombs placed around the portal.


    the weaker ones did what they were supposed to and headed off in four different directions while the three of them approached the portal.


    just as they were about to reach the three high-level bombs, they ran into barriers in their path.


    "shit!"


    the three of them shouted at the same time as they saw the timer was about to reset, while barriers stood in their way that would take them at least 10 seconds to overcome.


    realizing there was nothing they could do, they turned to run.


    three seconds later, the three bombs reached 0 and self-detonated!


    ka-booooooooooooooooooooooooom!


    the three level 114 men were too close to the area affected by the explosion. the moment the flash appeared at the position of that portal, their bodies were engulfed in flames and disappeared amid the disaster.


    a strong wind spread out, and a few moments later, those who had fled were the first to hear the powerful bang, which could scare people up to several hundred kilometers away from the focus of the explosion.

 Chapter 2528 Mission Completed

    chapter 2528  mission completed  after four minutes of rushing to the base of the hill where the firestone mines portal had once stood, minos looked back to see confirmation of his target''s destruction. stopping far enough from the top of the mountain to avoid being caught in the explosion that burned the outskirts of the peak, he summoned some sort of capture artifact from his spatial ring.


    ''almost all of them are dead...''


    minos thought as he saw the enemies who had tried to follow them instead of disarming the bombs dealing with their own problems because they had been too close to the explosion at the moment of detonation.


    unlike the three level 114 sovereigns, who no one in the area could tell if they were alive, the people who were supposed to chase them were alive. however, after being hit by various aftereffects of the explosion, some of them were disoriented, their ears bleeding while they could barely walk. others had their bodies on fire, and some had suffered from the strong winds and objects thrown about by the blast.


    two beings had stones or sticks piercing their bodies and were in no condition to continue the chase they had started seconds ago.


    "i''ll send you two back to the guild. i should be fine on my own." minos said to the three corpses beside him, both of them looking in the direction of the destruction.


    "good luck."


    "this problem is more complicated than it looks."


    they all had smiles on their faces, but their words were more serious than their expressions of satisfaction at today''s battle gave way.


    "i know," minos said. the three of them entered their coffins and disappeared. moments later, they were teleported back to the faction''s cave.


    after gathering the evidence he needed to collect his merit points, minos left the area with enough evidence to show the guild how his mission had been misjudged and to request a change in the merit points he should receive.


    he headed back the way he had come, his cultivation returning to level 105, while none of his former allies were anywhere near him.


    ...


    as minos and his allies fled, one of the least injured survivors of the explosion a few moments ago was now at the edge of a stream, finally extinguishing the flames that had reached his body.


    while his face wrinkled at the situation he found himself in, his limbs convulsed, his deep burns making him feel the inferno in his own flesh.


    even after extinguishing the searing flames that had struck him, the burns on 60% of his body didn''t seem to have changed at all.


    still, he struggled to reach the device in his storage item and used what little energy he had left to send a signal to his force.


    his communication device, a purple crystal the size of a human hand, glowed for a moment before a voice came from it.  s§×ar?h the n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "this is outer elder pruncol. what''s your status?"


    "we lost the portal. the entire group has been killed," the alien said. he tried not to show his pain in his voice.


    "all right, i''ll send reinforcements."


    "forget it. the enemies have already fled and there''s no chance for me to survive." said the creature, determined to complete his mission. "armhands, aspiring thugs, bitter predators, and ebonbrows attacked us. they are responsible for this incident."


    "oh? are they allied?" the voice on the other end of the line asked, not caring what had happened, but who had done it.


    "i can''t say. however, it is a fact that a member of the armhands led the attack. this person¡ª"


    "guardian? senior, what were you going to say?" the crystal''s voice asked as the device fell from the burned being''s hands while his eyes lost all light.


    ...


    days later, in the heart of the firestone mines territory...


    in one of the five major cities in the central area of oqia, about three months away from examire, the beautiful headquarters of this sect was embedded in the middle of an old mining area, in a mountainous area.


    in this place, in a stone castle with shapes that were difficult to understand, there was a hall where half a dozen high-level creatures were gathered.


    "so armhands, aspiring thugs, bitter predators, and ebonbrows..." said one of these creatures, a being with a huge beaver''s body and blood-red eyes.


    the others nearby smiled, their gazes full of meaning and depth, each of them looking toward this beaver with its skeletal body, white fur, and monstrous teeth.


    "it''s time to put the leader''s plans into action."


    "we are finally starting! it''s time to confront those old demons and put them in their place!"


    "elder, are you ready?"


    the great beaver opened his mouth, forming a mischievous smile as he narrowed his enormous eyes. "prepare our troops. we will attack the blue field in response to this aggression!"


    each of the supremes there rose from their seats, bowed their heads, and promised to return with good news.


    "our next target will be the aspiring thuns. in the meantime, prepare our allies to deal with the bitter predators and ebonbrowns."


    "yes, elder. we''ll do our best!"


    when he was alone, the big beaver looked out over the balcony of the hall and smiled as he thought of the outstanding leader of firestone mines.


    ''what can you do now, old friends? it''s time to return to the worlds you came from. let''s rid our planet of these pests!''


    ...


    the days flew by, and soon minos returned to the guild after his recent long journey.


    however, as soon as he arrived in the city, he noticed a change in the general atmosphere of the area, a tension in the air that made the normally lively and bustling area more cold and apathetic.


    as he passed the guild entrance, he realized something had happened during his absence and rushed to check on his people.


    before going to the missions hall to complain that the level of the quest he was about to complete was much higher than the sector expected, he went to his faction''s cave.


    luckily, when he arrived there, everything seemed to be fine, and the members of his party were there to relieve him of any immediate group problems.


    however, that didn''t mean that the guild was fine.


    "although the guild is fine, while you were away, we received news of an attack on the blue field, father. i think enemies of the guild are moving against us!" kendrick told his father what little he knew.

 Chapter 2529 The Guilty

    chapter 2529  the guilty  as soon as he heard what kendrick knew, minos left his party''s cave. he made his way to the guild council area, heading for the same place he had gone after returning from the spiritual world.


    when he arrived, minos didn''t hesitate to say that he might know who was behind the attack on the blue field before he could enter the council area and head for the chief commander''s office.


    from what he had heard from kendrick and overheard on his way to the council area, the guild was investigating who might be behind the attack, but they were not sure who the enemy was.


    when minos was too sure to say who was behind it, the man with an eye on the council entrance didn''t hesitate to take him to the commander.


    the level 117 supreme was also quick to greet minos. less than five minutes after the human with brown hair and a few white streaks entered the council area, he was in the office of the giant leader of the armhands'' operations.


    "officer minos, i didn''t expect to see you in my office again on such short notice." the man said as he looked at the small level 105 creature in front of him, and couldn''t help but notice the hydra amulet around minos'' neck.


    as much as the sovereigns couldn''t sense this artifact, he, a powerful supreme, could clearly sense a powerful presence sealed within it.


    ''oh? he didn''t have that before.'' he watched minos as the young man clenched one of his hands into a fist in greeting.


    "commander, i''ve just returned from a mission in the lost soul region. firestone mines had built a portal on the main road in the area that was causing problems for the guild." minos cut through the small talk and got right to the point.


    "firestone mines? hmm, i''ve heard of such a portal. those old men have lost their sense of danger by acting so arrogantly." the commander''s face grew angry, but not to the extent that minos thought this man should. "but how does this relate to the attack on the blue field?"


    "i believe that those who attacked the blue field were the very ones behind the portal that i helped destroy."


    the chief commander''s eyes narrowed as he stared silently at minos, his thoughts converging on the subject, analyzing the young man''s suspicion.


    "why do you think that?" asked the right hand of the chief commander, standing at the entrance of this office, which was as large as minos'' imperial hall in the dry city.


    minos looked at this level 114 man and opened his mouth. "the lost soul trail is an important area for several high-ranking forces in the central region. a force that wants to monopolize the area with a portal and a group of high-level sovereigns are declaring war on all other organizations in the area and telling the world they are superior to everyone else.


    when i arrived at lost soul trail, i did not know the portal i had to destroy was so important. but when i encountered a group of several level 113 and 114 warriors, a portal so large that dozens of beings could pass through it at once, i understood this couldn''t be a naive attempt to take advantage of others."


    the commander''s gaze grew solemn, his dormant aura floating out of his control, a flicker of anger escaping from his enormous eyes.


    "that..." the general felt his facial muscles twitch, his veins bulging.


    he was not an inexperienced warrior. he knew such moves were not ill-considered. the problem was not that firestone mines was investing to show dominance in the lost soul region, but that they were investing heavily in something that couldn''t work.


    none of the major forces in the central region were powerful enough to dominate lost soul so much. and yet, firestone mines had made such an enormous investment?


    firestone mines weren''t run by amateur fools!


    "so they''re looking for a reason to attack us? that''s why you think they''re behind the attack on the blue field?" the commander looked at minos with a different mind, seeing before him not just any junior, but a man of great importance to the guild.


    "yes, commander. that''s quite a coincidence." minos said, before adding what had happened in his experience in the lost soul region.


    "i wasn''t the only one who attacked the enemy portal. besides me, ten aliens, members of the aspiring thugs, bitter predators, and ebonbrows sects, took part in the battle that resulted in the death of the men from firestone mines and the destruction of the portal.  sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    this leads me to believe if my analysis is correct, these forces will be attacked soon, if they haven''t already been."


    the general looked at the commander and said. "i will send men to investigate if these three forces have been attacked. i''ll put our spies in position near the firestone mines headquarters to move as well."


    "do that. i''ll talk to the elders about this problem. if minos is right, there may be more to it than we can see. firestone mines is not easy. if they want to start a war suddenly, maybe one of their elders has overcome a cultivation bottleneck!"


    the general almost immediately broke out in a cold sweat, fearing that this was the case.


    when someone reached the 12th stage, breakthroughs were so rare that those beings usually stayed at the same level for several generations.


    like the commander of armhands, he had been at level 117 for 3,000 years, and at that level, he had seen several generations of guild members join, grow up, die, and be replaced. in the meantime, his cultivation had not changed.


    supremes could stay at the same level for a long time. but when one of them advanced, or even when one of them was about to die, well, troublesome problems might arise!


    the general nodded to the commander and then left.


    "officer minos, come with me. today you''ll meet with the council of elders." the commander motioned for minos to follow him as he led the way.


    "this..." minos hesitated for a moment, not expecting the commander to take him to the strongest of the guild so easily.


    "it is strange that your mission has led you to such strong opponents. we''ll deal with it later and correct this mistake. for now, just come with me. the elders will want to see what you saw in the lost soul."


    "all right."

 Chapter 2530 Council of Elders

    chapter 2530  council of elders  following the chief commander, minos felt like he was stepping on eggs as he walked through the guild''s main building, careful where he stepped and where he looked.


    this was no ordinary place. everyone there was a level 114 sovereign or supreme, and there was no one weaker than that except for himself.


    the area of the council was not large. with only a few members of such high ranks, the council basically comprised five buildings and a central square.


    one of the buildings, where minos was standing now, was the guild''s government building, which housed the council of elders and the commander''s office.


    of the four remaining buildings, two were the residential areas, one being the home of the generals, and the other being the residences of the elders and the chief commander of the guild.


    of the two remaining buildings, one was a majestic hall that housed not only the guild''s high-level library, but also the cultivation areas for the council members. the last building was the home of the supreme leader, the strongest man behind armhands, the true leader of this organization.


    according to gossip in the guild''s inner circle, the supreme leader rarely left his residence to attend to guild business. as much as his name implied he ruled the force, in reality he was more of a last protector, someone who would take the reins of the guild should disaster befall the organization.


    in normal times, the commander would run the guild with the help of the council of elders, while the supreme leader could remain in seclusion at his estate.


    today, minos would ''only'' meet with the council of elders, but he couldn''t help but feel his heart leaping in his chest.


    "i''m sure i don''t have to tell you how to behave in front of the elders, do i?" the commander smiled at minos as he stopped at the end of the corridor he had followed after leaving his office.


    minos nodded to the man, showing that he understood this was not the place for him to raise his voice unless asked, where he had to be careful with every gesture he made.


    "then we won''t have any problems. the elders are not monsters." the commander smiled at minos before losing his good mood and opening the golden door in his path.


    the moment he opened the door at the end of the corridor, a flash of lightning appeared, capable of blinding the weak and undeserving to reach that place.


    minos moved his arms to shield his eyes, unable to see anything in front of him. all he could see was a strong white light, while he felt something pass through his body as if it were wind, but it wasn''t wind.


    ''that feeling...'' he felt his lips dry as his knees wobbled.


    "elders, i bring an urgent matter to your consideration." the commander bowed his head as 10 semi-transparent individuals materialized in this place.


    "what is the need to bring a guild junior to this place?" a voice that minos could barely understand asked, as the human felt his consciousness float, on the verge of fainting at the presence of the elders.


    "minos is a witness to what i consider being a rather disturbing action. if his analysis is correct, i''m afraid we''re on the verge of an all-out war in the central region. unfortunately, we will not escape this conflict without blood on our hands."


    navey''s eyes narrowed as he understood the situation. but even though he knew exactly what minos had seen, he raised a hand, making a spiritual hand appear over this young man of his interest, taking the opportunity to evaluate him more closely.


    ''you two are really compatible. seeing you in person is really different. the hydra amulet suits you very well.'' navey thought for a moment, a mysterious smile tugging at the corner of his lips.


    a second later, navey said to his nine colleagues. "the situation officer minos witnessed looks troubling. firestone mines looks suspicious. we should move first and prepare for the worst."


    sediel''s mistress didn''t accept this without investigating for herself, letting her long gel hair touch minos'' body, sensing what he had seen for himself.


    "why are you so sure, elder? although what minos has seen is very disturbing, i see no reason to make a fuss."


    "minos is a gifted seer. his feeling comes not only from facts, but from a divine sixth sense." navey answered the level 120 woman''s question.


    "first elder, i recommend that we seriously consider minos'' warning. i''ve already sent men to investigate what he warned us about, so we''d better prepare for his suspicions to be confirmed. we''ll be able to strike more quickly if i have the support of the council on standby." the level 122 old man, the strongest of these elders, the one who had been on the ''verge'' of death, closed his eyes after a good look at minos.


    "go ahead with your plans. the council will support you if firestone mines is indeed behind this incident." as soon as he said these words, the old man disappeared as quickly as he had appeared, and all the others agreed and did the same, turning their attention to their own cultivations.


    as beings who were already at the peak of oqia''s power, they were looking for the next step, to achieve enough to enter the upper realm!


    unless the guild was under direct attack, or there was concrete evidence that firestone mines was sabotaging them, they were unlikely to move.


    minos could barely comprehend this brief encounter as he collided with the powerful auras of the ten elders, whose powers ranged from level 118 to 122.


    their auras in a single environment were like an ocean, while minos'' power was like a small bucket of water!


    it wasn''t easy to face so many experts and stay conscious!


    but if they were so powerful, what level would the supreme leader be at?


    "impressive!" he muttered as he fell to his knees on the ground after the last of the elders had disappeared, his clothes completely soaked.  sea??h th§× n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the commander looked at minos for a second, but then left, carrying the junior officer who had completed a senior officer-level mission.


    "wait a few days and go to the mission hall to collect your reward. everything will be settled by then."

 Chapter 2531 Awards

    chapter 2531  awards  two days later¡­


    minos was in the dark about what was going on among the most important members of the guild regarding the alert he had dropped to the commander.


    although he had been involved in a high-profile matter and had possibly provided the justification firestone mines wanted for attacking the armhands, he could not be blamed for anything, nor would he be involved, at least for the time being.


    minos had only carried out a mission created by his superiors, so he could never be blamed for starting a chain of attacks and vendettas between the two forces.


    despite his impressive strength, he was still only a level 105 sovereign, a junior officer who shouldn''t get involved in such serious matters.


    after testifying before the council of elders, he returned to his group to continue his own affairs, waiting for his reward for the mission he had completed on lost soul trail.


    ...


    after almost two days of constant cultivation in his family''s special cave, minos left gloria''s side and went to his faction''s cave.


    he had planned to go to the missions hall in the morning to finish the previous mission, but with the faction''s cave on the way, he passed through quickly.


    the cave was still the same as before, with the same number of black coffins decorating the surroundings, and artifacts and cultivation items stored in special showcases.


    some members of the faction were cultivating, while someone was keeping an eye on the surroundings.


    someone always guarded the group''s cave. even though this place was secure and difficult to break into, minos had given explicit orders to his staff to take turns and always have someone guarding the place.


    the one who was there this morning was rhett.


    "minos, are you going to finish your mission?" asked minos'' former superior when he and his group had joined the guild centuries ago.


    minos greeted the alien, seeing him for the first time since his recent trip to the lost soul region.


    "yes, how are things here? any problems with the jade chainsaws?" minos asked, but without the solemnity he usually carried when dealing with that faction lately.


    he had stayed in his cave since returning from the meeting with the guild''s council of elders, so he wasn''t aware of all the situations involving his group.


    "they are silent. with your return and the lack of communication from artaud, i think they already suspect what happened. but it''s hard to believe you got rid of a level 114 sovereign, so they need to investigate the matter before they freak out." rhett looked at minos reflexively.


    he himself wouldn''t have believed what he''d heard if he hadn''t seen artaud''s body!


    minos had brought back several bodies from the lost soul region, including general artaud''s. abby hadn''t used her powers on them yet, since the group didn''t have urns capable of storing these beings in their post-revival state.


    minos kept them in his spatial ring, waiting for the day when they would get more urns or when his and abby''s powers would get stronger.


    gloria looked at minos and said. "but it won''t stay that way for long. they have their methods to find out if artaud is alive or dead. if they find out that he''s dead, they''ll take their next step against us. they certainly won''t believe that you killed him, so it''s possible that they''ll try a new attack before changing their strategy." "for now, let''s continue with our plans. let the enemies do what they need to do. we''ll continue to gain merit points and become stronger. much can change in a year or two." minos'' eyes sharpened as he saw delightful prospects for the future.


    if the enemies sent more peak sovereigns after him, it would only bring him more resources and new corpses!


    he wasn''t worried about that right now, so after saying goodbye to rhett, he and gloria went to the base of the mountain before he head to the guild''s inner area, leaving his wife behind in the outer area.


    ...


    upon entering the main hall of the missions hall, minos ignored the many aliens in the area, who were looking for optional missions, going to and from the counters, or just standing around talking to each other.


    the sound of jumbled conversations that were natural to this place was even louder this morning.


    on his way to the mission completion hall, minos overheard some of these conversations and couldn''t help but change his expression to one of interest.  s§×arch* the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "there have been more and more missions since the blue field was attacked. it seems the attack has made the guild more active."


    "that''s good for us. the quest rewards are 30% higher than usual."


    "tsk! but the danger is 100% worse! although this is clearly an opportunity, i don''t know if it''s worth the risk!"


    "for people as high up in the 11th stage as we are, this is a good thing. usually, we compete for the few good missions. now at least there''s a variety that can supply us all."


    "the balance seems positive. but i''m afraid we''re starting to get involved in a war... i hope it doesn''t go too far."


    minos looked away from the high-level sovereigns discussing this, seeing from afar that they were senior officers, which meant that these new missions were not for junior officers like him.


    ''i need to get my promotion quickly. only then will i be able to take advantage of the war''s opportunities.''


    he entered the wing responsible for completing missions and was soon recognized by one member of the missions hall.


    "officer minos stuart, i have good news for you," said the alien on the other side of the counter, smiling. "since you have completed a senior officer level mission while still being a junior officer, we will pay you 300,000 merit points. in addition, the commander has guaranteed your promotion to intermediate officer as soon as a vacancy occurs, as well as the right to claim an artifact from the guild''s inner territory treasury."


    minos'' eyes widened considerably, while the corners of his lips turned up.


    he hadn''t expected to be so rewarded after returning from the lost soul region!


    considering that a general had died, his position as an intermediate officer would soon be confirmed!


    "hehe, so that''s it. well, i have a device to return to the guild," minos said as he took something out of his spatial ring.


    "oh?"

 Chapter 2532 Dinner with Segiel

    chapter 2532  dinner with segiel at the sight of the sabotage artifact, a bomb capable of destroying even a building built by a supreme, the missions hall officer in front of minos opened his eyes wide.


    he looked at the device for a moment and then looked at minos, unbelieving this human had completed such a tough mission without even using the item given to him by the guild. not only that, no one would question minos if he kept such an artifact for himself.


    "you were much more efficient in this mission than i thought," the intermediate officer in front of minos said as he picked up the still sealed artifact. "may i ask why you''re returning it? you''ll obviously get more merit points for it, no matter what the reason."


    minos knew that. in fact, that was the reason he was returning the detonation item to the guild.


    "as powerful as this bomb is, it can''t be used to my advantage in a fight. it is a sabotage device." minos looked at the bomb. "i could only use it as a sabotage device or maybe as a trap. but i''m afraid it''s not as valuable to me as it is to the guild. i prefer the merit points of this device''s value."


    given the characteristics of this bomb, the chances of minos using it against enemies would be low. he didn''t usually ambush enemies. besides, he didn''t intend to fight supremes, preferring to deal with sovereigns using his powers, which could help him preserve the bodies of his enemies.


    after all, this device would be almost useless in his hands, unlike the merit points it was worth.


    "hmm, you''re right. using it without putting yourself in danger would be problematic, so you''d hardly be able to use it... anyway, i can pay you 100,000 merit points for this artifact.


    that''s only half of its value, but the guild rarely pays the full value of an item given to one of its members." the alien looked at minos seriously, giving him the opportunity not to make a deal.


    a hundred thousand merit points were worth more to him than a useless artifact!


    "wait a minute. i''ll add your points to your record," the officer said as he turned his attention to a device on his counter.


    "that''s fine with me." minos smiled, not caring. after two minutes, minos left the mission hall and went directly to the place where he could collect the artifact he had earned for completing the previous mission.


    ...


    by nightfall, minos had already left the item in his faction''s cave, leaving the artifact for someone who would generate merit for his group in the future.


    after taking care of a few things, continuing his studies as a seer, and training a bit, he went to segiel''s estate, having received her invitation for dinner that evening.


    minos intended to stay at headquarters before returning to the missions until his position as intermediate officer was announced by the records hall and he made some changes to his internal activities.


    as such, he would stay with the guild for a while before his next trip, giving him time for meetings like today''s.


    arriving at segiel''s estate, he soon found himself standing in front of the blue-haired woman, who now had a hard-to-resist smile on her face, her humor somewhat clear in her bright aura.


    she was wearing a beautiful white dress as she served minos the meal she had prepared for him.


    segiel didn''t usually do this, but today was a special occasion for her!


    "i didn''t expect you to be such an excellent cook," he said as he tasted her food, unable to resist eating without his usually refined manners.


    she sat down as she watched him taste her food, pleased that he approved of her culinary skills. "this is a gift from me. i imagine you''ve been busy with artaud, haven''t you?"


    "hmm, i managed to trap and kill him." minos hid part of the truth, not thinking it appropriate to tell this woman that he could use the hydras amulet to deal with enemies.


    no one but his family and faction members were supposed to know about the hydras amulet, so minos preferred not to appear as strong as he currently was.


    she smiled when she heard that, not doubting minos. "this will give me the chance to become a general in no time. so your action is already of great benefit to me."


    "that''s good." he smiled. "i have earned a promotion to intermediate officer, but first, an intermediate officer has to leave their position to become a senior officer."


    "that will happen in no time. in a month at the most, the guild will give artaud up for dead. the death of a general is not like the death of an ordinary member of the guild''s inner circle." she said with a smile before tasting her own food, drinking and eating next to minos.


    "if you work hard, we might be able to promote you to senior officer when you reach level 106." she suggested after a few moments of conversation between the two of them.


    "level 106? i think i''ll be able to collect the merit points long before then." he looked at her with a grimace.


    she smiled when she realized minos wasn''t as careful as she was. "if i''m not mistaken, you''ll be able to move up one level in about 12 years. you''d better wait until then. by then, you''ll be stronger and better able to handle the responsibilities of a high-ranking member of the guild''s inner circle.


    if you become a senior officer before then, be prepared to lose some of your freedom quickly, and to get involved in the war that may start soon."


    he put his cutlery aside for a moment and looked into segiel''s blue eyes. ''right, her master must have told her what i warned the guild about.''


    upon reflection, minos saw the sense in her words. an intermediate officer could get good missions, but he wouldn''t be so directly involved in the more complicated affairs of the guild. on the other hand, if a war broke out, a senior officer would be the first to be forced to perform war-related missions, with minimal or no merit points.


    ''if i get involved in a war, i won''t be able to fulfill my obligations in the seraphim world... i''d better wait to be promoted when i get back. by then, i''ll probably be at a cultivation level of 107, maybe 108. things will be better that way.''  s§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "hmm, thanks for the suggestion. i hadn''t thought about the consequences."

 Chapter 2533 Intermediate Officer

    chapter 2533  intermediate officer  after dinner with segiel, minos returned to his internal routine at armhands headquarters.


    he would spend time with each of his wives every day, train with his children from time to time, and fulfill his responsibilities as law enforcer in the internal area of the guild.


    it would be a few days before artaud''s situation was resolved. even after his death was confirmed, the promotion exam in which the senior officers would try to replace him would have to take place before the exam for the intermediate officers who would compete for the position of senior officer.


    it could take a few weeks for this entire process to take place, so minos had been performing his duties as law enforcer while waiting for the situation to be resolved.


    in the meantime, he had been leading his group through the guild''s internal situations. although artaud had died and the jade chainsaws hadn''t moved for the time being, there were still political disputes between the guild''s internal and external factions.


    for the next few days, minos would be very busy dealing with these issues, and he would still have to take some time off to cultivate and train his skills!


    ...


    six weeks after minos'' return to the guild...


    today, minos was once again patrolling the guild''s inner area, performing his role as law enforcer, the regular optional mission that he and his faction mates always performed to earn merit points.


    after losing his position as supervisor of the external law enforcement hall because of jembei''s actions, minos had returned to his role as law enforcer, this time in the guild''s internal area.


    but that was about to change!


    at the end of another individual patrol shift in the guild''s inner territory, he made his way back to the law enforcement hall in that area.


    minos had almost no problems at the moment. rumors that he had fought artaud had already spread, and hardly anyone wanted any trouble with him.


    minos had no problems because of those rumors. armhands was a guild that encouraged competition among its members and turned a blind eye to murder.


    unless there was concrete evidence of murder or actions against the guild''s rules, one was hardly ever punished for a rumor or something like that.


    artaud had already been presumed dead, but even so, minos was calm in his position and had no problems because of the rumors.


    but when he returned to the law enforcement hall from the inner area this afternoon, he couldn''t help but enter it with a smile on his face. ''segiel became artaud''s replacement last week, and the promotion exam for intermediate officers to compete for her position as senior officer took place yesterday. i should be notified of my promotion by the end of the week.''


    he was in a good mood as he entered the temple in the main downtown area.


    as he entered the law enforcement hall''s records area, minos encountered maximillian, who was coming out of an office next to an alien, the current law enforcement hall supervisor of the inner area.


    the level 112 man standing next to maximilian was the current head of the law enforcement hall. only the commander was above him.


    the law enforcement hall had no power within the council, so the head of the group was usually a senior officer.


    seeing these two, minos approached them, catching maximillian''s eye.


    "minos..."


    minos just nodded to maximillian as he handed a letter to the senior officer in front of him. "what is this?" the man asked without understanding.


    "in the next few days, my promotion to intermediate officer will be announced. i will apply for your position." minos came straight to the point, drawing the attention of the men in the area, some of whom were working, others there to register they were about to start their patrol routine or had already finished.


    the level 112 alien looked at minos with a wince and opened the challenge card.


    normally, when two members of the same rank in the guild competed for a position in the law enforcement hall, the members of the hall had to vote and decide which side would take the position.


    however, if a lower-ranked member wanted to compete for a higher-ranked member''s position, they would have to challenge the person who they wanted to take their place!  sea??h th§× nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    after the challenge, the most important members of the hall would still have to vote on whether to accept the result, but minos wasn''t worried. he already had enough support and was only making the challenge because those were the rules.


    "are you kidding?!" the supervisor of the law enforcement hall didn''t like this at all, raising his aura as the veins in his head popped, shaking with anger.


    "control yourself, officer. i''m serious," minos said, looking into this person''s eyes and also showing his aura.


    this man was a part of the jade chainsaws. but even though he was the supervisor of the law enforcement hall, he couldn''t refuse minos'' challenge, let alone put pressure on him because he was a superior inside and outside the hall.


    in armhands, challenge was the only thing that transcended all the hierarchies that existed in the guild!


    you could even challenge an elder or the supreme leader if you felt confident enough!


    of course, no one would do that...


    maximillian''s eyes widened as he watched minos closely, finally seeing this guy make such a move.


    unconsciously, maximillian took two steps back, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire of their argument.


    "tsk! you''re not an intermediate officer yet. i''m afraid you''ve gone too far and i should arrest you for disrespecting your superior." the hall supervisor raised one of his hands against minos.


    even though minos hadn''t been made an intermediate officer yet, he could make such a challenge since his promotion was already guaranteed!


    but he didn''t have to say that to the irritated superior in front of him. just as he was about to open his mouth to justify himself, otis rushed into the area.


    "master, the records hall just made it official. your promotion to intermediate officer has been confirmed. you can now sign up for intermediate officer missions!"


    everyone in the vicinity looked at the newly arrived robot, while the hall overseer turned pale, aware he had no chance against minos in a challenge.


    his only alternative was to press minos with the power of his role!


    in a challenge, he was sure the human in front of him would crush him!

 Chapter 2534 New Boss of the Law Enforcement Hall (1)

    chapter 2534  new boss of the law enforcement hall (1) after otis entered the records hall of the law enforcement hall, the current head of this regulatory force gave minos a sharp look before leaving the area without saying anything.


    shortly after, several law enforcers approached minos to extend their congratulations on his well-deserved promotion to the esteemed position of intermediate officer.


    most of them had nothing against minos, although they weren''t friends either. but after witnessing his challenge and knowing how capable he was, some of them already considered minos to be the future head of the law enforcement hall.


    it''s wiser to maintain a cool demeanor and establish a good rapport with minos at this moment rather than waiting for him to formalize his position.


    "congratulations, officer minos. anything you need, you can ask me, and i''ll do my best to make your journey as a hall supervisor as easy as possible," said one of the first aliens who greeted minos.


    "that guy won''t cause you any problems in the future, officer minos. but you''d better watch out for his men. the jade chainsaws are heavily embedded in the hall."


    "i hope you have a good start in leadership..."  sear?h the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    after greeting a dozen high-ranking sovereigns and receiving nods from some men working in the area, minos saw maximillian take his place and approach him.


    "congratulations on becoming an intermediate officer. i''m sure you''ll reach the rank of senior officer soon." maximillian said as he shook minos'' hand, a smile on his lips that seemed sincere.


    minos looked deep into the eyes of the black-haired man in front of him, a curious expression forming on his face. "maximilian, how are your merit points? do you expect to advance to the next rank?"


    minos'' sudden interest in him surprised maximilian. for a moment, he wondered if the man in front of him would forgive him or at least take him back into the group.


    "merit points are not a problem. the problem is that i don''t have the same strength as you. i''m afraid i won''t be able to compete with many of those who are interested in becoming senior officers." he said as he walked alongside minos and otis, seeing the brown-haired young man signal for him to follow him out of the building.


    minos paused when he reached the entrance to the hall building, seeing the entrance stairs and also the main street of the downtown area.


    from this position, he suggested to maximilian. "if you''re willing to help me with something, i''ll facilitate your promotion to senior officer."


    maximillian looked seriously at minos, the normally hardly visible wrinkles around his dark eyes deepening. "what do you want?"


    otis also looked at minos, curious about what his master had in mind.


    minos opened his mouth and said. "it should be no secret to you i''ve had a few encounters with artaud... but his death won''t make the jade chainsaws stop bothering me."


    "hmm, certainly. as long as they don''t know how you did it and realize they can''t stand against you, they won''t give up."


    "for that, i want you to help me. you don''t have to make a deal with me or anything. all you have to do is get close to the jade chainsaws and help me counterattack them before they even take their next steps.


    don''t get directly involved in their actions, and when things settle down, i''ll help you get promoted to senior officer."


    maximilian looked down reflexively. ''minos'' influence is enough to make all the high-ranking sovereigns of the inner city postpone their promotions to senior officer. that would certainly help me rise quickly in rank.


    if i don''t have to sign an agreement with him, i can sign an agreement with the jade chainsaws and pretend to be their de facto enemy...''.


    this was the only point that worried maximilian.


    "that... "i''m not sure if this is a test. you know, they''ll probably try to make me sign something for me to commit to them."


    "don''t worry, i''m prepared for you to act in a way that harms me. just make sure you can give me the information i need so that i''m aware of the enemy''s plans in time to act. also, make sure you don''t have to be directly involved in actions against my family. that''s the only way i won''t harm you."


    maximilian narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists in uncertainty. the risks would be great, but he thought it was possible to sign an agreement with the jade chainsaws that would meet minos'' demands.


    "i''ll try my best, but i can''t promise that i''ll succeed... maybe i will, because they must be desperate right now. but i can''t promise anything."


    minos nodded to the man, instructing him to do whatever was necessary.


    as maximillian left, otis looked at his master, who was still admiring the view from the entrance to the hall, and couldn''t help but ask. "could you tell me why that is? i thought you didn''t trust him anymore."


    "and i don''t. this is an opportunity for us to kill two birds with one stone."


    "oh?"


    "i wonder if maximilian knows about the war about to start? the senior officers of the guild will have to work hard for the next few years." minos left the hall, while the big robot understood his master''s intentions.


    minos made his way to the missions hall in silence, curious to see what would be available to him from now on. he intended to spend some time in the guild before leaving the headquarters again, but he wanted to start his plans now.


    as he made his way through the guild''s inner area, the current law enforcement hall supervisor made his way to his faction''s headquarters.


    when he arrived, he opened his mouth and shouted to his fellow leaders.


    "minos stuart has been promoted to intermediate officer and has challenged me to take my place as supervisor of the law enforcement hall!"


    when he spoke to the six high-ranking sovereigns in the leadership room, all the worried faction members dealing with the minos issue stopped their conversations. they turned their attention to the issue at hand.


    "what?" the faction leader and heir to jembei stood up in surprise.


    "i''m not entering the challenge arena with minos. i''m here to tell you i''ll be stepping down from my position at the end of my shift in six days!" the man got straight to the point, not wanting to risk any awkwardness with minos.

 Chapter 2535 New Boss of the Law Enforcement Hall (2)

    chapter 2535  new boss of the law enforcement hall (2) in the blink of an eye, a week had passed since minos'' promotion to intermediate officer had been confirmed by the records hall.


    today, minos was officially taking over the reins of the law enforcement hall, standing at the group''s headquarters in the guild''s inner area.


    minos had just been appointed as the hall''s new supervisor by the guild''s chief commander, and he greeted the man and heard a few words of support and encouragement.


    the commander was an important person, so after only two minutes in the area, he left his right-hand man there, the level 114 general whom minos had known for a long time, to represent him.


    the general greeted minos with a firm handshake and said. "i hope you will become a senior officer as soon as possible. having someone with your fighting and leadership skills outside of headquarters could make a big difference to the guild."


    minos just smiled when he heard that, as he had no plans to become a senior officer anytime soon.


    ''it''s a good thing segiel is a friend. if she hadn''t opened my eyes, i would have made a serious mistake.''  s§×arch* the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    what was the difference for minos between being an intermediate officer and a senior officer? you might think it''s his combat level that matters, so his rank shouldn''t be that relevant. but in armhands, it wasn''t quite like that.


    the guild rules were well designed to prevent certain abuses, lack of opportunity, or even self-sabotage.


    in this case, an intermediate officer like minos would at most be offered the opportunity to take part in more tough missions with extraordinary pay, even if his superiors thought he could contribute to the war. but as a senior officer, no one would even ask him for anything. he would receive mandatory missions to join the war, and he would be forced to take risks if he wanted to remain regular in the guild.


    while a senior officer had the duty to get involved in hairy things, intermediate officers had the option to do so. but no one could really force minos to get involved in this conflict as long as he maintained his position as an intermediate officer.


    this was good for him, but also for the guild. after all, forcing him to join the war, no matter how interesting it might be, could also be dangerous, as he was a rare gem. since he was an intermediate officer, letting him grow as such until he became involved in more serious matters also had its positive side.


    that''s why no one would force him to take part in this confrontation!


    but that didn''t mean that people like the general in charge of minos weren''t eager to see him rise in rank and get involved in more serious matters.


    "i will certainly contribute to the guild. for now, i want to focus on fixing up the law enforcement hall and trying to reach level 106. i''ve just become an intermediate officer, so i''ll try to fulfill my extra responsibilities before i think about promotion." minos said politely to the general.


    "hmm, take your time. a confrontation like this one could take generations to resolve." the general didn''t think anything of it, as he patted minos on the shoulder and said goodbye.


    soon after, minos greeted the head of the law enforcement hall for the guild''s outer region, as well as the judges for both the outer and inner regions.


    these people, as well as the many law enforcers who obviously couldn''t be here at the moment, would now be his subordinates in matters concerning the maintenance of law and order in the guild.


    after each of them had sworn their loyalty and respect for the guild''s rules, minos stopped next to maximillian and greeted the man quickly so as not to attract attention.


    "it''s done. i''ll start tomorrow."


    that was all he said, his face remaining impassive, his eyes filled with annoyance, as he should be in this frustrating situation.


    minos was aware of the observers of the jade chainsaws in the vicinity, so he didn''t say too much to maximillian, either. after a handshake and a nod, he continued with the greetings before the end of this special event.


    from his faction, only rhett, otis, and ruth were present, while many other faction members were busy with other matters, or were external members of the guild who couldn''t attend to this ceremony.


    as the event drew to a close, minos headed to his office, ready to begin his term with some changes.


    the law enforcement hall supervisor couldn''t change many things, but there were two things in particular that someone in that position could change without being hindered by others.


    first, the chief of the hall could appoint the judges and the chief of the outside area as they wished. second, someone in that position could make minor changes to the way they recruited law enforcers.


    normally, anyone could become a law enforcer, as few guild members were interested in the role because of the low pay and various downsides associated with the role''s troubles.


    minos intended to exercise his rights right away!


    entering his office alongside otis, ruth and rhett, minos sat behind his desk and gave his orders.


    "i will appoint you two as the new judges of the inner city hall as soon as you become intermediate officers, ruth and otis. for the time being, i will appoint only rhett to that position.


    until you are promoted in rank, you will be the new supervisor of the outer hall, ruth. otis will be the new chief judge of that branch while..."


    minos gave a series of replacement orders that he wanted his group to announce to the members of the law enforcement hall later today.


    "... finally, i would like to change the procedure for new entries to the hall. from now on, new members cannot have any criminal record. the mere record of a previous offense should be an obstacle for guild members to join the hall.


    in addition, we will hold entrance exams for law enforcers. anyone who does not meet our requirements cannot join the hall."


    the three listened to minos without questioning his decisions, having already discussed these points.


    by restricting who could join the hall and repositioning the members of their faction within it, they could undermine the influence of other factions within this important guild group!


    thus began minos'' journey as the new leader of the law enforcement hall!

 Chapter 2536 Plans

    chapter 2536  plans  in just a moment, half a year has gone by since minos assumed control of the law enforcement hall!


    during this time, otis has reached level 108, becoming the first of the group''s level 107 sovereigns to advance since their return to the guild over two years ago.


    the other three sovereigns, who were at level 107 and went to the spiritual world with minos and ruth, were also close to advancing. however, only otis fully used his opportunities, not only leveling up but also getting promoted to intermediate officer.


    apart from minos and otis, all other members of their faction''s guild maintained their previous hierarchical positions.


    however, they all had enough merit points to challenge the next level when the opportunity arose.


    the past few months had been productive for the group, as minos and his fellow internal members had completed several external missions, earning more merit points and improving their positions.


    the internal pressures continued, but with minos and his family''s growing power within the law enforcement hall, they could counterbalance the opposing actions during this time.


    meanwhile, the faction''s strongest group, which included the giants and three other high-ranking sovereigns, also improved in strength, with one giant advancing to level 113 and sender advancing to level 114.


    minos had spent half of his merit points and much of the enemy resources he had collected so far on his journey.


    but it had paid off, and he was getting close to when he could confidently leave zocarro again!


    ...


    in the cave of the minos faction, he was with his family and had just finished a training session with his children.


    abby, ruth, and gloria were there when he used a towel to dry his face and threw an important topic into the air.


    "i''ve heard some rumors about the conflict with firestone mines. from the looks of it, the war i foresaw will not heat as quickly as we thought. after the quick reaction of the guild elders following the revelation of the culprit, the enemies are reconsidering their plans."


    for the past three months, the elders of the council had had the evidence they needed to be certain that minos'' warnings were real and not just unreasonable concerns.


    the guild''s elders had moved weeks ago, and since then, the firestone mines situation had only involved the sovereigns in a war of movement with no major battles.


    the guild had fortified its territories and outposts, raised the alert, and restricted the movement of powerful members and the entry of non-aligned beings into the areas under its control. few battles had taken place, but a major confrontation was slowly heating, with various powers siding with armhands or firestone mines.


    minos didn''t know all of this, nor the motivations of the enemies, but from the few detailed comments he''d heard over the months, some firestone mines elders had advanced, and that was the main reason for the opponents'' actions.


    "i intend to take advantage of this situation to leave the guild and go to the seraphim world. i don''t think the war will break out soon, so it will be safe for me to leave you here.


    but before i leave, i need to make sure the jade chainsaws situation is resolved and i have someone to replace me in the law enforcement hall.  s§×ar?h the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    abby, that person is you." minos said as he looked at his wife, who else had the potential to take over as the hall''s supervisor, given her divine power.


    "i want you to take your promotion exam as soon as possible. i''ll help you deal with the enemies on your first outside missions, and when you advance to the position of intermediate officer, it will be time for me to move on." abby didn''t question her husband''s plan, but kendrick couldn''t help but question his father. "what about us? how much longer are we going to act as outsiders?"


    "as soon as abby becomes the supervisor of the law enforcement hall, you can all be promoted to junior officers. until then, it''s best not to rush. the enemy probably won''t try everything he tried in the past years from now on, but if too many of you advance now, we could be in trouble." minos looked earnestly at his eldest son.


    they had dealt with several situations involving jade chainsaws in recent months and had avoided several confrontations because of maximilian''s recommendations.


    but it would still take a decisive confrontation between minos and the strongest faction influenced by that faction for jembei''s former allies to change their positions.


    if minos'' faction wasn''t careful, they would still face hard problems even after their influence within the guild was strengthened.


    as much as minos could see the moment of his next departure from zocarro, that didn''t mean it would happen overnight. for someone his age, a year passed in the blink of an eye, so he looked at the next decade as a whole while analyzing his current plans.


    minos chatted with his family after training with his children. he rested for a while before saying goodbye to them. then, he headed to the inner area of the guild, where he had an appointment with segiel today.


    in the months since her promotion to the rank of general, the two of them had become good friends, and they often met to discuss internal and secret guild matters, as well as their cultivation journeys.


    even though they weren''t members of the same faction, they had helped each other as if they were more than just allies within the guild.


    ...


    while minos was on his way to meet segiel, the leader of the jade chainsaws was currently on the surface of examire, working on his latest plans.


    while a large black cloak covered his body, he met another individual in the same situation in a dark alleyway of this great alien city.


    "well? can your group help me?" the level 112 alien behind minos'' enemies in the guild asked the contact who had agreed to meet him there today.


    "more or less. we can act quickly, but on my way here, i came in contact with some interesting information."


    "i don''t want to know. i want you to take care of minos as soon as possible!" this armhands member insisted, his concern visible in his dark eyes.


    "relax, hehe. this information i heard might actually help you. there''s a certain newly promoted supreme who are traveling in search of resources and challengers. i don''t know his exact motives, but the story i heard is real and confirmed.


    he recently dealt with some enemies of a certain group from mount ashcloud for a few tens of millions of qilnats. after passing through the area, he told the local leaders he would spend some time in seclusion and then come to examire!


    if you''re willing to wait, we can try to approach him before we act directly!"

 Chapter 2537 Three Years

    chapter 2537  three years  at one intersection in the fence surrounding the armhands'' headquarters, a group of six people were returning to the area after weeks of absence.


    "officer minos, have you returned to the guild after completing a few missions?" inquired one of the men stationed at the post, respectfully gazing at the level 105 sovereign standing before him.


    minos nodded to the level 108 guard who had just come out of one office in the watchtower of this entrance area, obviously there to greet him.


    "we did a joint mission with some junior officers to give them more experience," minos said, looking at abby and ruth. he ignored the two giants and sender, the other members of this group on their recently completed journey.


    the two giants were currently at level 113, while the blue-haired woman had been promoted to junior officer a year ago. since then, she had been accompanying minos and ruth on external missions.


    during this period, abby had the opportunity to delve deeper into understanding zocarro and gain more firsthand experience in various combat scenarios within this world.


    "oh? for the younger members of the guild to have the opportunity to learn alongside a legendary member like you is very good. the upcoming generation of guild leaders will surpass the previous one." praised the chief guard, acknowledging abby''s competence.


    minos and the others nodded, and soon moved inside the guild, heading to the missions hall to complete their quest.


    on the way between the fence and the inner city, ruth couldn''t help but sigh, feeling the winds blowing against her as if it was decisive movements of fate.


    "every time we return to the guild, my worries intensify," she whispered, her words not escaping the notice of her companions.


    three and a half years had passed since minos had become the supervisor of the law enforcement hall. they had faced various missions, political competition, cultivation challenges, new alliances formed, old alliances broken, and so on. however, the high-level attacks they had expected in response to artaud''s death had yet to occur.


    with every new mission abroad, the group became more prepared than ever, bracing themselves to confront any trouble that may arise this time. but today, once again, they returned home without having to deal with the level of threat they had expected.


    was it bad for them? definitely not. however, the sense of uncertainty, not knowing exactly what was happening, was just as unsettling as the knowledge that something dreadful was being plotted against them.


    "the current state of affairs is unsustainable. in just a few more years, we will have enough strength to quash any possibility of the jade chainsaws'' rise. they will launch an attack against us soon," abby confidently declared.


    she didn''t need minos'' clairvoyant abilities to understand the current calm was just the silence before the storm.


    with each passing day, with each new mission, the chances of the enemy taking action increased.


    abby''s extensive war experience made her senses keenly aware that they were on the brink of a decisive moment. it was a make-or-break situation, where victory would bring long-awaited peace, while defeat would mean succumbing to their most formidable adversaries.


    in three years, the group''s influence had grown exponentially, with new members joining the faction and more guild internal members becoming favorable to them.


    with minos in control of the law enforcement hall, and as the leader of a faction that had abby and the giants on its side, its total power rivaled that of several generals combined.


    not only that, but rumors of minos'' relationship with segiel had already spread throughout the guild, causing at least three generals to side with the faction, a sign of his group''s imposing position.


    many were already talking about minos'' promotion to senior officer, a level he could easily reach since he had accumulated enough merit points over the past few years to pay for the promotion exam.  sea??h th§× novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    once he reached that level, it would be a quick step to vying for general positions, which already made him one favorite to become the future chief commander of the guild!


    some of minos'' former enemies had already put aside their old grudges in anticipation of his hypothetical ascension. such actions signaled to his remaining enemies he might soon become too big to deal with by conventional means.


    for most, that meant defeat!


    therefore, everyone in the group imagined there would soon be a reaction from one of the enemies, or they might reach the stage where they would be too big to be defeated by their current rivals.


    "don''t think about it too much," minos said as they entered the built-up area of the headquarters. "regardless of when they act, we''ve been expecting this action for a long time. we''re ready for whatever it is. with sender and the others traveling with me, i''m confident we can handle any challenge." "i just hope they don''t get someone from the 12th stage to deal with us. that would be a deadly challenge." sender muttered to the group, knowing there were a few supremes, powerful cultivators with no background, who engaged in strange activities for beings of their rank in order to get resources.


    as much as he and the other strongest sovereigns in the group had done several missions over the past three years, they still didn''t feel ready to use the sacrifice of their parasites again. if they were to encounter 12th stage enemies again, they would face considerable risks to their lives!


    "is it possible for them to get someone like that?" abby asked with a worried frown on her beautiful face.


    "it is not impossible. i recently heard rumors that a newly promoted specialist is traveling through the central areas of the continent. but i hope he doesn''t come to examire. otherwise..." sender looked at minos, not needing to say his words for his leader to understand that there was a risk their enemies would use someone like that against them.


    "let''s prepare carefully. i''ll try to see a bit more of the future before we move again. let''s take a break from our journey for now. for the next six months, there won''t be much reason for us to leave the guild." with these words, they entered the missions hall, each of them worried about the future in their own way.

 Chapter 2538 Friendly Warning

    chapter 2538  friendly warning  in the blink of an eye, another 11 months have passed by.


    in the meantime, the level 112, 113, and 114 sovereigns of minos'' faction engaged in various high-level missions to collect merit points, keeping themselves busy while minos and his family stayed at the headquarters.


    whether jade chainsaws would use a supreme specialist against them, the group had no way of knowing. the hypothesis raised by sender was not invalid, but it was very difficult to realize. paying a supreme being wouldn''t come cheap, even if they were willing to do it. determined to counterattack in any way he could, minos had spent the last few months cultivating, saving as many merit points and resources as he could for a response to his opponents.


    meanwhile, more and more of his faction members were getting stronger!


    ...


    in minos'' faction cave, rhett, who had just been promoted in level, came to his boss this morning with a deep look on his face, feeling the gravity of the information he had just received.


    "maximilian sent us something," rhett said as he caught the man''s eye as minos exchanged blows with kendrick, causing father and son to suddenly slow the pace of the fight to look at this alien seriously.


    maximillian hadn''t sent them any news in months. if the man had to move now, it had to be due to something worrisome!


    "what is it?" minos stopped moving as he looked at his former guild supervisor with curiosity.


    grisdi, who was also there to wait for kendrick, frowned as she looked at the intermediate officer at the entrance to the cave.


    rhett didn''t hide it and went straight to the point. "the theory raised by sender is more real than we imagined. a newly promoted supreme is due to arrive in the city within the next six months. he''s supposed to be at the end of his current seclusion and will come straight here to do business. the jade chainsaws will try to hire him to act against us."  sear?h the n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    saying a supreme being had recently advanced was not a sign of time, but of their cultivation. a newly ascended cultivator was not someone who had ascended a few days ago, but rather someone who was at the very beginning of their new level.


    advancing one level meant the person''s strength had increased. but in certain cases, it would take time for that improvement to be fully merged and stabilized. in such instances, stating that someone had recently attained the position of supreme or sovereign was essentially acknowledging that they required additional time to solidify their position at that level.


    this was not a sign of weakness. while individuals lacking experience may struggle to compete with more seasoned peers at the same level, it does not imply that they are inherently weak once they make progress.


    minos, kendrick, and grisdi became a few levels more solemn, their looks visibly irritated.


    "this is terrible." kendrick looked at his father, his heart already pounding in his chest.


    "indeed, it is. however, it''s not the end of the world," minos murmured, gently placing a hand on his chin. "in fact, this could be an opportunity."


    "what does the senior have in mind?" grisdi asked, approaching minos and kendrick.


    "if this supreme is a mercenary, he can be bought," minos thought, his expression changing to show his intentions.


    "do you want to use this supreme''s greed against jade chainsaws?" rhett asked minos.


    "why not? our qilnats and resources are just as valuable as those of the jade chainsaws. i believe i possess a greater abundance of resources compared to them. if they''re willing to involve a supreme, then i see no problem with me doing the same."


    the guild strictly forbid members to involve outsiders in its internal disputes. if anyone found out about it, minos would be in serious trouble.


    rhett sighed at the thought of the risks, but he couldn''t go against minos'' decision. this was indeed their alternative if they didn''t want to face a bloody supreme!


    "how are we going to do that? it''s not like we know this supreme. all it takes is for our enemies to get to him before we do, and we''ll lose our chance." kendrick pondered the problem.


    "i''m not leaving the guild until this expert arrives in the city. in the meantime, we''ll have some of our faction members monitor the movements in and out of the city, as well as the members of the jade chainsaws'' movements.


    let''s keep an eye out for the arrival of this supreme. as soon as he arrives in the city, i want a group of us to approach him with a proposal that wins what the jade chainsaws have to offer."


    minos clenched his fists, not caring about the risks or costs.


    minos was determined to avoid having a supreme as his enemy. if he could somehow thwart the enemy''s plans and bring a swift resolution to the entire situation, it might be the final significant issue he would deal with before departing for the seraphim world!


    as soon as he had decided, minos left to meet with some of his allies, while rhett set off to send orders to the other members of the faction to prepare or even move.


    some would have to position themselves in examire, while others would have to prepare to accompany minos outside the guild after these months, in case his plans went awry, and he had to take his chances.


    kendrick and grisdi followed together, also to help in some way.


    ...


    while the group was preparing to use maximillian''s warning to their advantage, the most important members of the jade chainsaws had received news from those they had hired to deal with minos.


    "senior tiolos has completed his seclusion. he should be in examire in 70 days." said the man who had just returned to the guild after meeting with their mercenaries in examire.


    upon hearing this news, the faction leader smiled, showing his many teeth as he imagined himself closer than ever to dealing with his enemy.


    in nearly four and a half years, minos had caused jade chainsaws a lot of trouble. but with a level 115 coming to examire, willing to accept payment for assassination, the men gathered today couldn''t help but look to the future with optimism.


    ''i want to see what you can use against us now!'' the leader of the group couldn''t wait for tiolos to arrive in the city.


    "good! prepare the faction''s resources. let''s pay in advance and make a deal with senior tiolos!"

 Chapter 2539 Proposals from Both Sides (1)

    chapter 2539  proposals from both sides (1) just over two months later...


    as the native of zocarro stood at examire''s entrance, the sights of the city overwhelmed his senses. the smell of exotic foods wafted through the air, mingling with the scent of freshly brewed coffee from nearby cafes.


    amidst the hustle and bustle, this man could feel the vibrations of the city beneath his feet, a constant reminder of the vibrant energy that coursed through examire. the micro-eyes on his head darted around, absorbing the kaleidoscope of colors and movement that surrounded him.


    curiosity filled the air as passersby stared at the unique being, their gazes a mixture of awe, intrigue, and perhaps a hint of fear. despite his imposing appearance, this zocarro native exuded an air of calm confidence as he prepared to venture into the marvel that lay before him.


    as he looked at this magnificent city, seeing the headquarters of several local high-ranking forces, he smiled with an interested look on his strange face.


    "examire, eh? i should find my next opportunities here."


    he muttered to himself as he walked towards the city center, passing the first buildings on his way.


    it wasn''t every day that one would see a level 115 supreme walking calmly through a city!


    even though there were dozens of supremes living in examire, these beings rarely left their headquarters. even when they did, they moved so fast and so inconspicuous that no one outside their groups would notice them.


    five minutes after tiolos arrived in the city, several local groups were already aware of his movements.


    before he could even reach the central area of the city to search for accommodation, two men suddenly emerged in front of him.


    "senior."


    "senior tiolos."


    both sides stopped almost side by side and greeted the level 115 expert, making him smile when he noticed their competition. "the group i represent has a proposal for the senior."


    simultaneously, the pair spoke, instantly captivating the attention of the supreme as their words sparked curiosity in his eyes.


    upon observing the level 114 sovereign and the level 113 sovereign, both adorned with an identical snake mark on their foreheads, tiolos discerned their affiliation to the same organization.


    "aren''t you two part of the same group? why don''t both sides come to an agreement before you talk to me?" tiolos asked curiously.


    despite his question, the smile on his face said he knew exactly what was going on.


    ''do you want to fight to see who gets to hire me? you want to work against each other...''


    sender smiled and said, raising his voice in front of his rival and former ally. "senior, please accept this gift before we talk more seriously." the newly arrived man saw a silver box flying towards him and didn''t hesitate to accept the gesture from minos'' subordinate.


    being in search of resources, he wouldn''t be the one to refuse gifts today!


    "you are quite generous. well, come with me. i want to hear what you have to say before i talk to your ''friend''." tiolos nodded at sender, while the level 114 alien looked at his level 113 guild mate.


    the jade chainsaws member glared at sender, but he hadn''t prepared as well as to bring gifts for his first attempt at talking to the level 115 expert.


    sender trailed behind tiolos, who was determined to secure the most advantageous deal before committing to anything in this new location.


    as they settled down in a serene corner of the garden, the man inquired, "so, what is it that you desire, and what are you prepared to offer in return?"


    he was planning to travel to uzira, the other continent of zocarro, where it was almost impossible to survive the trip to it if you weren''t a supreme.


    but even for powerful 12th stage cultivators, traveling to it would be an absolute risk!


    as he did not belong to any group, this man had to independently gather the necessary resources to fulfill the demands of his journey!  s§×arch* the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    sender got right to the point, "to be honest, that other man''s group is trying to hire you to kill my leader, minos stuart. so what the group i represent wants is for you not to do the job they''re trying to hire you for, and for you to deal with the members of the opposing faction.


    in short, our deal would be for you to leave examire as if you had made no deals with anyone and wait for contacts from my people nearby. when our targets move, we''ll turn those movements over to you, and you''ll lead with them."


    minos could handle these enemies on his own. but it would be difficult for him to do so in the same way as tiolos.


    another problem was that the enemies had become even more cautious than they had been in recent years, which would make it very difficult for him if he tried to deal with them personally.


    also, until recently, minos didn''t have the same influence on the guild as jade chainsaws. while the enemies knew about every mission he and his companions took before they even left the guild, minos'' group didn''t have the same kind of leverage until recently.


    in the end, minos didn''t want to risk too much by being on the hunting side.


    the guild had clear rules about how guild members could interact with each other outside of the challenge arenas. the side that caused trouble outside the arenas could pay dearly if they were found out!


    the defending side, however, didn''t face the same situation. even if they were discovered, they would only have to concern themselves with justifying their actions, at most.


    given all this, minos preferred to use someone else rather than take action against the faction himself.


    "what level are these targets?"


    "between level 111 and 113," sender said.


    currently, there were no generals willing to get involved with jade chainsaws in these matters involving minos. the enemy faction had no choice but to use groups outside the guild if they wanted to continue with their old plans.


    "that''s easy for me, but since i might have to sit still for months or years, it won''t be cheap," tiolos said, not caring why this group, represented by sender, didn''t act on their own instead of wanting to spend on it.


    "that''s what we''re willing to pay to have you on our side, senior." sender smiled as he presented a list of the resources minos was willing to invest.


    the moment he saw those numbers, tiolos couldn''t help but look at sender differently. ''this matter is more complex than it seems... this minos stuart must be some kind of cultivation monster to amass such a vast fortune and be willing to pay me with it.''

 Chapter 2540 Proposals from Both Sides (2)

    chapter 2540  proposals from both sides (2) after being offered hundreds of millions of qilnats, many pills, potions, plants, and powerful artifacts by minos'' group, tiolos sent sender back to wait nearby.


    if he accepted minos'' group''s offer, he would come looking for sender in a day or two at the most.


    sender left, giving the level 115 specialist space to think about the proposal and, of course, to hear the counter-proposal from minos'' enemies.


    tiolos certainly wanted the best possible deal for himself, regardless of how either side would react to his attempt to negotiate with both parties.


    but confident in the proposal his group had prepared, sender positioned himself near the specialist.


    shortly after his departure, tiolos received the level 113 sovereign sent by jade chainsaws in the same garden.


    "senior..." the man from the opposing faction looked at tiolos cautiously, his curiosity showing on his face. "could you tell me what that man offered you and asked for?"


    "you should tell me what you want and how much you''re willing to pay. don''t worry about your opponent." tiolos stared at the level 113 man, wondering if he would get a higher offer than minos.


    ''i am curious to hear the other side. the previous man certainly wouldn''t give me sensitive information about this minos... but that might not be the case with this sovereign.'' while tiolos had a lot on his mind, the level 113 sovereign sighed when he realized he wouldn''t get anything for the time being. he said, revealing the wealth of his faction, "i''ll bring the senior a huge amount of wealth for an assassination mission."


    "who would be my target?" tiolos asked, though he already knew the answer.


    "an armhands internal member, minos stuart. he''s currently a level 105 sovereign. but make no mistake, with his cultivation, he can steal the powers of those around him and temporarily reach the peak of level 108. from my group''s investigation, we also know he has a powerful artifact with him. this artifact, combined with his natural abilities, should make him as strong as a level 114 sovereign."


    "oh?"


    the level 115 expert understood where minos'' wealth came from. such a person was a monster, an individual who, if one didn''t know better, such a person would underestimate him and make minos'' journey much easier.


    enemies were stones that could hinder a cultivator''s progress or even help them reach greater heights.


    it was almost always a good thing to be underestimated. being considered weak not only put one''s enemies in a vulnerable position, but it also gave those who were underestimated the opportunity to use the corpses of their enemies to climb higher on their cultivation journey.


    after hearing the brief words of the level 113 sovereign, tiolos fully understood how minos was so rich, which made him wonder for a moment if these enemies of minos could even offer him enough resources to surpass the offer of sender.


    ''from what i can gather from this man''s words, his group has already experienced enough of this minos stuart''s powers... that means they have lost people to minos, or at least a lot of resources invested in dealing with him, before they approached me.''


    "impressive. a cultivator like him must be well protected by the guild, right?" tiolos smiled, waiting for the level 113 sovereign''s approach.


    "no, armhands don''t work that way. the guild even has its defensive instincts, and some members have many privileges because of their impressive talents and abilities. but the guild has always believed in the individual''s ability to defend and grow without the help of others. minos does not have the protection of the guild''s supremes, if that''s what you''re worried about."


    that was the truth, though not the full implication of the guild''s methods.


    while the guild wouldn''t put seniors in charge of protecting juniors just because of the potential of some of its members, it wouldn''t forgive anyone who acted against its members!


    but the level 113 sovereign wouldn''t tell tiolos how he would be persecuted if he left any trace of his actions against minos.


    "for that, we offer you everything i brought," the sovereign said as he let tiolos examine the storage devices he had brought with him.


    tiolos didn''t stand on ceremony. with just a few glances, he understood what jade chainsaw wanted to reward him for minos'' head.  s~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    this offer was no match for sender''s!


    ''looks like they''ve put everything they''ve got into this... the other guy''s offer is only 20% higher.'' tiolos thought to himself.


    "go back to where you came from. on one day i''ll make my position clear. but now i have to think," he said as he motioned for the sovereign to leave.


    as soon as he heard this, the sovereign felt as if he had been rejected, a terrible feeling for someone who had bet everything on minos'' death.


    "senior, why? can you tell me where i have failed? i can try to offer you better terms." he insisted on a positive answer already at this meeting.


    "better terms? if you can hone an offer, why didn''t you do it from the beginning?" tiolos frowned and wrinkled his forehead.


    "that..."


    the truth was that jade chainsaws didn''t have a single qilnat other than the one offered, and this sovereign had only become a little emotional when he feared tiolos'' refusal.


    "we can make it easier for the senior to deal with our target and erase the traces. the enemy has a lot of resources, so the senior will also be able to take everything he has once he kills him." the sovereign said as he managed to think of something while breaking into a cold sweat.


    tiolos'' eyes narrowed at the thought. ''indeed, if i accept this mission, this minos will give me a lot of resources once i have his body with me... or not, after all, he also tried to hire me and will be careful from now on.''


    "your proposal is tempting. but i''ll think about it alone for the next few hours before i decide what to do. for now, go back to where you came from. i need to be alone." with a wave of his sleeve, tiolos sent the level 113 sovereign flying away.


    ''and now... what am i going to do?'' the level 115 man asked himself, happy with the problem in front of him, because one way or another, he was going to make a substantial amount of money in this city!

 Chapter 2541 Face to Face with the Supreme

    chapter 2541  face to face with the supreme the next day, minos was already aware of sender''s approach to the level 115 supreme in time for him not to accept jade chainsaw''s offer.


    this was already a minor victory for him. in minos'' opinion, even if the man didn''t accept his offer, tiolos would have to think twice before acting against him. after all, he had clarified that he knew about the enemy''s interests, which meant that dealing with him wouldn''t be easy.


    that alone was much better than the situation in which tiolos would receive the enemy''s proposal before knowing about minos'' alternative and the consequences of accepting one of the two proposals.


    as soon as dawn broke, he left the headquarters and returned to the surface of examire to meet the man in person before he had tiolos'' definitive answer.


    tiolos would not be foolish to act before confirming payment with one of the two sides, so minos was not afraid that the man would act against him.


    ...


    as minos made his way to where tiolos was staying, the leaders of the jade chainsaws were trembling with worry at their headquarters. on the floating island that was the armhands'' headquarters, somewhere in the guild''s inner area, four high-ranking sovereigns were now huddled together, worried about tiolos'' position and what minos might have offered.


    "how the hell did minos find out about our attempt to use tiolos against him?" one man asked.


    a level 112 sovereign suggested the obvious: "we found out about tiolos from a third party. minos may have found out the same thing and figured out an easy way to deal with us."


    "but that''s a serious crime! he''s the head of the law enforcement hall. would he dare to use an outside guild member against us?" one of the gathered men asked, his hypocrisy seemingly invisible to him.


    "we can use that against him if tiolos decides to stand against us..." the faction leader suggested.


    "that would be dangerous, boss. what if some superior asks us how we know that? minos is the supervisor of the law enforcement hall. before he goes down on a charge like that, he could end up taking us down with him." that was a reasonable concern. the evidence they had of minos'' possible agreement with tiolos to act against them was the same as the evidence minos had of them trying to do the same!


    if minos fell, he probably wouldn''t fall alone!


    "that..."


    "that''s true. it probably wouldn''t be a good idea."


    "so what do we do?"


    "we are at a crossroads of fate. either tiolos takes our side and we win, or we''ll probably be slaughtered by the enemy," muttered the most pessimistic of them, feeling fate against them.


    since they had already used almost all of their cards and understood minos'' current abilities, this group knew they wouldn''t be able to eliminate minos without supremes. even if tiolos didn''t help their enemy against them, the supervisor of the law enforcement hall could certainly take them down himself in the near future!


    "let''s hope he chooses us. otherwise, we are dead!"


    ...


    meanwhile, tiolos walked through the central streets of examire, thinking about the decision he had to make.


    he had spent the last 14 hours thinking about it and had come to several conclusions. minos would pay him more if he acted. however, the jade chainsaw''s mission would be easier, as there was only one target. minos would surely leave something valuable behind when he fell, but it was no guarantee of a high return for a supreme. against jade chainsaws, each kill would be easier, but he might have to spend a long time in examire. the advantage was that he could collect resources from the aliens he killed, just as he could do against minos.


    minos would certainly be the most cautious, so it was very likely that of all tiolos'' potential targets, he would be the one who could cause the man the most trouble and the least return once he was dead.


    amidst the many doubts in this zocarro native''s mind, he suddenly saw a young man of level 105, brown hair with a few white strands mixed in with the brown, standing in front of him.


    seeing the armhands symbol on the human''s forehead, it took tiolos only four seconds to identify the person.


    "minos stuart, i suppose," he said with a smile on his face, noticing the artifact that gave minos his abilities beyond what was normal for him.


    ''this is the artifact the guy mentioned... a powerful item for sovereigns indeed. but it won''t help me in the same way it can help a sovereign.''


    "senior tiolos, it''s a pleasure to meet such an eminent figure as you. may we speak for a few minutes?" minos nodded toward a green area of examire, where the man was to make his decision.


    "of course." the man agreed, curious about what minos had planned. although he hadn''t decided yet and had no signed agreements, tiolos knew he could capture minos and negotiate with the men of the jade chainsaws later. if this human was there to talk to him, risking himself like that, he must have something important to talk about!


    after walking to a less crowded area of the city, minos said to tiolos, "senior, i have some opportunities ahead of me i''m afraid jade chainsaws will never have. besides being a seer, i have far more potential than those guys. while they have only offered you resources, i am at your disposal for a deeper arrangement, a long-term alliance."


    "alliance? you know i''m not part of any power, right? my goal is to get away from oqia and reach uzira. we won''t have much chance to help each other after this agreement."


    "uzira? the alleged continent of the supremes?" minos was interested. "can the senior tell me more about it? i also have interests in uzira."


    "uzira may only be a legend. but it''s the oldest place in zocarro. in the distant past, when zocarro was inaccessible to other civilizations, the powers of uzira ruled the world. in self-defense, they created powerful phenomena in the world''s oceans, making it difficult for any non-native of uzira to enter their ancestral home.  sea??h th§× nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    since then, uzira has become a mysterious domain for those from oqia. even supremes stronger than i would find it difficult to travel to uzira, but these are the difficulties that prove the value of the ancestral continent.


    if there are beings strong enough to manipulate the planet in this way, then they are stronger than the leaders of oqia! reaching the upper realm will be easier for someone who can reach uzira!''

 Chapter 2542 Decision of the Supreme

    chapter 2542  decision of the supreme "senior tiolos, why don''t we challenge uzira together? by combining my abilities of clairvoyance and potential, we can survive the journey together and explore the ancestral lands of zocarro." minos suggested, looking seriously at the supreme beside him, his voice firm and confident.


    minos had never thought about going to uzira. everything he needed was in oqia. at least that was the case now. but with the help of this man and minos'' exploring side, he was more than willing to go to uzira.


    the journey would be unbelievable. besides, tiolos wasn''t leaving right away. he only prepared himself for the future.  s§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    tiolos realized minos wasn''t joking and stopped, looking at the small young man curiously. "you know, this could even kill me... but do you want to come with me?"


    "senior, the journey won''t be today. you''ll probably be preparing for a few decades... that''s enough to prepare me. and you don''t have to worry about protecting me. if i can''t protect myself, then let me die. in the meantime, i''ll do my best to make your journey as easy as possible."


    minos showed the man one of his hands, showing he should shake it to confirm their agreement.


    for a moment, tiolos looked at minos as if he saw one of the old supremes who had defied the violent sea and gone to uzira before him, who have encouraged him to his current inclination.


    ''that look...'' the native hesitated for a moment, recognizing minos'' uniqueness.


    minos wasn''t there just to secure his life. he was there to think about the future, to look at a much greater danger than tiolos and say: ''fuck it, i''ll do it.''


    "let''s say i agree. what guarantee do i have you''ll help me instead of hindering me? as impressive as you are, you''re only a sovereign. in only 100 years, i intend to challenge the violent sea. will you be able to accompany me? what level will you be at in 100 years?"


    "in 100 years, i will be above level 110, senior."


    tiolos narrowed his eyes, finding it hard to believe. "that would be impressive. still, i don''t know if¡ª"


    "at level 110, i''ll be able to steal the powers of targets stronger than me and temporarily raise my cultivation to level 113."


    ''i forgot that detail...'' tiolos brought one of his paws to his face, unable to keep silent as he scratched himself. ''hmm, by then he''ll be about 10 times stronger than he is now. i''ll be a level 116 supreme at the most... he''ll have a powerful parasite to sacrifice, and he might be able to use the armhands'' sacrifice once to reach a level even higher than mine.''


    thinking about it, tiolos couldn''t help but see the advantages of continuing the deal with minos.


    "senior, you''ll still get all the payment i promised you earlier, and you won''t have to do any more missions for me except the ones my man talked to you about. meanwhile, i''ll be at your disposal for the next 100 years. i won''t be here all the time, but most of the time, yes."


    "okay." tiolos shook minos'' hand and did not think about it anymore.


    he didn''t doubt what a seer could achieve, and although the cultivation speed minos had mentioned was impressive, it wasn''t impossible to achieve.


    tiolos thought that even if minos failed, he would probably be a level 109 sovereign, which would still give him the help of a seer who could temporarily be at level 112. that alone would be worth a lot and would save him from many dangers on the way to uzira.


    minos smiled as he came to this agreement, quickly letting go of tiolos'' hand before advising the man. "then my man will sign an agreement with you later, representing me. do as he suggests. leave the city so your enemies will think you''ve given up on this problem."


    "will that work now that you''ve come to me?"


    minos laughed as he looked around. "i am a seer, senior. my men have neutralized all the enemy observers who were supposed to see us here today. but even i have my limits, so it''s time for us to leave."


    "oh? so that''s it." tiolos realized that some of his observers, who had been following him since the night before, were now unconscious in the nearby buildings.


    "i hope to see you when this is all over. good luck with your cultivation and the competitions within the guild," tiolos murmured as he watched minos leave, and then left as well, ready to follow his new ally''s suggestion.


    ...


    after the last meeting, minos returned to the guild, moving in secret, avoiding as much as possible to leave signs for his enemies to notice his approach to tiolos.


    assured that everything had been done in secret, minos returned to his daily activities at the guild, putting the matter aside to deal with the smaller matters of everyday life.


    later, he would receive confirmation from sender of the agreement with tiolos, assuring him the man would leave the city later that afternoon and would wait for answers from them before dealing with his enemies any time soon.


    for now, minos and his faction would simply wait. he had no intention of leaving the guild in the short term, while his enemies didn''t leave very often, even though they all had responsibilities outside of the guild.


    it was almost certain that after a few months or years, all the core members of jade chainsaws would leave the headquarters at least once. so minos didn''t want to stress about it, leaving only his group in place to watch for enemies and alert tiolos to his moving targets when the time came.


    meanwhile, on the same day, jade chainsaws would discover that tiolos had left examire without contacting them, a sign he would not be working with them.


    nervous about the significance of the man''s departure, which basically put them in a bad light even if he wasn''t against them, the faction was already moving to prevent the worst they thought could happen!

 Chapter 2543 Solving the Problems!

    chapter 2543  solving the problems! another 3 years have flown by in the blink of an eye!


    after the many problems caused by the jade chainsaws, minos and his people had three great years after tiolos left examire.


    of course, the man hadn''t gone far. on the recommendation of minos and sender, the level 115 supreme moved to a forested region a few dozen kilometers from examire, where he would wait for months for orders from his contractors.


    as minos had expected, after tiolos left the city, the core of the jade chainsaws slowed their movements out of the guild headquarters.


    at the time, minos didn''t know if they were afraid of him or if they were afraid that tiolos had made some kind of deal with him. either way, the leadership of the enemy group would be confined to the armhands'' headquarters for over a year.


    that year was a quiet one for minos and his faction. with the growing fear that the members of the jade chainsaws had of him, that faction finally stopped hindering the progress of minos and his family.


    minos was no slouch, however. still wary of his family members'' efforts to become internal members of the guild, he continued to work slowly within the guild, following his previous plans.


    until abby became an intermediate officer, his elite soldiers wouldn''t pass the test to become junior officers.


    as such, this first year was a quiet one for the entire group. the team members continued to accumulate merit points, strengthen their spiritual foundations, and continue to grow in influence within the guild.


    meanwhile, much to the surprise of some (but not to minos), kendrick and grisdi had started dating. at this time, the first of minos'' 11 targets¡ªhigh-ranking members of the jade chainsaws¡ªmoved out of headquarters.


    his death was confirmed weeks after his departure, and the enemy group lost a powerful level 113 ally.


    in the aftermath, minos and his companions ran into trouble when they left the headquarters to take on external missions. jade chainsaws promptly blamed them when the faction''s second-in-command also died after leaving the headquarters on a mission.


    unfortunately for the faction, it was too late to use sovereigns against minos and his people. without the support of the guild''s generals, and using mercenaries who couldn''t use the flashdrain parasite sacrifice, most of the faction''s attacks in their last attempts were complete failures.


    on rare occasions, they did more than get wiped out, but even when they presented a challenge, minos'' companions could overcome the worst of it.


    thus, nearly three years after tiolos'' swift passage through examire, the leader of the jade chainsaws was forced to leave headquarters on a mandatory mission.


    exactly 12 days after his departure, he was reported dead in the north, where he had been sent to deal with the war-related problems of the armhands and other central region organizations against the firestone mines'' coalition.


    with this death, the list of names tiolos had received was finally complete!


    ...


    ''... with the end of this target, my mission is complete. i have heeded your group''s suggestion and embark on a journey to maximize the resources i have acquired. soon, i will retreat into seclusion. my plan is to dedicate the next 30 years to cultivating in a cave, so please don''t be taken aback if you don''t receive any communication from me for a few decades. i will attempt to reach out to you after that period once i have resolved my issues and can ensure that i am not being pursued. hopefully, by then, i will have positive updates on how things are going for you.


    from your friend and ally, t.''


    minos finished reading a letter from tiolos, who hadn''t hesitated to leave for examire after killing the leader of the jade chainsaws, knowing that his actions over the past two years would lead to action by the guild''s investigators.


    he wasn''t a fool. armhands hadn''t become one of the most powerful entities in oqia and survived for countless millennia by being careless with the lives of its members. without a doubt, every one of his actions during these two years of bloodshed would be meticulously examined.


    already prepared for the worst, he had gone far away to hide and spend some time without showing himself to the world, eager to cultivate and only come out of hiding when he had finished processing the many resources he would soon consume.


    minos didn''t doubt the ability of a level 115 supreme to hide. when he finished reading the letter from the man in an examire''s bar, he destroyed the yellowed parchment by creating a micro-wormhole.


    with a smile on his face, minos, his head covered by a black hood, walked on, leaving behind the payment for the drink he had ordered a few moments before, before heading back to the guild.


    ''i can finally prepare for my trip to the seraphim world... my friend, i''ll just make sure that abby becomes an intermediate officer and the others do their first missions as junior officers. as soon as i''m sure they can remain stable in my absence, i''ll proceed with our plans.''


    the wing tattoo on one of minos'' hands warmed, but the seraph''s soul fragment said nothing to him.


    ...


    back on the floating island of armhands, minos was soon in the law enforcement hall in the city center, having sent one of his men to bring the news to his group.


    as of today, everyone in the group should focus on taking promotion exams and moving up in the guild!


    abby entered minos'' office and found herself face to face with her smiling husband. without having to ask what had motivated him to call her to this place, she understood.


    "so the time has finally come."


    "yes. you must take the promotion exam to become an intermediate officer. kendrick will take the junior officer exam soon after.


    ruth and two of our other faction mates may also become intermediate officers soon, which will make room for gloria, lily and hollie. if all goes well, you''ll all have new positions in a year at the most," minos said as he felt his wife sitting on his lap.  sear?h the n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "sigh... that also means it''s time for you to go." she regretted that part.


    "i''ll only be gone for 20 years, 30 at the most. when you least expect it, i''ll be back." he smiled at her.


    after this journey, he could stay with his family until he became a supreme. only then would he have to worry about being gone again!

 Chapter 2544 Promotions and More Promotions

    chapter 2544  promotions and more promotions in the three years since the agreement with tiolos, minos had talked to his family about his plans to go to uzira with tiolos. obviously, he didn''t want to make this journey alone, for in a century¡ªas the supreme had promised¡ªthey should be much stronger than they were now.


    minos had already planned his departure in 100 years, but he hadn''t considered that he would be away from his family on this journey. therefore, abby and the others saw no problem with his plan and were already preparing for such a future.


    their situation in the guild was already good, so in 100 years, it should be better for them to think about such a match.


    not only that, but as far as minos knew, some elders of armhands had interests in uzira, so he could take his family to the primordial continent for a mission, not just a personal trip.


    thus, the next few months in the guild would be peaceful for minos and his family, as the first batch of faction members grew in power and position within the guild.


    the three level 107 junior officers who had gone to the spiritual world with minos had since advanced to level 108, with two of them becoming intermediate officers.


    meanwhile, abby was promoted to intermediate officer. thereafter, minos appointed her as the supervisor of the law enforcement hall.  s§×arch* the n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    as soon as she began her duties in the hall, kendrick became a junior officer, the first of the seven people minos brought into the guild from the enchanted realm who hadn''t yet been promoted to internal armhands.


    kendrick was followed by gloria and grisdi as junior officers, and about a year after the death of the leader of jade chainsaws, lily and hollie were also promoted.


    by this time, vico and callie were already junior officers, and both managed to advance once during this time, reaching level 106.


    lily and hollie also advanced during this time, with the youngest reaching level 104 and the oldest level 105.


    minos was already nearing the peak of level 105, a situation similar to kendrick''s, and wanted to stay in the guild to help his family stabilize in their new positions until he reached level 106.


    meanwhile, the faction''s numbers were skyrocketing!


    ...


    in the faction cave of minos'' group, the flow of people coming and going, or just standing there training and meditating, dealing with faction matters, was greater than ever.


    at least 15 faction members were always there during the day, with the number doubling at peak times.


    with a current membership of 102, the faction was now the most prominent group in the guild, with high expectations for the future.


    with 67 internal members and 35 external members, the faction currently had 8 senior officers, 22 intermediate officers, and 37 junior officers.


    with cultivators between levels 104 and 114, this was the strongest faction outside of the guild council!


    besides these numbers, the faction also currently had 46 high-level 11th stage corpses, all of which were stored in the black urns that adorned the large cave where a large group was currently cultivating.


    rhett was about to leave this place and return to the guild''s inner area, where he had some business to attend to.


    having advanced to level 110 and become a senior officer in the past few months, rhett was now one of the leading figures in minos'' group.


    unlike the two giants and sender, who were powerful in cultivation and were already senior officers, rhett was a strategist, someone who would be difficult to replace and who was more than just a guard, like those three guys who were the strongest in the faction, below minos of course.


    following the path between the cave and the guild''s interior, minos'' alien acquaintance soon made his way up the front steps of the law enforcement hall headquarters.


    as he passed by, he spotted maximillian, who had recently advanced to level 109 and was now a senior officer.


    minos had kept his promise and helped the man with his promotion about a year and a half ago.


    seeing rhett on his way, maximilian greeted his old guild superior from his days as an external member.


    "officer, how are you?" maximilian asked, his expression not as good as he would have liked.


    his promotion had been something he had dreamed of for decades, but once he had gotten it, he realized what a big problem it had been.


    being a high-ranking member of the guild, as he was now, amid a conflict with another force as powerful as armhands was no good at all!


    in the past few months, maximilian had been sent on three war missions. on each of these missions, he had risked his life, gained very little, and lost a total of nine months of his time.


    now he didn''t know if his hierarchical advancement had been for the best!


    rhett smiled bitterly as he looked at maximillian with sharp eyes, knowing that minos had put this human in such a position to punish him.


    that wasn''t the case for rhett, however, as the group needed several well-placed members in the guild. still, rhett knew what maximillian had gone through in those months.


    fortunately, i''m stronger and have more experience in zocarro.


    ''i''m doing well. soon i''ll go to the battlefield at the lonely oasis. i heard you were there recently. how are the troops?'' rhett asked.


    maximilian''s expression changed, memories of deadly battles flashed through his mind. "not too well, i''d say. be careful out there, officer. i''ve seen high-ranking sovereigns killed like pigs in battle. i earned this scar that day." he pointed to the slight cut on his left cheek.


    "i see... thanks for the tip." rhett walked on, wanting to go to minos'' office.


    but maximilian asked him a question before he was far enough away. "and minos? how is he?"


    having last spoken to minos over a year ago, maximillian was curious about his next steps.


    "he is well. soon he''ll finish a new plan... anyway, you''ll know when it''s time."

 Chapter 2545 Opportunity

    chapter 2545  opportunity  upon entering abby''s office, rhett met the blue-haired woman who worked in minos'' place.


    with plans to travel outside the guild again for the next few years, minos had given his position to abby, allowing her to stabilize in the position before his departure. in the meantime, he had completed his mandatory missions ahead of time so that he would not have to worry about the same situation he would face upon his return to the guild.


    for the past six months, minos had been in seclusion in his family''s private cave, continuing to advance to level 106.


    meanwhile, abby was in position, performing the duties that should have been his, still far enough away from her advancement to the next level to worry about seclusion.


    "ma''am, i''m about to leave on a mandatory mission outside the guild. i''m here to give you my notice of absence," rhett said as he respectfully placed a letter on abby''s desk.


    abby nodded at him, then asked him a few questions about the faction and the mission he was going on, telling him to be careful and to use one of the summoning crystals if necessary.


    summoning crystals was the name of an artifact invented by kendrick that, when imbued with the divine seal of minos, could be used to temporarily transport the group''s corpses to places where faction members were in danger.


    the summoning crystal worked in a simple manner. when broken, it would transport the corpse in one of the group''s black coffins to the trouble spot. for 10 minutes, the corpses could help minos'' faction mates, and then they would be teleported back to their coffins in the guild, if they were still "alive", of course.


    rhett took the summoning crystal, thanked abby, and then carefully placed it in his room storage.


    he didn''t want to have to use it to save himself, but he was grateful for abby''s gesture. the group only had 50 of these crystals, and with minos'' departure for the seraphim world imminent, they would not be able to create more of these precious artifacts for some time.


    rhett knew the immense value of each summoning crystal!  sear?h the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    after abby''s signal, he left to continue his plans for the guild before leaving.


    abby was left alone for a moment until she had to deal with some alien members of her law enforcement hall.


    but at the end of her shift, she was met in her office by a general who escorted her to the council area, where the chief commander wanted to speak with her.


    ''did we finally get his attention?'' she wondered if that was the case.


    abby could resurrect level 114 sovereigns who had cultivated on zocarro for at least a few decades, individuals with solid and deep spiritual foundations. but she would have no control over someone like that.


    therefore, even after the last almost five years of their faction''s growth, she and minos had still not dared to bring a level 114 being back from the dead.


    they could deal with such a being with minos'' powers, but it wasn''t in their interest to eliminate his summoning objects. therefore, they had avoided reviving the corpses of such strong experts.


    but they had already started resurrecting level 113 sovereigns, which abby thought was enough to attract the attention of the chief commander.


    as soon as she entered the office of the level 117 supreme, abby bowed her head and greeted the head of the guild officers, respectfully placing herself at his disposal.


    with only the commander and a general in the room, the man got right to the point. "officer abby, officer minos told me about your great ability and your expectations regarding the black liquid on your corpses. i''m curious to know where you''re going, so i''m willing to give you 50 milliliters of the black liquid to study where it might take you."


    abby opened her eyes and heard what she had waited seven years to hear from this man.


    the timing wasn''t the best, though.


    "i''m glad to test my hypotheses and help the guild more, commander. but there''s a problem now," she said in a sincere tone, avoiding to look at the supreme.


    the man''s eyes narrowed. "what is it?"


    "i need my husband to get the best results from the black liquid test. the experiments can be... unpredictable, so having him by my side during our experiments may be indispensable. but he will leave the guild in the next few months to attend to an urgent matter."


    she explained, a little afraid this would jeopardize minos'' plans, but not willing to lie to this creature.


    this was someone they didn''t dare hold against them!


    "oh? where is he going this time? is that why he''s doing mandatory missions in advance?" the commander asked, already aware of the movements of minos, a member of his guild whom he was watching more and more closely.


    the general there was also hearing this for the first time, so he paid attention to abby''s next words.


    "yes, commander. he wants to keep an old promise, something he can''t escape. he expects to be out of the guild for 20 years, 30 at the most. i don''t know exactly where he''s going. he didn''t tell me. but it can''t be far." she told the truth.


    "i see. two or three decades isn''t much. i think we can wait, commander." the general turned to his boss and suggested something else. "minos and abby will level up twice in the meantime. that would cause better experiments and less chance of wasting the black liquid, commander."


    "that''s true..." the commander narrowed his eyes and thought about how things would be in 30 years, a time that would pass for him in the blink of an eye.


    "very well, communicate with your husband. have him completed this mission in the time you say is necessary. when he returns, he should focus on the experiments with the black liquid by your side. for now, officer, focus on your cultivation. use the time i''m giving you to become stronger."


    with these words, abby received the commander''s permission to leave the guild council with a new mission in mind, the opportunity she and minos had been waiting for.


    luckily, they would have time to prepare!

 Chapter 2546 Time to Go

    chapter 2546  time to go months later, in the cave of the stuart family...


    minos suddenly opened his eyes in this bluish environment, now at a new level!


    feeling his power stabilizing at level 106, a smile appeared on minos'' face, his skin glowing with the energy of his surroundings. with a clench of his fists, the stones around him subtly trembled, his aura at a higher level than it had been in over ten years, a new height for him to clear.


    however, his advancement meant not only more power but also a turning point in his journey.


    ''it is time for me to leave the guild!'' he looked down at the wing tattoo on one of his hands, finally reaching this point after years of promising the seraph''s soul fragment that he would focus on completing his mission.


    ''i am sorry to have kept you waiting so long, old friend. i''ll sort out my situation with the guild and leave in a day or two. let''s talk when i get to the artificial moon. don''t waste your energy on me now.'' minos spoke to the seraph''s will, feeling the six wings of the tattoo on one of his hands warm, but nothing more.


    with that, he left the cave, passing lily and hollie without saying more than ''hello'' to the two girls.


    on his way to the guild, minos was soon in the records hall to pick up his permission to leave.


    he had been preparing for this for a long time, completing missions and earning merit points. now all he had to do was sign his indefinite notice of departure and say goodbye to his family.


    after that, it was time to leave for ganaway refuge, from where he could go to the artificial moon. the way past the artificial moon was still uncertain for minos. he needed to speak with the soul fragment to get directions to the seraphim world.


    from his previous conversations with the seraph, minos knew the journey between the artificial moon and his destination was not far. the bulk of his journey would be to and from zocarro and then on to the seraphim world.


    the space journey itself, considering the round trip, was expected to take between two and four years, depending on the variables of the journey between the artificial moon and the seraphim world.


    ...


    after sorting out his situation with the guild, minos met up with his group, bringing together all 100+ members of the faction.


    after reserving the main restaurant of the external area because of the group''s external members, minos gave his last orders to the group.


    his words were aimed at strengthening the group''s membership, attracting new members, and improving the group''s influence within the guild.


    minos didn''t want to become chief commander, but he wanted to have a lot of freedom and privileges within the organization in the future. for that to happen, the group would have to continue to grow in his absence.


    his absence wouldn''t be long, but between 20 and 30 years would be enough for everyone to improve a little and for many things to happen for the faction and the guild.


    there was a war brewing over the firestone mines. minos was more concerned about this conflict than the internal affairs of the guild. as such, he warned his senior officers to be especially careful.


    minos advised caution with maximillian and other elements of the guild until everyone began to eat and celebrate.


    although this was a temporary farewell, it was also the beginning of a new journey. with several new officers and plans for expansion and growth for the faction, the next few years would differ greatly from the last decade!


    as the faction members ate, smiled and chatted, some drinking and smoking, minos approached callie and vico in the restaurant he had booked for his group.


    "if you two reach level 107 during my trip, don''t hesitate to go to the spiritual world. i believe the group will be stable enough by then for you to complete your mission," minos said, looking forward to seeing his relatives.


    vico nodded, showing he would do so. but he couldn''t help asking a question that had been on his mind since his arrival in zocarro. "minos, who will come with us? after all our travels, i believe that only a few years have passed for our companions in the spiritual world. surely not even a decade has passed for them. it''s possible that when we return, some of our experts will still be at the same level as before.


    this was a doubt that callie had also thought about many times. if they returned soon, wouldn''t that mean that they would help to cleanse the spiritual world of the few experts left behind?


    minos understood vico''s question because he had thought about it himself. "some of them stayed behind only because there was no place for them to accompany us. focus on bringing people who won''t be missed and who don''t want to stay in the world.


    people like maisie, oswald, sarah, and george probably won''t choose to stay behind, and their departure will not weaken my forces in the spiritual world."


    but he didn''t rule out the possibility that some of his family might choose to stay.


    "your should stay there for at least two years. use this time to help create security mechanisms, cultivation methods, and stronger areas so that my forces and your people can strengthen more quickly."


    minos gave vico a spatial ring, an item that contained the bodies of many low and mid-level sovereigns, but also some artifacts that could be used in the spiritual world and the adamant land.


    "my men in the spiritual world will know what to do with what''s here. it will help improve the quality of the planet."


    vico''s eyes narrowed as he sensed what was inside the item, surprised that minos was so interested in sending things to the spiritual world.


    one would expect someone in his position to leave his old world behind and focus only on what was in front of him. but minos didn''t seem interested in giving up his empire.


    in a way, this embarrassed vico, who had completely left his old state behind.


    "i will hand it over to your people. don''t worry, we''ll do our best and bring those who want to come to zocarro. with the resources you''ve left, we''ll certainly be able to pay for the travel of at least 20 natives of our planet."


    minos nodded to both of them, then returned to his wife''s side. tonight, he would spend hours with the three of them. but before he actually left the guild, he would stop by one more place to say goodbye. s~ea??h the n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 2547 Back on the Road

    chapter 2547  back on the road after leaving his family, minos went to segiel''s estate and gained access to the guild council area after she gave him permission to pass.


    on rare occasions, a lower-ranked member of the guild could enter higher-ranked areas. but when a general like segiel gave the order for an officer like minos to come to her, no one would question an officer entering the council area.


    entering the luxurious home segiel had been lived in since becoming a low-ranking member of the council, minos smiled as he took off his cloak and saw the beautiful blue-haired woman looking at him with narrowed eyes.


    segiel was lying on a red sofa, her beautiful curves marked by her clothes, her cleavage visible from minos'' position.


    looking at this level 114 woman, one of the most beautiful besides his wives, he licked his lips as he approached without ceremony.


    she smiled when she saw the look on his face, subtly biting her lip, a hungry look in her eyes.


    their relationship had developed a lot in the past few years, and for the first time in a long time, minos had a new woman besides the ones he had gathered in his harem in the spiritual world.


    when he first arrived in zocarro, he didn''t think he would be attracted to women other than those of his family. but after meeting segiel, he couldn''t help but change his mind.


    in the blink of an eye, he was on top of segiel, his eyes locked with hers, his blood rushing violently through his body.


    "are you really going?" she asked, her voice soft, not so optimistic about her lover''s departure.


    "yes, i have to take care of something. after that, i''ll be able to spend a long time without worrying. until i leave for uzira, i''ll be close by," minos said as he sniffed segiel''s neck, feeling her sweet perfume, capable of making him tremble subtly, eager to taste her.


    as minos sucked on her slender neck, segiel shivered from head to toe, unable to hold back and tightening her arms around him, eager for his touch.


    "mmmmmmm~"


    they finally kissed, their arms tearing at each other''s clothes, their mouths locked together, each movement raising their temperature.


    feeling minos'' cane stiff as a rock, segiel moved, shifting their positions as she pulled her lips away from his. eager to feel him kiss her lower lips, she positioned herself with her face close to his groin, giving him a privileged view of her flower.


    seeing segiel''s pink flower dripping nectar as he slowly ran his tongue over her crotch, getting closer to the natural work of art before him, minos closed his eyes and kissed her fervently.


    "ahh~"


    a sudden moan escaped her lips before she enveloped the pulsating flesh in front of her with her lips, taking half of its length into her mouth with ease.


    the azure glow that enveloped segiel''s fairy body grew stronger as the two lovers'' instincts rose, their mouths and hands working to satisfy each other.


    while minos massaged his lover''s beautiful ass, segiel took his rod in one hand and massaged his balls with the other. as she swallowed minos'' rod, she could feel herself coming to orgasm with him.


    before they even got there, they switched positions, with her sitting on top of him, her hips moving quickly as she felt her flesh wrap around minos'' hot, hard pole.


    this was how minos'' last night at the armhands headquarters would unfold. having already taken care of his wives'' needs before approaching segiel, he would end his last day at the headquarters for an indeterminate amount of time by entering and exiting a level 114 woman.


    after two hours of satisfaction and joy, minos would leave his mistress and leave the headquarters of his force to finally begin his new journey.


    once again, it was time for him to travel to the far north. this time, however, he would be alone and much stronger than on his last long journeys.


    experienced enough to travel around the continent without having to worry about lengthy preparations, minos would leave the floating island for the long journey ahead.


    meanwhile, his family and allies stayed behind, focusing on cultivation and their respective missions. some of them were not far behind, while others had just taken up new positions with many problems to solve.


    even though they would miss him for years to come, none of them had much time to think about it!


    ...


    in the blink of an eye, over four years passed after minos left armhands'' headquarters!


    while he had almost completed his journey to the artificial moon, his fellow guild members used the time to continue their cultivation and efforts.


    abby and gloria reached level 106 during this time, the same level as kendrick, vico, and callie. meanwhile, ruth reached level 107, and grisdi also advanced one level during these years.


    with the faction''s abundant resources, the prominent members enjoyed the luxury of their secure headquarters, free from constant worries about self-defense. additionally, they had exclusive access to specialized cultivation grounds. as a result, each member experienced significant growth in their cultivation prowess.


    minos wanted as many of them as possible to become intermediate officers while he was away, so each of the junior officers¡ªmost of them¡ªwere working toward that goal, and some had already achieved it.


    while his companions progressed in their own ways, minos was already at the ganaway refuge, awaiting the day of his departure for the artificial moon.


    after weeks of waiting in this place for his day of travel, today was the day for him to complete his journey to the artificial moon and to speak again with the seraph''s soul fragment!  s§×ar?h the n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    he soon made his way to the instant transport station and entered the platform required for the journey. after the other four people who were going to the artificial moon today joined him, he felt the surrounding space change, before he traveled a million kilometers in a single instant!


    in the blink of an eye, he was back on the artificial moon, this time without showing the reactions he had shown the first time he made this journey.

 Chapter 2548 Towards the Seraphim World

    chapter 2548  towards the seraphim world arriving at the artificial moon, minos left behind the four zocarro natives, who felt sick after arriving there by instant transport, and made his way out of the area.


    passing the men on the outskirts, behind the organization of the grandiose space station, minos soon made his way to the counters.


    meanwhile, the tattoo of six wings on one of his hands warmed until, after years of waiting, the soul fragment of the seraph revealed itself to minos.


    ''we''re finally here, huh?'' the soul fragment commented in a good-natured tone, pleased their agreement was coming to fruition.


    ''where do we go now? you told me about the journey to the seraphim world when i returned to zocarro, but you didn''t give me the exact names of the places we have to pass through to get there.''


    ''hmm, about that, you should buy tickets to the fern leaf nebula. i don''t know what stops you have to make to change ships, but there are certainly companies on the route between our position and the fern leaf nebula.


    the journey itself won''t take long. two years if we''re lucky, four if we''re not.


    there is a secret spatial distortion of my master in this galaxy. through this distortion, we can reach the seraphim world. you must concentrate on this part of the journey. when you reach the fern leaf nebula, i will lead you to my world... unfortunately, i am running out of power. i''ll disappear if i keep talking.''


    ''fern leaf nebula? it''s okay. don''t worry, i''ll get to this galaxy. when i do, i''ll tell you to come back.''


    ''good luck. at your current level, i doubt this will be a dangerous journey, but be aware. the universe can be surprising'','' said the seraph before disappearing back into minos'' tattoo.


    looking down at his hand, minos noticed the tattoo was becoming more transparent than ever, a sign it would disappear not too far in the future.


    for a moment, he sighed, imagining how far his journey had been. in the blink of an eye, centuries had passed, the spiritual world was no longer his goal, and he was now strong enough to destroy planets like his homeworld.


    still, there was a long journey ahead of him, a new challenge that would threaten his life in a few decades, a destiny that left no room for delay.


    after a few seconds, he moved on, stopping at one of the ticket booths that sold tickets to various space stations, planets, and galaxies in the universe.


    "my friend, i''m not sure where i''m going from the artificial moon. all i know is that i have to get to the fern leaf nebula." minos smiled as he said where he was going.


    "fern leaf nebula? we don''t have any ships that go to that galaxy. but we have a small crew that will travel to a galaxy near the fern leaf nebula. from there, you can get a crew to take you to your final destination." the employee of the organization behind the artificial moon explained in a neutral tone.


    "that works for me. i want a ticket to such a place." minos nodded positively.


    "very well. i must warn you that the spaceships leaving our station will start this journey in seven months. the journey to omicron aquarii takes on average about 19 months."


    "why are there no crews going to the fern leaf nebula? i heard it''s close to our position," minos asked with interest when he heard the distance between the artificial moon and omicron aquarii.


    "that''s due to a lack of demand, i''d say. our galaxy, omicron aquarii and the fern leaf nebula are all high-level areas with existences of supremes. it is said that there are even stronger beings in those other two galaxies.


    therefore, few beings from these areas leave their worlds, and few from our galaxy risk traveling to these places. so there aren''t many crews willing to make these journeys."


    "so that''s it." minos understood and quickly paid for the qilnats due, then set off with his ticket to omicron aquarii.


    he was heading for the trading area of the artificial moon, interested in exchanging some qilnats for foreign currency, as well as resources to take with him on this trip.


    later today, he would settle all of this and then look for a good place to farm in seclusion for the next few months.


    his travels over the past few years had been uneventful, but he hadn''t had much time to cultivate. he planned to make up for it in the next few months!


    reaching level 107 would be even harder than reaching level 106, so he intended to push himself in these months, and also when his journey to omicron aquarii began.


    ...


    in the blink of an eye, time would fly and minos'' months of seclusion on the artificial moon would come to an end.


    awakening from his meditation with a timer he had prepared himself, minos would put on his clothes and armor before grabbing a bite to eat on his way to the boarding area of this gigantic station.


    following the directions he already knew and the recommendations on his ticket, he was soon at the gate from which his crew would depart on this journey.


    this time he wouldn''t be traveling in a huge spaceship with dozens of crew and hundreds of passengers. the ship to omicron aquarii was smaller, a spaceship that could comfortably carry a maximum of 30 beings at a time.


    so boarding didn''t take long. as soon as he arrived at the boarding gate and the crew of 12 began to board, minos entered the ship and met several beings from races he had never seen before.


    something striking about this group of crew and passengers going to omicron aquarii was their cultivation. the weakest of them was a level 113 sovereign, while the captain of the ship was a level 117 supreme, as strong as the commander of armhands himself.


    ''no wonder the passage was so expensive. this is no ordinary crew.'' minos thought to himself as he entered his cabin, then followed the recommendations and prepared for departure.


    in a few moments, the captain would announce the group''s departure, and soon the ship would leave the artificial moon!


    sea??h th§× novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 2549 Omicron Aquarii

    chapter 2549  omicron aquarii the 19-month journey between the artificial moon and omicron aquarii would pass quickly.


    minos spent most of that time cultivating in seclusion, not worrying about the route or the dangers of the journey.


    the crew behind the small ship that arrived at omicron aquarii was many times stronger than he could face. if something dangerous came their way, it wouldn''t make any difference for him to get involved.


    but fortunately, the crew transporting minos didn''t face any challenges during these months. few 12th stage beings traveled the universe, so apart from the natural problems of space, ambushes or pirate actions would hardly affect a crew like his.


    in 19 months, they had made the entire journey between their starting point and their destination, entering the galaxy today, traveling at high speed, slowly slowing down, already with their last stop in mind.


    in an hour at the most, they would arrive at the disembarkation station, the end point of this journey.


    by this time, all the passengers had already been duly warned of the group''s arrival at their destination, in their cabins, seated and with their seat belts properly fastened, prepared for the upcoming slowdown.


    minos had already left his cultivation room and was waiting to disembark, eager for the last leg of the journey.


    according to the seraph''s soul fragment, he should reach his destination galaxy in no more than another year''s journey.


    so minos waited until the end of the remaining hour of travel, when the starship slowed down, causing all passengers and crew to experience one minute of extreme deceleration, enough to knock out anyone who wasn''t prepared.


    minos and all the passengers were very used to these effects. after 10 minutes, the ship docked at a spaceport and landing signals appeared all around the ship.


    leaving his cabin, minos moved on, unhurried but anxious to reach the boarding terminal where he would buy his next tickets.


    at the exit of the ship, he greeted some aliens, people he had met a few times in the last months, and even greeted some of the crew.


    as soon as he left the landing platform, he saw the neon signs around this part of the station. the compound was well signposted, with many weaker aliens coming and going, several ships disembarking at the same time as his.


    although there wasn''t much movement from the artificial moon to here, there was a lot of internal movement within this galaxy, and also connecting the higher worlds in the area with weaker worlds in other parts of the universe.


    minos would have to dodge many creatures on his way and would not encounter many supremes. as in zocarro, 12th stage specialists were difficult to find.


    apart from the captains of a few spaceships, there was no one so strong that he had to be careful.


    he soon arrived at the ticket counter, where he waited a mere 20 minutes before his turn came.


    "hi, i''d like a ticket to the fern leaf nebula." minos got straight to the point, looking expectantly at the creature in front of him.


    "fern leaf nebula? we have two options for the traveler. one, wait 22 months for the next group that will go directly to the fern leaf nebula, or leave in a month with the group going to zeta draconis." the alien on the other side of the counter explained.


    "zeta draconis? from there i can go to the fern leaf nebula?" minos asked, not knowing much about the galaxies that existed in this quadrant of the universe.


    "yes, zeta draconis is a powerful and large galaxy nine months away from our position. a dynasty allied with the rulers of the fern leaf nebula rules zeta draconis, so you will find groups there to take you to your destination.


    the journey between zeta draconis and the fern leaf nebula should take about 6 months. however, there are the waiting times between these posts and the travel, as well as the cost."


    the alien looked at minos for a moment in silence, giving the human time to think about what to do.


    "what would you prefer? it will be faster to go via zeta draconis, but it will also be more expensive and more dangerous. zeta draconis is the home of the divine dragons."


    "i''ll go to zeta draconis. thanks for the recommendation." minos decided before hearing the price of the ticket and a few more recommendations.


    after picking up his ticket and thanking the man, he made his way to an area where he could wait for his next ship to cultivate.


    a month passed quickly for the current minos. however, with his temporal powers, he could make time pass differently for him, and he could enjoy much more time while cultivating.


    he had used some of his temporal powers on his family and faction members, so they had grown rapidly during his stay in armhands. having done this to himself during his trip to this galaxy, and now in this month of cultivation, minos would experience much more cultivation time than he should have.


    the downside was the consumption of his vital energy. but he wasn''t worried about losing years of his life expectancy.


    there were only two possible fates for minos. either to fail and die long before his life expectancy expired, or to succeed in all the challenges and inherit the position of celestial in the upper realm.


    if the second option was his destiny, he could live forever, so his current vitality didn''t matter. if the first option was what would happen, then his vitality wouldn''t matter either.


    with this in mind, he would experience five months of cultivation in just one, soon arriving at the moment of his departure from omicron aquarii.


    ...


    after leaving the cultivation area where he had spent the past few weeks in seclusion, minos made his way to the boarding station, his cultivation already halfway to level 106.


    if he continued to cultivate as he had been doing for the past few months, he could reach level 107 by the time he had to enter the seraphim world!


    without worrying about his cultivation speed, he boarded the spaceship to zeta draconis, somewhat curious about the divine dragon''s galaxy.  sear?h the n?vel(f)ire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    apart from the dragons of the spiritual world, he had never seen an actual dragon in his travels through the universe. but considering the origins of the dragons of his world¡ªrelated to panvuter¡ªminos was curious about the divine dragons and their connection to the rest of the dragons of the universe.

 Chapter 2550 Zeta Draconis

    chapter 2550  zeta draconis ten months later...


    minos'' journey between omicron aquarii and zeta draconis passed quickly, as he spent most of his time cultivating in an individual cultivation room.


    just like the journey from the artificial moon to his previous stop, there was not much demand for the journey to zeta draconis. in fact, it was even lower than that between the artificial moon and omicron aquarii.


    after a smooth journey, minos had landed on a space station in zeta draconis, where he discovered he would have to travel to a planet in that galaxy to continue on to the fern leaf nebula.


    after two weeks of traveling through a universal wormhole, he arrived on this planet, the home of the divine dragons!


    ...


    upon arriving on the planet of the divine dragons, minos faced an entrance barrier where he underwent an interview with an enormous dragon.  s~ea??h the n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    this creature''s body differed from the dragons of the spiritual world, but it closely resembled the form of the ancestral dragon god of his world.


    after receiving permission to enter this world, minos couldn''t help but imagine there was some kind of connection between this world and panvuter in the distant past.


    ''fah''um of dunov was probably a 12th stage being when he was alive.'' minos imagined as he arrived on the surface of the planet that was home to the supreme dynasty of zeta draconis.


    as soon as he left the magnificent volcano-shaped building, minos saw gigantic creatures flying back and forth, dragons the size of floating islands, but also much smaller juniors.


    this was not a populated world. in hundreds of square kilometers, there should only be a few dozen creatures. but most of the creatures there were huge, and only a few of them did not belong to the sovereign race.


    the divine dragons didn''t accept aliens to live in their world, only those who were just passing through and were willing to pay for the dragons'' services.


    divine dragons were beings renowned for their spatial abilities and power. as such, they were the ancient space builders behind some of the greatest space wonders in the universe.


    the only way to the fern leaf nebula was through this place, through a gigantic universal wormhole that minos was looking for today.


    on his way there, following the directions recommended by the dragon who had questioned him, minos noticed the spiritual richness of this world, capable of rivaling zocarro and even surpassing it by a narrow margin.


    unfortunately, only dragons could live there.


    ''do i have a chance to get some kind of visa to stay in this place?'' he wondered, thinking about the journey back to zocarro.


    if he took the same route back as he did now, he would have to pass through this place, one way or another. with a dragon-related skill and an extremely strong body because of it, minos couldn''t help but think about the possibility for him.


    ''i need to raise the quality of my body to the celestial grade. maybe i can improve my chances if i temper my body here. enriching the dragon''s eyes might also help me in the next competition i have for the celestial''s heritage.''


    right now, minos wasn''t worried about sovereigns. he was worried about the next stage, especially the next level of the celestial''s inheritance.


    with this in mind, minos flew to an alien city on this planet, where aliens came and went through the wormholes in the area.


    while waiting in line to enter one of these wormholes, minos approached a divine dragon selling resources and bought some items he thought were valuable.


    "friend, is there any chance that someone who has inherited powers from a dragon can get special permission to stay longer in this world?" minos got straight to the point as he paid for his purchases.


    "an heir of a dragon? usually dragon heirs are dragons, stranger," said the old creature, a level 112 sovereign.


    "but suppose someone worthy managed to convince a dragon to give him its inheritance. would such a person have special rights, different from beings who have no connection to dragons?" minos insisted with a smile on his face.


    the old dragon looked thoughtfully into the little human''s eyes. "it''s possible, but i''ve never heard of such a thing. have you inherited the powers of a dragon? you don''t look strong to me."


    minos wasn''t offended. compared to the dragons of this world, he was one or two levels weaker than he would have been on zocarro.


    there were special creatures on zocarro that minos would not find easy to fight and that would show less fighting efficiency than he had already shown on his journey. but such creatures¡ªcreatures like him¡ªwere rare and hard to find. but in this world of dragons, minos could tell that there were several of them.


    this even made him a little afraid of the journey he was about to take, afraid that eventually he would meet one of his competitors for the celestial''s inheritance.


    if that happened, it was almost certain they would hunt each other to the death!


    more importantly, there was no guarantee they would have the same conditions as the celestial''s inheritance. as far as minos knew, time passed differently in every part of the universe. he was at level 106, but there might be competitors of his who were still at level 102, or even at level 113!


    he didn''t want to meet any of them, even if it meant a chance for him!


    minos replied to the dragon, "yes, i inherited it. the senior want to see?" he showed the dragon one of his hands.


    interested, the enormous creature touched minos'' body, then felt the powerful dragon''s gaze of this human, but also how strong this small body was.


    "oh?" his eyes opened wide, while some aliens in the area looked in his direction, feeling his aura rise.


    "you really have a dragon fragment inside you... no, actually, there are two." the creature narrowed his eyes as he sensed something from a weak dragon and something from a higher-level being.


    ''where did he find this elder?'' the level 112 divine dragon wondered as he sensed the remnant of the dragon god from the spiritual world in minos.


    but he didn''t give it much thought. looking into minos'' brown eyes, this creature threw a dragon''s tooth at the winged human.


    "i can see you''re interested in leaving through one of our wormholes. continue your journey. when you have time, come back and visit me. this dragon''s tooth will help you travel to me throughout my world. i''ll help you get special permission. but i can''t guarantee you won''t have any problems.''


    minos thanked him with a smile on his face, seeing his chance. soon he would leave without thinking too much about where it would lead him or the dangers.


    better to have this simple connection now than to leave with nothing!

 Chapter 2551 Shocking Revelations

    chapter 2551  shocking revelations after accepting the divine dragon''s tooth in the world of the supreme leaders of zeta draconis, minos would embark on a six-month journey to the fern leaf nebula.


    on this journey, he would have to fly most of the time by himself, and only a few times would he be able to stop to cultivate. since he had to fly for most of the journey, his strength had improved little in the meantime.


    but he had finished his journey the day before when he arrived at the first space station in the fern leaf nebula!


    ...


    ''and? where am i going now? i''m already in the galaxy you indicated.'' minos tried to communicate with the remaining will of the seraph in the wing tattoo on one of his hands.


    after a few moments of silence, the tattoo warmed and the soul fragment of the seraph appeared around minos in the cultivation room where he was.


    minos had paid for an area where he could cultivate and recover from the journey to this space station. only after resting and stimulating his powers a bit did he turn his attention to his current mission.


    when the seraph appeared, this spiritual essence was silent for a moment, identifying where in the fern leaf nebula they were.


    ''i see... you''ve traveled very far indeed. we are near my home, minos,'' said the semi-transparent being, his tone somewhat humorous, a smile appearing on his face.


    ''how do i go on? it must be difficult to reach the entrance to your master''s dimension.''


    ''not really,'' the spirt said, shaking his head. ''my lord''s dimension is easily accessible to any seraph. i''ll be with you, so it will be easy to get in. besides, we''re not far away. we only have to fly to the planet astrimia. from there, i''ll lead you directly to the spatial distortion that gives access to my homeworld.''


    minos looked at the spirit in surprise, not thinking a special dimension could be accessed so easily. ''that''s it? really? what prevents other beings from entering this dimension?''


    ''the laws set by my lord. it will be easy for us, but anyone else would have such a hard time finding this distortion that even a level 120 tracker would need a lifetime to find it.


    even if someone were to find it, it would be impossible to enter until they reached level 125.''


    level 125 was supposed to be the first level of the celestial stage, so it was almost impossible to reach it!


    ''that... someone like that would never try to enter another celestial''s dimension.'' minos thought to himself.


    but the seraph''s spirit looked at him and shook his head negatively. ''it is not that simple. not every celestial is part of the upper realm.''


    minos'' eyebrows knitted together as he couldn''t help but get up from where he was, feeling provoked. "what do you mean?" he opened his mouth to ask aloud.


    the seraph said in his mind. ''some individuals reach level 125 without reaching the upper realm.


    officially, the end of the divine journey is level 129. beyond that is the absolute stage, which can only be reached by going to the upper realm. only by reaching level 130 and becoming absolute can one truly attain immortality.


    but as i said, this is only possible for those who have access to the upper realm. those who don''t are stuck in the divine journey and can''t become true immortals.


    officially, the end of the divine journey is level 129. beyond that is the absolute stage, which can only be reached by going to the upper realm. only by reaching level 130 and becoming absolute can one truly attain immortality.


    but as i said, this is only possible for those who have access to the upper realm. those who don''t are stuck in the divine journey and can''t become true immortals.


    but there are very few people who can get this far in their cultivation without having access to the upper realm.


    the chances of someone like that challenging my lord''s domains are almost zero.''


    minos asked worriedly, ''so there are celestials outside of the upper realm? what''s stopping them from conspiring against us?''


    ''nothing. in fact, if one of them realizes what''s in your heart, you''ll be in trouble. the position of heir to a celestial being from the upper realm is a key to the upper realm. all a celestial has to do is wait for you to mature and become one favorite for the inheritance he wants. then, by killing you and taking your heart, he could enter the upper realm.''  sear?h the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    minos swallowed his saliva in horror, not having thought of this possibility before.


    ''could this be what the elder of armhands is watching me for? is he waiting for me to get closer to becoming the heir to the celestial behind my inheritance?'' minos felt drops of sweat trickle down his face, worried as never.


    the seraph''s spirit saw the worry on the young man''s face and sighed.


    ''don''t think about it too much, minos. you are far more likely to meet one of your competitors than a celestial outside the upper realm. and even if you''re unlucky, he''ll give you the chance to take the next test. your heart will be more valuable to him if he waits.''


    ''still, that''s too much, isn''t it? i don''t see myself being able to stop someone so powerful!'' minos felt the urgency in his heart.


    ''it''s true... that''s why i never told you before. but there''s nothing you can do about it. aside from hunting down others like you, all you can do is continue your journey and hide until you reach the high level of the 12th stage. by then, this will no longer be a problem for you.''


    minos clenched his fists in worry, but in the end, the seraph''s spirit was right. there was nothing he could do about it now.


    however, something in the seraph''s speech caught minos'' attention.


    ''you said that hunting down the other competitors would help me? why is that?''


    ''well, each of the heirs of the owner of the inheritance you''re vying for received parts of the body of a true celestial. in your case, you received the heart. there are others who have received hearts for sure, but there are others who have received eyes, brains, and other body parts.


    if you or any of your 99 rivals find your rivals outside the dimension of the owner of the inheritance, you can steal these organs and use them to increase your power.


    you have become stronger by absorbing the incorruptible heart. but your power would increase even more if you could absorb a second part of a true celestial''s body. absorbing three would be even better, and absorbing four would basically open the doors to the upper realm for you.


    it''s this way because you''re weak. but for someone who has already reached the 13th stage of cultivation, a single part of a true celestial''s body would be enough for them to enter the upper realm.''


    minos understood his situation and saw an opportunity, but also a a terrible danger to his life!

 Chapter 2552 Astrimia

    chapter 2552  astrimia after the serious talk with the seraph''s spirit, minos set off, traveling alone for days, with the spirit helping him with directions every three or four days.


    at this rate, in only one month, minos would arrive on astrimia, near the space distortion indicated by the seraph''s spirit.


    upon arriving on this world, similar in size and power to zocarro, minos again alerted the seraph''s spirit to his position.


    awakening from his slumber, the spirit sensed minos'' surroundings and expressed to the human how pleased he was to feel the planet''s unmistakable magical aura.


    ''when i was young, i often came here to train and hone my skills,'' the seraph said as he looked around the metallic city he was in, an extremely developed and populated place.


    aliens came and went from this place. it was one of the most powerful planets in the galaxy, a place coveted by entire civilizations from this and other galaxies.


    ''anyway, to get to the spatial distortion that will take us to my world, you need a single spaceship capable of leaving the surface of this world. get that and go to...''


    the seraph''s spirit gave minos directions, pointing out the way to the spatial distortion where the young level 106 human was to call him again before they embarked on the last part of the journey.


    ''by the way, would it be interesting if i advanced to level 107 before entering your world? or is there no need for me to worry about that?'' minos asked.


    the seraph looked at minos with a smile on his translucent face. ''advance to level 107 before we continue there. you won''t be in danger if you don''t advance, but you will benefit more if you are stronger. as i''ve said before, you will be rewarded for completing this mission.''


    ''all right. then i''ll take some time off to cultivate in seclusion on this planet. in about a year, i should advance and complete the rest of the journey,'' minos said, without waiting for an answer.


    after minos'' words, the seraph disappeared, returning to the seal of the seraphim wing tattoo on one of the human''s hands.


    alone again, minos looked around and hurried on in search of a place where he could buy a spaceship and then go into seclusion.


    fortunately, minos now spoke over 40 different languages. with such a deep knowledge, learning the languages of different civilizations had become a simple activity for him.


    with his knowledge and the help of powerful local cultivators, he could learn the language of the area in less than an hour. with the incorruptible heart working on his side, adapting to the place itself would always be quick and easy.


    he would soon find a shop that sold small spaceships, a common type of artifact found in shops on any planet like this.


    on zocarro, it was also easy to find such shops, although it wasn''t at all easy to get ships into orbit.


    given zocarro''s strong gravity, it was much easier for someone to travel to the ganaway refuge and go to the artificial moon with instantaneous transportation than with a spaceship leaving from the surface.  s~ea??h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    but the most powerful beings on zocarro had spaceships that could leave the planet via the surface, similar to what happened on astrimia.


    as long as you had enough resources, it wouldn''t be difficult to buy a ship good enough for such a journey, neither on zocarro nor on astrimia.


    minos happened to be a sovereign with wealth to envy, so he would soon negotiate his individual spaceship, which he intended to use to leave the planet and follow the directions given by the seraph''s spirit.


    with the individual spaceship in his ring, minos navigated the bustling streets of the technological city. the air buzzed with the hum of magnetic levitation rails, various types of flying carriages zipping by, and robots attending to their tasks. creatures, mostly artificial, moved about with precision on the ground and in the air.


    surveillance mechanisms were omnipresent, with probes meticulously monitoring even the simplest characteristics of the city''s denizens. minos was acutely aware of this, yet his incorruptible heart guarded the most crucial information about himself.


    ''this civilization is truly advanced,'' he thought, marveling at the sight before him as he approached a magnificent rocket-shaped building.


    its glass-covered structure shimmered, and the dense energy inside seemed to condense into a fog, giving the interior an ethereal quality.


    entering the building, minos headed towards the self-service machines. after a brief observation, he grasped the system''s workings.


    the minds of mighty cultivators were indeed fantastic; even at a thousand years old, someone like minos could learn new things in mere moments.


    in no time, he operated the self-service machine, registered his payment, and received the key to a cultivation room suited for cultivators up to level 114. he smiled to himself, appreciating the efficiency and sophistication of the technology around him.


    as he made his way to the cultivation room, minos couldn''t help but feel a surge of excitement. this city, with its blend of advanced technology and mystical energy, held endless possibilities for someone of his prowess. and he was ready to explore every one of them.


    ''this is very convenient.''


    with the code for his individual cultivation room, minos followed the directions given by the machine itself and went to the 87th floor of the building, where his room was located.


    all he had to do was enter the room''s password on a device attached to the door, and he could easily enter the place where he planned to spend the next year.


    as soon as he closed the door, minos observed the interior of the 20 square meter room, which had white-lit walls, a capsule-shaped construction in the center of the area, with a ladder to its position and a padded seat.


    ''the machine scanned me and guided me to choose a room compatible with my body and type of powers... impressive. in the future, i''ll have to use some of my people to learn how to build such devices.''


    after thinking about the wonders of this civilization for a while, minos closed his eyes and sat down in the lotus position.


    a golden hourglass, as large as the capsule-shaped structure, appeared around his body, slowing down the passage of time for him.


    the hydra amulet glowed, intensifying the power of minos'' divine ability¡ªtemporal sands¡ªwhile from now on, he would experience nearly six years in the span of just one year that he could stay in this room.


    at that time, he planned to advance his cultivation to level 107!

 Chapter 2553 Entering the Seraphim World!

    chapter 2553  entering the seraphim world! without noticing the passage of time, minos opened his eyes again, this time to a new level.


    ''level 107.''


    he clenched his fists, his muscles trembling with the amount of energy at his disposal. the weight of his body seemed lighter, while the sensation coming from his passive abilities was stronger than ever.


    ''it was easier than i thought... with each progress i make, the strengthening of my essence seems less ''cruel''.''


    cultivation could be painful. improvement was also a form of torture. one often had to inflate one''s soul in order to force negative parts out of one''s body. the process itself could be addictive, but not that pleasant.


    the feeling of growth was definitely incredible, and nothing could compete with that satisfaction. but during the cultivation process itself, one could even suffer a lot before reaching this important point.


    but as minos grew stronger, he felt that his progress became more... gentle?


    however, that didn''t mean his progress to the peak would be a walk in the park.


    ''my next breakthrough will probably take me 35 years... using my temporary powers, about 6 years of cultivation in seclusion.''


    minos narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists, thinking about his next breakthrough.


    one might think that six years would be no big deal, and his cultivation speed would actually increase. but in fact, the opposite was true. those years of cultivation were not years in which he could go on missions, live with his family, or do other activities. they were years of closed cultivation, where he should cultivate 99% of the time, always using his temporal abilities.


    how long would that actually take? 6 years? 12 years? 18? 24? there was no way to know for sure until he actually returned home and had a predictable routine ahead of him.


    either way, there was no more time for him to stay in this place. anticipating the end of his contract with this cultivation room in a minute, he left the padded seat of the capsule-like structure and prepared to leave.


    ''time to go to the seraphim world... it''s finally time for me to fulfill this old mission.'' he got ready and left the place without looking back, heading for the part of the city where he knew he could use his spaceship to leave this world.


    ...


    minos would leave astrimia without difficulty on the very day of his advance. as much as everywhere had their dangers and problems, there were few places in the universe where a level 107 seer couldn''t avoid trouble on his way.


    minos was an alien in a universal city with hundreds of alien races. he hadn''t interacted with anyone there and could avoid troublesome beings with relative ease.


    after leaving the rocket-shaped building, he reached the area for high-level spaceships to leave the planet, and soon used his ship to fly skyward.


    after an hour of tough travel to escape astrimia''s strong gravitational pull, he left the planet''s atmosphere and began navigating to the point indicated by the seraph''s spirit.


    just as the spirit had told him, the journey was not long, nor was the ''road'' busy. it would take minos only three days to travel between astrimia and the space distortion, passing only five ships along the way.


    when he reached his destination, the brown-haired human, with a few streaks of white hair here and there, once again brought his small spaceship to a stop and waited for the seraph''s spirit.


    faced with the entrance to a dimension of a true celestial, minos couldn''t help but feel different, looking at the spatial distortion invisible to others but visible to him with interest, doubt, and fear.


    ''well done. your advance will help you make better use of the opportunity you''ll have soon,'' the seraph said as it formed over the wing tattoo, while minos frowned steadily.


    "this..."


    ''it''s time for me to leave... don''t worry, my aura already marked you. just keep going and soon you''ll reach my lord''s dimension. good luck, i''ll be waiting for you on the other side.''


    with these words, the seraph''s spiritual body disappeared, crumbling before minos'' eyes, while the six-winged tattoo on one of his hands was no longer visible.


    for a moment, minos felt strange, as if he had lost something fundamental. but how could it be otherwise? that fragment of soul had been with him for centuries! he had lived longer with the soul fragment of the seraph than without it!


    after a minute of contemplation, standing in front of the spatial distortion, minos let his spaceship cross the spatial distortion.


    as soon as he entered this special zone, he felt as if he had gone underwater, with a special aura surrounding his body, but not threatening him.


    for a few moments, he traveled along a bright path whose shape and size were difficult to analyze.


    but in less than a minute, he would reach the end of the spatial distortion and arrive at a completely different plane than the one he had gone to before¡ªthe red expanse.


    unlike the scorching red place he had passed through during the millennium massacre, minos found himself in a place with a white sky, green terrain, and seemingly no end.


    many trees with colorful leaves covered the edges of the land below where he arrived, and seemingly ordinary birds and animals lived their lives here and there.  s§×ar?h the n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the energy of the place, like that of the red expanse, seemed anything but ordinary. it was extremely powerful on the one hand, but somewhat limited on the other.


    minos could feel some of his powers being sealed inside his body as soon as he arrived there, distracting his attention a bit from this supernatural paradise.


    but as he realized the differences between the red expanse and the seraphim world, a creature with wings as big as houses, six wings in total, appeared in the sky, in front of the white star that illuminated this plane.


    minos raised one of his arms in front of his eyes and stared with narrowed eyes at the creature, a being with six wings that covered most of his body, leaving only his head visible.


    "minos stuart, welcome to my world."

 Chapter 2554 Mission Completed

    chapter 2554  mission completed at the sight of the big seraph, five times larger than the soul fragment that had accompanied him on his long journey, minos'' eyes widened as he sensed the cultivation of this enormous creature.


    ''a supreme? level 120?'' he opened his mouth, but no words came out.


    even after all his travels, minos hadn''t expected to meet such a powerful seraph after completing his mission.


    this being knew his name, but minos wasn''t surprised. the seraph''s soul fragment that had accompanied him on this journey could read his mind, so he imagined that this being before him could do the same.


    "the one who guided me here said that he had died. could you be his reincarnation?" minos asked, his voice steady despite the whirlwind of thoughts in his mind.


    he already knew that reincarnation was possible. he also knew that the seraphim collected the souls of their race members to give them new opportunities through reincarnation. the exact mechanics eluded him, but he understood these beings had a unique approach to the cycle of life and death.


    the gigantic creature smiled at minos and slowly descended, his wings folding as it landed near where minos stood.


    "not exactly," he said in a gentle tone, approaching minos as his body shrank, adopting a friendlier and more approachable form. "i am the guardian of this sanctuary. i know everything that all seraphim who have ever existed have experienced. including the experiences of their soul fragments."


    minos''s eyes widened slightly, absorbing this revelation. the seraphim''s transformation and the warmth in its tone put him somewhat at ease, yet the gravity of the encounter was not lost on him.


    "that is impressive, i must say." minos picked up an object he had brought back from the spiritual world and kept in his spatial ring all these years.


    the creature, now in human form, took the item from minos'' hands, ending the human''s mission for the seraphim tribe.


    "do not think too much about this. i am a servant of my lord. my powers come from their greatness. one day you will see a little of the glow of that power.


    i wish you luck on your journey to the upper realm. unlike us, you will have a real chance to ascend to immortality, minos."


    as he said this, the seraph processed the souls of those seraphim who had died in the spiritual world, processing their memories and then releasing them to begin their life cycles anew.


    minos watched with interest as the essences transformed into small, bright, star-like singularities before exploding one by one with the birth of new essences.


    colorful butterflies formed from the mist of the explosion of these little stars, each flap of their wings releasing a strange essence into the air.


    "what will happen to them now? will they be reincarnated and return to the spiritual world?" minos asked.


    "no," said the leader of this dimension, as he motioned for minos to follow him. "the spiritual world no longer needs our protection. there is someone else who will do that for them."


    minos smiled, imagining this protector was himself.


    "and even if he doesn''t want this role, the spiritual world has already shown itself. there''s nothing left for us to protect."


    "what is the real function of seraphim in the spiritual world, senior?"


    he continued to walk forward, not looking back. "do you know how rare life is in the universe, minos? to you, the universe appears as a vibrant and powerful realm. you have witnessed countless creatures, diverse races, and numerous worlds. it is easy to imagine the entire universe being filled with such life and energy.


    regrettably, this is not the reality. while your planet is able to sustain a diverse array of species, it is a rarity among the vast expanse of the universe. for every planet like yours, there exist approximately 10 million planets that struggle to nurture even a single intelligent race. and when it comes to races capable of advanced development and cultivation, they are even more scarce.


    your world, like a few others in the universe, is one of those special places. but without proper protection, such a world could easily end. you should know that. you alone have already wiped out several civilizations and can even destroy planets with your current powers."


    the supreme looked over and saw that minos had a tough expression on his face.


    "don''t worry, i don''t blame you. my lord doesn''t see beings like you as good or bad, lawbreaker or an enforcer. your actions are just... natural?


    it doesn''t matter. our mission was... is to protect planets with characteristics like yours that have not yet been discovered by stronger civilizations. our principal mission is to give these planets a chance to grow, to connect to the universal society on their own, and to produce high-level warriors like you."


    it sounded incredible. but minos couldn''t help but be skeptical about this ''kindness.''


    "why? what does your lord get out of it?" he asked without blinking.  sear?h the n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "i don''t know exactly what it is." the seraph laughed bitterly. "my lord hasn''t bothered to explain it to me. but surely there''s a greater reason. but perhaps you''re closer to the truth than i am.


    have you ever wondered why immortal beings seek heirs to take over their positions in the upper realm? there must be something to it, right? it can''t just be competitions to entertain them."


    "yes, i agree," minos replied solemnly, thinking better of the fact that there must be a reason the true celestials want heirs.


    unfortunately, he still didn''t have enough knowledge, understanding, or power to get close to the truth.


    "so all true celestials do the same as your lord?" minos asked, changing the subject a bit.


    he didn''t know what the reason could be for true celestials to want heirs, and the being in front of him didn''t seem to have the answer or even invest his time in questioning the why of things.


    "no. only a few. my lord is the celestial god of worlds. he handles most of the worlds in our universe. there is only one other from the upper realm who has a similar function to them. these two true celestials are the ones who watch over and protect life in the universe. the others, well, i don''t know what they do. but they have their functions."


    he stopped in front of a cliff, from where minos could soon see a large and majestic village, the core of the seraphim tribe.


    "anyway, those you have returned to my people today will soon be reborn and take new positions. the cycle will continue, this time in another area."


    "what about me?"


    he flew in front of minos, motioning for the human to follow him. "come with me. i have something to give you. this will end our mission so you can return to your original journey."

 Chapter 2555 Ends and Beginnings

    chapter 2555  ends and beginnings as he followed the seraph, minos spotted many others of the same race as this individual in the village below, several of whom glanced in his direction with visible surprise.  sear?h the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the entry of a non-seraphim into this realm was as rare as the existence of supremes in the universe. not entirely uncommon, but rare, very rare.


    as he watched, he realized the level 120 expert wasn''t taking him to the tribe, but to another part of this canyon, toward where a golden glow was growing stronger and stronger.


    looking with his bright eyes, minos saw six large wings attached to an ancient skeleton, suspended in the air 12 meters above the ground near one of the canyon walls. nothing seemed to support these magnificent wings, as large as the wings of the level 120 supreme in front of minos. something invisible, a force unknown to him, kept that magnificent and certainly heavy structure suspended in the air.


    "this..."


    "as expected, your eyes are very good," the seraph said with a congratulatory look at minos. "these are the ancestral wings of a warrior of my people. when we die, we leave behind powerful wings with a fraction of our powers.


    i won''t go into detail, but there are a variety of uses for them. one of them is assimilation between wings."


    he looked at minos'' golden wings, causing him to open his eyes in understanding.


    "i see."


    "you have truly done a tremendous favor for my people. we are a very small group, and the ones who passed away in the spiritual world make up 5% of our population. and, as i mentioned earlier, there are only a handful of worlds like yours in the entire universe that require protection. nevertheless, you have earned this gift."


    the seraph explained, already realizing minos was curious about the gift he was about to receive.


    "i''m afraid it''s too precious for me..." minos said, moving closer and closer, feeling more of the power of those wings that had once been part of a supreme seraph''s body.


    "you are right. in other situations, this would be too precious a reward. but my lord has ordered me to give you our most valuable set of wings today," he explained, looking at minos with a minor curiosity.


    he was also surprised, but as a loyal subordinate, he was even ready to sacrifice himself if his lord ordered it.


    "why?" minos couldn''t help but ask.


    "i don''t know. maybe it''s because of his heart, because he believes you could reach the upper realm. it could be anything." he shook his shoulders in uncertainty.


    minos knew these wings would help him become stronger, but they wouldn''t add anything to his powers in the competition for the celestial''s inheritance. when one entered the celestial''s dimension, only one''s ''natural'' attributes counted during the event.


    but minos feared his journey into the universe more than he feared the celestial''s dimension. to him, those wings were worth as much as a second life chance!


    "i hope to repay your lord for this gesture one day. i''m afraid i''m not strong enough to refuse it. so if this is a test, i''m afraid i''ll fail."


    the seraph stopped flying when he was a few dozen meters from the wings. "no tests, haha. rest assured, unlike mundane beings, we seraphim are incapable of lying in our lord''s domain.


    anyway, before you absorb these wings, i want you to know where they came from.


    in the distant past of my dimension, there was a seraph named anak. he rose to prominence shortly after his birth and proved to be an important student of my lord''s powers. 650,000 years ago, he reached the divine journey, showing the potential to one day reach the peak of the 12th stage.


    a thousand years later, he was a level 115 cultivator, the leader of the seraphim tribe. unfortunately, he died just before reaching level 122 while fighting against the evil forces in the universe on behalf of our lord.


    the seraph''s face changed as he alternated his gaze between minos and the set of wings, clenching his fists and speaking with deep solemnity.


    "minos, be careful. those marked by the true celestials are, willingly or not, extensions of those beings'' factions. the celestials outside the upper realm see us as enemies to be eliminated, stones that can help them climb to higher heights.


    however, there is a difference between you and me. my death would only disrupt my lord''s plans for a while. your death, on the other hand, could give some celestials without a throne the chance to find their way to the upper realm.


    be on your guard. the universe is more dangerous than you know. don''t make a mistake before you reach the summit of the 12th stage!"


    minos nodded to the seraph, understanding the individual''s seriousness, remembering the conversation with the seraph''s soul fragment.


    "i know, i''ll be careful."


    "sigh... go ahead. let the set of true seraph wings assimilate into your wings. the process will be slow and painful, but it will be of great benefit to you. your strength will increase after you have absorbed these wings. perhaps you''ll reach the peak of level 108 just by struggling to endure the absorption."


    minos understood why the seraph''s soul fragment beside him had recommended that he invest some of his time in leveling up before coming to this place. that way, he could make the most of this opportunity to become as strong as possible after absorbing the set of wings.


    "thank you for this opportunity. it will help me continue my journey." minos saluted the seraphim. "please thank your lord for me. i don''t know if i''ll ever be able to thank him in person, but i''ll certainly try."


    the level 120 seraph nodded, narrowing his eyes as he looked into minos'' brown eyes.


    ''this is truly a good seed... millions and millions of years have been spent cultivating someone truly worthy. in the end, the end of something is also a new beginning. my ancestors didn''t expect panvuter to produce such a person after its destruction, but they were wrong. i''ll pay more attention to the end of great worlds in the future.''


    meanwhile, minos approached the set of wings, until suddenly a pulse burst from the center of the six wings, causing his wings to react in a similar way, opening fully and emitting a pulse in response.


    then, while minos was completely out of control of the situation, the skeleton attached to the six seraphim wings fell apart, releasing its mighty wings, which then moved forward and began to merge with his wings.

 Chapter 2556 Level 108!

    chapter 2556  level 108! as he felt the seraphim''s wings, once solid and full of power, dissolve into infinite particles of golden light, minos'' eyes widened in shock. an unbearable sensation gripped him, as though his bones were breaking apart.


    his mouth opened, a scream clawing at his throat, but he stifled it, his face paling and veins bulging as he endured the agony. amid this torment, his wings began their slow integration and transformation, a massive cocoon of colored energy enveloping his entire body.


    minos barely noticed the cocoon forming around him. the pain was all-consuming, his bones shifting and realigning, each movement a fresh wave of agony. the wings had been a part of him for so long, intertwined not just with his body, but with his very soul. any change to them resonated deeply, altering his core.


    if these wings were forcibly removed, minos knew he would surely die. such was the sensitivity and connection he had with them. though absorbing seraphim''s wings wasn''t life-threatening, it was far from comfortable.


    luckily, minos possessed a constitution of exceptional strength. with the endurance of a dragon, he withstood the searing pain of the wings'' integration into his conscious body.


    the level 120 seraph watched this critical transformation, observing minos'' efforts to stay conscious. he marveled at the human''s physical and mental prowess. if he were undergoing the same transformation at minos'' level, he was certain he would have lost consciousness.


    "keep trying. if you lose consciousness, you will absorb it and improve your cultivation. but if you stay conscious, it is possible you will understand different parts of reality and be able to continue growing faster and without bottlenecks in the future."  s~ea??h the n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    he advised, making sure minos understood him, even amid the horror of having something of himself transformed while still awake.


    the pain minos felt now was like that of a person undergoing an operation to increase their height, if they were conscious and without anesthesia throughout the process.


    but minos'' case was even worse, because unlike a normal person during such a procedure, he wouldn''t lose consciousness when his pain reached a certain limit.


    for the next two hours, minos would suffer the worst physical pain of his existence, feeling as if the passage of time had changed to hone him feel every moment of the transformation that was taking place.


    at the end of the two hours, the glow of the many small luminous particles on the seraph''s wings would fade. then his two wings would become larger and more beautiful, while four new wings would begin to grow from his back.


    however, these four wings were tiny and had to grow.


    spiritual energy from the environment entered minos'' colorful cocoon, passed through his body, and nourished not only his new and old wings but also his soul.


    minos was no longer in so much pain, and he realized he would have the opportunity to cultivate until the end of level 108, as the supreme seraph had said.


    he would soon begin to meditate in the middle of this process, while the seraph guardian of this domain would leave him alone, seeing the crucial moment of integrating the wings had passed.


    ''this will take a while... i''ll come here when you''re almost done with your seclusion.''


    he left the area, leaving only the cocoon sucking energy from the area. minos would have to stay there for at least the next three years to process the new part of his body and gain enough stability to live normally.


    meanwhile, the seraph had his own business to attend to in this dimension.


    ...


    in the blink of an eye, over three years would pass, making it 11 years since minos left the headquarters of the armhands!


    after over three years in this cocoon, minos had grown, not only becoming stronger and gaining four huge new wings, but even increasing in height a bit.


    after all his journey, he was already 1.9 meters tall. some resources increased the height of living beings, so he wasn''t the same size he was when he started cultivating at the beginning of his adult life.


    but now, his body was already 2.2 meters tall, and his wings were each four times larger than his body.


    his once mostly brown hair was now completely white, and his eyebrows and hair all over his body were the same color.


    the brown of his eyes now had a slight silver tint, while his bones under his muscles were more golden than before, with rune-like symbols here and there.


    his physique had progressed a little further towards qualitative change, and was now only one step away from reaching celestial grade.


    before, minos hadn''t been sure if he would reach celestial grade by advancing one stage in the future. he knew his chances were good, but he wasn''t certain. now, however, the seraphim who were watching him at the place where he had begun his cultivation were certain that he would succeed.


    such was the case with the level 120 supreme, who was there to await minos'' awakening, and who couldn''t help but be curious about the future of the young man who was currently at the peak of level 108!


    while a large part of the seraphim tribe was waiting for minos'' awakening, which would also be the young man''s farewell to this dimension, the cocoon, which was currently thin and transparent, broke.


    as the crystallization of energy and laws broke, minos'' six magnificent, golden and extremely powerful wings subtly flapped behind his back, sending gusts of wind against various beings in the area.


    his eyes opened, revealing a fresh look as flames appeared in front of him, and his naked body was quickly covered by some kind of spiritual clothing, a cape and white trousers.


    the area around his body seemed to vibrate, the surrounding space distorted, and his eyes moved so fast that some people thought he was sick.


    but when he saw small golden hourglasses appear in minos'' pupils, the level 120 supreme understood minos was just recognizing himself after the improvements he would live with from today.

 Chapter 2557 Leaving to return to Zeta Draconis

    chapter 2557  leaving to return to zeta draconis minos surveyed his current abilities, marveling at the improvements.


    1


    ''everything about me has improved a lot. not just because of my level increase. certain things in me have improved as if i had advanced a stage!'' he thought, feeling a surge of exhilaration.


    using his divine power, he realized he could now control time with greater precision, allowing him to see the future more efficiently and for longer periods. the world seemed to slow around him as he tested his newfound abilities, the threads of time weaving more clearly before his eyes.


    his dark sea had also evolved, reaching a level where he could now permanently affect targets, forcing them to serve him without continuous energy input. the thought of wielding such influence sent a shiver down his spine.


    minos tested his dragon''s gaze, feeling its increased potency. he was confident he could intimidate even level 114 creatures with a single glance, even without the hydra''s amulet or his innate power. the mere presence of his gaze sent ripples of fear through the air.


    while the attack from the second phase of dragon''s gaze itself hadn''t become stronger, the aura of fear he exuded had intensified. anyone facing minos would now sense an almost palpable dread, making them hesitate.


    his regenerative power, strength, reaction and movement speed, as well as his defensive abilities, had all improved at least twofold. he felt an invigorating rush as he tested his new limits, knowing he could withstand full attacks from high-level sovereigns without relying on his skills or techniques.


    his flame ability had also strengthened, and something told minos that one of the special powers of the expert behind the seraphim''s wings was flame-related. these were no ordinary flames. they burned the soul, soul fragments, or even spirits. once touched by these orange flames, only a supreme could hope to escape, and even then, not immediately. such a person would need time to fight the flames to overcome them.


    as minos flexed his hands, he felt a new power course through him, a kind of communication power.


    as he ignored the many seraphim around him, waiting for him to finish processing his changes, minos couldn''t help but notice that the plants and stones seemed to congratulate him.


    ''this ability is really strange... i feel like i can connect with the stones in the area and see what they''ve ''seen''. but it makes little sense to me.'' minos felt something like d¨¦j¨¤ vu, closing his eyes and seeing scenes similar to those that had happened to him during his three years there.


    "you were lucky. you''ve absorbed anak''s main ability¡ªall things'' memory. this ability can connect you to sentient or non-sentient beings and make you feel, see, and hear what they have experienced. this is a mysterious ability, very useful for investigators, but also for anyone curious to understand the origins of something. with it, you can feel the history of everything around you!  sea??h th§× n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    i didn''t expect anyone to inherit this power!" the supreme said to minos, reading the mind of the human before him.


    "it seems special... but i still can''t ignore the potential of the ability to read other people''s minds. are all seraphim like this?" minos asked.


    "yes, hehe. but you, as you are now, can almost be considered one of us, minos. perhaps you''ll awaken that power in the future. the seraphim''s wings may release more of their former owner''s powers as you advance one stage," the strongest seraph in the area explained in good humor.


    "that would be great."


    "perhaps. maybe not. hearing everything everyone thinks can be disturbing... anyway, what you saw with your new ability¡ªall things'' memory¡ªwere situations similar to yours. when we die and leave our wings behind, new generations absorb them.


    "perhaps. maybe not. hearing everything everyone thinks can be disturbing... anyway, what you saw with your new ability¡ªall things'' memory¡ªwere situations similar to yours. when we die and leave our wings behind, new generations absorb them.


    not all of us can be reborn. the souls that were in the spiritual world, at least some of them, sacrificed themselves before the extinction of our people in that world. they disappeared forever, their souls lost in the void. others of us will die, leaving our wings behind and unable to reincarnate.


    this was the case with anak. when such a thing happens, we let precious individuals like you absorb those wings."


    "i see. well, thank you again for the opportunity." minos gestured with his hands, smiling sincerely, but already thinking about his journey back to zocarro.


    "hmm, good luck. i''ll escort you out of this dimension." the level 120 seraphim led the way, shortly after minos greeted everyone who had come to see him.


    on the way out of the dimension, the supreme seraph warned him again. "be careful. the one who brought you to us died facing celestial without thrones. don''t make the same mistake he and others of us did. avoid showing off as much as possible. the answer to success in cultivation may not be honorable. sometimes hiding is the best thing to do."


    "hmm, i intend to do that." minos smiled at the seraph. "i''m going to sort something out and return home. i''ll spend the next 90 years cultivating at the headquarters of my sect."


    "that''s the best you can do. you''ll have plenty of opportunities when you become a supreme and go to your celestial''s dimension. don''t take any unnecessary risks."


    stopping in front of the spatial distortion minos had passed through years ago, the seraph sighed as he saw the departure of yet another individual his tribe had helped in its long history.


    "time to go, minos. unfortunately, you don''t have time to waste, otherwise i would have invited you to stay longer. go ahead. i wish you success in your future wars."


    "hmm, thank you. i hope i can repay what i''ve received here. for now, i bid you farewell." minos spoke with respect before continuing on his journey in his spaceship, venturing down a different path than the one he had taken thus far.


    considering his current location, he would be able to reach zeta draconis within a few weeks. once there, he would have the chance to conduct a thorough search!


    his improvements during his time in the seraphim world were far beyond what he had expected for this journey. but he still had a lot to improve, and he believed that he would have a chance to deepen his dragon powers in zeta draconis.


    he was at the peak of level 108. considering how little he had seen of the planet of the rulers of that galaxy, he honestly saw a chance to reach level 109 by passing through it.


    would that be dangerous? there were always dangers for those who challenged the highest levels of cultivation. but minos thought it would be worth it.


    if all went well, he could easily surpass his promise to tiolos for when they went to uzira!

 Chapter 2558 Tyrants of the Universe

    chapter 2558  tyrants of the universe passing through the final spatial distortion of a wormhole, back to the world of the dragons of zeta draconis, minos reappeared in that world years after his initial passage there.


    arriving in this area full of aliens, beings who came to this world through wormholes or left it through this area, minos observed the surroundings of the magnificent area and spotted several dragons in addition to the aliens.


    however, he didn''t see the one he had talked to the last time he passed through, and he quickly summoned the dragon tooth he had received over the four years since he had passed through the area.


    pouring his energy into the dragon''s tooth, the item moved forward and floated in front of minos, who soon followed it.


    ''this is very convenient. the tooth will lead me to its owner?'' minos smiled with interest at the workings of this special artifact, which was probably marked with some formation capable of absorbing energy and giving the tooth the energy to fly to its creator.


    people in the area spotted minos following the dragon tooth, but the aliens continued their activities, not wanting to get into trouble while the dragons identified what it was.


    it was a real dragon tooth, something only a dragon could give to someone, making such an artifact useful in the way minos was using it. without the consent of the owner of the dragon''s tooth, even if one managed to forcibly remove one of the dragon''s teeth, the body part in question would never function like that without the dragon''s permission.


    somehow, the little man with the seraphim''s wings had gained the trust of a dragon, something the other members of the race near this arrival point could not and would not oppose.


    with only a few of them watching, minos easily left the area and soon began to fly through a sparsely populated volcanic region where he could sense a few, but notable, experts.


    ''supremes, huh? these supremes must be much stronger than armhands'' elders. i have to be careful not to get involved with them.'' minos looked toward a mountain of scales, the magnificent body of a dragon sleeping on the edge of a lake of boiling magma.


    even as someone with an affinity for flames, minos sweat as he approached the area, the searing heat threatening to melt some of his less valuable rings.


    to avoid losing certain things, minos kept the less powerful spatial rings in his hands and continued his flight after the dragon''s tooth, which was now even faster than before.


    feeling the wind whip his face and ruffle his white hair, minos thought the dragon he was looking for must not be close. his current speed was already as high as that of a newly promoted supreme¡ªa gift from the six wings on his back¡ªbut also a sign of the distance from his target.


    ''i''ve got a long way to go. i hope this guy isn''t too far away.''


    so began minos'' three-week journey from his previous point of arrival in this world to a dragon city on the other side of the continent he was on. but soon he would reach the level 112 dragon he had met previously.


    ...


    when the dragon''s tooth slowed down hours ago, minos realized he was finally getting close to the dragon he had talked to earlier.


    the level 112 sovereign was currently at a high-level 11th stage dragon meeting, in a vegetation-free area of the continent where completely black mountains stretched for hundreds of square kilometers and gray deserts stretched as far as the eye could see.


    the level 112 sovereign was currently at a high-level 11th stage dragon meeting, in a vegetation-free area of the continent where completely black mountains stretched for hundreds of square kilometers and gray deserts stretched as far as the eye could see.


    beside this creature with dark scales and reddish-green eyes, minos spotted 14 other dragons, each with physical characteristics that set them apart.


    "you''re back earlier than i expected." the level 112 dragon opened his mouth at the sight of minos, having no trouble recognizing the human despite the man''s higher cultivation and new wings. "you were with the seraphim, i see."


    "does the senior know the seraphim?" minos asked curiously.


    he knew almost nothing about the situation of the seraphim in relation to the powerful worlds. the seraphim seemed to be guardians of the weak worlds, but their relationship to the powerful worlds was a mystery to minos.


    the 15 dragons, looking at the young man with wings that were huge for his size, laughed together when they heard his question.


    "you''re funny."


    "how could we not know these bastards? they are cosmic beings that cannot be challenged. they''re practically immortal and have ruled the universe since the beginning of time."


    "don''t you know the story of the seraphim, young man?" a gray-scaled dragon asked, a deep look in his opaque eyes.


    minos landed close to this dragon, the lines on his face deepening. "no, senior. i only know of their role as guardians."


    "guardians? you could say they are indeed guardians." the gray dragon shook his enormous head positively. "but they''re not just that. seraphim are tyrants. they''ve been dictating the rules of the universe since the beginning of time. more importantly, they control life and death, so their numbers have hardly changed since the beginning of time. this gives them many advantages, as you can imagine."


    "i didn''t expect you to be associated with the seraphim." sighed the level 112 dragon minos had met earlier. "they are responsible for some of the greatest tragedies in the universe''s history. they don''t stick to the role of guardians of weak worlds. its members occasionally spread chaos wherever they go.


    their master is a tyrant who loves blood and war. seraphim come and go throughout the galaxy, sowing discord... i wouldn''t doubt it if one of them was selling information about you right now."  sear?h the n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "it seems that seraphim are frowned upon by you. are they your enemies?" minos asked, not about to change his mind based on the comments of the dragons around him.


    "we wouldn''t dare. we''re not afraid of them, but it makes no sense to put ourselves in danger against opponents that are almost impossible to eliminate. killing alone doesn''t work against them, so we stay away from the seraphim," said the old dragon, the strongest and oldest of these individuals.


    ''these guys are more complicated than they look. was i lucky, or is it because of my incorruptible heart?'' minos pondered, not doubting that the treatment of the seraphim would be different for those who had a chance of entering the upper realm.

 Chapter 2559 The Origin of the Universe

    chapter 2559  the origin of the universe minos sighed and said, "well, i''m not a seraphim. i just made a deal with them and was rewarded for it. that wouldn''t be a problem for you, would it?"


    the old level 114 dragon looked at his companions and motioned for them to leave, leaving only him, minos, and the level 112 guy.


    "you inherited something from a distant relative of our tribe, so we won''t have any problems with you because of such a detail, young man," the big gray dragon said. his voice was hoarse and deep, carrying the experience of someone over 500,000 years old.


    "but for that very reason, i must give you this warning. be careful of the wings on your back. i don''t doubt their powers and how important they are to you now. but beware, young human. their glow could put you in mortal danger."


    "senior, please enlighten me." minos made a polite gesture to the old dragon, his wings retracting to their resting position.


    "well, seraphim are frowned upon, as you can imagine. the universe is a ''playground'' for them. they sometimes come down from their dimension and play with our worlds... we have little to do. most of us can only accept it. but that is why many hate them.


    you''re not a seraphim, i can tell just by looking at you. but you''re not far from becoming one because of those wings. some powerful beings in the universe will see you and immediately become hostile. so be careful, young man. if possible, it would be better not to have those wings. but since you already have them, there''s not much you can do but strengthen yourself."


    "this... why are they so hated? aren''t they just fulfilling their duty to a true celestial?" minos asked with sincerity in his heart.


    "sigh, you are lucky to reach our world before other places in the universe," said the level 112 dragon, seeing the luck of the human between them.


    dragons didn''t hate seraphim as much as other powerful races in the universe, and minos himself bore the mark of a former member of the race. so they obviously wouldn''t mistreat him. but on other worlds, not so far from where they were, things might have been different for him!


    "do you know where we all come from, young man?" the dull-eyed dragon asked.


    "no, senior. i have only a few centuries of experience and a short time to observe the universe," minos replied.


    "my tribe has existed for tens of millions of years. the aura of this powerful dragon that i sense in you is like that of some elders of my tribe in the prehistoric period of the universe. so, in a way, you are the heir of a member of one of the few tribes that knows part of the truth. as such, i will tell you."


    minos looked at the giant creature with interest, not expecting to learn about the universal history today.


    "one hundred million years ago, the universe as we know it was in its infancy. worlds were just beginning to form, and only a few races had showed signs of intelligence and the ability to cultivate.


    my tribe is descended from one of those first beings. fortunately, we could preserve the memories left behind by the primordials, which spoke of the beginning of everything, when the signs were still clear enough to be analyzed.


    the true celestials, as they call themselves, are actually our creators. i don''t know what the upper realm is like beyond the rumors, but it''s a place above the universe that existed long before anything we know. but what matters about this story is that the natives of the upper realm created us for some reason.  s~ea??h the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    searching for heirs and new cultivators who can take over new thrones in the upper realm isn''t just their whim, child. it''s a necessity.


    the true celestial beings wouldn''t bother with mere "fleas" like us if they didn''t get much out of it. the movement responsible for our appearance has a greater motive.


    the seraphim, like the thrones, are those chosen¡ªcreated¡ªby the true celestials to watch over us, to push us in the right direction. they have existed since the beginning of time and are among the most powerful in the universe."


    minos listened with interest, never having heard of this race of thrones before, but interested in the history known to these dragons, while waiting to understand the connection between that history and the current situation.


    the old dragon continued his long story. "since the beginning, they have done everything to please the two masters of the universe, destroying worlds, creating conflicts, and much more.


    many civilizations have been almost destroyed by them. that''s why some beings hate them so much and will do anything to fight against the interests of their masters."


    minos began to understand the situation, connecting the dragons'' words with what he had heard from the level 120 seraph.


    "whatever the goals of the true celestials, they have caused and are causing much misfortune throughout the universe they created. however, we are not mere puppets. because they created us without potential limiters, some of us can advance to level 125 without reaching the upper realm.


    these celestials of the universe have been fighting the true celestials for millions of years, and some of them have even entered the upper realm and create chaos there.


    many of the greatest forces in the universe are on the side of the celestials against the true celestials, so you can imagine how hated the seraphim and thrones are.


    you''re connected to them, so be careful. some will see you as part of a true celestial faction."


    "that..." minos hesitated for a moment, imagining that he was somehow in the faction of a true celestial, since he had inherited its heart. the old dragon''s words, however, raised doubts and fears in minos'' mind.


    "if some celestials entered the upper realm, shouldn''t that change the situation of everything? what could have happened to them?" minos asked, putting aside for a moment whether he belonged to a true celestial''s faction, since he couldn''t do anything about it, nor could he talk to these beings about such things.

 Chapter 2560 Bloodline Loyal Dragons

    chapter 2560  bloodline loyal dragons "that''s a good question." the level 112 dragon shook his head, moving his magnificent neck. "either they died or they switched sides.


    we do not know how many true celestials there are, nor how to stop their actions against us. perhaps there is no way to stop them.


    perhaps when they reach the upper realm, these celestials will realize they can only join the enemies. we can''t tell, because none of them returned after their allies fled after attacking the upper realm.


    since they can''t be destroyed, the celestials of the universe see the representatives of the true celestials as their real enemies, the only way to harm the enemy in any way. whatever the goal of the true celestials, they seem to need these minions to make their plans for the universe work. thwarting them is the best way to get revenge."


    "so that''s it." minos understood why the seraphim were hated, and why he should be more careful.


    "sigh! the upper realm is a mystery. perhaps the reality of that place differs from what we imagine, but until they get there, the celestials of the universe are truly hostile to anyone directly or indirectly connected to the true celestials," said the gray dragon.


    "are there any such celestials that you know of?" minos asked with concern for both his incorruptible heart and his seraphim''s wings.


    "no, such beings are rare and hard to find. there are none in our world, if that''s what you want to know," said the level 114 dragon.


    "why are you helping me with this? i''m grateful, but i can''t ignore it." minos was honest with both of them.


    "as i said, it''s because of what you have in your body," the old dragon said with a sigh. "where are you from, young man? that aura i sensed from you is ancient and different from normal. did you inherit it in your home world or in a place you passed through?"


    the other dragon elaborated, saying, "dragons were among the earliest intelligent beings with the ability to nurture and develop. this is why certain ancestral beings ventured across the cosmos, carrying our bloodline to the utmost corners. some of these connections have been severed completely, while others remain intact even now."


    "i come from a low-level world formed by the end of a larger, more powerful planet. i found traces of that ancient dragon in my world." minos did not hide the truth.


    "so that''s how it was... a world destroyed. probably a feat of the seraphim or the thrones," the elder murmured as he motioned for minos and the other dragon to accompany him.


    they took off, heading for the place where minos was to be taken. in mid-flight, he continued to speak. "sometimes, when an ancient world does not bear the fruit they expect, they cause disasters to create opportunities."


    "opportunities? that sounds risky," minos commented in surprise. "destroying a powerful world would risk completely wiping out the chances of anything good coming out of it."


    "they''re fanatics, and they don''t care," the level 112 dragon clenched his claws and spoke between his teeth.


    "that''s a drastic attitude. but the chaos of destruction always brings opportunity. for a stagnant world, it can be the end of most living things, but it can also be a new beginning, something that can take you further.  s§×arch* the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    i admit, however, that this is very difficult to achieve," the old gray man said, aware of the ways of seraphim and thrones.


    "anyway, don''t worry about that now. the important thing is for you to know that the dragon who gave you this inheritance, which you absorbed into your little world, was a relative of our race. because of him, you are welcome to stay in our world as long as you like, young man."


    "my name is minos, by the way."


    "hmm, welcome to draconia magma, minos. i''m going to take you to a place to awaken the blessing that the dragon''s soul fragment left in your body. this will awaken the powers associated with our lineage within you, perhaps helping you to become stronger and less like the seraphim," the old dragon explained while minos looked around.


    minos didn''t find it strange to be given such a chance. dragons were extremely proud of their lineage, the kind that would definitely try to protect their heritage.


    however, the fact that he was young and talented played a decisive role. he didn''t know if the current situation would be the same if he wasn''t so distinguished.


    would those dragons still be interested in helping him if he wasn''t about to become a high-ranking sovereign at only about a thousand years old?


    given his powers, which made his aura as strong as that of a high-level sovereign while he was only a mid-level sovereign, and his majestic seraphim''s wings, his future looked glorious. as long as he survived the calamities that could befall those connected to the seraphim, he would definitely be a powerful 12th stage expert in the future.


    even powerful dragons couldn''t underestimate someone with such potential, another reason minos was so well received by these elders.


    "i hope to repay this opportunity in the future, elder. even though i''ve received an award from the seraphim, it doesn''t mean that i''m loyal or allied with them. the seraphim protected my world, and i found their legacy. i helped them recover the remains of their companions and was given an award. now i will go about my business."


    the two dragons nodded at him without saying anything relevant.


    "what is your goal now, little minos?" the stronger dragon asked.


    "to explore the universe, to seek the 12th stage, i would say. i''m not like those who want to fight true celestials, or whatever they call themselves. my goal is just to get stronger, protect my people, and see what''s good in this universe. if there''s something for me after that, fine. otherwise, i''m sure i can live a long time before my life is over." minos replied with the sincerity of someone ready to die.


    that wasn''t his plan, but he wasn''t lying.


    but without something like the incorruptible heart, neither of them could tell what was true and what was not in his lines.


    "well, the feeling of the dragons is in your heart. despite everything, you live like a true expert of the race, minos."


    the two beings liked minos'' answer. in their opinion, everyone had to be ambitious and try to grow, but they should always be prepared that their life could end at any moment!

 Chapter 2561 Goal of the Dragons

    chapter 2561  goal of the dragons within moments, the three winged beings arrived at an area of black, rocky terrain where irregular holes in the ground spewed columns of smoke and jets of hot water at irregular intervals.


    there was a large arch in a more polished part of the area where what looked like the remains of dragons made up the surrounding decoration.


    aside from these huge, yellowish bones, nothing but rocks and black earth made up this place of tens of thousands of square meters.


    the gray dragon nodded toward the arch of bones and said, "this is an ancestral site of my tribe. here are some of the oldest remains of my ancestors, dragons who lived over 20 million years ago.


    unfortunately, most of our ancestors have disappeared into space, or their remains have long since decayed. the passage of time is cruel to all living things, minos."


    "but these remnants of our ancestors are special," the weaker dragon said, advising minos. "they have remnants within them, powers capable of clearing the mind and heart, awakening dormant powers in the souls and bodies of dragons."


    "you must enter it and activate the blessing that remains within you. this will take you through the most important qualitative evolution of your journey." the old dragon spoke loudly and confidently, his eyes shining as he looked toward the entrance to the land where the ivory archway stood.


    minos felt he was being watched by a supernatural force, for he felt something even stronger from those huge bones than he had ever felt from anything he had seen in the spiritual world. even the corpse of fah''um of dunov didn''t show such impressive signs as those coming from the open graveyard in front of him.


    seeing two large dragons standing in front of the bones arch, minos asked his guides, "won''t it be a problem for me to enter it?"


    "do not worry, for us dragons, the only thing that matters is your connection to an ancient relative of the race. only the remnants of our ancestors can decide whether you deserve to be rewarded or banished.


    even if they don''t recognize you because you''re human or because of your wings, it won''t mean punishment. you will be able to leave safely. i guarantee it in the name of the first primordial dragon!"


    this dragon practically swore an oath to the heavens when he said these words, enough for minos to believe him.


    when they landed in front of the arch, where two level 114 dragons were standing guard, the old gray explained to minos. "i won''t hide it from you. your journey ahead could be of use to us. if you get anything, anything at all, bring it with you. that will be enough for us to be grateful to you for the rest of our lives."


    minos'' gaze deepened. for the first time, he saw an obvious benefit for these dragons in all of this.


    "i will do my best, senior. even if i can''t bring anything with me, i''ll help you whenever you ask."


    the old dragon nodded and motioned for minos to go ahead, wishing him good luck.


    seeing minos leave, the two guards in the area, as well as the level 112 dragon, looked at the young man with his back to them.


    ''this boy has a good chance of becoming a celestial and enter the upper realm.'' the old dragon said in the minds of the three companions near him.


    ''is that why you lied about him looking for things to bring back, old man?''


    ''hmm, he comes from a strange and treacherous place. he''d better believe we will profit from this opportunity somehow.''


    ''but we will benefit... if he awakens a divine power related to the blessing sealed in him, it will be like one of us awakening to the highest level.''


    the faces of the strongest dragons subtly changed as they worked out the possibilities.


    minos didn''t know it, but not only those with the lineage of someone with access to the upper realm could enter this special place. those who shared his lineage would automatically advance one quality grade upon entering the upper realm.


    what did this mean? all humans, seraphim, hydras, and dragons could benefit if minos developed divine abilities related to them and reached the upper realm!


    humans and seraphim were already virtually guaranteed a qualitative advance if minos succeeded in his journey to the upper realm, but now the dragons were working to join the groups that would benefit from him!


    ''he doesn''t need to know this detail yet. it won''t hurt him, but we''d better take the chance and make sure that his next divine ability is related to the dragon''s gaze. there''s no need to give our place to the hydras.'' the old dragon said, his teeth showing as an exuberant smile appeared on his face.


    ''i''m sorry to keep this from you, but it won''t hinder you in any way... we''re just going to make sure that you help those who have been with you the longest. and you''ll benefit from it.'' the gray dragon thought to himself, eager to have the opportunity to become a supreme dragon with minos'' help.


    dragons were among the most powerful and talented beings in the universe. but despite their long history, no dragon had ever advanced to the point where they could enter the upper realm.


    even when the race had celestial-level dragons, they failed to enter the upper realm - the same fate as most non-celestials.


    now, however, the leader of the race had different plans, having changed some of his plans four years ago when he first heard from minos.


    as the four dragons watched minos begin his journey, the gray dragon''s necklace glowed, and someone very far away and powerful was watching everything that happened there.  s§×arch* the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    minos didn''t know it, but at that moment, a powerful level 124 dragon was watching him from the other side of the planet.


    ''an heir of the seraphim, uh? well, that won''t be a problem. he can inherit the powers of my tribe as well. and with his exceptional talent, it won''t take more than a thousand years for him to enter the gates of the upper realm, opening the path for me and my brothers!''


    a huge black creature sleeping around a huge active volcano, he thought to himself, feeling everything that happened near his emissary.

 Chapter 2562 The Awakening of the Dragon

    chapter 2562  the awakening of the dragon meanwhile, minos was making his way through the ancestral land of the dragons, a vast area similar to a graveyard where the remains were not buried, but were available for everyone to see.


    compared to the size of minos'' body, the bones in the surrounding area looked like buildings, and the paths between them were the roads available to the human traveling through the area.


    as soon as he passed through the bones archway, he felt the sensation of being watched increase, while he felt some kind of force covering his body, something similar to what he had faced when he entered the red expanse.  sear?h the n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    his eyebrows knitted together and his energy circulated through his body, worry hovering in his heart as he went deeper into the area.


    minos didn''t use his powers, but he could clearly see that something would prevent him from using them successfully if he tried to show his abilities.


    his wings seemed unavailable, his techniques no longer his own. for a moment, it seemed as if he had never learned the techniques that had made him the warrior he was today.


    even his divine ability¡ªtemporal sands¡ªseemed to have partially ceased to function, and he could only feel the signs of the near future.


    as for the hydras amulet, it was completely suppressed. he even tried to channel some of his energy into the artifact, but for the first time, he felt the item blocking his energy.


    however, the dragon''s gaze and something else deeply rooted in his being seemed to be awake, ready to activate at any moment.


    ''it seems that there are bones of dragons that were once celestials here... mere supremes wouldn''t be able to achieve such a strong restraining power.''


    as he thought this, minos relaxed his guard and took a much more respectful attitude towards the remnants of the race''s ancient experts.


    in the middle of his walk, he felt the skeletons watching him, but they all remained ''silent'', motionless, while a burning sensation came from the depths of this black valley.


    looking ahead, minos could tell, without understanding for sure, that something was calling him.


    he continued on, passing the 7th corpse on his way. he couldn''t fly at the moment, and since the skeletons there were too big, it might take him a long time to reach the end of this area, where something was calling him.


    after 30 minutes of walking, minos made greeting gestures and asked the dragon skeletons for permission until he reached an area where the four dragons from earlier could no longer see him without entering the ancestral land of the dragons.


    in this place, the largest of all the skeletons in the area was positioned so that minos thought for a moment that the creature was somehow alive, with the two holes in its eyes glowing orange flames.


    but when he looked closer, he realized the two stars of this solar system happened to be in the position where he could see them in the skeleton''s eyes.


    minos'' vision blurred, and he felt like he was going to faint.


    as he staggered from side to side, his surroundings seemed to change, the black rocks of the area giving way to green grass, while the large skeleton became a creature five times its size, very strong and alive.


    the dragon opened its mouth and a bright, scorching light came out of its huge throat, threatening to blow into him and burn him to a crisp.


    but before that could happen, the creature''s nostrils quivered and its eyes moved as if it recognized something.


    "i see. my tribe hasn''t fallen so far as to let anyone who''s not one of us come to my resting place." the creature closed its mouth, but strangely, a human voice emanated from the direction of that body part.


    for a moment, minos couldn''t help but remain silent, feeling the creature''s aura, and take a step back as he looked at it with trembling eyes.


    minos knew that none of this was real, but he couldn''t help but be frightened in the face of an aura even stronger than that of the celestial he was vying for their inherence.


    the dragon knew what was on the mind of the young winged man before him.


    "shocked, huh? that''s the power of a peak celestial, on the verge of becoming an absolute, if you ask me. i can say that i was one of the few ones in all of existence to reach the fearsome level 129!"


    minos didn''t doubt it and remained silent as he looked at this imaginary creature.


    level 129 was so far from reality for him that even if this creature had been dead for tens of millions of years, such a dragon could easily kill him!


    "that''s impressive, senior." minos said, his voice trembling.


    "indeed, it is, unfortunately i wasn''t as lucky as you."


    minos trembled even more when he heard this, afraid that something worse might happen.


    "but don''t worry, i''m already dead and can''t communicate without someone coming to me. i won''t tell your secret," the creature said as he poked his head close to minos, smelling the human''s distinctive scent.


    "outside the upper realm, celestials are mere mortals with long life expectancies. i lived for 8 million years, but when i reached the peak of cultivation, i found myself with the celestial punishment, dead at the peak of level 129... sigh, what a waste.


    if you don''t want to go through the same thing, don''t challenge heaven unless you''re in the upper realm. the rules are different there, i guess.


    anyway, you''re not here to hear this old man''s story, are you? you''ve been sent here to awaken the dragon within you. do you agree to awaken those powers, minos?"


    minos wasn''t surprised that the being called him by his name and kept what he heard to himself as he nodded in the affirmative.


    "well, i''ll give you what you''re looking for, as long as you do something for me."


    "what does the senior wish?" minos asked, concerned about the wishes of such a dragon.


    "nothing more difficult than your own destiny. when you enter the upper realm, take my skeleton with you. i''m sure you''ll be able to gain the approval of the rulers of this world at that time."


    "i will do my best. you have my word." minos swore in a determined tone, seeing no problem in fulfilling the last wish of this ancient expert.


    "now, prepare for the dragon''s awakening. a new side of you will be born through my highest blessing!" he turned away from minos and opened his mouth again, threatening to shoot flames at the human.


    this time, however, he wouldn''t just threaten, he would actually shoot searing flames at the little creature in front of him!

 Chapter 2563 Level 109!

    chapter 2563  level 109! at the moment he was engulfed by the dragon''s flames, minos opened his eyes wide and felt his own skin melt like butter.


    for a moment, he felt his entire being on fire, his nerves radiating sensations he had never felt before, his heart pounding so hard in his chest that it felt like it would burst out of his body at any moment.


    his mind went blank, and for a moment he felt powerless, just as he had centuries ago when he woke up in the stuart residence in the capital of the old brown kingdom. back then, he had spent years in a coma, awakening after terrible events that could have led to greatness or a quick death.


    since that day, he had never felt as powerless as he did now, his body practically beyond his control as it burned deeply.


    he couldn''t even scream, losing the ability to do so as his bones began to melt.


    suddenly, his incorruptible heart beat differently as his eyes turned golden and a terrifying aura emerged from the depths of his body.


    a dragon''s roar erupted from minos'' throat, releasing a powerful sound capable of frightening the weakest and warning the strongest.


    the ground around minos trembled as the energy and laws concentrated around him, forming something similar to a soul avatar, but in a different form than one would expect from a winged human.


    four majestic legs formed, covered in gold and silver scales, while an enormous tail, as big as the neck of the giant dragon in front of minos, extended from its back.


    simultaneously, the six seraphim''s wings opened, but now they were covered not with feathers but with dragon scales, the same color as the rest of the body, gold and silver.


    on the magnificent shore of this projection, several antennae and protrusions rose, forming what looked like a mountain with several white needles rising from the ''ground.''


    meanwhile, a head similar to that of the dragon breathing against him formed, its eyes of different colors, one of them silver and the other golden. its sharp teeth looked like cruel weapons, and its nostrils could detect the most subtle scents. its ears were also formed to detect the sounds of distant hearts beating.  s~ea??h the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    as the dragon finished forming, minos stopped feeling pain, while his soul energy stabilized, now at a higher level than it had been at the beginning of the day.


    as he felt the pain in his body subside, minos felt reality return to his grasp, while his progress to the middle of level 109 was guaranteed!


    he opened his mouth and shouted to the sky, his dragon roar pushing him away from the illusion in which he had been talking to the level 129 dragon soul fragment.


    "do not forget our agreement. i will await your return," the creature said in a sighing tone and disappeared as minos saw the yellow skeleton and the black terrain nearby again.


    he still had some of his features suppressed, but at that moment, minos felt like a completely different being, almost as if he had actually transformed into a dragon!


    his body became as large as that of a member of that race, his senses sharpened to the point that his former self seemed like an ignorant junior.


    his aura benefited the most and was now much stronger, enough for him to feel that the difference that had existed between him and the dragons had now disappeared.


    previously, minos had felt that the fighting skills of the dragons were superior to those of the natives and aliens who lived in zocarro. if in zocarro he could face level 114 sovereigns with all his means, then in this world of dragons, his limit should be level 112 with the cultivation of that time.


    but now he felt that this difference had disappeared for him, that he had become even more capable than in zocarro, even if he disregarded his level increase.


    for a moment, minos was sure that no sovereign, regardless of race or origin, could challenge him in his current circumstances. only supremes would be a problem for him!


    "i didn''t think that i could become so strong only at level 109!" minos said aloud as he moved his large dragon head, looking down at himself as he clasped his claws.


    the six seraphim''s wings, now covered in dragon scales, flapped simultaneously, sending out powerful gusts of wind that could be felt even by those outside of this ancestral land.


    even tens of kilometers away from where minos was now, the four dragons from earlier felt the end of minos'' awakening, each of them witnessing the birth of a new dragon.


    the old gray dragon''s eyes widened as he saw the gust of black dust coming toward him and his companions, feeling minos'' power even at the great distance between them.


    "he did it."


    "it seems he''s become much stronger than we expected."


    "the divine power he will awaken as he progresses will surely be related to our race. a new supreme with dragon powers will soon appear in the universe!"


    the creatures also celebrated by releasing their auras, each of them excited about the future and looking forward to perhaps one day experiencing the blessing of someone with dragon powers taking the throne in the upper realm.


    until then, it would be easy for all of them to reach the 12th stage and go in search of the 13th stage!


    meanwhile, minos spent no more than a minute testing his new dragon powers before returning to his humanoid form, which still looked very much like his previous version.


    but after the forging of the dragon flames, his fleshy body had changed, becoming tougher, bigger, more muscular, and his eyes were more like those of a dragon than a human.


    even in this form, minos felt he could challenge even armies of high-ranking sovereigns using only his physical power, without using his innate divine ability or even techniques.


    his constitution was so strong that he couldn''t help but imagine that he might be able to reach the celestial grade of his physique before he even became a supreme!


    ''perfect. now i can return to my journey on zocarro with more peace of mind.'' he clenched his fists as he walked back to the entrance of the ancestral land of dragons.

 Chapter 2564 Time to return to Zocarro

    chapter 2564  time to return to zocarro "minos... you look different." the gray dragon looked at minos with his eyes wide open, his once opaque pupils now glowing as if his vitality had increased just by the strengthening of the human in front of him.


    the other three looked at minos closely, each of them probing the level 109 subject with the human body, who at the moment didn''t look so much like a human, nor a seraphim, nor a dragon.


    minos was now a strange and unique being, carrying such extreme characteristics in his ''small'' body that someone who knew him before all these changes might not recognize him now.


    his appearance hadn''t changed too much, but the less attentive might have missed his identity even if they had known him before.


    minos thanked the dragons, as he had unfortunately taken nothing for them from the ancestral land.


    "i appreciate the opportunity you gave me. i couldn''t bring back anything of value from this graveyard, but one day i will return to this world to help you in some way. i promise you that."


    the level 112 dragon scratched his large neck as he closed his eyes, appreciating the position the young man he had helped had reached.


    "don''t worry. we dragons are patient. you can continue with your plans without worrying about us. one day, our destinies will come together again, if that''s what it takes," said the old gray man, looking forward to the centuries to come.


    "good luck on your journey. you''re going back to your current home, right?" the level 112 dragon asked.


    "yes, i have completed my mission. it''s time for me to return to my faction and go into seclusion. the next few years will be spent strengthening myself behind closed doors. after that, it will be time for me to explore new places again." minos answered with a nod of his head.


    "good. you''ve improved three levels in the last little over five years. spend some time stabilizing your spiritual foundation and training your powers. in a few decades, you''ll be able to become stronger again." the gray dragon agreed with minos'' plans. "it''s not bad to go out and explore sometime. there''s no way to reach the peak without using the bodies of your enemies as stepping stones to the top of cultivation.


    but be aware of the things we''ve already warned you about. your current power is great, but until you become a high-level cultivator, many people in the universe can kill you. don''t forget to hide your wings. use your dragon powers if you must. it will disguise their origin a bit."


    minos thanked him again for his advice and made a gesture of respect to him and the other dragons.  s§×ar?h the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "if there''s nothing more to talk about, i''ll take my leave. i hope to see you again in a few centuries."


    so minos left, flying without using his wings, towards the exit of this world, the place he had entered before meeting the dragon of level 112 years ago.


    ''time to go home.'' minos thought to himself as he flew off alone, leaving the four dragons behind.


    his next travel plan was simple. travel to the artificial moon using the same route he had used to get to this world.


    if all went well, he would reach the artificial moon in two and a half years. from there to the armhands'' headquarters could take between four and five years. added to the time he had already spent away from his people, it would be about 20 years since he left, the minimum amount of time he had previously assumed he would be away from his family.


    ''abby and the others must have improved their cultivation. when i return, it''ll be time to experiment with the black liquid and raise our faction''s influence to the maximum level.'' he clenched his fists with a smile on his face, looking forward to the years ahead.


    as for his cultivation to level 110, he wasn''t thinking about it right now. his divine ability had been refined during this time, but after his three breakthroughs on this journey, it would take him at least 70 years of normal cultivation time to advance by one level. even if he used his divine ability and cultivated in seclusion, it would still take him over 11 years to advance from his current level to level 110.


    as such, he still had a long way to go to reach level 110. right now, he wasn''t worried about that, even though his cultivation was much more solid than others could imagine.


    all those advancements came from artifacts, high-level blessings, or hard cultivation. not only did they not weaken mino''s spiritual foundation, but they also greatly strengthened his foundation.


    however, he really needed time to train without further increasing his strength in order to fully master his current abilities.


    ''when i get to the guild, i will focus on training. i''ll continue to strengthen my cultivation until i return to the headquarters.'' minos narrowed his eyes, thinking of the elder of the guild who was watching him.


    if such a person had any bad thoughts about minos, this human wanted to reach the highest level as soon as possible!


    with these plans in mind, minos set off, soon able to leave the home planet of the strongest dragons in the universe.


    leaving this world behind, minos didn''t know how long it would take to return, but he intended to fulfill the promise he had made to the level 129 dragon soul fragment.


    he would do everything in his power to win the competition for the true celestial inheritance, and then return to this world to take the dragon skeleton to the upper realm.


    ...


    in the blink of an eye, three years would pass, and minos would finally set foot on the artificial moon again.


    after a long journey and some 20 years of cultivation experience in those three years, minos left behind the spaceship that had brought him to the artificial moon and headed to the counter where he could secure his ticket back to zocarro.


    leaving the place where he had heard he would have to wait six months for his trip to zocarro, minos soon found a place to cultivate in seclusion for a few more months.


    for someone like him, six months passed in the blink of an eye. before he knew it, it would be time to set foot in oqia again and continue on to examire!

 Chapter 2565 Dragon Stomp

    chapter 2565  dragon stomp a year and a half after leaving the artificial moon, minos was back in oqia, having already left the far north of the continent, having arrived in the area after a quiet journey between the ganaway refuge and the northern coast.


    unlike his other experiences in the area, this time the journey had been fast and quiet, with no chance for him to experiment with his current powers.  s§×arch* the n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    once he reached the coast, minos spent no more than a day in the area before continuing his journey after spending months there. he was now 40% of the way between the far north and examire, traveling alone and unable to use wormholes to his advantage.


    wormholes could be used to shorten long journeys, but given zocarro''s stability and gravity, only supremes could safely use this method of travel. minos was still a long way from achieving that feat, so he could only fly calmly to his destination.


    fortunately for him, his current movement speed was several times faster than when he left, enough to reach his destination in another 15 months of travel.


    ...


    in a desert area on minos'' way back to examire, a battle between locals and aliens was taking place close to him.


    standing in front of a small fire, with a ceramic cup in one hand, minos smelled the fragrance of his spiritual tea as he saw the battle of high-ranking sovereigns approaching his position.


    seeing six creatures in full battle, using their large, strange bodies against each other, minos had a small smile at the corners of his lips, almost praying to the gods of fate that this battle would come closer to him and force him to get involved.


    could he just stand up and fight these six who brought trouble so close to him? of course, but minos wasn''t the type to get involved in fights without being motivated to do so. even if he wanted to expose some of his current powers, he wouldn''t get involved in unnecessary trouble or killing. unless, of course, the other side forced him to. in that case, he would show his current strength to those six.


    at the level he was at, he wouldn''t even need to use the hydra amulet to deal with even dozens of warriors like that.


    in fact, the hydra amulet had lost some of its appeal for minos. the amulet was still precious to him, but with his current powers, he could fight anyone without the help of the amulet.


    the amulet had little potential against supremes, so it basically added nothing to minos'' powers. at most, it could help minos cultivate a divine power related to hydras.


    but at the moment, minos was more interested in obtaining a divine power related to his dragon powers than to the powers of the hydras.


    he had already planned to leave the amulet to one of his wives or one of his children, depending on who had the ability to use it. if neither of them had the ability, he would keep the amulet until he reached the 12th stage. at that time, he would leave the item for his faction members to try their luck.


    without using the powers of the amulet, minos watched the battle come closer and closer and continued to sit where he was.


    the six creatures continued to attack each other, two level 114 snakes fighting two level 113 spiders and two level 113 giant cockroaches.


    surrounded by these four enemies, the two snakes showed hateful expressions on their faces, while their auras didn''t look very good.


    even though they were theoretically stronger than the enemies, they were both injured before the battle even began, so their situation was not good.


    "we have to do something, or we''ll fall to these bugs!" one of them said between his teeth, his voice showing signs of fatigue, his breathing rapid.


    the other snake-like creature, flicking across the desert terrain they were in, said nothing, continuing to dodge enemy attacks, targeting their weak points and counterattacking as much as possible.


    suddenly, however, one enemy sensed something strange coming from the north of this area.


    "huh? that giant cockroach, as big as a carriage, looked in the direction where a strange, small alien being was sitting in front of a fire.


    ''that feeling... but he''s only a level 109 sovereign. why do i feel like my life is in danger?'' the cockroach wondered, distracted from the battle for a moment.


    but their enemies did not take advantage of their distraction. they also noticed the presence of minos not far away, and for a moment considered the possibility of attacking the small human.


    but just like the group of locals trying to kill them, these two snakes sensed that something was wrong with minos. even though he was clearly at level 109, the human''s cultivation base seemed to be as solid as the cultivation of someone at level 113!


    he wasn''t stronger than them, but unlike the six people who were fighting, minos was at his best and probably had his weapons up his sleeve. involving him in this conflict could be dangerous for both sides!


    "what shall we do?"


    "let''s risk it and ask this expert for help!" said the most injured serpent, willing to take the risk to avoid his death, which was not so far away considering his many injuries.


    the moment the serpents had made up their minds, minos closed his eyes and stood up, seeing a future that somehow pleased him.


    "i accept you as my mounts," minos announced as he opened his arms just before the two snakes passed him and appeared behind his position.


    the four insects native to zocarro were careful not to advance immediately, for they felt a strange pressure coming from minos'' position.


    the two serpents remained silent, imagining they would have to become this human''s mounts if they wanted his help. it wasn''t easy to accept such a condition, but it was better than dying.


    "we''ll do whatever the senior wants, as long as you save us!" said the less injured of the two, while her companion almost lost consciousness.


    minos had only taken one step forward when four dragon legs suddenly appeared from the distortions of space above each of the level 113 insects.


    the four creatures felt their legs break as they were smashed to the ground, their mighty armor, capable of withstanding a weight hundreds of times greater than their own bodies, shattering as if it were made of glass.


    minos only rubbed one of his feet against the ground before the four bodies exploded, completely crushed by his dragon stomp!

 Chapter 2566 The Return of Minos (1)

    chapter 2566  the return of minos (1) when the two serpents saw minos kill four creatures that endangered their lives, they looked at him with wide eyes.


    the more injured of the two, who had almost fainted a moment ago, stood firm as he watched minos crush the four creatures as if they were tiny insects, and couldn''t help but remain silent as he wondered what this human could do to them.


    his companion controlled his breathing, trying not to attract the attention of the human-shaped monster they had just encountered.


    ''who is this person? how is this possible? did he just crush those four?'' the less injured snake felt his thoughts speed up as he swallowed his saliva, just as frightened at this moment as his companion.


    minos looked with interest toward the four bodies crushed to the ground, while the dragon''s paws disappeared into thin air as he stopped putting energy into the evolution of the dragon''s gaze.


    ''it was easier than i thought. i killed them hastily.'' minos narrowed his eyes, realizing he would have to train his powers better before he could use them to train his children and wives. ''they were weak, so i''d probably have to work a little harder when i faced peak sovereigns with the best conditions.


    still, he was confident he could defeat 11th stage opponents even without using all of his strength.


    but that didn''t mean he could fight someone at the 12th stage. if there was a big difference between 10th and 11th stage, the difference between 11th and 12th stage was even bigger!


    minos could only effectively fight low-level sovereigns when he was already a high-level grandmaster. at present, he thought he could only fight a low-level supreme when he reached a cultivation level between 112 and 114.


    he put that aside as he looked at the two colored serpents behind him. "so... are you two okay?"


    the two stopped staring at him in shock and closed their mouths as they shrank in size, forming more friendly bodies.


    then they quickly lowered their heads and said simultaneously. "please guide us on this hard journey called cultivation, master! your mounts are at your disposal to do whatever you command!"


    minos smiled as he raised one of his hands in front of him and ran it over the two creatures'' heads while he stroked his chin with his other hand.


    "you''re really interesting, haha. what sect do you belong to? by the way, what are your names?"


    "the one beside me is tumgan, and i''m amashin, my master. you can call us gan and ama," said the less injured serpent, not surprised by the aura of hydras covering their bodies.


    they identified the source of this power, a necklace around their new master''s neck.


    the two remained silent about what they had noticed, relieved he had such a thing that could heal their injuries.


    "we do not belong to any sect, my master. we are members of a tribe of alien serpents from the northern region of oqia. we come from a mid-level world where the strongest can join the tribe and come to the tribal settlement in zocarro. we have lived with our brothers and sisters since we came to this world 3,000 years ago." ama explained to her master.


    "i see... then it won''t be a problem for you to follow me to my guild," minos said as he extinguished his fire and prepared to leave.


    "what guild is the master in?"


    "armhands." minos replied briefly, drawing the two serpents'' eyes to his forehead.


    "so that''s it..."


    "aren''t you two happy?" minos asked casually, but the two almost begged for mercy when they answered.


    "that''s not it, my master! we will follow you wherever you send us, don''t misunderstand!" gan said hastily.


    "we''ve never been to examire, but we''ve heard a lot about it."


    "is that so?" minos laughed at the nervousness of the two level 114 creatures. a few years ago, he would have thought it impossible that beings as strong as these two would behave like this in front of him.


    "so how strong is your tribe? i''m not interested in conquering them. i just want to know what i can expect from your people."


    "the strongest of the tribe is a level 115 supreme, but he wouldn''t come after us in armhands, my master. you can rest assured he won''t seek our freedom or anything like that," gan explained.


    they weren''t part of an organization, but a tribe whose members could come and go as they pleased. unless minos showed intent to eliminate the tribe or something of that magnitude, the tribe members would hardly try to rescue them.


    "it''s a powerful tribe, then. few who come from other worlds reach the 12th stage."


    "the master will surely become a supreme in no time. i can sense how impressive your cultivation speed is, master."


    "i hope we can help you as long as you don''t become too powerful for us to be of any use," the other serpent said, tugging on minos'' bag.


    minos smiled and said, "enough small talk. let''s move on. i''m returning to the guild from a trip."


    the two serpents did what they were supposed to do and flew side by side while minos traveled sitting on the head of one of them.


    "gan, you''ll carry me to examire. meanwhile, ama, make sure we''re safe. i want to cultivate while we travel, so make sure my meditation isn''t disturbed."


    "yes, master." the two nodded in agreement, having already fully regained their best states after receiving seals from minos and him finishing helping them with the hydra''s amulet.


    without further ado, minos closed his eyes, activated his divine ability, and turned his attention to cultivation.


    there was just over a year''s journey left before he reached examire, enough for him to cultivate for the equivalent of another seven years while those two completed the rest of the journey.


    ''when i reach the guild, it will be time to solve the problems that have arisen over the past two decades...''


    with this thought, he began to meditate, while the two serpents were shocked at the amount of energy minos could absorb, even though he was only at level 109.  sear?h the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    minos was only at level 109, but he could control as much energy during his cultivation as the two level 114 serpents!

 Chapter 2567 Kendricks Growth

    chapter 2567  kendrick''s growth  months later, at armhands headquarters...  s§×ar?h the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    kendrick had just returned to the inner area after dealing with some external guild members, one of his responsibilities as an intermediate officer.


    not only was he currently at level 107, but he also had a lot of influence in the guild, holding the position of law enforcement hall supervisor for the guild''s outer wing. as the heir of minos, he had the entire family faction at his disposal, and his talents and skills had earned him a place of respect even among the internal guild members who had nothing to do with his faction.


    as he walked down the main street of the inner district, several officers greeted him with nods of recognition.


    as much as he was an intermediate officer, kendrick had fought three times in external missions related to the armhands and firestone mines war.


    all of his participation in the war, which had heated over the past two decades, had been notable, with substantial victories for the guild''s forces, earning him respect besides his influence as the son of minos.


    through his portals, he had inflicted significant defeats on the forces of firestone mines!


    of course, that wouldn''t end the war. after all, the forces involved had supremes on their side. but kendrick''s involvement brought glory to the guild and prestige to himself.


    as he entered the law enforcement hall, kendrick saw the surrounding law enforcers stand respectfully before him, all aware he would be the next overseer of the hall.


    abby was still in place, but no one believed she would be in that position for much longer. as for minos, well, everyone was wondering when he would return and how things would go from there.


    "are you preparing for another external mission, kendrick?" one of the senior sovereigns asked on the way to abby''s office, his gaze showing genuine respect.


    kendrick saw the officer who he had already saved his life once on one of his external missions and nodded positively. "i''ve just put my younger sister in charge of the outer hall. i''ll be gone for a few weeks," he said with an anxious tone for the coming battles.


    kendrick hadn''t grown so quickly without high-level battles, deadly challenges that could put his life in danger at any moment!


    "good luck with your battles. i''ll continue helping your family here." the man said as he watched the young brown-haired human enter the hall chief''s office.


    when kendrick entered his mother''s workplace, he found the blue-haired woman working alongside otis, the large level 109 robot, as well as gloria.


    gloria and abby were currently at the same level as kendrick, a little weaker than him, since his cultivation speed exceeded theirs.


    "i heard that vico and callie have gone to the spiritual world..." he sat up when he saw the three of them working on official documents.


    otis glanced at kendrick and confirmed it. "they moved up a level while you were concentrating on sorting things out in the outer wing. they should be leaving the central part of the continent by now."


    nearly 20 years had passed since minos left the guild''s headquarters.


    the stuart family faction was even stronger than it had been two decades ago, having improved by an average of one level since minos'' departure. all of those who had come with him on his previous trip to the spiritual world had advanced at least once in the past few years, with callie and vico reaching level 107 months ago.


    following minos'' orders, the two set out for the ganaway refuge, with the goal of traveling to the artificial moon and then making the same journey minos and five of his companions had made decades before.


    "how many people are they bringing?" kendrick asked with interest.


    "we have sent them resources to bring up to 20 people from the spiritual world here. but whether they''ll be able to bring them all, well, we can''t say." otis replied as the two women finished with the documents they had with them.


    kendrick smiled, imagining he would soon have some of his old acquaintances with him. "well, i look forward to their success. how long will it be before they return?"


    "about 30 years, i''d say." abby looked at her son, but her expression was not good at all. she asked, "you''re not here to say goodbye, are you?"


    "my duty as a guild member is to work for the future. the war is an opportunity for me to gain merit points to become a senior officer. you and father won''t be here forever, but the family will need this place as a base. i''ll do my best to provide the best conditions for the rest of the family." he said with a smile on his face as he showed one of his fists, determined to grow up in armhands.


    gloria sighed when she heard this. to see such a mature kendrick was still strange to her, who had seen him for decades in the spiritual world, surrounding himself with girls and doing only what was necessary.


    kendrick wasn''t a bad person. but he was far from being someone who would say what he had just said¡ªat least until the start of the war of the worlds in the spiritual world.


    "he''s right." the red-haired woman looked at abby while her back was turned to kendrick.


    "minos wants to go with us to uzira in a few decades. he wants to take our children with him, but there''s nothing we can do if the children want to stay here.


    in another 80 years we''ll have more and more natives from our homeworld in armhands, people who will need his support... and in the end, they may not want to face the same challenges as their father. staying and growing up in a stable place might not be a bad thing. but for them to do that, they have to do what he suggests."


    listening to gloria, abby closed her eyes, aware that her harem sister was right.


    kendrick was at level 107, while lily was at level 106, and hollie was at level 105. in another 80 years, they would be one to two levels stronger, maybe three for the weakest of them, if she was lucky. that would be a good strength, but not enough for them to be completely safe in armhands.


    to guarantee their safety and the safety of those who would come from the spiritual world with vico and callie, those who would stay when minos went to uzira would have to be highly respected in the guild.


    there was only one way to do this: through war, through merit, through strengthening the faction with the opportunity they now had!

 Chapter 2568 Women Worried About Family

    chapter 2568  women worried about family abby sighed in defeat as she rose from her chair, her heart in her hands.


    "if you want to go again, be careful. take otis with you and be ready to summon our dead warriors," she said and threw three crystals in kendrick''s direction.


    he took them without a problem and said, "i''ll take grisdi as well. she came out of seclusion the night before with a new cultivation of level 108."


    "good. but be careful out there. your father could return from his trip at any moment, so there''s no need to risk too much." abby advised.


    "when are you leaving?" gloria asked as she sat down beside abby.


    "in a couple of days. i''ll just wait until she''s settled with the records hall and then we''ll go. i''ve already put hollie in charge of the hall, so i''m already prepared."


    "otis, can you get ready in the meantime?" abby asked the robot standing with them.


    "sure. i''m always ready." he looked at them with his mechanical eyes.


    the last few years had been very good for him and the other members of the minos faction. for the most part of them, they had taken their chances with cultivation, meditated a lot, and had opportunities to grow with deadly challenges when they left their headquarters.


    they didn''t progress as fast as the minos, but because some of them had already made progress before their leader left, and also because their cultivation base was "smaller" than his, they could make such rapid progress.


    however, unlike otis, the humans in the group who were at level 107 had only reached level 108 during this period. as for the members of the faction who had been in zocarro long before minos and the others, some of them improved, but others didn''t.


    for individuals like sender, who was already at level 114, advancing was a herculean task that was difficult to accomplish even after a millennium of arduous cultivation!


    those who had advanced before minos left would take a while to get stronger again, and the same was true for the few who had advanced in the years since he had left.


    but they were all stronger with their high-level artifacts, the possibility of having abby''s dead warriors on their side, and the advantages of having the strongest faction within armhands behind them. for most of these individuals, these were reasons enough to consider themselves stronger now than they were a few years ago.


    with otis'' answer, abby dismissed him. kendrick stood there for a few moments, listening to the two women discuss the current situation of ruth, who was at level 108.


    ruth had risen to the rank of senior officer and was on the major battlefield of the armhands'' allied forces in the war against the firestone mines coalition. with her ability to regenerate, she helped the allies to better resist their enemies without getting directly involved in the battle.


    "ruth will return to the guild in a month at the most." gloria said to the young man, who had been unaware of certain news for some time.


    even though several of them were at headquarters, it wasn''t uncommon for them to go weeks without seeing or talking to each other. sometimes this happened because their responsibilities didn''t coincide, because they were in seclusion, or even because their missions interfered with each other''s rest or cultivation.


    kendrick had spent some time without such direct interaction with his family, having cultivated in seclusion for a few months since his last departure from the headquarters.


    "what about this black liquid business? is the commander pressuring you? there are only 10 years left before the break he gave us expires." he asked the last thing on his mind before he left.


    "the commander is faithful to his promises. he must be watching us, but he hasn''t tried to pressure me about minos'' return and the start of the experiments yet," abby said with a sigh.


    as much as he wasn''t pressuring her, she couldn''t help but feel more and more pressured about these experiments. she needed minos to return. she trusted he wouldn''t fail, even so, as long as he wasn''t with her, she would have all the pressure of a supreme''s expectations on her shoulders.


    "sigh... i hope he won''t be late." kendrick said as he stood up, not taking the time to say goodbye to the two of them and leaving to attend to other matters.


    with kendrick gone, the two women spent some time looking at each other in silence, thinking about minos and how he should be.


    the two women were the only ones in the whole family who hadn''t left headquarters during those years, so they were the ones who felt the ''delay'' in minos'' return the most. without the adrenaline of war to make them feel that time was passing more quickly, they felt that much more time had passed in the meantime than had actually passed.


    "i think i''m going to join the war," gloria said as she looked at the blue-haired woman sitting next to her.


    "don''t talk nonsense. minos will be back soon and i need someone to help me run this place." abby refused immediately. she was already too busy with her help and did not want her to leave.


    she wasn''t minos, who could cultivate quickly, intimidate everyone, and make the gears of the law enforcement hall turn easily. everything was more difficult for her, even though she was also influential.


    "i will help you for another six months. if he doesn''t return by then, i''ll join the battle. i have to earn merit in this war, too." gloria sighed as she temporarily gave in to abby.


    "very well. six months is enough time for me to prepare." abby relaxed as she postponed gloria''s plans.


    "anyway, minos won''t let us down. what really worries me is vico and callie''s journey to the spiritual world and their eventual return."


    abby looked at gloria out of the corner of her eye, aware of the woman''s genuine concern. "they should be fine. but i''m also looking forward to their return. how long must it have been for them since we left? i wonder what''s happened to them?"


    "we''ll find out soon enough. 20 or 30 years go by faster than you think."


    the two continued to chat until they, too, said their goodbyes and went to their own activities within the armhands'' headquarters. sea??h th§× n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 2569 Totally Transformed

    chapter 2569  totally transformed seven days after kendrick''s warning...


    after months of traveling, two giant serpents with colorful bodies and level 114 cultivation spotted examire.


    seeing the place their master had ordered them to go, gan and ama opened their mouths and smiled as they sent unmistakable signals to their master.


    minos, still cultivating on gan''s head, sensed the feelings of these two and soon slowed his absorption of energy. a minute later, when they were less than ten kilometers away from examire, he opened his eyes to see this majestic sight again.


    "i''m back, finally," he muttered, disregarding the two imposing creatures staring at him.


    minos didn''t care what these creatures had experienced in the last year. what mattered to him was that they had prevented anything from impeding his secluded cultivation, just as he had ordered them to do.


    he instructed the two of them, "change your body structures. we''ll land near one entrance to the city and continue on to armhands."


    "won''t we have problems getting into the guild, master?" ama asked as her body shrank from the size of a train to the size of one of minos'' arms.


    gan became smaller as well, not hesitating to wrap himself around one of his master''s arms until his head came to rest against one of minos'' shoulders.


    "no. tame beasts are different from allies. if you were just my friends or family accompanying me to the guild, you would have to join the guild as new members. but since you have a mount and master relationship with me, you are obligated to follow the guild rules because of me, and everything you do will be considered my actions. you don''t have to go through the trouble of "


    "oh? that sounds convenient."


    they walked on, minos entering examire with the two level 114 serpents around his body, causing many creatures on his way to look at him strangely.


    it wasn''t at all normal for such powerful experts to be alongside creatures weaker than themselves.


    minos ignored the looks in his direction, as well as the curious murmurs here and there, and made his way to the entrance of the headquarters.


    eager to see his family again and to find out what he had to do upon his return, he crossed examire in a few minutes and soon arrived at the entrance of the headquarters.  s~ea??h the n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "who are you? identify yourself!" a level 109 man shouted at the entrance to the guild, a large building that contained what looked like an elevator¡ªa device that could instantly transport one from this place to the floating island miles above.


    this was a long-time internal member of the guild who knew minos. but now this human was very different now from what he used to be!


    with four new wings on his back, completely white hair, and at least 30 centimeters taller, with muscles to match his new size, minos looked like a new person.


    looking at the striking face of this newcomer, who looked more like a monster than a normal human, the guard in position couldn''t help but raise his usual caution and stand up as he prepared to act.


    minos was accompanied by two level 114 sovereigns, something extraordinary. at the same time, armhands was at war. anything was possible¡­


    ''could this be an attack?'' the guard broke into a cold sweat, aware he wouldn''t be able to handle this strange trio alone.


    determined not to die in vain, he made sure the hall responsible for guarding this area received his emergency signal.


    minos sensed what this man was thinking, clearly seeing a future in which members of the law enforcement hall would surround him.


    but he was curious to see some of his old subordinates and didn''t hurry. "don''t you recognize me?" minos asked, looking somewhat interested and forcing himself not to smile.


    "should i recognize you?" the guard asked in an even more startled tone when he saw minos step forward.


    the intermediate officer in front of minos took a step back, ignoring for a moment the snake tattoo on the white-haired man''s forehead.


    the cultivation of minos was incredibly formidable, and his appearance was so peculiar that this inattentive guard failed to recognize the most prominent emblem of the guild members.


    before he could even realize his mistake, 12 high-ranking sovereigns appeared around minos in that small building, weapons in hand and spirits ready for battle.


    minos finally smiled as he felt the onslaught of 12 high-ranking sovereigns, including some of his level 113 and 114 men from the hall.


    removing his guild inner member''s identification from his spatial ring, minos opened his mouth and spoke in a thick tone, "you don''t recognize your own leader. quick, kneel while i''m still in a good mood!"


    minos'' cultivation jumped from level 109 to the absolute peak of level 112, while some of those men turned pale as they felt their strength suddenly drain away.


    feeling this and looking at the snake tattoo on minos'' forehead, the 13 aliens in front of them widened their eyes and recognized the most unusual innate ability that had ever appeared in the thousands of years of the guild''s history.


    "officer minos!" four of the men standing at the edge of the area shouted, already feeling an overwhelming pressure that forced them to their knees.


    they looked at minos for a moment, feeling they were nothing more than insects under his gaze, feeling their lives were in minos'' hands.


    they knew how strong minos had been before he left. but the most extreme rumors about him didn''t even come close to the fact that he could easily dominate a group of high-ranking sovereigns!


    his appearance had also changed by 180 levels!


    ''what had happened? how could he reach level 109 so quickly?'' one man asked in astonishment.


    but someone there soon realized they were standing in the way of someone they couldn''t fight. pinching his own fingers to come out of his state of shock, he said, "officer minos, welcome back. allow me to escort you back to headquarters!"

 Chapter 2570 Summoned by the Commander

    chapter 2570  summoned by the commander minos lowered his aura, causing the 13 individuals to feel the overwhelming pressure on them to disappear. it happened so quickly they almost jumped backward while their muscles were still in position to prevent them from falling.


    minos approached the man who offered to guide him to the headquarters and signaled for him to come along.


    "that was a pleasant welcome, boys. we''ll see you again soon."


    with this humorous comment, minos left the area and the 12 frightened individuals behind, making his way to the floating island above this post in examire.


    in a few moments, minos would set foot on the island, a little over 20 years after he left to complete the mission in the seraphim world.


    "how''s the guild these days?" he asked the level 114 man next to him, curious about the changes over the years.


    "the war with firestone mines intensified while the officer was away. we''re in quite a turmoil right now, with battles for territory and deaths on both sides of the conflict happening often," explained the alien, who followed minos as they crossed the island''s entrance to the city.


    the alien already imagined that minos wanted to know about the stuart family faction, so he said, "as for your family, they''re fine, officer. your children and wives have grown stronger, and until the last time i heard from them, they were fine. but officer ruth and officer kendrick are not at headquarters right now. so i don''t know how they are today."


    "oh? where did they go? do you have any idea?"


    minos looked into the alien''s eyes, who promptly shook his head in denial.


    "no. i''m not part of the faction, so i''m in the dark. i only know they''re out because of the rumors and because i saw officer kendrick leave the headquarters with two of his companions. a robot and a woman who appears to be his wife."


    ''grisdi and otis.''


    minos understood who kendrick''s companions were.


    "the others are all back at headquarters. they''re stronger than when you left, officer."


    "good." minos smiled, but was not at all surprised. he had left so much for his family. it was clear it would strengthen them in his absence.


    arriving at the entrance to the fenced area, minos didn''t face the same problem as he had a few moments before. as soon as he showed his id, the men in the area made way for him.


    however, every man at that post was impressed by the changes in minos'' appearance, level, and aura.


    normally, a cultivator''s aura changed little. it became stronger, thicker, and more energetic, but its characteristics didn''t change. however, minos'' aura seemed completely different, as if he was not the same person as before.


    the guards'' behavior did not surprise minos. he had indeed undergone two significant transformations during his years traveling outside the galaxy.


    he moved forward alongside the level 114 alien and soon arrived in the built-up area of the city, in the outer members'' wing.9


    "is this your home, master?" ama asked as the level 114 sovereign, a senior officer, watched minos'' interaction with the serpents.


    "not exactly. my area is more internal to the city." minos continued down a busy street, with guild members staring at them and muttering things.


    there were hardly any outside guildsmen in minos'' faction at the moment, and even if there were, hardly any of them would recognize him as he was now.


    soon, minos would make his way through the entire outer area, passing through the area bordering the inner ward of the city.


    at this point, he encountered one of the guild''s generals, who was standing there looking for him.


    "officer minos stuart, come with me. the commander wants to see you," the 114th level man said, while he couldn''t help but look at the white-haired man differently.


    like all the others who had already seen minos and noticed his changes, this general wondered exactly what the intermediate officer before him had gone through to change so much.


    minos smiled when he heard this, seeing the commander was more aware of what was going on in the city than anyone would imagine.


    "thank you for coming with me, officer. we''ll talk another time." minos nodded to the man who had led him, and followed the general to the council.


    the general walked cautiously ahead of minos, feeling as if he were walking on eggs, an unsettling sensation for someone at the peak of the 11th stage.


    as he walked, feeling the wind blowing through his body, this general watched minos from the corner of his eye, full of curiosity in his heart.


    but even though he wanted to ask a lot of questions, and even though he was minos'' superior, this man didn''t dare. silently, he made his way to the entrance of the council, soon passing the guards in the area and heading for the guild''s administration building.


    minos spotted rhett, that level 110 alien who, unlike the others, recognized him.


    "minos?" the alien asked, his eyes widening in disbelief at the changes his leader had undergone.


    hell, minos was at almost the same level as him. how had this human cultivated so fast over the years?  s~ea??h the n?vel(f)ire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''his vitality doesn''t seem to be weaker than before¡­ in fact, it seems to be stronger! he didn''t achieve this by going to an area of the universe where time passes differently from here!'' rhett realized the same thing the general accompanying minos had already done.


    cultivation in a world where time passed differently than in zocarro would easily explain minos'' changes. but the human''s vitality was too much stronger than before for that to be the truth behind his current level.


    minos just smiled at rhett and left to talk to this individual later.


    he entered the large office of the guild''s commander again, where the giant was already waiting for him with an impatient look on his experienced face.


    "minos, you''re back at last!" the giant said as he saw the human stop in front of him, and he couldn''t help but smile as he felt the changes in that small body.


    he had already sensed some changes in minos from afar, but when he touched the human body in front of him, he noticed many more.

 Chapter 2571 Reunion with Relatives

    chapter 2571  reunion with relatives when he touched minos'' body, the commander felt the dragon-like power inside this small human body, as well as the majestic characteristics of seraphim''s wings. these were the two major changes in this young man that the level 117 giant associated with the current level of the intermediate officer in front of him.


    ''he used to have something of the dragons in his soul and body. this spark has turned into a great fire.'' the giant closed his eyes, understanding minos'' situation.


    ''he had a few chance encounters with dragons and seraphim... is that good or bad luck for him?'' the commander opened his eyes, a smile on his face despite his uncertainty about minos'' future.


    he wouldn''t talk to minos about it, nor would he ask where the man''s strength came from. strengthening experiences were very personal. asking a cultivator how they achieved something was like asking for a person''s greatest secret.


    it was information that no one would directly ask another person how they became stronger or achieved something unless they decided to share it themselves.


    for experts like the commander, asking such a question would look bad, so he simply focused on other things when he greeted minos.


    as for the two level 114 serpents around minos'' body, the easiest thing to understand was that they were the man''s mounts.


    the commander ignored these two frightening creatures hiding in minos'' wings.


    "i see you''re stronger and more capable... did you solve what you wanted to? are you ready to resume your responsibilities to the guild?" the commander asked, looking into minos'' eyes.


    minos nodded in agreement. "yes, i''ve taken care of everything i needed to on this journey. now i intend to spend the next few decades focusing on growing in the guild and continuing to earn merit."


    "perfect. then i''ll prepare everything for you to receive the black liquid and begin your experiments with your wife as soon as possible. for now, take a few days to visit your fellow faction members and rest from your journey. there will be plenty for you to do after that."


    "thank you for the opportunity, commander." minos made a gesture of thanks, finally getting what he wanted.


    despite his empowerment, he was still only one person. but if abby''s theories were correct, she could use the black liquid to extend the lifespan of the dead she brought back to the world of the living.


    depending on the results of her experiments, this could mean that they could have an even more durable army of the dead, which could open up a whole range of possibilities for them.


    even if they would resurrect the dead for the guild, or even if they could benefit the guild, the fact that minos and abby''s combined abilities created undead loyal to them would never change!


    as such, he was truly grateful for the opportunity the commander had given him.


    the commander nodded at minos, liking the boy''s positioning. he said, "by the way, your position as an intermediate officer is not suitable for your current level of power. from now on, you will take the position of a senior officer.


    your superiors will handle it for you, so just do what you have to do. your additional duties, responsibilities and rights will be explained to you in a few days."


    minos narrowed his eyes, recognizing it would probably force him to become more involved in the current war than he had planned.


    unfortunately, there was no way he could go against the orders of the commander.


    he smiled and thanked him again, trying to look on the bright side of being a senior officer. he would at least have more rights, a smaller number of responsibilities, although those responsibilities would be more complicated.


    with the commander''s permission, he set off, leaving behind the general who had led him there, as well as the giant guild leader and another general.


    "is the commander planning to send him to the war? someone like minos can disturb any battlefield. the way he is now, if he sacrifices his parasite, he could temporarily reach the level of a supreme," the right hand of the commander said.


    "yes, but not now. i''ll let him test the black liquid with his wife. if they succeed, we can bring back the founder!"


    the two generals clenched their fists, thinking of the level 125 figure who founded the guild millions of years ago!


    would minos and abby succeed? there was no way for them to know, but the idea of having a celestial being back couldn''t help but make them all think about the possibilities that lay ahead if they succeeded. with someone so strong, they could become oqia''s greatest power and eventually take one of its branches to uzira!


    ...


    meanwhile, minos did not know what the commander had in mind. he simply made his way to the exit of the council and arrived back at the inner wing of the guild, where he soon began his journey to the law enforcement hall.


    as he climbed the front steps of the hall, minos made his way to where he could sense gloria and abby were.


    rhett hadn''t come to warn them of his arrival, as the alien was busy with something important when he spotted minos earlier. realizing this, he moved on, passing the guards in the area who didn''t recognize him, but also didn''t stop him when they spotted the cloak he was wearing now.


    armhands had their uniforms for the different parts of the guild. since minos wore the mantle of supervisor of the law enforcement hall, the men in the area knew he was a challenger or a former leader of that hall.


    none of them would stand in the way of someone like that!


    the moment minos entered the part of the hall where abby''s office was, he spotted lily and hollie coming from where abby and gloria were.


    the two girls saw the white-haired man smiling at them and stopped to stare at him, noticing some traces of their old father in the man.


    "father?" hollie opened her mouth as she realized who this guy with six wings on his back really was.


    lily remained silent, her mouth open in shock, seeing her father taller, stronger, more handsome, with more wings on his back changed in a way that made her lose her words for a few moments.  s§×arch* the n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    but while lily was silent, gloria and abby appeared in the doorway of that office, having heard the word ''father'' from hollie''s mouth.


    "minos?" the two recognized her husband, also finding the changes in him strange, but recognizing their husband more easily than the two girls.

 Chapter 2572 Family Tournament?

    chapter 2572  family tournament? "minos?" abby and gloria looked at him with wide eyes, surprise written all over their beautiful faces.


    minos was so big that he looked like a door!


    his wings, even when tucked behind his back, were so large that they cast a shadow at least four meters in front of him.


    minos smiled at some of the women he loved most in the universe, reuniting with his two wives and two daughters after years apart.


    "some things have changed. i''m afraid i have some stories to tell you." he walked over to them, first embracing his two girls, whom he pulled into his embrace, easily wrapping each of lily and hollie''s waists in his arms as he brought them closer to him.


    kissing both girls on the foreheads, he entered his wives'' office with lily and hollie in his hands, while gloria and abby still looked at him questioningly.


    they weren''t unhappy, though. minos was bigger and stronger, but his looks hadn''t diminished. despite his white hair, he looked quite young, with a charm that could enchant even powerful women.


    minos'' appearance did not immediately fascinate the four, but only because they already knew him very well and had feelings for him.


    when he was alone with them, minos let go of his daughters and embraced his wives, kissing them subtly, eager to taste his women in bed later.


    his body as a whole had grown... but he could adjust himself so as not to cause his wives any discomfort.


    "what happened? i understand the seraphim''s wings, but how did you reach level 109? hell, you''re close to level 110, minos," abby said as she sat down next to minos.


    gloria sat across from him on a leather sofa, while lily and hollie remained standing, curious to hear their father''s stories.


    unlike the commander, they wouldn''t keep their doubts to themselves!


    minos smiled and explained, "i completed my mission with the seraph and could absorb the wings of a level 120 seraph. after that, an elder of the divine dragons helped me to awaken the dragon power that was sealed in my body. this helped me reach level 109 and gain my new abilities..."


    he described his time on the planet of the divine dragons, as well as the warnings he had received from both the dragons and the seraph.


    the four women were content with his empowerment, but also worried about what might happen in the future because of minos'' new abilities.


    "this is all so surreal..." lily muttered as she looked at her father''s wings.


    "it really is..." gloria said. "but what do we do now? how do we deal with these dangers?"


    "the same way we planned before. nothing has really changed. we just discovered something we didn''t know. we still need to become stronger. and the way to do that is to take advantage of the guild''s opportunities and eventually go to uzira with tiolos."


    minos was direct in his words, seeing the path he had to take clearly in his mind.


    as dangerous as the future might be, they still had time to grow up in a more or less ''safe'' place.


    minos imagined the elder watching him was waiting for him to pass through the next stage of the true celestial inheritance, so he shouldn''t move in the short term. at the same time, there weren''t many others with the ability to perceive what he was or had, even considering the entire universe. at most, he would have to face ordinary enemies while in zocarro.


    thinking in this way, minos was more or less satisfied with his position.


    he looked at abby and said, "i spoke with the commander before i came to see you. in a few days, we will receive the black liquid and begin our experiments. so i want you to give up your role in the hall so that we have time to deal with it over the next few months."


    "all right." she clenched her fists in anticipation of finally using the special substance.


    "besides, he promoted me to senior officer. so it''s possible that i''ll have to move during the experiments to deal with the war with firestone mines. but in the short term, i don''t think i''ll be forced to. the commander should give me some space to advance our experiments."


    it surprised the four women to hear how easily he had been promoted, which had its pros and cons.


    "i didn''t expect it before... but considering your current powers, it must be appropriate," gloria said as she looked at one of minos'' arms.


    ''how strong must he be now?'' the thought made her smile subtly as she blushed and squeezed her legs together.


    "we will not train together again, are we?" hollie gave minos a pitiful look.


    minos smiled as he understood his daughter''s request. "not for a few months. i''ve advanced my power a lot and i still need to train to control it perfectly. but as soon as i''m ready to teach you, we''ll dance together again. so don''t be disappointed that you won''t be able to train with your old man for a while, hollie."


    "no, i''m not looking forward to it..." hollie whispered to lily, smiling bitterly.


    training with minos wasn''t easy. he was strict with all his children when he trained with them!


    "anyway, i don''t need the hydra''s amulet anymore. when ruth and kendrick return, i want to test its compatibility with one of you. if more than one of you is compatible with it, we''ll have a little tournament between you to decide who will inherit it from me," minos said with a smile on his face, eager to see his family members'' abilities in action.


    "that might take a while," abby said with a worried look on her face. "ruth will be back soon. but kendrick just left for an optional mission."


    "about that, i want you to send messages to them about my return and how i want to see them as soon as possible. but if necessary, i see no problem in waiting a few weeks for them."


    minos stood up and looked at his two wives, giving them a look they knew well.


    "lily and hollie, i want you to do something for me right now. entertain these two serpents for me for a while."


    "master?" the two snakes looked at him uncomprehendingly.


    hollie and lily prepared to leave, imagining their father wanted some privacy with gloria and abby.  s§×ar?h the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "gan and ama, obey lily and hollie. we''ll talk again later."


    with those words, minos left with gloria and abby, disappearing from the sight of the four left behind.

 Chapter 2573 Day of Rest

    chapter 2573  day of rest the next day, minos was relaxing in the family''s home after spending a hot night with his two wives.


    the two were still asleep, both with extremely relaxed expressions on their faces, lying on their sides of the bed with only a thin sheet covering their bodies.


    minos got up and looked out of the bedroom window and saw the main street of the city. with a cup of tea in one hand, he silently watched the aliens'' movements while he relaxed and sipped his hot drink.


    after having a good time with his wives, tending to their needs and his own, he was looking forward to being with ruth and segiel. however, neither of them were in the guild, so he would have to wait days or weeks to see his other women.


    even though the other two weren''t there, for today minos wanted to relax, follow the commander''s own recommendation and rest while he could. soon he would have the experiments on the black liquid and the missions related to the war against the firestone mines.


    there would be enough opportunities to hone his skills for him not to worry about that today.


    as soon as he finished his hot drink, abby and gloria showed signs of waking up, stretching as they looked like normal people after a good night''s sleep.


    of course, they didn''t need sleep to rest, but after a fiery night, even cultivators as strong as they could fall asleep and relax.


    "morning," gloria said with a serene expression, massaging her temples as she stood up.


    abby looked at minos and saw him standing naked in front of the balcony of their apartment.


    for a moment, she thought about the things they had done the night before, subtly biting her lip.  s§×ar?h the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    but she was in no hurry. now that minos was there, she could have his attention for at least an hour every day. that had been their routine in this guild for years before he left to solve the last mission, so it wasn''t going to change now.


    they would have liked to have more of minos'' children, but their cultivations were already so high that they were practically sterile. so these days, they did it more for fun and self-pleasure than for procreation.


    after a shower, the trio got dressed and prepared to walk around the headquarters, according to minos'' plans for the day.


    he didn''t intend to cultivate or train today. nor did he intend to take on any work responsibilities. but that didn''t mean he didn''t have plans.


    "shall we go?" he asked as he showed his arms to the two, causing them to nod in agreement and hold his hands at the same time.


    "many of your former rivals will be shocked when they realize it''s you, minos," gloria said with a smile as they left their residence on the main street of the guild''s inner area.


    "this is exactly what i want. they stopped opposing me just before i left for the seraphim world, but that''s not enough. they have to see me and feel that they have to ask for forgiveness and swear that they won''t act against my interests," minos said with a defiant look in his eyes, eager to show himself to his old rivals.


    that was his goal today: to let his old rivals and enemies know he was him and to understand how things would be from now on.


    most of the problems that had plagued minos'' faction when he returned to the guild decades ago no longer worried them. they had become the largest faction in the inner city, respected and feared by many guild members.


    however, there was still competition for missions, pressure that made it difficult for certain members of minos'' faction to get resources and opportunities within the guild.


    minos wanted to change that, to reverse the actions against his faction, and to dominate both the internal and external areas of the guild!


    at his current level, he wouldn''t even need to challenge anyone!


    as minos, gloria, and abby walked the main streets of the inner area, members of the rival factions soon found their behavior strange before they could understand who this white-haired man was.


    ''is that minos?'' asked a level 113 alien as he stopped in his tracks and hid behind a lamppost. ''level 109? how is that possible? has he left all his companions behind?''


    while this alien was asking these questions, another alien inside a restaurant approached the front window of the establishment and stared wide-eyed in minos'' direction.


    ''officer minos? so the rumors of his return are true!'' a level 112 woman thought, while wearing a smiling expression, interested in minos'' return.


    "let''s get back to the group. what we''ve heard is true. he''s undergone an absurd transformation. his power must be much greater now than it was two decades ago," a furry being said to a completely different looking fellow from across the street where minos was walking with his wives.


    "how can someone change so much? i thought sovereigns didn''t change their appearance that much with just advancing levels."


    "he has improved four levels in just over 20 years. that''s not normal, even for a monster like him. the opportunity he found was so extraordinary it changed his entire body structure!" the furry creature said as he led his ally back to their faction.


    abby and gloria watched out of the corner of their eyes the many people looking at them, some whispering to each other, others with looks of fear, pale on their faces, almost as if they couldn''t believe what they were seeing.


    but none of them could blame them. they themselves had been shocked to see minos the day before!


    and on the other hand, seeing the reaction of many individuals who had already shown hostile or overbearing behavior towards their group, the two couldn''t help but walk proudly beside minos.


    minos felt his wives squeeze his hands and imagined that they had many things on their minds.


    but he walked on, ignoring even the generals on his way. it looks like i won''t have to wander around this city much longer. soon, all the guild members will know of my return and transformation.

 Chapter 2574 Promotion and Black Liquid

    chapter 2574  promotion and black liquid later that same day...


    minos had just entered a high-end restaurant, accompanied by abby, gloria, lily, and hollie.


    while they were eating their tasty and fragrant food, which could stimulate breakthroughs in grandmasters with just a few spoonfuls, they heard the door to their vip room being knocked.


    minos looked away, taking his focus off his family, who were chatting and eating happily around the beautiful table, decorated with plenty of plates, cutlery, and pretty dishes. looking through the red door of this richly decorated area, he saw some of the surviving members of jade chainsaws.


    the jade chainsaws had not been completely wiped out. after the death of their leader, some members of the faction had left the headquarters and only returned after minos left for the seraphim world. other members had surrendered to minos, vowing never to stand in his way again.


    those on the other side of the door that minos now watched were among the group of fugitives who had discovered his return and transformation today.


    "senior, some senior officers would like to speak with you," a waiter said as he stopped beside minos, speaking in a low voice, a bit of sensitive concern in his tone.


    minos just nodded, allowing the three level 113 sovereigns on the other side of the door access to this vip room.


    his daughters and wives stopped talking and turned their attention to the three aliens who, upon entering this vip room, immediately kneeled down before speaking concurrently in trembling voices.


    "senior minos, please forgive our past transgressions and allow us to make amends for our mistakes!"


    minos looked at the three senior officers with interest. now that he was also a senior officer and the head of the law enforcement hall, which abby had secured the day before, only the members of the council were above him.


    but minos was not only the most powerful man in the guild''s inner city, he was also someone who each of these three aliens was sure was ruthless and the principal person responsible for the deaths of the former leaders of the jade chainsaws.


    "you ran away when you had the chance to ask for forgiveness before, if i''m not mistaken. why do you want to do it now?" minos asked, curious about the creatures'' answer.


    "senior, perhaps you misunderstood our actions. we were on a mission. we only returned to the guild when the senior was already on your way..." one of them said in an uncertain tone, despite his good excuse.


    abby and gloria stared at them. the truth about these people was not that simple.


    minos smiled and closed his eyes. ''this is a good lie... but i can''t get rid of you. there''s a better way to use you.''


    "so that''s it..." minos muttered, tapping his fingers on the table. "well, that''s understandable. and i''m not a difficult guild mate to please. you hindered my family''s growth years ago, but if you''re willing to serve, i can forget all that."


    "senior?" the three looked at minos with hope in their eyes.


    "swear eternal loyalty to hollie and lily. from now on, you will do everything in your power to serve and protect them." minos decided their fate and imagined the future, when it would be time for him to leave for uzira with his wives.


    minos still wasn''t sure if hollie, lily, and kendrick would stay with the guild or go with him to uzira. the journey would certainly be dangerous for them if they accompanied him, but staying would also have its dangers.


    thinking a few steps ahead, minos started the transfer of power within the guild while he was still there, to ensure his children would be well when the time came for him to leave. if they stayed, they would have powerful supporters on their side.


    ''one day, armhands will be under the control of the stuart family. that starts now!'' minos thought to himself as the two girls stood up, the three aliens staring at them.


    this hadn''t been minos'' goal for a long time, but after all that had happened, the time he had invested in armhands, there was nothing better than to see his family benefit from all his efforts to grow up in this place.


    his goal was not to run the guild, but to have a high-level place in the universe to train those who came from the black plain empire!


    the three men spun their bodies to hollie and lily and made their promises to the heavens in loud voices, guaranteeing if they didn''t do everything in their power for their sake, their cultivation would dissipate and heavens'' punishment would destroy them.


    seeing the three had sworn an oath confirmed by universal law, minos nodded to them and gave them permission to leave.


    "you two will be in touch soon. for now, go about your business," he said, as his family was left alone again in the vip room.


    lily and hollie looked at minos questioningly.


    "use them to build your own influence in the guild. inheriting my influence isn''t bad, but it''s important you have something of your own. remember that if you ever have children. don''t just leave them with what you built. let them build part of their own journey."


    the two thanked their father for what he had done and taught them, although they found his comment about children strange.  s§×arch* the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    they were both virgins and powerful. how could they think of having children?


    however, they were unaware that a virgin, even at a higher level, has a significantly higher likelihood of becoming pregnant compared to a woman who has had sex multiple times and is at a lower level than them.


    ...


    over the next two days, minos would encounter situations similar to the previous one, with former rivals asking forgiveness for their past actions and swearing loyalty to the stuart sisters.


    rumors of minos'' promotion to senior officer soon spread throughout guild headquarters as he and his family returned to their training routines and responsibilities within the guild.


    then, on his fourth day back, he and abby encountered a general sent by the commander, a man carrying the precious black liquid the couple had been hoping to get their hands on!

 Chapter 2575 The Experiments Begin!

    chapter 2575  the experiments begin! upon receiving the commander''s trusted man at the headquarters of the law enforcement hall, minos and abby picked up the transparent pill-shaped bottle, which was the size of one of minos'' fingers.


    looking at the item, minos sighed, seeing the commander was not playing around with this precious resource.


    "seems like we can''t make a wrong choice," he cheerfully commented to his wife.


    ignoring abby''s smile, the general asked. "where are you going to test it? the commander ordered me to observe the entire procedure."


    "i think the faction cave is the best place, right?" abby looked at minos suggestively.


    "yes, let''s go to the faction cave. all our corpses are there, and there''s enough room for us to work." minos took one of abby''s hands and walked out of the law enforcement hall building.


    "by the way, what were you planning to do with that resource?" the general asked, following them.


    abby replied. "there are three tests i want to run. the first is on one corpse that my powers have already revived it. i want to see what kind of change one of them will go through in contact with this substance.


    then it will be interesting to test it on a creature stronger than i can control, to see the reactions in the corpse beyond my control. this could tell us how good or bad this liquid will be in a creature that is theoretically free. will it go mad like that guild traitor who attacked us on the way out of the obsidian shore? or will it become stable?


    anyway, the third experiment i was thinking of is on the corpse of someone i didn''t revive with my abilities. would that have any effect on the corpse? would it revive? and if it didn''t revive, then when i used my ability, would there be any difference from the others? anyway, these are the most important questions i''ve been thinking about while waiting for this moment."


    "i see," the general said reflexively, finding abby''s points interesting.


    ''she wants to see the influence of the black liquid before her powers, under her powers and control, and under her powers, but out of her control... hmm, i think she''s right. any of these scenarios could have important consequences for us.''


    as a member of armhands who was more interested in the success of the guild and not necessarily the success of minos and abby, this general was especially interested in the scenario where abby would test the black liquid on a corpse that she had not yet used her ability.


    depending on the results of the experiments, they could use the black liquid to reanimate beings who didn''t depend on abby''s powers or who, even if they did, couldn''t be influenced by her afterwards. ideally, this would be the best of all scenarios for the guild!


    with that in mind, the three of them soon entered the guild''s caves area and made their way to the unit belonging to minos'' faction.


    upon arrival, minos asked the faction members in the area to leave the cave for the time being. meanwhile, abby and the general waited off to the side in the area, with this man observing the large number of black urns in the area.


    ''they were busy conquering dead warriors...'' he watched as minos manipulated two black coffins in the area, causing the undead bodies inside them to awaken from their hibernation sleep.


    opening their eyes, the extremely preserved looking corpses, their aura very similar to when they were alive, looked at minos in surprise.


    "level 109? how many decades have passed since i was last summoned?" asked one of the level 111 aliens minos had awakened.


    he was under the control of abby''s powers, even without minos helping her with a temporary level increase, which meant this was the first case of the experiments she had mentioned.  sear?h the n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    minos smiled without going into details, knowing the life span of this living corpse outside the black coffin was not long. "it was less time than you think. anyway, we''re not here to talk today. you''re going to undergo the experiment i mentioned to your group earlier."


    minos had made various promises to the many corpses in his group. some he had allowed to leave to fulfill their last wishes after they had completed some missions and the faction had achieved some peace. others waited for minos and abby to grow stronger, hoping they would last longer if those two grew stronger.


    in the case of the undead in front of him now, minos had told him and four other corpses that if they helped him with some experiments, he would give them their freedom after he and abby understood the results of those experiments.


    the moment he heard this, this corpse looked at abby, eager to continue with the experiments.


    "hehe, i didn''t think you were serious, minos. you''re more generous than i thought," said the level 111 corpse.


    "that is..." the general said to abby, identifying this corpse as a former enemy of the guild.


    "yes, that''s him." abby smiled at her superior. "minos has been collecting the bodies of his enemies since he returned to zocarro. some of them i''ve revived and they''ve already completed their missions, others are in this room waiting to be used, and other corpses are in his spatial ring waiting for us to use them."


    "how many corpses do you have in your spatial ring, officer minos?" this general was interested, imagining that minos and his faction were much stronger than everyone thought.


    "about 400. i''m not sure. i stopped counting after 100." minos kicked a number under the table.


    "and what''s their average strength?" the general''s eyes narrowed.


    "most of them are at levels 113 and 114. i stopped collecting corpses weaker than that." minos replied as abby positioned herself, with him preparing to help her in case of need, using the cultivation of another corpse to raise his power to the peak of level 112.


    the general swallowed his saliva when he sensed minos had a small guild the size of armhands'' inner area in his spatial ring.


    ''this is worrying. he''s almost at the point where he can create an army of the dead that can rival the power of the guild! i''ll have to talk to the commander about this when i get back!''


    minos didn''t care what the general had in mind. he understood the rules of the guild better than the general himself, who had never been through the law enforcement hall to understand the same things minos and the commander did.


    "ready?" he asked abby as he motioned for the general to step aside so their experiments could begin.

 Chapter 2576 Experiments (1)

    chapter 2576  experiments (1) the general turned away from minos and abby, positioning himself to act if necessary.


    minos would participate in the experiment, which meant the level of danger could easily reach the same level as his powers.


    it could be deadly dangerous, so the peak sovereign circulated his energies and prepared himself in case problems arose from this first experiment.


    abby nodded to minos while holding the black liquid.


    he prepared himself by opening his wings, ready to also use the hydra''s amulet if necessary.


    the corpse said, "i''m ready." he sat down in the lotus position.


    the best way for a cultivator to control an internal force entering their body or soul was through meditation!


    whatever the black liquid was going to do to him, he had better be in a state of cultivation to handle the problems or benefits the black liquid would bring him.


    minos closely watched abby''s movement as she took 5% of the black liquid they had and used her energy to move a large drop, the size of a grape, toward the head of the corpse.


    ''in living beings, i know it would corrupt the body and soul. it could threaten life, or even cause severe mutation in the creature if it survived contact. but in something already dead... well, anything could happen.''


    as minos watched the drop fall towards the corpse''s forehead, abby prepared herself, circulating her energy to get rid of her connection to the corpse in case something strange happened.


    abby''s connection to the undead wasn''t direct. after reviving them, the connection she had with them was one of superiority, in case they were within her limits. but her aura or power was not directly connected to the undead''s soul.


    what was there was a small mark on the soul of these creatures, something that could affect her to some degree, even though it wasn''t directly connected to her.


    she could sever that connection and cut off any negative effects that would result from the destruction or corruption of it.


    ''even if my connection with it were to be corrupted, at most i would feel a slight injury to my soul and lose that mark. the rest of my essence cannot be affected by anything external to my body and soul.''


    she thought silently as she felt the tension of the moment and the negative vibrations of the liquid.


    the moment the black drop touched the forehead of the level 111 corpse, the corpse''s eyes opened wide, and the darkness of the pupil covered the entire eye, even reaching the sclera.


    the black liquid seeped through its forehead and disappeared without a trace, just like a drop of water disappears after touching the sand and dries up on its way to the depths of the ground.


    then, a pulse burst out from the corpse''s body, instantly raising the creature''s cultivation to level 112, while the spiritual pathways of its body were covered in a black energy that was only visible to minos, who had the bright eyes on his side.


    but even though she couldn''t see the same thing as her husband, abby felt the sensation that came from the internal changes in the corpse''s body under her powers.


    "upir, how do you feel?" her eyes shut as if in pain.


    but upir didn''t answer, trembling violently as profound changes rapidly developed in his body.


    instead of being corrupted, as normally happened to living beings, upir had parts of himself improved, with his bones leaving their previous state and turning black as night. his aura gradually stabilized at its new level, while his heart, which had been silent until a moment ago, beat.


    "is he back to life?" the general asked with an interested expression on his face.


    he knew the black liquid could revive the dead. that was the guild''s primary goal in collecting it, which was found long ago by the first generation of members who went on the black heart mission.


    however, as far as they knew, the dead who were revived by the black liquid didn''t revive in the way they wanted. their once peaceful existence became tumultuous as they failed to fully restore their physical forms. consumed by darkness, they left a trail of devastation and destruction wherever they tread, desecrating the land, annihilating property, and unleashing uncontrollable acts of violence.


    as a result, the guild had yet to use the black liquid they had.


    nevertheless, upon witnessing the initial findings of abby''s experiment, the general couldn''t contain his excitement as he gazed upon upir. abby might just be the solution they had been desperately seeking to effectively and securely harness the power of the enigmatic black substance.


    "no," minos took his wife''s place, seeing glimpses of the future when she would fully understand the effect of her abilities on this man.


    abby answered in more detail than her husband, "he is not alive. but he''s not dead either... it''s hard to understand, but his body seems to be alive, while his soul is still that of an undead. the moment his soul dissipates, his body will die."


    "what does that mean? what is the effect of the black liquid?" the general asked as he changed his voice, emphasizing the lines on his forehead.


    "he is stronger. that''s the main point of this experiment. i still have to analyze it bit by bit, but as we advance in level, we have new possibilities. is it possible to cultivate the dead? and if we cultivate him up to the 12th stage, would anything change after the qualitative evolution?" abby asked her questions.


    abby''s undead should not be able to cultivate. she knew it because she had already tried it in the spiritual world and in the enchanted realm when she tested the limits of her powers.


    but the undead in front of them had progressed in a stable manner, similar to living cultivators, unlike the temporary strengthening that minos'' innate ability could cause.


    if this were to be repeated through cultivation, many things might change in abby''s undead!


    minos realized something else. "his vitality has also increased more than tenfold. if he could only survive a few hours before the black liquid, now he can resist for more than a day outside of his coffin."


    "this is fantastic!" the general understood this point and immediately got eager about the experiments.


    they had only used the volume of one drop on that corpse!


    but what if they had used an entire liter?


    even if the creature wasn''t able to raise its cultivation to level 115 in one day, it could still survive as it was now, but perhaps it could evolve and have a longer lifespan if it absorbed more of the black liquid! sear?h the n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 2577 Experiments (2)

    chapter 2577  experiments (2) "upir, wake up."


    minos commanded, suddenly making the newly leveled creature tremble, feeling a threatening sensation even stronger than that of the black liquid that had entered him.


    through the dark sea, minos entered the undead creature''s mind and made it aware of the surrounding situation.


    unlike the corpses that were revived by the black liquid, upir didn''t show the chaotic attitudes of an irrational creature when he opened his eyes, which were now completely black without the white part of his sclera.


    "minos... i feel strange," he replied, rising to his feet. "i feel... i feel a thirst, an urge, a deep desire for..."


    "blood?" minos anticipated the creature''s answer.


    "yes. i can control myself enough not to attack you, but i can almost feel your blood flowing through your body," he said as he clenched his fists and tried to control himself.


    but even though he felt a strange desire for the blood of these people, he was even more afraid of minos. the dark sea frightened him so much that he remained more rational than he thought after feeling the improvements in his being.


    ''abby doesn''t control me right now. but maybe that will change... i should try...'' his thoughts stopped here as he looked at minos, whom he couldn''t help but fear.


    the feeling that came from minos, even without the dark sea, was strange to him.


    minos saw the corpse''s conflicting thoughts and said to his wife, "use your skill on him. he could break the connection with you while improving his cultivation. let''s bring him back under control."  s~ea??h the n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    as minos spoke, abby''s cultivation jumped to level 108, while she was already moving to use her divine skill against upir.


    for a moment, abby felt as if she had never resurrected this being and had to repeat the process, which made her frown even more.


    ''that feeling...''


    then, under the general''s doubtful gaze, upir trembled for a second before falling to his knees, his whole body sweating in a black liquid.


    "oh?" minos recognized the liquid as it left the creature''s pores.


    but when the liquid left the undead''s body, nothing happened to upir. he remained at the same level, with the same body structure, black eyes and bones, and the same level of vitality.


    with a wave of his right hand, minos collected the essence that left upir''s body, collecting the equivalent of a quarter of what they had used on the corpse.


    "this ''sweat'' is basically the same essence we used." minos said to his colleagues.


    abby added, "i feel i can remove more of this fluid from him. but i would have to focus my ability on just him and use almost all of my power. but i believe that if i do, i will remove all the influence of the black liquid from him."


    after she spoke, upir said to her in a different tone than before. "please, remove this essence from me. i feel that the desire i described to you has been greatly diminished because of what you''ve just done."


    "can you get all the black liquid out of him? will he stay in that state if we do?" the general asked her.


    "perhaps. we won''t know for sure until we test it." she was not so sure that what he was asking would happen.


    "by the way, can we reuse the fluid that came out of his body?" the general continued, wondering about the implications of this reaction.


    "i don''t know. we''ll have to experiment with others. but at least from my point of view, this drop looks exactly like the one i used on upir." she looked at the drop minos had collected.


    minos agreed with her by storing it in a different device than the one containing the liquid they had received from the commander. "i feel the same way. but we''ll test it later. if it''s possible to use the liquid to strengthen the corpses and then remove them with abby''s ability and reuse them, it could be a discovery that could revolutionize oqia!"


    the general agreed, feeling the same as these two, but curious to see the results of the experiments.


    then, as minos moved his energy towards the hydras'' amulet, his and abby''s auras strengthened, keeping their cultivation at the peak of levels 112 and 108.


    "abby, let''s speed up the experiment a bit. save two-thirds of the liquid the commander gave us for the two scenarios we''ll investigate later. we''ll use the rest of the black liquid to test if we can continuously sensitize someone like upir."


    "isn''t that risky? what if it goes wrong and we waste so much of the black liquid? we still don''t know if we can reuse the liquid later." the general voiced his views as he looked at minos and abby, wishing they would be more careful.


    minos started, "it doesn''t matter. we didn''t expect the liquid to be reusable in the first place. if it turns out to be, that''s just a bonus. if it doesn''t, we''re in the same situation we were before this test."


    minos looked at the general and continued, "what really matters here is the potential to extend the vitality using the black liquid and the possibility that it can strengthen the dead.


    if upir achieves a vitality that allows him to live outside the black coffin for a few months, we''ll be able to get a better idea of his ability to cultivate and process spiritual resources."


    one could meditate for just a few minutes and see results. but with the corpse, they would need several tests, with and without resources, to discover the limits of a corpse in the same circumstances as upir.


    to do good enough experiments, they would need their corpses to last at least a few weeks.


    but minos accepted the general''s caution and took a step back. "let''s divide the portion i mentioned between upir and another corpse that we''ll test later. if we get similar results with two corpses, it''s possible that the same will be repeated with everyone we test."


    the ideal would be to have a much larger experimental group. unfortunately, they didn''t have the black liquid for many guinea pigs. so they would have to assume things from the few they experimented on.


    abby agreed with her husband and did as he suggested, dividing the liquid they would use in this phase of the experiments into two parts before dividing the part they would use on upir into three more or less equal volumes.


    "let''s test one at a time." she said as she directed the first of the three extra drops they would use on upir.

 Chapter 2578 Experiments (3)

    chapter 2578  experiments (3) as the third drop entered upir''s body, abby and the general became increasingly tense as the undead''s aura rose to the peak of level 113 and threatened to rise to level 114.


    the general in particular, was almost moved as he felt upir''s bloodlust reach a level where the creature could attack them at any moment.


    meanwhile, upir seemed even more alive than he had been after their first attempt, with even his soul showing different signs.


    abby and minos were pretty sure that upir would last a few weeks even without the support of their divine ability, which was impressive.


    his rationality was still there, but he surely saw them more as targets for his bloodlust than anything else.


    for a moment, minos wanted otis to be there. was the bloodlust only against normal creatures? could an artificial being evoke the same feeling?


    when the undead were about to jump on one of them, minos saw he had to act. with a step forward, he entered the mind of the corpse and made the creature look only at him.


    upir felt something strange and forgot abby and the general for a moment, seeing a six-winged dragon with silver and gold scales standing next to him, watching him intently.


    gulp!


    he trembled as the mental suppression caused by a mere glance from minos made him feel unable to move.


    even though he had almost reached level 114, he felt as if he were a wolf next to the mighty dragon that could crush him at any moment.


    even the general could feel minos'' power, even though the human was focusing almost all of his attention on upir.


    the general felt his entire body tremble as he glimpsed the power of the man with level 109 cultivation.


    "abby, we''re going to use your skill on him repeatedly. we''ll keep doing this until we''ve removed almost as much of the black liquid as we put into him," minos said to the blue-haired woman.


    abby was currently shrouded in blue mist, using her innate ability to block out the feeling she felt from upir''s body.


    feeling far less fear than she should have in the face of a negative creature so much stronger than her, abby moved to do as minos commanded and manipulate her divine ability against upir.


    minos didn''t let abby act alone. even with a level 108 temporary cultivation, she couldn''t control the mind of a level 113 peak corpse on her own. he helped her with the hydras'' amulet, but also by weakening upir''s aura, leaving the corpse vulnerable to the blue-haired woman.


    upir opened his mouth, screaming in terror as he felt himself being ''skinned'' alive by abby and minos.


    "mercy! mercy, my masters!" he clenched his hands so tightly that his claws dug into his skin, exposing his undead flesh along with a bluish-black liquid.


    "shut up!"


    with a command, minos made upir close his mouth and just scream through clenched teeth, no longer daring to shout words at them.


    more and more black liquid left upir''s body as his bloodlust subsided, but his features remained unchanged.


    minos watched the changes in him while abby used all her power on upir, using his bright eyes and incorruptible heart to determine the true condition of their guinea pig.


    after 30 minutes, abby would return to level 107, exhausted and in need of rest, while minos himself would feel his cultivation weakening and return to level 109.


    at that point, he wouldn''t be as exhausted as his wife, and he could keep upir at bay on his own. but with the infinite seal and the temporal sands, minos would put upir in a time lock while they recovered.


    "it was a good first attempt." he looked at the general with a smile on his face. "we can say that the black fluid can be used repeatedly. there doesn''t seem to be any resistance, at least not in upir''s body. but we''ll study it further over the next few days and test it on another corpse as well.


    the other experiments abby mentioned earlier we''ll do when we have all the data from upir''s case and the other one we''ll use."


    "that sounds good. i''ll keep watch while you two rest." the general agreed, anxious for the next results.


    minos recommended, "you''d better warn the commander that i''ll have to concentrate on the experiments for a few months. if i have to leave the headquarters before we''re done, we could have problems."


    the general agreed. he himself had seen how dangerous it had been to deal with upir alone. but what if they had to deal with a corpse that did not have abby''s influence? not only that, but minos could boost his wife''s powers. he definitely couldn''t stay away while they had to take care of upir and the future guinea pigs!


    "i will send someone to warn him. until you say that you can distance yourself from us, the guild won''t pass on any mandatory activities to you," the general said before watching minos start to cultivate.


    abby was already sitting in the lotus position, just as eager as the other two to continue experimenting with upir.


    if she could fully control upir after removing all the black liquid from this corpse and he didn''t lose his characteristics, then she and her faction could become much stronger in the short term.


    the general was also interested, as this was the guild''s way of resurrecting a powerful celestial being!


    ...


    after the first experiment with upir, a week passed.


    minos, abby, and the general spent almost 100% of their time in the stuart family faction''s cave, testing their theories and discoveries on upir and the other corpse they were testing under the same circumstances as upir.


    they were still focusing on those two, but they already had some very promising answers, although not as ''perfect'' as they had first thought.


    they could really use abby''s ability to control the corpses that had been ''corrupted'' by the black liquid. and it seemed that they could all get stronger and stronger depending on how much of the liquid they absorbed.


    however, once they were ''decontaminated'' by the black liquid, their strength and durability would gradually decrease.  sear?h the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    as for the liquid that left their bodies after being ''decontaminated'', they would start testing it today to discover its potential!

 Chapter 2579 Important Discoveries (1)

    chapter 2579  important discoveries (1) in the blink of an eye, three months have passed since the experiments on the black liquid and its effects on the dead began.


    during this time, minos, abby, and the general who accompanied them, conducted various experiments with the liquid, or even just with their guinea pigs who had come in contact with the black liquid.


    the results were impressive!


    in just three months, they discovered the liquid''s potential in some scenarios abby had previously planned, the effect of her ability on those who had absorbed the black liquid, the usability of the liquid after extraction, and much more.


    they would have to continue observing their subjects to better understand the long-term effects. but after only three months, they were confident enough to talk to the commander about their preliminary findings.


    after weeks spent almost only researching the phenomena associated with the black liquid, minos and abby left their cave next to the general to attend a meeting at the council.  s§×ar?h the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    on their way to the council, minos and abby were accompanied by gloria, segiel and ruth. the latter two had returned to the guild in recent weeks.


    minos had met them in his faction''s cave, but since he had been concentrating on the experiments, he hadn''t been able to pay much attention to them.


    "are you finished? are you done with the experiments?" ruth asked as she walked next to minos.


    "no, but from now on, we''ll be able to do more than just stay in the cave and test theories," minos replied with a smile. "we will gradually return to our duties while continuing to observe them. the last experiment we have in mind will be conducted after we fully understand the current results."


    the last experiment minos was referring to was the one where abby planned to use the black liquid on a corpse that hadn''t been revived by her powers. this was potentially the most difficult of their planned experiments, so they preferred to prepare for it better.


    "were the results encouraging?" segiel asked curiously.


    she was a general, but her role had nothing to do with the mission the commander had given minos and abby. she knew little about what they were doing.


    "yes, mostly, i''d say." abby confirmed to the beautiful woman with blue hair lighter than her own.


    "we''ll meet up later. today we''ll celebrate the end of this intense period of experimentation." minos looked at the two women, eager to spend time with them.


    he, abby and the general escorting them crossed the boundary between the inner area and the council and made their way to a hall where some elders and the commander were.


    upon meeting half a dozen supremes, the three became more solemn, greeting everyone in the area with due respect, waiting for the questions these people would surely ask.


    minos looked at the elders, imagining that one of them could become his enemy in a few decades or centuries, when he returned from the next stage of the true celestial''s heritage.


    of course, minos didn''t plan to fail and die in the true celestial''s heritage!


    while he kept a few details about the appearance and level of his potential enemy, the guild''s commander introduced the trio and their goal in their experiments to the elders.


    the commander already knew some of the preliminary results of minos and abby''s experiments, but he didn''t know everything, and the elders needed to be fully briefed on the subject.


    when he had finished talking about his initial goals in giving minos and abby some of the precious black liquid, as well as introducing the two of them and their abilities, the commander gave them the floor.


    "officers minos and abby, please present your findings and answer our questions."


    minos and abby looked at each other as he stepped forward and opened his mouth. "well, our experiments went as follows..."


    he summarized how they had divided the black liquid the commander had given them, as well as the experimental scenarios they had tested. besides the three initial scenarios suggested by abby, they had also done the same experiments with the liquid that had already been absorbed by some corpses.


    "what is the effect of this liquid extracted from corpses on ones who have never been in contact with it?" segiel''s master asked, interested in the potential of an item that could be used continuously, regardless of the number of times it was used.


    the result could be something that could be used for thousands and thousands of years without limitation, or something that could be used only a few times.


    abby replied with a smile. "regarding that, we tested the fluid extracted from the bodies in two scenarios. one, on individuals who had never absorbed the black fluid. two, on individuals who had absorbed it.


    in scenario two, nothing happened. they didn''t get stronger or weaker, they just got more bloodthirsty, the same result we had in them before we extracted the black liquid from them.


    in scenario one, we had the same result we''d already had in corpses who had absorbed the black liquid from the sample that wasn''t taken from the corpses. in other words, even after we use the black liquid on a corpse and extract it from it, it can stimulate improvements in other corpses."


    "oh?"


    "that''s great!"


    "if so, we have a resource with infinite possibilities in our hands!"


    when the elders stopped talking, abby said the negative part of it all. "but it''s not all roses. it causes hostile thoughts in our guinea pigs. if we remove it from their bodies, we will erase this negative consequence. but after we removed all the black liquid from their bodies, the guinea pigs gradually lost their improved qualities."


    "what you''re saying is that all the improvements they gained from the black liquid will be lost after all the black liquid is removed from their bodies. right?" the commander asked as the elders lost their good expressions.


    minos explained, "not exactly. it doesn''t happen immediately. but they will gradually lose these characteristics until they return to what they were before. however, we have some good news. if we remove only 50% of the black liquid, these beings have absorbed, we can keep all of their enhancements without loss. at least that''s what we''ve observed so far. we still need more observation time for more complete data."


    the elders murmured again, not as happy as before, but still satisfied. it was good enough for them!


    such a limitation would force them to deal with a certain number of people using the liquid at the same time, but with the potential to remove it from corpses and eventually pass it on to new ones, there was still plenty of potential for them to use such a resource to their advantage.

 Chapter 2580 Important Discoveries (2)

    chapter 2580  important discoveries (2) a level 119 elder asked minos and abby, "but can this resource be removed from these corpses before they die and passed on to others?"


    "we still need to analyze this scenario, elder. but we believe it''s possible. at least until shortly before the end of their life expectancy," abby said sincerely.


    "and what are the effects of the liquid on these corpses?"


    "apart from the thirst for blood and dangerous intrusive thoughts, the liquid increases the vitality, strength and physical quality of the corpses under my skill. corpses that could only last an hour with my powers should be able to last up to 100 hours after using just 30 milliliters of the black liquid. their strength has increased by an average of three levels at the peak of the 11th stage, and their strength surpasses that of ordinary warriors of their level."


    the results in the scenarios of people under her control and out of her control were basically the same, with marginal differences that abby and minos thought were not related to her power, but to the cultivation of the corpses she revived. so they presented the results as one.


    minos continued his wife''s words, "if we keep at least 50% of what they''ve absorbed, they''ll keep all these characteristics. but to strengthen them, we would have to give back what we took from them and add more of the liquid. however, these corpses don''t seem to have any resistance to the liquid. it''s as if it can continuously strengthen them."


    that was an impressive statistic! cultivators all over the universe faced resistance, a phenomenon that basically diminished the effects of the same type of resources of the same quality when used repeatedly.


    but apparently, the black liquid didn''t cause resistance in abby''s corpses.


    "so we can transform the sovereigns you tested just by giving them more of this liquid?" the guild commander asked with narrowed eyes, doubting this information.


    "apparently so. the problem is that we need larger and larger amounts to make it possible. but 100 milliliters would be enough to provoke a level 113 corpse to reach 115... but that''s just a theory. we haven''t tested it yet," minos pointed out.  s§×arch* the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    this was unbelievable, but also not encouraging. after all, the guild had little of the black liquid.


    for a moment, the commander looked at minos angrily, remembering how this man had wasted gallons of the black liquid in his escape from the obsidian shore decades ago.


    minos wondered what was on the commander''s mind, but he didn''t blame this level 117 supreme. he also felt guilty.


    "with 50% of the black liquid left in these corpses, we have to be careful. they are still hostile and dangerous. we can control them so that they obey us, but for that, we need good seals. otherwise, they could attack us or those around at any moment."


    otis had already returned to the guild and helped minos and abby with their experiments. now they knew how these corpses reacted to artificial beings.


    abby said, "but artificial beings can handle them quite easily. the black liquid only makes them more chaotic and violent against those with living bodies. robots don''t seem to draw attention to their murderous side."


    this was not an ideal scenario, and all the elders there fell silent for a moment. their primary goal with the black liquid was to awaken a celestial. but how were they going to do that if such a being gained negative intentions against them? it wasn''t like they could make a pact or force a seal on such a being!


    a celestial differed completely from mere sovereigns!


    minos and abby realized there was a problem, even if they didn''t know what it could be.


    "aren''t the elders happy with our results?" minos asked.


    the commander shook his head in denial. "it is not your fault. we had plans for this black liquid, but after your experiments, we won''t be able to use it that way."


    "i see... well, we still have to observe our guinea pigs, as well as conduct a new experiment with beings outside of abby''s control. we already know that the black liquid can revive corpses, but we don''t know what would happen to such a being if abby had the chance to use her ability to control it. depending on the outcome, we might help you."


    the elders looked at the level 107 human and doubted that this would work. for something like this to work, abby would have to reach level 125!


    but if she reached level 125, they would no longer need to revive a former leader. she herself would be able to improve armhands'' position in zocarro!


    the elders exchanged a few thoughts until one of them stood up and said, "you have done well with your experiments. keep up the good work and let us know of any new findings. we''ll give you another liter of the black liquid."


    with the words of the level 121 elder, all the elders left, leaving only the commander behind.


    the commander looked at minos and abby and asked, "by the way, when you remove all the black liquid from them, what is the decay rate of their powers? does it happen quickly?"


    "we need more time to get complete data. but it''s not sudden. it could take a long time, depending on how these corpses are kept," minos said with a smile on his face.


    that was the best part for him and abby. they knew the guild wouldn''t let their corpses maintain the black liquid in the future. surely, they would only keep the liquid as long as they were doing their experiments.


    but even if they only had it temporarily, their corpses could be stronger for a long time and contribute more than anyone could imagine. inside the black coffins of minos'' faction, such creatures could keep their features inflated by the black liquid for a long time!


    ''with an extra liter of black liquid, we might feed a level 115 supreme. all we have to do is seal it in its coffin until we get stronger and can manipulate it.'' minos thought to himself, thinking about the advantages of having such a corpse in his group.


    with his answer, the commander said, "very good. keep working hard. the resource promised by the elders will reach your group by tomorrow. in addition, you will receive some prizes and merit points for these contributions. look for the guild treasury in a week to claim your prizes."


    with these recommendations from the commander, minos and abby left, leaving the general who had accompanied them behind.

 Chapter 2581 Familiar Dispute

    chapter 2581  familiar dispute two days after their meeting with the guild elders, minos and abby had already received more of the black liquid.


    now, however, they weren''t in such a hurry to use this valuable and dangerous resource. for the next few months, they wanted to focus on observing the development of the ten guinea pigs they had used so far.


    they still didn''t have conclusive results on various aspects of their research, such as how normal cultivation would affect the corpses, how their characteristics would deteriorate without the black liquid in their bodies, etc.


    before doing the most dangerous experiment¡ªon a corpse that had not been revived by abby''s ability¡ªthey wanted to have good answers to all the questions they had about their 10 guinea pigs.


    this phase of the work only involved observing and recording the results, which meant that minos and abby didn''t have to be involved 100% of the time.


    however, they wanted to remain closely involved in the observations, although they were already planning to use their main group members to help them with their observations.


    after that, they would return to their regular routines in the guild, working on their optional and mandatory duties, as well as training and living their lives.


    ...


    a week after the meeting with the commander and the elders, minos and abby used their new advantages to select powerful artifacts for the family.


    several members of the family didn''t have absorbable weapons, and the guild had a fantastic collection available for valuable members. minos and abby could choose two absorbable weapons each, enough for all of their remaining family members in zocarro to have an absorbable weapon that would help them nurture their powers.


    of course, they chose items compatible with those family members who didn''t yet have their absorbable weapons, then returned to the family cave to leave the items with their new owners.


    in front of his children and wives, minos greeted kendrick and said hello to the young man. otis had returned weeks ago, while kendrick and grisdi had returned only the night before. this was the first time in over 20 years that the father and son stood face to face.


    "your empowerment on this last trip was surreal, father. i didn''t think you''d beat me again," kendrick said with a smile on his face.


    minos looked at his oldest son with a smile. "you''ll have to train hard to come close to me again."


    while kendrick was determined to accept this ''challenge'', minos looked at lily and hollie, who had put away today''s presents and had small serpents around their bodies, both looking strangely at the place where the stuart siblings'' three eggs were.


    "ama, gan, what''s going on?" minos asked as he looked at his two mounts, who were cautiously looking at the eggs he had given to his children years ago.


    "master, these eggs... they emanate the same feeling as you do," gan said as he felt a chill run through his body.


    "the same feeling? how?" abby was surprised. she and the others felt nothing like that.


    minos paid attention to the eggs, looking at them with his bright eyes for the first time in decades.


    ama replied, "they look like dragon eggs."


    at that moment, minos saw through the eggs for the first time, an advantage of his current level.


    minos saw the tiny dragon fetuses inside the eggs, which were in what looked like hot pots, a method the guild members had instructed the stuart siblings to use to hatch the eggs.


    "interesting! are these divine dragons? they don''t look simple...'' a broad smile formed on his face as all the other members of his family looked at the three eggs with interest.


    minos made a recommendation to lily, hollie, and kendrick, "from now on, use some of your resources to help hatch these eggs. spend some time with them as well. when these dragons hatch, they will see you as close and trustworthy family members. you must nurture and raise them as if they were your own children."


    dragons were powerful, no matter where they came from. minos wouldn''t miss the chance to raise some of them in his family!


    kendrick and his sisters were eager to get their own dragons, forgetting for a moment about the family''s new absorbable weapons.


    gloria and ruth exchanged a few words with minos until he got everyone''s attention again by bringing up a subject that was important to him.  s§×arch* the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "people, there''s something else. the hydras'' amulet is not as valuable to me as it once was. i would like to pass it on to one of you." he looked at his wives and children. "but i don''t know if anyone here has the affinity for it. so i want to test it. if more than one of you turns out to be compatible with it, we''ll have a little contest."


    seeing the smile on minos'' face, lily and hollie''s expressions changed as they realized their father was going to have them fight each other in a little tournament for his amusement.


    hollie was the one who least wanted to fight her family members, so she stepped forward and asked. "can''t we choose between us?"


    maybe no one was compatible with the item, or maybe only one of them was. but she had a bad feeling and got ahead of herself.


    "right now, with the war against the firestone mines and the experiments with the black liquid, i don''t think it''s good to get involved in such disputes." she added.


    minos looked at his youngest daughter and smiled. "i want to see who shows compatibility with the hydras'' amulet today. but you''re right. now is not the time. we''ll have this competition in three years, enough time to sort out some of the more pressing matters."


    hollie just clenched her fists in frustration, having nothing left to use against her father''s plan.


    "kendrick, you first." minos used his fingers to call out to the oldest of his children, figuring that he was the one most likely to be a match for the hydras'' amulet.


    kendrick would be first, followed by lily, hollie, ruth, abby, gloria, and even grisdi. minos would even give a chance to his eldest son''s wife, who was already fully integrated into the stuart family.


    segiel had not yet officially joined his harem and was not there today. but even if she were, something like the hydras'' amulet would have little potential on her, given her very high level.


    so minos would soon discover that of his family members in zocarro, four were compatible with the hydras'' amulet!

 Chapter 2582 Time to Go to War

    chapter 2582  time to go to war as minos had expected, kendrick, lily, and hollie had an affinity for the hydras'' amulet because they were his children. but besides these three, gloria also had an affinity with it.


    the four of them looked at each other, none of them interested enough in the item to seriously vie for it, but also aware minos wanted to see them compete to better understand the growth of his family members and to maintain some healthy competition within it.


    his family members were very close to each other, but minos wanted to have methods beyond the family union and the desires of each member of his household.


    he wasn''t on this journey so that his legacy would end up with his children. he wanted his house to last forever. it wouldn''t be enough for him to reach the upper kingdom. he needed wise descendants!


    ''take this teaching to your folk. use righteousness to leave your inheritance.'' minos looked at his children, knowing gloria understood what he was doing.


    in the spiritual world, large families almost always sabotaged themselves because of internal disputes over the succession of power. minos felt something like this could happen to his family in the future. after all, it had happened to houses like his so many times that it was presumptuous to think it wouldn''t happen to him.


    there was no way he could completely avoid the dangers of power struggles within his household. so, he wanted to at least leave a method where the strongest would inherit the position. with this method, it didn''t matter who was the eldest or the most spoiled. the most capable would inherit, whatever it was.


    this dispute was over the hydras'' amulet. in the future, one of their descendants might fight for the leadership of the family or something important to it.


    the four who could keep the amulet accepted his decision and promised to fight seriously for the amulet in three years, as minos had said.


    "very well. let''s go on with our business as usual in the meantime. we should try to resolve the issues that are currently troubling us," minos said at the end of this family meeting.


    with his words, his children left, and they left him alone with his wives.


    "this won''t completely prevent future disputes, you know that, right?" ruth asked her husband. she had studied the history of the flaming empire and the sect she was born into enough to know that internal strife would happen one way or another.


    he nodded at her. "i know. but maybe this will help in some way. the strongest won''t always be the most influential or have all the support they need. but by being the strongest, they''ll have a better chance of securing their own future, which means less chance of cracks.


    anyway, that''s all i can do. someday they''ll be parents and grandparents. i hope they pass on their heritage well." minos looked in the direction his children had gone.


    "what about the dragons?" abby asked, looking at the eggs over there.


    "they can help the family a lot. one day we won''t be here to lead." minos sighed.


    one of his duties as father and leader was to prepare his family for the future when he wouldn''t be around. these dragons wouldn''t affect his position, but they could become precious for future generations in his house!


    the women understood, as they had already progressed far enough in their cultivation to think about the future.


    "let''s cultivate. soon, we''ll have to return to our observations with the others. and we still have a war to fight." minos called his wives to continue their obligations.


    ...


    a few more months passed!


    during this time, the members of minos'' faction alternated between helping him and abby observe their current ten guinea pigs and occasionally going out on war-related missions.


    the firestone mines and their alliance were not weak. fighting them could be much more difficult and time-consuming than it had been for the forces of the spiritual world in the war of the worlds.


    but that didn''t mean sovereigns couldn''t influence the confrontation!


    as news of the confrontation reached headquarters, with losses and gains, minos received a message from kendrick, who had left weeks ago to join the fight in the green channel.


    {father, the fighting in the green channel is getting more complicated. we''re retreating 10 kilometers a day in our position, but the enemy keeps pushing. at this rate, we''ll lose the cerulean isle in the next few weeks, and i''ll be forced to return to the guild in defeat...}


    minos read kendrick''s entire message, understanding the situation his eldest son was in and how the young man expected him to help.


    ''the enemy alliance has powerful cultivators... looks like it''s time for me to join the fight with some companions.'' minos thought as he looked to the side where five corpses were sitting in the lotus position, cultivating.


    minos stood up and looked at the general, who was with him in his faction''s cave. "the time has come for us to test them in battle and see how they do, general. i''d like to take some of them to the cerulean isle. i''ll prepare them to fight the guild''s enemies."


    observing the cultivation results of these five peak level 114 undead, the general took his eyes off the creatures and looked at minos in silence for a moment.


    over the past few months, they had tested a little bit of everything on these creatures after learning more about the effects of the black liquid, such as the fact that these corpses could cultivate and become stronger.


    but they still needed to see them in actual combat, against enemies in chaotic scenarios beyond their control.


    ''this will be an opportunity to test how they behave when they may unleash their bloodlust.'' the general thought for a moment before agreeing to minos'' request.


    "very well. i''ll prepare everything so that you can leave with them."


    minos manipulated the five and forced them into their coffins to wait for the right moment to reappear.


    they could live longer than before now that they had absorbed the black liquid, but that wasn''t much compared to the vitality of actual living beings.


    "i will leave as soon as you give the signal. in the meantime, i''ll tell abby and the others to continue with our plans here."


    "be careful on your way out. the enemies will try to kill you if they see you."  s~ea??h the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "i will."

 Chapter 2583 The Cerulean Isle

    chapter 2583  the cerulean isle weeks later...


    near a region of large lakes in the central region of oqia, minos flew over a lake so large that he couldn''t see its edges.


    but not far in front of him, minos could already see a small island surrounded by calm, crystal blue water and white sand. lush buildings, mixed with the tropical forest of the area, covered almost half of the island, with a large port positioned on one of the sides minos could see.  s§×arch* the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    not everyone could fly like minos in this world of strong gravity!


    but minos didn''t stop on this island. even though this was one of the armhands'' outposts, and he was officially on a mission to ensure this place would continue to be run by his guild, he continued south.


    green channel was only a few minutes'' flight from there for someone of minos'' level. he continued on, soon catching sight of the shores of the majestic lake, which was home to not only the cerulean isle, but several other islands ruled by armhands.


    he spotted a hilly area where a large river with several man-made points joined together and soon identified the green channel where kendrick was supposed to be.


    ''they are fighting...''


    minos saw from afar the explosions, the spiritual attacks, chunks of earth, bodies and plants flying, smoke, and everything else that the destruction of a battle causes.


    he saw the two sides of the confrontation. on his side, armhands and their allies with just over 600 sovereigns, and on the other side, the coalition of firestone mines with over 800.


    the enemies were stronger. it was obvious. without help, kendrick''s side in the conflict would have to flee in defeat or even be wiped out.


    still, minos didn''t want to join the fight right away. at the sight of kendrick, grisdi, and a few other members of his faction, he stopped a few dozen kilometers away and made a few hand seals.


    five black coffins emerged from the space, materializing until they burst open, and five extremely well-preserved corpses, barely alive in appearance, opened their eyes.


    "blood."


    one of them opened his eyes wide at the metallic smell in the air, needing no explanation from minos to understand his mission.


    minos explained anyway, "i''ll monitor you. for now, anyone who doesn''t have this symbol here," he pointed to his chest, where the symbol of the armhands'' alliance was, "you can kill. go ahead. release the demons awakened by the black liquid!"


    none of the five level 114 peak corpses hesitated. after months of being experimented on, tied up, put into coffins, and then repeating all the procedures they had done over 40 times, they were thirsty for something different.


    minos explained anyway, "i''ll monitor you. for now, anyone who doesn''t have this symbol here," he pointed to his chest, where the symbol of the armhands'' alliance was, "you can kill. go ahead. release the demons awakened by the black liquid!"


    none of the five level 114 peak corpses hesitated. after months of being experimented on, tied up, put into coffins, and then repeating all the procedures they had done over 40 times, they were thirsty for something different.


    when they felt free, not only because of minos'' order but also because the sensation that oppressed them inside their beings was diminishing, they crossed the distance that separated them from their enemies in a few seconds.


    in this area, the strongest were only high-level sovereigns like them. but even if there were supremes around, as there were now, these five would attack with the same smile on their faces.


    kendrick felt a negative sensation in his heart and looked back.


    "retreat!" he opened his mouth as he shouted at grisdi and his group, looking longingly at his father and the five corpses.


    "officer, what''s the problem? falling back when reinforcements arrive?" one man in kendrick''s squad asked, not believing his leader''s mistake.


    ignoring the explosions, screams of pain, and flying body parts, kendrick grabbed the neck of the alien. "fall back now! that''s an order!"


    grisdi moved away from the opponent she was facing, aware that the five bodies joining the fight were probably being trained and observed. they weren''t the 100% reliable warriors they could summon with the emergency crystals they carried.


    minos was in the area. she had already spotted him. but it would be better not to rely on him to save them from any problems with the corpses!


    she and kendrick pulled their group back, causing over 50 men on the armhands'' side to retreat.


    "running away?" one enemy asked with a smile, sensing his opponents were realizing the defeat they would suffer today.


    but as kendrick''s allies and the enemies noticed him and his party retreating, the five undead landed in the area, causing the surrounding vegetation to wither in their presence.


    those closest to where they landed immediately began coughing, some feeling only minor signs of intoxication, while those closest felt their bodies paralyzed, something eating them from the inside out.


    ''they can almost perfectly control the corrosive properties of the black liquid to degrade their targets.


    the enemy that attacked me when i returned to the continent years ago was chaotic and out of control. but these five, they are in control of their powers and can use the characteristics of the black liquid to their advantage.''


    under minos'' observation, after their arrival on the battlefield, the five creatures attacked, each of them flying close to the ground toward the groups of enemies.


    in a single instant, one of them took down a group of over 40 sovereigns between levels 105 and 113, using a completely different strike than the one he used when he was an enemy of minos. by forming a vortex of darkness, he used the blackness of the black liquid to ensnare the souls of his enemies.


    another of them was even more brutal, going straight for the strongest in the vicinity, using his arms, legs, and mouth to tear apart the bodies of his enemies as if they were no stronger than rotten wood.


    kendrick and his group watched as they retreated and saw some of their allies do the same, not fast enough to escape the corrosive powers of these five.


    "who are they?" the man who had questioned kendrick''s retreat order moments before asked in horror.


    "my father''s subordinates and guinea pigs, i''d say," kendrick said in a cold sweat.


    he wasn''t like minos. he couldn''t deal with these creatures that could terrorize the leaders of the enemy group!


    he made his way back to the cerulean isle, aware that now was not the time to join his father.

 Chapter 2584 Minos Takes Action

    chapter 2584  minos takes action the battlefield around the green channel quickly changed, with armhands'' allies retreating while decomposing corpses piled up on the enemy side.


    in less than three minutes after minos arrived in the area, his corpses massacred the enemy forces, killing over 400 opponents as if it were nothing.


    most of the rulers in the area were mid-level sovereigns. but there were dozens of high-level men, with nine level 114 individuals on the enemy side.


    four of the five level 114 corpses sent by minos stood against these nine opponents, finally demonstrating their prowess at the same level as them.


    ''they are indeed very strong. the four of them hold off nine opponents, while the fifth of them exterminates the weakest enemies.''


    minos judged from afar, smiling with interest.


    "but it doesn''t seem to be enough for them to win," he muttered as he raised one of his hands slightly in the air.


    as he moved his hand, the space in front of him ripped apart, spanning tens of kilometers, while the nine enemies holding the four corpses felt even worse than the corpses.


    as they slowly tried to surround the four so that one of them could escape while they still had a chance, they felt the space above the area they were in tear apart.


    then, huge dragon claws appeared from those cracks in the space, slashing at the vital points of three of them.


    "nooo!"


    one of those three felt his life go to the abyss, just before the dragon claw sent by minos slashed at his neck.


    the corpse closest to this individual smiled as he stuck out his tongue, just before drops of blood flew towards him, making him feel even more energized.


    "the boss is really brutal," one of them said viciously as he licked his lips and watched as minos helped them without giving their enemies a chance.


    even in front of the enemy and thirsting for the blood of their opponents, they could still feel a sudden fear because of minos, who was superior to all of them.


    even without temporarily raising his cultivation to level 112, minos could kill the strongest sovereigns in the area with a single move.


    minos withdrew his powers by lowering his hands, letting the five corpses take care of the remaining enemies, enough for them to excel in a few more moments of fast-paced combat.


    when hit, the corpses would take damage to their bodies, losing durability and power. however, the black liquid would work wonders, preserving most of their structures and keeping them strong for almost the entire battle.


    even when the opponents of the five corpses showed signs of exhaustion, the five would still be in good fighting condition.


    minos wrote everything he saw, saving their first uncontrolled combat experience.


    ''good. they have higher resistances than enemies of the same level, can take more damage, and are extremely efficient at maintaining their fighting condition, even under adverse conditions.''


    when the last of the enemies fell, the allies of the armhands'' forces stopped retreating and watched from afar as their battlefield, an area of mountains and rivers now ravaged by battle, was finally free of enemies.


    minos flapped his wings and, as if teleporting, crossed dozens of kilometers to appear exactly where the five corpses were.


    just as they were about to desecrate the corpses of their enemies, thirsting for the blood and flesh, minos stopped them with a wave of his hand.


    the five felt their bodies freeze under minos'' pressure, stopping where and how they were.


    "these will be my future test subjects. you can have those over there." minos pointed to a group of 50 high-level 11th stage corpses, allowing his dead to do as they pleased out of pure experimental curiosity.


    but he wouldn''t allow the most valuable bodies in the area to be destroyed by these corpses.


    the corpses ran to the bodies minos had indicated, taking advantage of the few last moments they had before being sent back to the black coffins.


    minos collected the bodies of the strongest men, leaving most of the dead behind, as they were too destroyed or didn''t attract his attention.


    at that moment, the strongest men of the armhands'' alliance in the area saw it was safe to move and flew to where minos was.


    "this senior..." one of the armhands opened his mouth as he looked at minos, eager to get to know this monster.


    but when one of the armhands'' senior officers answered who the monster was, the five corpses suddenly approached minos as he frowned.


    "i didn''t expect to be visited by a supreme. senior, why don''t you stop hiding and let''s get down to business?" minos raised his voice as he took the form of a dragon, already showing his most powerful form.


    some of his strongest allies almost fainted when they felt minos'' transformation, pressed by his terrifying aura.


    his wings, covered in golden and silver dragon scales, flapped as minos'' mountain-sized body finished forming.


    "dragon? no, that''s not right." one man appeared from behind a tree 12 kilometers away from minos, attracting the attention of everyone.


    "level 115 supreme?!" one of the level 114 sovereigns paled, not expecting such a powerful enemy to show up here when they had hoped to have won.


    minos ignored his allies while his five corpses were 100% focused on the opponent, now under the mental control of their leader to obey him without hesitation.  sear?h the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "who are you?" asked the supreme on the other side of the battlefield, while minos stood in position to fight if necessary.


    despite his form and the situation he was in, minos was calmer than anyone could have imagined.


    "minos stuart, a senior officer of armhands." the white-haired human opened his mouth, the surrounding stones crackling with his voice.


    "this one is called kyip," offered the supreme. "officer minos, what do you say we have a little chat?"


    as everyone on minos'' side trembled, their minds screamed ''no'' in fear of what was about to unfold.


    the air cooled as the smell of blood and corpses faded. even minos'' corpses seemed to lose their negative aura amid this moment of decision.


    "all right." minos decided and lowered his aura a bit as he advanced halfway to the enemy.

 Chapter 2585 12th Stage Battle?

    chapter 2585  12th stage battle? standing only a few dozen meters away from the level 115 being, minos wasn''t as uncomfortable as he should have been.  s~ea??h the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    kyip noticed this as he watched the huge dragon body in front of him and assessed the alien''s figure.


    ''he is quite calm... is it the flashdrain parasite? tsk! that damn alien. without it, armhands wouldn''t be so strong.''


    kyip was right. minos didn''t have the power to face him, nor any other reason to feel confident in the face of a supreme. the parasite on his forehead was his weapon behind his calmness.


    armhands was the only organization on the entire continent that had access to such an efficient method of sacrifice, with a monopoly on parasites brought from the founder''s home planet. only a few members of the guild council knew the complete method for creating the parasites and making them loyal to the guild, so only this force had such an alternative.


    minos and kyip were both aware of this, aware of the potential of this ''weapon'' and how destructive a fight between them could be.


    ''he won''t want to face me on the same level.'' minos thought as he watched his enemy, certain he would be as strong as kyip if he sacrificed the parasite he had nurtured for over 30 years.


    every growth experience a member of armhands had gave their parasite growth potential. since minos had done so much good for the guild, the parasite''s conscience knew it should help him if necessary.


    that''s why minos was confident if he used it today, he could reach the level of that supreme, and could probably take on even stronger individuals.


    "well?" minos was the first to open his mouth and say something, while the allied men in his group, the survivors of the earlier battle, watched cautiously, barely breathing so as not to disturb the surroundings.


    minos'' five corpses didn''t show the same behavior, now that the part of their minds responsible for fear had been deactivated by their master''s command.


    if they had to fight, they would fight the level 115 supreme without hesitation!


    the enemy smiled inwardly and said, looking at the surroundings of this ruined area, "we have a problem here, officer minos. you and your men have killed all of my allies."


    "this is a war. one side must win the confrontation. you didn''t get involved before and stopped us because of whatever. there''s no point in talking about it now." minos looked at his enemy with narrowed eyes.


    the supreme avoided minos'' gaze, pretending he was relaxed, and that there was no danger around him.


    ''that''s because i wasn''t here and didn''t arrive on time.'' he closed his eyes for a moment, but he didn''t want to tell his enemy that. then kyip turned his face slightly towards minos and raised his aura. "i''m not leaving here without something to give my sect," he said, his voice cutting the air, acting against the spectators even without aiming at them.


    minos felt a distinct sensation from the one he had felt in front of the guild''s supremes, and for a moment, he felt as if he were standing in front of a mountain of energy. next to it, he and his huge dragon body were nothing more than a grain of sand in the desert.


    the pressure of a supreme intent on pressing down was overwhelming. minos felt like he was in an infinite hell, trembling as he faced only a fraction of kyip''s power.


    but unlike his allies, frozen in fear and certain they would die in the next few moments, minos clearly see a different future than the one kyip seemed to want with his current reaction.


    "you will leave here in defeat, or you will not leave at all." minos stepped forward, his gaze imposed despite the overwhelming sensation he felt. "i will not retreat to give you my territory, supreme kyip. if you want to get to the cerulean isle, you''ll have to defeat all of us first."


    the men of the 11th stage swallowed their saliva as they felt time passing more slowly, their hearts beating like drums.


    kyip looked at minos and saw the courage of someone who wasn''t bluffing. he could see in the silver and gold dragon''s eyes that this guy didn''t want to fight. but minos was prepared to sacrifice the parasite on his forehead and earn the merit of facing a supreme.


    unlike minos, kyip wasn''t willing to do everything in his power to conquer the cerulean isle. when he relaxed his muscles, his aura decreased, and he moved a few meters away from minos.


    "you won today, officer minos. the next time we meet, it won''t be like this."


    with those words, kyip disappeared, leaving the area so quickly that the sudden change in atmosphere caused some men to fall to the ground, finally able to breathe normally.


    ''that was close.'' minos felt drops of sweat trickle down his body. he was also relieved.


    he would have done anything to complete his mission and not lose the cerulean isle. but he preferred to save the sacrifice of his parasite for something more important.


    ''luckily, i can see the future. otherwise, i wouldn''t have known he was bluffing.'' minos watched the supreme''s departure, standing in the same position he had been.


    it wouldn''t work if he left the area immediately. for at least a few days, until reinforcements from the alliance arrived nearby, he would have to stay close to the cerulean isle, or the supreme could return and take over after his departure.


    however, minos soon used his seals to place the five bodies in their black urns and sent them back to headquarters via his teleportation seal.


    "return to the cerulean isle and think about reinforcements. we won the battle, but not the war," minos said to the frightened men.


    at his command, some men made their way back to the cerulean isle, until those who stayed behind finally felt well enough to celebrate today''s result.


    in this battle of the war against firestone mines, they had been the great victors!


    minos would stay at the post where the old green channel had stood for a few hours before finally heading back to the cerulean isle, where kendrick was already waiting for him to find out what would happen there from now on.

 Chapter 2586 Supreme Corpse?

    chapter 2586  supreme corpse? upon his entry to the cerulean isle, minos would soon meet the leaders of the area, as well as his son.


    "what exactly is your mission here, officer minos? how long can we count on you?" asked a level 114 sovereign from armhands, the leader of the group of high-ranking allies currently stationed in the area.


    "my mission was only to deal with today''s battle. but with the appearance of a supreme so close, we can''t risk it. i''ll stay to support the troops until reinforcements arrive from the headquarters."


    there were only four sovereign level 114 members of the armhands on the cerulean isle. they had parasites like minos'', but their growth rates differed from his. some simply couldn''t sacrifice their parasites right now, while others didn''t have the same temporary strengthening as the level 109 human.


    minos had earned a lot of merit and had many opportunities to grow not only himself but also his parasite. not everyone there could compare to him, who could command his parasite to sacrifice itself at any time.


    but even if one or two of them were capable, it didn''t mean they would do it, or even that they would succeed after that.


    a supreme was a supreme and could not be underestimated!


    it was better to keep as much power as possible on the cerulean isle for the time being than to risk leaving and leaving this group in a bad situation.


    the sovereigns of both the armhands and the forces allied with the guild breathed a sigh of relief at minos'' decision.


    "what now?" kendrick took advantage of when everyone in the courtyard seemed to sigh to ask his father.


    "now we wait for reinforcements. either the guild will send a general to join us, or even one of the supremes of the alliance might come here. i''ll wait for their answer and then leave. in the meantime, i''ll help strengthen the defenses of this area," minos said loud and clear.


    unlike the level 114 senior officers there, generals could use their sacrifices more easily and have even more power as a result. even if having one wasn''t the same as having a supreme, it was still the best-case scenario for these many men on mission in the area.


    minos nodded to the men there and approached his son, who was obviously standing next to grisdi in the central courtyard of the island''s building.


    "you come back to the guild with me. this place doesn''t look good to me. either the guild will lose it or many will die defending it." minos patted his son lightly on the face, teaching him to choose where to fight.


    kendrick glanced at his father, uncertain. "if i go through with it, i''ll end up failing my mission."


    "you already have a lot of merit points. this is no obligation for you. you''re just wasting your time invested here." minos walked ahead of his son, a dozen men following them from not too far away, but not so close as to take away the privacy they needed to talk.


    "we''d better get back. your father''s always right, kendrick." grisdi took one of his hands, not caring about the weeks of hard work they had already put into this mission.  s~ea??h the n?vel(f)ire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    minos looked at kendrick and grisdi and said. "you should go into seclusion for a while. you''re only intermediate officers. there''s no need to put too much effort into this war.


    the growth opportunities of war don''t have to be experienced 100%. cultivate for another five years and then go away for a few weeks. cultivate for another five years and then repeat until the war is over. that way, you''ll get a lot of credit, you''ll be able to refine your cultivation on the battlefield, and advance your cultivation faster."


    kendrick clenched his fists, not too happy with his father''s plan, but he accepted it anyway.


    "all right. we''ll go back to the guild with you and spend some time in seclusion."


    "good. but don''t do it for five years right away. don''t forget the competition with your sisters and gloria in less than three years." minos smiled as he patted one of his son''s shoulders.


    "we will still be at war in three years... is it a good idea to vie with each other then?" he asked.


    "don''t think about it too much. three years could change a lot. and even if it doesn''t, my experiments on the corpses will be far advanced by then. things will be calmer by then." minos smiled, eager to return to the guild and continue his observations of the aftermath of the battle on the five corpses.


    that was his actual mission, and he intended to continue it amid the current war, refining his group''s knowledge of the effects of the black liquid on their corpses.


    ''the next time i leave the headquarters, it might be interesting to take some of the black liquid with me... instead of using the sacrifice of the flashdrain parasite to strengthen myself, i can turn one of these corpses into a supreme.''


    minos clenched his fists at the thought of this possibility, which would certainly interest him and the guild elders.


    ''but i''ll need the approval of the elders and at least one supreme willing to accompany me. we can''t risk losing the black liquid to an out-of-control corpse, or even to an enemy who proves capable of defeating my guinea pig.'' minos pondered in silence as he walked away from kendrick and grisdi.


    dealing with a level 115 corpse would be something completely new for him and abby, something they certainly couldn''t handle with their current cultivation.


    in that case, he would have to prepare well for this next ambitious step in his experiments with his wife!


    as minos began his plans, the men of the cerulean isle returned to their positions, some leaders in the area eager to talk to him, but most just relieved to have his presence, at least for the moment.


    the war itself still had a long way to go. today''s relief was no guarantee of good times tomorrow or in the future. soon they would all return to their usual seriousness, preparing for the dark future that lay ahead for some.

 Chapter 2587 Assistance from the Elder

    chapter 2587  assistance from the elder another year has passed in the blink of an eye.


    after a few weeks on the cerulean isle, minos could leave the post after the arrival of a level 114 general.


    he returned to the guild headquarters in examire with kendrick and grisdi, and was soon joined by abby and the general, who had accompanied the subjects of their experiments with the black liquid.


    minos didn''t immediately tell the elders about his plans to create a level 115 corpse in the future when he encountered a situation that was more or less similar to the previous one, or even worse. he focused his time on continuing to work in the guild''s internal area and testing his theories with abby and his fellow faction members.


    he trained hard during these months, controlling enough of his strength to return to training with his children and wives without putting them in danger.


    his cultivation was approaching the level 110, and he already felt that he could advance before the family tournament, which he planned to hold in about two years.


    kendrick and grisdi did exactly as minos had instructed. upon returning to the guild, the two went into seclusion, a situation similar to that of lily, hollie, and gloria, who had come to a conclusion about how best to prepare for the future without the family leader''s guidance¡­


    ruth and abby, on the other hand, had only cultivated the bare minimum, both keeping a close eye on the guinea pigs still under their supervision.


    but after months of work at headquarters, minos was feeling the urge to return to the battlefield, this time with his ambitious plans to create a supreme corpse!


    ...


    "would you like me to accompany you?" the commander of the armhands asked minos in surprise, staring wide-eyed at the small human in front of him.


    even the elder next to him and one of the three generals in the guild''s command room couldn''t help but raise their eyebrows at minos and stare at him in silent surprise.


    next to minos were abby and the general who had accompanied the two in their experiments and observations, the only ones there with whom minos had already spoken about his next plans.


    minos smiled and explained. "commander, and elder, we have practically completed our observations of the 10 guinea pigs. in addition to what we presented earlier, we now know that the corpses can cultivate themselves and even absorb special resources.


    their affinity for resources is especially different from what they had in life, but that''s not a problem. as long as they can evolve and become stronger, there are opportunities for us.  s§×arch* the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    but before we do the last and most difficult of the experiments, it''ll be perfect for us to have a chance to advance one of them to the 12th stage, to understand their limitations in advancing stages and what one of them will be like outside of abby and i''s control.


    for that, i need someone who can fight a 12th stage being, a particularly strong one, by the way."


    minos gestured to himself as he spoke, the attention of each of the powerful individuals there focused on him. "i could sacrifice my flashdrain parasite myself and resolve the problem, but then i wouldn''t be able to observe the corpse or bring the news back to the council. someone who doesn''t get weakened after a few moments of combat would be better at stopping the level 115 corpse and preserving the creature''s body."


    the elder and the commander looked at each other, understanding minos'' point and how beneficial such a test could be for the guild.


    as interesting and promising as what minos and abby had done with the bodies of the sovereigns was, those dead people wouldn''t change much, if anything, about the guild''s situation in oqia as it stood.


    however, a supreme-level corpse would be enough to cause enough change for all the elders of the council to take a deep interest.


    "alright, i''ll go," the level 118 alien next to the commander said after a minute of silence, surprising the generals and the commander himself.


    "elder..." the commander opened his mouth and stared at his superior in disbelief.


    more than a thousand years had passed since this elder had last set foot outside the headquarters.


    minos clenched his fists, confident that with someone at level 118 at his side, his experiment would succeed.


    the only thing that bothered him now was the possibility that this might also be the guild elder monitoring him.


    ''this will be an opportunity for me to see a supreme in action in a proper battle of supremes.'' minos thought silently as he made a gesture of thanks to the level 118 elder.


    the only battle he had ever seen that could compare to the one about to take place was the one against the general who had sacrificed his parasite and forced minos'' group to do the same. but the strength of cultivators who used an artificial and temporary method to strengthen themselves was not the same as that of beings who had cultivated to their level!


    ''maybe i can get some tips on how to prepare to deal with the elder who is watching me. a battle like the one that is sure to happen soon will be great for me to learn more.''


    "i won''t be able to be at your side, officer minos stuart. otherwise, the enemies will notice and we won''t have the chance to use this experiment to wipe out our enemies. but i''ll be watching you closely. just be prepared to give me a few weeks'' notice of your departure. when you get the signal to leave, i''ll be watching."


    "then i''d like to give my notice now," minos said promptly. "i intend to leave for the judgement tower as soon as possible."


    judgement tower was the name of the headquarters of one of firestone mines'' weakest allied forces in the war.


    but even though it was firestone mines'' weakest ally, this sect still had three sovereigns in its ranks, one at level 116 and two at level 115.


    this would be the perfect test for the supreme corpse that minos wanted to raise!


    "oh? then give me a few weeks. i''ll make some preparations and inform the council of my departure."


    minos nodded in understanding, looking forward to this new mission away from headquarters.

 Chapter 2588 Peak 12th Stage Battle Approaching!

    chapter 2588  peak 12th stage battle approaching! the days required by the level 118 elder passed, and minos waited day after day for the elder''s signal to leave.


    meanwhile, he continued to focus on his cultivation, having already chosen which of the 10 guinea pigs would go with him to test the production of a supreme corpse.


    having already conducted several tests to determine the limit of liquid needed to produce a supreme, minos was certain the amount of black liquid he would take with him would be enough to bring his chosen guinea pig to the next stage.


    while he waited, the elders had already approved the departure of one of them and the conduct of the experiment minos wanted to do.


    after 43 days of waiting, he would receive notification of permission to leave headquarters and head for the judgement tower!


    ...


    "stay in the guild and continue your cultivation. we''ll be back as soon as possible with new answers to our questions," minos said with a smile on his face. now he faced not only his wives and children, but also his fellow faction members in their cave.


    at minos'' side were two generals, one of them the right hand of the commander and the other an extra escort for him on this important mission.


    they were heading for the judgement tower, the headquarters of a force with two level 115 supremes and one level 116 man. even if a level 118 elder were to accompany them, he would do so from afar, and various dangers on the way back might make their journey to the guild headquarters problematic.


    as a precaution, the two generals were at minos'' side to accompany him on his journey.


    gan and ama would not accompany their master on this trip. the two serpents would remain in the guild to protect minos'' family and his interests.


    "be careful. we don''t know what can happen to a level 115 corpse. even if an elder is around, don''t hesitate to abandon our plans and come back here," abby said to her husband. unfortunately, she could not accompany him on this journey.


    minos nodded at her, then kissed his blue-haired wife on the forehead.


    segiel was there, along with abby, ruth, and gloria. she also wished minos good luck.


    "use this if you have to leave quickly and don''t want to lose the black liquid," the woman with hair similar to abby''s said and gave minos a pendant. "this is an amulet of my tribe. it can turn almost anything into liquid. the body of your dead will be destroyed and then contained in liquid form in this crystal."


    seeing it, minos understood the function of this surely valuable device.


    "are you sure you want to give it to me? the black liquid is strange and i don''t know what might happen if it is absorbed. you could lose your amulet," he said, looking seriously into her eyes.


    "take it with you. it''s more important for you to have the black liquid in case something goes wrong than for me to have the amulet."


    he thanked segiel, hoping he wouldn''t have to use such an artifact, but kept it in his spatial ring anyway.


    glancing at his children, minos told them to continue looking after the dragon eggs before he left with the two generals.


    "how long until we reach the judgement tower?" asked one of them, who had never been to such a place.


    the other general said, "it''s a 17-day journey on the standard route. but we won''t rush. we''ll follow an alternative route that will extend the journey by 50%."


    minos said nothing, having already agreed to the commander''s right-hand man''s plan.


    their primary goal in this mission was to analyze the corpse''s behavior when it reached level 115, its strength, rationality, vitality, and other characteristics. however, since they were likely to lose control of the corpse, the best place to test their hypotheses was not in their own headquarters, but on the battlefield. specifically, a place where they could use the corpse against some of their strongest enemies.


    judgement tower was the headquarters of the weakest enemy organization in the war started by firestone mines.


    but even though it was the weakest, it couldn''t be easy to reach their headquarters. otherwise, the organization behind this place wouldn''t have existed for thousands of years.


    to get the best results from this experiment, they had to keep their movements as secret as possible!


    "the road to summerset falls shouldn''t be difficult. but between there and the judgement tower, we''ll have to be very careful," said the general, the leader of the expedition.


    "let''s keep going. i can''t wait until we reach summerset falls." minos smiled as he led the two of them out of the fenced-off area of the armhands'' headquarters.


    they left the guild''s floating island without waiting for any sign of the elder, who had promised to accompany them on this journey. a level 118 supreme was difficult to spot. even with no sign of the old alien, this individual was already moving along with them.


    the other nine elders of the council watched the group of four individuals leave, with the first elder in his residence sighing.


    ''maybe it''s time to wake up the supreme leader to give him an update on the guild.'' the old level 122 individual thought, ''i''ll just wait for the results of this group expedition.''


    he decided to wait a little longer before awakening the strongest member of the guild, the supreme leader, a powerful level 123 supreme, one of the strongest in oqia.


    the supreme leader had been in seclusion for the past 2,000 years, pursuing his advancement to level 124. however, if something capable of influencing even a supreme¡ªsuch as what minos wanted to test¡ªproved useful to the guild, it might be worth awakening the guild''s leader.


    ''besides minos and abby''s wonderful progress, i must warn the supreme leader about jabez''s actions. that old man has become arrogant since he advanced to level 123. perhaps the time has come for a new duel between the peak supremes to take place in oqia!''  s§×arch* the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    he closed his eyes as he clenched his fists, while a golden tattoo gradually appeared on his forehead, forming a snake similar to the one all the armhands members had on their foreheads.


    "the time has come for us to dance together one last time, my old friend. before i die, i''ll give you the chance to fight with me at the top of the 12th stage."


    he murmured with a strange look, staring at his forehead while the snake tattoo trembled.

 Chapter 2589 Summerset Falls

    chapter 2589  summerset falls three weeks passed as minos traveled with the two level 114 sovereigns.


    as promised by the commander''s right-hand man, the journey to summerset falls, a place near the judgement tower, should be uneventful. it was only from there that the journey would become complicated.


    in fact, after 21 days of traveling, they passed through a quiet path after hiding from enemies and passing through a group of the guild''s allies, a force called the ebonbrows.


    the ebonbrows, along with armhands, had started the war against the firestone mines when minos attacked the enemy portal decades ago, giving it the justification to strike back at its opponents.


    since then, ebonbrows had been a reliable ally of armhands.


    minos and his two companions had no problem meeting their allies, not talking about their plans, but clarifying that they were going somewhere else.


    today, the group had arrived at summerset falls, a paradisiacal area in the central region of oqia. here, beautiful mountains and bodies of water spread out over hundreds of thousands of square kilometers.


    from the outside, summerset falls looked like paradise. combined with zocarro''s pink sky, which never went completely dark even at night, the crystal clear water in some places, colorful in others, surrounded by lush vegetation, would take anyone''s breath away.


    the only reason minos and his companions weren''t so mesmerized was that they had war, blood and death on their minds and were now too close to their enemies to be careless.


    "we''ll reach the judgement tower in four days'' march at the most," said the commander''s most trusted man, the guild''s general who was the closest to becoming a supreme in the entire force.


    it wasn''t easy to become a supreme. rarely did the guild''s generals become supremes at this degree, as the path to level 115 was so difficult that it usually required special resources.


    only when special opportunities arose outside of the guild, or when a change in the guild''s power structure led the upper echelon to promote generals more heavily, did these individuals improve their level while still in their positions. however, these opportunities were scarce, and it was only when there was a change of "chairs" within the council that individuals in this position could advance.


    for example, the current commander of the guild was promoted to his position when he was a level 114 sovereign. when he was promoted because of the previous commander''s promotion to elder, that giant being received resources from the guild and reached level 115. since then, he has advanced two levels and reached level 117 centuries ago.


    this was the natural path for generals, a path that the current commander''s trusted man didn''t seem to be following.


    minos followed silently behind the other general, both aware of the position of the man in front of them, respectful of this man''s methods.


    he had told them it was best not to fly, not to show their auras, and to hide their presence as much as possible. they had done this to perfection while seeing the dangers of this paradise.


    as beautiful as it was, it was also precarious. with so much energy and law concentrated, and various sentient plant beings, summerset falls was as perilous as hell itself.


    the fact that this area was near the judgement tower, an enemy headquarters, only made matters worse. there were several observation formations and traps in the area. the slightest mistake and their enemies would surround them and ruin their mission.


    luckily for the group, minos was alert, and his passive ability to sense the future helped them avoid disastrous steps.


    after a while of walking silently through the forest, minos warned his two companions of the lurking danger. "let''s circle the area. there''s nothing good ahead."


    for a moment, they forgot the sounds of moving water and the noises of the forest dwellers and stared silently at the seer of the group.


    just as minos respected the leader of the group, this man had great respect for the human seer of the group. he agreed and took the long way to the judgement tower, avoiding another problem that would get them into trouble.


    meanwhile, the elder watching them couldn''t help but comment on minos'' efficiency. the boy was so good that it seemed the old supreme would not have to move.


    ''in my time, i didn''t have the chance to have such a good subordinate... tsk! you were lucky, kaus.'' the elder smiled as he thought of the current commander, his successor in leading the inner and outer wings of the guild.


    the elder looked in the direction of the judgement tower and moved a little closer, to where he could no longer go or he would alert the enemy supremes.


    ''this is enough for me to observe their remaining path... will this test work? a supreme corpse¡­ will these three be able to withstand it? or will the corpse turn against us and force me to act first?''


    the elder felt his fingers itch, interested in the future prospects of his guild, depending on how things would turn out in a few days.


    ''if the outcome is favorable, it is possible for us to bring an end to this war without relying on our main pillars.''


    not having to use the elders to deal with the firestone mines coalition would be incredible. if minos succeeds today, he may have found the perfect solution to the current war, with the potential to give armhands victory all by himself!


    the level 118 elder positioned himself to wait out the next few days, blinking his eyes and quickly watching the time fly by.  sea??h th§× novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    when you consider that he lived for over 300,000 years, four days would have been a mere blip in his existence.


    soon, minos and his two companions approached the grand judgement tower. it standing tall and majestic against the horizon. within its walls resided three supremes, and a formidable gathering of a few thousand sovereigns, loyal subjects!

 Chapter 2590 Judgement Tower

    chapter 2590  judgement tower the judgement tower, famous for maintaining law and order in athacroft covert¡ªa region of 12 cities and a few million people¡ªstood majestically with its 33 stories, built on the highest peak near summerset falls.


    from afar, one could see the majestic structure, over 200 meters high, one of the few of its kind on the entire continent.


    built by the natives of zocarro over 50,000 years ago, the red structure, capable of withstanding the blows of even lower-level supremes, caught the attention of minos and his companions.


    "we are close to our goal. but the road ahead is the most difficult. it will be almost impossible to enter the tower''s area of influence without attracting the attention of our enemies," said the group leader.


    the other general said, "besides, the defenses in front of us are almost impenetrable. how do you plan to clear the way for us, officer minos?"


    minos was already prepared for these challenges. getting into the judgement tower was the most important part of his plans. without a method to get into the enemy headquarters, turning her level 114 corpse into a supreme would be of no value to them.


    however, he had thought about it for months before proposing this mission/experiment to the council. and he had deliberately chosen the judgement tower!


    "six months ago, i visited this place to check out the local defenses. i confirmed they were quite good, capable of stopping even supremes, ''normal'' supremes, i would say. but they have one particular weakness."


    "what weakness?" the commander''s trusted man asked, his eyes narrowing.


    "actually," minos smiled. "it''s not just one weakness. in fact, there are hundreds." he pointed in the direction where the two companions quickly spotted the sect men they were approaching.


    minos explained. "every inhabitant of the judgement tower is a potential weakness. all i have to do is manipulate a little of the time for these individuals, force them to give certain orders and voil¨¤, we have our entrance to their security area."


    the two opened their mouths in disbelief.


    "that''s it?"


    "if that''s true, then you have the potential to infiltrate practically every headquarters on the continent!"


    minos smiled at this comment. "getting in is much easier than getting out. once we''ve been noticed, the same method would never work to leave the area safely. that would be a problem in almost every headquarters i tried to break into. so i''m not a perfect breaker.  s~ea??h the n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    minos smiled at this comment. "getting in is much easier than getting out. once we''ve been noticed, the same method would never work to leave the area safely. that would be a problem in almost every headquarters i tried to break into. so i''m not a perfect breaker.


    anyway, the important thing is that we just want to get in. our exit will be up to the elder and my corpse."


    "are you sure he won''t attack us?" asked the weaker sovereigns, not doubting minos'' method of invasion. his only concern now was the supremes they might have to face because of these plans.


    as ''easy'' as it would be for them to enter the enemy headquarters, the supremes of the enemy force could sense them at any moment. as soon as they were noticed, they would have three powerful individuals after their heads!


    "i can''t say for sure that he won''t turn on us eventually. but at least in the first few moments after the breakthrough, his rationality should diminish gradually, and the seals on him should also break after a few moments after the breakthrough.


    it will make him less hostile to us and more hostile to enemies soon after his breakthrough. but it''s likely that we''ll soon be in the same ''boat'' as the enemies," minos said, having already run several tests to predict what would happen when his and abby''s corpses grew stronger and got out of their control.


    of course, he didn''t have any data on corpses in advanced stages, so he wasn''t 100% sure of what he just said. but it was more likely that his perspective was not wrong.


    minos finished, "in any case, you two better be ready to sacrifice your parasites at any moment. i''ll be busy watching the reaction of our guinea pig."


    the two looked at each other after a sigh, a little worried about wasting their centuries of contributions and raising their flashdrain parasites.


    but the merits they would gain if they succeeded in this mission would be worth any sacrifice!


    "you stay with minos, and i''ll sacrifice my parasite first. let''s not get carried away and do it simultaneously. one of us should be enough for the first moment of battle... in case things don''t go our way,'' said the weaker of the two level 114 sovereigns.


    the commander''s trusted man agreed, before the two looked at minos and signaled it was time for them to proceed with this human''s plan.


    minos told them what he needed from them for the invasion phase of the judgement tower. when they had the most important thing in mind, they set off again, still cautious, but more certain about the invasion phase and more worried about the upcoming battle on their way.


    the elder watching them should have no trouble breaking through the enemy''s defenses, but they couldn''t count on this level 118 supreme. the guild''s goal was to test minos'' theory, and they wouldn''t be able to do that the way they all wanted if this supreme moved too soon or exhausted himself before the corpse showed its potential.


    as they moved, the elder stood in the same place he had been for the past few days and soon saw minos do as he had warned and turn back the time on some men at one of the headquarters'' border posts.


    by making the guards in the area believe he and his companions were core members of the sect who had recently returned to the area, minos saw the way open before him, using his enemies'' memories against them.


    with temporal sands, he could not only see the future, he could manipulate time, go back in time, see the past, and manipulate his targets into experiencing it all.


    using the powers of the temporal sands, it would take minos only two hours from the presentation of his plan to the infiltration of the judgement tower!


    arriving at the entrance of the extensive building with no barriers in their way, they prepared themselves while he made the hand seals to bring the corpse''s coffin that was in his spatial ring to his side.


    the black liquid also appeared in one of minos'' hands, while the three members of armhands could already feel the auras of the supremes of that guild probing them.


    even before minos started, they had already been noticed!

 Chapter 2591 Confrontation Begins in the Judgement Tower

    chapter 2591  confrontation begins in the judgement tower feeling the aura of three supremes probing them, the two generals broke out in a cold sweat, both of them already directing their energies toward their parasites.


    minos directed the black liquid at the level 114 corpse, who was already leaving the black urn.


    minos did not bother to hide what he was doing, while a malevolent sensation spread through the area in front of the majestic red tower, causing nearby plants to wither just by being near the substance.


    the men closest to the building''s entrance, mostly low and mid-level sovereigns, paled as they dropped whatever they were thinking or doing and turned their attention to this strange trio.


    "it can''t be..."


    "enemies!"


    a few reacted just before the corpse of minos opened his eyes, a wicked smile forming on his pale lips.


    "i''ll kill as many of them as i can for you, minos. i just can''t guarantee that i won''t go for your neck as well." the creature''s voice sounded like sharp blades, its macabre laugh like the voice of death itself.


    these words were enough for some people to understand what this sudden action of the trio meant, to understand their origin.


    the black liquid entered the corpse in the amount that minos and his companions deemed necessary to elevate the creature to the next stage, instantly causing changes in the creature''s body.


    its body parts increased in size, while the darkness of its soul intensified. as its vitality skyrocketed, its sovereign energy broke through its limits and exploded so suddenly that some formations in the area stopped working because of the interference.


    minos and his two companions didn''t hesitate to retreat, watching for enemy attacks, but also for changes in the corpse close to them.


    before they reached a distance of 100 meters from the creature that threatened to stabilize their cultivation at level 115, the three supremes of this sect appeared around it.


    two were newly promoted level 115 supremes, and one of them, the sect leader, was already a consolidated level 116 cultivator.


    the three spotted minos and the two generals. they had no trouble understanding the origin of the enemies, but they were much more focused on the strange creature in front of them.


    minos'' undead didn''t look like a simple corpse, but it didn''t resemble an ordinary living being either. his vitality was certainly comparable to that of a living being, and now he could stay in his form for as long as an ordinary human, able to live for a century.


    for a cultivator, that wasn''t much, but for a being that had been resurrected by a divine ability, it was an especially remarkable feat!


    however, the creature''s brutal gaze and instinctive, unrefined movements showed its low rationality and chaotic character.


    this was not a cultivator to converse with, but a killing machine, a brutal killer driven by a deep lust for blood.


    the three realized the creature was not under the control of minos and the others, a terrible sign.


    if even his creators couldn''t control him, what fate would befall this sect, where the horrible creature was now slowly moving and looking at the people there thirstily?


    "officer minos stuart, i presume. we''ve heard of you," the sect leader said as he looked at the white-haired human with level 109 cultivation. "i didn''t know that you were also involved in necromancy. now you seem to be a complete abomination."


    minos didn''t bother to argue with his enemy. while the corpse had already stabilized his cultivation at level 115 and was losing what little rationality he had left, minos continued to walk away.


    they knew that the members of the sect were watching them, and more and more of them were gathering around the entrance to the judgement tower. however, minos didn''t use any of the enemies to increase his cultivation.  s§×ar?h the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    this was obviously a sign that the higher-ups there hadn''t missed.


    as they looked at each other and felt minos'' silence weighing on them, the three of them felt the problem.


    ''shit! let''s deal with this quickly, or we could be in trouble.'' they mentally exchanged their thoughts.


    ''leshe, take care of these three. didhi and i will take care of this disgusting creature.'' the sect leader positioned himself to fight directly against the level 115 corpse that attacked him and his companions.


    minos saw this and continued to back away slowly and carefully. he dodged the enemy movements already coming towards him, defending himself if necessary.


    besides their thirst for blood, the corpses affected by the black liquid have another interesting characteristic. they temporarily ignore the weak in their path and focus everything they have on the strongest.


    by devouring enemy corpses, they can strengthen themselves. the stronger the corpse they devour, the greater their improvement.


    minos looked in the direction of the two strongest supremes moving together, while the third moved away, heading towards the trio already fighting their way out.


    the characteristic of the corpses revived by abby and strengthened by the black liquid was a double-edged sword in the current situation. on the one hand, it could be used against the three enemy sovereigns, but on the other, it could also be used against these companions of minos.


    one of the two sovereigns on minos'' side did not hesitate any longer and sacrificed his parasite, the only way for the three of them to get out of this place alive.


    minos observed the beginning of the battle, ignoring his ally who had crossed the barrier between the 11th and 12th stages, only to see the corpse he fed quickly gain the upper hand in the fight against two supremes!


    even though he didn''t act rationally and wasted some of his power, the corpse immediately showed signs of surpassing the strength of his opponents!


    ''don''t use too much of your power against this supreme. he''ll join his allies in a few moments,'' minos said in the mind of his companion, now at level 117.


    ''prepare to defend us from the corpse''s remaining attacks. he''ll pay attention to us once these three are out of fighting condition!''


    thus began the end of one of armhands'' greatest enemies today!

 Chapter 2592 12th Stage Corpse in Action!

    chapter 2592  12th stage corpse in action! the moment he received minos'' warning, the general who had just sacrificed his parasite to increase his power, lowered the power of his counterattack to just stop the enemy from harming them.


    he ignored minos'' action in order to reach level 112 and better deal with the hundreds of enemies attacking them, and turned his attention to the corpse challenging the other two supremes.


    ''shit! as soon as my cultivation reached level 117, that bastard turned his attention to me!'' this individual thought to himself as his enemy also attacked with less force, looking toward the aberration.  s§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the general of armhands, who was temporarily at the 12th stage, thought, ''he hasn''t attacked me yet because of the two enemies attacking him! i have to be careful, otherwise he''ll be my end!''


    with this thought, this individual became more cautious as he continued to retreat along with minos and his fellow general, while at the same time, the level 115 man attacking them hesitated.


    ''should i go back? or deal with them? there''s no way i can deal with this group in such a short time. that damned alien''s sacrifice could keep me busy for a long time, and eliminating them won''t help us at all. if i don''t go back to help, i might lose my companions and have no way of defending the sect!''


    with this thought, the level 115 man changed his movement in the air, made a turn, and avoided the counterattack of the level 117 alien.


    he flew straight at the corpse''s back, extending part of his body against the enemy, imitating the shape of a silver spear, and hit the corpse''s main vital organ.


    but as he passed through his opponent''s body, this level 115 supreme paled considerably when he saw that the creature only stopped and looked at him.


    "nooo!" one of his two fellow cultivators shouted as he saw his companion''s body being corroded by some kind of black substance coming out of the alien corpse''s heart.


    the two people suffering from the corpse''s attacks got a moment of relief from their companion''s "careless" attack.


    the corpse moved like a hyena in search of its enemy''s dead body, appearing next to the level 115 supreme so quickly that he looked like a ghost.


    "aaaaaaagh!" the man shouted bitterly, his eyes wide open as his color and life drained away along with the vertical cut on his back.


    blood dripped from his limbs as his aura vanished, something so shocking that the sovereigns attacking minos and the other general looked in horror at this dying supreme.


    the level 115 corpse had murdered someone of the same level as himself with a single blow after a supposedly lethal attack!


    but the corpse didn''t just kill the supreme. with a bite on the neck of the decomposing body, it tore off a piece of the dead enemy''s body and chewed it like the tastiest candy in the universe.


    "abomination!"


    the sect leader didn''t use the slight advantage he had to flee and charged at the creature again, while his companion froze in horror.


    as much as they had fought enough wars for the death of companions not to be shocking, the death of a supreme was as rare or more so than the ascension to the 12th stage.


    usually, supremes died of old age, not in battle. to die so brutally was enough to scare a newly promoted cultivator!


    the sect leader''s eyes shone as he swung it at the corpse. but the corpse moved at a terrifying speed, easily dodging the attack.


    its shadow-covered flesh defied the logic of this level 116 cultivator. the corpse''s brutal yet fluid and agile actions surprised him in a way he hadn''t expected at this point in his life.


    with each step, the corpse left a trail of decay, and the stench of death permeated the air.


    the sect leader''s heart pounded in his chest as he realized the magnitude of the threat before him. this was no ordinary corpse, but a creature fueled by an insatiable hunger for destruction.


    gathering all his strength, he unleashed a barrage of attacks, aiming his blows at the enemies'' vital points. unfortunately, the vital points of a corpse were not the same as those of a living being.


    with the black liquid protecting him, minos'' creature ignored some attacks and dodged others as he danced toward this level 116 enemy.


    fear gripped the soul of the remaining level 115 supreme, making him feel time slowing down, his surroundings in chaos, blood and death becoming palpable to him in a unique way.


    shame and a sense of humiliation washed over his soul, forcing him to rip off his own arms at this horrible moment.


    with a brutal act of self-flagellation, he left the state of panic and leaped at the enemy. he flew toward the sect leader to block the attack of the corpse, who was currently grinning at the level 116 supreme''s neck.


    a moment before, a soft, wet sound echoed as one of the corpse''s limbs hit the level 115 supreme''s body instead of the sect leader''s.


    in an instant, the body of the level 115 cultivator was split in two, and parts of it were decomposing at a rate that was visible to the eyes of the many people who were watching the battle in front of the judgement tower.


    some of the level 115 cultivator''s blood splashed all around, bathing the sect leader as he trembled in fear and gradually lost his will to fight.


    the corpse seemed invincible!


    "we''re dead..." the sect leader murmured.


    this man saw the corpse stop in front of him, licking his lips, enjoying the sensation of killing an enemy and then tasting its blood.


    when what looked like a gray-black tentacle wrapped itself around the neck of the level 116 supreme, the sect leader kneeled down and put his hands on the tentacle to free himself.


    but it was too late for him. as he clung to the enemy''s tentacle, he felt his energy and life force drain out of his body and flow directly into the level 115 corpse.


    the corpse''s mouth opened, and he moved to swallow the head of his previous major enemy here.


    crack!


    at that moment, the defensive formations in the area suddenly collapsed one by one, drawing the corpse''s attention to minos and the two generals.

 Chapter 2593 Level 118 Elder in Action

    chapter 2593  level 118 elder in action looking toward minos and the two generals, the corpse spotted the level 117 supreme¡ªtemporarily in this state¡ªand saw how this man had destroyed several formations'' core.


    meanwhile, over 400 of the hundreds of enemies who had surrounded the area and started attacking the three of them were lying dead on the outskirts of the judgement tower.


    minos and the commander''s trusted general had killed some of them, but it was the alien who was temporarily at the 12th stage who had dealt with most of the enemies that tried to prevent their escape.


    after the level 115 supreme moved away from them, this general seized the opportunity and used his powers to clear a path for his group, killing enemies and taking down formations.


    in less than three minutes of battle, when the third of the sect''s supremes was practically dead, the last formations over this area fell.


    the corpse that was about to devour the head of the level 116 native clearly sensed this, looked at the level 117 supreme angrily, but felt something else, a feeling much more terrifying than that of the armhands'' general.


    he looked to the sky, specifically in the direction of the level 118 elder.


    "looks like you found me." the elder murmured with interest, his gaze focused on the creature.


    the corpse didn''t hesitate to eat the head of the enemy in front of him, ending the life of the last supreme being of this sect.


    immediately after that, when minos and the others noticed the elder''s appearance, the creature grew a little stronger, and its strength reached the end of level 115.


    ''impressive! it evolved in the middle of the battle.'' minos and the elder thought the same thing as they looked at the corpse.


    for a moment, this creature felt like he had two enemies capable of killing him in this area, but he also had four targets to eliminate.


    in addition to the two at the 12th stage, he couldn''t ignore the general next to minos, who was about to reach the 12th stage, and minos himself, who could also temporarily display supreme''s powers sacrificing his parasite.


    sensing a certain fear of minos, this creature jumped up from where he was and stealthily attacked the human who was hundreds of meters away from him.


    with this movement, several hundred more members of this sect fell, massacred by the corrosive aura and the corpse''s attack movements against minos'' trio.  s§×ar?h the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "oh? attacking another in my presence?" the elder of armhands opened his mouth as he moved his hands, not taking the gesture lightly.


    the level 115 corpse wanting to eliminate minos first was tantamount to saying that minos was the most dangerous to the undead!


    minos transformed his body into his dragon version, which also put pressure on the many sovereigns in the area. he sucked the energy out of some survivors so quickly that some of them died from exhaustion.


    at the same time, minos used his ability the stolen cultivations from his enemies to strengthen his ally, who was still at the 11th stage.


    the general''s cultivation threatened to advance to level 115, surprising even that person who hadn''t expected minos to do that.


    in the end, minos was temporarily unable to make his companion advance on one level, but he showed that as long as he strengthened himself a bit more, he could accomplish such a feat in the not-too-distant future.


    the elder appeared in front of minos and the two generals a second before the corpse reached them. he attacked with his many tentacles, forming vortices of darkness capable of devouring the souls and bodies of even supreme beings.


    the level 117 supreme protected minos and his companion, while the elder faced the attack head-on, using one of his palms to counterattack the corpse.


    the elder''s fighting intent formed a huge hand that struck the corpse''s body so hard that the onlookers felt as if the undead creature''s entire body was about to liquefy.


    but the creature was only thrown against the red tower, breaking all of his bones before hitting the building and causing it to shake.


    fortunately or not, the structure built there could withstand even the highest-level attacks. when the corpse slammed his back against one wall of the building, he only knocked down a 30-square-meter wall, barely affecting more than the wall of the building.


    the corpse''s mouth opened, and a black liquid similar to blood poured out of his body through every orifice and wound caused by the elder''s powerful attack.


    "elder, please be careful. if we kill you, we don''t know what will happen to the black liquid." minos noticed the corpse''s vitality dropping alarmingly.


    they didn''t know what would happen under these circumstances, so they couldn''t afford to risk it.


    "so what do we do? i can defeat him, but neither i nor any of the elders will guard him forever. but without a supreme of at least my level to control him, we won''t be able to keep him in check, minos. this corpse is completely out of control. your black urns won''t be able to contain him."


    minos had already realized this for himself, since he had analyzed the entire previous fight much more thoroughly than his companions. "i know. let''s drain the liquid from his body and kill him."


    "abby''s not here and i don''t know how to do that. do you have a method to accomplish such a feat?" the elder looked at minos out of the corner of his eye.


    minos took the item segiel had given him from his spatial ring and threw it at the elder. "that should do it."


    the elder caught the artifact in midair and immediately understood its origin.


    "i see... so you''re a friend of the morgens. this will work."


    without further hesitation, the elder infused a fraction of his energy into the item segiel had given minos, then threw it at the corpse, which threatened to disintegrate completely.


    when this crystal reached the creature''s forehead, it glowed brightly, casting a glow so powerful that, for a moment, the luminous energy of a star''s death erupted from that position, blinding all nearby who were weaker than high-level sovereigns.

 Chapter 2594 Key Points of the Experiment

    chapter 2594  key points of the experiment  minos and his companions shielded themselves from the powerful light emanating from the crystal. meanwhile, only the two supremes saw the entire reaction of the crystal with the decomposing corpse.


    it all happened quickly, but for the eyes of these experts, it was easy to see the smallest details in rapid reactions.


    they saw how the black liquid separated from the body of the corpse and entered the small shiny amulet. at the same time, the entire body of the level 115 supreme dissolved. it turned into a bluish liquid that also entered the shiny crystal.


    as the entire corpse disappeared, with minos'' undead soul dissipating into the air. then, the crystal stopped glowing, no longer absorbing anything as it turned completely black.


    the level 118 elder moved and appeared next to the crystal, checking the state of the morgens'' item before touching it.


    as the amulet was stable and safe to wear, he picked it up while minos and the others were finally no longer protected from the earlier glow.


    minos looked at the elder''s hand, spotted segiel''s amulet, and breathed a sigh of relief. the ideal would have been to take the body with them for further observation and study. but the most important thing was the safety of the precious black liquid.


    ''judging by the elder''s expression, we managed to keep what was most important.'' minos walked over to the elder, ignoring the many corpses around.


    all the sect members based in the judgement tower had died in the battle that had lasted until a few moments ago, or had been blinded by the bright light from earlier. now, only a fraction of the force was left to be eliminated before the group left.


    but minos wasn''t worried about killing the remaining sovereigns. as the two generals moved to complete their mission, minos stopped next to the level 118 supreme and retrieved the artifact containing the black liquid.


    "we could recover 100% of the black liquid. excellent," minos said as he scanned the amulet.


    "your mission here is over. you and your companions must return to the guild. for now, i bid you farewell." the elder was quick with his words, leaving the area as speedily as he had appeared at the critical moment of the battle.


    minos glanced in the elder''s direction, not having a chance to thank the elder before he could no longer see the old stranger.


    stowing segiel''s amulet in his spatial ring, he saw the last beings die at the hands of the two generals. seizing the moment, minos moved to gather the resources of this force, something that belonged to the sect, as they were on an official mission to deal with the local forces during the experiment on the level 115 corpse.  sear?h the n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the two would join minos in collecting everything of value in the area, until five minutes later, the individual temporarily at level 117 would take them away, using the time in the 12th stage to get them out of this dangerous area quickly.


    as much as the sect in that area was the greatest danger, and now that it had been destroyed, there might be allies of that force nearby, or even powerful creatures vying with each other for dominance over the area.


    not wanting to get involved in the ensuing disputes or other matters of the guild''s war against the coalition led by firestone mines, they quickly left.


    ...


    days later, news of the fall of the judgement tower spread throughout the central region, shocking the many native and foreign cities in the area.


    the death of three supremes was not a common occurrence. even when there were 12th stage battles, it wasn''t uncommon for one side to escape.


    but the judgement tower-based force not only lost its leader, it was completely annihilated.


    the entire region trembled at the news of minos and his group''s actions, while the trio made their way to examire peacefully and quietly.


    by now, the general who had sacrificed his parasite was in his weakened form, being carried by minos and the other general.


    luckily for him, they were only two days away from examire, and his companions were able to stop almost all the threats that existed on the continent.


    meanwhile, minos and the general carried him, chatting as they made their final journey back to the guild.


    ...


    "what did you get out of watching the supreme''s corpse?" the commander''s trusted man asked as he flew ahead of the group.


    minos pondered for a moment and said. "we can say that it''s not safe for us to use the corpse above level 114 without the help of one of the sect''s elders. if it weren''t for the elder, we would have been hunted down and forced to flee, losing all the black liquid from the corpse.


    so either we wait until abby and i get stronger to improve our control over them, or in the short term, we have to be careful about using corpses above level 114.


    however, a corpse like that could live for years without me having to use my divine ability or the black urns. also, their combat power is above their level. it''s possible that the level 115 corpse could even take on a level 117 opponent."


    that was impressive, something precious about the judgement tower experiment.


    minos sighed as he finished his analysis. "the worst part of all this is that i think we would need ten times more black liquid to make this corpse advance just two more levels. but i don''t know if we have that much black liquid."


    from this experiment, he was pretty sure his group wouldn''t be able to cultivate sovereign to supreme corpses stronger than level 117.


    however, whether this would limit them to strengthening and improving supreme corpses in the future, they couldn''t be sure. for now, they could only hope to strengthen minos and abby.


    "i see. that''s not bad. with corpses in this state, it would be enough for us to win many battles and save the elders'' powers. just stopping one corpse is much easier than dealing with several supremes alone!" the general said, knowing the corpse''s enemies had weakened it before the elder had finished it.


    therefore, the previous situation had been the best possible one for armhands'' group!

 Chapter 2595 Magnificent Result

    chapter 2595  magnificent result in the blink of an eye, an entire year had passed since minos and the two generals had returned to the guild.  s~ea??h the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    minos had been at the headquarters with abby and had not repeated the experiment to develop supreme corpses. as much as it was in their plans to repeat the experiment to confirm their earlier findings, they would have to wait for the right time to do so.


    since the fall of the judgement tower, the forces of the firestone minos coalition had become more agitated, defensive, and cautious in their moves against the armhands'' coalition.


    the previous brutal outcome had come as an unexpected surprise to both allies and enemies of the armhands.


    as a result, this extra year of war was not a good time for minos to experiment with the black liquid again to make supreme corpses.


    however, the guild wanted him to repeat the feat when the conditions were right!


    in the meantime, he took the opportunity to cultivate as much as he could, but not only that, he also took the last step in the experiments alongside abby, finally experimenting with corpses that were not resurrected by her divine ability!


    ...


    in the cave of minos'' faction, the few members who were there at that moment watched the actions of their leader and abby.


    the general, who was on the verge of reaching the 12th stage, was in position there, continuing to observe minos and abby''s experiments, as he had done for the past few years.


    meanwhile, minos was focused on helping his wife and defending her if necessary, as they had just used the black liquid to revive the corpse they had chosen to begin the test.


    as expected, when a corpse was revived with the black liquid alone, the creature would come back to life without recovering its decomposed body, proving to be even more brutal and bloodthirsty than the corpses revived by abby when sensitized by too much black liquid.


    while a corpse revived by abby needed hundreds of milliliters of the black liquid to become uncontrollable, a corpse not sensitized by her powers would go through the same thing with just a few dozen milliliters.


    the upside of all this? it seemed to mean that they could revive stronger corpses with the same amount of liquid as if they did the reverse process, with abby''s ability kicking in first!


    but they still needed to confirm if abby''s divine ability would have any effect on this skeletal creature, with rotting flesh here and there, trying to attack the living in the area.


    abby focused her powers on her ability, feeling her connection to the dead as the energy of her body and the air moved under her control, following the magical rules she had mastered.


    the chaotic and horrible looking undead suddenly looked to abby and convulsed as the energy of the beautiful blue-haired woman entered his body.


    he shook and looked like he was going crazy, obviously trying to resist abby''s dominance.


    however, with her cultivation at the peak of level 108 because of minos'' help, abby could easily dominate even level 112 corpses. beyond level 112, things would only get more difficult for her and she would need more intervention from minos.


    the creature they were testing was at the limit that their abilities could fully affect, so after some initial resistance, the creature stopped shaking, its aura calmed down along with its body movements.


    "did it work?" the general opened his mouth as the corpse''s cultivation suddenly jumped to level 113.


    but instead of escaping from abby''s control, the creature kneeled down in front of her as the chaos inside it subsided.


    its vitality tripled compared to before abby''s divine ability was involved, while its body parts regenerated.


    "master," the creature said, its bloodlust and chaos no longer visible in its eyes. its voice sounded like that of a centered, rational being.


    minos watched curiously, sensing the effects of abby''s powers seemed better when she merely controlled and enhanced a creature revived by the black liquid.


    it also seemed to be more efficient, as they could use less of the liquid to achieve better effects than they''d had in the experiments of the past few years.


    "it seems to be the best way to use this essence." abby looked at minos with a smile, seeing a result she hadn''t really expected.


    minos agreed, certain that this corpse was completely under abby''s control, even though he had suddenly advanced to level 113.


    with his incorruptible heart, there was no way a being of such a ''low'' level could fool him!


    "general, you can report our results to the elders. also, let them know that we''ll test with stronger corpses. if the results are good, we''ll try to resurrect a peak level 114 corpse, one that can evolve to level 115 by the end of the experiments."


    at minos'' command, the general left in high spirits.


    if the previous results couldn''t solve the current war until they refined their methods, today''s discovery had the potential to surpass everything they knew. if the results of today''s experiment held true for stronger corpses, then in a few more months, they could produce supreme corpses that could be trusted to act on behalf of the guild!


    abby and minos stayed behind to keep an eye on the corpse for a while, while the members of their faction watched anxiously.


    if all went well, their group would have a supreme in the near future, guaranteeing better resources and opportunities for everyone!


    minos had won some great prizes after the raid a year ago, things that had helped the members of his faction so far. so if he could contribute even more, the faction''s growth corridor would be even greater!


    after a while, the observers would disperse, while the faction''s newest corpse would join the row of corpses arranged around the cave.


    minos and abby would split up to cultivate and recover their energy, already thinking about going further in the next experiments, using even more powerful bodies.


    even if an elder agreed to accompany them to experiment with a peak level 114 corpse, they could try with corpses stronger than the previous one.

 Chapter 2596 The End of the Black Liquid Study

    chapter 2596  the end of the black liquid study after the previous experiment, the next six months were incredibly productive for minos and abby.


    with the approval of the guild and the participation of some elders in their experiments, both inside and outside the guild, they confirmed the observations made earlier and reached the end of the black liquid study.


    the results were wonderful!


    when they used the black liquid on the corpses first, they saved over 70% compared to when they used abby''s divine ability first. also, when she added her power to the equation after using the black liquid, they got more powerful and less chaotic corpses.


    if before abby could control a maximum of level 112 corpses, with the recent discoveries and the new method they used, she could now fully control level 113 corpses. however, with the help of minos and his mental powers against corpses, she could help her group limit even level 114 corpses.


    as for the supreme ones, she had almost no control over them. however, they could create them from level 114 corpses, forcing them to be more rational than the one minos had played against the judgement tower months ago.


    these supremes weren''t so rational and reliable that they could live freely in the guild. still, they were enough to prefer attacking enemies over allies, and it was possible for the group to seal them away without the need for other supremes.


    with that, minos'' group was now focused on using their new method to produce warriors for the guild and use them in the war to put pressure on the firestone mines side!


    ...


    in the cave of the minos faction, an elder of the council was standing in front of three level 115 corpses.


    these were three of the five creatures that had been created using the black liquid that had been used to create the first supreme corpse over 20 months ago, but each of them was just as strong as the creature that had killed three supremes back then.


    in front of these corpses, besides the level 119 elder, were minos and abby, introducing the individuals who would hold the three supreme corpses from now on.


    "elder, someone like you doesn''t need much to get them to cooperate. just be careful when you push them to the limit. if they die, we won''t lose the black liquid just because of that. but after their ultimate death, the special liquid inside them will be easy to detect. anyone with power at the end of the 11th stage will understand its value and try to steal the guild''s liquid."


    minos warned the elder beside him and abby.


    after his and abby''s successes over the past few months, armhands had decided to hit the enemy coalition hard, using some elders to act alongside the generals and minos'' corpses.


    the results in those months had been incredible. with 70% fewer deaths in their group, the guild had won 80% of the fights they had been involved in during those months, eliminating three more enemy supremes and hundreds of high-ranking sovereigns.


    now, minos and abby were still working on producing more 12th stage undead, so the guild was only going to intensify its actions.


    "very well. i know what to do." the elder nodded to minos before using his powers on the three supremes, quickly bringing them under his mental control.


    they weren''t there for him like puppets. each of them could act on their own. but under his command, each of them would obey his orders and follow rational strategies.


    without further ado, the elder took his leave, taking a good look at the man who had made these individuals possible.


    the undead supremes of the guild were born from abby''s ability. but without minos, who brought her into the guild and nurtured her for so many years, none of this would have happened.


    as three more supremes left for the battlefield, minos and abby surveyed the area around their cave, which was now somewhat empty of corpses.


    in addition to the level 115 corpses, level 113 and 114 corpses were also in action alongside the guild''s major forces!


    instead of risking their men, the sect used abby''s corpses to their advantage, giving everyone a role, even those who hadn''t had a chance to taste the black liquid.


    meanwhile, she and minos were winning prizes and merit points for each victory of the corpses they helped bring to life!


    it was no wonder that five more senior officers had joined their group in the past few months.


    moreover, minos was already being tipped to become one of the guild''s new generals, having already gained enough accomplishments and power to be promoted.


    it hadn''t happened yet, but everyone was sure it was only a matter of time before his position was made official!


    "tomorrow, we will continue to create new supreme corpses. today, we''ll take the day off to rest and cultivate." minos looked at abby while taking one of her hands.


    "how far away are you from your breakthrough? i feel you''re pretty close to level 110," she said as she looked into the future where he would be even stronger.


    "i am close. it should happen close to gloria and the kids'' competition." he smiled at abby, but couldn''t help but clench one of his fists in anticipation of this breakthrough.


    ''maybe i''ll be able to develop the quality of my physique to celestial-grade with this advancement. i feel like my innate ability is about to make a qualitative leap every time i cultivate.'' minos thought, confident if he didn''t achieve this evolution with the level 110 progression, it would come with the next progression.


    ''i''ll probably be at the peak of level 111 when it''s time to go to tiolos. then i''ll be ready to go to uzira!''


    ...


    while minos was thinking about the glorious future ahead of him at the council, the old first elder was in the main building of the region, in a dark, subterranean level with several worm-like snakes scattered around the corners of what looked like a hole made by a worm.  s§×arch* the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    there, a colored goo was irregularly scattered, vibrating with energy that was almost visible to the naked eye.


    "old friend, did you wake me?" a voice asked from the direction of the depths of this place, followed by a phenomenal aura of the absolute peak of level 123.


    "supreme leader..."

 Chapter 2597 Supreme Leader

    chapter 2597  supreme leader "supreme leader, i''m afraid the current situation on the continent requires your attention. there is some good news, but the scenario is still disturbing enough for me to upset you." the level 122 elder gestured with his hands and looked suggestively into the snake''s eyes.


    "who is causing trouble?" the white snake with four green eyes, small despite its cultivation, asked with a touch of curiosity.


    the first elder was very reserved in his actions. he was one of the strongest in oqia, and he wasn''t the type to be fooled. if he was there, he surely had troublesome targets in mind.


    "jabez, leader of the firestone mines. he recently reached level 123 and has shown his true colors. he has started a war with us, the aspiring thugs, the bitter predators, and the ebonbrows. he wants to take over the continent and drive us out of zocarro," said the first elder.


    "oh? has he made progress? then that''s really worrying. this guy has always been arrogant and full of hatred for us aliens. you want me to deal with him, right? what about this war? how much has the guild lost so far?"


    "not much. despite everything, we have outperformed our enemies. we''re not in a comfortable position with the leaders of the forces involved, but our men have done a great job. in particular, an interesting man appeared in our forces during the cultivation of the guild leader."


    the supreme leader listened with curiosity and couldn''t help but ask. "who is he? you look impressed, old friend. you don''t look like that often."


    "indeed. his name is minos stuart. he..." the elder summed up some of minos'' greatest achievements and characteristics.


    "that sounds like a good seed. is he just a senior officer? that identity doesn''t fit someone in his position. he should be a general by now," the guild''s supreme leader said as he transformed his body into a humanoid version. he becomes a 1.7 meter tall man with long white hair, a beard, and a mustache of the same color.


    "since he started experimenting with the black liquid from the black heart mission, no guild general has been killed in battle. there are no openings for promotion in the upper echelons at the moment." the first elder explained. "however, we can solve this problem by creating a new order under minos'' command."


    "what do you have in mind?"


    "minos wants to go to uzira. we can create a new order to be commanded by the general of the expansion. he will have his own group and be involved in whatever is necessary to get the guild to that continent."


    the supreme leader was surprised to hear that a mere sovereign wanted to make the journey across the violent sea. "he wants to do that? why? at the level he''s at, he can easily grow to the 12th stage by being on our continent."


    "ambition, fear, need. anything could be his motivation, supreme leader. but we''re interested in his goal. if he''s willing to take the risks of the journey, why not take advantage of it?" the elder approached the white-haired man, his gaze fixed on the face of his boss.


    "i didn''t wake you just for that. i''m going to die soon, but i don''t want to die in a bed or a cultivation room. since we are at war, i want to use my parasite one last time and contribute to the guild. perhaps this will help you and my brothers get closer to the upper realm."


    "juma, you..."


    "it''s already decided. there''s nothing more to discuss, supreme leader." juma closed his eyes, having lived long enough to fear death and with no prospect of prolonging his existence.


    even though he was at the peak of level 122, he would have to reach level 125 to prolong his vitality. but it was absolutely impossible for him to achieve that in the few centuries he had left.


    "part of our meeting today is for you to set the guild in order and take advantage of the opportunities that my sacrifice will provide.


    promote kaus to the position of elder that i will leave, and then promote segiel to chief commander.


    use abby miller as a general alongside minos stuart and strengthen our goals to reach the upper realm," the first elder said in a louder tone.


    he looked again at his leader, whom he had helped to become the greatest and most important member of the guild, by advising him to join the force over 200,000 years ago.


    the guild leader looked at juma in silence, regretting that this man was so close to dying. however, juma''s point was valid. it was preferable to sacrifice his life and use the extensive knowledge and experience he had accumulated over hundreds of thousands of years to benefit the guild, rather than perishing during the process of cultivation or while resting.


    "perhaps this abby miller can bring you back? the discoveries you''ve made seem quite interesting." the guild leader considered the possibility.


    juma folded his hands and said, "that would be nice. but i''m not worried about that right now. but if you want to bring me back, jalai, that''s the way to do it. help minos stuart and abby miller, and if all goes well, when they become supreme and get more of the black liquid in uzira, you can bring me back to life so that we can reach level 125 together!"


    hearing this name, which he hadn''t heard from other people since he had become the supreme leader of the guild, jalai accepted the recommendations of his friend and great advisor.


    "all right." he sighed. "let''s do what you suggested. hopefully, this minos stuart will live up to your expectations."


    "i''m counting on it, supreme leader. my very existence depends on it. literally." the old first elder laughed as he made his good-humored comment.


    "there is only one thing to monitor, supreme leader." juma added, now speaking more seriously. "navey has his eye on minos. i don''t know exactly what he wants, but we have to consider it."


    "why should elder navey have his eye on him? can you think of a reason?" jalai narrowed his eyes, aware that navey was no simpleton, even if he was two levels weaker than him.


    navey had always been a great mystery, an alien with high abilities but who rarely moved. for him to show interest in minos might not be a big deal¡ªafter all, minos was really impressive¡ªbut it was strange.


    "i am not sure what it is. but even before minos showed his abilities alongside abby miller, elder navey had his eye on the boy. if we want to use the human to get to level 125, it will be important to monitor navey."  s§×arch* the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "all right. i''ll keep that in mind. i''ll try not to look suspicious while i investigate what navey is up to."


    "sigh... that''s all i needed to hear to ease my mind about leaving." juma looked ahead, imagining what the future would be like.


    cultivation was difficult. the chances of reaching his position were practically zero, and 99.99% of those who tried died in the middle of their journey. between being reborn and returning to the world through the powers of the black liquid and abby, he honestly preferred the second option¡ªthe one where he could return to his current level and get stronger more easily!

 Chapter 2598 Promotion and New Mission

    chapter 2598  promotion and new mission  on the same day that the guild''s supreme leader awoke from his cultivation, word spread through the city about an important meeting attended by all the elders, the commander, and the generals present at the headquarters.


    but minos and his group didn''t need to hear rumors to find out. even before the rumors spread through the guild, generals came to his cave to escort him to the guild''s core!


    with only abby by his side, he left the rest of his family to meet one of the most powerful beings in oqia, fearing what it might mean.


    ever since he discovered how valuable his heart could be to others, he had a certain fear of anyone who was much stronger than him!


    but when he met jalai and all seven available elders at the headquarters today, he sighed as he discovered what this call meant.


    facing the man with the white hair, beard and mustache, minos and abby bent their knees while pressing one of their palms firmly into one of his fists, their heads bowed, both being promoted.


    "minos stuart, from now on you will be the newest general of the armhands, responsible to expand the guild towards uzira. at your side, senior officer abby miller will assist you until a general position is available for her." the sect leader said as the elders and the commander followed the promotion ceremony.


    "you two will go to uzira as soon as you have completed your preparations. the guild will provide you with all the support you need, including resources, artifacts, merit points, and time off from your other duties. you should continue to produce supreme corpses, but otherwise focus on strengthening yourself and preparing for the trip to uzira. the violent sea is terrible, dangerous even for me. but it''s not impossible to survive the journey, even at your level."


    minos and abby glanced at each other, not expecting this to be the guild leader''s wish. but upon reflection, it made sense that after all they had done, they would be given a role so favorable to their own interests.


    ''the guild is truly run by good leaders. using the interests of their men to develop the interests of the guild. fantastic.'' minos thought, seeing jalai''s move for what it really was, but satisfied. this would give him several opportunities to make better use of the remaining decades before his journey with tiolos began.


    "i appreciate the opportunity, supreme leader. i hope i can live up to expectations and take armhands to uzira."


    minos and abby said simultaneously as the blessing of the guild''s supreme leader fell upon them, giving more power to the flashdrain parasite on their foreheads.


    the parasite on minos'' body quickly burned with golden flames, gradually becoming invisible on minos'' forehead.


    abby''s parasite grew in power and potential, but it didn''t reach the point of evolution, as she would only become a general when elder juma left his post and the change of armhands began.


    minos felt his parasite grow much stronger, a sign that the sacrifice of this creature on his forehead would be even stronger than before.


    he thanked it once more before listening. "minos, you''re not taking over the role of a former general, so you don''t have any guild members to command.


    your task before leaving for uzira will be to build a group under your wing, with officers and outside members who can grow into pillars of the guild''s expanding group. some of these members should travel with you to uzira, while others will stay behind to send out fresh groups in the future."


    minos understood what he had to do and saw this as an opportunity to generate many promotions within the guild and further increase his faction''s influence.


    "i will try to have everything ready in a century at the most," he said, receiving a nod of approval.


    minos and abby stood up and greeted the elders and generals present, as well as the commander.


    navey wasn''t there, as he was fighting the guild''s enemies in the current war with the firestone mines coalition.


    but segiel was there, and she couldn''t help but introduce her master to minos, who congratulated him on his exploits with the corpses and the black liquid.


    first elder juma seized the opportunity and approached minos. "general minos, your career within the guild is impressive. in less than three centuries, you''ve risen from recruit to general. i''m afraid no one but your wife can repeat this feat." juma smiled as he looked at abby.


    "the elder flatters me," she said, feeling uncomfortable being praised by someone so strong.


    "anyway, you''re going to uzira together, right? i have something precious to tell you about this continent and the black liquid."


    minos narrowed his eyes as he realized what was coming next.


    "we first discovered the black liquid through a spatial distortion emanating from uzira. as you know, the obsidian shore is a chaotic place. some of the spatial distortions in the area are connected to different parts of zocarro or even other worlds. but among those connections, we believe, is uzira."  sear?h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "is that true?" abby asked in amazement. as far as she knew, the only way to travel to uzira was through the violent sea.


    "yes, but don''t think you can travel to uzira that way. that''s the kind of distortion that only lifeless liquids could resist. in any case, we have enough evidence to say that the black liquid came from uzira." the first elder''s gaze deepened. "when you arrive in uzira, you must strengthen yourselves and establish a base for the guild. then you must get to know this place and carefully search for the black liquid.


    when you return in the future, bring as much as you can. with it, we can have corpses strong enough to guarantee the connection between oqia and uzira."


    minos and abby believed juma and imagined that if they could create celestial corpses with the black liquid, they could have transporters strong enough to guarantee the journey back and forth between uzira and oqia for weaker individuals.


    it would be perfect for their family!

 Chapter 2599 Level 110!

    chapter 2599  level 110! after his promotion to general, minos had another five quiet months at armhands headquarters.


    during these months, he continued his previous activity of producing supreme corpses alongside abby, and produced three new level 115 corpses.


    but what they really focused on during this time was cultivating and building the group of internal and external guild members under minos'' command.


    minos was not slow to take on his responsibilities. after only five months as general, he already had 200 guild member names under his command¡ªonly 50 of which were his fellow faction members.


    with the resources of armhands at his disposal, he created a series of missions, opportunities, and mechanisms within the guild to encourage members of the force to join the expansionist group.


    while he was doing this to attract the aliens from armhands, he was also using his new abilities to put these new individuals under his command to investigate everything there was to investigate about the violent sea and uzira for the people of oqia.


    resources, dangers, the average power, states, ancient powers, legends and myths, in short, everything that could be related to uzira and the violent sea was to be researched by the group.


    the speed with which minos built the expansion hall frightened some members of the guild. but since he had much merit and respect from the generals and elders, his plans proceeded smoothly over those few months.


    meanwhile, his family members continued to prepare for the future, avoiding going out and getting involved in the war while they cultivated and waited for the family tournament minos had promised.


    the three years he had promised had already passed, but the family still hadn''t moved for the three-fight competition minos had planned.


    two weeks ago, he had finally felt it was time to move up a level, having begun his progress in seclusion.


    now, he was alone in the family''s cave, cultivating with various artifacts in his surroundings to put more pressure on his advancement not only in level but also in his physique quality!


    ...  s§×arch* the n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    in front of the stuart family cave, two giants, wovar and clexvog, both at level 113, guarded the place where general minos stuart was.


    if you entered the cave, you would find minos in a pool of liquid, with his upper body burning in blue flames.


    minos was completely naked, in a lotus position, with his long white hair, silver and gold wings, on fire but unharmed.


    minos'' extremely pure fire burned only his weak points, refining his body as he cultivated, absorbing the abundant energy available.


    twelve formations all around this icy cave sucked in the energy and laws above this mountainous area, directing all this precious essence to minos.


    because of his action, over 50 caves around this place were currently blocked, without enough energy and laws for their users to cultivate in them.


    meanwhile, minos had his attention on himself. he felt his body on the verge of a critical change, seeing an image of himself made of glass, completely shattered, on the verge of giving birth to something completely new.


    his soul inflated, threatening to reach level 110, while his wings trembled on his back, much of the energy of the environment entering him through these six beautiful structures of his body.


    minos felt his heart beat differently, and a smile appeared on his face. ''it is time.'' he felt his clairvoyance giving him good images of the future.


    then, with a clench of his fists, he took the last step, surpassing the cultivation of a level 109 sovereign and finally reaching level 110!


    however, as his cultivation progressed, he didn''t slow down his absorption of energy and laws. his soul continued to expand, and most importantly, his body continued to swell.


    his veins bulged out, and his skin became thinner than ever, reaching a level that was certainly unhealthy.


    but that didn''t last long. while minos kept the smile on his lips, not showing the painful sensation of feeling a part of himself being improved and rebuilt with nothing to anesthetize the pain of the process, he enjoyed the feeling of the evolution of his physique!


    ''centuries ago, my dream was to reach the divine grade of my physique. who would have thought that i would surpass even the highest quality of physique for the spiritual world?'' he thought to himself as he remembered the journey so far, from the time his father died and his physique transformed, dropping to the mortal grade, but allowing him to improve to the divine one.


    over 800 years of cultivation¡ªfrom his point of view¡ªafter reaching the divine grade, minos began the qualitative transformation to the celestial grade!


    in the blink of an eye, his cultivation base, which had been 80% stronger than that of beings without his innate ability and at the same level as him, advanced and passed the 100% mark in a single instant.


    the energy in the area entered his body uncontrollably, causing even the giants outside the cave to look in his direction, disbelieving the sudden change.


    but not only those giants felt it. the guild leader himself, who was standing guard at the council, opened his eyes from where he was meditating. he looked in minos'' direction and felt the energy of the entire headquarters being sucked in by that sovereign for a second.


    ''oh? celestial grade? that''s really unusual.'' this individual stood up, curious to see the end of minos'' transformation.


    as he moved, navey, who had returned to the guild in the past few months, also moved, not expecting minos to perform such a feat today.


    at the same time, as several of the guild''s bigwigs turned their attention to him, minos felt his powers evolve to form new traits and raise the quality of his previous ones even higher!


    when his cultivation base stabilized at 160% of the normal cultivation base of level 110 beings, he felt the changes in his body stop and opened his eyes.


    when he stood up, he didn''t hesitate to use his new abilities by summoning one of his and abby''s corpses and stealing the cultivation of a level 114 being.


    as he felt his cultivation peak at level 114 and the corpse''s strength drop to level 112, minos grinned from ear to ear, feeling the evolution of his most important attribute!

 Chapter 2600 Development of Minos innate powers

    chapter 2600  development of minos'' innate powers feeling his strength at the peak of level 114, minos ignored the corpse who was staring at him with wide eyes.


    ''my cultivation base is now 160%, a 100% improvement compared to my previous state when my physique was only divine grade. also, i can temporarily increase my strength by four levels by stealing someone else''s cultivation base.''


    minos analyzed his old characteristics, which had improved with this qualitative improvement in his physique.


    ''in addition, i can help my comrades even more than before.'' minos summoned another of abby''s corpses and, using wovar''s cultivation base, raised the corpse''s cultivation from level 111 to a peak of level 113!


    previously, he could only raise his allies'' cultivation by a maximum of one level, and even then, he could only help a limited number of cultivators concurrently. not only that, the stronger the allies he helped, the smaller the number he could help. now, with the qualitative improvement of his physique, this limit has increased more than tenfold!


    ''it''s possible that in a short time, i''ll be able to help even the supremes become temporarily stronger!'' minos clenched his fists as wovar and clexvog appeared in the stuart family''s cave, the one who had lost some of his powers, looking rather pale.


    "boss," said the two giants as they stood in their reduced size.


    minos looked at the two giants, while the two corpses looked at him with the same feeling as the two giants, hardly believing the current situation of their superior.


    minos nodded to these four individuals and finished analyzing his qualitative improvements. ''besides my old abilities, i feel i can now steal my opponents'' cultivation permanently... i''m just not sure how stable this is for my spiritual base.''


    he had done something similar before, when he stole the cultivation of dead corpses, such as the giant skeletons in the spiritual world. however, the amount he could steal from the skeletons and give to his allies, or even absorb, was too small for him to consider.


    now, however, he felt he could even do this with living beings, and with a more significant fraction.


    ''i would have to cultivate in seclusion for the equivalent of 100 years to reach level 111. but with this trait, i could cut that time by more than half... but would it be stable? or would it be like misusing spiritual resources?'' he wondered, imagining that he should test it on enemies.


    he didn''t want to do it with allies or even weapons¡ªthe example of the two corpses next to him. his companions suffered to become stronger. using them to test his new trait would be a mistake. especially now, when so many powerful enemies were fighting against the armhands.


    ''i feel i will have a better effect on individuals of a similar level as myself.'' minos looked at his companions, who were watching him with wide eyes.


    his senses told him he would receive fewer improvements from individuals of levels close to his own, but those improvements would be easier for him to control.


    but he really needed to test his current reality. his senses were good, but only by practicing would he have an accurate idea of his limits.


    ''either way, this is a wonderful power. as long as there are enemies around who are as strong or stronger than me, i can always shorten my journey to the peak!''


    ...


    meanwhile, outside the stuart family''s cave, the guild''s supreme leader and elder navey arrived almost simultaneously.


    at first, they paid attention to minos, sensing the level 114 aura of the human in the cave, as well as the improvement of a corpse that minos had obviously helped.


    they both smiled as they imagined the effects of this qualitative improvement that minos was experiencing, each with their own thoughts.


    but after a few seconds of contemplating the sight of minos chatting animatedly with the four beings inside the cave, both supremes looked at each other, ignoring other elders nearby.


    the qualitative advancement of minos'' physique caught the attention of all the supremes in the guild!


    "supreme leader." navey said as he gestured a greeting to jalai.


    the man with the white hair, beard, and mustache smiled inwardly as he nodded to navey. "general minos has improved a lot, huh? i didn''t expect him to be so close to a qualitative breakthrough."


    navey nodded in agreement, but didn''t show the same surprise as the guild leader. "minos is a fortunate boy. i already imagined that he would achieve this. i just didn''t expect it to be at level 110."


    "really? does the elder know the general?" jalai approached navey, taking the opportunity to probe the subject.


    "i''ve heard from him a few times. minos has done amazing things since he entered the obsidian shore. he completed the black heart mission himself."


    navey said what everyone already knew without revealing too much of his interest in such a human.


    "then i won''t impede the elder talking to minos today. go ahead, please," jalai said with a twinkle in his eye.


    "the supreme leader needn''t worry. i''m just curious to get a closer look at him. actually, i think it''s best to let him grow without pressure. for now, i just want to observe his potential." navey looked around and saw several elders hovering near minos'' cave.


    this was not the ideal situation for him to approach minos.


    he greeted a few elders in the area and left as soon as he arrived.


    ''navey... you''re hiding something. i just don''t know if it''s bad for the guild.'' jalai watched in the direction the level 121 supreme had gone, as he continued to stand there with his hands behind his back, while the other elders didn''t get any closer to minos than he already was.


    "elders, let''s let general minos continue his journey. we will have results from him soon." jalai said in a good-natured tone, obviously happy about the birth of the first celestial physique in his guild in this generation!


    celestial physique was the hallmark of celestial, something that rarely appeared in cultivators below the 13th stage!


    that''s why everyone was so interested in minos!  s~ea??h the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    but with the supreme leader''s order, the strongest members of the guild soon went back the way they came, leaving minos to continue his journey without interference, at least for the time being.


    ''we''ll talk about this in the future, minos.'' jalai returned to the guild council with a smile on his face.

 Chapter 2601 Family Tournament

    chapter 2601  family tournament  as the elders returned to their places and duties, minos left his faction''s cave, returning the two corpses to their respective urns, while his cultivation returned to its new normal.


    with a powerful level 110 cultivation base, he headed to the downtown area of the headquarters, receiving congratulations from several officers on his way to the family residence.


    minos was currently living in the guild council, with an exclusive residence in the most important area of the headquarters. however, the family residence was still in the inner area, where most of his family and fellow faction members could easily access it.


    when he arrived home, minos walked past the estate guards to the backyard of the beautiful 500-square-meter estate on one of the major downtown streets.


    there he found ruth and abby, as well as kendrick and grisdi, still at the same level of cultivation as before his seclusion, of course.


    even with his help¡ªwith the temporal manipulation to let them experience years of cultivation in months of real time¡ªthey still needed more time to get closer to their next breakthroughs.


    but his whole family was very close to making further improvements after he returned from his trip to the seraphim world. with his help in using the temporal sands, all of his family members should reach a new level of cultivation in the next five years.


    "level 110... it suits you better, father," kendrick said as he hugged his old man with a smile on his face.


    minos accepted his son''s hug and nodded to grisdi, who also congratulated him on this level increase.


    looking at his wives standing there, minos said, "where are the girls and gloria? i want to start the family tournament in a few weeks."


    "a few weeks? i thought you wanted to start right away," ruth said in surprise.


    "so did i." abby nodded in agreement. "the girls and gloria are finishing their seclusion while kendrick has already finished his preparations and is just waiting for you."


    minos explained, "it was my idea to start the tournament right away, but i''m curious to test some things..." he smiled, trying not to look like a child who just got a new toy.


    "by the way, the tournament is not in a hurry." he added, "we''ll hold the fights one at a time from the first one until we''ve finished the competition in a few months."


    "what do you mean?" kendrick frowned.  sear?h the n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "i''m going to limit your cultivations and make you fight each other against each of your opponents. if someone wins all the fights, they''ll take the hydras'' amulet without having to go through a last fight. if no one wins all three fights, we''ll have a second battle between those who won two fights each." minos changed the plans for the family fight.


    "does that mean we''ll have six fights? everyone will fight everyone?" grisdi asked with interest, understanding minos'' point after seeing him nod in agreement.


    ''whoever wins all three fights will prove themselves superior to all their opponents... it''s an interesting model. there would be no doubt who was the strongest, who truly deserved to inherit something as powerful as the amulet.'' this native of the enchanted realm thought to herself, interested in the combat model minos mentioned.


    it was a scoring model. whoever had the perfect score wouldn''t have to worry about the following competitions. since second or third place didn''t matter, there was no need for a competition between the losers.


    "and when will these fights happen?" kendrick understood what his father was asking.


    "when i return, we''ll have the first fight. be prepared for my return. after the first fight, we''ll have one fight a month. since you''ll be fighting at the same level, the cultivation time won''t make a difference, but we''ll still be able to focus on our guild activities." minos explained.


    there were still too many things going on concurrently for them to stop for a whole day and fight all six battles. but for one fight at a time, they could all make time for their guild responsibilities.


    "when are you leaving?" ruth asked, having spent almost two years in seclusion and looking forward to going to the battlefield. "the day after tomorrow. you two can come with me. the others should stay at the guild to prepare for the family tournament upon my return." minos looked at his wives, also interested in having them at his side for the experiments he wanted to do.


    not only would he be able to permanently absorb the powers of his enemies, but he could also provoke the same reaction in his allies, albeit on a smaller scale.


    still, with abby and ruth at his side, he could try out many of his new abilities.


    the two women smiled, obviously preferring it when they traveled together.


    "before that, we''ll produce two more supreme corpses. i believe that with my quality improvement, we''ll be able to produce new corpses in less time and with less risk for us," he said this specifically to his blue-haired wife.


    she agreed, and soon joined him toward the faction''s cave, while ruth prepared for another external mission, and grisdi and kendrick returned to their local duties.


    the war continued, but none of them intended to go out on any missions until after the family tournament. until then, it would be a time of seclusion for them, preparation for when they would once again be involved in the war.


    even with the changes brought about by the supreme corpses and the guild elders'' more direct involvement in the war, the confrontation with the firestone mines coalition wouldn''t end overnight.


    a war was not settled with a desperate, ill-conceived action. even though first elder juma was willing to sacrifice his parasite to resolve the conflict, even if it cost him his life, they would only act when the time was right.


    juma was waiting for a meeting of the leaders of the opposing coalition to act, and until then, the current conflict was only slightly more dangerous than it had been when minos had just returned from the seraphim world.


    there were opportunities for people like kendrick and grisdi, as well as minos and his two wives, to go out and test their current powers!

 Chapter 2602 Leaving the Guild to Test Powers

    chapter 2602  leaving the guild to test powers  three days later...


    after creating two new level 115 corpses and completing 10 corpses of this active cultivation, leaving only 27% of the black liquid available in the guild for use, minos, abby, and ruth left the headquarters the previous day.


    besides them, a new elder left the headquarters along with the two level 115 corpses, which were even more focused and easier to control than the previous corpses because of minos'' level increase.


    to leave the guild, they took on a mission against one of the firestone mines coalition outposts in the riverpeak front, which was two weeks away from examire at minos'' current speed.


    using his powerful dragon form, minos left the guild with his women on his back, flying through the coalition-dominated territory, a safe area for them to travel through with little trouble.


    meanwhile, the core of the faction stayed behind at headquarters, continuing their activities in search of the next level and the completion of their missions related to minos'' departure for uzira, scheduled for just over 70 years.


    ...


    the first days of the journey were uneventful for the trio from the spiritual world.


    traveling through territory controlled by the guild and its allies, they didn''t encounter many problems during the first nine days of their journey.


    even though their enemies often attacked areas controlled by forces opposed to their own, as minos intended to do on this mission to the riverpeak front, most of the time, such areas were safe to travel through.


    it could be quite dangerous to stay in one place for too long. but using a certain area with these characteristics as a passageway rarely posed any major challenges.  s~ea??h the n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    at the level minos was currently at, there weren''t many challenges that would have caught his attention.


    after a quiet journey with his two wives, minos spotted the last camp of the armhands on the road they were traveling that morning.


    despite all his strength and the trio''s ability to act together, they needed more up-to-date information to continue their journey, which would take them into an unoccupied area and then into enemy-held territory.


    minos alerted his wives for the approach of the armhands'' camp just ahead, and it wasn''t long before they were flying to his side as he returned to his human form.


    carrying armhands'' credentials, they flew past the sentries around the camp''s perimeter and landed on the south side of the guild''s men''s outpost.


    the men in the area made gestures of respect to minos, recognizing his rank as general; some men looked at him with curiosity.


    some of them knew minos, but many had never met him, and after hearing the news of his promotion, they still had doubts about the white-haired human''s powers.


    this was not the case with maximillian, who was standing guard around the main tent of the camp.


    "minos..." this level 110 muttered as he looked at the white-haired man with six wings on his back, a completely transformed man with a terrifying aura despite only having a level 110 cultivation base.


    because of his position as a senior officer, maximilian had spent almost all the last 20 years as a guild fighter on battlefields or in camps like this.


    minos saw the black-haired human standing in front of the tent he was going to, and smiled as he remembered how he had put maximillian in the difficult situation he was currently in.


    throughout that time period, maximilian endured the hardships of poverty and had limited opportunities for personal growth. he had engaged in numerous battles, and on several occasions, he narrowly escaped death.


    but he had survived so far, showing his resilience, a sign of his innate ability that had protected him from time itself when he was in the spiritual world, and which had saved his life on this dangerous planet.


    "looks like you''ve been in some good fights, maximillian." minos said as he stopped in front of the camp''s command tent, where he and his wives looked at the scarred face of the senior officer.


    "yes, i''ve had some battles that will be hard to forget, general." maximilian replied dutifully, respecting the rules of the guild, but more afraid of the level minos was currently at than of the rank of this guy he didn''t know if was still a human.


    "when will you return to the headquarters, maximillian?" minos asked.


    "my current shift should be over in six months. if i''m still alive, i''ll pay my respects to the general."


    minos smiled as he approached maximillian and patted the man, who was now much smaller than he had once been, lightly on the shoulder.


    "i hope you make it. soon vico and callie will return from the spiritual world with more of our companions. i''m sure some of them would be glad to see you again."


    maximillian wasn''t surprised by the information, as he had already imagined that this was minos'' plan.


    ''the stuart family will play a much more important role in the guild''s future than i thought... i have to be careful with some of them. as long ago as the war against the west region was for me, i''m sure it''s only been a few years for those who stayed behind and survived the war of the worlds. surely the resentment still runs high.''


    maximilian was worried.


    he certainly couldn''t do anything against those people joining minos'' group in the future, and he knew these individuals would easily grow under minos'' wing. his only alternative to avoid some old problems from his homeworld was to become stronger and avoid unnecessary contact.


    still, he replied in an enthusiastic tone, "i am glad to hear that. the spiritual world, though weak, has much potential for growth hidden in the lineage of our people. i imagine aurea will come with the next group, right?"


    "certainly. i think she''ll do very well when she gets to zocarro. a highly talented elf like her will quickly reach the middle of the 11th level." minos thought of the elf who had stayed behind to put things in order in the spiritual world after the war of the worlds.


    maximilian agreed and asked, "how long will it take until vico and callie return, general?"


    "about 20 years, maybe more. hardly less."


    "i see..." maximillian sighed, feeling he could prepare longer for the potential rivals that would come with vico and callie.


    minos said goodbye to maximillian and entered the command tent to get the information he needed to go to the riverpeak front.

 Chapter 2603 Riverpeak Front

    chapter 2603  riverpeak front inside the main tent of the camp, minos found the general in charge of the area sitting at a table with a map of the region on it.


    ignoring the many details on the map, minos looked at the general, a man he had little interaction with within the guild, but whom she had seen a few times in recent years.


    "is general minos just passing through, or will he be staying with us for a while?" the level 113 sovereign asked, standing next to the level 114 general.


    minos picked up a glass and a pitcher of drink from another table over there, while abby and ruth looked at the map of the region. "i''m looking for information. we''re just passing through this camp."


    "that''s too bad. you could join our men," said the general, taking his eyes off the map. "where are you going?"


    "riverpeak front," ruth said in her husband''s place, pointing with a finger toward the enemy territory marked on the map.


    the two men in the command tent looked at minos, not expecting the three to actually want to travel to such a place. this was enemy territory, where anyone would quickly be surrounded by enemies, traps, and the natural dangers of oqia.


    "this is going to be dangerous. don''t you think you should change your mind? your efforts at the headquarters have already brought a lot of positive points to the guild." the senior officer next to the general suggested.


    they knew about minos and abby''s achievements, their fantastic powers, and the special promotions they had received in recent years. but they didn''t know about the qualitative breakthrough minos had achieved a few days ago.


    minos drank the entire contents of the cup in his hand and smiled. "a good drink, general. maybe i will buy some of this in the future."


    the general ignored him and insisted on what his subordinate had already said. "i ask general minos to reconsider. it''s too dangerous. there are at least 200 peak sovereigns at the riverpeak front. going there is suicide, even for you."


    "200 peak sovereigns? that''s a rather atypical number." abby looked at the two men.


    "indeed, it is. but the enemy forces have been acting strangely lately. i suspect it''s because of the supreme corpses, officer." the general looked at the blue-haired woman with respect and awe.


    minos was someone who could kill. but abby, she was someone who could force the dead to serve her, something far more sinister!


    with minos, his enemies at least had a chance to elude him with their death. but with abby, not even the end of a life would be a guarantee that she wouldn''t make them regret their mistakes!


    the level 113 senior officer added to his boss''s speech. "the sect in this area is holding a meeting of battalions from groups under their control. they should join the nearby battlefields in the next few weeks."


    the world was not a place completely ruled directly by the great powers. in oqia, as everywhere minos had been, there were organizations, peak, subordinate, subordinate of subordinate, and so on, including third-party mercenary groups.


    armhands itself had such groups, and their enemies were no different.


    usually, groups led by supremes had subordinate groups led by one or more supremes, who in turn had subordinate groups led by powerful sovereigns. this was repeated down to the lowest levels of power, with "weak" individuals performing minor tasks far away from the powerful.


    the riverpeak front force was supposed to have only 45 peak sovereigns. but because of the preparations of such a force, their subordinates were in the area and adding their numbers.


    minos said with interest, "perfect. give us the location of the key members of this group, the general number of high-level opponents, the possibility of involving the supremes, and the current position of the confrontation between you and them."


    "are you still going to proceed?" the general asked with a solemn look on his face, sensing minos was trying to get him into trouble.


    "yes. i''ve just moved up a level. i''m eager to test my powers in battle. but if the general is worried, i invite him to join us. it would be interesting to test my powers on you as well." minos suggested with a smile on his face.


    after his experiments with abby regarding the black liquid, he had developed an interest in testing things.


    the general turned pale when he saw he had gotten himself into trouble. now that minos had invited him, there was no way he could refuse!


    "braldro, you stay here and take care of the camp while i accompany the general and the officers."


    "general!" braldro exclaimed in surprise, not expecting his leader to put himself in such a position.


    the general ignored the level 113 sovereign''s protest and said what minos wanted to hear. "there are 5,000 high-level sovereigns in the place you want to go. most of them, between 70% and 90%, should be in the monastery of chaos. there shouldn''t be any supremes in the area, but we can''t guarantee that. supremes can hide very well from us sovereigns..."


    the general went on for five minutes, describing the main battle points in the area, the situation in the recent battles, and even what he would do if many enemies died in the monastery of chaos.


    "very well. if you''re ready, we should go to the enemy headquarters," minos said with calmness in his voice, despite the bloody implications and risks for everyone involved.


    "general, reconsider," said the senior officer next to the level 114 sovereign, who thought it was all a mistake.


    "if minos is making a mistake, i could save them by sacrificing my parasite. in that case, having these men from the camp ready to distract us from our escape might be the best thing for us.


    the general thought for a moment before giving his order. "braldro, prepare our troops. on my signal, you are to attack the monastery of chaos!"


    with these words, minos, ruth, abby and the level 114 general set off towards the nearby enemy headquarters!


    braldro had no choice but to stay behind and prepare his troops to attack the main battlefield on his superior''s signal.


    meanwhile, the four companions flew to the enemy outpost just a few days away from this camp. s§×arch* the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 2604 Bloody Banquet (1)

    chapter 2604  bloody banquet (1) days later, minos and his three companions had left allied territory, passed through neutral territory, and then entered enemy territory.


    now the four of them were cautiously sailing toward the monastery of chaos, located only 250 kilometers north of their current position.


    minos could easily cover that distance in a few moments if he used all of his strength. however, just as he had done in the first test with the supreme corpses, he needed to infiltrate the enemy territory before he could act violently and openly.


    but with his clairvoyance at its peak, navigating those hundreds of kilometers would be easy for minos. in a few minutes, he and his three companions would stand behind a bush, watching the enemy forces standing guard around the monastery of chaos security area.


    "are you sure we should act so openly?" the level 114 general asked minos, having already heard his plan for this attack.


    he was now aware of the tests minos had planned for him, abby, and ruth, as well as the method of getting past the enemy defenses.


    knowing how minos had invaded a force with three supremes years ago, he didn''t doubt this guy''s invasion skills. but he was worried about the battle ahead.


    "fear not, general. with my wife''s skill, we can use the very people who fall in battle to rise up against their former comrades and masters." minos placed a hand on abby''s right shoulder and smiled confidently.


    the general looked at abby and secretly clenched his fists, not doubting it would help, but still feeling strange.


    they would soon make way for the enemy group to enter the protected area of this headquarters, with the two women and the level 114 alien following behind minos.


    once inside the force headquarters, there was no turning back for the group. the level 114 sovereign took a deep breath and advanced with the group on this suicide mission, following in disguise as the monastery of chaos subordinates.


    "unfortunately, i''m not stronger. otherwise, i could help you reach level 115, at least temporarily. but it''s likely you''ll be able to show off superior combat skills during this fight. come on, don''t be afraid," minos said as he walked ahead of his group, his golden hourglass appearing in one of his hands.


    the men standing guard at the entrance to the force immediately felt the effects of minos'' divine power, freezing in time and space.


    they would soon make way for the enemy group to enter the protected area of this headquarters, with the two women and the level 114 alien following behind minos.


    once inside the force headquarters, there was no turning back for the group. the level 114 sovereign took a deep breath and advanced with the group on this suicide mission, following in disguise as the monastery of chaos subordinates.


    when they entered the headquarters of this force, they would feel how true the information given by the general earlier had been.


    ''indeed. most of them are here. your observers are sharp, general.'' minos praised as he sensed numbers similar to those the alien had commented on earlier.


    ''these are competent men. but i don''t know if this is a good thing. i''d rather they were mistaken and there weren''t so many enemies here.'' the general said to the minds of his companions while his eyes were fixed on a lighted area ahead, where some kind of fraternization was taking place.


    abby looked in that direction and saw several beings native to zocarro celebrating in an area the size of a city, but with no typical city buildings around it. the place looked more like the remains of a quarry, where a few tents, some special structures, occupied some of the magnificent space.


    but most of the area was just ruined rock, and the locals were spread out rather irregularly, with a few campfires here and there, and lots of conversation in the language of the region they were in.


    ''is this kind of gathering common?'' the blue-haired woman asked, narrowing her eyes.


    from the looks of it, many of the creatures were eating and drinking, so this area of several square kilometers was like a large banquet.


    ''yes. commanders usually have banquets before and after battles. pre-battle is rarer, but it can happen, especially if a lord has called their vassals to fight alongside them. after the battle is more common. men spend a lot of their strength in battle, get injured, and come close to death. there''s nothing better than a feast to satisfy the masses of soldiers.''


    ''i see...''


    ruth asked minos. ''how should we act here? we''re already undercover, so we can do a lot of different things.''


    minos continued to lead the team towards the banquet place. ''let''s see what they''re talking about. we''re already here, so there''s no point in wasting it, right? there''s bound to be enough fighting for us, even if we take the enemies by surprise with a few kills.''


    they moved on without questioning his decision and soon passed through an area where hundreds and hundreds of sovereigns between levels 110 and 113 were.


    they passed almost all of them unnoticed, wearing disguises that only supremes would notice as long as they didn''t activate their powers.


    soon, they were close enough to the leaders of the region to overhear the preparations for the battle against the enemies in a few days, when they would avenge the alliance''s defeats against the enemies in this region.


    "in a week at the most, we will march against the wicked field and spill the blood of our enemies! did they take soul pagoda? we''ll take the wicked field!" shouted one of the level 114 sovereigns, who was between the strongest men to attend the banquet.


    shouts of "yeah!" erupted from the crowd of high-level fighters amid the comments of warriors eager to get to the battlefield.


    most seemed eager for bloodshed, some with obvious interests in avenging fallen comrades.


    a war began with the interests of powerful individuals, but it grew in all directions, with great acts of brutality generated by revenge for deaths caused by the conflict itself.


    the firestone mines alliance had accumulated more negative than positive results since the missions of the armhands'' elders and the supreme corpses began. as a result, subordinates like these thousands of individuals were being assembled to advance against groups like the one maximillian now belonged to.  s§×arch* the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the armhands'' elders couldn''t be everywhere with the supreme corpses. while they were fighting the major battles, important pillars of the armhands'' allies would suffer from the enemies'' plans!


    ''this is bad. if the guild and our allies don''t react accordingly, even if we win the war, we could lose many sovereigns and weaken the foundation of our forces!''


    ruth and her companions realized the problem.


    ''we will inform the guild about this later. for now, let''s act!'' minos said as he took a step forward, drawing the attention of some of the strongest in the area.

 Chapter 2605 Bloody Banquet (2)

    chapter 2605  bloody banquet (2) the moment minos stepped forward, a few powerful sovereigns nearby turned their eyes in his direction.


    minos'' disguise was good and had caught no one''s attention, but his behavior of approaching the strongest in the area wasn''t normal for level 110 soldiers.


    his companions stayed close to him, also drawing the attention of the strongest and most skeptical creatures in the area.


    but minos wasn''t there to talk. the moment he took a step forward, he moved his energies through his divine ability, stealing the cultivation of the level 113 and 114 sovereigns near him.


    before he even attacked or targeted the lives of the first enemies in this place, minos felt that his cultivation had reached level 114. meanwhile, abby had reached level 109 and ruth had reached level 110, and both of them couldn''t help but smile as they felt their strength improve with his help.


    they weren''t far from their next breakthrough, so soon minos'' help could take them even further.


    the general next to them felt an improvement of over 100% in his strength, not enough for him to reach the 12th stage, but enough for him to look at minos wide-eyed.


    ''he can do that?'' the general was impressed not only by his own power increase but also by minos'' absurd growth.


    but there was no time for questions or appreciation. thousands of enemies surrounded them, many of whom together could threaten them!


    minos said to the three, ''combine your forces. abby, use the dead against them, while ruth will keep you both vigorous. general, fight for their security. i''ll deal with most of the enemies, but there will be a few opponents for you to enjoy.''


    ''what about this test you want to do?'' abby asked as minos was already on the move, appearing behind twelve of the strongest peak sovereigns in the area.


    ''you''ll get a feel for it. i''ll test it with the general first and set the limits for the rest of us,'' minos said only to abby and ruth as he moved his powers and transformed his body into the dragon version.


    a terrible pressure fell on a group of over 200 sovereigns, those closest to abby and ruth, as immense energy dragon paws fell on the four of the twelve enemies closest to minos.


    his six wings slammed into his back, and golden feathers flew at six of the eight remaining enemies, leaving only two of the twelve minos had first targeted.


    the first four were crushed to death without a chance to scream or fight back. the eight pierced by feathers felt their world turn blood red as they felt golden feathers pass through their bodies and pierce their hearts.


    "enemy!" one of them shouted before coughing up blood and falling face first to the ground, dying at his own feast.


    minos finished forming his dragon''s body and opened his mouth and spitting blue flames at the two remaining individuals, melting them along with their armor, drinks, food, and rocks in the surrounding area.


    minos'' flames had evolved to match his dragon''s body, and they had reached such a high level of power that they could even scare newly promoted supreme cultivators!


    the crowd in the surrounding area stirred at the sight of minos'' sudden action and the death of those twelve, just before ruth and the general began to kill those under the pressure of their leader''s chaotic gravity.


    focusing her powers, abby immediately resurrected some of the first to fall in the area, quickly bringing chaos to this bloody feast.


    a few enemies rushed toward them, but when they were surprised to see their dead allies rise again, this time to face them, the death toll escalated in a matter of moments.


    from the first twelve deaths caused by minos, followed by the first 20 opponents killed by ruth and the general, the next 90 bodies fell to the dead manipulated by abby!


    "kill that woman!"


    "if she dies, they all die together!"


    desperate screams rose from the throats of many of these creatures native to zocarro. meanwhile, minos and his companions continued their slaughter, demonstrating their fighting prowess at their slightly altered levels.


    for minos, the battle began with ease. of the thousands of enemies out there, almost half of them attacking him, they could hardly force him to stand still. with every move he made, a dozen enemies fell, and the combined efforts of the enemy force lost power.


    unfortunately for the enemies, if they didn''t cooperate perfectly from the beginning, it would be almost impossible to stop minos. on the same level as his opponents, he was an extremely formidable opponent!


    amid his killing spree and the effects of abby''s ability, which was crucial to the rapid decrease in enemy numbers, minos observed the new effects of his innate ability.


    ''how do you feel about this level increase? 10% of your current improvement will remain when the effects of my ability wear off in a few minutes.'' minos looked at the general, who was now slaughtering enemies with a smile on his face.


    it was wonderful to fight under minos'' command. for a warrior who loved to kill, the best feeling in the world was to fight at a higher level and more easily eliminate groups of enemies that would have given them a hard time in the past.


    ''is that true? i can''t say how stable it is now. i won''t know for sure until my level drops again,'' said the general.


    minos had expected something like this and gave his wives and himself a lower permanent improvement. ''our permanent improvements will only be 1% of what we''ve improved now. depending on the results with the general, i will increase this in the future.''


    minos imagined that 1% wouldn''t affect him and his wives that much, while 10% for the general would be enough for a good test.  s§×ar?h the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    but would it ideally be more? maybe less? he didn''t know. this was just the first of a series of tests minos wanted to perform on his enemies.


    ''let''s keep some of the strongest enemies alive. 100 men between levels 112 and 114 will be enough.'' he announced to the three allies as each of them continued their killing spree, understanding how far they could go in this battle.

 Chapter 2606 Experimenting with Permanent Improvements (1)

    chapter 2606  experimenting with permanent improvements (1) as much as the general was afraid of the results of minos'' mission today, he changed his mind in just five minutes of battle.


    just as his level began to lose the bonus minos had given him, leaving him with only the promised 10%, the general saw the site of the enemy banquet, marked by blood, remains, corpses fighting in their name, and many zocarro natives seriously wounded.


    of the 175 peak sovereigns in the area at the time of their arrival, only 12 were alive now, 67 with their bodies destroyed and the rest standing under abby''s powers.


    however, in contrast to the corpses that were baptized by the black liquid, those who were only revived by abby''s divine ability had a short lifespan.


    many of them were already falling apart, disappearing from the world after taking a few more lives from their own organization.


    but that didn''t matter. they had done their part, and abby already had enough bodies in minos'' spatial ring to use in the future.


    abby and ruth felt their cultivations almost return to their current normal, though a little stronger than before.


    as they felt the effects of the permanent power boost from minos'' ability, they relaxed a bit, as over 80% of the enemies were dead.


    the effect of increasing one''s cultivation with the strength of others was stronger on the user of the ability than on the others they helped. as a result, even though his companions had returned to normal, minos'' level was still changing, and he was currently at the peak of level 112.


    with just a handful of formidable adversaries to keep him alert, and a multitude of weary or wounded individuals with limited capacity to pose a threat, minos effectively employed the powers of the dark sea and infinite dream to overcome over fifty percent of the remaining enemies.


    upon returning to his human form, minos saw the small group of remaining enemies standing and looking at him in horror, mentally destroyed despite being physically whole.


    "who are you?" one of the remaining level 114 men asked.


    "minos stuart, general of the armhands," minos said as his six wings crawled, emitting a golden glow that was hard to ignore.


    despite everything, minos was drenched in sweat, with dirt and bloodstains on his armor, but he also felt a slight pain here and there.


    he had received many blows from the enemy in the course of the fight, which had lasted just over five minutes.


    "i see. the monster that helped create the supreme corpses," the individual said as he moved his weapon to kill himself.


    the corpses of abby and minos had become famous in central part of oqia.


    but before this level 114 individual killed himself, minos moved one of his fingers, causing this individual''s body to be paralyzed under the light of the seraphim''s wings, but also under the light of chaotic gravity.


    "you and your companions have an important mission to complete before you die. so have a little patience. this is not the time for you to fall." minos make each of the survivors on the battlefield shudder to see that they couldn''t even choose death.


    some of them looked in the direction of the blue-haired human and sighed. even if they died, they wouldn''t be able to escape abby.


    even if the sacrifice could destroy the possibility of being used after death, with minos around, they wouldn''t be able to do it.


    so they lost this battle in every way and fell to their knees under the bodies and blood of their allies, friends, bosses, and subordinates.


    minos closed his eyes as he watched this scene, breathing deeply, not bothered by the stench of the battlefield. after so many wars and massacres in his life, he was familiar with the smell of death.


    he focused on his own being for a moment, analyzing the 1% permanent improvement he had gained in this battle.


    ''it looks like my foundation is completely stable. it remains for me to analyze the situation of the others and how similar improvements affect the long-term stability of our foundations.''


    he opened his eyes and looked at his three allies. "general, did you give the warning to our allies to advance?"


    "yes. my troops are moving to attack the nearby front with force. in a few hours they will reach our position to take the monastery of chaos," said the man from the level 114.


    days, even hours ago, he thought he would use these men as sacrifices to ensure the group''s escape. but now, those men could bask in the glory of winning and taking over enemy territory, guaranteeing a victory for the guild and the alliance!


    but he wasn''t thinking about that right now. although he had already activated the device that would give the order for maximillian''s party to move, he was more concerned with the 10% upgrade minos had given him.


    "how do you feel about your advance?" minos asked.


    "i feel full... it''s as if i''ve taken a pill to advance quickly. i''m sure i can control this feeling if i cultivate for a few months, but it doesn''t seem to be such a stable improvement, although it''s useful if used in moderation," the general said sincerely.


    "i see. what about you?" minos asked his wives.


    "for me, the situation differs from for the general. i feel quite stable, though stronger. it''s as if i made this progress with just regular cultivation," abby said.


    "me too." ruth agreed with her harem sister.


    minos pondered for a moment and said, "let''s settle down in the monastery of chaos. i want the three of you to cultivate for two days. after that, we''ll do another round of strengthening with our live guinea pigs."  s§×ar?h the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    they looked in the direction of the people who had been defeated by the dark sea, the infinite dream, and minos'' oppression.


    minos finished his speech, "general, next time i won''t give you such a considerable lead. i''ll try to give you a 5% advance, while maintaining a 1% advance for my women. i want to know if this will destabilize their improvements and if you can achieve a stable improvement. we''ll keep trying until we find the ideal formula."


    the general didn''t disagree, as he could get stronger quickly with minos'' help and was willing to do so even if it destabilized his foundation a bit. as long as they didn''t overdo it, and minos didn''t seem to want that, he was fine with such experiments.


    with that decided, the three of them soon began to meditate, while the remaining corpses in the area slowly decomposed as they reached their limits.


    minos felt his cultivation return to level 110 and organized things at the monastery of chaos.

 Chapter 2607 Experimenting with Permanent Improvements (2)

    chapter 2607  experimenting with permanent improvements (2) days after...


    after the battle, or rather massacre, of monastery of chaos, minos and his group stayed at this enemy base to wait for their troops to arrive, but also to conduct experiments with his ability.


    with several enemies to serve as guinea pigs and also allies to receive powers from, minos had several options besides his two wives and the general who had come with him to this place.


    his ability was no secret to anyone, so as soon as his allies and maximilian''s party arrived at the monastery of chaos, victors in the battles with nearby enemies, he began his experiments.


    as he had promised his two wives and the general, he continued with them two days after their arrival in the area, even before the people from maximilian''s group arrived.


    he had better results with the general''s 5% boost, while his wives and himself showed no instability with the second 1% continuous improvement. but the general still hadn''t achieved anything stable, perhaps because 5% was still too much or he hadn''t fully recovered from the 10% improvement.


    so minos'' preliminary data with his new trait was still inconclusive when maximilian''s group joined them on their fourth day in the area.


    from that day on, he began his large-scale tests, using three groups of 10 people of the same level to test continuous improvements of 2%, 3%, and 4%.


    ...


    after a month of experimenting with his new powers on allies and enemies alike, minos had learned a great deal about the limits of permanent power transfer.


    so far, continuous improvements of 1% seemed safe, but he would have to test them for longer to confirm that. for the time being, he felt he could proceed with improvements of this order for his closest family members and allies.


    improvements of 2% were only stable for the first two progresses and became unstable after the third attempt. from then on, even down to 1%, the improvements never became stable again.  sear?h the n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    beyond that, the result was worse, and only time would tell whether those individuals who improved their strength by over 1% per minos attempt would return to normal, with the potential to be helped by him in the future without damage to their foundation.


    but while these improvements greatly strengthened minos'' allies, whether they were stable, they worsened the life expectancy of the enemies used as guinea pigs.


    losing 10% of their strength at once was enough to severely weaken a cultivator''s soul. meanwhile, consecutive losses of 3% were enough to cripple some of minos'' guinea pigs in just one month!


    over 20 of the 123 guinea pigs minos used that month died during or after his experiments, a tragic sign that only affected his enemies.


    this result was terrible, however, because it limited the number of times a particular cultivator could be used to enhance the powers of others.


    now, after a month of work in the monastery of chaos, minos was preparing to stay in the area for a while longer, at least until he had finished with the enemies that were still alive.


    but amid his experiments, a question had arisen. could these improvements help a level 114 sovereign become a supreme?


    to find out, he had sent a message to the guild council, warning them not only about what he and his companions had heard before the bloody banquet, but also about his achievements and asking the generals to test his theories.


    the man trusted by the guild''s commander was on the verge of a breakthrough. minos was interested in testing his theories while he still had live guinea pigs in the monastery of chaos.


    ...


    nearing his second month in monastery of chaos, minos stood next to ruth, abby, and the main armhands stationed there.


    ahead of them, an elder of the armhands had just landed in the area, along with three generals who had arrived after the supreme leader of the guild accepted minos'' request to send him level 114 generals close to their advance.


    "general minos, are you sure of your theories?" the level 120 elder there¡ªsegiel''s master¡ªasked.


    unfortunately for minos, segiel was busy with another matter and hadn''t accompanied her teacher.


    "i have concrete results right in front of the elder." minos gestured to the over 30 people around him, all of whom had improved their cultivation over the past few weeks.


    abby and ruth were on the verge of their breakthroughs, having saved several months of closed cultivation with just a few of minos'' blessings.


    they were already expecting to advance before they even returned to the guild headquarters!


    the elder could feel the difference in the cultivation of some of these foreigners, people she knew herself and who she knew shouldn''t be as strong as they were right now.


    the general, who had taken part in the experiments with the black liquid along with minos and abby, smiled in anticipation, eager to try it out and who knows, maybe break through to the 12th stage.


    the guild had few resources to help sovereigns advance to level 115, so they saved them for precious moments to use on their men. the organization was not at a critical point in its existence yet, so even in a war, it would not use such a trick now.


    "very well. you can continue with your experiments. the three generals who came with me from the headquarters are among the strongest sovereigns in the guild. if there''s anyone in the guild who can advance with your help, it''s them."


    "perfect. i''ll work with them as soon as possible. however, i can''t guarantee that they''ll advance, or that i''ll have enough guinea pigs to provide them with their powers. after weeks here, i''m afraid most of my guinea pigs have perished." minos explained as he saw the generals come over to his side.


    "don''t worry about that. if your experiments prove promising, i will personally collect enemies nearby and bring them to you," she said as she walked away, disappearing from the area, but still around to help them or even just watch.


    minos greeted the three and soon led them to the area where the men he had separated for this part of his research were.


    he wanted to start with them immediately!

 Chapter 2608 New Guild Supremes!

    chapter 2608  new guild supremes! two weeks after the arrival of segiel''s group of masters, minos was still working in monastery of chaos when the level 120 elder returned with new hostages.


    minos was nearing the limit of the last survivors of the monastery of chaos when he received a message from one man in the area.


    "continue to cultivate here. i''ll be back in a couple of hours with fresh enemies," minos said as he finished with the group of five guinea pigs, now so destroyed that no one in the area doubted that they would die later today.


    the three generals who were there to strengthen themselves, still waiting for the opportunity to reach level 115, agreed as they went into their meditation modes while minos left.


    abby and ruth joined their husband in leaving this secluded area of the monastery of chaos, the place where they had been conducting their experiments since the beginning of their stay in the area.


    on their way to the elder, who had just returned from a hunt, the three soon spotted the blue-haired alien, very similar to segiel in many ways, beautiful and with a glowing aura.


    next to the level 120 elder were six peak level 114 sovereigns, all unconscious but healthy.


    "your efforts are paying off." the elder looked at ruth and abby with interest, sensing their new cultivations.


    ruth was now at level 109, while abby had reached level 108 the night before!


    but even minos had left the absolute beginnings of level 110 and reached an energy plateau that would normally take a newly promoted individual a full decade to reach.


    ''the effects of his ability are truly incredible. at this rate, it''s likely that he will advance to level 111 before the end of this century.'' the elder looked at minos with interest.


    he said to her, "we have had some success lately. but we''re still failing with the generals. however, with the group the elder has brought, i feel that i''ll be able to come up with better answers in no time. cultivators who have never lost parts of their cultivation base seem to be more helpful in the experiment we''re doing here."


    "then i won''t stand in your way. take them and continue your hard work." she gestured, causing the six to float towards minos.


    "there is still time for the next round of cultivation transfusions. our men are meditating as they prepare for the next step. it is possible that one of them will be able to advance to level 115 between today and tomorrow¡ªif that doesn''t happen, then i may not help them in such a way." minos held the unconscious bodies with his powers.


    the elder said, "in that case, i''ll stay in the area to accompany your next attempts."


    as they walked side by side, abby asked. "by the way, elder, how are the latest movements of the war going?"


    "agitated, i''d say. there should be a meeting of high-ranking supremes in enemy territory soon, and the first elder is already preparing to attack. meanwhile, our troops are fighting on over 50 battlefields, and the elders and supreme corpses are on the move," she said in a grave tone.


    the war was reaching a stage that could quickly lead to victory or defeat for the guild!


    depending on how the enemy reacted to the armhands'' offensive actions over the past few months, the confrontation could end within a few months.


    minos group expected to defeat firestone mines, but in the world of cultivation, anything was possible.


    the group would talk to the elder for a while before positioning themselves to observe minos'' actions while he prepared for his next attempt.


    ...


    hours later, minos had cultivated and rested from his earlier efforts, while the three generals were ready to continue their attempts to help them advance one step.  sea??h th§× n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    when he returned to the crater where they were conducting their experiments, where only a few members of the armhands were currently receiving minos'' help and only the three generals were there to promote themselves, he didn''t hesitate to begin his movements.


    borrowing the strength of one of his men in the area, minos reached the peak of the 11th stage.


    he manipulated the cultivations of the guinea pigs and gave a fraction of their cultivation base to each of the three generals waiting in lotus positions.


    the 1% for those cultivators was about 2% of the cultivation base of those guinea pigs, not enough for them to go crazy from losing that part of themselves, but enough to feel terrible.


    meanwhile, the three felt that their strength was increasing; they were approaching the limits of the 11th stage!


    the guild commander''s right-hand man suddenly felt something different, a tingling sensation followed by an absurd thirst. for a few moments, he felt like he was in a desert, and he searched for the ''water'' he so desperately wanted.


    but he wasn''t in the desert, and his thirst wasn''t just for water. in his search for what he felt was missing in his being, he absorbed more spiritual energy and laws than his body and soul could hold in the 11th stage.


    seeing this from her position, segiel''s teacher broke into a smile on her mature face, sensing the same thing that minos had already noticed.


    ''he is going to reach the 12th stage!'' the two thought almost instantly, witnessing the birth of the first supreme among the guild generals in millennia!


    moments after minos began his moves to help the three generals, everyone in the monastery of chaos stopped what they were doing to look to this expert.


    abby and ruth smiled broadly as they felt their guild mate''s aura jump from level 114 to level 115, reaching the 12th stage with minos'' help!


    but it wasn''t just the guild commander''s trusted man who had made this qualitative breakthrough. shortly after he began to stabilize his cultivation at level 115, he realized one of his two colleagues would also achieve this feat today.


    minos and the level 120 elder looked in the direction of the other alien and saw signs similar to those of the man who had already advanced among the three, weaker signs than the previous ones, but enough to indicate another advance to the 12th stage.


    only two of them could advance to level 115 today, but the end of this experiment would be very successful. once again, minos had helped the guild create supremes amid the war against firestone mines!

 Chapter 2609 Called Back to Headquarters

    chapter 2609  called back to headquarters one hour after the first of the two generals to advance to level 115 began, the three generals finished this special cultivation session with minos'' help.


    two of them became the guild''s new level 115 supremes, while the third did not advance, but was close and quite confident he would advance in no time.


    when the three finished cultivating and stabilizing their foundations with minos'' help, they didn''t hesitate to thank the human who had made their steady growth possible.


    minos looked at them with a smile on his face, while the level 120 elder was already at his side, squeezing one of his shoulders, seeing another potential in minos.


    ''once he''s in uzira, he''ll probably be able to form a powerful group to establish a base for us on the continent. this will increase our chances of eventually gaining an important foothold there.'' she looked at minos with a smile, feeling so happy she no longer saw it as a mistake for segiel to have sex with a human.


    hell, if she weren''t so much older than him and his elder, she would even consider having a relationship with this talented guy!


    minos didn''t know what the elder beside him had in mind, but he looked at the generals and said. "one of you can go and join the guild''s forces in the war against the firestone mines. but the other one must stay for a while. i want to test my powers on you. it probably won''t lead to anything, but i want to understand the effects of my abilities on a supreme being."


    minos wouldn''t dare to test such a thing on the elder next to him. she was so much stronger than the two newly promoted supremes that nothing useful would come out of a test with her.


    the two generals looked at each other and decided who would stay to help minos for a while longer, quickly announcing their decision.


    the elder said, "in that case, general, i will take you to the place where you must join our groups and fight the strongest enemies. the other two will stay here and obey minos. when i return, i''ll take one or both of you with me."


    "yes, elder." the newly promoted supreme and the peak sovereign replied simultaneously.


    with that, the elder and the new level 115 cultivator departed, leaving the monastery of chaos.


    "what now? what do we do?" abby asked minos.


    "you two should prepare for our return to work in three days. use those days to get used to your new strength. in the meantime, abby and i will focus on developing more supreme corpses to accompany you when you go to the battlefields."


    the two accepted minos'' recommendation as he left the area with his wives, some men already taking care of the six weakened guinea pigs and taking them away.


    he told his wives, "we must prepare for our return to the guild. it would be good if we could get some enemies to take with us to the headquarters. the children and gloria could benefit from my help in reaching new levels."


    "that''s a good idea. when will we do it?" ruth asked.


    "after abby and i create a few more supremes. we''ll take them out hunting enemies while these two prepare for the next round of special cultivation."


    "perfect." abby clenched her fists as she couldn''t help but smile, pleased with minos'' plans.


    she still hadn''t used her abilities after her level''s progression. but now, stronger and with minos'' help, she could reach level 110 and use her divine ability at a much higher level!


    surely, the next supreme corpses would be even easier for her to control and less sensitive to the negative aspects of the black liquid!


    ...


    in the blink of an eye, weeks had passed since the breakthrough of the guild''s new supremes, the ones minos had helped.


    after over five months since reaching level 110, it was time for minos and his wives to return to the armhands'' headquarters.


    with news of minos'' accomplishments¡ªnot only defeating the force behind the monastery of chaos but also creating three new supremes among the guild''s generals and two new supreme corpses with abby¡ªhe was called back to finish his experiments.


    the guild''s supreme leader wanted minos to remain at headquarters, cultivating in seclusion away from enemies to ensure the future of this important "weapon" for the organization.


    so, after minos'' successive successes in the region where the monastery of chaos was located, segiel''s master returned there, picked up the three humans, and headed back to the guild''s headquarters.


    maximilian''s group stayed behind on the post, while the two generals, who had stayed behind to continue cultivating under his supervision, left for the battlefields of the region along with the two new level 115 corpses.


    but the time he had spent at the monastery of chaos had been very enlightening for minos. he now knew he could help peak sovereigns reach level 115, but he also knew that his abilities, even after all his improvements, had almost no effect on supremes.


    he could definitely affect a level 115 supreme, but that was like drying ice. unless he got stronger, he wouldn''t be able to do anything more than make useless moves against 12th stage cultivators.


    however, with abby''s improved strength, combined with her help, minos could work with her to get 12th stage corpses that were easier to control, stronger, and longer-lasting.


    the only problem was that after all their creations with the black liquid, there was only enough of the substance left to create one more supreme corpse!


    after their next joint action, they would not be able to use the black liquid again until they got more of it or one of the level 115 corpses was destroyed in battle.


    because of this, the two were already thinking about going to uzira, where they could supposedly find more of the black liquid, which was important to them because it could make powerful protectors for them and their family.


    so when they returned to headquarters with the level 120 elder, they had many things on their minds, plans to strengthen their companions, and plans to leave oqia.


    fortunately, minos had obtained some hostages to strengthen his family members in this new phase of his journey at the headquarters, when he was sure that the supreme leader wouldn''t let him leave the organization''s headquarters casually.


    and so he was left with his family tournament and his cultivation of seclusion until it was time to leave for uzira with tiolos! sear?h the n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 2610 Triumphant Return to the Guild

    chapter 2610  triumphant return to the guild after a few days of traveling, minos, ruth, and abby arrived at the guild headquarters along with the level 120 elder.


    they passed through the guild''s entrance, but when they entered the city on the floating island, they were met with a welcome unlike anything they had ever seen.


    their party hadn''t arrived there as just another successful team returning from the war. the moment minos and his wives set foot in the city, the elder disappeared, telling them only to make their way to the council. then, the guild members in the streets stopped what they were doing and watched them make their way to the city center.


    some just stood in silence, watching with admiring and positive looks on their faces, nodding in agreement as if to say they had their support.


    others clapped for minos and his women, ignoring the hostages they had brought with them, who were obviously frightened for their future.


    "well done, general! you''re amazing!"


    "general, i''m available for anything. if you need anything, sabus will do his best to help you," said a pointy-eared individual as he offered himself to minos.


    "congratulations on taking the monastery of chaos, general. my brother saw the battle and said you were marvelous! i hope to fight alongside you in the future!"


    amidst the supportive comments congratulating minos on his accomplishments, some took the opportunity to show off for him.


    "general, help me become stronger. i''m ready to do anything you want! anything at all!" said a woman in human form, trying to get minos'' attention.


    abby shot an icy glance toward the person who said that, which made some of the other women who were thinking of offering themselves to minos think twice before saying anything.


    minos and his companions walked quickly, so they soon left the outer part of the city and entered the inner part, where members of his faction and subordinates from the law enforcement hall and the expansion hall were waiting for them.


    "welcome back to the guild, general minos and officers abby and ruth!"


    at least 200 people between levels 105 and 114 shouted simultaneously, while further ahead, minos and his companions could see generals waiting for them at the entrance to the council.


    "our accomplishments have already become known throughout the guild," ruth said with a clinical eye, understanding why they had been recalled so urgently.


    if the whole guild already knew about minos'' deeds in the monastery of chaos, it was likely that the enemies would soon find out and start a hunt against minos.


    minos was already a monster who had helped armhands get level 115 corpses, but to help living creatures was an even more impressive and dangerous feat. someone like him would either lead armhands to the top or cause the end of the guild in a war of their own making.


    armhands'' enemies would prefer to see this force fall, so it was expected that assassins would soon move against minos!


    but not only enemies would be dangerous. even allies might turn against the guild to prevent too great an imbalance of power on the continent.


    minos agreed with ruth. "it looks like we''ll be stuck in the guild until the war is over and it''s time to leave for uzira... sigh! at least nobody knows us in uzira. so the supreme leader will probably not stop us from going there."


    "but we probably won''t go to the continent alone. there will probably be people from outside our faction in our group to make sure we establish a guild group there." abby ignored the comments on their way to the council.


    after arriving at the entrance to the council, each of his fellow generals greeted minos, each of them eager for the opportunity to receive his help.


    minos said to them, "if you bring me level 114 enemies, i can help you reach level 115. but there will be a price. for each of you i help, i want you to bring me enemies for the members of my faction."


    the level 114 men and women obviously liked what they heard, even though it wasn''t easy to kidnap enemies of the same level as them.


    however, they all agreed that it was much easier than waiting for the guild''s resources.  s~ea??h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    when minos entered the council, some of them already had plans to go on missions as soon as possible to get enemies like the ones he had requested.


    others were just eager about the possibility of reaching the 12th stage, a big dream for many of them.


    ignoring them after saying his words, he entered the council area and arrived at the guild''s command center, where the commander, 4 elders, and the supreme leader were waiting for them.


    "we have reported to the supreme leader. our plans were successful." minos and his wives made a gesture of greeting when they saw the satisfied looks in their direction.


    the supreme leader said in a good mood, "minos, from now on i want you to stay in seclusion at the headquarters. i know you must understand my motives. until you become stronger or we win this war, it will be too dangerous for you to travel freely.


    but don''t worry, the guild will provide you with all the support you need to help you, your family, and your faction grow stronger in the coming decades. as for your trip to uzira, when you are ready, i will personally escort your party to the west coast and see you off into the violent sea."


    minos agreed with the supreme leader, but even if he disagreed, there was nothing to argue about. he nodded in understanding before hearing a barrage of positive comments from his superiors, along with promises of resources, merit points, and wealth for him and his faction.


    there were hardly any power struggles among the elders, given their absolute positions and their goal to be in something beyond the guild¡ªthe upper realm.


    thus, the support that minos enjoyed at that moment was almost entirely homogeneous.

 Chapter 2611 First Fight: Kendrick vs. Gloria

    chapter 2611  first fight: kendrick vs. gloria a few days after returning to headquarters, minos had established a new routine in the guild''s capital city.


    besides his regular duties of keeping order in the guild as the head of the law enforcement hall and the leader of the expansionist group, he had returned to cultivating and living a normal life with his four wives.


    in addition, a few times a week since his return, generals and other high-level cultivators of the 11th stage would come to him for help with cultivation. he would also help his family and faction members in the same way, dedicating part of his days to helping the guild become stronger as a whole.


    after only a month of this, minos had achieved such stability between his duties that he felt he could finally begin the family tournament he had planned to pass on the hydras'' amulet!


    ...


    in one arena in the guild''s headquarters city, minos and his family stood on the edge of the small stage surrounded by bleachers, ready for the first of six fights that would determine the heir to the hydras'' amulet.


    everyone would face everyone else, so the only draw that took place was the one that determined the order of the fights. for the first match, kendrick and gloria would show off their skills and show their families, friends, and faction members who had the best chance of inheriting minos'' amulet.


    gloria, who had reached level 108 with minos'' help, and kendrick, who was at the same level as his stepmother, stood in different corners of the arena''s square platform.


    in the bleachers of the area, lily, hollie, abby, ruth, minos, and segiel sat in the vip seats, while several of their faction mates, men from the law enforcement hall and the expansion hall, sat in the general seats of the bleachers.


    the place, which could hold a few thousand spectators at a time, was not full, but there were at least 200 people scattered on the area to watch today''s fight.


    but none of minos'' superiors were there to watch the fight. from what little he knew, the first elder was on the verge of sacrificing his flashdrain parasite and raising the level of the war a few notches before the guild stifled the confrontation.


    the guild''s elders, supreme leader, and commander were all focused on this crucial moment, and most of the strongest generals were around the enemy territories or standing guard at the headquarters.


    aside from minos and his faction members, hardly anyone in the guild was in the mood to engage in such internal competition.


    but for a family and a faction that couldn''t leave the headquarters, for the most part, this was not an event to waste their time on.


    not only were matches like the one gloria and kendrick would fight in a few moments not long, but after this match, it would be a month before the second one, which would be between lily and hollie, would take place.


    but the two sisters were looking forward to their match in a month''s time, as they had both improved their levels with the help of minos, who had already used up all the guinea pigs he had brought back from the monastery of chaos weeks ago.


    fortunately, the guild''s generals and senior officers brought new guinea pigs for minos to use his skills on. he was already using them to transform his faction members into stronger versions of themselves.


    when he finally saw that his son and wife were ready, minos stood up and said, "this battle has no rules. whoever stays conscious or forces their opponent to surrender wins. ruth will heal your wounds, and i will also analyze the fight to avoid problems. fight without reservation, but respect each other.


    i will limit your cultivation to the same level, and neither of you will be able to use external artifacts or even absorbable weapons in this fight. anyway, the battle will begin when this incense is gone."


    with minos'' words, an incense stick appeared in the platform''s corner and quickly began to disintegrate, while the redheaded woman and the brown-haired young man felt seals entering their bodies.


    kendrick looked at gloria respectfully and said, "i''m sorry, auntie, but this victory is mine."


    "don''t be so sure. this is not a dispute that can be won in a single battle. a war comprises many battles, kendrick." she said as liquid silver molecules formed in the air, her innate skill with mercury showing through.


    kendrick said nothing as he prepared himself, stimulating his ability to influence gloria''s cultivation with the same innate skill as his father.


    minos watched his son with narrowed eyes, not wanting to limit his ability, even though it would give kendrick an advantage against gloria.


    ''you can use it very well against gloria and lily, but what about hollie? she has the same power as us. if you can''t beat her on equal terms, maybe you won''t inherit my amulet.'' minos thought curiously about the battle between the two who most resembled him.


    as for lily and gloria, he could only mourn for them. maybe they would show incredible fighting skills, but fighting on the same level as hollie and kendrick would be difficult for them.


    the conditions he had set were already the fairest of all, so he could only let them fight in their own way to stop the cultivation-stealing ability that kendrick and hollie had.


    if they couldn''t stop it, the outcome of this family dispute would be left to kendrick and hollie''s future confrontation!


    finally, as the incense minos had lit burned out, silver arrows flew at kendrick while gloria felt something powerful steal some of her essence.


    bypassing gloria''s attempts to prevent him from using his innate ability against her, kendrick overcame his father''s seal, his aura reaching level 109, and gloria''s aura reaching level 107.


    with a wave of his hand, kendrick sliced through space and opened a portal behind his stepmother''s body, attacking to end the battle in his first moves.


    gloria used her divine ability, mercury world, to form a sphere of mercury around them, something extremely dense and difficult to overcome even for those stronger than her.


    meanwhile, kendrick felt his hands and legs getting wet, with something extremely heavy on them, preventing him from moving as fast as he would have liked.


    sea??h th§× n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 2612 High-level Meeting

    chapter 2612  high-level meeting the moment kendrick moved slower than he would have liked, gloria used the silver substance that covered the surroundings to form mercury fists.


    by attacking him directly, she made hollie and lily open their eyes wide and see that dealing with their stepmother was not going to be easy at all.


    minos enjoyed watching his wife put pressure on kendrick. "she used well the trainings with me all these years," he said, pleased.


    but kendrick''s next move would not disappoint minos. as impressive as gloria was with her divine ability, it would be very difficult for her, two levels weaker than her opponent, to stay in a good state for long.


    kendrick didn''t push himself too hard, but after a few seconds, using his indestructible body, he destroyed the solid mercury that was preventing him from moving and struck against the liquid mercury fist.


    his hand shuddered from the shock of gloria''s attack. he felt as if his bones might break at any moment from such a powerful attack!


    but he overcame his stepmother''s onslaught, withstanding the attack and destroying the silver fist.


    using his portals again, this time kendrick attacked even harder, using the aura of the spatial sword to create energy blades in the vacuum of space while blocking the red-haired woman''s movement.


    gloria smiled subtly when she saw kendrick would not go easy on her. after the initial mistake of underestimating her, he had changed, attacking with a higher level of power, but also on different fronts.


    "have you no shame in trying to manipulate your stepmother''s mind, kendrick? showing me your father''s face won''t help." gloria closed her eyes, ignoring the apparent appearance of minos at kendrick''s side against her.


    "anything can happen in battle, aunt gloria." kendrick moved forward as the dark ring of the devouring art appeared around her.


    he moved elusively to avoid being caught in the silvery liquid around. but just as he thought he had dodged the situation, drops of mercury flew like rain, reaching his body and penetrating his skin.


    kendrick felt the mercury poisoning take effect in his body as he saw gloria''s ultimate attack against him.


    "if you can beat me after that, i''ll take my defeat, boy. before that, i''m afraid you''ll have to suffer a bit." she smiled, playing her role as stepmother to train kendrick the way minos wanted.


    kendrick roared in pain between his teeth, feeling more and more mercury gather around him, forming a silver bubble that tried to seal him in.


    fortunately, he had many methods, an advantage of having the blood of minos and access to the same techniques as his father.


    in the middle of the mercury bubble trying to trap him, a golden sword of energy appeared before it sliced the silver bubble in half with a single movement.


    ''divine sword...'' hollie clenched her fists at the sight of kendrick''s supreme weapon. it was a sword similar to minos'', but with slightly distinct movements and, of course, less offensive power.  s§×ar?h the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    kendrick''s supreme weapon had a special power, domain destruction.


    the moment it appeared, gloria''s mercury-silver world crumbled, while a sword aura threatening the red-haired woman.


    pointing his sword at gloria, kendrick didn''t have to take the next step.


    "the victory is yours, kendrick." gloria raised both hands in the air, having nothing left to push kendrick against the wall.


    if they were truly on the same level, she knew she could defeat him. but with his innate skill, a fight on the ''same'' level would never be fair.


    minos stood up and broke the seals on both of their bodies, allowing gloria to become slightly stronger than kendrick again, which honestly wouldn''t have made any difference in this fight. since he was already at level 108, only someone with a few levels stronger than him could counter his cultivation-stealing ability.


    "congratulations on your victory, kendrick. defeat your two sisters and i''ll give you the hydras'' amulet," minos said to his son, pleased to see the current level kendrick had reached.


    but he was also happy to see gloria in action. even though she didn''t have a skill that could strengthen her, the red-haired woman could fight against those of a higher level than her, something rare in zocarro.


    "you fought well. if the conditions of the fight had been less unfavorable for you, you would have won." he said as he hugged his beautiful red-haired wife and kissed gloria''s slender neck.


    she smiled at him before looking toward kendrick and hollie. "i look forward to seeing he taste his own poison. but i won''t make it easy for hollie and him."


    minos liked what he heard. although he had planned a tournament with only six fights to decide the winner, it was possible that three of the four competitors would get two wins each and so further rounds would be necessary.


    for that to happen, hollie would have to beat kendrick and lily, while gloria would have to beat hollie and lily.


    minos just watched his daughters and wondered if lily would let that happen and if kendrick would lose to hollie.


    ''i''m looking forward to the next matches, hehe.''


    ...


    as the stuart family began their next month of ''rest'' between one match and another in their family tournament, things were heating for armhands in the war against firestone mines!


    at this moment, first elder juma was positioned in the heart of the enemy territory, hiding in a dangerous area of the central region even for high-level cultivators of the 12th stage.


    from his current position, he could see the firestone mine headquarters, a magnificent black stone castle, where there were 26 mid-level and high-level supremes gathered at this very moment.


    in addition to the most important elders of the firestone mines, the allied heads of the organizations involved in the current war were arriving at the black castle for a grand meeting.


    juma was not alone, but his nearby men would not join his next move!


    "elder, the last of the enemy leaders has just arrived at the black domain," said a level 114 general, dressed in special attire. he had just returned from his observation post to alert his superior.


    "perfect. i''ll take action soon. give the signal for the alliance troops to start," said the old man as he clenched his fists, feeling the moment of his last dance approaching.

 Chapter 2613 Sacrifice of the First Elder

    chapter 2613  sacrifice of the first elder meanwhile, inside the black domain...


    the main hall of the black stone castle was teeming with men, powerful subordinates of the great powers of the central region, while their leaders gathered in groups around the area.


    a large banquet was being served, and the forces attending the meeting were preparing for important changes in their plans for the ongoing confrontation with armhands'' forces.


    the strongest in the area were supremos between levels 117 and 123, creatures mostly native to the continent, as one of the motivations of the men, there was precisely to eliminate aliens and drive them from their lands.


    but there was only one high-level alien there, a level 121 individual who, although he was from outside zocarro, believed, like the others in the area, that aliens should be limited or even prevented from entering oqia.


    in the center of the area, jabez, the level 123 leader of firestone mines, was surrounded by the strongest men at this meeting.


    "sect master jabez, armhands is getting out of control. if we don''t get rid of that guild soon, the day will come when aliens will take over the continent."


    "i''ve heard about that. a bastard named minus stuart has done a lot of damage, helping to create at least a dozen new supremes for armhands in recent years," another man said, agreeing with the first.


    "several of our weaker subordinates and allies have already fallen to the damned armhands aliens because of this minos guy. we were doing well in the war until he joined the conflict with his undead."


    "i hear he''s very powerful himself," said another of them, everyone in the area with worried looks in their eyes.


    "i am aware of that," jabez said in a serious tone. "minos stuart is my primary target at this time. i already have assassins spread throughout the central region to hunt him down and kill him. as long as he ventures outside the armhands'' headquarters, it will only be a matter of time before he''s dead."


    "what about the damage he''s already caused? even if he disappears today, his supreme corpses have already done enough damage, sect master jabez. armhands and his allies are winning the current conflict. let''s not ignore that," said a level 121 supreme, while the others couldn''t help but agree.


    jabez looked at this individual, aware that this local leader was blaming him for the losses of his own subordinates, since jabez had been the one to convince everyone there to start the current war after their promotion to level 123.


    jabez said, "do not worry, elder. the battles will change again soon. armhands isn''t the only force that can use special sacrifices to become stronger. i now have a method of sacrifice as well.


    right now, a group of men i trust are on their way to armhands'' main troop camp for a surprise attack. once we have the results of that attack, it will be time for our group here today to take on the leaders of the armhands coalition!


    i will share my method with those of you who are willing¡ª"


    as jabez spoke, bringing smiles to the faces of even the men most concerned about the course of the war, everyone in the hall suddenly changed their expressions as a certain shout rose over the area.


    "jabez, you wretched soul! step forward and confront your impending doom!"


    all the eyes in the hall turned to the top of the castle, while the people who were talking stopped talking or listening to feel a tremor in their souls.


    that wasn''t the voice of just anyone, but of someone high up in the 12th stage!


    jabez recognized the voice of the enemy, and he also sensed what was about to happen.


    "have you lost your mind, old corpse? did you people really send your most powerful elder to the death?"


    as confident as jabez was that he would fight juma and win, he wasn''t so sure that he could do so without a hard and difficult fight.


    he and the surrounding men moved and appeared outside the black castle, where they promptly saw juma, alone, floating in the sky with a golden spiral burning on his forehead.


    "juma! are you here to die, you old devil?" jabez asked, glaring menacingly at the first elder of armhands. "you''re not the only one who can get stronger, you know?"


    jabez looked at his allies and said in their minds. ''i''ll show you what we can do against armhands with the method of sacrifice i''ve found. all i ask is that you help me in this fight. as powerful as the method is, the old man in front of us is not normal.''


    all the over twenty people silently agreed, and each of them moved their energies, causing those below level 115 to retreat to the underground levels of the castle.


    "i want to see what you bastards are capable of. but don''t forget who started this." juma pointed at jabez. "when your organizations are destroyed and many of you die, know he has broken the balance of the continent. now there''s only room for one sovereign organization!"


    "tsk! shut that damned half-dead old man up!" jabez shouted as demonic dogs emerged from his body and flew at the elder juma.


    juma no longer hesitated, burning his flashdrain parasite as his cultivation rapidly increased, breaking the barrier between levels 122 and 123, soon reaching the peak of level 123, and threatening to reach level 124.


    juma wasn''t the only one who was getting stronger. when a formation of giant hands appeared above him to suppress him, jabez also increased his cultivation and used his method to leave the beginning of his level and reach the peak of level 124.


    but he wasn''t happy. his method was less effective than armhands'', and the consequences of using sacrifice to temporarily increase power would be more negative for him than for juma.


    juma smiled as he saw his enemy reach level 125 with him, knowing that he would have a good dance before he died.


    ''jabez, you are a fool. i came here to die. you sacrifice your future to stop me? so be it. even if you survive, you''ll be weaker for my companions to eliminate you.''


    juma raised a hand in the air, instantly breaking the formation of over 20 supremes before moving against jabez.


    "jabez!"


    "juma!"  sear?h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the two attacked each other as mere fragments of their powers wreaked havoc on the surroundings, forcing many of the supremes to blanch at being so close to a clash of enemies that could easily kill them!

 Chapter 2614 Third Fight: Gloria vs. Lily

    chapter 2614  third fight: gloria vs. lily after half a dozen turns, jabez and juma reached the peak of their sacrifices, with juma showing slightly more power than his opponent.


    even considering the level disadvantage that existed between the two before their sacrifices, the flashdrain parasite sacrifice was more efficient than the sacrifice method discovered by jabez.


    despite his higher level, however, juma was alone, while the enemy had over 20 other supremes assisting him.


    as the two fought, the allies of the firestone mines leader supported jabez, trying to limit juma''s range of action while giving jabez room to make his moves.


    initially, the fight remained evenly matched, but once juma''s anger ignited and he turned against jabez''s allies, his superiority became clear. he effortlessly decimated not only level 120 and 121 men, but even those as powerful as level 122.


    "fucking vermin!" he shouted as he grabbed the neck of one of the strongest creatures in the area and crushed it with his bare hands.


    jabez wore a horrible expression as he massaged his face, having been beaten by the enemy and thrown against one wall of the black castle before seeing his allies easily killed by juma.


    he couldn''t run away. that would break his alliance and worsen his situation in the war. on the other hand, he knew that juma wouldn''t last long at that level, and by killing the first elder of armhands, he would have glory on his side.


    therefore, even though he was at a disadvantage, he targeted the enemy''s head while using his allies present there as support to temporarily eliminate someone at the 13th stage.


    with his special move, he unleashed immense spiritual attacks, forming several body parts of himself around juma, blocking the enemy''s escape points.


    using the strength of his allies, he pressed down on juma, forcing every part of his body to put pressure on the enemy, trying to contain his movements.


    juma countered with his powerful aura, consuming the souls of the strongest enemies to have enough energy to keep moving forward.


    his goal wasn''t necessarily to eliminate jabez. the supreme leader of the guild would do that when the time was right, even if he couldn''t do it today. juma just wanted to hurt this enemy alliance as much as possible!


    with a smile on his face, he moved forward against jabez''s attacks, eliminating three more supremes above level 120 as cracks appeared on the ground and the majestic black castle.


    the very space in the area seemed to rip apart as a battle so powerful that even creatures thousands of miles away could feel its effects.


    even creatures outside of zocarro, if they were strong enough to read the signs, could perceive this 13th stage battle, a rare confrontation to take place in the entire universe!


    as the battle approached its fourth minute, the men of this area saw the signs of the beginning of juma''s weakening come almost at the same time as jabez''s weakening.


    unfortunately for this large alliance of locals, only four of the supremes in the black castle would live to tell the tale of this powerful and dangerous battle.


    as he lost his 13th stage aura, juma fell to his knees under the pressure of the four survivors around him.


    jabez was in as bad shape as he was, but with three allies remaining, the native of the land stood his ground until the end of the enemy.


    "i will have the glory of cutting off the head of the mighty juma!" said the leader of the firestone mines as he brandished a majestic red-bladed sword.


    his 12th stage allies continued to suppress juma, watching him quickly lose his strength and reach the beginning of level 123, while jabez was still at level 124.


    ''our leader''s sacrifice is weaker than the armhands'', but it''s more durable,'' thought one of the three 12th stage natives remaining in the area.


    one of them smiled, for even if they lost several powerful allies, they could still kill juma and get jabez''s method.


    with that method, they could counterattack the armhands quickly!


    juma said nothing at his end, just leaving a stunned jabez behind.


    juma died with a smile on his face!


    jabez felt a chill as he looked at his enemy''s severed head, and couldn''t help but look up at the sky and wonder what it meant.  s~ea??h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    meanwhile, the nearby armhands'' members fled while they could, leaving with heavy hearts after witnessing the tragic end of one of oqia''s greatest experts!


    ''warn the supreme leader. the first elder sacrificed himself to defeat over 20 supremes!'' one of them said to his companions as they flew off in different directions.


    ...


    meanwhile, back at the armhands'' headquarters...


    it would be some time before the guild found out what had just happened at the meeting of the firestone mines-led coalition.


    as the war took a new turn, minos and his family continued their own affairs at the headquarters.


    at the moment, gloria and lily were facing each other in the same arena where kendrick had fought gloria two months ago, and lily had fought hollie a month ago.


    it had been two months since kendrick and his stepmother had fought, and a month ago, the stuart sisters had fought and hollie had won. now lily was looking for at least one win over gloria, since her match against kendrick didn''t seem promising.


    however, gloria wasn''t that easy, and without a special power that could steal her opponent''s cultivation, lily wasn''t in the best of situations!


    even though gloria''s cultivation was limited to the same level as hers, lily was suffering from her stepmother''s attacks while her divine power related to flame was burning down gloria''s world of mercury.


    hollie and kendrick watched as gloria got closer and closer to victory, a bad sign for both of them, as this victory would give their stepmother a chance to confront them again, should she repeat the feat in the next fight against hollie.


    hollie would face gloria next month, so she carefully studied her next opponent''s skills, determined to beat her stepmother in a month''s time and reach her third match against kendrick with the same result as her brother.


    "i admit defeat!"


    after a few moments, the brown-haired girl couldn''t resist, her entire body covered in a ball of extremely dense silver liquid, which forced her to remain motionless.


    in this match, gloria had won her first victory in the stuart family tournament, while lily had lost for the second time in a row!

 Chapter 2615 War News (1)

    chapter 2615  war news (1) two weeks have passed since gloria''s victory over lily...


    with two weeks to go until the match between gloria and hollie, a decisive fight that could mean the end of the competition for gloria or the hope that she might have another chance against kendrick, news of the war arrived to shake the structures of armhands.


    while continuing the routine activities he had been engaged in for the past three months, minos received two generals at the entrance of his family''s cave, one of them a supreme.


    in those months, he and abby had hardly worked with the black liquid to create supreme corpses. except for one occasion when one corpse had died, and they had recovered the black liquid from that creature, they had not worked with corpses for the guild.


    however, minos had helped the armhands get four more level 115 supremes, with him having helped four generals advance to the next level.


    besides these four individuals, one of whom was standing in front of him this morning, minos had also helped at least three dozen high-level sovereigns from outside his faction. many people at level 112 had reached level 113 with his help, and several others had gone from level 113 to level 114.


    unfortunately, there weren''t many cultivators at the peak of their levels at the headquarters at present, otherwise minos would probably have reached more than a few dozen.


    in any case, the respect that every member of the guild currently had for him did not differ from the respect they had for the elders.


    in front of minos, the two generals respectfully asked the human to accompany them to the guild''s leadership.


    leaving ruth and gloria to cultivate in the family cave, minos followed the two generals, anticipating what had happened.


    "officer abby is already waiting for the general at the entrance to the council. the supreme leader has requested both of you," said the level 115 woman, while the look on her face was deeply dark.


    "i see... the first elder is dead, i suppose?" he looked at them, but couldn''t find a verbal answer.


    however, minos understood that this was the case when he saw the complicated expressions on the faces of these two generals.


    in the blink of an eye, he crossed the distance between his cultivation cave and the council, joined abby and segiel¡ªwho had also been summoned¡ªand entered the building where the supreme leader, the commander, and two elders were waiting for them.  sear?h the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    he and abby greeted the four supremes before hearing from jalai. "minos, segiel and abby, first elder juma died in battle against the core of the coalition led by jabez."


    he and his women sighed, aware of how important a pillar juma was to the guild.


    not only was juma the first elder, he was the oldest member of the guild, someone who had lived for over a million years and served the guild for nearly that long.


    the supreme leader got right to the point of why these three were there. "you can''t affect the future of this war too much, but you are important pillars for the future of the guild. today, you are here to assume your new positions and your new duties."


    the three of them saw the solemn glances of the two elders and the commander in their direction before the supreme leader concluded. "segiel, as of today you are the new chief commander of armhands.


    work hard with minos and abby to ensure the future of the guild. one day, i and the elders by my side will not be here. it will be up to you to protect the legacy of armhands and continue the quest for the upper realm."


    segiel clenched her fists as she looked at the former commander, who quickly handed her his cloak, revealing his new position as the guild''s newest tenth elder.


    "abby, you will assume the position of segiel, and your mission will be to travel to uzira with minos and get more of the black liquid. do your best to get enough to become stronger and one day bring first elder juma back to life."


    minos and abby understood what the guild expected of them, and they more or less understood how part of the council intended to ''access'' the upper realm.


    ''i see... so that''s it. you want to use the black liquid to reach the 13th stage, just like abby and i did with the 12th stage corpses?'' minos said nothing as he watched abby receive segiel''s position. ''they think that reaching the 13th stage is enough... well, they''re not entirely wrong.''


    reaching the 13th stage wouldn''t guarantee anyone a place in the upper realm. but with a cultivation level higher than level 124, the chances of someone entering the upper realm were definitely higher than at the 12th stage.


    not only that, if he and abby continued to grow and remained loyal to the guild, even if these people died before reaching level 125, they would still have the option of coming back to life and cultivate in a partially different way!


    this was a second chance for everyone to reach the upper realm!


    minos had no problem making such a promise to these people for the time being, so he and abby assured them they would do their best to help the guild and take it to new heights.


    finally, the supreme leader looked at minos and made a golden urn appear in front of the three young pillars of armhands.


    "take juma''s body with you to uzira. if you can''t get back to oqia soon, revive juma there to secure the guild''s foundation on that continent," jalai said, surprising minos, abby and segiel, who couldn''t help but be surprised to see the first elder''s body.


    ''how did he manage that?'' the three thought simultaneously, aware that juma had died in enemy territory.


    ''the supreme leader is much scarier than his enemies think!'' minos looked at jalai with fresh eyes, feeling he would have to be extra careful with this man in the future!


    nevertheless, he accepted the coffin with juma''s body, stored it in his spatial ring and promised he would do his best to revive juma when he and abby could help him reach heights that the elder had not reached in life.


    after their promises and oaths, these three heard the state of the war from the mouths of the four men between levels 117 and 123 in front of them.

 Chapter 2616 War News (2)

    chapter 2616  war news (2) "aside from your promotions, it''s important that you understand how the war is going now," the supreme leader said as he looked at the former commander who was now the tenth elder.


    tenth elder kaus said to the three, "first elder juma did not die in vain. as unfortunate as his death is, and we don''t know what the future holds, he has guaranteed us a great opportunity.  s§×arch* the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    not only did he eliminate 22 supremes that day, an important feat that reduced the number of our enemies, but he also revealed to us the enemy leader''s method of sacrifice and gave us seven victories that day."


    "while first elder juma was attacking the enemy leaders, seven of our brothers from the council, along with the supreme corpses and some generals promoted to the 12th stage, led our troops in destroying seven important enemy posts," said one of the other elders beside kaus.


    the fifth elder said, "at this point, we have finally regained all the territories lost during the war and advance under the enemy''s domains. before, our coalition was at a disadvantage of 17 supremes to the enemy. now we''re at an advantage of 10 supremes because of the deaths caused by the first elder and our fellow council members on their respective battlefields."


    the supreme leader added. "with this change in the war, we will from now on be involved in higher level and more frequent conflicts than before.


    the three of you must quickly adapt, especially you, segiel. i hope you will flick to the next stage and adapt to the circumstances. you may soon become the strongest of the guild at the headquarters, so be ready to defend our home."


    minos, segiel and abby looked at each other and understood what this meant.


    minos asked, "does the supreme leader intend to go directly into battle with the enemies?"


    jalai nodded affirmatively. "jabez is not easy. despite juma''s contribution, he has shown us that our previous advantage was not entirely real. the enemies have good methods to counterattack us, and they didn''t catch us off guard only because of the sacrifice of the old first elder.


    to prevent our headquarters and examire from being threatened, the strongest of the coalition will go into battle against the damned enemies. that includes me, of course."


    minos understood the situation, not knowing if this was a very good or very bad time for him.


    there were advantages and disadvantages for him and his family, with all these dangers involving the strongest in the guild.


    segiel said in a firm tone, "i will do my best to be prepared."


    "kaus, take the new chief commander to the council''s cultivation room. give her the promotion award and be ready to hand over all your duties and advise her for the next six months."


    "i''ll make sure she''s ready, supreme leader," said the tenth elder, the giant who now looked small next to the level 123 supreme sitting on the guild leader''s throne.


    "minos, stay behind. the rest of you are dismissed." the old man with the white hair and beard gestured to the human.


    "supreme leader?" minos asked after the generals, segiel, abby and the elders had left.


    the supreme leader looked at minos with a smile and asked, "i''ve heard that you''re holding a tournament between your family members. is that true?"


    "yes, supreme leader. i don''t need the hydras'' amulet anymore, so i''m holding a small competition to pass it on among my descendants... i''m also using it as an excuse to see how my relatives are doing. the truth is, i missed a lot of their growth while i was solving my own problems."


    seeing the sincerity in minos'' eyes, the supreme leader agreed with the young man''s methods. "competition is always welcome. make sure your offspring become good pillars of the guild, minos."


    "certainly, supreme leader."


    "but first, i must ask you to register the three dragons that are about to be born. i know they''ll be your children''s mounts, but such powerful creatures need to be guided by the guild and contribute as actual members." he surprised minos.


    "is the senior also a seer?" minos asked, surprised to hear about the dragons in the eggs he had given to kendrick, lily, and hollie, which hadn''t hatched yet.


    the supreme leader laughed as he shook his head negatively. "i don''t need to be a seer to sense the birth of these three... take good care of them and register them with the guild as guest members of your children."


    "all right. i''ll do it as soon as they''re born."


    with that done, minos was given permission to leave and went to meet abby, who was waiting for him outside the main building in the council area.


    now he and she had a lot to sort out over the next few weeks with her promotion and the fresh news that had reached them.


    ''i have to help gan and ama become supreme beasts.'' minos thought to himself. ''before i leave for uzira, there will be many dangers around the headquarters!''


    with that in mind, he and his wife moved on, leaving segiel behind, knowing that she would spend the next few weeks absorbing the guild''s resources in order to advance to the next stage.


    the guild had special resources that could promote someone from level 114 to the beginning of the 12th stage. as far as they knew, these resources were so powerful that it was possible for someone to advance more than one level at a time, depending on their luck and individual talent.


    but it took time for someone to absorb all the effects of these high-level resources, which were resources also used by the elders to cultivate to higher levels¡ªnot least because they didn''t "waste" it by creating too many supremes!


    ...


    in the blink of an eye, another two weeks would pass while the armhands'' headquarters experienced the changes brought about by the war.


    the changes in the council had already been announced to all guild members, while segiel entered her third week of seclusion.


    minos hadn''t been able to help anyone else advance to the 12th stage, but something important to his family and his faction had happened. two days before gloria and hollie''s battle, the first of the stuart siblings'' eggs hatched.


    lily''s dragon was the very first among the future dragons of the stuart siblings to come into existence!

 Chapter 2617 Fourth Fight: Gloria vs. Hollie

    chapter 2617  fourth fight: gloria vs. hollie a new day dawned, and once again the stuart family was gathered in one of the arenas of the armhands'' headquarters city, along with their most important faction mates, to watch the fourth match of the family tournament.


    this time, gloria and hollie were on the fighting platform, with minos'' wife in her third and possibly final match of the competition. next month would be the fight between kendrick and lily, and then, two months before that, there would be the final fight, the one between kendrick and hollie.


    but tonight''s match could mean that gloria stays in the competition or that the match between kendrick and her younger sister is decided. as such, the key members of the faction were very interested in today''s result, which could determine the outcome of the tournament and not only the future owner of the hydras'' amulet, but also the future chosen one of minos.


    while gloria and hollie faced each other on the battleground, waiting for minos'' signal, lily sat next to her father, not too sad about losing all the matches she had fought so far. to her right was a creature the size of an adult human, but with the body of a chicken, scaled and with reptilian eyes.


    its majestic wings, spiked here and there with thorns, combined with its sharp teeth to give the tiny creature a sense of power, a newborn that could devour large creatures in its first week of life.


    this was none other than lily''s dragon, the first of the stuart family''s dragons to be born a few days ago.


    this morning, kendrick''s dragon had also hatched and was currently sitting next to the brown-haired young man, but due to its younger age, it was smaller and less cunning than lily''s dragon.


    even so, the two little dragons, one with blue scales and the other with dark red scales, looked at each other as if they were competing with each other.


    but without the permission of their ''parents'', or even without the permission of minos, the ''big dragon'' in the eyes of these creatures, they wouldn''t show their competitive nature there.


    but even as newborns, these creatures were not easy. minos and his entire family could see that, considering that odys and folli had been born with cultivation levels of 42 and 44, respectively!


    "when will miss hollie''s dragon be born?" rhett asked as he stood next to minos and the rest of the family, a little curious as he looked at the creature next to lily, folli very curious about the future.


    "that will happen soon. but i''m afraid irgim will not be as strong as folli and odys. the three dragon eggs bonded with my children very quickly. but kendrick has an affinity for dragons, while lily has a flaming power that is very compatible with folli''s power. that''s why they were born strong. but hollie''s dragon won''t have the same advantages." minos analyzed, lowering his family''s expectations of irgim.


    "that will happen soon. but i''m afraid irgim will not be as strong as folli and odys. the three dragon eggs bonded with my children very quickly. but kendrick has an affinity for dragons, while lily has a flaming power that is very compatible with folli''s power. that''s why they were born strong. but hollie''s dragon won''t have the same advantages." minos analyzed, lowering his family''s expectations of irgim.


    "anyway, a dragon is a dragon." hollie''s mother said to abby and minos with a smile on her face as she looked at lily''s dragon and imagined what hollie''s, her beloved youngest daughter, would look like.


    abby agreed with ruth. "anyway, these dragons will grow up fast. they''ll be level 70 by the time we leave for uzira."


    the only problem with the dragons was that they grew in their sleep. every time they took a nap, they woke up stronger, which was good on one hand, but bad on the other, because they had to stay asleep for a long time to grow.


    minos said, "kendrick and the others will take good care of them. it''s just a shame that i couldn''t get more eggs... but with luck, folli will lay eggs in the future."


    minos looked at the small, dark red dragon, the only female of his family''s dragons, as far as he could tell, considering the sex of the dragon that would leave hollie''s egg in the next two days.


    "when they grow up, we''ll let them mate." minos added, imagining that this would create a line of dragons loyal to the family.  s§×ar?h the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    lily listened to her father and massaged her baby''s back, while folli looked at his ''mother'' innocently, not knowing what this girl had in mind.


    "anyway, when these dragons reach level 90, we''ll have to recruit them as guild members. until then, they can just be our children''s mounts." minos stood up and prepared to start gloria and hollie''s fight.


    changing the subject, he said in a louder tone. "very well. you already know the rules and boundaries. good luck to both of you, and may the best one win!"


    after minos stopped speaking, seals fell on gloria and hollie''s bodies, with the young woman''s stepmother feeling her cultivation limited to the same level as the girl in front of her.


    "aunt gloria, i''m sorry, but this is the end of the line for you," hollie said, as she activated her powers. she instantly makes gloria feel something similar to what she had felt in the fight against kendrick.


    gloria knew she couldn''t stop kendrick and hollie from using the powerful ability they had inherited from minos. she simply used what she had at her disposal, transforming the battle platform they were on into a world of mercury.


    but hollie was different from kendrick. in addition to a similar ability to minos, she had a divine ability that was quite different from her older brother''s. with her ability to control the vitality of those within her reach, she could easily increase the difficulty of fighting her!


    gloria sensed the differences between hollie and kendrick from the beginning of the battle. despite being at a lower level than her stepdaughter, the mature red-haired woman felt her breathing increase while the world around her seemed to speed up.


    ''damn! hollie is much more intelligent than kendrick. she''d never give an opponent a chance against her!'' gloria saw hollie appear in front of her as the girl''s fist quickly approached gloria''s stomach.


    ''i''m sorry, auntie. i''m going to win this tournament.'' hollie smiled as she unleashed a final attack, using the vitality she had stolen from gloria to increase the power of her attack!

 Chapter 2618 The Eve of the Tournaments Final Round

    chapter 2618  the eve of the tournament''s final round the moment hollie hit gloria''s body, the red-haired woman flew off the fighting platform until she overshot the platform area and crashed into some chairs in the stands.


    almost all the spectators watching the confrontation between the two women stood up at that moment, witnessing a rapid development in this fight that they hadn''t expected.


    but with gloria''s world of mercury crumbling, no one doubted the outcome of this fight.


    "hollie''s skills are unfair, even in a theoretically fair fight." ruth analyzed the result as she appeared beside her harem sister, helping gloria recover from the injuries hollie had inflicted. "not only can she raise her own level while weakening her opponents, she can also steal their vitality and increase her own, including her strength, speed, and defensive abilities."


    minos appeared at gloria''s side and helped her up from the rubble. his wife''s injuries were not serious. since she had fought at the same level as hollie, she had received injuries from a fight at a lower level than her own, which were not serious.


    however, these injuries were enough to end the battle for her, as minos'' seal prevented her from using all of her cultivation.


    thus, as she rose from the wreckage, gloria sighed with an embarrassed look on her face. but she gathered her strength to admit defeat. "congratulations, hollie. you''re a little monster and you deserve this victory."


    gloria looked at ruth and congratulated her as well. "you made a good warrior. unlike that womanizing kendrick, hollie is the real deal. give her a cultivation like his, and i don''t know if he''ll be able to keep up with her."


    abby stood beside them as gloria talked about her son, but the blue-haired woman couldn''t help but agree as she sighed.


    "i hear that..." kendrick lowered his head as he laughed bitterly, grisdi at his side supporting him with a gentle squeeze on his shoulder.


    "don''t overthink it. you''ve got two months to find a way to beat hollie," said the woman at kendrick''s side as the little blue dragon looked at his ''father'', expecting to see him fight.


    hollie celebrated with a smile on her face as she received this victory, looking at her older brother and taunting him. "you''re the next, brother. i hope you''ll forgive my impertinence if i knock you out with one punch!"


    "you''re still too small for that. i won''t go easy on you, little sister," kendrick raised his face as he said these words.


    minos didn''t interfere in his children''s quarrel, but moved to hollie''s side on the platform and looked at his girl with satisfaction. "you are really strong. congratulations on your victory. keep working hard and the world will be within your reach."


    "you''re still too small for that. i won''t go easy on you, little sister," kendrick raised his face as he said these words.


    minos didn''t interfere in his children''s quarrel, but moved to hollie''s side on the platform and looked at his girl with satisfaction. "you are really strong. congratulations on your victory. keep working hard and the world will be within your reach."


    "hehe." she smiled at her father, accepting his mission before climbing down from the platform and running to the family cave.


    now that her battle was over, she planned to stay with her dragon egg and wait for irgim to hatch!


    minos looked at his faction members at the edge of the arena and said loudly, "go back to your work. we''ll see you in a month for kendrick and lily''s fight."


    nearly all the dozens of spectators disappeared at minos'' words, leaving only him and his human wives.


    segiel wasn''t there. she was still cultivating in seclusion to advance to the 12th stage.


    ...


    in the blink of an eye, seven weeks had passed, and the fifth and penultimate round of the competition for the hydras'' amulet had come and gone. as expected, kendrick defeated lily, securing his second victory in the family competition.


    lily lost for the third time, but she wasn''t too upset. she wasn''t expected to win, even though she had a powerful demon flame ability that could consume an opponent''s spiritual energy.


    during this period, hollie''s dragon, irgim, was also born, coming into the world with a cultivation of level 40, lower than his siblings, as minos had expected.


    now the stuart family was getting on with their routine in armhands, just a few days away from kendrick and hollie''s fight, when the stuart family tournament would finally be decided.


    but before this important event for the family, something more important to them happened. after weeks of secluded cultivation, segiel left the council''s main cultivation room at the beginning of the day.


    now, all the council members available at the headquarters were gathered around the guild''s administration building, where segiel would now command the troops.


    among the many people there, minos and abby were in one position closest to where elder kaus was performing the handover of his position to segiel.


    in front of the ox-headed giant, segiel, with her beautiful blue hair, was dressed in silver battle armor, with a smile on her face.


    not only had she achieved her great goal of becoming the guild''s chief commander, but she had also reached the 12th stage, and not just one level up, but two!


    having reached the beginning of level 116, she was now the 12th strongest member of armhands, commander of a grand squadron of sovereigns and grandmasters!


    "commander, i now present you to your troops," kaus said as he nodded toward the many generals in the hall of this administrative building. "this is your new leader, generals!"  sear?h the ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "commander segiel, your subordinates salute you," said the over 50 people there, two of them supremes whom minos had helped to reach the 12th stage during segiel''s seclusion and who had not yet left for the battlefield.


    the war was even more hectic now than it had been a few weeks ago. the supreme leader had finally left headquarters to join the fight against the forces led by firestone mines!


    segiel raised her staff in the air and made her first speech as commander of armhands, promising to fight for the future of the guild and help her comrades reach the upper realm.


    "...together we will achieve all our ambitions!" she finished with these words, glancing toward minos and abby, truly confident that she could accomplish this with at least these two.

 Chapter 2619 A Hard Year

    chapter 2619  a hard year after segiel took over the leadership of the guild, she greeted each of her subordinates, and soon the ceremony was over.


    there was a war for everyone to worry about. they couldn''t possibly attach much importance to a "simple" change in guild leadership.


    as important as this change was to segiel, minos and his faction, and other groups, it didn''t compare to the war.


    the internal power struggles of armhands were no longer as important now that even the supreme leader was away from headquarters fighting for the good of the guild!


    once almost everyone had returned to their duties, only tenth elder klaus remained, along with segiel, minos, and ruth.


    looking at the three of them, the level 117 supreme smiled and said, "soon, you will be the strongest of the guild at the headquarters. the battles of this war are becoming more and more chaotic, and i, too, will join my elders in the fight."


    "how long do we have until then?" minos asked amid his two beautiful, blue-haired women.


    the bull-faced giant came straight to the point. "weeks, two months at the most."


    "that''s a really short time," abby said as she contemplated the ground.


    "that''s all the time you have," klaus said firmly before looking into segiel''s eyes and returning to the subject of changing positions on the council. "anyway, i''ll be around to help you familiarize yourself with the affairs of the guild chief commander over the next few weeks. get all your questions while i''m here. once i leave for battle, you''ll be in charge of the entire guild, and you''ll be primarily responsible for headquarters."


    the war shouldn''t take long to end. all sides in the conflict believed that the conflict would be resolved within the next year. so segiel wouldn''t rule completely alone for long. even so, the time that she would rule this place "alone" would be dangerous, and she would hardly get through it without attacks against the headquarters.


    the headquarters would really be in her hands during this period, and instead of coming out of this crisis bigger and stronger, it might even lose much of its opulence with many losses.


    one year was not long, but in the current circumstances of armhands, it would be enough to destroy hundreds of thousands of years of history.


    "i will do my best," segiel said firmly, her gaze determined, her willingness to do everything in her power for this place visible in her eyes.


    klaus nodded at her with a smile and left, promising to wait for her in the elders'' ward.


    she looked at minos and asked, "i suppose you can''t get any stronger in the dangerous months ahead, can you?"


    he smiled at her as he nodded in agreement. "unfortunately, i can''t get that strong in such a short time. even with my new ability, it will take me at least a few years of hard work with enemies and normal cultivation to reach level 111."


    after many tests with his ability, minos had a better idea of what was necessary to use it without harming himself or his allies. he could permanently improve his cultivation by 1% each time he used such abilities, but in order to receive such an improvement without being harmed in the long run, one would have to alternate the improvements brought about by it with the improvements of serious cultivation.


    if you received a 1% increase in strength from his skill, you would have to spend some time cultivating normally and achieve another 1% development before you could receive his help again. in this way, the improvements seemed to be more stable, and one''s future opportunities didn''t decrease, but rather increased.


    even if this wasn''t the ideal scenario, it was still very good. using such a method, one could cultivate 50% faster with the help of minos!


    not only that, if you wanted to improve faster without having to take the trouble to cultivate in the meantime, you could use the method he used to create new supremes for armhands.


    this was also a good method, but he wouldn''t use it for himself and his family members for a long time. only in unique situations would he agree to use such a thing, as he had recently done, to help his entire family and faction improve their cultivation.


    but now that he had done so, minos didn''t intend to use it on many of his companions for much longer.


    "sigh... it''s a shame. but keep helping the men who want your help. it might give us some breathing room when extreme dangers approach," she said to him in a worried tone.


    "don''t worry, we''ll have new supremes at headquarters soon. some of them won''t go to the battlefield and will stay here with us." minos thought of gan and ama, his two mounts he had ordered to leave the headquarters and hunt down peak sovereigns for him to use as sacrifices for the two serpents to reach the 12th stage.


    segiel knew of minos'' plans and didn''t doubt him, counting on the help he could give her.


    "you two better go. i''ve improved my cultivation a lot lately, but now i have to deal with guild matters. you two should focus on your own affairs." she bade them goodbye.


    minos and abby left soon after, planning to do exactly as segiel recommended, knowing that continuing their routines was the best thing for them and the guild.


    in the next few days, the last match of their family tournament would take place, and after that, it would be time to begin the long process of preparing to leave for uzira. soon, the two would go their separate ways in the inner city to lead their respective groups, keep order in the city, and continue their journeys of empowerment.  s§×arch* the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    gan and ama would return to headquarters before kendrick and hollie''s confrontation. with minos'' help, the two level 114 serpents would become the first supremes of minos'' faction!


    but aside from them, other peak sovereigns of minos'' faction would soon achieve similar results!

 Chapter 2620 Sixth Fight: Kendrick vs. Hollie!

    chapter 2620  sixth fight: kendrick vs. hollie! in the blink of an eye, the days until hollie and kendrick faced each other had passed, and the time had come for the two most promising siblings in the family to face each other.


    once again, the entire family and at least half of the minos faction were present in the arena where the previous matches had taken place.


    the family''s three newborn dragons sat beside lily and minos, while the faction''s new supremes, ama and gan, were in position, sitting close to their master.


    minos had ruth, gloria, and abby by his side, looking with interest in the direction hollie and kendrick were now facing.


    grisdi sat next to her husband''s dragon, odys, while the giants wovar and clexvog, currently at level 114, sat next to rhett¡ªcurrently at level 111.  sea??h th§× nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "good luck to you both in this battle. whoever wins, remember that this is just a friendly match, and you must work together for the future of the family. the winner today will receive my hydras'' amulet, but the loser will have the chance to receive valuable artifacts in the future." with these words, minos sealed their cultivation at a level slightly below hollie''s, ensuring that the fight wouldn''t be fatally dangerous for either of them.


    feeling their strength stabilizing at the same level, the two looked at each other, both with their guards up, ready for their father''s signal.


    "begin!" minos said with a smile on his face, while the over 100 spectators remained silent, eager to see who of the two was stronger on the same level.


    kendrick was definitely stronger than hollie, as he had two levels more than her and the same innate ability. although their innate abilities weren''t 100% identical, they were similar enough that it wouldn''t be enough to tip the balance between them. therefore, his higher level of cultivation was what would unbalance a 100% proper battle between them.


    but in this fight, kendrick and hollie were at the same level. the moment one of them tried to act against the other to steal the other''s cultivation, they both felt strong restrictions in their way.


    to the surprise of some, hollie''s level fluctuated positively, becoming 3% stronger, while kendrick lost the same proportion!


    ''she really is the most like minos of all.'' abby noticed this, along with her harem sisters.


    but an improvement of only 3% wasn''t enough to give hollie a significant advantage. kendrick wasn''t fazed by losing that fraction of his cultivation and used his innate ability to attack hollie through various portals at the edge of the platform.


    with a beautiful smile on her face, hollie used her divine ability together with kendrick and quickly connected to her brother''s aura, while invisible parasites sucked his vitality.


    as hollie felt kendrick''s life force fall under her control, she became stronger, more agile, faster, and more resilient. sensing the attack forming in one of those little portals, she moved, dodging one of the spatial sword''s blades while countering in another way.


    kendrick felt the power of chaotic gravity and wasn''t foolish enough to counter with the same move. he was a bit weaker than hollie, and she was stealing his vitality. he would surely lose if he used the same move!


    with a quick movement of his energies and the laws, he put his two arms over his body, forming a black hole while protecting himself from chaotic gravity.


    "tsk! i can do that too!" hollie shouted at kendrick as she moved her hands and created several small black holes around her, threatening to swallow the region of space her brother was using.


    then, as he felt his black hole being torn apart by hollie''s black holes, kendrick clenched his fists and punched the air in front of him.


    indestructible body!


    his fist pierced through space, passing through a portal that had just opened right behind hollie.


    she looked back as she felt a shiver run down her spine, just before she moved her body to the side and prepared to receive her brother''s attack.


    kendrick let his black hole be destroyed by her black holes, casting a paralyzing glare at her. infinite dream!


    hollie barely trembled under her brother''s two attacks, this time destroying her brother''s mental attack with an identical one.


    he paled as he broke out in a cold sweat, momentarily finding himself in a realm of infinite black chains, as his limbs were quickly chained together, giving him no chance to move.


    he felt himself standing in the position where he had hit hollie, and then saw her appear in front of him, one of her hands pointing up, threatening to smash something.


    when hollie moved her fingers a little, kendrick felt a squeeze in his heart, sensing that his sister''s right hand had his heart at her disposal.


    hollie laughed as she stepped back, and a moment later saw her brother come back to reality as a sword of spiritual energy appeared in his hands.


    "you almost beat me," he said in a breathless tone, having almost fallen for the illusion created by her mental attack.


    "your mind is truly strong, older brother. if you weren''t limited by father, this victory would be yours. but i will win."


    with these words, hollie formed her supreme weapon, a different weapon from minos'' and kendrick''s, something shaped like a whip.


    unfortunately for kendrick, the special whip in hollie''s hands had the same properties as her divine ability. it could wound the enemy''s vitality and enhancing the user''s movements. meanwhile, his sword had the special power to destroy domains, which was truly useless against an opponent who didn''t use domains to their advantage.


    if kendrick had an enormous advantage against gloria, he had no advantage at all against hollie. all the advantages in this fight were on the side of minos'' youngest daughter!


    "it looks like this match is about to be decided." ruth felt the tension at the last moment of this battle as the siblings attacked each other with their supreme weapons.


    minos felt the same as he saw glimpses of the future and the winner of the last match of this tournament.


    at that moment, the two siblings ran at each other, with kendrick sending dozens of blade attacks at hollie, while she sent several whips similar to her own at her brother''s five limbs.


    gloria and lily watched as their tough opponents, who didn''t make their fights any easier for them, finished this match.


    even with powerful abilities and a lot of creativity in how she used her powers, kendrick couldn''t overcome his younger sister. limited to the same level as her, he was bound to lose!


    in this match, hollie would prove to be the victor, the rightful heir to the hydras'' amulet!

 Chapter 2621 The Future of the Family in Armhands

    chapter 2621  the future of the family in armhands the moment kendrick fell backwards onto the platform, he sighed as he closed his eyes, feeling pain and physical fatigue, but, of course, nothing to worry about.


    "i lost."


    he muttered with a smile on his face, admitting the difference between him and his little sister when they were on the same level.


    ''it''s a good thing sarah didn''t come to zocarro, otherwise i would have lost more than once...'' he thought to himself, wondering what his older sister''s powers would be like.


    sarah didn''t have the innate abilities of kendrick and hollie. but she had a powerful gravitational ability that could even crush the bones of those few levels stronger than her. even if she lost her cultivation base to one of her siblings and was left with a level disadvantage, she would still have methods to fight back against.


    as for rowan, he had extreme vitality and could fight with serious injuries on his body.


    but kendrick maintained his pride as the eldest son of minos by only losing to one of his siblings today, not so much regretting the defeat and the loss of his claim to the hydras'' amulet.  s~ea??h the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    he didn''t care who the item went to, just as he wasn''t someone who had to be minos'' heir just because he was his father''s first male child. kendrick was committed to his family and wouldn''t get into a serious fight with his siblings or his stepmothers.


    as minos appeared on the platform to hand hollie the necklace with the hydras'' amulet, kendrick stood up with abby''s help and went to hug his little sister.


    "congratulations on your victory. i''ll help you train whenever you want, hollie. with the hydras'' amulet on your side, i think we can benefit from training together," he said in a slightly competitive tone.


    she sensed he meant that only with the amulet on her side could she really challenge him, but she just smiled at him.


    meanwhile, the dragons of the two looked at each other strangely, as if they were teasing each other about the victory or defeat of their parents.


    minos said to them both, "you fought well. now it''s time to return to your seclusion and continue your quest for leveling up. your mothers and i will be here to help and protect you in the meantime. but make the most of our presence to cultivate and make up your minds. in a few decades, we''ll be leaving for uzira, and those who choose to stay must be prepared to face their challenges without our help."


    kendrick had already decided to stay in zocarro when it was time for minos to go to uzira. the eldest of his children wanted to stay and help their relatives and friends who would arrive from the spiritual world in the next few years. meanwhile, lily and hollie still hadn''t made up their minds.


    but all three understood their father''s message and nodded in agreement. each of them knew what they had to do and that there would be no turning back once they had made up their minds and minos had left with his group.


    as hollie and lily left, minos said to kendrick, "while i''m in uzira, plan a trip to zeta draconis with some members of the faction. you may access a dragon heirloom in the major world of that galaxy."


    "zeta draconis? the galaxy you passed through when you went to settle your business with the seraphim?" kendrick asked curiously.


    "yes. there is a world of powerful dragons in that galaxy. try to visit the area before you advance to the 12th stage. this can help you cultivate a new divine power related to dragons and achieve a physical transformation similar to mine. take odys with you at that time," minos recommended, telling kendrick to start preparing now.


    "all right." thanking his father, kendrick left with his dragon and his wife, while most of the spectators had already left the stands of the arena.


    looking at his wives, minos smiled and sighed, satisfied with this competition and the future of the stuart family.


    "now i feel more confident to leave them behind," he said to the three, having seen everything he wanted to see in this six game challenge. "kendrick and hollie will take care of the family in our absence. i don''t know if they will ever be able to reach the celestial grade of their physique, but even if not, they will have enough weapons to secure the future of anyone who comes here from the spiritual world."


    ruth nodded in agreement, wondering what things would be like in less than 70 years, when it would be time for them to leave for uzira with tiolos. "they''ll probably be two or three levels stronger by then. even without us, they''ll know how to deal with the challenges along the way."


    thinking of her own daughter, gloria said, "sarah was left behind even though she wasn''t even a grandmaster... these two will be powerful mid-level sovereigns by then, capable of taking on even high-level sovereigns. so let''s trust them."


    "i just wonder how long we''ll go without seeing them once we make our journey to uzira. coming back won''t be easy." abby looked at minos.


    he said, "i might reach the 12th stage in uzira, so we might not see them for a long time... but anyway, the possibilities ahead are hard to predict. let''s wait to understand such a continent. what we know now may be a fraction of the truth, or even a myth. we won''t be able to get a better estimate until we reach our destination.


    the only thing he was sure of was that when he reached level 115, he would pass through the next phase of the true celestial inheritance, which could put his family members in a period of vulnerability because of his certain absence during the selection.


    in the next phase of inheritance, 100 individuals would compete until only 10 were left, who would return to decide the heir to the true celestial when they all reached level 125.


    so minos and his wives left this battlefield, leaving the future to the future for now, while they still had things to worry about in the present.


    in a few weeks, the news of the war would get even worse, and the time would finally come when the guild would be completely stripped of its 10 elders and supreme leader.


    soon, minos and segiel would be the strongest defending the armhands'' headquarters!

 Chapter 2622 Segiels Plan

    chapter 2622  segiel''s plan weeks after kendrick and hollie''s departure, tenth elder klaus left armhands headquarters, leaving only two level 115 supremes at segiel''s side to protect the guild with minos and the others.


    the supreme leader was supposed to be pursuing the leader of the firestone mines, but jabez was hiding while moving with some of his remaining allies. meanwhile, the elders and most of the guild''s supremes moved against the enemy forces, some of them already stationed in newly conquered outposts.


    the war of the powerful cultivators was also about conquering territory, acquiring new mines and plantations, and having the population at their disposal. in the long run, armies without territories tended to have terrible resource problems, while those with territories tended to grow stronger.


    as a result, every territory conquered in the war was significant, and every week that passed with someone in control of it made its former owners more vulnerable and the new owners stronger.


    almost half of armhands'' allied forces were busy at this very moment, while minos and his family were still at headquarters, working daily to overcome the current challenges and reach the end of the current confrontation.


    ...


    when he left his faction''s cave this morning, minos found himself standing next to two men, both level 115 supremes.


    one of them was none other than sender, the former member of jade chainsaws, jembei''s faction, who had caused minos a lot of trouble when he returned to the guild after his trip to the spiritual world.


    sender had served minos'' faction very well since being subjugated by his master, having reached level 114 years ago and recently receiving his master''s support to reach level 115.


    the other supreme was also a member of the minos faction, laerise, an alien who had joined the faction shortly before the leader of that group left to complete his mission in the seraphim world.


    the other supremes in the group were ama and gan, minos'' two serpent mounts.


    "let us speak to segiel. you''ve just advanced a level, so it''s possible she''ll decide to send at least one of you into battle after you''ve adjusted to your current power levels," minos said as he led the two senior officers to the council.


    the two aliens had their reservations about joining the war, but they also wanted to test their powers in action. so they followed minos in silence.


    halfway to the council, they couldn''t help but smile proudly at how far they had come, seeing the stares and hearing the murmurs of the guild members about their progress.


    getting stronger was great. to be respected, even more so.


    even the powerful generals, who had once been so superior to them, looked at them with respect when they saw them enter the council at minos'' side.


    but even though the two of them had been the ones to make progress, half or more of the looks and comments they passed were directed at the one responsible for that progress: minos.


    minos was revered by nearly every member of the guild, seen as someone who would take armhands to the next level.


    but these two also saw minos in that special way, so they saw no problem in sharing the glory of being stronger with him.


    "commander," the two men said as they entered segiel''s office, while minos stopped a little in front of them and introduced them to his woman.


    "these three were lucky enough to advance after our last cultivation session. they are now at your disposal." minos smiled, while segiel couldn''t help but thank him.


    "thank you for your efforts. for now, laerise and sender should stay at headquarters and get used to their new powers. i''ll send uvial to join our troops on the battlefield." segiel announced as she sent her aide, who was also over there, away to give these orders to one of the other two supremes who were currently at headquarters.


    besides gan and ama, who were not officially members of the armhands, two of the guild''s supremes were at the headquarters to help segiel protect the place.


    but like laerise and sender, the latest woman to join minos'' harem didn''t intend to keep them all together.


    soon, laerise and sender left to begin their adaptation training, leaving minos and segiel alone.


    "will there be more men reaching level 115 in the next few weeks?" she asked him, sitting worriedly on her throne.


    minos said, "perhaps one of the sovereigns i help will achieve something... but after him, there will be no one else. all those who could advance have either already advanced or are on the battlefield. until they return, i can''t promise anything."


    "then we can have one more before the worst comes."


    "the worst?" his eyebrows knitted as he approached her.


    she explained, "the elders have dire expectations for us in the coming weeks. a powerful group of enemies has disappeared, but neither we nor our allies are behind it."


    "do you think they''ll go into hiding to cause chaos in the headquarters?" minos understood what she meant.


    "it is possible. this war has been characterized by surprise attacks. i wouldn''t be surprised if they are already near examire. but let''s not alert our allies. i want the enemy to think we''re in the dark, and we won''t react to them the way they expect."


    he opened his mouth in surprise at segiel''s audacity to risk herself in such a way. "a trap?"


    "hmm. are you going to help me with that?" she asked as she looked into her man''s shining eyes.


    minos approached her and kissed her, promising to do everything in his power to keep the headquarters as untouchable as possible.


    "of course, my dear." he parted his lips from his level 116 woman''s as he moved her body onto his lap, taking advantage of the fact that they were alone.


    "it amazes me you remain so willing, even in times of war," she murmured in one of his ears as one of her hands touched minos'' mast.


    he smiled at her as he felt this woman''s buttocks. "i''ve always known how to separate things. there''s no point in living if you can''t enjoy it. so i''m not going to stop enjoying my women just because of a war. wars happen all the time."


    she bit her lip and accepted his approach.


    "you''re right... i just don''t know if this is the place for it."  sear?h the ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "there''s nothing wrong with it. let''s baptize the place." he laughed as he undressed his powerful lover.

 Chapter 2623 Faction Movements

    chapter 2623  faction movements a few days later, one of the four supremes at segiel''s disposal left armhands'' major post, leaving only three supremes and minos'' two mounts under her command.


    in the coming days, minos would not be able to produce any new 12th stage specialists. but the headquarters would be active during those days, and he would lead the preparations to receive the possible enemies that might soon come their way.


    just as segiel wanted to hide her plans from her enemies, they also needed to hide their movements from their allies and fellow guild members.


    consequently, minos and his faction were acting as the major driving force behind this effort, being the only ones aware of the commander''s plans while moving armhands'' forces around as if everything was normal.


    minos and his family continued their activities, with him using his supernatural abilities to find clues as to how they should act to achieve the best possible outcome.


    ...


    on the outskirts of examire, kendrick and lily were going about their business in the city, which was normal for guild members of their rank and cultivation level.


    examire was the headquarters city, an important center for aliens from all over the continent, with a lot of trade and services necessary for the development of the guild''s activities.


    many of the areas explored by the guild produced materials and resources that the guild members would eventually trade in this city with merchants, who would transport these resources far away or trade them locally themselves.


    among the various activities that armhands was involved in, handling negotiations, escorting resources, and meeting regularly with local leaders were all part of the guild''s routine.


    there were also parallel or secondary matters. for example, if a guild member needed something from the outside world, they would often have to come to the city, deal with problems, make deals and partnerships, and so on. after the headquarters city on the floating island, examire was the second place in oqia where armhands members spent most of their time.


    but while most of the beings in the headquarters were external members, grandmasters, and low-level sovereigns, most of armhands'' members roaming around examire were inner members, mid-level and high-level sovereigns.


    lily and kendrick were together, chaperoning a regular meeting of local merchants, having just left the local chamber of commerce, where a fellow guild member, level 111, had just led their group to the event in question.


    "kendrick, i heard that you have the same ability as your father. is that true?" the level 111 alien asked, since he spent most of his time in examire and wasn''t privy to everything that went on at headquarters.


    "not exactly. it has some similarities with his. but to say that i have the same ability as him is like saying that every flame is the same." kendrick smiled as he walked next to the man, looking around and doing his guard duty.


    although this man''s cultivation was superior to kendrick''s and lily''s, he wasn''t strong. kendrick and lily were officially there to guard this senior officer, an expert in diplomacy and guild business.  s§×arch* the ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    meanwhile, lily also monitored her surroundings, but also contacted those in her group who were more hidden in the city.


    ''stay alert, lily. the enemies will try to attack both of you. you need to be ready to move with kendrick as soon as the signs we''re waiting for appear,'' ruth said in her stepdaughter''s mind as she hid underground in this area.


    from where ruth stood, several members of the minos faction were using spatial formations to monitor several of their teams around the city.


    almost all the members of armhands, like kendrick and lily, around examire today were members of the stuart family faction, prepared for the enemy attack that could happen at any moment.


    only a small fraction of the men on the surface of the city, like the level 111 sovereign kendrick and lily were escorting today, knew nothing and were just going about their normal routines.


    ''i know. i''ll keep an eye on the area and be ready to move.'' lily replied.


    meanwhile, rhett kept an eye on hollie, who was attending a meeting with local young geniuses.


    although minos had never invested his time in meetings with great talents outside of the current inheritance he was vying for, such events were quite common in cultivation worlds.


    competitions and the like were held all the time, not only to encourage new talents to show themselves but also to give them a chance to join the great powers. young genius competitions were great opportunities for various powers to entertain large groups of their ordinary people.


    most people in the cultivation world were not used to the battles and dangers typically faced by warriors like minos. most lived in cities all their lives, venturing out little or not at all.


    many cultivated with resources and "bought" almost all of their progress. for this mass of the population, which was most of the people in this world, watching geniuses fight was the closest they would ever get to witness high-level combat.


    as a result, genius gatherings and tournaments were quite common everywhere, whether in zocarro or the spiritual world.


    hollie was accompanying a group of talented high-level grandmasters from her guild, escorting the most promising external members of the armhands who would soon attend a pointers exchange in examire.


    while she pretended to be on guard around the "youngsters" who were actually much older than her, she solemnly ignored the other sovereigns who stood around the members of their own forces or kept an eye on the geniuses without organizations present at this meeting.


    meanwhile, young warriors waiting to show their skills to the world and gain support from their own forces or groups they didn''t yet belong to clashed in this first of many meetings scheduled for the coming weeks.


    ''it''s going to be hard to put up with these guys... i hope i don''t have to do this job for too long.'' hollie thought to herself as she endured several arrogant comments from guys three times her age who weren''t even sovereigns.


    ''i hope my father understands soon when the enemy is coming.'' she continued to monitor her surroundings, the hydras'' amulet around her neck.


    while they prepared to ambush the enemies, minos was in a hard-to-reach area of examire, watching the future as he prepared to join the fight as well!

 Chapter 2624 Ambush in Examire (1)

    chapter 2624  ambush in examire (1) ''it is time. get ready.''over 100 minos said in the minds of his over 100 companions scattered throughout examire.


    as he stood up from where he had been watching the future for over a month, he saw everything he needed to know in order to act quickly enough.


    ''how much time do we have??'' abby asked him, standing in another position around examire''s underground area.


    except for the family''s small dragons and segiel, who was at headquarters to receive the guild''s allies in the war against the firestone mines, everyone in their faction, including ama and gan, was in examire now.


    some were working in daylight, like kendrick, lily, and hollie. others were in underground areas, while some were disguised in the city.


    ''a few minutes. they''re about to make their move. be ready. they''re going to bombard the headquarters and then show themselves,'' minos said as he walked through the tunnel leading to the chamber where he had been a few moments ago.


    everyone felt the anticipation of battle in minos'' words, knowing that they would have to wait for the enemies to make their move and show themselves before they could act.


    their trap would not work if they acted first!


    ''we will have to take some casualties if we are to win today. be prepared for the death of some of our comrades at headquarters.'' minos said coldly, ready to let the enemies attack with everything before they moved.


    ''how many will we have to sacrifice?'' ruth asked her husband.


    ''hundreds.'' minos finally reached the exit of the tunnel he was in, where he could see daylight again.


    even when he came out of the tunnel, minos didn''t move from the area where a magnificent building had been constructed. he stood still, looking through the thick glass that protected this area, while using his bright eyes to look toward the floating island of armhands.


    ''in a few moments, part of the island will explode, revealing the enemies who have infiltrated the city.''


    kendrick heard this and froze, aware that an attack of this magnitude would not be easy. for his father to have waited so long to act and predict such a cataclysm, supremes would have to show up here today!


    ''are we going to be okay?'' lily looked at him with the same thought as kendrick.


    meanwhile, hollie prepared to use the hydras'' amulet, trying to stay calm and continue what she was doing.


    since she was at level 106 and with her special abilities and the amulet, she could fight sovereigns up to level 110.  sea??h th§× nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    however, she also thought that there would be supremes involved in this battle, which would be the most powerful enemies she would see up close at a battle. that was worthy of her attention and the solemn look on her face.


    as all the faction members prepared to act, some to protect the guild members who knew nothing, and others to move against the enemies, the decisive moment arrived.


    ''now!'' minos warned everyone in his group, getting gan and ama ready while the guild sovereigns in the area were all in place.


    minos communicated not only with his companions in examire. segiel, sender, and the other strongest members in the headquarters were all aware of what was happening around.


    segiel and the four supremes at her disposal, each pretending to go about their daily business, stopped and looked at their surroundings.


    a second after minos'' warning, a flash of lightning appeared from the north of the floating island, followed by a shaking of the ground and then a thunderous roar.


    booooooooooooooom!


    flames and smoke suddenly appeared on the north side of the island, at the point least protected by its defensive formations.


    the explosion wasn''t simple. with a power capable of harming even newly promoted supremes, the enemies who planned to destroy the armhands'' headquarters today were difficult to deal with!


    using high-level bombs capable of destroying part of the defensive formations of armhands'' headquarters, the enemies made the entire floating island tremble.


    those closest to the focal point of the explosion didn''t even feel any pain as it completely incinerated them. those on the outskirts of the mountain where the cultivation caves were located felt the glaciers in the area melt, while some were burned to death and others were forced out of their cultivation sites.


    the fence surrounding the city built on the floating island was melted on one side, and all the guards there at the time were killed by the gust of wind and projectiles from the explosion.


    shrapnel flew into the armhands'' headquarters city, destroying several buildings and injuring several guild members.


    even though they were prepared for this attack, the five supremes there couldn''t help but be surprised by the enemy''s offensive power.


    ''sacrifice your parasites!'' minos said in the minds of the four supremes at segiel''s disposal, as well as half a dozen level 114 peak generals.


    ''you must save your sacrifice. don''t use your parasite sacrifice.'' minos told segiel before he moved with his forces on examire.


    as segiel nodded to minos, more than a thousand high-level sovereigns emerged from hiding places throughout the city. some groups of them flew toward the armhands exposed in the streets, but the majority flew toward the attacked floating island in flames.


    ordinary aliens in the streets who had nothing to do with the armhands immediately realized the situation when they looked up at the burning sky and saw battalions of powerful cultivators flying around the city.


    ''attack!'' minos warned all his groups, giving them the signal at the best moment to reveal their trap to their enemies.


    kendrick and hollie used their innate powers to increase their cultivation almost immediately at minos'' command as he reached the absolute peak of level 114.


    abby and a horde of 69 corpses left their hiding place and went on the attack, while gan and ama flew ahead of minos.


    as soon as they moved, the enemy leaders behind the attack, who had already begun their assault on the headquarters hundreds of meters above the surface, realized the problem.


    however, they could only order their weakest men to fight against the forces commanded by minos. the group of supremes behind this act, who had already sensed various auras between levels 116 and 118 on the floating island, didn''t care about the sovereigns'' movements.


    only one level 115 man from that group stayed behind to take care of minos'' charges!

 Chapter 2625 Ambush in Examire (2)

    chapter 2625  ambush in examire (2) while 5 level 117 supremes attacked the floating island of armhands, a single level 115 supreme stayed behind the more than a thousand high-level 11th stage men attacking the city.


    but soon after he separated from his group, his expression changed when he saw over 150 of his 11th stage allies die in the first moment of action.


    through the actions of kendrick, minos, hollie, lily, gloria, ruth, and abby, over 100 people died!


    but others, such as rhett, grisdi, the giants wovar and clexvog, also acted, clearing the way for other faction members to kill the enemies in their path. meanwhile, the weaker ones saved the lives of armhands members in examire.


    ama and gan approached this level 115 supreme, appearing on opposite sides of this individual with his eyebrows knit tightly together.


    "who are you? you don''t have the armhands mark!" asked the level 115 supreme. he was not at all afraid of these two level 115 serpents.


    this native of zocarro not only had the advantage of being the strongest, but he also had jabez''s sacrifice technique, which could temporarily raise his cultivation by one to two levels!


    gan and ama didn''t talk to this person. the two moved to attack him from different directions, putting pressure on their opponent from the very beginning of the confrontation.


    they didn''t have to last long. as long as they lasted a few seconds, it would be enough for their fellow ambushers to wipe out the enemies in their path and join them!


    the level 115 creature put aside the battle between his men and minos'' men around examire and focused his forces on jabez''s sacrificial technique.


    he didn''t use all of it at first. preferring to take it easy so as not to be weakened against other enemies later, he raised his cultivation to level 116, saving more for himself in case his situation worsened.


    he gained the upper hand against the two serpents, but when he started to pressure them, not enough to kill them, but enough to make them feel pain, he realized the problem.


    less than a minute after the explosive attack on the floating island, five generals who had been acting under minos'' command were now near ama and gan, approaching to join the fight.


    the problem? as these five generals approached, their flashdrain parasites burned on their foreheads, causing golden flames to engulf their bodies as their auras improved explosively.


    the man fighting alone realized that he was in trouble, and he used everything he had to unleash the power of a level 117 supreme!


    his cultivation pressure alone made ama and gan tremble, but since the generals had reached the peak of level 116, their situation wasn''t as bad as the enemy thought.


    in the blink of an eye, the five generals, together with the two serpents, surrounded the level 117 enemy, and together they formed a suppressive seal against the enemy.


    the terrifying level 117 aura hadn''t spread far when several energy portals appeared around this zocarro native, suppressing his actions and movement.


    ''continue calmly. this is the way to victory!'' minos said in the minds of the seven individuals acting against the supreme enemy as he commanded his allies against the last few hundred 11th stage opponents in the surroundings.


    at the beginning of the third minute of action around examire, over 500 bodies above level 110 could be seen around the magnificent city, with residents hiding as local leaders finally emerged from their mansions.  sear?h the ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "what''s going on?" a level 113 sovereign asked, while several level 112 and 113 cultivators from armhands were temporarily at level 114 because of minos.


    "the enemies are attacking the headquarters. attack those marked in red!" said one man from minos'' faction, as someone used their special powers to mark every enemy in the city with red auras under their bodies.


    those who had the courage to join the fight quickly moved off, joining a few corpses that rose from the dead and rubble here and there to face the enemies.


    in the blink of an eye, more than a thousand enemies of armhands'' forces died, without even causing over 30 deaths on the side of minos'' allies.


    most of the casualties cited by minos were in the headquarters, killed by the explosion, people who had to fall for the ambush to work.


    in the end, the ambush worked almost perfectly, but the cost was over 200 guild members in the most affected areas of the headquarters!


    but minos and the others had no time to think about the wounded and dead of their headquarters. as they cleared out the enemies on the outskirts of examire, the first of them began flying toward the guild headquarters.


    some joined the group, temporarily suppressing the level 117 man they didn''t need to kill to win.


    as long as they kept him from harming new targets and kept him busy long enough, this individual would lose the effects of his sacrifice and become weaker.


    minos ignored the enemy and headed for the top of the island, flying alongside ruth, the most important of his women, who could cure to the wounded at headquarters.


    the others stayed behind to take care of the city, but there were no more enemies today. once they finished the level 117 enemy that minos wanted to hold hostage, the fighting in this alien city would be over!


    meanwhile, the most important part of today''s attack on armhands was unfolding on the guild''s island, where the supremes and generals who had sacrificed their parasites were fighting their powerful opponents along with segiel.


    the rest of the guild members were in the sanctuaries of the inner and outer city, while generals defended the city''s most important structures and the guild members.


    however, this battle would have to be won by those already engaged in the battle. under no circumstances could segiel sacrifice her parasite unless the situation became very drastic. if even she made such a move, the entire guild could be very vulnerable in the coming weeks!


    at that moment, minos arrived at the top of the island next to ruth and saw the situation of her troops.

 Chapter 2626 The End of the Assault on Armhands!

    chapter 2626  the end of the assault on armhands! as soon as minos reached the top of the island, he was confronted with the scene of the war. the weak sovereigns and grandmasters of the guild were cowering on the outskirts of the city, while the few powerful supremes were fighting above the area.


    if it weren''t for the formations that minos'' faction had set up around the city, the current situation there would be even worse. however, because of them, most of the thousands of guild members there were still alive, resisting the powerful confrontation of low-level supremes.


    "help the guild members. i''ll try to help our allies against the supremes. with a little luck, we''ll defeat them." minos said to ruth, who was currently at level 111, enough to help allies up to level 114 cultivators.


    ruth nodded in agreement and moved under minos'' dragon aura, which lessened the effects of the supremes'' powers on her as they fought over the floating island.


    minos flew against the current position of the enemies, who were fighting at a high level against the supremes and the sovereigns who had sacrificed their flashdrain parasites.


    as he approached segiel, minos opened his dragon mouth and blew blue flames at the enemy attacking her, a supreme who was currently at level 118!


    meanwhile, the four level 115 generals were temporarily at the same level as some of their opponents, fighting valiantly to stop several enemies that outnumbered them. they also had the help of level 114 sovereigns who had sacrificed their parasites and now had level 116 powers.


    these native from zocarro attacking the armhands'' headquarters today could increase their strength even further, approaching the peak of level 119. however, they could sense that their men in examire had already been wiped out, and right now, a group of supremes was flying towards them.


    was it worth sacrificing everything they had to kill these dozen opponents and then have to deal with problems that could kill them?


    the five of them limited the power of their sacrifices and saved one last ''card'' to deal with their remaining opponents or even escape from this area.


    thus, minos appeared amid this high-level battle, blowing flames capable of surprising even some of those supremes in action.


    segiel''s opponent was momentarily distracted from her opponent by minos'' flames.


    meanwhile, one man from minos'' faction moved among the high-ranking fighters, appearing next to his leader and segiel.


    the other nine continued to press the other opponents, pressuring these local natives while one of them stood in minos'' defensive position.


    ''who is that?'' one enemy wondered.


    then, minos presented his proposition. "my adversaries, regrettably, our current strength does not allow us to eliminate you today. however, if you choose to remain here, i solemnly assure you that at least half, if not more, of your forces will perish before the fall of armhands. under such circumstances, i extend an olive branch in the form of a truce. retreat from this battlefield, and we shall not engage in pursuit."


    segiel clenched her fists, preferring to kill these opponents rather than let them go like this. but a leader''s goal should not always be to win, but to protect their organization as much as possible. for armhands, the retreat of these enemies was the best-case scenario!


    as minos'' allies slowed their movements to join him, the enemies gathered.


    before they could make a decision, a group of five more supremes appeared at the sides of the area, while two supremes carried the body of a wounded man to minos and segiel.


    "they got one of us," said one of the five supremes temporarily at level 118, as he looked at the level 115 man who had been at level 117, and now was completely exhausted, looking terrible.


    "yes, but they''re also surrounding us," said one of the strongest of these five individuals as he looked around and saw eleven level 116 supremes, two level 115 ones, as well as segiel, minos, and the four men at level 118.


    as they encountered this group, one of them looked down and saw more and more members of the armhands coming out of their hiding places, while men of levels 113 and 114 positioned themselves around the ruined city.


    the looks of hatred on their faces were hard to ignore, especially considering the serpent symbols on the foreheads of almost all of them.


    ''if we''re not careful, we could be surrounded by over 30 supremes who will do anything to kill us,'' said the more observant one. ''we''d better retreat. these people don''t want to sacrifice their parasites so they won''t be weakened after dealing with us. but they will if we stay to continue.''


    the other four looked around in different directions, not in the least doubting their companion''s analysis.


    one of them commented to his allies. ''if we leave now, this group will be weaker than us in a few days and weeks. if we gather another powerful group, we can make a stronger attack than today.''


    this was obvious. after all, if they fought today, they would have to deal with nearly a 20 individuals who had already sacrificed their parasites, and all the others who might do so in the next few moments. if they returned in a few weeks, those who had sacrificed their parasites today would be weakened and unable to help the others.


    in the meantime, their sacrifice, though less powerful than the armhands'', had better durability and recovery than armhands''. in less time than it took those this guild''s generals in the surrounding area to recover, these five natives could recover and return for a second battle!


    "very well. let''s finish our business here today. see you in the future, minos stuart," one of them said before disappearing, glancing at the level 115 native for a moment, but making no effort to retrieve him.


    the enemy had no incentive to surrender further than they already had. if they engaged in battle because of the level 115 individual, they would either be held captive or killed. it was deemed unwise to negotiate with them, as it would pose a significant threat to those five natives.  sea??h th§× n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    whatever the fate of that unfortunate native was, it was no longer in the hands of those supremes, but in the hands of minos!


    minos smiled as he saw the movement of his enemies while he remained in position next to his strongest companions.


    feeling that today''s battle had been resolved after the enemies had retreated some distance, he sighed in relief and declared the battle over.


    "today, we celebrate our victory. however, we must remain vigilant for the upcoming challenges. let there be no doubt, our adversaries will soon make their presence known!"

 Chapter 2627 Planning a New Surprise

    chapter 2627  planning a new surprise two months later...


    after the previous battle, armhands stood firm, returning to its regular activities, while part of the guild tried to rebuild what had been lost.


    although hundreds of internal and external members had died because of the detonation of the enemy bomb, the guild had tens of thousands of members. it would take more than that day''s attack to wipe out the force or shake its foundations.


    the force was soon up and running as normal, with minos using the few hostages he got to help his men get stronger and get information on the enemies.


    not only had the enemy level 115 supreme fallen into the hands of the force commanded by segiel on that fateful day. 21 level 114 individuals had been deliberately imprisoned by the stuart family for later use.


    as such, in recent weeks, through the interrogations of these 22 individuals, segiel has passed on important information to the elders outside headquarters. in addition, minos wisely used the 21 individuals to help strengthen another group of men in the guild.


    through the deaths of the 21 individuals, a new level 115 supreme had emerged among the remaining generals in the headquarters. meanwhile, seven more men of level 113 had reached level 114.


    the remaining men available for minos to help with cultivation were either too weak or had recently received help from him and would now spend time cultivating in order to get his help again in the future.


    not only that, but even though they were in the middle of a war, reaching enemies to use as sacrifices wasn''t so easy for the remaining group at headquarters, since they couldn''t casually leave their posts to get guinea pigs for minos.


    so, after this subtle strengthening generated by minos, the guild was dealing with its own affairs and the weaknesses of some of its members.


    ...


    at the guild''s command headquarters, minos, segiel and abby were together, with ruth in front of them, talking about the situation of the level 114 sovereigns who had sacrificed their parasites in the previous fight.


    "there''s not much i can do beyond what i''m already doing." ruth lamented as she said this to her companions, "even with the help of minos and the guild doctors, i can''t shorten the level 114 sovereigns'' recovery much more. it will take them at least another two months to recover."


    their current concern was how long it would take for the men, who had sacrificed their flashdrain parasites, to recover their condition. as already known, after the parasite''s sacrifice, such cultivators become very vulnerable.


    ruth had been working with the guild''s doctors to speed up their recovery rate, but the chances for them were not positive. apart from speeding up their recovery time by less than 50%, there was really nothing else they could do. that was something that depended a lot on the bodies of those individuals.


    minos was already helping the men with his divine ability, using temporal sands to make the passage of time different for them. but unfortunately, their situation was so bad that even with minos'' ability, there was no considerable reduction in the time needed for the men to recover.


    "sigh! that''s a shame. what about the supremes?" segiel looked at minos. he was the only one capable of helping those supremes who had sacrificed their parasites in the fight to defend the headquarters.


    there were no 12th stage doctors in the guild, so only time could help the supremes.


    fortunately, minos'' divine ability could work on anyone, regardless of their level, as long as they allowed his action.


    minos said to her, "without my help, those men would take three years to return to their normal condition. but even i can only help them divide that time by six... in short, it will take them another four months to recover."


    "that''s good." abby looked at segiel. "even though we''ll still be without them for four months, the enemies definitely don''t expect that. they probably think they''ll recover before our supremes, but i''m not sure about that. maybe we can surprise them once again!"


    minos nodded affirmatively as he looked at segiel. "yes, it''s possible. but we have plenty of men in position to fight first, if necessary. we can count on almost 30 supremes if we sacrifice the parasites of all the level 114 cultivators in the guild who can make it in the next challenge. that will be enough to at least stop the enemies again."


    the news wasn''t so bad, but it wasn''t good either. depending on the enemies'' recovery rate, they might have to face another ''draw'', or they might have a chance of a hard-fought victory. but, as it turned out, that was out of their control.


    "what about news concerning the elders and the supreme leader?" ruth asked the commander. "if they resolve the war in the meantime, we won''t have to worry about a next attack."


    "i find it difficult that there won''t be a next attack." segiel looked at the black-haired woman and said, "the enemies are hiding well and there''s no sign that our superiors are going to fight soon.  s~ea??h the n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    i believe that for the next year, we will live through the dilemmas we have today." she sighed as she shook her head.


    "let''s try to save your sacrifice as much as possible." minos looked at segiel meaningfully. "i doubt we''ll have to deal with a fourth attack, so if there is a third enemy move, that would be the time for you to show what you can do. moving in this way before then could be perilous."


    "i agree, but it''s not really up to me," this blue-haired woman said with an unsure tone.


    "don''t think about it. we''ll find a way to avoid sacrificing your parasite in the next fight." he massaged her back, smiling reassuringly at her.


    "let''s stay positive." abby agreed. "at any moment, the war situation could change. if it does, our worries will be for nothing."


    "yes, for now, let''s just carry on with what we were already doing. there''s not much more we can do, anyway." segiel agreed, soon leaving minos and ruth to return to continue working with the stronger guild members who were injured.


    minos also had to keep an eye on the future to find out about the next problems ahead of them, so there was no time to waste!


    abby left too, going to deal with the many guild members who had died and were now at her disposal for her to bring back to life and use for the good of the force.

 Chapter 2628 Next Important Attack

    chapter 2628  next important attack while minos and his group were carrying out their preparations for new attacks, the enemies were, as they expected, recuperating in preparation for the next attack!


    in a city about four weeks'' journey away from examire, the five level 117 supremes who had fled armhands'' headquarters weeks ago were recuperating in a city dominated by their alliance.


    in this place, besides the five supremes, thousands of sovereigns, including 2,000 high-level sovereigns, were at the disposal of these five individuals, as well as the two level 115 and one level 116 supremes behind this city.


    today, one of the five men recovering in the area was alongside his three fellow leaders, walking around the central area of this city of zocarro natives.


    "how long until your group finishes recovering, senior?" asked one of the 12th stage men walking behind the limping local native, who was walking with difficulty given his recovery was still halfway through.


    "two months. not before that. as much as our sacrificial techniques are less negative to our bodies than the sacrifice of the parasites from that damned alien sect, we won''t be able to fight at a high level before then." the 117th level elder explained.


    he had a serene look on his face, certain that in just over two months, he could lead his group to a different outcome than weeks ago. minos had won that day, but surviving again would be extremely unlikely for armhands.


    the other three didn''t know exactly what to expect, but they were already mentally preparing themselves to join the next attack.


    "how many of the men in this town will be able to join us when my companions recover?" he asked as he looked from the peak where they were walking to the area where he could see lots and lots of zocarro natives going about their routines in this military camp-town of their alliance.


    "4,000? that should be enough." said one of them in an uncertain tone.


    "how about 6,000?" suggested the level 117 supreme. "minos and his people are not simple. if we can''t keep them entertained while the strongest of us fight, we could again end up surrounded and forced to flee."


    "we can send 8,000 men, but more than that would be like giving up our position in the area," said one of these men who had never seen minos in action.


    but the level 117 supreme thought that this would hold off minos'' group long enough for his staff. "all right. but i want you to pass on jabez''s technique to all the sovereigns at levels 113 and 114. they''ll definitely need it against minos and armhands. otherwise, almost all of them will die in the next confrontation."


    the three supremes paled as they looked at this level 117 cultivator, not believing that he saw minos in such a formidable light.


    "do it quickly. i don''t want to wait a minute for these men when i finish my recovery."


    "we''ll do our best, senior." the three of them accepted, even with their doubts and worries.


    the level 117 old man headed back to his area to continue his recovery rest while the three looked at each other.


    "sect master jabez''s sacrificial technique was supposed to be exclusive to the supremes. senior krid wanting to do this is quite a transgression..."


    "but it proves how formidable minos is. senior krid will put himself on the line to bring down the damned human!"  sear?h the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "what are we going to do?"


    "we''ll obey. in any case, victory with potential punishment ahead is better than defeat and certain death in the short term."


    the three agreed on that.


    ...


    while minos and segiel''s closest enemies were preparing for the next attack on armhands'' headquarters, news of what had happened weeks ago in examire had already reached the guild''s top experts.


    navey had just heard about the headquarters'' victory under the 12th stage enemies, but what interested him in all this was minos'' situation.


    on discovering the role minos had played that day, he couldn''t help but smile as he imagined the boy''s future.


    ''it looks like things are going well for him... that''s what matters.'' navey clenched one of his fists, eager to see minos'' future, especially when the human reached the 12th stage.


    ''i''ll wait to see how he turns out after his journey in uzira. by then, it will be time for me to approach him and deal with serious matters...''


    while navey was thinking about minos, a level 115 supreme of the guild, one of the generals who had advanced from in recent months, approached the elder with an agitated expression.


    "elder, i bring news of the supreme leader!" said the individual as he assaulted into navey''s underground hideout.


    navey immediately put aside what was on his mind, turning his gaze to the most important matter of the moment, which could even put his life at risk.


    "what did the supreme leader send?" he asked as he looked at the general.


    "he told everyone to get ready. it''s time to move to the big plan!"


    ...


    meanwhile, near the east coast of oqia, on the most central stretch of the long continental coastline, the supreme leader of armhands was standing on the peak of a grandiose ice-covered mountain.


    there, the white-haired and white-bearded man had a curious look on his face, gazing toward one peak below, where he felt his future lay.


    ''jabez, jabez... did you think i was dead or something? rebelling just because you''ve advanced to level 123. tsk! what audacity! but it''s time we sorted this out and put an end to this damn war.'' thought the white serpent of armhands, as he waited for the ideal moment to act.


    having found the hideout of the leader of firestone mines days ago, he was just waiting for the signal from his elders to proceed.


    the war should reach its climax with his attack, but all his elders should be properly prepared to act at the right time for the best benefit of the guild!


    but from where jalai stood, he could tell exactly the situations of jabez and the man''s allies, in hiding or in the area to protect the leader of firestone mines.


    time would pass and soon jalai would receive confirmation that all 10 of his elders were ready for this action.


    he used a special crystal, destroying it and sending a high-level signal to all his important guild members. then, with one move, he jumped off the icy white peak, going up against jabez!

 Chapter 2629 Final Battle of the War?

    chapter 2629  final battle of the war? jalai made the surrounding air explode, while, with a smile on his face, he shaped his attack with his hands, causing hundreds of white snakes to emerge from the frozen peaks of that area.


    with a flick of one of his fingers, he cut the top of a mountain in half, causing the space in the area to tear apart, revealing the hollow interior of that rock formation.


    as he moved, the supremes stationed in the vicinity unleashed their auras, their presence concealed in the nearby side mountains and the inner region. the air crackled with a palpable energy as they ascended from their positions, alerting their surroundings.


    "jalai!" jabez''s voice echoed through the air, reverberating from his prone position on a weathered ritual platform. beneath him, an array of defensive artifacts lay scattered, their cool, smooth surfaces pressing against his body. surrounding him were fragrant herbs, their potent aroma mingling with the earthy scent of special resources carefully gathered to aid in his recovery.


    as expected, after a top level fight against first elder juma, jabez was still not 100% recovered.


    "ready to die, jabez?" jalai advanced, letting his many snakes devour the auras of his opponents as he approached the enemy.


    but before jalai reached the still recovering sect leader, one man in the vicinity, a level 122 cultivator, used his leader''s sacrifice technique to the fullest. upon reaching level 124, this guy appeared in front of the armhands'' leader.


    "what audacity!" shouted the man in front of jalai as he moved one of his palms against the enemy leader, attacking him by surprise.


    "can you believe it? some foolish individual managed to artificially reach level 124. but let me tell you, it won''t deter me," scoffed the white-haired old man. he himself was at the pinnacle of level 123, possessing enough strength to take on even those who temporarily reached level 124.


    with a swift flick of his hand, a sinuous white snake materialized in the air, its scales glistening in the sunlight. gracefully, it slithered through the air, moving with purpose and determination. the sound of its movement was barely audible, a faint rustling that sent shivers down the spines of onlookers. the air carried a hint of a musky scent, reminiscent of the untamed wilderness. as it made contact with the enemy, the snake''s sleek body brushed against his skin, leaving a chill in its wake.


    jabez trembled as he laid eyes on it, having heard whispers about the white snake, the formidable leader of the group he despised the most on the continent. he never thought the leader would emerge from seclusion within the next century.


    however, he had underestimated first elder juma''s relationship with jalai. any other elder would have hesitated to call for supreme leader jalai in time to act in this war. but juma had moved at the right time and avoided many problems that jabez had planned.


    ''shit! i have to escape. if this damn alien sacrifices his own parasite, he''ll be even stronger than juma!'' jabez thought to himself as he moved out of the area.


    meanwhile, the level 122 man, temporarily at level 124, changed his expression as he came face to face with jalai''s attack. his eyes widened, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead. immediately, he abandoned his arrogant demeanor and swiftly formed an energy barrier around him. the barrier shimmered in a bluish hue, crackling with power.


    as jalai''s white snake lunged forward, its fangs sunk into the large spherical barrier. the impact produced a sharp cracking sound, reverberating through the air. a bluish vapor escaped from the snake''s venomous teeth, carrying a faint, metallic scent.  sea??h th§× novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    undeterred by the situation, jalai acted swiftly. he was faced with a formidable enemy, one that even his elders would find challenging. yet, his focus remained on eliminating the dangerous element that posed a threat to even the strongest of armhands. in his determination, he disregarded the man, who was now under the effects of his vapor-shaped poison.


    all the other supremes in the vicinity were being attacked by jalai''s snakes, so no one else stood in his way until jabez.


    throwing a stone at his enemy''s feet, he watched jabez roll fifteen times before falling into the entrance of the tunnel that led out of this underground area.


    seeing a large, glowing creature that left goo everywhere it went appear in that tunnel, jabez stared ahead in horror, not believing that his enemy was really that capable.


    "you should have waited another thousand years. perhaps you would have had the chance to defeat me then, when juma was no longer with us. but anyway, you missed the timing. time to pay for that," said the smiling supreme leader of armhands, as he appeared above jabez.


    the supreme leader''s lower body became that of a snake, quickly wrapping around jabez''s body and squeezing him to the point that the local native couldn''t escape.


    jabez had already lived a long life, experiencing many situations in which he had been in jalai''s position. in some others, he had even been in his current position, but unlike those situations, he didn''t expect anyone to come to his rescue today.


    jalai was among the 10 strongest cultivators in oqia. there weren''t many who could stop him from taking a life within his grasp!


    when he found himself in this situation, defeated and with his men far enough away from them, jabez just sighed before saying his last words, "do what you came to do. this defeat is mine."


    with an enigmatic smile, jalai killed by ''biting'' the shoulders of the local native, causing his powerful poison to invade the body and soul of this level 123 enemy, but who, being weakened, was no stronger than a level 121 supreme at this point.


    "sect master!"


    "boss!"


    several men in the area shouted as they tried to deal with the snakes, preventing them from helping jabez, but also from fleeing the area.


    "hey guys, why complain? it''s your turn next!" with those words, jalai devoured jabez''s body, and then turned his attention to the enemies left for him to eliminate.


    with the deaths of the remaining supremes in this area, his mission would be accomplished. it would only be a matter of time before he and his elders'' actions became known, and then the war would end with the stampede of partners and members of firestone mines.


    with a smile on his face, the old man of level 123 didn''t even use the sacrifice of his flashdrain parasite, something he was preparing for an ultimate enemy much stronger than any of these men.


    unlike the old first elder juma, jalai still had a lot to live for and fight for. sacrificing something that had taken him tens of thousands of years just for the sake of these individuals would be stupid.


    but he wouldn''t even have to do something like that. at his current level, just trying his hardest would be more than enough to deal with the group of supremes using jabez''s sacrificial technique.

 Chapter 2630 End of the War

    chapter 2630  end of the war on the same day as jalai''s attack on jabez''s group, the 10 elders of armhands, alongside the supreme corpses and generals, acted against other important pillars of the firestone mines alliance.


    the day after jabez''s death, news of the whole incident circulated throughout the central region, reaching firestone mines'' allies, enemies and even forces that had no relation to the war.


    in just one day, armhands'' forces managed eleven 12th stage victories, with over 30 enemy supremes dying to the guild led by jalai.


    as minos and segiel prepared for a new attack, the war was winding down with the withdrawal of the last of those involved alive!


    ...


    in the allied camp town of firestone minos, about four weeks'' journey from examire, the place now looked more like an abandoned lot after a big get-together than a city.


    of the thousands of zocarro natives who had previously lived there, there was no one left!


    after the news of what had happened in the last few hours, there was no way the place could stand. over 10,000 beings fled, heading in the opposite direction to armhands'' domains.


    the supremes who intended to act against armhands'' headquarters were flying off in different directions, heading either to the far north or the far south of the continent.


    the troops that were already moving towards examire had turned around and disbanded, with even the war fanatics, who had agreed to fight in the worst conditions, having no choice but to give up.


    what could they do now that their head men had died? in the great armhands action, led by juma, the advantage in the number of supremes had gone to the armhands'' side. but now, with this incident, the difference in the number of specialists between the two sides had grown so vast that the confrontation had become untenable.


    thus, a level 117 enemy of minos and segiel, who had many plans for the two until recently, was currently flying south in a hurry, with his tail between his legs.


    did he resent his enemies? not in the slightest. in the situation he was in, the leader of those men forced to flee minos'' group could only wish for peace and quiet.


    ''i hope they don''t start a big hunt against all of us. if they don''t, maybe in a few centuries i''ll be able to join some other force again.'' thought the man moving through the shadows of a forest.


    ...


    meanwhile, in another area of the continent...


    elder navey was returning to the guild after leading the victory against the old firestone mines headquarters. as one of the strongest elders in the guild today, with cultivation at level 121, he had led the major movement of the men of jalai.


    after leaving the old firestone mines headquarters in the hands of the guild''s men, he was returning in victory to the guild, curious and eager to observe minos up close again.


    his recent victories and the supreme leader''s achievement didn''t even catch his attention. his interest was only in returning and continuing his observations.


    "general, go back to the guild by yourself. i''ll pick up my speed a bit."


    "elder¡ª" the man was about to say something when navey disappeared, leaving him alone while he was 2,000 meters above the surface.


    ''impressive! level 121... will i ever get there?'' wondered the level 115 individual who had been helped by minos to reach the 12th stage.


    ...


    meanwhile, klaus found himself at the headquarters of one of firestone mines'' allied organizations. the place was a magnificent wooden building in the heart of an enchanted forest. the air was filled with the enticing aroma of a sizzling barbecue as the aliens in the vicinity skewered the bodies of their enemies on massive skewers. the former commander of the guild, now the tenth elder of the council, declared, "eat up! yesterday, we emerged victorious, but tomorrow, we''ll resume our business!" the men joyously lifted their skewers and clinked their mugs together, their laughter and animated conversations echoing throughout the grandiose surroundings.


    "i wonder how things are at the guild headquarters? i''m eager to see how our men have stood up to our absence," said one of the high level generals, catching klaus'' eye.


    he, too, was curious. the only news that had reached them was that, months ago, the headquarters had been attacked by enemy forces and wreaked havoc on the guild. however, they couldn''t do anything about it at the time, as they had more important plans in mind.


    after that, they didn''t know what might have happened, but they had the expectation that their men had held out, even if they had to sacrifice themselves and suffer a lot.


    "with segiel and all the generals left behind, as well as young minos, it''s likely that our guild will still stand in examire. but let''s prepare for the worst. the enemies have been just as brutal as us in recent months." klaus said, causing the generals, close to him, to fall silent for a moment, wondering how their companions were doing.


    in this place, not so close to the leaders of the area, maximillian, currently at level 111, was eating alongside the aliens in his surroundings, also imagining the outcome of the attacks on the headquarters.


    but he didn''t think that minos and his people had perished. ''they''re tough nuts to crack. they''re certainly stronger and have more merit,'' this black-haired man thought to himself.


    as he ate and thought about minos, the surrounding men looked at him with respect. even though he was only a level 111 sovereign, maximillian had fought bravely and survived confrontations in which men stronger than he had died.


    luckily for him, his regeneration ability was incredible and had once again saved him from death.


    he smiled at his companions toasting him, sighing at having made it to the end of the war alive.


    ''sigh... minos, you almost killed me by making me a senior officer... lucky the war is over now. i''ll move more carefully from now on. in particular, it''s time for me to go into seclusion.'' he closed his eyes as he sighed in relief, imagining that, with the conflict over and the merits he had earned in the war, he could enjoy a few years of calm and strength within the headquarters.


    ''i won''t leave my cultivation cave until i become a level 112 sovereign!''


    s~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 2631 Party at the Guild

    chapter 2631  party at the guild as the news about the end of the war spread across the central region, examire was celebrating.


    ever since the ferocious assault on the armhands'' towering headquarters, the city had been engulfed in an atmosphere of tense anticipation, as if caught in the grip of an impending tempest.


    sovereigns, fueled by their abundant resources and weaponry, were preparing for the looming battle. meanwhile, the weak ones, plagued by their vulnerability, desperately sought an escape route from the imminent chaos.


    however, for the weak, fleeing from this city proved to be an elusive dream. embarking on a perilous journey beyond the city''s confines seemed even more treacherous than remaining within its war-tainted walls.


    apart from the few who had the chance to leave, the rest simply stayed in this grandiose alien city, waiting for what would happen.


    upon receiving the news this morning, the city experienced a swift uplift in mood. the citizens set aside their fears and worries and let out sighs of relief. this collective relief was quickly followed by individuals from various backgrounds coming together to celebrate the end of the war and armhands'' victory.


    whether connected to the guild, people could be seen celebrating the end of the conflict in the streets of the city, with various bonfires in different parts of the city, restaurants and other meeting places full, while the stores specializing in guzzles ran out of stock.


    in the world of cultivation, people also drank alcohol. in fact, the drinks available in a world like zocarro were very complex, with options that would make you happier, more alert, more energetic, or the opposite, relaxed, calm and slow. it all depended on what the consumer wanted.


    wines were the flagship of the liquor stores in oqia, with a range of drinks to suit almost every palate.


    fortunately for the group at the armhands headquarters, the guild had its own stock of drinks. otherwise, the party wouldn''t have extended to this ancient and powerful force.  s§×arch* the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    just like examire, armhands'' headquarters was boiling at the moment, with inner and outer disciples, council members, allies and subordinates celebrating together at the top of the floating island.


    they had also prepared themselves as best they could to face the challenges of subsequent attacks. minos and his faction members were certain that if they weren''t able to stop two more attacks on the headquarters, they would lose the headquarters.


    but the winds had changed with the supreme leader''s action and they hadn''t even had to face a second attack!


    consequently, today the entire stuart family in zocarro was gathered in the main hall of the guild''s command building, celebrating alongside the generals and main combatants in the previous confrontation.


    "that must be the first time we''ve won without having to fight our hardest," gloria said to abby and ruth, as she couldn''t help but smile.


    "indeed. this victory even seems strange. as if something isn''t right." abby laughed as she held a glass in her right hand.


    minos stood between them, smiling as his face flushed, a little from the effects of the potent drink he was drinking, but also from how much better he was feeling now that it was all over.


    segiel was beside him, between his wives, for the first time celebrating one of the stuart family''s victories in something so important.


    this was a victory for them. after all, this war had started with minos, and they had been responsible for protecting the headquarters. the war being over and the guild headquarters still standing was a sign of victory for them!


    "unless worrying things happen in the next few years, we''ll finally have some peace." ruth looked at minos and the others, also spotting, further away from them, kendrick and the others, celebrating in that hall. "this will be perfect to welcome those who will come from the spiritual world, but also to prepare us for our departure for uzira."


    segiel clenched one of her hands as she thought of uzira. she couldn''t join her family to go to that continent. as commander of the guild, she was to remain in position at headquarters until she was promoted to the position of elder.


    the commander''s major function was at headquarters, so she could hardly leave her position in the future.


    "how long do you intend to prepare?"


    "65 years." minos got straight to the point. "maybe less, but no more than that."


    "that''s good. but 35 years have passed since we made a deal with tiolos... over 40 years have passed since we returned to zocarro, and in the meantime, almost all the time we''ve had problems." abby said as he looked at minos and sighed, "will we finally have a long period of peace?"


    "i hope so. we''ll use these years to strengthen ourselves, prepare the place to receive the family, and make sure our absence won''t be felt." minos smiled, showing his wives that their future prospects were good.


    while they were talking, three 12th stage individuals arrived in that hall of the guild''s command center. one of them was navey, the elder who was monitoring minos, another was the supreme leader, jalai, and another was the second elder.


    the three of them came towards the stuart family to greet segiel and the others, and congratulate them on surviving the enemies and keeping the headquarters as whole as possible during this period.


    "minos, segiel, you''ve done a good job. the island no longer looks like a place that has been attacked so massively by the enemy. the city also looks lively," jalai said with a smile on his face, while the two elders remained silent.


    "we did our best, but we still lost some lives," segiel said in front of minos.


    he added, "if it weren''t for the actions of the supreme leader and the elders, we would soon be attacked again. luckily, we don''t have to use our last cards against the enemies."


    jalai nodded, having already noticed some high-level individuals in the surroundings, who were without their flashdrain parasites, but strangely, fully recovered.


    ''it seems that minos'' abilities really are fantastic. these supremes have recovered sooner than i thought.'' jalai thought as he looked away and saw sender and the other supremes who had sacrificed their parasites in the previous fight and were now ready to fight.


    they were parasitized, of course, but they were recovered to fight at their levels, which was impressive, given that the sacrifice should have taken them at least six times as long to fully recover.


    minos also looked toward some of the supremes in the area, grateful for their qualitative advance in their physique. ''before, the time i could distort was 30% less than what i can now. because of my qualitative advance, i can distort time much more easily now!''

 Chapter 2632 Peace After War

    chapter 2632  peace after war in the blink of an eye, six months have passed since the death of jabez, the former master of firestone minos.


    all ten elders of armhands have returned to headquarters, while only a few generals and officers have stayed behind in the guild''s new territories.


    with the end of firestone mines, the allied forces of this destroyed sect either surrendered to the coalition led by armhands, or stampeded, disappearing from the central area of oqia.


    meanwhile, armhands had quickly divided up the enemy territories, ensuring that its allies were left with generous enough portions so that the post-war period would not create new disputes.


    under segiel''s leadership and minos'' advice, the guild followed a peaceful path of not trying to dominate the continent just because of this recent victory and the growing number of supremes in the force. what was most important to the guild was that they reached uzira, so, as interesting as it would have been to keep everything they themselves had conquered, the guild opted to continue growing in oqia peacefully.


    their strategy worked well. in just three months since the division of enemy lands between the victors of the war, the four main allied forces returned their troops to their territories. meanwhile, their leading members returned to their headquarters, intending to go into seclusion again, a very good sign for all sides.


    the great victors divided up other spoils of war such as cultivation resources, crystals, plants, artifacts, qilnats and much more. within armhands, the major names in the war got their due shares of resources, enough to make even supremes'' eyes glaze over.


    among them were minos and abby, who, below the 10 elders of the guild, were the ones who got the most merits and prizes for their cooperation throughout the conflict.


    and so, little by little, they were getting used to their new routines at headquarters, back to their usual responsibilities, cultivation, and planning of the future.


    ...


    in the law enforcement hall of the guild''s inner area, kendrick was now in the office of the hall''s general supervisor, having inherited this position from his parents.


    neither abby nor minos would continue to serve as hall supervisors after the war. with the amount of merit they both had and all their resources, they no longer needed to work hard to become elders of the guild. as it was, they only needed to become supreme to achieve this.


    but the supreme leader himself had already spoken to them about the possibility of them becoming elders even before that, when they arrived in uzira and opened a branch of the guild on that continent.


    from then on, they would have all the freedom they wanted to act on behalf of the guild.


    as such, the two were now only involved in matters related to their mission of departure for uzira while supporting the rest of the family.


    kendrick was the new supervisor of the law enforcement hall, while in front of him in the force''s leadership office was hollie, the hall supervisor for the outside area. next to hollie, lily was the current chief judge of the hall.


    as you can see, nepotism was not a problem in the cultivation world!


    "what do you want here, little sisters? is there a problem?" kendrick asked with a smile on his face as he sat down in his armchair.


    "a group of newcomers will soon join the guild. we need to prepare for trouble," lily said as she looked at hollie.


    hollie nodded positively. "yes. we have had no problems in recent months because of the post-war moment and our father''s still powerful influence on the guild members.


    but in the coming months we''re going to increase our numbers by 30% and with father''s seclusion, it''s likely that some old guild members will become bolder. we should prepare for that."


    "so you want to talk about prevention? there aren''t any problems going on in the guild for us to deal with before then?" he asked.


    "there aren''t," the two said in unison.


    "then let''s prepare an event for the newcomers who join the guild in the next few months. this will help them understand the current order of things."


    after armhands'' victory in the war, the guild''s popularity had increased across the continent. hundreds of individuals were coming to examire every week with an interest in joining the guild¡ªobviously in the dark about the disadvantages of doing so.


    in addition, the guild had lost many members throughout the war and was left with resources, territories and opportunities that went beyond what its current members could handle. consequently, the force intended to accept a much larger number of admissions over the coming months than it normally did.


    the three siblings continued talking about this at the headquarters of the law enforcement hall, a sector of the guild that was currently totally loyal to them.


    ...


    in the guild''s rebuilt caves, minos was standing next to two of his wives now, preparing to go into seclusion alongside them.  s~ea??h the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    abby would be on standby to help the rest of the family and the faction, so only ruth, gloria, and he would go into seclusion today.


    having already warned segiel that he would be with his two wives in seclusion for the next four months, minos first used his divine ability on ruth and then on gloria.


    stopping to rest while the two were already cultivating, he drank water, figuring that four months would be enough for them to improve their strength a little and not be away for too long.


    for the time being, he didn''t want to go into long periods of seclusion for fear of changes happening during their absence. but if things went smoothly for the next three short-term seclusions he intended to do, he was already planning a decade-long reclusion.


    ''time to start.'' he used his divine ability on himself, making the golden hourglass appear over his body, creating a time distortion between him and the rest of the guild.


    with his ability working on himself, minos began to cultivate, circulating his energies as he focused on continuing to improve himself.


    after these cycles of short seclusion, he intended to cultivate for the entire period until callie and vico returned!


    by now, those two should have left the galaxy where zocarro was and be nearing the end of their journey to the spiritual world. in another 15 years¡ªminos thought¡ªthose two could be back on zocarro with the group that agreed to leave the old spiritual world behind.


    with good prospects for the future, he erased everything unrelated to cultivation from his mind, returning to study the truths behind natural laws while strengthening himself.

 Chapter 2633 Situation in the Spiritual World

    chapter 2633  situation in the spiritual world meanwhile, in the spiritual world...


    after the departure of minos'' group, only 17 years had passed for the forces left behind either in the spiritual world or in the adamant land.


    however, even though very little time had passed since minos'' departure, a lot had happened in the meantime.


    currently, rowan stuart was at level 83, far below the level 106 of his twin sister, hollie, who he had always been stronger than during her time in the spiritual world.


    but rowan did not know what he had failed to ''achieve'' by staying behind in his family''s homeworld to run the empire in his father''s name.


    being in dry city, where he had been ruling most of his world, he was satisfied with his position, having married and had his first child in those 17 years.


    minos'' first grandchild was a boy named raiden stuart, the first son of rowan stuart, emperor of the black plain empire, and kyla, the former nine-tailed fox, daughter of emlyn.


    rowan and kyla had married years ago and in their first attempts, she had become pregnant. now little raiden was three years old and was gradually understanding his position within the powerful stuart family.


    raiden spent most of his days with his mother and maternal grandmother, who had reached level 94, two levels above kyla''s current cultivation.


    emlyn was with little raiden now, a little boy with dark orange hair and white eyes, walking to the imperial throne hall.


    it was good to initiate imperial heirs to the position they would inherit in the future from an early age!


    passing the guards properly profiled, with two robots from the peak of the 10th stage accompanying them, emlyn and raiden entered through the side entrance to the hall, where rowan was now working, with a group of empire officials.


    to rowan''s right was oswald, the emperor''s great-grandfather, currently at level 95. oswald had a quiet smile on his face, pleased with the current position his family had reached. meanwhile, on the emperor''s left was dillian, with a current cultivation of level 92.


    dillian continued to serve the state as chief advisor, being one of the most respected figures in the entire spiritual world for his long journey alongside minos, since the beginning of this legendary expert''s journey on this planet.


    raiden watched his father at work with his wide eyes. the emperor was dressed in golden armor, as he spoke to a group of demigods a few steps below him.


    among one of the men in front of rowan was sarah''s servant, an alien resident of the adamant land.


    "your majesty, her majesty sarah stuart invites the family to the birth of the first imperial prince of the adamant land. the birth of his highness noah should take place in no more than five months, in the gods'' hall."


    another individual, a level 98 demigod, said, "the first starfleet will stand guard around the gods'' hall, your majesty. we guarantee everything will go smoothly, so even if you can''t attend, we''ll ensure her majesty sarah''s safety."


    rowan smiled as he heard the news from the adamant land, aware that his older sister had become pregnant shortly after reaching level 89.


    he really wanted to be there for sarah at this special moment, even more so considering that she had come to raiden''s birth years ago. unfortunately, he couldn''t.


    "i''m sending my gifts and family to accompany noah''s birth. unfortunately, i won''t be able to join in this important moment," he said as he looked over and saw his mother-in-law with raiden. "my wife kyla will join you on the trip to the adamant land. i will also send my great-grandparents." he turned his gaze to oswald.


    oswald and patience lived traveling between the adamant land and the spiritual world. with sarah and rowan living on different sides, they could only alternate their time between one world and the other.


    the same applied to maisie, who was currently in the adamant land with sarah and the rest of the family there.


    gloria and abby''s relatives were also in the adamant land, having moved to that world after minos'' departure. meanwhile, ruth''s family was in the spiritual world to support rowan.


    oswald said as he made a gesture of thanks for the ''opportunity'' to represent the empire. "i will represent you well, your majesty. don''t worry, my dear sarah will be fine."


    ...


    while kendrick was living his daily life as emperor, in the north sea, on the site where the wormhole port connected to the adamant land had been built, the quasi-spatial kingdom of minos now had a city built inside it.


    this place, which had once been a safe region of space controlled by the black plain army, now had over 50 square kilometers of built-up area, with many buildings and the infrastructure of large cultivation cities built there.


    in addition to the beautiful infrastructure built to receive beings interested in leaving the spiritual world or coming to this planet, the presence of a god could be felt there.


    the current spiritual world only had four gods, three of whom were robots native to the mechanic empire, beings transformed by minos. the last of these gods lived in this city, aurae aegolor, the level 100 elf who had been left behind after minos'' group left.


    she continued to live in this world, having left the elves island in the hands of her fellow survivors, to guard this important place for her planet.


    now she was cultivating in a lotus position, continuing her wait for challenges, or the return of maximillian and callie.


    but contrary to what she had previously expected, her wait would not take as long as minos had promised. while she waited on this side of the wormhole connecting her world to the adamant land, minos'' two envoys were approaching sarah stuart''s current home!


    but even so, today she opened her eyes, sensing that something was about to change in her world.


    ''what''s that feeling?'' she looked in the direction of the spatial distortion that led to the adamant land, feeling slightly bothered by something. s§×ar?h the n?vel(f)ire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 2634 Arrival in The Adamant Land

    chapter 2634  arrival in the adamant land in the adamant land, the world destroyed after minos and his group passed through the area about 20 years ago is no longer as it was then.


    in just two decades, the ancient world of the mechanic empire has been almost completely renovated, with old cities rebuilt from their rubble, and other areas remodeled to the best advantage of the planet''s new sovereigns.


    for the past 15 years, sarah had ruled alongside her husband, george, leading those from the spiritual world who chose to live on this planet, but also the allies from other worlds in this galaxy¡ªthose that minos had secured before his departure.


    with all this manpower, trade opportunities and more, sarah had rebuilt this planet, turning it into a world that didn''t look like it had been in a war decades ago.


    it no longer resembled the world once dominated by the mechanic empire¡ªthat civilization based on the area''s metals. now there was more green, with large forests reclaimed in areas previously dominated by the buildings of the mechanic empire.


    from zero inhabitants after minos and his group passed through about 20 years ago, the planet now had 20 million inhabitants, distributed in 40 cities around its grandiose area.


    but the planet''s command center remained on its moon, where the grandiose gods'' hall was built, a beautiful golden temple where, in the past, only gods could live.


    now, 17 years after minos'' departure back to zocarro, this place was the headquarters of the stuart family in the adamant land, where sarah, george, and others now lived.


    sarah was walking through the garden of her estate at the moment, her belly so big it looked like it was going to explode, while george, her husband, was by her side, as he did whenever he could.


    as well as ruling this great world, it was also their responsibility to lead the spiritual church, but also the galactic corps, the force they had created to explore the galaxy and protect the adamant land and the spiritual world.


    but even though he had many duties, george had stepped away from these matters to be by sarah''s side, who was close to giving birth to their first child.


    "i feel something different..." the red-haired woman, with even bigger breasts than the ones she had before, said as she strolled. "has my time come?" she looked at her husband doubtfully, not expecting to have an unscheduled birth.


    the doctors who had been accompanying her were even more renowned than dillian. how could they get their heir''s due date wrong?


    but george, currently at level 94, felt something strange too and didn''t think it was his wife''s delivery.


    ignoring her question, he circulated his energies as he looked up at the sky of the vast universe at his disposal.


    four level 100 robots appeared around the two of them, already in combat positions.


    a second later, as sarah realized that her previous thought was not behind the strange sensation she had first noticed, while emergency signals appeared all around the golden temple.


    maisie, level 94, margot, gloria''s mother, sarah''s grandmother, currently at level 93, appeared together close to where she was, both with worried expressions on their faces.  sear?h the n?vel(f)ire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    then, suddenly, two meteors fell under one corner of the gods'' hall, with joseph frost, gloria''s father, level 95, appearing near these newcomers, raising his weapon along with a group of 40 high-level demigods and three gods.


    while they were all thinking that, after years of peace, they would finally face a major threat, the auras of those newcomers showed themselves, drawing attention to the fact that they couldn''t possibly be from this galaxy.


    together with their powerful level 108 auras, the two opened their mouths, emitting voices already known to most of these individuals.


    "time really has passed differently for us."


    "yes. they''re not as strong as we thought they should be... have we advanced our trip too much? hardly any of them will come with us now."


    as the two people''s voices stirred the hearts of the spiritual humans in that temple, sarah''s eyes widened as she distinguished vico and callie.


    george, margot, maisie, and joseph immediately recognized these two, while they couldn''t help but be shocked by their auras.


    vico and callie''s auras were even stronger than those of minos, ruth, and the others 17 years ago!


    "vico!"


    "callie!"


    they approached the two experts as they both looked at sarah''s enormous belly.


    ''looks like she''s not coming with us.'' the two immediately realized the problem.


    if sarah was to give birth to her first child soon, she would hardly leave the adamant land until her son was strong enough to lead in her absence. but that wouldn''t happen for at least a century¡ªthe two figured.


    "vico and callie, it''s good to see you again," sarah said in a breathless tone, as the robots on the outskirts lowered their weapons and made way for them.


    she stopped two meters away from the two, a beautiful smile drawn on her face, curious to hear what these two had to say.


    "likewise, your highness." vico and callie greeted her with due respect, not forgetting who their leader was.


    maisie stepped forward and asked, "how are minos and the others? you returned earlier than he promised. did something go wrong?"


    sensing the concern in her voice, vico held up one of his hands, asking them to calm down. "no, that''s not the case. we came earlier than we expected, but that''s because of a distortion in the time that... anyway, unfortunately, we ignored the time passage on our way back here.


    in any case, we''ve had great opportunities for improvement over the last few decades, which has made us move faster with our plans."


    callie complemented his speech, "as you can imagine, minos and the others are fine, stronger than ever. as for us, we''re here to give more people the chance to join us in zocarro.


    but there''s no need to rush. we''ll stay close to here and the spiritual world for at least two years before we return."


    with these words, sarah invited them into the temple, where they could talk more calmly and hear about everything that had happened to their relatives over the years.


    everyone there was keen for news of minos, so soon they were silently listening to vico and callie talk about his incredible journey after leaving the adamant land.

 Chapter 2635 Updating the Family (1)

    chapter 2635  updating the family (1) after some time, vico and callie talked about the most important points in the trajectory of minos, gloria, ruth, abby, kendrick, lily, and hollie after their departure from the adamant land.


    they hardly described about space travel or the planets they passed through. they focused on more important things, such as the passage through the enchanted realm and the advantages of cultivating on a relatively strong world, with the temporal distortion of that area.  s~ea??h the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    in fact, whoever went with them to zocarro should take advantage of a passage through the enchanted realm for a few years to prepare for zocarro.


    minos felt it was well worth letting his companions and family experience a world more powerful than the one they already knew, but not as strong as zocarro. since the time distortion between such a place and zocarro was so great, it was worthwhile for them to stop there.


    with the short story about how they fought a war while minos was away, callie and vico got across the most important points of that exciting journey. at the end, he talked about how minos came back stronger and saved the situation before they moved on to zocarro.


    after that, she talked about their arrival in armhands, how they were suppressed right at the start of their journey there, but also about the war that was started by a mission from minos and that was still supposed to be going on.


    when they left, minos was away, so his current situation was uncertain. but they were almost certain that the leader of the group was on the same level as the two of them, or even stronger.


    "... everyone is doing very well. your siblings have gotten a lot stronger and are now stronger than us," callie said with a smile on her face as she looked at sarah. "given their cultivation speeds, it''s only a matter of time before they surpass us, not only in combat proficiency, but in cultivation, too."


    everyone heard this as they couldn''t help but smile and imagine what it would be like to live on zocarro, to interact with minos and the others again, but also to gain divine abilities and more years of lifespan.


    maisie''s eyes sparkled with her discoveries, happy to have helped bring someone like minos into this universe.


    meanwhile, sarah couldn''t help missing her mother and father, wondering how much longer it would take to see them again.


    "it''s a shame you came too soon. if it were 30 years in the future, or even the 100 years promised by my father, i would certainly join you and george to go to zocarro." sarah massaged her enormous belly, looking at noah''s ''home.''


    "but with noah about to be born, i''m not leaving the adamant land anytime soon..." she said.


    the others couldn''t say anything, aware of how necessary it would be for her to stay, but also of how much she could lose by doing so.


    "can''t we take her and noah on the trip? isn''t there a safe way to do that?" angelica, currently at level 92, minos'' aunt and maisie''s sister, asked callie and vico.


    vico shook his head negatively. "unfortunately, we can''t. as far as it depends on us, we would certainly protect them as well as we have to. but the effects of spaceship travel through the universe are severe. those below level 80 can''t withstand the acceleration of the spaceship and could die if they travel through the universe."


    callie felt sorry for these people, but there was nothing she could do about it. little noah would have to become a spiritual sage before venturing out into the universe.


    "then we''ll stay. we''ll go next time," george said with a smile on his face, not in the slightest hurry to get to zocarro.


    sarah felt her husband massage one of her hands and smiled back at george.


    maisie asked, "when is the next group coming to the spiritual world? we can go to zocarro in the next journey."


    callie explained, "vico and i don''t intend to return after this journey. but some of those who go with us will have to ''pay back'' minos for the opportunity to go to zocarro, returning here in the future. but when that will be, i''m not sure yet. it depends a lot on their progress and minos'' demands."


    vico warned these people of something important, "however, seeing minos again may take a long time for those who don''t go with us this time.


    i don''t want to rush you from your decision. but minos has plans, in less than 70 years in zocarro''s time, to go to a different continent from the one we have access to.


    he plans ambitious things for that place and may stay there for centuries. so maybe whoever goes to zocarro in the next few groups won''t see him until he returns from that continent."


    "what do you mean? can''t we just go to that continent where he''ll be?" maisie asked.


    "no. even level 115 beings have a high chance of dying on the journey between oqia and uzira. so when he leaves, we''ll have to wait until he returns," vico said in a firm tone, making it clear to these people the future that awaited them.


    "who will go with my father to this place?" sarah asked, unwavering in her decision, but curious about the answer.


    callie said in an uncertain tone, "we''re not sure yet. certainly ruth, abby and gloria. but the others still hadn''t made up their minds when we left for here."


    vico looked at callie and said, "kendrick seemed determined to help the spiritual world groups that were going to reach armhands in the future... it''s likely that he''ll stay behind."


    "yes, it''s possible." she agreed with him, before looking at the others there. "but, as i said, we don''t know for sure. maybe kendrick will stay, maybe not."


    vico nodded positively as he looked at sarah and the others.


    maisie and angelica exchanged a knowing glance, realizing that if they didn''t act now, it would be a while before they laid eyes on minos again. but while they wanted to see him again, they wanted to see noah''s initial journey and knew that they were needed between the adamant land and the spiritual world.


    "if i had to bet, i''d say that the next group will return here after minos and the others leave for uzira. so that shouldn''t be for another 25 years or so, maybe even longer." vico finished the subject on this important point for those in this place, also having already told them the most important thing.


    for more details, these people would have to ask specific questions or even spend some time near them for them to talk in more depth.


    sarah sighed before changing the subject. "tell me about the plan for the two of you on this journey. what are my father''s orders?"

 Chapter 2636 Updating the Family (2)

    chapter 2636  updating the family (2) vico answered the question about minos'' orders, "he sent a spatial ring with resources compatible with the spiritual world and the adamant land, as well as a spatial ring with the bodies of 11th stage cultivators. he told us you would know what to do with these bodies."


    sarah received the rings from vico, understanding her father''s plan.


    ''it seems he still values the spiritual world. he wants us to bury these bodies to strengthen the spirituality and laws of our world.'' sarah smiled as she felt the number of powerful bodies in one of the rings.


    "my father hasn''t slowed down his killing spree these years in zocarro." she smiled, remembering many things from the past, things she had seen or heard about him.


    her comment brought smiles to vico''s and callie''s faces, too.


    "the wars go with him. it''s amazing how he can put his finger on something and catastrophe strikes..." the blond man said, aware that all these people would agree with him, even if it was a little ''unfair'' to minos.


    maisie and angelica had a good laugh when they heard that, while the robots in the area couldn''t help but be delighted to hear from their master.


    vico finished answering sarah. "as for our plans, we''ll split up. while i go to the spiritual world, callie will stay here until i return and she goes to spend time there. we''ll help both worlds while we''re in the area and pass on minos'' messages and gifts to the rest of the family."


    callie complemented her traveling companion''s words. "someone relevant to your group should accompany vico on this journey to the spiritual world to help the forces on our home planet divide up the slots we have to go to zocarro. think carefully about how to maintain the power of the planets and send people who will return in the future.


    as much as we made the journey back here successfully, it was quite dangerous and we''re not like minos. remember that when choosing those who will go. it will be better if those who return in the future are as strong and talented as possible."


    "hmm, we''ll certainly do that... anyway, i''ll accompany senior vico." maisie put herself in that position, while sarah and george nodded in agreement.


    vico then asked curiously, "how is the situation in the adamant land and the spiritual world? have any problems arisen in recent years? we''ll help you sort anything out."  s§×ar?h the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    callie added. "before we came here, we passed through a civilization that minos left behind to protect and support you. we made some promises that we intend to keep before we leave, but only if everything is all right."


    sarah understood who they were talking about.


    "about that, you can go ahead with your promises. they''ve done their job well, helped us create a star fleet and grow our position in the galaxy. although only 17 years have passed, we now have contact with 10 planets, 4 of them our vassals and 3 of them allies.


    we have faced none major problems yet, just the usual issues, disagreements and agreements that we''ve resolved on our own.


    anyway, to answer your question," she looked at vico as she continued. "we''re doing very well. the total numbers of our worlds are slowly increasing, with far more births than deaths. meanwhile, the resources from these extraterrestrial relationships have been helping us to improve our forces.


    in just 17 years, we have produced 15 gods in the spiritual world and in the adamant land. at the current rate, we''ll have 100 gods even before the 50th anniversary of the end of the war of the worlds..."


    she spent some time talking about the numbers of specialists from the two civilizations together, how they had developed the technologies at their disposal with the help of what the mechanic empire had left behind.


    there were now hundreds of spaceships, warships and other special vehicles used by the forces of the two worlds. the advanced armor of that fallen empire already existed in the hundreds of thousands, many of them helping to keep the two planets peaceful.


    but the best thing the mechanic empire''s technologies did for them was to help them recover destroyed land to plant spiritual medicines.


    because of these farming techniques, the two worlds were replenishing medicines lost in the war¡ªwhether for use in strengthening warriors, recovering specialists, or even resources destroyed in high-level combat.


    if it hadn''t been for the difficult reproduction of living beings, plants and animals, on both worlds, sarah''s group would have had even more impressive upgrades. but they hoped to fully recover what had been lost in the war and even surpass the previous figures in only 300 years.


    their expectation was that noah''s generation would see these two worlds on different levels, with sovereigns and not just gods among the strongest cultivators in the two worlds.


    "sigh! only 17 years have passed for you, but you''ve been diligent to achieve all this," callie said with a mixture of joy and regret.


    she wanted to be there for her people, especially her sect, on this journey of reconstruction. but her selfish cultivator side had made her move on and go another way. hearing about all the major changes and improvements that had taken place over the years, she couldn''t help but feel a little bad about the path she had chosen.


    but she was happy that, even without her involvement, human civilization was thriving and her sect was probably doing very well on the divine continent, in the spiritual world.


    for a moment, she couldn''t help looking at vico and thinking that she should renegotiate with him so that she would be the first to return to the spiritual world.


    he was also happy about the things he had heard, relieved that everything was going well.


    from the looks of things, they would only have to stay a few years to help the local forces on their way to becoming stronger, without having to fight wars, plan revenge or take over enemy planets.


    ''that''s good. it wouldn''t do to fight when we won''t be available to them for decades to come.'' he thought about the downside of using help like them too much.


    minos-related groups would certainly return in the future. but in the meantime, a mad enemy could do terrible things during the absence of minos'' envoys.


    not having to act on important things now was really the best thing for everyone!


    vico then stood up after a long conversation, feeling that it was time for him to move on to the spiritual world. he would also have to catch up with the rest of minos'' family there and fulfill their respective missions there.


    sarah noticed vico''s interest and said to maisie. "take care of everything to organize the group that will leave together with callie and vico, grandma. i trust you to choose the envoys from the adamant land."


    maisie stood up, nodding to her granddaughter. "right. i''ll try to make the best choice possible and i''ll come back with an answer when senior vico is coming back to swap shifts with callie... unfortunately, i won''t be able to see noah''s birth." she looked at sarah''s belly.


    "but you''ll be able to watch him grow up... you''re staying, right?" angelica had already realized her sister''s decision.


    "yes, i''m staying," maisie said.


    with those words, she left together with vico, planning to go to the spiritual world.

 Chapter 2637 The First to Decide to Leave the Spiritual World

    chapter 2637  the first to decide to leave the spiritual world weeks later, vico and maisie passed through the spatial distortion on their way back to the quasi-space kingdom of minos in the far north of the planet.


    the moment the two left the wormhole distortion they had come from, people in the area ran up to them, first recognizing maisie, but soon realizing who the blond man next to her was.  s§×ar?h the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "your majesty travisani!" shouted a dozen local 10th stage experts, realizing who vico was before they noticed this guy''s powerful aura.


    but aurae noticed vico''s presence first rather than this man''s appearance, opening her eyes in the place where she was meditating. for a moment, she shivered in terror at vico''s power, which so surpassed that of minos and the others from 17 years ago that she couldn''t help but go pale.


    vico''s aura was so much stronger than that of the most powerful of minos'' companions at that time that she couldn''t even tell what level this blond man was at!


    quickly getting up and moving, she reached the place of arrivals and departures of this world, thinking that she would have problems; she would probably have to beg for the safety of this world.


    but when she saw minos'' mother standing next to that blond man, the look on aurae''s face suddenly changed.


    "vico?" her eyebrows drew together as she kept her mouth open, shocked that this man was there so soon, yet so strong.


    vico smiled at the blonde-haired, green-skinned elf, seeing how she looked exactly the same as when he left with the others. her aura had hardly changed, either.


    "aurae..." he greeted her with a warm smile, wondering whether this woman would choose to stay or go.


    could aurae withstand the temptation of knowing how strong she could become in a ''few'' years of cultivation outside the spiritual world?


    "that... how? why?" she asked with an expression of incomprehension, similar to the one some of maisie''s companions in the adamant land had looked at him with a few days earlier.


    "it''s a long story. let''s talk about it when we''re together with the others. now i''d like you to accompany me to dry city. i intend to talk to the rest of the important members of the stuart family about the issues you now have on your mind." he got straight to the point, avoiding unnecessary extraneous conversations.


    at his current level, he could cross the continents of the spiritual world in a few minutes, so it was best to wait!


    aurae nodded at him in agreement before asking. "but answer me this. are the others all right? i didn''t expect you back so soon."


    vico led the way, ignoring the many looks and respectful gestures in his direction, carrying aurae and maisie with his powers as he left the quasi-space kingdom of minos.


    "yes, many things have happened, but when i left zocarro with callie, everything was fine for the companions." he replied as he found himself in the north sea again, and couldn''t help but feel various memories filling his mind with nostalgia, but also the sad experiences of the war.


    his son had died in the war, along with almost his entire family. apart from a few nephews and distant cousins, everyone who mattered to vico had died. not least because he had revolutionized the eastern empire before his departure with minos and the others.


    aurae was oblivious to vico''s feelings and asked. "and callie?"


    maisie answered in vico''s place. "she stayed in the adamant land to help strengthen that planet. in about a year, senior vico will return to the adamant land and callie will stay in the spiritual world for a year. after that, it will be time for them to leave for zocarro with the group we''ve chosen."


    "so that''s it... i guess everything worked out for you. what levels are you and callie currently at, vico?" aurae couldn''t help wondering.


    "level 108." he said, already seeing the silhouette of the central continent ahead.


    ''impressive... eight levels in 17 years¡ªno, it was certainly more than that. still, impressive.'' the elf couldn''t help clenching her fists as she felt vico''s power enveloping her body, carrying her away with ease.


    "the universe really is infinite. i didn''t think that when we reached level 100, we''d still be so weak." she murmured in a contemplative tone.


    "even at level 114, we would still be weak. compared to those above level 124, we''re mere insects." vico said, having heard of the celestials'' prowess.


    "i see... well, i wish to join the group leaving. i''ll give my warning to my fellow tribesmen and the forces of the spiritual world soon, but my mind is made up. i won''t go back." she said in a firm tone, looking mainly at maisie.


    maisie knew it would be a shame to lose this woman, but she really couldn''t demand too much of aurae. this elf had already been of great help to the forces of the two planets led by the stuart family. also, she could be of value in helping minos and the rest of the individuals on zocarro.


    as weak as aurae was now, maisie had already heard from vico about the plans to stop at the enchanted realm and about minos'' departure for uzira. whoever stayed behind in zocarro could certainly take advantage of the potential of the spiritual world''s strongest elf after all the improvements she would undergo on this journey ahead!


    "don''t worry, senior, we''ll take care of finding a replacement for your post. we still have 10 divine medicines and we''ll soon have new level 99 demigods to absorb some of them." maisie said to aurae.


    aurae knew this, which was one reason she had decided so quickly. her tribe had also improved its strength in recent years, having got new elves of levels 97, 98 and 99.


    with the current partnerships that the adamant land and the spiritual world had with several worlds of the same level or higher than them, surely her tribe, the tribe of the most talented beings on both worlds, could thrive, even in her absence.


    vico just nodded to aurae, pleased to see that she was so determined.


    but soon they would spot the quasi-spatial kingdom of dry city and stop talking, passing through the area''s defenses and going straight to the imperial palace to talk to the core of minos'' family in this world.

 Chapter 2638 Family Members Doubts and Important Concerns

    chapter 2638  family members'' doubts and important concerns  the moment vico, maisie and aurae landed in the imperial courtyard, the strongest robots in the area left the palace together with rowan, kyla, oswald, dillian and a few other important names in the empire.


    each of them frowned, forming strange expressions as they looked at vico and sensed the formidable level this man was on.


    "your majesty travisani!" rowan''s eyes widened as he shouted in surprise.


    emlyn appeared in a corner of the large building next to her grandson, wondering if she should leave for the spatial kingdom. but when she spotted vico and sensed that this was related to minos, she relaxed.


    "grandma..." said the little one as he pointed toward the blond man. "who''s that?"


    "a friend of your grandfather''s. let''s get closer." she said as she put the boy on her shoulder and walked towards where vico was smiling and talking to the people in the area.


    "guys, you look good, hehe. however little time has passed, you''ve become much stronger and seem to have changed the planet a lot. i''m sure minos will be happy to hear that in the future." he looked closely at those he already knew and knew to be relevant to his faction leader.


    at the sight of emlyn and the child on this woman''s shoulders, he sensed a trace of minos'' lineage on that youngster.


    ''the stuart family is multiplying efficiently.'' he smiled.


    "senior vico, how are minos and the others?" oswald stepped forward to ask.


    vico sighed and nodded toward where he could feel there was a place for them to sit. "let''s talk inside. there are lots of things for me to tell you..."


    with that said, a group of over 30 people and 10 robots followed vico to the area he had indicated, where they would sit for the next two hours to listen to the blond man talk about his group''s journey after leaving the spiritual world 17 years ago.


    vico would tell them everything sarah and the others had heard in the gods'' hall, including things he had talked about with maisie during their days traveling through the universal wormhole.


    when they had finished listening, those people had the same reactions as sarah''s group, being happy that everything had worked out for their loved ones, but not so happy about the moment vico and callie had returned.


    oswald looked at patience, level 93, aware that his wife wanted to see rowan''s family grow, but also that they wanted to follow minos'' journey.


    ruth''s parents, vince, level 95, and elise, level 91, as well as her sister, talia, level 90, looked at each other, with the same doubt as patience and oswald.


    ivy lawson, level 90, maisie''s best friend, looked at her long-term acquaintance, imagining that minos'' mother would stay to accompany the journey of the youngest members of the family. but ivy wasn''t maisie, and if she had a chance to see minos again, she wanted to do it!


    everyone was immediately wondering whether they should go or stay, whether they could go even if they wanted to, since many others would certainly want to leave.


    "so that''s it..." rowan murmured as he took one hand of kyla, his level 92 wife.


    the orange-haired woman next to him looked at him with the same determination in her eyes, wanting to continue in the spiritual world so that they could continue to make their family grow, but also strengthen the world.


    rowan was happy to hear that his siblings and parents were stronger than ever, even a little curious, tempted by the idea of cultivating in stronger worlds. but he was determined to look after his family''s legacy in the spiritual world.


    "well, kyla and i are staying. we want to enjoy our lives in the spiritual world for a while. in the future, when we reach the 11th stage on our own, we''ll wait for a group of the family to return from zocarro to join the rest of the family." the emperor said his decision, not needing any more time to make it.


    vico and the others had already imagined this, so rowan''s words did not surprise anyone.


    "your majesty, i wish to stay and continue serving you." dillian expressed in a determined tone.


    he wanted to see minos again, but he was much more needed by his family in the spiritual world than in zocarro. his current life expectancy was long, and it would be a while before he was bothered by his mortality.


    dillian knew minos would give him the chance to join the armhands in the future, so this man was willing to at least wait for the young prince in emlyn''s arms to have children of his own until he left this world.


    emlyn said. "i''ll stay too. but i''ll leave with the next group that comes."  sear?h the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    she imagined that, by the next time, her grandson would be strong and her daughter probably wouldn''t be able to have any more children long after that.


    patience said to oswald. "i know you want to join minos and the others. go with them. i''ll join you on the next occasion."


    oswald felt uncertain, but rowan supported his great-grandmother''s words. "do it, great-grandfather. it will be important for me and my heirs that we have people in zocarro to welcome us. my father and the others will eventually go to even stronger places in the universe. so it''s best that some of us join them to welcome us in the future."


    the others hadn''t thought of this point yet, with even maisie opening her eyes and realizing this problem.


    if the rest of the family went beyond level 114, it was likely that they would, at least in part, seek higher levels in stronger places. then, perhaps, when they finally went to zocarro, there would be no one to welcome them in armhands.


    that wouldn''t be good for anyone. everyone there realized this, as they thought about how much better it would be to have family members in armhands to welcome the next generations and groups of family members and allies who would go to that planet.


    vico saw some people doubt whether they should stay or go, imagining that, with rowan''s words, the group of over 20 individuals who would leave with him and callie was probably formed.


    ''there will certainly be some relatives of minos, ruth, abby and gloria going on this trip. counting aurae, there should be five to ten places left... it looks like the choice of these people will be very competitive.''competition, the blond man thought to himself, sensing that there would be some kind of contest, perhaps even a competition to take place before his and callie''s two years around were up.

 Chapter 2639 The Ones Who Will Leave the Galaxy

    chapter 2639  the ones who will leave the galaxy after the initial meeting with the stuart family in the spiritual world, vico took his leave to visit the territory of the eastern empire.


    he certainly had many things to do in the black plain empire and would spend most of his time with the people of minos to bring them up to date on more details he hadn''t talked about yet. but before that, he had his own interests in the spiritual world, curiosity and matters to resolve.


    as he had the entire year ahead of him to interact with minos'' family, he left them after a few hours of conversation, leaving maisie to talk to those people.


    maisie had already talked to him over the days when they had traveled through the universal wormhole, so she knew several more things that she could pass on to the others over the next few days.


    while vico was already away from dry city, rowan met up with only his blood relatives and his wife, leaving the other companions aside for the moment.


    in the living room of the emperor''s residence, rowan looked at the relatives on his father''s side of the family and those on his mother''s side.


    maisie, oswald, patience, talia, vince and elise were in front of him, while kyla was next to him. the rest of the staff were in another part of the palace, while he thought about how to divide up the few vacancies for the trip to zocarro.


    "i can assume that abby''s relatives are all going to zocarro. but what about gloria''s relatives?" rowan got straight to the point, wanting to start counting who would go and who would stay, not only to keep track of the vacancies but also to know the allied force that would leave their reach at 2 years.


    maisie nodded affirmatively and said, "abby''s mother and father will join vico and callie to go to zocarro. senior aurae will also be going. with gloria''s relatives, i''m not sure yet. they have the same doubts as the rest of us. but if her father and mother don''t go, it''s possible that one of her cousins will use the opportunity to represent the frost family."


    as much as they all lived in harmony these days, they still had their families and backgrounds and would certainly try to preserve some of their individuality.  sear?h the ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    preserving their individuality wouldn''t necessarily lead to confrontation, but it could generate competition on certain issues.


    "so four to five places are already satisfied with just those names. great-grandfather oswald will join them, so we have one more..." rowan said, as he had a thoughtful expression on his face. "who else among us should go?"


    oswald scratched his beard and said. "i think talia should join the group that''s going." he looked at the black-haired girl, very similar to ruth. "i imagine vince and elise will stay, right?"


    "that''s our intention," said elise, imagining that she couldn''t miss her first great-grandchild growing up and her grandson rowan would still need them.


    if rowan was already a mid-level demigod, at least, and his son was already a grown man, she would sincerely leave with her husband for zocarro. but since that wasn''t the case and it would take a few more decades for these changes to take place, she intended to stay.


    vince wanted to stay by his wife''s side, so he agreed with her as he looked at talia. "daughter, you must join senior vico''s group. join your sister and prepare the ground for our arrival in zocarro." he said in an advisory tone.


    talia clenched her fists, curious about that world and missing minos a little. she hesitated as she looked at kyla, but seeing the smile on the woman''s face, she accepted.


    "all right. i''ll go and wait for the rest of you."


    kyla looked at rowan. "counting talia and old oswald, we have six to seven vacancies filled. who else can we give the opportunity to join them?"


    while the emperor seemed to contemplate about this answer to her question, patience said, "lee and alison are minos'' disciples, the only ones outside the family who learned directly from him. perhaps we should give them the chance? they''re already level 90 demigods and their youngest son is already 20."


    "we can talk to them, but there''s a chance they won''t accept." kyla knew them very well, being their best friend.


    kyla had known them since the beginning of their lives and lee and alison''s cultivation journey!


    "it''s true. they''re quite happy with their situation in the spiritual world and their two children are still young. the strongest of them hasn''t even reached level 50 yet. i don''t know if they would leave the planet with them being so weak." rowan stated.


    he had become a close friend of those two because of his wife, so he also had his doubts.


    "there''s peter and mia. they stood shoulder to shoulder with minos in building the empire." kyla quoted.


    "no, they wouldn''t. even after having her talent increased by minos, mia hasn''t improved her cultivation speed that much. she''s only at level 80 and it would be difficult for her to survive the trip to zocarro. but without her, peter would never go to that world," vince said, since his current role constantly put him in contact with peter.


    maisie pointed. "then i think we should send starclaw and ivy."


    everyone there understood the recommendation of the level 95 beasts, starclaw. she was one of minos'' mounts, but also a war hero. she definitely deserved a chance to travel to zocarro. but ivy didn''t have such a well-known relationship with the family leader.


    few knew that ivy, maisie''s best friend, was one of minos'' lovers.


    maisie explained. "ivy is someone i trust completely. i''ve known her since we were juniors. that''s why i''m sure she''ll work very well to welcome the rest of us in the future.


    her talent is good, and she studied to lead her own family. she''ll be a good advisor to kendrick, lily, and hollie."


    oswald could do that too, but he was older and a cultivation enthusiast. but not only that, from what little they knew of zocarro, it was very likely that the family and the minos faction would need more than one capable of advising, given the external missions and the responsibilities of each.


    as such, it was interesting to have more than one capable advisor.


    they also needed warriors, so someone like starclaw was much needed.


    they talked it over and accepted maisie''s recommendation, reaching almost half the number of people who could go with vico and callie.


    "what about the rest of the vacancies?" talia asked curiously.

 Chapter 2640 Resolving an Old Promise

    chapter 2640  resolving an old promise "we should consider that seniors vico and callie will want to take one or two companions each. as much as they''re here to fulfill their debt to minos, they deserve a choice." maisie advised, as she looked at rowan.


    "besides them, sarah may want to choose for herself trusted people to send in addition to the names we''ve already talked about.


    so we really only have about five vacancies at most left among those we have to decide on."


    oswald thought of something and smiled before suggesting it. "i think we should settle this with a competition along the lines of a tournament."


    "what do you have in mind?" rowan liked where this could take them.


    "let''s set up two competitions, both for the spiritual world and for the adamant land. one is an internal family competition. the other is a competition for people from the planet to have the chance to go to zocarro with vico and callie.


    the two winners from the spiritual world and the two from the adamant land will win their places, leaving one position for the losers of these disputes to compete against each other for that place."  s~ea??h the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "that''s interesting." maisie liked what she heard from her father. "we currently have a long list of requests to leave the spiritual world and the adamant land. we can give this opportunity to some of these names and calm down those individuals who are rushing to leave.


    at the same time, everyone who leaves will be missed. so it''s good that we don''t just send the members of our forces. let''s put some names of those who won''t be missed in our group."


    rowan accepted the recommendations of his great-grandfather and grandmother. "all right. then let''s do it. you can organize the competition, grandma, and when you''re ready, return to the adamant land to talk it over with my sister."


    "i''ll go with you and another group to attend noah''s birth," kyla said as she smiled at maisie.


    minos'' mother remembered noah''s birth, not having thought when she left the adamant land that she would have the chance to get back in time.


    fortunately, vico was quick. in just five days, they had made the journey between the adamant land and the spiritual world, having saved weeks of travel.


    "when did you intend to leave?" maisie asked.


    the orange-haired woman said. "in another month. that''s enough for us to arrive three weeks before noah''s birth."


    "all right. then i''ll work on organizing this competition this month. when i leave with kyla, start making whatever i decide happens in those days."


    oswald stood up. "i''ll help you. for something like this competition to work, we need to spread the news all over the planet. so it will take at least six months before we have the locals showing their interest."


    hence, it was decided how to fill the last places in the group that would leave in about two years for zocarro.


    they still had to organize a series of requirements for this competition. there would be no point in sending problems to zocarro, individuals who were unreliable or who would not contribute to the group''s interests.


    the suitors for these vacancies had to be individuals between levels 85 and 95, long-term friends or allies of the stuart family, with no history of old rivalries and, preferably, who had already interacted with minos.


    but they weren''t so worried about who would get those five places. even someone like maximillian had been put in check by the family and even minos'' children could outperform him nowadays, so it was unlikely that anyone who got these spots would cause problems.


    ...


    meanwhile, between the areas of brown and albano, in an area known for its curse and great mortality for those who entered it, vico stopped at the bottom of a red cliff.


    in this place, he looked with interest at the man digging graves in the area, that being with a body resulting from the combination of several body parts from different people.


    "i didn''t expect you to be like that..." said the 108 level blond man, seeing through this singular and legendary creature in this world. "now that i''m in the last half of the 11th stage, i can see your origin and reality better, damn it."


    "you... minos sent you, right?" the curse of this area did not fear vico, feeling a spiritual fluctuation that reminded him of the deal he had made with that young man long ago and updated 17 years ago.


    "you''re right." vico didn''t frighten the creature as he walked to his side and summoned a sphere-shaped artifact. "minos told me that all i had to do was let you touch this sphere. it will allow you to go to zocarro with me."


    the dark eyes of that area''s curse gleamed as he dropped the shovel he was using to dig that pit.


    "and what happens then?"


    "you live, i suppose. this artifact is safe, he assured me of that. as for what awaits you after i hand it over to minos, well, that''s not up to me," vico said without trying to guess this creature''s future. but this level 108 man had a good idea of this creature''s future, even if minos hadn''t told him anything.


    ''you''ll probably become a guinea pig. minos and abby have probably already started their experiments with the black liquid. you''ll be part of those experiments.'' vico thought silently.


    when he and callie left, minos was still away from the guild, on a mission to the seraphim world. as such, neither of them knew what had happened after minos'' return.


    the curse was extremely tempted, aware that this was the chance he had been waiting for, for millions of years. if he didn''t seize it now, he would miss the opportunity and perhaps spend eternity stuck in this place.


    "all right. i''ll trust you. take me to minos," said the corpse-like creature, as he looked determinedly at vico.


    "i''m leaving in two years. you have the option of joining this artifact now or in two years."


    "i''ll do it now. i''ve been stuck in this hellhole long enough."


    with those words, the curse of this area touched the sphere, feeling a shock run through his body. an instant later, its essence was ''sucked'' into the sphere, from where vico could see as if that creature had been transformed into a miniature version inside that metallic globe.


    but the curse was fine, conscious and with its spiritual fluctuation almost 100% identical to the natural one.


    putting that item in one of his pockets, vico watched the negative phenomena around that canyon disappear before moving off, heading south.


    ''another mission accomplished. time for me to check on the empire...'' he left without further ado.

 Chapter 2641 The Basis for the Development of the Spiritual World

    chapter 2641  the basis for the development of the spiritual world on his return to the eastern empire, vico didn''t approach his people first. he observed the situation from a certain distance, checking for changes visible to the eye, but also spiritual differences related to the strongest cultivators in the area.


    the empire he had left behind when he joined minos was not weak. in fact, if it weren''t for the robots minos left behind in the spiritual world, the eastern empire would be the strongest remaining state on the continent.


    ''my people have prospered well.'' he felt that all those he left behind were still alive and well, stronger by two or three levels compared to when he left.


    but these rapid advances of even demigods did not impress vico.


    previously, it was almost impossible for a demigod, even a low-level one, to advance one level in a decade. but much had changed with the end of the war of the worlds.


    many people had died in the war and just as many had left the spiritual world to join minos'' forces in the adamant land. while the competition had decreased, the deeds of minos and his group before their departure had created several legacies. not only that, they had helped the planet quickly recover from its scourges.


    medicines that were once rarely found every few centuries could now be found in every major city on the continent. alien technologies that previously only the world''s invaders had could now be found even in small villages.


    in just under two decades, the spiritual world had changed its level of development. it achieved more efficient transportation methods, better arrays, with tools that were revolutionizing cultivation and life.


    in addition, many bodies of enemies, whether they were natives of the adamant land or irpoll, had been buried around the three continents. even though the black plain empire was the great privileged one, the world as a whole had improved in terms of density of laws and spiritual energy.


    places that had previously had a low concentration of energy, such as various parts of the black plain empire, now had high energy levels. meanwhile, previously rich places became even more dazzling, absorbing the improvement of the bordering areas, becoming closer to the spiritual quality of spatial kingdoms.


    but if the continent itself had improved, the folded spaces¡ªspatial kingdoms¡ªhad not been left behind. when the density of energy and laws in an area improved, so did the situation in the spatial kingdoms in those areas.


    because of all this, the forces of the entire planet, be they the strongest, like the stuart family, or the weakest, had made very good use of the last few years and strengthened rapidly.


    young people born before vico''s departure, who were now around 20 years old, were already spiritual emperors, something far beyond what minos and some of his children had achieved by cultivating on this world.


    vico noticed this as he observed the younger citizens of the former capital of the eastern empire. he couldn''t help but smile as he looked at the place where trains, elevators, and many flying ships could be seen.


    he headed straight for the palace of the imperial government, where the current leaders of the empire worked together.


    the state was no longer ruled by an absolute leader. vico had left his old home under the command of a council of important figures, which had been managing the second strongest state in the spiritual world.


    "old companions, i''m back." he opened his mouth as he appeared in the meeting room of the local leaders, surprising everyone with his words.


    the men and women in the area rose from their seats, their eyes widening in surprise at hearing the voice of their former leader.


    half of these people had served vico all their lives, while the other half had heard stories about him, whether on the allied or enemy side. part of them were members of the old western empire, which had fallen during the war of the worlds.


    "your majesty!" they all said the same thing, not understanding what was going on.


    they knew vico would one day return, but it was too soon for that to happen!  s§×ar?h the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    vico showed one of his hands, signaling calm. "i am no longer your emperor. there''s no need to call me that," vico said in a calm tone, relaxing the agitated hearts of the men and women. "i''m here to check on you. i won''t be staying long and i will soon return to dry city. but i''d like you to introduce me to this place again."


    ...


    days passed while vico, accompanied by his former subordinates or old enemies, traveled around the eastern empire.


    he wasn''t just curious to revisit the places he had spent so much of his life and how the current changes had transformed them. being at level 108, there were many things he could do to strengthen or help his companions.


    just as he intended to do with the black plain empire soon, he created a new spatial kingdom for those people in the eastern empire, helped strengthen the old independent spaces in the area, but also helped improve artifacts, techniques and other things. a cultivator like him could easily observe artifacts, techniques, or even cultivators and identify problems and their proper solutions.


    he intended to spend his time doing something like this with his people and with minos'' family, aware that callie would also do this with the forces of the divine continent in the future.


    vico could also create better legacies than those left by minos'' group years ago and help even more of the central continent''s future generations.


    this was also a way for him to keep his history in the spiritual world alive, so he was doing several of these things with gusto, planning to spend his entire year ahead getting involved in these matters.


    but while he was doing this first in his old home, a month had quickly passed since his arrival in the spiritual world.


    while the time for him to return to dry city arrived, maisie and kyla were preparing to leave for the adamant land together with the group that would take part in the celebrations for noah''s birth.


    this month had been enough for maisie and the others to plan the competition, to decide who would go to zocarro with callie and vico, something that would spread across the planet in the coming days.


    soon, the spiritual world''s greatest remaining forces would start moving to the black plain empire to join the champions tournament, set to take place in a year''s time!

 Chapter 2642 Champions Tournament (1)

    chapter 2642  champions tournament (1) on the continent of beasts...


    on the majestic continent dominated by the beasts, the vast territory of lush nature and the oldest tribes in the world hadn''t changed all that much with the new technologies that had revolutionized the world over the last two decades.


    however, the majestic continent led by the dragons of the spiritual world had not lagged behind the spiritual growth of the rest of the world. while the forces of the central continent and divine continent had prospered with alien technologies and less competition for resources, these beast-lands had been revolutionized by the introduction of foreign organisms.


    after exterminating the alien beings, parts of the spiritual world''s beast races discovered some after-effects of alien beings in their homies. certain animals and plants thrived in a symbiotic relationship that contributed to the spiritual well-being of the planet, enabling them to coexist harmoniously.


    in recent years, several alien plant beings and a few bestial beings had been introduced to the continent of beasts and successfully integrated into this community.


    coupled with the bodies of enemies buried in the area, as well as less competition for resources, the continent''s inhabitants had grown stronger, just as the forces of the central continent had!


    the nine-tailed fox tribe, which, its members could now go further in their cultivation than just the 9th stage, had evolved a lot in recent years, as had the gorgon tribe, the phoenix tribe and, most importantly, the dragon tribe.


    all these forces had narrowly survived the calamity, with between 10 and 30 members of their race left for each tribe, not much, but enough to be hopeful.


    unlike the sky whales, who had been wiped out, all these races, even those with fewer members remaining, had the chance to recover their numbers in the future.


    some of these tribes even had members born after the war, juniors who would probably have the easiest time in the history of the spiritual world.


    certainly, these tribes were ''vulnerable'' with their small numbers. however, they had virtually no competition among themselves and, perhaps for this reason, were living peacefully at present.


    in one of the few cities on the continent, representatives of each of the tribes now lived together to maintain communication between their active forces.


    in this particular place, a city of 10,000 inhabitants, where over 500 races now lived, could be seen from afar for beings flying nearby.


    buildings for humanoid beings dominated the central area of the city, as human groups also maintained a position there. but on the sides of the city, there were several areas for beasts in their natural forms, with many types of housing, stores and services available.


    towards the center of the city, in one of the largest local buildings, a group of area leaders were talking about urgent matters from the central continent!


    "vico and callie have returned? so soon?" asked a level 97 dragon, representative of his tribe in this city.


    "that really is a surprise," said a level 96 phoenix when she saw the human representing the black plain empire nod in agreement.


    elen nash, an old ally of minos and the empire''s current representative on the continent of beasts, level 92, said, " the journey of minos and the others was truly successful, which is why vico and callie returned early. callie is now in the adamant land taking care of helping the local forces, while vico is in the central continent. but the most important thing about their return is the chance for more people to join minos'' group in zocarro!"


    the surrounding creatures, 27 beings to be precise, each from different races, the weakest at level 94 and the strongest at level 97, looked at her with a glint of interest in their eyes.


    apart from the gorgon, whose eyes were covered with eye patches, they all felt that her next words would be positive for them in some way.


    elen continued, "his imperial majesty rowan stuart intends to host the champions tournament in the black plain empire. it will give direct access to a place in the group that will go to zocarro with vico and callie, but also the right to vie for another indirect place that will be decided between the losers of the spiritual world and the adamant land competitions."


    she explained further. "there will be four tournaments, considering our two worlds. one of them will be for non-subordinates of the stuart family. and the other will be exclusive members of the family. the winners of each of them will go to zocarro, adding up to four places. those who come second in each of these tournaments will fight each other to decide the final winner, who will take the fifth place available."


    the level 97 dragon, in his humanoid form, like almost everyone else there, stood up while clenching his fists. "what are the requirements for the tournament?" he asked in an anxious tone.


    elen answered, so that everyone understood. "to take part in the champions tournament, one cannot have a history of fighting against the stuart family. one must have already interacted with minos stuart, but also be loyal to the stuart family. their forces must be committed to contributing to the black plain empire, and their cultivation must be above level 90.  sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the competition should have some kind of cultivation restriction, so everyone will fight at the same level. as such, everyone will fight against everyone, until the biggest winner is decided.


    the competition will start in a year''s time, but before that, those interested must go to dry city to go through the stages of registering for the event.


    other than that, the tribes and forces that join the tournament must deliver concrete plans, with evidence that their forces will not be endangered by the potential departure of one of their members from the planet.


    there are other minor requirements, but to find out more, you''ll have to join the competition."


    each of them listened carefully to elen''s primary explanation, imagining that this would be the most competitive meeting of their world, and would surpass even the continental tournament.


    elen, on the other hand, couldn''t help but get eager for this competition, seeing how clever rowan had been to use something like this. at the same time as he was giving his allies the chance to benefit from the cultivation chances of a superior world, he was using it to raise the grade of loyalty and commitment of his planet''s forces towards him and the empire!


    ''this move is brilliant. we''ll be even stronger with this tournament!'' she looked at the creatures talking to each other, full of anticipation for the battles some of them would fight before and during the tournament.


    before signing up for the tournament, they would surely compete within their own tribes for the chance to go to the competition for the chance to go to zocarro!

 Chapter 2643 Champions Tournament (2)

    chapter 2643  champions tournament (2) in the blink of an eye, a few months had passed, and noah had finally been born!  sea??h th§× novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the night before, sarah had gone into labor and given birth to the first prince of the adamant land, a newborn 55 centimeters long and weighing 4 kilograms.


    at that moment, not only the gods'' hall, where the family was, was celebrating. the entire planet was buzzing with the news of the birth of the local heir, with cities celebrating the future of the planet.


    this was only a small step towards the future, but each birth represented many new possibilities for this civilization that had almost been wiped out. this was particularly true for the birth of noah, minos'' second grandson and future local leader.


    while subordinates, allies, and ordinary citizens celebrated with toasts and barbecues with their families in the adamant land, the stuart family did something similar in the gods'' hall.


    ...


    in the main living room of sarah''s home, she was sitting with her first child in her arms, a beautiful smile on her face.


    even though she had gone into labor hours ago, sarah no longer looked like a woman who had been pregnant until yesterday. her breasts were still much larger than her natural size, but her pregnant belly had disappeared, while her strength was gradually returning to her control.


    but she wasn''t worried about her appearance, but about the little green-eyed one in her arms.


    although it wasn''t common for newborns to open their eyes, noah had showed his observers his beautiful emerald green eyes, the same color as his father''s.


    george, standing behind sarah, had a proud smile on his face, seeing his firstborn, who was identical to the newborn version of himself.


    "wow, he looks just like his dad!" kyla said as she looked at noah and then at george, standing in front of the mother and son pair, with that blond man behind them, laughing.


    maisie also watched her great-grandson closely, curious to know which side of the family noah would inherit his powers. unfortunately, that was something they wouldn''t find out for another ten years.


    however, minos'' mother held a secret wish that noah would be like his grandfather in some way.


    ''if you''re lucky, you''ll be like your grandfather, noah.''into she smiled as she watched him crawl into sarah''s arms, curled up with his head resting on his mother''s soft breasts.


    he barely controlled his own body, so his movements weren''t enough to attract attention.


    "he''s handsome, sarah. congratulations." angelica said, eager to hold noah in her arms.


    besides them, ruth''s parents, abby and gloria, were standing around, each interested in observing the new member of the stuart family.


    although noah''s father had the name sista, there was an internal rule in the family that, regardless of whether the children of the family were born to men or women in the family, the first of them had to have the surname stuart.


    sarah and george''s next child, if they eventually achieved this, could be called sista, but their first heir had been born as noah stuart.


    eliot, level 90 and nicole, level 89, abby''s parents, looked at the little one with interest. they were both leaving for zocarro, so they couldn''t help but be curious about the future of this boy who they would see for another year and a half and then go decades, maybe centuries, without seeing again.


    the others, like joseph and margot, as well as elise and vince, had already decided to stay, so they had various plans for the next few years with their great-grandchildren, noah and raiden.


    but ruth and gloria''s parents would each send a representative to zocarro. ruth''s parents would send talia, while gloria''s parents would send zoe, gloria''s only cousin, a level 88 woman.


    the two women were there, alongside angelica, maisie''s sister, who would also go to zocarro with them in just over a year and a half.


    "where''s senior callie? is she still out there?" sarah asked as she looked at patience, who was standing next to maisie, part of the group that had come from the spiritual world to celebrate noah''s birth.


    "she''s working on the adamant land. but someone has already told her about noah''s birth. she should come by to see our prince soon," patience said as she looked at her great-great-grandson.


    meanwhile, some men there were talking about the champions tournament, about to start in another seven months.


    "i''ve heard that the struggle for the places in callie and vico''s group is going to be very competitive," eliot commented to joseph and vince. "there are reports of many tribes and leaders of important families moving to register for the event."


    "yes. i''ve heard that several demigod fights have been taking place within the dominant forces of the two planets. they really are fighting each other to decide who will be their representatives." vince agreed, looking forward to the tournament arriving soon. he was very interested in the fights that would take place at the event.


    since the end of the war of the worlds, high-level confrontations had practically ceased on both worlds. there had been a few individuals who had fought as training and demonstration over the years, but nothing so serious or formidable as to attract the attention of experts like them.


    joseph said, "registration for the tournament will start soon. we''ll soon have a fascinating situation in the capital."


    the tournament in the spiritual world would take place in dry city. meanwhile, the event in the adamant land would take place in the capital city, in the largest city on the planet, where the local wormhole port was located.


    "let''s watch the battles," said one of these men, who didn''t have to worry about his future. even if they stayed behind to watch their grandchildren and great-grandchildren grow up, they would have an excellent future, being able to reach the end of the 10th stage and eventually leave for zocarro in the future.


    it was those who would compete in the champions tournament who had to worry about their futures, as the chance to go to a high level world was not simple, even if they managed to leave the adamant land in the future.


    meanwhile, almost all the places for the one-way trip to zocarro had already been filled, leaving five places for the event scheduled for seven months from now, and three places for vico and callie to decide!

 Chapter 2644 Champions Tournament (3)

    chapter 2644  champions tournament (3) a few more months passed and there were only three weeks to go until the start of the tournament, both in the adamant land and in the spiritual world!


    maisie and her group had already returned to the spiritual world after noah''s birth, returning along with other family members who had been in the adamant land before, while others from the spiritual world had gone to the family''s second planet.


    sarah and george were still in the gods hall, where noah had already learned to sit up and crawl, but had yet to fulfill a small piece of his early development to be able to speak and walk.


    but they intended to attend the tournament in the capital of the adamant land, together with noah, when it would be time to present the planet''s heir to his subjects.


    for now, they were still in the gods'' hall, where sarah was currently pursuing her advancement to level 90!


    meanwhile, two of sarah''s three chosen to go to zocarro were in the hall, watching little noah play with margot.


    lizzie freeman, level 85, the younger sister of peter freeman, one of minos'' oldest friends and companions, was going to represent sarah alongside maida, level 88, a former mount of minos.


    the two had been very close to sarah since the beginning of the war of the worlds and had accompanied her to the adamant land when the core of the family left for zocarro.


    but even though they were sarah''s trusted women, she wanted them stationed in zocarro, where she wasn''t sure if she would find her parents and siblings in the future.


    lizzie and maida would certainly wait for her before moving elsewhere!


    besides these two, sarah had chosen someone else to accompany the group going to zocarro, audrey cummings, level 90, isabella''s mother, lily''s grandmother.


    herald had died in the war and left two wives, audrey, isabella''s mother, but also madeline shaw, level 91, the former empress of the flaming empire. his son with madeline was currently one of the lords of the black plain empire, but he was still young, being less than 40 years old and with only 8th stage cultivation.


    the edwardstone family was very well-positioned in the spiritual world, but sarah thought it only fair to make room for audrey to go to zocarro and stay by lily''s side.


    as for the others, they would have their opportunities in the future, but for now, they would stay in one of the family''s two worlds.


    audrey wasn''t in the gods'' hall at the moment. having left weeks ago, that woman was arriving in dry city today!


    ...


    maisie and her group had just arrived in dry city, passing through the spatial distortion of the wormhole connected to the north sea.


    arriving back in this city, even more vibrant and bustling now near the start of the most important tournament of the century, she and her group made their way to the imperial palace.


    they had stayed in the adamant land for a few weeks to spend time with family and then returned, making the three-month journey of the universal wormhole.


    unlike vico, who could travel at very high speed, they didn''t have the same capabilities as a level 108 sovereign. as such, they traveled in a spaceship to the base in the north sea.


    fortunately, they had arrived in time for the start of the competition, soon spotting several creatures from the continent of beasts walking around the central parts of the city.


    not only that, some of them spotted old acquaintances of theirs, such as members of the pantheon of honor, the group from the divine continent that minos had joined when he was still a spiritual sage.


    that force had been almost completely annihilated, but some of its members had remained and returned to the divine continent to rebuild their group.


    among these individuals was the current leader of pantheon of honor, julian kleinmann, level 99, one of the strongest humans in the spiritual world at the moment.


    julian was at his absolute peak of the 10th stage and could become a god at any moment.


    "maisie..." the man approached the group, greeting minos'' mother, but also kyla and the others.


    "are you going to compete in the tournament, old julian? someone like you will be missed on our planet." maisie looked at him as she walked to the front of the group, with him and kyla at her side.


    "i''ll try my luck. but it will be difficult. there are many talented people with better chances than me. as the tournament doesn''t depend on cultivation, my strength won''t help me as much." he was sincere, considering the competition ahead to be difficult.


    even if he were to compete among the stuart family''s subordinates, there were several powerful groups under the family''s wings. even someone like him couldn''t be sure of his ultimate position in the tournament.


    maisie smiled at this man, not doubting that it was possible that he wouldn''t even make the top 10, even though he was one of the greatest monsters in this world.


    "well, i don''t know if i''m happy about this or if i wish you good luck. either way, i''m looking forward to seeing you in action."


    "hmm, i hope i don''t disappoint."  sea??h th§× novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    with that brief exchange of words, julian separated from the group, allowing the women and men there to enter the imperial palace, where they certainly had post-return engagements from the adamant land.


    soon maisie and the others came across rowan and raiden, as well as emlyn, in one of the gardens of the empire''s grand center of government.


    they exchanged quick and gentle comments about how the trip had gone and how sarah and noah were, until, finding that everything was fine, rowan updated them on the situation on his planet.


    "... senior vico will soon leave the spiritual world so that callie can return. anyway, he''s helped us a lot over the last few months and we''ve buried all the corpses sent by my father.


    in another year at most, the spiritual concentration of the entire empire should increase by between 50% and 100%. meanwhile, i believe that our strongest men will get opportunities to advance because of senior vico''s time advising them and the time they will have under senior callie''s supervision."


    all in all, the prospects for the coming months and the aftermath of the group''s departure for zocarro were great. before the tournament began, the whole family was optimistic about their future, whether they stayed behind!

 Chapter 2645 Champions Tournament (4)

    chapter 2645  champions tournament (4) the remaining weeks until the champions tournament finally passed, and the event kicked off both in the spiritual world and in the adamant land.


    beings from practically every major organization, family, state and continent had signed up for the event, with 500 individuals registered for the competitions in the spiritual world and the adamant land. 200 of them would vie for the two slots for subordinates of the stuart family, while the rest would fight for the two slots for individuals not subordinate to the family.  s§×arch* the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    given the large number of entrants, far more than rowan and the others had expected, the battles would take place first between the members of groups of 10 competitors each and then between the winners of each group.


    that would make for many fights, so the big champions tournament wouldn''t take place in one weekend or so. with over 3,000 fights to pass, the event would have 50 fights a day on each of the planets until the end of the event, in just over a month!


    in the midst of the start of the competition, which was important for the eventual winners and their forces, the common people were taking advantage of the opportunity to see high-level specialists fight each other!


    ...


    in dry city, the city''s main fighting arena, over 100,000 spectators were watching one match on the fourth day of the tournament.


    with over 150 fights having already taken place in the arena, many were chatting as they watched a match between a level 92 demigod and a level 95 individual.


    as all the competitors were using devices to block their cultivation at the beginning of level 90, the difference in the cultivation of two experts wouldn''t have much influence on the matches.


    because of this, the battles were becoming even more competitive, with surprises already occurring frequently during these first few days of competition.


    "this competition format is really interesting, your majesty." aurae said as she sat on a red padded seat, sipping a semi-transparent golden liquid in the vip area of the arena.


    rowan was in the same section as aurae and several other experts who weren''t competing. he said to the level 100 elf, "yes, i wasn''t expecting such an amusing competition. some might think it limits the spectacle, but it''s really nice to see a dark horse win."


    "indeed!" oswald said with interest, while his eyes were focused on the combat platform.


    in other tournament formats, the smaller battles would have no excitement and, with a few exceptions, the strongest would always win. but in an event like this, surprises could happen, which kept the interest of the spectators, whether they were high-level individuals or ordinary citizens.


    "but we should change the level we let the final combatants fight, your majesty," a high-ranking soldier from the black plain army suggested. "the first fights following that order are interesting. but the finalists should have the chance to fight at a higher level."


    "that will be difficult. we''ll probably have high, medium and low-level demigods in the final rounds," kyla said, sitting next to her husband.


    raiden was sitting nearby, watching the fight. he wasn''t that interested in it at his current age, but his parents wanted him to at least watch an hour a day of the tournament.


    "in that case, we can limit the fighters'' cultivation to the level of the weakest individual. that might allow us to watch even more exciting fights." suggested the same soldier who had brought up the subject.


    "we''ll see about that later." rowan signaled as he watched the end of a match and the preparations for the next battle. "now let''s watch cardinal vincent harding fight."


    vincent harding, a member of the spiritual church, current leader of the church in the spiritual world, sarah''s representative, was currently at level 94, having become one of the strongest in that organization in the post-war period.


    vincent''s opponent was one of the ancient natives of the destroyed flowers kingdom, daughter of the late queen of that state, who in the past had almost castrated emperor edwardstone, isabella''s father. melinda andrews, currently at level 95, was there representing her duchy in the name of getting one of the stuart family''s subordinate positions.


    given her surreal powers, she was no ordinary opponent and the upcoming match should be one of the best of the day.


    rowan was very interested in this contest, so soon everyone in the emperor''s vip wing stopped talking to pay attention to the entrance of the two warriors in the 34th fight of the day.


    the host called out their names, introducing the families or forces they represented, as well as their respective powers.


    in the blink of an eye, the arena was in upheaval again after the previous fight, with individuals cheering as they waited to see whether their bets would prove profitable.


    "begin!" announced the match referee, kicking off this new round.


    of the 50 daily rounds that were taking place there, 30 of them were rounds for groups not subordinate to the stuart family, while the rest were for subordinate groups.


    as the non-subordinate rounds had already taken place today, now only the last battles of the day remained, the most important for the spectators, as many of the imperial family''s subordinates were among the strongest in the world.


    and this was indeed the case, so much so that, in the competitors'' section, high-level individuals from the 10th stage, such as julian, level 99, were waiting for their fights of the day!


    but even the competitors wanted to see the battle begin now, given the expectations of many there to face one or even both of those individuals already fighting on the platform now.


    meanwhile, of the most important names in the spiritual world at the moment, callie was the only one who wasn''t around, being on the divine continent at the moment.


    she and vico had already made their switch, with him returning to the adamant land and her coming to the spiritual world.


    after returning to her home world, callie stayed with the stuart family for one day before leaving for the divine continent. it was her goal to stay with her old sect until the end of the tournament, when she would come to stay in the empire for good.


    and so began the most important competition in the spiritual world, an event that would surely be renewed in the future!

 Chapter 2646 Mechanisms in Motion

    chapter 2646  mechanisms in motion while the champions tournament was taking place in dry city, callie was on the divine continent, back in her old sect.


    after two weeks since her return to the spiritual world, she had created a spatial kingdom for her people, strengthened space regions like this one in the central continent and heard from her fellow sect members what the last few years had been like.


    callie was already aware of the most important things that had happened to the spiritual world and the adamant land, since she had spent a year in the adamant land and had heard many things from the people she had interacted with there. she was now more interested in hearing the side of her fellow sect members, but also in helping to strengthen the area.


    she had now been spending six hours of every day in her old sect helping to correct the problems with her fellow sect members'' fighting techniques and methods. the rest of the day, she was supporting the mainland forces in improving structures, carrying out reconstruction plans more quickly and providing her knowledge.


    vico had hardly been to the divine continent during his year in the spiritual world, leaving it to callie to complete. so she was available to help the land for the more than a month she planned to stay there.


    however short a month was, it should be more than enough for her. as large as the divine continent was, after all the tragedy of the war of the worlds, this area now had a population of only 50 million.


    besides these many inhabitants, there were only a small handful of high-level cultivators that it was worth her attempting to tip off, and there weren''t many plans for development.


    as such, apart from what she had been doing in her own sect, the remaining time she had already invested in helping the continent had already been enough for her to do many things, having helped more than half of the cities on the continent today.


    ...


    as she looked around the central hall of her sect full of laughter and light-hearted comments, callie leaned back against the seat of her chair, holding a goblet in one of her hands as she smiled.


    the table was full of fragrant and warm dishes, with delicious appearances, she could see her sect ''sisters'' enjoying themselves and truly experiencing life.


    the weakest was at level 85, while the strongest was at level 96. but regardless of their levels, they were all living in harmony, growing one day after the other.


    callie now felt a sense of accomplishment, pleased to see her sect doing so well, even after her departure.


    her sect had suffered during the war and had almost been wiped out. fortunately, they had survived and were now thriving in the central lands of the divine continent.


    as she smiled, watching her people, callie had the slot that the stuart family had given her to choose someone to take with her. but she didn''t intend to take anyone. although it might help one of her companions, it wasn''t something she thought would do the sect any good.


    everyone looked great as they were, so she wanted these women to enjoy themselves for longer.


    if anyone there was nearing the end of their life, she would change her mind and bring them with her to allow them to advance. but since that wasn''t the case, she remained silent about the vacancy she had.


    vico had done something similar, only announcing to the family about the cursed being that would accompany them, who would certainly be considered a passenger, even from inside the artifact that minos had sent.


    thus, the two remaining vacancies would be left for rowan to choose from, since sarah had also decided on all the names she wanted to send to zocarro.


    there were many people who certainly wanted to go to zocarro, but who didn''t intend to leave now. that''s why choosing 15 names, besides the five in dispute, hadn''t been so easy for the two sovereigns of these planets.  s§×ar?h the n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    finally, callie said. "everyone, please, i want to talk about something important."


    all the 20 women dining with callie stopped, looking at this blue-haired woman in anticipation of the announcement she had to make.


    "work hard over the next few decades and define the one who will go to zocarro in the future. the next time a group from my faction comes to the spiritual world, i''ll make sure there''s an opening for someone from the sect."


    she imagined that, in a few decades, the sect''s situation would be better for her to allow someone from there to leave and go to zocarro.


    "when exactly is this going to happen?" the level 96 woman, the strongest and closest to callie there, asked.


    "i don''t know. it''ll probably be about 30 years after i leave, maybe longer. anyway, i want you to get ready, strengthen the sect and choose someone to follow to zocarro. it doesn''t have to be the strongest in the sect, but it has to be someone above level 80."


    the look on callie''s face changed slightly, and she added, "with such a sister joining me in zocarro, we''ll create our own order in that world to welcome more of us in the future!"


    the women started celebrating even more after hearing callie, seeing that after everything that had happened, she hadn''t forgotten her sect and her people.


    minos had given many people opportunities on his journey. but each of those who received opportunities from him could now do the same for others and help raise the spiritual world''s power of influence.


    this was exactly what he had wanted by taking vico and callie with him and, from now on, his action would finally bear fruit without him having to keep getting involved in the process!


    from this small action by callie, various mechanisms in minos'' plans were moving into the right positions, which would certainly favor him in the future!


    at the moment, he did not know this, being in seclusion in zocarro, but in a few centuries, it would be time for him to reap the rewards of investing in the spiritual world and the adamant land.


    for the time being, this would continue to develop quietly, no longer under the need for his constant involvement.


    callie would continue celebrating with her fellow sect members, already planning her departure for the black plain empire before the end of the champions tournament.

 Chapter 2647 Final of the Champions Tournament (1)

    chapter 2647  final of the champions tournament (1) in the blink of an eye, more than a month had passed and the champions tournament was at its end!


    after hundreds and hundreds of competitive fights, days of great movement in the capital of the adamant land, the time was coming for the final decision for those who would occupy the two slots available for the forces of this world!


    today was the day of the last 50 fights of the tournament, when all the winners of the first round would complete their mandatory matches for the end of the ranking.


    most of the names that had made it this far no longer stood a chance of victory, but serious punishments would be handed out to quitters or individuals who made it easier for opponents to win. as such, everyone was still fighting vigorously, hoping they wouldn''t be prevented from going to zocarro in the future.


    meanwhile, the main names in the competition, who still had a chance of winning, had to fight hard until the last match. and today they still had five decisive matches, which could change the fate of the outcome of both the stuart family''s subordinate group and the non-subordinate group!


    for the last battles and the appointment of her planet''s representatives, sarah was in the capital''s main arena, while she had george and noah with her.


    in the vip area of the noisy fighting arena, noah was playing on the floor of a fenced-off area with various wooden toys, carefree for the tournament at its end.


    sarah, who had recently reached level 90, was keeping an eye on the fighting platform, where yet another match had ended and two very well-placed individuals would soon move up.


    she and george had no favorites in this contest. whoever the final winner of each of the spots was, they were satisfied with everything they had seen over the last few weeks.


    as the adamant land was a little stronger than the spiritual world, the warriors in the competition on this planet were stronger than those in the spiritual world. consequently, the battles so far were of a higher level than those in these people''s home world, with great learning opportunities for all the spectators.


    such was the case with minos'' in-laws, two of the three there in the arena today for the finale of the competition.


    joseph frost was standing next to eliot miller, anxiously following this event that had pitted several mid- and high-level demigods against each other. meanwhile, vince miles was in the spiritual world with his wife and grandson, rowan, following the final of the tournament on that planet.  s§×ar?h the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "who do you think will win, old joseph?" asked eliot to the white-haired man next to him, in the vip area of the planet''s imperial family.


    "patriarch jeffrey terry is a capable man. i''m sure he''ll at least come second. that will give him the chance to contest the fifth seat for zocarro." gloria''s father said, as he looked at the patriarch of one of minos'' subordinate families, house terry, a former pillar of the gray clouds sect in the old flaming empire.


    patriarch jeffrey terry was currently at level 93, having grown a lot since the time minos passed through the sect and met him, many decades ago.


    his opponent, however, was not simple!


    davy hayes, level 92, was a genius who had competed against minos in the spiritual tournament at the beginning of minos'' cultivation journey centuries ago, who had become a soldier in the black plain army and had grown a lot since then.


    although he wasn''t on the same level as minos, davy had exceptional talent and would have been the same age as such a legend if minos hadn''t left the spiritual world and gone through various experiences in places with great time distortions. in other words, he was young and had plenty of room to grow.


    "davy surprised a lot in the competition. his third place at the moment could easily become first place if he beat jeffrey." sarah overheard her grandfather''s conversation and gave her opinion on the end of the event to the family''s subordinates. "i believe he will be the chosen one from this selection."


    "for that to happen, sibley banks will have to lose her fight and leave the first place vacant." said george, remembering the name of the warrior who was currently number one and who would win the competition for one place if she won or even if she lost, depending on the results between the number two and three.


    a draw was a possible result in this tournament, so the possibilities were wide open.


    sibley, maisie''s old rival, also subordinate to the family since the flaming empire''s entry into the black plains empire, was quietly in her zone, waiting for her departure.


    when she saw davy and jeffrey climb onto the combat platform, she narrowed her eyes in determination. her victory could come before she even vied for the last time in this tournament!


    the event''s narrator opened his mouth and presented both sides to the confrontation, with the audience cheering as they watched the two individuals climb the steps of the platform.


    sarah said to george, "let''s see. i''m afraid sibley''s opponent isn''t so simple either. i''m not optimistic about her winning."


    after these words, the match would begin, with jeffrey and davy attacking each other hard from the start of the fight.


    besides sibley, the contestants who would compete in the final battles of the non-subordinates also followed the contest with interest, interested in the possible companions of the winner on the trip to zocarro, but also in the rival for the fifth remaining spot.


    jeffrey and davy''s battle would be exciting to the end, as were many of the battles of the previous days. but, to sibley''s misfortune, she would have a winner to put the pressure on!


    "in this match, i declare davy hayes the winner of the round!" said the event''s narrator, raising the spirits of the over 150,000 people in the stands.


    meanwhile, the young man who had once lost one of his arms to minos was smiling on his knees on the fighting platform, seeing his name at the top of the rankings for the first time.


    as long as sibley lost, he would get his right to go to zocarro. but even if sibley won, he had secured a second place in the rankings of the family''s subordinates and the chance to vie for the fifth spot on that planet!


    with this result, it would soon be time for minos'' non-subordinates to decide among themselves who would win the direct place in the group going to zocarro!

 Chapter 2648 Final of the Champions Tournament (2)

    chapter 2648  final of the champions tournament (2) while the dispute in the adamant land was hotting up, the decision of the two names that would go to zocarro had already been decided in the spiritual world!


    the final round in the spiritual world only served to finalize the rankings, something that the tournament rules required and punished anyone who failed to comply with by being banned from taking part in similar events in the future.


    as such, on this last day of matches, the forces in dry city were following the last matches, even though the result had already been decided.


    but while the citizens were watching the last matches because it was interesting and exciting to see good fights between top-level warriors, rowan was in the vip area alongside the two winners.


    his family and the empire''s leading figures were there with the emperor, congratulating the two names who would represent the spiritual world and the stuart family''s subordinates on this journey to zocarro.


    the winner of the non-subordinates was a level 97 dragon, while first place in the family subordinates'' rank was joan west, eldest daughter of the former queen of albano.


    "good luck to you on your journey to zocarro. i hope you''ll work hard to help my father and one day return to the spiritual world and give back what you''ve gained from this opportunity." rowan said with a smile on his face, while the two individuals grinned from ear to ear.


    besides these two, the two individuals who came second in the rankings of both subordinates and non-subordinates of the family were there, as they would be competing for the fifth spot on zocarro.


    one of these two was julian, the level 99 demigod, while the other was a level 96 phoenix.


    "when is our departure, your majesty?" the dragon asked anxiously, looking at rowan expectantly.


    "i believe in 11 months." rowan estimated close to what vico had talked to him about.


    callie hadn''t returned to dry city yet, so he would need to talk to her to get an exact date of departure. but it shouldn''t be too different from his guess.


    the dragon and joan took a deep breath, aware they had to resolve many issues in the coming months to leave without regrets.


    "then i''d like to take my leave." joan asked respectfully, having already fought her last fight in the tournament and keen to return home to say goodbye to her family and organize her departure.


    the dragon had similar things in mind to joan and also left after receiving congratulations from everyone and the recommendation to report back to dry city in nine months at the latest.


    as the two left, julian asked, "when are the matches for the fifth place, your majesty?"


    "about that, you two can head to the adamant land as soon as you''re ready. the final round for the decision will take place there, so that''s beyond my power." rowan said, before advising, "but i recommend you say goodbye to your companions before you leave. if one of you two is the big winner, the chance of you being able to say goodbye again will be slim. just don''t take too long to leave. try to do it in no more than three months."


    julian and the phoenix nodded, showing that they understood what they had to do.


    after also taking their leave, they set off with the intention of returning to the side of their forces and saying goodbye before heading for the north sea.


    the journey to the adamant land would take three months, so whoever won would probably spend their last six months on that planet, before joining the rest of the group who would leave for zocarro.  sea??h th§× novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    dillian approached rowan after the winners and last competitors had left and said. "the spiritual world won''t lose much strength with these individuals leaving."


    "hmm, i know. the tournament was a pleasant surprise. putting people to fight with an identical strength limit for each side gave us some great surprises. who would have expected a low-level demigod to take first place?" the emperor said as he thought of joan.


    kyla approached him and dillian and asked. "what about the two names left for you to choose from? have you made up your mind?"


    they had already received word from callie and vico that these two didn''t take people with their rightful places and, considering everyone sarah had already chosen, there were two names left for rowan to nominate.


    "i''m going to send one of the gorgons into one of the vacancies. their tribe has helped us a lot since they became our subordinates. and the power of a gorgon will do a lot of good for the group that will wait for us in zocarro." rowan said to everyone in the vip area, "but i haven''t decided on the last slot yet. i''ll wait for the outcome of the contest for fifth place. depending on the result, i''ll make sure one of those two who finished second gets the chance to go to zocarro."


    vince miles, rowan''s grandfather, agreed with his grandson. the phoenix tribe had helped them a lot too, while julian had given minos many opportunities and help in the past. it was good that he was going to consider rewarding one of the two sides.


    "anyway, let''s wait for senior callie to return. i''ll tell her to take one of these two, in case they both return to the spiritual world in defeat."


    ...


    finally, the champions tournament would end in both worlds!


    after the last matches in the adamant land, davy was the winner of the race for the stuart family''s subordinate position. meanwhile, a level 98 demigod, a former member of the royal family of lusmait from the central continent and currently leader of his house in the adamant land, won the contest for non-subordinates of the family in that world.


    sibley came second with a beast native to the continent of beasts, who had also migrated to this planet, guaranteeing their right to compete for the fifth spot in the journey to zocarro.


    thus, the group to join minos'' people on zocarro was almost formed and in only four months, the last games to decide these names would take place!

 Chapter 2649 Time to Leave for Zocarro!

    chapter 2649  time to leave for zocarro! a few more months passed and the final round between the last four individuals with a chance of getting a place on the trip to zocarro took place.


    while callie had returned to the central continent to spend her last months on the planet helping the stuart family empire, the two competitors from the planet went to the adamant land.


    as soon as they arrived on the world ruled by sarah, the two representatives from the spiritual world joined the representatives from the adamant land to fight each other!


    after six fights, everyone had fought everyone and sarah had named sibley the winner of the fifth place in the tournament!


    but before the losers even had a chance to return in disappointment to their worlds, sarah had named julian as rowan''s pick to represent the last remaining slot in the group that would be leaving in just over six months with vico and callie.


    rowan had sent a letter to sarah advising her of his decision, clarifying that the one from the spiritual world who had the best result in the six matches would be his final nominee.


    so, before returning in defeat to the spiritual world, julian found out his appointment, staying in the adamant land to wait for callie and those in the spiritual world to come for the big match.


    only the phoenix returned to the spiritual world in defeat, determined to return to compete more strongly in the future when another competition like this arose.


    ...


    time passed and soon callie''s 10th month in the black plain empire ended.


    in less than a month, it would be time for her and her group to leave for the adamant land. as such, dry city was already livelier than it had been in recent months, with many forces not only from the continent, but from all over the planet there for the big farewell.


    those who had won their places in the tournament were already in the city to await the group''s departure. the dragon and joan had settled all their affairs over the last few months and were now just waiting for callie and the others.  s§×arch* the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    meanwhile, callie herself had already done everything she could to help the local forces and was ready to leave at any moment. all it would take was for rowan and the imperial family to give her the signal and she would set off with the group that was waiting in this world.


    while everyone was getting ready, rowan made the announcement of the departure date of the companions going to zocarro!


    ...


    "honey, take care of the family while i''m gone," oswald said to patience, as he looked at his wife lying on a bed. "but don''t delay your journey to zocarro. i want you to go with the next group."


    "i know, don''t worry. i''ll go with the next group that returns from zocarro," minos'' grandmother said to ease her husband''s worries. he was going to join callie and the others to leave the planet in another three days!


    earlier rowan had announced his decision, having received contact with everyone in his world who was due to leave, with everyone already ready. as such, he scheduled the departure for three days ahead, with enough time for a farewell ceremony tomorrow in dry city.


    oswald sighed, feeling his heart beating fast, a little emotional about his departure, but eager about the journey ahead. for someone around 6,000 years old, as was his case, this journey was his chance to experience different things.


    but he wasn''t afraid either of leaving his family behind or of the dangerous journey ahead. the spiritual world and the adamant land had everything to continue well, while callie and vico would help the entire group amid the journey to zocarro.


    "i''m just sorry i can''t join you now... i''d really like to see how minos is," she said with a mournful look on her face.


    "don''t think too much about it. it''ll only be a few years for you. the downside is for those in zocarro..." he imagined how difficult the next few decades would be for him, how he would spend much more time away from her than she from him. "anyway, he''s fine. minos has long since stopped needing us."


    "i know... still, i''d like to see him, even if only to observe him. but we have plenty of time, so i''ll wait." she smiled at her husband, happy for the life he had given her.


    ...


    meanwhile, aurae was with callie, drinking tea under the starry sky outside the quasi-spatial kingdom of dry city.


    "what''s the journey ahead going to be like?" the elf asked her old war buddy.


    "the first few years will be peaceful. don''t worry. we''re going to travel to a world called the enchanted realm, where we''ll let you cultivate for 50 years. this period will be the equivalent of just five years for our companions in zocarro, but it will help you grow stronger.


    only after that will we face more considerable difficulties, when we will travel for about 2 years to the artificial moon of zocarro. once we reach the artificial moon, we will have to face the longest and most dangerous part of the journey."


    "i see... as expected from a high level world." aurae clenched her fists in anxiety.


    "we should reach minos and the others in about 60 years. by then, the group is likely to improve between 3 and 10 levels, depending on the initial strength of each member." callie added.


    "that sounds fast... i wonder if that''s worrying? if it''s so easy to get stronger out there, why aren''t weaker worlds like ours dominated by outside forces?" the elf asked.


    "it could be because of a lack of interest or ignorance. the truth is that we''re so small, it''s hard to see our world in the vast universe. and even if someone saw us, why would they waste their time on us? the others and i act here because of our past, but we can''t really benefit from what''s here." callie was sincere in recognizing the apathetic reality of this world.


    "but maybe that will change in the future." she looked up at the stars, imagining the things that minos and the others, but also these individuals who would travel with vico and her, could change about this reality.


    "i hope so." aurae also looked up at the sky.


    just as they were preparing for departure, talking about the journey ahead, several others of those who would be traveling and those they would be leaving behind were doing so now.


    in a few more hours, it would be time for them to leave this world!

 Chapter 2650 Going to The Enchanted Realm!

    chapter 2650  going to the enchanted realm! time passed and the farewells in dry city took place as scheduled, with the tribes, families, organizations and friends bidding farewell to those who would leave for zocarro.


    at this very moment, rowan, kyla, several imperial guards, robots and other important figures were standing next to the group about to enter the space distortion in the north sea.  sear?h the n?vel(f)ire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    as he faced the entrance to the universal wormhole, rowan and the others looked at oswald, talia, starclaw, lizzie, joan, a dragon, a gorgon, aurae and callie, wishing them bon voyage.


    "my friends, i hope to see you stronger in the future. from now on, your names will be remembered in my empire and throughout the spiritual world as legendary migrants for our plans, protectors to be revered. if possible, return in the future and we will welcome you with due respect and reverence." rowan said his last words, while each of the individuals who would be left behind looked at the lucky ones with sparkles in their eyes.


    "good luck. now go forth and explore the universe!"


    at his words, those individuals made quick signs of thanks, before entering the space distortion one after the other.


    callie looked back after everyone had entered and said, "good luck to you, too. i hope to see you in zocarro in the future."


    she moved on, passing through the spatial distortion and beginning the journey to the adamant land.


    activating her powers, she covered the bodies of all her companions with her energy, before making them all experience her high speed.


    ...


    a few days later, callie led the group from the spiritual world into the adamant land.


    when they arrived in the capital of the planet led by sarah, imperial soldiers greeted them solemnly, already expecting them to arrive on the planet at any moment.


    everyone in the group had already visited the adamant land at least once in the last 19 years, so there wasn''t much new in the surrounding area for them. as soon as they arrived, they followed callie towards the gods'' hall, from where they would leave with vico and the others.


    in just a few minutes, callie and her group landed at the grand golden temple waiting for them, where sarah, her family, vico, and the others were already waiting for them.


    "you''ve finally arrived." vico smiled at the group, having finished his duties in the adamant land days ago, ready to begin the journey out of this galaxy.


    callie waved to him. they were both keen to leave and be able to cultivate again.


    with that, they made their way to where their spaceship was waiting for them, accompanied by the imperial family.


    "good luck on your journey ahead, everyone. when you see my father, tell him i''m looking forward to joining him and my mother. however, i''ll wait for little noah to become a leader before i move on," sarah said as the little blond-haired boy lay in his father''s arms.


    callie, vico, and the others smiled as they looked at the child, not saying much more than that they would pass on her words to minos.


    "well, that''s goodbye. wait for the next group to hear from us in a few decades. until then, keep taking care and growing." with those words, vico entered the spaceship, followed by the others and several farewell comments.


    sarah and the part of her family that would stay behind watched each of their companions enter the spaceship, with some of them looking at noah with deep feelings in their eyes.


    as they all entered the small spaceship, the hatch closed before the engines began their noisy symphony.


    in just five minutes, the spacecraft took off, heading into empty, dark space, disappearing from the sight of sarah and the others within moments.


    "sigh! they''ve finally left." sarah sighed as she hugged her husband and son.


    "yes, luckily we''ll hear from them soon... anyway, we''re going home. we have a lot of work to do to prepare for our heir''s future." george led the way back inside the hall.


    with the departure of vico and callie''s group, it was time for the spiritual world and the adamant land to return to their usual routines!


    the last two years had been incredible for both worlds, with the stuart family''s leading experts having improved their cultivation at least once. their spatial kingdoms were now stronger, their techniques now had more up-to-date and powerful versions, and their resources were growing faster.


    but the major benefits would only come in the next few years, when they would have time to digest it all.


    with the group gone, they could get on with their habits and experience these improvements more calmly!


    ...


    as callie had discussed with aurae earlier, the first few months of their journey would be uneventful.


    after leaving the adamant land, they would quickly make their way to the galaxy''s major planet, from where they could access a wormhole to the station from where they would leave for the enchanted realm.


    by stopping at this planet before leaving the galaxy, they added two more individuals to the group, members of the galactic force that had been helping the empire in the name of minos. years ago, he had promised to do so if this force was helpful to his family.


    with these two fresh additions, they made their way to the station where they could buy their space tickets to the enchanted realm.


    with only a few months to wait, they would leave the galaxy for their stop in the middle of the journey to zocarro.


    for the next three years, they would travel by spaceship to the enchanted realm, following exactly the same route that minos and the others had taken in the past.


    vico and callie would deal with any problems that arose on this part of the journey, while the members of the group would take advantage of the area of the universe stronger than their previous homes to cultivate and grow stronger.


    in the meantime, the weaker members of the group would have their first breakthroughs of the trip, ready to realize how timely the journey ahead would be.


    thus began the group''s space journey, the beginning of a strengthening experience for many of these individuals who had lived all their lives in places that limited them to level 100.

 Chapter 2651 Journey into The Enchanted Realm (1)

    chapter 2651  journey into the enchanted realm (1) callie and vico led the group into the enchanted realm many years after minos'' departure for zocarro.


    as they crossed the spatial distortion in front of them, the two level 108 sovereigns saw the men of the forces of that world, positioned around said spatial distortion to control the flow in and out.


    the galaxy of the enchanted realm was no longer at war, the previous conflict having ended before the departure of minos and his people. nevertheless, forces from the planet were still stationed there, even though the galaxy was currently at peace.


    only a few decades had passed for vico and callie, but for the local forces, over 500 years had passed since minos and the others left the planet for zocarro.


    even though so much time had passed, as soon as they arrived there, vico and callie were recognized when they identified themselves.


    seeing the symbol the two had with them, the mid-level sovereigns in the vicinity allowed the group to pass.


    "534 years, huh? i didn''t expect so much time to have passed." vico sighed, having overlooked this important fact.


    the enchanted realm was the place with the greatest time distortion in the galaxy, so time had passed quickly in this place.


    the man who had joined them to guide them to the sect they intended to go to nodded and said, "after you left, many things changed, senior. the galaxy has returned to its usual stability and we have seen no high-level conflicts for over 400 years."


    "that''s good... are your leaders still the same as they were back then?" callie asked as the others watched in silence, flying towards the destination where they intended to spend the next few decades.


    "yes. they''ll certainly want to welcome you," said the man at level 109, leading the group towards the major force of this world.


    he hesitated for a moment, then asked, "by the way, i heard that one of our natives went with you to zocarro. how is she?"


    this man didn''t know grisdi, but the rumors about her joining minos'' group had spread through the generations for over 500 years.


    "i can''t tell you her current situation. but before we left our guild, grisdi was fine, on the same level as us... if nothing tragic has happened in recent years, now she should be even stronger than us, probably at level 109."


    when grisdi left, she was at level 106. considering that she had only used up a few decades of her vitality to achieve that, this was impressive. "splendid!" said the man guiding them, not misunderstanding grisdi''s cultivation speed.


    according to the information he had, time passed 10 times slower in zocarro. so grisdi would have cultivated for only about 53 years to reach level 109, a frightening cultivation speed.


    because zocarro is a higher level world than the enchanted realm, her advancement would be even more impressive!


    "how long do the seniors plan to stay in our world? are you taking anyone else from the planet to zocarro?"


    "we''re only staying for a few decades." vico replied as he smiled at this local native''s second question. "as for your other question, we''ll see. it depends on what we get for our time here, hehe."


    so they continued onwards, going to meet one of the strongest locals.


    this time, with the galaxy at peace and many warriors who respected minos and them leading the planet, they wouldn''t have as many difficulties as the last time they were in this world.


    the decades ahead that they would stay in the enchanted realm would be much better for everyone in the group, with opportunities for empowerment and controlled risks!


    because of this, time would pass differently for them. soon they would engage in seclusion cultivation and feel the effects of long periods of cultivation in a powerful world.


    ...


    in the blink of an eye, 49 years have passed since vico and callie''s group arrived in the enchanted realm!


    time had flown for the team from the spiritual realm and almost everyone had already finished their cultivations or cultivation experiments, most of them having gathered again in preparation to leave the planet.


    during these years, the group of 20 individuals from the spiritual world, plus a few individuals who had joined them on this journey, had split up. some had formed teams and set off to explore the planet and its opportunities together with local natives. others had gone off on their own in search of their own opportunities, like julian and the dragon.


    few of them had stayed behind to cultivate in seclusion for the entire period, but lizzie and zoe had opted for this alternative.


    lizzie, peter''s sister, had started the journey alongside vico and the others at level 85. when they reached the enchanted realm, at level 87, she had spent almost 40 years focused on just cultivating. in the other 9 years, she had done other things like training and getting to know the planet, interspersed with her cultivation sessions, of course.


    after these 4 decades of cultivation, she had got 10 level advancements, reaching level 97 a few days ago, when she ended her seclusion to wait for her group''s departure time.  s§×arch* the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    next to her at the headquarters of the greatest force on this planet, zoe¡ªa cousin of gloria¡ªhad done something similar to lizzie, but had achieved a more significant improvement, having reached level 100!


    now the two were together in a grand garden where talia, ivy, and sibley had just arrived from their trip.


    these three women had traveled together through the enchanted realm, adventuring and farming outside this great headquarters and meeting place for them.


    ruth''s sister, talia, had reached level 102 during this period, while sibley was currently at level 104, while ivy was the weakest of the three, having only reached level 101.


    at the sight of the two youngest women in their group, talia and her two companions approached them with a smile on their faces.


    "you look good, hehehe. have you enjoyed your years here?" talia asked while dressed in outfits she had obtained on this planet from her hunts alongside her companions.


    sibley and ivy also had eye-catching items around their clothes, with fur coats, necklaces, and bracelets that emanated spiritual fluctuations from their victims. they had hunted and faced deadly opponents over the years.


    as much as they had the protection of the local forces, they accepted giving up part of their rights in certain wilderness areas, where they took the opportunity to challenge their limits and grow amid combat.


    "you look a lot better than us..." zoe commented, wondering if she had made the right decision to stay and cultivate at headquarters.


    but lizzie was sure of her decision, not being the kind of cultivator to put herself in unnecessary danger. she was an administrator, so her power served her much more to provide bureaucratic support to her superiors and live longer.


    she said with a serious look on her face. "changing the subject, have you heard from the dragon and the gorgon? they separated from us almost 47 years ago and haven''t been heard from since."

 Chapter 2652 Journey into The Enchanted Realm (2)

    chapter 2652  journey into the enchanted realm (2) "oh? they''ve disappeared?" ivy asked with a different tone from the joy of seeing her companions again after years of not seeing each other.


    talia also changed her expression, wondering if something had gone wrong for a part of the group.


    "well, they''re not exactly individuals known for their communication skills, so maybe they''re sleeping somewhere after taking their chances." lizzie corrected her tone, trying not to sound like she implied that something had happened, even though it was a possibility. "to say they''re missing is a bit strong. but we haven''t had contact with them for a long time."


    "i see... i hope nothing has happened. those two are among the strongest in the group." sibley murmured as she considered the two individuals who were much stronger than them on the level when they separated from the group decades ago.


    "senior callie and senior vico have done nothing to find out where they are?" talia asked.


    zoe answered. "senior vico is in seclusion and should only wake up when it''s time for us to leave for zocarro. as for senior callie, she intends to go after them in six months if they haven''t returned by then."


    callie and vico had managed to increase their cultivation once in those 50 years, having reached level 109. but as their cultivation foundations were solid and the enchanted realm was weaker than zocarro, they were only at the beginning of level 109.


    "what about the others? how many of us are at headquarters now?"


    lizzie said. "seniors oswald, eliot, nicole and angelica are at headquarters. as for the others, we have news that starclaw, joan and maida will be returning in another two weeks. the others should be around soon."


    of the names mentioned, all had passed the 10th stage and reached the 11th stage, becoming sovereigns.


    oswald had reached level 104 months ago, while abby''s parents, eliot and nicole, were at levels 101 and 100, respectively.


    angelica, minos'' aunt, advanced to level 102, two levels below the current cultivation of starclaw, but the same cultivation as maida and joan west.


    "i''m looking forward to seeing everyone again." talia said as she clenched her fists and smiled again. "we heard news of senior aurae while we were traveling. she has reached level 105, surpassing some of our companions who have passed through here with minos in the past."


    aurae was a very talented elf. it was no coincidence that she had been one of the three strongest creatures in the spiritual world for centuries before minos came along, having advanced to the 11th stage without his help.


    by being able to cultivate at a place far above her power, she had unlocked her potential limited by the spiritual world and progressed up the levels.  s§×ar?h the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    her cultivation speed had been so good that some locals compared her to minos and the leader of the enchanted realm himself had favored her many times over the years.


    "we heard about that too," lizzie said with a glint of respect in her eyes.


    while they were talking, davy and a member of lusmait''s royal family entered the city where the group''s headquarters and their meeting point were.


    "we''re finally back." said the old rival of minos, currently at level 103.


    his companion, level 104, stopped for a moment to look at the place they had last passed 10 years ago.


    "we still have seven months before our departure for zocarro. what do you intend to do?" davy''s companion asked.


    "we''re going to sell some resources we''ve collected and get weapons and other essentials. we can do a little five-month seclusion in the city." davy suggested as he walked towards the local trading area.


    meanwhile, the two non-natives of the spiritual world who had joined them in the galaxy of the adamant land had already been back in the city for days, waiting for the group''s departure.


    one of them was at level 104 and the other at level 105, having enjoyed the journey more than many of the natives of the spiritual world, given that they came from a planet where the limit was level 102 and not just level 100. even without having had much support from the local forces of that world in recent decades, they had grown comfortably.


    as they left a building for cultivators in this large city, they spotted julian coming out of a cultivation resource store.


    julian was currently at level 104, close to reaching level 105!


    after returning to the city, he was gathering resources not only for the last few months on this planet, but for the journey ahead to zocarro. his plan was to review minos and the others in armhands with a level 105 cultivation!


    ''i''ll ask callie for some tips later...'' julian thought to himself as he made his way back to headquarters.


    "it''s time to return to the group." said one of the two aliens from vico''s group. "soon everyone will be gathered to leave for zocarro."


    his companion nodded in agreement, soon following the same path as julian.


    meanwhile, callie was with audrey, isabella''s mother, along with the level 114 sovereign behind the force they were staying in.


    audrey was currently at level 101, now standing silently next to callie while the local leader spoke to this blue-haired woman.


    "senior callie, i have news of your two missing companions, but i''m afraid you''ll have to move if you want to reach them." said the level 114 sovereign in front of the two human women.


    audrey looked at the alien''s ugly face, thinking of the dragon and the gorgon who had not been heard from in a long time.


    "where are they?" callie asked solemnly.


    "the gorgon you don''t need to worry about. she seems to have spent some time in seclusion and is on her way back here at the moment. her strength has reached level 104 and she should be here any minute.


    but the dragon is in a more complicated situation. he has slept in one of the most dangerous forests in my world. he''s in a deep sleep and i''m afraid waking him up won''t be easy. you may have to disturb his cultivation if you want to take him with you to zocarro..."


    he spoke a little more, giving callie the current location of the dragon, who was also at level 104, seeking an advancement to level 105.


    callie sighed, understanding what she would have to do. "audrey, tell the others that i''ll be gone for a while, but i''ll be back before we leave."


    "all right." audrey stayed behind with the level 114 elder, while that blue-haired woman was already far away.


    "will senior callie be able to bring him back, elder?"


    the old individual at the peak of the 11th stage sighed. "probably. but she''ll have to fight him. creatures like that dragon can''t have their sleep disturbed casually... but anyway, everything should be fine."


    that sovereign also disappeared after his words.

 Chapter 2653 Time to leave!

    chapter 2653  time to leave! days later, callie was in the middle of the lush forest of the enchanted realm, traveling alone in search of the place showed by the leader of the sect where her group was staying.


    after a long journey, she was quite close to the place where the group''s dragon was supposed to be cultivating in his sleep.


    fortunately for her, she was carrying the symbol of the leaders of this world, because without it, traveling through this area would be dangerous even for a level 109 sovereign like her.


    even if her cultivation was much deeper than beings of the same level in this world, she could at most compare to local sovereigns of level 111 and 112. but in this forest she was in, there were beings of level 113, enough to beat her with ease.


    but she didn''t enter the territory of these powerful creatures and just kept flying over the area in search of her group mate.


    after some time searching, she felt a familiar sensation and flew towards a plot of land uncovered by woods, near an immense mountain, with several caves so large that even dragons could enter them.


    in that area, she entered one cave and soon spotted the dark-red scaled dragon sleeping in its bestial form, curled up in one of the corners of the cave, which was capable of holding an entire village.


    "cykog, wake up!" callie called out the creature''s name, her voice enriched by her powers, emitting a freezing wave against the surroundings.


    the ground formed a small layer of ice, which quickly reached the scaly and large creature sleeping.


    the dragon''s huge eyelids fluttered, but he didn''t wake up.


    "wake up!" callie repeated, this time getting what she wanted, with the dragon opening his eyes wide to look at her.


    but unlike the fellow who normally treated her and vico with supreme respect, cykog looked at her with pure hatred, feeling his cultivation destabilized when he was so close to advancing.


    in just one more year, he could reach level 105!


    "callie!" he opened his mouth, letting out his hard-to-hold, extremely hot breath.


    some of the ice in the surroundings melted, while his claws sharpened, sticking out further from his body, while his cruel teeth also showed in his mouth.


    he could recognize the senior he greatly respected for her immense power. but he couldn''t help being angered by being woken up in such a disturbing way.


    not only had he lost the spiritual state he was in, but he would have to spend months, or years, recovering from the spiritual disturbance he had just suffered from being woken up in such a way!


    callie knew she had no way of reasoning with a creature in a state of rage, even though the creature in front of her was so experienced and rational most of the time.


    "when you''ve calmed down, we''ll talk." with those words, she moved, surprising cykog by appearing closer to him as she struck him in the face.


    a hand of ice and energy formed in front of callie''s hand, quickly becoming as big as the dragon''s head.


    she attacked him mercilessly, using force capable of killing an ordinary level 106 creature in this world to press him against the wall.


    cykog was only level 104, but he was a powerful dragon. he wouldn''t die from this attack, but he would be injured enough to lose consciousness in front of her.


    as the whole cave shook, cykog felt himself close his eyes as he cursed the blue-haired woman, watching the surroundings even darker as the hand of ice gradually disappeared.


    ''fortunately, he has a level 104 cultivation as stable as that of the creatures of this world. if he had cultivated to that level in zocarro, i would have had some difficulty.'' callie sighed as she saw him unconscious.


    with that done, she used just one of her hands to envelop the creature with her spiritual energy, before pulling cykog''s unconscious body away.


    "you''ll pay me back for making me babysit for you, cykog." she muttered as she flew, doing so slowly, given the creature''s immense weight.


    luckily, she had a lot of energy and spiritual stamina. even at low speed, she would be able to fly in a few weeks between this current position and the place where her companions were preparing to leave the enchanted realm.


    ...


    a few weeks later, vico left his place of seclusion, a satisfied smile on his face.


    ''time to leave. we''ve done everything we wanted to in this world.'' he thought as he assessed his powers, imagining that it would soon be 50 years since he had promised minos that he would stay in the enchanted realm.


    as he thought about the journey ahead, the level 114 sovereign behind this sect appeared in front of the cultivation room that vico had just left.


    "senior vico, you''ve finished." said the man minos had met several years ago.


    "hmm, how are the others? is everyone already in the sect? i intend to leave as soon as possible now that i''ve finished my seclusion." said this blond human, walking alongside the local leader.


    "apart from callie and cykog, everyone else is already in the sect. but those two will be back soon. i''ve heard rumors she''s bringing him here." said the expert with a smile.


    vico knew about cykog''s disappearance, so he didn''t ask any unnecessary questions. "what about your people? we can take two of you with us."


    the level 114 sovereign nodded, having already talked to callie and vico about this earlier. "we''ve already chosen two individuals to accompany you. one of them is at level 110 and the other at level 111. i hope they''ll be able to help you on the journey and then be useful in zocarro."


    last time, minos had agreed to take grisdi, but this world was in a lot of trouble and he couldn''t let the strongest specialists go. now, however, much had changed, with new specialists emerging and old ones growing stronger.


    in the current context of the enchanted realm, it made sense to send two strong sovereigns to stay under minos'' wing and perhaps generate opportunities for the planet in the future.


    ''with these two, we will no longer depend on minos in the future and they will be able to come and go from our planet with more of our people going to zocarro safely.'' this local leader thought to himself.


    he didn''t intend to break his alliance with minos, but he didn''t want to depend on him, either. it was good that his own people could help the planet.


    "when are you going to zocarro? at your level, it''s a shame you''re staying here." vico didn''t bother to hear the names of the two additional companions he would soon have.


    "who knows in the future?" the hairy specialist said good-humoredly. "now is not yet the time. but i''ll certainly make my way in the future."


    "hmm, you still have to protect your people." vico understood this man''s side of the story when he finally left the building he was in and saw a large shadow in the sky.


    looking up together with the level 114 sovereign, he spotted callie and cykog back at headquarters.


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 Chapter 2654 Beginning of the Journey Through Oqia

    chapter 2654  beginning of the journey through oqia as vico looked in callie''s and cykog''s direction, they spotted the group''s strongest companion.


    callie sighed in relief, seeing that they could leave this planet to return to zocarro at last.


    cykog had a sad look on his face, having taken quite a few beatings from callie during the journey here. he had been hit three times to calm down and realized that if she hadn''t woken him up, he would have been left behind and missed the chance to go to zocarro.


    that would have been terrible for him, since, even though he had improved a lot in those 50 years, he was already finding it difficult to advance locally.


    even though he understood her movement, he was carrying some injuries, with aches and pains here and there as he flew alongside this decisive woman.


    the level 114 sovereign looked at the black bruises around the dragon''s body and understood this guy''s situation. but he just laughed, not commenting on the matter.


    "i''m glad you''ve finished your seclusion. when can we leave? is everyone here?" callie asked as she approached vico and the local leader.


    "can we leave tomorrow?" vico looked at the level 114 sovereign in doubt.


    "certainly. my men are ready and your group is ready, too." he said with a nod of his head. "if you''re really determined, i can make the preparations. in the meantime, meet up with the rest of your group."


    "we thank the senior." callie and vico said while cykog made a hand gesture, already in his humanoid form.


    they separated, while sending out signals inviting their companions to come to them.


    ''time to leave for zocarro... i wonder how minos is doing?'' cykog remembered that guy, imagining that this human was even stronger than callie and vico.


    soon all 24 of their group mates, not counting the two natives of the enchanted realm who would join them, would meet to talk about their imminent departure.


    it was time for everyone to prepare for the last leg of their journey to zocarro!


    ...


    after the group meeting, time passed and 26 individuals set off from the enchanted realm, traveling to the station from where they would catch a spaceship to take them to the artificial moon.


    there, they would spend a few months waiting for transportation, before beginning the most dangerous part of the space journey to zocarro.


    but their group was much stronger than before and had many methods of dealing with problems that might bother them.


    for the next few years, they would continue cultivating, training and fighting opponents, until they reached the artificial moon, a place in itself far superior to the enchanted realm.  s§×arch* the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    on the artificial moon, it would take them almost two whole years to make their way to the island connected to the artificial structure. given the large number of members in the group, the travel time would be much longer than any interval minos had needed on his journeys across the artificial moon.


    but the group would eventually enter zocarro, where they would spend another six months on that inlet island, before facing the dangerous sea ahead, using a crew that minos'' companions already knew.


    this journey would be even more dangerous than the years of space travel, but with an experienced and powerful crew, they would reach the northern tip of oqia in one piece!


    on this day, exactly 60 years-for them-since they left the spiritual world and the adamant land, the group set foot in oqia, the northernmost city on the continent.


    before moving on to the central region, in particular examire, they had to make a stop to get information and for some members of the group to move on again!


    ...


    after three months after arriving in oqia, the group was preparing to leave for examire.


    vico and callie had already got all the information they wanted in the city they were in and, given the time they had been in zocarro, everyone''s cultivation had stabilized to the planet''s standards.


    even though several of them hadn''t advanced in level since leaving the enchanted realm, they were much stronger than they had been back then.


    but the group''s last days in this city in the far north were spent waiting for three individuals to seize opportunities for advancement.


    after years of hard work, cykog had recovered the damage caused by callie, strengthened his cultivation base and was now finishing his advance to level 105!


    meanwhile, outside the cultivation room where he was, lizzie had recently come out of seclusion, having reached level 100!


    besides her, zoe had also made a small improvement, advancing one level.


    otherwise, they all needed a little more time for level improvements, although several were close to the peak of their levels.


    surely many of them would improve before they reached examire!


    however, only cykog could still do so in this city!


    after weeks of cultivating in seclusion, his aura increased, and he opened his eyes, entering the middle range of the 11th stage.


    as he left his cultivation site, he ran into vico, who was just waiting for him to lead the rest of the group towards the central region.


    "congratulations on your progress. now it''s time to leave. follow me." the blond man said to the dragon in his humanoid form, with long, dark red hair.


    cykog followed behind vico smoothly, eager to test his powers in this powerful world.


    "how long has it been for minos and the others since you two left, vico?" cykog asked on the way to the rest of the group.


    "it''s hard to pinpoint. we''ve passed through several areas that have different passages of time. for example, the two years we spent between the spiritual world and the adamant land must have been eight years for our companions in zocarro. meanwhile, the 50 years in the enchanted realm was something like 5 years.


    we traveled through space for about 12 years, considering the round trip, a period that i don''t know how long exactly passed for our companions here in this world. we also spent around 5 years waiting at staging posts and traveled through oqia for 3 years. considering the 3 years of travel ahead of us, i imagine the answer you''re looking for is between 36 and 55 years."


    "i see... so what level should minos be at now?"


    vico smiled as he looked at the dragon. "probably level 110. as for his strength, i imagine we''ll never be able to keep up with him."

 Chapter 2655 End of Minos Seclusion!

    chapter 2655  end of minos'' seclusion! after 31 years of seclusion, minos left his cave on the floating island of armhands!


    this afternoon, just when he had scheduled his cultivation to end, he left his family''s cave alongside his wives, each of them at a new level!  s§×arch* the n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    abby and gloria were at the same level 110, while ruth had reached level 111, one level below her husband, who was already at the middle of level 112!


    the results of their seclusion for over 30 years were much more significant than they had initially expected, with each of them taking great advantage of the possibility of using the temporal distortion of minos'' powers to their advantage.


    "are our relatives arriving today?" abby asked in an excited tone, aware that minos had predicted the future and defined, from that, when the end of their seclusion would be.


    "hmm, they should arrive in examire today." minos said with a smile on his face, making his way towards the headquarters exit.


    "general minos, it''s good to see you again," said one officer positioned around the guild exit. "going into the city?"


    "yes, i have a group of companions coming here. i''ll pick them up." minos said to the men there, clarifying that the people who would soon come to this place were his companions.


    everyone in this post understood the message, becoming more attentive to their words and behavior from now on.


    among those guards was a member of minos'' faction, whom ruth ordered to send a message to their relatives.


    kendrick and the others were taking care of family and guild matters for them, so they were certainly in the inner city area.


    the four of them easily left the headquarters, each of them already having very good positions in the guild to easily come and go.


    they descended from the island to examire by the instant transport elevator, soon arriving at the entrance area of armhands, where a senior officer was standing guard on the surface of the city.


    "generals." the man on guard in the area stood up when he saw minos and abby, also greeting senior officers ruth and gloria.


    ruth and gloria were not yet as senior as their colleagues. but that wasn''t a problem for them. they were both under minos'' responsibility in relation to the expansionist wing of the guild, so they could come and go with him wherever he decided.


    minos and his women merely nodded to the man, before heading off through the city, passing busy streets where several mid- and high-ranking sovereigns greeted them on their way to one of the city''s entrances.


    after the battle in defense of examire and armhands, the local leaders had learned about minos and his family, making them famous in the city. several local aliens had been saved by their strategy and now respected them greatly.


    the four of them arrived at the spot where minos stopped in front of a lawn and plastered a big smile on his face. "they''ll be here in another minute."


    ruth, abby and gloria felt their hearts beating faster as they looked at the woods in the distance, especially the sky, where they imagined the group led by vico and callie would come from.


    "unfortunately, rowan and sarah didn''t come with them," minos said ruth and gloria, the mothers of those two.


    they both looked at him, losing parts of the smiles.


    he said, "let''s wait and hear from them. i think there''s a good reason for that." minos felt that this meeting would be positive, so he didn''t worry about the possibilities behind his children not coming.


    soon after he spoke and the two women turned their gazes forward again, a group of 26 individuals appeared on the horizon.


    the four humans in front of this examire entrance soon spotted some familiar faces, not only vico and callie but also oswald, zoe, talia, aurae, eliot, nicole, starclaw, angelica, in short, all of their oldest companions in the spiritual world.


    ruth and gloria''s parents weren''t there, something they hadn''t expected. this made them theorize about what could be behind the absence of their parents and their children in this group.


    vico and callie spotted minos and those women and narrowed their eyes, looking in particular at minos, who now had a powerful level 112 aura!


    minos had improved an incredible five levels since the last time they had seen each other!


    ''unbelievable! his cultivation speed doesn''t seem to slow down, even at the high level of the 12th stage!'' vico considered in amazement.


    but he didn''t know that, at the moment, the biological age of minos'' body had already exceeded 2,000 years, even though he had in fact only experienced just over a thousand years.


    with his divine ability, he had been using it to speed up his cultivation speed while consuming his vitality.


    this was the same situation as his wives, who had improved from having experienced his powers while in seclusion.


    while these two were thinking about the cultivation prowess of minos and those women, the members of their group couldn''t help but look at him with joy in their eyes.


    apart from the four non-natives of the spiritual world, everyone there smiled happily, identifying minos, even with all the changes he had gone through.


    vico and callie had also recognized him, since no other would have been so close to ruth, gloria, and abby. but minos'' appearance was now totally different from before, with long white hair, golden eyes and six wings gathered on his back.


    his body size was also surprising, and his aura no longer resembled that of a human.


    the level 105 dragon in the group realized this easily as he narrowed his eyes, feeling even more inferior to minos than when they were in the spiritual world.


    as for the others, they were full of doubts, partly feeling strange that minos had changed so much, but certain that it was him and that he hadn''t stopped being the one they knew.


    minos stepped forward when he saw the group land a few meters away from them, opening his hands as he smiled. "everyone, welcome to examire. i''m sure you have a lot of questions¡ªwe do too. but we''ll talk more when we join the guild. for now, come with me. i''d like to register you in armhands."


    with the words of minos, who still had the same voice as before, with only minor differences related to his power, the group followed behind him, heading for the entrance to the guild.


    even though he had asked them to keep their questions to themselves, oswald couldn''t help but stand next to his grandson and speak to minos.


    "how are the children? has anything gone wrong since vico and callie left?"


    vico and callie, as well as aurae and cykog, stood closer to minos and his wives as they made their way to the guild.

 Chapter 2656 Welcome to the Guild

    chapter 2656  welcome to the guild minos looked at his grandfather, who was currently at level 105, the same as the dragon cykog, one level below the strongest of the spiritual world natives in this group, aurae, level 106.


    "they''re fine. i''ve been in seclusion for three decades and only came out of my cave this afternoon. so i don''t know exactly how they''re doing, but they''re certainly fine. the war that started before vico and callie left is over, with the guild having gained a lot since then."


    "now our faction even has supremes at our disposal." abby added as she looked at the two level 109 sovereigns.


    "incredible! i didn''t think things would have changed so much over the years!" callie said, as she couldn''t help imagining what those years must have been like.


    as she felt the levels of her companions, she didn''t know if it had been good or bad for her and vico to have been off the planet during that period.


    while on the one hand it would have been opportune for them to have been on zocarro during that period, on the other hand, it would have been very dangerous. opportunities didn''t come without proportionate risks!


    "sigh! that''s good to hear. rowan and sarah didn''t come because they had children of their own," oswald said as he looked at minos with a smile. "you now have two grandchildren, haha. kyla''s and rowan''s son is called raiden, and george''s and sarah''s son is called noah."


    minos almost stopped moving when he heard this, surprised by the news.


    gloria and ruth were even happier than he was to hear it, curious about their first grandchildren.


    but beyond curiosity, happiness for their children, they understood why rowan and sarah hadn''t come, and imagined that this was also the reason for their parents not being in the group.


    "is that why they didn''t come with you?" minos asked his grandfather.


    "yes, many family members were hesitant to come to zocarro with us and leave the little ones without support. they have decided that they will only come here when noah and raiden can protect themselves with their own powers." oswald explained.


    "that''s good." gloria didn''t see a problem, even if it meant it would take longer for her to see her grandson. "by the way, is the spiritual world and the adamant land going well?"


    oswald shook his head positively. "yes, both worlds are peaceful, growing and recovering what was lost in the war of the worlds... one day, i will return to see what fate will befall them."


    they entered the guild, arriving at the area where armhands'' inner members were already waiting, as minos had ordered when he went into seclusion.


    "everyone, take my companions'' admission test and register them as recruits. when they''re ready, take them to my office in the council area." minos ordered the officers over there.


    "yes, general minos." the men said as they gestured at length, drawing the attention of vico and callie, but also of the others.


    vico asked. "general?"


    "a lot of things have changed since you left. you''ll need to take a day or two to get up to speed with everything," ruth said quietly to vico and callie.


    minos ordered the two of them. "while they take their test and register with the guild, you two should go to the records hall and regularize your positions in the guild. we''ll talk things over when everyone''s settled."


    the two nodded as they headed towards the city.


    minos stayed behind for another minute with his women, looking at his staff. he said, "we''ll see later. for now, follow the officers'' instructions and then we''ll all get together to talk."


    the group didn''t cause problems, accepting the situation, even though they were all curious about different subjects.


    minos and his wives left the group behind, heading for the guild council, where the rest of the faction should have already received their announcements and be waiting for them.


    ...


    soon, minos and his wives were at their residence at the council, where kendrick, lily, hollie, and the other important members of the faction were also already gathered in the area.


    all of them had improved their cultivation once in the last few decades, reaching levels 107, 108 and 109. but even the robot otis had improved his cultivation and reached level 110, the same level as four of the humans in the group.


    now over 15 people were in the hall of minos'' residence, talking in loud, cheerful voices, having already heard from him and his wives about the group''s arrival.


    kendrick and his sisters were overjoyed to discover that rowan was already a father, and that sarah had recently given birth to her first heir. they couldn''t help but be curious about their home planet, looking forward to the day when they would see those two again.


    they waited in this residence while they chatted amongst themselves, with callie and vico soon joining the group and hearing from some of their companions about things that had happened over the last few decades.


    the war against firestone mines had been dangerous, and the guild had struggled, despite all the help minos and abby had provided.


    vico took the opportunity before the conversation with the newcomers from the spiritual world and passed minos the item containing the curse that he had brought here.


    "as you asked, here is that old curse from albano," this blond man said as he passed the sphere where that being of absolute level 99 was.


    minos took the item and looked at the creature inside. he thanked vico and mentally spoke to the curse. ''it''s not interesting for you to leave this artifact just yet. but in no more than three days, i''ll help you get a body that''s resistant to a place other than the one that''s been your home for so long. it''s possible that you''ll even be stronger after that.''


    ''then i''ll look forward to it,'' said the creature to minos, having realized that the place he was in held many opportunities for him.


    as minos smiled at albano''s curse, oswald''s group finally joined them as they entered that council estate!


    he raised his glass of drink as some of his family reunited, hugging and greeting each other, already offering drinks to the newcomers.


    "my friends, we are reunited after years of separation..." minos began. sea??h th§× n?vel(f)ire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 2657 Conversation with Newcomers (1)

    chapter 2657  conversation with newcomers (1) as he looked at his family and friends, minos began by answering a few questions.


    "many of you must have questions. there are things we''re going to talk about from now on. we have time to talk about everything. but you should know that, apart from being stronger, we haven''t changed who we were or our goals.


    i''ve undergone some transformations because of the opportunities that the divine dragons and the seraphim have given me, and i''ve also grown a lot in zocarro. but i''m still the same as before, despite the different appearance."  sear?h the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the newcomers listened to him in silence, marveling at his opportunities related to dragons and seraphim.


    cykog confirmed his suspicions, feeling that minos was now even more someone he should respect and follow. and, from his point of view, this white-haired fellow was no less a dragon than he was!


    ''i''m looking forward to hearing about these divine dragons.'' cykog thought to himself, as he could smell dragons on the bodies of kendrick, lily and hollie.


    but it wasn''t the smell of these three, but of their dragons. folli, odys and irgim weren''t there in minos'' residence, but each of them had grown well over the last few decades, reaching between the end of the 8th stage and the beginning of the 9th stage.


    oswald opened his mouth after hearing minos. "so that was it... well, back then your powers were already similar to those of dragons and later you got wings... if you think about it, this evolution was to be expected.


    i just didn''t think you''d grow up so fast over the years."


    minos said to his grandfather, "my divine ability, temporal sands, helps me control the passage of time and distort time and space. using it, i have cultivated in seclusion seven times longer than those outside the effects of my ability would feel the passage of time."


    "in other words, 100 years of cultivation for a normal person is equivalent to around 700 years of cultivation for minos." ruth complemented her husband''s explanation, clearing up everyone''s doubts as to how he and his wives had grown so quickly.


    vico and callie sighed, remembering what she had said and feeling a little relieved. minos could use such a thing on others, so they too could grow ''fast'' in the future.


    vico then said, "so that''s it... now i understand your current power. but what about the war? when it''s over, what are your plans? are you still going to uzira?"


    "yes, we''ll be leaving in less than 40 years." minos said as he looked at vico and then at his companions there. "that''s why you have to adapt quickly to zocarro and armhands. we won''t be available to help for long."


    "what about uzira? vico and callie didn''t delve into it during the trip and, most of the time, we were cultivating to strengthen ourselves." talia stepped forward, approaching her sister and minos.


    ruth stepped in for her husband and replied, "uzira is similar to how the divine continent used to be for us when we were in the central continent. it''s a place of prosperity and abundant opportunities. however, unlike the ease with which we could travel to the spiritual world, reaching uzira is almost impossible for sovereigns. therefore, the risks involved in this journey will be incredibly high."


    "but is it worth going there?" aurae asked.


    abby nodded affirmatively. "of course. you''ll learn later, but uzira probably has an extremely valuable resource, which may one day help us have celestial corpses on our side."


    callie couldn''t help but widen her eyes as she took a step forward. "is that true?"


    "celestials? is that what comes after the supreme stage?" julian, level 105, asked.


    they and the others already knew that the 11th stage was called sovereign. next was the 12th stage, supreme. but they still hadn''t talked about the 13th stage of cultivation.


    minos confirmed. "yes, celestials are 13th stage beings, among the strongest in the universe. anyway, with the black liquid, we have a chance of obtaining the means to create a celestial. but for that, we need to go to uzira, since there is no more of this resource in oqia."


    "i see... so you''ve developed the experiments with the black liquid well." vico said with interest.


    the others, who didn''t know much about it, flinched at the comments, but imagined that this black liquid was something valuable to the faction.


    "yes, we''ve had a lot of success with it and we''ve even produced some supreme corpses," abby said with satisfaction.


    aurae remembered this woman''s powers and imagined that, somehow, abby''s finger was involved.


    minos concluded his reasoning. "because of this, coupled with some business deals and alliances we''ve made over the last few decades, we should leave in about 40 years. so, take advantage of our presence and prepare for our future absence."


    kendrick raised his right hand and said, "i will stay and help the faction. with your help, i hope to be able to build a stronger faction that is prepared to receive more of our fellow spiritual world representatives in the future."


    eliot and nicole liked what they heard, preferring their grandson not to risk going to uzira with minos.


    but not only had kendrick made up his mind, lily and hollie were also committed to staying.


    "i''ll stay too." lily looked at her grandmother, audrey, level 102, whom she wanted to help and repay for her childhood in the spiritual world.


    lily had been thinking of leaving with her father, but with her maternal grandmother there and a lot of her fellow worldlings who were ''vulnerable'' at their current levels, her presence in the guild would be more important.


    hollie, on the other hand, despite wishing the same, was more curious about welcoming her relatives in the future and continuing to work towards reaching the peak in armhands.


    minos listened to his children''s decisions and was satisfied. he really preferred them to stay behind and wait for him and his group to return.


    "the years ahead are few, but they will be long enough for you to adapt. so don''t stress about our departure. this is just another step towards achieving our goals."


    with minos'' words, several doubts had been resolved, but there was much more to be discussed. soon those 40-plus people gathered at minos'' residence would engage in more individual conversations, talking about their experiences in the spiritual world and hearing what they could expect from their start in armhands.

 Chapter 2658 Conversation with Newcomers (2)

    chapter 2658  conversation with newcomers (2) "so all is well... i''m relieved to hear that the forces of our friends here have contributed so much over the years." minos looked at the two aliens, members of the leading force of the galaxy of the adamant land.


    oswald, angelica and starclaw nodded in agreement, having just told him how the spiritual world and the adamant land had developed in the years since he and his wives left.


    the two sovereigns, both currently at level 105, smiled at minos, grateful that their leaders had been taken care of and had been faithful to the agreement they had made with this human. otherwise, their civilization would surely have ended with a vengeance by this powerful individual.


    back then, minos was only a level 99 grandmaster and could already frighten everyone, so how powerful should he be now at level 112?


    along with this group chatting, the two envoys from the enchanted realm couldn''t help but remember the rumors they had heard about minos passing through their planet. they hadn''t expected to meet such a strong human, even with the temporal distortion of their world in relation to zocarro.


    now they both respected minos even more, aware that they had to be loyal and helpful to him and his heirs in the future.


    as much as they had plans to build wealth and one day return to their planet to give more companions the chance to come to zocarro, they didn''t intend to go against minos.  sea??h th§× nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    minos was aware of this and would limit none of these men. if they left one day to bring more people here from their planets, it would only benefit his own faction.


    minos could imagine that, even if he and his people didn''t try, the faction would grow and become stronger and stronger over time.


    all it would take was for kendrick, lily, and hollie to lead well, and the future was guaranteed. it would only be a matter of time before the faction had more generals and maybe one day an elder in the guild.


    while he was talking to this group, ruth, abby and gloria were with their relatives. abby heard from her parents how things had been for the miller family since their departure, but also about sarah and rowan''s situation.


    meanwhile, gloria was with zoe, her cousin, talking about her family alongside hollie and ivy.


    ruth heard about her parents from her sister, sighing in relief and regret at the same time. it was good to know that they were well, and that they were looking after rowan, as well as raiden. but it was sad for her to imagine that, when they finally came to oqia, she would be in uzira.


    minos had no estimate of when they would return to oqia, but it was possible that it would take a few centuries to happen. as such, they would be a long time away from those left behind and even longer from those who had stayed in the spiritual world or the adamant land.


    "you must prepare to help them when i''m not here. as powerful as we are and in a good position at the moment, oqia is dangerous, talia." ruth advised her sister. "even minos can''t casually travel around this continent without considering the dangers. keep that in mind."


    "i will."


    meanwhile, kendrick stood around some individuals who had come to zocarro through the champions tournament.


    he was amazed to hear about the tournament that had taken place on those two worlds, imagining how formidable the contest had been.


    "well, we''ll plan your return to the spiritual world in the future. for now, we''ll let our companions who stayed behind grow up a bit and get ready to come here. but the four of you will return in the future to do what vico and callie did this time." kendrick communicated to the four of them, taking on the role that had once been his father''s.


    davy, sibley, the dragon and joan understood, not seeing a problem with it.


    "when exactly will this be?" joan asked.


    kendrick thought for a moment and said. "i''ll give them until you all reach level 110. i''ll make sure this group is stronger than the duo of vico and callie on this previous trip."


    that would give them plenty of time on zocarro, so the four of them didn''t think it was bad, feeling that it would be more than enough for them to enjoy this world before they returned.


    meanwhile, vico and callie were with their old companions who stayed in zocarro when they left, alongside the level 110 humans and otis, the robot.


    after hearing about the war and how the spiritual world and the adamant land were doing, the two were surprised to hear that maximillian was still alive and kicking.


    "he went into seclusion right after the war and still hasn''t left his cave... but at the moment, he''s probably already at level 110, close to level 111," otis said to vico and callie.


    "what a tough guy. even after all minos'' moves, he''s lasted this long." the blue-haired woman smiled, curious to see maximillian again.


    vico was thinking the same thing, but he wasn''t as shocked as callie. "for someone who has circumvented even time, it''s not so strange that he resisted the war... but anyway, i think i''ll take inspiration from maximillian and start a long seclusion."


    callie looked at her blonde companion and thought fondly about the idea.


    after their years of travel, it also tempted her to cultivate in seclusion.


    "that''s good. it might be interesting to cultivate for the next 40 years and prepare for minos'' departure," said one of the level 110 men.


    "with the help of the faction leader, you can reach level 111 by the end of that interval..." another of them said, before explaining about the evolution of minos'' powers and how the faction leader could help them with cultivation today.


    vico and callie were excited by the possibilities, with both of them determined to get as strong as possible before minos and his companions left.


    not only would minos and his wives be leaving the continent for oqia, but the faction as a whole had to prepare for a massive power departure.


    the meeting would continue with similar conversations, mixed with laughter, memories and stories, something that would last for hours until it came to an end.


    after today, everyone there would begin their adaptation to the guild and the start of this peaceful journey until the eventual departure of minos and his group for uzira!

 Chapter 2659 Promise Kept

    chapter 2659  promise kept a while after the arrival of callie and vico''s group, the 26 individuals who had met or re-met minos that day would adapt and learn about the changes in the guild or their companions.


    for vico and callie, armhands currently had a new hierarchy, with minos'' faction being the most influential, while their companions were all in good positions within the guild.


    meanwhile, the stuart family of zocarro were all on a completely higher level of power than the newcomers to the planet had previously imagined.


    but after the first few days in the guild, with many conversations and opportunities to listen to the experiences of their companions, each one learned enough as they adapted to the rules of the guild.


    soon callie and vico would go into seclusion with plans not to leave the place where they would cultivate from then on until minos and his group left for uzira.


    the rest of the team would engage with their positions as recruits.


    unlike those who came with minos from the spiritual world last time, who had to worry about enemies within the guild and so couldn''t grow their ranks quickly, the current group didn''t have to worry about the same things.


    as soon as they had adapted to the conditions of the guild and its current possibilities, each of the 24 newcomers to zocarro would go in search of valuable merit points to advance to better positions within the guild.


    as they had all been accepted into minos'' faction, the road ahead wouldn''t be so complicated for any of them!


    ...


    in the blink of an eye, 7 years have passed since vico, and callie returned to armhands.


    some members of the group, particularly the weaker ones, have gotten new chances to improve their cultivations. the stronger ones have improved a lot, but they were already at levels that advancement couldn''t happen so easily.


    as none of them had had the option of leaving the headquarters in those years, they hadn''t been able to get enemies for minos to transfer the cultivation to them. the strongest failed to advance in level during this period and needed more time working for the guild.


    but the strongest, cykog, aurae, julian the gorgon, the two individuals from the galaxy of the adamant land and the two from the enchanted realm, progressed from recruits to elite soldiers.


    no one had become a junior officer yet, but that could happen at any time.


    the rest of the group were now all rank-and-file soldiers, with some of the stronger ones close to being promoted to elite soldiers.


    although they had everything to grow stronger without too much difficulty, the guild''s current era of stability made promotions difficult. few high-ranking members died or grew stronger quickly, as had happened in the era of minos and his wives.


    in this more stable environment, growing up in armhands had become more difficult.


    even with all the expansions the guild was carrying out because of the new post-war territories, with the new men who had also joined during this period, the current competition was not small.


    but no one was rushing or disappointed with their progress. everything was going well for the group, while minos and his wives were available to help with advice and resources.


    amid this, some members of this group were slowly getting involved in more relevant matters, joining the expansion group, led by minos, or the law enforcement hall, under kendrick''s command.


    amid this, some members of this group were slowly getting involved in more relevant matters, joining the expansion group, led by minos, or the law enforcement hall, under kendrick''s command.


    minos and his wives hadn''t cultivated in seclusion for most of this period, having been available to their companions and only had short cultivation sessions separately.


    meanwhile, they were gradually completing their travel plans to uzira!


    ...


    in the faction''s cave, minos had a strange-looking man with one red eye and one black eye, gray, green and black hair, and skin with different shades on each limb of his body.


    with a cultivation level of 101, the strange-looking being was sitting in a lotus position, receiving help from minos and abby for the last time.


    with minos sitting in front of him and abby sitting behind him, this being felt his aura finally stabilize at a level where he no longer seemed to be an invading part of that body, but the actual owner of it.


    abby sighed as she took her hands off the creature, while minos opened his eyes, a smile appearing on his face.


    after a long time since his agreement with albano''s curse, he had finally kept his promise. he felt it just before he opened his eyes, with the relationship between him and that creature coming to an end.  sear?h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the curse of albano felt it amid the joy of finally, after millions of years of existence, having a body and the freedom to come and go.


    "minos and abby, thank you for what you''ve done for me. i will be eternally grateful," he said in his strange voice, which mixed the tones of two different creatures.


    for the past seven years, minos and abby had been struggling to find a safe way for this creature to live without their continued help. after many mistakes, they came up with the current formula, using a corpse, some of the black liquid and the soul of the curse, sealed in the body with minos'' powers.


    he was 100% stable and rational, without the bloodlust of corpses affected by too much of the black liquid, while his innate powers had largely been preserved.


    minos stood up and said, "moros, give your loyalty to kendrick and the others. from now on, you must follow them if you want to repay the opportunity we''ve given you.


    but before that, focus on strengthening yourself. given your previous limitations, you''ve lost a lot of cultivation time. but you can quickly improve that at armhands."


    "i''ll certainly do that." he rose from his seat, already having the symbol of a serpent on his forehead, having years ago made his entry into armhands official.


    "go ahead. use your freedom and enjoy your life." minos released him, watching the individual leave while he and abby stayed behind, satisfied with their work.


    "he''s only at level 101, but he''ll soon become a level 105 cultivator," minos said to abby. "with a body that once belonged to someone at level 114, his cultivation speed will be far superior to that of all our companions."


    "that''s good. kendrick will put him to good use in the future." abby walked out of their cave, while minos smiled at the thought of the future.


    "hmm, let''s go talk to segiel. there''s a letter from tiolos for us."

 Chapter 2660 Last Years Before Leaving for Uzira

    chapter 2660  last years before leaving for uzira as they walked back into the council, minos and abby were soon in front of segiel, the chief commander of the guild.


    as she saw her man standing next to her harem sister, segiel tossed minos the letter that had arrived at the guild for him.


    "tiolos has sent us this message," she said with interest in her voice. she didn''t trespassed on the privacy of minos and tiolos to the extent of opening that man''s message.  s§×ar?h the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    tiolos had visited minos amid his seclusion. at the time, the man could only meet with kendrick, lily, and segiel.


    on discovering that his ally was in seclusion to grow stronger and that minos had not forgotten their agreement, tiolos had left satisfied.


    he had heard about armhands'' victory in the war against firestone mines and also about minos'' participation in that conflict. all this made him more certain that it had been a great decision on his part to ally himself with such a native of the spiritual world.


    at the time of his departure from armhands, he had heard from segiel that he was waiting for minos to come out of seclusion, having only recently sent news.


    minos opened the letter from that supreme and soon had a satisfied smile on his face.


    "he''s advanced a level," minos said, to the surprise of segiel and abby.


    "really?" abby doubted it. after all, advancing through the 12th stage was difficult.


    of all the 12th stage individuals in the guild who had actively fought in the war, none of them had improved their cultivation in those years!


    segiel was at the same level as decades ago, while even the elders who had been at the same levels for longer hadn''t improved at all during minos'' seclusion.


    "that''s really hard to believe," segiel said in disbelief. "even the supreme leader, who is at the absolute peak of his level, shouldn''t advance without a long seclusion."


    the supreme leader planned to return to his seclusion to advance to level 124, but he was waiting for minos to leave for uzira. he would accompany the man''s group to the west coast and only after his return to headquarters did he intend to focus on cultivating to advance in level.


    but even with how close he was to getting stronger, jalai shouldn''t advance for at least 150 years!


    "he has found good opportunities on his journey around the continent over the last 45 years." minos wasn''t suspicious of the information in tiolos'' letter. "but he didn''t go into details. he just says that he has grown stronger and will go into seclusion for the next 25 years. after that, i''m supposed to meet him on the west coast so we can head for uzira."


    "25 years? that''s a bit early, isn''t it?" segiel asked as she narrowed her eyes.


    "no, i don''t think so. the journey there costs more than a year, and there are margins of error involved... he''s probably considering that we''ll left the continent between 28 and 30 years from the time he sent the letter." minos thought the time was correct.


    "you''ll only stay for another 25 years..." the commander sighed, not liking that.


    as she had to stay behind, that meant it was less time she would have with him before minos left!


    "that seems to be the case." abby looked at the woman with the lighter blue hair, understanding what was on her mind.


    abby had also felt similar things when staying behind in the spiritual world alongside gloria.


    minos smiled and said, "that''s no small thing. i don''t intend to spend much of this time cultivating, so we have a lot to experience together and prepare for the future."


    he looked at abby. "let''s finish updating the guild''s corpses and prepare our faction to deal with our absence."


    abby agreed and reminded segiel. "eventually you''ll have to keep an eye out for our relatives who will come from the spiritual world. they''ll need some support, even if it''s just a special look."


    "all right, leave it to me." she sat on her throne, thoughtful. "since it''s decided, make it official, minos. announce to the elders your plan to leave the guild in 25 years and each person who will go with you. do you have all the names?"


    "i''m close to it, but there are still a few to confirm your interest. but i can sort that out in a few weeks," he answered her.


    besides him, his three native women from the spiritual world, a group of 17 sovereigns of levels 113 and 114, but also 3 supremes of level 115, had already went with tiolos to uzira. but minos still had a few names he wanted to consider taking on this trip, members of his faction, but also guild mates unrelated to his group.


    "very well. i''ll let our superiors know about it. it''s likely that you''ll soon be called to report to the council of elders. as for the travel funds, the guild will release them as soon as you hand in your travel plan and the list of group members who will accompany you."


    the guild would cover all the foreseeable costs of this trip, providing food, cultivation, regeneration, transportation, and other resources.


    but minos had to present the plan that his expansionist group had formulated over the years with its many studies and preparations.


    minos nodded to segiel, having almost everything ready to make things official about his departure.


    while pondering over it, he let out a sigh, contemplating how near his upcoming journey was and how it marked the conclusion of one of the most tranquil phases of his existence.


    ''this trip will be good. it will be time for me to get away from navey''s observation and go back to seeking challenges for my powers,'' he thought to himself.


    minos had found out who the elder monitoring him in armhands was during vico and callie''s trip to and from the spiritual world.


    besides, at his current level, only supremes were a challenge for him. but most of the supremes were too strong for him, so he was in a strange situation in oqia. he wasn''t strong enough to challenge the continent''s strongest, but he was too strong for 99.9% of oqia''s living creatures.


    in the situation he was in, only by leaving oqia could he get back to having opponents within the power range that he would have a chance of fighting without being obliterated or win too easily.

 Chapter 2661 Authorization to Leave for Uzira

    chapter 2661  authorization to leave for uzira a few more days passed and once again minos returned to the council of elders, this time on a less negative occasion.


    with all 10 elders back in focus, no longer worrying about a war to fight, minos stood in front of the 10 elders and the guild''s supreme leader.


    "elders, supreme leader," he respectfully said with a gesture of greeting and a subtle smile on his face.  s§×arch* the ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    some looked at him in silence and neutral expressions, but others were thrilled to see minos. this human had transformed himself and changed the fate of the guild, and was now one pillar of the force, the future, so to speak.


    the supreme leader saw this in minos and naturally had a smile on his face. "minos, it''s good to see you well. i see that your cultivation is developing easily, haha."


    "the supreme leader flatters me. i''m just doing my best," minos said, still standing in front of the u-shaped table in this room.


    jalai continued, "by the way, how are your relatives and companions in the world? i heard that a large group of guests from your faction joined the guild seven years ago."


    even though all the elders, minos and the supreme leader had been at the headquarters for most of that time, they had hardly met during that period. and even though many there knew about the things minos had been doing, they hadn''t talked to him about it until now.


    minos answered the guild leader''s question, "they''re fine, supreme leader. the weaker ones are working to strengthen themselves and improve their positions in the guild, while the stronger ones are already showing their potential. when i leave with my group to expand the guild to uzira, they should be prepared to serve as internal members and grow organically."


    "that sounds good." jalai didn''t lie, before touching on the heart of this meeting. "so, it''s about your departure for uzira that were here today. have you got everything ready? your group, travel plans and replacement plans in the guild?"


    "yes, supreme leader." minos distributed several documents to the 11 aliens in front of him. "a group of 27 guild members, including me, will leave in 25 years from headquarters, heading for the west coast. all the names who will go with us have already been duly recorded in the plans you now have in your hands."


    the 11 aliens flipped through the pages, looking at the list of members of minos'' group, him, his wives and 23 other companions, 3 of them supremes and 20 high-level sovereigns. most were members of his faction, but there were outsiders, among them observers, who had been recommended to minos by his own council.


    minos'' travel plans were not complex. with what little reliable information they had, they would basically have to defy the violent phenomena of sea travel. to do this, they would need defensive resources, recovery pills and potions, crystals and coins to acquire more resources both on their way out of the continent and on their eventual arrival in uzira.


    their plan was to survive the journey, so they had to consider their arrival in uzira. qilnats could be worthless in that place, so the most important thing was resources that could be used as bargaining chips. if uzira was stronger than oqia, then high-level resources for them would probably serve for barter and wouldn''t be so eye-catching.


    considering this, there was a list of things that minos was asking for in that travel plan, which the elders could now decide to accept or refuse.


    apart from that, there wasn''t much else. from surviving the terrible violent sea, the plan for settling in uzira was very simple¡ªfind an unoccupied place, build a secret outpost and get closer to mainland civilization.


    apart from that, their job would be to understand the civilization of that place and live as cultivators, hunting their own resources and strengthening themselves.


    if they were at all successful, they would eventually hunt for the black liquid and find a way to return to oqia.


    segiel''s master asked after reading everything, "there''s no deadline here. you do not know how long you''ll need before you return?"


    minos shook his head and explained, "we don''t even know how long the sea voyage will take, so it''s hard to say. but if we use my cultivation as a parameter, i don''t think we''ll return until i become a mid-level supreme.


    how long will that take? i can''t say, but it would be at least a few centuries.


    there''s also no way of predicting the problems we''ll encounter... imagine if we get to a place where we have to face a war just to be able to cultivate in peace? that could delay our plans a lot.


    anyway, i don''t expect to return in less than 300 years, that''s for sure."


    some elders commented on this, seeing no problem in waiting a few centuries. for them, that was the time that would pass in the blink of an eye while they meditated.


    besides, minos'' journey to uzira was really precious to each of them. it was better for him to take it easy and worry about ensuring success rather than speed.


    klaus said, "i don''t think we should set a deadline for his return." he glanced at the elders before turning his gaze to minos. "but neither should we be without a mechanism to know that you are still alive and following our plans.


    so i suggest setting a deadline of a thousand years. it''s not for you to have completed your mission, general minos. it''s for you to update us. if everyone agrees, i''d like you to update us on your achievements and the status of the group within that period."


    everyone immediately agreed to the tenth elder''s suggestion, while minos understood what had to be done.


    "as soon as we get to uzira, we''ll try to find a method of communicating with you within a thousand years, then."


    at the moment, the only method he could think of was to send one of the men back to oqia. but that would be too dangerous. as uzira was superior to oqia, there could also be other viable alternative methods for them.


    in any case, he could only promise that he would try to maintain a means of communication every thousand years.


    but minos didn''t expect it to take that long, even considering the next phase of the dispute over the inheritance of the true celestial.


    so the elders and the supreme leader laid down the conditions that minos and his group should follow in this expansion to uzira, accepting the requests for resources that he had made in the departure plan.


    the next few years would be a time of preparation for him and his group, when they would have to disengage from their roles in the guild and prepare for the most dangerous journey of their lives!

 Chapter 2662 Preparations for Departure

    chapter 2662  preparations for departure time passed and much of minos'' remaining period in armhands faded away.


    with the rise and fall of the days, a repeated cycle went on undisturbed for 19 long and productive years.


    the group of 20 individuals who came from the spiritual world and the adamant land made the most of this time, with the weakest of the group becoming elite soldiers and the strongest junior officers.


    lizzie, previously the least cultivated of the entire group, reached level 104 after over 26 years in armhands, while aurae, the strongest, reached level 107.


    the whole group had improved a lot and adapted to their realities, leaving minos'' wings to live on their own legs. they obviously still had all the support his faction provided, with opportunities and advantages. but they were leaving headquarters and experience this vast continent and rely more on their own strength.


    the dragons of the three children of minos grew more in those years, reaching the 10th stage, enough to join the guild as recruits and receive the proper training.


    kendrick and his sisters took advantage of the period when their parents were on standby to lead the group and allow for seclusion on their part and quickly improved their strength during this period, improving one level each.


    vico and callie were about to leave their places of seclusion, aware that minos would soon be leaving headquarters.


    this was the same situation for those who would be going with minos and his women to uzira. with the 25-year period coming to an end, these aliens were slowly getting ready for their departure!


    ...


    wovar and clexvog left their place of seclusion, looking at the mountainous surroundings of this ice-covered area of the headquarters.


    the circulating cold, capable of making even high-level sovereigns shiver, was nothing compared to the two mighty giants, both currently at the beginning of level 115.


    both had advanced to the 12th stage in recent decades and were now leaving their place of seclusion, prepared for their ''imminent'' departure for uzira.


    "how long will we not see this place again, brother?" clexvog asked, his gaze laden with meaning.


    they had joined armhands when they were only level 95 grandmasters. since then, they had greatly improved their cultivation and experienced over 11,000 years of partnership within the guild.


    their negative feelings for the guild had completely disappeared over these years and they had long seen themselves as structural parts of this great organization that they were now near the top of leading.


    without realizing it, this place had become their home, from where now, close to their departure, they couldn''t help but admit that they would miss this place, the companions and the customs.


    "who knows? minos thinks it''s no less than 300 years. but this is uzira we''re talking about, the closest place to the upper realm that we can get to from zocarro." wovar was honest with his friend as they walked back to the city.


    as the two walked and talked, they passed sender, who was still at level 115, even though he had evolved to that level over 60 years ago.


    sender, unlike the two giants, was going to stay with kendrick''s group to continue working for the faction.


    this alien greeted the two giants before entering one of the caves in the area, bringing news to some of his companions.


    in the cave that sender had entered, aurae, the level 107 elf, was now standing next to julian, level 106 and oswald, level 105, waiting for minos.  s~ea??h the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    sender joined them, chatting about minor things for a few moments, until minos appeared next to kendrick, who until a few moments ago was still in seclusion.


    following behind minos and kendrick was a young man with a teenage appearance but a very strong body, dressed in armor with hard, bluish scales. this was odys, kendrick''s divine dragon, currently at level 94.


    "faction leader." all those people waiting for minos greeted him, all there to deal with him.


    minos had expected this when he saw these individuals and waved to them, showing for them to wait for him. he looked at kendrick and said, "return to your position from now on. it''s time for you to start preparing to lead in my absence."


    as much as hollie had beaten kendrick in the previous competition, he was much stronger than her when there was no one limiting his cultivation. she could even beat him with that advantage, if she used the hydra''s amulet. but this wasn''t a simple contest of who was stronger, but of who could best lead in minos'' absence.


    hollie wasn''t ready yet, while kendrick had been preparing for this since he arrived at the guild. everyone agreed with him taking his father''s place, so he had already assumed the position to lead the faction once minos left.


    "i''m going to go back to the law enforcement hall and refresh myself for the next few years. don''t worry, father, everything will be ready and well-prepared for your absence."


    minos trusted his son and, with a smile and a light slap on one of kendrick''s shoulders, he left the place, followed by those waiting for him.


    oswald asked minos, "what about the girls? have they finished their seclusion?"


    "hmm, hollie has already returned to her position after advancing to level 108. as for lily, she is resting. she''ll be leaving for her new position in a few weeks. her advancement to level 109 came at the right time and now it''s time for her to take a step out of headquarters." minos replied.


    he didn''t want to wait for her departure so that his family members could get used to their new positions. on the contrary, he wanted to be present for these changes, so now that there were just over five years until his departure, it was time to put his children and family in the positions they would have to spend the next few decades in!


    oswald agreed with this approach and wasn''t worried, even considering that some people, like lily, were going to be out of the headquarters before long.


    sender opened his mouth and said. "regarding these guild matches, faction leader, otis and the others are ready to go. just have your respective groups join them and they''ll be off."


    minos, of course, wouldn''t leave his children and friends from the spiritual world unprotected. the strongest sovereigns from his faction who stayed behind in oqia would accompany each of them and ensure that they could continue to grow up and have someone to count on.


    "good. now it''s time to start training for our departure. tell the group that''s going to uzira with me that from next month, we''ll meet once a week to train. the journey ahead will be tough, so let''s prepare well!"

 Chapter 2663 The Journey to Uzira

    chapter 2663  the journey to uzira as time went on, the cycle of night and day continued to alternate. leaves gracefully descended from the trees, only to be reborn in a symphony of colors.


    the passage of time seemed to speed up, witnessing the little ones becoming stronger and the big ones becoming even larger.


    growing without their awareness, the stuart family eventually arrived at the moment of separation.


    ...


    in the heart of armhands, the guild seemed to live another ordinary day.


    aliens of different races and origins went about their usual duties. some were keeping the various guild halls running, others were standing guard in their respective workplaces.


    the morning chill brought a melancholy appearance, but cultivators as powerful as the inhabitants of the headquarters city would never shiver in the face of this ''subtle'' phenomenon.


    even so, chimneys spewed steam and smoke into the sky, mixing with semi-transparent gases the view of the city of over 60,000 inhabitants from the top of that floating island.


    one more day like any other, at least that was the feeling of 99% of the guild''s citizen-members.


    a special day, a farewell, a potential revolution for others.


    at the guild council, in the most important building in the entire city, the 10 majestic elders, with cultivations from level 117 to 122, were lined up on different sides of the supreme leader, level 123.


    at the back of a hall capable of holding up to 50 humanoid creatures, 12 of the 19 supremes currently commanded by the commander segiel, stood in silence, observing the ceremony in progress.


    on the side of these senior officers and generals at the 12th stage, the core of the minos faction of the stuart family was gathered in a group of 15 individuals. each of them had a very expressive and different look on their faces.


    oswald couldn''t help but look at his grandson with supreme pride in his heart. after years of seeing up close what minos had become, today was a day to say goodbye, a day to once again see his grandson off to some achievement greater than himself.


    as someone who had always believed in and celebrated minos'' accomplishments, for this white-haired and white-bearded man, this was a happy day.


    yes, minos would leave and face immense dangers. yes, he would be far away and couldn''t be helped or help. but for an old cultivator who had accepted all the dangers of fate, seeing his grandson accept such a destiny and defy the heavens was the pinnacle of his life.


    with a smile on his face, oswald watched the ceremony unfold, holding one of his great-grandson''s shoulders firmly.


    kendrick could feel his great-grandfather''s strength holding him steady, while he looked at his father with a smile on his face. but unlike oswald, his determination and will were different, directed in a direction unconnected to that of his great-grandfather.


    ''go in peace on your journey, father. i''ll take care of the family and the companions who come from the spiritual world.'' kendrick thought to himself, alongside his wife, grisdi, but also his first son, seth stuart.


    heaven had shown kindness to the stuart family for the past six years. kendrick and grisdi had accomplished something challenging and welcomed their first child four years ago.


    now, the little brown-haired boy, with big eyes and rosy cheeks, was in his mother''s arms, watching his grandfather and grandmother get ready to leave.


    he was small, but seth already understood where he had been born, who the great minos stuart was, and his grandfather''s destiny.


    the little one wanted to go to uzira with his grandparents. he had begged for weeks for the opportunity. unfortunately, he had to stay behind and become at least an elder in the sect before he could join his grandfather.


    with his little fists clenched, the boy was determined to one day reach the level of his old grandfather.


    ''grandps, wait seth!'' the child looked at the tall, white-haired man with six beautiful golden wings on his back.


    in the direction seth was looking, to minos'' right were his three beautiful wives, ruth, gloria and abby. on his left side were the group of companions who would travel with them, among them 3 powerful supremes of level 115.


    a little ahead of minos'' group was segiel, who, with her position of leadership, would obviously be left behind.


    "my friends, elders, members of the council, we have reached a great day!" said the supreme leader, his gaze radiant, his voice energetic. "this is a happy day! we are at the dawn of a new era!" jalai opened his arms, emanating a light that was hard to ignore.


    pointing in minos'' direction, he continued, "general stuart must bring glory and opportunity. may the heavens be on your side and victory illuminates your life.


    as the 28th supreme leader of armhands, i grant you exceptional powers to command and establish a branch of armhands in uzira.


    in my absence, general minos stuart shall be the supreme leader of armhands in uzira!"


    with these words, the elders, generals and senior officers present simultaneously said the same word, accepting the orders of their prominent leader.


    minos put his hands together and swore, "with the strength of my powers and my determination, i will carry this mission in my heart. i will not rest until i have established an armhands'' post in uzira and returned to oqia in victory."


    with a glance toward his men, minos knew he had all the authority over them, but also the trust of every one of them. with his last words, he was ready to set off on this new phase of his life!  sear?h the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "commander, i leave my family and faction in your care. now i bid you all farewell." he nodded in the direction of the elders and generals, humbly thanking them for their efforts and their belief in him.


    his wives felt their hearts beating stronger, while their children and other relatives watching the ceremony felt similarly.


    the moment jalai rose from his seat, everyone knew that this was the last time they would see each other for at least a few centuries.


    even if everything worked out for minos and his group, it would be a long time before they could see each other again.


    amid all this, there were many ''ifs'' to challenge them and lead them to the fate of where they would never meet again!


    "i end this ceremony here. i will now lead general stuart''s group to the west coast!" with those words, jalai reached the side of minos'' group, then set off across the sky, taking each of them with his formidable powers.


    the others in the hall watched the group leave, staying behind as their companions, friends, and family disappeared.


    thus began minos'' journey to uzira, the next step in the quest for the upper realm!

 Chapter 2664 In Search of Tiolos

    chapter 2664  in search of tiolos staying behind, navey observed the spot where the supreme leader had led minos'' group away. as his fellow elders dispersed, some going to talk to acquaintances in the area, others returning to their places of seclusion, he smiled in anticipation.


    ''the next time we see each other, minos, it''ll be time to have a close chat.'' his hands clasped behind his back, his fingers lightly squeezing the fan he had with him.


    meanwhile, tenth elder klaus stopped beside segiel, while kendrick and his sisters approached the commander.


    "they''ve finally left..." said the giant with ox-like features on his body, as kendrick sighed in unison with segiel.


    "and now we''re alone," lily said, standing there as she had returned from her post to say goodbye to her family.


    "i hope they''re quick and productive... but in the meantime, i think we''ll be fine from now on." hollie said with a subtle smile. "my grandparents always said that father always attracted trouble to himself. that''s why he became so big."


    kendrick laughed softly, wishing the same didn''t apply to them. but he trusted things would be calmer from now on.


    with the end of the war against firestone mines and the strengthening of the guild, their position in oqia was excellent. the guild hadn''t been involved in trouble for decades and their faction was stronger than ever, even with the changes that had taken place over the last few decades and now the departure of some of the group''s strongest members.


    their plans were to stay at headquarters and grow in their hierarchical positions, with no ambitious goals that could bring them into confrontation with fellow guild members or natives of the continent.


    of course, kendrick didn''t rule out the possibility of them getting into trouble. one didn''t always need to look for trouble for it to appear!


    their faction''s position was now powerful, and with minos'' departure, it was only a matter of time before other groups of armhands wanted the position they currently had.


    fortunately, the group comprised individuals between levels 105 and 115, with many members in relevant positions within the inner area and on the guild council.


    kendrick said with a smile, "now it''s time for us to take advantage of the chaos that our father generated and calmed down by himself. we don''t know when he will return, but we all trust that he will succeed.


    if we want to contribute to the mission of expansion to uzira, we have to prepare ourselves to travel there in the future.


    it''s time to seek the 12th stage, little sisters!"


    the two agreed with him, while klaus and segiel nodded. with minos gone, his three children in zocarro were the ones the guild elders saw as the future on the continent.


    kendrick was at level 110 and with his special skills and characteristics, he could fight the strongest sovereigns on the continent.


    in a century or less, he should reach the heights that minos had reached years ago and become as important as his father. lily and hollie''s situation was not so different, which had already made all the elders look to them with expectation.


    as he heard something as good as kendrick''s comment, klaus couldn''t help but smile. he said, "do your best, young people. maybe you''ll be the next to leave for uzira."


    ...


    weeks flew by as jalai carried the large group from his guild to the west coast of oqia.


    oqia was no small continent. even a powerful supreme of level 123 would take weeks to cross the continent, whether to the south, north, east or west.


    however, this was a journey that could have cost a group of high level sovereigns more than a year and a half. being able to complete it in mere weeks was extremely quick and convenient for the entire group!  sea??h th§× n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    alongside one of oqia''s strongest creatures, minos'' team had no problems in the weeks up to this point. they had merely let themselves be carried along by jalai, while enjoying the sights of the journey, which they had made no stops on since the guild''s departure.


    but almost two months after the start of this journey, late that afternoon, the large group spotted the azure waters of the violent sea, in its least dangerous part of the entire planet.


    from where they were flying, the group could see the strip of beach, where clear, calm waters hid the terror of the violent sea ahead.


    but looking dozens of kilometers ahead, darkness, purple clouds and lightning kept the mystery of what lay a day or two''s boat ride inland from the violent sea.


    as they felt the smell of salt in the air, minos and his companions prepared themselves.


    jalai slowed down, his altitude decreasing as well, while less of the continent became visible to the group.


    minutes after seeing a large area of sea and the west, the group saw their surroundings becoming more limited, with the range of their vision decreasing substantially.


    "here we are." jalai opened his mouth as he landed in a strip of forest near to a paradise beach, just a few kilometers from a famous town in this area. "the place you''re supposed to meet your traveling companion is south of here. keep going and you''ll eventually find it."


    "aren''t you coming with us, supreme leader?" one of the group''s supremes asked.


    jalai shook his head negatively. "i''m afraid that if i get any closer to it, some old fellow will recognize me and slow me down." he smiled.


    now that he was finished fulfilling his promise to minos, jalai intended to return to the guild and go into seclusion for the next few centuries. his plan was to advance to level 124 before turning his attention to any news of general stuart.


    perhaps minos would die soon, but he couldn''t plan for his group to fail. until the day these people died, he would consider that his plans would work!


    minos clasped his hands together and bowed his head. "i thank you for the tour, supreme leader. with your help, we''ll save time and be able to investigate a little more of the violent sea in this region as we prepare for our departure."


    jalai looked at minos and nodded in appreciation. he said, "good luck to you all. i know how competent everyone here is, but the violent sea isn''t easy even for me. take care. all in all, i wish you success."


    he disappeared, leaving the group alone, ready to start the mission they had been preparing for decades.


    minos identified where they were and took the lead of the group. "let''s get going. time to pick up tiolos'' tracks!"

 Chapter 2665 Finding Tiolos

    chapter 2665  finding tiolos some time later, minos and his group entered that coastal city where they were supposed to find signs of tiolos.


    marrin wasn''t as big as examire, but by the standards of oqia, where there were few cities open to aliens, the place must have been among the largest cities on the continent.


    with just over 100,000 alien inhabitants, the beautiful seaside city stretched along 25 kilometers of coastline and beach, with one of the largest ports on the continent there.


    although sea travel was extremely dangerous, traveling along the coast was not and was one of the quickest ways to cross great distances without a variety of dangers on the continent.


    coastal towns were common in oqia. for people of lower levels, as most of the mainland population was, traveling across the continent was too dangerous. exchanges of goods and resources were necessary, so naval cities dominated this continent.


    while there were some free cities where aliens could enter and leave easily, many of the continent''s coastal cities were not accessible to people like minos and his companions.


    tiolos had chosen their meeting place wisely, picking the city closest to their starting point that was also accessible to his allies.


    as soon as they entered the city, with streets combining rounded stones of different sizes and lots of yellow sand, minos and his people paid attention to the voices on their way.


    his group was powerful. with 3 supremes and almost everyone there with high level sovereign cultivation, listening to distant conversations wasn''t that difficult.


    after less than 15 minutes of walking through the heavily wooded city, with lots of tropical trees, coconut palms and a strong sea breeze, they made their way to an estate where they were supposed to be able to pay for information and investigations.


    they didn''t need investigators, however. as soon as the group split up, one part to wait and minos and his women to negotiate, the four humans returned from the building they had entered with the information they wanted.


    "do we have tiolos'' location?" one of the group''s companions, sent by the armhands council of elders, asked.


    "no, but i believe i know where we''ll find him." minos was sincere when answering the general''s question. "there''s a place in the city called the lookout of stolenor. there are good cultivation rooms there, special resources, and also traders from different parts of the continent. it''s a great place to cultivate while waiting for a meeting or doing business. i think we''ll find tiolos there."


    could minos try to start his journey to uzira without tiolos? after all, he already had a group that was possibly stronger than the locals, right? but it wasn''t that simple. minos had an agreement with tiolos and what''s more, the native of zocarro had cultivated to level 116 and spent the last 100 years traveling the continent.


    tiolos could have information that minos didn''t have. tiolos might stop things that minos'' allies could not. ultimately, he could bring misfortune upon the level 112 young man if that promise was broken.


    minos didn''t intend to go back on his words, so he would not move on to uzira without the individual with whom he had done business decades ago.


    "but we''re not all going to the lookout of stolenor. forestville piers, an area on the north coast of the city, apparently has crews experienced in traveling near the violent sea. i want part of the group to go there and try to find out more. i''d like to find any locals interested in traveling with us or at least telling us about things they''ve witnessed themselves." minos looked at those he wanted on this mission.


    without question, the group split up, with more than half going to forestville piers and the rest following alongside minos and his women to the lookout of stolenor.


    minutes later, minos and those who followed him entered a magical tower, located two blocks from the longest stretch of continuous sand in the city.


    from this tower, one could see almost the entire city, have a good view of the sea and even see the mountains.


    being a cylindrical building, some levels gave 360 grade views of this beautiful city of many different cultures.


    people from different parts of the continent could be seen around the building''s 10 floors, each of which had meeting areas.


    as a merchant city, this place was famous for its meeting places, where travelers and powerful cultivators passing through the area could meet and make deals.


    this was the perfect place to meet a supreme passing through the area!


    as soon as minos and his group entered one of the main halls of the area, all eyes in the area turned to them, especially to one of the two level 115 giants who was with minos and his group.


    "dear guests, it''s an honor to welcome you to our tower," said a native of the area, a man of level 114. "do you already have a place reserved with us, or are you looking for someone?"  sear?h the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    wovar remained silent, giving minos the space to speak.


    "hmm, i''m looking for this man here. have you seen him?" he showed the level 114 sovereign looking at wovar the portrait of tiolos.


    minos had a good feeling about coming to this place, so he was relaxed about his eventual encounter with tiolos.


    "this senior..." the man picked up the representation of tiolos while listening to minos.


    "he''s a level 116 supreme, a native of zocarro. i think he may have passed through here, since he''s waiting for my group."


    the man looked into minos'' eyes and felt a shock of realization hit him.


    "are you minos stuart?"


    minos smiled as he shook his head in the affirmative.


    "i''m sorry i didn''t recognize your presence. senior tiolos warned me you were coming, but your cultivation... is a little higher than he had estimated. in any case, please accompany me to him," he said respectfully.


    this city had supremes, but hardly any of them left their estates. the only supremes who roamed the area were individuals of levels 115 and 116, so someone like tiolos was very well received and treated there.


    minos and his group followed this alien, leaving the entrance level of the tower and going up to the eighth floor, where they would see an even more beautiful and breathtaking view of the city.


    they would find tiolos talking to a group of high-level travelers who were in a large garden in the living area on this level.


    tiolos sensed a different presence and stopped talking to his contacts, whom he had recently met, turning his gaze toward minos, who now looked very different from back then.


    but as a level 116 supreme, there was no way he couldn''t recognize minos'' essence.


    he opened his mouth as he walked towards the group of 10 individuals. "minos! you are finally here!"

 Chapter 2666 Alliance Before Departure

    chapter 2666  alliance before departure looking at minos, tiolos asked without paying attention to this fellow''s companions, while he couldn''t help feeling excited.


    he could feel the powerful cultivation of the 112 level human, something far superior to what minos had promised him a century ago. at the time, minos had promised that he would be a level 110 sovereign by the time of their departure. but the human had evolved much faster than he had estimated.


    tiolos was curious, but he kept himself contained for the moment.


    "yes, we''re finally ready." minos greeted the man in his humanoid version. "that''s not all of my group. the rest of the staff are at forestville piers, looking for information and people who can join us."


    "oh? you''re getting ahead of yourselves. that''s good." tiolos saw no problem. he had already passed the place, but that wasn''t necessarily an impediment to minos'' people doing the same.


    "are there any other supremes in your group?" he looked at wovar, quite interested in this unexpected addition.


    until now, tiolos had been relying on just himself as supreme on this perilous journey ahead. but with wovar, he couldn''t help hoping that there would be more people of the same stage as him to count on in future problems.


    "yes, there are two more. they''re with the rest of the group." minos confirmed, making the smile on tiolos'' face grow even wider.


    "perfect." tiolos then took a deep breath, before greeting minos'' women, followed by wovar and then the rest of the group.


    he introduced the people he had been talking to a few moments ago. "minos, these are some friends i''ve made recently. they''re also planning to travel to uzira, just like us."


    tiolos pointed toward the group of five individuals, two of them aliens and the other three natives of zocarro, each of different races, but in their humanoid forms. the weakest of them had a cultivation level of 113 and the strongest a level of 115.


    "leger, these are the fellows i spoke to you and your group about." tiolos introduced the leader of this group to minos and the others.


    minos greeted leger with a nod, curious as to what tiolos intended.


    "your group doesn''t look weak, but be careful. getting to uzira won''t be easy, even with good numbers," said the level 115 individual as tiolos directed minos to sit next to this group.


    tiolos didn''t plan to travel with these people. it was too risky to go with strangers on such a dangerous journey. even more so strangers with an average strength similar to their own.


    "minos, leger and their group are not going to uzira for the first time. one of them has been to the continent in the past and is returning there again with a larger group," tiolos said with a suggestive look.


    armhands, minos and tiolos weren''t the only ones in oqia who wanted to get to uzira. all the continent''s major forces and all the supremes were targeting zocarro''s strongest continent.


    journeys from oqia to uzira took place almost every week in the continent''s coastal cities, with at least a thousand people leaving every year.


    most of these people definitely died on the journey, while of the few survivors¡ªwhen they existed¡ªmost stayed in uzira and never return. but cases like leger''s didn''t exist, if one looked hard enough, had good contacts and a bit of luck.


    minos looked at leger, imagining that this was the man who had been in uzira before.


    "is that true?"


    one man nodded with a confident look and said, "uzira is a land of opportunity, but it''s not as simple as much might think.


    uzira is extremely dominated by the powers that already exist on the continent. there is a single state that dominates the entire continent, with a powerful army and an extremely loyal nobility.


    i''m not saying that there aren''t weak points in this system, but accessing them certainly isn''t easy." he laughed at this point before becoming serious again. "but the fact is, for newcomers to the continent and those with no affiliations, the opportunities there are more limited than you might think.


    certainly a great talent can develop faster in uzira than in oqia, but it''s not so easy and accessible that someone like me would never consider returning to oqia... that''s why i came back, accepted the risks of the journey, to gather a group that can fight on my side in uzira."


    "if you manage to dock in uzira, of course." minos commented.


    "yes, of course." leger didn''t deny it. "in fact, that''s the problem that made me approach tiolos. getting to uzira in one piece isn''t easy. besides my companions here with me, we have 12 other people on our ship. but there''s really no guarantee that we''ll get there in one piece, or even that we will at all.  sea??h th§× n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    however, if we do, it would be good for those of us who survive the journey to have friends in uzira."


    tiolos said, "minos, if there are no problems for you, we can receive information from leger about the journey and what it''s like to enter the continent, in exchange for later helping us in uzira, if our groups succeed, of course."


    minos understood their agreement. it wasn''t something strange. tiolos couldn''t be sure that leger was telling the truth and it wouldn''t be safe to travel with a total stranger as strong as leger.


    leger also didn''t know how true tiolos and minos'' story was and how trustworthy they were, making a union between them now not so interesting. but he had information, and he wanted allies.


    tiolos wanted the information more than anything, so for them, it made sense to make a deal like that.


    "are you going to give us information now for our partnership later when we''re in uzira?" abby asked from beside her husband. "what guarantees that we''ll meet in uzira?"


    leger looked at abby and smiled. "there is only one route between oqia and uzira. apart from that, all the others lead to death. if we''re going to get to uzira, we''re going to arrive in more or less the same area."


    "that doesn''t sound good..." minos muttered. "if everyone who arrives in uzira from oqia passes through the same place, i can imagine that the place is guarded by those sovereign forces you mentioned."


    leger nodded positively. "certainly. in fact, the area where we''ll be arriving is extremely dangerous, far from the mainland cities and with a wide variety of powerful creatures that will try to kill us. some of them exceed the level of tiolos, so to say that the journey there will be no less dangerous than the sea voyage would not be strange.


    on my previous trip, i didn''t overcome this range, which is why i returned. this time, however, i hope that with a bigger and stronger alliance, that will change."

 Chapter 2667 The Map of the Violent Sea

    chapter 2667  the map of the violent sea  minos listened to leger and nodded in agreement, feeling that there was no reason to doubt this man now. his incorruptible heart was telling him that there was only sincerity in the words of the level 115 supreme in front of him, and he really wanted to hear about the journey through the violent sea from someone who had already successfully traveled through it twice.


    "i agree to make a deal," minos said as he showed one of his hands to leger. "in exchange for your information, we''ll work together when we reach uzira."


    leger hadn''t expected such a quick decision from minos, but he wanted this deal as much or more than tiolos and the level 112 human.


    with a smile on his face, he shook minos'' dominant hand, while tiolos clapped one hand in satisfaction. "perfect. let''s sign our agreement."


    they quickly found something to write the rules of their relationship, with each side swearing an oath of sincerity and commitment. the minos and leger groups just watched their leaders in silence, but each individual there knew the potential of this alliance.


    the sovereigns led by leger wanted allies more than anything. they had already heard from their leader how complicated it was to enter uzira and the harsh conditions on the continent for newcomers. having tiolos, wovar and two other supremes would be of great help.


    meanwhile, on minos'' side, everyone there really wanted to find out more about uzira than the rumors and sparse information they had obtained over the years researching the place while at armhands'' headquarters. in particular, the extremely dangerous journey across the violent sea could claim their lives and end their journey. anything that would lead them to survive that journey was very welcome now.


    "it''s good to have friends anywhere in the universe, i suppose," leger sighed as he said in relief. "but in uzira, that''s something altogether more important and crucial. the idea of conquering something individually doesn''t exist there. the continental powers, and even small tribes, are so united around the idea that an individual alone is weak and the collective is strong, that there are hardly any forces with weaknesses on the continent.


    there are certainly groups that are stronger or weaker. but they are firmly governed and share an attribute of unity and loyalty that makes such a reality seem unreal.


    but perhaps that''s why they are the closest thing to the upper realm in the entire universe." minos remained silent, his gaze narrowed and his expression unreadable. as he listened, he couldn''t help but connect the dots in leger''s speech, forming his own conclusion in his mind.


    ''when one ascends to the upper realm, they don''t go alone, but have the opportunity to take their entire lineage with them. union is nothing strange when you know about it.''


    "anyway, be aware of this and don''t be surprised when you come across the first enemies in uzira. they will be extremely passionate about the downfall of their comrades or family members, so be careful. a single mistake at the start of our journey can put entire tribes behind our heads.


    and in that place, more than any other, if a greater force doesn''t intervene in a given problem, it can only be solved by the extermination of one of the parties."


    given the most important warnings, leger changed the subject. "in any case, be vigilant. but before we reach uzira, a long and dangerous journey awaits us ahead. we won''t be sailing together, but you must be careful and follow in our footsteps. the violent sea has its ways, its extremely dangerous and active sea clans, but also its supernatural phenomena.


    the journey to uzira can take from 4 to 6 years, depending on these conditions which vary greatly from journey to journey. but there is basically one safe route. all the others lead to areas of extreme special phenomena, the nuclei of sea tribes, ancient sea battlefields, cursed areas, etc.


    there are certain things about the journey through the violent sea that you will only understand by seeing and experiencing for yourself. but be prepared. things you think don''t exist do exist in the dark sea." he said, his eyes wide and his voice deep.  s§×arch* the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    taking a white sheet of paper, 2 square meters in area, he drew on it with a brush.


    "we''re here," he said as he drew the figure of a cultivator, followed by a separating line. "that''s the west coast of oqia, and heading in this direction is north." he drew the ''n'' and an upward arrow in the appropriate position.


    "to take the least dangerous route to uzira, we need to leave our current point and travel 2,000 kilometers to the northwest. then, travel for 11,000 kilometers to the west and another 12,000 kilometers to the southwest.


    it''s not a long journey, but in many parts of the way, you have to travel slowly, so it will be a long journey.


    if you follow these directions, you''ll have a safety lane where, if you have to make maneuvers, it won''t get in your way too much. but i don''t recommend staying off the route for too long. if necessary, take detours and try to get back to your planned route as soon as possible." he represented this on the drawing before erasing it, leaving only the recommended route.


    "how much room for maneuver is that? i mean, how far can we go safely?" ruth asked.


    the supreme looked at her and shook his head negatively. "i don''t know. i haven''t been able to test it for long. on my first trip, i was fortunate, and my group hardly left the route we took. on my return, the detours i took were a maximum of 50 kilometers. but i may have been in great danger without knowing it, or i may have stayed in the safe lane. there''s no way of knowing.


    but i wouldn''t go very far if i were you. this is particularly true for these two areas." he marked the places of greatest attention, with triangles with exclamation marks inside them. "in these areas, there are powerful sea creatures. the deeper you go into the violent sea, the greater the dangers.


    you will encounter various phenomena and things on your journey, including ghost ships. don''t be fooled. many places and things that seem peaceful are actually the closest to death you''ll ever come."


    he finished his markings of the places he knew one would have to be most careful of on this trip, before finishing.


    "that''s all i can do for you for now. unfortunately, i can''t warn you too much, as i haven''t really had any other experiences. but, as i said, be prepared for anything. the violent sea is special and carries wonders that can be totally different, depending on who is seeing or experiencing them."

 Chapter 2668 The Moment of Departure

    chapter 2668  the moment of departure at no point in his presentation did leger talk about the level of threats and dangers. but he didn''t need to. as a level 115 supreme who had already passed through the violent sea twice, his fear of the journey to uzira was enough to tell him that these were threats that could easily take his life.


    the group of minos and tiolos understood this man''s warnings as they should, listening to him solemnly, anxious about the future ahead.


    the years of travel across the violent sea didn''t seem so long when one was talking about a journey of a few years. everyone in that group had lived for at least a few centuries; years were nothing to them. but a dangerous journey could make a brief interval of time seem interminable to the souls taking the risk.


    minos put away the map drawn by leger, pleased to get some direction and recommendations near the start of his journey. he had gotten little in armhands, so the little that this supreme had informed him was enough to make him feel more relieved.


    "thank you for the information. let''s be careful on our journey," minos said to leger.


    tiolos asked. "by the way, when are you leaving?"


    leger looked the native of zocarro in the eye and said, "in the next few days. i have one last matter to resolve and then i''ll be on my way with my group. but that said, i don''t recommend that you travel immediately after us."


    "what''s the matter?" minos asked, while tiolos had a curious expression on his face.


    "on my way to uzira, we traveled quite close to another crew going there. amid the journey, however, we attracted several challenges and of the over 100 individuals, considering the two groups, less than 10 reached uzira.


    on the mainland, i learned that the more vessels traveling through the violent sea, the greater the chances of sea creatures and phenomena in the area turning against the travelers. this is a way of ''protecting'' the continent from invaders from oqia."


    he made a point of emphasizing the word invaders, clarifying that this was how the uzira community saw the natives of oqia and the aliens who lived on this continent.


    minos and tiolos looked at each other, accepting the recommendation to leave a while after this group.


    "when can we leave?" the level 116 supreme asked.


    "in a year. that''s enough. the first half of the journey is the slowest, but a year will be enough to get us a considerable distance from oqia." leger suggested, soon gaining the agreement of his new allies.


    "in that case, let''s get ready to leave a year from now." minos looked at his group, and no one there disagreed.


    they weren''t in a hurry. they had been preparing for around 100 years, so waiting for another one wouldn''t change much. at the same time, this was the time they could finish their preparations in a place more suitable for their purposes.


    "well, that''s it, then." leger stood up, intending to leave to continue his business before his departure from the continent. "we''ll stay in the city for a few days and then set sail. let''s talk again in uzira. my group will wait for yours, then we''ll talk about the plans for afterwards when we''re all there."


    talking more about uzira wouldn''t make much difference to the group now and leger preferred to keep certain information to keep its value in the future.


    minos and tiolos said goodbye to the man and his group, staying in that area of the tower for a few more moments to talk to each other.


    tiolos asked minos how he had changed so much and become so strong, and the man answered this and other questions from his ally.


    eventually, they would talk about each other''s journey to this point, as well as once again touch about this alliance with leger.


    "... i imagine your people are looking for men to join us on this trip, right?" tiolos looked at minos, his lips curling into an understanding smile. "i''ve already tried approaching some men at the local port, but it''s difficult to convince them. not only that, these sailors are hard to read. who knows if they really have experience of the violent sea or if they''re just storytellers..."


    "don''t you think you can get some good navigators?" abby asked. "even if their stories are inventions of idle minds, a few good navigators might be worth the investment."


    minos agreed with his wife. "we have a year ahead of us, so we''ll see all the possibilities in front of us. in the meantime, we should worry about getting a capable ship."


    this city was known, among other things, for its naval wing, with large shipyards, building vessels for custom construction or ready for delivery.


    armhands was not a force specialized in navigation, so the group had only brought resources for the acquisition of their ship, without having brought the vehicle they were going to use.


    "about that. there''s a place i should show you. the shipbuilders there are the best on the west coast, i guarantee it." tiolos said as he directed minos out of that tower.


    he already knew that armhands would pay for a large part of this trip to uzira, so he personally wouldn''t have to invest much, nor had he bothered to buy a ship in advance. he instead focused on making preparations, such as finding information, searching for allies and shipbuilding yards.


    so the group followed tiolos'' lead through the city, heading straight to one of the larger local shipyards, where they would have to choose their vessel.


    they didn''t have many requirements in terms of boat models or appearance. what they wanted was something capable of safely and comfortably transporting a group of 40 individuals, and guaranteeing room for maneuver and defenses on the sea journey ahead.


    minos had a lot of resources on him and wanted the best in that shipyard. willing to pay a sum that made even tiolos look shocked, he ordered the vessel which, when ready, would be the most advanced in one of the largest shipyards in the western region!  s§×ar?h the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the delivery time would be 10 months, enough time for the group to stay in the city and prepare for departure in just over a year.


    so, after settling the all-important matter of the vehicle they would use to cross the violent sea, the group turned their attention to their other companions to talk about everything that had already been decided and the journey ahead!

 Chapter 2669 The Last Year in Oqia

    chapter 2669  the last year in oqia months passed, and minos'' group was still in marrin.


    earlier, they had split up to find tiolos and search for navigators with experience of at least part of the violent sea in one of the local ports.


    while minos and his group had ordered the construction of the ship that would transport them to uzira, the rest of the group invested their time in talking to the locals, in particular, experienced sailors.


    over the next few weeks, the group would learn about the stories of a group of interesting individuals who claimed to have sailed and survived surreal experiences, or who at least had great fame in the area.


    they would investigate the situation of these navigators and thus arrive at those who were most reliable and most likely to actually be individuals with useful skills.


    in the meantime, leger''s group set off from marrin, beginning the countdown to the departure of minos'' people.


    a year was nothing and the time would soon come for them to set off on the most dangerous journey of their lives.


    ...


    at the beginning of the group''s eleventh month in marrin, minos and his group had the crew ready for departure.


    however, the construction of their ship had fallen behind schedule and there were still a few weeks to go before the deadline agreed with leger.


    today, however, minos left the cultivation tower where he had been spending most of his time in the city, having just been notified of the completion of his ship.


    alongside tiolos and abby, he made his way to the shipyard behind the development of his vessel. the others stayed behind, cultivating or standing guard to protect the group and its resources.


    in the months up to this point, they had bought everything they could get their hands on locally for this trip, with some of them even using the months to cultivate in seclusion, improving their strength a little more before the perilous journey ahead.


    anyway, minos, tiolos and abby made their way through the local streets without worrying about their companions in the tower, heading for the local port where their ship should be waiting for them.


    on the way, they came across one man they had invited to join their crew, an experienced sailor who had actually traveled the violent sea.


    unlike leger, diret had not completed the crossing of the violent sea. he had ''only'' traveled 3,000 kilometers inland, a short journey, but extremely significant for someone who had never made such a trip. he hadn''t used leger''s route and made many, many journeys over this distance, which made him even more of an expert on this stretch of the violent sea than leger himself.


    "senior minos." diret greeted his boss first and then abby and tiolos, while looking as calm as ever. being a level 114 sovereign, he was old and experienced, enough to keep his cool even in front of supremes.


    "navigator diret, is your group ready?" minos asked after nodding in acknowledgment to this man.


    "certainly, senior. my group is always ready. the journey ahead will just be my group''s next step." diret said confidently. "i''ve heard that our ship is ready. is that true?"


    "yes, i''m on my way to collect it right now. are you curious?" minos smiled, imagining that this old sailor wanted to get to know the new ''toy'' that he would be commanding from today onwards.


    as much as minos was the leader of the group, he really had little naval experience and preferred to let a sailor who had lived a good part of his life at sea handle the command of his group''s vessel.  s§×arch* the n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "certainly." the eyes of this three-meter-tall, humanoid-bodied, gray-skinned individual shone as he accompanied the three of them to the local port.


    soon they would arrive at the pier where a large blue ship was parked, with a decorated bridge connecting it to the pier and several men dressed in similar clothes waiting in front of its entrance.


    "senior minos, sorry we''re late... fortunately, we finished in time for your group to leave," said the main builder of the 34-meter-long and 10-meter-wide ship.


    the blue metal construction also had a height above the water level of 14 meters, with a modern construction model, with lots of glass decorating the upper cabins.


    but what was really striking about the ship were its weapons, its defensive shields, where powerful formations were positioned.


    after a greeting from minos'' group to the shipyard staff behind the ship''s construction, the main builder presented the ship and its systems, taking minos'' group inside.


    "senior minos, your ship, ursa, has 22 independent areas, with 7 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 2 kitchens and 5 cultivation and training areas. there''s also the command center and three observation/resource storage areas, weapons, etc.


    its defenses are so strong that even senior tiolos could unleash his full power, and nothing on this ship would be damaged. its cannons can fire laser beams capable of melting the bodies of newly promoted supremes.


    ursa is not just a ship, it''s a marine weapon," said the builder with a proud smile plastered on his face.


    "also, its engines can reach a speed of up to 300 kilometers per hour and, when combined with the concealment formations, it can become invisible to enemies up to 5 kilometers away from it, even at its maximum speed.


    i don''t want to brag, but this is the most advanced ship on the entire continent. we''ve spared absolutely nothing and everything on it is of the highest quality you can find in oqia."


    while listening to the presentation, the four walked around the different compartments of the ship, seeing well-organized and furnished resting places, but also feeling the quality of the training and command areas.


    surely this ship could take them a long way on their journey and guarantee them all the protection they had hoped for from the qilnats who had paid for it.


    diret soon went to the engine room, checking what he could count on for the journey ahead.


    as the builder had said, the ship was incredible, and he felt even more confident when he saw and touched some of the equipment.


    "this will do. we might cross the violent sea with it," diret said, satisfied.


    minos smiled when he heard this, shaking one of the builder''s hands and thanking the man for his service.


    looking at tiolos and abby, minos said, "now that we have everything ready, we can prepare for our departure. tell the rest of the group, we''re leaving for uzira in 6 weeks!"

 Chapter 2670 Leaving for Uzira

    chapter 2670  leaving for uzira a few weeks after receiving their majestic vessel from the local shipyard, minos and his party completed their preparations for the great voyage.


    the ship was loaded with supplies carefully selected by the crew, who had worked to ensure that everything was in order. the moment of departure had arrived, and the port of marrin, with its busy docks and calm waters, would soon be a distant memory.


    the golden morning sun reflected off the calm waters, casting shimmering sparkles that seemed to dance around the boat as it drifted away from the quay. standing at the stern of the ship, minos closed his eyes, allowing himself to feel the gentle caress of the sea breeze against his skin.


    the wind carried the salty smell of the sea and the promise of adventures to come. a thought appeared in his mind like a whisper of destiny. ''time to face our destiny.''


    "direct, speed up the ship," minos ordered, his firm voice carried on the breeze to the attentive ears of his companions. around them, 35 people prepared to face the unknown, each with a mixture of fear and excitement coursing through their veins.


    diret, a veteran of the waters, nodded solemnly before shouting orders to his men, who immediately moved as a well-rehearsed unit. the sails swelled as they caught the wind, and the ship gained speed, slicing through the clear water with the precision of a blade.


    minos watched with an alert eye as his crew spread out to their posts, each taking on their duties.


    of the four supremes on board, two were already in position, standing guard at the bow and stern of the ship. knowing that the safety of the ship depended on their readiness, their eyes scanned the horizon for any sign of danger.


    the other half of the group stood ready to act as the first line of defense, while the rest were temporarily free to take advantage of the last moments of calm before the torment.


    throughout the long journey ahead of them, they would have to alternate between periods of cultivation, rest, and constant vigilance, and this routine began from the very first moments of departure.


    after a few moments in the stern, minos walked toward the bow, his firm steps echoing on the polished wooden deck. he didn''t care about the sight of the city of oqia disappearing over the horizon; his thoughts were focused on the future, on the challenges that awaited them in the treacherous waters of the violent sea.


    following leger''s instructions, diret steered the boat northwest, toward the unknown vastness. this first leg of the journey was theoretically the calmest, and the crew showed no immediate concern. however, a subtle tension permeated the air, like a taut rope that could snap at any moment. everyone knew that the real dangers lay ahead, perhaps in a month''s time, perhaps in the years to come. yet the weight of what was to come was already felt in their hearts.


    at the bow of the ship, ruth and gloria watched the sea ahead, the crystal blue of the deep water gradually darkening as they left the safety of the mainland behind and entered the mysterious high seas. the waves whispered ancient secrets, and the wind carried the omen of uncontrollable challenges.


    as minos approached them, stopping a short distance away, the two women sighed. the red-haired woman, her eyes lost on the horizon, murmured: "and here we begin."


    "from now on, the dangers will increase to a level we cannot control. be prepared," minos replied, his voice deep, his gray eyes fixed on the dark clouds forming in the distance. "this is the most powerful sea in the entire universe."


    as the two women stared into the impending darkness, an old sailor from the diret''s group, a man with curved horns and a goat-like head, approached them. his expression was hard, but his eyes shone with a light that mixed with respect and warning.


    "be prepared, ladies," old izan said, his gruff voice echoing the warning. "the sea ahead is not only the most dangerous because of its natural and man-made phenomena and the native tribes. it is also the most infested with pirates and renegade crews from uzira.


    the islands of the violent sea hide unfathomable secrets, with monsters that many believe only exist in horror stories. mysterious phenomena capable of afflicting even the supremes await us."


    ruth, arching an eyebrow, gave the old sailor a skeptical look. "are you trying to scare us, old izan?"


    izan let out a hoarse laugh that sounded more like a grunt, his eyes twinkling with humor. "not at all," he replied with an enigmatic glint in his eyes. "can the violent sea take our lives? indeed, it''s an actual possibility. but while it''s dangerous, it''s also beautiful and full of mysterious possibilities.


    for four thousand years, i have been sailing around the continent, getting closer and closer to the depths of the sea. i have seen things that would traumatize many, but which have also taught me to value life. today, i''m ready to embark on the most important journey of my life, and i can''t help but get emotional."


    as he spoke, his fists clenched, his eyes shining with excitement. watching him, minos couldn''t help but notice the almost morbid passion that burned in the heart of this level 113 navigator.


    "you are anxious, i can see that. i hope i can see a little of what makes you so interested in this dangerous sea region, old izan," minos said, his tone showing a mixture of curiosity and attention.


    "senior minos," izan said, turning to the leader of the group with a respectful look, aware that this man was no ordinary person. "someone of your caliber will see truly fantastic things. just wait six months and you''ll be able to experience some of my stories for yourself. but you will have experiences that even i have not yet had."


    as oqia''s ship pulled away, the various groups on board talked about the future, about what might lie ahead. minos'' companions remained stiff, with a palpable apprehension in their movements, while diret''s men, more experienced in these waters, were more at ease, familiar with the ''terrain'' they were about to face.


    under a clear sky, the ship set out into the unknown, carrying dreams, fears, and unique goals. the ship moved steadily northwest, the shores of marrin slowly disappearing into the horizon as the crew adjusted to their new routines and positions.  s~ea??h the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    minos and his wives would soon move to their respective posts, some to rest and prepare for the shifts ahead, others to assume immediate responsibilities.


    the journey would be long, and the thrills promised by izan were yet to come. they knew that the dangers, however distant they seemed, would approach quickly, like storms that come without warning.


    in addition to the familiar challenges, they knew they would soon pass near the territories of wild beasts, implacable creatures that would defend their lands with unparalleled ferocity.


    fortunately, the party had leger''s map, which would surely help them navigate the dangers ahead.


    and so, sailing under the watchful eye of fate, they set out into the vastness of the violent sea, their hearts firm but aware of the challenges they would face.

 Chapter 2671 The First Months of the Journey

    chapter 2671  the first months of the journey some time later, the group sailing northwest from marris left the ''safe'' stretch of sea behind, entering a zone of eternal sea fog. from this point on, the dangers ahead became more and more imminent, and the group sailed more cautiously, reducing speed and keeping a constant lookout.


    after crossing the perpetual fog, they reached a part of the violent sea known to few¡ªan area with little fog, but full of dangers.


    ...


    "the area we''ve entered may seem calm, but it''s far from safe," said navigator izan to minos, as he accompanied the ship''s leader on an early morning walk.


    the sea breeze beat gently against their faces, but the tension was palpable in the air.


    after serving his shift and taking a moment to rest, minos was on his own time, walking around the ship''s deck and observing the apparently tranquil surroundings.


    today, they were sailing under a clear sky, with waters as calm as a lake''s, moving at 70% of the ship''s maximum speed.


    with a clear view of over 15 kilometers on the horizon, the group felt more confident than they had in weeks. since leaving marris, they had sailed for almost two months in an area of dense fog and storms, where they could barely see a kilometer ahead. now, with their arrival in this area, it was natural to feel a little more relieved.


    izan continued in a serious tone, "below, these calm waters are the biggest monsters you can imagine. many marine races choose places like this to lay their eggs and leave their young. despite the savage methods these creatures use¡ªleaving their offspring at the mercy of the world¡ªthere are always powerful individuals who stay behind, protecting the future of their species."


    the old navigator stared at the dark blue waters with a contemplative gaze, as if he could see beyond what was on the surface, glimpsing what lay hidden in the depths.


    minos listened without doubting izan''s words. he could also feel, through the dark waters, the presence of various organisms: fish, sharks, giant squid, water snakes and much more. some of these beings were in their infantile stages, but there were adults around¡ªcreatures as large as the sky whales of the spiritual world. the cultivation of these sea creatures was impressive; minos could even identify supremes within his field of vision.


    ''luckily, our ship''s formations are working very well. we''re practically invisible to almost all of these creatures,'' thought minos.  sear?h the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    he felt the steady rhythm of the sailor''s breathing beside him, a reminder that, no matter how calm the sea seemed, danger was always present.


    "right. this place really is full of hidden terrors. we''d better not draw their attention," said minos in a calm voice, before retreating into the bowels of the ship.


    izan remained where he was, his eyes still fixed on the horizon, as minos descended to the lower level of the ship, heading for the cultivation room.


    the room, measuring 35 square meters, had space for eight people to cultivate simultaneously. of the eight spaces, five were currently occupied.


    minos chose one corner, sat down on a large cushion, closed his eyes, and positioned himself cross-legged.


    as soon as he closed his eyes, a small golden hourglass appeared in front of his chest, releasing golden beams that intertwined around his body like ethereal chains. even with his eyes closed, minos felt an intense white light in his mind as his consciousness moved into the future, glimpsing the days and weeks to come.


    as the ship continued its journey, minos realized they could pass unnoticed by the sea creatures below them, as well as any dangerous natural phenomena. however, one particular night caught his attention, causing him to frown in concern.


    ''a ship...'' the sight of a shadow in the night disturbed him, causing deep discomfort in his heart.


    opening his eyes back in the cultivation room, minos felt drops of sweat trickling down his forehead. he looked up at one window and saw that it was still daylight, in contrast to the gloomy night he had seen in his premonition¡ªa night when a strange ship would come their way.


    getting up quickly, minos ran to the command cabin, where diret was accompanied by tiolos and the giant clexvog.


    "chief..." clexvog noticed minos'' serious expression, but ignored it.


    minos looked directly at diret and asked, "are there any phenomena in this area that cause a particularly dark night? can you tell us where and when we will pass through such a region?"


    zocarro didn''t have nights like those in the spiritual world. the difference between day and night on that planet was more a question of light intensity. day, for the inhabitants of that world, was the period when all the stars illuminated certain areas simultaneously. night, on the other hand, was the time of lowest light intensity, when only one star illuminated those areas, creating a luminosity similar to twilight in the spiritual world.


    but minos had seen in his vision a night as dark as those on his home planet¡ªsomething extremely unusual and disturbing.


    diret frowned. "in a few weeks, we should pass through an area of magnetic storms. almost the whole of the violent sea has this band of penumbra, where the nights are very dark. but despite the strange phenomenon, these areas are usually no more dangerous than where we are now."


    there was a strangeness in diret''s voice, related to the fact that cultivators could see in the dark as well as in the light. therefore, the intensity of the darkness shouldn''t be a factor.


    "what''s worrying you?" asked tiolos, his eyebrows furrowed in concern.


    "i saw a ship. on the fourth dark night of our journey, a black ship, with no signs of life, will cross our path. something about it sent a shiver down my spine," replied minos, his voice low but charged with tension.


    clexvog and tiolos changed their expressions, the dark circles in one of their eyes intensifying, while their breathing became heavier.


    "let''s prepare for trouble. whatever it is, we''ll face it with our best," said tiolos, clenching his fists before leaving the cabin, determined to prepare for whatever was to come.


    clexvog and diret continued to talk for a few more minutes, agreeing their strategies and action plans, before also leaving the cabin to join the preparations.

 Chapter 2672 Dark Night

    chapter 2672  dark night after entering the violent sea, minos'' visions of the future had diminished in efficiency and failed in terms of when and where exactly their scenes would take place.


    in oqia, any vision he had he knew would happen at a certain time and in a certain place. but strangely, something had been getting in the way of his spying on the future as he traveled by sea.


    earlier, he had seen a dark night when a strange ship, apparently abandoned, would come into the path of his people. but he couldn''t say when exactly it would happen. it could be 10 days after his vision, or 50. all he could say about the date of when it would happen was that it would be on the fourth night of the deep darkness of their voyage.


    as for the location, as the sea on its surface was one continuous whole, with no reliefs, vegetation or visual signs to differentiate it, he did not know where it would happen.


    so, on the same day that he had his vision, minos spoke to each member of his crew, revealing his concern and what he knew would help them from now on.


    the group quickly became more attentive, losing the relaxation they had been feeling as they traveled peacefully for the past few days.


    ruth and gloria were more alert to act suddenly, while abby was preparing to use her necromantic powers.


    they had brought corpses with them, bodies that were ready to come back to life with her powers and serve them in battle.


    being at sea, they could hardly get corpses there, unless they went to the ocean''s depths. that wasn''t ideal, so they had brought many of the corpses that minos had gathered over the years and hadn''t used yet.


    all the rest of the crew were alert, looking for signs of ships on the horizon, as well as ready to welcome the dark nights ahead.


    there was no secret about what to do. if they were going to have problems with this ship from minos'' vision, then they would make use of their ship''s tools and powers!


    ...


    on the 42nd day after minos'' vision, abby felt a chill on her skin as she left the cultivation room where she had been relaxing for the last few hours. she noticed her surroundings were much darker than they should have been.


    it took her two seconds to grasp the situation before she ran to the bow of the ship, where she promptly saw minos and ruth standing next to five other members of the group, looking at the prow.


    in front of them, they could barely see over 500 meters, with the sky¡ªnormally pinkish¡ªtotally black that night.


    only the ship''s lights were illuminating the surroundings and even the high-quality visual capacity of cultivators was limited in this region.


    "this is the first night," said ruth in a harsh tone, obviously worried. "we have to redouble our attention and efforts. we''ll increase the number of people on guard and limit rest and cultivation to a third of normal." she added, not wanting to take any unnecessary risks.


    the trip could become stressful if they didn''t rest and cultivate in appropriate shifts. but for short periods, they could all make that sacrifice of staying on their feet longer in their roles.


    minos agreed with his black-haired wife. "let''s get back to our positions. my vision wasn''t as clear as i would have liked, and the future is always in motion. there''s a chance we''ll face it sooner or later!"


    at minos'' words, the people, watching with shocked eyes the sudden darkness that had overtaken them moments ago, moved, each of them aware of what they had to do.


    abby watched for a moment as the gloom enveloped them, not having expected the dark night that minos and the sailors had been talking about for the last few weeks to be like this.


    ''what a terrible thing. my spiritual sense is limited to 450 meters ahead! even the sea below, which i used to sense several hundred meters down, i can now only sense up to 100 meters! also, all there is is darkness, like the black hole of minos!''


    she realized these sensations, shocked enough to spend a minute silently observing her surroundings.


    meanwhile, the waves were no longer as calm as they had been until a few days ago, crashing against the ship''s hull and emitting ghostly sounds.


    for someone who didn''t know the sea, surely the background sound of where this vessel was passing today would have been enough to frighten them.


    amid this, abby heard her companions'' muffled voices, with diret''s crew doing their best to keep moving forward, even though they could barely see what lay beyond.


    the ship slowed down, raising the passengers'' tension, making their journey even longer than it should have seemed.


    wovar looked around and felt a chill.


    not being able to see far ahead was terrible!


    ...


    on the fourth day of darkness, the group was even more tense, and hardly anyone was talking around the group''s ship.


    everyone was in their positions, monitoring their surroundings, ready to act together as soon as they needed to.


    their gazes checked as far as they could see, tired from traveling in total darkness for over 200 hours straight.


    although minos had called it night, day and night in this area were just as dark, with no change over the hours.


    the fact that the day in zocarro was much longer than in the spiritual world was something else to terrify this group, as men and women breathed slowly and silently, as if the sound of their breaths could reveal their position to unseen enemies.


    minos suddenly felt a chill and saw a distinct shadow in the darkness ahead, narrowing his eyes and getting up from where he was.


    ''it''s here,'' he said in the minds of his companions.


    everyone turned their eyes or spiritual senses in the direction minos had pointed, where a wooden boat, dark and apparently without a crew, appeared, sailing slowly towards them, emitting crackling sounds.


    gulp!


    s§×ar?h the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 2673 Undead

    chapter 2673  undead staring at the ship ahead, ruth felt a weight on her soul as her field of vision seemed even narrower than it had been a moment ago.


    with a chill running through her soul from her head to her feet, she swallowed her saliva as her vision blurred, an instant before she fell face-first to the ground.


    ''sh-'' she had barely finished her thought when she collapsed.


    followed by ruth, 12 other crew members lost consciousness as minos rose from his position, using the help of one of his companions to reach the absolute peak of level 114.


    unfortunately, he wasn''t fast enough and almost half of his crew were unconscious when he extended his powers to help his people.


    ''shit! gloria and ruth have passed out and abby almost lost consciousness too.'' he looked around, sensing his wives'' plight, having narrowly helped his wife by raising her cultivation.


    meanwhile, the four supremes of the crew became five levels more solemn, circulating their energies and preparing to act.  sear?h the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    navigator diret clenched his fists as he commanded his men not to faint, slowing their vessel to the same level as the apparently abandoned wooden ship.


    ''what are we going to do?'' asked the old navigator.


    he knew a lot more about these seas than minos. even leger couldn''t compare to him. but he wasn''t a warrior, much less did he have the solutions to all kinds of problems that might befall them on this arduous journey ahead.


    ''get into position.'' minos ordered not only diret, but all those still conscious. ''i have a feeling we''ll need to move. be prepared for mental attacks.''


    the individuals who kept their consciousness intact in the face of the strange paralyzing energy, capable of numbing, coming from that ship, swallowed their saliva, preparing themselves according to minos'' recommendation.


    then, just as they were passing side by side with the wooden ship, the apparently abandoned vessel stopped along with their ship.


    ''why did we stop?'' wovar asked diret.


    ''we didn''t stop. something is stopping us from moving!'' said diret with a terrible sensation reaching his throat, feeling bad omens.


    minos prepared to move, standing at the bow of his ship, when suddenly, from the apparent emptiness of the ship, came a shout and strong winds, frightening even the most prepared of the group.


    abby narrowed her eyes as a bluish mist circulated around her body and said, looking at the ship, "reveal yourself, undead! we sense your presence!"


    minos and almost everyone else couldn''t sense what abby had just noticed, but in an instant after she spoke, they understood what it was all about.


    at abby''s command, a semi-transparent, extremely white creature, glowing as if it were made of light, appeared at the bow of the wooden vessel.


    simultaneously with the formation of this body of light, metallic sounds resounded from different areas of the ship, while clexvog, in the highest position of minos'' metal boat, was the first to spot what was happening. gradually, several skeletons, until a few moments ago hidden by the structures of that wooden boat, rose, dressed in armor and with weapons in their hands.


    some of them had humanoid bodies, but several others looked like the remains of beings from different types of skeletal races.


    the creature of light, without very well-defined physical contours to indicate a face distinguishable enough for one to recognize it as the unique being it was, raised one of its arms in the air and shouted once more.


    followed by the scream, which could paralyze and disorienting, half of minos'' group still standing felt its effects, temporarily becoming incapable of even thinking properly.


    minos resisted the enemy shout well alongside abby and the group''s supremes. when he saw the enemies, corpses of different races, moving towards him from the wooden boat, he advanced too, leaping into the air and spreading his six wings.


    of the four supremes, two accompanied minos, while the two giants of the crew¡ªwovar and clexvog¡ªstayed on the boat to protect it. tiolos and the other supreme of the group flew towards the enemies, some of them with power capable of challenging even the strongest of the group!


    abby stayed behind as minos transformed into an immense dragon, not hesitating to use his own powers while temporarily being two levels stronger.


    bringing her hands together, she focused all her strength on the enemy skeletons, trying not to paralyze them, but to hinder their action by preventing them from moving as she wanted.


    minos knew their situation was not good. the enemy crew was so strong that it could kill their group a few times over if they weren''t extremely precise at the start of the fight.


    ''we have to neutralize this threat quickly. otherwise, only the sacrifice of our parasites can save us.'' he opened his mouth, spitting scorching flames at the wooden vessel.


    ''my level and abby''s won''t stay at this level for long!''


    aware of this, he spat flames that immediately burned to the point where only ashes remained behind some of the weaker skeletons moving around, while parts of the boat burned as well.


    a sweeping pressure fell on the wooden ship, as the dragon claws launched themselves in spiritual blows against the enemies, pressing down to crush them or even just paralyze them.


    minos stretched out his mental powers to protect his companions in the surrounding area, but amid his allies'' actions, the extremely bright creature turned its face towards him, as if it had turned its eyes on minos.


    minos felt a terrible sensation and before he knew it, he found himself in this same sea, but in a totally different place, amid a battalion of enemies surrounding him, enemies much stronger than the skeletons.


    this feeling didn''t last more than a few moments. just as his companions fighting the skeletons were about to watch the glowing entity penetrate his body, minos opened his eyes, while a different heartbeat echoed from the depths of his being.


    like a strong drumbeat, the beating of the incorruptible heart pulsed an invisible aura from his body, driving away the creature threatening to invade mins. then, opening his eyes, he molded his wings into a different shape as he looked at the enemy.


    golden beams lit up the darkness, shooting out from his wings and striking the white creature, making it scream again, this time screams of pain and not the call to war from earlier!

 Chapter 2674 High Level Pirate Crew

    chapter 2674  high level pirate crew as minos'' six wings emitted an intense glow, burning the translucent creature''s body extremely bright and white, most of the skeletons not so affected by abby''s powers lost some of their strength and will.


    seizing the moment, tiolos and the level 115 man attacked with their divine abilities, destroying the strongest opponents as they landed on the enemy vessel.


    meanwhile, abby felt her powers affecting her enemies more strongly. she controlled a few creatures, focusing on fewer individuals while making these few act against their own undead companions.


    with one swift movement, some of the many skeletons turned on their own allies, launching themselves at them with sudden attacks.


    this, however, didn''t happen as quickly as everyone would have liked. amid the creatures being paralyzed and weakened by the attacks of the strongest and minos'' action against the glowing being, some of the undead reached the metal vessel, or even launched attacks.


    arrows and spears flew from the wooden vessel towards the metal ship, just moments before semi-transparent blue barriers formed in the air between the ship and the enemy attacks.


    the arrows with the power to injure even level 114 sovereigns stopped at the ship''s defenses, while the few remaining men with consciousness there breathed more calmly at the sight of their defenses standing.


    "attack!" shouted diret as he approved the use of the ship''s laser cannons.


    then, as quickly as the navigator''s voice, colored rays of energy shot out from the metal ship, illuminating the surroundings as they passed through everything in their path.


    some corpses inside the wooden ship were instantly disintegrated, while others fell disoriented to the ground, even more susceptible to the attacks of minos'' group.


    "forward!" said tiolos as the two giants saw the moment to leave the side of their vessel.


    they looked at each other and smiled, flying to count the opposing craft as they brought their hands closer together.


    the moment their joint attack happened, minos saw a gap, a crack in the shining body in front of him, and made his last move before his level dropped.


    with a swift movement of his dragon forelegs, a black hole formed, crossing the space and reaching the weak point of the enemy paralyzed by the golden light of the seraphim wings.


    the creature stopped screaming for a moment before disappearing completely.


    as soon as it was gone, minos'' black hole grew 10 times in size, while each of the skeletons still standing fell, their senses and signs of power disappearing completely.


    in an instant, all the noise and spiritual disturbance in the area stopped and finally, both ships started moving again.


    "stop the ship!" diret gave the orders, as minos landed on the enemy ship, where tiolos and another of his men were already standing.


    he looked at the bodies that a moment ago had seemed full of life, but now seemed to be just skeletons dressed in armor and with weapons nearby.


    the level 115 general bent down next to one of these bodies and said in shock, "these are weapons and armor that only guild inner members would have... but they all seem to wear them!"


    tiolos agreed as he returned to his humanoid form, feeling that the danger had passed. "whoever was behind that ship, that was an extremely powerful crew, superior to ours in almost every way."


    "maybe that''s why they were sailing such an ordinary ship on such a dangerous sea," minos said in a low voice.


    as they spoke, observing the surroundings from the first level of the ship, izan arrived on that ship, having been one of the few to withstand the mental attack of the creature destroyed by minos.


    looking at the menacing sphere of energy in minos'' hands¡ªa black hole bomb¡ªthis old sailor sighed. "i didn''t think we''d find a ghost pirate ship so close to the mainland."


    "ghost ship? pirate?" tiolos asked.


    "yes, pirates do exist in the violent sea. in fact, some of the groups with the most knowledge of the sea that we''re challenging are pirates. individuals repudiated by the forces of the two continents, ambitious for what lies in this fantastic region, they sail the great violent sea and dominate secret islands.


    i wouldn''t think it strange if, at the end of our journey, we came across three or four groups of pirates. but a ghost ship is not common. however, this one certainly was one." izan said on what little of the seafaring stories he knew.


    "that being you destroyed, boss, was probably a fearsome ghost!" this fellow said as he looked into minos'' eyes.


    minos had never seen any ghosts in the spiritual world, the adamant land or any other planet he had been to. but he had heard about this kind of fantastic creature before.


    "ghosts, incarnations of dead beings, born of chaos and hatred, devoid of rationality and on an eternal hunt to find what they lack in order to ascend to reincarnation... what could be behind the ghost of a pirate crew?" minos asked.


    "you''ll never know... these are hard mysteries to decipher. but we have to be careful and leave as soon as possible, boss. ghosts are not welcomed by the world. they bring negative karma. we''d better leave and forget what happened as soon as possible." izan looked around, as if he was looking for someone watching them.


    "their fantastic origin is not only related to the particularities of the dead who give rise to them. ghosts only form in special, dark, and awful places."


    minos looked at his other companions and said, "search this place. take everything of value. let''s leave as soon as possible!"


    tiolos and the general of armhands moved off, while he himself made his way to the lower levels of the ship, with abby at his side.


    "i feel like that being''s death didn''t take everything bad that was here with it," she said to him as he made his way to what looked like an old office, probably the home of the ship''s former captain.


    in this dusty place, full of cracks, broken items, a few bodies and a hole in the ceiling, a metal box next to a large painting covered in dust caught abby''s eye.


    she approached the item, but didn''t pick it up immediately. "i sense something strange about this item. i think we should take it." she indicated, as he looked at the item that had a keyhole. sea??h th§× nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 2675 Riches Left Behind

    chapter 2675  riches left behind minos took the metal box in his hands, enveloping it in a glowing aura from his wings. he tried to open it, but a powerful mechanism prevented him from succeeding in his attempt.


    with a glance to the side, his senses spread out in all directions, searching this and other compartments of the ship for a key that would fit that item.


    minos sensed his companions collecting storage items, armor, and weapons from the corpses above where he and abby stood. simultaneously, below their position was an area that caught his eye, with coffin-like urns tightly closed.


    ''i''ll see those coffins in a little while.'' he continued to probe the wooden ship, passing rooms, bathrooms and special areas, similar to cultivation rooms or preservation and resource areas.


    one room made him shift his gaze once again, noticing an 18 cubic meter compartment he couldn''t feel the inside. ''another place to inspect.''


    before he could finish what he was doing, his heart beat differently and something popped into his mind. feeling izan ducking into a compartment opposite to where he was, minos felt the only item with any apparent compatibility with the box in his hands.


    "old izan, i may need the key in your hands," he said as he walked 20 feet in a single instant, appearing in the place where the old navigator was finishing collecting what he thought was valuable.


    in what appeared to be an old kitchen, with various rusty metals and rotten food, long degraded by time, izan saw his leader showing him a hand. without a second thought, the man tossed the metal key in minos'' direction, while looking at the metal box in the hands of this long-haired white human.


    "what is this?"


    "i don''t know yet, but we''ll find out in the future. but as you said yourself, it''s best not to invest too much time in this vessel," minos said as he put the key and the small box away in his spatial ring. "go back to our ship and get the group ready to leave. abby and i will check out just two more sites and we''ll join you."


    "all right, boss."


    the old man left while minos and his beautiful blue-haired wife made their way to the location of the urns, three to be exact, that he had just sensed a few moments ago.


    in what appeared to be a damaged refrigeration chamber with a broken door, there were three silver urns of the same size, 3 meters long, 50 centimeters wide, and 40 high. of the three, one was open, revealing its padded interior, but also a mark, as if something or someone had occupied it for a long time.


    abby glanced at the open urn and remarked, "someone has been here. he was here not long ago." her eyes narrowed as she sensed a distinctive residual energy emanating from the urn''s white interior.


    "the ghost?" minos didn''t have abby''s abilities, but he could see through his bright eyes a remnant similar to that of the being his black hole had swallowed.


    "that seems to be the case." she looked at the two remaining urns, set parallel to each other, with enough space between them for one person to stand between them at a time.


    minos tried to see what was inside the urns, but like the room he had sensed earlier, he couldn''t see through these rectangular boxes.


    "are you thinking what i''m thinking?" she asked as she looked at her husband.


    "that this could have the same creature that created that ghost? yes, that crossed my mind." he laughed bitterly as he realized his wife''s concern.


    "if we take them with us, there''s a risk that we''ll have enemies on board," she warned.


    "i know. but if we can make them obey you, we''ll have experienced sailors of the violent sea under our command." minos knew the risks, but anything that had the potential for big returns was dangerous. "we could risk another high-level battle, or we could achieve something that could guarantee the safety of our group further down the line.


    i don''t want to be pessimistic, but we started this trip badly. if it''s this awful now, what will it be like when we''re halfway through, in two years'' time?"  s§×arch* the n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    that worried her too, making her look at those coffins and take a deep breath. "you''re right. we''d better take them with us and find out what they are later. ghosts don''t form suddenly, so maybe we can interfere with their formation or even prevent it from happening."


    he collected the two closed coffins, as well as the open one, which was not easy for him to abandon. there were certain properties in that artifact that were interesting to study.


    they made their way through the wooden vessel, ignoring the sounds of wood echoing through the surroundings, along with the dank smell of death from this structure.


    arriving in front of a large metal door, with a lever and safe combination, the two stopped in silence, considering the possibility that it was locked. if it was, they would hardly be able to open it, given the fact that they couldn''t even feel what was inside.


    just then, the sound of footsteps caught their attention, followed by the appearance of tiolos.


    "we finished collecting the resources from this vessel, and all the men returned to our ship. in a few more moments, our unconscious companions should start to wake up and we can continue our journey," said the level 116 man as he frowned, looking at this 18 cubic meter chest.


    "what''s that?" he asked as minos touched its lever.


    when they heard a click, abby and tiolos took a deep breath, luckily finding this vault open.


    upon opening the large door, 3 meters high, 70 centimeters thick and 2 meters long, minos revealed its inside, where metal walls had shelves on them, with some materials visible even before they entered the vault.


    books and a map were the first items that caught their eye, but then, as the three of them entered the large vault, they came across special herbs, stones and a completely black staff, apparently made of ivory.


    tiolos'' eyes opened wide as he pointed one of his fingers toward that black ivory item. "that..."


    "unexpected. a supreme grade absorbable weapon!" abby murmured as she clenched her fists, feeling a distinct energy vibrating within that staff floating 2 centimeters above the shelf it was on.

 Chapter 2676 Post-Crisis Gains

    chapter 2676  post-crisis gains minos took the black staff in his hands, closing his eyes for a moment as he felt the distinct and powerful energy of this supreme grade item.


    he didn''t readily recognize the value of it, which was capable of adding power even to a powerful individual like tiolos, but even more important for someone of the 11th stage.


    the more opportunities for growth one had, the more absorbable weapons like that could be developed and influence them to even higher levels.


    recognizing the value of the ivory weapon, minos sensed the artifact''s characteristics. "it is filled with enmity and negativity. whoever absorbs it will definitely become defiant, they will lose pats of their vitality and their mind will be at risk. if the one who absorbs it isn''t strong and compatible with the staff, absorbing it would not differ from suicide."


    he opened his eyes before passing the item to tiolos, so this supreme could better feel the dread behind the ivory staff.


    "this..." the native of zocarro shivered, before looking at minos full of doubts in his mind. "why is it like that?"


    "it''s really strange," minos said as he watched tiolos pass the item to abby. "it could be a natural characteristic of the item. in our universe, there are things that are naturally born positive or negative. there isn''t necessarily the involvement of a third party in the formation of something so fearsome.


    but we can''t rule out a high-level curse or some other phenomenon. let''s not forget that there was a ghost here and, as far as we know, the ship was sailing for a long time in a sea capable of sinking ships of the supremes."


    tiolos nodded in agreement, while abby sensed what they were talking about.


    "anyway, there''s plenty for us to take from this vault." he looked at the herbs, which, although wilted and yellowed, still seemed to contain enough power to attract his attention.


    "perhaps with ruth''s help and some of our companions, we can bring these resources back to their peak," minos said.


    "as for those books and maps, we''ll take them with us. i''ll have someone study them over the next few days and look for things that are useful to us."


    the three of them set off, with all those items in minos'' spatial ring, including the staff abby had given him.


    the fate of every resource and thing they collected from that ship would not be decided now. with almost five minutes since they finished their fight, it was time for them to move away and continue their journey forward.


    "let''s go, diret!" minos said as he landed on the bow of the ship next to tiolos and abby.


    diret took one last look at the wooden ship, then gave the commands to his men.


    those who had been conscious during the fight took up watch positions around the ship, while gradually those who had fainted woke up feeling horrible.


    they would find out from their companions what had happened and have their chance to recover as they slowly traveled back through the long, dark night around them.


    ...


    seven days later, the group was leaving behind the darkness of the night, with some crew members looking back on their way as they saw that area falling behind them.


    "we''ve finally gotten over this horrible place!" said one crew member as he exhaled.


    although they hadn''t faced problems as big as the previous ghost ship over the last few days, navigating in the absolute dark was exhausting, even when there were no major dangers. but as much as they had fought no enemies since that day, they had experienced problems, having faced an electromagnetic storm and a tsunami.


    the group hadn''t had time to look at the items they had collected on the ghost ship, having almost 100% of the time during those days, remained vigilant, cultivating or dealing with the problems of the journey.


    when they left the world of darkness behind, everyone, even minos, felt a refreshing wave of relief, with a gradual easing of the pressure on them.


    leaving his observation post for his shift of cultivation and rest, minos turned his attention to the many items in his spatial ring.


    as the leader of the group, everything that had been collected on the previous ship was with him, items that he had to decide the fate of 80%, give 15% to tiolos and 5% to the diret''s group. he had priority in the choice. as soon as he had left someone in his position, he sat down on a chair in one of the ship''s leisure compartments to look at everything they had collected.


    ''223 pieces of armor, 112 swords, 46 bows and just over a thousand arrows, 49 spears and 38 weapons of various types. 90% of them are divine grade and the rest are supreme grade.''


    "tsk! really impressive!" he muttered as he considered how rich and powerful that crew was.


    if they hadn''t been dead¡ªa very limiting factor¡ªbeating them might have been impossible for his group!  s~ea??h the n?vel(f)ire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''besides, we have here a supreme grade absorbable weapon, two herbs of the same grade as the ivory staff and three divine grade plants... i''ll pass these absorbable resources on to ruth and a group of herbalists/alchemists to take care of and make them useful for producing pills and potions.''


    he decided how he would divide up the weapons and armor, as well as the consumable resources, deciding to keep the ivory staff for compatibility tests with the crew members and later preparation for eventual absorption. he knew the dangers of letting someone absorb such a weapon, but they had to at least study the possibility. if someone could control it, it would add a lot of power to the group.


    minos also decided who he would pass the books and maps on to, deciding to leave it up to gloria and some navigators in the diret''s group.


    finally, he reached the last items at his disposal, the metal box and its apparent key, as well as the two closed coffins.


    ''i''m going to wait until we''re further away from this area of constant darkness before we test these two coffins. opening them could be dangerous, but it''s better to understand what''s in them and start doing it ourselves. it wouldn''t be good if something woke them up without our interference or surprised us at a lousy time.''


    he pondered, determined to take a chance.


    as for the metal box, he''d rather leave it to be analyzed later, when he had some idea of what the books and maps were about, as well as what the result of opening the coffins would be.

 Chapter 2677 Acting Before Its Too Late

    chapter 2677  acting before it''s too late days later, the group could no longer see the strip of sea at night and were now traveling through an area covered by a light layer of light fog.


    the atmospheric humidity was high and the mid-afternoon heat was making the weakest of the crew sweat like animals before the slaughter.


    even though they were powerful cultivators, no one could use their special characteristics to calm the stifling heat. the luckier ones, free of responsibility, climbed up to the bow, where the light, almost non-existent sea breeze could soothe the heat from their bodies. but those on duty could only hold out for an hour, continuing their states of observation and focus.


    the days were getting stranger and stranger. waves of sudden heat and cold, sunny, or totally cloudy days had been alternating amid intense sightings of sea creatures.


    luckily, the group had faced no battles in recent days, but they had come close to combat with sea creatures, given the proximity of several organisms sailing close to them.


    in the difficult-to-tolerate heat of that afternoon, minos, abby, and tiolos were in the lower compartment of the ship, in front of two closed coffins.


    at the door of this enclosure, two men, generals of armhands, each at level 114, stood guard. but not only that, they were prepared to have their strength drained for the sake of what minos was about to begin.


    minos looked at tiolos and abby, each of them at a different end of the room, prepared for the start of what they intended to do. he said, "it would be better if we did this in a quieter place, but i''m sensing that we''re approaching trouble. this is the time to look for opportunities."


    ruth was taking care of the consumable resources collected earlier alongside a trio of specialists, while gloria was with her group dealing with the maps and books collected by minos. it would be a while before the two made progress on their work, which wasn''t the best scenario for today''s test, but it was what they had.


    "abby, be sharp. we don''t know what might happen, so be prepared to back off." minos looked seriously at his wife, before seeing her nod and him turn his eyes to tiolos. "be prepared for my signal. if it goes wrong, we''ll act simultaneously."


    "i''m ready." the level 116 supreme nodded to him, positioning himself defensively on minos'' left side.


    minos then moved his innate ability, connecting with the auras of the two guards in front of the entrance to this room. by temporarily bringing their cultivation under his control, he raised his strength to the absolute peak of level 114, while transforming abby into a stronger version of herself, at level 112.


    ready for the next step, he moved in, unlocking the hinges on the lid of one of the coffins, before using an energy dragon claw against the lid''s side lever.


    the coffin was firmly closed, but with some of minos'' strength, which was currently no less than that of a level 115 supreme, he slowly lifted the thick, large metal lid.


    dust apparently poured out of the coffin into the surrounding area, causing a small yellowish layer to draw itself out of the long-locked enclosure.


    tiolos prepared to move, while special barriers appeared in the airways of each of them, a necessary precaution in the face of the unknown.


    but after a second of standing still, seeing that nothing but the strange dust seemed to come out of the coffin, minos finished revealing what was inside the white urn.


    with it completely open, the three in the room saw a skeleton dressed in female armor, hands resting on top of each other at navel level, with a golden spear running from its feet to its neck, lying on top of it.


    nothing else could be seen on that padded urn, apart from a lot of dust between her clothes and the area around where it was resting.


    minos looked at abby, showing for his wife to proceed with the attempt to wake the person up.


    they had previously believed that opening the coffin could trigger some kind of reaction and create a new ghost. but from what tiolos and minos were feeling now, it didn''t look like that was going to happen.


    one grade less worried, the two remained vigilant as abby brought her two hands together and bluish energy covered the body of the skeleton resting in the white urn.


    suddenly, a cold, supernatural wind blew from outside the room, past the guards stationed there and all the way to the coffin.


    minos and tiolos watched the yellow skeleton vibrate subtly, before a bluish glow covered one of the humanoid creature''s neck bones.


    one interesting thing about the body transformation ability was that one could die in the body form they preferred. that is, if before dying a cultivating dolphin was in its humanoid form and intended to leave behind a human body, then its skeleton would not differ from that of a human. of course, there would be signs, such as a remaining aura, an unusual structural quality for humans, etc.


    just because that skeleton was human-shaped and wearing female armor didn''t mean that it was actually human.


    that didn''t matter so much to the group and when the skeleton trembled, with apparently living tissue emerging from its bones, forming muscles and organs, the two saw that the creature''s soul was still available to them.


    ''if we can control it, this will be the way to get a really experienced navigator capable of helping us with future challenges!'' minos thought as he watched the body look less and less like a skeleton and more like the form of a human woman.  sear?h the n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    hair grew on her head, while silky, jade-white skin finished forming, transforming her into a version as vivid to the eye as the three watching her.


    her aura, previously contained in her skeleton, weakened in a way that would make it difficult for anyone to understand her real level in life, rose to the heavens, passing through the beginning of the 10th stage, reaching the cultivation of a sovereign and then challenging the beginning of the supreme stage!


    at this point, the aura of the short-haired green female corpse stopped rising, stabilizing at level 115!

 Chapter 2678 Hard Offer to Refuse

    chapter 2678  hard offer to refuse abby swallowed her saliva as she turned pale, having spent all her power to summon the woman back to life, but fortunately, overcoming all her summonings up to that day.


    after working so hard with the black liquid, she had improved her control over her divine power. with minos'' help and her stronger cultivation, she could now revive even a level 115 supreme.


    while she couldn''t control a supreme, she had the help of minos, who, in his current state, was as strong as a newly promoted 12th stage.


    minos stepped forward as abby stepped back, just as the green-haired woman opened her eyes, revealing an emerald glow in her eyes.


    "how strange..." her mouth dropped open, and a harsh voice, capable of causing pain in ordinary high-level sovereigns, emerged, causing abby and the two guards at the front of the room to narrow their eyes as they brought their hands to their ears.


    minos appeared in front of the door to the room, leaving abby and the two guards outside the compartment, standing in the way of the apparently human woman.


    he frowned, but the annoyance of the woman''s voice didn''t affect him so much.


    the woman ignored his movement, raising her upper body and looking down at her hands, shocked to see herself so ''alive'' and beautiful again.


    "i thought i''d died... no, i certainly did." she murmured, her voice becoming softer as she understood the situation, her aura becoming more and more stable.


    realizing that she had been called back to life, she looked under the arms of the white-haired man in front of her, identifying the one who had summoned her.


    "i see. i''ve died and someone has desecrated my eternal resting place." her expression remained calm and her tone easier to bear, but the content of her words didn''t seem to match her sudden tranquility.


    minos looked into the green eyes of this 1.9 meter tall woman and said, "did we desecrate your resting place? perhaps. i admit it''s not the best thing to be forced back to life after dying. but we may have saved you from a worse fate."


    "worse?" she looked at minos, realizing that although he hadn''t summoned her, a lot of his energy was involved in the ''ritual''. not only that, he had an extraordinary spiritual fluctuation, something that captivated her attention.


    minos summoned from his spatial ring the coffin that was open when he picked it up from the wooden ship. "we believe that the one who occupied that coffin has turned into a ghost."


    the moment her eyes fell on that open urn, the woman left her coffin and touched the stained fabric of that urn, recognizing the aura of its former owner.


    "did you say he had become a ghost?" she cast a quick glance at minos, attempting to feel the energy of her surroundings. before long, a bittersweet smile appeared on her face as she recognized their location. "violent sea!""


    "exactly. a ghost, and yes, we''re in the violent sea." minos confirmed as tiolos was prepared to act.  s~ea??h the n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    but as strange as this situation was, he wasn''t that worried. with only a 115 level cultivation, that woman over there shouldn''t be such a challenge for him and minos. she couldn''t compare to the ghost that minos had defeated, which naturally relieved a lot of tiolos'' tension.


    "i understand..." she closed her eyes and let out a long sigh. "i see... in the end, the damned sea consumed us completely. it''s a shame. we almost beat it."


    minos and tiolos were interested in this, with questions arising in their minds.


    she opened her eyes again and looked into the depths of minos'' eyes. "unfortunately, i won''t be able to tell you what i know. i don''t know exactly what you want, but i imagine you awakened me for a reason, right? unfortunately, this blue woman''s powers aren''t that strong yet. in only four minutes, i should disappear... eternally."


    she laughed bitterly, seeing that reincarnation was no longer a possibility for her. however, she didn''t want to fight these people. somehow, knowing what fate had befallen her group was good enough for her not to waste her last minutes of existence fighting them.


    when she was alive, she had reached level 118, but abby''s powers had failed to re-fill her soul. in this situation, she could hardly win there, so she remained calm as she turned and looked at the still-closed urn.


    "walkas... even you died on our journey," she said in a low voice, as she turned her back to minos and tiolos, placing both hands on the coffin lid and then opening it.


    the same situation as a moment ago developed, with another skeleton, dressed in armor, this time a male ensemble, revealing itself to them.


    "i imagine you''re going to bring him back to life too, right?" she looked over her shoulder toward the room''s exit. "sadly, that won''t help you much. don''t waste his soul like that. despite the magnificent knowledge stored in his dead soul, i''m afraid you''ll never be able to access it. he''s even stronger than me, and this girl''s power won''t last long in him."


    minos clasped one of his hands and summoned a small vial of black liquid from his spatial ring. "it''s not that simple," he said, holding up the essence that could extend her life.


    the best method for using the black liquid was to use it on the remains first, before using abby''s ability. but since the group wasn''t sure what these corpses were worth and what might happen, they hadn''t risked putting a liquid that could greatly enhance the formation of a powerful ghost against them.


    now, however, they had seen something encouraging with her formation and her apparent emotional stability. this woman certainly had a powerful will, which naturally made her more interesting to have on their side.


    "this black liquid can prolong your durability for much longer than these minutes you feel. with it, we can bring your companion back to life too and make him have a vitality even stronger than yours." minos presented the wonders of the black liquid. "eventually, if you help us, we''ll be able to help you extend your time as we get stronger. as you said yourself, abby is not yet strong enough to give you the time you need. but that could change.


    so here''s the deal. do you agree to join us and work side by side in this terrible sea in exchange for these benefits?"

 Chapter 2679 Agreement

    chapter 2679  agreement  feeling a macabre aura escaping from the vial in one of minos'' hands, wenni narrowed her eyes firmly, remaining silent as she understood the surface of that substance. she would need to delve deeper into what the black liquid represented in order to understand its full potential, but she could tell right away that it wasn''t simple.


    even someone who had been so powerful in life and with so much knowledge at her disposal right now, she couldn''t help but feel intrigued by the strange power of the substance. not only that, as a being who now belonged to the reality of the dead, she couldn''t help but feel a certain desire for the substance.


    "that... sounds dangerous," she said as she turned her back to walkas'' corpse. "i can feel that it''s going to corrupt my essence, at least in part."


    "you really are powerful." minos smiled, facing the stronger corpse revived only by abby''s powers.


    "but we have a method of ensuring that you keep your rational side. but i admit that you''ll feel uncomfortable most of the time and you''ll have to work hard to maintain your personality.


    however, the benefits will be immense. you might become stronger and closer to your power in life and power lasts hundreds of times longer than it can now."


    armhands had prepared well for this mission from minos and had invested a lot in it. the elders of the council had already expected that he would have immense difficulties and that, at some point, it would be good for him to have some of the black liquid with him. as such, he had been sent on this mission with that vial containing enough to sustain up to three supremes.


    wenni questioned, "hundreds of times? that still wouldn''t give me much time. i''d still disappear after a few hours."


    "that''s true if it weren''t for my ability," as minos spoke, a golden hourglass appeared in one of his hands, controlling the flow of time.


    "besides this special power, i have an artifact capable of keeping you in hibernation. through the combination of these three things, i will be able to use your information only at the appropriate times and eventually raise your vitality with my companion''s advances." minos pointed in abby''s direction.


    "my own strengthening will help you and, depending on how you can help me, our progress will be even better. also, in uzira, there is possibly a source of this black liquid. just a few milliliters more of it could easily raise your vitality and power in the future to a level similar to that of a living being."


    listening to minos in silence, wenni didn''t doubt that he could do what he promised, and became even more interested in the possibility of using the black liquid. ''in that case, as long as he succeeds, i can practically live a new life again.'' she was interested and couldn''t help smiling as she decided. "very well, you have your deal. in return for your promises, i guarantee that not only will i help you cross the violent sea, but i''ll also make you rich as a noble of uzira! i''ll take you to my group''s island, where our treasure is hidden!"


    tiolos felt a surge of excitement in his body, almost unable to stand the moment and letting out a satisfied laugh.  sea??h th§× nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    minos put away the black liquid and deactivated his power, offering her an official agreement with the promises they had made, including a promise that he would give wenni her freedom to leave the group in the future. obviously, this wouldn''t happen before they settled in uzira and found the source of the black liquid.


    with the agreement made, both parties swearing oaths to the heavens, she consumed a good part of the black liquid before allowing minos and abby to manipulate the liquid in her body to achieve the best possible state.


    after just four minutes, her cultivation had gone from the beginning of level 115 to the peak of level 116. unfortunately, she still couldn''t recover her cultivation from when she was alive. but this improvement was enough to strengthen her, with a much stronger vitality and, fortunately, still in control of herself.


    "this liquid is really fantastic. how much more of it can i ingest in the future without losing my rationality?" she asked, now with a wilder look on her face.


    abby explained, feeling better after exhausting herself to bring wenni back to life, "in theory, there''s no limit. as long as i can raise my powers, i''ll be able to better control your existence and make you endure more of the black liquid without losing yourself to the darkness."


    this implied that she would be lost to the bloodlust that the black liquid invoked, or she would be controlled by someone else. wenni didn''t like either, but in this situation where she couldn''t choose for herself, she accepted things as they were for the time being.


    looking at her old companion again, she asked. "when are you going to revive him?"


    "later. abby needs to cultivate to fully recover from working with you. the procedure we''ll use with him will be a little different from the one we used with you, which may raise the initial difficulty of our action a little more," minos answered the woman. "but that will be later today. we''re rushing to have you two on our side. the violent sea is more frightening than we had expected."


    "it certainly is," she agreed. "since you''ll be waking him up later, it''s best if we talk about it when we''re all together. in the meantime, let me try that hibernation you mentioned. i don''t want to waste my life waiting."


    minos nodded affirmatively before a black coffin, with the formations for the purpose they wanted, appeared on the spot.


    wenni didn''t make it difficult for minos and in the blink of an eye, she was asleep in her coffin, while the white urn from earlier, where she had ''slept'' until today, disappeared from the room. minos closed walkas'' coffin as well and signaled abby to go cultivate. he and tiolos would monitor walkas'' coffin to make sure nothing strange happened.

 Chapter 2680 The Story of the Pirate Crew

    chapter 2680  the story of the pirate crew later that same day, minos and abby carried out an appreciably different procedure with walkas'' remains, awakening the former leader of the pirate crew that owned the previous wooden ship.


    shortly after the powerful man, 2.3 meters tall, with blond hair and golden eyes, finished understanding his situation, minos used his powers to summon wenni from his black coffin.


    seeing her former leader, one level stronger than her at the moment, with superior vitality, just as minos had promised, the green-haired woman smiled in a way that was hard to ignore.  sear?h the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    for a moment, minos and abby understood what was in the woman''s eyes, sensing the strong feeling that she had for that man.


    "wenni..." walkas took the woman in front of him in his arms, a mixed look on his face, marked by happiness at being able to see her again, but also sadness at the way he had let her die.


    "i''m sorry. i wasn''t strong enough," he said to her, momentarily ignoring minos, abby, and tiolos in the room.


    he too had already sworn his oath to the heavens and agreed to the terms that wenni had already agreed to.


    "no," she said as she shook her head, bringing her hands to walkas'' face. "it wasn''t your fault. we fought a leviathan that day. anyone could die."


    "i should have been the one to die. back then, i made a lot of mistakes after your death. tovell died soon after you and the sea serpent destroyed us in the name of the nautilus compass. in the end, i asked draea to finish our journey before i died from the wounds caused by that bastard."


    minos, tiolos and abby just listened in silence, with several questions arising in their minds.


    "i see... that''s how he fell. it''s a shame he turned into a ghost. he must have carried a lot of suffering before his death." she closed her eyes as she sighed, understanding a little more about how her crew ended up.


    "before i died, i asked draea to take us to our island and bury us at the foot of the heavenly coconut tree. but apparently she died halfway." walkas looked at minos'' group, having already heard from them where they had found him and wenni.


    given their location, their ship had probably traveled for millennia before being found by minos. but none of them had any way of pinpointing exactly how much time had passed. even with skeletal age dating techniques, the group there only had a rough idea that at least 10,000 years had passed since the death of the last ones they left on the wooden ship.


    but the death of these three old experts could easily have happened over 100,000 years ago!


    "it''s a pity. we almost beat the damned sea," wenni said, drawing a disapproving look from walkas.


    "we didn''t even come close."


    "how could we not?" she exclaimed as she opened her eyes wider. "we got the nautilus compass. with it, we should have an ability to travel safely across the violent sea like no other crew has ever had."


    "the nautilus compass didn''t work in the end. in fact, it was it who brought us face to face with the mighty sea serpent. along with the god of the leviathans and a legion of hydras, they destroyed us entirely." walkas lamented as he remembered the formidable enemies that had surrounded him in the past.


    "hydras? are there hydras in the violent sea?" minos couldn''t contain his curiosity when he heard this.


    the two individuals looked at him, nodding positively.


    wenni said, "hydras and leviathans are the dominant beings in the violent sea. other races have powerful members, even if they are smaller. but these two tribes are the most fearsome because of their numbers and special powers.


    a large part of how dangerous the violent sea is, is because of the existence of these two tribes, which are spread over a large area. only those who bypass the territories of these tribes can successfully cross the sea and reach uzira."


    walkas added, "these two tribes have an old agreement with the sovereign force of uzira and purposely make the journey between the two continents difficult. if you come across a member of either tribe, run. they''ll do their best to kill you, even if you do nothing against them."


    wenni continued with what her companion was saying, "the rulers of uzira don''t want foreigners on their continent. they don''t even want their brothers, natives of zocarro, on their continent, and they will make it as difficult as possible to prevent movement between the two continents."


    minos and abby looked at each other and couldn''t help feeling worried. they were going to uzira, so if they were so disliked and hated without even having done anything, what would wait for them?


    "so will arriving in uzira be as difficult as the journey across the violent sea?"


    "probably more," walkas, a native of uzira, said in a sincere tone. "in uzira, there are peak supremes and possibly even celestials. they won''t casually hunt you down if you set foot in uzira, if that''s your concern. but if you want to take advantage of anything of value there, you''ll have to face tough competition and many battles. the strongest won''t act directly against you, but they will use you to train their juniors. in the end, you''ll be killed or forced to flee to the sea."


    against celestials, there was no fooling around. once one of these beings decided something, the fate of those involved would be sealed!


    as the three who were making this journey from oqia to uzira for the first time looked at them in silence, wenni laughed as she let out a sigh. "luckily for you, you''ve found us. our island will help you with its resources and protection."


    walkas agreed with his woman. "if you will sail to our island, you will have a place halfway between oqia and uzira where you can rest and prepare for the more dangerous half of the journey and collect the resources we have hidden there."


    "resources?" tiolos asked with a curious look on his face. "is there anything left? don''t get me wrong, seniors, but you last passed such a place a long, long time ago. what guarantee is there that the place is still standing and hasn''t been taken over by other forces?"


    walkas looked at tiolos and said firmly. "the islands of the violent sea are not for explorers. the chance of you dying docking on one of these islands is 9 out of 10. once you get one of them, as we did, the chance of you losing it is almost nil. and even if you do, we know all about the place and can infiltrate it with a high chance of success."

 Chapter 2681 Decisions to be made

    chapter 2681  decisions to be made  "the chance of there being nothing left on our island is the same as the chance of one of us becoming a celestial with only normal cultivation. even if someone discovered the place, they would be unlikely to find our treasures buried in totally random areas of the island," said wenni confidently.


    they were pirates who had lived in the violent sea for a long time after being exiled from uzira. with everything they had experienced, they couldn''t help but believe that they would still find their resources and treasures.  sea??h th§× ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "let''s say we agree on that. how would we get to this island?" minos asked.


    he honestly wasn''t in a hurry to get to uzira. his major interest was in surviving the long journey ahead and making sure that everyone in his crew made it to the end of the journey in one piece. as much as leger had warned him about the dangers of the islands, these two corpses had agreements with him and a vested interest in ensuring the well-being of the group. their goals were absolutely for the best of the group.


    if there was a possibility that the group could use the path ahead to strengthen itself and better prepare for the future, it was worth considering.


    walkas replied to minos, "i can draw a map for you after a chat with your ship''s chief navigator. i just need to know where exactly we are."


    "is that really going to work?" abby questioned. "i don''t doubt that you''ve known a bit of everything about the violent sea. but that was tens of thousands of years ago. in the meantime, many new players may have emerged and turned ''safe'' places into dangerous hellholes, or the other way around.


    also, we''re following a route recommended by someone who recently crossed the sea. and even if we don''t know him that well, he has an alliance agreement with us that guarantees that the information we have is reliable."


    wenni looked at her and smiled. "you''re right to be concerned. but just as something may have changed in relation to the route we will take to our island, they may have changed to the route your other ally recommended. the violent sea is a place like no other in all of zocarro. it has taken us 2,000 years to understand enough about this sea to say that we know how to come and go through it. however, the idea of safe routes doesn''t exist. certain places will be safe as long as nearby phenomena don''t happen and vice versa."


    "that''s true." walkas said before explaining, "take, for example, the area of the lost archipelagos. passing through them is relatively safe, as long as you don''t enter these land areas during storms. but on stable days, the native seals leave the seabed and approach the lost archipelagos, making it extremely dangerous to navigate the area. on the other hand, it is safe to dock on one island at this time because the natives are in hibernation or less active during these days.


    phenomena like this happen all over the sea. only an experienced crew, who know how to recognize the signs and use them to their advantage, could survive traveling this sea in the long term."


    "that''s true." walkas said before explaining, "take, for example, the area of the lost archipelagos. passing through them is relatively safe, as long as you don''t enter these land areas during storms. but on stable days, the native seals leave the seabed and approach the lost archipelagos, making it extremely dangerous to navigate the area. on the other hand, it is safe to dock on one island at this time because the natives are in hibernation or less active during these days.


    phenomena like this happen all over the sea. only an experienced crew, who know how to recognize the signs and use them to their advantage, could survive traveling this sea in the long term."


    "but you were killed nonetheless..." tiolos said in an accusing tone.


    wenni looked at him with narrowed eyes and said, feeling wronged. "they ambushed us. it''s different. we didn''t lose to this sea, but to the strongest supremes of these waters!"


    "is there any chance of us being involved in your old problems?" abby asked.


    wenni didn''t know what to say as walkas took a deep breath, shaking his head in uncertainty. "i can''t say that. the sea serpent would hardly have died in a few tens of thousands of years. and if he found us, he would certainly kill us again. we''re no longer at our old levels and even back then, we didn''t stand a chance."


    "what level is this sea serpent?" minos asked the man.


    "when i died, he had a cultivation of level 123. but he may have advanced since then..."


    minos narrowed his eyes and continued, "why was he after you, anyway?"


    "nautilus'' compass." he said as he stared hard at the ground, remembering the things that had happened back then. "we gave everything we had to conquer it and in the end, it was useless and brought us to our end."


    seeing the man sigh, minos had a strange feeling and couldn''t help summoning the metal box and its key. "that item in my hand wouldn''t have that compass with it, right?"


    "that?" wenni took two steps forward to grab minos'' wrists. "you kept it?" she turned to look at her companion.


    walkas closed his eyes and felt an invisible weight again appear on his shoulders. "i thought we''d lost it..."


    looking at his woman, he explained. "i simply left it alone in my office. i was too terrified because of your death and didn''t bother to do anything with it. after i was seriously injured, i distracted the sea serpent into a fake item."


    he laughed maliciously at that point. "even though the nautilus'' compass proved useless to us, i would never give it to that wretch!


    fortunately, it seems that when our other companions died, the item remained on the ship for as long as it did."


    "so this really is that artifact?" minos clenched one of his fists, sensing that he might end up attracting the sea serpent.


    sensing minos'' concern, walkas reassured his new ally. "it may be a cursed item, but its signs are practically invisible when it''s not used. even if you have it in your hands, it won''t alert the sea serpent and others looking for it."


    "it''s a shame, but unfortunately, it''s not useful. if it were, it would be the ultimate ally and friend in the treacherous violent sea.


    according to the legends surrounding it, it possessed the extraordinary ability to anticipate the future and guide its users away from danger, leading them to the haven of pirates and sailors." wenni''s eyes gleamed with nostalgia as she reminisced about the arduous journey she undertook to procure it.


    walkas nodded. "it has a special lineage requirement. only someone compatible can activate it fully. i could only use a fraction of it, and that only led to tragedies.


    to our misfortune, it wasn''t something we could have sensed before using it. and once you use it, you either follow its recommendations, or its former owners will sense it and come after you." he finished, while tiolos and abby looked at minos and the item in his right hand.


    at that moment, minos placed the key he had with him into the slot of that metal box, opening the device and revealing the infamous nautilus'' compass.

 Chapter 2682 Unexpected Absorption

    chapter 2682  unexpected absorption "fuck!"


    the moment the nautilus'' compass appeared, walkas shouted as he tried to advance towards minos. the item made of a blue metal and black pointer, with golden symbols on it, gleamed, absorbing the spiritual energy of the surroundings, while a golden beam emanated from it.


    seeing the item active again after so long, walkas despaired as he considered the signal it would send out to his enemies.


    wenni swallowed hard, unable to understand how, with no command, the item had activated.


    amid this, minos felt the initial golden beam bend repeatedly, quickly reaching 512 beams of light, almost all of them somehow seeking him out.


    spreading his six wings, he raised the properties of his body, while controlling the time in his vicinity, forming a small hourglass in his other hand, dropping the metal box where the compass was.


    then the item moved as if it had gained consciousness, slipping out of walkas'' hand that was approaching it, while heading towards minos'' right wrist.


    minos had no chance to dodge. even though he had foreseen the compass''s behavior, the small artifact''s speed was far superior to his ability to react.


    when he tried to pull his right wrist closer to his body, he felt as if beetles were crawling under his skin, from his right wrist towards his shoulder.


    abby paled at the sight, making a blue mist appear towards minos.


    tiolos didn''t know what to do and just stared at his ally, sensing that something awful or superb was about to unfold.


    "shit!"


    wenni couldn''t imagine what was happening, but being that it was a celestial grade item, stopping it now that it had invaded minos'' body would be impossible.


    walkas paled, becoming even more like his cadaverous nature.


    then, just as he was about to touch minos'' body and send a fraction of his spiritual senses to help his newest ally, minos'' hands moved, blocking walkas'' movement.


    a seal formed in the air in front of minos as the sound of drums rose from his chest.


    minos felt as if a padlock had opened inside his body and, suddenly, a strange force came from his incorruptible heart, connecting to the compass and finishing integrating itself into his brain, positioned in the middle of his forehead.


    with no need for a message or anything, minos sat down in a lotus position as the skies above that boat opened up, with a rainbow-colored beam of light hitting them.


    ''a second part of a true celestial''s body!''


    minos clenched his fists, recognizing the true spiritual fluctuation of that item, 100% compatible with his organism.


    ''no wonder walkas couldn''t use it. a part of a true celestial''s body can only be used by someone compatible. and that someone will certainly absorb it and enter the heritage of true celestials!''


    a smile spread across minos'' lips as his cultivation soared, with every part of his body improving qualitatively while the two corpses and his two companions looked on in shock.


    all the crew and bodies up to a few hundred kilometers away felt the changes in minos'' surroundings, with the strange phenomena of the violent sea calming down as the area became richer in spiritual energy.  sea??h th§× novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    minos used this to his advantage, collecting as much law and energy as he could, until his cultivation reached the peak of level 112!


    crack!


    with a snap, minos'' soul overcame its limiters, rapidly advancing to the beginning of level 113, while all his techniques, skills and body parts stabilized with new characteristics and limitations. but in particular, two new skills emerged in minos'' mind.


    the first skill, navigator, could create a 4d map of the surrounding space, extending in all directions for up to 200 kilometers. the second skill, destiny, used the information from the first to create a path, or a plan, that would give its user the best possible result when moving through such an area.


    minos grasped both abilities, but not only that, they went far beyond what the legends walkas and wenni had heard said the nautilus'' compass could do.


    ''interesting. these new powers can make me not only know the best way forward, but observe opportunities within my reach and what the best plans are for dealing with those opportunities. this also includes the consequences of each possible action considering my surroundings.''


    minos felt his heart flutter with joy, while internally he felt anxious, given how fantastic the combination of the two skills was.


    ''tsk! that guy was right. combining other parts of a true celestial''s body really takes me to a whole new level.''


    as he thought, minos sensed his surroundings, noticing dangers, opportunities and also the best way to go about the area, noticing the world around him in such a way that, for a moment, he felt truly omniscient.


    what for him seemed to last a whole day, it didn''t last even 10 minutes for his companions watching him. in this way, he brought his mind back to reality.


    as he faced the shocked gazes of the two supreme corpses and tiolos, minos couldn''t help but smile.


    only abby hadn''t been totally shocked by what had just happened, having already seen too much of her husband to doubt him and what could happen when he was involved.


    "minos..." tiolos opened his mouth, but before he had a chance to say more, wenni stepped forward to touch one of minos'' wrists.


    "what happened? what did you do with the nautilus'' compass?" she asked in a tone that was, for the first time, agitated, her voice spreading to the entire crew of that ship.


    walkas was too pale, almost breathless, unable to ask what was on his mind, so he kept his eyes on minos, waiting for an answer from this man with white hair and seraphim wings.


    minos laughed, not knowing what to say. he couldn''t tell the truth.


    "hmm, well, how can i explain it..." he alternated his gaze between the two of them. "it seems that the nautilus'' compass has recognized me as its user and has now integrated itself with my body." he pointed to the middle of his forehead, where there was now a small blue crystal with a golden tip pointing upwards.


    "but first, we have to leave this place as quickly as possible." minos shouted as he brought his voice to diret''s ears. "sail at maximum speed to the southwest! no one is to move until i give the go-ahead.


    in the meantime, you two should rest. we''ll talk about your doubts when we leave the range of the two supremes approaching us!" minos sent the two corpses to two black urns.

 Chapter 2683 Escape Towards Pirate Island

    chapter 2683  escape towards pirate island as soon as he had stowed the two corpses in their hibernation urns, minos returned to the bow of the ship, where the men of the crew were already hurrying to leave in a south-westerly direction.


    "what''s going on?" gloria asked when she saw her husband looking in the opposite direction they were moving.


    "enemies. supreme sea monsters." minos replied quickly as he positioned himself defensively, while several people watched him with curiosity about the gem embedded in his forehead, but also at a new level.


    no one asked about it when they heard enemies were approaching, while abby and tiolos appeared beside him.


    "if we continue in the direction you recommended, we''ll quickly stray from the route leger recommended." said one navigator, while tiolos looked at minos expectantly.


    "no problem. we won''t be following their recommendations any more from now on." minos announced, before moving his hands in the air, forming a special seal in the shape of a clock.


    seeing the golden symbols forming in the air, tiolos asked, "are you sure about this?"


    minos smiled as he pointed one of his fingers at his forehead. "i am."


    then, after turning his focus back to the clock in front of him, bright silver clouds formed around the ship, creating a hazy tunnel as the vessel picked up speed.


    not even tiolos could feel the difference in the passage of time between them and the surroundings they were passing through, amidst minos'' manipulation of temporal sands.


    but as they sailed along, seeming to be just fleeing in a hurry, the two mid-level supremes approaching them, at the bottom of the sea in that area, halted.


    ''what''s that?'' a creature as large as a 12th stage divide dragon wondered as it felt the impressive aura from moments ago disappear.


    the other being with a totally different body build didn''t stop its upward movement, but it couldn''t help but change its expression of interest to a grimace of incomprehension.


    ''i felt the nautilus'' compass a moment ago... how could it disappear so suddenly?'' it thought as it moved.


    a minute later, this creature, a huge shark with scales that looked like underwater rocks, red, black and orange, appeared on the surface of the violent sea, close to where minos'' ship had been just a few moments ago.


    as he looked around, he felt some of the energy attracted by the absorption of a part of a true celestial''s body, but no sign of the group that had done this.


    "who was here?! come out!" it shouted angrily, as the surrounding waters trembled, with the surrounding sea receding, forming a depression as red lightning surged through the area, with the spatial fabric itself vibrating, as if it might tear apart at any moment.


    "reveal yourself to this supreme!" it continued to scream in anger, causing its powerful level 120 aura to reach great distances from it, while smaller, weaker creatures fled into the depths of the sea, afraid of an intermediate-level supreme going mad in the area.


    a minute later, feeling nothing that could tell it where it should go, this creature gave up.


    ''whatever. but i''m sure that the nautilus'' compass has appeared here. i''ll take that information to the sea serpent!''


    with the creature gone, the place, disturbed by its powers as much as it had been by minos'' absorption, was gradually freed from this powerful existence, returning to its usual ''calm''.


    ...


    meanwhile, minos and his companions were already 80 minutes ahead of the previous creature, over 600 kilometers southwest of the previous area.


    when minos felt the enemy would no longer be a problem, he sighed as he stopped monitoring the weather around the ship.


    "we''re fine, relax!" he announced as the silver clouds around them dissipated, revealing the work of art that was the area they had arrived in, with dark blue waters and a pink sky.


    as the people sighed with some relief, minos saw a 4d map appear in his surroundings as he stimulated his new ability, sensing perfectly where they were.


    he said, "we''re safe, with no strange weather phenomena and no supremes around. continue ahead in a south-westerly direction per hour, sailing at 70% of the ship''s maximum speed and with our formations active."


    diret didn''t question his leader, even though he didn''t know what was going on. meanwhile, gloria and ruth gathered near abby and tiolos, curious.  s§×ar?h the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    minos got straight to the point. "i''ve absorbed an artifact and now i can better sense the surroundings and tell which way is best. so trust me, this is the best possible way forward."


    "so the functions of the nautilus'' compass are real?" tiolos asked with a slightly better look on his face.


    minos would not go into details, but answered in the affirmative. "yes, they are. despite some differences from what wenni and walkas told us, the artifact can indeed help us navigate safely."


    "what do we do now?" abby asked as she breathed a sigh of relief after all the surprises of the last few minutes.


    "we''re going to walkas'' pirate island." minos decided, now fully confident he could make his way to such an island and he would indeed be the best for his group.


    with another part of a true celestial''s body in his powers, he was much stronger and more confident in his own characteristics.


    having reached level 113, minos was confident that if he used his innate ability with 100% of his characteristics, he would reach level 115 temporarily, enough for him to raise his combat ability many times over.


    "let''s wake those two up and do our planning!"


    with minos'' words, the group felt more comfortable, but each of them was also full of curiosity about the journey ahead. anywhere in the violent sea would be impressive and have immense potential.


    before, they would have avoided unnecessary risks, even considering potential opportunities. but now that they were in a different situation, with minos at a higher and more confident level, each member of the crew was more interested in venturing into the dark violent sea.


    together with minos, his three wives, tiolos and two sailors made their way to the room where the black coffins were with wenni and walkas, now in a safe enough situation not to have to worry, as they had done earlier.

 Chapter 2684 Arriving at Pirate Island

    chapter 2684  arriving at pirate island after the previous situation of the absorption of the nautilus'' compass, followed by the escape of the supremes sensed by minos, the group continued onwards for another few months of travel.


    that day, minos had awakened the corpses of the previous pirate crew and talked about what had happened and the journey to their pirate island.


    wenni and walkas naturally had many questions about what had happened. but with the explanation that he was compatible with the item and that it had integrated into his body, minos had managed to silence the doubts about the two corpses.


    he had told them that from then on he could use the ability to sail safely and so he was willing to go to their group''s pirate island.


    as minos'' strengthening and the subsequent demonstration that he could indeed use the special features of the legendary item was very good for both of them, they collaborated without difficulty. initially, walkas talked to diret and understood their position, before showing minos the way to the pirate island.


    the man didn''t invest too much in describing the phenomena that could force the group to deviate from their path. he told minos to work with the diret to circumvent any difficulties on the journey ahead and, if very necessary, to wake him up so that he could investigate more complex changes of the route.


    wenni and walkas still didn''t have lengthy life expectancies, so for the time being, they couldn''t waste too much time traveling awake. apart from the most important conversations, they would have to hibernate for most of the journey to their island, 19 months away from the previous position they were in on the day the nautilus'' compass was absorbed.


    since then, six months have passed, months that have been peaceful for the group, with minos using his new abilities to great effect, avoiding trouble and even taking advantage of some opportunities.


    but as they sailed towards the pirate island positioned in the middle reaches of the violent sea between oqia and uzira, news of the incident months ago was already spreading through the depths of this sea!


    ...


    in a super coral, in an uncertain location in the violent sea, a serpent over 100 meters long, 15 meters in diameter, completely gray, was curled up on itself, with its eyes closed.


    in this corner of the great coral reef, where millions of living marine beings of different races lived, the serpent was standing still as if it were a statue, in an area of little movement, where powerful creatures kept watch.


    everyone nearby knew to respect and fear this existence. but even so, a huge shark approached the area, clearly interested in getting close to the strongest existence in the zocarro seas.


    "you there, stop!" said one watchman on guard, swimming towards where the level 120 supreme was coming from.


    the moment it heard the warning of a large level 122 octopus, the level 120 shark slowed down to a complete stop.


    "protectors of the sea and of zocarro, this one you speak of is corus, a member of the voidfins tribe," said the creature in a respectful tone. "i am here to bring you news of the nautilus'' compass!"


    the moment these words were spoken, a super-powerful spiritual pulse erupted from the gray serpent''s head, as its grandiose eyelids moved, revealing its completely golden eyes.  sea??h th§× n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the level 124 creature awoke upon hearing such news, not needing to be alerted directly for its interest to turn to that item.


    "did you say nautilus'' compass?" it asked, even without opening its big mouth.


    contrary to what 99% of the beings in this sea believed, the sea serpent knew what this artifact actually was, having belonged in the distant past to an acquaintance of its, who lost out in the dispute over the inheritance of a true celestial.


    after almost a million years searching for the nautilus compass, the sea serpent had almost got that part of a true celestial''s body 90,000 years ago. but after so many millennia with no answers about the majestic item, it heard an update.


    "yes, sea serpent," the shark of the voidfin race said with ten times more reverence as it looked at such a creature.


    corus didn''t even try to negotiate. it directly gave the sea serpent what it wanted. "i felt the fluctuation of the nautilus'' compass in the eclipse abyss area, close to my tribe. but strangely, soon after the item''s signal appeared, it disappeared, along with any trail that might have led me to it."


    "oh?" the sea serpent narrowed its big eyes.


    "if that''s true, then could someone have absorbed it?" the strongest guardian in that area, a level 123 being, asked.


    "it could have happened. but if he''s still in that sea, i''ll find him!" said the sea serpent as it moved, in an instant crossing the entire distance between it and corus.


    "you''re coming with me, voidfin. take me to the area where you sensed it," said the strongest creature in these seas, the closest of all the zocarro''s seas to the celestial stage.


    corus moved to lead the way to the place where everything had happened.


    meanwhile, no one doubted it was telling the truth. high-level beasts like these creatures could sense the truth in the words of inferior beings easily.


    with the departure of the sea serpent and corus, the guardians stayed behind full of thoughts about the future. if their master absorbed one more body part from a true celestial, it would become a celestial!


    ...


    a few more months passed and, after a series of challenges, detours, and chances of fate, the crew of minos reached their third year of travel across the mighty violent sea.


    in particular, late that afternoon, under the pink sky of zocarro, the crew spotted the island of walkas'' pirated crew, while this corpse and his woman were watching the ship dock in a natural harbor in the area.


    seeing this place up close, the two clenched their fists as many memories flooded their hearts. after a long time, after their own deaths, they returned to the safe harbor they had once called home.


    when their ship came to a complete stop, walkas said to minos, "here is the next level for part of your group. in this place, we can rest from the journey here and prepare for the last leg. not even the sea serpent would find us here, even if it was looking for us!"

 Chapter 2685 The Reality of Pirate Island

    chapter 2685  the reality of pirate island when they docked at the natural harbor on the south side of the island, the group of over 30 people on minos'' boat hesitated for a moment to get their feet off the boat and actually enter the island.  s~ea??h the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    in this group, counting the two corpses next to minos and abby, there were now 6 supremes, 3 of them level 115, two level 116 and one level 117. but even so, few of the various high-level sovereigns there were brave enough to be the first to advance.


    minos smiled at the hesitation of his people and took the lead. fortunately, his skills from the nautilus'' compass were passable. he sensed the surroundings of the area and knew exactly which was the best possible route.


    ignoring the rocks where the sea was constantly pounding, making a noise that certainly reached the entire island, minos headed towards the small strip of grass just ahead of him.


    "let''s go ahead. you can leave the boat here without any problems. just leave her formations in operation." minos ordered, making it clear to the director what was to be done.


    their vessel could become invisible and untraceable when positioned within a certain distance of the cultivators. and given the location of this port indicated by walkas, it would be difficult for anyone to get close enough to spot it.


    minos saw this with his new skills, realizing that it would be a waste to leave men to watch their vessel for trouble that might come to them. following ahead of his group, soon his wives and the supremes of his crew moved too.


    walkas and wenni had thoughtful looks on their faces, seeing the arrival area of their desert island, with no sign of intelligent living beings nearby. this was a good sign, but it reminded them of the times when they had filled this island with fellow pirates and partied.


    on the hill that minos was climbing ahead of the group at the moment, they had once made a large camp, where a great celebratory barbecue had taken place tens of thousands of years ago to commemorate his marriage to wenni.


    walkas sighed as he caught a whiff of the scent of scrub and dead earth characteristic of this area, while he didn''t need to tell minos which was the best way to go.


    their pirate island had several dangers. among them were quicksand, sentient and carnivorous plants, underground caves with the presence of geysers and some beings native to the island, slugs and underground worms that were difficult to deal with.


    but he and wenni had a safe route in mind, where neither the island''s natives nor special phenomena capable of harming newly promoted supremes could afflict them.


    minos sensed his surroundings, feeling as if he were walking through a minefield. one wrong step and he would land his feet in a beast''s den, a dormant plant root or provoke a natural reaction from the area that would result in terrible problems for the crew.


    in addition to the natural dangers there, minos also identified a dozen special formations, which he thought belonged to wenni''s group or any other group that may have passed through the island in the last few thousand years.


    "this place is full of traps." minos looked to the horizon, seeing almost the entire island, a small place of extremely rugged terrain, with several peaks, slopes and forested areas mixed with quarries and a waterfall in its center. "were you setting these traps up ahead?"


    feeling minos'' gaze on him, walkas dismissed the nostalgic thoughts from his mind and nodded positively. "yes. it seems that no one has been here since our end."


    "that''s strange, isn''t it?" gloria questioned as she narrowed her eyes.


    "not necessarily." wenni said with the look of someone who would teach an inattentive junior. "you see, not everyone has our navigation experience or the nautilus'' compass that now belongs to minos. we got here after avoiding a lot of trouble and having to use our strength to the limit in some situations, even with all that time. but what about those who have none of that?" she asked as she gestured with both hands.


    "well, for most of these cultivators, death is what they would encounter long before arriving here." wenni continued, "out of every 10,000 challengers in these seas, about 40 of them would make it to where we are. however, besides our small island, 500 other islands similar to this one exist in the dark violent sea.


    and for most creatures, there is no possibility of choosing where to go. they simply accept the directions the sea has given them and accept their fate."


    walkas added, pointing to minos. "there are also those who do not wish to venture onto the islands of the violent sea without devices to guarantee their safety. anyway, in the end, getting here is difficult even for the supremes of this sea, so it''s not as strange as it seems."


    "i see." gloria looked thoughtfully at her surroundings, inspecting the special plants and tiny insects native to it, creatures she had never seen before.


    "what now?" ruth looked at walkas, eager to know how this place would help them.


    "now you profit from the riches we''ve built." the man laughed bitterly, never having thought that all the hardships he had gone through in life would bring him to this moment when he would simply give everything to other people.


    wenni said, "we have sailed the violent sea for millennia, a long period in which we have had many enemies and many allies. at the peak of our history, we had 384 pirates on our ship, 90% of them high level sovereigns and 10% were supremes." her eyes lit up at this point. "back then, we fought every week, and it wasn''t uncommon for us to raise riches capable of feeding supremes."


    walkas continued what his wife had started, "we used many of the resources and riches we collected. parts of them are certainly in different parts of the great violent sea, in sunken ships or other outposts where we hide emergency resources.


    but here, in this place, is most of what we''ve conquered, from consumable resources to weapons and special formations. please follow us. we''ll show you what will take you to your next levels."

 Chapter 2686 Opportunities to be exploited

    chapter 2686  opportunities to be exploited following wenni and walkas, the group entered the interior of the island, passing through the defensive formations left by their crew.


    as soon as they entered the island''s lush forest, with coconut trees over 50 meters high, flowers of every imaginable color and a strong medicinal fragrance, capable of attracting the group''s doctors and alchemists, they came across a shady area on the banks of a small lake.


    in that place, a construction made of bamboo shaped a property of over 300 square meters, a house in an unusual style for minos and his people, but which clearly served as a resting place for the members of walkas'' crew.


    with three floors, the building had at least 30 different rooms, with the top floor being an exclusive area for the leaders of walkas'' pirate crew.


    wenni spoke a little about the place, saying how they made use of the area when they spent time in the area to rest and recover from battles.


    "... you can make use of the whole structure. don''t worry about us, we''ll soon be in hibernation again." she pointed out, before adding what she had already noticed that some men in the crew were muttering among themselves. "and about the sea serpent, try not to think about him too much. we''ve hidden from him twice on this island in the past, so it''s unlikely that he''ll get to us.


    the violent sea is large and, in particular, the area around this island has zones capable of causing spatial disorientation in those who don''t have special methods of dealing with the area. that''s one reason we consider our island to be a safe place back then."


    "if he''s the strongest in these seas, why wouldn''t he have methods of counteracting these effects that your crew and ours have managed to counteract?" asked an armhands general.


    walkas explained in his wife''s place. "that''s the difference between someone looking for a needle in a haystack and another being able to exclude everything in their surroundings and see only what matters."


    wenni simplified. "we knew exactly what we wanted and where we had to go. the sea serpent has no way of knowing about this place and that we''re here. for him to reach us, he would have to sail these seas for thousands of years or be very lucky to randomly choose this area to check out."


    minos coughed before changing the subject. "don''t bother explaining why the island is safe. i''ll know when it''s time to leave. you must tell me where your treasures and most important areas are. it''s about time you went back to sleep."


    walkas looked silently at minos and then showed. "the special cultivation areas are underground on the island. you must explore them before anyone else and set the boundaries for your people. but as long as they follow these limits, they should be fine.


    as for the absorbable resources, books, coins, crystals and artifacts, i buried them at 57 points around the island. each one is protected by formations, but if you follow a certain spiritual fluctuation, you''ll find them."


    as he finished speaking, walkas released a subtle golden thread of energy, carrying a special aura. minos let it enter the tip of his right index finger, an instant later understanding something new.


    "oh?" he couldn''t help but be surprised. ''i didn''t imagine there was something capable of hiding from me like that...''


    minos had noticed many formations around the island, but some of them weren''t traps, but rather distraction items to draw the curious away from what they protected.


    walkas smiled when he saw the surprised look on minos'' face. "this sort of thing shouldn''t surprise you. after all, i''m a native of uzira and i''ve learned methods capable of fooling even a celestial."


    "we haven''t lived this long in this sea without first learning a bit of everything." wenni added with a confident smile on her face.  s§×ar?h the n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "i see. thank you for another lesson." minos summoned the black coffins of the two. "now i feel i will have to ask you to return to your rest. i''ll call you again if we run into trouble or if we''ve finished what we intended to do here."


    "good luck."


    with those words, the two closed their eyes, allowing minos to control their bodies and place them inside those urns.


    the two fell into a deep sleep, with hourglasses appearing inside their coffins, significantly slowing down the passage of time to the point where it seemed as if they had ''died'' again.


    after taking the two coffins in his spatial ring, minos looked around the area of the large bamboo house and the nearby lake on this part of the island. looking at the surrounding hills and the many plants nearby, he ordered his group.


    "diret and your men should settle down in this residence and prepare for our stay here. i feel there are some excellent opportunities that can help our companions grow stronger here, so we''ll stay for at least a year."


    "a year?" one of the generals asked. "what about leger''s group?"


    "we''ll still keep our end of the bargain with them. but they''ll have to wait for us if they''re still alive... anyway, i want two supremes to stand guard here and the other two to come with me. the rest of you should stay where you are. i''ll define where we can come and go and come back to define the raiding parties."


    minos left tiolos and wovar behind, following with the two level 115 supremes in search of the cave entrances on the outskirts of this area.


    he could sense the places where walkas'' treasures were hidden, but he would leave that for later. now he wanted to mark out an underground cave for his group to absorb the area''s opportunities. once he had all the underground locations for his companions marked out, it would be time for him to go after the buried treasures of that pirate crew.


    as he moved with the two supremes, he couldn''t help but roll a smile on his face, sensing opportunities for his women and some of his men close to reaching the moment of their advancement to the next stage.


    ''it''s all because of a new part of a true celestial''s body... what can i achieve if i get a third part?'' he felt interested, wondering if he could find anything else on zocarro, given that he had already found two parts of such a being.


    ''even if i find nothing else on zocarro, i''ll be able to go after the planets of my competitors. while i was at the millennium massacre, i got the locations of some good high-level planets.''

 Chapter 2687 Seclusion in the Middle of the Violent Sea

    chapter 2687  seclusion in the middle of the violent sea  six months had passed and the entire crew had adapted to the conditions on wenni''s secret pirate island.


    minos explored every inch of the island without putting himself in danger, marking out the areas that his companions could access and delimiting the limits they could safely go. soon his group had begun to explore the area''s opportunities, meditating in special areas of the island''s underground, but also using the area''s special resources.  sear?h the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    amid this, minos also unearthed each of the over 50 locations where walkas'' treasures were hidden, coming up with an impressive collection of materials, plants, crystals, coins, absorbable weapons, armor, common weapons, maps, books, pills, techniques and potions.


    most of the resources in the cultivation world did not lose their characteristics over time. they could be produced and abandoned in a bunker for tens of thousands of years and still keep their qualities.


    hell, sometimes with special pills, potions, fruits and roots, there was the possibility that, with the passage of time, the resource would even gain more energy and become better!


    everything minos had found on this island could be used by his group. and during the six months that have passed up to the present moment, his people have been taking advantage of these opportunities!


    ...


    while more than half of his crew were in seclusion on different parts of the island, minos was at the top of the tallest tree on the island, observing his surroundings.


    nothing he had collected over the last few months had much appeal for him. in fact, those resources were excellent for his companions, but not so much for him, who had now become even more demanding.


    with two parts of the body of a true celestial himself, minos wouldn''t be able to strengthen himself with just any resources. even though he was ''only'' a level 113 sovereign, he could now only be affected by celestial grade resources.


    he had tried to consume a supreme grade fruit over the last few months, but had wasted such a resource. his body rejected the opportunity entirely, making him bitterly aware of his current situation.


    fortunately, he could still cultivate and over his last few months, he had the chance to improve the equivalent of a year and a half of cultivation, given his temporal powers. but that was nothing compared to minos'' current situation. for him to advance to level 114, he felt he would need the equivalent of 300 years of cultivation in seclusion!


    but he was in no hurry. while maintaining his position, he had a smile on his lips, satisfied with his group''s progress.


    ''soon another general will wake up and advance to level 115.'' he thought as he felt the spiritual fluctuation of one newly advanced and thought of the other, who was in seclusion at the moment.


    over the last few months, one level 114 individual had advanced to level 115, while three sovereigns had advanced from level 113 to level 114.


    more importantly for minos, abby had already made a breakthrough in those months, reaching level 111 by taking advantage of one of the island''s opportunities, the same level as ruth, for the first time in decades! gloria was in seclusion alongside ruth, both seeking improvement, also with good prospects. even if they didn''t advance during their time on the pirate island, minos was sure that they could advance once they arrived in uzira.


    but as encouraging as the strengthening of his crew was, the most important thing was the strengthening of himself and abby. the next time they went to talk to wenni and walkas, they could combine their powers and help those two corpses to improve their vitality a little more and maybe even raise their powers a little!


    minos hadn''t summoned those two supreme corpses on any occasion over the last few months. with the nautilus'' compass working very well, he was in control of everything.


    then, during his contemplation of his group''s situation, minos sensed something and looked toward a cave to the south of where he was standing.


    feeling the aura of one of the giants in his group, he once again thanked his luck for finding walkas'' pirate ship. ''who knew i''d get a place with cultivation resources even for supremes?''


    even armhands had resources capable of strengthening supremes. the guild didn''t normally use them on newly promoted cultivators, but among the strongest experts, to help them reach higher levels. but these resources would have stronger effects on individuals at level 115.


    by accessing the opportunities on this island, opportunities brought about by an old pirate group that had several supremes in its ranks, the group of 4 original supremes in this crew were making good use of their chances.


    minos then put his hands together and used his powers, looking into the future of his group.


    ''we''ll stay on this island for another year. by then, everyone will have finished taking advantage of their opportunities.'' he planned as he sensed what the next 12 months would be like.


    ...


    a few more months would pass and soon two more supremes would appear in minos'' group, but also sovereigns even stronger than before.


    through the absorbable weapons and special resources they had got during this period, progress came easy for many members of the crew.


    of the four supremes in the group on this trip when they began the sea journey, two of them advanced in level, reaching level 116, the same level as tiolos. this oqia native didn''t reach level 117, but he improved a lot during his time in seclusion.


    meanwhile, gloria advanced to level 111, reaching the same level as ruth and abby. but the strongest of minos'' women failed to reach level 112. with 15 months on the island, minos and abby teamed up to raise the characteristics of the two corpses a little more, achieving a 25% improvement in their strength and vitality.


    this was enough to make up for all the time they had spent talking and planning up to that point, but it wasn''t enough for the corpses to advance. wenni was still at level 116, while walkas was at level 117.


    so, in the 17th month on the pirate island, minos felt bad omens and went ahead with the last half of the journey to uzira!


    leaving the island one evening, they hurried away from the place about to be discovered!

 Chapter 2688 The Advantages of Having a Seer on Board!

    chapter 2688  the advantages of having a seer on board! sailing two weeks away from walkas'' pirate island, minos was commanding his crew while observing the surrounding sea and glimpses of the future.


    since absorbing the nautilus'' compass, his visions of the future had become stronger, clearer, and more precise. hence, he had realized it was time to leave the pirate island and a big problem was chasing them.


    the sea serpent!


    just as they had expected, news of the nautilus'' compass had spread through the depths of the violent sea and the still-living sea serpent had begun its pursuit of them.


    the entire crew had been nervously traveling since the day they left the pirate island of walkas'' group, having escaped, in minos'' words, for a matter of just a few hours!


    now, two weeks since they left, they were still not doing well, even though they had overcome several challenges and reached a good distance from the island. the sea serpent was no simple matter and as a peak supreme, such an existence could quickly change their current situation and catch up with them.


    while minos checked out the possibilities for his group, diret commanded his men with seriousness. tiolos kept alert and abby was ready to move and use her powers on wenni and walkas. ruth and gloria were in their positions around the ship, monitoring their surroundings while providing some of their energy to keep the ship''s formations active.


    as they sailed through the fog, the disturbing silence of the sea filled a vast space, while the men responsible for observing the underwater area below them breathed slowly, keeping an eye out for possible approaches.


    suddenly opening his eyes and letting a glint escape from his golden irises, minos stood up and ordered, "turn 90 degrees to the left, immediately!"  sea??h th§× n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    diret heard and did as the ship''s leader commanded, in a few moments changing the ship''s course.


    two minutes after minos spoke, the space where their ship should be at this moment if the course change hadn''t been made broke apart, revealing a spatial rift 10 meters high and 2 meters long.


    clexvog watched as strong winds and waves began to surge towards the spatial crack, pulling everything in contact with it towards its interior, a spatial distortion that would be the end of any living creature.


    "phew, it''s great to have the boss in charge," said the giant, as he looked at his brother near to him.


    "isn''t it? seers are really special, haha." wovar smiled as he held onto a mast while the ship shook vigorously with the powerful movements of the waves.


    fortunately, the direction minos had recommended was the best and while much of the area became extremely rough and dangerous, diret steered the ship out of the negative water flow and speed up towards a perfect path.


    as he had commanded today, minos had given similar orders at least 20 times over the years of traveling the violent sea, ever since he got the nautilus'' compass. the entire crew was used to him and trusted him. when he ordered the group to change the ship''s direction, the crew worked swiftly to carry out his orders.


    their ship continued traveling invisibly to the surroundings, heading for its third week of travel after seclusion on the pirate island.


    "continue in that direction. in a few minutes, things should calm down." minos spoke again, as diret nodded in understanding from the control cabin.


    ...


    as minos and his group moved on, the sea serpent was still on the pirate island of walkas.


    as minos had predicted, this mighty supreme had gone to that island, where he had discovered traces of a pirate group he had faced long ago.


    the sea serpent couldn''t say that walkas and wenni were traveling through this sea again, but it realized in this place that the enemies with the nautilus'' compass had passed through.


    for the last three days, it had been acting to disrupt the escape routes of its targets, having already sent groups subordinates to search for its targets while it acted from there.


    feeling another of its moves taking shape, it saw from a distance a special crack release a large amount of water, energy and non-living beings from an area far away.


    ''nothing new.'' the white serpent thought to itself as it saw nothing interesting from the place it had most recently attacked.


    failing for the third day in a row and still having no good news from its envoys, a worried look formed on the golden-eyed creature''s head.


    "has this being successfully absorbed the nautilus'' compass?" it asked itself, not having thought of this possibility until now.


    absorbing a part of a true celestial''s body was not something just anyone could do. only beings with an affinity with the body part or with the true celestial who gave rise to it could do it. but someone like that had the potential to become a celestial, which was a concern for this creature. someone like that would be its rival!


    as it made a dark hiss, its glowing scales moved, making every living creature on the island tremble in fear.


    without another second thought, the enormous creature moved off, destroying everything in its path until it entered the sea and went in search of its target on its own.


    ''that aura wasn''t strong, which means you''re still weak. i''m going to hunt you down myself and devour your body along with the nautilus'' compass!'' it headed for the depths of the surrounding sea.


    "i will be the next holder of the power of a true celestial!"


    ...


    while the sea serpent was moving, the level 120 shark that had first perceived the nautilus'' compass activated by minos was sailing close to the area where the spatial crack of its boss had just closed.


    following its high-level instincts, which had already guaranteed it many good results in the past, it went ahead ''sniffing'' for signs of suspects.


    ''someone passed this way.'' it felt something subtle, almost imperceptible in the water above its current position. ''i''ll check it out. i''d better make sure this is it before i call the sea serpent. that way, i''ll have a good prize when i hand the enemy over to him!''


    with a clever smile on its big mouth, this level 120 creature went ahead with its hunt.

 Chapter 2689 Inevitable Battle

    chapter 2689  inevitable battle days later, minos continued to lead his crew through the central region of the violent sea, traveling at full speed towards the west.


    ever since they had set off from the island, they had been working hard to escape of the enemy pursuing them. now, almost a month since the end of their seclusion and their departure from the island, the group was not calm, but more tense.


    while they escaped daily from threats related to the mighty tyrant of the seas, the group knew they were being pursued.


    minos felt it. now they were escaping from the level 120 shark that had almost reached them years ago, who now would not be so easy to deceive. even using the same skill he had used right after absorbing the nautilus'' compass to escape the creature in the past, he wasn''t getting the same result this time.


    as the days passed, minos became more and more serious, looking into the future and frowning, an even worse sign for his companions, who knew how challenging his visions must be.


    ...


    opening his eyes this afternoon, minos looked out the window of one of the ship''s cabins and saw the horizon, keeping an eye on this hazy area with strong hot winds.


    "are we still being chased?" abby, standing next to him, asked when she saw the complicated look on her husband''s face.


    "yes, the same creature as before, a level 120 shark. he''s got something new since the time we fool him. it''s allowing him to get closer to us, even with all my efforts."


    minos'' voice stirred one of abby''s fears, making her go pale. for some reason, when she revived the dead, parts of their worries temporarily became parts of her fears.


    "the sea serpent can reach us?" she asked with a tremulous tone.


    he clenched his fists as he stood up, seeing his newest skills at work, showing him his options ahead, what would give him the best chance, and what would be the most dangerous choice.


    he answered her after a minute, "not if i move. the sea serpent didn''t see us up close, unlike that shark. if we get rid of the shark, maybe we can escape once and for all."


    "get rid of a level 120 supreme?" abby widened her eyes at minos'' audacity. "are you crazy? what are you planning?" she reached forward to grab one of his wrists.


    "i''ll act alongside walkas and wenni against that shark. it''s the best way." minos said, while his women, even those far from him at the moment, felt sudden shivers run through their bodies.


    "do you want to die?"


    he looked into abby''s eyes and smiled at her. "don''t worry, that shark won''t kill me. but maybe the sea serpent will, so we have to get rid of the level 120 shark, whatever it takes."


    she knew exactly what he had in mind to use against the shark, but it would put him in a very bad position. "you can''t be considering this."


    leaving the place where he was atoning for the future and going to the bow of the ship, minos replied dryly. "i''ve used everything in my power to throw him off. now there''s only one option left, otherwise, we''re going to wait until we meet the sea serpent."


    the second possibility would mean certain death for the entire crew, something minos could not allow!


    he looked at tiolos and the other supremes standing by on the ship and said, "get ready, tonight i''m going to leave the ship and battle our pursuer!"


    the supremes felt as if minos'' words were electric arrows striking their bodies, sensing the challenge they had been trying to avoid coming at them full force.


    "a-are you sure about this?" tiolos asked soberly.


    "hmm, i''ll go with the two supreme corpses and you must keep the ship in one piece while i''m fighting. i''ll try to be brief, so be ready to leave with everything after my departure."


    diret also heard minos'' words and nodded in agreement. this sea wasn''t easy. they had made good time on the nautilus'' compass, but finally the level of danger typical of these waters had caught up with their crew. aware that they wouldn''t escape without a good fight, the ship''s captain simply indicated his position, prepared for the challenges ahead.


    "you will wait for me 100 kilometers to the southwest after i leave the ship. at that point, stop and wait for me." minos looked at the other men in the vicinity until his eyes landed on ruth and gloria. "be prepared to fight in my absence."


    the two swallowed their saliva, but agreed to remain vigilant and prepared for the hasty departure they would have after his return.


    they obviously believed that he would be able to return!  s~ea??h the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    with that settled, minos didn''t want to delay the situation any longer, floating above the ship, he summoned two corpses from their black urns.


    "i see we have problems to solve." walkas opened his eyes and readily identified minos'' concern, noticing the tension in the crew''s eyes.


    "who''s the enemy?" wenni asked.


    "you''ll find out in a moment. anyway, your role won''t be to fight. your value lies in your memories and i''m afraid it would be foolish of me to risk that today. so i hope you can lend me your strength."


    neither of them understood exactly what he wanted, but they agreed. their role was to do everything in their power to help him get to uzira, so whatever he demanded of them, they would try to accomplish.


    the two followed minos as he flew in the opposite direction of the ship, while the white-haired man left his human form behind, revealing a massive dragon body, with six beautiful, grandiose wings, silver scales and completely golden eyes.


    minos didn''t hesitate to raise his aura to the maximum, drawing the attention of the level 120 shark by showing something similar to what he had previously shown, before his successful escape years ago.


    however, what minos showed wasn''t exactly the spiritual fluctuation of the nautilus'' compass, so others looking for him nearby wouldn''t notice it, only the grandiose level 120 shark.


    the creature shifted its gaze from the approaching ship to the sky, just before moving to the surface and looking directly at minos.


    "congratulations, voidfin, you have reached the end of your journey."

 Chapter 2690 The Maximum Peak of Minos

    chapter 2690  the maximum peak of minos "dragon¡ªno, alien!" the level 120 shark glared at minos from the surface of the sea, his voice clearly irritated by the insolent words of a mere level 113 cultivator.


    "you dare claim to be the end of this supreme''s journey?!" the creature asked in its arrogant and powerful voice, capable of making the sky tremble.


    minos looked down from above, not even trembling at the sheer power of the level 120 shark. as he stared decisively at his enemy, who had forced him into this position, golden flames covered his dragon forehead, revealing a spiral-shaped serpent.  s~ea??h the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "you forced me into this move, so rejoice. your death will come from all the power i have!"


    as minos spoke, the shark''s cultivation pressure retracted, while the two corpses exchanged glances, feeling something far more powerful than anything they had ever felt emerge from inside minos.


    at that moment, the body of the flashdrain parasite that minos had been nurturing for decades, which he had strengthened several levels since sacrificing the last of them, burned up, joining the soul connected to it.


    feeling the flames of sacrifice refining his power, minos clenched his front and back claws, in a single instant feeling his mana surpass four cultivation barriers in a row.


    the glow of his wings changed, turning them into six suns on his back, as his energy exploded, reaching level 117!


    "what?"


    "how is that possible?" wenni asked as she looked at her teammate and, without a chance, felt overwhelmed in minos'' vicinity.


    walkas looked at minos wide-eyed, hardly believing the sensation that his spiritual senses were informing him of.


    but before they could say any more, they both felt their cultivations decrease as minos'' level rose again, this time reaching the peak of level 119!


    at that moment, the shark, impressed by his enemy''s rapid transformation, no longer hesitated as he jumped out of the sea and attacked as hard as he could. he had, for a moment, underestimated his enemy, but on seeing minos'' transformation, he changed his mind and saw that he had to kill this supernatural force in front of him.


    "you''re fighting fate. there''s no chance of you beating me, voidfin. i''ve already seen your future." minos'' voice rang out and then a mirrored sphere, a black hole bomb, exploded in one of his claws.


    but instead of the explosion threatening the silver and gold dragon, it turned on his control, joining minos'' breath an instant after its detonation.


    blue flames shot out of minos'' mouth, propelling the explosive power of a black hole bomb towards the tsunami of water that was about to hit him. flames and water came together before extremely hot, white steam formed in the area, forcing wenni and walkas further back.


    minos remained motionless as he watched his attack go against the huge shark attacking him with a blast of water.


    to the shark''s misfortune, a ridiculous amount of water was evaporating as it approached minos'' attack, while even the gaseous water disappeared, turning into a scalding plasma under minos'' control!


    "how is that possible?" the level 120 shark didn''t understand, as he felt like he was in a pot of boiling water, shocked to the limit by it all.


    his idea of fighting minos and killing this troublesome fellow quickly faded while the only idea in his mind now was to run away!


    but as he turned to flee, his body froze in time and space, while the six bright suns behind minos'' body shot into his soul, making him put aside his physical pain and then focus on his spiritual pain.


    at level 119, minos was greatly stronger than the level 120 existence!


    with the power of the flashdrain parasite sacrifice, minos could even drive away the powerful and frightening phenomena in the surroundings and completely dominate the environment.


    endowed with his divine ability to control time and see the future, he became the fate of the level 120 shark, the end of this ancient creature.


    his words proved true as the immense body of the three-colored shark began to disintegrate, spiritually and physically disintegrated by minos'' attacks.


    the creature''s soul burned under the glow of minos'' seraphim wings, while its fleshy body was devoured by the mingled flames of the black hole bomb and dragon''s breath.


    wenni and walkas didn''t have to do anything as they watched from a distance the confrontation, or rather, the murder carried out by minos.


    they had thought earlier that they would be involved in a deadly fight in this place, but they were totally surprised to see armhands'' special method raise minos to the peak of his powers.


    for a moment, they felt envious of the special methods of minos'' guild, until, with the total disappearance of the level 120 creature, they felt minos'' power started to succumb.


    "let''s go back. my powers won''t last long and we must flee as soon as possible if we want to escape from the sea serpent!" minos grabbed the two corpses and flew with all his might towards his ship.


    his level was already beginning to threaten to fall, but he would still last a while in that state. with the desire to get his boat away before dealing with all the effects of the sacrifice, he caught up with his crew quickly.


    "are you going to be weakened?" walkas asked with concern. "how will we guarantee the journey ahead?"


    "my companions and you will have to deal with the dangers that lie ahead over the next eight months. i''ll try to inform you of good routes, but i can''t guarantee anything... anyway, i hope you two can guide my crew."


    the two corpses looked at each other and agreed to do their best.


    "what about the sea serpent?"


    "about him, i''ll make sure he doesn''t find us after today."


    when he made those two get into their coffins on the ship where everyone was staring at him in shock, minos did the unexpected. using his enormous body, he put the boat on his back and flew off in the best possible direction.


    "i''ll be a sovereign again in an hour at most, given my energy consumption. i''ll take our ship until i''m a supreme," he said to his people, as silver clouds and a golden hourglass appeared, making their way to escape from the area where the shark had been killed!

 Chapter 2691 Different Fates

    chapter 2691  different fates three days after minos'' action, the sea serpent appeared at the site where the level 120 shark had been disintegrated.


    arriving in the area after receiving an alert from one of his men investigating signs of the nautilus'' compass nearby, the level 124 creature shifted his gaze to the site of the fight.


    what was there to see? nothing really. the sea was, mostly, very difficult to distinguish from one area from another. unless there were islands or continents nearby, the sea, for the most part, was an environment with little distinguishable information.


    however, for a creature of the sea serpent''s level, what it saw was not a place of pink sky and dark blue waters, but a colorful canvas of different colored laws, heat and energy density.


    ''someone powerful was here... i estimate his power to be no less than level 122.'' judged the strongest creature in the violent sea, as its expression changed, becoming deeper.


    "this is wrong. the bearer of the nautilus'' compass should be a sovereign at most," it muttered as it stood motionless, with half of its large body on the level of the sea surface.


    how did it know minos'' cultivation? as someone who had already come face to face with the nautilus'' compass on several occasions, it had its methods of checking the power of the one holding the fate of this part of a true celestial''s body.


    but the unnatural energy distortion in that area where the level 120 shark had died was no less than the power of a level 122 supreme!


    ''did he come across another enemy? i didn''t know him well, but any supreme capable of reaching the middle of our stage has lived long enough to have enemies in every corner of this world.'' pondering further, the golden-eyed creature considered the possibility that its envoy to this area had not faced the holder of the compass.


    looking to its left, where a merman was waiting for its orders, the sea serpent said, "marsious, investigate signs similar to these in this area. i will continue with my previous searches."


    "aren''t you going to investigate this yourself?"


    "this may be related to the nautilus'' compass, but i feel my destination is not in that direction. there''s somewhere else i want to go."


    the merman no longer questioned, nodding respectfully and then leaving as soon as his leader had disappeared from the area, without any remorse for the loss of the level 120 shark.


    ...


    meanwhile, in the opposite direction to the sea serpent''s movement, minos was sitting in a wheelchair, his wings retracted and his appearance somewhat cadaverous.


    his eyes were sunken into his face, while dark circles as black as night marked his once beautiful and majestic golden eyes. his white hair, once platinum and shiny, now looked dull, somewhat yellowish, as if it were dirty.


    his skin was thin, down to his bones, which, at the moment, didn''t seem to have any muscles covering them.


    despite his terrible appearance, the worst thing was his spiritual fluctuation, once vigorous and as warm as a star, now withdrawn, subtle to the point that it could be imperceptible even to the most attentive.


    in the situation minos was in, his companions had no doubt that he could die at any moment!


    "sigh! the effects of the sacrifice were really terrible this time." gloria, behind minos, holding his wheelchair, muttered in a tone devoid of any good feeling.


    seeing him like that wasn''t easy for any of minos'' wives!


    abby and ruth, also there with him, at the bow of the boat, lowered their heads, breathing deeply.


    "there''s nothing we can do. the stronger the sacrifice, the greater the consequences," said one of the level 116 giants, aware of how minos was feeling at that very moment.


    minos'' situation was clearly the worst they had ever seen, but some of the supremes there had already been through similar things.


    "how long before he recovers?" asked one of the generals standing next to those off duty around their ship.


    for the last two days, they had traveled an unbelievable distance, surpassing, in two days, six months of travel towards uzira.


    thanks to minos'' powers and the directions he had given his crew, they had avoided all kinds of danger and were now a good distance from the site of the level 120 shark''s fall.


    ruth, the group''s chief doctor, who knew her husband best, estimated, "a year for him to recover fully. unfortunately, he''ll probably never be able to use the power of the flashdrain parasite again."


    abby looked at her fellow armhands and warned. "be prepared to use yours, too. we''ll probably complete the remaining 40% of our crossing of the violent sea without his support. it will be up to you to get us safely to uzira."


    the strongest men there nodded, showing that they understood, but they couldn''t help worrying, fearful for their fates. if they sacrificed their parasites, they would end up weakened, like minos, vulnerable. given the sea they were traveling on, that would be tantamount to signing up for the death list!


    however, they had little choice in the matter. either they would do their best to survive this sea, or they would die one way or another!


    "what about the sea serpent? how are we sure we''ve lost him?" someone asked after a silence of more than a minute.


    minos heard that and muttered quietly, "don''t think about it. its fate differs from ours."


    everyone looked at minos, some surprised that he could still speak in that state, others curious about the implications of his speech.  s~ea??h the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    abby looked at minos and told him not to struggle. but the surrounding men couldn''t help but question him.


    "are you sure about this?"


    minos tried to smile, shaking his head, but not speaking.


    ruth clenched her fists, continually giving her energy to minos to get better as quickly as possible. "let''s not talk too much about that for now. we have wenni and walkas ready to guide us and minos'' prophetic abilities have proven themselves many, many times."


    the group agreed on this point and soon dispersed, giving their leader room to breathe, each of them going to their original positions on the ship.


    with more than a year and a half of travel still ahead of them, they still had a lot of work to worry about!

 Chapter 2692 Last Months of the Journey

    chapter 2692  last months of the journey  for the next few months, minos'' group would continue to travel across the violent sea, facing more dangers in the first 8 weeks of their journey than they had in their entire trip up to minos'' sacrifice!


    without minos to guide them and unable to make constant use of wenni and walkas, the group encountered more and more frequent dangers, having had to use the two corpses to get them out of trouble on over 5 occasions.


    with the advice of the two experienced pirates, the group escaped trouble on occasions when the two had to fight or just guide them out of trouble. the two proved their experiences, taking the group into the fourth month of travel since the incident with the level 120 shark.


    with the group still 100% in one piece, no casualties and only a few injured, they were now finishing leaving the middle reaches of the violent sea and entering the uzira-influenced stretch of sea!


    the journey ahead would still take months at least, but with luck, the group would succeed in their journey, arriving in a less unstable area, despite the greater presence of powerful creatures.


    ...


    in the sixth month since the sacrifice of his flashdrain parasite, minos was walking around his ship, having recovered enough to walk normally.


    his aura was still weakened, but his appearance had improved to the point where he looked more like the best version of himself.


    feeling the warmth of the luminous rays warming his body, minos breathed in the salty air and listened to the sound of birds, waves and underwater animals swimming near his boat.


    being about a year away from uzira, the atmospheric energy was gradually becoming denser, with stronger laws that were easier to perceive.


    when he opened his eyes again, minos could gradually see, on a weaker level, the dangers, opportunities, and the best path ahead of him. his abilities were gradually returning to their best, and he was now able to help his group with tips on where to go.


    however, weakened, he was in no condition for combat and would have to prepare for a few more months to become the powerful leader of this group again. fortunately, he had several companions to rely on and, more importantly, his action of months ago had been very successful.  sear?h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''it looks like i''ve really managed to alter the fate of the sea serpent.'' he smiled as he played with his fingers on the mast he was holding onto, close to the limit he could go at the bow. ''drawing inspiration from the powers of the elves really was the right choice.''


    back then, minos had not only killed the level 120 shark and led his group away, he had also used some of the advantage of having been temporarily at level 116 to subtly manipulate the fate of the sea serpent.


    he wasn''t strong enough to steal the creature''s fate, as the elves of his world did. but he had altered it, taking the sea serpent away from his group.


    by the time the creature realize it had been tricked, minos and his crew would be far enough away from the sea serpent that it would be impossible for it to reach them before they reached uzira!


    finally, after feeling that his journey to uzira was ending in success, he returned inside the ship to the cockpit, where he had been spending most of his time lately.


    unable to temporarily use his temporal powers or even cultivate, minos could only wait for his regeneration¡ªstrengthened by ruth¡ªto finish its work so that he could return to his usual routine on this journey.


    "diret, let''s change our route a little." minos said as he approached his navigator, who was at the absolute peak of level 114 and could become a supreme very soon.


    the man listened to minos and, after talking about this change in route, asked how the crew leader was doing. tiolos would soon join them, listening to minos'' travel plans for these last few months of sailing.


    in six months, minos would be fully recovered, and they would be very close to uzira. at that time, he wanted to take advantage of the last opportunities available in this sea to propel the advances of his companions closer to advancing levels.


    with such a move, they could dock in uzira at their best and then go in search of leger and his companions, should they have succeeded in their journey to the continent.


    ...


    while minos and his group continued their journey, the sea serpent, looking for its targets, leger, minos and tiolos'' future ally in uzira, was already on this continent!


    having arrived a year ago alongside his companions who had survived the journey there, leger was currently hiding near the coastal area where they had arrived.


    every day, two of his group members would go to the natural harbor area of this place, where they would observe the surroundings in anticipation of the arrival of minos'' group. according to their accounts, minos'' group was due to arrive at any moment, so they were waiting anxiously.


    but amid the wait, the group hid in this dangerous region of uzira, where powerful creatures, even worse than the sea beasts of the violent sea, lived in wait.


    leger left his cave at a point close to the coast, accompanied by one of his crewmates, a man of level 114.


    using the vegetation to cover their movements, they were patrolling the terrain, when suddenly both broke out in a cold sweat, ducking and hiding among the bushes.


    ''shit! a mid-level sovereign beast!'' leger cursed his luck, not expecting such a powerful creature to be roaming around these far eastern areas of the continent.


    unfortunately for him, his ally and his group, the creature noticed them and its interest turned against them!


    "retreat!" the strongest of the group shouted in concern, giving the order not only to his ally closest to him but also the others in the cave they had been using and on the coast, where they were watching minos'' point of arrival.

 Chapter 2693 Discovered!

    chapter 2693  discovered! another six months passed and finally minos was fully recovered from the sacrifice of the flashdrain parasite.


    back in his normal state, he returned to cultivating and actively helping his crew in the remaining months of sailing the dangerous violent sea.


    with just over six months left before they reached uzira, minos would focus his remaining sea voyage time on leading his people to the ultimate opportunities in their path before their arrival on the mighty strongest continent in this world.


    with several companions close to achieving level advancements, and already on a quieter stretch of sea, he would, from now on, take a few more risks than he had done so far.


    ...  sear?h the n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    while minos was sailing closer than ever to his goal, a long way from his current position was the sea serpent, furiously attacking everything around it.


    in a marine area more than a year''s journey away from where minos'' crew was now, the white-scaled creature, with a colorful glow about its body, was in a foul mood.


    months of searching and it had come up with nothing to take it closer to the nautilus'' compass. on the contrary, it had only moved further away from its target.


    now, years deep in its search, with several negative results from each of its men involved in this hunt, it was at a point where it couldn''t help but lose control and show the world its anger.


    "you bastard!" it cursed in a language that only it itself understood, cursing the new bearer of the nautilus'' compass, who at that moment was probably laughing at it.


    "you''ve fooled me for months, but i''m still going to put you to your death, you bastard!" it continued cursing minos as its tail slammed against the surface of the sea, sending waves into the surroundings, generating a tsunami of its own.


    the gray clouds in the sky flashed, colorful lightning bolts forming and descending violently.


    the energy between the sea and the clouds changed, with cutting winds, capable of cutting through mountains, forming with the first drops of water falling from the sky.


    it had only realized today that someone had subtly manipulated its destiny, even though it was the most powerful being in the sea. that was also why it was angry, swearing to the heavens that he would kill minos or die trying.


    at that moment, the effects of minos'' manipulation disappeared completely, destroyed by the overwhelming power of this supreme.


    fortunately for him, he was already completely out of reach of the strongest of these seas.


    the problem? the sea serpent didn''t intend to forgive minos, no matter how long it took it to find its target.


    ''alert the entire sea. i want you to help me find someone, the holder of a certain aura!'' it looked down at the sea below its body and issued this order to its minions waiting for it on the ocean floor.


    minos had manipulated it enough to escape, but it hadn''t come without a cost. by breaking minos'' manipulation, the sea serpent identified its enemy''s spiritual fluctuation!


    ''find the holder of that aura! find him, whatever it takes, no matter how long it takes!'' it roared in the minds of its subordinates, making each of them imprint minos'' spiritual fluctuation in their minds, before each of them swam off in different directions to spread its orders.


    standing alone on the surface of the sea, the sea serpent looked up at the sky for a moment, determined to send a message to its allies in uzira as well.


    ''i can''t set foot on that continent you''re probably heading for. but i''ll make sure your journey is chaotic, bastard! i will force you to flee across this very sea and return to me!''


    with that thought, an oath in itself, the sea serpent moved, disappearing from that area.


    ...


    "... the sea serpent has made his move." minos suddenly stopped what he was talking about moments ago with his companions, sensing a sudden change in the future in front of him.


    "uh? what are you talking about?" abby asked, not understanding the sudden change in tone and content her husband was talking about.


    they had just stopped in one area and collected resources when the group was about to split up to meditate in seclusion in the area where they were moored. no one expected minos'' comment, nor his subsequent action of summoning the coffins of wenni and walkas.


    the two corpses emerged from their places of hibernation and looked at minos before he explained. "i altered part of the sea serpent''s fate to make him go far away from us. but he''s just broken my spiritual manipulation and discovered my aura."


    "that..." wenni looked at her husband, somewhat uncertainly.


    "he discovered your aura, you say?" walkas looked at minos with a worried look, seeing the white-haired man''s nod of confirmation.


    he and his wife had ignored the changes in minos'' aura since their last meeting months ago and had lamented almost simultaneously.


    "that''s a shame. if he''s sensed your aura, it''s likely that he''ll spread it to all the supremes of the violent sea and even communicate with allies in uzira." walkas make everyone around minos swallow their saliva.


    "in that case, prepare for the worst." wenni explained a little more than her husband, "from what i can sense, we''re close to reaching uzira. so you won''t have to deal with the sea serpent directly for now. but it''s very likely that we''ll face problems in uzira in the future. certainly, supremes of at least mid-level will hunt us down. and given the reality of that continent, it will only be a matter of time before we are found."


    "his allies in uzira will move to the new arrivals area on the continent and hunt us down. the place isn''t that big, so i don''t give them five years to find us." walkas finished his wife''s speech, making minos understand exactly what he would have to deal with.


    minos sighed. "we''ll have to deal with it. i had no choice. either we faced him over a year ago and died, or i risked letting him learn my aura."


    "you did the right thing," walkas agreed with him. "but now we have to be on our guard. this will probably lead to problems that will force us into deadly situations or an escape from uzira. but if we run away from uzira, the sea serpent will find us. now traveling on this sea is no longer safe, not even using the nautilus'' compass!"


    this worried the group even more, given the fact that they would have to return to oqia at some point in the future.

 Chapter 2694 End of the Sea Voyage

    chapter 2694  end of the sea voyage for the next three months, minos'' group continued with their previous plans.


    finding out that the sea serpent, the strongest creature in the violent sea, had discovered minos'' aura and was going to hunt them down from now on was terrible. everyone in the group was worried, whether about their arrival in uzira or their eventual return to oqia.


    one day, they intended to complete their missions and return to the guild to receive their awards, help the elders go to the continent to strengthen their positions, etc. some of them had families, friends and allies in oqia who wanted to return and help, so knowing their leader would be pursued by the strongest sea beasts in the sea was worrying.


    however, there was nothing they could do in the short term. about to arrive in uzira and already with no option but to move on, they left the problems of the future to the future.


    as walkas and wenni had said, it would be a while before the problems caused by minos'' failure to keep himself hidden caused consequences. at least until they reached uzira and began to experience the continent, they shouldn''t face too much of this problem.


    the group continued with their previous plans, moving on to explore opportunities in this last part of the journey, letting go of all the tension they had been dealing with since then as their companions made new advances.


    ...


    only a month to go until they reached oqia¡ªwhat walkas had told minos the night before¡ªthe group was sailing at half the maximum speed of their vessel at the moment.


    the start of another day was beginning as the ship headed west, leaving behind the dangerous part of the sea and entering the coastal area of uzira.


    it would still take a while for them to reach the mainland, but at this point where they were sailing now, the dangers were minimal compared to everything they had already faced since leaving oqia.


    powerful sea beasts didn''t get very close to the mainland, while the natives of the mainland kept to their territory without going deep into the sea. consequently, the remaining stretch of sea to be completed by the group was quite calm.


    so, the scarred vessel, with several inoperative devices, weapons and defensive items out of position, continued on its way, with minos'' companions in their positions, following the same shifts as when they began this journey.


    the big difference from back then was that now some of them were much stronger, at new levels or stages.


    when they started this journey, the team had only 4 supremes. now, about 7 years later, 11 supremes were on the ship, including diret, who had advanced last month with minos'' help.


    of the other crew members, all of them had previously been sovereigns between levels 113 and 114, except for minos and his wives. now that same group no longer had any level 113 sovereigns, with all of them having reached level 114.


    abby, minos and gloria had already improved previously and, finally, after many attempts, ruth had achieved her advancement, reaching level 112!


    in this state, the group was thinking more and more about leger and the other allies they would have when they reached uzira, if those people had succeeded in their journey, of course.


    the dangers of the violent sea were receding into the background, but the dangers of uzira were only getting closer to the group. further ahead, they would have to face even stranger and more dangerous things than they had dealt with in recent years.


    if they wanted to complete their goal of getting more of the black liquid and eventually creating a celestial corpse, they would have to constantly deal with things capable of killing them. thus, the entire crew was solemnly experiencing their last days at sea.


    amid this, diret was thinking about the future of his group, while he had minos by his side.


    "what will we do when we arrive in uzira?" he asked, having only been hired to help cross the north sea. his job was not to subordinate himself to minos'' group and live with the members of armhands.


    minos looked at his navigator and said. "that will be up to you and your people. if you want to join us, you''re welcome to. we''re arriving on a new continent, where none of us know much about the place, where we''ll have to deal with immense dangers right from the start of our journey. so having a few extra hands will be good.


    but if you prefer to go it alone, that''s fine. you don''t have to accept the dangers that will surely come after me."


    diret had already given this a lot of thought over the last few months, considering the pros and cons of staying with minos'' group, as well as going his separate way. and he had already made up his mind when he questioned the crew leader, having started this conversation to make his point.


    "i thank you for the opportunity and also for everything you''ve done for my group so far. i can''t guarantee that all my men will choose to accept my decision, so you may have to wait for their position. but i don''t intend to move forward with you." diret got straight to the point, before justifying himself, even though it wasn''t necessary.


    "i''ve already achieved something i never dreamed of before. i don''t intend to take any more risks to achieve more than i already have. but i''m at your disposal, minos. if you need a navigator to return to oqia in the future with a group you''re not part of, i''ll be ready to venture across this sea again."


    minos smiled at the man, welcoming the old sailor''s decision. "in that case, take care of my ship. i''ll leave you and the men in your crew who want to stay by your side with our ship. in the future, i''ll send a group to travel alongside you back to oqia.


    will you continue sailing through this area until then?" minos asked, having already thought about the possibility of leaving a group sailing in this ''safe'' stretch of sea between uzira and the violent sea.


    "hmm, yes, maybe occasionally go to the coast to sort out quick matters and then return..." diret sighed as he answered minos, liking how things would work out for them.


    "then talk to your men and see if any of them will decide to stay by my side."


    "i''ll do that." s§×arch* the n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 2695 Landing in Uzira

    chapter 2695  landing in uzira the last month passed uneventfully as minos'' ship finally sighted firm land ahead.


    as they approached the continent that was growing ever larger in their field of vision, those on their break watched the approach of uzira with attentive looks on their faces.


    today was a sunny day, with good weather and no strong winds blowing the group''s boat. meanwhile, the waters were becoming more and more transparent as they approached the coast of the mainland, with crystal-clear green waters embellishing the surroundings.


    despite the smiles on their faces, the members of the group were not inattentive. circulating their energies in their bodies, prepared to act if necessary, they were in position at this moment of the vessel''s deceleration.


    "10 minutes to landing 5 kilometers off the coast," said diret for everyone on the ship to hear.


    as soon as they arrived in uzira, most of the coastline was covered in beaches, with very few natural harbors. there were even such places visible within sight of minos'' companions, but their aim was to stop at sea and continue on small inflatable boats the rest of the way.


    when the ship came to a complete stop, of the more than thirty individuals there, over 20 made quick work of getting their inflatable boats out and then boarding without further ado.


    diret and his men stopped at the bow of the ship, where minos, his wives and tiolos stopped to say goodbye to them.


    "good luck on your journey from now on." minos looked at each of these sailors profiled in the bow.


    all these men would be left to explore the continental sea of uzira waiting for minos'' envoys.


    "it may be a long time before we see each other again and you head back to oqia. in the meantime, take care of my ship. eventually, i''ll send people to accompany you on another journey across this dangerous sea," minos said as he looked to the east.


    tiolos said a few words too, followed by ruth, abby and gloria, who thanked the group for their efforts over the last few years.


    "we''re the ones who thank you, ladies." said the captain, his gaze bright and extremely satisfied.


    there was nothing better for a navigator like him than a successful voyage ending.


    now they could rest and prepare for new adventures, adventures around the most powerful continent in this world, something that each of them was very keen to do at the moment.


    "we''ll be at your disposal when you return."


    minos had already left a device with the diret to alert the group to the approach and the moment of preparation for departure for oqia. as soon as he activated the device, diret would have two years to finish whatever he was doing and move to the vicinity of where they were now.


    minos gave one last wave to the group that would be staying with his ship, then got into one of the boats alongside his wives.


    tiolos followed in another boat, and soon they were sailing together in five small orange vehicles, heading towards the beach. as they moved on, diret and the others didn''t want to wait and set off toward a lane that was less close to uzira.


    minutes later, when minos'' group deflated their boats, they could no longer see the ship controlled by diret''s men on the wide strip of sand on the beach.


    minos'' group got into a formation, with the men on guard looking around while their companions finished stowing their orange boats.


    the outskirts of this long stretch of beach, with at least a kilometer of sand between the sea and the adjacent forest, went as far north and south as the eye could see.  sea??h th§× n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    in front of them, dense forest with many trees covered much of the landscape. but looking up a little, they could see the peaks of distant mountains, peaks so high that they reached a level close to the clouds.


    in addition to the visual information, the group sensed other information together. the energy available in the surroundings was really dense. even though they were in an area where there were few living creatures to concentrate the energy and laws in their vicinity, one of the generals there realized that the situation on this beach was not so different from the rich areas of oqia.


    ''if a place of arrival like this is like this, what will the wealthier areas of uzira be like?''


    several of them asked themselves the same question, tightening their fingers around their weapons, anxious about the journey ahead.


    "let''s go. keep your eyes peeled, everyone," minos said when the rest of his companions were ready to move. "let''s go in search of leger and the others. if they''ve survived so far, they should be waiting for us nearby."


    they advanced together, protecting their crops while each took on different roles.


    as soon as they left the strip of sand and entered the wooded area, they were faced with rougher terrain than they had expected, given the landscape visible from the beach.


    encountering slopes, bare rocks at some points, from where one could clearly see the beach, they soon began to look for leger. doing so wasn''t difficult. by putting themselves in the shoes of leger''s group and thinking about what they would do to wait for a group coming from the violent sea, they numbered several useful places to hide or observe the beach.


    disregarding a dozen locations while taking in the rich vegetation and dangerous creatures close to them, they arrived at a spot where minos suddenly stopped to find what looked like a tentacle in advanced decomposition.


    "what is it?" one of the group''s supremes asked.


    minos touched the dehydrated thing and said. "this belonged to one of leger''s companions." he looked at tiolos. "one man who was with leger that day was the owner of this tentacle."


    tiolos, recently promoted to level 117, heard this and said in a deep tone. "if that''s the case, we can say that at least part of leger''s group made it to the continent and that they dealt with local problems."


    "so, what do we do now?" abby asked.


    "we''ll look for traces of the group and survivors. although we have wenni and walkas with us, they can''t be at our side constantly. if we can have leger with us, things will be easier at the start of our journey through uzira." minos made up his mind as he left the rotting tentacle behind.


    they headed deep into this initial forested area of uzira.

 Chapter 2696 The Fate of Legers Crew

    chapter 2696  the fate of leger''s crew deep in the woods of the pristine wilds, a man with a humanoid body, eagle eyes and a sharp appearance, was crouched in front of a large tree, where a sea creature was attached by chains to its trunk.


    the sea creature with the body of an octopus didn''t look well at all. only one of its tentacles remained in its frame. one of its eyes had been gouged out, while the rest of its body showed several cuts.


    its original level 114 aura now resembled that of a level 100 being, weakened as much as its vitality, on the verge of coming to an absolute end.


    but the look on the creature''s face was not that of someone certain of death, but of a terrified creature, afraid to continue its suffering.


    "where is your leader?" asked the sharp-eyed man responsible for the suffering of the horrified sea creature.


    it wasn''t the man''s first question, much less the beginning of their ''dialog''. their time together had begun months ago, when the octopus had fallen into this supreme existence.


    the level 119 supreme had talked to him several times, tortured him, cut off parts of his body, talked about the reason for his misfortune and then disappeared for weeks, until he returned and did it all over again.


    that had been this creature''s life. unfortunately, the supreme didn''t seem interested in shortening his suffering. on the contrary, on several occasions, his captor had acted to prevent his death by extending his suffering.


    "i''ve told you a thousand times." the wounded marine, fearful of further physical or mental torture, said in a weakened but simultaneously pleading tone. "i don''t know where leger has gone. i swear on all that is holy, i don''t know! i''d hand him over to you if i knew!"


    months ago, leger and his group had come across a creature that had almost wiped out their group. of the 10 survivors who arrived in uzira, 6 of them died that day because of a level 120 beast.


    but 4 of them survived that day, having split up amid the situation that had almost killed them. when they tried to unite again later, the man in front of the wounded octopus had emerged and tried to finish what the previous creature started.


    leger had escaped at the time, but two of his other companions, including the current octopus, had fallen into the hands of this hawk-eyed man.


    the level 114 octopus didn''t know what had happened to his other kidnapped companion, but he figured that if that guy hadn''t died, then their situation must be the same.


    "brendan, this isn''t going to work for me. if you don''t help me find that assassin, i''m going to make you suffer more than you did during our last meeting." the man smiled at the octopus, making the creature shiver.


    "senior, i swear, i don''t know. if i knew, i would tell you. but leger was our leader. he didn''t explain himself to us. everything i know, i''ve already told you." brendan tried once again to save himself from the torture of his cruel captor.


    the man, who he now knew was called jalgon, had a long history with leger. the story that brendan, minos and tiolos knew about leger was only the surface of the truth.


    leger had not lied to minos at their meeting about anything he said. but he hadn''t talked about important details of his life either.


    during his stay in uzira, leger had apparently killed local creatures and earned the dislike of jalgon and other powerful creatures from the pristine wilds. his return to oqia had not been merely to get more allies to cross the pristine wilds, but to overcome his various pursuers and eventually cross the pristine wilds.


    jalgon had made a point of making this clear to brendan, who, after being tortured so many times, would say anything he could to jalgon to get this man to come to leger.


    his loyalty to leger was limited and judging by the grim fate that that supreme was going to take his group if they hadn''t fallen to the level 120 beast, brendan saw no problem in betraying his crew leader.


    "is that so?" the hawk-eyed man''s face went cold as he looked the creature up and down. "i''m afraid you''ll lose your last tentacle today."


    losing his last tentacle wasn''t what scared brendan the most, but the way jalgon intended to do it.


    the memory of how the demon in front of him had devoured each of his limbs, making him feel every sensation, including the feeling of having his body chewed, still frightened brendan.


    trembling in horror, he tried his best to give jalgon something new.


    "there''s a group that might help you," he said fearfully.


    "again about this group? why do you keep insisting that these allies from oqia are going to be useful?"


    it wasn''t brendan''s first time talking about minos'' group.


    "there''s a seer in this group. he''ll be able to find leger if he''s still alive. all you need to do is find this group and force minos to serve you."  s§×arch* the n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "you''ve told me similar things other times... but you haven''t told me about a seer before," jalgon said as he looked up with a smile on his face, gaining some new information. but he still wasn''t optimistic. "however, this group may have sunk into the violent sea. the last time i checked the coast, there was no sign of any new arrivals on the continent."


    "look again, senior. leger praised minos throughout our journey. even though leger was a supreme, he saw that sovereign as the future of our group." explained the sea creature, fearful of having more of himself devoured by that demon.


    jalgon let go of the octopus'' body, feeling that it was worth looking for once more. "i''ll go back to the coast. if i don''t find his group, i''ll go back and eat your last tentacle. after that, i''ll put you in the dark dimension."


    gulp!


    brendan shivered all over, remembering the dark dimension, a horrible place where he had only been for 10 seconds and nearly gone mad. as jalgon left, he couldn''t help but pray to the heavens that minos and tiolos had succeeded in their journey to uzira.


    ''you are my only hope of dying in peace. please be on the continent!''

 Chapter 2697 Fourth Day in Uzira

    chapter 2697  fourth day in uzira for four days, minos'' group investigated the places near where they had arrived in search of leger''s group. they went through caves, looking for possible traces of the allied group, possible abandoned belongings, or even hidden messages.


    if it had been them in place of leger''s group waiting for an ally, they would have left something wherever they went to leave a trail for their allies.


    and, as expected, they found several things during their four days of investigation!


    in a cave they passed, they collected abandoned resources and artifacts, among them a message from leger''s group, indicating that 10 of those who left oqia had arrived in uzira.


    but there was nothing to show where they had gone, confirming the hypothesis that leger''s group had been attacked and forced to flee, if any of them had survived, of course.


    given the way they had simply abandoned belongings that made no sense to leave behind, such as weapons and defensive items, the group was certain that the enemies were at least low-level supremes.


    after finding these items left behind, they came across a corpse half eaten, half left to rot.


    they found this corpse at the end of the day and soon afterwards made camp in a cave on their way, where they were now gathered around a campfire, with only a few of them keeping an eye on the entrance to the place.


    those around the campfire had complicated looks on their faces, somewhat worried about the implications of what they had discovered and what they should do now.


    "perhaps we should abandon leger and the others?" one of the de armhands generals over there asked.


    tiolos looked at the alien and said, "that''s not possible. we assured him we would be his ally on the continent. unless he died, and i don''t think that happened, we can''t go against our words."


    he and minos had signed an agreement with leger, so they were confident that the man was alive. but whether he was physically well or free, that was something they couldn''t say.


    minos understood his group''s position and said, "it''s tempting to abandon someone injured in a place where we''ll only get into more trouble if we side with them. but don''t forget where we are. everyone here is our enemy. the only group that can be our allies, good or not, is leger''s."


    fighting for the few allies he might have at the start of his journey made sense to minos.


    abby agreed with her husband. "we can''t abandon leger just yet. if he dies and our agreement ends, we can ignore the rest of his group. hardly many of them survived and even if they did, they''re of little use. but until he dies, we should at least look for him or the others to understand what happened."


    minos saw his men sigh in agreement, not liking the plan to follow, but having no other option. he added, "for now, we''ll try to stay close to the coast. from what leger told us earlier, the best of this continent is deep in these lands." he pointed to the west. "but it will be dangerous to achieve that. we''ll travel along the coast and strengthen ourselves little by little. when we have more supremes, it will be time to go deeper."


    in a place full of potential enemies, as was the case where they were now, minos could make full use of his powers to help his companions achieve permanent and temporary improvements. this would certainly help speed up the cultivation speed of some of them!


    the group accepted his commands, soon finishing their conversation and spreading out around the cave.  s§×arch* the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    minos looked at tiolos and said, "today, we''ll stop to rest and meditate. tomorrow morning, we''ll return with our search. if leger hasn''t been captured by enemies, he''s probably hiding near the coast."


    "that''s if he really has any confidence that we would make it through the violent sea." the oqia native pointed out.


    "yes, but he certainly is. we had more strength in our group than his team did when they left. since he made it, he must have imagined that we would too." minos felt confident in his hypothesis.


    "hmm, it makes sense."


    "i''m going to look into our future tonight. maybe i can get a better idea of how to proceed tomorrow."


    seeing minos walk away, tiolos got into position, taking charge of the group. walking out of the cave, he looked up at the pinkish sky, which at the moment was not so bright, with a sunset glow.


    ''i just don''t know if it will be good to find that guy or not.'' he took a deep breath.


    ...


    while minos'' group was spending their fourth night in uzira, close to where they were, there was a crater the size of a soccer field, where several bones of different kinds of creatures were visible under the rough terrain.


    a strong smell of carrion filled the area, driving away living creatures not fond of decaying things. but in the middle of this place of earth and red rocks, hot and under dense clouds, a white creature, 12 meters long, 3 meters in radius, was curled up on itself, lying at the lowest point of the crater.


    its black head, with no visible eyes or mouth, was positioned slightly upwards, while its many insect-like side legs were sticking out along its body.


    with a cultivation of level 120, this creature was in a deep sleep, finishing absorbing the memories of the last of its food.


    months ago, it had devoured the heads and hearts of six of its ten hunting targets. despite having the objective of hunting down the four that had escaped, it had stopped for months to digest its food, arriving at the current situation, when it gradually began to leave its state of hibernation.


    upon awakening, the creature''s aura grew significantly, while its murderous desires showed in its awful shadow.


    ''time to hunt down those four invaders!'' it thought to itself, before moving off, finally leaving its location to go in search of the aliens it had discovered over a year ago!

 Chapter 2698 An Enemy Approaches

    chapter 2698  an enemy approaches not long after leaving his hibernation site, the black-headed white worm went to the place where it had killed the last of its enemies, from where four of the invaders had fled.


    amidst the surrounding rainforest, rocks and undergrowth, it searched for the special smell of the invaders, a moment later freezing motionless.


    ''that smell... that''s different from that group!''


    the creature stopped to think, sensing a mixture of particularly fresh smells, certainly also from invaders of its continent. it had smelled nothing like it in its 600,000 years of life.


    as it moved its head from side to side, its special sensors picked up a negative fragrance, so dirty and dark that for a moment it felt passionate. it definitely wanted to know what was behind not one, but two terrible auras that had passed through this area recently.


    almost trembling with anxiety, it moved to follow the trail of death that only a few scavengers like itself could follow.


    ''it seems to be a large and powerful group, even more interesting than the other one, hehe.'' its thoughts sped up as it moved at high speed. ''good, i''ll have more food than last time!''


    ...


    minos'' group had continued their search after the stop in the previous cave, spending another three days searching the outskirts of this coastal region.


    they had found fresh traces of the battle that had possibly killed a large part of leger''s crew, with more remains of the oqia natives killed just over a year ago.


    following the signs left by the desperate survivors of the attacks back then, they moved a little further away from the coast, even if it wasn''t their aim to go deep into the continent.


    but going deep into the continent¡ªminos'' plan to stay out of harm''s way for an hour¡ªwasn''t what they were doing at the moment.


    to go deep into uzira, they would have to travel months into the forest, heading west. although they were traveling, so far, in the opposite direction from the coast, they were within the range of terrain that minos thought it would be acceptable for them to explore at present.


    but while they were exploring the local forests for another day, minos stopped where he was and turned his eyes in the opposite direction. on spotting something new come within the range of his abilities, the fate of his group changed.


    "minos?" gloria asked, raising her guard instinctively.


    before he could even answer her, minos summoned the two coffins he had been carrying, bringing wenni and walkas back to their side for the third time since they had arrived in uzira.


    wenni and walkas knew the area where they were now. this place was called the pristine wilds, and it was the grand forest that leger had told minos and tiolos about.


    it was the place where newcomers to uzira had to pass through, where several powerful groups helped the sovereign family of uzira to make it as difficult as possible for living beings from oqia or other worlds to pass through.


    being a region as large as the central part of oqia, one would have to travel for months and deal with several problems if they wanted to get past it and reach the part actually ruled by the sovereigns of the continent, where the richest places on the entire planet were located.


    wenni and walkas had given the group a number of recommendations on the occasions when minos summoned them for quick meetings. this information included areas to avoid, difficult tribes to deal with, and even some areas where there should be opportunities but no official ''owner'' of the land.


    now, however, upon being summoned by him, they quickly realized that this was not a time for conversation!


    minos said to everyone in his group, "a level 120 supreme is two minutes away from us, rapidly approaching our position, coming from the south-east." he looked in the direction in question.


    "we have to deal with him," minos said as he felt drops of sweat forming on his companions'' bodies.  s§×arch* the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    they had no choice. the nautilus'' compass was telling him that there was no chance of survival for them if they tried to flee. the only minimally good fate for them was the one in which they fought!


    "get into formation!" tiolos shouted after minos'' words, which were full of conviction.


    if minos said that, then there was nothing else to do but prepare for the imminent fight!


    the supremes took the lead, positioning themselves around the group, turning their attention and weapons in the direction minos had indicated.


    minos also prepared himself, bringing wenni and walkas closer to him for the moment.


    "wenni, you will serve as a support in this battle. you''re not supposed to fight. your job will be to provide me with the energy to strengthen myself and some of our allies. unfortunately, the enemy is powerful and i won''t be able to steal its strength. in any case, be ready to defend abby, gloria, and ruth."


    wenni accepted easily, while her husband prepared to fight seriously for the first time in many millennia.


    "as for the rest of you, support the supremes and me. we''ll be the attackers in this fight!"


    the over 10 sovereigns positioned themselves close to abby, gloria, ruth and wenni, those with defensive abilities staying further forward and the others further back.


    while everyone was circulating their energies, getting ready to receive the opponent, an enormous creature with a black head and a white snake-like body, a worm, appeared in front of them, stopping 40 meters away from the most advanced of the group.


    the creature, which had several legs on its side, sensed the large group it was looking for right in front of it, for an instant changing its appearance in such a way that it almost seemed to smile.


    its interest was first fixed on walkas, but then turned to wenni and abby, in particular this blue-haired human woman with level 111.


    minos raised his cultivation to level 115, while helping gloria and abby reach level 113, with ruth reaching the peak of level 114. standing next to walkas and tiolos, he raised his sword towards the enemy creature.


    with no desire to talk to a being as strong as a level 120 supreme, minos spread his wings and flew at the enemy, shouting with all the strength in his lungs. "attack!"

 Chapter 2699 The Fight Begins

    chapter 2699  the fight begins as he flew ahead of his group, minos carried in his sword and body the will of more than a millennium of hard cultivation, wars, and every difficult moment he had ever had in his life.


    faced with a peak creature of level 120, without his flashdrain parasite to support him, he nevertheless took the lead, shouting encouragingly to his companions. flapping his wings towards the white worm, his golden wings shone with the ambient light rays as the divine sword took its shape.


    followed by his supreme level group mates, minos was the first to attack, wielding his giant golden sword while his eyes glowed in a blinding light, with an hourglass appearing behind his body.


    feeling a vortex of blades forming around it, the white worm turned its gaze towards minos, followed by an "oh" sound echoing from its head. at that moment, it realized that the one behind the necromantic power that had caught its attention was not the most interesting one in this place.


    faced with a joint attack from minos and the man''s allies, the creature turned its attention to the white-haired man attacking it. as it moved its powers, its hard-to-find face looked interested while a purple energy spread from its body to the surroundings, decomposing everything it touched.


    amidst the destruction of the air blades and the group''s attacks, minos raised one of his hands in the air and a dragon''s paw emerged from a spatial crack, pressing against the white creature.


    the creature instantly moved to the side, feeling a chill that wiped the ''smile'' off its face.


    "divine dragon!" the creature identified the source of minos'' power, while feeling even more excited. "hehe, who knew i''d be lucky enough to come face to face with a divine dragon?!"


    "i think you''re facing something a bit bigger than that." minos said as he transformed, leaving his weaker form behind as he turned into a silver and gold dragon, so fast that some of his companions couldn''t keep up with his transformation.


    one moment, he was a six-winged human and then he was already in dragon''s form, his body pressure making even walkas and tiolos feel pressure from being close to minos.


    even though they were already at level 117, the two creatures couldn''t help but feel uncomfortable with minos'' power.


    minos opened his mouth as he finished transforming and blue flames followed his movement, shooting such fiery flames towards the enemy that part of the ground turned into a strip of scalding magma, while some trees simply turned to ash.


    following minos'' movement, walkas also acted, circling the terrain while avoiding minos'' flames, attacking with his huge spear, bringing the weapon''s blade down with such force that the ground around his feet cracked as he sank.


    the enormous blade of the spear descended from the sky onto the body of the white enemy, one of the few attacks other than minos'' flames that reached it without being decomposed by the evil energy around it.


    as hit used something like a special membrane to protect itself, the white worm felt tiolos'' attack threaten its mind with a subtle feeling that its surroundings were not as dangerous as they seemed.


    even though it was at the peak of level 120, it was not immune to the powers of level 117 supremes, let alone the powers of minos, who even at level 115 had a strength similar to that of level 118 supremes.


    the various level 116 and 115 supremes in the area were no danger to it. but when they attacked together with minos, walkas and tiolos, they became particularly annoying.


    "tsk! silly resistance!" it shouted angrily as it jumped up, attacking toward minos.


    by jumping so quickly in that direction, the creature appeared almost instantly in front of minos, its underside showing, with its many legs.


    minos and the others saw the underside of the worm, where six mouths surrounded by razor-sharp, giant teeth covered the entire lower space of the worm''s body.


    but just as they were about to suffer a brutal attack from the level 120 being, the ground in the surroundings moved, and dead creatures rose from the soil, messing with its instincts.


    at abby''s command, level 114 and 115 creatures rose from the places where their corpses had ended. the white worm felt seduced for a moment, craving the dead carcasses nearby. feeling abby''s power at work almost tempted it completely. being a lover of death, watching corpses rise from the ground was the most beautiful and exciting thing it had seen in its entire existence!


    minos used the opportunity to throw the hourglass he had with him towards the creature, while using all his dragon''s pressure against it.


    tiolos, walkas and the others moved in, with the two level 116 giants acting together to pin the white worm in its position.


    the corpses summoned by abby fell under minos'' mental control, showing no hostile signs and dashing against the white creature.


    meanwhile, minos and his companions moved away, with each of the 16 corpses summoned by abby showing strange glows.


    after commanding the sacrifice of these creatures, minos ensured temporal sands would not lose the body of the white worm, taking full advantage of the enemy''s temporary immobilization.


    but before the 16 corpses exploded together, the worm overcame every attack and attempt to suppress it. it had no time to flee or dodge, but curled in on itself in defense of what was about to happen.


    ka-boom!


    then, as ordered by minos, each of the corpses exploded, causing strong winds to blow in the opposite direction, swaying even large trees nearby.


    minos and his companions took cover, while one of the level 116 supremes took a deep breath, preparing for the emergency move they had already arranged over the last few days.  s§×ar?h the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "wretches!"


    amid the intense heat of the area destroyed by the fighting so far, they heard the hateful roar of the worm in the center of the crater, extremely covered in black smoke now.


    "you''re all going to die!" the worm appeared out of the smoke screen, now with its body completely red, several cuts around its structure, while its aura seemed stronger than before!


    "wovar, it''s your turn to protect the group!" minos looked at the level 116 giant, giving him the decisive signal.

 Chapter 2700 Result of the Fight

    chapter 2700  result of the fight the moment he heard minos'' order, wovar was ready and did what he had to, consuming the parasite he had nurtured since the aftermath of the fight against the armhands general, who had tried to kill minos decades ago.


    back then, he was only a level 112 sovereign. now he was a level 116 supreme, having, with minos'' help, achieved those four advancements.


    as soon as he sacrificed his flashdrain parasite, wovar knew he might risk his life, because of the weakened state he would be in afterwards, or because of the dangers of no longer being able to use this trump card in the future. however, the entire group had agreed even before arriving in uzira that they would sacrifice their parasites as needed.


    it would be more worthwhile to sacrifice their flashdrains than to accept deaths among them!


    all the members of armhands were determined to sacrifice their parasites for the best possible outcome for the group whenever necessary. minos had been the first and now it was wovar''s turn!


    in the blink of an eye, the giant was covered in a golden aura as his cultivation reached an impressive level 119!


    taking the lead of the group, he moved his giant hands against the red worm''s body, moving his body so fast that the air masses in the surroundings exploded, with cracks appearing around where he moved.


    a giant like him was special. having always been able to fight those above his level, wovar didn''t intend to force one more of his companions into the situation he was in at the moment.


    as he attacked the white worm, he put his immense strength to use, reaching the creature''s upper body and ignoring the threatening purple energy around it.


    the white worm froze, not believing the sudden change in one of its enemies. but with no time for further thought, it tried its best to prepare for the collision.


    wovar''s right hand reached the red and black creature''s head in time, piercing through the worm''s defenses and even the enemies'' awful energy. deforming the worm''s upper body, wovar exposed the creature''s gray blood as its body was flung away, letting out a mournful cry.


    minos, tiolos and walkas moved, not missing an opportunity to appear near the white worm as they attacked it with everything they had.


    an enormous dragon''s foot descended from the sky, gaining speed as the physical attacks of the two level 117 supremes took shape.


    clexvog saw his brother attacking with everything and also moved, using his cultivation pressure together with his level 116 and 115 allies to immobilize the creature in agony.


    even though half of its head had been destroyed by wovar''s attack, the white worm was harder to kill than common sense would have it. even without thinking rationally, it kept moving in search of an escape, finding itself in a terrible situation in which it could be killed quickly.


    minos'' dragon foot would reach it before it could crawl out of its grasp, while the pressure of the other individuals took effect. but as it suffered from the movement of these enemies who had sacrificed nothing, the worm felt a gigantic shadow cover it, with a strange chill reaching its spine.


    its mind was destroyed, but its heart was still beating along with almost all its senses working. in that instant, it felt it was facing death.


    wovar took advantage of the remaining time he had and moved his two hands against each other, tilting his immense body as he intended to crush the rest of the enemy''s body with a clapping motion.


    all his allies recoiled when they sensed his move, protecting their ears, already aware of the effects that would appear in the area as soon as his move was completed.


    a thunderous blast capable of knocking over inattentive early 12th stage creatures erupted from the impact position as black blood and worm''s flesh spread across the surroundings like a shower of remains.


    the moment wovar''s hands touched the worm''s body, the creature exploded, losing over 70% of the remaining part of its body, which liquefied and spread over at least 5 square kilometers of area.


    some of the essence of the level 120 worm corrupted the plants it touched, decomposing them, while turning part of the soil into dead areas, contaminating the ground.


    minos had skillfully predicted the fate of this fight and protected his companions by warning them exactly where to move and take refuge.


    wovar faltered at the sight of the enemy''s dead body, a look of realization drawing across his immense face.


    his brother appeared at his side, bringing one of his arms around wovar''s shoulder, giving him support to keep standing.


    even though it had all happened so quickly, those had been blows loaded with the maximum power wovar had to attack. with just two moves in this fight, he had used all the essence he had gotten from his sacrifice and soon showed signs of weakening.


    "let''s move!" minos warned his group after confirming the death of the level 120 worm. "soon, creatures native to the area will realize what has happened and search for those responsible!"


    the group already knew this and, having nothing to collect in the surroundings, followed his lead as they moved away from the area, with clexvog carrying wovar.


    those who hadn''t actively fought moved to keep watch on the surroundings and give their main warriors a bit of time to breathe. meanwhile, minos looked at wenni and walkas and sent them back to their coffins.


    as he used the nautilus'' compass, he found the best route to take, given the possibilities in the surroundings.  s§×ar?h the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ruth immediately began to use her powers on the supremes in the group, who she could affect as she was still temporarily at the peak of level 114. abby and gloria stayed by wovar''s side, with tiolos keeping an eye on the giant, who would soon enter an extremely vulnerable state.


    given the dangerous place they were in, everyone there imagined that wovar wasn''t the last one they''d have to look after, after fights like today. today they had merely begun their difficult period of adaptation to uzira!

 Chapter 2701 Nearing the Target

    chapter 2701  nearing the target "that noise..." suddenly, a hawk-eyed man, flying towards the coast to the far east of uzira, stopped moving as he heard a violent blast.


    for a moment he put both hands to his ears, using his wings to cover his body as strong winds blew against him.


    the surrounding trees threatened to fall over, while small stones and objects on the ground, such as leaves, rose into the air, flying around the area.


    as he felt a chill run down his spine, a power capable of killing even someone higher than his power, level 119, he narrowed his eyes tightly and clenched his fists.


    ''who''s behind this? it doesn''t feel right. that feels wrong!'' he didn''t feel well when she noticed a level 119 aura, but one that didn''t seem to be from a real level 119 being.


    charged with a foreign aura, full of particularities totally unusual to uzira, he immediately connected the dots and came to a sudden realization.


    ''invading aliens!'' his gaze turned uglier as a murderous glint took hold in his eyes.


    uzira had a long history with the reality of zocarro. in the distant past, this had been a great world without divisions, where it was possible for even grandmasters to travel by sea, going from one continent to another. but when the planet was discovered by aliens, in order to protect what was most valuable to them, the natives of uzira made a definitive decision.


    to protect their land from invaders, they intensified the extreme phenomena of the world''s seas and allied themselves with marine races. this made it many grades more difficult for foreigners to enter their world, but it wasn''t enough to completely stop groups like the one in front of this man.


    to completely stop foreign threats, the natives of uzira, like this man, hunted down invaders of their land as if it were a sport they took seriously.


    hatred appeared on this man''s face as he felt a sudden need to accept the danger ahead and check out the enemies. he was looking for the group that his hostage had directed him to, but even if this group ahead wasn''t the one he was looking for, he couldn''t help but check out what this strong feeling was all about.


    ''i''ll hide my movements and assess the situation.'' he advanced again, this time walking across the terrain without using his wings to fly around the area.


    it must be said that not every creature on the continent would hunt down foreign invaders. uzira''s creatures were not foolish enough to act blindly. if the situation wasn''t favorable, even powerful creatures would avoid trouble themselves.


    however, there were generous rewards based on the level of threats neutralized, so there were also those who were bounty hunters and agreed to risk a little more than ordinary individuals.


    jalgon moved on, soon arriving in the area where he had sensed the source of the crash a few moments before.


    he came across an area corrupted by mortal remains and protected his airways.


    the stench of rotting flesh and decaying things tried to invade his nose as he felt the mark of death in that place.


    even without a whole body for him to investigate, he quickly identified the creature that had died there, a being who, even though he was a native of the continent, was not saddened to learn of its death.


    in fact, a subtle smile formed on the man''s lips.


    ''looks like the group that was here eliminated one of those vermin. that''s not bad. they got nothing from his body and they still eliminated this parasite.''  sea??h th§× n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    despite the common feeling of hatred that the beings of uzira felt towards aliens, they didn''t love each other. the continent''s many tribes and forces lived a complicated love-hate relationship, with internal clashes occurring at a natural frequency for a powerful continent like this.


    analyzing the surroundings a little more, jalgon felt that there was a high probability that the group that had passed by and fought with the worm was the same one he was looking for.


    ''such a group shouldn''t be able to eliminate a level 120 worm.'' he pondered as he evaluated the area thoroughly. ''but that octopus told me that minos'' group is special... besides, it''s not common for such large groups of invaders.


    jalgon sensed that there were over 20 auras who had passed this place minutes ago and somehow fought off the worm. most of them were 11th stage, but there were a good number of 12th stage beings with the group.


    groups of invaders existed in uzira, especially at the far end of the continent, in droves. although the mainland forces persecuted aliens or even unwanted natives of oqia, some of them survived by dint of their skills or luck.


    some invaders even gathered in groups, but such large teams, so far east of the continent, were not normal. precisely for this reason, jalgon suspected that this was minos'' group.


    ''i''ll check them out. according to that octopus, minos should be a level 112 sovereign with six wings. if there is someone like that on this team, i''ll confirm my doubt before dealing with them.''


    despite his fear of what had caused the worm''s death, he wanted more than anything to get the seer who could lead him to leger!


    following in the tracks of the group that had passed that way, he traveled through the woods for about an hour until he spotted the first of the aliens from minos'' group.


    seeing an individual of only level 114, he became curious as he probed the cave protected by those peak sovereigns.


    the look on his face was naturally strange. how could a group of mere sovereigns have murdered a powerful supreme stronger than himself?


    he would soon discover the exact numbers of minos'' team, excluding wenni and walkas, of course, who were currently inside their coffins and could not be identified as living beings from jalgon''s point of view. unlike the previous worm, capable of sensing the trail of death from corpses, this hawk-eyed man was incapable of such a thing.


    ''there''s something wrong here... how did this group kill the previous worm?'' he was shocked to realize that there was only one level 117 supreme in the group and all the others were weaker.


    however, while checking wovar''s direction, he couldn''t help but feel something strange coming from the body of the giant lying in one of the corners of the cave where the group was hiding right now.


    ''i need to see them in action before i make a decision. whatever it is, they have a secret that could kill me!''

 Chapter 2702 Neutralization

    chapter 2702  neutralization  ''tiolos, stay calm and don''t show any reaction. we''re being watched.'' minos closed his eyes as he pretended to meditate, communicating with the man standing guard at the entrance to their cave.


    they had stopped there to rest from the previous fight, since the nautilus'' compass had indicated that they were more likely to get the best possible result by stopping there.


    but tiolos hadn''t expected that, so soon after getting rid of one powerful enemy, they would come across another being on their tail.


    ''how strong is he?'' tiolos struggled to continue as if nothing had happened.


    ''yes, level 119.'' minos said to the man, even though, compared to the previous worm, the individual watching them now was much weaker.


    the previous worm was at the peak of level 120, close to becoming a level 121 being, while the individual watching them hidden in the surroundings was a ''newly promoted'' supreme at level 119. the difference in power between the two was practically two levels.


    however, the group was tired, with wovar already showing signs of vulnerability, while minos himself was not in his best condition. for this reason, even though his opponent was weaker than the previous one, minos immediately saw him as a difficult problem to solve.


    ''what''s your plan?'' tiolos understood minos'' thinking, although he was relieved that the enemy wasn''t as strong or stronger than the worm from earlier.


    ''prepare to defend the cave. i''ll send one of the level 115 supremes the order for him to prepare to fight. but before that, let''s see what this guy does. any time he gives us will be good for us.''


    ''all right.'' tiolos agreed.


    minos ignored his women cultivating to recover from the attacks against the worm earlier and sent a message to one of the level 115 supremes.


    ''nar, prepare to sacrifice your flashdrain parasite.'' minos'' voice sounded in the mind of a tall, broad-backed man, making him momentarily shiver.


    ''general...''


    ''a level 119 supreme is watching us. i don''t know what his aim is, but you should prepare yourself. we can''t let anyone spread information about our group through this forest, or risk an ambush from him.'' minos was quick with his statement, having already foreseen a horrible future before he spoke to tiolos.


    minos couldn''t sense jalgon''s current position, but he knew he had a level 119 enemy keeping an eye on his group. such a being intended to throw a nearby tribe against them, which would cause them to be surrounded by enemies capable of killing them very soon!


    ''all right. i''m waiting for your orders, general minos.'' the man didn''t question, confident that this would be necessary or their leader wouldn''t order him to do such a thing.


    in just five minutes, minos had communicated with everyone who was keeping an eye on the surroundings, preparing them to protect the group meditating in this cave, and keeping an eye on the development of their plans there.


    nar continued to stand in front of the entrance to his cave, while minos went back to meditating to recover his energy.  sea??h th§× n?vel(f)ire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    half an hour later, minos sensed a movement and alerted all his companions on guard at once!


    nar moved, burning the parasite on his forehead, while the others got into position.


    simultaneously with nar''s move, wenni and walkas appeared near minos, before setting off towards the level 115 supreme experiencing the benefits of sacrifice.


    nar went from the beginning of level 115 to the end of level 118 in moments, his speed increasing noticeably amid his pursuit of the hawk-eyed man.


    the man seemed to be retreating, but minos knew better. to prevent his group from being surrounded, as that opponent intended to test how strong they were, minos decided to take down the opponent before anything else.


    in the blink of an eye, the level 119 man looked back in horror to see the opponent who, a moment ago, was only a level 115 supreme showing himself to be very close to his cultivation.


    he immediately understood how minos'' group had been able to eliminate the level 120 worm and naturally wanted to disappear from that area to send word of the monstrous capabilities of these invaders. a group like this had to be eliminated or, like some plagues that had plagued the continent for millennia, they would take root in this land and make the continent less pure than it already was!


    but just as he was about to flee, two other supremes he hadn''t sensed earlier appeared in his path of escape. neither attacked him, but both combined their powers to form a barrier around him.


    "shit!" jalgon cursed his luck at coming across two corpses so strong and aware of their weakness.


    walkas smiled at seeing a being of that hawk-eyed man''s race again, remembering well how, on several occasions in the past, he had been chased by beings of today''s enemy''s race.


    using a little of his skills and a lot of his knowledge, walkas completely blocked jalgon''s escape route, giving nar the time he needed to make his move.


    even though he was one step below jalgon, nar attacked with everything he had in his initial move, intending to knock down or severely injure the enemy in order to neutralize him. as much as there was a slight difference between their levels, the minos envoy''s action was enough.


    reaching the fleeing man''s back, nar pierced the enemy''s body with an absorbable weapon, which for a moment looked like a harpoon, but then changed, its structure wrapping around jalgon''s body with powerful, sturdy chains.


    jalgon bled from his chest, losing all strength in his existence before falling to his knees on the ground, feeling the fearsome power of the absorbable weapon that this armhands member had obtained on the pirate island.


    before he could close his eyes in horror, minos and tiolos appeared around him, with the oqia native punching him in the face, sending him crashing to the ground, knocked out.


    minos immediately used his skills to trap the man in a time trap, while, without hesitation, stealing part of the being''s cultivation base to give it directly to his men.


    ''this man won''t die from nar''s blow. no matter how badly he''s been wounded, he''ll be able to recover if we give him the chance. minos thought to himself, not planning to leave this enemy with the possibility of recovering, but also unwilling to eliminate someone who could be interrogated.


    ''if i give 2% of his cultivation base to some of my men, i''ll give the group a chance to get stronger and make him susceptible to abby''s interrogation skills.''


    he moved in such a way, eager to discover the motivations and past of the white-haired enemy.

 Chapter 2703 Interrogation

    chapter 2703  interrogation inside a dark cave, jalgon opened his eyes, contorting his face as he felt pain throughout his body. unexpectedly, this was not the underworld he had expected to find in his death.


    "you''re awake," said a firm voice from in front of him, making him for a moment ignore the flashes of what had happened earlier in his memory and look at the man with the golden eyes and white hair.


    seeing the six wings behind the big man''s massive body, jalgon had no trouble identifying minos.


    ''shit. who knew i''d end up like this?'' he didn''t despair, however.


    looking at the surroundings of this dark place, he also saw a blue-haired woman and a black-haired woman, who he felt was strangely healing him at this very moment. finally, the level 117 supreme of this group, tiolos, stood next to minos, arms crossed in front of his chest, but certainly prepared to move.


    move? there was no way he could do anything, jalgon could feel his strength depleted, while the weapon that had gone through his body earlier was still penetrating him.


    "what do you want, invaders?" he asked with sensitive difficulty in his voice. however, he knew exactly what was going to happen. he was there to be interrogated.


    "you were watching us earlier..." minos smiled as he bent down in front of the man, looking directly into the subject''s weakened eyes. "what did you want?"


    "nothing much. i saw a group of foreigners and was wondering if there was a risk to me," he said, while minos sensed the brazen lie of this local native.


    "it''s okay if you don''t want to tell the truth. we''ll drag it out of you in our own way. abby."


    abby stepped forward, revealing her two jade-colored hands to jalgon, instantly causing a bluish energy to leave her fingers and head towards his body.


    jalgon had no chance to dodge or defend himself. weakened and immobilized, he could only watch helplessly as his body was invaded by the powers of a sovereign woman. he thought he wouldn''t suffer from the powers of someone so much weaker than him, but he saw he was totally mistaken.


    as the seconds passed, his senses gradually changed, while a sudden desire to speak the truth strangely filled his existence.


    "you can ask again, minos," abby said, before minos stood up and thanked her with a touch on one of her shoulders.


    "why did you attack us?" he asked the white-haired, hawk-eyed man again.


    with difficulty, jalgon replied, "i found the place where you killed that worm. i was curious to know if the one responsible for it was the same group i was hunting and if so, how you had done it."


    tiolos looked at abby when he heard this, surprised to see, for the first time, this woman''s ability to make third parties tell the truth against their will.


    abby continued to use her powers, temporarily at level 113, using the advantage minos had given her to influence as much of jalgon''s mind as possible. but this wouldn''t last long, as this individual was in a very bad way indeed, and ruth''s powers wouldn''t keep him alive for much longer.


    minos was aware of how delicate jalgon''s situation was and asked. "so you were behind us before you even observed us. why? how did you find out about my group?"


    "brendan, a level 114 octopus told me about you after i tortured him for answers about leger''s location."


    "leger? why were you after leger?" minos pressed.


    "he''s a murderer. he killed fellow members of my tribe." his words were charged with a deep sense of hatred, making everyone there fully understand the situation.


    they were silent for a moment, and when minos intended to ask another question, ruth let out a soft moan and lost control of her medical skills.


    the man closed his eyes again, this time for good, stopping breathing seconds after ruth had exhausted herself spiritually.


    as jalgon fell over the precipice of death, everyone took their eyes off him and looked at minos, thinking about what they had just heard.


    from the looks of it, leger and his group had run into trouble with this level 119 supreme now dead and at least one of the men in that group had fallen into the hands of the enemy. such a cultivator eventually spoke out more than he should have, leading them to today''s meeting.


    besides, leger had his own past and things shouldn''t be as simple as he had talked to them in oqia earlier.


    "an assassin, huh?" gloria was also there and couldn''t help but open her mouth to think about what jalgon had told them.


    "we''re all murderers, depending on how you look at it." tiolos pointed out this indisputable truth.  s§×ar?h the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    every grower killed and for their victims, the victims'' families and friends, they would always be the killers of their acquaintances. jalgon''s words didn''t necessarily imply that leger was a mass murderer, a psychopath about to explode and bring more and more trouble to them.


    "well, we can''t really judge the situation from what he''s told us," minos agreed with tiolos as he looked at gloria. "one way or another, we have an agreement with him and we need to move on.


    now we''ve also killed members of this man''s tribe and we might be seen as murderers by his race-mates."


    abby nodded and said, "let''s get rid of his body and move on with our plans. it really doesn''t change much of what we were thinking."


    they were already planning to recover from the battle earlier and continue with their search for leger''s group. now that they were in this situation, they would only have to undergo a slightly longer recovery due to another parasite sacrifice and then return to their search.


    leger could cause them problems, but their agreement was still valid and the man could also help them with other matters.


    minos soon dispersed his group, not having much more to talk about or plan other than what they had already done.


    soon he would return to meditating to look for clues that would lead him to leger.

 Chapter 2704 Legers Current State

    chapter 2704  leger''s current state days later, in an area further towards the center of the pristine wilds...


    in a tree that jalgon had recently passed, a bound body was still lying there, barely showing any signs of life.


    however, the octopus, which had come this far with only one tentacle left, was still alive, letting a small aura, as weak as a grandmaster''s, escape from his body.


    suddenly, footsteps sounded from the opposite direction to where brendan was looking, and he imagined that his fate was coming to torment him.


    ''damn it, has that bastard come back already?'' wondered the bound beast, in the worst state of his entire existence.


    but he would be surprised by the newcomer!


    "brendan!" the voice of an old acquaintance, totally different from jalgon''s icy tone, sounded from behind the tree a moment before the owner of it appeared on the left side of the seriously injured octopus.


    brendan''s eyes widened as he looked to the side, seeing the imposing figure of leger appearing there in this very dangerous place after everything that had happened.


    gulp!


    "leger!" he shouted, overcoming his fragility.


    for a moment, brendan looked at leger in absolute shock, not believing that after all the torture he had suffered, his old group leader had come to this place.


    where was jalgon to seize the opportunity and deal with leger, ending brendan''s suffering as well?


    however, fate played tricks on him in a way he could never have foreseen.


    "brendan, you didn''t talk about me, did you?" leger smiled at his old companion, stopping in front of the creature just four meters in front of him.


    "what are you talking about? let me go, boss. let''s get out of here while there''s still time!" said the creature, trying to move as a glimmer of hope appeared in its eyes.


    as much as he blamed leger for all his misfortune, he was no fool. aware that jalgon would eventually kill him or torture him to death, the best option for him was to escape with the help of his former leader while he could.


    but leger had different plans for brendan.


    "let you go? hehe, brendan, do you really think i don''t know what jalgon did to you?" leger shook his head in disappointment. "before i came to see you, i visited our friend wimarc. he told me how that miserable hawk tortured him and made him talk about me and my plans."


    brendan paled even more severely when he heard these words.


    "in the end, i had to kill wimarc. no matter how much he suffered, handing over one''s leader is the greatest betrayal one could do in life," minos'' ally said, as a dagger appeared in one of his hands.


    "what do you intend to do?"


    "brendan, as your leader, i must give you the quick death you deserve. i just wonder if you''ll have the honor of speaking the truth before you die or if you''ll try to take me to the hole, like wimarc did." he advanced, placing his weapon near brendan''s only remaining eye.


    "wretch! after everything i''ve been through, you''re just going to kill me?" brendan felt betrayed, even if he had been the one to betray someone there.


    "is that all you have to say before you die? how pointless!"


    with words as icy as his will, leger ended brendan''s suffering, slicing through the creature''s body in one swift, clean movement until he reached its heart.


    brendan felt no pain in his last moment of life. all he felt was deep sadness, followed by unparalleled relief. although he didn''t want to die when he saw leger in front of him, this was the best fate for him.


    wounded, with his cultivation crippled and full of trauma in his mind, living would be nothing more than a punishment for him. his instincts would naturally make him seek life, but when he lost that possibility, he felt the freedom that only death gave.


    "good luck. jalgon is after minos." his last words before falling into the dark spiral of death redeemed him from his mistakes, making leger clench his fists and ponder the shitty situation he was in.


    "fuck!"


    ...


    while leger was discovering the worst news since he began the part of his journey to hide and avoid enemies in uzira, minos and his group had gone ahead with their plans.


    days after jalgon''s demise, they had gone ahead with their plans, abandoning his corpse and distributing his belongings among the most compatible members of the group.


    minos was leading his people with simple rules that were beneficial to everyone. as they came into contact with opportunities, enemy belongings or other things, they would divide them up according to those closest to advancing in level with an affinity for such opportunities.


    in this way, they had quickly overcome several days of challenges and more battles, accumulated more resources and moments of temporary seclusion without having to debate each of the possessions they had obtained so far.


    now the group was following minos'' lead in search of leger''s whereabouts, whom he believed it wouldn''t take them long to find.


    luckily, the group hadn''t had to fight any mid-level supremes in the last few days. nar and wovar were being protected and carried by the group without having to worry about more companions ending up in their situation.


    meanwhile, as vengeful as uzira''s tribes were, and they had already eliminated a few beings besides the worm and jalgon, no large group or beings had tried to take revenge for their actions so far.


    today, on their nineteenth day in uzira, minos was following the tracks he had obtained from jalgon''s interrogation, arriving at the place where the local native''s two captives had previously been.


    arriving at this spot, abby frowned as she pointed toward a large tree. "someone died right there a little while ago," she said, feeling that this could be a bad sign for them.


    "do you think you can bring him back to life? is his body still in the area?" gloria asked her harem sister.  s~ea??h the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "yes, his corpse was buried below the place of his death. i think we have a good chance of reviving him. he was only a sovereign in life." abby confirmed, before seeing minos nod for her to go ahead with this plan.


    stepping forward from the group, abby activated her divine ability, causing the negative energy from where brendan had died to move around her, growing even stronger as it was touched by the woman''s mana. moments later, the ground opened up and a decomposing body left the place it had been buried, gradually recovering his body to a much better state than it had been in before his death.


    brendan recovered completely and soon opened his eyes, feeling his aura again at the peak of level 114, something strange for him, not only because he had died, but because he had been crippled before he died.


    however, the rules of the living were different from those of the dead and abby had guaranteed him a body at its physical and spiritual peak!

 Chapter 2705 Union with Leger

    chapter 2705  union with leger looking at himself in shock, brendan ignored minos'' group for a moment, enjoying some of the freedom of thought that abby allowed her corpses to have.


    but being totally under her control, he couldn''t do anything against abby or her interests. he could think freely, but his actions were totally restricted to what she allowed him.  s§×arch* the n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    after inhaling the air into his lungs in this world again, he felt strange, a little angry with leger, but also understanding. he had been murdered, but truth be told, in the situation he had been in before his death, dying had been a good thing. the action of murdering him had freed him from pain and a lot of future humiliation.


    "who would know? i''m even stronger now than when i was alive." he laughed bitterly, feeling funny about life''s ironies.


    minos looked at the octopus-bodied individual, letting him understand what had happened for a minute. but being in a dangerous place, the guy with the long white hair interrupted brendan''s contemplation.


    "what happened?"


    brendan identified minos, not having thought before that he would see this person in such a way. but he wasn''t surprised by this person''s group, nor by abby''s powers. he had heard some rumors about them.


    leger, of course, had investigated minos and his group and discovered several things. as these natives of the spiritual world had been active in the war against firestone mines, there was a lot of information available about them in oqia.


    after sighing, brendan told of his last moments alive on this continent. "after arriving in uzira, we were forced to split up because of an attack by a local beast. more than half of those who survived the violent sea fell to that damned creature.


    but when some of us escaped and thought we could reunite and wait for your group, someone else found us. a creature called jalgon. he was hunting leger nearby.


    he spotted the boss'' aura nearby and then kidnapped one of my companions and me. i don''t know how my old companion spent his last moments. but i was tortured and forced to tell everything i knew. that is until jalgon left and leger found me.


    i was killed by leger and probably buried in this place."


    "leger?" gloria looked at her companions before asking brendan. "why would he kill one of his subordinates?"


    minos narrowed his eyes as he understood what had happened even before the octopus explained.


    "i betrayed him. i told jalgon about him. i told the enemy about you, too. then, leger found me tied to that tree behind me, when i was crippled, totally devastated. he killed me to punish me, but he also killed me to rid me of the terror i''d experienced for months."


    "you don''t seem to be angry with him." ruth commented, curious.


    "i certainly do, or rather, i did. after all, i suffered what i suffered because of leger''s crimes." brendan spoke as he transformed into a humanoid version.


    unlike wenni and walkas, who were far superior to abby and even with the black liquid wouldn''t last long, brendan could easily last two whole years in his condition, even without the use of the black liquid.


    minos and the others were in no hurry to question him, asking only the questions necessary for them to understand what had happened to the group.


    "so," minos changed the pace of the conversation, saying, "apart from you and the companion who died nearby, only leger survived?"


    "i''m not sure about that. four of us survived the white worm. but only wimarc and i fell into the hands of the cruel jalgon.


    the day i was killed, only leger showed himself to me, so i imagine that iohn is either dead or hiding in another part of the forest. no one but them remains of our crew.


    the journey across the violent sea was disastrous. most of our group perished during a storm..." he said in a heavy tone, remembering their journey. looking at the large group of minos, he asked. "but you don''t seem to know what i''m talking about. did you happen to have any casualties?"


    "no. we all survived the journey." abby replied to her subordinate.


    this was shocking for brendan, but without any knowledge of the nautilus'' compass, he imagined that this was because of the impressive formation of this group. he could clearly feel the cultivation levels of each of them and was surprised by the number of supremes around him.


    in particular, feeling the power of tiolos, who had only just been promoted to level 116 less than a decade ago, he couldn''t help but be shocked.


    "i''m really unlucky to have been part of his group and not yours, master," he said to abby with a smile on his face.


    "don''t call me that. it sounds really strange." abby corrected him. "call me ma''am."


    he nodded at her before turning his gaze to minos. "are you going in search of leger? aren''t you afraid of having jalgon against you? he''s a powerful level 119 supreme."


    "we know who he is. we killed jalgon before we came looking for you and leger." minos revealed as the corpse surrounded by his group widened his eyes in surprise.


    after a moment of shock, brendan shaped a wide smile on his lips, until he burst out laughing with joy. he hadn''t imagined that he would hear about his captor''s death!


    "hahahahaha, he deserved it! that wretch ate over 40% of my body while he was torturing me!" he said out loud amidst his strange laughter.


    minos understood the creature''s feelings and wasn''t bothered by the creature''s loud voice and laughter. but he didn''t allow it for long. "now, brendan, do you know how to get to leger? we have a deal to keep and whether you like it, he knows this area better than any of us. hence, we need him."


    "about that, i couldn''t find him before, but if he''s taken my belongings, then i can track down one of my ancient artifacts." he showed one of his fingers to minos and the others in the vicinity, revealing a hand without any spatial storage items, something unusual for such a strong cultivator.

 Chapter 2706 Group Reunited

    chapter 2706  group reunited on the eve of the one-month anniversary of the arrival of minos'' group in uzira, leger was alone in a small cave, in front of a fire, with a fish roasting.


    the night, always clear in zocarro, was making the place partially illuminated. in addition, the breeze from the sparse forest where this cave was located well ventilated the place, making it quiet and welcoming.


    but leger didn''t feel relaxed anywhere in uzira. aware of the dangers of this continent and the hunters in search of his neck, he was vigilant as he waited for his fish to be ready.


    alone, he wasn''t optimistic. ''i''ve been waiting for minos for two years now... will he still come to me?'' he asked himself as he sighed.


    of all his crew, he was the one who had believed the most in minos and tiolos'' group. but even he was beginning to doubt that group. the violent sea was truly terrible and every day that passed without him hearing from the group, the more he thought the worst had happened.


    minos'' group was much stronger than his. but the violent sea felt no pressure from mere sovereigns and supremes. if one didn''t have the strength, luck and knowledge necessary, falling into the violent sea wouldn''t be hard to happen.


    "did they die?" he asked in concern.


    but suddenly, as he heard the burning wood, he heard his monitoring artifacts alerting him to individuals entering his safe space.


    getting up quickly, he drew his weapon and prepared to fight.


    "leger! i''ve come to haunt you!"


    a voice he knew all too well rang out and sent shivers down his spine as his mouth suddenly went dry.


    ''brendan! how is this possible?'' for an instant, he ignored his knowledge of abby''s divine ability and thought that brendan''s ghost had come after him seeking retribution.


    brendan laughed out loud as he took the lead from minos'' group, but his farce wouldn''t last more than a minute. as soon as he stopped to think about the situation, leger thought of his ally''s group.


    "minos!" he sensed the other members of the group, seeing minos, abby, gloria and ruth appear just behind brendan, along with tiolos and the others.


    relaxing a little, he felt better, even though brendan was still looking at him dryly.


    minos spotted leger in front of the small cave where this individual was sheltering and made sure that some of his men kept an eye on the perimeter while they gathered.


    minos spotted leger in front of the small cave where this individual was sheltering and made sure that some of his men kept an eye on the perimeter while they gathered.


    "we''ve finally found you. it wasn''t easy getting to you, leger." tiolos said as he approached the man and greeted him with a nod.


    leger shook his head in response, agreeing. "indeed. you took your time, too. i was beginning to believe that you were all dead, at the bottom of the bloody violent sea."


    "we were luckier than your group." minos said with a restrained smile. "anyway, now we''re here, we can get on with our deal."


    leger agreed until he looked at brendan again, feeling he had to explain himself, of course.


    "about that, what happened to my group was a mixture of our bad luck, but also of old problems. as i had already told voices in oqia, uzira is very closed and the natives of the area are extremely defensive against foreigners.


    on my first visit to the continent, i fought several creatures who tried to kill me, and of course, i hid from those who could kill me. i narrowly managed to make enough of the local opportunities to strengthen myself and eventually return to oqia.


    but in the meantime, i naturally acquired enemies who want to kill me and have been chasing me ever since. i returned to oqia partly because of them, but everything i told them before was the truth. without a strong group in uzira, we can''t go far."


    sensing the silence of the group around him, he looked at brendan and said. "i killed you for what you did by betraying us, but also to end your pain. now i have no more grudges against you. however, don''t blame me for what your captor did to you. you all knew the dangers of uzira when you joined me."


    "i now serve abby, minos'' wife. so if ma''am tells me to tolerate you, i will. but that doesn''t change what happened between us. as much as i understand your side, it doesn''t change everything i''ve been through because of you." brendan said in a harsh tone, dropping the joke from a few moments ago.


    looking at minos, leger asked. "do you see anything wrong with my dealings with brendan? regarding the enemies i have in uzira?"  sear?h the n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    minos looked at them both and then shook his head in denial. leger was no saint, but he was telling the truth, just as he had done back then in oqia.


    take the case of the white worm. he had tried to murder them for no reason. in the end, they were the ones to kill the creature and if it had a tribe and elders stronger than him, it was possible that such a confrontation would eventually result in greater problems for their group.


    perhaps leger''s problems came from similar situations, so there was no way minos could blame him just because of how little he knew.


    "no, we''ll move on together, but i don''t want you to hide anything else from me." he sat down on a rock as he finished this subject.


    "i certainly didn''t hide it. i said that the beings of uzira were super vindictive. in a way, i implied in our previous conversation that i probably had enemies who wanted revenge for things i''d done..." he corrected his ally. "anyway, as well as jalgon, there are three other groups that could come up to harass us.


    i''ve had problems with high-level sovereigns and low-level supremes. so those who are hunting me are a bit stronger than that, low and mid-level supremes.


    i don''t know exactly how many are as close to us as jalgon. some were from larger tribes and others from smaller ones. it could be that we''re close to having new problems or are far away. it''s really hard for me to predict that, given the infinite variables."


    minos said. "we''ve eliminated jalgon. but we don''t want to have to fight someone like him again. let''s try to dodge these enemies while we get stronger. now it''s time for you to help us find good places to strengthen ourselves.


    just tell me where there are opportunities for us and i''ll find the safest way possible for us to get to those places."

 Chapter 2707 Distortion Ahead

    chapter 2707  distortion ahead months after meeting leger, minos'' group was now in an area further north from where they had arrived in uzira.


    leger had helped them by pointing out the interesting places he had heard about or even passed near during his first passage through the continent.


    even though this region of uzira was the poorest on the continent, it was undeniably richer than even special places in oqia. not only that, given how large the eastern region was, a group like theirs could certainly travel the area for years and still come across new things.


    minos took the lead of the group during the last few months, using the nautilus'' compass to reach the locations indicated by leger, successfully sidestepping problems and reach opportunities for his people.


    in a fortuitous encounter during these months, they even managed to get a chance to improve one of the group''s supremes!


    but in most of the opportunities they''ve had so far, the group''s sovereigns have been the ones to enjoy their chances.


    even so, months were not enough for new promotions to appear on the team. now, standing in an area close to the coast, the group faced an unusual opportunity, an unexpected encounter on the way to another location indicated by leger.


    faced with a spatial distortion, minos and his companions had their eyes narrowed, each of them wondering what might be on the other side.


    they had been following minos'' lead for the last 11 days, between the place where they had gotten their last chance and the next chance indicated by leger. last night, they stopped near this distortion to rest and when they began their journey onwards to leger''s point, they came across this unexpected distortion.


    even minos thought that the path they were following would lead them to the place indicated by leger, but at this point, he was no longer sure.


    "are we really going to go through with this?" one of the armhands generals asked minos, breaking the momentary silence in this forest area with its large trees and little undergrowth.


    they couldn''t sense anything that could tell them what was on the other side. several of them were a little unsure, of course.


    abby, gloria and ruth could already imagine minos'' response when he answered. "my instincts are telling me that this is the best path for us. let''s take a little risk and move on."


    as confident as he was in his prophetic abilities connected to the nautilus'' compass and the temporal sands, minos wasn''t sure what lay ahead. he knew that there would certainly be opportunities, but these could range from situations without extreme dangers nearby to near-death dangers. the fact that it was the best route only meant that there were better opportunities to be had by following this path or that the dangers on this journey would be less.


    but even though he was uncertain about what lay ahead, minos didn''t fear the unknown. his instincts were much more refined after all his experience in the violent sea and subsequent strengthening.


    minos then looked at the supremes of his group and said, "half of us will go ahead and the other half will stay on the outskirts to protect the group''s passage.


    tiolos, clexvog and malie, you three will go with me. the others will stay and help the other members of the group enter the distortion. we''ll give you three to five minutes and then you''ll enter the spatial distortion."


    the three strongest supremes at his disposal positioned themselves while he summoned wenni and walkas, the first time he had done so since meeting leger.


    with a quick explanation of the situation, minos left walkas with abby''s group and moved forward with wenni at his side.


    entering the spatial distortion, they felt as if the world around them was turning upside down, with a strange noise making them bring their hands to their ears. meanwhile, the surrounding space seemed to be a gray and white blur, with no ground for them to stand on, but also nothing in their surroundings, whichever direction they looked.


    strangely, they didn''t fall or float away, they just carried on, using the energy in their senses not to be overwhelmed.


    a minute later, minos was the first of them to leave the distortion, coming across a totally different area from the forest they were in moments ago.


    there didn''t seem to be any immediate danger around them, but the differences between the previous place and this one were great. this place was a grandiose mountainous terrain, devoid of vegetation, and with several ruins of ancient buildings visible at minos'' fingertips.


    in each of the ruins, shiny items caught minos'' eye, beckoning him to investigate them. he and his first companions to cross the spatial distortion didn''t do so immediately.


    when they stopped on the outskirts of the spatial distortion, they took a deep breath as they spiritually and visually analyzed the area.  s~ea??h the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''the energy density here is much stronger than the average of the areas we passed through in uzira. in addition, the gravity is 10 times stronger, which means it will be more difficult for the group''s sovereigns to fly through this area.'' tiolos analyzed the terrain.


    ''fortunately, there doesn''t seem to be anyone else around here apart from us.'' another of them considered.


    "that seems to be an ancient inheritance," wenni said to the group, looking more relaxed than her fellow explorers. "the cultivation world can be repetitive. wherever you go, experts are worried about dying and will leave their immortal traces behind. these are what we call inheritances, places that preserve the memory and one last spark of a unique and powerful being that exists or once existed."


    "are you sure about that?" malie asked.


    "absolutely. are you seeing these shiny objects in several sites here? each one is the core of a test left by the creator of this dimension."


    "so this place is an opportunity for us to win prizes and stuff?" minos looked at the woman next to him.


    "prizes? not exactly. the inheritances in zocarro are more about opportunities. getting an artifact in this place would be difficult. but it''s possible that some of us will be able to inherit techniques, knowledge and even opportunities to cultivate within these tests. in any case, with such an energy-rich dimension, everyone will be able to cultivate much faster here."


    when she had finished speaking, the rest of the group went through the spatial distortion, each of them being surprised by the difference between this place and the previous forest, but also taking their time to recover from the effects of going through the spatial distortion.

 Chapter 2708 Trapped in Another Dimension

    chapter 2708  trapped in another dimension the group understood where they were and what the common inheritances in uzira were, given wenni and walkas'' explanations.


    as soon as they confirmed they were the only living beings inside this space, as large as the spatial kingdom that minos had inherited from henricus longus, they returned those two corpses to their urns. it was not yet time to waste their scarce time.


    minos kept the group together, although his companions'' moods changed noticeably as they came to understand the area better. following his instincts, he led the group to one ruin at the base of the mountain, where a small altar and obelisk stood in the center of it.


    as soon as his entire group stopped near the obelisk, a spiritual change took place in the glowing item in that place, revealing a spiritual form in a humanoid body.


    when they saw the figure of a 4-meter-tall woman with long black hair forming, they all turned their eyes to her, who was clearly a native of uzira.


    this was a spiritual projection, but even so, the group felt as if they were face to face with a living expert in their prime, with an aura of incredible level 124!


    "a large group, i see," said the semi-transparent figure as she looked at the over twenty individuals, registering in her mind the particularities of each one of them.


    "a large group of foreigners, i think. hardly any natives of my home planet..."


    minos and the others were worried by her words. even though she was speaking a different language to the ones they knew, they understood her.


    without worrying about how it was happening, they were more interested in where her words would take them.


    when her gaze landed on minos, the enormous woman''s eyes narrowed. "you... hmm, i see. it''s no wonder that a group of invaders with such numbers have arrived on my continent."


    minos didn''t understand what she had realized, but he introduced himself. "senior, i am minos stuart. i''m a native of a distant world, called by its natives the spiritual world. i know uzira is a continent closed to foreigners, but my group isn''t here with plans to destabilize uzira. we are cultivators with plans to cultivate and take advantage of local opportunities, and that is it."


    "what you want and what you say are contrasting things by nature. it''s impossible for you to take advantage of anything here without bringing chaos and instability," she said, but her voice didn''t seem to carry a strong desire to stand against them.


    minos and his companions didn''t despair, realizing that they could somehow reach an agreement there.


    "however, since you have found the entrance to my pocket dimension, you must be destined to be my representative in uzira. i will trust the result you and your companions have in my inheritance.


    if you survive the tests, i will allow you to experience all the opportunities you can grasp for yourselves while you are here, and i will even open doors to the exit from my dimension.


    you have my word that i will honor this promise.


    however, in order to do so, you must all agree to pass at least one challenge from my inheritance."


    "what exactly is that, senior?" tiolos asked.


    "this pocket dimension results from a long and distant part of uzira''s history. this was once the headquarters of one of the strongest forces on the continent, destroyed long ago.


    it had 15 mountains in its headquarters, and in each of them there was a faction. today, there are only 15 ruins left, but each one has its own challenges and opportunities.


    the place where you are is the main ruin and also the most dangerous. the opportunities are proportional to their dangers, so be aware before making your choices.


    there''s no need to do just one challenge. if one of you is brave enough to do them all, feel free to go ahead with your ambitious thoughts. there''s also no need to complete all the challenges at once. you can go slowly or quickly. that''s your choice.


    but i do require that at least each of the mountains be challenged once before the end of your time here. until you fulfill it, i will keep you trapped in my dimension indefinitely."


    with her words, the spatial distortion through which they had passed closed, trapping them in this alternative space, impossible to enter and exit without her authorization for even high-level supremes!  s§×ar?h the n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    certain that they would not escape from this place, they had no choice but to face the games left behind by that enormous woman.


    she finished explaining. "the space outside the ruins is safe and you can use it to rest, cultivate and even live your lives if you choose not to complete all my requirements. there are no creatures to put you in danger and i won''t act against you, either.


    however, i would like to warn you. you will not find food or anything else consumable outside the ruins. if you even want water, challenge the ruins and you''ll get your chance.


    to challenge a ruin, just use a drop of your blood on those glowing structures around my pocket dimension. you''ll know how to proceed with each challenge after this little ritual." she finished explaining, pointing to the glowing obelisk next to her.


    "what level of difficulty are those challenges?" someone asked curiously.


    they were interested in seizing opportunities there, so for the moment, although alarmed, they still weren''t too worried about being held there for a long time.


    "all challenges are for supremes." she revealed, making even minos and his strongest companions feel a little more pressure on their shoulders.


    ''supreme level challenges?'' minos laughed bitterly at hearing such a thing.


    as far as his group was from reaching that level, several of them would still need several years of cultivation to get there!


    "and you can''t use the parasites in your bodies. i feel a disturbing energy from them that makes me sick. i''ll make sure your parasites are sealed away when you get through your challenges." with these words, she ended her presentation of the group''s situation, leaving them in the difficult position that was this inheritance.


    "it looks like we''ll have to invest in a long seclusion in this place." abby murmured with a green smile on her beautiful face.

 Chapter 2709 15 Years

    chapter 2709  15 years in the blink of an eye, the fifteenth year since the departure of minos'' group arrived for those left behind in armhands.


    at the guild''s headquarters, things were quiet, with no confusion, but with the daily hustle and bustle of the place.


    the external members had been working for opportunities to advance in rank and become internal members, while the strongest were cultivating in pursuit of the 12th stage and the dream of everyone there.


    the upper realm!


    that was the reality for the guild''s supremes, while the sovereigns focused much more on getting promotions in the guild.


    amid this, kendrick was in the position of faction leader, keeping an eye on the development of his companions.


    in 15 years, he hadn''t changed much. his cultivation remained at the same level as when minos had left, normal for someone who was already at the high level of the 11th stage.


    without his father to speed up his cultivation efficiency, it would naturally take him and everyone else in his family and faction a few decades to make progress towards the end of the 11th stage.


    however, those who came from the spiritual world were having a good time during this period, a sign of their still low cultivations by local standards.


    facing his great-grandfather, kendrick was in the law enforcement hall talking about his family and faction, about the members of the group who were slowly making individual trips out of examire.


    "how are cykog and aurae, great-grandfather?" kendrick asked the white-haired, long-bearded man sitting comfortably in front of him.


    oswald was now displaying a majestic peak cultivation of level 106, obviously close to his breakthrough to level 107. he looked into kendrick''s eyes and said, "those two should be fine. they''re still away from headquarters on individual missions, but they should soon return even stronger.


    aurae should reach level 108 in no time. she''s really adapted very well to zocarro and unlocked its elven potential. as for that dragon, it shouldn''t take him long to reach level 107. he''ll probably progress before i do."


    "that''s good to hear. when they become high-level sovereigns, our chances will improve. for now, we''ll let them get on with their individual actions while they get stronger."


    in a faction like theirs, which even had level 115 supremes, the group''s mid-level sovereigns weren''t that relevant in the short term. what they could add was marginal. what really caught their eye was their potential to one day reach the end of the 11th stage and eventually be more crucial to the faction.


    kendrick was looking to the future as he followed his teammates'' progress.


    "speaking of strengthening, lizzie has reached level 105, while four other companions, natives of the spiritual world who were previously at level 105, have advanced to level 106." oswald added the only advances his group had made in recent years.


    kendrick had been having conversations with the group about improvements every five years. in the meantime, he rarely asked questions about the strength of his faction members and would normally only know about something like this if these people lived with him on a daily basis.


    but some faction members cultivated in seclusion for long periods of time, while others were constantly outside the headquarters, or even in areas outside the guild.


    talking about these things with oswald today, kendrick got a better sense of how things were improving for those natives of the spiritual world who had last joined them in zocarro.


    after a while, oswald touched on another subject of common interest.


    "i heard maximillian has left his seclusion." oswald looked suggestively at kendrick.


    kendrick nodded in confirmation, having already been informed of this. "maximillian is currently at level 111. he left his cultivation cave 11 days ago and immediately left headquarters when he started an external mission."


    smiling, kendrick said what he thought of this behavior. "he''s clearly avoiding us. he knows my father isn''t around, but he''s aware that we''re enough trouble for him. so i wouldn''t be surprised if we don''t see much of him until he reaches the end of the 11th stage."


    oswald had already thought the same after hearing the rumors about maximillian. "some of our teammates hate him more than he knows. maybe he should stay away."


    vico had put aside the problems of the war before the war of the worlds. but he had done so out of respect for minos, the moment they had arrived in zocarro and maximillian''s strength, which was greater than his own. but others in zocarro now and still to come from the spiritual world in the coming decades might not react to the situation in the same way.


    many had lost their families and sects because they had been weakened by the war started by maximillian. if they had the chance to take revenge, many would do so.


    even though kendrick didn''t want this kind of trouble, he knew he couldn''t totally limit his companions'' wishes. inside the guild, they would obey its rules, of course. but once outside, anything could happen, including such situations bringing trouble into the guild.


    that was his only concern at the moment, that his own companions would seek to resolve old conflicts in the spiritual world in zocarro and thereby cause local problems for the faction.


    "let''s keep an eye on those who aren''t family." kendrick advised his great-grandfather, "some of them will return to the spiritual world in a few decades and bring people from their own groups. we must keep a close eye on them and their actions."


    "don''t worry, i''ll keep an eye out. we''ll keep the guild in order and harmony until your father returns," as he said this, oswald got up and left, leaving kendrick alone.  sear?h the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    looking out of his office window, kendrick saw the rosy sky of zocarro, looking west. ''given how long it''s been since the group left, you must have been in uzira for a few years now.'' he thought of his father and the rest of the group, wondering what the situation was like for those sent from armhands.


    the elders of the guild had rarely touched on the subject of minos and uzira in recent years, since they were all aware that it would take centuries to generate results. but occasionally kendrick and the other spiritual world natives thought about the situation of that group.


    however, just as the others were confident, kendrick thought that his father and mother must be getting stronger somewhere. he soon returned to his more pressing matters.

 Chapter 2710 Situation in the Pocket Dimension

    chapter 2710  situation in the pocket dimension back in the pocket dimension that minos and his group had encountered earlier, 25 years had passed for the group since they had entered this place dominated by the level 124 fragment.


    as the fragment had promised them, outside the ruins of this bare mountainous area, there were no dangers for the group. that woman hadn''t acted against them, and those who had stayed outside the ruins had had a peaceful time over the years.


    now the group was separated on the outskirts of this mountainous area, with several small temporary camps on different peaks in the region.


    at some of these sites, individuals meditated in silence inside their individual tents, while at others people practiced their skills and techniques, or occasionally chatted, ate and relaxed a bit.  s§×arch* the n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    although this location had no food for them to gather or hunt, groups like theirs always had food with them. what''s more, at the level they were at, they ate more for fun, to relax and entertain themselves, rather than out of a biological need that they no longer had.


    but these moments of conversation were not so common. in recent years, the group had only talked to each other in practice fights of members against members, which they did quite often during the period, or when someone started or finished a challenge in the surrounding ruins.


    the sovereigns of the group had been focusing on trying to improve to take the area tests, but by this time, the supremes of the group had already begun their attempts. the level 124 soul fragment had helped them to classify each of the ruins by level of difficulty and so the group had begun the challenges, starting from the least difficult to the most difficult ruin.


    six individuals had joined the challenges over the years, including minos, tiolos, wovar, clexvog, nar and leger. the other supremes in the group were preparing after receiving the initial reports from tiolos and minos. even the weakest of ruins could endanger the lives of low-level supremes!


    consequently, the group was working on getting stronger before going ahead with the challenges.


    but of the six who attempted the challenges, minos and tiolos had already been through three ruins, while the two giant brothers had visited two of them. nar and leger had only completed the least difficult ruin and were currently preparing to challenge the second ruin.


    the soul fragment had told them they could test their strength in each of the ruins if they preferred. even though they had already accomplished the bare minimum, they wanted to test more.


    after minos and tiolos successfully passed through three ruins, they got new skills, spiritual affinities and their cultivations accelerated. they hadn''t advanced the level or quality of their physiques, but they were much stronger than when they entered this place.


    as such, they all aimed to test their limits in the ruins as much as they could.


    however, they wouldn''t risk it foolishly. the ruins had dangers capable of killing supremes, so the group had also been behaving carefully.


    at that moment, abby and gloria were sitting on a stone, observing the surroundings of the black area they were in. they didn''t have a great view to look at, but after over two years of cultivation in seclusion¡ªwhich felt like 15 years to her, because of minos'' power¡ªthey took a moment to observe their companions training and meditating in the surroundings.


    their group of sovereigns had dwindled with the stage advancements of four individuals in those 25 years. meanwhile, some level 115 supremes were close to reaching level 116, which they deemed necessary to safely challenge the first ruin.


    abby and gloria were close to their next breakthrough, but they were still a long way from the day when they would take their tests. with cultivation of only level 111, they had to improve a lot to risk this place.


    "it looks like we''ll be forced to stay here until we become supreme." gloria sighed at the thought.


    "i don''t think so. we''ve absorbed a lot of opportunities over the years, absorbable weapons, opportunities to improve our physiques, we also have techniques of the highest level, etc. we''ll probably be able to challenge for one of those places when we''re between levels 113 and 114." abby disagreed with her as she looked toward where ruth was in seclusion.


    "but we''re likely to be here for a whole century.... sigh! our comrades in oqia will have to wait longer than i expected. we''ve barely entered uzira and we''re going to be stuck all this time."


    gloria closed her eyes as she listened to her harem sister and said with a little more optimism, "i see that as a big positive. that soul fragment wants to trap us for the rest of our lives in this place. but all it will achieve is to keep us safe until we are strong enough to travel through uzira.


    sooner or later we''ll leave this dimension and by then we''ll be better prepared for the challenges of uzira."


    "well, i can''t disagree with that." abby looked at the red-haired woman next to her.


    "what happens if minos advances in the meantime?" she asked as she looked in his direction.


    minos was meditating in a tent near theirs, close to ruth. he was due to awaken from his state in another two years, when he intended to challenge the fourth ruin, which tiolos had already entered a few weeks ago and was still there.


    gloria understood that the advance abby had questioned referred to the advance to the 12th stage of minos and said, "i don''t think so. otherwise, we''ll be here a lot longer than we planned. but even if that happens, it wouldn''t be such a problem, as long as we can maintain our current situation."


    they would soon finish this conversation and focus some time on training their techniques and skills. without being able to use the advantage of cultivating with the effects of temporal sands until minos finished his cultivation, they intended to spend the next few months fighting each other and the companions at their disposal.


    time would continue for them, with more people feeling ready to pursue their opportunities within the ruins of the area, while others would venture deeper. soon tiolos would finish his adventure and minos would reach the end of his preparations to face the fourth and fifth ruins of the area in succession!

 Chapter 2711 The Challenges

    chapter 2711  the challenges months later, minos had awakened from his state of concentrated meditation and helped his companions by using temporal sands. in just 20 days of effort, minos managed to put all his companions under the effects of his divine ability, enough for them to experience a passage of time different from the real thing.


    after leaving the group in seclusion, he watched leger prepare for the next ruin he would enter, having advanced to level 116 earlier. he also spoke to tiolos, who had successfully completed the journey through the fourth ruin, getting some tips for the course ahead.


    after three months in ruin number 12, he also overcame the challenge already carried out by tiolos and moved on to the entrance of ruin 11.


    faced with the glowing essence of ruin 11, he cut off the tip of one of his fingers and moved on when he touched a glowing sphere of strong spiritual fluctuation there. immediately, the path into the ruin revealed itself to him, transforming the dark and difficult-to-analyze place into one that was illuminated for him alone.


    only his eyes could see the differences after he connected his blood and energy to the core of the ruin, seeing a path forming towards the area where his tests would be.  s§×arch* the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the ruins of this place were not like those that cultivators would normally find, with partially destroyed areas, faulty defensive and offensive mechanisms, internal areas forgotten by time and the presence of dangerous living beings. the place where minos and his companions were was special, created by the owner of the level 124 soul fragment to be a test for individuals destined for feats or powers similar to hers.


    her strength had ended in the distant past, but what would have been the partially destroyed headquarters of her former organization was not simply abandoned by her. she transformed it, made it her inheritance, keeping creatures away from the place and alternating the areas of her dimension according to what she found interesting.


    minos had already experienced this in the last tests, having seen that the place they were in was an area with tests of endurance, spiritual affinity, capacity for understanding, etc. there were risks, of course, but they didn''t have to deal with damaged traps, vengeful spirits and the like.


    he soon reached level 1 of ruin 11, the first of the five levels available in this ruin.


    in what must have been the main hall of the site in the distant past, minos came across the surrounding passages being covered by energy barriers. these paths led to the exit, to the next level, but also to special areas of the ruin where one could get water, preserved and fresh food, but most importantly, special opportunities.


    in the ruin number 12 that he had faced over the last few weeks, minos had gone through a total of 4 levels, and on level 4, he had gotten the chance to cultivate in a plasma lake where he purified his blue flames.


    that opportunity didn''t give him a chance to advance in level, but it did make his flames stronger for the same level and intensity of heat, making them more capable of melting and consuming substances.


    the flames on his body had the additional effect of cleansing impurities from resources he consumed¡ªup to a certain limit¡ªa characteristic that was also strengthened by this recent victory he had had.


    all this had been a fraction of what he had obtained in ruin 12, something he had achieved by winning a test of resistance to the pure flames of the divine phoenix.


    however, this didn''t mean that the test had been simple. if minos didn''t already have a power related to that of the most difficult test of the ruin and wasn''t as strong as he was, with his celestial grade physique and other abilities related to the divine dragons and seraphim, the whole thing could have been deadly for him.


    11:00


    however, this didn''t mean that the test had been simple. if minos didn''t already have a power related to that of the most difficult test of the ruin and wasn''t as strong as he was, with his celestial grade physique and other abilities related to the divine dragons and seraphim, the whole thing could have been deadly for him.


    "i''m ready, whatever today''s test is," he said as he circulated his energies, obviously in the dark as to what was in ruin 11, which he was the first to explore.


    he and tiolos were taking turns exploring the ruins to inform each other and their companions of the kind of danger and tests they would face if they accepted the challenges. it was his turn to be the first to explore the dangers of the ruins of this heritage, before he could once again cultivate in seclusion and wait for tiolos'' next attempt.


    as soon as minos spoke, the test on level 1 of ruin 11 began, with strange winds forming in that enclosed place, moving around him and becoming more and more biting.


    ''an endurance test?'' minos narrowed his eyes as he transformed into his dragon version, spreading his wings while protecting his flesh.


    his body quickly transformed, silver and gold scales taking over his surface as he increased substantially in size. fortunately, the area he was in was large, 12 meters high and 60 meters in radius, enough to contain minos'' bestial form.


    covering himself entirely with his wings, he felt the winds grow stronger and stronger, reaching an incredible 2,000 kilometers per hour, becoming so sharp that it was as if he were inside an infinite-bladed shredder.


    even his powerful wings showed signs of weakness, with parts of the scales protecting them cracking, little by little with minor cuts growing.


    minos pressed his teeth together, not having imagined that, in his current condition, something would be able to make him feel pain at that level.


    it must be said that he didn''t just have a dragon''s body, seraphim wings and a physique of celestial grade. he also had the passive ability of devouring art, indestructible body, and even temporal sand, capable of changing the speed of the air blades touching him, all of that acting simultaneously.


    even with all his tricks in action to delay the effects of the level 1 test chamber, he felt the cuts on his body increase rapidly, as he struggled not to scream in pain.


    this was no ordinary test. if one didn''t have very strong defensive skills and mental resilience, surviving this challenge would be impossible!


    minos had to endure 11 minutes there, a shorter time than in ruin 12, where he had to endure 12 minutes in each test, but still much worse than what he had faced in that place.


    less time in ruin 11 was no easier than more time in ruin 12. minos was sure that the difficulty from one ruin to the next had increased several times!


    ''shit! this ruin can''t be explored by supremes below level 117! only tiolos can come here after me.'' minos concluded in the middle of the first of the five challenges he would have in this place, the easiest of the challenges in ruin 11.


    if things were already this bad at the start, then he could already see that ruin 10 or 9, at best, would only be accessible to those with one foot at level 118, or who could fight at that level.


    neither he nor anyone else in his group had reached that level yet!


    minos'' luck was that he was still only in the middle of level 113 and could improve a lot over the next few decades!


    ''it''s decided! when i finish here, i will begin a 10-year seclusion. i won''t attempt ruin 10 until i''ve experienced 10 years of meditation.'' he thought, considering the normal passage of time by zocarro standards.

 Chapter 2712 Dangers and Chances of Growth

    chapter 2712  dangers and chances of growth over the next four months, minos would experience ruin 11 from start to finish.


    after beating the 11 minutes on level 1, he left the place bleeding from all parts of his body, having lost a good part of his wings that day. but fortunately, these were physical injuries that he would eventually recover from with opportunities.


    after defeating the crushing chamber, he had access to three paths in ruin 11¡ªthe one that would take him to level 2, the one that would take him to his prize and an area where he could get food and water.


    he took things for himself to use during his journey through ruin 11, but also for his companions. the food from the ruins had already proved especially tasty and useful in strengthening the mental and physical strength of the challengers. nothing restricted those who completed challenges from taking these food resources to their companions, so minos wasn''t the only one to use this strategy.


    but as much as it took him ''only'' 11 minutes on the level 1 test of ruin 11 and less than 20 minutes collecting food and water, he had spent almost a whole month on level 1. the area of opportunity for him was what looked like a mud lake, where by covering himself with the gray paste of the area, he experienced an opportunity not only to regenerate his physical injuries but also to raise the quality of his defenses.


    as those who had already challenged other ruins in this heritage had realized, this place could kill them, but if they were resilient and endured the minimum time for each test, they would have the tested characteristics strengthened.


    minos experienced this at level 1 of ruin 11, having left the place not only with a higher physical capacity, strength and endurance but also a more resolute mental capacity.


    the pain of having one''s flesh cut by wind blades for 11 minutes was enough to drive one mad or raise one''s mental resilience to a new level!


    minos faced a cultivation challenge at level 2, where he had a magical parasite attached to his body for 11 minutes, which sucked out his energy. he had fought the creature by meditating in the middle of the test and trying to overcome the special being''s energy consumption by absorbing energy from the surroundings. if he failed this test, his energy would reach a worrying level and he could be killed.


    but by winning the level 2 test, he had the chance to cultivate in a room capable of nurturing even supremes, something that saved him, in just 3 weeks of cultivation, 23 years of cultivation!


    this was followed by level 3, where he faced a comprehension challenge capable of breaking his mind and leaving a living, but unintelligent, body behind. at level 4, he faced an opponent who could mirror his movements, one of the most interesting tests he had ever seen in his life.


    facing his own qualities and defects had almost been the end of minos!


    but he came out of level 4 stronger, more confident in what he was good at, and more aware of his weaknesses. he didn''t have many weaknesses, truth be told. but he wasn''t totally invulnerable either.  sea??h th§× ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    level 5, the one that was supposed to be the hardest for him, turned out not to be what the creator of this place had expected. by skillfully using his prophetic abilities, minos circumvented the problem that could have put him into a repetitive cycle, in which he would be trapped endlessly in that place.


    the test itself wouldn''t kill him, but it would make him stay in the same place until his last breath. to his advantage, he overcame the insight of the challenge''s core, escaping at the beginning of the last test in that ruin of what could have been his end.


    but minos finished ruin 11 with a feeling that he had almost been defeated by the place, full of recommendations to give to tiolos when the man was going to accept the challenge.


    there was no time for them to complete these tests. as everyone had to do at least one challenge in the area, until abby, gloria and ruth could challenge and beat ruin 15, they had all the time in the world to complete the 15 challenges.


    the three weakest women in the group hadn''t even managed to advance since they entered there and would certainly need to improve more than once to take their chances, but minos had already done a third of the challenges in the area. as such, the group was making good progress with their plans in the area, and no one was feeling pressured to rush into challenges that could kill them.


    when minos left the ruin 11 this morning, at the beginning of the fifth month of his entry into the area, he didn''t rush to warn tiolos and get the man to start the test. as he left the ruin with his cultivation reaching the final 30% of level 113, minos observed the surroundings to find out exactly where each of his companions was and who was training, meditating, resting or challenging the area.


    coincidentally, no one was challenging any of the ruins in the area at the moment.


    he headed towards the resting group, where tiolos was waiting for the day when he could begin his seclusion with the help of minos'' temporal powers.


    "how was ruin 11?" the native of zocarro asked.


    minos replied with a not-so-good expression. "now that i''ve beaten it, i can say that i could easily repeat the test. but for a first attempt, it''s tough to beat it. i nearly died in one of the tests and another of them could easily have trapped me in that place until i died of old age, if i hadn''t been clever with my skills."


    tiolos turned serious, having already noticed that ruin 11 wouldn''t be easy because of the difficulty of ruin 12, but not having thought that things would be so bad.


    "is it that complicated?" he asked.


    "hmm, be careful. in fact, you''d better cultivate for a few decades before venturing there. i also intend to take a long seclusion now that i''m here." minos confirmed, while the others interested in the area''s opportunities felt curious and even excited.


    near-death challenges were problematic. nobody wanted to die. but they knew that overcoming these challenges would guarantee their strength. this excited them as much as it made them fear the future!


    "anyway, let''s not waste time. get organized. i''ll put you under the effects of temporal sands for a longer period this time."

 Chapter 2713 Years later!

    chapter 2713  years later! time passed quickly. without realizing it, minos'' companions began to lose touch with the passage of real time, in the dark as to how long they had been in the pocket dimension of the level 124 soul fragment.


    all most of them knew was that they were evolving, getting closer to the critical point of their stay in the special dimension they were in. they were getting stronger, completing more challenges and starting to think about the day they would leave the sterile, monotonous place they were stuck in.


    to have even level 116 supremes advancing in this period, however, showed that many years had passed!


    the giants wovar and clexvog had once again made progress, reaching level 117, while tiolos had progressed to level 118 in those years.


    wenni and walkas hadn''t been summoned once in those years, but with abby''s advancement to level 112 and minos'' to level 114, they would probably improve their cultivations the next time they were needed.


    in the midst of the growth of these important members of the group, ruth reached level 113 and gloria level 112, enough for minos'' black-haired wife to start her first challenge, while gloria stayed with abby, waiting for the day when she could do the same.


    of the sovereigns who still existed in the group decades ago, now, apart from minos and his wives, only two individuals from the group remained in the 11th stage!


    with a team made up basically of supremes, minos was on a new level, with ever greater expectations for the future!


    ...


    today minos was sitting in front of tiolos, leger and wovar, the strongest of his group.


    sitting at the peak of one hill in this dimension, they could see all the space at their disposal in the dimension full of ruins to explore.


    the gentle evening wind blew over their bodies as they looked at each other, facing the group''s current situation.


    minos and tiolos were still basically tied in terms of completed ruins, both having recently completed ruin number 7. meanwhile, wovar and leger had completed number 11 last and were now preparing to challenge number 10.


    "ruth entered the ruin 15 days ago. in a few more years, it could be abby and gloria''s turn to go through the same thing." minos began today''s conversation by pointing out the approach to the decisive moment for them.  sea??h th§× n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "the time is coming to think about the most difficult ruins in the area."


    tiolos knew that the group leader''s urgency was directly related to the cultivation speed of the three human women in the group. but he didn''t know if minos'' plans would work out the way this guy wanted. "do you think we''ll be able to deal with all the ruins until they beat ruin 15?


    judging by the speed of their cultivation and our progression, we''ll probably still have 3-4 ruins left to complete by the time they''ve done their bit.


    and frankly, i''m not sure we''ll be able to complete all the ruins in this damn dimension. i don''t want to sound pessimistic, but things were already pretty tough in ruin 7. i don''t know what they''ll be like when we get to 4 or 5 and as for 1, that''s so far away i don''t even want to imagine it."


    "we''ll see. as we progress through the ruins, we get stronger physically and mentally. our cultivation speeds increase, our spiritual foundations solidify. even the least talented of us has improved in every way with the opportunities he''s had so far." minos said, and the three people next to him couldn''t deny it.


    they all felt it. for them, the challenge that would previously have been very difficult and they would have been uncertain of being able to solve today was no longer so complicated for any of them.


    ''that''s true. i almost died completing the ruin 12 challenge, but now i''ve improved a little in cultivation, but i''m sure i could easily beat it. i also managed to complete ruin 11, which is even more difficult than ruin 12, a clear sign of my evolution,'' wovar thought to himself.


    minos continued, "we still don''t know what our ultimate limits are in this dimension. it may be that what is impossible for us today is not as complicated as we think it will be in the future.


    one way or another, we''re going to leave this place sooner or later. the owner of the area thinks she can keep us trapped here forever, but that''s her fanciful illusion." he turned his eyes in the direction of where the obelisk of ruin 1 stood.


    of that, they had no doubt. their doubts were whether they could fulfill the requirement of the level 124 fragment until minos'' women completed the challenge of ruin number 15 and minos'' advancement to level 115. but they were confident that he could complete all the challenges, eventually.


    "let''s keep going one step at a time. even if we have to wait for you to advance to the 12th stage, that''s fine. none of us are in a hurry and the continent won''t change places or be revolutionized in the meantime," leger said, being the least hurried of everyone there.


    finding this place had been the best thing that had ever happened in leger''s life!


    minos heard this and said nothing about his advancement to the 12th stage. but he didn''t want to wait for that. there would certainly be advantages to him advancing and becoming a supreme within this dimension. however, he was sure that he would be incapacitated for a long time after his advancement.


    would it be good for him to be in a place like this during his advancement? minos wasn''t so sure about that, so he was still in uncertainty and preferred to advance their actions as much as possible before that happened.


    ''it will still take me a long time to reach the end of level 114. it would probably take me more than twice as long as it has taken us inside this dimension so far.'' he thought to himself, leaving the matter to discuss with his companions in the future.


    "leger''s right," he finally said. "let''s move on and respect our limits. the most important thing is that we complete our objectives."

 Chapter 2714 The Soul Fragments True Intention

    chapter 2714  the soul fragment''s true intention  on leaving ruin number 14, ruth had a refreshed look on her face. years had passed since her breakthrough to level 113 and she was reaching the end of her level. after several years of preparation following her success in ruin 15, she had felt capable and had come to challenge 14. now she had completed it, having spent three months in such a place.


    seeing the tents of her harem sisters in the distance, the black-haired woman sensed abby and gloria in deep meditation, both nearing the end of level 112 and their eventual progress to level 113.


    just as ruth had done, those two planned to challenge ruin number 15 as soon as they advanced to level 113. ruth, however, planned to cultivate and advance to level 114 before attempting to challenge ruin number 13!


    ''where''s minos?'' she asked herself as she switched her eyes between the different locations of this place, spotting clexvog training with leger in one corner of the area, as well as several supremes meditating under the effects of temporal sands.


    apart from her two harem sisters and herself, no one else outside the ruins had 11th stage cultivation. minos was nowhere she could see or reach with her spiritual senses and everyone else there were supremes between levels 115 and 117.


    ''it looks like minos is challenging ruin number 5.'' she concluded as she considered that, before her last seclusion, he had defied ruin 6. as she approached clexvog and leger, she asked just to confirm her theories, "hey, where''s minos? did he start challenge number 5?"


    the two individuals fighting each other slowed down their movements, noticing that ruth had returned in success.


    "yes, he started two weeks ago. he''ll probably be gone for the next year," clexvog said to her.


    as one progressed through the ruins, the duration of the challenges decreased. but the number of challenges increased and the opportunities for winning them also grew more numerous and stronger.


    in ruin 5 there were 11 tests to complete, each lasting 5 minutes. if minos proved successful once again and took just over a month to enjoy his prizes, it would take him a year to return.


    "soon, the other ladies will finish their seclusion. you should get some rest and wait for them, lady ruth." leger said respectfully.


    at the beginning of his agreement with minos, they were supposed to be equals, allies. but after their time together within this independent space, he didn''t want to appear arrogant by putting himself on an equal footing with minos and tiolos'' group.


    he had lost his crew and all he had was the group made up mostly of armhands'' members. naturally, he considered himself more of an important subordinate than an ally.


    ruth waved to the two of them, then stopped disturbing them and made her way to where some guild mates were resting.


    she asked how things were going and about the group''s progress over the last few months. nine members of the team were challenging different ruins now, while the others were cultivating, training or resting in the mountainous area they were confined to.


    apart from abby and gloria, everyone else had already beaten one of the ruins. as long as minos completed the remaining ruins and abby and gloria challenged ruin 15, they could be free of this dimension.


    ''is the soul fragment really going to keep her promises?'' ruth asked herself in doubt. given the speed of their progress, it was obvious that they would succeed sooner or later.  s§×arch* the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''does she expect us to be stuck here because of the last ruins? or is she confident that her challenges will kill us?'' that was a very likely possibility, in ruth''s opinion!


    while ruth was thinking about the level 124 soul fragment, this essence did not know what the seized beings in her dimension were thinking or planning. she had her eye on minos, who had already won the first challenge of ruin 5 and was using up the opportunity he had got with his own efforts.


    ''he''s much more talented than i had previously imagined... no wonder he''s vying for the inheritance of a true celestial and already has two body parts from such an existence.'' she considered to herself, feeling the entire space of her dimension, but focused only on minos.


    ''so be it. if you complete my inheritance, it will be to your credit, alien boy. that will be uzira''s fate, i suppose. but overcoming my challenge won''t be easy. you''re going to have a lot of near-death experiences from now on.''


    she was really determined to free minos and his group from her dimension if they could carry out the challenge she had made. she wasn''t a protector of uzira there to stop threats to the continent. her goal was to find an heir and if minos could accomplish all the challenges in the area, he would fulfill all the requirements to carry on her legacy!


    what was more important for a specialist? a continent they were no longer a part of and had no descendants, or a powerful individual who could carry on their name into immortality?


    she had affection for her fellow uzira natives and the customs of the continent, but her commitment had a limit!


    ''if you win my ultimate challenge, i''ll set you free with one special condition.'' her bright eyes narrowed, her old memories working to reflect a certain place on the continent, making her see an area deep in the lands that minos was so keen to explore to get more of the black liquid.


    while she thought of the distant past, he did not know the thoughts of such a fragment of soul. focused on seizing his opportunity, minos was sitting in the lotus position, absorbing the energy and dense essence available in the underground chamber where he was now.


    with a powerful level 114 cultivation, he was confident of facing even level 117 supremes with no need of external help, such as the sacrifice of the flashdrain parasite.


    that wasn''t much, but he was still a sovereign, nonetheless. once he advanced to the beginning of the 12th stage, minos was confident that no one below level 120 would be a challenge for him.


    by then, he would be confident enough to protect himself from threats like elder navey.


    as he grew stronger and more confident, the time for the second stage of the true celestial inheritance was approaching. the next stage would have 100 competitors and only 10 places for the last contest for the place to enter the upper realm!

 Chapter 2715 New Guildmates

    chapter 2715  new guildmates "welcome to armhands, my friends." kendrick spoke in front of a group of 47 people, newly arrived from the spiritual world after yet another journey by members of his faction back to the stuart family''s home planet.


    this time, 150 years after minos'' group left for uzira, the team that had just arrived on the floating island of armhands was larger and had more members who were important to the family.


    among the new arrivals, looking at kendrick with sparkles in their eyes, were close relatives of kendrick and his two sisters, there today to welcome this group.


    maisie, level 104, ruth''s parents, joseph and margot, levels 104 and 103, ruth''s parents, vince and elise, both at level 102, among many others, were in front of kendrick, level 112, lily, level 111 and hollie, level 110.


    next to the children of minos in zocarro were three dragons in their miniature forms, each of them having already reached the 11th stage.


    kendrick and his sisters were not disappointed to see that neither sarah nor rowan had come to zocarro with this group. nearly 40 years had passed for the spiritual world since the departure of vico and callie''s group.


    sarah and rowan were still looking after the future of their children and planets.


    but the heirs of the spiritual world and the adamant land were now adults and their grandparents and great-grandparents had finally left them on their planets to focus on the cultivation journeys.


    this was the case with minos'' mother, ruth and gloria''s parents, as well as several close friends and relatives who had been left behind with the stuarts'' children.


    kyla was not in this group, having obviously chosen to stay by rowan''s side to continue in the spiritual world. but her mother, emlyn, was in maisie''s group, currently in her humanoid form, with level 103 strong cultivation.  s~ea??h the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    just as vico and callie''s group had stopped in the enchanted realm to cultivate in seclusion before coming to zocarro, the current group had done the same and helped all their companions arrive in armhands at the 11th stage.


    with their cultivations already stabilized by the journey between the far north and the central region of oqia, everyone there was adapted enough to the reality of zocarro to start their lives in armhands.


    oswald hugged his wife, patience, who was currently at level 101, a big difference to his cultivation of level 107.


    oswald and most of those who stayed in oqia after minos'' departure hadn''t improved their cultivation much. without his help and most of them already in the middle of the 11th stage, the group needed long breaks to improve their cultivations.


    few were like lily, hollie and kendrick, who were still young and had inherited minos'' immense talent.


    finally, kendrick continued with his words of welcome. "everyone, i ask for your cooperation in taking part in the guild selection exam. this is a purely bureaucratic process. at the levels you''re at, there''s hardly anyone here who would fail it. so just follow the recommendations of our instructors and later you''ll all be registered as members of the guild."


    emlyn approached kendrick and asked, "where''s minos? we were told he had left for uzira, but that was decades ago. have you heard from him?"


    that was the question everyone wanted to ask. however, not only the group of newcomers were looking for this. the people from the stuart family faction in armhands had the same question!


    "unfortunately, we haven''t heard from our father." lily lamented with a sigh. "they left 150 years ago, but we don''t have any news of them... but that was to be expected. my father warned us we would probably not hear from him for a few centuries."


    "all that?"


    eliot, currently at level 105, nodded affirmatively. "unfortunately, that''s our reality. but don''t worry. minos was already a powerful sovereign of level 112 when he left and he had supremes in his crew. given the time that''s passed since then, he should be at level 113 or even 114 by now. the next time we see him, he''ll be a supreme!"


    abby''s father''s comment lifted the spirits of several of the new arrivals, even improving the moods of those who had been in armhands before.


    this was the case with starclaw, currently at level 108, one of the strongest of the group that had arrived decades ago with vico and callie.


    with eliot''s comment, it wouldn''t be long before the group of newcomers followed the lead of the armhands'' junior officers, while kendrick and the others joined the envoys to the spiritual world to bring this group in.


    the group that had gone to the spiritual world this last time was basically made up of those who had previously come to zocarro with places won through the tournament that sarah and rowan had held back then. the four individuals were currently between levels 108 and 109, each of them having made good use of their stay in the enchanted realm to get to where they were today.


    "how was the journey in the spiritual world and the adamant land?" hollie asked davy hayes, level 108.


    "well, we had no problems. the spiritual world and the adamant land continue to be peaceful, developing their infrastructure and their cultivators.


    many new demigods have appeared on both planets during the 44 years that have passed for them since our previous departure. in the meantime, 8 more gods have appeared and the populations have adjusted to the new realities of both worlds.


    the inhabitants of both worlds are currently striving not to become big names on their worlds, but to get a chance to win the champions tournament to come to zocarro. in short, the two worlds are doing well and there are no major conflicts, just the minor issues that will always exist.


    as for your nephews, they are spiritual saints now. they''re good talents, but they''re more like their grandmothers than their powerful grandfather." julian felt sorry for minos, but that wasn''t exactly a bad thing.


    it would be better if the stuarts could have the patriarch''s skills, but even if they didn''t, they would certainly have something of minos'' to use.


    one way or another, sarah''s sons and rowan''s only son, were doing well, having already outgrown their childish phase and become adults, with one of them even getting a wife!

 Chapter 2716 Faction Stronger Than Ever

    chapter 2716  faction stronger than ever "how''s old dillian, grandma?" kendrick asked the woman sitting in front of him, while the stuart family were all gathered at his estate in the inner ward of the city.


    with hours having passed since the arrival of the group of almost 50 people who had come with julian from the spiritual world and the adamant land, everyone had already registered with the guild and gotten their recruit ids.


    now those with blood relations to minos and their wives were gathered at kendrick''s house to talk about the details of what had happened in the spiritual world and the adamant land over the last few decades and the journey to zocarro.


    maisie said with a smile, "he''s getting better. he still thinks about eda constantly and obviously doesn''t see life with the same brightness as before her death. but he''s getting over it and moving on. when we left, he had reached level 94 and promised me he would come to zocarro before minos went to the upper realm."


    dillian was the one who believed in minos the most of all, having accompanied the stuart family patriarch from the beginning of his journey. having believed in minos when they went to the black plain a long time ago, dillian wouldn''t doubt minos now!


    "he continues to serve as rowan''s chief advisor and also as the empire''s doctor in his spare time. given his current position, he will probably be a god in at most another 300 years of time in zocarro."


    those who had been in oqia before were happy to hear about dillian''s situation, as everyone there respected the man greatly and had had their own stories with him. some had fought alongside dillian during the war, others had received advice, been taught, healed or even done business with the man many times in the past.


    they wanted dillian to one day join armhands and be able to take his cultivation to higher heights.


    the group continued chatting, learning about how dillian was also teaching the heir to the black plain empire, how rowan''s son had already married and was in search of the king''s first grandchild.


    it was strange for kendrick and his sisters to hear how their brother was already approaching the moment when he would become a grandfather!


    hell, not even minos had met his grandchildren, but one of them was already preparing to become a father!


    this cheered up the family members who had been in zocarro before, leading the conversation straight to sarah''s family, who were currently at level 94 and had had another child after the departure of vico and callie''s group.


    the youngest of sarah''s children was already an adult, however, and was due to come to zocarro in the future with his mother and father when they left the adamant land.


    sarah''s plans were to travel with george and her youngest son to zocarro when her eldest son reached the 10th stage of cultivation and had his first child. rowan, on the other hand, wanted to stay in the spiritual world until he and kyla became gods, which should take less time than sarah intended.


    hearing about the group''s adventures on the journey between the adamant land and the enchanted realm, followed by their time in this world of high temporal distortions and then the final journey to zocarro, kendrick and his sisters were surprised by the amount of challenges julian''s group had faced.


    "... luckily, our group was much stronger than vico''s and callie''s. otherwise, i don''t know if we would have survived." explained sibley, level 108.  sear?h the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "it''s good that you got out of those problems unscathed." oswald breathed a sigh of relief, not having imagined earlier that things had been so difficult for this group.


    ''it''s not for nothing that the strongest of the group are at such higher levels than we expected. they''ve had several challenges on their journey.'' kendrick pondered in silence.


    after almost three hours of talking about the spiritual world, the adamant land and their journey to zocarro, emlyn asked about the future. "what will our steps be like from now on? are you planning to send a group to meet minos in uzira?"


    "we''re not sure about that." hollie looked at her siblings and said, "the current commander of the guild is our father''s wife, segiel. but even so, she doesn''t plan to send groups to uzira before our father gives some signal or the supreme leader of the guild orders such a thing.


    but the supreme leader has been in seclusion since our father left, so we have no plans to leave just yet."


    "then what''s the plan? do nothing?" maisie didn''t like that.


    kendrick replied, "we''re going to carry on as we always have. let''s cultivate and strengthen our cultivations. developing our skills is the best we can do. with your group, our faction will become even more powerful and influential, which will enable us to achieve more.


    for now, let''s take it easy and head for new heights. the 11th stage may seem easy to you who have just arrived in zocarro, but when you reach my level, you''ll see that a single advance could cost you centuries, even in zocarro."


    lily saw the unhappy looks on the faces of some of her family members and said, "if it''s any consolation, in another 200 years, the supreme leader may be able to advance you to level 124. at that time, we may leave if we still haven''t heard from our father."


    this interval seemed like a lot, but for a group that had just experienced over 50 years of travel between their departure from the enchanted realm and their arrival in the guild, it wasn''t much. in 200 years, most of them wouldn''t even be high-level sovereigns, which would basically leave them in a position of not being able to join the group that might or might not be sent to uzira.


    with this in mind, they put their concerns about minos'' group to one side, hoping that the group would just be busy with the challenges of uzira and not destroyed somewhere in the violent sea or on the continent of uzira itself.


    with so many possibilities for them to grow in the coming decades and armhands'' own internal competition, they would soon disperse to start their new routines or return to their responsibilities.


    they didn''t know it now, but it would take a lot longer than 200 years for them to get such a chance to go to uzira!

 Chapter 2717 Nearing Level 115

    chapter 2717  nearing level 115 ruth stood at the entrance of ruin number 15, watching as gloria ventured inside to begin her first challenge in this dimension.


    after years of preparation and seclusion, gloria had finally advanced to level 113, four months after abby had reached the same level.


    abby was now meditating in her hut, having conquered ruin number 15 weeks prior. she was preparing to face ruin 14. minos had recently completed ruin 4, so they planned to remain in the area for an indeterminate period until he conquered the last three ruins of this inheritance.


    ruth, meanwhile, was at the beginning of level 114. after providing gloria with the necessary tips to tackle the upcoming challenge, she was ready to move on to ruin number 12.


    contemplating ruin 11 was out of the question for her unless she advanced to the 12th stage in this dimension. however, she doubted she could achieve such a feat. even in a powerful place like uzira, advancing to the 12th stage was extremely difficult.


    not surprisingly, after all this time in the level 124 soul fragment dimension, minos had ''only'' reached the peak of level 114. he was nearing the decisive moment of his advancement but still required extensive training, challenges, and opportunities for deeper understanding to get there.


    right now, minos was cultivating in seclusion, preparing to challenge ruin 3, a feat he planned to undertake in another 10 years.


    as ruth continued on her way after leaving gloria, tiolos observed the black-haired woman of minos from a distance.


    "lady gloria has begun her challenge. with her likely success in a few more weeks, we''ll only need the last three ruins of this place to regain our freedoms," tiolos, at level 118, remarked to leger, who was currently at the peak of level 116.


    aside from tiolos, the strongest among them, only three individuals were at level 117, while all the other supremes were at level 116. thanks to the opportunities they had seized in the area''s ruins, they had all grown at a rate surpassing even the women of minos.


    however, most of them had reached bottlenecks in this inheritance. they either needed to cultivate for a long time to face new challenges or risk their lives, a path most were unwilling to take. consequently, nearly all were living in the mountainous surroundings, gradually strengthening themselves for future breakthroughs.


    yet, even in this advantageous location, advancing wasn''t simple for strong cultivators like the group members. it would take them centuries, at the very least, to find opportunities to advance.  s~ea??h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    leger listened to tiolos and thought about the end of their journey in this place. "how long will it take minos to overcome the final three challenges? will he beat them before he advances to level 115?"


    "i don''t think so. minos should advance to the 12th stage in another 100 years at most. by then, he''ll still be preparing for test number 1." tiolos gave his opinion on the matter.


    ''that''s good. by the time we leave here, i''ll be at level 117. i''ll be able to deal better with those who might be hunting me by then.'' leger took a deep breath, once again feeling how positive it had been for them to enter the spatial distortion that had brought them to this place.


    "are you still going to challenge the ruins here?" leger asked the man next to him.


    "i don''t know." tiolos was sincere. he had reached ruin number 5, but 4 seemed too difficult for the current him, judging by minos'' descriptions. "unless i level up, i''ve finished my journey in this dimension."


    "i''ll still try something in our final years here. that''s if minos gives me the time." leger smiled as he looked towards the tent of the group''s leader, who was currently meditating in the lotus position, causing a cyclone of spiritual energy to condense over his tent.


    soon, tiolos and leger would return to their usual training and meditation, allowing time to pass as the group continued to grow stronger. gloria would soon achieve victory in the ruin 15 challenge, while ruth would eventually triumph in her most recent endeavor. abby would awaken from her cultivation state and head to ruin 14, while minos remained in seclusion.


    ten years would pass in the blink of an eye for the group in the pocket dimension of the quasi-celestial soul fragment, and minos would soon advance to his next test.


    being stronger and more talented than the creator of this space had anticipated, over the next 50 years, minos would not only approach his advancement but also complete two challenges.


    before any of his companions could advance to another level, minos would swiftly reach the final barrier preventing his group from leaving this space and pursuing their plans in uzira.


    standing before the last challenge, he faced the level 124 soul fragment, who now regarded him with a newfound respect after witnessing his progress over the past 235 years.


    "you''re finally here¡­" she said casually, smiling with interest. "but i believe you made a mistake in coming to me without first becoming a supreme. are you really confident that you''ll beat me before moving on?" she asked, neither angry nor pleased.


    "something tells me that advancing into your dimension will bring me more problems than benefits. i''ll do that before i go any further."


    she sighed, but couldn''t disagree. "you''re right. but i''m afraid you don''t have a choice. he who is watching you will have you with him before you can leave my pocket dimension. either you advance before you challenge me or you advance in the middle of my challenge. one way or another, you will be summoned by the one who has their eye on you."


    that was his concern. what would happen if he advanced to this place and was summoned to the second phase of the true celestial inheritance? he felt with his prophetic abilities that not only would he leave his group for a long time, but that he would end up destabilizing this dimension and forcing everyone in it out if he advanced in there.


    "then i can only try," he said to her before cutting off one of his fingers and activating ruin number 1!

 Chapter 2718 Last Ruin

    chapter 2718  last ruin as minos proceeded to the entrance of the main ruin, the soul fragment followed beside him.


    "good luck in your attempt at my challenge and in your effort not to advance a level here. regardless of your outcome, i''d like to make a deal with you," she proposed, holding back the effects of the first level challenge while she spoke.


    "a deal? what do you want?" minos asked, raising his eyebrows as he scrutinized her closely.


    "if you succeed in my last ruin, i will do as i promised and clear the way for you and your group to leave. however, there is one last condition. you must accept my full inheritance and master a technique that replicates my powers.


    and i want you to undertake a mission. follow uzira until you reach the sovereign family of the continent. approach them and research about odibrand redwound. if you find any trace of him, follow it and ensure that nothing of him, including his lineage, remains in this world."


    minos detected a subtle murderous intent in the soul fragment, her irritation almost tangible in her words.


    "am i supposed to know more about this odibrand redwound?"


    "know that he was, or is, a powerful supreme of the highest level, an enemy who led to my downfall. he went into hiding in the end, and i could not secure his demise before my death.


    go and finish what i couldn''t. in return, you''ll receive all the information i have about the continent, as well as my technique. when my spirit body dissipates, you or one of your women will inherit all my knowledge to aid you in your goals."


    that was even better than a technique that he didn''t know what it could do. what he needed most at the moment was not exactly power, but knowledge about this strange land of uzira.


    "all right. we have an agreement. i''ll do what you want when i leave your dimension."  s§×arch* the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "hmm." she nodded at him with a smile, satisfied that she could finally dissipate serenely. "i won''t last long in my form, so i''ll have to go back to the obelisk. i''ll monitor you from there. take advantage of your opportunities and don''t die before you advance in level."


    with those words, she disappeared, stopping to suppress the effects about to take over the surroundings of the chamber where minos was, the start of the first of the 15 challenges in ruin 1. there he would only have to endure one minute of each test, but, as he had known even before entering it, this was a challenge capable of killing mid-level supremes!


    however, minos had prepared well for this. having developed an entirely new method of storing energy over the last 200 years, as soon as the effects of the test appeared in his surroundings, he revealed his trump card to the soul fragment.


    a piece of tree trunk the size of an adult human appeared next to him, glowing green, while the spiritual fluctuation of a living being left its wooden body.


    on that special log was the cultivation of a level 116 creature, something artificially nurtured by minos to serve as an artificial battery for him.


    ''i can''t bring any of my companions with me, nor can i use abby''s corpses in these dimension challenges. however, this is just a log that i''ve inscribed with runes to absorb spiritual energy.''


    minos smiled as he used his skill on the log, stealing its cultivation while temporarily raising its power to a new level. quickly reaching level 116, the limit he could go because he was still a sovereign, all his powers reached a new limit, his sensory, physical and spiritual abilities reaching a level he had not yet displayed in the ruins of this dimension.


    ''tsk! what a clever guy.'' the soul fragment watched from inside her obelisk as minos stood the test of pressure trying to crush him.


    the walls of the chamber moved against him, while minos could only rely on his powers to withstand the 60 seconds he had to stay under the pressure of the level 1 ruin attacks.


    this was only the first of his tests in the last ruin of the dimension, but he could already see the seriousness of the soul fragment.


    his face turned crimson, veins bulging as sweat poured from his pores. he moved his arms and legs to withstand the surreal pressure, having only endured it for 15 seconds, yet already feeling overwhelmed.


    despite this, minos possessed more mental resilience than he was often credited for. he maintained his position as the walls of the area seemed to crush him, his body convulsing as he felt his bones cracking.


    the thought that this ordeal would eventually end and he would benefit from it later filled his mind during moments that seemed interminable, even as his super-regeneration struggled to heal his accumulating injuries.


    ...


    as minos passed through the beginning of the challenges of the last ruin, a consciousness superior to that of the soul fragment was also observing him.


    however, this existence was several steps above the level of the owner of that dimension, able to spy on this area without being detected by anyone.


    ''one more candidate close to advancing to level 115, my lord. counting him, 67 should be ready for the next phase of their selection in a few more months at most. the rest of the 100 contestants will finish their advancement in 100 years at the most.''


    ''that''s good. keep watching my pupils. by the way, how many of them won''t be able to move on?''


    ''five of them have died so far, my lord. they all fell to opponents, but they didn''t have their true celestial body parts absorbed by others. this brings us to the situation that we will only have 95 competitors in the second phase of the selection, if no one else falls until the last of them advances to level 115.''


    ''that''s not bad. let''s wait for the final result. i''m looking forward to seeing each of them in their own dimension. in particular, i want to see how this human boy will deal with his opponents after winning the first challenge.''


    the true celestial and his subordinate looked at minos, aware of all the changes he had undergone over the last few centuries, but also aware that minos'' opponents had grown as much as he had.

 Chapter 2719 Last Weeks in the Pocket Dimension

    chapter 2719  last weeks in the pocket dimension months after beginning the major challenge of the dimension, minos had completed more than half of the areas he needed to navigate within the underground ruin.


    currently, he was wrapping up the opportunities presented on level 8, which he had completed over a month ago, allowing him to refine his powers further.


    even though he possessed a celestial-grade physique, minos felt a marginal improvement since reaching the level 124 soul fragment dimension.


    while it might seem daunting at first, few ever achieve the grade of minos'' physique, and even fewer continue to evolve after reaching that level. however, the gap between the celestial and absolute grades is so vast that it''s almost expected to see some improvement after reaching celestial grade. for someone in minos'' position, it was typical to seize opportunities and progress.


    despite the inheritance he was enjoying being that of a peak supreme, there were still opportunities available that enabled him to enhance his physique slightly.


    besides, minos was confident that if one of his people completed all the challenges of the ruin, one could progress from the beginning to the end of the divine grade and reach the celestial grade!


    unfortunately, his wives wouldn''t have the chance to elevate the grade of their physiques for the time being. minos no longer planned to stay there much longer, and he sensed soon they would all be leaving this pocket space.


    but he was satisfied. having not even become a supreme yet, he already had a 10% qualitative advance of his physique towards the absolute grade!


    leaving the chamber where he had just taken his last chance, he moved on to the ninth test of this ruin.


    ''maybe i''ll get the absolute grade physique soon after i become a celestial... if i''m not mistaken, something like that should be necessary to win the race for the true celestial inheritance.'' he thought to himself, estimating that he would almost certainly have opportunities to evolve his physique during the next phase of the true celestial inheritance selection.


    in this case, it wasn''t so impossible for him to imagine that he would have such a chance when he went to the last stage of the true celestial inheritance.


    with a smile on his face, minos reached level 9 of ruin 1, now thinking about his wives.


    ''i''ll certainly be able to help abby, gloria and ruth reach the celestial grade of their physiques after i return from the true celestial inheritance. at that time, we''ll be able to fulfill our mission in uzira and send someone back to the guild.''


    he then cleared all thoughts from his mind as he changed his body shape, displaying his seraphim wings in full splendor.


    ...


    all of minos'' companions in the dimension were closely monitoring his progress, with the soul fragment allowing them to observe him.


    everyone knew that this was a decisive moment. as long as minos completed the challenge, they would leave the dimension in a few weeks.


    no one was cultivating in seclusion or training in the mountainous space. instead, they were all focused on minos'' campaign, eagerly awaiting their return to uzira and the continuation of their original mission.


    leger had reached level 117, while a few other supremes in the group had made further progress. ruth had reached the end of level 114, and abby and gloria were on the brink of advancing to that level. they expected to do so shortly after leaving the dimension.


    tiolos remained at level 118, having not taken full advantage of the area''s opportunities since he had reached his current limit. without challenges or rewards to drive faster improvements, he anticipated needing more time to reach level 119. however, with around 300 years spent in the dimension, he was satisfied with his progress, having improved by two levels.


    interestingly, the only ones who had improved by nearly four levels were minos'' wives, surpassing even his own advancements.


    with a cultivation base 2.6 times greater than that of talented people at the same level as him, minos would naturally take a much longer time than one would expect for someone of his level to be able to complete the requirements for advancement.


    but even with a more robust cultivation base, he had grown rapidly and was currently on the threshold of reaching the 12th stage!


    abby, ruth and gloria observed this, as they could even feel minos'' aura amid the challenge. but precisely because of this, all three had worried looks on their faces.


    "he''s very close to advancing," gloria said as she pressed one of her hands to her legs, sitting on a rock.


    "what will happen if he progresses while we''re here?" ruth asked, still in the dark about this strange possibility.


    they were in a situation where if he advanced in the middle of the challenge, or at the end of the challenge, he could cause them to encounter very peculiar circumstances, and they could be trapped in this space or even expelled.  s§×ar?h the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    abby sighed as she looked at the spatial ring minos had given her, where the corpse of the former first elder of armhands lay.


    "i''m afraid we''ll have to go our separate ways without him for a long time. the last time he evolved a stage, he said he experienced centuries in that place. for us it was only a few decades, but this time it may not be just that."


    they continued talking among themselves without bringing their concerns to their companions. but sooner or later, they would have to talk to them about minos'' possible absence after his breakthrough!


    for the moment, it wasn''t time to do that, and they continued to focus on watching him, who would soon be able to surpass level 9.


    the challenges in ruin number 1 only lasted 60 seconds, so as difficult as they were, the tests themselves were quick.


    extremely worn out and wounded, minos went on to his ninth opportunity, with 6 challenges remaining before concluding the primary deal with the soul fragment behind this dimension!

 Chapter 2720 Against Minos Plans

    chapter 2720  against minos'' plans in minos'' penultimate challenge within ruin number 1, a spatial crack suddenly appeared nearby, as all the surrounding energy surged into his body.


    during the comprehension challenge of the penultimate test, aimed at overcoming the inheritance left by the level 124 expert, minos'' spiritual control faltered. his aura skyrocketed, breaking through his restrictions and transcending to a new level in an instant.


    standing in the center of the underground chamber, minos wore a bittersweet smile, a look of pure regret on his face.


    "i have failed," he admitted, reflecting on the level 124 soul fragment. so close to completing the challenge left by that expert, he lost control and began his qualitative progress.


    despite his efforts to avoid advancing in this place, even while standing rather than sitting in the typical lotus position and not actively cultivating, the energy and laws around him continued to enter and transform him. the soul fragment sensed this shift and appeared before him, noticing the crack, which was gradually growing as minos'' features evolved.


    she understood precisely what it was and the implications it carried.


    "no, i''m the one who made a mistake," she said, her gaze somewhat pale as she faced the call directed at minos. it was penetrating her dimension in a way she knew would leave irreversible after-effects.


    "i''m afraid i''ll have to expel all your companions, or they''ll die with the destruction of my dimension." she regretted ending it like that. "you haven''t completed my challenge, but progress in peace. i will leave my technique engraved in your memory and i will become knowledge to one of your women. fulfill my last request when you return. that''s all i ask."


    seeing how in the end she would make things easier for his group¡ªnot out of pure kindness, but because she would disappear one way or another¡ªminos thanked her with a nod and a "thank you."


    she touched his forehead and soon afterwards minos felt a rush of information about this technique that had the ability to imitate her innate powers.


    as quickly as she appeared beside him, she disappeared, heading for the surface where the human women and the rest of the group were feeling the space and the entire mountain below them tremble.


    minos paid no attention to their direction, feeling so many changes happening simultaneously in his body that he couldn''t help but look at himself.


    in a matter of moments, his level 114 aura changed, transforming into a firm and powerful level 115 essence, 12 times stronger than his previous cultivation!


    the effects of the area he was in, which until a few moments ago had been suppressing him, disappeared completely, overwhelmed by minos'' growing aura.


    meanwhile, he felt his body evolving to achieve even greater feats, with his senses improving in proportion to the growth of his aura.


    his techniques learned while he was in the spiritual world no longer advanced to new heights, since he had already reached the maximum grade of mastery in all of them. but their usability naturally increased and he could use each of them for longer, on a greater number of targets, etc.


    however, this was not the same for his passive and divine abilities. temporal sands immediately showed its evolution, controlling the passage of time around him to an extent unlike anything minos had ever experienced before.


    he felt a sudden strange feeling, with scenes from the recent past flashing through his mind and him feeling as if he could reach them again if he wanted to.


    it wasn''t as strong a feeling as some of his other characteristics, but it was there strongly enough for him to notice it.


    he could see the grains of sand in the hourglass returning from one side of the artifact to the other, in a way that was neither natural nor logical.


    ''the evolution of temporal sands is temporal regression!'' he swallowed his saliva as he realized what he could do in the near future. ''with this new ability, i''ll be able to go back up to three minutes into the past!''


    this was something beyond himself and he could make everything connected to him, within a space superior to this dimension, regress in time with his will!  s~ea??h the n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    he obviously couldn''t do this repeatedly at the moment and felt that a single use of the ability would exhaust his soul power to the point of exhaustion.


    still, it was one more ability that he couldn''t help but be pleased about!


    in addition to the evolution of temporal sands, minos felt his new divine ability forming!


    from his blue flames and the golden glow of his seraphim wings, minos felt a silver flame rise in his core, a flame of great destructive power, yet purity and enlightenment. not only could this flame devour even darkness, but it could purify and transform, even creating new essences of itself!


    the feathers of his six wings were covered in these flames, which could even awaken beings who had died just a few moments ago and strengthen the living attributes in dead bodies.


    minos marveled at the silver glow in his eyes.


    draconic eden''s radiance!


    feeling the crack in front of him grow larger and the suction of it pull him to it, minos used the seals he had on his wives'' bodies, sending a fraction of those flames to each of them.


    ''these flames won''t last long on you. cultivate using them to purify your bodies and souls. it will strengthen you quickly,'' he said into their minds, not having much time to be more specific. ''try to stay safe while i''m gone. i''ll look for you as soon as i get back.''


    before he could say goodbye, minos had his body sucked into the spatial crack, which by now had thrown the entire dimension into chaos.


    just before minos disappeared from where he was, the level 124 soul fragment opened the portals for the group of people remaining there to escape while they could.


    in the midst of the end of her pocket dimension, she chose abby to deposit all her memories, figuring that she would have a better chance of succeeding without minos, given her necromantic power.


    ''i hope i''m right. otherwise, my end will have been a waste.'' she thought to herself, her last essence of soul slowly disappearing along with the end of her dimension.


    minos'' companions didn''t stand a chance and didn''t even try to stay behind to help him. led by his wives, they fled without looking back, figuring that whatever minos'' plan was, it was the best one, because he had the nautilus'' compass with him!


    thus, minos and his group had their plans disrupted, separated for new journeys from now on. now his group would be back in uzira, while he would finally enter the second part of the true celestial''s inheritance!

 Chapter 2721 The Fate of the Minos Group

    chapter 2721  the fate of the minos group back in uzira, abby''s group passed through the spatial distortion created by the level 124 soul fragment, arriving in a place they were still unfamiliar with.


    the group stopped as they came across the lush vegetation on the outskirts, while abby had a different look on her face, feeling the memories about uzira that the soul fragment had passed on to her.


    "what happened? what''s minos'' situation?" one of the generals asked in a cold sweat.


    he and most of them had sensed that the dimension they were in would implode and everyone left behind would die. that''s why they had fled as quickly as possible, without worrying too much about bringing their leader with them. but now, back in uzira, in a seemingly stable and peaceful place, they couldn''t help but think about what had just happened.


    tiolos frowned, looking toward abby, gloria and ruth, naturally worried. without minos, their group would have several additional challenges on their journey to uzira!


    ruth answered in place of her harem sisters, "minos is fine, but he''ll be away for a while. i won''t go into details, but when he advanced a stage, he triggered an opportunity. he''ll be absent until he fulfills the requirements of that opportunity."


    "that..."


    some of them obviously wanted to know more. but they hesitated, while the stronger ones stepped forward.


    "so what''s the plan? that dimension will surely be destroyed in the next few seconds. will he return from this opportunity to that place? and how long should we wait for him?" leger was the one to ask.


    gloria looked at the man and said, "it''s best not to worry about minos'' situation. he''ll be fine and he''ll use whatever he can to reach us as soon as possible. for now, we have to find out where we are and find a place to set up camp. we''ll decide the future after that."


    abby agreed. "before minos left for his opportunity, he gave us an opportunity, too. his new ability will help us refine our powers, but for that, we need a place to cultivate for a few days."


    in minos'' absence, abby was definitely the leader of the group, since the men of armhands followed the guild''s hierarchy. but even ignoring that, given her necromantic powers, she was naturally the one who could do the most for the group in the medium and long term.


    tiolos recognized abby as the leader of the group and agreed as he looked at the surroundings. leger did the same a moment later, being the one in the group who knew the area best.


    after a minute''s observation, leger concluded, "we''re close to where we were before we entered that dimension. if i''m not mistaken, we''re 400 kilometers from the east coast, just ahead of the area where minos was leading us at the time."


    "should we move on and go to the place indicated by leger back then?" the giant clexvog asked.


    "not just yet," abby replied to the level 117 being. "but we will do so eventually. even in minos'' absence, our plans haven''t changed. our aim must be to take advantage of the opportunities in the area and avoid trouble. some of us are still sovereigns, so let''s keep in mind everyone''s promotion to the 12th stage."


    the group was reassured to have a plan in mind, with steps to follow and the same rules as before.


    soon they would move through the area, now much stronger than centuries ago, each of them much better able to identify problems and opportunities nearby.


    they wouldn''t walk for long before they found a good place to hide, where abby, gloria and ruth would sit on cultivation cushions inside a dark cave to meditate.


    each of them could feel the burning energy of draconic eden''s radiance, a flame that didn''t threaten their bodies, but which contained surreal power within it.


    as they circulated their energies through their bodies and tried to absorb the flame left by minos, each of them felt their physical structures changing, losing impurities as they improved qualitatively.


    in less than three days of meditation, they felt as if their bodies had shed the last traces of their mortality, with their vitality rising exponentially.


    a week after separating from her husband, the first of the three would show signs of awakening when her red hair floated in the air and her cultivation reached the beginning of level 114.


    but gloria wouldn''t be the last. hours later, abby would feel something similar as she reached the peak of level 113 and made the final progress, also reaching the last level of the 11th stage.


    both had their physiques further refined, not enough to progress qualitatively, but enough for both to feel that one day they would reach the celestial grade.


    however, while the two still lacked a few steps to progress the quality of their physiques, ruth was very close to achieving this. opening her eyes two days after abby, the woman with the long black hair would feel a very particular sensation about her eventual progression.


    ''as soon as i become a supreme, my physique will advance to the celestial grade!'' ruth clenched her fists excitedly, looking out of the cave she was in as she thanked minos.


    something told her he wouldn''t be back any time soon. she figured that the next time they saw each other, she would already be at level 115 and with a celestial grade physique!


    ''good luck with your challenge, minos. don''t worry about us. we''ll be fine!''


    with that thought, she left her cave, where she would soon find abby and gloria, as well as the other members of the group, waiting for her.


    "we can go on," she said to the group. "standing still is not the answer. we must go in search of the opportunities that leger told us about earlier. but this time, we don''t have minos with us, so we''ll double our caution."


    abby nodded as she stood up, ready to leave. "we still have over 20 flashdrain parasites. so let''s not fear the enemies in our path!"


    they went on with their journey without minos, the beginning of years of challenges to come.


    s§×ar?h the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 2722 Beginning of the Second Phase

    chapter 2722  beginning of the second phase the time between minos'' entry into the special crack and his arrival on the other side¡ªa totally different dimension from the red ground he had gone to previously¡ªpassed in the blink of an eye. however, temporal sands told him something different from what his eyes and feelings were telling him.


    ''at least 100 years have passed since i left that dimension¡ª100 years for me. but how long for my group?'' he asked himself as he noticed the change in his biological age between then and now.


    but he had no clue how much time had passed for his group in uzira. when he arrived at the site of the second phase of the inheritance of the true celestial being, he spotted the competitors he had fought against or even allied with centuries ago.


    minos immediately spotted forfex, whom he had first allied with in the millennium massacre. the alien nodded in his direction, with an expression on his face that wasn''t sad, but wasn''t happy either.


    he also saw soli, the woman he had seen on the last levels of the final pyramid of the event back then. minos had won the pyramid by going further than all his competitors, but this woman had performed second best at the end of the millennium massacre.


    minos saw the sentient plant being and a blind individual, remembering very well those years he had spent in the celestial being''s pyramid and the period before, when he had traveled for centuries through the red expanse, fought and seized many opportunities.


    but not everyone who had finished the millennium massacre, the 100 individuals who had slots for this second phase of the inheritance, were there. only 93 competitors were there today, something that minos and his opponents quickly noticed.


    as they looked at each other, they also distinguished where they were, what appeared to be the center of a building, from where they could see a low ceiling above them, about 6 meters high, but they couldn''t see what lay beyond 200 meters away. only darkness awaited them beyond that limit.


    blue lamps at some points on the ceiling of this area illuminated the surroundings, where, this time, they could feel a much higher energy density than they had experienced in the red expanse.


    ''the red expanse was a tough place to cultivate to higher levels. back then, i spent over 400 years in this dimension and only raised my cultivation from level 100 to level 103. it looks like the test for the second inheritance phase will be different.'' he basically concluded the same as his competitors.


    as they contemplated the first minute in this special dimension, the semi-transparent humanoid figure of the true celestial appeared in the middle of the area, this time not looking as gigantic as before, although still physically imposing.


    everyone put aside their thoughts to observe the figure of the powerful existence behind this inheritance.


    as soon as he had finished forming in this place, causing a terrifying aura to press down on everyone there, the true celestial began, "my chosen ones, you have come a long way and are here to compete for the final spots in this competition.


    today we have 93 of you, but in 100 years, we will only have 10 who will go forward to decide who will succeed me on my throne in the upper realm."


    eyes glazed over as several contestants felt their blood run hot, eager to get to their places and continue their journeys of power.


    "in this second phase of my inheritance, you will have a shorter event with different rules from the previous challenge.


    in the red expanse, your strength and combat prowess were tested.


    now, you will have mental tests aimed at separating the genuine geniuses of cultivation and understanding from those who are just good warriors.


    the arcane pillar has 100 floors. on each floor, you will stay for 1 year until the doors to the top floor open. the 10 who reach the top floor of the tower will automatically secure their places in the next phase of my inheritance."


    some of them found this challenge very simple, but the true celestial wasn''t finished with his explanation.


    "every 10 floors of the tower, you will find several rooms. from the 1st to the 10th floor, there are 100 rooms per floor. from the 21st to the 30th floor, there are 80 rooms per floor. from the 91st to the 100th floor, there are only 10 rooms per floor. only someone with the badges for at least one room on each floor of the tower can access rooms on higher floors.


    in other words, accessing one room on the 100th floor will only be possible if you have the badges for at least one room on each floor you have passed.


    in addition, each room can only be completed once."


    minos immediately understood where these rules would lead them. ''there are 93 of us, so on the 11th floor of the tower, 3 of us will be unable to move on, which will probably lead to some of us fighting.''


    but minos and several others who thought the same were wrong about something.


    "however, until a room is completed, each room can be accessed by different competitors. once competitor a has accessed room 1, they can no longer access room 1 again and will have to move on to one of the other rooms until they complete one of them.


    if one cannot complete at least one room on each floor, they will lose one of their body parts from the body of true celestials."  s~ea??h the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "that..."


    "will we be killed?"


    several of them opened their mouths in doubt.


    the true celestial explained further, "no. but once you lose all the body parts of a true celestial, you will no longer be part of my heritage and will be sent to a chaotic region of the universe. your chances of dying there without being a celestial will be 99.9%, so be prepared."


    some of them had gotten other parts from true celestials, just like minos. some of them would have one to three opportunities before being sent to certain death.


    "what happens if someone survives the challenge but doesn''t have the necessary insignia?" soli asked.


    the true celestial smiled. "there are two scenarios for that. one, fewer than 10 individuals make it to the top floor with the necessary insignia. in this case, those who make it that far will fight each other to complete the final 10 spots. two, if we get the 10 individuals through the normal rules of this inheritance phase, the survivors will have their memories erased and will be sent back to where they came from."


    ''oh?'' minos narrowed his eyebrows, seeing that this test was complex.


    "as with the previous challenge, your cultivations will be at the absolute beginning of level 115 and will not increase while you are here, even if you cultivate to become stronger.


    you can''t use external weapons, let alone techniques. you can only use your divine and innate abilities.


    in addition, you cannot prevent each other from entering the challenge rooms. you can only fight each other if each side involved has already entered at least one room on the floor you are on. otherwise, you are forbidden from fighting each other.


    if you have no further questions, you may begin." with his words, several lights in the place came on, revealing what was in the darkness where they couldn''t see until a few moments ago.

 Chapter 2723 The Competitors Thoughts

    chapter 2723  the competitors'' thoughts when the lights on that floor of the tower came on, minos and everyone else shielded their eyes, given how strong it was. but after the true celestial left, they gradually got used to the place and spotted what was in the area.


    they were in the center of what looked like a colossal building, about 300 meters away from many rooms separated from each other by the same distance, following the shape of a circle, with the cultivators practically in the center of the area.


    apart from the side rooms, which had opaque glass walls and transparent doors, there didn''t seem to be any exit to this floor, either out of the building or to the upper level.


    minos narrowed his eyes, but reflexively had a feeling about where his future lay and looked towards the ceiling, where a closed golden structure stood, with a clock counting down the time to the opening of the second floor.


    realizing that this was where the passage to the next level of the tower would open, minos turned his attention back to his surroundings, looking in particular at the rooms in the area.


    there was a number on each of the doors and small plaques with special characters seemed to carry what one would need to know before entering one of them. apparently, the owner of this dimension had left further instructions for the competitors of his inheritance.


    minos didn''t move immediately, however. after the departure of the true celestial and the initial observation of the area, the 93 competitors found themselves in a peculiar situation. they were all there, with nothing stopping them from going to their opponents.


    obviously, they didn''t doubt the rules of the true celestial and wouldn''t engage in battle now. but they all looked at each other curiously, wondering about the loopholes in the rules of this place.


    ''the big guy said nothing about killing opponents and stealing their insignia,'' thought one individual there, a smile shaping his big green lips. ''this will be a test of talent, but he himself recognizes that those with talent must have the ability to maintain their rights.''


    not just one competitor thought this, but almost everyone there noticed this loophole. it would give those who failed to get their tokens the right way the opportunity to get them in alternative forms.


    ''this will be a problem that will lead to confrontations after the 10th floor. from the 11th floor to the 20th floor, we''ll only have 90 rooms, so a maximum of 90 will get their badges, 3 short of the current number of competitors...


    actually, it''s deeper than that. i''m assuming that everyone will take advantage of their opportunities. but from true celestial''s words, some will eventually fail to obtain insignia with their own talents. this will probably only happen later on in the challenge, but it''s possible that there will be failures between the 1st and 10th floors. in that case, we''d have competitors fighting even before the 11th floor.


    one way or another, sooner or later, we''ll have to fight to keep our tokens.'' minos concluded, as no one moved.


    ''in any case, it''s unlikely that battles will develop on the first levels. everyone should be curious to find out how the current challenge will develop. as there are more rooms than competitors, we can simply move on and learn more about the limitations and possibilities of this inheritance phase.


    if this tower is anything like the red expanse, there will certainly be opportunities to refine our powers and come out stronger at the end of this part of the selection...'' he remembered the many opportunities he''d had around that red dimension and in his last decades inside the pyramid.


    ''these insignia probably have a greater meaning than just giving us access to the rooms on subsequent floors.''


    with this in mind, minos was the first to walk into room number 1, surprising no one there, since he had gone the furthest in the previous test.


    almost instantly, upon seeing minos move, soli approached him, smiling as she remembered their last time together, when she had kept her end of the bargain with him and lent him her cultivation to get him further up the pyramid.


    "i sincerely hoped you would die, minos. unfortunately, you''ve come this far... maybe this will be my death." she joked with a bitter smile.


    part of her was joking, but she couldn''t help ignoring this competitor''s potential. in the previous test, he had beaten everyone by a large margin. even if she wasn''t sure how formidable he would be, under the rules of this current challenge, she didn''t underestimate him and had him as her major competitor, not only for the current challenge but also for the inheritance final.


    "soli, you seem to have well used the opportunity i gave you back then." he smiled at her as forfex approached them both, walking towards the same room. "your physique has reached the celestial grade, right?"


    "it seems i can''t hide from you. unfortunately, you seem to have achieved the same feat before me. i only reached my current grade after my promotion to the 12th stage."


    "i haven''t improved much since then. the difference between us isn''t that great," he said, but she couldn''t agree with such a comment.


    forfex was finally at their side and quickly greeted them both before saying in a solemn tone. "boss, i have a tip to give you. however, it won''t be free. the same goes for you, woman."


    soli looked strangely at forfex, while minos was interested. "what do you want?"  s~ea??h the n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "i want the same thing we had in the red expanse. alliance. let''s work together and protect each other along the tower."


    "alliance? in this inheritance phase?" the woman narrowed her eyes, curious. "do you know we''re competitors? sooner or later, we''ll be each other''s mortal enemies and our deaths may come at each other''s hands."


    forfex laughed, but he couldn''t deny the truth. ''that''s why i''m going to find a way of not reaching the end of this damned inheritance. i almost made it before my advance to the 12th stage, but i lost control of my cultivation just before i reached my decisive experiment...''


    forfex explained, "we''ll certainly die if not at each other''s hands, then like the 7 who aren''t here. however, there are 10 vacancies for the next phase of the inheritance, enough for the three of us. also, i''m not demanding an alliance where everyone has to sacrifice everything for each other. let''s act together, and if one of us can''t meet the challenge on our own, we won''t be forced to harm ourselves for it."


    "what do you get in return?" soli wondered. at this early stage of the challenge in the tower, it would make sense to have allies to strategize and ward off those who would fight for the insignia on the second floors.


    "i have information on two of our competitors. sensitive information that could save your lives or give you something to hunt and become stronger."


    the two nodded in agreement, showing their acceptance of his proposal. cleverly, soli preferred minos on her side rather than as an enemy.

 Chapter 2724 Problems for the future

    chapter 2724  problems for the future "here''s the deal. two of our competitors were on my planet centuries ago, in my timeline. they caused quite a stir by fighting each other and one of them ended up dead." forfex explained what he knew.


    "the one who survived absorbed the true celestial body part of the one who died and then started a hunt. i fled my planet and went into exile in another area of the universe. but perhaps by bad luck or perhaps because i had been chased, that survivor of the confrontation again appeared in a fight in the place where i was.


    in that place, 80 years ago, he killed another of our competitors and absorb the third part of true celestial''s body. that cultivator is entering room number 10 right now."


    the two next to forfex looked in the direction of the blind man, who had a peaceful smile on his face.  s~ea??h the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    minos had two body parts of a true celestial, so he couldn''t help but take this opponent seriously. with three parts, that individual was probably the most formidable opponent of this inheritance.


    "however, he wasn''t the only one. i''ve seen him, so i can say his case is true. but i passed through another world where i heard some rumors that made me think that the sentient vegetable had done something similar. the report i heard sounded a lot like what i found out about that guy during our time in the red expanse."


    soli and minos looked at the sentient vegetable facing room 22.


    "in his case, he only has two of the body parts of a true celestial." forfex became more serious as he reached the point where he wanted to warn his temporary companions. "anyway, my point is that some here have already had a taste of hunting competitors outside the heritage and will do so in the future.


    the blind man and the sentient plant are dangerous not only for the inheritance phase we''re in, but also for our eventual departure.


    when we finished the challenge in the red expanse, we all had only 1 part of a true celestial''s body. but now some of us have 2. those individuals who hunted competitors before this inheritance phase will certainly hunt those of us who seem to be bigger prey."


    this was indeed critical information that minos and soli could not deny its value. without forfex to tell them this news, they might not have found out about the history of those two opponents.


    "why do you think they can reach us? the universe is so big. and even after all these years, i haven''t even come close to my competitors'' leads."


    minos thought the same, but he waited for forfex''s answer.


    "those two are different," forfex shook his head. "from what i''ve heard and know, their skills are conducive to large-scale information gathering. it''s possible that they already know, somehow, how to find us. they just haven''t had the time or opportunity to do it before. but after this inheritance phase, they will certainly try something."


    ''this made even more sense considering that, after this inheritance phase, only 10 would be left. anyone those two took down would already be a significant breakthrough, not only for the opportunity to absorb an additional part of a true celestial''s body, but for the chance to reduce the number of their enemies.


    if three of the ten who come out of the inheritance victorious hunt down the rest of their opponents, that could bring the final stage of the inheritance down to a contest of just seven and maybe even fewer,'' minos pondered the implications and how bad it would be not only for those who were hunted down but even for those who had no problem with their competitors.


    ''how paradoxical,'' he thought with a strange look. ''it makes me want to kill those two now, but at the same time, that would be a waste of a true celestial''s body parts. if i kill them outside of here, i''ll be able to absorb their essences, but here i won''t be able to. however, if i don''t kill them, i could have endless problems outside.''


    there was one more problem with having one of these inheritance opponents as an enemy outside. each part of the universe had its own passage of time. that is, while for some, more than a millennium had passed since the previous test, for others, only a few decades had passed.


    depending on the origin of the enemy and their speed of action after the end of the inheritance, one could end up in the situation of coming face to face with an opponent hunting them who was much stronger than them!


    "you''ve really brought us a lot of information." soli couldn''t help but appreciate forfex''s approach.


    he laughed at her comment. "that''s the good thing about my experience. but before i came here, i thought i''d soon be hunted down by one of those two bastards... sigh! it was too terrible to think that bastards like them could get to me."


    "they still can, from what you''ve said. they''ll probably try that if you survive to the end of this challenge, forfex."


    forfex looked at minos and lost his smile. "i know. that''s why i have to grow as much as possible here. and if possible, prevent them from surviving to the end. here, they at least have parts of their powers blocked."


    "you have a good plan. but we''ll talk about that in the future. almost everyone has already entered their rooms. it''s our turn to do the same," soli said as she separated from them, heading for room number two. "we''ll talk after the challenge on the second floor."


    minos nodded to her and indicated to forfex that he would enter the room ahead of him.


    forfex made his own way to room number 5, one of the few that was empty at the moment. meanwhile, minos came across a dazzling place, where the walls seemed to be clouds and the floor seemed to be made of glass, suspended in the air somewhere in a golden sky.


    in front of them, three figures of different shapes appeared from the condensation of the super-concentrated energy of this place.

 Chapter 2725 The First Room of the Tower

    chapter 2725  the first room of the tower minos was confronted with three figures: seraphim wings, a dragon''s head, and a brown-haired human body almost identical to the one he had before.


    faced with these three parts of himself, he understood more or less what this test was about. ''you want to test my will? do you want to see if i still recognize myself?'' minos questioned himself in front of these figures.


    ''nonsense. shapes don''t matter. only one''s will matters in the cultivation world. the way one presents oneself is nothing more than a temporary shell in constant transformation.''


    he watched as the three forms moved as if to attack him¡ªthe dragon spitting flames, the seraphim wings, replete with eyes, casting golden rays of light, and the brown-haired humanoid shaping what looked like a sword to strike him diagonally.


    with a smile on his face, minos allowed the three to attack, closing his eyes and standing with his arms open. ''


    there''s nothing to be afraid of. just disappear.''


    with that thought, the three essences attacking him vanished just before reaching him.


    minos felt a dense fog envelop his body, instantly absorbing bright spots around him.


    opening his eyes, he felt a refreshing breath, with his skin gaining slight golden traces, marking his spiritual body.


    an insignia, the size of an adult human finger, formed in front of minos, bearing the number one symbol. then he heard the voice of the true celestial.


    "congratulations on winning room number 1. from now on, you can cultivate in this space and leave whenever you like. as long as you are in the room, this will be your domain. no one will invade it and you will be safe. however, be careful. the passage of time here differs from outside, and your time to go to the second floor may already be running out."


    minos narrowed his eyes as he tried to read the passage of time in this place. noticing that there was indeed a distortion, he concluded that a day outside would be equivalent to about a minute inside this room.


    ''that''s what i call a brutal difference! that''s dozens of times what i can do with my divine ability, even after my recent qualitative evolution.'' minos laughed to himself as he realized the capabilities of the true celestial behind this inheritance.


    he did not know the true celestial''s cultivation, but given such a being''s ability to control time and space, minos wouldn''t doubt that this heirloom had been built by someone above level 125.


    he immediately began cultivating after completing the time he could stay there, not finding the test that difficult, nor even the prize for winning it that great. certainly, being able to cultivate there for a year in a matter of minutes would be convenient. if this was repeated throughout the tower, then for those in this inheritance, the duration of the inheritance phase would be very short.


    obviously, those outside this dimension would still experience the passage of normal time, but it was nice not to have to experience so many years in this place.


    but minos was not disappointed. this was the first floor of a 100-storey tower. it seemed logical to think that the first challenges would be easier and more common, while the difficulty would increase as they progressed.


    ''i''m going to cultivate for three hours and then come back. seven rooms will remain on this second floor. if no one has completed them before i leave this room, i''ll try to get through a second challenge on the first floor.''


    he thought to himself, already cultivating while absorbing the extremely concentrated and rich energy of this area.


    even if he was only going to stay there for the equivalent of six months, those would be months of cultivation in a much richer environment than uzira!


    it had been a long time since minos had felt his cultivation improve with just a few minutes of cultivation. but in this place, he would notice such a sensation, something he hadn''t felt since he was in the spiritual world!


    ...


    when he left room number one, minos stopped in front of the room''s door, now glowing in a green light, similar to 92 rooms around the second floor.


    he saw open doors in 45 of the rooms already complete, while 7 of the rooms were white, still untouched.  s§×ar?h the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    several of the contestants were divided into groups or even standing alone in front of their rooms, waiting for the end of their year in this place.


    on the ceiling, minos saw that there were still six months to go before the second floor opened. his estimate was almost 100% correct.


    not everyone had performed as well as him and they were now disappointed with their situation.


    "what a shame you left your room so early too, minos. it would have been better for you to stay and cultivate until the end of our time on this floor." forfex approached the man with the white hair and seraphim wings. "once we leave one of these rooms, we can''t enter it again. and although the area we''re in is rich in energy, it''s no match for the interior of these rooms... and of course, it''s dangerous to cultivate here."


    minos wasn''t surprised by forfex''s words.


    "that''s not a problem. i went ahead because i want to test something." minos walked towards one of the few rooms that no one had entered.


    he thought that others would have tried what he was planning. but luckily for him, no one seemed interested in trying to complete a second room on the second floor. but since the rules didn''t speak against such a thing, minos wanted to go ahead and see where it would take him.


    ''worst-case scenario, i won''t be able to start the challenge. but if i do, i''ll at least be able to cultivate for the next few months until the second floor opens.'' he thought as forfex accompanied him with doubt drawn across his face.


    "where are you going?"


    minos didn''t answer him until he reached room 74 and put his hands on the door handle, drawing the attention of everyone in the vicinity.


    not only was he already a potential target for practically everyone there, having finished the previous phase of the inheritance so well, but his behavior now drew attention.


    "i''m going to test something. if you like, choose another room for yourself. right now, i''m going to spend my last few months in room 74."


    minos moved on, leaving forfex behind, as he knew he would get what he wanted. as he entered that room, he felt a sense of what would unfold, seeing that he was indeed right.


    the surrounding energy appeared in the air and not long after minos entered there, the opaque white glass walls of that room turned green, propelling forfex and the others nearby.


    ''shit. i''ve got to take one of these rooms for myself!'' forfex ran to room 88, seeing that the others in the vicinity were already moving for the same purpose.


    in less than a minute after minos'' move, all six of the remaining rooms were occupied!

 Chapter 2726 Benefit

    chapter 2726  benefit while the other rooms on the second floor were already being completed by different competitors who had taken advantage of the opportunity, minos had quickly completed the challenge in that room.


    to his surprise, the challenge differed from the previous one and was at least five times more difficult, which he honestly hadn''t expected. still, he finished it after just a few seconds of entering the room.


    then, absorbing the room''s prize, which was already stimulating his silver flames, minos returned to the lotus position, interested in spending all his remaining time on the second floor cultivating.


    with just over three hours to do so, since all the rooms on each floor had the same time distortion, he would take the opportunity to push his cultivation higher.


    ...


    the three hours for minos, about six months for those outside the challenge rooms on the second floor, would pass and all 93 competitors would stand face to face in that place.


    the clock finally struck zero, just before the golden structure on the ceiling opened, revealing the second floor to them.


    everyone flew to the next floor, not engaging in conflict for the moment, just as minos thought the beginning of the inheritance would develop.


    rumors about what he and the other six individuals who had entered two rooms on the second floor had spread and now everyone was thinking the same thing. complete the challenge of one of the rooms on the next floor and try for one of the seven remaining rooms.


    forfex was all smiles as he flew alongside minos and soli, while soli was not in the best of moods, having left her room too late to seize the opportunity taken by her two allies.


    as they flew what seemed to be a great distance, she asked them both, "what was it like facing two challenges on the same floor? did you notice anything important?"


    forfex replied, "it was much harder to win the second challenge, but the opportunity i won wasn''t much better than the first. i''d say they''re a step apart, even though the difficulty was very different."


    "i felt the same way," minos admitted. "but i got another insignia, and although i don''t know what it might bring us later on, i have a feeling we''ll find out soon enough. we''ll know the implications of this on the first ten floors of the tower."


    they reached the second floor, an area almost identical to the first, with 100 rooms around, each glowing the same color and numbered. this time, however, the true celestial being didn''t show to the group, and after the last of them landed in the area, the passage to the first floor closed.


    minos realized yet another implication not explained by the true celestial, but which this phenomenon would generate. ''those who don''t advance in time will lose the inheritance by elimination¡­''


    the clock for the opening of the passage to the third floor began its countdown as the members of the group moved into the side rooms. everyone was keen to finish their first rooms as quickly as possible in order to test what minos and the other six had done on the first floor.


    ''i have a feeling that the first battle for rooms will unfold here... i should strive to complete two rooms on this floor, or is it better to focus on just one now?''


    minos wasn''t the kind of guy who feared disputes. but he didn''t decide straight away, thinking first of all to get on with his first challenge on the second floor and the reverberations of what he''d done on the first floor.


    minos wasn''t the kind of guy who feared disputes. but he didn''t decide straight away, thinking first of all to get on with his first challenge on the second floor and the reverberations of what he''d done on the first floor.


    this time he entered room number 33, locking himself in less than 30 seconds after the start of their time count on this level of the tower.


    this time, minos didn''t face parts of himself or his past. in the room he was in, a golden book condensed in front of him, while the insignia from the second room he had completed floated out of his spatial ring without his command.


    minos watched without trying to stop what was about to happen, then saw the golden book grow a few centimeters and gain a few pages.


    special characters formed on the cover of the book, attracting minos'' attention when the name ''chaotic gravity - level two'' appeared there.


    seeing the name of one technique that had made him as strong as he was today¡ªbecause it was a technique crucial to the formation of the black hole¡ªminos was naturally interested and touched the book.


    the next page opened, revealing another passage that caught his interest.


    ''turning techniques into skills.''


    gulp!


    as he read this, minos felt a shiver run through his body and continued onward, reading about what would become level 2 of that technique¡ªwhen it would cease to be a technique and transform into an innate ability!


    techniques were limited to the extent that their original creators developed them. but skills grew with their user and could continue to improve as long as there was potential!


    ''i''ve seen several ancient experts who did the opposite, turning their own skills into techniques. henricus longus, the level 124 soul fragment, the goddess of life, and many others on my journey, they all have done such a thing. but if it''s possible to create this way, the opposite way must be possible, too.


    everything in this universe depended on balance, appropriate ingredients, measured energy, control, and even luck.''


    minos leafed through the golden book, gradually understanding the theory behind it to gain an initial idea of how to turn his technique into more than that and make it part of his skills.


    ''in a way, i''ve done it in the past. i''ve gained passive skills from some of my techniques. what this book teaches me is exactly what enabled me to achieve this and how to consciously replicate the process.''


    gradually, minos felt his surroundings changing, with the extremely strong gravity of the room varying, a sign that he was controlling not the technique¡ªwhich was blocked by the powers of the true celestial being¡ªbut the skill formed by such a technique!


    minos'' eyes lit up as he felt a primary control over the skill, also noticing his physique advancing by 2% as he mastered the new skill.


    ''perfect! this has not only given me a new skill with greater possibilities than i had with the technique, but it has also raised the quality of my physique!''  s§×ar?h the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    he celebrated, determined to stay in this room for the next six hours, already imagining that he wouldn''t be able to compete for one of the seven free rooms on the second floor, given how long he had already been learning his new skill.


    but minos already had a pretty good idea of what the second badge he''d gotten on the first floor had done for him!

 Chapter 2727 Plans for the Next Floor

    chapter 2727  plans for the next floor just over six hours after entering the previous room, minos was finally considering leaving to wait for the third floor to open.


    in the last few hours, he had managed to finish training his new skill and learn how to use it in an even more advanced way than he had with the chaotic gravity technique previously.


    now he could control gravity much more efficiently, using only a fraction of the energy he needed before. moreover, he had developed a new ability: by manipulating the gravity around his body, he could momentarily create an antimatter barrier capable of negating all forms of non-spiritual attacks.


    besides gaining a better understanding of his abilities, the last few hours had helped him realize what he could achieve as he progressed through the tower.


    ''it seems that when i get more than one badge per floor, i''ll have opportunities for upgrades on the next floor,'' minos concluded as he stood up from where he had been meditating.  sear?h the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    still, this was a challenge, even if it held great potential. minos had acquired a new skill, but it hadn''t come easily. mastering this skill required him to apply his understanding.


    nothing had come to him for free. if he hadn''t been able to decipher the golden book earlier, he wouldn''t have left this room with a new skill and would have failed to earn the badge for this room. once he completed the transition from technique to skill, the room naturally formed a new insignia for him.


    minos opened the door to the room, illuminated by a strong green light, frowning as he prepared to face the situation outside.


    a feeling told him that the situation outside would be different this time.


    and indeed, when he examined his surroundings, he soon spotted soli and forfex in the front of his room, while several individuals in the surrounding area were silent, looking at each other strangely.


    traces of battles could be seen in the surroundings, with one individual lying in the middle of the area, just below where the passage to the third floor would open in a day''s time.


    minos didn''t need to listen to forfex''s explanation to understand what had happened.


    "... and so he was killed by bartel''s group." forfex finished explaining how that competitor had been killed while vying for one of the seven remaining rooms after the challenges in the area had begun.


    as expected, all 93 who entered the second floor won their challenges in no time. but while the 7 individuals who collected two insignia on the previous floor didn''t repeat the feat on this floor, half of those who remained did so within minutes of the start of the challenge on the second floor.


    almost everyone finished their tests as quickly as possible to get a second badge, but the seven rooms were occupied after 19 individuals fought each other. from this fight, soli had gained some injuries before getting one of the rooms for herself, but the fallen individual in the center of the area had ended up dead.


    the others who left their rooms after the remaining challenges were completed didn''t fight, but remained silent, resolute about the implications of what had happened. everyone had to rethink their strategies for the next floor.


    looking at forfex, minos said, "on the next level, i''ll try to get one of the eight rooms. if you''re quick, stay close to me. the battle on the third floor will be more brutal than it was here. now more people know what a second insignia can do for us."


    as soli looked at them with interest, forfex agreed. what he had experienced in his room on the second floor was truly incredible, and now his goal was to get one of the eight rooms on the next floor.


    "are you leaving me out?" soli asked.


    "you''ll understand when you get into the next room." minos explained vaguely. "but for now, keep in mind that the next floor won''t be for you to try two rooms. however, it''s best to be careful from the next level onwards.


    as far as i can see, the fight on the second floor was for the seven extra rooms. but on the next and subsequent floors, there may be fights for the insignia you''ve already earned." he looked at the other five people who, apart from him and forfex, knew the consequences of having two badges on the same floor.


    "it makes sense." forfex agreed with minos'' theory. "soli, you have one now and no one has tried to take it from you here because those who know about its potential only discovered it at the end of this floor. but on the next floor, there will be 7 who know about it from the start and 7 more who will know about it at the end of the ordeal. the next floors will be much more dangerous."


    she looked at minos, sensing that this could be a problem. "so you''ll stay together and i''ll have to carry on alone? that won''t be good."


    "you''re right." minos agreed. "you''ll have to sacrifice yourself for us on one of the following floors, soli. we can''t keep alternating between challenging the rooms or take advantage of opportunities. we have to act simultaneously. if we''re going to challenge two rooms on the same floor, we''ll have to do it all together."


    "what do you suggest? on the third floor, she''ll take her chance and we''ll try two rooms." forfex questioned.


    "on the fourth floor, we''ll all go into our rooms and stay there until the end of time there. you shouldn''t try to get a second room on the fourth floor, soli," he said, looking at her. "we''ll act together on the fifth floor. and eventually we''ll give you an extra insignia to make up for this delay for you."


    she clenched her fists, but accepted minos'' plan.


    just then, the timer on the second floor went off and the passage to the third floor of the tower opened. at that moment, everyone put aside their thoughts about the challenges ahead and headed for the third floor, where things promised to heat up!


    on the third floor, identical in appearance to the first and second floors, everyone quickly chose their rooms and began the area''s 92 tests, with almost everyone aiming to get one of the 8 remaining tests!

 Chapter 2728 Battle for the Rooms and Insignia

    chapter 2728  battle for the rooms and insignia a little over two hours after the opening of the third floor, minos and forfex appeared one after the other in front of the doors of the rooms they had entered. both rooms were displaying a strong green color, similar to the other six rooms, the first to be completed on the third floor.


    a few moments after, the two looked at each other and ran towards their rooms, another eight rooms turned green and 10 of the 14 closed green rooms opened. at that moment, 12 individuals were vying for the remaining 8 rooms in the area.


    there was no need for comments or threats from one against the other. half of the individuals went in search of their new rooms, while the other half, lagging behind, were already showing their powers by going up against their opponents further ahead.


    one of them stopped and shaped a golden arc of energy in front of him, condensing a large part of his cultivation into a single attack.


    another individual sped up his speed, becoming much faster than even the most advanced one, close to reaching one of the eight areas.


    another used a strong mental power that made each of the others feel a slight discomfort, making forfex feel that this time he would have to fight to get what he wanted.


    time passed differently for minos as the golden hourglass formed around him, with the 11 individuals around him, but also 3 new rooms opening up, slowing down for his eyes.


    ''what do i do?'' minos wondered.


    he had three possibilities in front of him. the nautilus'' compass had shown him these three alternatives very well, each of which would lead him to success on this floor.


    the first, he could simply use his temporal powers on himself and his ally, thus ensuring that they would both be able to enter their respective rooms.


    the second, he could try to kill all the opponents around him and ensure that the next floor would have not 8, but 18 rooms that could be completed by people like him.


    the third, he could kill only those who attacked him and forfex.


    ''if i kill them all, i''ll have a big problem. on the next floor, a very large number of competitors will be able to complete more than one room. this will naturally help more of my opponents become stronger.'' he reasoned coldly as time seemed to stand still, waiting for his decision.


    ''in this scenario, the fifth floor would be very chaotic. many would try to kill others, the number of competitors would drop a lot and the quality of those remaining would increase. that wouldn''t be good for me, even if it wouldn''t bring with it the problem of me becoming a common enemy to be eliminated.


    this leaves me in the situation of either killing those who attack me or simply stopping time for the enemies and ensuring that forfex and i get our rooms.


    stopping time seems less violent and keeps as many opponents alive as possible. this raises the difficulty of getting into one of these rooms and doesn''t increase the number of eventual winners as much... as for killing opponents, it has the opposite effect.''


    his eyes narrowed as he saw through the bodies and souls of the 10 individuals around him, identifying who the six weakest and least talented were.


    with a smile on his face, minos froze time as long as possible for those he judged to be more formidable opponents, giving the weaker ones space to reach six different rooms.


    ''it''s best that as few competitors as possible die now. this will keep the number of opportunities limited to a small group and increase the chances of the few who take advantage of these opportunities to be among the 10 finalists for the inheritance.''


    he manipulated the situation towards the best possible scenario for him, demonstrating some of the bodily and spiritual changes he had undergone over the years between the millennium massacre and now.


    minos'' opponents had a lot to learn about his growth, but he was now much worse than the version from years ago when he had defeated the true celestial pyramid.


    the strongest individuals in the surroundings sensed who was preventing them from proceeding with their movements, as they watched in horror as eight opponents entered the eight rooms.


    those attacking even had their attacks frozen in space and time, while the few who were simply running into the rooms opened their eyes wide as they burned with rage.


    even with their special abilities and the great growth they had undergone over the last few centuries, few would know how to escape a time trap!


    time was a supreme essence of the universe, something that even the greatest geniuses could not ignore!


    minos and the other seven individuals began their second test on the third floor, each in search of the insignia that, according to the theories of those already experienced in this feat, would lead them to obtain opportunities to become much stronger on the fourth floor.


    ''damn minos!'' thought the blind man as he felt time return to its usual passage. ''even though he only has two parts of a true celestial''s body, his power is impressive enough to get in my way.''  sear?h the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    narrowing his eyes toward the room minos had entered, he clenched his fists. ''perhaps it''s not interesting for me to antagonize you within this inheritance phase. but once i leave this tower, i will hunt you down, wherever you are in the universe. i won''t let you reach the last phase of the inheritance!''


    meanwhile, others thought of minos in different ways, seeing that he had hindered them on this floor, but that fortunately, this meant that they would have their chance without his intervention on the subsequent floor.


    but today''s move undeniably gave minos an undeniable advantage!


    ...


    meanwhile, on the 100th floor of the tower, the true celestial was standing next to one of his subordinates, face to face with the 3d map of his tower, looking in particular in minos'' direction.


    "this guy is ingenious. others would have wiped out their competitors and opened up the possibilities. but even though he''s so strong, he didn''t get carried away and took a careful approach." the true celestial''s subordinate commented with interest.


    the man smiled, looking at minos with interest. "for now, he''s my favorite to become my heir. but that might get in his way later on... in any case, he''s right to seek the path that is most likely to nourish his physique to the absolute grade and nourish fewer of his opponents."


    "how do you think this challenge will end, master?"


    "i don''t know. i''d rather just watch them for now," said the being behind the inheritance. "but the challenges don''t end here. once this phase of my inheritance is over, the final 10 competitors will hunt each other down and celestials, as well as high-level supremes, will move against the ten to take their chance to go to the upper realm.


    i''m looking forward to the battles ahead!"

 Chapter 2729 Decrease in the Number of Opponents

    chapter 2729  decrease in the number of opponents hours later, minos left his room and spotted soli and forfex together once again in front of the door he had just left.


    forfex had some wounds all over his body, as did soli, while the two of them were in a combat position, with a group of 12 individuals very close to them.


    but the moment the door to minos'' room opened, the individuals who had just moved¡ªgiven the fact that soli and forfex had also left their respective rooms moments ago¡ªflinched at the sight of the white-haired, seraphim-winged fellow.


    "hmmm? any trouble here?" minos parted his lips along with the spread of his six wings, becoming much larger and more menacing.


    one individual closely observing the situation, the sentient plant that had missed the opportunity to finish his test a minute after minos and the group of seven individuals from earlier, narrowed his eyes as he looked at minos.


    "minos, did you make good use of your challenge? we were just curious to check out your new victory," said the broccoli head plant, smiling at minos, while its gaze was curious, not at all aggressive.


    forfex and soli looked back and sighed. with minos on their side, there was no danger of hyenas trying to take what one of them had gained in the last room they left.


    "is that so?" minos asked. "i did very well. on the next floor, things will get really interesting." he stood in front of his two companions. "too bad i won''t be able to join in the fun. but i wish you good luck. i''ll act again on the fifth floor against those of you who are left."


    some individuals clenched their fists in anger, but no one had the courage to challenge minos. some of them even had the confidence to stand against him, but frankly, even they wouldn''t attempt something like this so early in the challenge of this tower. minos was among the strongest. it only made sense to face him directly at the end of this inheritance phase.


    everyone retreated closer to the rooms they had left earlier, preferring not to drastically elevate the situation they were in now. at the next level, he wouldn''t be challenging two rooms, so it made more sense to fight in his absence.


    "it seems that you still diverge by a large margin from your opponents, even in an inheritance with different rules," soli said as she looked at him with a complicated look.


    unfortunately, this had its downside for her, who was connected to this heritage. but for the moment, she tried to see only the positive side, the security of moving forward on a smoother path.


    however, this challenge wasn''t just about who could get into the rooms first. from what soli had understood, the current phase might be influenced by brute force, given that everyone was completing the challenges. but eventually there would come a time when the challenges would become difficult and would single-handedly eliminate several competitors.


    ''my chance is to use minos'' strength to get safely to the end of the challenge and then see him fall into this inheritance phase. if that doesn''t happen here, i''m afraid my death will be that much closer to happening.'' she thought to herself silently.


    time passed and the passage to the fourth floor passed, beginning their fourth year of challenging the tower of the true celestial.


    ...  sea??h th§× n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    over the next six floors of the tower, minos would alternate between taking advantage of great opportunities to gain new skills and moments when he would control the killing of his enemies.


    but things would soon get out of hand and 5 more competitors would die before they even reached the next part of the building, where they would find a smaller number of rooms in their path than the original number of competitors in this inheritance phase.


    with competitors remaining, some of them were much stronger than at the start of it all, but others were falling behind and clustering into larger groups.


    as some used their opportunities very well, others were growing desperate to achieve something that would make them stand out.


    things developed on an even more brutal level than minos had initially predicted. competitors fought not only against those who had completed more than one room per floor, they also started fighting each other against those who had only completed one room. their aim was to steal their opponents'' insignia and try for the same benefits as those competitors able to complete two subsequent rooms.


    this behavior revealed discoveries to those who committed such acts and also eliminated two other competitors before the group even reached the 10th floor.


    by stealing an insignia from someone who had only completed one room, a cultivator would get nothing more than access to one of the rooms on the subsequent floor. the opportunity to improve their powers, physique and gain new skills only existed for those who completed more than one room per floor.


    minos and his allies discovered this before entering the 10th floor today, a moment of respite for them, since they had already earned their extra badges on the previous level.


    he did his best to control the death toll, but as he entered room 98 today, he knew the killing would rise to a new level when he left his room in about a year''s time.


    the one year outside the rooms¡ªabout 6.5 hours for those cultivating inside the rooms with challenges¡ªwould pass in the blink of an eye.


    when minos left his room on the 10th floor, with the fifth of his techniques transformed into a skill, he saw the number of deaths on the eighth floor¡ªthe one with the most deaths so far¡ªdouble!


    ''four fewer competitors... that brings us to just 81 in the second phase of the inheritance.'' minos recognized the change in the situation, which would still guarantee 9 extra rooms between the 11th and 20th floors of the tower.


    ''as expected. these guys are interested in increasing the number of vacancies for opportunists like us.'' minos looked at the blind man and the sentient vegetable.


    they didn''t want to face each other, nor did they want to face minos. consequently, they found a way to increase the number of vacancies to the next level.


    minos watched forfex and soli leave their rooms and did nothing, waiting for the 11th floor to open, already expecting a substantial increase in the level of difficulty of the tests ahead.


    ''i''d better forget about them for now. i''ve already turned half my techniques into skills. between the 11th and 20th floors, i''ll be able to complete the transition of all the remaining ones.''


    thus, all 81 remaining competitors entered the 11th floor, where they found a smaller place, with only 90 rooms available.

 Chapter 2730 21st Year in the Tower

    chapter 2730  21st year in the tower time passed and soon the remaining competitors in the true celestial''s inheritance were finishing their challenges and leaving their rooms on the 20th floor.


    with one day to go until the end of their year on the 20th, the group of 74 remaining competitors came together again, but this time in less stormy weather than on the 10th floor.


    after the experience of climbing from the 10th to the 11th floor, they all knew that the difficulty of the challenges increased greatly between floors when the number of rooms changed as well. they didn''t want to face each other in the current situation, where they would soon have the most tough challenges of their journeys on the 21st floor.  sea??h th§× n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    minos, soli and forfex joined once again to wait for the timer to run out, each of them displaying different cultivation pressures, despite still appearing to be at the absolute beginning of level 115.


    but the three of them, as well as all the other remaining competitors, knew that, just as in the first inheritance phase, their strength was growing as they advanced up the tower.


    minos greeted his two temporary allies and was soon contemplating his own situation.


    after five more opportunities in the last 10 floors, he had turned all his techniques into special skills and raised the quality of his physique. it was still at the celestial grade, but minos was sure that his progression to the next step was over 50% advanced.


    considering that there were still more than half the floors of the tower left for him to complete, he had good expectations for the end of this inheritance phase.


    ''my last technique to evolve was solar god breath. now i have gained an innate ability capable of transforming my breath into cultivation. from now on, i will no longer need to meditate. the very fact that i breathe will already serve as cultivation and i''ll be able to get stronger even while doing other activities concurrently!''


    minos was eager. he hadn''t initially expected this technique to evolve into a skill so good. but as he thought about its new possibilities, he couldn''t help but get excited.


    but solar god breath wasn''t minos'' only original technique. he now had innate powers related to spatial sword, indestructible body, devouring art, infinite dream, chaotic gravity, explosive steps, nullification, divine seal and the space and time avatar.


    chaotic gravity had given him a new ability, with anti-matter effects. in addition, the infinite dream evolved to allow minos to send an entire nation, if he wanted to, to an illusory dimension where he could make them believe they were living in another reality.


    the ability stemming from devouring art was fully integrated into minos'' innate ability and gave him the added feature of devouring the opponent''s power and passing it on to his allies. previously, he could only use the technique on himself, or on those he left his mark on. but with this change, he could help his allies, even when he was already using his ability to temporarily make them stronger.


    divine seal would now allow him to transgress the natural order of things and, in small spaces, for a few seconds, minos felt he could subvert even the rules of the celestial of this dimension.


    he himself had been shocked when he created a small space of 1 cubic centimeter where he could be in control for a few seconds on the 17th floor of the tower. such a space hadn''t held stable for long, but while it had, it had been enough to allow minos to feel that he was close to reaching level 116.


    nullification condensed into a skill that could destroy anything, within his limits, within his visual range. indestructible body raised his body''s capabilities so much that minos felt as if he had undergone a new qualitative evolution when he got the skill behind this technique on the penultimate floor he passed.


    explosive steps, spatial sword and space and time avatar were the least impressive techniques that provided minos with new abilities.


    for the current him, something related to movement, like explosive steps, wasn''t so essential. meanwhile, the avatar only transformed into a slightly more advanced version of his divine dragon body, which didn''t represent such a shocking change for him. ultimately, spatial sword could do what other of his current abilities already guaranteed him; the new ability coming from it came more to strengthen the other of his abilities.


    but one way or another, minos felt much better now that he had completed these opportunities, all the more so because the level of difficulty of the rooms was increasing very quickly.


    ''i did the right thing by trying to get several badges on the first few floors. my opponents will gradually start failing to complete two rooms from the next 10 floors.'' minos frowned as he thought about what would come next.


    some had already failed to beat all the rooms they tried between the 11th and 20th floors. now that the difficulty would be increased by a few grades, minos hoped things would get even more interesting.


    as for the increase in difficulty for him, now that he had completed his primary objective, he wasn''t even that desperate to beat several rooms per floor.


    "let''s be careful on the next level. i feel that the number of uncompleted rooms will increase regardless of whether there are many more deaths from now on." he warned his allies.


    "don''t you want to put everything you''ve got first thing on the next floor?" soli asked him, frowning.


    "let''s look at the 21st floor as an experiment. we''ll define our plan once we''ve ascertained its level of difficulty."


    "that makes sense. i almost failed on the 11th floor back there." forfex agreed. "but after that, i could help myself better."


    "yes, i imagine it was the same with everyone." minos nodded in agreement.


    "but we''re going to help you match the number of opportunities we have, soli." minos assured her of that promise from several years ago.


    "all right. you always seem to get your predictions right, so i''ll follow your strategy." she agreed after some thought.


    "any more hints about the next level?" forfex asked.


    "no. it''s difficult to predict the future here. the restrictions of a true celestial are truly magnificent. i won''t know exactly until i beat a room on the 21st floor," minos said sincerely, looking forward to the opportunity to improve his divine abilities in this inheritance.


    he had already achieved this by advancing to the 12th stage, but he was almost certain that he would have this chance in this inheritance phase!

 Chapter 2731 33rd Floor

    chapter 2731  33rd floor a few more years have passed within the special dimension of the true celestial.


    after overcoming the challenges of several floors, alternating between moments of double challenges and extreme opportunities, minos and his two allies, still alive in this competition, had to make changes upon entering the 32nd floor.


    between the 21st and 30th floors, things had continued to go well for them, with the trio sticking to their strategy on the lower floors. but as they passed the 31st floor, minos and his allies realized that they would have to be careful from now on.


    with 70 rooms at their disposal and 55 competitors remaining, the floors from the 31st to the 40th, from what minos had already sensed on the 31st floor, were much harder than the lower floors and even completing a single room could be difficult. when they reached floor 32, he instructed soli and forfex to calm their pace and make better use of the opportunities in the rooms they entered.


    now, as they finished their respective rooms and met to await entry to the 33rd floor, the three of them gathered, with minos getting straight to the point about the problems ahead.


    "as i predicted earlier, when you enter a second challenge room, if you cannot complete it successfully, you may lose your badge from the first room you completed." minos pointed out as his companions watched the battle unfold on the 32nd floor.


    at this moment, four individuals who had tried to complete a second room on this floor were fighting against others who had only completed one of the rooms.


    "they failed to complete their tests, but there were those who didn''t fail. should we really forget our previous strategy?" forfex asked, as he looked at minos doubtfully.


    minos nodded positively. "we should. but you can go ahead if you want. i won''t go and consequently, you won''t have my help. but judging by the number of rooms that will become available to us over the next few levels, there probably won''t even be a need for you to protect yourself from competitors for those rooms. it''s likely that some of our competitors will encourage us to try to win more than one room per floor."


    "that would make us risk a lot and run increasing risks of having to fight in desperation like these individuals doing it now." soli agreed as she analyzed the situation better than forfex.


    minos continued. "we''re not the only ones being more careful. those two dangerous guys are calmer, too. i believe they''ve realized the same thing we have."


    as the challenges became more difficult, the returns for each of the inheritance contenders improved. minos had already realized this at a higher level than his opponents had .


    since they had reached the range of the challenge they were in, their cultivation and physique improvements had jumped substantially. even without him pushing himself in more than one room per floor, he was seeing increasing results and approaching the point where he would have similar or even superior improvements to the double challenges.


    "that''s... i just find it strange that we stand there and watch them fight," forfex said in an uncomfortable tone.


    "that won''t last long." minos said with a bitter smile on his face. "those competitors who are left at the moment still have good understandings of cultivation for the most part. they should continue to progress over the next few floors, but soon they''ll fail and they''ll have no choice but to challenge us.


    from this point on, we''ll fight until the end of this inheritance phase." minos tapped one of forfex''s shoulders, indicating for the man to relax.


    with a glance toward the brutal battle taking place, minos sensed the outcome of the developing confrontation.  s§×ar?h the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''two more will fall here. but two of the survivors will be eliminated from the inheritance... what will really happen to those eliminated? is it possible to resist losing all the body parts of a true celestial?''


    as he contemplated the rules of this place, two of the individuals competing to keep their insignia or get their opponents'' insignia fell bleeding in the middle of that area.


    only one of the four challengers managed to remove the insignia he wanted from his opponent''s body, while the other two individuals who were still alive failed.


    "good luck to you, haha," said the sole winner as he left the side of the confrontation and headed for the next floor; the passage to the 33rd floor had just opened, causing all the remaining competitors to move on.


    minos put the thoughts of a few moments ago to one side as he flew alongside forfex and soli. imagining the battles ahead, he was excited to finally put his current powers to the test.


    it was good to progress without having to worry about constant fighting. but for cultivators in general, and especially for a fight-lover like minos, avoiding confrontation wasn''t necessarily something that made him happy. he was interested to see how his opponents had grown over the years, as well as looking forward to showing off everything he could currently do.


    ''my cultivation should reach level 116 after the 33rd floor... sigh! i wonder how my companions are doing? they must have experienced four decades since we parted.''


    with this thought in mind, minos made his way to one of the available rooms, curious about his family, but aware that he had to focus on what he could affect.


    when he left this place¡ªhe was sure he would do it¡ªhe would solve the problems of that group!


    ...


    the time for minos and his competitors in the inheritance of the true celestial being was different compared to those in zocarro.


    while 32 years had passed for those in the tower of the true celestial, only just over 10 years had passed for abby''s group.


    in 10 years, they had scoured the area further east of uzira in search of opportunities, following leger''s recommendations, while taking extra care compared to their previous journeys.


    everyone was constantly thinking about minos and how good it would be to have him with the group again. many incidents had happened in recent years and, even though the group was still in one piece, three more members of armhands had been forced to sacrifice their flashdrain parasites.


    even walkas and wenni had fought to defend the group, ensuring the group''s arrival at the last location indicated by leger.


    there, once again, the group encountered a spatial distortion. however, this time they didn''t have minos'' help or the option of refusing the ''opportunity''.


    the moment they were a few meters away from the spatial distortion, something beyond their control happened, and an abnormal suction phenomenon pulled them towards the spatial distortion.


    ''shit!'' ruth struggled to leave something behind as she flew out of control.


    ''find us. we''re in trouble!'' she marked an item that only minos would recognize.

 Chapter 2732 Facing the True Celestial

    chapter 2732  facing the true celestial while gloria''s group experienced their peculiar situation, a few more years passed for the group facing the second phase of the true celestial''s inheritance.


    over 55 years had passed since the beginning of this challenge, and now a group of 33 individuals remained in the inheritance.


    as minos had previously predicted, as they moved forward with the floors subsequent to the 33rd floor, the number of disputes for the rooms dropped to zero. but also, the interest in completing more than one room per floor fell to zero, with several having lost their lives because of the high difficulty of obtaining two badges after completing 30% of the tower.


    then, the first individuals unable to complete any of the challenges of the subsequent floors gradually appeared. like them, more and more frequent battles to maintain badges emerged.


    minos and his group did not have to worry immediately about these battles. most competitors did not want to challenge them when there were others to do so. but as they progressed through the tower, the number of alternatives diminished.


    those who were advancing were willing to challenge the first one who crossed their path!


    consequently, minos had faced his first more serious battle since he started in this second part of the inheritance, having used much more of his powers than in previous situations.


    his first serious confrontation occurred on the 51st floor, where only 4 opponents had the chance to see him in action.


    forfex and soli had already had their individual battles, confrontations they had to face individually when they left their rooms before one of their companions left their own place. but the two reached the end of the 55th floor along with minos and were now preparing for the 56th floor.


    the passage to the 56th floor opened, and the remaining 33 individuals moved forward, landing in an area where 50 rooms were available to be accessed.


    but unlike what happened on the lower floors, as soon as they arrived there, groups or even individuals without groups did not rush.


    "which room will you choose this time, minos?" forfex asked.


    forfex didn''t want to choose the wrong room and fall into the desperate situation of failing. if that happened, he would either have to fight for the insignia of one of his 31 competitors or try one by one the rooms that no one completed. given the little time one would have to follow this last alternative, it was not encouraging.


    failing in the first room you tried would not take away any rights or power. you could try one by one each of the available rooms until you won. but a failure did not happen as quickly as a victory in the early levels of the tower. in fact, victories that came within minutes after entering one room were no longer happening. the current challenges were taking weeks or months to complete. in the end, when one failed or succeeded, sometimes more than half of their time on the floor had already passed, and they could hardly go to more than one room.


    failing in the first room would most likely force one to fight or fail the mission and thus be eliminated from the selection!


    minos laughed at his companion''s position. but he did not fear the rooms on this floor. after advancing to level 116 and improving the quality of his previous abilities before this inheritance¡ªsuch as bright eyes, the passive ability of devouring art, and the dragon and seraphim abilities¡ªminos had improved enough for these challenges to not scare him yet.


    he chose one room and entered without ceremony, helping his opponents and allies to do the same with the other options.


    minos closed his eyes and found himself in a bright world, with infinite stars and energy so dense that it condensed into clouds around him.


    he could feel an alternative version of himself with at the middle of level 116, and physique at 80% progress to change from the celestial grade to the absolute grade. he could feel his powers better and temporarily ignore the rules of the true celestial behind the current inheritance.  sear?h the n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''this phase of the selection will end on the 78th floor.'' minos thought as he noticed how the future would unfold. ''as happened in the first phase, the true celestial will shorten the number necessary for us to reach the end of the inheritance phase. on the 78th floor, there will be no more than 10 competitors remaining.''


    while he thought, the special space of his mind unraveled, unable to withstand the pressure of the true celestial, causing minos to open his eyes and feel all the restrictions of that space limiting him again to his usual characteristics for the competition in the tower.


    "what you are doing is against the rules, you know?" asked the voice of the true celestial, while the body of this individual formed in front of minos inside that room.


    minos narrowed his eyes for the first time in this situation. but he stood where he was, curious about what this being wanted with him.


    "if i can do it, it''s because it''s within the rules. i merely evolved the powers that the senior left me to evolve." minos replied.


    the true celestial smiled before sitting cross-legged on the floor, making a black and small table form in front of him.


    "you are right. even so, you are going beyond what i promised the others."


    "that means i have surpassed them and am ahead of them in this dispute." minos interrupted the being in front of him while sitting on the other side of the black table, recognizing what the man wanted him to do.


    "you are indeed confident."


    "no, actually, i am just recognizing reality." minos saw a board form on the table. "what are we going to play, senior?"


    the celestial made over 100 pieces appear on that board and said calmly, "this is a nameless game. if you understand it by the end of this test, i will give you a hint that will help you."


    "when you say test, are you talking about this room or the inheritance phase itself?" minos narrowed his eyes.


    "in the next rooms, i will play with you until you understand my game. as long as you keep me interested, i will give you the badges of the rooms you choose. if you cannot understand this game by the end of this inheritance phase, you will lose your life, the incorruptible heart, and the nautilus'' compass. if you win, you will have your spot in the last phase of the inheritance and the hint i promised you." he explained.


    "alright. i understand." minos knew this was not a proposal but a challenge he would be forced to respect.


    the celestial made his first move, curious to see if minos would understand him, even without explaining the game''s rules. "tell me something, minos. do you know why i don''t just give you victory and end this inheritance?" asked the individual with unfathomable cultivation, interrupting minos''s line of thought.

 Chapter 2733 Answers from the True Celestial

    chapter 2733  answers from the true celestial "maybe i haven''t convinced you yet? perhaps one of my opponents has more potential than i do to take your position? i can think of many possibilities," minos said as he gazed at the board, trying to understand the game.


    the true celestial was using a good portion of his powers at the moment to prevent him from foreseeing the future and using his other abilities. this was a test he had to complete purely with his interpretative skills.


    the blond man said with a smile, "no, you have already convinced me. you are the best in this inheritance."


    minos took his eyes off the board and looked directly at the true celestial. he didn''t expect such a comment.


    "that''s why i''m here and not with one of your opponents," continued the individual in front of minos, waiting for him to make his move.


    "then why don''t you choose me, senior?" minos asked, obviously interested in the answer.


    if he could end this inheritance now and enter the upper realm, hell, that would be the best thing for him!


    instead of going through all the difficulties of winning this phase of the inheritance, then returning to uzira and continuing to deal with dangers until he became a celestial, it would be much better to gain direct access to the upper realm. minos would choose this straightforward path without thinking twice!


    he knew there should be problematic issues in the upper realm. but he would prefer to deal with these issues than have to wait to do so and go through a lot of problems first.


    "because you are weak. you can die at any moment." the man with semi-transparent skin laughed, aware that, compared to the others, minos was very strong. but to take his place, the young man in front of him would need to grow his strength many times over.


    "can you imagine what level i am at?" asked the owner of the inheritance.


    "no. above level 125, that''s all my eyes can see, senior."  s§×arch* the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    he nodded. "i am at level 128, near the peak of the universe. until you can handle threats at my level, you won''t be ready. and until then, you can die at any moment. so i won''t choose you until you are ready."


    "the others are like insurance." minos sighed.


    "in a way." the man laughed, looking to the side and seeing each of the 32 individuals going through challenges. "that doesn''t mean that they wouldn''t do better in my position than you.


    you might handle some aspects better and have better prospects than they do, but soli or forfex might be better overall than you. i will accept them if you fail."


    "it makes sense." minos sighed, thinking about the challenges inside and outside of this inheritance. everything the celestial talked to him about made sense. how could he be chosen now if even individuals outside the inheritance could defeat him?


    "since we are talking, senior, there is something i would like to know." minos changed the subject, aware that investing in that wouldn''t take him far. part of him was also uncertain why the true celestial was telling him these things, so he stepped back.


    "what do you want to know?" the true celestial saw minos make the first move in the game, interested in how the white-haired human didn''t make a wrong move¡ªthe most likely outcome.


    ''finding the nautilus'' compass was indeed a great stroke of luck. unfortunately, i can''t control it, otherwise, this game would be more cruel to you.''


    he pondered as he looked through minos''s bones and saw that corporal part of a colleague from the upper realm.


    unlike minos''s incorruptible heart, the nautilus'' compass belonged to another true celestial, someone even more complicated than the blond man in front of the current inheritance.


    "what is the purpose of the true celestials in arranging heirs?" minos asked one of the many questions he had about how things worked in his universe.


    "if i tell you it''s to make me stronger, would you believe me?" he replied with a question.


    "make you stronger?"


    "i won''t go into details. if you want details, reach the next phase of my inheritance. but yes, it can make me stronger. using your point of view, it''s like a cultivation method for us. if you win this inheritance, you won''t be my first heir, nor the last. and eventually, you will seek an heir too, to strengthen you."


    the true celestial''s words were both revealing and yet said little.


    ''there are others who have gone through what we are going through¡­ it seems the upper realm is not as empty as i previously imagined.'' minos considered the implications.


    "are you truly immortal?" minos asked his next question from the list of the greatest doubts he had.


    "no. it depends." the man immediately corrected himself. "i don''t have a life expectancy, if that''s what you want to know. but i can be killed if a level 129 being catches me off guard. the only true immortals are level 130 cultivators. but they are a totally different story from ours. they defy reality, and even in the upper realm, they are legends."


    "what is the universe to the true celestials?" minos felt the weight of the man''s answers and continued.


    "our method of getting stronger." surprisingly, the blond man answered directly, without riddles.


    ''back to this issue of getting stronger¡­ how does that work?''


    "but i''m afraid for me to tell you more, you will have to demonstrate that you deserve it. the test of the current room is almost over. it''s time for you to move to the next floor."


    minos had lost track of time when he suddenly looked in the direction indicated by the true celestial, where he saw something that made his eyes and mouth widen. behind where he had been all this time was a completely golden hourglass, but 100 times larger and stronger than the one he displayed when using his divine ability.


    "this? how is this possible?" minos asked upon seeing it, but the true celestial was no longer there to answer, and soon after, the room''s door opened.


    ¡­


    "what is the senior planning?" asked a subordinate of the true celestial after seeing the man back on the 100th floor. "you even copied that boy''s ability."


    "that was just a stimulus. let''s see if it can awaken something in him," said the man with golden hair. "that boy saw the end of my test, huffie. i need to keep a close eye on him.

 Chapter 2734 Minos Demonstration of Power (1)

    chapter 2734  minos'' demonstration of power (1) on the 61st floor, the competition was starting to get tight. with the fall of 6 more opponents on the last few floors, minos was getting closer and closer to fighting the main contenders.


    now, with only 27 competitors remaining, the current inheritance phase was heading towards the last individuals who would vie for the final stage of the race for a place in the upper realm.


    minos continued his encounters on each new floor he passed, having the chance to talk to the true celestial behind this inheritance as he progressed in strength.


    he no longer needed to meditate in order to cultivate, so his strength continued to improve, with every feature of his being gradually evolving to the next level.


    when he left the room where he had done his challenge on the 61st floor, minos had almost reached level 117, although he was still cultivating at level 115, just like his companions.


    he found the hall on the 61st practically empty, being one of the first to finish his challenge on that floor. looking around, minos saw that, of the 40 rooms there, only 19 were showing green lights, while all the others were white, indicating that they still needed to be completed.


    eight rooms, among those glowing white, had their doors closed, while the other 13 were open, available for anyone who wanted to challenge them.


    ''looks like the next floor will only have 19 competitors.'' minos thought to himself.


    every 10 floors, the number of rooms available for competitors to test their comprehension skills decreased by 10. but along with the decrease in the number of rooms came an increase in the difficulty of each of the existing challenges. with each new floor that was accessed, beating the rooms was already more difficult, but when the number of rooms decreased, the difficulty of completing them increased even more.


    ''we''ll reach the 71st floor with almost the minimum number for this phase of the inheritance... it''s not for nothing that i predicted the end of the inheritance long before the 100th floor.'' minos pondered.


    with each decrease in the number of rooms they passed along the tower, more people were left behind. with the numbers falling, minos couldn''t help but sigh in relief, feeling that the time was coming for him to go home.


    as for what this meant¡ªmore frequent battles and stronger opponents¡ªhe wasn''t so worried. although the battles were difficult and good at pushing everyone to their limits, he had already reached a point where, even when pushed to the extreme, he didn''t lose his calm and confidence in victory.


    ''i''ll be able to go back to uzira soon... i hope abby and the others haven''t experienced the passage of time that i have. in any case, a single day in uzira is more than enough for one to have problems.''


    the closer he got to the end of the challenge, the more he thought about his family and his plans for uzira. the conversations with the true celestial made him think more about the upper realm, but that place was still far away.


    he might still need centuries, or even millennia, to get there.


    while he was thinking about this, minos saw one of the individuals who had failed to get his badge on the 61st floor leave a room in defeat. when their eyes met, they both knew what would happen next, even if one of them couldn''t see the future.


    minos said to the man, "don''t do it. wait for another one, or you''ll regret it."


    but the alien who had just failed in his last attempt in the area''s halls had no choice but to move on, going in search of minos. without an insignia, he would fail in his mission and lose everything he had, probably even his life.


    if he delayed, groups of victors would band together to prevent individuals like him from collecting the insignia of others, so he needed to act while he had time alone with minos.


    "that''s the worst decision for you." minos walked forward, letting the enemy attack him from the air, while he looked uninterested.


    the man attacking him, a creature capable of mimicking the powers of its targets, something minos had always feared to encounter, came at him with a dark sword that seemed to contain the powers of the black hole.


    it was impressive. minos couldn''t deny that this being''s ability to imitate and transform other''s skills into something unique was incredible.


    but he had been through many challenges so far and knew exactly the limits of his powers. by combining his two abilities from the techniques behind the black hole, minos made the energy of that floor his own, while the energy gathered in the enemy''s attack ceased to be the alien''s and fell under his control.


    without having to do much, minos controlled the alien''s spiritual essence, making it lose the form that mimicked his powers.


    the enemy''s black sword lost its powers, becoming an ordinary blade before reaching minos'' body.


    when it touched one of minos'' shoulders, the alien felt as if he had hit the hardest stone in his path, immediately feeling his hands open as his weapon of crystallized energy shattered.


    with a flick of one hand, minos hit his enemy''s right cheek with the outside of his hand.  sear?h the n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the blow was powerful!


    with a loud thud, the enemy''s body slammed into one wall in the area, as he exclaimed in pain while falling to his knees on the ground.


    the attack capable of killing a level 116 supreme was not enough to kill that opponent.


    ''as expected from someone capable of reaching the 61st floor.''


    minos recognized how impressive the enemy was for withstanding his attack and surviving without more drastic consequences.


    however, minos'' blow hadn''t just been physical. while he felt a pain in his face, as if every bone in his face had been broken, the alien felt an ever stronger inner heat.


    a few moments later, as a few more doors in the surrounding area were opening, his body combusted.


    silver flames consumed the weakest parts of his existence, first erasing his clothes and hair, before eating away at his flesh as if he were made of paper.


    faced with draconic eden''s radiance, there was not much of a cultivator with power similar to minos'' could resist such a skill.


    in less than a minute, the only thing left of that opponent''s body was his storage items, which quickly flew into one of minos'' hands after the creature''s death.

 Chapter 2735 Minos Demonstration of Power (2)

    chapter 2735  minos'' demonstration of power (2) picking up the 6th space storage item he had collected during this inheritance phase, minos paid little attention to the contents of the new artifact in his hands.


    he saw three individuals leave their rooms, one of them leaving from a completely green room, while the others left from rooms similar to the one the competitor who had just died had left.


    minos looked at the three of them and made them feel the surrounding reality change, taking them to a burning volcanic world, where six dragons left his back, each of his wings becoming a different creature.


    the cultivation of one of them suddenly decreased, while minos'' powers increased, causing the three of them to tremble shortly after setting foot outside their rooms.


    meanwhile, gravity made them fall to their knees on the floor under minos'' golden eyes.


    "you... you want to challenge me?" minos'' voice made the hearts of all three of them tremble, especially the alien who had just won his challenge and didn''t want trouble.


    seeing them nodding their heads in sign that they didn''t want trouble, minos held them a little tighter as he sensed what would happen next.


    he saw one individual who was still trying to complete one room on this floor succeed in his challenge moments before the opening of the 62nd floor. concurrently, one individual was going to fail her room in a few moments and was going to seriously attack forfex soon after.


    minos was still allied with forfex and soli and even though they were his competitors for the next phase of the inheritance, if they survived to the end of this tower, he wouldn''t let them fall there. while keeping the situation under control with those three, he moved, walking so fast that it looked as if he had teleported to the other side of the room.


    ''so fast?'' the individual who had won his room and had just fallen under the effects of minos'' powers asked himself in shock.


    the moment minos appeared in his new position, a golden sword formed in the air in front of him, before he attacked the door that opened immediately afterwards.


    the individual planning to attack someone and get a badge was surprised to come face to face with minos just as she left her failing room.


    "what?" she shouted as she turned even paler than she already was after two failures in a row on the 61st floor.


    minos then ran his sword through his target''s body, killing yet another opponent in this phase of the inheritance.


    another space storage item fell into his hands and he turned his attention to the five individuals watching him now. "you can fight each other, but don''t involve me or my companions."  s§×ar?h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    with those words, minos collected his level 117 powers, which would last a few minutes before gradually returning to normal.


    meanwhile, the individual he had borrowed to cultivate found himself in a terrible situation. weakened, he was soon killed by one competitor who had succeeded on this floor.


    while the others fought, minos sat down to wait for forfex and soli, who would successfully leave their respective rooms in the next 10 minutes.


    the two would find their ally sitting quietly in a corner of the area as they left their rooms, while a hard-to-follow battle raged away from him.


    soon, the remaining rooms would open up and the confrontation that had taken place in the area would come to an end.


    of the 27 competitors who entered the 61st floor, 20 of them would go on to the 62nd, a lower number than the true celestial had predicted there would be in this part of the inheritance.


    but the current phase of the inheritance had already begun with fewer competitors than he had expected, and one of his potential heirs had far exceeded his expectations.


    when the passage to the 62nd floor opened, the voice of the owner of the inheritance rang out in the minds of all the remaining competitors.


    "the trials ahead will be a little more difficult than i initially prepared for. however, that won''t be the case until the 100th floor. this part of the inheritance will end when there are only 10 competitors left."


    some of them looked at each other with the will to battle and kill half their numbers and thus finish the inheritance once and for all.


    but others were confident in their comprehension skills to keep going until the end of the challenge. they wanted to last as long as possible in this phase of the inheritance in order to make the most of this place''s growth opportunities!


    among them, minos and soli preferred the challenge to last as long as possible.


    but even if some of them wanted to fight right away, the rules forbade them from fighting before they had even tried one room on the new floor they had just entered. so everyone would enter one of the 40 rooms on the 62nd floor rapidly.


    upon entering room number 15, minos came across the blond man behind the heirloom again.


    he quickly sat down in front of the true celestial and moved one piece on the board that they had been using to play for the last few years.


    "i''m afraid i already understand your game, senior," minos said after seeing his opponent''s move in the peculiar game they had been playing.


    the blond man smiled and asked, "is that so? tell me, minos, what is the purpose of this challenge?"


    "i would say that this challenge is a replica of what my competitors and i are doing in your tower, senior. the aim is to overcome the stones in the way, get stronger, and achieve what is necessary to find the way out." he showed the center of the board.


    "but that''s not all. the objective is to understand what you can do and to bring our skills up to the level needed for us to achieve similar feats. in short, it''s understanding your position and proves capable of replacing you."


    at minos'' words, the true celestial stood up from where he had been sitting. he honestly hadn''t expected minos to solve this game so quickly, but the head start of the competitor in front of him wasn''t a problem.


    ''it''s not for nothing that you circumvented my abilities and predicted the end of this inheritance phase.'' he molded something with his powers before giving it to minos.


    "well done. you''ve won the game and now i must give you your prize and your tip."

 Chapter 2736 The Location of Another Part of a Celestials Body

    chapter 2736  the location of another part of a celestial''s body in addition to the insignia of the room he was in, minos also received a pendant that was soon hanging around his neck.


    "what''s this?" minos sensed that there was something different about the pendant.


    the blond man laughed, but didn''t explain in depth. "it''s a good thing. forget it exists for now. it won''t be of any use here or in uzira."


    seeing the look of surprise on minos'' face, the man laughed. "what? do you think i don''t know where each of you comes from? or rather, where each of you left from before coming here? haha, minos, you''re really interesting."


    minos corrected his surprised look, putting the true celestial pendant aside to look at him. "what about the tip you were going to give me?"


    "you''re a hasty fellow. you need to take it easy, kid. but that will be sorted out in time. you''re still a child compared to me." the man put his smile from a few moments ago aside as he changed his tone.


    "your tip will lead you to something good or something terrible. it will depend on your performance. if you succeed, you''ll get a part of a true celestial''s body. in particular, this location i''m going to talk to you about has the part of a true celestial stronger and more powerful than me, someone who has reached the absolute peak of the upper realm.


    he lived for over 10 million years and handled the creation of several worlds and many life forms. when he disappeared, rumors that he had become absolute spread throughout the upper realm and even reached some places in your universe.


    if you find his last body part and succeed, you will most likely enter the upper realm with your family and friends. if not, you will die. there is no other alternative. the moment you take my hint, your fate will be between these two possibilities."


    "you can speak the hint." minos didn''t hesitate in the slightest.


    the true celestial narrowed his eyes as the tips of his lips rose. "all right.


    in your current world, zocarro, there is a parchment lost at an important point in the violent sea. from it, you can get the probable location of what i told you.


    someone who had gone to zocarro and then tried their chance to go to uzira was a native of the area where this lost part is. they didn''t know, because they weren''t meant to. but they carried with them the item with the location of this treasure.


    you will find this scroll in the same place where you will defy death. there you will be just two steps to getting the item. eventually, there will only be your other competitors left in the world where this scroll will take you.


    each step will be a chance of death. but if you successfully absorb the remnant of that true celestial, your story will change from water to wine. your chances of completing my inheritance will rise by 80%."


    minos listened attentively, obviously filled with the desire to reach another part of a true celestial''s body. such essences contributed more and more to the growth of cultivators as they combined within the same body with other essences from the upper realm.


    minos was almost certain that if he absorbed one more of these essences, he would raise the qualitative grade of his physique to the absolute grade. at that time, only a celestial would be able to challenge him in zocarro!


    "all right. i''ll see what i can do about that in the future," minos muttered, answering much more to himself than to the golden-haired true celestial in front of him.


    "you certainly will, haha," said the man as his body slowly disappeared. "enjoy the end of this inheritance. use the time you have left here to cultivate to your next level. i doubt that any of your competitors will take you down now, but be careful. the greatest defeats come from where we least imagine them."


    soon minos was alone in that cultivation room, where, without wasting any time, he closed his eyes and began to study the technique that the level 124 soul fragment had given him earlier.


    he had already learned it and even turned it into a skill. a power capable of manipulating dimensions made sense to him, and he was obviously happy to learn such a technique. but now he was much more interested in how to turn it into a version that would give its user something close to a skill rather than a technique.


    if he could do this, he could eventually help his wives and family members to progress their techniques into skills even without having to give them the chance to enter into an inheritance like the current one!


    ...


    time passed and minos left the room he had entered on that floor where he had completed the true celestial comprehension challenge much earlier than expected.


    when he came across the 19 remaining competitors besides himself, minos saw a new battle developing on that floor, something he had expected to emerge.


    part of the competitors wanted to eliminate as many opponents as possible so that the inheritance phase would end before they failed in their next rooms!


    but unlike on the previous floor, minos didn''t have to fight. or rather, the enemies became afraid of him and accepted the idea that he would be among the last 10 individuals in this inheritance.


    forfex and soli would join minos to talk about the difficulties they had encountered on this level, but they were gradually becoming more cautious about what they said to each other. with each new falling out between their adversaries, the day came closer when one would be against the other.


    in the next phase of the inheritance, there would be no room for them to be temporary allies.


    but there would still be a few more floors for them to climb. even with the fall of 3 individuals on that floor, there would still be 17 cultivators left in total at the end of this floor, when the passage to the next level opened.


    the group of 17 moved forward, each of them looking at each other, 5 of them certain that they would be among the finalists and looking at each other knowing that they would be mortal enemies in the final stage of the inheritance. meanwhile, the others knew they could still compete against each other and were looking at the opponents they would kill on the next floors or who would kill them very soon.


    in any case, with this change, the group would advance in their last moments in this inheritance and soon only 12 competitors would be left when they entered the 67th floor! s~ea??h the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 2737 A Distant and Cruel Place

    chapter 2737  a distant and cruel place on the next six floors of the true celestial tower, the number of casualties hardly increased. of the 12 individuals remaining on the 67th floor, 11 of them made it well up to the 73rd floor.


    after the previous killing phase, when the true celestial announced the early end of the tower challenge, those remaining competitors grew fearful of fighting and dying when they were so close to prospering.


    even if they weren''t the most likely to get the true celestial''s inheritance, they could return to their worlds and live in peace for a few centuries or even millennia, given the difficulty of reaching level 125.


    meanwhile, those who were almost certain to be among the finalists were the ones who most wanted to prolong their inheritance. they wouldn''t fight or kill their opponents carelessly at this point. it made sense to push the challenge to the limit and get more opportunities to strengthen themselves.


    minos, for example, had reached level 118 by being able to get so far into the inheritance, while his celestial physique was over 90% progressed to absolute grade.


    he was sure that if he could go all the way to the 100th floor, he would complete this quality advancement and reach level 119. however, his previous vision showed him that this challenge would end on the next few floors. so he had no foolish hopes for the end of this inheritance.


    he was eager to move forward, his eyes already fixed on the blind man and the sentient vegetable. these two were the most dangerous elements of the inheritance for their next encounter, as well as for an eventual hunt across the universe.


    minos was watching them, just as they were watching him, each with their own plans for the centuries following the end of this phase of the inheritance.


    thus, they were approaching the decisive level, where, through a failure of understanding, the inheritance would be completed!


    there would be no last battle. the current phase of the inheritance would end the moment someone failed to meet the tower''s requirements to advance!


    ¡­


    meanwhile, in uzira¡­


    in the center of the continent, in the area controlled by the sovereign family of these lands, a group of undead marched slowly through what appeared to be a desert.


    creatures of at least 50 different species gathered around, their bodies partially destroyed. some wore items covering their skin or scales, while others had weapons embedded in their bodies. a black mist covered part of the ground, making it difficult to see over long distances.  s~ea??h the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    they marched slowly, following a chaotic formation, but one that led them in the same direction.


    meanwhile, their mouths were in unnatural shapes, with dark liquids oozing out of them, with horrified expressions molded on their faces.


    at a safe distance from these creatures, a group of native beings escorted them.


    "the horde of the undead is returning home," said an individual into a communicator capable of reaching tens of kilometers away.


    "understood. we''ll notify the leadership," a mechanical voice replied from the device in the hands of the individual who had just sent the message.


    as the group observed the horde of undead, suddenly a walking corpse halted, turning its white eyes in a specific direction¡ªan unusual reaction.


    following the first corpse, it took only 20 minutes for all the other undead creatures to exhibit exactly the same reaction, worrying the observers.


    "something''s wrong," said the same individual from before as he sent this message to his group''s distant representative. "something''s happened. the undead are sensing something!"


    "what? are there living beings within their range?" the mechanical voice asked as the level 117 individual felt his heart tremble.


    a horde of undead like this wasn''t simple. if it got out of control and became chaotic, they would have to use a great deal of their strength to contain it. as for eliminating them, well, that wasn''t possible. with so many undead creatures in that group, several of them strong enough to fight against mid-level supremes, eliminating them would border on the impossible.


    "oh, fuck!"


    suddenly the individual communicating with the group far away shouted as he saw the creatures run in the same direction, but they were now moving in an orderly fashion, like a battalion rushing back to its headquarters.


    but they weren''t going back to their home, but in a direction that the group watching them had never seen them move before!


    "code red! undead tsunami!" shouted the individual, triggering a special protocol from these rich but also cursed lands of zocarro!


    ...


    meanwhile, in a dark place, similar to a cave, the sound of drops falling under stones rang out amid the fickle sounds of breathing and cries of pain from those held there.


    rocks surrounded this underground place, an area so large that it could easily be a residential building with a few thousand inhabitants.


    but it would never be residential. built with black rock and hardly any decoration, the place was barely lit by sparsely positioned torches.


    in the individual cells, individuals of different races were imprisoned, held in chains to the walls, while water dripped from above their heads.


    some were unconscious, while some felt the parts of their bodies destroyed by their captors, their bodies screaming in agony and pity. the torture they had been going through had, for years, gone beyond the limit they could accept.


    meanwhile, from one cell in this place, a dark mist was escaping, coming from the body of a woman, now wearing a hood over her head, while having electrodes connected to her nerves.


    but she had long since lost her sense of pain.


    "come to me."


    she repeated the same words she had been speaking for the last 15 years, her voice feeble, while her level 115 cultivation was almost impossible to notice in her current weakened state.


    the guards in charge of the unit stood their ground, ignoring the futile attempts of their over 5,000 prisoners.


    "tsk! invaders! you will suffer your last days of corrupt existence in the cursed stone," said a guard as he heard screams of horror.


    "don''t shout so much. you''ll scare the newcomers!"


    followed by his voice traveling throughout the prison, evil laughter spread as a new group of convicts entered the unit, greeted by its macabre aura.


    in this place, someone suddenly looked to the ground, opened her eyes and shouted.


    "our fate is coming!"


    "quiet! guards!"


    "our fate will save us!"


    "guards, silence her!"


    just then, a woman''s screams of pain filled the place amid the sounds of lashes.

 Chapter 2738 End of the Second Inheritance Phase

    chapter 2738  end of the second inheritance phase at the end of the 77th floor of the tower of the true celestial''s special dimension...


    minos left his room after taking the opportunity to cultivate and study his current goals, waiting for the passage to the next floor to open.


    ''the inheritance will end on the 78th floor.'' he remembered what he had sensed earlier as his eyes turned toward the three rooms that were still to be completed on this current floor.


    the other eight rooms, including his own, were already glowing green, while some were already open and others were closed, with their users making use of their opportunities.


    of the three remaining rooms, one was precisely the one chosen by forfex.


    ''is this guy going to make it?'' minos wondered, without using his powers to find out the final outcome of this phase of the selection.


    but he knew that someone among the last three would fail and that would be the end of the test on the next floor.


    soli left her room in success and walked over to minos, ignoring the stares of the broccoli head man.


    "is the challenge really going to end on the next floor? are you sure about that?" she asked him, unconcerned about their ultimate moments there.


    as one of the most mentally gifted of the entire inheritance, soli could go much further in this challenge than the floor they were standing on now.


    "yes, definitely." minos didn''t look at her much as she stared at him.


    with a sigh, she thought about how it would be time to go home and have a good time before the next stage of the competition.


    ''i have to monitor those two. if they''re really able to track us down, i''ll have to get ready to welcome them.'' she thought to herself, not so worried about minos now, given how uninterested he seemed in hunting down opponents outside of the heritage.


    but she didn''t doubt that minos could repeat what that blind man and the sentient plant being had already done.


    ''but i believe that they will stand against each other. i don''t think i need to worry so much about them coming after me... in fact, it''s possible that they''ll all kill each other and i''ll become the favorite for the next round.'' she tried to be optimistic as she looked in the same direction as minos.


    "sigh! that''s a shame."


    "what''s a shame?" she didn''t understand and looked at minos again, doubt drawn across her face.


    "the test isn''t over until we enter a floor where only 10 of us will have the option of completing the rooms. that means someone has to fail on a later floor, i.e., the 77th floor." he indicated by showing two new rooms that had turned green.


    ''is that forfex''s room?'' she wondered as she remembered earlier when they had arrived there.


    minos shook his head as he walked towards that room. "forfex''s rivals have succeeded him, so he will probably fail. it looks like he won''t be in our group in the next inheritance phase."


    and indeed, that''s what happened in the next few moments.


    when the clock for the opening of the 78th floor ticked down to five minutes, forfex left his room, still glowing a shade of gray, with a deathly pale expression.


    soli asked minos, "you seem to care about this. why? even though we were your allies, we''re enemies at the end of the day."


    "that may be so. but forfex has been my ally for all those years. even though we were competitors, i still spent centuries of my life with him as my ally. it''s a shame to see him fall like this," minos explained.


    he had had few friends in his life. but forfex had been one of them, despite their circumstances.


    even if he would not complain to the universe about forfex''s downfall, he preferred the guy to come out of this inheritance alive. whether they would one day face each other and actually be enemies could be left to the future.


    seeing minos and soli approaching him, forfex no longer had the strength to do much. he didn''t have the confidence to fight there, aware that the others were stronger than him and more talented. in fact, he had only made it this far in the challenge because minos and soli had helped him complete the first levels of the tower perfectly, which gave him the chance to go further than his abilities would naturally allow.


    to his misfortune, 10 individuals superior to him reached the 77th floor.


    "and here ends my journey, i suppose," forfex muttered with difficulty.


    minos stopped beside him and greeted him one last time, seeing out their last minute on this floor.  sea??h th§× n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "whatever your fate, good luck, forfex. you''ve performed fantastically so far."


    forfex shook minos'' dominant hand, feeling awkward, naturally, but thanking the favorite of this heritage for coming to him.


    even if minos stopped time for him to act and get a badge, it wouldn''t help him, as he had exhausted himself severely trying to complete his last test. while his rivals had been victorious and won opportunities to cultivate for a few last minutes, he had only deteriorated himself.


    if forfex had to fight now, he would lose, even with the help of soli and minos.


    that''s why he didn''t make any foolish requests and thanked minos with a handshake.


    forfex laughed as he took a necklace from around his neck and handed it to minos. "i''m afraid my fate won''t be very good... i''d better leave my inheritance to someone who can use it.


    use what i''ve achieved in life to win this inheritance, minos. although i''m not as good a cultivator as you and the others, i''ve earned my merits, too." he tried to smile at the end.


    minos accepted without problems and soon afterwards, the passage to the next floor opened.


    "goodbye." soli said as he followed minos, while forfex was the only one left behind.


    the passage to that floor closed, and darkness covered it completely.


    the group of 10 remaining individuals reached the 78th floor, where they arrived and found the true celestial waiting for them.


    "very well. you are the finalists for my inheritance. congratulations to all of you for the excellent performances you''ve shown so far," the owner of the inheritance said with a smile on his face.


    "you will have this floor free to cultivate for a period of one year before you return to where you came from. make good use of it. the next time we see each other will be in the finals, and one of you will come to the upper realm with me."


    with those words, the blond man disappeared, leaving without saying anything.


    the remaining 10 didn''t speak to each other and were soon in their respective rooms enjoying their last opportunities in this inheritance phase!

 Chapter 2739 Back to Uzira

    chapter 2739  back to uzira  time passed hastily for minos and his competitors on the 78th floor.


    given the spatial distortion of the rooms, the one year said by the true celestial flew by for them, making them feel as if only a few hours had passed.


    but the whole tower challenge had gone quickly for the majority who reached the end of this inheritance phase. as many as 78 years had passed, most of them hadn''t experienced even 2 months around this dimension.


    minos knew that at least a few years had passed for his companions in uzira. when his time in the room he had entered earlier ended, he didn''t have to leave the place. sensing something similar to what had happened previously, he closed his eyes and prepared to go in search of his group.


    the spatial distortion in front of him grew rapidly and soon his body was flying through space, crossing towards uzira, in particular, the same place he had left from earlier.


    however, there was one minor problem that minos hadn''t thought he would have to deal with on his return. the place he was taken to was not the spatial distortion where his group had previously entered, but the place where the spatial distortion had been created by the woman behind the level 124 soul fragment!


    ...


    minos came across the ruins of a mountainous area, surrounded by vast black lands that stretched as far as the eye could see.


    the place had extremely powerful spiritual energy, at least twice as strong as that of uzira''s entrance area.


    there was nothing useful there to help minos identify where he was. when the spatial crack that had expelled him from the true celestial dimension closed, he couldn''t help but stop and observe the place for a few moments.


    "this place? where am i?" he asked himself, without any clue.


    the previous soul fragment had passed on her geographical memories from uzira to abby, so minos only knew the technique she had left him and that he should look for traces of odibrand redwound.


    ''judging by the natural essence of the area, this must be further west of uzira,'' minos pondered as he crouched down and touched the black earth beneath him.


    after a few moments of trying unsuccessfully to figure out where he was, he put this aside to get a better understanding of his post-inheritance situation.


    his cultivation was in the middle of level 118, while his physique was at least 93% progressed to absolute grade.


    his new abilities were all working very well and the restrictions of the true celestial, which had diminished the efficiency of the nautilus'' compass and his prophetic abilities.


    minos sensed his surroundings like an omniscient being again, as he gradually felt his destiny.


    ''level 118... i should be able to fight even high-level supremes.'' he smiled to himself, feeling his vitality so high that he could live a few hundred thousand years and fight anyone he had ever met before.


    minos honestly couldn''t say what his fight against the sea serpent would be like, but now he wouldn''t run away the way he had done before. at the very least, he would now exchange blows with the man and not do so badly.


    on the other hand, improving beyond his level would cost him many years of effort!


    ''i''ll have to cultivate for the equivalent of 6,000 years to advance to level 119... it''s not for nothing that supremes take so long to advance in level.


    but that makes sense. even though i''m at level 118, my cultivation base is like that of someone at level 121. and my advancement to level 119 would give me a cultivation base of level 123!'' without the use of resources and the possibility of cultivating in places with a different passage of time, others in his situation would certainly need to cultivate for a few tens of millennia to advance from the equivalent of level 121 to level 123. but minos could advance hastily!


    the only problem was that until he entered the upper realm, he would have to reach level 125, which didn''t seem far away, given that there were only 7 advances to go. but each advance could take longer than it took him to reach his current cultivation in his entire journey!


    ''the next few years will be very dangerous.'' he concluded as he remembered the blind man and the sentient plant.


    those two were the most dangerous in the short term, but besides them, there were seven others who might want to venture against him.


    thinking of them, minos remembered forfex, wondering what had happened to the man and whether he was dead.


    he picked up his old companion''s device and saw what he had inherited.


    when he opened that item, minos couldn''t help but open his eyes in surprise and smile as he remembered forfex''s last words.


    "that fellow... he''s really amassed quite a wealth!"


    there weren''t just cultivation resources for low-level and mid-level supremes in forfex''s storage item. there were also detailed maps of the universe with the positions of each of his opponents in the true celestial inheritance, including the blind man and the sentient plant. given minos'' own position, he had no doubt that forfex had found a method to circumvent his competitors and surprise them before the last stage of the inheritance.  sea??h th§× nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    too bad for forfex, he had fallen before he could make use of what he had developed.


    but as well as possibly locating his rivals, forfex was also studying a method of how to remove parts of a true celestial''s body from living beings without killing them. and, from what the man had recorded, he had come very close to success!


    ''that''s interesting. i''ll see if i can develop it in some guinea pigs in the future.'' minos pondered the implications and not only how this could be a way of escaping inheritance, but also of learning more about how to remove important essences from living bodies.


    if he could finish developing forfex''s research, he might eventually know how to separate absorbable weapons from bodies without compromising the living being and even deal with curses and difficult things to deal with that he had heard.


    no amount of extra knowledge was a bad thing and minos naturally appreciated the great gift forfex had left him.


    in addition to the many resources and information, forfex left minos a message.


    {i guess i died, or you killed me, minos, one of two things. sigh! what a defeat. you should know that i''ve tried to escape from this since the first time we met, but fate caught up with me in the end. anyway, i''m here merely to ask you a favor. if you really are minos and not one of my other enemies, i ask you to go to my world and give my wife whatever is not essential to you from what is in my storage item. in payment for this, i will give you a tip on how to help your women enter the upper realm with you! i left a fragment of my soul in my home world. find it there and you''ll receive the information after you complete this mission. you''ll know everything then.}

 Chapter 2740 In Search of the Group

    chapter 2740  in search of the group"i''ll see about this mission in the future." minos promised himself, curious about what forfex had left for him. "but for now, i have other matters to deal with.


    his mind quickly put aside the last request and also forfex''s opportunities. there would be time for him to pursue that. given how far he would need to progress to the last part of the true celestial being''s inheritance, he had a few thousand years at least at his disposal.  sear?h the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "now it''s time to find you." minos thought of his women, closing his eyes for a moment, feeling distant flames, almost extinguished, but clearly alive somewhere.


    ''you did well to absorb the flames i gave you back then. i still don''t know if i''ll be able to reach you with just that, but it''s enough for me to have a bearing for the time being.''


    he brought one of his hands close to his face and silver flames appeared from his fingers, creating a small space where three almost extinguished flames grew subtly.


    ''that''s all i can do for now. wait for me. i''ll find you faster than you think.''


    he opened his eyes and his flames calmed down. then his eyes turned white, and scenes from the future appeared in his mind, causing him to see quick but revealing flashes.


    he saw a mountainous region and an immense prison, full of alien beings from different origins, suffering in a dark place under heavy surveillance.


    but the place itself wasn''t everything to minos'' eyes. around it, a curtain of darkness covered the surroundings, bringing with it an army of dead creatures that surpassed anything he had ever seen.


    ''undead? abby?'' he thought, but sincerely doubted it. ''impossible. how long has it been since i left? abby wouldn''t be able to cause that, unless she''d reached the middle of the 12th stage! but that would imply that i was a few centuries into the last stage of inheritance. that wouldn''t make sense!''


    he flared up a little as he thought about the possibilities.


    even if it wasn''t abby who was responsible for it, he didn''t know where such a place was. he didn''t know uzira and the place must be as big or bigger than oqia. until he knew where to look, he was in the dark.


    ''somehow, abby, gloria and ruth ended up connected to this prison surrounded by the dead.'' he concluded before moving on. ''my priority is to find out where this place is so that i can get to them. if they''re in that prison, i''ll feel their flame when i reach that place.''


    "the best thing for me to look for is the trail of those dead. they will eventually surround that prison, but before that, they have to move... i doubt that such a large group would move without attracting attention."


    he quickly found a method of approaching his women and group.


    as for which direction to go, any of them would eventually lead him to encounters with beings who knew the area. he decided to head in the direction that the nautilus'' compass was now indicating.


    without hesitation, he went ahead, flying towards the north of the area, gradually seeing what lay beyond the area that had once been home to the power of that soul fragment.


    given the many skills minos had, his efficiency in moving was frightening. in less than five minutes, he left the mountainous and extremely dark scenery behind, arriving in a more beautiful area, where a colorful forest stretched farther than the eye could see.


    in this place, the surrounding spiritual energy was even stronger than in the area where he had arrived, which made him gradually slow down. meanwhile, his perception of the surroundings made him notice several valuable resources, plants, and rare jewels that were within reach.


    ''this place is rich. this must be a long way from the coast where my group arrived. will i have to cross the continent to reach them?''


    as he descended from where he was floating, minos took a green crystal in his hands, something diamond-shaped, extremely shiny, and rich in energy. he didn''t need to analyze it any longer to know that such a thing could easily supply a world like the spiritual world with energy for a few millennia.


    ''it''s amazing the difference in dimensions... to think that i was once limited to less than what''s in my hands now.'' he played with the crystal, thinking of taking it with him and giving it as a present to one of his daughters.


    but while minos was playing with the crystal and observing this rich and beautiful environment, someone appeared among the plants, giving him an ugly look.


    "invader!"


    this common word for the current minos made him look in the direction where a small green-skinned individual, half his size, was standing behind a tree trunk, with a bow and arrow pointed at him.


    "you really don''t want to do this," minos said as he put away the crystal he had picked up from the shiny ground where thick brown sand covered the surroundings. "you''ll regret it if you do."


    minos'' voice seemed to repeat itself in the guy''s ears as the world around him moved, even the inanimate elements taking shape as they looked at him with threatening gestures.


    the green creature trembled as he felt his aim melt in his eyes, with minos leaving the corporeal form of a tall human with large seraphim wings, turning into a cloud of silver and gold smoke.


    ''what kind of powers does this invader have?'' he wondered in his mind.


    "the kind you shouldn''t want as your enemy." minos appeared behind the little green being, surprising him by lifting him by the neck.


    "now you have a choice, yon. you will take me to your people and speak on my behalf, or you will burn, until there is nothing left of your body."


    gulp!


    the individual trembled with fear, not at minos'' threat, but at the fact that this adversary had read his thoughts and called him by his name!


    ''shit! this person isn''t normal!'' yon hesitated, not really knowing whether it would be better to die there and risk angering this being or whether it would be better for him to take a step back and bring this individual to his people as a friend.


    the second hypothesis would certainly be risky. but at least he could prevent their relationship from being totally contaminated right now.


    the level 118 green being nodded affirmatively. "all right, senior seer. as long as you don''t threaten my people, i''ll help you."


    "what about the story about me being an invader?"


    cleverly, he changed his tone as he spoke. "invaders are those incapable of maintaining their freedom. those who are able have as much right to this land as we natives."


    "hahaha, go ahead, yon. i''m curious if your people will feel the same way."


    the green individual clutched his neck in pain, but his thoughts were on what minos had just said.

 Chapter 2741 The People of the Central Forest

    chapter 2741  the people of the central forest minos surprised yon with his speed, quickly crossing the magical forest and arriving at the entrance to the green-skinned man''s tribe.


    arriving at the area where there were some guards with similar appearances to yon, the green man walked ahead of minos, leading the way into the tribe.


    the guards looked intently at minos, but none of them impeded the foreigner''s passage. yon was stronger than them, so this guy must have known what he was doing.


    but as strong as he was, yon wasn''t the most powerful of his people. as soon as he entered what looked like a city fused with nature, a paradise lost and far from the domain of developed forces, minos saw a level 119 supreme enter their path, looking at yon and himself in an ugly way.


    minos couldn''t help but be interested in how common low and mid-level supremes seemed to be in uzira!


    while the level 119 stranger seemed to say bad things to yon, minos sensed at least two dozen supremes in his vicinity. and given yon''s movements, there was at least one group of individuals stronger than him and the spiky-haired man getting in their way.


    ''the differences between uzira and oqia are like the ancient black plain and the elves island... impressive. i didn''t expect to find that in zocarro.''


    "... yon, what do you think you''re doing? bringing an invader into our lands? are you crazy?" asked the spiky-haired individual, while holding a hammer larger than his own body in his hands.


    minos looked into the individual''s eyes, seeing this one''s confidence and bravery. "you should back off for now, how. taking care of the wound you suffered on your last hunt should be your priority, not getting new ones."


    how gave yon an even nastier look. "did you also talk about your fellow villagers to this foreigner?" he asked in a more altered tone, his voice drawing the attention of even those who hadn''t yet noticed the confusion.


    gradually, people similar to yon and how left their homes, surrounding the trio with strangers.  s§×ar?h the n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    yon swallowed his saliva as he looked at minos, frightened by the seer''s abilities. he had said nothing about his people to the white-haired man.


    ''such strong powers of clairvoyance are not normal. only those with enhanced temporal control can see the future without even showing that they are prophesying.'' yon considered as he ignored how to look at minos.


    yon was very intelligent and talented. he knew how terrifying powerful seers could be, but seers usually needed to enter special states of prophesying to get the kind of information that minos seemed to hold. however, minos had not once demonstrated such a state during the minutes they had been together.


    yon inferred from it that minos could control time and so he didn''t need to prophesy like ''normal'' cultivators.


    minos just smiled at how. however, he took two steps to the side, attracting the gazes of those strange green beings, watching him move as if he were going to dance.


    two seconds later, a level 121 individual with long white hair and a beard, dressed in a white cloak, appeared right in front of where minos had been standing a few moments before, using one of his fingers to strike toward what would have been the invader''s abdomen.


    "your people get a rather special reception, yon," minos said as he looked at the old green being, before two other elders appeared in the middle of the area.


    the other two were women, one of them of a similar level to the old man who tried to attack him, while the other was stronger, possibly the leader of the tribe, in minos'' opinion. she was at level 122.


    the level 121 old man narrowed his eyes as he looked away, surprised that minos could dodge his movement so well.


    "you''re fast, foreigner," said the man as he ran one of his hands through his long beard.


    "that''s nothing. you''d be surprised if we fought," minos said as he narrowed his eyes at the man.


    but then he moved and looked in the direction of the level 122 woman, deflecting a secondary blow that the old man tried to hit him with.


    as she watched her main guard attack the void, missing again, ibbe looked with interest at minos, while thinking about how to deal with this opponent.


    minos surprised her by making a gesture of greeting. "elder ibbe, my name is minos stuart. earlier i was traveling when yon invited me to come to your tribe. i wish your people no harm. i would just like some directions. i''m lost in the area."


    ibbe looked at yon and immediately understood that he hadn''t invited minos. this talented member of the tribe had, in fact, chosen the path of life rather than death.


    "how is that possible?" she asked with interest. "how does a seer have the nerve to say he''s lost?"


    minos laughed bitterly. "i entered a spatial deformation some time ago and then came out near this region, in a mountainous area of black rocks, with no life in the vicinity."


    the strongest of the tribe narrowed their eyes when they heard this information.


    such a place had been missing for millennia!


    "did the spatial deformation you entered lead you to such a place? what did you find there?" asked the other powerful woman, while the members of the village nearby murmured things among themselves, drawing minos'' attention to what such a place was.


    "i won''t lie. i found an heirloom from an expert. but for some reason, her dimension fell apart after i completed it."


    he only told part of the truth, but enough for those people to believe him.


    the three strongest people there looked at each other, agreeing on what they should do.


    "the place you passed was probably the inheritance built by the leader of a force that existed in this area in the past. that sect was almost completely wiped out and then their headquarters disappeared in one night," ibbe said, before motioning for minos to follow.


    "if you''re serious about just wanting directions, we can help you with that." she continued as she signaled her people to move away. "we''re in the central part of uzira. do you know the map of the continent?"


    "not as well as i''d like."


    "the region we''re in is one of the least populated, second only to the area further east, near the violent sea. but someone like you should be able to reach the domains of the continent''s sovereigns in a few days'' travel.


    all you have to do is travel west, southwest, or northwest. you''ll eventually reach one of the continent''s cities." ibbe explained as she climbed to the top of a tree and showed minos the surroundings. from where they could see the tops of many trees, a beautiful view of the region.


    "there''s one place in particular i''d like to go. in fact, there''s a group that i feel is going there. if you could give me some news about them, that would be even better."


    "what group is that?" the level 121 man asked, fearing trouble.


    "a huge horde of undead, containing even mid-level supreme corpses."

 Chapter 2742 Macabre Horde

    chapter 2742  macabre horde the three powerful supremes of the tribe quickly identified what minos was after.


    "the macabre horde..." said the man as his gaze became darker.


    "do you want to go after the macabre horde?" the level 121 woman asked, for the first time seeing someone with such an absurd goal.


    "yes?" minos wasn''t sure if he really wanted to, but he definitely needed to find this group of undead. but the way the three supremes changed, their expressions caught his attention. "i don''t know anything about them. i just saw them surround the place i''m looking for."


    "in that case, it might be interesting for you to look for other methods of getting there..." advised the man who had failed to reach minos twice.


    but ibbe realized minos wouldn''t do that and said. "since you don''t seem to know what the macabre horde is, let me explain it to you before we talk about its location."


    minos nodded in agreement, curious about that group of dead. but he could already see that his wife had nothing to do with such a horde, at least not now.


    ibbe explained, "no one knows exactly how the macabre horde came to be. it has existed for at least hundreds of thousands of years. it''s so old that some of uzira''s oldest supremes always heard about it, even in their childhoods.


    but almost everyone agrees on one thing about the macabre horde. it is linked to the awakening peak, a location on the west coast of the continent, the strongest area in uzira, but also the most dangerous and darkest place in our world.


    those who die near the awakening peak tend to have their rest disturbed and sooner or later join the horde. the horde grows stronger as time goes by.


    but despite being frightening, it has a rather peculiar behavior. the undead follow a pattern around awakening peak. they hardly ever leave the vicinity of the area, so for a long time they were simply overlooked.


    however, this has allowed them to grow numerous and strong. currently, the macabre horde has at least tens of thousands of undead. if we had the absurd plan of stopping them, we''d need every one of the continent''s high level supremes and it still wouldn''t be certain that we''d be able to eliminate them..."


    "as you can see, they''re a tremendous challenge," said the man, looking at minos with strangeness on his face.


    the woman next to ibbe said, "the worst thing is if they deviate their movements a little and reach areas of living beings. they become brutal, even more insane than they look. they act like hungry animals until they destroy all the surrounding life. only when they clear an area of a few dozen square kilometers, do they return to their normal, their crusade around the awakening peak."


    ibbe finished, "that makes them doubly dangerous for you. as well as being dangerous to any living beings, they are guarded by some of the strongest of uzira''s sovereign force." she narrowed her eyes at that. "if you get close to them, the leaders of the continent will notice you and deal with you differently from us."


    minos understood this last part well, but he couldn''t help feeling curious about this phenomenon altogether. "i''ll keep that in mind... but i''m curious to know why the continent''s forces let a group of undead become so large.


    can you tell me? it seems to me from your description that this group is a problem for uzira."


    "and indeed it is." ibbe nodded positively, looking at the white-haired man who was at least twice her height. "but it''s not that simple. necromancy runs in the blood of the royal family. how could the leaders of uzira let the representation of their family be destroyed?


    for a long time, the undead were just symbols of the royal family''s power, a symbol that no one wanted to tarnish or destroy. when the macabre horde first appeared, it was protected. but over the years, it grew and got out of control...


    in short, not everything is so simple. reason doesn''t always solve all problems." the woman shook her head as she sighed.


    even members of her tribe had seen no problems with the macabre horde at a time when the group could have been controlled. but now she realized the mistake made by the sovereigns of the continent.


    she added, "i wouldn''t doubt it if the group even has high-level supremes in it. so i''d like to recommend you choose another plan. as much as i don''t know you, tragedy awaits those who go over to the macabre horde. choose another path and live your life, minos."


    "i appreciate the opportunity, but my fate is not so easy to predict," minos said confidently. "where can i find the macabre horde?"


    the three of them looked at him in silence, each of them thinking how absurd and daring he was.


    he was certainly very talented and capable of doing impressive things. they could sense that. but this unbridled confidence could get him killed quickly.


    but in any case, minos was not an ally, not even a close friend of their tribe.


    ibbe answered him after a few moments of consideration. "travel west. go in search of the awakening peak. you''ll eventually find the trail of death or the watchers of the macabre horde."


    minos looked in the direction showed and prepared to leave, the surrounding space vibrating in such a way that the three supremes moved away from him.


    "thank you for the information. if we meet again, we''ll have a longer, friendlier conversation."


    after thanking them, minos left, crossing space towards the west, leaving a trail of special chaos.


    the three most important members of the tribe stayed behind as they watched minos'' speedy departure, seeing his uncanny ability to move, capable of making even uzira''s stable space deform amid his movements.


    if he could do that without even showing a great expenditure of energy, then his capabilities were even greater if he got into serious combat.


    "yon made a wise decision." ibbe muttered before returning to her home, leaving that problem to the fools who would try to get in his way. sea??h th§× n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 2743 Deadly Attack

    chapter 2743  deadly attackminos crossed uzira''s space, moving so fast that, in less than five days, he was gradually feeling the salt in the air, a sign of the proximity of the coast.


    he didn''t spend hardly a minute of those days standing still. on the contrary, he moved as much as he could, imagining that he had to run, especially after what he had heard from yon''s tribe.


    if the rulers of uzira were necromancers, then abby was certainly in trouble!


    he already knew that the forces on the continent were vindictive and that local power was centralized in the hands of a large sovereign force. at the thought of how abby could become a threat to such a family or even a target, he was in a hurry to catch up with the macabre horde and find out how to get to the place of his vision.


    but after days of traveling, today minos finally spotted a large city similar to examire, and couldn''t help but slow down and check out the area. sea??h th§× novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    he didn''t enter the city, but used his powers to analyze the area, seeing the density of supremes there, which was even greater than the amount of level 114 sovereigns that existed in examire.


    the strongest in that city was a level 124 being, a type of opponent that minos had no interest in facing while hunting down the traces of his women.


    he soon continued west, leaving the previous town behind and soon feeling the paths of the nautilus'' compass changing.


    arriving in an area that seemed to be total night, with a black sky and dark shadows, he stopped when he realized that the nautilus'' compass was pointing him towards the center of the darkness.


    ''that feeling...'' minos frowned as he felt a strong negative feeling coming from miles ahead, something similar to what he had already felt in the obsidian shore¡ªthe place where he got the black liquid.


    ''could this be where the source of the black liquid is?'' he wondered as he landed in the dark forest, stopping moving so fast as he walked calmly.


    but as minos moved closer to the black liquid-like sensation, he felt something else. stopping in the middle of an open field, he saw something similar to a black cloud close to where he was standing, followed by a deadly trail. where this trail had gone, there was nothing alive left.


    ''that cloud...'' he looked at it and remembered what ibbe had told him. ''is that the trail of death? it looks like i''m near awakening peak. wait a minute...''


    suddenly, he realized something. ''the macabre horde originates from the black liquid?'' he stopped where he was, less than 100 meters away from the black mist coming from the dark cloud up ahead.


    then minos moved one of his hands, forming a spatial distortion in front of his fingers, while something similar happened in one of the corners of the dark cloud.


    a small piece of darkness from the cloud appeared in minos'' hands as he watched it with interest, unconsciously thanking the level 124 soul fragment that had given him a technique with dimensional control. the skill based on that technique was working very well in minos'' hands.


    by closing his eyes and feeling that dark essence, minos knew where it came from, but also where it would lead him.


    ''it seems you''ve gone quite far off your normal course. but i''m glad you left a trail. i''ll just have to follow it...''


    he was thinking, when he suddenly felt something and opened his eyes, seeing a harpoon flying towards his heart from behind him.


    temporal sands!


    sensing that he was going to be pierced by that weapon, minos controlled the time and space around him, regressing the time in his vicinity to a minute in the past.


    after using his most advanced ability in the art of time control for the first time, minos turned around, raising his guard as he spread his wings.


    "sneaking is not a good thing." he raised one of his hands in the air and a dragon''s claw broke through the space, striking the harpoon flying towards him with great force.


    the enormous weapon immediately changed course, covered in silver flames that made its structure roar.


    "oh? time control?" an ancient voice came from the direction the attack had come from, while a three-meter-tall man, shrouded in chains and with a thin body, appeared floating in a dark cloud.


    minos narrowed his eyes as he looked at the level 121 supreme, who had almost seriously injured him. for a moment, he couldn''t help but feel his heart beat a little faster at coming so close to a mortal blow.


    "uzira is really interesting. but at my current level, old man, you''re not my opponent." he didn''t fear his opponent, however.


    a surprise attack from someone so strong would definitely be deadly for minos. but now he was fully aware of his surroundings.


    "hehehe, an intruder on my land dares to say who his opponent is?" the old man asked as he pulled out a new weapon, this time a large scythe, covered in darkness, linked to the chains around his body.


    minos moved his hands and energy nuclei around his body, propelling his cultivation upwards.


    ''unfortunately, the years in the true celestial dimension have somewhat limited my artificial energy reserve construction. but i still have enough to deal with this guy.''


    as he thought, minos felt his cultivation reach level 119, a single advance, the maximum he could now achieve without stealing anyone''s cultivation. but on reaching level 119, he immediately sensed the energy of the enemy in front of him, and stole it for himself.


    the man with powers over death, slowly making bodies rise from the ground, froze as he felt his cultivation decrease by one level. meanwhile, minos'' cultivation increased a little more, reaching level 120.


    the gravity on him increased to the point that he could no longer hold on to his weapon, dropping it as he also plummeted, hitting his knees hard on the ground.


    "who are you?!" he asked as his eyes widened, seeing minos'' six wings glowing in silver flames.


    minos took a step forward and all the darkness around the man retracted simultaneously as the pressure of gravity on him increased.


    "do you know what the necromancers'' weakness is, barnet?" minos asked instead of answering the man, making him look even more afraid.


    "you... if you know who i am..."


    "oh, no. don''t even try. you''ll die. but rejoice." minos laughed as the corpses summoned by barnet slumped in his presence. "you''ll become undead too!" he said as he approached that member of uzira''s sovereign family, whom he readily understood by the threat barnet was about to make.


    "but back to the point, a necromancer''s weakness, apart from their physique, is their mind. the mind is your strength. so when destroyed, you have nothing."


    minos turned reality into a nightmare, making that thin old man''s eyes flutter as he lost total contact with his surroundings, screaming as he saw his demons attacking him.

 Chapter 2744 Cursed Rock

    chapter 2744  cursed rock the enemy''s body fell lifeless to the ground after the mental torture minos had put him through.


    but minos didn''t waste his chance. by taking his opponent into a torturous nightmare, he extracted critically important information from his opponent.


    minos learned the names of the members of uzira''s sovereign family, the strongest and those he should worry about in the short term, but also about the macabre horde.


    from what he understood, the macabre horde had deviated from its path after some strange behavior and was moving towards the south of the region where he was. a group of high-level observers were following the undead horde, while the sovereign force was already aware of what was happening and was preparing to move.


    but after the ''good'' talk he had with the enemy, minos no longer needed to follow the undead creatures. he got the location of the place where the dead were going after showing his vision of the future to the enemy. fortunately, he knew where this place was and informed his captor about cursed stone, the great prison of the continental sovereign family, for the invaders from uzira.


    with this information in mind, minos took the enemy''s corpse and stored it inside a black urn, intending to fulfill his last promise to that man when he was alive.


    with a destination in mind, minos looked at the area he was in, especially the black cloud from which he felt he could collect the black liquid in the future.


    ''i''ll leave that for later. my priority now is to get my group back on my side.''


    after considering this, minos headed south, quickly leaving this area where there were supposedly many opportunities for necromancers.


    some of the most talented of uzira''s sovereign family were there at the moment, looking for opportunities similar to barnet.


    one woman in particular, dressed entirely in black, hair as white as clouds, was hiding in the shade of a tree as she looked up at the sky in minos'' direction.


    "who is this man?"


    ...


    minos flew on, oblivious to space and distance, heading straight for the prison of the sovereigns of uzira.


    the journey wasn''t that long, despite how big uzira was. in less than three days, minos arrived near an area of black rocks, with peaks that reached 6,000 meters above sea level.


    minos lowered the altitude of his flight and soon landed a few dozen kilometers from where he was going. he still didn''t know if his wives were there or if something nearby would lead him to them.


    ''the undead are still a long way from here... it''ll probably take them one to two weeks to get here.'' he thought as he stopped in an area easy to hide from travelers nearby, the best place indicated by the nautilus'' compass.


    ''this is a good place for me to hide for the time being.'' he entered a depression and manipulated his surroundings, forming a spatial distortion that led into the rock formation closest to him, where there was a hollow cave.  s§×arch* the n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    in this place, minos placed his cultivation pad on the ground, planning to check the future again.


    for the moment, he didn''t know whether to make himself an enemy and storm the nearby prison or wait for something. in any case, it was his wives'' lives he was dealing with, so he preferred to be careful.


    ''if they''re trapped in this place, i won''t be able to save them so easily. according to that necromancer, there are level 123 and even level 124 supremes guarding the area.''


    uzira''s sovereign family had peak supremes and, according to rumors that the previous necromancer had heard, even a level 125 celestial.


    minos was confident in his abilities, but he was in no position to face someone like that head-on. even more so now that he was one of the final 10 challengers for the inheritance of a true celestial, the favorite to win the inheritance, to boot.


    he closed his eyes as he thought about everything he now knew, including what was just ahead of him.


    a moment ago, minos saw an extremely powerful defensive formation. it could stop even peak supremes, something he had never seen so strong apart from the things behind the true celestial inheritance.


    but even he had manipulated small spaces within the true celestial tower before, so he wouldn''t rule out an invasion if necessary.


    he felt his energy flowing, and an hourglass formed in his surroundings, changing the passage of time, as he saw flashes of the future streaming through his mind as images.


    he saw a horde of the dead so large that it looked like a sea enveloping much of the region he was now in and battling against the sovereign forces of the area.


    a shadowy figure appeared and controlled these creatures, making them slaughter specific opponents in their path.


    minos didn''t feel any of his wives'' auras, nor did he even see them in his visions. but he didn''t mistake this information. they could be inside the prison¡ªwhich would naturally prevent him from sensing their flames¡ªor they could come here with the horde, or not at all. some individual connected to them could be about to pass through just as the tsunami of dead reached the area.


    ''what should i do?'' he analyzed his options given by the nautilus'' compass, aware that this important spiritual tool connected to his mind had its limitations.


    the nautilus'' compass told him the best path for him. but that wasn''t necessarily the path his wives would benefit from.


    ''something tells me they''re in this place...'' minos opened his eyes and stood up, determined to take a chance.


    nothing concrete was telling him that. this was just a blind instinct guided by his concern for his women.


    ''abby may have something to do with what''s going to happen... it''s possible. she wouldn''t be able to control them, but she might influence them in some way. i''ll see what i can do.''


    minos camouflaged his body, making his seraphim wings disappear, as he took on the corporeal form of a thin, hairless old man, while quickly wrapping himself in a black cloak.


    assuming the identity of the corpse in his spatial ring, minos moved out of the place where he had been meditating in silence for over five days.


    he then hid his cultivation and moved on towards the area protected by the powerful formation he had sensed earlier.

 Chapter 2745 Infiltration of the Cursed Rock

    chapter 2745  infiltration of the cursed rock at first, minos did not know how to get into the cursed stone. he just walked calmly towards the defensive formation in the area, trying not to hide his position.


    but after getting closer to the area and seeing through some camouflage, he found his way to one entrance to the prison.


    at this very moment, he was walking in front of one of the prison''s three entrances, through which the staff behind the facility''s surveillance and maintenance used to come and go.


    after passing through a series of formations that could easily scramble the mind of a newly promoted supreme and keep him circling the prison entrance, minos overcame the last mental barrier generated by the formations in the area. he saw what was in that place behind the distractions, a cave entrance, where a grandiose artificial structure blocked much of the way, with a cylinder-shaped metal door in the center of it.


    there were a few steps between this place and the passage he passed, with guards positioned in lotus position, others patrolling the area.


    one man standing there at the moment had been monitoring minos since he started down this path a few minutes ago, and waited for the elderly and weak-looking fellow to complete the entire journey before moving.


    recognizing minos'' appearance and his inability to fathom the newcomer''s cultivation, this level 116 guard approached the black-robed man and said. "welcome to the cursed stone, senior. it is my honor to speak with a true necromancer."


    the man''s words were full of reverence and honor. this guy certainly had his doubts, but his words were sincere.


    minos nodded without saying much, as he sensed the future that awaited him there. "take me to jailer deryk. i recently spotted a powerful intruder who was part of a group that is imprisoned here. i want information from one of his former companions."


    upon hearing the name of one of the cursed stone''s underbosses, this guard felt more confident that minos'' identity was true.


    "may i see your credential, senior? i''m afraid i''ll need it to get into the prison."


    minos promptly handed over an item bearing the symbol of a skull, the identification of the man he had killed days ago.


    the guard used a special device to check minos'' id, while other men in the vicinity glanced discreetly at them.


    minos glanced back, counting 12 low-level supremes and 1 mid-level one over there.


    ''that''s quite a force to stand at the least important door of the prison... why such a force to apprehend trespassers? isn''t that the sovereign force that has control over the entire island?'' this intrigued him.


    minos'' experience told him that there were only two justifications for this phenomenon. either there were powerful rebel groups in uzira, groups that could have members imprisoned in the cursed stone, or some of the prison inmates were truly defiant.


    ''i''ll look into it later.''


    the guard successfully verified minos'' identity, and returned the skull-symbol item to him, before indicating forward. "you may proceed. someone will escort you to jailer deryk."


    the cylindrical door of that entrance opened slowly, revealing a brightly lit and very well-built structure, with thick walls that were resistant to even the spatial manipulation of high-level supremes.  s§×arch* the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the moment he felt the door close, already inside the entrance corridor where a level 117 woman was waiting for him at the end of 100 meters of corridor, minos felt the outside world become totally inaccessible to him.


    he couldn''t help but narrow his eyes as he felt his cultivation subtly restricted to level 115, something similar to what happened in the tower of the true celestial being, but it was a little weaker here.


    ''that''s impressive... the members of the prison have a device with them to keep their cultivation stable.'' he looked at the woman waiting for him with an interesting smile on her face.


    ''however, i can overcome this restriction as soon as i want to.'' minos held back his desire to do so, aware that such an action would alert the whole prison to his real motivation there.


    "surprised, senior?" asked the woman waiting to guide him to jailer daryk. "cursed stone is the safest place in all of uzira. even though we have some of the most dangerous names on the continent imprisoned here, including level 124 supremes, there is no risk of escapes.


    everyone who isn''t a member of the prison has their cultivations limited to the beginning of the 12th stage, while the guards can use everything we''ve built in our lives, as well as the prison''s weapons and formations."


    "that''s impressive..." minos muttered as he looked at her. "i''d heard about it, but i didn''t think it was so fantastic. amazing what we do here," he said with genuine admiration.


    when he reached her side at the end of that long corridor, he saw the woman greet him with a gesture unusual for him, but normal for this place.


    she clasped her right fist just below her left shoulder and brandished it. "all hail the eternal death!"


    minos almost laughed, but the fact that he had already heard about it from the man who tortured and now he wore the guise made him prepared to hear such a thing.


    the people of uzira''s sovereign family had an unusual love of death and worshipped it almost fanatically. in particular, the family''s creator figure, eternal death, had supposedly achieved immortality by reaching level 125 and millions of years ago, and family members had used that greeting since then.


    "all hail the eternal death." minos said in response, before seeing a woman dressed in a prison uniform turn around and walk in front of him.


    her name was alys, and she seemed quite talkative.


    "senior, jailer deryk is quite busy today. some troublesome new arrivals are in his wing of the prison, and i''m afraid he''s interrogating them at the moment.


    but as soon as he''s finished dealing with the bastards, he''ll talk to you about what you want. for now, i''m going to accompany you through the jailers and guards area of the prison."


    alys would explain to minos how this wing of the prison was separated from the prisoners'' section by formations and barriers as strong as those at the entrance he had passed through. if one wanted to access them, they would have to receive permission from one of the chief jailers, one of the highest ranks in this place.


    she showed him the area where the guards normally ran the place, where they rested and socialized, as well as training and study areas. the place was like a large city built into a mountain, with several levels and all kinds of service options, including stores, restaurants and massage parlors.


    over 5,000 cultivators worked there to keep the prison running, including over 300 supremes!


    after almost an hour there, minos understood how difficult his journey would be to reach his wives!

 Chapter 2746 Group Deaths

    chapter 2746  group deaths escaping from this prison alongside his wives¡ªif they were really there, as he deemed¡ªwould be close to impossible. even with all the powers minos had accumulated throughout his journey, he couldn''t stand against so many supremes and all the high-level defenses of this facility.


    but the place he was in was so well-protected that minos didn''t even know if he''d make it to the prisoners'' wing without the cooperation of the guards and jailers themselves.


    after a while of following the guard alys, he could see just how secure the place was, with thick walls that basically prevented anyone from feeling more than a few meters in front of where they were.


    but despite how well-protected the prison was, he didn''t show his worries as he made his way alongside alys to where he could wait for jailer deryk.


    "senior, which group exactly are you after? i''ll set things up for when jailer deryk comes to see you," said the woman as she indicated for minos to take a seat in a comfortable and well finished room, where there were snacks available and a meditation area for visitors.


    it wasn''t that common for people in minos'' position to come to the prison, but it wasn''t something that never happened, either. cursed stone had facilities for specialists like the thin-skinned, pale-looking fellow.


    minos said, "it''s a group of aliens from an oqia force. i''ve made some representations of what some of them look like."


    minos took a chance by giving the appearance of his wives and some of his guild mates who had come to uzira with him.


    cursed stone had even more inmates than the individuals behind the running of this place. there was no way for alys to look at minos'' drawn figures and immediately correlate them to inmates.


    "i''ll see what i can do for you. for now, you can relax and wait, senior. jailer deryk shouldn''t be long."


    minos was left alone in sequence, in the dark whether he was harboring suspicions of being an imposter or whether he was really managing to pass himself off as the enemy he was posing as.


    one way or the other, he was now in a situation he couldn''t escape from if he was in a bad way. he sat down on a cultivation cushion and closed his eyes, pretending to be meditating while his lungs processed the energy entering his body through his airways.


    minos would feel guards watching him for the next two hours, but he wouldn''t move. he would wait until someone came up to him, a man of level 122, two meters tall and with a muscular body, apparently young.


    jailer deryk greeted minos with a formal gesture, followed by an "all hail the eternal death," before the man introduced himself, speaking in an almost subservient tone.


    minos was hiding his original cultivation mark, despite showing a strength of level 115. but he knew that the members of this place thought he was someone of the same level as the old man he had killed earlier.


    but even so, the man who was supposed to be stronger than him treated him as if the situation was reversed and he was actually the stronger one.


    ''necromancers from the sovereign family of uzira really are highly respected. i bet that jailer would risk his life for that man i killed if he had to.''


    "... senior barnet, alys told me about the group you''re looking for," said the man, as minos looked at him expectantly, ready to use one of his hidden weapons and kill, if this was the moment his identity was going to be exposed.


    but that wouldn''t be necessary.


    "luckily, the group the senior wishes to visit is under my supervision. i''ll be able to take you to them later."


    "oh? how''s their situation? i''ve only heard rumors about the arrest of this group. is everyone still alive?"


    "four members of the group seem to have died before reaching our hands, but the others are alive."


    there was something that seemed to bother deryk when he answered minos'' question.


    "will they be able to answer my questions?" minos narrowed his eyes. "the person i want to catch is the husband of the three women in the drawings i handed over to guard alys."


    "hmm, those three are quite strong, despite being the weakest of the group. you could talk to one of them. but i''m afraid it would be impossible to visit all three."  s§×arch* the n?vel(f)ire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    minos had already heard about the time limit for prison visitors like him, which, when finished, he would have to leave and would not be able to return before reporting back to the sovereign family about his actions. his time would be up in just over two hours, which shouldn''t be enough for him to go through all the security protocols of the place more than once.


    "all right. i''ll talk to the blue-haired alien girl," he said as he kept his concern to himself.


    fortunately, all three were alive. that was all that mattered for now.


    "certainly, senior barnet. i''ll escort you to the area where she''s being held. but i must warn you to prepare yourself. the woman has some powers that make her difficult to interrogate. she doesn''t feel pain and has necromantic abilities."


    the end of the man''s words were somewhat more restrained, almost as if he was afraid to say such a thing in front of barnet.


    ''tsk! trouble.'' minos thought to himself, now aware that the sovereign family of this state was not friendly to those with necromantic powers who were not part of the family.


    "there''s no trouble. what i want from her she''ll probably give me without difficulty... she''s probably nervous about her men''s disappearance," minos said as he forced a mischievous laugh.


    "oh? we didn''t have that information before. thank you for sharing it with us, senior," jailer deryk said on the way to the entrance of the cell wing.


    soon the two arrived at a passageway where minos was forced to wear a handcuff on his hands and legs, as well as leave his id there.


    he followed behind the jailer, passing through a steel door over 3 meters thick, finally arriving in a darker, more precarious area, where the sound of droplets spread out, forming a strange symphony.


    the place was dark and had a malicious aura about it that made even minos wary.


    "that feeling..." he muttered to himself, while the jailer understood the reaction of someone not used to going there.

 Chapter 2747 Escape plan

    chapter 2747  escape plan "don''t be surprised, senior, the traitor is still alive," said jailer deryk in a serious tone.


    when the man mentioned the term traitor, minos immediately understood that this referred to one person in particular, a member of uzira''s sovereign family, who had tried to usurp the leadership of the continent from her older brother.


    there was a deep story behind that necromancer, things that even minos didn''t know. he knew, however, that uzira''s central force had no problem punishing its own family members, including a peak supreme.


    even restricted by the cursed rock''s special formations, the traitor still made her aura reach the entire prison wing where minos and deryk were now.


    "impressive." that word escaped minos'' lips, while the jailer in front of him was not surprised.


    "indeed, it is. is this your first time feeling it, senior?"


    "yes, i hadn''t had the chance to come face to face with her before. she''s from the generation before mine and i haven''t come this far in cursed rock," minos said as he walked behind deryk through the jagged corridors of the large prison.


    the area they were in no longer looked like an advanced facility, but a large system of tunnels built into a colossal cavern.


    as he walked through the area, minos could see more or less how the guards and jailers kept the prisoners. many of those he saw were injured, probably having been tortured. they had black bags over their heads and some kind of special liquid was dripping down them. meanwhile, they were kept bound by chains to the walls.


    minos used this visual information on his way to prepare himself for how he would find his woman.


    "lucky you. they say the traitor was a terrible person to deal with in the high court. i heard rumors that she always got those she had relations with into trouble. most of them didn''t end well, i''ve heard."


    minos just agreed with what he heard, not getting too invested in the subject. but he was curious about the situation of this woman who had tried to usurp leadership in uzira.


    ''if the situation gets complicated, i could involve this person in the rebellion. she would definitely be enough trouble for the forces in this place to have people other than my group as their priority.''


    after descending several flights of stairs, walking for almost 30 minutes through corridors and seeing countless prisoners, minos arrived at the place where he felt he would find his wife.


    jailer deryk stopped next to a cell in one corner of the area, near a flight of stairs. there he showed with one of his hands into the cell. "this is abby miller. she''s a necromancer, as you may already know. she has some kind of special power that prevents her from feeling pain, so torture has little potential with her. but try what you will. you have 20 minutes before we have to leave."


    minos looked through the cell and the black bag around abby''s head, seeing how pale she was. abby had several wounds all over her body and her dark circles under her eyes showed how stressed she was.


    seeing her in such a state was one of the worst challenges for minos, surpassing even some of the most difficult rooms in the last phase of the true celestial inheritance.


    but minos knew fully that his lack of control would cause the death of everyone there, not just him. he did his best to control himself, while taking the opportunity at hand to enter abby''s cell and stand face to face with his wife.


    as he approached her, he felt no reaction from abby. she was definitely prepared to endure yet another torture.


    he approached her until he was touching her neck hard and asked. "tell me about minos, woman! if you give me a hint about him, i''ll give you some news about your beloved husband!" he said as tiny silver sparks entered abby''s body.


    abby stopped suppressing her senses as she noticed this burning flame that did not harm her body, readily identifying the same essence that minos had given her 26 years ago.


    just over 26 years had passed since minos'' advancement to the 12th stage, when he went to the true celestial inheritance and her group had been sent out of the level 124 soul fragment dimension.


    ''abby, it''s me. i''m back.'' minos said into her mind, taking advantage of the few gaps he had, while pretending to be hurting her in the midst of his questions.


    ''minos! are you finally back? is it really you?'' abby almost couldn''t believe it, but his flames were unmistakable.


    she felt the dormant flame in her body strengthen subtly, just enough for her to notice who he was, but not to the point where it became sensitive to others.


    ''join my game while i try to extract information about you. i''m infiltrating this prison while posing as a necromancer who is a member of the sovereign family of uzira. i''ll soon have to leave, but there will be an opportunity to escape before long.''


    abby and minos engaged in a heated exchange of words, with her proving difficult to take information from, but a little miffed that barnet had mentioned her beloved husband''s name.  sear?h the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    meanwhile, she didn''t try to stop him from rescuing her and her sisters from the harem. abby focused on telling him how they had ended up there and her biggest worries.


    ''don''t worry about those issues for now. just be aware that we''re going to run away in a few days. do you think everyone will last until then?''


    ''yes. this place is hell, but it has one big weakness. they rarely kill their inmates. the chief aim of this place is to make the inmates suffer and be examples to the community of uzira.'' abby had seen this clearly in her years there.


    ''a few more days of waiting won''t change anything... but how do you intend to get us out of here? those damn jailers boast amid the torture of how strong their forces are. they even have peak supremes!''


    ''there''s a horde of undead approaching here...'' minos said to abby''s surprise, almost making her lose her composure at that moment.


    ''by the way, i was wondering if you had anything to do with this group. did you somehow lure them here?''


    ''me? no. i didn''t even know there was a horde of undead on this continent.''

 Chapter 2748 Facing the Problem

    2748  facing the problem the moment minos heard such a thing from abby, he confirmed his hypothesis that she wasn''t responsible for the approach of the undead. ''that was to be expected... i would have been surprised if she was responsible. but i still had some doubt in my heart. in any case, who will be responsible for it?'' minos asked himself amid his interrogation of abby.


    then he moved on to his next question. ''do you think you could influence these undead coming here?''


    along with minos'' question, abby felt a scene from the future flash across her mind, showing a gigantic horde of undead surrounding cursed rock.


    ''that...'' even she couldn''t help but open her mouth in shock, having never imagined anything even close to that.


    ''i don''t know. not in my current situation. but outside of here and with your help, it''s possible to bring some of them over to our side. luckily, i reached level 115 before falling into the hands of the enemies.''


    ''all right. we''ll see about that during the escape. for now, you should wait for me. those living dead will arrive here soon and cause a commotion. at that point, i''ll take action to rescue our group.''


    ''i''ll wait anxiously.''


    ''by the way, do you know where the rest of the group is?'' he asked her.


    ''no. i haven''t seen them since we got here. on a few occasions, my torturers have said things about them, threatening me and so on. but i don''t know their exact situation. what i can tell you is that everyone has already made use of their flashdrain parasites. that''s one of the reasons we fell.''


    abby had already summarized for minos what had happened for them to fall and arrive at their current situation. after being sucked into a spatial distortion, they arrived in the western region of uzira, in an area in the middle of a competition for special cultivation sites.


    this helped the group at the time, despite the dangers they came into contact with. the women of minos could grow quickly in such a place and several of the group''s supremes advanced in level. but before some of them had even finished taking their chances, they were forced by the challenges of the place and the strong competition in the area. little by little, the members of the group sacrificed their parasites until they reached the point where four of them died and the rest were too weak to fight. not long after that, they fell into the hands of uzira''s sovereign forces, who brought them to cursed rock, beginning the current phase of their lives.


    now abby and the others had been there for some years, each of them having already suffered bitter situations.


    minos kept what he heard in mind and said aloud, "don''t worry, trespasser. soon you and your beloved husband will be together in this prison! just wait and i''ll torture you both face to face!"


    abby cursed minos a few times as the old, frail-looking man left the cell, returning to jailer deryk''s side.


    "your negotiating skills are impressive, senior," said the man waiting for minos there in the corridor of that section of the prison. "perhaps someone like you could come to cursed rock more often."


    minos laughed as he walked back to the place he had passed when he came to the cell wing of this grand unit of the sovereign family of uzira.


    arriving near the exit, minos said. "i''m going to hunt that guy down now. depending on my results, we''ll see you again in no time."


    "hmm, i''m looking forward to it," the man said sincerely, when the door connecting the prisoners'' wing and the guards'' wing finally opened.


    but as the grand, sturdy door swung open, the two were surprised to see a white-haired woman, dressed entirely in black, appear in their path.


    minos and deryk immediately recognized this figure, and both stopped where they stood, the jailer feeling a chill run down his spine, while minos narrowed his eyes.


    ''this woman is dangerous. she''s part of uzira''s elite necromancers!'' minos sensed the information from the old man he was now wearing the guise of, as he found himself in an uncertain situation.


    ''why is she here? this person shouldn''t be in cursed rock!''


    "miss sal!" jailer deryk opened his mouth as he called the name of the level 122 woman standing in front of them.


    she glared at minos while ignoring deryk, remaining silent for almost a minute, making the situation in this place extremely uncomfortable.


    "barnet..." after a moment, she called out the name of the figure minos was representing, making deryk look at him as he broke out in a cold sweat. "miss sal..." he called her back in a questioning tone, curious to know if she had anything to tell him.


    "where have you been recently?" she asked, standing in the middle of the passage out of the prisoners'' wing. "i was looking for you."


    "i was hunting someone... in fact, i came to the cursed rock because of this someone. an invader, so to speak. the family will be pleased when he falls." minos tried to laugh it off as casual.


    "is that so?" but the woman had a sharp look on her face that kept the situation tense, even with his attempt.


    "would this person you''re looking for look something like this?" she created a 3d image with her own energy, forming a figure similar to the one minos really looked like.


    jailer deryk was surprised to see it here. "looks like you two are hunting the same target, haha. what a coincidence!"


    "indeed." she finally showed a different expression from the neutral look, raising the corners of her lips.  sear?h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''no. there are no coincidences like that!'' minos braced himself, subtly moving his hands behind his back in preparation.


    "so..." he began, looking deep into this woman''s eyes. "what does miss sal want from me?"


    "what do i want?" she laughed as she stepped forward, wearing on one of her wrists the same device that the members of this prison unit wore to maintain their cultivations, even in this special area. "i want to know how you''re standing in front of me, when you were killed days ago by the same man i just showed you!"


    jailer deryk changed his expression, first not understanding what sal meant, but then looking at barnet''s figure, becoming more and more suspicious.


    ''this... what''s going on here?''


    at that moment, however, both the natives of the area, loyal to the sovereign family of uzira, felt and saw the surrounding space change, with the exit door in that area closing, while minos'' cultivation suddenly jumped up a level.


    a sword emerged from a small spatial distortion, piercing deryk''s back, going through him so fast that even the man was surprised to feel and see the blood dripping from his chest.

 Chapter 2749 Invasion Alert!

    2749  invasion alert! the moment minos moved, sol acted as well, bringing out several corpses from his storage item, three of which stood in defensive positions around her, while four others attacked him.


    minos, however, surprised her by overcoming the limitations of this prison and momentarily raising his cultivation from level 115 to level 118. meanwhile, deryk''s eyes widened as he fell to his knees on the ground, mortally wounded by minos'' quick attack.


    "you!" he shouted as he saw his eyes darken.


    "you still have to help me before you fall," minos said with a strange glint in his eyes, his cultivation fluctuating to a higher level, reaching level 119 and then threatening level 120.


    the corpses attacking him prevented him from attacking sal in the same way he did deryk. she was prepared to deal with him, of course. she knew barnet had died, and she was facing him head-on to take him down in this place.


    but even sal had made a mistake by not simply ordering minos'' imprisonment and trying to stand up to him. when she realized he had powers that could make him able to bypass the cursed rock''s defenses, she wanted to retreat. unfortunately, the dense door between the prison staff area and the prisoners had already been closed by the enemy''s own actions.


    she found herself inside the prisoners'' area and cursed the gravity powers that the enemy had mastered so well.


    "minos!" she shouted his real name as she saw him open his mouth and silver flames rise from his throat.


    minos was stronger than ever, but much of his strength was currently being used to ignore the formations that threatened to limit his cultivation to level 115.


    he wouldn''t be able to do against sal everything he could, if he were outside that area, with the same peak of power.


    deryk died just before minos'' silver flames consumed 5 of the 7 of the 12th stage undead, causing sal herself to use her defensive items to avoid being caught in his fire.


    when the silver flames subsided and sal took out the shield she had summoned to defend herself, she saw part of the walls of the area melting like magma from a volcano. meanwhile, her undead had almost completely disappeared, leaving only a small amalgam of melted bones in front of her, where the last of them had lost their essences to defend her.


    deryk''s body had melted by over 60%, sending a shiver down the woman''s spine. but what struck her most was the sudden disappearance of minos!  s§×ar?h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''where is he? what happened?'' her eyes moved from side to side, as other undead emerged from their spatial storage item around her.


    the creatures immediately went into a defensive formation near her, while she stared pale at the end of the corridor ahead.


    ''there are only two possibilities.'' she swallowed her saliva as she clenched her fists tightly. ''either he''s waiting for me to open the door and then he''ll try to escape through here, or he''s escaped into the depths of this area.''


    the first option was possible. although minos had closed that door himself with chaotic gravity, he had already shown great skill at impersonating others. all he had to do was pretend he was still inside the prisoners'' wing and assume the identities of the prison''s guards or jailers and he could attempt an escape.


    this possibility frightened sal and made her sit still for a moment.


    but the second option was definitely the most likely. even if he could pass himself off as a third party, getting out of the cursed rock wouldn''t be easy. and with all the defenses in the area, formations and the very structure of the mountain interior that covered them, the chances of him escaping were slim.


    rather than risk it, sal stood still and communicated with the people on the other side of the thick door behind her back.


    "we have an invasion of the cursed rock. a strong cultivator with the ability to bypass the restrictive effects of the prison is loose.


    he is dangerous and must be dealt with by lethal force!


    don''t hesitate in his presence!" she shouted into the communicator linked directly to the cursed rock command area.


    ...


    while sal was initiating the prison''s maximum security alert, minos had moved away from the passage between the prisoners'' and administrators'' areas of cursed rock.


    his cold sweat had dried up by this point, as he used the cultivation advantage he had borrowed from deryk to hide his movements as best he could. he did this while descending several levels of this prison, using the nautilus'' compass as best he could, given his circumstances.


    the nautilus'' compass was a little compromised in this space, showing weaker signals and from a smaller area than minos was used to. but it was working, nonetheless, and he was quickly heading towards the depths of the inmates'' wing.


    in the middle of his sped up path, he knew that he would have a minute and a half, or at most two whole minutes, before his cultivation returned to level 118 and threatened to be restricted to level 115 by the formations of this prison.


    with this thought in mind, he tried to move faster, passing many prison cells, but none of them noticing him, of course. given the way all the prisoners were kept with hoods over their heads, hardly anyone would notice him in his movements.


    only when emergency sirens sounded in that place would the inmates gradually realize that something strange was going on.


    by then, minos had moved a long way from where the whole incident began and was gradually understanding where the nautilus'' compass was leading him.


    ''this aura is getting stronger and stronger...'' he thought to himself as he moved more slowly, realizing that he was getting closer to someone special.


    ''the traitor!''


    he felt that person''s macabre aura not long before he reached the last level of the prison, where he found a single cell, surrounded by a dark mist that made him open his mouth in shock.

 Chapter 2750 Queen Mylecent

    2750  queen mylecent facing the cell of the traitor of uzira''s sovereign family, minos looked down the cave-like corridor where he stood. there, a woman almost two meters tall was tied by chains to the rocky wall at the back of her cell.


    black mist was escaping from the woman''s body, while her breathing sounded deep, like that of a very overweight person.


    but a few moments after minos stood there, she changed her breathing rate, raising her head a little.  s§×ar?h the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    minos saw this clearly, feeling as if she was looking at him through the black bag she had around her face.


    "minos." a mischievous, ancient voice reached his ears, making him flinch.


    feeling someone do the same thing he had already done to several others was not pleasant. minos felt a shiver run through his body, which now no longer resembled that of the old man he had murdered earlier.


    "do you know me?" he asked as he took the first step forward.


    she laughed a little, but answered him with pleasure, "i can''t say i''ve had the pleasure. someone told me you were coming. i just didn''t expect you to arrive so soon. my boys are still away."


    "did someone tell you? a seer?"


    "if you know the answers, why are you questioning me?" she asked, changing her tone slightly. "oh, i''m sorry about that. but you should get a move on, or you''ll have to deal with those three guys on your own."


    minos looked back, but there was no one there. however, he wasn''t confused about who the three individuals she had mentioned were.


    ''my level will drop in a few seconds. it''s now or never.'' he clenched his fists, but with no other way out, he had nothing to do but manipulate his strength while blending two of his special abilities.


    with the ability of the divine seal technique, he created a small space in which his own laws were what counted. then, with the ability from the technique he had learned last, from the level 124 fragment, minos manipulated the space, distorting the grid and the chains around that woman.


    she laughed as she felt his powers. "you really are strange, just like ysolt said! but this is good. i finally have my freedom!" she felt her arms loosen as minos freed her completely from her bonds.


    she appeared at minos'' side a second later, having moved so fast that he could barely see her.


    16:37


    for that instant, all the black mist in the area disappeared, while the black sack on her face revealed an expression that anyone would put on the opposite of death.


    the traitor was beautiful. she looked like an angel who had come down from heaven to cheer up the mortals who saw her.


    her cheeks were rosy, even though she had been imprisoned for countless years. her white teeth seemed to reflect light in the middle of the tunnel-like corridor, illuminating the area. but the most striking thing about her was her silver hair, which only went down to her shoulders.


    despite her height, she clearly had to look up to meet the golden eyes of minos, whom she didn''t mind staring into for a few moments as she let her prisoner clothes fall to the floor, exposing her nakedness to him.


    her body was perfect. the torture marks had disappeared by the time she showed herself to minos, revealing to him her best appearance, which was second only to the beautiful bodies of ruth, gloria, and abby.


    but minos could see that she had something else, a strength that necromancers didn''t normally show in their bodies.


    "do you know what else ysolt said about you?" she asked, her voice leaving its previous state and becoming as soft as that of a good mother.


    minos was almost startled by the change in her tone and the way she introduced herself. even more, the calm of this woman seemed to have couldn''t help but make him feel uncomfortable.


    "i have no idea. but seers can make mistakes. i constantly get to different places than my visions show me." he advised, before changing the subject. "anyway, i think we''re allies now. i hope i didn''t make a mistake in setting you free."


    "oh, baby, that was your biggest hit so far. don''t worry, i won''t hold you back." she put one of her hands on one of his shoulders and then squeezed.


    "magnificent." queen mylecent licked her lips as she smiled temptingly at minos. "you have quite a powerful body. the bloodline of a true dragon. you''ll serve me well."


    "i don''t know what you''re talking about, but don''t think nonsense," minos narrowed his eyes as he took hold of one of her wrists. "i have to rescue my group and then we have to get out of here. do you have a plan? did that seer friend of yours tell you more about our relationship here?"


    as they chatted briefly, minos gave mylecent, queen for a day, the rebel, the traitor, a set of women''s clothes. she put it on while answering him. "ysolt has talked a lot. but you can talk to her while you go and rescue your little group. for now, just try to stay out of trouble. i''m going to play a bit with my dear cousins while my boys catch up with us."


    "how long would that be?"


    "a few hours, i suppose."


    "do you know how i get to my people?"


    "no idea, baby." she shook her head before turning her gaze forward. "you should hurry. you have about 60 seconds to run to your companions or fight by my side."


    minos wouldn''t do anything as foolish as stay by her side and left without hesitation.


    "i hope you can take care of the strongest in cursed rock. i''ll pave the way for our escape when i have my group by my side."


    "you''ll certainly do that." she stayed where she was, stripped of her belongings, but doing very well now that there was nothing holding her back.


    the formations in this place were making her cultivation seem to be at level 115, but, like minos, she had her ways of ignoring this.


    as she stood there, she would soon feel some of her family members surrounding her.


    the men stationed in this prison precisely because of her emerged from different points in that deeper area of the prison, but none of them rushed.


    "mylecent!" said the eldest of them, who was at the absolute peak of level 124, one of the strongest men of the sovereign family on this continent.


    "segarus, i see you''re not dead yet. your blood really is cursed." she laughed at the sight of the one individual who had taken part in her imprisonment in the distant past. "however, it''s time for you to become one of my soldiers. your life is about to end, segarus!"


    the other two hesitated, aware that queen mylecent was second only to eternal death in terms of power and talent!

 Chapter 2751 Start of the Rebellion

    chapter 2751  start of the rebellion minos didn''t even want to imagine what mylecent''s confrontation would be like against the prison''s three strongest administrators. in the blink of an eye, he was far from the place where he had freed her, once again following the information from the nautilus'' compass.


    the nautilus'' compass was incredible. it could tell him what was the best destination for him in real time.


    a few minutes ago, the best thing for him would have been to go to queen mylecent and free her. but now that he had done that, the nautilus'' compass was showing him that it was best to go as far away from her as possible!  sea??h th§× novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    and that''s exactly what minos did. in just a few minutes, he had crossed half the path he had taken earlier to reach mylecent.


    but as he was passing a long corridor full of cells, he had an idea. as he looked to the side and saw 11 individuals, he frowned at the idea he was following a moment ago. ''why am i going to risk myself against all the members of cursed rock if i can get others to do it for me?''


    minos didn''t have the keys to the cells of these individuals in his surroundings, but he had his powers. sensing that he would soon be surrounded by mid-level to high-level opponents of the 12th stage, minos looked at one of the cells closest to him and acted.


    doing the same as he had already done with mylecent, he freed a hairy prisoner who was only 12 meters away from him. but before the creature could thank him for his freedom, the man felt his cultivation dwindle under the manipulation of his liberator.


    "you will be the spark behind this rebellion. accept this temporary weakening and allow us to turn against the rulers of uzira." with those words, minos felt his cultivation improve again, giving him more freedom to repeat that action with more cells, soon freeing a dozen prisoners from that unit.


    when the aliens of different origins looked at minos and his surroundings, sensing the opportunity they thought they would never have, they almost went mad with their thirst for blood.


    they didn''t need to hear anything else to turn in the direction where the noise of the unit''s guards was coming from. without hesitation, they each ran in that direction, eager to taste the blood of their torturers.


    minos moved through the group, using them to his advantage as he freed more prisoners.


    once he had over 20 prisoners running against the guards, he took an alternative route, planning to repeat his exploits in other areas of the prison until he reached abby.


    ''as long as i have abby on my side, we can increase the number of allies with the corpses from my spatial ring. we''ll find our family and comrades together.'' he proceeded with this plan in mind.


    ...


    as sounds of fighting spread through the gigantic cursed rock prison, guards searching for rebels, especially minos, were scattered in different corners of this large prison unit.


    the prisoners were already aware of what was happening and were eager for the chance to escape their chains. almost everyone wanted to join in the ongoing combat and, even away from the combat sites, prisoners were shouting to annoy the guards.


    "here he comes!" a prisoner suddenly shouted near where abby was, momentarily frightening the guards around her cell.


    the guards looked in one direction, and then to the other side of the corridor that ran through that wing. but no one came into the area. one of the guards shoed his hate and shouted toward where that alien. "you''ll pay for that later, you bastard. we''ll remember your cell number."


    swooish!


    but them, suddenly, the sound of a blade cut through the air and then all the guards moved after seeing the head of the guard who had just spoken explode after being cut off at the base of his neck.


    "shit!"


    "who did this?"


    these natives of uzira trembled as they felt minos'' mixed powers, perplexing and even more difficult to escape.


    they all felt their bodies weighing down noticeably as their energies severely diminished.


    only those above level 121 managed to ignore some of minos'' powers. but several of them were weaker than that and had lost their energy and ability to stand against him.


    minos appeared at the entrance to the area, while his wings glowed, fully open. they shot light beams at the guards, brightening the surroundings so much that some of the hooded individuals in the cells could almost see what was happening.


    "aaaaagh!"


    horrified cries of pain filled the space in that area. being burned by flames was one of the worst ways to die!


    amid this, the bow formed on abby''s lips as she felt the flame in her body grow stronger. ''looks like you had to get ahead of yourself.''


    ''i had no choice. i was found out,'' minos said in her mind as he moved to free her, while the guards were already dead on the outskirts.


    he skillfully controlled devices capable of keeping one''s cultivation free from the restrictions of this prison, not hesitating to give one of these tools to abby and put another of them around one of his wrists.


    his cultivation rose a little more as he directed his flames to recover abby''s body.


    when he removed the sack from her face, he kissed her firmly, before giving her a new set of clothes, with armor and cultivation items that he had collected on his journey away from her.


    abby was soon wearing a fresh set of clothes from the one she had worn for the past few years.


    "what''s the plan?" she asked him.


    "revive the ones you can. i have a few more corpses with me." minos summoned a few more mid-level 12th stage individuals that he had been carrying with him.


    meanwhile, he acted to free more prisoners, using the cultivation of some of them to strengthen himself once again, while doing the same with his wife.


    minos'' cultivation reached level 121, while abby''s cultivation reached level 117, as bodies of even level 118 and 119 rose among the dead in the area.


    some of the freed men felt strange to see a necromancer there with them. but they knew that only enemies of uzira could get a place there. soon after they had more or less understood the situation, the prisoners would do the same as the others by rebelling around the great cursed rock!

 Chapter 2752 Aggravation of the Rebellion

    chapter 2752  aggravation of the rebellion as soon as he had awakened most of the corpses minos had in his spatial ring and the guards he had just killed, the group of prisoners in that area had already moved away from them to join the rebellion.


    meanwhile, abby and minos controlled the minds of the prison guards, forcing them to guide them through this immense place.


    few of the guards knew where the specific locations of prisoners were in this large unit. after all, there were simply too many enemies of the sovereign family of uzira who were imprisoned here. but the group of guards knew where gloria and ruth''s cells were, because of minos'' identity.


    as soon as minos was discovered, the necromancer woman who confronted him told the cursed rock forces what he was likely to do. as a result, ruth and gloria''s cells should have already been manned, while the paths to each of them should have been blocked by groups of guards.


    the only reason minos hadn''t faced a stronger group to free abby was because of mylecent, who was fighting the strongest men in the prison right now.


    so the two of them followed abby''s undead, heading for ruth, who should be three levels and six corridors away from them at the moment.


    minos didn''t waste his powers, not even abby''s corpses. as they moved, he freed more inmates while killing guards and jailers along the way.


    "by the way, abby, i''ve found out where we''ll find more of the black liquid," minos said to his wife amidst their movement and the fighting in the surrounding area.


    "oh? where''s that?"


    "a place called awakening peak, located a few days away from this prison. anyway, when we''ve resolved our situation and we''re safe, we''ll go to the area to collect the black liquid. that will bring us closer to fulfilling the guild''s mission."


    "when it''s safe? i''m afraid that will take a while," she said in a pessimistic tone. "the sovereign family of uzira won''t forgive us. we''ll be persecuted as long as we live."


    "it''ll take a while, but we''ll manage. in any case, my cultivation is much slower now. we''ll have time to plan each of our steps when we leave cursed rock."


    he finally reached the corridor where ruth was, where the men and undead running in front of him had already attracted the attention of the level 118, 119 and 120 enemies in that place.


    minos didn''t invest in combat readiness, but freed more of the people trapped there.


    "boss?" suddenly, one of the newly freed men shouted in minos'' direction, drawing the attention of the white-haired, seraphim-winged man.


    "clexvog?" minos identified one of the giants in his group and quickly passed the giant a tool to put on one of his wrists.


    "i knew this was about you, boss! no one else would cause such a ruckus." the giant felt his strength recover as minos'' silver flames burned his body.  s~ea??h the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    his cultivation was at the peak of level 117, very close to him advancing to level 118.


    minos didn''t invest in the conversation with clexvog, when he used his ability to steal his enemies'' cultivation base and raise his own, abby''s and now clexvog''s.


    sensing his strength at level 119, the giant flew towards the enemies, fighting those trapped in the area. his rage condensed along with his energy as he attacked the enemies who had tortured him in this diabolical place with sheer brute force.


    "i knew this was about you, boss! no one else would cause such a ruckus." the giant felt his strength recover as minos'' silver flames burned his body.


    minos didn''t invest in the conversation with clexvog, when he used his ability to steal his enemies'' cultivation base and raise his own, abby''s and now clexvog''s.


    his cultivation was at the peak of level 117, very close to him advancing to level 118.


    sensing his strength at level 119, the giant flew towards the enemies, fighting those trapped in the area. his rage condensed along with his energy as he attacked the enemies who had tortured him in this diabolical place with sheer brute force.


    wovar had been one individual who had died before they were arrested, so clexvog was even more brutal than some prisoners unleashing their rage on the area.


    meanwhile, ruth had already realized that minos was there even before her cell opened and she felt her wrists and heels free again.


    his silver flame helped her recover as she hugged him tightly, seeing him again after so many years and tortures.


    "i''m glad you''re back. i was afraid i''d never see you again." she said after kissing him for a few moments.


    ruth was currently at level 116 and when she felt minos'' powers acting on her, her cultivation rose to level 118, enough for her to connect with her three allies and help them regain their strength.


    the remaining guards and jailers were now trying to retreat, having already sent out warning signals and requests for reinforcements. but even if that were to have any effect later, it wasn''t enough to save them now. before they could leave minos'' field of vision, the man''s powers pressed down on them, opening up vulnerabilities for the many inmates to kill them.


    more undead rose under abby''s influence, bringing the number of corpses serving her to 37.


    as they were moving to go to gloria, minos suddenly heard something.


    ''before you save your other wife, set me free. i''m right above where you are now.'' an old woman''s voice sounded in minos'' mind, making him look up and see the black ceiling of the area where he was standing.


    ''are you ysolt?'' minos imagined that this was the only possible explanation.


    ''indeed. mylecent spoke to you about me,'' the same voice said. ''i''ll help you escape when i''m free.''


    minos wanted to rescue gloria before anything could happen to his wife, but he wouldn''t underestimate the powers of a seer capable of predicting that he would come to this place.


    few seers had been successful when it came to looking into minos'' future. someone like that had to have his attention!


    in particular, he had a certain fear, a worry about what she might do. being close to someone with such potential would be crucial for him not only in relation to this escape!


    ''she''s probably the same as mylecent...'' minos wondered as he moved towards the upper level with his group. ''i can barely use my powers much beyond the walls of this place. but the two of them talked to each other even when trapped here. that''s how strong their powers are!''


    as soon as he reached the level where ysolt was, minos would notice that all the individuals he had freed in that corridor where her cell was would behave more orderly, welcoming her with specific gestures of respect and adoration.


    as soon as he released the woman, ysolt walked out of her cell, revealing a younger appearance than her voice in minos'' mind had suggested.


    her cultivation recovered on its own, reaching the peak of level 123 in moments, while her long orange hair swayed amidst her rapid movements.


    "congratulations on your release, lady ysolt!" the men there shouted simultaneously, making it seem as if they were former subordinates of queen mylecent''s most important ally.


    but these were mere inmates she had talked to over the years!


    "now we can start the rebellion for real." she smiled at minos as she squeezed one of her wrists with one hand. "let me show you how experienced seers really fight, dear apprentice."

 Chapter 2753 Group Gathered for Escape

    chapter 2753  group gathered for escape the moment ysolt said her words, everyone in the vicinity felt scenes from the future playing out in their minds, seeing the arrival of a powerful group of enemies.


    everyone moved to avoid the tragic fate that some of them would suffer in this part of the battle, and even minos couldn''t help but be amazed at the woman''s capabilities.


    ysolt also moved, not standing still to support the group. she jumped toward where a level 123 enemy would appear, leading the enemy group moments after her jump, causing an extremely massive and shiny magic weapon to appear in her hands.


    the moment the enemies arrived, they found themselves under intense attack from a group of over 60 opponents, some of them of medium and high level from the 12th stage!


    the leader of the battalion of members of this prison paled when he saw who was not only leading this group, but attacking him. "shit! ysolt!" he said the name of one of the worst enemies to encounter on the battlefield.


    lady ysolt, level 123, seer and head of queen mylecent''s royal guard, only moved when the outcome was in her favor.


    when she was imprisoned in the distant past, during mylecent''s attempt to usurp uzira''s throne, ysolt was only imprisoned because she stood by her leader until the end. otherwise, with her advanced clairvoyant abilities, she would have managed to escape.


    even so, it took three level 124 supremes to apprehend her!


    the moment she reached her target in this wing of the prison, ysolt saw her hammer-shaped weapon destroy her opponent''s body, hitting the enemy''s weak point at the most difficult moment for the man to defend himself.


    the jailer''s body flew away, while the rebels in the surrounding area drove the newly arrived group to despair with their effective attacks.


    minos had almost no work to do to help the group take down their enemies. he had barely used his powers to weaken the newcomers when several of the guards and jailers fell lifeless on the outskirts.


    he advanced alongside abby, ruth and clexvog, not bothering to wait for ysolt. minos made the undead lead the way to gloria, while by this point, the very prisoners he had freed were doing the same on their own. with the fall of several guards, some individuals with special skills were soon freeing other prisoners with the tools of the guards and jailers.


    halfway to the ward where gloria was, they would meet several of their guild mates again, as well as leger and tiolos.


    the two individuals had survived this far, with leger having reached the peak of level 117, while tiolos was at the peak of level 118.


    the two were shocked to feel minos'' current powers, but they still weren''t optimistic. if the situation were different and they were far from this place, they would celebrate being at their leader''s side when he was at his most powerful. but inside cursed rock, anything could happen. uncertain of the future, they maintained their excitement that minos was so strong for themselves, while they joined their more and more numerous companions.


    in the blink of an eye, their group passed 15 people, when ysolt finally overcame the enemies in his path and joined minos'' group in freeing gloria.


    gloria was at the same level as abby, level 115, and as soon as she had put on new robes, after a strong hug from minos, they were off in search of their last remaining companions to be freed.


    ysolt said to minos, "your last allies are on the upper levels. half of them are already free and fighting. the other half you need to free them. but we can do that on the way to our escape. time to go to queen mylecent!"


    "i left mylecent on the base floor." minos said, unable to predict what ysolt''s response would be. a weaker seer couldn''t predict what a stronger one would say or do.


    "she''s already near the passage between the prisoners'' wing and the guards'' wing." ysolt updated minos on what he didn''t know. "don''t underestimate her. the three fools couldn''t stop her. they were here to keep her locked up, but they could only do that if you hadn''t freed her."


    "oh?" minos didn''t doubt, updating what he knew about this powerful native of uzira.


    "by the way, what''s my future with her? she told me to ask you that." minos looked at the orange-haired woman expectantly.


    ysolt laughed. "well, i''d say. lasting. anyway, don''t worry about it for now. a lot of things have to happen before the fate i saw comes to pass. escaping cursed rock is just the beginning, minos."


    he couldn''t disagree with that, but he didn''t like not hearing anything really relevant. judging that mylecent had a strong seer on her side, minos couldn''t even try to guess his future with that woman, even if he invested his time and power in it.


    they moved on, soon managing to save some of their companions who were in bad situations against the guards and jailers.


    with only three more individuals left to have his entire group on his side, minos and his group would continue to advance and leave a trail of deaths through the prison wings they passed.


    ...


    meanwhile, in front of the door between the guards'' and inmates'' wings, mylecent stood with a group of prisoners and undead on her side, facing the exit.


    in front of her, a group of guards lay on the ground in horror, begging for mercy.


    meanwhile, she didn''t bother trying to attack and clear the way ahead. no matter how hard she tried, she wouldn''t be able to leave this place on her own.


    it wasn''t a question of power; it was a problem of affinity and skill types. she simply didn''t have the kind of skills needed to ignore the barriers in her way.


    even so, she had a smile on her beautiful face, waiting for the one who did.


    ysolt had never failed her. even when the two fell to the family, ysolt had foreseen everything that would happen. they only ended up trapped because, in the end, they gave up fighting to the death and took the option of future victory.


    they had had to wait a long time, but the variable that would unbalance their game had finally arrived!


    now it was time for mylecent to return to her quest for what was rightfully hers!


    "welcome back, baby," said the woman waiting for him, as she looked at minos, who was currently in front of her group and ysolt. sear?h the n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 2754 Free from Prison, Surrounded by Enemies

    chapter 2754  free from prison, surrounded by enemies as soon as minos appeared with a group of over 100 prisoners who had accompanied them, mylecent saw the blue-haired girl standing next to him. she couldn''t help but notice the corpses that were also standing among the rebellious inmates gathered in the area.


    "a necromancer?" she looked interestedly at abby, surprised that minos had someone like that by his side.


    ''you didn''t tell me about that,'' mylecent said to ysolt, while the orange-haired woman just smiled in silence.


    ''even i can''t see everything in the future.''


    ''really? you''ve never told me that before.''


    ''it doesn''t mean i''m lying.'' she maintained her firm stance while glancing out of the corner of her eye at minos. ''there are certain things that even i can''t spy on.''


    she saw a distant glow in minos that she didn''t know what it was, where or when. but surely he would achieve magnificent things that even she couldn''t read for sure.


    minos didn''t know about the conversation about him going on at the moment, when he stopped next to mylecent, looking at the enemy men lying on the ground, but also at the thick door in their way.


    minos knew exactly that he was there to lead the escape. as soon as he stopped beside her, he said as he signaled forward, "i''m going to need your help. will you lend me your strength?"


    mylecent knew what that meant. for a long time she had been preparing for this moment and thinking about exactly what the day when ysolt said they would escape from prison and return to their journey to take power from uzira would be like.


    she showed one of her hands to minos, beckoning him to continue. for some reason, she seemed to believe that for his powers to work, she would need to be in physical contact with him.


    minos saw the woman''s signal and thought not to leave her in the lurch. he held her hand briefly before releasing it again, with mylecent''s strength diminished to the beginning of level 123, while his powers rose to the peak of level 122!  sea??h th§× n?vel(f)ire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    minos could improve to that point. but for him to improve his cultivation that much, he would need to steal the strength of someone capable of supplying the demand for energy and laws for him to reach that level.


    only someone at level 124 could do that. but his powers would only work against opponents up to level 121. above that, he could only affect them if his cultivation was already at a higher level or if the opponent was weakened or severely injured.


    mylecent let him borrow her powers for a while and minos reached the maximum energy he had ever controlled in his existence.


    all his senses advanced through various levels of this area of the prison, as he felt his abilities stronger than ever.


    then, with a wave of his hands, a spatial distortion appeared in the grand doorway in front of his group, a mixture of his dragon abilities, his dimensional ability, and the divine seal.


    he spent almost 60% of his current energies to form this dimensional passage, impressing the two powerful women near him, but also the various inmates, the dead and his fellow group members.


    leger and tiolos saw how strong minos had become after the years he had been missing, almost not believing their eyes. minos had simply grown too fast!


    "we have 10 seconds. after crossing this area, we''ll be outside the prison." minos announced to the group as he moved forward, indicating for abby''s corpses to be the first to move forward through the dimensional distortion. "but we''re going to have more trouble out there than we did inside cursed rock!"


    none of those individuals were surprised by his words, as the first escaped inmates followed after abby''s and mylecent''s corpses left.


    minos directed his group in the middle of the inmates'' passage, going along with his staff, mylecent and ysolt, to the outside of cursed rock.


    "i hope their corpses are nearby," minos said in the middle of the journey alongside that white-haired woman.


    "oh, they''re coming," she said as she felt her cultivation gradually return to normal. "but we''ll have to put up with a bit of enemy pressure ourselves. my boys will need about 20 minutes. even after i rushed them, they were still a long way from here."


    minos indicated he understood and looked at his women, recommending caution. "we''ll try to keep the strongest out of the prison as much as possible. take cover with the corpses nearby."


    the three agreed, while the rest of them finished passing through the spatial distortion, arriving at a mountain peak outside cursed rock.


    but even though the place where they arrived was better than the inside of the prison, with no items to limit their powers, those living beings didn''t know if they ended up in a better or worse situation. when the group of fugitives finished passing through the spatial distortion, they found themselves surrounded by an army of 12th stage warriors, among them 2 peak supremes.


    they weren''t the only ones who had good seers on their side!


    "mylecent, ysolt... looks like you two haven''t given up after all these years." said an old man with a long white beard, waiting for this group as he stood alone on one of the nearby peaks.


    meanwhile, on the other side, a woman continued to stare at the two in silence, with a horrified expression on her face.


    instead of speaking, this woman revealed a completely white scythe, raising it in the air before starting the fight by attacking the traitor.


    mylecent recognized the two standing there for her and took a step forward. "be careful in your battles. i''ll entertain these two old guys."


    she moved forward along with her powerful mid and high level 12th stage corpses.


    the rebels in this fugue moved too, raising their weapons as they jumped against the over 200 enemies waiting for them strategically in this place.


    the members of uzira''s sovereign force had their limits as to how far they could act premeditatedly. they wouldn''t be able to stop the escape started by minos, but they would have better results by giving the group a chance to get to where they were.


    in possession of this knowledge, the men there fired their weapons at the rebelling fugitives, putting most of those individuals close to minos and his group in the terrible position of being attacked from all sides!

 Chapter 2755 Battle for the Foul

    chapter 2755  battle for the foul the sound of cannons and other types of artillery covered the outskirts of this area with no vegetation and large mountain ranges.


    the clash of energies raised the rumbling of the area even higher, while it would be impossible to hear the cries of pain from the first wounded in the area.


    the massive attack by the sovereigns of uzira would cause great damage to the fugitives. out of a group of over 130 living beings on the run, half of these individuals would die in the initial firefight. even minos and his group would find it difficult to save themselves, even with the advantages of ysolt''s support and mylecent''s presence.


    minos used his refined spatial abilities and kept his women close to him at the initial moment of battle. he avoided using his temporal ability to go back a few minutes in time, letting the dead stay that way.


    meanwhile, abby worked to raise as many warriors from the dead as she could, while others rose, influenced by mylecent''s abilities.


    mylecent could take control of all the corpses that abby was manipulating, but she focused on using the dead that abby could not.


    minos ignored how mylecent was fighting and also the many rebels. he advanced towards the enemies, crossing the space until he reached an area where a group of level 120, 121 and 122 supremes were attacking with magical weapons.


    before damaging the enemies'' weapons with his dragon claws, minos skillfully manipulated the energies of these beings, using them to raise the powers of his own companions.


    ruth felt her cultivation reach level 118 and immediately connected with all the survivors of her group''s journey from oqia to here.


    gloria reached level 117 and soon a world of mercury appeared on the battlefield, disrupting several of the enemy attacks that could reach not only her group allies, but rebels fighting the enemies in the area.


    abby kept her cultivation at level 117, using the falling allies to replace the rebel group''s losses as best she could.


    by the time minos started helping leger and tiolos, getting one of them to level 120 and the other to level 119, he had transformed into his dragon version, an immense creature with six wings.


    silver flames burned from minos'' wings as they shot out with much more power and heat from his mouth.


    amid his flame attacks, capable of consuming even powerful essences of high-level supremes, blades emerged from the vacuum of space, paralyzing enemies as he advanced against them at terrifying speeds.


    minos killed two dozen opponents in his first moments of combat, attracting the attention of the strongest enemies, supremes of levels 123 and 124.


    fortunately for him, those level 124s were too busy with mylecent and her corpses at the moment!


    the level 123 opponents were what minos had left when his fugitive group only had a little over 40 survivors fighting.


    but just as his forces had lost many rebels, the enemies had lost many of the men they had positioned on the outskirts of cursed rock that day!


    "who''s that?" one of the three level 123 cultivators asked, approaching minos mischievously.


    the enemy seer said, "the one responsible for our bad situation here today. minos stuart!"


    minos heard that, feeling his clairvoyance abilities grow stronger as he was at level 122, almost able to predict the fate of ysolt and the enemy seer. but he was too busy killing what enemies he could and dodging those three.


    minos could kill them. at level 122, only a cultivator at the absolute peak of level 124 could threaten him. but he was interested in taking down as many of the weaker opponents as possible, those who could put his wives in danger.


    he would be able to protect his women well and allow them to fight as fairly as possible in this unfair combat. but this would take away some of his advantages, gradually putting him in a passive situation against the three enemies trying to take him down.


    "brat! you''re strong. but you chose the wrong side in this fight!" said one of them as he attached two of minos'' wings with a very thin golden thread.


    "i''m afraid i had no choice. you put me on the side of the enemy." minos replied as he swung his body around, showing his enemy that holding him back would not be easy.  s§×arch* the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the opponent was almost thrown from one mountain to another by minos'' swinging body, but that one escaped, while his other two allies limited the space for his action.


    but soon afterwards, minos felt his power suddenly diminish, and finally the pressure of the other two opponents acting against him took effect, causing him to feel cuts around his massive body.


    the advantage of his powers in the fight against those enemies lasted just a few minutes until the opponents felt their powers returning to normal and his allies weakened along with himself.


    minos used his defensive characteristics to escape severe damage while moving to reunite with the rest of his group.


    fortunately, at this point, only 30 opponents remained in the surrounding area, while of his group, 44 individuals were fighting in that area.


    the rest had died and abby''s undead could no longer be seen there, having been destroyed by the enemies or remaining blows from the strongest fighting in the area.


    the group gathered in a defensive formation, with minos, clexvog, leger and tiolos taking up more defensive positions, while the weaker ones or those with support powers stayed in the middle of the formation.


    at that moment, ysolt retreated to their side just before mylecent did the same.


    "my boys are coming," she said with a smile on her face as she wiped the blood dripping from her pale lips.


    shortly after her words, the warriors in that area turned their eyes in the direction from which a strange sound, a mixture of footsteps, grunts and shouts, emerged, becoming louder and louder.


    "there''s just one problem," mylecent pointed out with a brisk smile. "they''re not entirely in my control. it''s time to run!"

 Chapter 2756 Drops of Hell

    chapter 2756  drops of hell minos'' group went into formation, with mylecent and ysolt easily joining them.


    as soon as they started fleeing the area, their enemies tried to chase them down and stop them. but the undead were already too close to the area, quickly raising the grade of difficulty of a pursuit.


    the macabre horde didn''t arrive in the area slowly. it advanced at an accelerated pace. when it sensed the living beings in the area, some of the stronger undead swarmed, flying at the walking flesh.


    minos'' group was surrounded by a black aura similar to the one that covered parts of their deformed bodies. the undead would hunt even those similar to them if they showed signs of life. but they definitely preferred those who showed the most signs of life themselves.


    the creatures surrounded the members of the royal forces in that area, prompting them to leave the fleeing group aside and think about fleeing themselves!


    "fall back!" shouted one of the leaders of the repressive force, already breaking out in a cold sweat as he walked away.


    minos watched from afar as each enemy forgot about the existence of his group. some enemies simply flew away, as his team was doing, while others entered the prison as soon as they could.


    but the prison guards themselves didn''t give the individuals acting in the surrounding area much time. soon the prison entrances closed, even as some of their men were fleeing desperately towards them.


    "aaaaaagh!"


    the first of the men to fall to the undead screamed in horror as he was surrounded, in an instant being torn apart by the many dead around him.  sea??h th§× nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    these were not undead cultivators, like abby''s. they had no conscience and used no skill. they simply wreaked havoc with their surreal physical strength, their macabre bodies, wounded in strange ways, with hideous displays.


    a dozen undead destroyed the body of that level 121 cultivator, tearing his flesh apart as they chewed or just swallowed his flesh.


    gloria saw this from afar and felt a chill run down her spine. these were brutal opponents that even necromancers would run away from!


    abby also watched the actions of those members of the macabre horde, feeling more or less the same feeling she had felt with creatures revived with the black liquid.


    "this horde was created, or rather, arose from the black liquid. are they from that place you told me about, minos? the awakening peak?"


    "i believe so," minos said as mylecent and ysolt listened closely to their conversation. "that''s why i''ve already taken some of them for us to work on later."


    minos showed his hand, where a black spatial distortion was wrapped around it like a body ornament. from this spatial distortion, mylecent sensed the fluctuations of a dozen mid-level 12th stage corpses.


    "do you know about the drops of hell?" the white-haired woman asked.


    "drops of hell?" minos asked with a grimace. "is that what you call the black liquid?"


    ysolt nodded positively as she answered in place of her mistress. "yes, it is. drops of hell are what we call this black liquid, because they''re supposed to come from hell."


    "hell?" abby asked. "what''s that?"


    "well, we can''t say for sure. it''s not a place we can confirm exists, but legends say that hell is the opposite of the upper realm. while the upper realm is the target of all living beings seeking immortality, hell is the destination of the dead. in particular, hell is where the dead want to escape from in order to live forever."


    mylecent pointed out. "we don''t have any proof that hell really exists. these are basically the suppositions of old ancestors from our world who supposedly saw the heavens split apart and bringers of death cross through great infernal gates.


    however, legend or not, hell has influenced our reality since ancient times. and various strange phenomena, such as the appearance of the drops of hell on the awakening peak, are related to it."


    ysolt continued, "the drops of hell have existed since the dawn of zocarro. but at some point they stopped being an essence for necromancers to study and became something to keep a distance from. those who try to manipulate it never end well."


    the look on the orange-haired woman''s face was very specific, causing ruth and gloria to look in concern at minos and abby.


    "you''ve experimented with the drops of hell, right?" mylecent asked amid their escape, not that surprised, but apparently just as worried about it as she was about escaping.


    "yes... quite a lot, i''d say." minos laughed bitterly.


    for him and abby, the black liquid was just a resource, something they could use to their advantage to grow faster and stronger with the strength of the undead more resistant to the passage of time.


    mylecent looked at ysolt, but the woman didn''t seem to have changed her mind about minos. "what exactly did you do?" she asked him, wondering if perhaps this alien group had created a safe method of manipulating the drops of hell.


    "nothing much. just creating an order of how we should mix my divine ability with the liquid and corpses of varying grades of power," abby replied briefly.


    "well, i don''t know if you''ve developed a safe method of handling it, but we''ll leave that for the future. for now, you should just know that usually those in your situation don''t last long and great misfortune befalls them. you should prepare for terrible events in the future." mylecent advised as the group gradually stopped seeing the undead ravaging the outskirts of cursed rock.


    now, the group of just over 20 living beings, with only mylecent''s dead accompanying them, was at the decisive moment of their escape.


    ysolt gave the signal for them to let the matter die, and soon afterwards, the strongest of the group focused their powers on distorting space and escaping that area through a wormhole!


    minos and abby were still planning to use the black liquid anyway, already too committed to think that they could get rid of the possible consequences of their actions if they decided to stop now.


    if they were in danger anyway, they would rather enjoy the maximum benefits of the black liquid before facing problems related to such an essence!

 Chapter 2757 Celestial

    chapter 2757  celestial in a place to the center-east of uzira, a large spatial distortion opened up over an extremely lush forest. from it, an impenetrable darkness opened up, revealing a group of over 20 individuals of different races.


    arriving in this strange place for most of them, those least concerned about the drops of hell finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    they had escaped from cursed rock, uzira''s most famous and secure prison!


    apart from the group of armhands there with mylecent and ysolt, only four of the prison''s many escapees had survived and made it this far.


    as soon as they arrived in this area where there were no sovereign forces around, the 4 individuals thanked minos, mylecent and ysolt, before each setting off in a different direction.


    minos and his group didn''t move immediately, all of them keeping an eye on the two native women of uzira and the corpses still standing there.


    "ysolt said that our destiny will be long together, but i believe that doesn''t mean that we''ll always be close to each other, particularly now." minos looked into the clear eyes of the white-haired woman in front of him, who was smiling at him.


    "you''re right, baby." she stood close to minos, almost to the point of feeling his breath. "ysolt and i will follow a different path from you now. your group is still weak and you certainly have your own issues to deal with. we''ll split up and leave our fate to decide itself."


    minos liked how that sounded. "what are you going to do?" he asked, anyway.


    ysolt answered in place of her leader, "to war. we''ve been in seclusion for many years. now is the right time to return to our crusade."


    mylecent nodded as she looked at minos one last time. "good luck on your way. i hope you can contribute to my journey the next time we meet."


    she disappeared with ysolt soon after, leaving only the group of survivors who had left uzira, who had unfortunately lost three more companions in the battle to escape from the cursed rock prison.  sea??h th§× n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    finally, free of those strangers and cultivators stronger than him, minos took a deep breath and sensed the direction they should now take.


    "let''s go. if one of those people falls, our enemies will reach this place. we have to get as far away as possible." he opened a new wormhole, unwilling to play with the fate of his group.


    he had already lost too many companions over the last few years and in the escape battle!


    as they continued their escape, gloria asked him and abby, "by the way, where are the coffins of wenni and walkas? i remember they were with us when we fell to our enemies back then."


    abby remembered and lamented, "i don''t know where they are. when i fell that day, i lost consciousness for hours. when i woke up, i was already in prison under torture, without my storage items.


    all i can estimate is that they either fell to the enemies or their time ran out because they didn''t have their urns."


    "so they''re lost?" minos asked with a grimace.


    walkas and wenni had helped him a lot on the journey to uzira. he wanted to repay them and give them the chance to live a long life.


    "yes. unless they''ve fallen into the hands of another necromancer, they''re dead for good," abby said with complete certainty that they were no longer connected to her.


    "i hope that they have fallen into the hands of their enemies. that might give them a chance to contact us again," minos said in a sighing tone.


    they finished crossing the wormhole and reached another area of uzira, even further east of the continent.


    here, minos relaxed more before changing the subject and leading his team off to find an area for them to go into seclusion.


    they needed time to recover from what they had been through, not only the previous battle but also the years of torture. minos needed to know in detail what had happened to them, and he still had to adjust his group''s current situation with his plans after the second phase of the true celestial inheritance.


    he would soon find something interesting for his people, where after years of challenges, for everyone there, they could come together without something suffocating them!


    ...


    two days after the escape from cursed rock, one of the level 124 warriors who fought against mylecent that day arrived in the major city of uzira.


    landing in a square in the center of the city, the level 124 supreme, dirty from head to toe with blood and dust, ignored the guards greeting him on the outskirts. he made his way to the palace a few hundred meters away, keeping a stern look on his face.


    "i request passage to speak to her holiness," he said as he stopped in front of the entrance to a courtyard on the highest level of the royal palace.


    in that place, guards of the same level as this man were standing, dressed in similar armor and weapons of different types, but all of them of the most advanced categories.


    one of them asked with little interest, "why?"


    "cursed rock was invaded and there was a security breach. the macabre horde got involved and hindered us in our work."


    "you mean you were incompetent and couldn''t do your job," said one of the two guards in this man''s way.


    he clenched his fists, but he knew what shrine guards were like. "this is a serious problem, sir. mylecent escaped alongside ysolt. they won''t simply challenge our king. their goal is much deeper." he pointed toward the inner sanctum.


    "tsk! that brat would dare?" asked the guard on the way, when suddenly a voice sounded from inside that area.


    "come to me, asce." a woman''s voice sounded inside the hearts of those men, immediately making the two guards kneel as they made way for the man.


    "all hail the eternal death!" the two said simultaneously, along with the man who had just arrived in the city.


    he followed soon after, not daring to look too intimately at the area of her holiness, uzira''s strongest creature, a celestial!


    "your holiness, things have developed this way..." he began as he tried to put all the blame for everything on minos and mylecent.

 Chapter 2758 Armhands Outpost

    chapter 2758  armhands outpost a month after the cursed rock prison break...


    minos and his group were moving at this very moment, following in formation through the zocarro night.


    covered in black cloaks, they were passing through an area of dense vegetation where there weren''t many tall trees, but a lot of undergrowth.


    one could see stars in the not-so-bright sky at this local time of day, while the wind blew across the group''s back.


    after a few weeks since the prison break, the group was recovered from the previous battle and ready to move forward with their plans to establish a branch for armhands in uzira. minos was aware of the most important points of what his group had been through in his absence in detail. he now had a plan for how to move forward with the group, with the necessary steps until he sent a team back to oqia.


    at this point they stopped, with minos coming face to face with the area that would be their home from now on. to the east of uzira, in an area of large canyons, he looked down at the freefall in front of him, where the place he had decided he would call home for the time being was.


    "this is the place. it''s perfect." minos said as he felt the dense energy fluctuations of the area, especially the repellent rocks of this grandiose geological structure.


    "we''ll be totally invisible once we manage to build the paths in the hollowest area of this rock." he completed his thought as the rest of his group stopped to watch the free fall of over 2 kilometers to the ground.


    at the lowest point of the canyon, there was a shallow river. meanwhile, there was almost no vegetation there.


    then, while the group was still observing the area of the new armhands'' outpost, minos manipulated the surrounding space.


    a black sphere covered everything there, completely distorting the surrounding space, while minos'' eyes glowed.


    everyone stood still as they saw themselves inside the black hole. they knew minos had perfect control over that power and they shouldn''t worry. but being inside a space where they could see nothing and feel nothing but their bodies was terrible.


    the feeling lasted only a few moments, when each of them felt their surroundings change, finding themselves in a totally different area from where they were a few moments ago.


    gloria saw the inside of the cave where they had arrived and smiled, proud to see how far minos had come.


    ''the skills he has acquired from his techniques are really fantastic. now the black hole is a joint ability and his control of it is much more advanced.


    by uniting the black hole with the spatial distortion ability of that soul fragment, he has brought us into the hollow area of this rocky region.''


    abby and ruth also understood that they had just arrived underground in that area, from where they were to build their secure base on this dangerous continent.


    the winds of war were blowing and rumors of new battles by rebel forces against the sovereign forces of this continent had already reached the group''s ears. but they had no interest in getting involved in the problems of mylecent and the sovereign family!


    as soon as minos confirmed that the place was safe, he retracted the powers of the black hole, fully revealing the hollow space of the large rock they had entered.


    the place had several sparkling crystals here and there, drips at specific points that led to small natural pools of water.


    curiously, the place wasn''t as dark as you might expect. some fluorescent beings illuminated the surroundings, drawing the group''s attention to the plants and beasts present there.


    however, these were 11th stage creatures. none of them dared approach the group of newly arrived supremes. in fact, they fled to areas further away from the point of arrival of minos'' group.


    with a space of over 10,000 square meters to build on and areas ranging from 0.5 to 15 meters high, there was plenty for them to do there.


    minos looked at his people and said, "this is our new home. from now on, you will work to turn this place into an armhands outpost. spare no effort or resources. this place needs to be as good as our headquarters."


    minos wasn''t kidding. this wasn''t just a post where they would stay for a while. this was to be the support base for everyone coming from oqia in the future!


    the members of armhands immediately set off to reconnoiter the area, leaving minos, his wives, tiolos and leger behind.


    minos looked at them both and said, "abby, ruth and i will be in charge of using the bodies from the macabre horde and bringing back individuals who can contribute to the group. you will be under gloria''s command in the meantime."  s~ea??h the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the two nodded in understanding, while gloria stayed by minos'' side for a while longer.


    he hadn''t yet used the corpses that minos had kidnapped from the macabre horde. but today he finally wanted to begin his work alongside abby to master the minds of those corpses or, if necessary, remove the black liquid from those bodies entirely.


    "build something sturdy, gloria. these rocks will hide our presence, but don''t be fooled by their appearances. they are truly weak, structurally speaking. it would only take a low-level supreme to cut them down to reach us."


    "right. by the way, should we build an entrance/exit?" she asked, wondering if he would prefer to do without something like that for the time being.


    "let''s wait until we have a place ready, with formations, traps and defenses. in the meantime, i''ll control entry and exit from here." he said before gloria left with tiolos and leger to work the area with the guild members.


    alone with ruth and abby, minos said to his black-haired wife, "ruth, you''re staying to support us in recovery and healing. you can leave to cultivate when you''re exhausted."


    "okay."


    he looked at abby, getting ready to summon the dead in his alternative dimension. "are you ready?"


    with a nod, abby showed she was ready when minos distorted the surrounding area of his arms, revealing darkness, followed by several rapid movements escaping his control.


    with a smile on his face, he strengthened the pressure of his cultivation and gravity in that area, paralyzing the corpses already moving to escape him and try to reach the living beings there.


    "you guys are really nervous." minos muttered as he subtly raised abby''s cultivation, using his artificial energy reserve to do so.


    abby moved her hands, beginning to manipulate her abilities to control those bodies marked by the darkness of the drops of hell.

 Chapter 2759 First Guild Members in Uzira

    chapter 2759  first guild members in uzira as she connected with the creatures, abby felt their hostile feelings, an experience similar to that of decades ago, when she had done similar experiments for the first time. but the creatures now were much stronger than then.


    abby had to concentrate and absorb both minos'' help and ruth''s support to stand her ground against several of these creatures simultaneously.


    ''luckily minos is putting pressure on them.'' she thought as she acted little by little against parts of them, leaving the rest under the effects of minos'' abilities.


    minos used his different abilities to suppress the creatures. two of them became immobile under the illusion that their existence had been thrown away. even though they had no mental strength in those states, their bodies acted on impulses. and at that moment, their impulses were receiving confusing information from their surroundings, paralyzing them.


    meanwhile, minos sucked the energies out of two other individuals, making them so susceptible to the gravitational pressure in the area that they both fell to their knees on the ground.


    the others were feeling the temporal suppression of minos'' main divine ability.


    ruth felt her energies being rapidly drained by abby and minos and was soon sweating and open-mouthed.


    "i''m going to withdraw," she said when she was close to her limit, when three of the corpses had already undergone critical transformations in their essences. now they no longer looked like deformed monsters who were thirsting for blood. they now looked like ordinary cultivators, each of them proving useful in paralyzing their master''s other targets.


    meanwhile, abby and minos moved to act against the more aggressive and powerful ones, seeing that these would be difficult to hold off. with a meaningful look between the two of them, they moved together to remove all the black liquid from those creatures.


    abby had already removed enough of the three undead to help her keep the rest of their objects of interest in check. she soon began to add more and more of the drops of hell, reaching a volume greater even than the one armhands had when they began their experiments.


    "let''s take a break." minos said as he felt himself nearing his limit, when there were finally only four corpses left for them to act on once they had recovered.


    for that moment, the three undead under abby''s control kept the agitated enemies pinned down by using the advantage of having their cultivations strengthened by minos'' innate ability, while their targets were weakened.


    these were mid-level 12th stage corpses, at the limit of what abby''s powers could currently affect. but they could last for months in the condition they were in now. so neither minos nor abby bothered with them as they walked away to meditate.


    minos immediately felt the energy of the area fueling his body without even having to go through the normal meditation process. as soon as he felt a little better, he used temporal sands first on abby and then on himself to speed up the process.


    by this point, hours had passed since they began their work in this underground area. the men from armhands had already finished analyzing the cave''s surroundings and were beginning their construction, some having already set up a small camp there and others already starting to build essential infrastructure.


    ...


    the next day, minos and abby finished dealing with the remaining bodies and now had 7 new members in their group!


    of these individuals, previously belonging to the macabre horde, 5 of them were natives of uzira, while 2 were aliens who had died on that continent.


    when minos and abby had finished with the seven and had begun to listen to their origins, their group stopped to rest, soon sitting down around the undead sevens. everyone was a little curious to hear the stories of corpses that had been part of the macabre horde.


    "miss, i don''t really remember my time between my death and your call," said one of those beings, a level 119 corpse, the strongest of the group. "all i know is that i moved for a long time, as if i were on an endless walk. apart from that, all there was was a terrible hunger. but that passed the moment i felt its magical fluctuation."


    everyone heard the same thing from the seven and gave up on finding out anything about the time these individuals had been around the awakening peak.


    "and before that? do you remember anything?" abby asked.


    the corpses she had controlled to date had always had their memories intact. but she had never dealt with a being that had been under the effects of the black liquid for so long. and judging by the cultivation of these beings, she wouldn''t be surprised if their situation was very different from those she had dealt with.


    "yes, i remember. i was a member of a sect in uzira. immoral vitality. that was the name of the cult. i died in bronze cypress woods, surrounded by members of a tribe... i... i murdered a beast that tried to vie with me for an important resource. that put them on my tail, and eventually i was surrounded and killed."


    "do you remember anything between your death and the moment you started to move and feel that hunger you described?" minos was the one to ask.


    the undead looked at minos and shook his head. "no. i don''t remember. in fact, even when i was walking non-stop, the feeling was that this time was infinitesimally short compared to the time i was alive and after my miss''s call." he showed abby.


    "so you know nothing about the hell?" gloria sighed in disappointment.


    after finding out about this place, they were all very curious and interested in information about this hell.  sea??h th§× nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    they needed to prepare for the hell!


    "hell? what is that?" not only one of the undead expressed this reaction, but all the others were in the dark about this hell.


    minos and the others looked at each other, realizing that the hell was not something known to everyone, as was the case with the upper realm.


    minos sighed at not getting anything more relevant here, but it wasn''t the end of the world. he didn''t expect to get any answers quickly and as soon as the group had had time to rest, they would get back to work to continue building the guild''s new outpost.

 Chapter 2760 Family Routine (*)

    chapter 2760  family routine (*) over the next few months, the group would concentrate on building the foundations of their secret outpost.


    given the strength and speed of the guild members, they would develop their actions very quickly and would soon have a complete structure for defense, monitoring, cultivation, and recreational areas.


    they built not only something capable of supporting their current group, but of receiving a number of members from oqia up to 10 times greater than their numbers. following minos'' recommendation, they spared no effort and erected a large underground structure, even containing levels to contain abby''s undead and to carry out experiments with the drops of hell.


    in the meantime, minos helped his three wives learn how to turn their techniques into skills. he had already thought a lot about how to do this during the last part of the second phase of the true celestial inheritance. he had only needed the moment when he could have peace and some time to devote to his wives for him to get started.


    he had made good use of the last few months alongside gloria, abby and ruth, getting two of them to turn two of their techniques into skills, while one of them only got one skill from her techniques.


    but minos wasn''t disappointed with abby''s performance. given the fact that her main divine ability was related to two of her techniques, she had fewer techniques to turn into abilities compared to ruth and gloria.


    ruth had the most techniques similar to those of minos, so she had been finding it easier to make progress on her goals.


    it was much easier to progress by having the chance to hear minos'' experience with certain techniques and how they could be developed.


    but apart from minos'' women, the group had grown in power in recent months. because of the good resources that minos had brought from the true celestial inheritance, several of his companions who had the chance to absorb these resources were now stronger.


    some could advance in level, while others improved within the same level.


    meanwhile, the group had the chance to hear plenty of stories from the seven 12th stage undead, who were now their guild mates.


    ...


    another day''s work ended when minos entered his residence at the secret armhands outpost in uzira.


    as commander of this guild post, minos had his quarters on one of the highest levels of the building, below only the area where the residences for the elders who would surely come there in the future were located.


    the guild post on this continent currently had 300 residences, more than half of them small, comprising just a cultivation area, bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen. but it had a few large residences, similar to those in the headquarters.


    the group was living underground, but they needed activities, daily work, goals, and moments of rest. as such, the place was functioning just as the guild''s branches in oqia would.


    today minos had finished his duties when he joined gloria in the large bathtub of their residence, where this beautiful red-haired woman was sipping a hot drink and relaxing.


    watching her man undress, gloria bit her lips, thinking of the things they could do later. but before that, she let him sit next to her and talk about his day.


    after talking for a while, she asked him after hearing him talk about the level 124 soul fragment, "when are we going to go after this odibrand redwound business?"


    the level 124 soul fragment had given minos a mission to hunt down information about this person and then eliminate everything related to them. but to do so, he would need to get close to the sovereign family of the continent.


    "after you''ve finished turning all your techniques into skills. by then, the group should be stronger enough to approach dangerous people," he said as he wrapped his arms around her waist.


    gloria knew they would become much stronger just by fulfilling this mission. even if they didn''t increase their cultivation, they would make great progress in their combat proficiency.


    "you''ll also have time to advance your cultivation in the meantime. so i''m not in a hurry. we''ll settle little by little while we find aliens in uzira."


    another of their objectives there was to establish a guild post, which would naturally require increasing their numbers. there was no way they could go far with a group of around 20 warriors.


    they needed to recruit urgently!


    "that''s going to be problematic. the alien parties around the region are traumatized by the enemies on this continent. accepting us won''t be natural."


    "they won''t have to accept us." minos smiled as he thought of the method they themselves had entered the guild. "once they''re here, they won''t leave until they become inner members."


    he intended to give the same conditions that the armhands members had in oqia to the members of this post, including, of course, opportunities for growth.


    unfortunately, they didn''t have the flashdrain parasites, but minos would use his special seals to keep newcomers to the guild under surveillance.


    "you''re bold." she smiled as she stood up and then sat down on him, face to face with her husband.


    "now, enough of this talk," she said as she rested her cheek against the left side of his neck, speaking into his ear.


    at the feel of her gripping his rod, minos smiled.  s§×arch* the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    many things had changed for him and his family over the years. but one thing that had never changed was his commitment to satisfying his women.


    apart from the times when they had been prevented from being together, by cultivation, challenges or problems, they had always taken care of each other as they had since the beginning of their relationship.


    minos felt his rod grow harder as one of his hands slid down to gloria''s flower. as he ran his index finger along his red-haired wife''s ''crack'', he felt how lubricated she was; something different from the water in the bath, something more viscous and hot.


    gloria squeezed minos'' rod halfway up its length, feeling a burning heat in the center of her being.


    minos used his unoccupied hand and brought one of his wife''s full breasts to his mouth. then, playing with his tongue around gloria''s nipple, he began, invoking sweet, subtle moans from his lover''s mouth.


    gloria couldn''t stand it and kissed her man''s lips, feeling eager to satisfy an inner itch.


    with her free hand, she guided minos'' throbbing muscle into her body.


    "ahhh~"


    she loved this feeling.


    even more, she loved being able to make children with minos. unfortunately, their journey had always been too chaotic and during the years of peace, she hadn''t had the gift of getting pregnant again.


    as she rode minos with the desire to get pregnant, gloria heard footsteps, before spotting abby smiling as she approached, slowly taking off her clothes.


    naturally, abby would join them at the end of the day, something that was quite common in her family!

 Chapter 2761 Plans Begin

    chapter 2761  plans begin in the blink of an eye, five years have passed!


    this period was not at all eventful for the group of armhands in uzira. minos and his people stayed the whole time inside their base.


    but the group had grown a lot. not only had minos brought many resources from the true celestial''s inheritance, but he had also collected space storage items from enemies in the battles of years ago.


    many of the corpses of the macabre horde carried with them the items they had before their deaths. a few dozen of these items fell into minos'' hands, which supplied the group of supremes living in seclusion at that secret outpost.


    tiolos advanced from level 118 to level 119 because of it, surpassing minos'' cultivation. meanwhile, abby and gloria had reached level 116, with ruth reaching level 117.


    cultivating at the 12th stage was only difficult if you didn''t have the resources. but for individuals willing to risk a little of their foundations and enjoy the benefits of more power, it could be well worth doing.


    minos had done nothing like this in years because his cultivation base was far superior to that of his companions. he would have needed double or triple the resources to make the same progress as his companions. and this, unlike what happened with his wives, would destabilize his current cultivation base.


    but even at level 118, minos has improved his powers a little more, having improved the equivalent of almost 70 years of meditation in those years.


    having his breath working for him and having made use of temporal sands had helped him a lot!


    meanwhile, abby had finally turned the last of her techniques into a skill, finalizing the requirement that minos had raised for his group to set off in search of new advances in their missions!


    ...


    on the morning of a new day, half the group was facing the area closest to the outside world in this underground area where their outpost was located.


    minos and those who would go with him to seek allies, resources, and information, were facing those who would stay behind to cultivate and look after the guild outpost.


    "tiolos, you''re in charge of the group in my absence," minos said to the man, whom he had turned into a guild member after they arrived at this place. "take care of the group and avoid trouble. we''ll be gone for a while, but we''ll be back as soon as possible. the next time we leave, you''ll come with me."


    tiolos readily agreed, while looking at minos, leger, abby, gloria and ruth, and four armhands generals who would travel now.


    "rest assured. the base will be up and running when you return."


    minos nodded and turned around, activating the device that was switched off, but which, when turned on, would allow instant transportation between this location and the canyon.


    his group disappeared, instantly reaching the deep area of the canyon where a small river ran through.


    there was no sign of life nearby when the tool that had brought them there deactivated, disappearing completely after a few seconds.


    minos and his companions looked from one side of the area to the other, confirming that there was nothing that could have witnessed their movement.


    certain that they were alone and would not compromise the security of their base, they moved with abby in the lead.


    abby had inherited the memories of the level 124 soul fragment regarding the travel experiences of that existence.


    the beautiful blue-haired woman knew exactly where to go for the group to begin their search for information from odibrand redwound, but also to look for recruits for the guild.


    because they didn''t want to risk too much at the start of this journey, abby was guiding the group towards one area with the least control by the royal forces. the free cities of eastern mountain range.


    they were currently in the east of the continent, in the area where newcomers from oqia arrived and had to overcome to get into the wealthier parts of uzira. but the group''s base was better located, being only 12 days'' travel for a group like theirs away from the eastern mountain range.


    the eastern mountain range divided the part of uzira that was free of royal forces, where many of the tribes that supported the royal family to make life difficult for newcomers to the continent were located. on one side of the mountain range was the ''poor'' side of uzira with no advanced cities, and on the other was the rich side, where the sovereign family maintained greater control over almost everything.


    precisely in the eastern mountain range was a group of free cities that were difficult to access, where the alien groups and individuals native to oqia supposedly lived.


    this area had natives of uzira, individuals who had had problems with the royal family and their vassals, or even who didn''t fit in with the rest of the continent.


    according to what abby had discussed with the group, this area had enough people for them to examine, and their chances of getting into trouble because they were aliens were practically zero.


    this didn''t mean that they wouldn''t have problems traveling to this area. there were official and unofficial bounty hunters looking for foreigners on the outskirts of the free cities of the eastern mountain range.


    the head of any non-native of uzira was worth good money, even to the supremes.


    there was a price list for foreigners. the higher the cultivation, the higher the price. aliens were worth more, but even natives of oqia had good prices on their heads.


    one didn''t even have to hunt to win prizes. information that led to the destruction of invaders was also worth enough for sovereigns to make a living out of snitching on invaders on the continent.


    in short, the cities of the eastern mountain range weren''t that dangerous to be in, but until one got there, anything could happen. this was particularly true considering the region''s relief configuration, which favored ambushes and points where one could observe tens and tens of thousands of square kilometers.  s§×ar?h the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    fortunately, abby knew exactly what kind of danger the area she was taking her group into was in and everyone was already prepared for a fight!

 Chapter 2762 Ambushes and Bounty Hunters

    chapter 2762  ambushes and bounty hunters from the middle to the end of the journey to the eastern mountain range, the group had traveled smoothly under abby''s leadership and minos'' occasional advice. now they were gradually approaching the area where they could already see mountains getting higher and higher, as was the terrain in this region of uzira.


    given the conditions in the area, traveling by air was too dangerous, because of ambush points. consequently, the group was traveling by land at the moment, traveling at a moderate speed, attentive to their surroundings.


    "we have enemies ahead of us," minos alerted the group when he sensed an ambush about a kilometer from where they were now.  s§×ar?h the n?vel(f)ire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    everyone stopped at their leader''s warning before he instructed them on how to proceed. "leger, you''ll be in charge of dealing with the two coming from the north. you''ll be able to deal with them. abby, gloria, and ruth should attack the two coming from the south. the rest of you will deal with the rear and i''ll deal with the front."


    minos took the lead, already knowing which way they should go.


    the group moved, following his formation, and soon they crossed the space he had sensed enemies ahead.


    when they saw minos'' signal for the imminent movement of enemies, each of them prepared themselves when the first to attack, two men of level 116, attacked from the north.


    leger immediately moved, while the other opponents there to surround them missed the best moment to attack, being attacked instead of surprising their targets.


    minos paid no attention to his companions'' struggles, confident that they could deal with adversity. the most important thing for him was to deal with the enemy leader, who was out to get the heads of aliens like them.


    the uzira native with level 120 cultivation attacked toward the strongest of his target group that afternoon, that guy over 2 meters tall with six wings on his back.


    but minos surprised the enemy by attacking him, moving so fast that even this mid-level supreme couldn''t keep up with his movements.


    "what?" the man shouted in surprise as he appeared from past the last tree in his path.


    after overcoming that tree, he saw the scene he hadn''t expected to witness that afternoon. his companions had all been put in check by having their attacks decisively countered by their targets.


    but this man had no chance to grieve for his companions. minos appeared in front of him and, with seraphim wings, cut him down, even though the man raised his defenses a moment before he was reached.


    something strange consumed the shield over his skin, weakening him against the terrible golden-eyed man staring at him with a smile.


    "shit..." this man realized he had chosen his opponents badly today.


    he had always boasted of his ability to choose the right enemies on his journey. but today he found something beyond his reach.


    minos moved one of his hands and slashed at the man''s neck, cutting him so quickly that the shock of the enemy was still drawn on the man''s face as he slumped to the ground.


    by then, minos'' women had finished murdering the enemies they had been responsible for dealing with, while leger had already finished his work. the armhands generals only had to deal with one opponent and won their fight even before leger.


    by then, minos'' women had finished murdering the enemies they had been responsible for dealing with, while leger had already finished his work. the armhands generals only had to deal with one opponent and won their fight even before leger.


    "collect their belongings and let''s move on." minos said as he did the same as his companions would do in the next few seconds.


    they moved on without hesitation after this slaughter, something that could happen again at any time.


    ...


    later, the group would stop to rest for a few minutes and eat amid the daily conversation they had been having during these days of travel.


    but as they talked about the belongings of the enemies from earlier, exchanging resources and items with information from that group, minos'' eyes lit up with a certain foreboding.


    "our first recruits in uzira are just ahead." he pointed to the west with a stick, drawing the gazes of his companions in that direction.


    "ruth and gloria, you two are going to rescue this trio for us. we''ll assist you from the shadows." he stood up before setting off with the group, with only the two women visible to potential adversaries in the vicinity.


    the two women dressed in high-ranking female armor moved in the direction minos had indicated, soon hearing sounds of nearby combat. this time they hadn''t been ambushed, but a group of three alien men just outside the area.


    at the sight of the three level 113 sovereigns, now under attack from a group led by a level 117 supreme, the two women quickly looked at each other and decided what to do.


    both were born warriors. ruth had become an important support cultivator because of her regeneration abilities, but she had grown up a fighter. as for gloria, she had showed just how strong she was during the tournament against the stuarts siblings for the hydra amulet.


    the two advanced as if they wanted nothing, not hiding their cultivations as they made their way through the vegetation and rocks in their path, arriving at a sloping area where the three aliens were in the last moments that their defenses would keep them safe.


    the group of five sovereigns and two supremes, who were acting against those invaders from uzira, sensed the two women from minos.


    the strongest of those men, level 116, looked at ruth, the stronger of the two women, and his eyes grew larger. his interest shifted from the three sovereigns to these women, who could yield him 30 times more resources than those three combined.


    "well, well, well, i didn''t expect that two beautiful ladies from outside the area would pass us by today..." this man said as he walked through the area as if he had no negative pretensions. "these ladies, are you lost? i can help you get to your destinations." he smiled as he prepared something.


    as soon as the man stopped talking, silver arrows of mercury formed from gloria''s back, while ruth disappeared, quickly appearing at the man''s left side, attacking him with a kick aimed at one of his flanks.


    when the man tried to surprise ruth with a well-prepared counter-attack, he was the one who was surprised.


    he felt and saw his attack pass through ruth''s body without reaching her!


    through the use of her ability capable of temporarily rendering her immaterial, ruth passed through the man, appearing on his back.


    at that moment, she solidified her body again and made her actual attack!

 Chapter 2763 The Hilltop City

    chapter 2763  the hilltop city ruth''s body solidified, and she attacked against her totally defenseless opponent''s back. by molding her energy into one of her hands as if it were a sword, ruth cut into her opponent''s body in search of a vital point.


    simultaneously with the black-haired human woman''s blow, a world of mercury appeared in that area, covering the spot where the three attacked sovereigns stood, while several arrows flew at the sovereigns and the other supreme there.


    the sovereigns had no chance against gloria. in less than 3 seconds, they all fell with arrow holes in their heads, dead with surprised expressions on their faces.


    the remaining supreme in the area narrowly defended himself from a deadly attack, having had part of one of his arms cut off by an arrow.


    he looked at his red wound, but didn''t even have time to scream when mercury''s hands emerged from the ground trying to grab his ankles.


    "fuck!" he jumped back, but as he did so, he felt a shiver run down his spine.


    at that moment, his level 117 companion, now with more than one wound around his body, dodged an attack from ruth. but the blue chains of spiritual energy continued on their way, reaching the level 116 individual a moment later.


    he coughed up blood as he felt his body being enveloped by ruth''s chains when an arrow pierced his chest, causing him to bleed internally and externally.


    gloria acted against the weakest supreme in this fight, simultaneously focusing most of her mastery on pressuring the level 117 enemy.


    "shit! do you know who i am? why are you doing this? why move against me like this?! don''t you recognize the danger?!" he asked furiously, almost losing control of his words as he felt cuts all over his legs and arms, but also unable to counterattack.


    "my group will follow..." he was about to make the threat that any powerful cultivator would hear at least 100 times on their journey, when abby moved, appearing inside his body.


    solidifying part of her body as she did so, using the support of her harem sister, ruth blasted the lower half of the enemy''s body.


    "aaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!"


    the upper half was left intact as the man screamed in horror, feeling the sensation of having his spiritual nerves severed and his body bruised to a level he had never thought he would suffer.


    he looked down and saw how over 55% of his existence was no longer there, now scattered around the surroundings.


    "that was disgusting." gloria looked at ruth with an annoyed look. "you''ve soiled my dress."


    "did i?" the black-haired beauty apologized with her gaze at gloria. "i''m sorry about that. i thought you were out of his reach... anyway..." ruth stepped forward and ended the pathetic existence of that level 117 supreme.


    the three level 113 sovereigns watched all this with their mouths open, not knowing what was going on, nor whether it would all end well for them.


    the three of them watched as the rest of ruth and gloria''s group left the surrounding shadows, realizing that their situation was now more complicated than they had thought a moment ago.


    the two women who had destroyed their enemy group simply ignored them as they cleaned their clothes of the remains of their enemies. meanwhile, a man with long white hair and golden eyes stood next to them.


    he destroyed the last barrier of their defenses with the touch of his little finger!


    the three understood that this winged existence was even more dangerous than the two women and forgot about the others in the surroundings to focus on him.


    gulp!


    minos held up one of his hands and said, "my name is minos stuart. my wives have just saved your lives, so i believe i have a claim on your existence, right?" he asked in an apparently sympathetic manner, but the content of his speech was rather disturbing.


    how could this group go against his words? the three nodded in unison.


    but of course he had a right over their lives!


    "good." minos smiled with satisfaction and continued, "but i won''t sell you to the rulers of uzira, nor will i enslave you. you have the chance now to accept my seals and serve as members of the armhands, or refuse and well..." he stopped at this part, letting these three individuals conclude what he had in mind for themselves.


    "what will it be?" he asked a moment later.


    the three kneeled in front of him, not hesitating to accept minos'' seal.  sea??h th§× novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    they were aliens who had come to this world in search of opportunities and eventually came to uzira after centuries in oqia. they knew what armhands was and part of the guild''s fame.


    their priority was not to maintain their autonomy, but to maintain their lives!


    today they had almost lost that, so it wouldn''t be now with the chance to join a strong group that they would try something foolish!


    "we pledge our lives to armhands!" the three of them said as they received the soul seals that minos had designed.


    "very well. you are now armhands recruits, under my command at uzira''s post." minos announced as he handed them temporary ids. "you will finish your guild registrations when we finish our current mission and return to the secret guild post. for now, you will accompany us to hilltop city."


    the three of them wanted to reach this very place, famous in the region and among invaders from uzira. but getting to the home of the invaders and rebels was not easy.


    "chief..."


    "commander minos." corrected one of the armhands generals.


    "commander minos, we''re only two days away from hilltop city, but that distance is deceiving. getting there will be difficult, even with the formidable power of you¡ªour group," said the leader of the three.


    "don''t think about it too much. just worry about telling your stories and explaining what you know and what kind of trouble you can bring us into. i''ll deal with everything else," minos said as he gestured for the group to move forward under his leadership. "do this during the journey. we have no time to lose!"


    with the belongings of the dead collected, they moved on towards hilltop city!

 Chapter 2764 Getting a Seat at the Table

    chapter 2764  getting a seat at the table the three new armhands recruits told their stories to the group. they talked from their homeworlds to what they had experienced in oqia. they''ve had plenty of time to talk about their pasts in the two days since they joined the guild, so that minos'' group can understand the problems they might have with them.


    even small sovereigns had the potential to cause enormous problems!


    but none of them were in problematic situations. they had arrived on the continent five years ago and had traveled almost imperceptibly. they were going to hilltop city to protect themselves on this dangerous continent.


    there were rebel forces in the area who accepted new recruits. but one would have to go to one town in the area of hilltop city to get a ''safe'' place with possibilities for growth. the only other option for an invader was to hide and live in the gutter.


    as the two were mere sovereigns, they were willing to take risks to achieve something that leger had failed to do in his first passage through uzira. but none of this came as a surprise to minos'' group. even though they didn''t know uzira that well, they were already well used to the continent and how things worked there.


    but they were pleased that the first members of the group were unlikely to bring trouble to the guild.


    meanwhile, the three watched in shock as their group progressed along the road to hilltop city, spending the two most strenuous days of the journey as if it were easy going uphill.


    minos and his companions dealt with all the ambushes in their path. those they could handle, they fought off and collected more storage items from hunters. those they couldn''t challenge, they avoided, following alternative routes devised by minos.


    now they were reaching the ''safe'' area, where hunters didn''t dare go far, given the large number of rebels and invaders there.


    minos looked ahead and saw cultivators like them walking or even standing at points on the climb to the top of the hill, clearly a more peaceful formation than the journey there.


    some were standing next to huts, others in front of small stalls with products for sale, as if it were a free market.


    guards in similar outfits stood at specific points on the climb, observing the backgrounds with stern gazes.


    minos and his group spotted the large city built on top of the hill from this point when they realized they were in a place similar to the suburbs of a city.


    there were even children wandering around, none of them accompanied by adults, something strange for people like minos and his wives.


    they narrowed their eyes and looked at minos as he realized what this meant.


    either this was such a poor place that many orphans and children of busy parents were free to come and go, or this city was so safe that young people of low levels could come and go freely.


    minos imagined that the first possibility was the most likely, given how ill-dressed and malnourished many of those children looked.  s~ea??h the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "looks like hilltop city isn''t as amazing a place as we thought," abby said as she saw several ugly looks in her direction.


    "that''s not strange," said one of the sovereigns of the group. "madam, these people from this town are pressured from all sides. the fact that this place exists on a continent like uzira is impressive in itself. we can''t demand too much."


    23:18


    "that''s not strange," said one of the sovereigns of the group. "madam, these people from this town are pressured from all sides. the fact that this place exists on a continent like uzira is impressive in itself. we can''t demand too much."


    minos didn''t disagree with that recruit''s opinion, but he didn''t feel that things were that simple.


    they continued onwards, talking about how hilltop city looked and various interesting things that caught their attention. the city was clearly built on levels. the higher up the hill you went, the higher the average level of the cultivators coming and going through the streets and buildings along the way.


    some places had specific points of distortion, but the citizens coming and going followed the pattern the group witnessed.


    just as the group was about to enter the area where supremes held sway, the guards stationed on one of the paths took a different look in abby''s direction before closing the way for them.


    "necromancers can''t enter this part of the city without prior authorization," said one guard as he looked at minos and the blue-haired woman next to him.


    necromancers were welcome in the city. but a necromancer in uzira was a member of the royal family or a mortal enemy of the family. such a cultivator would be too dangerous to accept easily in their city.


    hilltop city required certain types of people to go through an exceptional security protocol if they wanted to access the most powerful and prosperous side of the city.


    "how do we do that?" minos asked, not wanting confusion in the place where he intended to gather information.


    "you can go to the identification post just over there." the guard pointed toward a sphere-shaped building, about 3 kilometers from where they were standing.


    seeing the place in question, minos thanked him for the information and asked the man at level 118, "by the way, can you tell me where i can find recruiting sites around here?"


    "are you interested in looking for a force to join?" the guard wasn''t surprised by minos'' question. it was common for people, even at their level, to look for organizations to join.


    minos smiled mysteriously. "yes, we''re looking for that." he lied knowingly.


    "then you''re in luck. ravenroses and fireflayers are two big local forces that are recruiting this week." advised the guard. "you can find the selection registration point for the two forces in the main square." he again showed another place for the group to go, now pointing to an area further away, about 11 kilometers.


    fortunately, the city''s geography made it easy to see distant places like that.


    minos thanked the guards by giving them some common coins from the area.


    the special rings they had collected during their escape from cursed rock and the path to this city had been very useful for this moment in minos'' plans!


    "boss, why did you ask about that?" one sovereign in the group asked.


    minos laughed as he led the group. "there''s nowhere better than there to recruit our own guild members!"


    the three newcomers in the group understood minos'' aim, but they were also worried.


    "that''ll put us up against those two local forces, boss!"


    "armhands is also a major zocarro force. perhaps we need to create our place at the table of these local leaders." minos'' eyes lit up as he first led his group to the local guard''s identification post.

 Chapter 2765 Unexpected Encounter

    chapter 2765  unexpected encounter the group arrived at the identification post a few minutes later when they came across a place similar to a border post, where new arrivals had to go through a search and justify themselves.


    minos stopped next to a counter ahead of his group and got straight to the point with one guard there. "i''m looking for permission for necromancers to go deep into the city."


    the moment minos said necromancers, several of the guards, and individuals there to pick up permits or settle other matters, turned their gazes in his direction.


    necromancers, even those who were enemies of the royal family, were frowned upon in rebel or invader forces across the continent.


    those oppressed by the sovereign forces had such strong resentments that it was difficult to ignore the origin of a necromancer.


    "necromancers? tsk! more of them?" wondered one man in the area, seeing yet another group with a necromancer arriving in hilltop city.


    "necromancers could stay in their caves and never come out into the daylight. the world would be a better place that way!"


    negative comments reached abby''s ears, making her look toward these people. but most of them didn''t look directly at her, pretending they had said nothing.


    the guard in front of minos made an unflattering expression, but he carried on with the process of accepting abby into the city.


    "you need to fill in this form and leave your oath," said the man, handing over a special contract that would force abby to follow what was written there.


    minos saw through the rules of this place and couldn''t help but be impressed by the powerful model of restraint adopted by this place.


    abby read the document and mark as read the parts she concluded, while minos looked around, seeing several other individuals, non-necromancers, signing similar agreements.


    the agreements there basically said that necromancers and other special types of cultivators would not use their abilities within hilltop city unless their lives were at risk. and even if they had to protect themselves, they couldn''t use lethal force and could only protect themselves. undead were summarily forbidden, along with negative resources and those capable of causing death.


    negative items, corpses and more could be transported inside space storage items, but under no circumstances could they be summoned.


    in addition, one had to accept the local rules and punishments for offenses by following these rules, which, by the way, were far from simple.


    among them, necromancers would have to pay for public damage caused by even people who attacked them!


    "those are pretty strict rules, aren''t they?" minos asked the guard as abby finished signing the document and taking her oath.


    "yes, of course. the city is ours, not the necromancers''. if any of them want to come here, they have to be prepared for our methods. otherwise, it''s best not to come at all," the guard said in a stern tone, inviting minos and this group to leave.


    minos smiled at this low-level supreme, making the guard lower his head afterwards and rethink the words he had just said.  s§×arch* the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "i''m sorry about that..." the guard broke out in a cold sweat as he felt something strange.


    gulp!


    "you can''t be too careful." he justified himself. "what guarantee would we have that necromancers in the area aren''t infiltrators sent by the royal family if they didn''t sign such agreements?"


    "that makes sense." minos stopped pressing the man before asking, "but what''s the point of limiting only certain special types of cultivators? i could be an envoy from the royal family and you''re not trying to limit me."


    "the senior shouldn''t joke about that." advised the guard, before replying to minos, "in any case, the city has its own methods of dealing with ''normal'' cultivators. our concern is those capable of creating armies of their own."


    "that makes sense." minos looked at abby and saw that she had finished. ''someone like abby, and of a high level, could probably appear alone in the area and make even high-level supremes emerge from their graves. a single one of them would be enough to cause chaos.''


    soon after, abby received her id, and they could move on. but that wasn''t before the guard, frightened by minos, gave the group some more advice.


    "... if i were you, i wouldn''t go straight to the city center right now. another group with a powerful necromancer went there earlier. it''s possible that you''ll be mistaken for their group if you go now. that could get you into trouble."


    "powerful necromancer? what level?" abby asked.


    "that i can''t say. all 12th stage necromancers are powerful."


    the fact that this city''s guards knew what abby could do didn''t mean that they knew her actual cultivation or that of others with powers of the same nature as hers. these guards had items with them that could identify necromancers.


    minos and the others thanked the guard for the tip, but headed towards the city center. they had to recruit guild members, but that could be done later. now they wanted to go to the most important place in the city to see if they could get the information minos wanted to find there.


    as for the guard''s warning, they were grateful, but minos realized it was worth going against the guard''s recommendation and moving towards the central ward of hilltop city immediately. something in the center of that city seemed like it would pay off for him, given what the nautilus'' compass was showing him right now.


    they headed back the way they had come earlier, soon arriving at the point on the path where the guards from earlier were. this time they weren''t stopped, since the agreement abby had signed had changed the way those men saw her.


    they went deeper into the city, soon coming to an area where even mid-level supremes walked the streets and the most common type of cultivator there were newly promoted supremes.


    minos and his group still had to get used to how common early 12th stage cultivators were in uzira. but hilltop city was a little out of the ordinary, as it was one of the few places where rebels and invaders could live with a certain peace of mind.


    but when they entered a street with several business options, stores and apparently famous restaurants, given the luxury of the area, minos stopped when he smelled something. looking back, he spotted a person who had spotted him and his group, too.


    "minos," said a voice that almost everyone in his group recognized.

 Chapter 2766 Informal Alliance

    chapter 2766  informal alliance looking to see who had called his name, minos saw none other than ysolt.


    right behind the beautiful orange-haired woman was mylecent, who looked at him with a totally different surprise from that of his seer.


    "oh, i didn''t expect to meet you again so soon." mylecent looked closely at minos'' group, instantly realizing that they were stronger on average.


    even those, like minos, who hadn''t evolved in level, were now stronger than years ago. even ysolt, who already had a certain feeling about minos, couldn''t help but watch in silence after calling him.


    "it seems that our fates really are connected." minos murmured as he greeted them, not bothering to introduce his three new companions to the two women who were alone at the moment.


    but mylecent noticed that there were different faces in this group, as well as many of the companions minos had rescued on that day of escape.


    "where are your friends?" she asked as she approached minos and kissed him on one cheek, not bothering to greet his wives.


    abby, gloria, and ruth watched her closely, secretly annoyed. but they didn''t care about mylecent''s friendship and just stood quietly beside minos.


    "they''re at our headquarters. we''ve spent most of these years in seclusion in an area we''ve chosen as our home." minos didn''t hide the truth. "what are you doing here?"


    "probably the same as you." it was ysolt who answered. "in search of allies."


    "i thought you had your forces around the continent."


    "we certainly had and have supporters around uzira. but most of those we left behind when we were arrested are already dead. being imprisoned for so many years didn''t help us much, i''d say." mylecent joked about her bad situation. "unfortunately, you haven''t developed enough yet, otherwise i would have made you my ally."


    minos smiled bitterly and asked. "what am i to you now?"


    "a friend. perhaps an external supporter, but not an ally. making you my ally would make you a target, so we''d better not think about that just yet."


    he looked at this white-haired beauty with a peculiar look. "either you take very good care of your partners, or you''re very clever indeed."


    "i''m both." she laughed.


    "do you want to accompany us somewhere more private? we can help each other in ways other than a formal alliance." ysolt suggested, immediately gaining minos'' agreement.


    the group made their way to a large building on the third highest street in hilltop city, where the area''s most famous auction house was located. this place had special rooms useful for negotiations during the day and they soon secured one of these spaces.


    "we will not form a more formal alliance right now to protect you from our enemies. but we can take advantage of each other''s existence here."


    "what do you have in mind?" minos asked as he sat down opposite the two women, with much of his group standing around in this beautiful vintage-style negotiating room, with various snacks and drinks available.


    "we can help you get what you want by using our influence, and you''ll help us get what we want by working with some contacts we''ll be seeing over the next few days." ysolt explained superficially.


    mylecent asked them, "what do you want?"


    abby said, "information about a person and recruits. but we can get the recruits ourselves."


    "i''m not sure about that, dear." mylecent smiled at the young necromancer in front of her. "the local forces are very restricted and close together. they have to be, given how difficult it is to keep this place running."


    "yes, that''s the case. you probably think you''ll be able to attract a few names to your side without attracting local attention, but even those that the local forces don''t want on their side, they won''t allow you to take them just like that, without an agreement with such forces first." ysolt looked at minos seriously.


    "maybe we need a seat at the table with the leaders of this place." minos suggested.


    "we can help you with that." ysolt understood what he had in mind. "in fact, that was already our plan. we can turn your armhands group into a smaller hilltop city faction. from then on, you won''t have any problems recruiting cultivators and you''ll be able to help us with our plans."  sear?h the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    mylecent looked at minos and asked, "who do you need this information from?"


    "someone called odibrand redwound." minos replied.


    ysolt and mylecent immediately froze when they heard this name, not expecting that minos was looking for just such a person.


    "may i ask why you''re looking for information about him?" ysolt asked.


    "it''s related to an inheritance we took part in and i completed it. the soul fragment from that inheritance gave me a mission related to him." minos said just that, not knowing if it was worth mentioning that this mission involved the extermination of anything related to such a cultivator.


    "is this a complicated person?" gloria asked the seer.


    the orange-haired woman sighed as she relaxed against the back of her chair. "of course. he''s no longer alive, if you must know. but he was pretty impressive when he was alive and left quite a legacy behind."


    mylecent said sincerely. "i recommend you give up this mission if there are no drastic consequences for you. i''ll be honest, i wouldn''t get involved in anything to do with him myself."


    this surprised everyone who knew mylecent''s real identity.


    how could a woman capable of rebelling against a family that supposedly had celestials on its side speak with such gravity about such a cultivator?


    "can you be more precise? that soul fragment didn''t talk about punishments on that mission, but i got a lot out of it. i don''t want to risk it unless it''s something really terrible."


    mylecent looked at ysolt and saw how this woman nodded affirmatively at her. she took a breath and said, "they say that odibrand redwound has entered the upper realm."


    the eyes of every one of those people in that negotiating room went wide, while minos couldn''t help but reconsider everything he knew about the level 124 soul fragment and the level of danger of such a mission.

 Chapter 2767 A Man Who Was in the Upper Realm

    chapter 2767  a man who was in the upper realm  "what do you mean?" minos asked after almost 30 seconds of silence, thinking through what he had heard from mylecent after the initial shock. "how could he have died if he entered the upper realm? and how do you know that?"


    the questions raised by minos were fair. indeed, it made little sense to say that someone who had died had entered the upper realm, and also, for someone to know about something that should be extremely secretive and known only to that person.


    but minos and everyone around mylecent and ysolt were just ordinary people who had never had contact with celestials.


    minos was the least ignorant of all, but the individual he had already come into contact with and talked to was a true celestial and not just a celestial. he didn''t know many things that these two super-experienced women knew.


    mylecent tried to explain, speaking in a serious tone that she rarely had even when fighting deadly, powerful opponents, "well, it must sound absurd, but that''s what the stories say. and as much as i have no proof that he actually did it, the sources we have are very reliable.


    forget the notion of the upper realm that you have. this place really is incredible and special. the mere passage of time can''t beat those capable of entering it. it''s possible to kill them in a fight, but it''s not possible for one of them to die of old age."


    that much minos and some of his companions already knew.


    mylecent continued, "but it is possible to enter the upper realm without having achieved the status to enter it."


    the people in minos'' group frowned in incomprehension.


    ysolt intervened to facilitate the group''s understanding. "legends say that he entered the upper realm, mortally wounded by following someone who opened the gate of dawn, and enter the upper realm according to the rules. that technically couldn''t have happened, but he supposedly succeeded and spent a few seconds there, until he was rejected and sent back.


    that, however, was enough for him to have all his previously mortal injuries healed. not only that, he who was only a supreme of level 124 advanced to level 125 after that, becoming a celestial.


    the legend of odibrand redwound only gets more mysterious from there. as soon as he returned to the continent, he finished the revenge that had almost killed him and then founded a new family. surprisingly, he no longer had any restrictions on making children, even at such a high level.


    he lived another 1 million years after his legendary entry into the upper realm and had 103 children. in the end, he died. most of his children have died and didn''t leave the same inheritance as him, but some are still alive and are among the strongest families on the continent. not only that, there are supposedly branches of his descendants even outside zocarro."


    mylecent finished explaining the history of this singular entity in zocarro''s history. "the critical point about this name is how his heirs inherited his cultivation talent and even improved it over their generations.


    you might think that my family is the strongest in uzira because we''ve dominated the continent for so long. but we''ve only achieved this because we''ve always known who to ally ourselves with. since ancient times, the royal family has been connected to the heirs of odibrand redwound. i can only tell you how successful this story has been so far... i don''t need to tell you how terrible it would be to stand against them, right?" she looked suggestively at minos, while her voice had a worrisome tone of advice.


    "are you part of his bloodline?" minos asked in curiosity as his companions thought about how problematic it would be to go after a family that could have thousands of members and several of them at the peak of the 12th stage or even the beginning of the 13th stage.


    "no. i''m part of a branch of the family that has always preserved the purity of our blood," she said unashamedly.


    ruth and gloria looked at her curiously, understanding where these words were leading.


    ysolt finished talking about the man by answering the question minos was thinking of asking. "we don''t know how odibrand''s descendants are doing now. but when we were arrested, the family had a level 125 celestial that we knew."


    gulp!


    "a celestial?" leger asked in a worried tone, aware of the mission minos had to carry out.


    "how many celestials are there in uzira?" abby asked with a grimace.


    supposedly, the royal family had one, while various stories told of several celestials being hidden around the continent. but they didn''t have good enough information to estimate how much of it was fantasy or exaggeration.


    ysolt couldn''t estimate for sure. "it''s hard to say. celestials are a step up, so i can''t predict anything related to them. but there must be at least half a dozen celestials in uzira. and almost all of them are allies of the royal family." she added this detail, aware that this group had no choice but to side with them, even with this information.


    minos'' group had a necromancer, so either they would be exterminated or they would be forced to join the family through abby, marrying a member of the royal bloodline... that certainly wouldn''t happen before they fought to the death, so ysolt wasn''t worried about informing the group of the reality and risking them wanting to surrender to the royal family.


    minos'' three wives and he himself thought about it, each of them worried about different things.  s~ea??h the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''this is going to be complicated. if one of them notices the body parts of a true celestial on me, i''ll be in trouble.'' minos considered, feeling that he had to hasten his journey to the violent sea as soon as possible.


    ''i''ll see about that after i get to the peak of dawn. i''ll try to resurrect the old first elder juma and have him by my side before then. until then, it might be interesting to hide until abby improves two more levels.''


    after some time in silence, he said, "i''ll consider your suggestion. for now, that''s not something i have to go after. so let''s focus on getting a seat at the table of this city''s leaders. i''ll help you with your plans after that."


    mylecent finally smiled at hearing about less complicated things.


    she honestly wasn''t afraid of challenging a celestial from her family who was against her. but challenging several celestials at once was something even she wouldn''t dare.


    fortunately, minos had some common sense in his mind, she imagined...

 Chapter 2768 A Place at the Table

    chapter 2768  a place at the table the next day, minos''s group was stationed at a luxurious estate at the top of hilltop city. the members of the armhands watched the beautiful landscape from the hill, while minos chatted quietly with his wives.


    they waited for some time in that high garden, when finally mylecent and ysolt left the largest of the estate''s buildings, accompanied by a tall, thin man with a young, smiling appearance.


    this man was dressed in a white cloak with various golden symbols. but the most striking feature was his fish skin, a clear indication that he was an alien.


    but with a cultivation of level 124, no one in uzira would have the luxury of judging his appearance.


    "minos, this is chancellor higline, the leader of the hilltop city council." ysolt introduced the man to the group, quickly gaining the attention of everyone who was watching the city and feeling the morning breeze there.


    minos stepped forward and made a gesture of greeting to the leader of the council, with whom mylecent had quickly arranged a meeting at the end of the previous day and then invited them for this moment this morning.


    "so you''re from armhands?" the man asked in a good-natured tone. "it''s been a long time since i''ve heard about those guys... still seeking the upper realm?"


    minos smiled in confirmation. "certainly. do you know the elders of the guild?"


    "i''ve met a few. i just don''t know if they''re the same ones you know." the man indicated with one of his hands for minos to follow him, continuing to speak as he walked to another building in the area. "anyway, it''s good to know that such a relevant force from oqia is thinking of setting foot on the continent for good.


    mylecent has already told me about your plans and your forces, so i open the doors of my house to you. here you will have a space to interact with the other forces of hilltop city and seek a higher level of security on this violent continent."


    minos and his group entered a small compartment of the building, an unused area at the moment, where a lot of dust covered the old furniture covered in black fabrics and even the floor.


    "i appreciate the opportunity," minos said sincerely, not caring about the small place at the back of the building they were being given.


    in less than 24 hours from their previous conversation with mylecent, they had gotten approval from the city council to recruit members in the area. at the same time, they received this post in the building from representatives of the forces behind the council and even a seat on the council that would give them voting rights in the future.


    for now, they would only have some basic rights and obligations common to the other local forces, but in 10 years, they could start voting on important matters. in 100 years'' time, their guild mates would be able to compete for positions within the council and get more benefits for their force, etc.


    for now, they would only have some basic rights and obligations common to the other local forces, but in 10 years, they could start voting on important matters. in 100 years'' time, their guild mates would be able to compete for positions within the council and get more benefits for their force, etc.


    for the time being, their situation wasn''t that impressive. but minos was more than satisfied with everything mylecent had achieved so easily and quickly. that''s why he not only thanked the council leader, but also mylecent.


    she smiled at him and told him that he would pay dearly for this in the future. but for now, he shouldn''t worry about debts to her.


    "so, minos, what are you going to do now?" ysolt asked after mylecent had escorted chancellor higline out of that 250 square meter room.


    "we''re going to clean this place up and leave a couple of our group as our local representatives." minos smiled at the seer.


    "but we''ll still be in town for a few more days. we''ll recruit at least 30 names and buy resources. after that, i intend to return to seclusion for another 10 years or so, if possible," he said as he looked back to where mylecent had left.


    "will the help she wants from me require me to move there?" he asked the orange-haired beauty next to him.


    ysolt shook his head negatively. "we''ll need you to influence the hilltop city council to support us in our war against the ruling wing of the royal family. but that will take time for you to achieve. for now, just adapt to your new situation and do what you have in mind. as long as you become more influential, we''ll get what we want from you later."


    "all right. i can do that." he didn''t disagree, even though he was signing a blank contract with mylecent.


    ysolt walked to the exit of that dusty room and said goodbye. "well, i wish you luck. mylecent and i will be leaving later today after a few more conversations around the city. it''s not safe for us to stay in one place for too long."


    "good luck to you two, too."


    "hmm, enjoy your time here and build up your knowledge of uzira. the local forces have a lot of information about the continent and the troublesome enemies you''ll need to worry about."


    "i''ll keep that in mind."


    minos and his wives watched ysolt leave without further ado, finally being alone in this place.


    he looked at his wives in silence for a few moments, before focusing on the two generals in the group, both level 117 generals. "you two will stay here in hilltop city from now on. your mission will be to gather information about the local forces, the enemies of the local forces, the royal family and odibrand redwound.


    i''ll send men once a year to collect your updates, bring you resources, as well as news about shifts.


    in the meantime, you should also keep an eye out for the possibility of recruiting good talent. eventually, we''ll send more guild members to help you."


    the two accepted their mission, before minos gave the orders for the group to clean up the room and start making the place look like armhands.


    soon afterwards, they would get to know a little more about the building representing the forces of hilltop city, before returning to the ordinary side of the city, where they had to look for materials and recruits.  s~ea??h the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    for the moment, minos was in no hurry to reach odibrand''s heirs. he hadn''t given up yet, so he was going to pursue the mission further. but that was something for him to think about in the future. now he had other matters on his mind.


    "let''s finish recruiting the group of recruits and get back to our post. we''ll set these people to learn the ways of armhands and in 10 years we''ll go after the awakening peak," minos said to his wives, making abby, in particular, smile at the thought of such a place.


    in 10 years, she could get more of the drops of hell into her hands and get what she needed to awaken someone of the level of first elder juma.

 Chapter 2769 Time to get the Drops of Hell!

    chapter 2769  time to get the drops of hell! the next few days in hilltop city were uneventful. minos hadn''t anticipated such a peaceful and quick journey in the city, but everything went well for him.


    after the surprise meeting with mylecent and ysolt, they secured a place as a low-level force on the city council. with their initial rights, they could already recruit those they wanted, as well as make trades and deals at more advantageous rates than they would have been able to without the help of those women.


    the two left the city long before minos and his group, but less than two months after leaving the armhands outpost in uzira, he and his wives returned with a large group of recruits to the guild.


    only the two supremes appointed by minos to represent the guild in the area remained in hilltop city, while they all quickly made their way to the guild outpost.


    and the journey back was even smoother than the journey to hilltop city. with such a large group on their side, even the bounty hunters in that mountainous area avoided their group. after a few days of travel avoiding the territories of powerful creatures, minos presented his local outpost to the 34 recruits he had brought back from this trip.


    tiolos and those who had stayed behind at the guild post were naturally surprised that minos had returned so quickly. they had previously imagined that it might take a few months or even years for this group to return, but it all seemed to have happened very quickly.


    no one was surprised, however. minos was already very strong and had powerful skills and tools with him.


    as soon as he returned to his post, minos took a few days off to deal with introducing the newcomers to the older customs of the guild. but he soon began his seclusion with his three wives, leaving tiolos and one of the guild''s strongest generals in charge of the area in the meantime.


    over the next few years, he intended to cultivate as much as he could through the temporal distortion of temporal sands!


    ...


    time passed and the guild''s outpost in uzira grew in size with the annual moves that minos had promised the two supremes staying in hilltop city.


    once a year, guild members stationed at the secret outpost moved to that city and maintained the trade necessary to continue strengthening it, including, of course, the addition of new recruits.


    thus, the number of less than 20 armhands members in uzira has risen to over 90 in the years that have passed since then. in the almost 10 years since then, several recruits have advanced in level or rank, with two of them already having become elite soldiers. but none of them had achieved the officer status needed to carry out missions outside the secret post.


    even stuck on the post for a decade, none of the outside members added to the guild in those years were unhappy. the decade they spent was the quietest of their lives, even though it was also the one with the most opportunities for them.


    as for the old members of the group, obviously no one had become stronger in just 10 years. all of them would have needed centuries and centuries of cultivation to make such substantial improvements, even with all the riches that minos made available to the group.


    on the eve of the 10-year anniversary since the agreement with the leader of hilltop city, minos finally awoke from his meditation, the last of his meditating group to finish.


    abby, gloria and ruth were already waiting for him while he sorted out guild business at the secret outpost, when he left his place of seclusion, feeling 150 years stronger than 10 years ago.


    "sigh... i still need a lot of time to advance my cultivation." he thought as he followed the direction from which he was sensing his wives'' aura.


    he wasn''t surprised to find that his woman also remained at the same levels as they had been for years. even so, minos wanted to go ahead with the journey to the awakening peak.


    ''the problems of the escape from cursed rock must have finally calmed down after several years. mylecent probably has made no notable moves in the last few years that i''ve been in seclusion, so i think we''ll have a good chance of getting to the awakening peak.


    i''ll get the drops of hell needed to awaken first elder juma and a few other high-level specialists before we go into seclusion for another 60 years. after that, i believe abby will be at a higher level and will awaken the old elder, even without making him as strong as he was in life.''


    with juma by his side, he could advance several of his plans for the guild post and eventually move on with his journey to the violent sea.


    minos was already planning to go to the violent sea after a final seclusion following the awakening of first elder juma. he also intended to send a group to return to oqia and finally start moving people from the headquarters to where he was now.


    ''decades have passed since we left oqia and a few more decades will pass before we send a group there... kendrick, lily and hollie will probably be close to becoming supremes by the time we send people to get them.


    have rowan and sarah already left the spiritual world and the adamant land?'' he wondered.


    at the thought of having at least some of his family members on his side in the not-so-distant future, minos felt more energized when he met up with his wives.


    "you concluded your cultivation, huh?" abby watched him enter the guild''s command room, while ruth watched the movement of guild members at lower levels through a window and gloria read some documents, sitting opposite abby.


    the three women looked at him after abby''s words had sounded, and he replied. "yes. let''s get ready to make our way to awakening peak. i''m leaving tomorrow for hilltop city for a shift change in the area and by the time i get back, you should be ready for us to go on this journey."


    this came as no surprise to any of them. they merely agreed, before updating him on the changes of the last few years, both about the guild and the outside world.  s§×ar?h the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    there were updates on odibrand redwound for minos to hear!

 Chapter 2770 Hell and the Upper Realm

    chapter 2770  hell and the upper realm the years of seclusion of minos and his group were enough for his men in hilltop city to get information about the current situation of the descendants of odibrand redwound.


    before minos set off for that city alone, he heard from his wives that the family that descended from odibrand had four branches with different surnames in uzira. it was possible that there were more names, something the group would still need to find out in order to determine the exact number of targets. but in principle, the number of potential enemies for them was large.


    minos had not yet made any decisions on the matter. he wanted to have more concrete information and even to know about the possible location of odibrand''s descendants outside of zocarro. without certainty about this data, he couldn''t do much. any action on his part would be a provocation to the forces behind these groups without him being able to actually complete his mission.


    the level 124 soul fragment perhaps didn''t know how complicated the mission she had left for minos had been, having died long before odibrand''s ascension. and consequently, minos was undecided whether to go through with his word or do as mylecent had instructed.


    he had always been a man of his word. but this was a rather peculiar situation.


    with this further doubt in mind, he made his way to the city where he intended to change the guild representatives'' shifts soon and prepare for their absence during the journey west of uzira.


    the armhands'' group had grown accustomed to traveling between their post and hilltop city, so it was easy for minos to go there once again.


    the guild had grown a little more representative in the area. but it would be a long time before their group went from being a small group to something relevant.


    fortunately, the prospects were excellent. as long as the group at the secret outpost continued to develop, they would eventually achieve their local goals.  sear?h the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    so minos spent two months traveling between the two busiest areas in his guild at the moment until he finally returned to be able to leave with his wives!


    ...


    minos, abby, gloria and ruth left via a special deformation created by him, once again leaving the group of guild members on their own.


    minos followed ahead of his women as they controlled space, heading for the other side of the continent without stressing about common journeys as he had done on his first trip to hilltop city. since he knew exactly where he was going and what kind of existences there were in such a place, he led his women a long way, until he came close to where the true celestial had left him earlier.


    arriving near the tribe of creatures who had shown him the way and told him about the macabre horde, minos ignored the area of these beings and flew alongside his wives to the dark place they were going to challenge.


    "what kind of trouble will we encounter on our way?" ruth asked as she gradually felt a negative feeling surround her, even stronger than the sensation of being near the drops of hell.


    "undead, basically. poison and lots of necromancers." abby summarized the characteristics of such an area, using the valuable memories of the level 124 soul fragment. "the awakening peak area is a sacred place for the royal family. the way mylecent messed with the undead in this place is forbidden, and few would have the ability to do that. but many of the family''s necromancers come to this place to test their powers and try to become stronger.


    legends say that there is a connection between hell and zocarro at the awakening peak. some say that this is where the drops of hell come from and in the area necromancers can awaken their latent talents."


    "that would be worrying. if hell is the opposite of the upper realm, wouldn''t it be a place to avoid at all costs?" ruth considered the implications and looked at minos questioningly.


    "understanding the duality between the upper realm and hell is essential for us," minos said as he made them see what he had already realized. "the upper realm is, in a way, recruiting soldiers. think about it. if everyone who gets a place in the upper realm will invariably look for heirs and those heirs will do the same, isn''t that the same as increasing the upper realm''s numbers exponentially?"


    the three women frowned as they saw this pattern with some of the behaviors they had witnessed in their long lives.


    "similarly, states and forces usually increase their numbers a lot before a major conflict. otherwise, they usually remain stable after an initial growth, or even have continued growth, but something more slow.


    even at a slow rate, the growth in numbers of the upper realm is clearly exponential, something illogical for peaceful forces. in contrast, hell grows as we die. it is a place where there is no shortage of members...


    so we have two sides of the same coin. two sides in conflict, one seeking to destroy the other, one seeking to thwart the other''s plans.


    those in the upper realm want level 130, immortality. those in hell, well, they want the mortality of souls."


    this was a complicated subject for them. but thinking from minos'' point of view, it made sense to judge these two legendary places as enemies. and if they were going to join either side, they needed to know about both, not just the one they would be joining.


    "anyway, knowing about hell and the situation with the upper realm could give us an advantage when i win the contest for the true celestial inheritance.


    as dangerous as it is, we need to explore our possibilities."


    ruth and gloria sighed as they thought about how they were surrounded by complicated problems on all sides.


    ''will we ever really be at peace in one place? i hope that when we reach the upper realm, we don''t discover that there is another, even more advanced place that we must reach in order to be at peace.'' gloria looked at the darkening sky as they approached the awakening peak.


    a cultivator''s initial goal was to defy the heavens and overcome their mortality. but now that each of them could easily live for millions of years, gloria was no longer thinking about reaching higher levels of power, but something simpler.


    the others had similar ideas of what their victory would be on this journey of cultivation.


    to find eternal peace and live harmoniously with this vast reality.


    the road to this was not far, and they would soon reach their momentary destination.

 Chapter 2771 The Origin of the Drops of Hell

    chapter 2771  the origin of the drops of hell upon returning to the awakening peak, minos came across the same area where he had taken down the necromancer of the royal family that he had used the appearance to invade cursed rock.


    as soon as they arrived there, abby turned her attention toward the area covered by black clouds and a dark mist, from where she felt the same magical fluctuation that had caught minos'' attention years ago.


    "the drops of hell are in that direction." she pointed in that direction, while ruth and gloria were careful not to touch anything in the surrounding area.


    as minos and abby had already told her, this place had many plants and negative essences that would harm those who were not prepared to deal with their special characteristics. when in doubt, the two women should wait for minos and abby before doing anything more dubious in this area.


    minos saw the nautilus'' compass, for the first time in a long time, pointing in a different direction than the one he wanted to explore.


    frowning firmly, he said, "we''re going to have problems if we go that way. big trouble. the kind we''ve never faced before."


    the three stopped where they were to look at him and hesitate. minos had been too emphatic about saying that trouble was on the way.


    "what do you foresee happening?"


    minos had to disappoint gloria. "i''m sorry, but i can''t foresee anything else happening if we go down this road. something''s blocking me."


    ruth narrowed her eyes, not liking how that looked at all. "are you saying that our future, just in this direction, is indecipherable?"


    "exactly. if we backtrack and go in any other direction, i''ll be able to predict our fates normally. only this way i can''t."


    minos'' voice only seemed to get deeper and deeper as he spoke, making the three worry about whether this was the right time for them to act.


    "maybe we should come back in a few more years?" gloria asked sincerely. "we don''t have to prove anything here. we have no superiors to please and we''re not really under pressure from enemies. fulfilling this mission now or in 50 years won''t make much difference."


    "no, that''s the annoying part of this situation." minos once again disappointed his women. "something has changed in this place since the last time i came here. back then, i was sure that entering the area would lead to benefits. now, however, not only can i not predict the future, but i see darkness and risks to our lives if we retreat in any direction."


    he paused for a moment before looking suggestively at gloria. "it''s as if something is consciously watching us. the moment we got here, our destinies were locked in and it''s blocking me from going deeper into what''s going to happen to us."


    "that''s sounding worse and worse." abby laughed bitterly at their situation. "then we can only move on."


    "that seems to be the case. however, it means that we will most likely face some kind of 13th stage danger. only something like that could block me like this." he was honest with them.


    abby then frowned after the contemplative silence of her companions and said, "i think something''s calling me."


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    "something?"


    "yes, something. actually, well, it''s not that it''s calling me, it''s more that it''s attracting me? well, if i were a compass, then the north would be calling me." she tried to explain her feeling to her three companions.


    minos clenched his fists and reinforced the silver flames on his women''s bodies, as well as their defensive and escape seals. he stepped forward and looked confidently at them.


    "let''s move on. the danger awaiting us may be great, but the opportunities we''ll have will be even greater if we succeed."


    the three agreed, with ruth going in the middle of the group, gloria further back and abby next to ruth, a little behind minos.


    they walked more and more slowly towards the area of dense darkness until they were covered in fog and could barely see over 3 meters away.


    but before they knew their surroundings and what awaited them, the darkness worsened, becoming so strong that even seeing beyond the reach of their arms became impossible.


    ruth looked down and couldn''t see half her legs. her feet, however, were still transmitting information, and she knew she was entering a muddy area.


    "we''re in some kind of lake." minos said, and they listened quietly, but the sound still propagated through the surroundings and reach their ears.


    "how far are we from your call, abby?" he asked her, now feeling abby holding his right shoulder, while ruth held his left.


    gloria was holding ruth''s right shoulder and abby''s left, a little further back than those two.


    "i feel like we still have to move three times the distance we''ve traveled here." abby estimated as best she could, given the absence of visual or even spiritual information.


    as well as not being able to see much of their surroundings and it getting worse as they moved, they could barely sense each other''s energy. scanning their surroundings became essentially impossible.


    minos thought about spreading his seraphim wings and illuminating the surroundings, but it wasn''t so simple. with so much mist around, all he could do was make the surroundings less dark, but he still wouldn''t see clearly.


    he then tried something more functional in his opinion, manipulating gravity, trying to pull the particles behind the fog away from him and his wives. but that failed too, making him narrow his eyes and feel challenged.


    by moving one of his hands and merging his abilities, he created a small black hole, finally getting a different reaction from the previous ones.


    as if aware, the dark mist enveloping them moved away from where minos'' black hole was, instantly increasing the visual range of the four of them.


    minos and his wives found themselves enveloped by a dome of darkness as they stood on what looked like the shores of a lake of totally black liquid.


    at the sight, minos swallowed his saliva as he thought about how they could be in direct contact with that vicious essence capable of corrupting living beings and bringing the dead back to life.


    strangely, however, this essence was not influencing his group at the moment.


    "minos..." abby drew her husband''s attention when she saw something appear not far from them, on the edge of the dome of darkness that was avoiding the black hole of minos.

 Chapter 2772 Portal to Hell

    chapter 2772  portal to hell minos looked in the direction abby had showed and saw a completely black rock floating in the air. it appeared at the side of their group, at one limit of the region of influence of the black hole in his hands.


    but this was no ordinary rock. it had the shape of a creature and gave the impression of something with its own cultivation. the way it appeared there and was slowly moving indicated that it had consciousness or was being controlled by something that had consciousness.


    minos stopped moving forward and focused on it, trying to see through it with his special visual ability. but just as was already happening with his prophetic ability, he got nothing by trying to see through it.


    the thing, however, looked at him and then at abby and then moved, attacking in his direction.


    minos moved too, as his body grew stronger and his wings sprouted to attack.


    the black rock reached him, punching him in the chest so fast that minos almost let out a cry of surprise.


    when he felt the strange creature''s heavy fist reach his chest, minos grimaced, but endured the movement as he counterattacked. his chest emitted a subtle rumble as his wings attacked the enemy''s flanks.


    the rock seemed surprised to see its target resist its movement so well, as it dodged minos'' wings and tried to get closer to abby.


    but at that moment, a blue chain wrapped itself around its legs, while liquid mercury enveloped the area, launching several attacks against its body.


    abby herself didn''t stand still. she wasn''t foolish to use necromancer powers there. she used her other abilities, making a blue power extend from her body to those of her allies, propelling the senses of her companions.


    despite making mistakes with his counterattack moves, minos didn''t stop. he raised one of his hands in the air and used the black hole, no longer hesitating to deal with the creature in a more violent way.


    the creature made of rock could no longer escape easily when minos'' black hole grew several times larger, swallowing up the entire area where they were acting.


    everything that wasn''t in minos'' interest to keep as it was, was swallowed up into that region of space, including the rocky existence acting against them.


    the four humans felt the rocky creature disappear into the singularity of minos'' black hole. meanwhile, he frowned as he felt a large amount of energy growing in his fusion and quickly focused on controlling this energy, momentarily not paying attention to his surroundings.


    abby, gloria and ruth saw a much wider space revealing itself beyond the mercury sphere gloria had used moments ago to defend abby. the dark fog from earlier receded over 200 meters away from minos, enabling them to see what they had in a much larger area than earlier.


    it was at this moment that ruth, the first of them to notice, spotted a spatial crack in the middle of what looked like a place used for rituals on one of the shores of this black lake.


    the place had an obelisk-shaped stone in its center, three points equally distant from each other and several rocks like the one minos had just consumed. but what really caught their attention was the portal on one side of the obelisk-shaped stone, from where they could see a fraction of a dimension different from the area they were in. this place revealed an intense red glow, but also a lot of darkness.


    dark drops escaped from the edge of this portal, flowing down the strange shore and joining the liquid in the lake.


    minos finally formed a black hole bomb when he saw what was paralyzing his wives.  s§×arch* the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "that... would that be hell?" he asked them, but also himself, identifying the black liquid of great value to him, but also its origin.


    taking his eyes off it and looking at the area he still couldn''t see beyond 200 meters, minos drew some conclusions. "i''m pretty sure that this isn''t the only portal to hell here." he estimated, getting abby''s agreement.


    "yes, that''s right. and those portals are what are calling me, minos," she said with concern, especially for her companions.


    the thought of going through that portal and seeing what hell was like crossed abby''s mind, which naturally made her feel worried about the non-necromancers in her group.


    minos remained serious, but their fate there was rather obvious. whatever was preventing him from seeing the future obviously wanted them to move on.


    they hadn''t come this far to give up now, so he walked ahead, keeping an eye out for the black rock creatures on that shore.


    he held the black hole bomb in his hands, gradually absorbing the energy escaping from this powerful weapon.


    the creatures hesitated to move against him as he motioned for his women to accompany him.


    "be prepared. i don''t know what this journey and the problems on the other side might be like."


    the three women followed him steadily, each aware that there were no easy alternatives for them.


    ''what will this hell be like? will we come across dead people there? there are some companions i''d like to see again,'' gloria thought to herself, curious in her own way.


    ''will we be able to see isabella again?'' ruth remembered the harem sister she had lost at the beginning of the war of the worlds.


    but minos didn''t have the same hope. in his opinion, hell was not a home for souls, but a place where souls passed through temporarily and then returned in different ways to the universe.


    he was curious, though. hell was a great uncertainty and all he had was speculation. knowing what the place was really like was something he would consider no less important than understanding the upper realm.


    when the four of them arrived in front of that portal, they held hands with each other, connecting physically and spiritually.


    under the close observation of the black rocks on that bank of the black river, they made their way to that small portal, which was capable of receiving two of them concurrently.

 Chapter 2773 Mirror Dimension

    chapter 2773  mirror dimension entering the portal to hell was an experience unlike anything minos had ever encountered. it felt as if his soul had been torn from his body and violently shaken, disassembling every aspect of his being¡ªfrom his powers to the very essence of his true celestial parts.


    he found himself stripped bare in a way he had never imagined, momentarily setting aside the terrifying distortions around him to feel as though he was back at the beginning of his cultivation journey.


    the only difference between him now and the 15-year-old who had started cultivating centuries ago was his appearance, which was now more mature and developed.


    in that moment, minos felt as if he were at level 0, devoid of any techniques, skills, or other cultivation gains he had amassed over his journey.


    he felt helpless, vulnerable to anything.


    yet, he was not completely alone. his core essence, an indivisible part of him, remained with him.


    his innate ability!


    his soul also revealed that his level was not exactly 0, unlike when he was 15.


    ''that¡­'' as the situation stabilized, he turned his attention to his surroundings.


    abby, gloria, and ruth were still by his side, each equally stunned by their circumstances, recalling a past as distant as the start of their cultivation paths.


    gradually, they observed their surroundings, realizing they had arrived in a place unlike any they had ever seen before.


    this dimension resembled a mirrored box, yet they sensed that if they moved in any direction, they would find no boundaries. the place glimpsed earlier through the portal was entirely different from where they stood now. as they turned to look at the portal, they were unsurprised to see the spatial distortion vanish before their eyes.


    despite the strangeness of this dark, mirrored environment, they couldn''t ignore the dense layer of energy and laws present, exerting a pressure on their spirit bodies.


    "¡­" abby attempted to speak, but no words emerged from her mouth.


    ''what is this? how does this place work?'' she communicated mentally to her companions.


    fortunately, their mental communication remained intact.


    as they surveyed the area, unable to answer not only abby''s questions but their own, they noticed something beyond their reflections.


    from one of the many mirrored surfaces, souls emerged, drifting toward them.


    minos watched as a soul, reminiscent of the first man he had killed on his journey, emerged from his reflection and floated toward him.


    his eyes narrowed, and he felt something like d¨¦j¨¤ vu. soon afterwards, more and more souls emerged from minos'' reflections, before little by little, souls also emerged from the reflections of his wives'' images.


    ''it seems that all those we killed are appearing here!'' ruth identified the pattern as she remembered the faces of some of minos'' first dead and her own.


    the other three realized this almost at the same time as her, when minos went a little further, understanding what was going on.


    ''this isn''t hell. this place is a test,'' he said to them.


    ''a test?''


    ''we probably have to defeat the souls we finish on our journeys before we can gain access to the real hell.'' abby felt the same as her husband, noticing that the call she had felt earlier was still there.


    the first souls attacked them, and they all moved to destroy them. however, these souls didn''t have the strength they had when they had been killed. something else was driving them, and each one seemed to have its own challenge.


    the three women dealt with some difficulty against their opponents, but their concern was not themselves, but minos.


    he found himself in the terrible situation of being surrounded by a few thousand souls, each of whom could make him feel a little pain.


    for the first time in his life, he felt a little of what regret should feel like.


    ''shit! it hasn''t even reached 0.0001% of those i''ve kept in my life!'' he complained bitterly to his wives.


    the three of them wanted to help him, but they were surrounded by enough opponents that they couldn''t do anything for their companions.


    ''think on the bright side,'' ruth said to minos. ''at least they seem to have the same level of power. it would be terrible if their strength became greater as stronger souls appeared.''


    minos said nothing, but he agreed with ruth.


    but he wasn''t totally without defenses. with his innate ability, he could still steal his opponents'' powers and use them to his advantage.


    he did what he had to, used his own opponents and gradually destroyed those in his way. the problem was the ever-increasing number of enemies, which sent him into a frenzy that prevented him from seeing the last enemy destroyed by each of his women.


    when the three of them had defeated the last of their opponents, they magically disappeared from that mirrored space without minos noticing.


    meanwhile, a creature unlike any other, with an extremely corporeal body and not just the semi-transparent spiritual bodies of those souls, appeared from behind one of the mirrors in the area.


    this being was completely black, but unlike the rocks from earlier, it had lips, teeth, eyes, appendages, thorns, horns and various discernible body parts.


    its eyes, particularly striking, were as red as volcanic magma, glowing ever brighter as it watched the golden soul battle over many opponents.


    one of the black creature''s appendages lifted toward minos, and its lips seemed to crack as it attempted to speak.


    at that moment, minos felt a chill in his soul and momentarily focused on the creature.


    he realized his wives were no longer present, and he was alone with this entity.


    ''what is it?'' he thought, observing the creature approaching him.


    with each step it took, his power seemed to wane, and the souls attacking him retreated.


    when it was just 5 meters from minos, the creature halted, and a black crown emerged from its eyes.  sear?h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    minos felt an overwhelming force pressing his body against the mirrored floor, and in an instant, he found himself on his knees before such a being.


    a powerful female voice resonated from the creature''s black lips. "devdar''s chosen one, change sides and join me in hell. under my tutelage, you shall become the new absolute of death and destruction!"

 Chapter 2774 Welcome to Hell

    chapter 2774  welcome to hell "under my tutelage, you shall become death and destruction, absolute over mortality, holder of the throne of hell." the creature with the female voice said in an unmistakable tone, forcing minos to accept her words while on his knees, as a black crown landed on his head.


    minos tried to get out of that existence''s grip, but her powers were too much against him. with only his energy and innate power, he could do nothing against the black creature.


    the black crown passed over his head and entered his soul, making minos feel his surroundings tremble terribly as something seemed to split his soul in half.


    as he clenched his teeth and tried not to cry out in pain, the black creature took a step backwards as a golden figure appeared next to minos.


    "devdar," the black being murmured in a tone that didn''t sound the least bit frightened. but there was an undeniable respect in that word.


    "qhava," said the voice of the true celestial, while minos felt as if the appearance of that existence had something to do with the split going on inside his soul right now.


    on one side, the true celestial, devdar, from the upper realm, stood, carrying the incorruptible heart, while on the other, the malicious creature from hell stood with her black crown.


    "you have the nerve to show me a projection of yourself. but since you''ve come to hell''s door, i''ll give you a taste of immortal darkness!" said the black woman as she raised one of her hands, and black flames spread like a vortex towards devdar.


    the true celestial''s expression turned ugly. even though the creature in front of him wasn''t on the same level as him, he was in a hostile environment. he tried to counter the enemy by raising a divine shield in front of him, while subtly alternating the passage of time.


    ''pretend you''re going to accept her inheritance. that won''t be bad for you. unfortunately, i can''t protect you from the road ahead. you''ve already crossed the threshold into hell. now only you can escape from this place. the laws here are different. be careful.''


    the true celestial communicated with minos while his body was filled with darkness, degrading at a ridiculous speed.


    minos barely expressed an opinion or think about what was happening when devdar''s golden body exploded.


    minos experienced a sharp pain in his chest, realizing that his incorruptible heart would not easily recover from the recent events.


    ''shit...''


    his eyes darkened, and he felt his soul being taken over by darkness, momentarily noticing a new spiritual connection joining his body in his head.


    a black crown lodged itself in his spirit, transforming into something opposite to the parts of true celestials already lodged in his existence.


    but while the incorruptible heart and the nautilus'' compass were more related to his body, this black crown was entirely related to his soul.


    "from now on, you are a disciple of hell, apprentice of qhava."


    minos blacked out completely straight away, feeling his body crash against something, and then the sensation of being submerged filled his thoughts.


    an indecipherable time passed amid a myriad of feelings and sensations.


    he remembered the greatest pains of his existence.


    the death of his father right in front of him as he left the academy in the capital of the brown kingdom so many years ago. the death of friends, like mirya and viola, when they were massacred and killed in a surprise attack. several of his losses, friends and subordinates who fought for his cause made him feel hot, as if his body was inflating with something.


    then, when tears seemed to flow from his body of spirit, the scene of the tragic death of isabella, his wife murdered by one of the gods of the mechanic empire, made him explode, his desire for the blood and death of all living beings.


    when he opened his eyes, now no longer golden but blood red, minos exploded into darkness. his clothes turned into a flaming black cloak, while his skin became a few shades darker. his eyes grew deeper and his nails increased in size on his hands and feet.


    he didn''t display his glorious seraphim wings in this strange place, nor did he display the ability to use any of his powers other than his innate ability. but his hair, brown earlier, had once again turned white, while a black crown formed on his head.


    the water surrounding him evaporated in an instant, as the black woman watched him with a smile on her face, welcoming him to hell.


    "welcome to your new home, my disciple. you are now to be called undar, the obscure, 33rd candidate for the throne of hell," she said as she gestured forcefully, not hiding her powerful level 127 aura.


    minos bowed of his own accord and, in a tone full of anger and hostility, said, "guide me, master qhava. allow me to taste the blood of the impure!"


    she could almost feel his desire to kill directed at himself, which had already caught her attention earlier and now seemed even more promising.  s§×arch* the n?vel(f)ire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "hahaha, splendid." she laughed mischievously as she ignored the surroundings of what appeared to be a black lake, similar to the one minos had seen before entering the mirror dimension.


    this place, however, had a red star fixed in one position, from which most of the territory was eternally dim.


    the place was immense. it looked like a land abandoned by time and had no living beings like those minos had become accustomed to on his journey. all that was there were mountains that seemed endless, black rivers and much, much energy.


    minos didn''t care what the place looked like when he received qhava''s permission to move. however, he looked to the north and saw a white glow in the sky, and even in a different state, he felt curious.


    "don''t look too closely at the reincarnation wheel or you''ll have your soul extinguished, undar. you are now my disciple and heir, but don''t misunderstand. you''re weak and shouldn''t underestimate hell," she advised him as she prepared to leave. "in any case, you will learn what you need to learn to live here.


    from now on, you will follow the infernal contest and join the macabre forces behind the gates of hell!"


    devilish black dogs, with red eyes and partially deformed bodies, appeared from black holes in that area, and soon the two were in a chariot that burned as it went.

 Chapter 2775 The Reality of Hell

    chapter 2775  the reality of hell over the next few hours, minos would see just how big hell was as he saw basically unchanged landscapes for a long way, even at a speed faster than anything he had ever traveled before.


    the hell seemed to be several times bigger than zocarro.


    every few hours minos also saw different reincarnation wheels in this place, and followed his qhava master''s advice not to look too closely at such areas. during this time, he also received several tips about things he should do or avoid in hell.


    the hell was a special dimension divided into a variable number of regions governed by individuals like qhava. from what he understood, the division of hell should be more or less similar to the division of the upper realm.


    the devils, as they called themselves, were the oldest members of hell and had large numbers of disciples. the inverse of this would be the position of true celestials, such as devdar, who would be far above minos if he ever made his way to the upper realm.


    as much as minos didn''t know about the rules of the upper realm, he imagined that there the most important true celestials also had their titles. after all, true celestial was only the name given to those who could truly live forever after crossing the barrier between levels 124 and 125.


    qhava was also a true celestial, as was devdar. but she was a devil, while he was something else.


    minos was far from understanding the purpose of hell and how it really worked. but he was following devdar''s recommendation to the letter. for the moment, he was pretending to have been totally overwhelmed by qhava''s actions!


    however, while traveling in the dark chariot of the woman of indecipherable race, he had his mind in a totally different state from what she seemed to believe.


    ''i have to agree with this creature on one thing. i really have to learn about this place and become stronger here. as much as i''m suppressing the malice of the crown, that could change in the future.''


    he continued to stare ahead without letting himself show any curiosity or strange ideas in his mind.


    ''when i get a chance, i''ll see about finding abby, gloria, and ruth.''


    he had already heard from qhava that he didn''t need to worry about these women. according to this devil, it was easier to enter hell than the upper realm. but while it was easy to leave the upper realm, it was almost impossible to leave hell.


    abby, gloria and ruth had to be in different areas of hell, each of them facing the challenges of that space.  sea??h th§× n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    there were basically three possibilities for them. one was that they had arrived in hell in an uninhabited area. in such places, they could travel, grow stronger and face dangerous challenges, but similar to what one would face traveling anywhere unknown. that was the best-case scenario. as for the worst-case scenario, they could fall into the hands of one of the other devils, or even the contenders for the throne of hell. in that case, they could be enslaved or have their memories erased, their souls destroyed, and even be forced to start a cycle of reincarnation.


    their third fate was to fall into one of hell''s many traps, such as the reincarnation wheel, and end up suffering severe consequences, having their souls contaminated and even being obliterated.


    minos had no way of predicting their fate, much less escaping qhava. so he remained hopeful and focused on finding loopholes to find them.


    ''the quickest way for me to gather them to leave this place is to travel through hell. qhava seems to give me my freedom, as long as i go in search of opponents of the contest for the throne of hell... but she won''t let me go straight away. first, i''ll have to learn what she wants me to learn.''


    their journey would last a week in minos'' time, when he would finally spot a black castle in an area without any vegetation or sign of living beings.


    anywhere else in the universe, one would consider this place to be abandoned, lost in time. but in hell, this was normal.


    there were very few natives or living residents in hell.


    according to what qhava had already taught minos on the journey to his residence, hell had a lot of dead people, but most of them remained in waiting states until their controllers used them.


    not everyone who ended up in hell was reincarnated immediately. some went through reincarnation quickly, but there were those who suffered for a long time at the hands of the demons.


    those who suffered were not necessarily the ones who deserved it, however. according to qhava, it all depended on which devil was in the area where those souls appeared. some chose at random, while others preferred to choose the innocent. but the majority preferred the souls of great criminals and murderers. they tended to be stronger, and that''s why they were used.


    but until a devil or one contender for the throne of hell moved, these undead rested under the black soil of hell.


    and so, there were areas as large as the central continent of the spiritual world that were inhabited by less than 10 living individuals!


    minos was confronted with this when he arrived at qhava''s home, where there were only three individuals, each of them with different builds, but totally black, like rocks, waiting for this devil commanding the chariot of darkness.


    the three of them looked at minos and understood what he was.


    "welcome back, ma''am. we didn''t expect you to return with yet another competitor so soon," said one of these beings, a level 126 individual with a masculine voice.


    "hmm, i got lucky with zocarro this time. this one next to me is undar, someone who caught my eye earlier, and i finally caught him in the mirror dimension."


    "oh? you watched him for centuries. you were quick to catch up with him," said another individual, drawing minos'' attention.


    "centuries?" he couldn''t remain neutral when he heard that and asked.


    "i sensed you when you were in oqia. you confronted one of my minions in that place and stole some of the drops of hell." she mentioned his and his group''s experience on the obsidian shore when he first collected the black liquid for the guild.


    minos remembered ysolt and mylecent''s warning and saw that indeed, those who got involved with the black liquid were marked.


    ''i hope you''re strong, abby. i imagine others like her will come after you.'' he stood his ground so as not to show what he really had in mind.

 Chapter 2776 Abbys Situation

    chapter 2776  abby''s situation meanwhile, in another area of hell.


    abby had been sucked down into a wormhole after finishing defeating the enemy souls she had killed once during her cultivation journey. she was then faced with a vast environment, without any living beings or indications of paths for her to follow.


    the hell seemed endless and very similar, whichever way you looked at it. even the spiritual energy and laws of this dimension seemed constant, wherever you were in hell.


    for a while, she observed the surroundings from where she stood still, wondering if minos and the others would come to this place with her.


    having killed the fewest living beings in her group, she had been the first to leave that mirrored space earlier.


    but after some time in this place, she spotted one of the reincarnation wheels and realized that she really was in hell. however, she didn''t look at it for more than a second, having sensed something wrong in the mere fact of looking in that direction.


    after that, she realized that waiting wouldn''t help her.


    since she didn''t have something like the nautilus'' compass and even if she did, it wouldn''t work, she turned her attention to something simpler.


    she couldn''t use her necromantic abilities there. after all, her divine ability wasn''t an innate skill, but something developed with one''s spiritual growth. limited to her innate ability and her level 116 cultivation, she used her neurological control ability, forcing her own senses to become stronger.


    even though neurological control was a skill aimed at physical bodies, it also worked with the spiritual nerves of the soul. this helped her rely on something in this strange place, allowing her to better sense her surroundings.


    ''there are many corpses buried in this place.'' she looked at the black ground and sensed something different from what minos and the others would notice. ''in fact, it seems that the whole ground of hell is made up of corpses.''


    as she placed her hands on the ground and closed her eyes, she felt as if she were standing on a pile of extremely compacted corpses.


    but these were not cups like the ones one would see in their universe. these were bodies that seemed to be made of black rock.


    ''that''s... interesting.'' abby looked into the distance, sensing underground rivers of black liquid.


    ''the drops of hell are the result of the concentration of these bodies... if i''m not mistaken, it''s the result of the existence of countless dead creatures. it is an essence charged with power, laws, but also chaos.


    she felt the signs of underground rivers in her vicinity leading to a common point, apparently connected to the wheels of reincarnation.


    ''if i had to guess, this black liquid is actually the force behind reincarnation... i see.''


    she became more serious, realizing why it would be a problem to use such a thing for purposes other than the driving force of the wheel of reincarnation.


    walking towards one of the largest streams of black liquid in the area where she was standing, abby continued her analysis of hell.


    ''where does this liquid escape? that shouldn''t happen. if the liquid from hell leaks out, what''s stopping the souls of these strange wheels from escaping, too?''


    at that moment, she concluded that there were definitely dead people who escaped and would escape from hell before completing their due passage through the area.


    she just did not know what exactly this meant for those in her world and in this dimension.


    ''is what necromancers do similar to what this rift that lets leaks happen from hell into our reality is the same? or are they different things?'' a critical doubt appeared in his mind. ''i have to be careful. even if i can use the dead with my present knowledge, i''d better avoid it. i have the strong impression that the natives of this place are high-level necromancers and will see me as an enemy if i show myself as one.''


    as she walked, she didn''t know how much time had passed. all she knew was that the scenery around her didn''t seem to have changed at all and her thoughts went even further away than her feet had taken her.


    but eventually she stopped at the peak of a hill, where she felt her call from earlier come back to dominate her attention. there, she found an area obviously built by unnatural forces, in the shape of a circular platform, where some pillars of different geometric shapes pointed towards the center of the platform.


    in this place, a small hole, filled with black liquid, seemed to ripple as if attracted by something.


    in addition, underground mechanisms were moving, causing the strange pillars to change shape and a supernatural force to gradually become stronger from the point under abby''s observation.


    abby sensed danger, but also an opportunity. she could sense that she wouldn''t be able to use her divine ability related to necromancy in this place, but any benefit related to necromancy would generate positive results for her when she left this place.


    ''this is important.'' she clenched her fists and stepped forward, willing to take the risk. ''even if i can''t use my powers straight away, i don''t think i''ll be here for long. my journey will still be long and dangerous in uzira. and even if i can''t access these possibilities until i leave hell, i''ll be able to improve my cultivation here.''


    when she was on the verge that she could go and decide to give up, she hesitated for a second and then took the last step, entering what looked like an evil ritual platform.


    as soon as she entered that place, the pillars shifted and rocky black bodies emerged from the ground, raising bodily appendages as darkness began to cover that platform.


    abby felt as if death was there in person to watch her, as the space around her changed, with her consciousness once again entering a test in an alternative place, as it had been with the mirror dimension earlier.


    now her opponents were not the people she had stolen the lives of, but those dead people she had awakened and consumed their souls, thus preventing them from having the chance to reincarnate.


    one way or another, she had stolen these souls from hell and now she had to face them and conquer them if she wanted to live!


    abby felt how difficult this challenge was, coming up against supremes even stronger than her in this unfavorable place.  s§×arch* the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''shit!''

 Chapter 2777 Gloria and Ruth

    chapter 2777  gloria and ruth in another part of the hell¡­


    gloria and ruth came across a reincarnation wheel very close to them and barely had time to think about minos and abby. the two tried to distance themselves from the area, fearful of the sensation they had just experienced in this desolate place.


    they both tried to fly away, but the gravity of the hell was too strong for mere low-level supremes. they could only keep running, until, when they were far enough away from where they felt that horrible sensation, they slowed to a stop.


    "what was that?" gloria asked ruth, still feeling the chills.


    they had appeared so close to one of the reincarnation wheels that they felt as if their souls were going to be sucked into that phenomenon. they almost lost some of their memories for the mere moments they spent near that unique essence, but luckily escaped in time.


    "i don''t know. but it''s not something we should go near," ruth said as she took a quick breath, looking around to make sure none of it was near them.


    "what about minos and abby?" finally feeling better, gloria asked about her companions.


    "are they likely to be sent to the same place as us?" ruth wasn''t sure, but considered how she and gloria ended up in the same place. "maybe, or maybe not. we can''t ignore the fact that they have characteristics that are much more compatible with the hell than we do."


    although there were all kinds of laws in the hell, the densest to be found there were definitely negative ones, related to death, decay, and destruction. a necromancer and someone as defiant as minos would certainly see this place as a great opportunity and naturally, it wouldn''t be strange if they were ''treated'' differently.


    "it''s true. and minos and abby can look after themselves. we have to worry about what to do in this place and how to get out of here." gloria remembered their plans.


    it wasn''t exactly their aim to unlock the hell. their interest was in collecting the drops of hell and, if possible, finding out more about their origin. but apart from that, they wanted to return as quickly as possible to the guild''s headquarters in uzira to return to their seclusion.


    "let''s try to find a safe place for ourselves. we''ll try to understand this place a little better and then we''ll go out and look for a way out. i don''t know exactly how this place works, but there are certainly exit points connected to zocarro." ruth decided, rapidly getting gloria''s agreement.


    "which way should we go? this place seems uniform to me. i feel that whichever direction we go, we''ll arrive at similar places in terms of spiritual wealth and dangers."


    "i feel the same way." ruth agreed as she shook her beautiful, shiny black hair. "let''s follow our instincts. none of us have tracking or investigative skills, so we can only go that route for now.


    my ability is regenerative, so i think i''ll rely on your ability to fight. but let''s see what we can do or learn when we understand this place better."


    the two started walking again, heading in a different direction from where they had arrived, always keeping an eye out for reincarnation wheels or even enemies.


    but even after hours of traveling in silence, they wouldn''t meet any opponents on their way. the hell seemed like a dimension abandoned of living beings. only souls near the reincarnation wheels seemed present apart from abby and gloria.


    eventually, they came across a mountainous area where there seemed to be empty underground structures. they proceeded with an exploration, discovering that the place they found was indeed empty. but the place was no simple natural cave.


    seeing symbols and various ancient items around the underground area they entered, ruth and gloria were sure that this place had a great history.


    "i''m not sensing anything threatening at the moment. let''s continue with our plans and find out what this place is later," ruth said as she sat down, curious to know what it would be like to cultivate in the hell.


    gloria felt the same way, but for the moment she stood guard, looking around curiously, calm enough not to venture into the unknown alone.


    ''we have plenty of time. i can see that we''ll be in the hell for a long time...'' she sighed while ruth was already in deep meditation.


    ''i''ll check this place out with ruth in the future. now it''s time to wait.''


    ...


    time passed and after what seemed like months of learning under qhava''s tutelage, minos was ready to leave this devil''s wing and follow his infernal purpose.


    the hell had many peculiarities that minos hadn''t known before. some he even suspected, but wasn''t sure about.


    the hell was not only the opposite of the upper realm; it was a staunch enemy of that dimension. according to qhava, the hell was the maintainer of existence. it kept places like zocarro functioning by controlling the flow of dead souls, reincarnating those who passed the reincarnation requirements, while degrading the other souls who crossed the barrier of life and death.


    in a sense, hell functioned as a form of universal recycling.


    but the upper realm, where there were immortal individuals, was the natural enemy of those behind the renewing force of the universes. so the hell and its devils fought against the entitled deities, as the true celestials with positions in the upper realm were known.


    entitled deities were running away from their mortality and, many times, could control life and death beyond the rules of the hell. this brought chaos and instability, which the hell claimed to fight against.  s§×arch* the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    minos understood qhava''s teachings and couldn''t deny how reasonable the devils'' position seemed to be. but he wasn''t fooled. while he grew stronger by cultivating every day, he also remained skeptical.


    the version he knew of the story was the one told by qhava, but was it really reliable?


    he wasn''t sure and didn''t want to decide who to believe until he had entered the upper realm and understood for himself. for now, he continued with his plans to get stronger and find the moment when he could look for his women.


    that moment had finally arrived today!


    he was now in front of qhava and the few subordinates of this infernal black woman, who had helped him with his training in the contest for the throne of hell.


    the throne of hell was the opposite of the throne of the upper realm, which also existed and was the position of the leader of the dimension. only an absolute could sit on one throne and command above everything and everyone.


    as the heir of a devil, minos not only had the right to compete for the throne of hell, he had the obligation to join the contest.


    as much as qhava''s group had been training him over the last few months, the real training was the contest against the other candidates for the throne!


    "i''ll wait for your good results, my disciple," qhava said with a smile on her face. "now go. bring chaos to the domains of your competitors!"

 Chapter 2778 Disputes and Possibilities of Hell

    chapter 2778  disputes and possibilities of hell minos moved on with his journey after saying goodbye to qhava, traveling alone through the vast hell.


    his goal was simple. to deal with his competitors and gain territory.


    hell had a fairly simple division. basically, one had to dominate areas where there were reincarnation wheels, something difficult that went beyond saying that a particular area was one''s own. achieving recognition of an area where there was one of these special phenomena went beyond beating the owner of the area.


    but the more reincarnation wheels one had in their domain, the greater their benefits in the hell and the greater their influence.


    above a certain value, one could even claim the position of a devil and remove someone other than their own master from one of the devil positions before attempting to conquer the throne of hell.


    in other words, the devils, despite accepting disciples and placing them as the principal players in the contest for the throne, were actually the most important competitors. as long as someone in minos'' position didn''t become a devil, they would have their conquests as part of the devil''s territory of influence over them. only by reaching a certain level and being able to challenge another devil and take his place could one change that with a challenge for independence.


    the hell was a place with plenty of possibilities for status changes, where one''s strength and ability to advance against their opponents was the main differentiator behind the positions of those involved in the hell''s internal disputes.


    but as well as setting out to compete and conquer his first reincarnation wheels under his command, minos also had duties he knew he would have to fulfill amid his journey.


    besides the hell''s internal power struggles, which were significant to the inhabitants of this dimension, there were responsibilities that the inhabitants of the hell had to fulfill that were just as important, if not more so, than their struggles.


    all this competition for power in the hell had its own deep reasons. the inhabitants of the hell were not fighting out of boredom, but for the benefits of having more reincarnation wheels under their command. that was the path to power, the path to approaching level 130, the legendary absolute level!


    but to have these opportunities, one had to keep the hell running, the reincarnation wheels running and a rate of deaths processed for a certain amount of time.


    to fulfill these requirements, the inhabitants of the hell needed to take on roles to defend the place, maintain its sovereign rules over the universes, prevent escaped dead from the area, among other things.


    in the last great battle of the hell and the upper realm, spatial cracks appeared between the two dimensions, making it possible for both dead souls to escape from hell and irregular living beings to enter the upper realm. while the entitled deities and their minions took care of expelling invaders from the upper realm, it was the duty of the devils and their subordinates to deal with fugitives from hell.


    qhava''s orders to minos on this journey he was embarking on were clear. if he found any cracks in his path, he was to close them and use his devil powers to recover those souls.


    with these goals in mind, he began his long journey, using his devil power to summon dogs from the underworld and a dark chariot.


    he made these dark beings using the black crown on his head, which allowed him to do some interesting things. the infernal crown was like an identification for the inhabitants of hell. they gave them rights to command souls and undead temporarily, to connect to a previously conquered reincarnation wheel and to use some of the hell''s guardians, beings specially made of energy and laws.


    the dogs pulling minos'' chariot at the moment were some of these guardians, while his chariot was a mere condensation of the laws, the creation of matter, another interesting power of the infernal crown.


    minos made the guardians in front of him lead the way, but these hell dogs weren''t as powerful as the ones that had brought him and qhava to the area months ago. these dogs were only as strong as minos'' infernal power, which was very close to the beginning by local standards.


    even so, the hellhounds could take him faster to the places he intended to pass than he himself could at his speed.


    while minos'' hellhounds, only 2, his current limit, were taking him to his first stop, he had an open map in his hands.


    he couldn''t contest any of his fellow qhava disciples'' reincarnation wheel areas because they were his master''s areas of influence.


    qhava had already been a devil for a long time, long enough for him to have a journey of days ahead just to get out of her territory of influence.


    but even though qhava was powerful and well-known even outside the hell, her area of influence didn''t even cover 2% of hell.  s§×arch* the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''i''ll see if i can get anything from abby, ruth, and gloria on this trip... but given the absurd size of the hell, it''s extremely unlikely that i''ll find them.''


    minos looked at the map of qhava''s territory and then at the less detailed one, with everything that was supposed to exist in hell.


    hell was a grandiose plan that was supposed to fit all the worlds minos had passed through on his journey there!


    there was no sea or forest in hell. but while the areas were absolutely sparsely populated, there were special places in hell. in certain areas, one could travel for months in fog and encounter all kinds of strange phenomena and even fugitives from the reincarnation wheels.


    the devils'' domains were the most dangerous, but there were areas with extreme natural phenomena, both cultivation opportunities, and traps that were extremely effective at bringing down even supremes.


    given what he already knew, minos doubted, but didn''t entirely give up on the remote possibility of him finding his women on this first solo journey of his into the hell.


    ''i''ll do my best to find them. once i have them on my side, i can make them my subordinates by giving them crowns derived from mine. this will give them some powers and enable them to stay on my side.''


    that was his plan for when he found them.


    minos was confident that they would stand their ground wherever they were. so he wasn''t thinking ''if'', but ''when''!


    thus began his journey of a few weeks'' duration, with absolute peace for him to continue cultivating and strengthening until he finally left his master''s territory.

 Chapter 2779 First Target

    chapter 2779  first target a few weeks were enough for minos to leave qhava''s territory, reaching the border of this woman''s area of influence and an area without owners.


    the hell was not a space where every area had its sovereign. there was a large portion of territory that was not ''conquered''.


    the reason for this was simple. certain domains with reincarnation wheels were much more difficult to master than others. even some devils would avoid various areas of hell, where supposedly only peak true celestials could risk themselves.


    immediately in minos'' path was one of these territories, which he didn''t intend to challenge. first, because he didn''t want to risk himself in such a way during his first journey through hell. second, because qhava herself didn''t want him to do it. it was comfortable for her to have parts of her territory bordering such areas. it kept enemies further away from their location and avoided some unnecessary confrontations.


    minos continued on his journey, taking advantage of the fact that he could cultivate 100% of his time to strengthen himself.


    while he could use almost none of his powers nurtured over his millennia of experience, minos could cultivate his soul and use its strength in this place.


    in what seemed like a year there, he felt his cultivation improve by the equivalent of 100 years of cultivation in uzira!


    every day of cultivation in the hell was precious!


    but even with such a good place for him to grow, his cultivation base was still ridiculously large, even in this place where he was so limited. he would still need to stay in hell for a few decades if he wanted to reach level 119.


    as he could not use temporal sands, he couldn''t speed up this process.


    but minos wasn''t worried about that. his journey was getting closer to the first stopping point. in just a few more days, he would finally reach the territory that his master had recommended he visit and challenge the owner of the area.


    as he already knew, areas without ''owners'' were the most difficult. there was a special reason for areas in a place as competitive as this to be without sovereigns. so it was precisely areas with sovereigns that were the most interesting for someone in his position to pursue.


    and despite how chaotic it might seem, the hell was the opposite of that, being a very well-organized place with its own rules. high-ranking devils like qhava couldn''t go so far as to act against their rivals'' subordinates or disciples. a devil could only go against other devils of a similar rank.


    what guaranteed that this rule was followed? basically, if a devil acted against minos, for example, qhava could intervene and bring the problem to an apathetic conclusion.


    no devil would want to lose so much face that they couldn''t deal with a ''pawn'' like minos, so 100% of the time they would use their own disciples and subordinates to take care of the dimension''s internal competition.


    just ahead of minos was his first opponent, astrirun, a level 121 supreme, disciple of a devil of a lower level than qhava.


    qhava was proud of her position as a high-level devil. standing at level 127, she was among the 10 strongest devils in hell.


    most of the devils were true celestials of level 126.


    with the certainty that he would have to deal with astrirun, and perhaps other stronger supremes disciples of the same master as astrirun, minos was calm and even a little eager for his first battle in hell.


    for the first time in a long time on his journey, he didn''t have several of the skills he had built up so far, a challenge similar to the first phase of the inheritance of the true celestial of the upper realm, devdar.


    ...


    finally, minos spotted a place in the distance that was different from the monotonous dead landscapes of hell.  sea??h th§× n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    in front of him was a small black castle, where some undead were standing guard in front of the entrance to the building made of rocks.


    the enemy, positioned on a diabolical horse, an infernal guardian, was dressed in black armor, but revealed parts of his body, part black, like the rocks of hell, part colored, revealing his origin.


    minos stopped his hellhounds at the sight of the enemy waiting for him, something qhava had warned him was possible.


    although it wasn''t possible to predict the future within hell, there were several benefits to being the ruler of a reincarnation wheel area. among them, sovereigns of lands in that dimension had omniscient knowledge of their domains.


    as soon as he entered that territory, the area leader stood up to prepare for the battle about to begin there.


    minos observed the enemy group for a moment, in particular how the black liquid¡ªdrops of hell¡ªseemed to be under that opponent''s perfect control.


    ''it would be interesting if abby could do this in the future when we''re back in uzira. it would open up the possibilities for her to act with the macabre horde.'' minos thought for a moment when his eyes finally met those of his enemy.


    that individual was obviously not a native of hell. there were very few natives of hell. most of the beings there were like minos, beings brought in from outside to inherit the infernal path.


    once you joined hell and gained power there, your essence would gradually change and your appearance would reflect this. the more negative and deeply tied to hell your powers were, the rockier and darker your body became.


    minos'' theory was that the black liquid integrated with the devils'' bodies and made them express such an appearance. the black liquid integrated with the body in a way that would transform anyone''s appearance.


    it all happened at the command of the crown, which balanced out the negative points of the black liquid and allowed one to use it so well.


    minos also had a minor power over the black liquid as it was now, and at the touch of one of his hands, living dead corpses emerged from the ground, forming individuals with perfect abilities to serve him and fight.


    minos found it interesting, curious to feel what the battles in hell were like.


    he didn''t want to talk to the enemy. he was there to mow down. he merely ordered his undead to advance towards the enemy and wait for battle!


    "attack!"

 Chapter 2780 Sacrifice Crystal

    chapter 2780  sacrifice crystal minos made his undead advance, standing where he was, while he watched the enemy also send out the undead and guardians.


    hell''s guardians could fight each other. they only recognized their master and their master''s superiors, so even if the other side was a devil, they would fight for their master.


    however, this loyalty only lasted until the death of these members of hell. the moment one in the position of competitor for the throne of hell died, their guardians and all possessions became ownerless. from then on, one could claim the right to sovereignty of these areas and underlings through a challenge called soul bleed.


    minos saw his undead of the same level as him advance against his opponent''s stronger and more numerous undead, looking at the defiant and powerful gaze of the level 121 enemy.


    astrirun was not an opponent like several of the opponents of similar levels that minos had faced in uzira. here in hell, minos was limited by various restrictions, while the enemy was better adapted to the area.


    but minos relied on his own innate ability, using his opponents'' souls to induce the weakening of the enemy and the strengthening of his own group.


    his warriors grew stronger, even though they were still outnumbered. but by showing stronger cultivations and the opponents, weaker levels, the undead and hell guardians advanced with force, destroying astrirun''s first minions.


    the enemy knew everything about his own territory, but he didn''t know everything about minos. seeing his opponent''s innate skill caught his eye. he glared even harder at minos before moving with his weapon in hand.


    astrirun''s horse raced towards minos as the rider prepared for a single blow to knock the invader from his domain.


    minos saw the trail of darkness left by the dark horse''s footsteps and prepared himself for the attack. but as he brought his arm into position to summon a sword, he remembered he couldn''t use his abilities.


    using the crown, he formed a black weapon in the shape of a sword, which he enriched with his energy.


    minos ran at the man riding towards him, failing to steal the cultivation of this opponent, who seemed strong enough to protect himself from his ability.


    ''unfortunately for you, you''re not the only one with cultivation here and i can use my skill on artificial energy reservoirs.''


    minos grew stronger, surpassing level 118 and reaching level 119.


    he was still weaker than astrirun, but at that moment, his spiritual foundation reached the level needed to make the man on horseback regret attacking with everything and leaving his vassals aside.


    as he felt his own aura weakening, the man on the horse felt the enemy grow even stronger as he attacked him with a black sword, even bigger than his weapon.


    he opened his eyes wide as he did the only thing left in front of him. attack minos equally!


    the two men''s weapons made contact, for a second making both sides feel each other''s strength, stopping the fight that was becoming more and more favorable to minos.


    even without his many skills, minos had a much stronger soul than his competitors at the same level. even at a weaker level, he advanced against the enemy and showed more strength by forcing his opponent''s weapon against astrirun.


    astrirun paled, losing much of his color as it became even more contrasting with the black parts around his body. but he didn''t have time to voice his troubled thoughts when he felt the edge of minos'' weapon.  sear?h the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the black sword created with the infernal crown cut through astrirun''s chest and abdomen, forcing the man in the opposite direction, while his horse lost its head, cut off by minos'' swift and powerful movement.


    astrirun''s main hell guardian fell to the ground, losing its essence, while the man felt his back hit the ground.


    minos didn''t stop to give his enemy time. as soon as he landed back on the ground, already seeing how astrirun''s undead were coming to the man''s aid, he himself moved to stop these creatures from getting in his way.


    with the crown of darkness vibrating on his head, black blades formed around him as he threw them as if they were darts. as he did so, he moved against the enemy lying on the ground in agony.


    after taking down half of the remaining enemy undead in the area and being on the threshold of reaching astrirun, minos sensed something and took a step back.


    in the place where he would have been if he hadn''t stepped back, a glowing crystal appeared, which he knew well would generate an instant later.


    ''sacrifice crystal, huh?''


    when someone sacrificed themselves, they formed one of those crystals with an absurd concentration of laws and energy, the one responsible for making the power of sacrifice so strong. this crystal originated in hell and every living being had one of them connected to their soul. if someone used it, they would die along with their crystal because its unique and unmistakable essence, the sacrifice crystal, would be exploded along with the sacrifice.


    minos was well aware of the history of sacrifice and its potential. this fight was won, but the risks for him were not over.


    ''your bad luck is thinking that i''m 100% limited by hell''s natural effects.'' minos jumped backwards, going through a completely black hole and reappearing hundreds of meters away.


    the enemy who had initiated the sacrifice saw this and almost didn''t believe it.


    however, just because minos couldn''t use his other powers didn''t mean that he had forgotten everything he had learned. by using the crown and his understanding, minos could sense things, counterbalance gravity, and even escape in such a way.


    he couldn''t make use of the abilities behind these phenomena, but on some scale, his soul wouldn''t lose these basic characteristics completely.


    astrirun could only scream in hatred as he saw his enemy out of range of the detonation of his sacrifice crystal.


    then, amid the defeated side''s regret, minos watched as that guy''s powers detonated, an explosion capable of destroying an entire planet, but which didn''t reach anyone more than a few dozen meters away in this place.


    the sacrifice of a level 121 supreme was incredible. but it couldn''t compare to a dimension that could give birth to even a legendary absolute cultivators!

 Chapter 2781 First Domain in Hell

    chapter 2781  first domain in hell minos watched the black, red, and orange flames of astrirun''s sacrifice burn away even the laws and energy available in the affected space, erasing everything from existence in that given space.


    all the undead, whether they were minos'' minions or astrirun himself, were degraded until nothing was left. the hell guardians disappeared too, along with a part of the ground where minos'' enemy had fallen severely wounded.


    but even though the effects of the sacrifice were incredible, soon afterwards the gravitational pressure of the area and strange spatial cracks appeared stronger, consuming all the essence behind that destruction.


    the flames were swallowed up by the glowing cracks in the surrounding space, quickly ridding the surroundings of the negative influence of the sacrifice.


    but amid the special phenomenon unfolding in front of minos, he watched open-mouthed as the hell guardians rose from the ground where they had fallen, each one of them, whether they were his subordinates or the now free beings to be dominated, rose as if they were truly immortal essences.


    even the undead consumed by the flames rose again from the dark floor of the area, their bodies quickly taking on the same forms as before.


    "i had read about it, but i hadn''t doubted it... it really is true that infernal creatures are immortal as long as they''re in hell!" minos muttered under his breath.


    after a moment of appreciating one of the many hellish phenomena he had heard or read about in recent months. but he didn''t stay still for long.


    as soon as the spatial cracks in the area disappeared and the area''s gravitational pressure returned to normal, he opened his arms and black blades appeared, quickly slashing his wrists.


    "soul bleed!" he began the ritual of defiance to take command of the area, attracting the attention of all the undead and guardians not connected to him in the area.


    in the middle of his ritual, he felt something reach his feet and run through his body like a snake, but he did nothing to stop it. he let the black liquid moving through the area enter his body through the cuts he made in his fists.


    the black liquid penetrated his flesh and made its way to the crown strongly connected to his skull.


    minos felt the world around him grow darker, but he also felt strangely connected to the surrounding area. this made him open his eyes wide and express the surprise of someone seeing, for the first time, the real face of hell.


    what had seemed like an empty place with only a few undead and guardians moments ago turned out to be a vast reservoir of souls, with countless creatures coming and going through the area.


    most of these souls were moving around erratically, without showing any intelligence or special abilities. but some of them, the most particularly frightening ones, were staring in minos'' direction with furious looks on their deformed faces.


    if minos hadn''t already known what he was going to go through when he started the soul bleed, he would have been startled and vocalized his shock.


    but even though he had expected to be faced with this frightening reality, he still paled as he saw the strongest and most monstrous free spirits in that area moving against him.


    along with the sight of what hell was really like, he felt something powerful connect with him, something different from the hellish darkness, like a bright light of hope in the midst of malicious chaos.


    at the bottom of that area, minos felt a huge white wheel flash towards him, making him feel the power of the first reincarnation wheel coming under his control.


    ''is that what the reincarnation wheel looks like?'' he felt an ethereal entity fall on his shoulders, making him feel good, with a warmth and a comforting power.


    the idea of using it against those spirits glaring at him as they approached him came to mind, and he skillfully activated his powers.


    the reincarnation wheel in that area tripled in size, and then a suction force appeared against the many spirits in the surrounding area.


    minos had heard how his job would be to cleanse all the spirits in the area he challenged and how this would be hard work, capable of drying up his soul and leaving him on the brink of death. but as he began this process, he couldn''t help but be struck by how quickly the spirits, even the strongest ones trying to possess him, were rapidly losing their speed.


    meanwhile, a surreal amount of souls had been sucked into the reincarnation wheel, turning them into tiny beams of light that disappeared into the depths of the reincarnation wheel, while energy and laws were left behind.


    ''the reincarnation wheel really is incredible. it purifies the soul, returns it to its universal destiny, and recycles the energy and laws of those souls. this first stays in hell, but eventually escapes into the universe along with the new souls through the constant repetition of the process happening now.''


    minos felt an undeniable pleasure as he fulfilled the challenge of the area, not feeling in any way in danger, as the hell books said.


    by doing the soul bleed, one would make it possible for free souls in hell to try to possess them and take their place!


    but as long as one had the ability to take the reincarnation wheel of the area under challenge to the maximum of its function, even if there were risks in the process, overcoming the challenge was entirely possible.  s~ea??h the n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    but minos achieved this much earlier than anyone would have thought possible.


    in less than 20 minutes using the reincarnation wheel, he had almost the entire space of the castle area formerly belonging to astrirun cleared, completely under his control.


    the guardians and undead formerly belonging to the individual who sacrificed himself earlier slowly kneeled in minos'' presence, as he felt his powers increasing and his spirit body changing.


    as internal transformations took place in his body, he felt the reincarnation process drawing to a close for the souls of the challenge and couldn''t help but ask.


    ''do you know anything about my wife, isabella?'' he looked at that fantastic phenomenon, which was now connected to him.


    pulling out a strand of red hair that he had kept from isabella along with other things from the woman, he let the reincarnation wheel sense the remnant of this past existence.


    a moment later, minos saw his answer, as the reincarnation wheel formed a hologram that looked 90% like isabella.


    minos'' eyes opened wide as he felt the feeling transmitted by the reincarnation wheel.

 Chapter 2782 What Happened to Isabella Edwardstone!

    chapter 2782  what happened to isabella edwardstone! ''i see...'' minos parted his lips, sighing as a tranquil look shaped his face. ''isabella has already been reincarnated. this is what she looks like now.''


    he scrutinized the white hologram depicting isabella''s new appearance. while not identical to the woman he had known and loved, it wasn''t entirely unfamiliar either.


    isabella still possessed red hair. her form remained human, and her eyes evoked memories of their time together. yet, many differences highlighted unfamiliar traits.


    ''i hope you''re content in your new life, isabella,'' he murmured, gazing intently at the virtual image.


    these changes didn''t deter him. even the living evolved during their spiritual journeys, so alterations alone weren''t enough to make him abandon his wife. however, minos had matured. observing isabella''s peaceful figure, he sensed her current state: tranquil, not particularly powerful, but exhibiting a rare spiritual balance.


    comparing her to himself, minos pondered whether re-entering her life would truly enhance her happiness.


    he would certainly love to have her by his side. but he had learned not to be so selfish along his journey.


    ''i won''t try to guess where you are.'' he moved his hands and the reincarnation wheel obeyed his command, undoing the virtual image of isabella.


    ''but i wish you good winds. may the malice of the world stay away from you in this second life and you find what i failed to give you.''


    with his words, a mysterious energy leaked out of his body and passed through the reincarnation wheel, leaving hell and traveling through the void. minos couldn''t say where this energy went, but he fully understood what had just happened.


    suddenly he felt an extra weight on his shoulders and he breathed harder, feeling married.


    ''karma, huh?''


    but he didn''t regret what he had just done.


    ''that''s the least i could give you.'' an ear-to-ear grin formed on minos'' face, momentarily making him less diabolical, despite his shadows vibrating strangely, crown and hell beings on their knees around him.


    he let the subject of isabelle rest in the back of his mind, settling it once and for all. he would never forget his fourth wife. he loved her in a totally unique way and had living proof of that in uzira, lily. but after so many years since isabella''s death and now with the knowledge that she was well, peace overcame his many sad feelings about her departure.


    in dealing with this ancient subject, minos almost felt as if the karma price of moving isabella''s fate had disappeared, while a white line had appeared on his crown.


    he didn''t know, however, if this change was because he had resolved this matter, or because he had conquered his first of the realms in hell.


    faced with this spot where he had beaten his competitor from earlier, he looked at his surroundings and understood his new abilities.


    one of his hands had turned black, looking like a rock, but he didn''t even mind. his power had increased by 10% because of the extra black liquid he had acquired, while his undead horde had tripled in numbers.


    before he had only two hellhounds, but now he had, in addition to those two, three more guardians, two horses and a new dog.


    the terrain around him also came under his control, making him feel more or less a sensation similar to the one the nautilus'' compass had allowed him to feel before. but there was something else. it was like a mastery skill, something that would make him stronger within his own territory to defend himself against invaders.


    ''i see... that''s how qhava managed to drive devdar out, even though she was a level weaker than him.'' he remembered the situation in the mirror dimension.


    apart from these abilities, he sensed a few other possibilities within his grasp now that he had his territory. first, he could create a new hellish crown related to his own from the one behind this territory and even have a subordinate. secondly, he could use the reincarnation wheel to deal with souls, not only fulfilling the function of this phenomenon, but even fighting enemies. this also brought with it his ability to have general information about reincarnation, which had allowed him to know about isabella''s situation. finally, he could feel that cultivating in his domain would bring him more benefits than outside this area.


    there was something else, but it wasn''t a special ability to cultivate or fight. it was something like a sense, a notion of his main competitors.


    minos hadn''t felt anything earlier, but now he felt as if he had entered a game, perceiving individuals of similar size to his own, but also much larger not far from him.


    looking over the horizon, he couldn''t see these enemies, but he could tell that if he headed towards one of the places he was sensing, he would enter the domain of some opponent and would have to fight.  s§×ar?h the n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    he could also tell that others were sensing him and that they definitely knew that he had just taken this territory.


    it was only a matter of time before challengers came to him to test whether he really was any good or whether astrirun had made the mistake that caused his own demise.


    "and so begins my infernal war," minos muttered as he entered the palace within his domain, allowing the undead to return to the earth while the hell guardians remained vigilant.


    here''s the edited version, maintaining the word count while improving fluidity and readability:


    upon entering astrirun''s former palace, minos discovered no items he could remove from hell. however, he found many books and artifacts useful for his hellish journey.


    ''i sense one of astrirun''s associates will seek vengeance for his death. i''ll await them while studying his legacy,'' minos mused, proceeding unhurriedly. he understood that reuniting with his women would be neither simple nor swift.


    like minos, astrirun had a master. and akin to qhava, this master had multiple disciples vying on their behalf. undoubtedly, one would come to reclaim this lost domain¡ªless out of vengeance for astrirun and more to preserve their master''s territory untarnished!

 Chapter 2783 The Fourth Challenger, Time to Expand the Domains

    chapter 2783  the fourth challenger, time to expand the domains a month after settling into the territory he had conquered after astrirun''s death, minos was reading in the palace library when he suddenly felt something enter his territory.


    he looked south from where he was, feeling the strength of a level 122 supreme.


    ''another one, huh?'' minos asked himself as he closed the book he was holding, one of several he was currently studying.


    hell had its peculiarities. one of them was the information available almost as a natural right to domain owners like minos.


    conquering the throne of hell was not just a contest that demanded power on the part of the cultivator. one needed understanding, understanding about the reality of hell and its respective functions.


    but this information was not passed down from master to disciple, as it would be anywhere in minos'' universe. one had to conquer their domains and then study the books of their respective posts to understand the truth of hell. only after accomplishing this in at least 50% +1 of the ranks of this dimension could one achieve what was necessary to say actually vie for the throne of hell.


    in other words, one would have to master a large part of hell and eventually have the time to study the contents available in its domains in order to achieve the requirements of the ultimate goal of everyone in this dimension.


    what minos had learned under qhava''s wings had been basic knowledge that one would understand even without having a mastery. only by following the path he had started weeks ago could he complete the requirements of the infernal contest he was currently focused on.


    this meant that the road ahead would be long if minos was really going to compete for the position of absolute owner of the throne of hell.


    to get 50% +1 of hell''s ranks, one would have to challenge and defeat several devils!


    but for the moment, he wasn''t worried about that kind of requirement. his focus was on the short term, on learning what he could and dealing with unwanted visitors.  s~ea??h the n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the enemy approaching him at this moment was not the first to do so since minos arrived at this post. he had faced three other opponents over the last month, two of them of the same power level as astrirun and the last one of the same level as today''s opponent.


    minos made his way out of his castle while ordering his guardians of hell and undead to rise from their resting places and come to his command in front of the palace.


    ''i think it''s time for me to travel through hell again.'' he pondered in the middle of his way to yet another confrontation. ''i''ve already killed three other territory holders. i can go out and claim the territories of the three and also the territory of this one who is coming to meet his death.''


    he finally found himself outside his castle, still not seeing the enemy on the horizon, but clearly sensing the opponent''s position approaching this area.


    as he already knew, just defeating the enemy wasn''t enough. he had to move into the territories that were now without owners and carry out the soul bleed. only after going through something similar to what he had gone through in this area could he expand his domains.


    ''i''ve spent these weeks focused on learning, but i can''t go on like this. i feel enemies are finding my position interesting and i may risk these ownerless territories. i''m going to deal with this individual today and move on to take possession of these domains.'' he made up his mind as he stopped in front of a group of more than 30 hell creatures, creatures ranging from level 118 to 120.


    normally, the hell creatures had levels similar to their master. this was also the case for their numbers. but minos was a bit far from the norm because his spiritual foundation was so vast for someone of his level.


    these beings waited in position near their master until the enemy appeared in a similar position to the one minos had appeared in weeks ago.


    at the sight of his opponent with even more black sigils on his body, a larger crown and a different shape than his own, minos realized that this was the strongest of all those he had faced since the beginning of this journey.


    the enemy also had more men on his side. the hell beings glaring at minos had cultivations at level 122 and totaled a battalion of over 60 individuals.


    the black chariot in which the enemy was standing did not have a dark horse, but an extremely muscular and nefarious bull with horns as long as minos'' forearm.


    minos didn''t wait for the enemy to announce anything. he raised his hand and indicated to his group to attack, while using his crown to control the area in order to strengthen his group and weaken the opponents.


    the enemy did something similar by forcing his minions to move forward and attack minos'' domain, standing still as he seemed to prepare a long-range move.


    minos moved, suddenly disappearing from his position, attacking against the creatures in his path, while making use of his basic combat strategy. weaken his enemies and strengthen his minions!


    but as he did so, black flames tried to consume his soul, bringing him face to face with a slightly more complicated position than he had faced so far.


    ''interesting. but i can master every form of energy!'' he continued, letting the enemy attack him through their own cultivation while he made his group stronger and stronger.


    his minions rose on one to two levels, almost all of them reaching what was necessary to threaten the existences of the enemy''s level 122 creatures on their own.


    as they were fighting within their own domain, even though they were still below the enemies'' level, these beings working for minos demonstrated strengths equal to or superior to their opponents!


    he did the same by outwitting the enemy''s clever move, reaching the vicinity of that carriage where the man was waiting for him alone.


    "i hope you got a good domain of him for me. i''ll master it right after i kill you."


    "kill me?" the creature brandished as he attacked minos, forming tentacles that quickly cut their way through minos'' body.


    as these body parts were about to crush him, minos smiled, speaking as these body parts showed cuts on various parts of himself. "exactly. i''ll come and die and here you''ll be reincarnated."


    with minos'' words, the reincarnation wheel materialized close to the man while he felt a tremor.


    souls like his weren''t usually threatened by these essences when they held their crowns.


    however, by connecting his prophetic knowledge with this phenomenon, minos changed the rules of the game a little by showing this man''s future to the reincarnation wheel.


    "you''re already dead. you just don''t know it yet."


    minos'' black sword appeared next to the man''s head, causing him to shudder a moment later when he realized the weapon was dangerously close to him.


    swooish!


    "now it''s over." the sound of a falling body rang out, and the reincarnation wheel spun as it should, consuming that man''s soul.

 Chapter 2784 Domain Expansion: Breakthrough

    chapter 2784  domain expansion: breakthrough after the reincarnation wheel consumed the soul of the level 122 enemy, minos saw all of his opponent''s undead and hell guardians disappear.


    his domain returned to its usual peace, while only his minions remained behind.


    hell had little to be destroyed or marked to remind anyone of important battles or events across the landscape, so minos'' territory was as normal as ever, even seconds after the battle had ended.


    but the lack of signs of what had just happened wouldn''t be enough to lull minos into a sense of complacency. with one more enemy dead, he now had four territories he could visit and make challenges to take over.


    he would not be returning to his palace this day. turning his back and shaping a black chariot, he made his hellish guardians come to his call, while the living dead returned to the land where they belonged.


    simultaneously with minos'' departure, the reincarnation wheel in that area grew larger, gradually starting to turn at a slow speed.


    one might ask, how secure was a domain when its ruler wasn''t around? the answer to that was simple. very safe.


    when a master wasn''t in their domain, it was normal that if very strong subordinates didn''t stay behind, then the territory''s own reincarnation wheel would take over as guardian.


    minos knew this now and understood why he had previously been warned not to look at the reincarnation wheels.


    when the reincarnation wheels turned by themselves, they were dangerous for anyone who got too close to them or looked at them too much. even a devil would have to take certain precautions against them.


    only masters of domains could manipulate or analyze reincarnation wheels.


    because of this, competitors in hell didn''t have to stand still in their domains to defend them. they were basically impenetrable in the absence of the masters.


    in fact, to say that a domain''s most vulnerable moment was in the presence of its master was not an exaggeration at all!


    still, for the sovereigns of hellish domains, it was definitely safer to be in their own domain than to be in other parts of hell. after all, in their domain they could have an advantage against any kind of opponent, they could use the reincarnation wheel and cultivate faster.


    even so, minos set off without looking back, directing his hellhounds to head for the nearest of the domains that his four enemies had left after their deaths.


    coincidentally, the one closest to him was the one belonging to the enemy who had died today.


    even so, that place was three weeks away!


    ...


    another six months passed in the blink of an eye.


    at this moment, minos was just finishing conquering his third domain in hell, when more black dots solidified on his body, while his aura, not surprisingly, reached level 119.


    this domain, like the last two, was part of the four domains belonging to the enemies who had attacked him after he conquered his place in hell. of these four places he could conquer, only 2 had not yet been taken over by other competitors when minos approached them.


    he hadn''t been quick enough to collect everything he was entitled to!


    but minos wasn''t angry. he had decided for the time being to allow two opponents to take what should have been his while he guaranteed his sovereignty over the other territories he had earned the right to challenge by killing his former masters.


    not only had minos'' level grown stronger because of their journey over the last few months to increase their domains. he could now summon over 100 undead and 12 hell guardians.


    his domain area had increased over 6 times and although their territories were not physically united, more of hell was now his to call home.


    and when he was in any of these new areas, his cultivation had been improving at a much better rate than he had felt earlier, while his control over the wheels of reincarnation had improved terribly.


    minos didn''t know where ruth, gloria, and abby were. he hadn''t met them in months. but he knew they hadn''t died, because of the recurrent analysis he had been doing to understand whether their souls were at the mercy of a reincarnation wheel.  s§×arch* the n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    somehow, the reincarnation wheels were linked. one didn''t need to master all of them to know if someone had reincarnated or if their soul was in the reincarnation queue. everyone with hell crowns on their heads could identify information like that.


    as such, when he opened his black eyes and felt his strongest power, minos still had the same goal as months ago, now stronger, with the possibility of making his three women walk under his wing. all that remained for him was to reach them and they would come under his influence.


    ''soon stronger enemies will come after me. i''ve increased my territories too quickly and now several devils have lost parts of their domains. they won''t accept me continuing to grow fast.'' his eyes narrowed at this realization.


    ''the best thing i can do is move. my enemies know where my domains are, but there''s no way they''ll know my position until i enter their territories.


    some of them will definitely stay behind and set traps. i must face them. that''s the quickest way other than a trip back to qhava''s central domain.'' he thought strategically, aware he had a lot to learn in the newly conquered domain, but also of the risks in staying there.


    in the last six months, he hadn''t had to fight precisely because it was so difficult to go after individuals traveling through hell. it was always easier to go against one of those who stayed in their domain to take advantage of the opportunities of being a domain master.


    so minos once again turned his back on the thirst for territory, climbing into his dark chariot as he set off to continue his hunt.


    ''i''m going to expand as much of my territory as i can! this will increase my powers and give me a better chance of finding you, ruth, abby, and gloria!''

 Chapter 2785 Black Crack: Distant Call?

    chapter 2785  black crack: distant call a few months later...


    minos had fought another three times after conquering the third of his domains, and now he had a total of five territories, with the first two of them connected.


    one of the opponents he had faced in recent months was another like he had been months ago, a newcomer in hell, who was in search of his first territory. consequently, killing such an opponent was of little benefit to minos.


    but the other two against whom he fought, left lands that minos soon conquered, absorbing more of the black liquid and becoming stronger.


    while 3 territories under his powers were enough for him to advance over 4,000 years of cultivation in just a few months, he would need 10 new domains to reach what was necessary to reach level 120. he even believed that reaching level 121 would cost him over 25 new domains and reaching level 122 would be more than 100.


    this was a journey that would become increasingly complicated, despite the possibility of rapid growth at the beginning. understanding this made minos realize how misleading his growth rate could seem today.


    most of the domains in hell were definitely led by peak-level supremes and low-level true celestials. if he wanted to grow fast in hell, he would have to face that kind of opponent, something unrealistic for the current him.


    he understood how difficult it could be to grow past a certain level in hell and wasn''t fooled by the possibilities of the place.


    even so, he still didn''t know how to leave hell and he still had to find his women. after one more conquest, he moved on with his journey of expansion.


    ...


    minos was traveling through the vast hell another day.


    traveling through hell was a tiring experience. the views didn''t change much, even after days of travel. the temperature was almost always the same and there was no day or night. there were also no seasons, which even made it difficult to identify the passage of time.


    minos had a very good understanding of the laws of time, so he understood well how much time had passed since he entered this place. but someone like his wives might think that only a few weeks had passed, when in fact almost two years had passed since the end of the test in the mirror dimension.


    in any case, minos was not going to let himself get bored. as his journey developed, he absorbed more energy from hell, continually raising his strength. meanwhile, his guardians were very reliable and kept the journey unsurprising for him.


    that, at least, was the case until this afternoon.


    as he stood with his eyes closed, breathing in the ambient energy and transforming it into a part of his soul, minos suddenly felt his hellhounds stop abruptly.


    he almost overbalanced inside the carriage, opening his eyes and looking out of the vehicle with an already serious look on his face.


    minos quickly found the source of his guardians'' unexpected halt, a black, needle-sized crack just 12 meters away from them.  s§×ar?h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    his eyes narrowed, and his eyebrows knitted into one.


    "banishing ritual? someone is trying to expel from their plane a soul that has escaped from hell!" minos muttered on seeing such a phenomenon for the first time.


    qhava had warned him about his duties and how he should deal with fugitives if he came across a situation similar to this.


    faced with that crack, the attempt from the side trying to return the fugitive soul to hell, minos didn''t hesitate to fulfill his responsibility!


    as much as he had his own selfish interests and wasn''t controlled by the greed of the drops of hell or the hell crown, he felt a genuine desire to make hell work as it should.


    hell was not a pleasant place. hell''s controllers were not nice people to be around. but the function of this component of reality made sense to minos. even if he didn''t know the whole truth, he was already determined to fulfill his role.


    when he summoned his crown, darkness covered minos'' figure, making him 10 times more menacing, while something like a trident appeared in one of his hands.


    his chariot was transformed into a vehicle of war, and black armor was molded around the hellhounds.


    darkness escaped from these essences as if it were something physical, staying behind as they began to move again.


    minos pointed one of his hands towards the black crack, connecting it to his powers, quickly increasing its size until it became a portal large enough for him to pass through.


    minos drove forward in his diabolical war chariot, carrying the darkness of hell with him as he passed through the portal.


    this was not a journey that would allow him to explore other universes and possibilities. this wasn''t how he could escape hell. that was a special method for hunting down fugitives, something that wouldn''t last more than a few moments and he would be forced to return to hell again.


    minos was fully aware of what was ahead and crossed the barrier of space in front of him, seeing himself pass through a starry sky, until he entered what appeared to be a large training hall.


    candles and ritualistic symbols stood around the area where he had arrived, where two humanoid figures stood in front of a spectral creature, which screamed in hatred while bound by semi-transparent chains made of a unique energy.


    minos looked at the three individuals, and they all looked at him.


    the two who seemed to be fighting the spectral being lowered their heads and avoided looking at minos, while the spectre screamed in horror, trying to break free at any cost.


    minos raised his weapon in the air, and generated a suction force against that existence, forcing it to slowly fly towards his chariot.


    however much that being had escaped from hell, it was many times inferior to minos.


    "you will suffer greatly for this, fugitive." he said in words that only the spectre understood as solid black chains surged around his body, taking him to the back of minos'' chariot.


    minos took one last look in the direction of the two individuals standing there, noticing the essences of these beings.


    ''interesting. they are much weaker than this spectre, but they have managed to initiate the banishment of this existence.'' he looked at the rat-faced man and then the black-haired boy, apparently human.


    ''this one has a black mark on him. i''ll remember that.''


    minos felt his time running out and soon something supernatural called him back to hell.

 Chapter 2786 Level 120

    chapter 2786  level 120 a few years have passed since minos'' hunt. he had the opportunity to hunt spectres again after having traveled through space previously. coincidentally, he again encountered one of the two individuals he had spotted on his first hunt for a fugitive from hell.


    minos thought it was a great coincidence and promised himself and the sorcerer that if there was a third time, they would talk about it in a different way.


    but apart from those events months after his first hunt, he didn''t have any other opportunity to leave hell to hunt spectres. he spent his time hunting down his rivals for the throne of the dimension, gaining a few more victories and new domains.


    six months ago, minos had reached his 15th territory, which guaranteed him an advance to level 120!


    now his body was more corrupted and his territory no longer resembled that of a beginner in hell''s disputes. if he grew a little more, he would soon reach the point where he could vie with those close to challenging for the devils'' position.


    minos wasn''t worried about his speed of growth, however. after almost 8 years in hell, he had finally found signs of his women a few days ago!


    minos found the remnant of solid mercury bearing gloria''s spiritual mark in an underground cave near a newly conquered domain. from this place in question, he moved on with his investigation, eager to be back at his wives'' side.


    ...


    the time in hell had removed some of minos'' humanity. his way of dealing with the dead, souls escaping hell, and his competitors had cooled. he was much calmer these days, but also much more interested in maintaining a classic and functional hell.


    but besides these changes, his abilities had grown exponentially, along with his diabolical powers. his crown was now bigger, almost so big that it turned into a special helmet, perfectly matching the black rocky skin exposed on parts of minos'' spiritual body.


    he still couldn''t use his non-innate abilities that he had in his universe, but using the black liquid, his understanding of these abilities and his powerful cultivation, he could expose manipulations close to his natural powers.


    now he was seeing a black trail, similar to a dense, thin gas close to the ground, leading him towards his targets.


    he couldn''t predict the future in hell, nor tell the best direction to take. but this black trail was leading him to the destination he wanted to reach.


    ''it''s getting thicker... well, she''s nearby.'' he smiled as he had a few hell guardians with him.


    minos could now summon over 500 undead and almost 60 guardians simultaneously.


    minos didn''t know if qhava was watching him, but if she wasn''t, she would certainly be shocked by his growth speed!


    in the midst of his hunt, minos stopped, sensing something he knew ahead, no longer needing to use his powers to form the path made by gloria.


    he thought he would only find gloria that way, but he soon felt ruth''s aura and couldn''t help moving faster, running through the area as his feet left cracks in the ground.


    as he overcame the remaining hill in front of him, minos faced a situation that didn''t surprise him. in the distance was another post belonging to one contender for the throne, a level 124 creature that was standing there in position in front of his domain at this very moment.


    in front of the palace, surrounded by hundreds of undead, was what looked like a combat platform, where two women, one with red hair and the other with black hair, were armed and wearing bone armor, fighting each other.


    mercury vibrated on the battlefield under the powers of the red-haired woman, while a renewing energy healed the wounds of the woman with the long black hair.


    the two were on opposite sides of the combat, but they weren''t the only ones fighting. other beings, all of them with crowns on their heads, the same situation as these two women, were fighting there too, for what seemed to be the amusement of the ruler of this domain.


    the man at level 124 looked up the hill and saw the guest he had been waiting to arrive.


    "looks like you''ve arrived in the middle of my show..." said the level 124 being, looking confidently at minos.


    everyone on the combat platform in front of the palace stopped, turning their red, malicious eyes towards minos.


    minos clenched one of his fists at the sight of his women in such a situation. the hatred that pulsed in his heart almost blinded him, making him feel that man''s beating heart and a burning desire to tear him from his enemy''s body.


    but he didn''t lose control of himself. one positive thing about his growth in hell had been his growing confidence in his own abilities, which led him to calmer actions.


    that enemy hadn''t done it on purpose, setting ruth and gloria up to fight each other in order to affect the newly arrived enemy. it was clear that the aspirant devil enjoyed watching his underlings fight.


    he didn''t know how gloria and ruth had ended up in the hands of this enemy, but now he was there.


    he walked through the enemy''s territory without bothering to summon his undead, or even send his guardians to fight the enemy''s minions. minos simply walked on as darkness slipped from his grasp and the pressure on the area intensified.


    the weaker ones there felt as if invisible giant feet had formed above them and started pressing down on them, while, with every step minos took, he advanced dozens of meters, but also a level higher.


    the enemy really didn''t know minos and hadn''t done anything on purpose to annoy his opponent. he had sensed that minos was coming at him, but he hadn''t bothered to leave his casual fun to a mere level 120 supreme.


    but when minos was two steps away from him and already at level 122, the guy realized that there was a problem there that could end his life.


    minos had completed the remaining distance, by which time all the corpses and guardians around this enemy were either fallen or kneeling on the ground, too hard pressed to keep their heads upright.  s§×ar?h the n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    minos'' cultivation had reached level 124, the highest peak he had ever reached!

 Chapter 2787 Reunited

    chapter 2787  reunited a hand of minos pierced through space while surrounded by darkness and then revealed itself to hell again, presenting a non-human heart, the size of a chicken, with 12 holes in its structure.


    the level 124 supreme almost couldn''t believe his eyes when he saw that heart appear in the hands of the enemy. but his inability to move and the feeling of alarm within him revealed to him that this was the reality.


    that was just a soul, but strangely, the souls in hell perfectly replicated the physical bodies of their owners and it was even possible for one to remove organs from the souls of their adversaries.


    but the heart of this level 124 supreme didn''t bleed. energy and laws escaped from it, the cultivation comprehension of a soul losing its living characteristic to become a spiritual remnant belonging to hell.


    "thank you for saving my women for me here. now you can die," minos said to the enemy, as those minions of the dying individual slipped out of his control, temporarily becoming leaderless hell members.


    even when the body of the enemy''s soul disappeared, gloria and ruth didn''t seem to recognize minos. in fact, they didn''t seem to know anything other than to remain silent, emboldened by the man who could now challenge the area to become the new ruler of this vast territory.


    minos looked at them and understood their situation. they were now tied to hell in a way that only a superior being could give them their freedom again. this was bad and made him feel awful about what might have happened to them if he hadn''t found them.


    the good thing was that the living beings in hell only thought about one thing: fighting and getting stronger. when they weren''t doing that, one would take care of keeping hell running and hardly torture strangers or waste their time in other ways. with almost everyone there hunting each other, it wasn''t interesting to waste their time on silly things.


    because of this, although they had certainly been in danger, ruth, and gloria were much stronger now than when he had seen them the last time. ruth had reached level 118, while gloria now displayed a level 117 aura.  s~ea??h the n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    minos didn''t try to talk to them, so he began the challenge of the area. once he became the replacement for the individual he had just eliminated, the two would fall under his control and he could return to them all their old memories and personalities.


    ''those crowns are really problematic. if one''s mind isn''t powerful, they can become blind minions of their masters. that''s what would have happened to me if i''d been just a little weaker when qhava kidnapped me.'' he imagined that what had happened to these two was precisely what he had narrowly avoided.


    hours passed and soon minos would finish his conquest of yet another territory, one that held 8 reincarnation wheels, making a total of 29 reincarnation wheels under minos'' direct command!


    as soon as he had won this area and felt more of his powers connected to the drops of hell, minos focused on his women, leaving aside all the other minions he had gained along with them.


    he suppressed the power of gloria and ruth''s crowns, while invoking the memories belonging to both of them before they were connected to the essence of the crown that was now part of his crown.


    it took a minute for this to happen, when the two women suddenly opened their eyes wider and looked at their surroundings in amazement.


    "minos!" gloria shouted as she paled, recognizing her husband but unable to help but be surprised by his strange appearance.


    "that..." ruth was also shocked by minos'' rocky appearance.


    they momentarily forgot the situation they were in to look worriedly at him.


    he laughed and reassured them. "i''m fine. this is my infernal appearance. when we return to uzira, i''ll look the same as before. this is just my soul form, something similar to my dragon form."


    the two believed without doubting him, not knowing if it was because of their trust in her husband or because of the connection between their crowns.


    "as for you, well, i''ll hear from you what happened in detail later. but for now, understand that i can''t disconnect from you. not until i become a true celestial, at least," he said as he pointed to their crowns.


    but neither of them was worried about it.


    "all right."


    "better connected to you than with nothing to keep us together." gloria sighed, remembering what seemed like decades to her since they had been separated from minos and abby.


    ruth understood her harem sister and said, "that wretch found us just after we had taken our first chance in hell. since then we''ve been forced to fight for him, travel through hell and fight each other for his amusement."


    ruth pointed to the other minions that had previously belonged to such an enemy. "that was also the case with these others here. it seems that hell has recruitment points not only in uzira, but in several other places in the universe... no, several other universes."


    "you learned about that, huh?" minos already knew it.


    just as the upper realm did, hell was also constantly looking for new members. the difference was that, while individuals like devdar made complex inheritances and only took the winners of their tests into the upper realm, several individuals could enter hell simultaneously, as minos'' group had done through qhava''s recruitment site.


    like abby, gloria, and ruth, there were many others who didn''t immediately fall into the devils'' clutches and became available to lesser beings, like the enemy minos had killed today.


    gloria nodded positively, before asking, "and abby?"


    "wasn''t she with you?" he asked back, frowning his black eyebrows.


    "no... apparently she wasn''t with you, either." ruth sighed in realization.


    "sigh! let''s go look for her. but don''t worry, she''s alive. i can feel it the same way i knew you were."


    "it doesn''t mean she''s okay, though." gloria murmured in concern for her harem sister.

 Chapter 2788 New Devil

    chapter 2788  new devil meanwhile, in another area of hell...


    a dark plain with nothing remarkable about it stretched for a long distance across the ownerless area of the vast hell.


    but this place was not empty today. looking from afar, one would see several moving slowly, as if they were ants in a giant anthill. but looking more closely, one would see that these were not ants, but an undead horde stretching for miles.


    walking slowly among the dead, a blue-haired woman had her aura of the same color spreading through her surroundings, while darkness escaped along with the blue mist from her body.


    behind her followed a ghost-like creature, its head too dark to make out the outline, but a crown clearly positioned on top of its neck.


    the blue-haired woman stopped, gesturing with a closed fist to the group.


    "miss?" asked the ghost who from a distance looked like the leader of this formation of over a thousand corpses, but who was actually number two there.


    the number one, the leader and creator of this horde, was in front of it, walking on foot, even though there were horses nearby.


    she closed her eyes for a moment and scanned her surroundings, sensing something different.


    "let''s change our plans a little. we''ll head south from now on." she opened her mouth, moving her blue energy through the area, making each of the corpses feel something different and move in the direction she indicated.


    "are we going to conquer new ground?" the ghost behind her asked, its voice a little funny, interested in the battles ahead.


    "maybe." the woman said only that.


    the direction they were heading was precisely where there was a domain of a powerful level 123 supreme.


    the level 122 ghost had no fear. her ladyship wasn''t that strong in terms of cultivation, currently only at level 119. but her horde had reached a level comparable only to that of the devils!


    she continued walking slowly, while a smile played on her lips.


    ''just wait for me, minos. sooner or later, i''ll find you.'' abby thought to herself, imagining the surprise she would give him when they met.


    ...


    a few more months had passed since minos had reunited with ruth and gloria.


    now they were no longer in the territory where he had found them. minos continued his search for abby, as he sought to expand his domains and grow stronger.


    his goal was to reach level 121 before leaving hell for good, something he thought possible once he took the time to study the domains he had gained over the last few years. in the meantime, he wanted to let gloria and ruth master their own territories too, an essential step to speed up their cultivation and give them more possibilities.


    but for now, he wouldn''t do that. gloria and ruth could compete if they advanced once more, but until then, he only wanted them by his side.


    however, amid conquering yet another of their territories, an unexpected guest would appear to disrupt their plans.


    gloria and ruth spotted a carriage racing towards them from afar, but instead of imagining that an enemy was approaching to challenge them, they quickly recognized it as an ally.


    seeing another of qhava''s minions coming into this area, the two women wouldn''t have needed to hear anything to know that this was the devil leader of them all.


    but like minos, they weren''t totally dominated by the darkness of the black liquid in their spirit body and knew that this could spell trouble for them.


    ''what does this guy want here?'' ruth looked at gloria, while the rest of minos'' subordinates in the area looked in the direction of where the newcomer was slowing down.


    but even these beings totally dominated by darkness were not submissive to qhava''s envoy. they would have acted like that if she had been there, but her level 123 envoy wasn''t enough to put that kind of pressure on them to lower their heads.


    the newcomer brought his carriage to a complete stop 200 meters away from minos, noticing how dozens of creatures in that area looked him in the eye, as if he were nothing. this made him feel uncomfortable. after all, he was minos'' senior among the qhava disciples.


    but he opened his mouth as he directed his words to ruth, minos'' strongest subordinate among the non-natives of hell. "tell undar to hurry. our devil is summoning us back to headquarters. a new devil has appeared and brings new possibilities for us."


    "a new devil?" ruth was surprised by this.


    she and gloria weren''t as up to date on hell''s affairs as minos, but they knew that this wasn''t a common event to happen.


    "yes, someone was lucky enough to enter the domain of a devil who had one of his crowns unprotected. this being seems to have absorbed the crown in question, but instead of becoming a subordinate, she fought the devil and defeated him in his weakened moment. now she has a vast territory and a legion of undead."


    gloria, ruth and the other non-native living beings of hell opened their mouths in surprise, not expecting something like this to happen.  s§×arch* the n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    in particular, gloria, and ruth couldn''t help wondering if it was possible for the same thing to happen to minos in relation to qhava.


    ''vulnerable moments are moments of cultivation. could minos take the place of that true celestial and achieve the same?'' the same thought crossed their minds, but a question from another of minos'' underlings changed their minds.


    "how is that possible? what kind of true celestial would let himself be weakened like that?"


    "it was a newly promoted one. he was trying an experiment to leave hell for good, from what the rumors are saying. he almost died and soon afterwards, someone with a great affinity for his position caught up with him."


    "wow!"


    "that sounds like a stroke of luck." minos'' voice rang out after he had acquired yet another domain under his belt.


    everyone looked in his direction, with gloria and ruth putting aside the idea of a moment ago. qhava wouldn''t make the same mistake as such a true celestial!


    minos'' colleague looked at him with narrowed eyes, but he didn''t want any small talk. "our master is summoning us, undar. let''s return immediately."


    with no choice but to continue pretending to be under the control of darkness, minos agreed, leading his people to follow qhava''s envoy.

 Chapter 2789 New Player

    chapter 2789  new player months later, minos and his group arrived back at the place where the qhava devil''s territory was commandeered.


    arriving there for the second time on his journey, minos was surprised to find a place relatively full of creatures, unlike the emptiness he had seen years ago when he arrived in the area.


    but it made sense. qhava had called not only him, but all her subordinates and disciples to the current meeting.


    as a level 127 true celestial, qhava alone had 33 disciples, of whom, together and added to her underlings, totaled over 300 individuals who now occupied her grand estate.


    most of them already knew each other from previous encounters, but minos wasn''t the only newcomer there. devils constantly sought out the subjects for their disputes. after all, it wasn''t uncommon for deaths to occur among their disciples.


    but even the oldest in the area looked at minos differently, clearly seeing in the rocky, black appearance of his soul that he had achieved a lot since joining hell.


    minos was qhava''s youngest disciple, but he could already place himself in the top 15 of her disciples with the most territories directly controlled by him.


    he was also one of those who had the most subordinates under his leadership, currently having 16 individuals, counting gloria and ruth among that number.


    "undar, it''s good to see you again." qhava looked at minos with a mischievous glint, seeing how big a hit this had been on her.


    she didn''t fail to notice the identities of two of minos'' women, but she didn''t bother. they both had crowns on their heads and as his subordinates, they were his subordinates, too.


    minos kneeled down in front of qhava and greeted her, showing gloria and ruth how they should behave in front of this creature.


    the two women had heard enough from him over the last two years to immediately behave as they should, hiding the fact that they were much more aware than they perhaps should have been.


    "master, i came as quickly as i could. i heard that a new devil has emerged. what is the exact situation?"


    qhava looked around, seeing that there were still three groups to go. but she advanced to minos, given the connection he had with the main person responsible for today''s meeting.


    "you probably don''t remember, but when i brought you here, there was another woman besides these two beside you now. that woman was very lucky." the look on qhava''s dark face became particularly funny at this point, almost as if she was amused by what she was saying. "she was fortunate indeed.


    she entered a devil''s cultivation site and stole his crown, dominating his mind and then killing him. don''t ask me how such a weak creature did it, because i don''t know myself. but what she did was start a war to dominate the land left by that dead fool."


    minos did his best to not only control his expression, but to make gloria and ruth not show their worried thoughts about abby.


    "oh? there was someone like that?" minos asked in false surprise.


    qhava laughed and clapped one of her hands on one of his shoulders. "now we go in search of the territories she''s going to lose soon."


    "are we going to fight this person directly, master?" minos asked as best he could without drawing qhava''s attention.


    "maybe." she laughed, narrowing her eyes mischievously. "maybe i should make you hunt her down for me? haha, or maybe i should just wait for the enemies who will defeat her and leave her big territory free!"


    ''shit!'' minos smiled on the outside, but inside he was boiling with rage. ''that was terrible. if abby hadn''t taken one of the devil''s positions, i could have taken her under my wing. now i can only expand my domains and seek to become a devil too. otherwise, i won''t be able to protect her.''


    his thoughts sped up, and he didn''t even notice when qhava left his side to talk to the many others on her estate.


    gloria and ruth understood the problem in his mind and stayed close to him, using the mental pathway between them to resolve the situation.


    ''can''t we run away?'' ruth said suggestively. ''if we run away, we can become stronger in zocarro and resolve this issue in the future.''


    the problem with being connected to hell was that you couldn''t run away from it forever. the escaped spectres were the greatest example of this.


    minos looked at his black-haired wife and said, ''we can escape, but we would be considered fugitives from hell just like the spectres. if someone found us and started a banishment ritual, we''d be dead.


    in hell, we have our infernal powers. but out there, out there, we''d be vulnerable against someone with those powers.''  s§×arch* the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''are you saying that the powers of the crown only work in hell?'' gloria asked.


    ''not exactly, but those who escape or stay outside hell for too long have their crowns weakened. only by returning to hell can they recover all their infernal powers.


    this is a limitation imposed by the upper realm in the war of the two dimensions.'' minos explained, before saying, ''abby, however, can escape. only other devils could hunt her down, but there are few devils and most of them are more focused on increasing their number of disciples. going after her would also be complicated, since you can''t start a banishing ritual against devils.''


    ''so how did you want to escape from hell?'' ruth asked, understanding that it would be best for abby to escape, but their situation was still bad. first, abby wouldn''t do it if she remembered them. second, it would be more difficult for them to escape from this place and return to their plans.


    ''my plan was to escape temporarily as soon as qhava went into seclusion when i got stronger. as her domains increase because of me, the closer she gets to advancing to level 128. then, at some point, she would go into seclusion to speed up her progress. at that point, we would escape and only have to worry about her minions coming after us. but i''d be able to deal with them all when i reached level 121.''


    ''but isn''t cultivating in hell super-fast? wouldn''t that give us very little time to escape from qhava, since she would be so close to advancing?'' gloria questioned.


    ''time in hell is slower. one year here is equivalent to three in zocarro. five years for qhava to cultivate would be enough for me to travel to the violent sea and search for information on another part of a true celestial''s body.


    by the time she comes after me, i might confront her and get rid of her.'' he explained a little nervously, but certain that this was the most favorable situation for them, and how unfortunate it was that things were going in a direction that would prevent him from following this plan.


    ruth and gloria sighed as they asked in unison, ''what now?''


    ''now we take a risk and rush everything!''

 Chapter 2790 Minos Wishes

    chapter 2790  minos'' wishes some time after minos and his women found out about abby''s situation, the rest of qhava''s disciples arrived at her territory headquarters.


    she explained the situation to everyone, giving even more details than she had given minos earlier. supposedly, abby was on the hunt to increase her territories, hiding behind a huge horde of undead.


    as much as finding a large group on the move seemed like a simple task, finding her would be difficult. beside her horde there was always a dense darkness. not by chance, even with several devils looking for her, abby was still alive.


    this part of abby''s current situation greatly interested minos, gloria, and ruth, but not so much to qhava. what interested this level 127 devil was that other devils, her competitors, were hunting abby and, sooner or later, someone would find minos'' wife. at that time, almost 2% of hell''s territories would be free to be dominated. if one was quick, someone like her could quickly increase the size of her domains.


    that''s what qhava wanted right now. to move her troops into the vicinity of the domains now belonging to abby and wait for her fall.


    as abby''s territory was large, almost as large as qhava''s own, this level 127 devil was going to send her disciples to conquer parts of abby''s territory.


    on the same day as the big meeting in the core of qhava''s territory, the group gathered there was split up to conquer different areas of hell. they hadn''t been together even two hours when qhava ordered them to move on to fulfill the mission that could help her reach level 128.


    minos moved on with his group, not having to worry about having anyone unwanted by his side during this journey. he moved on to his designated area, taking only his women and subordinates with him.


    ...


    a few weeks later, minos was tagging along with his groups in the middle of a mountainous area of hell, halfway to the start of abby''s territory that they were tasked with taking for themselves.  sear?h the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    according to qhava, abby had acquired a territory of over 2,000 reincarnation wheels. and the area they were going into had more than 30 reincarnation wheels, where their mission was to conquer at least half of them.


    minos was only pretending to do this. for now, he was going into such territory. when he first heard the size of abby''s territory, he almost expressed the fact that he wasn''t totally controlled by his crown, as qhava imagined he was. but he managed to keep his mask on.


    minos thought that abby should have become a high level supreme with so many reincarnation wheels in her domains. but that hadn''t happened, which puzzled him. yet, even if that was a question he wanted to resolve, he was calm now. he was determined to find abby before his enemies did and find out from her the actual situation she was in.


    with the days that had passed since their departure from qhava''s territory, he had come up with a plan.


    their idea was, instead of getting abby''s territories, to get the territories of enemies near the area they were sent to. in particular, their aim was, in an alternative way, to get qhava close to her advancement.


    minos felt that if he could get to level 121 by conquering new territories, that would be enough for qhava to have her chance of promotion. by that time, they could have an opening to escape hell for the time being!


    they would find abby and, through her crown, they intended to depart from this place back to zocarro amid qhava''s seclusion.


    minos didn''t know his wife''s exact situation, but he knew abby''s mind very well, as well as remembering how she had been called before. he knew she was conscious and looking for them. using their story with abby, he intended to search for her as soon as they entered her territory.


    before, he hadn''t known where to look, so it had all seemed difficult for him to find her or any of the others. but now that he knew where her territory was, he was sure that she had left something behind that would enable him to reach her!


    so, in the middle of another day of monotonous travel, minos had a less anxious look on his face than he had at the start of the journey a few days ago. he was now feeling calmer and more confident in his plans while remaining vigilant.


    ''hang on a bit longer, abby. i''ll find your trail and get our group back together. after that, we''ll go back to zocarro to advance the guild''s mission.''


    he thought as he stood in front of his carriage, controlling the hellhounds running at high speed.


    hell held many opportunities for growth and was crucial to the functioning of the universes. there were things in hell that minos still wanted to learn and study. it was in his plans to return one day and officially close his story with hell. but until that day came, he wanted to deal with his plans for uzira. in particular, he didn''t want to live his entire existence in a place like hell. his destination was still the upper realm!


    minos wanted to return to uzira to take care of the guild''s affairs and go in search of another part of a true celestial''s body. he wanted to deal with some enemies in zocarro and hide from qhava. and eventually, he wanted to complete his inheritance from devdar and then have the power of decision and not the obligation to stay in one place.


    until then, he didn''t intend to accept hell entirely just because of the various agreements he had about the ways of this place.


    so he pressed on, eager to find abby and do what he could to achieve his short-term aspirations.


    ruth and gloria were a step behind him, both worried about their harem sister, but confident in their plans. the risks were great, but, by knowing abby deeply, they had an advantage against their many hell enemies!

 Chapter 2791 Abbys Strength and Territory

    chapter 2791  abby''s strength and territory hell was far from easy. it was terrible, even for its most powerful inhabitants.


    due to its colossal size, merely knowing someone existed somewhere in hell meant little. searching for anything in this realm was akin to seeking a single grain of sand in a vast desert¡ªan almost impossible task.


    two years had passed since minos and his group had found out about abby''s peculiar situation and qhava had ordered them to prepare to take over the territories that abby would lose in the future.


    those were two years of intense movement by groups like qhava''s, but even so, news of battles between devils didn''t flow through hell''s vast territories.


    however, news of several groups like qhava''s on the move had spread, increasing the climate of tension and the number of hunters on the move.


    amid all this, minos and his people had entered abby''s territory and, after months of searching, found something!


    ...


    right now, minos and his people were following a black trail generated by an ability in his crown.


    after entering abby''s territory and studying it, minos finally found something he thought was a sign from his wife. now his group was on her trail, little by little approaching an area covered in darkness, an area outside her territory.


    minos was at the head of the group, the look on his face resolute, as he felt a power that was beginning to give him goosebumps.


    "what is she trying?" ruth asked, as she felt even more concerned about the disturbing sensation she was feeling.


    "what does she want by leaving your domain? wouldn''t it be better if she stayed where she was?" the black-haired human asked.


    minos didn''t need to answer when gloria, the first to get her own domain in hell, told ruth, "actually, not exactly. staying in your domain has its advantages. but the same goes for exploring outside areas... abby is probably hunting for new domains and expanding her own."


    "that''s what i believe she''s doing," minos said quietly, imagining it to be part of her strategy to find him.


    ''she probably thought she''d find me if she made it big... tsk, she just lost a bit of control and got too big.'' minos laughed bitterly, but he felt they would finally find her today.


    they had been looking for signs of her for months and had even ventured into territories neighboring hers. now he had acquired another 8 reincarnation wheels directly and another 3 indirectly through gloria and ruth.


    gloria had 2, while ruth had a reincarnation wheel in her domain.


    because of these advances in hell domains, the group was stronger, with ruth having reached level 119 and gloria level 118. as for minos, he was approaching level 121. he believed he could advance faster by giving more opportunities to his women.


    ruth thought of her harem sister, wondering what abby had done since entering this dimension. "is she increasing her domains? that would be impressive, i must say."


    "it''s hard to estimate. her territory is too large for me to sense any growth." minos replied, curious about that, too.


    "by the way, why did abby achieve something like that? i doubt she just beat an inattentive true celestial as many seem to believe." ruth continued on the subject as their group advanced, by now surrounded by black clouds, barely able to see more than a few dozen meters away from them.


    the terrain they were in now reminded them of the place where they had entered hell, where the rock beings had tried to attack them before, when they were still in uzira.


    today they knew those beings were actually qhava''s minions looking for new pupils for her. a trap, so to speak.


    minos answered ruth''s doubt, agreeing with her. "i don''t think she beat anyone, either. i think qhava and other devils might benefit from keeping the truth to themselves... but we''ll only really find out the truth when we talk to her in person. all i can imagine is that this is probably related to that call she felt earlier."


    the group stopped talking after his last words, entering little by little to see the black mist decrease in density, while the frightening aura from a few moments ago seemed to hold back against them.  sear?h the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    as they advanced, at the same speed as a few moments ago, still following a trail of darkness on the ground, the three and minos'' other subordinates traveling in a group spotted a sea of corpses ahead, which forced them to stop.


    "that..." gloria opened her mouth but couldn''t express her thoughts, having never seen such a large number of undead before.


    these were not just a large number of undead, but a group made up of beings of different cultivations, from the weakest, newly promoted supremes, to even the strongest, low-level true celestials.


    when they stopped to observe this evil horde, the undead moving slowly in circles around the area noticed them, each of these creatures turning towards them with apathetic eyes.


    "you took your time," a voice that the three natives of the spiritual world knew well sounded, drawing their attention to the middle of the sea of creatures.


    the three saw a black throne carried by a dozen undead, standing in an area facing them, with a beautiful woman with blue hair and a black crown on her head watching them.


    next to this woman were some of the most unusual hell guardians minos had ever seen, while the devil cultivation in front of them couldn''t help but catch his eye.


    ''level 120... i don''t know whether to be impressed that you''ve caught up with me or disappointed to see a 12th stage devil.'' minos plastered a long smile on his face at the sight of his beloved first wife.


    "abby!" he opened his mouth after a moment, seeing a path opening up among the undead for his group to follow to her.


    others might have had difficulty seeing that minos was not under qhava''s control, but abby immediately noticed and recognized them as her companions and not one of the enemies seeking her crown.

 Chapter 2792 Second Macabre Horde

    chapter 2792  second macabre horde when he got close to abby, minos didn''t immediately go up to her and give her a hug. he looked at the guardians on her sides, creatures of levels compatible with hers, but some undead of much higher levels than you would normally see in a master''s summonings.


    abby approached her three partners with a smile on her face, hugging minos after confirming that it was really him and not a qhava minion.


    "it''s good to see you again," she said into one of minos'' ears, hugging his spirit body, but strangely smelling her man''s characteristic scent.


    minos smiled back at abby, finally more relieved now that he was by her side and could protect her.


    as he thought about it, he laughed to himself, wondering who could protect whom in the current situation.


    "you''ve got quite an army, abby." gloria looked at the undead in the surrounding area.


    some of the living dead were merely skeletons. others were half-composed bodies and there were those who looked like corpses that had just left their coffins. there were those dressed in ancient armor and uniforms, while others were naked, showing their cursed bodies. some of them burned and others with rocky aspects typical of those commonly seen in hell.


    most of the undead had white eyes, but some of them, particularly the stronger ones, had completely black eyes and their gaze seemed to see through souls.


    abby looked at gloria and laughed. "i was lucky... or unlucky, depending on your perspective. anyway, making a long story short, i found an opportunity as soon as i arrived in hell. i came into the inheritance of a devil who had attempted a level advancement, but failed.


    technically, he still held his territories and seemed to be alive, having failed while inside a sub-dimension of hell. but he had actually died a long time ago, and i merely had to win recognition for his crown.


    after that i became a devil, even though i didn''t have the necessary cultivation."


    "so that''s it," minos muttered as he understood how abby had achieved so much.


    "but despite the good chances i got because of that, i''ve been chased by tricky guys ever since." she laughed bitterly. "i also didn''t get the advancement bonus that one gets when conquering new territories in hell. i technically didn''t conquer their territories by getting his crown. all my advancements came from expanding what that devil left for me."


    abby''s three family members felt her words clearing up several of their doubts at once.


    "that was tremendously unlucky." ruth commented as she considered what she had learned alongside minos and gloria. "with so many domains in your powers, you probably would have become a true celestial by inheriting them."


    "don''t tell me about it." abby sighed, before trying to change her expression. "anyway, i survived a decade in hell and now we''re united again."


    she looked at minos and asked, "i imagine we have plans to escape hell, right?"


    he looked at abby''s undead, a scene similar to that of the macabre horde in uzira. "yes. maybe we can speed things up a bit with your help... technically, we''re enemies, so your domains won''t be able to help me. but if your men make a way for my group, we''ll be able to more easily increase our own domains and get the head start i need to outwit qhava."


    "qhava? is she the devil above you?" abby asked, recognizing the figure.


    "yes, did you receive the memories of your predecessor, by any chance?" minos asked.


    "yes, did you receive the memories of your predecessor, by any chance?" minos asked.


    "yes, that''s why i didn''t even have to study the contents available in my domains, haha." the blue-haired woman smiled with joy.


    not everything had been perfect for her, but she really had had more blessings than curses. because of all that she had achieved in her inheritance, she had reached the level necessary to strengthen herself while fending off the devils seeking her head.


    "lucky you... i still need to study a lot of hell." he sighed before turning to their major subject. "but about qhava, we have to help her expand her domains, otherwise the three of us won''t be able to escape her pursuit. apart from that, we need you to clear the way for us."


    "i see. do you think her minions won''t be able to catch up with you?"


    "even if they do, i''ll deal with them," minos answered her.


    "hmm, i can create a sub-dimension through which we can escape. but all our hell powers will become weaker. it''s also possible that we''ll be hunted down by subordinates or even the true celestials themselves. devils are staunch enemies of entitled deities. surely some of them will hunt us down when they smell hell on our souls."


    "i know, but we have no choice. we can strengthen ourselves in zocarro in a less dangerous way than in hell." minos sighed in recognition of the risks.  sea??h th§× n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    since the devils were interested in abby, it was better that they didn''t risk staying there just because of the possibility of rapidly advancing their cultivation in this dimension!


    abby added, "we can do it the way you planned. but we''ll have to go back to hell from time to time. my crown won''t harm me so much in this, but yours will start to repress you after a few decades away from here."


    they didn''t know that, but minos accepted the idea of having to return after decades. it wasn''t ideal, but since they had no choice, they could only accept it.


    they quickly discussed some details about the sub-dimension, a space connected to hell and to a universe, similar to that of qhava, the mirror dimension, which they had entered previously.


    apart from that, they no longer had to collect black liquid, since their crowns were enough for them to revive the undead on their own. this also meant that abby''s sub-dimension wouldn''t need to be connected to where they had left from before and could connect to any part of the universe she had been to before.


    even though she was only at level 120, her crown allowed her several things that others could only achieve at higher levels!


    in the end, after ruth joked about the similarity of abby''s army to the macabre horde and abby talked about how that group had been originated by a devil who had hidden in uzira in the past, they agreed on the most immediate steps of their plans.


    the group began marching towards yet another enemy territory, turning their attention to hunting new demons for ruth, gloria, and minos!

 Chapter 2793 Time to Escape

    chapter 2793  time to escape years later, minos and his group were still at abby''s side, with even more undead by their side, but also each of them now had higher cultivations.


    in particular, minos had just mastered yet another territory when he felt his aura reach level 121, getting the breakthrough he had been waiting for years after reuniting with abby.


    abby had reached level 121 before her husband, while ruth had recently reached level 120 and gloria had been at level 119 for some time, near to advancing as well.


    the three of them watched him finish absorbing more of the black liquid and develop his own crown, with well over half of his spirit body with the rocky, black appearance common to devils.


    "looks like we''ve reached our goal, right?" gloria asked with an excited look, this being the last step they had planned before their escape attempt.


    abby looked at minos, already prepared to leave, just waiting for his signal.


    minos looked at the horizon of hell, seeing through the darkness of abby''s powers, capable of concealing her movements.


    because of abby''s powers, they had managed to travel through these years and complete their 15th year in hell without any major problems!


    the battles of the last few years had helped them all to refine their diabolical abilities. but fortunately they hadn''t had to challenge powerful devils.


    "i think qhava is close to her breakthrough to level 128. she''ll probably go into seclusion as soon as she notices my progress, in a few days..." he paused for a moment to think, aware that he would have some time before his escape was noticed by the hell beings, in particular by his master.


    "let''s return. i doubt qhava will risk herself just for our sake when she can go into seclusion and get closer to the throne of hell." he no longer hesitated.


    "so, what should we do?" ruth looked at abby. "our bodies were left behind in qhava''s mirror dimension."


    "not exactly." abby corrected her harem sister. "when we entered hell, we were only able to use our souls'' innate characteristics.


    although we say that our innate abilities come from our physiques, the term in question doesn''t mean physical body, but rather the form of the spirit body. as such, innate abilities are related to our souls. but body and soul are kept together in hell. while the soul remains as free as ever, the body is sealed and forced to regress in form. but our current forms rely on our bodies themselves. it''s just not clear in our appearances."


    with a calm and confident look, abby finished. "so we''ll have all our powers and physical characteristics when we enter the sub-dimension i''ll create. we can then return to uzira complete."


    "that''s good. where are you taking us?" minos asked.


    abby thought for a moment and said, "i don''t think it''s good to risk our guild post in uzira. qhava will surely send her minions the same path that we left hell... in that case, it might be interesting to go back near the awakening peak.  sea??h th§× n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    in fact, this will be good for us. we can get close to the macabre horde and bring them over to our side."


    "that would be interesting." gloria liked the plan. "but wouldn''t there be any danger in that? don''t forget that there are celestials in uzira. in particular, celestials who are members of the cursed royal family of necromancers from that continent."


    abby looked at minos and recommended, "the dangers will always be there. but the macabre horde is a powerful group that can help us deal with qhava''s envoys and even hide from her when she leaves hell to hunt us down."


    qhava would certainly go after minos, since he was her subordinate and there was a connection between them. but once she found out that abby and minos were together, they all knew she would try to deal with all of them at once.


    "let''s do that. we''ll probably have mylecent on our side after we return to the mainland. we don''t need to attract too much attention right away, either. maybe we can put some of our plans into action before impossible problems knock on our door." minos accepted his first wife''s suggestion.


    with that said, abby prepared herself, asking the trio to stay away from her while she manipulated space to create a sub-dimension connected to hell and their universe, in particular, to zocarro, on the awakening peak, in uzira.


    while abby acted, ruth and gloria stood near minos, one of them asking him, "how will our situation be from now on?"


    "we will be unable to complete our duties regarding the hell for the time being. our hellish powers will weaken out there, but our advances, improvements in understanding and some of our current capabilities will serve to ease our paths," minos said with a smile on his face, remembering how devdar had advised him to pretend to accept what qhava had to give him, understanding the advantages of entering hell.


    "anyway, let''s get on with our other plans out there and come back when we''re stronger. for now, i''m just worried about our group in uzira and our family in oqia. 45 years have passed since we passed the awakening peak. a lot could have happened in the meantime!"


    while the two thought about minos'' concerns, abby finished her work and told the three that it was time for them to leave. she wouldn''t be able to take those undead or even the guardians she''d gotten in hell¡ªa shame, she thought. having celestials on their side would help a lot.


    but even leaving so much power behind, abby set off with a smile on her face, letting her three partners lead the way and soon past the spatial distortion.


    she saw the distortion closing in on hell, ensuring that no one would reach them that way anytime soon. as soon as she saw her companions ready to proceed, she created another portal, ignoring the dark surroundings of this area she had created based on hell itself.


    minos, gloria, and ruth saw a place they had already passed near the awakening peak and felt a sense of accomplishment at finally reaching this point. they moved on, crossing space to return to zocarro, their bodies changing as they re-entered their universe.

 Chapter 2794 Back to Uzira

    chapter 2794  back to uzira as he passed through the final portal on his path, minos felt time stop around him as his body transformed, leaving his devilish appearance behind while his white hair, seraphim wings, and pale skin returned.


    his eyes became golden again, and his physique grew by at least 25% of his height, with muscles growing to fill out that massive body structure.


    but amid this process, he felt something deeper in his body, the connection of the nautilus'' compass, of the incorruptible heart, with the infernal crown.


    a large hourglass formed around his body, while his surroundings became so bright that he couldn''t see the place he had just arrived at.


    "you grew up pretty fast while you were in hell," said a voice that minos already knew well, making him look back and spot the figure of the true celestial of the upper realm, devdar!


    minos remembered how this guy had lost to qhava before and was surprised that devdar was there for him.


    "senior..." he hesitated in front of devdar, not knowing what he should do in this situation.


    "don''t worry, i told you it was best for you to go ahead with it. the important thing is the benefits you''ve gained on this journey. now you''re stronger than ever, almost ready to meet me again."


    minos was not surprised by devdar''s words. the person in front of him was not the real version of devdar, but a mere projection.


    "don''t think too much about the infernal crown. as soon as you become a celestial and come to the last stage of my inheritance, you can give it up and make the crowns of two of your wives fall. as for the last of them, i''m afraid she won''t escape this hellish fate. already a devil in her own right, she can only vie for the top position in hell or choose her champion to assume such a position while she accompanies them as a supporter."


    minos looked over, seeing abby frozen under the effects of temporal sands.


    "my time is running out. i''ll leave a seal on your crown that will buy you and your women a little more time. unfortunately, that''s all i can do. sooner or later mortal challenges will come to you and you''ll have to face them for yourself. that''s the path to immortality!"


    as soon as devdar had finished speaking, he ran one of his hands over minos'' body, fulfilling his promise before dissipating.


    minos'' golden hourglass stopped working and the surrounding time returned to normal.


    he saw the place where he and his group had arrived, noticing a part of awakening peak that they had passed earlier on their journey in search of the drops of hell.


    back in this area, he scanned the surroundings, feeling it was extremely easy to understand where he was, but also to be so close to a malicious and dangerous place like this.


    not only had his cultivation increased threefold during his years in hell, minos had also experienced years without being able to use his many skills that made his life significantly easier. back in uzira, he found it much easier than he thought he should to feel all his powers returning.


    his silver flames became much stronger, and he almost felt that, if he merged it with the powers of his crown, he could play with the dead in a different way than abby and he had done before this whole experience in hell.


    "it''s good to be back..."


    "i didn''t think i''d ever feel this free and safe again just because we''re back." ruth joked with her companions.


    "yes. it''s different being back. uzira doesn''t seem so..."


    "special?" abby completed gloria''s sentence with a curious tone.


    "yes. uzira has become somewhat ordinary after years in hell... but i imagine that''s to be expected. we''re much stronger and that dimension is comparable only to the upper realm." gloria added while minos just listened to them talk.


    "the reincarnation wheels carry with them the laws in their purest forms. connecting to them is like consuming the fundamental essences of the universe¡ªand it comes with extremely solid cultivation improvements. that''s why you feel this way." abby explained casually, feeling the differences even more than they did, since her cultivation was now the highest in the group.


    "anyway, time to deal with the macabre horde." she pointed toward where a crowd of undead were moving towards them.


    years ago, they would have been worried. they remembered well what it had been like to escape from cursed rock, the prison from which they had fled with mylecent. but now they didn''t feel the same kind of worry and were calm in the horde''s face, with even high-level corpses by continental standards among their numbers.


    all of them now had some power over the dead, with abby''s powers obviously being the most intense. but even gloria and ruth were curious how their current abilities would affect the bodies of that horde, now coming towards them, hungry.


    "what do you intend with them?" minos asked, having his own plans, but curious to find out what abby had in mind.


    she smiled as she took a few steps forward and pointed toward the undead. "i''m finally going to show you the true form of a necromancer. the highest level of a necromancer is not to control mere undead, but to give life to them, a fresh start, a chance beyond reincarnation.  sea??h th§× n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    from this group coming to us, i will create the first immortal undead in our universe!" she said with energy in her voice, her dark blue energy vibrating around her as a mysterious glow surrounded her eyes.


    "the phenomenon that created the macabre horde, or rather the acts of those who caused the macabre horde to emerge, failed to produce something like this. but i believe i will have a different result."


    "that would be impressive." ruth commented to abby.


    minos smiled and said, "very well. i''ll help you."


    not only his cultivation, but that of his wives too, increased as glowing blue spheres of energy appeared around them-artificial energy reserves.


    abby''s cultivation reached level 123, while minos'' stopped at the absolute peak of level 124, with gloria at level 121 and ruth at level 122. in this state, the four of them were surrounded by the undead tsunami of the macabre horde!

 Chapter 2795 Conquest

    chapter 2795  conquest abby was the first to demonstrate her powers, for the first time in 15 years, making use of her divine ability behind her necromantic powers. she combined her old powers with her new abilities as a devil, using the black liquid in her spiritual essence as a source of power while using her old ability.


    darkness spread from her body to her surroundings, but it didn''t corrupt the surrounding terrain as the black liquid did. under abby''s control, none of the terrain was affected, as her powers extended towards the undead, who were running chaotically towards them.


    surrounded by undead, minos, ruth, and gloria gave abby room to act first, watching closely as their companion made the mighty macabre horde hesitate in front of them, with the first undead being reached by her powers.


    the first wave of bodies fell in front of her as if they had had their cursed sparks destroyed and left only their hideous bodies behind.


    meanwhile, the strongest stopped running towards them, staring at the ground in confusion as darkness enveloped them like straitjackets.


    some of the stronger ones tried to reject abby, but her strength was simply far superior to that of all those creatures.


    a long smile appeared on abby''s face as she spread her arms and gestured, purposely taking on the strongest ones in that area, forcing the black liquid in those bodies out while making their bodies regenerate, transforming them into versions more pleasing to the eyes of onlookers.


    abby''s three companions watched intently, taking mental notes as they learned from her movements about how they should master their own undead.


    abby could dominate a much larger number of creatures than they could, but everyone there would be able to create at least a legion of minions from their powers and the amount of undead in their grasp.


    "proceed. abby has already achieved the main point of her objectives," minos said as he predicted the future, getting gloria and ruth moving before he himself went after some high-level corpses.


    meanwhile, a group of five individuals kneeled in front of abby, none of the viciousness of the drops of hell visible in their eyes. they now looked no different from the many living beings their group had encountered on their journey through the universe.


    "master," the five said simultaneously, their minds recovering the rationality they had lost in their death, remembering many things from their lives, but recognizing abby''s figure without hesitation.


    these were special level 124 beings, neither dead, nor alive, nor undead. these were members of a new kin, something started by abby in that place in uzira.


    "my subjects, welcome to my command. from now on, you will be called hell lifelings. this is your second life, the second of many, as long as you honor me with your efforts and raise me to the top!"


    she said as she made the group even stronger, taking away their status as fugitives from hell and transforming them into something unique.


    the five creatures swore their eternal loyalty to abby, eager to watch their creator control more of what had previously been the macabre horde.  sea??h th§× ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    meanwhile, minos reached a level 124 undead that abby had not reached. he covered it in silver and black flames, a mixture of his secondary divine ability and the power of the crown.


    he repeated what abby had done in a subtly different way, transforming that creature into a living being that would draw no attention to its macabre origin.


    from the silver and black flames of minos emerged a winged creature with four silver wings, the body of an eagle and the head of a lion. the creature had a silver flame in its eyes and, as soon as minos had finished with it, it let out a loud roar, frightening many of the undead of the macabre horde.


    he repeated what abby had done in a subtly different way, transforming that creature into a living being that would draw no attention to its macabre origin.


    from the silver and black flames of minos emerged a winged creature with four silver wings, the body of an eagle and the head of a lion. the creature had a silver flame in its eyes and, as soon as minos had finished with it, it let out a loud roar, frightening many of the undead of the macabre horde.


    the creature''s cultivation threatened to advance to level 125, but at the decisive moment, it failed, staying at the peak of level 124, the same as minos'' level.


    unlike what abby did with her new minions, minos gave the creature a black crown before ordering it. "create your first legion, banefreak."


    the creature loved its new name and moved to fulfill its master''s wish, giving minos the time to analyze the macabre horde and the effects of his women''s powers against it.


    tens of thousands of undead were now surrounding them, but while most of them seemed paralyzed, the minority moving was gradually falling under the group''s control.


    quickly, abby''s group of hell lifelings grew, reaching 100 individuals directly subordinate to her, while gloria managed 19 and ruth 31.


    banefreak advanced, gaining the first 10 vassals under its direct command, while minos assisted his women and kept the strongest of the macabre horde under pressure.


    mylecent would be impressed by their progress. with just four people, the group halted the macabre horde''s advance, turning enemies into allies.


    they soon reached a remarkable 300+ individuals under their control!


    it was a fraction of the macabre horde''s numbers, but each of them was a powerful high-level supreme, capable of controlling hundreds of low-level minions on their own.


    it was not the intention of minos and his wives to create an army in this place, however.


    "i think that''s enough for now," abby said to minos as she felt her cultivation return to level 121.


    minos'' other wives had also already returned to normal and retreated to abby''s side, with only her still at her maximum.


    abby said to him, "the group we''ve gathered here knows a lot of continental history and is strong enough to give us time, even against celestials. as for the others, let them get on with their mission."


    minos looked in the direction of the awakening peak, where the black liquid escape point from hell was. around that spot, the dead rose from the ground and walked around, protecting it from hands seeking to manipulate the essence behind the devils'' powers.


    "very well. let''s return home. we don''t need to wipe out the entire macabre horde. that would draw unnecessary attention. so undo your controls on the undead." minos manipulated space, forming a portal away from this area, something that would take them to a point from where they could end their journey by flying to the armhands'' outpost on the mainland.


    the three women did what they were supposed to, allowing the undead to leave their immobile states and stare at them violently again.


    but before these creatures could try to attack them, following their evil instincts, the four of them, along with the over 300 reinforcements they got, set off through the portal that would close a few moments later.

 Chapter 2796 Back to Hilltop City

    chapter 2796  back to hilltop city qhava was in one of abby''s domains, waiting for the opportunity to challenge the area, when she suddenly felt a chill. something made her see the image of four people crossing a spatial distortion and arriving in an area outside hell.


    "undar!" she muttered to herself, attracting the attention of the guardians beside her as she continued to stand in her carriage, not bothering to hide her position.


    "master?" asked one of the disciples who had accompanied her, a man of level 124, one of her strongest disciples.


    "undar escaped from hell. he''s not under my control. he escaped from the trap in the crown i gave him," she said, observing in the direction from which she felt minos flee. she couldn''t help but feel the aura of another devil close to where he disappeared.


    ''that damned woman went with him. did she free him from my control, or was he already free before that?'' this devil asked herself, while those around her could hardly believe her words.


    "that... what should we do?" one of them asked.


    "hunt them down for me. bring him back to me, alive. i''ll deal with him myself when i leave my seclusion." she didn''t think long before she said what she wanted. "in the meantime, my heirs must return to their normal duties. these usurper''s domains won''t be gaining any new owners in the short term."


    "master? aren''t you going to go after him?" one of the crown bearers asked. he wasn''t afraid of minos, but it was customary that when someone did something similar to what minos had done, the devil behind them would hunt them down.


    "no. before he fled, he added a few more domains to my territory. now i may be on the verge of advancing to level 128."


    the eyes and mood of those minions changed, becoming much more positive than they were a moment ago.


    it made sense to hunt down someone much weaker than yourself to wash away the dishonor of having one of your own run away and turn against you. but if qhava left hell, entitled deities would hunt her. since she was about to advance in level, it wasn''t worth the risk for just minos.


    "i''ll bring his unconscious body to you myself, master," said a level 124 supreme as he kneeled in front of qhava''s carriage. "undar won''t be able to get far with his dishonorable plans!"


    qhava smiled, leaving it to her men to deal with their target. one way or another, she would deal with minos when she left her seclusion in a few decades.


    ''you failed me. i''ll show you what happens to those who stand against hell!'' a diabolical laugh escaped her coal-black lips, making even some of her disciples shiver.


    ''in the meantime, enjoy the freedom you''ve gained. that''s all i''ll give you for the advancement you''ve given me!''


    ...


    minos and his wives continued on their way, no longer traveling through wormholes. after leaving the vicinity of the awakening peak, they arrived in a central area of uzira, from where they continued traveling east.


    at the levels they were at and with the traveling companions they currently had, they could travel hastily. in just four days, they were in hilltop city, having crossed a long distance without getting into trouble.


    it was much easier to travel around uzira when one was a mid- or high-level supreme than when one was at the beginning of the 12th stage.


    now the group was flying at a distance where they could already see the surrounding peaks of hilltop city, their first stop on this post-hell journey.  s§×arch* the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    minos was seeing the path indicated by the nautilus'' compass, happy to rely on all his spiritual abilities again.


    hell had its advantages. he wouldn''t deny that. he even felt at peace with the vastness and minor disturbance in that dimension, as well as agreeing with the role of a member of hell. but not being able to use so many of the skills that had shaped him as a person was a real nuisance for minos.


    abby didn''t feel the same way. hell was like a home to her, where her abilities were honed to the maximum, and being outside it weakened her. but she wasn''t unhappy. just as minos knew how to enjoy hell, she liked the feeling of being back, of being able to fulfill her old plans and search for information about her family.


    minos'' previous plans were to go to the awakening peak, get the black liquid and then bring the old first elder of the guild back to life to use against the enemies on the continent. once the old elder had given them some stability, they would strengthen themselves and go ahead with the plans to send a group back to oqia and head for the violent sea in search of the clue to the body part of a true celestial. in other words, they could soon have contact with their companions in oqia, in particular, with his family.


    consequently, abby had a broad smile on her lips as she slowly spotted hilltop city, aware that they had advanced several of their plans and, as soon as they gathered at the armhands'' outpost in uzira, they would go ahead with their plans without further ado.


    if things went according to plan, in less than 20 years, they could have their guild mates and family in uzira!


    "once we get to hilltop city, we''ll check on our companions and bring the first elder back to life," minos said to abby, gloria, and ruth, his gaze focused on the city they were approaching, slowly preparing to land and follow the rest of the way on foot.


    "we''ll leave the first elder in the city and then continue with our plans with the group at the secret outpost. i don''t want to take up too much of our time, but we''ll need a few days to familiarize ourselves with the current situation in the guild and on the continent. it''s time to reach out to mylecent."


    even with all his strength, he wouldn''t underestimate the situation on the continent. there were celestials in these lands!


    minos had not forgotten the warnings he had received on his journey about individuals who might hunt him down. now was not the time to relax, so he would act carefully!

 Chapter 2797 The Result of Almost 5 Decades (1)

    chapter 2797  the result of almost 5 decades (1) minos'' group faced no difficulties as they climbed the peak towards hilltop city.


    no one tried to attack them or even show themselves to them. but how would anyone do that? with a group of 10 supremes traveling together, few would attempt any action.


    ruth, minos, gloria, and abby ordered the remaining individuals to wait for them on the other side of this mountainous region, from where they would make their way to the guild''s secret outpost later on.


    it wouldn''t do to enter hilltop city with a group of hell lifelings capable of taking over the city!


    with only six high-level supremes accompanying them, the four humans made their way through the first streets of hilltop city, up the city''s stairs and ramps towards the peak, the local government area.


    minos got ahead of what the local guards were going to do and made his six subordinates get permits to access the wealthier areas of the city. as for the rest of them, they all already had special permits for having a post in the city and recruiting members for armhands.


    they easily passed the groups of guards at the stopping points. a few minutes later, arriving at the top of the city, where they spotted the building where their group had been given a post after mylecent''s intervention on their behalf.


    "this place looks identical to the place we passed last time." abby remarked to her companions, her eyes scanning their surroundings. "i wouldn''t be surprised if you told me only a few years had elapsed since our last visit."


    minos smiled and said, analyzing the time difference between some of the local guards who had been there then and were there today with themselves. "by my estimation," he offered, "nearly five decades have transpired since our departure for the awakening peak."


    "time in hell truly does march to its own drummer," gloria murmured, her mind drifting to minos'' plans for escaping qhava''s clutches.


    qhava would stay in hell in seclusion for a few decades. meanwhile, minos would experience roughly triple that duration, affording him ample opportunity to set his machinations in motion and seek out methods to bolster his power.


    "indeed," minos concurred, his gaze sweeping across the landscape. "now, let''s observe how our group has evolved during this interim. i see tiolos is here, something unexpected."


    the women fell into step behind him, while his sextet of companions assumed defensive positions around them. this protective formation wasn''t a directive from minos, but rather a self-imposed duty.


    abby, minos, gloria, and ruth were not controlling any of them. these creations of theirs, or transformations¡ªdepending on how one analyzed the situation of these beings¡ªhad a great sense of loyalty and a need to carry out missions. they didn''t have to be ordered around all the time. they had their own personalities, memories, and knowledge, some of which had even informed minos'' group about much of uzira''s and oqia''s history.


    these level 124 supremes had decided on their own to form a guard and act as personal guards for minos and his women on this current journey in hilltop city.


    but their movement soon attracted attention, causing some of the local bigwigs to watch the passage of this powerful group through windows and balconies, but also individuals coming and going from the square in front of hilltop city''s official forces building.


    "seniors, i wonder what a group like yours wants in our city?" asked a man in the uniform of the hilltop city council.


    this man had a cultivation of level 123 and was standing next to a group of supreme of the same level, all of them heavily armed.


    this group was clearly annoyed by such a powerful presence in their city. but how could they not be? minos'' group was enough to cause some local havoc, even if it probably wouldn''t be able to take the city.


    minos revealed the symbol of the armhands as he answered the guard''s question, "i am the commander of armhands in uzira and these are my guild mates." he nodded toward not only abby, ruth, and gloria, but also the six men dressed in armor that best matched their appearances and shapes.


    "oh?" a powerful voice came from behind that group, moments later revealing the prominent position of chancellor higline, the level 124 supreme, leader of the hilltop city council.


    minos met the gaze of the man mylecent had introduced him to earlier, still respectful in his manner, but no longer seeing the man at the same height as before.


    now minos felt fully capable of competing against opponents at the level of such a man and mylecent. there was no fear in his gaze. his fear was the celestials hidden in zocarro, the high-level supremes who could do anything to harm him and get the body parts from a true celestial.


    counting the hell crown, he now had three essences on him, while his wives had one each.


    the danger to his family had never been as great as it was now!


    minos stepped forward and said, "it''s good to see you again, chancellor higline. my group is back from a mission. we''re here to visit our guild mates and catch up on what happened in the last few decades." he made no secret of the fact that he wasn''t there for power struggles with the locals.  s§×arch* the n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    chancellor higline remembered minos'' appearance, but also how this boy was only at level 118 at the time mylecent introduced them to each other. but as he looked at the women with minos and remembered them too, this experienced man couldn''t help but notice the rapid advances of all of them, especially abby, who decades ago was the weakest in level and now seemed the strongest of the group.


    ''they''ve all increased in level and wherever they''ve returned from, they''ve returned with allies that didn''t exist before... the necromancer has advanced the fastest in the meantime.'' the man quickly realized the implications. ''i see. they''ve found a great opportunity, particularly something intended for necromancers.''


    with a gesture of his sleeves, chancellor higline ordered, "rob, don''t waste your time here. go back to your position. young minos and his group will come with me. i''ll accompany them to the armhands'' post."


    the guard who had stopped minos and his group bowed his head and moved away, clearing the way for the group of 10 to continue on their way towards the building behind them.


    "i imagine you''re looking for information not just about your group, right? you''ve been away for almost 50 years. a lot has happened on the continent since you left," chancellor higline said as he followed the group into hilltop city''s factions and guilds building, where the group would soon see tiolos, the oqia native who was currently there.

 Chapter 2798 The Result of Almost 5 Decades (2)

    chapter 2798  the result of almost 5 decades (2) minos listened attentively to chancellor higline''s words, despite noticing tiolos materialize at the entrance to the armhands'' sector, his countenance brimming with unasked questions. deciding to address the chancellor''s concerns first, minos prompted, "what''s transpired? any developments regarding mylecent and her family''s affairs?"


    "indeed," the chancellor began, his gait measured. he seemed oblivious to the staff of strangers flanking minos and the women. "nearly five decades have elapsed since i was informed of your indefinite unavailability. in the interim, mylecent has encountered¡­ complications. the eternal death, it''s whispered, has been stirring."


    the chancellor''s expression grew grave as he met minos'' gaze. "but fear not, if that''s your concern. she frustrated the enemies. ysolt is an exceptionally gifted seer. few could hope to ensnare her without considerable forewarning. mylecent narrowly escaped certain doom on multiple occasions and she has now gone to hiding."


    "and the royal family? what''s their current stance?" minos inquired, acutely aware that the eternal death was associated with the 13th stage.


    "oppressive, to put it mildly," the chancellor replied with a grimace. "we foreigners have never endured such stringent repression as in recent decades." his eyes swept over minos'' entourage, a hint of amusement creeping into his voice. "which brings us back to that wondrous realm you''ve undoubtedly inhabited these past years. perhaps your¡­ unique perspective could prove invaluable to them."


    minos, sensing the direction of this conversation, arched an eyebrow. "what exactly did you have in mind?" he asked, a wry smile playing at his lips. "i recall being deemed too feeble for her machinations previously."


    "you were," chancellor higline conceded, his gaze unwavering. "that''s evidently no longer the case." he paused, weighing his next words carefully. "what i offer you is the location of the rebel stronghold. they''re in dire straits, surrounded and desperate for aid. we must intervene, for as long as the royal family hounds them, those despotic tyrants won''t come after us.


    mylecent covets the throne. i''m sympathetic to her cause and recognize the potential advantages of having a monarch on our side. however, my fellow citizens and i merely seek our place in uzira. her war serves our interests only to a point¡­" he trailed off, standing before the entrance to the armhands guild area, leaving the implications of his words hanging in the air for minos to interpret.


    as tiolos and other guild members, drawn by the commotion of minos'' group''s arrival, gathered, chancellor higline softly withdrew, taking his leave.


    minos and his women observed his departure in silence. abby, positioning herself closer to minos, finally broke the quiet with a hushed observation. "he''s not wrong, you know. in his own way, he''s safeguarding his city¡ªour city."


    the group didn''t view mylecent and ysolt as their own, but rather as valuable allies on the continent. much like chancellor higline, they relished the benefits of this alliance, yet would naturally seek to mitigate any potential fallout that could adversely affect them.


    despite their ambivalence towards mylecent''s war against uzira''s current sovereigns, minos, and his group found themselves without alternatives. mylecent had proven a valuable ally, while the royalty remained hostile. given their specific objectives on the continent, they couldn''t simply turn a blind eye to the ongoing power struggle.


    "we''ll address that later," minos said, his gaze shifting to tiolos, who appeared to have remained at the same level of cultivation as when they had departed decades ago.


    "minos¡­" tiolos approached his old ally, clapping a hand on the now considerably more powerful man''s shoulder. "i thought i''d never witness anyone advance so rapidly through the 12th stage after seeing your progress back then. but now, i see you''ve not only shattered your own record, but one of your companions has ventured even further." he gestured towards abby with a mixture of awe and curiosity.


    abby''s lips curved into a smile at the recognition, while minos returned his old friend''s greeting. "heh, let''s continue this conversation inside. our growth is but a small part of the tale. i''m afraid it''s not a feat easily replicated, if you know what i mean."


    "oh, i wouldn''t dream of trying," tiolos chuckled, ushering the group into the guild''s section of the hilltop city council building. "you''re clearly a band of madcaps who''ve no doubt danced with death more than once to reach this point."


    as they entered, it became apparent that the space had undergone a dramatic transformation. what had once been a modest area with a few tables and a comfortable room for guild representatives had expanded significantly. thanks to the ingenious application of space formations, the available area within the room had been multiplied fivefold, creating a vastly more expansive and impressive environment.


    minos and his group noticed the differences there as they passed through the doorway, finding a much larger place than the outside counted. there was now a series of private rooms, each of them closed for the moment, and an entrance hall where some guild members were currently hanging out.


    among the gathered individuals, tiolos stood out as the sole familiar face to minos and his wives. the others were recent additions to the guild, recruited over the past five decades. some were fresh inductees who had yet to visit the headquarters, instead being assigned directly to this outpost.


    minos acknowledged these newcomers with a courteous nod but refrained from engaging in lengthy discourse. instead, he followed tiolos into the room serving as the latter''s temporary quarters while he oversaw the guild''s affairs in the city.


    once settled, tiolos leaned forward, his expression a mix of excitement and concern. "much has transpired during your absence," he began, his gaze sweeping across minos and the three women seated opposite him. "i''ll start by explaining my presence here. the guild has experienced significant growth, and our hilltop city outpost has consequently faced more challenges than we previously encountered.


    in essence, we''ve outgrown our former status of being small and easily overlooked. we''re no longer ''invisible'' to certain local powers, a development that''s demanding the attention of more formidable cultivators within the city."


    tiolos heaved a weary sigh. "it might appear that hilltop city''s forces are amicable, given chancellor higline''s cordial interaction with you earlier. however, the day-to-day reality is far more fraught with tension. some local leaders are, if you''ll pardon my bluntness, absolute assholes."  sear?h the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    minos cut straight to the heart of the matter. "have they taken any serious action against the guild?"


    tiolos paused, carefully weighing his response. "not exactly," he began cautiously. "we haven''t suffered any direct harm, if that''s your concern. but our safety owes more to our competence than to any benevolence from our rivals.


    these local powers aren''t above employing underhanded tactics to complicate our operations. they''ve made resource acquisition in the area increasingly difficult, spread malicious rumors to tarnish our reputation, and hindered our recruitment efforts. you''ve led armhands groups for centuries, minos. you''re well acquainted with the strategies competitors employ to safeguard their interests while undermining their opponents."


    minos nodded grimly. "is there a situation here that requires my personal intervention?"


    at this point, tiolos''s demeanor shifted, becoming more grave. his gaze swept over minos''s group, appraising them anew. he pondered the extent of their power growth, not overlooking the six formidable helpers accompanying them.


    a weighty question hung in the air: was it prudent to involve minos and his notoriously aggressive approach in these delicate matters? this was the crux of the dilemma tiolos grappled with as he planned his response to his superior.

 Chapter 2799 The Results of Almost 5 Decades (3)

    chapter 2799  the results of almost 5 decades (3) "no, i can manage these issues, given sufficient time," tiolos responded after careful consideration.


    the challenges weren''t so insurmountable that he''d need to invoke minos'' intervention. while he might not match minos'' efficiency in handling such matters, tiolos was confident in his own methods. he believed he could potentially achieve even better results than his white-haired, seraph-winged colleague.


    ''minos'' involvement would likely spark conflict,'' tiolos mused. ''i, however, can leverage the influence generated by his display of power to navigate the political landscape. i can certainly reach accords with our rivals by demonstrating our current strength.''


    he noted minos'' approving gaze with satisfaction.


    minos discerned the confidence in tiolos'' eyes, recognizing his reluctance to resort to the guild''s ultimate weapon. in a way, minos'' notorious reputation had prompted this reaction, but he felt no shame. his methods, while aggressive, were undeniably effective.


    however, minos was eager to witness results beyond his own handiwork. he didn''t press the issue, instead steering the conversation towards the guild''s progress. "take the time you need to address these issues in hilltop city. we''ll leave these six individuals to assist you. just exercise prudence in their deployment.


    now then, you mentioned the guild''s growth. i''m keen to hear more about our expansion."


    tiolos glanced at the six level 124 supremes, surprised by minos'' willingness to leave such formidable cultivators behind. typically, powerhouses of this caliber were stationed at headquarters to safeguard against the myriad enemy forces that proliferated in uzira.


    ''minos always has an ace up his sleeve,'' tiolos reflected, a mixture of excitement and anxiety quickening his pulse. ''these six are likely just the tip of the iceberg in terms of his current resources.'' he found himself both curious and apprehensive about the future implications of this group''s return.


    "well, the sect has flourished as well as circumstances allow," tiolos began. "we''ve adhered to our recruitment strategies, bringing our current membership to 2,000. of those, 1,500 are outer members. we''ve already seen our first local recruits advance to become junior officers among the outer ranks, with the more seasoned members now holding intermediate officer positions.


    "in terms of power distribution, over 90% of our current roster comprises sovereigns. however, we''ve attracted a handful of low-level supremes to our ranks. they''re all currently stationed at our hidden outpost."


    tiolos paused, allowing minos to absorb this information. the guild''s growth was impressive, but he knew that in the grand scheme of uzira''s power dynamics, they were still a relatively minor player. the addition of minos and his group, however, could shift that balance.


    "regarding our veteran members," tiolos continued, "i''m pleased to report that we haven''t lost anyone, if that''s a concern. while none have made significant advancements over the years, they''re all diligently honing their skills. despite the opportunities this continent offers, our limitations have made substantial improvements within mere decades challenging."


    abby, her interest piqued, asked, "what about the broader situation in hilltop city? you mentioned some friction with local forces. is there more to the story?"


    tiolos nodded, his expression brightening. "indeed, we''ve made considerable strides locally, as evidenced by our expanded outpost. we''ve invested in advanced space formations, bolstered our local influence, and begun exercising some of our previously dormant rights."


    he paused, allowing a hint of pride to color his voice. "in essence, the guild is experiencing growth across all fronts locally¡ªsize, influence, and power. i project that within a few more decades, possibly sooner than anticipated, we''ll possess bargaining power comparable to that of hilltop city''s leading factions."


    tiolos'' eyes gleamed with satisfaction. his cultivation journey in oqia had largely been a solitary endeavor. the opportunity to collaborate with minos'' group and build something of significance held immense value for him.


    "that''s encouraging news," minos remarked, his tone reflecting genuine pleasure at the group''s development.


    it had been his mission to develop the armhands outpost in uzira. now, all indicators suggested that even without his direct intervention, the guild was on track to establish itself as one of hilltop city''s formidable powers. he recognized that his most significant contributions to the guild''s future lay in resurrecting the old first elder and aiding mylecent on her journey.


    ruth inquired, "have we received any news from oqia?"


    tiolos shook his head. "not yet. however, we''ve laid the groundwork for future communication. soon, we''ll be able to transmit message fragments to the continent.


    given the complexities involved, it may take five to ten years for a complete message cycle¡ªsending and receiving a reply. nevertheless, this is the best we can achieve under current circumstances."


    the ability to exchange information without dispatching personnel back and forth between continents represented a significant advancement, one that justified the investment in this communication model.


    minos nodded approvingly. "that''s promising. however, the time is approaching for one of our groups to return to oqia to proceed with our plans."


    tiolos'' eyes narrowed, surprise evident in his expression. "i thought we''d only initiate that phase once the black liquid had facilitated the development of a celestial."


    "that was the original plan," minos conceded, his tone grave. "but circumstances cause a change.


    there are complications related to our augmented strength that you may not fully comprehend, but their repercussions demand immediate attention.


    we must speed up our plans and set aside that requirement. transforming an undead into a celestial is a formidable challenge, even given our current capabilities. we face the risk that the worst consequences of what i''ve alluded to may manifest before we achieve such a feat."


    abby could easily master celestial-level corpses in hell, especially with minos'' assistance. however, uzira''s environment had weakened her, limiting her to the 12th stage in her current condition.


    tiolos exhaled deeply, resignation evident in his voice. "sigh! if you''re prepared to take this risk, then i''m on board." his agreement came reluctantly.  s§×arch* the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    minos rose from his seat, his wives following suit. "that concludes our discussion for now. we''ll remain in the city for a couple of days to gather more intelligence about mylecent''s situation and continental developments. afterwards, we''ll proceed to the guild''s hidden outpost."


    his gaze fixed on tiolos, emphasizing his next words. "prepare for the plans i''ve outlined. they''ll begin unfolding within months at the latest."


    "understood," tiolos nodded. "i''ll do my utmost from here in hilltop city."


    minos and his women departed from the guild''s local post, leaving behind their six level 124 supremes to acclimate to their temporary post.


    these hell lifelings possessed longevity comparable to ordinary living beings of their level, negating the need for specialized preservation methods like black coffins. they could seamlessly integrate as ordinary cultivators.


    before leaving, minos issued a clear directive to the supremes: obey tiolos in his absence. with that, he set off to find a place to rest for the day.


    the group''s recent journey had been arduous, and they now required time to process the information that would naturally come to them over the next few days. they retired to rest in each other''s company, knowing that soon they would need to resume their complex machinations.

 Chapter 2800 Next Steps

    chapter 2800  next steps after spending several restorative hours together, minos and his wives felt considerably refreshed, the tension from their years in hell and hasty return to the mainland finally beginning to ease.


    their period of rest had been punctuated by a steady stream of visitors¡ªvarious hilltop city leaders seeking an audience with the enigmatic head of armhands in uzira. each visitor arrived with their own agenda, eager to establish connections and negotiate potential dealings.


    though armhands hadn''t yet achieved major prominence in the local hierarchy, its association with mylecent had secured its official entry into the city¡ªa fact well-known among the local powers. minos and his companions'' dramatic arrival the previous day had transformed even the most skeptical observers into believers that there was more to this group than was initially apparent.


    despite his natural aversion to such diplomatic engagements, minos strategically accepted several meeting requests. he and his wives divided the audiences among themselves, efficiently gathering intelligence about what each faction could offer and at what cost.


    by mid-afternoon of their second day in hilltop city, the group reconvened to synthesize their findings. as they shared their newly acquired information, a clearer, albeit troubling, picture of mylecent''s situation and the continental political landscape emerged.


    the news regarding mylecent was grim, to say the least. not only had her rebel faction suffered multiple defeats and been forced underground, but she now found herself hunted by a formidable level 125 celestial.


    according to merchant sources, the tide had turned decisively against the rebels after a key member of mylecent''s inner circle fell victim to a curse cast by someone within the royal family. since that pivotal moment, the rebel movement had experienced an almost unbroken string of setbacks.


    while minos and his group treated the intelligence with cautious skepticism, they couldn''t dismiss the underlying cause for concern.


    the broader continental situation remained relatively stable, if predictably chaotic. the royal family persisted in their dual crusade¡ªhunting down unauthorized necromancers while simultaneously pursuing uziran invaders. bounty-related skirmishes erupted across all corners of the continent, making travel even more perilous than in previous years.


    fortunately, uzira''s tumultuous state had a minimal impact on the guild''s operations, largely due to minos'' foresight in establishing a secluded outpost where most members remained safely secluded.


    beyond these broad strokes, no other significant intelligence reached the four humans'' ears. they did, however, succeed in negotiating several helpful arrangements for the guild before proceeding to their meeting with tiolos and his selected introductions.


    having accomplished their immediate objectives in hilltop city, the quartet departed early the following morning, heading for where the over 290 high-level individuals of the 12th stage should wait for them.


    however, the journey to reunite with these hell lifelings proved far more treacherous than their earlier separation. as they traversed the mountain path alone, the relative quiet of their journey was shattered by an ambush. bounty hunters, having caught wind of their presence, seized the opportunity to strike.


    unfortunately for the bounty hunters, the enemy group was already so strong that only a very high number of high-level supremes or a celestial could put them in danger!


    ...


    several days of travel later, traveling without the use of wormholes, minos, and his formidable contingent of hundreds of supremes arrived at the fjord concealing armhands'' hidden outpost.


    amidst a desolate landscape devoid of visible life for kilometers in every direction, they located the guild''s hidden entrance portal¡ªa gateway accessible only to those privy to its secrets.


    minos, leading the vanguard, crossed the threshold into the subterranean complex. as they traversed the final series of walls and protective formations, the true heart of the guild''s inner sanctum revealed itself.


    the sight that greeted minos was at once familiar and transformed. the physical structures remained unchanged from decades past, a testament to the guild''s thorough initial development. however, the atmosphere pulsed with a vitality absent during their departure for the awakening peak so long ago.


    the once-quiet halls now teemed with life, the bustle of activity a tangible reminder of the outpost''s evolution into a nexus of a burgeoning power. the contrast was stark and invigorating.


    minos observed the guards'' reactions with keen interest. their expressions flickered between awe and alarm as they beheld this unprecedented influx of strangers¡ªindividuals whose combined might dwarfed the entire outpost''s defensive capabilities.


    minos didn''t frighten them for long. carrying with him the sign of the commander of this guild post, he took the pressure off those guards'' shoulders, making them kneel in front of him in recognition of his stature.  s§×ar?h the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "welcome back, commander minos!" a chorus of twenty voices greeted him as minos crossed the last barrier, passing through the entrance gate into the heart of his domain.


    acknowledging the guards with a curt nod, minos strode towards the inner sanctum of the outpost. his mind raced with the myriad tasks awaiting his attention, each a critical component of the complex machinations he had set in motion.


    now firmly ensconced in his seat of power, minos'' priorities crystallized. his immediate focus: preparing the expedition back to oqia. the first order of business would be to summon the navigator diret, followed swiftly by the momentous task of resurrecting the old first elder juma.


    after a brief but thorough briefing on the outpost''s current status, minos intended to launch these two pivotal initiatives without delay. his timeline was ambitious¡ªwithin a week, he aimed to be traversing the continent, extending a lifeline to the beleaguered mylecent. following that, he would set his sights on the violent sea, pursuing the tantalizing lead provided by devdar regarding a true celestial''s body part.


    ''time is of the essence,'' minos mused, his resolve hardening. ''the power struggle in uzira, the hunt for this invaluable artifact, competitors vying for the true celestial''s legacy nipping at my heels, and the looming threat of qhava''s pursuit¡ªall converge at this critical juncture. this is the crucible where my fate will be decided, where i''ll either meet my end or finally grasp the pinnacle i''ve sought throughout this extraordinary journey.''


    pausing to address his assembled men, minos'' voice rang out with authority and promise, "well done, people. i have returned. now, we stand on the precipice of achieving what even the elders of our sect never dared dream possible in such a brief span.


    we are about to take that final, decisive step!"

 Chapter 2801 The Return of the Elder

    chapter 2801  the return of the elder minos and his wives swiftly assimilated the current state of affairs at the guild''s clandestine outpost in uzira.


    the briefing was concise, as tiolos had already conveyed most of the crucial information. they were primarily updated on the status and positions of the original surviving members from the cursed rock escape.


    most of these veteran guild members were operating within the confines of the outpost, while a select few were engaged in missions across the continent. minos and his wives received brief reports on these ongoing operations, filing away the information for future reference.


    within a remarkably short span of less than 12 hours at the force''s continental headquarters, minos began issuing directives. he strategically positioned his high-level supremes throughout the headquarters, assigning them to roles that aligned perfectly with their individual powers and personality profiles.  s§×arch* the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the hell lifelings, beings brought to life by the four humans, shared an intrinsic connection with their creators. this profound bond allowed minos and his wives to possess an intimate understanding of each being''s capabilities and potential. consequently, minos''s orders were the result of brief yet intensely focused discussions with his wives, swiftly determining the optimal direction for each hell lifeling.


    over half of the group was designated to remain at the guild post, their mission to foster the continued development of armhands on the continent. these individuals were assigned to various internal positions within the headquarters, tasked with educating new disciples across diverse fields. their responsibilities ranged from training alchemists and blacksmiths to serving as combat instructors and teachers of ancient history.


    a specialized group of hell lifelings was charged with a unique and critical task: harvesting the collective memories of their brethren and compiling this vast knowledge into comprehensive tomes.


    these books would serve as invaluable resources for force members, offering insights into pivotal historical events not just from the continent''s past, but from this world and even other realms across the universe.


    many of these hell lifelings were foreigners, after all.


    when this was finished, minos gathered with his wives for the decisive moment of their current objectives. they allowed the presence of the guild''s generals and settled down on the outskirts of a platform, where the coffin of the old first elder juma was already positioned, its lid open, revealing the remains unconsumed by the passage of time.


    old juma had been at the pinnacle of level 122 when death claimed him. for abby, with her newfound abilities, his resurrection would be easy.


    abby positioned herself near the elder''s obsidian urn, her energies beginning to circulate through his ebony crown. as she channeled her powers, the very essence of a devil manifested in this corner of armhands'' domain.


    those unaware of the extent of abby''s current capabilities felt an involuntary shudder course through their bodies. some even experienced a palpable suppression, as if the very air around them had grown heavy with otherworldly power.


    minos cleverly guided his wife. under his expert direction, abby''s cultivation surged even higher, cresting at level 124. this sent another wave of awe¡ªand fear¡ªthrough the onlookers, with individuals like leger visibly unnerved by the spectacle unfolding before them.


    a swirling mist, its hue a mesmerizing blend of blue and black, enshrouded old juma''s remains. it seemed to beckon to unseen forces, drawing both arcane laws and vast quantities of energy towards the lifeless body.


    behind abby, a wheel of dark energy materialized¡ªa perfect replica of the reincarnation wheel. to the uninitiated, it might have appeared as merely an intricate, mystical construct. but to those who had glimpsed the realms of hell, its true nature was unmistakable.


    something left the dark wheel behind abby¡ªa spark that those watching recognized as special. this spark entered the body, covered in blue and black energy, and soon afterward, an aura appeared out of nowhere, accompanied by a glow reminiscent of a star''s explosion.


    one of the scholars present saw this and his eyes widened as he stood up. "creation of life!" he exclaimed, pointing toward abby and her magical ritual.


    "they say that when a sperm fertilizes an ovum, a soul is born, and a luminous effect forms around the ovum¡ªa sign of the origin of life and intelligent consciousness unique to its structure," the man added in shock, witnessing what he had thought impossible just moments ago.


    minos and his wives listened to their group''s expert in silence, storing the information away in their memories. they understood how his powers worked, but they couldn''t explain certain parts of the reactions his powers could provoke. hearing the man''s impressed words helped them subtly.


    while some of the guild members chatted in low voices, something began to move in juma''s coffin, drawing most of their attention in anticipation.


    then, just two minutes after abby''s ritual had begun, she dimmed her powers slightly as a hand emerged from the coffin, pointing at the old man.


    juma revealed himself entirely, causing some of the people who already knew him to be stunned by how similar his current appearance was to when he was alive.


    the major difference in juma''s appearance was that he now looked a little younger and more energetic. otherwise, even his clothes were identical to when he was last in the guild!


    "where am i?" his hoarse voice echoed in the void, as a kaleidoscope of memories¡ªboth his own and newly imprinted information¡ªflashed before his eyes in a matter of seconds.


    with startling clarity, he recalled sacrificing himself for the guild''s greater good. he had unleashed his flashdrain parasite and perished in combat, dealing a crippling blow to a rival.


    "that¡­ that aura." he scanned his surroundings, his gaze settling on minos and abby standing behind him. he instantly recognized the young armhands members who had once vowed to revolutionize the guild.


    even if abby hadn''t imprinted new information on his memory, juma would understand this situation when he felt the difference in the powers of these two compared to how they were back then.


    "i see¡­ how many centuries have passed? are the other elders still alive?" he hadn''t immediately realized he was in uzira, but he was about to find out as he scanned his surroundings.


    abby stepped forward, offering a respectful gesture of greeting to the first elder, who was currently revealing a cultivation of level 123, not just level 122 when he was alive!


    "elder," abby began, his voice tinged with reverence, "we''re in uzira, carrying out the mission the supreme leader assigned us back then. as far as we know, the other elders are faring well. however, we''ve been absent from oqia for decades, so their current status is uncertain."


    juma, sharp as ever, didn''t miss a beat. "decades?" he questioned, his brow furrowing. "you''ve ascended to the middle level of the 12th stage in mere decades?"


    even after sacrificing himself, he had only unlocked his previous bottleneck to be at level 123 now. how had these two become such strong supremes in mere decades?

 Chapter 2802 Leaving for a Rescue

    chapter 2802  leaving for a rescue minos shot the elder an amused glance as he gave abby''s shoulder a reassuring squeeze.


    "elder," minos began, his tone a mix of respect and casual familiarity, "i believe we''ve weathered a series of life-or-death challenges that have molded us into who we are today. we''ve had our fair share of both fortune and misfortune, in just the right proportions, i''d say."


    juma''s gaze shifted to minos, vivid memories flooding back. he clearly recalled how this young man''s exceptional skills had amplified the abilities of abby and many guild warriors during the grueling war against firestone mines.


    "general minos¡­" juma said, a hint of nostalgia in his voice.


    "actually, it''s commander now¡ªuzira''s post chief commander, to be precise," he corrected the elder, who he sought not because of raw power, but because the man was an elder on the guild council, a high level supreme who knew all about armhands and how to lead their efforts in uzira.


    minos'' loyalty to armhands was, at its core, a reflection of his vested interests. it provided a nurturing environment for his family and fellow spiritual world members to flourish. now that he reaped benefits on par with the guild leaders themselves, he treated armhands as if it were his own brainchild, genuinely wishing for its prosperity.


    having juma at uzira headquarters would be the perfect catalyst for minos to launch his more ambitious schemes. it would allow the guild to grow organically, building upon the foundation he had already helped establish.


    "chief commander¡­" juma mused, a hint of admiration in his voice. "i suppose that title suits you better. i imagine you''ve now surpassed even the supreme leader in strength.


    juma hadn''t forgotten minos''s incredible capabilities when he was merely a sovereign. now, at level 121, the man before him was undoubtedly the guild''s most formidable force!


    "what exactly do you expect of me?" juma inquired, his form shimmering with curiosity. "and what precisely is my current state? i recall that the reports regarding the undead didn''t describe conditions similar to mine. i feel almost¡­ alive." his voice trailed off, tinged with wonder and perplexity.


    abby stepped forward, ready to illuminate the situation, while others in the vicinity watched in reverent silence. they were visibly elated to have someone of juma''s caliber back in their ranks.


    even if juma''s raw power didn''t match minos'', his vast repository of knowledge was unparalleled. he possessed an advanced understanding of many languages, intricate strategies, and the histories of various worlds. this versatility made him an invaluable asset, easily adaptable to become a potent weapon in his current form.


    moreover, juma''s ability to maintain a constant presence at headquarters could potentially yield even greater practical results for the guild than minos''s occasional interventions.


    as juma listened intently, the blue-haired woman explained his unique situation. in his current state, he could exist for centuries, possibly even longer if he elevated his cultivation to level 124. she said that she could help him as she grew stronger, but that the progress he honed would be much better than any help from her.


    she also revealed a crucial difference between him and the undead she had created during the war against firestone mines: unlike them, juma kept the possibility of reincarnation should he perish again.


    "¡­ in essence, elder, your role will be to lead this outpost in our absence," abby concluded her explanation. "we''ll be away from headquarters more often than not, so the day-to-day operations of the guild will fall under your purview."


    "where are you headed?" juma accepted the mission without hesitation, but curiosity tinged his voice. while he refrained from inquiring about the source of their remarkable advancements, his desire to learn more about the plans of such an impressive group was palpable.


    minos stepped in to answer. "we''re going to pave the way for our entry into the upper realm." his response, though metaphorical, held a profound truth.


    their goal was nothing short of extraordinary: to escape the confines of qhava, reach the pinnacle of level 125, and shed the shackles of mortality. in doing so, they would inevitably ascend to the upper realm!


    minos and his wives were still grappling with the challenge of how to ensure abby''s entry into the upper realm alongside them, but their determination to find a solution was unwavering.


    juma absorbed these grand ambitions, his form seeming to flicker with a mix of admiration and nostalgia. he recalled his own life''s goal, and a wistful sigh escaped him as he realized that, for the first time in his existence, he stood at the helm of a group truly capable of blazing a trail to the upper realm for armhands'' members.


    "i wish you the best of fortune in your endeavor," he said, his words resonating with sincerity. then, his tone shifted to one of practical concern. "but where do you intend to begin? and what of our comrades in oqia?


    gloria was the one who answered these questions. "we''ve already got men on the move and in a few weeks, we''ll send a team of high-level supremes to oqia to update the guild and bring in new members after our group leaves on the previous journey here."


    this response exceeded juma''s expectations.


    "in a matter of days, we''ll initiate our operations to secure growth opportunities for the guild across the continent. our primary target is mylecent, a rebel with royal uzirian blood coursing through her veins. with her allegiance, we''ll cement armhands'' position in these lands." he concluded, revealing the last piece of information he was willing to divulge to juma.


    the group of high-level supremes not stationed within headquarters would be tasked with these two crucial missions: escorting the oqia-bound group and taking part in the continental power struggle ignited by mylecent.


    "i understand," juma responded. "chief commander, you can rest assured of my position. i will support these plans wholeheartedly and do everything in my power to fortify the guild during your absence." his words carried the weight of an oath.


    minos nodded approvingly, though not surprised. he expected nothing less from juma, a man who had proven capable of the ultimate sacrifice for the guild''s welfare.  s§×arch* the n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "take the time you need to acclimate to your new circumstances and familiarize yourself with the continent," minos advised. "we''ve established several divisions at this outpost, all working tirelessly to ensure a smooth and swift adaptation for those arriving from oqia."


    heeding minos''s suggestion, juma expressed his gratitude with a respectful nod. he then glided towards some familiar faces in the vicinity, eager to reconnect and gather insights before delving deeper into his study of uzira.


    minos stood shoulder to shoulder with his wives, their gazes fixed on juma''s retreating form. the elder''s white-haired, seemingly benign appearance belied his true significance. juma''s resurrection marked a crucial milestone for all of them, paving the way for their next ambitious moves.


    "we''ll give him time to acclimatize to uzira and get a firm grasp on the operations here," minos murmured to his wives, his voice barely above a whisper. "once he demonstrates he can manage the guild independently, we''ll make our move."

 Chapter 2803 Interruption

    chapter 2803  interruption the days passed quickly after juma''s resurrection.


    the first elder showed why he had held one of the most prominent positions in the guild and remained in his post longer than anyone else in the guild''s history.


    juma was absolutely excellent!


    the man adapted to the circumstances he was in, learning about the situation on the continent, the guild, and the force''s already developing plans. he began giving orders in the same direction as minos, making internal corrections at headquarters and at the post in hilltop city.


    minos liked what he saw, sensing a freshness coming from a mind that was new to them, but very experienced and knowledgeable, competent enough to show them some interesting strategies for getting to their goals faster, without too many detours along the way.


    this gave minos more confidence to go ahead with his plans and leave the post in uzira permanently in juma''s hands.


    the old first elder''s accelerated adaptation brought minos'' group to the present moment, when they said goodbye to those who would be left behind in the underground post.


    moving forward along the same path they had entered the area a few days ago, the four humans from the spiritual world left the area, reappearing near the fjord where the guild post was hidden.


    over 60% of their 290 high-level supremes remained at the headquarters, while a group of 15 individuals was traveling in search of the ship commanded by diret, to the east of the island.


    with minos and his wives was a group of 12 high-level supremes, each dressed in black hoods and masks on their humanoid faces. none of them were human, but they kept these body shapes so as not to attract attention during non-combat moments.


    the rest of the 290 high-level warriors would be stationed around the eastern region to help rebels and move to assist mylecent in the future.


    minos waved to his group, also dressed in the same black hood that his women and those hell lifelings were wearing.


    they flew off towards their destination: mylecent!  s~ea??h the n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    having mylecent''s probable location in hand, minos, and his people traveled in the right direction for a few days, quickly getting closer to where she was.


    for the four of them who had been in hell for years, the days of travel since leaving their companions at the guild post had been quick and easy. but how could it not be? hell was extremely dull when one wasn''t fighting deadly battles. given the vastness of that dimension and the lack of good scenery, traveling there was a challenge for cultivators.


    uzira was the complete opposite of the spectrum, being a place of beautiful landscapes, constant appearances of special phenomena, and creatures of the most varied shapes and powers.


    just a few days were enough for minos and his wives to see some battles, the movement of unusual legendary creatures and various powerful areas of the continent.


    they didn''t fear the influence of the royal family and entered the western domains, passing close to cities on their way to mylecent.


    mylecent was bold. it had chosen a terribly dangerous place to have its headquarters.


    the largest and most powerful city on the continent, the capital of the kingdom!


    minos didn''t know if this fact was genius or proof of the woman''s madness, but he went ahead anyway, finally arriving near the place late this afternoon.


    the rosy sky of zocarro invited them to the great and powerful capital of the kingdom, where there were large statues that could be seen from dozens of kilometers away.


    abby saw the great double statue of a human and a horse facing each other on the horizon and slowed her steps.


    "we''re close," she said, almost with a sigh, her voice merging with the sound of the surrounding winds.


    "how are we going to do this? can you tell me again?" ruth asked jokingly, remembering what she had heard from minos on the way there.


    his plan involved passing in front of the monarchs of uzira and saving mylecent from the reach of a celestial!


    the stakes were so high that even with bigger problems on their minds, they couldn''t help but hesitate.


    however, as gloria and abby looked at ruth with the same sighing look on their faces, minos suddenly stopped, surprise showing on his face.


    "i didn''t expect that just now." he said, while the three of them, as well as the 12 high-level supremes, wondered what he could be thinking.


    "what?" abby asked, aware that her husband was a few moments in their future, so he knew of things that would affect them, but that were yet to happen.


    "a competitor of mine is going to attack us. he wants to steal my true celestial body parts." minos got straight to the point as he looked in the direction of where the enemy would emerge and attack them.


    abby, gloria, and ruth already knew all about the competition for devdar''s inheritance and everything related to it. they''d had enough experiences since minos started this inheritance to learn about the truth of things, including the competitors who survived the penultimate phase of the selection.


    "is that going to be a problem?" gloria asked in a serious tone, aware that minos'' competitors might have undergone time passages different from theirs and already be at a higher level than hers.


    while minos was impressive at level 121, all the competitors of devdar''s heritage were special and should not be underestimated.


    minos surrounded his body with energy, taking a few steps forward while narrowing his eyes, seeing in real time the opening of a spatial tear, from which, in milliseconds, an old man with a shaved head would emerge.


    "odger, you made me wait long enough." minos began, revealing a smile on his lips. "but i''m grateful that you brought me your four parts of a true celestial!" he said, recognizing the current situation of this man who was currently at level 123!


    the newly arrived fellow, attacking with a blade in minos'' direction, was surprised to find his target at a much higher level than he had expected, but also very confident of the development of this situation.


    he had, however, made a lot of progress and had already managed to take down one of the other nine contenders for devdar''s inheritance.


    "let''s see who gives their parts to whom!" he said as he went ahead with his attack!

 Chapter 2804 Parts of a True Celestial

    chapter 2804  parts of a true celestial the blind, hairless adversary launched his assault on minos with terrifying precision, his weapon slicing through the air. as he attacked, black lines and arcane symbols coalesced around him, weaving a unique and formidable domain.


    minos felt the surrounding area become impenetrable, as if the moment his opponent arrived, this space had transformed into the blind alien''s personal dimension.


    impressed by his enemy''s display of power, minos recognized it as a likely manifestation of the four true celestial body parts fueling the alien''s abilities.


    despite his own mastery over dimensional manipulation and profound understanding of time and space, minos knew he couldn''t break his opponent''s hold. yet, this didn''t overly concern him. being trapped in the same environment as his enemy wasn''t necessarily a death sentence.


    a smile playing on his lips, minos activated his own powers, commanding the 12 high-level supremes to form a protective formation around abby, gloria, and ruth. instantly, his cultivation surged to the zenith of level 124, a fact that didn''t surprise his attacker in the least.  sea??h th§× novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    however, as the blind man''s weapon descended, poised to cleave minos in two, the newly-arrived alien''s expression shifted to one of surprise.


    his opponent had parried the lethal strike with a single hand.


    silver and obsidian flames erupted from minos'' hand, morphing it into a muscular dragon appendage. simultaneously, a crown and cloak of darkness materialized around his form.


    the nautilus'' compass sprang to life, illuminating potential attack vectors. minos selected his target, focusing on a lethal strike aimed at his enemy''s heart.


    his six wings ignited in a spectacular conflagration as a vortex of energy before him coalesced into a golden sword. its hilt, fashioned in the shape of a dragon, emerged from a spatial rift.


    "i parried your move," minos quipped. "now let''s see you handle mine." with blinding speed, he launched the newly-formed weapon, its elongated blade wreathed in flames and etched with obsidian inscriptions.


    though sightless, the blind man''s heightened senses detected every fluctuation of power and mass in his vicinity. he instantly recognized the attack as one befitting a celestial!


    even within the core of his domain, color drained from his face. instinctively, he moved to erect defensive barriers while his body underwent a rapid transformation to bolster its resilience.


    what he failed to anticipate was the synchronized assault from the 12 high-level supremes and minos'' three female companions. their combined might, nearly matching his own, crashed against him from multiple angles.


    "damn it!" he cursed, feeling overwhelmed as attacks battered him from all sides. meanwhile, minos'' weapon cleaved through space like a bolt of divine lightning, homing in on the center of the blind man''s being.


    time seemed to pass differently for him and his opponents. for artor, each moment stretched interminably, while his adversaries moved with uncanny swiftness, bolstered by the temporal sands at their disposal.


    "you shouldn''t have come alone," minos declared with finality. "now, kindly leave your parts for my group''s advancement." he added, almost as an afterthought, "that was timely help, artor."


    artor''s layered energy barriers crumbled in rapid succession, shattering like delicate glass panes before the most formidable of blades.


    minos'' weapon found its mark, piercing artor''s pallid form with chilling ease, sinking deep into his chest.


    silver and obsidian flames engulfed the alien''s body, eliciting a blood-curdling shriek of horror. amidst this, a wheel of dark energy materialized above artor, as minos channeled his devil powers.


    though not truly a devil himself, minos'' current might and his dominion over hell powers positioned him as a formidable contender for devilhood.


    artor never stood a chance against minos. his delayed arrival in uzira had cost him the opportunity to eliminate an opponent who, without the infernal crown, would have been far more vulnerable.


    as artor''s essence was drawn into the reincarnation wheel, any chance of his soul lingering as a vengeful entity to haunt minos'' group in the future was utterly obliterated.


    amid this, artor''s body disintegrated under minos'' ability, revealing four extraordinary artifacts that even minos'' powers couldn''t consume.


    first, a crimson crystal heart, reminiscent of minos'' own. second, a silver needle emerged from one of the bones in artor''s left hand. third, a mark adorned with intricate designs materialized from his head. lastly, a breastplate appeared, replacing artor''s ribs, its massive form inscribed with various symbols and surrounded by a luminous halo.


    minos and his companions gazed upon these four exceptional components that had propelled artor to level 123 and enabled him to construct a domain even minos couldn''t escape.


    artor''s downfall stemmed from inadequate preparation against an enemy with mastery over death and an overwhelming reservoir of energy. had it not been for these factors, he would have ensnared and annihilated every member of minos'' group.


    minos'' group calmed down as the four special parts that would make even celestials kill themselves fell into the hands of minos, who quickly opened his own domain in this area to prevent the magical fluctuation of these essences from escaping into the surroundings.


    the group found themselves in a new dimension when minos got straight to the point with his words, "we have to quickly absorb these body parts of true celestials." he directed his women to three of the four parts he had just obtained.


    if he wanted to, minos could absorb two of them. that was his limit, since he already had two parts in his head and could no longer absorb a third there, and he also already had a heart. but he felt it made more sense to let his women have the chance to absorb one essence each and strengthen themselves with new powers and a chance of level promotion.


    for abby, minos directed the chest armor that would take the place of her ribs, a part that he knew would greatly increase her defensive capabilities. since she was a necromancer, strengthening her defense was one of the main measures to ensure her future, since close combat wasn''t her strong suit.


    as for ruth, who could heal herself and had great combat strength, minos gave her the heart that would elevate all her combat prowess and senses. gloria got the black mask, which he thought would go well with her crown powers and also add new possibilities to her mercury domain.


    minos claimed the needle, destined to replace one of his hand bones.


    "be quick," he urged. "i''m uncertain if i''ve fully contained the spiritual fluctuations of these components. we must prepare for potential 13th stage adversaries!"

 Chapter 2805 Final Evolution

    chapter 2805  final evolution minos was the first to begin his integration and, as expected, he was the fastest of his group to finish the process.


    having done something similar other times in the past, he connected the silver needle with golden inscriptions in place of one of the bones in one of his hands, gaining a lot in the process.


    the body part of a true celestial integrated perfectly with minos, causing his cultivation to rise to the peak of level 121. even though he wasn''t able to break through his current limit, he reached the peak of that level, one step away from becoming a true level 122 cultivator.


    in addition to the improvement in terms of spiritual power, minos'' main gain was a new skill, as well as the strengthening of the incorruptible heart, nautilus'' compass, and infernal crown skills.


    his previous powers strengthened to the point of practically doubling their qualities, while he acquired a new power, one related to attacking. the needle he absorbed basically strengthened minos'' entire body to a whole new level, something that would make even celestial dragons envious of him.


    but besides minos'' current physical strength, quality, and endurance, he had got an ability capable of creating weapons with the same characteristics as his body.


    as minos emerged from his brief meditation, he toyed with his newly acquired power. with a subtle movement of his fingers, diminutive silver spheres materialized around him, arranging themselves in intricate patterns. at his silent command, they vanished from their original positions, reappearing at his designated target. in their wake, they left a trail of flames, earthen upheaval, and utter destruction.


    the sheer velocity and potency of this ability caught even minos off guard, exceeding his initial expectations.


    "that¡­" he began, realizing the potential danger to his companions. without hesitation, he sprang into action.


    channeling a massive surge of energy, an enormous hourglass materialized behind him as he manipulated the flow of time to suit his needs.


    the 12 observing corpses gaped in astonishment as they witnessed time rewinding for minos'' women and the area ravaged by the silver arrows.


    each projectile retraced its path, returning to its point of origin. as the temporal reversal concluded, minos beckoned his creations to coalesce in his palm.


    this time, he exercised far greater caution to avoid unintended destruction¡­


    ''wonderful!'' he mused. ''at first glance, it seems unremarkable. in fact, it bears a striking resemblance to gloria''s mercury ability¡­'' a twinge of regret passed through him, wishing he could have given this artifact to his red-haired wife instead.


    as much as he could have given gloria the needle and the mask, he didn''t, and he didn''t regret it. he was just a bit unhappy about the fact that they hadn''t been more fortunate to get more items compatible with him.


    but he needed to absorb as many body parts of true celestials as possible or he''d be in trouble. as such, after a moment, minos put his frustrations aside, appreciating the power of his new component.


    ''i''ll probably advance to level 123 when i get my next true celestial body part.''


    as he thought about the future, abby opened her eyes after finishing absorbing the chest armor.


    unlike minos, abby had advanced one level stronger, reaching level 122, maintaining the advantage in terms of cultivation that she had achieved against him in their time in hell.


    as well as improving her powers, she also got a skill, strengthened an old ability and, perhaps most importantly, advanced her physique to the celestial grade!


    apart from ruth, none of the other women of minos had reached the celestial grade so far. but after absorbing the second part of a true celestial herself, abby completed all the missing requirements, immediately feeling her innate ability regarding nerve control, rise to a new level.


    ''that feeling...'' she frowned, seeing that she could do much more than use her ability to reduce pain, to inhibit certain impulses, to stimulate other impulses in her targets. she felt she could control one to such an extent that temporarily making them stronger wouldn''t be impossible.


    she used two of her hell lifelings as guinea pigs, making one of them feel a neural change that made him feel different, while the other continued without any help. by making the two sides face each other, abby, and minos saw how the side helped by her, even though it was one level weaker than the other, quickly gained the upper hand in the fight, forcing the opponent into a passive situation.


    "that was impressive," minos said as he approached his level 122 wife. "with a skill like that, we''ll be able to make our soldiers fight at even higher levels. is there a problem with this skill?"


    "no. the only problem is that it lasts as long as the temporary strength enhancements you''re able to give your targets." abby quickly assessed her own ability. "but that''s a power that can stack with other support skills, like yours." she said suggestively.


    "that''s good to know." he smiled at her.


    "apart from that, i''ve gained a defensive skill. as much as it''s focused on protecting my body, i can project defensive shields in front of my targets." she gestured towards her chest, where her ribs had given way to the body part she had absorbed.  s§×ar?h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "that''s great. this will be crucial if we are to escape from qhava and the other devils. what level of protection do these shields have now?" he asked her.


    "it must be the peak of the 12th stage. maybe they can withstand a weak attack from someone newly promoted to the 13th stage."


    that was enough to impress even minos!


    the difference between celestials and supremes was gigantic, after all!


    as the two chatted about their improvements, ruth showed signs of finishing her absorption, leaving the signs of pain behind, while her strength rose exponentially.


    minos, in particular, felt exactly how much ruth had improved because of the connection between them originating from her crown.


    ruth opened her eyes at the beginning of level 121, with a new ability at her disposal, one different from the one minos had acquired with the incorruptible heart.


    instead of the incorruptible heart, ruth got the warrior core, which gave her an ability to fight beyond her limits, being able to maintain her peak condition, even with mortal damage.


    she was already at the celestial grade of her physique, so nothing changed about that. even so, all her skills, senses and methods improved, including her ability to help her companions with her regenerative power!

 Chapter 2806 End of Evolution

    chapter 2806  end of evolution when minos saw ruth move for the first time after absorbing the warrior core, he felt her speed reach the same level as his, which surprised even abby.


    as much as she was on a higher level than ruth and minos, abby didn''t have physical characteristics as powerful as those two. seeing ruth practically teleport from where she had stood to their side, the blue-haired girl opened her mouth and eyes wide in amazement.


    "that..."


    ruth smiled at the look on her harem sister''s face and explained. "my improvement was purely physical. it will obviously give me more power in all my skills and it has also propelled my physique to a slightly higher level. but the focus is on my ability to move, physical attacks, and physical endurance.


    my skin can now withstand much deadlier attacks than before and my regenerative factor will heal my wounds at a much faster rate. meanwhile, i''ll be able to fight, even with deadly damage to my body, and have a chance of surviving."


    minos said, "in a way, it''s like the last card in a decisive fight. instead of dying from a critical hit from the enemy, your special ability will come into play and you''ll still be at your best, even with the injury."


    ruth nodded when she heard her husband''s words. "what''s better, as i have an innate regeneration ability already of the celestial grade, i''ll be able to recover in time to save my life."


    "that''s impressive." abby smiled in happiness at her harem sister. "with something like that, you''ll become a maniac for brutal battles, ruth."


    ruth beamed as she nodded positively, feeling that this power would really make one crave brutal battles.


    "i believe that guy you killed was overwhelmed by the idea of becoming stronger through the warrior core," she said what she was feeling at that moment. "this ability to fight beyond your limits can be quite interesting if you''re able to survive. as soon as the warrior core user recovers from the deadly damage they''ve suffered, they''ll become stronger than they were before."


    "oh? it''s a good thing that bald man didn''t have your regenerative ability." abby sighed.


    minos agreed with his wife, aware that artor had withstood his initial attack and only died because of the various powers he used simultaneously.


    minos was not a merciful warrior. when he fought, he usually acted to end the fight as soon as possible, sometimes attacking with more than one ability capable of killing. he would destroy his opponents'' minds while targeting their physical vital points, removing their cultivation, pressuring them while cutting them, all under the time difference that he masterfully manipulated.  sear?h the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    if his target wasn''t too advanced in their own defensive methods, falling for him would be quick and easy. artor had almost well used his possibilities, but even with a strong defense, extreme offensive capabilities, and the ability to withstand serious injuries, he faltered against minos.


    but minos would never compare what artor had achieved with what he himself and his women had obtained. the infernal crown had contributed a lot to them, while him having a spiritual base as strong as that of a level 124 cultivator while only being at level 121 had made a big difference.


    when minos attacked the enemy with everything, with the support of 12 high-level supremes and his three women, he put the enemy in a very bad position, even for someone with several possibilities in his favor.


    "it''s impressive, but that guy didn''t have the base skills that we once had. unlike us, he hasn''t developed a method of turning techniques into skills and he only had three natural skills before he attacked us," minos explained to the two. "in the end, without my spiritual base, ruth''s magical recovery, and abby''s devil status, he fared badly when facing our group."


    skills were very important. as much as the body parts of true celestials were precious, for the group who had already reached the celestial grade and were close to the 13th stage, their own abilities were at levels close to what these body parts could offer their users.


    in minos'' case, as he was almost at the absolute grade, some of his abilities were even superior to those coming from true celestial parts!


    the two women chatted some more while they were on this verdant plain of the dimension created by minos, a place that was very reminiscent of the old black plain when they first gained their independence, a long time ago.


    gloria finally showed signs she was finishing absorbing the black mask from earlier, fusing it perfectly with her crown.


    just as had happened with abby, gloria had also finished her qualitative advance from her physique to the celestial grade, progressing her innate ability.


    the ground around her became mercury, with the elements placed there by minos transmuting under gloria''s subconscious influence, with her domain surging around her, threatening to advance against her husband''s dimension.


    her aura moved up a level, reaching the beginning of level 120 and moving on, quickly reaching the end of that level.


    she would not, however, advance two levels in one go. her cultivation stabilized at the end of level 120, as she stood up, revealing what looked like a black helmet on her face, something that completely covered her head, including her beautiful red hair.


    two other versions identical to her appeared, one on her left and one on her right. the power of the three was identical, while each had its own domain and subtly distinct markings.


    "oh?" minos looked through gloria''s new ability with his bright eyes and saw that the copies of his wife were almost perfect. the only thing they didn''t share with the original was the silver flames he had given her, the only thing she couldn''t copy.


    his flames were almost at the absolute grade, so naturally a true celestial''s body part wouldn''t generate a copy of that.


    gloria said, "the mask you gave me gives me the ability to reflect powers. but that enemy from earlier couldn''t make copies of himself. i could only do that because of my innate ability."


    "that explains why he trapped me in his domain in that battle." minos muttered.


    gloria spoke of her other abilities improved by this change brought about by the black mask, which included the transmutation of elements in her surroundings and a much stronger mastery than she had previously.


    the group celebrated each other''s improvements until minos felt they could return to their previous mission.


    "let''s move on. now we can better deal with the dangers of the capital."


    they moved on, leaving that temporary dimension to return to the previous point, near the city where mylecent was in trouble.

 Chapter 2807 Going to Mylecent

    chapter 2807  going to mylecent back in uzira, near the kingdom''s capital city, minos, and his group scanned the outskirts of where they had been attacked earlier, confirming that there was no one around at the moment.


    minos sighed, but couldn''t help noticing the nautilus'' compass pointing him away from the city.


    but now he understood that part of himself better than ever. the nautilus'' compass was like the black mask that gloria had absorbed. they were parts of a true celestial''s body with innate characteristics that could or could not be activated in the user, depending on their individual characteristics.


    gloria could form clones of herself because of her innate ability, while artor was unable to do the same. minos could see the best way forward, as he had prophetic abilities that allowed him to use the weapon to its full potential. from this factor, he knew that the nautilus'' compass did not imply with its directions that something would be good or bad, but rather the probabilities.


    one''s fate could be very different, with them following almost identical paths, with only a few slight differences. in minos'' view, the same was true of what the nautilus'' compass showed him.


    ''there are probably one or more celestials in this city, so obviously my fate could be about to go up in smoke.'' he pondered as he led his group towards mylecent. ''but the same thing could have happened¡ªor will happen¡ªfor my journey in hell.


    for now, i''m fine and i think i can keep things that way. i just have to be careful not to attract the attention of the possible celestials that may exist in this city.''


    "let''s cancel our cultivation from now on," minos said quietly so that his companions could hear him. "half of you will act as guards and the others will pretend to be merchants traveling with us." he pointed to the hell lifelings.


    minos had deliberately chosen a group of hell lifelings native to uzira to come on this journey with them.


    the group moved into position promptly after their commands, with his three women disguising themselves together.


    "how do we get to mylecent?" abby asked, aware that this was the really complicated part of their plans.


    mylecent was under pressure from the royal family. obviously, the family didn''t know that the woman had been hiding right under their noses, otherwise mylecent would already be dead. but there were observers everywhere and the appearance of any suspicious person or her escape from the city could easily alert the many eyes and ears in the city.


    but their plan was to take her to a place where she would have more freedom to plan her next actions on the continent, where they could put a group of a few hell lifelings in her command to advise the rebels in their cause.


    to complete their plans, they needed to make a perfect escape after contacting her group without leaving any clues behind.


    minos had a plan, which was slowly changing shape as they approached the first entrance to the city, where guards from the royal family with large symbols of uzira''s house of necromancers were positioned, keeping an eye on movement in the area.


    uzira was a wealthy continent and, for the natives of the continent, traveling through the area was much easier than for foreigners and rebels. the flow of people and vehicles at the entrance the group was about to pass was strong, with everything from simple, low-level individuals moving around to powerful specialists.


    minos said halfway through, "it''s going to be a question of her side understanding who we are. we''re traders, okay? let''s try to do business."


    seeing the smile on minos'' lips, the women couldn''t help but trust him. he seemed pretty sure that it would work out, so they wouldn''t be the ones to doubt him.


    they passed through the entrance to the city without any problems, most of their group hiding their cultivations, while some of the ''guards'' showed 11th stage cultivations.


    they were even questioned, gloria managing to fool the city guards by showing similarities between them and the local people.  sea??h th§× n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    her mask could also reflect the aura and accent of those she wished, which helped them greatly in their disguise.


    following the cobbled streets of the capital city, the group saw a very diverse place in terms of the continent''s native races. but something caught their attention when they saw people in chains moving through almost every street in the city.


    some of those individuals were doing menial jobs, carrying their masters'' purchases. others were doing manual labor, working on repairs, maintenance, and services that few would want to do.


    something in common connected all the chained individuals around this city.


    abby said quietly, revealing some of the knowledge she had inherited from the level 124 soul fragment. "some of uzira''s invaders aren''t killed or sent to cursed rock. they are traded as slaves and sold to anyone with the seals of the royal family."


    "seals? what do these seals look like?" ruth asked as she observed how brutally some slave masters treated their human resources.


    in particular, she saw a little lady kicking an alien magical creature in the face.


    abby regretted the future of that little girl being allowed to do such an act and replied to her harem sister, "the royal family of uzira is very methodical in its actions. there is no nobility here. everyone is either a member of the royal family or a subordinate.


    members of the royal family have an unlimited number of seals that can be distributed to new members whenever they want. subordinates, on the other hand, can be awarded these seals.


    the seals are rights of possession. one can use them to claim the right to rule certain areas or even to exploit resources. in short, these seals give you rights. if you have a minimum number of seals, you can buy slaves."


    the group understood a little more about the workings of the kingdom as minos led the way, finally passing through the city''s central square, from where they spotted the royal family''s palace. from that place, the group felt a strong aura of death, something easy for them to notice, given the connection to hell that each of them had.


    "that place has a lot of fugitives from hell." minos muttered to his women. "i can almost feel my crown forcing me to act."


    "i feel the same way."


    the three replied almost simultaneously.


    "what should we do?" abby looked at her husband.


    "nothing about them. we have to contact the observers from mylecent and ysolt. and to do that, we have to go to the local fair." he pointed in the opposite direction of the royal palace.

 Chapter 2808 Indirect Contact

    chapter 2808  indirect contact when they arrived at the local market, minos soon spotted a group of traders he wanted them to see.


    on purpose, he and his people stopped around a stand to do business, drawing the attention of the nearby vendors with their voices.


    the hell lifelings followed minos'' recommendation, acting as guards around the group of merchants there to do business with the final sellers of their products.


    ruth observed the surroundings, feigning interest in the products for sale, while her harem sisters made comparisons between some of those products and their items for sale.


    amid this, gloria kept her skills at work, constantly hiding her family''s foreign traits, while the locals treated them as natives of the area.


    but not everyone in the surrounding area was noticing. a dealer standing in front of his wares saw the group in their real guise and frowned.


    ''that''s the group his majesty warned me about,'' he thought to himself as he spotted the retracted wings on minos'' back. ''they''re clearly hiding their appearances, but they let me see the truth.''


    he saw minos look in his direction, for an instant, meeting his eyes and blinking unnaturally. minos continued talking and shifting his gaze, giving the impression to anyone else that he was just looking at his audience.


    ''was that a sign?'' he wondered, for a moment, not knowing if the act of minos and his group was real or just a front for something else¡ªprobably indirect communication with him.


    mylecent was hiding in the city. this man didn''t know exactly where, but he knew how to contact someone who could take messages to her and bring her answers.


    several like him were scattered around the city, the eyes, and ears of the rebels in hiding, waiting for opportunities.


    seeing this situation, he couldn''t stand idly by. even if minos wasn''t acting on purpose, he was a friend that mylecent herself had already made a point of letting her direct allies and indirect underlings know about his actual appearance.


    this man made his way out of the fair, leaving the crowd covering the outskirts of minos'' group at that moment, and went to pass on the news.


    ''he''s certainly here to meet his majesty. maybe he didn''t show me this on purpose, but he''s certainly looking for people connected to her majesty to let them recognize his appearance!''


    as the man disappeared from the area, minos lifted the corner of his lips slowly, without exposing too much of his thoughts to the various creatures now paying attention to him.


    ''looks like it worked.'' abby looked in that direction and sighed, seeing that their target had noticed what they wanted.


    minos knew exactly who the mylecent group''s contact was. he had already seen a future in which things went wrong for his group and their identities were exposed. that man was the one who, in this scenario, would bring help and an escape route to where mylecent was.


    even knowing who this individual was and how trustworthy he could be, minos didn''t risk a direct interaction. there could be observers from the royal family anywhere. he didn''t want to risk exposing his plans just to contact mylecent.


    ''he''ll take the news of my group to her. that way we can meet without me running the risk of bringing enemies to her.'' minos thought, continuing with his disguise as a merchant, going ahead with business he knew he could honor to satisfy any doubts from suspicious observers in his direction.


    ...


    some time later that same day...


    an orange-haired woman, dressed like a homeless woman, dirty from head to toe and with an aged look on her face, stopped next to a little girl. she saw the child stand up on her tiptoes to tell her something in a low voice and lowered her body, using the walking stick she had with her to support herself and lower her body to the level of the girl''s face.


    the girl, also dressed like a humble girl, said to the lady as they stood under a small old bridge where a stream ran by.


    "the handsome man from the future is in town. he seems to look for the lady," said the girl before looking from side to side and running away.


    the orange-haired woman''s eyes opened steadily, before she controlled herself and returned to where she came from¡ªa sewer outlet connected to this stream in a not-so-famous area of the capital city.


    she walked unhurriedly through a circular tunnel, until she reached a point where the paths split into four, where fetid water had accumulated at some points.


    she went ahead along the only path that would lead to her group''s hiding place, where she would soon come across a large underground area, where cabins covered the area like a small underground slum.


    in this place, wounded people were resting recovering in beds, while a few were watching over the area, keeping watch on the surroundings and communicating with groups far away.


    ysolt passed the guards and went to where mylecent lay on a large bed, her current appearance not so beautiful, similar to the one she had before minos freed her. she was aged, her body showing an undeniable weakness, proof of her complicated spiritual and physical situation.


    mylecent was wounded, in pain, and full of problems. her expression was rigid, but even so, she remained silent, without expressing the slightest sign of pain or complaint. she remained in position to lead her people, listening to the reports coming from other areas of uzira.


    "your majesty, minos is in town." ysolt''s words assaulted the room, silencing all talk in the surroundings, causing mylecent''s gaze to freeze in one position before the woman almost lifted part of her body from the bed and look at her seer.


    "what?" she asked, not expecting to hear from minos so soon.


    minos had been missing for decades, she knew, and the lack of information from him bothered her. but he knew what he was doing, and she had other things to worry about. sooner or later she knew she would hear from him, but she hadn''t expected that now, when he still shouldn''t be strong enough to risk himself there, he had dared to come to the capital city.  sear?h the n?vel(f)ire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "he''s in the city. we have to send a group to him... i get the impression that he wants to disguise our meeting," ysolt said in a doubtful tone, unable to see anything more about minos'' future. fortunately, she was experienced, and his actions seemed to go in the direction she had judged.


    "go to him yourself and see what this is all about. but make sure you take out any absurd plans he has in mind. let''s not risk everything now!" mylecent said, aware that she couldn''t go to him herself.

 Chapter 2809 Discreet Encounter

    chapter 2809  discreet encounter the next morning dawned with a hazy golden light filtering through the ornate windows of the inn where minos'' group had taken residence.


    situated near the bustling commercial center of the capital city, the establishment was a favored haunt of merchants from far and wide, its rooms filled with the low hum of trade negotiations and the clink of coins changing hands.


    minos and his companions had meticulously crafted the persona of traveling traders. they moved through the city with calculated nonchalance, engaging in minor transactions and absorbing the ebb and flow of local gossip without betraying their true intentions.


    their carefully cultivated facade served as a shield, deflecting unwanted attention and allowing them to navigate the treacherous waters of a city teeming with potential adversaries.


    the previous evening had seen them indulging in a rare moment of levity. despite the weight of their dangerous mission and the proximity of powerful foes, they had allowed themselves to unwind in a local restaurant.


    as the new day broke, they found themselves in a tavern of considerably less repute than their usual haunts. the establishment was a melting pot of social classes, its patrons a motley assortment of laborers, merchants, and the occasional lofty slumming for a thrill. the clash of accents and dialects created a cacophony that seemed to make the very air vibrate with energy.


    minos and his group had positioned themselves strategically, their eyes constantly scanning the room even as they feigned interest in their barely touched breakfast.  sea??h th§× novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the coarse bread and watered-down ale were a far cry from their usual fare, but maintaining their cover was paramount.


    it was in this moment of staged normalcy that a figure materialized at their table, seeming to materialize from the very shadows themselves. clad entirely in black, with not so much as a sliver of skin visible, the newcomer settled into one of the few empty chairs with a grace that belied their obvious fatigue.


    the ambient noise of the tavern provided the perfect cover for this meeting. only minos, with his heightened senses and constant vigilance, registered the newcomer''s approach.


    "minos, it''s me," the figure breathed, their voice barely above a whisper. despite the obvious attempt at disguise, minos recognized the timbre immediately. there was an undercurrent of exhaustion in the words, a subtle sigh that spoke volumes about the trials the speaker had endured.


    without shifting his gaze from the half-eaten meal before him, minos replied in an equally low tone, his lips barely moving. "i know. you''ve kept me waiting. your caution is¡­ noted."


    ysolt exhaled, her sigh barely audible beneath the cacophony of the tavern. her eyes, hidden behind the veil of her disguise, tracked a young server as he wove through the crowded establishment.


    "bring me an ale," she commanded, her voice carefully modulated to maintain her facade. as the words left her lips, she was aware of her guards strategically positioned at three different points around the bustling tavern, their vigilant gazes sweeping the room for any sign of threat.


    the place they were in looked like a large glass-roofed bar, with an island with various professionals and artifacts behind the drinks and food in the area, surrounded by tables of various kinds, like a food court.


    there were at least 200 people there at the moment, most of them talking, creating a chaotic symphony amid the shouts of the tavern staff.


    "you look better than me now," ysolt observed, risking a sidelong glance at minos before redirecting her gaze to the tavern''s extravagant decor.


    her eyes roamed over the gilded columns, the intricate tapestries depicting heroic legends, and the crystal chandeliers that hung like frozen waterfalls from the ceiling. this was a place frequented by not just common guards, but by even royalty, its opulence a testament to the wealth and power that flowed through the capital''s veins.


    despite her attempt at nonchalance, ysolt couldn''t suppress a shiver of shock as she regarded minos from the corner of her eye. the man she had encountered years ago had undergone a metamorphosis, emerging as a figure of mystery and power.


    his presence now exuded an aura of expertise that seemed to confound even her well-honed methods of perception. it was as if a veil had been drawn across her prophetic vision; the future that had once been an open book to her was now frustratingly opaque where minos was concerned.


    his words only deepened her unease. while her own sight had been clouded, minos had gained an uncanny insight into her recent travails.


    "you''ve had your challenges, and i''ve had mine," minos replied, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. his arms encircled ruth and gloria in a gesture of casual affection, while across the table, abby focused intently on her meal.


    "but let''s not squander the precious few moments we have. my presence in this city serves to your leader. your current location no longer holds any interest for us." his eyes, sharp and calculating, met ysolt''s hidden gaze. "we should move to a more¡­ suitable venue for our discussion."


    "that''s going to be complicated." she said with a palpable pessimism in her voice. "we''re in a place where they won''t be able to reach us, but any move we make will attract the attention of those that even you can''t fool. the best thing for us is for you to act on other fronts of our struggles."


    "no," he stated firmly. "you''ll fall if we don''t act, and i''ll lose the opportunity to have someone of my own in control of these lands." he didn''t bother to mask his ambitions, laying them bare with frankness. "tell her i''ll clear the way. your group will know when it''s time to move. we''ll provide protection and secure a new base of operations for you."


    she looked directly at minos with an inquisitive look, as if asking if this was really serious.


    he looked back at ysolt, making sure that he was in full mental capacity to confirm such a thing.


    "that''s crazy," ysolt breathed, the words escaping her lips almost involuntarily.


    "it''s what must be done," minos replied, his tone brooking no further argument. "now go. we''ve talked about enough." as he spoke, he made a subtle gesture, a mere flick of his fingers that could have been mistaken for a casual movement. but in that instant, ysolt felt a chill race down her spine as she caught sight of a golden gleam in minos'' eyes.


    the surrounding air seemed to crackle with an unseen energy, and ysolt found herself transfixed by minos'' gaze. in that moment, she realized with a start that minos was peering into the future.


    for the first time in what felt like eons, ysolt found herself in the unfamiliar position of being guided by a superior seer. the sensation was both unsettling and oddly comforting. a part of her wanted to resist, to assert her own formidable abilities and question minos'' judgment. but a deeper instinct, honed by years of survival in a world of intrigue and danger, counseled trust.


    she had witnessed minos'' capabilities when he was but a fraction of what he had become. now, as he stood before her, radiating power and confidence, she found herself unable¡ªand unwilling¡ªto doubt him. the young man she had once known had evolved into something far beyond her expectations!


    without further hesitation, ysolt rose from her seat. as she navigated through the crowded tavern, her guards¡ªscattered strategically throughout the establishment¡ªmoved as well.


    the constant movement of people in and out of the bustling establishment provided the perfect cover for their discreet exit.


    "time to move the local mechanisms and make room for our escape." minos muttered as he looked at his women, quite aware of what could move the local eyes and open the way for his group''s escape.


    "it''s going to be risky." abby warned him, having already put her plans into action the night before. "the macabre horde might distract the weaker ones, but the one called the eternal death will be harder to fool."


    their plan was simply to attract the macabre horde and simulate a mylecent movement, like the one that had happened at cursed rock decades ago. the royal family knew that she could be hiding in the city, so this wouldn''t confirm anything more than they already expected. but such an act could create a distraction for a fake escape.


    minos smiled at his wife''s warning, aware that it wouldn''t be easy.


    "let''s get ready. this doesn''t have to happen in one night." he stood up, paying his group''s bill, before continuing with his fa?ade plans.


    they still intended to stay in town for a few days before making their big move!

 Chapter 2810 Preparations

    chapter 2810  preparations after ysolt returned from her meeting with minos, she never moved through the streets of the capital again. her days were spent waiting at the post where mylecent and several other important members of the rebel group were staying.


    with each passing day, their group became more nervous about the delay in the signal that minos had promised. even though they were going ahead with all their plans, they couldn''t help worrying about the escape he intended to lead.


    mylecent hadn''t planned to leave the city before. although the capital contained many dangerous eyes and ears, the royal family group could not act there as they would elsewhere. this was their capital, the pride of the family. it couldn''t be risked casually and any investigation there would involve more careful measures and less destructive power.


    but she accepted minos'' offer to leave the city. ysolt had sensed the current level of his powers and seen that he had finally matured enough for them to trust him. because of this, mylecent was prepared to move on his signal.


    meanwhile, she continued to lie in her bed, recovering from the serious injuries she had sustained during her last escape from her enemies.  s§×ar?h the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    her injuries were gradually improving, and if she wanted to, she could get up and fight soon. but she was saving all her energy for the escape planned by minos. she was almost certain that something would happen and she would have to fight.


    but as her group continued to keep an eye on the news and communications with the rebels scattered around the kingdom, she suddenly began to notice a familiar sensation.


    ''that energy...'' she looked to the west, not being able to see through this underground area of the local sewer, of course, but nevertheless sensing something growing in that direction.


    "looks like they''re acting," she said in her hoarse voice, drawing the group''s attention. "i sense the macabre horde moving in a unique pattern."


    "the macabre horde? do you think minos will use those undead?" ysolt approached her leader''s bed.


    "only they would dare repeat something like that apart from me." mylecent smiled at the thought of how she had made it possible for their group to escape from cursed rock. "that must be that woman of his, abby. thus, you''d better start getting ready. i feel like this is the first of his signals to move."


    "but what would be his plan to use such a group?" asked another person in the dark.


    mylecent wasn''t a seer, but she was an experienced warrior. "probably to forge that i''m the one moving those undead... leading our enemies to believe that i''m doing something, when in fact i''m doing something else."


    "i''ll keep an eye on our future prospects," ysolt said, signaling for mylecent to get ready and for the others to position themselves.


    since minos had arrived in the city, she had seen better into the future, feeling less of the enemy seers'' interference in her attempts to read the future. she then moved to investigate the scenarios ahead, finally understanding a little more about what minos had planned for them.


    ...


    meanwhile, minos'' group was traveling in a carriage through the streets of the capital city, preparing for their departure in two nights.


    their vehicle was passing through the busiest area of the city now, leaving the place where they had done some more business before heading to one of the local neighborhoods they still needed to get to know.


    they had a meal booked near the city''s lake, which was connected to a river that led to the sea. this area of the city was important for the movement of the region''s resources.


    while the hell lifelings were guiding them to their destination today, minos was surveying the surroundings, while gloria was meditating, controlling at that very moment two of her clones exploring the city.


    her clones were investigating places of escape, but also the areas where minos thought mylecent and the rebels were hiding. as much as he didn''t want to be seen looking for the rebels, he needed to have a good idea of where his allies were and the possible escape routes through the area.


    meanwhile, they also needed to know the best strategy for deceiving the royal family, as the macabre horde approached the capital city. to do this, they were traveling daily through different parts of the city, recognizing their options for the audacious plan they planned to develop in a few hours.


    abby then broke the silence inside their carriage. "minos, i''m sensing the aura of the macabre horde. i believe mylecent has already noticed the same, and on another day, the oppressive forces of this city will realize it."


    she and mylecent were connected to the macabre horde, so they could notice the proximity of the undead from awakening peak in this city well before their enemies.


    "that''s good. let''s move on to the last phase of our plans," he said as he looked out of the carriage, seeing the lake getting closer to them, where several local boats were moored on the properties of prominent local figures.


    "we need to gain entry to one of these properties. we''ll get our getaway vehicle tomorrow night," he said, making two of his three companions inside that vehicle look in the same direction as him.


    the river connected to the sea seemed the best escape route for them at the moment. as such, their plan involved breaking into and stealing a boat and meeting mylecent''s group halfway for their actual escape. while all this was going on, one group would pose as rebels and use the macabre horde to leave the city.


    ruth said, "there are festive occasions almost every day in this part of the city. the wealthy live in style and constantly throw parties to celebrate the birthdays and anniversaries of relatives, battle conquests, weddings, births, etc. i''ve heard about some of the occasions that will be taking place over the next few days around here. i just need to find our options for tomorrow and the day after, so we have a target."


    "concentrate on that while we work this afternoon by the lake." minos commanded, as their vehicle slowed down, arriving at the area where they would continue walking.

 Chapter 2811 Decisive Moment

    chapter 2811  decisive moment mid-afternoon the next day...


    in the royal palace in the kingdom''s capital, a frail-looking, hunchbacked man, using a cane to move, had his eyes turned towards the ground, walking slowly down a long corridor.


    surrounding this man were five guards, three of them undead in a defensive position, while the other two were people still alive, also there to take part in the routine of the old man with the very well-made clothes and great rarity.


    as he made his routine way, however, the royal necromancer stopped and suddenly did the unexpected. he turned his face to the side and opened his eyes, revealing a darkness on his face that stole some of the ambient luminosity from there for the moment, evoking darkness in his domain of influence.


    "first general..." murmured one of the two living individuals as he felt his body become extremely rigid with the powers of this defiant figure.


    "that''s the macabre horde." the old man ignored the two guards suffering under the effects of his powers, being more interested at the moment in the situation of that undead collective, clearly heading towards his city.


    ''is she trying to escape?'' he frowned as he shifted his body position, understanding more or less the origin of what he had just realized.


    ''tsk! it won''t work. before you were lucky, and some factors went against our expectations, but now... now you''ll fall!''


    the fallen shoulders of the kingdom''s old war general rose, resulting in him becoming even taller than his guards, but also in the strengthening of his aura.


    he looked at one of those individuals who was alive and warned, "send someone to eternal death. we need to act. we can''t delay in combining our actions! this could finally be the end of mylecent and his rebel menace!"


    one of the two men was shocked to see such a strong state of spirit in the first general, but after two breaths of admiration, he left in a hurry to take the information to eternal death.


    the old man from a moment ago no longer seemed so vulnerable, finally showing the powerful aura and appearance of someone of his status.


    a level 125 celestial!


    he said to his remaining guard, before moving off with his three corpses, "i''ll prevent her plans, but the macabre horde is complicated. work to ensure that we have an alternative to my failure. under no circumstances can we accept mylecent escaping this time!"  sear?h the n?velfire(.)net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the old man disappeared with his corpses before the guard could give any answer.


    ...


    meanwhile, in another high-powered part of the capital city, eternal death was looking in the same direction as the first general, sensing the special spiritual fluctuation of the macabre horde.


    ''that woman really dared to hide in my city.'' the continent''s most prestigious expert pondered in silence, still undecided on how to approach the matter.


    she had been feeling special chills lately and by feeling something similar today; she understood the origin of the growing feeling of dread in her heart. realizing the connection between the problems, she didn''t take the same plan as the first general.


    "close off the city streets and watch out for escape movements. mylecent will try to escape just as she did at cursed rock. we''ll catch her in the middle of her foolish attempt to escape!" she addressed her group, staying in position at her post, even with the current news.


    ''you''ll pay for what you did to me back then, mylecent.'' she clenched her fists as she thought about the past. but even though she was in the 13th stage, she wouldn''t underestimate that level 124 woman. for mylecent to have survived so far and hidden in this very city was a testament to her competence and danger to everyone, like eternal death.


    ''i made a mistake letting you live and thinking about your mistakes. the next time i meet you, i will end your life.'' as she thought, a black crown formed on her head, emitting a malevolent energy.


    ...


    later, in the middle of the night, minos, and his group were at a lakeside estate, where a small, luxurious boat was waiting for them on the edge of the lawn that faced the lake.


    after entering a property in the area where an event was taking place, they made their way to the back of the property, where they quickly took down the guards and witnesses in the area.


    they were quick to revive the corpses, bringing them under their control as hell lifelings. then, as quickly as they could get there, they hid on the yacht in their path, positioning themselves to wait for their opportunity.


    "that was easier than i thought... is it really going to work?" ruth couldn''t help asking her group.


    minos said, "hell lifelings and ordinary living beings have almost no distinction. perceiving them will be almost impossible."


    abby agreed. "our mission is not to fool all our enemies. just the people on this estate and those who get in the way of our boat. maybe we won''t have to fight the strongest in the area."


    "sigh! i hope we continue to have the luck we''ve had since we arrived in this city."


    minos said to them when he heard gloria''s murmur. "let''s be silent now. try not to use your powers or try to understand what was going on around us. let''s turn our eyes to just the hell lifelings in position."


    the three did as he wanted, soon feeling as if they were in the shoes of his subordinates, seeing through the eyes of those men. but they weren''t in control of them. they were merely watching and listening to the surroundings of some of their chosen ones, thus remaining vigilant without exposing themselves.


    meanwhile, the party on the property they had invaded continued without anyone realizing that a group like theirs had invaded the place and taken over their boat.


    the last hours of the night would pass and gradually a new day would dawn in the capital city. minos and his women would remain in the same position, waiting for tonight, when it would be time for them to move all the gears of their plans.


    but even though they were still standing in the same place as the night before, they were alert and aware that the local forces had already spotted the signs of the horde macabre. they also expected mylecent''s group to be nervous, preparing for their next move.


    ''now you just have to wait. the pieces of this puzzle are fitting together.'' minos thought to himself as his eyes shone in a supernatural light.

 Chapter 2812 Beginning of the Escape

    chapter 2812  beginning of the escape  under the manipulation of the group of hell lifelings they had raised in the capital city, they held their position securely for the next few hours.


    as the hours ticked by, whispers grew into shouts, and soon the air was thick with talk of mylecent, the betrayer. her name was spoken in hushed tones, a boogeyman come to life, ready to unleash the dreaded macabre horde upon the unsuspecting populace.


    "have you heard?" a merchant whispered to his neighbor as he hastily shuttered his shop. "mylecent is in the city! they say she rides with the undead, ready to rain death upon us all!"


    such rumors needed no encouragement from minos and his companions. the very movement of the local forces, their hurried preparations and grim-faced patrols, served as all the confirmation the populace needed. the approach of the macabre horde was accepted as fact, and the citizens'' imaginations filled in the horrifying details.


    the memory of mylecent''s daring escape from cursed rock, aided by the nightmarish macabre horde, was still fresh in the collective consciousness. coupled with the recent increased vigilance of the royal forces, it created a perfect storm of paranoia and fear.


    as the day wore on, the city''s usual rhythm disintegrated into chaos. shops slammed their doors shut, their owners muttering prayers as they retreated to what they hoped were safer locations. in the streets, people scurried about with wild eyes, some weeping openly as they sought shelter or supplies.


    "we''re all going to die!" wailed a woman as she ran past a group of stunned onlookers. her panic was infectious, spreading through the crowd like a virulent disease.


    the local authorities, surprised by the deteriorating situation, were forced to split their attention. while a significant portion of their forces remained vigilant against the supposed approach of the macabre horde, others were dispatched to quell the growing unrest within the city walls.


    "maintain order!" barked a harried captain to his troops. "we can''t fight a war on two fronts!"


    as chaos engulfed the lower districts, the city''s elite saw an opportunity. the local lake and river, usually reserved for pleasure cruises and merchant vessels, became an escape route for those with the means to flee. ornate boats and hastily commandeered barges alike were pressed into service, loaded down with the rich and powerful and their most prized possessions.


    the gentle rocking of the boat and the muffled sounds of panic from above alerted minos'' team. they remained hidden in the cramped confines of the luggage compartment, surrounded by the opulent belongings of the city''s elite.


    as they had expected, the eternal death had issued orders to seal all exits from the city. the urban area had become a massive trap, with guards stationed at every point of egress.


    minos'' wives saw this through the eyes of their hell lifelings and couldn''t help but look at him in expectation.


    minos remained a picture of calm, his features betraying no hint of worry. his voice, when he spoke directly into his wives'' minds, was steady and assured. ''abby, it''s time. order the macabre horde to strike hard against the city. we need chaos to engulf the outskirts. when panic reaches its peak, those desperate to escape will clash with the guards. the sovereign force will have no choice but to abandon their current strategy.''


    abby nodded, her eyes taking on a distant look as she communicated with the undead forces under her control.


    the group fell into a tense silence, each lost in their own thoughts as they waited for abby''s actions to bear fruit. the only sounds were the lapping of water against the boat''s hull and the occasional creak of wood.


    after what felt like an eternity, gloria''s mental voice broke the silence. ''how long before we see the results you''re expecting?''


    minos closed his eyes, his mind racing through countless scenarios and variables. ''at minimum, half an hour,'' he projected to the group. ''but it could take up to two hours before we reach the apex of chaos. we must be patient.''


    as they settled in for the wait, ruth turned her attention to gloria. ''what''s the situation with mylecent?''


    since yesterday, gloria''s clones had made a lot of progress in their objectives and had practically reached mylecent''s position, even though she hadn''t allowed her clones to advance any closer.


    besides gloria''s clones, the hell lifelings who had accompanied them when they entered this city were also scattered around the capital. some of them were positioned to draw the enemies'' attention to their alternative escape plan and others to advise on the escape from mylecent, close to gloria''s clones.  s§×ar?h the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    gloria''s mental voice resonated with a mixture of excitement and caution as she reported to the group. ''i believe mylecent is on the move. the entire city is in a state of upheaval, which makes pinpointing their exact location challenging. i can''t confirm with absolute certainty until i make direct contact, but i''m poised to approach as soon as you give the word, minos.''


    ''let''s wait a little longer. the city needs to be on fire by the time we gather to flee,'' minos said, calmly waiting for the moment.


    ...


    miles away, emerging from the dank, oppressive darkness of the city''s underground sewers, mylecent, and her band of rebels found themselves thrust into a world teetering on the brink of anarchy. the acrid smell of smoke mingled with the fetid odor clinging to their clothes, a pungent reminder of their recent hiding place.


    the streets, once a testament to the capital''s grandeur, now bore witness to the unraveling of social order. citizens, their faces contorted with fear and desperation, surged towards the city gates in waves. their cries of panic and frustration echoed off the stone buildings, creating a cacophony of terror.


    guards, overwhelmed and increasingly desperate, struggled to maintain some semblance of control. their shouts and the occasional crack of whips barely registered above the din of the panicked masses.


    amidst this chaos, mylecent, and her rebels moved with practiced stealth. some of their comrades had already dispersed, tasked with sowing further discord and misdirecting the authorities'' attention.


    mylecent leaned close to ysolt. her voice, barely above a whisper, betrayed a hint of anxiety that she would never show to the rest of her followers. "where will minos find us?"


    she didn''t like not being in control. the feeling of having her life dependent on someone else''s actions irritated her significantly, but she tried to stick to what minos seemed to want from her.


    ysolt''s eyes now held a glimmer of uncertainty. she scanned the surrounding chaos, her prophetic abilities straining against the tumultuous energies engulfing the city. "i have no idea," she admitted, her voice low. "but i suspect we''re on the verge of finding out."


    her gaze drifted towards the southern horizon, where dark clouds seemed to gather at unnatural speed. "the macabre horde is nearing the southern walls," she reported, her tone grim. "if my visions are correct, the first general will be returning in defeat soon. that should add fuel to the already raging fire of panic."


    mylecent looked in the direction indicated, sensing that the undead were indeed fast approaching them, not thinking the defeat of a celestial unlikely.


    celestials and true celestials had a big difference that went beyond vitality. those without access to the upper realm were much weaker, which led to them often being called strengthened supremes. so it wasn''t impossible for a group like the macabre horde to force even a level 125 individual to retreat.


    "we''ll remain vigilant. i believe he''ll have someone to lead us to our escape route." mylecent continued walking through the humblest area of the city, the path that led to the river, where many ordinary citizens were heading this late afternoon, in search of escape from the city.


    as the masses moved from one side of the city to the other, screams of horror slowly rose from the south, ushering in a night of terror over the capital!

 Chapter 2813 Escape in Progress

    chapter 2813  escape in progress "now!" minos'' command cut through the tense atmosphere. it was the signal gloria had been waiting for, and without hesitation, she directed her clones to converge on mylecent''s group.


    simultaneously, ruth and abby sprang into action, their hell lifelings poised to execute their meticulously planned diversions aimed at confounding the royal family governing the city.


    ruth moved a group of hell lifelings away from them to detonate explosives on the east side of the city, while abby took up position to destroy a group of local guards on the south side, where the macabre horde was threatening to invade at this very moment.


    ruth orchestrated a group of hell lifelings to move eastward, their mission to detonate explosives and create chaos on that side of the city. meanwhile, abby took up a strategic position to the south, where the macabre horde loomed ominously at the city''s borders. her task: to eliminate a contingent of local guards, further weakening the city''s already strained defenses.


    minos remained with his cadre of hell lifelings on the outskirts of their vessel, guiding it northward, where affluent locals were engaged in a desperate confrontation with the coastguard forces blocking their escape.


    the cacophony of battle reached their ship in waves¡ªthe thunderous booms of cannon fire punctuating the air, heralding a conflict few could have expected in this once-peaceful city. the very fabric of normalcy was being torn asunder, replaced by the chaos of survival and desperation.


    the appearance of the macabre horde at the fringes of the capital had shattered all expectations and plunged the populace into terror. this was no ordinary adversary; the horde was a relentless, all-consuming force. once it set its sights on a settlement, it would not relent until every living soul within reach had been extinguished. the city, with its millions of inhabitants, now presented an irresistible target for the undead menace.


    even the upper echelons of society, the royal family included, were now scrambling to abandon the city. the fear of what might transpire should the undead breach the city walls was palpable, overriding any sense of duty or pride.


    minos expertly capitalized on the chaos born from the weakest minds gripped by fear. his myriad skills were barely needed; the panic itself was his most potent weapon.


    as the noise of explosions and fierce combat erupted around the areas under abby and ruth''s assault, the occupants of the boats sharing the river with minos'' group grew increasingly agitated.


    minos'' gaze swept across the boat, his mind''s eye already envisioning the bleak future awaiting hundreds of thousands of souls in this doomed city. the weight of impending tragedy hung heavy in the air, yet it did not burden minos'' conscience.


    ''this city''s suffering is inconsequential,'' he mused, his thoughts as cold and unyielding as steel. ''our future shines bright, and that is all that matters.''


    a chilling smile played across his lips as a new thought formed. ''their deaths are but a temporary state. we will resurrect them as hell lifelings in due time. it will be an improvement¡ªthey will be stronger when the moment arrives.''


    as these thoughts coalesced, an obsidian glow enveloped minos'' golden eyes, lending him an appearance more diabolical than ever before. any vestige of his humanity had long since been discarded, along with the moral principles that once guided him.


    in his current state, minos was a quasi-devil, a formidable contender with a strong chance of ascending to the status of an entitled deity. his very essence was a tapestry woven from multiple potent bloodlines.


    the demise of mere grandmasters or weaker individuals no longer registered in his calculus¡ªthey were insignificant specks in the grand design of his ambitions.


    for the sake of his family, minos had become willing to cross any line, to shatter any ethical boundary. the ends, in his mind, unequivocally justified the means.


    ...


    suddenly, on the southern wall, a figure emerged¡ªthe first general, his appearance a far cry from his usual composed self. sweat-drenched, wounded, and wearing an expression of unbridled fury, he cut a desperate figure against the darkening sky.


    "where is that damned woman?" he bellowed, his usual decorum abandoned in the face of crisis. his eyes darted frantically across the battlements, searching for someone unseen.


    "your excellency!" a soldier''s voice rang out as he rushed to the old necromancer''s side.


    the first general, looking more cadaverous than ever, was flanked by a small contingent of undead soldiers, their movements erratic and unsettling.


    the instability of the undead was a chilling sight. common wisdom held that a necromancer''s death didn''t banish their creations, but unleashed them as chaotic, ownerless entities¡ªnot unlike the dreaded macabre horde. the first general''s undead teetered on this precipice, striking fear into the heart of the level 123 commander present.


    before the young commander could brief his superior, a deafening explosion rocked the city. one of the main gates disintegrated in a ball of fire, opening a gaping wound in the city''s defenses.


    the air filled with agonized screams as the wounded cried out in pain, their voices soon drowned out by the relentless advance of the undead horde.


    like a dark tide, the macabre horde poured through the breach, silencing all in their path with brutal efficiency.


    "damn it all!" the first general spat, springing into action. "organize a defense! seal that breach at all costs! if the macabre horde gains a foothold, we''re finished!"


    the level 123 commander snapped to attention, cold sweat beading on his brow as he realized the gravity of their situation. "may eternal death protect us from the macabre horde!" he whispered fervently as he rushed to carry out his orders.


    ...


    meanwhile, atop the temple of death in the capital''s heart, another figure surveyed the unfolding chaos.  sear?h the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    eternal death, the celestial, emerged from her chambers, her piercing gaze taking in the city''s plight.


    "still no word on mylecent?" she inquired of an aide, her voice calm despite the turmoil below.


    a level 124 man kneeled before her, his voice steady despite the weight of his words. "we have two groups under suspicion of harboring the traitor, your holiness. we''re moving against both as we speak. however¡­"


    "however?" eternal death''s tone dropped, cold as the grave.


    the aide swallowed hard before continuing, "the city needs your holiness. if we don''t act now, we may capture mylecent, but there might not be a city left to save."


    eternal death''s expression hardened, torn between her desire for vengeance and her duty to the city. after a moment of tense silence, she decided. "today, i shall demonstrate the full extent of my power to our enemies. very well, continue the hunt for mylecent. i will save the capital."


    with a gesture, a scythe of black and purple energy materialized in her hand. in the next instant, eternal death vanished into the gloomy night, ready to confront the tide of death threatening to engulf her domain.

 Chapter 2814 Eternal Death in Action

    chapter 2814  eternal death in action in a flash of dark energy, eternal death materialized above the breached city wall, her presence a stark contrast to the chaos below. the very spot where the macabre horde had penetrated her ancestral domain now became the stage for her power.


    the first general, embroiled in a desperate struggle alongside his high-level undead and local guards, looked up in awe as eternal death took her position. their valiant efforts to stem the tide of the savage undead seemed to pause as all eyes turned to the celestial figure above.


    raising her scythe high, eternal death commanded the attention of not just her defenders and the invading horde, but also the terrified populace hiding in nearby buildings. in this moment of crisis, she appeared as a dark savior, a goddess of death come to pass judgment.


    with a fluid, almost hypnotic motion, she twirled her scythe in the air. a black wheel of corrupt energy formed, spreading like an ominous mist across the battlefield. the obsidian glow of her crown intensified, marking her as the supreme arbiter of life and death in this realm.


    her voice, powerful and resonant, carried across the battlefield as she proclaimed, "as the bearer of the crown of darkness and mother of the undead, i extend an invitation to exist within my domains. but today, your individual stories hold no weight. belonging to my kingdom does not grant you the right to violate my city and disrespect my authority. for this transgression, i shall claim your corrupt existences here and now."


    with these words still echoing, eternal death surged forward, her form a blur of darkness as she descended upon the most advanced undead of the horde. these creatures, moments ago unstoppable in their assault on the guards and horrified inhabitants, now faced a force beyond their comprehension.


    eternal death''s scythe carved through the undead horde with terrifying efficiency, each strike leaving nothing but motionless husks in its wake. as the weapon cleaved through corrupted flesh and bone, it severed the malevolent spirits from their physical anchors, releasing a cascade of souls into the night air.


    these liberated essences, no longer bound by the chains of undeath, drifted slowly upward. they were drawn inexorably toward the wheel of darkness that hung ominously behind eternal death, a vortex of power that seemed to pulse with each new addition. with arms outstretched, she continued her grim harvest, the number of souls swirling around her growing with each passing moment. her weapon moved with an almost sentient purpose, as if guided by an unseen hand in its relentless assault against the macabre horde.


    in a matter of minutes, the scythe had carved a swath of destruction through the invading force, clearing an area that extended nearly a kilometer from the breach in the city wall. where chaos and death had reigned moments before, now there was only an eerie stillness, broken only by the whisper of souls being drawn into eternal death''s dark embrace.


    18:24


    even the battle-hardened first general, accustomed to the grimmest aspects of necromancy, felt a chill course through his very being as he witnessed eternal death''s awesome power in action. the gulf between his own considerable abilities and the raw, undisputed might of eternal death was laid bare, a chasm so vast it defied comprehension.


    realizing that eternal death alone would be more than sufficient to quell the crisis at this breach, the first general made a tactical decision. with a respectful nod to his superior, he signaled his intention to address the other flashpoints of combat and confusion erupting across the city. eternal death acknowledged his withdrawal with a slight inclination of her head, her focus never wavering from the task at hand.


    as the first general departed, eternal death surveyed the aftermath of her intervention. the trail of destroyed corpses left by her scythe was a testament to her power, but it also threw into sharp relief the path of devastation carved by the macabre horde before her arrival.


    the invading force had penetrated deep into the city, leaving a kilometer-long scar of destruction in its wake. dozens of buildings lay in ruins, their once-sturdy walls now nothing more than rubble and broken dreams. hundreds of residents, caught in the initial onslaught, had met a gruesome end. the toll on the city''s defenders was equally grim¡ªat least 300 local guards had fallen in the desperate fight to hold the line, their sacrifices marked by the blood-soaked streets. hundreds more lay wounded or utterly exhausted, the horrors they had witnessed etched into their haunted eyes.


    eternal death observed the devastation but remained impassive, acknowledging the losses without visible reaction. she glided through the air, positioning herself before the gaping breach in the wall. beyond lay a sea of undead, held at bay only by the force of her power.


    she knew that the moment she withdrew, the horde would surge forward with renewed vigor, once again bringing chaos to the city.


    eternal death could not allow such a catastrophe!


    she halted before the mass of undead, unleashing a terrifying aura that emanated from her very being. this display of power forced an instinctive understanding upon those who dared to stand at her threshold.


    this was not their domain. should they persist in defying her existence, they would find only the void of limbo!


    their primal instincts screamed at them to retreat, breaking the mysterious call that had drawn them to this place. once again, they felt the allure of the awakening peak beckoning them.


    this transformation wasn''t instantaneous. it took eternal death nearly five minutes of concentrated effort, channeling her powers to compel the savage undead to withdraw.


    as she exerted her will, a hideous expression contorted her face. never had she imagined that mylecent would push her to such extremes, forcing her to unleash the full extent of her powers, yet still unable to confront her rival directly.


    as the implications of using her hell powers in this place today sank in, eternal death''s hatred for mylecent intensified exponentially. the pressure of her murderous intent grew so overwhelming that even her own forces found themselves involuntarily retreating from her presence.


    but she held her ground, soon ordering someone to repair the wall and pressing the undead away from her city again.


    ...


    while eternal death was focused on defending the city, her elite forces were engaged in a fierce battle against the group suspected of harboring mylecent. the rebel faction displayed unexpected dexterity and strength, catching the royal forces off guard with abilities they hadn''t anticipated.


    however, this was the kingdom''s capital, and eternal death''s guards fought with unmatched skill and determination. gradually, they gained the upper hand, methodically eliminating their opponents until only three adversaries remained - one visibly weakened and the other two exhausted.


    "mylecent, reveal yourself!" demanded the man who had earlier conferred with eternal death. he leveled his sword at the apparently injured woman, his voice laced with anticipation and fury.


    all eyes were fixed on the wounded figure as she slowly removed her mask and lowered her hood. the guards held their breath, expecting to see mylecent''s infamous visage. instead, they were met with the face of a red-haired woman, her lips curled in an unsettling smile despite the dire circumstances.  sea??h th§× novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "you''ve lost," she declared, her human expression morphing into a metallic sheen as energy suddenly condensed around her form.


    "fall back!" the warning came too late. in the next instant, gloria''s mercury clone detonated.


    boom!


    silver flames erupted, engulfing hundreds of cubic meters in their searing embrace. the inferno consumed everything not already shredded by the explosion''s metal shrapnel, leaving nothing but destruction in its wake.


    similar scenes unfolded across the city as hell lifelings and gloria''s other clone executed their coordinated assault, sowing chaos and misdirecting minos'' enemies with devastating efficiency.

 Chapter 2815 Leaving the City

    chapter 2815  leaving the city as flames engulfed various sectors of the capital city, the agonized cries of thousands of injured inhabitants mingled with the groans of wounded guards. amidst this chaos, a flotilla of 16 ships made their way down the river connecting the kingdom''s capital to the open sea.


    the majority of these vessels had already left the urban sprawl behind, now gliding past verdant fields that stretched as far as the eye could see. more boats continued to pour out of the city, but those nearing the sea paid little heed to the exodus behind them. their focus remained fixed on the journey ahead, with safety tantalizingly close, just minutes away.


    the open waters before them represented escape from whatever horrors plagued the capital, be it the dreaded macabre horde or the royal forces themselves. once they reached the sea, even the most powerful members of the royal family would struggle to intercept them quickly. this knowledge spurred the crews to push their ships to maximum speed, their singular goal to put as much distance between themselves and the chaos as possible.


    on one particular vessel, mylecent finally laid eyes on minos, ending the uncertainty of whether she had successfully joined their group. until this moment, minos, and his women had remained hidden, even after mylecent and ysolt had boarded before departing the city.


    since one of gloria''s clone had ushered them onto the boat before returning to the fray in the city, mylecent, ysolt, and their three companions had been unsure when they would reunite with minos. that changed three minutes ago when the ship''s peculiar crew cleared the way for four individuals who had been concealed onboard.


    as minos and his women emerged, mylecent felt a wave of relief wash over her. it had been decades since she had last seen them, and the reunion was bittersweet. however, her relief was quickly tempered by shock as she fully comprehended the group before her.


    this group was simply too strong!


    in the wake of their awkward reunion, peppered with comments unrelated to their latest joint escape, mylecent felt her strength gradually returning with ruth''s help. as the group shared the details of their meticulously orchestrated escape plan, mylecent''s admiration grew.


    just as she had anticipated, the macabre horde had served as a masterful distraction. meanwhile, strategically positioned groups of hell lifelings had effectively steered their enemies away from their true escape route. now, on the brink of success, they were nearly beyond the reach of any genuine pursuit.


    minos'' prophetic abilities drew enthusiastic praise from both ysolt and mylecent. however, the mood sobered as they settled down to discuss their next moves.


    "our priority now is to secure a safe haven for you," minos stated, his tone tinged with concern. "during our departure, we uncovered crucial information about the one known as eternal death. she''s far more formidable than we imagined and possesses a hellish crown."


    this resonated deeply with the four spiritual humans who had journeyed to hell and acquired hellish crowns of their own. they had sensed the truth of it during eternal death''s earlier display of power.


    while ysolt and mylecent still needed to be fully briefed on the group''s hellish odyssey, they surprised their companions with their unexpected depth of knowledge on the subject.


    "it''s only natural," mylecent said, her voice carrying the weight of hidden truths. "after all, she is a devil."


    "what?" abby''s eyes widened in surprise, her beautiful face a mask of confusion.


    mylecent took a deep breath, preparing to unveil a part of her family''s history she had yet to share with minos'' group. "eternal death is not a person, but a title," she began. "the family''s leaders are typically those who have attained the position of devil in hell and returned to rule uzira. our lineage was founded by a celestial who achieved this status, and since then, we''ve maintained a system allowing family members to explore hell and earn their titles."


    she continued, her voice steady despite the gravity of her words, "to this end, we''ve kept the awakening peak and the macabre horde practical. these are crucial components for traveling to and from hell."


    the group listened in rapt attention as mylecent delved deeper into her personal history. "the current eternal death is a woman of my generation¡ªmy rival. she betrayed me, preventing me from claiming the devil''s position. her accusations of treason against me sparked my journey of rebellion."


    mylecent''s eyes clouded with old pain as she concluded, "we''ve been locked in conflict ever since. she''s pursued me relentlessly since acquiring the devil''s title. as for me, while i''ve never delved deeply into that dimension, i''ve explored enough to comprehend your situation."


    a fleeting thought crossed mylecent''s mind¡ªperhaps she should have joined them on their journey to the peak of awakening. but she quickly dismissed the idea, knowing she had no way of foreseeing their success. at the time of their departure, the notion that they would actually breach the barriers of hell seemed inconceivable. unlike her family, who possessed a privileged method of entering that dimension, others faced either the devils'' perverse games or accidental entry¡ªboth extremely perilous routes with a staggering mortality rate exceeding 90%.


    "that certainly puts things into perspective," abby mused, her understanding of the continent''s complex dynamics deepening.


    minos nodded in agreement. "indeed, it explains a great deal," he said, his brow furrowing with concern. "however, it also presents a significant problem. it won''t be long before she comprehends what we possess and intensifies her pursuit."


    mylecent, grasping that minos was referring to the crowns, instinctively clenched her fists. "if you entrust me with a crown and we venture into hell¡­" she began suggestively, only to be cut short by minos.


    "hell is not an option for us," he stated firmly. "a devil of level 127, potentially ascending to 128 before long, would hunt us down the moment we set foot in that realm."


    "what?" ysolt, mylecent, and their subordinates exclaimed in unison, their shock palpable.


    minos and his wives shared a bitter laugh, the weight of their predicament evident in their expressions.  s§×ar?h the n?vel(f)ire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "while hell remains off-limits, abby can bestow a crown upon you," minos elaborated, his tone measured. "i cannot perform this act myself, as it would forge a connection between us, ultimately stripping you of your crown in the future¡­ i sense that''s not your desire."


    mylecent, now fully recovered, her white hair no longer a testament to her longevity but rather accentuating her dazzling beauty, nodded in understanding. her gaze shifted expectantly to abby.


    "i harbor no illusions of matching that woman''s prowess as a necromancer warrior. however, with a crown, i''ll surpass my current strength and edge closer to advancing to the 13th stage," she said, trying to win abby''s interest.


    abby''s lips curled into a smile as she materialized a black crown in her hands, her own crown manifesting simultaneously. "very well," she agreed, her voice carrying a note of caution. "i must warn you, though¡ªthe process might prove¡­ unsettling. are you prepared to enter my domain?"

 Chapter 2816 Successful!

    chapter 2816  successful! the ritual of receiving a crown from a devil or an aspirant to be a devil was simple, but dangerous for the receiving party. the greatest risk was that they would fall into the hands of an unscrupulous being who could even remove all their freedom.


    after all, the hell crown had the power to take over the mind of its user. unless someone possessed exceptional mental strength or was freed by a superior, there was a high likelihood that the absorption would alter the mind of that person.


    mylecent moved on, feeling her existence shake inside her own body as her necromancer senses intensified. she managed to partially block the restrictive effects of the crown, but still felt part of her mind being taken over by a silent darkness, which merely made her feel reverence and obligation towards the blue-haired figure in front of her.


    but as she felt this, her power fluctuated upwards, enhancing her to such a degree that ysolt, the one who knew mylecent best, looked at her with an expressive countenance on her face.


    "that..."


    "no," minos said as he warned the group that, however promising mylecent''s growth seemed, it wouldn''t be enough for her to reach the 13th stage. "she''ll reach the critical point for advancing a stage, but she won''t advance. however, that''s not a bad thing. we''re not in the right place for her to advance, and she''ll now have a chance to progress in no time."


    tempers calmed down as mylecent remained crouched in front of abby, finishing digesting the improvements to both her soul and her body.


    even though she didn''t advance, she felt much stronger, fully healed of her old injuries and with a more advanced understanding of her specialty.


    when she stood up, after completing the absorption of the crown, she was 100% in control of herself, enjoying the same freedom that minos had given gloria and ruth.


    abby had no interest in suppressing mylecent.


    but mylecent had no territory under her command, which wouldn''t give her the capabilities of gloria and ruth, let alone those of minos and abby.


    "thank you for the opportunity," she said in a serious tone, acting very different from when she had met them in the past.


    "what do you intend to do now?" minos asked her, unconcerned about fleeing the capital city. by now, their group had left the river they were sailing on and entered the open sea.


    in a few more minutes, they would become totally untraceable!


    "you said you''d find a place for me..." she said, not knowing exactly what to do, mainly because she didn''t know what he had in mind.


    minos said, "yes, but i''ll leave you and our men in this place where you can get back to your plans. obviously, you need to adjust your plans to the current circumstances, but i won''t stand by you.


    once we''ve sorted out this whole situation of finding a place for you, my group will travel for a while again. we''ll be inaccessible to you." he pointed out that this group didn''t count on them.


    "i thought we could fight side by side at last," mylecent said with a grimace.


    "not now. as i said, we have problems with someone much stronger than eternal death. we need to strengthen ourselves quickly outside of hell... that won''t be in uzira, i''m afraid." he concluded this matter.


    ysolt looked at her leader and suggested. "let''s stay in seclusion for a while to calm the situation of the rebels and the royal forces. eternal death must be enraged by now. it''s not good to risk taking action at this time."


    "hmm, i agree." mylecent didn''t underestimate eternal death, despite her current situation and all her knowledge of uzira''s truth.


    ysolt continued, "let''s retreat and organize the group. when the time is right for us to act, we can go to hell for you to conquer territories and advance stages."


    "won''t that be dangerous?" ruth asked.


    abby shook her head. "mylecent already knows hell and knows how to enter through an alternative area to the one we use. and even if she''s connected to me, there won''t be any problems. my enemies don''t know how to chase me, so they won''t be able to get to her just because of this connection... anyway, the danger for her will be the same as she''s always faced by going there."


    "but now she''ll be able to conquer territories and quickly strengthen herself," minos said as he approved this plan. "go ahead and stick to this plan. and don''t wait for us. as soon as you feel ready, develop your actions with the rebels and our men.


    armhands will support you in our absence."  s§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    none of the five rebels on that boat underestimated what minos had said. the strength he showed in this escape was enough for them to believe that the guild could even contribute to their plans.


    "where exactly are you going?" ysolt asked, annoyed at not being able to check on minos'' future.


    he looked at the orange-haired woman and laughed, wondering if he should say something.


    he sighed and decided to tell the truth. "actually, i don''t have a specific destination. i''m going to the violent sea, that''s our first stop. but after that, i honestly don''t know where we''ll go. but there is a possibility that we''ll leave zocarro for a while."


    that wasn''t exactly something they wanted to hear. leaving zocarro meant they would be completely out of reach.


    but it was clear from their expressions that there was no alternative. the possibility of being hunted by a level 128 true celestial was terrifying and they really had to do everything they could, including risking themselves at this difficult moment.


    "well then, i can only wish you good luck," ysolt said after mylecent said something similar.


    "and the same to us." gloria sighed, as the group was finally sailing the high seas towards the new place of refuge for the rebels.


    minos guided the hell lifelings so as to follow the best route to escape possible investigators looking for them, heading towards a calmer area of the continent. the stretch of sea they were traveling through wasn''t as dangerous as the depths of the violent sea, but even in that sea, they wouldn''t be too worried. everyone there was strong enough to challenge the mighty sea that separated oqia and uzira.


    so they would travel for the next few days, without worrying about the royal family, who really couldn''t catch them even if they tried hard to catch them. eventually, they would dock on the northwest coast, from where they would continue their journey by land.

 Chapter 2817 Time to Leave Uzira

    chapter 2817  time to leave uzira three weeks after fleeing the capital city, minos, and his group found a place that, like the armhands'' base in uzira, was excellent for hiding an underground outpost for a large group.


    on the way there, minos and his group got another 50 hell lifelings, besides the ones they took with them alive from the departure from the capital. more of them came to meet him after minos and his women signaled the individuals waiting for the signal to move, totaling 100 individuals, between the medium and high levels of the 12th stage.


    with 100 such individuals, mylecent and her four companions who had left the city that day settled down in the new outpost that minos had helped to build, restarting contact with the rebel forces scattered across the continent.


    minos and his wives stayed with them for the first few days to make sure the group got going again and that the eternal death group wouldn''t catch up with them. but as soon as the group seemed to have started a stable routine and no worrying signs appeared in their future, minos decided to leave.


    almost two weeks after arriving in the underground area, now home to uzira''s rebel forces, minos prepared to leave the place with his wives.


    "good luck once again," he said to mylecent and ysolt. "i''ve already sent some messages to the people at the guild headquarters. soon you''ll be able to start an exclusive messaging network and connect your plans."


    "hmm, we''ll certainly do that," mylecent said with a complicated look on her face. ysolt had promised her that she would have a long journey alongside minos, but that journey didn''t seem to be going the way she had hoped.


    ysolt knew what was on her leader and old friend''s mind and just smiled. ''be patient.'' that''s what her look at mylecent meant.  s§×ar?h the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the women from minos said goodbye to the group, until they set off, flying towards the east of the continent, heading back to the arrival area on the continent for those coming from oqia.


    they flew at low altitude for a while until they reached a distance good enough to use a wormhole without jeopardizing the rebel group''s position. then, with minos'' dimensional manipulation skills, they left through a black hole, heading away from the area.


    ...


    later that day, minos, abby, gloria, and ruth, unaccompanied by any hell lifeling, appeared above a large forest overlooking the vast violent sea.


    they didn''t go anywhere near their headquarters. all the issues they had with the guild''s staff on the continent had already been resolved.


    they had warned them of mylecent''s situation, clarified that they were going to start their journey to the violent sea now and already knew about the contact one of the guild''s groups had with the ship that diret had been using on his voyages around the continent. as far as they knew, the group going to oqia should have left by now and if they weren''t sailing now, they would start sailing the violent sea soon.


    everything else regarding the guild was under the care of first elder juma, who was just as, if not more, competent than them.


    the group descended from the sky, making their way to one shore of the beach in the area where they had arrived.


    there, minos scanned the surroundings, spotting many creatures native to the area, most of them frightened by the presence of his group. unlike when they first arrived in uzira, they were now experts by local standards.


    "we need to find a boat to take us," minos said to them.


    "as well as a crew." ruth looked at abby with a suggestive smile.


    "i can get the crew. but the ship isn''t with me." abby raised her arms in the air as darkness escaped from her body.


    the surrounding terrain trembled as skeletal creatures, long dead and buried in the area, began to emerge. these creatures quickly transformed into the natural forms of living beings, seemingly coming back to life in an instant.


    the living creatures around the group felt the spiritual fluctuations emanating from abby and the dead rising from the ground and were naturally horrified. even some of the supremes nearby hurried their steps away from the area, giving the group there the privacy they probably wanted.


    ruth smiled at the reaction of their spectators, while gloria said, "i can''t give us a new ship, but i can point out where we can get ship remains."


    the mercury thread left her body and branched out, heading for the sea and the land in that area. in front of her appeared a sphere of mercury, which quickly represented the shapes of various ship structures, showing the remains of shipwrecks near them.


    minos sprang into action with the information brought to light by gloria, looking into the future in the right directions while using his gravitational forces.


    while abby finished raising a group of three dozen hell lifelings in the surrounding area, minos recovered different parts of lost boats, buried on the beach or even at sea, brought in by the waves.


    he has created a small mountain of ship remains, with all kinds of naval vehicle parts on display on that strip of beach.


    "we don''t have a ship yet, but maybe we have material for our crew to build something useful for our trip," he said when he saw the group of newly trained subordinates in front of abby.


    "do any of you know how to do that?" abby asked, aware that several of these creatures were sea creatures or had died in uzira shortly after arriving in the area.


    several of them had early 12th stage cultivations. even though they were weak, they were useful to minos'' team.


    as minos had expected, several of them showed knowledge of navigation and shipbuilding, positioning themselves at the front to serve the group''s commands.


    "very well. find the remains of individuals who might know how to help you and start sorting out the materials for assembling a ship. i''ll give you a few days to assemble a ship ready to sail the violent sea," she said to the group, smiling as she watched them go into action.


    minos, gloria, and ruth stayed by abby''s side until they left, leaving the group working there to keep an eye on the surrounding area and make sure no one got in the way of their interest in leaving.


    soon they intended to leave uzira after decades of action on the continent!

 Chapter 2818 Back to the Sea

    chapter 2818  back to the sea the days passed and no problem was capable of disturbing the group''s peace approached them as their hell lifelings built the vessel for the journey they were about to begin.


    the initial hell lifelings that abby had brought back to life multiplied, reaching the number of over 200 individuals in the week she gave them to build their vessel.


    the task of building a ship capable of withstanding the brutal forces of the violent sea was no small feat. under normal circumstances, such an endeavor would require months, if not years, of painstaking labor and meticulous planning. yet, with this extraordinary workforce¡ªa legion of experienced navigators, master builders, and tireless assistants, all imbued with supernatural vigor¡ªthe impossible became possible.


    as the sun began its descent on the final day of construction, minos, and his wives approached the site of their hell lifelings'' labors. what greeted them was a sight that exceeded even their expectations.


    before them stood a vessel of formidable presence. stretching 12 meters in length, 5 meters in width, and towering 6 meters high, the ship was compact compared to some of the behemoths that plied the dangerous seas, yet it exuded an aura of strength and resilience that belied its size.


    despite having been built with parts from different types of vessels that had failed in the face of the violent sea, minos'' ship had a solid appearance and displayed powerful formations. having been crafted by basically supremes, this vessel resulting from the efforts of abby''s invocations was even better than the vehicle armhands had used to reach uzira.


    "your excellencies, your vessel is ready." introduced a level 117 navigator, one of the main individuals behind the construction of the vehicle. "it has a cultivation area, bedroom, kitchen, individual and collective bathrooms for the master bedroom, but also common areas for the crew and rest cabins.


    it can be navigated by a small group of 8 experienced navigators, as previously requested."  s§×ar?h the n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    minos didn''t intend to take so many hell lifelings with them on this journey, but he would take a small group to look after the vessel and facilitate their journey. despite their powers, they were not experts when it came to traveling by sea.


    abby and the women liked what they saw, a vessel that wasn''t ridiculously well crafted, but that met their expectations.


    given the short time the hell lifelings group had had to build it, it was the best they could have hoped for.


    "very good work. have you split up so you know who''s coming with us?" minos asked as he looked at that level 117 man.


    immediately, eight people stepped forward, introducing themselves to minos'' group. among them was the level 117 supreme.


    "yes, your excellency. we are not necessarily the strongest of those who have been given a second chance by her excellency abby, but we are the ones who have experienced the most of the violent sea and have the most knowledge about the ship."


    minos nodded in acceptance. "very well. prepare the ship for departure. it''s time to move on."


    the eight of them moved into position, while the rest remained stationary.


    abby led the remaining group. "ten of you will stay behind and erase the traces we left in this area. as for the rest of you, you''ll split into two groups. one will go to the outskirts of hilltop city. someone will find you and take you to armhands'' post that you will serve. the other group will support the rebels on the mainland."


    the men and women made similar gestures of thanks and understanding. before the group heading for the violent sea even entered the water, most of the individuals in this coastal area disappeared, heading for the mainland.


    minos and his wives didn''t stay long after the departure of over 180 individuals. they made their way to the colorful boat waiting for them and saw the last hell lifelings begin to clear the area as they slowly moved away from the continent.


    "we''re finally back at sea," gloria said as she remembered their arrival decades ago, when they had experienced various problems amid their desperate escape from the pursuit of the sea serpent, who was in search of the nautilus'' compass.


    the sea serpent had probably continued his search and had even spoken to his contacts in uzira. but minos'' trip to the second phase of devdar''s inheritance and then their group''s trip to hell had probably prevented any encounter with that powerful supremo.


    now the group was returning to the sea, but without the fears of that time.


    "sigh! it''s a pity that wenni and walkas got lost on our journey to uzira... otherwise, they could have joined us on this journey and destroyed the damned sea serpent," abby said in a mournful tone while their group was already in the lounge of their private area on the ship.


    during her stay in hell, before meeting up with minos, gloria, and ruth, abby had the chance to do something similar to her husband and use a reincarnation wheel to analyze the situation of some old acquaintances of hers.


    she saw the situation of some reincarnations of dear companions, such as mirya and viola, angela, brooke, and several others who had lost their lives in the spiritual world before their departure. almost all of them had already reincarnated and were experiencing their subsequent lives, while others, abby herself had helped to initiate their reincarnations.


    but in the case of wenni and walkas, they had been totally lost, having been destroyed and lost the chance to reincarnate because of the imperfect mode of abby''s own powers before she got her crown.


    if they hadn''t gotten out of her control at the time they were imprisoned in cursed rock, everything might have been different, but since they hadn''t, those two were lost for good.


    the rest of the group knew about this and mourned along with abby, turning their hatred towards both the sovereign forces of uzira, but also the sea serpent himself, who had killed those two in the first place.


    "we have many names to avenge." minos muttered as he looked through the window of that cabin. "but the time is coming when we will stop mourning the blood of our comrades along the path we have traveled. and don''t think that they''ve died completely. in our memories, they will live forever."


    the three women stared in silence at minos, each of them shivering at his words.


    "the journey ahead still has dangers. but we are close to solving them all. let''s hold on a little longer. we''re at the turning point of our journeys!"

 Chapter 2819 Signal from the Enemies!

    chapter 2819  signal from the enemies! a few days after minos and his group began to move, in the depths of the dangerous violent sea...


    a white serpent, curled up on itself in an area with no sign of living beings for long distances, had his eyes closed, apparently asleep.


    his calm, peaceful gaze hid the truth behind it, frustrated by his futile attempts to reach an old target who had stolen what should have been his.


    after decades of searching and no results from uzira, he had returned home to wait. eventually, the enemy would sail back into the violent sea. by then, he would not only realize this but also know how to pursue the one he had marked.


    he was calm after his initial failures. now he was waiting leisurely. the enemy should be slow to set foot in a boat to navigate these dangerous waters. after all, the enemy had infiltrated uzira and should be taking advantage of the opportunities in his path.


    who in that scoundrel''s place would leave uzira''s opportunities to travel through the chaos of the violent sea after only a few decades on the continent?


    consequently, the sea serpent was waiting leisurely, imagining that it would be a thousand, maybe two or three thousand, years before he got his chance.


    however, even though he trusted his instincts, today he suddenly opened his eyes when he sensed something he hadn''t expected. the sign of that enemy he hated so much and wanted to kill appeared again in his ''nose'', moving again through the waters of his domains!


    for a brief moment, he doubted his own senses. they couldn''t be right. the enemy wouldn''t be so foolish.


    but after a brief analysis, he realized that he wasn''t wrong. the enemy was back, sailing away from uzira, already on a dangerous stretch of the violent sea where he could act without worrying about the forces of the continent.


    ''the nautilus'' compass is back in my domain!'' the sea serpent stood up, moving from his resting position to swim across the sea towards his enemy.


    "prepare for a hunt!" his voice reverberated across the ocean floor, reaching the positions of his respective minions, creatures of levels 121, 122 and 123.


    the white creature didn''t wait for his subordinates to catch up. it led the way towards the enemy, letting loose from its body a peak cultivation of level 124, the strongest aura of the dangerous violent sea.


    ''this time you won''t get away, alien!'' he thought of the one who was holding what belonged to him, moving forward full of confidence in getting his first part of a true celestial''s body, the key to becoming a celestial and going to the upper realm!


    ...


    meanwhile, on a small ship, close to the coast of oqia, an alien had just started its journey across the violent sea, heading for uzira, where its target was supposed to be.


    his pores had never gone wrong before. the subtle, hard substance he had left on all his rivals the last time he met them was telling him that the hardest of his competitors were toward uzira.


    the broccoli head alien, currently at level 124, had a serious look on his vegetal face, feeling a worry that was hard to ignore.


    until he left oqia, he had been quite optimistic about taking down yet another contender for the inheritance of the true celestial, devdar. but lately he had been feeling bad omens. he was following the mission he had given himself, but he couldn''t help feeling bad about the sudden disappearance of one of his targets not long ago.


    he had sensed that one of his competitors, whom he had marked and wanted to hunt down on his current journey, had come to uzira too, something he had predicted even during the second phase of devdar''s inheritance. but that competitor had disappeared weeks ago, while the most worrying of the enemies of this individual sailing alone now was still alive.


    he wasn''t wrong. minos had defeated someone who had tried to hunt him down and was possibly much stronger now, with more parts of the bodies of true celestials in him.


    that was a worry for this broccoli-headed man!


    ''i''ll have to be careful. minos is probably close to my level, which makes him a difficult opponent to hunt. perhaps i should involve local players in the hunt against him.'' the alien thought to himself, aware that there were powerful creatures in this world who would love the chance to deal with someone like minos.


    ''maybe it''s worth the risk of letting others find out about the inheritance he''s vying for. as long as i can beat him, i''ll absorb his parts and immediately go to the true celestial dimension. i won''t have to worry about being hunted down after i succeed.''


    given his advantages of already being level 124, he didn''t fear the risk of his plans turning against him, with others finding out about the fact that he was also involved in the same inheritance as minos.


    ''i''ll see about that in the coming months. i feel minos is moving towards me, so maybe he''s in this sea. that''s not bad. the natural phenomena of this place could help me with my plans.''


    he sailed on alone, considering the possibilities in his path and how best to overthrow his great rival for devdar''s inheritance.


    as long as he defeated minos, he would go on to the final stage of the inheritance. but without minos as a competitor, and with two other competitors who he was sure had already fallen, his chances of getting a place in the upper realm would be high!


    because he was in this situation, he couldn''t give up what he was doing, even with the pessimistic feeling of having felt the end of one of his competitors who had come to zocarro to hunt down minos.


    he moved on, experiencing the ferocious phenomena of this dangerous sea, leaving behind the vicinity of oqia for the most dangerous parts of the separation between the continents of zocarro.


    ...


    meanwhile, minos was sailing with his women for the second month in a row, following devdar''s hint as to where he would find traces for the next part of a true celestial''s body that he would have the chance to absorb.


    having correctly deciphered the true celestial''s hints, he was now sailing towards the middle region between uzira and oqia of the violent sea, where he should find the sea serpent!


    devdar had told him at the time that he would have to come face to face with death on his journey across the violent sea. although he didn''t know how the sea serpent would challenge him at his current level, he thought that only the sovereign of the seas could be behind this risk.


    for now, they were sailing on the surface of the sea, but their boat, which could also serve as a submarine, would soon venture into the ocean''s depths.


    in the meantime, minos was looking to the future for his group, searching for the right moment to embark on their decisive journey.


    ''we have to hurry. we''ll probably have to leave the planet, which will eat up most of the time we have until qhava finishes her advance and comes after us personally!''


    his heart pounded with urgency amid this critical moment!


    s~ea??h the n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 2820 A Great Battle Approaching

    chapter 2820  a great battle approaching near the awakening peak, from an area covered by dark clouds, suddenly a group of totally black creatures, apparently made of rock, left the dark space.


    as they walked out of a lake of black liquid, their appearances changed, taking on different shapes from each other, less related to hell and more ''alive'', with feathers, leather, and skin growing on their rocky structures.


    as they took on vivid colors, the group of five individuals, between levels 123 and 124, stopped when the transformation of their bodies was complete.


    they looked around for a while, understanding where they had arrived.


    their mistress had been in this world before. memories of her flowed through the minds of these five supremes, making them understand where they were and the care they needed.


    "let''s look for the damned undar. he hasn''t gone far. i can sense that he''s still in this world," said the strongest of the group sent by qhava to hunt down minos.


    "there are celestials in this world, so let''s be careful. unless we come across undar, don''t let our presence or mission be felt."


    "understood!"


    "now let''s find the bloody traitor''s tracks!"


    they moved on, splitting into three, with the strongest and leader of the group heading off alone to begin his investigations in uzira.


    ...


    meanwhile, in another area of the awakening peak, a woman with long white hair, at the peak of the level 124, made her way through a secret area of the region.


    alone, she advanced against the horde of undead in the vicinity, soon entering an underground cavern while using the darkness of the area to conceal her movements.


    arriving in an area where there was a statue of a man holding a scythe, mylecent observed it for a few moments, seeing the fountain of black liquid that was just behind it.


    that was the representation of the first eternal death, the founder of her old family, whom mylecent respected, unlike the one in her current position.


    she made a gesture of respect to the statue in this cave illuminated by torches of red flame, before walking past it and heading for the fountain there, where her family''s portal was.


    this wasn''t the only place her family could go to hell, her goal in coming there today. the royal family of uzira had three methods of entering uzira. one of them was in the capital city, and the other, besides the place mylecent was now at, was also on the awakening peak.


    this was not the case with the family''s original outpost, where the founder had left his test, where one would always have to overcome tough challenges similar to the one minos had gone through in qhava''s mirror dimension.


    "sigh! time to move on!" she said to herself as she took the decisive step into the black fountain, having already waited more than a year since minos had left.


    she had planned to stay in seclusion longer to give eternal death time for the mood on the continent to improve. but mylecent felt she had to get stronger faster and so brought her plans forward.


    ''the next time i set foot in uzira, i''ll be a true celestial!''  sea??h th§× n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    she thought to herself before disappearing from the area, returning once again to the dimension of her ancestor, where challenges equivalent to the level of the challenger arose whenever one stepped foot there.


    having passed through this place several times in the past wouldn''t make it any easier for anyone. the level of difficulty of the challenges changed as their power grew, which always posed great risks¡ªwhich is why few people ventured there.


    as well as being more difficult, there were almost no advantages to using this means of entry into hell. thanks to this, mylecent didn''t find any of her family there, having earlier passed the only observer in the area without being noticed.


    ''time to start all over again!''


    she found herself inside her ancestor''s dimension, moments before the dark area she had arrived in changed, initiating her challenge.


    ...


    months later, in the violent sea...


    minos and his women were now traveling deep into the ocean floor, having completed 70% of their journey to the center of the violent sea between uzira and oqia.


    their current vessel was much faster than the one used by the group on their outward journey to uzira, so they had made much faster progress in the little over a year and a half that had passed since they left the continent than they had at the beginning of their journey out of oqia.


    a few days ago, minos had ordered his crew to start the underwater part of their journey, and now the group was sailing around the dark depths of the sea, using only the luminous devices on their vessel to see into the distance.


    meanwhile, the group was experiencing less of the chaotic phenomena that made the violent sea famous, and more encounters with sea creatures than on the previous naval journey. fortunately, their ship was strong enough and most of the beings they encountered went on their way without looking for trouble. the few who provoked them ended up facing the cruel fate shared by many of minos'' historical enemies.


    now the group was sailing through the darkness of the sea, in the silence of a region devoid of almost all life. there, icy waters, capable of freezing living beings to the 11th stage, surrounded the surroundings for vast spaces.


    the ship itself was freezing in the middle of its journey through the eternal underwater night, while minos and his wives were in the main cabin of their vessel.


    each of them had been taking time out to cultivate over the past few months, but they no longer thought about progress through cultivation. even using the advantages of temporal sands, it would take them several millennia to make progress through cultivation.


    only special resources and parts from true celestials could help them advance in cultivation in less time than that.


    but even if they were unlikely to advance with cultivation, they maintained the habit of cultivating, something they had done all their lives.


    minos had already warned his group that they would face great difficulties before long, so the group was meditating constantly, less to get stronger and more to prepare for the problems on their way!

 Chapter 2821 A Reason to Wait

    chapter 2821  a reason to wait while powerful supremes were moving around uzira and the violent sea on minos'' behalf, back in oqia, the situation on the continent of armhands was much calmer.


    with decades since the departure of minos and his group, armhands had fallen almost entirely under the control of the group he left behind, led by kendrick and his sisters.


    the group of individuals in the guild from the spiritual world, the adamant land, and other worlds allied with them, such as the enchanted realm, had increased, adding to kendrick''s growing influence.


    but not only that, with the passage of time, old, and new members of the faction grew stronger, with kendrick finally reaching level 114, lily level 113 and hollie level 112.


    even segiel, the most recent woman to join minos'' harem, the guild''s current commander, had increased her cultivation in recent years, reaching level 117.


    armhands had gained a lot by winning the war against firestone mines before minos left. because of the results of that war, the guild was exerting its influence over the continent as the most powerful force in oqia. along with the guild''s growth, the most important members of the force had gained opportunities and were enjoying better and better chances.


    if it weren''t for the continent''s spiritual ''poverty'' in relation to uzira, there would already be supremes from the spiritual world in the guild!  sea??h th§× novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    in any case, no one was complaining about uzira and even though they hadn''t received any sign of their family leaving for uzira for decades, those at the guild''s headquarters were calm.


    soon, another group of them would leave for the spiritual world to bring new members to the guild, more of the family and important members of house stuart.


    in particular, those in oqia were already waiting for sarah or rowan to finally come to zocarro, since by now their children should be experts by the standards of the spiritual world and the adamant land.


    in the meantime, the family was growing in oqia itself!


    ...


    at armhands'' headquarters, kendrick''s house was full of laughter and happy comments, with oswald making happy remarks alongside his great-grandson, satisfied with kendrick''s result.


    in the arms of grisdi, currently at level 113, was the newborn and newest member of the stuart family, moyses stuart, the first member of the family to be born in zocarro.


    as the newborn''s mother cuddled him, surrounded by the women of the family¡ªpatience, maisie, angelica, kendrick''s maternal grandparents and grisdi''s relatives¡ªthe little one, the family''s first hybrid, had a curious look on his human face.


    kendrick stood next to his wife and son, with a big smile on his lips, glancing from time to time at the young heir he had made.


    seeing and hearing the family''s happiness, segiel sighed, wondering if she would ever have the chance to conceive.


    ''how much longer will it take him to send news?'' she asked herself as she felt a little melancholy, even though she was happy about the stuart family''s growth.


    besides missing her man and wanting to conceive a child, segiel was also worried as the commander of the guild. minos'' group should have established a post in uzira and then begun their efforts to create a method of communication between them. given the time that had passed and uzira''s more advanced methods, the group should have achieved something by now. at least that''s what she believed, confident that minos'' group would succeed.


    but with every day that passed without any information from them, only uncertainty remained to stress this blue-haired woman.


    "too worried to enjoy the occasion?" emlyn asked as she stopped next to the powerful guild leader, offering her a drink.


    "the continent is at peace, we''re growing and the faction is stronger than ever... but minos'' situation bothers me." segiel didn''t hide her thoughts from the fox beside her. "i''m afraid..."


    emlyn smiled and said, "fear not. when it comes to minos, we have to wait for him. sooner or later, he will make his move and it will become clear what we have to consider. until then, it''s best to live as we can act. worrying doesn''t help at all."


    "that sounds like blind trust to me." segiel looked into emlyn''s orange eyes.


    emlyn shook her head negatively. "he could fail. i don''t rule that out. but years of experience alongside minos have taught me not to worry about anything outside my control.


    i sincerely hope that he wins everything he gets involved in. but he really could fall. yet, whether he''s in a deadly situation or cultivating the best opportunity of his life right now, what difference does my anguish make? i couldn''t help him, even if i was by his side.


    sigh!


    now i can only watch him from afar and wait to hear his stories when he returns."


    segiel felt a little bad for emlyn, but a moment later she felt bad for herself, seeing that the emlyn of today was her in the future.


    "that''s sad."


    but emlyn showed no sadness. she pointed to little moyses and said, "minos protects us now and gives us opportunities. we mustn''t regret not being able to help him. on the contrary, we must help those we can and return our gratitude and affection to him in other ways.


    i believe that eventually we will be reunited, and we will live in peace. the journey of cultivation is not meant to be an endless path. we will all perish or achieve something more and finally live in peace.


    i''ll wait as long as it takes for that to happen. until then, i''ll contribute what i can."


    segiel was silent for a moment, observing emlyn''s confidence that minos would succeed and eventually they could all be together again.


    she looked at little moyses and then out the window closest to her, gazing at the stars.


    ''is that so?'' she wondered, obviously thinking of the only place in the universe where they could truly live in peace alongside minos forever. ''he has the potential to enter the upper realm... it will just depend on us still being alive when he makes his way to immortality.''


    with a clench of her fists, she tried to improve her spirits, seeing that, as much as it was a blind path, it was better for her to trust him and do what she could to be available when their time came.


    perhaps some of them, or even all of them, would perish before they had such an opportunity, but it was worth following the same lifestyle as emlyn.


    "you''re right," said the powerful guild commander. "let''s keep getting stronger while we wait for his victorious return!"

 Chapter 2822 Alliance at the Last Minute

    chapter 2822  alliance at the last minute after more than a year of sailing in search of his enemy, the sea serpent was feeling his enemy''s aura more strongly, something far beyond the sensation he had been feeling for the last few months.


    his mood was improving, finally bringing him to where he could change his life and enter the 13th stage!


    as he sailed ahead of his group that day, he caught sight of someone powerful sailing towards him. this, however, was not the holder of the nautilus'' compass he was approaching, who was probably only a few days away from him.


    the level 124 individual approaching them was not a native of zocarro, but he had something about him that caught the sea serpent''s attention, making the sea lord stop in his tracks and turn his attention in this guy''s direction.


    "who are you? what do you want in my domain?" the white creature asked, looking with narrowed eyes at that creature at the bottom of the sea, an unusual area for terrestrial beings like that to come from.


    "my name is orcel, dear serpent," said the broccoli head individual, while he had a smiling look on his alien face. "i come from afar and have no interest in your domains. but i feel our destinies are connected. the one you seek is the enemy i am hunting."


    orcel didn''t know who the sea serpent was, nor the relationship between minos and this underwater creature. but when he marked minos with one of his microscopic pores, which was aimed at the same target as the sea serpent, he felt the aura of a strange creature in minos'' body.


    minos had been marked by the sea serpent during his escape from the violent sea before arriving in uzira. it was still in his aura, which is why the sea serpent could track him.


    it was precisely this mark that had led orcel to the sea serpent today. he was heading towards minos when he sensed the same aura he had perceived in his enemy during the last phase of devdar''s inheritance. before taking his chances with minos, the broccoli-head alien approached this native of zocarro.


    "how would you know who i''m chasing?" the sea serpent was no junior. he was experienced and skeptical enough to doubt the intentions of others who approached him like that.


    "i don''t know what you know about him or what you want from him, but my enemy has been marked with your aura. i met this person a while ago, minos, and i sensed your aura in him. at the time, i didn''t give it much thought. but since i started chasing minos in this world, i could notice your aura getting stronger and i remembered what i had felt back then." the alien explained with a calm look, while surrounded by 12 high-level creatures of the 12th stage, the sea serpent''s subordinates.


    he suggested. "why don''t we ally ourselves against him? i''m only interested in minos'' death. you can take whatever interest you have in this hunt. you can even kill him. i''ll help you achieve that."


    the sea serpent remained impassive, staring in silence at the enemy offering him an alliance.


    it was tempting to team up with powerful figures. but he still wasn''t convinced.


    "why do you think i need help? look at my group. only a celestial could challenge us!" said the white creature confidently.


    orcel plastered a ridiculous smile on his face. "you really don''t know your enemy, do you?"


    the look on the broccoli-headed alien''s face irritated the sea serpent.


    "i haven''t had time to get to know him... i don''t even know if he''s the one you''re talking about."


    "yes, he is, but let me warn you. minos isn''t normal. he has powers that are almost omnipresent. i can assure you that he knows you''re coming to him now. and he must be strong enough to defeat you."  sear?h the n?velfire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "if that''s the case, what difference would a single extra supreme make?" sea serpent asked.


    "i''m not normal like you... so much so that i know minos is involved in the inheritance of a true celestial!" orcel revealed the crux of the conversation, changing the look on the sea serpent''s face from skepticism to interest.


    ''either he knows about the nautilus'' compass, or this minos guy has another part of a true celestial''s body...'' the sea serpent considered the possibilities. ''in either case, i need to make sure this minos guy dies and then kill orcel!


    with two body parts of a true celestial, i''ll not only be able to advance to level 125, but already enter the upper realm with a higher status than newly promoted ones!''


    "all right," said the sea serpent in a different tone from earlier. "you have my attention. how do you plan to contribute to the fall of minos? how would we do it together?"


    orcel smiled as he finally got what he wanted. ''i''ll use these fools as long as they''re useful. i''ll kill those who don''t die in battle when it''s all over!''


    "you made the right choice, haha. here''s my plan..."


    ...


    meanwhile, to the west of where the sea serpent and orcel were, minos was in the control cabin of his ship, looking out over the deep, dark ocean floor.


    from his prominent position, he could see his crew members working with the ship''s sensors, while the colored part of their eyes glowed an intense gold.


    his wives sat beside him, silently scanning the horizon for signs of enemies, aware that they were not far from the hard battle that minos had warned them about.


    then, amid the silence of the cabin, where only the sound of radars filled the space with information, minos changed his expression and said.


    "qhava''s envoys are coming to us. they''ve left hell and have already discovered that we''re not in uzira," he said, as his eyes stopped glowing. "they''re already sailing the violent sea, fast approaching us."


    abby clenched one of her fists and questioned, "how long do we have?"


    "days, maybe weeks," he replied in a worried tone. "they''re using a tool compatible with the 13th stage. they''re swift and will cross the sea quickly."


    the entire cabin of the ship fell silent after these words, each one there taking a deep breath as they thought of the aspirant devils approaching them!

 Chapter 2823 Surrounded on All Sides

    chapter 2823  surrounded on all sides "enemies in sight!" the voice of one of the hell lifelings in the cabin of the vessel navigating the underwater world came out, breaking the tense silence in that dark space.


    only the external lights of the ship and the navigation devices illuminated the surroundings, further marking the tense expressions of the individuals there.


    minos rose from his seat, spotting enemies surrounding them from all directions in the next few moments. not just those visible on the horizon ahead, but several other high-level beings from the 12th stage.


    "looks like we''re about to face a perfect storm," he said to his women, understanding the enemies they would have today. "besides the sea serpent and his minions, one of my competitors from devdar''s heritage and qhava''s envoys are going to surround us at almost the same time."


    "that''s terrible," said abby, aware that, however strong they were on minos'' side, qhava''s envoys were no simple matter, just as the competitor for devdar''s inheritance must have their methods.


    dealing with them separately shouldn''t be a deadly challenge, but doing so against all of them simultaneously should pose actual risks to their lives.


    ''it all makes sense now.'' minos understood devdar''s hint when the man said that he would find his clue in the place where death awaited him.


    devdar hadn''t foreseen minos going to hell, but he owed it to his prediction about the future to adjust and maintain the difficulty of this group''s underwater mission.


    minos looked at his women and without blinking, they all got off that boat alongside just two of his crew members.


    they adjusted their bodies to cope with the pressure of the water and the gases available in the underwater world, while raising their auras, drawing the attention of the enemies arriving there.


    they already knew that combat would develop there, but the enemies couldn''t read the future. they were still finishing their hunt for minos when they sensed the auras of three high-level supremes and four mid-level supremes in that position.


    "and here we meet," minos said, his voice reverberating through tens of thousands of cubic meters of space, reaching the audible sensors of the sea serpent, qhava''s envoys and the broccoli head man.


    they all stopped some distance from each other, with the strongest looking at minos and his women with ugly looks on their faces, different thoughts running through their minds.


    qhava''s envoys looked at abby and understood who this woman was, which represented a great opportunity for them.


    meanwhile, the sea serpent couldn''t help but look at minos and recognize that this was the one who had stolen the nautilus'' compass.


    orcel looked at minos, surprised by his opponent''s low cultivation, but he was cautious. he didn''t know who the women next to his opponent were, but they didn''t look simple, no matter how low the cultivation of the three of them.


    ''his damn prophetic abilities have prepared him for this confrontation.'' orcel thought, not at all interested in being one of the first to confront minos. ''and there are other enemies of his... very strong individuals, i see.'' he looked at qhava''s envoys, each of them displaying powerful spiritual fluctuations full of darkness.


    both orcel and the sea serpent felt a little annoyed by qhava''s envoys, but they tried to focus on minos and the women on the side of this common enemy.


    "i wonder, did you all come here to die?" minos remained the only one to speak. meanwhile, his aura grew stronger, inducing a small standoff and reconsideration by some of those involved.


    the leader of qhava''s group, however, would not leave without minos'' head and abby''s death. the traitor was not under the effects of qhava''s powers and abby''s death would bring opportunities for their devil to become even more powerful.


    after understanding the current level of their enemies and sensing that those others there were potential allies in the battle about to begin, the high-level supremes from hell moved in, also raising their auras, showing their black crowns.


    carcasses of the dead buried in the sand of the ocean floor rose, showing life and intelligence as they ascended towards minos'' group.


    by now, the group''s ship had already moved away from them, ignored by the siege of enemies who were only interested in minos and his women.


    when qhava''s envoys moved first, the sea serpent''s underlings sprang into action, with the sea serpent itself swimming against the enemy.


    orcel also moved forward, but he stayed more in the background, first interested to see what was different about the current minos compared to the version from the last phase of devdar''s inheritance.


    orcel would soon have his answers. minos showed the same dark powers as some enemies attacking him, while the dead appearing on his group''s side did not reach the same heights of power as the enemies, but rather gave their strength to their creators.


    the cultivation of minos and his women rose, reaching levels similar to or greater than those of the opponents attacking them, while the icy waters of this underwater area became agitated.


    minos'' wings spread, revealing six figures in silver flames, while space itself shook under the power of minos'' increasing dragon''s hands.


    he transformed, bringing forth a golden, silver, and black dragon, bearing long black horns and obsidian claws.


    the women of minos didn''t undergo such shocking transformations, but they each exhibited their abilities, with gloria splitting into three mercury figures, while abby commanded a minor battle of underwater undead.  s~ea??h the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ruth was the first of them to move after minos left to attack qhava''s envoys first, demonstrating her advanced physical characteristics that made her the fastest in the area in the blink of an eye.


    at that moment, everyone involved in this increasingly hot and chaotic situation realized that this was going to be the toughest battle of their lives. if they won, it would be by a long shot and before that they would see the worst enemies of their lives in action!


    orcel cursed his situation, but got seriously involved in the fight from the start as he realized that otherwise his chances of survival would be close to zero.


    even surrounded by enemies, minos'' group was simply too strong for him to be on the back foot!


    ''shit! and this bastard doesn''t even consider me the principal enemy!'' the broccoli head alien didn''t know whether to be offended or thankful that he didn''t have to face such a bloody monster head on!

 Chapter 2824 The Beginning of the Fight

    chapter 2824  the beginning of the fight minos first focused on qhava''s hell envoys, the ones he sincerely thought were the most dangerous in this place at the moment. orcel was a dangerous fellow given his high talent and ability to become a potential heir to a true celestial. but each of the devil''s envoys was on the path to becoming a true celestial.


    the difference between these individuals and orcel was that they didn''t participate in an inheritance like the one created by devdar. on the contrary, they took part in hell''s fierce competition and could, depending on their growth in hell, actually become devils and vie for the throne of hell.


    each of these enemies had talent equal to or greater than orcel, enough for minos to disregard the other enemies in the vicinity.


    but while attacking with his silver and obsidian flames, the enemies attacking him as well; he didn''t ignore those in the surroundings fighting his team. his support skills came into play on his women, while the parasitic skills, focused on weakening the enemies, also acted.


    the sea serpent sensed this as she swam towards the enemy, noticing a suppressive force diminishing her strength a little, while the enemies became more impressive in her eyes.


    abby focused on the sea serpent, leaving qhava''s infernal envoys in minos'' care. her eyes landed on the great white creature that had been responsible for the demise of wenni and walkas, and she raised one of her hands, commanding the horde of underwater undead charging at him.


    grotesque-looking beings moved from where they had emerged, swimming against the sea serpent while their large bodies occupied the field of vision of several of the smaller individuals there.


    meanwhile, the dead brought up in the surrounding area by gloria and ruth were attacking the sea serpent''s minions, demonstrating their impressive physical strength, but also their spiritual abilities.


    poison attacks, fin attacks, and dimensional slashes appeared in several different positions, stirring up the sea as both sides attacked and counter-attacked.


    amid this, ruth caught up with the enemy in her sights, orcel, the broccoli head man.


    "you made a mistake coming here," ruth said as she appeared behind the man''s back, while one of her fists glowed and she attacked her opponent with a power that made her seem even stronger than a level 123 being.


    ''that''s fast!'' the broccoli headed man thought little ruth''s level, but he couldn''t help but be surprised to see this human appearing on his back so easily.


    he boosted his defenses and a silvery layer of skin covered the spot ruth would hit a split second later, protecting him significantly.


    he looked back and smiled, imagining that he would find the image of a terrified look on that woman''s face. but instead of seeing an opponent shocked by hitting a body as firm as the strongest metal in the universe with a totally broken hand, he saw a scene that frightened him.


    ruth''s hand had indeed broken when it hit him, but apart from the fact that it had pierced his defense and superficially wounded his back, her hand was regenerating at a frightening speed.


    he saw silver flames cover ruth''s open wound and then, three seconds later, when she had already changed position and appeared in front of him, her hand was as perfect as it had been before.


    "what? how is that possible?" he screamed in horror before flinching to the side, watching the world around him spin as ruth attacked him again, this time towards his chest.


    ''what''s happening?'' he asked himself, this time not being able to defend himself so well and feeling ruth''s subsequent attack go deeper into his body.


    while he felt pain and weakness, generated not only by the combined action of minos and the previous attack but also by a trail of darkness traveling inside his body.


    "i told you. you were wrong to come here," ruth said with a devilish grin on her face, as darkness enveloped her eyes and fists, with her crown of darkness showing amidst her attacks against orcel.


    never having faced someone with hellish powers before, orcel found himself in a terrible situation, feeling the attacks of an opponent who, in theory, should be weaker than him.


    while orcel suffered at the hands of ruth, gloria, and her clones, each of whom showed the same level 122, acted simultaneously, turning the sea around her silver as she dealt with the undead summoned by qhava''s envoys.


    one of her clones joined abby''s undead to deal with the sea serpent''s minions, while the other stayed by the blue-haired woman''s side to support her. meanwhile, gloria on her own dealt with their enemies'' creatures from hell, dealing with those who were escaping minos'' high-level battle against those sent to hun them.


    her powers were at the peak of level 122, not much when compared to her harem sisters and minos, but enough for most opponents. apart from the sea serpent, orcel, and qhava''s envoys, each of whom was being faced by gloria''s other companions, everyone else in the area was a supreme between levels 122 and 123.


    that was exactly the range of power she could act on!


    confident in her body''s regenerative capacity generated by its own characteristics and the fact that ruth was nearby, connected to her and the others, gloria advanced without fear.


    weapons of mercury formed in her surroundings, while the effects of her mastery almost rivaled the favorable underwater effects of the sea creatures in the area.  sear?h the n?vel_fire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    she herself had powers over life and death and soon a wheel of black energy was spinning near her, sucking out the souls of those revived by qhava''s envoys.


    "go back to hell and pass through the reincarnation wheel. you must start your new lives immediately!" she ordered as the revived underwater beings had their souls drawn into gloria''s wheel of darkness, along with their bodies being attacked by mercury weapons.


    mercury penetrated the bones of gloria''s targets, increasing their density and causing them to sink, losing some of their strength to defend themselves against her. with their masters too busy with minos, several of them didn''t stand a chance, while others fought as best they could to attack toward this diabolical woman.


    the battle started well for minos'' group, but everyone there had level bonuses generated by him that would soon stop working!


    this was only the beginning of the fight!

 Chapter 2825 Back to the past

    chapter 2825  back to the past abby saw that her harem sisters were all right and didn''t move her focus in any direction other than that of her current target.


    at that moment, the sea serpent had several cuts along its body, with many bones and semi-decomposed parts of creatures in its vicinity.


    after a few initial moments of combat, the mighty sea serpent gave up on approaching minos. if he didn''t worry about the necromancer attacking him so fiercely with her summons, he would be in big trouble!


    he didn''t understand where he could see someone as strong as abby, who wasn''t from the sovereign family of uzira, but he tried his best to entertain her while the effects of minos'' ability lasted.


    the sea serpent didn''t know minos well, but the broccoli headed man told everyone in the vicinity that minos could temporarily weaken enemies and make allies stronger. this ability was powerful and more effective than anyone could have imagined. but it had its weakness, time.


    sooner or later, it would lose its capabilities and become weaker, even if minos reactivated his most important ability again.


    orcel''s message was simple. as long as they could hold out against minos'' group for a few minutes, they could change the combat situation and have the advantage on their side.


    the sea serpent was doing its best to achieve this, holding off the attacks of the high-level supremes summoned by abby, gradually destroying this blue woman''s undead.


    the problem was that abby looked worse than minos. while her cultivation seemed stable, the undead she was controlling kept rising from their mortal remains to attack him. when he took down two enemies, abby would bring out three more!


    this created a peculiar situation amid the white serpent''s combat, making his wounds grow along with his energy expenditure, while the remains of creatures killed by him decorated the surroundings, but without him being able to actually reduce the number of enemies.


    ''what the fuck! what''s going on?'' he asked himself hatefully.


    minos saw his situation and that of the other enemies on the battlefield as he faced the creatures sent by qhava. even minutes after the start of the fight, he still hadn''t gained a clear advantage against the group of infernal individuals surrounding him.


    but minos was demonstrating formidable skills. even surrounded by high level supremes who could soon become true celestials, he kept the fight balanced, even with his numerical disadvantage.


    he was still having to support his women from afar and monitor what was happening in each battle, something that was making his enemies hate him even more.


    seeing the critical point approaching for him and his wives, minos froze, the golden hourglass circling moments behind him, drawing the attention of those perceptive individuals.


    "stop him!" said the strongest level 124 supreme in the area as he moved desperately to attack minos.


    everyone took the risk of attacking minos without considering possible counterattacks on his part, going beyond ''safe'' to stop him from what he was doing at the moment.


    he paused for a moment as if waiting for something, seeing several attacks powerful enough to test his defenses coming at him violently.


    just as he was about to be hit, his body began to disappear, reappearing in another part of the battlefield, closer to where his women were than to qhava''s envoys.


    minos felt a cut appear in the middle of his forehead, with blood flowing from it for a short fraction of a second, until his body regenerated the wound.


    "what?"


    the sea serpent sensed the change not only in minos'' position but also in his aura. when minos'' aura was close to exhaustion, it suddenly become as vigorous as before the fight began.  s§×arch* the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    almost instantaneously with minos'' change, his wives changed too, with their strength rising from already exhausted states to near peak condition.


    orcel looked on with a terrible look on his green face, seeing minos'' most powerful divine ability showing itself.


    "he has gone back in time!" exclaimed the alien, standing there in search of body parts belonging to the true celestials. as he continued his search, he stumbled upon what he believed to be the most that the enemy would reveal.


    unfortunately, he didn''t know if minos'' maximum would be a tough challenge or his death!


    minos looked in the direction of the infernal man, who had almost struck him with a mortal blow, angrily, but was also pleased that his action had worked.


    going back in time wasn''t a simple thing. he hadn''t actually gone back in time, but had made his body and cultivation go back three minutes into the past. this changed his position, but as he didn''t affect anyone other than himself, the surroundings remained in the present time.


    but there was a connection between the past he returned to and the present he left. part of this showed itself in the wound on his forehead, which closed, but became a reminder of how dangerous his attitude could be.


    still, minos was in a better state than earlier, having recovered his strength almost instantly and, therefore, could help his women recover as well.


    the battle, however, was not over and still needed a lot of effort to be decided.


    even after almost exhausting himself and his wives, his group had eliminated only the weakest supremes fighting on that part of the ocean floor. the strongest were all still standing, wounded and with auras no longer as strong, but still alive and well enough to keep fighting.


    minos returned to his infernal dragon state, but instead of attacking only qhava''s envoys directly, this time he targeted a larger group as several silver weapons appeared around him.


    one of his true celestial body parts sprang into action as his women retreated close to him.


    so many weapons materialized in the surroundings that the place seemed to see the birth of many bright silver stars, forming a globe around minos and his women.


    "deal with it," he said as he moved his hands and made these weapons explode against the remaining enemies, firing so fast at them that wormholes formed between them and their targets.


    at that moment, minos unleashed his most powerful attack, something that, if activated in a world like the enchanted realm, would have destroyed it completely!


    luckily, zocarro was two levels above the enchanted realm and only the violent sea would suffer from such an attack that day!

 Chapter 2826 Calamity in the Depths of the Ocean

    chapter 2826  calamity in the depths of the ocean dust scattered on the seabed, covering distant spaces up to a few hundred kilometers from the point of impact, while a red glow illuminated the dark ocean floor.


    minos and his women felt the spatial structures of his domain creak as if they were going to tear apart, and they kept close to each other, circulating their energies as they kept watch, circulating their energies through their defenses as they waited.


    minos'' attack was much stronger than they had anticipated, causing them to express concern, but also curiosity.


    would any enemy survive such a display of power?


    but as they looked at minos and saw how serious he still was, his eyes glowing with a divine energy, the three women knew that the likelihood of the fight being over with his last attack was not great.


    "it''s almost over," minos said to them, as he sensed that they would soon be able to leave this domain he had created to protect them.


    minos knew his opponents had been taken by surprise. but some of them should have been able to set up domains of their own and escape the worst of his movement. but he was certain that most of his enemies had perished with the attack that had cost him half his total energy.


    while they waited in this alternative dimension, from where they could see the battle site in the violent sea, the chaotic energy in that affected area spread further, carried by the underwater currents and also the powers of the survivors.


    after almost three minutes of minos'' attack on everything and everyone, the scenery began to show itself after the dust and water vapor settled or rose from the area.


    the place that had once been dark, with a floor similar to a mountain, with several spots covered in sand, was now a sea of red magma, very bright, but also flat.


    the bodies of those who had failed to protect themselves had been obliterated by minos'' onslaught, while only domains could be seen in spatial distortions around that zone. all those who survived were those who could raise their domains in time and, until that moment, were protected in their fragile dimensions.


    if even minos'' dimension was suffering, the dimension of these high-level supremes who were injured and had less energy than him was much worse off.


    not by chance, while most of them were still waiting to return to this once freezing but now scorching place, two of the dimensions in the area broke apart, revealing enemies of minos'' injured group.


    one of them was the sea serpent, who now had an appearance marked by his own blood, but also parts of his body showing punctures or an absence of flesh. his eyes were extremely tired, while his spiritual strength had fallen to level 123, permanently crippled.


    on the other side was orcel, who had now lost several parts of his body, with parts of his broccoli head withered, his branches weakened, some missing, along with missing or partially damaged leaves. but his cultivation was still at level 124, even though he wasn''t in his best state for combat.


    as soon as qhava''s envoys realized that it was safe to return to that space where orcel and the sea serpent had demonstrated their ability to withstand the scorching environment, they made their way there too.


    only three of the infernal envoys had survived to this point, making a total of five enemies left.


    all the others had died!


    only the crew of minos'' vessel, which had already moved far enough away from the area not to be affected, had withstood the dark attack he had unleashed on this piece of the seabed.


    everyone looked at each other with a common understanding, aware that they had to unite and do what they could to bring minos down there. they ignored the consequences of what minos had done, which would probably agitate the violent sea for the next few days to an even worse degree than normal, and quickly entered into a silent alliance, turning their attention to the size of the enemy.


    minos and his three wives finally left that dimension, allowing it to fall apart as they returned to the battlefield, now with bubbling water surrounding them and a luminosity that allowed them to see very well even without stimulating their eyes.


    "you guys are really hard to take out." minos acknowledged, but was confident of their victory. "however, you will die to make us even stronger!"


    with his words, he advanced against the five enemies, leaving his women behind to support him.


    ruth immediately connected to minos with her innate ability, helping him to recover from his energy expenditure, but also to have a better regenerative capacity for the next injuries he received.


    abby raised her hands and called out once again to the dead buried nearby, not getting many signs of help, but still getting some sea creatures whose remains had not been destroyed by minos'' attack.


    finally, gloria channeled her strength into transforming the surroundings into her mercury domain and acted to weaken her husband''s weakest enemies without engaging in direct combat.


    abby''s undead took up a defensive position around them, and some of them activated their innate powers, launching long-range attacks against opponents swimming in attack against minos.  s§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    meanwhile, minos used his hell dragon form to launch silver and black flames from his large mouth, without specifically targeting anyone. the remaining qhava representatives were definitely the ones he was most worried about. but he attacked to eliminate the numbers of opponents and bring this battle to an end.


    the space around some of those individuals attacking minos froze, as golden hourglasses appeared around him or his enemies.


    some of them felt more restricted, but others kept moving, countering his flames.


    the men from hell used their wheels of reincarnation against minos, while the sea serpent unleashed his extremely corrosive purple poison. finally, orcel used his great recovery factor to heal parts of his wounds, while forming a spear of parasitic green leaves.


    even at a disadvantage, fighting against a group of peak 12th stage individuals, minos managed a small advantage, with his flames devouring the enemy attacks and going on to threaten those cultivators.


    the help of his women was invaluable, causing problems for his opponents as he attacked them.


    then, almost a minute after leaving his dimension, minos saw one of the infernal beings and the sea serpent succumb, both exclaiming their complaints and unwillingness to die before collapsing in front of him.


    these were powerful opponents who would have caused him many challenges in the past, one of them had even done so. he eliminated them after a long battle, until he reached the three remaining enemies, when his cultivation showed signs of weakening, dropping from the peak of level 124 to the peak of level 123.

 Chapter 2827 End of a Mortal Struggle

    chapter 2827  end of a mortal struggle taking a deep breath through the airways adapted to underwater breathing, minos felt the tiredness return to his body, just as it had earlier when he went back in time.


    now, however, he couldn''t use the same strategy. he would have to deal with the situation as it was and finish eliminating the three opponents around him.


    ''abby will be back to her normal level in less than a minute. gloria has a little more time than her, and ruth almost 2 minutes more... that''s all the time i have to act while i can count on their support.''


    he looked at the enemies as his silver flames disappeared, visualizing the situation of the opponents after accessing the condition of his group. qhava''s two envoys were a little weaker, but it was orcel who could fall the fastest.


    ''i''d better eliminate this alien now and sort out the situation with these two later.'' minos looked into the broccoli head man''s eyes as a distortion appeared behind his opponent.


    the alien realized he was the target and tried to defend himself, moving into the midst of qhava''s two envoys while feeling a distinct sense of regret grow in his heart.


    unfortunately, running away was no longer an option. with most of his escape devices destroyed during the fight so far or limited by the extreme natural conditions of the violent sea, he could only try to survive.  sear?h the ¦Çovelfire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    blades pursued him for a few seconds, forcing him into a passive position in which he could not counterattack. his only hope of counterattacking were the two envoys from qhava, who were joining forces to resist the pressure of minos'' women and launch their attacks against him.


    initially in this fight, they had tried to eliminate abby. but now, at this point, they knew they would never get to her if they didn''t take down minos first.


    now they were launching their last attacks, aware that they wouldn''t last much longer the way they were, but that their enemies weren''t much better.


    amid attacking orcel and dodging to avoid being caught by the attacks of the two enemies targeting him, minos felt his cultivation reach the beginning of level 123, threatening to regress to level 122.


    luckily for him, his opponents were losing strength too, otherwise his situation would have worsened exponentially.


    however, minos had lost much more power than his opponents had. after all, while his enemies were merely using their normal strength, he was returning to his normal cultivation after using a ''cheat'' for almost the entire fight.


    ''now!''


    minos clasped his hands together and then a vortex of golden blades formed around orcel, accelerating to a speed that created a great whirlpool of water at the bottom of the sea.


    the alien was trapped by this whirlpool, cut down and forced to scream in horror, no longer able to stand the fight. he saw his last moments of his vigorous attempt to become a true celestial on the seabed of a world far from his home, regretting having risked confronting minos.


    but before he saw the world around him for one last time, he launched a last attack.


    something similar to a spirit crossed the space where orcel''s body was finishing being torn apart, attacking minos'' chest and piercing the human''s body with a green root.


    minos opened his eyes and mouth, coughing up blood immediately afterwards.


    "son of¡­" he cursed the alien, who still managed to deal him a serious blow before perishing.


    one of the reincarnation wheels nearby sucked out orcel''s soul, taking him away without giving him a chance to be used by any of the parties there.


    the stronger of the two remaining enemies took a chance when he saw the opportunity, striking with two axes in his hands against the neck of minos, who was now no longer in his hell dragon form. minos had returned to his humanoid condition, his hair dirty with blood and dirt from the water, while his wings had lost their golden sheen.


    he found himself under attack, but did not surrender victory to his enemies. raising his arms to protect his body, he circulated his defensive skill, indestructible body, while transmitting his intentions to ruth.


    the black-haired woman, the least weakened at the moment, moved almost instantly when she had finished listening to minos'' message, attacking the other individual who had been poisoned by qhava and had delayed attacking minos.


    her fist raced against that supreme''s defenseless back, in an instant piercing through it as a wheel of darkness appeared around her body, attacking her opponent''s infernal powers.


    "damn woman!" shouted the wounded man, but he could do nothing against ruth when gloria''s mercury penetrated his body and caused him to lose some of his movement.


    ruth advanced to kill this opponent, while abby used her devil powers to pressure the strongest of the remaining enemies, who had just failed to cut off minos'' arms.


    minos felt cuts on both his forearms, but his bones withstood his opponent''s attack, stopping him before those weapons went through his arms.


    a lot of blood stained the surroundings even more, marking the sea with the red and gold of minos'' blood, making him look even paler than he already was.


    but advancing with courage and strength, minos ignored the pain in his soul and body and attacked with his own fists against the rocky body of that level 124 opponent. by this point, minos'' cultivation had returned to the end of level 121, and less than 5% of his strength remained at his disposal. even so, minos'' attack was enough to increase his opponent''s injuries and make him cry out in pain.


    his opponent counterattacked, sensing abby''s action to weaken him and make him more susceptible to minos'' attacks, but continued with his only plan for victory. beat minos at all costs!


    the two exchanged attacks and shouts for about a minute until ruth and gloria finally finished their previous opponent and joined the already weakened abby to put pressure on their last opponent.


    minos was wounded from head to toe, with one of his wings missing and parts of his body wasted away. but he would not fail in the face of this day''s deadly challenge. when he made the last move of the fight, minos would hold the corpse of that qhava envoy with the bone of one of his arms almost entirely severed, finally understanding why devdar had told him that he could meet his death at the bottom of the violent sea.


    he was alive, though, and now he wanted his spoils.


    ''where''s that hint of a true celestial''s body part?'' he looked around, too numb to feel the pain now.

 Chapter 2828 The Clue Minos Wants

    chapter 2828  the clue minos wants as soon as the battle was over, minos fell towards the lava of the ocean floor in that part of the bottom of the violent sea, finally allowing himself to be overwhelmed by the deep wounds on his body.


    ruth approached him, being the fastest of the survivors, swimming fast enough to catch him before he crashed into the lava, emitting scalding steam in contact with the water.


    simultaneously with ruth''s movement, abby, and gloria collected the remains of their enemies, picking up three new body parts of true celestials from the now dead orcel.


    these three body parts belonged to the hand, skull, and heart, body parts that minos could no longer absorb because he already had something like that in those areas. precisely because of this, minos disregarded the ''gifts'' that orcel had left for his group, while thinking about where the clue was for the next essence of a true celestial that he could absorb.  sear?h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    he said to them as he weakened, "collect the remains of all those who fell here. i want abby to bring the sea serpent back to life."


    "is that possible?" gloria looked at abby doubtfully, considering how destroyed their enemies had ended up. "they ended up not leaving much behind, after all."


    abby looked at the remains of the sea serpent, who had left behind only his skull. all the rest of this individual''s body had been devoured by minos'' flames.


    "it''s possible. but only i could do it. minos made a point of leaving almost nothing of the sea serpent... but the others are impossible. they''re totally lost," abby said confidently, while holding the remains of orcel in her hands.


    "but first we have to absorb those essences. we''re exhausted and i wouldn''t be able to do it now."


    minos said to them, "gloria, absorb the heart. abby will stand guard, and ruth will continue to help me while our ship comes to our rescue. you two will absorb the other essences after gloria has finished."


    the three of them split up as he said, with gloria taking orcel''s heart, abby taking his hand bone and ruth taking what looked like a purple helmet, which would fuse to his skull.


    soon gloria would enter a state of meditation, with abby keeping an eye on her surroundings and ruth taking care of minos'' situation.


    before gloria had finished, their ship would return to them, giving minos room to rest in a more comfortable place.


    it wouldn''t be long before gloria succeeded in absorbing another part of a true celestial''s body, managing to advance from level 120 to level 121, reaching the end of that level with this opportunity.


    abby would be next, with ruth coming last. but the strongest of them wouldn''t advance a level this time. having already started level 122, reaching level 123 wouldn''t be so easy. abby only advanced to the end of her level, getting closer to reaching the power of a devil with true celestial cultivation, when she would show her full potential.


    while gloria had acquired a new ability related to tracking power, abby got a long-range attack ability, capable of stimulating plants and making her stronger in the middle of forests.


    when ruth got her chance, she advanced to level 122, being the second to pass her husband''s level, gaining a mental ability capable of separating body and soul and degrading the final essence of her opponents.


    with her advancement and plenty of energy at her disposal again, ruth helped minos in a much better way than she had done earlier, making him demonstrate rapid regeneration, while abby finished bringing the sea serpent back to life.


    when minos felt his strength recovering, with wounds already fully healed, he got up from the bed where he had been in the hours after the fight ended, where they were still standing on the seabed.


    none of them were afraid of beings native to the violent sea. the sea serpent was the strongest in the sea and they had killed it. it wouldn''t be now that they had resolved their situation with so many enemies that they would run away in a hurry.


    as soon as he was feeling better, minos went to the sea serpent, the only one he thought could give him answers.


    orcel had left his body parts behind and would hardly have any information about a true celestial''s body part. otherwise, he wouldn''t have come to this place before checking it out. meanwhile, qhava''s envoys followed a different strengthening method and wouldn''t have known where to find such essences.


    that left only the sea serpent and his minions, but obviously only he would have such critical information.


    because of all this, minos went straight to the point when he found that guy in his humanoid form in the waiting room of his exclusive compartment on that ship.


    "tell me about the body parts of true celestials that you know and would know how to help me get to them," minos said as he sat down between two of his wives on a sofa.


    the standing man said, "i''ve come into contact with history about two different essences of this caliber in my life, senior minos. one of them is the nautilus compass that you have, and the other is the divine tail."


    minos cracked a smile on his lips, getting something, as he had hoped. "tell me about the divine tail."


    "the divine tail is an important component of a beast king''s body. there was this creature who conquered several worlds before passing through zocarro and fighting eternal death a long time ago. according to the stories, he had a precious tail that made him almost invincible in his physical defense and allowed him to withstand entering all kinds of environments without being corrupted or intoxicated.


    anyway, he fought against eternal death and was supposedly forced to flee. but he didn''t escape in one piece, having left with a mortal wound.


    but he didn''t make it before leaving behind information about himself and a trail. this information led uzira''s royal family to find out about his home planet and the places he might have fled to.


    luckily, senior minos, i have the names of three of the planets that beast king may have passed through before dying, leaving behind the divine tail."


    minos'' eyes shone, not caring so much about what abilities the divine tail could give him, but rather about its possibility of making him stronger in level and finally reaching the absolute grade.


    when he achieved that, everything would change for him!


    "talk about those planets." he ordered with a smile on his lips.

 Chapter 2829 New Destination Outside of Zocarro

    chapter 2829  new destination outside of zocarro the sea serpent quickly listed the three planets he knew the name of and their position in relation to zocarro.


    sea serpent himself had never gone after these planets because they were high-level worlds, far away and located in a dangerous area of the universe for non-celestials. according to the little information he knew, the number of celestials on these worlds and in the region they were in was 10 to 100 times greater than that of zocarro.


    but that wasn''t all. with the presence of the nautilus'' compass on zocarro, where he could come and go from almost anywhere on the planet with little worry, he would not hunt the divine tail before he got the nautilus'' compass.


    abby wondered why the royal family of zocarro hadn''t gone after the divine tail and what guarantee they had that this ''king of beasts'' hadn''t left the item to someone else who might have already taken the artifact far away, far enough that none of them would ever be able to find it.


    the sea serpent said that he had no guarantee that they would find such a part of a true celestial''s body. according to him, uzira''s own royal family could have gone after the ''king of beasts'' and gotten the item. he didn''t know. he didn''t have that level of information.


    what he knew was what he had already told the group, the only thing they could use for the time being.


    minos looked at his wives after hearing all that and sighed. but the nautilus'' compass was pointing toward the old island at the northern end of zocarro, where they could reach the artificial moon.


    there were two ways to leave zocarro, one that minos'' group already knew well and the other monopolized by the sovereign family of uzira. they weren''t going back to uzira now, so there was only one possible destination at the moment if they were to leave the planet.


    "we''re going to gunaway refuge." minos announced to his wives while their ship was still in that combat area.


    gunaway refuge was three years away from their position, if they took the shortest route by sea.


    it was no longer in minos'' interest to return to oqia at the moment, as he didn''t want to risk taking his troubles to his family in armhands. now with this situation, he commanded the hell lifelings on that ship to sail north-east, where, in just over two and a half years, they could pass close to the northernmost coast of oqia and finally make the final journey to gunaway refuge.


    "we''ll try our luck on these planets. once we reach the artificial moon, we''ll see what the best possible route is for us."


    "what if the divine tail isn''t available?" abby asked.


    "i have a feeling i''ll get a piece of a true celestial whether it''s the divine tail or something else," minos said his thoughts, confident that devdar''s hint had not been incorrect. "that doesn''t mean we won''t fight even harder battles than today... but that''s the position we live in now. let''s deal with what comes and conquer this fundamental piece."


    the three agreed, then dismissed the sea serpent, who was more powerful on the seas and would be more valuable to them if they left him in zocarro.


    minos ordered the sea serpent to continue with his old duties and monitor the violent sea for them. but secretly he was to help armhands and the revolutionaries of uzira. in particular, if some of the individuals they had taught this underwater being about their appearances and auras were to pass through the violent sea, he and his subordinates should help them if necessary.


    the sea serpent was now abby''s subordinate, so he accepted without question, promising to do his best.


    thus, the group parted ways with the creature that had been their enemy for a long time, with even abby letting go of her resentment towards him.


    wenni and walkas were lost. it was a shame. she blamed the sea serpent for that. but she wouldn''t stop doing her best for her family just because of that.


    "another trip north." ruth cracked a slight smile on her face, remembering the experiences she had had with minos when they traveled to the spiritual world to settle the war of the worlds.


    many years had passed since then and they were now totally different.


    but the feeling of having to leave the planet to resolve something important was still there, making her feel both nostalgic and excited for the future ahead.  sea??h th§× n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    minos looked at his black-haired wife and smiled at her, understanding the feeling. "enjoy it while you can, ruth. when we leave the artificial moon in a few years, the pressure on us will be greater than ever."


    after saying this, minos went into a silent state, looking at one of his space rings, remembering forfex.


    ''i''ll see if your world is close to the places we''ll be passing through to get my qualitative head start. if it is, i''ll complete the request you left for me, my friend.''


    another mission that bothered him was that of the level 124 soul fragment that had asked him to deal with the heirs of odibrand redwound.


    now that he had infernal powers, minos could easily find the heirs of odibrand''s bloodline and get on with his mission. but he felt that, once he entered the upper realm, he could deal with this family in a non-violent way that would satisfy the requirements of the original mission he had received.


    as long as he finished devdar''s inheritance¡ªwhich he only had a maximum of seven competitors remaining now¡ªhe would have one more ancient promise fulfilled.


    the way forward now was to enjoy the remaining years until qhava came to personally hunt him down and, if possible, reach level 124 by then. after that, he felt he would be able to fulfill all his promises and duties before having his well-deserved peace in the upper realm.


    with these positive thoughts, minos relaxed beside his women for the day, unable to do anything but wait for the time being.

 Chapter 2830 Childish Specialists

    chapter 2830  childish specialists time passed smoothly and quickly. three years flew by in the blink of an eye for the group sailing towards gunaway refuge.


    minos and his wives remained at their previous levels throughout this journey, having continued their routine meditations, but also taking the time together to enjoy the sea voyage in relative peace.


    these years were not confrontational for them, although they had a few problems here and there. but most of the challenges on the journey to this point had been of a common nature related to the extreme phenomena of the violent sea.


    the group was already strong enough to survive these challenges and move on, even more so considering the valuable directions from the nautilus'' compass. as such, the group was now reaching the island in the far north of zocarro, where they soon intended to leave the planet once again.


    the few living beings that had gotten in their way in recent years had not been looking for fights and when they crossed the line, they were driven away by their hell lifelings. although the violent sea was strong, there were few late 12th stage creatures along the vast ocean. so too was the situation on the last island in their path on this current journey.


    ...


    as they got off at the port city where they had arrived in ganaway refuge, minos, and his group looked around the outskirts of this grand city, seeing many people coming and going from ships in the area.


    most of the people, turning the place into a hectic environment where one could easily get lost, were oblivious to them and just continued on their way. but some more attentive individuals, guards in particular, soon noticed the presence of specialists in the area.


    when they saw a group of four people, two level 122 and two level 121, the guards and some travelers or even local natives looked toward minos'' group with narrowed eyes, instinctively retracting their auras.


    minos walked alongside his wives, leaving behind the hell lifelings, who were supposed to wait for their return to the island. the four of them looked for the way out of the city into the interior of the island, with the clear aim of going to the capital city of gunaway refuge, where they could go to the artificial moon.


    they tried to make their way without interacting with this city, but soon some local experts got in their way.


    "senior experts," said a man, appearing in the middle of the flow of people passing in front of minos and his wives. "welcome to my city. my name is elpam and i am the ruler of sleekhall. to what do i owe your visits to my humble home?" this level 117 local native asked.


    minos and his women looked at that low-level supreme and others who had appeared in the surroundings. each of these cultivators had cautious looks on their faces, respectful of their positions, but also worried.


    it was unusual for a group as strong as theirs to pass through continental cities, even more so here in this extreme place.  s~ea??h the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the locals were naturally worried, something minos had expected and knew how to resolve without delay.


    "elpam, there''s nothing to worry about. we''re going to the artificial moon, so we are merely passing through gunaway refuge." minos said, signaling with one of his hands for the locals to calm down.


    these individuals felt a silvery aura envelop their bodies and relax their tense muscles as they saw scenes from the future in their minds.


    as they looked into minos'' golden eyes, shining brightly at the moment, those various experts realized that this was the work of this tall and strong white-haired winged individual.


    the local leader responded after sensing this supernatural power. "please, senior, allow me to escort you there. it will be my honor to help you get through as quickly as possible. i certainly don''t want you to waste your precious time on this simple island."


    the force behind the artificial moon rarely made exceptions to its rules for getting to and from their great space station. but when experts above level 120 came to gunaway refuge, the local leaders were allowed to do whatever was necessary to please these cultivators and get them to leave as soon as possible.


    as gunaway refuge and the artificial moon were governed by a power that had a leader of only level 119, naturally the force didn''t want to have experts stronger than that indefinitely.


    minos smiled, having already seen that this local man was going to do his best to please his group and get them to leave.


    ''that''s great. it''ll save us a later conversation to convince the locals to let us leave the island more quickly,'' minos thought to himself as he nodded positively to elpam.


    "very well, guide us to our leaving point, elpam. we''re in a hurry, so don''t hesitate to pick up the pace."


    elpam made a gesture of thanks to minos, as if he were the one receiving help there. meanwhile, the surrounding supremes sighed in relief, witnessing experts who didn''t want to waste time on the island or make a scene to show how powerful they were.


    some experts had childish behavior and when they reached places weaker than their level, they acted mightily, suppressing locals. this was the greatest fear of experts like those from gunaway refuge.


    they thanked the heavens that today''s experts weren''t the kind of travelers passing through their island as they watched elpam go ahead with those four and three more local guards.


    "seniors, are you leaders of some great force on the continent?" elpam asked with a gentle smile on his humanoid face, a version of his appearance that he had used for the first time that day to make himself more palatable to the gaze of minos, ruth, abby, and gloria.


    "not exactly." ruth said with a smile. "but we''re going to become that eventually, haha."


    "impressive. your force must be powerful, then." he said before asking, "but i imagine you''re going to a world even stronger than ours, right? it''s not often that experts of your caliber leave zocarro, but when they do, they always head in the same direction.


    the narrow discus!"


    elpam wasn''t wrong. that was indeed the destination of minos'' group, the quasar from a neighboring galaxy, where there were worlds with the presence of 13th stage specialists, the peak of the universe!

 Chapter 2831 Back to the Artificial Moon

    chapter 2831  back to the artificial moon it only took a few hours for the group to travel from their point of arrival in ganaway refuge at the maximum speed that elpam could take the group from minos to their goal in the center of the island.


    elpam tried to talk to the group in the middle of the journey to relieve his own tension and that of his companions, but also to appear friendly to these strangers and gain a better understanding of their origins. they obviously didn''t know that minos and the three human women had been there a few times in the past.


    hundreds of millions of creatures came and went from the island every decade. there was no way the local leaders could have known about non-supremes passing through the area.


    the journey went well. there was no danger in the way of such a strong group in this area. few supremes unrelated to the local forces passed through the area, in fact, at the moment, minos'' group was the only one with supremes unrelated to the local dominant force. so their journey was uneventful, with them just chatting casually until they reached their goal.


    minos and his wives didn''t try to hide everything about themselves from the locals. on the one hand, it wouldn''t do for them to know too much to avoid interrogations that would endanger their family. but on the other hand, it wasn''t good for these strangers to be totally in the dark and not know who they should fear.


    but gunaway refuge wasn''t a problem for minos'' current group, so they didn''t attach too much importance to the matter, avoiding only sensitive information that would lead beings like qhava to his family.


    when they arrived in the town, which they had already contingent well on the number of times they had been there and even lived there for months waiting for the moment of their departure, they went to the local station to get their tickets.


    there, they didn''t have to go to the ticket counter to buy their tickets. elpam took them directly to the instant transportation room for the artificial moon, and halfway there the group came across other supremes already waiting for them.


    two supremes were sitting in front of the door that gave access to the island''s departure and arrival area, individuals that minos, gloria, ruth, and abby had already seen there.


    "you?" one of them looked at the four, feeling that he had already seen some of them there.


    identifying minos would be more difficult, given the physical changes he had undergone over the years. but abby, gloria, and ruth hadn''t changed so much over the years and even people in the spirit world would easily identify them now.


    minos and his wives hadn''t expected that these men, who they had thought were just guards for the area, were actually level 118 supremes, individuals who had been powerful for them until recently.


    "do you actually work as guards here?" minos asked as he approached the men.


    one of them replied positively, "yes, we have to control who enters and leaves the planet, after all. it would be a problem if the supremes simply entered zocarro without any orders."


    "is that so?" abby asked with a sarcastic smile. "we recently came across two high level supremes who i''m sure hadn''t entered the planet long before."


    the two men looked at abby and one of them said, "we can''t stop it if individuals much stronger than us come here... but we do our best to alert the forces of oqia and uzira."


    "so, you work for the forces of oqia and uzira?" ruth asked.


    "we''re partners. we send information and receive others." the other man said, standing up to lead the group to their starting point. "that''s what we do for any group that wants a relationship with us. we can do the same for you."


    minos looked at these individuals and thought of his various enemies. unfortunately, any help from them would prove worthless to him. this group might even be valuable to his children and the guild, but not to them.


    minos'' current enemies were qhava and eternal death. but both women were true celestials. unlike supremes, who would need spaceships and special transportation to leave high level worlds like zocarro, celestials didn''t need the same. they could travel directly through space without the need for any tools. in other words, these individuals would never be able to give them information about the enemies who might be pursuing them today.


    however, minos left that door open. he handed a seal to one of those two level 118 supremes, something that would easily connect his children to these experts, should they meet in the future.


    "if you find people capable of making this seal react, help them if necessary and exchange information with their group. try to make it look like it''s a business entirely dependent on your relationship with them, without my interference. i''ll owe you a favor for that."


    the local supremes accepted minos'' seal, recognizing his power more than the other individuals who had accompanied them so far.


    they then entered the instant transportation platform, where a group had just cleaned up after the arrival of some people from the artificial moon.


    a group of five people were waiting to travel to the artificial moon when minos'' group arrived, drawing everyone''s attention with their formidable formation. those there at the moment were only low-level sovereigns, individuals who couldn''t even distinguish between the cultivation of these mid-level and high-level supremes. they only understood that the difference between them was formidable enough to step back, making way for the newcomers.


    minos threw a space ring toward these individuals waiting to travel and said, "i''m sorry about the problem. i''m afraid your journey will be delayed a little."


    he didn''t have to do that, but none of the local supremes stopped him, while one of them passed on the information that the officials there should send minos and the three women to the artificial moon.


    after the four of them had positioned themselves on the instant transportation platform, the eldest of the supremes told them, "when you get up there, talk to monk milo. he''ll help you quickly get a crew for the narrow discus."  s§×arch* the n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "we''ll keep that in mind," minos said as the devices on that platform were activated, making their surroundings glow in rainbow colors, taking them, in a single instant, to the final platform on the artificial moon!

 Chapter 2832 Towards The Narrow Discus (1)

    chapter 2832  towards the narrow discus (1) minos and his wives appeared on another platform identical to the one they were on in gunaway refuge, but already on the space station of the artificial moon.


    the moment they arrived there, observing the spiritual laws manipulated by the instantaneous transportation tool, they found themselves in a place with a few observers, none of whom were expecting a group of just four people, even more so a group that hadn''t been sick when they got there.


    but they immediately saw the station staff moving to clear the way for them, making respectful gestures to them concurrently.


    following the path they already knew, the group didn''t need to ask for information about monk milo. before they had even passed the exit, a stocky man dressed in a yellow cloak appeared in their path and identified himself.


    "seniors, welcome to my artificial moon. i am milo, the leader of this place you are now in," he said as he gestured and smiled, scanning them as they did the same to him.


    milo was the level 119 supreme behind this force, the strongest of the group behind this station.


    "monk milo, i''m minos stuart and these are my wives, ruth, abby, and gloria." he made the same greeting gesture as the bald man in a humanoid version. "we''ve just passed two of your companions who recommended we look for you."


    the monk smiled, nodding his head affirmatively as he took a step to the side to make room for minos'' group to follow him off the platform.  s§×ar?h the n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "where are you going?" he asked, even though he already had a likely answer in mind.


    "the narrow discus." minos said the name of the quasar at the center of the galaxy next to where they were, where the three planets that the sea serpent had pointed out to them were, but also forfex''s birthplace.


    "ah, yes, i imagined it. experts like the seniors rarely choose other destinations," he said, already making his way to the spaceship area of his station. "they say that the narrow discus is the closest to the upper realm that one can find in our universe without having to worry about advancing to the 13th stage. but that place is dangerous and celestial deaths happen there."


    "have you ever been to the narrow discus, monk milo?" abby asked curiously.


    "i haven''t," he said with a funny laugh. "i''ve lived here for many years and built up a strong cultivation base. but i''m not an explorer, not even a brave fellow. i''ve spent all my life in zocarro and on the artificial moon... but i''ve heard stories of cultivators who have been or come from there."


    "can you tell us about this?" ruth looked at the man expectantly.


    "certainly." he didn''t make it difficult for her, open to this conversation. "but before that, let''s set a date for your departure. i have two spaceships, if memory serves, that will be left back for the narrow discus soon. we''re getting to the first crew and i''ll take you to the second one straight away, if you don''t make a deal with that group straight away."


    "all right." ruth agreed to wait.


    minos asked, "that''s a bit unusual. of the times i''ve traveled outside the artificial moon, i''ve never had to negotiate with crews. i''ve always bought my tickets at the station counter."


    monk milo nodded, indicating that this was right. "that''s the procedure for going anywhere else in the universe via the destinations we have. but the narrow discus is a little different. the journey itself to that galaxy is neither so long nor so dangerous. but it is very expensive to enter the stations in the area and the risks of being wrecked there are immense.


    celestials are so strong that they rarely fight on a planet, but in the vacuum of space. this is good for the inhabitants of powerful worlds, but it can be particularly bad for crews who have to park their vehicles for weeks or months at space stations."


    "oh? i hadn''t thought of that."


    "things seem really complicated in the narrow discus." ruth said after minos understood what the situation was like with traveling to and from such a place.


    "anyway, because of the costs of such a large operation, my station rarely brokers deals for those interested in such a destination. at most, i make groups like this available at my station for interested parties like yourselves, or i contact other allied stations to ask for transportation."


    as soon as he had finished explaining this, he reached an open area of the station, through which the group could see a huge side tunnel, where several parts of huge spaceships were, with several small bridges connecting them to the path they were taking.


    they left this area of the artificial moon, arriving at a port of smaller but quite numerous spaceships. twenty-three vehicles in all were on their way, most of them with technicians repairing malfunctions or even a few individuals standing around chatting.


    minos and his group came across a part of space travel they hadn''t known before.


    monk milo stopped in front of a ship with several traces of damage on its structure, relatively small in size, about three times the ship his group had used to travel to gunaway refuge.


    "that''s the group." this bald man indicated, before, with just his presence, signaling to the men behind that vehicle that he was there.


    it wasn''t long before three alien men, all of them level 115, appeared at the exit of the spaceship on that bridge connected to where they were.


    "chief milo," said the man in the middle, then some eyes appeared in the dark part of the spaceship''s entrance.


    milo pointed at minos'' group and said, "these experts want to go to the narrow discus."


    the strongest man in the group, close to becoming a level 116 supreme, inspected minos, gloria, ruth, and abby, recognizing their power. he pondered in silence before saying anything, aware that stronger specialists could pay more, but were also more difficult to deal with. he had to be careful about the price he charged or he could easily get a bad deal.


    "when do you want to leave?" he asked after a mere nod of greeting.


    "as soon as possible." minos replied.


    "my ship has some problems that will keep us idle for another 15 days. if you can wait, we''ll be able to travel straight away."


    "what about values?" minos asked.


    "about that, we don''t charge traditional prices, so i don''t have a specific price for the trip. first, we''ll come to an agreement that your group will guarantee not to turn against mine after the trip is over and that you''ll support us along the way. second, we''ll add a range of possibilities to serve as payment. it could be artifacts, cultivation items, in short, anything more than is necessary for a crew of supremes to risk their lives."

 Chapter 2833 Towards The Narrow Discus (2)

    chapter 2833  towards the narrow discus (2) the payment requested by the captain of that crew would easily exceed the cost of promoting someone to level 117.  sear?h the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    suppressing a group of cultivators with opportunities capable of helping them become stronger was the equivalent of generating the opportunities for a single individual to reach level 117. minos did the math and came to this conclusion, noting why milo had warned him that trips to the narrow discus were expensive and not worth getting directly involved in.


    fortunately, it was a price his group could afford. having already beaten several mid-level and high-level supremes, they had enough to pay for dozens of trips like this.


    minos asked the crew about their experience, which plants the team members were from, and even the travel time frame.


    the trip to the first planet of the narrow discus they were going to would take two years. the group said they could continue traveling with them to their other destinations or even bring them back, eventually. according to them, the journey between the planets of that quasar would take between 6 months and 1 year on their spaceship, if they didn''t have any problems in the middle of the journey. then they could return to the artificial moon in another 3 years, totaling around 7 years of travel, disregarding the time they would spend on each planet.


    after talking to this first group on their way, minos promised he would think about what they offered until the next day. if he didn''t return to meet them the next day, it would mean that he had closed with another group.


    with that, monk milo led them to the other crew willing and experienced enough to make such a journey and who were on the artificial moon at the moment.


    on the way to this other crew, he told the group about the narrow discus, a place in the universe they knew nothing about, apart from the planets they wanted to visit and the fact that the ''king of the beasts'' was a native of the area.


    "going back to the lady''s question, the narrow discus is a chaotic place. as i said, there, the celestials fight in the very vacuum of space. and from those fights come the deaths of celestials.


    but don''t make the mistake of thinking that the death of a celestial is like the death of a supreme or any other cultivator. even an ordinary celestial, who hasn''t reached the upper realm, is an existence that stands apart from reality itself.


    some celestials are so formidable that they could destroy high level worlds with their powers, but also bring dead worlds back to life. in a way, they are not so different from the figure of the creators that many in the universe believe exist out there.


    there are entire worlds populated by races created by celestials, but also artificial laws created by these universal specialists.


    for all that, when one of them dies, a phenomenon similar to the death of a star occurs and that entire area of the universe suffers. you intend to go to the narrow discus now, but if you''re unlucky enough to be caught in the middle of a celestial fight, you might die without even realizing what has happened. that''s how dangerous traveling to that area can be!"


    he paused for a moment to give the group time to process what he had said so far and also for himself to take a breather.


    "but if you''re lucky enough not to get into the crossfire of crazy celestials, you might come across the best place to cultivate and explore in the whole universe.


    according to the groups of high-level travelers i''ve had the chance to talk to, that area of the universe is where there is the highest density of true celestial heirs, not only that, where the most true celestial heirs have fallen in the entire universe.


    the amount of true celestial heirlooms from the upper realm is also high in that area, with many possibilities for you to find absorbable artifacts that will easily lead you to level advancements, even at the end of the 12th stage.


    also, true celestials and devils aren''t as rare there as they are where we are. cultivators there openly talk about hell and the upper realm. so perhaps you''ll be able to resolve many of your doubts by traveling there."


    the group was impressed by how much milo knew. perhaps all those years living as the head of this station and having contact with beings coming and going throughout the universe had given him advanced information that even the powerful of uzira shouldn''t have.


    apart from mylecent and ysolt, milo had been the first from zocarro, who had spoken so much about these two places that almost everyone in this world had the goal of escaping from one and reaching the other. this made them believe more of what they heard from him, imagining how surreal such a place was.


    "you know a lot about hell and the upper realm, monk milo." minos smiled at the man, already seeing the next crew that this native of zocarro was about to introduce to him.


    "i''ve lived a long life and i''ve always been careful with my position..." he smiled in his calm way. "but i''ve seen nowhere other than my world with my own eyes. maybe i''ve lived wrong, after all?"


    "well, i''m not the person to judge you. you certainly still have the opportunity to decide to live like this until the end or to change and see the universe in a different way," minos said with a mysterious look on his face, a glint in his eyes that was hard to ignore.


    milo even shivered as he looked at this man, getting a better sense of the depth of minos'' abilities.


    "before that, i''ll look forward to your return... you will return, right?" he changed the subject.


    "maybe," abby answered vaguely.


    "well, if you return and you''re willing to tell me what you saw, i''ll be on hand and i''ll do my best to help you."


    "we''ll keep that in mind." minos said when they finally arrived in front of another spaceship.


    this time, the tribulation didn''t seem to be taking care of the spacecraft, like the other group who needed time to repair their own vehicle. these other aliens in minos'' path could leave in just five days, with a slightly stronger crew than the previous one, but that would cost minos'' group a lot more.


    if with the other group they would have to pay the equivalent of riches to turn someone into a level 117 supreme, the other group would charge them enough for one to become a level 118 supreme.


    as for the other conditions, they were basically the same as the previous group. because of this, minos made a deal with this second group, seeing nothing with his nautilus'' compass and incorruptible heart that could make him choose one over the other. so he simply opted for those who would get them off the artificial moon the fastest!

 Chapter 2834 Remnants of Celestial Battles

    chapter 2834  remnants of celestial battles the days passed and minos'' group set off from the artificial moon, moving forward with the crew they had got at that station.  s~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the days on the artificial moon had been quiet and passed quickly. qhava was certainly still busy in hell and any envoys to replace those subordinates of hers they had killed should be a long way off.


    they had traveled little when they left uzira and went to the bottom of the sea to face the sea serpent, making it easier for their enemies to pursue them. now they had put a much greater distance between themselves and their adversaries, leaving several mechanisms that would protect the path they took.


    thus, the group left the artificial moon without any major worries, beginning the journey of about two years of space travel, which, according to monk milo, should be uneventful, too. the path of space they would be following was usually free of space pirates and the natural phenomena of the area were well known to crews like theirs, which would easily allow them to deviate from their route. the only real danger for them would be after they entered the narrow discus, since even if they were pursued, they would hardly be reached.


    supremes were very limited by the capacity of their spaceships when they were traveling through space. only celestials didn''t have this problem. so even if qhava''s infernal subordinates were on their trail, they were unlikely to catch up until the group made their stop on the first planet of the narrow discus they intended to pass.


    since for the current versions of them, two years was nothing, that time of peace would fly by in the blink of an eye!


    ...


    minos left his cultivation room, leaving his women behind to finish their meditation.


    the captain of the spaceship had just signaled that they were entering the narrow discus when he left his meditation for another break.


    the journey there had basically been moments of pause and moments of cultivation, thus contributing a few decades of cultivation to minos and his wives, even though only two years had passed.


    ruth, gloria, and abby were just finishing their most recent meditation session, so minos didn''t bother rushing them out of their current states.


    he made his way to the cockpit of the spaceship, soon joining the aliens who were transporting them to their destination, now just a few days away.


    "we''ll reach our first stop in five days, boss," said one of the spacecraft''s instrument observers when he sensed minos'' presence in that compartment.


    "excellent. any problems in the last few weeks?" minos asked as he looked through the front glass of the cabin, through which he could see nothing specific, but something quite different from what one would be used to seeing on universal voyages.


    in addition to the stars and planets visible on the horizon ahead, he could see a glowing dust that covered much of the road ahead and the surrounding area, an essence that made even minos feel provoked.


    looking closely, one would not be able to distinguish much of this stardust. but from further away, one could see well-defined shapes, something capable of frightening the less mentally prepared.


    from a distance, minos could see something similar to a finger, at the tip of which was one of the brightest stars. one of the crew members, an experienced space traveler, explained to minos that in that location was one of the biggest stars in the galaxy, which illuminated one of their destinations.


    minos watched carefully, aware that he couldn''t stare for long.


    soon their wives would join them in the cabin, still taking in the part of the entrance to the narrow discus, where the journey was as uneventful as the trip there.


    but the day after they woke up, the situation would slowly change. as their spaceship advanced through the quasar, forces far beyond what they were used to strike the vehicle, making even the mighty minos and abby feel uncomfortable.


    "hang in there, bosses. for those not used to it, the remnants of the celestial battles are truly terrible," said one man in the crew, who coped best with this shock that made the whole spaceship tremble. "celestial traces are very difficult to disappear. many areas ahead have these violent signatures capable of frightening us, as if the celestials themselves were staring at us violently."


    minos and his women had risen from where they were and raised their auras, feeling a self-defense reaction from their bodies to the violent energy of a higher level than anything they had ever encountered.


    they had never seen qhava fight seriously, so even though the remnants were not ancient warriors stronger than her, they were more frightening than her aura.


    this made them tremble and naturally feel inferior, a very strange mix of sensations for such strong and experienced cultivators.


    the captain of the spaceship said, "don''t try to absorb energy and laws in areas with these signatures. they are basically poison for cultivators below the 13th stage. fortunately, these remnants aren''t enough to affect us, as long as we take precautions."


    the four spiritual world natives kept this advice and information in mind.


    "the good thing is that you can study these remnants. you can''t absorb them, but you can analyze them and understand the powers behind them, something that can even allow you to strengthen yourself. don''t be surprised if in the future you come across cultivators studying areas with these spiritual signatures."


    minos tried to calm down a little and look critically at the surroundings they were passing. after a few minutes of contemplation, even with their spaceship on the move, he picked up some ideas behind these remnants. this changed his expression as he relaxed his muscles, gradually adapting to this new area for him.


    "interesting," he said, understanding why this part of the universe was so interesting for people on their level.


    ''milo was right. we''ve barely entered this part of the galaxy and we''re already shocked,'' he thought to himself before seeing that his wives were also studying the areas they were passing through.


    but the vacuum of space had areas that had a lot of signatures from ancient celestial battles, but also pockets of empty space from these ancient components. they soon left the high-pressure area they had just passed, taking a quieter route for the next few minutes.


    this is how they would make the rest of the way until they finally spotted the planet where they would begin their search for the divine tail!

 Chapter 2835 Eater

    chapter 2835  eater overlooking the grand eater, a planet with large rock formations and notable for an uneven surface covered in rocks that resemble jaws and teeth, the group saw the intensity of movement near the planet rise substantially.


    several spaceships surrounded the outskirts of the planet, forming space roads in and out of the planet, showing to the group the entrances and exits of this colossus where they would first stop to investigate the tracks of the ''king of beasts''.


    there were basically two methods of entering eater. using an instantaneous transport from one of the space stations that functioned as eater''s moons, or going directly to the planet with your ship, if it had suitable characteristics for entering the area''s atmosphere.


    as you''d imagine from a high level planet, most of the comings and goings didn''t face eater''s atmosphere. the greatest flow was obviously in the various space stations nearby, which outnumbered those around zocarro.


    because of the number of spaceships and the number of stations around the big yellow planet, minos, and his wives readily concluded that eater was superior to zocarro.


    they already knew that their entire journey in this galaxy would be through planets stronger than zocarro, but they still needed to witness the reality of these worlds to confirm their expectations.


    today they confirmed much of what they had heard from their crew and some storytellers on the artificial moon earlier.


    "chief, we will dock at the port at the top left of your view in 1 hour." warned the crew commander, as anxious or more so than minos and the three women who would actually be entering eater.


    this crew would stay behind to wait for them and find out their next destination, another planet in the galaxy, or the return to the artificial moon.


    minos had already paid the crew enough for them to be comfortable where they were to park their spaceship, but the risks of the area were substantial. any place in the universe where there were celestial disputes, such as this world which had several known experts, could quickly become a terrible place.


    minos and his wives listened to the crew leader''s warning, preparing to disembark and begin their investigations.


    what they wanted in this world was not to get involved in internal affairs. they wanted to avoid getting involved with the place and its inhabitants. their target was merely the ''king of beasts'', who would lead them to the next tips for the divine tail.


    their crew naturally did not know of the ''king of beasts'' or the divine tail, so the group would start their journey from scratch on this planet.


    minos'' plan was to follow the nautilus'' compass for the time being and understand the possibilities of the future as they made their decisions on the planet they would soon be entering.


    so the last hour of spacecraft travel before they landed passed, with one of eater''s nearby space stations authorizing the landing of his spacecraft. not five minutes after the spacecraft''s engines shut down, a hatch opened and four figures stepped out.


    minos and his wives soon came across a metal bridge similar to a pier, connected to a large construction that covered their group''s entire field of vision in what looked like a gigantic elevator shaft of a cylinder-shaped station.


    on the side of that small point that gave access to the interior of the station was a level 123 supreme waiting for them.


    "welcome to eater 11, space travelers," said the alien in their path, speaking in a friendly tone. "are you passing through the area or do you intend to go to eater?"


    "we''re going into eater."


    "how many of you are in this group?"


    "four of us will go to eater and nine will stay behind in the spaceship."


    "okay, that''s possible, but we have some fees and rules. are you aware of them?"  s§×ar?h the n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    minos finished crossing that bridge, giving the man the fee in question as he nodded affirmatively. "yes, we are aware."


    "in that case, you may proceed." the alien made way for the group to pass after handing them small devices that looked like space rings.


    but they weren''t rings, they were permits to enter eater, something like a temporary id.


    "you''ll have three months. at the end of the period, go to a coalition post and get a renewal to stay regular in eater.


    have a good trip to eater and good luck on your journey. may the saints be by your side."


    minos and his three wives thanked him before passing through a large metal door, arriving at a place quite different from what they had expected.


    in front of them was what looked like a hall of unparalleled proportions, where thousands of capsules were connected to huge glass tubes, from which these structures moved like balls until they disappeared or reappeared in the area.


    cultivators came and went from these structures, the method of travel from this place to eater.


    abby, ruth, and gloria found the area''s transportation methods a little strange, but they carried on until they were all inside a capsule. but instead of feeling like they were inside an enormous metal ball moving, they felt the space around them distort as the device went into operation.


    without delay, they arrived in eater. in particular, they arrived at one of the many floating towers of this world, far from the yellowish surface of this high level planet.


    they found themselves in an area similar to the previous one when they left their capsule, seeing several similar structures, also receiving people or taking individuals out of this area.


    the journey there had made them feel a little out of sorts, but it was nothing that could stop them from moving on. they walked straight towards the exit of this area, imagining that they could reach an area of this arrival point where they could access local information using their bargaining power.


    but when they left that place and came across the area outside this arrival and departure zone, it was then that they realized exactly where in eater they had arrived.


    they saw the outside of the building they had arrived at, a massive floating city in what looked like a tower, but was actually more like a giant artificial floating island.


    below them they couldn''t see the ground, only a dense fog, from which came a spiritual power compatible with 13th stage beings.


    minos and his wives immediately understood that in that direction lay the dangers, but also the opportunities of eater.

 Chapter 2836 Information from Eater

    chapter 2836  information from eater after realizing the primary reality of eater, minos, and his wives set aside going to the surface. walking through the streets, stairways, and thoroughfares of the city, they discovered this planet was not as simple as zocarro.


    eater''s valuable surface was only for the planet''s strongest, where celestials ruled and supremes were the only ones who inhabited the surface apart from these planetary sovereigns. anything below the 12th stage wouldn''t last long on the surface and shouldn''t, under any circumstances, make its way there.


    but even the supremes didn''t have it easy on the surface and reaching it was no trivial matter. a dense layer of dust and gas separated the surface of eater from the areas where the planet''s massive floating artificial cities were located. flying across it bordered on the impossible, even for high-level supremes, while the methods to reach the surface were neither easy nor cheap.


    so before continuing their exploration towards the surface, minos, and his wives headed inland to the city they had arrived in, trying to get to know the area.


    they quickly learned the native languages of the area and did some business, exchanging resources for local currency. they listened to the local buzz, learning about problems in the area, prominent forces to watch out for, but also rumors on the surface.


    most of eater''s native population was born, raised and died in floating cities. but news from the surface occasionally reached the cities. naturally, the inhabitants dreaming of one day being able to reach the surface of their wonderful planet talked a lot about what little reached them.


    the surface was like a semi-upper realm for these people below the 12th stage. it was a wonderful place, where fantastic plants and animals existed, where a walk through the forest could reveal fruits of immense power, capable of elevating them to expert status.


    the people of this city that they had the chance to listen to had the idea of striving to reach the surface strongly imbued in their essence, and many would risk their lives to make it to the surface.


    they thought they could change their lives overnight just by landing on the surface!


    but it was no wonder. local stories said that the energy and laws on the surface of eater were 10 times stronger than in the floating cities. meanwhile, traces of the upper realm could be found by groups willing to explore and experience the dangers of the majestic magical world below the clouds.


    as they discovered these and other things, they gradually arrived at what they wanted: information about celestials!


    although it seemed difficult to search for an item that may or may not be on several planets in a quasar, the item of interest to the group had a deeper history. it had been part of a celestial, a rare type of cultivator even in this powerful area of the universe, and it was an item that certainly had an intense demand attached to it. in other words, its demand was very specific.  s§×ar?h the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    they quickly found individuals in that immense city who were willing to talk about celestials!


    ...


    in a small room, where apart from a table and chairs, there were only several bright screens around, the four humans from the spiritual world were sitting facing a level 124 individual.


    this alien looked like a carrot, with orange skin, thin legs, and broad shoulders, with green leaf-like hair on his head. but he had body appendages like arms, antennae on his head and butterfly wings on his back.


    minos and his wives didn''t know what race this creature belonged to, nor its peculiarities. what they were interested in was the information he claimed to have and was willing to sell them.


    "so you''re looking for information about celestials?" he asked in the local language, looking curious in his relaxed gaze in their direction.


    minos shook his head affirmatively. "yes. in particular, celestials who have died in this world. we''re investigating the journey a certain individual made after being seriously injured. our hypothesis is that he passed through eater, so we''re looking for signs of individuals who arrived here wounded and probably died here."


    "that''s hard to say. normally, people like me don''t have access to information about the vital state of celestials who enter the planet. after all, they manage to enter our atmosphere without passing through the space stations... but i can help you with celestials who have died or been presumed dead throughout eater''s known history," the man said without much ado.


    "that''s good enough for now. we don''t know if this being was a native of the planet, so we''re interested in such information about natives and non-natives."


    "all right. my information is better on natives, but i have records of high-level foreigners who have lived or spent enough time on my planet to be remembered." he said as he fiddled with his space storage item, an item similar to a bracelet with several small shiny stones on it.


    then a folder appeared in one of his hands, showing minos'' group one of his files.


    "this document in my hands deals with all the cases that fit your requirements. in all, i have 13 names of celestials here with some of their characteristics, fame, and history in eater. this is sensitive information, so it will self-destruct after you read it and the cost won''t be cheap."


    "how much are we talking about?" abby asked.


    "a thousand chips."


    chips were the most valuable local currency. each chip was equivalent to an amount capable of enriching a level 114 sovereign.


    a thousand chips for a mere piece of information that could lead to nothing was not cheap!


    minos accepted the deal, paying the lost amount and receiving that briefcase.


    "is there anything else you''d like to know? i have a lot of useful information for a group like yours. i can help you prepare to go to the surface, if that''s your interest." he offered, seeing that he was with a wealthy group capable of buying his ''products.''


    minos wouldn''t say he was after the divine tail, as that could backfire on him later. saying he was looking for the remnant of a true celestial would be even worse. so he just asked the information vendor what kind of surface knowledge he could pass on.


    maps with indications of territories and interesting areas of the surface would be interesting to acquire if the information was really reliable.


    minos believed this man to be reliable, a sign of the incorruptible heart and also of the nautilus'' compass.


    the man smiled, then showed the group what he had to offer before securing a few more sales for this wealthy group of foreigners.

 Chapter 2837 How to Access the Surface

    chapter 2837  how to access the surface after doing business with the high-level supreme earlier, minos and his women were alone in one of the negotiating rooms of the local exchange company.


    they used the minutes they had in that secure room to analyze the files they had just acquired at an expensive price.


    they divided those folders of information among themselves, quickly studying each of the items left by the high-level supreme, recognizing the information they had obtained in less than 5 minutes.


    as some of the documents decomposed on a small table in that room, the four of them talked about what they had read.


    "i think we got lucky," said abby as she was the first to speak, having read the most important part of the documents bought by the group. "this ''king of beasts'' was a native of eater. i can''t say whether he died on the planet, but he was born and lived here for a long time. according to that man''s information, the ''king of beasts'' even had his own territory on the surface, located at the north pole of eater.


    but i couldn''t get any more detailed information about him. i think that salesman kept it a secret in order to sell it with any other information we asked for."


    "how do you know that for sure, abby?" ruth asked.


    "the term ''king of beasts'' was written in the first position of his titles... it may not be him, but the coincidence would be too great, in my opinion."  sea??h th§× n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "it is him," minos confirmed on hearing what abby had said, with a good feeling about this clue.


    "that''s good," gloria said with a smile on her face. "i got the celestials'' areas of influence on the surface. i think we can combine what abby studied with what i read. maybe we''ll arrive at the probable location of the ''beast king''s'' former territory."


    they exchanged information until they came up with a more interesting scenario for them to continue their search.


    the ''king of beasts'' had disappeared some time ago and, after a long period without news of him, had been presumed dead by his own subordinates. after that, conflicts on the surface raged for a while, something natural after the confirmation of the fall of a great lord of eater. eventually, things calmed down and returned to the usual peace, with winners and losers settling down as they should.


    now the area formerly belonging to the ''king of beasts'' was part of two different domains, and there were also some ownerless free zones in it, supposedly just as dangerous as those territories claimed by others.


    gloria sketched out the route that would be best for the group to take, considering the information they had got about the current situation on the surface, thus coming to the end of their time in that room.


    when the door unlocked and the sign in the area indicated that they should leave, the group moved on, with ruth leading the way towards the lower areas of the floating city.


    the most common method for leaving a city in eater and entering the surface involved going to the last level of the city, the noblest area, given the fact that it was closest to the surface, which made it naturally richer in energy and laws. in this area, there were elevators leading up to the surface, devices controlled by the sovereigns of eater and the strongest of each of the floating cities.


    there were a few methods of gaining passage. one, if you were a member of one of the dominant forces on the surface, all you had to do was show your id. two, you could pay, which would be as expensive as nurturing a high-level supreme for a few years. three, you could acquire passage permits by carrying out missions in one of the floating cities. and finally, four, by challenging someone who fulfilled possibilities two and three and obtaining what made them able to make such a journey.


    this was a savage world, so no one in the group doubted that the most common method was the fourth.


    in their hours in that floating city, they had already witnessed three battles and one death, all of them involving supremes.


    but even in a violent and competitive place, high-level supremes didn''t have to fear their path so much. they moved on to the lower levels of the city, soon reaching the fifth floor of the city, where the area quickly became more affluent, with better decorations and resources available in the stores, but also more powerful cultivators circulating.


    minos was careful on this stretch of the city, aware that celestials could quickly become problems for his group if they noticed the essences that each of them had in their bodies.


    luckily, all of them were already very strong and able to hide most of their auras well enough for only very impressive individuals to be able to understand what they had with them.


    they sensed the presence of celestials on the second floor of the city, but didn''t need to worry until they entered the area where they could negotiate permission to land on the surface.


    minos was a wealthy man, so he didn''t intend to waste time fighting or conquering locals. he quickly paid the salty fee for him and his women to make their way to the surface, attracting a little attention, but not enough to provoke a fight.


    he saw the threats in their path and neutralized them before they even happened, making use of his prophetic abilities to ensure that his group entered the elevator to the surface.


    when the dead men minos had knocked down fell to the ground, he and his women were already inside the device that would take them to their destination on the surface in no time.


    the guards even realized what he had done, but it was too late. when it was too late to stop the transportation device, minos and his wives saw the local guards complaining in their direction and almost instantly felt gravity taking them down.


    the elevator seemed to plummet out of the air, passing through the special dust cloud, soon arriving below this surface protection zone, reaching an area where they could see the vast and grandiose eater. not only that, each of them felt the planet''s real aura, which made the local surface so famous in the previous floating city!


    arriving at this place, they wasted no time in appreciating or thinking about how far they would go if they cultivated there. they understood where they were in relation to the map and soon started moving towards the destination indicated by their findings.

 Chapter 2838 Hostile Planet

    chapter 2838  hostile planet the surface of eater was, for the most part, devoid of vegetation. given the high presence of rocks on the planet''s surface, several areas of it were basically yellowish or black deserts, the predominant color of the local rocks.  sea??h th§× n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    but there were magical forests and great waterways in this world, reachable within a days'' journey from most points immediately below the planet''s floating cities.


    minos and his wives didn''t see anything like this at first, being in a poorer area and harder to find life as soon as they got off the elevator they used to get to the surface. given how large the planet was, even on their levels, it would take them a while to reach any interesting area with good scenery and opportunities.


    but even in a poorer, simpler area, they came across an environment extremely rich in energy and laws, enough to feel their passive cultivation skills kick in to propel them to new heights.


    obviously, they were already too strong and even in such a rich environment it would take them a long time to advance in level.


    they just found it curious how their cultivations varied upwards as they flew close to the surface, following the path that should take them to the ancient territory of the ''king of beasts'' in a few days.


    fortunately, there was no immediate danger in their path after reaching the surface. the arrival points on the surface were positioned precisely in ownerless and weaker territories, so normally one wouldn''t face any immediate dangers upon reaching the surface.


    but the group noticed that eater wasn''t easy. they had been feeling their cultivations increasing since they reached the surface, but they noticed that if they didn''t have high cultivations for the 12th stage, the opposite could happen. a special phenomenon of this world, capable of devouring the powers of those who dared to go to the surface, would begin to degrade one''s powers as soon as they set foot on solid ground.


    without the appropriate defenses, newcomers unprepared for the area would die before getting any chance of value!


    this, however, was something that affected more low-level supremes and high-level sovereigns who had the courage to come there. the strongest were able to counteract the natural phenomena of the area and even take advantage of the surrounding wealth.


    ...


    on the group''s 11th day in eater, they camped near a spring, having entered the forest where they were now the day before.


    unlike zocarro, which hardly had a real night, eater had day and night similar to the spirit world. the biggest difference was in the length of the days and nights there. the days lasted 22 hours, and the nights were about 15 hours.


    it was now evening, and the group was around a fire created by minos, warming themselves from the chilling cold that was freezing parts of the spring in the mountainous area where they were.


    eater''s weather phenomena were so strong that even powerful cultivators like them were suffering from something as simple as cold at the moment.


    minos was the only one in the group who didn''t have to worry about the temperature, given his dragon heritage and divine ability related to flames. but abby, gloria, and ruth were bundled up with their best tools and still needed the support of their husband''s flames to endure the current situation.


    "we''ll be entering the area formerly belonging to the ''king of beasts'' in another three days'' travel," gloria said as she looked at the map of the region, considering their planned route there and their current position. "this should pose problems for us very soon."


    the 11-day journey there had basically been about dealing with eater''s natural phenomena. they had just entered the first forest on their way, so until a few hours ago, they had only traveled through inhospitable regions, not having had the misfortune or opportunity to encounter opponents.


    they didn''t expect to keep up this good performance for long, however. already close to reaching their first point of investigation, they took gloria''s warning to heart.


    minos looked at abby and asked, "what do you think? can we count on local hell lifelings?"


    "i think so." she broke the good news to the group as she sensed the surroundings.


    eater was extremely low on corpses. from what abby had seen, the natural phenomenon responsible for absorbing spiritual power from living beings most likely acted on corpses, consuming their existence. because of this, in her opinion, they had found no corpses on their journey.


    "i''m sensing something toward our target. i think we''ll be able to relive some places soon," she said, being the strongest and most sensitive about death control in the group to realize this before everyone else.


    minos sighed in relief. with hell lifelings, things would be easier for them.


    "good. we''ll rest for the next few hours and as soon as we get back on the road and you get targets, i want you to start your work." he ordered abby, who promptly nodded in understanding. "we''ll use some locals to guide us around the area and tell us about the local history."


    the information they had obtained in the previous floating city was only superficial. any deeper details were beyond their reach at the moment.


    "you see nothing that will help us?" ruth asked minos after a moment of silence.


    given eater''s extreme natural conditions, they would need to spend the night resting, so there was nothing else for them to do for the moment.


    minos looked at his wife with her long, black hair and sighed. "nothing revealing. my prophetic ability is a little weakened. i believe that eater''s devouring energy is limiting my powers," he said, not even able to see when abby would bring hell lifelings over to their side, something he thought would happen before long, given the feeling she described.


    "you''d better rest for today. i''ll stand guard and wake you when daylight breaks." he instructed, not needing the same level of rest that they needed.


    they obeyed him, soon lying down in sleeping bags wrapped in minos'' silver flames, not at all worried about sleeping in this dangerous place.


    with minos watching over them, the chances of anything happening were slim.


    he kept an eye on the surroundings, looking for traces of opponents, in particular, from hell and celestials who would surely hunt him and his women down if they understood what they had.


    ''i don''t feel anything worrying yet. but something tells me it won''t last long.'' minos looked up at the sky, seeing the distant stars there. ''i hope you''re close by, divine tail. i have a feeling it won''t be long before qhava ends her seclusion!''

 Chapter 2839 Growth on Both Sides

    chapter 2839  growth on both sides back in hell, qhava was still in seclusion, but at the core of her territory, her subordinates in position in the area were in their most defensive state ever.


    undead were standing on the outskirts of the palace, built among the black rocks of the area, with several guardians of different kinds in position here and there. the reincarnation wheels were circulating, emanating power while her entire territory was closed to anyone below level 127.


    in this situation, one of her main subordinates sighed with a smile on his rocky face, seeing that they were not far from reaching the primary position of hell.


    "our leader will finish her cultivation in another two years at most," said this individual, as he felt her aura threatening to reach level 128.


    when qhava reached level 128, she would undeniably become the strongest hell devil in the current generation. at that time, it would be time for her group to start their crusade to conquer the throne of hell!


    "that''s if none of our lady''s opponents don''t show themselves around here," said another subordinate quietly.


    "none of them would dare! our lady will become the first woman to sit on the throne of hell. there''s no turning back!" said the most fervent of those devils positioned on the outskirts, as they manipulated their powers to maintain their defensive formation over the area. "fools who defy her, like undar, will pay dearly for their transgressions as soon as our master finishes her advance!"


    almost everyone nodded positively, agreeing on this fact, although not everyone was so sure that other high-level devils wouldn''t attack qhava before her success.


    "undar, huh? i wonder how long he''ll be able to get away? he escaped from some of our envoys, but the next group won''t confront him." murmured someone over there. "when he least expects it, he''ll have his position marked out and he''ll see our master coming to rip his head off!"


    these living subordinates of qhava liked what they heard, aware that the death of minos and possibly abby would bring significant gains for qhava and themselves.


    "we''ll see about that soon enough. in just over two years we''ll sort it out!" someone finished the subject, with the group maintaining their defensive position, while their minds went back to the growing aura of this powerful devil.


    meanwhile, qhava was underground in his palace, in an area covered in darkness where one would not be able to distinguish her body from the surrounding environment.


    nothing but her growing power was on her mind at the moment, with her having put thoughts of enemies, rivals, and allies to one side, focused only on the evolution of her soul.


    the 13th stage was special. every step higher you took was a new opportunity for growth capable of raising your vitality, powers and understanding so much that the levels immediately before paled in comparison.


    qhava was already very strong as a level 127 devil, but at level 128 she could act against opponents, in situations disadvantageous to her, that she could never beat in situations advantageous to her when she was at level 127.


    and the higher she went in her cultivation, the more of the reality behind the universe she could access, understanding and solving ancient mysteries, while gaining awareness that would make her able to understand and deconstruct what was within her reach.


    her infernal crown was evolving, as her physique approached the absolute grade, the inherent quality of the most powerful beings in the universe!


    ''true immortality... here i come!''


    ...


    while qhava was experiencing an experience and moment that only the cream of the cream of the universe had any chance of experiencing, there was someone else having their big chance of destiny in hell at that moment.


    in an area very far from qhava''s territory, a woman with long white hair had just managed to conquer the reincarnation wheel of this domain, free of ownership until a few moments ago, after she killed the former master of the area.


    she had secured yet another domain for herself, growing her influence by conquering a large territory, the 15th territory she had got since entering hell years ago.


    as soon as she conquered yet another area, she felt a special vibration in her soul, her soul showing a mixed appearance between her actual look and a black rocky view, natural to hell.


    but, as well as her apparent long white hair, her lips were still distinct and beautiful, and she could expose the beautiful smile she opened when she saw the moment she had always dreamed of coming.


    ''level 125!'' mylecent thought to herself as she felt the click for her to advance a stage and finally become a celestial!


    given her crown came from abby''s crown, she wouldn''t become a true celestial, but she wouldn''t be as common as a normal celestial either.


    but regardless of how special her level 125 version would be, she immediately went into a position of meditation after summoning her infernal guardians and a horde of undead.


    she thought of the white-haired, seraph-winged man, remembered minos'' face and smiled, seeing that it wouldn''t be long before she returned to uzira to mind her own business and joined him.  sea??h th§× n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''just wait a little longer, minos. in a year, i''ll be back on the continent!'' she thought to herself, gradually stopping thinking about the man ysolt had promised her, turning her attention to herself, to the growth of her powers.


    she didn''t know where minos was at the moment, but she was confident that he would be fine and his advancement would give the group a chance to exploit him wherever they went.


    as she was abby''s subordinate, naturally minos'' wife would have her chances to strengthen with mylecent''s growth in hell!


    mylecent just didn''t know that, until abby returned to hell, this woman wouldn''t be able to access the opportunities coming from her growth. as long as she was outside those realms, the benefits of hell would have little effect on abby.


    ...


    meanwhile, minos and his women were on the surface of eater, arriving in an area critical to their interests, accompanied by a small horde of warriors native to the area.


    unfortunately, abby couldn''t access the benefits of mylecent''s growth, something she would have found very welcome in the situation they were about to face!

 Chapter 2840 In the Midst of an Alien Combat

    chapter 2840  in the midst of an alien combat as minos and his wives neared the domain once ruled by the legendary "king of beasts," they found themselves in the midst of a local dispute between powerful individuals. the conflict wasn''t severe enough to pose an immediate threat to their lives, but it was certainly noticeable and couldn''t be ignored.


    the group concealed themselves amidst the lush, verdant vegetation on the surface of eater, their senses heightened. they could feel the celestials and supremes nearby, their energy crackling in the air. the sound of clashing weapons and grunts of effort echoed through the dense foliage as the level 124 supremes battled fiercely. it seemed, from what minos had surmised, that the supremes were fighting to the amusement of the celestials standing on different sides of the battle.


    however, this was no ordinary battle. with celestials involved, you couldn''t be too careful!


    "shit! what bad luck we''ve had!" as the ground shuddered beneath her feet, gloria spoke, her voice barely audible over the deafening explosions and thunderous stomps of the warriors engaged in a ferocious battle ahead.


    "why did we come this way?" abby asked minos.


    he had undoubtedly envisioned a future where his group would encounter resistance while passing through this area.


    maintaining a low profile and ensuring the group''s protection, he explained to them, "we had no other option. these, at least, aren''t celestials interested in us. we just have to keep moving forward and get through that area."  s~ea??h the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "will we manage that?" ruth asked her husband, keeping her ability connected to her partners in case something happened to them.


    "difficult. it would certainly be easier if they weren''t here." minos laughed bitterly, but the nautilus'' compass and all the data he was gathering with his abilities and future perception told him that this was the best possible way forward.


    but even so, he didn''t know how he would get past this area without attracting the attention of the celestials or having to fight those level 124 warriors.


    the hell lifelings in the group listened to the foreign language conversation of these four while paying attention to their surroundings. when minos and his wives stopped talking, one of these eater natives said, "these are representatives of slapis, excellencies."


    "slapis? that''s the name of one of the territories that occupied the former domain of the ''king of beasts''." abby muttered as she listened to her minions.


    because of these hell lifelings, her group now had a more advanced knowledge of the ''king of beasts.'' luckily, some of those abby revived had memories of when the ''king of beasts'' was alive and relevant in eater. because of such hell lifeling, the group learned many things about this ancient bearer of the divine tail.


    according to hell lifeling, the ''king of beasts'' was the title of a powerful cultivator who reached level 125 on his own, without the addition of parts of true celestials in his essence.


    minos and his wives didn''t need to hear much to understand what an incredible feat this was, given that they had already absorbed several of these essences and hadn''t even come close to level 125.


    the ''king of beasts'', however, made it all the way to the most powerful stage in the universe without the aid of absorbable artifacts, having shown a lot of potential on his journey and made a name for himself.


    before leaving eater for his travels across the universe, he had become the leader of a large territory, respected by the planet''s greatest forces.


    but from the moment he started hunting for methods to enter the upper realm, information about him became scarce and he rarely appeared on the planet again.


    the hell lifeling who told the group this had died before the news of the ''king of beasts'' disappearance, so the group remained in the dark as to the last journey of the man who faced the devil eternal death.


    but apart from the questions they still had to answer, they had learned that slapis had been a friendly territory of the ''king of beasts'' for at least most of his journey in eater. such a territory had grown up against the ''king of beasts'' former domain after his fall, something difficult for the group to analyze as being a friendly attitude or not.


    given the lack of information they had, they didn''t know if slapis had stabbed the ''beast king''s'' subordinates and possible heirs in the back, or if it wasn''t really like that at all. what they did know was that slapis must have had information about the end of the beast king''s life.


    minos'' wives looked at him, wondering what he had in mind now.


    ''is it worth approaching them?'' he asked himself, naturally in a hurry to get information as soon as possible.


    celestials and even supremes were the natural enemies of anyone who was vying for a place in the upper realm or even had parts of a true celestial''s body themselves. after all, this was the way to enter the upper realm, and everyone would definitely fight for such a chance.


    but identifying someone with these possibilities wasn''t so easy. unless the difference in cultivation was very great, it was possible to hide this information, depending on the type of interaction.


    ''if we spend even a few hours just watching these celestials, they won''t sense the truth about us. as long as we don''t have to fight or be analyzed, we can go unnoticed by them even after brief contact.'' minos pondered the possibilities for his group.


    if his women, or he himself, were stronger by one level or another, he would be confident even against a fight with those level 125 celestials entertaining themselves in their vicinity. but since that wasn''t the case, he wouldn''t be so confident.


    "let''s try our luck. better to risk a fight against level 125 celestials than delay our plans and risk something with that damn qhava when she''s already level 128!"


    they couldn''t disagree with him on that and naturally got into formation to go ahead with minos'' plan to approach the slapis members nearby.

 Chapter 2841 Under the Eyes of the Celestials

    2841  under the eyes of the celestials minos and his women were in a situation where they basically had to show themselves to the celestials fighting in that area. but with two sides clearly competing against each other, they couldn''t put themselves between the two, at the risk of one of the parties turning against them to prevent them from approaching the other.


    the group made their way in discreet defensive formation to the celestial side of slapis, having no choice but to enter that side of the border.


    but as well as choosing an area to enter, they also needed to work out how to approach the celestial. high-level supremes were fighting and the two celestials in that area seemed to be entertained by the combat. would it be right for them to approach and interfere with the developing battle? they felt not and decided to approach without getting directly involved in the confrontation and wait for the moment when the two sides would lower the intensity of the confrontation.


    but that wasn''t easy. as they moved towards the side they wanted, the attacks of the level 124 fighting supremes pressed down on them, hitting them hard.


    blades sliced through the surrounding plants, passing close to them, endangering the group''s defenses. some of the hell lifelings were scarred, but they tried hard not to emit shouts of alarm that would show their current position.


    the defenses imposed by minos worked, while ruth had to use her innate skill on her companions to help them recover.


    their first moments of movement under the lingering effects of the attacks from the aliens fighting nearby made them aware of the power of the locals, but also of how much they still had to improve. unable to use minos'' convenient ability to strengthen themselves, they were naturally more vulnerable in this high-level hostile environment.


    boom!


    rocks exploded and sounds of grunts of pain from the battling creatures filled the surroundings, making the combat more personal for the group trying to avoid joining in as much as possible.


    they were successful in avoiding the battle for quite some time, not even drawing the attention of the stronger ones, watching with glints in their eyes as they exchanged moves.


    but before whatever was happening there could come to an end, the celestial on slapis'' side noticed that, amidst the ruins left by his disciples'' combat there, a strange and powerful group had emerged.


    ''aliens?'' this celestial saw minos'' group, identifying some natives among these strange people, not noticing their infernal trail, but noting that they were clearly connected to the blue-haired woman.


    his eyes narrowed, seeing the richness of the four foreigners'' auras, even if he couldn''t see everything they had.


    but the individual belonging to slapis wasn''t the only one to notice the presence of the group there. almost immediately after this ''ordinary'' celestial noticed the intruders on his side of the territory, the opponent with an eye on the juniors'' fight also noticed the position of the 11 individuals passing through the area.


    his eyes narrowed, and a smile formed on his thin lips. ''test these flies trying to pass themselves off as invisible, my disciples.'' he ordered mentally, making four of the eight individuals fighting in the area scan the battlefield for what their master was indicating.


    it wasn''t difficult for these high-level supremes to notice what their master wanted, seeing the aliens shielding themselves from the remnants of his attacks. amid this, the opponents of these supremes noticed their opponents'' gazes shifting, also noticing the presence of strange elements in the midst of their combat site.


    ''who are they? who dares to invade our territory?'' asked one of them as he narrowed his 11 eyes firmly.  s§×arch* the nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    then the voice of the celestial of slapis sounded in the minds of his four disciples. ''don''t interfere with what''s about to happen. take a step back from your positions.''


    although he couldn''t see the future, that celestial had very strong senses. not only that, he knew the opponent he was fighting today very well!


    with a shifting interest toward minos'' group, this celestial saw his rival''s four disciples taking action against the strange group caught in the middle of their fight that day.


    minos and his wives found themselves under the gaze of the surrounding beings, finally in the position they wanted to avoid as much as possible. but they weren''t entirely afraid. even though they didn''t want a fight, they were ready to fight if necessary.


    minos used his prophetic ability, ensuring that neither he nor his wives used the powers coming from the body parts of true celestials.


    ''let''s avoid fighting as much as possible and limit ourselves to supporting this group of hell lifelings,'' he said into the minds of his women, making them agree as they changed their formation.


    abby stood in the middle of the group while minos and ruth took up two ends of a triangle, in which gloria was in the rear position. she enveloped her surroundings in liquid mercury, while ruth remained connected only to them, leaving the hell lifelings to themselves. meanwhile, minos projected his powers onto the 7 individuals they had used so far, making them better aware of what would happen around them and more perfectly counterattack their enemies.


    all 7 hell lifelings were at level 124 and, as much as they weren''t as talented as those targeting them at the moment, minos'' partial support was enough to remove any disadvantage from them.


    they protected the group as they counterattacked, immediately showing the spectators and opponents trying to oppress them they were not easily intimidated.


    minos said toward the celestial of slapis in the middle of the combat. "senior, we are passing through seeking advice from the forces of slapis. please don''t feel offended that we''re entering your territory."


    the celestial to whom minos had addressed his words listened, but didn''t move immediately, leaving his rival''s disciples to get on with what they were doing.


    ''do everything you can to stop them from crossing over to pisi''s side!'' said the opposing celestial, sitting motionless on one of the branches of a tree on his side of the territory.


    pisi then saw sazel''s disciples step up their attacks, but fail miserably to overcome the defenses or evade all the attacks launched by the formidable group of foreigners.


    a smile gradually formed on his lips, irritating sazel even more.

 Chapter 2842 Invitation

    chapter 2842  invitation the disciples of sazel and pisi were among the strongest supremes in this region of eater, but even so, up against abby''s ''ordinary'' warriors, they failed miserably to land fatal blows on their targets.


    minos and his women didn''t even have to bother fighting to defend themselves or to counterattack. their mere support for their warriors was enough for them to entertain sazel''s high-level supremes as they continued to approach pisi''s side.


    pisi enjoyed seeing how this element of surprise humiliated his great rival by so easily counter-attacking sazel''s warriors. so, almost two minutes after minos'' announcement, he stood up, opening his arms to these strangers in his people''s territory.


    "haha, you''re interesting. all right, aliens, i''ll welcome you to my territory and listen to what you want!" said the level 125 celestial from slapis, making sazel look at him in hatred, while minos saw his chance.


    when sazel stood up to protest, minos manipulated the space around him and his women, in an instant appearing on pisi''s side, completely leaving the hell lifelings'' and sazel''s disciples'' combat site.


    sazel even considered attacking slapis'' territory, but seeing the targets he wanted to hit inside pisi''s domain, he couldn''t go ahead with his plans.


    ''shit! who are these people?'' he asked himself as he stopped in the middle of his offensive move, dismissing the energy and laws he had quickly gathered around him.


    pisi laughed as he noticed how quickly minos had come to his side, looking especially at his old rival''s expression.


    "looks like that''s my victory, sazel," said pisi to his rival, who had challenged him to a disciple''s duel, confident that he would soil his reputation that day.


    "victory? your disciples and mine haven''t finished their fight yet!" sazel didn''t take this enemy statement easily.


    "is that so? what i see are my disciples standing and yours exhausted by a group of earthworms!"


    sazel narrowed his eyes as he looked at the hell lifelings and then at his four disciples over there, who were clearly at a disadvantage, weakened while pisi''s disciples were in prime fighting condition.  sea??h th§× n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    if it wasn''t for the fact that they were on the same level and he wasn''t there to start a war, sazel would have attacked pisi to avoid defeat. but in this situation, he had no choice but to give up and turn his back on his enemies.


    "tsk! so be it! next time it won''t be so simple, pisi. you won''t have another group to help your disciples like this!"


    pisi''s four disciples felt offended, while the celestial merely smiled at his retreating opponent.


    sazel''s disciples left without further resistance, glaring not at abby''s warriors, but at the group of aliens now at pisi''s side, the real ones responsible for today''s disgrace.


    "the next time we see each other, things will turn out differently," said the strongest of them before his entire group disappeared, leaving only pisi''s group in that border area of slapis.


    pisi''s disciples approached their master, turning their eyes between minos and the three women at his side, without paying much attention to the hell lifelings.


    "who are you?" the celestial asked, looking clearly at minos, noting that this boy, although not the strongest in level, was clearly the leader and most formidable warrior of the four aliens.


    he couldn''t see minos'' deep secrets, but minos'' cultivation base was by far the strongest he had ever seen in a level 121 cultivator.


    "senior, these three are my wives, abby, gloria, and ruth. my name is minos, and i lead this group exploring eater. we''re here in search of something, something that perhaps slapis can help us achieve," minos said respectfully, looking at the celestial with some care to protect himself and not expose his concerns, but also some boldness in his courage.


    the celestial of slapis naturally didn''t see a problem in the look reflecting minos'' confidence and respect. it was to be expected that such an interesting young cultivator wouldn''t be so intimidated by him.


    "what would that be?" pisi asked curiously.


    minos mixed parts of the truth with something he had created during the fight a few moments ago. "we are from a force belonging to a distant world called zocarro. on zocarro we heard the story of a celestial who reached level 125 without the use of absorbable artifacts, someone who passed through our planet and gained unforgettable fame.


    in the records of our planet, there was only one title that identified this cultivator. ''king of beasts''."


    "i see." the celestial had already realized this seconds before minos spoke the title of such a local figure. there was only one who had managed to reach the 13th stage without the use of absorbable artifacts in the entire history of eater.


    minos continued, "we began our journey in search of great legendary figures on zocarro and the other planets we passed through on our cultivation journey, looking for clues on how to reach the 13th stage. in particular, we were interested in learning about the legacy of the ''king of beasts'' and getting a chance to learn from him.


    unfortunately, when we arrived in eater, we discovered he had died... but even so, we''re eager to obtain any facts about the beast king''s journey that might enlighten us."


    minos'' request was not unusual. beings from other planets entered powerful worlds every day, and some of them sought affiliation, or even temporary teachings from great local experts. and depending on what these individuals could offer in return, it wasn''t strange for locals to agree to trade with them, like the one minos seemed to be after now.


    "i see... you''re just another group in search of the legendary ''king of beasts''. it''s a shame, but there''s not much about him," pisi said, quite willing to talk. "some time ago, he simply disappeared from the planet until his former subjects announced his death. i don''t know where or how he died. but his trusted subordinates were the ones to spread the rumor about his demise and break up much of his old territory.


    but while i can''t help you with how he fell, it''s not impossible that i have some information about how he got so far on his journey. if you''re willing to accompany me to my people and negotiate, we can talk about the secrets of the ''king of beasts''!"

 Chapter 2843 The Secrets of the King of Beasts!

    chapter 2843  the secrets of the ''king of beasts''! minos considered the celestial''s invitation ahead of his group, weighing up the dangers. ''this will certainly take us into the middle of a territory that probably has celestials stronger than this individual.  s§×ar?h the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    was it worth going through with it? minos honestly wasn''t comfortable. as powerful as this man was, there was a real chance that his group would escape if he refused the invitation now. otherwise, he didn''t know if he would have a chance even remotely similar to this later on.


    not only that, the celestials who might exist in this territory ahead might notice things that this strange man didn''t seem able to notice now.


    but even thinking on the logical side, minos couldn''t ignore how the nautilus'' compass was showing him to go ahead with this group. even his future perception was telling him that this meeting would probably be more diplomatic than warlike.


    ''celestials are so strong that they don''t fight unless the motivation is very strong.'' minos realized this answer pisi would give him a few moments in the future if he asked why the expert who had led the match earlier hadn''t challenged pisi.


    thinking about this, minos felt a brief epiphany, understanding better the power relations of true celestials and why hell was not as chaotic and destructive as one might imagine.


    ''i see... celestials don''t fight seriously unless it''s really motivated by something terrible, whether for good or evil. probably if this guy knew about the absolute-grade absorbable weapons i have in my body, he would fight even celestials to get them. but for minor matters, he would hardly risk destroying his domains and damaging his chances of becoming an absolute just for something unimportant to him.''


    in minos'' new perception, celestials were so strong and capable of self-destruction that they were peaceful most of the time.


    the fact that they could destroy themselves and the universe kept them in check and made them think twice before taking offensive action!


    ''politics plays an important role for celestials... i see the time is finally coming for the retirement they have longed for throughout my journey.'' he glanced sideways at his wives and then said, "i hope i''m not disturbing senior and your group. we would love to meet your strength and hear more from the formidable ''king of beasts''."


    the women of minos were impressed by his positive response to pisi''s invitation, but they didn''t object. they stood behind him, watching how the celestial reacted.


    "haha, very good. come with us, young space travelers. our home is not far from here." he waved one of his arms, causing something similar to a carpet to appear, which he then climbed onto with his disciples.


    with the man''s signal for them to also get on that floating carpet, minos and his wives began the 45-minute journey to the place indicated by pisi.


    along the way, they chatted about trivial things. pisi had made a point of asking what zocarro was like, since he personally had never heard of such a world. but on hearing that celestials were rare there, pisi almost instantly lost interest in hearing about the foreign world of these visitors.


    pisi''s disciples spoke a little about their world too, giving minos'' group information similar to what they already had, but from a local perspective that honed them to understand the planet and the region they were in.


    they arrived in the area pisi was taking them to without hearing much more about the ''king of beasts'', apart from a few short comments that were difficult to understand without the larger context.


    "young travelers, slapis is not the most peaceful place in the universe, but we like to think of ourselves as rational and tranquil." pisi explained with his usual strange laugh, sounding like he was always speaking sarcastically. "here we value the record of living beings, collecting essences and special marks from visitors and natives of our world. if you are willing to give us something unique from your people, we will naturally answer your curiosities about the ''king of beasts''."


    minos expected nothing less. these creatures wouldn''t tell them what he wanted to find out just because he asked. an exchange was obviously necessary for the transaction to take place.


    so, as they looked at the area around them, where many shiny capsule-shaped buildings stood, with plants perfectly blended into the developed part of the place. people of various races came and went from there, several of them able to provoke impressed looks on the faces of the four travelers.


    abby, gloria and ruth didn''t need minos'' ability to see into the future to understand why pisi had asked. everywhere they looked, they could see hybrids, whether plant or animal, creatures that had come from combining elements from different parts of the universe.


    minos understood he wouldn''t have to give a part of himself or his women to satisfy the interest of these people. so he took something from his spatial ring, giving pisi some essences he still had from the spiritual world.


    "these are fragments of a spiritual root, a kind of root behind a low-level world. it may not be worth much individually, but for a civilization capable of manipulating it, it could be the key to transforming barren planets or poor planets into powerful worlds."


    pisi accepted the fragment of spiritual root from the spiritual world that minos gave him.


    "that''s good stuff. really interesting." he murmured, before gesturing for the group to follow him to the place where they would find their answers.


    in a building that looked like an ancient temple of that civilization, another celestial introduced himself to the group after pisi spoke about the origin and interests of these visitors.


    "... so you''re looking for the ''king of beasts'', huh? sigh! it''s a shame he died. he was a great leader of the beasts of eater, revered all over the planet. but from the moment he joined the insatiable quest of the true celestials, he was lost.


    these absolute-grade absorbable weapons are awful. they corrupt the minds and souls of their users and make them willing to do anything for power.


    in the end, the ''king of beasts'' absorbed the divine tail and became a maniac. we fought for him, but that''s why we stood against almost all of eater, until the planet''s leaders expelled him.


    rumor has it that he managed to infiltrate the planet a few times after his banishment, but we can''t say for sure. the fact is that his last followers declared him dead after a long period of disappearance."


    "he was probably killed in his hunt." pisi commented at the end of the level 126 celestial''s speech. "after his exile, rumors of him traveling between various planets in the narrow discus and outside the galaxy reached us. among them were kitania, tanus, xaneon, and irus."


    pisi cited the names of two of the three planets that minos and his women knew about at the start of their journey on zocarro, where the remains of the ''king of beasts'' could be!

 Chapter 2844 Likely location of the Divine Tail

    chapter 2844  likely location of the divine tail irus and tanus were the two planets that minos and his family intended to visit after eater, if they failed to find the divine tail on that planet. hearing that the ''king of beasts'' had a history on these other planets helped them solidify their expectations of the worlds indicated by the sea serpent.


    pisi''s words weren''t enough to confirm much, but they were enough to show that the group was on the right track.


    ''if he had his passages through irus and tanus known so far from these worlds, he certainly left an impact behind... perhaps he lived or built refuges on one of these worlds.'' minos thought to himself, pondering what he would do in the beast king''s place.


    the ''king of beasts'' had escaped from zocarro mortally wounded. in minos'' view, the most rational thing to do in these circumstances would be to go to a safe place where he could at least try to protect himself, seek out special resources previously left in secret locations and stay in seclusion to try to escape the pursuit of death.


    where better to do such things than a place known and prepared as an outpost left by him in a world he knew well?


    given the lack of information from the local forces as to how the ''king of beasts'' had succumbed, minos was gradually sensing that the divine tail would not be in eater. he still couldn''t rule out the possibility that the ''king of beasts'' had secretly come to this world and died here. nor could minos rule out the possibility that one of the ''king of beasts'' followers had found him and absorbed the divine tail. but he was more inclined to believe that he could get better clues from irus or tanus.


    "do you think he died on one of those planets?" abby asked, as minos considered the possibilities in his path.  sear?h the nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the level 126 local native shook his head in uncertainty. "hard to say... you must understand that the death of a celestial is a very rare event. occasionally we hear about something like this, but it''s the kind of thing that easily goes hundreds of thousands of years without happening. it''s only when the universe gets really hectic that we see celestial deaths happening more often."


    pisi said, "but it''s possible. we can''t say, but it''s entirely possible that he died on one of these worlds. it depends a lot on what his last moments were like and what caused this situation. if he had time to escape, then i wouldn''t even be surprised if he had come here before perishing. despite his many mistakes, the ''king of beasts'' loved his people very much."


    no one considered the possibility that the ''king of beasts'' had ascended to the upper realm. such a thing would be possible, but all those in the ''king of beasts'' lineage would have shown extreme changes and many would have disappeared from eater, something that never happened and corroborated the idea that he had indeed died.


    "what about this divine tail? was that the ''king of beasts'' absolute grade absorbable weapon?" gloria asked, feigning ignorance.


    pisi nodded affirmatively as they walked past an area with various paintings and statues depicting this region''s glorious past.


    "yes, as far as we know, he acquired it in tanus, where he stole it from an heir to an upper realm inheritance."


    "that..."


    "how do you know that for sure?" minos asked, as his wives looked surprised.


    the level 126 celestial explained, "there was a war over that. as you may know, absolute grade absorbable weapons can give you the chance to cross the dawn gates and enter the upper realm.


    but while these weapons are practically invisible when not used on the heirs of true celestials, they become extremely flashy and pulsating as soon as they are stolen from an heir by someone ordinary. this sparked a war at the time, pitting the ''king of beasts'' against a host of celestials eager to have that weapon for themselves."


    gloria and ruth of minos looked at him in concern, as they themselves had absorbed absolute-grade weapons from heirs.


    but abby remained calm, aware that their infernal crowns masked the aura of those essences they had stolen from the broccoli head man and the blind alien they had eliminated in zocarro.


    "so that''s what happened..." minos muttered as he understood the story behind the ''king of beasts''.


    "anyway, that war forced the ''king of beasts'' into exile, which led to his disappearance, brutal actions on the planets i''ve already mentioned, and his incessant quest to strengthen himself.


    only an absorbable weapon does not fully open the dawn gates. they say you must meet other requirements and still be able to challenge and defeat a true celestial. the ''king of beasts'' probably tried to hunt down other absolute grade absorbable weapons and eventually found someone he shouldn''t challenge."


    ''that''s what happened...'' minos thought silently, seeing a clear picture of his target''s journey in mind.


    "what about his family and subordinates?" abby questioned. "is anyone left in eater?"


    "yes, but few," pisi said with a sigh. "the madness of the war to enter the upper realm wiped out the great history he made on our planet... in the end, his family had to go into exile and the few subordinates who survived the persecution were relegated to a fraction of his domains.


    we, his former allies, tried to help his subordinates and family preserve as much as possible through our territorial expansion into their former domains. but we only mitigated their great weakening and prevented the total extinction of the race. in any case, today they are so small that, unless another like the ''king of beasts'' emerges, there is no chance of them posing any danger to his ancient enemies."


    minos wondered if there was any chance of this happening to him in the future, but his situation and that of the ''king of beasts'' were very different. he was a hellish heir to an entitled deity, and his world was weak and distant from his current problems.


    he had also distanced himself from the affairs of his relatives and, even if he fell, he was confident that the stuart lineage would remain strong.


    but this information was useful to him, making him almost certain that the divine tail was not in eater.


    ''i''ll check out those remnants that pisi mentioned and determine my next move from there. i imagine tanus is the likely location of where the ''king of beasts'' died, where the divine tail probably is!''

 Chapter 2845 Hell Lifelings in Oqia

    chapter 2845  hell lifelings in oqia back in zocarro, a group had just docked on the west coast of oqia, arriving on this continent in a wrecked ship, a vehicle that had set off decades ago from this very city brand new, but now bore marks that hid its ''young'' age.


    the group on the ship was full of rust marks, cuts, and dents, but they didn''t show the pessimism and regret that their vehicle would indicate.


    descending from the vessel via a temporary bridge, the crew couldn''t help but smile at returning to the mainland after so long away, back to this land in a totally different situation from their departure decades ago.


    decades ago they were in a larger group setting out with ambitious goals: to reach the formidable continent of uzira and establish bases in the richest of environments one could reach in zocarro. now they were back, having succeeded in their experiments, as far as possible, of course.


    part of the group had been lost and other new components had been added along the way, visible in the unusual formation of them entering that local port.


    formidable high-level supremes now accompanied them, drawing the attention of the locals, who rarely saw such powerful individuals, even in this area where supremes were more common than in much of oqia.


    but the group led by leger was not there for trouble, but merely to pass through on their way to their actual goal, examire, where the armhands headquarters was located, about a couple of months'' journey for a group with capabilities like theirs.


    before being approached by local supremes, the group reached the port exit, where they split up.


    "we''ll wait for the next group going to uzira here, leger. we''ll arrange a new ship while you''re sorting out your local affairs." said diret, the captain of the ship that had brought this group, having once again overcome a difficult journey through the violent sea.


    unlike minos'' group, who could predict the future and know the best direction to take, their group had none of these abilities. apart from the strength of the hell lifelings there to guarantee the group''s safety, they had nothing but the experience of their navigators.


    the journey over the last few years had been tough, with many moments when they had almost lost their way. but they had survived after tough battles and endured the worst phenomena that had hit them.


    leger greeted the navigator, wishing the group goodbye as he went back and forth from examire.


    his plans were to stay a few weeks at the guild''s headquarters, make the situation official from the sect''s current post in uzira to the local post, and give the guild time to prepare to send a new group to the continent. all this, including the trip, should add up to about two years in oqia, enough time for diret to get a new vehicle for their return to uzira.


    but after saying goodbye to the crew''s navigators, leger, and the guild members heading for examire came across armhands'' generals waiting for them in the city.


    "seniors, we saw you saying goodbye to the senior diret. are you by any chance leger''s group, sent by commander minos?" asked a level 115 alien, one of armhands'' 12th stage generals.


    next to the newly promoted supreme were some peak sovereigns, armhands'' generals just like him.


    leger smiled, not so shocked by the reception of this group. the guild post in uzira, after all, had initiated communications with oqia, having years ago sent out a notice about their group coming here.


    "yes, that''s us."


    ...


    meanwhile, at armhands'' headquarters, on one of examire''s floating islands...


    kendrick was standing next to segiel and hollie, having just received a call from the guild commander about a message coming from the west.


    he was already aware of his father''s situation in uzira, having received a few reports over the last few years, and the last contact made by the guild post on that continent warned of how the group had reached stability in uzira and the time had finally come to send a group to oqia again.


    this was a report sent shortly after minos left hell, so what they knew was from years in the past, before the group left the planet. but they were well-informed about the general situation involving that group, even if they didn''t have the latest information.


    not only that, the most important thing for them were four points, all of which were confirmed by this latest contact. minos and company were alive, the guild post was safe, juma had been resurrected, and the black liquid had somehow been taken over by the group. these were the points of minos'' mission on that continent, and now, with the news, they knew minos had once again succeeded in a guild mission.  s~ea??h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    because of all this, the guild was more optimistic than ever, having already sent a group to receive minos'' envoys in the same naval city from which he had departed decades ago.


    when he was called this morning, kendrick imagined that this was a matter related to his father''s envoys and went straight to the point by asking segiel.


    "have my father''s envoys arrived on the continent?" he asked as hollie looked at segiel expectantly, imagining that this was the case.


    segiel smiled as he shook his head and light blue hair. "yes. they''ve arrived. our group made contact with them and they''re on their way here right now! a group of peak hell lifelings from the 12th stage are accompanying them."


    they were also aware of the hell lifelings!


    wide smiles appeared on hollie''s and kendrick''s faces, both seeing that they could go ahead with their plans and start sending family members to uzira.


    kendrick in particular didn''t want to go to the mainland just yet, being committed to helping the family from inside the headquarters. but hollie wanted to get to know the world better and help prepare the route between oqia and uzira for the rest of the group to travel safely in the future.


    her other siblings weren''t there today, but she was sure that they would choose to go to uzira in the not-too-distant future.


    "perfect. i''ll tell the rest of the family. it''s time to get ready!" hollie stood up, ready to run to lily and tell her the good news.


    kendrick stood up too, and asked, "have you told the elders? what about the supreme leader?"


    she became more serious, ignoring hollie''s departure. "not yet. i believe that minos'' advances in uzira will revolutionize our organization. so i''ve blocked off the information to talk about it with you first. you must prepare yourselves. some elders may see problems in the allegiance of the hell lifelings."

 Chapter 2846 Complicated Situation With the Council

    chapter 2846  complicated situation with the council while minos'' family was taking advantage of segiel, the elders of the guild had finally found out about the arrival of minos'' envoys.


    they were already aware that the armhands'' post in uzira had high-level supremes, but they were in the dark about the exact strength of the group sent by minos.


    segiel had been informed by the armhands'' post in uzira about the group coming to oqia, but it was only when the members of the guild in the city where leger''s group arrived docked on the mainland that she learned exactly the strength of those sent.


    minos had sent a group of peak supremes to oqia, a force strong enough to single-handedly take over the guild and usher in a new era of that force!


    she had realized the implications of this and given kendrick and his family time to prepare, but she couldn''t hide the truth forever. after a few days of holding back the news, she finally announced to the council about the arrival of the group led by leger, exposing the formidable formation of that group coming from uzira.  s§×ar?h the n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "so many high level supremes?" muttered the current tenth elder of the guild, the former commander before segiel took over that position.


    the tenth elder was currently at level 119, much stronger than when he was ruling the guild at the time when minos served as an outer and inner member.


    segiel''s master, currently at level 121, closed her eyes, ignoring her companions in silence or muttering things amongst themselves.


    minos was an asset to the guild. no one would deny that. they themselves wouldn''t deny it. having high-level supremes was another good thing for the guild, which could elevate them to higher levels when they reached uzira. but would high-level supremes obey them, the guild or minos?


    they were all experienced and understood the implications of the force sent by minos.


    it had always been a concern of this council that minos would one day use his power over the black liquid¡ªthrough abby¡ªto start a rebellion and take control of the group. now they faced the moment they had dreaded, finding themselves at a crossroads.


    there were several paths ahead of them. not getting involved and waiting for what would happen. act and prevent minos from rebelling. to ally with him and support him in doing what he wanted, or any number of other scenarios that varied from these three main possibilities.


    "how far has minos come?" one of the elders asked in a deep tone, remembering how only a few decades ago the alien boy was just a talent for the distant future.


    "really... controlling high-level supremes isn''t for everyone... is he already as strong as a celestial?" wondered the strongest person there at the moment, level 123, the old elder navey, who had been watching minos for a long time.


    "it seems that must be the case," a level 122 elder murmured, his gaze a mixture of curiosity but also excitement.


    "i want to be able to talk to him about his journey in uzira one day. but for now, we should take advantage of his efforts and get on with our plans. it''s time to organize who among us will migrate and who will stay in oqia," navey said, clenching his fists, drawing segiel''s attention.


    segiel naturally knew about navey''s long-standing interest in minos. seeing him mention this meeting, she couldn''t help but feel a little uncomfortable.


    ''it might be interesting to get elder navey away from the rest of minos'' family. she thought before suggesting. ''the elder should take the first of the vacancies. someone of his stature will be able to do more for the guild in uzira while the supreme leader doesn''t awaken from his seclusion."


    the supreme leader of armhands had been in seclusion since he said goodbye to minos, challenging level 124. there was no date for the end of his seclusion and no one there would disturb him at this critical moment because of the news coming from uzira.


    the elders looked at navey, thinking about the implications of what segiel had suggested, but also about the figure of the supreme leader and the situation with minos.


    "perhaps we should discuss the position of the supreme leader and minos before we talk about going back and forth between the continents." quoted a level 120 elder, her long eyelashes, and feminine lips not so beautiful now. "in particular, we need to consider the stuart family and its faction."


    "what is there to consider?" klaus asked. "minos is the commander of the armhands in uzira. he can be promoted to elder or remain in command. that changes nothing, least of all in relation to his family."


    "not everyone thinks like that and we don''t know what his children might want for him. commander minos is formidable and has never caused any problems for the guild. but his family members are another story. some of them are ambitious and want to expand their influence," said the sixth elder cautiously.


    "who is the elder talking about?" segiel''s mistress opened her eyes, not knowing of anyone like that among the people of minos.


    "who else but kendrick stuart? that boy advances wherever he goes with ferocity and blood in his eyes. he''s already defeated several guild mates in the name of his stuart family," said the same elder.


    kendrick was even more decisive than his father when it came to matters involving his family in zocarro. since assuming the position of family and faction leader, he had placed himself in the position of the ultimate defender of his house.


    segiel narrowed her eyes as she looked at that elder, seeing navey''s main follower putting himself in that dangerous position.


    she then said, "i advise we end this meeting here. i believe that some of us have differing opinions and may not want to be in this conversation."


    segiel''s mistress, klaus and the other two elders rose from their seats, while the others remained seated, looking at the commander with curious eyes.


    "a commander cannot end the meeting of the council of elders, commander," reminded navey.


    "no, but she can leave together with the elders who want to. only the supreme leader can stop us, but he''s not here." segiel retorted to the surprise of navey''s supporters.

 Chapter 2847 Political Dispute

    chapter 2847  political dispute the situation in the guild council heated up, but neither side moved beyond their words. those opposed to the discussion proposed by one of navey''s supporters stood up and left with segiel, leaving only five elders at navey''s side.


    the alien narrowed his eyes in the direction of the meeting room''s exit, while those he influenced looked at him, waiting for his position.


    "what do we do, elder? without the support of all the elders, it will be difficult to justify anything to the supreme leader or even to minos later. we won''t be able to block kendrick''s paths peacefully," said the one who had most voiced the council''s concern about the growth in power of minos and his faction.


    "surround the stuart family. they''ll be under house arrest until further notice." navey said, one-sided, deciding to do so.


    as the strongest elder in place and without the supreme leader to command, he was naturally the one with the most power and influence in the guild at the moment.


    it would have been better for him to act with the support of the council as a whole, but since he didn''t have what he wanted, he would act with what he had!


    one of the elders rushed to give the orders, while the others worried about their future prospects. it would be better not to have a disagreement like this, but they didn''t want to lose control of the guild to the stuart family in silence!


    ''minos stuart certainly has the part of a true celestial with him. that''s why he''s become so strong.'' navey thought to himself silently, seeing that he had been right to choose to keep an eye on minos. but he couldn''t help acknowledging that he had been wrong to choose to wait so long for him to grow up.


    in the blink of an eye, minos had ceased to be an interesting target and had become a dangerous competitor whom he himself didn''t know if he could face under the current circumstances.  s~ea??h the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    thinking about this and feeling regretful, navey could only turn his focus to a new plan. ''i can only use his family. he''s probably out of my reach, but their children might one day get parts of true celestials, too. i''ll put a bit of pressure on them now and get a deal that will give me the edge over them even considering these hell lifelings!''


    ...


    navey''s orders quickly took effect, with the stuart family''s headquarters estate in oqia being surrounded by guild generals under the command of the council.


    no one on the estate, not even the faction members who came and went from there every day, were surprised by this. having already been warned by kendrick that this would happen before long, everyone was prepared when they were surrounded on this day.


    kendrick was now standing next to his family inside the building, almost all the family members being there at the moment, having returned from their outposts at his request. the only ones not there now were those traveling to the spiritual world to look for more of his family to come to zocarro.


    kendrick said to his group after confirming his people''s house arrest orders, "we''re going to stay in seclusion and avoid contact with guild members from now on. even our faction members are to be avoided from now on. we will await the arrival of my mother''s hell lifelings to make our move."


    "what will the elders try against us? will we be able to deal with the supremes'' actions until this group arrives?" maisie raised these questions. "it will take at least a year for minos'' envoys to make their way here."


    "i don''t know what they want, but they can''t try to go too far. they don''t have the support of all the council elders and they could be risking reprisals from my father," kendrick replied to his grandmother. "but we''ll watch. i believe our envoys will arrive sooner than the elders expect, so we may not have to wait that long."


    lily said with a clenched fist. "if those petty elders want trouble, then they''d better get ready. we won''t be pitied just because we''ve been companions for so long."


    the more experienced looked at lily, aware of this young woman''s power, but not so much of her calling to command. she was a good warrior, but not as calm as she should have been.


    "let''s stay calm, lily. this is the future of the stuart family we''re talking about," said the girl''s grandmother, remembering her time at the court of the flaming empire. "this is a political dispute and, as such, it should be settled with agreements. there''s no point in an internal struggle that will weaken the guild and give possibilities to our enemies."


    no one there was foolish enough to think that just because armhands had become the predominant force in oqia, it meant that they no longer had any enemies. not only that, the guild now had uzira as its focus and in uzira there were enemies even stronger than them.


    now that there was established communication between the guild''s outpost on that continent and headquarters, they were aware of the local situation in uzira and the presence of celestials around the continent.


    they couldn''t allow themselves to be weakened in the face of the current circumstances.


    "perhaps you young people should trust our recommendations a little more from now on." oswald said to the group, looking at his great-grandchildren with an advisory look on his experienced face.


    "elder navey is playing to win something he wants. let''s dance according to his will for now and make him achieve only what we wish for the future." said the experienced man, attracting the attention of the younger members of the family, such as kendrick and grisdi''s son, who was already big enough to understand the family''s current situation.


    meanwhile, kendrick''s dragons, lily, and hollie, were a little disappointed, eager to do battle now that they were mid-level sovereigns, getting closer to becoming powerful enough to influence their masters'' daily lives.


    kendrick agreed with his great-grandfather. "we''ll take your political advice for now. let''s wait until leger''s group arrives so we can learn more about my father''s intentions."


    the group agreed unanimously, soon dispersing around the family''s large estate, where there was enough space for them to study, cultivate, and train while they were stuck there.

 Chapter 2848 Leaving Eater

    chapter 2848  leaving eater weeks later, minos'' group was still in eater, but in a different area from the one they had previously passed through with pisi.


    after traveling towards the remaining territory of the ''king of beasts'' subordinates, the group encountered a much weaker group than the one in slapis, but with more detailed information.


    the ''king of beasts'' subordinates exchanged the information they had and were willing to sell it with the group''s resources, helping the group to place tanus as their next destination.


    they still stayed in eater for a few days after their discovery, worrying about avoiding local conflicts and moving without attracting attention from groups like the one they had prevented the fight from ending earlier.


    despite the high level of eater and the many confrontations they had seen in those weeks, they had got out of most of the trouble without exerting force. minos and abby were strong enough to command respect and most of the time they were accompanied by locals.


    it helped a lot to have initially made deals with pisi, who advised them throughout the journey in exchange for resources of foreign origin.


    because of this, minos could successfully hide the reality of the body parts of true celestials from his local celestial group members.


    he had not been fooled by the conversations he had had on his journey there. however much the celestials they met were against hunting absolute-grade absorbable weapons, he had no doubt that they would hunt them down if they knew the truth.


    so their group finally began their departure from eater, not having found what they wanted, but having gotten clues that would lead them closer to their goal.


    ...


    back in one of eater''s floating cities, minos, and his women felt the difference between leaving eater''s super-powered surface and returning to an area of this world that was weaker and more similar to zocarro''s reality.


    the group made their way back to the port area, in search of their journey to the space station where their crew was waiting for them.


    on the way, abby sensed something strange and stopped, causing her companions to look doubtfully at her.


    "something''s wrong," she said, as she looked at minos with a grimace. "i sense that some trouble will be coming our way soon."


    "that... do you think it''s qhava?" gloria asked, aware that abby couldn''t see the future, but rather had a very strong sensitivity to hell.


    "it''s possible that it''s her, or sent from her," abby didn''t refute that possibility, but she didn''t claim that it was either. "but i''m afraid there are other possibilities to keep an eye on. on the way to this galaxy, we were told that we would find several things related to hell and the upper realm. but we haven''t seen anything in eater yet."  sear?h the n??elfir§×.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    minos understood abby''s concern. he had been observing the future in search of traces of hell and the legacies related to the upper realm on this planet. however, either this information was very well protected, or there was simply nothing like it in eater around where they had passed.


    "let''s move on. whatever it is, we''d better hurry," minos said as he indicated, touching abby''s back, making her follow in front of him.


    "i hope it''s not qhava. if it is her, our problems could get worse hastily. in any case, we''re running out of time."


    the three silently agreed as the group moved on, with abby thinking hard about the premonitory sensation she had suddenly felt.


    ''maybe it''s not qhava. maybe it''s something related to hell that we''ll encounter on our way to tanus.''


    as she pondered in silence, the group of hell lifelings they had revived in eater accompanied them, helping them to avoid wasting time with unnecessary encounters with trouble.


    peak supremes were highly respected in floating cities like these, even though most of them had celestials standing by. the world of the celestials was actually on the surface, not in these floating cities.


    they bought their tickets to return to the space station, guaranteeing their trip for the next hour.


    in the remaining time, they monitored their surroundings, watching for signs that would lead them to abby''s alert. the journey so far had been smooth, and they wanted it to stay that way for as long as possible, but they knew that at any moment, things could change.


    their only expectation was for minos to qualitatively advance the degree of his physique and his spiritual cultivation before these high-level threats that they foresaw reached them.


    the fears of something happening in eater would be only a worry disconnected from their present situation and they would soon be back at the station where their crew was waiting for them.


    on that space station, they would follow with the hell lifelings they intended to take with them on this journey, heading for their spaceship, which luckily was still intact and waiting for them.


    "i thought it would take you longer," said the captain on seeing the group back. he rushed into the vehicle, giving the orders for his group to prepare for departure.


    "eater is a dangerous place, but it''s also very simple. have power and resources and you''ll do very well there. the forces we interact with are very open to negotiation," minos said as he headed straight for the spaceship''s cockpit.


    "is that so? i think this experience of yours is unique because of your special characteristics, boss." the spaceship captain laughed. "i think it would have been different for each of us."


    minos didn''t disagree, certain that without the nautilus'' compass and his prophetic abilities, everything would be more difficult.


    seeing the future and the paths ahead was convenient indeed!


    even though they weren''t offensive powers, they were powers that rivaled his innate ability in what had brought him to where he was today.


    "all right, comrades, time to go back into space," the captain announced when he saw everyone in their places. "we''re heading for tanus now. i hope we have the same luck as our leaders from now on!"


    with those words, the spacecraft''s engines started up and soon the vehicle was on the move, leaving the vicinity of eater for good.


    but they wouldn''t be the only ones to take this route. another spacecraft followed behind them, shrouded in darkness, with an individual who knew minos following him on this journey.


    ''soon my master will come to you, undar!''

 Chapter 2849 Letter from Juma

    chapter 2849  letter from juma while minos traveled through space towards tanus, months had passed since leger and his group arrived on the west coast of oqia.


    finally, after a long journey with the generals of armhands, the group coming from uzira at minos'' command sighted the grandiose and cosmopolitan examire, spotting the floating islands above the city and the respective local forces based in those areas.


    "i never thought that one day i would come to this city to enter armhands," said leger to the group of supremes there with him, remembering his long history in oqia before he left for uzira in his attempts to become someone powerful.  sear?h the n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    like tiolos, he had believed that a life without bosses would take him further. but who knew? they were both experiencing the best of their cultivation journeys precisely under someone''s orders!


    now in this place that he had once refused to enter so as not to become one of the armhands'' external members, he made his way to the city entrance with a smile on his face.


    fortunately, his current position was too comfortable for him not to fear the fate of the newcomers in the guild. he wouldn''t even have to go through the integration ceremony with the flashdrain parasite, since minos had developed a similar seal that could also temporarily increase its user''s strength or even keep its location active.


    minos had made several changes to the guild in his time of seclusion at the guild''s secret outpost in uzira, things that went beyond the most important matters for his people!


    "seniors, please accompany us to the council of elders," said a level 116 general as he stopped them at the entrance to the city, already positioned there with a group of men to escort the hell lifelings sent by minos.


    leger had expected something like this and didn''t make it difficult for the group, aware that these individuals were only following orders.


    ''looks like minos was right. the elders of the guild are going to split because of the power he has achieved...'' leger stepped forward with a smile on his face, as he fiddled with a space ring with a letter from first elder juma, something the old man had asked him to read and deliver to the council of elders.


    they moved on in silence, with the local men from armhands a little tense, while the level 124 hell lifelings in the group looked at their surroundings with interest. they were mostly natives of uzira who had never been to oqia. everything on this continent was new to them.


    but as soon as they arrived at the guild''s headquarters, they changed their behavior, putting aside their curious looks to become more serious.


    as they quickly crossed the mountain and reached the city that way, they felt the spiritual fluctuation of minos and abby''s children, but also other relatives of their supreme masters.


    but as soon as they arrived at the guild''s headquarters, they changed their behavior, putting aside their curious looks to become more serious.


    as they quickly crossed the mountain and reached the city that way, they felt the spiritual fluctuation of minos and abby''s children, but also other relatives of their supreme masters.


    "some of us should go straight to our masters'' family," said one of the hell lifelings, drawing the attention of the men of the guild in oqia.


    each of them heard this and sensed in which direction the affinity of the guild''s strongest new members lay.


    minos was clearly the most important to these individuals in the entire guild!


    leger didn''t disagree. but he said, "two of you can go and talk to them. the rest of you must accompany me to the meeting with the elders. let''s resolve this situation once and for all."


    the hell lifelings accepted, with two of them quickly separating from the group, crossing in a different direction to the guild''s headquarters city. none of the generals in uzira said anything, while oqia''s men remained silent, too.


    the remaining group soon arrived at the guild''s headquarters, where all the elders, as well as the guild commander, were waiting for them outside the council building.


    months had passed since the previous disagreements between segiel''s group and navey''s, with the stuart family having been held captive for the entire period, while navey pressured them to get what he wanted.


    unfortunately for him, kendrick had played on the advice of his family and the support he already had as leader of the faction his father had created.


    minos'' faction had been the strongest in the guild since he left for uzira and since then, they had only grown stronger and enjoyed the advantages of being the strongest force in the guild. now, in this problematic situation, putting pressure on the family hadn''t been easy at all. navey had been frustrated time and time again over the last few months, even trying to be more aggressive, but failing nonetheless.


    in the end, they currently had a temporary agreement with kendrick, which said that the stuart family had to respect the council''s final decisions. in return, the council had left only imprisonment as punishment for the family members and promised to release them when the family ceased to be a ''danger'' to the sovereignty of the council of elders.


    leger heard a general announce the names of the respective elders there, before one of the generals on his side did the same, introducing him and the rest of the group that had come from uzira.


    leger said after the introductions were over. "elders, i am here on behalf of commander minos stuart, supreme leader of the uzira outpost. the commander has completed all the missions passed on by the council previously and now first elder juma is representing him in the administration of the guild''s secret outpost in uzira.


    at the moment, the commander is in search of the 13th stage, traveling outside of zocarro. he should return in the future, however, and join the disputes in uzira to ensure the continued growth of the guild in those lands."


    everyone was pleased to hear about juma, but not everyone there was so positive to hear that minos was already in pursuit of the 13th stage. this was especially the case for navey.


    leger finished, "here with me i have a letter from elder juma, who asked me to read it to the council, something i will do now.


    ''dear fellow guild members, i''m back to life. minos and abby helped me a lot and now i''m at level 123, with as many years of life left as some of you have. i am sending you this letter from the envoy of minos, the representative of our post at this time.


    through my position as first elder, i recommend the council vote to appoint minos stuart as the new supreme leader of the guild, and in his place, kendrick stuart should be appointed as the supreme leader''s representative.


    i hope you know how to vote and come and meet uzira soon. from your old comrade, juma.''"


    leger finished, quickly making the letter with juma''s magic mark available for the elders there to check for themselves.

 Chapter 2850 Supreme Leader Minos Stuart

    chapter 2850  supreme leader minos stuart simultaneously with juma''s card, the two hell lifelings who had separated from the group a few moments ago arrived in front of the stuart family headquarters, where generals were standing guard outside.


    "who are you?" one of the generals asked, frowning firmly as he came across this group of strange experts.


    "we''re here on orders from commander minos stuart," said one of the two, looking narrow-eyed at the aliens surrounding that estate, keeping the entire perimeter secure.


    "i''m afraid that''s not possible, your excellencies. we are under orders from the council of elders. no one other than those previously authorized may enter the estate behind us," said one of these men, a supreme of level 116.


    "tsk! where we come from, mere weaklings don''t have such courage," said the second hell lifeling, taking two steps forward, frightening the generals around minos'' family estate. "clear the way, generals. i''m afraid we''re going to have to run over you."


    the group of generals felt uncomfortable, some wanting to react and moving their hands to weapons around their bodies. but those in front of them were high level supremes.


    "if you insist, your excellencies, we will not stand in your way. but i''m afraid the council won''t take kindly to that," said the general at the head of the shift.


    the first hell lifeling to speak laughed at the general''s words. "so be it. let them come and complain to us."


    they moved on without further trouble, entering the estate and almost immediately coming across the stuart family there.


    sensing the lineage of minos, abby, gloria, and ruth in the various people inside the estate, the two hell lifelings greeted everyone as they introduced themselves as envoys of the family''s leader.  sea??h th§× nov§×lf~ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    kendrick and his sisters smiled as they finally came face to face with the loyal warriors sent by abby and minos, finally in a position where they would no longer have to fear day after day.


    it was very unlikely that navey would cross the line against them. after all, minos was already a mid-level supreme and with his strength, he should be able to handle navey with some ease. but even so, the family members didn''t trust their leader''s influence 100%. minos was far away, and they didn''t know about the things on navey''s mind and others of the council elders feeling threatened by the existence of the hell lifelings.


    now with the hell lifelings there, however, they could count on real, close support from them to deal with opponents in oqia, whether they were from inside or outside the guild.


    after the initial introduction of the hell lifelings and minos'' family members to these newcomers, the two level 124 supremes told them about some of minos'' plans for the future of his house.


    "so our father is in search of the 13th stage," lily murmured after hearing the brief explanation from the two natives of uzira.


    "when should they return?" kendrick asked.


    "no way to say. but it shouldn''t be long. they know about the challenges ahead in uzira and must join our forces before the major battles take place."


    "there''s no chance of them entering the upper realm before then? my father has a history and i wouldn''t doubt it if the next time we see them he has already completed his journey to the upper realm," hollie said, questioning something that everyone who had known minos the longest had in mind.


    "it''s not impossible, although it''s unlikely, miss," said one of the two hell lifelings. "reaching level 125 won''t be easy, even for our leader. getting to our level, on the other hand, might not be so difficult."


    minos'' family members took these words to mean that minos would be as strong as a celestial the next time they had the chance to see him. and after that, it would only be a matter of time before he succeeded-everyone there believed it.


    "anyway, we can talk more about their situation later and answer all your questions, gentlemen. but now we must go to the council of elders and put an end to this situation involving them at the moment."


    no one there questioned when they saw the two peak supremes directing them out of house arrest. on the way out of the estate, oswald asked, "what''s minos'' plan?"


    "none. we''re following first elder juma''s recommendation. the family leader just told us to protect the family and do what''s best for the family in the long run." one of them answered, surprising several of them.


    "and what was juma''s plan? the old man was a member of the council, after all." lily worried.


    at this point, they had already left the area of their estate that they were under house arrest, with the generals who had been surrounding the estate earlier accompanying them in silence.


    "minos is to become supreme leader of the guild in jalai''s place, and kendrick stuart is to become the guild''s spokesman and regent in commander minos'' absence," said one of them, to the further surprise of the group.


    "the elder recommended that?" grisdi, kendrick''s wife, asked, not understanding how a council elder would make such a choice to favor the stuart family side.


    but some of their more experienced guild members imagined that first elder juma was opting for something that would benefit the entire guild and avoid power struggles between the council and the guild''s post in uzira.


    ''what a visionary fellow. he''s willing to remove the guild''s current leader and put kendrick in charge just to avoid something that will weaken the force.'' oswald thought to himself, liking this figure he had yet to meet.


    with the group silent after such a revelation, they entered the council of elders building, where juma and the rest of his group had already entered the elders'' meeting hall, where the group of 10 individuals were finishing deliberating juma''s proposal.


    navey saw kendrick''s group entering and secretly clenched his fists, suffering yet another defeat for the people of minos. even so, he wouldn''t risk it as long as he was surrounded by rivals stronger than him.


    as he stood up to say the result, the strongest of the elders there looked at kendrick and said, "kendrick stuart, from now on you will be the regent of the guild in the name of supreme leader minos stuart. lead wisely and take us closer to the upper realm."


    all the elders stood up, giving kendrick a round of applause as he felt the sudden change brought about by the hell lifelings.

 Chapter 2851 Peace in Oqia, Eminent Chaos in Uzira

    chapter 2851  peace in oqia, eminent chaos in uzira after kendrick''s appointment to represent his father, the guild entered a new period, with the weakening of the council and the strengthening of the stuart family faction.


    but the elders didn''t oppose what they themselves had agreed to by voting in favor of first elder juma''s nomination. as soon as they appointed kendrick to take absolute command of the guild in minos'' absence, the elders decided to focus on something else: their plans for uzira!


    leger and his group sat at headquarters, advising the stuart family and its members, not getting involved in the discussions of who would go with them to uzira. their ship was enormous and any number that would accompany them would be adequate.


    the group of hell lifelings would mostly return to uzira, but two of them would stay behind to serve the family''s interests.


    as such, the conversations remained only between the council of elders, the commander, and the new general leader.


    as expected, navey and some of his supporters, who had previously stood against kendrick, wanted to leave for uzira. they obviously wanted to take advantage of the opportunities on the continent and to put some distance between them and kendrick.


    kendrick would naturally stay behind to lead the guild from his headquarters, so those who had stood against them wanted to leave. but even those who had sided with him or even remained neutral in the previous dispute wanted to proceed on to uzira.


    uzira was the most powerful place in zocarro, where one could even reach the 13th stage. none of these powerful and ancient experts could ignore the possibilities of that continent.


    the group then decided, weeks after the arrival of the hell lifelings at headquarters, that six elders would join leger''s group to go to uzira.


    navey and three of his allies from the previous affair would go with the group, while segiel''s mistress and klaus, the tenth elder, would also go to uzira when leger''s group left.


    to compensate for the decrease in the number of elders at headquarters, segiel would be promoted to the position of elder and a new individual would become commander of the guild.


    kendrick nominated his wife, grisdi, for the position of commander, while one of the generals loyal to the family in the previous dispute would be appointed elder, accounting for 6 elders remaining at the headquarters after the group''s departure in a few weeks.


    besides these six elders who would leave, each of the elders could take with them another 3 guild members of their choice. minos faction would send 20 people, half of them family members, half loyal subordinates.


    among the family members leaving were lily, her maternal grandmother, oswald, and others of minos'' relatives. naturally, lily''s dragon would go with her, while minos'' other children would stay at headquarters.


    there were still many of their relatives to leave the spiritual world and the adamant land, so they intended to keep oqia as their major post, where they should endeavor to welcome their people.


    with the numbers decided, after almost two months at headquarters, leger would begin the journey back to the west coast of oqia, leaving armhands'' headquarters calmer and under the control of the stuart family.


    it wasn''t exactly minos'' goal to take control of the guild, but it made sense for the family of the guild''s strongest member to take on this role.


    all of his and his wives'' subordinates chose this path, unconcerned about how the now former supreme leader jalai would react when he ended his seclusion and found out about the guild''s current situation.


    ...


    "we''re finally alone..." said grisdi to kendrick as the two of them lay on an enormous bed in the bedroom of the new residence they had been given.


    "how will things be from now on?" she asked, as she enjoyed the recent tranquility. "peaceful, i''d say," kendrick said, not seeing how his troublemaker father would disturb their peace now. "the continent is in the best moment since the war against firestone mines ended. the guild hasn''t lost power, even though six of our elders have left, and we''re getting stronger."


    looking into her eyes and massaging one of his wife''s cheeks, he said, "now we just have to wait for the rest of our family members to come to zocarro from our planets. when we have one of our relatives with the power to take over our position, we''ll go to uzira, or even to the upper realm."


    "upper realm?" she smiled as she asked. "that''s ambitious."


    "i believe my father will get there sooner than we can imagine. in any case, i intend to travel with you to uzira and other powerful places after we retire from our role with the guild. we''ll finally be able to use our lives to travel and see more of the universe."


    "that sounds good to me." she kissed him, smiling and showing her perfect white teeth.


    ...


    meanwhile, somewhere around the awakening peak in uzira...  s§×ar?h the n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    a spatial distortion altered, making the air seem as if it would fall apart, when a human hand, clear, and feminine, crossed space, cutting through it before appearing in this place.


    the pressure of the laws and energy in the vicinity changed completely with the appearance of this figure, with the undead wandering the area realizing that someone far superior to them was present. these creatures prostrated themselves towards her, putting aside their chaotic and violent ways to make way for the creature from hell, bearing a hell crown and 13th stage cultivation.


    from her position, this figure, with long white hair and an appearance as young as that of a beautiful woman in her prime, looked at her surroundings and smiled, thrilled to be back after progressing to level 125.


    ''i''m back, minos. are you still here? have you already returned from your journey?'' she wondered about the person she had been thinking about the most lately, before seeing a member of the local royal family, her enemy, in the distance.


    mylecent changed her expression to a malicious, determined look, before glancing in the direction of the kingdom''s capital.


    ''eternal death, prepare for the rebels'' counter-attack!''


    with that thought, mylecent disappeared, heading for a place only she knew, leaving her silent promise in the air.

 Chapter 2852 The End of Qhavas Seclusion

    chapter 2852  the end of qhava''s seclusion while mylecent moved through uzira, bringing to the continent the conflicts that had cooled with his seclusion in hell, qhava''s territory was boiling at the moment.


    years after the beginning of her seclusion, the powerful level 127 devil was ending her seclusion, breaking the limit of her level and finally accessing the next step towards the peak of the universe!


    qhava''s aura exploded in the center of her territory, making all her subordinates and guardians there at the moment feel the pressure with fanatical expressions on their rocky faces.


    "finally!"


    "our master will now become the strongest in hell!"


    "soon we''ll be fighting for the throne of hell!"


    "master qhava will become the most powerful in all the universes!"


    "master qhava will bring hell to its peak again when she becomes absolute under life and death!"


    several of this devil''s minions proclaimed their opinions and wishes, kneeling with gusto as her aura rose several times stronger, with each of the reincarnation wheels in her domain glowing at that moment.


    more and more souls were purified and thrown back into their normal cycles, while an army of undead not yet prepared for this rose from the infernal ground to congratulate their master.


    long-sleeping guardians of hell awoke within qhava''s territory, quickly moving from where they were to personally greet hell''s newest level 128 true celestial.


    "congratulations on your breakthrough, ma''am!" a hundred 13th stage creatures within qhava''s domains said simultaneously, their voices breaking through the walls of this devil''s palace, reaching the cultivation chamber where she was.


    qhava opened her black eyes with a look full of meaning, thinking of the very one who had given her this chance.


    "undar!" she murmured with satisfaction, clenching her fingers as she came to know her new strength, capable of distorting the space of hell itself.


    with a step forward, she disappeared from where she was, reappearing outside her palace, where her many old and new minions were gathered, kneeling in respect for her.


    few true celestials could reach level 128. this was true in both hell and the upper realm. in fact, in the current generation, there was only one entity who surpassed level 128, the one who currently sat in the position of first entitled entity, the controller of the universes, leader of hell''s enemies, lydis.


    there was no one above level 128 in hell, which made qhava now one of the serious candidates to sit on the throne of hell!


    "my dear subjects, the time is coming for us to march against our enemies and claim what should be ours!" she said with an exuberant look on her face that was less rocky and more delicate than ever, despite its gloomy darkness that made it harder for anyone to see her than a killing stone.


    as his men vibrated with his call to war, qhava continued, "but before we claim the territories of our enemies, we must deal with our internal problems. i will set out to bring undar''s head back to my domains and also defeat that poor thing who luckily took one of the prestigious positions in my hell."


    they all recognized qhava''s targets: minos and abby.


    "after we deal with those two and bring all their domains under my control, we''ll take over hell with chaos and death! we won''t stop until i''m sitting on the throne of hell!"  s§×ar?h the n??el fire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the living beings and the undead shouted in celebration, eager for the conflicts to come.


    qhava approached the subordinates she trusted most there and got straight to the point, asking about the results of the hunts for minos and abby. she obviously knew that her people had failed to eliminate those two. she could clearly feel the weak connection she had with minos still existing, as well as abby''s position as a strong devil, in fact, even stronger than it had been at the beginning of her seclusion.


    as she heard from her men, the summary of what had happened, she heard the names of her underlings, who were following minos'' group.


    satisfied with what her group had achieved, even in its shortcomings, she left hell without further ado, following with a group of underlings, but leaving most of her troops there to start organizing. she intended to resolve the situation with minos and abby quickly and return home to pursue her ambition!


    ''just wait for me, undar. you''ll pay for tricking me! even if bloody devdar tries to protect you, i''ll deal with you and him at the same time!'' qhava smiled as she crossed space, heading back to awakening peak, where her connection to hell and its mirror dimension lay.


    ...


    meanwhile, minos and his group were even further away from zocarro than when they were in eater, finally completing the year-long journey to tanus.


    the last few months had been exciting for the group, with various confrontations and extreme space travel phenomena affecting them, putting them on edge.


    the group was in one piece, although not only their ship, but some of them themselves had acquired new scars, irreversible until they moved up a stage again.


    but these bumps in the road didn''t worry the group so much. as they moved on, already overlooking tanus, they were positioned in the control cabin of their spaceship, watching the group of crew members heading towards the space station where they would be landing in no more than a few hours.


    minos had a good feeling about their journey to tanus and was already expecting to find at least something concrete related to the divine tail!


    the last hours for the group''s new stop would pass and soon the captain of the spaceship would give the signal that everyone there had been waiting for.


    "prepare to dock at the station," said the captain, with the grandiose artificial structure floating in the vacuum of space so large that it was the only thing on the east side of the vehicle that they could see at the moment.


    when the spacecraft finally came to a stop, connected to the station, minos and his wives, as well as the hell lifelings, left the crew, setting off on their investigations in tanus!

 Chapter 2853 Silver Necklace

    chapter 2853  silver necklace the journey to tanus was quick and in less than a week the group was on the surface of this new planet they were exploring.


    tanus was very different from eater in many ways. tanus was more like what one would find traveling through zocarro, but with a similar level of power to the surface of eater. but this new planet the group was passing through lost out in overall strength and spiritual richness compared to eater. the difference was not great, however.


    as soon as they reached the surface of tanus, a planet twice the size of eater, the group moved on with their investigation. they knew minimal information about the area, so they weren''t totally in the dark, but they had little to go on either.


    their initial job was to follow the clues they got from their exchanges with the ''beast king''s'' former underlings, which should lead them to the remaining family of that legendary figure.


    however, the group didn''t expect much. the ''king of beasts'' family had fled eater and probably didn''t want to be found so easily. if the ''king of beasts'' really had perished in this world and left the divine tail behind, finding it or even traces of it would not be easy.


    so they began their local investigations!


    ...


    in a mountainous area of tanus, a natural phenomenon in the area caused large rocks to float or fall from the air, forming a magical image of the area for those far enough away to appreciate. for those nearby, however, the beauty of the phenomenon didn''t appeal.


    moving around the area could be very dangerous, with large boulders suddenly being lifted and then lowered out of the air, sometimes taking living beings with them as they passed through the area.


    minos and his wives, accompanied by the hell lifelings they had brought there and the new individuals they had revived on this planet, were passing through this area just now.


    guided by locals, the group made their way through this terrain that was considered too dangerous to pass through without prior knowledge of the area.


    "seniors, this area around us is the region of soaring and diving rocks. the lateral rocks in this area have strong repellent and attractive characteristics for the phenomenon of the area, which causes them to detach from the ground, rise into the sky and then decay.


    given this phenomenon, we have a lively and extremely dynamic environment, with several interesting spots to explore on the floating micro-islands," the hell lifeling said, guiding the group through the area, flying towards another of the floating rocks, climbing ever higher in altitude in that area.


    "some of the extraterritorial communities usually maintain secret outposts in areas like these. it might be interesting to check out the over 300 micro-islands in the area."


    minos and his wives followed behind their guide, agreeing to go ahead.


    the last few hours had been about finding a path and figuring out where they would have the best chance of finding what they were looking for. after combining their findings with the knowledge of some of these hell lifelings, they came up with some good spots to investigate, among them the soaring and diving rocks region.  sea??h th§× n?vel?ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    minos and his wives would soon get to know what was on these micro-islands, some of them so small that they could only have a small house on them, but others capable of containing small headquarters and even small towns.


    there were many of them, so it would take the group a while to finish checking out their route.


    most of the time, during the subsequent hours, they wouldn''t have very satisfactory results. but minos was seeing a clearly positive path forming in the direction they were heading, feeling good omens about their uncertain fate.


    it was on the micro-island number 143 that they passed that they came across ruins that caught their attention, prompting them to pause their climb through the sky and stop in the area to analyze it more calmly.


    minos let his subordinates test the surroundings for them. they were looking for something that would endanger celestials, so none of them would underestimate the dangers surrounding what they were looking for.


    one of the hell lifelings moved ahead of the group, checking the place for traps and things for the group to keep in mind before they explored the ruins for themselves.


    "you can come," the hell lifeling said, as the group slowly followed in his footsteps, entering what looked like an old house. it wasn''t exactly the type of human house common in the spiritual world, but they could identify a resting place, a place for study and meditation, as well as an area for eating and another for individual hygiene.


    regardless of race, most intelligent and powerful creatures placed some value on banal activities such as relaxing in a reservoir of hot water, eating, sleeping and mating. with some prior knowledge about different types of races, peculiar habits, and the characteristics of a given area, it wouldn''t be too difficult to differentiate between the kind of thing that went on in a residence and some outpost with different objectives.


    "it looks like someone powerful has been here," gloria said as she observed some spiritual marks that had been left behind in the everyday use of this long-uninhabited residence.


    one of the hell lifelings continued what most of the group was doing, identifying what looked like the remains of burned fabrics.


    "i think i''ve found something, seniors," said the local native as he picked up a silver necklace from among the burned remains, marked by a weakened but remarkably unique aura.


    it was the kind of item that would easily go unnoticed. but once one took a closer look and checked it out, understanding that it wasn''t normal would come as easy as breathing.


    minos received the silver necklace from hell lifeling, immediately stimulating his prophetic abilities. as soon as he did, his eyes lit up like blazing stars, with scenes from the future related to this item flashing through his mind.


    "so?" abby asked after almost three minutes of silence from minos.


    "this is unrelated, or at least not directly related, to the divine tail. but i feel this necklace will lead us to what we want." minos clutched the item in his dominant hand, feeling that he should take it with him and find someone capable of repairing it.


    in the vision he had just had, having this necklace in good condition would open important doors for him and his group!


    "anyway, let''s move on. this is a good item, but let''s not stop here."


    after his words, the group continued with what they were doing, finishing checking out that ruin before moving on to other floating micro-islands.

 Chapter 2854 Nearing the Goal

    chapter 2854  nearing the goal weeks later, near eater...


    a wormhole opened up on the planet''s surface and out of it came a group of six creatures, among them a rocky-looking woman, black as coal. she stopped there, feeling the traces of her envoys, but also of her enemy.


    undar!


    qhava''s obsidian eyes shone with malice, sensing her target''s recent passage through this planet. "he''s not far away. his trail on this planet is months at most," she said to her group, a smile modulating on her poisonous lips.


    unlike minos, who needed to travel by spaceship or through wormholes created by others, qhava, a high-level true celestial, didn''t need the same. consequently, her speed was several times faster than his and she could travel great distances that would have taken minos'' group years in just a few months.


    "what should we do, master?" one of the beings accompanying her on the hunt asked.


    "let''s check out how far he''s gone in this little shifter and find out what he''s up to," she said as she looked around, seeing the direction in which minos'' tracks indicated the places he had gone.


    because of the connection that still existed between them, qhava could clearly see his tracks, even though minos was really formidable and she couldn''t see his current position.


    but that wasn''t the only reason for her not to go directly against him now. qhava didn''t underestimate the figure of devdar and the influence of this entitled deity on minos. she was genuinely curious about his plans and what he had done in eater.


    so their group moved on, with local living dead rising from the underground to help them on their journey.  s~ea??h the n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    qhava wasn''t at all worried about her target slipping out of her grasp in the time it took her to find what she wanted locally. given the differences in their cultivation, she was confident that she could reach him in a few more weeks!


    ''undar, you won''t get much further. enjoy your last days of peace!'' she thought as darkness left her body and corrupted the places she passed.


    ...


    meanwhile, in tanus...


    minos and his group had gone deep into their search and achieved great results. after just a few weeks on this high-level planet, they managed to recover the previous necklace that minos had added to his high-value belongings. in addition, they found the clues to where the current residence of the descendants of the legendary ''king of beasts'' was!


    now the group was reaching the territory where their information indicated the family of the ''king of beasts'' was exiled.


    in the distance, they could see a large mountain formation where a forest rich in energy and laws spread across the bases of the mountains, which were extremely rocky with frozen tops.


    the contrast between the base of the mountains and their tops was striking, capable of making even the supremes feel the effects of the climate.


    minos and his group were not surprised that this place had been chosen by beings in exile, hiding from the many enemies who would surely hunt them down for the legacy of the ''king of beasts''. luckily for them and unluckily for the family, minos, and his women had many unconventional abilities that made it easier to get information.


    abby could control the nervous system of their enemies and they could all revive individuals who had died and had not yet been reincarnated. minos could distinguish truth from lies and, with his premonitory abilities, confirming certain information was relatively simple for him.


    so, they moved on through the region''s forest base, heading for the distinctive magical float they had been following for the last few days.


    "we''re not far," said one of the hell lifelings at the head of the group, with minos and his women in the middle of the formation moving quickly through the area.


    they spotted several local native 12th stage creatures on their way, something common to find on high-level worlds.


    being common didn''t mean abundance, however. while it was normal to find a few dozen supremes in the middle and even wealthy areas of this great world, it wasn''t common to find hundreds of supremes in a single area. places like that even existed, from what they had heard, but they were rare, with only 10 such places in the whole of tanus.


    as for celestials, in most parts of the planet, it would be very difficult to find specialists at this level. but coming across one or the other traveling or even a few of them standing still in an important area were normal occurrences.


    seeing no celestials in their path, they hurried on, taking no notice of the creatures avoiding them on their way to where the nautilus compass was taking them.


    after a few minutes, the group slowed down their movement, spotting not far from them caves with formations around them, with clearly artificial structures masking the place.


    if one didn''t observe carefully and aim to find traces of hidden communities, it would be difficult even for high-level supremes to notice the artifices used by those responsible for these tricks.


    minos narrowed his eyes, using his visual ability to see through his opponents'' trickery. "there''s a level 125 celestial up ahead. i believe he''s part of the ''king of beasts'' group of familiar exiles." he showed for the group to stop as he felt the strength of that 13th stage creature that wasn''t a true celestial.


    after his group stopped, the celestial standing guard in front of them noticed the presence of this group looking in his direction.


    minos then took the lead, approaching the expert and preparing to act. fortunately for him, he could see different futures in his mind.


    seeing a fate in which they fought that celestial and managed to stop the fight because of an artifact, minos avoided showing his powers by already approaching the alien with the silver necklace they had obtained earlier in his hands.


    "senior, i know you''re watching me and paying attention to my group. we''re not here with malicious interests against your people. we''re looking for something and we''re willing to exchange this necklace in my hands for information that will lead us to what we''re looking for."


    the celestial immediately shifted his gaze as he understood what the silver necklace in minos'' hands was all about, pausing to consider whether to make a deal with these strangers.


    one way or another, minos and his group had already noticed his people, and it wouldn''t change anything to hear what these travelers wanted before he made up his mind. he then asked. "what are you looking for?"

 Chapter 2855 The Location of the Divine Tail

    chapter 2855  the location of the divine tail days later, minos and his group were tens of thousands of kilometers from the location of the descendants of the ''king of beasts''.


    as he had predicted, the silver heat they had found earlier was precious. in particular, it was an ancient artifact of the ''king of beasts'' relatives, something of little value to minos and his group, but of great significance to the relatives of that legendary figure.


    in exchange for the necklace, the previous celestial had told the group about a part of the ''king beasts'' history that they still didn''t know and told them where they could find the ''king beasts'' shrine. according to that celestial, the old patriarch of the family had built a place with tough tests even for celestials to pass, where they might have a better chance of finding what they were looking for.


    the ''king of beasts'' had not left an easy inheritance or even chosen to die in an ordinary place where anyone could easily access what he had left. according to his family, he had chosen a place in tanus to spend his last moments where one would have to face immeasurable difficulties to reach him.


    even after generations since the death of the ''king of beasts'', the family had never been able to access such a place and as such, did not have the divine tail. as for keeping this information, it was so difficult to get that even the family didn''t keep it completely secret. anyone who knew how to approach them and gave them good reason would be willing to make an exchange.


    minos not only found them but also took a valuable item, having on his side an impressive force that even the celestial from before would rather not face.


    so the group traveled to what they thought would be their last destination in tanus, where they would either find what they wanted, or fail and have the last clue to the whereabouts of the divine tail.


    ...


    after entering a mountain range indicated by the previous celestial, minos, and his group came across a network of tunnels so large and deep that even they would take weeks if they wanted to fully map the place.


    fortunately, he had the nautilus'' compass on his side and was able to eliminate most of the paths that would have caused others to waste too much time on the journey.


    so the group of women, aliens, and minos followed a tunnel apparently made by giant ants, passing places where extremely bright and unusual crystals decorated the surroundings irregularly.


    a spatial distortion was at one point over 12 hours of underground travel from the entry point of this immense subterranean construction, where minos realized they were finally arriving at the location indicated by the relatives of the ''king of beasts''.


    "i believe we have arrived," he said as he narrowed his eyes, feeling a special spiritual fluctuation.


    it wasn''t like what he had felt when meeting devdar or qhava for the first time. but the difference wasn''t so great.


    ''that''s the mark of a true celestial,'' he thought.


    minos'' companions realized the same thing he did, not being able to mistake the sensation and pressure of this place compared to the ordinary celestials they had met so far on this journey.  sea??h th§× n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "that man from before told us we''d better give up," said one of the hell lifelings, exposing his free will to speak his mind to his masters. "now i understand where that came from. we''re only on the doorstep of this place, but i already feel suffocated."


    ruth looked at minos and said, "this place supposedly has dangers capable of killing celestials... what will keep us alive if we cross that threshold?" she pointed in the direction of the distortion''s final threshold and whatever lay beyond it.


    "those who came here before probably weren''t even 10% of what we are now." minos revealed his thoughts, having given the matter a lot of thought over the last few days. "the ''king of beasts'' was a true celestial, but we haven''t seen a single one of them on our journey here. however, we have several parts of true celestials in our bodies and also physique times close to evolution.


    the level of difficulty for us and for those ancient challengers of that heritage is not the same."


    "do you think our absolute-grade absorbable weapons will give us an advantage here?" abby asked her husband.


    "more or less." minos didn''t mean it exactly in those terms presented by abby. "it''s more like, without parts of true celestials'' bodies, one doesn''t stand a chance against what lies beyond the distortion. we, on the other hand, have a few tickets to test our wills and talents. that doesn''t mean it''s going to be easy or risk-free, of course."


    gloria said, "well, i trust you. if you''re willing, so am i."


    minos smiled at his red-haired wife, before looking at the hell lifelings standing there. "very well, you will stay here and make it difficult for anyone who comes here. use all the tools we''ve given you over the last few months and don''t let anything into this area before you sacrifice yourselves to stop it."


    none of the hell lifelings wanted to die, but these were orders they could never escape.


    they nodded in agreement with minos'' commands before abby asked him in a pessimistic tone. "is qhava coming to us?"


    she had been feeling increasingly strange about things related to hell. hearing his order to the hell lifelings practically assured her that her bad feeling was about to come true.


    minos said solemnly to his three wives. "we have to get ready. qhava has advanced to level 128 and is not far behind us. i''m afraid she''ll catch up with us before we leave tanus."


    the three swallowed their saliva simultaneously, seeing the beast king''s heritage as less of a challenge now that they were so close to being hunted by a level 128 true celestial.


    as strong as the beast king had been on his journey, he hadn''t even come close to what the devil qhava was!


    with that, minos followed ahead of his women, making them accompany him as he entered the dangerous spatial distortion in his path.


    "if i die, you can bring me back to life," ruth said in a macabre tone.


    they looked at each other, one promising the other that they would live and do their best to make sure that they all had a second and last chance, should they fail on the journey ahead!

 Chapter 2856 Death Time

    chapter 2856  death time hours after entering the previous spatial distortion, minos, and his wives had gone deep into the heritage of the ''king of beasts''.


    the four of them had already been through several difficult situations since making the brave choice to go all the way in this search for the divine tail, passing a few tests and traps on their way.


    now they were descending a long staircase, where the pressure against them increased with each step down. as their bones creaked from the extreme weight of their bodies, micro-needles constantly struck their bodies, making them feel pain and waver in their resolve.


    but they stood firm, keeping an eye on what lay in the depths of this area: the corpse of the ''beast king'' and the precious divine tail!


    this had indeed been the place chosen by the ''king of beasts'' for his eternal rest after his deadly battle with eternal death and escape from zocarro. in that inheritance capable of challenging ordinary celestials was the absolute grade absorbable weapon of the ancient and legendary ''king of beasts''!


    so the group was battling together, with minos using his artificial energy reserves to raise the cultivation of his entire group, while his women worked in their own ways.


    gloria had her innate ability to control mercury at its peak, forming a defensive domain to protect her group. meanwhile, ruth slowed down the energy consumption of her companions, also healing their physical injuries caused by the last challenge in their path.


    last was abby, stimulating the powers of her companions'' hell crowns to make them better versions of themselves through these artifacts. she wasn''t their leader, so she couldn''t perform at her best. but as a devil and holder of a power similar to theirs, she could strengthen them and combine her powers with theirs very well.


    in this formation, the four of them, temporarily at level 124, demonstrated their resilience capable of competing with that of newly promoted celestials.


    "let''s take another step," said minos when the group was ready, all of them moving straight away, feeling the weight of the pressure and offense of this inheritance intensify as soon as they set foot on the 11th step left in their path.


    the feeling was that they could faint at any moment and lose their chances of getting what they so desperately wanted there. but they tried to hold each other together and resist the suffocating pain that spread further and further from their bodies as they progressed.


    "one more step!" minos said in a more altered tone, his veins popping as he had his seraphim wings fully spread, positioned to try to lessen the pressure on him and his women as much as possible.


    this was a challenge that would end with a big winner, everyone there believed that. but minos, from the beginning of this inheritance, had understood that he wouldn''t reach the divine tail on his own. without the help of his wives, it would be very difficult.


    they took another step and then another, soon showing more gruesome appearances, with blood dripping from different parts of their bodies. their skins and muscles became so compressed that, by the fourth step left in their path, their bodies were practically moving skeletons.  sear?h the ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    they had all lost their natural beauty, showing what was inside them, what would be left of them in the universe if they failed and died there.


    their bodies seemed to want to give up on this seemingly impossible mission, but their minds still held on to some ideals of perseverance. there was so little left that they couldn''t give up. it would be a shame for them to fail so close to achieving what could turn the entire strength of their group upside down!


    minos shouted once more, this time unable to put it into words, but making clear his intention to advance.


    "aaaagh!"


    the joint chorus seemed to work, with them finally setting foot on the penultimate rung to reach their goal.


    at this point, ruth and gloria collapsed on the floor, still breathing and exclaiming in pain, but clearly incapacitated.


    ''from now on i can go it alone!'' minos mustered all the strength he had left to take the irrevocable steps, reaching the last rung and almost falling, but holding firm to reach the decisive point of this journey.


    the moment his feet touched the last level of this area in tanus'' underground, all the pressure on them disappeared, while a glow emerged from the remaining throne in this place, where the skeleton and the divine tail were.


    a cat-like creature formed from the glow of what must have been a spiritual remnant of the ''king of beasts''. it looked in their direction and then at minos, before giving a single nod of appreciation.


    the creature said nothing before it began to disappear, only acknowledged its heir and then followed its long-blocked destiny.


    the skeleton of the ''king of beasts'' crumbled almost instantly after the essence disappeared, causing the divine tail to float slowly through the air towards minos.


    his wives ignored their pain to look at that decisive scene, seeing the beginning of the end of their hunt.


    minos didn''t hesitate to begin absorbing this absorbable weapon, letting the item and its essence begin the intricate process of fusion.


    ...


    as minos'' group felt the silver lining of all the trouble they had gone through to reach the divine tail, a portal opened up near to where they were standing.


    on the surface of tanus, somewhere where there were no forests, the black portal revealed a group of creatures that anyone would understand very well where they were from.


    these beings, who had recently passed through eater, looked around, while qhava recognized a powerful presence to the north of where they were.


    "undar is still here. we''re just in time for them to try and escape again." she said with a wicked smile on her macabre face, promptly measuring the distance between her and the traitor who had deceived her for years.


    "let''s settle this matter. the bastard seems to have found what he was looking for, but that''s nothing that can stop me!" she announced before flying forward, moving so fast that she could cross continents in a matter of minutes!

 Chapter 2857 The End of the Stuart Family

    chapter 2857  the end of the stuart family abby, gloria, and ruth gathered on the last level of the ''king of beasts'' underground inheritance, sharing their recovery pills as they finally relaxed.


    the three left minos to absorb the divine tail with smiles on their faces, no longer having to deal with the pressures of the inheritance and now assured that they had succeeded in their master plan. as soon as minos had finished what he was doing, in a few minutes, they could have their most important conversation in years, deciding what to do before returning to zocarro and then hell.


    minos would probably reach level 123 in the next few minutes, returning to the head of the group in terms of cultivation, and several options would be available to them again. with that in mind, the three of them were relieved and even calmer about the possibility of dealing with qhava before too long.


    "now we''ll probably visit the planet of that adversary of minos in devdar''s inheritance, forfex, and then prepare for the last part of his inheritance," ruth said, as she felt better after regaining most of her powers.


    "i''m curious about this forfex guy. minos has said some impressive things about him that, if true, would shock most of the celestials in the universe." abby agreed that this was the next step, not just a trip to fulfill a promise, but to get something of immense value to them. "this could eventually give us mechanisms to maintain the stuart family''s power in perpetuity!"


    "we''d better not think too much about that. maybe this forfex guy made a mistake or left an impossible job for us to complete for him." gloria tried to remain calm, being the most rational of the three.


    "well, in any case, it shouldn''t be long before we travel to the upper realm, now that minos has got the divine tail. with this new step of his, we''ll only be one step away from completing our life''s goal," ruth said, feeling emotional, finally seeing that they were about to have their well-deserved rest after all their hurried and violent journey so far.


    they knew that in the upper realm, there were disputes and intrigues mainly related to hell. in particular, they knew that resolving abby''s situation with hell could become a problem for the family when they entered the upper realm. but once they were there, the number of opponents would drop dramatically and they would be able to get rid of the time limit on their mortalities.


    even if they weren''t going to be true immortals, unless they became absolutes, not having to worry about the passage of time and finally being able to live more slowly seemed very good to them.


    problems would certainly always exist; there was really no way to avoid all kinds of problems in one''s path. but not all problems were like the ones they had faced so far. as the challenges of the upper realm remained a mystery to them, they remained optimistic about the future.


    minutes passed, and they were all 100% recovered, when the divine tail could no longer be seen near minos, having begun the last phase of integration with him. his cultivation had already begun to increase at this point, with powerful magical fluctuations emanating from him, going far and wide, causing the laws and spiritual energy of the area to become chaotic.


    gloria, ruth, and abby were sitting watching the end of minos'' cultivation with sparkles in their eyes, when the three of them felt a strong chill run down their spines and turned their gazes back toward the stairs they had come down.


    subconsciously, the three felt their bodies sweat, while their hearts beat differently, their pupils constricting at the sight of a dark spot just a few steps away from them.


    something like a powerful defensive formation of this heirloom sprang into action, but before they could have any hope of help against the incoming terror, the heirloom shattered, breaking like a fragile eggshell.


    then a malicious laugh, laden with an unmistakable satisfaction, but also a macabre desire as thick as the walls of this underground building, permeated the air, making the three women feel like they were on the edge of the precipice.


    "i seem to have arrived at our little friend''s critical moment, haven''t i?"


    qhava''s voice resounded through the space of the area built by the ''king of beasts'', thousands of meters below the surface level of one of the most dangerous places in tanus.


    qhava and his group of hell minions appeared out of the special distortion seen by the three women, each of them shrouded in darkness, their sickle-shaped weapons evoking less than pleasant feelings in the hearts of these women.


    but their focal point was not qhava''s subordinates, laughing at the misfortune they were now in. the entire problem was with this woman, clearly showing off her level 128 cultivation, probably one of the strongest in the entire universe.


    abby tried to act, being the strongest of the group and the bearer of an infernal crown full of possibilities because she had devil status, with as many territories as qhava herself.


    precisely because she was also a devil, abby managed to escape the immediate control that qhava cast over the area, managing to move and summon her own powers in defense of her group.


    gloria and ruth were not as fortunate as abby, both falling to their knees as they lost all will to fight, controlled by qhava''s presence. this time, she wasn''t fooled by minos'' powers and directly knocked the two women down, not killing them outright, but totally incapacitating them.


    qhava laughed when she saw abby''s position, trying to save her two companions and show some resistance. if it had been in hell, especially in abby''s own territory, the blue-haired woman''s action might have had some effect. but in this place, where only their crops mattered, the futile attempt by the still conscious human was just something to make qhava laugh.


    "and to think you fooled the entire hell..." qhava took her steps towards abby, leaving her men the only escape route from the area. "that was quite a feat, girl! so i won''t play games with you. say your last words and i''ll give you a quick death."


    abby even tried to do something other than accept her fate, but with a squeeze of his fingers, qhava paralyzed her, defusing her attempt to summon the ''king of beasts'' back to the world of the living.


    "even if you kill me, you will die. minos will not fail here!" she said with determined eyes. she didn''t want to die, but she wouldn''t weaken in front of an enemy now that she was so close to the peak of the universe!


    "bold words, i like it." qhava appeared at abby''s side and said her own last words to not only abby, but the two women kneeling in front of her, "but you''re all already dead."


    without even having to move, qhava destroyed the three women''s crowns of darkness.


    the three women then fell into a spiral of darkness, their bodies exploding into red clouds of remains.  sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lfire .net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the spiritual marks of abby, gloria, and ruth disappeared, leaving only qhava''s men, her and the white-haired man sitting in the lotus position a few meters in front of her.


    "undar... no, minos, you won''t have the same chance of dying painlessly as those three!"


    at that moment, minos opened his eyes to face a universe in which he could no longer see gloria, ruth, and abby!

 Chapter 2858 Absolute Grade!

    chapter 2858  absolute grade! temporal sands!


    as soon as he opened his eyes from his overwhelming cultivation experience, having progressed not only from the end of level 121 to the end of level 123, minos had also reached the absolute grade in his physique at last!


    but immediately upon awakening, he wasn''t surprised by the surrounding scene, activating his first divine ability before anything else, as silver flames exploded from his body.


    an hourglass formed behind him, spinning counterclockwise, affecting hundreds of meters of his surroundings.


    qhava felt an energy unfamiliar to her cover her body and for a moment found herself taking steps backwards, even though her mind was still aware of a series of actions she had taken.


    ''what is it?'' her mind suddenly stopped as she felt herself tense up, anticipating what would happen in the next instant, when, from where the bodies of abby, gloria, and ruth were seconds before, the three human women she had destroyed returned. their pieces, including their unmistakable essences, returned to the position immediately before their death, with abby standing in front of where she had faced qhava, while gloria and ruth were on their knees.


    not only did their bodies return but also their breaths and the spiritual marks only they had, revealing to the shocked qhava minos'' time regression ability.


    when she finally realized what he had just done, he had already moved and appeared in front of the three, breaking qhava''s hold on gloria and ruth, while raising their cultivation.


    minos'' own cultivation, already impressive at the end of level 123, jumped two levels, reaching level 125!


    "you... you''ve reached the absolute grade!" qhava exclaimed as her expressive marks intensified, her hands rising as she raised her guard.


    minos might have been a harmless talent for her at the 12th stage and a physique of celestial grade. but having advanced qualitatively and his annoying energy-boosting ability being related to his physique, he could become a problem!


    minos looked at his opponent, seeing how she had become a level 128 true celestial, something impressive and something he still didn''t think he was prepared to handle. luckily, he had foreseen the future in which she would kill gloria, ruth, and abby and had prepared to counterattack quickly.


    "we''ll settle our affairs eventually, qhava. but it won''t be today." with a swing of his sleeves, minos opened a spatial distortion, forcing his way with his women into hell.


    qhava tried to stop him, but minos'' silver flames, along with the lingering effects of temporal sands, slowed her down long enough for him to begin his escape from this devil.


    minos'' wives didn''t even have a chance to exclaim their surprise at having been ''saved'' by their husband at the last moment as they crossed space, returning to hell.


    qhava saw the wormhole opened by minos closing. she widened her eyes as her aura grew full of hatred, hardly able to believe that the traitor had deceived her while she was so close to making him pay for his crimes.


    to have reversed time and saved those three women was terrible, but for him to escape after achieving such an important breakthrough was far worse!


    "shit!" her voice tore through the space around that area of tanus, making the underground area where she and her group were standing creak as another spatial distortion opened up, also connected to hell.


    "wretch! you''re not getting away!" she was quick enough to create a distortion that led in the same direction as the one opened by minos, using her level advantage over him to replicate what he had done.


    she was so focused on defeating minos and preventing him from becoming a worse problem that she forgot about her underlings there, leaving them behind as she made her way through the wormhole that opened up between tanus and hell.


    "master!"  sea??h th§× nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    those individuals stayed behind, having no chance of escape as that underground formation shook, threatening to crush them in the depths of tanus.


    ...


    at the place in hell where minos had taken his women, he looked at the wide, sparsely inhabited place where they had arrived, quickly connecting to his women and spreading his long, brilliant wings.


    this time, he wasn''t limited by hell to his natural or even infernal characteristics. by reaching the absolute grade with his physique, nothing else in the universe could now take precedence over minos'' intentions, not even the rules of the infamous hell.


    this was not the same for his three wives. the moment they entered hell, all three were transformed into the rocky, black versions of themselves they had been when they left this place years ago.


    but that wasn''t a bad thing. as minos carried them, abby felt her power suddenly begin to increase, as she felt her domains larger than ever.


    as abby interpreted this, minos said to them, "i just bought myself some time until she catches up with us again. now i can fight celestials and even get in the way of someone like qhava, but i''m still far from being able to fight her. but i have a plan."


    "what happened back there? one moment we were waiting for you and thought we''d die before you finished and then you were already bringing us to hell." ruth looked at minos seriously, doubt drawn across her face.


    "qhava killed you and i went back in time," minos said at once, feeling a tightness in his heart, but aware that this was the only way for them to survive. "i''m sorry i didn''t tell you what i saw before we reached our destination. that was the only way we could escape it."


    "that..."


    "but we haven''t escaped yet."


    "we will escape," he said confidently, even though the possibilities were still shifting with the uncertainty of fate looming.


    "in any case, you''re right. she''ll catch up with us in a few moments. that''s just time for abby to take advantage of her advance and get us where we need to be," he added to his words, while his eyes glowed a golden color that the three women knew well was the sign of him peering into the future.


    "you''re at level 125 now. why hasn''t the next phase of devdar''s inheritance begun?" gloria asked.


    "that''s not my actual level," he said, aware that his women might be a little confused after what had happened. "anyway, i have a plan in mind. we only have a few seconds, so listen carefully to what i''m going to say. there''s no margin for error. if we fail, this time i won''t be able to bring anyone back!"

 Chapter 2859 Mechanisms in Motion

    chapter 2859  mechanisms in motion "minos!" a distant shout reached the ears of minos and his wives, making them look back the way he had come so far.


    "is she here already?" gloria asked as she felt a chill run down her spine, glancing worriedly in the direction of where qhava was supposed to be advancing against them.


    even though minos was able to see into the future and had foreseen this, he felt a chill too, not at all happy to find himself in this situation. qhava had arrived very quickly and his plan wasn''t foolproof.


    he had just shared his thoughts with his wives when qhava demonstrated her arrival in hell, giving them very little time, as minos had predicted earlier.


    "get ready. we only have a few more seconds to do what i told you," he said to them, each of them with their cultivation artificially strengthened to the peak of level 124, with ruth''s cultivation almost advancing to level 125.


    minos'' innate ability had greatly improved its quality to the point that even his women were experiencing an energy improvement almost as good as his.


    but one of them would achieve that same temporary breakthrough as minos, demonstrating 13th stage cultivation while they were still flying away.


    gloria and ruth looked at abby, noting the sudden improvement she had just experienced, both happy for her and interested in achieving the same.


    abby finally finished taking advantage of the breakthrough coming from mylecent''s results in hell, advancing faster than qhava had done when taking advantage of minos'' actions because of the difference in cultivation between them. while qhava was previously at level 127, abby was only at the peak of level 122 earlier. her progress came in a matter of moments, bringing her to the same level as minos in terms of level.


    she felt the power of her husband''s innate ability lifting her to the next stage, feeling a little more of his infernal crown and devil powers compared to what she could feel before. being in the 13th stage, even temporarily, seemed to unlock some of her potential, making her feel better in this dark dimension, with her senses much sharper than she thought she would have at this level.


    so she immediately began to set her husband''s plan in motion, sending the necessary signals for them to get what he wanted.


    meanwhile, they avoided conversation, with minos still carrying the group, flying at top speed.


    although he was swift at the level he was at now, qhava was even faster. she continued to approach them quickly, first making her aura reach them, but not long afterwards coming so close to them that she appeared on the horizon.


    from a distance, they could see the furious expression of that level 128 woman, her eyes glowing with a murderous desire that was hard to match.


    "minos! i''ll make sure you suffer enough before you die!" she shouted, her infernal crown taking shape, as dead people and infernal guardians emerged from the ground in the surrounding area.


    meanwhile, something similar happened on their side, with abby commanding the dead and guardians to form on her group''s side.


    finally, minos stopped flying, arriving where everything would happen if his plans were to be successfully realized.


    ''now the mechanisms are in motion. it''s just a question of whether the pieces in this deadly game will behave as i expect them to,'' he thought, breaking into a cold sweat as he saw qhava finally stop advancing.


    this time, qhava knew minos couldn''t use the annoying power from moments ago to block his movements, having used something that would surely be blocked from reactivating for a long time.


    a power capable of stopping a true celestial like her was no small feat. surely part of minos'' soul was sensitized and unstable enough to form such a manipulation of laws again.


    she knew he was no longer the individual she had almost had the chance to kill and as such, she raised her guard, bringing out her army. meanwhile, darkness from her crown spread through the surroundings, forming a domain of death against the enemy group.


    abby replicated qhava''s steps, not being able to bring out a domain or a number of subordinates like her enemy''s, but still generating something they could count on today.


    gloria and ruth stepped back a little, both activating their powers to support each other, but not to do the same for minos and abby. their focus there was on supporting the two from afar and not getting directly involved in the confrontation about to reach its climax. even though they were very strong and not that far away in level from the two, this was not a battle for them.


    minos moved his powers as well, transforming into his dragon version, fully displaying his strength, which could put him on the same level as a true celestial at the peak of level 126.  s§×ar?h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    abby should be able to do the same as him the way she was now, which should give them a few seconds before qhava becomes extremely dangerous for them.


    "now!" he gave the signal his women had been waiting for, with ruth and gloria merging their powers to protect their minds, while he and abby advanced against the powerful level 128 devil.


    qhava advanced against them with her army, not doubting that they might cause her some losses, but certain that this was all they could manage there.


    she was definitely terrified by minos'' achievements and the way he was able to change the outcomes of the actions of even existences like her. she no longer wanted him to merely suffer. she wanted him to cease to exist and never have the chance to pass through the dawn gates.


    if he were allowed the chance, minos would become a high-level entitled deity, perhaps even compete to become the new absolute of the upper realm¡ªqhava was confident of that!


    she wasn''t afraid of the upper realm, or even of the possibility of an absolute appearing in the upper realm. but that would greatly hinder her plans to command hell and win the war from the true rulers of existence!


    qhava''s scythe spun in her hands as it flew in one serious motion, certainly capable of snuffing out the lives of celestials even stronger than minos and abby.


    "you''ll be the first to die at my hands after my advance, but you won''t be the last! this time, you three won''t escape me!"

 Chapter 2860 Good Luck in Your Future Wars

    chapter 2860  good luck in your future wars minos looked at abby and then flapped his wings, leaving her further behind while the undead and guardians she had summoned moved through the ground and air, going against the enemy horde in the same rush as their opponents.


    the characteristic hourglass that minos always counted was floating near him, while time passed in one way for him and in another, subtly different way for qhava.  s~ea??h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    qhava let an angry ''tsk'' escape her rocky lips, feeling minos'' tricky ability on her skin, tricky to escape even at his level. she wouldn''t suffer from this ability enough to worry about minos being a danger even today, but she wanted more and more to end this opponent''s life.


    advancing directly against him, she let her undead and guardians engage in combat with abby''s summons. eliminating another devil could be very relevant to her and give her even more power. but minos'' display of power that day was worrying her. abby certainly wouldn''t get very far even if she slowed down her hunt a little, but minos was different. she sensed he could at any moment make use of some card up his sleeve and escape, get out of her reach, and become a problem in the future.


    abby watched as qhava fell right into minos'' plan, but she remained nervous, holding her position between her harem sisters and the start of the battle of their summoning, as well as minos against the enemies.


    ''i hope they''re quick. we won''t last long,'' abby thought to herself, aware that her summons was weaker than qhava''s, although not enough for them to fall instantly. besides, minos could at most exchange a few blows with the enemy. in a few moments, he would surely be exhausted and seriously injured!


    minos knew his fate and went ahead anyway, acting to mitigate the damage of this terrible encounter with qhava just after his qualitative promotion. he knew he only had one chance and used all his powers from the start of the fight.


    he made his support skills, such as devouring art and his innate ability, come into play directly against qhava''s summons. as the enemies'' energy came at him and his women, he sealed the crown of darkness on his head, preventing the enemy from trying to take control of him.


    one of his dragon claws sliced through the air, sending a spatial slash towards qhava''s huge scythe. this attack crossed the entire distance between them, arriving in front of the blade of the devil''s weapon in his sights and forcing her to defend herself.


    qhava skillfully dealt with minos'' attack, using her weapon to deflect the path of the dragon claws, while feeling a gigantic paw descend from the sky above her.


    a vortex of blades covered her surroundings, eliminating many of the enemy''s undead and guardians, while qhava covered herself with a layer of rocky darkness, leaving no room for minos'' physical blows.


    her mind was also prepared, having already shaken off the infinite dream attack he tried to put on her.


    "child''s play." she huffed angrily, finally shaking off all minos'' blows and then raising her weapon vertically, preparing her move.


    "now let''s test how formidable your defense is, minos. your attacks are only capable of making me feel itchy. i hope your defense is your strong point."


    as she said this, the effects of minos'' abilities wore off, quickly causing him to see all his attempts break down as a gigantic scythe came violently toward him.


    anyone else would be frozen in fear and certain that they would die in such a situation. being in hell and facing a level 128 devil, fate didn''t look promising for minos at that moment.


    but he wasn''t one to get carried away by his immediate situation.


    ''i can take just one move. that''s all i can do before my time runs out,'' he thought, hoping to be in the timeline where something would happen and not the one where he would die after qhava''s second move.


    when he was hit hard, minos felt his entire skeleton tremble, with his spiritual essence wavering as if it were going to be pierced through and destroyed after so many temperaments of his journey. even his absolute grade absorbable weapons proved fragile like never before, with him feeling a pain in his chest that rooted throughout his body.


    but from the attack of a level 128 true celestial, all minos lost was one of his seraphim wings, crashing moments later against the hard ground of hell, but enduring the worst.


    the sound of pain came from his lips as his skin cleared and his body returned to its human form. his aura was ravaged, and his remaining wings were red with his blood. he was breathing, strong enough to get up and face qhava''s gaze, but he had lost all his strength after spending everything he had on the previous attacks and on defense before her attack.


    in this situation, she looked at him in amazement, seeing his women suffering against her summons, with abby futilely trying to use her own crown to suppress qhava.


    they were very close to abby''s territory, but even with some advantages that the territory gave her, this blue-haired woman couldn''t do any damage that would truly block qhava.


    at that moment, the women of minos felt their cultivation decline, worrying a few grades as they saw him have his strength limited at the end of level 123.


    "any last words?" qhava smiled as she felt it had all been a bluff, feeling again the good sensation of catching up with this group, in control of their lives and deaths.


    "good luck in your future wars," minos said under his breath, too exhausted to even speak or express his feelings. but even so, he formed a faint smile. "they begin now."


    qhava changed her expression, narrowing her eyes as she took a deep look at minos, saw nothing, and then turned her gaze beyond this little rebel group.


    on the horizon in the distance, she spotted two figures, both coming from different places, but both presenting the same level of threat.

 Chapter 2861 Escape

    chapter 2861  escape not far from qhava''s fight with minos and three women, she saw two devils rapidly approaching.


    seeing the other level 128 devil from hell arriving in the area, qhava immediately shifted her focus, stopping short of making her next move against minos.


    ''what are they doing here?'' she made an expression that didn''t look good, while minos felt ruth''s powers helping him recover.


    before the enemy could realize it, he was already at the side of his three wives, while the battle of the minions on both sides of this conflict had ceased.


    abby''s group of summoners had practically been wiped out, but the remnants on qhava''s side didn''t seem interested in pursuing them now. just like their master, each of them turned their attention to the two enemies arriving there.


    "looks like it worked," abby said quietly as she joined her family.


    minos nodded, but was still keeping a close eye on his surroundings, worry visible on his exhausted face. this was still not the end of their problems, nor a guarantee that they would survive. but now they had put qhava in a tricky situation, having already made her make moves powerful even for her level while attracting enemies capable of threatening her.


    when the two devils arrived, minos opened his mouth and said loudly, "decide between yourselves who will be the new holder of the throne of hell. my family and i know we can''t escape. we''ll wait for the winners!"


    as his words hit the three devils, each of them looked in his direction; a spatial distortion appeared around where minos had prepared for their escape before the fight against qhava had even begun.


    qhava was tempted to stop minos'' escape, but the two level 128 true celestials could kill her if she was careless. the two newcomers thought similar things, neither wanting to risk themselves for ''just'' minos and abby.


    minos'' words were fair. the competition for the throne of hell was now between the three of them. the winner of their contest would have a full advantage to take the position they so desperately wanted.


    minos was certainly a danger with his talent and connections. but in today''s situation, he couldn''t compare to these devils.


    the same went for abby, whom they could always pursue and reach, as qhava had already done. for high-level true celestials like them, hunting mere supremes would be a walk in the park!


    the three of them looked at each other, allowing minos'' group to temporarily escape, while the tension rose in this area of hell.


    "qhava... you''ve made quite a breakthrough during my seclusion. you''ve been very lucky," said the oldest and most powerful of the three, his gaze as sharp as a guillotine blade.


    the other said, "when i heard that you had advanced, i didn''t believe it. but now i see the truth in front of me... i don''t like what i see at all."


    "i don''t care what you two think." she huffed angrily at being hindered like this. "do you understand that the bloody minos is using you against me?"


    "we didn''t know where you were, and he showed us the way," said the old man with the black hair and stony skin like qhava. "let''s let him live a little longer."


    the other laughed mischievously and said, "right. that was a fair exchange. but qhava, don''t worry about them. where can they get to in a few months? if you have any confidence in yourself, win this dispute and you''ll be able to hunt them down quickly again. by that time, you''ll be able to take over the territories of three other devils and become the one to sit on the throne of hell."


    "you''re asking to die." she narrowed her eyes, moving her scythe in a threatening way as her aura grew stronger.


    the other devil said defiantly, "that''s if you''re really strong enough to win. yet, that''s not going to happen!"


    the two moved simultaneously, both agreeing to test qhava before settling their dispute between themselves in their own way.


    qhava didn''t back down, setting off on his fight for the throne of hell, leaving minos and the three human women on the run.


    ''enjoy your lives a little more, vermin. i''ll catch up with you again soon!''


    ...


    as that area of hell erupted into chaos with the fight of three powerful level 128 true celestials, minos and his women reappeared in tanus, this time in a totally different location from the underground area of the ''king of beasts'' inheritance.


    in this place that minos had marked out months ago, where there was a large forest but no dominant tribe for dozens of square kilometers, the four of them collapsed in exhaustion as they were assured that they had not been pursued, even by long-range attacks to hinder them.


    minos was already aware that getting there would be complicated, and as soon as they appeared in the area, the hell lifelings they had left to wait for them moved, helping them leave this area.


    "take us away," abby said to her subjects, speaking while breathing heavily.


    minos coughed up blood on the way as he was carried by the hell lifelings, feeling the pain of losing one of his wings.


    that blow from qhava had been decisive enough to separate one of his seraphim wings not only from his body but also from his soul. the way he was now, he wouldn''t be able to recover unless he progressed to the next stage.


    with his soul and physique greatly weakened by the attack he had endured from qhava, he was in a very bad way and needed to rest and be helped by a specialist as soon as possible.


    as soon as the hell lifelings reached a safer place, ruth shut herself away to meditate and recover her powers to their peak, being the only one who could help minos now.


    meanwhile, abby and gloria stayed by his side, helping him with what little they could do, planning his escape from tanus.


    abby said, "they''ll be after us in no time. let''s just take care of minos'' worst injuries and get back to our spaceship."


    "where are we going now?" gloria asked.


    "we''re going to forfex''s planet. there we''ll find what he left for minos, and the journey there will be enough for minos to recover. perhaps this last bit of help left by forfex will allow us to stand a chance against the devils."


    minos listened to them and in the midst of his pain, said, "before we left hell earlier, i saw something. we need to get to the planet of forfex, but when we get there, we''ll need to pass through hell again. something i still don''t understand for sure is going to happen, and this will help us somehow."


    sea??h th§× n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 2862 Forfexs Planet and Minos Mission

    chapter 2862  forfex''s planet and minos'' mission the mission forfex had left for minos was related to the belongings that forfex himself had left with him at the end of the last phase of devdar''s inheritance. minos was to hand over whatever was not useful to him to forfex''s people. in return, the soul fragment that forfex had left behind would help him with something that was supposed to allow gloria, ruth, and abby to enter the upper realm.  s§×arch* the n?velfire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    unlike minos, abby, gloria, and ruth would not have direct access to the upper realm by becoming celestials. he would become a celestial and embark on the last phase of devdar''s inheritance, which, if he won, would grant him easy entry into the upper realm.


    by securing devdar''s inheritance, minos would not only be guaranteed passage, but everyone who shared lineage with him would be able to do the same, including his children, grandchildren, and even his grandparents.


    gloria, ruth, and abby, on the other hand, didn''t share blood with minos, and even with true celestial body parts in their bodies, they would have to go through challenges they didn''t even know about in order to gain such entry.


    that was their situation until minos entered hell!


    when they left hell decades ago, devdar had assured him that it would be possible to take ruth and gloria with the rest of his family to the upper realm. that''s due to his connection to them through the hell crown. yet, abby would not be able to do the same.


    aware of this, minos was very interested in what forfex had left for him. according to forfex, it could either help take people to the upper realm or even keep them away from it.


    forfex had tried to escape devdar''s inheritance for a long time for fear of one day facing minos and ending up dead as a result. consequently, he had attempted to find a method of escaping the inheritance. by the end of his life, he had judged it would not only fulfill his purpose but also do the opposite.


    this was what minos had understood from the request left by his old ally, which he had decided to fulfill as soon as he had the chance.


    at the time after the end of the second phase of the inheritance, he had been too busy. he had the problems on uzira and then had to deal with hell. it all prevented him from following through with his promise until now. but with his escape from qhava and the guarantee that at least one level 128 devil would come after them before long, he was now following the last card he had to secure his family''s future.


    after just three days in his previously prepared hideout in tanus, minos was well enough to begin the journey away from the planet. he would still need weeks to finish recovering from the damage to his soul, but the group was already on the move.


    with abby stronger and the hell lifelings more efficient because of their master''s strengthening, they only needed a week to make their way from the surface of this high-level planet to the nearby space station.


    after just three days in his previously prepared hideout in tanus, minos was well enough to begin the journey away from the planet. he would still need weeks to finish recovering from the damage to his soul, but the group was already on the move.


    with abby stronger and the hell lifelings more efficient because of their master''s strengthening, they only needed a week to make their way from the surface of this high-level planet to the nearby space station.


    in the same place where they had left the crew of the spaceship they had used in recent years to get there, they set off in a hurry, ignoring local problems that their crew had encountered in their absence.


    ...


    four months after leaving tanus, minos'' group was approaching forfex''s home planet. everyone in the group was once again tense, imagining that they would run into trouble or trouble would soon find them.


    this was particularly true for the crew members. they had suffered a lot since the start of the journey. now, they wondered if the funds minos had paid them so far were worth all the trouble they had been having.


    they were still in one piece. but after years of traveling through areas of the universe frequented by celestials, they had all seen and felt death pass close by and almost take them to hell.


    but they had signed agreements with aspiring devils and could never leave their posts now. at most, they were hoping that minos and his family would complete their objectives as quickly as possible so that they could return to zocarro.


    zocarro remained in the plans of minos and his wives. every day they thought about their family and the rebels'' war against the rulers of uzira. as long as mylecent won the conflict, they would have the two continents of zocarro under their power. then, the planet would be safe for their family to thrive, even when they entered the upper kingdom.


    minos knew that he would have the right to take his descendants and ascendants to the upper realm with his victory in the devdar inheritance. but he didn''t intend to take them immediately. his plan was to enter the upper realm first and see what life would be like for his people there. only then would he open up the possibility for his relatives to go with him if they wanted to, of course.


    minos wasn''t going to force anyone. whoever wanted to explore the universe and earn their place in the upper realm on their own, he would leave those possibilities open.


    minos also had old promises that he intended to keep. the promise to deal with the descendants of odibrand redwound was still on his mind, as was the promise to the divine dragons of zeta draconis.


    not only that, he wished to see the spiritual world with his own eyes one last time before fully engaging in the affairs of the upper realm.


    for now, these were his wishes, things he knew would still take him a long time to achieve. but every step he currently took was toward that future. as he arrived in the vicinity of forfex''s birthplace, he knew this was an important step for him to achieve his most important desires!


    spotting the homeworld of his old ally in devdar''s inheritance in the distance, minos told his women to get ready.


    now it was time for them to investigate the place and find out what forfex had left for them. but at some point in this journey, they would have to return to hell to take advantage of the chance he had seen that would show itself to them!

 Chapter 2863 Am I Dead?

    chapter 2863 am i dead?minos and his women had entered the home planet of forfex, a world of the same level of strength as zocarro, from what they had investigated even before their entry into the local atmosphere. but even if they hadn''t sought out this information beforehand, they would have realized it as soon as they arrived in this world.


    most of the strongest people in this world were sovereigns, with a small society of supremes dominating the planet and, as far as they knew or could sense, there were no celestials there. but they didn''t overestimate their ability to understand a place they had barely investigated and begun to explore. they didn''t rule out the possibility of there being celestials there, as there had been in zocarro.


    as they didn''t want any problems with local forces, they weren''t worried. as soon as they reached the surface, they moved towards the location of forfex''s soul fragment. minos'' old ally in the two previous phases of devdar''s inheritance had left a map of the location of where he left his soul fragment. there were a few riddles that only someone who knew him could solve to get the clues needed to reach the exact spot, but that wasn''t a problem for minos.


    in a way, minos had spent more time with forfex than with his children. consequently, he knew this former ally very well.


    forfex had imagined that if minos ever came to his planet, then minos would already be close to completing devdar''s inheritance. as such, he had drawn up a route so that his old ally wouldn''t have to worry about wasting time passing through problematic territories or cities.


    forfex didn''t think that minos would fail to deal with local problems. but a man close to reaching the high kingdom wouldn''t want to waste his time on the mundane problems of the forces on this planet. forfex himself hated politics and the


    complications of fighting the ambitious natives of his world, who were always looking to push their tentacles further to strengthen themselves.


    the path he assigned minos'' group to follow was a long one, however. even at the level they were at and their ability to move, it would take the group at least a few weeks to travel, even without stopping.


    it was precisely in the meantime that they gained a better understanding of the reality of this world, as they prepared themselves for the pursuit of their hellish enemies.


    minos had almost forgotten about his dispute over devdar''s inheritance and the possibility of competitors coming after him. even the danger of high-level supremes and ordinary celestials finding out who he was and trying to hunt him down for it was no longer on his mind.


    those risks certainly existed, but faced with level 128 devils, nothing else could hold minos'' attention.


    and so his group was approaching the spot left by devdar!


    after almost 2 months traveling on the surface of forfex''s home planet, minos'' group stopped for the first time today, spotting ahead a large mountain in an almost perfect triangular shape, similar to the site artificially built by an ancient civilization described by forfex''s hints.


    from where the group stopped, minos, already fully recovered from the battle against qhava-except for his missing wing, which he wouldn''t recover without advancing a stage-felt that he was close to finding the fragment of his old friend''s soul.


    "the entrance to his old laboratory is just ahead. let''s proceed carefully." he warned his women, walking ahead, but aware of all the space around his group for tens of kilometers away from them.


    there were no celestials around and the few high-level supremes, probably natives of the large forested area they were in, didn''t seem willing to move.


    "when are we going back to hell?" ruth asked as she walked behind him.


    "it''s not time yet," minos said.


    he had talked to them about the opportunity they would have by going to hell before finishing the mission left by forfex. but there was no right time for this return to hell. minos was waiting for a sign, something he was sure would happen at some point during his stay on this planet, but which he couldn''t say for sure when it would appear. all he knew was that this sign would come at some point and he should act quickly then.


    he added, "for now, let''s focus on seeing what forfex''s soul fragment has prepared for us. i doubt that this will be solved by me merely giving some of his belongings to his people. there''s probably some more complicated requirement for us to finish this mission and get what we want."


    they agreed. things had rarely been easy for them on their journey!


    so they finished their way to the entrance of the area formerly belonging to forfex, a place he had found on his last journey on this planet, before the last phase of devdar''s inheritance that he had attended.


    at that time forfex was only a high level sovereign. as this region has the presence of high-level supremes to this day, the group would have to go through a long path that led underground to that old abandoned building. forfex had left several devices to get in the way of individuals like them, the only method of protecting themselves in such a dangerous region.


    in the minutes in which they would make their careful way so as not to destroy the place where forfex''s soul fragment was, the group couldn''t help but be impressed by forfex''s capabilities. even though he was only a sovereign when he occupied this place, he had built good concealment tools and traps around there to hinder even the supremes!


    but minos had the nautilus'' compass with him and after an hour, they reached the last barrier, passing through it and arriving at a place surrounded by glass walls, with a single entrance.


    this special room, illuminated by blue crystals but difficult to see what was inside due to the opaque nature of the glass walls, was locked. fortunately, minos had the key to it because of his old friend''s inheritance.


    he opened the place, going ahead of his women, and couldn''t help but be curious about the last remnants of his friend.


    "you''ve finally come."


    as soon as minos set foot inside the large room, filled with items he didn''t know what they were for, a voice sounded in the center of the area, where a small obelisk was glowing in a blue light, full of energy.


    "forfex." minos saw an ethereal figure, semi-transparent and bluish, emerge from that obelisk, quickly forming a spiritual body very similar to forfex''s. sear?h the novel?ire(.)ne*t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "you''re strong, minos." said the soul fragment when he noticed his friend''s cultivation. "unfortunately, i couldn''t reach that level."


    "yes, i regret that too." minos was sincere as his women joined him in the room. "unfortunately, i didn''t have the opportunity to introduce you to my family in life. but


    i''ll try now, even though you''re already dead."


    "am i dead? are you sure about that?"

 Chapter 2864 Forfexs Inheritance

    chapter 2864 forfex''s inheritanceminos frowned as he looked at forfex''s soul fragment. "what do you mean?" he asked in a surprised tone. "you failed one of the final floors of the second phase of the inheritance. didn''t that kill you?"


    "i failed?" the forfex soul fragment asked with genuine surprise. "well, that''s a shame. i obviously don''t know anything about what happened after my main version created me. i didn''t expect to hear that i failed...


    the last part of the soul fragment''s words sounded genuinely disappointed, as if he really had expected reality to be different.


    the women of minos looked at each other, with gloria unable to help asking, "what''s going on here? why do you think you''re alive? we came here precisely because you died."


    forfex didn''t know who gloria was exactly, but he looked at her as if she were an old acquaintance. "i don''t know what happened in the last phase of the true celestial''s inheritance, but my main version created this place in case he died or was unable to return here. before advancing to level 115, he planned to leave this world and make his breakthrough on another planet. i remember him locating some of the inheritance competitors here and that made him look for an alternative world to be on during his advancement."


    "but why did you imply that you''re not dead? as a soul fragment, you should be able to know that." minos pointed out the critical point of the matter.


    forfex''s soul fragment looked at this friend who he thought was there to help his main version. "my real self is alive. i can feel it."


    minos became a few grades more serious at these words, but remained silent, giving the soul fragment the chance to speak.


    "i feel i will disappear from this form and return to my creator before long. this is as clear to me as the presence of the four of you in my office!" he said, his eyes shifting focus as they seemed to stare off into the distance. "i don''t know where my main self is now, but he''s alive. alive and well, i''d say. the feeling i get is not that of someone mortally wounded or in trouble. it tells me i will be stronger when i return to my main self."


    ''is that even possible?" minos wondered silently. ''i thought that by speaking of inheritance, one would have their true celestial parts removed by devdar. but something like that would cause the death of...


    in the midst of his thoughts, minos questioned the soul fragment in front of him, "did you succeed in your research? failing the test you failed should cause you to lose your absolute grade absorbable weapons. you know that would kill anyone, right?"


    the soul fragment opened its mouth, understanding why minos thought he had died. "so that''s what happened... well, in that case, my main self must have completed the last step that was missing for us to complete our research.


    as you may already know, minos, we were looking for something that would enable us to escape from the true celestial''s inheritance so that we wouldn''t have to face you. if my true self went through what you described, then he must have applied our method at the last moment and succeeded in what he had been preparing for centuries!"


    the soul fragment''s voice improved several grades as he spoke, clearly thrilled to hear what minos had told him, the confirmation of his suspicions.


    "so that''s it..." minos understood the situation, while his wives realized what they would get in this inheritance.


    abby, however, didn''t get excited too quickly. she asked, "he managed to use this method, but would you know what method exactly he used? you two, after all, have a difference in levels and understanding that we can''t ignore."


    the fragment looked at the woman and confirmed her concern. "in fact, i can''t say for sure. at the time my true self created me, we had three theories. they''re basically very different from each other, so only one of them could be the answer you''re looking for. i can give you all three, but i can''t say which one he used."


    "that would be a problem." abby looked at minos.


    it would be very useful for them to have a safe method of removing absorbable weapons from a body without threatening its life. they couldn''t help thinking there how good it would be to sever the only connection they had with hell, something that would make them invisible and much harder to find by the devils who would soon be hunting them. not only that, something like this would allow abby to solve her problem and have the chance to enter the upper realm.


    but all this would only work if they got the method right... s§×ar?h the n?vel(f)ire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "that''s not a problem," minos said, after thinking for a moment about the problems and possibilities surrounding them. "i''ll use my powers and get which of the three is the right method. forfex managed it, so i''ll manage it too."


    "was that an offense?" forfex''s soul fragment teased minos.


    minos smiled at him, clicking his tongue. but he wasn''t belittling his old ally, nor was he putting himself in a higher position than he should have. as someone who had reached the absolute grade of his physique being just a supreme, minos had an understanding that rivaled that of the strongest devils in hell.


    as long as he had access to forfex''s research, he was confident that he would arrive at the correct answer to his doubts!


    "so what do i need to do for you to hand over these methods?" minos asked, aware that forfex wouldn''t give them to him just because they were friends. this was an exchange, and he himself was willing to fulfill it before he got anything.


    the soul fragment said, "if i could, i would give you the method even before you fulfill this mission, minos. i know that for the current you, this will be easy and you wouldn''t lie to fool me. however, my main self didn''t know if you would be the one to come here when he created me. the complete method of our research is elsewhere, in the same area where you are to find our loved ones. there, you''ll have to help them if necessary and deliver what i''ve asked you for. you''ll find the complete method in the basement of my old house."


    as he spoke, a map formed in front of him, marking the location of the mission and the position of forfex''s inheritance.

 Chapter 2865 The Familys Perilous Fate

    ?chapter 2865 the family''s perilous fate"so, this is the place?" minos asked as he received the map of forfex''s soul fragment, a place he readily identified as being on the other side of this world from their current position.


    "yes, my main self was a bit cautious with that choice." the soul fragment laughed as it looked at minos. "there was a possibility that some enemy might find what i left behind, so our research couldn''t be here."


    "that''s not a problem..." minos smiled as he showed one of his hands to the soul fragment. "but are you sure it''s really alive?" he asked as he returned to the previous subject.


    "yes, of course." the soul fragment gradually becoming transparent, preparing to disappear, stated without doubt in its voice. "i don''t know where, or how, but my main self is fine."


    "that''s good enough for me. minos shook the soul fragment''s hand before thanking him one last time. "thank you for your help and this inheritance. it can help me a lot. don''t worry about your people. i''ll help them so that when you manage to return, they can welcome you back stronger than now."


    "that''s good to hear," said the disappearing spiritual fragment, with half of its body already transformed into glowing mist..


    "good luck on your journey. if fate favors us, we''ll see each other again." minos said his last words to that individual, finally seeing the fragment disappear, making the whole surrounding area lose some of its brightness.


    forfex was a friend, and he was really curious to see what fate would befall this guy. unfortunately, he didn''t have time to look and was in a hurry. as soon as the soul fragment disappeared without a trace, minos became more serious.


    "let''s get going. we''ll still have to travel for a few months before we reach what he left behind." he said to his women, taking the lead to leave the area of forfex''s inheritance. "will it give us time to reach this new place and accomplish what we must?" ruth asked with concern. "we''ve already been traveling for several months. one of the winners from that last level 128 thing is going to come after us any minute."


    "i feel we have no choice," minos said as he moved ahead of the group, heading out of this underground area, now carrying a few more items with him. forfex''s secret laboratory had some items that minos had made a point of collecting to deliver to this guy''s people. s§×ar?h the novelfire.net* website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    he continued, his words as heavy as the gravity surrounding them, "what i can tell you now is that we''re going to have to accomplish everything at the critical limit of our possibilities. if we escape the pursuit of one of those three, it will be a very short time before we find ourselves in a situation like that with qhava again.


    be prepared. if we escape, it will be by a critical move that for a few seconds would have resulted in failure, but which will be our victory."


    the three silently accepted his prediction, each of them feeling under pressure. their journeys so far had been difficult. they had fought so many wars and conflicts that would almost have killed them that they couldn''t remember the exact number of times they had been in that position. but now it was all worse. they were already so high on the cultivation scale and so close to realizing their cultivation purpose that everything seemed ten times worse.


    minos already had an absolute grade in his physique and the three of them were hoping to get there one day. even so, at any moment they could be prevented from continuing and killed by one of the level 128 devils who had promised to kill them.


    that wasn''t all. even if minos advanced to level 125, they still wouldn''t be far from trouble. when he went to make his progress, he would once again be inaccessible. could they deal with the threat of the devils during the time he was unavailable?


    many doubts were in their minds, making them more silent and worried. but the way forward was clear. they had to get forfex''s inheritance and try to seize the opportunity that minos had said would arise in hell soon. with these two actions, there was a chance that they would succeed!


    "well, even if we manage to escape them for the time being, what do we do with zocarro?" abby asked after they left the underground area and started traveling along the local surface, heading in the direction indicated by the soul fragment. minos sighed at the problem abby had raised. removing their hell crowns would really keep their enemies at bay. but qhava knew that they had something to do with zocarro. it wouldn''t be difficult for one of the enemies to trace them back to their relatives.


    "let''s sort this out and get back to zocarro urgently," minos said to the three of them. "i''ll find a place that only i would know that i could go to and leave the entire core of the family there during my promotion to the next stage. even if the enemies eventually find you, we''ll have had some time for me to do my duty and for you to get stronger."


    they understood, figuring there was no other alternative.


    "and what will happen to the hell lifelings and mylecent when we remove our crowns?" gloria asked as she pointed to abby, who was responsible for most of the hell lifelings and the promotion of mylecent. everyone there was already aware of the advance of that white-haired necromancer. they had had time to talk about it and


    various other things in the time between their last trips.


    abby replied, "mylecent will still have her crown. the difference is that she will become independent of me and her territories will be hers alone. in a way, that will be the way for her to become a devil in the future.


    as for the hell lifelings, they will continue with their lives. my powers should weaken and i should become unable to create as many hell lifelings in the future again, but i''ll still be able to use many of the abilities that the crown has allowed me. that goes for you, too."


    minos already knew this and said, "absolute grade absorbable weapons are incredible. even if we lose them, our strength will hardly change."


    "others just don''t consider it enough to be common knowledge because the loss of such a weapon is the death of that being," abby complemented her husband. "anyway, don''t worry about our forces or my future absence. there''s still a lot to happen before then!" minos said, disappearing into the forest along with them, leaving that place of forfex so quickly that few would notice his mere passage through.

 Chapter 2866 The Decisive Hour!

    ?chapter 2866 the decisive hour!in the days following the departure of minos and his group from the place where they had found the fragment of forfex''s soul, they crossed a long road until, after months of waiting, minos sensed the moment he had been waiting for.


    as his group traveled, flying over the frozen wasteland of forfex''s home planet, his golden eyes suddenly lit up and scenes from the not-so-distant future showed themselves to him.


    he immediately slowed his flight to a complete stop, his aura intensifying as he saw the future, improving his vision as his wives realized what was happening.


    they were so used to each other that they understood the same, without needing to ask or speak, about the moment they had arrived at.


    ''it''s time! abby felt a chill, not knowing what would happen now, but confident that, whatever it was, it would put her group on track to escape the great threat of the level 128 devils.


    gloria thought the same, but she was also worried. once they took the last step that began today, there would be no turning back. it would be escape and hiding until minos became a celestial and gained entry to the upper realm.


    the final part of forfex''s inheritance would help them escape and also tell them the way to enter the upper realm after him, since being able to remove absorbable weapons without threatening their bearers could open up many possibilities for them. forfex''s method would rival the methods of the true celestials if it proved true, something that was making each of them look forward to these last steps of their journey. sear?h the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    after almost two minutes of minos seeing the future, he shifted his gaze, returning his consciousness to the reality of the present, while an expression of surprise, a little disbelief, and a little shock, marked his face.


    "what is it?" ruth asked, surprised by minos'' reaction. "did you see something bad?" she worried, just as the others did.


    but minos wouldn''t let them fear for long. "no, not exactly"


    "what do you mean?" abby hadn''t seen minos uncertain in his words in a long time and naturally hesitated.


    he began manipulating his space powers to take them back to hell and said to them, "we have to get back to hell urgently so i can access my devil powers again. using such powers, i will answer a call from an alternative plane. that call will open up an opportunity for us."


    "an alternative plane?"


    "what kind of opportunity would come from such a place?"


    they asked in visible and practically palpable incomprehension.


    "it''s complicated. someone with great potential is going to show himself again before long. i have to get there in time or we''ll lose him forever!" minos said in a rush, as the space around them went black, with the previous frozen desert disappearing and the path to hell showing itself.


    they flew through this spatial distortion, the three women wondering how exactly someone new was going to help them, while minos fell silent again, seeing that he would have a celestial level battle to guarantee his chance.


    "things are getting more and more complicated... he took a deep breath, slowly feeling his hellish powers rising. ''it won''t be long until qhava comes to us. i can sense that she escaped from those two... she must be furious now!''


    minos found it difficult to predict the future of 13th stage individuals. this would only be resolved, in his opinion, once he became a true celestial in his own right. but after his qualitative promotion of his physique, he had been gradually sensing the future not only of qhava but also of devdar.


    he was less worried about devdar, given the current danger posed by qhava. but he was aware of some future moves by the creator of the inheritance he was taking part in. that guy was monitoring him and the other remaining contenders for his inheritance and seemed to be moving to show himself to minos before too long. but devdar didn''t seem to be moving to help minos deal with the current problems regarding hell. minos feared devdar was going to give him new problems instead of solutions!


    "well, i hope this guy can help us. he seems to be more compatible with hell than some of the devils i''ve seen... i have a feeling he''ll make a platform and draw the attention of these enemies of mine while i''m on the move! he considered, remembering the face of a certain individual he had seen in a summoning ritual several years ago.


    with these thoughts in mind, minos, and his women re-entered hell, arriving in an area within abby''s territory, the safest and most distant from enemies for them to enter this dimension.


    as soon as they arrived in the area, the four of them raised their senses and cultivations, with minos and abby temporarily reaching level 125.


    "the way is clear. let''s go. we have to fly for two hours in an easterly direction. that''s where our chance will come from!" minos moved ahead of them, guiding them towards the specific point where they would have the chance to leave hell and enter a dimension that was lower, but almost as formidable as hell itself.


    in minos'' understanding, the known universe had seven levels. the first had no life or magic. the second represented mortal life, the third was that which had the spiritual element involved, such as the spiritual world. then there were the fourth and fifth levels, representing medium and high-level worlds. finally, the seventh was the level of the upper realm and hell. below them was the sixth position, which minos had only identified one place with characteristics better than those of high-level worlds and lower than those of hell. this was the dimension he intended to quickly visit now, where a call would come and give him an opportunity.


    "minos..." abby muttered after a while of them moving around.


    "i know. let them feel it. let''s accomplish what we came to do and leave as soon as possible," minos said, aware that the enemies would notice their presence, but also that there was a chance they could escape in time.

 Chapter 2867 Ritual!

    chapter 2867 ritual!while minos was on the move, qhava was in his territory, finishing recovering from her injuries from the previous fight.


    although she had had to fight two opponents of the same level as her, two relatively more powerful figures because they had been at level 128 longer than her, she had managed to escape. by seriously wounding one of them in that battle, she had forced an enemy to flee and then had to fight only a single opponent.


    qhava could not eliminate that other opponent, however. after a long fight, which cost her damage that she was still trying to recover from, she only crippled her enemy to the point that he could no longer strengthen himself. but the opponent was still alive and, after a recovery, should still be able to fight at level 128. qhava had crippled such an opponent, but only to the point of blocking future prospects for such a devil. because of these results, she was very satisfied and was now finishing recovering so that she could return to her bloody quest against minos.


    he had eluded her for months, but the day was slowly approaching when she would hunt him down until she tore his head off!


    ''a few months must have passed for that damn worm,'' she thought of the figure of minos, who most terrified her nightmares during her recovery.


    minos'' actions that day had been bad and good at the same time. it had put qhava in danger and given minos more chance to escape from her. but it had also given her the chance to show hell that she was one of the favorites for the most important position in the dimension.


    now there was only one level 128 devil left she hadn''t fought, the only one she wasn''t sure she would beat like she did those other two. one way or another, all of hell currently knew of her strength, of how she was in the top two of the dimension, being one of the two creatures that had the best chance of reaching the throne of hell!


    the only thing she wanted to do before continuing with her power crusade in hell was to deal with minos. she feared he would become something even she would find difficult to deal with before too long.


    but as she thought about him that day, she suddenly changed her expression where she was lying. as she got up from the bathtub bubbling with black liquid in what seemed to be a crypt, qhava''s eyes widened as she looked in the direction of where she had just felt a familiar aura. s§×arch* the n?vel(f)ire.n§×t website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    her pupils contracted and her aura intensified, causing her to stop feeling pain for a moment and clench her fists tightly, pressing her teeth together.


    "minos!" she shouted for her entire palace to hear, a shout not uncommon for her people to hear, but a few grades more hateful on this day.


    "the bastard has returned to hell! i have to move!'' she walked out of her special tub, but as soon as she stepped outside, she felt a weakness she hadn''t yet gotten used to. "master!" shouted a black, unnatural-looking, insect-shaped figure, coming to her rescue. "don''t move! if you leave now, your injuries will take longer to heal!"


    "the damned minos has returned! i have to hunt him down!" she said as she looked at. the foolish subordinate trying to stop her.


    but that creature insisted, "if you go now, i''m afraid you''ll open the door for your enemies to act against you, master."


    qhava knew, aware that this creature was the best healer in the entire dimension.


    while its master made a hideous expression, looking as if it would explode at any moment, that creature said, "master, if minos is back in hell, don''t worry. those other two know about him and they won''t stand idly by."


    the method for one of those two to get stronger was precisely by hunting new territory, which would be easy if he eliminated abby!


    the other level 128 devil couldn''t take advantage of such a chance, since he was crippled. but one of his disciples could!


    qhava relaxed at the thought of how her two rivals could do the job for her while she finished her regeneration.


    "how much longer will i take in this tub?" she asked.


    "just one more month. one month and you can hunt whoever you want, master," said the creature with great confidence in its voice.


    simultaneously with this, the two level 128 devils who had faced qhava earlier were already moving after sensing minos and abby''s auras re-entering hell.


    from where they were, they set off, disregarding their not yet fully healed wounds, while carrying their chief disciples and underlings with them.


    and even in the condition they were in, they were crossing the big hell at such speed that they would only need a few tens of minutes to reach the place where abby''s aura was coming from.


    so both sides flew through the infernal sky, carrying similar thoughts with them, both thinking of the consequence of this rash act: revenge!


    neither of them had thought that they would go through the previous situation with qhava and the growing disrespect towards them from hell''s forces. thirsty for qhava''s blood, they were willing to do anything to become more powerful, or at least influential!


    after almost two hours after re-entering hell, minos and his women were slowing down their movement. sensing that he was close to the place where everything would happen, minos was already paying attention to his surroundings while he had the powers of his infernal crown active.


    abby, gloria and ruth were tense, each of them in their diabolical forms, with their crowns active and powers ready to spring into action. the months they had had to build up their strength had hardly helped, so their strength was still the same as when they had met qhava. even so, they wouldn''t go down without a fight if they lost the time that minos said would be the limit for this mission.


    "i''m afraid you''ll have to endure a few moments of my absence. but i will do my best to return before the enemies reach our position."


    as he said his words, the infernal garb took over his body, while a chariot of darkness with diabolical dogs formed, the signal he had been waiting for appeared.


    abby, gloria and ruth looked at the call of the summoning ritual, something that each of them had already answered on their journeys-an obligation of devils, something they had to answer in order to fulfill their duties to the dimension.


    minos saw the space in front of him distorting and soon made his macabre animals


    lead him to salvation for his group.


    ''i really hope you''re all that, boy!''

 Chapter 2868 Rescuing an Old Acquaintance

    ?Chapter 2868 Rescuing an Old AcquaintanceMinos crossed space, passing through the black spatial distortion on his way, a


    familiar experience for him, who had already traveled to carry out similar missions for the Hell.


    Surrounding him, brown clouds with various lightning bolts and darkness blended together, making his surroundings look extremely threatening. While the path of Minos'' infernal chariot was dark, the aura emanating from the surroundings did not let up. Minos could clearly feel the power of a level 127 True Celestial not far ahead-the problem he had seen in his previous vision.


    The one he was there to pick up could help him with his current plans, but he wouldn''t be able to do so without first receiving Minos'' ransom.


    Aware that he would have to fight his opponent, Minos went into combat mode, circulating his energy while the Nautilus'' Compass seemed to be suffering some kind of interference. At the same time, his prophetic powers failed, gradually ceasing to show much more than a few seconds of the future.


    ''I''m entering the enemy''s domain! Minos recognized who was responsible for these unexpected fluctuations in his powers, already noticing the adversary of his vision, who was, at this moment, acting against Minos'' target.


    Leaving the distortion through which he had come from Hell to this place, Minos was able to distinguish where exactly his target was at the moment. This time, the boy he had already met twice in summoning like today''s, was on a boat, sailing on the sea, far from any continent or island. Everything on the horizon was just water and sky, with the intense blue of midday brightening the surroundings.


    The bright light almost made Minos grimace. He was used to the darkness, even though he didn''t have a weakness for light.


    The level 127 True Celestial, clearly an Entitled Deity from the Upper Realm, was at that moment using his divine powers against the crew of Minos'' target''s small boat. With a giant golden hand, apparently made of gold, the platinum-haired man, with a smile on his face and classic clothing, with several white robes criss-crossed, smiled in satisfaction at the prey he was about to collect.


    Meanwhile, the black-haired young man, dressed in dark red cloth armor, was floating in front of his vessel, his ritual floating around him, supported by the darkness of his soul.


    Next to the young man was a black throne, while he had a crown and a trident of darkness in front of him, with various metallic artifacts circling around him, trying to protect him.


    On his ship, a human woman, a lion and an elf were unconscious, probably passed out given the pressure of the True Celestial''s powers.


    Minos moved to stop the giant golden hand from grabbing that boy''s body, crossing the space and appearing in front of the pale and rather weakened summoner who had called him there.


    "Later we''ll talk about using a Banishing Ritual to deal with something other than creatures that deserve to be banished." Minos said to the boy, his eyes widening as he realized his appearance there. "Give me a minute and we''ll be off to Hell."


    "Hell?" Frowned the Entitled Deity standing there that afternoon, not having seen Minos'' appearance until this Devil stood between him and his target. "Is Hell getting involved in this, Devil?" He asked in a tone capable of reaching thousands of kilometers away from the scene of this crisis.


    Minos let out a ''tks!'' as powerful as this person''s voice, even though it wasn''t as strong as his. Still, with his cultivation momentarily at level 125, Minos wouldn''t fear a level 127 True Celestial. A serious fight would be very difficult, but he had his plan and that man would have to overcome his own limits to prevent it from succeeding.


    "You''ve chosen the wrong prey, Entitled Deity. I don''t want to fight you, but today you''ll have to back down," Minos said, his form transforming into a diabolical five-winged dragon, his Hell guardians growing in size and strength. "Back down peacefully or allow me to test my powers on you!"


    The domain of the Entitled Deity shook, as the black-haired boy felt his strength increasing, quickly bringing him to a level he had never reached before.


    "That... What''s that?" The wounded young man asked himself, now recovering quickly from his injuries as his aura increased, bringing him to a new stage of cultivation. Minos looked in the boy''s direction and said, "Go alone on the road to Hell. This will be your only chance!"


    Minos'' eyes flashed a powerful gold before he turned his attention back to his enemy. Meanwhile, the black-haired young man felt as if he had been struck by a mental blow, his mind sent into an alternate reality.


    Several images flashed through his mind, images of a calamitous future, one in which he tried to escape Hell and miserably ended up in the hands of someone equal to or worse than today''s opponent.


    The young man trembled from head to toe, almost regretting having looked too deeply into the truth of that reality without having the necessary cultivation. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After a moment''s hesitation, he reluctantly flew towards the distortion that led to Hell.


    "Larissa, Rex and Lyra, keep going. I''ll catch up!" He shouted, getting further and further away.


    "Thinking you''ll escape?" Said the Entitled Deity, now with an enraged look on his heavenly face.


    But as silver flames threatened his direction, a gigantic hourglass formed behind him. The divine dragon with golden and silver scales seemed to laugh before saying. "I trapped a level 128 Devil for a few seconds in this time regression. Take advantage of it and compare your differences with her."


    The Entitled Deity only saw his movements regress, as he seemed to have lost control of his powers. Meanwhile, menacing flames were advancing against him, with the enemy and his target fleeing amid his inability to move.


    "What kind of power is that?" The fleeing man saw his savior''s movement and was obviously shocked.


    "Time." Minos laughed as he flew away, not wanting to be around when that individual escaped his ability.


    He wasn''t in Hell, so his abilities were generally weakened.


    So Minos reached his target''s side, by a tris entering the spatial distortion before the level 127 Celestial could escape and counterattack.


    "Bastard!" The two fugitives only heard the crazed scream of the Entitled Deity, who


    had narrowly missed them by using a giant golden foot to crush the area they were in. The Hell this True Celestial would never dare to visit, making this narrow escape


    possible!

 Chapter 2869 Vicente Fuller

    ?Chapter 2869 Vicente Fuller"You look different this time, Senior," said the black-haired young man, as they crossed the space-time distortion between the dimension where the level 127 True Celestial still was and Hell.


    "Many things have changed since those two encounters we had," Minos said as he looked at the boy''s body, which had a special form of power quite different from what he was used to. Even so, Minos could feel and understand this boy''s powers, regardless of whether he cultivated spiritual energy, mana, Qi, chakra, or any other name given to cultivable forms of energy.


    In the eyes of the strongest, the only thing that mattered was using these essences to strengthen their foundations and qualitatively elevate their souls and physiques. The how didn''t really matter.


    Precisely by seeing through the boy, Minos could tell exactly what his powers were and his compatibility with Hell.


    "You''ve improved a lot too... Before, you were like an ordinary insect. Now you''re more like a praying mantis."


    The boy with the long black hair looked at Minos out of the corner of his eye, not knowing whether to thank him or feel bad.


    "Thank you..." He said nonetheless.


    Minos then went straight to the subject that mattered now. "We''ll reach Hell in a few seconds. As I promised you before, now I''ll take you to Hell for a while. But I won''t be by your side. I have a mission for you."


    "A mission?" The young man didn''t like how this conversation was developing. "I''m afraid I might end up disappointing you, Senior. The difference between us is still too great."


    That was for sure. The way this boy was now, he was at most a Sovereign in Minos'' eyes.


    "You''re still too weak to influence my plans, but that could change. A great


    opportunity will soon present itself to you. Just follow what you think will be best for you and eventually you''ll be able to help me."


    The boy frowned, not quite understanding where this was leading. Minos was being rather vague with him.


    ''What kind of mission is this? Is it just for me to follow my instincts?'' he wondered. Minos then said, "Anyway, when you find a method of escaping Hell, avoid performing that Banishing Ritual again. You have too much affinity with Hell and some powerful Devil might notice you.


    Not everyone will be as kind to you as I am. Some would enslave you, while others would recognize your potential and kill you. Some of them are stronger than me, so be smart!"


    "Stronger than the Senior?" The young man asked as he narrowed his eyes tightly. As far as he was concerned, Minos was already very close to the limit of his cultivation! S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His move carlier to stop the opponent who had forced him into the Banishing Ritual was ample proof of that.


    ''Are there beings even stronger than this Transcendental?'' wondered the young man with the long black hair.


    "Exactly," Minos said, watching the road ahead end, reviewing the position where he would arrive a few moments later, where his women were waiting tensely for him.


    "We''re running out of time. Don''t throw the chance you''ll have in a few moments and do as I say. We''ll have to split up soon, but we''ll see each other again before too long."


    "All right." The boy said, with no choice but to do so. "By the way, I''m Vicente Fuller. May I ask your name, Senior?"


    "Minos Stuart." Minos looked at the boy who, next to him, looked like a child not only because of his weaker cultivation but also his small physical size.


    Almost 80 centimeters taller than Vicente, Minos seemed like a giant next to the young magician.


    The two arrived in Hell in Minos'' macabre carriage, which immediately lost its traces of darkness with their return.


    Minos felt his powers increase while he was back in Hell, but he focused on watching his women, each of whom sighed in relief that he had returned in time.


    The time wasn''t long, though. They were on the threshold between escaping in time and being caught!


    As the three ran to their side, Vicente sensed the surrounding elements, while some of his skills seemed to resonate with their surroundings. He observed the vast point of Hell where they had arrived with his eyes narrowed, seeming to recognize this place with one of his essences.


    "That feeling... He felt enchanted, feeling like he was at home, happier than ever.


    Not only did he feel different, everyone around Vicente felt something, too. It was as if Hell itself was in a good mood, welcoming the newest member of its diabolical forces! Minos smiled as he saw a little of what he had already predicted would happen. He showed for Abby to go ahead. "Start. There''s no more time. Vicente will carry one of your crowns and go on his own journey through Hell."


    The black-haired boy looked at Abby, seeing the blue hair of this rocky-skinned black woman, something that reminded him of Nova. But he stayed focused on the present, looking forward to what was about to happen, as Abby formed a crown of darkness in one of her hands.


    "Don''t fight it. It''ll be quick," she said, making him think he had any chance of resisting.


    But as soon as he had finished listening to Abby''s words, a hand touched one of his shoulders and when he looked back, another hand placed a crown on his head. After that, the absorption process began, with the boy falling to his knees on the floor, shaking vigorously.


    Minos kept an eye on his surroundings, still a little worried about having to fight enemies too close to him. Ruth and Gloria were equally worried, but Abby relieved them with her next words.


    "This youth was born for Hell. His affinity with the dimension is almost perfect," she said with an incredulous look. "At the same time, he has something in him that seems completely opposed to this dimension... I wouldn''t be surprised if we saw him in the Upper Realm in the future!"


    "That''s quite a compliment," Minos said with a bitter smile. "But he''s a good talent. I''ll give him that.""


    "How much longer do we have to wait?" Gloria asked, breaking out in a cold sweat in her black form.


    "Just one more minute. He''s already finishing absorbing my secondary crown." Abby said, as a small hourglass glowed around Vicente''s body.

 Chapter 2870 Back to the Previous Plan

    Chapter 2870 Back to the Previous PlanThe minute Abby promised passed slowly, as if it were an eternity. Watching young Vicente suffer as he received the crown of darkness from her powers was almost as torturous for the four Supremes there as it was for the black-haired young man.


    Little by little they were beginning to feel the aura of the high-level Devils


    approaching their position, and both were dreading what might happen if it continued like this.


    Vicente seemed to be improving slowly, as if he were a tortoise competing with the fastest of birds.


    Ruth alternated her gaze between the human-looking young man and the direction in which the enemy closest to them was coming from. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gloria circled her powers in preparation, fearing that something would happen and they would engage in combat.


    Minos himself couldn''t help but turn his gaze to the future, trying to spy out the last-minute success or failure of their strategy.


    He was fully aware that the future was uncertain. The visions he had rarely come true. Sometimes they were very certain, but most of the time they contained differences from what actually happened. This was not a limitation of his powers, but the free will of himself, his objects of analysis, and the chaotic behavior of nature around him.


    A minimal change could trigger transformations, to the point where it could transcend and reach the level of a dangerous storm.


    This uncertainty inherent in time kept even the most experienced and powerful seers humble and fearful of the fate that awaited them.


    But after the time Abby said it would take, the enemies still hadn''t arrived, while the changes taking place inside Vicente''s soul seemed to be ending. He stopped moaning in pain and writhing, falling to the ground, calming down as his aura exploded in level. If individuals like Minos and his wives, who were already very powerful when they entered Hell the first time, grew a lot when they got their crowns, Vicente, who was much weaker than those versions of them, grew even more!


    The boy didn''t go so far as to threaten to become a Supreme, but he left what would have been the beginning of the 11th stage, entering the final part of that cultivation range.


    Opening his eyes, on the ground around the group, Vicente felt the surrounding space different, feeling even more at home than he had earlier. His heart beat differently and his Throne of Darkness seemed to want to take him somewhere. But he quickly regained his senses, his reason working to make him understand the basics of this situation.


    Abby could clearly control him as she saw fit. But he could feel that she was giving him freedom like the one he had before the infernal crown on his head integrated with his soul.


    He felt a black liquid float around one of his hands, while he also noticed the massive presence of souls and corpses on the ground of this dimension.


    "That..! His eyes widened as he looked at the ground, realizing that it was nothing more than a tremendous compaction of the dead!


    These dead were waiting to be commanded and then given the chance to transcend, reincarnating for a new journey, in a new world and universe.


    He felt curious, but his mind was prevented from going any further when a voice brought him back to reality.


    "Vicente, it''s time to say goodbye, Minos said as he helped the young man to his feet, smiling at the boy, who was certainly shocked now. "Soon you''ll feel something strange. You''ll understand when it happens. That will be your signal to take advantage of Hell''s opportunities. Be careful and don''t die. We''ll see you again when you''re stronger."


    While Vicente was still processing everything that was happening, Minos pressed his fingers tightly against his hands, instantly forcing the space to bend to his will. Vicente watched Minos and the three diabolical women being covered by the decaying space, still trying to understand everything, even more so the mission he was supposed to fulfill.


    He had upgraded his level and was in Hell. Were they just going to abandon him there? Minos gave his last piece of advice before disappearing completely. "For now, flee to the north. Very powerful enemies are coming this way. Don''t hesitate to hide and use everything at your disposal to escape. They can kill you faster than that enemy from earlier!"


    The four of them disappeared, unable to see the look of terror on Vicente''s face. They crossed space-time again, returning to the universe itself, in particular, the planet of Forfex.


    The journey for them was quite quick. Minos had marked the world of Forfex to facilitate their journey there from Hell, making it possible for them to arrive just a few days after their departure.


    For them it had only been a few hours in Hell, but the time in Hell and on the planet of Forfex had very different passages. Luckily for them, the advantage was in favor of those who lived on the world they returned to.


    "Are they coming after us?" Gloria asked as soon as they identified that they were not far from where they had left before, close to reaching the place that Forfex''s soul fragment had indicated to them.


    Abby and Ruth watched as the spatial distortion they had used closed completely, with Minos assuring them that it wouldn''t be so easy for their enemies to get there using the same path as them.


    "Yes, but it will take them longer to reach us." He looked at the map of Forfex, understanding the route they should take now. "But time is short and they should be here soon. So let''s hurry. We must quickly fulfill our promise to Forfex and try out the technology he studied!"


    The three nodded, then flew off after him, leaving behind the idea that they had thrown a poor ignoramus into Hell and not even given him a manual.


    Vicente was now in his toughest survival test. But that wasn''t their problem. Their lives were also hanging by a thread and the four of them didn''t intend to make it easy for anyone to defeat them when they had already gone so far in their cultivation.

 Chapter 2871 The City of Forfex

    ?Chapter 2871 The City of ForfexMinos'' group finally spotted the city indicated by Forfex, arriving in the area days after their strategic move in Hell.


    If the Devils who had tried to reach them that day wanted to get to where they were, they would have to guess randomly between the planets that Minos and his women had recently passed. And even if they chose the right option, they would need to find the three of them in that world, which would also cost them some time.


    Minos and his wives had not been reached in the time that had passed since that escape at the edge, reaching their destination on this world before they were reached. They wasted no time observing the view of the town of no more than 10,000 inhabitants, a humble location in this world, with below-average spiritual strength for the world itself. This place seemed quite simple, being small and without the presence of any force that they would deem worthy of attention.


    Minos understood what this place was: a safe and unlikely refuge for Forfex''s enemies to seek their relatives.


    He walked ahead of his women, leading them into the small city made up of just two races. One of them was the same as Forfex, the dominant race on the planet, and the other was a race of felines, quite curious about most people new to the planet, but not so much to the group.


    Minos and his wives were already used to the different races of this vast universe. Nothing compared to what they knew from Hell, so everything new they saw was more or less simple for them to get used to at a single glance.


    The same wasn''t true of the population. Almost all the people living their lives in this place noticed the group, some with looks of fear and others with hatred.


    This world was not so often visited by foreigners, and there was a certain antipathy towards aliens on the part of the locals. Unlike Zocarro, where there were entire alien-related communities, there was nothing like this in the world of Forfex.


    Minos and his people moved on, ignoring the peculiar looks from the locals, making their way to where they were in search of Forfex''s relatives.


    The map Forfex had given them was very accurate. Even inside the town, they could see that they would still have to walk down two entire streets to reach the place marked on the map.


    Five minutes was enough for them to arrive in a humble area of Forfex''s town, a place with narrow roads and several mud houses, small and rather crowded residences.


    "This is the place," Minos said as he looked at the place that had nothing that could make it appear to contain anything of value, even to people capable of facing True Celestials!


    The place was so ordinary that, from its appearance, Minos wouldn''t judge one who thought they could never get anything of value there, even for low-level Sovereigns.


    ''The strongest here are newly promoted Sovereigns... Looks like this place isn''t just a hideout for the people of Forfex.


    "Who are you people? What do you want?" A young level 99 boy asked from in front of the house that the four aliens with strong spiritual fluctuations had stopped at.


    The three women let Minos deal with the matter, remaining silent as they observed their surroundings. He cracked a smile on his face and said, "I have a map drawn by an old friend that brought me to this place." He was sincere, showing the item in his hands, a cloth map that had some kind of formation on it that gave it special abilities. "Do you know someone called Forfex?"


    The young man''s gaze changed instantly at the name Minos mentioned. "Forfex?" he asked in surprise, but also a little antipathy.


    "Yes, do you know him?" Minos took a step forward before seeing a woman and an old man leave the door of that residence, both looking at him with ugly expressions on their faces similar to those of Forfex.


    Minos wouldn''t say that these were his friend''s relatives just because of their appearances. In his opinion, more than half of the local population looked like Forfex. "Go away! We don''t want any trouble!" Said the old man, gesturing for the group to move away. "We know nothing about him!"


    Minos understood that there was some kind of problem or misunderstanding between these people and Forfex. Rushing to solve his problems, he pressed these people. "Forfex sent me here to fulfill an old agreement. I will take something that is now mine and in return I will leave the belongings of the space ring he left with me to his relatives. I just need someone who can prove they''re related to him and I''ll end what I have to settle here."


    The old woman looked even worse than she had before Minos'' words. "You can keep them to yourself. We want nothing to do with that someone you mentioned."


    "That traitor..." said the level 99 young man quietly, almost imperceptibly, but not to Minos.


    "I''m afraid it''s not that simple." Minos smiled bitterly, realizing that he would have to force these people to accept Forfex''s gift. "Can we talk in there? I want to understand what the problem is with you and him."


    This time, Minos used some of his powers, forming a small domain around them, while only those inside could feel the power of his aura. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Those Grandmasters and low-level Sovereigns widened their eyes and felt weakness in their bodies as they perceived Minos'' strong spiritual pressure, not having recognized his cultivation moments ago, of course.


    Minos and his wives weren''t trying to hide their powers. But the stronger one became, the more difficult it became to fathom their strength. Above a certain limit, one''s soul energy would be so strong and concentrated that their strength would be confused with nature itself.


    From the point of view of those individuals, Minos and his wives were almost invisible in terms of power, merely because their aura was filling the entire vicinity of this city!


    "That... Supreme? No, that''s not right! Celestial?!" The 102 level old man asked as he felt himself falling backwards.


    Minos'' wives looked at their husband, aware that, even at level 123, he had a natural aura as strong as that of ordinary level 125 Celestials!


    Minos said, "Tell me a bit about your history with Forfex. Perhaps I can help solve this


    problem."

 Chapter 2872 Solving the Mission I

    ?Chapter 2872 Solving the Mission IInside the humble residence of those three individuals who had stood in Minos'' way, his wives stood around while he sat opposite the two elders, with the young man at level 99 silently staring wide-eyed at him.


    The old woman totally changed her ways and said to Minos in a tone of defeat. "I''m sorry for my attitude. I didn''t know I was facing an expert."


    "We could never have expected that someone of the senior''s caliber would come to us because of that individual..." Said the old man, feeling Minos'' tactlessness in hiding such information from them.


    The powerful had to make it clear so that weak commoners like themselves wouldn''t make terrible mistakes - that local thought.


    "Don''t worry. Just tell me your story with Forfex and we''ll be fine." Minos didn''t want to have to deal with these people''s flattery, nor their fear of his position.


    The old woman said, "Our relationship with him? Sigh! It''s a long story, a story that would only make the senior angry to waste his time.


    That person was one of us, a family member, like the one you''re looking for. But he was a coward. He was supposed to take a stand and ran away before the decisive day for him and us. That cost our family a lot, relegating us to our current situation." She gestured as she spoke, trying not to look angry but unable to hide her frown. She clearly held a great grudge against Forfex.


    "That''s strange to hear. The Forfex I knew was a strong guy with great talent. Why would he run away from something?" Minos asked, his incomprehension showing on his face.


    Had he misjudged Forfex?


    "Great talent? Forfex?" The level 99 young man asked, hearing something so absurd that he couldn''t help but exclaim with a smile on his face.


    Minos looked at the level 99 youth and said, "Certainly. He and I were competing for something and the last time I saw him, he was a level 115 Supreme. Now he must be stronger."


    The three people there couldn''t believe Minos'' words, each of them widening their eyes and adjusting themselves in a way that explained their disbelief at this. "Impossible!"


    "Are you serious?" The old woman asked.


    "Yes, I am." Minos noticed that Forfex''s story was really complicated. "You didn''t consider him talented enough for that?"


    The old man explained, "Our family has never had a Supreme in its entire history, even considering our greatest talents. But Forfex was a mediocre talent at best. When he ran away, he was on the same level as Axils." He nodded to the young man at level 99.


    "How long ago was that?" Minos asked doubtfully.


    "About 400 years," said the woman, recalling the past. "That''s how long we had to bear the consequences of his escape, which led us to have to return to our humble origins." The old man added, making it easier for Minos'' group to understand Forfex''s story. "That cursed man was born 10,000 years ago, in this very place where we are. But at the time of his birth, some of the most talented family members in our history came together. They led us to a good regional position, taking us to the point of having our own cities and domains.


    Forfex was never a good talent, but he was always intelligent. I admit that. He always knew how to choose his friends. It seems that after he ran away, he stayed that way." He looked at Minos'' wings, shuddering at the thought of this boy''s powers. "At that time, he made a friendship of great value to the family. This friendship brought us into contact with a great regional force, opening many doors for us. So far, so good. He was well-liked and had great importance, even though he was weak.


    Things started to take a turn for the worse when a talented girl member of this allied force fell in love with him. We arranged the marriage and thought that all would be well for an alliance of a few thousand years. But then, one fine day, the bastard ran away, leaving a letter explaining that he couldn''t marry her!"


    At this point in the explanation, the old man was practically shouting as he spoke. Minos could already see where this conversation was going and closed his eyes in regret. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "His escape destroyed us. We fell out with that organization, lost all the deals we had and were eventually targeted by former enemies. We ended up suffering a severe fall and dropping even lower than we were before he was born. Amid this, we lost all our good talents and are now relegated to the end of the family." The old woman concluded, unable to stop thinking of Forfex with hatred.


    All he was supposed to do was marry someone and live his life. But he rejected that and set the whole family on a path of destruction!


    Gloria heard that and remembered the problems she had in the Spiritual World. This was the kind of thing she had heard about on her journey before committing herself to Minos. Things like this happened all the time, but she hadn''t expected to come across it now, so far from her homeland and at such high levels.


    ''It seems that reproduction is, after all, everyone''s ultimate goal. Everything ends up being connected to this and problems capable of affecting even Sovereigns can start with things as simple as marriages... She pondered the matter.


    Minos then asked, "How are you related to Forfex? Are there others besides you?"


    The young man was the one who answered, "That useless one is my brother. Those are my uncle and grandmother. Our other relatives number no more than 20 and they''re all on the outskirts, working for a living"


    The reality of this planet was harsh. There were parts of the planet that were very rich and abundant. But traveling around it was very difficult. If one was born in the wrong place or forced to hide in certain areas, they could easily find themselves trapped and unable to find better places. Not only that, with the harsh natural competition, these beings might have to suffer a lot to get the bare minimum, even at levels high enough to conquer planets like the Spiritual World.


    Minos understood the suffering of this family, even though they were much stronger than 99.9% of the strongest in the Spiritual World.


    He stood up and said, "Give me some of your blood and I''ll help you. Like Forfex or not, but use what he left you. The resources I have to give you can give you back everything you''ve lost and even put you in a better position than you were in before!"

 Chapter 2873 Solving Mission II

    Chapter 2873 Solving Mission IIForfex''s three relatives reluctantly accepted Minos'' offer. They didn''t want to receive anything from Forfex, even if he had somehow become powerful and regretted his choices. But in front of someone as strong as a Celestial, they didn''t want to cause friction with refusals.


    Cutting off the tip of one of his fingers, the level 99 young man let a drop of his blood fall, enabling Minos to see through his lineage and identify the connection between this Grandmaster and Forfex.


    Yeah, they really are brothers. There''s no doubt about it.


    "Since you''re Forfex''s brother, I''ll leave the resources I''m here to deliver to you. Take good care of them and use them wisely. You can get very far with it, but if you''re not careful, you''ll bring ruin to your people far worse than you think Forfex has done you in the past."


    The three locals watched that seemingly simple item fall into the hands of the level 99 boy.


    Minos didn''t leave immediately, giving these people the chance to check what Forfex had left for them while he himself looked for the trace of where his old friend had left his research.


    "That..." The level 99 Grandmaster opened his mouth in astonishment, not believing that what he was seeing was real.


    The two elders approached him to see what it was, while Minos found his way to the underground part of the estate.


    "What''s that?" The old woman asked in surprise. "Forfex left that? How?"


    Abby saw that Minos was looking into the future and answered instead. "Forfex is a powerful man now. This is part of the wealth he built up."


    "How is that possible? How did he overcome his mediocre talent?" The old man asked, speaking loudly, but also very moved.


    "That''s something you''ll have to meet him to find out," Ruth murmured, unwilling to reveal something that had a direct connection with what they wanted and the fate of the family.


    Gloria said, "We don''t know much about him either, or how to help you find him. Minos last saw him several years ago and has no clue where he might have gone."


    The three of them felt their hearts flutter, still angry at Forfex''s escape, feeling moved by such a bounty.


    While they thought chaotically, Minos moved some of their belongings into that small, humble property.


    "Senior?"


    Minos replied, "Forfex passed through here before he left your planet for good. He left something for me underground."


    "He did? How? When?" The old woman hadn''t left the place for a long time and was naturally surprised.


    "I don''t know that. But he left something here. I feel a strong barrier below where we are. He manipulated the space, crossing the rocky part of the ground below them until he reached the barrier generated by Forfex''s formation.


    ''I finally got you. A smile broke out on Minos'' face. He passed through the defenses raised by Forfex and retrieved a box containing some scrolls and Spiritual essences. Opening the box in front of Forfex''s three relatives, each of them was too confused to understand anything at this point in the encounter with Minos. Inside the box were the three methods promised by Forfex''s soul fragment.


    "So? Did you get them?" Abby asked.


    "Yes, they''re the ones. Now we can leave," he said as he stored all the items inside the box in his spatial ring. "We can go ahead with our plans!"


    "We''re leaving the planet? Where are we going to do that?" Ruth felt her heart beat faster in anticipation.


    "Let''s leave this city and go ahead with our attempts in a safe place not so far from here. There''s no time to waste now. Either we succeed, or we''ll have to deal with one of those two." He looked at them suggestively, making them see in their minds the figures of the two level 128 Devils.


    Being caught by one of them would be terrible for them!


    "Let''s go then. We still have to check which method is the right one." Abby led the way out of the house, with Ruth and Gloria following, with Minos going last.


    "Good luck to you. Try to hide the truth about these resources and today or you''ll have the problems I warned you about. My group and I have something to do."


    Before leaving these people for good, Minos looked back and smiled. "If you see Forfex again, give him my regards. One day I''ll find him and we''ll drink together."


    Minos disappeared while still being watched by Forfex''s three relatives, each of them lost in their thoughts about everything they had seen and heard because of this quick


    encounter.


    Minos, on the other hand, was soon out of town with his wives. Sensing a raging storm fast approaching them, he saw an interesting place for them to prepare for the most decisive moment of their recent journey.


    Once they discovered Forfex''s method was correct and did what they were supposed to, they would have the chance to escape Hell''s violent clutches!


    Not only that, by escaping Hell, the women of Minos would have a method of entering the Upper Realm without relying solely on their husband! S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Have you guessed what the right method is?" Abby asked while they had already entered the underground of an area not far from the previous city. There, Minos had just signaled for the group to stop, looking at the surroundings of white crystals that sparkled, even far from the light of the sky.


    "I''ve already eliminated one of the two methods. But I''ll need a few more moments to come up with our answer," he said, no longer seeing his surroundings, while the irises of his eyes glowed a golden color capable of illuminating entire cities. The three avoided Minos'' blinding gaze, nervous and worried about what would happen to their powers. Unfortunately, they would have to give up part of their current strength if they wanted to go ahead with Minos'' escape strategy!


    A minute later, Minos'' eyes returned to normal, and he said in a grave tone. "I''ve found it. Get ready to start!"


    The right parchment floated out of Minos'' hands, and under his powers, it burst into flames, which split into four before entering the foreheads of each of them, carrying all the information they needed.


    The four of them understood Forfex''s method, before, without another word, Minos took the initiative to sit in the lotus position and start this dangerous movement!

 Chapter 2874 Separation of the Soul

    Chapter 2874 Separation of the SoulAs soon as they sat down in lotus positions on the outskirts of the rock they had entered, the four made their crowns of darkness show, bringing out the black liquid inside their bodies.


    The surrounding environment became hostile, with space itself distorting under the influence of four powerful high-level Supremes initiating a method capable of


    destroying a large planet. Luckily, they were on a high level world, or at that instant, cracks capable of reaching the planet''s core would be starting to open up. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even so, anyone who was within 300 kilometers of their location at the moment would feel an unparalleled spiritual pressure, capable of making high-level Supremes feel uncomfortable and weaker ones die just from being within range.


    But even those further away than that would suffer, with earth tremors and items like formations stopping working as they should.


    Minos ignored the trails that his group was letting spread across that area of the Forfex homeworld. He focused on himself, feeling as if he was trying to pull out something firmly stuck in his head.


    Naturally, the sensation he was feeling right now was not good at all!


    As he did this, he was gradually using spiritual forms similar to tweezers to cut out small fragments and then move them between his soul and a pocket of energy that was identical to him in terms of spiritual fluctuation.


    Forfex''s method, which he deemed correct, was very simple. Anyone interested in keeping their life after separating from an absorbable weapon would have to create a ''copy'' of themselves and take the item from their soul to this disconnected copy of their soul.


    There were other details about Forfex''s technique, such as keeping the soul stable and healing its wounds after removing the absorbable artifact. But this was a secondary part of the process that Minos and his women were engaging in at the moment.


    Minos acted cautiously, aware that he didn''t have much time, but that a mistake there could greatly jeopardize his future.


    As he worked intently, he had Forfex''s theories in his subconscious.


    According to Forfex, it wasn''t possible to keep all your power after removing an absorbable weapon. You would necessarily weaken your Spiritual base, lose part of your abilities and have to deal with the weakening related to the soul wound.


    The soul wound should eventually regenerate. But the other losses were irrecoverable!


    The good thing was that it shouldn''t be difficult to maintain some of the characteristics acquired over time with that absorbable weapon. For example, if Minos were to remove the Nautilus'' Compass, he would no longer be able to use the omniscient powers of that artifact to the same extent as they could with the artifact. But even without it, he could imitate some of the artifact''s abilities if he separated himself from the item, given how long he had been connected to this essence and the understanding behind its functionality.


    ''My cultivation will drop a little and my abilities over life and death will decrease in intensity by over 50%. But I''ll be free of the Devils'' reach!" he thought to himself, already halfway through separating himself completely from the crown Qhava had given him decades ago.


    ''But that''s not bad. I''ll be able to add a new absorbable artifact to my head after today! One of the potentials of Forfex''s study into separating absorbable weapons from living beings was precisely to keep parts of the abilities of an Absolute grade artifact and then be able to absorb a new, better one with better abilities!


    Forfex believed that this could be the way to increase and maintain power within a family, something that could facilitate ascension to the Higher Realm. With a technique like this, one could absorb high-quality weapons and remove them, building up a rich array of powers and a very strong spiritual base!


    Now, amid the last part of separating the four humans from their black crowns, they could fully understand how this would help three of them enter the Upper Realm. Minos went ahead of his wives, using his two hands to tear Qhava''s crown from his head, finally detaching himself completely from that infernal essence.


    Minos kept his appearance intact, but when his wives did the same, the three of them changed a lot. They lost some of the malice in their eyes and their appearances became more beautiful and attractive than they already were. Their hair shone in lighter tones, while their shadows stopped vibrating menacingly.


    Minos and his wives entered the last phase of this spiritual separation, taking care to protect their essences as they jointly sent the four crowns back to Hell.


    Three of them merged, being essences related to Qhava, while Abby''s crown remained alone, glowing larger and more menacing than the result of the merger of the others. Minos and his wives opened their eyes, each of them pale and with sweat dripping down their bodies. Together, they manipulated their infernal powers, opening a spatial distortion to Hell.


    "Let''s make them believe we''ve returned!" Minos said as he deployed the rest of his powers to give the final push to their plan.


    The two essences flew back into Hell, not long afterwards disappearing from the visual range of the four humans.


    Minos took care to close the spatial distortion, finalizing the matter he had to resolve there today.


    "Time to go," he said in a tired tone, already standing up as he gestured for the three to prepare for departure.


    They were weakened, not having had their cultivations lowered in level, but severely weakened, in addition to the spiritual fatigue and injury to their souls. But even so, they stood up, gathering around him to continue their journey.


    With each of them ready, they set off towards the surface, fleeing from this place towards the place where they could reach their spaceship again!


    Now it was time for the truth about whether they would be able to shake off the Devils coming at them!

 Chapter 2875 Change of Posture

    Chapter 2875 Change of PostureWhile Minos and his women were departing from the world of Forfex, one of the two groups chasing them arrived on this planet.


    One of the two level 128 Devils appeared in an isolated area of this high-level world, leaving the spatial distortion between Hell and there and immediately scouring the surroundings for clues. The place their group arrived at was random, so they needed to reassess their situation when they got there.


    "Uh?" The Devil opened his mouth as his expression changed, suddenly no longer sensing the auras of his targets. "Something''s happened. I can''t sense them anymore." "Did someone kill them?" One of the underlings in the group asked.


    "Or did they run away?" sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "They would have had to enter a higher dimension to escape my senses... That brings us to Hell and the Upper Realm." Devil said, not liking how that sounded. "Still, that''s not normal. Something else happened besides an escape."


    "Master, I sense a very negative magical fluctuation to the north of where we are. Why don''t we go there and investigate the situation? Whatever happened here, the enemies passed through before we arrived."


    "That''s true."


    "One of you, go to Hell and try to find out if Minos'' group has returned. The rest of us will go after their tracks in this world," said the leader of the group, making the creatures around him move promptly at the end of his orders.


    They set off in two directions, leaving the place where they arrived empty less than a minute after their arrival.


    Simultaneously, in an area of the vast Hell, a group was about to leave the dimension, heading for the planet of Forfex, when suddenly something changed.


    The level 128 Devil, the other individual who had confronted Qhava earlier, changed his expression as he sensed a very particular spiritual fluctuation.


    "Master?" One of the weaker members of the group asked, in the dark as to what could have paralyzed their leader.


    But not everyone in this Devil''s group was ignorant. One of them changed his expression and muttered, "That''s the power of Devil Abby''s crown! There''s another crown too, a stronger one, a condensation of several crowns, next to it."


    "Minos and his wives were murdered?" One of the members of this Qhava rival''s group asked.


    "That seems to be the case... How strange." Devil didn''t like it at first, not understanding what could cause the downfall of such a prominent group.


    Minos'' group certainly wasn''t enough to scare him. But this Devil would not fail to recognize the strength and ability to hide and improve that these individuals had. If they were allowed to grow, they would certainly reach high positions either in the Upper Realm or in Hell.


    Eliminating them so suddenly wouldn''t be easy, which made that powerful level 128 figure not understand what was happening for an instant.


    But while he was thinking, one of his subordinates cracked a smile on his devilish face and shouted, "That''s great. If they''re dead, it means that their territories are now free to be taken over!"


    Everyone looked at the woman who said this, as the obsidian-colored eyes of the level 128 Devil suddenly opened in realization of this great opportunity.


    "Indeed!" A broad smile broke out on his face as his wounded aura from the battle with Qhava improved immensely.


    Despite the danger that Minos and Abby posed, the Hell''s high-level Devils'' main interest in pursuing them to assassinate them was to get her territories and weaken Qhava through Minos.


    But if they had been killed, then for this Devil almost going to Forfex''s home planet, that meant he wouldn''t need to waste his time outside Hell!


    "All right, change of plans!" said the level 128 creature. "Let''s split up and head for the territories that Devil Abby left unowned! Time to increase our Hell domains!"


    The group vibrated energetically, determined to go ahead with these plans, which were much better than a universal chase. They could all strengthen themselves for the journey ahead changed by the fall of Minos'' group!


    They didn''t delay and as soon as the previous spatial distortion closed, they disappeared, traveling towards Abby''s old domains.


    Meanwhile, Qhava had risen from her tub of black liquid in the basement of her palace. Like the other, she felt the crowns of Minos, Gloria, and Ruth entering Hell, fused together, alongside Abby''s crown. But unlike the other Devil already on the move to take advantage of this opportunity, this wasn''t just an opportunity for her.


    "Shit! Minos!" She screamed as she ignored her still-recovering wounds, realizing that someone or something had killed Minos.


    She wanted him dead, but having the realization that he was dead didn''t come in the way she would have liked. To think of the human who had tricked her and given her part of his power dying so suddenly angered her more than it pleased her!


    But as she thought about the end of Minos and his family, she couldn''t help but feel a subtle weakening at losing those three. Even though she hadn''t been in charge of them for all those years, nothing would change the fact that there was a connection between them. The continuous and rapid strengthening of the three helped her and, as she felt the connection with them disappear, Qhava naturally felt a spiritual emptiness in her soul.


    This wasn''t enough for her to regress from level 128, but it did make her feel vulnerable, just like in the aftermath of the fight against the two level 128 opponents from the battle Minos made her fight months ago.


    "Shit! Gather our troops. Minos and Abby are dead. Time to fight for her inheritance!" Qhava shouted, this time ignoring her healer to get on with the start of this journey. Abby''s territory was one of the largest not available in Hell until recently. Now that she was without her master, everyone would be fighting to get the biggest slice of it! Instantly, the idea of chasing Minos and the three humans disappeared from Qhava''s mind, leaving only power and the Throne of Hell as his goals.


    ''After I get Abby''s domains, it''ll be your turn to bow your head to me, Lothur!'' Qhava thought as he considered the most powerful creature in Hell today.

 Chapter 2876 Another Celestial from the Upper Realm

    Chapter 2876 Another Celestial from the Upper RealmMinos and his family left their home planet of Forfex, successfully reuniting with the crew that had been waiting for them on the spaceship that had brought them here on this journey.


    Back on the ship, the group found their crew watching them differently, each of them sensing brutal changes in the auras of Minos and his wives.


    "What is it? Why are you looking at us like that?" Gloria asked as they had already left the previous station and were traveling through the infinite space of the universe.


    "You look different..." said the spaceship captain, feeling a little confused.


    "Has something changed?"


    Minos explained to his wives, "They''re feeling the difference because of the absence of our crowns. They''ve never seen us without them before, and they''re doubtful about what we''ve been doing."


    "Oh?" Ruth looked at those aliens, not having thought about how their aura had transformed since the change.


    They now seemed less negative, more transparent, and comfortable to be around. Before, they always had an icy aura around them, with their shadows seemingly prepared for movements that were difficult to predict. They were hellish creatures that strangers would rather avoid at all costs. Now they seemed like amiable people to deal with, as far as possible, considering their high levels of cultivation.


    Everyone in the crew appreciated the change, although they were unsure whether it was for the best. Minos and his wives seemed a little weaker now compared to when they separated from the group when they went to the world of Forfex.


    "Don''t worry about it," Minos told his crew members. "Focus on getting us away from the galaxy. We''ve finished our business in the area."


    The captain nodded in agreement and asked, "Are we going back to the Artificial Moon now, boss?"


    "I want to stop at another world. We have to lose any ''fragments'' of the last actions we were involved in... I want to go to the Seraphim Dimension and Zeta Draconis," Minos replied, remembering the promise he had made to the divine dragons, but also how interesting it might be to enter the Seraphim Dimension.


    ''One of these places will be safe for me to keep my family while I fulfill the last part of Devdar''s legacy!


    As the spaceship captain checked his 4D map of the universe to see how to reach such a destination, Minos finished, "After that, we''ll return to the Artificial Moon for a brief passage through Zocarro. You''ll still be working for us on another trip after that." Minos paid the group for each stop, so no one in the crew saw any problem with one more job. For them, it would just be more earnings before their well-deserved rest! Abby looked at Minos and asked, "Is it safe to leave our families alone until then? It will take us a few years to get to Zeta Draconis and then back to Zocarro."


    Minos sighed as he thought about the possibilities ahead. "That''s the best we can do for them. The Devils probably think we''re dead, but it''s possible that one of them will leave observers around our relatives and subordinates. Returning now would risk attracting the Devils'' attention again. Qhava, at least, would still want to hunt us down if he knew we were still alive."


    They understood this perfectly. That Devil''s history with them went far beyond a mere infernal dispute. She had personal issues to resolve by hunting them down.


    Minos continued, "That said, it can''t be that dangerous for our relatives to be away from us for so many years. The Devils must be fighting to conquer the territories left by Abby. That won''t take long to change, but it will be long enough for us to make our way through Zeta Draconis and the Seraphim Dimension."


    "What about that boy? Vicente Fuller." Ruth touched on the subject.


    "I hope he improves enough in the meantime. If he''s capable of what I hope, even after they''ve taken over Abby''s old territories, the Devils will be too busy with him to think about us." Minos smiled, aware that many things could go wrong, but that his plans had a realistic chance of working.


    Abby, Gloria, and Ruth thought it over, praying that many things would turn out as they hoped. They were hoping with all their might that the Devils would take as much time as possible fighting each other in Hell, that Vicente would improve quickly and at the end of it all, they would have the time to at least move their family somewhere safe.


    But if they succeeded in all this, the last hurdle for them would be to enter the Upper Realm, with Minos with his inheritance and them with their challenges.


    While they were thinking about this and the variables that could go wrong, their spaceship shook strongly, causing some of the standing individuals to become unbalanced, while the expressions of the crew members changed. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A strong golden glow came from outside the spaceship, causing everyone there to lose their previous thoughts and turn their attention to the front of the spaceship. There, in what should have been the dark vacuum of the universe, a golden figure in the shape of a man materialized.


    His eyes formed, while a sovereign smile shaped his lips, making him worthy of the extremely strong but very bright and warm aura that surrounded him.


    This being took a step forward and in the blink of an eye, he was inside the cockpit of Minos'' spaceship, face to face with the white-haired, golden-winged man, who seemed small next to him, despite his over 2 meters in height.


    "Devdar..." Minos opened his mouth as he mentioned the name of the level 127 True Celestial inside his spaceship.


    This was no copy or soul fragment like the one he had seen during his first entry into Hell. This was the actual Entitled Deity!


    "Minos..." said the True Celestial of the Upper Realm as he looked at Minos with satisfaction, seeing that this boy had realized the future that he himself had foreseen-removing the Infernal Crown and conquering the Divine Tail. "You seem more worthy of my inheritance now. Your soul is no longer impure and nothing connects you to the nefarious Hell. You have also reached the Absolute grade in your Physique."


    Abby, Gloria, and Ruth looked with anticipation at the golden figure between them, each of them thinking that this was her husband''s last moment before reaching the


    13th stage.


    Devdar could see what was on the minds of not only them but also Minos. He explained, "Today I''m here to give you a new opportunity, Minos, but also information about your competitors."

 Chapter 2877 Status of Devdars Inheritance

    Minos and his family paid solemn attention to Devdar, while his crewmates could hardly breathe with the pressure of the mighty True Celestial between them. These ordinary Supremes were not used to the presence of imposing figures like this existence.


    Devdar ignored the weaklings around him and said, "First, about your competitors, there are four of them left, apart from you. Two have already advanced to level 125, and I was hibernating in my dimension, waiting for the rest of you for the final stage of the competition for my inheritance."


    This didn''t come as a total surprise to Minos. Given the spatio-temporal distortions of his universe, he had already imagined that some of his competitors had lived much longer than him in the interval when he had been busy with Qhava and the problems connected to her. He also expected that some others besides the two enemies who had come to him would have fallen, leading to only the five current competitors¡ªcounting him.


    "Of the three left in the universe, you are the weakest in level and are the furthest away from the two. I doubt you''ll be able to reach them. That''s why I''m telling you these things. Soli is one of the two who is still outside my dimension, having already reached the peak of level 124. She and the other remaining competitor might face each other before the last phase of my inheritance, though." He laughed, looking off into the distance, being able to see the positions of those two.


    "I see... That''s interesting, but why are you telling me this?" Minos asked doubtfully.


    "Because, as I said, you''re my favorite and you will not interfere in the situation of these four. It wouldn''t be possible, so telling you don''t change anything about the last contest." Devdar looked into Minos'' eyes again, took a step forward and then touched one of the boy''s shoulders. "Minos, you''ve seen Hell and understand a little better what happens between Devils and Entitled Deities. You''ve disconnected from Hell, but Hell will hunt you down, just as it has been fighting the Upper Realm for a long time.


    Strive to reach level 125 as soon as possible and move to the Upper Realm. You need to prepare for the battles to come. Your family''s continuity will depend on it."


    Devdar''s grave tone made the four 12th stage humans ponder deeply, with seriousness visible in their eyes and clenched fists.


    Devdar wanted Minos to hurry up and join the forces of the Upper Realm in their battles against Hell¡ªwhich would guarantee more challenges for them.


    Abby raised one of her hands and said respectfully, "Senior, I don''t want to be annoying or say things I don''t know, but why all this enmity between the Upper Realm and the Hell? From my point of view, the Hell is necessary to the universe. Why fight it?"


    Devdar had already foreseen this thinking on the part of individuals who were part of Hell''s malicious and powerful influences.


    "In part, you''re right. Except because things aren''t so simple and the Hell''s purpose is a lot scarier than you think," he said as he looked at the blue-haired girl, understanding that she had seen Hell better than the other three. "On the surface, Hell is really necessary. But if you look deep enough, it''s also the problem that makes it necessary. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the distant past, Hell was just an essence. The Reincarnation Wheel. But at a certain point in the past, a primordial infernal entity tried to dominate this single Reincarnation Wheel. He created the Throne of Hell to dominate the Reincarnation Wheel, but failed. In the end, he discovered a method of achieving what he wanted."


    "By splitting the single Reincarnation Wheel into thousands and thousands of smaller, weaker versions of it," Minos complemented Devdar''s words, making the True Celestial look at him with a smile.


    ''Now you can even get glimpses of the future being with me... Interesting.''


    Devdar confirmed, "That''s the case. But that being failed and his plans didn''t turn out exactly as he wanted, creating the problem that forces the Hell beings to take part in banishment rituals in every universe of existence. From this change, the problem that makes the Hell as necessary as it is today arose, as did the greed to gather all that power again and reach the Throne of Hell.


    From this greed of the Devils, the Upper Realm saw its chance and need to strengthen itself. Hence, the clashes between the two sides were born." Devdar was honest in his words, "Anyway, while I don''t pretend that the fight of the Entitled Deities has greedy motives, the Hell is not as essential to the balance as you think either.


    Some of the corruption of that first Devil to initiate the splitting of the Great Reincarnation Wheel has mixed with the essence of the Hell, making it impure and evil. That''s why we have to fight and bring the dimension back to its normal state!


    That''s why I''m here today." He looked at Minos once more, his gaze solemn, as he had never shown this human before. "Minos, you have what it takes to help me reverse the Hell''s condition. But for that, I need you in the Upper Realm. And for that, you need to reach level 125 and we need to complete the inheritance."


    Minos didn''t know what to think about the story told by Devdar. He genuinely had no reason to doubt this figure, who had helped him so much on his journey. But he wasn''t foolish enough to think that things were so simple and that he could blindly trust Devdar''s version. But he couldn''t do anything now and followed the True Celestial''s line of reasoning. "I''d love to do this as soon as possible. But I''ve just removed my crown and I''m weakened. I won''t be advancing to level 125 anytime soon."


    Devdar nodded in acknowledgment of Minos'' situation. "Right, you''d really need a lot of time without my help. But as I said, I''m going to give you a new opportunity, something that can help you and your wives." He gestured as he improved his appearance while leaving the subject of Hell behind.


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    "What exactly is this like?" Minos narrowed his eyes with interest.


    "The rules of the Upper Realm prevent me from giving you anything more concrete, but I have a hint for you." He pointed to the pendant he himself had given Minos near the end of the last phase of his inheritance. "You can finally use my gift. Use it wisely and find your old ally. He has something for you that will help you much faster than the method you''ve just achieved."

 Chapter 2878 The Fear of Devdar

    As quickly as he had appeared in Minos'' group on that spaceship, Devdar disappeared after giving his hint, not even bothering to say goodbye to the group. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Minos stood in the same position as before, looking down at his chest, while one of his hands held the pendant that Devdar had given him before giving him the tip of the Divine Tail. At the time, Minos didn''t understand exactly what the powerful item that the True Celestial behind the inheritance had given him was for. The thing was so strange that he could hardly tell that the item had any value.


    Because of his inability to analyze the item at the time and the flood of problems that surrounded him afterwards, Minos had practically forgotten about the artifact. Even his ability to predict the future didn''t help him realize he had something that could be of great help to him in his current interests right around his neck.


    Abby, Gloria, and Ruth looked around for signs of Devdar, but the man had practically vanished into thin air, leaving no trace that he had ever left or even been there. Some of the crew of their spaceship even looked at each other in doubt, not knowing if what had happened was a collective hallucination or reality.


    "Minos?" Abby approached him, trying to understand this chance that Devdar had given them.


    Ruth asked, "Is this friend he mentioned Forfex by any chance?"


    Minos nodded positively. "I believe that''s him."


    "What about this pendant?" Gloria asked, looking at the item that looked like a flat spiral on a small metal plate about the size of a thumb. "You couldn''t use it before? Can you tell what it''s capable of?"


    Minos scanned the item, understanding why neither the Nautilus'' Compass nor his prophetic abilities had pointed it out to him. "It''s a tunnel map with the keys to the doors... But it needs power equivalent to that of a level 125 True Celestial to be activated. At the same time, someone connected to the powers of the Hell would never be able to activate it." Discover stories with My Virtual Library Empire


    The three women understood why they had spent all this time with a supposedly precious item, without realizing its usefulness to the group.


    Gloria found Minos'' description strange, not understanding exactly what this map and tunnels were. "What exactly is it for?"


    "To cross the universe. I can''t explain it any better than that. I''m sorry. But it seems to connect me to paths other than the wormholes we know. I almost feel as if they are the invisible fibers that connect the different components of the universe. It''s like a gigantic spider''s web, with two cores in particular. A very dark one and a golden one." He sensed the higher-ranking dimensions, intuitively understanding that these were the Hell and the Upper Realm.


    ''It seems that this item will give me access to all of existence, except these two dimensions... But I can already access the Hell easily, so only the Upper Realm remains inaccessible to me.'' Minos thought silently while his wives and crewmates were shocked by the description he had just given.


    "So what do we do, boss?" asked the captain of the spaceship, wondering if their fate would change and if they would still be traveling by spaceship.


    Minos explained with a sigh, "As impressive as the item would be in the hands of someone capable of using it, I do not know where to go with it. Firstly, I don''t know where Forfex is. Secondly, I''m not used to the map and I need to test it a few times before I can use it to its full capacity."


    Abby sighed, understanding that this was an opportunity, but not something immediate. "It would be too good if he came to us and gave us something that would immediately lead us to Forfex."


    "It''s just an opportunity, really. We''ll still have to do all the hard work." Ruth agreed, not thinking it was a bad thing. In fact, Devdar had already given them a lot by just coming to them.


    Minos ordered the captain, "Keep taking us to the Seraphim Dimension. I''ll observe the path between our position and there to match this journey with the map data. Perhaps after we pass Zocarro again, I''ll be able to make use of the pendant and make our future journeys easier."


    The captain understood, turning his attention back to steering his spaceship towards the destination Minos had desired.


    Meanwhile, Abby asked, "What about Forfex? We do not know where he might have gone."


    Minos took Forfex''s items that he had kept for himself and said, "Since Forfex survived the last stage of the inheritance, he can only have been sent back to the place where he was when he advanced a stage. And that place I believe I know how to identify."


    Forfex was a scholar. He had recorded many things on his journey, from plants, artifacts, minerals, races and also planets.


    "We''ll study the items he left behind and do some research at our next stops. This will lead us to some names."


    They picked up different items and books from the contents summoned by Minos, not hesitating to start analyzing the belongings left by Forfex for Minos.


    Meanwhile, they continued on their journey, still with the same goals of passing through Zeta Draconis, the Seraphim Dimension, and returning to Zocarro.


    ...


    While Minos and his group continued with what was available to them now, Devdar returned to the Upper Realm, back to his observation area.


    One of his subordinates returned to his side as soon as he noticed his return, and asked, "Well, master? Is Minos Stuart on the move?"


    "Yes, I''ve put my last card in this game on the table. Now everything will depend on him," Devdar said in a solemn tone, looking again at the positions of his three heirs outside his dimension, but also at the situation of his enemies.


    "I hope he really can help us like I''m hoping. The Hell is going to produce the first Devil capable of sitting on the Throne of Hell in a long time. I can feel it. It won''t be long before a new war of Devils and Entitled Deities breaks out!"


    "That will be horrible. The last time we warred in the way the master suggests, we almost destroyed the universe."


    "That''s the problem... But perhaps Minos can help us. His powers over space-time are truly formidable. I''m looking forward to seeing him achieve his third divine power and his evolution in his other abilities!"

 Chapter 2879 Back to the Planet of the Divine Dragons

    Almost two years after their meeting with Devdar, Minos, and his crew were arriving at Zeta Draconis, the planet they had wanted to stop at, but which was also on the way to the Seraphim Dimension.


    They had just spotted the planet from afar and were preparing to enter the planet''s atmosphere, where they wouldn''t need to stop at a space station. Groups like this could simply pass through the atmosphere, and there were no strong forces on the planet that would make it difficult for spaceships to get in and out of there.


    On the last journey to the major planet of the dragon galaxy, Minos remembered his last time there. At that time, he had awakened the rest of his dragon potential and become significantly stronger. But that time had not only been about opportunities. He had left a promise for the remnants of a level 129 Dragon!


    Thinking of the long-dead creature he had encountered back then, Minos wondered how he would convince the dragons of the planet ahead to go ahead with releasing the bones of their leading member of the race.


    The very remnant of the level 129 dragon had asked Minos to take his bones to the Upper Realm. But would the planet''s dragons allow their sanctuary and their legendary figure to be taken away like this? Minos was a friend of the race and couldn''t see himself taking that figure''s skeleton by force.


    ''I''ll have to do some negotiating ahead...'' He thought his way out of it.


    As for Devdar''s pendant, Minos was gradually understanding the ways of the artifact and the universe. But he wanted to go to the Seraphim Dimension and then to Zocarro to improve his calibration before using the item to go to Forfex.


    In the years of travel so far, he and his group had gathered information on the space stations and planets they had passed, using these opportunities in combination with the items Forfex had left behind. They already had the names of the places Forfex had passed through before the last phase of Devdar''s inheritance and only needed Minos to finish his calibration of Devdar''s pendant for them to set off in search of that ally.


    Because of this, the group was under less pressure, with a clear path ahead of them to follow, and they hadn''t had any Hell-related problems in recent years that might have worried them more.


    They also had no news from Hell, which wasn''t exactly good for them. But they imagined that the stronger Devils were fighting to expand their territories-something similar to what Vicente Fuller must have been doing. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Minos wasn''t trying to see into the future of any of them to avoid them finding out he was still alive, so his group was totally in the dark.


    But arriving on the planet of the sovereign race of the dragon galaxy, he and his group were in a great mood. He and his wives knew now they were close to finally being able to see their families and resolve various doubts they had had since their first entry into the Hell.


    Entry into the planet''s atmosphere was smooth with the group''s advanced spacecraft. After just half an hour of deceleration, the flames surrounding their vehicle disappeared as the crew slowly landed the spacecraft in a seaport designed to receive foreigners.


    Rising from their seats, Minos, Abby, Gloria, and Ruth stretched out their legs and arms, setting off from inside the ship into the outside world.


    As Minos had expected, they were immediately surrounded by local forces, with several enormous dragons there to check on the group and their objectives. In this world, you couldn''t stay out of certain zones unless you were a dragon. And even though it was possible to spend a few days there and go to certain parts of the world, aliens from non-draconic races had a short time limit for being there.


    Minos wasn''t afraid of these problems, having in himself the lineage of the strongest dragons in the universe!


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    The moment the almost 2.5 meter tall young man with long white hair and 5 golden wings on his back set foot outside the spaceship, all the late 11th stage Divine Dragons took steps backwards, recognizing the newly arrived figure.


    In a world where most experts were peak 11th stage dragons, an individual with dragon lineage and a cultivation so strong that he appeared to be a Celestial was enough to make everyone recognize him immediately.


    Abby, Gloria, and Ruth had just left the spaceship, one step behind Minos, when they came across a dozen huge dragons with their heads and bodies lowered as far as they could.


    "Welcome back, Senior!" these creatures said simultaneously, none of them recognizing Minos, but each of them assuming that he was some top level elder returning from an external journey.


    Minos smiled at the reception and took advantage of the apparently favorable situation for himself. "Take me to your leaders. I have important matters to discuss with your people."


    One of the strongest in the circle stood up, immediately putting himself in a position to escort this senior''s group.


    No one there was bothered by the fact that there were three humans near Minos. When one of them started moving the group towards the central area of the great Divine Dragon Tribe, the others remained silent, not daring to question or look too closely at the superior''s spaceship.


    Meanwhile, Minos and his women flew after the level 114 dragon, a creature even stronger than those who had guided him on his last local passage. At that time, he had left at level 109 after having had his dragon powers fully awakened. Now, he was at the beginning of level 123, many times stronger than back then.


    Thinking about how Minos might soon become a True Celestial, the dragon guiding him became excited.


    When a being of a race evolved to the 13th stage, everyone in the race shared in their advancement with opportunities for promotion!


    ''The entire tribe will be upgrading stages soon! We will once again be among the most powerful in the universe with the help of this Senior!'' thought the dragon guiding them, just before they reached the area where the only Supremes of the Divine Dragon Tribe lived in this world.


    In that place, surrounded by areas bathed in magma and active volcanoes, the strongest of the tribe were already waiting for Minos, aware of who he was, unlike those dragons from moments ago.


    "You have returned quickly to my world, Minos Stuart," said the leader and sovereign of this galaxy, grinning from ear to ear in his humanoid form.

 Chapter 2880 Quick Negotiation with Dragons

    Faced with Minos and the human women, the leader of the galaxy knew exactly why this boy had returned. Predicting a promise from Minos for the fragment of the legendary dragon from the sacred dragon area of this world wasn''t exactly difficult for this level 124 Supreme.


    Having been at the apex of his level for a long time, he had very easily perceived Minos'' journey through his world centuries ago. Now, with the return of this boy on a totally different level from back then, this immense figure was certain that today was a day for promises to be kept.


    He, in particular, was happier than any other dragon. Being at the peak of his level, an advancement from Minos to the 13th stage and entry into the Upper Realm would guarantee the entire race, him included, a stage advancement. This would mean becoming a Celestial for him, his greatest wish in many years of life!


    As such, the leader of the galaxy and this world welcomed Minos with open arms, using Minos'' humanoid form to please the newly arrived boy. His fellow leaders of the tribe were in the same form, each of them looking expectantly at the boy with the long white hair.


    "I imagine you''re here to fulfill something you promised our ancestor, right?" asked the strongest of today''s Divine Dragons.


    Minos said in reply, "That''s the case... During my last time on the planet, I became very strong and I promised your ancestor that I would take him to the Upper Realm with me."


    The dragons'' eyes lit up, loving Minos'' words, but not quite understanding what he meant by taking their ancestor to the Upper Realm.


    "It''s good to hear that you plan to make this move soon," said the leader of the dragons before questioning the rest of Minos'' words. "But what do you mean by taking our ancestor to the Upper Realm?"


    "At that time, the ancestor asked that, before I ascended to the Upper Realm, I return to this world to collect his remains. He wanted me to take him to the Upper Realm so that he could rest for eternity in his native home," Minos said to the surprise of several of those race elders, while some didn''t know if this would be good for the tribe.


    "Home?" One of the elders asked, a strong man, like everyone else there, but with red hair and magma-colored eyes glowing with heat.


    Minos looked at the dragon in humanoid form and said, "After a long time thinking about the conversation I had with your ancestor, I came to the conclusion that he was a native of the Upper Realm. I don''t know his reasons for leaving, but he wasn''t from our universe originally, or he wouldn''t have reached level 129."


    Reaching level 129 was rare even in the Hell, the only place on the same level as the Upper Realm. Because of this, now with much more knowledge than he had when he passed through this world last time, Minos now understood more about the reality of the universe and that dragon.


    Minos'' eyes lit up as the strongest dragons were struck by his interpretation, just before the world around them changed. Even the strongest of them hardly noticed the action of Minos'' mental ability beginning when they saw the scene of their ancestor awakening the rest of Minos'' dragon powers at that time.


    In particular, as they saw the majestic form of the great dragon, someone they had seen very few times in their lives, they heard the request of that divine existence in the race.


    "As you can see from my memories, he asked me and I agreed to take him to the Upper Realm. But I won''t take him there without your approval. If you accept, I''m willing to give something in return and even help one of you to enter the Upper Realm yourself." Minos offered something impossible to refuse. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The elders found themselves back where they were in their world, looking at each other both in recognition of what Minos had shown them and of his power and his offer.


    Minos was so strong that he could easily take everything from this world and they would never be able to stop him. On the other hand, his offer was tremendous and even unnecessary, since the words of the ancestor of these dragons were absolute and should never be questioned.


    Looking at each other, they came to a quick decision.


    "Senior Minos, do what you have to do. We''ll be grateful if we can help you with anything," said the race leader, without making any demands. Your next journey awaits at My Virtual Library Empire


    Minos smiled and said, "Choose one of you to accompany me. I can''t guarantee that his rise will be swift, nor that it will come at the same time as mine. But I will help him evolve and reach the Upper Realm, eventually."


    The dragons were delighted with this possibility, something that would double their chances of strengthening in the coming centuries and millennia. With two of their race entering the Upper Realm, their world could strengthen tremendously in no time!


    While some of them chatted among themselves, others who had heard about Minos directly from the dragons who had helped him on his previous passages around the planet approached the human quartet. With a smiling, gentle look on her face, a muscular-looking red-haired woman changed the subject.


    "By the way, I believe some of your relatives came here after your departure, Senior Minos. Two girls passed through the planet alongside dragons of the race," said the woman as she recalled the information her subordinates had given her.


    Minos'' women opened their eyes as they imagined Lily and Hollie passing through this powerful world with their dragons.


    Minos asked, "When was this? Did they leave all right?"


    "That was decades ago, and yes, they both left well alongside their dragons. The one called Lily came with two dragons, while the one called Hollie came with just one. After just over a year each in our world, they left."


    "I see... That''s good to know. They are our daughters." Minos confirmed what the local forces already suspected, and couldn''t help smiling at the thought of how his girls were doing.


    Another dragon approached Minos and asked, "Is there any other reason for Senior''s trip? If there is anything the race can help with, we are at your disposal. Despite our different origins, we''re all dragons and we''ll do our best to help Senior."

 Chapter 2881 Fast Passage

    After the last dragon''s question, all the elders and the supreme leader of the area turned their attention back to Minos, with their conversation about whom to send with him concluded.


    Minos took a deep breath and said, "I don''t know how much the race will be able to help me at this point in my journey. But I have some problems that may haunt my family. I would be grateful if you could take some of my family and keep them safe."


    The dragons became more solemn at Minos'' words. Considering the high level he had reached, it was only natural that he would have immense problems in his path, capable of threatening his family to the point where it would be necessary to hide them away from those who knew him.


    "Senior, the race will do its best to help you. What exactly should we do? Can we help in the fight against these enemies?" The supreme leader of the area asked.


    Minos shook his head. "No. My enemy is in Hell and isn''t much weaker than some of your ancestors..." He paused, watching as the dragons'' gazes changed. "What I want is a refuge, a place where at least part of my family can cultivate in secret during my absence."


    "Your absence? Where will the senior go?" A level 122 elder asked with doubt visible in his eyes, betraying his concern.


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    Minos replied, "I''m going to prepare to go to the Upper Realm."


    This was what they all wanted. As such, they were willing to do everything in their power to help him complete that wish as quickly as possible!


    "Count on us to help, Senior. We''ll do our best to hide the location of your family members and keep them well until you return," said the area leader, looking at Minos seriously, while his companions nodded in unison.


    Not even one of them disagreed about what needed to be done now!


    "Well, in that case, we can go ahead with our plans." Minos looked at his women, satisfied with the Divine Dragons'' loyalty. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What are the next steps, Senior?"


    "First, I''ll fulfill what I promised, and then I''ll set off with the dragon you choose to accompany me. After that, I''ll make a quick stop at the Seraphim Dimension and then I''ll look for my family members to leave them between here and there."


    Minos didn''t want to leave all his relatives in one place. He wanted to place them between the Seraphim Dimension and the dragon galaxy to delay enemies, in case his plans didn''t work out as he had hoped. But not only that, he didn''t want to harm his relatives in places that were bad for them for an indefinite period of time.


    This planet he was on now was very good for some of his relatives, but not so interesting for others. The Seraphim Dimension was the opposite, being better for those who wouldn''t do so well on this planet.


    But besides that, Minos didn''t want to completely trust either the Divine Dragons - who weren''t strong enough to protect the whole family¡ªor the Seraphim, who were famous for their connection to the Upper Realm and for being tyrants of the universe.


    According to what the Divine Dragons themselves had told him, the seraphim were the absolute rulers of the universe, the eyes, hands, and arms of the most powerful entities in the Upper Realm.


    It would be interesting for him to leave some of his companions in the Seraphim Dimension because of how well they could protect their relatives, but putting everyone there seemed risky. Just as he didn''t fully trust Hell, he didn''t fully believe in the Upper Realm, either. Hence his current plans!


    The Divine Dragons didn''t like the idea of dealing directly or even indirectly with the seraphim, but if Minos wanted to do it, they wouldn''t stand in his way. Having understood what he wanted, the group led the way, with the leader of the area soon explaining that he would accompany Minos on his journey.


    The leader of the dragons pointed them in the direction of the area where, after a few minutes'' flight, they would arrive at the area where the remains of the most legendary dragon that ever lived were.


    In that place where he had got his chance to rapidly advance his powers and greatly strengthen his physical structure, Minos gestured with respect to the ancient creature in the shape of an immense skeleton.


    The high-level dragons watched him act, many feeling bad about it, but aware that it was for the greater good of the race. But even those not so happy couldn''t help but look on with curiosity, wondering if Minos really had the strength to lift those bones and load them into a space storage item.


    The skeleton of the ancient level 129 dragon was so heavy and dense that the surrounding space seemed to distort and there was a gravity of its own, capable of attracting objects that came too close to it.


    Minos took action, taking on his dragon form, increasing his size several times while also using his innate ability. By reaching level 125 cultivation, in fact, Minos'' strength surpassed all the standards known to those 12th stage dragons, reaching the level necessary to make the remains of the great ancient dragon float towards the most advanced space storage item in his possession.


    The dragons in their humanoid forms watched with wide eyes and mouths, feeling chills run down their spines as they saw Minos'' display of power.


    They looked at him with deep desire and reverence, longing for the day when they could permanently reach the 13th stage.


    As Minos was already able to enter this cultivation range temporarily, they imagined that achieving it permanently wouldn''t take long. Naturally, they felt more excited about the future for Minos and themselves!


    ''Old fellow, take a rest in my space ring. When I enter the Upper Realm, I''ll find a suitable place to put you.'' Minos thought silently, looking at one of his hands, ignoring the enormous crater left behind where he had removed the remains of that ancient figure.


    With that done, he turned to the group waiting nearby, already back in human form. "Are we leaving?" He asked, not planning to stay in this world any longer now that he had solved what he had to solve there.


    Not even a day had passed since his arrival, but he had completed all his objectives locally.


    The dragons wanted Minos to move on quickly, because that was the only thing that would help them. As such, after a minute, they returned, with the galaxy''s leader ready to join Minos'' crew and set off for the dark Seraphim Dimension!

 Chapter 2882 Back to the Seraphim Dimension

    The journey between the major planet of the dragon galaxy and the area where the Seraphim Dimension was located was not far. Considering Minos'' current spacecraft, capable of moving much faster than he had previously been able to move on the journey through the region, it only took them a few weeks to complete the actual route of this journey.


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    After a quiet journey in this part of the universe where there were practically no civilizations with Celestials in their ranks, they approached the infamous Seraphim Dimension.


    According to the Divine Dragons, the Seraphim were underlings of the True Celestials of the Upper Realm, watchmen of the strongest dimension of existence, tyrants who ruled and ruled, manipulating the entire universe.


    Minos knew that this wasn''t entirely true, but it wasn''t entirely a lie, either. From what he had learned from Devdar and in the Hell, there was a being called Lydis, belonging to the Upper Realm, who commanded supreme over all, being the strongest living being today, standing at the peak of level 129. Supposedly, he and a small group of True Celestials were behind the Seraphim Dimension and in control of most of their universe.


    How far the Seraphim''s actions on behalf of Lydis and his associates went, Minos didn''t know, but there were certainly problematic things, such as what the Divine Dragons feared.


    But he wasn''t worried about these matters getting in the way of his current plans and continued on with his goal of re-entering the Seraphim Dimension.


    Whether they were tyrants, subordinates of Lydis, or Lydis'' minions of the Upper Realm, if they were to have any relevance to him, it would only be in the future and not now. His aim now was simpler, to review the Seraphim and find a safe place for his group, particularly his wives.


    Abby, Gloria, and Ruth had no dragon-related powers and would benefit little from a stay in the world of the Divine Dragons. On the other hand, they were the most sensitive elements for Minos in his eventual absence post-promotion to level 125. Consequently, he wanted to leave them in the safest place, in his opinion, the Seraphim Dimension.


    In his view, he and his group were not relevant to drawing the attention of Lydis and her partners in the Upper Realm, so these high-level True Celestials posed little danger to them now. In short, it seemed worth the risk of staying close to the reach of these existences.


    "Boss, we''re here..." The voice of the spaceship''s captain suddenly appeared, alerting Minos and everyone else to their arrival in the dimension of those tyrannical creatures. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Minos put his thoughts aside, focusing on what lay ahead, the spatial distortion at the entrance to the Seraphim Dimension.


    As on his first time there, he paused for a moment to observe that entrance, still unable to see through it, like that time when he had lost the Seraphim soul fragment that had lived in the Spiritual World before moving on, using the dimension''s entrance ''key''. He still had it imprinted on his soul, deeply connected to his five remaining wings.


    Placing his hands against each other, Minos spread his aura over the entire length of the spaceship before signaling the captain to continue forward, slowly making his way to the other side of the distortion.


    As soon as they entered the distortion, their surroundings became so bright that they had to cover their eyes, while the spaceship shook, as if it had left the vacuum and entered an underwater world.


    After just a minute of this, the surrounding brightness lost its strength, while the spacecraft stabilized, with the sensation of turbulence almost completely gone.


    The group in the spacecraft''s cockpit could finally see what lay ahead and in their surroundings, encountering a world of blue skies and verdant terrain that stretched as far as the eye could see.


    Just as they saw a bit of the seraphim world with no restrictions to stop them, a shadow overtook them, with a winged creature as large as their own spaceship appearing not far ahead of the group.


    Minos found himself in this situation once again, staring at the figure of the dimension''s leader while shielding his eyes from the glare of the figure''s wings.


    Once again, he was impressed by the leader of the Seraphim, this time being able to better see how formidable the members of this race were with their powers over light. Even though he was ''only'' at level 121, the Seraphim at the head of Minos'' group still emanated an aura of power, capable of commanding respect and obedience!


    Minos could see that, just like him, that figure could fight well above his own cultivation level!


    ''Previously, I couldn''t find out this kind of thing, because I was much weaker than him. But now that I''m stronger... Impressive.'' Minos thought with a smile as he crossed to the exit of his spaceship, being the first of his group to leave the vehicle, coming face to face with the Seraphim.


    "And here you are again, Minos," said the Seraphim as its body size shrank to a version more like that of the newcomers, becoming friendlier. "Unlike then, you are now nearing the end of the Divine Journey. I see that you have surpassed me and will soon become a Celestial with the right to enter the Upper Realm."


    The Seraphim looked at him with an interest that was hard to hide, his lips shaped into a smile capable of captivating anyone. But as he watched Minos, he couldn''t help but point out, "But I can see that it wasn''t easy for you to get here. To have lost one of your wings, you must have faced some truly brutal threats."


    Minos nodded positively. "Yes, capable of destroying planets and dimensions."


    "That''s a shame. Anak''s wings were precious to my people. To have them incomplete is a dishonor to the warrior he was."


    Minos remembered the story this Seraphim had told him when he had received Seraphim''s wings and fused them with his previous wings.


    Minos looked at his back, seeing his wives and the level 124 Divine Dragon standing there in silence, but he focused on looking at his wings, which were now fully open. He said with a positive smile, "I don''t see it that way. Anak reached level 121 before he died, but I''m already at level 123 and I''ve had the chance to absorb other absorbable weapons of a higher quality than the wings, which have inevitably made them evolve. Now they''re at the Absolute grade, which would certainly make your ancestor very proud."


    This Seraphim''s eyes narrowed, hearing things from Minos that he would no longer be able to ascertain without Minos'' permission. "In that case, I take it back. In fact, I can help you recover the lost wing. This will make the Seraphim''s power in you complete again and strengthen you even more!"


    Like the Divine Dragons, this Seraphim also saw in Minos the chance of promotion for his people without depending on the help of other factors, such as his lord.


    "I appreciate the opportunity, but before that, there''s something I''d like to talk to you about. Getting my wing back isn''t what brought me here."


    "Oh?" The Seraphim narrowed his eyes with interest. "What''s that about?"

 Chapter 2883 The last straw before returning to Zocarro

    Minos answered the dimension guardian''s question. "I''m looking for a place for my companions." He gestured to his group and spaceship. "That''s not all of them. I''ll bring a larger group that I''ll split between another planet and the Seraphim Dimension. I want to keep them protected for the short time that I''ll be away."


    The guardian of the dimension looked at Minos'' women and then wondered how many more individuals would come here in the future if he agreed. But what he was most interested in was Minos'' absence. "Where are you going?" He asked curiously, with a serious look on his angelic face.


    "I don''t know. I know where it will end." Minos smiled suggestively before adding. "The Upper Realm."


    The seraph closed his eyes, understanding that Minos was seeking advancement to the 13th stage and subsequent entry into the great dimension of the Entitled Deities.


    Feeling that this would be good for both his people and his lord''s plans, he nodded positively and said, "All right, I can help you with that. The Seraphim Dimension isn''t exactly a place to visit, or even a good place for any kind of creature. What is good for us, for you, Minos, can be deadly for some of your companions. So select those who come here carefully. For the rest, I''ll see to it that they can live in peace in my world."


    Minos had already imagined that the guardian of the dimension would agree with his plans. Just like the dragons, the seraphim would evolve with their entry into the Upper Realm. But not only that, Minos remembered how he had received the tribe''s most valuable wings before. The lord of that dimension had made a point of allowing him to merge with Anak''s wings, which made Minos think that this figure from the Upper Realm had expectations for him. So it didn''t make sense now, when everything was about to be resolved, for that entity to refuse something as simple as welcoming his relatives to this dimension!


    Minos made a gesture of thanks and said, "Thank you for that, my friend. I''ll remember it when I enter the Upper Realm."


    The seraph nodded to Minos with a smile, massaging his chin satisfactorily. Now that this human was so strong and close to entering the Upper Realm, any promise from him was worth 100 times more than words from when they first met.


    The seraph gestured for the group to follow him, beginning their flight towards the area he quickly had in mind to accommodate Minos'' people. The whole group flew after the level 121 guardian and not long after their momentary silence, the seraph asked questions again.


    "By the way, when exactly will you be leaving your family here?"


    "Part of it will be in a few years," Minos said his plans to this figure, while looking at the horizon, seeing several communities of seraphim on their way. "I''ll go to the planet where they are and then come back to divide them into the two hiding places I''ve chosen. But I will continue traveling alongside my wives. It will only be on the eve of my advance that I will leave these three here and go alone to my ultimate challenge."


    "That sounds good." The seraph agreed, imagining that a strong group like that could grow stronger and faster together. He could read the thoughts of the people around him and already understood a little better what these women were capable of. Even though Minos was a monster in his own right, their help could speed things up.


    The dimension guardian also thought that this could bring business opportunities for them, as well as the chance of level advancement that would come from Minos'' advancement.


    ''That''s good. The sooner he enters the Upper Realm, the better for the race and for the lord''s plans.


    "Is there anything else I could help you with besides giving him a new wing?" He asked as the group slowly saw a grassy area close to waterfalls but without any local community, where they were gradually decreasing their speed and flying altitude.


    "That''s all for now." Minos smiled, grateful for this seraph''s willingness, aware that he would pay for it when he entered the Upper Realm.


    The politics of the Upper Realm must have been even more brutal and demanding than anything he had experienced in the universe!


    "Well, don''t hesitate to talk to me if anything comes up that I can help with." He finally stopped flying, not landing on that green terrain and breathtaking view. As he hovered a few dozen meters above the area''s perfect lawn, he said as he gestured, "This is one of the most remote spots in our world, a good place to farm, where some of our laws are weaker. It will be perfect for the group you plan to bring here."


    Obviously, he had read the minds of the weaker ones in this group, seeing clearly that the group of Minos'' relatives to come here was basically made up of Sovereigns. He would only be able to receive such a group in one of the weak areas of the dimension.


    Minos looked around, certain that this place was good and not so dangerous for the humans he would soon be bringing here.


    "Your women or your 12th stage companions will be able to go beyond the limits of this area, but the others I would advise you to talk to about avoiding exploring beyond the area''s mountains. The light of the dimension could consume them."


    "I''ll remember that," Minos said, as he nodded in agreement.


    "I can leave a group of Seraphim here to help with trade and communication with your people. I''ll also leave a line of communication open for your wives or the group''s Supremes to reach me. But the dimension is very quiet, so I imagine they''ll spend most of their time here in seclusion." The seraph then pointed to the east, changing the subject. "Anyway, your new wing is in that direction. Let''s go. I don''t want to hold up your group." Discover more stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    They flew off at high speed again, but this time Abby took the floor by questioning the seraph. "Senior, what does your lord want from Minos? We have no problem paying our debts, but it would be good to know the kind of thing that awaits us in the Upper Realm." S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The seraph looked at this level 123 woman, who he could tell had extremely strong killing power. Something about her even prevented him from seeing her every thought, something unusual.


    He didn''t doubt that these women would indeed manage to enter the Upper Realm, which would naturally put each of them in a position to pay their lord back for these opportunities.


    "What does my lord want from you?" He opened his mouth, asking himself what that was all about.

 Chapter 2884 Total Recovery Before Departure

    "I don''t know." The seraph laughed as he looked at Minos'' group, speaking sincerely. "But the Upper Realm is home to several True Celestials and their families. I imagine the situation up there is complicated, much more so than it is in my dimension. My lord is certainly the most powerful of them all, but it''s difficult for me to decipher his plans and thoughts. After all, I have limited knowledge of the universe and what lies beyond it. Perhaps you can play a role that only someone from the Upper Realm would understand."


    The Seraph''s wise words didn''t exactly answer Abby and the others'' doubts, but they did point them in the direction they believed made sense. Things they didn''t know happened in the Upper Realm and surely the lord of the Seraphim would charge them for the ''help'' he or his creations gave them.


    Would that be difficult or dangerous? They believed so, but could not estimate anything more on the subject.


    With this answer, they arrived at an area of the tribe where several six-winged creatures were going about their routines, some fighting, others teaching, and several acting like ordinary beings, preparing to eat, cleaning items and also their homes. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Beyond this living area of the tribe, they spotted what looked like a small mountain of wings, where several of the remains of seraphim were clustered irregularly on the outskirts.


    The guardian of the dimension then pointed ahead, indicating that area with wings, a different place from the one he had taken Minos to centuries ago. "Minos, I have an interesting set of wings to merge with you. These wings aren''t of the same quality as the first one you absorbed, but your current wings won''t reject it. When you merge, it should help you regain the wing you lost."


    "Will that strengthen him in some grade?" Gloria asked.


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    "Hardly. At most, it will recover the power that Minos lost because he lost one of his wings."


    Minos'' seraphim wings were mainly related to his physical and defensive qualities, but they also had a connection to his prophetic powers. The ability he had gained from these wings made him able to catch glimpses of the history of artifacts, people, and places, which helped his other powers to use these facts to predict future trends.


    Only Minos knew for sure how his abilities combined to form the set of capabilities that his companions and enemies knew he had in his repertoire. Just regaining the part of his powers that he had lost with that wing was enough for him at the moment.


    "Any wing will be more than I thought I could manage here," Minos said to the seraph, maintaining his respect and gratitude for the winged creature. "As I said, I didn''t come here thinking I could get that wing back."


    The seraph nodded at him before advising. "The rest of you should stay before that portal." He pointed ahead, where the entrance to the area where they kept the wings of some of their long-dead tribe members was. "The absorption of a new wing into a seraphim is not simple, and it could be dangerous for all of us to be too close to Minos."


    He included himself in this group, aware that Minos'' power was already similar to that of an ordinary Celestial, even though this human was only at level 123.


    The guardian of the dimension said to him, "Go ahead, Minos. The wing waiting for you will direct you to it." He stopped at the entrance to that area together with Minos'' group¡ªthe three women and the Divine Dragon.


    "This will be quick. Wait for me here." Minos waved to him and the group, moving on alone, leaving them waiting for him there.


    Meanwhile, the Divine Dragon looked at Minos'' back, seeing the five wings there, as he stood side by side with one of the tyrants of the universe.


    "I hope you don''t take Minos down the hole," He murmured softly to the seraph, who smiled subtly as he understood where this concern was coming from.


    "You Divine Dragons are attached to the past of the universe. We Seraphim have long since ceased to have any influence on the vast universe. Nowadays, we''re just protectors of the last few isolated worlds."


    "That''s what you say. But my race knows what things were like millions of years ago."


    The dimension guardian sighed. His people''s past was truly fantastic, but what was the point of having such a past if they were now so limited that they could barely leave their dimension?


    "The universe in your childhood was like our playground. I admit that. But after the growth of civilizations and the battles of the Hell and the Upper Realm, we honestly lost almost everything that made us famous. Today, it''s the Celestials seeking their chance to escape the Hell and enter the Upper Realm, who really cause chaos and change in the universe. We Seraphim are just observers and protectors in the recent context."


    "I don''t disagree with that. But I don''t rule out possibilities for change." Said the dragon, unable to hold his tongue arguing with this ancient creature.


    The seraph said nothing more, keeping his thoughts to himself. ''I''d like to go back to the way things were. But I have no hope.'' He looked up at the azure sky of his perfect dimension. ''Nowadays, I hardly understand my lord''s wishes and orders. Sometimes I feel as if he''s deliberately pushing us apart...''


    Meanwhile, Abby, Gloria, and Ruth watched these two in silence, listening to the Divine Dragon talk more, exposing parts of the prehistoric truth of the universe that few knew. The guardian of the dimension didn''t seem interested in discussing opinions with the leader of the dragons and when he didn''t point out how things were no longer as they had been in the past, he remained silent, apparently pensive.


    They wouldn''t have time to think about it and ask questions. Soon they would feel Minos'' powerful aura leave the graveyard of wings in front of them and reach them, proving his own words.


    In less than 10 minutes from entering the area, Minos would appear above the cemetery, with not 5 but 6 wings flapping behind his back. Meanwhile, his aura returned to the level it had been before he lost one of his wings in a previous confrontation, but also before he lost his crown of darkness.


    Going beyond what the guardian of the dimension had thought, Minos managed to regain his maximum power post-absorption of the Divine Tail, returning to the end of level 123!

 Chapter 2885 Return to Zocarro

    After recovering his previously lost power, Minos returned to the side of his group, immensely pleased with this help from the seraphim tribe. For the second time, this race was helping him to strengthen himself, now at an even more critical moment than during his previous passage through the dimension.


    Minos knew that it could take centuries to recover all his recently lost power. So even though he hadn''t advanced by absorbing today''s set of seraphim wings, he was just as happy as if he had advanced a level.


    He once again thanked the seraph in charge of the dimension, even more willing to comply with whatever the True Celestial behind that race might demand of him later.


    Minos didn''t doubt that he could get into trouble for this, but the most important thing for him was his current problems. Once he entered the Upper Realm, his entire lineage would evolve and, even if he were to get into trouble, his relatives would be a step up from where they were today. The chances of them being able to protect themselves from their own problems would rise significantly and he would be able to pay more attention to his problems in a more individualistic and selfish way.


    But he tried not to think about the costs of what he had obtained in this dimension. When he had finished what he had to do there, he didn''t hesitate to tell the guardian of the dimension that it was time for them to part once again.


    "I''ll be traveling for the next few years to reunite my family and bring them here safely. But it shouldn''t take long. In less than 10 years, I should be around to leave them in your care," Minos said, already flying alongside Seraph, followed by the rest of his group, returning to the dimension''s entrance area.


    "Do what you need to. The Seraphim will be waiting for your companions." The guy smiled as he showed no interest in delaying this group.


    They didn''t take long to cross the entire distance to the exit of the dimension, not talking much about other things, either. Arriving at the exit, the guardian simply wished Minos good luck and repeated that he would welcome his relatives.


    Minos was in a hurry in this part of his life and left without looking back, moving on with his crew so that they could finally return to the Artificial Moon.


    After several years of traveling through the vast universe, with several stops on planets, in the Hell itself, and situations that came close to threatening them, it was time to return home.


    "I wonder how Kendrick and the girls are?" Abby asked her family as she settled into her seat in the cockpit of the spaceship.


    They had already left the Seraphim Dimension and were flying at high speed on their way to Zocarro.


    "I hope so. With the Hell Lifelings on their side, few could threaten them in Oqia." Gloria replied, shifting her gaze, thinking of the Hell Lifelings.


    Looking at her red-haired harem sister, Abby imagined the worry that had just arisen in Gloria''s mind. "Don''t worry, they wouldn''t betray us. Although they are no longer in my control, several of them have received the seals of Minos. Even with the loss of our crowns, his seals should still be active."


    Minos confirmed to the reassurance of his group. "Indeed, they are. They know I''m fine."


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    That was enough to make them feel more comfortable, although it didn''t completely rule out the possibility of problems.


    "Anyway, we''ll deal with whatever has developed over the last few years when we get to Oqia. There''s nothing for us to do now but complete the two-year journey there."


    Abby nodded, shifting her thoughts towards Uzira. "What about the rebel war? Mylecent has become a True Celestial... In fact, now that she''s free of my dominance, she can compete to become a Devil, just like Vicente Fuller."


    Minos smiled when he heard this. Vicente was his main bet in Hell, but if things went wrong with that boy, he still had Mylecent with a chance of ascending to the Throne of Hell.


    In all honesty, Minos didn''t expect Mylescent to reach such a position. That would be too much for her, considering her latent talent. But if everything went wrong with that dimension, she could be the last local piece he could use to gain contact and influence in Hell.


    "Let''s settle this war as well. We have to make sure that Zocarro is fully under our influence before we leave. This will be crucial if we are to control the passages between the planet and Hell and maintain a secure high-level base for our fellow companions on the Spiritual World," Minos said calmly, thinking of a future in which that planet would be like his own.


    Minos didn''t think of these things out of greed. He wanted to have control of Zocarro so that he would have a safe place for his grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and not just family members, but old friends and fellow members of the Spirit World to grow up. As he was now, Minos knew that as long as he didn''t get involved in a deadly confrontation, he would live for a long, long time, perhaps even infinitely. This was a crazy idea for him, who was only a few thousand years old at the moment. But he knew that, sooner or later, he would see most of the people he met on his journey die.


    Death was inevitable unless they advanced to the Upper Realm!


    Because of this, even though he didn''t have the fantasy that everyone could enter the Upper Realm on their own merit, he wanted to make it possible for his companions to at least go further than just level 100.


    People like Dillian, Peter, Mia and so many others were unlikely to live forever. But with his help, they could live for hundreds of thousands of years and enjoy this great universe.


    If they didn''t want this chance, Minos wouldn''t force them. But he wanted these people to have the possibility of choosing to go further. To this end, he wanted to have Zocarro in his domain, in particular Armhands, to facilitate the journey of those who chose to defy their mortalities.


    Thinking about this, he couldn''t help but smile to himself, visualizing the moment when his journey would be fulfilled and, even if he failed at something in the Upper Realm, the future would be guaranteed for his friends and family. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''I won''t make the same mistake as Odibrand Redwound. Even if one day my lineage disappears, I will leave an eternal mark on this universe through my companions, their descendants, and a great legacy.'' Minos remembered this fellow, the target of the hatred of the level 124 soul fragment he had met in Uzira before the second phase of Devdar''s inheritance.


    On that journey through the universe, ending with their return to Zocarro, Minos had hunted down Odibrand Redwound''s relatives who were not in Zocarro. He didn''t kill anyone, but he ensured that every descendant of that cultivator became sterile.


    Minos intended to repeat the same in Zocarro, which, in a few millennia, with deaths due to old age or other factors, would guarantee the end of that ancient cultivator''s lineage.


    And with that, he was ending most of his old promises and missions, leaving only what he had to deal with in the Upper Realm.


    He was sure it would be a while before he entered the Upper Realm, so he sighed in relief, only having to look after his family, keep an eye on the Hell and prepare to meet Forfex.


    This was nothing to him. In the blink of an eye, he would be back in Zocarro to carry out his last steps before entering the Upper Realm!

 Chapter 2886 - 2886: Back to Oqia

    After entering the Artificial Moon, the journey to Gunaway Refuge was quick. The leaders of the Zocarro space station cleared the way for Minos and his group, giving them the privilege of traveling ahead of the queue to get transportation to the planet.


    Minos only used the service because he was accompanied by his women and the level 124 Divine Dragon. With his current abilities, he was able to pass through Zocarro''s powerful atmosphere without needing the methods used by the force behind Gunaway Refuge and the Artificial Moon. But he still wasn''t strong enough to carry his family and allies with him, as he preferred to pass through the Artificial Moon.


    How would the local forces know that he was still alive, stronger than ever and back, if he used secret methods of movement?


    Minos would make a point of going through the Artificial Moon even if he could carry his companions with him!


    Now he was no longer worried about being chased by the Devils. After years since he had cut his ties with Hell and left Vicente Fuller in that dimension, nothing had reached them. That meant that either things were too lively inside Hell for anyone to think about him, or his old enemies thought he was really dead, or even both at the same time.


    The only danger he was worried about now was if, before his disappearance, something had happened to his family. Before, he could do nothing but keep these worries to himself, but on arriving at Gunaway Refuge, he could finally ascertain the situation of his people.


    As the island''s leaders approached him to try to entertain him on his way to the coast to travel back to Oqia, Minos paid little attention to them, listening only to what suited him.


    These locals recognized him and soon passed on to him the things they thought were relevant. Some of Minos'' relatives from the same home planet - the Spiritual World - had passed through Zocarro in the last few years of his absence, and news from the mainland had reached the island.


    But nothing very specific about Minos'' relatives reached him. At most, he found out that Sarah and Rowan had finally left the Spiritual World and The Adamant Land to live in Zocarro!


    For the rest, whether they were okay, involved in conflicts in Oqia or even still in Oqia, they did not know.


    After getting the basic preliminary information that the Gunaway Refuge locals could provide, Minos and his group accelerated their speed, leaving the locals behind as they quickly reached speeds only accessible to high-level Supremes.


    Within minutes they had left Gunaway Refuge, flying above the surface of the dangerous sea that had once challenged four of them.


    The great level 124 Divine Dragon accompanied the group curiously on this journey, for the first time on Zocarro, interested in the world that had shaped Minos into this current supreme warrior.


    Despite being born in the Spiritual World, Minos had only lived in the Spiritual World for a few decades. On the other hand, Zocarro had been his home for centuries, enabling him to reach the 11th and 12th stages!


    Minos himself recognized Zocarro as his current home, and his words in conversations during the last few years of the group''s journey sounded like those of someone who had various plans for the planet, even considering its proximity to the Upper Realm.


    The level 124 dragon had already heard from the group a little about how big this world was, about dangers and peculiarities they were likely to encounter on their way.


    But it was nothing for him to be impressed by and expect high-level fighting, unless the Celestials of Uzira were still alive after Mylecent''s advance. But even considering them, there shouldn''t be any problems capable of threatening him or the group too much.


    So the great dragon continued to carry the group curiously, quickly crossing the strip of sea between Gunaway Refuge and Oqia.


    ...


    The journey between the island in the far north of the planet and the mainland wasn''t that long. In just four days, the group reached the large land mass called Oqia, from where they began their journey south to the central region of Oqia. Explore stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    Examire, the headquarters city of Armhands, was about 3 weeks'' journey from the northernmost point of the continent, considering the speed at which the group moved. But without any interest in making stops along the way to rest, cultivate or find out more, the group would take about three days to reach their goal.


    After well over a century away from the continent, with their actions in Uzira, Hell, then the hunt for the Divine Tail and finally the search for Forfex''s research, they were arriving at the headquarters city of the guild that had shaped them into the high-level warriors they were today.


    As they passed the last mountain range in their path, sitting on the back of the great level 124 dragon, the four humans stood up to watch the great alien city gradually appearing on the horizon.


    They spotted the various floating islands of Examire, among them the guild''s headquarters. The women felt their hearts racing, thinking of their children and relatives, while Minos had a smile of expectation. They knew that bad things could have happened in his absence, but they hoped for good news rather than trouble.


    With their good expectations, they left the dragon''s back, starting to fly side by side with their traveling companion, decreasing their speed and altitude as they got closer to their home.


    But they would not enter the city of Examire, as they had always done on other occasions when returning to the guild after long periods away. They went directly to their guild''s island, where Minos found himself arriving in the area and being recognized as the new Supreme Leader of Armhands. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''I had previously ignored that possibility...'' He thought with a smile on his face, anticipating the moment when his relatives, whom he hadn''t seen for a long time, would show up to welcome his group.


    With his golden eyes shining and a broad smile on his lips, Minos led his group through the Armhands'' defensive formations, powerful defenses, but which, against someone like him, had no meaning.


    He and his group entered the island, landing in the same place where Minos and Ruth had first arrived in the area, millennia ago. This time, however, instead of being forced to join a selection exam, they were greeted with cheers and gestures of absolute respect!

 Chapter 2887 - 2887: Back in the Guild

    "Supreme Leader, welcome back to headquarters!" Shouted the men in the surrounding area, as Elders, Generals, and other important guild figures emerged from where they were.


    They didn''t hesitate to take flight and quickly move to the entrance area of the floating island.


    After so many years without news of Minos, he had finally returned and everyone was naturally curious about his journey and, more importantly, what would happen from now on!


    Minos didn''t say anything, but his wives were a little surprised. It was even logical to think that this would happen, Minos'' appointment as Supreme Leader wasn''t the only exciting thing that had happened in his absence.


    Seeing some of their old acquaintances and family members who had first moved in after their arrival in the area, the three of them understood that the Hell Lifelings had helped the family a great deal to reach the leadership of Armhands.


    "It seems that Kendrick is now the leader figure in my absence." Minos said with a smile, watching his son from afar, already flying towards him with a look of happiness on his face.


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    While the three women looked at their relatives, ignoring the Hell Lifelings and the high-level members of the guild, the Divine Dragon behind the four spotted some dragons there, but also a level 124 Supreme who was stronger than the Hell Lifelings.


    The old Supreme Leader of the guild, Jalai, had completed his advancement to level 124 in Minos'' absence, having woken up from his seclusion 2 years ago when he found out about the changes guided by Juma and approved by the Council of Elders.


    Being the first to arrive near where Minos was, Jalai took a deep breath with a smile on his face. "You almost beat me to it, Minos. Your cultivation speed really is impressive!" He said in a not at all displeased tone. It was clear that he didn''t really understand the nature of Minos'' talent, but the old guild leader didn''t seem at all resentful, as one would expect from some in his position.


    Minos looked at the man and nodded with a neutral gaze. "Senior Jalai. It''s good to see you again." He greeted him with a handshake. "I hope my relatives haven''t caused too much trouble in my absence. I say the same for the Hell Lifelings."


    Seeing Minos'' gaze on them, each of the Hell Lifelings - who now almost entirely had their free will in their grasp - shuddered, feeling the power of this individual''s gaze.


    Jalai looked away and continued in his good humor. "Not at all. I''ve heard that they had their disagreements with Elder Navey, but that was decades ago and didn''t hinder the guild in any way. Your family is the biggest contributor to Armhands, Minos. You''re the ones who have the right to lead the force!"


    "Hmm, I hope you''ll continue to oversee the guild, Senior Jalai. I personally won''t be staying long. Then continue your work alongside Kendrick. He''s the one who will really take action around here."


    The old guild leader looked at Minos differently, and asked, "Where are you going?"


    "Where we should be going. The Upper Realm." Minos said confidently, not bothering to hide it from such an important member of the guild.


    "I figured that would be the case." Jalai remembered Minos'' capabilities centuries ago, during the war against Firestone Mines, remembering how formidable this boy was when he was only a mid-level Sovereign. Now that he was a high-level Supreme, he didn''t even try to imagine how strong Minos must be.


    While Jalai thought in silence, Kendrick and the first group of Minos'' relatives landed near where his newly arrived family was.


    Kendrick had reached level 115 and become a Supreme, while most of their relatives who had arrived on the Zocarro in Callie and Vico''s first post-travel group were all at the end of the 11th stage, between levels 112 and 114.


    Hollie had not yet progressed a stage, but was at the absolute peak of level 114 when she hugged her mother in the middle of this important family reunion.


    Minos, Ruth and Gloria smiled as they looked into the distance, seeing Rowan and Sarah in this place, both in the early part of the 11th stage, as was to be expected for newcomers to the guild after coming from the Spiritual World and The Adamant Land.


    But not only these two were there. Their spouses were there too, as well as the children Kendrick had had with Grisdi since Minos had left for Uzira.


    Seeing their grandchildren, Minos and his wives had almost forgotten their perilous journey here. They saw in the youngest members of the family, as well as their children who had just arrived on the planet, the peace they had longed for.


    They hadn''t had the chance to live with their families as much as they would have liked. They were forced to miss part of their grandchildren''s childhood, which went against what they wanted. That''s why, more than ever, the four of them wanted to finish their journey of power and once and for all enter the Upper Realm.


    If they had been in a hurry before, they were much more so now, thinking about how ascending to the next stage and entering the Upper Realm would give them everything they had lost.


    After a few moments thinking about this while they greeted, hugged and commented on casual things with their family members, Minos pointed in the direction of the city, already walking to take the long conversation they were about to have to a more comfortable place.


    "Everyone, it''s good to see you again. It''s good to be among you again. There are things I want to hear from you, about your journeys and the problems you''ve had in recent years. But I also have a lot to talk about. So let''s go to the Council. This is not the place to have these conversations."


    The men from the guild made way for them, with the Hell Lifelings wanting to get closer, but paralyzed by Minos'' flames coursing through their bodies. Meanwhile, only Minos'' family members managed to move, following behind or alongside him to the city on that floating island.


    Jalai also followed them alongside the remaining Elders of the guild, like Segiel, who had already given her husband a strong hug and kiss after so long apart.


    Segiel was at level 118, impressed by the growth not only of Minos but also of the three human women. But she wasn''t sorry she had stayed behind. She had done what she wanted and helped Minos in her own way. Now, however, she no longer planned to stay behind!


    "I''ll go with you when you leave Zocarro next time." She said to Minos, walking on his right side.


    Minos smiled, but didn''t object. "I was expecting to hear that."


    "In that case, you should prepare yourself. We''ll be in Zocarro for a month or two at most." Abby commented to herself, but was overheard by other members of her family. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Only that?" Maisie asked, not expecting her son''s stay to be so short.

 Chapter 2888 - 2888: Talking to the Family

    "Yes, we don''t have much longer to stand around in Zocarro." Minos revealed to the group as they entered the city. "We''ve had some problems during our journey that have forced us into a position where we either strengthen ourselves to the point where we enter the Upper Realm, or we''re dead."


    Minos'' last words completely startled the group, especially Rowan and Sarah, who had been less accustomed to the reality of higher-level worlds for a while. They were still thinking about the fact that their father was extremely powerful and talented.


    Those more accustomed to his situation, however, were not surprised.


    Jalai thought to himself, ''Entering the Upper Realm is not something for everyone. Naturally, the level of threat that Minos now faces is not normal.''


    "Well, you''re so close to the 13th stage. So I understand you, Father." Kendrick commented, not liking that he would have little time at his old man''s side, but aware that at this stage in Minos'' life, there wasn''t much to run to.


    The two grandchildren of Minos standing there, Kendrick''s sons with Grisdi, watched their grandfather with wide eyes. One of them was just a young boy who had just started cultivating. The other was already at level 40, but was a long way from understanding the complexity of his elders'' affairs. What they did understand was that their grandfather was incredible and would soon be able to enter the Upper Realm.


    George, Kyla and Grisdi understood Minos, not exposing their selfish desires for him to stay longer, but verbally wishing him and those traveling with him good luck.


    Amid this conversation, they arrived at the core of the council, where those who hadn''t moved were waiting for the group, formally positioned to receive their Supreme Leader.


    Minos saw Klaus and some of the former Elders, but obviously not Navey and several others. He hadn''t yet heard what had happened after the arrival of the Hell Lifelings, but he guessed that some of those who weren''t there, like Lily, were now in Uzira.


    "Supreme Leader Minos, welcome back!"


    Minos ignored the formalities and continued forward, gesturing for some of the men at the council entrance to follow him.


    As soon as they had entered the council building and settled down, Minos began to speak, giving the update that the group needed to hear from him. He naturally wouldn''t talk about everything, as it was better for them to remain ignorant about certain things. But he told the group about the beginning of their mission in Uzira, how they had left the continent decades ago and started their space journey in search of the next level and also to escape certain problems.


    Minos pointed out that they were now in a more peaceful time and that was why they were together. But it wouldn''t last forever and, as he had already said, they would have to part again very soon. This time, he would either fail or enter the Upper Realm before he could see them again!


    The local group was both impressed by his journey, but also worried about the Celestial battles. But most of them, Minos'' relatives, trusted him almost blindly. They tried to remain optimistic, thinking more about his success and the laurels they would all share in the future than imagining anything negative.


    Even Minos'' mother, Maisie, understood that it wasn''t yet time for them to rest. On the contrary, now they had to give him everything they could so that he could take his last steps!


    "Then all this happened... Impressive. Those years of ours in Oqia now seem calm compared to what you''ve lived through." Maisie said with a sigh.


    "On that note, I''m curious to hear from you what''s happened around here. Have you heard from Uzira?" Minos asked.


    Kendrick said, "Yes, the last contact was four years ago. We should have an answer soon. But as far as we know, things have developed well over the last few decades. The guild has advanced in its plans, led by First Elder Juma. Meanwhile, the rebels'' battles against the sovereigns of the continent seem to have begun."


    Hollie continued, saying what her father wanted to hear. "After your departure, we were fine for a long time, with no problems inside or outside the guild. It was when the Hell Lifelings arrived on the continent that we had some problems.


    The Elders who left the continent for Uzira reacted badly and left us under house arrest for a while, trying to get deals through pressure. But Kendrick stood firm and eventually we changed the situation with the letter from First Elder Juma, brought by Leger."


    Kendrick finished her sister''s speech, "After that, we took control of the guild and used the Hell Lifelings to help us improve the situation of the guild and the continent... We''ve had our problems in those years, mainly with outside powers, but we''ve dealt with them well.


    Our biggest worry was a few years ago, when the Hell Lifelings lost my mother''s signal." He looked at Abby, having feared for all those years if her mother had died.


    They knew Minos was alive, but the situation of Abby and the others was totally uncertain. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Today, they had finally confirmed that they were alive, resolving a great fear that troubled them daily.


    From then on, Minos'' relatives took it in turns to talk about what the last few years had been like, giving him the details they thought were relevant.


    There was no one for Minos to hunt down and avenge the defeats of his companions. They were already quite strong and had managed to deal with the vast majority of his problems and opportunities. The only issue he wasn''t sure was fully resolved was with the Elders who had left for Uzira. But he could only find out by going to the mainland.


    After a few hours of conversation, Minos revealed that he intended to spend a couple of weeks at the guild to help those who would be staying there indefinitely before leaving for Uzira. Anyone who wanted to join him on this journey should prepare to travel soon.


    When he had finished talking to his family collectively, he spoke to the guild members not related to him by blood connections. He promised to help them grow stronger and spoke to Jalai about taking him to the Upper Realm in the future.


    But unlike the dragon accompanying him, this former Armhands'' leader was to stay by Kendrick''s side and wait for his chance. As soon as Minos managed to help the dragon, he would try to do so with Jalai.


    Jalai gladly agreed, before finally leaving Minos alone with his women.


    Abby, Gloria and Ruth also left not long after, leaving him alone with Segiel, who naturally deserved all his attention now!

 Chapter 2889 - 2889: Temporary Stay in Oqia

    Two days after arriving at Armhands'' headquarters, Minos had already spent enough time with Segiel to make up for his long absence over the last few years. They still had a lot to talk about and do together, but these few days were enough to kill the longing.


    Minos and his family¡ªthose who were in Oqia, at least¡ªtook advantage of these two days to talk, review some issues and understand each other''s situation in recent years and going forward.


    Minos'' future was certain, and no one doubted it. No one needed to talk or ask questions to imagine that he wouldn''t be available for long and that he would enter the Upper Realm sooner or later.


    That''s what his relatives knew for sure.


    What was uncertain was what each of them would do from now on. Would they have immediate access to the Upper Realm when Minos succeeded them? What would the qualitative advance be like for those of the same lineage as him? What could they choose and what would they have to live with, whether they liked it?


    These and many other questions were on the minds of Minos'' family and friends, whom he was already trying to answer during these first few days of his temporary stay in Examire.


    Minos didn''t know all the answers, so certain questions remained open, even though he was available to talk to his family. But others he was able to answer and help his group understand their future possibilities.


    But what he was most interested in during these first two days was hearing about his family members'' previous years. He talked a bit with everyone in his family over the two days, but what interested him most was hearing from Rowan and Sarah about their journeys through the Spiritual World and The Adamant Land.


    Both had lived a few decades since the end of the War of the Worlds, during which time they had seen the primary recovery of both planets and the expansion of their families. Their children were now experts by the standards of the two planets and had part of their family and former supporters helping them to rule the two worlds.


    Rowan and Sarah had secured the Stuart family''s position on both planets and laid the foundations for the strongest of the two worlds to be able to travel to Zocarro.


    Meanwhile, Kendrick and Hollie had worked hard to keep the guild and Oqia at peace and under the family''s influence. They had worked hard over the last few years to make it possible for the newcomers from the Spiritual World and The Adamant Land to have a stable and safe place to grow up.


    Kendrick and Hollie hadn''t taken away all the dangers for their companions, but they had made many agreements and sought to make the local environment more stable. But dangers were necessary and the guild''s external missions still kept their challenging characteristics.


    Overall, what the two of them did was to reduce internal problems and the chances of major conflicts, such as the one against Firestone Mines, being repeated.


    Apart from that, the Hell Lifelings were the ones Minos spent the most time with, apart from his family. Most of them had done what they were supposed to¡ªsupported the Stuart family''s decisions. But there were a few who had acted more independently and were now being held at the guild to receive their punishments.


    Not all Hell Lifelings bore the marks of Minos. Many of them did, but there were those who had only been revived by Abby and because they had been servile enough with her powers alone, he hadn''t put his seals on them.


    Those who had his seals on their bodies were naturally fearful of his return and followed everything as they should. Only a few of those who didn''t have these devices connected to their souls and bodies transgressed a little of what they should have done.


    But even those who committed infractions, they didn''t do anything so serious as to deserve their deaths. Naturally, most of the Hell Lifelings had great respect and devotion for Minos, Gloria, Ruth and especially Abby. Consequently, the problems that the few ''rebels'' caused in those years were not so problematic.


    The most problematic had been the behavior of Navey and some of the Armhands'' Elders who were now in Uzira. These individuals Minos wanted to deal with in the coming weeks, when he returned to Uzira to deal with his unresolved issues there.


    And so, after the first conversations with his family and guild members, Minos gradually found himself being visited by various influences from Oqia, leaders of allied organizations and even Armhands rivals.


    ...


    On Minos'' fifth day in Examire, a large local restaurant was packed with mid- and high-ranking Supremes that day, each of them there to visit the Supreme Leader of Armhands, the strongest man in Oqia.


    News of Minos'' return had already spread across the continent, causing several influential forces to move towards Examire.


    Minos was no longer an unknown boy. Years ago, he had been recognized as the new Supreme Leader of Armhands, the largest force of cultivators on the entire continent. As such, even if many barely knew him, no one would underestimate him in the current context of this continent.


    Today, just as it had been for the last two days, leaders from various native and alien forces were in town to try and get a chance to meet him.


    Being there precisely to help his family continue on the right path of continental command and leadership, Minos was willing to move in the middle of the day to the restaurant where his local meetings were taking place.


    There, he arrived under the scrutiny of the locals and several curious growers, but also the members of the continental leaders'' entourage.


    With his long white hair and set of six golden wings, Minos appeared on the scene as if he were an entity from another dimension. Those who were unsure of his strength opened their eyes and mouths in shock, witnessing the figure closest to ascending to the Upper Realm on the entire continent. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Minos'' appearance was not normal, but his aura was even more powerful. Even though he was at the peak of level 123, he already looked like a Celestial, something that every Supreme would easily realize.


    Not by chance, all the 12th stage cultivators greeted Minos on his way inside the restaurant hall in front of them.


    There, he didn''t need to say anything. When he entered the room, everyone who was talking stopped to turn their attention to the monster they had come to see.


    Minos smiled at their reactions, but also at the proud looks on the faces of his children and family.


    "Well, another day here. I hope you who are here to visit me today have some good proposals or business deals in mind." He began as he sat down in the seat reserved for him, from where, over the next few hours, they would talk a little to each of the people there.

 Chapter 2890 - 2890: Final Farewell in Oqia

    A few more days have passed since Minos and his group arrived at the Armhands headquarters.


    In those days, he did as much business as he could for his guild, nothing very significant or that would change the situation in Oqia. Armhands was already the dominant force and its presence on the continent merely reinforced that reality. But there were deals that could be made, agreements that would enable more favorable scenarios for the guild.


    What he could do, given his limitations and current plans, Minos did in those days, taking the opportunity in the meantime to catch up on all the recent history of his companions and family.


    However short a few days were, he had learned everything remotely relevant about his companions in the Spiritual World, in The Adamant Land and Oqia. He was now up to date on the situation of each of them, their cultivations, and expectations of moving in the future. He also heard a lot about his grandchildren who had stayed behind, as well as the families they were already developing.


    Sarah and Rowan''s sons had already had their wives and were supposedly trying to reproduce. But they hadn''t yet been lucky enough to have their first children and so Minos wasn''t yet a great-grandfather.


    Minos was happy with his family''s progress in his absence and promised Sarah Rowan that he would go to the Spiritual World and The Adamant Land one last time to meet the rest of the family before continuing his journey into the Upper Realm.


    So he entered his last days at headquarters, already preparing to say goodbye to those who would be staying and to leave with those who would be hitching a ride with him to Uzira.


    ...


    On the day of Minos and his family''s departure from Examire, he kept an eye on Kendrick''s sons as he walked alongside his two male children.


    Rowan had a tranquil look on his face, used enough to having his father away to be bothered by yet another goodbye. As for Kendrick, he didn''t look sad either. Being the regent of the guild and having his family to look after, he had enough to worry about not missing his father all the time.


    But seeing his sons training together, Kendrick couldn''t help but think how soon he might have to take the same path as his old man.


    "The journey here has been pretty quick, Father. I wonder where we''ll be in another thousand years..." Kendrick asked, watching his sons as Minos seemed to impart some superior knowledge to those two young men struggling for him to see.


    "You''ll know." Minos said softly to his two sons. "Just do what you can and try to do what you think is best. The wheels of fate are taking us to wherever we''re going to be in a thousand or a hundred thousand years."


    Rowan and Kendrick looked sideways at Minos, seeing the mysterious side their father had nurtured over the years. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Anyway, that''s enough, you two." Minos said, ending the two young men''s fight. "You have good talents. You''ll make good warriors for the family." He praised them, quickly getting them both back on their feet. "Work hard and you''ll be able to unlock the gift I left you. It will take time, but sooner or later, you will get there."


    The two young men stopped in front of Minos and gestured respectfully to him, both with their eyes shining.


    Minos patted them on the shoulder and then walked past them, heading towards where his group should already be waiting for him to leave Examire.


    "Grandpa, when will we see each other again?" asked the younger of the two.


    Minos found himself outside the building they were in, from where he could see the entire guild headquarters, where, in one corner of the area, his companions were waiting for their departure, along with the family members who would be saying goodbye to him. He replied, "That will depend on how fast you progress. But I can tell you, the next time we see each other, you''ll already be Supreme."


    Kendrick and Rowan looked at the two young men, both understanding that their next meeting would take a long time to happen.


    ''Dad will be in the Upper Realm by then. They thought the same thing as they clenched their fists, looking forward to the day when Minos would succeed him.


    "Anyway, don''t think too much about it. Go on your journeys and create your own stories. I''ll hear about your paths when we meet again." With that said, he arrived where his four wives were waiting for him, along with the guild members who were going with them to Uzira.


    Looking at the group there just to say goodbye to them, Minos waved to his people, seeing among them the local Elders, Jalai, but also old acquaintances, such as Aurae, the elf who was currently at the end of the 11th stage, close to becoming a Supreme.


    "Everyone, this is goodbye. Take good care of the guild and the mechanisms we''ve built together. After today, we''ll hardly see each other again, but I''ll be watching your paths, even from afar. Eventually I hope to meet you again, this time in the Upper Realm."


    Minos looked into the eyes of each of his friends and family members, confident that he would enter the Upper Realm and that some of them would do the same.


    Most of them would probably never get in without his direct help, but he was sure that he could accompany and guide them from afar if he wanted to.


    Some of the women there shed tears when they heard Minos'' words, while the men felt more determined, with sparkles in their eyes, confident and obstinate. They too wanted to make the same journey as Minos and one day enter the Upper Realm for themselves.


    Thus, Minos arrived alongside Abby, Gloria, Ruth and Segiel, before leaping into the air, starting the departure of his group, a group that, in addition to them and the Divine Dragon who had accompanied them there, had 17 other individuals.


    Kendrick, his wife, his children, his brother and sister, as well as his grandparents, watched as the group left, with Jalai and the Elders of the guild watching the decisive moment for their journey to the Upper Realm.


    It was the goal of every member of Armhands to advance until they reached the Upper Realm. With Minos'' departure today, they were close to having their first member reach that level and open the doors to that dimension for the rest of them!

 Chapter 2891 - 2891: Arrival in Uzira

    The departure from Oqia went smoothly for Minos'' group. Traveling across the continent was no problem for a group like his. With the help of the level 124 Divine Dragon, it only took them a few weeks to reach the west coast, from where they would set off for Uzira.


    The days of travel served for Minos and his wives to experience a little of the continent''s current reality, marked by much more stability than they had ever seen before. They were also able to see some of the great respect that the local forces now showed for Armhands.


    Even though many didn''t know Minos, the entire continent now knew the guild and hardly anyone would stand in the way of a group of Armhands. They sensed this by not even having to identify themselves for groups and conflicts to move out of their way, making room for them to complete their journey more quickly.


    So they reached the west coast, where they found one of the region''s port cities and acquired an ordinary ship to make their journey across the Violent Sea.


    Previously, anyone would have feared traveling through the Violent Sea, even more so in an ordinary vessel. Even with the Hell Lifelings on the group''s side for the past few years, voyages across the Violent Sea were still feared by guild members.


    Some simply still lived in Oqia because they were unwilling to leave and face the risks of naval voyages across the most dangerous of seas.


    But with Minos among them, those most worried about the journey were reassured, even in an ordinary vessel like the one they had obtained before leaving the continent.


    As for the Hell Lifelings, most of them stayed behind, some to serve their sentences for having acted against some of the family''s commands, while others were given the opportunity to stay and return to Uzira on the guild''s next voyages between continents.


    So began Minos'' sea journey on his return to Uzira, a journey that they couldn''t get too far ahead of and that would take them at least a few months to complete, even with all the possibilities he now had.


    In the meantime, however, he would learn more about Uzira''s situation!


    ...


    In the middle of the sea voyage to Uzira, Minos'' group was eventually met by minions of the Sea Serpent, Minos, and Abby''s subordinate, revived from the dead and transformed into a Hell Lifeling.


    Since being left behind to serve the interests of the Stuart family and Armhands, the Sea Serpent had been acting in the Violent Sea, on the lookout for news of Minos'' return. After a few weeks just traveling around the area, Minos'' group was found by one of the Sea Serpent''s underlings, who brought him into contact with the group soon after.


    Now Minos was traveling under the escort of the Sea Serpent''s group, with the 12th stage''s own high-level creature accompanying them to Uzira.


    Unlike the Armhands'' forces in Oqia, the Sea Serpent had access to more information about Uzira, faster and more detailed information vehicles. While Minos'' people in Oqia only knew about the return of Mylecent and the intensification of the rebel confrontation in Uzira, the Sea Serpent knew much more.


    The contest between the rebels and the royal forces in Uzira seemed to have reached its climax not long ago. Mylecent was commanding his forces aggressively against the Eternal Death group, bringing fighting and chaos to the entire continent.


    According to the Sea Serpent, things could end with either side of the war winning before too long.


    The good news was that Armhands was doing relatively well amid all this. Although the guild was allied with the rebels, they had been acting more as support and getting less directly involved in the fighting. Apart from the Hell Lifelings that Minos had left on the side of the rebels, they were practically acting with only their own forces.


    Minos was very interested in ending the conflict in Uzira and stabilizing the continent with someone of his control in charge, so the timing for him was perfect.


    Just as he had only stayed a few days in Oqia, he didn''t want to stay much longer in Uzira before setting off on his journey to Forfex. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After the last few trips, he had finished calibrating Devdar''s pendant and now knew exactly how to make his way to the first of the target planets he intended to stop at to investigate his old ally''s whereabouts. With this ready to allow him to reach information and opportunities that would lead him to the last phase of Devdar''s inheritance, he didn''t want to linger too long on Zocarro.


    Minos was just settling his last affairs in this world so as not to leave any unfinished business for his relatives before focusing entirely on the Upper Realm and the problems with Hell.


    So, while sailing to Uzira, now better informed about the situation on the continent, Minos was quietly meditating in one of the cabins of his ship.


    Meanwhile, his wives took care of the vehicle''s routine for him, with the Sea Serpent on hand, to deal with natural phenomena and shorten the group''s journey through quieter areas.


    In the meantime, Hollie and the others on that ship heading for Uzira could relax and enjoy the journey to the stronger continent of Zocarro, where Lily, Oswald and several of their other relatives were already.


    ...


    At the end of the voyage, Minos'' ship and his group were practically intact when the crew spotted the coast of Uzira ahead, just a few months after leaving Oqia¡ªa record travel time between the two continents.


    Feeling the spiritual aura of Uzira, Minos opened his eyes, leaving his final meditation after observing where his group''s destination was heading.


    Seeing in front of him the place he had arrived at several decades ago, in a totally different situation, he waved to his group and said, "Let''s go. There are no mysteries ahead. Let''s go to the local guild headquarters before we get involved in local problems."


    With that said, he left the ship followed by each of his companions, traveling among the trees and undergrowth of this coastal area, heading for the Armhands headquarters in Uzira.


    The guild''s headquarters on the mainland were not far away. With the group''s speed, they would be there in just two days!

 Chapter 2892 - 2892: Back in Command

    Viewing the mountainous area where the guild''s headquarters in Uzira was hidden, Minos took a calming breath, seeing that the chaos of the war on the continent had not reached this area.


    The place, once dominated by bare rock and almost no vegetation, was exactly as he had left it, save for the few signs of observation points in the surrounding area. But these were places that only someone with his sensory and analytical skills would be able to understand as observation areas and the position of spatial formations. Overall, the entire rocky area was pristine, with no signs that the area had been discovered by enemy forces as being home to Armhands.


    Minos led his group, opening a special rift without even waiting to reach the entrance to the area. He led his companions through the space, immediately finishing the journey to the guild post in Uzira, crossing the space and arriving at the entrance area of this secret post.


    The moment a group of over two dozen cultivators arrived in the area, the guards inside that rock where Minos had built this post moved into alert. But when they felt his aura and saw the symbols that several of the newcomers had on their foreheads, the men on guard immediately stopped, their faces showing their recognition.


    "Members of the guild?"


    "Commander Minos!" Shouted one of the men who already knew Minos, one of the few there who could say he knew this guy.


    After Minos'' years of absence, the post had grown, gaining members not only from Oqia but also many residents of Uzira. Consequently, most of the people there didn''t know Minos, nor his wives, nor some of the travelers who came with him on this journey.


    Unlike the outpost of Oqia, where the Hell Lifelings were the majority in terms of high-level guards, this was not the case in Uzira. There were hundreds of Hell Lifelings at the guild''s local post, but most of them were on duties other than guarding its headquarters. The vast majority of the guards on standby were newcomers who had joined the guild in the last 20 years.


    The arrival of high-level Supremes at the headquarters was unusual. Even realizing that this was a friendly group, the guards used their devices, alerting the local higher-ups.


    Less than five minutes after arriving there, Minos spotted the old First Elder Juma, alongside several other old acquaintances of his from both Oqia and Uzira.


    "Supreme Leader, it''s good to have you back at our post." Juma said as he greeted Minos in the appropriate manner, while Navey and the others repeated the gesture in silence, looking at Minos and his group curiously.


    Minos scanned each of these Elders, most of them still with the same cultivation as when he last saw them, but some were a level stronger.


    Cultivation was really slow for 12th stage experts, so Minos didn''t pay much attention to that alone. He greeted the leaders in the area, getting straight to the point.


    "How''s the situation with the guild in Uzira? I hear there''s a war going on between the rebels and members of the royalty." He walked ahead of the group, heading towards the command headquarters.


    The group of specialists accompanied him, along with his own staff. Juma said on the way to the leadership, "There really is a war going on. I believe that the rebels have miscalculated the difference between themselves and the royalty, which has brought us to the current situation. The war is close to being over, but there is no guaranteed winner. Both sides have suffered a lot in recent years and each recent battle counts for a lot.


    Mylecent is preparing for new battles against Eternal Death and the Celestials of Uzira, but she''s much more daring than she can trust."


    "She''s in Uzira?" Abby asked, unable to believe something so absurd.


    "Supposedly, yes." Juma didn''t understand Abby''s tone.


    Minos shook his head and said, "That''s very unlikely. There''s an extremely interesting opportunity in Hell right now. Mylecent and Eternal Death should be focused on Hell and not Uzira right now."


    Juma''s expression changed, hearing this for the first time. "Could it be that we''re not really up to date on their position?"


    "But there is news that Celestials from the royal forces are preparing. Some are moving in pursuit of Mylecent." Said one of the Elders.


    "This could be some kind of investigation or move to throw off our forces..." Abby commented. "Most likely, Mylecent and Eternal Death are in Hell and will face each other there. It''s possible that they''ll move here and fight on the continent, or even come the more important battles they''re planning. But it''s very unlikely that they''ll be on the continent."


    Minos and his women understood very well what the opportunity in Hell represented! S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Abby''s ''end'' as a Devil had left many domains free. A war between not only the stronger Devils but also the weaker ones should now be taking place to determine who would get which part of her old territory. Not only that, with such a big confrontation aimed at the vast territory that previously belonged to her, other naturally interesting and disputed areas in Hell might be more accessible to weaker Devils.


    So it would be very bad for anyone related to Hell not to be in it at the moment, while letting this information slip, the Hell could also be bad for those in dispute.


    Minos said, "We''ll look into this matter later and plan an action. But before that, we need to contact the rebels and find those who can really answer our questions."


    "We can get ahead of that." Juma said, feeling his blood run hot as he thought about how Minos could quickly resolve the conflict on the continent.


    Minos nodded in authorization for them to sort it out just before the large group of them entered the command post area, where he had previously used as his home during the construction of the area. There, Minos entered his old room and sat down, leaving his companions to settle in the surrounding area or stand around waiting for his orders.


    Looking at the place and the people who had accompanied them there, Minos couldn''t help but smile when he saw Lily, Oswald and the late Isabella''s mother, Madeline. They and other family members were in this outpost of Uzira, each of them even stronger than he had expected, compared to the relatives he had left behind in Oqia or brought with him.


    ''Lily has reached level 115... Very good. He smiled at his daughter, before seeing someone else, an old acquaintance of his.


    ''Maximillian...'' Minos saw this level 114 man along with Oswald, Madeline and Lily, and couldn''t help but remember his long history with this individual.


    Maximillian had come far on his journey and had become very powerful, considering that he wasn''t even part of Minos'' faction.


    Minos looked at him for a moment, but didn''t want to think about their past problems. He just nodded to the guy who had betrayed him once in the past and continued with what he had in mind for his last journey to Uzira. "Well, before I move with the rebels, there are a few matters I have to deal with you administratively." His eyes passed over several of those individuals who had already been at the local post before today, before resting on Navey.

 Chapter 2893 - 2893: Punishment for Navey

    Moving one of his hands, Minos indicated to Navey''s figure, before bringing his aura down on the level 123 man, forcing him to kneel as the surrounding people moved away.


    "Elder Navey, I heard about the things you did while you were in Oqia..." Minos began, speaking in a tone that evoked chills in those most worried about where this might end.


    Navey had prepared himself for Minos'' return, or even for the day when Minos'' relatives would be able to resolve the matter themselves, if they so wished. But in the face of Minos'' power, he could do nothing but remain silent and put up with whatever punishment would be meted out.


    He hadn''t wanted any trouble with Minos when he had decided to act against the Stuart family earlier. He hadn''t expected Minos to grow up so quickly and had believed that this would be his only chance of gaining some bargaining power with this fellow.


    Now, however, he realized that he had been entirely wrong, and it had all been a big mistake for him.


    But Minos took this matter in a slightly different direction than Navey had expected, "Acting against my family was a mistake and for that, you should serve a sentence of punishment for your arrogance. But what really makes me want to deal with this today is not that."


    Clenching his fists and remembering how he had lived with the worry of having an Elder keeping an eye on him, Minos asked, "Speak up, Elder Navey, were you planning to act against me and steal my Absolute grade absorbable weapon?"


    Minos spoke of this for the first time with several of these guild members, but even so, almost no one was surprised by his words.


    Juma, in particular, closed his eyes and understood better why Minos had grown so fast and was so confident of entering the Upper Realm.


    ''He''s actually achieved something like this...'' The First Elder thought to himself, aware that an Absolute grade absorbable weapon was the key to the Upper Realm, the first step anyone would have to take in search of immortality.


    A Celestial would be just an ordinary 13th stage cultivator without one of these absorbable weapons. Those who had one or more of them, on the other hand, were True Celestials immediately when they reached the 13th stage, each with the right to challenge the path to the Higher Realm.


    If Minos eventually finished Devdar''s inheritance as the winner, he would be able to enter the Upper Realm immediately. That would be one of the prizes for inheriting something from a holder of one of the thrones in the Upper Realm. But for others who didn''t participate in inheritances like that, the path first required one of the keys, an Absolute grade absorbable weapon, followed by the challenge of entering the Upper Realm.


    Juma knew this and immediately took Minos'' questioning in the appropriate direction.


    ''It seems Navey realized this before the rest of us...'' Juma considered, while the members of the group had mixed thoughts. Some couldn''t help but wonder what Minos'' words meant to Navey. Others could only look at Minos and think more positively about his and the group''s future.


    Having Absolute grade absorbable weapons with him, Minos could compete to enter the Upper Realm when he became a Celestial and in contention, they fully trusted that he would succeed! S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Navey looked at Minos while ignoring the people and the marginal considerations of the Supreme Leader''s words. He realized that Minos wanted to deal with this problem right there, which made him feel immediately at a loss as to how to escape.


    "I was just..." He hesitated as he spoke, with Minos leaving him free enough to move his mouth and vocal cords.


    "You were just waiting for the right moment to ''harvest'' what you wanted?" Minos asked with a sarcastic smile on his lips. "Were you waiting to nurture the weapon so that you could absorb it and immediately become a Celestial?"


    Minos had learned in his experience that absorbable weapons could grow along with their users. This was especially true when one added other weapons to their existence, something that naturally strengthened all the components of the body. Because of this, letting one stay with a given absorbable weapon for a while made sense from the point of view of strengthening it.


    Navey paled as he listened to Minos, feeling as if this boy could read his mind. These were, in fact, his plans at the time, something he had started shortly after Minos discovered the black liquid on The Obsidian Shore.


    His plans were to wait until Minos became a Supreme, and then he would act. Unfortunately for him, Minos achieved this feat in Uzira and by the time Navey discovered such a thing, his target was already too strong to be defeated.


    Minos remained silent as everyone looked at Navey accusingly, seeing that he could not deny what had been said.


    Minos closed his eyes, letting silver flames cover one of his hands. He said to end the matter, "You really did plan to knock me down and kill me to get my absorbable weapons, but you didn''t manage to do anything. Because you didn''t do anything to harm me, I won''t kill you. But for planning against me and daring to use my family, you will pay with your freedom!"


    Silver flames covered Navey''s body, not hurting him, but quickly penetrating his existence, reaching his soul.


    Minos used a combination of his dragon flames and the Divine Seal, marking the alien''s soul in such a way that, from now on, he would only be able to serve the orders of those with the Stuart family lineage.


    Minos gave his command, "From now on, you must absolutely respect the hierarchy of the Stuart family. You may no longer do anything without first considering how it will affect the family and sacrificing yourself for the family if necessary."


    The group watched as Navey lost his free will to Minos, with some of the Elders there, Navey''s former supporters, breaking into a cold sweat as they thought they were next.


    Minos had no intention of doing a clean sweep, however. After dealing with Navey, he merely gave some difficult duties to those Elders who had stood against his family, but without going so far as to take away their freedom.


    He then gave some orders about how his family members should divide themselves in the running of the guild and how the Elders should deal with matters involving his people.


    He didn''t want his family members to have privileges in everything. But he did want some guarantees, some exclusive positions for his family members and individuals capable of intervening and mediating in situations involving his family members.


    Today these measures wouldn''t be so necessary, but in a few generations, with his grandchildren''s grandchildren, these measures might be necessary.


    So he dealt with what he thought was essential for the continuity of his group, before turning his attention to the more current and less administrative matters of the guild at the moment.

 Chapter 2894 - 2894: Towards the End of the War

    After dealing with the primary affairs of the guild post in Uzira, Minos took the time to talk to his family and friends who were on the mainland before his return. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He left his group from Oqia with him to talk to the locals and get better acquainted with the post while he took some time off before going to deal with the war.


    As he stood next to his wives and Elder Juma, who had already sent people to help carry out Minos'' previous orders, they stopped to talk about what they wouldn''t talk about with the others.


    "Supreme Leader, how do you intend to move forward to enter the Upper Realm?" Juma asked, imagining that Minos wouldn''t be running the guild again in the future.


    He would really prefer Minos to go to the Upper Realm. There was nothing better than that for the guild, after all. Better to have their leader as a True Celestial with a throne in the Upper Realm than anything else.


    But he would miss having the chance to interact with Minos or even having his influence available to the guild. As such, he wanted to prepare for this moment not too far away.


    Minos said, "I''m going to take some of my family with me to a place where they will stay during my advance. After that, they can come back here or go to the Upper Realm, depending on their preference."


    Part of the group that had come from Oqia with them was already certain to accompany Minos and his wives to the world of dragons and the dimension of the seraphim. Only some of them would stay in Uzira, while others who had stayed in Oqia had no intention of leaving.


    Minos and his wives had made clear the risks that Kendrick and the others would face by staying behind during his ascension to the Upper Realm. But those who chose to stay behind were determined and accepted all the risks.


    Despite being a protective patriarch towards his family, Minos was not an authoritarian leader. Since some of his family wanted to stay, he allowed them to leave various escape items, information, resources and strategies for them to hide in the meantime so that he would be totally inaccessible in Devdar''s inheritance.


    With that, Minos accepted the risk of leaving some of his family in Uzira, being ready to take a relatively small group with him.


    But even though he failed to bring all his relatives with him, he wasn''t disappointed, nor did he think that this was a bad development for the trip. Even though he didn''t get everyone, he wanted on his side, the trip was good for him to see his children again, meet some of his grandchildren and hear about the current situation of his companions in Zocarro, the Spiritual World, and The Adamant Land.


    He was now calm about his journey ahead, confident that his relatives would not fall easily and also determined to finish off Devdar''s inheritance quickly.


    He said to Juma. "I don''t know exactly what will happen after that. But basically I''m going to reach level 125, enter the Upper Realm and figure out exactly how to help the rest of the family and some allies who want to enter there with my help."


    "Does that include the guild?" Abby''s revived man asked.


    "Hmm, I''ll help Jalai." Minos confirmed before adding, "And my descendants will be favored by my advancement, so they''ll also be able to contribute to the guild."


    Juma understood, naturally pleased with what Minos intended to do. "So our job is just not to die in the meantime."


    "That''s the crux of the matter." Minos laughed at the placement of Juma''s words.


    "About this situation in the Hell, what can we expect from the implications in Zocarro?" The Elder changed the subject a little.


    Abby was the one who answered. "It''s hard to say. Time in Hell passes differently and the territory I left was the biggest territory I''ve left in a long time. So it''s difficult to estimate when the war will end, but sooner or later it will. By then, if Qhava is still alive, she''ll probably come to Zocarro looking for our tracks."


    As sure as they were that several Devils considered them dead, they didn''t believe that these creatures would go on thinking that forever. Once you reached a certain level, hiding all their tracks was close to impossible. Their group was close to reaching that threshold, which made them worry about future searches.


    Minos said, having already investigated the future in search of answers. "If she or others come after us, it won''t be soon. I sense that the situation in Hell is nowhere near reaching its climax."


    "Well, that''s one less problem then." Juma sighed in temporary relief.


    "Yes, you have to worry more about the Uzira issue itself. Eternal Death and its 13th stage supporters are the ones we should worry about now," Ruth said, not really seeing how Hell could catch up with them in the short term.


    As Abby said, the situation in Hell could resolve itself at any moment. But as it was clear that it hadn''t been resolved yet and they would still check Hell before Minos went on his final journey into Devdar''s inheritance, they were calm on the subject.


    "Dealing with the royal forces will be easy with you on our side," Juma said as he looked at Minos. "We don''t know where Mylecent and Eternal Death are, but we have the position of one of the local Celestials."


    Minos let the man speak, wanting the location of this target. He himself wanted to go after the Celestials of Uzira, not only to settle the war but also to end his promise to the level 124 soul fragment that asked him to settle the vendetta against the Odibrand Redwound bloodline.


    Minos had already dealt with Odibrand''s relatives outside of Zocarro, and now there remained those in Uzira, whom he intended to deal with on this journey in search of the local Celestials.


    As soon as Juma revealed what he knew, Minos made up his mind, "I''ll leave tomorrow to visit this Celestial in the kingdom''s capital." Looking at Abby, he continued, "You, Ruth, and Gloria will search for the rebels and confirm Mylecent''s position. I''ll do it through the royal forces with Eternal Death."


    "What about me?" Segiel asked.


    "You''ll stay here until we return. Unfortunately, you need to cultivate a lot to accompany us on these missions, Segiel," Minos said seriously.


    Segiel nodded, determined to get stronger so that she wouldn''t have to go through this for much longer.


    "Use your time to catch up with the members of the post and better organize our departure from the planet." Minos suggested to her. "There are things that only someone with your experience and from inside headquarters can do."


    "Hmm, I''ll do my best."


    They looked at each other, nodding in agreement.


    "Then let''s rest for today. Tomorrow we''ll visit our enemies and allies!"

 Chapter 2895 - 2895: Towards the End of the War in Uzira

    The next day, Minos and his family followed the division he had planned after his arrival at the Armhands post in Uzira.


    Early on, Gloria, Ruth and Abby set off from headquarters in search of the rebels, allies of the guild locally. Meanwhile, Minos left for the kingdom''s capital, heading towards the enemies.


    Segiel stayed at the headquarters with the rest of the guild and family, some of them beginning their adaptation routines, others merely taking advantage of the short time they had to get to know the place. Part of the group would be leaving with Minos in a few weeks and going to the planet of the Divine Dragons or the Seraphim Dimension. Consequently, they wouldn''t need to integrate into the routine of the area. This was the case for Hollie, one of the few to choose this path.


    Sarah and Rowan had chosen to stay in Oqia with Kendrick, while Lily hadn''t yet decided whether to go with her father''s group on this next journey. Other members of the family faced the same doubt, not so willing to have to hide and give up opportunities they could win with their own achievements in the open world.


    But they knew that, as Minos and the family were now, their journey in Uzira wouldn''t last long. They would have to make their decision in no time!


    ...


    Minos had crossed Uzira in mere hours since leaving the guild post this morning. He already knew this continent very well and had several locations marked with his space stamps, which made his movements much easier.


    As he neared the capital, he remembered his only passage through the area, when he had rescued Mylecent from the area decades ago and given the woman the chance to recover from battle wounds and still obtain the Infernal Crown she now held.


    But unlike that passage through the area, today he didn''t bother to hide his movements.


    Not hiding his movements could lead to two problems. Firstly, attracting all the attention of the sovereign forces to himself¡ªwhich was precisely what he wanted. And secondly, revealing his position and deeds to Hell, a problem.


    But even though there was a downside, Minos chose to act openly. Hell was already at war and hardly any observers would waste their time on what was happening in Uzira. At most, in his opinion, the Devils might find out about his journey in Uzira in the future, when the war was over. But he wasn''t so concerned about the future now, being more interested in resolving the local situation quickly and setting off on his search for Forfex.


    ''I''ll lead the Celestials into this city and then finish sterilizing Odibrand Redwound''s family. Minos made up his mind as he gazed at the royal palace from above the clouds shrouding the city that early afternoon.


    Then, deciding how to proceed, and having already spotted all the powerful cultivators of the royal forces¡ªtwo Celestials of level 125 in all and countless warriors of late 12th stage¡ªMinos dived into the sky, descending at high speed towards the main garden of the royal palace.


    He cut through the sky like a bolt of lightning, reaching the defensive barrier of the seat of royalty in an instant, while his cultivation was already pulsing at level 125 and his physical form was on full display, exposing the look of a rare six-winged dragon with silver and gold scales. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Opening his mouth slightly, Minos blew toward the palace, allowing his silver flames to leave his large dragon mouth and assault the enemy''s defense.


    Immediately, the spiritual pressure throughout the city changed, with the sky becoming grayer, while a dim glow appeared in the heart of the city. Eyes moved from every corner of the great metropolis, with guards and even ordinary people widening their eyes at the sudden appearance of that dragon acting against royalty.


    Many saw the end of the royal palace''s defensive barrier before hearing the sound of destruction caused by Minos'' onslaught, just before the specialists from Mylecent''s family moved in.


    The two Celestials and a group of level 124 Supremes appeared as Minos'' flames threatened to advance against the family''s seat of power, each of them expressing incomprehension as they already sweated to raise their joint defensive barriers and try to prevent the family symbol from being razed to the ground.


    "Who are you? Where is this aggression coming from?" Shouted an old local native, his voice reaching across the city as his powerful level 125 aura pulsed violently.


    Minos introduced himself. "I am a friend of the oppressed people on a mission for the rebel cause! I will give you a peaceful fate, members of royalty! Surrender peacefully and I will spare your lives. Otherwise, I will present your group with the reign of terror!"


    ...


    At the same time, in the opposite area of the continent to the capital, Minos'' three wives were faced with a completely different situation to his.


    Instead of enemies and Celestials, Abby, Gloria and Ruth saw a group of Hell Lifelings making their way towards them in the middle of a large encampment, each of these creatures greeting them on their way to the center of the area.


    Spotting a beautiful woman with long orange hair, Abby continued walking as she spoke, "Ysolt, I thought you''d be on Mylecent''s side... But I see I was wrong."


    Abby and her harem sisters could already tell that Mylecent wasn''t in this camp, having already scouted the entire area to figure out the numbers of individuals there.


    The seer Ysolt had already predicted the arrival of Abby''s group that afternoon and prepared for this encounter. Having reached level 124 since she had last seen this group of women, this seer was playing a much bigger role in the war than she was given credit for.


    She smiled as she greeted the three women before saying what they wanted to hear. "It''s good that you''re finally back. You''ll see Mylecent again very soon, but right now I''m afraid she''s in the place you imagine."


    "As expected." Ruth sighed as she confirmed his thoughts. "Have you heard from her? How is the situation in that place?"


    Ysolt said, "Chaotic. You left a very complicated situation there. That''s why Mylecent, as well as our main enemy, took the family war there. Some of our men are on Mylecent''s side, and we''ll be sending a new group there soon. Would you like me to send her a message?"


    "That would be nice." Abby agreed and said, "Let''s try to bring this confrontation to the continent. We have no interest in getting involved in what''s going on over there. And we want to deal with it as quickly as possible. Our action to disconnect from there won''t keep us protected for long."


    Ysolt didn''t need to hear any more to understand that the group had gotten into very serious trouble and were desperate to continue their journey of growth and escape from the Hell.


    Aware that the very success of Mylecent''s endeavor would depend on Minos, she immediately agreed to do what was necessary to combine their actions.

 Chapter 2896 - 2896: Outcome of the Battle in the Capital

    Back in the capital of Uzira...


    Only a few minutes had passed since Minos'' arrival, but the scene in the capital was horrifying the locals, creatures allied with or positive towards the royal family, or even neutral, wide-eyed at the result of the attack on the seat of royalty.


    At the moment, tens of thousands of undead remains were scattered all over the city, but mainly around the seat of government.


    Citizens from all over the capital, holed up where they had managed to hide when Minos'' assault began, were now looking at the remains of the rapid combat that had developed, peering out from behind doors and windows, hidden behind thick-walled buildings, almost in disbelief. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A high-level Supreme, a six-winged dragon, had risen above the city a few moments ago and attacked the seat of government, challenging the necromancers and the two Celestials stationed in the city.


    Now what was left of the necromancers was difficult to distinguish where each of them had come from, with their corpse puppets either completely destroyed or scattered around the city.


    Surprisingly, apart from the corpses already littering the capital, only the outskirts of the main local square, where the seat of the royal family was located, suffered from the exchange of movements between the enemy and local forces.


    But in the focus of the destruction, the few brave enough to take a look at what had resulted from the heavy fighting moments ago - which had left over 70% of the city unconscious before the fighting had even ended¡ªwere now seeing the most incredible scene of their lives.


    A man with long white hair, seraphim wings and human form was holding one of his feet to the throat of one of the kingdom''s most famous Celestials, with the local level 125 native extremely wounded, between life and death.


    The other Celestial had died in the midst of combat, and his remains were not far from where Minos was looking into the eyes of the last enemy of any concern to him.


    "You should have accepted my proposal," Minos said in a low voice, his aura still very strong and stable, without any sign of injury to his body. But he was a little dirty from the fight, sweating moderately.


    Dealing with two level 125 Celestials was still not such a trivial task for Minos.


    But he was fine and unconcerned about the possible survivors of his attack, which he had no doubt had wiped out at least 70% of the royal family''s experts who had been at the seat of government moments ago.


    The man heard Minos'' voice but said nothing, genuinely regretting it. If he could go back in time, he would have chosen surrender. Serving Mylecent would certainly be better than dying for Minos! Hell, even suffering Mylecent''s punishments would be better than dying!


    Minos used his prophetic powers and moved to grab the man by the scruff of his neck before he died. "Let me see what you know."


    With those words, Minos made the mortally wounded Celestial lose all senses of pain, an instant later feeling himself in another space, with his physical form entirely intact.


    In this special dimension, Minos wasn''t holding him by the neck, but sitting in front of a fire, drinking hot tea.


    "That?" The man almost believed that reality had altered completely, when Minos smiled, seeing that even a Celestial could be fooled by how realistic the Infinite Dream had become.


    Minos knew that he could make a person on the verge of death experience thousands of years inside the Infinite Dream, if he wanted to allow it.


    But he wasn''t interested in testing the limits of his mental ability with that opponent. Opening his mouth, he got straight to the point. "Sit down and let''s talk."


    The man felt as if something was forcing him to move, Minos'' own words serving as laws that he himself could not deny.


    "Tell me everything you know."


    ...


    Minos released the already dead body of the level 125 Celestial, having in one second experienced the equivalent of more than a year of interrogation with that individual''s soul.


    This interrogation was enough for him to understand many things about the origin of that adversary, the recent configuration of the royal family, past conflicts, but also about the current war and where Eternal Death was.


    Few people, even in the royal family, knew the exact location of Eternal Death''s territory in the Hell. Minos didn''t get that answer, but he did find out where the royal family''s entrance/exit to the Hell was. He also found out the names and positions of those able to come and go from Hell to take and bring back information.


    ''I hope I didn''t kill those people during my attack.'' He thought as he sighed while looking at the damage he had done to the central part of Uzira''s capital.


    As he already knew, the place where the Hell of the sovereign family of the continent entered/exited was in the capital. In particular, this place was in the sanctuary of Eternal Death, the family''s shadow ruler.


    Minos then moved one of his hands and immediately all the dust and smoke in the air in the surroundings dispersed, completely revealing the situation in the surroundings, of the area of over 3 square kilometers filled with rubble, bodies and traces of the blows from earlier.


    Then, with a smile on his face, Minos made a black vortex appear on his back, as the dead in the area rose to the horror of the locals and family survivors.


    ''Ah, your technique is really very good, Forfex. I''ll thank you when we see each other again. Minos thought to himself as he used his understanding of the laws behind the Hell Crown.


    Even though he had lost the Infernal Crown, Minos had naturally not lost his understanding of how that Absolute grade absorbable weapon worked. By activating this understanding with his powerful cultivation, he made a weakened and false version of a Reincarnation Wheel appear behind him, taking to the Hell the souls that were of no value to him and he wanted to avoid reviving. Meanwhile, those he cared about opened their eyes and soon kneeled down to acknowledge their master.


    Minos then walked towards the ruins of the royal palace, heading for the sanctuary of Eternal Death, in search of someone capable of luring the enemy back to the continent.


    Abby, Gloria and Ruth had their mission, but he wouldn''t wait for their plan to work. Instead, he wanted as many plans in motion as possible to end this local war as soon as possible!

 Chapter 2897 - 2897: Position of Eternal Death

    In the ruins of the central area of Uzira''s capital, people were slowly leaving their homes to watch the outcome of the confrontation.


    The corpses of the local leaders were now laid out like trophies, marking every part of the area with a small story of what had just ended and a long journey completed for many there.


    Meanwhile, high-level corpses, dressed in the damaged uniforms of their now decaying family, were positioned around the area, standing guard, their red eyes and disfigured faces indicating their reality: undead.


    These were not Hell Lifelings. With his loss of the Infernal Crown, Minos could no longer call dead as perfect as Hell Lifelings. Those on the outskirts of the destruction caused by himself were just undead, creatures of high resistance, intelligent enough only to follow their master''s orders.


    In addition to the curious looking on from afar, the corpses scattered irregularly around the area and Minos'' undead, several survivors, injured or intact, were kneeling in groups at different points in the surroundings.


    Eyes turned to the ground and weeping grunts could be heard among these survivors, none of them bold enough to show the confidence characteristic of royalty and nobility.


    Amid this situation, Minos was underground in one of the ruins in the area, where a group of locals were doing as he had ordered, carrying his message to the Hell.


    Minos was facing the entrance platform to the Hell, but he didn''t dare enter the dimension. He stayed where he was, leaving the family members, minions of Eternal Death, to carry on with the message he had forced them to pass on to that woman.


    Hopefully, she would be bold enough to come to the capital quickly so that they could end this war.


    Minos watched the last of those Eternal Death minions leave, while he tried to predict the next developments in their situation.


    While those left behind waited in fear, watching his eyes glow a menacing gold, Minos saw hazy scenes of the future, seeing a confrontation, but not those involved in the battle. That was all he could see, feeling the interference of trying to predict the fate of someone intimately connected and currently located in the Hell.


    ''I can''t see what''s going to happen... I''ll have to wait for her to come out of Hell before I know for sure how things will develop. He sighed as he returned his attention to the present time, having already done everything he could to help the rebel cause.


    Now he could only wait for his actions to take effect.


    Turning his back on the spatial distortion that led to Hell, Minos walked back to the surface, making Eternal Death''s minions follow him as if they were now his minions.


    "Senior..." A dusty woman, rather sweaty and disheveled, muttered in doubt.


    Minos foresaw what she would ask and answered her doubt before she even voiced it. "I will stay in your city until the rebels reach the area. They will take over the kingdom and become the new local leaders."


    The woman swallowed her saliva in horror, feeling that, in addition to all the power Minos had already demonstrated, he could still read her mind!


    Minos laughed subtly at the local woman''s confusion, but said nothing to the idea that they might have of him. He continued, "It won''t be long before they reach the area. But in the meantime, deal with the destruction and organize the city. There''s no need for the population to live in chaos or suffer from the changing times." S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Certainly, senior," said a man as he ran away from Minos so that he could both fulfill his wishes and get away from this dangerous being.


    The frightened woman asked, "Aren''t you going to rule us, senior? Why give the continent to someone like Mylecent if it can be yours?"


    That was a sensitive question to have.


    Minos had already foreseen his future with Mylecent and said, "And who says I won''t have the continent? Whoever has the leader of the continent as their own is naturally the leader of the continent."


    The woman''s eyes widened, not expecting that Mylecent had actually been subjugated by this senior.


    What this level 124 woman didn''t know was that Minos and Mylecent''s relationship was in the future and not in the present or past, as she had imagined in this short conversation.


    "Anyway, bring order to the city. I''ll meditate until my women arrive in the city with the rebels." Minos moved immediately after saying his words, disappearing from sight and becoming unreachable for those who had accompanied him in the aftermath of the battle.


    That woman, the undead and the others who remained conscious around him, rushed to carry out his orders without delay. Internally, they wanted Eternal Death to fight Minos to determine the winner of the war once and for all. But as long as she wasn''t there, they wouldn''t hesitate to obey him!


    Minos knew exactly what would happen in the coming days. As such, he let his own surviving enemies take care of things in the city, certain that he would see neither Eternal Death nor Mylecent before Abby, Gloria and Ruth''s group arrived in the area with the main rebel leaders.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the Hell, the competition for Abby''s former domains was intense, with many high level Devil battles having already taken place in the main areas left by Abby.


    But not only the strongest in the Hell were vying for these territories left to whoever wanted to claim them. The subordinates of the main Devils, as well as smaller, independent Devils were moving into the less attractive areas, but still too good to ignore.


    Among these smaller Devils looking for chances to strengthen themselves was Eternal Death, currently moving outside her territory to expand her area of influence.


    She was alongside a group of subordinates, guardians and undead, far from the central area of her territory, from where her companions could reach her.


    But even far from her domain, Eternal Death could sense the arrival of some of her minions in the Hell, beings who should be in Uzira looking after her interests.


    "How strange." She commented to her group.


    "What is it, Your Excellency?" An old man of level 125 asked.


    "Something must have happened in Uzira. A group has just come from there to Hell." She commented as she stopped and looked in the direction of his domain.


    "Is it Mylecent?"


    "Impossible, Mylecent is trying to reach level 126 before our next fight." Said another Eternal Death subordinate as he answered the level 124 man''s question.


    "Should we go back?"


    Eternal Death answered for herself, "No. I''m close to reaching level 127. We can''t miss this opportunity because of problems on the continent. Let''s keep going until I advance! By then, not only will I be able to deal with all those nuisances on the continent, but I''ll be sitting at the table of the Hell''s leaders!"

 Chapter 2898 - 2898: Mylecents position

    In another area of the Hell, in an area not so far from where Eternal Death was, in the warring region of the dimension, the group led by a white-haired woman was on the move, looking for opportunities.


    Mylecent headed the group, leading her rebel subordinates, but also the Hell guardians and undead, a stronger battalion than she would normally like to use, but very necessary on missions like the one she had recently set herself.


    After intensifying the conflict against the royal family in Uzira after the stage advance, Mylecent had fought against Eternal Death and led the rebels against a group of sovereign continental forces. For some years, they had fought on an equal footing, with neither major victories nor major defeats for either side.


    Their advance was critical to this unlikely outcome until not long ago.


    But with the disappearance of Abby, who, despite Mylecent''s reluctance to believe she was dead, all the Hell considered her as dead, everything changed. Eternal Death left the continent and the Hell beings moved in the same direction mostly.


    Even though she had been in Uzira the day she completely lost contact with Abby, Mylecent felt something strong, a great opportunity arise in Hell. Not long after sensing this, she left the continent, bringing her war to this dimension where, at the same time as looking for ways to strengthen herself with Hell''s current opportunities, she looked for chances to deal with Eternal Death.


    What could be better than having a chance to get stronger and still have a chance of eliminating her greatest enemy without having to destroy parts of the continent in one fight? In Mylecent''s opinion, nothing!


    As such, for the last few months she had been in the dimension, aware that a few years had passed for her companions in Uzira, during which time she had already faced Eternal Death, but also grown stronger. Mylecent was currently on the threshold of reaching level 126!


    At this moment, she and her group were moving precisely to get what they needed to advance, conquering a new domain of the Wheel of Reincarnation for her to progress!


    But as they moved along, no longer so far from their target of the day, just as Eternal Death had realized, Mylecent noticed people from her group arriving in the Hell.


    She suddenly stopped in mid-flight and looked in the direction of her territory, away from there. "Some of our comrades who were in Uzira have just entered the Hell."


    "Could something have happened? Could Eternal Death have returned to the continent?"


    "Impossible. That would be stupid of her!" Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Indeed. The biggest possibility is that it''s not related to her."


    "Is it Minos?" One of Mylecent''s subordinates asked, a rebel who knew the leadership of the rebel cause well enough to know several things about that powerful and talented alien.


    Mylecent narrowed his eyes, feeling that the comment of the last person to speak must be the most sensible and closest to reality. "It''s possible."


    "So what do we do, ma''am?"


    Mylecent was curious about Minos and what might have happened to Abby. But her plans were her priority now. Looking at the path she had been on until a moment ago, she said, "Let''s move on. These newcomers to the Hell are coming to us. As long as they''re careful, they''ll catch up with us in a few months."


    With a pause and a sigh, she started moving again. "Let''s move on. Our priority is to get stronger. We''ll find out after that!"


    The group continued, now with worry and new doubts in their minds, but still with the same immediate destination and purpose.


    ...


    Back in Uzira, Abby, Gloria and Ruth had completed their mission and were back on the move after sending out their call for Mylecent to return to the continent.


    Alongside the seer Ysolt and the remaining leaders of the rebels on the continent, as well as the contingent from the group''s secret headquarters, they moved towards the capital after leaving the place where they transmitted their message. Already aware of Minos'' plans for the capital, none of them worried about the risks of going to the enemies'' command headquarters, taking the rebels to a place where they had previously had to flee and put their lives at risk.


    But the situation was moving towards a new reality. The continent was heading for peace, whatever the outcome of the war. Either Minos and the rebels would win and the rebels'' peace would soon be established, or Eternal Death would find its way to eliminate Minos and all of them, which would also eventually lead to peace on the continent.


    With not much more room for other outcomes and confident that their side was the one that would indeed win, they took this decisive step, traveling for a few hours between their post and the capital.


    Towards the end of the afternoon and the beginning of the local ''night'', they arrived in the capital, where they found open roads and a totally different climate from the usual one there.


    Most of the population was going about their daily business, but there was a depressing feeling about the place that was hard to ignore.


    The guards, once energetic and arrogant, were discreet, almost as if they had shrunk in size and lost their will.


    It didn''t take long for the group to understand why when they reached the city''s central square, where they saw a little of what they had heard from others on the way there.


    Minos had had a fight that many of them would have liked to have seen, killing two Celestials and a number of high-level Supremes. Now he was in charge of the city and the entire local guard had surrendered and started serving him temporarily.


    The rebels even felt a little uneasy about the situation, wondering if they would be the winners of this war, or if it would be Minos... In any case, they made their way to the ruins of the former headquarters of the local sovereign force.


    Part of them split up to find out more and join the city control, while Abby, Gloria, Ruth and Ysolt headed off to meet Minos, who was already waiting for them in one of the least destroyed parts of the royal family''s headquarters.


    As soon as he saw his companions arriving, Minos greeted Ysolt after several years without seeing her, then invited his wives and the seer to sit down and talk. He had already heard the side of the enemies he had interrogated, now he wanted to hear from Ysolt about the situation of the rebels and Mylecent.

 Chapter 2899 - 2899: Settling Matters Before the Final Battle in Uzira

    "So that''s the situation." Minos muttered after hearing from Ysolt what he had already imagined.


    Mylecent, like Eternal Death, was in the Hell. But they weren''t just fighting whatever conflict they had with each other in that dimension, they were both focused on taking advantage of the war''s opportunities.


    The current war represented two great chances for groups in the Hell. One was to easily conquer domains previously belonging to Abby. Due to the size of the territory that previously belonged to Abby, there was a lot to be fought over, not only by the strongest Devils and their subordinates. Even smaller, more individualized groups could easily get some domains in the current context. That''s how big the domains Abby had inherited were!


    But on the other hand, other not taken areas or areas with disputed sovereigns, which would previously have had great competition for themselves, were now more ''accessible''. Certainly not all the Devils were fighting over Abby''s old domains. Some of them were taking advantage of the lesser competition around the dimension, which was another great opportunity for individuals like Mylecent and Eternal Death.


    Of these opportunities, Mylecent shouldn''t be far from reaching level 126 and Eternal Death had already advanced once since Minos left Uzira last time.


    Hearing this from Ysolt confirmed what Minos already knew and added details that he had so far only assumed. From this information, he imagined that the resolution of the Uzira conflict would not come overnight.


    "That''s a problem." He commented after a pause of almost a minute, staring at Ysolt. "We can''t go to Hell for personal reasons that would put very big problems in our way. But we need to resolve the war situation as soon as possible."


    Minos feared that Mylecent wouldn''t be able to deal with Eternal Death alone, so he wouldn''t allow himself to leave before seeing the end of Eternal Death, thus ensuring the victory of Uzira''s rebel forces.


    But he also had to leave in search of Forfex and the final answer to his level advancement before the last phase of Devdar''s inheritance.


    Gloria, Ruth and Abby looked at Ysolt with pessimism, having already exhausted their questions on the journey to the capital about possible solutions to bring at least Eternal Death back to the continent.


    "I know..." Said the local fortune-teller, "I''m sorry about that, Minos, but I can''t help you. We''ve already sent the message to Mylecent. Now all we can do is wait for her to hurry up and try to lure Eternal Death back here."


    "What should we do in the meantime?" Gloria asked her husband, sitting in an armchair to the side where he was facing Ysolt.


    Ignoring the surroundings partially damaged by the clash of powers from their previous battle, Minos approached the subject as he could now. "There''s nothing for us to do. Let''s let my envoys and Ysolt''s envoys do what they have to do. For now, let''s prune the branches of the royal family in Uzira and finish fulfilling some of our old promises."


    He stood up to leave, thinking of Odibrand Redwound''s family, of the promise he had already almost completely fulfilled.


    He said in the middle of his departure, "Take care of your last business locally. We''ll leave right after the fight against Eternal Death, which could happen at any time."


    The three of them understood, then split up to make the preparations they needed to get ready before their departure. Ysolt was alone in that half-destroyed post, happy for the power Minos had achieved and for what it all meant for the rebel cause.


    But she couldn''t help looking around this former seat of Uzira''s kingship and thinking about the mistakes she might have made in her visions. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''Was my earlier prediction really right? I see Minos getting further and further away from us. She asked herself, not knowing whether she was disappointed that the future she had predicted for him was showing no signs of happening or just upset at the speed with which everything had happened.


    But she was a strong rebel who had experienced all kinds of strangeness in her life. Like the others, who could no longer be felt nearby, she moved too. But unlike them, she went towards the remaining administration of the city and kingdom.


    Ysolt was the most important person in the rebel group after Mylecent. As such, she would soon roll up her sleeves to get to work on bringing the kingdom into line with her group''s expectations!


    ...


    A few days later, the core of the Stuart family was scattered across Uzira, with those previously in hiding coming back into the light of day with news of the recent events in the kingdom''s capital.


    While Minos'' wives left their own legacies behind to help their companions and friends, he finished his mission for that fragment of soul he had met on his arrival on the continent.


    The moment he sealed the reproductive organ of the last of Odibrand Redwound''s descendants he needed to deal with, Minos felt one less weight leave his shoulders and a sigh of thanks subtly move with the winds, almost imperceptibly.


    From where he was, at the top of a tree in a large forest, Minos saw the light cutting through the clouds, forming a golden path that led to a white vortex at the top of the sky, where this sigh departed from this world.


    Seeing a subtle natural representation of the Reincarnation Wheels, Minos made a gesture of farewell, releasing that resentful soul from this world to proceed with the proper process of reincarnation.


    Watching this moment of departure unfold in front of him, Minos thought about the Hell, but not about the war that mattered so much to him now. His thoughts moved in the direction of Vicente and his earlier promise to the boy.


    ''By now, he must be close to the level of a low-level Supreme. He''s probably trying to escape the Hell, if he hasn''t already managed that.'' Minos smiled as he got moving again, flying back to the kingdom''s capital. ''I hope our meeting isn''t because of Eternal Death... The best thing for my group is that we only see each other when I''m preparing for my final step in the 12th stage!''


    He thought of the vision of the future he''d had with Vicente, which showed him seeing his ally two other times, but it wasn''t clear when exactly these visions would happen.


    One way or another, he was already starting to prepare to go to the Hell if necessary, more concerned with leaving a safe continent for his family who would be left behind than protecting his vital status from Qhava and the others!

 Chapter 2900 - 2900: Back on the Continent

    Two months after Minos'' group settled in the capital of Uzira, Mylecent reappeared on the continent, back in Uzira, near the Awakening Peak.


    Along with her, the group of individuals who had been at her side previously, but also those sent by Ysolt, were moving along with her towards the kingdom''s capital.


    Their expressions were satisfied, but with palpable moderation in their eyes. Mylecent had succeeded in his advance to level 126, but they had also found out about Eternal Death''s plans and current status before returning at Minos'' call.


    Eternal Death was on the verge of reaching level 127 and if it hadn''t been for the unfavorable position for them to reach, they wouldn''t have returned before attempting to assassinate such an expert.


    But as Eternal Death was in the middle of the turmoil of the war for Abby''s former domains, Mylecent''s group decided to return and reunite with Minos and the rest of his people.


    So, as she made her way to the kingdom''s capital to take the position she had long coveted, Mylecent was in a double mood, thinking of the positive side of reuniting with Minos and the others, but also of the problems still on their way.


    Now it was time for them to prepare to face a level 127 True Celestial!


    ...


    The journey to the capital was a quick one for Mylecent''s group. At the start of another local afternoon for this city getting used to its new reality, their group came to a halt when they spotted the core of the city from their position in the sky. Where the seat of the royal family used to be was now a large construction site, with various workers at work while royal guards were stationed here and there.


    They all sensed the auras of the powerful members of the Stuart family and kept their doubts to themselves. Moving forward to land in the vicinity of the reconstruction area, they soon felt the people they were interested in moving as well when they saw them coming.


    Mylecent saw Minos and the man''s wives leaving a temporary tent and smiled, seeing this tall, strong man at the peak of level 123, his appearance even more beautiful than the last time she had seen him.


    "Minos..." She murmured as she molded a beautiful smile on her lips, ignoring his women, but also her psychic friend.


    "Did you destroy the royal palace?" She asked with an amused tone. "You know, as much as we''re rebels, we didn''t want to destroy that palace."


    "Too late now." He grinned at her. "It''s already happened and there''s no going back."


    "That''s what I see." She smiled as she sighed and looked at the place that had grown, but was now unrecognizable. "Anyway, thanks for dealing with the enemies. It looks like you ended the war single-handedly..."


    "Almost." Minos didn''t shirk responsibility. Mylecent and the rebels had certainly done a lot over the last few years. But nothing compared to the murder of Celestials, something that only he had done.


    After Minos killed the two Celestials who were watching over the continent for Eternal Death, practically all the survivors of the family surrendered, swearing loyalty and obedience to Minos.


    Now Uzira''s grandiose surveillance and enforcement machine was in Minos'' hands, obeying the rebels merely because he had told them to obey such a group.


    "Changing the subject," Abby said, breaking their reunion dialog. "What about Eternal Death? You must have heard from her, right?"


    Mylecent looked at Abby, remembering what had happened earlier, and couldn''t help smiling as she imagined what this group had achieved to fool all of the Hell.


    But she kept the things she wanted to ask them to herself and said, "Yes, she''s in the Hell. She is seeking her advancement to level 127. We have tried to stop her and hinder her progress several times, but in the midst of our own opportunities, she has reached a position that is difficult to reach. Now I fear she will progress and come back stronger than ever to deal with us and truly end the war!"


    "Level 127?" Ruth narrowed her eyes, not liking that at all.


    "That''s a bit beyond what we considered." Gloria murmured quietly, aware that this would be enough to force them to fight with everything they had and still take some risks.


    Mylecent didn''t know the same as this group, but she judged that, however strong Minos must be by now, this would definitely be a big challenge for them.


    "I hope you can repeat your victory and confirm the end of the war soon, Minos. I fear it will come to us soon." Mylecent sighed, speaking in a serious tone that even made her sound a little strange, unlike her confident and playful self.


    Minos stared in silence at this level 126 Devil with long white hair. As everyone watched him, he took a deep breath, feeling some difficulty in sensing the future of Eternal Death, who was still in the Hell and therefore making it difficult for him to analyze.


    "We''re going to win, no matter what." He was confident in himself, not seeing how Eternal Death would be a challenge for him at this stage of his journey. "When she returns, we''ll deal with her in the appropriate way. For now, let''s prepare for Uzira''s future. Mylecent, from now on, you are the new queen and leader of the royal family. As the center of power in Uzira and Zocarro, there are things I expect you to do on your journey."


    She became more serious, ignoring the men of the royal family kneeling in the surroundings and calling out her position and name, focused only on two people. The man who had promised her and the person who had made that promise¡ªwho seemed increasingly distant and out of touch with reality.


    Ysolt saw her friend and leader''s gaze fall on her, but said nothing. She just watched as Minos fashioned a new crown for the kingdom, an essence of darkness and silver flames that fused with Mylecent, ending the simple coronation ritual he had performed.


    After this brief ritual, Mylecent greeted Minos'' wives before they entered one of the command tents in the construction area to discuss the details.


    Before anything else, however, Minos murmured something to her. "As soon as we''ve dealt with Eternal Death, my group will leave. The details of our departure are not important. What I want you to know is that there is something I need you to do in Hell. After you stabilize Uzira and return to the Hell, look for someone called Vicente Fuller."


    "Vicente Fuller? A Devil?"


    "Yes, you could say that." Minos agreed and added, "He''s someone I left with a mission. If necessary, help him. And if he falls, you must take over the domains he leaves."


    She narrowed her eyes, not understanding what Minos was getting at.


    "Just do it. When the time comes, I''ll reward you with whatever you want." He looked at her with a smile that said much more than his words. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 2901 - 2901: The Position of Eternal Death

    Minos and his group had time to talk to Mylecent about the situation in the Hell and their plans after their reunion. Nothing immediately seemed to lead them to the decisive confrontation against Eternal Death.


    So she learned about Minos'' plan to leave Zocarro once again and finally challenge the Upper Realm, but also some details about his interests regarding the Hell¡ªeven though he had been vague about that dimension.


    She didn''t know exactly how he would act after becoming an Entitled Deity. After all, the Upper Realm and the Hell were historical enemies. How exactly did he intend to act after his promotion?


    But Mylecent''s doubts were only in the sense of where exactly Minos wanted to go and what she would have to do. She wasn''t worried about being on the wrong side of a future fight between the Hell and the Upper Realm. Something told her that he wouldn''t become a 100% loyal member of the Upper Realm and a total enemy to all Devils.


    Meanwhile, Minos and his women understood better where the current war developing in the Hell stood. They had been in the dark about it until Mylecent''s return, only being able to make estimates based on what they knew of the scale, the players involved in the dispute, and the size of the disputed territory. But they were a long way from being able to accurately understand what was developing there and at what point in the conflict the war had reached.


    Mylecent told them everything, from the names of important figures in Hell who were on the move or who had already fallen. The war should be at its climax right now¡ªwhich was sooner than Minos had initially expected.


    At least half of Abby''s old domain had already gained new owners and Qhava had grown a lot in recent months¡ªthe time it had spent inside Hell since the departure of Minos and his women. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Recently, there had been news of the strongest Devil leaving his territory, which was already moving the war towards its end. Supposedly, Devil Lothur was at the peak of level 129 and was moving to take the Throne of Hell once and for all!


    Hearing this and how Qhava didn''t seem to have forgotten about him scared Minos a little. Not only was he worried about the war in the Hell ending too soon and this causing problems for him and his family, he was also already thinking about the future in which he would be part of the Upper Realm. Minos was certain that as soon as he assumed his throne as Entitled Deity, he would have to get involved in the dimension''s problems with the Hell. But he wouldn''t want to be involved in a dimension war straight away!


    However, from what he had heard from Mylecent about the developing situation in the Hell, the likelihood of a dimension clash starting even before his ascension was increasing, having already passed 50%.


    The Upper Realm would not accept a Devil taking the Throne of Hell and reunifying the infernal powers when the Upper Realm itself was not unified for this threat. In that case, there was only one obvious way out for him: anticipation of war!


    Because of this, Minos immediately locked himself away after hearing everything from Mylecent, positioning himself to consider going to the Hell now or waiting longer.


    In the situation he was in, he couldn''t help but feel the stress of the passage of time!


    ...


    Three weeks after Mylecent''s return, Minos was still pondering whether to speed up the resolution of the current situation by going to the Hell or to wait longer and not risk returning to the dimension now. But while he was meditating, in one of his post-vision rests, something made him shift uncomfortably.


    Without leaving his lotus position and eyes closed, Minos moved his energies, once again trying to spy out the fate messed up by the Hell''s influences.


    Trying to predict the fate of entities related to absolute dimensions was not easy. Every time he tried something, he felt an interference that scrambled his visions. Today, however, he felt it would be different when he tried to predict his own fate.


    His mind traveled along a path of seven colors, crossing time, arriving at a world different from the sky, extremely hazy, but with the same buildings as the city he was physically in now.


    Suddenly, the place seemed peaceful, on a day like any other, despite the tense and stormy weather. Then, suddenly, explosions and flames coming from the core of the city appeared in his vision, making some of his senses work simultaneously.


    Frowning, Minos spotted the area near the sovereign family''s the Hell portal, where a battalion of enemy undead, but also the Hell guardians and other creatures, probably allies and new minions of Eternal Death, were appearing from that point.


    Several of the local Hell Lifelings, undead revived by himself and his allies, fell with the enemy onslaught, while even his most important women and allies were surprised by a powerful troop of peak Supremes and low-level Celestials.


    Minos observed this sight for just a second longer and then opened his eyes, back to the real world, dispersing the effects of his powers.


    He got up as quickly as he left the vision, with drops of sweat running down his forehead, neck, and back.


    Minos left the place where he was and reappeared, floating a few meters above the central square, still under reconstruction. There he didn''t hesitate to move his powers, strengthening himself even before announcing to his companions what was about to happen.


    Minos didn''t need to say anything. When his cultivation suddenly began to rise, with his golden wings opening up and making it look as if a new star had appeared in the sky, all those above level 120 within a radius of up to 100 kilometers felt chills run down their spines.


    Quickly, Mylecent appeared floating next to Minos, the first to join him as men from the rebel forces, Hell Lifelings and Armhands, began to move around the area. Almost two seconds later, Abby, Gloria and Ruth joined them, along with Ysolt and some important warriors in the area.


    Segiel was naturally not there. The capital was too dangerous as long as Eternal Death existed and had the possibility of returning. Thus, Minos'' last wife was at the guild''s headquarters in Uzira, as was the case with all his relatives currently on the continent.


    "Is she coming?" Abby asked as she felt her blood rushing faster, aware that this situation would not be resolved without a challenging battle first.


    Neither of them feared the possibility of dying in this fight. If any side had the upper hand, it was definitely theirs. But the difference wasn''t great and before a likely victory, as they had hoped, there was a battle that could bring injury to them ahead!


    "Yes, we only have a few more seconds," Minos said, as his body was already half transformed into its maximum combat form.


    Not long after his words, just long enough for the rebel forces to retreat from the vicinity of the Hell portal, explosions similar to the ones he had predicted erupted around the central area of the capital, before a grandiose horde showed itself to them along with the main enemies in the imminent battle ahead.

 Chapter 2902 - 2902: Fight of Level 127 True Celestials I

    Faced with the horde of Eternal Death coming from the Hell to terrorize the local forces, Minos and his women acted simultaneously as their cultivations rose.


    Abby reached level 125 and was the main one to revive the local dead to join their side in the confrontation that was about to begin, but Gloria, Ruth and Minos took part in their first move, showing their proficiency in necromancy to the alliance and their enemies.


    Almost instantly upon her return to the kingdom''s capital, Eternal Death spotted the trouble there to challenge her, turning her eyes to where Mylecent stood with Minos and his three wives building the local defense army.


    Her eyes narrowed as she noticed the condition of Minos in particular, who looked the least like a Supreme, even though he was clearly using something unusual to show himself as Celestial. His and his wives'' powers showed a deep connection to the Hell, even though they clearly didn''t have Hellish Crowns on them.


    ''These people...'' Eternal Death didn''t identify them from this alone, but she sensed that they weren''t simple and were probably behind how Mylecent had gotten a Hell Crown.


    She raised her weapon in the air and emitted a single scream, enough for the Hell creatures around her to attack with everything against everyone in the vicinity, not even sparing those who were in charge of Eternal Death the last time she was in this city.


    She ordered an indiscriminate massacre, smiling as she heard the sound of destruction, of buildings cracking, blows piercing the air and hitting people and inanimate objects, bringing chaos, screams and a myriad of bad feelings to the city.


    The rebels'' allied horde counterattacked in smaller numbers, but not so different strength, giving the space for the strongest of the group to move together against Eternal Death and his strongest allies; from stage 13.


    Minos silently arranged for his wives to move with Mylecent and Ysolt, while he advanced, already fully in his dragon form, against Eternal Death.


    Eternal Death held her giant scythe in the air with one hand, looking through a dark veil at Minos¡ªthe six-winged dragon¡ªflying at her. She felt that, however much his level was lower than hers, even though he used some strange method to be stronger than he normally was, his cultivation base wasn''t that different from hers in qualitative and quantitative terms.


    Feeling that, at least temporarily, Minos should be as strong as a level 127 True Celestial like her, Eternal Death treated him seriously. Moving her weapon, she fired at the great dragon, moving her forces into an attack so powerful that the mere spiritual pressure of her movement knocked out those in its path, spreading an oppressive aura of darkness across the outskirts of the city.


    Civilians already in hiding or starting to move to protect themselves from the fight at its start felt Eternal Death''s aura of terror. Many didn''t stand a chance and fell with their eyes wide open to the ground, their mouths foaming as their bodies convulsed briefly before stopping motionless.


    But not only the aura of someone like Eternal Death could cause adverse effects on combatants and ordinary civilians in the vicinity. Minos'' aura was just as bad as hers, being differentiated by not being a wave of corrosive darkness, but a tremendous pressure capable of altering the surrounding gravity.


    Minos'' wings flapped loudly, sending gusts of wind throughout the area, in itself capable of counteracting the movements of the undead and the Hell guardians in the midst of the fighting there. He opened his mouth and launched silver flames from his mouth, spitting them at Eternal Death while simultaneously using his other powers.


    Eternal Death frowned after slashing against the position where Minos stood, watching him disappear from where she thought she saw him, before she realized he was behind her, much closer to reaching her. Meanwhile, the flames he spat out continued to come at her, making her feel drops of sweat trickle down her skin as she expressed her dissatisfaction with a grimace.


    Noticing the golden hourglass nearby, Eternal Death understood very well what Minos had done. But there was no time to think about it and she merely raised her arms defensively against the onslaught of dragon claws threatening to break her into several pieces.


    She managed to move her scythe in time to use the weapon''s blade to counterattack, managing to minimally prepare for Minos'' onslaught in the last instant before contact. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then, a few meters above the surface of the city, Eternal Death''s scythe and the claws of one of Minos''s legs collided, creating sparks as big as some of the buildings in the area, while a crashing sound made warriors on both sides of the fight lose their focus.


    Hundreds of mid-level and low-level Supremes fell unconscious where they stood, their ears bleeding as those without such orifices used their advantage.


    Meanwhile, the ground immediately below Minos and Eternal Death sank, with the few individuals there losing their lives, crushed by the overwhelming pressure of the exchange of blows between them.


    The collision didn''t last long, however. After Minos'' onslaught, he demonstrated his advantage of using time to surprise his opponent, managing to put Eternal Death at a disadvantage.


    She felt her weapon slip out of her hands and was soon hit by Minos'' front paw before being thrown diagonally downwards.


    Eternal Death parted her lips as she let out a short but very high-pitched scream of pain before crashing into some of the buildings around the construction area.


    A crater opened up where it had stopped, at the same time as the whole city shook from the shock of the collision. But even with the whole city feeling the effects of the combat of two such strong True Celestials, she merely felt as if she had been hit on the back, enough to feel pain, but not enough to immobilize her.


    "Wretch!" She opened her mouth in hatred as she stood up and removed the veil from her face, showing a stunning face, capable of seducing men of weak minds.


    But before she could draw her scythe back to herself and attack, golden seals appeared around her, and from them cursed chains snapped against her wrists and heels.


    Minos hovered in the air a few dozen meters above her, controlling the seals around her while forcing her in four different directions. "This is where you die."


    With those words, Minos'' eyes flashed in rainbow colors, shooting into Eternal Death''s eyes, as sword-shaped blades emerged from the vacuum of space around where she stood.

 Chapter 2903 - 2903: Fight of Level 127 True Celestials II

    At that moment, attacked mentally, physically and spiritually, Eternal Death bit her lips, revealing a black blood, identical to the Drops of Hell, in her mouth. In the presence of this black liquid, the surrounding darkness trembled, seeming to respond to an invisible call.


    Her crown took shape outside her body, appearing on top of her head while a dark dress formed over this woman''s usual combat clothes. Meanwhile, her dark domain spread to her surroundings, generating a crackdown on everything close to her.


    Minos felt the effect of the Drops of Hell eating away at his powers quickly, detaching Eternal Death''s body as he counterattacked.


    But that wouldn''t be enough to threaten him. By manipulating the space around him, Minos redirected the influence of Eternal Death''s negative domain to her minions, bringing death to the enemy group while protecting himself and his allies.


    At the same time that Eternal Death was trying another way to hurt him, not paying much attention to his allies fighting in that area, he made a giant golden sword appear in the air above him. With a command, he fired his weapon at his enemy, causing the blade to split as it made its way, with each deflection doubling the number of blades, forcing the enemy to move in an attempt to dodge.


    Minos used the moment of advantage to look to the side and see a few steps ahead in this battle, noticing his women in good positions, but which could be better. Using his mental ability, he sent what he saw into their minds with just a glance, directing them to their best possible moves against their enemies.


    At that moment, Eternal Death brought out the powers of his Reincarnation Wheel, causing a wheel of darkness to appear behind him that repelled all of Minos'' movements against it.


    Minos stared at that force for a moment, seeing it immediately become a great danger to everyone in the vicinity, especially the undead in his group¡ªbeings more susceptible to the Devils'' powers.


    However, before Eternal Death could do much damage to the rebels, Mylecent moved in a similar way, also revealing her Reincarnation Wheel to the enemy.


    Eternal Death looked in the direction of his old rival, naturally not liking this at all. Even though she was one level ahead of Mylecent, the enemy had Minos on her side, who, although ''less'' dangerous now with the use of the Reincarnation Wheel, was still there to threaten her.


    Mylecent killed one of the opponents from the beginning of the 13th stage on her way, finishing off the penultimate of them there, as well as Eternal Death, of course. Leaving the dead body of the level 125 Celestial aside, she cast a killing glance in her enemy''s direction, once again looking at her in combat and wishing her dead.


    But today''s situation was different. Today Mylecent felt she could finally kill Eternal Death!


    Mylecent flew at Eternal Death, ignoring the enemies attacking her and her allies and minions, needing her help, with her focus solely on ending their old feud. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Eternal Death was torn between focusing on Mylecent and continuing to protect Minos, a difficult decision given that both had their dangers. But with Reincarnation Wheels involved, only diabolical power could fight on equal terms.


    She also moved against her rebel familiar, running with her scythe in hand, bringing the confrontation to its climax.


    Minos allowed the two to confront each other, looking around and seeing the eyes of many of the living beings around him turning in that direction, attentive to the approaching outcome of everything.


    Many on both sides were there precisely for one of the two. The fall of one of them would mean the end of many of the creatures in the vicinity, but also the giving up of a not insignificant group. In particular, Mylecent''s victory would be worth much more than Eternal Death''s victory.


    ''Win in front of everyone. Bring victory to us and be the leadership link that will be left vacant with her death.'' Minos thought as he looked at Mylecent, moving with her white hair floating in the air, negative power enveloping not only the enemy but also this beautiful local woman.


    Subtly, Minos used his card up his sleeve against Eternal Death to favor Mylecent, drawing on the strength of injured enemies, while raising the powers of the first True Celestial he had the chance to influence.


    Mylecent felt his power growing as he approached Eternal Death, but he didn''t have time to look away or think about where this strength was coming from. Feeling her cultivation reach the absolute peak of level 126, much more than she had naturally, her confidence increased as her enemy''s expression turned grim.


    Minos hadn''t stolen Eternal Death''s cultivation base¡ªhe wouldn''t have been able to do that against someone as strong and capable as her. But he had already managed to weaken her with his previous attacks and exchanges of blows, weakening the newly promoted level 127 True Celestial.


    He then watched closely as the two women''s weapons clashed, feeling as if a movie was playing out in front of him.


    The shrill sound of the blades lasted long enough for the tension of the moment to develop a little more before finally, the stronger one advanced against the weaker one, breaking through the enemy''s defense before her weapon kissed the opponent''s body.


    "Aaaaagh!"


    A high-pitched female scream echoed throughout the capital city, temporarily seeming to cover all other sounds, evoking from the darkness around the area a sepulchral and final silence.


    "Wretch¡ª" She said her last word as she dropped her scythe and fell to her knees on the ground, looking into the eyes of the enemy immediately in front of her, holding the weapon that had just gone through her abdomen.


    Slowly, the upper and lower parts of Eternal Death''s body slid in on themselves, an instant later revealing the brutal damage of the enemy attack, with her body separating into two different parts at the level of her navel.


    The more numerous undead fell one after the other, with the guardians fighting disappearing as if made of mist, leaving enemies attacking them, lost in the situation.


    Amid this, the sound of breaking glass echoed throughout the area, marking the destruction of the remaining Hell troops.


    Minos looked at Mylecent with a smile on his face, waving to her in congratulations for her decisive move.


    "Congratulations on your victory," he said as he floated close to her, showing her the way ahead. "Now the continent is yours. Protect it, but don''t miss the opportunity brought by the enemy. You now have her domains to conquer in the Hell and become even stronger!"


    Minos congratulated Mylecent as he passed on her next mission, guiding her right there.


    Mylecent continued to keep an eye on the body of Eternal Death, who hadn''t died yet, but whose soul had already detached from her body, being summoned by the remaining Reincarnation Wheel.


    Looking at her enemy''s spirit, she not only accepted Minos'' mission, but settled this old matter, finalizing her differences against her greatest enemy.


    Raising her weapon in the air while letting nature take its course, Mylecent raised her weapon in the air and shouted loudly, causing several rebels and allies to shout victoriously around the city, raising the group''s spirits one last time before completely ending the era coming to an end there.

 Chapter 2904 - 2904: The Last Game Approaches

    Under the rubble of what remained of the capital''s core, the rebel survivors, and former members of the royalty, surrendered before Minos'' first invasion, stood in a pattern, leading to Uzira''s new throne.


    Men and women of different races, Hell Lifelings, undead, Hell guardians and various others, organized themselves to make way for Mylecent to pass.


    Next to the new local throne, Minos, his wives, and Ysolt positioned themselves from where they could see the whole city; the locals applauding as the woman with long white hair, almost 2 meters tall, dressed in her war gear, passed along the path to her throne.


    As she listened to the applause, words of congratulations on her victory after so long fighting against her family, she had a broad smile on her face, showing her perfect teeth as she emanated power.


    She had dreamed of the day when she would be in this situation countless times while imprisoned in the prison that Minos had freed her from. She had long since thought of the day when she would get everything she wanted.


    Now she didn''t know if she had gotten everything her heart had ever desired, but she was one step closer to getting everything she could have.


    Climbing the final rubble to her throne, she waved to her longtime friend, Ysolt, before focusing on Minos, the one responsible for everything that was happening to her. And it was precisely he who was with a black crown¡ªthe crown of the local royal family¡ªwaiting to crown her in front of the survivors and locals.


    "You are now the sovereign queen of Uzira. Take good care of this place. I hope my family and guild grow a lot under your care," Minos said as he placed the symbolic crown on Mylecent''s head. He was with a tranquil look on his face that spoke of his peace of mind in leaving everything to her. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mylecent nodded as she murmured just for Minos to hear, "I can do that and much more for you."


    Minos understood the implicit meaning of her words and smiled back at this woman''s flirtation. "I''m looking forward to that day. But I''m afraid we''re both too busy for that right now."


    "As long as you don''t forget your earlier promise, we''ll be fine." She kept her eyes on him, her back to the people waiting for her first words as queen.


    He promised, "Don''t worry. Go on with your plans and fulfill the mission I left you. One day, we''ll have peace to be with each other."


    She trusted him without further question, finally turning to face her new subjects. They were weakened people in need of a strong and decisive leader.


    "People of Uzira..." She began, speaking loudly so that the entire city could hear, while her closest allies and companions stood silently beside her, giving her the space to speak as much as she wanted.


    But Minos and his women paid little attention to Mylecent''s words. Through their mental connections, they talked to each other at this important moment in Uzira''s history.


    ''We''re leaving tomorrow. We''ll return to the guild''s headquarters later and then we''ll define the group that will head back to the planet of the Divine Dragons with us,'' Minos said in response to his wives'' questions and doubts. ''After passing through the Seraphim Dimension, we''ll head for the first planet where Forfex might be.''


    The three women nodded in silence, looking at their surroundings and seeing their last moments not only in Uzira but also in Zocarro.


    In their minds, there was no going back to this world. Their current journey would end with their deaths or Minos'' advance to the Upper Realm. In either case, their destiny no longer lay in Zocarro¡ªthe place that had been their home for the longest time in their lives.


    With Mylecent''s coronation ceremony over, they would meet with the leader of the rebel force and the surrendered men of the royal family for their last conversation. The Hell Lifelings had their freedoms and could choose to stay with Mylecent, go to the Armhands, or even set up their own forces, under royal authorization, of course. The undead disappeared after their bodies lost their elements, while the Hell guardians of Mylecent left to wait for new signals.


    The locals were still collecting bodies, cleaning up the combat center, when Minos and his women said goodbye, taking one last good look at their friends and allies.


    Before leaving, Minos said to Mylecent, "Take advantage of the next few days to organize the continent and a new government. But don''t delay returning to the Hell. The domains that belonged to Eternal Death are now free for new competitors."


    "I''ll be back as soon as possible."


    "Good. Don''t forget the person I told you about, and good luck."


    Minos distorted the space a few meters above the capital, disappearing from there while still being watched by Mylecent, Ysolt and at least a hundred high-level Supremes.


    "Sigh! He''s finally gone..." Ysolt sighed, still worried about the future she had predicted long ago, but which didn''t seem to be getting any closer to the realization. "When will we see him again?"


    Mylecent couldn''t see the future, but she understood things that her seer couldn''t without being part of the Hell, "There''s a war coming, Ysolt," she said as she looked at her friend seriously, her fists clenched tightly. "I have a feeling we''ll be hearing from them a lot sooner than we thought."


    "You speak of the Hell?"


    "I''m afraid I''m going to become a double agent," Mylecent said in a strange tone. "What is there for a Devil interested in a future Entitled Deity?"


    "Chaos."


    That was all Ysolt could think about as she looked back to where Minos had left, no longer able to see anything about his future, nor that of his women, nor even Mylecent.


    ''Now all I can do is watch as a distant spectator... Good luck, Minos. I hope you succeed and that what I predicted earlier comes to pass.''


    While Ysolt wished for something beyond her control or influence, Minos and his women finished crossing space, returning to the vicinity of Armhands'' headquarters.


    The journey for them would hardly be a long one with the group members'' current powers. They soon left the distorted path of space, visualizing where their families, friends and subordinates were waiting for their return.


    But even though they were geographically distant from Mylecent and Ysolt, Minos had the same thing in mind as the two of them.


    ''We will meet again soon. The war of the two dimensions is approaching faster than I''d like!'' He led his women, not sharing all his worries with them.


    ''I just hope you all strengthen yourselves once more before time runs out.'' His thoughts moved not only to Mylecent and his wives but also to his family members, allies and, ultimately, Vicente Fuller.


    ''The time is coming for me to use all my cards!''